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Santa Barbara County First District Supervisor Das Williams — Join me for Halloween, Randall Road Ribbon Cutting, Sleep Safe Awareness Month, and More

by Community Contributor • October 27, 2022 • Comments Off

Happy Halloween

Join me for Halloween!

Our team will be at the following locations on October 31st:

Harvest Fair & Trunk o Treat at Franklin Elementary:

Located at 1111 E Mason St, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. The event will go from 4 pm-7 pm

Trunk or Treat at Girls Inc Carpinteria:

Located at 5315 Foothill Rd, Carpinteria, CA 93013. This event will go from 3:30p pm- 5 pm

Ghost Village Road in Montecito:

On Coast Village Road in Montecito. This event will go from 3 pm to 6 pm

Be sure to do your part to help make this a safe Halloween for everyone. Here are a few easy things parents and kids can do to stay safe on the spookiest of holidays.

Top Tips for Halloween Safety

Carry glow sticks or flashlights, use reflective tape or stickers on costumes and bags, and wear light colors to help kids see and be seen by drivers.
Join kids under age 12 for trick-or-treating.
Slow down and be alert! Kids are excited about Halloween and may dart into the street. Turn on headlights early in the day to spot kids from further away.
Remind kids to cross the street at corners or crosswalks.
When selecting a costume, make sure it is the right size to prevent trips and falls. Choose face paint over masks when possible. Masks can limit children’s vision.

For more information on Halloween Safety, visit https://www.safekids.org/halloween

Randall Road Debris Basin Ribbon Cutting

I am so proud of our community, County staff, and federal and state partners for the amazing work of getting our new Randall Road Debris Basin done! This a huge accomplishment and absolutely would not have been able to be done without the advocacy of residents in the area, like Curtis Skeene. As soon as these folks brought the idea for this project to me, it became my top priority. Although slightly less than 5 years may seem long to most people, it’s actually a landmark timeframe to get this many government agencies and this large of a project completed. The project cost $21.3 million to complete, with most of that money reimbursed by FEMA, and it is now the largest debris basin in Montecito.

This is a great accomplishment, but we are not done working on your behalf. We need to always be getting better, both in our infrastructure and fire service. We know we have a long-term generational project between here and the ocean to ensure this community is safer. Through this work, we can ensure that future disasters are less likely to be severe and less likely to have such a terrifying loss of life.

Support Ukraine

I am sure that you have been watching with anguish the continued war of aggression against Ukraine. Unable to win on the battlefield, Putin is striking terror and destroying infrastructure with Iranian-made suicide drones, cruise missiles, and the like. Below is a picture of a bomb crater where my best friend’s son used to play in Kyiv. It is important to achieve victory with speed to save lives, and there is a way you can help. A friend and I have been raising a small amount of money to manufacture drones in Ukraine and send over drones and drone parts from the U.S. Check it out at Drones 2 Ukraine and help if you can. Drones for scouting and surveillance reduce casualties. Winter is coming, as is a large amount of Russian conscripts. Now is the time to help.

View from my friend’s apartment

The children’s park outside my friend’s home

Sleep Safe Awareness Month

Our Santa Barbara County Public Health Department joins the National Institutes of Health in recognizing October as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and Safe Sleep Awareness Month, in creating awareness for parents and caregivers to take steps to reduce the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related infant deaths.

Every year, about 3,400 infants in the United States die from Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths (SUID). Despite decreases in rates of SIDS and other sleep-related infant deaths, SIDS still accounts for about 41% of Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths, with infants of non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander ethnicities being disproportionately affected. Many infants are placed to sleep with bedding that has the potential for suffocation and increases the risk of SIDS.

The American Academy of Pediatrics updated safe sleep recommendations in 2022:

Place infants on their backs to sleep in their own sleep space with no other people.
Use a crib, bassinet, or portable play yard with a firm, flat mattress, and a fitted sheet. Avoid sleeping on a couch, armchair, or in a seating device, like a swing or car safety seat (except while riding in the car).
Keep loose blankets, pillows, stuffed toys, bumpers, and other soft items out of the sleep space.
Breastfeed, if possible.
Avoid smoking, alcohol, marijuana, opioids, and illicit drugs.

Dyslexia Awareness Month

Dyslexia is the most common learning difference that affects 80 to 90 percent of all individuals with a learning difference and is persistent and highly prevalent, affecting as many as 1 out of every 5 individuals. When dyslexia is not identified, far too many students experience unnecessary struggles in school, which has long-term consequences, including academic difficulties, poor self-esteem, and a wide range of negative outcomes for individuals and our communities.

This year we honored California State Senator Monique Limón for the many years she has shown a passion for learning more about dyslexia and supporting greater awareness, starting back to her days as a trustee for the Santa Barbara Unified School District. There she showed leadership and compassion by helping lead the district’s early attempts to address dyslexia positively and has continued her advocacy work at the state level. I would also like to thank and recognize Cheri, the Director of the Dyslexia project for her work within the organization and for their continuous work in spreading awareness and advocacy.

Resolution Proclaiming Solidarity with Iranian women

I was proud to sponsor a resolution in support of the women of Iran as they protest in the streets after the tragic death of, Mahsa Amini, who died in the custody of the Iranian “morality police.” It is inspirational to see the men and women of Iran who are standing up against the oppressive Iranian regime that has been present for decades. The County of Santa Barbara commends the bravery, courage, and resolve of the women and men of Iran demonstrating in more than 80 cities and risking their safety to speak out against the Iranian Government’s human rights abuses, and pays tribute to the many women, including Mahsa Amini, who gave their lives in pursuit of freedom and human rights.