Cover Story
Santa Maria is close to passing an H-2A housing ordinance, but the issue isn’t settled yet
Main Street Produce was expecting its first crew of H-2A workers to arrive when the conversation over the federal foreign worker program exploded in Santa Maria. “We were just kind of dipping our toes in the water to try it last year,” Alexandra Allen said. “I was just kind of struck by what seemed to…
Spotlight on: Med Plus Central Coast
Before there were walk-in clinics and urgent care centers, there were family doctors—the doctors grandma talks about, who spent years looking after the health needs of entire families; made house calls; and, on the less rosy side of things, worked about 100 hours a week. Those long weeks proved unsustainable for most, leading many family…
Political Watch June 13, 2019
• Two bills aimed at addressing human trafficking, authored by Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham (R-San Luis Obispo), passed out of the Assembly on May 31. Assembly Bill 662 would update and simplify a current law that could be useful in closing trafficking locations. Assembly Bill 663 would increase the maximum fines imposed on traffickers who prey…
Finding common ground and hope for Santa Maria
Cities are difficult to govern. They are not empowered, protected, or even recognized by the U.S. Constitution. They cannot print money or set interest rates. They cannot control the people and businesses that move into them, or move out. They sit between the rock and hard place of raising enough tax revenue to cover the…
Papa Jay’s Southern Quezine is well worth the trip to Guadalupe
I knew it would be good the moment I heard about it. My wife and I ran into her co-worker at Home Depot in Lompoc, and this good ol’ boy from Louisiana couldn’t stop himself from singing the praises of his new favorite restaurant. All we had said was, “Hello, how’re you doing?” I’m paraphrasing,…
Standing Sun Winery hosts country stars Kevin Galloway and Celeste Kellogg
At age 25, Kevin Galloway made a life-altering decision. Tired of pursuing a career in banking, Galloway decided the time had come to chase his true dream. After relocating from East Texas to Austin, the aspiring singer and guitarist began regularly performing at local open-mic nights. From there, he soon crossed paths with fellow performer…
Cypress Gallery showcases metal prints by retired photojournalist Bill Morson
Throughout childhood and up until college, future photographer Bill Morson was never dead set on a specific career. “I would tell my friends that, if possible, I’d like to just become a professional observer of life one day,” Morson told the Sun. He chose to major in geography as a potential outlet for his love…
Supernatural creatures inhabit Los Angeles in Kathryn Blanche’s post-apocalyptic fantasy series
Vampires, dragons, and elves, oh my! It’s safe to say we’re not in Kansas anymore, but we certainly aren’t in the merry, old land of Oz either. Laila Eyvindr, the lead protagonist of Kathryn Blanche’s Laila of Midgard series, calls Los Angeles her home. Following a major cataclysm, the city has become a middle ground…
Wildling Museum holds ceremony to remember artist Ray Strong
The Wildling Museum of Art and Nature hosts a program to celebrate the life and legacy of artist Ray Strong (1905-2006) on Sunday, June 23, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Collector David Parker and artists Arturo Tello, Michael Drury, John Iwerks, and Chris Chapman will present personal memories of working with and being inspired by…
Sarah Allred paintings showcased at Flying Goat Cellars
An artist reception for Flying Goats Cellars’ featured artist, Sarah Allred, takes place on Saturday, June 22, from 3 to 5 p.m. The Lompoc-based artist is also a longtime gardener and amateur botanist. For this exhibit, Allred chose acrylic and mixed-media pieces that reflect her love of plants, including vibrant garden scenes and detailed botanical…
Solvang Antiques hosts demo, reception for Joe Mancuso
A champagne reception and artist demonstration for Solvang Antiques Fine Art Gallery’s featured artist, Joe Mancuso, takes place on Wednesday, June 19, from 3 to 7 p.m. Named Distinguished Pastelist in 2007 by the Pastel Society of the West Coast, Mancuso is known for the quality of light in his works. In order to accurately…
Local jurisdictions oppose plan to restore endangered trout population, raise water rights concerns
An attempt to restore the population of endangered Southern California steelhead trout living in the Santa Ynez River is being opposed by some jurisdictions that rely on the river and Cachuma Lake for their water supply. The number of trout, which travel to and from the ocean throughout their lifecycle, in the river began…
Recipients of supplemental income payments are now eligible for CalFresh for the first time in decades
There are roughly 8,388 Santa Barbara County residents who receive supplemental income payments from the government because they are either disabled, over the age of 65, or both. The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and State Supplemental Payment (SSP) programs use tax revenue to help disabled and retired individuals—who may not be able to work long…
Open Streets event returning in 2020
Santa Maria residents will have a second opportunity to run, walk, bike, and skate on a portion of Main Street next year when it closes for an Open Streets event in late March. The event’s organizer, Carlos Escobedo, announced the 2020 event during a presentation at the June 4 City Council meeting where he discussed…
‘Meaningless vote’ sparks contentious conversation among county supervisors
A purely symbolic vote to support the Green New Deal, proposed federal legislation aimed at limiting climate change, sparked a tense conversation between Santa Barbara County supervisors during a meeting in June. Fourth District Supervisor Peter Adam kicked off the debate with a 20-minute monologue, where he claimed there isn’t consensus among the scientific community…
Grand jury releases two reports on Santa Barbara County Jail
The Santa Barbara County grand jury released reports on two of its investigations into the Santa Barbara County Jail on June 11—one looking into the prevalence of contraband inside the jail and another exploring the reasons behind an inmate’s death in March 2018. In the first report, the jury found that despite efforts to keep…
Public opinion split on Cat Canyon aquifer exemption
Hundreds of people filled the Santa Maria Veterans Memorial Building on June 5 to voice their opinion on a proposed aquifer exemption that would expand the area in Cat Canyon where oil companies can build injection wells. Some environmental activists and students pushed back on the proposal during the hearing, while some local ranchers and…
Judge orders Guadalupe to give employees salary increases
A judge recently ruled that the city of Guadalupe acted unlawfully when it suddenly announced in 2017 that employees would no longer be eligible for merit-based salary step increases. In the proposed decision, which was filed by a California Public Employment Relations Board judge on May 24, the judge wrote that the city of Guadalupe…
CANARY: Word problems
How often do you think Santa Maria City Councilmember Michael Moats brings up the house he lives in when discussing city issues? I know it’s a weird question, but the best skin doctor in town is obsessed with his 3,500-square-foot, five-bedroom, three-bath home and how many H-2A workers could be housed in it. He’s brought…
