Cover Story
Local poets find their voice in North Santa Barbara County
It’s a dark space that’s standing-room only. The only sounds come from behind the podium, a quiet stirring from a winery tasting room worker as she slowly pours another glass for a patron at the bar. The audience is hushed, eager for the moment when it starts. “I worshiped dad’s tale– the middle son seeking…
Lady of Los Olivos: Theodora Stephan’s Global Gardens produces organic boutique olive oil from the Central Coast
It was already dark just before 6 p.m. as we cruised down the rural Los Olivos road, but thankfully it was glowing at Global Gardens. The long, pale branches of the olive trees there were festooned with bright holiday lights, wreathing the picnic area of Theodora “Theo” Stephan’s farm stand property with a welcoming shine.…
Photographer Lee-Volker Cox brings Imagine to the Santa Maria Public Library
A dog stands on a dimly lit pier, his gaze caught by something behind him. In the milky glow of the lamplight, a tennis ball is barely visible beside him. The moment is filled with a rich bounty of expression and sentiment. “The dog is about 12 or 13 years old and he can’t walk…
Joellen and Tom Chrones’ featured in His and Hers art show
Tom and Joellen Chrones met through their artistic endeavors, setting up a lifelong mutual bond. “We met each other at the first photo club that was in town in Lompoc,” Joellen Chrones said. “That was 40 years ago.” While Joellen moved on to glass and knitwork as an artist, Tom, a retired fire captain for…
Arts commission seeks feedback for housing survey
The Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture is currently seeking feedback from the arts community regarding housing. The commission is asking for participants to complete one of two surveys–one for artists and employees of arts organizations and the other for organizations themselves–regarding temporary artist housing. The survey aims to help identify solutions and…
Don’t let the hectic holiday season keep you from taking in some live music
Everybody’s busy during the holidays, I get it, and live music isn’t at the top of everyone’s list of priorities. But why? For starters, we’re all inundated by holiday and Christmas music from the moment Thanksgiving ends. Stereo systems blare generations of “Jingle Bells” and “Silent Night,” from Elvis’ iconic interpretations to Ariana Grande’s dance…
Legislators consider ways to deter e-cigarette use among teens
Electronic cigarette use is rising dramatically among teens. The number of U.S. high school students who reported e-cigarette use increased by 78 percent between 2017 and 2018 alone, according to the 2018 National Youth Tobacco Survey. Numbers among middle school students rose by 48 percent. This after only 1.5 percent of high school and 0.6…
Spotlight on: IBEW 413, Angel Tree fundraiser
Chris Scott has known of the Salvation Army’s annual Angel Tree toy drive for years, ever since he worked at Best Buy, which would help donate toys. But last year, the now five-year apprentice electrician made his first donation to the program as a father, which changed his perspective on the program. “We were looking…
Local farmer featured on popular podcast to discuss disconnect between food consumers and producers
Farming is arguably the most vital industry in the world. One American farm feeds roughly 165 people annually in the U.S. and abroad, according to data collected by the American Farm Bureau Federation, and about 2.1 million farms are scattered throughout the country. But fewer Americans are farming now than ever before. While farm and…
Harvest Community Center to build homeless shelter in Santa Maria
At a meeting in September, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors declared a countywide “shelter crisis,” a label that made the area eligible for millions of dollars in state funding that would go toward fighting homelessness through housing assistance and emergency aid. County staff said at the meeting that they were looking into housing…
Santa Maria police investigate second murder in two days, seventh of the year
The sun was just beginning to set on Santa Maria’s north side on Dec. 10 as a small group gathered near the corner of West Bunny Avenue and North Blosser Road, where a white cross hung from a wooden fence, surrounded by bright blue balloons and flowers. A young girl sobbed as she walked toward…
HUMOR: Puppy love
My life is essentially a postage stamp of what some people consider the American dream. I’m married and I have two kids, a boy and a girl. I pay the bank every month for a mortgage on a suburban home where there is a pickup truck in the driveway. And, of course, I have a…
Solvang hosts Julefest Wine and Beer Walk
The city of Solvang will celebrate the annual Julefest with a two-day beer and wine walk. The walk features more than 15 winery and brewery tasting rooms throughout Solvang. For $45, festivalgoers will receive a two-day pass good for tastings in participating tasting rooms as well as a souvenir wine glass. The event takes…
DANA Adobe Cultural Center hosts Milford Zornes exhibit
Nipomo’s DANA Adobe Cultural Center presents a collection of work from renowned California painter Milford Zornes through Jan. 27. Zornes, who who was born in Oklahoma in 1908 and died in 2008, is famous for his unique style and color use in paintings depicting iconic landscapes in California. One of his paintings, a 1936 watercolor…
Man-made disaster and unforced error
Due to the current market price of crude oil, Santa Barbara County has the capability and capacity to generate as much as $30 million per year in annual property taxes to Santa Barbara County, roughly 50 percent of which would go to our county’s K-14 public schools, roughly 25 percent of which would go to…
Nothing wrong with nationalism
I was reading through Erik Huber’s letter “The folly of nationalism” in the Nov. 15 edition of the Sun. I was wondering about the purpose of his historical review of the so-called issues of “nationalism” and wondering why he wrote the letter with all kinds of nasty comments on the past world history for 100…
Does China believe in nuclear energy?
What’s the smart money doing with nuclear power while California is abandoning it? China is looking more and more like the new world leader, taking over from America. Smart management has seen the Chinese economy growing nonstop, decade after decade. What about their take on carbon-free nuclear power to run their mighty economy? According to…
Rogue Lompoc City Council members violating policy?
This is an excerpt from a disturbing letter I recently received from a concerned Lompoc city employee: “To whom it may concern, I am writing this as a concerned citizen of Lompoc. I work in the city offices and am concerned about something that I have noted over the last couple of months. Councilman [Jim]…
Familiar feeling
So often around this time of year, a familiar feeling can wash over you like a swig of spiked eggnog. It can be a warm fuzzy feeling, like the love fest we saw at the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors meeting on Dec. 11 (see page 6), when the supes and other representatives bid…
Political Watch 12/13/18
• Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island) discussed climate change from the Senate floor on Dec. 7, heard about the impacts to states like California, and called on the Trump administration and Congress to take action. Feinstein mentioned sea level rise and its effects on places like San Francisco, where “the…
Malia Loos
Santa Ynez Valley Union High School junior Malia Loos appears to be unstoppable, on and off the court. It’s her third year on Santa Ynez’s varsity basketball team, where she now holds the school record for most three-pointers made in a single game, according to coach Jason Finley. Loos is currently on pace to break…
Retiring county supervisor Janet Wolf receives honors
The beginning of the the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors Dec. 11 meeting included a fair share of honors, thanks, and some held back tears for 2nd District Supervisor Janet Wolf’s last day on the dais. Wolf, who retires from the board after three four-year terms, was celebrated by nonprofit organizers, fellow supervisors, and…
Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors approve recommendation to purchase Blackhawk helicopter
The prospect of adding a Blackhawk helicopter to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department’s fleet of emergency response aircraft was met with unanimous approval from the county’s Board of Supervisors, despite the $4.7 million price tag. At the board’s Dec. 11 meeting, county Fire Department Interim Chief Michael Dyer delivered a presentation to the board,…
