Author: KEYT

Mackenzie Lake

Happy Thursday! We start the morning with some marine layer influence before clouds give way to sunshine. Smoke and haze from fires burning in Monterey county will waft down into the area. Air quality issued arise in San Luis Obispo Counties while moderate air quality os projected for Santa Barbara.

Minimal change Friday. Temperatures only rise or fall a degree or so and clouds will look the same as days before. More sundowner winds are likely to cause another Wind Advisory.

Models have come into good agreement about the path of Hurricane Marie. A northwesterly trajectory is set meaning the biggest impacts will miss the California Coastline. Expect large waves and coastal flooding regardless. As far as rain, chances for us begin Saturday but most likely the rain begins Sunday and will hold with spotty showers through Tuesday. Amounts are still up in the air, but most areas will get needed rainfall with some thunderstorms in the mix.

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Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – UCSB scored a big recruiting win as four-star shooting guard Kellen Brewer commits to the Gauchos.

The 6’6 senior at Metairie Park Country Day School outside of New Orleans is ranked in the top 150 players by many of the top recruiting services.

UCSB head coach Joe Pasternack is also an alum of Country Day School.

Kellen Brewer is the son of former NBA player Corey Brewer who is now an assistant coach with the New Orleans Pelicans.

Corey Brewer helped lead the University of Florida to back-to-back NCAA Championships in 2006 and 2007.

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Dave Alley

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – Two days before they meet on the gridiron captains of the Righetti and Pioneer Valley high school football teams met in a much friendlier environment on Wednesday afternoon.

For more than an hour, the players, along with coaches, school and Santa Maria Joint Union High School District officials spent time having lunch together at Cool Hand Luke’s Steakhouse and Saloon.

“It’s good to see them,” said Nehemiah Galindo, Righetti senior linebacker. “It’s for sure a nice, a nice thing to just chat, meet up to see what’s going to go on and see how they’re doing catch up. So it’s always a nice time to communicate with them too, so it’s going to be a good Friday.”

The luncheon has been a longtime tradition ever since the rivalry, which has been named, “Battle for the Helmet” was first created back in 2006.

“It’s nice seeing them, getting to talk before it does get to business,” said Cade Quezada, Pioneer Valley senior running back/linebacker. “It’s nice to just catch up and have some fun. It’s the last time I’ll ever play these guys, so to me, it’s probably the biggest event that I’ll probably have this year.”

The winner of the game takes possession of the perpetual helmet trophy that was created several years ago.

One half of the helmet is painted in Pioneer Valley black and its Panther logo, with the other half painted in Righetti purple and its school “W” logo. There are stickers with the each year printed on them that are placed on the winning side.

Last year, Righetti kept the helmet, winning for the second straight year, in a 49-7 victory over the Panthers.

Overall, the teams have met 19 times, with Righetti leading with 13 victories, to six for Pioneer Valley.

Players from both teams said before the lunch they are eager and excited to face off on Friday in front of what is expected to be a huge crowd.

“This game, it’s always the biggest of the year for us,” said Quezada. “It means everything. You know, being always the underdog to me, I have nothing to lose. I’m just going to go in there and do everything I can to come out victorious.”

“Growing up and playing these guys from like the past years, it just gets the heat of a moment since you know them,” said Galindo. “It’s a fun time to play against people you know, see who’s better and always have the chats after game or before season. It’s always a nice time to to refresh that memory.”

Righetti enters the game with a record of 1-1, while Pioneer Valley is 0-2 and seeking its first win of the season.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Pioneer Valley High School.

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Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – The Santa Barbara City Fire Department is holding emergency response drills at the eight-story Granada Theatre in downtown Santa Barbara.

The training is designed to help firefighters prepare for incidents in taller buildings, where crews may face challenges reaching upper floors, carrying equipment, and evacuating occupants.

The exercise includes ladder truck operations, simulated rescues, evacuation procedures, and theatrical smoke that is safe and non-toxic. Firefighters are using the building to practice coordinating their response in a realistic multi-story setting.

