Far Beyond These Castle Walls
A prior report by an Anon and the following by Bob Frost about a new fence at the News-Press parking lot:
A response to the plans for DLG Plaza, an attempt to keep the workers in or the unwashed hordes out? There's likely a better explanation but I would be interested to hear if the City of Santa Barbara has anything to say about it...
It's true. There's a chain link fence about six feet high covered in green mesh lining the property line along Anacapa Street. Looks like it's up to block views into both SBNP parking lots from the street.
A response to the plans for DLG Plaza, an attempt to keep the workers in or the unwashed hordes out? There's likely a better explanation but I would be interested to hear if the City of Santa Barbara has anything to say about it...
posted by Sara De la Guerra | 11/24/2006 05:46:00 PM
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66 Comments:
I would hope there is a ordinances... it is an eye sore.
I've noticed that they've had signs up and some people kinda "watching" the parking lots for awhile...empty as they are.
Gotta go by and see the "fence" now.
By the way ...... Anybody see Friday's paper? The front page was practically all photographs. No local articles but just a big caption. Inside there was only about five or six column inches total of local news. It had to be thinnest thing off the presses since The Exodus. What an embarrasment for the town. Can you imagine all those Thanksgiving visitors looking for something to read, only to have those tales they've heard about the downfall of the SBNP confirmed right before their eyes?
More on the fence, including a picture is at my blog.)
Maybe the fence will keep the trash in and not be littering the community. Is the mesh WM green?
It's very telling that a newspaper feels the need to hide.
may they put it up to hang the "for sell" sign on...one can only hope.
what an ugly site it is.
Love reading the blogs and keeping up with the soap the News Mess. It makes great late night reading on a cold night. I must say the blogers on this site are intelligent witty people and it is well hosted.
I wonder if Hollywood is casting for the show as the script seems ready and the sets all in place, all that is needed are the cameras to roll and someone to yell ACTION. My vote for Best Comedy for 2006 and beyond. Thanks for giving the world a good laugh.
It is an eye sore much like the News Press.
The siege mentality is never a sign of good mental health. It is also rather unseemly and rather boorish. Has the poor woman lost that last vestiges of her taste and self respect? This has become so sad and ugly.
If everyone would just walk away there would be no more paper and everyones (including Wendy's) problems would be solved and life will go on, people will find jobs.
I don't understand how Harriet Miller can continue to work for this outfit's radios show. How could one with such good taste and of noble sensibilities sit in the same room with Travis Strongarm during election night coverage. "Community Matters" indeed.
Doesn't the Paper Tigress know that those fences and shrouds are mandated by law to shield junkyards from public view? If things go on like this, can we expect to eventually see the building begin to decay, windows broken out, rusted railings, and finally, a shadowy, hunchbacked figure in the Tower pointing bony finger out at the people of Santa Barbara and hissing curses on the wind to all the betrayers? Cool! Let the haunting begin!
It seems with the US losing 300,000 men and women in the war in the Middle East, the SBNP fence issue would be the LAST of the blogger's concern.
7:43 Donaldo...,
As for Ms. Miller and the "community affairs": it's really not surprising. Travis Armstrong and whoever else write the editorials have consistently praised Ms. Miller, hoisting her up for applause over Mayor Blum.
Ms. Miller has consistently sought a forum for her opinions and now that Jerry Cornfield and his much-missed radio show (where she would appear periodicaly) is gone she has no other venue.
Those who long for her soi-disant "good taste and noble sensbilities" (LOL) simply don't remember or were not here for her iron-butterflied reign.
In any event, she's always responded to public attention.... and what more public than Travis's lavishing of praise upon her. That said, though, she was a good enough mayor but, luckily, lost her campaign to be on the Board of Supervisors.
Not unlike several on the present City Council, she *loved* the power, seemingly thinking, as the phrase goes, l'etat (or it's local variant) c'est moi.
I wrote the following letter to Schlessinger, McCaw, Nipper, etc. The odds of it being printed in the paper are nil, of course, but thank goodness there are other outlets for speaking out against these hypocrites:
I’m writing specifically in response to Laura Schlessinger’s November 23, 2006 column in the Santa Barbara News Press – although her body of work at the paper also deserves a broad response.
