Cover Story
Right on the wall: Public murals in Northern Santa Barbara County are a legacy of community and art
The image is sparse, almost purposefully blank. On first glance, it’s just a bench, seemingly nondescript against a pink and white background that loosely begins to form the shape of a building. A cross peaks out from over the top. Artist Lori Slater, a former Lompoc resident who now lives and works in Cambria, painted…
Solvang’s Will Rodgers teams up with dad’s brewery to launch NASCAR career
Will Rodgers triumphantly stood atop his black race car—the No. 7 Solvang Brewing Company Ford—with both arms and index fingers raised to the sky and confetti raining down over him. The 22-year-old from Solvang basked in the sweet taste of victory on Sept. 16, having claimed his second-ever NASCAR win at New Jersey Motorsports Park.…
Where’s the best place to view public art?
Josh Bulgin student “Farmers market in SLO.” John Hood art professor “The Foxworthy Gallery at Allan Hancock College.” David Aguayo grocer “San Luis Obispo Museum of Art.” Autumn Jennings art teacher “The public offerings in the Santa Maria Valley are definitely growing. There’s a beautiful mural on Jones Street on the side of the children’s…
*Cough cough*
I get no joy out of complaining all the time. I know it might not always seem that way, but it’s definitely not my favorite thing, so I at least try to whine constructively. That’s why, when I see people crying over nothing, it sends my eyes rolling back into my head so fast I’m…
HUMOR: Rebecca Rose ponders a certain piece of controversial sky art
It’s not every day that you look up in the sky and see a giant penis. That’s just what happened to residents of Okanogan County, Washington, on Nov. 16. Apparently, a pilot flying an A-18 Growler assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron 130 based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island decided to get a little creative…
Political Watch 11/30/17
• The office of Gov. Jerry Brown filed a brief in a legal case that challenges Brown’s Pension Reform Act of 2012, arguing that government agencies should be allowed to adjust pension benefits for current workers, The Sacramento Bee reported on Nov. 22. The law, currently challenged by the union that represents Cal Fire firefighters,…
Lompoc lost thanks to council
Last Canary was right (“Sand in their eyes” Nov. 16), those three stupid councilmen Mosby, Starbuck, and Vega forced Wiemiller to quit. We are all losers for their actions. Santa Maria picked him up right away because they knew how stupid those three are. They cannot stand anyone smarter than them and that is a…
LOCAL NOTES: Local singer/songwriter Michael Shelton
Anyone involved in the music scene on the Central Coast in the early 2000s will remember the bespectacled, curly-haired figure and clear voice of Michael Shelton, a regular fixture at open mics and concerts in Lompoc, Santa Maria, San Luis Obispo, and everywhere between. Originally from Texas, Shelton came to the Central Coast while serving…
Spotlight on: Parable Candle Company
A change in lifestyle can be triggered by the smallest events. For Elaine Bumanglag, it was a tick bite. She told the Sun she got into candle and soap making as a way to pass the time while dealing with Lyme disease. “I was misdiagnosed for over 10 years,” she said. “But after they finally…
EPA to host public meeting on Casmalia Superfund site
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will host a public meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 6, to take public input on a proposed plan to treat ground and surface water, along with contaminated soil at the Casmalia Resources Superfund Site. Agency officials will present the plan at Orcutt Academy Charter School at 3491 Point Sal…
Chumash Education Department recognized by Commission for Women
The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians’ Education Department was honored with a service award from the Santa Barbara County Commission for Women during a supervisors meeting on Nov. 7. The Commission for Women works to recognize organizations that help shape Santa Barbara County, particularly those that advocate for women in need, according to a…
Allan Hancock College faculty and staff donate Thanksgiving food to single-parent students
Turkey, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie—about 75 single parents who attend Allan Hancock College received everything necessary for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner on Nov. 21 at the ninth annual Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education (CARE) Turkey Event. The food was paid for through monetary donations given by college faculty and staff, according to Hancock spokesperson Jessica…
Lawsuit alleges Santa Barbara County and Marian Medical Center wrongfully detained woman
A San Luis Obispo County couple’s lawsuit against Santa Barbara County, Marian Medical Center, and a Ventura hospital hit a roadblock earlier this year after Judge Timothy Staffel ruled in favor of the hospital and county. Cynthia and Gary Hayes, through their attorney, Jude Egan, claimed the medical centers and county exposed Cynthia to excessive…
Allan Hancock College joins the Santa Maria Public Library and Discovery Museum to provide free makerspace projects
