An Act of Hope-Voting

Voting.  The election is now less than a week away.  If you have already voted. THANK YOU!  If you are planning to vote THANK YOU!  Below is some information you may find helpful for our local polling places and ballot drop boxes.  If you are able to vote but not planning to, I ask you to reconsider.  

Voting is a privilege and a responsibility in a democratic country.   It is how our preferences and choices are communicated to our leaders.  It is a way for our individual voices to be heard amongst the noise of the world.  It is a way to make change in policy that we don’t agree with and keep policy that serves us. It is a way to help shape the world you live in to reflect how you want it to be.  It is a way to have power when we feel powerless because it is only in staying silent that we relinquish our rights.  

Ultimately, voting is an act of hope.  Hope that no matter how dire things may be or how grand we may think they are, we believe we can still make this a better world through our voices.  So join me as I keep hope alive, casting my ballot by making choices based on research and conversations with others that I believe will reflect the kind of world I wish to live in.  Let us all use our voices and vote not just because it is our duty but because it is an act of hope.  

Options for voting in our community~

At Home With Ballot~

Complete your ballot.  Secure inside the return envelope sent with the ballot.

Sign and date.  Make sure the signature on your ballot envelope matches the one on your CA driver’s license/state ID or the one you provided when registering to vote.

Ballots may be returned by mail but must be postmarked by November 3rd, 2020.  No stamp is needed.

Ballots may be dropped at a Secure Ballot Drop Box available 24 hours a day.  These are the following locations in our community-

Lompoc City Hall - 100 Civic Center Plaza

Lompoc Public Library - 501 East North Ave

SB County Dept. of Social Services - 1100 West Laurel Ave

Vandenberg Village Library - 3755 Constellation Rd

Ballots may also be dropped in person at a polling place by 8PM on November 3rd.  

Sign up and Track My Ballot at http://wheresmyballot.sos.ca.gov or call the Elections Office at  805-568-2200 or 800-722-8683.

Voting at the Polls~

Your assigned Polling Place is printed on the back cover of your County Voter Information Guide which was mailed to you or may be located  by calling 800-722-8683 or visiting www.sbcvote.com. 

Physical distancing and masks will be required if voting in person and bring your own ballpoint pen to sign in and use while voting.  Polls are open 10/31 and 11/1 9AM-5PM, 11/2 9AM-6PM and 11/3 7AM-8PM.  The Polling Places in Lompoc are-

Dick DeWees Community Center-Banquet Room - 

1120 West Ocean Ave

Events Mission Valley - 

138 North B Street

Lompoc Hilton Garden Inn-Hennessy Ballroom - 

1201 North H St

Thank you for voting!

Dream Big Lompoc!

Dreams.  Cotton candy fluff and ethereal or a concrete reality?  For Lompoc skate park, aka College Park, it is a dream that became literally a concrete reality over 20 years ago.  A dream first dreamt in the late 1970’s (and perhaps before then) but discarded as impossible, became more probable with the advent of SB994. 

Working together, the Youth Commission, Lompoc Parks & Rec and Surf Connection rallied the skateboarding community and raised monies as a good faith testament to the need.  A piece of property was acquired through an agreement with Santa Barbara County and the Lompoc City Council agreed to fund the project through the City Budget.  Several meetings with an experienced professional skate park designer and the skateboarding community resulted in the current design of the park.  With the design in hand, the project was put out to bid, a builder selected and ground was broken.  Soon a simple dirt field became a concrete playground for skateboarders of all ages and levels of ability to enjoy.  

Today, while virtually unchanged from when it first opened to the casual observer, the park is beginning to reveal its age.  Many of the edges are showing the wear and tear of daily use and the concrete in some places is crumbling.  The skateboarding community has talked of having lights added to the park for many years and when the park was built there was discussion and hope that it would be enlarged in the future, offering more recreational opportunities.

