On March 18, 2021, the California Coastal Commission made the historic decision that off-road vehicles must be removed from Oceano Dunes because off-road vehicle use jeopardizes one of the world’s rarest coastal ecosystems and endangered wildlife (not to mention harming local public health and air quality). Four years later, the court struck down the Coastal […]
Why are we still running over plovers?
Posted inOpinion
Restore Oceano’s natural defenses
The draft 2025 Soil Conservation Plan for Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area is a disappointing endorsement for hauling our beautiful beach to the dump. For years, massive amounts of sand have been tracked out on vehicle tires from the Grand and Pier Avenue exits, resulting in tons of sand being hauled to landfills—an estimated […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
A local jeweler sets out to empower others with her craft
Long before Jessica Rangel made jewelry, she collected rocks, mesmerized by the texture of each stone. As a child she always had a rock in hand, which is nearly still true today. As an adult, Rangel remembers shopping for jewelry but never finding exactly what she wanted to wear. Rather than settling for store-bought pieces, […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Try a paper mosaics class in Solvang
The California Nature Art Museum (CalNAM) is hosting two entry-level classes led by local artist Katherine Taylor, who’ll teach students how to make paper mosaics. On Jan. 29, the class will be geared toward adults ages 14 and older. It’ll be held at the museum from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Taylor will help students plan […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Lompoc Valley Art Association accepts submissions for upcoming show
Artists in Santa Barbara County are invited to submit up to three pieces to the Lompoc Valley Art Association’s show, Art of Renewal, by Jan. 26. The exhibit is all about using repurposed materials to create something new. “This event celebrates both creative ingenuity and environmental responsibility, inviting local artists and art lovers to join […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Is This Thing On? explores a dissolving marriage
Director Bradley Cooper (A Star Is Born, Maestro) helms this dramedy he co-wrote with leading man Will Arnett and Mark Chappell about Alex (Arnett), who turns to stand-up comedy as a way to cope with his dissolving marriage to Tess (Laura Dern). The story is loosely inspired by the life of British comedian John Bishop. […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Run Away follows a father’s desperate search for his runaway daughter
Run AwayWhat’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2026 Where’s it showing? Netflix When Simon Greene (James Nesbitt) gets a tip that his estranged daughter, Paige (Ellie de Lange), is busking at a local park, he rushes over to find the young, troubled girl. When Paige met her boyfriend, Aaron Corval (Thomas Flynn), she adopted his bad […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
The Who’s classic rock opera, Tommy, screens at Bay Theatre on Jan. 19
TommyWhat’s it rated? PG When? 1975 Where’s it showing? The Bay Theatre, Monday, Jan. 19 (doors at 5 p.m., screening at 6; $17.91 at my805tix.com) Director Ken Russell (The Devils, Altered States, The Rainbow) co-wrote with Pete Townshend and The Who this epic 1975 rock opera about a psychosomatically “deaf, dumb, and blind boy” (Roger […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Hapi Nani offers teas and spices blended right in Santa Maria
Growing up in India, Harpreet Sangha has fond memories of accompanying her grandmother to buy garam masala, a northern Indian spice blend that’s added to almost every dish. Sangha remembers her grandmother talking about her family’s health with the vendor so he could customize their blend. “Depending on if we had runny noses or if […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Volunteers 2026
Volunteers are almost always how hiking, biking, and horseback riding trails get built, and Lompoc is no exception. With the aim of developing six new public trails in the Lompoc Valley, the city Trails Committee (aka the Lompoc Hike and Bike Club) needs some help, especially from anyone with excavator experience. For our annual Volunteers […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Scoring vista points: All-volunteer group Lompoc Hike and Bike lays groundwork for new public trail network
Leaves of three, let them be—to an extent. The risk of being exposed to poison oak comes with the territory for those who volunteer with the Lompoc Trails Committee, aka Lompoc Hike and Bike. “A lot of our rough work begins with cutting through the vegetation,” committee chair Dave Baker said about an 82-acre development […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Serving community: Heroes on the Water fosters healing and connection for veterans and first responders
Andy Dibbern didn’t come to Heroes on the Water looking for a leadership role. About four years ago, he was simply a devoted kayaker who accepted an invitation to volunteer at a local event. The experience left an immediate impression. “I got invited by a friend to come out,” Dibbern said. “I was already an […]
