Exxon’s asking Santa Barbara County to allow it to reopen a 123-mile-long pipeline that caused the 142,000-gallon Refugio spill in 2015. The pipe is more than 30 years old, is eight years older now than when it caused that great destruction, and has not been fully inspected and repaired in all this time. Rather than […]
Opinion
Posted inOpinion
Perseverance payoff
Solvang Mayor Mark Infanti finally caved. Although he didn’t specify why he switched sides on Pride Bannergate 2023, he did indicate that he was feeling the pressure from the state, federal, and international levels. The pressure on Solvang seemed to continually rise in the weeks following the upheaval over a relatively benign proposal to hang […]
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The Canary’s ideology, anti-hate arguments are faulty
In response to the Canary from the April 6 edition (“No place for hate”): “The whole public school system gets at least two weeks off school for a Christian holiday … but paint a crosswalk rainbow colors, and now there’s an ideology problem” should not be used to make the Canary’s case against Jesse Taylor […]
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The nerve
At least one official in the Santa Ynez Valley has had it with the area’s political shenanigans. The Santa Ynez Valley Union High School principal is quitting after one year on the job. Why? It’s definitely you, not him. Michael Niehoff said he tried to make learning the forefront of his job, but the people […]
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It’s time to end the prohibition of cannabis at federal level and in all states
“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” These are the words that were often mentioned by civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King in his fight for equal justice during the civil rights movement. Today the fight for ending the prohibition of cannabis has been won in 38 state […]
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Seek the truth and stand up for it
It’s not about red versus blue, but what do we value? What do we honor? What’s best for our families, for our descendants, for our friends and neighbors, for the freedom our forefathers did their best to create and preserve. For all those who gave their lives in battle fighting for freedom. Politics has become […]
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Will Lompoc have enough housing to meet state mandates?
An update of the 2030 General Plan Housing Element is required every eight years by the state of California; it’s the state’s way of making sure cities are following its mandates. It costs a lot of general fund money to once again prove that proposed projects, some that were approved more than 15 years ago, […]
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Amtrak must check its priorities
On April 2, I rode Amtrak train No. 777 from LA Union Station to Grover Beach. It was overbooked and overcrowded, holding some 400 passengers. The result was standing room only in both coach and business class. All aisles and stairways were blocked. Conductors could not pass along the train. Discharge of passengers at stops […]
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Re-presentation
Our favorite “Danish capital of America” is still trying to figure out how best to represent its identity as a diminutive Denmark here on the Central Coast while also trying to hear and act on requests from its residents to represent their identities and values. To many, those are not different things. In February, the […]
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Fix your leaks
This spring, conserve water and save money by repairing leaky pipes, fixtures, and appliances
It’s springtime, the time of year when Californians work on repairing their lawns and restoring their gardens with bright and colorful plants before the hot days of summer set in. The first day of spring marks when communities throughout America observe the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Fix a Leak Week (which was March […]
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Support the Dana Reserve development
As a local business owner in our community, I am deeply concerned about the lack of affordable housing options for our workforce. Many of my employees struggle to find affordable housing near our business, which not only affects their quality of life but also impacts our business’s ability to attract and retain talent. There is […]
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Stop playing chicken with the debt ceiling
Since Republicans took over House leadership, they’ve focused on settling political scores but made no serious effort to do the job. Instead, they are taking us to the brink—refusing to pay the nation’s bills, playing chicken with the debt ceiling, risking a default that threatens the American economy. And for what? More tax breaks for […]