We now have the opportunity to make those long ago and not so long ago wishes come true.  But we need your help.  The City of Lompoc is currently is seeking a grant to rebuild the skate park, to expand its usage, possibly add lighting and other amenities depending on the requests of the community and the viability of the features.  Now is the opportunity to dream as the your input is sought.  How would you like to see the skatepark?  What changes or additions would you like to see at College Park?  Lompoc Parks and Recreation has put together a packet to help you design the park of your dreams which may be picked up at Parks & Rec, Lompoc Aquatic Center or Surf Connection.  Once you have built your ideal park on paper it may be returned to either of the three locations to indicate support for the grant request as well as input as to how the final park will look.  There will also be public meetings on Zoom for input as listed below.

This is a wonderful opportunity to let your voice be heard and to help make a difference.  So dream big and speak loud because isn’t that what dreams are for, becoming concrete?

Zoom Meetings

Wednesday 10/14 6PM  - Zoom ID is 820-7474-3686

Saturday 10/17 10AM

Thursday 10/22 7PM

California Brown Pelicans

One of my favorite things to do at Jalama is watch the brown pelicans as they soar overhead or skim along the surface of the water, rarely flapping a wing.  They are majestic in their flight, powerful in their dives, and rarely a visit goes by without witnessing several groups of these magnificent birds as they go about their lives.  Not that long ago, however, their very existence was tenuous and this is perhaps why I have such an affinity for them.  

It was many years ago when I first became acquainted with this magnificent bird while researching a paper that was to address conservation efforts for a species that was at the time on the USF&W Endangered Species List.  The California Brown Pelican had found its way to the list as its population was drastically waning due to reproductive failures caused by environmental pollutants.  Specifically, DDT, an insecticide widely used throughout the US, had infiltrated the food chain through water drainage finding its way to the fish in the ocean.  Unknowing pelicans were eating contaminated fish, primarily mackerel, sardines and anchovies, which altered the calcium levels in their physiology, resulting in weakened shells in the eggs being laid.  The weakened shells meant much fewer chicks were hatching each year and the result was decimating to the pelican population leading to its listing in 1970 as an endangered species.  Fortunately, with the ban on the use of DDT as well as other intervention policies put into place, the California Brown Pelican made a slow but dramatic recovery and was delisted as a stable species in November 2009. 

Thus my fascination began with this beautiful bird many years ago.  I have since learned that it’s large pouch  (which can hold 3 gallons of water!) is used not only to catch fish, but also for temperature regulation and as a feeding trough for young chicks.   Often brown pelicans catch their meals by plunge diving 20-60 feet after spotting the fish with their keen eyesight while in flight.  During the dive the pelican hits the water with so much force that fish up to 6 feet under water can be stunned.  The Brown Pelican is one of only two types of pelicans that fish this way, the other being the Peruvian Pelican, and both species have a network of air sacs throughout their body that serve as protection from the impact of these magnificent dives. 

While the California Brown Pelican ranges from Central Mexico to Vancouver, currently in the US, the only breeding colonies are in California on West Anacapa and Santa Barbara Islands.   Breeding season is winter through spring and nests are built by the female, often beginning with an indentation on the ground or a spot chosen by the male.  The male also gathers the materials for the nest which may include feathers, dirt and various vegetation.   Two to four eggs are laid each nesting season and incubation duration is 29-35 days.  The young are ready to leave the nest after approximately three months but do not reach sexual maturity for 3-5 years.  

Pelicans are social birds, living together in flocks and often flying together as well.  They will sometimes fly in a V formation but it is more common to see them fly in a single line.  And when they are skimming the water I always thought it was to catch fish, but alas, it is more often to make flying easier using nature’s physics of air in what is commonly referred to as ‘ground effect’ by pilots.  

While the California Brown Pelican is no longer threatened by extinction, the species does have other concerns.  Brown pelicans are hunted for their feathers which are prized decorations, nests are raided for the eggs and they are also slaughtered as they are seen as competition to fishermen.  For now, I am grateful for their recovery and for the opportunity to witness their grace in flight, hoping that we can continue to live together, respectful of the gifts we each bring to this world.  

