Canary

I wanted to write another column about the drought. I know water. Everybody likes water. Then I thought about discussing the music licensing issues raised elsewhere in the paper this week. I know music. Everybody likes music. But this was all just hemming and hawing and putting off the subject I knew in my heart […]

I thought love was in the air on a recent flight I took around Santa Maria until I realized it wasn’t love, it was water falling from the sky. Even if it wasn’t romance soaking into my feathers, my heart fluttered all the same. I honestly, truly, genuinely couldn’t recall the last time I felt […]

When I was a little fledgling in flight school, I always showed up early to class, took copious notes, did my homework, studied late into the night, and met frequently with the teacher. Some of my fellow students, however, strolled in late, reeking of cigarette smoke, to hand in crumpled-up worksheets—if they handed in anything […]

Back in July, folks in Santa Barbara County were talking about food. But this wasn’t the typical debate over which ingredients, exactly, constitute Santa Maria-style barbecue. The discussion wasn’t about the best steakhouse in the area and the merits of red oak over other combustibles. And it wasn’t about how the area’s growing prominence as […]

On Jan. 9, Abel Maldonado sent out this message as part of his ongoing campaign for California governorship: “As Governor, I will work to reform and simplify California’s complex tax system. I’ll reduce the burden on the small businesses we need to grow in order to create jobs. I’ll cancel this high-speed rail boondoggle. And […]

I’m going to fly a bit outside of my usual comfort zone this week by writing about a South County issue. Of course, what happens down there sometimes comes up, so it’s really an all-county issue. I’m talking about traffic. By the time most of you read this column, the Santa Barbara County Association of […]

There’s news this week about another—another!—cockfighting ring busted by local officials, this one near the Santa Maria airport. Writers have spilled a lot of ink on this subject, but that still doesn’t seem to staunch the blood that the birds themselves are spilling for sport, so gamblers can get a sadistic thrill while watching two […]

I heard a few weeks back about Santa Maria’s appearance on a list of the most violent cities in California, so I’m glad to see that the editors here at the Sun decided to explore that idea with a cover story. If you skipped right to my column—and I certainly wouldn’t blame you for doing […]

Dear readers, Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! Feliz Navidad! Mele Kalikimaka! Happy Kwanza! And Happy New Year! Love, The Canary

When it comes to the holidays—or any day, for that matter—I’m sure most people would say I’m more of a Scrooge than a Santa Claus. But remember, even Scrooge had a change of heart, and so can I. So while I didn’t get a visit from canaries past or future, my little yellow heart is […]

Hello, faithful Sun readers! Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza, and Merry (almost) Christmas! As is tradition, in honor of our annual Last-Minute Gift Guide issue, I’m going to write a little roundup on what our local leaders could use this holiday season. But before I do that, I’d like to talk about what’s been going on […]

I have stuff. I can’t deny it. I do like my suet and seeds, and I like to have the proper serving dishes and utensils. I also have a large flat-screen TV: a whopping 13 inches! It barely fits in my nest. But there’s stuff, and then there’s stuff. I can’t come down on holiday […]