Author Archives: Jaime Shaw

September is National Preparedness Month

The Goleta City Council will proclaim September as National Preparedness Month at its September 6 Council meeting. This year’s National Preparedness theme is “A Lasting Legacy: The life you’ve built is worth protecting. Prepare for disasters to create a lasting legacy for you and your family.” 

Goleta’s Neighborhood Services Director Jaime Valdez advises, “Now is the perfect opportunity to make sure you are prepared for an emergency. Make sure you are signed up to receive emergency alerts, double check family plans and create or update your Go-Bag for your garage, car or closet.

Here are some important safety tips:

  • Be sure you are signed up for local emergency alerts with both Santa Barbara County (ReadySBC.org) and City of Goleta (http://tinyurl.com/goletaemergency).

  • Think about gathering supplies that will last for several days after a disaster. Make sure you have enough for everyone living in your home and don’t forget to consider the unique needs of each person or pet. Think about dietary restrictions, prescription medications, important documents and pictures! Create a Go-Bag, a bag meant to be stored away somewhere safe but can be accessed at a moment’s notice. Learn how to build a kit at Ready.gov/kit.

  • Start the new school year by talking to your kids about emergencies that could happen at home and away. Talk about meeting spots in case you are separated and make games to help them memorize family phone numbers. Help them know how to stay safe and navigate potentially scary situations. Resources for kids, teens, and the whole family are available at Ready.gov/kids.

Learn more about National Preparedness Month, and how to make sure you and your family are prepared, at https://www.ready.gov/september. 

Lemon Run Returns September 18

Come celebrate your school and the Goleta Valley at the Lemon Run on Sunday, September 18. There is something for everyone – run, walk, or volunteer with your family and friends as a new school year kicks off. The 10K, 5K and 1K events take place on the flat Obern Trial bike path, perfect for competitive runners and first-timers alike. Races take place throughout the morning beginning at 8:00 a.m.

With great food, family-friendly activities, and prizes from local businesses, this is a Goodland event you don’t want to miss. The Lemon Run is presented by the Goleta Education Foundation and supports educators in Goleta schools who bring new and exciting learning opportunities to students.

For more information and to register, go to https://goletaeducationfoundation.org/goleta-lemon-run/.

Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP) Proclamation of an Emergency Program

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has confirmed the presence of the insect, Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, which feed on citrus plants and spread the disease huanglongbing (HLB), in Goleta and Santa Barbara County. ACP present a significant, clear, and imminent threat to California’s commercial citrus production, residential citrus plantings, natural resources, and economy.

The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP; Hemiptera: Psyllidae) is a tiny (0.125 inch, 3 mm, in length) mottled brown insect that is about the size of an aphid. The adult psyllid feeds with its head down, almost touching the leaf, and the rest of its body is raised from the surface at a 45-degree angle with its tail end in the air.

Adults typically live one to two months and develop more quickly in warmer weather. Females lay tiny yellow-orange, almond-shaped eggs in the folds of the newly developing, unfurled, soft leaves, called the feather flush. Each female can lay several hundred eggs during her lifespan. Nymph development is limited to the flush or new growth of citrus. Nymphs are typically yellow-orange but can also have a green hue and lay flat on the surface of new feather flush (young instars), edges of leaves, and stems of flush (older instars).

Unless emergency action is taken to disrupt these ACPs life cycles, there is high potential for sudden future detections in and around commercial groves in Santa Barbara County.

Public Notification:

Residents of affected properties shall be invited to a public meeting or contacted directly by CDFA staff.

Residents are notified in writing at least 48 hours in advance of any treatment in accordance with the Food and Agricultural Code sections 5771-5779 and 5421-5436.

For any questions related to this program, please contact the CDFA toll-free telephone number at 800-491-1899 for assistance. This telephone number is also listed on all treatment notices.

For more information, and to read the full proclamation and the surveillance and treatment plan for the ACP infestation, click here.

Back to School Safety

The start of the school year is busy, but before your kids head out the door, please take a moment to make sure they understand some important safety tips.

You can start by watching this informative Back to School Safety Video Message from Community Resource Deputy George Hedricks.

Here are some other important tips for parents and children to help keep everyone safe during the new school year:

Walking to School

  • Leave early enough to arrive at school at least 10 minutes prior to the start of school.
  • Always use public sidewalks and streets when walking to school. If there is no sidewalk, walk as far to the edge of the road as possible, facing traffic.
  • We all learned as kids to “look both ways before crossing the street”. This remains important advice, for both children and adults.
  • When crossing, make eye contact with drivers and always cross the street at intersections or in crosswalks.
  • Teach your children to recognize and obey traffic signals, signs, and pavement markings.

Biking to School

  • Obey the rules of the road; the rules are the same for all vehicles, including bicycles.
  • Always stay on the right-hand side of the road and ride in the same direction as traffic.
  • Be sure your child know and uses all of the appropriate hand signals.
  • Ride single file on the right side of the road, with the flow of traffic. Stop at all stop signs, walk bikes across the street and always, ALWAYS, wear a properly fitted helmet.
  • In the event of an accident, helmets reduce the risk of head injury by as much as 85 percent.

