Cover Story
Where’s the beef? Central Coast chefs, hell-bent on sustainability and community sourcing, have a tough time getting their hands on local beef
As she swings around a tight curve in her John Deere Gator, rancher Katie Parker-McDonald’s eye is keenly trained on the horizon, trying to spot one of her elusive cattle. By now, she could probably drive this route blindfolded; these are the same narrow dirt paths she’s navigated since she was a child. As we…
California EPA investigating protections on widely used pesticide
The California Environmental Protection Agency announced Aug. 18 that two environmental agencies are pursuing health protections on chlorpyrifos, a widely used pesticide, which could lead to increased statewide restrictions on chlorpyrifos use. After scientists at the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) discovered possible public health risks associated with chlorpyrifos, the department released an updated…
Who makes your favorite steak?
George Mantoura jewelry designer “My wife. The seasoning, it’s incredible. I’m not entirely sure what’s in it, but it makes me run home for food.” Melissa Savage front desk manager at the Santa Maria Inn “It has to be the Century Room at the Historic Santa Maria Inn. They’re going to think I’m plugging it…
Ciao, bella! Pizzeria Bello Forno is a welcome addition to Orcutt
At Bello Forno in the bright lights and with laughter coming from inside, it feels as refreshing as the crisp night air. Summer is winding down, but there’s still a touch of mild heat as people make their way into the new eatery. I instantly feel some kind of connection. The decor, the furniture, the…
Elverhøj Museum presents the Living History Festival
Solvang’s history and cultural roots are featured as part of the Living History Festival happening Sept. 16 through 17 at the Elverhøj Museum. Artisans, storytellers, and craftspeople will demonstrate their skills and entertain visitors. The free event is held in conjunction with the town’s Danish Days festival. “There will be hands-on activities for all ages…
Connie Rohde announces retirement
The C Gallery’s longtime director and curator, Connie Rohde (pictured), announced her plans to retire from the Los Alamos contemporary art gallery on Sept. 1. “As of Sept. 30, I will have stepped away, as in ‘Elvis has left the building,’” Rohde wrote in an email. “It is my greatest hope that the arts will…
Lompoc taking applications for annual Christmas parade
The city of Lompoc is accepting applications to participate in the annual Lompoc Valley Children’s Christmas Season Parade. This year’s parade theme is “Winter Wonderland.” The Lompoc Valley Children’s Christmas Season Parade is scheduled for Dec 1. Entrants voted to have the best display of lights will win the Best of Lights category, which comes…
CORE Winery in Orcutt hosts poetry reading
“My mother turned the masa on the wooden board/one ancestral world after another spilling from her hands./This mound of flour, leavening, water, lard,/and a pinch of salt became the full moon of our history.” The words of Carla Riedel’s poem, “A Fig Is Like a Tortilla Is Like a Raven,” are filled with poignant images,…
Allan Hancock College Men’s Soccer starts season strong
The name of the game in soccer is control—controlling both the ball and the tempo of the game. That’s exactly what dictated the outcome of the Allan Hancock College men’s soccer team’s first game of the season against Monterey Peninsula on Aug. 25. Hancock shut out Monterey 2-0, which coach Billy Vinnedge credits to his…
Shifting the argument
I wish people would respond to the words coming out of my beak. It seems to be a trend that those responding to a counterargument who have nothing to stand on instead argue against something totally different. It’s called a straw man fallacy, and they teach you about that in critical thinking 101. The most…
I need a nap
Last week, Mavis Wanczyk became the winner of the second biggest prize in Powerball history. I don’t know who she is, but I’m ready to declare my undying love for her and pledge my total allegiance as her friend and possible receiver of designer gifts. People always ask me what I would do with that…
The Lompoc Pops Orchestra remembers 9/11 with music of America
The Lompoc Pops Orchestra has a longstanding tradition of performing on Mondays, and for this year’s season-opening concert, the date fell on Sept. 11. Instead of shying away from that somber day, the orchestra will perform a concert to honor everyone who was lost in the attack on the World Trade Center and also celebrate…
Daytripper: Hiking into the John Muir Wilderness
It’s getting hot already. I open the hatchback and stretch my legs all the way out, bare feet hanging out the back of my car in the 75-degree cool of a summer morning on the Eastern flank of the Sierra Nevada. Independence Creek trickles away as purple-pink shades of sunrise tint the barren mountains that…
