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SB County Fair wraps up Preliminary estimates suggest attendance was lower than in 2019
Report: State has most severe housing deficit in the nation By MADISON HIRNEISEN THE CENTER SQUARE
KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
Rides are seen from Minetti Arena during the Santa Barbara County Fair at the Santa Maria Fairpark on Sunday.
By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
The COVID-19 virus seems to have impacted another event, as preliminary estimates indicate the number of people attending this year’s Santa Barbara County Fair is lower than organizers hoped it would be, yet the thousands who did show up at the Santa Maria Fairpark during the five-day event apparently had a great time, particularly enjoying the rides and carnival food, a fair spokeswoman said Sunday. The important thing is that the fair took place at all following its shutdown in 2020 and modified approach in 2021, complete with virtual livestock auction and portable theme park, Rebecca Parks, the fair’s public relations coordinator, told the News-Press. “The community looks forward to this,” she said. “Knowing we are back and look the same now, they know we’re not going anywhere. It’s the same fair you remember going to growing up, and it’s only going to grow and get better.” While attendance numbers are not yet available, Ms. Barks said it appears that the numbers are down this year from 2019, when about 130,000 people showed up. “On Wednesday and Thursday, it was lower than 2019,” she said. “On Friday we ran about the same, and we saw a slight increase on Saturday.” The biggest factor, she said, was that the number of animals sold in this year’s livestock auction was only half the number sold two years ago. “What impacted our numbers was there were almost 1,200 animals in 2019,” Ms. Barks said. “This year we had 600. A lot of kids grew up and a lot of kids dropped out” because they no
Nielsen named interim director of Public Health Department By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
longer had the opportunity to get involved in 4H programs. In 2020, she said, many “got stuck” and had to sell their livestock privately. “They wanted to wait this year out,” she said. In 2019, they were able to sell their livestock at auction for about $2.7 million, she said, so with half the animals on hand, Please see FAIR on A2
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Department while assuming the duties of Public Health interim director, with support from Public Health executive staff. It is anticipated that the search for a permanent director of the Public Health Department will be nationwide, and take approximately six months. Dr. Van Do-Reynoso has served as Public Health director since 2017, leading the department through countless events and disasters, such as the Thomas Fire and other wildland fires, the 1/9 Debris Flow and the Covid 19 pandemic, to ensure the county’s health and safety. “Van has artfully and gracefully led her department of 529 FTEs with a budget over $103 million, weaving trusting connections among the people, programs and services including animal services, environmental health, disease control, administration, finance, emergency medical services, primary care and family health,” officials said. She will continue to work with the community in her new role as chief customer experience officer with CenCal Health. email: nhartstein@newspress.com
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Daniel Nielson, head of the Santa Barbara County Social Services Department, has taken on the additional role of interim director of the county’s Public Health Department. Mr. Nielson’s new assignment, which began Friday, was initiated by the departure of Dr. Van DoReynoso after five dedicated and eventful years of service with the county, county officials said. As director of Social Services for the past nine years, Mr. Nielson has overseen critical county programs and services such as child welfare, Medi-Cal eligibility, protective services and workforce development. Prior to Santa Barbara County, he was the director of the Health and Human Services Agency in El Dorado County where he oversaw the Public Health, Mental Health, Social Services and Community Services departments. His vast experience in issues surrounding public health will serve him well in the interim director role, officials said. Mr. Nielson will continue to head the Social Services
Above, a camel delivers a ride while a zebra grazes during the fair. At right, young dancers from Lompoc-based Garcia Dance Studios deliver a performance.
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(The Center Square) – California has the most severe housing underproduction in the nation, reaching a deficit of nearly 980,000 homes, according to a new report released Thursday. The study, released by Up for Growth, found that 47 states, the District of Columbia and 169 out of 309 metropolitan areas have a housing deficit. Nationwide, the study found that housing underproduction has reached 3.79 million units – up from 1.65 million units in 2012. At the state level, California leads the nation in housing underproduction, with the report estimating the state has a deficit of 978,000 homes – an increase of 82% since 2012. The state with the second-highest deficit is Texas at 322,000 homes and Florida at 289,000 homes. “With the nation 3.8 million homes short of meeting housing needs, the U.S. is in an extreme state of housing underproduction,” Mike Kingsella, CEO of Up for Growth, said in a statement. “Housing affordability is foundational for building and sustaining healthy local economies, and provides individuals and families with the stability necessary to invest in themselves and their communities.” The report notes that the reasons for housing deficits nationwide can be unique to certain locations. “In Detroit, underproduction is driven by uninhabitable units, while in Sacramento, a lack of housing is driving the shortage,” the report
says. California’s crippling housing shortage and crisis has caught the attention of the Legislature, and several lawmakers have introduced bills in recent years to make it easier to build homes in the state. One such bill, Senate Bill 9, took effect January 1 and makes it easier for homeowners to subdivide an existing lot. Under the law, up to four units can be built on a single-family zoned parcel. Lawmakers have also introduced several housing measures this year to address the state’s shortage. One measure authored by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks would allow housing to be built in “underutilized commercial sites” – including areas zoned for office, retail and parking – while another measure by Assemblymember Laura Friedman would eliminate costly parking mandates near major transit stops. “California’s shortages of affordable housing and our growing homelessness challenges have become a humanitarian crisis, and we have to treat them with that sense of urgency,” Assemblymember Wicks, DOakland, who serves as chair of the Assembly Committee on Housing and Community Development, said in a statement in April. If California closed its housing gap, “home prices and rents would grow 20% more slowly than if the status quo continued unchecked,” the report estimates. To address housing underproduction, the report Please see HOUSING on A3
Sudoku................. B3 Weather................ A4
Saturday’s SUPER LOTTO: 2-14-26-35-43 Mega: 27
Sunday’s DAILY 4: 6-4-0-7
Friday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 8-20-26-53-64 Mega: 15
Sunday’s FANTASY 5: 7-18-24-33-34
Sunday’s DAILY DERBY: 09-04-06 Time: 1:43.31
Saturday’s POWERBALL: 3-18-23-32-57 Meganumber: 21
Sunday’s DAILY 3: 3-5-1 / Midday 4-2-7