Ron Fink

When you flush your waste down the drain it doesn’t just “disappear”; it eventually finds its way to the Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW), otherwise known as the wastewater treatment plant. Before your waste can be released as effluent into the Santa Ynez River, it must be treated to remove harmful substances. The treatment process […]

If you’re thinking of voting for Victor Vega as mayor, there are some things you should consider carefully—the most important is his six-year record as a councilman. The primary job of the mayor is keeping the council agenda on track during meetings; by that I mean that the mayor makes sure everyone is heard during […]

As the Nov. 3 election nears, Lompoc residents have some serious choices to make. One of them is who will serve to represent the 4th District of the city on the southwest side of town. This district is one of the older areas of the city, and the commercial areas have suffered as the central […]

Mayor Jenelle Osborne is running for reelection in November; she has served as mayor for the last two years, during which she has been consistently disrespected by three councilmen who serve with her. They regularly ignore her ideas and instead impose their own brand of governing, and it has caused a significant deterioration of city […]

Everyone knows that “Lompoc is at the end of the road” geographically, and this semi-isolation impacts our economy: Can city leaders improve the economic situation in our city? Since the space shuttle program ended at nearby Vandenberg Air Force Base, the city has seen relatively little growth. Developers like large parcels of land to build […]

Councilwoman Gilda Cordova was appointed two years ago by a City Council majority to fill an unexpired term when Jenelle Osborne was elected mayor. We have had more than one appointee in years past; some take it seriously, some have had agendas, and some have just kept the seat warm until the next election. Cordova […]

In August 1920 a woman’s right to vote was ratified and became public law, and later women were guaranteed the right to serve in elective positions in local, state, and federal governments. Since then, many have been elected and served as council members and as mayor in Lompoc. I have worked with and for women […]

There has been a lot of conversation, many demonstrations, and some riots across the nation in the past few weeks because of the use of deadly force by police. On June 16, Lompoc Police Chief Joseph Mariani provided the Lompoc City Council with a briefing concerning use of force policies in our city. He began […]

When Lompoc Measure I2020—the temporary 1 percent tax measure—was proposed, city leaders said they would use the money to “maintain and improve public services, including neighborhood police patrols, firefighter staffing, gang enforcement, crime and vandalism prevention, street improvements, community and recreational services, and park upgrades.” After several statements made by council members, I was skeptical […]

This has been a very chaotic couple of weeks on the COVID-19 front. I am surprised but happy at the pace that Gov. Newsom and Santa Barbara County have adopted in reopening most businesses, even though there are many restrictions. I am not complaining, but the “science” that the governor has repeatedly said would guide […]

The California tiger salamander is an elusive creature that has been causing local ranchers, vintners, farmers, and developers a collective migraine for decades. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service describes them this way: “The species is restricted to grasslands and low foothills with pools or ponds that are necessary for breeding. A California tiger salamander […]

Politicians are becoming too accustomed to their newfound powers as we enter the third month of COVID-19 restrictions. As this thing unfolds, even harsher infringements on our civil liberties seem to be the order of the day. In Santa Barbara County the disease hasn’t just impacted the people who have the sickness, but also thousands […]