Cover Stories
BEST OF 2020
We asked and you stepped up, dear readers. You brought your A-game to the stage and picked out the best, brightest, and most entertaining acts in Northern Santa Barbara County that are still rockin’ through the COVID-19 pandemic. You riffed on the eateries, drinkeries, businesses, and people that make this area so special. And now…
55 Fiction 2020
Our annual short story contest winners include tales about death, money, and love It doesn’t sound like much, but 55 words can cover a lot of ground. The shortest stories in the universe tie up lose ends, surprise people, kill people, and love people. This year’s stories were cheesy, mushy, dark, funny, and sad—some talked…
Overdramatic
Apparently East Coast residents felt the need to give Solvang some direction, going so far as to call in to the City Council meeting with their two cents on exactly what the city should do about Doubletree Carriage’s application for a horse-drawn conveyance license. That horse-drawn carriage drama! It extends beyond those quaint Danish-inspired streets! …
15 Degrees C offers pizza, pasta, and wine, and everybody knows your name
The barstools in 15 Degrees C Wine Shop and Bar and the view of chef Nathan Clapp’s open kitchen are on hold for the time being, but the authentic Italian food and neighborhood wine stop in Templeton has an outdoor oasis just for you. Clapp dances and sings around his turntable of from-scratch pizzas and…
SMCT presents Drive-Up Theatre, a one-day program of five performances for audiences to enjoy from their vehicles
While accommodating social distancing, the Santa Maria Civic Theatre’s (SMCT) latest production isn’t one to enjoy from the comfort of your own home, but rather from the comfort of your own car. On Sunday, Aug. 30, SMCT will present its inaugural Drive-Up Theatre program, which will feature five different destinations throughout Santa Maria where attendees…
High Roller Tiki Lounge celebrates Angie and the Nightmares’ new album, Girl Talk, with a virtual release party
Girl Talk isn’t just a locally produced Americana album, it basically doubles as a coffee-table book. And it isn’t just a coffee-table book either, it’s also a nightlight, explained Lompoc-based singer-songwriter Angelina LaPointe. Angie and the Nightmares—made up of LaPointe, guitarist and backing vocalist Aaron France, and banjoist and drummer Sean “Doc” Campbell—plans to…
Registration open for the 2020 Central Coast Writers Conference
This year’s annual Central Coast Writers Conference will feature a variety of virtual workshops, which are scheduled to begin on Thursday, Sept. 24, and run through Saturday, Sept. 26. Admission to the complete series starts at $225. Visit centralcoastwritersconference.com for registration details and more info.
‘Dead Reckoning’ authors to hold book signings in Lompoc and Morro Bay
Local novelists Therese Vannier and Michael Corbin Ray will be signing copies of their new book, Dead Reckoning, at the Lompoc Veterans Memorial Building on Saturday, Sept. 5, from 10 a.m. to noon, and at the Coalesce Bookstore in Morro Bay on Saturday, Sept. 12, from 1 to 3 p.m. Dead Reckoning is a historical…
Central Coast Childbirth Network and Breastfeeding Coalition co-host virtual screening of ‘Chocolate Milk: The Documentary’
The Central Coast Breastfeeding Coalition and the Central Coast Childbirth Network are co-hosting an upcoming virtual screening of Chocolate Milk: The Documentary. Registrants of the online event will be able to access the film anytime between Saturday, Aug. 29, and Monday, Aug. 31. Following the screening period, a live Q-and-A will take place over Zoom…
Some victory, EDC
I would like to offer my congratulations to the EDC for their great victory against the people of Santa Barbara County. The consistent extremist anti-petroleum posturing in Santa Barbara County is nothing if it is not consistent. It never ceases to amaze me, their ability to attack an entire industry with no accountability to the…
‘Don’t just hope for a better Lompoc, vote for it’
Mayor Jenelle Osborne is running for reelection in November; she has served as mayor for the last two years, during which she has been consistently disrespected by three councilmen who serve with her. They regularly ignore her ideas and instead impose their own brand of governing, and it has caused a significant deterioration of city…
Free class gives local families the tools to support a loved one’s mental health
Mental illness doesn’t just affect the people who receive the diagnosis; it’s an experience that loved ones go through with them. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), with chapters in both Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, is working to equip families with the tools they need to support a loved one who…
Political Watch: August 27, 2020
• Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Aug. 22 that California’s request for a presidential major disaster declaration was approved by the White House. This declaration aids in the state’s emergency response to wildfires, which are currently burning across the state after record high temperatures. “California is battling two of the largest fires in our history…
Golden State Killer sentenced to life in prison without parole
Joseph James DeAngelo Jr., widely known as the Golden State Killer, was sentenced on Aug. 21 to 11 consecutive life sentences for committing 13 murders, plus an additional life sentence for 13 kidnappings, without the possibility of parole. Among his 13 felony counts of first-degree murder, four were committed in Santa Barbara County. DeAngelo also…
County to consider fines for violations of COVID-related health orders
An ordinance that would have allowed Santa Barbara County officials to fine individuals for violating coronavirus-related health orders was tabled on Aug. 25, after it was criticized by several community members as being, at best, unnecessary, and, at worst, tyrannical. The proposed urgency ordinance, which the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors discussed at a…
Solvang denies Doubletree Carriages application amid pressure from out-of-state residents
The Solvang City Council denied Doubletree Carriages’ application for a horse-drawn conveyance license, stating that some of the streets downtown were closed to accommodate businesses for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. The council asked for community input on the horse-drawn carriages after receiving comments that called on the city to ban the service altogether. …
Large North County COVID-19 outbreaks subside, but smaller ones persist
As Santa Barbara County Public Health Department continues to juggle and monitor COVID-19 outbreaks throughout the county, some of the largest congregate living outbreaks appear to be cooling off. Congregate living facilities are among the most susceptible spaces to COVID-19 outbreaks due to close living quarters and sustained interaction between individuals. But depending on the…
