Coastal View News • February 26, 2026

CARPINTERIA

A bird’s eye iew shows the arpinteria ommunity arden between Fi th Street and the railroad tracks where olunteers ha e culti ated organic produce ruit trees and nati e plantings or nearly a decade. he garden’s potential relocation under one alternati e in the proposed Sur iner nn pro ect drew some o the most passionate testimony last ednesday as residents raised concerns about soil health wildli e habitat and parking e pansion during a re iew o the pro ect’s dra t n ironmental mpact Report. Read the ull story on

ommittee meeting on pages and o this week’s print.

BRIEFLY

COMPILED BY CVN STAFF

AgeWell lecture to focus on basic home repair skills

The city of Carpinteria’s AgeWell Program will host a free lecture next month aimed at helping residents  uild con  dence in handling common household maintenance  issues.

The AgeWell Lecture Series: Basic Home Fix-It Skills is scheduled for Thursday, March 5, at 1 p.m. in the Veterans Hall Meeting Room. The session will provide practical, easy-to-understand guidance on essential home maintenance tasks, including how to sa ely shut o   a home s water supply, check a  use or circuit  reaker and  address other everyday household concerns.

The presentation will be led by Ryan Ayerle, the city’s public works manager, who will o  er sa ety tips and answer  uestions  rom attendees

Organizers say the lecture is designed to support independence and preparedness y e uipping participants with knowledge to respond calmly and e  ectively when  minor problems arise at home.

The event is part o  the ongoing  ge ell  ecture  eries, which o  ers educational  programs focused on safety, wellness and lifelong learning.

For more information about the AgeWell Program and upcoming events, contact Jena Jenkins at agewell@carpinteriaca.gov.

Carpinteria Groundwater Agency to host Well

Registration Assistance Day

With a March 31 deadline approaching, the Carpinteria Groundwater Sustainability Agency (CGSA) is inviting local well owners to attend a Well Registration Assistance Day on March 12.

The event will be held from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. at the Carpinteria Valley ater  istrict offi  ce,    anta  ne   ve gency offi  cials say the workshop is designed to help well owners comply with  re uirements to register all wells and associated fl owmeters with the    ta    will  e availa le to answer  uestions a out well registration, fl owmeter selection and  other components of the Carpinteria Groundwater Sustainability Plan.

All private well owners within CGSA boundaries — which span portions of Santa ar ara and  entura counties   are re uired to register their wells  y  arch    Flowmeter exemptions may be granted upon application for wells that are inactive, abandoned or used solely for domestic purposes.

Well owners are encouraged to RSVP in advance by emailing sgma@cvwd.net to reserve a  minute appointment   alk ins will  e accepted as time and staffi  ng  allow, but reservations are preferred. dditional in ormation, including  re uently asked  uestions and registration  details, is available at cgsa.org.

County to consider Cannabis Odor Control deadline extensions for eight growers

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing March  to consider re uests  rom eight canna is operators in the  arpinteria coastal  one  seeking additional time to install upgraded odor-control systems.

The hearing is scheduled  or Tuesday,  arch  , in the  oard o   upervisors  earing  Room at the Joseph Centeno Betteravia Government Administration Building, 511 E. Lakeside Parkway in Santa Maria.

t issue are one time e tension re uests to a  arch  ,  , deadline re uiring  the installation o  multi technology car on   ltration, or  T , systems  The   ltration  systems are mandated for existing cannabis operations in the coastal zone to address odor-control concerns.

According to the public notice, eight individual applicants have submitted extension re uests  The cases to  e considered include     upply  ystems  nc ,    oothill  oad  ase  o   T   mmawood    ,

ia  eal  ase  o   T   alley  rest  arms,    asitas  ass  ase  o   T     arms  nc  and  i e  emedy  arms  nc ,    oothill  oad  ase  o   T   osim    anagement  ompany  ,    ravens  ane  ase  o   T   ew  eneration  arms  nc  and  lue  hale  griculture  nc ,    asitas  ass  oad  ase  o   T   rimetime  arms  nc ,    asitas  ass  oad  ase  o   T  and    roduce   lowers,    ia  eal  ase  o   T

The  oard will determine whether to grant the re uested e tensions, which are  descri ed as one time re uests ounty offi  cials determined that the e tension re uests are e empt  rom  urther  environmental review under the  ali ornia  nvironmental  uality  ct o   , as  de  ned in state and county   guidelines

For additional information, the public may contact Planning and Development Deputy Director Errin Briggs at ebriggs@countyofsb.org.

The  arch   hearing is open to the pu lic

CITY BEAT

ity recogni es Women s History onth Ar or ay

BY LIV KLEIN

The Carpinteria City Council approved proclamations declaring March as Women’s History Month and establishing Carpinteria’s participation in California Arbor Day, at the councils Feb. 23 meeting.

On March 8, the city will observe both International Women’s Day and California Arbor Day, recognizing the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, as well as the wide ranging  ene ts trees provide to  the community.

o en’s isto y onth

The council proclaimed March 2026 as Women’s History Month in Carpinteria under the theme “Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future.”

Throughout the month, the city will honor women’s contributions and leadership in advancing positive societal change.

The proclamation was presented to Beth Cox, a member of Women Making Change, a local group established in 2020.

a i o nia bo Day

The council also declared March 8 as California Arbor Day in Carpinteria, recognizing the importance of trees as a source of beauty, comfort and environmental health throughout the city.

The city’s Public Works Department will collaborate with the Tree Advisory Board to organize activities during California Arbor Week, March 7-14. Traditionally, the city marks Arbor Day with a ceremonial tree planting.

Council recognizes living heritage trails

The Carpinteria City Council unanimously adopted a resolution supporting long-distance living heritage trails in the city at its Monday, Feb. 23 meeting.

The resolution affirms the city s commitment to public education, historic preservation, respectful recognition of Indigenous histories and inclusive community engagement.

As part of the action, the council also commemorated the 250th anniversary of the Juan Bautista de Anza Expedition encampment near Carpinteria on Feb. 24, 1776. The northbound expedition to San Francisco included hundreds of men, women and children led by Juan Bautista de Anza.

Present-day trails within Carpinteria coincide with the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail, linking the city to a broader regional and national network of historic and cultural interpretation.

“I’d like to express thanks for issuing a resolution that highlights the fact that many pathways through our community are living heritage corridors that connect the past and present and provide opportunities to preserve cultural memory, promote respectful and sustainable recreation, and strengthen our community and understanding of belonging,” said Mark Wilkinson, executive director of the Santa Barbara County Trails Council, at Monday’s meeting.

“I encourage everyone to take two or three hours out of their day and walk from one end of Carpinteria to the other — you will not regret it,” Wilkinson added.

––Liv Klein

elebrating the omen’s istory onth

arty. Standing in back are councilmembers Al lark and ade

ing

councilmembers

In other council news …

COMPILED BY LIV KLEIN

Council welcomes new water district GM

The Carpinteria City Council welcomed Kelley Dyer as the new general manager of the Carpinteria Valley Water District. She will also serve as executive director of the Groundwater Sustainability Agency.

“I’m honored, privileged and grateful to be part of this community,” Dyer said. “It’s an exciting time to be in this role — we are working hard on the Advanced uri  cation  roject

Dyer previously served as assistant general manager of Casitas Municipal Water District and, before that, as water supply manager for the city of Santa Barbara. She will work closely with the council, providing periodic updates and remaining available to answer questions.

Cannabis odor enforcement deadlines approach

On March 10, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors will consider requests from eight cannabis operators seeking deadline extensions to comply with county odor-control requirements.

Under recently adopted countywide cannabis odor-abatement amendments, operators must install car on   ltration systems  y  arch     an e tension is denied,  an operator will lose their county cannabis license, must remove plants and cease cultivation. Operators may regain their license by coming into compliance.

ade  owper, chie  o  sta   to  irst  istrict  upervisor  oy  ee, told the council  that the county has taken additional steps to reduce overall cultivation impacts.

“We’ve reduced the overall cultivation acreage, increased licensing fees and required scrubbers to be installed,” Cowper said.

On March 18, the county will also prohibit the use of vapor phase odor-masking agents. Operators using vapor phase after that date will not be permitted to continue operations.

Cardenas named 2025 Volunteer of the Year

The  arpinteria  ity  ouncil named  eynaldo  ardenas as the    arpinteria  olunteer o  the  ear    resolution honoring him will  e presented at the  pril    regular council meeting.

ardenas organi es and oversees the annual  ummer  o d  dult  o t all  eague  at  iola  ields, a long standing community tradition that  egan with the  ardenas  family’s partnership with the city in the 1980s. The league promotes physical activity, social connection and community engagement.

Obituary

Malcolm Edward Brady 05/11/1926 –– 02/13/2026

Mr. Malcolm Edward “Mal” Brady, a cherished presence in the lives of many, passed away peace ully on  e ruary  ,  , in  entura,  ali   orn on  ay  ,  , in  amacia,  ew  ork,  alcolm  lived a remarkable life spanning nearly a century.

Malcolm proudly served his country as a mem er o  the  nited  tates  avy,  vi ation  achinist s  ate,  irman    is  time in the military was a source of great pride and exemplified his dedication and skill   ollowing his service,  alcolm  pursued his passions with enthusiasm and zest for life.

An adventurer at heart, Malcolm

owned both a plane and a sailboat, indulging his love  or fl ying and sailing   Whether soaring through the skies or navigating open waters, he  ound joy  and freedom in these pursuits. Beyond his hobbies, Malcolm was known for his warm personality and  uick wit   e  loved engaging with people and had an innate ability to bring laughter to those around him with his jokes and lively  conversations.

Malcolm was predeceased by his beloved wi e,  atricia  li a eth  rady   e  is survived by his children, Mary Brady, anci  oulter,  ill  rady and  ope  m ily   rady   is  amily and all who knew  him will remember him fondly for his humor and adventurous spirit.

May Malcolm’s memory bring comfort to those who mourn his passing and inspire others to live life with the same passion and joy he so e  ortlessly em odied   osary will  e held on  riday,  e   ,  ,  rom   to   p m  at  eardon  uneral  ome,    ain  treet in  entu ra   iewing will  e  rom   to   p m   urial  will  e held on  aturday  e   ,  ,  from 11 a.m. to noon at Carpinteria Cemetery,    ravens  ane in  arpinteria

“We absolutely commend years of service — that’s a key piece — but the focus here is to nominate an individual who went above and beyond in the calendar year o   ,   ity  rogram  anager  Juliza Briones said.

Cardenas independently manages team coordination, scheduling, communication, securing umpires, organizing playo  s and coordinating awards, help ing ensure the league remains accessible, a  orda le and welcoming to the  arpin teria community.

County of Santa Barbara BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Cannabis - Time Extension Requests for Installation of Multi-Technology Carbon Filtration

Tuesday March 10, 2026 Board of Supervisors Hearing Room Joseph Centeno Betteravia Government Administration Building 511 East Lakeside Parkway, Santa Maria, CA 93454

On March 10, 2026, the County Board of Supervisors (Board) will conduct a public hearing to consider requests by eight (8) individual applicants for a one-time extension to the March 18, 2026 deadline to implement required multi-technology carbon filtration (MTCF) for cannabis odor control at existing cannabis operations in the coastal zone of Carpinteria. The following MTCF extension requests will be considered:

 CP1 Supply Systems Inc / 4505 Foothill Road, Case No. 25TEX-00026

 Emmawood B1 LLC / 5888 Via Real, Case No. 25TEX-00027

 Valley Crest Farms / 5980 Casitas Pass, Case No. 26TEX-00001

 CKC Farms, Inc. & Life Remedy Farms, Inc. / 5138 Foothill Road, Case No. 26TEX-00002

 Bosim 1628 Management Company LLC / 1628 Cravens Ln, Case No. 26TEX-00003

 New Generation Farms, Inc. & Blue Whale Agriculture, Inc. / 5775 Casitas Pass Rd, Case No. 26TEX-00004

 Primetime Farms, Inc. / 5554 Casitas Pass Rd, Case No. 26TEX-00005

 G&K Produce / K&G Flowers / 3480 Via Real, Case No. 26TEX-00006

The requests identified above are determined to be exempt from further environmental review requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) of 1970, as defined in the State and County Guidelines for the implementation of CEQA.

For additional information, please contact P&D Deputy Director, Errin Briggs, at ebriggs@countyofsb.org. For current methods of public participation for the meeting of March 10, 2026, please see https://casantabarbaracounty.civicplus.pro/2836/Board-of-Supervisors-Methods-of-Particip or page two (2) of the posted agenda. The posted agenda will provide a more specific time for this item. However, the order of the agenda may be rearranged, or the item may be continued. Staff reports and the posted agenda are available on the Thursday prior to the meeting at https://santabarbara.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx under the hearing date or contact the Clerk of the Board at (805) 568-2240 for alternative options.

Attendance and participation by the public is invited and encouraged. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, American Sign Language interpreters, sound enhancement equipment, and/or another request for disability accommodation may be arranged by contacting the Clerk of the Board by 4:00 p.m. on the Friday before the Board meeting. For information about these services please contact the Clerk of the Board at (805) 568-2240 or at sbcob@countyofsb.org. If you challenge the project in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you

Views, wildlife and community garden concerns ominate ic comments at S rfliner IR meeting

Committee votes to send report to Planning Commission with recommended changes

AS AL S S AFF

Concerns about parking safety, wildlife movement and the future of Carpinteria’s community garden dominated public comment Wednesday as the city of Carpinteria’s Environmental Review Committee (ERC) reviewed the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the proposed  urfliner  nn  roject ter hearing a sta  presentation and  nearly two hours of public testimony focused largely on alternatives to the project   including options that would  reduce or eliminate a proposed new pu lic  arking  ot  , alter parking congurations, e tend e isting  arking  ot   and relocate the community garden or  remove the inn s roo top amenities   the  committee voted unanimously to forward the dra t   to the  lanning  ommission  with a list o  re uested clari cations and  potential revisions

The ERC is chaired by the city’s Community Development Director Nick Boro  and includes  u lic  orks  irector  John Ilasin, city of Carpinteria Environmental  rogram  anager  e ayni  illar, Vince Simonson and Jenny Slaughter, who was not present  or the meeting

“Our responsibility here is to make a recommendation to the  lanning  Commission … with any comments or feedback or recommendations that we have for additional information or analysis,” Bobroff said, emphasizing that the committee is advisory and does not approve the project or the environmental  document

Ilasin made the motion to forward the dra t   to the  lanning  ommission,  su ject to sta  addressing the committee s comments  The motion passed  unanimously

Project overview and review process

rincipal  lanner  indy  ogg, the  city s project planner, and consultant  Brian Allee of Environmental Science Associates presented highlights from the draft EIR, which was prepared under the California Environmental Quality Act

The proposed project  rom project  applicant    inden  anages,   at  inden  venue and the railroad tracks

would build a two-story, “contemporary cottage style  hotel with   guest rooms  and a footprint of about 15,500 square feet, along with a manager’s unit, visitor center,  ack o house offices and a ca ,  according to the presentation    roo top  lounge would include a bar, event space, and a pool and spa

The project also proposes changes  to city parking  a recon gured  arking  ot   with   sur ace spaces and a new  pu lic  arking  ot   with   spaces, plus  a public restroom and other site features, sta  said

llee said the dra t   analy es   issue areas, including aesthetics, air quality, biological and cultural resources, geology, greenhouse gas emissions, hazards, hydrology and water quality, land use, noise, transportation and utilities

u lic review o  the dra t   runs  rom  an    through  arch  , with written comments due  y   p m   onday,  arch  , according to  ogg s presentation     lanning  ommission hearing  date has not yet  een announced

Alternatives take center stage

uch o  the pu lic comment  ocused  on the  s  ve analy ed alternatives

o  roject  lternative

lternative  o     o  ew  arking  on  ot

lternative  o     ingle oaded  ity  arking on  ot    lternative  o     tended  ity  arking  ot   and  elocated  ommunity  Garden

lternative  o     o  oo top  ses  no  rooftop bar, seating, event area or pool) ogg said the alternatives were selected to reflect concerns raised during the  earlier notice of preparation and scoping process, including questions about the location and con guration o   ot   and  potential noise  rom roo top activity

Wildlife corridor dispute and calls for surveys

Committee member Vince Semonsen, a biologist, raised early questions about the EIR’s biological resources discussion, pointing to what he descri ed as conflicting language about wildlife movement along the rail corridor near the site

IT O ARPINT RIA

A rendering rom the dra t R illustrates how the proposed two story room hotel would appear rom Linden A enue. Se eral residents argued the report understates impacts to mountain and ocean iews and the city’s small town character.

