The Luis Oasis Senior Center in Orcutt has a new face. For the last three months, Rovi Butcher has been calling the shots for the center while trying to learn the ropes of a new community. The winds of change are constantly blowing, and the center in Orcutt isn’t outside their sway. It will soon […]
MICHAEL McCONE
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Adolfo Lopez
Every morning, Adolfo Lopez tightens his running shoes and sets out. He has anywhere between three and five miles of road ahead of him. While his body is running, his mind is being set free. “One of the things I like about running and training for long distance is the fact that in the morning […]
Posted inNews
Spotlight on: Treetop Yoga
Nicole Donati, owner
Nina Jackson entered the Treetop Yoga studio, keeping her excitement in check. She was there to make sure she had the right place. She was looking for the only dedicated yoga studio in Santa Maria, and she found it. Thanks to Nicole Donati, yoga practitioners in Santa Maria and Orcutt have a place to go […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
DEVON GARCIA
The school day was over. All across campus kids were causing a ruckus. Sports teams were assembling for their respective practices, yelling to friends and being generally wild teens, but at the pool it was calm as coach Kevin Jauregui spoke highly of his water polo players. That day, he was extolling the virtues of […]
Posted inNews
Brighten a life by brightening your smile
A big, brilliantly white smile can go a long way. You know, the kind that gets the light reflection and the little Hollywood ping. What’s even better is knowing that getting that smile will also help others have something to smile about. Pacific Coast Smiles in Santa Maria will be taking part in the upcoming […]
Posted inNews
Spotlight on: Farm Supply
Jim Brabeck, CEO
When business is just about the dollars and cents, it gets cutthroat. When business is about the customers and community, it becomes something better. Farm Supply has kept that in mind as it grow its business, recently opening a new store in Buellton. The Farm Supply Company grew out of one store established in San […]
Posted inNews
Got spice?
Something smells funny about the incense smoke shops are selling
On a recent afternoon, 17-year-old Santa Maria resident John* sat on his mom’s porch, sipping from a gigantic soda every now and then, never really focusing. He was explaining what it’s like to smoke “spice.” “It’s not natural,” he said. “When you’re using it, you can just tell.” Spice—the generic term for any of several […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Perspective on the dunes
Sand trumps plans
I’m not sure who was in a worse mood, the sky or me. My hot-air balloon ride in Tehachapi had been canceled, which brought my plans for the perfect daytrip tumbling down. On top of that, my house was being fumigated, I hadn’t slept well, I hadn’t showered, and I still needed to write my […]
Posted inNews
Spotlight on: Absolute Mobile Detailing
A hectic work week or days filled with classes and tests can make scheduling some of the finer details of life difficult. Thanks to Manuel Diaz, owner of Absolute Mobile Detailing, people who are strapped for time don’t have to let the details go. Diaz got into the detailing gig right out of high school. […]
Posted inNews
There’s a new club in town
For many people it’s still a bit early to be thinking about Christmas, but the ladies and gents of Altrusa International of Golden Valley (AIGV), have been thinking about it and planning for months already. Community enrichment is what Altrusa International is all about and this new club continues that tradition. Those who wanted to […]
Posted inNews
Spotlight on: Casa Bella
Martha Murguia-Gomez, owner
Last summer, the “beautiful home,” Casa Bella, changed hands. Martha Murguia-Gomez became the new owner of the Casa Bella flower shop in Old Orcutt. For her, it’s a dream come true. She’s always had a love for flowers; it started with her mother. Even in hard times, her mother made sure there were fresh flowers […]
Posted inNews
Santa Barbara County Planning Commission mulls special event ordinance
It’s not quite the Hatfields and the McCoys, but the land use skirmish taking place in Santa Barbara County has grown large enough to attract the attention of county officials. Some local homeowners are claiming their neighbors are temporarily leasing out their private property for profit without obtaining county permits. Until recently, the size and […]
