Cover Story
New law aims to thwart use of ‘puppy mills,’ but loopholes have made for slower progress than animal advocates hoped for
A few quiet conversations halted as Commissioner Leslie Kraut re-entered the Grover Beach courtroom with a coffee mug in hand. It had been a long morning for the courthouse staff. Since 8 a.m. on April 26, they’d been intently listening to the contrasting allegations—some backed, others seemingly baseless—strewn about by a number of enraged Central…
Kiwanis Club throws third annual Brews and ‘Cues Santa Maria Barbecue Festival
It was April 20, but the cloud of smoke that hung over Pioneer Park wasn’t coming from some hippie’s reefer bong. It emanated from the smoldering embers of a dozen pitmasters locked in a technically bloody but actually quite friendly battle to prove definitively who really knew how to handle the meat. The Kiwanis Club…
Righetti High School film teacher Robert Garcia retires after 24 years
I vividly remember walking into the Righetti High School film room for the first time. Most of my recollection of that first day of freshman year is a blur—or I prefer it remain that way at least. Repressed memories aside, I’m glad that heading into fifth period after lunch is not one of them. I…
Winners of the Individual Grants in the Arts Competition share their inspirations
Since 1972, more than $300,000 in grants has been awarded to local artists, dancers, actors, and musicians through the Individual Grants in the Arts Competition. What each recipient has in common—besides talent, obviously—is they’ve all survived the audition stage, or “Judgement Day” as Marti Fast, co-chair of the grants committee, warmly calls it. “I love…
AHC youth dancers present annual show and recital
Performers from College for Kids, an Allan Hancock College Community Education program, will tell the story of Aladdin through music and dance during the annual Magical Moments and Spring Recital at the Ethel Pope Auditorium, on May 4 and 5, at 7 and 2 p.m. respectively. The Aladdin portion of the show features 65 dancers.…
Rancho Bowl holds mural contest
Rancho Bowl in Santa Maria invites artists to enter its mural contest, which will be accepting submissions through June 1. Applicants are encouraged to create art that illustrates aspects of Santa Maria and the city’s history. Artists will not be responsible for the execution of the mural and are only required to submit artwork proposals.…
Book sale benefits Friends of the Library
The Friends of the Santa Maria Public Library is hosting a bargain sale of used books, CDs, and DVDs for adults and children at the Santa Maria Town Center, from May 6 through 11. The sale takes place on the second floor of the mall and will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 5…
Pop, soul, and jazz artist Jineanne Coderre celebrates first EP at Presqu’ile Winery
Overcoming self-doubt is an obstacle local singer/songwriterJineanne Coderre explores in her first EP Listen, which becomes available on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Play, and other digital outlets on Friday, May 3. Coderre performs a show the same day at Presqu’ile Winery in Santa Maria to celebrate the long-awaited release. And in a way, she’s also celebrating the…
Spinning and spinning
The puppy-powered drama centering around the Animal Kingdom Pet Shop finally maneuvered its way in small claims court. Like a tension-filled episode of Judge Judy, Animal Kingdom owner Adam Tipton and his fiancee Michelle Crook faced off against disgruntled puppy purchaser Jen Toste over $10,000 in a Grover Beach courtroom presided over by Commissioner Leslie…
Earth Day urgency
When will the Central Coast really get going on protecting our climate? Some folks are doing everything they can. Most of us, though, are either picking at climate solutions or pretty much ignoring this catastrophic and looming problem. We are still burning fossil fuel like it is going out of style. With our mega pickups…
Without a sales tax increase, Lompoc will continue down a troubled road
Former Lompoc City Councilmember Jenelle Osborn was elected mayor in the November 2018 election. She has been supporting sound financial budgets for years. However, now the city of Lompoc is floating into financial oblivion with Jim Mosby, Dirk Starbuck, and Victor Vega as Lompoc City Council members. The triad has done untold damage to the…
County probation receives national training to improve juvenile justice system
Santa Barbara County has been working for years to better aid at-risk youth and their families through its juvenile detention system. Now the Probation Department is getting help in that work—it recently announced that its staff were chosen to attend a national training dedicated to reimagining juvenile justice. On April 17, the Santa Barbara County…
Some local growers face new regulations in wake of E. coli outbreaks
Several Santa Barbara County lettuce farmers will soon have to adhere to a new set of food and safety standards that were adopted in response to recent outbreaks of E. coli in romaine lettuce. The California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (LGMA), a voluntary membership program that was formed to ensure the safety of California-grown leafy…
Joseph Domingues
Not everyone gets to attend their dream college, but last week, St. Joseph High School student and track athlete Joseph Domingues landed himself a guaranteed slot at his. On April 24, Domingues signed his letter of intent with the U.S. Naval Academy, an event that was the culmination of nearly four years of hard work,…
Working parents face child care issues over spring break
The week of April 22 to 26 was one of relaxation and fun for many of Santa Maria’s kids, most of whom were on spring break. But for many working parents in the Santa Maria Valley, spring break—and school breaks in general—can bring on different emotions. It’s not always easy to get time off of…
Residents of manufactured homes are pushing for rent control in Santa Maria
During a statewide affordable housing shortage, the practical option of living in manufactured, or mobile, homes is becoming less affordable for many residents in Santa Maria. Because of this, a group of residents living in manufactured home parks in Santa Maria is urging the city to implement a rent control ordinance to keep annual rent…
Clarification
In the April 25 cover story, “Barred,” the explanation of “public charge” was misstated in the “Eliminating fear” section. The sentence should read: The term “public charge” is used by U.S. immigration officials to classify immigrants who are denied entry due to their dependency on the government for subsistence … .”
Tree removal to continue in Los Padres forest
The U.S. Forest Service is moving forward with its second forest-thinning project within the Los Padres National Forest in the last six months. On April 26, the Forest Service announced its plans to remove trees near Tecuya Ridge, which follows its November 2018 plans to remove trees in Cuddy Valley. Both of these projects are…
Plains All American fined $3.3 million for 2015 oil spill
On April 25, Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge James Herman ordered Plains All American Pipeline to pay $3.3 million in fines for the 2015 pipeline rupture that spilled thousands of gallons of oil into the ocean and onto the shoreline of Refugio State Beach. The fines were imposed following a September 2018 trial where…
Political Watch May 2, 2019
• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) responded to the Trump administration’s April 26 release of the draft supplement environmental impact statement on proposals for hydraulic fracturing (fracking) on California’s public lands by calling for people to comment on the report. “The Central Coast is already facing grave impacts from climate change, including rising sea…
