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NORTHERN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY’S NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY > APRIL 11 - APRIL 18, 2019 > VOL. 20 NO. 6 > WWW.SANTAMARIASUN.COM AT THE MOVIES Pet Semetery: not scary [29] 1 Taking There’s a disconnect between food producers and the general public, and some locals are working to re-establish that relationship [8] root BY KASEY BUBNASH Santa Maria’s still The Melodrama’s latest A sneak peek at the NEWS discussing H-2A housing [7] ARTS farce is a must-see [27] EATS future of local wines [31] EMPLOYMENT FREELANCE WRITER APRIL 11 - APRIL 18, 2019 VOL. 20 NO. 6 Over the past few years, Allan Hancock College agriculture professor Erin Krier has noticed something that troubles her. Farmers aren’t sharing their stories, nor are they defending The Sun is looking for its next freelancer. their practices—especially in the face of controversy. Many agricultural producers are hesitant to speak with the press and the public, in part because they’ve been burned in the past. The We’re looking for a thoughtful writer with a strong voice who can PLANTING TREES: Allan Hancock disconnect between the industry and the consuming public 2 College agriculture professor Erin Krier pen longform journalistic masterpieces that highlight the lives that is something the college’s Young Farmers and Ranchers Club works with students to plant citrus trees light up Northern Santa Barbara County. We’re talking 2,000 to 3,000 is aiming to change. For this week’s cover story, Staff Writer in the school’s orchard on a the last Kasey Bubnash speaks with public officials, organizations that Friday in March. word pieces that include journalistic practices, narrative beauty, and represent the industry, and students about the reasons farmers aren’t speaking out and why it’s important to change that [8]. compelling stories. Also this week, the Santa Maria City Council passes on passing an emergency ordinance to halt motel conversions to H-2A housing [7], the Melodrama’s Unecessary Farce is a necessary show to Think we’re asking for too much? This probably isn’t the gig for you. watch [27], a former U.S. poet laureate gives insight into his upcoming lecture [28], and take a gander at the future of local wines [31]. Intrigued? Drop us a line, send us Camillia Lanham, a clip, and tell us why you’re the editor perfect reporter for the job. Cover photo by Jayson Mellom > Cover design by Alex Zuniga Inquiries should be sent to NEWS MUSIC News Briefs ........................................................4 Music listings .................................................. 23 Editor Camillia Lanham at Political Watch ...................................................4 Weather ..............................................................4 [email protected]. Spotlight ...........................................................10 ARTS School Scene ....................................................13 Arts Briefs ........................................................27 Athlete of the Week ...........................................13 1010 Marsh Street NEW TIMES MEDIA GROUP 2540 Skyway Drive San Luis Obispo Santa Maria MOVIES NewTimesSLO.com SantaMariaSun.com OPINION Reviews & Locations ........................................29 Web Poll ...........................................................14 Letters ..............................................................14 Modern World ...................................................14 EATS Can I crash Canary ..............................................................15 Rebeccamendations .........................................33 on your couch In need of Skilled for awhile? Nursing Care? 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(805) 937-1766 and Sharon Henning, This ad provided by: Owners & Administrators 830 East Chapel Street, Santa Maria The Maxim in Real Estate (805) 878-0807 805-922-6657 2 • Sun • April 11 - April 18, 2019 • www.santamariasun.com 3 • Approximately 10,000 SF, to 20,000 SF Available • Warehouse Space • Open and Private Offices, Furnished • Conference Room, Furnished • 1,200 Amp Service • M-1 Zoning: Light Manufacturing • Approximately 6,000 SF, 13,000 SF, or 25,000 SF Available • Warehouse Space • Open and Private Offices, Furnished • Conference Room, Furnished • Up to 800 Amp Service • M-1 Zoning: Light Manufacturing www.santamariasun.com • April 11 - April 18, 2019 • Sun • 3 BIZ SPOTLIGHT 10 SCHOOL SCENE 13 BRIEFS PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CITY OF LOMPOC Lompoc to use state, county Political Watch funds to help aging roads • One day before National Equal Pay Day, April 2, the The city of Lompoc will receive millions of state’s First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, dollars