Author Archives: Jaime Shaw

Coming Soon: My Turn, a Centralized Vaccine Website Appointment System

California will soon transition to a unified state network called My Turn that will allow the healthcare system and providers to streamline the vaccine process.  A roll out of the new system is expected soon.

My Turn (myturn.ca.gov) is an on-line registry, that once it is up and running, will be a central site where Californians can register to be notified when it’s their turn for a vaccine and can schedule an appointment.

Right now the system is a work in progress and is only being offered to health care workers and individuals 65 and older in Los Angeles and San Diego Counties.  We will let you know when online appointments are available for Santa Barbara County.

Details will be provided as soon as they become available.

Be a Part of Shaping Goleta’s Strategic Plan

The City is in the process of reviewing our Strategic Plan. A strategic plan identifies the priorities and goals of an organization in order to create a roadmap, guiding future decision making. Goleta’s Strategic Plan is driven by its mission statement which describes the community, key attributes, and values. 

Mission statement: “Goleta is a beautiful, safe, and diverse community of residents with family-friendly neighborhoods that values the environment, agriculture, and open space while encouraging housing, recreation, and business opportunities.”

The City’s first Strategic Plan was adopted in 2007. The Strategic Plan was last updated in 2019 and covers a two-year period that runs concurrent with the City’s Two-Year Budget Plan, and receives regular updates to keep current with the City’s priorities and to ensure the living document continues to be dynamic and reflective of the goals of City Council and the Goleta community. View the 2019-2021 Strategic Plan here.

There will be a Special City Council Workshop on Thursday, February 11, at 5:00 p.m. to discuss the Strategic Plan. We want the community to help shape this important document. Watch the workshop on Goleta TV Channel 19 or on our website at www.CityofGoleta.org/GoletaMeetings, and submit comments to cityclerkgroup@cityofgoleta.org.

Beware COVID-19 Vaccine Scams!

By Suzanne Grimmesey, MFT, Santa Barbara County, Behavioral Wellness Department

It is sad that in addition to dealing with a worldwide pandemic, we also need to be vigilant about scammers who are trying to cheat people out of their money. During the coronavirus pandemic, scammers are using robocalls, social media posts, and emails to take advantage of fear, anxiety, and confusion about COVID-19. They sell things that don’t work, charge money for things that are free, and steal personal information.

Beware! COVID-19 vaccine is being distributed in Santa Barbara County in a fair and transparent way and always at no charge. If someone offers to sell you a chance to get vaccinated before it is your turn, it’s a scam.

Right now, the COVID-19 vaccine is only being offered to front line healthcare workers, people who live in long-term care facilities and those over 75 years of age.  As more vaccine is available it will be offered to everyone.

Information about how to get the vaccine is posted on the Santa Barbara County Public Health COVID-19 webpage: https://publichealthsbc.org/vaccine/. 

If you have questions, talk to your doctor. COVID-19 vaccine will be given to Santa Barbara County residents at no cost and regardless of immigration status. If someone says they can get you a special, low-cost deal, or get you the vaccine under the table, it’s a scam.

You will not be charged a fee or co-pay to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. The doctor or pharmacy may charge a fee for giving the vaccine, but it should be covered by public and private insurance companies. People without health insurance can get COVID-19 vaccines for free.

You will NOT be asked about your immigration status when you get a COVID vaccine. Your medical information is private. Your doctor is not allowed to share it with immigration officials.

A RED FLAG is a warning sign or signal that something might be a scam. Look out for these COVID-19 vaccine scam red flags:

  • Someone offers to move you into an earlier group to get the vaccine for a fee.
  • Someone tries to sell you a place on a COVID vaccine waiting list. There is no “vaccine waiting list.”
  • Someone on the street, online, on social media, or knocking on your door tries to sell you a shot of vaccine.
  • You get calls, texts, or emails about the vaccine. The caller asks for your personal or financial information. It can be your Social Security, bank account or credit card number. NEVER share these numbers or other personal information with an unknown caller or in a text or email.
  • You see ads for fake vaccines or “miracle cures” using vitamins or other dietary supplements. Scammers promote these even though they have not been proven to work. The FDA has issued warning letters to many companies for selling products that claim to prevent, treat, or cure COVID-19.
  • If anyone that isn’t well known in your community (like a doctor, a health care clinic, a pharmacy, a County health program) offers you a vaccine – think twice and check with your doctor.

