NORTHERN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY’S NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY > JULY 15 - JULY 22, 2021 > VOL. 22 NO. 20 > WWW.SANTAMARIASUN.COM VISIT US ONLINE AT THE MOVIES @santamariasun.com. SIGN UP for E-Newsletter(s) LIKE US on Facebook FOLLOW US on Instagram FOLLOW US on Twitter 1 Black Widow: action- packed spectacle [20] From the depths One company wants to put a ‘green’ wine cellar on the ocean floor, but the California Coastal Commission isn’t sold [6] BY MALEA MARTIN Nipomo’s celebrity Colorful Connections Brick Barn Wine NEWS peacock [4] ARTS in Lompoc [18] EATS Estate [22] Cottage quality. JULY 15 - JULY 22, 2021 VOL. 22 NO. 20 cean Fathoms wants to bring a unique wine experience Urgent care. to Santa Barbara County by storing wine bottles on the floor of the Pacific Ocean. The California Coastal OCommission is not impressed with the project. The Now Open in Santa Maria state regulatory agency has already ordered the wine company to resurface its unpermitted seafloor cellars once, and staff 2 Skyway Drive, Orcutt Hills Plaza recommends the commission deny Ocean Fathoms’ current UNDERWATER WINE: The California permit application. Staff Writer Malea Martin speaks with both Coastal Commission is concerned about and N. Broadway a local company’s plans to store wine on this week [6]. the seafloor. You can also read about a peacock in Nipomo that neighbors are rallying around [4]; Lompoc painter Chris Jeszeck [18]; and one Buellton winery that’s ready for summer [22]. Camillia Lanham editor Now Open Cover courtesy photo by Fab Fernandez > Cover design by Alex Zuniga NEWS ARTS SANTA MARIA News Briefs ........................................................4 Arts Briefs ........................................................18 Skyway Drive Political Watch ...................................................4 Spotlight .............................................................8 3596 Skyway Drive MOVIES Orcutt Hills Plaza Reviews ............................................................20 1606 E Clark Ave, Suite 102 OPINION Web Poll ...........................................................10 N. Broadway Modern World ...................................................10 CLASSIFIEDS, HOME, AND 1846 N. Broadway, Suite A Canary ..............................................................11 REAL ESTATE .......................................24 cottagehealth.org/urgentcare EVENTS CALENDAR Hot Stuff ..........................................................12 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 Determination is KEY! EXERCISE IS ESSENTIAL 2015 S Broadway B, Santa Maria • 805-348-1888 email: [email protected] 2 • Sun • July 15 - July 22, 2021 • www.santamariasun.com Volunteers Make the Difference! Volunteers donate over 275 hours a month to support the work of the Center. Without this valuable service we would be hard pressed to meet the needs 3 in our community. If you are interested in empowering survivors of sexual assault, child abuse, and human trafficking then perhaps now is the time to get involved. 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Coupons may not be combined with any other offer. Expires 7/31/21 805-937-5340 100 E. Clark Ave., Orcutt NewTimesSLO.com · SantaMariaSun.com · PhotoShopSLO.com · StudiosOnThePark.org WWW.ORCUTT76.COM www.santamariasun.com • July 15 - July 22, 2021 • Sun • 3 SPOTLIGHT 8 BRIEFS PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHELLE WARREN DEBILZAN enforcement, Kellner said her neighbor provided Kevin the peacock the city with 20 addresses of other residents that Political Watch becomes beloved the individual claimed had sheds that violated city code. The city’s code enforcement program is • Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham (R-San Nipomo mascot currently complaint-based. Luis Obispo) announced on July 8 that he named Before he had a name, “I’m feeling really concerned about this Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of he was just a peacock on complaint-based code enforcement, because I 4 Santa Barbara County as his district’s nonprofit of think the city should really consider the validity of the loose. Some concerned the year. “CASA organizations throughout the state neighbors thought he might the complaint and the precedent you set on how do amazing work to help the most vulnerable children belong to someone. A post you respond to someone that reports on other in our society,” Cunningham said in a statement. would pop