If your son/daughter and their mate have a couple of kids and they have a joint income of say $85,000 a year, why can’t they find an affordable home to rent/buy? Well, there are lots of reasons why it will be hard for them, and most are associated with government policies that have dramatically increased […]
Affordable housing is wishful thinking in this state
Posted inOpinion
We all pay
Why does it always feel surprising when budgets dry up? We go a year or two without having to think too hard about money on the municipal level, and then, bam! Your city’s gotta start pinching those pennies again. Santa Maria’s currently moving forward with a solution for its $21.3 million budget deficit. Sort of. […]
Posted inNews
Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department invites the public to its annual Fourth of July celebration
Since the Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department’s beginning, it’s hosted a Fourth of July celebration for city residents. While the festivities vary from year to year, it’s continued to be a great opportunity for families, neighbors, and friends to gather for a day of free, fun-filled events, Recreation Manager Stephanie Saucedo said. This year, […]
Posted inFood & Drink
California Hot Dogs expands with new drive-through destination
California, here we come For more info on California Hot Dogs, call (805) 998-0265 or visit the eatery’s Facebook page. The brand’s new drive-through is located at 1311 Nicholson Ave., Santa Maria. Fans of Avila Beach’s famed food cart, California Hot Dogs, now have a place to get their frankfurter fix without having to step […]
Posted inNews
Political Watch: June 27, 2024
• U.S. Sens. Laphonza Butler (D-California) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) announced the introduction of the Health Equity Innovation Act, legislation to fight racial disparities in health outcomes by expanding access to preventative health care in underserved communities, according to a June 21 statement from Butler’s office. The bill would establish a new grant program […]
Posted inNews
County amends Wellpath contract for improved accountability, greater staffing levels
Additional nursing and behavioral health staff, accountability measures, and continued compliance with a legal settlement surrounding jail health care are some of the amended measures baked into Santa Barbara County’s contract extension with jail health care provider Wellpath. The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved these changes during its June 25 meeting. “I do think, even […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Thelma is an action film spoof with a 93-year-old grandma in the lead
Thelma What’s it rated? PG-13 What’s it worth, Anna? Full price What’s it worth, Glen? Full price Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre in SLO Writer-director Josh Margolin helms this action comedy about 93-year-old Thelma Post (June Squibb) who gets scammed by a grifter pretending to be her grandson and sets out on an adventure to […]
Posted inNews
Solvang debates allocating extra discretionary grant funds
A proposed increase of grant funds in Solvang’s 2024-26 budget stirred up enough backlash to delay its inclusion, but the matter will resurface as a separate resolution in August for further review. Reaction to the amendment—which suggested allocating an extra $125,000 for grant funding—was mixed among the public and elected officials during the Solvang City […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
BINGEABLE: The Veil
The Veil What’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2024 Where’s it showing? Hulu Imogen is a tough nut to crack, and she has a knack for getting in and out of situations undetected. She’s been sent to a remote camp where Adilah (Yumna Marwan) is being held, but under very dangerous circumstances. After a difficult and […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
NEW FLICKS: Origin
Origin What’s it rated? PG-13 When? 2023 Where’s it showing? Hulu Writer-director Ava DuVernay (I Will Follow, 13th, When They See Us) helms this biographical drama based on the life of scholar Isabel Wilkerson (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) as she writes her nonfiction book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, which was published in 2020 and describes […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Cypress Gallery showcases works by Claudette Carlton
The Lompoc Valley Art Association presents Watercolor Creations, an exhibition of works by local artist Claudette Carlton, at Cypress Gallery through July 28. Carlton will attend an art reception, open to the public, to celebrate the solo exhibit on Saturday, July 13, from 1 to 3 p.m. Some of Carlton’s works include landscapes, florals, folk […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Pillars 2024 highlights Bobby Williams’ paintings in Los Olivos
The opening reception for Pillars 2024, a solo exhibition of paintings by Bobby Williams at Gallery Los Olivos, will be held on Monday, July 1, from 5 to 7 p.m. The exhibit is scheduled to remain on display through the end of July. In press materials, Williams described this showcase of agricultural paintings as “the […]