••• “The City of Santa Barbara wants to overhaul the Eastside Neighborhood Park across from Franklin School on the Lower Eastside,” reports Noozhawk. “Officials say the tree canopy is too heavy, there are no available parking spaces, and the site is home to illicit activity, which drives out families.” Here’s a description from the Parks Commission report: “Project elements include replacing the existing ten-year old playground with a larger playground with play features to serve both 2-5 year- olds and 5-12 year-olds, relocation of the playground to the front of the park, a flexible-use recreation space, redesign of the picnic area to provide a more open and welcoming family gathering space, new lighting, and new inviting and accessible pedestrian entrances connecting park visitors to the playground, restroom, and community garden. The renovation will also upgrade the community garden with accessible walking paths, improved storage, upgraded entries, and new fencing” around the park.
••• Newsmakers‘s interview with former Santa Barbara mayor Hal Conklin includes “his response to those who keep urging him to run again. ‘Believe me I get asked that question a lot,’ he laughed when we asked about any plans to run, adding that he ‘is not seeking the job. […] I probably won’t make any decisions for the next 90 days. I haven’t totally ruled it out, but it’s not high on my priority list.'”
••• “Westmont College is creating a post-bachelor’s nursing program, and the program will open in the college’s new space in downtown Santa Barbara” on W. Anapamu. And “UC Santa Barbara has had its National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis on the third floor of the Balboa Building, in the Paseo Nuevo center at 735 State St., and that center will also be moving. It isn’t going far, though—just up the street to 1021 State St., where Union Bank used to be.” —Pacific Coast Business Times
••• “Drivers leaving Ventura on Highway 101 and heading toward Santa Barbara are likely to notice […] a giant red patent leather stiletto in the middle of an agriculture field.” Click the link to see a photo. —KEYT
••• “Seventy-nine years ago today, the Ellwood Oil Field in Goleta was fired on by a Japanese submarine during World War II. […] The Japanese shells destroyed a derrick and a pump house, while the Ellwood Pier and a catwalk suffered minor damage. After 20 minutes, the gunners ceased fire and the submarine sailed away. Estimates of the number of explosive shells fired ranged from a minimum of 12 to as many as 25. The attack caused widespread panic and President Roosevelt ordered the internment of Asian-Americans just a week later through Executive Order 9066.” —Edhat
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