Trump’s war on Iran inadvertently makes a case for renewable energy. Without the free flow of tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, we have a crisis. Twenty percent of the world’s oil and gas passes through this strait. This exposes the depth of our dependence on fossil fuel. Since the Industrial Revolution in the late […]
The case for renewable energy
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
An Orcutt artist is ready to geek out at Santa Maria Comic Con
Chuck Jones and Bill Peet aren’t necessarily common household names, but their work begs to differ. Jones was the animator of Looney Tunes and Peet was an artist for many an early Disney project. To “geeks” like Brett Nance, those guys are more than household names. They’re legends. Nance grew up drawing, and by the […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Valley Art Gallery presents its latest show
A multigenerational art exhibit is next on the agenda for the Valley Art Gallery. See paintings in distinct styles from three family members at the Santa Maria Public Airport from April 6 through the end of May. An artist reception will be held on April 18 starting at 11 a.m. inside the airport near Pepper […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Photography exhibit highlights Lompoc’s Filipino history
Learn about how Filipino pioneers shaped Lompoc’s history at an exhibit inside the public library’s Grossman Gallery. The exhibit, “Manongs of the Central Coast: Forming Communities Across Generations,” will be featured in the gallery through April, including a public discussion on April 3 at 6 p.m. Bing Aradanas, a project contributor, was raised in Lompoc […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice is funny, violent, sci-fi take on the gangster genre
Mike & Nick & Nick & AliceWhat’s it rated? R What’s it worth, Anna? Full price What’s it worth, Glen? Full price Where’s it showing? Hulu Written and directed by BenDavid Grabinski (Happily), this crime comedy adds a sci-fi twist to the typical violence and quippy dialog. Crime lord, Sosa (David Keith), is celebrating his […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Bait finds actor struggling to keep his career alive
BaitWhat’s it rated? Unrated When? 2026 Where’s it showing? Prime Creator Riz Ahmed stars as Shah Latif, a struggling actor who has bungled his biggest audition yet as the new James Bond. After his ill-fated try at the part, a quick-thinking and desperate Shah decides to make a public appearance outside of the auditions to […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Charming 2008 Be Kind Rewind screens April 6 at Bay Theatre
Be Kind RewindWhat’s it rated? PG-13 When? 2008 Where’s it showing? Bay Theatre on Monday, April 6 (doors at 5, show at 5:30 p.m.; $10) Writer-director Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) helms this charming 2008 comedy about Jerry McLean (Jack Black), a conspiracy theorist and bumbling video store clerk who accidently erases […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Find some extraordinary tomato plants at Tomatomania in Los Olivos
Mark Donofrio believes the best tasting tomato is homegrown, freshly picked, and still warm from the sun. “I think it’s the best fruit in the world,” he said. Gardening has been in his blood since he was 4 years old. Mother Nature always amazed him, and now he’s made a career as a farmer, operating […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
The Return of Downtown? Santa Maria’s aim for a more pedestrian-friendly downtown and other stories that have been around since the Sun’s first issue
Some stories stick. They unfold slowly over time and are a constant source of news. We’ve been covering some of those in the Santa Maria Valley since this paper was founded in 2000. For 26 years, Sun reporters have watched and written about Santa Maria’s downtown—complaints about how the mall killed it, how the city […]
Posted inNews
Some of the Sun’s earliest story subjects are still making headlines
Within its first year of publication, the Sun shined a light on local issues, leaders, and lore that continue to make headlines 26 years later. Santa Maria’s desire to make its downtown core more walkable and attractive to pedestrians, for example, graced the cover of the Sun’s premiere issue, which hit stands on March 31, 2000. Today, […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
For 26 years, the Sun has pursued thoughtful coverage, welcoming and including all voices
Since 2000, the Santa Maria Valley’s population has grown by more than 30,000 people. It’s gained school campuses, a county jail, and more box stores and chain restaurants than it probably needed to. Cannabis is now legal. Politics is über-polarized. Ideology, more entrenched. Social media has changed the way we interact with one another. The […]