Cover Story
Winning Images 2022
Depth of field, light, composure, and subject matter all matter when it comes to the aesthetic qualities of a photograph. The Central Coast photographers who took home awards in this year’s Winning Images contest nailed all of those things. Out of the more than 400 digital photos submitted in 2022, 32 made the cut. See…
Elverhoj Museum of History and Art celebrates all things Greenland with a majestic photography showcase
A new exhibition in Solvang highlighting photographs of Earth’s largest island, which is also “the least populated place in the world,” will be on display through the summer, explained the show’s curator, Esther Jacobsen Bates. The Elverhoj Museum’s latest attraction, titled Greenland—Land of the Midnight Sun, includes scenic landscapes and intimate portraits from several different…
Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center holds guided hike with photographer Chuck Jennings
On Saturday, June 18, the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center will host a guided photography hike through the open dunes, from 5 to 7 p.m. Prolific dunes photographer Chuck Jennings will share photography tips throughout the hike. Participants can register for the event at my805tix.com (registration is required to attend). Attendees are asked to bring water and…
Riptide Big Band headlines Tribute to America dance in July
The Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department and the Santa Maria Valley Senior Club are co-hosting the Tribute to America dance at the Elwin Mussell Senior Center in Santa Maria on Sunday, July 10, from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Live music will be provided by the Riptide Big Band and accompanying vocalists Bob Nations and…
PCPA presents ‘The Sound of Music’ in Santa Maria
The Pacific Conservatory Theatre (PCPA) presents its production of The Sound of Music, which will debut at the Marian Theatre in Santa Maria on Thursday, June 30. Performances of the show will run through Sunday, July 31. This iteration of the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical features Emily Trask as Maria Rainer, who is dispatched…
Roblar Farm celebrates the grand opening of its new market garden and farm stand
For Roblar Farm’s patrons and lead farmer, the venue’s new market garden is nothing less than a win-win. “We’re not just doing the traditional farm stand varieties, I’m putting some things out on the table that honestly don’t sell all that great,” said farm director Michael Vining, who has been enjoying the experimentation aspect of…
Squeaks and squawks
Santa Maria has some squeaky wheels, let me tell you. I can hear them all the way from my birdcage across town. These squeaks are coming from a group of people advocating for the city to step in and adopt an ordinance preventing mobile home park owners from jacking up their rents in an unreasonable…
A hundred percent renewable energy for how long?
There have been opinions written lately about the grid experiencing 100 percent renewable energy but no mention of when or how long this occurred. The grid needs reliable, sustainable energy, not just spotty, occasional renewables that cannot fulfill the need for consistency. Renewable energy is not 100 percent unless it’s 100 percent all the time,…
Lompoc’s recent shooting death raises the question: Will more meaningless gun laws help?
Last week there was another senseless shooting death in Lompoc, and over the last couple of weeks there have been scores of murders, all caused by irresponsible people using guns all over the country. Eventually the Lompoc suspect was found dead of a gunshot wound in another county. The Second Amendment to the United States…
Political Watch: June 16, 2022
• Gov. Gavin Newsom and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a new partnership on June 9 to advance bold climate action, according to Newsom’s office. California and Canada signed a memorandum of cooperation (MOC)—a document that outlines shared objectives—to fight climate change, reduce pollution, cut back on plastic waste, advance zero-emission vehicles, protect the…
Santa Maria seeks solutions for mobile home rent challenges
After a heated debate, more than 20 public comments, cheering, scoffing, and shaking heads, the Santa Maria City Council voted 3-2 (with Mayor Alice Patino and Councilmember Etta Waterfield dissenting) to re-analyze the city’s enforceable model lease for mobile homes, hold community listening sessions, and see if there’s room for improvement to help alleviate ever-increasing…
Carbajal secures lead in congressional primary race
As soon as polls closed on the night of June 7, U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) emerged as the lead candidate for the 24th Congressional District election. According to the June 10 ballot count, the incumbent congressman had won 62.7 percent of the votes counted so far in southern San Luis Obispo County and…
Incumbents reelected for county offices
Santa Barbara County will likely have the same superintendent of schools and the same sheriff in the coming four years, as it did in the last, according to preliminary vote counts from the primary election. Current county Superintendent Susan Salcido holds 64 percent of the vote—with 28,877 votes thus far—and candidate Christy Lozano earned 35…
Hart, Stoker head to general election for Assembly District 37
Candidate for the 37th District Assembly race Gregg Hart spoke with the Sun on June 8 after a morning hike to de-stress and get some fresh air in celebration of finishing the trail to the primary election. Campaigning efforts in SLO and Santa Barbara county seemed to pay off as preliminary election results show Hart…
Lompoc Library partners with CalFresh to provide food education for kids
Whether kids are the picky eaters who sniff at vegetables on their forks, or if they’re always on the go and need something quick, it can be difficult for parents to get kids all the nutrients they need for their growing bodies. That’s why the Lompoc Library partnered with the CalFresh Healthy Living UC Cooperative…
