Factual Care Advised

Das Williams has sent a letter to residents of Summerland congratulating himself on what he claims to have done for our community. Among other things, he says that after the Montecito debris flow, “I also delivered water to Summerland residents after Cantwell’s [market] ran out.”

Cantwell’s closed on December 4, 2017, the day the Thomas Fire began. The mudslide and debris flow occurred on January 9, 2018, closing the Highway 101 freeway until January 21. Cantwell’s did not distribute water because it no longer existed in Summerland.

After the highway closure I walked the length of Lillie Avenue, the main street in Summerland, with my eldest son, who was visiting. We saw no sign of Mr. Williams or his staff. All of our town’s then five eating places were closed for lack of potable water. We spoke to the owner of the Nugget, who was cleaning up and said she would have opened if she had water.

For Summerland residents, who were advised not to drink their tap water, bottles of water and snacks were readily available from the Red Cross, which set up shop in the parking lot of the Summerland Post Office, which was closed. The Red Cross was there every day until the freeway opened and did excellent work in supplying water to every Summerlander who came to the parking lot.

I voted for Mr. Williams for supervisor and voted for him for the office he held previously and am disappointed with his letter to Summerlanders. He needs to be more careful with the facts.