Tag archives: water
I would like to thank Dr. Edo McGowan for clarifying his position on recycled water with the residents of Montecito (“Water Warnings,” MJ #24/37). As quoted last year, he supports recycled water “as long as it’s done properly” (“It’s Where the Future Lies…” by Melinda Burns, Edhat and Independent, June 8, 2017). His words of […]
I, Dick Shaikewitz, am an incumbent Montecito Water District (MWD) director since 2006, holding a business degree from Northwestern University and a law degree from Washington University. I practiced law in Southern Illinois; primarily doing litigation. Montecito has been my home for 21 years. I served six years as a Montecito Association director. The Music […]
by Ken Coates, Brian Goebel and Cori Hayman In his recent letter to the editor, long-serving Montecito Water Board Member Dick Shaikewitz said: “So far, everything the [Water] District has done has been correct and proper.” (“On Recycling Wastewater,” MJ #24/37) We disagree. Let’s review what the water board has actually done during his tenure: […]
We should thank Judith Ishkanian and Bob Williams for their service to our community as appointed board members of the Montecito Sanitation District (MSD) for the past 12 and four years, respectively. I also want to thank the employees of the MSD who worked long and hard hours to restore our systems after the debris […]
Montecito is at an important crossroads in this post-disaster era. Our community’s ability to recover and thrive depends in large part on our leaders’ willingness to take decisive and large steps to move forward with resilient, sustainable, and environmentally sound infrastructure and strategies. Water is the most important resource for Montecito, and it is in […]
I was pleased that President Trump stands four-square behind public disclosure on opinion pages and has come out so strongly against the use of “Anonymous” as cover for accountability. I would hope that the Journal would adhere to our president’s common sense and stop allowing letter writers to be “Anonymous” when stating their opinions in […]
My first job after college was in the Arizona House of Representatives as the House reader: the guy who sits just below the Speaker of the House on the floor and reads the bills, tabulates the votes using a computer, runs the microphones, that kind of stuff. It was a front-row seat in the debate […]
At their board meeting last week, the governing Board of Directors of the Montecito Sanitary District (MSD) took action to clarify confusion in the community regarding the Sanitary District’s role in a recycled water project to serve the Montecito area. MSD Board members Judith Ishkanian, Tom Kern, Jeff Kerns, Warner Owens, and Bob Williams, unanimously […]
Four years ago, I attended my first Montecito Water Board meeting hoping to understand why Montecito and Summerland residents had to endure water rationing, penalty rates, and the threat of a service cut off. In subsequent meetings, it was clear that the management and the board had no strategic plan, as mandated by the State, […]
Election campaign season is about to begin, and the local election for Montecito Sanitary and Montecito Water Districts is on the November 6 ballot. I have served on the Montecito Sanitary District for 12 years, and this is the first time I have run in a competitive re-election campaign. Who would imagine that this year, […]
Recycling of treated wastewater is environmentally responsible and can create a significant new water supply for both landscaping water (sometimes referred to as non-potable or “purple pipe” water) by surface spreading, or even better, indirect potable reuse (IPR) by injecting the purified water into local groundwater basins as recharge water for later withdrawal as a […]
This November, three seats on the five-member Board of the Montecito Water District (MWD) will terminate, allowing interested candidates to run for the open positions. The MWD, formed in 1921 is governed by a majority vote of the five elected directors who serve four-year terms. These directors determine policy and approve the expenditure of funds […]
Santa Barbara mayor Cathy Murillo was able to take a well-deserved bow last week as she and Josh Haggmark, City Water Resources manager; Cathy Taylor, Water Systems manager; Randy Rowse and other civic leaders celebrated the one-year anniversary of the reopening of the City’s Charles E. Meyer Desalination Plant. All hailed the addition of desalinated […]
Everywhere you look in California, there are larger, more explosive fires. Why? As the left once again blames climate change, could there be another reason why we are seeing so many huge fires? What role have environmental activists, eco lobbyists, green NGOs, lawyers, and politicians played? What about forest management? Forests need thinning to promote […]
(Between now and Tuesday, November 6 [election day], members of the water and sanitary district communities, and other interested parties, will present various opinions on the subject of water and waste management. The views expressed under the imprimatur of this column – whether they are by candidates for the water or sanitary boards of directors […]
In his recent letter (“Recycled Water Warning,” MJ #24/28), Dr. Edo McGowan raises important issues associated with water quality. But these issues should not be a “stop sign” for water recycling. Instead, the issues need to be addressed as part of planning for water recycling and other new sources of water for our community. As […]
With Starbucks and American Airlines ditching the use of plastic straws with a view to cleaning up the environment, Santa Barbara dynamic duo Justin and Mindy Mahy couldn’t have chosen a better time to launch KOPU sparkling water, sourced from Justin’s native New Zealand. And rather than the product coming in a plastic bottle, like […]
I think that there is a need to discuss some examples of where, within government, there may be serious potential problems caused by disjunctive incremental functions. The current trend of moving rapidly toward augmenting aquifers with recycled water may be fraught with public health issues, as stated by the state’s expert scientific panel. The move […]
At this month’s Montecito Association Land Use Committee, deputy director of Water Resources Tom Fayram reported that the County continues to move forward on a hazard mitigation grant to look at modifying the three debris basins above Montecito: Cold Spring, San Ysidro, and Romero. “We’re trying to expand the size of the basins and improve […]
I have lived on Santa Rosa Lane for over 30 years. The ugly power lines have always been a blight on what should be beautiful mountain views. Years ago, I asked Southern California Edison to take a look at the mess for safety reasons and to discuss the possibilities of putting the wires under the […]
