What
are they thinking?
Some of you might remember the storm of February 1998 and
the flooding that happened along Alamo Pintado Creek
after that storm. The plan is to build a retaining wall along the creek and
haul in up to 2,000 tandem truck loads of landfill since it is officially a
flood plain.
The City of Solvang has done an environmental impact
report, the county has not, in spite of the impact this will have on county
flood control and water issues, county private roads, county residents and
wildlife protection.
In my opinion, the city’s report is inadequate and
flawed. Considering the current housing market and the problems they are having
selling new homes in the Skytt Mesa Development, it
makes no sense to build houses here.
A public hearing is scheduled on Tue., July 7 at 9 a.m.,
for the Board of Supervisors regarding approval of the permit to start grading
for the access road to the project. The hearing location is the Board of
Supervisors Hearing Room, County Administration Bldg., 105
E. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara.
Please let everyone know who may have an opinion on this,
and everyone is encouraged to attend this hearing and show support for
opposition to these projects without proper impact analysis. We need to insist
that the county become involved in this decision.
Kenneth Heeg
Solvang
Indian
policy “galls”
I applaud your article. Your points are valid not only in
California but in every state that allows Indian gaming.
From a broader perspective, I do not believe the
“Indians” represent more than 1 percent of the U.S. population, yet they have
gotten a handle on a huge segment of America’s dollars, usually while thumbing
their noses at the rest of us. It galls me that the smallest of minorities can
gross more than nearly $30 billion a year and still receive additional billions
in federal subsidies and grants. Meanwhile, 50 million whites and other
minorities can’t get health care or insurance coverage but are required to take
care of the Indians through taxes.
I hope you continue to get the word out in an ever
widening circle. Thank you.
Clark C. Curtin
Santa Teresa, New Mexico
AIDS
ride as policy
I have ridden a bicycle in the Santa Ynez Valley for the
past 32 years. Like most who ride here, we tend to be solo riders. Not all
people like to ride solo or have the opportunity to do so. Group rides address
the non-solo riders.
Of all of the numerous rides that have taken place in the
valley, I felt that the recent AIDS ride was the best yet in terms of an
amateur ride. They rode single file rather than double or triple abreast. They
came in groupings so that vehicular traffic could move easily and safely. There
were monitors at stop signs that truly controlled the situations. All riders
came to complete stops unless waved on by the monitors.
They were very friendly. They really enjoyed riding here
and wanted to not insult people so that they could do it again.
This ride ranks as high as the Amgen/Tour of California
rides, for both are well run. They are different than others that have been
held here. I think that the lessons and experiences of the Amgen/Tours of
California and the AIDS ride should be made into the policy or standards that
the valley expects all bicycle groups to ride up to.
Fr. Stacy
Solvang
General
aviation helps
Each month, volunteer pilots from Grace Flight fly
patients needing specialized medical care to hospitals throughout Texas. Many
of these patients from rural areas would otherwise be hard-pressed to receive
the care they need.
These flights are part of general aviation, which
includes all flying except the scheduled airlines and military. Right now
general aviation is being imperiled by misguided plans in Washington, D.C.,
that propose new costs and regulations.
If these proposals are enacted, the outlook could be grim
for Grace Flight patients, as well as for millions of other people throughout
the country who depend on general aviation for services and jobs.
With an estimated 65 percent of general aviation flights
conducted for public service and business, many industries and services would
be affected, including agriculture, emergency medical evacuation, law
enforcement, aerial fire fighting, package delivery
and the Civil Air Patrol.
Recently, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
launched General Aviation Serves America. The goal of this national grassroots
campaign is to educate policymakers, opinion leaders and the public about the
vital role general aviation plays in our local communities and the nation’s
economy.
Craig Fuller, president
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
Open
letter to Chancellor Yang
The SYV Journal has printed an article, which seems to
have some substance to it, concerning voter fraud by either students at UCSB or
young people who visited and were hosted by students at your school; either way
it involves the integrity of UC Santa Barbara.
This is a serious charge and this assertion, if it turns
out to be true, involves your students in a serious crime for both those who
may have registered fraudulently and those who knowingly aided and abetted them
in committing such a felony.
As a voter in Santa Barbara County, I am strongly
affected, as it makes my vote worthless, no matter which party I voted for, and
makes a farce out of the election process.
Why vote if students can shift from one campus to another
and register in two, three or more places? Why vote, if students whom we
welcome to our community betray our trust? Why vote if those who are to succeed
us make a farce out of the process and contribute to the downfall of our and
their democracy?
As a veteran of WWII, I find the very thought of such
conduct to be reprehensible.
Even the suspicion that students may have participated in
such a fraud should bring every member of the faculty into action to
investigate these charges fully, to either lay the issue to rest or to
substantiate them and then discharge any member of the student body and/or the
faculty who may have participated in voter registry fraud from the campus.
If these charges are true, then it casts suspicion upon
every university in the country because if students have been moving around and
taking such advantage of this community, then it will not prove to be an
isolated case.
I will present this letter at the next meeting of our
Veterans of WWII, Merchant Marine and Armed Guard, which is held in Goleta
every two months.
If you want to hear strong voices, you have only to
attend one of our meetings. We keep our eyes on our country, as dim as they may
be getting.
Howard E. Morseburg,
Buellton
L.O.
benefits from wine industry
I am a business owner in Los Olivos,
and I am a board member of the Los Olivos Business
Organization (LOBO). Our board wants to provide perspective on the business
environment in Los Olivos, and to comment on the
request that has been made for a county ordinance to limit the number of wine
tasting facilities in Los Olivos.
The Los Olivos Business
Organization (LOBO) was started many years ago by Los Olivos
business owners and residents. LOBO’s mission is to promote the wellbeing of
the businesses and community of Los Olivos … to
improve, promote and maintain Los Olivos
economically, socially and esthetically, enhance tourism, and sponsor local
activities and events.
Our small town of 1,000 residents is home to a diverse
mix of at least 130 businesses including: restaurants, art galleries, schools,
churches, retail outlets and many, many other types of businesses. Of the 130
or more businesses located in Los Olivos, 22 of those
are wine industry establishments. The wine industry in Los Olivos
has been an important part of our economy for over 30 years and is vital to the
livelihood of many of our other non-wine businesses.
As business owners, we have observed that the tourists
are respectful and enjoy what our town has to offer. A relatively few isolated
incidents of tourists behaving badly does not represent the true character of
our town and its tourists. We do agree that in the past five years, the number
of visitors to our area has increased significantly. Our small town has been
discovered and has become a popular destination for visitors worldwide.
The Los Olivos economy benefits
from the many diverse businesses including the wine industry. We believe that
diversity in the businesses is important, and that support between local
businesses is important for each business to succeed.
Additional government regulations or overlays limiting
types of businesses allowed in Los Olivos would have
negative consequences for property owners and businesses. Such government
regulations would infringe on property rights and should not be done and such
an overlay will be opposed.
Although our board members have not been contacted or
surveyed by the residents opposing the new tasting rooms, we respect their
input and will be inviting them to our next board meeting to listen to their
concerns. In Los Olivos the residents and business
owners have a long history of taking the initiative to care for the needs of
our town.
In Los Olivos we take pride in
that sense of community. We believe that we can work together constructively to
continually improve our town for the benefit of our residents, businesses, and
visitors.
Shannon Scott
Los Olivos Business
Organization
Board of Directors