Author Archives: Jaime Shaw

Local Man Celebrates Turning 100

Ron Gaston Celebrated with a proclamation from the City of Goleta and Birthday Cake

Each birthday is a blessing and more so if you are a centenarian. Local Goleta resident Ron Gaston was the “man of the day” recently at Mariposa at Ellwood Shores, the Westmont Living senior living community where he has been living since July. As a young man, Gaston was fascinated with engineering. He studied to become an Aircraft Design Engineer and worked for Lockheed for 55 years, both in England and the United States. Since his retirement, he has loved to work with clocks and has even built a grandfather clock. He is married and has one daughter Diane.

According to Peter Bonilla, executive director, Mariposa at Ellwood Shores, “Ron is a joy to be around every day, and his contagious smile and wisdom keep his friends on their toes. He is well-liked by residents and staff alike. We are very thankful for the honor bestowed on him by the City of Goleta and on behalf of Mayor Paula Perotte.”

Pictured: (l-r) Peter Bonilla, executive director, Mariposa at Ellwood Shores holding the proclamation from the City of Goleta, and Ron Gaston shows off his 100th birthday cake.

Mind the Fog this Holiday Season

FOG, or Fats, Oils, and Grease that go down your drain can cause major problems for homeowners and the Goleta West Sanitary District (GWSD). GWSD wants to remind everyone to keep the FOG out of home and commercial pipes and the community’s waste stream.

Fats, oils, and greases are a byproduct of cooking and are found in such things as meat fats, cooking oil, lard and shortening, butter and margarine. When grease is washed down the drain, it sticks to the inside of sewer pipes (both on your property and in the streets.) Over time, it builds up and can block an entire pipe.

Garbage disposals do not keep grease out of the pipes, they only shred it into smaller pieces. Commercial additives, including detergents that claim to dissolve grease, may pass it down the line and cause problems away from the source. But the results of a grease-blocked sewer pipe can be sewage overflows in your home or neighborhood resulting in expensive and unpleasant cleanups; possible exposure with disease-causing organisms; or an increase in maintenance costs at GWSD.

How to dispose of your FOG:

  • Pour FOG into a covered disposable container—such as glass, plastic or a sturdy plastic bag. Store it in the freezer and then put it in the trash after it has hardened.
  • Use paper towels to wipe greasy dishes before washing. Put the paper towels in the trash.
  • Use sink strainers to catch food waste.
  • Put food scraps in a compost bin or in the trash.
  • FOG waste should only be put in the trash.

How to Dispose of Seasonal Items

The holiday season has arrived! Please review the information below from Marborg on how to properly dispose of seasonal items.

  • Place Christmas trees curbside on green waste collection day, or trash collection day if you do not have green waste service. If you live in an apartment complex, please place tree next to the trash bin. View guidelines here.
  • Holiday lights can NOT be placed in your household containers as they are electronic waste. They can be dropped off at MarBorg’s Goleta or Downtown Recycling Centers, or the South Coast Recycling and Transfer Station.
  • Wrapping paper without any glitter can be placed in your recycling container. If it is still in good condition, save it to be reused. Skipping the wrapping paper altogether is the best solution – try wrapping gifts with fabric or use old newspaper/magazines.
  • Wrapping paper that has glitter or is iridescent should be placed in the trash if you cannot reuse it.

For more information on how to dispose of holiday items, please go to https://www.marborg.com/seasonal.

Housing Trust Fund Awarded $100,000 for 3D Affordable Home Project in Goleta

Cambridge Drive Church Community is Site of the New Project

The Housing Trust Fund of Santa Barbara County (HTF) is thrilled to announce that it was awarded a $100,000 Michael Towbes Community Impact Dividend from Montecito Bank & Trust. The grant supports development of a prototype 3D printed affordable home that will demonstrate innovative robotics construction technology that reduces the cost of developing affordable housing and uses sustainable building materials.

HTF is collaborating with Cambridge Drive Community Church in Goleta to sponsor the project. Cambridge Drive Community Church has a strong history of supporting affordable housing and has agreed to allow development of the single-story 3D printed affordable home on the church property.

