HELEN ANN THOMAS

At a few minutes after 5:30 p.m., all is quiet and serene on the Santa Maria Country Club’s gorgeous, pristine golf course. The fleet of electric golf carts has returned to the garage. After a hard day on the hot links, golfers enjoy cold drinks in the bar. Then, everyone flocks to the veranda. All […]

Hats, hats, and more hats. All over the place. It was a hat-loving Hobnobber’s dream come true. City Councilperson Alice Patino was a vision in a big white floppy hat with clouds of red tulle. All eyes were on Dr. Dennis Shepard, who walked down memory lane in his medical school graduation beret—one of those […]

Tres Hermanas Winery was the site of Marian Medical Center’s (MMC’s) big annual fundraiser, “Waiters Night.” Saturday, Aug. 7, boasted a beautiful afternoon and evening on which to celebrate the successful completion of MMC’s “Cornerstone Campaign,” co-chaired by Georganne Ferini and Ann Foxworthy Lewellen. These two intrepid ladies helped MMC pull in a whopping $15 […]

Cynics of the world, beware! There are good folks on this planet. Some of the very best people are CASA volunteers, who find room in their hearts for children in the foster care system—kids who might move from foster home to foster home, who might come from severely dysfunctional families, who might experience many changes in […]

Such excitement! The long-awaited groundbreaking ceremony for the Santa Maria Valley Humane Society’s new, $3 million animal care facility occurred on Thursday morning, July 22, on Stowell Road. Humane Society board president Bo Cudd shouted “Yes!” and gave an emphatic thumb’s up to the onlooking crowd after she, Pam Goble (Humane Society board secretary), and […]

It was the night of “The Big Musical!” Big musical sounds certainly came from the Maestro Brass, a group of five retired teachers, under the direction of Gary Thompson. They entertained at Community Partners in Caring’s (CPC) 10th annual Clergy Waiters night at the Radisson Hotel on Saturday evening, June 26. More big sounds came […]

Wow! I have never seen as many wine and beer vendors at one fundraiser as I did on Saturday afternoon, June 19, at St. Joseph’s seventh annual Knights, Wines, and Roses event.  More than 30 wineries and breweries were on hand to pour their libations. I’m guessing that everyone had his or her choice of […]

It was a hoot and a half watching the kids. They were having a fine ole time riding ponies, ropin’ cows, toasting marshmallows for s’mores, and making their very own bolo ties. All of this happened Sunday afternoon, June 13, in the parking lot of the Discovery Museum on East Jones Street. The museum held […]

Liz Addamo likes to raise money for charity. When the chef, caterer, and bistro owner isn’t on duty at her Clark Avenue restaurant and when she isn’t masterminding wedding receptions and events, she is—sometimes literally—cooking up ways to help nonprofits. For the past three years, she and husband David have hosted a Texas Hold ’Em […]

“I’m nuts about me,” said actress Anne Guynn. Onstage the evening of Monday, May 17, at the Vets Memorial Hall, as part of her showcase performance, Anne performed a scene from Neil Simon’s play, Chapter 2. She got well-deserved laughs from the 170-strong audience. The entire room seemed to be nuts not only about Anne, […]

The flapper-filled fete was most assuredly a high-octane occasion. On a recent Saturday evening, as party-goers drove through the country club gates, they could see two vintage, classic vehicles that set the tone for a classy event: “The Great Catsby and the Barking ’20s.” The pristine Pierce Arrow and Packard, both from the 1920s, belong […]

Pretend you’re a contestant on Jeopardy. Alex Trebec says, “The funnest party in town!” Of course, you know what the answer is: “What is the Santa Maria Breakfast Rotary Club Annual Hawaiian Luau, Barn Party, and Auction?” To put it more simply, it’s the Rotary Barn Party. Many things make this event irresistible: the gaming […]