Things got heated–and a little off-topic–at a recent debate on the city’s proposed sales tax increase. At the forum, which was hosted on Sept. 6 by the League of Women Voters of Santa Maria Valley, panelists debated the benefits and costs of Measure U2018, a ballot measure that, if approved, would increase the city’s sales […]
Panelists debate necessity of increased public safety sales tax at community forum
Posted inNews
Library and city staff celebrate Library Shop’s reopening
Roughly 15 community members were all smiles at the Santa Maria Public Library’s grand reopening of its used bookstore on Sept. 11. The bookstore, which recently changed management amid controversy, is stocked with roughly 2,500 donated or discarded books, DVDs, magazines, encyclopedias, and art, according to Mary Housel, director of the Santa Maria Public Library. […]
Posted inNews
YMCA to take over GenSpan programs in October
After struggling to find volunteers, the GenSpan Foundation recently announced plans to dissolve its operations by the end of this month. GenSpan, a nonprofit that has provided social and educational programs in schools throughout Santa Maria since 2001, will continue many of its most popular programs through the Santa Maria Valley YMCA, according to GenSpan […]
Posted inNews
Santa Barbara County Supervisors declare ‘shelter crisis’ to secure funding
Millions of dollars in state funding will be injected into Santa Barbara County over the next two years to combat homelessness. The county will receive nearly $10 million from the state following a unanimous decision by the Board of Supervisors on Sept. 11 to declare a “shelter crisis.” The Homeless Emergency Aid Program will bring […]
Posted inNews
Jackson and Limón speak out against BLM plans for drilling and fracking
A pair of Central Coast state legislators took aim at the fossil fuels industry and the Trump administration by voicing their opposition to a plan that would open California federal lands to oil drilling and fracking. On Sept. 7, Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) and Assemblymember Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara) sent a letter to […]
Posted inNews
Big box beltway: Santa Maria celebrates Enos Ranch as a revenue and retail attractor, while some locals question the city’s development priorities
Acres of asphalt cover what used be rows of cauliflower and strawberry fields along Santa Maria’s Betteravia Road. The Enos Ranch development shot up quickly just off Highway 101 last year, raising steel beams and vaulted white walls in a matter of months. But the towering cranes and churning cement mixers are mostly gone, and […]
Posted inNews
Big box beltway: Santa Maria celebrates Enos Ranch as a revenue and retail attractor, while some locals question the city’s development priorities
BY SUN STAFF • PHOTOS BY JAYSON MELLOM A cres of asphalt cover what used be rows of cauliflower and strawberry fields along Santa Maria’s Betteravia Road. The Enos Ranch development shot up quickly just off Highway 101 last year, raising steel beams and vaulted white walls in a matter of months. But the towering […]
Posted inOpinion
Checking the facts on the library debate
Facts matter, especially to a professional librarian who is trained to separate opinion and perception from facts. In the last two months, the city of Santa Maria Public Library has received a multitude of attention for requiring the Friends of the Santa Maria Public Library to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) defining the roles […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Tradition of excellence: Lompoc Concert Association opens 71st season with acclaimed concert pianist Thomas Pandolfi
Lompoc may still be a relatively small town, but for nearly a century, it’s been part of a much bigger musical tradition. The fact is illustrated by the Lompoc Concert Association, which opens its 71st season this year on Sept. 15. The organization began in 1947, explained the association’s president, Molly Gerald, and has operated […]
Posted inNews
Spotlight on: K9 For Gaby – Gabriela Leon
The first time Gabriela Leon, 22, (Gaby for short) suffered a severe seizure, she was only 11 years old. She almost died. It wouldn’t be the last time. “I’ve never had a full year of being free from them,” she said. The recurring epileptic issues eventually forced her to stop pursuing her education at Ernest […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Wildling Museum adds two new board members
The Wildling Museum of Art and Nature announced the addition of two new board members, Jim Balsitis and George Rose. Balsitis, who currently serves as the director of facilities at Old Mission Santa Barbara, is a Wildling Museum member who donated time and services as the lead contractor on the museum building project, including a […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Solvang unveils new public art sculpture
As part of a loan from The Morris B. Squire Foundation, the city of Solvang recently unveiled a new public sculpture. The work, titled The Golden Stein, is located at the center median of First Street, between Copenhagen Drive and Molle Way. The sculpture takes the place of a hundred-year old oak tree that lost […]
