CANARY: Weighing resolutions
The new year is all but here, and this curvy bird is in denial about the need to make a so-called resolution to lose some weight. Sure, I’m not as aerodynamic as I was a few ounces ago, but what I’ve lost in average air speed velocity I’ve gained in presence, amirite? I’m starting to…
The first cannabis testing lab in Santa Barbara County is opening in Lompoc
Despite the number of cannabis farms dotting hillsides throughout Santa Barbara County, there’s currently no local laboratory for farmers to take their plants for state-required testing or other cannabis-related scientific needs. But that’s set to change. Merso Labs, located on Laurel Avenue in Lompoc, should begin accepting samples within the next month or two, Director…
Riptide Big Band kicks off 2020 with Noon Year’s Eve Dance in Santa Maria
The new year is arriving a bit earlier than usual; 12 hours earlier, to be exact, at least for attendees of the Noon Year’s Eve Dance in Santa Maria. Hosted by the Santa Maria Valley Senior Citizens Club, this annual celebration takes place at the Elwin Mussell Senior Center on Tuesday, Dec. 31, from 11…
A Christmas tradition that starts in the kitchen
“Seriously?” I exclaim under my breath. Exasperated, I realize now—after what feels like my millionth trip to the grocery store this weekend—that I don’t have any baking soda. It’s an essential for making Nestle’s chocolate chip cookies. And so was the granulated sugar that I had just brought back from the grocery store five minutes…
Central Coast resident’s new book delves into an emerging type of realism painting and how this trend reflects our contemporary world
From a weekly blogger to a published author, Central Coast resident John Seed has followed his writing on quite the unexpected journey. During a long career as an art instructor at Mount San Jacinto College in Southern California, Seed began writing weekly art criticism blogs for the Huffington Post after a friend convinced him to…
Shepard Hall Gallery showcases fiber artwork made from repurposed materials
Influenced by Piet Mondrian, Dale Chihuly, and other abstract artists, Patricia Lipscomb strives to create art that captures life without representing any particular living subject, whether it’s a plant or an animal. “I especially admire [Chihuly’s] ability to evoke life forms without depicting them,” Lipscomb told the Sun. “My pieces generally elevate matters of form,…
Santa Maria Library screens ‘Toy Story’ marathon
The Santa Maria Public Library is screening all four of Pixar’s Toy Story films, which commenced on Monday, Dec. 23, with the original Toy Story. The series continues with screenings of Toy Story 2 on Thursday, Dec. 26; Toy Story 3 on Friday, Dec. 27; and Toy Story 4 on Saturday, Dec. 28. Each film…
NatureTrack Film Festival announces 2020 selection
More than 65 films from 21 countries have been selected to be screened and judged in the third annual NatureTrack Film Festival, which is scheduled to run March 20 through 22 at multiple venues in Los Olivos. Festival highlights include Street Surfers (South Africa), Lost Kings of Bioko (Germany), Threats in the Northern Seas (France),…
PCPA seeks young performers for ‘The Sound of Music’
The Pacific Conservatory Theatre (PCPA) is currently seeking young performers to play members of the von Trapp family in the company’s upcoming production of The Sound of Music, which is scheduled to open in April at the Marian Theatre in Santa Maria. Auditions will be held on Saturday, Jan. 18, from 9 a.m. to noon,…
Thoughts on climate change
Have we seen global warming in Santa Maria? Yes, we have. I remember yearly frosts on the lawn in the mornings after a below-freezing night. In previous years, I’ve lost plants to freezing weather. But it hasn’t happened in years. That could be a short-time anomaly, but likely it’s the world warming, bit by bit.…
Petty and fascist politics in Oceano
On Dec. 11, 2019, the Oceano Community Services District (OCSD) removed and barred one of its board directors, Cynthia Replogle, from all present and future voting and non-voting committees with an aggressive, hurried, and single motion. Directors Karen White and Shirley Gibson claim that Replogle spoke publicly against board policy and presented a divided board…
Dear Adam Schiff and all Democrats
Sir, on more than one occasion you stated you had proof the president had colluded with the Russians to win the 2016 election. Either you have the proof or you lied. Which is it? Show us the proof. You shift with the wind looking for any case you might manufacture against him. What have you…
‘OK Boomer’
Every morning, over my depressingly austere geezer breakfast of coffee; dry, unbuttered whole-grain toast; and an unsweetened half of a grapefruit, I conduct an informal survey of popular culture while reading the news on my tablet. I have recently noticed the new millennial put-down directed against we “out of touch” baby boomers: “OK, Boomer.” Snide,…
Political Watch: December 26, 2019
• After a weeks-long impeachment inquiry, House Democrats voted yes on impeachment, making Donald Trump the third president placed under such scrutiny. U.S. Congressman Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) voted with his colleagues to impeach the president, accusing him of abuse of power. The nearly party-line vote was 230-197, with two Democrats voting no and one…
Buellton City Council asks county to tighten cannabis ordinance
Geographically located between northern and southern Santa Barbara County, the Santa Ynez Valley is also at the center of much of the area’s debate over cannabis cultivation. Some opponents of the plant point to what they see as a concentration of pending cannabis farms along Highway 246, just west of the city of Buellton, as…
A federal rule change to California’s food assistance program could leave some county residents hungry
The Trump administration recently announced new eligibility restrictions for the country’s food assistance program, which food advocates say will limit access for the needy. Planned to go into effect on April 1, the change would make it more difficult for states to waive work requirements to qualify for the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), known…
Buellton Planning Commission considers mixed-use project
Buellton is reviewing a proposal for a mixed-use property that would add to the city’s affordable housing offerings. The city Planning Commission discussed the proposal at its Dec. 19 meeting. According to the staff report, the three-story, mixed-use property is subject to a “15 percent inclusionary housing requirement and would require the construction of an…
Participation in county syringe exchange program increasing
The number of people that the Pacific Pride Foundation serves in a program designed to reduce the spread of HIV and other blood-borne diseases has nearly doubled over the last three years. Through the organization’s syringe exchange program, it collects used syringes from injection drug users and provides them with sterile syringes to use instead.…
An all-Spanish magazine coming to SLO County, Santa Maria
One Templeton resident and her partner are putting together the only all-Spanish magazine in San Luis Obispo County, which will be available through the county and in Santa Maria starting in January 2020. Latinos make up 23 percent of San Luis Obispo County’s population, and 18 percent of the households speak a language other than…
Unemployment stays low in Santa Barbara County
Santa Barbara County’s final labor report for the year was released in December, showing flat year-over-year unemployment numbers to close out 2020. Unemployment in California has fallen for years, tracking with national job trends. The California Employment Development Department reports a 3.9 percent unemployment rate statewide, slightly higher than the national average of 3.5 Unemployment…
Lompoc weighs commission, committee reductions
In its most recent response to its ongoing budget crisis, the Lompoc City Council is re-evaluating the role of the 11 commissions and committees that review city issues. These commissions and committees cover a variety of city interests, such as public safety, and are made up of volunteers appointed by council members. But due to…
