Cover Story
No free rides: Detainees released late at night from Santa Barbara County Jail don’t get a ride home anymore, including those from North County
It was almost midnight, Dan was 7 miles from home, and all he had was his wheelchair. He didn’t have a phone, money, or a coat. He had just spent almost all of Aug. 9 in Santa Barbara County Jail sobering up, after being caught, yet again, drinking a beer on West Carrillo Street in…
Crime of silence
You can tell a lot about what someone thinks by what they say. Well, what about what somebody doesn’t say? Do you think we might be able to learn something from that? I think we can. Let’s start with Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown to test this hypothesis. What should we take from the…
What makes someone a great cook?
Melissa Garia employee at wine tasting room “Using fresh ingredients and good quality food is a big thing.” Amanda Marsh owner of Cali Love Wine “You need a lot of wine! Also, trying new things and being adventurous is important.” Cassandra Wilson wine club manager “Creativity and passion are the most important things.” Scott Sampler…
Battle of the Chefs at Dierberg Vineyard celebrates burgeoning food scene on Hwy. 246
When I was handed my judging card for the Battle of the Chefs at Dierberg Vineyard on Aug. 9, I gasped in slight horror. My panic was because at the end of the evening I would have to choose a winner in a showdown between two of my favorite chefs. On the card that evening…
Hancock College offers scores of online courses this fall semester
More than 100 online credit classes are now available at Allan Hancock College. Registration will be open until the day before fall semester starts on Aug. 21. The courses are the school’s effort to introduce more flexibility and convenience to student schedules, according to a Hancock press release. All online classes run six to eight…
Santa Maria High School agricultural program wins state awards
The Santa Maria High School agricultural program recently won two state awards at the California Teachers Association Annual Awards Banquet at the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo. The program was named Outstanding Large School Program and Overall Outstanding Agriculture Program for 2017, according to a press release from the Santa Maria Joint Union High…
Santa Maria-Bonita School District continues free meal program
The Santa Maria-Bonita School District recently announced its plan to once again offer free breakfast and lunch to all students through the federal Universal Free Meals Program, which has been available in the school district since 2005. The Santa Maria-Bonita School District serves about 4.2 million meals to its students each year, according to a…
Spotlight on: Black Bear Diner
Kevin Fitzpatrick and his wife visit Truckee a lot, and no matter which route they take, they can always find a Black Bear Diner somewhere along the way. They’ve always loved the food, he said, and wondered why there wasn’t one on the Central Coast. That’s why the Arroyo Grande-based couple decided that maybe it…
Political Watch 8/17/17
• Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill authored by California State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) on Aug. 7. Senate Bill 725 was written to clarify California law so that military veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health disorders associated with their service in the military are eligible for pretrial diversion programs…
Hobnobbing with Helen: Active with age
Who would have thought that hanging out at a health fair could be so enjoyable? The Elwin Mussell Senior Center was the scene of an “Active Aging Health Fair” on Saturday morning, July 29, for people over 50. Of course, anyone was welcome, but the activities were targeted toward the older generation, those who have…
The growing dilemma: Some residents believe Lompoc public safety officials’ concerns about marijuana are overblown
To hear Lompoc’s top two public safety officials talk about the legalization of cannabis is like listening to tales about a green-leafed apocalypse. “People are going to jump the fence and rip the grows; there are going to be fights in backyards and brawls,” Police Chief Pat Walsh said during an Aug. 1 City Council…
Solvang’s Bacon and Brine suddenly closes its doors
On Aug. 11, a short message posted on the Facebook page of a popular Solvang restaurant sent shockwaves through Santa Barbara County’s foodie community. Bacon and Brine, an eatery featured in national publications and television programs, announced the restaurant would close permanently the following day. “It is with the heaviest hearts and most disappointments that…
Apio employee abuse lawsuit reaches proposed settlement
Guadalupe’s Apio Inc. recently reached a proposed $5.9 million joint settlement with several employees who claimed the vegetable shipping company had abused workers’ rights. The class action suit against Apio, a company contracted by Pacific Harvest Inc., claims the company failed to provide appropriate rest and meal times to workers, while also failing to pay…
Santa Maria sees first Pride celebration
Hundreds of local residents, families, and couples descended on the parking lot of Santa Maria’s Town Center West on Aug. 12 to celebrate the city’s first ever Pride event, organized by several LGBTQ organizations. Jessie Funes—organizer with House of Pride and Equality (HOPE), the group that spearheaded the event—said the goal of the event was…
Politics, symbols, liberty, and immigration
Immigrants are an irreplaceable source of labor for the United States. They are essential for many regional economies, and the support of our aging society over the long term. Immigrants bring vitality and ingenuity to our communities. Despite common belief, they are less likely to commit crimes than native-born residents. These are readily supported findings.…
Central Coast residents support the monument
