Author Archives: Jaime Shaw

City of Goleta Partners to Provide Financial Assistance to Small Businesses

The City of Goleta is proud to partner with Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV) and the Santa Barbara Foundation to support Goleta businesses through two new COVID-19 relief programs.

The Santa Barbara Better Together (SBBT) Fund Small Business Grant Program recently launched, in partnership with the City of Goleta, Santa Barbara Foundation, and Deckers Brands, providing grants for Goleta’s small businesses. This is a formative step in the City’s economic relief and recovery efforts. Grant applications are due by this Friday, August 7 at 5:00 p.m. The City of Goleta and Santa Barbara Foundation Santa Barbara Better Together Fund each contributed $50,000 in order to create the Goleta-specific small business grant program. The partnership will support grants from the Santa Barbara Better Together Fund of up to $10,000 per grant to qualifying local Goleta small businesses as they reopen and adapt to operating under proper public health guidelines due to COVID-19. Grant awards are available to eligible businesses until funds have been depleted. The Santa Barbara Better Together Fund was set up at the Santa Barbara Foundation as a committee advised fund in March of 2020 with an initial $500,000 donation from Deckers Brands. The goal is to provide financial assistance grants to small local businesses with emphasis in support of basic needs. This will enable small businesses to continue operations in the short term while navigating the effects of COVID-19.

Women’s Economic Ventures operates the ReStart Loan Program to provide capital and advisors to businesses who are now open or eligible to open under the most current government orders (subject to change based on updated orders) related to COVID-19. The loan program provides loans up to $25,000 with a 4.50% fixed interest rate with up to a 60 month repayment term with interest only payments for the first six payment cycle in order to provide for more time to re-establish cash flow and capacity to rebuild/reopen the business. The City of Goleta contributed $200,000 in order to support the small business loan program for Goleta small businesses.  This is a critical step in the City’s economic relief and recovery efforts. Goleta ReStart Loan applications can be submitted starting August 6, 2020 and will be reviewed on a rolling basis until loan funds have been depleted.

Mayor Paula Perotte shared her excitement about the two programs. “It’s amazing what we can do when great organizations work together to support our small businesses during this unprecedented time of economic upheaval resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The City is proud to partner with Women’s Economic Ventures and the Santa Barbara Foundation on these much needed financial and technical support programs to assist Goleta small businesses. The WEV ReStart Loan program will provide immediate funding on favorable terms and WEV’s highly-regarded financial expertise to our small businesses. Santa Barbara Better Together Fund Small Business Grant Program recently launched, in partnership with the City of Goleta, Santa Barbara Foundation, and Deckers Brands, providing grants for Goleta’s small businesses to help them reopen and adapt to operating under proper public health guidelines due to COVID-19. Both of these programs are important components of the City’s economic recovery efforts.”

With support from the Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce, outreach for both support programs will be comprehensive with significant efforts to reach minority-owned businesses.

For more information about the grant program, please review the SBBT Small Business Grant Program guidelines for further details or apply at grantsportal.sbfoundation.org/accounts/register. For more information and to apply for a Goleta ReStart Loan from WEV, visit www.wevonline.org/loans-2/restart/.

Goleta’s First Community Garden!

Goleta is getting its first community garden! Located in Armitos Park behind Jonny D. Wallis Neighborhood Park, a conceptual design was recently selected at the July 21 City Council meeting. Garden features include: raised garden beds of varying sizes, demonstration area/outdoor classroom, picnic area, tool sheds, composting area and landscaping. The garden will also feature unique amenities such as a pizza oven, flower bed in the design of a butterfly to help educate visitors on the importance of pollinators, and musical chime instruments for children to play. The project also includes improvements to Armitos Park such as adding swings and sandboxes to expand the play area, and a bike path extension connecting Armitos Park to Jonny D. Wallis Neighborhood Park.

View the selected conceptual design below and here.

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Watch a Movie Under the Stars and Enjoy UCSB’s FREE Summer Cinema Series

There is something special about watching a movie under the stars. In its first three weeks, UCSB Arts & Lectures FREE outdoor summer film series at the West Wind Drive-In (907 S. Kellogg Avenue, Goleta) has been a success. Don’t miss the last three weeks of films: August 5 (Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable), August 12 (Pelé) and August 19 (Friday Night Lights). Films begin at 8:30 p.m. and gates open at 7:30 p.m.  First come, first served. Arrive early to enjoy food trucks, concessions and entertainment from your car! A unique pairing of local food trucks will rotate each week. For more information go to https://artsandlectures.ucsb.edu/.

