After nearly four years as Santa Barbara Blog, the move to a new and improved website for Santa Barbara is here. Please check out the New Santa Barbara View!
Update your Blog bookmarks to www.santabarbaraview.com or a URL shortcut www.sbview.com.
A heart-felt thank you to all the readers, bloggers, contributors and sponsors. Click on over and enjoy a new Bird’s-eye View.
After nearly four years as Santa Barbara Blog, the move to a new and improved website for Santa Barbara is here. Check out the New Santa Barbara View!
The same daily commentaries, exceptional photos, and columns by members of our Santa Barbara community. Plus an enhanced View of Santa Barbara.
3D Photo of Knapp’s Castle by Bill Heller… more 3D photos over on the View.
This Blog Post from the Vintage Vault originally ran on September 9th, 2009.
Santa Barbara is blessed with miles and miles of stunning bike paths; yet some bicyclists continue to believe that they own the roads too.
On March 14, 2007, a 15-year-old boy named Angel Linares was stabbed to death near Saks Fifth Avenue on State Street in broad daylight.
That fateful afternoon, the Blog began receiving emails that groups of young gang members were loitering downtown, flashing signs, carrying weapons, and hassling citizens. Not long after that; a violent melee broke out, one teenage boy was fatally wounded, and the image of a once-tranquil town was shattered…
Below is the original post from March 14, 2007 - and the community’s reaction:
The streets of Santa Barbara are getting worse… a violent gang fight just occurred near the corner of State Street and Carrillo. One young boy has been taken to Cottage Hospital where he arrived without a pulse.
Two groups, allegedly local gangs, confronted each other with bats and a variety of other weapons on the busy intersection at 2:30pm today/Wednesday. The altercation caused chaos throughout the area… with streets closed, stores serving as hideouts, and weapons strewn all over the business district.
Are the local police doing enough to combat the growth of gang activity? Where do we go from here as a community?
UPDATE: The young boy who was stabbed and beaten has died
Santa Barbara Photo of the week… by renowned local photographer Bill Heller.
The winter sunsets are always beautiful in Santa Barbara. But once in a while there is a particularly amazing evening. This was one of those evenings.
-Bill Heller
Real-time coverage of Santa Barbara-area fires put Santa Barbara’s Blog on the map for many people. Here’s one of the many threads from the Gap Fire of 2008.
The Santa Barbara Gap Fire broke out on West Camino Cielo, four miles west of the Chumash Highway Tuesday night, at 5:45 p.m.
For evacuation information click here.
July 10th Update: The Gap Fire continues to blaze, but it is now 55% contained. 1,100 firefighters are battling the blaze, and containment costs have risen to an estimated $13 million. Nearly 10,000 acres have burned and the fire is still very active in the western canyons. Over $1million in avocados have been lost to the blaze. The Gap Fire is no longer the top-priority fire in the state. Earlier this week, 15 aircraft dropped 135,000 gallons of retardant and 47,000 gallons of water on the northern hills. The entire command post and incident base has been moved to Dos Pueblos and new fire restrictions for Los Padres Forrest will go into effect on Friday. Power outages are expected to continue from Gaviota to Carpinteria. Mandatory evacuations are down from 1,700 homes to just 300, but please stay alert, vigilant, and prepared.
The eastern and southern sections, which were the biggest concern, are controlled or “black lined”. The entire southern boundary, is in mop-up mode and the evacuation warnings have been lifted. But, the situation is still very dangerous in on the north-east front. And don’t be surprised to see more smoke in the air as “burn out” operations take place. The expected heat advisory never materialized and a cool coastal fog has settled over the area.
The Air Quality Advisory was downgraded to a precautionary advisory. No homes have been lost and hundreds have been saved! Electricity conservation remains very important. The fire information line is (805) 965-5710.
A special thank you to all the firefighters who are in for another long day.
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Santa Barbara’s Blog provided complete coverage of our community events.
The official Blog photo album of the SBIFF 2009.
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival kicked off Thursday night with an opening film, “Nothing But the Truth”, and and well-attended after party.
Turns out getting a clear shot of the attending celebrities was much easier than anticipated on a fairly mellow SBIFF opening night at the Arlington.
An evening with Kate Winslet… the scene was a bit more lively on Friday night with a beautiful Kate Winslet patiently making her way down the red carpet.
Kate Winslet on the red carpet at the 24th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival preparing to receive the 2009 Montecito Award.
Penelope Cruz at the Film Festival on the red carpet before receiving the 2009 Outstanding Performer of the Year award.
Penelope Cruz looked stunning even in her casual pony tail and short black dress.
Movie Reviews (Vacation & El Camino)… and a few more movie reviews.
The SB Film Festival rolls out three types of bins… recycling, compost, and landfill.
Santa Barbara International Film Festival… Bits from a Barstool.
IMDB defines Mr. Eastwood as the icon of macho movie stars, and a living legend.
Clint Eastwood arriving at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
Santa Barbara loves Clint Eastwood.
Decked out in a shiny two piece suit, with a high collar and red shoes, Mickey Rourke, greeted old and new fans outside the Arlington Theater.
In her A-2 column on Sunday in the Santa Barbara News-Press, Dr. Laura Schlessinger acknowledged the Blog for doing the right thing…
Dr. Laura wrote: “And a thank you: It is a pleasure, and a surprise, to find a nice blogger in Santa Barbara! The editor of santabarbarasblog.com, has offered to run 150-word posts on a variety of subjects affecting our local community. ‘Dr. Laura’s voice deserves to be heard in Santa Barbara, but she often takes a lot of undeserved flack, especially in the local blog world.’
Thank you, (Editor Bird), I am grateful for your invitation and your positive, fair spirit. Now, we need to clone (the Blog) to uplift the S.B. blog quality of discourse.”
