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NORTHERN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY’S NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY > JULY 8 - JULY 15, 2021 > VOL. 22 NO. 19 > WWW.SANTAMARIASUN.COM VISIT US ONLINE @santamariasun.com. AT THE MOVIES SIGN UP for E-Newsletter(s) LIKE US on Facebook FOLLOW US on Instagram FOLLOW US on Twitter 1 Summer of Soul is beautiful [22] Changing 3CE untethers it up itself from PG&E’s rate structure, revising its promise to offer discounted electricity rates [6] Santa Maria-Bonita wants Los Alamos theater Broken Clock is about NEWS campus resource officers [4] ARTS has a one-act play [20] EATS more than vinegar [23] 21st Annual Best of Northern Santa Barbara County Readers Poll JULY 8 - JULY 15, 2021 VOL. 22 NO. 19 n June, Central Coast Community Choice Energy (3CE) approved a new rate structure that’s based on its own costs rather than PG&E’s rates. The reason? Giving a discount to IPG&E’s constantly fluctuating rates caused the electric utility to end the year at a loss. Assistant Editor Peter Johnson from New Times, the Sun’s sister paper, speaks with 3CE about the 2 change and how it impacts customers [6]. IN THE RED: Central Coast Community You can also read about Santa Maria-Bonita School District’s Choice Energy (3CE) ended the fiscal year HANK OU with less revenues than it cost to operate. T Y debate over school resource officers [4]; Los Alamos Theatre Group’s debut of a one-act courtroom comedy [20]; and Broken Clock Vinegar Works’ new products [23]. Camillia Lanham FOR VOTING! editor Cover file photo by Jayson Mellom > Cover design by Alex Zuniga NEWS ARTS News Briefs ........................................................4 Arts Briefs ........................................................20 Political Watch ...................................................4 Spotlight .............................................................8 MOVIES Reviews ............................................................22 OPINION Web Poll ...........................................................14 Modern World Mayfield .....................................14 CLASSIFIEDS, HOME, AND Canary ..............................................................15 REAL ESTATE .......................................25 EVENTS CALENDAR Hot Stuff ..........................................................16 SINCE 2000 HELP SUPPORT OUR MISSION Informative, accurate, and independent journalism takes time and costs money. Help us keep our community aware and connected by donating today. www.santamariasun.com Ballots are being counted and results will be We are BACK! published on August 19 Stronger than ever To be a part of this publication, book your ad by August 12! SantaMariaSun.com EXERCISE IS ESSENTIAL 2015 S Broadway B, Santa Maria • 805-348-1888 email: [email protected] 2 • Sun • July 8 - July 15, 2021 • www.santamariasun.com 3 NEW HOME DESIGNS FOR YOUR UNIQUE LIFESTYLE THE CIELO COLLECTION consists of 75 new homes. 3-4 2-2 1/2 1,259 sq. ft. - 2 Car Bedrooms Bathrooms 1,869 sq. ft. Garage FOUR UNIQUE FLOOR PLANS Select from 8 exterior designs. FHA, VA, and USDA A vibrant emerging community just south of Guadalupe with a short drive to the ocean and loans with LOW or all the recreational opportunities of California’s NO MONEY DOWN beautiful Central Coast. to qualified buyers Senior Dial-A-Ride SERVING SANTA MARIA SENIORS SINCE 1974 ... FOR INFORMATION OR TO SCHEDULE A RIDE, $2.00 Each Way ($4.00 Round-Trip) CALL (805) 922-8476 www.santamariasun.com • July 8 - July 15, 2021 • Sun • 3 SPOTLIGHT 8 BRIEFS FILE PHOTO COURTESY OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE School board approves Political Watch school resource officer • U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California) released a July positions, despite opposition 1 statement condemning the Supreme Court decisions The Santa Maria-Bonita School in Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee and District approved its Local Control and 4 Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. Bonta, which Accountability Plan (LCAP) at a June 23 he said undermine free and fair elections. “In a pair board meeting outlining district goals and of 6-3 decisions today, the Supreme Court turned its spending that supports students. The plan back on the basic foundations of our democracy and includes funding for two school resource further opened the door to discrimination and big- officers, which some board members and money influence in our elections,” Padilla said in the public commenters opposed. statement. “The Supreme Court’s decision in Brnovich In the drafted LCAP presented at a June v. Democratic National Committee undermines the 9 board meeting, it was proposed that the legacy of the federal Voting Rights Act, which Congress elementary and junior high school district passed in 1965 to prevent racial discrimination in the spend $380,000 on four school resource electoral process. In the six decades since the Voting officers. Board member John Hollinshead Rights Act’s bipartisan enactment, its protections questioned