Troy Hernandez
There’s no such thing as “snowboarding season” on the Central Coast. Sandboarding at the Guadalupe Dunes is the closest thing to the sport Allan Hancock College student Troy Hernandez has found. Hernandez, 23, lives in Nipomo, but his heart and soul reside on the slopes of Mammoth Mountain, he said. This year, snowboarding season at…
In defense of credit unions
In her Aug. 2 commentary (“A tax exemption that is no longer justified”), Simone Lagomarsino contends that credit unions’ tax exemption status is no longer needed. Her argument overlooks some key facts and fundamental differences between banks and credit unions. Simone says, “many credit unions are virtually indistinguishable from taxpaying community banks” because of their…
Immigrants come with a cost
This is in reply to the editorial written by Scott Fina titled “Politics, symbols, liberty, and immigration” (Aug. 17). After reading this rambling rather weird editorial, it is difficult to understand how the writer can think conditions today regarding immigration can be compared with conditions years ago when we needed large numbers of new immigrants.…
Our County Our Kids works to improve the foster system despite severe lack of resources
There are more than 400 kids rotating through the foster system each month in Santa Barbara County, but only about 175 families are accepting children. In an effort to tackle this issue, Our County Our Kids—a division of the Santa Barbara County Department of Social Services—will watch as the Righetti Warriors take on the Dos…
Spotlight on: Coast Development Partners
Buellton and Santa Barbara County wine country will be injected with a healthy dose of nightlife next fall. Don Conner of Los Olivos-based Coast Development Partners told the Sun that by then his firm should be wrapping up construction on its ambitious inaugural commercial property project, The Commons. “We would describe it really as a…
Fighting by breeding: Millions awarded to California universities for strawberry research
To Dominique Pincot, farming is her family’s business. It’s the life her grandpa, uncle, and dad chose, and the work she never really wanted to do. But growing up around the fields of Betteravia Farms in Santa Maria, where Pincot’s family helps grow vegetables and strawberries, had a lasting effect on her life. “My dad…
Whittier Fire area may be dangerous during the wet season
The Whittier Fire may no longer pose a direct threat to nearby residents, but the effects from the blaze may be felt for years to come, particularly in the area’s main arteries of travel and at Lake Cachuma reservoir, according to a recent U.S. Forest Service report. On Aug. 29, Los Padres National Forest biologist…
Political Watch 9/7/17
• Both Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) issued statements following President Donald Trump’s announcement that his administration would end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program with a six-month delay. Sen. Harris, who is a member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affiars Committee and co-sponsor of the DREAM…
Local Forest Service chief killed in truck crash
A Los Padres National Forest battalion chief stationed in Santa Maria was killed in a head-on collision on Aug. 31 while driving his truck home from the Railroad Fire in the Sierra National Forest. U.S. Forest Service Santa Lucia District Battalion Chief Gary Helming, 47, was driving southbound on State Route 41 when Antonio Avalos,…
Pioneer Valley High School students to raise money for Hurricane Harvey support
Every day during lunch until Sept. 8, the Pioneer Valley High School Student Council will accept cash donations to support Texans displaced by Hurricane Harvey. Students will play music on Pioneer Valley’s stage during lunch, according to a school district press release. Each class will have a designated donation bucket, and the class with the…
Cap-and-trade extension has mixed local support
When it comes to gauging the business community’s reaction to the recent developments with California’s cap-and-trade program, it depends who you ask. Mark Schniepp, director of California Economic Forecast in Santa Barbara, told the Sun that the July 17 vote in the state Assembly to continue the program would most likely change little. “[Cap-and-trade] is…
Santa Maria Police investigate fatal shooting
A 19-year-old Santa Maria man was shot and killed on the 2000 block of North Lazo Way early Sept. 3. The homicide was Santa Maria’s second of the year. Santa Maria Police Department (SMPD) officers responded to reports of gunshots fired near North Lazo at about 12:40 a.m., according to a department press release. There,…
