Cover Story
Central Coast locals transform used hubcaps into new public artworks during Nature Takes the Wheel
When Steve and Pam Kennington found out about the Wildling Museum’s first public art initiative—inviting locals to decorate used hubcaps to be displayed throughout the Santa Ynez Valley—they jumped at the chance to contribute. The local couple even recruited some of their loved ones to join in. “We painted the hubcaps as an afternoon family…
Chef B from Orcutt schools talks healthy meals, food education, and pandemic lunches
Orcutt Union School District served a little fewer than 100,000 meals from March to June and packed between 1,600 to 1,900 meals a day. But Director of Child Nutrition Bethany “Chef B” Markee thinks those numbers will be much lower during this school year, unless the state changes things. “Yesterday was our first day, and…
Local doctors talk about how COVID-19 treatments have changed for the better
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the word “change” has overwhelmingly become laden with connotation of difficulty, confusion, and hopelessness. From lost jobs to missed rents to curves that won’t flatten, many of the changes happening around us are wrought with pain and hardship. But positive changes are happening, too, one being an in-the-works vaccine, perhaps the…
Gallery Los Olivos’ first virtual exhibition showcases paintings by Carol Talley and Terri Taber
Vivid, colorful landscapes—once destined to adorn the walls of Gallery Los Olivos—are now available for viewers to observe any time, anywhere, as long as there’s an internet connection. While the gallery produced an online coloring book during the course of the COVID-19 crisis, this new duo show marks the venue’s first foray into digital exhibiting. …
Wilshire Health and Community Services presents an original podcast, ‘Wisdom from the Porch’
Wisdom from the Porch, an original podcast produced by Wilshire Health and Community Services, is available to listen to online for free at wisdomfromtheporch.org. The series features six episodes so far and focuses on the exploration of healthy aging and lifestyle choices for senior adults and their families. “As we age, choice is vital. Emotions…
PCPA and Orcutt Community Theater postpone reopening dates once again
Based on the resurgence of COVID-19 and the unpredictability of public gatherings resuming, the Pacific Conservatory Theatre (PCPA) has announced it will delay holding live performances in Santa Maria and Solvang until June 2021. The company also announced the suspension of its two-year conservatory programs (for acting and technical theater) until August 2021. “In spite…
CANARY: Bye, bye energy
Well, it really happened. Solvang’s voters will get the chance to recall City Councilmember Chris Djernaes on Nov. 3. More than 25 percent of the city’s registered voters signed the petition, so neither the city nor Santa Barbara County has a choice but to put it on the ballot. The people have spoken! Lammy Johnstone,…
Hearing what you want to hear?
To all of the Americans who are still adamantly supporting, defending, and enabling the president—have you had enough yet? Has the swamp been drained enough yet? Four years ago the president appointed the wealthiest cabinet in U.S. history and plugged in family members. His tax plan two years ago disproportionately benefited the wealthy (not the…
We’re clearly not affected equally
With a language as rich as what is spoken in the United States, how is it that we have been reduced to four catchphrases: “In these uncertain times.” “In these unprecedented times.” Maybe there are only three. “We’re all in this together” is the third, and it is the most annoying. We are not all…
Support your post office
We’d all hate to not get our bills, beneficial checks, letters from loved ones, medication, celebration cards, magazines, etc. Our post offices are self-funded, but Donald Trump doesn’t want to add funding during the coming election because he knows if more people receive mail-in ballots, Republicans will lose. Support our post offices by buying stamps,…
Test the answers
How is COVID-19 test data reported on the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department website; what does it represent? On July 24, the “total test” data was as follows: 70,350 tests were administered; 5,576 were positive; and 64,856 were negative. The number grows every day. Is this the number of individuals who were tested, or…
Keep oil trucks off our roads
Soon ExxonMobil may receive permission from Santa Barbara County to truck oil from its Gaviota facility, up highways 101 and 166 to refineries in Kern County—280,000 to 560,000 gallons of oil per day in 70 trucks, 140 round trips, will pass through my town, Buellton, as well as Los Alamos, Orcutt, Santa Maria, and Cuyama…
Political Watch: August 20, 2020
• Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Aug. 14 the appointment of new executive team members at the Employment Development Department (EDD), as well as a new senior advisor for the Labor and Workforce Development Agency. These appointments come as a part of Newsom’s initiative to reform the EDD, especially during the pandemic when more people…
Farmworkers in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties remain vulnerable as the COVID-19 crisis continues
After five months of living with the pandemic, farmworker advocates say that agricultural employees, which the state considers to be essential workers, continue to be vulnerable to COVID-19 infection. At the start of the pandemic, the main concern was getting enough personal protective equipment for farmworkers and getting local public health information to Spanish and…
Students will be learning from home this fall, but some Central Coast teachers will have to be on campus
Jennifer Dolan has been teaching English at Righetti High School in Santa Maria for more than two decades, and, like anyone, she has good and bad days. But for Dolan, the bad days are worse than most. About 15 years ago, Dolan was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a disorder that causes chronic muscular pain and can…
County wants everyone counted in 2020 census
Starting mid-August, Santa Barbara County households that had not yet responded to the 2020 census began receiving in-person visits from U.S. census workers to encourage completion. These workers, called census enumerators, are hired locally, wear personal protective equipment, practice social distancing, and carry special census identification cards. But if you don’t want a stranger knocking…
Local elementary schools eligible for in-person learning
Portions of Santa Barbara County are seeing major declines in active cases of COVID-19, and that could have significant impacts on the county’s reopening policies. In fact, it’s already freed local elementary schools to apply to open for in-person instruction. At a Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors meeting on Aug. 18, Public Health Department…
Solvang City Council member recall goes to November ballot
At the Aug. 18 Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors meeting, the board voted to approve a certificate of sufficient signatures for the petition to recall Solvang City Council Member Chris Djernaes. Supervisors also approved putting the recall vote on the Nov. 3 ballot. The action came four weeks after the July 27 Solvang City…
Local oil industry faces uncertainty after Phillips 66 announces refinery shutdown
Phillips 66, which operates a major Santa Maria oil pipeline as well as the Santa Maria oil refinery on the Nipomo Mesa, announced on Aug. 12 that it plans to shut down the refining facility starting in 2023. The announcement came exactly one week after the Santa Barbara Planning Commission voted to approve a one-year…
