Goleta Valley Voice Roundup - 7/20

News Briefs:
City faces $22 million in new suits
The owners of Rancho Mobile Home Park plan to launch several new legal actions against the city of Goleta that could total nearly $22 million in claims.

In Brief

• Fire on More Mesa
• E-waste recycling
• Suicide barrier meeting

Water for new connections reduced
The board of the Goleta Water District rescinded an ordinance Monday permitting the carry over of unused water allocations for new hookups from one year to the next. The decision resulted in a substantial reduction of water available for new connections and development this year and in future years. Following the board’s action, an estimated 160 acre feet of water is available for new connections this calendar year, according to board member Bert Bertrando.

District raises sewer rates
Sewer rates for customers of the Goleta Sanitary District increased nearly 20 percent beginning this month, following action taken by the district’s board.

Sheriff's Blotter

• Intentional cliff dive could hit student in wallet
• Oh, that thing
• Next presidential hopeful
• Up in smoke
• Bruised ego, too
• Cash-filled briefcase stolen in 'smash-and-grab'
• Scooby snacks
• So close, yet so far away
• Garage grenade
• Midnight mass?

Viewpoint:
Letter to the Editor: Cooperation worked for San Jose Creek
Santa Barbara Channelkeeper commends the city of Goleta and the county Board of Supervisors, led by Supervisor Janet Wolf, for their recent decision to work with local stakeholders and agencies to incorporate fish passage into the San Jose Creek Flood Control Improvement Project.

Fire danger at eucalyptus grove
There is an area within Goleta city limits that appears to pose a very significant fire risk: the western section of the Santa Barbara Shores eucalyptus grove. My concern is that a fire there could rapidly escalate into a fire storm, which, depending on the wind direction, could result in a conflagration in the adjacent Santa Barbara Shores neighborhood, as well as the Ellwood neighborhood beyond to the east. If winds were blowing from the east, the new Bluffs neighborhood development might be showered with burning eucalyptus leaves.

Community:
Goleta Scrapbook: Boom times and land scams
After the second World War, Goleta, sleepy town that it was, awoke to find itself the site of massive amounts of development. The influx of newcomers made it necessary for more schools, roads, and other public services. UCSB was also busy transforming itself from a military base of operations to university campus.

Other articles at at the Goleta Valley Voice website.