NORTHERN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY’S NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY > JUNE 18 - JUNE 25, 2020 > VOL. 21 NO. 16 > 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 Da 5 Bloods: An epic [26] Food & It’s voting time [5] Drink Taste again Wineries, restaurants, bars, and other adult-beverage makers are now open for your business. We talk about it in this year’s Food & Drink issue [8] BY SUN STAFF Santa Maria’s high Strawberry Moon Capturing NEWS COVID case count [3] ARTSsays, Goodnight [24] ARTS Northern Lights [25] Thank you Central Coast for all your support! We Continue to Receive New Shipments of Bikes and Accessories Weekly for all Your Cycling Needs: Family, Road, Mountain and E-bikes! JUNE 18 - JUNE 25, 2020 VOL. 21 NO. 16 Our Full-Service Department has the Best Mechanics in the Business! he Sun’s annual Food & Drink issue is finally here! And NOW OPEN: Monday–Saturday 10–6 yes, the world is starting to open up again. Find out more by reading about what wineries are doing [8], how Central T Coast cities are adjusting their rules for outdoor dining to help restaurants serve more socially distanced customers [8], a secret Detroit-style pizza-making operation [9], a new facility GO OUT: If you’re ready to get out of the 2 in Nipomo that will help citrus growers and Cal Poly students house, they’re ready to serve you. [10]; and one restaurant that waited a little longer than the rest to open [28]. This week, you can also read about what the county Department of Public Health has to say about Santa Maria’s high number of COVID-19 cases [3], a book that’s getting illustrated by Santa Maria youth [24], and what it’s like to capture aurora borealis [25]. Camillia Lanham editor Stock photo > Cover design by Alex Zuniga NEWS ARTS News Briefs ........................................................3 Arts Briefs ........................................................24 Political Watch ...................................................3 Weather ..............................................................3 Spotlight ...........................................................11 MOVIES Reviews ............................................................26 OPINION Web Poll ...........................................................13 CLASSIFIEDS, HOME, AND Modern World ...................................................13 MAIN STREET CYCLES Canary ..............................................................14 REAL ESTATE .......................................30 311 E MAIN ST • SANTA MARIA EVENTS CALENDAR 805-922-5577 • MainStreetCycles.com Hot Stuff ..........................................................Linda Santa Maria Sun21 6/11/2020 6/5/2020 Half Page: 10.125w X 6.25 Open and ready to provide safe care. We are prepared to protect your health. If you need medical care, don’t delay. Linda Rodriquez, Sonographer, Radiologic Technologist, Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital Your health is essential. Seek help if you need it. cottagehealth.org 2 • Sun • June 18 - June 25, 2020 • www.santamariasun.com SPOTLIGHT 11 BRIEFS MAP COURTESY OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT County public health director Political Watch releases Santa Maria-specifi c • On June 5, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced his coronavirus data support for new policing and criminal justice reforms that will “work toward a statewide standard for policing COVID-19 data presented to the Santa Barbara peaceful protests and ending the carotid hold,” a County Board of Supervisors on June 16 reveal 3 some of the reasons for the disproportionately press release states. “We have a unique and special high number of cases in Santa Maria. responsibility here in California to meet this historic “Like other jurisdictions, we are seeing that moment head-on,” Newsom said according to the communities who have to work … do have a higher release. The governor said he will be working with the incidence of positivity,” county Public Health California Legislative Black Caucus, the California Director Dr. Van Do Reynoso said during the Latino Legislative Caucus, and other leaders to achieve presentation. “We also know that in communities these goals. He also called for the carotid hold to be with higher crowded living in one household, there removed from the state police training program and [is] more likelihood of high positivity.” state training materials, and he committed to working She also said that the population in North toward a statewide ban. County has higher rates of comorbidities—more than one disease or condition at a time— • Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham (R-San and chronic disease conditions, which likely Luis Obispo) wrote in a June 5 Facebook post that, contribute to the higher coronavirus numbers. shortly after he and his colleagues spoke on the The fi rst cases of COVID-19 in the county Assembly fl oor on March 26, “We fi nally heard that belonged to residents in North County, and since MAPPING IT OUT: A map of Santa Maria shows the areas where higher numbers of