Schlessinger writes, on November 23: "...the next time you attack someone, try to be honest and fair enough to admit some of what they say and do has merit..."
Ok. I'll play along withSchlessinger's cute little idea. I'll admit that Schlessinger repeatedly demonstrates an admirable loyalty to Wendy McCaw,
and loyalty is something I find to be in short supply these days. Kudos to
her for so publicly exemplifying this oft forgotten virtue. However, I wonder why Schlessinger chooses to extend such friendship towards a woman who, for instance, unflinchingly fired Melinda Burns, a 21-year veteran reporter for the News Press, purely out of spite. I would suggest that loyalty to a person who so frivolously overturns peoples' lives may be a gross misplacement of positive energy.
So, now that I've played Schlessingers tune, perhaps she'll play mine: poke hypocrisy in the eye as you see it. For instance, as I gaze at the photographs documenting Laura's past exploration of infidelity and amateur pornography (crotch shot – now that’s courage), and as I read of the many times she's preached the gospel of denying homosexuals - an entire class of human beings - equal rights, I'm amazed at the gall she has to pen the sort of rambling “How To Be A Good Person” lessons continually printed by the News Press.
I’m utterly confused at how Schlessinger, a self-appointed moral and family-values authority, can condemn peaceful activists and the bloodless exchange of thoughts and ideas via the blogosphere in one column, and in other columns unwaveringly support the immoral and illegal administration figting a war “against evil” in Iraq, that has needlessly cost thousands of American lives and hundreds of thousands of Iraq civilians’ lives. (Schlessinger’s Sept. 14 column, Nov. 2 column, etc.) These two sentiments are entirely at odds.
And as I take one last, long look at Schlessinger’s young, cheating nude body before closing the browser window, I’m reminded of ex-local News Press columnist Starshine Roshell’s November 22 column in The Independent, titled “Pole Position,” in which Roshell discusses the value of learning how to strip tease as a method of spicing up ones love life. Now that’s a subject Schlessinger could tackle without fear of committing hypocrisy.
The fence now is a good surface for tagging.
Will the Teamsters form a joint venture with the Eastside Traviesos?
Only in the mind of McCaw.
Close the lot, make the employees use public parking and install cameras. I like it!
9:09 Dose me up some more guilt on top of my outrage and sorrow. Two cliches: all politics is local, and the devil is in the details. Consider this blog a community forum and civic colluquim, and you'll see emerging a genuine story of lust for power and it's attending effects.
Now with a fence, people will wonder more about what it is hiding.
A pathetic show.
I think there's a lot of public parking on that street, right? Maybe newspress staff & supporters should make it a point to park on the street, in front of and around the newspress building? How many "McCaw Obey the LAw" signs can we fit into our car windows . . . i'm guessing a lot! Actually this will only make things more public, and give the union more exposure. Thanks Wendy! (Oh and I don't think you can wall off public street parking, but I would enjoy seeing you try .)
Where is the Historic Landmarks Commission when you need them?
Doesn't Ms. McCaw know that chain link is prohibited in El Pueblo Viejo Design District?
Think Wendy McCaw will match in increased pay for her employees -- to create the "better paper" she keeps promoting -- what she is spending on fences, law firms, private investigators, public relations people, and guards, guards, guards??!!
New high fences with green plastic surround the News-Press lots because:
(a) Wendy hates paparazzi photos of the butt ugly variety gracing the Independent last summer?
(b) Wendy doesn’t want drivers on Anacapa Street seeing the “McCaw Broke the Law” and “The Teamsters are Tight” signs posted on employees’ cars?
(c) As shown by Wendy’s violent reactions to reporters delivering a letter to her News-Press office, and to the union lawyer “lurking” as a paid guest at the Biltmore, she’s physically paranoid?
(d) All of the above?
(e) None of the above?
The fence signals that this conflict isn't about to end. The Siege of Santa Barbara is well under way with no resolution in sight.
Look at Wendy McCaw's history. Her life is given meaning through conflict. And she's up against adversaries at least as determined as Craig McCaw and Greg Parker ... maybe more so.
