What's in a name?

by reenee,
Santa Maria

Some people are up in arms about it. Other people are having palpitations over it. Some are suffering gastric distress over it. Others still are writing to editors of newspapers, or calling radio and television stations. What's got them so angry and fired up?

Well, it seems that our state Legislature has voted to add commemorative signs along Highway 154 in honor of the tribe that has lived in this area for thousands of years. Maps will still designate it as Highway 154, but that's not good enough for the groups that already have their jockeys in a knot over the Chumash Casino Resort.

This highway, to my knowledge, has almost always been referred to as the San Marcos Pass. Rarely have I ever heard it called Highway 154. However, the Santa Ynez and Los Olivos folk have taken exception to the entire idea. They say that renaming the highway has nothing to do with the Chumash culture. They say that is has everything to do with marketing.

If this is the way that they feel then the next thing to be on the lookout for will be bullet holes in the signs. This of course is not to say that those good folks would do it, but there is after all, a lunatic fringe to any well organized group.

Vincent Armenta, tribal chairman of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians said, "Travelers taking the scenic route from Santa Ynez to Santa Barbara cross a journey that the Chumash people have traversed for thousands of years."

He said the groups had ample time to comment on the resolution, after it was introduced August 23rd. The final vote was September 21st.

He added, "Their accusations are typical of the type of vile rhetoric that they routinely spew. I find it appalling that they have taken something so wonderful and turned it into a controversy. It's a few signs along a route that goes through the middle of Chumash country. The signs will not fundamentally change their lives so I'm confused as to why they have created so much drama."
Because they can, Vincent.

The Santa Barbara News-Press carried a story on it. In it Nora K. Wallace writes:
Michael Glassow and Chumash expert John Johnson, curator of anthropology at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History provided information for the legislature's designation discussion. The resolution was then passed unanimously.

The area's local politicians, Assemblyman Pedro Nava from Santa Barbara, Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee from San Luis Obispo, and state Sen. Tom McClintock from Thousand Oaks, all voted in favor of the designation. However, even though Nava is the Assembly member for the district that includes this highway, the item was carried by Assemblyman Joe Coto from San Jose. Apparently, due to the fact that the resolution was carried by a legislator from out of the area, most political observers had no idea it was working its way through the legislative process.

Aren't political observers supposed to have their fingers on the pulse of the legislature? Isn't that why they're called political observers?

Leaders of the groups Preservation of Santa Ynez and Preservation of Los Olivos expressed the loudest complaints about the highway naming. Those groups, among several others in the valley, have long challenged the tribe over its economic development and real estate purchases.

That right there might be the real reason for the gnashing of the teeth.

Santa Maria Wisdom Center

by reenee, Santa Maria

The California budget has finally passed, albeit at the expense of some of the state's most vulnerable citizens. There is no excuse for what happened. If the GOPs and Dems in Sacramento are so willing to stall the passage for their personal convictions, pet projects or principles, then they ought to be willing to have their own payments withheld instead of allowing the payments to be withheld from the facilities that are in place to help these poor, elderly and disabled.
Love him or hate him, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger traveled to the central coast on August 13th to put a face on the people that were in danger of losing a facility that they have come to depend upon. When the governor arrived, he toured the Wisdom Center, and spoke to the participants before holding a press conference to address his concern about the seniors, a most vulnerable group, that would be negatively impacted, had the budget remained stalled for much longer.
All of us at the Santa Maria Wisdom Center were very happy to see the governor take the time to do this. At this point it really does not matter if this was merely a political move. Who cares? It really does not matter if we agree or disagree with his politics. Who cares? The bottom line is that he gave our center the visibility it needed and allowed us to explain how very important these facilities are to this population.
The budget was already almost two months late on the day that the governor went to the Wisdom Center. We all know that partisanship is always a barrier to a smooth running government, so we were hopeful that the visit by the governor would motivate the politicians to pass the budget without further delay. Too many centers and other care facilities that serve our senior population, and that rely on government funding were at risk. This population is not the one that should ever take a back seat to partisan politics.

