A couple of weeks ago, I gave an opinion about Tom Knepher’s commentary in the Sun, and it attracted a juvenile response from a Michael Smith (“Get it straight: Take a history class,” Dec. 18), who felt that I was wrong about most every opinion. I reread my submission (“History and another point of view,” […]
Opinion
End the recession by bailing out the states
Once again, our bumbling president and his cohorts have proved they know nothing about our economy or how to fix it. To top it off, this crew single-handedly brought about a worldwide recession. What a legacy! Their ineptness and hindsight saw fit to bail out our financial institutions and the auto industry with billions of […]
What was the most important news story of 2008?
Taylor Dacus student “The election—after eight years of Bush and Cheney, and this being the first African-American president.” David Estrada retired “Election of President-elect Obama. Look at the recession and especially the war in Iraq. President Bush hasn’t given much to people here.” Jerry Turley satellite tech “The failed economy. Work being sent out of […]
Get home buyers back in the market
With our nation in the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, Congress must be willing to take bold, decisive action to spur a housing and economic recovery. Unless we halt the slide in home prices, the nation’s housing and economic woes will grow even worse. This is why a robust housing component must be […]
Stop state-mandated housing
No one wants state-mandated housing in their backyards, Montecito to Orcutt. The difference between the two areas is this: Montecito residents have money to keep this government-sponsored ghetto out of their neighborhoods. Some do not like this. In fact, Montecito did not tell the county or the state to put these houses in Orcutt or […]
What will we do on first Fridays now?
As we begin the process of closing the David Ryan Gallery, we wish to thank the Santa Maria Sun for its coverage of the many events at our gallery over the past seven years. Our artists too are grateful for the positive exposure you have given them during this time. We especially want to thank […]
David Ryan Gallery will be but a memory, though a fond one
It will soon be just a memory. And a very pleasant one, too. Ron and Terri Thatcher opened the David Ryan Gallery in Old Town Orcutt several years ago, redesigning a rather notorious building into a most appealing space for an art gallery. Who would ever have thought such a place of fine art would […]
Don’t just read letters to the editor
Mr. David E. Basket of Santa Maria (“Eliminate cement from your life,” Dec. 18) proves the point, how cemented one gets to ascribe to others the point of view never made? Show, where, even once, the issue was to completely get rid of all cement? Please study—not just read—the letters published in our respected weekly, […]
What’s your least favorite Christmas song?
Debi Rock unemployed “’Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.’ It’s just too silly. Sheila Glaser “I stay home” “I don’t have a favorite. I like them all.” Joey Buelna school-age program teacher “‘Silent Night.’ It sounds like the title to a horror movie.” Ravyn Scheibert youth program leader “‘Santa Baby.’ It sounds like a, […]
If you could be any animal, what would it be?
Jack Whelan maintenance tech “Koala bear. Because of how rare they are.” Jeffrey Mora cook “Kangaroo. Because they’re from Australia and my favorite airline is from Australia.” Mary Glynn secretary “Wild mustang. Because they have freedom.” Gerald Walker fitness trainer “Chameleon. They change a lot of colors; they can blend in or change.”
Don’t kill a tree this season
Christmas. ’Tis the season, so they say. Many folks begin their celebrations by killing a beautiful five- to 10-year-old tree and propping up the corpse in their living room to watch it shrivel and dry. Oh, what fun, and fa la la la. Macabre? Indeed. “What a beautiful tree,” friends say. “Yep, I cut it […]
Invalidate all civil marriages?
My friend Ginger is 72 years old. Ginger suffered from back pain for quite some time and doctors recently found tumors in her spine. We all were concerned it was a recurrence of her previous cancer. While undergoing tests, Ginger reflected on her life. She shared that the one thing she always wanted but never […]

