On June 30, concerned citizens from the Oceano, Grover Beach, and Arroyo Grande communities sat down with the local ag commissioner and a representative from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR). This meeting was months in the making, and although one of the key representatives of the citizen group, Karl Kempton, had requested it […]
Commentaries
Posted inOpinion
Lompoc Fire Department has sounded the alarm for more than a decade and no one answered
“Deferred maintenance” is a term used to define things that need to be done but will have to wait until we can afford it. In government it usually means that they have the funds to fix the roof, but the politicians guiding the use of tax money would rather defer fixing the roof and use […]
Posted inOpinion
Cal Poly’s research helps ensure a healthy future for California strawberries
When people bring home a carton of California strawberries, they probably aren’t thinking about plant diseases, soil health, or the students spending long days collecting samples in a field. As a plant pathologist, I do. Because behind every strawberry is years of research, countless hours of fieldwork, and a shared commitment to finding better ways […]
Posted inOpinion
South County leaders know nothing about a world without fossil fuels
Imagine a world without fossil fuels; it would be dark, very few people, only foraged food, no houses, nothing but silence and emptiness. This is the world that the movers and shakers in Santa Barbara County and statewide would like to take you to. Their endless assault on the production and use of fossil fuel […]
Posted inOpinion
Salud Carbajal’s housing spin is why voters are tired of politics
Housing is one of the most pressing issues facing the Central Coast. So when Congress passes a bipartisan housing bill, it should be good news. But instead of simply telling the truth, politicians too often turn good news into campaign spin. That is what Congressman Salud Carbajal is doing through the 21st Century ROAD to […]
Posted inOpinion
Sometimes change is good, but seemingly arbitrary changes to city government bring chaos
There may be a political renaissance in the making in Lompoc. Sometimes change is good, and other times it may bring only chaos to a community. For the last couple of City Council meetings, there seems to have been an organized effort to undermine the traditional way our City Council, current and past, has been […]
Posted inOpinion
Angry boomers: Our generation remembers older generations’ hardships and we’re grateful for our lives of relative ease
In yet another generational skirmish, Generation Z is now characterizing us boomers as “angry” for unreasonably resisting their demands that we shuffle off to the graveyard and bequeath them our homes and assets. Perhaps they are just confusing the term “angry” with the word “no,” which they are apparently just now hearing for the first […]
Posted inOpinion
The state supersedes local control when it comes to ADUs and your quality of life
All you people out there who worked hard all your lives to live in a single-family neighborhood or think you’re safe from increased congestion in a homeowners association (HOA) managed development, get ready for a relatively new state law that can impact your quality of life. On June 10, the Lompoc Planning Commission debated a […]
Posted inOpinion
The Oceano Dunes is paid for by your gas taxes
A common argument for continuing driving and off-roading on the Oceano beach and dunes is that if vehicles go away, then the off-highway vehicle (OHV) funds that protect the snowy plover will go away too. Probably, yes, some of it will go away. But so would the biggest threat to the snowy plover and the […]
Posted inOpinion
It will be another few weeks before we learn our next leaders, candidates for local, state, and federal races
As everyone who pays attention to California politics knows, elections are never resolved on Election Day. It’s always weeks and sometimes months before the final tally is complete. But initially, it appears that Democrats are satisfied with the pitiful condition of our state and county as they continue to support politicians who couldn’t care less […]
Posted inOpinion
Oceano and endangered species deserve a peaceful safe beach
It doesn’t happen often, but it happened recently: The Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area (ODSVRA) south of Arroyo Grande Creek was closed to off-highway vehicles and became a safe place for pedestrians. But the closure was temporary. The Oceano Dunes re-opened May 21 to off-road vehicles. Why was the Oceano Dunes closed to vehicles? […]
Posted inOpinion
Lompoc Fire Department’s unresolved ‘at risk’ conditions will only worsen its service over time
On May 5, the Lompoc City Council received a sobering presentation by interim Fire Chief Kevin Shay. Chief Shay reported that the Lompoc City Fire Department has the two busiest fire stations in Santa Barbara County. The three fire units and nine crew members respond to more than 5,300 calls for service each year—that’s an […]
