Kaiblogy

Q: What’s no longer in your wallet? A: $158,561,409,000

reibwo — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:31:00 +0000

Can someone please explain to me why a credit card company needs to be bailed out?

Bank bailout scorecard

The Treasury Department is in the midst of doling out $250 billion to financial institutions nationwide as part of the $700 billion bailout plan. Here’s a list of the banks that have received checks so far.

By David Goldman

–>

Date of Capital Injection	Financial Institution	City	State	Amount
10/28/2008	Wells Fargo & Co.	San Francisco	Calif.	$25,000,000,000
10/28/2008	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	New York	N.Y.	$25,000,000,000
10/28/2008	Citigroup Inc.	New York	N.Y.	$25,000,000,000
10/28/2008	Bank of America Corp.	Charlotte	N.C.	$15,000,000,000
10/28/2008	Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc.	New York	N.Y.	$10,000,000,000
10/28/2008	Morgan Stanley	New York	N.Y.	$10,000,000,000
10/28/2008	Goldman Sachs Group Inc.	New York	N.Y.	$10,000,000,000
11/17/2008	U.S. Bancorp	Minneapolis	Minn.	$6,599,000,000
11/17/2008	Capital One Financial Corp.	McLean	Va.	$3,555,199,000
11/17/2008	Regions Financial Corp.	Birmingham	Ala.	$3,500,000,000
11/17/2008	SunTrust Banks Inc.	Atlanta	Ga.	$3,500,000,000
11/17/2008	BB&T Corp.	Winston-Salem	N.C.	$3,133,640,000
10/28/2008	Bank of New York Mellon Corp.	New York	N.Y.	$3,000,000,000
11/17/2008	KeyCorp	Cleveland	Ohio	$2,500,000,000
11/17/2008	Comerica Inc.	Dallas	Texas	$2,250,000,000
10/28/2008	State Street Corp.	Boston	Mass.	$2,000,000,000
11/17/2008	Marshall & Ilsley Corp.	Milwaukee	Wis.	$1,715,000,000
11/17/2008	Northern Trust Corp.	Chicago	Ill.	$1,576,000,000
11/17/2008	Zions Bancorporation	Salt Lake City	Utah	$1,400,000,000
11/17/2008	Huntington Bancshares	Columbus	Ohio	$1,398,071,000
11/17/2008	First Horizon National Corp.	Memphis	Tenn.	$866,540,000
11/17/2008	TCF Financial Corp.	Wayzata	Minn.	$361,172,000
11/17/2008	Valley National Bancorp	Wayne	N.J.	$300,000,000
11/17/2008	UCBH Holdings Inc.	San Francisco	Calif.	$298,737,000
11/17/2008	Umpqua Holdings Corp.	Portland	Ore.	$214,181,000
11/17/2008	Washington Federal Inc.	Seattle	Wash.	$200,000,000
11/17/2008	Provident Bancshares Corp.	Baltimore	Md.	$151,500,000
11/17/2008	Bank of Commerce Holdings	Redding	Calif.	$17,000,000
11/17/2008	1st FS Corp.	Hendersonville	N.C.	$16,369,000
11/17/2008	Broadway Financial Corp.	Los Angeles	Calif.	$9,000,000
			Total:	$158,561,409,000

Resurrection for Extinct Species: A Real Jurrasic Park in the Making

reibwo — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:52:18 +0000

Jurassic Park is a crazy movie with a crazy plot, and it is fun. Even long before the movie came out, many speculated that it would not be long before humans could resurrect long extinct species. I am not sure that anyone thought that as many of the tools necessary to do this could be put in place so soon, even those who have been speculating about it for sometime. This article in the New York Times gives a description of many of these tools and their current state of development.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/20/science/20mammoth.html?pagewanted=2&hp

It seems to me that the trajectory of the development of these tools is not linear, but exponential. The trend of development seems closer in acceleration of efficiency and throughput and overall complexity to that of the computer world than that of the biological sciences or chemistry. Of course, much of the new technology being brought into the field is underpinned by information processing tools.

No “Current” Westmont Students Involved in Causing the “Tea Fire”

reibwo — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 03:32:35 +0000

I pulled this from Westmont College’s homepage 7:18pm on November 19, 2008. I find it very curious that the letter uses the word “current” in its description of who the students are not. What does that mean? Nonetheless, I am glad to hear that the crowd is not a bunch of Westmont kids.

———-begin transcript———

Tea Fire Update from President Gayle Beebe

Dear students, faculty, staff and friends:

It has nearly been a week since the Tea Fire ravaged our campus and the larger Montecito and coastal community. Our prayers are with all devastated by this fire as each of us affected throughout the region continues to face the reality of having our everyday lives turned upside down.

Due to the close proximity of the college to the off-campus site of the fire, we have been inundated with questions from many concerned audiences. I’m sure that you have also been contacted as a source of information by friends and family.

There are a few questions that have come up repeatedly, and I’d like to share my responses with you. The most accurate source of information about the fire investigation will come from the authorities themselves; misinformation will only cause greater suffering for the region. For information concerning the investigation, please refer to the Sheriff’s department.

