NORTHERN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY’S NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY > JANUARY 31 - FEBRUARY 7, 2019 > VOL. 19 NO. 48 > WWW.SANTAMARIASUN.COM AT THE MOVIES 1 Serenity: It’s meh [26] A point in time The biennial homeless count gives the Sun a firsthand look at what it really means to be homeless in Santa Maria [12] BY KASEY BUBNASH Southern California Edison Civic Theatre takes on New sweets shop is NEWS sues the county [4] ARTS Tennessee Williams [22] EATS a great spot [28] JANUARY 31 - FEBRUARY 7, 2019 VOL. 19 NO. 48 alentine’s very two years, volunteers fan out across the county for the Point In Time Homeless Count. Staff Writer Kasey V Bubnash volunteered to help with the count in Santa EMaria on Jan. 24. She tells the story of how those three hours went in this week’s cover story. It involves a 7-Eleven, two homeless men, two police officers, and three volunteers— A COUNT TO REMEMBER: Volunteering and a life lesson or two about how things don’t always work 2 to help with the biennial Point In Time out as they’re planned and how situations aren’t always what Count can yield a variety of things, they seem [12]. including the shock of experiencing a Also this week, Santa Barbara County and SoCalGas are suing situation that has all of the stereotypes about police officers and homeless each other , Santa Maria Civic Theatre’s powerful rendition [4] individuals rolled into it. of A Streetcar Named Desire [22], poetry with the power to highlight social issues [23], and a Sweet Spot to find candy from around the world [28]. Camillia Lanham, editor Cover design by Alex Zuniga, Cover file photo by Dylan Honea-Baumann NEWS MUSIC News Briefs ........................................................4 Music listings .................................................. 20 Political Watch ...................................................4 Weather ..............................................................4 Hobnobbing ........................................................7 ARTS Spotlight .............................................................8 Arts Briefs ........................................................22 School Scene ....................................................10 Humor ..............................................................24 Athlete of the Week ...........................................10 MOVIES OPINION Reviews & Locations ........................................26 Web Poll ...........................................................14 Commentary .....................................................14 Letters ..............................................................14 EATS This Modern World ............................................14 Rebeccamendations .........................................29 Canary ..............................................................15 CLASSIFIEDS, HOME, EVENTS CALENDAR Hot Stuff ..........................................................16 AND REAL ESTATE ........................ 30 Local’s Special $ ROOM 249INCLUDES One $70 Dinner Voucher & Two Breakfast Entrées Expires 03/31/19 Not valid with any other promotions, discounts, or groups, subject to rate availability, some restrictions apply, please mention “Sun” and present when checking in, advance reservations necessary. Call for Reservations 1.888.584.6374 www.raggedpointinn.com 805-347-1968 | www.santamariasun.com 2 • Sun • January 31 - February 7, 2019 • www.santamariasun.com Move-in Ready 3 Off ice and Warehouse Space for Lease 2625 Skyway Drive, Santa Maria Located in the Fair Sky Technology Park, near the airpo Prope y Amenities Include: • Approximately 10,000 to 20,000 SF Available • Warehouse Space • Open and Private Off ices, Furnished Broker • Conference Room, Furnished Pa icipation • 1,200 Amp Service Welcome! • M-1 Zoning: Light Manufacturing For more details go to CalCoastCommerical.com Or contact Cliff Branch at (805) 544-3030 Front Entrance Drive-in Roll Up Doors www.santamariasun.com • January 31 - February 7, 2019 • Sun • 3 HOBNOBBING 7 | BIZ SPOTLIGHT 8 | SCHOOL SCENE 10 BRIEFS PHOTO BY JAYSON MELLOM PHOTO BY KASEY BUBNASH Political Watch • On Jan. 28, U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) announced the reintroduction of his first piece of legislation in Congress, the California Clean 4 Coast Act—now of 2019. The bill, House Resolution 279, would permanently ban future offshore oil and gas leasing in areas of the Outer Continental Shelf off the coast of California. His announcement coincides with the 50th anniversary of the 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara, which many credit with galvanizing the environmental movement in the U.S. Carbajal joined Democratic representatives from New Jersey, Florida, South Carolina, Rhode Island, Virginia, and California to introduce bills