Cover Story
Sand fight: For 35 years, the Oceano Dunes has struggled to comply with the terms of its permit from the Coastal Commission
Water flushes out from under the tires that roll south through Arroyo Grande Creek toward a wall of sand stacked 4 to 6 feet high on the other side. Nick Lalanne hits the gas pedal of his white Chevy to motor up the bank and park, overlooking something that hasn’t happened in several years. The…
What’s your favorite outdoor recreational area?
David Reynoso works at PictSweet “Los Alamos Park. The trails there are awesome.” Savannah Gonzales student at Allan Hancock College “Pirate’s Cove.” Alicia Soto student at Allan Hancock College “Lopez Lake. It was my favorite place to camp as a kid.” Jacob Magana student at Allan Hancock College “The Bob Jones Bike Trail.”
Slainte and Sake event at Niya in Orcutt serves up unique cocktail pairings
A subtle fog of anticipation rolled over the crowd as they waited, seated almost shoulder to shoulder with friends, loved ones, and complete strangers. They were boisterous, eagerly talking among themselves, sharing opinions about the weather, highway traffic, or how their kids were doing in school. Some of them shot anxious glances behind their shoulders…
Day for a downpour
Boy, oh boy! January sure came in with a bang! The storm and the fury brought rain, floods, high winds, and high tides. And that was just in my neighborhood! Not far from here the mudslides and heavy snows are keeping the wildfires at bay. The only thing missing is an earthquake, followed by plagues…
Solvang Conservatory students to showcase in ensemble in Los Olivos
The bowed, stringed instruments such as the violin, viola, or cello are often regarded as some of the hardest instruments to begin studying, but don’t say that around Diane Byington, director and owner of Solvang Conservatory. Byington thinks the stringed instruments famous from the orchestra are by far the best to study, she said. She…
Local filmmaker debuts documentary at Santa Barbara International Film Festival
Cal Poly photography instructor and filmmaker Sky Bergman will premier her feature-length documentary Lives Well Lived at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) on Feb. 7. The film is Bergman’s directorial debut. Lives Well Lived divides screen time between 40 individuals aged 75 to 100. They share intimate memories, personal histories, and meaningful insights.…
Santa Maria Arts Council announces grants competition honoree
The Santa Maria Arts Council (SMAC) is recognizing Bill Cirone, the Santa Barbara County superintendent of schools, as the 2017 honoree for the Individual Grants in Arts Competition. “The arts are a form of expression and communication that is essential to the human experience, and they truly deserve a regular place in our classrooms.” Cirone…
The Great American Melodrama delivers laughs with ‘The Foreigner’
Absurdities—and laughs—abound in The Foreigner, the play currently on the bill at The Great American Melodrama in Oceano. The Foreigner by Larry Shue is a farce that has become a staple in theater since its premiere in 1983. The play has been in our neck of the woods before, and is back in all its…
The Dunes Center celebrates Huell Howser with walk at Oso Flaco
When Huell Howser—best known locally for hosting, producing, and writing California’s Gold on PBS—toured Oso Flaco Lake and the Guadalupe Dunes, I doubt he could have predicted his journey would be recreated by dozens each year, celebrating in his name. The Dunes Center in Guadalupe celebrates the fourth annual Huell Howser Walk this year on…
Growth and gloves: Central Coast Boxing Club teaches local youth athleticism, accountability, and discipline
Fighting Back Santa Maria Valley was founded in 2003 with the mission to “fight for our future one kid at a time.” Some time after the organization formed, Executive Director Edwin Weaver invited Carlos Ruiz to meet, seeking his advice on how to empower local youth to resist street gangs and other criminal activity. Ruiz…
Bethany Bramble
Bethany Bramble isn’t the typical athlete of the week, but for Allan Hancock College Women’s Basketball head coach Cary Nerelli, she’s a special part of the team. Nerelli said Bramble earns the distinction not just for her basketball skills, but her blue-collar work ethic and caring more about “we” than “me,” he explained. Bramble said…
Illegal immigration takes a toll
I read “Safe Havens good for Santa Maria” (Pedro Reyes, Jan. 19) with interest. I have had an extreme interest in the subject of illegal immigration for many years, and since the time that I was almost killed by a twice-deported illegal alien who returned to be with his family and drove drunk, hitting me.…
Change and control
It’s hard to change. And people get upset when things change too much or too quickly, because it goes against their idea of what’s right. That’s why when new legislation comes through, you can often find several people upset about it. Take for instance the Santa Maria City Council’s recent extension of a moratorium prohibiting…
Jimenez gears up for third year of dual language immersion program
