Cover Story
Veterinarians, animal services remain strained across Santa Barbara County amid pandemic’s impact
Walt Disney’s Lady and the Tramp portrays two dogs from different worlds who find each other and fall in love. But after crossing paths with the villainous animal control officer, they’re separated and thrown in prison-like cells. Such depictions by Disney and other movie producers have been “awful” for Animal Services’ reputation, said Ginger White,…
BINGEABLE: MIDNIGHT MASS (2021)
BINGEABLE: MIDNIGHT MASS (2021) Where’s it playing? Netflix What’s it rated? TV-MA From Mike Flannigan, the mind behind Netflix’s hit horror series The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor, comes the platform’s newest spooky sensation, Midnight Mass. Once again using a handful of the same cast that appeared in his previous…
People’s Self-Help sees housing potential in Santa Maria’s drive-in theater
The owner of the Hi-Way Drive-In is in talks to sell the Santa Maria property to a nonprofit housing developer. Representatives of both the theater and the prospective buyer, People’s Self-Help Housing, voiced their support for a proposed zoning change—which would be required to develop low-income housing on the site—during the Oct. 6 Santa Maria…
Hancock College extends Promise program to two years
As spring semester registration opens in early November, Allan Hancock College wants its students to take advantage of the new Promise Plus Program and get the college to cover their tuition for two years. This program—an expansion of 2018’s Promise Program—helps students complete an associate’s program, a transfer degree, or a certificate, Student Services Vice…
New dollars to fund more career services in underserved communities
The U.S. Department of Labor awarded the Santa Barbara County Workforce Development Board $2.5 million to help COVID-19 impacted workers get jobs. The funds will enable the board to purchase hardware and technology for nine new places for people to access career services, job training, and certificate courses, Development Board Analyst Julie Smedley said. “Historically…
Political Watch: October 14, 2021
• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) visited the Santa Ynez Valley Charter School on Oct. 8, when the school celebrated 21 years of serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade from across Santa Barbara County. During his time there, Carbajal presented a flag that has flown at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., which became…
The American Association of University Women, Santa Maria Public Library, and LGBTQ-plus nonprofits partner on panel
After a family member faced a lack of understanding of their gender identity from the community, Lata Murti decided to create an LGBTQ-plus educational opportunity for Santa Maria’s residents. “We may know about diversity in gender and sexual orientation, and we may not have anything against anyone’s identity, but there’s this idea that it exists,…
Zaca Mesa Winery debuts new label, Tread, crafted with fruit sourced from vineyards throughout Santa Barbara County
You don’t need an airplane, helicopter, or Google Earth to get a bird’s-eye view of Zaca Mesa Winery. Just grab a bottle of Tread, the Los Olivos venue’s newest release. “If you were viewing a vineyard from overhead in aerial view, you would get this picture,” Winemaker Kristin Bryden said in press materials, describing the…
Transparent conspiracies
As firefighters battled the Alisal fire in southern Santa Barbara County, dry vegetation and blustery wind (up to 70 miles per hour) enabled it to spread rapidly, growing 8,000 acres in 24 hours. At least that much land had burned by 3 p.m. on Oct. 12 along both sides of Highway 101, which was closed…
Scared Scriptless tour brings comedy legends Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood to the Central Coast
Over a span of 40 years working in live improv, only one audience member ever came close to rubbing comedian Colin Mochrie the wrong way. “I can’t remember where we were doing the show, but there was a guy sitting in the front row dressed as a horse. And it wasn’t Halloween. It wasn’t any…
NatureTrack Film Festival hosts in-person screenings, virtual programming
Thirty films will be screened at two venues in Los Olivos, as part of the fourth annual NatureTrack Film Festival. Most of the in-person portion of the festival will be held at St. Mark’s In-The-Valley Episcopal Church on Saturday, Oct. 16, with various screenings taking place between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m. Additional screenings will…
Gallery Los Olivos presents new duo exhibition, Artistic Perceptions
A new duo show at Gallery Los Olivos highlights both paintings and handcrafted jewelry from two local artists. Artistic Perceptions, which features art by Cheryl Ambrecht and Patricia Watkins, debuted at the gallery on Friday, Oct. 1, and is scheduled to remain on display through Sunday, Oct. 31. Ambrecht is an oil painter of plein…
Time for sensible decisions
County Planning and Development staff reports supported the drilling of more than 750 new oil wells in Cat Canyon. They proved to be poorly drafted and replete with error. The proposed projects threatened the quality of our drinking water and the water used by growers. The Oct. 1 Huntington Beach oil pipeline accident has underscored…
In many cases, the real problem is addiction, and homelessness is just one of the symptoms
There has been a lot of handwringing and gnashing of teeth recently about the homeless problem. Who are they and what should we do about them? The most visible and problematic homeless are the substance abusers and mentally ill. The problem seems to be getting worse, as we see tent cities springing up in our…
