Cover Story
Santa Maria council majority supports increasing street vending regulations, but community members voice opposition
Street vendors in Santa Maria may soon be required to obtain a permit and undergo a background check under a new ordinance that has support from the majority of City Council but garnered significant community opposition. The ordinance would require street vendors to obtain a permit to vend from public sidewalks. Permit applicants must have…
Orcutt retiree Brad Bunkelman scores Best of Rosé at Mid-State Fair’s 2020 Home Wine Competition
Throughout his teaching career of 35 years, lifelong Orcutt resident Brad Bunkelman taught classes for two departments at Santa Maria High School, science and fine arts. “I enjoyed teaching in both subject areas,” said the local retiree, about his career before segueing into his longtime hobby as a home winemaker. “I think making wine is…
Lompoc-based oil painter Neil Andersson showcases local landscapes in Gallery Los Olivos’ next group show
Editor’s note: This story is the second installment in a series profiling the three featured artists of New Perspectives, a biennial group exhibition at Gallery Los Olivos. One of the joys of painting landscapes for Lompoc local Neil Andersson is occasionally finding new places to capture on a whim—sometimes spontaneously, while out and about on…
New York performance artist Carlos Martiel joins Central Coast-based Zoom program
The Laboratory Series, an ongoing Black-identified artist showcase co-hosted by R.A.C.E. Matters SLO and the Harold J. Miossi Art Gallery, holds its next virtual program with special guest speaker Carlos Martiel, on Thursday, Jan. 28, starting at 5 p.m. This artist talk series is offered via Zoom, and admission to join the meeting is free. …
Allan Hancock College produces original podcast, Hancock Conversations
At the start of 2021, Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria premiered its first original podcast, Hancock Conversations, which airs on the first and third Tuesday of each month. The next episode is set to be released on Tuesday, Feb. 2, and will be available through multiple platforms (Hancock’s website, Spotify, and Apple Podcast apps). …
Hundreds in rural SLO County and Santa Maria lose power in PG&E shutoff
Gusty winds and dry conditions caused PG&E to preemptively cut power to hundreds of households in rural southern San Luis Obispo County and Santa Maria on Jan. 19—part of the utility’s first wave of Public Safety Power Shutoffs in 2021. The shutoff, which spans seven Central California counties, impacted 462 customers around Huasna, Suey, Twitchell…
Carbajal’s office can help residents with stimulus check questions
On Jan. 14 the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced guidance for individuals who qualified for a stimulus check and didn’t receive one, and U.S. Rep Salud Carbajal’s (D-Santa Barbara) office can lend a hand to those trying to navigate through the process with the federal agency. According to a statement, the IRS said more than…
Conflicted
I know I’m the most opinionated yellow-feathered fiend you know, but it’s so hard to know how to feel sometimes. The nuance of life is lost in political debate and the emotional toll of the COVID-19 pandemic. Details glossed over. Rush to judgment solidified. The virus is spreading faster in Santa Barbara County than it…
Beware of specious allegations of Trump conspiracy
I’ll begin this by saying that the attack on the House of Representatives on Jan. 6 was not something that I ever expected to see in the United States; but, the last riot in Washington, D.C., was only a couple of months prior to this when anti-Trump rioters attacked public and private buildings and federal…
Vehicles, pedestrians are incompatible
The California Coastal Act of 1976 protects our shoreline and guarantees beach access for all. Off-roaders are using the Coastal Act’s intent to justify their destructive activity on Oceano Beach and dunes. They broadcast misleading messages of “access for all” and “keep the dunes open” as if “access for all” means access to vehicles, and…
Time for new leadership
Has anyone noticed the state is operating at a deficit? Has anyone noticed Gov. Newsom tapping into state slush funds? Has anyone noticed the sales taxes most cities rely upon are not flowing in because there are fewer sales from fewer operating businesses? The money is drying up due to the government and bureaucratic response…
Local media host spreads lies about Jan. 6 attack on Capitol Hill
Local right-wing media host, lobbyist, and failed candidate for Congress, Andy Caldwell, sunk to even lower lows on his radio show on Jan. 6, after far-right domestic terrorists goaded by President Donald Trump stormed the United States Capitol in an attempt to overthrow American democracy. After our criminal president whipped up his MAGA mob to…
Political Watch: January 21, 2021
• Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Jan. 14 the launch of additional measures for his Safe Schools for All Plan, which was first released on Dec. 30 as “California’s framework to support schools to continue operating safely in-person and to expand the number of schools safely resuming in-person instruction,” his office said at the time. The…
Santa Maria, Guadalupe, and Solvang among communities joining Central Coast Community Energy this month
More than 100,000 residents and property owners on the Central Coast will start service with a new power provider this month. Central Coast Community Energy (3CE) is launching in Paso Robles, Pismo Beach, Grover Beach, and Arroyo Grande, as well as Santa Maria and unincorporated Santa Barbara County. The “flipping of the switch” for these…
Santa Barbara County has one of state’s highest COVID-19 spread rates
While the state recently announced that residents 65 and older would be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, public health officials say Santa Barbara County isn’t ready for that demographic yet. Meanwhile, the virus is spreading faster in the county than most other California jurisdictions. “The state does allow for local flexibility in the implementation,…