from state and county revenue sources California Labor Secretary Julie A. Su, the to help fix and maintain its roads, but officials 4 say its not nearly enough to truly tackle the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, and Time’s Up announced #EqualPayCA, a campaign expensive maintenance costs for the city’s streets. to help close the pay gap in California. They announced At an April 2 regular meeting, members of the commission’s Pay Equity Task Force to education the Lompoc City Council voted unanimously employees, employers, and labor unions on how to close to accept funds collected from Santa Barbara the pay gap and launched an awareness campaign to County through the Measure A sales tax and educate the public on the causes of the pay gap and from the state’s SB 1 gas tax increase. Along with how to close it. “California has the strongest equal pay other revenue, the funds will provide more than laws in the nation—but there is still more work to do,” $5 million for the city to maintain and improve Newsom said in the press release. “Together we can its roads and streets in the coming fiscal year. However, the funds are far short of the more uplift California women to ensure a more equitable future than $10 million needed for street maintenance for all.” for the same year. “The road needs exceed revenues,” Craig • State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson’s (D-Santa Dierling, a principal civil engineer with the city, Barbara) legislation to require California’s larger told the council at the meeting. employers to report salary data to the state was passed Passed by Santa Barbara County voters by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Equal Pay Day, April in 2008, Measure A authorized a half-cent 2. Senate Bill 171 would require California employers transportation sales tax. The measure is expected to provide more than $1 billion in local revenue with 100 or more employees to submit a pay data report for transportation projects in the county over annually to the Department of Fair Employment and the next 30 years, according to the Santa Barbara Housing, outline compensation and hours worked of its County Association of Governments. Lompoc employees by gender, race, ethnicity, and job category. will receive $2.2 million of Measure A revenue, “On Equal Pay Day, we are reminded that all women, and making up about 44 percent of what the city’s especially women of color, continue to face pay disparities receiving for street maintenance. Dierling said BUMP IN THE ROAD: Lompoc will accept funding from the county and state to maintain its roads, but officials say it’s not enough. as they pursue their careers. Women comprise almost Measure A was the city’s largest source of road half the workforce and are the sole breadwinners in half maintenance revenue. using cost-effective measures to extend the life supervisors, such as 2nd District Supervisor SB 1 was passed by California legislators and of American families. The gender pay gap not only hurts and condition of the pavement. Gregg Hart, said too much of the county’s signed into law by then Gov. Jerry Brown in women, it punishes children and families too,” Jackson “Because [the needs] exceed revenues, the city contract work is completed by workers outside 2017. The law generated funding for road repair significantly reduced street operations and street the area, which reduces the local economic said in a press release. The bill is modeled after a federal projects by increasing the state’s gas tax and capital projects,” he said. benefits of the work completed. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission effort to vehicle registration fees. In the next fiscal year, During the meeting, Councilmember Jim “The central question of ‘why?’ comes back to collect pay data by race and gender instituted under Lompoc will receive $740,517 in SB 1 funding, Mosby expressed frustration with the revenue the info that I’ve seen that says too much of this the Obama administration that was later halted by making up only 14 percent of its total road gap, saying that he’d heard that SB 1 would [contract] work is coming from out of the area,” the Trump administration. A federal judge recently maintenance revenues. cost a family $700 annually. Based on that, he Hart said. “That money is not staying in our ordered the Trump administration to reinstate this rule. While funding from both Measure A and SB claimed that Lompoc families paid nearly $7 area. That is the challenge.” 1 will help, Dierling was quick to point out that Jackson’s bill next moves on to the Senate Appropriations million to the state under SB 1 but saw less than In a tight 3-2 vote at an April 9 meeting, the revenue was far less that what it actually Committee.