Cover Story
Coyote Central Coast: Coyotes have a long and colorful local history, which still thrives today
Most of us have seen them: pointed ears and caramel-colored snouts poking out of the brush at a favorite hiking trail, bushy tails whipping around the corners of country roads, and those vivid eyes, which regard you with intentional nonchalance. Often spotted at sunset, the coyote—known as Canis latrans by biologists—calls the Central Coast home,…
Another Vandenberg AFB protestor convicted of trespassing
When it comes to trespassing on Vandenberg Air Force Base, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sharon McCaslin doesn’t seem to be very lenient. McCaslin and her team of assistant U.S. attorneys recently prosecuted Michael David Omondi on Feb. 16 for stepping foot on the base during a vigil last August commemorating the 71st anniversary of the atomic…
Have you ever encountered a coyote?
Sharon Wheeler retired “I saw one up close in Texas. At first I thought it was a German Shepherd, until I realized how long its legs were.” Judy Kinyon retired “I’ve never seen one, but I used to hear them all the time when I lived in the country.” Justin Meddings jewelry consultant “Many times…
Los Olivos winery welcomes master sommelier Will Costello
On Feb. 13, Bien Nacido and Solomon Hills Estates announced Master Sommelier Will Costello was joining the winery as Estate Brand Ambassador. Costello was named master sommelier in North America through the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2015. He currently serves as the Wine Director at Mandarin Oriental in Las Vegas. From his current home…
PCPA The Pacific Conservatory Theatre delights with ‘You Can’t Take It With You’
The highly entertaining You Can’t Take It With You, now showing at the Pacific Conservatory Theatre (PCPA), takes us into the seriously unconventional Vanderhof-Sycamore household in New York City, circa the 1930s. The audience plays witness to a whirlwind of wacky onstage antics as a parade of quirky people interacts. In a nutshell—pardon the pun—this…
C Gallery presents pop-up show
The C Gallery offers a pop-up show March 4 through 15 titled C Gals. The exhibit features three artists who were all former students of Connie Rohde, director of the C Gallery. An opening reception for C Gals is March 4 from 4 to 6 p.m. Featured artists are Chelsea Ward, Christi Schaeffer-Belle, and Callie…
Local artists chosen for Pastel 100 competition
Pastel Journal chose the works of three Santa Barbara artists—Linda Mutti, Kris Buck, and Ivanie Finsvik—for the 18th annual Pastel 100 competition. Only 100 entries were selected from thousands of submissions. The competition includes five categories: landscape, portrait/figure, still life/floral, animal/wildlife, and abstract. Mutti received fifth place in the landscape category for her painting Sunrise…
Santa Ynez Valley Airport hosts Student Aviation Club
The Student Aviation Club at the Santa Ynez Valley Airport held its first meeting Feb. 18 and will continue to meet. The club welcomes students ages 8 to 18 for its following meetings on March 18 and April 15. Club attendees will learn about aviation and aeronautics from local pilots. Students who participate will be…
PVHS student named Teen Star SB finalist
Daniel Geiger, student at Pioneer Valley High School (PVHS), was named one of the top 10 finalists in the 2017 Teen Star singing competition in Santa Barbara. Geiger will compete at the competition’s finale on Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. at the Arlington Theatre. The competition includes young singers from all over Santa Barbara County.…
Piecing it together: Daytrip to Morro Bay for paper cutting art
Two years ago, lab assistant Ryan Carroll didn’t even know what paper cutting was. Carroll did grow up crafting origami creations of everything from geometric shapes to animals. So when he stumbled across the art of paper cutting (which has roots going back to sixth century China) on Instagram while in between jobs, he was…
Spotlight on: Morris and Garritano
Insurance—that life necessity many people dread paying for. But it’s necessary—for cars, houses, health, and life itself. Many laws, whether state or federal, compel residents to buy insurance, but many of us buy it willingly. Insurance is usually purchased from an insurance agency, such as Morris and Garritano, a San Luis Obispo-based company that recently…
Not without my anti-wrinkle cream
Hello, my name is Rebecca Rose, and I believe every lie the cosmetics industry tells me. I never thought I would be a woman fixated on wrinkles or stressed like a hostage negotiator over a few gray hairs. When I was 20, I had the privilege to scoff at beauty ads. “Ha!” I used to…
Friends gathered and bands reunited for last show at O’Sullivan’s Pub
O’Sullivan’s Pub in Santa Maria has meant a lot of things to a lot of people. Some saw it as a place to avoid, while others found it a simple sanctuary for enjoying brews with friends. For local musicians, O’Sullivan’s was the one place you could play, even if your band was loud, rowdy, and…
Ariana Silva