“One says there is no wildlife movement along the railroad corridor, but the other one says there’s possible wildlife movement    etween the  arp  arsh  and Carp Creek,” Simonson said, adding that the connection between the Carpinteria  alt  arsh area and other open  spaces “seem to be important to keep connected ater, multiple speakers echoed those  concerns and criticized the draft EIR for relying on e isting data rather than  eld  o servations ristin  arson, an environmental attorney with Tellus  aw  roup speaking  on  ehal  o  homeowners  arla  aily  and  irk  onnelly who live adjacent to  ot  , told the committee she saw  no  evidence that actual surveys, physical surveys of wildlife use, movement, reliance on or movement through   ot    were conducted   he also said a letter  rom the  ali ornia  epartment o   ish  and Wildlife included recommendations she did not see reflected in the dra t  Giti White, a Beach Neighborhood resident, argued the report incorrectly dismissed ha itat value  ecause  ot   is  not riparian   t is a historic wetland area  that periodically inundates,   hite said   “There is no evidence anybody walked the land Ariana Katovich, also speaking for Tellus  aw  roup, urged the city to conduct “comprehensive wildlife movement

and nighttime analysis” to capture dawn, dusk and overnight conditions, when she said many terrestrial animals move through ur an adjacent open spaces

In committee deliberations, committee member Semonsen said additional documentation would help resolve disputes over whether  ot    unctions as  a corridor

They de nitely could use some additional studies o   ot  s open space   cameras   nighttime, daytime,   Semonsen said, calling such monitoring pretty standard in wildli e studies now illar agreed and suggested  roadening the study area to compare open space and residential conditions    lot o  the  concerns were about the wildlife corridor there,  she said   t would put everyone s  mind at ease i  we had studies there

Community garden relocation draws sharp criticism

lternative  o   , which would e tend  arking  ot   and relocate the community garden, prompted some of the most pointed testimony

Susie Anderson, who said she has lived in  arpinteria a out   years, told  the committee the draft EIR did not adequately address impacts of moving the garden, which she said has been in place or nine years

“As a result of those nine years of mulching and composting and growing with strictly organic material, the soil of the garden … is loamy, open and productive,   nderson said   he argued relocating it would destroy a mature, living ecosystem and require years to rebuild soil health and ha itat

Teda  ilcher, a community gardener  or  nearly a decade, said the garden’s current setting   including mountain views and  its role as a gathering space   is part o   its value   elocation,  ilcher said, would  mean “undoing all the work” gardeners have put into the site and would change sun e posure and the garden s character

Several speakers also questioned whether moving the garden to an area near  ot   would e pose it to additional  shadow, noise and disruption

Parking and safety: “Not CEQA,” but still a dominant theme

While staff repeatedly noted that parking supply and traffic congestion are  generally treated as social and economic issues outside CEQA’s environmental scope   particularly a ter a statewide  shi t in traffic analysis to vehicle miles  traveled under       speakers argued  parking and circulation create real safety

“Our

responsibility

here is to make a

recommendation to the Planning Commission … with any comments or feedback or recommendations that we have for additional information or analysis.”

— ERC Chair Nick Bobroff

and environmental consequences in the project area.

o ro  pressed sta  on why parking  impacts were not addressed more thoroughly in the dra t  s transportation  section   ogg said    ocuses on  physical environmental e ects such as  air  uality, noise and  iological resources,  and that parking sufficiency and congestion are typically evaluated during project  planning rather than in an  eputy  ity  ttorney  ody  argeant  added that tra ic analysis standards  changed a ter    , shi ting the  ocus  away  rom congestion ven so, speaker a ter speaker descri ed the proposed  ot   access as  ha ardous  ecause o  its pro imity to the  rail crossing, heavy pedestrian activity  near The  pot restaurant and the mi  o   ikes, cars and visitors

Public commenter Victor Garza said the dra t   did not include what he  descri ed as key agency responses,  including  eed ack  rom the  ali ornia  u lic  tilities  ommission a out sa ety  issues near the tracks   e also critici ed  a drainage analysis that treated a decomposed granite path as impervious esident  eslie  ascoigne argued the  city should o tain a new parking and trac study that reflects recent development  and changing downtown demand, including newly opened or approved projects   ascoigne  uestioned assumptions  ehind shared or  conjunctive  parking  and urged the city to study peak season  conditions.

ean  hite called the proposed le t  turn into  ot    a suicide mission with  a train track attached,  and critici ed the  s conclusion that the project would  have less than signi cant aesthetic eects athan  ratt, who said he conducted  his own parking analysis, argued that  hotel operations are e ectively  hour   uses and that shared parking assumptions “are not considered a best practice” or hotel planning

Figure . rom the dra t n ironmental mpact Report identifies the key public iewpoints used to e aluate isual impacts o the proposed Sur iner nn. Residents challenged whether the selected antage points accurately re ect how the two story hotel would a ect ocean and mountain iews along Linden A enue.

uring committee  eed ack,  o ro   said that while the city is limited under   in how much it can evaluate parking supply and congestion, the dra t  s  discussion o  transportation ha ards  could  e strengthened  do think that the discussion a out  hazards in the transportation section could use a little bit more in-depth discussion a out   turning movements in and  out o   arking  ot   and potential  or  conflicts with pedestrians and cyclists,   o ro  said illar also re erenced the volume o   pu lic concern a out traffic and parking  and suggested an updated study could  help.

ogg said sta  would  take a harder  look  at the transportation discussion  within the limits o    and intended  to  ring more traffic and parking evaluation to the  lanning  ommission as a  planning consideration outside the

Aesthetics, view corridors and photo simulations

questioned

ultiple speakers argued the dra t  s aesthetics analysis understated the  project s e ect on  arpinteria s  small  each town  character and key views  toward the ocean and mountains

ocal  nnie  ly cited city  eneral  Plan objectives and policies that call

or preserving uno structed views and  development compati le with surrounding patterns   ly said the key viewpoint  photos and renderings in the dra t    were misleading and did not accurately  reflect how the  uilding would appear  rom  inden  venue and near y streets esident  ary  ampopiano echoed that  criticism during pu lic comment, arguing  the analysis relied on photos taken  rom  “unusual locations” and in conditions that o scured ridgelines   e urged the city to  provide a more accurate three-dimensional analysis o  view impacts

Flood maps, stormwater and “DG path” dispute atovich raised concerns a out flooding risks and urged the report to incorporate updated   mapping and the  city s ha ard mitigation priorities lasin, who also serves as the city s  floodplain administrator, con rmed that  updated   floodplain maps have  een approved and that the new flood  insurance rate maps will take e ect  une    e suggested the dra t    e corrected to reflect that update  or consistency everal commenters disputed the  stormwater  aseline used in the  s  hydrology analysis,  ocusing on whether  a decomposed granite path on  ot    should be treated as impervious. Garza and others said the path appeared to

Figure 4 2 o the dra t R illustrates Alternati e which would e tend arking Lot and relocate the community garden. ardeners argued the dra t R did not ade uately address impacts to mature soil habitat and long established plantings.

a sor  rain all during recent storms  and  uestioned whether the drainage  conclusions accurately reflected current  conditions.

o ro  asked sta  to  dig into that  a little  it more  and clari y how perviousness assumptions a ected pre  and  post project runo  analysis

o ittee’s e ueste e ne ents eyond the calls  or wildli e monitoring  and clari ed hydrology assumptions,  oro  highlighted several speci c items he  said should  e strengthened or cross reerenced in the  nal   and related conditions  add a replacement o ligation  or  trees intended to be protected in place i  they die due to construction impacts   cross re erence cultural resources mitigation to reflect  oth an archaeologist and a  tri al representative monitoring ground  distur ance  note that although municipal  code allows  road construction hours, the  city typically imposes more restrictive  hours  or large projects  and e pand discussion o  pedestrian and cyclist conflicts  near the proposed  ot   driveway lasin also noted a terminology correction in the transportation section, saying  re erences to a  lass    ike path  should  e reviewed  ecause a  lass    acility is  a  ike lane

ogg told the committee many comments were technical and would  e addressed through responses to comments  and potential revisions in the  nal    he also said the notice o  preparation  date is typically used as the  aseline  or  an  ,  ut that sta  would consider  whether updated in ormation   such  as revised   maps   could  e incorporated.

ogg added that the project o jectives  included in the dra t   were dra ted  y  sta  during   preparation and were not  previously adopted  y the  ity  ouncil  or other hearing  odies

ith no  urther comments, the committee voted to recommend that the dra t   move  orward to the  lanning  ommission with the committee s re uested  changes and clari cations ritten comments on the dra t    may  e su mitted to the city through    p m   onday,  arch  , according to the  project schedule presented at the meeting

EIR should alarm residents

The Draft Environmental Impact Report    or the  urfliner  nn is  nally  availa le, and it should alarm  arpinterians  The document reflects what happens  when city leadership manages a project  as a  done deal  rather than an open  uestion   e live in this magni cent place  ecause previous generations insisted on  accounta ility and stewardship  now, it  is our turn ast week, residents appeared  e ore  the  nvironmental  eview  ommittee to  raise numerous concerns regarding what  many consider a disingenuous and conclusory    ritically, the report  ails to  esta lish accurate  aseline conditions o   the current landscape   y glossing over  these  acts, the   gives short shri t to  the pu lic  urdens created  y replacing  a community asset with a private hotel emem er how the story poles on  inden towered over the street   nce  these views are gone, we ll never get  them  ack   et, the   dismisses these  impacts and  ails to e plore options, such  as an alternative project site that would  avoid this harm  This same lack o  rigor  applies to the analysis o  wildli e, plant  communities, pu lic transit and  oreseea le risks regarding flooding, evacuation  and parking sa ety ity sta  and the report s dra ters tie  themselves into knots rather than analy e  parking impacts within the  oastal  one   ith new developments like  inden  uare, we cannot a ord to lose e isting  parking    we  ail to plan yet again, we  will su er the conse uences arpinteria leadership s o ligation is  to the people — not to accommodate a developer or smooth the path  or a pre erred  project   naly ing an alternative location  would likely reveal just how much this  development relies on pu lic su sidy arpinteria deserves  etter   lease  consider reviewing and commenting on  the    y  arch   copies are availa le  at  ity  all, the  arpinteria  i rary, and  the city we site

Giti White Carpinteria

es to the Sur iner nn n  e      was at  ity  all to review  the Environmental Impact Report on the urfliner  nn project  or the corner o   inden  venue and  th  treet where our  historic train depot once stood pponents voiced the need to preserve  open space and protect wildli e as i  the  e isting parking lot has ama ing views  and is a sensitive ha itat and said  arpinteria does not need any more tourists and  visitors

The  e     CVN had an article  ocal  hop  wners  iscuss  ay o  the  and  mid  tore ront  hu e  Those  interviewed all agreed it is hard  or local  shops and restaurants to survive, let alone  thrive, in a town with a population o   ,  without a steady stream o  tourists  and visitors ne  usiness owner stated,  m not  a raid o  tourism whatsoever,  it is what  puts  ood on the ta le  The owner  urther stated,  There needs to  e more  people around to keep  usiness flowing   nother lamented,   have customers  who have lived in  arpinteria their whole  lives who don t want to see any change o,   wonder a out those who oppose  the  urfliner  nn   hat planet are they  on   arpinteria has a long history o  protecting true open space  the  lu s and the  alt  arsh are nota le e amples   alling  a parking lot, ne t to the railroad tracks in  a commercial corridor  open space  and  a  wildli e ha itat  is very misleading ur  eneral  lan,  ocal  oastal  lan  and  ision   say  isitor  erving  is  the highest and  est use  or the corner o   inden  venue and  th  treet    majority  o   arpinterians agreed when the  ur-

LETTERS

“Carpinteria has a long history of protecting tr e open pace the l and the alt ar h are notable examples. Calling a parking lot, next to the railroad trac in a co ercial corridor open pace and a ildlife ha itat i er i leadin

—Carla Stein

recogni ed the value o  a hotel downtown  y the train station   rom my reading o   the  , the impacts are minimal and  easily mitigated   eanwhile, the  ene ts  or our town  are compelling   isitor accommodation  served  y pu lic transportation  Tourist  lodging located in the central  usiness  district   ore appropriate land use o   a parcel on main street than a parking  lot   conomic  ene t to our downtown  merchants   evenue  or the city  uni ue social venue with a  each town s ocean view,  or residents and  visitors alike

Jim Taylor Carpinteria

on’t undermine rail access for a hotel

fliner  nn was put to a vote in  ovem er    hy   ecause what is good  or local  usiness is good  or our community imply put, say  es  to  urfliner  nn

Carla Stein Carpinteria

Send a letter, save our garden

There is an  nvironmental  mpact  eport currently in review on the proposed  urfliner  nn project   n the dra t o  this  report various alternatives to mitigate  environmental impacts are included  or  consideration   lternative   o  this dra t  is the concept to relocate the  arpinteria  ommunity  arden to a space on the  other side o  the tracks so that its current  location can  e used as a parking lot   t is  not a proposal, it is a conceptual alternative, and such alternatives are re uired in  the  nvironmental  mpact  eport onceptually, it would  e relocated  to  arking  ot  , where the  ike path trail is currently  This location is vastly  di erent  rom the current location, and  it would take time, money and years o   tending to create what we have currently  at the  ommunity  arden   ore in ormation on this can  e  ound on the city  we site  ot Topics on  urfliner  nn u lic comment on this is  eing invited  y the city sta  and your voice is  important   lthough it is a remote possi ility that  lternative   will ever get  approval, it is important that you take the  opportunity to speak up and make your  eelings known  you have ever  een a mem er o  our  arpinteria  ommunity  arden, i  you  have ever  een a mem er o   arpinteria  eauti ul, i    years ago you helped in  the creation o  our garden, i  you have  ever visited our garden and it made you  eel good, i  you care a out the  utterflies,  irds, innumera le animals and insects o   our garden ecosystem, i  you care a out  the rich soil with its living creatures, i   you care a out the  ood that grows there,  and the community that has evolved over  the past decade, share your views end them to mindy carpinteriaca gov  e ore  arch   at   p m

Susie Anderson Carpinteria

Criticism for review of hotel project

The  nvironmental  eview  ommittee   held a meeting on  e    regarding the proposed  urfliner  nn project   The goal o  the meeting was  or the    to review the  ra t  nvironment  mpact  eport   The purpose o  the   is  to in orm decision makers and the general public of the potential environmental impacts resulting  rom this project   This project on  ity  arking  ot    ne t to the railroad tracks, includes a  room hotel, new parking lot, ca e, visitor

center, roo top  ar, event space and  swimming pool   i teen areas o  known  controversy are evaluated in this report   ourteen speakers made comments at  the meeting  Thirteen speakers were  critical o  the report  They  uestioned the  methodology used to gather in ormation  and disagreed with the conclusions   t is  important that we, as residents o   arpinteria, evaluate reports such as these with  a critical eye   The  iologist on the committee disagreed with conclusions regarding the  wildli e corridor   ommunity  arden  mem ers are vehemently opposed to  moving the garden   ne o  the o jectives  o  the project is to provide su icient  pu lic parking in downtown  arpinteria   urrently,  arking  ot   provides    parking spaces     arking  ot   is  uilt  it will add   spaces plus   spaces on  the remainder o   ot   That sounds like  additional parking until you reali e that  one space is supposed to  e designated  or each hotel room, plus parking  or employees, at least   people per shi t, and   spaces  or electric vehicles, means a net  loss o  availa le parking spaces  or the  pu lic  The notion o  conjunctive parking  is generally not used  or hotels   The hotel will  lock views o  the ocean  and mountains  views that are enjoyed  y residents and visitors and de ne the  city s community character  The unsupported conclusions seem skewed toward  approval o  the project Annie Sly Carpinteria

