Jeanne Sparks
SUNDAY, MAY 17REFUGIO STATE BEACH |
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MESSAGE FROM ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE CENTER Join us this Sunday, May 17th, at Refugio State Beach to recognize the 11th anniversary of the Plains All American Oil Spill, one of the worst spills in California's history. Environmental groups, students, Tribal and business leaders will gather with community members to call for no new offshore drilling in California waters and for the halt of Sable Offshore Corp's oil operations on the Gaviota Coast. Bring your friends and family and load up your human-powered paddlecraft to join us in the water or on the beach with signs. We will have blank signs and markers for you and your kids to make a sign! 🖍️ 📆 Sunday, May 17th Thanks to all our event partners who helped make this happen: |
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MONDAY, MAY 18, SANTA MARIATHURSDAY, MAY 21, GUADALUPE |
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The League of Women Voters — North Santa Barbara County (LWVNSBC) will host two nonpartisan candidate forums in May 2026,offering voters the chance to hear directly from candidates for the District 5 County Supervisor position ahead of the June 2, 2026, primary election. The forums will take place on:
The three candidates for this position are Ricardo Valencia, Maribel Aguilera, and Cory Bantilan. These forums are designed to inform and engage voters as ballots are mailed beginning May 4, 2026, and will feature candidate opening statements, moderated discussion, and audience questions. Discussion topics will include housing affordability, county budget priorities, wages, farmworker issues, public safety, immigration policy, energy and environmental concerns, and access to healthcare and childcare. “The League of Women Voters is committed to providing voters with unbiased, factual information to help them make informed decisions,” said Tracy Beard, Co-President/Voter Service of the League of Women Voters North Santa Barbara County. “These forums are an important opportunity for the community to engage directly with candidates on key issues.” Both forums are free and open to the public. Spanish interpretation will be provided to ensure accessibility for all community members. The League encourages all residents to attend, learn about the candidates, and participate in the democratic process. For additional information, please contact: Pam Gates, Voter Services, [email protected] |
TUESDAY, MAY 19SANTA BARBARA |
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On May 19, the Santa Barbara City Council will receive the supplemental research requested in consideration of key policy components of a Rent Stabilization Program to provide final direction to staff for drafting of Ordinance.
It is anticipated that the draft Ordinance will be considered by City Council on June 9, 2026 prior to being published for a 30-day Public Comment period.
As an organization working to ensure economic and housing justice for our County residents, SBCAN strongly supports rent stabilization and urges you to show up on May 19 at 5 PM at Santa Barbara City Hall, 735 Anacapa St, to support this ordinance.
The City Council meeting starts at 2 p. m. The item is #10 on the agenda and expected to come up at 5 p.m.
The Agenda Report is here: https://santabarbaraca.gov/sites/default/files/2026-05/051926%20CAR_Addtl%20Research%20on%20Rent%20Stabilization.pdf
More information on attending the meeting is here: https://santabarbaraca.gov/government/mayor-city-council/city-council-meetings
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THURSDAY, MAY 21SANTA MARIA |
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Message from SBCAN Co-Executive Director Jeanne Sparks I hope you will join me at "Post Wild: Nature in the 21st Century" during the opening reception at the Betteravia Art Gallery, 511 E. Lakeside Parkway on May 21 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The juried exhibition explores how contemporary artists interpret and challenge ideas of nature today. This ongoing exhibition is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. Two of my aerial photographs show the heavy flows in the Santa Maria River in 2023 and the river's impacts on the Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Preserve. Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture is hosting the reception. Visit https://www.sbac.ca.gov/current-gallery-exhibitions to learn more. |
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Urge the City of Santa Barbara
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SBCAN is proud to support a petition launched by an Eastside Santa Barbara resident calling on the City of Santa Barbara to keep our public parks open and accessible to all. SBCAN believes open space is essential to community wellbeing. Our parks are vital shared resources and taking action to protect access reflects our commitment to ensuring all residents their right to live, work, and play locally. |
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We, the undersigned residents of Santa Barbara, call on the City to immediately reopen all public parks that remain closed or restricted by temporary fencing—some for nearly a decade. We are soccer players, families, neighbors, and employees of this city who depend on these spaces to decompress after long days at work. These parks are not optional—they are essential to our physical and mental health and sense of community. As residents, we contribute tax dollars that fund these public spaces, and they should be open and accessible to the community they are meant to serve. |
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As we enter SBCAN's 25th year, we reflect on the impact our community has created together. Whether you've been a longtime sponsor or are considering partnering with us for the first time, your support makes this work possible—and we'd love to have you with us for this milestone. We invite you to sponsor SBCAN at 25: Honoring the Work, Empowering the Future on Sunday, June 28 at Sunstone Winery in Santa Ynez from 1–4 PM. In just the past year, SBCAN stopped a dangerous proposal to truck 10 million gallons of oil annually through our region, helped establish a local housing trust fund in Santa Barbara, and pushed the County to build affordable workforce housing on County-owned land—with multiple developments now underway. This event also marks a new chapter: after more than a decade leading SBCAN, we are passing the helm to Nancy Avoce, our Assistant Director of two and a half years, whom the Board has named Executive Director-Designee. Your sponsorship will help ensure this work continues to grow and impact the community we all care about. Please see the sponsorship form below and make a gift at a level that feels meaningful to you, either by mail or online at sbcan.org/fundraiser. Respond by May 30 to be included in our printed invitations and all of our publicity. Let’s raise a glass together at Sunstone on June 28! With deep gratitude, Ken Hough and Jeanne Sparks |
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Thank you to our early "SBCAN at 25" Sponsors!
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Jeanne Sparks and Ken Hough, Co-Executive Directors |