Cover Story
Growing pains: Proposed changes to the county’s wine ordinance have the wine industry and residents up in arms
The spill On a recent clear summer afternoon, Ross J. Rankin wears a short-sleeved white button up and black slacks. He owns and operates a tasting room in Santa Ynez called Imagine Wine. The business, which was once a mechanic’s garage, is quiet and comfortable—a spacious room decorated in hardwood and flooded with natural light.…
Spotlight on: Bargain Warehouse
Don’t call Bargain Warehouse a thrift store, or else owner Ronald Floyd will promptly correct you. He prefers to compare his shop to an old mercantile exchange. Whatever it is, it’s got a little bit of everything. Mounted deer hang high on the back wall. Metal shelves are stocked with various household wares: toasters,…
Conviction overturned in 2010 Arroyo Grande vehicular manslaughter case
The last five years of Rene Rosas’ life have left him in states of confusion and despair, but he’s finally able to start rebuilding his life. On July 2, Rosas was released from San Luis Obispo County Jail after his conviction for vehicular manslaughter was overturned on appeal. The original conviction stemmed from the Sept.…
A group accuses contractor of providing substandard medical care to Santa Barbara County inmates
The final moments of Raymond Herrera’s life were written in a coroner’s report released by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff on July 8. Details outlined in the report said that Herrera, a 52-year-old father from Lompoc who was serving a 10-day jail sentence for nonviolent probation violations, began convulsing while lying in the top bunk…
Should the county prohibit wineries from having restaurants?
Jerry Plowman distribution and sales “They should be subject to regulations like everyone else.” John Mehm student “If they are able to have a restaurant, they should be subject to the same regulations as a restaurant.” Ron Baird tile contractor “I’m down with them having restaurants. It will boost our economy.” Shawna Aranda medical assistant…
Storing rain should come before gray water
Kylie Mendonca’s piece (“Save some for the peaches,” July 16) on gray water usage was excellent, distilling the intricacies of a water conservation approach many more people need to consider implementing. However, as Josh Carmichael stated in the article, there is a “hierarchy of water conservation” starting with the installation of efficient fixtures such as…
DANA Cultural Center welcomes cowboy singer/songwriter Dave Stamey for a benefit concert
Listen to the full interview with Dave Stamey. The tradition of the traveling musician goes back far in time, from the medieval troubadours to the more recent Californio era, when the vaqueros would strum their guitars and sing under the eaves of the oak trees at the Dana Adobe in Nipomo, as Juan Francisco Dana…
The Sun earns accolades from National Newspaper Association
The National Newspaper Association (NNA) announced the winners of its 2015 Better Newspaper Contest, and the Sun earned a few noteworthy distinctions. The judging period covered reporting done in 2014, and the Sun competed against newspapers nationwide to earn several first place distinctions, a couple of ranking awards, and honorable mentions. A February 2014 cover…
Santa Barbara County bans plastic bags
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 for a single-use plastic bag ban in unincorporated areas of the county during its meeting on July 21. It’s an issue that’s gotten some play at the state level. Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a statewide single-use bag ban already, Senate Bill 270, but the rollout…
Hobnobbing with Helen
If you were a dog or cat with nowhere to go and no one to love you, you would want to be at the Santa Maria Humane Society’s new facility on West Stowell Road. The Humane Society held an open house on Saturday, July 11, to show off their latest amenity (Kennel No. 3), which…
Political Watch 7/23/15
• In the race to fill the 24th Congressional District seat in the United States House of Representatives, it’s all about the money as contenders stack their chips and prepare for what will surely become a very expensive—and potentially very nasty—all-out throw-down of an election. On April 8, Congresswoman Lois Capps announced that she would…
Community Notebook 7/23/15 – 7/30/15
MONDAY, JULY 27 • The South County Advisory Council has its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Nipomo Community Services District Headquarters, 148 S. Wilson St., Nipomo. • 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,…
Lompoc moves toward affordable housing program
The Lompoc City Council didn’t meet before the Sun went to press, but on the docket for that July 21 night was a discussion to kick $42,500 toward the Lompoc Homebuyer Assistance Program from the Santa Barbara Affordable Housing Trust. The money is a fraction of the larger sums involved in the program. Ultimately, the…
Santa Barbara County fire department reports oil spill near Cuyama
It seems like the oil spills don’t stop in Santa Barbara County. First, there was the Refugio State Beach pipeline rupture on May 19. Then, on June 3, a teeny pipeline break dumped less than a barrel of oil onto the sidewalk in front of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office on Foster Road. Now,…
Maldonado family sued for alleged labor violations
A prominent Santa Maria Valley farming family is facing a class-action lawsuit filed by former employees for allegedly violating several labor laws. The complaint alleges that the agricultural businesses Agro-Jal Farming Enterprises Inc., Agro-Jal Farms Inc., Paloma Packing Inc., and the companies’ owners Abel Maldonado Sr., Abel Maldonado Jr., and Frank Maldonado, violated several California…