Sincerely,
Gayle D. Beebe, President

1. Were any Westmont students involved in causing the fire?

No. On Wednesday afternoon at approximately 2:45 p.m., Drew Sugars, the public information officer for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, officially informed the college that no current Westmont students were present nor in anyway involved with this tragic incident.

We have been in regular contact with investigators since the fire and have been providing any information that might be helpful toward determining the exact cause of the fire. This is our responsibility as a community citizen. Our surrounding coastal region is home to many colleges and universities, and like all of them, we are awaiting new information.

It should be noted that at this point, the group of individuals responsible for starting the fire are under the jurisdiction of law enforcement authorities. Again, no current Westmont students were involved with this incident.

Updated: Zero Possibility that Ten Westmont College Students are to Blame for Tea Fire

reibwo — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:28:59 +0000

___Update___

According to the comment below, the students involved in causing this fire are NOT from Westmont College. I am very glad to hear this.

At the same time, my sentiments below are still the same. I plea with the Westmont/Montecito/Santa Barbara community not to take their wrath out on these students.

It will bring everyone nothing but grief. Let us embrace the error of the neighbor who sins against us as a chance to grow in wisdom, compassion, love and a deep sense of gratitude for the enemy-love shown to us by God. Let us take all necessary and helpful steps to make sure such tragedies do not happen again, to be sure. But, let’s not make them retributive steps. An eye for an eye truly does make the whole world blind.

___Update___

I just read on the Independent’s website that there is a very strong possibility that ten students from Westmont College (I am an alum) are responsible for causing the start of the “Tea Fire.” (we now know that this is not the case) In a story written by Ray Ford (the same reporter to take photos of the fire on Westmont’s campus), he describes a press conference regarding the cause of the fire:

“Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown announced that as a result of an anonymous tip, investigators were able to identify ten young adults as those responsible for the cause of the Tea Fire. Brown described them as between the ages of 18 and 22, area residents, and a mixture of males and females. Brown also described them as all coming from one school and being cooperative with investigators.”

Ford goes on to say, “The cause of the fire appears to be the result of carelessness rather than criminal intent.” I am heartened to hear that, but not by much.

In other words, these are students and most likely they come from Westmont College (we now know that this is not the case), since it is the closest (within walking distance, I think) school with students of that age. At any rate, the names of these adults (who happen to be students) will be made public before too long and the question of what school they attended will be erased.

—Update—

Westmont College reacts to the question here at this site.

—Update—

Of course, we will let the process be completed about discovering who is really to blame. However, assuming it is Westmont from which these students came, (which, again, we now know that this is not the case) this will go down as one of the saddest, most tragic, horrifying, and stupid events ever experienced by Westmont students, staff, faculty, its community, its alumni, and those who care for the school–but mostly the larger community. I am sad and angry about it at the same time. Very sad. Very angry.

In all likelihood, the adults responsible for the fire will be sued and/or prosecuted for various crimes. The school will be sued. The families of the students may also be sued. Westmont’s reputation will likely also be deeply scarred.

All of this will be added onto the horrifying facts that hundreds of families will still have lost their homes. A man may have been killed by the fire (and will still be dead regardless of remedies sought). Thousands of acres of extraordinary beauty will still be devastated. The sense of security and home for thousands will still be gone. The trauma of many more thousands will still have to be dealt with.

Add on top of that the additional trauma, resentment, anger and the resulting actions and consequences caused by a surrounding community that may rightfully want an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. (If you don’t think those feelings are there, read the comments attached to the above independent article. Those responsible for the fire are (most very likely) RESPONSIBLE for all of its consequences. It truly is their fault. It seems that they should pay for the consequences of their actions in some appropriate manner. The question is what would be appropriate. I don’t have a good answer to that right now.

I only hope that those who caused the fire are deeply remorseful for their actions (How could they fail to be?). Just as importantly, I hope there is a spirit of forgiveness that may be found by those who have suffered, are suffering, and will continue to suffer because of those actions. Those sufferings are likely incalculable. Reversing them, or making their consequences disappear is impossible. I can not ask such a generous spirit of forgiveness of those suffering, but I do hope such forgiveness comes to pass. The vicious cycle of retribution is a terrible thing and never seems to create any good out of itself. It could destroy the community. My prayer is that it would be avoided…

————

You know as I reread my note above, I am dissatisfied. It is hard for me to even try to take the whole situation in and make any sense of it. The tragedy is already so aweful–I just want healing, learning, forgiveness, love of neighbor (and self discipline), generosity, charity, and the growth of wisdom on all sides to prevail in the community, but I don’t seem to be able to say it any better than that…

————

As I think about this some more, it does not matter where these people attend(ed) school–not in the least, even if I am glad to hear they are not from Westmont.

The Tea Fire Aftermath at Westmont College: How you can help

reibwo — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:13:01 +0000

This was posted to a Facebook group for the support of Westmont after the fire:

To members of Westmont College Prayer & Support for Tea Fire

Lesley Miller

Today at 4:04pm

Dear Westmont Supporters,

Many have asked how they can tangibly support faculty and current students who have lost their homes and dorm rooms, but the logistics have been difficult for me to determine up to this point. Dr. Deborah Dunn, Communication Studies professor at Westmont, posted some helpful hints yesterday:

Gift certificates are one of the best things you could possibly give. If you have just lost your home, the last thing you want to do is deal with basic stuff like food or supplies. Gift certificates can be used right away and people will be very grateful for them. I would suggest choosing a store that is easily accessible such as Macys, Nordstrom or Vons. Of course, any type of gift card would be much appreciated—these are only suggestions.

