Newsletter
August 2019
Come Together:
Celebrating Community Uplift on the North Jameson Walking Trail
Disasters change communities. But how we change is up to us. In the aftermath of disaster, we have a choice. Will our lack of connection and preparedness set us up for even worse outcomes after the next inevitable disaster? Or will we engage and coordinate together to rebuild a safer, more inclusive and resilient community?
To be sure, the new North Jameson Walking Trail is a safe route connecting Montecito schools, neighborhoods, beaches, and businesses. But it’s also much more. It represents a physical demonstration of our vision for community resilience in the aftermath of disaster — a safer and more interconnected community.
Turning the debris-damaged road shoulder into a beautiful pedestrian path that connects the lower and upper Villages for the first time with a safe walking route represents a genuine improvement to the community in the midst of a long and difficult disaster recovery process.
North Jameson Walking Trail community partners, pictured from left: Mike Isaac with Mac Brown Excavating; Bucket Brigade cofounder Thomas Cole; and Stephanie Sneddon and Steve Hanson, owners of Steve Hanson Landscaping. [photo: Macduff Everton]
Bucket Brigade Executive Director Abe Powell (left) with his uncle, master stonemason Andy Johnson. Also pictured: Stephanie Sneddon (center), co-owner of Steve Hanson Landscaping; Trish Powell; and Bucket Brigade co-founder Thomas Cole. [photo: Macduff Everton]
THE APPROACH
The Bucket Brigade spearheaded the project. But we couldn’t have done it alone. The key to the Bucket Brigade’s approach to resilience is cooperation and collaboration. This is why we joined forces with a dozen local partners and solicited grants to form a genuine community partnership.
All of this helped produce an incredibly fast and economical construction process with a high-quality result. (For comparison, the San Ysidro walking path took four years and $400,000 to approve, design, and build. The North Jameson Walking Trail took six weeks and $60,000.)
This community partnership approach to relief, recovery, and rebuilding is key to the Bucket Brigade’s plan to build resilience. The new pedestrian trail represents the value in investing community wisdom, volunteer energy, and dollars into long-term safety and interconnectedness.
As part of its dedication, the North Jameson Walking Trail features this new sign, built and installed by Jeff Clark, owner of Imagine Graphics Montecito. [photo: Macduff Everton]
THE RESULT
Earlier this summer, nearly 100 community members of all ages attended the ribbon-cutting event, held at the corner of North Jameson Lane and San Ysidro Road in Montecito. A few speeches and lots of Girl Scout cookies highlighted the sunny ceremony, then dozens of families and friends strolled the half-mile trail to a reception on Coast Village Road.
We’d like to extend big buckets of thanks to Montecito Trails Foundation, Montecito Community Foundation, Santa Barbara County Public Works Department, Workforce Development Board of Santa Barbara County, Mac Brown Excavating, Steve Hanson Landscaping, All Around Irrigation, Hayward Lumber, Steve Nuttal Trucking, Giffin Rental, the Montecito Association, and all the individual donors who supported this project.
It is up to us to decide what resilience means. Our choice is for a safer and more interconnected community. This path represents a positive step in that direction.
Our primary focus for the coming year is the expansion of our field-tested method for Community Self-Rescue. Our aim is to build a countywide network of prepared neighborhoods ready to assist each other in a time of need.
Press play for a thank you from a community member.
Memorial Bench Project
On July 27, the memorial bench for John McManigal Sr. was installed at Knowlwood Tennis Club in Montecito. Crafted from book-matched slabs of locally salvaged Monterey pine, the bench overlooks the club’s clay tennis courts. McManigal spearheaded the effort to bring those courts to fruition. The bench’s bronze plaque reads, “He loved this club and the families who continue to make it special.”
Pictured with John McManigal Jr. (left), is woodworker David Moseley. The McManigal bench is the sixth of a planned 23 benches — one for each victim of the 1/9 Debris Flow — built by Moseley and financed and dedicated by the Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade.
Free CERT training in Carpinteria!
Through CERT, citizen volunteers are trained to perform crucial emergency functions during the period immediately following a disaster. Learn how…
Free CERT training at UCSB!
Through CERT, citizen volunteers are trained to perform crucial emergency functions during the period immediately following a disaster. Learn how…
Psychological First Aid
Hosted by Santa Barbara Response Network (sbresponsenetwork.org), this free class in psychological first aid covers grounding and coping techniques and…
Free “Stop the Bleed” Training!
At 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 24, the Trauma Center at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital is offering a one-hour class…
Free CERT training in Montecito!
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Thank you, Fitness805!
THE 805 PROJECT:
In the spirit of giving back, the studly crew at Fitness805 has hosted a donation-based guided workout every Tuesday night in Alameda Park, with proceeds going to the Bucket Brigade. Going since April, July 30 marked the final workout benefiting the Bucket Brigade, with high fives, sweaty hugs, and a big check of all the donated funds. Thank you, Fitness805!
Starting mid-August, the 805 Project will be raising money for the nonprofit CALM (Child Abuse Listening Mediation). Fun workouts for a good cause. Check it out!