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Last-Minute Gift Guide 2019
The Central Coast has no shortage of things to do. Hiking, biking, beach walking, and more are right outside your front door. And there’s also no shortage of all of those “specialty,” “artisan” tchotchkes that so often get thrown into a drawer somewhere after the gift-giving season is over. This year for the Sun’s annual…
Happy anniversary: Naughty Oak turns 3
Celebrate Naughty Oak Brewing Co.’s third anniversary on Saturday, Dec. 14, from 4 to 10 p.m. I know! I can’t believe it either. This squirrelly little brewery that throws sweet block parties with music and a food truck is turning 3 years old already! I remember when they were just a little nut brown ale. …
County bans flavored tobacco products
In an attempt to curb the number of kids using electronic cigarettes or vaping, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted to prohibit businesses from selling flavored tobacco products in unincorporated parts of the county. This move comes amid nationwide concerns over how vaping affects a person’s health have begun to intensify. According to…
Local nonprofit casts light on renters plight
A regional advocacy group released a report Dec. 10 painting a stark picture for renters in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. In the report, the Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE) showed that flattening wages and increasing rents are putting strain on renters. The report said that renters make up 51 percent…
County supervisors declare climate emergency
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution declaring an emergency following the release of new information on the extent climate change is affecting parts of the Central Coast. The rhetoric throughout the course of the Dec. 10 meeting was milder than the language used when the board last discussed a symbolic resolution…
Caldwell Rally kicks off campaign
Andy Caldwell held his first campaign rally on Dec. 7, under overcast skies, scattered rain showers, and a massive flag whipping in the wind. His path to Salud Carbajal’s 24th Congressional District seat began with a more than 10-to-1 fundraising disadvantage. A Sept. 30 campaign finance report shows he had raised about $67,303 compared to…
CANARY: Aurora contrarialis
Good news everyone! Santa Maria City Council finally approved its public art master plan. The proposed plan divided the city in 2016/2017, pitting developers and conservatives against artists and liberals. Oh no! Umm. Well, actually, I guess that’s just the same ol’, same ol’, when it comes to dividing lines. But, guys, it wasn’t the…
Political Watch: December 12, 2019
• In a Dec. 5 Facebook post, state Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) reflected on the Thomas Fire, a 2017 blaze that counts among the most destructive in recent memory. “It’s impossible for the two-year anniversary of the #ThomasFire to go by without reflecting on where we’ve come since then. It was a sobering time…
The city of Solvang attempts to boost the marketing potential of a long-held tradition
Julefest has long been a staple of Solvang’s tourism experience. It’s one of the events the City Council wants to use to boost the city’s marketing potential as it seeks to reorient Solvang’s economic mission. Mayor Ryan Toussaint said the city is looking at more than just the events themselves, but how they fit the…
Santa Maria moves forward with art plan but rejects measure to pay for it
Increasing the number of public art pieces in Santa Maria could make the city more beautiful and walkable, encapsulate its rich heritage, and boost the city’s economic vitality, according to the city’s public art master plan. But it’s hard to do any of that without funding. At its meeting on Dec. 3, the Santa Maria…
Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea discusses evocative new memoir
There’s a particular Red Hot Chili Peppers song lyric that has always stuck in my mind as the perfect encapsulation of the story and spirit of maybe the rock band of my lifetime (and my favorite growing up). And no, it’s not “suck my kiss,” or “give it away,” or “under the bridge downtown.” It’s…
Little Orphan Annie finds new home at Orcutt Community Theater
“You’ll stay up till this dump shines like the top of the Chrysler Building,” a six-year-old orphan, Molly (Stella Sarvis), sings during “It’s the Hard-Knock Life,” mocking the harsh demands of Miss Hannigan (Diana Diaz), the matron of a 1930s New York orphanage. As hyperbolic as the task might be, I think it’s safe to…
Santa Maria Library hosts ‘Green Book’ screening
The Santa Maria Public Library hosts a screening of the Academy Award-winning drama, Green Book, on Monday, Dec. 16, from 3 to 5:30 p.m. The film follows the true story of an Italian American bouncer who becomes the driver of an African American pianist during a concert tour of the Deep South in 1962. Admission…
AHC Youth Dance presents ‘The Nutcracker’
Allan Hancock College Youth Dance presents its production of The Nutcracker at Ethel Pope Auditorium in Santa Maria on Saturday, Dec. 21, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 22, at 2 p.m. The classic Tchaikovsky ballet takes place on Christmas Eve and follows the story of Clara, who finds herself caught in a battle between…
Valley Art Gallery holds Art Squared exhibition
Art Squared opened at Valley Art Gallery in Orcutt on Friday, Dec. 6, and will remain on display through Saturday, Dec. 28. This exhibition showcases 50 abstract paintings by local artist Beverly Johnson. The pieces vary in size and depth and were each created by an acrylic pour method Johnson has been experimenting with for…
When it comes to the Oceano Dunes, regulatory bodies and state agencies aren’t doing their jobs
Years ago people smoked everywhere, in bed, driving their cars, at work, in restaurants. Now, not so much. Laws have been passed, and now smoking is prohibited on public transportation, in restaurants, and just about everywhere else there are indoor crowds. Smokers accept this and only smoke in their private places. Laws dictate where you…
Guadalupe’s gentrification is at hand
In response to: “After years of stalled growth, the city of Guadalupe is rapidly adding homes and inching toward future commercial development” (“Building up,” Dec. 5). As a longtime Central Coast resident, I would suggest editing the title of this piece to read: After years of quiet preservation, the city of Guadalupe is rapidly adding…
New Orcutt boutique inn offers guest chef opportunities and serves up a wide beverage selection, house-made light bites
It’s all in the name at the Wine Stone Inn: The brand-new boutique hotel features a Vintage Room with a wine option for everybody. But Wine Stone isn’t just serving up local and international wines to their guests—as General Manager Lauren Wise told the Sun, a stay at this Orcutt inn is “an experience from…
A child advocate organization is struggling to meet the community’s needs
In the midst of facing a rapidly growing need, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Santa Barbara County received some much-needed assistance through a $56,000 grant from a national organization. As more children in the county are pulled out of rough situations at home and become dependents of the court, CASA is having a hard…