The Carrizo Plain Conservancy announces that it has donated a 42-acre parcel of private land with a quarter mile of shoreline on Soda Lake to the United States of America for inclusion in the Carrizo Plain National Monument. While Interior Department officials in Washington, D.C., consider shrinking or doing away with national monuments in California,…
Drought far from over
The recent lifting of our drought emergency designation by the California state government was alarmingly pre-mature and reckless. We’ve had one sort of decent rainy season after many years of almost nothing, and all of a sudden we’re in the clear? Seriously? Big agriculture and powerful developers must have really put the screws to California’s…
Oceano needs environmental justice
The United States Environmental Protection Agency defines environmental justice as, “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. … It will be achieved when everyone enjoys the same degree of protection from…
Lompoc in trouble again
A few months ago the Lompoc City Council stopped the disastrous John Linn-sponsored racetrack in the middle of town. But today, the council is faced with another challenge with the approval of the bi-yearly budget. This budget is unusual because it has to accommodate a state-mandated bill of $70 million to cover costs in the…
Carbajal turned his back on veterans
Congressman Salud Carbajal ran on the promise that he would help veterans. Considering he is a veteran himself, he should fight harder than anyone to ensure they get the care and treatment they deserve. However, when the Veterans Choice Program came up for a vote, I was shocked to see that Carbajal voted against it.…
Clarifications
• The Sun incorrectly listed the address of Ah Sir Bounce A Lot in its Best Of Northern Santa Barbara County readers poll (“The Robo-Best,” Aug. 10). The business, which won Best Place to Have a Kid’s Party, is located at 1140 E. Clark Ave., No. 120, Santa Maria. • The Sun incorrectly stated the…
Santa Maria defends youth task force criticisms
The city of Santa Maria recently posted its proposed response to a Santa Barbara County grand jury report on the city’s Task Force on Youth Safety, and in short, the city did not agree with the county’s findings. After a series of gang-related murders shocked Santa Maria in 2015, city leaders responded with the Mayor’s…
Orcutt students to watch total solar eclipse
Orcutt Academy High School (OAHS) students will have an opportunity to break one of the fundamental rules of childhood on Aug. 21—they’ll look straight at the sun. North America will experience the first coast-to-coast total solar eclipse in almost 100 years, according to an OAHS press release, and students from Orcutt Academy in Los Alamos…
Erik Kinnebrew
During the 2016 to 2017 basketball season, Allan Hancock College’s Erik Kinnebrew played in all 30 of the school’s games. Kinnebrew averaged 7.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game overall. If Kinnebrew had to relive something over and over again for the rest of his life, it would be achieving a triple-double during…
Lompoc welcomes skaters to College Park for annual skateboard competition
College Park in Lompoc occupies the same land where the original Lompoc Airport once stood, which was also used as a Navy blimp base during World War II. Although planes no longer take off or land at the site, skateboarders get air time there on a daily basis. The 4.6-acre park, which also houses the…
Young actors sought for ‘A Christmas Carol’
The Great American Melodrama will audition young local actors for the 2017 production of A Christmas Carol. Auditions will be held at the theater on Aug. 26 at 10 a.m. The Melodrama is seeking eight actors to play four roles: Tiny Tim, a small boy aged 5 to 7; Belinda, a girl aged 6 to…
Cypress Gallery presents the work of Neil Andersson
The Lompoc Valley Art Association presents painter Neil Andersson as August’s featured artist. “For me the landscape is a source of incredible beauty—a place of rest, of escape, of harmony rather than dissonance,” Andersson said in a statement from the gallery. “My paintings and drawings are a record of things that interest me—sometimes simply the…
Wildling Museum hosts creative arts workshops
The Wildling Museum of Art and Nature announced two arts workshops available in September. Exploring Color with Cynthia DeVine happens Sept. 8 at 1 p.m. and features an exploration of color. DeVine, an artist and art teacher with years of experience teaching both children and adults at schools and workshops throughout Santa Ynez Valley, will…
Santa Maria Civic Theatre realizes ‘Hairspray’ with heart and soul
In 1988, John Waters unveiled one of his finest films, Hairspray. It was hailed as a masterpiece, an oddball romp through Baltimore’s proudly unfit and unwanted, tackling issues such as fat shaming and racism through a funhouse mirror of retro kitchyness. At the center of Water’s weird world was a warm heart that celebrated being…
Santa Ynez Valley artists make moves in juried show Motion
Think about the word “motion.” Does it bring forth memories of driving in a car? Throwing a ball? Watching the waves crash on the beach? Dancing? The question was posed to a group of Central Coast artists for a recent juried show. The Santa Ynez Valley Arts Association currently features an exhibit based on the…
The Tepusquet Tornadoes perform customer appreciation concert at Presqu’ile Winery
A group of wine industry professionals came together years ago to talk shop, but they discovered grapes weren’t all they had in common. Talk turned to music, and friendships were forged over both fine wine and catchy tunes, explained Presqu’ile Winery winemaker Dieter Cronje. Cronje is a drummer, and began collaborating with Chris Hammell, vineyard…
Shopping with Joe Cool
August has arrived and school is about to commence. So start your motors, moms and dads, and rev up your charge cards—we’re all going shopping! There’s school supplies to buy, of course, and the newest, coolest lunch box or backpack. That’s the easy stuff. Get ready to race to the sales for school clothes. I…
