Santa Barbara Talks with Josh Molina

11/07/2024

The candlelight vigil Juan Lopez, who was tragically killed in a hit-and-run crash, according to the Santa Barbara Police Department, drew a huge crowd, including family and friends. Second District Santa Barbara County Supervisor Laura Capps attended, as well as Santa Barbara City Councilman Mike Jordan. Lopez was a deli manager at Vons and was very beloved in the community. Photos are by Jaime Cervantes, his nephew, who shared them with me. You can read my story on Lopez and his life at noozhawk.com.

27/06/2024

Interesting evening with most of Santa Barbara's movers and shakers all in the same room. Here are some of my photos from the State Street Advisort Committee meeting. They are trying to figure out a plan for State Street that includes pedestrians, bikes, trolleys and cars? Read Noozhawk.com for the story and to see more photos.
1. Anthony Grumbine
2. Meagan Harmon and Andrew
3. Jorge Baez
4. Ian Baucke
5. Kristen Sneddon
6. Ed Lenvik
7. Bob Stout
8. Nick Welsh & Bob Stout
9. Breakout room
10. State Street rendering

12/06/2024

Impressive display of teachers, parents, kids and activists at Tuesday night's picket event at the Santa Barbara Unified School District headquarters. Here are some of my shots from the event. I brought my daughter along and she makes a cameo in one of these shots. Morale in the District is at an all-time low, but teachers are optimistic that a deal for a new contract will be reached this week. Check out my story and more photos at Noozhawk.com and visit santabarbaratalks.com, my website, for more content and videos. Thank you.

10/06/2024

In anticipation of the week ahead and the turmoil at Santa Barbara Unified, here are some of my photos from recent weeks. Teachers have been speaking out and requesting a new contract. A big hearing is planned for later in the week to reach a deal or the teaches are poised to strike. Please check out santabarbaratalks.com and noozhawk.com for more content.

09/06/2024

Post 2 of 2. I covered the Moms Demand Action event at Ortega Park today. It was a great event and I enjoyed meeting new people and seeing people I knew. Please check out my story and more photos at Noozhawk.com and vist SantaBarbaraTalks.com for more video and content.
1. Becca Tucker and 4-year-old son
2. Megan Macias
3. Dez Alaniz
4. Wendy Santamaria
5. Jett Black-Maertz and Brian
6. Alejandra Gutierrez and Ken Johnson
7. Oscar Gutierrez
8. Michael Montenegro
9. Chicano literature
10. Josh Molina and Michael Montenegro

09/06/2024

First of two posts. I covered Moms Demand Action event today at Ortega Park. I had a long day of events, and a violin recital for my daughter today, but finally had time to post my photos. I saw a lot of people I knew, and met some knew people also. An important and meaningful event. Also, check out my story and more photos at noozhawk.com. Also find more of my content, including videos, at santabarbaratalks.com
1. Emily Zacarias
2. Laura Capps
3. Salud Carbajal
4. Michael Montenegro
5. Leo Ortega
6. Ortega Park sign
7. Andi Garcia
8. Michael Montenegro book recommendation
9. Ken Johnson and sign
10. Group shot

07/06/2024

Father and son.

05/06/2024

How I spent some of my Tuesday. Here are some of my photos from Tuesday's council meeting. It's always fun, and a challenge to capture moments during meetings. I love it, though. Journalism is super-fun, and don't even get me started on my Montecito Hot Springs story, which is how I started my day.
1. Frank Rodriguez
2. Kristen Sneddon
3. Meagan Harmon
4. Eric Friedman
5. Rene Eyerle
6. Alejandra Gutierrez
7. Meagan Harmon
8. Rob Fredericks
9. Dan Hentschke and Kelly McAdoo
10. Kristen Sneddon