The department says the drills are intended to improve readiness and help crews respond more effectively if an emergency occurs in a high-rise structure.

People near the Granada Theatre may notice additional fire apparatus and temporary traffic restrictions along State Street while the training is underway.

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Dave Alley

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (KEYT) – San Luis Obispo County is asking residents and visitors to weigh in on the future of its Parks and Recreation system.

This week, the County released the public review draft of its Parks and Recreation Master Plan, outlining a framework for developing a sustainable, systemwide parks and recreation network.

The plan has been in the works for more than a year and addresses a wide range of facilities and programs, including community parks, dog parks, camping areas, lakes, golf courses, trails, recreation programs and event spaces.

County officials said community input is an important part of shaping the future of these public spaces and ensuring they continue to serve residents and visitors.

The public review and comment period runs through September 30th.

During the comment period, the county’s consultant, Bluepoint Planning, will host an online workshop and will provide an overview of the draft plan and give community members an opportunity to ask questions.

The online workshop is scheduled for Sept. 9 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Those interested in viewing the workshop will need to register beforehand.

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John Palminteri

GOLETA, Calif. (KEYT) – The Meals on Wheels program is broadening its service beyond Santa Barbara to Goleta with a preliminary route, but looks to grow to a larger area soon.

The hot meal program is vital to many residents who do not have access to a nutritious meal due to health or other issues.

Meals on Wheels has a solid plan with existing kitchens to respond with a delivery and a wellness check at the same time.

They are working with Val Verde Retirement and Mission Terrace to have the meals professionally prepared and packaged for the mid-morning delivery teams.

One of the recipients Dottie Gennatore described her Wednesday delivery. “Theres the tacos and the sauteed vegetables and Spanish rice, looks good!” She also found a salad and soup. For desert a piece of red velvet cake.

The recipients say sometimes, this is the only complete meal they will get for the day. They also often do not have any other contact with someone other than maybe a phone call.

The current Goleta schedule handles clients that are on the mountain side of the freeway. As the volunteers come on board and more needs are on the ocean side of the freeway, the expansion will go to, at least another zone, and possibly the rest of the city.

Tracy Pfautch is the Meals on Wheels Executive Director. She says, “Meals on Wheels has a lot of word of  mouth referral business so once somebody starts getting Meals on Wheels a lot of people start calling us in the community. “

Those who volunteer only need to go out once a week, but some do an additional day as needed.

Pfautch said, “in order to get those people off the waiting list we need additional volunteer drivers in Goleta.”

One driver sees the benefits close to home. Dave Hilbe said, “I’ve got a friend fighting cancer right now and if it wasn’t for Meals on Wheels I am not sure he would get a main meal every day.”

The quality of the meals is impressive to not just the recipients but also those bringing the packages to the front doors. Robin Weitz is a volunteer to said, “when you have your food prepared for you by the nutritionist, the dietician, the chef, the  caterers  everything, it is so helpful it’s great.”

To be able to respond to the Goleta needs, Weitz says it is important, “to encourage people to be a participant and to be a recipient.”

At the end of a delivery Hilbe said, “if I deliver to 15 clients in a day, I get 15 hugs and 15 thank you’s who wouldn’t want to do that, right?”

For more information on getting Meals on Wheels delivered or to be a volunteer go to: Meals on Wheels.

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Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – The Community Environmental Council is opening enrollment for its fall climate program focused on practical ways to address environmental challenges.

The seven-week Climate Stewards Certification Course combines online instruction with in-person learning experiences around the Santa Barbara area.

Participants will explore local climate issues while learning how individual choices and community projects can create measurable change.

Field trips and hands-on activities are designed to connect classroom topics to projects already underway in the region.

The course also gives participants the opportunity to develop a community project based on an environmental issue they want to address.

CEC hopes the program will give people the knowledge and tools to become more involved in climate solutions close to home.

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Patricia Martellotti

GOLETA, Calif. (KEYT) – A remodeled room at the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County is giving children a new place to learn about nutrition and healthy living.

