Strike in Solvang - Santa Barbara News-Press

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Here’s what we have for you today:

Solvang workers plan to go on strike Tuesday morning after talks with the city over a new contract fall apart. News-Press reporter Tom Schultz has the scoop.
REACH 38 brings lifesaving blood aboard Santa Maria medical helicopter. News-Press reporter Kaitlin Sweeney fills us in.
Following ICE presence, Santa Barbara City College hires a former law enforcement officer to improve campus safety. Angel Corzo explains why.

Islands out at La Cumbre Plaza?

So edhat reported that Islands in La Cumbre Plaza is closing its doors at the end of the month.

That leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

It’s tough to make it as a restaurant in Santa Barbara. I wrote a business column every Thursday—uninterrupted for nearly 10 years—at Noozhawk and learned never to be shocked when restaurants close. In fact, I’d joke with my colleagues about how long the latest restaurant that opened would actually last.

The piece I wrote about Islands opening ran in February of 2018. I am old enough to remember Marmalade Cafe in that spot, and then Red Robin prior to that. I dug into the News-Press archives and found that before Red Robin, a restaurant called Howard Johnson’s was at the address, 3825 State St., in the 1970s. I also found a business at the address called Brooks Shoes for Kids.

Like a Wikipedia addict, I then spiraled on reddit and found a link that lists people’s memories of various stores in La Cumbre Plaza. That was a trip down memory lane, from the Disney Store and Natural Wonders to Marie Callender’s and Mrs. Fields. (Yes, I used to eat at the latter two places with some regularity).

Losing Islands, a nice, affordable family restaurant where you could also watch the Dodger game, is a bummer, but part of the deal when it comes to restaurants in Santa Barbara. In fact, the whole mall is expected to change in a few years.

We are likely to lose Macy’s and most of the parking lot, as two separate developers look to build more than 1,000 units of housing. The actual spaces for stores inside of the mall are supposed to remain, although La Cumbre Plaza is a shell of what it was once.

Losing Islands won’t help change that, but such is the life of many a restaurant in Santa Barbara.

Joshua Molina

News-Press Editor

Stories you should know about

Gov. Gavin Newsom said he won’t run for president if former vice president Kamala Harris chooses to run again. (Los Angeles Times)

Supreme Court blocks President Trump’s vote by mail ballot restrictions for midterm elections (Newsweek)

Pallet shuts down after nine years of taking on homelessness with its durable micro-shelters. (Geek Wire)

California Politics

Farmworkers harvest vegetables near Salinas in 2020. (File photo by Chris Stone/Times of San Diego)

Gov. Gavin Newsom has the chance to stand up for farmworker wages (Capital & Main)

California spends $35 million on “trusted sources” to ensure workers know their rights. (The Center Square)
California could soon end child marriage after years of debate. Law would make it illegal for anyone younger than 18 to get married as of January 1, 2027. (The 19th)

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