Cover Story
Land of Plenty: The food-savvy co-founders of Edible magazine prepare to launch a restaurant in Los Alamos
The creative entrepreneurs behind Edible Communities Inc., America’s largest publishing company dedicated to the local-foods movement, are writing a new chapter of their lives, in a rather unlikely place: the once-sleepy Santa Barbara County town of Los Alamos. Tracey Ryder and Carole Topalian co-founded the first Edible magazine 14 years ago while living in Ojai,…
Spotlight on: Stars Pharmacy
Not a week had gone by since the grand opening of Stars Pharmacy when owner Sami Boraie walked into the building on a Thursday morning to broken glass littering the floor. According to officers from the Guadalupe Police Department investigating the scene, two men with clearly identifiable tattoos were captured on closed-circuit television smashing the…
Violence on the street: Family of double homicide victims deny any gang association
Out of all the electrical poles that line Oakley Street in Santa Maria, there is one near the corner of Main Street that is different from the rest. Several candles, bundles of red roses, white balloons with messages written on them, and half-empty bottles of Miller Lite are strewn at its base, along with rosaries…
Santa Barbara County students set to visit Author-Go-Round
Each day, approximately 130 students will have an opportunity to listen to four presentations and then spend 15 minutes asking questions and interacting with the authors while seated on carpets in small groups. At a music signal, they will rotate on to the next author. Participating authors and illustrators include James Burks, Sara Louise Kras,…
Amy Lopez joins Santa Maria high school board
The Santa Maria Joint Union High School District Board of Education provisionally appointed Amy Lopez to the board at its Jan. 12 meeting. Lopez, a mental health advocate who has dedicated her career to public service will fill the seat vacated by Victor Tognazzini, who was elected in 2004 and retired on Dec. 31, 2015,…
Political Watch 1/21/2016
• Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) has introduced a bill to set comprehensive limits around the use of drones near critical infrastructure such as bridges and power plants as well as in state parks and wildlife refuges, on private property, and around the State Capitol. Senate Bill 868, is partly modeled on legislation recently enacted…
Community Notebook 1/21/16 – 1/28/16
MONDAY, JAN. 25 • The Solvang City Council has its regular meeting at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers, 1644 Oak Street, Solvang. agendas are available at cityofsolvang.com. TUESDAY, JAN. 26 • The Guadalupe City Council has its regular meeting at 6 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, City Hall, 918 Obispo St., Guadalupe. …
What’s your favorite local getaway?
Jennifer Ward high school special education instructional assistant “We like to go to Sunny Fields Park in Solvang. It’s a wooden castle play structure.” Chris Martino health and safety manager “Cottonwood Winery in Santa Maria.” Katelyn Bromm waitress at Applebee’s “Avila Valley Barn.” Christopher Bromm Air Force instructor “Solvang, just the general area.”
Hobnobbing with Helen
It was raining cats and dogs on Tuesday, Jan. 5, and at 1 p.m., I seriously considered calling Minerva Club President (aka information central) Angie Engelbrecht to check if the scheduled program, The Art of the Tea, was still on for 2 p.m. Would anyone turn out in the dicey weather for a Minerva Club…
EPA report echoes local beekeeper concerns over pesticides’ role in colony collapse
Kate Griffith’s honeybee colony functioned as they all do: with near-impossible efficiency, as thousands of bees performed individually assigned tasks to keep the hive running smoothly. Her colony’s queen produced eggs, the male drones ensured those eggs were fertilized, and the female workers took care of the rest: foraging for nectar and pollen, keeping things…
CHP releases name of driver killed in Highway 154 crash
The California Highway Patrol released the name of the driver who died after his 2006 Ford Ranger hit a Chumash Casino Resort passenger bus on Jan. 18. The CHP released the name of Simon Ruiz of Norwalk, Calif., after alerting his next of kin after the Santa Barbara County coroner identified the body. He was…
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launch: More than an explosion
SpaceX launched its Falcon 9 rocket the morning of Jan. 17 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, earning viral online popularity thanks to video footage of the rocket’s landing-turned-explosion. But what the “boom” doesn’t show is the mission’s success: SpaceX’s rocket launched the Jason-3 satellite into orbit, thus continuing the Ocean Surface Topography Mission begun in…
New bill faces drone users with potential restrictions
Last year, the Sun reported on local controversy surrounding drone use, and how Democratic Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson intended to limit drone operation on private property. Jackson’s march for drone control took a stumble in September when Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed Senate Bill 142, which would have created a “no fly zone” over private property from…
