Gourmet Metric Century Bike Ride to Kick off in Santa Ynez
Jim Sobell, owner
of the Vineyard House in Santa Ynez will be hosting
the first ever Gourmet Metric Century Bike Ride in Santa Ynez,
Sept. 22., to benefit the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which funds research to
help assist people battling cancer.
“Cancer effects everybody, though I have no
history with cancer, I have three friends who are battling cancer, when I heard
that the Lance Armstrong Foundation started doing the Live Strong Challenge, I
jumped on board,” Sobell said.
The event features various cycling rides,
including a full metric ride, half metric and a flat 10-mile ride. The ride
will commence at the Santa Ynez Park at the West End
of Sagunto Street. Registration for the full metric ride will be held from
7a.m. till 7:30 p.m. The registration for the half metric ride will be held
from 9 a.m. till 9:30 a.m. and the flat 10-mile loop ride registration will be
held from 10 a.m. till 10:30 a.m. All three rides are scheduled to end around
noon with a four-course gourmet luncheon for participants.
The event is also intended to help raise
cancer awareness.
“I believe this is a cause which touches
each and every one of us,” Sobell said. “We’ve lost
some good souls in the Valley, who were some pretty prominent people, and I am
hoping to reach my goal of raising $50,000 this year.”
“I will raise money for the Lance Armstrong
Foundation as long as I am able to ride a bike,” Sobell
said. “I have been really blown away by the caring and generous people who live
in the Valley.”
The event is still registering riders. For more
information contact Jim Sobell at 805-350-0284 or
visit www.thevineyardhouse.com.
Registration forms can also be picked up at the restaurant, located at 3631
Sagunto St., Santa Ynez.
Buellton Rotary Club & Sheriff's
Department to Increase Bike Safety
The Buellton Police Department and the Buellton Union School
District have teamed up in an effort to increase the safety of children riding
bikes.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department and the Buellton
Rotary Club have bought 40 helmets which will be donated to local children who
do not have them.
According to the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute, the use of a
helmet can reduce the risk of serious injury by 85 percent. Bike accidents kill
900 people each year and 50 percent of the nation’s estimated 80.6 million
cyclists wear helmets less than half the time or not at all.
This announcement comes before the Buellton Police Department is
set to host its Bike Rodeo in November. For more information visit the Buellton
Rotary online at www.buelltonrotary.org.
Man Arrested on Rape Charge after Attending a Santa Barbara Bar
The Santa Barbara Police Department arrested
a Santa Barbara man after he was accused of raping a 22-year-old female, Sept.
7.
According to a statement issued by the Santa
Barbara Police Department, the incident allegedly occurred after the female
victim received a ride home from the accused, 38-year-old Christopher John
Woodward after he attended the Tonic nightclub and bar, located at 634 State
St. in Santa Barbara. The victim was reportedly intoxicated to the point where
she was not able to walk or stand. The victim did not know the suspect, but
received the suggestion from a friend’s boyfriend to accept the ride home.
Woodward reportedly volunteered to take the victim home,
but instead took her to his house. When the victim woke up the next morning,
she allegedly learned that she had been sexually involved with Woodward without
her consent. The victim claimed that she could not have consented to being
sexually involved with Woodward due to her level of intoxication. After
conducting an investigation and consulting with the District Attorney’s Office,
Woodward was arrested and charged with suspicion of rape of an intoxicated
woman. He has since been released after posting a $100,000 bond.
Santa Barbara Police Department Nab Twins in Multiple Thefts
Police arrested identical twins in connection with residential
burglaries and theft that spanned an entire week. According to the Santa
Barbara Police Department, the burglary incidents began Sept. 1 when a
26-year-old woman reported that an unknown suspect had broken into her house
through a window, and stole clothing and jewelry. Police were able to lift
fingerprints from the scene and matched them to 24-year-old Alyssa Chang Nowak.
At this time, a Be on The Lookout notice was sent out
for Alyssa. Two days later, on Sept. 3 the victim’s house was broken into a
second time and again clothing and jewelry were stolen; police set up a silent
alarm in case the suspect showed up again. On Sept. 8, while responding to a
disturbance on De La Guerra and Castillo Streets, police ran into a woman that
greatly resembled Alyssa, who was wearing jewelry and clothing that matched the
description of the stolen property. After taking the woman into custody, police
discovered that the woman was not Alyssa, but her twin sister Andrea. The items
that Andrea was wearing were confirmed to be those of the victim’s, and Andrea
was arrested for being in possession of stolen property. Shortly after Andrea
was arrested, police received notice that the silent alarm had been tripped.
They found Alyssa inside the residence, and she was wearing some of the jewelry
that had been reported stolen earlier. She was arrested without incident and
taken to the Santa Barbara County Jail, where she is being held on a $250,000
bond.
“Obviously they were both connected with the
crime,” said Paul McCaffrey, public information officer for the Santa Barbara
Police Department. “We always recommend to secure your
residence and if you have small valuables we also recommend keeping them in a
safe that can be secured and not easily removed. Experience has shown that most
residential burglars are not equipped with tools to break into a quality safe.
A small investment buys a lot of security.”
Tax Report Extension Granted to Employees
Affected by the Zaca Fire
The California Employment Development
Department is granting employers in the Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties, who
were directly affected by damage resulting from the Zaca
Fire, the chance to request up to a 60-day extension to file state payroll
reports and deposit state payroll taxes with the EDD.
State payroll taxes include Unemployment
Insurance, Employment Training Tax, State Disability Insurance and California
Personal Income Tax.
To submit a request, employers must send a
detailed letter, along with the previous unfilled report(s) and payment(s),
explaining the delay. They must also request an extension of time under Section
1111.5 of the California Unemployment Insurance Code.
“We understand that a natural disaster of this
magnitude creates a wide range of challenges for everyone in the affected area,
including employers whose business operations have been disrupted,” said
Patrick Henning, director of California Department of Employment Development.
“This extension will give them a bit of extra breathing room as they recover.”
For more information, contact the EDD Taxpayer Assistance
Center at 1-888-745-3886 or visit the Web Site at, www.edd.ca.gov/eddmerdisaster.htm for
forms and additional information.