The 2017 Santa Barbara County Crop Report released this month said most commodities were rising in value, with strawberries leading the pack and broccoli replacing wine grapes as the years’ second most valuable. “Agriculture is the No. 1 contributor to the county’s economy and through the multiplier effect, contributes approximately $2.8 billion to the local […]
Santa Barbara County Ag report says most crops increasing in value
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Arts Briefs
Elverhoj holds last in series of events with local artist Nancy Yaki The Elverhoj Museum of History and Art presents a discussion with artist Nancy Yaki on July 28 titled, The Process is the Destination. Yaki will discuss how she chooses composition, imagery, and then what specific techniques set her apart from other artists. Yaki’s […]
Posted inOpinion
Must be nice
Another year, another crop report from Santa Barbara County (see page 5), and this one is (Borat voice), berry nice! Sorry, I couldn’t resist–the county’s strawberry farmers raked in an astounding $457 million during 2017! Local broccoli farmers got a significant boost as well, surpassing wine grapes as the second most earning crop from 2016 […]
Posted inOpinion
County fair experience
Here we were, senior citizens doing our volunteer duty, sitting the first session of the Santa Maria Republican Club booth at the recent county fair as we have for the past 10 years. All around us were other booths for the NRA, wheel chairs, books and puffy dolls, jewelry, cosmetics, bonsai plants, the CHP, etc. […]
Posted inOpinion
Response to Scott Fina
Scott Fina’s commentary regarding the cave rescue in Thailand (“Cave rescue in Thailand was no ‘miracle,’” July 19) was a brilliant piece of persuasive writing. Using a relevant example, he was able to express and show us how universal ideals are practical and useful. Who can make a legitimate argument against these values? Yet, many […]
Posted inOpinion
Trump won, get over it
I must write on the continued letter craziness of some here, in particular those addressing President Donald Trump and Republicans. Two letters stood out in the July 12 issue: “The new GOP,” by Sean Mac Aodha and “Supreme Court nomination,” by Kim Pendleton. On “The new GOP,” I can’t stop chuckling long enough to know […]
Posted inOpinion
Library and Friends should come together
A friend recently contacted me with news that there is a disagreement brewing between the Friends of the Santa Maria Public Library and the city librarian, Mary Housel, about the city’s requirement for a lease for use of the Library Shop in the Library (“Library Shop to close after tiff with Library,” July 5). The […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Haleigh Batty
Allan Hancock College track and field star Haleigh Batty is a record-breaker. During her freshman year at Hancock, she set new records in both the women’s long and high jumps. And after taking first place in seven of her first eight meets of the season, Batty won a Western State Conference long jump […]
Posted inNews
Santa Maria awarded nearly $300,000 for bicycle and pedestrian pathway project
Several bicycle and pedestrian pathway improvement projects are coming soon to Santa Maria. But first, the city needs to make a list. On May 11, the city was awarded a $296,700 Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant through the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), according to a city staff report, which will go toward the beginning stages […]
Posted inNews
Getting ‘trauma-informed’: County works to better address childhood trauma and the factors that cause it
Santa Barbara County is home to nearly 450,000 Californians, 60,000 of whom are living at or below the federal poverty level. An estimated 28 percent of those living in poverty are children, according to the county’s yet-to-be-released 2017 Children’s Scorecard. Economic hardship is just one of the many common factors that can put families and […]
Posted inNews
Hancock moves forward with Dream Center project
When Jessica Zarate moved to the U.S. from Mexico as a child, she was so young that the memory didn’t stick, and she grew up thinking she was born and raised an American. It wasn’t until high school, when Zarate’s mom first brought up college, that Zarate found out she wasn’t a documented U.S. citizen, […]
Posted inNews
HOBNOB: Mid-Summer melange
It was Monday, July 2, at 4 p.m. There were tempting appetizers from Moxie Café, respectable wines for imbibing, and a group of groovy guests, not to mention an awesome venue–the Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum. Yet this was my saddest hobnobbing experience ever. About 100 folks gathered to bid farewell to one of the […]
