Our 165th Year
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T H U R S DAY, J U N E 18 , 2 0 2 0
A roaring return Santa Barbara Zoo introduces two new lions
By MITCHELL WHITE NEWS-PRESS ASSOCIATE EDITOR
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ove over, Monty. Step aside, Twiga. The lions are here. As the Santa Barbara Zoo gets ready to welcome back guests next week, visitors can count on reconnecting with Monty, the Humboldt penguin-turned-social media darling, when they reenter the zoo grounds. They can also look forward to getting an up-close look at Twiga, the giraffe that entered the world while the zoo was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And now, they will be greeted with wildlife royalty in the form of Ralph and Felicia, the zoo’s two new African lions.
“We’re truly excited to safely welcome guests back to the Santa Barbara Zoo,” Rich Block, president and CEO of the Santa Barbara Zoo, said in a news release. “We remain committed to protecting this community and have gone through extensive planning and preparation so that our guests can feel safe and comfortable while visiting.” Mr. Block acknowledged that while future visits may feel different than before, the new additions “will bring some muchneeded smiles to a lot of faces.” Felecia was born at Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, South Carolina, on April 10, 2018. She lived in a pride with one male and six other female lions. She was considered the dominant cub in her litter and pride. The 2-year-old is not fully
mature and is not expected to reproduce at this time, officials said. Ralph was born at the Indianapolis Zoo in Indiana on Sept. 15, 2015 – sharing the same birthday as Chadwick, the zoo’s last remaining lion, who died in December 2019. Ralph lived in a pride that included his brother, sister and mother. His previous keepers describe him as calm, curious and respectful to his mom and sister. Not only does the new male lion share a birthday with his predecessor, they both also came to Santa Barbara via the Indianapolis Zoo, which officials noted was “another special shared connection” between the two. The Santa Barbara Zoo was closed at the time of the lions’
arrival on May 6, though the team was well prepared to welcome them. The zoo received a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and as part of the program, the plan to bring in new lions began before the passing of Chadwick. The new lions traveled together via ground transport and went directly into the lion holding area upon arrival to get acquainted with each other while they quarantined for 30 days. As reported in Tuesday’s NewsPress, the recent arrival continues the zoo’s long history with big cats. “We have had lions at the zoo for almost 50 years, so we are very happy about the arrival of these Please see lions on A8
EBike’s big boom Electric bike business sees explosion in sales
By GRAYCE MCCORMICK NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT
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t a local bike shop on State Street, phones are ringing off the hook, days are booked solid with appointments, and employees are struggling to keep up with business. However, this isn’t just any bike shop. Electric Bikes of Santa Barbara has seen a massive boom in sales since the coronavirus pandemic. The owner of the shop, Scott LaMoine, said he’s been waiting for this explosion to happen, and attributes it to a new demand for exercise while maintaining social distancing. He said his customers come from near (Los Angeles) and far (San Francisco) because of the shop’s product line and expertise. “We are slammed,” Mr. LaMoine said. “People are at home, and they want to get out and get exercise and cycling boosts your immune system.” The seven-year-old store is different from other bike shops in that its products are exclusively new electric bikes and they only service the bikes they sell. In addition, the bikes are all European, pedalassist, and none of them have “twist and go” functionality or a throttle. While most suppliers are running out amid the high demand, the owner said they took a risk in buying three times what they usually would, and it’s paying off. Since COVID-19, Electric Bikes of SB closed its doors and switched to appointment-only via text. Customers schedule 45-minute appointments where employees educate them and allow test drives. Mr. LaMoine said they intend to keep it that way indefinitely, and eventually move to a touchless service with a drop-off and pick-up area. “With appointment-only, we’ve done incredibly well,” he said. “We give a different experience than your normal bike shop.” The owner said he sees himself as more of a “matchmaker,” pairing customers with the bike that works best for them and eliminating the stress of ordering a bike on the Internet. The shop has even had to put repairs on hold in order to keep up with sales. “Electric bikes are kind of at the tipping point right now,” Mr. Lamoine said. “They’ve always been kind of pivoting on an explosion in the U.S.” He added that Santa Barbara
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COURTESY PHOTO
Ralph, the Santa Barbara Zoo’s new African lion, shares a birthday with Chadwick, who resided at the zoo up to his death in December.
