“I had a lot of medical issues that got in the way of my education. I always wanted to go back; schooling is very important,” said Khari Thompson while she got a head start on some English classwork at Chase Palm Park. Thompson is a student at the Schott Center and is currently working toward her high school diploma.
Melissa Stever and her daughter Alina Stever-Murray enjoy the sand and sun at East Beach after a day of playing at the park. “I love that there are so many parks and recreation areas for children; this is a blessed place,” said Stever, who lived in Santa Barbara for 14 years before moving to Mexico, where she lives now.