For now, and these instructions may change as I get more information, please address your donations to the following addresses:

For faculty donations, please send cards to:

Warren Rogers, Academic Dean
Faculty Fire Donation
955 La Paz Rd
Santa Barbara, CA 93108

For student donations:

Jane Higa, Dean of Students
Student Fire Donation
955 La Paz Rd
Santa Barbara, CA 93108

For those living in Santa Barbara, faculty could use the following:

Home-cooked meals: The next couple of weeks are going to be a blur for many families. Not having to worry about food is a serious plus. If you are interested in cooking meals over the next month, please respond to this message and let me know your name, your contact information, and how many meals you can provide. I’ll do my best to figure out a system based on the response I get.

Pet care: Some faculty may have animals that don’t have a place to go while their owners are living in a hotel. If you would be open to housing a pet, please respond to this message with your name, contact information, and what kind of animal you can host.

Dr. Dunn also shares this: “Thank you all so much for your prayers, generosity, and love. Most of the families from Las Barrancas, along with several other faculty members, met (Saturday) at the La Mesa Park to pray, to talk, to share stories, to comfort one another. One thing we are all thankful for is the amazing Westmont community- both the community physically close and the amazing extended community that exists spiritually and virtually. Lisa DeBoer, currently our vice chair of the faculty, led us in singing “Great is Thy Faithfulness” to close.

You should know that Facebook and this group has been an important information link for many.

Latest Official Update from Westmont College on “Tea Fire” and its effects (Sunday 11/16)

reibwo — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 16:09:51 +0000

Status on campus Saturday evening, Nov. 15

There is no immediate threat to campus from the Tea Fire, which is 40 percent contained and greatly diminished. An evacuation order for the area around Westmont remains in effect tonight and could continue another 24 to 48 hours. Only essential personnel are allowed on campus with pre-arranged escort from fire officials. All entrances to the campus are closed and manned by public safety officials, who are also patrolling the campus. All buildings and residence hall rooms are locked and secure. Electricity, water and natural gas on campus are not yet fully restored. Work has begun in several areas: fencing off damaged buildings, removing ash and smoke residue and smell from buildings otherwise untouched by the fire, and general cleaning. Insurance adjusters have toured the campus, and county building officials have begun assessing the condition of all buildings.

This and all updates to this message can be found at Westmont’s Website

Official Statistics on Westmont College “Tea Fire”

reibwo — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 15:58:39 +0000

Official statistics and information on the fire can be found here. At the current time this website says:

Tea Fire Information:
Last Updated:	November 16, 2008 at 7:00 am
Date/Time Started:	November 13, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Administrative Unit:	CALFIRE, Montecito City Fire, Santa Barbara City Fire and Santa Barbara County Fire.
County:	Santa Barbara County
Location:	Montecito, Cold Springs Creek and Hot Springs Road.
Acres Burned:	1,940 acres
Containment:	75% contained
Structures Threatened:	Minimal threat remains.
Structures Destroyed:	210 residences have been destroyed, and 9 have been damaged.
Evacuations:	For more specific information on evacuation please visit the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Services website.
Cause:	Under Investigation
Cooperating Agencies:	CAL FIRE, Montecito City Fire, Santa Barbara County Fire, Santa Barbara City Fire, Los Padres National Forest, Edison, CHP, Santa Barbara County Sheriffs Office, CDCR and CCC.
Total Fire Personnel:	1,957 (988 CAL FIRE)Engines: 184 Fire crews: 53 Dozers: 13 Watertenders: 14
Conditions:	Favorable weather has allowed firefighters to make progress on portions of the fire.Intermittent loss of power to the communities of Montecito, Santa Barbara City and Santa Barbara County while power lines are being repaired. CAL FIRE Incident Command Team #10 has transitioned into a unified command at 6:00 p.m. today. An early warning notification system has helped to evacuate 4500 residents and communicated a voluntary evacuation of an additional 4500 residents. Animal Hotline – (805) 681-4332 Road Closure Hotline – (805) 568-3006 Evacuations and road closures
Cost to Date:	$3.9 million
Tea Fire Information:	(805) 681-5197

List of Addresses Suffering Damage or Destruction Due to “Tea Fire”

reibwo — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 15:48:41 +0000

I have received inquiries regarding which properties have been damaged in the Tea Fire blaze. Here is the most complete list I have found. It was posted on the County of Santa Barbara’s Website:

11/15/08 3:00PM
PROPERTIES IN THE MONTECITO FIRE DISTRICT AND/OR
COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA
WITH SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURAL DAMAGE OR TOTAL
DESTRUCTION:

Page 1 of 3

CANON VIEW ROAD:

36 CANON VIEW ROAD-(Guesthouse Only)
46 CANON VIEW ROAD

COYOTE ROAD:

