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Our 167th Year
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W E D N E S DAY, O C T O B E R 1 2 , 2 0 2 2
SB City Council OKs police oversight ordinance By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
DAVE MASON/NEWS-PRESS
Santa Barbara Police Chief Kelly Ann Gordon talks to the Santa Barbara City Council during a discussion of a police oversight ordinance.
The Santa Barbara City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a landmark ordinance assigning additional civilian police oversight duties to a newly constituted Board of Fire and Police Commissioners to improve transparency and public trust. The council also authorized and directed the City Clerk’s Office to accept applications through 5 p.m. Nov. 10 for the special recruitment of five members to the new Fire and Police Commission. The city’s goal is to have the new commission up and running in January. Council members made sure that, with a few exceptions, anyone can apply to be a commissioner, regardless of whether they worked as a firefighter or law enforcement
officer in Santa Barbara County or outside the county. Council members also agreed that new commissioners should go on ride-alongs with police officers and firefighters, while at the same time making sure that other accommodations for an equivalent immersive experience would be made available to those who decide to forego that experience. Despite debate over those two issues, and questions about the role of an independent police monitor, council members and others lauded Tuesday’s impending passage of the oversight ordinance that took years to come to a full council vote. “This is such a significant vote taken today,” Councilmember Meagan Harmon said. “It took years to get here after years of advocacy and tons of public input.
Many people said this would never end up at a vote or become an ordinance. It is truly momentous. “It’s not everything everybody wants, but it’s the most significant step toward meaningful civilian oversight in our city’s history. It means a whole lot to me and to a lot of you as well.” Councilmembers, as well as public speakers, debated an earlier Ordinance Committee vote to exclude anyone who worked in Santa Barbara County as a law enforcement officer or firefighter from applying to be a commissioner, as well as police or firefighters who worked outside the county unless they were off the force for at least five years. Those who supported the exclusion were concerned about the perception of bias a commissioner/former police officer might have while
Seafood festival
reviewing the case of another police officer named in a civilian complaint, because they might consider them part of the “family” they themselves belonged to while on the job. Some people, they said, have a mistrust of law enforcement anyway because of bad experiences dealing with them, and so would not trust a former police officer to judge the accused officer impartially. Others, however, resented the allegations of potential bias. Eric Beecher, president of the Santa Barbara Police Officers Association, said the “positive experience” of a former officer sitting on the commission “who was willing to give his life in defense of strangers” could prove invaluable to the board. “They could be a valuable resource.” Please see OVERSITE on B4
ELECTION 2022
Caroline Abate seeks Goleta Union School District board seat
Annual Santa Barbara Harbor event to take place Saturday
Editor’s note: This is part of a series of articles about local candidates in advance of the Nov. 8 general election. Ballots, meanwhile, have already started to be mailed to Santa Barbara County residents. By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
COURTESY PHOTOS
A family has fun holding crabs at the Santa Barbara Harbor.
By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
The community will celebrate Santa Barbara Channel’s bounty and the fishermen who harvest it at the 19th Annual Santa Barbara Harbor & Seafood Festival on Saturday. This free event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., luring seafood lovers to Santa Barbara Harbor for one of our community’s most cherished events. Timed to celebrate the opening of lobster season, the Festival showcases fresh, regional seafood in addition to live music, maritime education, free boat rides, children’s activities, vessel tours, and more. There’s fun to be had for all ages. The Harbor & Seafood Festival offers an interactive day for visitors and locals alike, reminding people that the harbor is where more than 100 fishermen land millions of pounds of seafood each year.
According to a news release, that adds $30 million to the local economy and beyond. People are invited to enjoy an abundance of sustainably harvested, high-quality seafood, according to the news release. They can also meet fishermen face-to-face. Attendees also can select local fresh-caught lobster, crab and sea urchin/“uni” and have them prepared on the spot. And there will be specialty food booths for fish tacos, oysters, mussels, barbecued albacore, clam chowder and seafood paella. The festival will also feature live entertainment by Juan Dolor, Spencer the Gardner and Cornerstone on a main stage. And attendees can peruse special festival memorabilia, shop for a variety of art, clothing and other unique gifts, and enjoy free harbor boat rides aboard the Double Dolphin and Kelpie. The Santa Barbara Harbor & Seafood Festival is presented
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Two women get sea urchins, which are among the festival’s popular treats.
by the City of Santa Barbara Waterfront Department, Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara, Inc. and the Santa Barbara Harbor Merchants’ Association, along with various
community partners and volunteers. Visit HarborFestival.org for more details. email: nhartestein@newspress.com
Caroline Abate is bringing her experience as a classroom teacher as she runs for the Goleta Union School District board’s District 1 seat against incumbent Dr. Richard Mayer. “I was inspired to run for the Goleta Union School District board because we need to be very careful what we are teaching our children,” Ms. Abate, who describes herself as a “common-sense conservative,” told the News-Press. “Their hearts and minds are very delicate and impressionable, especially at the elementary school age. “We need to thoroughly analyze all curriculum, teacher training materials, textbooks, library books and supporting materials, to be sure that we are not putting harmful ideas into their hearts and minds,” she said. “Recall what happened in Uvalde, Texas, at Robb Elementary School just this summer. We cannot let our community live from public shooting to public shooting and allow this to become a ‘normal occurrence’ in our country. We need to think carefully about what our children are learning, seeing, and doing, even outside the school environment, that is influencing their behavior,” she said. “What if we start teaching Biblical values again — especially, ‘Thou shall not kill,’” she said. “Maybe that young man would not have gone out and committed murder, and those children would be alive today. “We must face this issue and allow honest discussions that get to the root causes of this deadly
COURTESY PHOTO
Caroline Abate
problem,” she said. “Each child has their own unique future and together they will be the future of our community and our country,” Ms. Abate said. “I am running to be sure GUSD students are protected from wrongful political and harmful sexual ideas. “A better path forward is for our students to learn the necessary academics along with good virtues and building character for the sake of their own future happiness and the continued peace, freedom and prosperity of our country.” The News-Press asked Ms. Abate how her career has prepared her for this position. “In order to be a good leader and member of the school board, it is so important to have first worked as a classroom teacher. Having experience working in the classroom, I understand the problems and everyday issues that classroom teachers, students, parents and school staff are facing,” said Ms. Abate. “That’s the foundation of knowing what board policy will be helpful for solving a problem and what will only make the problem worse or cause other problems. Please see CANDIDATE on A4
INSIDE
L O T T E RY RESULTS
Classified................. B4 Life...................... B1-2 Obituaries............... A4
Saturday’s SUPER LOTTO: 9-11-17-33-36 Meganumber: 7
Tuesday’s DAILY 4: 7-6-7-9
Tuesday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 3-7-11-13-38 Meganumber: 1
Tuesday’s FANTASY 5: 2-26-27-29-37
Tuesday’s DAILY DERBY: 11-03-05 Time: 1:46.15
Monday’s POWERBALL: 3-6-11-17-22 Meganumber: 11
Sudoku................... B3 Weather................. A4
Tuesday’s DAILY 3: 1-5-0 / Wednesday’s Midday 6-5-2