Paradise Road resident Tom Merkel has been notified by the Forest Service that he is now trespassing and subject to fines when he enters the cabin he’s leased from the federal government for the past 17 years. The Forest Service wants to convert Merkel’s cabin and 27 others into a parking lot. Merkel claims that his cabin is historically significant for several reasons that were not included in the historic analysis conducted by the Forest Service as part of its effort to create the new parking lot. (/cabin1120)
•••
The Santa Barbara’s Veterans for Peace (VFP) chapter were the guests of honor at the 25th anniversary celebration of the Office of the Americas, an international peace organization. The VFP was given the Peace and Justice Award for dedicating five years to create the Arlington West Memorial, commemorating those who served in the Iraq War. The memorial has led several other VFP chapters across the nation to create similar memorials.