Daily Archives: December 8, 2023

Cox Innovation Lab Opens at Goleta Boys & Girls Club

The Goleta United Boys & Girls Club took one step into the future with the exciting unveiling of the Cox Innovation Lab earlier this month. The STEAM-based program marks a new frontier in learning. Virtual reality and video games are not just for fun, they’re helping future generations experience learning like never before. 

Mayor Paula Perotte, Mayor Pro Tempore Kyle Richards, District 1 Councilmember Luz Reyes-Martín, District 2 Councilmember James Kyriaco (also a Boys and Girls Club alum) were joined at the special ribbon cutting by United Boys & Girls Club CEO Michael Baker, Club Board Chair Roger Aceves, and Kirsten McLaughlin, Vice President of the Santa Barbara Market Cox Communications. 

Most excited of all were the young club members who eagerly attended the event, filled with excitement at the opportunity to explore the brand-new innovation lab and equipment. Members of the Goleta United Boys & Girls Club will all be able to utilize the lab equipment including TVs, improved Wi-Fi, virtual reality goggles, video game systems such as PlayStations, and more.

See the excitement in this short clip of the ribbon cutting.

Thank you Cox Communications for making an investment in Goleta’s youth! 

Getting an E-Bike for the Holidays?

Is an e-bike on your holiday shopping list for you or your family and friends? If so, make sure a helmet is purchased as well. As the popularity of e-bikes continues to skyrocket, so do the number of issues surrounding the safety of this alternative mode of transportation. We hope you will join us on January 16, 2024, at the Goleta City Council meeting for the proclamation of E-Bike Safety Awareness Day. Let’s all be a part of doing what we can to make sure those zipping around town on e-bikes, many of them teens, arrive to their destinations safely. 

Electric bicycles are heavier and faster than standard bicycles and, without the proper safety education and training, e-bike riders have a higher risk of becoming severely injured or killed in a crash. As e-bikes become more commonplace, it’s also important for drivers to familiarize themselves with sharing the road with e-bike riders.

According to preliminary data from the California Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System, there were more than 9,600 bicycle-involved crashes in 2022. At least 225 of those crashes involved an e-bike, including four which resulted in fatal injuries. This reflects a significant increase from the previous year when there were 80 e-bike crashes reported in California.

In case you didn’t know, the California Highway Patrol has an online e-bike safety and training program designed to help riders of all abilities and all ages identify potential hazards, while offering information on safe riding practices and hazard-avoidance maneuvers. Go to www.chp.ca.gov/Programs-Services/Services-Information/Bike-and-Ped-Safety.

The City is planning educational activities surrounding E-Bike Safety Awareness Day, stay tuned for details.