Usually, an Athlete of the Week is chosen for their determination, persistence, and the amount of fight they take to the field or court. But 15-year-old Ariana Silva, Santa Maria High School sophomore and basketball team member, is recognized for those same traits–just not on the court this season. Silva hasn’t played a single minute…
Leading the way: The Pioneer Valley High School girls’ soccer team may be out, but they’re not down
On Feb. 16, the Pioneer Valley High School girls’ soccer team (14-7-2) lost their second CIF playoff match against Santa Ynez High School 1-2. In spite of this, the Lady Panthers walked off the field that night with their heads held high, because when they look back, they won’t remember the sting of that game.…
Regulating wildlife
Holy crap, did it ruffle my feathers to see the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s proposal for migratory bird hunting for the next two years—they’re hoping to open up hunting earlier in the year, and even mentioned Santa Maria as a region in the report! I’m not a migratory bird, but jeez, I could easily…
Shooting from the hip without thinking
In the turmoil surrounding President Trump I am sure you have lost count of all the off-the-cuff executive orders flying off his desk and lips. We all love the fast, action-packed Western movies where the villains and pursuers shoot off the hip without a second thought in split-second drama, but this is not a movie…
Hancock commits to protecting undocumented students
Allan Hancock College leaders committed to making the school a safe space for undocumented students last week, when the district’s board of trustees unanimously approved a diversity resolution at its meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 14. The resolution states that the board “reaffirms its commitment to the values of inclusion, diversity, open discussion, and success for…
Political Watch 2/23/17
• Andrew Puzder was President Donald Trump’s former pick for secretary of labor, but withdrew his nomination on Feb. 15 after what his spokesman George Thompson told The New York Times was an “unprecedented smear campaign.” Puzder is the chief executive officer of Carptineria-based CKE Restaurants, which owns the Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. fast food…
County Board of Supervisors play catch-up on cannabis regulations
Regulations are underway for cultivating marijuana for commercial recreational use in Santa Barbara County, following a few actions by the county Board of Supervisors at its Feb. 14 meeting. The supervisors voted to create an ad hoc subcommittee to help develop cultivation regulations, direct staff to bring back plans for a cannabis grower registry, and…
Santa Maria looks to curb stormwater pollution
Now that the Central Coast is getting drenched in rain, the potential for pollution in stormwater runoff isn’t lost on the city of Santa Maria. On Feb. 21, the Santa Maria City Council considered a resolution to match dollars for a Proposition 1 grant from the State Water Resources Control Board to treat stormwater runoff.…
Lompoc ordinance prohibits unauthorized use of new city logo
Lompoc introduced a new city logo at its last City Council meeting and gave the first reading of an ordinance that would make it illegal to use the logo without permission. The change to the new logo comes 17 years after its last update, which was Aug. 15, 2000. It is meant to reflect that…
Police officer injured in pursuit of man in stolen vehicle
Santa Maria police officers arrested a man on Feb. 16 who collided with a patrol car while driving a stolen vehicle, injuring one officer, according to a Santa Maria Police Department press release. At 10:06 a.m., a patrol officer said he observed a reported stolen vehicle in the area of W. Church Street and S.…
Storm relieves Cachuma reservoir, causes damage
Santa Barbara County’s seen nearly double its normal to-date rainfall, thanks to a big-ass storm that dropped as much as 10.5 inches of rain in some parts of the county over President’s Day Weekend. According to the Flood Control District, the county has received 182 percent of its average rainfall to date, hiking Cachuma Reservoir…
Which immigrants failed to show?
So of the million people that immigrated to the U.S. every year, which immigrants decided to stay home last Thursday? Some 90,000 people come from Europe. Did any of them stay home? How about Asians? About 400,000 people from China, 20,000 from Korea, 30,000 Vietnamese, and more than 120,000 Asians from dozens of other countries?…
Goodbye, California
I moved to this state almost 17 years ago and have had the privilege of bouncing from Bakersfield to Orange County to here on the Central Coast. It is with some sadness that I am leaving the state for good at the end of February. In truth the loss of my job was only the…
Buellton school district votes to save tax dollars
The Buellton Union School District’s board of trustees voted at its Feb. 16 meeting to refinance a general obligation bond passed by voters in June 2012, saving constituents about $1.2 million over the next 11 years. This was the shortest-term option for the district to pay back the $3.2 million bond, which funded the installation…
