Is anyone else as sick of hearing “racist” as much as I am? If you disagree with me, then I’m a racist. If you say something I don’t like, then you are a racist. Everyone’s a racist. Give me a break. I am especially tired of people labeling Trump a racist because he wants to […]
Opinion
Posted inOpinion
Does mayoral candidate Victor Vega have the right stuff to lead Lompoc?
If you’re thinking of voting for Victor Vega as mayor, there are some things you should consider carefully—the most important is his six-year record as a councilman. The primary job of the mayor is keeping the council agenda on track during meetings; by that I mean that the mayor makes sure everyone is heard during […]
Posted inOpinion
The roof is on fire
If you think your life is bad during 2020, you can take solace in the fact that Lompoc had actual dumpster fires over the second weekend in September—well, you can take solace if you don’t actually live in Lompoc. Ismael Zaragoza Chavez is suspected of starting multiple dumpster fires, as well as a vehicle […]
Posted inOpinion
Don’t tax wineries without representation
The Santa Barbara Vintners have been working on a wine business improvement district (BID) for two years. Their first proposal was a 2 percent tax on all direct to consumer (DTC) wine sales, which would include wine clubs, tasting rooms, wine merchandise sales, food sales, winemaker’s dinners, and weddings. The 2 percent tax would not […]
Posted inOpinion
More families use the beach in Oceano and Grover Beach because it’s closed to vehicles
Recently, at one of the South County Chambers of Commerce meetings, members seemed to be rallying in support of an individual member who claimed he had lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in business since the beaches were closed to off-highway vehicles (OHVs). Meanwhile, parking lots that usually had been nearly empty at the end […]
Posted inOpinion
Arbitrary activism
Apparently, Santa Barbara County is taking a page out of the LA playbook. In April, LA prosecutors filed charges against several retailers that refused to follow COVID-19 closure orders. A paddleboarder even got arrested for violating beach closure orders, according to the LA Times. How many law enforcement officials does it take to arrest a […]
Posted inOpinion
The oil industry is being devastated
The mantle of victimhood is never a comfortable one, particularly for the proud employees and families supported by Santa Barbara County’s once-vibrant oil industry. Being oil people, they are all too familiar with the cyclical nature of their industry, most often the result of market fluctuations and the influences of foreign supply, but they have […]
Posted inOpinion
Keep the dunes vehicle-free
For decades, the Oceano Beach and dunes have been used for vehicular recreation and ATVs. These last five months, since the shelter-at-home order, a vehicle-free Oceano Beach has been a blessing for our community and the entire South SLO County. State Parks is completing a Public Works Plan (PWP) for the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular […]
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Lompoc’s 4th District challenger would bring needed new leadership
As the Nov. 3 election nears, Lompoc residents have some serious choices to make. One of them is who will serve to represent the 4th District of the city on the southwest side of town. This district is one of the older areas of the city, and the commercial areas have suffered as the central […]
Posted inOpinion
Overdramatic
Apparently East Coast residents felt the need to give Solvang some direction, going so far as to call in to the City Council meeting with their two cents on exactly what the city should do about Doubletree Carriage’s application for a horse-drawn conveyance license. That horse-drawn carriage drama! It extends beyond those quaint Danish-inspired streets! […]
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Rambling and confused
To be perfectly frank—to speak with extreme candor—I have a hard time following almost anything that tumbles out of Andy Caldwell’s mouth. But then again, perhaps that’s because his thoughts are just too big for my simple canary capacity. Or maybe, it’s because this particular candidate for the 24th District seat in the U.S. House […]
Posted inOpinion
Canary took a cheap shot against carriages
Unless you watched the Aug. 24 Solvang Council Meeting, the facts as reported were skewed at best. The Canary opinion (“Overdramatic,” Aug. 27) was a cheap shot. Of the 52 emails the city received—how many were from horse owners? There is no room for a second horse conveyance in the tourist-related-commercial area with Copenhagen Street […]
