I am responding to comments made by Joshua Haggmark in Noozhawk reporter Joshua Molina’s Jan. 30 article regarding the continuing drought.
Haggmark, the City of Santa Barbara’s water resources manager, is advocating further water conservation, which would be fine and of course is necessary, but I chafe at the thought of losing not just my lawn but possibly mature trees and even my well established drought-tolerant plantings (installed after the last persistent drought).
The reason for the dismay is that Santa Barbara and Goleta have added thousands of new water hookups during this drought. It’s unconscionable to expect longtime residents to conserve while city governments, essentially, spend the water savings on adding new housing to a community that is already busting at the seams and lacks the infrastructure for such growth.
I am weary of hearing the excuse that the state government mandates this growth. If this is truly what is fueling growth, then it is time to ask Gov. Jerry Brown for a moratorium on growth for Santa Barbara. Fire, flood, drought and an inadequate infrastructure, combined with overcrowding, traffic congestion and overdevelopment have and continue to negatively affect the quality of life in Santa Barbara.
It is illogical to think that we can grow infinitely. We need a new plan.
Hattie Beresford
Santa Barbara
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I would like to see more pressure put on the dumping of the toxic Montecito mudslide mud throughout the Central Coast public access areas, such as Goleta Beach and alongside Highway 101 at Patterson Avenue in Goleta.
They say they are testing it after they dump it. What do they do if they determine through testing that it is too high? They don’t have to worry, though, because they are doing the testing and the analysis and making the decision. We are being duped!
This dumping is going to be stage three of this fire, flood and now toxic dump. I know without a doubt that the Goleta and Santa Barbara city councils and Santa Barbara County and the state government will not do anything to stand up to this because remaining calm and not engaging is the easily self-accepting slide.
When you take a public leadership position you need to lead with passion, but most go in with position priority instead of public and environmental commitment, as in this case. People will get sick and may die when they return to using Goleta Beach. Kids will put this sand in their mouths and the sand will not filter everything.
What isn’t being noticed is how they are using the ocean bacterial levels as a cloak and dagger scheme to allow this. It’s helping to hide all the chemicals from these houses like methyl ethel ketone, antifreeze, oil, gas and batteries — all these items you can’t put in a landfill but we are putting on the beach and into the ocean.
And this is in the state with the greatest concern for environment and global warming. Why isn’t there more outrage and support by the people who represent us and Noozhawk?
Bart Bader
Goleta
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A letter to David Hetyonk and Cary Matsuoka of the Santa Barbara Unified School District …
This letter is regarding your decision to not allow our local flag football league, Friday Night Lights, access to the fields at La Colina Junior High School.
This will be my son’s third season playing Friday Night Lights. There’s not much available for youth football in the Santa Barbara area. Friday Night Lights allows kids to participate in a sport they love without the risk of major injury like tackle football.
We are so disappointed in the school district’s decision to not grant FNL access to any fields. We cannot believe that you would take away such a wonderful opportunity for kids, parents and the community to come together for just a few hours on Friday nights.
Is it the neighborhood along the field that is complaining? The school and the field have been there for quite some time. Those people chose to buy a home in very close proximity to a junior high school, so I’m not sure what they would have expected on a Friday night. Everything pretty much is done by 8:30 or 9 p.m. And it’s not all year long, just in the spring and the fall.
You should be ashamed of yourselves for taking this away from so many kids — and parents, as well.
Friday Night Lights is a great place for kids to meet other kids who have the same love for football. It’s a safe and fun environment for kids to be on a Friday nNight. Local businesses also participate in FNL. There are usually two or three food trucks selling dinner. There are plenty of trash receptacles, and the FNL league has always been very respectful of the fields, making sure to do a thorough cleanup after games.
So not only are you hurting HUNDREDS of kids, you are hurting families and local businesses. We sincerely hope that you will reconsider your decision.
Ingrid and Scott Jones, parents of a 12-year-old boy
Santa Barbara
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The cultivation, sale, distribution and use of marijuana (Mary Jane) are federal crimes, subject to imprisonment, fine and asset attachment. Marijuana is not a Food & Drug Administration-approved drug as to sale, use, medical treatment, dosage and purity. It is a federal crime to produce, distribute and sell a drug not approved by the FDA.
Federal law is superior to state, county and city law. Any funds or assets required thorough the cultivation, sale and distribution of marijuana from state, county and city sales taxes are subject to federal attachment.
Marijuana, as addicts and those involved in addiction treatment will tell you, is a gateway drug. A mind-altering and critical-thinking altering drug. A drug opening the way for addiction to more powerful drugs. The fool’s drug.
Are leaders of the City of Santa Barbara and Santa Barbara County so desperate for funds that they willing to promote the sale and distribution of marijuana? Seeking tax revenue from its sale is wrong and criminal. Are they unaware of our and the nation’s drug problem? Do not contribute to it.
What price the welfare of our citizens, especially our youth? Say no to the cultivation, sale and distribution, within the city and county.
H.T. Bryan
Santa Barbara
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Your Jan. 27 headline, “Ruptured Underground Pipe Sparks Explosion at Santa Maria Greenhouse Farm,” is dramatic, but quite absurd.
Carbon dioxide is an inert gas. It cannot “spark” an explosion. In fact, it is used in fire extinguishers to put out fires. It could, of course, be dangerous to breathe in high concentrations. Perhaps a pressure buildup caused an explosion of sorts?
I bring this up because there is a lack of understanding of basic science evidenced here. We have enough problems with the general level of ignorance of science in this country without the Noozhawk contributing to it in order to have a headline.
John Kendall
Santa Ynez
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