Santa Barbara’s Local Heroes of 2017
The 'Santa Barbara Independent' Presents Its Annual Ode to Amazing People
“We must become the change we want to see.” So goes the saying often attributed to Mahatma Gandhi. It’s a seemingly simple sentiment, yet when applied en masse can have an immeasurable impact on society. It also serves well on a community level, where the benevolent actions of one individual can have life-changing repercussions for many.
Fortunately for Santa Barbarans, our seaside hamlet happens to have a plethora of folks who continually apply their heroic traits — determination, loyalty, courage, perseverance, patience, focus, intrepidity, and selflessness, to name several — to improving life for those of us residing here. To acknowledge and thank the altruistic people who make Santa Barbara such an amazing place to call home, each November, the Santa Barbara Independent publishes its Local Hero issue. Read on to learn about the amazing people being honored this year.
of the U.S. Forest Service
Whittier Fire Circle V Ranch Camp Rescue Team: Literal Lifesavers
Talk about a worst-case scenario: When the Whittier Fire sparked to life during a heat wave last summer, wind-driven flames spread rapidly through a heavily wooded backcountry canyon where dozens of kids and counselors at Circle V Ranch Camp were trapped on a dead-end dirt road. Their rescue was a tactical masterpiece composed of interagency cooperation and the spontaneous marshalling of nearby first responders.
