Cover Story
Stuck in the system: It’s not too difficult to get labeled as a gang member
It was hard to watch a grown man like Noe Chang Sr. break down. He sobbed loudly while the judge and lawyers in the SLO County courtroom remained stone-faced. His wife joined him soon after, and the couple watched as two of their sons were handcuffed and led away from them as they wept. The…
Do you think Proposition 64 would increase the number of impaired drivers on the road?
Martin Reyes no occupation, lives in Santa Maria “From personal experience, I don’t see any impaired driving. It’s definitely not like driving while drunk.” Ellen Ayala student at Allan Hancock College, studies animation “I’ve had experience driving on marijuana and it doesn’t really affect me. It just depends on the person.” Alex Cunningham student at…
As the dust settles
Can you hear that? It’s the silence created by the sudden halt of lying, accusatory statements being flung far and wide by political candidates. Because it’s over! Now it’s all about popping a couple of ibuprofen, getting some much-needed rest, and trying to recover from the post-election hangover that comes after having endured months of…
Oceano community pays the price for off-road recreation
I protest the Pismocean special event that our county government and the Off Road Division of State Parks have permitted to occur the weekend of Nov. 4. at the Oceano Beach and Dunes. It’s a huge event including stages, staff, artists, vendors, and restrooms. The event is so massive that lots for extra parking were…
A new direction
Twenty-two-year-old Yaskin Solano surveys the group assembled before him at the Los Prietos Boys Camp, a 17-acre facility in the Los Padres National Forest that provides work and vocational training, counseling, and promotes volunteer and community service to young males aged 13 to 18 who have had trouble with the law. “Yesterday, my life was…
Erik Raney
On Jan. 2, 2017, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Mounted Enforcement Unit will appear in the 128th annual Rose Parade in Pasadena. Leading the charge is the unit manager Lt. Erik Raney, who submitted the application to saddle up and ride in the parade. The unit is composed of 13 riders, including Sheriff Bill…
Loveable losers no more: One Chicago Cubs fan reflects on the team’s historic World Series win following a 108-year drought
Well, Chicago Cubs, you finally did it. You finally won the World Series of baseball after going 108 years with no title. You broke the so-called curse, but not without a complete and absolute nail-biter of a game seven, of course. The roller coaster of emotion from Cubs fans during the Series was simply a…
Righetti hosts Kinder Patch
Every year in October, Righetti High School FFA holds its annual Kinder Patch on campus. Kindergarten students and teachers from the local Santa Maria and Orcutt districts attend the event that the Righetti FFA students plan. This year marked more than 20 years that the Righetti Ag Department has hosted this event. Guillermo Guerra, ag…
High school students try out ropes course at Camp Whittier
Thanks to a recent grant the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District received, and the support of the Pioneer Valley High School Administration team, 23 students had the opportunity to try out the ropes course at Camp Whittier. The day began for three different groups when they were given challenges by the instructors. During…
Spotlight on: Love is in the Hair
Kicking back, sipping on an adult beverage, and letting the hairstylist do his or her thing is one of the ultimate experiences in pampering. Hairstylist Lisa Evans likes to create that atmosphere in her salon. Evans said she wants her customers to feel relaxed when she’s working on their hair at her Lompoc salon, Love…
Hobnobbing with Helen
Guess where I was on Saturday evening, Nov. 5, six days before Veterans Day. You got it—hobnobbing with the military at the 20th annual Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation (PCVF) Military Ball, at the Fess Parker Resort in Santa Barbara. Seven hundred guests filled the hotel’s humongous ballroom. I hobnobbed amid a sea of spiffy uniforms…
Political Watch 11/10/16
• The city of Santa Maria is currently accepting applications for the following committees: Block Grants Advisory Committee (one vacancy to fill an unexpired term ending in July 2018, and one vacancy for a term ending in 2019) This 15-member committee assesses the community’s needs, conducts public workshops and hearings, reviews applications for funding, and…
Community Notebook 11/10/16 – 11/17/16
MONDAY, NOV. 14 • 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…
Central Coast Water Authority vies to reacquire state water suspended 35 years ago
Once upon a time, Santa Barbara County had a surplus of water. Sounds like a fairy tale, doesn’t it? Well, here’s the zinger: It’s not. Only a few decades ago, in 1981, the county asked California’s Department of Water Resources to set aside—or suspend—more than 12,000 acre-feet of state water per year, because it was…
Inmate sues Santa Barbara County Jail for putting him in solitary confinement
Robert Lee Billie, an inmate at the Santa Barbara County Main Jail, is suing Sheriff Bill Brown and his department for placing him in solitary confinement when he was a pretrial detainee. In a federal lawsuit filed on Oct. 14 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Billie alleges that jail…
New coalition opposes Chumash efforts to expand reservation
