4th Of July Report
by Rochelle Rose

pictures below

The 4th of July dawned on a quiet city of Goleta. There were few automobiles on the road at noon, and most seemed to be driving with ‘a purpose'. I saw lines at Longs on Calle Real with folks buying batteries, water, milk and basic essentials in case the power goes out again. The Camino Real Marketplace was sparsely parked with cars. But there was lots of action at the Direct Relief International outpost in front of Border's which was giving away free masks to help protect people from the thick, dull smoke. (Longs was out of masks.) It was nice to see Goleta-headquartered DRI helping out their local neighbors.

Hungry firefighters were seen en masse quietly eating a meal at Chili's. The mood was subdued in the nearly empty restaurant. Stores that were open on the 4th displayed signs giving firefighters hefty discounts; Sushi Teri on Calle Real gratefully offered 50% off.

Nearby San Marcos High School has been serving as the American Red Cross evacuation site. A helpful volunteer said that almost 100 people slept on cots set up in the gymnasium. I met a family from Painted Cave with their SUV filled to the brim; an elderly couple checked on their packed pick-up in the San Marcos parking lot. The Red Cross may open the cafeteria on Friday night to accommodate more evacuees from the Gap fire.