For years, the public discussion regarding the Oceano Dunes and vehicle access has been binary: four wheelers vs. environmentalists. But maybe its not that simple. Not every person who accesses and recreates on the beach and dunes does so in the same manner. There are pedestrians, cyclists, surfers, kite fliers, clammers, and nature lovers getting […]
Letters To The Editor
Posted inOpinion
The public has been shut out of the Dana Reserve process
Excellent opinion on the Dana Reserve development (“The Dana Reserve development project in Nipomo must have constructive community input,” July 20). Yes, the public has been shut out of this process. There are still many people who do not know about it. We use to have the paper, Adobe Press; it provided much of our […]
Posted inOpinion
A glaring omission in the Sun
I was perusing the movie reviews in this week’s Sun and then started looking through the archives for the last several weeks. I noticed one glaring omission, Sound of Freedom. The Starkeys have reviewed every top box office movie in the last several weeks except Sound of Freedom. This movie has held the No. 2 […]
Posted inOpinion
Wake up, organize, register, vote!
One year ago, the Supreme Court of the U. S. (SCOTUS) overturned Roe v. Wade with the Dobbs decision, thereby denying the autonomy of American women by proclaiming the state’s right to control their wombs. Coupled with this are efforts by some to build a border fence to keep immigrants out and to corral America’s […]
Posted inOpinion
Regarding Ron Fink’s July 13 ‘Solutions’
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I doubt this planet will be habitable for the vast majority of humanity and animal life in the year 2100. We are having catastrophic weather events now. Bill Nye said it is getting worse every year. Do not think you or I will be spared. […]
Posted inOpinion
Help protect our local small businesses from predatory ADA lawsuits
Since 1990 the Americans with Disabilities Act has required improved accessibility for disabled individuals, resulting in substantial benefits for those individuals, their families, and their communities. Those with disabilities have enjoyed the freedom of improved access to businesses, transportation, and institutions that they depend on. Like many new mandates, however, the Americans with Disabilities Act […]
Posted inOpinion
Rein in the Supreme Court with the Juduciary Act
The Supreme Court is running amok, and it’s past time we got it under control. In the year since the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, abortion has been effectively banned (with extremely limited exceptions) in 14 states. Nearly 1 in 3 Americans have lost access to abortion care. This year, the court overturned […]
Posted inOpinion
Ditch meat and save the climate
A new study reveals that the surge of disastrous wildfires in California is almost entirely due to the changing climate. So as Independence From Meat Day (July 4) draws near, let’s help to tame the flames with planet-friendly vegan food. Animal agriculture is a leading driver of the climate catastrophe. It’s responsible for copious amounts […]
Posted inOpinion
Could this be ‘weather weirding’?
There is no doubt that the weather we have had this year has been weird, culminating in rare June rain. Can we attribute these record highs and lows, droughts and floods to a newly unstable climate? Might that be because a century of greenhouse gas emissions has trapped solar heat, magnified the shifts of the […]
Posted inOpinion
The Supreme Court needs ethics police
The recent news about Clarence Thomas’ financial entanglements with GOP megadonor Harlan Crow should be alarming to every American. This is what happens when the highest court in the land is given free rein to police itself. Clarence Thomas isn’t the first justice to engage in unethical behavior. And if Congress continues to ignore the […]
Posted inOpinion
My memories of the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area
This month the court will decide if the California Coastal Commission has the right to ban driving on the Oceano beach and dunes. I raised my son in Oceano, and I have no memories of us on the Oceano beach because we never went there: I didn’t want to risk our lives dodging cars, trucks, […]
Posted inOpinion
What’s really behind the Richards Ranch annexation proposal?
I wonder if we have been asking the wrong questions regarding Richards Ranch LLC and its application to annex county key site 26 into the city of Santa Maria. The two questions we might consider: 1) Who are the members of the Richards Ranch LLC, and 2) What is their goal? Over a year ago, […]
