I am the vice chair of the Measure U2012 Citizens’ Oversight Committee, a native of Santa Maria, and am retired from the Santa Maria Fire Department after 34 years of service. I strongly encourage all Santa Maria voters to vote yes on extending Measure U to support local priorities identified by our neighbors. This local […]
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Posted inOpinion
Commentary 2: Lompoc needs new leadership
Mayor Bob Lingl, who is the best mayor Lompoc has had in the past 10 years, is retiring. Mayor Lingl, who beat out ex-Mayor John Linn, has been a blessing to Lompoc for the past four years. His well-attended Thursday get-togethers, “Coffee With Bob,” has provided badly needed visibility on city issues. The city of […]
Posted inOpinion
Bright young leaders vs. old business as usual
We have a clear choice in the Nov. 6 Santa Maria City Council elections. We can re-elect the same old people who will continue business as usual, or we can choose Rafael Gutierrez and Gloria Soto: two visionary, energetic young leaders who will give our city 20-20 vision. Santa Maria is the largest city between […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Isabella Albano
Allan Hancock College student Isabella Albano has made a name for herself on the volleyball court. As the team’s trusty libero, Albano digs roughly 5.5 balls per set, making her the leading digger in the Western State Conference and fifth in all of California. This despite a mid-season position change that diminished her chances to […]
Posted inNews
County talks youth trauma at Bridges to Resilience conference
Trauma. It affects everyone, and impacts nearly all facets of every community. But with the right steps, trauma can be treated and even prevented. That was the message at this year’s Bridges to Resilience conference in Buellton on Oct. 11, the third annual event of its kind in Santa Barbara County. At the event, which […]
Posted inNews
Political Watch 10/18/18
• The Senate Judiciary Committee voted unanimously to advance legislation co-authored by Sens. Kamala Harris (D-California), Cory Booker (D-New Jersey), and Tim Scott (R-South Carolina) that would criminalize lynching, attempts to lynch, and conspiracy to lynch. The Justice for Victims of Lynching Act of 2018 would be the first successful anti-lynching legislation in U.S. history […]
Posted inNews
One local nonprofit is creating a support program to empower Latina women seeking higher education
Natali Camacho remembers her college experience as a tough but important part of her life. She went to Allan Hancock College for three years and then transferred to UC Davis where she earned her degree in Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology. She wasn’t exactly thrilled to be attending community college because her first choice was […]
Posted inNews
Taxpayers Association endorses Hancock bond
In a rare move, the Santa Barbara County Taxpayers Association announced at a rally on Oct. 11 its endorsement of a bond measure that would fund facility construction and improvements at Allan Hancock College campuses. If approved by voters, Measure Y2018 would bring $75 million to Hancock campuses in Northern Santa Barbara County to build […]
Posted inNews
Santa Barbara County pot growers walk a fine line between staying legal, angering their neighbors, and getting raided
A U-Haul van packed with pounds of freshly harvested marijuana eases its way down the narrow winding road on the back side of Cebada Canyon. As it rolls and bucks against uneven terrain, the driver brings the vehicle to a complete stop on the right shoulder to let a gunmetal Honda Accord pass by. “That’s […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Places to play: Local blue-collar acoustic groups see more chances to perform in the Santa Maria Valley
For the musician who makes the leap from studying their instrument and playing in jam circles to actually starting a group and getting paid to perform, that milestone can be a formative one. But for local singer and banjo player Wendy Stockton, starting a band didn’t begin in high school for her, like for so […]
Posted inNews
Culture counts: Local schools are working, slowly, to increase representation in the teaching force
After 25 years in the U.S. Navy, Peter Flores had heard all the meritocratic mantras in existence, and “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” was by far his favorite. Hard work was the constant focus of his life as a command master chief, and as a new naval sciences teacher in the early 2000s, he […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
CORE hosts poetry reading with David Dominguez and Raina J. León
CORE Winery in Orcutt will feature two poets, David Dominguez and Raina J. León at its monthly poetry reading series on Oct. 13. León, Ph.D, has written three collections of poetry, including Canticle of Idols, Boogeyman Dawn, and sombra: (dis)locate. She is a member of the Carolina African-American Writers Collective as well as founding editor […]
