••• “Please do not hike/bike/ride recent burn areas in the rain,” reminds the Montecito Trails Foundation. “This rockfall came down March 13 in the gentle rain on Romero. We realize now, more than ever, the desire to get out, breathe deeply and enjoy nature. However, these recent burn areas are unstable and prone to erosion and rockfall.” And it’s safe to assume yesterday’s torrential rains did more damage.
••• Press release from the city: “The Parks and Recreation Department will close Los Baños del Mar swimming pool, the Carrillo Gym, and the Carrillo Recreation Center. Outdoor individual activities at the Santa Barbara Golf Club that follow the social distancing guidelines outlined in Santa Barbara County health directives will continue. All other outdoor organized sports, spring break camps and beach volleyball classes are cancelled.” The headline includes the Municipal Tennis Center, even though it’s not in the body of the release.
••• Lotusland is closed till March 31.
••• The Riviera Theatre is closed.
••• Press release: “The Santa Barbara Museum of Art has made the decision to close to the public from Monday, March 16 through at least Monday, April 20.”
••• The Santa Barbara Association of Realtors has canceled the weekly caravan, midweek open houses primarily for brokers, until further notice.
••• Island Packers “is temporarily suspending all of our excursions through the end of the month.”
••• From the Los Padres Forest Association: “LPFA began work on the Sespe Wilderness in January 2020 thanks to our partners at REI. We’ve worked Red Reef trail, Sespe River trail out to Willett Hot Springs, and have a trip planned for Beartrap in April, but funding is in short supply. We are now asking for public support to help us fund maintenance in the Sespe Wilderness. These trails don’t maintain themselves. Without funding and volunteer support, none of this work is possible. Click here for how you can help.”
••• Two recent sales of note…. 667 Juan Crespi Lane (below) in Montecito quickly sold for $6.095 (it was listed at $6.295), a good price for a house with no ocean view. But it was move-in ready, which often earns a premium these days. Meanwhile, 396 Woodley Road (second photo) got flipped: it was just sold for $4.674 million, having been bought only last December for $4.45 million. Both look like good prices, especially if you compare them to the initial pie-in-the-sky $8.75 million asking price back in April of 2018.
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