Santa Ynez Valley residents have long harbored frustrations with the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians’ efforts to take Camp 4, a 1,400-acre land parcel, into federal trust. Community groups continually protest the fee-to-trust process, which would ultimately make Camp 4 part of the Chumash reservation—and now, they’ve taken the next step. Residents in early…
Cannabis Business Council vies to regulate marijuana in ‘smart, fair’ way
Marijuana is serious business. It’s not just that sketchy brown bag handed off under a high school lunch table (à la every ’90s after-school special ever) anymore—it’s a legitimate market, and local businesspeople are ready to start treating it that way. On Nov. 7, cannabis farmers and business owners launched the Cannabis Business Council of…
Hartmann wins 3rd District supervisor race; Carbajal ahead in 24th Congressional District
The Santa Barbara County race for 3rd District supervisor concluded with former county Planning Commissioner Joan Hartmann leading Santa Ynez financial planner Bruce Porter. By the time the Sun reached Hartmann, votes were still being counted as of noon on Nov. 9, but results show that she was ahead. Hartmann had 13,563 votes compared to…
Jordan Cunningham takes the 35th District Assembly seat
The California Assembly’s historically Republican leaning 35th District stayed in Republican hands. Jordan Cunningham defeated Democratic opponent Dawn Ortiz-Legg to take the seat, which represents San Luis Obispo County and part of Santa Barbara County. Voters picked Cunningham with 54 percent of the vote, compared to Ortiz-Legg’s 46 percent. He will be replacing two-term Assemblyman…
North County school bond measures get voter support
As of press time it seemed like a winning day for Santa Barbara County schools. Several school districts put bond measures up to vote in order to cover some much-needed projects. Most need 55 percent to pass; with the exception of measure L2016, which needs a two-thirds vote. From adding play structures and athletic facilities,…
Proposition results show California in for changes
Californians took to the polls on Nov. 8 to vote on 17 initiatives, deciding on proposed laws ranging from recreational marijuana use to the death penalty to a plastic bag ban. It was the fullest ballot California voters had faced in 16 years, and the results were diverse. The state saw nearly 10 million ballots…
Santa Maria’s mayoral and city council races announced on election night
As the GOP waved the flag of victory on election night, mayoral and city council races came to a close across Santa Barbara County. The office of Joseph Holland, county clerk, announced the unofficial election results via the website, sbcvote.com, after 9 p.m. on Nov. 8. According to the unofficial results posted, Santa Maria mayoral…
Back to basics: After four decades in Los Alamos, Charlie’s isn’t missing a beat
It started as a dream. No, really—I dreamed that I was at a taqueria with my roommate, attempting (but pretty much failing) to order a burrito in Spanish. I wanted a chicken burrito with a lime on the side, and I couldn’t for the life of me remember the Spanish word for “lime” (which as…
Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum hosts Pyjama Drama class
The Santa Maria Discovery Valley Museum has teamed up with an acclaimed children’s performing arts program called Pyjama Drama to host several sessions for kids ages 6 months to 7 years old. The lead teacher for the program is Megan Walker, who has performed with PCPA, the Great American Melodrama, and the SLO Little Theatre. …
Truly enchanting: The Pacific Conservatory Theatre opens its 53rd season with the magical spectacle of ‘Beauty and the Beast’
If you grew up a Disney kid, those simple hour-and-a-half-long animated films are deeply embedded in your mind. The songs, the characters, and the artwork are a part of you no matter how long it’s been since you last saw your favorite. Beauty and the Beast was always at the top of my Disney list…
Santa Maria Public Library brings a variety of artists together to show and share
The Santa Maria Public Library’s Shepard Hall is a large room with plenty of wall space, which for the last few years has been reserved for showcasing single artist exhibits every month or few months. But in July, the library decided to change it up. Ever since then, the Shepard Hall has showcased the art…
In defense of musical snobbery
We all know them. Those people who can’t wait to regale you with the most obscure B-sides of the most underappreciated bands. Or maybe they don’t own any audio media that came after the 8-track. Maybe you know lots of these people. Maybe you are a music snob. I don’t mind saying it loudly and…
V is for Veterans Day
November is a month in which to be thankful for many things we take for granted. Wonderful mothers and grandmothers, who make the best Thanksgiving dinners ever, come to mind. Loving family members who enjoy spending time together any time of year, including on Thanksgiving Day, are a blessing. But November is not just about…
Valley Speaks features talk about Frank Shields
The Santa Maria Valley Historical Society’s monthly history talk, Valley Speaks, features Jim Glines speaking about his late uncle, Frank Shields, on Nov. 12 at 11 a.m. at the Santa Maria Public Library’s Shepard Hall. Shields was “the epitome of old time banking,” according to a press release from the Historical Society, and came to…
Los Alamos Library showcases Artistic Works of Science exhibit
The Los Alamos Library currently shows a collection of intricate and colorful geological maps of northern Santa Barbara County created by Thomas Dibblee, who worked for the U.S. Geological Survey before the wide use of satellite imaging. The exhibit is part of an ongoing series sponsored by the Friends of the Los Alamos Public Library…