whether sworn police officers have proven themselves indispensable.” Padilla also are still necessary on school campuses. opposed the Supreme Court decision made on the same “I think we need to revisit and discuss day in Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. Bonta, what the role of an SRO [school resource where “the court’s conservative majority struck down officer] is on our campuses: Why they’re a California law promoting transparency for big-money there, whether they’re effective, and whether we still want to engage in that donors to nonprofit organizations,” Padilla said in his practice, and where our monies might be statement. “The decision threatens our campaign spent better for the health and safety of our finance and transparency laws, and further opens the kids and whatnot,” Hollinshead said at the door to dark-money influence in our elections.” Padilla POLICE ON CAMPUS: In 2018, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Jaycee Hunter was chosen to serve as San Marcos High meeting. “I think that’s a really dated and School’s school resource deputy. As part of its recently approved Local Control Accountability Plan, the Santa Maria-Bonita School District encouraged Congress to pass bills relating to voting antiquated way to spend the money.” will work with the Santa Maria Police Department to hire two school resource officers. rights. “That means passing both the For the People Act Melissa Dutra, SMBSD assistant and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act,” superintendent of instructional services, and advocated to fund college and career the meeting, he suggested the city conduct a he said. “Our democracy depends on the voices of the clarified that the number of proposed officers opportunities, performing arts, and mental confidential survey of all business owners so people, and if the Supreme Court will not protect them, would actually be two instead of four. Director health programs instead of the two school everyone could comfortably give their opinion Congress must.” of Pupil Personnel Dr. Brian Zimmerman said resource officers. without fear of starting a conflict due to it’s because staffing the positions is an issue. Board President Linda Cordero argued that differing opinions. • In a July 1 Facebook post, Assemblymember Jordan “I’ve been in contact with the police the purpose of an SRO at the elementary or “A poll shouldn’t be determining what we Cunningham (R-San Luis Obispo) advocated for more department and they are having trouble hiring junior high level is more than just punitive should do, but I think it’s something that we funding in the California budget to go toward wildfire folks, so it will be two,” he said. “When they’ve enforcement. should take into account from the people response and prevention. “As we head into what the been assigned to the clusters of kids … they start “They are helpers,” Cordero said. “You can go who bought those businesses or started those experts expect will be the worst wildfire season on a strong foundation with those kids and become to a police officer for assistance with a variety of businesses when Copenhagen was open, and record, we [cannot] afford to cut funding for critical a presence on campus. And then by the time things.” then it was closed, and that wasn’t their choice,” prevention projects,” Cunningham wrote in the post. they get to junior high school they’ve had them Despite the opposition from Hollinshead and Thomas said. “While the Legislature tried to appropriate $1 billion as their DARE instructor, they’ve seen them on Valencia, the board unanimously approved the As part of the discussion, Councilmember in wildfire prevention funding earlier this year, the campus, they know who they are, and they seek LCAP at the June 23 meeting as presented and Mark Infanti questioned whether the governor’s budget includes less than half of that. This them out.” the SRO positions will go forward as outlined. encroachment permits that allowed businesses issue needs to be a priority.” According to a June 29 Zimmerman added that having a police Hollinshead told the Sun that he voted to approve to set up parklets would end along with the CapRadio article that Cunningham linked in his post, presence on campus could help in a potential the LCAP because, while he doesn’t support the street closure. active shooter situation. the governor “rolled back a more ambitious wildfire SROs, he does support the rest of the plan. City Manager Xenia Bradford said the permits But Boardmember Ricardo Valencia, much prevention plan set by his predecessor, and this week “The district knows my opinion. I’m not don’t have an expiration date, however, the city like Hollinshead, didn’t agree with Zimmerman. his administration nixed more than half a billion dollars going to deliver some kind of an ultimatum has the right to withdraw the permits at any He expressed concerns that having school with regard to that, as far as the rest of the LCAP time. in promised fuel-reduction spending, an investigation resource officers on campus contributes to the by CapRadio and NPR’s California Newsroom has goes,” he said.