By Giana Magnoli, Noozhawk Managing Editor | @magnoli
December 16, 2020
Cities all over California are switching to district-based elections.
Santa Barbara has already held three of them to elect City Council members, and the transition has not delivered on all the hopes and promises of higher turnout and more equitable participation.
But it’s a start.
The current City Council is more diverse, in terms of ethnicity, age and gender, than the governing bodies before the switch to districts.
While every area of the city directly elects someone to the City Council, voters including the ones in historically underrepresented neighborhoods only vote for one of six members now, instead of casting a ballot for every seat.
Santa Barbara City Council Puts Temporary Stop to Changes at Flamingo Mobile Home Park
Residents speak out to protect the seniors-only policy as the park s owners push to open up the units to people of all ages and to allow rentals
Christel Barros says she has lived at the Flamingo Mobile Home Park at 1210 Cacique St. in Santa Barbara on and off since 1965. She spoke before the City Council on Tuesday to oppose proposed changes to the park. (Joshua Molina / Noozhawk photo) By Joshua Molina, Noozhawk Staff Writer | @JECMolina
December 15, 2020
Christel Barros voice quivered as she took the microphone. It is really hard for me to talk right now. I am shaking, Barros said. The intimidating tone of these powerful people, it s just overwhelming me.
Housing and Development Newsletter It took my life back to my childhood years, Alvarez said. People I had gone to elementary, junior high and high school with reached out when they heard I was running. Also, former co-workers, supervisors, teachers, my kids’ friends, their parents, my siblings and their friends, and current and former school board members whom work or have worked for, all embraced my candidacy and supported me. It was an overwhelming show of community support that surfaced my strong community ties.
She encourages other candidates in her situation in the future to be authentic and trust their intuition when deciding to run.
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - New street signs are up in one Santa Barbara neighborhood.
Indio Muerto was renamed and is now officially Hutash Street.
A virtual ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Monday afternoon to unveil the new name.
Earlier this year, the Barbareño Chumash Tribal Council requested the name change. Indio Muerto means Dead Indian in Spanish. In September, the Santa Barbara City Council determined the street name was offensive and voted to change it.
The new street name Hutash means Mother Earth.
City of Santa Barbara changes street name with offensive meaning
ksby
and last updated 2020-12-14 15:23:29-05
The City of Santa Barbara is renaming Indio Muerto Street to Hutash Street Monday.
Earlier this spring, the Barbareno Chumash Tribal Council requested to change the street name, which means dead Indian in Spanish.
The new street name Hutash is a Chumash term for earth mother.
Members of the Santa Barbara City Council determined the street name was not appropriate and voted to change it.
A ribbon cutting ceremony is planned for 2:30 p.m.
For more information on where to watch the ceremony click here.