Author Archives: Jaime Shaw

High Fire Season Reminder

While wildfires pose a significant threat to Santa Barbara County residents year-round, this time of year is high fire season.  The fire incident we had over the Fourth of July holiday weekend near US 101 Freeway and Fairview Avenue is a good reminder that fires don’t stop for pandemics and we need to remain vigilant.  Fortunately our Santa Barbara County firefighters were able to knock the fires out quickly.

Santa Barbara County has put together the tips below to help you before and during a wildfire.

Before a Wildfire

During a Wildfire: Pre-Evacuation Preparation

When a wildfire occurs in your area, leave early for the safety of you and your family.  Leaving early also keeps roads clear of congestion and helps firefighters move more freely to do their job.

Do not wait for any evacuation warning or order to leave if you feel threatened by a wildfire.

If the wildfire is not an immediate threat to you or your home, and time allows, follow these pre-evacuation steps:

  • Alert family, friends and neighbors of the wildfire threat.
  • Place your emergency kit in the car, or have it ready by the front door.
  • Dress in clothing to protect against heat and flying embers. Wear long pants, a long sleeve shirt, heavy shoes/boots, a cap, a dry bandanna, goggles or glasses. 100% cotton is preferable.
  • Stay tuned to updates on local TV, radio stations, social media, and ReadySBC.org.
  • Remain close to your house, drink plenty of water and keep an eye on your family and pets until you are ready to leave.
  • Review this home evacuation checklist to prepare the inside and outside of your home.

Ready! Set! Go!

The Santa Barbara County Fire Department launched Ready! Set! Go! as a new approach to educating residents about the local threats of wildfire and how to prepare.  To learn about this program, visit https://www.sbcfire.com/ready-set-go/.

  • In the event of an emergency, call 911. For general non-emergencies, call the Sheriff Office Dispatch at (805) 683-2724.
  • Register to receive ReadySBC Alerts. If we can’t reach you, we can’t alert you.

Pictured: Photo from the Southbound US 101 at Fairview Avenue on-ramp, courtesy of Mike Eliason with the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.

Apply for the Monterey Bay Community Power Community Advisory Council

In 2021, Monterey Bay Community Power (MBCP), soon to be Central Coast Community Energy (CCCE), will be the clean energy provider for the City of Goleta. MBCP is a Community Choice Aggregator (CCA) that provides 100 percent carbon free electricity to its jurisdictions. The CCA model puts energy purchasing and pricing options into the hands of local decision-makers and allows the community to determine what type of energy mix serves its needs. MBCP is currently seeking qualified, passionate and committed applicants for its volunteer Community Advisory Council (CAC). The CAC serves as an advisory body to the MBCP’s Policy and Operations Boards and CAC members serve as important connections to the diverse communities MBCP serves. Ideally, candidates will be business leaders, energy experts, community leaders and/or sustainability champions and will have a reasonable understanding of, or interest in, the energy business. Applications are due July 15, 2020 and candidates must reside or work in Monterey Bay Community Power’s service area (the Central Coast spanning from Santa Barbara County in the south to Santa Cruz County in the north).

Learn more about the MBCP Community Advisory Council and apply here. For more information on Community Choice Energy, click here.

Goleta’s Dam Dinner Cancelled

The City of Goleta regrets to announce a favorite Goleta tradition is cancelled. For the past seven years, community members have gathered for a fun evening at the Goleta Dam Dinner held at Lake Los Carneros. The event which has grown in popularity each year is typically held in mid-August right before the school year begins. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic we have made the decision to cancel this year’s event, in accordance with public health guidelines that require limiting social contact and avoiding gatherings. 

Mayor Paula Perotte said, “Although we cancelled the dinner this year it’s wonderful spirit lives on, and I look forward to seeing you all at the Dam Dinner next year!”