HTF will partner with Apis Cor, an engineering firm located in Melbourne, Florida, to plan and construct the home using their innovative robotics construction technology. Apis Cor won top awards in NASA’s 3D Printed Habitat Challenge for building 3D structures on Mars and recently completed the world’s largest 3D printed commercial building in Dubai. They also 3D printed the walls for a small 407 square foot demonstration home in 24 hours for only a cost of $10,000.

HTF’s 3D project will demonstrate new robotics construction technology that reduces the time and cost to construct affordable housing and encourages the use of sustainable, climate resilient and fire resistant building materials. The home will also have a solar photovoltaic system, drought tolerant landscaping and other sustainability features. HTF hopes to collaborate with the Bren School of Environmental Science and the Santa Barbara AIA to design the home and study the long-term energy and environmental impacts.

More information about HTF’s 3D printed affordable housing project can be found here: Housing Innovations Program.

Pictured: Apis Cor staff working with 3D printer

Video Contest Challenges County High School Students

Water Wise English and Spanish video submissions are due March 4, 2022

The Santa Barbara County Water Agency is pleased to announce the opening of applications for the 23rd Annual WaterWise High School Video Contest. Every year, students compete to create entertaining and informational 30-second videos that convey the importance of water use efficiency in Santa Barbara County. The contest theme, “Be Water Wise in Your Garden,” was selected to highlight the ongoing importance of sustainable outdoor water use, especially in light of the drought in Santa Barbara County. 

The contest meets several California State Department of Education Content Standards, including implementing world languages. County Water Agency Manager Matt Young said, “We are pleased to continue this long-standing program and excited to see the amazing videos created by our local high school students.” Up to six videos, three English and three Spanish, may be submitted per school. The winning videos will receive prizes and may have their videos aired on local TV and movie theatres.

While the County Water Agency and water providers arrange for monetary prizes to the winning schools, local private sector sponsors provide awards for the students:

  • First Place (English): $500 provided by Carollo Engineers.
  • First Place (Spanish): $500 provided by La Buena 105.1 FM. 
  • Second Place: $250 provided by Geosyntec.
  • Third Place: $150 provided by Ewing Irrigation.
  • People’s Choice Award (voted by the public on the WaterWiseSB YouTube Channel): $500 provided by Dudek. 

To be eligible to win prizes, student participants must submit their videos and complete the application packet online by 11:59 p.m. Friday, March 4, 2022. The student winners will be publicly announced in May 2022.

The County Water Agency and local water providers thank our community sponsors for their generous support and look forward to seeing the creative videos that students submit for the contest!

To learn more and to apply for the contest, visit WaterWiseSB.org/HSVC.

County Call for Environmental Justice Art

The County of Santa Barbara Planning and Development Department Long Range Planning Division, and the Community Services Department Sustainability Division, are pleased to announce a collaboration with the Santa Barbara County Office of Arts & Culture to issue a call for art expressing what environmental justice means to people residing in Santa Barbara County.

Environmental justice is defined as the fair treatment of people of all races, cultures and incomes with respect to development, adoption, implementation and enforcement of land use and environmental laws, regulations and policies. The goal is to expand community understanding and awareness of environmental and climate issues, and create an opportunity for community members to share their perspectives and experiences living in the county. Themes may include air, water, transportation, utilities, housing, food access, and recreation as they relate to justice or injustice.

Submittals will be accepted from artists residing in the county. All mediums will be accepted and artists submitting work may have an opportunity to be showcased in County media, documents and policy platforms. Submissions must be submitted electronically by January 10, 2022, via the Arts & Culture website at www.sbac.ca.gov/environmental-justice. Three selected artists will receive a $500 honorarium, and two student artists will be awarded $250 scholarships as part of this initiative.

