Cover Story
Thirsty for solutions: Residents and growers are at odds over how to protect groundwater sustainability in Cuyama
The Cuyama Valley is remote. It’s so remote, that it’s isolated by at least 25 miles in any direction, and newspaper distribution is limited to one or two publications. It’s so remote, that its residents have to rely on one source of water—the Cuyama Valley Groundwater Basin, a precious resource that is rapidly disappearing. …
Spotlight on: The Towbes Group
Facebook is a great way to stay in touch with your friends and family and keep up to date on world events. It’s not such a good thing when your boss catches you using it on the job—unless you work for the social media giant itself. According to a 2009 study conducted by Boston-based Nucleus…
The Lompoc transparency project: Council, public discuss openness in city government at special meeting
Dozens gathered at a round table-style discussion in Lompoc’s City Council chambers on the evening of Tuesday, Aug. 9, for a special council meeting. The meeting’s agenda was simple: The assistant city attorney would summarize the Ralph M. Brown Act, and the attendees would discuss with their council members how to improve openness and public…
Diary of an Outside Lands virgin
I was up at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday morning, forcing myself to chug a (poorly) homemade almond milk latte before embarking on the four-ish-hour journey from San Luis Obispo to San Francisco. It was time for Outside Lands. In case you live under a rock: Outside Lands (OSL) is an annual three-day music and arts…
Food Lands: The best of Outside Lands’ food lineup
Outside Lands—San Francisco’s music and arts festival—brings a few unique and colorful worlds together for three days each year at Golden Gate Park. Said worlds include: 1. The world of music; 2. The world of San Francisco; 3. The world of food and drink. Now when I first decided to attend OSL, I knew what…
With California’s drought status, how often does groundwater come to mind?
Joseph Maycotte freshman at Allan Hancock College “Not that much.” Kelli Reed sophomore at Allan Hancock College “I’m really careful about how I throw things away. I want to have drinking water.” Megan Roberts freshman at Allan Hancock College “It comes to mind almost all of the time. I try to conserve water. If this…
Rancho Nipomo welcomes original Steppenwolf member and his band for concert
As soon as you hear the iconic, electric chords, you know what song it is. Maybe you first heard it in the film Easy Rider, or maybe on a road trip years ago, but there is no mistaking Steppenwolf’s “Born to be Wild.” The song has come to epitomize an outlook or lifestyle, explained Glen…
A Brit, a Briteen, and one bathroom
There is one place in our home that I consider sacrosanct. It’s a peaceful inner sanctum where I can meditate, think things through, and just bare myself completely. It’s our huge, wonderful master bathroom. I love to linger in the shower, exfoliate my entire body, shampoo and condition my hair, and slather on lotion and…
Valley Art Gallery features glass sculptor Sylvia Simmons
The Valley Art Gallery in Orcutt features member artists regularly in the gallery, and the currently featured artist is Sylvia Simmons. The exhibit, titled Art Glass by Sylvia Simmons, showcases the artist’s love of glass as a medium for sculpted expression. A reception with Simmons is Aug. 19 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the…
Lompoc Library continues concerts on the lawn
The Lompoc District Libraries Foundation began the Concerts on the Library Lawn event on Aug. 13 with a performance by The Blues Project. The series continues on Aug. 20 with Song In My Heart and a concert by Joelyn Lutz on Aug. 27. The concerts run from 1 to 3 p.m. and are free. Locals…
Flying Goat Cellars hosts reception for sculptor
Flying Goat Cellars in Lompoc currently features an exhibit by sculptor Eric Morlan. A reception event with the artist is Aug. 20 from 3 to 5 p.m. at Flying Goat’s tasting room. Morlan is a local sculptor who cites his time at Allan Hancock College with teachers Nat Fast, George Muro, and Bill Shinn as…
Standing Sun Wines welcomes featured artist
Standing Sun Wines in Buellton welcomes a new featured artist to its gallery space with a reception on Aug. 18. The work of visual artist David J. Diamant will show in Standing Sun’s gallery through Sept. 8. Diamant is known for his pen-and-ink, photography, digital imaging, and acrylic and spray paint works, which show on…
PCPA The Pacific Conservatory Theatre presents Lin-Manuel Miranda’s ‘In the Heights’ with rhythm and flow
Opening night at The Pacific Conservatory Theatre’s (PCPA) latest production was buzzing with excitement even before the show began. The artistic director for the company, Mark Booher, took the stage to introduce PCPA’s first rendition of the groundbreaking music In the Heights, with words and music by Lin-Manuel Miranda, whose Hamilton is a current Broadway…
Making us proud: With the community watching, Santa Maria area stars Josh Prenot and Carlos Balderas shine at Rio Olympics
Josh Prenot and Carlos Balderas could have been just happy to be there. Qualifying for their first Olympic teams ever, Prenot, a swimmer, and Balderas, a boxer, have already solidified themselves as Santa Maria Valley greats and world-class athletes, regardless of how they fared in the Rio 2016 Olympics this month. But these two young…