Community safety center?
Mayor recommends facility of collaboration for new police HQ By JOSH GREGA NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
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henever the Santa Barbara Police Department gets a new police station constructed in the Cota Street parking lot, Santa Barbara Mayor Cathy Murillo recommends calling it the “Community Safety Center,” a facility where police officers collaborate with social workers and behavioral health specialists to serve the community. However, that facility will not be built during the 2021 fiscal year. Economic impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in revisions to the city’s proposed budget for FY 2021, with cutbacks including $2 million
RAFAEL MALDONADO/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
Electric Bikes of Santa Barbara, owned by Scott LaMoine, is a local eBike shop on 1345 State St. that sells exclusively electric bikes and only services the bikes it sells.
is a great place for them, with the weather, the healthy lifestyle and the increasing number of bike lanes. In fact, East Sola Street, the store’s side street, has been approved to become a dedicated bike lane within the next couple years, and it’ll be referred to as “Bike Boulevard.” “The biggest misconception with electric bikes is that you don’t get any exercise,” the owner said. “But my customers have proven to me that they get more exercise. You ride your bike farther and more often.” When a customer comes in for an appointment, Mr. LaMoine says his first question is what they intend to use the product for. The shop sells mountain, speed, commuter, cargo, road, fat tire, leisure and step thru bikes. From there, it’s just a matter of preference and cost. They don’t sell any bikes under $2,000, and the average price point is between $3-$4,000. When the price goes up, customers will see a better motor Please see EBike on A8
Please see station on A7
5 COVID deaths at Santa Maria facility County to pause further reopening; 56 new cases announced Wednesday By GRAYCE MCCORMICK NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT
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Each electric bike has a speedometer and an odometer, along with the battery charge left. Each bike is sold with a charger and typically takes two to three hours to charge.
in Measure C funds intended to build the new station. This was further clarified during a special meeting on Monday, during which Santa Barbara Public Works Director Rebecca Bjork told the council that the police station was not among recommended capital projects for the new fiscal year. In an interview with the NewsPress, Ms. Murillo said removing funding for the new station and thereby delaying its construction is the result of both economics and the current societal climate. The new police station is to be paid for with funds from Measure C, the one-cent sales tax that became effective in April 2018 as a means of generating funds for infrastructure improvements,
he Santa Barbara County Public Health Department reported five deaths related to the ongoing outbreak at the Country Oaks Care Center in Santa Maria. As of Wednesday, 25 residents and 14 staff members have tested positive for COVID-19, according to a press release from PHD on Tuesday. The first positive cases were reported on May 31, and PHD has been working closely with the facility to mitigate the outbreak and support operations. On Wednesday, the county announced they are pausing reopening efforts as a result of the increase in recent hospitalizations and COVID19 positive cases. Expanded personal care services such as nail salons, tattoo parlors, piercing shops, etc. cannot reopen Friday as scheduled,
officials said. “Out of an abundance of caution and for the safety of all community members, particularly our most vulnerable, Public Health leadership has decided to hold on further reopening,” said Dr. Henning Ansorg, health officer for Santa Barbara County. “We urge all residents to take this time to evaluate how they can limit their exposure to people outside their homes. This virus will continue to spread unless we take action to stop it.” The county will reconvene next week to assess the situation. Country Oaks has received additional resources from the county and state to help the staff, including two California Medical Assistance Teams specializing in COVID-19, physician assistants, nurses and certified nursing assistants from the California Health Corps and Santa Barbara County Medical Reserve Corps. Please see covid-19 on A2
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L O T T E RY R ESU LT S
Comics................. A6 Classified.............. A7 Life.................... A 3-4
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Obituaries............. A8 Soduku................. A5 Weather................ A8
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