ARE THE DEAD, DEAD?

Are the dead the ones who parted,

And the living the ones who stayed?

Or are the living the dead,

But they never realized it?

Maybe the living are the dead, 

In a world that’s upside down,

In which we live with a dead soul,

Not knowing when our life escaped.

Whether dead or alive,

Those who shared love come together,

Through old memories that keep them united,

And through acts in honor of the ones that left.

People never die completely,

Unless no one remembers their legacy,

And no person alive is ever lonely,

Unless the ones who parted are no longer a part of their memories.

ONCE UPON A TIME...

Four-Hundred Dollar Guests Were Treated Like Second-Class Citizens


By Silvia Uribe

A few weeks back, Great Britain’s most famous living royal couple — William and Kate — were scheduled to visit the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club in Carpinteria. As much as Carpinterians were hoping for the pair to take a stroll in town, it never happened. Others were wondering if the future King of England and his newly wedded wife would visit our neighboring city, the very aristocratic Santa Barbara, at least briefly. That didn’t happen either. People in both towns were rather disappointed.

In Goleta, however, we never entertained the thought that they would visit us, therefore were not disappointed. We simply were some sort of attentive observers of the three-ring-circus spectacle that their visit represented — the helicopter arrival, a glimpse of the prince on his horse, pictures of Kate in her designer dress. At least, one day, we will be able to tell our grandchildren, “Once upon a time, there were a prince and a princess that visited a not-too-faraway land. And although many wanted to, only very few could see them in person.”


But it was not only those living in Carpinteria, Santa Barbara, or Goleta who couldn’t really see them. Others, who thought they would, who paid $400 to partake in the occasion, and who initially felt they were part of an exclusive crowd, were pretty much excluded as well. It is true that they got inside the polo club that day, but that didn’t mean they were in the same crowd with the very distinguished guests. They weren’t allowed to come through the same door, or eat the same dinner. No elbow-rubbing whatsoever. Only the richest of the rich, those who paid $4,000, were allowed to be close to the royalty, and, possibly, have a tête-à-tête with Will and Kate.

Was it just me, or was this quite rude and discriminatory? I don’t even know whether the “poorest guests” — the ones in the $400 category — were previously advised that their donation money would be happily accepted by the prince's foundation, but that they themselves would be far removed from the main attraction; that their food would not be prepared by the same chef; that they would be treated so very differently.
I’m guessing they didn’t know this. I cannot believe that someone would knowingly submit to such — in my opinion — humiliating treatment. I would’ve been furious if I had paid that much money for a boxed lunch and second-class treatment. Plus the money they probably spent on their attire — just for their own next-door neighbors to see? I hope the $400 guests were at least handed a pair of binoculars each, to be able to get a glimpse of the famous couple, if only from across the polo field.

When I knew what really went down during this event, I thought of something my father often said: “It must not feel good to be among the poorest at the party.” It never made more sense to me than on this occasion.

So, if you felt either directly or vicariously offended by the way in which this event was organized, and the guests were treated, you’re not alone. I’m with you.

GOLETA BEAUTIFICATION IS NIGH

It Starts With Infrastructure

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Those of who have been waiting for the City of Goleta to start the beautification of Old Town Goleta are about to see their day come at last. But before we get to have Old Town the way we want it, we have to go through the pains of having all the necessary infrastructural work done. Since first things go first, the city will have to start with the San Jose Creek Capacity Improvement Project.

This project was planned even before the City of Goleta became a city. Why? To avoid the floods that have affected the city as far back as in the '50s and as recently as 1995. Today, the San Jose Creek work is considered the first step for the Old Town Revitalization Plan.

Steve Wagner, community services director for the City of Goleta, enthusiastically explained: “What’s unique about this project is that it is a multi-objective one. It reduces flood hazards, and at the same time it will provide environmental benefits by restoring fish passage during low flows. The project will take no longer than two years from start to completion, and it will be divided in two stages. The first stage, at the lower part of the creek, will focus on the removal and reconstruction of the concrete channel. The second stage will focus on the reconstruction of the bridge at Hollister Avenue.”


