Cover Story
Cutting-edge currency: Bitcoin and other virtual currencies are gaining in popularity
Every day, all over the world, people engage in transactions, large and small. Whether they’re buying a sandwich or a house, most of these transactions involve money. Essentially a bartering tool, money allows populations to easily engage in exchanges of goods and services with official and recognizable paper or coins. Business conducted across countries’ borders…
If you had an unlimited amount of money, what would you buy?
Jaxson Swack dinosaur tamer “Anything.” Bradley Nasif swing enthusiast “No!” Carole Zink retired “For survival, food!” Bill Goosen Aflac reject “I would consider purchasing stocks in Sara Lee or Wonder Bread.”
Riptide Big Band performs monthly at the Elwin Mussell Senior Center
Central Coast residents are patrons of many different kinds of music, from classical to hip-hop and everything in between. The genre of big band jazz is one that has found a welcome home in the area, with community, high school, and collegiate groups performing across SLO and Santa Barbara counties. Local band director Dick Clark…
And now, our feature presentation
I loved going to the movies as a child. I remember watching drive-in movies while sitting on the tailgate of the family station wagon or waiting with anticipation to see the newest Disney film at Christmas time. I grew up in Spokane, Wash., so drive-in movies were strictly a summertime activity. Mom was the local…
Gallery Los Olivos presents June Joy
Gallery Los Olivos presents its new exhibit June Joy, a solo show by watercolor painter Erin Williams. Williams’ vibrant, large-scale paintings capture landscapes and flowers with a deep and bright hues. Williams began her professional art career in 1985 after receiving her master’s of fine arts degree in painting at the State University of New…
The Frame Gallery welcomes new resident artist
The Frame Gallery in Orcutt has added the work of another skilled local painter to its walls next to other resident artists works in the frames the local business provides. Larry Kappen is a local working artist who exhibits his en plein air paintings. His works reflect his vision of local landscapes and points of…
Town Center Gallery shows at the Radisson
The Town Center Gallery continues its artistic presence at the Radisson Hotel in Santa Maria with a free, one-day exhibit on June 1. It will show in the large meeting room adjacent to the hotel’s main lobby from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with an artists’ reception from 2 to 4 p.m. The show includes…
Lompoc Museum features Morlan’s sculpture
The Lompoc Museum is currently offering the exhibit Eric Morlan, Selected Work: 1980-2014 in its Centeno Gallery June 8 through Sept. 1. Morlan is a local sculptor who began showing his ceramics almost 30 years ago, but branched out to other media throughout his career ever since. An opening reception with the artist is June…
Art and music at Epiphany
The C Gallery, in conjunction with Epiphany Wines in Los Olivos, is holding an off-site event featuring the abstract art of Rebecca Gomez, live music by U-2 and PINK keyboardist Terry Lawless, and food and wine tastings. The art exhibit will run June 6 and 7 with the special event happening June 6 from 3…
Hobnobbing With Helen
We couldn’t hear the surf and there wasn’t a grain of sand in sight, but A Day at the Beach delivered the promise of summer fun and frolicking for a good cause. Hawaiian shirts, floral prints, sandals, espadrilles, and summer casual fashion was the dress code that let us know we were in Beach Boys…
Three hikes and two beaches: An awesome way to explore what you haven’t
Soft, orb-shaped clusters of white flowers saddled the horizon as I broached an opening in the thick brush- and tree-covered hillside I was climbing. There were also red paintbrushes, purple and white lupine, orange poppies, and a smattering of other wildflowers, but those yuccas were my favorite. All along Highway 1, yuccas held empty stalks,…
The Santa Maria Public Library shows The Odyssey of a Chinese Artist by May Kwok in the Shepard Hall during June
China is a country steeped in a strong cultural tradition of art. A piece of that tradition—with its own contemporary flair—is making its way to the Santa Maria Public Library’s Shepard Hall in the exhibit The Odyssey of a Chinese Artist by May Kwok. Kwok was born and raised in Hong Kong, and still calls…
Unlock a new appreciation for Santa Barbara County wine with your Key to Wine Country
Here is your chance to be treated like a VIP for a whole weekend and walk away with a greater understanding of all that goes into a bottle of local wine: Santa Barbara Vintners’ new event called Key to Wine Country, which runs June 20 through 22. More than two dozen wineries and vineyards in…
DIscovery Corner: Preparing children for school and beyond
My youngest daughter graduated from high school the weekend of May 24. She will be heading off to the University of Alabama soon. As she walked across the stage to receive her diploma, it felt like her entire life flashed before my eyes. How did the bubbly, curly headed toddler turn into this dynamic, confident…
Hancock to offer kids’ classes this summer
Children’s curiosity can take off this summer through Allan Hancock College Community Education science and rocketry classes for kids ages 8 through 15. Classes include: • Adventures in Math/Engineering/Computer Science, which is designed for students entering seventh, eighth, and ninth grades in the fall. The class meets Monday through Thursday, June 16 through 26, from…
Environmentalist headlines for Rice Elementary fourth-graders
Julia Butterfly Hill, an environmental activist, spoke to Rice Elementary School fourth-graders on May 21, after which some of the students participated in a hands-on project based on the talk. Hill is best known for fighting for a 1,500-year-old California Redwood tree in Humboldt County. She lived in the 180-foot tall tree—in a tent—for two…
Annual field trip to Minetti Mini Rodeo
Third-graders from San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties will be watching the Minetti Mini Rodeo—designed just for them—on May 29. It’s a field trip the Elks Lodge sponsors annually at the start of the Santa Maria Elks Rodeo.