Called the Comida Vida Center, the space hosts the FoodBoss HQ program, an interactive education experience designed to help students build practical skills around food, nutrition, and wellness.

The room includes hands-on activities centered on cooking, mindfulness, gardening, and digital learning. As part of the FoodBoss HQ experience, children can also explore the Fresas Market, a mock grocery store sponsored by Albertsons, where they can learn about making healthy food choices in a fun, interactive setting.

The Comida Vida Center itself is sponsored by the Balay Ko Foundation, Patricia Bragg Foundation, and Mosher Foundation, whose support helped make the expanded learning space possible.

The nearby Harvesthub demonstration garden gives students additional opportunities to learn where food comes from and how it can be grown sustainably. Through a partnership with Explore Ecology, children can take part in activities connected to gardening, food security, and overall wellness.

Foodbank leaders hope the expanded learning experience will help families develop healthy habits and practical skills they can carry with them beyond the program.

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Jarrod Zinn

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – An empty lot next to Tommie Kunst Junior High in Santa Maria is at the center of a growing controversy.

The developer refined his  ‘Courtyard At Hidden Pines’ project, but neighbors are voicing concerns about it.

The empty lot at the corner of Railroad and Hidden Pines, originally owned by a church organization, was purchased a few years ago by Dan Patin, a private developer consulting with Urban Planning Concepts.

Patin is proposing the development of “Courtyard At Hidden Pines,” a mixed-use complex consisting of apartments and condos, a retail outlet, a coffee shop or market, and a recreational facility.

“If you take a look at the entire project, it’s just an open space area that I would just like to, you know, build and have the amenities that neighborhoods should have,” says Patin.

Long-term residents of the North Preisker Ranch neighborhood say the proposed development has undergone several revisions already, but the latest permutation still doesn’t seem to address their core concerns.

“I think it’s hard for people, as this developer who is coming up from Orange County, to understand what our neighborhood is already experiencing daily and nightly,” says Preisker Ranch Neighborhood resident Monica Lopez.

Neighbors are concerned the development as currently proposed would escalate school-time traffic clogs out of control.

“Although some of the houses will have garages we already see in the neighborhood how people aren’t using their garages. And even if they are, they still have 5 or 6 cars on a property,” says Lopez.

They also say the neighborhood is already plagued with street parking problems 24/7 due to household overflow.

“I think the best case would just be single family houses and leave out the commercial part of it that he’s trying to add in our single family neighborhood,” says Lopez.

Patin specifies the retail and recreational facilities will be small, specifically designed to fit into this corner of the neighborhood and enhance community engagement.

“It’s not a mall, it’s not anything but a community center area where people can get together and relax and enjoy their home,” says Patin. “We have the Planning Commission meeting on September 16th. I encourage everybody to show up, you know, whether you’re with or without, you know, opinion. I think the majority of people will enjoy it when it’s done.

The city council is expected to vote on the proposed development next month.

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Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Dos Pueblos High School turned in a complete effort in a 31-0 win at Santa Barbara.

All three phases shined for the Chargers as they handed the Dons their first loss on the year in six games.

Ruby Streatfeild threw two touchdown passes, one to Brooklyn Hedricks and the other to Kinda Ahmad-Reda.

On defense the senior Hedricks had a 40-yard pick six. Jane Gibson and Charlotte Gardiner each had an interception to help keep the Dons off the scoreboard.

Makyla Watt had multiple sacks for the Chargers and she was also a force on special teams returning a punt 60 yards for a touchdown.

(Sophomore Makyla Watt gave the Dons fits with her defensive pressure and dynamic punt returns. Entenza Design).

The Chargers led 12-0 after one quarter and 18-0 at the half as they improve to 9-2 on the season.

DP has their first home game on Thursday at 4 p.m. versus Pacifica.

The Dons got a few big offensive plays from senior wide receiver Shea Gannon.

Santa Barbara continues their rivalry week on Thursday at San Marcos.

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