An issue with public works

ike most  arpinterians,   am proud o   our city, and   commend the city government  or doing so many things to make  our community an attractive and great  place to live   o one will argue that the  narrow, uneven sidewalk along the east  side o   inden  venue  rom  arpinteria  venue to the  reeway overpass was  ha ardous and dangerous, and truly did  need repair   owever, the cost o  the overly grand  reconstruction, with  ump outs and a  ike lane protected  y little islands may  e a  it too much  especially when the city  is asking  or an increased assessment  or  landscape maintenance, and when every  street in the city is in dire need o  resuracing   omeone in  udget management  and in pu lic works needs to have their  hands slapped Mike Lee Carpinteria

The value of a downtown hotel hile the proposed  ur liner  nn  may represent the challenge o  change  or  arpinteria, other cities around the  world, and world travelers, have long

The proposed  urfliner  nn would  e  uilt on the eastern portion o  the e isting  pu lic  mtrak parking lot and would rely  on shared parking  etween hotel guests,  employees and the general pu lic hat that description misses is simple   mtrak riders depend on that lot  or  multi day parking

Train travel only works when station  parking is relia le   iders leave their cars  or several days at a time  They cannot  circle residential streets  They cannot  gam le on availa ility  They cannot miss  a scheduled train  ecause hotel event  traffic has  lled the lot ere is the reality    you can t count on  parking, you ain t taking the train nlike retail parking, hotel parking  is  hour use   dd a restaurant, rootop  ar, event space and sta  operating  around the clock, and you create predicta le surges   evenings, weekends and  special events   e actly when  each  access and rail travel are already at peak  demand  That is not  shared efficiency   That is displacement

The city o ten speaks a out reducing  vehicle miles traveled and encouraging  rail use   et this proposal jeopardi es rail  relia ility   hen parking  ecomes uncertain, people drive instead  That outcome  contradicts  oth climate goals and coastal  access priorities

This is city owned land serving a  critical pu lic transportation  unction   onverting a core portion o  it into hotel support parking  undamentally shi ts  its purpose   ven with a replacement lot  across the tracks, the key issue is relia ility   not raw space count   issing a train  ecause multi day parking is unavaila le  isn t a minor inconvenience   t s a system  ailure   ow is the time to prevent it e should not weaken one o   arpinteria s most sustaina le transportation  assets  or a private hotel project

Rosie Blue Carpinteria

Thanks, Food Liaison n  ehal  o  the homeless outreach  program   would like to take the time to  thank The  ood  iaison  or their continued support o  our program   or at least  the past  ve years they have supported  our program with delicious meals once  every  ve weeks to our visitors  These  meals were always e ceptional and  sometimes provided  or   individuals   orry to hear that  arpinteria is losing  another  usiness   ood luck in your  uture endeavors

Rick Olmstead Carpinteria

Coastal View News welcomes your le ers

Le ers must include your name, address and phone number. Le ers are subject to editing. Le ers over 300 words will be edited in length. Submit online at coastalview.com

The treatment protections and safety behind CAPP

BY KELLEY DYER, GENERAL MANAGER, CARPINTERIA VALLEY WATER DISTRICT

Lake Cachuma is currently full, although it was not long ago we faced an extreme drought with water shortages in our community. This resulted in historic low water levels in our local groundwater basin that will take years to recover.

To plan for a more reliable water future, the Carpinteria Valley Water District is constructing the Carpinteria Advanced Purification Project (CAPP) to replenish the groundwater basin. After more than a decade of comprehensive evaluation, design and permitting, CAPP construction is expected to begin this spring.

CAPP is a “potable reuse” project,

which means purifying highly treated wastewater to meet State of California drinking water standards using advanced, proven technologies. While the concept of recycled drinking water may sound new, the technology is not   dvanced water puri  cation systems  like CAPP are already operating successfully in communities across California, some for more than 20 years. What makes CAPP safe is its multibarrier treatment process. Instead of relying on a single technology, the system uses several treatment steps that work together, each providing a di  erent, ro ust  layer of protection. Here’s how it works:

After receiving treatment from e isting  acilities, water will   rst pass  through ultra  ltration to remove   ne par ticles and provide a   rst layer o    ltration   It then goes through reverse osmosis,

Water district appoints Dyer as general manager

The Carpinteria Valley Water District Board of Directors has appointed Kelley Dyer as the district’s next general manager following a comprehensive recruitment process, according to a press release from the district.

Dyer began her role Jan. 19. She succeeds Bob McDonald, who will retire at the end of March after 26 years with the district   c onald will remain on sta    through March to support the transition.

Dyer brings more than two decades of experience in the water industry. She most recently served more than six years as assistant general manager at Casitas Municipal Water District. Before that, she worked in the City of Santa Barbara’s Water Resources Division.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from University of Colorado Boulder and a master’s degree in environmental engineering sciences from University of Florida.

Board President Case Van Wingerden said Dyer’s regional experience and leadership background align with the district’s priorities, including maintaining relia le and a  orda le water sup plies and modernizing infrastructure.

“The board is extremely pleased to welcome Kelley Dyer as CVWD’s next general manager,” Van Wingerden reported in a statement. “She is very well respected throughout the water industry and brings the experience, judgment and leadership style that we believe will serve our community exceptionally well.”

Dyer said she looks forward to leading the district during a period of ongoing water-supply planning and infrastructure investment.

“CVWD has a strong foundation and a clear commitment to serving its community,” she said. “I look forward to working with the  oard and sta   to  continue providing relia le, a  orda le  water service while responsibly managing water resources and infrastructure that support our community.”

Kellie Dyer has succeeded Bob McDonald as the Carpinteria alley ater istrict’s eneral Manager.

During his tenure, McDonald oversaw signi  cant in rastructure investments  and long-term water supply planning efforts that district officials say have positioned CVWD for future challenges.

“Bob McDonald’s 26-year career with CVWD represents an extraordinary commitment to public service,” Van Wingerden said. “His expertise, thoughtful decision-making and steady leadership helped set the course for the next generation of leadership at the district.”

The board conducted its executive search with assistance from The Widroe Group, a firm specializing in public agency recruitment. Kim Andrade of Spotlight LLC also assisted with candidate selection.

With Dyer’s appointment and McDonald s planned retirement, district offi  cials  said the transition reflects continuity in leadership and a continued focus on meeting the community’s water needs.

Dyer can be reached at kelley@cvwd. net.

CAPP will meet up to 25% of Carpinteria’s annual water needs by producing safe, clean drinking water. The project uses proven technology to meet strict public health and environmental regulations.

which removes salt, chemicals and trace contaminants at extremely small levels (measured in parts per billion or even trillion).

Ultraviolet light and advanced oxidation follow, destroying any remaining trace compounds.

A final disinfection step, a small amount of chlorination, ensures the water is fully protected.

The entire system is continuously monitored, with daily laboratory testing by local water professionals on-site and monthly, o   site la  testing as an added  layer of monitoring.

Once the water completes the advanced treatment process, the puri  ed  water is carefully injected back into the local groundwater basin. Once there, it

moves slowly through layers of sand, soil and rock, where it receives an additional level o  natural   ltration and  lending  with existing groundwater. That water is eventually pumped out of the ground, treated again as part of the drinking water system and delivered to homes.

CAPP will meet up to 25% of Carpinteria’s annual water needs by producing safe, clean drinking water. The project uses proven technology to meet strict public health and environmental regulations. Our team of water professionals will care ully monitor all puri  ed water  to safeguard the groundwater basin and relia ly keep local taps fl owing

Kelley Dyer is the new general manager of the Carpinteria Valley Water District.

WORKING TOGETHER TO PROTECT OUR SHARED GROUNDWATER RESOURCES

JoinUs!

THURSDAY MARCH 12

9 a.m. - Noon and 1 - 4 p.m.

1301 Santa Ynez Avenue • Carpinteria

RSVP for Registration Assistance: Email sgma@cvwd.net to schedule a 30 minute information session on March 12. Walk-ins welcome. RSVP preferred. In-Person Well Registration Assistance

Recommended products, vendors, requirements & frequently asked questions.

All Wells and Flowmeters must be registered by March 31, 2026

Well registration and flowmeter installation ensure that rates are fairly applied and we can better protect shared local groundwater supplies.

Crunch time for Carpinteria Valley cannabis growers alf of the canna i reenho e ind tr ill i co nt deadline for in tallin filter

BY MELINDA BURNS SPECIAL TO THE NEWS-PRESS

Editor’s note: “This story was originally published by the Santa Barbara News-Press.”

A year ago, the county Board of Supervisors gave cannabis greenhouse growers in the Carpinteria Valley until this March 18 to clean up the pungent smell of pot that still lingers in hot spots around the Carpinteria Valley, eight years after the county rolled out the red carpet for the industry.

Specifically, the board ordered the growers to install “multi-technology carbon filtration” systems known as “scrubbers” inside their greenhouses. One model, manufactured in the Netherlands and tested in the valley in 2022, had been found, on average, to remove 84% of the smell of pot before it could escape through the open vents on greenhouse roofs and into neighborhoods.

The board also required growers to shut down the perfumed “misting” systems they were using for odor control by this March 18. Between mid-2018 and March 2025, county records show, the stink of pot and the “laundromat” smell of these systems generated more than 4,000 odor complaints to the county. None were ever enforced.

A year ago, the board warned the growers that they could risk losing their county business licenses if they failed to meet the deadline for scrubbers, but there was an out: If they encountered supply chain delays or problems with electrical upgrades, they could request a one-time extension of up to one year, including for their misting systems, the supervisors said.

Now, as the deadline approaches, it appears that more than half of valley growers are calling the  oard s  lu

Of 19 greenhouse operations with separate addresses in the valley, only nine, covering 58 acres of cannabis under cultivation, are equipped with scrubbers, mostly the Dutch-made “Envinity” model, county records show. Of the nine, only three came online with scrubbers in the past year: the rest had them in place before the board vote.

At the same time, records show, 10 operations with 60 acres of cannabis under cultivation have no scrubbers inside their greenhouses. Eight of these growers are requesting a deadline extension and two are not. The due date for submitting a request was last Dec. 18.

On March 3, the supervisors will hear growers’ requests for an extension to install clean-air technology. They will have to weigh residents’ longstanding demands for fresh air against the demands o  an industry in a down market flooded

with illegal pot.

Supervisor Roy Lee, who lives in Carpinteria, is expected to set the tone. Lee won his seat in 2024 in part because he vowed to support a mandate for scrubbers valley-wide. On Tuesday, he said that ing the odor issue  remains the goal,  and that the board will take a “careful look” at each extension request.

“The people of Carpinteria have shown a lot of patience,” Lee said. “Probably too much patience. It’s hard for me to have sympathy for growers who are not following the rules.”

Complicating the board’s decision, several growers are proposing to install air puri ers  rom Te as that have  een  found to remove only 41% of the smell of pot inside a valley greenhouse, on average, county records show. The state of California is recommending against the use o  such puri ers  or canna is odor  control because of “safety concerns.”

“The answer has always been, for the last four years, that the Envinity machines have proven themselves,” said Lionel e , a  oard mem er o  the  anta  arbara Coalition for Responsible Cannabis, a citizens’ group that has long advocated for tougher industry regulations. “It’s like the growers are looking for an answer that was always there …

“Everybody is very frustrated by this whole thing. The time’s up! They had a year to be in compliance, and they kept

putting it o , putting it o , putting it o   It’s like we’re back to square one. They’re asking the neighbors to put up with the obnoxious odors for another year. It’s not fair.”

Odor complaints down

Cannabis is under cultivation on 115 acres at 18 greenhouse operations in the valley   a out    oot all  elds  worth,  just outside the city limits of Carpinteria.

In the balmy Mediterranean climate, growers control the temperature inside their greenhouses by opening scores of roof vents, allowing both hot air and the pungent smell of cannabis to escape. Residents say the smell rises during the day and settles back down in the evening.

But between Jan. 1, 2025, and Feb. 11 of this year, records show, the county received only 170 complaints about the smell of pot. Most of them came from longstanding hot spots near the following locations:

Autumn Brands at 3615 Foothill Rd., owned by Hans Brand; G&K and K&G at 3561 Foothill, owned by Graham Farrar and Kyle Kazan; La Mirada Drive, a neighborhood in the foothills near those operations; CP1 Supply Systems at 4505 Foothill, owned by Tristan Strauss, the CEO of Headwaters, a bulk cannabis supply company in California; and Valley Crest at 5980 Casitas Pass Rd., owned by Philip Fagundes of Parlier, Calif.

None of these operations are equipped with carbon scrubbers. esidents who  led the complaints  wrote that they had been awakened by the “nightly stink-o,” “foul odor” of pot; were hit with a bad smell when they opened their doors; closed all their doors and windows and still smelled pot; had trouble breathing in the morning because “the odor is super thick”; and couldn’t enjoy their homes and gardens during the day.

“I don’t take my valuable time every day to come on here and complain any more,” one resident wrote last May. “Just wanted someone to know that the odor continues to  ll our homes morning and  evening. I know they will have to stop this by the Fall. I suppose we will see.” e  said  arpinterians have largely  stopped  ling complaints  ecause they  thought the problem would be solved by now.

“Everyone is under the impression that the growers have either ordered or are installing scrubbers in compliance with the ordinance, and that relief is right around the corner,” he said.

To make it easier to  le odor complaints  and “geo-locate” them, the county has replaced its burdensome complaint system with a web-based form (survey123. arcgis.com/share/99f3c34e6f8f44f1bf77e1b711af790c) that allows residents to mark the precise location of the odor

Starting in mid March, county planners equipped with Nasal Rangers will start enforcing cannabis odor thresholds at the property lines of cannabis greenhouses. Here, the reporter gets a class on how to rank the intensity of smells, using the device.

The  orm, which is con dential, asks  or the name, email address and phone  num er o  the person making the report   the date, time, intensity and duration o   the odor, and whether the person reporting it was stationary or in transit

“A faster way”?

ost o  the  nvinity scru ers in valley greenhouses today were purchased  y  mem ers o  the  an  ingerden  amily,  a prominent flower growing  amily that  has converted its greenhouses to pot   n  ,  d  an  ingerden and his partners  paid more than  ,   or an engineering study o  the  nvinity model at one o   their operations

s o   ,  nvinity scru ers cost  ,  each   t a recommended density  o  up to   per acre, it would cost the  remaining growers in the valley up to   million to install them  The scru ers  incorporate  ve stages   two  or particle  ltration  one  or ioni ation to kill  pathogens  and two  or car on  ltration,  including one stage that uses photocatalytic o idation

o  ar, according to county planners,  the greenhouse operations where growers are re uesting an e tension to install  nvinity scru ers are   and    on  oothill and  ronco  anagement, an  operation that is not yet under cultivation  at    ia  eal ared  icker, a co ounder o   iom  dvisors, a  anta  ar ara ased canna is  and corporate consulting  rm, said one  client who is proposing to install  nvinity scru ers  has  een in the power  upgrade cue  or a long time ne o  the pro lems with the  nvinity  is, they have a heavier power load,   icker said, adding that electrical upgrades  re uire a county permit   e applied  or these last summer, and there hasn t  een a lot o  action on them yet    lot o   operations are watching to see i  there s a  aster way to do this   rom what we hear,  the  enesis is going to  e more e ective  and can  e installed more  uickly

Texas-made tech

o  ar, county planners said, the operations where growers are proposing  to install the air puri ers made in Te as  are  utumn  rands   alley  rest     upply and  mmawood at    ia  eal,  another  grow  owned  y  trauss These devices, manu actured  y  enesis  ir  nc  o   u ock, Te as cost  ,   each, or less than hal  the price o  an  nvinity model   enesis products,  illed  as  simple, sustaina le, sa e solutions   or clean air, are widely used in airports,  hospitals, casinos and schools    ut not  canna is greenhouses The  enesis air puri ers rely on photocatalytic o idation  , a process in  which ultraviolet light creates a chemical  reaction that in turn  reaks down smelly

gases  They were tested during two days  last  uly at  utumn  rands

n a  e    advisory titled,  ir  uality  and  anna is  perations,   ourair org wp content uploads anna isdvisory pd  the  ir  ollution  ontrol  istrict o   anta  ar ara  ounty noted  that as o   ecem er  , the  ali ornia  ffice o   nvironmental  ealth  a ard  ssessment is recommending against the  use o     air cleaners   or canna is  odor reduction  due to sa ety concerns,  namely, the potential  or o one  ormation  and secondary, to ic chemical  yproduct  ormation    devices are proposed  or cannais odor a atement, the advisory stated,  the district  recommends  ut does not  re uire  that they  e e uipped car on  lters ccording to county  lanning    evelopment, the  enesis model that  was tested in the valley last  uly was not  e uipped with car on  lters eosyntec  onsultants  nc , an engineering  rm hired  y  lanning    evelopment, will review the study that was  per ormed on the  enesis model, and  county planners will look into the adeuacy o  the model at each location where  it is proposed to  e installed, said  rrin  riggs, a department deputy director ll canna is settings are uni ue and  re uire independent review  ased upon  their characteristics,  he said rand and  trauss did not respond  to a re uest  or comment  or this article   orts to reach  agundes, the  alley  rest owner, at  reen rier  oldings, his  canna is manu acturing plant in  arlier,  also were unsuccess ul   alley  rest is em roiled in a class action lawsuit that was  led  y the coalition  and several neigh ors on  asitas  ass  oad in   The plainti s seek relie   rom what they descri e as the  aw ul  smells and no ious odors and chemicals  that they are  eing assaulted with on a  daily  asis in their homes    trial date  has  een set  or  ovem er in  anta  arara  uperior  ourt ronco  anagement, one o  the largest greenhouse operations approved  y  the county, is not included in the scru er  totals   ccording to county planners, it  does not yet have state licenses to cultivate canna is   lso not included in the  totals are nine active canna is processing  uildings in the valley   ll o  them are  e uipped with car on  lters

Coming enforcement s o   arch  , the county will start  en orcing the odor thresholds that were  set  y the  oard last year  or the property  lines o  canna is greenhouses, county  planners said   uring the past year, several o  them have received weekly training  in the  eld in the use o  the  asal  anger,  a hand held instrument that is used to  sni  odors and rank their intensity

THE LONG ROAD TO FRESH AIR

THE LONG ROAD TO FRESH AIR

Commercial cannabis is under cultivation on 115 acres at 18 greenhouse operations in the Carpinteria Valley.

