Our 167th Year
Reviewing the news
Photo exhibit
Columnist Robert Eringer gives his take on recent headlines - A2
Dan Merkel’s photographs on display at the Maritime Museum - B1
75¢
MON DAY, JA N UA RY 23, 2 023
Rose Pruning Day Volunteers donate time at garden by Santa Barbara Mission
Suspect in Ward Incident Fire to appear in court By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS
Dan Bifano, foreground, of the Santa Barbara Rose Society demonstrates proper rose pruning techniques to a group of volunteers during the annual rose pruning event at the A.C. Postel Memorial Rose Garden — also known as the Mission Rose Garden — in Santa Barbara on Saturday.
By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
More than 100 volunteers participated in the annual Rose Pruning Day on Saturday after the event was postponed due to the storms that hit Santa Barbara County. The event began at 9 a.m. Saturday at the A.C. Postel Memorial Rose Garden in front of the Santa Barbara Mission. “It was a smashing success, considering all factors and the Please see PRUNING on A4
By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
The Carpinteria City Council today will receive an update on the city’s cleanup efforts in the wake of January’s winter storms, and is expected to adopt a resolution extending the stormrelated emergency proclamation and the city’s emergency response. But council members first are scheduled to meet in closed session at 4 p.m. to conduct a public employee performance evaluation of City Manager Dave Durflinger, which might no longer be necessary given his announcement last week that he intends to retire by the end of the year after 21 years at the city’s helm. The council will meet in regular session at 5:30 p.m. in council chambers, 5775 Carpinteria Ave. Until he leaves office, Mr. Durflinger remains very much on the job, and he will start off today’s council meeting with an update on the city’s January storm cleanup efforts. Later, the council will be asked to adopt the resolution extending the storm-related emergency proclamation. Council members also will be asked to direct city staff to return at least every 30 days for consideration of further extending the emergency
Volunteers partake in the annual rose pruning event.
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proclamation “until such time that the response and recovery conditions dictate otherwise,” staff said. On January 7, city staff began discussions with Carpinteria Fire District Chief Greg Fish about the significant storm forecast for Jan. 9 and 10, expected to impact the region, including Carpinteria, with significant runoff and potential for debris flows and flooding due, in part, to prior saturating rain events earlier in the month. A multi-departmental preparation and storm response was established including an allnight watch by Public Works at areas of concern including all drainage inlets and vulnerable locations. In addition to nearly 2 inches of rain that fell Jan. 1, and 1.5 inches that fell Jan. 5, more than 4 inches of rain fell on Jan. 9 and 10 at high rates of rainfall per hour. The rain caused significant flows in creeks and rivers. In Carpinteria, Carpinteria Creek flowed at capacity, causing damage to the banks of the creek, inundating and damaging the Carpinteria Creek Bike Path, and destroying utility infrastructure on the Carpinteria Avenue bridge. Widespread flooding in the region damaged roadways and other infrastructure and stranded motorists. Significant Please see CARP on A4
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i n s i de Classified.............. B4 Life..................... B1-2 Obituaries............. A4
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email: nhartsteinnewspress@ gmail.com
Carp Council to get update on storm cleanup
FYI To volunteer throughout the year with the Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department, call 805-5645433 or email parksandrec@ santabarbaraca.gov. For more information, go to sbparksandrec. santabarbaraca.gov/ activities/volunteeropportunities.
A Santa Barbara man charged with arson in connection with the Ward Incident Fire in November is scheduled to appear in Superior Court on Tuesday to set a date for his preliminary hearing. Jose Martin Alvarez-Castro, 30, is charged with recklessly causing a fire of a structure or forest, a felony, on Nov. 2 for allegedly starting a fire that burned some brush near a bike path south of Ward Drive in Santa Barbara. Mr. Alvarez-Castro also is charged with possessing methamphetamine and resisting arrest, both misdemeanors. He pleaded not guilty to all charges at his Nov. 4 arraignment. The complaint filed against him also alleges aggravating factors in that his prior convictions as an adult or sustained petitions in juvenile delinquency proceedings “are numerous or of increasing seriousness;” that he was on probation, mandatory supervision, post-release community supervision or parole when the crime (of arson) was committed; and that his performance on probation, mandatory supervision, post-release community supervision or parole was “unsatisfactory.” Sheriff’s deputies and county
firefighters responded at 11:40 p.m. on Nov. 2 to a report of a fire in the brush area near the bike path between the south end of Ward Drive and More Ranch Road. “When deputies arrived, a witness provided information about a possible suspect in the area,” sheriff’s officials said in a news release at the time. While deputies warned residents in the surrounding area about the fire, additional deputies searched for the suspect who reportedly started the fire intentionally. At about 11:57 p.m., deputies located and detained a person matching the suspect’s description provided by a witness on the bike path, sheriff’s officials said. Mr. Alvarez-Castro was subsequently arrested on suspicion of arson, obstruction of a peace officer and possession of a controlled substance. He was booked at the Main Jail and held on $20,000 bail. As of Dec. 21, he remained in custody, and his bail had been increased to $115,000, according to sheriff’s office records. Other sheriff’s deputies, meanwhile, remained on scene until county firefighters confirmed that the evacuation warning that was issued for the More Ranch Area had been lifted.
Sudoku................. B3 Sports .............A3, B4 Weather................ A4
Saturday’s SUPER LOTTO: 7-16-22-31-42 Mega: 21
Sunday’s DAILY 4: 1-7-4-9
Friday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 20-29-31-64-66 Mega: 17
Sunday’s FANTASY 5: 10-15-20-32-39
Sunday’s DAILY DERBY: 01-07-09 Time: 1:42.45
Saturday’s POWERBALL: 5-14-19-46-64 Meganumber: 22
Sunday’s DAILY 3: 0-0-5 / Midday 9-3-7