As years do, this one seems to have flown by, instantly bringing us to the end, exhausted and a little confused about why we’re suddenly holding holly in our hands when we were just celebrating new beginnings. And why do you land lovers use that expression “flown by” to refer to something that seems to have swiftly and easily passed you by? Flying is pretty tiring work, and when you’re putting in the effort, it seems like it takes forever for progress to happen.
You know what else seems to be dragging on and on? The negotiations between the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians and the county’s ad hoc subcommittee. This year they have moved forward in fits and starts. And now, they’ve once again announced a halt to their meetings until the new year—and a new ad-hoc member—begins.
Outgoing ad hoc committee member, Joan Hartmann will replace 3rd District Supervisor Doreen Farr in January. So I can kind of understand why Farr and fellow ad-hoc committee member Peter Adam would want to halt meetings until then. However, is it also a calculated political move as Tribal Chairman Kenneth Kahn said in a letter to supervisors?
There was progress made, they had agreed on things like building codes and environmental impact mitigation, and even property tax reimbursement. So why stop now? If they held meetings in November and December as planned, think of what could’ve been accomplished with that momentum.
Plus, I’m not the only one waiting anxiously for the two sides to come to an agreement on this. Several groups in the Santa Ynez Valley—which are opposed to the tribe’s efforts to make the land known as Camp 4 a part of their reservation—have also watched negotiations with great interest.
Maybe it’s just me; I’m the impatient type. The kind of bird who will peek under the Christmas tree to size up my gifts, eyeing which one of them might contain the birdseed roaster I wanted. I know that progress, if it is to be positive, takes time. So we wait and hope that positive collaboration continues.
Working together can do wonderful things. In that regard I must make mention of a particularly heinous crime that was stopped because someone tipped off the police. It shivers my feathers to retell it, but police busted a cockfighting ring in Santa Maria recently. The incident was part of a larger tournament, and it attracted people from throughout the state. I would be remiss if I didn’t devote just a few lines here to thank whoever was kind enough to reach out to police and alert them to the crime.
In a press release, Sheriff’s Office Rural Crimes Detective John McCarthy credited the tipster.
“Because of this anonymous tip, we were able to stop this horrific cruelty to animals and apprehend some of those responsible,” he stated.
That’s what I’m talking about, people. Working together! And along those lines, I can’t wait to see how the relationship between the tribe and the county continues to evolve. For the better I hope.
In his letter tribal Chariman Kahn recognized the “de-escalation of tension” between the county and tribe over the past year and added, “While not substantive, it does represent a big step forward.”
The Canary can’t wait to put up her Christmas tree, so that she can place gifts underneath and then peek under the wrappers. Send her a surprise at canary@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Dec 1-8, 2016.