Commercial cannabis is under cultivation on 115 acres at 18 greenhouse operations in the Carpinteria Valley.

The county Board of Supervisors has set a March 18 deadline for the installation of carbon filters inside cannabis greenhouses. The filters, called “scrubbers,” can help prevent the smell of pot from drifting into residential neighborhoods. On March 3, the board will consider growers’ requests for extensions of up to one year beyond the deadline.

The county Board of Supervisors has set a March 18 deadline for the installation of carbon filters inside cannabis greenhouses. The filters, called “scrubbers,” can help prevent the smell of pot from drifting into residential neighborhoods. On March 3, the board will consider growers’ requests for extensions of up to one year beyond the deadline.

Here’s a snapshot of where things stand today:

Here’s a snapshot of where things stand today:

e wanted to make sure our sta  was  com orta le with the  asal  anger,  said  etra  eyva, a supervising planner   ur  goal was, we wanted to make sure we  didn t have someone who was over sensitive or couldn t smell at all eanwhile,  eosyntec has  een inspecting the odor control systems in all  o  the valley s canna is operations to  check that they are working as speci ed   t a minimum, starting  arch  , these  inspections will  e conducted on a yearly  asis,  oth inside the greenhouses and  along the property lines,  eyva said nannounced inspections will  e  made in response to complaints and to  ensure that odor control e uipment is  running around the clock, she said   s  o   arch  , all such e uipment must  include run time meters, and the data  must  e provided to county inspectors  on re uest

To initiate an inspection in response to  complaints, the county must receive at  least three odor complaints within a  day period, or  ve within   hours   ny  odor that e ceeds a level o   mild to transient odor   or more than three minutes  at the property line will  e considered a  violation o  the threshold set  y the  oard rowers who are out o  compliance  will  e re uired to hire an engineer  to esta lish a  compliance protocol,   reviewed  y the  eosyntec and county  planners, with a plan  or reducing the  smell   including installing additional  scru ers, i  necessary,  riggs said  anticipate that sta  will  e in the  eld almost daily, checking on various  aspects o  compliance  or all operators,   he said

Melinda Burns is an investigative reporter with more than 40 years of experience covering immigration, water, science and the environment. She was previously a senior writer for the News-Press during 21 years at the paper, from 1985 to 2006.

Trails Council launches annual 5-Peaks Challenge

Hikers across the South Coast are invited to test their endurance and celebrate the region’s backcountry during the third annual 5-Peaks Challenge, hosted by the Santa Barbara County Trails Council.

The self-paced challenge, which runs from Feb. 1 through May 1, encourages participants to summit  ve peaks o  their  choosing from a list of 11 prominent mountains across Santa Barbara County.

Organizers say the event blends physical challenge with community connection while highlighting the diverse landscapes of the San Rafael and Santa Ynez mountain ranges.

The featured peaks are Arlington Peak, Cachuma Mountain, Cathedral Peak, Flores Peak, Gaviota Peak, La Cumbre Peak, Little Pine Mountain, Montecito Peak, White Mountain, Ranger Peak and Barger Peak. All are accessible as day hikes from locations throughout the county.

“It was so exciting watching people reach the top o  a summit  or the  rst  time,” said Riley Clark, an adventure guide who has supported past participants. “We would just all soak in the moment at the top together, feeling proud and grateful.”

Organizers describe the challenge as physically demanding, with hikes ranging from moderate to strenuous.

BRIEFLY

The Trails Council recommends that less-experienced hikers train beforehand on moderate routes such as Gaviota Peak via the Tunnel View/Trespass Trail.

Participants may complete the five hikes at any time during the three-month window, whether in a single week or spaced out over several months.

To verify each summit, hikers must submit a photo of themselves at the top. Submissions may be made by posting on Instagram with the peak name and hashtags #SB5Peaks and #SantaBarbaraTrails, joining the challenge’s Strava club and logging hikes, completing an online Google form or emailing photos to explore@santabarbaratrails.org.

ll veri ed participants will  e recognized on the Trails Council’s social media channels  Those who complete  ve summits will receive a  ramea le certi cate  and commemorative sticker and will be entered into a drawing  or gi t certi cates  to be awarded at a Trails & Ales event in early May.

The Santa Barbara County Trails Council works to protect public trail access, build and maintain safe and sustainable trails, and promote land stewardship and outdoor recreation.

Registration information and additional details are available at sbtrails.org.

continued from page 2

SBA offers disaster loans to Carpinteria businesses affected by December storms

Low-interest federal disaster loans are now available to small businesses and private nonpro t organi ations in  arpinteria and across  anta  ar ara  ounty that  su ered economic losses during the late  ecem er   storms, according to a press  release from the city of Carpinteria.

The U.S. Small Business Administration issued a disaster declaration following a request from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s authorized representative at the California Governor s  ffice o   mergency  ervices on  e    The declaration makes  conomic  njury  isaster  oans, or  s, availa le to eligi le  usinesses and nonpro ts impacted  y  storms that occurred Dec. 16–26, 2025.

Under the program, eligible small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries and private nonpro ts   including  aith ased organi ations   may  apply  or working capital loans to help o set  nancial losses directly related to the  disaster. The SBA does not provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers or ranchers, except for aquaculture enterprises.

unds may  e used to cover  ed de ts, payroll, accounts paya le and other  bills that could have been paid if the disaster had not occurred. Businesses do not need to have su ered physical property damage to  uali y oan amounts can  e up to   million, with interest rates as low as    or  usinesses  and    or private nonpro ts  Terms may e tend up to   years, depending on  an applicant s  nancial condition   nterest does not accrue, and payments are not due  until   months a ter the  rst loan dis ursement

Applicants may apply online at sba.gov/disaster. Additional information is available by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or by emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

The deadline to submit economic injury applications is Nov. 6, 2026.

Love in action

COFFEE, CAREER AND KIDDOS

TERESA ALVAREZ

My kids’ door is covered in paper hearts. One heart for each of the things I love about them or am proud of. They handed out Valentine’s Day cards and treats at school. I guess you can say, love is in the air! February is traditionally the month of love, but this year I’ve been thinking about how to widen my children’s understanding of it. Because honestly, love is so much more than heartshaped candy and character-themed Valentine’s cards.

Love is action.

In a small town like Carpinteria, our children get a front-row seat to what that looks like. My kids come to beach clean-ups, Rotary meetings and other community events. Not because it’s convenient (because it’s not). Not because they always want to be there (because they sometimes don’t). But because I want them to see love in motion.

Community does not happen by accident. It happens when ordinary people decide to care out loud.

Through my work at the Carpinteria Children’s Project, I see neighbor-to-neighbor love every day. It looks like a local donor quietly writing a check. t looks like a volunteer dropping o   ood  for a family. It looks like neighbors supporting one another through loss, medical challenges or simply the exhaustion of raising children.

But love in action doesn’t only live in the community. It lives in our living rooms with our own families. It shows up after a slammed door or a sharp tone. One of the most important lessons I’m trying to teach my children is that love includes repair. It means circling back after a moment of frustration and saying, “I’m sorry,

Community does not happen by accident. It happens when ordinary people decide to care out loud.

I was feeling frustrated. I shouldn’t have raised my voice. I love you. I will try to take a deep breath next time.”

In our house, we don’t always get it right the  rst time    certainly don t   There are long days and short tempers. But what I hope my kids remember is not perfection, but repair.

Communities work the same way families do. We misunderstand each other. We get tired. We disagree. What keeps our small town strong, what keeps relationships strong, is the willingness to come back together.

Our children notice when we drop o  co ee and flowers  or a  riend going  through a hard time. They notice when we stop to talk to a neighbor. They notice when we choose generosity over convenience. And they notice when we apologize.

That’s the shift I hope to make. Less focus on what we receive, and more focus on what we can do.

Love, in a town like ours, looks like service. It looks like participation. It looks like showing up even when you’re tired. And sometimes, it looks like saying, “I’m sorry.”

Teresa Alvarez is the executive director of the Carpinteria Children’s Project. She has over a decade of experience in the nonprofit field and a passion for helping children and families. Teresa was born in Guanajuato, Mexico, and moved to the U.S. with her parents at age two. Growing up as an undocumented student, she learned the importance of having mentors, a strong work ethic and the value of education. Teresa holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from UCSB and a master’s degree in psychology from Antioch Santa Barbara. She currently serves on the Future Leaders of America board and is a founding member of the Santa Barbara Latino Giving Circle. Teresa loves to travel, read and chase after her two boys.

Zero-interest storm recovery loans available to Carpinteria residents, businesses

Following recent storms that brought high winds and heavy rainfall to Santa Barbara County, some Carpinteria residents and business owners are facing unexpected repair costs.

The  ewish  ree  oan  ssociation is o ering  ero interest emergency loans to  qualifying individuals and small businesses impacted by storm-related damage. Loans of up to $15,000 may be used for home repairs, vehicle damage and certain small business recovery needs.

To qualify, applicants must live in Santa Barbara, Los Angeles or Ventura counties, have steady income, secure two  uali ed guarantors and have no current active  JFLA loan.

Carpinteria business owners and residents can learn more about eligibility reuirements and  egin the application process  y visiting jfla org or contacting the  organization directly through its website. A JFLA spokesperson is also available to answer questions about the program and required documentation.

Local chapter of boys team charity accepting new members

Local chapters of the boys team charity (btc) — a service organization dedicated to developing an altruistic spirit in young men through volunteering — including the btc Santa Barbara League and btc Santa Barbara North League, are accepting new member inquiries from March 1 to 15.

The group is open to boys entering seventh through 11th grade in the 2026-27 school year. Families living in or attending schools within the Carpinteria or Santa Barbara High School boundaries must apply to the btc Santa Barbara League.

Any families interested in registering their students are invited to attend an adults-only Prospective Member Meeting on Thursday, Feb. 26 at 6 p.m. Those interested may contact Karla Smith and Dana Zertuche (membership@btcsantabarbara. org) from the btc Santa Barbara League to RSVP for the event. pplicants will  e noti ed o  their mem ership status  y  pril

Game on: Brothers revitalize Carp Sports & More!

CVN

CARPINTERIA BIZ BUZZ

THE BIZZY BEE

longtime  ture in  asitas  la a has  a new look, new inventory and, yes, a  new e clamation point

rothers  ario and  auro  aldivia are  the new owners of Carp Sports & More!, formerly Carp Sports, and they’re bringing decades o  retail e perience   and a  li elong love o  athletics   into the ne t  chapter of the neighborhood sporting goods store or the  aldivias, the purchase was  oth strategic and deeply personal

“It’s been a long-time dream for us to own our own  usiness,   auro said   e  knew the business was for sale for quite some time   nce we  nally had the means  to do so, we applied for the opportunity  and a ter a si month rollercoaster  ride, everything  ell into place

Both brothers bring more than 20 years o  retail and management e perience to  the venture   ut their connection to sports  runs even deeper e grew up playing everything,   ario said   ase all,  asket all,  oot all,  swimming,  iking   ports are good  or  your mind and your health   t  rings us  joy to provide  tness and sports accessories to the community

hat’s ith the o e

The updated name reflects  oth continuity and e pansion

e are still  arp  ports,   ario said  with a laugh   ut we re also  arp  ports    ore!  on t  orget the e clamation  point

The “& More!” signals a broadened inventory that stretches  eyond traditional  sporting goods   n addition to e panded  sections for pickleball, tennis, basketball, gol ,  shing,  ase all,  oot all and soccer,  customers will now  nd  oard games,  pu les and arts and cra ts, as well as  ase all cards and sports memora ilia   The  rothers are also stocking the shelves  with telescopes, drones and remote-control cars, along with Bluetooth speakers and electronics   ampers will  nd tools

and competitively priced  rewood   re owned merchandise and custom special orders will also  e availa le

The brothers say one of the biggest additions is what they call  mental sports e re e cited to carry  oard games  and other items that e ercise the mind,   auro said   e want to cater to the  community’s needs and wants — and we re listening They are also o ering special orders  for beach cruisers, hybrid mountain bikes and e ikes, availa le through advance  purchase

esh oo an a s i e

Customers walking into the store will notice immediate changes t s cleaner, more organi ed and more  welcoming,   auro said   e ve opened  up the layout and e panded departments   e ve  rought in more  rand names like  ilson,  ike,  uma,  ee ok,  oola,  ew  alance and  nder  rmour

Mario added that shoppers will see clearly marked prices and a renewed ocus on hospitality

“You’ll be greeted with smiling faces,” he said   ustomer service is one o  our  strengths

taying oote in a inte ia

Supporting local teams and schools remains central to their mission

Meet Pumba the people-friendly pup

Meet Pumba, a 2-year-old bundle of energy and charm who is ready to  nd his  orever home

This playful, social pup shines in playgroup and loves interacting with other dogs   um a is  especially people-friendly and is always eager or attention and a ection   ith his silly, goo y  personality, he’s sure to bring smiles and laughter to any household um a is highly  ood motivated and enjoys  playtime   especially soccer or anything involving a  all   e would  ene t  rom  asic o edience training and continued structure to help him thrive,  ut with consistency and love, he  has all the makings o  a wonder ul companion um a is currently availa le  or adoption or  oster at  anta  ar ara  ounty  nimal  ervices,    verpass  oad in  oleta  The shelter is  open Tuesday through  unday  rom   a m   to   p m

To learn more about fostering or adopting Pumba, email sbcassouthfostercoordinator gmail com

renewed ocus on customer ser ice.

The store continues to carry youth league gear, team uniforms, hats and spirit wear, and the brothers say they plan to e pand o erings  or local athletes,  coaches and  amilies e hope to  e a strong, supportive  part o  the community,   ario said   To thrive alongside the schools, local  leagues and  amilies   and evolve with  the times

For Mario, owning a business in arpinteria carries special meaning  love the  each,  he said   To own a  usiness here means  eing a le to enjoy  the beauty of Carpinteria and do what I love in a place that   love   while prioriti ing  uality and customer service over  corporate metrics

o the cou t to the coast s  or their personal  avorites

Mario’s top three sports are basketball, football and hiking — and he says he can’t live without a good pair o  sports sneakers

Mauro prefers calisthenics and keeps workout gloves, com y shoes, sunglasses  and a cool hat close at hand

But more than anything, the brothers say they re e cited to open their doors  each day in  asitas  la a and serve the  community they now call home ur doors are open,   auro said   e re proud to  e part o   arpinteria

Carp Sports & More! is located in Casitas Plaza at 1060 Casitas Pass Road. Follow on Tiktok @carpsportsandmore

Heard the buzz? We want to hear it too! Openings, expansions, promotions or celebrations — send your Carpinteria Biz Buzz ideas to news@coastalview.com

EARN 30¢ PER GALLON on your first fill-up when you download the Fuel Forward® App and pay with your 76® Credit Card in the app now through 6/3O/2026. One-time use only, limit 3O gallons. THEN CONTINUE EARNING 15¢ PER GALLON on every fill-up with your 76® Credit Card in the Fuel Forward ® App, now through 6/3O/2026.

