Conversations With … Evenings
Take away the hype and glitz, and the real meat of SBIFF is and
has always been the strength and breadth of its films.
Year: 2007
A NEXUS of troubles
The Battle Between UCSB Student Government and the Daily Nexus
When members of the UCSB Associated Students Legislative Council voted at a January 17 meeting to freeze funding to the school’s student-run newspaper, the Daily Nexus, one had to wonder if they and the handful of Nexus staff members present realized how accurately they were reenacting a performance of the tensions that have plagued the two entities for the past 30 years.
Moving On Up
Famed director Michael Apted, whose Up documentary series will screen in its most recent incarnation during this year’s film festival, talks with Josef Woodard about his work and his career.
Throwdown Montecito Style
New Group Challenges Montecito Association’s Influence
The Santa Barbara County Supervisors boardroom overflowed with Montecitans Tuesday for a showdown over planning processes in their exclusive enclave of about 10,000 well-heeled residents. In one corner-represented by the Montecito Association (MA) and the Montecito Planning Commission (MPC), were the old-school preservationists who for decades have kept Montecito woodsy and understated.
LAND AND SEA
Hikers, bikers, and equestrians have a new forum for their long-simmering and often heated debate about the use of Santa Barbara County’s front country trails, as the multi-jurisdictional Trails Task Force officially formed on Wednesday. Composed of two City Parks and Recreation commissioners, two County Parks commissioners, and two National Forest representatives, the group hopes to achieve peace among all types of trail users, who often disagree over trail right-of-way and safety issues.
HEALTH CRAZE
Dr. James Broderick will step down as the director of the county’s Department of Alcohol, Drug & Mental Health Services on March 23. During his 20 years of directing mental health departments here and elsewhere, Broderick said one of his proudest achievements was opening the doors to the Crisis and Recovery Emergency Services Center on De la Vina Street, which serves the mentally ill and drug addicted 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Broderick will teach at Pacifica Graduate Institute and open a couples-counseling private practice with his wife.
LAW AND DISORDER
UCSB police and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating a former UCSB engineer, Neil Baker, who allegedly posted death threats on the “Rants and Raves” page of Craigslist.org. Baker, who was fired from UCSB in 2004 and now lives in Washington, reportedly mentioned the one-year anniversary of the Goleta postal shootings and noted he had “been thinking about killing my former bosses and shithead coward co-workers.”
NEW DEVELOPMENTS
Despite indications to the contrary, Whitefoot Meat Market and six adjoining Milpas Street businesses will not be replaced by a Longs Drugs in the foreseeable future. Longs notified property owner Edward Unterman on January 15 that it was opting out, despite the city’s approval of the project.
ROADS MORE TRAVELED
Despite increased congestion levels on Highway 101, public perception is that auto mobility has improved in the county, according to results of a county-sponsored survey released earlier this month. County transportation staff offered two hypotheses to explain the results: One is that a significant portion of respondents may have recently arrived from more congested areas; the other is that better timing at on-ramps and prompt clearance of debris has reduced driver frustration.
And the Satire Winners Are….
At long last, the winners in the first ever Be-a-Reporter satire contest are announced. (What do they have to do with Millstein and Nipper, seen here? You tell us.) Plus, a round-up of the latest media news, from downtown to the Santa Ynez Valley, where a newspaper is in dire search of an editor. Know any out-of-work journalists?