732 COYOTE ROAD
736 COYOTE ROAD
738 COYOTE ROAD (House & Guesthouse)
740 COYOTE ROAD
742 COYOTE ROAD
808 COYOTE ROAD
810 COYOTE ROAD
840 COYOTE ROAD
890 COYOTE ROAD
925 COYOTE ROAD
927 COYOTE ROAD
930 COYOTE ROAD
1050 COYOTE ROAD
1050A COYOTE ROAD

EAST MOUNTAIN DRIVE:

130 EAST MOUNTAIN DRIVE
160 EAST MOUNTAIN DRIVE (House & Guesthouse)
201 EAST MOUNTAIN DRIVE
209 EAST MOUNTAIN DRIVE
212 EAST MOUNTAIN DRIVE (House & Guesthouse)
216 EAST MOUNTAIN DRIVE
223 EAST MOUNTAIN DRIVE
226 EAST MOUNTAIN DRIVE
229 EAST MOUNTAIN DRIVE
238 EAST MOUNTAIN DRIVE
241 EAST MOUNTAIN DRIVE
244 EAST MOUNTAIN DRIVE
245 EAST MOUNTAIN DRIVE
252 EAST MOUNTAIN DRIVE
254 EAST MOUNTAIN DRIVE
258 EAST MOUNTAIN DRIVE

11/15/08 3:00PM

PROPERTIES IN THE MONTECITO FIRE DISTRICT AND/OR
COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA
WITH SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURAL DAMAGE OR TOTAL
DESTRUCTION:

Page 2 of 3

260 EAST MOUNTAIN DRIVE
266 EAST MOUNTAIN DRIVE
271 EAST MOUNTAIN DRIVE
279 EAST MOUNTAIN DRIVE
280 & 286 EAST MOUNTAIN DRIVE Unverified but in isolated canyon in area of
total destruction of other houses and
vegetation.
298 EAST MOUNTAIN DRIVE
315 EAST MOUNTAIN DRIVE (House & Guesthouse)
320 EAST MOUNTAIN DRIVE
330 EAST MOUNTAIN DRIVE
340 EAST MOUNTAIN DRIVE
350 EAST MOUNTAIN DRIVE (House & Guesthouse)
352 EAST MOUNTAIN DRIVE
356 EAST MOUNTAIN DRIVE

GIBRALTAR ROAD:

2224 GIBRALTAR ROAD
2500 GIBRALTAR ROAD (Mt. Calvary Monastery)
2702 GIBRALTAR ROAD
3035 GIBRALTAR ROAD

LAPAZ ROAD:

965 LA PAZ ROAD
980 LA PAZ ROAD
997 LA PAZ ROAD
999 LA PAZ ROAD

SIERRA VISTA ROAD:

195 SIERRA VISTA ROAD

SYCAMORE VISTA ROAD:

598 SYCAMORE VISTA ROAD

WEST MOUNTAIN DRIVE:

8 WEST MOUNTAIN DRIVE
10 WEST MOUNTAIN DRIVE

11/15/08 3:00PM

PROPERTIES IN THE MONTECITO FIRE DISTRICT AND/OR
COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA
WITH SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURAL DAMAGE OR TOTAL
DESTRUCTION:

Page 3 of 3

12 WEST MOUNTAIN DRIVE
14 WEST MOUNTAIN DRIVE
16 WEST MOUNTAIN DRIVE
18 WEST MOUNTAIN DRIVE
40 WEST MOUNTAIN DRIVE
45 WEST MOUNTAIN DRIVE
70 WEST MOUNTAIN DRIVE
75 WEST MOUNTAIN DRIVE
100 WEST MOUNTAIN DRIVE
102 WEST MOUNTAIN DRIVE
222 WEST MOUNTAIN DRIVE
225 WEST MOUNTAIN DRIVE
276 WEST MOUNTAIN DRIVE
290 WEST MOUNTAIN DRIVE
1305? WEST MOUNTAIN DRIVE

My condolences to all who suffered such loss.

Update: Westmont College and the Tea Fire Aftermath

reibwo — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 17:40:00 +0000

The danger and emergency for Westmont College has passed in large measure, even if it has not for the larger community.

I am concluding my emergency posts on the Tea Fire and its effects on Westmont College, however, I will post other interesting items related to the fire as they come to my attention. Westmont is back up and running as well as it can be given the recent events. They are posting new information/announcements/photos/etc. to their website at: http://www.westmont.edu/

The school is accepting donations for recovery from the fire and welcomes the volunteerism of the community. Please contact the school through the directions on the website. Please keep in mind that at least 14 school related households were also destroyed in the fire beyond those buildings destroyed on the campus. There is also far more damage in the surrounding communities and the fire is not yet out. There are still prayers to be said and hands to get dirty on behalf of all those effected by the
fire.

Westmont College Fire – A Few Encouraging Words

reibwo — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 03:48:28 +0000

A bit of encouraging news: So far this evening the winds have not developed as they did last night. This has allowed the firefighters to continue to make progress on the blaze without having to worry about being overwhelmed by very high winds in the area. Thank God.

