[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 45 (Tuesday, April 11, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E536]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      HONORING THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CITY OF SANTA BARBARA

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                            HON. LOIS CAPPS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 11, 2000

  Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, today I commemorate the 150th Anniversary of 
the City of Santa Barbara. This past Sunday, I was honored to join the 
citizens of Santa Barbara in celebrating the rich history and legacy of 
our community.
  Santa Barbara is a vibrantly diverse city that draws its heritage 
from the Chumash, Spanish, Mexican, American and European peoples. 
Although the incorporation of the city was in 1850, there are other 
milestones that preceded this date. The community was named in 1602 by 
Sebastian Vizcaino, a Spanish employer, who came to the area on Saint 
Barbara's day. In 1782, the King of Spain directed that a presidio be 
constructed in Santa Barbara and in 1786, the Mission was founded. Both 
the Presidio and the Mission hold much cultural significance to the 
citizens of Santa Barbara today and serve as an important reminder of 
our shared history. In 1850, a charter was adopted by a vote of the 
citizens and established Santa Barbara as one of the five California 
charter cities. As a charter city, the citizens of Santa Barbara enjoy 
``home rule'' and as a result, the city is a model of how a community 
can preserve and sustain a high quality of life for its people.
  Today, Santa Barbara boasts strong public and private schools, the 
nationally recognized University of California, Santa Barbara, Westmont 
College and Santa Barbara City College, as well as thriving small 
businesses, high-tech and tourism industries. But above all, as Santa 
Barbarans, we pride ourselves on the beauty of our environment and the 
quaint charm of our community. The importance of clean water, clean air 
and open spaces has long been recognized as a key to our community's 
success and we remain committed to protecting the unparalleled beauty 
that Santa Barbara possesses today.
  Mr. Speaker, I am very honored to represent Santa Barbara in Congress 
and I ask that my colleagues join me in celebrating the many 
achievements of the citizens of Santa Barbara and the contributions 
that the city has made to America. We wish the community of Santa 
Barbara 150 more years of success and prosperity.

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