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Local fire artists find peace in the middle of infernos
Engulfed in flames Local fire artists find peace in the middle of infernos “Don’t try this at home,” Shayne Mastriano says before guzzling a mouthful of highly refined lamp oil. He’s careful not to swallow the liquid that his peers claim tastes like a combination of candle wax and coconut oil. Mastriano sidles over…
Spotlight on: Angel of Hope memorial
Every year since she lost her son to a motorcycle accident in 2012, Suzanne “Sam” de St. Jean returns to the same place at the Santa Maria Cemetery in early December. It’s not where her son is buried, but the Angel of Hope statue is there, and so is a brick with his name on…
Hobnobbing with Helen: November notables
The Great Gatsby Gala—hosted by the Santa Maria Philharmonic Society on Saturday, Nov. 17, at the Radisson—positively delighted guests with a mix of creative decorations, xylophone and guitar music in the atrium, and a musical welcome (Jim Enos at the piano) with chilled sparkling wine in the foyer. Doesn’t that sound like the makings of…
County Arts Commission to hold holiday mixer
The Santa Barbara County Arts Commission and the Fourth District Arts Commissioner have invited members of the community to a holiday mixer event in Orcutt. The event is a chance to connect, view art, and get to the know the district’s commissioner. The Arts Happy Hour begins at Core Winery on Dec. 13, and runs…
Michele Knecht’s colorful mosaics debut at CORE Winery
When Brisbee, a Longhorn steer, came to live with artist Michele Knecht, she instantly connected with him. Far from a menacing beast, Knecht knew him as a gentle soul, hand-raised by humans and eager for affection. It’s a unique quality Knecht managed to capture perfectly in one of her signature mosaic works. “He was a…
George Rose and Felice Willat bring their travel photography to Gallery Los Olivos
George Rose is fascinated by lonely oak trees. So much so that he is willing to go to great lengths to capture the perfect picture of one. The shutterbug was in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, an up-and-coming region for winemaking, when he jumped in a helicopter to try and get some aerial shots. The oak tree…
MUSIC: Sound of the season: Local ensembles prepare artful holiday concerts with orchestras, choirs, and more
The ring of church bells, warm brass harmony, and choral singers’ high melodies all conjure a certain time, place, and feeling—the holidays. With centuries of traditional celebrations around Christmas and New Year’s, musicians have added ornaments and tunes of their own to the cultural zeitgeist each year. But even when trying to write the next…
Who do you believe?
It’s hard for some to keep the facts straight in this “post-truth” age of “fake news” and hyper-partisan demagoguery. It certainly wasn’t easy for the demagogue-in-chief, President Donald Trump, who preceded a visit to areas of California hit hardest by the Camp Fire and Woolsey Fire with a tweet blaming the state’s wildfires on poor…
Cal Poly cube sats help NASA stay in touch with InSight lander
NASA’s InSight lander successfully touched down on the surface of Mars on Nov. 26 to enormous fanfare worldwide. The mission’s engineers, including a team from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, were able to stay in contact with the vessel thanks to two cube satellites that were tested and prepped by Cal Poly engineers and students just…
State AG approves Dignity Health merger with conditions
The California Attorney General’s Office approved a planned merger between Dignity Health and Catholic Health Initiatives, but not before setting several additional conditions on the deal. According to the conditions set by the Attorney General’s Office, the newly formed organization, called Common Spirit Health, will operate nearly 140 hospitals in 16 states, including 30 hospitals…
Central Coast Chambers of Commerce announce new partnership
A new nonprofit economic development organization says its intended goal is to create a Central Coast “super region” spanning from Vandenberg Air Force Base in Lompoc to Camp Roberts north of Paso Robles. More than a dozen Central Coast chambers of commerce, including San Luis Obispo, Santa Maria Valley, Solvang, and Templeton, rolled out the…
Santa Maria high school district and Faculty Association to hold fact-finding hearing
The Santa Maria Joint Union High School District (SMJUHSD) has been negotiating contracts with its teachers union for more than a year, and since the groups declared an official impasse in early October, little has been accomplished. Even with a state mediator, the parties were, again, unable to agree on a few key topics this…
Guadalupe awaits state decision on allegations of unfair practices and failing to honor union contract
Guadalupe city employees were suddenly informed last year that they would no longer be eligible for merit-based salary step increases. Now the city is fighting an unfair practices charge filed by union representatives of those employees, and both parties are awaiting a judge’s decision on the case. The complaint, which is being handled by the…
Trump dishonored the military
Trump showed his true colors this past Veterans Day weekend. The president of the United States had time to meet with Vladimir Putin overseas, but he didn’t have time to visit the Aisne-Marne American cemetery in France, the final resting place of 2,289 U.S. troops killed during World War I? The White House said the…
Serving in government can teach a lot
Twenty-three years ago, I began my voluntary service with the city of Lompoc. I always felt that it was every citizen’s duty to give something back to the community, and at the time there was a need for someone to serve on the Water Commission. The city operates its own water utility, as well as…
Athlete of the week
He may be just 7 years old, but Dominic Marshall can already kick through a slab of wood a few inches thick. It’s a feat that could seem almost impossible to most, but for kids like Marshall, who trains for about three hours a week at Rising Sun Martial Arts Academy, breaking barriers is all…
Hancock president discusses future without Measure Y
Allan Hancock College lost out on millions of dollars on Election Day, and although officials are already working to find backup funding, renovations are going to be a challenge. Despite an extensive campaign effort and what appeared to be vast community support, Santa Barbara County residents voted against Hancock’s proposed $75 million bond on Nov.…
Political Watch
• Gov. Jerry Brown announced his appointment of Joshua Groban, 45, to the California Supreme Court on Nov. 14 to fill the vacancy left by retiring Associate Justice Kathryn Mickle Werdegar. “Josh Groban has vast knowledge of the law and sound and practical judgement,” Brown stated. “He’ll be a strong addition to California’s highest court.”…
Payne’s Picks
• Trattoria Uliveto in Orcutt caught my eye with a Facebook post saying the celebrated Italian restaurant will be open on Christmas Eve. There’s no word on any specials the menu may include, but they do recommend early reservations. Reach them at (805) 934-4546 or trattoriauliveto.com. • Some Central Coast breweries have teamed up…
SLO celebrates 40 years of farmer’s markets
In the beginning there were few—vendors, that is. The year was 1978. The campy soundtrack from Grease was heating up the charts. It was a sunny Saturday morning and a handful of local farmers gathered at the old Young’s Giant Food parking lot on Broad Street in SLO. They didn’t know it then, but…
Humor: For the love of casserole
I recently discovered an exotic food that has really excited my palate. It is an explosion of flavors that are mixed together to create something absolutely mouthwatering. Fresh sushi? Nope. Kobe beef? Wrong. This is something even more unusual. It is called a casserole. Sure, lots of people have had casseroles. I just wasn’t one…
Santa Maria library shows Marvel movie
The Santa Maria Public Library will offer a free film screening on Dec. 10 in the library’s Shepard Hall. The 2008 action movie that kicked off the Marvel universe, Iron Man, is the featured movie. The film stars Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, the wealthy industrialist who creates a high-tech suit of armor to…
California Arts Council accepting grant applications
The California Arts Council announced that the application period for its grants program were open in October, with more than $21 million in state art grant funds available for organizations that “support access, equity, and inclusion; community vibrancy; and arts learning.” According to a release from the council, there are 15 agency grant programs that…
