Author Archives: Jaime Shaw

“Beat the Heat” this September and October

Five Dollar Spay or Neuter Surgeries for Cats

Throughout September and October, Santa Barbara County Animal Services and Santa Barbara Humane are offering $5 cat spay or neuter surgeries and free microchips through its “Beat the Heat” promotion. 

County Animal Shelters host their annual “Beat the Heat” campaign in an effort to promote responsible pet ownership and prevent accidental and unwanted litters of kittens. In 2020, 736 orphaned kittens came into County Animal Shelters. Spay and neuter surgeries help stop this cycle.

Appointments are limited to the first 100 cats and kittens. Pet owners are encouraged to take advantage of the $5 offer. As an added bonus, the promotion includes free microchips. Other treatments, such as vaccines and flea treatment are available at an additional cost.

“Animal Services and our partner, Santa Barbara Humane, are committed to saving lives through spaying and neutering,” says Jessica Wiebe, Community Programs Director.  “Being able to offer such promotions to help reduce the overpopulation of pets is a crucial piece of the animal sheltering puzzle that we are proud to offer our community. Do not miss the chance to get in on the Beat the Heat promotion and call for an appointment today. Space is limited, and our appointment book fills up fast!”

Santa Barbara County residents who wish to take advantage of the $5 surgery promotion should contact the organizations below:

  • Santa Barbara County Animal Services at (805) 934-6968
  • Santa Barbara Humane-Santa Maria Campus at (805) 964-4777

For more information about County Animal Services and services offered, please visit www.sbcanimalservices.org. Follow @sbcanimalservices on social media for future promotions.

 

Back to School Safety Video Message from Goleta Police

School is back in session for our Goleta students. While it is an exciting time, it’s also a perfect opportunity to go over important safety tips to keep our kids safe this year. Please take time out to watch this Back to School Safety Video Message from Goleta’s School Resource Deputy George Hedricks of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. Thank you Deputy Hedricks!

Pedestrian Safety Month: Be Predictable, Look Out for One Another

As part of Pedestrian Safety Month, The Goleta Police Department is supporting efforts throughout September to improve pedestrian safety and help reduce crashes and injuries.

Pedestrians are more and more at risk on the road. Based on data from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), 2020 had the largest ever annual increase, 21 percent, in the rate at which drivers struck and killed pedestrians. In California, pedestrian deaths accounted for 27 percent of all traffic-related deaths in 2019.

“It’s simple: slow down and stop for pedestrians. They have the same rights to the road as everyone else,” Sergeant Noel Rivas said. “If you’re walking, be mindful of vehicle traffic and be predictable. We should all be looking out for one another.”

For the safety of everyone walking or driving, the Goleta Police Department and the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department will have additional deputies on patrol throughout September specifically looking for California Vehicle Code violations pertaining to drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians.

These violations include right-of-way at crosswalks, illegal turns and not stopping for signs or signals (e.g., right turn on red or red light running), and speeding.

The Goleta Police Department offers steps drivers and pedestrians can take to greatly reduce the risk of getting injured or in a crash, including staying off the phone when behind the wheel or walking:

Pedestrians

  • Be predictable. Use crosswalks.
  • Take notice of approaching vehicles and practice due care.
  • Do not walk or run into the path of a vehicle. No vehicle can stop instantly. At 30 m.p.h., a driver needs at least 90 feet to stop.
  • Be visible. Make it easy for drivers to see you – wear light colors, reflective material and carry a flashlight, particularly at dawn, dusk or at night.
  • Be extra careful crossing streets or entering crosswalks at night when it is harder to see, or when crossing busier streets with more lanes and higher speed limits.

Drivers

  • Follow the speed limit and slow down at intersections. Be prepared to stop for pedestrians at marked and unmarked crosswalks.
  • Avoid blocking crosswalks while waiting to make a right-hand turn.
  • Never drive impaired.

Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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

Goleta Community Center

City of Goleta to Manage Goleta Community Center

The Goleta City Council held a special virtual City Council Meeting on August 31 to discuss the future of the Goleta Community Center (GCC). Originally built in 1927, the GCC is located at 5679 Hollister Avenue in the heart of the City in Old Town and is an important gathering place for our community. The City purchased the GCC in 2013 but the building has been managed by the Goleta Valley Community Center (GVCC), a non-profit organization.

