As I write this, a woman believed to be the Central Coast Bandit is in custody. And I don’t know how to feel about that. Well, of course I’m glad that someone who’s been robbing banks—allegedly!—is no longer on the streets, um, allegedly robbing banks. Taking money is taking money, and it doesn’t make you […]
Ins and outlaws
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Los Flores Ranch park offers walks and play days
The City of Santa Maria’s Los Flores Ranch Recreational Open Space offers community walks and events for the community. Free docent-guided walks that teach about coastal live oak trees, geology, plants, and animals meets the second Saturday of the month from 9 to 11 a.m., meeting at the visitor center, 6271 Dominion Road. Dogs allowed […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Santa Maria Civic Theatre elects new officers
The Santa Maria Civic Theatre, just weeks away from its upcoming production of Dial M for Murder, elected its new officers for the 2013-2014 season. Elected to the board were Clare Terrill as president, Hugh Rafferty as vice president, Alan Foster as secretary, and John Shade as treasurer. The board, once decided, chose the plays […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Santa Maria Philharmonic receives hefty donation
The Santa Maria Philharmonic Society has received an anonymous bequest to the society to the tune of $10,000, putting the nonprofit just $3,000 shy of reaching “Phase I” of its current fundraising drive. Donated by an anonymous, yet long-time supporter of the Philharmonic, the donation is the second large sum of money to be donated […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Santa Maria celebrates the “Tastes of Mexico”
The City of Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department and the People for Leisure and Youth, Inc. (PLAY, Inc.) present the favorite annual event “Tastes of Mexico” on Sept. 6 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Veterans’ Memorial Community Center, 313 W. Tunnell St., Santa Maria. The casual evening will feature authentic Mexican food […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Disneyland is fun for adults, too!
Managing Editor Amy Asman, you and your husband are celebrating three years of marriage. Where are you going to go next? We’re going to Disneyland! Well, that’s where my beloved husband, Peter, and I went on Saturday, Aug. 24, to commemorate the anniversary of our nuptials. When I told my dad we planned to spend […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Paul Roark explores the duality of black and white
Before cameras ever captured color, black and white reigned, from film noir to Ansel Adams. Despite the advent of reproducing reds, yellows, and blues, however, some people have stayed committed to the basics. One local photographer in particular is presenting a show of his photography, which includes a black and white treatment of landscapes and […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Education begins with music
I’m still in the dawn of my career as a musical educator. I teach several instruments—piano, guitar, and mandolin, among others—at Music Motive in Nipomo, and I talk to every student I have, from kindergartners to senior citizens, about music theory and the ideas surrounding what they’re learning. As any educator will probably tell you, […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Weighing the options
People have fears. It is natural to be scared of stuff. Fear is important because it keeps us alive. We need to be afraid of things like great white sharks, because if we don’t fear sharks, we could become great white shark food. Being on any species’ diet plan is not good for your thighs—just […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Santa Barbara County wine industry has more places to taste
Summertime 2013 has been a season of growth and renewal in the Santa Barbara County wine industry. Several wine producers spent the summer renovating existing tasting rooms or moving into new locations. One such vintner is Sonja Magdevski, the Malibu beauty who opened Babi’s Tasting Room in Los Alamos a year and a half ago […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Jillian Voyles
She hits chicks and sometimes they hit her back, and it’s all good because in roller derby that’s the name of the game. Jillian Voyles is a space systems operator at Vandenberg Air Force Base and in the summer of 2010 she became a derby girl. She skates under the name SRS BIZNIS and doesn’t […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
What’s on Deck? 8/29-9/5
Friday, Aug. 30 Boys’ Football St. Joseph vs. Santa Barbara @ SJHS, 7 p.m. Righetti vs. Ventura @ RHS, 7 p.m. Santa Maria vs. Bishop Diego @ SBCC, 7 p.m. Santa Ynez vs. Dos Pueblos @ SYHS, 7 p.m. Nipomo vs. Pioneer Valley @ NHS, 7 p.m. Cabrillo vs. […]