Health begins in childhood, and positive habits made when young can have a lasting outcome on life. The school curriculum commonly excludes arts from the daily educational diet due to budget constraints, but some local organizations help pick up the slack by supplementing schools with much-needed programs. The Orcutt Children’s Art Foundation (OCAF) has been […]
Arts
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Creative ecology: The Dunes Center publishes a book showcasing the talents and education of its students
Nature is a creative endeavor. Every day and night, critters scurry, slither, and sneak, hoping to make a future for themselves in their own unique way. The Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center looked to this creative model to help educate kids about local ecology with a program that started in 2012. The fruits of that program are […]
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Bedford’s mushroom festival returns
The Bedford Winery is presenting the eighth annual “Mushrooms Gone Wild!” mushroom festival on Jan. 25 in Los Alamos at the wine tasting room. The event will feature wine tasting and an expansive selection of fungi. Varieties will include, but won’t be limited to, chanterelles, hedgehogs, shitake, porcini, oyster, and black trumpet. Guests will be […]
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OASIS Senior Center holds open house
The Luis Oasis Senior Center invites the Santa Maria Valley community to come enjoy an open house event on Jan. 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the center, 420 Soares Ave., Orcutt. The center has been serving seniors since 1984 and invites all to come meet program facilitators, staffers, and board members. Programs include […]
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Local author reminds people to celebrate National Hugging Day
Scott Washburn, author of The Best Bear Hugs Ever, is reminding local kids and parents to celebrate National Hugging Day on Jan. 21 and to download a free certificate of recognition for giving “The Best Bear Hugs Ever” from his website at thebestbearhugsever.com. Washburn’s book relates a father walking through the zoo, seeing which animal […]
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Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center launches iPhone app
The Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center has launched a new free iPhone app for visitors of the dunes. Available at the beginning of 2014, the app catalogs all the points of interest within the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes complex that stretches from Pismo Beach to Point Sal. The app also feature walking tours with photographs at Oso Flaco Lake […]
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Campfire starts fundraising candy drive
Campfire Central Coast of California is in full swing for its annual candy drive fundraiser. The year’s theme is “Hawaiian Luau,” which will feature young entrepreneurs selling candy near local stores and in local neighborhoods through Feb. 19. Campfire also offers candy sales to U.S. troops overseas. Candy can be purchased for the troops at […]
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Get to know Connie Rohde-Stanchfield, the hard-working director of The C Gallery
My first interview as arts editor for the Sun was with Connie Rohde-Stanchfield, director of The C Gallery in Los Alamos, and it has informed every one of my interviews since. What surprised me most about Connie was how effortless it was for her to talk about art, especially the most abstract media, with a […]
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Hike the Sedgwick Reserve
The UCSB Sedgwick Reserve offers the public a chance for an informative hike through the beautiful and rugged terrain of the Santa Ynez Valley. The hike, scheduled for Jan. 11, features three separate hikes with varying degrees of intensity: easy, moderate, and strenuous. Each hike will include a theme or themes including geology, landforms, Sedgwick […]
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Live from the Bookworm
The Bookworm offers an open mic night for acoustic musicians, poets, and writers on Jan. 11 at 7 p.m. at the bookstore, 230 E. Betteravia Road, Suite K, Santa Maria. More info: 922-4282, quest@thebookwormcali.com, or facebook.com/thebookwormcali.
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Finding focus for parents
The Ralph Dunlap School PTA is holding a special “Parent Ed Night” with storyteller and mindfulness expert Michael Katz on Jan. 15 at 6:30 p.m. at Ralph Dunlap Elementary, 1220 Oak Knoll Road, in Orcutt. Katz will share his expertise and experiences in helping children and parents find and discern what is important in a […]
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Weaving with rubber
The Toy Zoo is holding a “Rubber Band Loom Contest” for all ages with first through third place being awarded in the “Longest Chain” and “Best Creation” categories. The contest is open through Jan. 18 by noon at the Toy Zoo, 1930 S. Broadway, Santa Maria. More information is available at 352-0123.
