Hey there, Santa Ynez! Let's get started with what's happening in and around town. Read on and stay in the loop. ☕️️
In today's newsletter:
Also on today's calendar: NatureTrack Free Monthly Screening Series - "Currents of Change: The Stories Water Tell" and 3 more events.
And lastly, we have a post from a neighbor, Connie E.!
Today's riddle: Why do fish live in salt water? 🤔 (Answer below!)
1. Public invited to weigh in on Santa Ynez Valley Trail Project (santamariatimes.com) — A new nine-mile Santa Ynez Valley Trail is being planned to link Buellton, Solvang, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Reservation and nearby communities, and planners want your input now. Residents can comment via an interactive map at SYVTrail.com or at outreach events this fall, helping decide routes, safety priorities, and environmental considerations before detailed design and construction move ahead.
2. Caring for Those Who Once Cared for Us (noozhawk.com) — Santa Ynez–area residents caring for loved ones with dementia get a close look at how Friendship House, founded by local physician Dr. Louis Netzer, offers a homelike, secure option when caregiving at home becomes overwhelming. The story explains the emotional and health toll on family caregivers and how 24/7 supervised care, medication management, and a safe campus can bring peace of mind as dementia rates rise nationwide.
3. Ramos Tribal Rights Bills Advance to Full California Senate (nativenewsonline.net) — Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians are key supporters and a sponsor of several tribal rights and education bills now moving through the California Senate, potentially shaping state policy on Native American policing, holidays, and religious freedom. Assemblymember James Ramos' 10-bill package could affect tribal governance, school data on Native students, and how state agencies work with tribes if approved by the governor.
4. Trump Appointee Warned About Destruction of Records and Ongoing Investigations (keyt.com) — Residents near Santa Ynez should know that federal officials cited a self-declared energy emergency to push restarting oil production at the local Santa Ynez Unit, despite state safety concerns. That move, along with controversial offshore wind settlements and alleged record destruction, is now drawing scrutiny from Congress and California's attorney general, raising questions about environmental risk, transparency, and how national energy politics play out on our coast.
5. Trump Administration moves to eliminate Roadless Rule, threatening Los Padres National Forest (amigos805.com) — Protections for the upper Santa Ynez River watershed and other wild parts of Los Padres National Forest could be rolled back as the Trump administration moves to eliminate the federal Roadless Rule. Conservation groups argue this would open remote backcountry to logging and new roads without reducing wildfire risk, and they're urging Central Coast residents to submit public comments before the September deadline.
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Ok Santa Ynez! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: Pepper makes them sneeze (Thank you Karla H. for sending it in!)
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