I don't get the "green fence" as new(s). I do like poster art. Where can we get the post card size "McCAW, OBEY THE LAW" ? We'd buy the wallpaper if available. Be sure to save the poster with your collectibles. This one will make history books. Is anyone doing the game? A coffee table guide to NP mess? Who is "Ms. Miller"? Maybe Travis is only gig she can get? You need the coffee table, with PICTURES, to keep all the characters straight. Miller & Miller McCune, any relationship?
Casting call for the News-Press Mess movie (if there ever is one):
Meryl Streep could play a tortured and ever-more-psychotic Wendy McCaw, spiraling down into madness.
For Nipper, is Charles Neson Reilly still alive?
For TA, how about Nicolas Cage? Remember him as the drunk in "Leaving Las Vegas"? He's have to gain 50 pounds for this role, so that might be a deal breaker.
I'd love to see Jody Foster as Melinda Burns.
Any other ideas?
Here's my choice for the cast of NP: The Movie:
George Hamilton as Nipper
Faye Dunaway as Wendy
Tom Cruise as Travis Armstrong
Brad Pitt as Craig Smith
Angelina Jolie as Sara de la Guerra
Keep it going!
what a movie!! how about the munchkins for the new reporters!
On reading about it here, I went and looked at the fence today. Ain't so ugly: I see chainlink fences all around here on the lower east side. Usually, they don't have the green plastic cloth, astro-drape or something. Maybe it is another form of public art, this time celebrating the less publicised parts of the city!
But I wonder why they're allowed to have that high a fence or wall when, for instance, the woman last year or so, fearing her neighbors in a rough area of La Canada, was forced to have her hedge cut to 3.5 feet, the city requirement? Mayor Blum said then a low fence is nice for visibility.
Oh, yeah, she was poor, a tenant and couldn't afford a lawyer and a little bit different. But this is downtown, part of the El Pueblo Viejo, and owned by a very rich and litigious person....
I think a few them could play themselves quit well.
Lights camera action! Wendy can be the star she must secretly want to be. With out her none of this would have been possible. Get ready for the close ups at the Farmers Market!
Maybe the fence is a symbolic replacement for the missing "wall"--the one that's supposed to be between opinion & news. A fence full of holes...how appropriate.
Seems evey ones publishing something on the "Press Mess" LA Times and other regional and national newspapers, American Journalism Review, Business Week, MediaWeek, Vanity Fair the only one left to do a wrie up is Psychology Today...can't wait for the one to chim in on the "Mess".
The El Pueblo Vieja [EPV] design standards, including the area surrounding the N-P, are pretty straightforward. The only type of fences mentioned are "wood" or "iron"...nothing about chain link w/ green tarp, Wendy??? Wonder if anyone will complain to the HLC....
http://www.santabarbaraca.gov/NR/rdonlyres/16A17719-04F0-4FE6-B5EA-E44D43D72A81/0/EPV_Guidelines.pdf
For Nipper, not Charles Neson Reilly, but John C. Reilly.
Renee Zellweger as Dawn Hobbs.
12:31 "Who is "Ms. Miller"? Maybe Travis is only gig she can get?"
Ms. Miller is former mayor Harriet Miller, presently on a large number and variety of boards, etc. But Travis's show on Wendy's radio station is unfortunately the only local op-ed news show in town.
The fence was the talk a tonights party.
All were in agreement that it is an eye sore.
And yes the paper is still a joke.
To many Wendy jokes to count.
Wendy trash joke seemed to out number the rest.
Seems we are in for a jolly holiday season in Santa Barbara.
C/mon, guys and gals, there're other slang meanings to "wendy" than just a trash bin - btw, who made that one up? http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Wendy&defid=132835
Just because she treats everyone with no respect doesn't mean we should do exactly the same ...and thereby become like her (in all but the $$$.)
Casting Call: Roseanne Barr to play failed journalist and PR hack Agnes Huff.
With this illegal fence, sans permit, The Wendy now is taking on the City of Santa Barbara. The City already is looking into it. Obviously a lot of interest here with comments even citing the exact Pueblo Viejo codes about fencing regulations.
