CalGEM is embarked on an effort to write new rules. These will impact the health and well-being of all who live, work, play, and attend school in Cat Canyon. The creation of a 2,500-foot buffer zone separating oil drilling and infrastructure from homes and schools is crucial. In Cat Canyon one school’s water well is […]
Letters To The Editor
County’s cannabis ordinance gave us hope
This letter is in response to your paper’s article about the lawsuit filed against the county of Santa Barbara attacking its cannabis regulations (“Battle in the valley,” April 30). We have been farming organic vegetables in Goleta for the last 10 years. As much as we have loved this line of work, it has been […]
Cannabis is a promising industry for the county
I’m writing in response to the article your paper recently published about the so-called “Coalition for Responsible Cannabis” filing a lawsuit against the county of Santa Barbara claiming the county has not provided adequate oversight of the local cannabis farms and businesses that are prospering in our area (“Battle in the valley,” April 30). My […]
Physicians stand with public health officials
The Central Coast Medical Association stands firmly in support of our public health servants and their recommendations throughout the coronavirus pandemic. Based solely on science, these policies are in place to protect the health and safety of our communities as we hasten a return to “normal life.” As health professionals, they are driven by the […]
Cannabis lawsuit is scare tactic
After months of research, I decided to move to California and build a lab testing business in Lompoc and serve the legal cannabis growers in the Santa Barbara County community. It was surprising to me to read in the Santa Maria Sun that the “Coalition for Responsible Cannabis” is now resorting to suing the county […]
Green isn’t all good
It’s amazing what having so much time on our hands can do for alternative media. Glen and Anna Starkey, movie reviewers for the Sun, discovered a hidden YouTube gem with Planet of the Humans (“Bitter pill,” April 30). Now that we are not able to go to the cinema, YouTube is a Pandora’s Box of, […]
We need to ban fracking now
The oil and gas industry fear the continued drop in the prices of their products worsened by the pandemic. They want to ensure our dependency on fossil fuels by taking advantage of this life-threatening virus. While Gov. Gavin Newsom is heroically combating COVID-19, the federal government has been rolling back environmental protections and lifting restrictions […]
What about the small businesses?
I am writing to you today with a heavy heart. My family owns a small business, 34 years in our community. Not a franchise, not a chain. We are a small business. More than 90 percent of our store is dedicated to local purveyors, wineries, farmers, and entrepreneurs. Each day we support our community. We […]
Mother Earth’s health is at risk, too
April is the month we celebrate Earth Day. With the COVID-19 health crisis, we realize how critical a healthy and safe environment is for all communities. Many Americans have pulled together to secure safety for themselves and others. This is such a positive example of how our country can make sacrifices to benefit all citizens. […]
Fear is not a new normal
Some of us in the coming weeks will experience something not unlike Neil Armstrong’s “one small step for man …” moment. We will decide to test the unknown. Not all of us will be that apprehensive because we suspect that this new virus entered California last December. I know I had the flu between Christmas […]
Elephant, donkey cartoon missed the mark
A cartoon can be ironic or satirical. But when it preaches at us, and lies at the same time, it fails miserably. Take the Mayfield cartoon of April 2. Referring to the recent congressional bailout bill that gave tens of millions of dollars to the middle class, working class, and the poor, and well over […]
Oceano dunes crust now has time to heal
Over the years there have been holiday periods with many thousands of vehicles disturbing the dune crust at the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area. On those high-usage days, unless there was wind, there was no plume of air pollution. But the next time the wind blew, the dust went into the air and dangerous […]

