A host of Democrats across the United States are trying to bolster access to mental health care and support for LGBTQ-plus youth. U.S. Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-California), the first Black and openly gay senator to serve in the Senate, introduced the Pride in Mental Health Act on March 14—a day after the Oklahoma medical examiner […]
Overdue breakthrough
Posted inOpinion
Trump still poses a danger to our democracy
It’s official: After making secret hush money payments to an adult film star 11 days before the 2016 election and falsifying official filings to hide the truth from the public, Donald Trump has been found guilty by a New York jury. Trump’s conviction in New York should remind us all that no one—including a former […]
Posted inOpinion
‘Donald Trump has shown us who he is’
Trump’s conviction in New York reaffirms the principle that no one—not even a former president—is above the law in the United States of America. The evidence presented to the jury was damning, including numerous falsified documents with Trump’s signature on them. Falsification of business records is a serious crime, and Trump is finally being held […]
Posted inOpinion
Arguments against wind help fossil fuel
Yes, it is semantics and spin, and the fossil fuel industry and groups like the Charles Koch Foundation must be delighted to have people like Mandy Davis and the REACT Alliance parroting the propaganda they have been feeding them (“Semantics and spin,” May 30). A recent piece in [the Sun’s sister paper] New Times (“Environmental […]
Posted inOpinion
Santa Maria High teacher and coach Bill Yanez deserves to be inducted into the school’s Athletics Hall of Fame
I recently came across the list of second year inductees to the Santa Maria High School Athletics Hall of Fame and was, once again, disappointed to find that longtime Saints’ baseball and basketball coach Bill Yanez was not included. When he was left out last year, I assumed he was simply overlooked by the committee, […]
Posted inOpinion
Pay to stay
Is there a limit to how high we can raise taxes, even on tourists? Every four years, it seems like local municipalities devise a way to increase sales tax or transient occupancy tax (TOT). Boy, public safety sure could use a boost, or the roads sure could use an influx of funding, or it’s not […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Solvang’s Ramen Kotori celebrates five years in business
Oodles of noodles Ramen Kotori in Solvang is open for patio dining and takeout Wednesdays through Sundays, from noon to 3 p.m. and 4:30 to 8 p.m. Call (805) 691-9672 or visit ramenkotori.com for more info. The restaurant is located at 1618 Copenhagen Drive, Solvang. There are many reasons to stop at Ramen Kotori in […]
Posted inNews
Land Trust for Santa Barbara County offers Discover Outside—highlighting ecosystems, conservation, and local recreation opportunities
Alongside conserving local lands, the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County wants to teach people about the area they call home, Vanessa Stowers told the Sun. “We are very lucky to live in this unique space, and it’s something that I don’t ever want to take for granted, so really appreciating why Santa Barbara County […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
BINGEABLE: Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies, & Scandal
Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies, & Scandal What’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2024 Where’s it showing? Netflix Netflix’s Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies, & Scandal docuseries covers the rise of a dating site for married people seeking other adults to have affairs with, the hack that exposed millions of users’ data to the public, the lives it […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
BLAST FROM THE PAST: Girls
Girls What’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2012-2017 Where’s it showing? Max Being both the main actor and the creator of HBO’s show, Girls, Lena Dunham (Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood, American Horror Story) plays a 23-year-old freshly graduated college student who’s a little self-absorbed, awkward, and obsessed with becoming a writer—but she’s too […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
The Idea of You is Notting Hill for boy band fanatics
The Idea of You What’s it rated? R What’s it worth, Caleb? Rent it What’s it worth, Bulbul? Rent it Where’s it showing? Amazon Prime Michael Showalter (The Big Sick) directs and co-writes this quirky romance based on the novel by Robinne Lee. Sparks fly between a world-famous pop singer (Nicholas Galitzine) and an art […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Guest vocalist Liz Douglas joins Riptide Big Band at upcoming show
The Santa Maria Valley Senior Citizens Club hosts its Keeping It Blue Dance, with live music from the Riptide Big Band, at the Elwin Mussell Senior Center in Santa Maria on Sunday, June 9, from 1:30 to 4 p.m. The ensemble’s frequent accompanying vocalist duo Bob Nations and Mitch Latting will be joined by special […]