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T H U R S DAY, J U LY 16 , 2 0 2 0
The Barber Shop forced to close due to licensing By JORGE MERCADO NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
J
orge Salgado was prepared when Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the reclosure of indoor operations for a number of county businesses earlier this week. The Santa Barbara native reopened his barber shop, at 1233 State St., a few weeks ago and followed every health protocol required. He considered moving his business outside despite feeling like he had more than enough room inside to ensure the safety of his customers. Still, when the governor’s order came down due to the recent spike in COVID-19 cases, barber shops
were one of the businesses forced to stop indoor operations. “I’ve been avoiding going outside because I had enough space inside and I felt safe inside until the news, so I thought I’d give it a shot and take the business outside,” Mr. Salgado said. Even with the short notice, Mr. Salgado quickly pivoted and got set up right outside his shop by Tuesday afternoon. He had two barber chairs right outside his location, and people were still eager to get a haircut. “My goal was to hinder the spread and having an open air environment would be the best solution for the barber shop and for the client. With the newest news from the Governor, my understanding was if you can modify your business to
conduct services, by all means, do it,” Mr. Salgado said. So he did it — and it was a success. “It was successful, everyone loved the idea. We were getting a lot of compliments and a lot of thumbs ups. People want to see us in business,” Mr. Salgado said. Unfortunately, that pivot did not last long. At noon Wednesday, some 24 hours after setting up the chairs, Mr. Salgado received a visit from a member from the Santa Barbara City’s Attorney’s Office who informed him that he would have to close down his outdoor operations as well. “They were very generous, and they were quick and respectful,” Mr. Salgado said. The person who visited from the attorney’s office informed Mr.
Salgado that they had contacted the Board of Cosmetology and that he would have to close down his outdoor operation. They added that he would have to apply with the board to try to get an outdoor license, something that took Mr. Salgado by surprise. “I’ve never heard of them doing that, because they can’t regulate outdoors, so that’s my concern. It saddens me, it really does. I honestly think it would have been a very, very successful outcome for everyone,” Mr. Salgado said. John Savrnoch, Chief Deputy District Attorney of South County, who has knowledge of the situation said his job, along with other entities in the county, is to best enforce the public health orders. “That’s really our focus, and
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RAFAEL MALDONADO/NEWS-PRESS
The Barber Shop has been told it can’t cut hair outside.
Chad’s restaurant returns Former Sambo’s pays homage to family legacy
By PAUL GONZALEZ NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
W
hen Chad Stevens decided to rename Sambo’s amid community backlash fueled by the Black Lives Matter movement, he wanted the new restaurant to honor his grandfather’s legacy. Mr. Stevens took the old Sambo’s sign down in early June and temporarily replaced it with a “Peace and Love,” sign. The sign now bears the name Chad’s, written in the same font as the old Sambo’s. “I’m paying homage to my
RAFAEL MALDONADO/NEWS-PRESS
By: BRIAN MACKLEY
Leading during uncertainty O
NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT
By JOSH GREGA NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
L COURTESY PHOTO
“Taking a position like this during a pandemic is a big challenge because there is no ‘playbook’ for how to make decisions or how to write a strategic plan,” Santa Barbara schools Superintendent Hilda Maldonado said.
ast week was Hilda Maldonado’s first week as Santa Barbara Unified School District’s superintendent, a position she enters at an uncertain time for the school district and for education at large. That uncertainty, of course, surrounds when the COVID-19 pandemic will subside enough for schools to reopen with full in-person learning, which was suspended in favor of remote learning in the spring. Under the circumstances, Ms. Maldonado’s first priority in her new role is reopening the schools in a way that prioritizes the safety of SBUSD students. “My immediate goal as a superintendent is to support our
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reopening of schools with a focus on health and safety while also ensuring all students receive a high-quality education,” she told the News-Press. The new superintendent spent her first week meeting with SBUSD staff via video conference call, and learning about how the school district is organized. Formerly the associate superintendent of leadership and partnerships for the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest school district in America, Ms. Maldonado also worked as a teacher, literacy coach, assistant principal, principal and director of principals. The plethora of roles she had in the LAUSD has allowed her to approach improving students academic performance from various perspectives, which she believes has prepared her well for
the superintendent role. “All of these roles led me to work different parts of the city, thus providing me access to schools and school leaders in a variety of settings and with a variety of experiences,” she said. She added, “I hope to use those leadership lessons as I meet staff across the district and think about the best way to support the academic and social emotional needs of all our students regardless of their circumstances and ensure their future is secure.” Making a definite plan to fully reopen schools is difficult, as going forth with complete inperson schooling is dependent on COVID-19 infection rates that are subject to change, and if SBUSD staff and facilities can realistically be marshalled in a way that ensures students safety. As the News-Press reported, the Please see uncertainty on A8
Please see chad’s on A8
The Berry Man delivers 30,000 pounds of food
Santa Barbara High School found a creative way to hold its commencement during the pandemic.
Santa Barbara Unified School District’s new superintendent reflects on starting amid pandemic
family that created that name. Now those same letters say Chad’s with a palm tree,” Mr. Stevens said. Mr. Stevens’ grandfather, Sam Battistone Sr., founded the original Sambo’s, at 216 W. Cabrillo Blvd., with partner Newell Bohnett in 1957. At its height, the Sambo’s chain boasted over 1,000 locations nationwide from the 1950s through the 1970s. The chain was famous for its 10-cent cups of coffee and for its connection to the 1899 book “The Story of Little Black Sambo” by Helen Bannerman.
ver a span of eight weeks, The Berry Man, a local wholesale food distributor has donated more than 30,000 lbs. of fresh produce to Casa Pacifica Centers for Children and Families. The Casa Pacifica Centers for Children and Families is a crisis-care and residentialtreatment facility for foster or at-risk children in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. According to the press release, “It’s mission is to restore hope, enhance resilience, and strengthen community connections for children, young adults and families at the most challenging times of their lives. The agency is the largest nonprofit provider of children’s mental health services in both counties, and administers 10 community-based programs designed to strengthen families and keep children in their homes and communities.” So far, The Berry Man has donated 100, 38-pound boxes of fresh produce every Tuesday to Casa Pacifica’s Camarillo
campus. From there, Casa Pacifica’s community-based staff has distributed the boxes all over the county. According to the press release, “The weekly boxes contain fresh produce, straight from our local farms – apples, pears, blackberries, celery, romaine lettuce, onions, potatoes, cauliflower and oranges. The Berry Man normally supports Casa Pacifica through a donation of its refrigeration trucks for use during the Angels Wine, Food & Brew Festival.” The release states the boxes are a part of The Berry Man’s successful bid on a contract to be a part of USDA’s Farms to Families Food Box Program. The goal of the Farms to Families Food Box Program is to reconnect distributors and farmers so that families can get the food that they need. Fortunately, The Berry Man has been able to use its successful bid on Food Box Program to connect food banks and other nonprofits to deliver boxes. According to the press release, “The USDA enacted the Farms to Families Food Please see DONATION on A8
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