Cover Story
The drought has Southern Santa Barbara County scrambling to find water options
Read a previous Sun article about how area cattle ranchers are handling the drought situation in Santa Barbara County. The sound of a footstep is muffled in the soft, rain-dampened soil behind the Ellwood Ranch office. With each step, my boots sink into the dark-brown dirt, still wet from 2 inches of fresh rain. Groves…
Community Notebook
TUESDAY, MARCH 18 • The Guadalupe Planning Commission has its regular meeting at 6 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, City Hall, 918 Obispo St., Guadalupe. • The Santa Maria City Council has its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, City Hall, 110 E. Cook St., Santa Maria. Agendas are available…
U.S. Supreme Court sends Dennis Apel’s case back down
After mulling arguments in United States v. Apel throughout the winter, the U.S. Supreme Court on Feb. 26 made a unanimous ruling that does little to resolve the issue at the heart of the local case and instead boots it back to the U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit. Dennis Apel has been protesting at…
Santa Maria Valley Humane Society gets money to finish its ‘Pet Project’
A $300,000 grant will allow the Santa Maria Valley Humane Society to radically expand its canine adoption program, the nonprofit’s executive director Jill Tucker told the Sun on March 4. The grant from the San Luis Obispo-based Hind Foundation will go toward building a third dog kennel at the Humane Society’s new facility on West…
Spring forth: Vintners Weekend in Santa Barbara County is bigger and better than ever
New leadership is guiding Santa Barbara County’s wine industry into a dynamic direction, and pulling out all the stops to promote the region’s robust winemaking community. The annual Vintners Festival is no longer just a one-day event; this year, it’s been expanded to four days, April 10 through 13. “The vision for the weekend is…
Transitions-Mental Health Association hires a new program manager
Transitions-Mental Health Association recently promoted Henry Herrera to program manager of family services. This is following the retirement of Janice Holmes, who held the position for 14 years. The association is a nonprofit organization committed to removing the stigma against mental illness and advocating the overall health of those suffering from those diseases and disorders…
Would you pay more for produce if farmers were able to reduce the amount of pesticides used on them?
Joe Torik retired “No. We started using pesticides to keep bugs out of our produce. I don’t want to bite down on an apple and have a worm in it. It seems like that would be going backwards.” Kristine Running barista at Starbucks “Yes; I want quality. I prefer organic and am willing to pay…
‘The Biggest Loser’ confirms its name
Lose weight and win a quarter of a million dollars. It’s a clear win–win, isn’t it? For 15 seasons, the hit show The Biggest Loser has named the person who sheds the most pounds its big winner. This season’s winner, Rachel Frederickson, showed viewers the darker side to the contest. She stepped onto the stage…
New Tech High freshmen showcase WWI with museum
A tiny green G.I. Joe was running up the side of the Italian Alps when a mound of white flour toppled him over. It was an avalanche. Bam! The little guy was down; he was no longer able to face his enemy. Avalanches like the one that nailed the G.I. Joe were a common occurrence…
Drone sightings at the Dana Adobe caused by high school students
The unusual sight of alien-looking white drones flying over the Rancho Nipomo Dana Adobe on Feb. 25 was part of a student project for the Environmental and Spatial Technologies Class at Santa Ynez Valley Union High School. Cameras attached to the drones were taking video of the adobe, as well as scans for a 3-D…
Spotlight on: Hardy Diagnostics
One full distribution cycle has passed since Jay Hardy sold Hardy Diagnostics, a medical device manufacturer located in Santa Maria, to its employees. For people not in the know, that’s about a year’s worth of time. Hardy Diagnostics specializes in selling culture media, the solid or liquid vessel in which bacteria or fungi can be…
Community Notebook 3/6-3/13
MONDAY, MARCH 10 • The Santa Maria City Block Grants Advisory Committee has its regular meeting at 5:30 p.m. in the City Hall Conference Room, 110 E. Cook St., Santa Maria. • The Solvang City Council has its regular meeting at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers, 1644 Oak Street, Solvang. agendas are available at…
Hobnobbing With Helen
The place was packed. Packed, I tell you! Apparently, no one wanted to miss the 11th annual OCAF Gala held on Saturday, Feb. 22, at the Santa Maria Country Club. Perhaps because the gala presented a tribute to the late Nat Fast, a beloved community artist, I did not see an empty seat at the…
Jack’s Helping Hand offers families of medically fragile children the support they need
