The Canary

We’ve had not just one fire, but two this summer.  Both started along Highway 166’s lonely stretch of two-lane road and lapped up vegetation, grassland, and oak-studded hills stretching through federal land—Los Padres National Forest, Carrizo Plain National Monument, the Caliente Mountain Wilderness Study Area, the Garcia Wilderness—threatened ranches, remote houses, county parks, cattle, crops, […]

Do you think it’s possible that converting a dingy old department store in downtown Santa Maria into apartments is the step needed to reinvigorate an area that’s needed reinvigoration for as long as it can remember? I remember when Fallas Discount Store first proposed filling the space on Broadway. It was 2013. Mayor Alice Patino […]

It’s almost back-to-school time, and I’m jumping the gun by handing out gold stars this week. It’s rare that I get to give so many accolades! First up, North County schools are growing their own gardens thanks in large part to Explore Ecology and One Cool Earth. These nonprofits help establish and run the gardens […]

While flying over Northern Santa Barbara County’s neighborhoods, I can’t help but notice the signs: Slow down. Drive like your kids live here. Children at play.  There are already speed limit signs on residential streets telling drivers not to go faster than 25 mph (only a bit faster than the average airspeed velocity of an […]

In a time when affordable housing is in such high demand, when the California Legislature tries over and over again to alleviate the housing crisis and stimulate building, Buellton is trying to figure out how to kick certain residents out of long-term housing situations and turn those spaces into hotel rooms again.  “Those motel uses […]

How will Buellton’s 4th District voters choose between their two candidates in August’s special election?  Former Mayor Dave King and newcomer Carla Mead seem pretty similar when it comes to policy—and they both seem to think they’ve got what it takes to get Caltrans to pay attention to some of Highway 246’s biggest safety issues, […]

Fire season is here, y’all.  With more than 80,000 acres burned in the Cuyama Valley and on the Carrizo Plain National Monument since before July 2, and a number of other starts since summer began, now is the time to be careful.  That means: Be done with the fireworks, people.  I can still hear the […]

Santa Barbara County is losing its cannabis enforcement team.  That’s one way to save $3 million!  Apparently illegal cannabis activities in the county have declined significantly since 2018, when the Sheriff’s Office Cannabis Compliance Team first started ripping through illegal grows, weed whacking, bagging, and confiscating all things pot.  I remember the images that the […]

Fireworks are already popping off in northern Santa Barbara County, and we’re still a couple of weeks away from the Fourth of July.  Surprised? Nope. Santa Maria, Guadalupe, Lompoc—not to be dramatic, but the city streets turn into a bit of a war zone as darkness descends on Independence Day. You have to be careful […]

How much does it take to fold a chamber of commerce?  In Lompoc, apparently, it takes a little less than $50,000. The Lompoc City Council decided to cut into the amount of funding it provides to the Lompoc Valley Chamber of Commerce—both in cash and in-kind.  The result of that is about a net $60,000 […]

How many lawsuits does it take to stop Sable Offshore Corporation? At least two: One from the Environmental Defense Center and one from the Center for Biological Diversity. Well, two and a restraining order request—and even then, Sable continues its march to open the oil tap.  Both were filed in response to the Office of […]

Pride is upon us. It’s here. And I’m ready to flap my wings and tweet and twitter in celebration of the LGBTQ-plus community during their month, June!  I’m curious what will happen at the Santa Maria City Council meeting tonight—June 3—as proclaiming Pride Month in June is on the agenda. Will the emboldened haters out […]