Cultural Foundation gains community support for downtown mural project

U S AR

After two years of research and brainstorming, the Carpinteria Cultural Foundation (CCF) has completed creating 10 murals illustrating the history of Carpinteria and begun campaigning to have the murals installed behind the Seal Fountain on Linden Avenue.

The project, also known as the Community Plaza on Linden Avenue, has also reached fully funded status, according to the CCF Board of Trustees Vice President Adriana González-Smith.

The 10 murals were created to represent the di erent groups that have called  arpinteria home throughout history, and the impact each group had on the city. The murals include: the Chumash, the Spanish Exploration and the naming of Carpinteria, the Californios, the American Pioneer Settlers, the re-emergence of the Spanish-speaking people, the Japanese Americans and re-emergence after internment, the Dust Bowl Americans, the Italian Americans, the Dutch and the  nal mural which  depicts the present-day identity of Carpinteria.

The  nal mural also in-

cludes   o   arpinteria s most influential civic  groups.

The project originally began about two years ago, after the CCF had completed a mural depicting the past, present and future of Carpinteria at Aliso Elementary School. Following the project, the CCF decided to create something that represented all of the di erent groups that have made  arpinteria  what it is today.

“We want to honor these families and cultures,” said González-Smith.

Carpinteria artist Rick Sharp was commissioned by the CCF to create the murals. According to Dr. Jim Campos, a member of the CCF Board of Trustees, Sharp took inspiration from other California artists, including Daniel Sayre Groesbeck, who created the Mural Room inside the Santa

Courthouse, painted nia Library. mural research and bers mation in-depth a page will

The onto coated would or replaced CCF’s panels back chronological Campos to the project  cance teria’s Carpinteria the was According site Carpinteria za is to the Carpinterians “It lishing the CCF it would kind in her The project the on teria and garner the all the group and civic Beautiful, ria Arts of Carpinteria According Smith, groups itive. Carpinteria’s including Board in the said. e some o the Carpinteria The Community project April

Courthouse, and Dean Cornwell, who painted the “Four Great Eras of CaliforHistory” at the Los Angeles Public Library. The images depicted in each mural were created after thorough research of historical documents, texts and community interviews by members of the CCF and its advisors. Information on each mural, including more in-depth details, will be available on page accessed via a QR code, which will be located near the murals..

The murals would be printed onto 2 ½ by 4 foot aluminum panels, coated with a UV protectant, which would be able to be washed, cleaned replaced if severely damaged. The CCF’s project involves installing the panels along the pergola above the back wall behind the Seal Fountain, in chronological order.

Campos said this location is crucial to the project  ecause o  the signicance of Linden Avenue in Carpinteria’s history. “Carpinteria became Carpinteria on Linden Avenue when train depot was placed where it was placed,” Campos said.

According to the CCF website, the has been considered the center of Carpinteria since 1887. The current plais located on land that was donated the city of Carpinteria in 1993 by Carpinterians Ralph and Betty Brown. is the perfect location for establishing a monument to our city and greater Carpinteria Valley,” the CCF project FAQ states. “We believe would also be an appropriate and kind gesture for Betty Brown to see her lifetime.”

The CCF brought its plan for the project — including descriptions of murals and the plans to place them Linden Avenue — to the Carpinteria City Council about a year ago, and the council directed the group to garner more community support for project. Once the CCF completed the murals in December 2025, the group followed the council’s direction and began meeting with Carpinteria’s civic groups, including Carpinteria Beautiful, the Lynda Fairly CarpinteArts Center, and the Rotary Clubs Carpinteria Morning and Noon. According to Campos and GonzálezSmith, the reaction from the civic groups has been overwhelmingly positive. The CCF also plans to meet with Carpinteria’s other governing bodies, including the Architectural Review Board and the Planning Commission, the near future, González-Smith said. These governing bodies would e some o  the  nal groups to review  project before it is presented to the Carpinteria City Council once again. The CCF will be unveiling its Community Plaza on Linden Avenue project to the community on Saturday, April 25, from noon to 4 p.m.

NEW LISTING

Fabulous Ocean/City views from this 2 bd / 2 bath condo in Ventura. Private balcony and easy access to downtown. $775,000 FOR SALE

Beautiful, light filled condo, designed by the esteemed Barry Berkus in Franciscan Village.

SALE PENDING

Large 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bath, corner unit, with attached 2 car garage. New vinyl flooring $995,000

Large lot with existing house. Both CPD and residential zoning. Room for a house and ADU. Stunning estuary views. Price reduced $1,030,000

Buildable lot on golf course on the 12th hole of the Mission Club Golf Course in Lompoc, .47 acre. Sight plans, lot & house plans included. Price reduction NOW $299,000 Owner will carry financing, for qualified buyer.

SHORT TERM VACATION RENTALS

Available March 1 - 6/15/26 only Gorgeous 1 bd. / 1 bath with fantastic ocean views, top floor polo condo. $3500 monthly.

Debbie Murphy, Broker Kim Fly, Broker Associate Leah Wagner, Realtor Stacie Zubiate - Realtor Heidi & Jim Michener, Vacation Hosts 805-684-4101

murphykingrealestate.com

Chuck and Dolores McQuary Celebrate 70 Years

Chuck and Dolores McQuary recently celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary with family and friends at their home. They have lived in Carpinteria for over 40 years. They are proud parents of three children, Jill Guenther (Art, deceased), Charley (Anne), and Jacquelyn Thibodeau, and three beautiful grandchildren, Melanie Thibodeau, Joe-Henry McQuary, and their first grandchild Matthew Thibodeau, who passed in 2018. They raised their family in the San Fernando Valley with dreams of retiring in Carpinteria, where they often vactioned. Chuck retired from management position at both Lockheed-Martin & Santa Barbara MTD. Dolores is a Registered Nurse who served her profession for over 30 years before retiring from Cottage Hospital. They love Carpinteria and are thankful for their many joyful and fulfilling years here and together.

CALENDAR

Thursday, Feb. 26

AgeWell Senior Program: Pickleball Free Play Girls Inc. of Carpinteria, 5315 Foothill Road. 8-10 a.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

English Language Conversation Group/Grupo de Conversación en Inglés Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 8:30-10 a.m. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314

Free Senior Arts & Crafts en español (Arte Manualidades) Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center, 865 Linden Ave. 10 a.m. noon. carpinteriaartscenter.org, (805) 684-7789

Dementia Caregivers Support Group Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 10:30-noon. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314

AgeWell Senior Program: Chair Yoga Veterans Memorial Building, 941 Walnut Ave. 11 a.m.-noon. agewell@ carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

AgeWell Senior Program: Free Lunch Program Veterans Memorial Building, 941 Walnut Ave. 12:15 p.m.-1 p.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

AgeWell Senior Program: Food Bank Distribution Veterans Memorial Building, 941 Walnut Ave. 1-2 p.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 8811279

AgeWell Senior Program: Beading with Carol Free Veterans Memorial Building Meeting Room, 941 Walnut Ave. 1-2:30 p.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

AgeWell Senior Program: Men Aging Well Veterans Memorial Building Meeting Room, 941 Walnut Ave. 5:30 p.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

Dungeons & Dragons Club Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 3:30–5:15 p.m. Ages 12-17 carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314 Bingo-Sandpiper Recreation Club Sandpiper Mobile Village Clubhouse, 3950 Via Real, 6:30 p.m. Tree Advisory Board meeting City Hall, 5775 Carpinteria Ave. 5:30 p.m. (805) 684-5405

Architectural Review Board meeting City Hall, 5775 Carpinteria Ave. 5:30 p.m. (805) 684-5405

Friday, Feb. 27

Friday Fun Day Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 10-11:30 a.m. For ages 3-11ish. carpinterialibrary. org, (805) 684-4314

Free Senior Arts & Crafts Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center, 865 Linden Ave. 10 a.m.-noon. carpinteriaartscenter. org, (805) 684-7789

AgeWell Senior Program: Free Lunch Program Veterans Memorial Building Meeting Room, 941 Walnut Ave. 12:15-1 p.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

Free Music by Friendship Center Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center, 865 Linden Ave. 2-3 p.m. carpinteriaartscenter.org, (805) 684-7789

Saturday, Feb. 28

Saturday English Language Conversation Group/Grupo de Conversación en Inglés los sabados Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 9-10 a.m. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314

South Coast Stand-Up Comeday The Alcazar Theatre, 4916 Carpinteria Ave. p.m. $15 thealcazar.org, (805) 684-6380

Sunday, March 1

Live Music: Vinny Berry Island Brewing Company, 5049 th St. 2-5 p.m. (805) 745-8272

Monday, March 2

Preschool Story Time Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria

Ave. 10-10:30 a.m. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314

AgeWell Senior Program: Music Monday Sing Along Veterans Memorial Building Meeting Room, 941 Walnut Ave. 10:30-11:30 a.m. agewell@carpinteriaca. gov, (805) 881-1279

AgeWell Senior Program: Free Lunch Program Veterans Memorial Building Meeting Room, 941 Walnut Ave. 12:15-1 p.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

Monday Mahjong All levels of play. p.m. (805) 729-1310

AgeWell Senior Program: Mind Games Veterans Memorial Building Meeting Room, 941 Walnut Ave. 1:302:30 p.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

Library Advisory Committee meeting City Hall, 5775 Carpinteria Ave. 3:30 p.m. (805) 684-5405

Finance Committee meeting City Hall, 5775 Carpinteria Ave. 3:30 p.m. (805) 684-5405

Let’s Get Knit Island Brewing Company, 5049 th St. 5:30-7:30 p.m. (805) 745-8272

Planning Commission meeting City Hall, 5775 Carpinteria Ave. 5:30 p.m. (805) 684-5405

Introducción a las computadoras–Clase Bilingüe Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 6-8:15 p.m. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314

Tuesday, March 3

AgeWell Senior Program: Walking Club Meet at Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. a.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 8811279

Carpinteria Writers’ Group Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 10 a.m.-noon. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314

AgeWell Senior Program: Mind Body Balance Exercise Veterans Memorial Building, 941 Walnut Ave. 11 a.m.-noon. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

AgeWell Senior Program: Free Lunch Program Veterans Memorial Building, 941 Walnut Ave. 12:15-1 p.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 8811279

AgeWell Senior Program: Bridge Group Veterans Memorial Building Meeting Room, 941 Walnut Ave. 1-4 p.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

Spanish Conversation Group Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 2-3 p.m. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314

Carpinteria Songwriters Circle Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 4-5:30 p.m. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314

Ad Hoc E-Conveyance meeting City Hall, 5775 Carpinteria Ave. p.m. (805) 684-5405

Al-Anon meeting Faith Lutheran Church, 1335 Vallecito Place. 6:30 p.m. Carpinteria Improv Classes The Alcazar Theatre, 4916 Carpinteria Ave. 7-9 p.m. $10 at the door. thealcazar.org, (805) 684-6380

Wednesday, March 4

AgeWell Senior Program: Pickleball for Beginners Girls Inc. of Carpinteria, 5315 Foothill Road. 8-10 a.m. agewell@ carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

AgeWell Senior Program: Carpinteria Men’s Coffee Club Veterans Memorial Building Meeting Room, 941 Walnut Ave. 8:30-9:30 a.m. agewell@ carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 881-1279

Babies Are The Best Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 9-10 a.m. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314

Free Senior Arts & Crafts Carpinteria Arts Center, 865 Linden Ave. 9-11 a.m. carpinteriaartscenter.org, (805) 684-7789

“No

Other Choice”

REEL DEAL

MATT DUNCAN DUNCAN’S

etting laid o   is tough   specially  when you ve got a  amily to support   specially when you re middle aged   nd especially when you re in a dying  industry   t s depressing, hopeless That s  an su  ee  yung hun   e  is a paper man   a  year veteran  manager at  orean papermaking com pany  olar  aper   nd he s good at it   e s award winning, in  act   e also  has a  eauti ul home and a wonder ul  amily   a wi e, two kids and two  golden retrievers   e is, as much as any  award winning paper man could  e, on  top o  the world ut then he loses his jo   n  merican  company  uys  olar  aper and rips it to  shreds   t   rst,  an su thinks it s only  his co workers   his underlings   who  are going to get laid o     e prepares an  impassioned speech de ending his work ers, only to  e wadded up and tossed in  the can himsel an su is shocked and heart roken   Then he rallies, promising to   nd anoth er jo  Then he doesn t  Then his  amily  rallies   his wi e gets a jo , they cut their  e penses, they sell stu   That does nothing to solve  an su s  pro lem, though   e was an award win ner, a caring  oss, a  rilliant manager, an  artist   e deserves a jo   ny world that  would deny it to him is unjust o, he rallies again   e s got a new  idea, a new strategy   t s to eliminate the  competition   iterally   ike, he plans to  kill anyone who is  etter  uali  ed than  he  Then he s sure he will get the jo  he  deserves  course, he doesn t  want to do it   e s a  good guy   ut he has a  amily  to support   nd it was un air to get laid  o     e s got to   ght  it s war   an su  eels  like he has no other choice o  ther  hoice  is  illed as a dark  comedy   t is dark   nd   recogni e the  sense o   comedy  they were going  or   t s not the  hahaha  sense  it s the  gee ,  it s ridiculous how this is all playing  out  sense   egardless,   would put the  emphasis more on dark nd here are some other words that    would use to descri e the movie   leak,

depressing, cynical   lso  faithless  There s  no hope, no optimism, no trust, no pin prick o  light   in  anything   ot in the  characters, their jo s, society or humanity  in general   verything sucks ot all downer movies are like this   ad movies   even deeply tragic movies   can still  e heartening in a way   eeing  people at their lowest points   their  weakest, most vulnera le points   can  reveal their humanity   nd so it can reveal  their value, their deep down worth o  ther  hoice  does not do this   t wallows    know it  eing a comedy  is supposed to make the wallowing all  right   or even appealing   ut its value  was lost on me  it really is true that  an su and the  rest o  us have no other choice than to sac ri  ce our dignity and values in order to  survive this world, then we are screwed   ring in the   overlords   e re cooked   , on the other hand, we have other paths  that we  could  take,  ut we just aren t  strong enough, or good enough, to take  them, then we re also screwed   ither the  world sucks or we suck   r  oth t s hard to cele rate a vision like this   t s hard to even  e  interested in a vision  like this    there is nothing o  value to  delight in, i  nothing is worth redeeming,  i  there is no hope, then what s the point  in, well, anything  can take a sad movie, a scary movie,  even a depressing movie   ut    ound it  hard to take  o  ther  hoice s   leak  moaning o  ther  hoice  is rated    or vio lence, language and some se ual content

Matt Duncan, a former oastal  iew  ews editor, is now a philosophy professor at Rhode Island College. In his free time from philosophizing, Duncan enjoys chasing his kids around, watching movies and playing the mandolin.

BIG CHANGES COMING in 2026

Medicare or Health Insurance

We are here to help you find

AgeWell Senior Program: Creative Art Veterans Memorial Building Rec Room, 941 Walnut Ave. 1011:30 a.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 8811279

Science for Teens Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. For ages 11- to 13-yearsold. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314

AgeWell Senior Program: Free Lunch Program Veterans Memorial Building, 941 Walnut Ave. 12:15-1 p.m. agewell@carpinteriaca.gov, (805) 8811279

Carpinteria Knitters Group Carpinteria Community Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. 1-3 p.m. carpinterialibrary.org, (805) 684-4314

checks for more than $75,000 each, totaling $1 million in donations.

