Author Archives: Jaime Shaw

Discover the Flavors of Old Town

Old Town has so much to offer that an entire festival has been created around it! Taste & Sounds of Old Town Goleta returns for its second year on Saturday, June 8, from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. Sample cuisine from local restaurants, peruse vendor booths, sip beer, wine and cider in a beer garden, and enjoy live music by Soul Machine. Tickets are on sale now; buy early as prices go up at the door. The Festival is presented by the Goleta Old Town Community Association. For more information, follow the Festival on Facebook (@TasteandSoundOTG), or visit the website at www.goletataste.com.   

AIDS/LifeCycle Riding Through Goleta

The AIDS/LifeCycle Ride returns to Goleta on Friday, June 7, 2019. An estimated 2,500 bicyclists will ride 545 miles from San Francisco to Los Angeles June 2 – 8 for this annual fundraiser. Riders will be in Goleta around 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and will be staggered along the route. Bicyclists will enter the City riding southbound on U.S. 101 and exit at Hollister Avenue / Winchester Canyon Road. Riders will make their way to Girsh Park for lunch by taking Hollister Avenue east, turning right on Cannon Green Drive, left on Phelps Road, right on Pacific Oaks Road, left on Armstrong Road, left on Mills Way, left on Phelps Road and entering Girsh Park through the west parking lot for a lunch stop. After lunch, riders will turn right onto Phelps Road to exit Girsh Park, turn right again onto Pacific Oaks Road, and make a final right turn onto Hollister Avenue. Riders continue east on Hollister Avenue and exit the City after crossing Patterson Avenue on their way to Ventura. Click here to view a map of the Goleta route. For more information on the AIDS/LifeCycle ride, go to www.aidslifecycle.org.

Legal Aid Services Available

The Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County is celebrating 60 years of providing legal assistance to low-income and other vulnerable individuals in the community. Volunteer lawyers are available Wednesday’s at the Goleta Valley Community Center (5679 Hollister Avenue). The type of law they provide assistance for alternates weekly between Family Law (4:00 – 6:00 p.m.) and Civil Law (5:00 – 6:00 p.m.). Clients are seen on a first-come, first-served basis. Please call the Goleta Valley Community Center ahead of time to ensure an attorney will be present: 805-967-1237. Additional services are available throughout Santa Barbara County. Please visit the Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County’s website at www.lafsbc.org for more information.

When School’s Out, Reading is In, at the Goleta Valley Library

Each year, Goleta Valley Library holds a Summer Reading Program to encourage children and teens to read during the summer months. This helps prevent “summer slide,” the loss of reading and academic skills over the summer. This year’s program, It’s Showtime at Your Library!, will run from June 7th – August 3rd. By reading and logging books, Summer Reading participants will be able to earn exciting prizes from local community donors. In addition, the library will host weekly performers and events throughout the program that are free and open to the public. Click here for a list of events. Reading logs are available for pickup at Goleta Valley Library (500 N. Fairview Avenue) beginning June 7th.

Don’t miss out on all of the activities happening at the Goleta Valley Library. Sign up for the monthly e-newsletter, The Reading Corner, and follow the library on Facebook (@GoletaValleyLibrary).

Get in the Game this July

July is National Parks and Recreation Month, and we want you to get in the game! Visit one of Goleta’s many neighborhood parks, learn a new sport (such as pickleball, bocce ball or Bankshot basketball), and commit to spending more time outdoors. This year’s theme, Game On!, is all about highlighting the fun, games, and exciting offerings around town. The City’s newest park, Jonny D. Wallis Neighborhood Park (170 S. Kellogg Avenue), exemplifies the Game On! theme with activities for all ages. Goleta City Council will proclaim July 2019 as National Parks and Recreation Month in Goleta at the June 18 City Council meeting.

Park and Recreation Month began in 1985 and was started by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). Parks and Recreation month highlights the vital and powerful role local parks and recreation play in conservation, health and wellness, and social equity efforts in communities all across the country. www.nrpa.org

Road Improvements Project by Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital

Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital has started its final phase of improvements to Patterson Avenue by Hollipat Center Drive (south of Hollister Avenue). Improvements include restriping Patterson Avenue to include a bike lane and relocating the flashing beacon crosswalk by Hollipat Center Drive (Hollipat) to improve pedestrian access to the hospital. The crosswalk will be moved from the northside of Hollipat to the southside in order to align with the main entrance of the hospital. One lane of traffic in each direction will be open at all times on Patterson Avenue throughout the construction timeline.

City of Goleta to Manage Santa Ynez Valley Libraries

Beginning July 1, 2019, the City of Goleta will not only be managing the Goleta Valley Library, but the Buellton, Solvang, Los Olivos and Santa Ynez Valley Libraries as well! It has been almost one year since the City took over direct management of the Goleta Valley Library in an effort to increase library services at reduced costs. Since July 1, 2018, the Goleta Valley Library has implemented new programs and services for children and adults, started a monthly e-newsletter, introduced the new ‘Library of Things’ collection, and opened the Jake Boysel Children’s Room.