Filmgoers are asked to respect the safety of fellow attendees: Please wear masks and maintain a distance of six feet from others. UCSB Arts & Lectures continues to prioritize the health and comfort of the community. 

Photo credit: Isaac Hernandez

Goleta Planning Commission Welcomes Two New Members

The City of Goleta is pleased to announce that Luz Reyes-Martin and Jennifer Fullerton were recently selected to fill the two vacancies on the Planning Commission.

Luz Reyes-Martin is a communications professional, a community advocate, parent and resident of Goleta. Over the years she has worked for public agencies, private industry, and higher education. She has experience and expertise in the fields of communications, public affairs, and marketing. Luz has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Chicano/Chicana Studies from Stanford University and Masters’ Degrees in Land Use Planning and Public Administration from the University of Southern California (USC). She currently serves as the Executive Director of Public Affairs and Communications at Santa Barbara City College. 

Luz is honored to have been selected to serve on the City of Goleta’s Planning Commission. As a resident and homeowner, she is invested in working towards the long-term vibrancy of our Goleta community. Luz and her husband, Diego, are parents to two young children and love living in the beautiful community of Goleta, “The Goodland”.

Jennifer grew up in New York, Texas and Los Angeles, but once she came to Goleta to attend UCSB, like many, she didn’t want to leave. She was fortunate to be able to stay in the area, working first in television production and then in project management and software development for several large companies in the area.

After living in Santa Barbara and Carpinteria before moving to Goleta 6 years ago, she quickly realized what a special city Goleta is, and wanted to find a way to give back and make a difference in the community. In addition to currently serving as the Board Chair of TV Santa Barbara and as a member of the Santa Barbara Air Pollution Control District (SBAPCD) Community Advisory Council, Jennifer served on the Goleta Design Review Board for three years, and is extremely proud and excited to join the Planning Commission to work to ensure that Goleta remains “the Goodland”.

Thank you to Luz and Jennifer for giving back to your community by serving on the Planning Commission.

Local Hospitality Hero

Congratulations to Pamme Mickelson with the Goleta Valley Historical Society for her Visit Santa Barbara Hospitality Heroes Award and exemplifying the #GoodLandGoodPeople spirit! As the Development and Marketing Manager for Goleta Valley Historical Society, Pamme has made over 400 masks for the Goleta Valley Historical Society and other nonprofits on the South Coast. Mickelson even went so far as to find “lemon-patterned” fabric to make masks for residents of Goleta, an area known for lemons in its agricultural history. Mickelson creates and distributes hundreds of masks, as well as customizes them for individuals and nonprofits. In addition, she also tracks COVID-19 regulations at the city, county and state levels to update the organization’s policies and procedures.

The weekly Visit Santa Barbara Hospitality Heroes Awards program recognizes local hospitality industry workers for their vital role in helping communicate and carry out standards that protect the health and safety of our community, workforce and visitors.


Pictured: Pamme Mickelson making face coverings (top right) and Goleta Valley Historical Society Executive Director Amanda De Lucia wearinrg one of Pamme’s face coverings (above).

Clear the Shelters Adopt and Donate Campaign

Animal Shelters throughout Santa Barbara County have joined NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations’ Clear the Shelters™ 2020 pet adoption campaign.  This year’s initiative will run the entire month of August.  To help individuals and communities continue to practice safe social distancing measures some organizations will be featuring weekly virtual pet adoptions with adoption counselors standing by and the campaign will make it easier for people to donate online to participating shelters/rescues.

