The sun was just beginning to set on Santa Maria’s north side on Dec. 10 as a small group gathered near the corner of West Bunny Avenue and North Blosser Road, where a white cross hung from a wooden fence, surrounded by bright blue balloons and flowers. A young girl sobbed as she walked toward […]
Santa Maria police investigate second murder in two days, seventh of the year
Posted inNews
Local poets find their voice in North Santa Barbara County
It’s a dark space that’s standing-room only. The only sounds come from behind the podium, a quiet stirring from a winery tasting room worker as she slowly pours another glass for a patron at the bar. The audience is hushed, eager for the moment when it starts. “I worshiped dad’s tale– the middle son seeking […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
HUMOR: Puppy love
My life is essentially a postage stamp of what some people consider the American dream. I’m married and I have two kids, a boy and a girl. I pay the bank every month for a mortgage on a suburban home where there is a pickup truck in the driveway. And, of course, I have a […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Solvang hosts Julefest Wine and Beer Walk
The city of Solvang will celebrate the annual Julefest with a two-day beer and wine walk. The walk features more than 15 winery and brewery tasting rooms throughout Solvang. For $45, festivalgoers will receive a two-day pass good for tastings in participating tasting rooms as well as a souvenir wine glass. The event takes […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
DANA Adobe Cultural Center hosts Milford Zornes exhibit
Nipomo’s DANA Adobe Cultural Center presents a collection of work from renowned California painter Milford Zornes through Jan. 27. Zornes, who who was born in Oklahoma in 1908 and died in 2008, is famous for his unique style and color use in paintings depicting iconic landscapes in California. One of his paintings, a 1936 watercolor […]
Posted inOpinion
Man-made disaster and unforced error
Due to the current market price of crude oil, Santa Barbara County has the capability and capacity to generate as much as $30 million per year in annual property taxes to Santa Barbara County, roughly 50 percent of which would go to our county’s K-14 public schools, roughly 25 percent of which would go to […]
Posted inOpinion
Nothing wrong with nationalism
I was reading through Erik Huber’s letter “The folly of nationalism” in the Nov. 15 edition of the Sun. I was wondering about the purpose of his historical review of the so-called issues of “nationalism” and wondering why he wrote the letter with all kinds of nasty comments on the past world history for 100 […]
Posted inOpinion
Does China believe in nuclear energy?
What’s the smart money doing with nuclear power while California is abandoning it? China is looking more and more like the new world leader, taking over from America. Smart management has seen the Chinese economy growing nonstop, decade after decade. What about their take on carbon-free nuclear power to run their mighty economy? According to […]
Posted inOpinion
Rogue Lompoc City Council members violating policy?
This is an excerpt from a disturbing letter I recently received from a concerned Lompoc city employee: “To whom it may concern, I am writing this as a concerned citizen of Lompoc. I work in the city offices and am concerned about something that I have noted over the last couple of months. Councilman [Jim] […]
Posted inOpinion
Familiar feeling
So often around this time of year, a familiar feeling can wash over you like a swig of spiked eggnog. It can be a warm fuzzy feeling, like the love fest we saw at the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors meeting on Dec. 11 (see page 6), when the supes and other representatives bid […]
Posted inNews
Political Watch 12/13/18
• Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island) discussed climate change from the Senate floor on Dec. 7, heard about the impacts to states like California, and called on the Trump administration and Congress to take action. Feinstein mentioned sea level rise and its effects on places like San Francisco, where “the […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Malia Loos
Santa Ynez Valley Union High School junior Malia Loos appears to be unstoppable, on and off the court. It’s her third year on Santa Ynez’s varsity basketball team, where she now holds the school record for most three-pointers made in a single game, according to coach Jason Finley. Loos is currently on pace to break […]