Cover Story
Local law enforcement departments compete for officers in shallow applicant pool
Still wearing his civilian clothes, Lompoc Police Chief Joseph Mariani explains that he hasn’t yet had time to put on his uniform. His busy morning followed a late night, during which he oversaw a gang sweep throughout the city that resulted in the arrest of 11 people. The city didn’t carry out the operation solo.…
The Garagiste Wine Festival gives sippers the chance to take in fine, small-batch wines without the pomp
Yves Simoneau attended The Garagiste Wine Festival in Paso Robles with a planned itinerary, but he took a “delinquent” turn down a row of intriguing mystery vines and fresh new labels. He was pleasantly surprised by the wines of Hayseed and Housdon, from winemaker Enrique Torres, who also makes Enrique Torres Wines and the hand-crafted…
CoastHills Credit Union moves in to its new, centrally located headquarters
When Paul Cook arrived at CoastHills Credit Union as its Chief Information Officer in 2015, the board was talking about building a new headquarters.What it would look like was still up for debate, but Cook had an idea: add an extra floor. Now the credit union is moving in to its new centrally located building…
Southern rock band 38 Special set to perform at the Chumash Casino Resort
Founded by childhood friends Don Barnes and Donnie Van Zandt in 1974, the Southern rock gods known to us mortals as 38 Special are taking their nationwide tour to Santa Ynez for a Chumash Casino Resort performance on Friday, Nov. 22, at 8 p.m. The group is best known for hits such as “Hold On…
Local author Elayne Klasson discusses debut novel, Love is a Rebellious Bird
A retired psychology professor, Elayne Klasson spent her career teaching others about human behavior and relationships. One of Klasson’s greatest fascinations in life has always been the concept of love and why we choose to love the people we do. At age 72, Klasson is tackling the topic, but not in an academic format. It’s…
Laura-Susan Thomas captures humanity through animal paintings at Valley Art Gallery
Santa Maria was never part of a long-term plan for artist Laura-Susan Thomas and her husband, who moved up from Los Angeles about two decades ago. “We both had constantly moved growing up, so figured we might be here three years or so,” Thomas told the Sun. “Now 20 some years later, two grown kids,…
Great American Melodrama presents The Holiday Extravaganza
The Holiday Extravaganza opens at the Great American Melodrama and Vaudeville on Thursday, Nov. 21, at 7 p.m. The show will run through Tuesday, Dec. 31, with evening and matinee performances offered throughout the week (check americanmelodrama.com for showtimes). This annual production opens with a one-act version of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, which is…
Los Olivos holds Artisan Holiday Market and Gingerbread Wonderland
Los Olivos’ annual Victorian-themed holiday celebration, Olde Fashioned Christmas, takes place on Saturday, Dec. 7. The daylong festivities will begin at noon with the opening of the event’s Artisan Holiday Market, an open-air shopping opportunity that showcases giftable items from more than 20 different artists and vendors. Various downtown Los Olivos businesses will be hosting…
Central Coast Film Society hosts classic cartoons showcase
The Central Coast Film Society (CCFS) holds its Classic Saturday Morning Cartoons screening at Parks Plaza Theatre in Buellton on Saturday, Nov. 30, at 9 a.m. A collection of vintage cartoons—with characters including Bugs Bunny, Popeye, Betty Boop, Gumby, and others—will be screened. This family-friendly event also includes a raffle for guests to enter. Admission…
CANARY: Waiting and waiting
Three cheers for vague, semi-specific press releases sent out by the state government! One particular choice piece of “news” released by the California Department of Conservation on Nov. 19 explains that Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration is placing a moratorium on “high pressure extraction practice” for oil wells. Whatever that means. Sidenote: The aptly named Division…
The Santa Maria Joint Union High School District will go into the new year with a fresh superintendent
Decades ago, Antonio Garcia was just a Los Angeles kid, picking up English as he went along. Now he’s poised to become the top educator in the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District. After a seven-month search, community surveys, and meetings, the school board announced Garcia as the new superintendent at the Nov. 19…
Proposed restoration plan in the Guadalupe Oil Field could limit harmful emissions and save Chevron millions
It’s a picture perfect day in this slice of the Nipomo Dunes, where rolling hills of shrub-peppered sand run directly into the misty ocean, creating a coastline habitat perfect for a number of endangered and rare species. This seems like the ideal spot to get outside and enjoy nature, but there aren’t tourists or Central…
Local agencies consider safety committee following fatal Highway 154 crash
Weeks after a mother and her two children died in a car crash on Highway 154, the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) is considering establishing a committee to examine ways to make the roadway safer. On Oct. 25, John Dungan allegedly veered into an opposing lane of traffic just east of the Cold…
Supervisors deny appeal, approve new Orcutt shopping center
A new shopping center in Orcutt is moving forward after the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors unanimously denied an appeal filed against the county Planning Commission’s approval of the project. The 50,000-square-foot Orcutt Gateway Retail Commercial Center, located on Clark Avenue near Highway 101 includes a grocery store, gas station, drive-through restaurant, and other…
Dunes Center wins historic designation for former Far Western Tavern
When the Dunes Center museum acquired the Guadalupe building that once housed the famed Far Western Tavern, it wasn’t sure what to do with it. But since receiving the 2015 donation from the Minetti family, the museum has sought to register the pink building off Guadalupe Street as a historic structure. On Nov. 7, the…
State Parks held to more stringent dust mitigation efforts at Oceano Dunes
A public workshop was canceled in October after California State Parks failed to complete an adequate work plan for dust mitigation in the Oceano Dunes. Now the San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District is cracking down, and about 48 acres of the park are expected to be closed to vehicles by 2020. At…
State places moratorium on new high pressure steam-injection wells
Oil and gas operators going through the planning process in Santa Barbara County may have a new obstacle to overcome after the state announced a moratorium on new steam-injection wells. The Department of Conservation’s Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) issued a statement on Nov. 19 that says the state is halting its…
Political Watch: November 21, 2019
• During a House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing on Nov. 14, U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) questioned the members of the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on safety regulations and next steps regarding the Conception boat fire that killed 34 people near the Channel Islands in September. According…
The real story about that long-ago 9 percent raise for Lompoc police officers
Facts are a strange thing. Often they can come back to bite a politician when he or she least expects it. One Lompoc City Council member is an expert at misrepresenting facts, and he usually gets away with it. Recently though, he picked the wrong subject and the wrong city employee to pick on publicly.…
Dear Gov. Gavin Newsom
What is your response to out of control fire caused by global warming? It is to allow closure of our largest carbon-free generator, Diablo Canyon Power Plant. We see your support of more burning of more fossil fuel—natural gas. We see no protection of the people, even in this climate emergency. Diablo Canyon has a…
