••• Edhat reader Robert Bernstein shared his photos—including the one above—of Knapp’s Castle, which is being rebuilt. When I hiked up there last June—the project was much less far along at that time—I met the friendly owner, who talked about his plan to recreate at least part of the old building. (He sounded exhausted by the years of red tape that the county had put him through.) I hope someday to see the finished structure…. The photos at right are from my hike a year ago.
••• “The state of California released new coronavirus health guidance for religious services on Monday, saying houses of worship must limit total attendance to 25% of a building’s capacity and stop passing around offering plates, in addition to taking other precautions.” —L.A. Times
••• “Apeel Science’s mission to eliminate global food waste catapulted it to become the Central Coast’s latest tech ‘unicorn’ May 26 [….] The Goleta food-preservation technology firm closed a funding round led by Singapore foreign reserve investor GIC, alongside minority investments from Santa Barbara media and music moguls Oprah Winfrey and Katy Perry. Apeel has previously raised around $110 million across six rounds, and the latest investment values the privately held company at $1 billion, according to an announcement by the company.” —Pacific Coast Business Times
••• The county announced two-hour parking limits on weekends and holidays at Montecito trailheads and beaches. Two hours is tight for a beach visit, no? I guess it doesn’t matter, because parking was readily available a short walk away, and the trails and beaches were packed. —Edhat
••• “Mountain lion sighting from the Bird Refuge into the Clark Estate at 4:55 a.m.” I feel bad for the birds—talk about an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet—but it’s nice that someone is using Bellosguardo. —Edhat
••• The West Wind drive-in movie theater in Goleta has reopened in response to demand from folks tired of staying home during the pandemic. I’m as susceptible to the romance of nostalgia as anyone, but without first-run films, why would anyone bother? —Independent
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