If my boss offered me a raise that was less than 20 cents an hour, I’d be offended. That’s why I’m empathetic to the plight of Santa Maria-Bonita School District’s classified employees, who took a look at the district’s offer of a 1 percent raise and decided it was time for a mediator to step […]
Canary
Posted inCanary
Government control
Does the county have any control over the federal government? What about the state? No. That’s the answer I’m going to go with. What have we done as a state? We’ve banned Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents from conducting their business at state courthouses—as in, arresting people. According to CalMatters, officers are doing it regardless. […]
Posted inCanary
Something fishy
Some punishments go too far. Like the prison sentences our justice system once assigned to criminal offenders caught with marijuana thanks to the “war on drugs.” They were aggressive. And aggressive is exactly how the Central Coast Youth Football League is being when it comes to the Orcutt Youth Football League. It’s confusing, but the […]
Posted inOpinion
Crossy road
Happy Pedestrian Safety Month! Did you know that was a thing? I didn’t. But I’m not a pedestrian. Well, this winged wanderer just got another reason to be glad I’m neither a driver nor a walker. Local police are starting to enforce a new law this month, one that went into effect in January. The […]
Posted inOpinion
Tri-tip tradition
Tri-tip sandwiches are the bread and barbecue sauce (or salsa) of fundraising in the Santa Maria Valley. Need to raise money for a school basketball trip? Tri-tip barbecue! Need some funds for soccer uniforms? Tri-tip barbecue! Senior center field trip? Barbecue. Nonprofit low on dollars? Barbecue. Santa Barbara County just made it a lot harder […]
Posted inOpinion
Lompoc’s luck
How many times has the city of Lompoc been denied by the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) of Santa Barbara County? I’m not sure, but the city’s efforts to annex some of the land near Bailey Avenue out of the county have met with roadblock after roadblock. For a quarter of a century, the city […]
Posted inOpinion
Best of the best
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, […]
Posted inOpinion
Flooding downtown
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 […]
Posted inOpinion
Gold stars
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 […]
Posted inOpinion
Slow your roll
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 […]
Posted inOpinion
Vital affordability
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 […]
Posted inOpinion
Squeaky, squeaky
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, […]
