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Well wishes for 2021 State Street shoppers hope for a new year
Tree maintenance project planned By MITCHELL WHITE NEWS-PRESS ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Tree maintenance work at Stow Grove Park is scheduled to begin next month. The project will include removing a number of dead trees in the redwood grove, which will then be reused for park amenities such as picnic tables and benches. “The Stow Grove Park redwoods are a unique and important part of Goleta’s urban forest and the upcoming maintenance work will ensure the grove will be enjoyed by future generations of park users,” said Mr. Thomson. In an effort to improve public safety and allow for new trees to be planted, approximately 40 dead redwoods, one dead coral tree and numerous dead pittosporum trees will be removed. Additional maintenance in the redwood grove will include updating the irrigation system and spreading mulch to improve water availability for the hundreds of mature redwoods originally planted in the 1930s, officials said. As part of the long-term maintenance plan for the grove, the city will also be planting approximately 75 young coastal redwoods and 25 incense cedars. In addition to the work planned for the redwood grove, approximately 40 trees along
the eastern and southern perimeter of Stow Grove Park will be trimmed to remove dead branches and ivy. A consulting biologist will be performing wildlife surveys to ensure no impacts to wildlife occur during the work. In late November, the city’s Public Tree Advisory Commission reviewed the proposed work. According to the staff report, the Stow Grove redwoods were originally planted in the 1930s under the direction of Edgar Stow, heir to Rancho La Patera, state senator and a seminal figure in the agriculture development of the Goleta Valley. Currently, there are 279 redwoods, in addition to younger trees that were installed more recently. “The redwoods contribute to the charming character of Stow Grove, providing a shady destination and a beautiful backdrop for quiet walks, group picnics, and birdwatching for generations of Goletans,” the staff report reads. “Unfortunately, due to an historic drought from 20112019, individual redwood trees died, and the overall aesthetics of the redwood grove declined significantly during this time.” In 2014, the city hired professional arborist Bill Spiewalk to inventory the trees, assess their health and Please see trees on A6
KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
Siblings Aaron, Olivia and Paulina Sanchez wait in line at Lululemon with their labradoodle dog on State Street in Downtown Santa Barbara Sunday. They are shopping and returning gifts after Christmas, like many other shoppers in line.
By ANNELISE HANSHAW NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
New Year’s Resolutions are hard in a year where the world seemed to turn upside down, at least that’s what the general consensus seemed to be on State Street Sunday afternoon. Post-Christmas returns and shopping brought small crowds (and lots of dogs) to Santa Barbara’s shopping hub. As people waited in line to return not-quiteright Christmas gifts, the NewsPress asked: “What’s your New Year’s Resolution?” Many seemed confused. It hadn’t occurred to them yet. “I guess people say they want to go to the gym,” one said. But most gyms are closed until the county reaches the red tier. “I’m not one of those guys that are gonna say ‘go to the gym’ or anything,” said Jake West. “I just want to be happy and be healthy.” Part of his goal of being healthy is getting vaccinated against COVID-19. “We have family in Europe and in the Philippines. So hopefully with the vaccine, hopefully we can get to travel,” he said. The holiday season has been different for him, but he is optimistic for next year. “I hope we can get rid of this pandemic and just move forward, and this time next year we can really enjoy ourselves,” he said. Many resolutions were tied to the pandemic. “Hopefully we won’t have to restrict as much,” said Paulina Sanchez, who was visiting Santa
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Goleta’s Parks and Open Space Manager George Thomson.
Giles receives distinguished award By GERRY FALL NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Barbara with her family. They recently moved from Solvang to Los Angeles. Her brother Aaron Sanchez seemed to agree.
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pandemic. She was one of few who had a seemingly normal resolution. Many seemed focused on largePlease see 2021 on A7
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Howie Giles
Language and Social Psychology and the Journal of Asian Pacific Communication. Currently, Mr. Giles is working closely with Lt. Shawn Hill of the Santa Barbara Police Department (SBPD) on issues Please see giles on A8
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“I wish to get things back to normal,” he said. Their sister, Olivia, wanted to cut back on screen time — a habit that’s been amplified by the
Howie Giles, Distinguished Research Professor of Communication, has been awarded UC Santa Barbara’s prestigious Edward A. Dickson Emeriti Professorship for 202021. The award provides $15,000 in funding for research-related activities. A specialist in interpersonal and intergroup communication processes in intergenerational, police-citizen and other intergroup settings, Mr. Giles has conducted research on communications and attitudes toward law enforcement spanning more than a dozen countries, including Mongolia, Bulgaria and Russia. He is co-editor of the two-volume “The Oxford Encyclopedia of Intergroup Communication” and is the founding and current editor of the Journal of
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Saturday’s SUPER LOTTO: 4-6-16-19-32 Meganumber: 2
Sunday’s DAILY 4: 8-5-6-1
Friday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 17-23-36-69-70 Meganumber: 19
Sunday’s FANTASY 5: 8-19-27-34-39
Sunday’s DAILY DERBY: 09-01-07 Time: 1:49.20
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Sunday’s DAILY 3: 3-9-2 / Sunday’s Midday 5-1-0