Driving to School

  • When driving your child to school, stay alert and never drive while distracted.
  • Always obey school zone speed limits and watch for children crossing the street. Remember, the area 10 feet around a school bus is most dangerous for children.
  • NEVER pass a bus loading or unloading children. It is also important to learn and follow your school’s drop-off and pick-up procedures.
  • Washing your car can be an easily overlooked task, but driving toward the morning sun with a dirty windshield can be blinding. To make certain you can see children walking and riding to school, make sure your windshield is clean, especially during morning school drop-off hours.

The City of Goleta wishes parents, students, school staff, and the community a safe and happy school year.

Help Keep Our Creeks Clean

September 3, 9:00 – 11: 30 a.m.

Are you looking for a fun and easy way to give back to Goleta? Participate in the Maria Ygnacio Creek Cleanup this Saturday, September 3rd from 9:00 – 11:30 a.m. The City of Goleta is excited to announce it has partnered with the Environmental Defense Center (EDC) and Santa Barbara Urban Creeks Council for six creek cleanups this fall. These are the first organized creek cleanups since the COVID pandemic began.

Apart from providing clean drinking water, Goleta’s creeks are vital wildlife habitats that support rare species. These creaks are important for recreation and can provide local students and residents with opportunities to get out in nature and learn about the environment. The last creek cleanup that was done at Maria Ygnacio Creek, volunteers collected more than 300 pounds of trash! Join us there again on Saturday, September 3, from 9:00 a.m. – 11: 30 a.m.

To participate, please RSVP to Brian Trautwein at btrautwein@environmentaldefensecenter.org. Participants will meet at the corner of Ribera Drive and Matorral Way (where the Maria Ygnacio Bike Path crosses under Highway 101). Remember to wear a hat, sunscreen, and closed-toe shoes; bring water in a reusable container and work gloves if you have them (latex gloves provided).

If you can’t make it this Saturday, don’t worry, there are more cleanups from now through mid-November that you can participate in. Below is the schedule, all cleanups begin at 9:00 a.m.

  • September 3, Maria Ygnacio Creek
  • September 17, San Jose Creek
  • October 8, Glen Annie Creek
  • October 22, Devereux Creek
  • November 5, San Pedro/Las Vegas Creeks
  • November 19, Atascadero Creek

For more information, please visit www.EnvironmentalDefenseCenter.org or call the EDC at 805-963-1622.

Thank you for helping us keep Goleta healthy and beautiful!

See’s Candies Shop Arrives at Camino Real Marketplace

Goleta just got sweeter after the ribbon was cut at the new See’s Candies shop at the Camino Real Marketplace on August 19. Community members lined up for the grand opening event and enjoyed sharing stories about the nostalgic connections they have to See’s Candies, their favorite candy, and their excitement over having the shop in the Good Land! Mayor Paula Perotte, Mayor Pro Tempore Stuart Kasdin, and Councilmember James Kyriaco all welcomed See’s to Goleta and wished them a sweet and successful experience at this awesome new location, 7044 Market Place Drive.

Fire is Everyone’s Fight – Electrical Safety

Over half of all home electrical fires involve lighting equipment or home electrical wiring. Here are some electrical safety tips from the U.S. Fire Administration:

  • Plug only one heat-producing appliance (such as a coffee maker, space heater, or microwave) directly into a wall outlet at a time.
  • Extension cords should only be used temporarily. Have an electrician install additional wall outlets where you need them.
  • Never use an extension cord with a heat-producing appliance.
  • Don’t overload extension cords or wall outlets.
  • Check your electrical cords. If they are cracked or damaged, replace them. Don’t try to repair them.
  • Use light bulbs that match the recommended wattage on the lamp or fixture.
  • Electrical work should only be done by a qualified electrician.

You can also watch a video from the U.S. Fire Administration here: https://youtu.be/qDnj60XYbjk.

Sheriff’s Office Provides Safety Training to Community

The Sheriff’s Office Training Bureau cadre has been partnering with local business and schools to offer active attacker training to their staff members. As a result of increased public awareness, many citizens have asked what individuals can do protect themselves and reduce the dangers faced during an active attacker event. 

The Sheriff’s Office Training Bureau, which is normally tasked with providing internal training, pivoted their focus to meet these requests for training from the public. In recent months, Training Bureau staff have provided 90-minute training presentations based on the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) curriculum from Texas State University to staff at local schools, childcare centers, and businesses.

Recently, Training Bureau staff visited the Teledyne FLIR campus in Goleta where they presented the ALERRT training to their employees. At the conclusion of the training course at FLIR, the Sheriff’s Office was presented with a generous gift of two Scout III thermal monocular cameras which will be used in by patrol to help with searches for missing persons and wanted suspects. The Sheriff’s Office would like to thank FLIR for their generous donation and all our community partners who have invited us to train their staff members so that, together, we can keep Santa Barbara County safe.

