Three West Coast senators introduced two pieces of legislation that aim to understand one nascent problem: the impact of wildfire smoke on wine grapes. On June 22, Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California) brought forward the Smoke Exposure Research Act, co-led by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon), and the Crop Insurance for Wine Grapes Act, co-led by Sen.…
Support local art Visit the Clark Center for the Performing Arts on Sept. 10 from 2 to 4 p.m. for an opening reception for the next set of local artists hosted in the venue’s box office lobby. For more information, visit clarkcenter.org. Whether visiting the venue for the latest musical theater production or one of…
The Pacific Conservatory Theatre’s (PCPA) latest production, The Book of Will, will open at the Marian Theatre in Santa Maria on Thursday, Aug. 17, and run through Sunday, Aug. 26. The show will enjoy an additional run at the Solvang Festival Theater between Thursday, Aug. 31, and Sunday, Sept. 10. The Book of Will takes…
As part of its Sunday Speaker series, the DANA Adobe and Cultural Center in Nipomo is hosting a talk with local researcher and librarian Colleen Beck on Sunday, Aug. 20, from 1 to 2 p.m. The title of the talk is Who Counted as Family: What Godparenting Meant for the Danas. Beck will present her…
Your local political cartoonist (Mayfield) needs to take a vacation. Normally his conservative cartoons are corny, but I understand they are a counterpoint to also running the liberal This Modern World every other week. However, the cartoon in the Aug. 3 Sun was over the top—who needs to open the editorial page to see a…
Wake up, people! Slavery is not a thing of the past but very much alive. Definition of slavery: Anyone who makes a claim upon yourself or your property is making you a slave. A slave is a victim of any who claims authority over another. “We the People” have become slaves of those who have…
Festival festivities Visit vegavineyardandfarm.com for more info on Vega Vineyard and Farm, located at 9496 Santa Rosa Road, Buellton. The venue hosts its Festa del Pomodoro on Sunday, Aug. 20, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Tomato Festival Farm Dinner, a ticketed multi-course dinner, starts shortly after the festival, at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are…
Jules What’s it rated? PG-13 What’s it worth, Glen? Full price What’s it worth, Anna? Full price Where’s it showing? The Palm Theatre of San Luis Obispo Marc Turtletaub (Puzzle) directs Gavin Steckler’s script about Milton (Ben Kingsley), a somewhat pathetic retiree living a quiet life in a small Pennsylvania town, when a UFO and…
Happiness for Beginners What’s it rated? TV-14 When? 2023 Where’s it showing? Netflix Helen (Ellie Kemper) is desperate for a change in her life a year after divorce. She’s still fielding phone calls from her ex and can’t seem to find a way to happiness anywhere in her life. She signs up for a wilderness…
Joe Pickett (Season 2) What’s it rated? TV-14 When? 2021-present Where’s it showing? Paramount Plus I loved the first season of Joe Pickett, which centered on a new-on-the-job Saddlestring, Wyoming, game warden (played with quiet determination by Michael Dorman) who navigated the politics of his small town rural community and its greedy power brokers, while…
Santa Barbara County is moving an ordinance forward that would expand some allowed uses or activities on agriculture land in an effort to ensure long-term financial sustainability for the industry, 3rd District Supervisor Joan Hartmann told the Sun. “I am very concerned about the resilience of agriculture under the conditions of climate change and what…
A renewable energy company was recently cleared by the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission to begin operating 29 wind turbine generators in the Lompoc Valley, but not without some chilly feedback. Representatives of the Santa Barbara Audubon Society and the Coalition of Labor, Agriculture, and Business (COLAB) were among the public speakers at the Planning…
After dedicating more than a decade of time, resources, and energy to fight what would be a historic development project in the Santa Ynez Valley, Carla Frisk finally saw a judge rule in favor of agricultural preservation. “It was really amazing. … We had worked on it for so long,” Frisk said. “This means that…
With more people filling up classes and its membership rates growing every month, the Solvang Senior Center added new programs and more opportunities for seniors to explore their community and make new friends. “It’s important for people to socialize, and that’s something we also offer: the chance to socialize while they are also keeping healthy,…
• U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla (D-California) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) announced the first-ever congressional resolution to celebrate National Farmers Market Week from Aug. 6 to 12, according to a statement from Padilla’s office. The bipartisan resolution recognizes the vital role that farmers markets play in bringing communities together, supporting livelihoods, and enriching the lives of…
The eagle has landed. Actually, the eagle may get chopped to bits by a big blade before it lands, and BayWa doesn’t have a permit for that yet, but it’s just a little hiccup. A little baby bump in the road that’s definitely not stopping a Lompoc wind project from moving forward. Planning Commissioners gave…
The month of August regularly serves up earthshaking, history-making events: • Two years ago in August, the U.S. finally pulled out of Afghanistan after our longest war. • On Aug. 6, 1945, our nation dropped the first of two atomic bombs on Japan, soon ending World War II. That’s the event at the center of…