—-and a little bit more encouragement—

Here is a bit of the chatter posted at a website where concerned parents and others are talking about the fire at Westmont and the response of the school to the situation. Let me say that my experience of Mark “the RD” as we call him–is exactly as described below. I am sure that many, many of the staff and faculty acted in such a manner. It is to the credit of the school that they seem to have gotten through this so far with so little loss, at least, compared to what it could have been. These posts are from topix.com

Another Westmont Parent Eureka, CA	\| #184 7 hrs ago As a parent, I was so amazed to receive emails from the parents@westmont & the alum@ westmont–to these two groups–thank you!! This is my son’s first year so I was unaware of this fantastic service!!! My son lives off camus but was told to evacuate their apt last night. I’ve spoken w/ him this AM. I am praying for all.
Lisa Arusha, Tanzania, United Republic of	\| #185 6 hrs ago I think the school has done a fantastic job of communicating. Let’s remember they were fighting a fire all night. I know one faculty member who spent all night helping students while his own home burned to the ground. I’m sure there were many faculty doing the same.
Colorado Mom Denver, CO	\| #186 5 hrs ago While I was frustrated last night not to have more information, I was so glad they were busy taking care of our beloved children. My daughter told me that Mark, the RD, practically yelled at the firefighters as they were trying to save his home, asking them to save the students’ dorms instead. How blessed we are that our students are surrounded by people who truly love them. I can’t imagine how much closer everyone will be having gone through this together. FYI, for those whose students lost personal items in the fire, I talked to State Farm and they said my homeowners’ insurance will cover my daughter’s personal belongings.

Latest Official Update from Westmont College Administration on “Tea Fire” and its Aftermath

reibwo — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 03:01:34 +0000

This update was posted to the Westmont College website earlier today:

Subscribe to this blog here

Update, 2:00 p.m., November 14, 2008

All Westmont College students, faculty, staff and guests are safe and well, and most buildings are intact less than 24 hours after a wildfire raced through campus. “We’re so thankful everyone is out of danger and that there were no injuries,” says President Gayle D. Beebe. “But we’re deeply saddened that 15 of our faculty families — and one retired professor — have lost their homes. Given the strength of the winds and the fire, we’re amazed the damage isn’t greater.”

In addition to 14 homes in Las Barrancas (an area adjacent to campus where the college built 41 homes for professors), Westmont lost nine structures: four of the 17 buildings that make up Clark Halls (F, G, M and S), Bauder Hall, the physics building, the old math building and two Quonset huts. The latter three buildings were scheduled for demolition in the coming weeks to make way for new facilities on campus. While Westmont has lost trees and landscaped areas, the formal gardens below Kerrwood Hall were spared, as was the grove of Italian stone pines below the dining commons.

The fire started just before 6 p.m. above campus and by 6:15 p.m., the college’s Crisis Response Team had instructed students, faculty and staff to evacuate to the gym where they could be sheltered in place and protected from the fast-moving flames.

Students responded immediately, hurrying out of their rooms, leaving plates of food in the dining commons and dropping a Frisbee on the walkway to the gym. Their quick action insured everyone’s safety. “The students did amazingly well,” says Chris Call, vice president for administration, who led the crisis response Thursday evening. “They remained calm, ate a late-night snack and spent part of the evening watching the movie “The Incredibles.”

Westmont developed its crisis response plan years earlier in consultation with fire officials who recommended that students stay on campus in a protected building rather than flee in cars and be exposed to the dangers of a quickly burning fire. Although the flames came close to the gym, the students were safe inside, and the plan worked as expected.

Beginning early Friday morning when the direct threat had lessened, students were taken off campus. Many churches and local residents have generously opened their homes to both students and faculty. “We’re so grateful for the many offers of assistance that have poured in since the fire began,” Beebe says. “It’s so encouraging to receive that kind of support from the community.”

One Westmont alumna, Lesley Miller, has set up a Facebook group, Westmont College Prayer and Support for Tea Fire, which already has 318 members.

All students have found temporary housing, but about 40-50 lost their rooms and will need to make longer-term arrangements. Anyone willing to house a student for the rest of the fall semester and possibly during the spring can contact westmonthousinghelp@gmail.com.

President Beebe met with his executive team on campus Friday morning to assess the situation. How soon classes resume depends on a number of factors: there is no threat from the fire, power is restored on campus, buildings are clean and safe to enter, and faculty who lost their homes and/or offices can resume teaching. The executive team is meeting 8 p.m. Monday evening, Nov. 17, to make a decision about restarting classes, which will not begin any earlier than Wednesday, Nov. 19. Beebe will make an announcement Monday evening following this meeting about the class schedule. This information will be posted on the college’s Web site and on the emergency hotline, 1-888-565-7911.

About 140 prospective students arrived on campus Thursday for Preview Days to visit Westmont, attend classes and stay overnight in the residence halls. These guests joined the Westmont students in evacuating to the gym and witnessed first-hand how Westmont handles a crisis.

Clark Halls, built in 1965, includes 17 separate structures. It houses mostly first-year and transfer students. One of the buildings that burned is the home of the resident director and his family. About 40 or 50 students are affected by the fire and will need to be relocated.

Originally Bauder Hall was the carriage house for an estate the college purchased in the 1940s. The main house, which was used as a residence hall for men, burned during the 1964 Coyote Fire. Bauder was noted for its Tudor style and whimsical weather vane. It housed the psychology faculty and a classroom.