Suzanne Grimmesey, MFT, is the County of Santa Barbara’s Chief Quality Care and Strategy Officer and is responsible for leadership of Quality Care and Strategy Management within the Department of Behavioral Wellness.  

History Happy Hour at Home

The Santa Barbara Historical Museum, Goleta Valley Historical Society and the South Coast Railroad Museum & Goleta Depot, present History at Home: Building the Southern Pacific Railroad in Santa Barbara. Register here for the event on February 10, 2021, at 5:00 p.m.

Grab a glass and join in for this presentation in the safety and comfort of your own living room as we travel the rails of South Santa Barbara County on a fascinating look back in time to the golden age of railroad building. The railroad’s arrival in Santa Barbara in 1887 had a lasting influence on our community. Architectural Historian, Jean-Guy Dube, will examine not only the railroad’s depots that were built, but other structures such as passenger shelters, a unique baggage room, a private train shelter and Santa Barbara’s signature Spanish style roundhouse with rare photographs, unique maps and period blueprints.

About the Speaker: Jean-Guy T. Dubé is a National Award Winning Draftsman and Architectural Historian. He is the 2017 National Winner of the Leicester B. Holland Prize from the National Park Service and Library of Congress. Mr. Dubé is a listed Architectural Historian with the City and County of Santa Barbara, and has worked at the local architectural firm of Appleton Partners LLP for 12 years.

Online Homework Help Program for K-8 Students

Schedule a Free Virtual Tutoring Session to Help Your Students Succeed!

Thanks to a new program at the Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley Libraries, local Kindergarten – 8th grade students are now able to schedule free, online, one-on-one appointments with knowledgeable tutors to receive personalized help with their homework, all from the comfort and convenience of their homes!

Tutoring sessions are offered by appointment only on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Appointments will be either 30 or 60 minutes long and can be scheduled through a form on the library’s Request Homework Help webpage. Once you schedule an appointment, a friendly library staff member will send a confirmation email containing your reservation details and a link to the secure meeting room for your tutoring session. Appointments are held using the free meeting platform GoToMeeting, which allows students to video chat with tutors directly and share their screen for an interactive tutoring experience.

During tutoring sessions, students can get help with their homework assignments or receive general subject-specific tutoring to boost their skills in certain areas. From assisting with math problems to looking over English essays, our tutors are happy to provide students with the support they need to complete their homework with success. Tutors will also be able to help students use the library’s free online homework help resources for additional research and learning, including BrainFuse HelpNow!, ProQuest Homework Central and Britannica School, which can be accessed anytime for around-the-clock academic support. A library card is not necessary to receive online homework help, but it is required to access the library’s free homework resources on the website. If you don’t already have a library card, you can sign up for a free library eCard here, or stop by the Goleta, Solvang or Buellton libraries in person to register for a physical card during Sidewalk Service hours on Wednesdays through Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

The library’s Homework Help tutors are caring volunteers who are excited to help our area youth, and many are community members with years of experience in education and working with children. All of our tutors have received training and background checks and are looking forward to helping students reach their goals.

“We are so happy that we can connect local students with our wonderful tutors and provide this valuable resource to help them succeed in school,” says Goleta Valley Library Children’s Librarian Elizabeth Saucedo.

If you would like to volunteer as a tutor in the Homework Help program, please contact Goleta Valley Library Supervising Librarian Brent Field at bfield@cityofgoleta.org or (805) 690-5137 for details and to receive an application.

For more information on programs and events at the Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley Libraries, view the online calendar at www.GoletaValleyLibrary.org.

The Homework Help and Tutoring program is funded by the California Adult Education Program grant.

Let’s Read! Sign Up for the All-Ages Winter Reading Challenge

Read your way into 2021 with great books and fun prizes

The Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley Libraries six-week Winter Reading Challenge for children, teens and adults is currently underway. Sign up at any time to participate! It’s a great way to celebrate the impactful power of books and reading. Since the Winter Reading Challenge launched on January 1, 2021, more than 560 participants have registered and read over 3,000 books, and more than one dozen local organizations and businesses have generously donated prizes to be awarded to readers through weekly drawings.

