The city of Lompoc’s Recreation Division will accept entries starting Sept. 1 for its annual Lompoc Valley Photography Contest. The contest is open to all Lompoc Valley residents age 5 and older, and categories are broken down by age and experience level. Photo entries are $3 each, and can be submitted to the Anderson Recreation […]
City of Lompoc to hold photography contest
Posted inNews
Spotlight on: Coast Electronics
When John Weiss, 58, and his father started Coast Electronics in 1978, they did so with one simple philosophy in mind—quality, familiar customer service. A lot has changed since then, most notably the advent of personal computers, ubiquitous wireless internet, and cellphones, but Weiss said a comfortable niche still existed for locally owned, brick-and-mortar electronic […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Wildling Museum intern gets craftsy with animal footprints
Most interns who paint on the walls or floors at their work get fired. But one local student is being heralded for it. When Jake Abraham began his internship at the Wildling Museum of Art and Nature in Solvang, he had no idea he would make such a permanent impression. But when he began his […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Gallery Los Olivos features black and white photography from Paul Roark
Paul Roark is more than just a talented and visionary black and white photographer. He’s somewhat of a photography subversive, seeking to quietly put the artform back into the hands of the people, one slightly hacked black and white printer cartridge at a time. Roark, whose black and white images are featured at Gallery Los […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Señor Taco in Santa Maria serves up fresh and spicy Mexican food
Everyone who lives in Santa Maria has a favorite taco spot in town. Poll 20 people on the street and you’ll get almost 20 different answers. At least once a week I’ll have a reader or friend tell me that I need to check out “the absolute best most amazing Mexican restaurant,” and it’s usually […]
Posted inOpinion
Not surprised
It takes a lot to catch this little bird unawares. That’s what happens when you actually pay attention to what’s going on. So, was I surprised when Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown was found to be communicating directly with Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) to help him make a case against SB 54, the […]
Posted inOpinion
No sanctuary from Sheriff Bill Brown
The Trump administration’s discriminatory citizenship policies have served to fuel white nationalism across the United States. From California to Virginia, white supremacists have terrorized communities as Americans have watched in dismay. The most recent attack occurred at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, when hundreds of Klansmen and neo-Nazis chanting, “Jews will not replace us,” […]
Posted inNews
California Highway Patrol hosts school bus safety enforcement operation
California Highway Patrol (CHP) hosted a school bus pedestrian safety operation on Aug. 29 in Santa Barbara County after a one-day California Department of Education survey of 137 state school districts found that more than 26,000 motorists failed to properly stop for school buses loading and unloading students. In response to the survey and California […]
Posted inNews
Santa Maria High School Agriculture Department wins national recognition
After winning several statewide awards this summer, the Santa Maria High School Agriculture Department was selected as the Outstanding Secondary School Agricultural Education Program, a national award given by the National Association of Agriculture Educators (NAAE). It is the first time the department has been nationally recognized. The award recognizes excellence in instructional strategies, experimental […]
Posted inNews
Hobnobbing with Helen: Boosting the boosters
On Saturday evening, Aug. 26, Elks Lodge No. 1538 was overrun with young people from Allan Hancock College all sporting numbered football jerseys and, maybe, shoulder pads. Who were these bulked-up bulldogs? Well, the big guys and the really big guys were likely football players, the tall guys were likely basketball players, and the gals […]
Posted inNews
ICEing the system: Legislators claim ICE enforcement is freezing criminal justice system
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers are arresting undocumented immigrant witnesses and victims of crimes at courthouses across the country, effectively throwing a wrench in the criminal justice system and its ability to prosecute criminals. This is according to state Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara), who told the Sun on Aug. 24 that stricter […]
Posted inNews
Benefits cost: Santa Maria high school district projects cost of retirement will rise by nearly $1 million each year
The Santa Maria Joint Union High School District (SMJUHSD) announced on Aug. 18 its tentative agreement to increase all employee salaries by 1 percent for the 2017-18 fiscal year. The raise, according to Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Kevin Platt, could have been higher if it weren’t for the district’s rising cost of retirement pension […]