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Santa Barbara News-Press: April 13, 2023

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The pandemic in Santa Maria

‘Artist Pop-Up’

Report: Community was disproportionately affected by COVID-19 - A2

Jewelry, mosaic, photography available at Santa Barbara Maritime Museum event - B1

Our 167th Year

75¢

T H U R SDAY, A PR I L 13, 2 023

Montecito Natural Foods to close The second oldest Coast Village Road tenant set to leave after 60 years By CALEB BEEGHLY NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

Montecito Natural Foods recently received its 90-day vacate notice by the property lease holder, Jim Rosenfield. Montecito Natural Foods has been in place for the last 60 years, which does not happen without building an intimate relationship with the Santa Barbara community. This is due, in part, to the workers’ passion for their store. Matt Moseby, who has been in the nutrition

supplement field since 1980, explained how every Montecito Natural Foods employee is invested in ensuring that each customer walks away with the best option for them. This commitment to the customer led Montecito Natural Foods to stay open during the 2018 Montecito mudslides and during the pandemic. And Montecito Natural Foods is the oldest tenant at the Montecito Country Mart shopping center and is the second oldest tenant on Coast Village Road, Mr. Moseby said. The store’s pride and commitment to the

community has not been unappreciated. Store owner Slim Gomez said that many customers have said they would like to protest the store’s closure. However, Ms. Gomez said that the store would most likely close before the vacate notice is due. And although specifics are unclear, there is already another tennant lined up to take Montecito Natural Foods’ place. Simply put, Mr. Moseby describes the reason for the store closing as this: “(Mr. Rosenfield) has a certain vision, and he wants that vision. Please see STORE on A2

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS

Montecito Natural Foods is set to close after receiving a 90-day vacate notice.

SBHS’ VADA program breaks ground on new building

Open house to detail SBA Master Plan Update By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) is inviting the community to join an interactive Open House on the SBA Master Plan Update. The Open House will be held Thursday, April 20, from 4-6 p.m. at the Santa Barbara Airport Administration Building, 601 Firestone Road. The objective of the SBA Master Plan Update is to provide the community and public officials with proper guidance for future development, which will satisfy aviation demands and be wholly compatible with the environment. This project will update the 2017 SBA Master Plan and will focus on: • Preparing for coming air service trends • Promoting financial resiliency • Addressing environmental challenges • Involving stakeholders in the process The Open House will provide community members an opportunity to discuss the Master Plan Update process and provide input. Airport staff and members of the consultant team will be available to take comments, answer questions, and discuss points of interest. The SBA team looks forward to meeting with the community and hearing ideas. Airport officials will also discuss the SBA Master Plan Update at the April 18 Santa Barbara City Council meeting, which is held in council chambers at City Hall, 735 Anacapa St., starting at 2 p.m. The next day, the Airport Commission will provide the public with another chance to learn about the SBA Master Plan Update. The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. April 19, in the Airport Administration Conference Room, 601 Firestone Road. And on April 20, airport officials will present their SBA Master Plan Update at the Santa Barbara Planning Commission meeting, scheduled for 1 p.m. in council chambers on Anacapa Street. To learn more, view the current SBA Master Plan documents, and sign up for future notifications on the topic, please visit FlySBA.com/MPU. Santa Barbara Airport served more than 1.2 million passengers in 2022 and is leading California Airports in post-pandemic commercial service recovery. American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines serve the airport with 20 daily departures to 10 non-stop destinations – Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Oakland, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, San Francisco, and Seattle. SBA is a self-sustaining enterprise operated by the City of Santa Barbara.

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

Above, workers are shown at the site of the future Visual Arts and Design Academy’s Design Lab & Art Studio at Santa Barbara High School on Wednesday. At right, VADA Program Director Daniel Barnett speaks during a groundbreaking ceremony.

By ANNIKA BAHNSEN NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

The students and supporters of Santa Barbara High School’s Visual Arts and Design Academy (VADA) eagerly awaited the press conference for the start of construction of the new VADA building on the morning of April 12. “It is so much more than a building, but it is how we use this to launch our kids into their amazing futures,” exclaimed Daniel Barnett, the VADA Program Director. The project has been in the works for seven years according to Mr. Barnett. After many years of grant writing, donation collections and community support, in November of 2022, the Santa Barbara Unified School Board gave the

thumbs up for the construction to begin. Santa Barbara High School’s VADA program is a four-year, career-technical educational program serving about 220 students. The program specializes in teaching students about the intersection of education in art within their respective artistic field of interest. The program specifically builds skills in a wide range of media, including both traditional and digital media, painting, drawing, printmaking, mixed media, graphic design and photography. Additionally, the program has a commitment to equitable access to education and training for high-demand skills. About half of the program’s students Please see VADA on A4

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