Cover Story
The newspaper shuffle: Journalism is changing and so is local news
“Newspapers are dead.” It’s a familiar refrain ringing in the ears of journalists across the country. But they aren’t dead, yet. Well, actually, some newspapers are, in fact, dead. But some are still going strong, while others are struggling to fit in with a digital-first world, and still others are turning the traditional model on…
Sonoma’s cannabis cap created compatibility
So why is cannabis cultivation compatible with wine in Sonoma County but not in Santa Barbara County? The cover story of last week’s Sun (“Struggling to get along,” Aug. 22) about conflicts in Santa Barbara County between cannabis and other crops points out that in Sonoma County, the two industries are compatible. What’s the difference?…
Dispensary applicants in Solvang have one building to choose from
Solvang dipped a toe into the marijuana industry last year when the City Council voted to welcome in medical dispensaries. The catch, Mayor Ryan Toussaint said, is that the city ordinance relegates potential dispensaries to just one area called the “Allowable Zone” and there’s only one building in the location that’s willing to host a…
The search for fancy cocktails ends at Root 246 in Solvang
When a little birdie told me that Solvang’s Root 246 recently revised its list of handcrafted signature cocktails, that was all the inspiration I needed to check it out. The wife and I were feeling adventurous, especially as I could count on one hand the number of high falutin’ five-course meals I’ve had in my…
Local author Bobette Stanbridge discusses Bunky Book series and children’s book workshops
In the mid-1970s, illustrator Bobette Stanbridge was hired to design a cast of animal characters for a line of children’s clothes, quilts, pillows, and other items. Decades later, Stanbridge’s daughter brought the characters up out of the blue, after finding one of the illustrations in a family member’s home. The conversation rekindled her own affinity…
Santa Maria Library screens ‘Contact’
The city of Santa Maria Public Library hosts a free screening of Contact (1997) on Monday, Sept. 9, from 3 to 5:45 p.m. Adapted from the Carl Sagan sci-fi novel, the film follows scientist Elli Arroway (Jodie Foster) as she contends with the government, religious fanatics, and other combative forces after first contact with an…
Cypress Gallery presents Between Here and There
An opening reception for Between Here and There, a new paintings exhibition at Cypress Gallery in Lompoc, takes place on Saturday, Aug. 31, from 2 to 4 p.m. The show features abstracted landscapes and pure abstracts from local artist Mikel Naccarato. Subjects of the landscapes range from areas in Hawaii to the Central Coast. Most…
PCPA resident artist receives Wilde Award
Pacific Conservatory Theatre (PCPA) resident artist Emily Trask recently received the Wilde Award for Best One Person Show, for her performance in An Iliad, which ran at the Hope Summer Repertory Theatre in Holland, Michigan. “It seems fortuitous to receive a Wilde Award while I’m currently doing a Wilde play,” Trask said in a press…
Feathers and Fur showcases art from local environmentalists at Gallery Los Olivos
After moving to Santa Barbara in 2011, retired biologist and lifelong artist Emil Morhardt found a new muse in the form of plovers, pelicans, and other avians inhabiting the city’s shoreline. “[I] realized that the birds on the beach were approachable, relatively easy to photograph, and had very interesting behaviors,” said Morhardt, who upgraded his…
Soul and R&B legend Gladys Knight to perform at Chumash Casino Resort
No need to keep soul searching, the iconic Empress of Soul can be found at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez on Friday, Sept. 6, at 8 p.m. Gladys Knight was only 7 years old when she started performing in 1952, forming her own musical group, The Pips, with her brother, sister, and cousins.…
New Orcutt kombucha bar offers homemade drinks, space to chill
When Shane Piper first began brewing homemade kombucha about five years ago, it was limited to a 1-gallon container in one room of his house. This setup didn’t last long. After experimenting with different flavors, he began expanding into another room to make space for additional containers. “The kombucha moved from the office to the…
For local districts, easy-access after-school programs are elementary
When the Lompoc Unified School District kicked off the new school year, it began an experiment to broaden access to after-school programs for its elementary school students. The district beefed up options with the Boys & Girls Club in Lompoc at La Honda STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) Academy. It now has 60 students,…
New use-of-force law won’t change law enforcement, Sheriff’s Office says
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill strengthening the state’s use-of-force rules for law enforcement to “one of the strongest use-of-force laws in the country,” his office said in a news release. Announced in an Aug. 19 news release, Assembly Bill 392 was introduced by Assemblymember Shirley Weber (D-San Diego) and supported by Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham…
Lompoc takes first step in holding sales tax election
After months of contentious debate and pleading from some residents, Lompoc is moving forward with holding a sales tax increase election in 2020. Lompoc City Council unanimously approved taking the first step toward an election at a special meeting on Aug. 22. As the city worked on its 2019-21 biennial budget, the council majority expressed…
Santa Maria moves to join Monterey Bay Community Power
Following in the footsteps of Santa Barbara County, the city of Santa Maria is moving forward with joining Monterey Bay Community Power (MBCP), as the public electricity provider continues to expand throughout the Central Coast. Community choice energy (CCE) agencies such as MBCP are governed by a board of directors made up of officials from…
Political Watch: August 29, 2019
• California Attorney General Xavier Becerra recently spoke against President Donald Trump in anticipation of the administration’s forthcoming ruling on children in immigration custody. In a news release, his office said the new rule would “bypass the Flores Settlement Agreement.” “Children don’t become subhuman because they are migrants. All children are God’s children, our children,…
Lompoc needs more leaders who have what it takes to move the city on the path to success
Lompoc needs help going forward, and one would think the City Council would be leading the charge of positive change, hearing the needs of the citizens, deciding what is best to move the city forward, and so on. If you have people seated as political leaders of a city who are intent on encouraging appeals…
CANARY: Down is up
I’m not sure what’s going on around here. Maybe it’s the end of summer and the fact that the days are getting shorter, or maybe it’s the chemicals in the water, but the city of Santa Maria is making moves to join a community choice energy provider (gasp!) and the city of Lompoc is heading…