The City will order The Wendy to remove the fence or seek a permit that will be denied, with a very amusing excuse offered by the desperate mind of Millstein. Then The Wendy will refuse to remove the fence, and then the City will remove the fence anyway and seek reimbursement. A lien could be placed on Ampersand (News-Press host business) and the real property, or the City could seek payment and legal costs through a lawsuit.
Despite how fun that fight would be, the City probably will have better priorities than a lawsuit to seek $10K in reimbursement for fence removal. So this will become the City taxpayers paying for the fence removal all as another chapter of The Wendy tantrums and hissy fits.
December will be a Happy Hanukkah, Cool Kwanzaa, and Merry Christmas for all!
With the pattern of routine violation of employee rights and priveleges and illegal terminations of employment, why would Newspress ownership and management simply just deny access to the Newspress car parking lot by individual staff they do not like (i.e., the union members and their friends in other bargaining units)?
They just could establish a new car permit for their employees and deny such permits to the unionists. With so many violations of employment law already, what difference does another complaint with NLRB matter to them?
A Berlin wall right downtown. Gotta keep in rif raf in and off the streets.
The fence could be called "art" in which case the city would have to defend it, despite it being offensive...
buenos dias; response for city watcher, thoughts for the cinematic release, and for
anon who doesn't know who Harriet Miller is......
The News Press constant musings of Harriet Miller as "Mayor
for Life" commentary while denegrating any contrary challengers, especially
current Mayor Blum was all too telling. The commentary seemed of aristocratic royal
subjugation, wanting to return America back to the times of the Lords and
Ladies. That is what one would expect from those annointed with good taste, good
sensibilities and good shoes.
And speaking of shoes, I recall a well known "Independent" writer's description
of what happens to those that crossed Harriet Miller (while Mayor de Santa
Barbara.) They would end up with heel marks across their backsides.
Again why would Harriet Miller continue to work for these elitists at the News Press?
Harriet Miller held hostage within the "Castle Walls"??? Willing aristocrat within
the "Castle Walls"????
Wouldn't one who cares so deeply for the community, a city council member and mayor
for a consecutive 16 years, want to distance herself from this news organization and
its other propoganda wing...the radio shows.
Miller(Harriet)ran her campaigns as protector and guardian of "quality of
life" candidate. Pro woman, pro union, pro gay, pro neighborhood, pro city
employee, pro police and fire departments, pro business, pro arts, etc, so why
is she so silent now if the "Community Matters."
Casting Call for "SBNP the Movie" ....I'm sure Travis would like Mel Gibson to
play his victimized and perhaps tortured self....actors in the genre of Thurston Howell III
(the therrrd,) Lovey and Dovey Howell, the well to do yatchmans characters from
Gilligans Island, could play the part of Ms. and Mr. McCaw-Von Snootenberg.
What's with the current spin of demonizing Harriet Miller? She's survived bigger jerks than TKA in her many years and I'm GLAD there's at least one sane voice on local 'talk' radio.
Really poor logic to throw her into the mix of SBNP sympathizers. While you're at it, why not throw in the ENVIROS who have benefited from Wendy's largesse over the years yet who stayed silent during the meltdown this summer.
Sounds like there's some other sour grapes amiss trying to piggyback on the NP Mess. and BTW, the "MAYOR FOR LIFE" appellation existed and preceded SBNP designation. For many reasons.
Of course, in the movie version, Rob Lowe would play himself...
Why all the hits on former Mayor Miller? She volunteers her time and hosts a show sponsored by the Hutton Foundation and the Santa Barbara Foundation. Better to ask those two foundations why they pay money to sponsor "community matters" on the news-suppress radio station - there are other stations in town - with more listeners and no censorship.
6:41, Donaldo - "Again why would Harriet Miller continue to work for these elitists at the News Press?"
Because she is would-be elite and not being that, she is an elitist who loves being called "mayor for life" (snicker, snicker)
And because there are no other radio/commentary media.
And because at least two people think she has something meaningful about this community to say.
Now that Bruce Rittenhouse is gone, Travis has taken his place, floating like a jellyfish, stinging like a butterfly.
Hmmmm: Maybe we'll see Travis running for Council, following the Harold Stassen/Bruce Rittenhouse/Bill Hackett route.
I like the fence. Much better than those offensive signs.
