Posted on October 23 at 9:58 a.m.

Just last weekend in Ventura I crossed over the line while it was yellow and when I almost was thru the intersection the lights flashed. I'm wondering if I'll get a ticket in the mail, or if the photo was for a car behind me or something. If I do get something in the mail I hope to fight it, because I was 3/4 through the intersection when it turned red.

BTW, Ventura lost a lot of money on these cameras. The city council thought it was a good idea but they owe so much money to the company that installed them they will likely never be in the black. Or so I heard.

On Avoid Ventura

Posted on September 30 at 10:17 p.m.

Great read, Ray. Love the way you've encapsulated the thoughts of the time. I agree with the comments on the last one, you should write an updated book including the new fires.

On Coyote Fire: Sept 22-Oct 1, 1964

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Posted on September 23 at 1:24 p.m.

Also, the County Corner was on the scene at the 154 fatality near Buellton at the time of the accident. He/she had to wrap things up there and drive down to this accident. That was at least an hour delay. I don't think they can re-open things until the coroner signs off on things.

I think it's best as citizens to just expect that the 101 gets shut down like this about 4 times a year and to just prepare to deal with the traffic when it happens. It is the cost of living along this narrow slice of beauty with only one major route.

On Accident on 101 Kills One, Snarls Traffic

Posted on August 9 at 10:57 a.m.

Guess the USFS will be wrapping the Dabney Cabin up once again with fire protective foil.

On Fire Breaks Out in La Brea Canyon

Posted on June 12 at 8:59 a.m.

I find it disturbing that it is considered the runners duty to perform the following acts to not get bitten, as opposed to dog owners taking responsibility:

- Stop Immediately
- Don't strike or put hand out
- Feed them iPod
- Curl up into ball
- Don't catch dog unaware
- Yell out 50ft away
- Stop running and walk

This would allow a running rate of about 1mph on most beach runs. One rule you left off the dog owner list is to not walk your dog in popular running areas if you and your dog can't handle runners.

On Curb Your Dog

Posted on May 13 at 11:26 a.m.

Thanks for the quick assessment Ray. Sounds like it could be quite some time before we are back on those trails. Glad to see the photos of the pines surviving in lower Rattlesnake. In your book you said those were re-planted after Coyote, but it appears that they won't need re-planting this time around. After the dust settles will the community be allowed to help in repairing the trails?

On Jesusita Fire Nears Containment But New Phase Begins

Posted on May 10 at 12:50 a.m.

Ray I always appreciate these detailed fire dispatches. I was monitoring from the top of La Vista Dr on that evening between 6:00-7:45 and this is how I saw it spread to the West. By 6:00 it had worked well out of the W fork of San Roque Canyon and was burning the East face of Barger Peak. By 6:18 it had started to spot directly above Northridge or perhaps a little to the East, and the FD and police were moving up and down Northridge telling residents they had 3-5 minutes to evacuate. A few minutes later two cops rolled up Barger Canyon with saying to evacuate. Meanwhile, as it approached 7:00 the fire made a huge push along the west face of Barger Peak with some of the largest flames I've ever seen. That line of the fire kept working West into San Antonio Creek with almost tornado like flames at times. However the flames on the front of Barger Peak, where some of the interesting rock formations are, started to spot quickly down into the valley above and to the West of Northridge, and then over the ridge and down into Barger Canyon. I would say the explosion happened around 7:30. That is when all hell broke loose and the front expanded and intensified, with flames sweeping westwards into San Antonio Creek and south down into Barger canyon, threatening La Vista, and Northridge. Things got hairy around 7:45 so I headed down the hill and made our own evacuation plans. I know from La Cumbre Peak it is hard to see in front of Barger Peak, so I wanted to add what I saw on the western front on that evening.

On Jesusita Fire Explodes on the Western Front

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Posted on March 9 at 2:04 p.m.

It seems like the Hit and Run portion of this incident was underplayed in the story. The drunk driver kept going and didn't stop until he got off at the 154 exit a few miles south. The CHP found him about 15 minutes after the accident. Since he was unlicensed and uninsured the odds are very high that he was also in the country illegally, which wouldn't be the first foreign national to kill a local resident while under the influence.

On Goleta Woman Dies in Saturday Accident on 101

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Posted on January 29 at 10:22 a.m.

This anger at Reverse 911 not working is startling. Reverse 911 was just introduced in the County several years ago, and now residents believe it is their right to be notified by a Government Agency at the first sign of trouble. They seem upset they first heard the news from their neighbors and not the Government. Isn't that how news has been passed on for the decades of living up there before Reverse 911? We should look at Reverse 911 as another tool in responding to disaster, but not the first and certainly not the best tool.

On Tea Fire Questions and Answers at Montecito Forum

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Posted on January 2 at 11:55 p.m.

With the recent holiday time off from work to take some nice bike rides through our local foothills, it becomes apparent that some of the most pleasant parts of town, Mountain Drive, Gibraltar, Mission Canyon, Old San Marcos/Painted Cave, are nicely wooded areas with quirky yet beautiful homes. I don't imagine those areas would be as highly sought after nor as nice to spend time in if they were stripped of vegetation and felt more like tract homes. In fact these wooded roads are a big part of Santa Barbara's identity and what gives the community a nice feel.

The fact is, the owners of homes on these roads know they are in high fire risk areas. They know they have limited evacuation options. The list of Tea fire homes that burned held few surprises, Mountain, Gibraltar, and homes on the West side of Sycamore Canyon, are all wooded and hilly, with winding roads with difficult access and historically fire prone.

To me (and this comes from a very anti-tax person) it should be more about an additional property tax for fire prone hillside homes that can go towards better fire prevention and protection for those homes. The homes down in the gridded area of Santa Barbara, however more tract-like and less secluded, are far less susceptible to wildfire and far easier to protect. The flat-landers should not be footing the bill for the hill-siders in terms of fire protection.

On A Closer Look at the Wildfire Problem