Diversity on the big screen
Turning abandoned objects into art
Chicano/Latin Studies students host film festival in Santa Maria - A3
Our 166th Year
Sculptor creates special exhibit - B1
75¢
T H U R S DA Y, A P R I L 7, 2 0 2 2
Heat wave persists
California Senate advances gun bill
Santa Barbara not as hot as expected Wednesday; other areas see highs in 80s, 90s
Sacramento police make more arrests
By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR
It was cooler in Santa Barbara Wednesday than what was forecast by the National Weather Service. On Tuesday, the weather service predicted a high of 89 on Wednesday for Santa Barbara and a high of 84 Wednesday at UCSB. Instead, the high Wednesday at the Santa Barbara Airport was a more comfortable 77 degrees, and the weather service Wednesday conceded that nailing down coastal temperatures and winds this week hasn’t been an exact science because of the offshore flow. The forecast was more accurate for North County. On Wednesday, the weather service reported highs of 92 in Santa Maria, 91 in Santa Ynez and 85 in Lompoc. New Cuyama was cooler with a high of 79. People stayed cool by bicycling and walking at beaches in Santa Barbara and elsewhere. The Southern California heat wave is expected to continue through Friday, and the weather service predicts hotter-thanusual temperatures on the South Coast. The weather service predicted today’s high in Santa Barbara will be 94. Highs elsewhere are expected to be 89 at UCSB, 88 in Lompoc, 91 in Santa Maria, 97 in Santa Ynez and 93 in Cuyama. Gusty north to northeast winds are expected today, and the weather service said the South Coast would experience sundowner winds by Friday evening. The weather throughout Santa Barbara County will start to cool down by Saturday and will be more temperate on Sunday with highs that day in the low to mid 70s in most of the county, the weather service said. There’s even more relief in sight in Lompoc, where Sunday’s high is expected to be 67. email: dmason@newspress.com
By KAITLYN SCHALLHORN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Just blocks from where a recent mass shooting took six lives in Sacramento, the state Senate advanced legislation supporters say would hold gun manufacturers accountable. The legislation, backed by Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta, is modeled after Texas’ infamous abortion bill. It is designed to allow private citizens to bring civil action against a person for the distribution, manufacturing or transportation of certain guns, including .50 BMG rifles or ghost guns (privately made firearms that lack serial numbers and are untraceable). The bill is sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Emeritus Robert Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, and passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday. “The alarm bells are blaring. We could not have a clearer call for action to stop gun violence than what happened on Sunday at the doorstep of our state’s democracy,” Sen. Hertzberg said. “The Legislature will act.” “This creates a powerful incentive for folks to help get these weapons off the streets and out of the hands of criminals,” Sen. Hertzberg said. “It also creates a powerful deterrent effect for those seeking these kinds of weapons.” As of Wednesday, Sacramento police have made three arrests
NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Over the course of a week, the city of Santa Maria removed more than 62,000 pounds of trash — that’s approximately 28 tons — from a homeless encampment. “We don’t have a normal (amount for a pickup) because we don’t normally go out and do these,” Mark Van De Kamp, the city’s public information manager, told the News-Press Wednesday. “This was an unusual case where we assisted a private property owner,” Mr. Van De Kamp explained about last week’s cleanup. “We received a request from Santa Maria Valley Railroad through the code enforcement division as well as complaints from neighbors on the other side of the block wall.” The homeless encampment is located on private property,
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By KAITLYN SCHALLHORN
KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS
Passerby uses the sidewalk on Cabrillo Boulevard in Santa Barbara, where people went to be next to the Pacific Ocean and cooler temperatures.
