Cover Story
Autumn Arts Annual 2022
With the breath of fresh rain storms we had the first few weeks of September, it really does feel like fall is here this year. It’s the right weather for the release of our Autumn Arts Annual issue, just in time for it to heat back up so everyone can enjoy what remains of the…
Election requirements spark debate at Santa Ynez Airport
The Santa Ynez Valley Airport Authority decided against holding annual elections this year, frustrating some community members and raising questions about its voting laws. Santa Barbara County owns the airport, and it’s operated by a board of nine elected volunteers who oversee around 260 members made up of airport users and non-users. Board members also…
Redistricting changes could come before voters in 2024
Voters could get an opportunity to make changes to Santa Barbara County’s redistricting process in the near future, based on recommendations from the people who sat on the redistricting commission in 2021. “As with any new process, there were many opportunities for learning and understanding the challenges to potentially improve the process for the next…
Buellton Planning Commission rejects designs for proposed ARCO station
The architect behind a proposed gas station in Buellton and one city official recently took turns throwing fuel on the fire at a heated public hearing. During the Buellton Planning Commission’s Sept. 15 meeting, Alex Cuevas of AGC Design Concept, anticipated the project’s denial and blamed city staff for not providing enough direction for his…
Political Watch: September 22, 2022
• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) released a report detailing how Central Coast families will soon see more affordable prescription drugs for Medicare recipients and lower health insurance premiums made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, according to a Sept. 12 statement from the congressman’s office. The report highlights how the new law signed…
With monkeypox in Santa Barbara County, LGBTQ-plus community members worry a discriminatory history might repeat itself
Monkeypox cases in California almost doubled within a month, and the Central Coast is ramping up mitigation measures. According to monkeypox data from the California Department of Public Health, total positive cases climbed from 2,660 on Aug. 18 to 4,453 as of Sep. 13. Monkeypox rates spiked closer home in Santa Barbara County, too. The…
Social justice nonprofit CAUSE hosts annual fundraiser in honor of community activist Carmen Ramirez
Carmen Ramirez was a trailblazer in the social justice realm of Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. She was the first Latina woman to be elected to Oxnard’s City Council, and the first Latina woman to serve on the Ventura County Board of Supervisors. She also helped Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE)…
Two photographers capture the Oceano Dunes in series, with respective exhibits in SLO and Solvang
Photography-focused trips out to the Oceano Dunes can become an obsession: Chasing the perfection of repeated ridges, rain-spattered granules, optical illusions caused by layers of shadow and sand. Visual artist Karl Kempton doesn’t know how many thousands of photographs he’s taken. But for the past five years, he’s visited the dunes for weekly walks with…
Ann Foxworthy Gallery’s latest group show explores impacts of climate change
Tipping Point, a group art exhibition at the Ann Foxworthy Gallery in Santa Maria, debuted in mid-September and is scheduled to remain on display through late October. The exhibit is described as “a thought-provoking exploration of the impacts of climate change,” in press materials. The showcase includes pieces by six artists: Bay Hallowell, Cynthia Martin,…
Solvang Scarecrow Fest participants compete for the Harvest Cup
The 13th annual Solvang Scarecrow Festival, scheduled to kick off on Oct. 1, will include scarecrow entries from businesses and organizations across the Santa Ynez Valley. Throughout the month of October, participants will showcase their own unique scarecrow creations outside their locations. The public will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite scarecrows online…
Vega Vineyard and Farm will openin October with Italian wines and Mediterranean fare fresh from the fields
The biggest difference between traditional Santa Barbara County wines and Italian ones is in the way they’re treated at the table. Pinot noirs and chardonnays are often imbibed in a competitive way—measured against one another—said winemaker Steve Clifton. His longtime brand Palmina recently merged with Demetrios and Karen Loizides’ new Vega Vineyard and Farm…
Gas station stalemate
How long does it take to build a gas station? At least six years if you’re trying to do it in Buellton—and that’s before the project even gets approved. ARCO has been knocking on the city’s door since before 2018, wanting to bring the city “too much good stuff” with an AM/PM and put some…
Empty promises, brownouts herald darker days looming for our state’s power grid
So our governor asks us not to use electricity between 5 and 9 p.m. due to overburdening the electric grid. There will be rolling brownouts throughout the state. Let’s see, 5 to 9 p.m. just happens to be when most people are home, living normal lives in their houses, apartments, condos, campers, tents, or whatever.…
Lompoc school board candidate Jerri Thiel has what it takes to help local education
Ms. Jerri Thiel is running for an at-large seat on the Lompoc Unified School District (LUSD) board of trustees. She says, “We need to get back to the basics: reading, writing, math, history, civics, and science.” There are a lot of issues that the LUSD board of trustees must deal with during each meeting, but…