Selected art may be showcased in the Santa Barbara County Environmental Justice Element (SBCEJE), a state required element of the County’s Comprehensive Plan. The Comprehensive Plan expresses the community’s development goals and embodies public policy relative to the distribution of future public and private land uses within the unincorporated areas. Because the SBCEJE is for the unincorporated county, art submissions should focus on environmental justice in the unincorporated areas only.

The SBCEJE will identify environmental justice communities where multiple factors, including environmental and socioeconomic stressors, may act cumulatively to affect health and the environment and contribute to persistent environmental health disparities.

The SBCEJE will include goals, policies, and objectives to:

  • Reduce unique or compounded health risks in environmental justice communities by means that include the reduction of pollution exposure and improvement of air quality;
  • Promote access to public facilities, healthy foods, safe and sanitary homes, and physical activity;
  • Promote civic engagement in the public decision-making process; and
  • Prioritize improvements and programs that address the needs of environmental justice communities.

For more information about the SBCEJE click here. For information about the Planning and Development Department, go to www.countyofsb.org/plndev. To learn about the Community Services Department, including the Sustainability Division, go to www.countyofsb.org/csd.

About the Santa Barbara County Office of Arts & Culture

The County of Santa Barbara Office of Arts & Culture is a division of the Community Services Department serving as the local governmental umbrella for arts and culture projects and programs within the county. The Office represents a longstanding partnership between the County and City of Santa Barbara. For more than 30 years, both government agencies have shared resources and staff to maximize support for Santa Barbara arts and culture institutions, programs, initiatives and projects. For information, visit www.sbac.ca.gov.

Goleta Valley Art Association Celebrates Holiday Season

Annual Picassos4Peanuts at La Cumbre Plaza on December 11

The Goleta Valley Art Association will host its annual Picassos4Peanuts, a festival featuring original art and crafts by local artists on Saturday, December 11, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at La Cumbre Plaza. Sponsors include La Cumbre Plaza, Santa Barbara Voice Magazine.

The show, which features paintings and other items for $300 or less, will be mounted in the outdoor mall area of the plaza and give visitors the opportunity to view and purchase the association’s artwork as well as that of artists affiliated with the La Cumbre Center for Creative Arts, which established three work/display galleries in October 2019.

Tom Henderson’s Summerland Band will provide music from 12:00 – 3:00 p.m. Henderson, a well-known watercolorist, has also served on the Santa Barbara City College Lifelong Learning art faculty.

“This is an opportunity for the community to see and shop for wonderful paintings as well as craft objects, cards and jewelry for holiday giving,” said Elizabeth Flanagan, president of the organization. “In past years, this show was presented at the Goleta Library. However, due to the pandemic, that space has not been available to us. In August, we hosted a successful show at La Cumbre Plaza and, once again, we’re very excited to be working in cooperation with the La Cumbre Center for Creative Arts. Several of the LCCCA artists also are members of GVAA.”

For more information go to https://www.thegoletavalleyartassociation.org/.

Pictured: Pablo’s Elf by Adria Abraham

Goleta’s Finest Wrap-Up

There are so many great people in the Good Land, and the City was glad to be a part of celebrating Goleta’s Finest.

The Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce, from Goleta to Carpinteria, held the 2021 Goleta’s Finest Award Gala on Saturday, December 4th at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara. Goleta’s Finest is a 71-year old tradition honoring remarkable individuals whose contributions have enhanced the Goleta community. 

We were so pleased to have the entire City Council and our Community Relations Manager Kelly Hoover at this special event.

Congratulations to all of the well-deserved award recipients. Thank you for all you to help others in our community. #GoodLandGoodPeople

The 2021 Goleta’s Finest winners are:

  • Man of the Year – Mark Ingalls
  • Woman of the Year – Dr. Lynn Fitzgibbons
  • Volunteer of the Year – Lisa Gosdschan
  • Innovator of the Year – Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital
  • Non-Profit of the Year – Foodbank of Santa Barbara County
  • Educator of the Year – William Woodard
  • Student of the Year – Isabella Mireles
  • Non-Profit Leader of the Year – Lori Lander Goodman
  • Special Recognition Award – Her Festival 2020

Pictured left-to-right: Councilmember Kyle Richards, Mayor Paula Perotte, Councilmember Stuart Kasdin, Community Relations Manager Kelly Hoover, Mayor Pro Tempore James Kyriaco, and Councilmember Roger Aceves

Winter Fire Safety Tips

The Santa Barbara County Fire Department is sharing the following winter fire safety tips.

