Cover Story
COVID-19 has particularly challenged organizations that rely on large fundraising events to keep doors open
The pandemic has forced nonprofits and small businesses alike to find creative ways to stay afloat. For businesses, that could look like upping online sales while physical doors remain closed, or bringing services outdoors. But for organizations and foundations, adapting to pandemic limitations has been uniquely challenging—especially with budgets that depend more on fundraising events…
County moves to expand farmstays project
Brett Ferini grew up working on his family’s farm, Rancho Laguna Farms, in Santa Maria. There, he learned how to turn barren land into fruitful soil that could host the berries, broccoli, kale, lettuce, and cauliflower that Rancho Laguna Farms produces and sells. He learned about where food comes from and all the work that…
Rambling and confused
To be perfectly frank—to speak with extreme candor—I have a hard time following almost anything that tumbles out of Andy Caldwell’s mouth. But then again, perhaps that’s because his thoughts are just too big for my simple canary capacity. Or maybe, it’s because this particular candidate for the 24th District seat in the U.S. House…
Project Roomkey isn’t open to North County, but other homeless services are
Roughly 30 people experiencing homelessness have found housing thanks to a non-congregate shelter that Santa Barbara County opened at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, but the program is only really accessible to South County residents. Homeless advocates in North County say this time, that’s OK. Santa Barbara County opened Project Roomkey, a 74-room non-congregate…
Rental assistance available for most eligible North County residents
The city of Santa Maria announced a new emergency rental assistance program on Aug. 27 for low- to moderate-income households that have experienced a decrease in income as a result of COVID-19. Made possible through special Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding that’s targeted at pandemic response, the program offers up to three months of…
Santa Barbara County meets halfway mark for reducing youth homelessness
More than halfway through the 100-day challenge to reduce youth homelessness, local groups and stakeholders have already met some of the program’s goals. On June 29, Santa Barbara County was one of six counties chosen to participate in the challenge—the others are Kings, Tulare, Monterey, San Benito, and San Bernardino counties. Each area has specific…
New apartments could increase Guadalupe’s population, alleviate housing shortages
The city of Guadalupe’s population size could grow by the hundreds in the near future thanks to new housing developments that are set to receive occupancy clearance this month. Peoples’ Self-Help Housing has 38 new units, Guadalupe City Planning Director Larry Appel told the Sun. These affordable housing units are deed restricted, meaning they will…
Political Watch: September 3, 2020
• Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Aug. 26 that the state signed a contract with PerkinElmer, a major diagnostics company, to allow California to process up to 150,000 additional COVID-19 tests a day, with a results turnaround time of 24 to 48 hours. The state’s goal is to begin processing tests in a new laboratory…
Santa Barbara County Farm Day aims to educate about how local produce stays safe and gets distributed around the world
The second annual Santa Barbara County Farm Day certainly isn’t going to be like the first. About 1,000 people attended tours at 13 different locations for last year’s inaugural event in the Santa Maria Valley—this year will be the eighth Ventura County Farm Day. But farm tours aren’t really an option due to the COVID-19…
Canary took a cheap shot against carriages
Unless you watched the Aug. 24 Solvang Council Meeting, the facts as reported were skewed at best. The Canary opinion (“Overdramatic,” Aug. 27) was a cheap shot. Of the 52 emails the city received—how many were from horse owners? There is no room for a second horse conveyance in the tourist-related-commercial area with Copenhagen Street…
The situation is growing slippery for Central Coast oil projects
But Katie Davis, chair of Sierra Club’s Los Padres Chapter (Santa Barbara and Ventura counties), recently described what it was like to live through the Refugio Beach oil spill five years ago: “You can’t completely clean up an offshore oil spill. The oil sinks into the marine environment, damaging fragile underwater ecosystems, killing or contaminating…
The Goat Girls provide target grazing services throughout SLO County.
“Goat girl” was a nickname that Beth Reynolds loathed. She received that moniker when she was in college working with goats at Cal Poly as part of her senior project in 2003. The project focused on the service goats provide to manage vegetation—aka targeted grazing, which involves accomplishing vegetation or landscaping goals by using a…
New website showcases ceramics, jewelry, sculptures, and other handcrafted media from Nipomo-based artists
While several art fairs and in-person exhibits were canceled or postponed this year, supporting local artisans is still possible in the virtual realm. Central Coast-based multimedia artist Karen Fields recently launched a new website, nipomoartists.com, as an ongoing outlet for her and her fellow artists facing the same predicament. “Practicing artists who had spent the…
Valley Art Gallery showcases new abstracts from local acrylic artist Marilyn Dover Benson
A self-taught artist, Marilyn Dover Benson has mostly painted landscapes and still life pieces over the past decade. But a new group show at the Santa Maria Airport, curated by Valley Art Gallery, is highlighting a different side of Benson’s range. She described her new venture into the abstract as “a radical change” from her…
PCPA kicks off InterPlay series with Mat Smart’s ‘The Agitators’
The Pacific Conservatory Theatre (PCPA) presents two upcoming virtual readings of The Agitators, to be streamed live through Zoom on Friday, Sept. 18, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, Sept. 19, at 1:30 p.m. Penned by playwright Mat Smart, this historical play is centered on the friendship between Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony. The play…
Santa Maria Public Library hosts new discussion group, Movie Talk
The Santa Maria Public Library is hosting a new virtual discussion group for movie fans to meet and talk online, titled Movie Talk, which will meet on the second Thursday of each month. The next video conference meeting in the series will take place on Thursday, Sept. 10, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Call (805)…
Gallery Los Olivos celebrates its reopening with a new exhibit, Simple Pleasures
Gallery Los Olivos announced Thursday, Sept. 3, as its official reopening date. The studio’s new hours will be Thursday through Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Guests of the gallery can look forward to viewing a new duo exhibition, Simple Pleasures, which showcases oil paintings by Cheryl Ambrecht and jewelry by Patricia Wilkins. Ambrecht…
