What's Your Wish For Goleta in 2012?

Goletans Sound Off

By Silvia Uribe

Happy New Year to you all! We are in January, and in the wake of this new year, I can hardly believe that we are in 2012. For most people, the New Year represents predictions of what is to come and resolutions to accomplish — once again — what in the past has already proven to be just a bit less than impossible. Losing weight, becoming a millionaire, buying our dream house (or at least the car that we think we deserve), or even sending our job (and our boss) to hell are among the most popular desires expressed every New Year. The most optimistic may think that this is the year when we will start recovering from this seemingly never-ending recession. Others, in agreement with the ancient Aztec culture, predict that this year will be the end of times.


But, for most of us, whatever we think the new year represents, it is for sure a time to renew our commitments, to think big, to dream of all that we want to see happening in our lives, in the lives of our loved ones, and, in general, of what we want to happen around us. No more wars, a lower cost of living, increased living standards, lower unemployment rates, the possibility of a salary increase, a nice vacation for the family, a cleaner environment, and justice for all. The thought alone of the possibility of achieving these wishes gives us the hope of a better, more comfortable, and more enjoyable future.

With this in mind, I did one of my non-scientific surveys and asked random Goleta residents of different ages and occupations, “What’s your wish for Goleta in 2012?” In no particular order, these are the responses they offered me:

A vibrant downtown. A cross-town shuttle stopping every 15 minutes. Better lighting around Cathedral Oaks. Coordinated traffic lights at The Glen Annie overpass. Kmart staying in town. The view of the mountains and agricultural land to not be blocked. A sign telling drivers that there’s a continuous right turn at the southbound on ramp at Glen Annie. Fewer sexual assaults in Isla Vista and a friendlier I.V. Foot Patrol. Agricultural land to be preserved.

People were not shy in expressing their wishes:

The Goleta Community Center to become City Hall. Another Elephant bar at the Camino Real Marketplace. No more construction on the Goleta Bluffs by UCSB. Visible signals at the on ramp of the new Winchester Overpass (which is very dangerous at night). A local newspaper and radio station. For the Hallmark store to stay in Goleta.

Very creative ideas were offered:

For the Kellogg Project to become the “Kellogg Community Sharing Grounds,” where community members can share once or twice a week their own produce, their thoughts, their news, and their concerns, and get to know their neighbors and elected officials on a personal level. The historic gas station at the end of Hollister to be restored for tourists to visit, obtain information, and buy souvenirs. To identify rooms in the city that community members can use free or at low cost for meetings. For City Council to offer Spanish interpreting services at their meetings. To have a space at the airport dedicated to exhibiting memorabilia of the marine base that once was there. For new constructions to be self-sustainable.

Always present, of course, opposing opinions on some well known issues like Bishop Ranch and Target.
And the most mentioned wish is one that I would have to agree with: Activities for kids 13-18-years-old to do after school and during weekends.

Here we have quite a comprehensive list. And, although I’d say not everything seems possible to accomplish in one year, at least some things seem quite viable.

We’ll see who's listening.

Have a great year my fellow Goletanos!

Free Expression with No Reservation

First Amendment Applies to Religion, Too

By Silvia Uribe

This season, we’ve heard a lot of conversations regarding the expression of religious beliefs. One big reason for the revival of this old discussion is Tim Tebow, Denver Broncos quarterback. He kneels down right in the middle of the field and makes hand and head gestures that unequivocally show that he is a believer.
Many criticize him, arguing that this could make some people uncomfortable. Some believe that this is an imposition of his faith upon those who don’t share the same beliefs, or any religious beliefs for that matter. Is that so? Hardly.


When someone openly displays his or her faith, it is not a signal that others have to follow suit. The only expectation is that they will make a connection with the higher power they believe in. They are exercising their freedom of expression. That is it! His reasons for doing it so publicly? Your guess is as good as mine, but I truly think it is none of our business.

Is there any valid reason to take that freedom away from him or anyone? Perhaps non-believers have nothing to express in this regard – but surely that should not remove others' right to express their faith.

If we extrapolate this reasoning to a completely different realm, it would be very difficult to make any sense of it. Consider, for instance, if those who have no car, because they prefer walking, were able to force others not to use their car either; or if, because I choose not to buy in Wal-Mart, others were not allowed to get in these stores. You get the idea.

This time is different from the Inquisition time. Today, most believers have no problem knowing and accepting that others may be agnostics, or atheists. Why should agnostics or atheists have a problem accepting the fact that others have a faith? I am convinced that in the same way no one should judge, or impose action on others, no one should impose the absence of action either.