It’s that time of year when the temperatures drop to a bitter low. During the winter months, we tend to spend more time at home with our family and loved ones, so what better way to protect them than by making sure your home is protected from any fire hazards.

Have Your Furnace Checked

Although this is something that many people believe they can do themselves, it is often safer to invest in hiring a professional to come and inspect your furnace annually. It’s always better to know when something is not working properly than to have it abruptly break down in those cold winter months when you need heat the most.

Check Your Chimneys And Vents

Fireplaces can produce creosote which has the capability of igniting. If your family lights the fireplace often, you most likely need an annual chimney inspection to make sure that there are no hazards capable of starting a fire. It’s important to always remember that when burning wood, use dry, seasoned wood which produces more flame with less smoke.

Test Your Smoke Alarms

You always want to double check that your batteries are fresh and will last you through the winter. Smoke detectors should be located in:

  1. The hallway outside the bedrooms
  2. In each bedroom
  3. On every floor regardless of whether there is a bedroom on that floor.

Always Cover Your Fireplace With A Screen

Either a metal screen or tempered glass will suffice to protect any sparks from leaving the fireplace. Still, you always want to make sure to keep kids and pets at least three feet away from a burning fireplace.

Beware Of Lit Candles

Although candles can set the mood for a relaxing and calming evening, they can be easily knocked over by kids or pets. Only light candles when you are alert and able to watch them, blowing them out whenever you intend to leave the room.

Beware Of Space Heaters

These devices require a good amount of space to be used without any fire hazards. Just like fireplaces, children and pets should not sit closer than three feet in front of a space heater. Avoid placing heaters near curtains, tablecloths or other flapping fabrics. Always make sure your space heater has an automatic shut off switch, which forces the heater to shut-off as soon as it reaches a dangerously high heat level.

Learn more about fire prevention at https://www.sbcfire.com/.

Jaime Valdez Selected as City’s New Neighborhood Services Director

The City of Goleta is pleased to announce the selection of our new Neighborhood Services Director Jaime Valdez. Jaime is a 14-year veteran of the City and has been acting as the Interim Neighborhood Services Director since long-time Director Vyto Adomaitis’ departure in February. Valdez was chosen to take on the position permanently following an open recruitment process.

Goleta City Manager Michelle Greene said, “Jaime brings a considerable skillset to the role. In addition to his extensive knowledge of City operations, he also has an expertise and focus on parks, recreation, homeless programs, emergency preparedness, grantmaking programs, and the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. I am very excited to work with Jaime in this new role and know he will do an excellent job helping to shape our City’s future.”

Jaime Valdez said, “I am extremely appreciative of this wonderful opportunity to serve the City in this official capacity. I am very excited about the future and look forward to continuing to lead our brilliant Neighborhood Services Department.”

Jaime, who is bilingual, was first hired as a Management Analyst for the City in 2007 and the following year was promoted to Senior Management Analyst. In 2012 he was selected to be the City’s Economic Development Coordinator where he served for six years before being promoted to Senior Project Manager and eventually to a Principal Project Manager in the Neighborhood Services Department. While Jaime has worked on a number of projects during his career, some of the most notable include the acquisition of City Hall and two ongoing major capital improvement projects, the Goleta Train Depot and Fire Station 10.

Jaime is a Goleta resident. He grew up in the area and attended Kellogg Elementary School, Goleta Valley Junior High School, and is a proud graduate of Dos Pueblos High School. He went on to graduate from UC Berkeley and work in the Bay Area until attending and graduating from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Following graduate school, he returned to the area and has been here since 2006.

Thank you, Jaime, for all you have done and will do for Goleta as our Neighborhood Services Director.