Cover Story
A county- and state-funded housing project proposed in Santa Maria exposes a bigger debate
A controversial plan to convert a Motel 6 on Santa Maria’s East Main Street into permanent housing for the homeless led to questions about the city’s ability to collaborate with Santa Barbara County on similar projects. Fifth District Santa Barbara County Supervisor Steve Lavagnino asked to pull the project from the Board of Supervisors’ Jan.…
NEW FLICKS: I WANT YOU BACK
NEW FLICKS: I WANT YOU BACK Where’s it playing? Amazon Prime What’s it rated? R Break-ups suck, and watching the person you thought you were perfectly happy with move on sucks even more. This funny, lighthearted rom-com brings together funny people Charlie Day as Peter and Jenny Slate as Emma–two people who hatch a mutual…
Political Watch: February 17, 2022
• Gov. Gavin Newsom announced $311.7 million in funding for 126 beautification projects along the state highway system, according to a Feb. 11 statement. As part of his $1.1 billion Clean California initiative, this project will benefit historically underserved or excluded communities. Over three years, Clean California will remove an additional 1.2 million cubic yards—or…
Shooting death of 17-year-old Santa Maria resident sparks community action
Santa Maria residents mourned the loss of 17-year-old Alexis Mendoza Raymundo on Feb. 10 by holding candles and signs and crying for “justicia,” Rebekah Spicuglia—executive director for nonprofit One Community Action—recalled. Mendoza Raymundo was shot and killed on Feb. 5 at the Santa Maria Mall Town Center parking lot, leaving behind his mother, a monolingual…
County planning commissioner calls Santa Ynez project appeal ‘unmeritorious’
The Santa Barbara County Planning Commission doubled down on its approval of a two-story house’s construction, after denying an appeal that put a half-year halt on the project. In August of 2021, Thano and Kathy Adamson were granted a land use permit to construct a single-family home on their rural property on Alamo Pintado Road,…
Santa Barbara County rescinds indoor mask mandate
After analyzing recent data and looking at omicron’s characteristics, Santa Barbara County Public Health officials decided to end the local indoor mask mandate effective Feb. 16, aligning with California Department of Public Health decisions. “While the omicron variant has proved to be more transmissible than previous variants, it has also resulted in shorter periods of…
Santa Barbara County’s One Climate Initiative focuses on new planning elements with a goal of environmental justice
Santa Barbara County started the One Climate Initiative in 2020 to bring planners together to tackle major issues tied to climate change, according to county Planning and Development Senior Planner Zoë Carlson. “I like to think of One Climate as an umbrella of all our different planning elements. We are all moving forward concurrently with…
Bars, bistros, burger joints, and more participate in Lompoc’s seventh annual Restaurant Week
Brace yourselves, foodies. There’s a seven-day sweet and savory storm heading to Lompoc in the form of the city’s seventh annual Restaurant Week. In conjunction with this year’s festivities, several restaurant owners throughout Lompoc are offering exclusive deals for $20.22, the same price as participants of Santa Maria Valley’s Restaurant Month, albeit within a much…
Right solution?
Santa Barbara County and Santa Maria are fighting over the homeless and a Motel 6. At least, that’s the simple version of the story. The real story goes back many years but comes down to ideological differences and what Santa Maria believes is best for the city. Mayor Alice Patino, City Councilmember Etta Waterfield, and…
Los Alamos is being subjected to development without planning
Los Alamos is a small town that relies on the county for governance. But we have been suffering under its bureaucracy and its unwillingness to admit obvious shortcomings of a development plan. And the county disbanded our planning advisory committee that might have reviewed this poorly conceived development project. More than 200 residents have signed…
Federal pandemic aid falls short of helping seniors and the disabled
While it is commendable that the Biden administration has done much to aid families with children and those seeking work with the recently passed infrastructure bill and stimulus checks, that aid did nothing to help the elderly living on Social Security or the disabled who cannot work. Even if the Build Back Better bill is…
Santa Maria leaders should follow all the rules, including their own
There is a sign, topped with the city’s logo, posted on Santa Maria city buildings. It says: ATTENTION in capital letters, and shows the picture of a mask. It then says, in capitals: MASKS ARE REQUIRED INSIDE CITY FACILITIES. This is followed by the words: “Thank you for your cooperation.” Mayor Alice Patino and Councilmember…
San Francisco-based ensemble Dirty Cello performs inaugural Solvang concert
Sometimes the only article of clothing you need to get into a Dirty Cello concert is a face covering. One of the group’s most memorable shows took place at a nudist resort in San Jose, band leader Rebecca Roudman revealed. “The audience dutifully kept their masks on, but nothing else,” Roudman said. “We kept our…
PCPA and the Santa Maria Public Library co-host screening of documentary, ‘Dolores’
Dolores, a documentary on activist Dolores Huerta, will screen at the Santa Maria Public Library on Tuesday, Feb. 22, at 4 p.m. Admission to the screening, which is co-hosted by the Pacific Conservatory Theatre (PCPA), is free. The screening will take place in Shepard Hall and will be immediately followed by a bilingual Q-and-A session…
Wildling Museum hosts virtual tribute, Ansel Adams: The Man Behind the Camera
Photographer Alan Ross (pictured, left) will lead a virtual presentation dedicated to his late friend and mentor, Ansel Adams (pictured, right), who would have celebrated his 120th birthday this year. The public is invited to tune in to the Zoom program, hosted by the Wildling Museum of Art and Nature, on Sunday, Feb. 20, from…
