First football game in almost 22 months
Dia de los Muertos at Disney parks
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Our 166th Year
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S AT U R DAY, S E P T E M B E R 11, 2 0 21
20 years since 9/11 Local officials reflect on the day that changed America forever By MADISON HIRNEISEN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS FILE PHOTO
In tribute to the 2,996 victims who lost their lives in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, thousands of flags were placed on the lawn at Rancho del Cielo on the Santa Ynez Mountain range last year. Today marks 20 years since the 9/11 attacks.
Like so many other Americans, Santa Barbara Interim Police Chief Bernard Melekian can remember exactly where he was on Sept. 11, 2001. It was just before 6 a.m. that morning when Chief Melekian was awakened by a call from his then-fiancée (who is now his wife) telling him to turn on the TV right away. A plane had just crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City. As he stood in front of the TV watching smoke billow from the North Tower of the World Trade Center, Chief Melekian saw the second plane crash into the South
Tower. “That’s when I realized we were under attack,” he told the News-Press. Today marks 20 years since the tragic 9/11 attacks, which took the lives of 2,996 individuals after militants associated with the Islamic extremist group al Queda hijacked four planes to carry out a terrorist attack in the United States. Two of the hijacked planes crashed into the Twin Towers in New York City, one crashed into the Pentagon and the other was downed in Shanksville, Pen., after passengers stormed the plane’s cockpit to prevent another attack. Throughout this week, multiple Santa Barbara officials reflected on 9/11
Birds of a feather
during interviews with the News-Press, recalling moments in the days, weeks and years following the attack that changed American history. In the days after the 9/11 attack, Chief Melekian, who at the time was the police chief for the City of Pasadena, recalled the chaos that ensued in Los Angeles. He said he remembers multiple reports began circulating about inbound aircraft failing to respond, which authorities believed could be a threat to the city. Fortunately, none of these reports ended up being true. Chief Melekian also remembered checking on an Islamic school in Pasadena in the hours following the 9/11 attack, Please see 20 YEARS on A4
Hotels do well over Labor Day Weekend Report: Occupancy at 86%, outperforming competing destinations By MADISON HIRNEISEN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Hotel occupancy reached 86% over Labor Day Weekend according to a report delivered to Visit Santa Barbara this week, indicating that interest in the region remains high among visitors and vacationers as the tourism industry begins its road to recovery. Santa Barbara was bustling over Labor Day Weekend, with tourists and locals alike populating the city’s various attractions, retail stores and restaurants to soak up the last of summer. With many visitors using the weekend to take one last summer trip, Labor Day Weekend brought benefits for hoteliers who are still in the process of recovering revenue after a tough pandemic year. On Thursday, Visit Santa Barbara received a report conducted by STR, an independent hotel reporting firm, that showcased performance data from Labor Day Weekend. According to Visit Santa Barbara, hotels in Goleta, Santa Barbara and Montecito continue to outcompete competing leisure destinations, and this weekend’s performance met the organization’s expectations. The results of the report, which were summarized in an email from Visit Santa Barbara, found that hotel stays were down 8% last week compared to 2019, while hotel rates were 31% higher than 2019. The report discovered that the average daily rate for a hotel stay was $412 over the holiday weekend. In addition, the report discovered that the region continues to attract people visiting for a vacation or to attend weddings, while business travel and meeting travel are on a slower track to recovery. During the pandemic, the majority of visitors to Santa Barbara came from within California, with half coming from Southern California, Visit Santa Barbara President/CEO Kathy Janega-Dykes told the News-Press in an email. When flights began to rebound in the spring and Southwest Airlines began service to Santa Barbara Airport, Ms. Janega-Dykes said the region started to see an uptick in the number of out-of-state visitors, though in-state visitors are still Santa Barbara’s primary market. While Thursday’s report indicated that the region’s hotel industry is still climbing back to Please see HOTELS on A3
KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
A group of feathered beachgoers search the sand at Devereux Beach in Isla Vista on Friday.
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