Creativity is not bound by age, race, or socio-economic background at Allan Hancock College, the Santa Maria Public Library, and the Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum, where free events called “makerspaces” give all locals the opportunity to learn new skills through making. From simple arts and crafts projects to computer coding and 3-D printing, makerspace…
Lompoc begins construction on sidewalk and crosswalk improvement projects
A $160,000 grant that was recently awarded to the city of Lompoc will be used to make walking to school safer for local students. Construction on Lompoc’s Sidewalk Infill Project, which includes adding sidewalks and improving crosswalks near schools, started on Nov. 27. The project is expected to last a little more than a month,…
Former 4th District Supervisor Joni L. Gray passes away
Several current Santa Barbara County supervisors expressed their grief over the weekend following the sudden passing of former Fourth District Supervisor Joni Gray. Gray reportedly collapsed in court on Nov. 19. She was then transported to Marian Regional Medical Center where she died three days later. She was 75. “I was shocked to hear of…
Cugini’s in Santa Maria gets cannoli right
The other night, my fiance and I were at home re-watching a classic film from the 1990s, The Talented Mr. Ripley. Shot almost entirely in Italy, the movie features some exotic and breathtaking locations along the Italian coastline, including Ischia Ponte and Bagno Antonio in Ischia as well as the city streets of Procida and…
Oliver Herring comes to Cuesta College for collaborative residency, exhibit
Brooklyn-based artist Oliver Herring tells people, “I don’t know,” when asked what the plan is for one of his collaborative art happenings, and he really means it. To be fair, Herring’s work is both outside the box and elaborate. Think, using humans as sculptures or people wearing clothes drenched in colored food dye while they’re…
Special Needs Network puts on a holiday play
On Tuesdays and Thursdays in November, the Minami Recreation Center in Santa Maria is filled with some special guests. The small group gathers to quietly rehearse a performance that is set to debut on Dec. 3, a holiday-themed production written by the show’s director. The participants, about a dozen of them in total, are all…
John Ramos
After the snap, Santa Maria High School wide receiver John Ramos took off downfield, and his quarterback, Blake Truhitte, threw him a bomb. Ramos had a step on the Montebello Schurr cornerback, and both players leapt for the football. It ricocheted off their hands and seemed destined to hit the ground. But Ramos stayed with…
Convicted felon arrested for possession of meth pipe and rifles
A Santa Maria man was arrested by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office on Nov. 23 after deputies allegedly found a methamphetamine pipe and assault rifles in his car. Barry Pardo, 52, was arrested on suspicion of possession of an assault weapon, high capacity magazines, and drug paraphernalia after deputies stopped him for speeding and…
Repeal the gas tax
I think the California Gasoline Sales Tax should be replaced with a $60 billion bond measure, about $6 billion for 10 years or a decade. This Senate bill, SB 1, is going to be hard to afford on most Californians going to a gasoline station such as the Exxon-Mobil station at Morro Bay Boulevard and…
Lost in the bushes
During this holiday season, I am reminded of a story I read many years ago by writer and trial lawyer Louis Nizer. Nizer was most famous for his defense of those who were blacklisted as Communists during the 1950s. Anyway, Nizer’s brief story, “An Editorial Lost in a News Item,” recounts a newspaper article about…
COMMENTARY: Susan Salcido on ‘Giving thanks’
Thanksgiving is a particularly special holiday, due in large part to the opportunity it affords us to think of friends and families near and far. As many of us will continue to share special times together with our loved ones, it is an appropriate time to reflect on the many things for which we are…
Lompoc hosts holiday fundraiser
The Friends of the Lompoc Library System is holding its annual Decorated Tabletop Christmas Trees Fundraiser with all proceeds benefitting the Lompoc Library System. The trees will be on display at the Lompoc Public Library, 501 E. North Ave. and the Village Library, 3755 Constellation Road, until 2 p.m. on Dec. 16 when the winner…
Holiday decorating contest announced
The city of Santa Maria launched the 21st annual Holiday Decoration Contest, which features the opportunity for residents to nominate a decorated residence, business, storefront, or church for top prizes. The Lights, Sights, Holiday Nights committee of judges will select the winning displays to be included in the Holiday Hall of Fame Tour map. In…
Santa Maria hosts exhibit honoring California service members
The city of Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department and the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce invite the public to the opening of the Remembering Our Fallen exhibit honoring some of California’s men and women in the United States military. The exhibit includes Red Poppies, Home Town Heroes, Flag etiquette, and a Million Thanks…
