Cover Story
Follow Lompoc resident Stephanie Recio-Soltero through the Grizzly Youth Academy’s 22-week program
Editor’s note: Between August and December 2019, New Times Staff Writer Karen Garcia profiled several cadets in the Grizzly Youth Academy, including Stephanie Recio-Soltero from Lompoc. Recio-Soltero’s story is compiled here, from her admission to graduation. The last of the fog is melting away from the hills that surround Camp San Luis Obispo on this…
Ag commissioner talks cannabis, pesticide issues
During the county Planning Commission meeting on Jan. 22, Santa Barbara County Agricultural Commissioner Cathy Fisher presented the findings of a working group that was charged with identifying solutions to issues some farmers have encountered when applying pesticides to crops near cannabis farms. The root of the issue stems from the strict state-mandated testing that…
CANARY: Keep it neighborly
Santa Barbara County Agricultural Commissioner Cathy Fisher has a good tip for solving problems that regular ol’ farmers have come up against with cannabis cultivation operations: Be a good neighbor. It’s an earth-shattering revelation in these modern times, I know. Doing something to your crop that could affect your neighbor’s very different crop? Talk to…
POLITICAL WATCH: January 30, 2020
• On Jan. 23 Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham (R-San Luis Obispo) introduced legislation that attempts to address California’s statewide teacher shortage. According to a statement from Cunningham’s office, Assembly Bill 1982 removes “unnecessary” barriers that prevent people from entering the profession. Under this bill, people would no longer have to take the California Basic Educational Skills…
County leading regional effort to improve parks, outdoor resources
Residents in Santa Barbara County will soon have the chance to weigh in on future plans for new outdoor recreation projects in the area. For the first time ever, the county and local cities are working on a countywide recreation master plan that will identify what resources are missing throughout the county and how jurisdictions…
Lucia Mar school board member pushes for shorter winter break
The Lucia Mar Unified School District is the only public school system in SLO County with a full three weeks off for winter break. Colleen Martin has been pushing to change that for years. “It’s been one of my pet peeves for a really long time,” Martin told the Sun. Martin is a college…
Humane society leader steps down amid merger talks
The Santa Maria Valley Humane Society announced that its executive director is stepping down a few days after an item appeared on a Santa Maria City Council agenda related to the nonprofit’s possible merger with the Santa Barbara Humane Society. On Jan. 21, the City Council approved a measure allowing the Santa Barbara Humane Society…
Guadalupe to meet housing needs and keep on building
The city of Guadalupe is on track to exceed its housing goals set by the state through 2027. Contract Planning Director Larry Appel said this could be due to the small number of units the city was given. According to Guadalupe’s 2019-27 Housing Element, the city needs to add 50 housing units total—less than half…
Santa Maria begins riverbed restoration project
The city of Santa Maria is cleaning up the riverbed east of Highway 101 prior to beginning a new program aimed at educating residents about the types of plants and animals found in the area. City Recreation Services Manager Dennis Smitherman said that California State Parks awarded the city a roughly $40,000 grant late last…
Raw truths from an ex-food server
I was either the best or worst waitress (according to handwritten notes on my check receipts). My status depended entirely on circumstances because even the most skillful waiters could not pull off a triple seating on a Friday night when you’re understaffed and you got assigned the one busser who just started. To make everyone…
Locals can enjoy free fitness time in Santa Maria
Santa Maria will host its second annual Open Streets festival on March 29, marking the return of an event that reportedly drew 20,000 attendees last year. The event is organized by the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG), which has sought to bring Open Streets to cities all over the county. The Open Streets…
Bruce Porter has the passion to be supervisor
I support Bruce Porter for Santa Barbara County supervisor. I’ve known Bruce for a number of years. He has an amazing passion for our community and its citizens and has dedicated countless hours in volunteer time to work hard for the benefit of others. As chairman of the Santa Barbara County Chapter of the American…
Voting no on Lompoc’s sales tax measure in March would have a seriously negative impact on city services
In my last commentary (“Reality check,” Jan. 16), I tried to explain how the city of Lompoc wound up with a substantial budget deficit even though one councilman is in total denial. To try and mitigate the impact of this deficit, the City Council approved placing a temporary (15-year) 1-percent sales tax measure on the…
Hayley and the Crushers celebrate new album, Vintage Millennial, at O’Sullivan’s Pub
Once described as a demonic version of The Go-Go’s, pop punk and surf trio Hayley and the Crushers specializes in poolside glitter trash, a self-coined genre that sums up the group pretty well. “We like to think if you had a really fun and wild pool party, then fished out the stuff you found in…
Get jumpin’: Kids of all ages bounce to their heart’s content at Rockin’ Jump
“So, are you going to jump?” “No, I don’t think so,” I replied. “But I reserve the right to change my mind!” This recent conversation with a friend is running through my head as my husband, Bret, and I escort six giggly preteens through the Santa Maria Town Center mall. It’s mid January, and we’re…
Starry Nights exhibition showcases painting, photography, and poetry at Wildling Museum
Spotting the Milky Way at night is one thing, but catching a glimpse of it in broad daylight is quite another. Beginning Feb. 1, museumgoers in Solvang can do just that. Open as early as 11 a.m., night and day dwellers alike can stop by the Wildling Museum of Art and Nature to enjoy paintings…
Great American Melodrama presents ‘Pump Boys and Dinettes’
Pump Boys and Dinettes opens at the Great American Melodrama and Vaudeville on Thursday, Jan. 23 , at 7 p.m. From Los Angeles-based director Allison Bibicoff, this iteration of the Tony Award-nominated musical runs through Sunday, March. 8, with performances held Thursdays and Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 3 and 7 p.m., and Sundays…
Aimee Ginsburg Bikel signs new book in Solvang
The Book Loft in Solvang hosts a book signing event with author Aimee Ginsburg Bikel on Saturday, Feb. 15, from 2 to 4 p.m. Bikel’s new book, The City of Light, is centered on her late husband, Theordore Bikel, the Austrian-American actor, singer, and peace activist. The book tells the story of Theodore’s childhood in…
Hancock College holds annual Student Art Show
Artwork from more than 50 Allan Hancock College students is currently on display in the school’s annual Fine Arts Student Art Show, which opened on Jan. 23. Submission to the exhibition was exclusive to students enrolled in the college’s fine arts program. The exhibit will remain on display in the Ann Foxworthy Gallery through March…