Jimenez Elementary School will hold meetings for parents interested in enrolling their incoming kindergarteners in dual language immersion classes. The informational meetings are scheduled for Feb. 22, March 22, and April 26, each at 6 p.m. at the school district office. Jimenez’s dual language immersion program—the only one of its kind in the Santa Maria-Bonita…
SMJUHSD seeks safer crossing for student pedestrians following traffic accidents
Two pedestrian students attending school in the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District were struck by vehicles in separate incidents in mid-January, prompting the district to reach out to the city about potentially securing new crosswalk areas. The first collision occurred on Jan. 23, when a 17-year-old Santa Maria High School senior was walking…
Political Watch 2/2/17
• It was gloves off for California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) during his State of the State speech to lawmakers on Jan. 24. Brown struck a defiant tone against the Donald Trump administration, promising to defend the state against President Trump’s actions regarding climate change, undocumented workers, and health care. It came a day before…
Closure of Santa Maria’s Larrabee Recycling Center highlights strain on CRV buyback statewide
It was the perfect storm of problems: Recycling values for aluminum, plastic, and glass had bottomed out. People were cashing in on single-use plastic water bottles more than ever before. The state had announced it would slash funding. After 46 years in operation, the Larrabee Recycling Center could no longer afford to stay in business.…
Hobnobbing with Helen
Tweets matter. This is likely no surprise to my readers. What is especially noteworthy, however, is that tweets can have a huge impact on officials at the state level of government. “Legislators pay a lot of attention to tweets,” according to registered lobbyist and legislative advocate Shannon Smith-Crowley, who addressed a group of about 50 American Association…
Spotlight on: Guadalupe electric car charging station
Guadalupe is situated along the picturesque California Highway 1, which stretches more than 650 miles from Mendocino County in the north, to Orange County in the south. Frequently traveled by motorists, including those who drive electric vehicles, the scenic and historic route hasn’t enjoyed a place for electric vehicles drivers to receive a charge if…
Clarification
In the Sun’s Jan. 26 article, “Acupuncture for pets,” Ruth Corbo’s last name was misspelled.
Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office names inmate who died in jail last December
The name of an inmate who died while incarcerated at the Santa Barbara County Jail last December has been released. The inmate has been identified as 69-year-old Benjamin Karsokas of Isla Vista, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, which withheld the name for a month until next of kin was notified. Karsokas died…
Carbajal aims legislation at offshore drilling
U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) is challenging offshore oil drilling with his first piece of legislation: the California Clean Coast Act, which he introduced to Congress on Jan. 28. The act would permanently ban future oil and gas leasing off the California coast, and it has garnered support from local environmental groups such as…
Two shootings, no deaths, Santa Maria police say
Two people were shot in Santa Maria in a period of three days, according to the Santa Maria Police Department, sparking concerns that the city will return to the violence it faced a year ago. In both incidents, the victims suffered non-life-threatening wounds, Lt. Marc Schneider with the police department told the Sun. The first…
County sues feds over Camp 4
Santa Barbara County filed a lawsuit in federal court on Jan. 28, seeking an injunction to block the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ (BIA) recent decision to annex new land into the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians’ reservation. The Board of Supervisors voted in a closed session meeting in January to take legal action should…
Santa Barbara County seeks $7 million from state for storm damage
Santa Barbara County proclaimed a local emergency on Jan. 27 after winter storms hit the Central Coast from Jan. 19 through 24. The proclamation estimates nearly $7 million in damages to public and private property in the county, though officials are still determining the final number. According to Jefferson Litten, chief of staff for Board…
No mistakes
For those of you who, like me, are in awe and shock at the new administration, I offer some small bit of consolation: There are no mistakes. I do not understand why the universe chose our new president as the leader of the free world. I have ideas about how things might work out for…
You can make a difference
I did not join the march on Saturday (Jan. 21). But I vowed to do the “hard work” … the follow-up. Marching was a great start but the hard work is what now needs to be done. The global information age and economy cannot be denied. We can strive to be the best educated, produce…
