The Ins and Outs of Special Districts

In Mark Hunt’s article “Ins and Outs: Montecito and Her Many Special Neighborhoods” (Real Estate Issue, August 4, 2022), he correctly states not all homes in 93108 are within Montecito, or either of its two school or special districts. 

Many Eucalyptus Hill homes are in the City of Santa Barbara. Eucalyptus Hill Improvement Association (EHIA) homes are NOT in Montecito, or in the Cold Spring School District (CSSD). These homes are within the City Boundaries and the assigned school is SBUSD Cleveland Elementary, with a 13-19% student proficiency versus 93-97% at CSSD or MUSD.

Much confusion exists in this area, where some of us vote in all eight Montecito Districts but are served by City of Santa Barbara. 

West Montecito is the best of both worlds as a hybrid neighborhood with a foot in the doors of both Montecito and Santa Barbara.

I became a EHIA member in 1980 when I moved to a home on La Vista Grande within Eucalyptus Hill City neighborhood boundaries. In 1986 I then bought a nearby Montecito lot to build almost on the border.

Presently only half of planned development ‘Vista del Montecito’ is in West Montecito and the other half in the City of SB. Some homeowners are EHIA members, others are Montecito Association (MA) members, some are members of both EHIA and MA neighborhood groups.

In Vista del Montecito all properties are served by City, but half of us vote for reps in the eight Montecito special districts. Half are within the CSSD Boundaries. All are within the SBUSD Secondary High School boundaries.

CSSD attendance boundaries differ from the county’s boundaries defining Montecito. Some homes around and above Westmont College are within the City and are also served by one or more of Montecito’s eight special districts, including CSSD. Two adjoining residential properties can be assigned to different schools or water/sewer districts.

In the process of selling my home, I’ve found after interviewing several realtors, few have the experience, training, and knowledge of the area. Over my 42 years here I’ve welcomed countless new neighbors who have multiple unanswered, or wrongly answered questions. 

Locals depend on the Montecito Journal. Boundary Maps would be helpful in special Home editions, and timely with elections this November.

Denice Spangler Adams

A Note to Councilmember Sneddon

Dear Ms. Sneddon, Councilmember, District 4:

As one of your supporters, I implore you not to reduce or eliminate the outdoor restaurant seating on Coast Village Road in Montecito (CVR). Although it seems that the threat of the COVID-19 virus has diminished, I and many of my friends that live in Santa Barbara are still concerned about variants spreading and we will only continue to patronize restaurants if we can sit outside. The parklets provide a safe environment for us to dine. As you know, viruses spread more rapidly in the fall and winter and thus it seems irrational to now force restaurants to reduce or eliminate safe outdoor seating.

While a few retailers on CVR have been advocating for the elimination of the parklets on the theory that the few extra parking spaces will increase their business, I believe the opposite is true and that many of the retailers, and I know of two, have greatly benefited by the restaurant parklets since they attract more people to CVR.

I believe that if restaurant seating is reduced it will hurt not benefit the CVR economy. Please thoroughly investigate other options before forcing the restaurants to tear down the parklets and discourage residents from eating at the restaurants on CVR.

Thank you.

Robert C. Forst

Farewell to Queen Elizabeth by the Numbers

Queen Elizabeth II, the longest reigning monarch in British history, died on 8 September 2022. Her state funeral was scheduled for Monday, 19 September, 2022.

Elizabeth became the queen on 6 February, 1952, at age 25. This year marked the 70th anniversary of the Queen’s accession to the throne of the United Kingdom. However, Elizabeth was formally crowned monarch on 6 June, 1953, at age 27.

I wanted to do something special to say farewell to Queen Elizabeth and after some investigation, I put together the following numerical curiosities in her honor:

– If Elizabeth’s birthday 21/4/1926 is split as 214 and 1926, 1926 divided by 214 yields 9, and 9 is the number of letters in Elizabeth [1].

– Elizabeth became queen on the 37th day of 1952 (6/2/1952). If 37 is split as 3 and 7, the product and the difference of 3 and 7 yield 21 and 4 respectively, the day and month numbers of Elizabeth’s birthday.

– The sum of the digits of 21/4/1926 and 6/2/1952 each equal 25, the age Elizabeth became the queen.

– Elizabeth became queen in 1952 on 6 February (6/2) and she officially got crowned in 1953 on 2 June (2/6). Interestingly, 6/2 and 2/6 are reverse of each other.

– If numbers 1 through 26 are assigned to letters A through Z, the sum of the letter numbers of Elizabeth’s full name, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, equals 327 and the prime factors of 327, namely 3 and 109, add up to 112. Elizabeth’s birthday always coincides with the 112th day of each leap year.

– Elizabeth died 140 days after her 96th birthday on 21/4/2022 and coincidentally, the 140th prime number is 809, representing 8 September (8/09), the day Elizabeth died.

– Lastly, Elizabeth died on 8 September, the 220th day of 2022.

I hope you rest in peace, Queen Elizabeth. Amen.

Aziz Inan – a professor teaching in the electrical engineering program of the Donald P. Shiley School of Engineering at University of Portland. He can be reached at ainan@up.edu.

[1] A. Inan, “Happy birthday Queen Elizabeth,” Portland Tribune,
April 21, 2019.