Cover Story
As Santa Barbara County improves response to mental health crisis calls, resource issues still plague system
Leonard Marcus came home to his son lying in a pool of his own vomit about 13 years ago. “He abused substances because of his mental illness. He was 15 or 16 at the time—still quite young—and it was a real shocker to see how drunk he was. I knew he was drinking, but I…
BINGEABLE: TELL ME YOUR SECRETS (2021)
BINGEABLE: TELL ME YOUR SECRETS (2021) Where’s it playing? Amazon Prime What’s it rated? TV-14 Amazon Originals has given us yet another binge-fest series with this mysterious and complicated tale, weaving the storylines of intersecting characters throughout time. Karen Miller, aka, Emma Hall (Lily Rabe), has just been released from a seven-year prison stint after…
School outbreaks cause increase in county COVID-19 cases
As the Santa Barbara County Department of Public Health deals with a number of COVID-19 outbreaks from the last week in October, it’s preparing for an increase in positive cases as fall activities come to a close, Public Health Officer Dr. Henning Ansorg said. “There was a significant amount of outbreaks in schools, we didn’t…
Ashley Boscutti brings her cottage industry bakery, Bella Ann’s Sweets, to new home in Nipomo
Picture a bath bomb, except you’re dropping the delicate orb into a cup of mini marshmallows and hot, steaming milk. The sphere dissolves and you take a sip of what’s become hot chocolate. Cocoa bombs are one of Ashley Boscutti’s favorite items to prepare, as part of her cottage industry bakery, Bella Ann’s Sweets. Before…
Local illustrator Natalie Groves transforms the Book Loft’s second floor into an art studio
Personifying birds and frogs comes easy to artist Natalie Groves. Just don’t ask her to draw a horse. “As a kid, I drew realistic horses nonstop. I don’t draw them anymore because their hooves make it hard for them to do anything charming—like drinking tea,” said Groves, best known for her playful animal illustrations. Earlier…
Anniversary screening of ‘The Rocketeer’ held at original filming location in Santa Maria
The Central Coast Film Society (CCFS) and the Santa Maria Museum of Flight are co-hosting a special screening of Disney’s The Rocketeer (1991), in celebration of the film’s 30th anniversary, on Saturday, Nov. 13, at 5 p.m. This fundraiser event, which includes a tri-tip dinner as well, will take place in one of the original…
Valley Art Gallery showcases paintings by Esther Bartlett at local airport
As part of the Valley Art Gallery’s Fall Art Spectacular, an ongoing showcase of multiple local artists, several paintings by Santa Maria resident Esther Bartlett (pictured) are currently on display at the Santa Maria Airport. Bartlett’s paintings in the showcase—which include watercolor, oil, and silk pieces—are also available for sale. According to press materials, Bartlett…
Sensible and small
An outsized debate in Solvang prompted one City Council member to ask city staff to just make it stop. “At the most minimal effort and cost, I want us to assist this group to make this go away,” City Councilmember Robert Clarke said during the Oct. 25 Solvang City Council meeting. Here, here, Clarke! This…
We’ve seen too many unintended consequences of politics; a change in strategic thinking is needed now
When politicians get together to hatch their latest and greatest contributions to society, they sometimes make some unforced errors. Lately local, state, and federal elected officials have made some whoppers. In our county, the political class, who are strongly influenced by their well-heeled contributors, has always sought to lead the nation in environmental extremism. Their…
Solvang City Council seeks to revise regulations on backyard sheds
Applause broke out during the Oct. 25 Solvang City Council meeting after the city decided it wanted to change its rules governing backyard sheds. Many of the meeting’s attendees were residents of Solvang’s Skytt Mesa neighborhood. In July, a homeowner in the neighborhood came under fire for constructing a shed in their backyard that violated…
Centralized fire dispatch agreement awaits Lompoc’s approval
The Lompoc Fire Department is the last of several fire departments in the county to approach its City Council about a potential regional fire-centric dispatch center, Lompoc Fire Chief Alicia Welch said. “All the other cities are moving toward the regional center, and Lompoc is moving tonight to vote to get on the agreement also,”…
Political Watch: November 4, 2021
• U.S. Reps. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) and Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) introduced the Childcare Expansion for Military Families Act to improve and increase child care services for military families, according Carbajal’s office. “Being a parent is a hard job, and that is especially true for our service members,” Carbajal said in the statement. “As a…
The Santa Maria Valley Open Space hosts Los Flores Ranch Park run for preservation
What started as a way for his son to get Boy Scout credits became a passion for Chad Hinkle. The president of Santa Maria Valley Open Space—a grassroots organization dedicated to establishing public trails in a natural setting for hikers, bikers, and recreaters, and works to maintain trails through cleanups and advocacy—was Hinkle’s son’s scoutmaster.…
