No place like home
In the bank
California homeownership among the lowest in the country - A2
Unity Shoppe receives $20,000 grant form Union Bank - B1
Our 167th Year
75¢
S AT U R DAY, J U N E 18 , 2 02 2
Carpool lanes open on Highway 101 Officials celebrate completion of various improvements in Carpinteria By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR
Friday was a momentous day for commuters who travel — often at a snail’s pace — on Highway 101 between Ventura and Santa Barbara. As the sun rose, a new day began for the morning commute, with the opening of new carpool lanes in both directions in the Carpinteria area. Later that morning, officials marked the opening of the peak-period, high-occupancy lanes and other freeway-related improvements with a ceremony on the northbound on-ramp at
Casitas Pass Road. The ceremony celebrated the first completed segment of the $700 million Highway 101: Carpinteria project. Caltrans District 5 Director Tim Gubbins spoke at the ceremony, which was attended by everyone from local transit riders to U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal and state Sen. Monique Limón, both D-Santa Barbara; Carpinteria Mayor Wade Nomura; Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse; Supervisor Das Williams; and Joan Hartmann, chair of the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors. The new carpool lanes are between Bailard Avenue and the southbound Highway 101 onramp at Santa Claus Lane. The new lanes
tie into recently added third lanes to the south, and Caltrans said they will connect to upcoming projects to the north. In addition, there are now new freeway on- and off-ramps at Santa Monica Road, Carpinteria Avenue and Reynolds Avenue. Six new sound walls were built to reduce freeway noise for neighbors. And new bridges were constructed over Franklin and Santa Monica creeks. On local streets, intersections were improved at Santa Monica Road and Via Real, Reynolds and Carpinteria avenues, and Bailard Avenue and the freeway ramps. Please see CARPOOL on a4
KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS
Motorists drive freely Friday in the carpool lane at a portion of Highway 101 running through Carpinteria.
‘Service Above Self’ Rotary Club Of Santa Barbara awards $30,200 to seven nonprofits
Bill would require liability insurance for gun owners By TOM JOYCE THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR
KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
Judie Lugo, right, of the Police Activities League speaks while her colleague Gisela Flores Vivero stands by. Ms. Vivero then talked about the impact PAL had on her life when she was a student.
By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
The Rotary Club of Santa Barbara awarded $30,200 in grants to seven nonprofits at a luncheon Friday at the First Presbyterian Church of Santa Barbara. Connie Ragen Green, chair of the club’s Grants Committee, presented the awards and grant checks to representatives of the nonprofits. Grants ranged from $2,700 to $5,500. “We had representatives from six groups in attendance, and one representative Zoomed in virtually,” Ms. Green told the News-Press. “Everyone got to talk about what they are doing with the grant. We had about 30 people attend the ceremony,”
This year the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara made an effort to include recipients who serve a broad range of clients. They include seniors, youth and underserved segments of the population. The Rotary motto is “Service Above Self.” This year, grants went to The Center for Successful Aging, the Harvard University Partnership School, the Wilderness Youth Project, Santa Barbara Meals on Wheels, Police Activities League, Storyteller Children’s Center and Mayan Families. The Center for Successful Aging received $5,000, and its representatives at the luncheon were Allison Marcillac and Gary Linker. The CSA works to make sure people have social connections and access to resources in the Santa Barbara area.
FOLLOW US ON
66833 00050
3
activities such as camping. “They work with about 1,000 students about 60 to 65 hours a year, making a bigger impact and growing relationships between the people involved.” said Ms. Green. Santa Barbara Meals on Wheels received $2,700 and was represented by Jim Byrne and Kay Castagnola. “Several Rotary members drive a route for the program,” Ms. Green said. “For many recipients of the program, that is the only interaction they will have with someone on that day. The program delivers about 225 meals a day.” Police Activities League received $5,000 and was represented by Judie Lugo. Ms. Lugo brought with her a Gisela Flores Vivero, a young woman whose life Please see ROTARY on A4
LOTTERY
insi d e Classified.............. B4 Life..................... B1-2 Obituaries............. A4
6
The Harvard University Partnership School received $4,000. Brianna Lane, the head of the foundation for the school, attended the luncheon and received the grant. “She explained that they are a PTA, but not really in that they don’t expect parents to donate money,” Ms. Green said. “These are very low-income families. The school doesn’t receive as much as other local schools. They will be using the grant money for field trips. The school district doesn’t fund field trips. The grant will partially fund the field trip fund for the coming year.” The Wilderness Youth Project received $4,000 and was represented by Dan Fontaine and Chandler McLane. The nonprofit is focused on building relationships with youth through outdoor
(The Center Square) – A California state senator introduced legislation that would require gun owners to obtain liability insurance for the “negligent or accidental use” of their firearms, according to a press release from her office. State Sen. Nancy Skinner, DBerkeley, introduced SB 505 in hopes that California would become the first state in the country with this kind of law in place. “Guns kill more people than cars. Yet gun owners are not required to carry liability insurance like car owners must,” Sen. Skinner said in a press release Thursday. “Why should taxpayers, survivors, families, employers, and communities bear the $280 billion annual cost of gun violence? It’s time for gun owners to shoulder their fair share.” Sen. Skinner’s office describes the gun insurance required by SB 505 as “similar to car insurance.” Her office says that under the bill, gun owners would: Be held civilly liable for property damage, injury or death resulting from the use of their firearms Have to obtain liability insurance that covers losses or damages resulting from negligent or accidental use of their firearm, including property, damage, injury or death. Have to obtain proof of gun insurance, keep that proof with their firearm and produce it when asked by a peace officer during the course of a lawful detainment. Ms. Skinner’s office said she filed the bill in response to recent shootings in Uvalde, Tex., Buffalo, NY, and Tulsa, Ok. Although the law would be first in the nation at the state level, if passed, it’s not a new idea. San Jose became the first city in California to pass a law requiring gun owners to obtain liability insurance earlier this year. The ordinance was promptly challenged by a city resident and the National Association for Gun Rights. Additionally, Sen. Skinner’s office says that Assemblyman Phil Ting, DSan Francisco, proposed a similar bill in 2013, but it didn’t have the support to become law.
Sudoku................. B3 Weather................ A4
Wednesday’s SUPER LOTTO: 8-13-24-25-33 Mega: 9
Friday’s DAILY 4: 0-4-0-6
Friday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 20-36-53-56-69 Mega: 16
Friday’s FANTASY 5: 4-7-8-30-34
Friday’s DAILY DERBY: 05-04-02 Time: 1:47.08
Wednesday’s POWERBALL: 19-28-41-42-51 Meganumber: 7
Friday’s DAILY 3: 7-6-3 / Midday 0-5-7