BRIEFLY

Memorial Day event: May 29

The Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation (PCVF) will honor veterans on Monday, May 29 at 11 a.m. at the Santa Barbara Cemetery, 901 Channel Dr. in Santa Barbara.

The ceremony will include performances by the UC Santa Barbara ROTC Color Guard, the Gold Coast Pipe & Drum Band, The Prime Time Band and David Gonzales and the Santa Barbara Choral Society, with a flyover by the Condor Squadron. Speakers will include Colonel Robert Long commander of Space Launch Delta 30 and Western Launch and Test Range, Vandenberg Space Force Base, and LT Christia Sandstedt, CGC, USCGC Blackfin.

“We are humbled as we remember all of those who served our Country and died protecting it,” said VFW Lifetime Member and PCVF co-founder Lt. John Blankenship (USN, former). “We hope to see fellow Veterans and the rest of our community at this hour-long free event.”

See more at pcvf.org/memorial-day-ceremony.

Gun buyback scheduled for Saturday

The Santa Barbara Police Department will reward a $100 gift card per firearm to individuals who surrender any unwanted firearms to officers on Saturday, May 20 at the City Yards off 300 East Cota St. Officers will accept guns between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., according to Public Information Officer Ethan Ragsdale.

The gun buyback program is an anonymous effort to reduce gun violence in Santa Barbara County. Once a firearm is surrendered, it is property of the Santa Barbara Police Department and will not be returned; all firearms will be destroyed by the department. According to Ragsdale, ballistics testing will not be conducted on guns that are turned in.

“We want to help remove unwanted guns from our community and reduce the risk of homicide, suicide, and deadly accidents,” Ragsdale said in a press release last week.

All participants must unload and transport their firearms in their vehicle’s trunk. The police department will then collect the firearms. All weapons will be checked for a lost or stolen status; firearms will be returned to their rightful owners if applicable, and no questions will be asked.

Anyone who cannot attend the event can contact the SBPD at (805) 897-2355. For more information about the program, visit santabarbaraca.gov/news/sbpd-2023gun-buyback.

Santa Barbara Humane takes in 47 kittens

Santa Barbara Humane took in 47 kittens from another overcrowded shelter last week, according to Public Relations Specialist Marissa Miller. The kittens range from seven weeks to three months old; all will be spayed or neutered and receive microchips and vaccinations.

The organization is also expanding its adoption hours, now open every day except Wednesdays, noon to 4 p.m.

“We are always thrilled when we can help a partner organization when they are struggling,” Santa Barbara Humane CEO Kerri Burns said. “Transferring these kittens not only helps reduce the population at an overcrowded shelter but also fulfills a need in our own community for adoptable cats.”

See more at sbhumane.org.

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