To each his or her own, and everyone should be able to act, as far as religious matters go, in the way they feel most comfortable, without having to please anyone else.

URGENT CALL TO IMMEDIATE ACTION!!!

THE NEWSCAST "NOTICIAS COSTA CENTRAL"  IS GOING OFF THE AIR LEAVING THE LATINO COMMUNITY IN THE DARK, AND ISOLATED FROM WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE COMMUNITY

Make a call, and write tomorrow to Entravision’s Owner and CEO Walter F. Ulloa.

Tell him that you oppose their decision, and ask him to reconsider.

We need the support of the whole community to prevent this from happening!

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Walter F. Ulloa

Entravision Chairman and CEO

2425 Olympic Boulevard Site 6000

West Santa Monica, CA 90404

Tel: 310-447-3870  Fax: 310-447-3899

Email: wulloa@entravision.com

There's Runners and Then There's Runners

A Taste of the Santa Barbara International Marathon 2011

By Silvia Uribe

I heard cheers and claps coming from who-knows-where. "What’s that?" I thought, turning and snuggling even deeper in my bed. The noise continued. What the heck? Who’s yelling, and why? On a Saturday morning, my place at the end of the woods is quite peaceful — usually. It was not very early, but I had been out the night before, and at 7:30 in the morning my eyes resisted opening as if they were super-glued shut.

When I first peeked beyond my balcony, I could see people standing, jumping up and down. Then, looking a little further, I saw some runners coming down the street. Of course! I had completely forgotten that the Santa Barbara International Marathon was taking place, in both Goleta and in Santa Barbara.


It’s been a long while since I was a runner. Many years, to give you an idea. However, the whole running thing came back into my life when my best friend Lucy picked it up. She took it very seriously, as she does just about everything. I never did. For me, it was an invigorating thing to do and a great opportunity to enjoy the freshness of the early morning, feel the wind on my body, and see the greenery in the huge park where I ran. I did it to fill my senses, to replenish, day after day, my desire to “smell the roses” and to ponder the ideas that were relevant at the time. It would have never occurred to me to make that peaceful alone-time a competition.

With Lucy, the story is very different. She runs every day, seven days a week. When she doesn’t run, she’s in trouble, and the rest of the world is in trouble because of her. And so, it became clear to me that it was better to encourage her running urges than to have to deal with her titter-totter moods. However, through this passion of hers, the whole runners’ culture was unveiled to me.

I learned, for example, that serious runners are incredibly committed. From their eating to their sleeping patterns, they impose increasingly rigid trainings on themselves, particularly when they’re about to participate in a race, and they constantly work on their endurance — never mind the stomach pains, the sudden cramps, or adverse weather conditions. Sometimes runners suffer strain fractures, which take months to heal; other times their toenails turn black and fall off due to their toes smashing against the running shoes for extended periods of time.

They also have to learn how to run. Although one would think that this is a natural thing to learn when we’re toddlers, serious runners learn how to save the most energy — from pacing themselves, to running with their arms next to their body, without swinging too much from one side to the other — you get the picture. They are competitive in a very personal way because when they compete, really, they only compete against themselves. And so it is that, little by little, they reduce their time — even by a few seconds — and become faster runners.

I could never have that kind of patience, dedication, and commitment. But to get back to my point, more than half of the marathon happened in Goleta (a little over 15 of the 26.2 total miles). It started at Dos Pueblos High School, jumped the freeway and went down to the Ellwood area, then to Winchester and back up to Cathedral Oaks until it reached the Turnpike area. Then it continued through Santa Barbara, ending at Santa Barbara City College.

No matter that I had forgotten about the marathon up to that moment. Once I woke up enough to be aware of what was going on just outside my window, I immediately threw on my jeans and a T-shirt, brushed my teeth and my hair as quickly as possible, and grabbed a sweatshirt as I rushed out the door to join the crowd less than 10 minutes later. I didn’t want to miss the sight of those incredible people who are able to do something that I never will.

This is the kind of community event that Goleta residents, like myself, love to see happening in The Good Land, events that provide our children with a good example of how to live a healthy life and show them how to use their free time doing something positive and exciting at the same time.

I’m happy to report that the Santa Barbara International Marathon, with over 5,000 participants, was a great success this year, and it is only expected to become better every year. Next year’s race will be on Saturday, November 10, 2012. If you want to register, or if you want more information, go to sbimarathon.com.