Year: 2006

HOUSING SCANDAL REDUX

Two county supervisors declared publicly that they want out of the affordable homeownership business, following fresh revelations from the audit of the inclusionary housing program, which allows less affluent county residents to buy homes at rates far below market. The housing in question consists of condo units offered by developers to private buyers at affordable prices in exchange for the county’s granting of increased density or other benefits.

TEXAS HOLD ‘EM GAUCHO

Taking home his second World Series of Poker (WSOP) victory in as many weeks, a 21-year-old film studies major from UCSB became a millionaire last weekend in Las Vegas. Isla Vistan Jeff Madsen earned a cool $660,948 and became the youngest player ever to win a WSOP Texas Hold ‘Em tournament two weeks ago;

Citizen’s Alert

Thu., July 27
Benefit Concert: Toad the Wet Sprocket rocks out in a benefit for the S.B. Rape Crisis Center. 8pm. Marjorie Luke Theatre. Call 963-6832.

Still Dealing

Clerks II

Brian O’Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Jason Mewes, and Kevin Smith star in a film written and directed by Smith.
A good movie creates its own universe-its own language, inside jokes, and relationships. And a good sequel both stands on its own and adds a new chapter to the first movie’s story. Clerks II, much to my surprise and delight, does both.

108 DEGREES

Hottest temperature ever recorded in the City of Santa Barbara during the month of July-and it happened twice, on July 3, 1907, and July 1, 1907.

Gypsy Healing

To benefit the Chumash Women’s Oral History Project, Lynda Yraceb»r», the founder of the indigenous knowledge organization FollowingAncestors EarthWisdom, is presenting an evening seminar on the Ancient Gypsy Healing Art of HandWalking tonight, Thursday July 27, 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Predating the Buddha, this ancient form of “medical palmistry” as an expansive form of healing will be discussed, along with hands-on training in simple techniques of hand line stimulation.

LEAD AMMO FLANKING ACTION

Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) is joining with conservation groups to sue the California Fish and Game Commission for allowing hunters to use lead bullets. The lawsuit comes in the wake of legislation defeated earlier this year that sought to ban lead ammo in order to protect the California condor. The endangered giant vultures ingest bullets when feeding on carcasses of squirrels and other target-practice creatures left behind by hunters.

MARIJUANA MEASURE ON BALLOT

A ballot initiative to assign minor marijuana possession the lowest possible enforcement priority by Santa Barbara police will go before city voters in the upcoming November election. Supporters of the pot measure have collected more than enough signatures to qualify it for the ballot, but had hoped City Council would adopt the measure outright. Proponents of the measure, Sensible Santa Barbara, argue that the “war on drugs” has been lost, is a waste of money, and that enforcement of pot laws clogs the jails and criminal justice system with petty offenders who pose little threat to anyone.