13 nonprofits celebrate the legacy of Kathi Backus

The Carpinteria Community Library held a legacy celebration for longtime volunteer and Santa Barbara resident Kathi Backus on Thursday, Feb. 19. Backus passed away in January of this year, and through planned estate gifts, she posthumously donated more than million to nonprofit organi ations throughout anta Barbara County.

he nonprofits included the riends of the Carpinteria Library, Animal Shelter Assistance Program for Cats (ASAP), Best Friends Animal Society, Santa Barbara Humane Society, Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network, Treehouse Humane Society, Volunteers for Inter Valley Animals (VIVA), Channel Islands Restoration, the Santa Barbara Audubon Society, the Santa Barbara Zoological Foundation, The Land Trust for Santa Barbara County, American Red Cross of the acific Coast anta Barbara County and the anta Barbara Rescue Mission.

The event last week included some refreshments, and an opportunity to re ect on Backus generosity. t was a collecti e moment of gratitude, recogni ing the impact of intentional planned gi ing and the role philanthropy can play in strengthening a community,” said Friends of the Carpinteria Library board member Ashley DeVan.

Halos& Pitchforks

Santa

ia believes her stolen by the Polo deputies.

A reader sends a halo to Ryan Moore for bringing dirt back to Carpinteria.

A reader sends a halo to The Alcazar Theatre for showing “Selma,” which was nominated for Best Picture in 2014 and “Glory” won Best Original Song. “It’s such an important  lm, and the su ject is so relevant to today

A reader sends a halo to everyone who supported the Playa Del Sur 4-H this year. he members are looking forward to another successful year.

A reader sends a halo to Leah C.  or literally pulling over on the side o  the road to  pick up trash o  the street    happened to drive  y and caught her in the cleaning  act!  ou are so ama ing and we re so lucky to have you in our community! Thank  you so much, Leah! You’re an angel!”

A reader sends a halo to Valerie, the new olunteer at the riends of the Library Bookstore, for cleaning and reorganizing the self-help section.

A reader sends a halo to Thario’s Kitchen on Santa Claus Lane. “At our recent, pre alentine s, ladies lunch  oth the  ood and service  were e cellent! Thank you  or accommodating our large group with  a smile!”

A reader sends a halo to Burlene for making the Carpinteria Lumberyard Nursery area a joy to visit. “Her outgoing personality (Southern style), friendly conversation and plant knowledge make it a pleasure to visit and shop.”

A reader sends a halo to the generous person for paying for the reader’s gas when she forgot her ATM card at the gas station. “I’m sorry I chose the most expensive oil, I’d love to reimburse you, and thank you. I’m deeply moved by your generosity.”

A reader sends a halo to Sean and Dayna for being wonderful neighbors and helping the reader through another frazzled mom situation.

A reader sends a halo to the 93013 Fund, Uncle Chen Restaurant and Marybeth Carty for the surprise delivery of a delicious dinner complete with a fortune cookie, candy bar and painted rock. “Wonderful kindness and quite a thrill!”

A reader sends a halo to the anonymous person who left a $100 donation in the L of Carpinteria office mail slot this past week. hank you for your kindness.

A reader sends a halo to the person who found the reader’s credit card on  alm  venue and le t it on a hydrant, ena ling the reader to  nd it when  retracing steps   m very grate ul or the good people who  ound it  The reader also  sends a halo to the waitress at Jack’s who let the reader, upon discovering the credit  card lost, come  ack the ne t day to pay

A reader sends a halo to the staff of Jack’s Bistro for staying open during Covid-19. “Always a smile no matter how busy. A great way to start the day.”

A reader sends a halo to the city’s Public Works Manager Ryan Ayerle. “We had a dangerous tree issue  he responded within an hour and had a crew come had   it   arp is lucky to have him

A reader sends a halo to the Daykas for always being there to help with anything and never complaining. “Many thanks to the best neighbors ever. We love you all dearly.”

A reader sends a halo to Mayor Wade Nomura for the city s beautiful ower wreath at the Carpinteria Cemetery for the Memorial Day program.

A reader sends a halo to the Rincon Classic livestream crew who wanted the  roadcast to  e at cost

A reader sends a halo to Tami and John at Robitaille’s for their constant smiles and o er the top customer ser ice. he wedding fa ors were lo ed by all and brought a bit of Carpinteria to the Seattle wedding!”

A reader sends a halo to those who acknowledge people with disabilities. “When you encounter a person in a wheelchair or walking with a walker, please smile and say hello to that person.”

A reader sends a halo to Lance Lawhon at the Carpinteria Sanitation District for helping Kim’s Market.

A reader sends a halo to David, the state park volunteer who gave the reader, whose  ankle had too much and couldn t walk, a ride  ack to  inden

A reader sends a halo to Desiree, the new masseuse at he Gym e t oor. he could have coasted through it, but she worked really hard to relieve my back pain. I never experienced such a great massage.”

A reader sends a halo to whoever left a sign telling people to pick up their dog-waste bags and stop leaving them on Casitas Pass Road.

A reader sends a halo to the woman with the megaphone who followed the MAGA parade down  inden  venue on  aturday   ou shouted everything everyone was  thinking, and it was therapeutic to see  ollowing such a jarring scene!

A reader sends a halo to Dr. Laura Putnam at Carpinteria Veterinary Hospital. “We are lucky to have such a competent and compassionate pro essional treating our  est  riends!

A reader sends a pitchfork to whoever has been leaving bags of dog waste on the ground along Casitas Pass Road. “Yes, it’s frustrating that the trash cans are gone, but is that really your best way of handling the situation?”

A reader sends a halo to Kevin of the Holiday Inn  or his up eat demeanor and  can do attitude when the reader s television went on the  rit

A reader sends a pitchfork to the person who hit the reader’s pickup in front of the reader’s house and didn’t stop. “Shame on you, and I hope you have karma insurance.”

A reader sends a halo to all those who spoke up at the Environmental Review Committee meeting on  e    to  uestion the methodologies and conclusions o   the  ra t    or the proposed  urfliner  nn project

A reader sends a pitchfork to the bicycle events on oothill Road. urposely host ing huge rides that take up the whole road is irresponsible. here are countless bike lanes that were put in with our tax dollars to avoid this problem.”

A reader sends a halo to Jon Ryan Schlobohm  or  eing such a good neigh or during  the construction on  inden  venue ou rock

A reader sends a pitchfork to the lifeguards braiding hair while swimmers are in the pool. “Not professional!”

A reader sends a halo to picking up trash in a neighborhood near the beach. “Thank you! We need all the help we can get keeping trash picked up in the neighborhoods on the beach-side of the tracks.”

A reader sends a halo to at he pot. hen the roof top ag was twisted and lodged in the rain gutter, Quintero jumped into action and climbed up to the roof and untangled it so that it could wave freely. Way to show patriotism!”

A reader sends a halo to Tom at the76 gas station  or  eing such a positive light in our  community   very time   stop and get gas he has a smile on his  ace   ou never know  the impact you have on someone s day  Thank you Tom  or your  riendly service!

A reader sends a pitchfork to the employees of the newer businesses on the Carpinteria Bluffs. Learn to share the bike walking path with locals here will be four to fi e of you walking together and not a single one will scoot o er ust a tad to let a local pass through?”

A reader sends a halo to . “It was a wonderful wedding, great food, spectacular location and great people! It was moving and wonderful.”

A reader sends a halo to who put out boxes in front of their homes full of surplus oranges, avocados, etc. from their trees. “Thank you for sharing your abundance.”

A reader sends a halo to Loch  or always remem ering to  ring a copy o  the Coastal View every Thursday  or mom   he loves the halos and pitch orks almost as much  as he does!”

A reader sends a pitchfork to the Linden planters. “All the mushrooms growing there indicate too much water. Nice weed farm.”

A reader sends a halo to at Culinary. went to my first class this week end with my sister, who has been to four so far. I had the best time! Someone get this girl a show, she should be on the ood etwork already.

A reader sends a halo to all . “Thank you for parking in front of your home with your permit.”

A reader sends a halo to the many Carpinterians who spontaneously joined in the counter-protest of the MAGA convoy driving down  inden this weekend   roud  to see our community stand up against e orts to intimidate us and spread hate!

A reader sends a pitchfork to a restaurant owner for parking his vehicle in the spots right out front of his establishment. “Shouldn’t he leave those parking spots available for his paying customers?”

A reader sends a halo to the and the local vet for working diligently to save the Rincon Beach bear. “It’s a terrible shame to lose one of these magnificent creatures howe er, wouldn t want it to suffer to a miserable death.”

A reader sends a halo to , a caregiver at Carpinteria Senior Lodge for nearly three years. for going out on Elm Avenue by the beach to clean up plastic bottles, bags, dirty gloves and masks.

A reader sends a halo to Christopher at Pasta Santina  who gave a great eplanation of how their pasta is made and sold delicious pasta to the reader.

A reader sends a pitchfork to the City of Carpinteria for letting the bluffs turn into an e er increasing dirt parking lot. hat is not what the bluffs were purchased for. Post No Parking signs immediately!”

A reader sends a halo to Bill and Rosana Swing for spending their Saturday taking photos for unior arriors ootball. e appreciate all you do for our families, play ers and program. You rock!”

A reader sends a pitchfork to the new parking zones. “All the “no parking/two hour” signs just made people park in my neighborhood. Seventh and the neighboring streets are a packed parking lot.”

A reader sends a halo to the growers and outdoor enthusiasts who worked together to re open the  ranklin Trail in    ten, hundreds o  people a day get to enjoy this  near y adventure!  rom sea to mountains,  arp has so much to o er  Thanks again

A reader sends a pitchfork to the sheriff’s deputy using his radar gun the other morning in front of city hall. “Why don’t you go by one of the schools and catch all the speeders there in morning, and keep our children safe while walking to school.”

A reader sends a halo to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office for enforcing the a solute  an on e ikes on the  ranklin Trail

What s new at the harbor seal rookery?

A reader sends a halo to DJ Hecktic for coming out early Saturday morning to support the Junior Warriors. “It made the kids so happy to hear you say their names—you’re a local celebrity to them!”

A reader sends a pitchfork to those who lied on their FAFSA and took scholarships away from kids who need it.

Submit Halos & Pitchforks online at coastalview.com. All submissions are subject to editing.

A reader sends a halo to Diana Rigby, Superintendent of schools, and Debra Herrick, director of Boys & Girls Club, for remo ing the to ic uphorbia fire sticks from the pots and landscape.

a m u lic nto ication ailard enue

This report covers  e       ,  CVN’s  eal  atch weekly report, written  y  eal  atch volunteers, covers activities at the  ar or  eal  ookery  The group can  e reached at carpsealwatch gmail com or     The rookery is located immediately east o   asitas  ier,  etween  arpinteria  lu s  ature  reserve and  arpinteria  tate  each   There is no vehicle access  rom  ump  oad

NATURAL HISTORY NOTES

Submit Halos and Pitchforks online at coastalview.com All submissions are subject to editing.

A reader sends a halo to Dr. Smith at Animal Medical Clinic who sacri ced his day  o  to attend to the reader s ailing cat at the last minute   e thank  onnie and all  the sta  who were so compassionate on that overwhelming day   e will  e  orever  grateful.”

A reader sends a halo to the 76 gas station on Via Real near Santa Monica Road  They  provided an attendant to  ll the reader s gas tank and wash the windows   without  asking   hen   went inside   in uired a out this service and was told they provide  it to the elderly and handicapped as a  ree service   ow that s service and another  reason why   drive across town to get their gas and car washes!  ig thank you!

Two men were contacted in a parked truck and both were extremely intoxicated with open containers of alcohol observed in the vehicle. One man was not being the most cooperative, but once he was convinced to exit the vehicle, a pat down search of his person was conducted. Deputies located a collapsible baton in the man’s front waistband. He was cited and both were released to a sober friend.

VISITORS

Friday, May 22

Carpinteria Avenue • 805-318-55O6 Mon-Sat: 10am-8pm • Sun: 10am-4pm

The  anta  ar ara  hannel is one o  the richest marine environments in the  world, caused  y the mi  o  southern and northern currents, e treme underwater  topography and other  actors which contri ute to a huge  iomass sustaining thousands o  species   s many as   whale and dolphin species have  een o served   Pinnipeds include California sea lions, Steller sea lions, Elephant seals, Guadalupe ur seals,  orthern  ur seals and, o  course,  aci c har or seals

a m heft loc alle rena

DISTURBANCES

he found a small baggie containing a white powdery substance underneath the driver’s seat of his recently purchased vehicle. The man stated he purchased the ehicle three weeks ago but didn t find the small baggie until he’d removed the dri er s seat to fi the reclining mecha nism. The incident was documented, and the baggie was booked into Santa Barbara heriff s ffice property for destruction.

Saturday, May 23

a m omestic iolence loc ia eal

verte rate science class  rom   visited   olunteers counted  ,  including  people  rom  rance,  hina,  srael,  cotland,  ermany,  ustralia, Taiwan,  oland,  ingapore,  anada,  ong  ong, the  nited  ingdom, Thailand,  ashington,  ri ona,  ew  ork,  evada, Te as,  tah,  ermont,  isconsin,  ontana,  ichigan,  ennsylvania,  issouri,  llinois,  hio, Tennessee,  ew  ersey,  innesota,  assachusetts, Maine, Kentucky, Idaho, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

A reader sends a pitchfork to the anyone considering moving the community garden to make room for hotel parking The community  has created a  eauti ul garden why would you let anything, especially  a hotel development, destroy it

A reader sends a pitchfork to the city of Carpinteria  or knowing a out  and allowing a   group to stage an advertised rally at  iola  ields,  a city park, with no permits, no city officials and no law en orcement presence

A reader sends a pitchfork to teens on e-bikes and traditional bicycles performing stunts and riding recklessly through downtown Carpinteria. “Sadly, someone is going to  e gravely injured   arents, talk to your kids

MORE INFORMATION

Deputies responded after a woman reported her residence was burglarized the prior night. The woman stated a cartoon of almond milk and tools were taken from her garage. She told the reporting deputy that the tools belonged to her daughter’s boyfriend. The deputy attempted to contact the man via telephone multiple times with no response. The woman stated her garage door was unlocked during the night and is in the process of getting a new lock. She did not have any suspect information at the time. The incident was documented, and patrol will follow-up for further details of the stolen items.

Deputies responded to a motel on Via Real for a report of a domestic violence incident. Upon arrival, a deputy contacted a man and woman in the parking lot. After contacting both subjects, there were visible injuries on both parties. Due to con icting statements regarding their mutual altercation and obvious injuries, both parties were arrested for corporal injury on a spouse.

A reader sends a pitchfork to the Carpinteria Sanitary District and the Carpinteria Valley Water District   hy are we not voting on the   project like we do  or  all the other projects or rate increases   ake up  arpinteria, you think your water  rates are high now   ust wait

A reader sends a pitchfork to last week’s overpass protesters “Where was this energy during  ama deportations   nteresting

ehicle about Sandtagged and vehicle moved. The lot not stop was in possearch located, meth. violations. ia contacted as off by a probashowed container felon pepper in the wanted ownership vehicle reported to Department. A it was stolen, by the on the only a actual pulled the car, motel subjects, they, cited for meth and investigation will obtained alm regisviolation at his icense displayrecords license was suspended. The man was cited, and his vehicle was released to a licensed driver.

a m it and un ameo and asitas ass roads

hevron demolition work caused loud  angs, which caused a num er o  seals  to alert   dditional distur ances were caused  y a group o   each walkers and a  motorized hang glider.

Deputies responded to a report a of a black sedan crashing into a parked water truck. While en route, it was also reported the male sub ect dri ing the sedan ed the scene on foot. Upon arrival, deputies observed the sedan abandoned in the middle Cameo Road with major damage to the front right passenger wheel

lease consider honoring the  arine  ammal  rotection  ct  y not walking  the sanctuary  each all year   o not  ring dogs,  icycles or loud voices to view the  seals   ar or seals, when distur ed, may flee and  ecome separated  rom their  pups. Volunteers ask that dogs always remain outside the rope area. Carpinteria Seal Watch volunteers monitor our local seal rookery. More volunteers are always needed. Contact Seal Watch at carpsealwatch@gmail.com or call 4 4 i you’d like to help

p m ound rugs loc acaranda a A man was contacted after reporting

Windows 10 Phobia?

A reader sends a pitchfork to the group parading downtown   veryone can have an  opinion,  ut c mon, with everything that s going on in the world right now

Submit Halos & Pitchforks online at coastalview.com. Submissions subject to editing.