designed to block offshore drilling in one or more regions of the Outer Continental Shelf. The package of bills comes as the Trump administration prepares to release the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s proposed oil and gas leasing program for the Outer Continental Shelf. “With the Trump administration’s unrelenting attacks on our environment and natural resources, it is more important than ever to make it clear that we will not accept further oil leasing and development off our shores,” Carbajal MAKING ROOM: Longtime real estate agent and developer Gary Crabtree is one of many Santa Marians who jumped to take advantage of the city’s 2017 ordinance allowing accessory dwelling units. said in a press release. Crabtree started construction on his project at 2811 S. Bradley Road about eight months ago (left), and it is now finished (right) and on the market. • To celebrate National Data Privacy Day, Jan. 28, Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham (R-San Santa Maria issues 57 accessory Other homeowners and developers are doing history of debris flows and charges that the city, Luis Obispo) joined other Assembly Republicans to the same. county, and its flood control district, as well introduce a five-policy legislative package designed to dwelling unit permits in 2018 The city of Santa Maria issued 57 permits for as the Montecito Water District and Caltrans, accessory dwelling units in 2018, according to failed to ensure that Montecito’s infrastructure strengthen the state’s consumer privacy protections. Just eight months ago, nothing more than a Chuen Ng, director of community development. was adequate to reduce the impact of those types According to the press release, the bills would give hollow, wooden frame stood on the expansive The city’s decision to allow granny flats of natural disasters. people increased control over how their data is dirt lot at 2811 S. Bradley Road. Construction was part of a larger state effort to increase “This failure resulted in much of the harm being used, encourage family conversations about on the then just budding project has since California’s dwindling rental unit inventory. from the 2018 mudslides,” Southern California appropriate social media use, put consumers first wrapped up, and the lot is now host to a sturdy Edison spokesman David Song wrote in in the aftermath of a data breach, and call on the 2,138-square-foot house and its mini-me, a Several state bills requiring cities and counties response to questions from the Sun. “As alleged federal government to update anti-trust laws. “The 1,000-square-foot accessory dwelling unit—the to adopt regulations allowing accessory dwelling in the cross-complaint, these public agencies right to privacy is fundamental to a free society. But, first of its kind in Santa Maria. units were signed into law in September 2016, according to a city staff report. designed, built, and maintained debris basins, as we learn more about tech companies’ business It’s been more than a year since the Santa “[Accessory dwelling units] are generally flood channels, and culverts that were wholly practices and how data has been transferred without Maria City Council voted unanimously in regarded as an effective way to increase inadequate for the volume of debris that can be consent, we realize that, in many respects, privacy is December 2017 to allow accessory dwelling housing options while minimizing changes in expected from watersheds in their jurisdictions, an illusion,” Cunningham said in the release. “We need units in residential neighborhoods, a decision neighborhood character or creating additional or took other actions that contributed to the new safeguards so we can continue to enjoy the benefits that paved the way for local homeowners and sprawl,” the staff report reads. “They can damage experienced during the flooding.” of these technologies while protecting against the risks developers hoping to convert existing structures into granny units or build entirely new ones. effectively provide affordable housing for The Thomas Fire, a blaze that consumed they pose.” renters, a source of income for homeowners, more than 281,800 acres in Santa Barbara and • Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Jan. 25 that Longtime real estate agent and developer Gary Crabtree was one of several Santa Maria and a housing source for multi-generational Ventura counties, preceded the mudslides. On the state planned to file a lawsuit against the city of residents who jumped at the chance to create households, including extended families, as well Jan. 9, 2018, heavy rainfall in the burn area Huntington Beach because it “willfully” refused to accessory units after the city’s ordinance passed, as seniors, college students, and others.” caused the massive mudslides in Montecito, comply with state housing law,