Local participating shelter organizations include:

  • Santa Barbara County Animal Services, 805.934.6119 ext. 7 – Offering fee-waived adoptions for animals who have been available longer than seven days
  • Animal Shelter Assistance Program, (ASAP), at 805.683.3368 – Offering fee-waived adoptions on all adult cats and on kittens who have been available longer than seven days
  • Bunnies Urgently Needing Shelter, (BUNS), at 805.683.0521
  • Santa Barbara Humane Society, at 805.349.3435 North, 805.964.4777 South – Offering fee-waived adoptions for animals who have been available longer than seven days
  • Santa Ynez Valley Humane Society & D.A.W.G. , at 805.688.8224 – Offering fee-waived adoptions for animals for have been available longer than seven days

“Clear the Shelters” is focused on engaging the community to help assist our shelters and save them all. “When shelter partners work collaboratively we have a much larger impact in finding them forever homes and improving animal welfare in our community. We are looking forward to empty kennels at all of our shelters throughout Santa Barbara County,” says Esteban Rodriguez, Animal Services Operations Manager.  “There’s never been a better time to start following our community shelters on social media if community members aren’t already.  The way the public has searched for an animal to adopt was already changing with technology.  That search has only changed more drastically with the changes COVID has brought to the way we do business and we’d love to see more community members than ever find their new family member virtually.”

Visit www.SBCAnimalservices.org, ClearTheShelters.com, DesocuparLosAlbergues.com for more information. 

Storytimes, Crafts, Book Clubs and More Offered Virtually at the Library

As Sidewalk Service continues to provide patrons with new library materials, staff at the Goleta, Buellton and Solvang libraries are finding ways to actively connect with members of the community through weekly virtual programs. Patrons can tune in for live storytimes, craft workshops, book clubs and more from the comfort of their homes as we follow guidance from the Public Health Department on staying safe during the pandemic. Virtual programs are offered on a regular basis for all ages, ranging from Baby & Toddler Storytime, to the Teen Graphic Novel Book Club, to the Bring Your Own Book Club for adults. All programs can be enjoyed through Facebook, YouTube, or GoToMeeting, with instructions provided in the Library Events Calendar listing for each program on how to attend.

Community members can also tune in for special programming each week, such as the library’s ongoing Special Guest Storytime project and Book to Action events. Special Guest Storytime is a new program that spotlights members of the community reading their favorite picture books online for children to enjoy. The program launched in May with a wonderful reading from Mayor Paula Perotte of the beloved story Silly Sally by Audrey Wood and has since continued with a wealth of support from the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, UCSB Classics Department, and other local individuals and organizations. Book to Action is a community reading program in which members of the community read the same title collectively, participate in programs related to the themes of the book, and join their efforts to take action for a relevant cause through a culminating event at the end of the program. This year’s program focuses on the book Strays: A Lost Cat, a Homeless Man & Their Journey Across America by Britt Collins and will conclude with a Donation Drive for Local Animal Organizations held onsite at the Goleta, Solvang and Buellton libraries. Weekly Book to Action programming includes themed storytimes, crafts, book discussions and more! Additional information about these programs can be found on the library website on the Special Guest Storytime and 2020 Book to Action Program webpages.

Lastly, the library is offering personalized programs for patrons who would like to chat with a librarian or who are in need of technical assistance through the Check In with a Librarian and Tech Tutoring programs. These programs are designed to provide support to patrons during the closure to ensure that they are still feeling connected and that they can receive the help they need to access information in an increasingly virtual environment. Both programs are available by appointment on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. A form is available on the library’s website where patrons can submit a request and a library staff member will reach out to meet their needs.

The staff at the Goleta, Solvang and Buellton libraries miss the wonderful patrons who attend our programs and we look forward to the day when it is safe to hold events in-person once again. Until that time, we look forward to connecting with you virtually! The library staff is working hard to provide an important service during these difficult times. Please be respectful of them and take a moment to let them know you are thankful and appreciative. 

Visit the Library Events Calendar for a full list of virtual programs at the Goleta, Solvang and Buellton libraries. For more information go to www.GoletaValleyLibrary.org.

