Cover Story
Sanders, Warren supporters mobilize local Democratic voters ahead of the March 3 primary election
Inside the small community room at Maramonte Park in Santa Maria, about 10 classroom-style chairs are arranged to make a semicircle. As people and members of the press trickle in around 7 p.m. on Feb. 20, they’re greeted with smiles from women wearing Warren for President T-shirts, who sign them in at a folding table…
Statewide ag conference highlights value of diversity in the field as the best way to face challenges ahead
In her bakery, Melissa Sorongon bakes naturally leavened loaves in a wood-fired oven, bread she’s crafted from American heritage grains that she mills fresh. She’s the only one doing the work she does at Piedrasassi Wine and Bread. The Lompoc tasting room is open by appointment only, and Sorongon sells her bread online and on…
Orcutt Community Theater puts the laughter in slaughter with Arsenic and Old Lace
”You know, some guys just can’t hold their arsenic.” This isn’t a review of Chicago, but the “Cell Block Tango” lyric comes to mind in the case of sisters Abby and Martha Brewster (Dixie Arthur and Valerie Pallai, respectfully)—a murderous duo responsible for at least 12 deaths in Arsenic and Old Lace. Orcutt Community Theater’s…
Multimedia artist Irina Malkmus presents new, nautical exhibition in Santa Maria
Whether you’re in need of financial advice or not, a quick trip to the Ameriprise Financial branch in Santa Maria is an absolute must for local art lovers. As part of an ongoing exhibition series hosted by the company, several Central Coast-based artists have used the venue to display their works—including Solvang resident Irina Malkmus,…
Which One’s Pink? pays tribute to Pink Floyd at the Chumash Casino Resort
Named after the iconic lyric from “Have a Cigar,” Pink Floyd cover band Which One’s Pink? will perform at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez on Saturday, Feb. 29, at 8 p.m. Since its formation in 1997, this Los Angeles-based tribute has been praised by many Floyd fans and critics alike for their remarkably…
The U.S. Census Bureau is looking to fill temporary employment positions, locally.
The federal census is around the corner. It’s slated to begin on April 1. The U.S. Census Bureau’s mission is to ensure everyone is accounted for, everyone is counted once and in the right place. To reach that goal, the bureau is recruiting to fill hundreds of thousands of temporary positions across the country, including…
The three candidates for 3rd District supervisor ran against each other for the same position in 2016
Voters in Santa Barbara County’s largest district will face a familiar decision when voting for county supervisor in the March 3 primary election. The county’s 3rd District covers a sprawling area stretching from Guadalupe to the Santa Ynez Valley to Isla Vista. Incumbent Joan Hartmann faces challenges from Bruce Porter and Karen Jones, both of…
Solvang battles over the Board of Architectural Review
By trying to make the city’s architectural review process more consistent, the Solvang City Council created a real headache for themselves, according to Mayor Pro Tem Robert Clarke. “All we’re trying to do is streamline things and make it easier for people to get things done in this town … and we’ve stepped on the…
Wildling Museum hosts wild horse photographer Deborah Kalas
The Wildling Museum of Art and Nature in Solvang hosts a presentation with author and photographer Deborah Kalas on Sunday, March 15, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Kalas will share her experiences working with wild horses, along with highlights from her latest book, The Wild Herd: A Vanishing American Treasure. The author’s new work provides…
PCPA presents ‘The Tragedy of Julius Caesar’
The Pacific Conservatory Theatre’s (PCPA) production of William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Julius Caesar opens at the Severson Theatre on Thursday, March 5, at 7 p.m. Director Mark Booher helms this iteration of the classic drama, which stars Michael Tremblay as Julius Caesar, Peter S. Hadres as Marcus Brutus, Andrew Philpot as Caius Cassius, Emily…
THE CANARY: Small town tiff
You can tell that Solvang City Council members are obviously frustrated with their whole push to make the city a better, more tourist-filled, business-centric kind of town. Their disdain for the residents who are fighting against the change just falls out of their mouths. “Why doesn’t anyone understand us?” they whine from the dais. Mayor…
Vote for someone who will get things done
Santa Barbara County’s 3rd District needs bold new leadership. Take a look around at our public spaces, roads, and bridges. The disrespect and disrepair is evident. Lackluster leadership has left us with conditions that resemble third world nations. Let’s put a person in charge with an engineering background and a backbone, to stand up and…
Two qualified candidates are running for the 3rd District
Did you know that not “everybody has the right to live in Santa Barbara County”? That’s according to Karen Jones, candidate for the 3rd District county supervisor seat currently held by Joan Hartmann, contested by Jones and retired U.S. Army Col. Bruce Porter. Jones described her two opponents as out-of-state federal retirees in a pejorative…
It’s time for a change of strategy to address Lompoc’s deteriorated public safety infrastructure
The City Council and the citizens of Lompoc have clearly stated that public safety is their No. 1 priority. Public safety infrastructure consists of several components: people, communications, facilities, and rolling stock of both police and fire departments. Enough people adequately trained and compensated are needed to deliver police and fire services. Over the last…
POLITICAL WATCH: February 27, 2020
• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) announced a bill he filed on Jan. 21 that would prevent the Bureau of Land Management from leasing out federal land for oil and gas development until the department releases a detailed environmental impact statement that assesses how these activities could affect climate change, air quality, water, and…
County purchases electric vehicles, charging stations
Santa Barbara County is beginning its transition of replacing its fleet of vehicles with electrical ones with the purchase of 56 cars and 71 charging stations. Skip Grey, the county’s assistant director of its General Services Department, presented plans to make these purchases at the Feb. 25 Board of Supervisors meeting. During the meeting, Grey…
Two Sheriff’s Office employees arrested for sex offenses
A lengthy investigation led by Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office detectives has concluded with the arrest of two department employees who worked at the county jail. On Feb. 21, the Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of Salvador Vargas, who worked at the jail as a social worker involved with inmate discharges, and Gabriel…