Fun at the Fair
The Santa Barbara County Fair included five days of activities for local youth and families, from carnival games and rides to livestock and agricultural competitions, vendors, and stage performances. The fair weathered the storm on Sunday, July 19 as the heat wave and drenching rain pelted the Santa Maria Fairpark’s pavilions. Sun photographer Kaori Funahashi…
Contract for auction
Though attendance numbers to this year’s Santa Barbara County Fair were slightly less than last year’s, livestock numbers were up, generating more than $2.9 million in auction income. Nice work 4-H and FFA students! I hope you don’t go out and spend that on something smart like textbooks. Meanwhile, the Santa Maria Police Department is…
Elections are for you to decide
It offends me to the core each election cycle that a few powerful individuals decide who can run for the President of the U.S., according to the candidate’s willingness to maintain the status quo. That tradition continues on the Central Coast. Recently Lois Capps endorsed Salud Carbajal to take her seat in Congress. That endorsement…
Gray water and soft water don’t mix
The article (“Save some for the peaches,” July 16) on gray water was informative, but appears to have left out a major issue. Gray water systems are not appropriate for homes with soft water systems. The sidebar said that water should not contain sodium or potassium chloride, but the article itself never bothered to mention…
Don’t forget about soft water
Thank you for your article on recycling water for use in gardens (“Save some for the peaches,” July 16). There is one major concern your article doesn’t address, and that I haven’t seen in several water reuse articles and that is the danger to plants when reusing softened water. If one has a soft water…
Dust, energy bills, and you
See that dust building up on your nightstand? Well before you reach for a rag, you may want to make a run to the hardware store for a caulking gun and a new filter for your furnace and air conditioning system, as this buildup could be a sign your home has some energy efficiency troubles…
Ethan Usher
In Wyoming for the 2015 National High School Finals Rodeo in mid-July, Ethan Usher of Santa Ynez shot 92 out of 100 clay pigeons with a .22 rifle. That put him in the top 11 for trap shooting in the nation. “I’ve been shooting and hunting my entire life,” Usher explained. “I started shooting trap…
No reservations: Going on a last-minute Big Sur trip is harder than it used to be
It’s Thursday night, and you’re feeling antsy. Your legs are dying for a little weekend adventure with ocean views, redwood forests, and a campfire. It’s July, though, and you didn’t reserve a campsite at one of the several desired spots embedded along Highway 1. They’re all reserved. Apparently people plan their summer camping trips eight…
Mason Bar mixes new age bartending with old school cocktails in Arroyo Grande
The rattling tinkle of ice furiously tumbling in a metal shaker is drowned out by voices colliding against the tall rough-hewn timber and brick walls of a cozy cocktail bar in downtown Arroyo Grande on a Friday night. A July evening breeze eases in from a warehouse-door-sized open window overlooking the sidewalk. People stand by…
Hers is the face that loaned a thousand bucks
Move over Alexander Hamilton! Treasury Secretary Jack Lew has announced plans to redesign the $10 bill to replace Mr. H’s image with that of a woman. The new bills are slated to appear in 2020, in time to mark the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. Huzzah! I’m…
Santa Maria Civic Theatre announces upcoming season
The Santa Maria Civic Theatre announced its 57th season of live community theater, including audition and performance dates for four full productions and two readers theater events, still to be announced. Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike by Christopher Durang will show Sept. 18 through Oct. 11. The show’s already cast. A Christmas Survival…
Santa Maria Arts Council creates public art committee
Santa Maria Arts Council member and past president Craig Shafer called for a motion to create a Public Art Committee at the council’s meeting on July 15, which was approved by every voter present. Kate Burridge was appointed chairperson for the committee, which will promote and facilitate public art projects. Present members expressed the importance…
Viva el Arte de Santa Barbara awarded local impact grant
The California Arts Council announced plans to award ¡Viva el Arte de Santa Barbara! $8,040 as part of its Local Impact grants, which serve programs that foster equity, access, and opportunity through collaboration with small community and arts organizations. The announcement comes as the local organization celebrates its 10th anniversary of providing community and educational…
PCPA’s ‘Man of La Mancha’ reaches the unreachable stars in Solvang
A few unobtrusive raindrops punctuated the opening scenes of the Solvang Festival Theater premier of Man of La Mancha by PCPA The Pacific Conservatory Theatre, helping to transform the character of the outdoor venue to match with the dank, subterranean dungeon portrayed on stage. The scene came alive with the disheveled and dejected looking ensemble…
Santa Barbara County Arts Commission showcases the work of Graphic Design students from Allan Hancock College
The square, open lobby of the Joseph Centeno Betteravia Government Center echoed with the eager voices of a well-dressed family, obviously awaiting their turn for a marriage ceremony as the afternoon sunlight spilled through the windows. Various members of the group were assembling and rearranging for a photo op, and on either side and behind…