Pictured: Facebook Live videos available at www.facebook.com/GoletaValleyLibrary (above) and Mr. Marcos doing bilingual virtual storytime (top right)

Library Summer Reading Program Concludes with over 8,200 Books Read

This summer, the Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley Libraries took their annual Summer Reading Program online to encourage local youth, teens and adults to read, learn and explore while the libraries remain closed to the public. Through the generous sponsorship of almost thirty community donors, plus invaluable support from the Friends of the Goleta, Solvang and Buellton Libraries, the libraries were able to maintain the reading incentive format of the in-person program of years past by offering prizes at each reading level. Youth and teens received their prizes in the mail, while all three age groups were entered into drawings for grand prizes awarded at the end of the summer. Almost 900 readers used the online system Beanstack to log their reading, where they could earn badges to chart their progress toward each prize tier. As a community, our readers completed an impressive total of 8,298 books this summer, which helped youth and teens to maintain their critical thinking skills between school years and provided adult participants with an incentive to enjoy the many benefits of reading, including increased knowledge, stress relief, and improved memory.

Although the community could not gather this year to attend the ever-popular Summer Reading Program performances, the libraries were able to host 1-2 weekly virtual shows for patrons to view from home. With concerts, puppet shows, a magician, a bubbleologist, and even the zoo, patrons could tune in through Facebook and YouTube to enjoy a combined total of fifteen virtual programs from June to August. Families watching from home were able to learn about new topics and enjoy entertainment from these spectacular performers, who masterfully adapted their routines to connect with patrons in an online format.

Teens who typically volunteer during the Summer Reading Program to get involved and earn community service hours were sincerely missed this summer, and we were excited to offer them the opportunity to earn community service hours virtually instead by writing Teen Book Reviews to be posted on the library website. Patrons are encouraged to visit this page to hear what our local teens thought about some of the books they read this summer and to get ideas for what books to read next!

At its heart, the goal of the Summer Reading Program is to encourage a lifelong love of reading and to celebrate the many important benefits of reading at every age. The Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley libraries would like to congratulate all of the children, teens and adults who participated in the 2020 Virtual Summer Reading Program this summer for all of the wonderful reading that they accomplished!

Local Animal Rescue Experts Examine Human-Animal Bonds at August 13 Virtual Library Event

On Thursday, August 13, at 2:00 pm, tune in to watch and participate in “Rescued: Bonds between Humans and Animals” an educational and inspirational panel of speakers from three outstanding local organizations: Santa Ynez Valley Therapeutic Riding, Happy Endings Animal Sanctuary, and Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network. The event will be streamed live on Facebook.com/SolvangLibrary, as part of the Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley libraries’ Book to Action Community reading program occurring in July and August.

Featured speakers are Robin Serritslev, Executive Director, Santa Ynez Valley Therapeutic Riding Program, C.C. Beaudette-Wellman, Board President, Happy Endings Animal Sanctuary, and Ariana Katovich, Executive Director, Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network.  “All three of these groups are to be celebrated for their work with both wild and domestic animals, and for the opportunities they offer for healing to both animals and humans.  We can’t wait to hear their individual stories and insights,” said library staff.

The SYV Therapeutic Riding Program’s 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 uplifts 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.

In August, the Book to Action program will culminate in a donation drive for area organizations (the above, as well as ASAP and C.A.R.E. 4 PAWS), 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.

The Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley Libraries’ 2020 Book to Action program runs through Friday August 21st, and 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.

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. Click here to see the full calendar of events for the 2020 Book to Action Program, which include crafts, book discussions, storytimes, a Pet Preparedness Panel, and Virtual Author Spotlight with Strays’ author Britt Collins.

Support Local Animal Organizations with the Library’s Book to Action Donation Drive

There is still time to participate in the Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley Libraries’ 2020 Book to Action program which runs through Friday, August 21st and ends with a Donation Drive for Local Animal Organizations. 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.

Book to Action is a community reading program in which members of the community read the same title collectively, participate in programs related to the themes of the book, and join their efforts to take action for a relevant cause through a culminating event at the end of the program. This year’s program will culminate with a Donation Drive for Local Animal Organizations held onsite at the Goleta, Solvang and Buellton libraries. Donations may be dropped off at the libraries during Sidewalk Service Hours from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m on Wednesdays – Saturdays. All donations will be quarantined and provided to A.S.A.P. and C.A.R.E.4Paws at the end of the month. Wish lists for these organizations can be found on the library website Donation Information page.

Copies of Strays are available for the community to borrow from the print and digital collections at the Goleta, Buellton and Solvang libraries. Virtual programs including storytimes, crafts, guest speakers and book discussions are scheduled through August 21st. Visit the Library Events Calendar for details.