Although most people understand the importance of avoiding possible floods, particularly in Old Town, some concerns have been raised, the main one being the impact that the construction will have on the adjacent businesses. “The city of Goleta acknowledges this concern," Wagner commented. "As a mitigation measure, we have restricted the time for the contractor to no more than two years to complete the entire project, and we will have full-time engineers from the city on site. They will be responsible for making sure that things move along at the right pace. The other thing, of course, is that there will be uninterrupted access to businesses during the length of the construction.”

Although the business owners' concerns are well taken, the benefits are too many to be ignored. Besides reducing flood hazards and providing direct environmental benefits, the project will also have a positive effect on businesses' bottom lines by reducing the federal requirement for flood insurance, which is very costly.

So, just as infrastructure is the starting point for revitalization plans in other cities, in Old Town Goleta this will be the case too. Goleta residents have spoken, and the beautification of the Old Town Hollister corridor is their main priority. They want it, and they want it now. From this point of view, we can conclude that the sooner the San Jose Creek Project is done, the faster the next stages of the corridor’s face-lift will become a reality.

UPDATE: Yesterday, Goleta City Council awarded, with no opposition, the contract for the San Jose Creek Project. Business' owners, as well as community members were present at the meeting, and gave the City some suggestions to mitigate, as much as possible, the impact for those who live and do business in Old Town.

HASKELL'S BEACH IS OUR BEACH

By Silvia Uribe

Although the super-warm days are not yet in sight, for a while I have been craving to go to the beach. So, finally, last weekend I gathered my towel, my sandals, sunscreen, and a big bottle of water, and I ventured to the Bacara Hotel’s Beach anyway.


Yes, I know I called it the Bacara Beach and not Haskell’s Beach. I purposely didn’t because our Haskell’s Beach is ours no more. Very few of us have been able to enjoy the beach or its ocean water for a while.

First, medium and large rocks appeared there. I was told that these were the result of storms. They are located at the top of the beach, and go along the entire length of it. Based on its present appearance, many may think that Haskell’s Beach has always been a “no sand” beach, meaning it only has rocks and water, and people cannot stroll there. However, I cannot count the hundreds of times that I went to that beach since the time I moved to Goleta in 1998. It always had a wide and beautiful sand beach. I guess Nature does these things at times.

Now the sand is back, but huge tree trunks are blocking one of the entrances to the beach. No one could explain the presence of these trunks to me. At the other entrance, a big, uneven, and dangerous step presents itself even before you get to the rocks, making it impossible for most little kids, seniors, and others to get safely to the beach and into the water.

As background information, for those who never knew or have forgotten, one of the main conditions under which the hotel was built was access to the beach. The Coastal Commission then ruled, and the City of Goleta enforced, that the Bacara had to provide access to the beach 24/7 and certain services to the public. The Bacara finally agreed, and to that end the hotel built a public parking lot and a beach trail, and offered some services to the public at their facilities. They made an investment, and in so doing they won the community’s approval (to some degree).

Wouldn’t it make sense then, for the Bacara to offer at least one clean pathway for the public from their facilities to the beach, now that the sand is back? Wouldn’t it show good will on its part to do this for all members of the community? How much could it cost? Can the Bacara not afford it?

As citizens of Goleta, we support private, clean businesses that create and maintain jobs for locals. However, it is also true that businesses should give back to the communities that embrace them. By creating a short, clean path to the beach, the Bacara would be partnering with and supporting the city’s efforts to maintain and improve the quality of life for all Goleta residents.

Haskell’s Beach has always been our community beach, and as a member of that community I know that I would love to have our beach back, by having easy and safe access to it. I’m sure others feel the same way.

Will the Bacara help us get there?