An Effort to Preserve 48 More Acres of the Gaviota Coast

••• “HBO recently announced plans to adapt Empty Mansions—the nonfiction book about reclusive copper heiress Huguette Clark and the Santa Barbara waterfront Bellosguardo estate she owned until her death at age 104—into a TV series.” (Above: a photo from the first public tour of Bellosguardo.) —Noozhawk

••• “Santa Barbara Council Votes to Move Forward with $1 Million Plan to Revitalize De la Guerra Plaza […] The project is scheduled to go before the city’s Historic Landmarks Commission next month.” —Noozhawk

••• “San Luis Obispo County is in the early days of planning a regional desalination facility, and Santa Barbara County has decided to participate in the development study and be evaluated as a potential partner in the project.” —Noozhawk

••• From a press release on Edhat: “The Land Trust for Santa Barbara County has been working to purchase 48 acres of rolling hills along U.S. Route 101 State Scenic Highway and next door to the Arroyo Hondo Preserve. […] The Land Trust is launching a public campaign to raise $750,000 needed to protect and incorporate the neighboring property known as Gaviota Overlook into the beloved Arroyo Hondo Preserve forever.” Donate here. UPDATE 2/18: KCLU explained the sitch: “The Trust dipped into a special reserve fund to buy the property, because it was the first time in 15 years something like this became available. It paid $3 million for the property. But, the non-profit now needs to replenish that fund.”

••• “Montecito Fire Chief Kevin Taylor today announced his upcoming retirement from the Montecito Fire Department after 35 years of service. […] Succeeding Taylor as the new chief will be David Neels, the current division chief of operations.” —Noozhawk

••• “The last two oil piers and caissons at Haskell’s Beach in Goleta have been removed restoring a clean accessible coastline and eliminating the threat to public safety and the environment. The shoreline is now clear when it was once marked by 13 piers and multiple oil processing facilities.” —KEYT

••• Edhat explained the Garden Street Dog: “Located on the lawn of a home at the corner of Garden and Mission Streets is a 4-foot tall, 340-pound bronze Labrador Retriever. It’s been there for nearly 120 years, with the second owners of the home shipping it from Michigan. As the story goes, they had the statue made in the memory of a beloved pet, Rover [….] Rumor has it when the home is purchased by a new owner it comes with a caveat: They have to agree to continue the tradition of dressing up the dog for holidays.” (The text is from Edhat’s daily email, but it’s not in the post about the dog.)

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