As in years before, Earth Day 2012 was a fun and feel-good event. We thank the many volunteers who made the COAST booth a success:
Sarah Grant, Deborah Schwartz, Chris Sobell, Suzanne Michaud, Courtney Dietz, Eric Kirsh , Diana Blanchard, as well as Alanna, Kaytee, Juan and one more UCSB student whose name we don’t know, further Caitlin Carlson, Alex Pujo, Greg Janee, Mark Bradley, Lee Moldaver, Tracey Singh, Mickey Flacks, Dick Axilrod, Ken Hough, Doris Phinney and Eva Inbar. A special thank-you to Kim Stanley who organized our helmet program both days. If we missed anyone, please let us know! We fitted 65 helmets and gave out lots of information about COAST. For more photos,visit our facebook page.

Kids check in at school and receive a healthy snack, sticker, and enter their name in a raffle for a chance to win a big prize!

On Thursday, February 9th, Vieja Valley Elementary kicked off their monthly Walk and Bike to School Day! On the 9th of every month, kids, parents, and teachers will ditch their cars to walk and bike to school!

They had a great turnout this month, with loads of kids walking and riding their bikes to school. Many families who typically drive to school, rode their bikes instead. Some came from as far as the LaCumbre area, biking over the LaCumbre overpass and onto Modoc road, over a mile away! Families enjoyed the morning air and exercise, and it was a great opportunity to spend time with their kids before heading off to work!

Kids who participated in Walk to School Day got a healthy snack of granola bars and orange juice, a sticker, and entered their names in a raffle for a chance to win a big prize! The class with the highest average participation will also receive a treat.

We’d like to thank Sasha McGibben, a mom who organized the first event, and will be organizing all of the monthly Walk/Bike to School Days!

With the aid of the crossing guard, kiddos walk their bikes across the crosswalk to get to school!

In addition to Vieja Valley’s Walk/Bike to School Day, COAST’s Safe Routes to School Program is really taking off this year! We’re expanding into schools we’ve never been before  including those in Carpinteria. We also started pilot programs in Isla Vista Elementary and Franklin Elementary. We are so excited, and can’t wait to share our successes with you!

The Santa Barbara City Council voted to proceed with Alternative 2A and install curb extensions and lighting at the Figueroa/De la Vina intersection, returning to the original proposal that won the HSIP grant. The vote was 4-3, with Council members Francisco, Hotchkiss and Rowse opposed and Schneider, House, White and Murillo in favor.

COAST would like to thank our newest council member, Cathy Murillo, who went out there herself to observe and spoke eloquently to the needs of the many walkers in the area.

We also want to thank all the people who e-mailed and called. Brittany Odermann Heaton, Robert Adams and Ed France spoke in favor of alternative 2A – thank you!

Through all of our efforts, we turned this around.