Cover Story
The pandemic ushered in an industry-wide wave of community-based sheltering for animals
Bob, a Santa Maria local, is a longtime dog owner. He used to own three dogs but now owns just one, a rambunctious Australian shepherd mix who loves to run, he told the Sun. Instead of going to the pet supply store to buy food for his dog, Bob (who asked the Sun not to…
North Blosser Road to get protected bike lanes, new crosswalk
Santa Maria residents will see some construction along Blosser Road over the next few months as the city adds protected bike lanes and pedestrian-friendly crosswalks, and brings sidewalks up to current Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. David Beas, the city’s principal civil engineer, said the North Blosser Road Improvement Project will take 75 working…
Santa Maria-Bonita School District works to increase student equity
The Santa Maria-Bonita School District hopes to increase equity between its students by putting a preschool at every elementary school site and making sure kids are progressing by at least one grade level every year. These are among the six goals and priorities in support of equitable student outcomes that Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Services…
Dreamers Vegan Takeout hosts pop-up events in Lompoc, Santa Maria, and beyond
If you give a mouse a cookie, society has been groomed to assume the rodent will consequently demand a glass of milk. But what if said cookie giver doesn’t carry dairy products? While probably best known for its vegan burger, burrito, and taco offerings, Dreamers Vegan Takeout in Lompoc offers a rotating menu of delicious…
Shepard Hall showcases eclectic paintings by Marilyn Dover Benson with new exhibit, Realism versus Abstract: What Is Your Passion?
While her realistic landscapes aim to capture the world as we know it, acrylic artist Marilyn Dover Benson has described her vibrant, abstract pieces as “out of this world.” Although the local painter enjoys working in both concentrations, she believes realism is the trickier of the two, at least in her experience, she said. “Realism…
Great American Melodrama announces 2021 season, starting with new vaudeville revue, ‘Comedy Tonight’
The Great American Melodrama in Oceano presents Comedy Tonight, an original two-act vaudeville revue, which is scheduled to premiere on Thursday, July 15. Performances will run through Sunday, Sept. 12. Described as a two-hour evening of puns, parodies, song, and dance, Comedy Tonight will mark the Melodrama’s first production since its closure in March 2020.…
Flying Goat Cellars in Lompoc showcases paintings by local artist Vicki Andersen
A collection of paintings by local artist Vicki Andersen is currently on display in the Flying Goat Cellars’ tasting room gallery. Featured paintings include Sunflower Vintage (pictured), among other still life and landscape pieces. For more info on the exhibit, call (805) 736-9032 or visit flyinggoatcellars.com. The tasting room is located at 1520 E. Chestnut…
Santa Maria author Viviana Hall releases bilingual poetry collection, ‘Poems of Love’
RoseDog Books recently published Poems of Love, a paperback collection of poems, in both English and Spanish, by Santa Maria-based poet, journalist, and social worker Viviana Hall. This 60-page book costs $10 and can be purchased at rosedogbookstore.com. To find out more about the author, whose other poetry compilations include Miedos and Poemas del Cielo…
The whole story
You know what the big bad U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency does when it wants local law enforcement to had over information about a criminal in custody? It sends a fax. A fax! The inmates can hear that little fax coming in from down the hall. No notification needed. But really, what…
Old jobs, new faces
It was April 30 of last year when I wrote about the fear of opening our economy and people venturing out for the first time as we get back to normal. Man, did I miss that. Shocking. We are learning how wrong Fauci has been. How unnecessary and destructive the lockdowns have been. How physiologically…
Though the approved Lompoc budget won’t be changed on the day it goes into effect, it will change many times during its life
A few weeks ago, I said, “The local government budget is usually the last thing anyone thinks of or is even interested in. The last Lompoc budget document was 189 pages of numbers, staffing charts, service descriptions and explanations of how much funding it takes to run the city. “Even though it is a tedious…
The Luffa Farm in Nipomo will teach you something new about nature’s sponge
What comes to mind when you hear the word “luffa”? Is it the brightly colored, meshy plastic bath sponge? The rough, dense exfoliator, often tacked to the end of a wooden stick, that you might find at the drugstore? If you haven’t yet visited The Luffa Farm in Nipomo, chances are these are the only…
Political Watch: July 1, 2021
• After President Joe Biden’s announcement that a deal was reached with the Senate on infrastructure spending, U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) issued a statement commending the agreement. “Gridlock has kept us from modernizing our roads, bridges, trains, buses, and water pipes for long enough,” Carbajal said. “This deal is proof that we can…
Immigrant advocates ask Sheriff’s Office to stop collaborating with ICE
In 2020, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office released 12 undocumented immigrants into Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. “From 2019 to 2020, the number of ICE requests decreased substantially, and the number of ICE rearrests also decreased substantially,” Sheriff Bill Brown told the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors during a June 22 Truth…