The Annual Goleta Dam Dinner is organized by: City of Goleta, Goleta Chamber of Commerce, Goleta Valley Historical Society, and Big Hammer Lures. It began as a community event in 2012 for residents to get to know one another, listen to live music, and enjoy dinner outside in a beautiful setting. Every year it has become more and more popular, with close to 400 people attending in 2019. We are hopeful that the event will be able to return in August 2021.

Over 5,000 Books Read so Far in the Library Summer Reading Program

The Goleta Valley Library & Santa Ynez Valley Libraries Virtual Summer Reading Program is now underway and it’s not too late to join! More than 800 readers have registered, and so far as a community we have read more than 5,300 books together! The Summer Reading Program is open for all ages and runs from now through Saturday, August 1. This year’s program is completely online, but readers can participate in many of the same aspects of the program they’ve enjoyed for years, including logging books to earn prizes, reporting on their reading, and watching live shows. Sign up today at http://goletavalleylibrary.beanstack.org.

Exciting news this summer is that instead of using paper logs to track books you’ve read, readers have access to Beanstack, a premier online platform where you can log books and complete fun activities to earn exciting digital badges. Participants can sign up at http://goletavalleylibrary.beanstack.org or download the Beanstack app from either the iTunes Store or the Google Play Store. The app is built specifically for mobile devices and even has the capability to scan book ISBNs for quick and easy logging. Prizes from generous local sponsors will be mailed to youth and teen readers once they log a specified numbers of books, and they will even have a chance to win grand prize drawings at the end of the program! Adults who participate in the Adult Summer Reading Program will be entered for a chance to win several prize drawings throughout the summer.

Traditionally, one of the most special and memorable parts of the Summer Reading Program has been the opportunity for young readers to report on the books they’ve read to the fantastic Teen Volunteers who spend their summers at the library earning community service hours. Because the library’s volunteer program is on pause during the closure, this year’s readers will have the opportunity to request a phone call from a librarian at the Goleta, Solvang or Buellton branches to report on their reading.

Teens in search of volunteer opportunities can still earn community service hours by submitting book reviews that will be posted on the library website. Plus, Goleta Valley Library is excited to launch its first-ever Teen Graphic Novel Book Club, which will meet virtually once a month and will focus on exploring the incredible genre of graphic novels. More information on Teen Volunteer Opportunities can be found here, and details about the Teen Graphic Novel Book Club can be found here.

Throughout the summer, members of the community will be able to tune in via the libraries’ Facebook pages to attend over a dozen live-streamed shows by treasured Summer Reading performers. Performances will include concerts, magic shows, puppet and marionette shows, zoo animals, bubble shows, and more! Details about this summer’s virtual performances can be found on the library Events Calendar. 

Helping community members of all ages get excited about reading is one of the main goals of the Summer Reading Program. Research consistently shows that young people who read over vacations from school demonstrate a much better chance of staying at grade level or even improving their reading skills between school years. Adults who set aside time to read enjoy the many benefits of reading, including stress relief, increased knowledge, and improved memory. During this challenging time, we hope that the Goleta Valley Library & Santa Ynez Valley Libraries Summer Reading Program is a source of enrichment, excitement, and resiliency for our communities.

The Goleta Valley Library & Santa Ynez Valley Libraries would like to express their sincere thanks to their very generous local sponsors, including Bennett’s Toys & Educational Materials, Birkholm’s Bakery, Blenders in the Grass, The Book Loft, California Pizza Kitchen, Chipotle, Chomp!, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Elverhoj Museum of History & Art, Gino’s Pizza, Golf N Stuff, Island Burgers, Kyle’s Kitchen, Los Arroyos, Mystic Merchant, Nathalie’s Dollhouse, Natural Café, Neighbor Tim’s BBQ, New Frontiers Natural Market, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Old Town Coffee, Pattibakes, Pizza Hut, Pollofino, Samsara Wine Co., Santa Barbara Axxess, Santa Barbara Chicken Ranch, Solvang Bakery, South Coast Railroad Museum, Space VR, Stuart C. Gildred YMCA, Tower Pizza, and Woodstock’s Pizza, as well as our literacy partners Ingeborg’s Danish Chocolate and the Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum & Parks-Janeway Carriage House.

