Order anything from China lately? How about a pair of pumpkin stud earrings? Just kidding! They’re just seeds. Seeds you didn’t order. And they’re showing up in your mailbox after you order random stuff online. And they come labeled as jewelry such as “pumpkin stud earrings.” At least the package that arrived on Mike Brown’s […]
Opinion
Posted inOpinion
COVID-19 response requires focus on safety, equity across all school reopening plans
The long-awaited answer about what schools will look like in the fall was delivered on July 17 when Gov. Newsom announced all public and private schools in counties on the state’s monitoring list, which includes Santa Barbara County, must open via distance learning. This includes all public, private, and charter schools serving students from transitional […]
Posted inOpinion
CANARY: Consider this
Lompoc has some roiling drama in its Federal Correctional Complex (FCC). It’s under the microscope for how its leadership has been handling, or apparently not handling, the efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the prison facilities. In a nutshell: The Lompoc FCC should have released more of its eligible incarcerated individuals to home […]
Posted inOpinion
Get Diablo closed
William Gloege (“Keep Diablo open,” July 23) is using old data in his argument to keep the expensive, nuclear waste producing Diablo Canyon Power Plant open. Here’s the current data from government sources: Renewable energy is the fastest-growing energy source in the U.S., increasing 100 percent from 2000 to 2018. Renewables are adding more jobs […]
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There is a pivotal election looming in Lompoc; do we stick with old-school thought processes?
Councilwoman Gilda Cordova was appointed two years ago by a City Council majority to fill an unexpired term when Jenelle Osborne was elected mayor. We have had more than one appointee in years past; some take it seriously, some have had agendas, and some have just kept the seat warm until the next election. Cordova […]
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Sharing in the sacrifice
I want to commend Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham for leading by example and pledging 10 percent of his salary to local nonprofits. With state workers having to swallow pay cuts and furloughs, and with critical budget line items being slashed as a result of the COVID-19 shutdown, it’s refreshing to see a state legislator voluntarily reduce […]
Posted inOpinion
Keep the dunes closed to off-roaders
Upon learning that the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Area (ODSVRA) will be closed until Oct. 1, dozens of off-roaders attended the California Coastal Commission (CCC) meeting on July 9. They argued that they are being denied enjoyment of the beach that they pay for with Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Division money—their money, for their park and […]
Posted inOpinion
Keep Diablo open
I attended many of the meetings associated with PG&E’s proposal to close Diablo Canyon. I was amazed at the lack of pushback by citizens and local business who depend on more than $1 billion that Diablo Canyon Power Plant brings to the region yearly. I expected loud wails of, “No, we’ll go broke! The plant […]
Posted inOpinion
CANARY: Emotional exits and broken gavels
Solvang Trolley and Carriage Company drama collided with Solvang City Council drama and exploded into a cacophony of voices during a recent meeting that got so out of control Mayor Ryan Toussaint slammed his gavel down at one point and broke it! He totally doesn’t know his own strength. Guess what it was about? Something […]
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Getting into nature presents huge benefits that need to be kept safe now and for future generations
As a high school student, the pandemic has turned my life and the lives of my peers upside down. With school closures, navigating distance learning, and uncertainty looming in our futures, this has been an incredibly difficult time. And yet, there is a source of comfort I have continually turned to during these past few […]
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Wildfire and pandemics
Like a wildfire, this pandemic is now at a point where those fighting the emergency are either going to successfully put out the numerous spot fires and prevent a disaster, or lose control and move into a defensive posture where they are struggling to care for the many victims who will overwhelm our capabilities. As […]
Posted inOpinion
CANARY: Disconnected
Well, it’s official. The apocalypse is back in full swing! Indoor activities are mostly off-limits, and the state is closing down again. Gross! I don’t want to write about this, again. I’m tired of it. You’re tired of it, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s tired of it, believers and nonbelievers are tired of it. We’re sick and […]
