Can the county oppose a business ownership change? It seems pretty standard: One business buys another business’s property and becomes the new owner of said property. But I guess if you’re an oil corporation buying a pipeline that spilled oil all over a beloved piece of the Santa Barbara County coastline, things become a little […]
The Canary
Posted inOpinion
If you build it
The Santa Maria Planning Commission just greenlit a proverbial field of dreams for the Central Coast. As of June 7, the Blosser Ranch apartment development is a go, and its plans call for 301 apartments and more than 301 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. You heard that right: If the city builds it, they will […]
Posted inOpinion
Eat dirt
Is it better to know or is ignorance bliss? According to Lars Seifert with Santa Barbara County Environmental Health Services: “It’s good for people to be aware of what they are eating, drinking, and what they’re exposed to. … It gives people the power to make choices and reduce their risk if they are concerned.” […]
Posted inOpinion
A right to visibility
As Pride Month raises its fantastic colors on the Central Coast, it feels extra prescient. History feels omnipresent, rather than in the not-too-distant past, when it comes to discrimination—both outright and under-the-radar—against the LGBTQ-plus community. The outrage against what rainbow flags symbolize for some people isn’t unique to the Santa Ynez Valley. And the irony […]
Posted inOpinion
Menace to society
Colson Canyon Road has been closed since January. If you live on the wrong side of that closure, guess what? You better own an ATV, because that’s the only way you’re getting to and from your house. Sounds amazing, right? If you own a business on the wrong side of that closure, you’ve been out […]
Posted inOpinion
Big Frost
Do we feel bad for a vineyard operator in the Cuyama Valley that doesn’t get to build its “frost protection” ponds anymore? If you’re Andy “I’m With COLAB” Caldwell, yes. Does his opinion actually matter? That’s a rhetorical question. He’s very concerned about Santa Barbara County’s mistreatment of North Fork Ranch, which some folks believe […]
Posted inOpinion
It’s not a game
COVID-19 really did turn politicking into a spectator sport, complete with rabid fans who direct their indiscriminate, inappropriate, and often inarticulate anger at everyone if the game plays out in a way they don’t like. Only it’s not a game. And in the case of the Santa Ynez Valley Union High School District, the losers […]
Posted inOpinion
Perseverance payoff
Solvang Mayor Mark Infanti finally caved. Although he didn’t specify why he switched sides on Pride Bannergate 2023, he did indicate that he was feeling the pressure from the state, federal, and international levels. The pressure on Solvang seemed to continually rise in the weeks following the upheaval over a relatively benign proposal to hang […]
Posted inOpinion
The nerve
At least one official in the Santa Ynez Valley has had it with the area’s political shenanigans. The Santa Ynez Valley Union High School principal is quitting after one year on the job. Why? It’s definitely you, not him. Michael Niehoff said he tried to make learning the forefront of his job, but the people […]
Posted inOpinion
Re-presentation
Our favorite “Danish capital of America” is still trying to figure out how best to represent its identity as a diminutive Denmark here on the Central Coast while also trying to hear and act on requests from its residents to represent their identities and values. To many, those are not different things. In February, the […]
Posted inOpinion
Say something
Parents hear about things. They hear about many alarming things like overdoses during the school day from their kids, from other parents, from teachers, from social media, etc. And when scary things happen in the environment their children are in eight-plus hours a day, parents should be getting the truth directly from the administration. […]
Posted inOpinion
No place for hate
I’m getting kind of tired of writing about all the homophobia in the Santa Ynez Valley. But it seems to be the topic du jour. Now, Santa Ynez Valley Union High School is getting in on all the action. As the principal put it, the school was “unintentionally pulled into an issue that has divided […]