The City Council conceptually approved the City of Goleta assuming direct management of the GCC beginning next year while construction projects are ongoing, and asked staff to return in the fall with a plan to do this. Two major construction projects, one to complete the seismic retrofit and one to complete Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility improvements, are expected to begin next year.

Assuming direct management of the GCC on July 1, 2022, will provide the City an opportunity to take a more active role in improving the quality of the GCC. It will also allow the City to better stage the construction, develop a Community Center Strategic Plan, and determine the best management options for the GCC for the future.

The City Council also received a report during the Council meeting on the stakeholder and public outreach process that was conducted in February and March 2020 to better understand the community’s desires for programming and uses at the GCC. One of the recommendations of the outreach process was that the City conduct a strategic planning process to guide future use and management of the GCC. 

The City of Goleta is looking forward to improving the Goleta Community Center so that is a thriving facility for the next 95 years. We would like to thank the Goleta Valley Community Center (GVCC) organization for managing the GCC for many years. The GVCC organization will continue to be involved in the GCC and help the City decide the future of the Community Center.

Watch a recording of the meeting anytime on the City website at www.CityofGoleta.org/GoletaMeetings. It is also available to watch on Goleta TV Channel 19 Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The full agenda from the meeting is available at https://tinyurl.com/x5m2sw8h.

Keep updated on the Goleta Community Center by signing up for updates here.

Join Us for Coastal Cleanup Day on September 18!

Are you looking for a fun and easy way to give back to Goleta? Join us for Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, September 18th from 9:00 a.m. – noon. Watch our video in English or Spanish to see why our team captains hope to see you and what you need to know before you go! Please bring a face covering – they are required at check in and check out. Don’t wait, sign up here to participate! Also, you don’t have to wait until September 18th to participate, you can help clean up our beaches anytime throughout September and have the trash you pick up tracked on the Clean Swell app. 

 

New Goleta Valley Library Book Van Drives into Isla Vista!

The Goleta Valley Library is excited to launch a new book van for service in Isla Vista beginning October 4! The book van will include a collection of physical books and other materials, as well as allow patrons to place holds for delivery from the Library’s entire collection utilizing the online system Black Gold. The book van is being detailed now and we can’t wait for you to see it when it’s finished! A schedule will soon be available at each stop and on the Library’s Calendar of Events.

The Goleta Valley Library was extremely fortunate to receive a $200,000 California State Library grant to provide library services to the Isla Vista area, courtesy of Senator Monique Limón. After conversations with the community, research, and much deliberation, the decision was made to purchase a Sprinter van with the goal of turning it into a book van that would make regular visits to a wide variety of sites in Isla Vista including IVCSD Community Center, Friendship Manor, UCSB, Isla Vista Elementary School, the St. George Teen Center, several parks, and more.

Community members can sign up for a library card directly with the book van when it begins service in order to begin checking out books and other materials. The library’s website www.GoletaValleyLibrary.org has a lot of great offerings for patrons as well, including many available for download. Learn about all of the great online options available from the Goleta Valley Library website with our show and tell video. Library Director Allison Gray shows you how easy it is to find everything you could possibly need. Watch now in English or Spanish.

Goleta Valley Art Association Presents Summer’s End

The Goleta Valley Art Association is moving ahead with celebrating its vision of ‘Bringing Art to the Community’ virtually. Be sure and check out “Summer’s End,” happening now online through November. “Summer’s End” features a collection of paintings from local award-winning artists. View the online show here to  look for something for yourself or a friend. You can even get a jump on your holiday shopping! #GoodLandGoodShopping

On August 21 the Goleta Valley Art Association hosted an all-day outdoor art show at La Cumbre Plaza in cooperation with the three galleries of the La Cumbre Center for Creative Arts (LCAAA). Several of the LCCCA artists also are members of GVAA. For the 15 years prior to 2020, the organization held its summer show at Stow House in Goleta. With no show in 2020 due to the pandemic, it gave the association pause to reconsider a new vision for the show. 

As the community cautiously begins to see schools back in session, GVAA is also looking forward to the day when members can continue a long-established after-school program for Goleta Union School District students. The program, still on hiatus, features GVAA members who go into the schools and teach art projects so children have the opportunity to develop and share their creative talents with the guidance of our members.

Click here to learn more about the Goleta Valley Art Association.