The physics building dates back to the Dwight Murphy estate Westmont acquired in 1945. Old photos of the college document its use as a garage for the Murphy family.

The old math building also belonged to the Murphy estate and has housed a variety of departments over the years, including math and biology. It was empty at the time of the fire awaiting demolition.

After World War II, Westmont bought a number of Quonset huts to use as temporary student housing. Two of them remained on campus and were burned; they too were scheduled for demolition.

Westmont will continue posting updates to its Web site, especially regarding the date classes will resume. All faculty, staff and students have been asked to stay away from campus until they are notified that it is safe to return.

List of known Westmont related residences burned in “Tea Fire”

reibwo — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 00:44:47 +0000

This from a group on Facebook:

Florence George Werthmuller (Los Angeles, CA) wrote4 hours ago

I just heard from Kate Van der Lann that these are the houses the burned down:
these are the houses that have burned down:

Pointer
Hodson
Mallampalli
Wolf
McMahon
Fisk
Fikes
DeBoer
Hoeckley
Willis
LeSage
Smelley
Ficsor
Tro?

—and—

Melissa McLeod (Westmont) wrote3 hours ago

this is a list i saw posted elsewhere that someone got from the howells who walked through faculty housing:

“Homes lost: Russell and Allison Smelley, LaSage, Wolf, Hodson, Pointer, Taylor, Willis, Fisk, McMahon, Fikes, Fistors, DeBoer, Hoeckley, Kihlstroms, Tro. The Hunters house is okay, all the ones around it were destroyed. Mallampali is okay. The Howells are okay.”

—and—

Mark McReynolds’ (Clark Residential Director) house is a total loss.

Photos of Tea Fire Devastation at Westmont College

reibwo — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 23:51:56 +0000

Folks, pictures from all over campus have just been posted. I believe these are all from Brad Elliot, but I am not sure. See below:

Massive Damage to ?Science Building? I don't even recognize it.

Here is the best link to all of the photos posted by Brad Elliot

Clark Dorm after the fire...I am so sorry Mark and Nora...so sorry.

I think this is all that is left of the Quonset Huts after the fire.

Bauder Hall?? I think...

The Westmont Prayer Chapel after the Tea Fire. Apparently, it survived! Reports were that it had burned, but it obviously did not, though the area around it did.

True heroes on campus. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude. If someone knows how to contanct the specific companies that were on Westmont, please post here so we can send them our thanks.

Westmont Fire Update: This Ain’t Over Yet…

reibwo — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 21:27:35 +0000

Folks, I am very encouraged that the damage sustained by Westmont College, Montecito and the rest of Santa Barbara has not been worse than it has. Thank you to all who have and are praying for all those effected by the fire.

However, it is not over yet. Please continue to pray. There are concerns that winds will shift again tonight and might be as severe as last night. Winds anywhere near what they were last night will be very difficult to deal with. Pray that they don’t arrive. On second thought, pray for rain, and lots of it.

——-

Here is a map regarding the fire (Click Here)

Here is a report on injuries (Click Here)

Here are pictures from Westmont’s campus (Click Here)

Here is a video of Clark Dorm burning (Click Here)

Here is where to find official update from Westmont College on the fire (Click Here)

Here is another page with other resources (Click Here)

Update on Injuries Related to “Tea Fire” addressed at local Hospital

reibwo — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 19:41:25 +0000

Read it here.

http://www.independent.com/news/2008/nov/14/tea-fire-hospital-and-health-update/

here is part of that report:

Tea Fire: Hospital and Health Update

News from Cottage Hospital’s Janet O’Neill

Friday, November 14, 2008

By Isabelle T. Walker

The Independent spoke with Cottage Hospital spokesperson Janet O’Neill, who said that the facility has been able to accommodate all Tea Fire-related injuries so far. Fire-related activity has no affected the hospital’s operating room schedule.

The hospital has had 11 fire-related visits so far, including three civilian burn victims who have since been stabilized and then transported to burn facilities elsewhere. The injuries treated so far include one dog bite, one asthma attack, one instant of smoke inhalation, one damaged eye, one anxiety attack, and one person who suffered from smoke inhalation and an ember to the eye.

The Villa Riviera senior home, which is near the former St. Francis Hospital, has been evacuated and the 16 people who are reside there are staying at Cottage Hospital.

Though Cottage Hospital has cautioned people to stay away from the hospital unless they are injured, they also want people not to hesitate to come if they truly do need medical attention.

—-

Click the link above for the rest. Ed at this site has also gathered a bunch of good links.

——–Update——-

Sadly, one person appears to have perished (video below):

http://www.cbs2.com/video/?id=83357@kcbs.dayport.com

“Tea Fire” Latest Report from Westmont College Administration

reibwo — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 18:58:13 +0000

Here is the latest from the school administration:

326 students in Gym, fires out

November 14th, 2008

8:00 am: There are no active fires on campus, no injuries, and everyone is safe.

Wesmont has 326 students remaining in the Gym; those students with transportation have been released from campus because it is safe for them to travel on area roads.

Westmont has lost eight structures, four buildings in Clark halls (F,G,M,S), the physics building, the old math building and the two quonset huts. The later three structures were scheduled for demolition soon.

