••• “A KEYT news report that aired February 13 documented how federal agents engaged in an ICE enforcement action in Oxnard intentionally T-boned an anti-ICE activist’s truck and then blamed the activist for using his vehicle as an instrument of violent aggression against them. Moreover, the video depicts—with audio accompaniment—how the ICE agents subsequently lied to the Oxnard police officers dispatched to the scene of what was initially thought to be an early-morning road-rage incident.” —Independent
••• From Noozhawk: “The Carpinteria Architectural Review Board […] approved the final proposal for what will be known as Hotel Harmony, a 72-room hotel planned for 4100 Via Real [on the north side of the street, just east of Kim’s Market and Casa de las Flores]. A church building currently stands on that 2.6-acre property.” The developer says it will be “an upscale boutique hotel,” which is a LOL and a half. (Not in that location, and there won’t even be a pool.) The design calls to mind an industrial office park, or maybe mini storage.
••• “Open Air Bicycles is closing their doors by the end of next month—unless they can find someone to take the handlebars.” —Independent
••• From a press release on Edhat: “Cottage Health and Santa Barbara Unified School District have entered a historic partnership to form Cottage Health Careers Academy at San Marcos High School, creating a new educational pathway for students interested in pursuing careers in healthcare. An expanded academy recently launched and is being developed with the support of a $1.5 million gift from Cottage to fund curriculum design, facility improvements, instructional materials, clinical preparation and other educational enhancements.” This leaves a weird taste in my mouth…. First, I think of high school as being pre-vocational. Second, does Cottage’s investment involve marketing/branding? Is the intention to foster more healthcare workers in general, or more a pipeline of talent for Cottage? Third, will students at other schools have access to these resources? Fourth, the slope could be slippery. Why not the police, fire department, U.S. Army, SpaceX, and so on? UPDATE: See the comment from SBUSD board trustee Sunita Beall below.
••• “Crunch time for cannabis growers in the Carpinteria Valley [….] Half of the cannabis greenhouse industry will miss the March 18 deadline set by the county for installing filters to get rid of the smell of pot. […] Ten operations with 60 acres of cannabis under cultivation have no scrubbers inside their greenhouses. Eight of these growers are requesting a deadline extension and two are not.” —Santa Barbara News-Press
••• A bunch of sycamore trees along Mission Creek “were removed in preparation for a one-year project that will widen Mission Creek from the Gutierrez Bridge to Haley Street. The estimated $13 million project is designed to stop historic flooding in the area and will include construction of sloped creek banks and decorative retaining walls.” —Santa Barbara News-Press
••• “Jimmy’s Oriental Gardens, a piece of Santa Barbara’s cultural history and a standing reminder of the city’s former Chinatown, earned a nomination to be added to the prestigious National Register of Historic Places. […] After earning approval from the California Historical Resources Commission, the nomination will be forwarded to the Keeper of the National Register for final determination, which could take up to 45 days.” —Independent
················
Sign up for the Siteline email newsletter and you’ll never miss a post.
Hello Siteline,
I am a Board Trustee at SB USD. All three high schools have “pre-vocational” programs that any Santa Barbara, Goleta or Montecito student can apply to and attend. These programs can either help students pursue an interest before they commit to that path in college or pursue a vocational career after graduation. I am also a physician on staff at Cottage Hospital and Cottage has agreed to support internships and academic support for the students to create a high quality program. Westmont College has committed to accepting graduates with qualifying GPAs into their health program with financial support. Our community partners allow us to offer SB USD students unique experiences. One of my children attended Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy at DPHS which is led by MacArthur grantee Amir Abo-Shaeer. He is studying computer science and math. My other child attended the Visual Arts and Design Academy at SBHS and she is pursuing veterinary medicine. There are several programs and academies at all the high schools and I invite you to tour any and all. You can reach out to me or the school district anytime!
More news if not yet addressed – the lower level restaurant in the harbor of the former Chuck’s, and terribly woeful Anchor Rose is getting reviewed for a place called Corazon Sal de Mar – which appears to be related or owned by Corazon Cocina. So long as the prices are local friendly as they are at their other location, not too chichi (Gracie almost goes there), this could be a very nice addition. Mexican food in the harbor!