AROUND TOWN

Arts center’s anuary olunteer o the onth is Li Rosedale

The Lynda Carpinteria Arts Center has announced Liz Rosedale as the center’s January Volunteer of the Month. Rosedale was gifted with a pack of 2025 Teen Mural Cards, a potted orchid and a gift card to an art class of her choosing. Those interested in learning more about becoming a volunteer at the arts center may contact Celeste Elliott at celeste@carpinteriaartscenter.org.

L F Li Rosedale was chosen as the anuary olunteer o the onth or the Lynda Fairly arpinteria Arts enter.

resident and o the Santa arbara oo harles opper right recently spoke with the Rotary lub o arpinteria orning including resident Stephen erteis le t.

oo speaks with orning Rotary

President and CEO of the Santa Barbara Zoo Charles Hopper recently spoke to members of the Rotary Club of Carpinteria Morning about the zoo’s plans for the future. opper was previously the  hie   perating  fficer o  the  irch  uarium at  Scripps Institution of Oceanography. He took over his role at the Santa Barbara Zoo in  anuary    opper outlined his strategy  or the ne t  ve years, which included  becoming the Central Coast conservation leader, the best employer in Santa Barbara and providing “an experience like no other” to visitors , he told club members. The Santa Barbara Zoo is located at 500 Ninos Dr., Santa Barbara.

FOOD

The Weekly Crossword

The Weekly Crossword by Margie E. Burke

by Margie E. Burke

by Margie E. Burke

Monday, Feb. 16

44 hrs iolation block acaranda ay

ditor s note ey readers, would your house be a ood fit for Throwback Thursday f you ha e an old photo of your home that we can share, please contact ea at lea coastal iew. com or 2 . e re happy to take a contemporary photo raph of your house to pair with the slice of history you ha e.

The restrained party in an active Temporary Restraining Order, with full knowledge of the restraining order, attempted to contact the victims. The victims left the scene in a vehicle and the subject chased after them, pursuing them on the freeway and through a neighborhood before the victims stopped and confronted the subject, with one victim deploying pepper spray into the subject’s face. The subject was contacted and arrested at his residence, charged with stalking and violating a restraining order.

Tuesday, Feb. 17

2 hrs ublic nto ication ia Rea and Santa ne A enue

A subject was arrested for public intoxication after being found passed out near the bus stop. The subject was heavily intoxicated and had fallen and hurt himself.

help. The subject was found to be severely intoxicated and was arrested and booked into jail. The subject spit at and kicked deputies.

hrs ncident block

asitas ass Road

Deputies responded to an alarm at a cannabis grow. Deputies observed the perimeter chain link fence had been cut. Deputies searched the warehouse since it had an unlocked door but did not  nd anything that was suspicious   ter  clearing the building, the manager of the property was contacted and he said the cut in the fence was new, but he reviewed the cameras and did not see anything   e  was given a case number and told to call if there was any other damaged property or anything stolen. Upon follow up the next day, deputies learned that they had video footage of three males prying a door open and entering the warehouse for about 20 seconds before the alarm went o   and they ran away  The su jects did  not steal anything.

This Sept. 1973 Carpinteria Herald photo shows Tom Cundith of the Lions Club of Carpinteria handing a $100 check to Rich Medel of the Carpinteria Boys Club. The sign to notify the community of the new construction includes a mis-spelling of Medel’s first name as well as the incorrect address.

Wednesday, Feb. 18 hrs he t 4 block arpinteria A enue

Saturday, Feb. 21 4 hrs ncident block

Editor’s note: Longtime Carpinterian Lou Panizzon recently discovered a copy of a 1940 Directory of Carpinteria Valley and Summerland online and forwarded it to Coastal View News. Published by the Carpinteria Herald, Coastal View News’ predecessor, the 30-page book includes addresses—no phone numbers—for every family listed. Also included is a “Historical sketch” about Carpinteria Valley that will be reprinted here in sections over the next few weeks. The first two installments, published in the July 13 and 20 CVN, can be found at coastalview.com.

Between Feb. 15 and Feb. 16, an unknown suspect(s) willfully broke into/ damaged a local cluster mailbox. The suspect(s) stole mail from 16 residents, committing vandalism and mail theft. A courtesy report was taken and forwarded to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

45 years ago: Introducing the new Boys Club

Foothill Road

Ground broke for a new Carpinteria Boys Club site on Foothill Road on Aug. 1, 1973 after a grant from Santa Barbara Foundation provided the funding to move the club out of an Aliso School classroom and into its own facility. Newly hired director, Rich Medel, worked out of a real estate office in downtown Carpinteria while the foundation was poured and the building took shape. Looking back on his first year as director, Medel said that activities for kids during construction included camping trips out of town and sports on local fields.

The Ogan transplant

irector of arpinteria alle and ummerland istorical etch continued

2 22 hrs U alnut A enue and arpinteria A enue

Carpinteria was laid out as a townsite in 1887, what is now known as Old Town having carried the name given by the Spanish soldiers up to that time. The town, always dependent on the prosperity and demands of the ranchers, grew in population gradually up to a few years ago, when the rapid development in the lemon industry has made possible a fair-sized village. Although it has the population necessary, the residents have never taken a step towards incorporation, but have established the necessary special districts by which are furnished all the conveniences of cities.

traffi  c stop was initiated  or no  ront  license plate. The driver was found to be driving under the infl uence   e provided  a breath sample and was booked at Santa Barbara County Jail.

A subject reported a paraglider landed on his property without permission. The subject requested prosecution for trespassing. The paraglider was contacted, who stated he believed he landed on public land outside of the agriculture area of the property. There was no fence delineating the border of the property and there was a nearby easement that follows the creek back to the roadway of Vial Real. Case submitted to the district attorney for review.

Lemon Industry

The Ogan family may be best known now for the lovely tree-lined road named in its honor, but its contribution to Carpinteria traces to the town’s earliest days. The Ogans’ arrival stretches back to 1869, when James Simeral and Elizabeth Ogan led their ox teams into the valley. James Simeral’s son James Washington Ogan built a house near today’s Carpinteria Community Church in 1878. His wife, Ada, delivered all six of her children in the house. Later in James W.’s life, the building was removed from its foundation and relocated near Linden Avenue. A few years after that, it was moved again, about 150 feet, to its current location, just steps away from Ogan Road (which did not exist at the time). And that’s where the house still stands today.

4 hrs ncident Santa laus Lane

In August of 1974, the games room was complete, and kids were provided with a new, safe environment to shoot pool and hang out after school. Safeway was being remodeled concurrently and donated lights to the new club. In 1978, the gym was added thanks to a huge community fundraising effort that secured $400,000, and improvements have continued since then. In 1983, the Carpinteria Boys Club became the Carpinteria Boys & Girls Club and inducted its first female members. The club now boasts an arts and crafts center, a resource center, a playground and a teen center. Its membership has ballooned as well, rising from 100 members in the early years to over 600 today.

Thursday, Feb. 19

hrs respassing block Linden A enue

At the present time, the two main industries are lemon and avocado culture with the former far in advance in point of importance. While the avocado is grown very successfully here, the output is small compared with the lemon industry and in point of labor involved there is no comparison.

To learn more about Carpinteria’s unique and interesting past, visit the Carpinteria Valley Museum of History, open Tuesday through Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. at 956 Maple Ave.

Deputies responded to a subject, whom deputies contacted three times previously in Summerland, who was causing a disturbance. Employees and deputies asked the subject to leave and he refused. The subject was arrested for public intoxication and trespassing. The subject feigned an illness and was treated at  oleta  alley  ottage  ospital, where  he became uncooperative, before he was ultimately booked into Santa Barbara County Jail.

A reckless driver was reported attempting to disrupt a caravan of about 10 vehicles displaying Trump and American fl ags   ne o  the vehicles alleged the vehi cle intentionally rammed them    traffi  c  stop was initiated on the vehicle, and it was determined that no collision occurred and there was no evidence to support the claims of the attempted intentional ram. One of the occupants of the vehicle was arrested for an outstanding misdemeanor warrant.

he lemon industry has grown from a few carloads in to between fifteen hundred and two thousand carloads per year at the present time. The two large packing houses handle about two-thirds of the product of the valley and furnish practically all of the labor offered. Each packing house has a large picking crew with the necessary implements and vehicles, while in each house there are about one hundred packers, washers and warehousemen. Only a comparatively few acres were devoted to lemon culture thirty years ago, while at the present time practically all of the tillable land of the valley has been set to lemons. Thirty years ago, the same could advisedly be said of walnut trees, but all those trees have been taken out and the land planted to lemons.

4 hrs he t block asitas ass Road

2 hrs ublic nto ication actus Lane and th Street

To learn more about Carpinteria’s unique and interesting past, visit the Carpinteria Valley Museum of History, open Tuesday through Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. at 956 Maple Ave.

A reporting party stated that on Feb. 17 at about 0245 hours, numerous suspects possibly cut his fence, disabled surveillance cameras and entered the property of the cannabis farm next door. The suspects were seen minutes later hoping back over the fence and running from where they entered. It appeared the suspects were deterred by an alarm or security presence. No suspicious activity was reported by the cannabis farm at this time.

July

Friday, Feb. 20

hrs ublic nto ication block alle acific

August

Deputies responded to the Jelly Bowl for the report of a male screaming for

A subject was reported to be intoxicated on Cactus Lane. Deputies contacted the subject, and he was found to be heavily intoxicated, unable to care for himself and with no family/friends in the area to care for him. For these reasons he was arrested and transported to Santa Barbara County Jail for the violation.

hrs ncident 4 block arpinteria A enue

To learn more about Carpinteria’s unique and interesting past, visit the Carpinteria Valley Museum of History, open Tuesday through Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. at 956 Maple Ave.

Deputies responded to a local business for the subject. The subject was intoxicated and determined to be unable to care for her own safety. She was arrested and transported. A bed was available at the sobering center and the subject was compliant with the instructions  rom the sta     The subject was released at the Sobering Center to the nurses.

Mike & Diane Wondolowski

UNPREDICTABLE WILDERNESS

CHUCK GRAHAM

They certainly appear lazy while basking on pocket beaches north and south of the Piedras Blancas Lighthouse in San Simeon. Northern elephant seals, the second largest seal in the world, are anything but lethargic.

It’s a long way to migrate down from Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, a 13,000mile round-trip journey. After arriving each winter, among the flotsam o  tangled bull kelp and splintered driftwood, there’s some down time, but also a lot of beachside drama taking place.

Mothers nursing their hungry pups depend on those natural elements as  u ers  to rear their young. However, those piles of kelp and burly driftwood are barley speedbumps for cantankerous and territorial 15-foot-long bulls weighing in at a svelte 3,000 to 5,000 pounds.

After windswept San Miguel Island, the Piedras Blancas rookery has grown to be the second largest northern elephant seal rookery in the world. It began with just a few animals in the mid-1990s, but today there are anywhere from 25,000 to 30,000 northern elephant seals along that ruggedly scenic coastline.

The beach isn’t big enough

Not for two beachmasters anyway. However, watching the beach dynamics and pecking order of which girthy bull was the most dominant was tough to decipher. I didn’t leave my perch until I knew who was the most preeminent.

One bull was on the north end of the beach. Another bull was almost in the middle of the crowded beach. They were of similar size. Each bull was trying to mate with any female they could with no regard for any pup in its path. The bull in the middle of the beach was chasing all subadult males trying to mate out of its territory. After galumphing after a subadult male towards the north end of the beach, the two dominant bulls reared upward and looked at each other with big bloodshot eyes.

Dominant bulls are not only characterized by their weight and length, but equally noticeable are the thick pink scars on their necks and even showing on their long, hollow, floppy snouts, known as  proboscis. Battles can be monumental and bloody. A couple of winters ago I watched two bulls go head-to-head, from start to  nish    timed their  ght   t went

or   minutes and  nished in the ocean  where the water surrounding the two bulls turned light pink from all the blood washing o  their raw necks

This encounter didn’t get that exciting, but it revealed which bull was the beachmaster. After they locked eyes, the bull in the middle of the beach charged after the bull to the north end where the beach ran into a sheer  lu   t was galumphing at its  nest  The dominant  ull chased its challenger o  the  each and into the ocean

After revealing which bull was the dominant one, the victor swam around a rocky pinnacle and returned to its beach. Immediately it mated with a female, and the spoils went to the victor.

Day one

It’s not easy being a northern elephant seal pup. As soon as they emerge from their mother’s womb, life is brutal. After being deposited into wet, gritty sand, the gulls lie in wait. They crave the placenta that is rich in protein, and the seabird scrum is impressive. The mother northern elephant seals despise the ravenous gulls and lunge at them. If there’s placenta still attached to a newborn pup, the gulls will swarm the pup and peck at the placenta and even separate the pup from the mom. It’s a rough way to begin life for cute northern elephant seal pups.

ups nurse  or  ve weeks and then  they are on their own. During those weeks, they nurse heavily to build up their fat reserves. However, nursing is no day at the beach either. Many of the surrounding beaches don’t have a lot of depth, so King Tides, extreme high tides reach the  ase o  the  lu s and separate

many pups from their moms. It’s not uncommon seeing three to  ve orphaned  pups at a time trying to nurse with a single mom that can’t sustain that type of motherhood.

And then there are those bulls that have no regard for any offspring, especially when a bull is chasing after a challenger, or when it comes to mating. The bulls are polygamists, so all the females within each harem are subjected to mating, and the pups sometimes get trampled by galumphing males plowing

through the rookery. It’s all on display at these Central California rookeries. The sights, smells, sounds and drama of one of the greatest wildlife spectacles in the world are just steps away rom  aci c  oast  ighway  ne

Adventure and travel writer Chuck Graham lives in Carpinteria and contributes his writing and photography to publications far and wide. For more wildlife photos, visit chuckgrahamphoto.com or follow Graham on Instagram at @chuckgrahamphoto.

THROWBACK

The original Linden Square

Long before shoppers strolled the 700 lock o   inden  venue to sip co ee and  rowse  outi ues at the newly developed  inden  uare, there was another  inden  uare    one made not o   store ronts and string lights,  ut o  sand  dunes, sea  ree e and salty hair ocal resident  regg  arty recently  su mitted the adjacent photo and memories, recalling the original  inden  uare   the stretch where  inden  venue  meets the  aci c  cean in the early  s n  arty s photo, sand dunes dominate  the landscape    lone concrete sla  hints  at one o  the  rst larger developments  on the  each  The snack shack that once  stood near y   complete with a pin all  machine   had already disappeared  y  then   arty remem ers that local legend    olson supposedly held the high score record on the machine, a point o   pride in a time when  ragging rights were  earned one silver  all at a time n one side o  the parking lot stood  a large,  enced wood lattice shade structure   eneath it were giant  ar ecue pits,  with ta les and seating  or perhaps    people   t wasn t unusual  or  amilies  and  riends to gather  or  each cookouts  that lasted well into the evening  There  was a shu le oard court, permanent  play structures and, thanks to  arty s  ather   a ectionately known as  oc   arty   a  each volley all court always  ready  or action rom  inden  venue down to  sh  treet   o ten re erred to as the  oat  launch   a small wooden pier stretched  into the water, making it easier to launch  ski s and small  oats   cattered throughout the dunes were modest  each cottages, some o  the cheapest rentals in town at  the time  The stretch o  coast was a patchwork o  sand, sur  and simple living This area o  our community is known  as  inden  uare,   arty wrote   inden  uare, sand dunes and parties on the  each   the way it was!

the 1960s, the area

n those days, he recalls, a common  e change around town went something  like this:

hat are you doing this weekend  think  ll hang out at  inden  uare Today, the name  inden  uare has  een reimagined  or a new generation   a commercial hu  that draws locals  and visitors alike to gather, dine and  connect just  locks  rom the shore   et  the spirit  eels  amiliar  Then as now,  inden  uare was less a out a speci c  structure and more a out a shared place  to come together ne version had giant  ar ecue pits

Thank you to the readers that became CVN Sustaining Members through an annual contribution or monthly pledge. We will continue to remind readers and advertisers that continued support is vital to secure the future of free local news and event coverage.

and shu e oard courts  The other has  outdoor dining and store ronts   oth, in  their own way, have served as  arpinte-

ria s living room   proo  that while the  ackdrop may change, the heart eat o  a  each town remains the same

TO OUR READERS...

Do you have a photo from Carpinteria’s past? Contact news@coastalview.com to share it with other readers!

