School’s out and summer’s calling all the kids to go outside with friends and get a much needed break from classrooms and academics. For parents, it means it’s time to pick summer programs to ensure a fun-filled three months, and keep their children safe while they have to work. The Boys and Girls Club of […]
Taylor O'Connor
Posted inNews
Trail and open space access differences between North and South highlight community inequities
Dirt squishes beneath tightly laced hiking boots, and the trees shadow the sun as the trail begins to incline. A fresh breeze blows through the grass and ahead is nothing but the rolling hills of Santa Barbara County. Trails are nearby—maybe within walking distance from some homes—where residents and visitors can embrace the true beauty […]
Posted inNews
County cannabis ordinance changes aim to mitigate odor
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors decided to change permit requirements for cannabis cultivation permits, which will give decision makers like the board more say over projects and place additional requirements on cannabis businesses. The proposal would require commercial cannabis license applicants to obtain a conditional use permit, a permit that requires a public […]
Posted inNews
Department of Labor recovers wages for local farmworkers
Several U.S. Department of Labor investigations spanning from April 2020 to February 2022 found that four Santa Maria area farms failed to provide meals for temporary farmworkers (or lacked kitchen facilities), didn’t pay for the required transportation, failed to provide a contract to workers, and shortchanged workers’ wages—violating H-2A farmworker visa requirements—according to the Department […]
Posted inNews
Nipomo-based pilates and barre studio creates a new sense of community
When Shannon Mako moved to Nipomo from San Clemente four years ago, she knew no one and found it really hard to make new friends, she said. “The nature of the Central Coast is that it’s very small town. Properties are spread out, people have their houses sit further back in their land. You don’t […]
Posted inNews
Santa Maria’s 11th annual water awareness poster contest teaches kids about water conservation
California’s in an ongoing drought, and individuals can do their own part to conserve water with easy solutions, city of Santa Maria Water Conservation Specialist Myra Ritchie said. “We have an ongoing water conservation campaign, the message is, ‘Don’t waste a drop. Let’s save together.’ We tell the community how they can get involved, [and] […]
Posted inNews
County Superintendent wants to provide more resources for homeless students
Santa Barbara County ranks fourth out of California’s 58 counties for number of English learners and third for students experiencing poverty. Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools Susan Salcido highlighted those statistics during a State of Education address hosted by the Santa Maria Valley Camber of Commerce on May 18. She also spoke about mental […]
Posted inNews
New Orcutt housing development highlights debate between open space demands and housing needs
Jon Blanchard has lived in Orcutt since 1992, and for the past few years he’s led efforts for trail and open space advocacy through the nonprofit Santa Maria Valley Open Space. “Our board members are all local Orcutt residents or nearby. They are mostly working people that have jobs in the community, but we build […]
Posted inNews
High school students advocate for Levee Trail expansion
Pioneer Valley High School senior Casey Mata Garcia said he began advocating for more community green space because of the access inequalities he saw between his community in northern Santa Maria and its neighbors. “A lot of the residents in northern Santa Maria are field workers of low socioeconomic status. I grew up in northern […]
Posted inNews
ExxonMobil sues Santa Barbara County, claims constitutional rights violation
After the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors’ rejected ExxonMobil’s proposal to truck crude oil from its Las Flores Canyon processing facility to Santa Maria and Kern County pump stations, the oil company filed a lawsuit against the county stating its U.S. and California state constitutional rights were violated, according to legal documents. “We are […]
Posted inNews
Orcutt teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing honored as Santa Barbara County’s teacher of the year
When Joanna Hendrix was nominated to apply for the Santa Barbara County Teacher of the Year award, she had a hard time deciding whether she’d move forward with the process. “I learned I do not enjoy the spotlight,” the teacher of deaf and hard of hearing students said with a laugh. “I really had reservations […]
Posted inNews
Santa Maria BMX searches for new track space as lease ends
Santa Maria resident Jim Folkrod’s been a part of Santa Maria BMX since its beginning 14 years ago, when he took his 4-year-old son to the track to try to the sport, he said. “As needs came up, I would volunteer—whether it was being a starter or a judge at the bigger races—and for the […]
