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W E D N E S DAY, D E C E M B E R 21, 2 0 2 2
Boost in funding for COVID-19 shots
Jewish leaders call for unity against hate
$1.63 million in grants announced for Central Coast efforts to get people vaccinated and boosted
Community reacts after fringe group throws antisemitic fliers on the Mesa By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Jewish leaders are reacting with outrage after a fringe hate group threw antisemitic fliers on lawns of homes on the Mesa over the weekend marking the start of Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights. The Santa Barbara Police Department received numerous calls for service over the weekend in regards to the antisemitic fliers being distributed in Santa Barbara neighborhoods. These fliers were discovered by residents on the Mesa on the first day of Hanukkah, and many of the fliers were turned over to police. “This is very similar to what other cities across the country have experienced in recent months,” police said. “It does not appear that any one person or group of people were targeted in this distribution of fliers. The fliers have been described as ‘upsetting’ and ‘full of hate.’”
By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR
As other officials talked about COVID-19 and a possible holiday spike, Dr. Henning Ansorg made his point by quietly putting on a big mask at a news conference Tuesday morning. The crowd of officials and journalists chuckled, but officials were serious about prevention. “Even though masks are not required, they’re highly recommended,” U.S. Rep. Salud Carabajal said as he stood outside next to Dr. Ansorg, the Santa Barbara County public health officer, and others outside the Santa Barbara County Health Care Center. They gathered at the Santa Barbara site to hear Rep. Carbajal’s announcement about four new grants totalling $1,634,218 to increase the number of Central Coast residents who have received the new bivalent COVID-19 booster shot. The booster is designed to combat more recent variants of the coronavirus. “While we have made great strides at reducing COVID-19’s control over our lives on the Central Coast, the constantlyimproving tools that we have to keep this virus at bay won’t
“It is important, more than ever, especially at the peak of the flu season and with an increase of in-person travel and loved ones coming together for the holidays that we continue to vaccinate those that can be vaccinated,” Scott Black, CEO of American Indian Health & Services, told reporters. Listening, from left, are Dr. Henning Ansorg, the Santa Barbara County public health officer; Dr. Noemi Doohan, the new director of the County Public Health Department; and U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal.
help anyone if people fail to take the time to use them,” Rep. Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara, told the small audience of local journalists. “In order to keep our communities and frontline workers protected from newer strains of COVID-19, and
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keep our hospitals from being overrun in this perfect storm of multiple infectious illnesses this winter, we need more people to get these boosters. “I’m proud that the federal funding that I’ve supported for our federal health departments
are coming back to help our local health officials get these shots in arms as quickly as possible,” he said. The $1.63 million breaks down to these four grants: • $1,041, 493 for Community Health Centers for the Central Coast. • $265,765 for Santa Barbara County. • $214,258 for Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics. • $112,7902 for American Indian Health and Services. The funding is made possible by a 12% increase in the annual Health and Human Services budget, for which Rep. Carbajal voted in March. Nearly 70% of Santa Barbara County residents have had their primary series of COVID-19 shots, a County Public Health Department representative told the News-Press. Dr. Ansorg would like to see the number take a dramatic jump. “The sky’s the limit,” he said, answering a News-Press question about the ultimate goal. “We would love 95% or more to be vaccinated. Five percent probably can’t get vaccinated for medical reasons. We would like to have as many people vaccinated as possible.” Please see SHOTS on A4
Please see FLIERS on A4
Court sides with equestrians
DAVE MASON/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department would love to see 95% of the population get the COVID-19 vaccine, Dr. Henning Ansorg, the county public health officer, told reporters Tuesday outside the county Health Care Center. Standing behind him are U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara, and Dr. Susan Lawton, the new chief medical officer of the Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics.
“Of course, my reaction is outrage,” Cyndi Silverman, executive director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Santa Barbara, told the NewsPress on Tuesday. “This is unacceptable,” especially on Hanukkah, which started Sunday night, she said. “All leaders of all communities have to stand up against hate.” Head Rabbi Stephen Cohen of Congregation B’nai B’rith in Santa Barbara cited the need “to encourage everyone Jewish and non-Jewish, all good people who are out there, to not allow this very small group — and we have every reason to believe it is a very, very small fringe group — to succeed in making us afraid, to not allow them to succeed in making us feel divided as a society.” Jewish people have to stand up and be proud of who they are, he said. “We’re here, and we’re not going to hide. We’re in this together. American society in general and the Santa Barbara community are
Santa Ynez Riders and CAMP talk to News-Press about ruling on Live Oak Trail By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Superior Court Judge Thomas Anderle recently ruled that the Santa Barbara County violated environmental review laws after its efforts to expand use of Live Oak Trail to people besides equestrians. Judge Anderle awarded equestrians who sued Santa Barbara County $300,000 in legal fees. The ruling came after the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors sought to expand the use of the trail, which is on the north side of Lake Cachuma, to pedestrians, cyclists, hikers and joggers. That prompted a group of equestrians to sue the county. Santa Barbara County has a policy that trails should be open to all user groups, according to 3rd District Supervisor Joan Hartmann. “That said, as an equestrian, I know that horses can be easily spooked by dogs and bikes (neither of which were allowed at Live Oak) and now especially e-bikes (not allowed on county trails),” Supervisor Hartmann told the News-Press. “So I am eager to see sharing of some trails with different times and days blocked out for different
user groups.” “I have been in ongoing discussions with the equestrians and hope that these discussions continue and that we can collaborate on some creative solutions to increase equestrian use at Live Oak, including a horse camp,” she said. “I am also eager to see a public process and environmental review that will allow for a wider range of people to enjoy the 3000 -acre wonder that is Live Oak.” Kathy Rosenthal, president of Santa Ynez Valley Riders, told the News-Press that it’s unfortunate to see so much money put toward legal fees rather than the trails. But she added, “This ruling allows the public opportunity to take a hard look at any recreation uses that may be proposed at Live Oak Trail, and facilitates a transparent process as required by law to determine the future of the natural resources and level of recreational use on the grazing lands on the north shore of Cachuma Lake. “The Live Oak Equestrian Trail, equestrian trail riding and grazing lease are all grandfathered uses at the camp and trail and have been compatible with the land use Please see EQUESTRIANS on A4
INSIDE
L O T T E RY RESULTS
Classified................. B4 Life...................... B1-2 Obituaries............... A4
Saturday’s SUPER LOTTO: 3-4-11-27-39 Meganumber: 22
Tuesday’s DAILY 4: 1-1-6-1
Tuesday’s MEGA MILLIONS: N/A Meganumber: N/A
Tuesday’s FANTASY 5: 1-7-28-29-39
Tuesday’s DAILY DERBY: 12-01-08 Time: 1:47.73
Monday’s POWERBALL: 7-37-55-65-67 Meganumber: 12
Sudoku................... B3 Weather................. A4
Tuesday’s DAILY 3: 4-0-1 / Wednesday’s Midday 6-6-8