Spotlight on: Cell Hotel
Cell phones are an enormous part of our everyday life. Whether texting friends or posting on Instagram, many people are on their phones from the moment they wake up to the moment they fall asleep. In many ways, cell phones make everyday tasks easier, but they can also be distracting. Virginia Whitehead, a teacher at…
Political Watch 5/29/14
• In an effort to expand employment opportunities for young people and veterans, the Department of the Interior announced on May 22 that $6.7 million in grants would be allocated to support conservation employment and mentoring opportunities for 43 projects on public lands across the country. A press release on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s…
Community Notebook 5/29-6/5
MONDAY, JUNE 2 • The Solvang Planning Commission has its regular meeting at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers, 1644 Oak St., Solvang. TUESDAY, JUNE 3 • The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has its regular meeting at 9 a.m. in the Board of Supervisors Hearing Room, 105 E. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara.…
Community Corner: Jobs! Get your jobs here!
The final event in a series of countywide job and resource fairs is scheduled for June 12 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Building in Santa Maria. The fair is open to job seekers of all ages, with a special focus on local youth, and will feature booths representing numerous local government…
Challenger Sgt. Sandra Brown talks about budget reform, safety, and more for the Sheriff’s Department
Last week, Sun readers heard from Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown about why he’s running for re-election. This week, the Sun talks to his challenger Sgt. Sandra Brown, who works a supervisor in the coroner’s office. Can you elaborate more on your goal to reform the Sheriff’s Office in terms of spending and…
Clarification
The Sun incorrectly reported the location of the 12th annual Los Padres Artist Guild Studio and Garden Tour (“Art in the garden,” May 22). Artist Margie Bowker will play host to several fellow Los Padres Artist Guild members at her garden and studio space, but there will also by seven other studio spaces in Santa…
A second judge says Murillo’s rap song is free speech
On May 22, Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Rick Brown ruled that Orcutt resident Anthony Murillo’s rap song “Remix for Life II” failed to provide sufficient evidence of a threat to Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 from the Shane Villalpando sexual assault case. The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office filed a…
UCSB responds to the deaths of six students
Flags at all University of California campuses are sitting at half-staff until Sunday, June 1, to mourn the loss of six UC Santa Barbara students murdered in Isla Vista on May 23. “Our UCSB family is in mourning,” Chancellor Henry Yang wrote in a letter to the campus community on May 24. “We grieve for…
Words when there shouldn’t be words
Canary’s note: My executive editor wanted to write this week, so I gave him the space usually reserved for my column: “I was giving the female gender one last chance to provide me with the pleasures I deserved from them.” This is the line that national media are attributing to Elliot Rodger, who recently wrote…
Public safety cuts vs. good judgment
I appreciate and understand the efforts of those who support Measure M on the Santa Barbara County ballot, but it is a misguided effort. I recently had an experience with a rundown county road on my way to our small ranch in the Cuyama Valley. All the surrounding roads leading to the property were in…
Rodeo kicks off with a fun run
Runners of all ages are invited to race in the Elks Rodeo Stampede 5K and Fun Run on May 31. Registration includes a T-shirt, and awards given to second- and first-place finishers. The fee is $20. There will be no registrations on the day of the event.
Summer ball with the ‘Dogs
A press release from Allan Hancock College Athletics revealed that the college’s baseball team will be host to a pair of four-day clinics at John Osborne Field. Children ages 6 to 18 are invited to hone their hitting, pitching, and fielding skills. The clinics will run June 16 through 19 and June 23 through 26.…
Fundraising for Nipomo Titans football
The Nipomo Titans Youth Football League is holding a fundraiser barbecue and registration event on June 8 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot of the Nipomo Ace Hardware. Tickets to the event cost $8 and include a chicken dinner with beans, rice, bread, salsa, and a drink. Registration for the football…
Cycling 3,900 miles for a cause
A crew of nine cyclists came through Santa Maria in preparation for Push America’s Journey of Hope. Joined by 28 other cyclists, the crew will cycle across the country—from Long Beach to Washington, D.C.—to raise funds and awareness for people with disabilities. They will average 75 miles a day and end at the national Capitol…
Colter Knight
This year, the nominees chosen to represent high schools and colleges across Northern Santa Barbara County were a competitive bunch. From wrestlers to golfers, a variety of young athletes vied for the chance to be named an Athlete of the Year by the Northern Santa Barbara County Athletic Roundtable. One of the contenders who stood…
More than baseball: A new book details the rich history of Mexican American baseball on the Central Coast
Sometimes, digging into the past can lead to a wild journey of unanticipated discoveries—such as happened with Cal Poly Pomona professor Richard Santillan. A professor of Mexican-American studies for more than 40 years, Santillan helped spark the movement that led to the publishing of a series of historical books, including the fourth and most recent:…
