Author: Lea Boyd

Carpinteria Unified School District will be back in class on Monday, Aug. 21, and that means that children of all ages will be walking, biking, scootering and skating to and from local campuses. Please be extra cautious and avoid any distractions when driving while students are out and about. Also at the beginning of the school year, parents and students are adjusting to new routines, which can impact traffic around school campuses. Please schedule extra time for your commute with these impacts in mind. Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office units will be patrolling Carpinteria with an interest in keeping students safe.

The National Weather Service now predicts that the strongest winds and rains produced by Hurricane Hilary will affect Los Angeles and Ventura counties on Sunday afternoon through the night. Santa Barbara County could experience some strong winds and rainfall ranging from 0.1 to .5 inches, with higher amounts in mountains and interior areas. Thunderstorms are possible into Monday. Though the most significant impacts of the storm are not expected in Santa Barbara County, residents should remain vigilant and prepared.

The news crew from KEYT visited Carpinteria recently to document the success of Senior Socials. Check out the great coverage at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxDA7Zh7slI. Thank you to everyone working hard to provide local seniors with healthy activities and opportunities to socialize.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has warned that Tropical Storm Hilary, which is currently traveling northwest along the western coast of Mexico, could have significant impacts on Santa Barbara County starting on the afternoon of Sunday, Aug. 20. Heavy winds, hazardous maritime conditions and heavy rainfall are possible in Santa Barbara County, with rainfall totals potentially ranging from 1 to 2 inches, and up to 5 inches. Residents should be prepared for this potentially severe storm. Sandbags will be available at the Public Works yard at City Hall, 5775 Carpinteria Ave. Additional SB County sandbag locations can be found at https://www.countyofsb.org/2219/Sandbags

The Carpinteria Architectural Review Board will hold its next regular meeting on Thursday, Aug. 17 at 5:30 p.m. The board will hold an in-progress preliminary review of a request for a two-phase solar panel installation project at Sandpiper Mobile Home Park and a preliminary review of a proposal for a new two-story single-family residence on Calle Arena. Members of the public may attend the meeting at City Hall, 5775 Carpinteria Ave. Additional details and numerous ways for the public to provide comments can be found in the agenda at https://bit.ly/3qp2Chj

Carpinteria Valley Water District is currently installing three groundwater monitoring wells at El Carro Park. Construction is expected to take eight weeks, after which the impacted areas of the park and field will be repaired and restored. The wells will be located along the far edge of the north field to avoid interference with park use. During construction, the fenced area is off-limits to the public, but the remainder of the open field area is still available for use. The wells will be at different depths and will be used for the ongoing monitoring and measuring of groundwater levels and quality.

As is tradition, the Carpinteria City Council has canceled its first meeting in August for a short summer break. The regular meeting schedule will resume on Monday, Aug. 28. Members of the public are encouraged to attend City Council meetings or watch them live streamed. Meetings are held on the second and fourth Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, 5775 Carpinteria Ave. Learn more HERE. https://carpinteriaca.gov/city-hall/agendas-meetings/

Carpinteria City Hall will close on Thursday, Aug. 10, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Please plan accordingly.

Come and learn about 3C-REN’s new incentive offering that pays contractors $1,000 per project for using a loaner gas water heater while upgrading to a heat pump water heater. An online course entitled Gas Water Heater Loaner Program – How to Make it Work for You! will be held on Aug. 10 from noon to 1 p.m. If you install heat pump water heaters, you will want to attend!

Register at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMkfuirqjktGdcdgEagXuKW_fgAkH_CVbr3?startdate=08-10-2023#/registration

The Carpinteria Community Library will hold a hula paleta party to celebrate the end of the Summer Reading Program on Saturday, Aug. 12 at 1 p.m. in the library’s community room, 5141 Carpinteria Ave. All participants of the Summer Reading Program are invited to attend the celebration that will include hula, limbo, and, of course, paletas! The final day of the Summer Reading Program is Aug. 9.  “The summer reading program was a lot of fun,” said City Librarian Jody Thomas, “and there were quite a few participants who bumped up their reading abilities by reading every day!”