Author Archives: Jaime Shaw

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.

Goleta Train Depot Survey Results Revealed at Upcoming City Council Meeting

The City is looking forward to having a new full-service Train Depot in Goleta, replacing the current Amtrak platform on South La Patera Lane. The community has made their individual voices heard on the project with more than 1,100 people completing the survey indicating which aspects of the three designs (“Schooner,” “Traditional,” and “Sunrise”) they like best. In addition, approximately 30 people attended the community meeting via Zoom with City staff and consultants to learn more about the project and ask questions. We know the community is curious about the results, and they will be announced at an upcoming City Council meeting, along with feedback from the community meeting and other comments received.

For further information regarding this project, please contact Mr. Jaime Valdez, Principal Project Manager, at 805-961-7568 or jvaldez@cityofgoleta.org. Learn more about the Goleta Train Depot at https://tinyurl.com/GoletaTrainDepot.

Celebrate Parks and Recreation Month

In honor of Parks & Recreation Month this July, the City of Goleta encourages residents to explore the many wonderful outdoor Parks and Recreation opportunities available in Goleta from hiking and biking to picnics and planting gardens. To assist our community members, the City has put together a fun-filled calendar of outdoor activities for residents to do throughout the month. View the full calendar in English and Spanish here.

In addition to exploring some of Goleta’s great parks and engaging in activities with your families, community members are encouraged to learn something new this summer. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, free clinics will not be offered as part of this year’s Parks and Recreation month calendar. However, anyone who would like to learn how to play bocce, pickleball, disc golf, or ping pong, can let the City know, and as soon as there are enough people interested we will conduct a free, safe, and socially distant clinic. To participate, please contact our office by phone or email at 805-961-7554 or sdawson@cityofgoleta.org.

Mayor Paula Perotte said, “Now more than ever it is so important to encourage children and adults alike to be active outdoors. Goleta has so many outdoor opportunities – parks, bike paths, beaches, open spaces, and more. We hope residents will take the time this July to create lasting memories outside with your families and friends. Please remember to wear face coverings and physically distance while outdoors and in public spaces.”

The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) started celebrating Parks and Recreation Month in 1985. Parks and Recreation month highlights the vital and powerful role local parks and recreation play in conservation, health and wellness, and social equity efforts in communities across the country.  For any questions, please contact Parks and Recreation Manager, JoAnne Plummer at 805-562-5505 or jplummer@cityofgoleta.org.

Improvements to US 101 Northbound Offramp at Glen Annie/Storke Road

Caltrans District 5 and the City of Goleta are working cooperatively to improve conditions at the US Highway 101 northbound off-ramp at Glen Annie/Storke Road in Goleta. This location has experienced a higher level of vehicular traffic during peak hours resulting in delays and congestion which can extend to the beginning of the US 101 off-ramp.

Caltrans traffic engineers recently collected vehicular data and inspected the ramp. Their work suggested that improvements to the ramp such as trimming vegetation for sight distance and installing a recommended speed sign of 45 mph would help alleviate the congestion along the long off-ramp.  Caltrans will continue to monitor the off-ramp to determine if any further improvements are necessary. 

Caltrans, the City of Goleta and Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG), the transportation planning agency for this region, are also looking at future solutions and funding to address congestion along US 101 west of Fairview Avenue. This collaboration is intended to find long-term solutions to the operational efficiency of the Glen Annie/Storke Road northbound off-ramp and US 101 in the Goleta area.       

City of Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte said, “We appreciate Caltrans working with Goleta to assure the safety of people using this key off ramp. We are glad that additional solutions are being considered for implementation in the near future.” 

Caltrans reminds motorists to move over and slow down when driving through highway construction zones.

For traffic updates in Santa Barbara County, motorists may call Caltrans District 5 Public Affairs at 805-549-3318 or visit their website: https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-5

Rental Assistance for Goleta Residents

During these challenging times when many people have been negatively impacted financially by the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Goleta is partnering with the County of Santa Barbara to dedicate its annual HOME Investment Partnerships Program funds to provide rental assistance for Goleta residents.

The City receives funding each year from the federal government to support housing programs and typically the money is pooled with other cities and the County of Santa Barbara to support larger regional projects. This year, City staff requested the funds be used to support residents through an emergency rental assistance program due to the dire need for many in our community during this time.

While the funds are very limited, the City appreciates the County’s support in matching Goleta’s annual HOME allocation, doubling the pot of rental assistance funds to more than $150,000.

The HOME rental assistance program is now open and accepting applications. To qualify, you must live within Goleta city limits; have had your income reduced directly due to the impacts of COVID-19; currently be renting your primary residence; have an income at or below 60% of the area median income ($71,400 for a family of four). Funds will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis for those who qualify. For more information, and to answer a brief list of pre-screening questions to see if you qualify, please contact Dominique Samario at 805-690-5126 or dsamario@cityofgoleta.org.