Big West preseason poll unveiled
Bringing awareness to open spaces
Six Gauchos projected as all-league performers - A3
Oak Group artists hold show to benefit NatureTrack - A4
Our 165th Year
75¢
F R I DAY, NOV E M BE R 13 , 2 0 2 0
RAFAEL MALDONADO/NEWS-PRESS
Animal Planet TV show host Forrest Galante trains for his global expeditions to find animals thought to be extinct at Variant Training Lab, while being assisted by his trainer, Jacob Trapp.
Training like his life depends on it Animal Planet TV show host trains for expeditions at State Street gym RAFAEL MALDONADO/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation, reopened to the public Thursday. It is located at 125 State St. in downtown Santa Barbara.
MOXI reopens to public Visitors invited to blow off some STEAM
By ANNELISE HANSHAW NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation, located at 125 State St. in Santa Barbara, opened Thursday and welcomed eager visitors into its familyoriented, hands-on exhibits. MOXI isn’t a museum where patrons stroll by and just look at the information. Guests interact with and experience science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics. But President and CEO Dr. Robin Gose doesn’t want her visitors experiencing the science behind infectious diseases (namely COVID-19). She began working this summer to create a safe environment for the families that tour MOXI. “We’re a science museum, so of course, we’re following the science and keeping close tabs on that and then creating procedures and protocols that were in line with that so that we could provide a safe experience for both staff and visitors,” she said.
“But also to make sure that it of the exhibits are open. Some was still really fun. Because that’s spaces, like the maker lab, were part of the joy of coming to MOXI unable to be converted to new is that you learn through play and standards. exploration and discovery. So we And now, MOXI is providing didn’t want to lose that but also weekly activities online for families wanted to make sure that we were to complete at home using regular, keeping everybody safe.” household materials. There are There are a number of protocols already dozens available at moxi. in place. MOXI is org/athome. currently operating “Since many To see streaming video people are not under 25% capacity, GO TO so it encourages leaving their houses newspress.com visitors to make a for too many things reservation. you have, we wanted When visitors to be sure that it was enter, they receive a stylus to use accessible to as many people as on the touch screens throughout possible,” she said. the museum. The pieces touched, One activity this summer like the cars guests build to encouraged families to construct race, are placed in a bucket and a cardboard building and drop it sanitized between every use. off at MOXI. They are displayed Signs direct guests in a one-way in a room called “CurioCity,” path to avoid overlap. And stickers pronounced like “curiosity.” designate six-feet distances while The results are endearing. waiting. CurioCity is a town of many banks, MOXI is open 10 a.m. to noon some parks, a firehouse and and 1 to 3 p.m. Thursday through even a couple luxury apartment Sunday, closing in the middle of the complexes. day for cleaning. Dr. Gose took her kids to see the Dr. Gose estimates that 80% cardboard creations. Her daughter
was particularly taken with a model of a movie theater playing “Frozen.” She has been enjoying seeing kids back in the museum and hearing their excitement. “Playgrounds have been closed for months, swimming pools have been closed,” she said. “Every age group, every different demographic has challenges during this pandemic. And kids, this is so out of their control, and so to be able to come back here where they can play gets me choked up.” It’s obvious that she really enjoys science, not just because she wears a MOXI mask that says “I love science.” Dr. Gose started her career as a science teacher in Culver City. She spent years working at various science museums. “The early years of childhood are so important to build the fundamentals and the foundation for future science and math achievement, or just interest,” she said. “What we have, through our exhibits and programs is Please see MOXI on A8
show host and wildlife biologist escaped, and has been training at Variant Training Lab in downtown Santa Barbara since It was when he was darting February. lions in Zimbabwe and had to Mr. Galante dodge one charging right towards To see streaming video moved to the city when he was 14 him that Forrest GO TO graduated Galante realized newspress.com and from UCSB in he’d better start 2009 with a degree training. in biology with an emphasis in “If I hadn’t had the mobility marine biology and herpetology. and flexibility to dodge and drop He is now the head of the as quickly as I did, that could’ve Santa Barbara Stingrays Youth been the end of my life,” he told Rugby Club, a member of the the News-Press. Luckily, the Animal Planet TV Please see galante on A7 By GRAYCE MCCORMICK NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS
The barge has been off the coast of Summerland since Sunday plugging the Treadwell oil well.
Oil well being capped off Summerland coast By JOSH GREGA NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
At left, Henry Rivera, a 10-year-old from Bakersfield, plays with the handprint glove exhibit. His aunt, Noichole Gomez, of Santa Barbara, brought him to visit the museum Thursday. At right, president and CEO of MOXI Dr. Robin Gose wears a mask that says “I love science.”
FOLLOW US ON
6
66833 00050
3
Please see well on A8
L O T T E RY RESU LTS
ins id e Classified.............. A7 Life.................... A 4-5 Obituaries............. A8
A barge off the coast of Summerland is at work capping the abandoned Treadwell oil well. This is the second well to be capped under Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson’s Senate Bill 44, which was passed in 2017. The first was the Becker well in 2018. In an interview with the NewsPress, Sen. Jackson said the well capping project is going after the most “egregious” and “dangerous” abandoned wells first. Under SB 44, $2 million per year for seven years is set aside
to cap abandoned leaking oil wells. “It’s very exciting to see the results of that effort and to finally cap those wells so that people can enjoy that beautiful beach without fear of health issues, or contamination as a result of that leakage,” the senator said. Sen. Jackson made a post on Twitter on Wednesday celebrating the Treadwell capping, which included a picture of herself and Hillary Hauser with the barge out at sea in the background. Ms. Hauser serves as executive director of
Soduku................. A6 Sports ................... A3 Weather................ A8
Wednesday’s SUPER LOTTO: 6-7-11-29-38 Meganumber: 23
Thursday’s DAILY 4: 0-5-5-1
Tuesday’s MEGA MILLIONS:23-45-53-58-62 Meganumber: 13
Thursday’s FANTASY 5: 12-16-18-23-29
Thursday’s DAILY DERBY: 01-03-05 Time: 1:49.92
Wednesday’s POWERBALL: 13-15-17-45-63 Meganumber: 13
Thursday’s DAILY 3: 5-8-1 / Wednesday’s Midday 8-0-2