The challenge will run for just under two more weeks (through Saturday, February 13th), and is being held completely online through Beanstack, a website and app that makes keeping track of your reading quick, simple and fun. Readers who used Beanstack for the 2020 Summer Reading Program can simply log in to their existing Beanstack account and sign up for the Challenge, and new users can get started by creating a free account in just a few minutes. Visit goletavalleylibrary.beanstack.org, or download the free app for Apple and Android devices to log your books on the go.

Every Tuesday during the Winter Reading Challenge, the Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley Libraries are holding drawings for exciting prizes. Winners can receive prizes such as themed gift baskets, gift cards to local restaurants, stickers, games, art kits, books, movies and more, thanks to the generous support of our local partners, including: Blenders in the Grass, Chili’s, The Friends of the Goleta Valley Library, The Friends of the Library of the Santa Ynez Valley, The Home Depot, Isla Vista Food Co-Operative, Islands Burgers, Madi’s Treasure Box, Mesa Burger, Miner’s Ace Hardware, The Pet House, Sprouts, Trader Joe’s and Woodstock’s Pizza.

Readers are eligible for prize drawings each week that they log at least one book in their Beanstack account. Books of all kind are welcome, including print books, eBooks, graphic novels, and audiobooks, and they can also be borrowed from the eLibrary or through Sidewalk Service. The program theme – Books Like Us – extends an invitation to readers to celebrate diversity and the power of seeing their stories reflected in books by exploring titles from authors with diverse backgrounds.

“It is very exciting to see community members of all ages reading so many books through the Winter Reading Challenge,” says Goleta Valley Library Children’s Librarian Elizabeth Saucedo. “This has been such a fun way to start off the new year together, especially with the amazing prize incentives from our wonderful local sponsors!”

Visit goletavalleylibrary.beanstack.org to sign up for the Winter Reading Challenge. The program runs through February 13th. For more information on programs and events at the Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley Libraries, view the online calendar at www.GoletaValleyLibrary.org.

Happy reading, Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley!

The Green Room: New Treated Wood Management for California

The City of Goleta Environmental Services Division would like to inform residents of recent regulatory changes that affect the management of Treated Wood Waste (TWW). As of January 1, 2021, all Treated Wood Waste that exhibits the hazardous waste characteristics of toxicity will be a fully regulated hazardous waste and no longer be eligible for disposal in Class II or Class III landfills. Therefore, Santa Barbara County waste facilities will temporarily not accept TWW until they can acquire the new certification for handling such waste.

What do I do with Treated Wood Waste? It is illegal to dump treated wood waste on private or public property. Treated wood waste should be stored appropriately until local facilities are permitted to accept it. Reusing and repurposing wood is also allowed. If disposal is needed immediately, the nearest waste facility that is permitted to accept hazardous TWW is the Buttonwillow Landfill Facility (Clean Harbors) at 2500 W. Lokern Road, Buttonwillow CA. Their phone number is (661) 762-6200.

What is treated wood? Treated wood is wood that has gone through a treatment process with chemical preservatives to protect it against pests and environmental conditions. The chemical preservative is registered pursuant to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. Sec. 136 et seq.). These preservatives often include one or more of the following: arsenic, chromium, copper, pentachlorophenol, and creosote. Natural wood with no chemical preservatives and natural wood coated in paint or surface finish such as lacquer, shellac, polyurethane, and varnish do NOT qualify as treated wood and CAN be disposed of in the usual manner.

How do I know if I have TWW? The Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) has created a website and fact sheet to help identify what qualifies as Treated Wood. There are some things to look for to help determine if the wood is treated or not: a treated wood end tag, wood manufacturers stamp codes, indentations along the surface of the wood, when cut staining is visible around only the perimeter, discoloration (green or dark brown), and odor. Any end tags on your wood should have information regarding the Treatments/Chemicals used on your wood.  Please visit DTSC’s website to learn more.

City Earns 2nd Place in Community Energy Challenge

The City of Goleta is pleased to report that it received second place in the Sustainable States Community Energy Challenge.  The August 2020 competition included 30 communities from five states. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) examined the participating cities’ efforts to make homes and buildings more energy efficient, to scale up the use of renewable energy, and to ensure community involvement in developing equitable clean-energy policies.

Goleta earned points in all categories, most notably for the City Council adopted 100% community-wide renewable energy by 2030 and 50% renewable energy at municipal facilities by 2025 goals, green building policies, LED streetlight acquisition, and support programs for building energy code compliance.

