Cover Story
Groups are concerned that a proposed wind project could damage birds, plants
A couple of goats scamper down San Miguelito Road as George Bedford slowly drives in the opposite direction. He says it’s not the first time he’s seen animals on this road, before pointing to a spot where he once passed a mountain lion. Only a few miles south of Lompoc, the area feels worlds away.…
CANARY: Environmental conundrum
Twisting and turning in the wind, giant 500-foot-tall wind turbines could find their way into George Bedford’s flawlessly idealic view across the hills and dales of San Miguelito Canyon near Lompoc, if the Strauss Wind Energy Project gets approved. The project, which was approved by the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission in November 2019, got…
A documentary on Prohibition reminds us that regulations from 100 years ago still vex local wine biz today
The ghosts of Prohibition still linger in the cool warehouse distribution rooms of our Central Coast wineries. Constitutional amendments of Prohibition enacted 100 years ago—the 18th and 21st specifically—continue to affect the production, distribution, and commerce of wine and other alcoholic beverages throughout the 50 states and abroad. And according to the folks at the…
Santa Barbara country band Stray Herd saddles up at Cold Spring Tavern
“Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear.” Radio announcer Fred Foy’s famous intro to The Lone Ranger serves as the tagline for a Santa Barbara-based sextet of not-so-lone rangers. Stray Herd is composed of six local musicians with a passion for classic country-rock and roots nostalgia. At the front of the pack…
Pinups and Pets calendar benefits SBC Animal Care Foundation
A tabby cat named Thomasina, nicknamed Sina for short, graces the January page of the inaugural Pinups and Pets—a locally produced 12-month calendar to benefit the Santa Barbara County Animal Care Foundation. Like all of the featured animals in the calendar, Sina is accompanied by a pinup model and appears in a glamour-shoot-friendly setting. Each…
Bestselling author Wendelin Van Draanen releases first non-fiction book, Hope in the Mail
The title of Central Coast local Wendelin Van Draanen’s new book alludes to the author’s persistence in sending her unpublished novels to various New York publishers and agents—week after week, year after year. Van Draanen referred to the submission process as “putting hope in the mail.” After 10 years of rejection letters and other setbacks,…
The Santa Maria Airport announced travel to new cities starting Jan. 11
Flights will return to the Santa Maria Airport, served by United Airlines, spiriting travelers to Los Angeles, Denver, and San Francisco. The flights, local leaders in government and business hope, will make the city more appealing for business and will boost tourism. The plan has been years in the making, said airport General Manager Chris…
Political Watch: January 16, 2020
• On Jan. 9, U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) and more than 200 members of the House of Representatives voted in favor of a resolution that defines and limits President Donald Trump’s ability to take military action in Iran. This resolution directs Trump to stop using military force in or against Iran unless Congress…
Santa Barbara County has slowly been getting money to fight homelessness, and it’s scheduled to get another boost
Homeless spending in California has climbed every year since 2018, with Gov. Gavin Newsom determined to make each subsequent budget another step toward aiding the state’s needy. He followed through in early January when he proposed another $1 billion to help slow the spike in homelessness. “The $1 billion budget proposal to combat homelessness is…
Santa Maria files leisure assessment, declines to adopt plan
For the first time since 2013, the Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department has completed an assessment reviewing how the community feels about existing park services and what changes residents would like to see. Department Director Alexander Posada presented the Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Leisure Needs Assessment and Action Plan at the City Council…
Allan Hancock College looks at potential on-campus housing
Allan Hancock College is still considering the option of on-campus housing, a potential plan that’s been in the works since President Kevin Walthers joined the school in 2013. But it’s unclear how such housing would happen, who would build it, how many units there would be, or even how much it would cost to build.…
Lompoc City Council moves forward public safety recommendations
Lompoc officials, residents, and nonprofits are looking for ways to make the city safer after a historically violent 2019. A record seven homicides took place in the city of roughly 43,000 last year, while an understaffed police department struggled with budget constraints and the inability to fill vacant officer positions. During a meeting on Jan.…
Guadalupe seeks community feedback on infrastructure improvements
Guadalupe held a meeting on Jan. 12 to get community input about how to improve local infrastructure. “There was something like 80 people, which I was told was a pretty big turnout,” said Todd Bodem, the new city administrator. The meeting concerned a $206,450 Sustainable Communities Grant the city received in 2018. The grant, which…
What is environmental justice?
Environmental justice is one of those things most readily understood, and keenly felt, in its absence. If you’re unsure as to the meaning of “environmental justice” and have never felt it, you could also ask the residents of Oceano who can’t afford to live anywhere else, can’t safely use their beach, and face a future…
Lompoc’s budget deficit is real, no matter who denies it
On May 2, 2017, City Manager Patrick Wiemiller said in a briefing to the Lompoc City Council, “The biggest financial hurdle facing Lompoc, according to staff, is the city’s obligation of about $70 million to the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, or CalPERS.” Today the deficit is well over $90 million and growing. The obligation…
Local author documents Lompoc’s history of law enforcement
Peace in the Valley: History of the Lompoc Police Department 1890-2008, the first formal written history of Lompoc’s police department, is now available for purchase. The new book was compiled by local historian and former Lompoc Police Department volunteer Joseph L. Carlson, who first joined the department in 1985. Bill Brown, the police chief at…
Santa Maria Civic Theatre presents ‘Ripcord’
Santa Maria Civic Theatre’s (SMCT) production of David Lindsay-Abaire’s Ripcord opens on Friday, Jan. 17, from 7 to 9:30 p.m. The show is scheduled to run through Sunday, Feb. 2, with performances every Friday and Saturday from 7 to 9:30 p.m. and every Sunday from 1:30 to 4 p.m. This comedy follows two residents of…
Santa Ynez Valley Natural History Society hosts free lecture on elephant seals
Live Birth: A Year in the Life of an Elephant Seal, a special lecture presented by the Santa Ynez Valley Natural History Society, will be held at St. Mark’s-in-the-Valley Church in Los Olivos on Thursday, Jan. 30, from 7 to 9 p.m. Central Coast local Misty Wycoff, a five-year docent of the Friends of the…
