I’m a 13-year resident of Nipomo, which has no city government. The SLO County Board of Supervisors is very important, as this is our only political representation. Jimmy Paulding continues to be my choice as our South County supervisor. He is honest, hardworking, well informed by involvement with citizens to work on county problems. He […]
Taylor Saugstad
Posted inOpinion
My vote is with Adam Verdin
Public safety is the most fundamental duty of county government, yet it often feels like our law enforcement and firefighters are being asked to do more with less. When our first responders lack the resources they need, it’s a failure of accountability by the SLO County Board of Supervisors. Adam Verdin has made public safety […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
#Skyking is a crazy documentary about taking a commercial plane for a joyride
#SkykingWhat’s it rated? Not rated When? 2026 Where’s it showing? Hulu Richard “Beebo” Russell knew the ins and outs of SEA-TAC airport—after all, he was ground crew. He knew the hierarchy, that the pilots frequently made dismissive remarks about the “ramp rats.” The hours were long and the pay meager, but Beebo was a glass-half-full […]
Posted inOpinion
Future of Oceano dunes vehicular recreation area affects the entire Five Cities region
Regarding the opinion piece, “Help keep Oceano Dunes SVRA free of vehicles forever” (April 23), I have serious concerns. As a local who supports keeping access to the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area open, I’m curious who exactly the “local” residents and businesses behind the Oceano Beach Community Association are. A visit to their […]
Posted inOpinion
If vehicles go away from Oceano dunes, no one but plovers will have access
If vehicles go away, the off-highway vehicle funds that actively protect the plover go away. If these funds disappear, State Parks will manage the plovers and other threatened birds as they do at other beaches: build a massive enclosure that is completely free of people. No vehicles. No pedestrians. No fishing. No surfing. No dog […]
Posted inOpinion
Help keep Oceano Dunes free of vehicles forever
A federal court recently ruled that the California Department of Parks and Recreation violates the Endangered Species Act by allowing motorized vehicle use that harms shorebirds at the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area. The ruling also restricts that use. Since Tuesday, April 14, big signs at the Oceano beach vehicle ramp alert beach drivers […]
Posted inOpinion
Claims of voter fraud are fraud
The June 2 election is fast approaching. All eligible California voters will receive a mail-in ballot the first week in May. Now is the time to make sure you will receive your ballot in a timely fashion. To make sure your voter registration is up to date, to change your registration information, or, if you […]
Posted inOpinion
The surprising freedom of an electric car
As a mother of two young kids, I didn’t expect my first electric car purchase to bring me this much joy—or this much peace and quiet. But our new Hyundai IONIQ 5 has done exactly that. First, the silence. No engine roar, no rattling—just smooth, almost magical acceleration. My kids actually asked if the car […]
Posted inOpinion
Community members should not let themselves be silenced
On March 12, the Santa Maria Sun newspaper published a signed opinion column by Roy Reed about the election for Santa Barbara County District 5 supervisor (“Know before you vote”). At first glance, it seemed like a simple, straightforward opinion. Still, when you read it carefully, it reveals something deeper: the power of language to […]
Posted inOpinion
The beauty of protest and finding community
She was small, thin, elderly, and perhaps not in the best of health. And yet she was standing in a crush of people waiting to join the protest march. I was wearing my yellow day-glo traffic vest and feeling a bit like the maître d at a wildly overbooked restaurant: “Watch your step, thank you […]
Posted inOpinion
The case for renewable energy
Trump’s war on Iran inadvertently makes a case for renewable energy. Without the free flow of tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, we have a crisis. Twenty percent of the world’s oil and gas passes through this strait. This exposes the depth of our dependence on fossil fuel. Since the Industrial Revolution in the late […]
Posted inLetters To The Editor
Get educated about local community organizations
I just read the commentary posted by Roy Reed (“Know before you vote,” March 12), mostly about the 5th District supervisors election coming in June. However, what struck me most was his misinformed, or rather non-informed, view about local community organizations. Let me educate everyone. Indivisible Santa Maria: “Our vision is a democracy that delivers […]