29/05/2024

Some of my pictures from the Santa Barbara Unified School board meeting, where emotions are deep over contract negotiations. These photos are from public comment, a conversation about arts funding and recognition of employees over length of service. Check out my story and photos at Noozhawk.com.
1. James Claffey
2. Amy McMillan
3. Teacher dancing
4. Teacher with sign
5. Hilda Maldonado and Rafael Donato
6. Gabe Escobedo
7. Michael Kiyoi
8. Teacher with sign
9. Kat Ross
10. Wendy Sims-Moten, Frances Strahl, Hilda Maldonado

19/05/2024

Community organizer Wendy Santamaria announced her candidacy for Santa Barbara City Council on Saturday at Ortega Park and I was fortunate to be invited. It was a growd, lots of energy and Santamaria gave a dynamic, bold speech is support of tenant protections, affordable housing and rent stabilization. These are some of my photos from the event. Also, please read my full story on the event at www.noozhawk.com. Visit SantaBarbaraTalks on You Tube for a podcast conversation with Santamaria.
Picture 4 is Olga Garcia, Santamaria's mother and Lizetth Lopez, Santamaria's sister.
In picture 7, Santamaria fist-bumps with Santa Barbara City Councilman Oscar Gutierrez.

17/05/2024

Some of my news photos from a busy week of public meetings.
1. Meagan Harmon and Andrew
2. Jenna Berg
3. Randy Rowse
4. Tava Ostrenger
5. Dan Hentschke
6. Oscar Gutierrez and Mike Jordan
7. Rob Fredericks
8. Sarah Clark, Ed France and Keith DeMartini
9. Eric Friedman
10. Meagan Harmon
Find more photos, stories and content and SantaBarbaraTalks.com and Noozhawk.com.

14/05/2024

10 of my infographic from recent months. One positive of being a workaholic is a desire to keep doing new things. And I enjoy creating infographics. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don't, but in the creation of them there's always learning, and that's what it is all about. Today's infographic attempts to explain Santa Barbara's current problems with downtown parking.
1. Downtown parking fees
2. Water and sewer rate increases
3. Vacation rental enforcement
4. Use of force
5. Goleta transportation
6. Santa Barbara County travel
7. Political landscape
8. Housing vs. Hotels
9. Cannabis
10. Vacation rentals
Get more content at SantaBarbaraTalks.com and Noozhawk.com.

08/05/2024

About 200 people packed the School District Board Meeting Tuesday to protest layoffs. These teachers and supporters are passionate and fired up. Here are some of my photos from the evening. I found a comfy spot on the floor to get some of my shots.
1. Kristin Bollingmo
2. Gabe Escobedo
3. John Becchio
4. Hilda Maldonado
5. Kate Lambert
6. Kim Behrens
7. Teacher with sign
8. Teacher with sign
9. Teacher with sign
10. Kim Behren with sign

13/04/2024

Making every moment matter.

13/04/2024

Here are some of my photos from an incredibly busy and stressful week. I love my jobs, and I love journalism, so no matter what I do, it's always fun and I am continually learning.
1. Lauren Bianchi Klemann and Giana Magnoli
2. Nick Welsh and Eric Friedman
3. Ric Caruso
4. Ric Caruso
5. Tracy Lehr, Justin Caruso and Ric Caruso
6. Oscar Gutierrez and Eric Friedman
7. Bill Macfadyen
8. City Hall, dog and man.
9. Wade Cowper
10. Randy Rowse

08/04/2024

Science, I guess.

19/03/2024

Some of my close-ups from Monday night's 3.5 hour State Street Advisory Committee meeting. And the State Street saga continues. 1. Kristen Sneddon 2. Meagan Harmon 3. Jorge (public speaker) 4. Peter Lewis 5. Hillary Blackerby 6. Nadra Ehrman 7. Robin Elander 8. Mike Jordan 9. Kristen Miller. 10. Tess Harris. See my story and more photos at Noozhawk.com

13/03/2024

Some of my close-up photos from Tuesday's Santa Barbara City Council meeting. I love journalism and I love meetings. (Yes, I am being serious).
1. Kristen Sneddon 2. Meagan Harmon 3. Randy Rowse 4. Eric Friedman 5. Alejandra Gutierrez 6. Lt. Kasi Corbett and Chief Kelly Ann Gordon 7. Meagan Harmon 8. Kristen Sneddon 9. Oscar Gutierrez 10. Randy Rowse

06/03/2024

Some of my election night photos. I have so many, I might need to do another 10. It was an unpredictable night, for sure. Check out more photos and my election stories at Noozhawk.com.

