A San Luis Obispo County Superior Court ruled to deny a petition from the Nipomo Parks Conservancy challenging the county’s approval of the Nipomo Park Master Plan, which would construct additional recreation facilities at the park over a 20-year time frame. The plan had been held up by litigation since January 2013. In its petition, […]
BRENNA SWANSTON
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Santa Maria Joint Union High School District reaches faculty contract agreement
The Santa Maria Joint Union High School District (SMJUHSD) and its faculty association last week reached a final agreement on teacher contracts, following stalemated negotiations and a fact-finding process. On May 27, a fact-finding panel released a report siding with the tentative agreement reached by the district and association leaders earlier that month, though the […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Craft beer or bust: Buellton Brew Fest rolls into its fifth and biggest year
View a slideshow from the 2016 festival. Hundreds of craft beer options in one centralized location: good. Hundreds of rowdy good-for-nothin’ hooligans in one centralized location: bad. Unfortunately, the two tend to come as a package deal—except at Buellton Brew Fest. The festival will hit town for its fifth year on May 7, and according […]
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Part of the family: Saarloos and Sons will adopt you into its Los Olivos-based wine-and-cupcake fantasy world
Red wine. White wine. Cupcakes. That’s the mantra of Saarloos and Sons, a Los Olivos-based winery known for its wine and cupcake pairings. You’ve never seen a cuter place: Wine bottles donning handwritten labels commemorating the growers’ family and friends; sun-faded tables and chairs set up on the patio out front, shaded by a large […]
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Los Padres Forest Service closes Rockfront area
Los Padres National Forest officials have temporarily closed the Rockfront Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) area to visitors and Forest Service employees due to dying trees that pose safety hazards. Forest Service Public Affairs Officer Andrew Madsen said dead standing trees become unstable in windy weather, threatening sudden collapse on campgrounds or across trails. “In the interest […]
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Betteravia Farms approved for guest farmworker housing unit
At its June 1 meeting, the county Planning Commission unanimously approved a conditional use permit for Betteravia Farms to build a 30-unit farmworker housing structure, called Curletti Ranch, on company land outside Santa Maria. The structure will house up to 600 guest laborers working for Betteravia Farms under H-2A, a federal program for temporary foreign […]
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John Linn running for mayor of Lompoc
Remember when John Linn was Lompoc’s mayor? Well, he’s ready for another round. Linn, mayor of Lompoc from 2010 to 2014, announced his fifth mayoral campaign at Lompoc LAUNCHpad on June 3. “In the last two years the city of Lompoc has had an administration that has accomplished very little,” Linn said at the announcement. […]
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Sweeping gun restrictions head to California Assembly
June 2 marks the second annual National Gun Violence Awareness Day, calling gun safety advocates to wear orange in memory of lives lost to firearms violence. This year’s awareness day lands in a crucial and turbulent time for the debate between gun rights and gun control: On May 19, the California Senate passed a historic […]
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Federal grant launches Santa Maria Summer Jobs and Beyond youth employment program
The county Workforce Development Board will launch a program to provide 260 high-risk youth with employment opportunities starting this summer, thanks to a $2 million federal grant. Santa Maria Summer Jobs and Beyond will provide kids and young adults aged 16 to 24 with paid work experience opportunities, including summer and year-round jobs, according to […]
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Lompoc Chamber to overhaul membership fee system
Lompoc’s Chamber of Commerce will implement a new, tiered dues membership starting July 1, meaning a hike in fees for some members, along with a potential change in the Chamber’s culture. The new payment schedule will offer four different levels of services for four different prices, with the most basic services going for $150 a […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Cowboy Flavor Catering: Bringing the Central Coast lifestyle to all corners of the world
It started on packing trips in the backcountry. Billy Ruiz would lead groups through ranchland in the Santa Ynez Valley, stopping at night to camp and barbecue. He’d introduce his customers to cowboy-style cooking in Dutch ovens. “We barbecued like we did at home,” Ruiz said. “Santa Maria-style meat. Good seasoning. We mixed our own […]
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First & Oak, Solvang’s fine French dining spot, will hook you with each plate
This week’s review is more than that. It’s a story. But first, take note: I approach this food column not as a platform to showcase the pretentious musings of a food and wine connoisseur (being that I know nothing about food), but rather as an excuse to experience as many types of food and drink […]