Patrons currently registered at the Buellton, Solvang, Los Olivos and Santa Ynez Libraries will need to get a new Santa Ynez Valley Libraries card in order to check out material or access electronic resources. The new cards will work at any public library in Santa Barbara County and are available from any of the library locations in the Santa Ynez Valley, as well as the Goleta Valley Library (500 N. Fairview Avenue, Goleta), and the Santa Barbara Central Library (40 E. Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara).

Help Design a Community Garden & Splash Pad!

We are excited to bring Goleta residents the City’s first community garden at Armitos Park and install a splash pad at the Jonny D. Wallis Neighborhood Park! The Goleta Water District has lifted its stage II and III water restrictions, so the City can begin the design phase of a splash pad. The splash pad will use potable water that is recycled and sanitized through a closed loop system. Water will not be running unless people are playing in the splash pad.

We want input from the community on the design of both park projects. Do you want a raised or flat garden bed in the community garden? Should the water for the splash pad come from below or above? Is there anything else you want to see at Armitos Park or Jonny D. Wallis Neighborhood Park? Two community meetings were held at the end of May to gather input, and we have an upcoming meeting on Wednesday, June 19, from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. at City Hall Council Chambers (130 Cremona Drive, Suite B). Snacks will be provided, but everyone is encouraged to bring a lunch to eat during the meeting.

We will be working with a design firm on these projects, and will hold additional meetings for the community to give input on the initial design later this summer. Stay tuned for more details and sign up here to have information emailed directly to you. For questions, contact JoAnne Plummer, Parks & Recreation Manager, at jplummer@cityofgoleta.org or 805-562-5505.

City Awarded $3.9 Million in Funding for the Monarch Butterfly Habitat Management Plan

On May 16, 2019, the Coastal Conservancy approved $3.9 million in funding (previously authorized for expenditure during adoption of the State budget) to the City of Goleta for implementation of the Ellwood Mesa Monarch Butterfly Habitat Management Plan (MBHMP). As noted in the May issue of the Monarch Press, the MBHMP was approved by City Council on March 19, 2019. Growing concern over the drought-stressed and dying eucalyptus trees in the butterfly groves led to the finalization of the MBHMP. The MBHMP identifies how the City will preserve, restore, and enhance the monarch butterfly overwintering habitat. It also includes enhancement of other wildlife habitats, education and outreach, trail improvements, signage, monitoring, and research.

The funds administered by the Coastal Conservancy allow the City to begin implementing the MBHMP and help restore the ecosystem on the Ellwood Mesa. This will not only support the monarch butterfly population, but other vulnerable plant and animal species as well. Key components include:

  • Expedite the completion of the MBHMP Implementation Plan and necessary permitting.
  • Remove and replace dead trees to optimize butterfly habitat value and increase human safety along trails and observation sites.
  • Identify and reduce potential impacts to monarch butterfly habitat including pest infestations, trash and debris, and other threats that may arise over time.
  • Support implementation of Goleta’s Community Wildfire Protection Plan in the buffer zone between the open space and adjacent housing.
  • Design, construct, and install an interpretive signage program that is sensitive to the environment.
  • Improve and maintain public recreational features such as trails, trail markers, and benches.
  • Expand the docent program.

The City will begin work on the MBHMP implementation plan as soon as necessary permits are obtained, which is anticipated to be by September. Restoration work will continue incrementally over the next few years.

Fire is Everyone’s Fight: Vehicle Fire Safety

Each month we have been talking about fire safety. This month features vehicle fire safety. The U.S. Fire Administration and National Fire Protection Association share that vehicle fires attributed to nearly one out of seven fires; one in 10.5 fire deaths; an estimated 300 civilian deaths and 1,250 injuries annually; and four percent of fire-related firefighter injuries each year. Learn more here.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, cars can catch fire for many reasons, with mechanical or electrical issues being the most common cause. A car can also catch fire as the result of a bad crash, although most crashes do not result in a fire. If you see smoke or flames, or smell burning rubber or plastic, take action. Here are steps you should follow if your car catches on fire:

  • Pull over as quickly as you can when it is safe.
  • Once you have stopped, turn off the engine.
  • Get everyone out of the car. Never return to a burning car. Do not try to fight the fire yourself.
  • If you think there is a fire under the hood or trunk, do not open it. This could cause the fire to grow.
  • Move everyone at least 100 feet from the burning car and well away from traffic.
  • Call 911.

Get more fire safety tips from the U.S. Fire Administration at www.usfa.fema.gov.