The 2020 Virtual Summer Reading Program is generously sponsored by the Friends of the Goleta Valley Library, the Friends of the Solvang Library, and the Friends of the Buellton Library.

For more information on programs at the library, visit www.GoletaValleyLibrary.org.

Pictured: Youth summer reading prizes

2020 Book to Action Program Supports Local Animal Shelters

This summer, the Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley Libraries are excited to launch the 2020 Book to Action program, which will run from Tuesday, July 7th through Friday, August 21st. This year’s program centers around the moving true story Strays: A Lost Cat, a Homeless Man & Their Journey Across America by Britt Collins. Strays describes the incredible journey of Michael King, a homeless man living in Portland, Oregon who befriends a lost cat he names Tabor. As the two travel across several states and overcome many challenges together, they form a healing bond that speaks to the special connection that we share with our animal companions and the impact that rescuing an animal can have in a person’s life. Copies of the book are available for the community to borrow from the print and digital collections at Goleta, Buellton and Solvang Libraries.

In celebration of this theme, the Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley Libraries are offering a variety of virtual programs for all ages throughout July and August. To kick off the program, patrons who participate in the libraries’ Sidewalk Service will receive a color-your-own-cat bookmark in their paper bags at pick-up, with a link to the website to view the full schedule of events. Weekly programming will include fun pet-themed craft workshops, engaging book discussions, adoption-themed storytimes in English and Spanish, presentations by expert community panelists, and even an author spotlight visit from Britt Collins herself. All of the Book to Action programs will be accessible virtually through GoToMeeting, Facebook and YouTube.

In August, the Book to Action program will culminate in a donation drive for area organizations such as ASAP to provide them with essential supplies and materials to continue helping local animals in need. The Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley Libraries will serve as collection sites for these materials and will present them to the organizations at the end of our Book to Action program.

Library staff is excited to engage with the community around these impactful themes and to unite for an important cause through the Book to Action programming this summer. Please read below for a detailed description of the upcoming Book to Action programs and visit GoletaValleyLibrary.org to see our full calendar of events!

Detailed Program Descriptions

Color your own bookmark!
Dates: Tuesday, July 7th – Friday, July 31st
This uplifting bookmark activity is for all ages! The adorable cat design represents the theme of Strays and includes information about the 2020 Book to Action program.

Rescue Pet Brag Board
Dates: Tuesday, July 7th – Friday, August 21st
Do you have a rescued pet? We want to see them! Many of our local residents have adopted their beloved pets from shelters and are advocates for all animals finding their forever home. You are invited to send in photos of your rescued pets to be shared on our social media pages for everyone to admire! Photos can be submitted to goletavalleylibrary@cityofgoleta.org, solvanglibrary@cityofgoleta.org, and buelltonlibrary@cityofgoleta.org.

Virtual Pet Crafts
Dates:
Wednesday, July 8th @ 3pm: Pupcycle Craft at Goleta Valley Library
Saturday, July 18th @3:30pm: Cat Craft at Buellton Library
Wednesday, July 22nd @ 3pm: Cat Toy Craft at Goleta Valley Library
Thursday, July 23rd @ 3pm: Pet Crafternoon at Solvang Library
Wednesday, August 5th @ 2pm: Dog Craft at Buellton Library
Designed for all age groups, a variety of pet-themed craft programs will offer hands-on participation experiences for patrons to enjoy creatively expressing themselves while focusing on the themes of pets and pet adoption. These workshops offer an inventive way to celebrate the pets in our lives as well as those we would like to adopt one day. All craft workshops are virtual; please check the Library Events Calendar for participation details.