Dealing with dawn
I’ve never been a morning person. Not only have I never been a morning person but I sometimes I actually wake up with disdain that morning decided to creep in and disrupt my sleep rather than waiting for afternoon to come and rouse me with its warm sunlight. But alas, we can’t exactly always wake…
The Donald Sinta Quartet performs classical saxophone music in Lompoc
Listen to an interview with Dan Graser. The saxophone is best known for its contributions to jazz and rock ’n’ roll, and it’s easy to understand why. The instrument is very malleable to the whims of its players, allowing for varying sounds, depending on the type of sax, and a range of emotive qualities. But…
Daytripper: Art spans the ages at the Hall of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco
After passing over the Golden Gate Bridge, heading into San Francisco, you should definitely take the first right turn. The meandering trail of Lincoln Boulevard is fantastically picturesque, offering romantic views of the sun-kissed bay and presidio, but the road eventually leads to the jewel in Lincoln Park’s crown, and arguably one of the finest…
Patricia Stalter shares her digital landscape paintings in Los Olivos
Landscape artists are divided into many different factions. These lines can be drawn by media—are you a watercolor painter, oils, or acrylics? Some painters are divided between studio artists and plein air painters, the latter of which paint their scenes on the spot. Then there are the photographers, those who scout the perfect scenes and…
Philharmonic includes youth showcase
The Santa Maria Philharmonic Society presents its first concert in 2016, the fifth annual Youth Showcase, which will highlight the skills of Philharmonic orchestra members’ students. Youngsters will perform works by Mozart, Chopin, and Liszt—true titans of classical music. The recital happens on Jan. 24 at 4 p.m. at the Unity Chapel of Light, 1165…
Santa Maria calls for bands for Concerts in the Park
Summer is a great time for live music in Santa Maria, with the annual Concerts in the Park series running from July through August. The Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department is holding a call for bands to perform at local parks as part of the series. Family-friendly bands from numerous genres are encouraged to…
Wildling Museum calls for art
The Wildling Museum of Art and Nature is preparing for its summer exhibition, Celebrating National Parks in California, and has issued a call to artists to join the juried showcase. The exhibit is scheduled to show June 18 through Oct. 3 in the museum’s first floor gallery. The juried showcase is open to artists nationally,…
Memorial service planned for David King
Local dance instructor David King, who owned Kings of Swing Dance Studio with his wife, Marie King, passed away on Jan. 5 at the age of 68 following complications from a neuromuscular disease, Marie told the Sun. Her husband left behind a legacy of education and mentorship for locals who enjoyed the art of dance,…
Hannah Walls
Hannah Walls, a senior at Valley Christian Academy, is the rare point guard in basketball who is also the team’s tallest player. At 5 feet 9 inches tall, Walls runs the Lions’ offense in addition to leading the team in rebounding. The decision to be a point guard wasn’t hers, but Walls has embraced the…
A swarm of sharks: Football team of Santa Maria youth standouts wins 2016 Big Dog Bowl national tournament
The Central Coast Sharks, a local youth football team, was born from a simple curiosity: If the best football players in Santa Maria joined forces onto one team, how would they fare against the best players from other regions around the U.S.? On Jan. 10, we found out the answer: best in the nation. The…
It’s our responsibility
BOOM! Did you hear it? That sound lasted forever on Jan. 17, complete with a “POP POP POP” trailing into the cloudy sky like a backfiring car. The Falcon 9 SpaceX rocket launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base was invisible, not invincible. But, here’s the good—according to Col. Shane Clark, 30th Space Wing vice commander,…
Parade of protest against train activity
I live in Nipomo, which is downwind of the Phillips 66 Refinery (P66). This industry wants to increase its activity, which would result in even more air pollution for Nipomo. With increased train activity, the chance of another train-burning disaster becomes overwhelming. The citizens of Pittsburg, Calif., joined together to prevent these problems from happening in their community. They…
Hydrogen and electricity
I was shocked to read recently that county official Dianne Black denied a recent request for the emergency truck transport of oil from the Las Flores facility on the Gaviota Coast because she could not identify it as an emergency. Apparently, she was not aware of the major oil spill at Refugio Beach that shut…
Mushroom madness: Bedford Winery will play host to 10th Annual Mushrooms Gone Wild festival
Why are mushrooms so interesting? Is it because they thrive in the dark? Is it because of their expansive medicinal uses? Maybe it’s because they just taste so good, adding a depth to the dishes in which they are added. Whatever the reason, they are revered by foodies and mushroom aficionados alike, and on Jan.…
