Volunteers are almost always how hiking, biking, and horseback riding trails get built, and Lompoc is no exception. With the aim of developing six new public trails in the Lompoc Valley, the city Trails Committee (aka the Lompoc Hike and Bike Club) needs some help, especially from anyone with excavator experience. For our annual Volunteers […]
Special Issues
Posted inSpecial Issues
Scoring vista points: All-volunteer group Lompoc Hike and Bike lays groundwork for new public trail network
Leaves of three, let them be—to an extent. The risk of being exposed to poison oak comes with the territory for those who volunteer with the Lompoc Trails Committee, aka Lompoc Hike and Bike. “A lot of our rough work begins with cutting through the vegetation,” committee chair Dave Baker said about an 82-acre development […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Serving community: Heroes on the Water fosters healing and connection for veterans and first responders
Andy Dibbern didn’t come to Heroes on the Water looking for a leadership role. About four years ago, he was simply a devoted kayaker who accepted an invitation to volunteer at a local event. The experience left an immediate impression. “I got invited by a friend to come out,” Dibbern said. “I was already an […]
Posted inNews
See ya: A look back at 2025’s headlines in northern Santa Barbara County
This past year was full of headlines about the Trump administration, federal job cuts, and increased immigration enforcement. But through all of that national news, northern Santa Barbara County was still humming along, impacted by the new federal polices and national politics and continuing with business as usual. The biggest, most consistent headlines were about […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Holiday Guide 2025: ’Tis the season for gifts that mean something, festive fun, and giving back
What happened to 2025? It’s almost over! As the holidays draw near, maybe some of their special magic can bring us together in the spirit of the season. We’ve included some events, opportunities, and ideas that could help in our annual Holiday Guide! This includes places full of lights and sights—from Buellton to Paso Robles—and […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
A Santa Ynez couple publishes a Christmas picture book
Every year in Solvang, community members gather around a giant Christmas tree for the lighting ceremony. The festivity draws from a tradition in Denmark, where people hold hands around the tree and sing. The scene is one of the very last images in Kate and Adam McHugh’s first children’s book, Ferd and the Magic Hat: […]
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Santa Ynez Valley Botanic Garden decks out for its annual Holiday Lights Festival
The gifting treesThe Santa Ynez Valley Botanic Garden will host its Holiday Lights Festival on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, between Dec. 5 and 21 from 5 to 8:30 p.m. For tickets and more info on the event, visit syvholidaylights.com. The garden is located at 151 Sycamore Drive, Buellton. Gray pines. Blue oaks. Warm and cool […]
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Norma Moye keeps Paso Robles’ Vine Street Christmas tradition alive
Visit Paso and be merryThe Vine Street Victorian Showcase celebrates its 39th annual event on Dec. 13 from 6 to 9 p.m. The event is free. For more information, contact the Downtown Paso Robles Main Street office at (805) 238-4103. When Norma Moye bought her Victorian home on 18th and Vine in 1975, she never […]
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Pet pride: Take a break with the cutest little companions from across the Central Coast
Find some peace by checking out the winners of our third annual pet photo contest. They’re cute! Really cute. Readers from San Luis Obispo and northern Santa Barbara counties submitted hundreds of images of their fur, feather, and scale babies as part of this year’s competition. A panel of in-house judges narrowed them down to […]
Posted inPet Issue
Blessed are the beaks: Central Coast-based parrot rescue provides adoption and sponsorship opportunities for local bird lovers
Parrot adoptions at the scenic Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary are few and far between for a flock of reasons, founder and director Jamie McLeod explained. “Unless you’ve owned a parrot before, it’s hard to understand what you’re getting yourself into. It’s a wild animal,” McLeod told the Sun. “You have to realize that when you […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Temporary refuge: C.A.R.E.4Paws will offer boarding for pets living with struggling families
About a year ago, C.A.R.E.4Paws was offering its services to a shelter for the unhoused, when a woman staying at the shelter asked for help to take care of her dog who had become pregnant, and would eventually have 10 puppies. The woman wasn’t in a state to be able to care for either the […]