Virtual Storytimes
Dates:
Tuesday, July 7th @ 10:15am: Wiggly Storytime at Goleta Valley Library
Wednesday July 15th @ 10:30am: Wiggly Animal Storytime at Solvang Library
Tuesday, July 21st @ 2pm: Bilingual Storytime at Goleta Valley Library
Friday, July 31st @11am: Cat Storytime at Buellton Library
Tuesday, August 4th @ 10:15am: Wiggly Storytime at Goleta Valley Library
Tuesday, August 18th @ 2pm: Bilingual Storytime at Goleta Valley Library
These programs use the power of storytelling to convey messages to young children and their families about the importance of taking care of animals and the journeys that pets go on before they are adopted. Curated book lists will bring to life many of the same themes of Strays in terms that are appropriate and accessible for children. Storytime offerings will also include books in Spanish during Bilingual Storytime. All storytimes are virtual; please check the Library Events Calendar for participation details.

Pet Book Club
Date: Tuesday, July 14th @ 2pm at Solvang Library
Bring your pet, and a favorite book about a pet, to this online virtual book club! The discussion will cover Strays and more.

Pet Preparedness Panel: Santa Barbara County Animal Services and Office of Emergency Management
Date: Friday, July 24th @ 2:00pm
To help provide education and resources to the many pet-owners and animal-lovers in the community, Santa Barbara County Animal Services and the Office of Emergency Management will provide a virtual talk on pet preparedness. This will include such topics as packing emergency preparedness kits for pets, options for pets during an evacuation, how to keep pets safe during natural disasters, and more. Links to further emergency preparedness resources will be provided as well.

Strays Book Discussions
Dates:
Tuesday, July 28th @ 3pm at Goleta Valley Library
Tuesday, August 11th @ 4pm at Goleta Valley Library
Friday, August 21st @ 1pm at Buellton Library
As community members read and enjoy Strays as either a print or eBook, staff will lead readers in lively and insightful discussions of this rich text. Meeting in a virtual setting, participants will be able to share their responses to the story and take part in important conversations about the themes and issues that are conveyed through the main characters’ journey. All discussions are virtual; please check library Events calendar for participation details.

Rescued: Bonds Between Humans and Animals
Date: Thursday, August 13th @ 2pm at Solvang Library
Join us for a moving, educational and inspirational panel of speakers from three incredible local organizations: Santa Ynez Valley Therapeutic Riding, Happy Endings Animal Sanctuary, and Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network. The Santa Ynez Valley Therapeutic Riding Program mission is to provide quality equine assisted activities to children and adults with physical, cognitive, social, emotional and or other life challenges. Happy Endings Animal Sanctuary provides refuge to abused or neglected horses and other domestic animals and uplift the lives of disadvantaged youth by providing a life-changing rehabilitation experience benefiting both children and horses. The mission of the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network is to rescue, rehabilitate and return to the wild sick, injured, orphaned, or oil-impaired wild birds, reptiles, and small mammals in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties and to educate the public about living in harmony with wildlife. Panelists from each of these organizations will share information about how their missions are fulfilled every day and the differences that they are able to make in their communities.

Britt Collins Virtual Author Spotlight
Date: Date and time to be announced.
Strays author Britt Collins will provide a live streamed presentation on the true story behind her book and the important messages that she hopes readers will take away from the story. An interactive question and answer session with attendees will follow her presentation.

Culminating Event: Donation Drive for Local Animal Organizations
Dates: Saturday, August 1st – Thursday, August 21st
In support of area shelter and rescue efforts, the Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley Libraries are partnering with a number of local animal organizations such as ASAP to generate community support for their needs through onsite donation drives. The libraries will serve as collection points for donated items such as pet food and supplies that will be provided to the participating organizations at the culmination of the program.

Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley Libraries Launch YouTube Channel

Prize Drawing for First 100 Subscribers

While the Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley Libraries are excited to now offer Sidewalk Service to allow patrons to borrow library materials, their programming remains completely virtual for the time being. In addition to being able to access digital content such as programs and tutorials on the library’s website and Facebook pages, community members can now tune in via YouTube to enjoy a variety of online programs for all ages, including upwards of three storytimes each week in English and Spanish, live craft programs, virtual book clubs, and more! Plus, this year’s Summer Reading Program performances will be available online, through live streams and recordings that participants can enjoy from home.

Archives of recorded programs will also be available, including instructional how-to videos, staff-led storytimes, craft tutorials, and videos from Goleta community members reading stories aloud as part of the library’s ongoing Special Guest Storytime project.

Viewers can look forward to even more virtual programming as the Goleta & Santa Ynez Valley Libraries launch their Book to Action program (July 7 – August 21) centered on the book Strays: A Lost Cat, a Homeless Man, and Their Journey Across America by Britt Collins. Copies of the book are currently available for checkout at the Goleta, Buellton and Solvang libraries, and online programs including book discussions, adoption-themed storytimes, pet-related craft workshops, panelist presentations, and even a virtual visit from the author herself will be available to the community through the library’s YouTube channel and Facebook pages.

Staff at the Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley Libraries are looking forward to expanding the ways in which they are able to engage with their communities, who they miss seeing during the ongoing library closures. In celebration of this new way of connecting via YouTube, the first 100 subscribers to the Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley Library YouTube Channel will be entered into a drawing for a $50 Amazon eGift card, generously sponsored by the Friends of the Goleta Valley Library.

Click here to subscribe today to enjoy fantastic content and to be entered to win!

Make Your Own Vertical Garden

As summer rolls in and days are getting longer, it’s the perfect time to spend the day outside enjoying the beautiful Goleta weather. Starting a garden is a great way to grow your own herbs, beautify your space with colorful flowers, spend more time outside, or just have a fun project that the whole family can work on. Not everyone has access to a lot of space or a yard, but fortunately vertical gardens can yield hundreds of plants while taking up very little room. There are several different types of vertical gardens you can create at home, so find what works best for your environment. In this article, we’ll be going over how to make a hanging vertical herb garden out of an over the door pocket organizer or landscape fabric:

  1. Get all your materials together. You will need a shoe organizer, hanging pole (curtain rod), screws, hanging hooks, compost or potting soil, plants or seeds, a 2” x 2” piece of wood that is as long as the width of the organizer.
  2. Find your location. Choose a location that usually gets around 6-8 hours of full sun. This can be the side of the house, shed, balcony, or fence, as long as it can sturdily hold the screws and planter.
  3. Attach the pole. Screw in the pole to the side of your chosen surface. Make sure it is sturdy enough to withstand the weight of the soil, water, and plants, and high enough off the ground to allow for drainage or keep away from pets.
  4. Hang the organizer. Use sturdy hooks or wire to attach the organizer to the pole.
  5. Check for drainage. Pour some water into the organizer to see if it drains properly. If it does not, poke small holes in each of the pockets.
  6. Add your compost or soil. Fill each pocket with compost or good potting soil to an inch below the rim.
  7. Sow plants or seeds. You can put small plants in like thyme, rosemary, mint, mustard greens, spinach, mini tomatoes, or flowers.
  8. Place the wood. Place the 2”x2” piece of wood against the wall at the bottom of your planter to keep the pockets away from the wall.
  9. Enjoy!

Get Your Free Virtual Home Energy Assessment

The City of Goleta is excited to share that the Tri-County Regional Energy Network (3C-REN) is offering FREE virtual home assessments with an Energy Specialist. After your assessment, 3C-REN will send you a FREE Energy Efficiency Starter Pack with LED light bulbs, a smart power strip, and more!

Home Energy Savings offers free and discounted energy efficiency upgrades from more efficient lighting and showerheads to smart thermostats (and much more) to eligible homeowners and renters throughout Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura Counties.

Why Home Energy Savings?

