Sorry Sonny- I’ll have to pass boarding the bus full of craigslist attendees. I’ll be out celebrating a wonderful student who has worked their way thru UCSB. VIVA!
Re ICE scaring people: crime in Santa Maria news is as follows…
Key points about Santa Maria's crime statistics in 2024:
Overall Crime: Part 1 crimes slightly increased from 2,763 in 2023 to 2,773 in 2024.
Motor Vehicle Theft: Showed a significant decrease from 751 in 2023 to 474 in 2024, according to News Channel 3-12.
Part 1 Crimes: Decreased by 30% during the first four months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, according to the City of Santa Maria. I’ll bet 2025 statistics will be an improvement!
Thankful for Santa Maria Police, Santa Barbara County Sheriffs and Federal ICE employees ( interesting to read their arrests, so many for bringing in counterfeit fashion!)
Sorry “mostly peaceful protests”
They should put the old neon sign back and make it cool and funky again. It’s so bland.
Says the woman with an ! after her name who routinely makes snide remarks in the comment section of this newsletter. For today's latest example, one only needs to look at your reply to Sam T.
See you at the protest!
It's the one sided, typical POV for me - the continued snide remarks. The tolerent left are a bigger joke than Biden's AUTO PEN
It's telling that some Siteline readers can't tolerate a 4-line paragraph about a LOCAL peaceful protest. To be fair, it's probably uncomfortable for them to leave their cozy, fact-free echo chambers. Here's a tip: If you don't want to protest, don't go to the protest.
Keep up the great work, Erik!
don't speak about yourself like that- self love is important Sam
I wonder why Mesa Rite Aid isn’t listed as closing? Their shelves have been bare for months and there’s a notice in the pharmacy telling people to move their prescriptions elsewhere.
This guy thinks he thinks!
He also thinks anyone gives a crap what he has to say. A true self-aware-wolf boomer who even at his old age, is still confused by proper nouns.
Maybe they should build some luxury condo units at the old Richard Ahull at 546 miramonte I hear it’s for sale through silent bidding that would be great site for some luxury condominiums, great view and walk to the beach
I'm definitely against authoritarianism as well. I guess the debate is over which side is actually authoritarian. And I'm pro democracy too, but also kind of against crime and chaos. I like the information on this site but I may not keep reading it Erik. The political stuff is getting annoying, distracting and just tiring TBH - and does not comport in any way to your general content. You are just dropping political cant and sucker punches into an otherwise interesting pastiche of local news and events. These interjections are not well thought out, creative, interesting, or original. Nor even mostly true. And they do not promote the most important thing needed right now - building unity and a community where everyone is included. We can agree on a lot of local issues while disagreeing on national ones. Politics is taking over more and more aspects of life unfortunately. And it distorts and eventually empties everything it touches. It does not enlighten nor transform. I realize Progressivism has become a religion and religion, if actually thought to be true, does tend to seep into all aspects of life. That is okay but if it becomes self-righteous, self-congratulatory and unaware, the club has fewer and fewer members eventually. It's your site and you can do what you want. You can preach to the choir but equates to yelling at those not in it. You do clearly work hard and take care in presenting so much great info. You have a knack for presenting local news. Your site has become a digital community meeting place where good things could happen, or not. I suppose the political bromides cater to many locals, but I would advise sticking to issues, local ones at that. I guess you have enough readers so if someone leaves they won't be missed. I realize that not being a Progressive makes for such a terrible person in SB that one could say 'May the digital door hit you on the way out.' Good for you but this is also sad as it creates yet another 8 story silo in our low story, seaside community. I thought journalists were supposed to be Independent? But of course the local paper by that same name is far from it. I suppose there was never truly Independence and it's better to just admit that. Well, either way, you are entitled to write what you want. And I'm entitled not to read it. That is Democracy itself. But I do have suggestions. Maybe consider a political Site if that is a direction you'd like to go.
Agree 100% too
Eric thinks what is gong on in LA is “mostly protests” so just accept that he is partisan but Siteline is a million times better to read than Edhat
Corbusier's brutalist towers in Nantes, France became virtual slums. The locals scoff at them.
Fox News talking point says what?
This project is entirely out of context with its historical surroundings and the general neighborhood. If Bildsten is involved, she should be ashamed of herself. She has a history of proposing projects that are entirely out of context with their immediate neighborhoods, though. So it is not surprising that she would advocate for an entire housing complex that throws her own community's history and sacred places under the bus to achieve it. I can only chalk it up to her personal frustration of living in Santa Barbara, rather than a metropolis where her preferred modernist/brutalist style of architecture might be more fervently embraced. It would be prudent for her to pursue more work outside of the area, rather than destroying Santa Barbara and trying to force feed us what she thinks is great architecture.
ICE is tracking criminals. If they are hiding among strawberry pickers, ICE will go there. These are not nice people. Listen to the people who are processing them.
So Cate, why was ICE in Oxnard yesterday literally in the fields where strawberries are grown?
Yeah Christine!, you're talking about Jan. 6, right?!
You know, perhaps I was triggered by the idea that Erik shouldn't post information—on his own publication, no less—about a peaceful gathering to protest authoritarianism and the rise of a wannabe kingship. In a country literally founded in opposition to monarchy, the right to speak out and assemble in protest isn’t just protected, it’s essential.
I heard the same and big changes are in place. Any more info?
It is completely irresponsible for any firm to take on a project of this scale and design that will ruin the setting and neighborhood of one of the most historic properties in California. Has Ellen no shame? Let her tell us. And Karen - your positive builders remedy stance is such a left-wing, angry cliche. Why would you support a project that will so clearly negatively impact the neighborhoods and skyline of SB? Is it because you believe this property is going to offer affordable housing? No, it will have the minimum affordable units required and the units will be in the back by the garbage cans. Santa Barbara has a long history of design review that has preserved the city’s unique character and historical integrity, where new developments are expected to be sensitive to existing neighborhoods in terms of size, bulk and scale. That is why it is so beautiful and desirable. This project does none of that and irresponsible people like you and the developers taking advantage of the builders remedy, will ruin the city just like they are trying to do in so many charming California communities. And what about the people who live in this neighborhood in low-rise single and multi-family residences? Apart from destroying the charming, small town feel of these communities, a project of this scale will ruin their real estate values. Will the developer come in and shore up everyone’s lost equity? Come on - start fighting for getting the housing project up in La Cumbre and Paseo Nuevo, where multi-unit buildings belong.
Agree 100%.
Violent protestors have revealed their true vision for their America- looting, chaos, violence against anyone in their eyesight and burning police cars. Who wants to live in THAT America?
