HELEN ANN THOMAS

It’s official. The Friends of the Library tri-tip barbecue lunch on Aug. 27, in the library’s Shepard Hall, was a success. Board member Marilyn Moll reported that almost 500 tickets at $8 each had been pre-sold. About 20 library lovers were eating lunch (tri-tip, chips, soft drinks) when I arrived. A steady stream of folks […]

The Santa Maria Historical Society is making history. These local city boosters are actively fundraising to make up for a loss of income. Board president Jim Zemaitis e-mailed me with the reason the Historical Society is hustling: “We are not receiving the stipend we once did from the city,” he wrote. “We receive about half […]

What is more blissful than sipping wine and eating chocolate, while listening to live music on a lovely summer afternoon in a beautiful garden? Altrusa’s Central Coast chapter has a winning formula in its annual Afternoon Chocolate Delight. This year’s event was held on Sunday, July 31, at Josie Baldiviez’s historical home in the carriage […]

Hobnobbing went to the land of foursomes, mulligans, and holes-in-one on Monday, July 11, at the Santa Maria Country Club. The inaugural Daniel Johnson Memorial Golf Tournament was held to honor the memory of the senior airman from Vandenberg who lost his life in Afghanistan, doing his job as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technician. […]

There’s a brand new club in town. Its official name is Altrusa International, Inc. of Golden Valley. What a great way to think of Santa Maria: “Golden Valley.” We won’t be surprised if the Chamber of Commerce borrows this moniker from time to time for promotional materials. Bruno Brunello, husband of club co-founder Jackie Brunello, […]

Here’s the deal: Friends of the Boys & Girls Club buy tables (metaphorically speaking—they buy the seats at the table) and decorate them (the tables, not the seats) with a theme for the group’s Celebrity Waiters Night. Some folks have a hint of a theme, and some folks are way over the top. Every table […]

The minute I walked in the door of the Radisson Hotel, I knew I was in for a fun evening. Dressed in Camelot-era costume, “Dame” Marianne Greenelsch (president of Coastal Voices) and “Lady” Margaret Nelson (Coastal Voices artistic director) were greeting guests. While singing a lilting tune, the fair maidens took turns guiding guests to […]

High tea may sound high falutin’, but high brow or low brow, it’s really a lot of fun—particularly if a gal gets gussied up and pulls a hat out of some dusty box hidden in a corner of her closet. Dr. Carol Karamitsos did it the easy way: She borrowed a vintage straw number from […]

It was a hoot and a half. The Breakfast Rotary’s Annual Luau Barn Party was its usual smashing success. When the Breakfast Club Rotarians boast, “It’s the fun-nest thing in town,” they are right on target. This year’s rowdy gathering was held May 14 from 5:30 p.m. onward at the Fairpark’s big barn. Tickets were […]

[image-3] It was a very pleasant, pseudo-summery evening with celebratory vibes in the air. This was Friday, April 29—and, no, it had nothing to do with the royal wedding. Everyone was on Cloud Nine at Dana Adobe Nipomo Amigos’ fundraising event. The 113 guests bought tickets ($50 each) to a performance of Pride and Prejudice, […]

Viva la Santa Maria Valley Humane Society! The group held its annual magnifique fundraising dinner, “April in Paris,” on April 9 at the Country Club. It was so c’est si bon. As well as being too much fun, the evening was a musical and visual delight, a montage of glamour and glitz. Jimmy Enos and […]