Factual Care Advised

Das Williams has sent a letter to residents of Summerland
congratulating himself on what he claims to have done for our community. Among
other things, he says that after the Montecito debris flow, “I also delivered
water to Summerland residents after Cantwell’s [market] ran out.”

Cantwell’s closed on December 4, 2017, the day the Thomas
Fire began. The mudslide and debris flow occurred on January 9, 2018, closing
the Highway 101 freeway until January 21. Cantwell’s did not distribute water
because it no longer existed in Summerland.

After the highway closure I walked the length of Lillie
Avenue, the main street in Summerland, with my eldest son, who was visiting. We
saw no sign of Mr. Williams or his staff. All of our town’s then five eating
places were closed for lack of potable water. We spoke to the owner of the
Nugget, who was cleaning up and said she would have opened if she had water.