The Wisdom Center is an Adult Day Health Care facility, and in most instances, the only place our clients have where they can go for their physical and or occupational therapy, nursing services, social work services, or to join in on the many different activities that are offered daily. As the Activity Director, I know the circumstances of our clients. They are most often from board and care residences that offer very limited services. The center is very often the only place they go to when they are not in these board and care residences. Some go every day, others only once a week, with the average being three times a week. Some of our clients live at home with their families who care for them. These daughters, sons, grandchildren, nieces and nephews very often have jobs. Every one of our clients cannot be left home alone, due to safety issues. Having a facility like ours allows them to stay in their homes if there is not a board and care facility available. Without us, they might be institutionalized when their families are out of options. The fact that the average daily attendance is fifty-five people, with a growing waiting list, is proof enough that it is vital to many people.

When the news came that the budget had passed ensuring that our center would remain open, it was met with relief by all of our participants, some of whom had already spent some sleepless nights worrying over whether or not they'd have a place to go.

Who gets stop signs?

by reenee, Santa Maria

About 18 months ago I was grousing about West Fesler Street. This is the speedway that I have to back up into from my driveway. Lately, due to more than a few close calls from drivers on this speedway, I've taken to backing up into my driveway, so that I can be eye to eye with the driver that slams into me. This is a residential street with four lanes. This wide street, begins at the Broadway intersection that has a stop light. Traveling west it turns into North Railroad Street with no stop signs for eleven blocks. These aren't the normally short subdivision type blocks.

See the picture I've included? This is what I see every day on this street.

Okay, now factor in an idiotic three way intersection where Fesler turns into Railroad in a sharp right turn. Drivers from Depot Street, the third street in this intersection, try to squeeze in as cars go by. If you want to turn left, you have to stop and wait for cars coming off of Railroad turning left onto Fesler at top speed, or turning right onto Depot. If you're lucky, the cars waiting at the Depot Street stop sign will not get impatient and cut in front of you before you can make your turn. If however you want to continue west on Fesler, you have to turn right and then immediately turn left, if the coast is clear.

Why am I mentioning this again? Well, I'm going tell you.

Fesler Street heading east from Broadway is as wide as on the west side, but after only three blocks there's a stop sign. This is the Miller Street intersection. Once you cross Miller, Fesler gets very narrow. Drivers generally do not speed through this area, speeding would create too many side swipes since cars are usually parked along the curbs. Even dumb drivers know this. So imagine my surprise to see yet another stop sign two blocks past Miller Street at the intersection of Elizabeth and Fesler. It's still so new it's adorned with blinking lights. This is only two blocks before the next stop sign at the intersection of Fesler and College. That's three stop signs within a seven block stretch of a very narrow street.

Meanwhile, West Fesler, with four lanes has no stop signs. What's up with that? According to a few people I've mentioned this to, East Fesler got the new stop sign because it's the "gringo" side of town. Since there are quite a few "gringos" on this side of town, I'm going to take the less hysterical view and guess it's because we haven't hollered loudly enough. Or perhaps we've not paid for one. Or perhaps it's because there aren't as many churches over here. Or perhaps it's related to property values. I don't know. Whatever the reason is, we need one over on West Fesler as much if not more than on East Fesler.

There have been too many accidents on this street. Last year a speeding car lost control making a turn and took out a neighbor's fence. Quite a few collisions have occured, and just yesterday, a speeding car almost smooshed two children crossing the street. The driver left skid marks for several yards.

Did I mention that there is a school two blocks away? This means that kids are all over this intersection crossing Fesler twice a day. One of those times is early in the morning when people are hurrying to work.

That's it, I'll have to go fight City Hall. Hopefully I won't be detained and I'll be back soon with more original gripes.