A roof over their heads
Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation’s new leader Corey Pahanish talks about the road that took him to Santa Barbara - A4
Our 165th Year
After going through drills outside for the past few weeks, Gaucho basketball returns to Thunderdome - A7
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Carbajal vs. Caldwell
COURTESY PHOTO
U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara, is seeking his third term in Congress and has stressed renewable energy sources and economic relief during the COVID-19 pandemic.
COURTESY PHOTO
Andy Caldwell, executive director of the Coalition of Labor, Agriculture and Business and a News-Press columnist, is running for the 24th Congressional District seat.
Candidate calls for reopening businesses, schools
Congressman stresses relief efforts during pandemic Editor’s note: These articles are part of a News-Press series on local candidates in the Nov. 3 election. The series will continue Wednesday with profiles of the candidates in a state Senate race. By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR
As U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal deals with his own diagnosis of COVID-19, he’s thinking about the pandemic’s impact on the nation. “The first thing we need to do is provide more economic relief to the American people during this COVID-19 pandemic,” the Santa Barbara Democrat told the News-Press by phone from a Washington, D.C., hotel, where he was in quarantine. He was recently diagnosed positive for COVID-19 after coming in
contact with U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, who previously tested positive, but the congressman said his symptoms have been mild, ranging from a lowgrade fever to some fatigue. Rep. Carbajal is seeking his third term in the House in the Nov. 3 race against Nipomo Republican Andy Caldwell. Rep. Carbajal represents the 24th district, which includes all of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties and part of Ventura County. The congressman, who noted he supports bipartisan solutions when possible, is part of the House’s Problem Solvers Caucus,
made up of 25 Democrats and 25 Republicans. The caucus has made major proposals in areas such as health care, infrastructure and immigration and recently proposed a $1.5 trillion global economic stimulation package, Rep. Carbajal said. “Let’s be sure we are protecting our public health and that we are opening our economy as safe as possible, with relief that is needed for workers, individuals, families, businesses and schools,” he said. “As part of the House, I have voted for six economic relief bills Please see CARBAJAL on A8
ELECTION 2020
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By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR
Andy Caldwell wants to turn the government around and point it in what he considers the right direction. “I am truly and deeply concerned about our country. I believe our country is headed straight toward socialism. It’s an open secret, so to speak,” the Nipomo Republican told the News-Press. “I believe that (Donald) Trump, with all of his faults, will save America from globalism,” Mr. Caldwell told the News-Press. “We have the internal threat, socialism, and the external threat, globalism.” Mr. Caldwell is running against U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal in the Nov. 3 election and supports
reopening businesses and schools with in-person learning. This is Mr. Caldwell’s first campaign for an elected public office. The Lompoc native is the longtime executive director of the Coalition of Labor, Agriculture and Business, which he describes as a government watchdog and advocate for taxpayers and businesses. He is also a News-Press columnist and hosts “The Andy Caldwell Show” on KZSB, the News-Press radio station (AM 1290). “I’m not a career politician,” Mr. Caldwell said. “I want to bring back the concept of citizen representation.” When asked about federal economic relief efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Caldwell said, “The only relief that works is a ‘Yes, We’re Open’
sign on a business. “Business and commerce generate the money Congress has to spend,” he said. “If we’re still shut down, they have only one of two options. They’re going to print that money, leading to inflation, or they’re going to borrow the money, leading to debt. “Congress is absolutely irresponsible to spend money it doesn’t have,” he said. “If they’re going to spend more money, they need to tell us how they’re going to get the money.” He criticized Gov. Gavin Newsom for continuing to redefine the criteria for reopenings and stressed the need to reopen businesses, schools and churches. Please see CALDWELL on A8
First time didn’t ‘work out’ Gyms allowed to open for first time since June By GRAYCE MCCORMICK NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
After a brief reopening period back in June and being ordered to close again, gyms in Santa Barbara County can now operate indoors at 10% capacity. This is the first time members have been allowed indoors for months, per the new Health Officer Order that went into effect Oct. 2, as Santa Barbara County moved up to the red tier. This time around, local gyms believe they, and their members, are prepared and adapted to take on socially-distanced, masked workouts. “It’s been a challenge to accommodate the ever-changing regulations and advice from the governor, county and city officials,” Brian Sawicki, the owner of Key 2 Fitness, told the News-Press. “Our members have been quite understanding and are hanging in there.” At Key 2 Fitness, staff added 800 square feet of artificial turf outside so members have the option to exercise outdoors. The gym requires masks inside unless there is an approved medical exception, emphasizes spacing between members and non-family units and spreads out cardio equipment throughout the gym. Employees and janitors also work behind the
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scenes during non-busy hours. Mr. Sawicki said the nature of Key 2 Fitness’s business plan “has lent itself well to the COVID-19 restrictions. “Even during normal times, we were uncrowded and operated at less than 10% of our building occupancy,” he said. “Cleanliness and proper sanitation is nothing new to us. Being open 24 hours a day has allowed members to find non-busy times to workout, even alone at times.” Mad Fitness SB is also providing an outdoor option for its members if they would like. “Some of them (the members) have actually adjusted to being outdoors and they like it more,” Marianne Madsen, owner of Mad Fitness SB, told the News-Press. “It’s been cool because we’ve seen some people who don’t really want to go back to the bigger gyms, so we get new faces.” She said the gym has a cleaning crew every night, on top of staff cleaning every hour. Masks and social distancing are mandatory. Ms. Madsen added that the gym has seen more people coming to work out now than the first reopening. “It’s definitely been a lot smoother the second time reopening than the first,” she said. “We’re Please see gyms on A3
RAFAEL MALDONADO / NEWS-PRESS
Gold’s Gym member Brian Green says he’s happy to be inside working out again, after gyms were permitted to reopen indoors at 10% capacity.
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