Cover Story
In 2022, COVID-19 took a back seat to long-simmering issues
As we gaze back at what 2022 brought with it, the big issues that stick out include homelessness, opioid overdoses, and rural crime—all of which were exacerbated in the wake of the pandemic and are still waiting for solutions from public officials. As we head into 2023, expect those conversations to stay on the agendas…
NEW FLICKS: BABYLON
NEW FLICKS: BABYLON Where’s it playing? Movies Lompoc, Regal Edwards Arroyo Grande, Regal Edwards RPX Santa Maria What’s it rated? R “Excessive” is probably the best word to describe Babylon, writer-director Damien Chazelle’s (Whiplash, La La Land) new film—an often gross and graphic exploration of Hollywood’s pre-code nascent days, its transition from silent films to…
NEW FLICKS: BEST SELLERS
NEW FLICKS: BEST SELLERS Where’s it playing? Rent on Amazon Prime, Redbox, Vudu, and Apple TV What’s it rated? PG-13 Lucy (Aubrey Plaza) inherited her book publication business from her father, whose skillful editing and salesman smarts led to Harris Shaw’s (Michael Caine) hit novel way long ago. Unfortunately, the world of publishing has changed…
BINGEABLE: WEDNESDAY (2022)
BINGEABLE: WEDNESDAY (2022) Where’s it playing? Netflix What’s it rated? TV-14 Netflix is hitting us right in the nostalgia with Wednesday. While the whole Addams family is iconic, this series focuses on Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) and her new school—one she’s forced to go to after setting piranhas free in her former school’s pool. Take that,…
BINGEABLE: THE WHITE LOTUS (SEASON 2) (2022)
BINGEABLE: THE WHITE LOTUS (SEASON 2) (2022) Where’s it playing? HBO Max What’s it rated? TV-MA If you’re worried that your relationship has problems, you and your significant other should tune into The White Lotus and behold the psycho-social dysfunctions of the various characters in this delicious black comedy about upscale resort vacationers and the…
A Santa Maria-Bonita School District teacher completed his third young adult fiction book
Steven Waiters wanted to be a writer ever since he was in high school. As he went through life, raising a family and teaching at the Santa Maria-Bonita School District, he never let that dream go. “Writing has given me an outlet to do something different that I actually can bring into the classroom and…
Political Watch: December 29, 2022
• U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla (D-California), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) reintroduced a Senate resolution to declare racism a public health crisis, according to a Dec. 21 statement from Padilla’s office. The senators previously introduced the resolution in April 2021. Their resolution acknowledges the history of racism and discrimination within health care…
Lompoc Police Chief Joseph Mariani retires
Dec. 31 marks Lompoc Police Chief Joseph Mariani’s last day in office. The soon-to-be retiree gave a formal farewell speech during the Lompoc City Council’s last meeting of 2022. “One of the things I told my immediate staff was I did not want a farewell,” Mariani said during the Dec. 20 meeting. “I wanted to…
SLO County urges skaters to wait to skate Nipomo’s new skate park
Excitement is building for Nipomo’s skaters anxiously awaiting the opening of the town’s long discussed skate park. The San Luis Obispo County Parks and Recreation Department issued an alert on Dec. 21 declaring that the not-yet-completed skate park is being damaged by local skaters who were using it before the site was ready. Parks and…
Cuyama Buckhorn hosts New Year’s pop-up dinner with traveling kitchen, Slow Burn
After spending more than a decade working for various restaurants, two prolific chefs recently pursued a mutual dream they had on the back burner for a while—to own and operate an eatery that prioritizes food waste reduction through sustainable cooking practices. Rather than invest in a brick-and-mortar, work and life partners Tiffani Ortiz and Andy…
Patience is a virtue
Nipomo’s $3-million and many-years-in-the-making skate park is two months away from completion, but some skaters just can’t wait. The SLO County Parks and Recreation Department had to send out a warning to the public before Christmas because skateboard tracks are already appearing in the bottom of the recently poured skate bowls. “Waiting just the few…
Thank you, Central Coast
My last day as the Assembly member for the 35th District was Dec. 1. It has been an honor and a privilege to represent the Central Coast these past six years. Together we accomplished great things for the Central Coast, California, and beyond. Some of the highlights: We passed a bill (SB 846) to pave…
New laws are being enacted without state lawmakers thinking ‘what could go wrong?’
Our legislators in Sacramento have been busy “helping us” again; they have passed—and Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed—several new laws that will impact people in Lompoc and everywhere else in the once Golden State. Some may have an adverse impact on traffic safety, others your pocketbook. Two important changes go into effect in January that…
