Nicholas Walter
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Fathoms below

A joint diving team locates the long-lost wreckage of the George E. Billings
by Nicholas Walter

In the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary alone there are more than 150 documented shipwrecks. Of those, only 30 have been located and surveyed. Robert Schwemmer’s job is to go find the rest of them. As cultural resources coordinator for the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, Schwemmer is equal parts historian, detective, and wreck diver. […]

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Union banners finally come down

by Nicholas Walter

Nine months. Most people recognize it as the time it takes to have a baby. In Greg Steinberger’s case, nine months was how long it took for his baby—Doc’s Bernstein’s Ice Cream Lab—to finally be rid of the banner that had been haunting it from across the street since October. The “bannering” campaign, headed by […]

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Privacy or policing?

A proposed ‘good neighbor’ ordinance has some local residents and public officials concerned
by Nicholas Walter

A new ordinance recently passed by the Santa Maria City Council has stirred some not-so-good feelings among the city’s business owners. On Aug. 3, the City Council voted 3-2 to approve a “good neighbor” ordinance aimed at making it easier for law enforcement to issue public disturbance citations to businesses and groups that hold large […]

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Dive chic

Lompoc watering hole Jasper’s gets some national attention
by Nicholas Walter

The August issue of Playboy listed the top 15 dive bars in the country. No. 6 on that list? Jasper’s in Lompoc. The little town best known for its historic flower industry is now standing proudly with the likes of New Orleans, Boston, New York, and San Francisco. The first time owner Mickey Sarkin heard […]

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To arrow is human

Buellton’s TLC Archery lets people get behind the bow
by Nicholas Walter

We’ve all seen Robin Hood split the arrow, but how many people have actually done that in real life? Thom Chamberlain has. Seven times. Thom and his wife, Lori, run TLC Archery in Buellton. At their shop and target range, experienced archers and first-timers alike come to learn about one of the world’s oldest martial […]

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Judgment day

Vandenberg protesters finally head to court
by Nicholas Walter

Most people try to avoid standing before a judge in court, but Dennis Apel’s been hoping to get in front of one for a while now. Apel, along with Father Steve Kelly and McGregor Eddy, are no strangers to being arrested. The three of them have been arrested numerous times while protesting in front of […]

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Seeds of hope

Lompoc is not the flower capital it used to be, but a few locals are keeping the historic industry alive
by Nicholas Walter

It was easy to be overwhelmed. The ocean of color stretched literally to the horizon: purples, whites, reds, yellows, pinks—some in solid swaths, others jumbled together in a firework display. People came from all over the world to see the flower fields of Lompoc. Today, people still come, but they have to search a bit […]

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Not quite ‘safe and sane’

Despite efforts by the city, illegal fireworks are still a 4th of July fixture in Santa Maria
by Nicholas Walter

“John” leans toward the tube with a lighter. Flick, flick, flick. Nothing. “This is why we use punks,” he mutters under his breath. After the sixth or seventh try, the fuse lights and John comes sprinting back across the street with a maniacal grin on his face. With a not-so-muffled thump, the shell shoots upward. […]

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Santa Ynez Valley Humane Society bites back

by Nicholas Walter

On June 19, former volunteers of the Santa Ynez Valley Humane Society held a protest rally in Buellton to voice their concerns with shelter staff, the shelter’s euthanization policy, the discontinuation of the dog volunteer program, and how the shelter’s run in general. In a statement detailing the shelter’s response, Laurie Owens, the president of […]

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A tale of two volunteers

Former volunteers organize a protest rally against the Santa Ynez Valley Humane Society
by Nicholas Walter

Some people held signs, some held their pets, some held both. Some were dressed as pets holding signs, one was locked in a cage next to a sign that read: “Walk me, don’t cage me.” Cars honked, people cheered—quite a bit of commotion for a Saturday morning in Buellton. A protest rally against the Santa […]

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Ride the wind

The Sun tags along on a student’s first kiteboarding lesson
by Nicholas Walter

You’ve probably seen them on windy days up and down the coast, when the sky is filled with colorful kites pulling riders across the wave tops. Kiteboarding has been around since 1996, when the first inflatable kite was invented. Since then, the sport has spread far and wide, from the balmy waters of the Caribbean […]

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