COVID-19 cases have been reported, which Dr. the governor will be immediately appropriating $5 then Santa Maria continued to see elevated cases, Van Do Reynoso said correlates with higher housing density and other factors in those areas. Do Reynoso said. million for our underfunded [domestic violence] “In order to better understand why that was shelters.” In the post, Cunningham wrote that this canyons, where a neighborhood of residents happening, we began an in-depth retrospective Supervisors propose measures funding allocation comes almost two months after “a live in a largely rural area. Lavagnino and 1st study on the confi rmed cases,” she told the board. District Supervisor Das Williams voted against bipartisan coalition of legislators sent the governor a to tighten cannabis regulations “Our team called the confi rmed cases and asked this motion, with the former calling it “bad letter requesting $10 million in emergency funding for a series of questions that gave us some indication Cannabis farmers in Santa Barbara County government” to change the rules so drastically our overwhelmed domestic violence shelters, which about the family, about the living situation, about could face additional hurdles if proposed changes for people who have navigated the county’s have seen a massive increase in calls from victims and the work situation in order to understand why we to existing local regulations take effect. permitting process over the last two years. their families as a result of the statewide safer-at-home were seeing the higher disparate number of cases On June 11, the county Board of Supervisors Supervisors also voted in favor of requiring order.” He continued, writing that “we still must fi ght for in Santa Maria.” held a hearing to discuss the county Planning applicants to obtain a conditional use permit more. … Victims have been put in danger in a direct The survey included data up to May 27, 134 Commission’s proposal to require all cannabis when proposing to grow cannabis on more and foreseeable fashion by government stay-at-home cases from Santa Maria, and 210 cases from applicants obtain a conditional use permit, than 51 percent of the total acreage of a parcel. orders. That is an emergency #COVID19 situation, and outside the city. Do Reynoso said this sample size rather than a land use permit. Under existing Hartmann and Adam both voted against this our shelters need additional funds to handle it.” of 344 total refl ects the cases who “agreed to be regulations, the permit required is based on change because they didn’t think it went far interviewed.” different factors, such as where a project is located. enough to address concerns about confl icts with • Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on June 8 that auto Do Reynoso shared a map showing the density Most projects in rural areas only require a land nearby agriculture. manufacturer BYD (Build Your Dreams) North America of cases in Santa Maria, with darker shades use permit, which is easier to obtain and doesn’t Hartmann said she is concerned about the indicating a higher number of confi rmed cases. provide the county with as much control over received certifi cation from the National Institute for number of cannabis projects proposed in and She explained that “these neighborhoods typically certain aspects of the proposal. The commission near the Santa Rita Hills American Viticultural Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to produce have apartments and residences with crowded believed that by requiring conditional use Area, which is a federally recognized wine-grape N95 masks for the state. “Providing California’s front- living conditions,” as well as “more congregate permits, the county could examine each project growing region. Hartmann proposed that the line health care workers and responders the protective settings,” such as nursing homes. individually and mandate certain conditions county require all cannabis projects within the equipment they need is a critical part of our response The survey also looked at place of employment to prevent odor issues and other problems with area to obtain a conditional use permit. But this to COVID-19,” Newsom said in a press release. “This as a potential contributing factor to higher neighboring properties. motion failed. new supply of N95 masks, as well as the surgical masks infection rates. It found that 20 percent of Santa During the meeting, 4th District Supervisor The board approved a motion that would this contract has already provided, are game-changing Maria cases were agricultural workers, the largest Peter Adam said he supported this change. require all processing and drying of cannabis to and play a crucial role in our state’s public safety and percent among surveyed occupations. Health care “I do think that there’s just way too many NEWS continued page 4 reopening strategy.” According to the contract with (patient care) workers followed at 7 percent. confl icts because of where the cannabis BYD, the company will produce and ship 150 million For non-Santa Maria cases, health care (no industry wants to go so far,” Adam said.