Author: Lea Boyd

Carpinteria State Beach invites the community to participate in its First Day Hike on Jan. 1 at 9 a.m. for an opportunity to exercise and learn about cultural and ecological resources in and around the park. There will be two options for the guided walk: a shorter route through the park that is approximately 1 mile, and the extended 2.5-mile option that goes along the Carpinteria Bluffs trail to the Harbor Seal Rookery. Participants should meet at the Park Visitor Center. Learn more at  https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=30737.

The City of Carpinteria is preparing a Dune and Shoreline Management Plan to help protect public and private properties from sea level rise. The draft plan will be available in early January, and a public workshop will be held on Thursday, Jan. 13 at 5:30 p.m. The City has held several prior public workshops to provide regular updates and gather feedback from stakeholders. To participate in the virtual workshop, use the following zoom link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81924451823. To have your questions answered, email taylor.lane@woodplc.com.

With continuing rainfall across the region, the Santa Barbara County Environmental Health Services Division reminds residents about potential health risks associated with storm water runoff at countywide beaches. Storm water is untreated rain water that flows through the drain system into creeks, the ocean and other waterways. Contact with storm water while swimming or surfing may increase the risk for certain types of illnesses such as rashes, fever, chills, ear infections, vomiting and diarrhea. Learn more at https://bit.ly/3stErNe.

For two weeks after Christmas, EJ Harrison & Sons will pick up Christmas trees to be recycled and will allow for twice the usual amount of residential customers’ trash at no extra cost. These extra services will be offered to residential customers in Carpinteria on Thursday, Dec. 30 and Jan. 6.

To have your tree recycled, remove ornaments, hooks, lights, tinsel, bows, nails and the tree stand; cut the tree into 4-foot sections; and place it in your tan yard waste barrel on your scheduled pickup day. Flocked Christmas trees are accepted. Collected trees will be processed into various sizes of mulch used on local farmlands, orchards and nurseries.

To have EJ Harrison pick up extra trash, place it in bags alongside your regular green trash barrel. On Dec. 30, extra recyclables will also be collected. Be sure to flatten all boxes and place them alongside your blue recycling barrel.

There will be no delay to residential trash service in Carpinteria due to the holidays; however, commercial service for Saturday, Dec. 25 and Saturday, Jan. 1 will be delayed to the following Monday of each week.

At its Dec. 13 meeting, the Carpinteria Library Board of Trustees commended Carpinteria High School junior Iltze Alvarado for her winning design in the Carpinteria Library card art contest. Alvarado’s colorful artwork was selected among 10 semifinalists by a community-wide vote. When the library completes its transition to a City of Carpinteria facility in July of 2022, Iltze’s artwork will be on the new card that all patrons receive. According to the Trustees’ commendation, “lltze Alvarado’s design of a flower and monarch butterfly captured the heart of Carpinterians and was picked to be on the City’s first ever municipal library card.” The art contest was facilitated by the Friends of the Carpinteria Library and the Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center.

In honor of the upcoming holidays, Carpinteria City Hall will be closed on Thursday and Friday, Dec. 23 and 24, as well as Thursday and Friday, Dec. 30 and 31. We wish our staff and residents happy and healthy holidays!

City of Carpinteria commends and congratulates the Carpinteria High School Warriors Boys Varsity Water Polo Team for winning the 2021 Citrus Coast League Championship and the CIF Southern Section Division V Championship, and for being runner up in the CIF State Regional Division lll. The team made history by winning the school’s first CIF Southern Section Boys Water Polo title and by earning the first CIF State Regional Runner Up trophy in CHS History. In a proclamation made at the Dec. 13 City Council meeting, the team and its coaches were honored for demonstrating athletic skill, determination and sportsmanship, and conducting themselves in a manner that reflects positively on the entire student body and faculty of CHS as well as the community of Carpinteria.

There’s nothing like a broken car window and stolen gifts to put a damper on your holiday spirit. To avoid becoming a target for opportunistic criminals, make a few small changes to your routine. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department has prepared a list of crime prevention tips that will keep you and your family safe this holiday season. Read all about it at https://bit.ly/3e1gRPk.

Albertsons will offer free first dose Pfizer vaccinations for eligible individuals age 5 to 11 at a clinic on Friday, Dec. 17 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Carpinteria Middle School. A second dose clinic will follow on Friday, Jan. 7 from 4 to 7 p.m. Minors must have a consent form to receive their vaccination. Sign up for an appointment and receive a consent form at https://bit.ly/31X0sJ2

The Carpinteria Community Pool will be closed from Monday, Dec. 20 through Saturday, Jan. 1 for the holidays and for maintenance on the facility. We apologize for the inconvenience and wish everyone happy holidays!