up every few homeowners in expense of their own violation,” “Throughout the pandemic, the volunteers and staff months in the Nipomo she said. “It really really pains me to know that the at CASA of Santa Barbara County helped bring positive Neighbors Facebook fact that I wanted code enforcement to inspect this change to hundreds of local children. Their great work group: “Did someone lose a one property now impacts other neighbors.” will have a generational impact on our community, peacock?” Kellner said she didn’t agree with the fact that and I am honored to recognize their efforts.” CASA’s Now, he’s known as Kevin: her neighbors are all being “grouped together trained community volunteers advocate for children by neighbors, by local kids, now” on an issue that began with one person. who have experienced abuse or neglect, according to and even by the California Laura Temore with the city’s Planning and Cunningham’s office. “CASA of Santa Barbara County Highway Patrol. It’s unclear Building Department, said the shed in question violated city code because of its size—a shed is overcame tremendous challenges to continue providing whether it’s just one wild compliant if it’s 12 feet and under. She also said advocacy for children while ensuring the safety of our peacock making the rounds, that California state code states a structure must staff and volunteers over the course of the pandemic. or perhaps a few being identified under the same have a minimum of 5 feet of space between it and As a result, we served a record-breaking number of another building, which it currently does not. children this year, providing advocacy for 544 children moniker. Either way, Kevin has quickly become a beloved The department is currently working with the ages 0 to 21,” Kim Colby Davis, executive director of property owner and has a meeting scheduled for CASA of Santa Barbara County, said in the statement. “I community mascot, and has even sparked some light- later in the week. want to thank Assemblyman Cunningham for honoring KEVIN SIGHTING: Nipomo resident Rider DeBilzan waves to Kevin the peacock. hearted controversy. Each of the other residents with shed code our commitment to local children and highlighting the SLO County Animal violations were sent a notice on June 1. Eleven Robert Tolan. “They have been here for dozens of work being done by our staff and volunteers. I encourage Services Manager Eric Anderson said his residents had responded to the notices, and nine years. I’m just shocked people would still call the more members of the community to contact us for department has received the occasional report of will need to either move their sheds to the rear of cops on an animal in general. It sounds like we volunteer opportunities, as we have an incredible need Nipomo peacocks “living in the eucalyptus groves their yards or remove the structure completely. need a Kevin Officer. An officer that just follows for more volunteers able to work with children.” Past in that area and more out toward the Mesa.” According to a staff report, a majority of the organizations honored by Cunningham for nonprofit of The earliest peacock sighting the Sun could Kevin around so people do not call the cops.” homes in the Skytt Mesa residential area were built the year include the San Luis Obispo Food Bank in 2020, scroll back to in the Nipomo Neighbors Quickly realizing her error, Scheer posted again with limited storage, closet, or cabinet space. And Tolosa Children’s Dental Center in 2019, RISE in 2018, Facebook group was in May 2019, when the a few minutes later, identifying herself as “the the original design doesn’t have a lot of space for a and Fighting Back Santa Maria Valley in 2017. majestic bird with iridescent blue-green feathers Karen that called the cops on Kevin the peacock.” shed either. was presumed to have escaped from someone’s Scheer added that she was touched to learn that the A majority of these homes were built right up • Gov. Gavin Newsom met with scientists and climate yard. A few times throughout 2020, similar peacock’s name is Kevin, as she had recently lost a to the minimum setbacks between residences— change experts on July 9 to discuss California’s climate sightings occurred. It appears it wasn’t until friend named Kevin to COVID-19. Scheer felt her which eliminates the ability to put a shed on goals. According the governor’s office, Newsom is 2021 that folks stopped looking for its owner and Kevin sighting was a message from her departed either side of the houses in the development.