🌱 Cruise Ship Rescue + Highway 101 Construction + Memorial Day Events

Hi all! Today’s National Grape Day; did you know that drinking “to your health” may date back to Ancient Greece, when a host would drink the first glass of wine to the guests' health as proof it wasn’t poisoned? I'm back with your new edition of the Santa Barbara Patch newsletter. Today you'll find news about...

• 💰 Santa Barbara’s expensive.
• 🤝 County supervisors vote for themselves a raise.
• 🚢 Coast Guard to the rescue.

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🌤️ But first, today's weather: Low clouds, then some sun. High: 68 Low: 53.

From our sponsor:

Today’s Santa Barbara Patch newsletter is brought to you in part by T-Mobile. T-Mobile has invested billions to light up their best network ever, covering 99 percent of people in America with LTE, which helps to keep communities like ours informed and connected. We thank T-Mobile for their support and for making today’s Santa Barbara Patch newsletter possible.

⛽ Three of the Cheapest Gas Stations Around Santa Barbara

• Fuel Depot at 101 W. Carrillo St., $4.41
• Fuel Depot at 2299 Las Positas Road, $4.53
• Speedway Express at 3618 State St., $4.59

🦸 Superpower Poll!
A 2018 survey found that Americans would love to have the superpower of healing others. If we take this one off the table, which superpower would you love to have?

• 30.8 percent: The ability to fly
• 23.1 percent: The ability to time travel
• 15.4 percent: The ability to become invisible
• 7.7 percent: Superhuman strength, the ability to read minds, teleport, or win select lotteries and give money away

📰 Here are the top stories today in Santa Barbara:

1. When the cruise ship “Emerald Princess” came within 90 miles of Santa Barbara’s coast Wednesday, it needed Coast Guard assistance. A 3-year-old child had seizures and needed an airlift to a hospital. A San Diego MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew came to the rescue, hoisted up the little girl and her mother, and took them to the Harbor UCLA Medical Center. (KEYT)
2. How is Highway 101’s Carpinteria to Santa Barbara project coming along? Officials alerted drivers that the Montecito portion of the project will begin in the middle of June. You can see the plans at the Montecito Inn on June 1. The Santa Barbara portion is still in the permitting process. However, the Carpinteria portion is built and in the landscaping phase, while Summerland is currently under construction. (edhat)
3. Santa Barbara might be looking for ways to tighten the purse strings, but the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted itself a five percent salary increase. The 4-1 vote increased earnings from $107,000 to $112,452 in September. From there, the supervisors enjoy an automatic five percent increase each year. (edhat)
4. In possibly related news, Santa Barbara comes in dead last — number 300 out of 300 — in the list of most affordable cities for home buyers. Experts took into account various cities’ home costs, tax rates, and vacancy percentages. The first California city, Victorville, enters at the 56th spot. However, Sunnyvale and Santa Clara got props for having the highest maintenance affordability. (WalletHub)
5. On Monday, we honor the women and men who made the greatest sacrifice for the United States. The Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation will hold a ceremony at the Santa Barbara Cemetery at 11 a.m. There’ll be “the UCSB ROTC Color Guard; Gold Coast Pipe & Drum Band; David Gonzales and the Santa Barbara Choral Society, The Prime Time Band, and a flyover by The Condor Squadron.” (Santa Barbara Independent)

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📆 Today in Santa Barbara:

• Farmers Market at Santa Barbara St. & E. Cota St. (8:30 AM)
• Butterflies Alive! Exhibit opens at the Sprague Butterfly Pavilion (10 AM)
• FREE "Magic the Gathering" Lessons at Metro Entertainment (12 PM)
• FREE Community Trapeze Event at 110 E. Cota St. (4 PM)
• The Arlington Theatre hosts Grupo Frontera's “El Comienzo” Tour (8 PM)

🖊️ From my notebook:

• "We are hiring for epidemiologist at Santa Barbara County Public Health Department. Apply today at: https://governmentjobs.com/careers/sbcounty/jobs/3873266/epidemiologist." (SBC Public Health)
• "Almost two years after the Alisal Fire, resident botanist and Arroyo Hondo Preserve volunteer and education coordinator Sally Isaacson shares the tale of how a resilient regional ecosystem responded to devastating fires and torrential rains." (Land Trust for SB Co)
• "This Memorial Day weekend, there will be additional Forest Law Enforcement Officers patrolling the Santa Barbara RD to provide safe recreation activities and to protect public land. They will be paying close attention to closed areas and enforcing recreation area regulations." (Los Padres NF)
• "Family Safari Sleepovers allow for families or groups of any size to enjoy the zoo after hours for a unique camping experience. Make s’mores by the fire, then sleep under the stars on the zoo’s hilltop. In the morning, eat breakfast, enjoy an animal encounter, ride the Zoo Train, then tour the zoo at your leisure. It’s a camping experience to remember!" (Santa Barbara Zoo)
• "If you work with children, youth, and families in the coastal tri-counties, don’t miss the Bridges to Resilience kickoff webinar on Wednesday, May 31 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m.! Learn more or register at http://bridgestoresilience.com." (Santa Barbara County)

Alrighty, you're all caught up for today! See you all late next week for another update.

— Sylvia Cochran

About me: Christ follower. Wife. Book dragon. Proud supporter of the Oxford comma.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Santa Barbara Patch newsletter? Contact me at santabarbara@patch.com