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Santa Barbara First District Supervisor Das Williams — Montecito Debris Flow Remembrance, COVID-19 Update, & Oath of Office

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Given the events happening in this country, particularly the storming of the Capitol yesterday, I make an urgent plea to all of us to RAMP THIS DOWN. Civil strife of this kind erodes our republic, and in other societies, leads inevitably to bloodshed and often worse. The hate is contagious. We must value our nation’s future and our ability to live together in common humanity more than short term partisan advantage, and stop devolving into warring tribes that share no dialogue, understanding or future pursuit of happiness together.

Montecito Debris Flow Remembrance
This Saturday is the anniversary of the January 9, 2018 Montecito debris flow that took the lives of 23 people and damaged hundreds of homes. We are continuing to recover from the devastation. We are continuing to help people rebuild in a safer way, and working on expansions and improvements of our existing debris basins, and the creation of a new debris basin on Randall Road set to begin construction later this year.

Anniversaries can be very triggering and it is natural to feel sadness and anxiety around this time, whether you were directly impacted by the debris flow or not. For those who were directly impacted, it’s a much more challenging time. Especially with the added isolation of living in a global pandemic. Reach out to a friend in the coming days and remember, that our 24 hour response line is always available to you at 888-868-1649.

Remembrance events are a critical part of community healing and our community partners have transitioned to a virtual space in accordance with pandemic guidelines.

The event begins at 6:30 p.m on Saturday, January 9th. with an invocation from Montecito Fire Chief Kevin Taylor. Firefighters will light 23 candles in honor of the 23 victims of the natural disaster, followed by a moment of silence. Montecito churches and schools will ring 23 bells, and a searchlight will be lit at Montecito Union School as a symbol of community support and solidarity for the victims and survivors alike.

To register for this zoom event, click here:

https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_LqkfbBJrTmast2OaO-T9Jg

This event can also be viewed on Facebook Live. Please RVSP here:

https://www.facebook.com/events/739029386724029 

A recording of the event will be available on January 12:

www.sbbucketbrigade.org/raisingourlight 

For more information, call the Montecito Association:

(805) 636-0475
COVID-19 & Vaccine Update
Per CDPH guidelines, distribution will be prioritized to: 1) Persons at risk of exposure to the virus through their work in any role in direct health care, emergency services or long-term care settings and 2) Residents of skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, and similar long-term care setting for older or medically vulnerable individuals. Vaccination is now underway in Phase 1A Tier 1. More details are forthcoming in how the community will receive the vaccine.

Phase 1A Vaccine Distribution Target Populations and Delivery Dates
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Phase 1B Vaccine Distribution Target Populations and Delivery Dates
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Phase 1C Vaccine Distribution Target Populations and Delivery Dates
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Phase 2 & 3 Vaccine Distribution Target Populations and Delivery Dates
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You can also find your place in the vaccine line using the New York Times Interactive Tool and get answers to frequently asked questions about COVID-19 vaccines.

This vaccine timeline provides hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel, but we are still in the midst of the extreme peak that we had feared at the beginning of the pandemic. It is now more important than ever to avoid gathering, wear a mask, wash hands, maintain at least six feet distance, and do our part as a community. The local health care system is stressed beyond belief and our actions really do make a difference.
Oath of Office
I was officially sworn in to my second term as Santa Barbara County Supervisor on January 4th but there will be a ceremonial swearing in during our first Board of Supervisors meeting of the new year, on Tuesday, January 12th at 9:00am. I’m excited to begin my second term in office and would love for you to be beside me virtually by tuning into the ceremony on CSBTV 20 or Santa Barbara County’s Youtube Channel.