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Brown_Pelican/lifehistory

https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/animals-a-to-z/brown-pelican

http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/onlinelearningcenter/species/california_brown_pelican/

https://www.fws.gov/arcata/es/birds/brnpelican/b_pelican.html

https://www.fws.gov/arcata/es/birds/brnpelican/documents/1986%20Recovery%20Plan%20for%20the%20Brown%20Pelican.pdf

https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/pelican

World Oceans Day

World Oceans Day is today and a chance to celebrate and bring awareness to a part of Mother Earth that covers 71% of our world and holds 97% of all the water on Earth.  The concept for World Oceans Day was first proposed by the Canadian Government at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, in 1992.  After several years and the coordinated efforts of many organizations and tens of thousands of individuals, a resolution was passed in December 2008, and the United Nations officially began recognizing World Oceans Day on June 8th of every year.  This was an important step in turning the effort into a global one.  Since then the network of partners worldwide has grown to include approximately 2,000 organizations committed to preserving our oceans and the marine and plant life that call them home.  

We will be celebrating the day by spending some time enjoying mother nature’s gifts and recommitting to being better stewards of our environment.  Some changes that we have personally made include: to not use single use plastic bottles and opt instead for stainless steel or multiple use bottles; to use reusable totes or bags when shopping if possible; to not use plastic straws either at home or while out dining; picking up trash when we see it even when it is not ours; and to recycle/repurpose when possible.  We are also exploring other ways of reducing our use of plastic and impact on the environment and will be sharing with you in future posts what we have found successful.   

Help us spread the word and share how you plan to celebrate World Oceans Day this year and any changes you have made or plan to make to preserve our oceans and environment. Change starts with each of us…

https://www.oceanicinstitute.org/aboutoceans/aquafacts.html

http://www.worldoceansday.org

Earth Day 2020

Earth Day 2020

The first Earth Day was celebrated 50 years ago on April 22, 1970. It was founded by Gaylord Nelson, a US Senator from Wisconsin, after he witnessed the impact of a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California.  At that time it was the largest oil spill in US history and still ranks at number 3, behind only the Deepwater Horizon and Exxon Valdez oil spills.  It was Mr. Gaylord’s vision to have a “national teach-in on the environment” and energize the public to protect the environment by addressing water and air pollution concerns.  Over 20 million Americans participated in that first Earth Day celebration uniting many in a common cause that had been previously fragmented over several specific environmental concerns.  

This year, Earth Day celebrations will focus on climate action.  Given the current landscape with the pandemic, this may seem impossible or unachievable, however, I believe this is rather an appropriate back drop for creating change.  With the pause button hit for so many around the world in manufacturing, travel and even our day to day lives, there has been substantial change in air quality world wide.  Not only are blue skies and a pretty view a by product of cleaner air but so are health benefits for humanity, including fewer breathing problems and a lower mortality rate. 

Ultimately, however, I believe this demonstrates just how much our activities and choices impact this planet on which we live and that Climate Action is a perfect theme for Earth Day 2020.  Action can include discussions about the environment and the challenges currently faced from clean air and water to dwindling natural resources.  It may also include exchanging ideas about how to change or learning what different choices can be made in our day to day lives so that we may be more in alignment with nature.  Some changes may be difficult and others easy but right now many of us have time to reflect and think about how we want the world we live in to look, to function and most importantly what is sustainable.  We also have time to think and dream about how we might achieve those goals.  And if we don’t believe we have time, it is necessary to make the time, to have the discussions, to become educated and to make the choices.  To take action.  

The reality is, we have been blessed to live in this world we have been gifted, with its many natural wonders and incredible resources.  With that gift, we have also been given a responsibility.  The responsibility to take care of it so that our grandchildren’s great-grandchildren will have a place to call home.  No matter where you are we ask you to join us in this effort because you can make a difference with your choices and together we can save our beautiful home we call Earth.

Sources-

https://www.earthday.org

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1969_Santa_Barbara_oil_spill

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2020/04/05/satellite-images-provide-perspective-on-life-during-the-covid-19-pandemic.html