Local author and artist Jana Zimmer will be the featured speaker at the Friends of the Carpinteria Library Annual Meeting on Wednesday, May 24 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Community Church, 1111 Vallecito Road. Zimmer, second-generation Holocaust survivor, will discuss themes from her memoir, “Chocolates from Tangier,” which weaves together fragments of her family’s history and witness testimony in narrative and collage. The event is free for members of Friends of the Library and $20 for non-members. Admission includes dinner. Advance registration is recommended. Visit https://focl.wildapricot.org/event-5209086 to register or learn more.

Are you a landscape contractor or part of a maintenance crew? Consider taking part in this free training opportunity to learn how to maintain a bioretention/rain garden built for stormwater management. Operation & Maintenance of Bioretention is a one-hour virtual training scheduled for Thursday, May 18, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. The training is organized and sponsored by our partners at the Monterey Regional Storm Water Management Program, MRSWMP and will be led by instructor Peter Schultze-Allen of EOA, Inc. Register at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_EbOPIEZ0RvqKYdtRJgoJiQ#/registration

Get ready for an exciting day out with family, friends, and neighbors at the Together We Thrive community resource and engagement fair. Hosted by the City of Carpinteria, this free event will take place on Saturday, May 20, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Aliso School, 4545 Carpinteria Ave. It will allow residents of election districts 1 and 2 (see map in flyer) to meet their City Council representative and while getting to know their neighbors. All members of the public are invited to come out for food, music, fun activities and opportunities to learn more about services and resources available within the community.

If you’re interested in enrolling your child or children in swim lessons at Carpinteria Community Pool, but you aren’t sure what level to sign up for, let us help! Please register for our free swim assessments on Saturdays, May 20 and 27 at 10:30 a.m. Sign up at www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084DACA822AAF8C07-learn. Swim lesson registration opens on May 30 at 6 p.m. but can be viewed ahead of time at https://carpinteria.recdesk.com/Community/Home

The Carpinteria City Council will hold its next regular meeting on Monday, May 8 at 5:30 p.m. Members of the public may attend the meeting at City Hall, 5775 Carpinteria Ave. or view the meeting live at www.carpinteria.ca.us, on Government Access Television Channel 21 or by logging into the Zoom webinar.

The following topics are highlights of the agenda. Additional details and numerous ways for the public to provide comments can be found at https://bit.ly/3LZpFqV. Comments posted on social media will not be provided to council members.

• Recognizing and commending Charles Lo Bue for his long history of support for the arts in the Carpinteria community and Family Baptist Church on its 70th anniversary.
• Proclaiming May as Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month in the City of Carpinteria and as Community Action Month on Communify’s 56th Anniversary.
• Annual member agency update presentation from Central Coast Community Energy.
• Selection of an Executive Search firm for the City Manager position and formation of an ad hoc committee of the City Council to work with the consultant.
• 2023 Annual Report on efforts to assist people experiencing homelessness in Carpinteria and address issues related to homelessness in the community.
• Approval of a budget appropriation for the City’s portion of emergency repair costs of the Highway 101 Fire Incident Emergency Repair.
• A report describing measures taken to alleviate need for Moratorium on Formula Businesses and adopt the extension of a temporary moratorium on the establishment of formula businesses within the City of Carpinteria, with the exception of Casitas Plaza and Shepard Place Shops, for one additional year.
• Initiating proposed amendments to the City’s Local Coastal Program and Carpinteria Municipal Code to address State law consistency and implement the 2023-2031 Housing Element.
• Amendments to the Carpinteria Municipal Code to add or modify anti-displacement regulations protective of tenants
• Initiation of an amended lease between the City of Carpinteria and Friends of the Carpinteria Community Library for its use and occupancy of the Seaside Building, 5103 Carpinteria Avenue.
• Authorization for the City Manager to execute an Agreement with Encompass Consultant Group, Inc. to provide consulting design services for the 2023 Pavement Maintenance and Rehabilitation Project, which includes the whole or segments of Aragon Drive, Arbol Verde Street, Calle Rey Mar, Carnation Place, Concha Loma Drive, Eleanor Drive, Holly Avenue, La Quinta Drive, Malibu Drive, Sawyer Avenue, Vallecito Court, Vallecito Place, Vallecito Road, and Verano Drive.

On the weekend of May 20 and 21, you’re invited to help turn downtown Carpinteria sidewalks into an outdoor public art gallery! Funded by the City of Carpinteria, Carp Chalk Walk is a free event where the sidewalk is your canvas, the chalk is provided and the ideas are all your own!

After registering in advance at carpinteriaartscenter.org/2023chalkthewalk, participants can pick up their materials and select a spot to “chalk the walk” from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday or Sunday at the Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center, 855 Linden Ave. The event returns this year with a new name after taking place as Mask Up Carp in 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic. Seasoned artists, budding artists and anyone with an interest in creating colorful art should register!

MOVE Santa Barbara County invites you to bring the whole family down to the Carpinteria Children’s Project for an exciting bike rodeo, bike skills class, and group ride on Saturday, May 13 from 2 to 5:30 p.m. Carpinteria’s CycleMAYnia will start with a bike rodeo and helmet and bike light distribution at the Carpinteria Children’s Project from 2-3 p.m., an e-bike adult and adolescent bike skills class from 3-4 p.m., and a group bike ride leaving at 4 p.m. (all bikes, not just e-bikes) to the Rincon Point project location, back along the Carpinteria Bluffs all the way to the Santa Claus Lane bike path connection at the west end of Carpinteria and back to the Carpinteria Children’s Project for pizza at 5:30 p.m. This will be led by MOVE, with SBCAG and City of Carpinteria staff support. City Director of Parks & Recreation Matt Roberts will present about the Rincon Trail project, and attendees can also learn about the Santa Claus Lane bike path, beach crossing and sidewalk project. E-bikes and piloted tri-shaws will be available for community members with special needs. Email info@trafficsolutions.org or call (805) 963-SAVE to make reservations by May 5.

The City is preparing for another summer with lots of visitors downtown shopping, eating and strolling. To ensure that visitors receive accurate information from friendly locals, we are looking for HOST volunteers to staff the Visitor Center at Seal Plaza in the 800 block of Linden Avenue from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Visitor Center hours are Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Knowledgeable volunteers offer free maps, brochures and advice on local points of interest, as well as shopping, restaurants and places to stay. The HOST Committee will have its first in-person sign up event and training on Thursday, May 4 at 5:30 p.m. at Carpinteria City Hall, 5775 Carpinteria Ave. Subsequent sign up dates will be June 1, July 6 and Aug. 3. Learn more by emailing Olivia at OliviaU@carpinteriaca.gov or calling (805) 755-4401.

Monte Vista Park playground is in the midst of a makeover! Demolition of the old play structures is underway, and new play equipment will be installed soon. During construction, the playground area will be fenced off and closed. We anticipate the closure to continue through the month of May.

The newest hardworking member of our Public Works crew is Ruben Estrada, who you’ll see around town performing the tasks that keep our City sidewalks, streets and public facilities looking good and functioning well. Ruben comes to the City of Carpinteria from the community of Carpinteria! He lives close to work and is thrilled with his new commute after working for the last 11 years in Santa Barbara and Oxnard. In addition to having experience in general maintenance, Ruben’s areas of expertise are in landscape and irrigation. He looks forward to applying his skills in the field and adding new skills such as operating large equipment. When Ruben isn’t working, he enjoys traveling with his wife and daughter, cheering for the San Francisco 49ers or the Dallas Mavericks, and knocking down the pins with his personal bowling ball.