05/03/2024

Some of my photos from last week's contentious meeting over a 250-room hotel project in Santa Barbara's Funk Zone. I love meetings and covering them both in story and photo form is such a creative challenge. Check out more photos and story at Noozhawk.com and visit my website santabarbaratalks.com. 1. Devon Wardlow 2. Sheila Lodge 3. Lesley Wiscomb 4. Brian Cearnal 5. Sean Gilbert and Brian Barnwell 6. Julia Pujo 7. John Baucke 8. Brian Barnwell 9. Donald Deluccio 10. Lesley Wiscomb and Tava Ostrenger.

17/02/2024

Such an honor to speak at today's Santa Barbara Rotary Club meeting at Brass Bear Uptown. I have great respect for these three Santa Barbara titans, Jim Armstrong, Paul Casey and Marcelo Lopez. I have been up and down the road with these three over years and it feels good that there is nothing but respect all around. It may not seem like a big deal to some, but I am so grateful for the opportunity to speak and share a little bit about my story and my love for journalism. And, of course, I talked for too long...

16/02/2024

Check out my story on the proposed Eastside bridge and my subsequent podcast on the story behind it all.
https://www.noozhawk.com/santa-barbara-looks-to-build-32-5-million-bridge-over-highway-101-to-enhance-mobility-for-eastside/
https://youtu.be/SjsogNfXqkg?si=JK4naixGZcX-Q-u6

Check out this short podcast where journalist Josh Molina untangles the Santa Barbara City Council meeting on Tuesday and explains how it went off the rails ...

14/02/2024

Some of my photos from tonight's march and rally featuring more than 600 teachers and members of the community. (I almost fell off the wall trying to get an overhead shot. I guess I still have some agility).

02/02/2024

https://youtu.be/THR6-zg1BVw?si=joC4ulNSbwwA7Wzz

Journalist and college instructor Josh Molina explains why money matters in elections and how the Third District Supervisors contest has perplexed political ...

22/01/2024

https://youtu.be/Ku6VOJvS6gs

Santa Barbara Teachers Association President Hozby Galindo talks about the salary contract dispute between teachers and the Santa Barbara Unified School Dist...

19/01/2024

https://youtu.be/LXH0rIY29bE?si=c3d-ZTfO-VAabUCM

Journalist Josh Molina shares his views on the housing crisis in Santa Barbara, while sharing about his own upbringing, growing up poor in Goleta and Santa B...

18/01/2024

Jacob is back at Cal after 5 wonderful weeks at home. The best feeling and contribution one can make to the world, for me, is being a present dad. It makes a difference. I took tons of photos. These are just some of them. He'll be back soon. And I'll be preparing for our nightly "Jeopardy" battles.

18/01/2024

Well, it was a wonderful 5 weeks with Jacob home from school for Winter Break. I took lots of pictures. The greatest feeling in the world for me is being a present dad. He'll be back soon.

02/12/2023

https://youtu.be/UWPaonXMQmo?si=yHb5XRweax6zzWZy

Dos Pueblos High School Students walk out of class to support Santa Barbara Teachers Association teachers. Several hundred students marched from DP High Scho...

07/11/2023

https://youtu.be/Rer-uRD07-Y?si=UAZ26wjR2QpRGZkA

Former Santa Barbara City Councilman Brian Barnwell explains the housing crisis, link to transportation and talks current City Council, career, commercial re...