Cover Story
Santa Maria City Council decided against adding live interpretation to its meetings, a barrier for those whose first language isn’t English
“Thank you for calling the city of Santa Maria,” a happy, automated voice chirps over the line. “Para español, por favor presione el signo de los numeros.” Selecting the pound sign, a loud beep sounds off, followed by a pause. A woman’s voice relays this message in Spanish: “If you know your party’s four-digit extension…
Curtis Cook headlines Laugh Therapy Stand-up Comedy in Santa Ynez
The Maverick Saloon in Santa Ynez presents its next Laugh Therapy Stand-up Comedy event on Wednesday, July 27, from 8 to 10 p.m. Prolific writer and comedian Curtis Cook will headline the show, which also features appearances from Liz Blanc and Stormy Silva. Tickets to the show are available in advance at my805tix.com. A Writers…
Nashville singer-songwriter Stacy Antonel and other artists pay tribute to James Taylor and Carole King in Orcutt
Songwriters at Play presents its next Orcutt group concert, described as a tribute to the music of James Taylor and Carole King, on Friday, July 29, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at the Unity of Santa Maria Chapel. Multiple musicians will perform during this tribute show. The lineup includes Stacy Antonel (pictured), Mary Scholz, Jeanne…
Oceano musician and digital marketing expert Kevin Carr pens ‘The Musician’s Guide to Digital Marketing’
In local digital marketing guru Kevin Carr’s new book, The Musician’s Guide to Digital Marketing, he begins with a contemporary myth: “Fate was written in the stars for the yearning YouTuber. Her life abruptly changed after a viral video, which led to placement on a prominent Spotify playlist, which led to a meeting with a…
Carolyn Dismuke documents two-year wine country pilgrimage across California in new book, ‘Drink Your Words’
The first chapter of Carolyn Dismuke’s new nonfiction book outlines her departure from San Francisco, where she left her studio apartment behind to embark on an ambitious road trip across California. Over the next 25 months, Dismuke lived out of the suitcases she was able to fit in her convertible. “I’d only planned to be…
Political Watch: July 21, 2022
• More than 12,700 tons of trash was cleared from state roadsides during the first year of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Clean California initiative—a $1.1 billion multiyear cleanup effort that began July 2021, according to a July 14 statement from Newsom’s office. This amount would fill enough trash bags to line the California coastline twice, according…
FBI files complaint against man who took minor from SLO County to Mexico
The FBI lodged a criminal complaint against a 38-year-old man and his accomplice for transporting a minor from Nipomo to Mexico with the intent to engage in an illicit sexual relationship. According to the charge filed by Special Agent Brian Sullivan on July 11, Daniel Navarro of Victorville posed as a teenager on Instagram and…
County policy changes could lead to a 200-bed reduction at jail
Expanding jail diversion programs and electronic probation monitoring as well as reducing transfer wait times are some of the options Santa Barbara County is considering to reduce its jail population. Michael Wilson—president of MW Consulting—presented an analysis to the supervisors on July 12 that looked at criminal justice trends, the jail’s historic population of around…
Lompoc leaders honor sex-trafficking awareness nonprofit
After pedaling for more than 1,200 miles, 11 women stopped in Lompoc and received several accolades from state and local leaders for their efforts to raise awareness about human trafficking by biking from Seattle to San Diego. “We actually started [this] in 2017, myself and two friends,” said Savannah Lovelace, the co-founder of Pedal the…
A Santa Maria adult day health care facility celebrates its grand reopening for in-person services and care
Amanda Sillars worked in nursing homes, home health, and hospice care before finding an alternative path for senior care that she fell in love with, she said. “Adult day health care is set up to support people so they can remain living in the community happily and as healthily as possible. The entire goal of…
In response to ‘The price of housing,’ we really don’t need more houses
These are very very stressful times. Green open spaces are known to make peace with your heart and soul and body. Many scientific studies show that the benefits of open green community space is space well spent for the well-being and happiness of the community. Driving around town, I noticed when I come to an…
Our fundamental freedoms are coming under attack
This is a scary moment. The Supreme Court just dismantled abortion rights across America. As a result, 26 states could outlaw abortion, including 13 that have passed “trigger” laws to take effect immediately after the court overturns Roe v. Wade. This news should set off alarm bells for all Americans. Our fundamental freedoms are coming…
Fed government must stop sticking nose in states’ business
The original idea of federalism was the promise of limited government. A federal government would offer the separate states collective power to raise and keep a military for protection. Collectively we would have leverage for trade. As a collective we would be recognized as a country to negotiate deals with the rest of the world. …
Massive mixed-use project downtown needs approval of the people
Imagine an apartment complex, almost the size of the senior center near the second corner of the four corners of a downtown “that draws people there to shop, recreate, and in the end also produce tax revenue.” NOT! Then let’s imagine room for 100 to 200 parking spaces to accommodate the said occupants of the…
Strap city
Santa Maria City Council is at it again! Giving the have-nots nothing and ensuring that they know nothing. It’s the Patino-Waterfield special! The ol’ one-two sucker punch. City Councilmember Carlos Escobedo, who often sides with Mayor Alice Patino and Councilmember Etta Waterfield, was visibly miffed at the end of a June 21 budget discussion in…