Fourteen faculty homes in Las Barrancas have burned; there is damage to trees, and wooded areas on campus, but much of the formal gardens remains intact.

————–

Updates to the post above can be found by clicking here.

Clark G was my dorm freshman year. I would appreciate it if any current student would post a link here to photos of that dorm or anywhere else on the campus. Many thanks.

Ed at this site has gathered a bunch of good links. Here are many of them that he provides:

With any fire like this there are lots of resources from the net that will emerge in the next not very many minutes to help track it. Here’s a start at what I could find.

Blogs: Westmont College disaster live blog; LA Times blog w/photos; LAist report with photos;

CAL Fire: Tea Fire Information , lists 1500 acres, 1141 personnel, 0% contained at 9am Nov 14 2008

Forum (local): Santa Barbara Edhat: A fast moving brush fire has started in the hills above Montecito. Please post comments with whatever information you have. (100+ local comments)

Twitter: search for Santa Barbara No hashtag yet.

Flickr: two photographers are using the tag santabarbarafire, thanks Sleeptest and Pilot Productions; several more are using the tag teafire

Newspaper: Santa Barbara Independent; they are calling it the “Tea Fire”

Newspaper: UC Santa Barbara Daily Nexus, “UPDATED 9:53 p.m.: Montecito and Santa Barbara Burn”; photos

Radio: KNX 1070 CBS news radio

Radio: KCLU 1340 NPR

Television: KCAL 9, KEYT 3 Santa Barbara,

Westmont College – home page has gone to just disaster information; it looks like it’s hosted off-site, all other westmont.edu sites are down; Tea Fire Burns at my Alma Mater is a perspective from someone who was there for the aftermath of the Sycamore Canyon fire in 1977, the last time there was something of this magnitude.

Weather: Weather Underground for Santa Barbara, CA

Weather: Mendocito weather station MTIC1 right within the fire area

Fire map: Tea Fire map by grizzlehizzle, on Google Maps

Fire map: California MODIS. Maps don’t show it yet.

Fire map: MODIS in KML form

Webcams: regional cam list on webcams.travel include ones from UC Santa Barbara, west of the fire, and Santa Barbara Community College

Professional blogs: Firefighter Blog

Forums: Fark – In the East, the mountains turn red in fall because of the leaves. In Santa Barbara, it’s because of fire

News aggregation: Google News stream

Here’s a map from grizzlehizzle, a UCSB or maybe SBCC (?) student nearby – it appears to be up to date with detailed information, and so I replaced a previous map with this one.
View Larger Map

Posted on November 13, 2008 | Permalink

Photos of area around the Westmont College Library involved in the “Tea Fire”

reibwo — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 17:43:27 +0000

Here is a photo posted by Ray Ford at http://www.sb-outdoors.org/fire/large-24.html of the Fire on Westmont College the night of November 13, 2008. All students and others on campus are well.

Picture posted by Ray Ford at http://www.sb-outdoors.org/fire/large-20.html showing what I think are the "Quonset Huts" burning on the night of November 13, 2008. So sad.

For more photos by Ray Ford (I don’t know who he is, student?) of the fire see this page. Apparently the library did not burn (miracle), but some buildings around it obviously did, including the huts and physics building. How many hundreds of hours did I spend there? Clark is also apparently badly damaged is some places and destroyed in others. I would appreciate current students posting other photos of the campus (or links to them) here.

There are many alums wanting to know how their school has faired. Our prayers are with you and the whole community of SB/Montecito.

Here is a short video of Clark Dorm burning:
http://www.cbs2.com/video/?id=83358@kcbs.dayport.com

Official Statistics for Westmont College Fire “Tea Fire”

reibwo — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:51:50 +0000

Official statistics and information on the fire can be found here. At the current time this website says:

Tea Fire Information:
Last Updated:	November 14, 2008 at 7:00 am
Date/Time Started:	November 13, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Administrative Unit:	Santa Barbara County Fire
County:	Santa Barbara County
Location:	Montecito, Cold Springs Creek and Hot Springs Road
Acres Burned:	1,500
Containment:	0% contained
Structures Threatened:	1,500 residences currently threatened.
Structures Destroyed:	Unknown number of structures burned.
Evacuations:	Mandatory evacuations in Montecito, Santa Barbara City and areas within Santa Barbara County. For more specific information on evacuation please visit the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Services website.
Cause:	Under Investigation
Cooperating Agencies:	CAL FIRE, Montecito City Fire, Santa Barbara County Fire, Santa Barbara City Fire, Los Padres National Forest, Edison, CHP, Santa Barbara County Sheriffs Office, CDCR and CCC.
Total Fire Personnel:	1,141 (260 CAL FIRE)
Engines:193 Fire crews: 25 Dozers: 7 Watertenders:1
Conditions:	Extreme fire behavior continuing to push fire on to the community. Red Flag conditions are predicted to continue throughout they day. Some areas in the communities of Montecito, Santa Barbara City and Santa Barbara County are experiencing a loss of power. CAL FIRE Incident Command Team #10 has been assigned to this incident. An early warning notification system has helped to evacuate 4500 residents and communicated a voluntary evacuation of an additional 4500 residents.
Tea Fire Information:	(805) 681-5197

Latest from Westmont College on the Fire

reibwo — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:45:01 +0000

From Westmont’s Website:

Fires out. Assessing damage.