which is owned by the Santa Maria Valley Railroad. The city, nonprofit partners, businesses, two apartment complexes, a cleanup company and a railroad undertook the project. The trash was taken to the Santa Maria Regional Landfill, and the city used approximately $16,000 of its American Rescue Plan Act COVID-19 relief to fund the cleanup. “It (the trash) accumulated over time and consisted of things people had brought on site — numerous bags, clothes, human waste, paper, plastic, cardboard, empty and broken bottles, and remains of burned trash.,” Mr. Van De Kamp said. On Feb. 24, the city of Santa Maria assisted with a similar cleanup in the Santa Maria riverbed. The city removed approximately 42,000 pounds of trash there at a cost of about
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Goleta approves historic preservation ordinance
28 tons of trash removed from homeless camp By KATHERINE ZEHNDER
in connection to the early Sunday morning shooting. Police said at least five people fired guns, and gunfire was exchanged between at least two groups of people. Dandrae Martin, 26, was arrested first, and police have identified him as a suspect in the shooting. He was arrested for assault with a firearm and for being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Smiley Martin, 27, suffered serious injuries from the gunfire and is being treated at a nearby hospital. Police said he will face charges of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and possession of a machine gun. He has been taken into custody and will be booked at the Sacramento County Main Jail once he’s completed his medical treatment. Dandrae Martin and Smiley Martin are brothers, police said. Smiley Martin was granted early release from prison last year while serving a 10-year sentence for domestic violence and assault with great bodily injury, the Sacramento Bee reported. The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office asked that he remain in custody, but Smiley Martin was released in February 2022. According to the newspaper, Smiley Martin recorded a Facebook Live video Saturday night prior to the shooting during which he allegedly
$12,000 provided by United Blue, according to Mr. Van De Kamp. He said cleaning up homeless encampments became a priority after the city received complaints about trash odors, digging, theft, vandalism, fires and noise. He said the city has issued many citations for trespassing along the encampment on the railroad property since January. Mr. Van De Kamp added that three people living in the camp were reconnected with their families for housing during the cleanup, but the rest declined offers for shelters. “There are several nonprofits that provide shelter and food, including CityNet, United Way and the Salvation Army. They are at the ready everyday of the year to keep people from going out on the streets. The challenge is whether or not people in need wish to receive services,” said Mr. Van De
Kamp. The city posted signs 72 hours in advance notifying residents of the encampment to vacate. The signs provided resources about where to find food, shelter, and counseling. “We are really grateful that this was a joint effort with business and apartment complexes that stepped up to assist with the apartment cleanup,” said Mr. Van De Kamp. “The railroad has invested for years to deter homeless encampments near the railroad tracks. People simply shouldn’t be there. There is a long block wall (or sound) wall with ivy growing over it, which people used as shelter or to hide belongings. “We really appreciate the team effort of the railroad and several businesses,” he said. “The project went through without incident.” email: kzehnder@newspress.com
NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
The Goleta City Council unanimously approved a Historic Preservation Ordinance this week, paving the way for a specific city designation to protect and preserve resources. The council unanimously adopted the ordinance, which establishes a Historic Preservation Commission and creates a process for the preservation and recognition of buildings, land and other areas that are deemed to be historically, architecturally, socially or culturally important to the city. The measure approved Tuesday evening already earmarked a handful of properties to be designated a historic landmark or resource and even more to be included on the inventory list. The idea, the council was told, is to continue to grow the inventory list with buildings, sites or structures that may later receive the official designation. “In adopting this ordinance, we are celebrating and recognizing Goleta’s history and prehistory, some of the things
that make our city so special,” said Mayor Paula Perotte. “We are very excited to get these protections in place!” A historic landmark is defined as a property or building that is at least 50 years old or exhibits exceptional importance to the city. It must be associated with important events; associated with people in significant local, state or national history; or embodies distinctive characteristics of a style, period or method of construction. A historic district is a contiguous group of properties that are related to one another. Any Goleta resident can nominate a particular property to be deemed a historic landmark. If the nomination does not come from the property owner, the owner would need to be notified within 10 days of the nomination. The commission will hold public hearings on potential historic landmark designations. The ordinance suggested naming the following as Goleta Landmarks: • Barnsdall-Rio Grande gasoline station at 7825 Hollister Please see ORDINANCE on A4
INSIDE
L O T T E RY RESULTS
Classified................. B4 Life...................... B1-2 Obituaries............... A4
Wednesday’s SUPER LOTTO: N/A Meganumber: N/A
Wednesday’s DAILY 4: 4-5-6-5
Tuesday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 22-43-60-63-64 Meganumber: 18
Wednesday’s FANTASY 5: 5-21-26-31-33
Wednesday’s DAILY DERBY: 02-06-05 Time: 1:42.44
Wednesday’s POWERBALL: N/A Meganumber: N/A
Sudoku................... B3 Sports . .................... A3 Weather................. A4
Wednesday’s DAILY 3: 7-5-2 / Wednesday’s Midday 3-3-3