If you rush out to the newsstand every Thursday morning eager to learn of local happenings, clip photos for your refrigerator, or consider it your civic duty to engage with Carpinteria content exclusive to CVN, then it’s your time to become a Sustaining CVN Member. While we plan to continue to distribute CVN as a free publication, please consider supporting us and becoming a member who can proudly participate in our future.

CVN Champion $5 per issue — $20/month or $260/year

CVN Lover $2 per issue — $10/month or $110/year

CVN Fan $1 per issue — $5/month or $52/year

OUR GOAL is to continue paying our hard-working staff and publishing a product that both chronicles and creates this special community. Imagine never again saying, “Did you see today’s Coastal View?”

FEBRUARY 26, 2026

High-flying Warriors win two matches to start season

BY RYAN P. CRUZ

PHOTOS BY ROSANA SWING

Carpinteria boys volleyball won two of its  rst three matches o  the spring season,  including two home games won  y the  arriors in three straight sets

The  arriors opened up the spring  season with a road trip to  ace  rcutt  cademy on  e     arpinteria s s uad su ered  rom  some  rst game jitters, with challenges  in rotations and communication slowing  their rhythm   rcutt  cademy took the  win in three sets  ,  ,  ven with the loss, there were some  shining spots  or the  arriors   a ael  intura  nished the game with si  kills,  and  lan  aya helped direct the o ense  with eight assists

The ne t day, the  arriors were eager  to get  ack on the court  or their  rst  home game o  the year against  ioneer  alley   n this game,  arpinteria  ed o  the  energy o  the home crowd, coming out  with a win in the  rst set,

The  arriors kept rolling through the  second set, which was a hard ought  attle eventually won  y  arpinteria,    n the third, the  arriors sealed the  three set sweep with a   win arpinteria head coach  avian  u ralles said the win  elt good, especially  since  ioneer  alley won three o   our  matchups against the  arriors last sea son ole  ow ottom led the team with   kills in the win  The  arriors had  alanced per ormances  rom  lan  aya   assists,   digs and seven kills ,  a ael  intura   digs, si  kills and  our aces ,  huy  eyes   digs, nine assists and  two aces  and  lari  odrigue    digs  and one ace arpinteria kept the winning mo mentum in its ne t home match against  aci ca on  e

The  arriors o ense was dominant in  the  rst set, taking a nine point advantage  early on  e ore winning the set,  aci ca took the advantage early in the  second set, leading  y seven points  e ore  the  arriors came  ack to win,  arpinteria maintained the momen tum in the third, taking the set  y a score  o    and sealing another   sweep in  ront o  the home crowd verall,  oth teams competed well  and made it an e citing match,  coach  uralles said   or me, it was a  itter sweet night, as  aci ca is my alma ma ter and   had the opportunity to coach  against my  ormer coach nce again, the  arriors had strong  per ormances  rom several players in the  win   intura led the way with   digs,    kills and two  locks   aya  lled the stat  sheet with   assists, two kills and two  aces   eyes contri uted with   assists  and   digs  and  odrigue   nished with   digs

Carpinteria boys volleyball is now , with a non league match on the road  against  anta  aria on  riday,  e

RIGHT: Rafael Cintura finished with our ser ice aces in arpinteria’s first home game.

SHORT STOPS

BY RYAN P. CRUZ

arriors open track and field season with Rincon Races

arpinteria track and   eld start ed out the year hosting the annual  incon  aces on  aturday,  e     ter a long day o  events, the  ar riors girls team came away with a  victory, while the  oys varsity team  came in second place out o  the  our teams in attendance

The  arriors girls com ined  or   points, coming in  ar ahead  o  second place  illmore   and  third place  anta  ne   enior sprinter  ivian  uskins  started the season out strong,  coming away with two new school  records   uskins tied the school  record o    seconds in the  meter dash  Tessa  ash ran  the same time in  , and  roke  ucy  uncan s  year old record  in the  meter sprint with a new  est o    seconds uskins was also part o  the  arriors   irst place   re lay team, along with juniors  sla  oore,  y  cott and  aydance  ardner

SWING

li ere took ourth place in discus with a personal record o 4’ ’’ at the Rincon Races.

ivian has done an outstanding jo  preparing hersel   or the season,  said  arpinteria coach  an  atham   he has  een doing track workouts  e ore her soccer  practices since  ovem er   t is very grati ying to see her set school records in the   rst  meet o  the season   he is very deserving enior  iarys  ome  also won multiple events at the  incon  aces   ome  won  the  meter sprint and anchored the girls   relay winning team along with  oore,  cott and  iana  iah

The girls team also won  oth o  the hurdles races, with  cott taking the win in the  meter hurdles and sophomore  alleh  ahan winning the  meter hurdles n the  oys side, the  arriors had some strong individual per ormances,  ut  arpinteria came in second place as a team with   points total   illmore took the  team win with   points unior  a   oto won two events, taking   rst place in  oth the   and  meter  races   unior  a on  ent el also won two races, taking  oth the   and  meter  hurdles  or the  arriors t is encouraging to see  uite a  ew personal records in addition to the school  records in the   rst meet o  the year,  coach  atham said   e were well prepared  or  today   t will give us momentum into our league opening dual meet against  anta  aula ne t Thursday

arpinteria baseball lights up scoreboard

The  arriors started the  ase all season with a high powered o  ensive show and  a deep roster o  talented pitchers com ining to de eat  anta  lara on the road  y a  score o   arpinteria s win was a team e  ort, with  our pitchers com ining  or   strikeouts  and holding  anta  lara to just one run   enior  a e  artine  started on the mound, striking out  our  atters in two score less innings   ophomore  onah  ernande  earned the win on the score sheet, pitching  two innings and striking out another  our hitters e t handed senior  am  edel came in to pitch the    th and si th innings, serving  three strikeouts and holding  anta  lara scoreless   n the   nal inning, senior  allas  artholic came in to seal the deal with two more strikeouts The  arriors  ats were active in this   rst game o  the year, with  ernande  leading  the way with si  hits, including his   rst home run

reshman  rayden  eal had an impressive de ut with si  hits, while senior  icah  mith went a per ect   ve or  ve at the plate edel,  artine  and  artholic all had  our hits apiece, and senior  harlotte  ooney  was walked  our times and accounted  or three o  the  arriors  runs e saw some encouraging signs and progress within the game,  said  arpinteria  coach  at  ooney   The players will keep a process ased approach and continue  improving   t was just great to  e out there doing our thing

arriors boys tennis wins close match arpinteria  oys tennis opened up the season with a home win, de eating  t   onaventure in a tight   decision at  arpinteria  igh  chool on  e   The  arriors dou les duo o   ervando  ampu ano and  than  lmgren set the tone  with a three set sweep,  ollowed  y another sweep  rom the duo o   ohn  orrison  and Tiago  l aidi   ew partners  iam  illen and  le   anson picked up one more win  or the  ar riors, helping  arpinteria take a slight advantage in the close match n singles,  dwin  ernande  picked up two wins and  amran  advar went  ,  giving the  arriors the edge to take the team victory arpinteria is now  , with a non league match against  illanova  rep this week

From le t a e intard on tsuki a el ugr and Russell Russo during the presentation o the hil omble thics in Sports Award. arpinteria watersports star earns thics in Sports Award

arpinteria junior  a el  ugr  was named as this year s  hil  om le  thics in  ports  ward winner, given to student athletes who e empli y the highest level o   sportsmanship, accounta ility and commitment to team success over individual  achievement ugr  has competed  or three years  or the  arriors water polo and swim teams,  contri uting not only in the pool  ut on the sidelines as a leader and team captain   er  coaches praised her a ility to handle adversity and set an e ample  or her teammates  y leading through actions, encouraging others and consistently striving to improve  have  een  ortunate to have coached  a el  or three years in  oth water polo  and swim, and have gotten to know who she is   he represents everything athletics  should stand  or   integrity, accounta ility, humility and respect  or teammates and  competitors,  coach  on  tsuki said   n a world where winning can overshadow  character, she reminds us what truly matters  This award honors her not just  or  her athletic accomplishments  ut  or the person she is and how she represents our  programs with class ater polo coach  ussell  usso said  ugr   ecame a leader and strong role model  or younger teammates   he has always  een tuned into appropriate  ehavior on deck and representing  hersel  well in  ront o  offi  cials and opponents even when situations  ecome tense,   usso said   he always gives me an honest opinion, takes initiative and is wanting  to know how to improve hersel  as an athlete and as a captain ugr  was honored during the  anta  ar ara  thletic  ound Ta le luncheon on  onday,  e   , where she was joined  y  amily and coaches

ON DECK

Thursday, Feb. 26

*Carpinteria Softball vs Pacifica, 3 p.m.

*Carpinteria Boys Tennis vs Villanova, 3 p.m.

*Carpinteria Track & Field vs Santa Paula, 3:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 27

*Carpinteria Boys Volleyball vs Santa Maria, 5 p.m. *

CRUZ ON SPORTS

RYAN P. CRUZ

When we think of the top athletes and performers, we tend to picture somebody who does whatever it takes, sacri cing  time, money, relationships  everything  in order to achieve their goals   chieving that level o  greatness means putting  sport and competition a ove all else

This culture of ruthless competition has disastrous consequences for the mental health of not only professional athletes,  ut young kids who aren t  allowed to have  un playing the sport  they love due to pressure to make it to that ne t level

But every once in a while, an athlete will come along to shatter those old  ideals, and remind the world that sports are something to  e enjoyed   uring this  year s  lympic  inter  ames, we saw  this in  gure skater  lysa  iu, who was  launched into worldwide notoriety not just  or winning gold,  ut  or doing it all  on her own terms iu s story is  oth heart reaking and  inspiring   er early li e was dominated

Winning on your own terms

medalist in

y skating practices, camps, competitions  and coaches who controlled her every move   y age  , she already was competing at the national level t age  , she  ecame the youngest  skater to win the    hampionships   ver the ne t three years, she dominated  and won yet another national title

Then she decided to retire from the sport at age    he announced that she  was  moving on with her li e,  and that  gure skating had  ecome something she  didn t enjoy anymore

Carpinteria Mountain Biking Team invites new riders

new opportunity  or young riders  is rolling into its second season as the  arpinteria  ountain  iking Team  prepares to welcome  th through eigth  grade students this summer and  all ounded last year  y local teacher  nya  imonovich, the volunteer run  team aims to provide middle school students with a supportive environment to uild skills, con dence and community  through mountain  iking e accept kids o  all a ility levels,   imonovich said   hether a rider is  rand new to mountain  iking or already  loves the sport, there s a place  or them  on the team

The program, known as  arpinteria  T , launched its inaugural season last  all   rgani ers say the response  rom  students and  amilies was encouraging,  and they hope to expand participation in the upcoming season

The team is led by volunteer coaches and focuses on skill development, teamwork and outdoor recreation   ractices  and rides are designed to accommodate  eginners while also challenging more  e perienced riders egistration  or the   season opens  pril   The season is scheduled to run  rom  uly through  ovem er n an e ort to encourage more girls to  participate, the team will host a special event on  arch    or girls interested in  trying the sport  The event is intended as  a low-pressure introduction to mountain iking and the team environment arpinteria  T  is open to students  throughout the community in grades  ve  through eight or more in ormation or to register,  amilies can contact head coach  nya  imonovich at anyadsimono gmail com

t took a lot o  guts to tell the world you  don t want to continue something that was  your li e s dream   he was critici ed  or  the decision, but said she wanted to have the chance to live her li e how she wanted Then something happened   ter a  ew  years o ,  iu was in a much  etter place  mentally   he says that, while on a ski trip  with  riends, she reali ed she was having  un competing   he decided to pick the  skates up again   ut this time, she would  decide how she did things he reunited with coaches  hillip  i uglielmo and  assimo  cali, who  agreed to work with her at her pace   Nobody would tell her what to eat or when to practice    she wanted to push  hersel , she would    she wanted to stop,  they would stop iu s skills  uickly returned, and it was  as i  she had unlocked a new cheat code   he no longer  elt the pressure o  the competition  Those moments o  an iety and  dread  e ore taking the ice disappeared,  and now she approached skating with a  renewed love he  egan winning again, rising up  the ranks and impressing judges and  ans with her e ortless and uni ue style   he  ecame the ultimate cool girl, dyeing halos in her hair and giving hersel

her now amous smiley piercing   he  chose her own clothes and music for her programs, opting to  eature artists like  au ey,  ady  aga,  oji,  onna  ummer  and  ink  antheress ll o  this culminated in the  lympic  inter  ames, where she glided her way  into the  nals and took the gold ike millions o  others around the  world,   watched her  nal  ree skate in  awe  There s something special a out  watching some ody in their element,  doing what they love in their own uni ue  way It was a mix of technical skills and pure un  Tara  ipinski, a  ormer gold medalist  who was the on air announcer during the  nals, said  iu looked as i  she wasn t perorming,  just e uding joy and passion hen  iu s routine came to a close, she  did a casual flip o  her hair and wiped  her hands as if to say, “Well that was easy  The crowd went wild   nstead o   showering  iu with flowers,  ans threw  plushies on the ice he s  igured out how to compete  without carrying the weight o  it,   ipinski said as  iu skated o  the ice   he s  so loose and hersel  out there  that s  the secret every athlete wants to solve t s true   ny ody who s played a  sport knows the mental battle behind the physical one   t s hard to overcome at  any level, and all athletes have to contend with it in some way n an interview with    ews,  iu  said the nerves don t really get to her  anymore, a ter what she s  een through   hen asked how she s a le to  lock out  the noise,  iu replied,   really protect my  peace  Truly    hang out with my  riends  a lot  They keep me grounded   nd   say  no,  a lot  think that s the real secret   aying  no when you need to protect your own mental health   t s something we all need  to do more, especially young athletes who  can be pushed to the brink by outside pressures   inning on your own terms is possile, and  iu serves as an e cellent e ample o  this to the sports stars o  the  uture Ryan P. Cruz is the sports editor for oastal  View News. This is the latest installment of a monthly column where he explores local sports, sports history and what’s in store for the future of Carpinteria sports. Have an idea, tip or sports story? Email him at sports@ coastalview.com.

ON THE ROAD

CVN represents in Reno

arpinteria  igh  chool  uture  armers o   merica    alumni  velyn  alkins and  ngel  ineda  antana showed  off their copy of Coastal View News at the  ali ornia  attlemen s  ssociation  convention in Reno, Nevada, where they represented    avis and  resno  tate,  respectively

Allie Sundara and Andrew Sova were married May 10, 2025, at the Santa Barbara Zoo in Santa Barbara, Calif.

The couple first met as students at Carpinteria High School, where they formed a close friendship that would later grow into a lasting romance. Over the years, they supported one another through life’s milestones, eventually realizing that their bond had become something more.

Their first official date took place in Venice Beach, a moment the couple describes as both exciting and comfortably familiar. After five years of dating, Andrew proposed in Malibu, marking the beginning of their engagement and the next chapter of their story.

“We met as high school friends at Carpinteria High School, where we quickly became inseparable,” the couple shared. “For years, we supported each other through all of life’s ups and downs, never realizing that the deep bond we shared as best friends would eventually lead to something more. What had started as an incredible friendship blossomed into a beautiful romance.”

“With joy and excitement, we both knew this was the start of our forever,” they added. “We’re thrilled to share this special day as we celebrate our love and the incredible journey that brought us here.”

Starkey –– Cruz

Coastal View News Editor Jun Starkey and Sports Editor Ryan P. Cruz are happy to announce they are officiallyengaged!Thetwodedicatedjournalistsmetwhileworkingontheircollegenewspaper,andtheirlovecontinuedtoflourishovertheyears as they covered news and sports in Carpinteria and Santa Barbara. Ryan proposed on a sunny afternoon last weekend while the couple walked through Santa Barbara City College’s gardens overlooking the Santa Barbara coast.

Seascape Realty

MIXED USE Rare, mixed-use property on the 'T' in downtown Carpinteria-fantastic location! Parcel currently configured as 5 residential rental units and 1 commercial rental. Commercial building is a florist, but past uses include a salon, art gallery/gift shop, bike shop, and was once the location of the Carpinteria Herald newspaper! All but one residential unit currently rented. Some tenant parking onsite, W/D hookups in storage area. PLEASE DO NOT DISTURB TENANTS.

OFFERED AT $2,500,000

Please call Terry Stain at 805-705-1310