Ahh, but the strawberries that's... that's where I had them. They laughed at me and made jokes but I proved beyond the shadow of a doubt and with... geometric logic... that Santa Barbara News Press RULES the world....
The Daily Sound blog says the city has ordered the fence to come down: http://forum.santabarbarafree.com/2006/11/27/news-press-told-to-remove-fence/#more-102
Keep eyes peeled!
why doesn't the city stay out of it?
Anon 3:41p.... Do you think the city would "stay out of it" for everyone? Or are you saying for the elite? How would the tourists like SB if it went with everyones whims? Historic district brings in money. Wendy will drag this out. We're for the no shopping and citizen protest. It would dress the darn eyesore up till it comes down. The orange goes well against the green. Give the winter tourist an opportunity to be a part of history in the making. Where can we get the posters? Bumper stickers?
Anon 3:41,
Why don't the NP ditto creeps stop foolishly trying to create the perception of an existing opposition to their critics?
You'll win us over by treating your employees fairly, not by posting empty little stabs suggesting your spiteful decisions have merit.
I'd like to see a petition to keep the fence!
worker bee
Employees are to serve the whims of their employers, for that, they should expect no more than a paycheck.
I am more appreciative each day of the courage and spirit of the brave souls that keep up their integrity during this battle. They are doing it for the better good of the community. It's overwhelming to try to comprehend the sacrifices. Where can the public buy a poster?
The fence must come down so that we can see city council members doin' what they love to do in the parking lot
"McCaw, Obey the Law" posters -- two sizes available -- are free at:
savethenewspress.com
Here's how McCaw is going to "get" City Hall, by advertising for employees with just that goal. Check out this ad on JournalismJobs.com (as reported by Craig Smith):
"The Santa Barbara News-Press is looking for a reporter who is fearless when it comes to covering city hall, someone ready to turn up the heat and watch 'em squirm. Don't bother responding unless you're ready to dig in, dig up and dig around this town's ivory tower. An investigative bent would be nice, and you better be ready to produce: The last person to hold this position could turn out five bylined stories a week. If hard work and a front page begging for unbiased, hard-hitting journalism - the way it's meant to be - suits you, send a resume and three clips to yapodaca@newspress.com."
I think it's time this rag called the News-Press bit the dust, disappeared, died, went under.
This thing called the NP ain't going to repair itself. It will only get worse. Will the Santa Maria Times or Ventura County Sun please open up a Santa Barbara edition? We need daily news, not a daily vendetta.
Please send an email to the very ethical and professional Tom Bolton, executive editor of the Santa Maria Times (tbolton@santamariatimes.com), and tell him you would subscribe to a "Santa Barbara Times" if he would put one out.
Any experienced journalist perusing journalismjobs.com will laugh at that ad. The NP is seeking an unbiased reporter to follow a predetermined agenda?
It's one thing to expect a reporter to be an aggressive watchdog on city government. That's not what this ad is about.
Hilarious! (N-P jobs) If not so tragic.
Funny how the City can move on a hardly visible fence, yet continue to ignore concerns of the community.
As of 2:40 Friday afternoon the fence is coming down!
Time will tell, but it appears that Marty Blum, Brian Barnwell, and the rest of the gang at City Hall made one important mistake....they picked a fight with someone who buys ink by the barrel. And that someone has the ability to buy quite a bit of ink.
Experienced journalists will get an even bigger laugh at the N-P's journalismjobs.com ad for a Copywriter.
Click on the link and you'll find it's a position for a night assistant city editor. A copywriter is someone who writes what goes in advertisements, pretty far removed from what is typically expected of an assistant city editor.
But that was back in the days before the team of McCaw-Nipper decided to impose their brand of "ethics" on journalists.
So who knows that the next assistant city editor might be expected to do.
Now one of the parking lot fences has been removed. According to the NP editorial (the only official NP comment on the fences, either publicly or to employees), the fences are temporary while they spruce up the parking lots.
Interest in this issue may be spent, after all it's just a couple of fences. But let's note that the NP lied -- the parking lot wasn't "spruced up" and the fence is gone. Of course they're lying about a LOT of things. Here's an example for all to see.
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