Cover Story
Stakeholders agree that building another fire station will help bring Orcutt’s fire response times up to industry standards, but some say it should have happened years ago
In the years after one of the hardest moments of his life, longtime Central Coast resident and firefighter David has reflected on the events surrounding his dad’s death. David lost his father in 2004 to a heart attack. He experienced the major cardiac event at home in Orcutt, and though he didn’t survive, the service…
Chef Michael McDonald puts a high-end spin on casual cuisine at the Salty Brigade Kitchen in Santa Maria
Michael McDonald—the prolific local chef, not the Doobie Brother—has experimented with so many ingredients over his three-decade career that he’ll occasionally forget parts of his own recipes. Luckily his contact list is full of former mentors, students, and collaborators. And the great thing about sending a quick text is “you don’t have to have a…
Santa Maria Town Center hosts 10th annual Painted Chair Raffle to benefit the Friends of the Santa Maria Public Library
The 10th annual Painted Chair Raffle will be held at the Santa Maria Town Center, starting on Oct. 16 and running through Oct. 29. Local artists were asked to submit chairs, quilts, and other items based on either a book or a book genre, which will be raffled off during a drawing on Oct. 29…
Resilience, restoration, and relaxation are the common threads in New Cuyama, an ideal day trip or weekend getaway
The Cuyama Buckhorn Roadside Resort, newly renovated with Wild West motifs and plenty of mid-century modern flair, is what brought me to New Cuyama for the first time on a recent road trip, and that aesthetic will certainly bring me back in the future. But the 24-hour trip ended up being more than just lounging…
Three printmakers team up for Wildling Museum’s next Valley Oak exhibition, Close to Home
Close to Home, an upcoming trio show at the Wildling Museum of Art and Nature in Solvang, is scheduled to debut on Oct. 9 and remain on display through February 2022. Locals can meet the artists during a reception for the exhibition will take place on Oct. 17 from 3 to 5 p.m. This exhibit…
NAMI offers parent-to-parent program to families helping loved ones with mental illness in northern Santa Barbara County
National Alliance on Mental Health’s (NAMI) parent-to-parent instructors have experience helping loved ones with mental illnesses, and they can provide insight to other families facing similar issues. Santa Barbara County NAMI President George Kaufmann is one of the instructors for the parent-to-parent program at the national nonprofit’s new Santa Maria location, which opened in early…
Political Watch: September 30, 2021
• U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla (D-California) and Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) introduced America’s Children Act, bipartisan legislation that would provide a pathway to citizenship for children of long-term visa holders—documented Dreamers—who have been waiting for years for a green card, Padilla announced in a statement. This bill is cosponsored by Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois), Chris Coons…
Landsat 9 takes off from Vandenberg
NASA launched an Earth-observing satellite from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Sept. 27, continuing a 50-year land observation program and cementing a recently developed partnership between the space agency and Lompoc. Lompoc’s tourism district, Explore Lompoc, collaborated with NASA in a year-long effort to prepare for Landsat 9’s launch, according to Explore Lompoc President Gilda…
New ordinance requires Solvang businesses to obtain conditional use permit to host live music
A new Solvang ordinance will require downtown businesses that host live music (whether indoors or outdoors) to apply for a conditional use permit. Intended for venues that provide music on a regular basis, the ordinance will not enforce limits on buskers performing in public spaces. “Because the proposed ordinance is tied to existing business uses,…
The county wants your thoughts on the local impacts of climate change
Unemployed people, senior citizens, households in poverty, children, people in mobile homes, and overcrowded houses in northern Santa Barbara County are the most vulnerable to climate change, according to a recently released county assessment. These frontline populations are going to experience climate impacts to a more severe degree, county Long Range Planner Whitney Wilkinson said. …
Vulnerability
Who’s going to be the most impacted by climate change in Santa Barbara County? I’ll give you one guess. It’s not the people who own pieces of the pristine Hollister Ranch area—including filmmaker James Cameron and musician Jackson Browne—who like to keep their private portion of California’s coastline as inaccessible to the general public as…
Let’s trounce voter suppression
With a sense of helplessness, we watch events in Afghanistan unfold and wildfires rage in this great state. Meanwhile, the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act are strongly beckoning us to repeal the greatest threat to voting rights since Reconstruction. Hundreds of new voting restrictions are being enacted in…
Hey, Jordan Cunningham!
For a guy who likes to talk a big game about supporting the middle class and advocating for the job force, you sure threw nurses under the bus with your letter to the Health and Human Services asking to wipe out our staffing ratios. Nurses have been working the last 18 months with crushingly high-acuity…
Officials must wear masks too
The Police Department held a public meeting at the Minami Center last Monday evening, Sept. 20. There are signs on both front doors saying that anyone who enters any public building must wear a mask. Everyone in attendance did wear a mask over their nose and mouth, except for Councilperson Etta Waterfield. She sat among…
PG&E’s increased protection measures, while frustrating at times, are decreasing potential wildfire ignitions
The threat of wildfire in California and other Western states continues to grow. Severe drought conditions, dry fuels, and rising temperatures are driving unprecedented increases in the potential risk for wildfires. To combat this increased risk, PG&E is continuing to evolve our wildfire prevention efforts for the safety of our customers and communities. One of…