  • Save money with lower energy bills
  • Make your home more comfortable
  • Improve the health and safety of your home
  • Reduce energy use and protect the environment

Using your phone or tablet, you can connect with home energy experts who can help you understand what energy efficiency upgrades are best for your home, and how 3C-REN can help. Once we are back to business as usual, we’ll contact you to schedule an in-person visit and provide even more energy saving upgrades.

To find out if you are eligible, call (805) 541-3806 or fill out the form at www.3c-ren.org/home-energy-savings/.

Goleta’s Green Room: Wash Your Car the Right Way

The City’s new Environmental Services Coordinator, Melissa Nelson, brings you her next helpful tip of the month. Washing your vehicle yourself can be a fun outdoor activity, but you should know that improper cleaning can harm our local creeks and beaches. There are many pollutants associated with washing your car, including soap, oil, grease, buildup from exhaust emissions, heavy metals, rust, and much more. All these forms of discharge can have devastating effects on our water quality, fish, wildlife, and plant life.

What about commercial car washes? Commercial car washes are heavily preferred to the DIY alternative. These businesses are regulated to have all their water run into the sanitary system where the water can be treated, and they are monitored by the City. Some car washes will collect, treat, and reuse their water on-site as well. Using a commercial car wash is a great option!

There are smart, environmentally friendly ways to wash your car at home, too:

  • If available, try washing your car somewhere that water will not flow into the street and the storm drains. Your lawn has one of nature’s greatest water filters in the form of plants and soil and will prevent harmful heavy chemicals from reaching the groundwater.
  • Try to use as little water as possible. If you use a bucket instead of a hose, that may help prevent water from flowing to the storm drain.
  • If you use a hose, you should use a shut-off valve, too, to prevent excess water from flowing to the storm drain.
  • Create barriers using rolled up towels or straw wattles: Use them as a barrier to the storm drain. You can also use these to divert the water to a landscaped area, such as a lawn.

The next time your car needs a clean, please keep these tips in mind, and help protect our creeks and oceans!

Pictured: Storm drain barrier

Goleta Receives Highest Form of Recognition in Government Budgeting

The City of Goleta is pleased to announce that it has received its second Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for the City’s two-year budget plan, fiscal years 2019/20 and 2020/21. The City previously received this award in 2018 for fiscal years 2017/18 and 2018/19. Finance Director Luke Rioux and a support team of dedicated staff members continue to put together a comprehensive budget plan to increase transparency and make it easy to see how money comes into the City and how it is spent.

Mayor Paula Perotte said, “On behalf of myself and the entire City Council, we offer our congratulations to the Finance Department on this prestigious award. We know how important it is to show the community how every dollar is spent, and I commend the City for its efforts. This award shows the City’s commitment to a transparent budget.”

City Manager Michelle Greene said, “We also want to take this opportunity to applaud our Finance Department Staff for their ability to transition to doing business virtually and electronically in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a monumental shift, but they worked hard behind the scenes and made it all happen. We are so lucky to have such a talented team of professionals serving our City.”

The Distinguished Budget Award represents a significant achievement and reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. Award recipients must satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation, and the budget must serve as a: policy document; financial plan; operations guide; and communications device. View the City’s Two-Year Budget Plan for FY 2019/20 & 2020/21 here and recently adopted FY 2020/21 Mid-Cycle Budget which revises the original budget estimates. Learn more about the award at www.gfoa.org.

The City’s budget is one of many responsibilities for the Finance Department. Their primary function is to ensure the financial integrity of the City of Goleta by providing superior financial services, maintaining the public trust, and promoting governmental efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability. The department is responsible for the maintenance of an effective financial accounting system, which accurately reflects the financial operations of the City and offers a framework for financial planning and analysis. The Finance Department also oversees and handles the investment program for the City and is now functioning as the City’s purchasing department. The primary goal is providing accurate, reliable, and timely financial information for City Council, City Manager, City staff, and outside requests using professional standards.

More information on the City’s Finance Department is available at www.cityofgoleta.org/city-hall/finance.