The ups and downs of the pandemic dominated this year, which also saw everything from the Alisal Fire to the return of the in-person Fiesta
A DC-10 airtanker drops fire retardant in October on the hills above Mariposa Reina during the Alisal Fire near the Gaviota Coast. This was among the stories that dominated the news in 2021.
Like a roller coaster with unexpected twists and turns, COVID-19 continued to dominate the news in 2021.
It affected virtually every segment of life, from health to the economy and the performing arts.
But there was other news this year, too, everything from a Santa Barbara election that brought a new mayor to the Alisal Fire that left a burn scar (but didn’t, fortunately, lead to a major debris flow). It was also the year of a gubernatorial recall election and the return of the in-person Fiesta (as well as several Christmas parades).
Here are eight stories that dominated the news this year.
— COVID-19 and the vaccines.
The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department and other health entities promoted the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, which originally were for select portions of the population. But eventually the vaccine use was expanded to cover the 12-and-older population, then the 5-and-older population.
Lesly Ricardez, left, 15, receives a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine from nurse Karen Etsell at the Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital. The vaccines were among this year’s major stories.
In the meantime, the coronavirus continued to mutate. First, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and public health departments across the nation had to deal with the delta variant, then the omicron variant. The first confirmed omicron cases — four of them, all people under 30 — were announced Wednesday in the county.
COVID-19 case numbers went up and down, and they’re surging again with 538 reported in the county Thursday.
The question of vaccine mandates continues to be debated. The Santa Barbara Unified School District decided all its employees had to get the vaccine, with exemptions allowed for medical and religious reasons. Most of the staff got vaccinated, but some didn’t and protested the mandate in a march down State Street.
Others objecting to vaccines and government rules made their voices heard during Stand Up Santa Barbara rallies in De la Guerra Plaza. They see the issue as one pertaining to civil liberty.
As of Thursday, 68.7% of the eligible 5-and-older population is vaccinated, according to the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department, which continues to stress the vaccines’ importance in fighting COVID-19 and keeping the entire population healthy.
Of the entire county population (all ages), 64.6% is fully vaccinated.
— The pandemic’s impact on the economy. The state didn’t fully reopen until June, and businesses struggled to survive. Some didn’t.
Several restaurants, including longtime ones, have closed since the pandemic started. This year, the closures included two Coast Village Road favorites in Montecito: Cava Restaurant & Bar and Little Alex’s, a Mexican cafe known for its tacos and more.
Cava Restaurant & Bar on Coast Village Road in Montecito was among the businesses that closed this year.
A perennial favorite, Trattoria Mollie, an Italian restaurant, closed its last site, which was on State Street.
But its upbeat owner refused to see the closure as the end of a chapter. For her, it’s the beginning of a new one.
Trattoria Mollie, a popular Italian restaurant, closed its last remaining site, located on State Street, this year. But owner Mollie Ahlstrand was enthusiastic about her new ventures — a catering company and cooking classes.
Chef Mollie Ahlstrand told the News-Press that she would be busy with her new venture, Mollie’s Catering, and the cooking classes she’s teaching.
“Tino’s Italian Grocery on Carrillo Street will be selling my items such as lasagna bolognese, veggie lasagna, minestrone, etc.,” she said.
The spirit of enterprise endures, even during a pandemic.
— The pandemic’s impact on the performing arts.
Actors and musicians agree on the importance of an audience, so they were happy when, starting this summer, they could go back on stage in front of people at venues varying from The Granada to the Santa Barbara Bowl. (See Page B1 in today’s paper for more on that.)
— The Alisal Fire. It started spreading Oct. 11 above Alisal Lake and burned more than 17,000 acres, destroying 12 residences and damaging one outbuilding.
Firefighters worked hard to end the fire, and in early December, the fire was declared officially “out.”
What caused it? Investigators are looking into the possibility of a lightning strike from the week before the fire.
