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SUMMER GUIDE 2022
In-person activities, festivals, celebrations, live music, camps, and more just continue to multiply as we cross our fingers and watch pandemic restrictions retreat behind us. There’s so much going on it’s hard to keep track, but don’t worry! Arts Editor Caleb Wiseblood went on the hunt and collected as many events as he could and…
NEW FLICKS: GEORGE CARLIN’S AMERICAN DREAM (2022)
NEW FLICKS: GEORGE CARLIN’S AMERICAN DREAM (2022) Where’s it playing? HBO Max What’s it rated? TV-MA Directed by Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio, this George Carlin biography mixes interviews with Carlin’s family members and contemporary comics such as Stephen Colbert, Patton Oswalt, Bill Burr, Chris Rock, and Jerry Seinfeld, as well as archival material from…
Table & Vine Supper Club launches new gourmet adventures at scenic locales throughout Santa Barbara and SLO counties
Paso Robles-based event producer Morgen Hoffman is gearing up for her second season of “one-of-a-kind dining experiences” that spotlight local chefs and vintners, as well as venues “that are unique, off the beaten path, and represent the Central Coast as a destination,” she said. “I look for locations that aren’t normally accessible to the public…
Wendelin Van Draanen’s latest release is a historical novel with a lot to teach
Peach fuzz. That soft outer layer surrounding peach skin makes a few appearances in Wendelin Van Draanen’s recently released novel, The Peach Rebellion. The Pismo Beach author’s first work of historical fiction is full of dribbling, sticky peaches, their juice, pits, and fuzz, as well as a summer of learning and lessons for three high…
Local film groups celebrate renovation and expansion of Guadalupe’s Royal Theater
Two local film organizations, San Luis Obispo Women in Film and Television and the Central Coast Film Society, recently teamed up to co-host a special mixer event to celebrate the past, present, and future of the historic Royal Theater in Guadalupe. The purpose of the May 22 event was to educate the public about the…
Thirteen local artists participate in Lompoc pop-up exhibit
The Mission Golf Club in Lompoc presents Art at the Mission Club, a one-day art showcase that includes 13 different artists, on Saturday, May 28, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This pop-up event includes a wide variety of media, including paintings, ceramics, tile art, and more. The show’s featured artists are Vicki Andersen, Gil…
Cypress Gallery showcases paintings by acrylic artist Chris Jeszeck
The Lompoc Valley Art Association presents Pigments of My Imagination … Revisited, a solo exhibition showcasing acrylic paintings by local artist Chris Jeszeck. The show is currently on display at the Cypress Gallery in Lompoc and will remain up through Sunday, May 29. Jeszeck is well-known locally for both her work as a painter and…
Diablo Canyon is a roadblock to distributing green energy
Will Gov. Newsom turn his back on the residents, businesses, economy, and environment of the Central Coast for $6 billion from the federal government? The stakes are high on his proposed application for this handout to Diablo Canyon, the last standing nuclear generating plant in California. He is willing to spend this money propping up…
Closing Diablo is too great a loss
No matter how many solar panels and wind turbines cover the land, the power produced when these two sources are not available could not come close to supplying the amount of energy needed. With that said, where will the extra source of power come from? The two most reliable sources would be fossil fuels and…
Board of education needs inclusion
The Santa Barbara County board of education should be the shining example of transparency for all school boards and provide greater public access. Four months ago, given our county school board oversees a budget that exceeds $100 million. I suggested that our board meetings be video recorded and archived on the Santa Barbara County Education…
Hancock must stop ageism
The college’s namesake, Capt. G. Allan Hancock, did many of his achievements even into the later years of life. So, it is with disgust that the college condones the hidden discrimination of ageism! To still employ the offending dean of “Academic Affairs” casts doubt upon leadership’s claims of harboring contrary beliefs. Her taxpayer-paid-for emails included…
Reasonable flair
Lompoc City Counclimember Dirk Starbuck’s got flair—I won’t say what type of flair it is, but it’s flair nonetheless. I’m not sure if he was trying to be funny or serious when he made this comment during the May 17 City Council meeting: “Some dogs are identifying as cats in town because of this.” Because…
Santa Maria’s 11th annual water awareness poster contest teaches kids about water conservation
California’s in an ongoing drought, and individuals can do their own part to conserve water with easy solutions, city of Santa Maria Water Conservation Specialist Myra Ritchie said. “We have an ongoing water conservation campaign, the message is, ‘Don’t waste a drop. Let’s save together.’ We tell the community how they can get involved, [and]…
Political Watch: May 26, 2022
• Gov. Gavin Newsom visited a water recycling facility in the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California on May 17 to discuss the administration’s response to the ongoing drought affecting the western United States. January through March were the driest first three months in the state’s recorded history, its largest reservoirs are at half of…
County Superintendent wants to provide more resources for homeless students
Santa Barbara County ranks fourth out of California’s 58 counties for number of English learners and third for students experiencing poverty. Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools Susan Salcido highlighted those statistics during a State of Education address hosted by the Santa Maria Valley Camber of Commerce on May 18. She also spoke about mental…
Lompoc City Council seeks clarity on county-provided animal services
The future of pet adoption and sheltering in Lompoc is up in the air while the Lompoc City Council awaits a new animal services contract from Santa Barbara County. The current contract expires on June 30. After hearing a presentation on the county’s anticipated rate increases, Councilmember Dirk Starbuck questioned the rising costs and described…
New Orcutt housing development highlights debate between open space demands and housing needs
Jon Blanchard has lived in Orcutt since 1992, and for the past few years he’s led efforts for trail and open space advocacy through the nonprofit Santa Maria Valley Open Space. “Our board members are all local Orcutt residents or nearby. They are mostly working people that have jobs in the community, but we build…
