Cover Story
Festival of Frill: Get some decorating tips from a Christmas tree pro and more in our annual Holiday Guide
“You have to start with a Hallmark Christmas movie,” Leigh Collier says without a trace of irony in her voice. She laughs as I audibly groan, a moment that describes our friendship perfectly. On this particular Monday at the end of October, Marry Me at Christmas kicks it all off. It’s a new release, fresh…
What do you have planned for the holidays?
Rod Gibbs retired engineer/tutor “I’m going to be playing with my children.” Ulises Perez student/server “I’m going to LA to spend time with my mom’s family.” Annalise Ketz student/tutor “For Thanksgiving I am going to be spending it with my family. And two days after that, I’m going to be at the Santa Maria Applebee’s;…
Gillian Wilks
Last year, as a sophomore on the Santa Ynez High School varsity volleyball team, Gillian Wilks admits she “barely said anything” all season. At the time she was more comfortable letting the juniors and seniors on the team lead the way. “I observed how the seniors would play, and what I could do to make…
Local cross country standouts compete in CIF Southern Section races in Riverside
Rather than go to school with their peers on Nov. 9 and 10, top cross country runners from six Santa Maria-area high schools hopped onto team vans or buses, and headed south. Though they had slightly different starting points, the runners shared the same destination: Riverside City Cross Country Course. There, they were joined by…
Chef Steven Snook shines at First and Oak in Solvang
For months now I’ve had First and Oak on my list of must-try spots, and I finally broke down on a chilly Tuesday night and ventured out to Solvang to see what everyone’s been talking about. It turned out to be one of the best dining experiences of my entire life. First and Oak’s concept…
Q-and-A
Way way back in the day, New York magazine used to have a regular feature which shined the spotlight on local celebrities, politicians, and socialites. It was a list of questions designed to assess what kind of New Yorker the person was and give insight into some of the more intimate details of a prominent…
LOCAL NOTES: Tri City Sound Chorus welcomes local ladiesto join in on holiday singing
The iconic Christmas scene of yore wouldn’t be complete without the image of the tight pack of Christmas carolers standing on a doorstep with sheet music in hand. But for the women who sing in the Tri City Sound Chorus, a local chapter of the Sweet Adelines International, they ask locals who want to hear…
Holiday marketplace returns to Solvang
The Wildling Museum is hosting its seventh annual Holiday Marketplace on Dec. 3. Admission is free from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a special members-only preview at 10 a.m. The marketplace features more than a dozen local artists and craftspeople. Booths will be placed throughout the museum so visitors can also view museum exhibits.…
Lompoc Civic Theatre debuts new comedy production
The Lompoc Civic Theatre will present An Inplausible Claus, a holiday-themed comedy written by Nikki Harmon showing Dec. 1 through Dec. 3. The play tells the story of a “meeting of two improbably paired friends,” according to a statement from the play’s director Chris Jeszeck. The play will also feature a second half hour of…
Local youths get free trip to Katy Perry concert
Twenty members of the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Maria Valley attended a Nov. 10 Katy Perry Witness World Tour in Los Angeles as guests of Katy Perry, Global Citizen, and Boys and Girls Clubs of America. They are the winners of a contest sponsored by Perry, a former club member herself, who encouraged…
Lompoc Civic Theatre actress announces retirement
Chris Jeszeck is determined that any article about her tenure in theater really be about everyone else. As she chats on the phone, in between church and a busy night of rehearsals, she enthusiastically rattles off the names of people she’s worked with over the past several decades who influenced and guided her. The record…
Solvang museums hosts new exhibit of artist Eyvind Earle’s work
Winter, with its monster of menacing ice and snow, looks so much more agreeable through the eyes of Eyvind Earle. The artist, famed for his illustrated Christmas and holiday cards, is featured in a new exhibit that debuts on Nov. 18 at the Elverhøj Museum of History and Art, Eyvind Earle: Winter. Earle, who was…
Sand in their eyes
It’s hard to hear over the din of the dunes—people love to argue about that place! On one side you have blaring off-road engines and anti-environmentalists who think the snowy plover has been coddled enough, and on the other side you have those who hate the noise and air pollution from the off-roaders and think…
