Hard economic times will cost Santa Barbara City Hall between $3 million and $5 million in lost revenues, according to City Administrator Jim Armstrong’s recent report. Bed tax revenues were down 1.9 percent in September compared to the prior September. This decline came after posting a 10.5 percent increase in August, though this August was unusual in that it had five weekends. Passenger counts at the city’s airport declined 4.1 percent. Armstrong attributes this drop to the loss of service by Express Jet to Sacramento and San Diego.
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A rare exchange of cannon fire was heard last week as the naval gun mounted in front of the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum was discharged in salute of the Ni±a-an exact replica of Christopher Columbus’ 15th-century ship-as she entered the harbor. The hand-built wooden ship, which returned salute with its deck gun, will be open for tours at the Santa Barbara harbor until 11/30. (/cannonfire)