Newsom issues health staffing order
Taste of Italy on State Street
Executive order is designed to ensure facilities are adequately staffed in anticipation of potential winter COVID-19 surge - B4
Our 166th Year
James ‘Tondi’ Haskins creates fresh gelato with new and traditional flavors - B1
75¢
F R I DAY, N OV E M B E R 1 2 , 2 0 21
Parade of Lights in-person again Santa Barbara procession set for Dec. 12
KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
The Gold Coast Pipe Band plays a tribute to the armed forces during the Veterans Day ceremony Thursday morning at the Santa Barbara Cemetery.
Ceremony honors veterans Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1649 recognize those who have served
COURTESY PHOTO
Perseverance won the 2019 Grand Prize at the Parade of Lights.
By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT
The 35th annual Parade of Lights, a signature Santa Barbara procession of decorated watercraft, will set sail Dec. 12. The theme is “Magic Under Moonlight” for the event, which is in-person again for the first time since 2019. All of the holiday event’s activities are free. They’ll begin at noon when families can visit Winter Wonderland on the city pier in Santa Barbara Harbor.
That’s where families can play in 10 tons of snow and encounter holiday music and elves. It is rumored that Santa Claus himself might show up. Taking a turn from previous years, the Human Powered category competition will take place in the daylight at 4 p.m. Dozens of standup paddlers and kayakers dressed in festive attire will loop Stearns Wharf spreading holiday cheer. The Holiday Tree lighting ceremony will take place at 5 Please see PARADE on A4
Unvaccinated SB Unified staff offered accommodations By ANNELISE HANSHAW NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
At left, U.S. Army Ltc. Travis Buehner speaks about being a “soldier for life” while Lt. John Blankenship, founding director of the local Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation, smiles in the background. At right, Ltc. Pablo Paredes, quartermaster of Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 1649, opens the Veterans Day ceremony.
By ANNELISE HANSHAW NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Ltc. Pablo Paredes returned home after serving with the U.S. Army in Vietnam to a hostile environment. “The community just didn’t want us around,” he told the NewsPress. The Vietnam War shocked civilians who watched nightly broadcasts, and soldiers didn’t return from the conflict with a clear victory. But Ltc. Paredes sees a “big difference” in the past 10-15 years — a shift that perhaps is most visible during events like the Veterans Day program hosted by the Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1649. During Thursday’s ceremony,
Lt. John Blankenship, founding director of the Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation, bellowed the name of recent wars and asked veterans to stand. “Vietnam War!” Men and women rose from their seats, proud as the crowd clapped and attendees turned to look at all the Vietnam veterans. Ltc. Travis Buehner, who is actively serving in the Army, lives by a Vietnam veteran. Three years ago, on Veterans Day, the neighbor flew his flag upside down — a sign of distress. Ltc. Buehner saw the flag and knocked on his neighbor’s door. The neighbor carried grief from returning from Vietnam, and the two talked for a while. Thursday, the neighbor was flying his flag conventionally. “It’s so important to make sure we reiterate how thankful we are
FOLLOW US ON
6
66833 00050
3
for what they did. And they may not have felt so at the time, but being proud of their service and answering the call to serve their country,” Ltc. Buehner said. Lt. Blankenship works to ensure veterans are honored in the community, whether it be by hosting a gala or presenting a veteran’s loved ones with a flag. “We just want people to feel proud to have served,” he said. A Census Bureau report titled “Those Who Served” reveals a declining veteran population. Around 7% of U.S. adults were veterans, according to the report’s 2018 survey. In 1980, 18% of adults had served. “While we often thank our vets for their service, there are a lot of veterans that still need our support,” Ltc. Buehner said in the keynote address. “And I think we
need to do better, with not just words, but actions.” Ltc. Paredes serves as the quartermaster of VFW Post 1649 and has previously held the role of commander. He connects veterans with services they need, but he says many join the post for friendship. “They want comradery, a sense of belonging. They’re looking to help other veterans. In the VFW, that’s exactly what we do,” he said. “We help veterans in need, whether they’re students or community veterans.” He said he is aware of a few homeless veterans in Santa Barbara, but the problem is worse in Los Angeles, where he helped find shelter for 800 homeless veterans. The number of homeless Please see VETERANS on A2
Unvaccinated Santa Barbara Unified School District staff with approved medical and religious exemptions may continue working past Dec. 17 provided they submit to twice weekly COVID-19 testing, wear an N-95 mask and practice social distancing when possible. The district informed its employees of the change Tuesday evening. A total of 70 staff members applied for religious exemptions, and seven applied for medical exemptions. Last week, some of these staff members protested the district’s vaccine mandate in a rally at Santa Barbara City Hall. They had received notice they were going to be placed on unpaid leave Dec. 17, contrary to prior districtwide emails. Staff who did not provide
proof of vaccination or request accommodation, of which there were eight, were placed on unpaid leave Nov. 1. “We have substitutes who are filling in for those positions, but we are still working on a longer term solution,” a district spokesperson said in an email sent to members of the press. The district attributes the change to multiple factors, including the Nov. 5 release of the U.S. Department of Labor and Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s emergency temporary standard. The standard calls for employers with staff of at least 100 to require vaccination or weekly testing and masking. “A recent emergency approval of the COVID 19 vaccine for ages 5-11 means our elementary students now have the choice to become Please see MANDATE on B4
INSIDE
L O T T E RY RESULTS
Classified................. B4 Life...................... B1-2 Obituaries............... A4
Wednesday’s SUPER LOTTO: 7-15-17-45-46 Meganumber: 7
Wednesday’s DAILY 4: 9-1-9-1
Tuesday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 9-14-16-26-49 Meganumber: 14
Wednesday’s FANTASY 5: 13-14-21-35-37
Wednesday’s DAILY DERBY: 02-09-07 Time: 1:40.51
Wednesday’s POWERBALL:: 19-25-43-46-48 Meganumber: 14
Sudoku................... B3 Sports . .................... A3 Weather................. A4
Wednesday’s DAILY 3: 3-1-2 / Wednesday’s Midday 1-7-2