Cover Story
A new generation of blood thinners is taking over the market, but the only approved antidote isn’t readily available on the Central Coast
The day Philip Ruggles died, he was the picture of health. Until, suddenly, he wasn’t. Nearly 34 years of teaching sales, estimating, marketing, and pricing in Cal Poly’s graphic communication department left Philip with a propensity for organization and a keen eye for detail. In the classroom, he was pragmatic, voraciously curious, and boundlessly devoted…
County Planning Commission supports cannabis overlay
Less than two months into the new year, the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission has already had numerous discussions over possible amendments to the county’s cannabis ordinance. The county Board of Supervisors directed the commission to look at potential changes to existing regulations last year to address concerns over odor and the plant’s compatibility with…
CANARY: Chicken who-now?
Have you ever stopped to think about the idioms attached to birdkind? We’ve got some positive: as the crow flies (you know, direct), eagle-eyed, early bird gets the worm, birds of a feather flock together, like a duck to water. And we’ve got some negative: burying one’s head in the sand (ostriches totally do not…
An ag panel discusses present challenges, potential for the future
Labor shortages and government regulations tied to groundwater usage continue to hinder local farmers, but technological advancements could ease some of these concerns, according to a panel of agriculture experts who spoke at a recent event in Santa Maria. The panel met as part of a forum the local nonprofit Econ Alliance hosted at the…
Political Watch: February 13, 2020
• On Jan. 30, the state Senate voted against a proposed bill that would change zoning regulations to require cities to allow multi-family home development in areas currently zoned for single-family homes. On the same day of the vote, state Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) explained on Twitter why she didn’t support the bill. “SB…
Central Coast economy still growing, but labor issues could hinder it long term
Skilled workers are getting harder to come by on the Central Coast, according to Mike Miller of Papich Construction, and it’s affecting how quickly the company can complete transportation infrastructure projects. Miller spoke up at the end of the end of the 2020 Economic Forecast hosted by the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce and…
County receives $28.1 million in Thomas Fire settlement
Almost two years after pursuing litigation following the Thomas Fire and subsequent mudslides in Montecito, Santa Barbara County received $28.1 million in a settlement it reached with Southern California Edison. The county filed a lawsuit seeking damages from the utility company—which is blamed for one of its power lines sparking the fire—on April 18, 2018,…
District 3 supervisors’ race fundraising tops $550,000
After spending more than $1.3 million in their 2016 bids for Santa Barbara County’s 3rd District seat, Joan Hartmann and Bruce Porter have collectively raised more than $558,000 in the 2020 race for the same spot on the Board of Supervisors. Although there are four candidates on the ballot, neither Karen Jones nor Jessica Alvarez…
Valley Art Gallery showcases colorful, new pastel and oil paintings from Deborah West
Vibrant garden scenes, sky studies, and regional landscapes currently occupy the wall space of Valley Art Gallery in Old Town Orcutt, as part of its latest painting exhibition, which runs through Saturday, Feb. 29. For this show’s featured artist, Deborah West, the key to painting is getting the light right. And translating the “subtle interplay…
Tap your toes to guitar, piano, and kitchen utensils with the Great American Melodrama’s Pump Boys and Dinettes
Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Oceano anymore.” The Great American Melodrama and Vaudeville transforms its stage to 1970s North Carolina—a gas station and diner combo on Highway 57, somewhere between Frog Level and Smyrna, to be exact. Pump Boys and Dinettes, which runs at the theater through Sunday, March 8, pits its…
Santa Maria Library hosts Heart of the Valley lecture
The Santa Maria Public Library holds its next Heart of the Valley meeting on Saturday, Feb. 15, from 10:15 to 11:15 a.m. This monthly series invites local history enthusiasts to hear a special guest speaker give a lecture on an aspect of Central Coast history every third Saturday. Admission to each event is free. For…
PCPA presents ‘Brighton Beach Memoirs’
The Pacific Conservatory Theatre’s (PCPA) production of Neil Simon’s Brighton Beach Memoirs opens at the Marian Theatre on Thursday, Feb. 13, at 7 p.m. The first entry in Simon’s autobiographical trilogy of plays (followed by Biloxi Blues and Broadway Bound), this coming-of-age comedy follows a teenager who dreams of baseball and girls while coping with…
Los Alamos Theatre Group holds concert fundraiser
A special benefit concert to support the Los Alamos Theatre Group takes place at the Depot Mall and Bar on Saturday, Feb. 15, from 8 to 11 p.m. Guests can expect to enjoy a full bar, dancing, and live music from the Soul Cats Band. Tickets to the event are $25, and proceeds will go…
Singer-songwriter Cyrus Clarke brings acoustic Americana to Old Town Orcutt
Utilizing a flatpicking guitar style, singer-songwriter Cyrus Clarke specializes in Grateful Dead-esque improvisational jams, whether live in concert or tucked away inside a recording studio. Aside from a successful solo career touring cities throughout California and beyond, the Americana artist is also well known as a founding member of both The Cache Valley Drifters and…
The latest edition of Emily Post’s Etiquette is out, and heads up, you still shouldn’t talk with your mouth full
I learned just how fascinated I was with etiquette when I bought a copy of Emily Post’s Etiquette, 19th Edition, Manners for Today for my niece, an aspiring baker and future food biz entrepreneur. She’s a senior in high school and plans to pursue a hospitality major in college. The almost 700-page book is a…
Plan ahead: Seminars on aging help seniors and their families prepare for the future
Since the very start of Nancy Puder’s successful 40-plus-year career in real estate, she’s had a special relationship with senior clients. “They’re attracted to me, and I’m attracted to them,” Puder said. “I’m not sure why. I’ve always connected with older people.” Over the course of those years working with the older clientele, Puder said…
County government matters
Why does it matter who is the 3rd District county supervisor? If you have a city council, what’s left for county government to do? The answer is that the county covers a much broader range of services than city government, including health care services for children, seniors, and the disabled; services for alcohol, mental health,…
What will the Lompoc City Council do with potential sales tax revenue from Measure I2020?
Let’s address one thing first before I go on: “The city” doesn’t need more revenue—your city needs more revenue. There is an important distinction here; if we continue to refer to “the city,” it implies that the city is an entity unto itself and not a service provider for the whole community. Your city is…
