Cover Story
Who should pay for public art? A proposed fee that would charge developers to help fund public art in Santa Maria sparks debate among industry and advocates
Paintings of a salsa-dancing duo, monarch butterflies perched on flowers, and a ship sailing under a cloudy sky are all displayed on a unique canvas—utility boxes in downtown Santa Maria. Local artists added their own colorful illustrations to the industrial boxes in April, which are just a few examples of more than 20 public art…
Free for all: Santa Maria’s Youth Arts Alive program offers activities for local kids
Gale McNeeley was so alarmed by the spate of violent crimes in Santa Maria last year, he wanted to do something to help vulnerable youth in the community. What he wound up creating is Youth Arts Alive, a free month-long summer camp at the Abel Maldonado Community Youth Center that offers classes in music, dance,…
What is the prettiest place in Santa Maria?
Korina Esqueda mental competency trainer “The riverbed because of the peacefulness, the quiet, and the view.” Ana Zepeda student “The scenery on the outskirts at Pioneer Valley with the mountains.” Dulce Zepeda VTC trainee “In the morning, like at sunrise, by the riverbed.” Colin Doyle electrician “The view across the valley of the strawberry fields…
Wake up, sheeple
I am very disturbed by the rash of alarmist conspiracy theories the general public seems to latch onto with a fevered irrationality that leads to mass panic, hysteria, and a bunch of memes that your mom will post three months later on Facebook. Flat earthers, chemtrail truthers, lizard people, moon landing hoaxers—it’s astounding what people…
An idea whose time has come
In his watershed book, Storms of My Grandchildren, Dr. James Hansen put forth the idea of a carbon fee and dividend policy as a mechanism to cut carbon emissions. Dr. Hansen was head of the Goddard Institute at NASA and arguably the most influential climate scientist in America. Dr. Hansen’s research predicted that ice around…
Naughty Oak in Orcutt is the go-to spot for craft beer
I can’t wait for the beer version of Sideways to come out. It will feature two women traversing the back roads of the Central Coast, looking for the best breweries, lamenting about the woes of middle age, and of course drinking a lot of local beers. Just like we have some of the world’s most…
Rock ‘n’ roll power-up: Noe Esquivel shares his guitar covers of video game music
Watch a video of Noe Esquivel in action. For hardcore video gamers, graphics aren’t the only draw to a great game. The music composed for a game has a way of sticking in the ear, like the original Mario Bros. theme, and can be a source of joy even when not button mashing a controller.…
Wildling Museum exhibit features art inspired by animals of every name
Lions, tigers, and bears. Gorillas, emus, and zebras. Jackrabbits, African saddle-billed storks, and a Xerces blue butterfly. Those are just some of the animals featured in a new exhibit called Animals A-Z showing through Oct. 9 at the Wildling Museum in Solvang. The museum set out to create a challenging new show featuring an animal…
‘Virtual kidnapping’ scam puts Nipomo school on lockdown
Law enforcement officials quickly mobilized and locked down a Nipomo elementary school in response to the suspected kidnapping of a young girl. The only problem was there was no actual kidnapping. The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office were continuing to investigate the incident, which they called a “virtual” kidnapping, warning members of the public…
Cycling for a cause: Thousands of bicyclists passed through Santa Maria to raise money for HIV/AIDS research and services
While the AIDS epidemic is not as far reaching in America as it was in the ’80s and ’90s, those affected by the disease are still fighting just as hard against the illness. The point of the 545-mile AIDS/LifeCycle bike race is not necessarily to create competition, but rather to raise millions of dollars for…
Ryan Hillmer
For Ryan Hillmer, June 4 was a day of accomplishment. Apart from participating in the 24th annual Marianne Talley Memorial Fun Run, Hillmer also celebrated his six-month anniversary of being clean and sober. Hillmer’s road to recovery began when he moved to the Middlehouse, a residential facility in San Luis Obispo for men working through…
We need prison bail reform
As a kid, growing up in a middle-class family in California, the only time I was ever upset about the state of the criminal justice system was while playing the board game Monopoly and drawing the disappointing card that states: “Go directly to jail—do not pass Go, do not collect $200.” If you had a…
Whose hair is on fire?