What seems to be, so it is
When I started my first newspaper job, this cranky old bird nodded at our lifestyles editor and said, “Now that’s what you get after you pay your dues. Feature writing. That’s the dream.” All spunky and full of pluck, I couldn’t believe that could be more fun than my beat at the time: government and…
A leader for women
Our next president will be female. This will inspire all young girls to aspire to leadership roles. Females in general talk and negotiate while males tend to jump into action, such as demanding change or going to war. This must change if our species is to continue on this fragile planet. Women might think as…
Ortiz-Legg should apologize to military troops and veterans
As a military wife, I am a proud supporter of our troops and I am deeply concerned about how the public has treated our brave men and women. They volunteer to serve our country with honor, and their sacrifices and dedication to service deserve our utmost respect. Our troops and veterans need leaders who will…
A biased opinion
Your opinion article (“Trump unmasked,” Aug. 4) about Donald Trump was biased and unbalanced to say the least. Mr. Zaf Iqbal is a racist bigot at the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Democratic Club of SLO. Not one word of good was said about Mr. Donald, who is eons above the simple-minded Mr. Iqbal.…
Public servants deserve our gratitude
Recent violent incidents are horrifying to all—a rare unifying sentiment in these days of deep division. It was painfully difficult to watch the videos of young black men being shot at point-blank range by policemen. It was equally horrifying to see the assassination of police officers that occurred in Dallas by a truly disturbed loner.…
Santa Maria schools get upgrades in time for classes
As school gets underway students may see some much-needed upgrades to facilities. At the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District, the largest public high school district in Santa Barbara County, district officials contended with limited upkeep and maintenance money over the summer to make some fixes to several of its campuses. Santa Maria High…
Santa Maria High School students participate in March of the Saints
Santa Maria High School students took on school and future opportunities during the annual March of the Saints celebration on Friday, Aug. 12. The event took place on the football field where students checked out school clubs, activities, athletic programs, and colleges, and heard from countless alumni about their careers. More than 1,500 students participated…
Community rallies in support of Lompoc Police Explorer fighting leukemia
The Lompoc Police Department is joining with the community to rally behind one of their police explorers, also the son of a Lompoc police officer, who is fighting leukemia. Noah Scott, 14, son of Cpl. Charles Scott, was diagnosed in July with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). He is currently undergoing chemotherapy, and has been in…
Political Watch 8/18/16
• On Monday, Aug. 15, and Tuesday, Aug. 16, at her Santa Maria office, Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) was scheduled to host a meet-and-greet with local families and individuals who were assisted by Capps’ office to resolve difficult immigration cases. Capps’ district offices help about 100 people every year who upon entering the United…
Community Notebook 8/18/16 – 8/25/16
MONDAY, AUG. 22 • The South County Advisory Council has its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Nipomo Community Services District Headquarters, 148 S. Wilson St., Nipomo. • The Solvang City Council has its regular meeting at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers, 1644 Oak Street, Solvang. agendas are available at cityofsolvang.com. TUESDAY, AUG.…
Hobnobbing with Helen: Martinis and moolah
Once a year, Club K, a gathering place for hip Santa Marians, opens its doors at the Veterans Memorial Building. Owned and operated by the Noontime Kiwanis, Club K is an adventure in dining, faux gambling, and schmoozing, not to mention waltzing around the tempting silent auction tables. Club K is also the Noontime Kiwanis’…
Santa Maria man sues sheriff and Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors for forcing him to sleep on jail floor
Normally, inmates are assigned a bed during their time in the Santa Barbara County Jail, but former inmate Johnathan Brislane alleges that he was forced to sleep on the floor for several months, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court on Aug. 11. Brislane, 46, was arrested on Dec. 6, 2015, in Santa Maria…
Figueroa Mountain Recreation Area faces closures
The closures keep coming in Los Padres National Forest, where an increasing number of dead and dying trees poses safety hazards to visitors. The Santa Lucia Ranger District announced on Aug. 14 the closure of certain sites in the Figueroa Mountain Recreation Area In June, the district closed the Rockfront Off-Highway Vehicle area, also due…
Santa Maria brothers charged for allegedly manufacturing guns
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office last week filed a criminal complaint against a man for allegedly illegally manufacturing firearms in Santa Maria. The man, Terry Casares, was allegedly working with his brother, Larry Casares, to unlawfully modify firearms that would otherwise be legal, as well as assemble other firearms from parts, according to Sheriff’s…
