Sep 7-17, 2023

Sep 7-17, 2023 / Vol. 24 / No. 28
About $6,000 built the Temple of the People in Halcyon, which was completed in 1924. Almost 100 years later, the temple is on its sixth guardian-in-chief, has 300 members around the world from several religious denominations, and is still guided by the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” […]

Cover Story

A century of theosophy

Culture cache The Legend of the Peace Maker open house art exhibit can be viewed on Sept. 9 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Temple of the People on Temple Street and Halcyon Road, Arroyo Grande. To learn more, visit templeofthepeople.org. Editor’s note: This is the first installment of a two-part series on the…

Politicians and activists who ignore reality wreak havoc on us all

From the Founding Fathers who became political leaders until today, politicians have misled and/or outright lied about so many issues that it’s hard to keep up. For centuries they have promised better days if only we would vote for them; we are still waiting. And activists—they just make noise. To prove they care about us,…

We’re entitled to our opinions, not our own facts

I read Stephen Siemsen’s letter in the latest edition of the Sun, “An open letter to the secretary of state,” (Aug. 31). His use of a quote he attributes to President Trump caught my eye. It seemed too outrageous not to have been covered by mainstream media, especially as media these days are driven by…

Exit Pursued by a Bear presents AI-generated theater showcase

Bear necessities Exit Pursued by a Bear, a Central Coast-based theater group, will hold its Stage and Slice Soirée at Brightside Pizza in Los Osos on Saturday, Sept. 9, starting at 5 p.m. For more info, visit facebook.com/exitpursuedbyabeartheatre. In the midst of the Hollywood writers’ and actors’ strike, complete with picket signs that read, “AI…

Upcoming auction in Santa Maria features artworks by Nat Fast

The inaugural Art in the Heart of the City auction and fundraiser will be held at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Santa Maria on Saturday, Sept. 16, starting at 2 p.m. The auction will feature artworks by acclaimed artist Nat Fast (1924-2013). The artist’s surviving children have curated a collection of pieces by Fast to…

Festival Mozaic hosts Notable Soirée in Nipomo

Musicians Scott Yoo (pictured) and Alice Dade will lead an informal lecture on the music of Mozart at the Monarch Club at Trilogy Monarch Dunes in Nipomo on Saturday, Sept. 16. The program, hosted by Festival Mozaic, starts at 2 p.m. and will be followed by a wine and appetizer reception in the Monarch Club’s…

The Equalizer 3 is a fitting finale to this rebooted trilogy

The Equalizer 3 What’s it rated? R What’s it worth, Glen? Full price What’s it worth, Anna? Full price Where’s it showing? Movies Lompoc, Regal Edwards Arroyo Grande, Regal Edwards RPX Santa Maria Antoine Fuqua (The Replacement Killers, Training Day, King Arthur, Shooter, Brooklyn’s Finest, Emancipation) returns to direct this third installment in the film…

BINGEABLE: Painkiller

Painkiller What’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2023 Where’s it showing? Netflix In 2021, Hulu brought us the mini-series Dopesick, which took us to the boardrooms, courtrooms, and living rooms of those inside the opioid crisis. 2023 brings us Painkiller, another look at the crisis, the cover-up, and the eventual rulings against Purdue and the Sackler…

BINGEABLE: Special Ops: Lioness

Special Ops: Lioness What’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2023 Where’s it showing? Paramount Plus In my mind, writer Taylor Sheridan can do no wrong. He’s penned compelling action films such as Sicario, Hell or High Water, and Wind River, and since turning his attention to TV, he’s created series such as Yellowstone and its spinoffs…

Taxpayers v. oil

Who should pay to clean up the hazardous facilities that bankrupt oil companies leave behind? It shouldn’t be taxpayers, but that’s what’s happening. And Santa Barbara County shouldn’t be on the hook to facilitate that cleanup either, but that’s what’s happening.  Venoco filed for bankruptcy in 2017, blaming the shutdown of the Plains All American…

Santa Barbara County successfully decommissions a Venoco oil pipeline

After receiving a $550,000 grant from the California Department of Toxic Substances and removing infrastructure on private properties, Santa Barbara County decommissioned Venoco’s Crude Oil Line 96.  The 6-inch diameter pipeline was approximately 9 miles in length and extended from the Ellwood Onshore Facility near the Bacara hotel in Goleta to a tie-in point at…

Lompoc Valley Medical Center will pay $5 million for alleged false claims

To resolve allegations that Lompoc Valley Medical Center knowingly submitted false insurance claims to Medi-Cal—violating the federal False Claims Act and the California False Claims Act—the health care provider agreed to pay $5 million, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.  “Medi-Cal supports millions of Californians by providing for the critical health care they rely…

Political Watch: September 7, 2023

• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) spoke at Pioneer Park with Lompoc Mayor Jenelle Osborne to highlight delivering $1.26 million in federal funding to support park renovations, including a new playground and baseball fields, according to an Aug. 30 statement from the congressman’s office. “Parks and green spaces are essential to the quality of…


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