It’s not just Democrats with flaming hair (“Trump sets Dems’ hair on fire,” June 8). It’s easy to spot a sharp party split on climate change in Congress. But if you’re on a local planning commission, your position will depend less on your party affiliation and more on how much you’ve been spending on repairs…
Wake up
Wake up and smell the coffee everyone! As a journalist, I can’t wake up without smelling some coffee, but you know what I mean. I’m sure that 4th District County Supervisor Peter Adam and 5th District County Supervisor Steve Lavagnino want the other county supes to wake up and smell the budget deficit. We’re talking…
Olympic boxer visits Arellanes Junior High
Olympic Boxer and Santa Maria native Carlos Balderas visited Arellanes Junior High on Wednesday, June 14. Balderas, who previously attended the junior high, spoke to the students outside on the field. A banner, paid for by the school’s Builder’s Club, was unveiled after his speech. The banner reads: “Home of Olympian Carlos Balderas Rio 2016.”
Care for Our Earth grants awarded to 21 schools
Care for Our Earth grants were awarded to teachers at the annual Santa Barbara County Education Celebration on May 25. There were 23 classroom projects—from 21 Santa Barbara County schools—that earned grants. The Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District, Santa Barbara County Education Office, and Santa Barbara County Water Agency awarded the grants as…
Santa Maria Valley high school seniors celebrate graduation
On June 8, 581 Pioneer Valley High School seniors lined up waiting for their names to be announced as they walked across the stage. A monumental moment: high school graduation. Pioneer Valley’s graduating class earned $1.1 million in tuition, scholarships, and awards, according to Principal Shanda Herrera. “I’m so proud of the accomplishments of the…
Spotlight on: Quality Cell Phone Repair
Few people can brag about starting their own business straight out of high school, but Joel Mendoza—owner and founder of Quality Cell Phone Repair in Santa Maria—is one of them. After graduating from Pioneer Valley High School in 2010, Mendoza saw an opportunity to provide a service to the community, something he already had a…
Political Watch 6/15/17
• California’s senators, Dianne Feinstein (D) and Kamala Harris (D), questioned former FBI Director James Comey as members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on June 8. They probed Comey with questions regarding the FBI’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, possible collusion between the Trump campaign, and conversations with President Donald…
North County supervisors lament lost tax revenue sources after recent short-term rental ban
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted on June 6 to ban short-term rentals—or vacation rentals—from residential and most agricultural zones in unincorporated areas of the county starting in September 2018, effectively eliminating millions of transient occupancy tax (TOT) dollars per year from the county’s tax base. The 3-2 vote came just a week…
Unmarked burial site verified at Mission Santa Ines
The buried remains of hundreds of mission-era people were discovered at the Santa Ines Mission grounds on June 1 after a visit from an Institute for Canine Forensics team. The effort to search the grounds for previously unknown remains was spearheaded by mission archivist Sheila Benedict, who made an educated guess that there were people…
County departments face staffing cuts
Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown was very clear with the Board of Supervisors during the first day of budget hearings on June 12: “None of these cuts are at all palatable.” The County Executive Officer’s proposed budget recommends reducing staffing levels by almost 188 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees to make up for a predicted…
Man arrested after all-night standoff in Buellton
A 53-year-old Buellton man on probation allegedly barricaded himself in his house with his wife and threatened to set the building on fire. After a seven-hour overnight standoff, he surrendered to authorities on June 13, according to a Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office press release. Sheriff’s deputies responded to a domestic disturbance call on the…
Lompoc budget decision delayed
The Lompoc City Council decided at its June 8 meeting to extend budget discussions past June 30 after a lengthy review of the 2017-19 draft budget. The special meeting ended with the unanimous decision to extend the deadline and the city’s current budget operations to Aug. 31, which comes after recent meetings where the city…
Various city committees need representatives to serve
The Block Grants Advisory Committee, Landmark Committee, Library board of trustees, and the Santa Barbara County Library Advisory Committee are now accepting applications for people to serve on the various committees. The Block Grants Advisory Committee is looking for people who have an understanding of the housing and community development needs and knowledge in providing…
Lompoc Resident wins Leadership in Arts Award
Vicki Andersen was awarded the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission 2017 Leadership in the Arts Award for the significant impact she has on the arts and culture in the county. Every year the Leadership in the Arts Award is given to an individual or organization that has made a positive difference in the arts and…