“It’s been a long, grueling year,” Andrew Madsen, a Los Padres National Forest spokesperson told the News-Press. “I saw the looks on the faces of the fire crews back in June, and they were already tired.”
During the fire, the community came together to help those in need, such as Jack Rowe.
The Circle Bar stable foreman lost his home and everything he owned during the fire.
“It’s the only place we ever lived since we’ve been here and you know, the hardest thing is, you can replace things but, when all we escaped with was the clothes on our back, you (have) to start over from true square one,” Mr. Rowe told the News-Press.
But the community helped. Michele Marrone, the mother of Jack’s son, Jackson, started a GoFundMe effort that raised thousands of dollars.
“We are floored by everybody’s generosity,” Ms. Marrone told the News-Press.
— The election of Randy Rowse as the Santa Barbara mayor.
Randy Rowse, a former member of the Santa Barbara City Council, was all smiles on election night, during which he learned he was elected the Santa Barbara mayor.
Mr. Rowse defeated Mayor Cathy Murillo, who placed third behind second-place winner James Joyce III.
“I am extremely proud of the campaign we ran, seizing and holding the high ground throughout. Our message was straightforward and simple: a return of focus and priority to our city and away from partisan politics!” Mr. Rowse told his supporters on election night. “That message clearly resonated with voters to help us prevail and direct us to change the tone and direction of City Hall.”
Other candidates were Deborah Schwartz, Mark Whitehurst and Matt Kilrain.
Mayor Murillo extended her congratulations to Mr. Rowse, who takes office in January.
“I was asked by the media about what my message was to the folks that voted otherwise,” Mr. Rowse said. “ That answer is simple. I have 90,000 employers, and as you’ve all heard me say many times over, I won’t forget who I work for.”
— The gubernatorial recall election.
Gov. Gavin Newsom survived the recall effort against him by a large margin in the state.
People upset with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s handling of the pandemic succeeded in putting the recall on the ballot, and while there was a good number of candidates, it boiled down to a race between Gov. Newsom and top Republican challenger Larry Elder, who spoke at a rally at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse.
“We have an arrogant governor who has shut down the state in a more severe way than did all of the other 49 governors,” Mr. Elder told the large crowd. “Sitting up there at the French Laundry restaurant with the very people that drafted the mandates that they were violating. They were not wearing masks. They were not social distancing.”
California gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder greets supporters after a rally in September at the Sunken Gardens in the Santa Barbara County Courthouse.
The recall effort failed, with 70.8% of those voting across the state choosing to keep Gov. Newsom in office.
— The resumption of the in-person Fiesta and Christmas parades in Goleta and Solvang and on Milpas Street. (Over in the Santa Barbara Harbor, the Santa Barbara Parade of Lights set sail.)
The community came together to see the Fiesta dancers on stage outside the Santa Barbara Mission as the world started to feel normal again.
The in-person fiesta was a dream come true for Ysabella Yturralde, the Spirit of the Fiesta.
“It’s been one of my biggest dreams since I was a little girl (to perform at the mission),” Ysabella told the News-Press.
She and the Junior Spirit, Savannah Hoover (who at one point proved just high she could jump during one dance), brought positive energy to the Santa Barbara tradition.
“I like to arrive everywhere with a big smile and a positive attitude,” Ysabella said. “I really think it’s important to bring optimism and spirit. I think my job is to embody what the Fiesta is about and bring people together.”
— The community coming together to help those in need.
That was evident in successful efforts by everyone from the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County to the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. The Foodbank recently held its latest effort, a drive-through holiday drive, and the Chumash raised $120,000 to help beneficiaries.
The Unity Shoppe, a longtime success story in helping people in need, recently held its telethon with music stars Kenny Loggins and Brad Paisley hosting.
People worked together to feed the hungry, help the poor and aid those in need during 2021. That remains a constant in Santa Barbara County.
email: dmason@newspress.com