You can find more information about the Sheriff’s Office Training Bureau, including their contact information on the website SBSheriff.org. The Sheriff’s Office would also like to share this training video from ALERRT titled Avoid | Alert | Defend that highlights an easy to remember method for individuals to follow during active attacker events.

Opioid Addiction and Fentanyl: Know Early Signs and How to Get Help

By Maria Zate for Cottage Health

Opioid addiction and fatal overdoses are rising at an alarming rate in the state and Santa Barbara County, fueled by the potent synthetic opioid, fentanyl.

“Fentanyl on its own and paired with other illicit drugs is the biggest problem we are seeing right now,” said Layla Farinpour, director of clinical care for Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine at Cottage Health. “We have not seen this level of overdose crisis before.

“Fentanyl is so powerful and extremely addictive. It is leading the increase in overdose deaths in our area.”

In Santa Barbara County there were 133 overdose deaths between January 2021 and January 2022, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office report “The Changing Overdose Crisis in California: A Community Needs Assessment of Santa Barbara County.”

Fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin, and 100 times stronger than morphine. A lethal dose of fentanyl is about the size of three grains of sugar.

When prescribed, fentanyl is used for pain relief and can be found in tablet form, nasal spray and patches. Some people are introduced to opioids as a prescription for pain relief after surgery or serious injury, Farinpour said.

Those who use recreational drugs like cocaine and methamphetamines may have been exposed knowingly or unknowingly to fentanyl, which is being mixed with other drugs ending in deadly results. Individuals who have used other opiates, such as heroin, have begun using fentanyl instead because of its more powerful effects.

Early signs of a problem with opioid medications can include taking prescribed drugs for longer than recommended, needing higher doses to get the same pain relief, and seeking medications from other people or illegally on the streets.

An opioid use disorder can lead to behavioral changes such as isolation from family and friends, increased conflicts in relationships, problems at work or school, money issues or selling of possessions. 
 
“Opioid use disorder is a medical illness. It’s not a character defect. It can happen to anyone. Treatments are available and recovery is possible,” Ms. Farinpour said.

Cottage offers an inpatient medically supervised detox unit at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, as well as a traditional residential program known as Cottage Residential Center, plus intensive outpatient programs in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo.

“The most important thing is to take that first step to say something and reach out for help if someone you care about has an opioid use problem. Early intervention and treatment can make a big impact,” Farinpour said.

“There are also resources available in the community, such as Santa Barbara County Behavioral Wellness and 12-Step Programs,” she said.
 
She added that NARCAN, the drug that is used to save someone who is actively overdosing, is available and free at several locations in the county.

Cottage offers NARCAN (naloxone) free to anyone requesting it at all three of their hospital emergency departments (Goleta, Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez Valley), no questions asked.

“If someone you know is struggling with opioids, you may consider learning how to use NARCAN and having it readily available. You can save someone’s life, ” she said.
 
For more about Cottage Residential Center, call 805-569-7422, or visit www.cottagehealth.org/crc.

Community resources: https://opioidsafetysb.org/treatment-providers/; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgQqCaqTIXo

Free NARCAN available at:

Welcome New Community Resource Deputy Rauch

The City of Goleta is pleased to introduce our new Community Resource Deputy, Ehren Rauch.  Having been born and raised in the Good Land, Deputy Rauch has strong connections to the City of Goleta and has already hit the ground running with his new assignment which began August 8.  On August 11, he visited a local Goleta preschool to talk to the children about safety tips.

Former Goleta City Manager Michelle Greene said, “I am impressed with Deputy Rauch’s sincere desire to improve the community where he was raised. Based on his background, demeanor, and approach to the position, I am confident that Deputy Rauch will do an excellent job as our Community Resource Deputy. “

Deputy Rauch said, “As a Patrol Deputy, I have really enjoyed interacting with the community members in Goleta. I feel a special connection being able to help those in my hometown and I am looking forward to giving back to the community where I was raised. This position will allow me the opportunity to focus on assisting those in the City of Goleta. It also gives the community a direct point of contact to the Deputies who serve their community. I am excited to work directly with the Goleta community members to come up with unique ways to address concerns that may arise.”

Deputy Rauch has eight years of law enforcement experience and was most recently assigned to the Goleta Valley Patrol Division. He started his law enforcement career at the Santa Barbara Airport Law Enforcement Division, and after a year moved on to the UCSB Police Department, where he spent five years. He then took a position at the Sheriff’s Office, where he has served as a Deputy for nearly two years.

Deputy Rauch was introduced to the Goleta City Council at its August 16 meeting. The Council also thanked Senior Deputy Ben Sandu for his service to our community for the past two years as the Community Resource Deputy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Senior Deputy Sandu continues to serve the Goleta community on patrol in the Goleta Valley.

We wish Senior Deputy Sandu and Deputy Rauch great success in their new assignments and thank them in advance for their service. 

 
Deputy Ben Sandu (former Community Resource Deputy) and Community Resource Deputy Ehren Rauch


Community Resource Deputy Ehren Rauch at Somerset Preschool