Keeping it short
Are there really people among us that think being against fascism and white supremacy are worn out ideologies? I love my country and now realize how much of it I took for granted before Trump was elected. It’s the hypocrisy, warped beliefs, repulsive arrogance, and/or blind loyalty of many of the people supporting Trump and…
Thank you, Patrick Wiemiller
We were very saddened to hear about Patrick Wiemiller’s decision to take a job as Assistant City Manager of Santa Maria. He has been a wonderful asset to Lompoc. His credentials and experience have been invaluable to this community. You three (Mosby, Starbuck, and Vega) members of the Lompoc City Council who have given him…
Veterans in agriculture: a perfect fit
Each year, more than 200,000 veterans leave military service and return to civilian life. These men and women have served their country with honor and have learned invaluable skills that make them a tremendous asset to American businesses of all kinds. Recently, LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network, researched the profiles of 1.1 million veterans…
Santa Maria’s 4-H SNAC clubs provide nutritional education to low-income families
It can be especially difficult for low-income families to find healthy foods and to make time for beneficial physical activity. In a 2016 health assessment of Santa Barbara County, 28 percent of surveyed adults said they were obese, and 24 percent rated their health as being fair to very poor. The 4-H Student Nutrition Advisory…
Spotlight on: Santa Barbara County Food Bank
The holiday season is in full swing, and the Santa Barbara County Food Bank will be accepting turkey donations for its entire duration. However, this year’s annual drive for Thanksgiving dinner’s most popular centerpiece has thus far fallen short of expectations, by a couple thousand turkeys. “We have just under 10 percent of what we…
Political Watch 11/16/17
• Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) and Kamala Harris (D-California) introduced leglislation to prevent earthquake mitigation incentives from being taxed at the federal level, according to a statement released by Feinstein’s office Nov. 9. The Earthquake Mitigation Incentive and Tax Parity Act of 2017 comes ahead of the Senate Republicans’ tax bill, the statement said. “Our…
Growing boundaries: State further restricts pesticide use near schools
Santa Barbara County is an agriculturally focused region where crops are often located at the center of cities, butting right up against neighborhoods and local businesses. This prevalence of in-city crops presents the possibility of exposing closely neighboring residents to pesticides, including students and staff at some of Santa Maria Valley’s K-through-12 schools. Because of…
Santa Maria DUI checkpoint results in unlicensed driving citations
A recent DUI checkpoint arranged by the Santa Maria Police Department (SMPD) didn’t nab any intoxicated drivers. None of the 550 drivers screened on Nov. 11 were arrested for drug or alcohol impaired driving, but 11 were sited for driving without a valid license. SMPD’s Traffic Unit has conducted several DUI checkpoints throughout the last…
Veterans find life after service at Space X
Since its founding in 2002, SpaceX has sought to “revolutionize space technology, with the ultimate goal of enabling people to live on other planets.” In the meantime, the company aims to provide a work environment friendly to all backgrounds. And one group the company’s officials take great pride in including in their vision is military…
Lompoc Police tell residents to call to report crimes
The Lompoc Police Department (LPD) sent out a gentle reminder to its citizens on Nov. 8—if you see suspicious activity, call 911. Or, at the very least, call the department’s main office line at 736-2341. LPD Police Sgt. Kevin Martin told the Sun the effort was a response to several instances of suspicious or potentially…
Warming centers provide shelter to homeless during winter months
Despite California’s famously warm and sunny weather, winter months still bring rain and nighttime temperatures that dip below freezing—conditions that can and have claimed lives. A homeless man, Freedom, died on Santa Barbara’s streets during such weather conditions in 2009. The incident sparked pressure from community members for the development of local warming centers, short-term…
Lompoc city manager to become Santa Maria’s assistant city manager
Patrick Wiemiller, Lompoc’s at times embattled city manager, will take his services a few miles north, about 28 to be exact. In roughly three months, he will join Santa Maria as its new assistant city manager. Both cities made the announcement a little after 3 p.m. on Nov. 9. Lompoc’s public information officer, Samantha Scroggin,…
