••• Carpinteria residents opposed to the plan for the Surfliner Inn put on a depressing display of shortsightedness during a meeting with the Carpinteria City Council, the Carpinteria Planning Commission, and the Architectural Review Board. Without an infusion of energy and capital, retail in the town is going to wither and die right before people’s eyes. —KEYT UPDATE 12/3: The Coastal View‘s rundown of the meeting has a different, less negative take, noting that “while a handful of board members expressed general opposition to the concept, most expressed overall support for the project with modifications.” Thanks to T. for sending it over.
••• Given how people seemed to behave over Thanksgiving weekend, you or someone you know may find this Noozhawk article useful: “Where to Go for Covid-19 Testing in Santa Barbara County, and What to Expect […] Coronavirus tests are available at more and more locations, but the process is not always free.” The Montecito Association, however, sent this out:
I am getting calls from people frantically seeking Covid tests. The Goleta site has no appointments available. The neighborhood clinics that offer Covid-19 tests did not answer their phones today. The CVS in Goleta administering Covid tests has no slots available.
If you don’t mind paying:
-Vons Pharmacy on Coast Village has a pick-up test you can mail in to get results for $139.
– Oceanview Dermatology in downtown Santa Barbara has appointments for same-day Covid tests, with costs ranging from $175 to $225.
– Dr. Alzina kindly let me know Cold Spring School is offering testing this Thursday 12-1:30 p.m. in their parking lot. Cost is $125.
••• “Santa Barbara County Asks Travelers, Returning Residents to Quarantine for 14 Days.” While they’re at it, can I have a pony…? —Noozhawk
••• “Two Santa Barbara Unified programs are getting major upgrades to their facilities. Dos Pueblos High School is constructing new state-of-the-art facilities that will support Career Technical Education pathways in manufacturing, product development, media arts, and design. At Santa Barbara High School, the Visual Arts and Design Academy will be constructing a new building specifically designed for the specialized education that VADA offers.” —Independent
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I can’t decide what to think about the hotel. Truly torn. Design looks great, and timeless. Economic boost to downtown Carpinteria seems undeniable. But at the same time, it would certainly change things there forever. I don’t know what to think. My husband and I were recently talking about the ways in which tourists change a place forever. Pre-COVID, we spent a lot of time in restaurants popular with tourists, like Loquita (which we love). It’s not just more bodies on the streets, or unfamiliar people. Tourists *can* bring an energy I don’t like. They sometimes have almost a hyperness about them, especially in groups. I feel like dining next to a table of tourists tends to have a really different feeling than dining next to locals. It’s tough to explain, it’s a giddiness, a touch of the cavalier that comes with being somewhere new and exciting, and somewhere you kind of also have no skin in the game. Very tough call.