For a parent, there’s nothing more satisfying than seeing the look of pure, uninhibited joy on your child’s face. When that child is sick with a life-threatening disease or lives with a serious developmental disability, witnessing your child’s happiness is even more powerful. Nipomo resident Rosemary Garcia gets to watch her kids—William, 7, and Jillian,…
Hear what climate scientists have to say about the potential causes of California’s drought
Mother Nature doesn’t play politics. Wherever you stand in the climate change debate, the last few months have provided plenty of anecdotal evidence to support an argument for or against global warming. Deniers might point to the frigid air freezing the East Coast and Southeast as a clear sign that the planet isn’t warming—you know,…
What’s on Deck? 3/6 – 3/12
Thursday, March 6 Baseball Allan Hancock vs. Cuesta College @ AHC, 2 p.m. Santa Ynez vs. Atascadero @ SYHS, 3:30 p.m. St. Joseph vs. Coast Union @ CUHS, 3:30 p.m. Cabrillo vs. San Luis @ CHS, 3:30 p.m. Santa Maria vs. Mission Prep @ SMHS, 3:30 p.m. Softball Allan…
Miguel Limon
For Miguel Limon, a Varsity soccer player in his junior year at Santa Ynez High School, the sport is more than just an extracurricular activity: it’s a lifelong passion that runs deep in his entire family. “My mom signed me up for the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) when I was 9 and I loved…
Above reproach?: The Sun sits down with Evan Katz to discuss professional sports and anger
Anger is defined as a strong feeling of displeasure and belligerence aroused by a wrong. It is a perfectly normal human emotion that many of us have encountered over the course of our lives. But when it becomes full-blown rage, judgment is impaired so much that bad decisions are often made. Take, for example, the…
Child prodigy Umi Garrett performs for the Lompoc Concert Association
The life of a concert pianist has often been compared to blood sports. Even pianists of the most sublime skill must scrape and fight for a career filled with touring, performing with symphonies, and selling albums. Part of what makes Umi Garrett astounding is that she enjoyed all of those hallmarks before she became a…
PCPA gives the community a voice
PCPA Theaterfest presents a special one-show event called Community Speaks: The Other Side of Broadway, which will turn the spotlight toward immigration reform and enforcement in Santa Maria. Community Speaks is a grassroots theater project that allows conservatory acting students to read and convey locals’ voices. Scenes have been constructed from interviews conducted with members…
Dunes Center director honored
The California State University system named Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center Executive Director Doug Jenzen a “distinguished alumnus” status for his work in Guadalupe. Earning his bachelor’s degree in history at CSU Channel Islands and a master’s degree in history from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, Jenzen was awarded the distinction in the “Public Administration and…
C Gallery offers classes in March
The C Gallery presents “March Madness,” including several events and classes at the gallery in Los Alamos through the month. A watercolor class begins on March 7 and runs four consecutive Fridays from 9 a.m. to noon. Teacher Carole Patton will give instruction in watercolor and pastel technique. A workshop event with oil painter Julie…
PCPA Theaterfest explores coming of age in a repressed society in ‘Spring Awakening’
View a preview of PCPA Theaterfest’s production of ‘Spring Awakening.’ Spring Awakening was originally penned in 1891 by Frank Wedekind, and was quickly banned for its matter-of-fact depiction of pubescent students caught between their biology and their suppressive culture. Wedekind dubbed the play a “tragedy of childhood,” and dedicated it to the parents and teachers…
Local nonprofits offer a glimpse into the lives of the Dunites
Read Chester “Gavin” A. Arthur III’s magazine ‘The Dune Forum’, courtesy of the South County Historical Society. I was ambushed by the commonplace, Led confidently to believe that I was merely walking from the ocean into camp, Carrying my pack and eager to get the load off my back, But always welcoming…
I’m not 60–I’m 59.95
Five years ago, in this venerable newspaper, I wrote about turning 55 years of age. Oh, God, where did the time go? My birthday is in three more weeks, and it’s not a milestone I am thrilled about. Sixty? What the hell happened to 16? It seems like only yesterday that I could roller skate…
Business owners shouldn’t judge
As an elder person (age 82), I am a Christian and am actively critical of the LGBT agenda. Nevertheless, I agree with Charmaine Coimbra’s opinion (“Arizona’s anti-gay law is cloaked in religiosity,” Feb. 26). A business proprietor should not be judging a person’s sexuality. Leave one’s religious convictions at home, in personal social endeavors, and…
Supreme jerks
I sort of feel that calling the U.S. Supreme Court justices jerks is akin to saying something blasphemous in a lightning storm. If I’m around somebody who does it, I take two steps away to make sure I’m not collateral damage when the blast comes. I’m not saying that the justices are gods on high,…