Pictured: Artwork by GVAA member Holly Hungett, “Breathe with the Earth” (above) and the GVAA Team right-to-left (below): Elizabeth Flanagan (President), Pat Heller (Events Coordinator), Terre Sanitate (Vice President), and Jan Smith (New Members Chair)

 

#VaccinateGoleta COVID-19 Update

As of August 30, 2021, 64.5% of eligible (12 years and older) Santa Barbara County residents are fully vaccinated. There is still a lot of work to do. Please help #VaccinateGoleta by getting vaccinated yourself if you haven’t already, and encourage your friends and family to do so. Mayor Paula Perotte and all of the Goleta City Council members share the importance of getting vaccinated in our #VaccinateGoleta video message available in English and Spanish.

Recent studies confirm that the Delta variant is spreading more quickly in those not fully vaccinated. Of the COVID-related hospitalizations between May and July, 88 percent are people who are unvaccinated people. Approximately one in three eligible community members is unvaccinated. An increase is being seen in children under the age of 12. The best way for families to keep young children safe is to ensure that everyone in the household who can gets vaccinated. View the Santa Barbara County Community Data Dashboard for more information and learn more about COVID-19 variants here.

For information on the vaccine, including walk-in Community Vaccination Clinics, or how to make an appointment at a local pharmacy, please visit https://publichealthsbc.org/vaccine/.

CA Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program Rounds 8 & 9

Round 8 for nonprofit cultural institutions is currently open; Round 9 for new and waitlisted applications opens September 9

California’s Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA), part of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), previously announced additional rounds for the California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program.

Round 8: Nonprofit cultural institutions only
  • Application window: Friday, August 27 through Wednesday, September 8 
  • Eligible applicants: Only nonprofit cultural institutions of any revenue size that meet eligibility criteria found at CAReliefGrant.com.
  • Eligible grant award: $5,000 – $25,000
  • Details: Approximately $16 million remain under the Nonprofit Cultural Institutions Program. Eligible nonprofit cultural institutions must complete a new application even if they already applied in Rounds 1, 2, 5 or 6; nonprofit cultural institutions that applied in Round 4 do not need to reapply.  Grants will only be available to nonprofit cultural institutions that did not receive funding in any previous rounds. Grants will be prioritized based on the documented percentage revenue declines based on a reporting period comparing Q2 and Q3 of 2020 versus Q2 and Q3 of 2019.
Round 9: New Applicants and Waitlisted applicants from certain previous rounds
  • Application window: Thursday, September 9 through Thursday, September 30
  • Eligible applicants: Current waitlisted applicants from certain previous rounds and new applicants that meet eligibility criteria found at CAReliefGrant.com.
  • Eligible grant award: $5,000 – $25,000
  • Details: Applicants not selected to move forward in the review process in Rounds 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, or 7 do not need to re-apply and will be automatically moved into Round 9. New applicants will need to apply at CAReliefGrant.com.

Cox Offers Programs to Help Access Affordable Internet

Need affordable internet access? Cox Communications is participating in the FCC’s Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) program to help you get connected.

The Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) is a federal program to provide internet connectivity to students, school staff and library patrons while they are not on a school or library campus. Cox is offering a special ECF connectivity solution called Cox Home Connectivity for Education. Qualified customers can begin registering today on Cox.com/ECF.

For those receiving program approval, Cox’s ECF offering will equip customers with internet service with speeds of 50 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload and a wifi modem. The ECF program will subsidize costs for internet and equipment that the FCC determines are reasonable. Cox’s ECF offering will cost (per household) a one-time $20 equipment charge and $30 per month for internet service, with no term agreement, no deposit, and access to 3m+ Cox Hotspots nationwide until June 30, 2022.

For more information on the FCC’s ECF program, visit cox.com/ecf.

Additional Support Offerings to Improve At-Home Learning Experience

To further assist qualified families in need, Cox offers Connect2Compete (C2C), which is the company’s low-cost internet solution for families with school-aged children who are enrolled in government financial assistance programs. C2C is designed to create digital equity for students and families that may have previously lacked internet access in their homes. The program now provides download speeds of 50 Mbps to support families who qualify. Learn more and check if you qualify at cox.com/c2c.

Cox also participates in the FCC’s Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program. Open to eligible Americans for a limited time, EBB is available to provide temporary financial assistance for internet service. Eligible families may qualify to receive up to $50 off their monthly bill based on their current internet service and equipment rental, or up to $75 if they live in a tribal area, for as long as government funds remain available. For more information on the FCC’s EBB program, visit cox.com/ebb.

To view a comparison of all three of the programs available, click here.