Santa Maria firefighter Shea Weidler has lived in a van since October because he can’t afford housing costs with the salary he makes. “As a 30-year-old, you see yourself owning a home and more stable, but when you’re living in a van, living paycheck to paycheck, it kind of wears on you,” Weidler said. “While…
In my 11 years as an administrator with the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department, I had the opportunity to work with many members of the county Board of Supervisors. Supervisor Joan Hartmann is among the very best. As a county administrator in the past and as a current 3rd District resident, I find that…
I love calling the Santa Ynez Valley home because residents show up to support each other. But it is evident that much of our workforce can’t be part of that because of the high cost of living here. At the College Elementary School District in Santa Ynez, our school board and superintendent continually ask, “How…
I am responding to John Donegan’s letter in the opinion section of Feb. 1 (“Ruling Donald Trump stricken from the ballot is a big deal, so don’t take it lightly”). It seems he has been confused by MAGA Republican propaganda. He said inflation had been running rampant the last three years. Not true. After COVID,…
Lisa Frankenstein What’s it rated? PG-13 What’s it worth, Glen? Matinee What’s it worth, Anna? Matinee Where’s it showing? Regal Edwards RPX Santa Maria, Movies Lompoc, Regal Edwards Arroyo Grande Zelda Williams (Kappa Kappa Die) directs this Diablo Cody (Juno, Jennifer’s Body, Young Adult) script about Lisa (Kathryn Newton), a maudlin high schooler whose mother…
The Brothers Sun What’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2024 Where’s it showing? Netflix This new Netflix series is an absolute hoot—a sparkling mix of comedy, martial arts, and Chinese soap opera. Charles Sun (Justin Chien) is a Taipei gangster, the son of Jade Dragons leader, Big Sun (Johnny Kou), who as the series opens narrowly…
They Called Him Mostly Harmless What’s it rated? Not rated When? 2024 Where’s it showing? Max The Appalachian Trail winds for more than 2,000 miles, and the hikers who take on such adventures form a special bond—anyone who has read Cheryl Strayed’s Wild can tell you that. When a malnourished man is found deceased in…
Nipomo promo Follow Cafe DeVille on social media for more info about the restaurant’s future opening and its outdoor pop-up events. Cafe DeVille is located at 133 S. Thompson Road, Nipomo. For additional details, visit cafedevillenipomo.com. Late night cravings are rarely insatiable at the DeBilzan family’s Nipomo home, thanks to its patriarch’s improvisation skills in…
Krishna Flores is going up against Bob Nelson in the Santa Barbara County 4th District supervisorial race with a little more than $2,000—$44,000 less than incumbent Nelson. “As a challenger running a true grassroots campaign, we never expected large sums of money, but we had a great plan to spend the money wisely and strategically,”…
• The California Strategic Growth Council awarded Resilient Cuyama Valley $1.08 million in funding through the Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) Program, according to a Feb. 8 statement from Assemblymember Gregg Hart’s (D-Santa Barbara) office. The TCC Program funds community-led development and infrastructure projects that achieve major environmental, health, and economic benefits in California’s most disadvantaged…
Erika Terrazas participated in Partners in Education’s Job Readiness Training and Internship Program when she was in high school in 2010. And now, as the nonprofit’s program services manager, she’s recruiting professionals in Santa Maria to volunteer for the same job readiness program she did 14 years ago, she told the Sun. “From experience, it’s…
Hans Christian Andersen Park is home to Solvang’s two dedicated pickleball courts, both on the verge of closing to the public, according to Parks and Recreation Director Jenny McClurg. “The current courts are getting to the point where it could become a safety hazard and could warrant a closure,” McClurg, who attributed some damage to…
Facing a 69 percent increase in CalFresh caseloads from 2016 to 2023 while staffing increased just 28 percent, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved 86 new CalFresh positions for the county’s Social Services Department. “For years our funding in the CalFresh program has been constrained by policies in the early 2000s, which…
Norms we cannot weather The Great American Melodrama presents its production of Grave Mistakes through March 16. The two-act show, which opened in early January, is followed by the Melodrama’s new vaudeville revue, Whatever the Weather We’ll Weather the Weather Together. The theater is located at 1863 Front St., Oceano. Call (805) 489-2499 or visit…
Members of the public are welcome to sit in on a free music master class, hosted by acclaimed violinist and Festival Mozaic Music Director Scott Yoo, at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria on Feb. 24, from 10 a.m. to noon. The following day, Yoo will take part in a special Chamber Concert with Festival…
Tennis players and pickleball players are frenemies who simply cannot share a court—and the battle over volleying space is getting tense in Solvang. Hans Christian Andersen Park hosts the city’s only two pickleball courts but they’re on the verge of closure with cracking and drainage issues. “The current courts are getting to the point where…
I worry about the climate. Lots of folks do these days. So I was really disappointed to learn that Citibank is one of the biggest lenders to fossil fuel companies. Since 2016 Citi has invested a whopping $332 billion in this industry, ever worsening the livability of our planet as we fight a barrage of…
