After two years of planning, community meetings, and a formal recommendation from the Planning Commission, our City Council decided not to listen to the community, the Planning Commission, or its own Recreation and Parks Department. Instead, they listened to the developers, who don’t want their projects to cost a little more, even if the money […]
Santa Maria City Council caves to developers
Posted inOpinion
Enhanced oil recovery blues
Recently, I and other North County residents have written letters opposing dramatic and dangerous expansion of steam injection/oil extraction projects proposed by big oil consortiums for the Santa Maria area. They plan to put 760-plus new high-risk wells in aging facilities, posing significant pollution risk to our Santa Maria River and San Antonio Creek drinking […]
Posted inOpinion
Townie politics
There’s nothing quite like city politics. All politics are local, they say, and you don’t get more local—or heated—than that! Of course the Lompoc City Council is always entertaining, with all the finger-gun waving and accusations of insubordination. They’ve decided not to fire City Manager Patrick Wiemiller, and gave him a vote of confidence, which […]
Posted inOpinion
Lompoc City Council’s issues have a history
Your “Canary” was recently wondering why folks might think that there is a shadow government in Lompoc (“WTF, Lompoc,” Sept. 21), with former Mayor John Linn at the helm. First a brief chronology of events over the last decade: Linn ran against longtime Mayor Dick DeWees in 2008 and lost by a narrow margin. Following […]
Posted inOpinion
The time to act is now
We all in America need to put gun violence in perspective. Most Americans do not realize that we have nearly twice as many guns at 88.8 per 100 citizens as any other nation. Researchers have correlated guns with higher homicide rates in the United States. After the horrific shootings at the Route 91 Harvest Country […]
Posted inNews
Political Watch
• U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) announced via social media that she would seek re-election for California’s open Senate seat in the 2018 election. “I am running for re-election to the Senate,” Feinstein posted on Twitter. “Lots more to do: ending gun violence, combating climate change, access to health care. I’m all in!” • U.S. […]
Posted inNews
Hobnobbing with Helen
The Minerva Club, founded in 1894 by a small group of pioneer women, held its traditional Opening Day luncheon on Wednesday, Oct. 4, at the Radisson Hotel. \More than 130 ladies came to welcome the official start of Minerva’s 2017-2018 club year. In need of rest and relaxation, after several arduous months of teas, potluck […]
Posted inOpinion
Why are events focused on the arts important for a community?
Pixie Thorpe hardware store clerk “Something where people can come out and enjoy the art that helps a good cause is important. Plus, there’s so much talent to see.” Emory LeClair student “You can come and have fun and you get to see and create things you don’t see every day.” Nicole Johnson student “I […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Opera SLO brings the splendor of Puccini to production of Madama Butterfly
In the world of stagecraft and classical music, nothing quite meets the size and scope of opera. That’s something that Brian Asher Alhadeff, artistic director and conductor for Opera SLO, is definitely cognizant of, especially when he programs an opera as iconic as Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, which shows Oct. 14 and 15 at the […]
Posted inNews
Defense attorney for Jhordy Ramirez scrutinizes local mental health resources
After three court-appointed psychological evaluations, it was decided at a Santa Barbara Superior Court review on Sept. 28 that a jury trial will be held to decide whether Jhordy Ramirez, a Santa Maria man charged with attempted murder, is mentally competent for trial. On May 18, the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s office announced it […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Santa Maria Civic Theatre holds auditions
The Santa Maria Civic Theatre will hold auditions on Oct. 8 and Oct. 9 for its upcoming readers theater production of The Laramie Project. Auditions take place at 7 p.m. at the theater (pictured), located at 1660 N. McClelland St., Santa Maria. The theater is casting for four men and four women, no age requirement […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Artist to give talk at Wildling Museum
Artist Lynn Hanson will give a talk about her work at the Wildling Museum of Art and Nature on Oct. 8 at 4 p.m. “All of my work emanates from my constant attention and visceral connection to the natural world, from a childhood stalking garter snakes at Whiskey Ditch in rural Minnesota to a daily […]