Starting college is a big step toward adulthood. For some students the college experience offers exposure to a richer world, not only academically but socially too. Taking students from a community largely curated by their families into a society of diverse personalities, cultures, and ethnicities often shapes perspectives in a broader way. Sometimes though, depending […]
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Ripe for growth: Santa Barbara County vintners push for more inclusivity in the industry, but their neighbors fear more tasting rooms will spoil their quiet lifestyle
In one scene of the 2004 movie Sideways, actor Paul Giamatti’s character Miles Raymond, a writer, takes a trip to the picturesque Santa Barbara County for wine tasting with friends. While at one winery, Raymond receives a call that a publisher dropped his book deal. Upset at the news, Raymond angrily proceeds to the tasting […]
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Out of the shadows: As human trafficking becomes more visible on the Central Coast, authorities are collaborating in an unprecedented way to prosecute abusers, help victims, and end the cycle
May 18, 2016, marked a grim milestone in Santa Barbara County, as a Santa Maria jury found Humberto Carranza and Cameron Jones guilty of several counts of trafficking of a minor for sex. The case was one of the first human trafficking convictions in Santa Maria or North Santa Barbara County history. In the county […]
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City council races kick off in Northern Santa Barbara County: Get a jump on Election Day and meet the candidates
And just like that, it’s September. Autumn is coming, which for the Central Coast means a scorching Indian summer, an influx of college students, and—everyone’s favorite—election season. Come November, North County residents will hire a new cast of city council members. And in case you’re not sure what your options are, we’ve got them covered. […]
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Into the wild: Armed with little more than a catchpole and a leash, animal services officers strive to maintain a balance between humans, pets, and wildlife
In a popular cartoon, a dog catcher clumsily grabs a net from his truck and bumbles after a wily dog, his face grimacing, his teeth grinding as he chases his prey. Somehow this stereotype has made its way into our consciousness, so when we see an animal control officer (that’s their official title) approach our […]
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Thirsty for solutions: Residents and growers are at odds over how to protect groundwater sustainability in Cuyama
The Cuyama Valley is remote. It’s so remote, that it’s isolated by at least 25 miles in any direction, and newspaper distribution is limited to one or two publications. It’s so remote, that its residents have to rely on one source of water—the Cuyama Valley Groundwater Basin, a precious resource that is rapidly disappearing. […]
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Carnival of Best: Sun Best Of Northern Santa Barbara County 2016
You’ve visited their establishments, patronized their businesses, and bragged about their services, and now you’ve voted your favorite Northern Santa Barbara County companies the best in their industries. Inside this week’s issue you’ll find our annual Best Of feature that applauds the businesses that go above and beyond to please their customers.
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Height of expression: PCPA explores culture, identity, and love with Lin-Manuel Miranda’s first musical, ‘In the Heights’
American musical theater is currently enjoying an intense resurgence in popularity, with plenty of thanks going to Lin-Manuel Miranda, whose current show Hamilton is a Broadway hit and has gained fans worldwide. But what is so special about Hamilton that the cast album has sold more than any musical in nearly a generation? Part of […]
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A new chapter
The Chumash look ahead to new leadership, a revamped casino, and a bigger reservation
They were here before. Before there was Santa Ynez or Santa Barbara County or the United States, before there were casinos or environmental impact reports or legal restrictions on water usage, before there was Christianity or even monotheism, there were the Chumash. Tens of thousands of them once spread across 7,000 square miles in present-day […]
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A place to grow: Locals without enough space at home find a plot of their own at the Santa Maria Community Garden
Nestled in the corner of Alice Trefts Park in Santa Maria sits a slice of heaven for those with green thumbs: the Santa Maria Community Garden. On a sunny Thursday afternoon, you might find Deanne Woodward strolling among the garden’s blooming flowers and burgeoning greens, tending after her own plot and potentially her boyfriend’s, as […]
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What next? PG&E plans to decommission Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, but what would that entail?
Since the day plans were announced for Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, controversy has surrounded it. Now, since PG&E announced plans not to seek relicensing of the plant, questions have come to light. Specifically, what will become of the waste generated? What are the long-term impacts of so many years of operating a nuclear power […]
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29th annual 55 Fiction contest
Hundreds of writers put their stories on the line for New Times’ 29th annual 55 Fiction contest. Like the surf that pounds the sand, judges—Proofreader Andrea Rooks, New Times Staff Writer Chris McGuinness, and Sun Staff Writer Brenna Swanston—carefully mulled over each story in the stack, picking only those tales with the smoothest surfaces to […]