November 14th, 2008

7:21am

All students and employees are fine. We are assessing damage this morning. Updates will be posted shortly.

No fires remain active on or in the campus area.

Late night update

November 14th, 2008

1:14am

Students who are on campus who wish to leave and have means to do so are allowed off-campus. Those leaving campus will not be allowed to return for at least 24 hours.

All faculty and staff who are currently off campus should not come to the campus unless specifically requested to do so by their supervisor.

There have been more than a dozen houses at Las Barrancas (faculty housing) destroyed in addition to the structures already mentioned.

Those wishing to extend temporary housing to those displaced by the fire should send their name, phone contact information, e-mail address, house address, and the number of individuals they can accommodate to: westmonthousinghelp@gmail.com.

Map of Westmont College “Tea Fire” (not sure about accuracy)

reibwo — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:41:18 +0000

Here is a user generated google map of the fire which burned Westmont College last night. I am not sure about its accuracy or timeliness.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=113022420691920912386.00045b9ef1712164139a6

Update from Horizon on Westmont Fire

reibwo — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 07:47:24 +0000

11:36 P.M.

Horizon News Editor Sarah Davis says that students will be sleeping in the gym for the night. The smoke has subsided in the gym and the fires are moving away from the gym. Classes have been canceled for tomorrow. Officials have brought students food, water and cookies. Faculty who live in Las Barancas, the faculty housing neighborhood are also in the gym, as well as President Beebe. News stations were in the gym interviewing students. There are about 800 students in the gym. Students were praying corporately for the college.

The following buildings were reported to have burnt down: Bauder Hall (Psychology building), the Math and Phyics Building, and the modular classrooms. In Clark Halls, a first-year dorm, the rooftops of Clark G, Clark L, and Clark M were singed; however, those fires are now under control. The fires appear to be moving away from the college.

from: Horizon News

——–Update——-

I think there is now reason to believe that this report is at least partially inaccurate. It seems that many parts of Clark at least were totally destroyed by the fire. Latest accounts do say that everyone on campus is well and there were no major injuries sustained by people taking shelter there.

Photos of fire on Westmont College Campus

reibwo — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 07:42:39 +0000

I have no idea what the source of these photos is, but they clearly show the fire on Westmont’s campus. I think this is the Library and the Quonset Huts next to the library.

http://www.sb-outdoors.org/fire/index.html

—-UPDATE—-

Click here to see pictures of the campus after the fires!

Many buildings apparently burned at Westmont

reibwo — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 07:17:41 +0000

this just in from:

http://www.topix.com/forum/city/santa-barbara-ca/T6G6V83CUF8QT948D/p6#lastPost

______________________________

RYAN T writes:

A Westmont parent wrote:

Just got a text from my friend who is on staff at Westmont and with
the students in the gym, and he said that the math and physics
building have burned and a few buildings in Clark are now on fire…
just beginning there in Clark, it sounds like…

I’m an alum and my mom works on campus, who on staff are you getting reports from? Thanks!

_______________________________

dude Who Lives in Emerson writes:

I’m a student who lives in Emerson and the fire started right behind my building. Forty foot flames were within 100yds from the building. I just saw on kcal 9 that Clark has been burned down as well as physics, math, chapel, and parts of the offices close to the gym.

crazy stuff

_____________________________

Photo by Ray Ford of fires described by students at Westmont College.

Prayers for Westmont College

reibwo — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 07:08:19 +0000

Say a prayer for Westmont College, Montecito, the firefighters in fighting the good fight, and all those effected by the fire that is tearing through the area tonight. It is so sad to see. God be with you all.

The Day Westmont Burned…

reibwo — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 06:55:31 +0000

If you have not heard, Westmont College, where I went to school burned tonight. It is difficult to find words to describe the feeling of sadness that brings to me. The good news is that everyone, according to all the reports I have been able read, listen to, or watch over the last few hours–is OK. All the students evacuated to the gym which is an official fire shelter for not only the campus, but also the neighborhood. Some further sad news is that at least the prayer chapel has burned on campus, and perhaps other structures. Even worse, many houses in the neighborhood have been lost, and many many people are still being evacuated.

There are some reports that are saying that the fire has begun to move beyond the campus, which is good news for students in the gym, but not for those still in the path of the fire.

Here is a good link on the fire:

http://www.kclu.org/audio/kclulive.asx

live feed from local radio station that is covering the fire.

http://horizon.westmont.edu/articles/?p=1108

Westmont Student live blogging. Has some photos from students in the gym. They are apparently watching “The Incredibles” and seem to be fine.

http://westmont.edu/ says:

WILD FIRE NEAR WESTMONT

At 9 p.m., an update was given to everyone sheltered in place in the gymnasium. There is no threat to the gym and air quality is improving there. Those sheltered in place seem to be doing well under the circumstances, and are now watching a movie. To our knowledge, no one has been injured on campus.

The fire has damaged several minor buildings.

The emergency hotline number at 1-888-565-7911 has current information..