City of Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte said, “The City of Goleta is honored to be recognized for promoting sustainability in our local government operations and in the community. We are fortunate to have outstanding City staff who are dedicated to delivering on our sustainability commitments.  We envision our current and future city to be a cleaner, greener Goleta for all residents, and we will continue to strive today and tomorrow for a better future.”

City of Goleta Sustainability Coordinator Cindy Moore said, “By participating in the Sustainable States Community Energy Challenge, Goleta hopes to learn from other cities across the country as we embark on the next clean energy initiative promoting a more equitable and sustainable community.”

“We found that even quite small cities and towns can take meaningful action to cut energy waste and reduce carbon emissions,” said David Ribeiro, director of local policy at ACEEE. “A number of critical tools to fight climate change—and to do so in an equitable way—are things that have to be set locally. From the largest cities to the smallest ones, they’re all going to need to step up further. We hope some of these leading cities can help show the way for their peers.”

San Luis Obispo received first place. Third place went to St. Louis Park (Minnesota) followed by Manhattan Beach, West Hollywood, West Hartford (Connecticut), Rockville (Maryland), Dublin (California) and Red Wing (Minnesota) (tied), and Rochester (Minnesota).

ACEEE evaluated each of the communities on policy metrics assessing government operations, community initiatives, buildings policies, and energy and water utilities. The combined scores allowed ACEEE to rank the municipalities. The analysis assessed policies and programs to make energy efficiency upgrades in homes and businesses, accelerate the adoption of renewable energy, set long-term commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and establish and enforce building codes.

The City of Goleta is committed to being a green and sustainable community. In October 2021 Southern California Edison accounts in Goleta will begin enrollment in Central Coast Community Energy’s electricity program, a milestone outlined in the City Council adopted 2019 Strategic Energy Plan to help reach the City’s 100% renewable energy goal. Learn more about the City’s sustainability and climate adaptation programs here.

New GPS System Installed in Firetrucks and Goleta Intersections

The Santa Barbara County Fire Department and City of Goleta are pleased to announce the recent installation and implementation of a new GPS-based traffic control system that will improve response times and increase public safety.  

The Opticom system transmits a signal from the approaching emergency vehicle to the traffic light, prioritizing the green light and allowing the emergency vehicle to continue through the intersection. Fourteen Santa Barbara County Fire Department fire engines and two trucks have been outfitted with the emitting technology. The system has been installed at 14 Goleta intersections.

Santa Barbara County Fire Chief Mark Hartwig said, “We are pleased to have technology in place that allows for faster and safer service to the community.”

Vyto Adomaitis, City of Goleta Neighborhood Services and Public Safety Director, said, “We are extremely proud to partner with Mr. Mark Linehan, owner of the Camino Real Marketplace, and the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, to bring this technology here to our community and as a result, provide a higher level of public safety services to our residents.”

Funding for the Opticom system was provided by Mark Linehan, owner of the Camino Real Marketplace.  Mr. Linehan has provided more than one million dollars over the years to public safety efforts in the City of Goleta.

 

Photos above are of the Opticom system installed in a Santa Barbara County Fire Department Engine and at a Goleta intersection.

Catalytic Converter Thefts Continue

The City of Goleta wants to warn residents that we are continuing to see Catalytic Converter thefts in the city.  There were a number of these thefts from vehicle exhaust systems in the Goleta area in December and January.

The theft of catalytic converters is popular because they can be easily removed, they do not have identifying marks like serial numbers, and the components are made up of precious metals that can be resold to recyclers. 

The Goleta Police Department recommends the following to help prevent these thefts:

  • Park in well-lit areas when possible. If you have a garage, park your car inside with the door closed. 
  • Video surveillance around your garage or driveway is also useful.
  • Install motion detection devices near parking areas.
  • Install a catalytic converter protection device.
  • Having the converter welded in place also makes it more difficult to remove.
  • If you have a security system on your car, calibrate it so vibration sets it off. This ensures the alarm activates if a thief tries to saw off the converter.
  • You can also engrave your VIN number onto your catalytic converter to make it easier to identify in case it is stolen and recovered by law enforcement.

If you see suspicious subjects in your neighborhood, please call Sheriff’s dispatch. For emergencies, call 9-1-1, and for non-emergencies, call (805) 683-2724.

The City of Goleta contracts with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement services.