Cover Story
Gallery Los Olivos presents Sunflowers + Hydrangeas = Happiness, a new showcase of paintings by Patti Robbins
Whenever someone assumes Patti Robbins’ still life paintings are a nod to Vincent Van Gough’s sunflower series, she’s more than ready to shut that theory down. “Not that I don’t love his work, and seeing the Van Gough museum in Amsterdam was impressive,” said Robbins, the featured artist of Gallery Los Olivos’ current exhibition, Sunflowers…
‘Reimagining Resilience’ initiative aims to strengthen Cuyama economy
The birth and death of an oil boom, extreme drought, a dwindling water supply—the residents and businesses of the Cuyama Valley have seen it all. Those who have survived have done so through self-sufficiency, resiliency, and creativity, and those are the characteristics several Cuyama businesses and organizations are hoping to tap into through a new…
Santa Barbara County reaches orange tier metrics, but won’t move up just yet
While all of Santa Barbara County’s COVID-19 metrics now meet the orange tier requirements in the Blueprint for a Safer Economy, it won’t be able to officially move into the less restrictive tier just yet. Meanwhile, hospitalizations continue to decrease as the county progresses with its vaccine rollout. As of April 13, the county’s test…
Solvang Trolley wants to provide rides on two new electric trolleys
Solvang Trolley & Carriage Company owner Sal Orona requested that the Solvang City Council review his company’s business license to include two additional electric trolley vehicles to service his customers when it’s not appropriate to use horse-drawn carriages. During the April 12 City Council meeting, Orona spoke during public comment, saying his company is always…
Central Coast organizations like Casa of Hope in Santa Maria and RISE in SLO are committed to supporting survivors of sex trafficking
Casa of Hope is a nonprofit in Santa Maria that’s dedicated to providing safe housing for survivors of sex trafficking, and Executive Director Ellen Torres understands the importance of this resource from personal experience. She survived sex trafficking in Santa Maria when she was a teenager. “When I was 16 my family moved here from…
Santa Maria City Council passes mobile car washing ordinance despite public opposition
After catalyzing community protests and lengthy discussion among elected officials, a Santa Maria ordinance that will regulate mobile car washers narrowly passed at a recent City Council meeting. As council members listened to public comment and discussed the ordinance on April 6, the sound of protesters was audible over the meeting’s livestream. Two weeks earlier,…
Political Watch: April 15, 2021
• On April 7, the Biden administration announced a series of executive actions around gun violence prevention, such as directing the Justice Department to publish model red flag legislation for states and encouraging Congress to pass similar legislation. “Red flag laws allow family members or law enforcement to petition for a court order temporarily barring…
County public safety departments want better data, technology capabilities
Budget workshops in Santa Barbara County are underway, the last step before the county releases a recommended budget in May and begins budget hearings in June. Workshops kicked off on April 12 with public safety department heads each making cases for their financial needs to the Board of Supervisors, a conversation that largely centered on…
Over time, over budget
Santa Barbara County is working its way through a series of performance reviews designed to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of county departments. Efficient. Effective. They sound great on paper. But what do they actually mean? Cost-savings? Trim departments so they can handle more services with fewer people? Nope! According to county CEO Mona Miyasato,…
Gallery Los Olivos presents Sunflowers + Hydrangeas = Happiness, a new showcase of paintings by Patti Robbins
Whenever someone assumes Patti Robbins’ still life paintings are a nod to Vincent Van Gough’s sunflower series, she’s more than ready to shut that theory down. “Not that I don’t love his work, and seeing the Van Gough museum in Amsterdam was impressive,” said Robbins, the featured artist of Gallery Los Olivos’ current exhibition, Sunflowers…
Santa Maria Public Library takes part in In-N-Out Burger’s Cover to Cover reading program
Children ages 4 through 12 are invited to participate in the Cover to Cover reading program at the Santa Maria Public Library through Saturday, April 17. For every five books read, participants will earn an award certificate that can be redeemed for a free cheeseburger or hamburger at any In-N-Out Burger restaurant. Children are eligible…
Betteravia Government Campus to host Valley of Light, a new public art installation
The Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture is co-producing a new public art installation at the Betteravia Government Campus in Santa Maria, in partnership with Allan Hancock College and the city of Santa Maria. Designed by local artist and art instructor Nancy Jo Ward, Valley of Light includes seven tree-like sculptures made of…
Story of Soil in Los Olivos offers high-quality, balanced wines by the bottle, glass, and tasting from winemaker Jessica Gasca
The age-old adage “less is more” rings true for local winemaker Jessica Gasca, at least in terms of her modestly described “tiny operation,” Story of Soil in Los Olivos. “Larger wineries always seemed to lack that soul,” Gasca said on why she prefers to own and operate a relatively small-scale winery that promotes gentle processing…
Let’s close down ski resorts, too
If we close down the Oceano Dunes to recreational vehicles, we need to shut down all California downhill ski resorts as well. They are a blight on the landscape—wide swaths of forest devoid of trees that caused increased erosion. They are also big contributors to climate change, needing large amounts of power to run ski…
Planning requires good sense
From previous letters in this space, readers may be aware of ill-conceived plans for a widely unpopular housing project here in Los Alamos. It involves as many as 13 dwellings on a relatively small plot with poor road access and traffic hazards. Sacramento is requiring our county to add 25,000 new housing units this decade.…
We are not allies on immigration
An article featured in the Sun stated that U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal recently visited a border facility that temporarily housed unaccompanied minors (“Carbajal says border facilities are improving, but work remains,” April 1). If he is so concerned with the safety and welfare of these illegal immigrants, mostly children, why doesn’t he sponsor a few…
Jordan Cunningham mocks COVID-19 restrictions
Editor’s note: Since the writing of this commentary, the California Department of Public Health updated its youth sports guidance to allow more spectators (see Political Watch). Some of our friends are still grieving the loss of their loved ones. Some are still trying to recover from the virus. A dear friend of mine is still…
