Where there’s smoke … Gunsmokin’ premiered on July 12 and is scheduled to run through Sept. 7 at the Great American Melodrama, located at 1863 Front St., Oceano. Call (805) 489-2499 or visit americanmelodrama.com for tickets or more info. Tickets to performances of Gunsmokin’ can also be purchased in person at the theater’s box office, […]
Badge wearers and bandits of the Wild West face off with gusto in Gunsmokin’
Posted inSpecial Issues
55 Fiction 2024: The winners of our annual short story contest are in!
Tiny tales: A hallmark of the 55 Fiction stories submitted to our annual short story contest is the “surprise” at the end that ties the preceding sentences together. They show up in stories about murders, love, food, animals, cars—really, you can craft a tiny twist into any tall tale. We’re here to publish the best […]
Posted inOpinion
Give our firefighters the wages they deserve
This past week proves to be the perfect time for this letter. Why? The sky was dull with smoke and ashes cover everything. Fire! A big one and out of control. We’ve all seen the convoys of firetrucks and support equipment … some staged at our local Elks rodeo grounds. Firefighters from all over the […]
Posted inOpinion
The kerfuffle over the Ten Commandments in public view is totally unnecessary
The Ten Commandments have existed for centuries. Early on, people realized that there should be a set of common-sense rules to guide civilization. The basis of our Constitution and public laws are found in those guiding principles. For people to coexist in harmony they must become familiar with them at an early age. Some states, […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Sweet and savory collide at Boba Grande in Orcutt
Pearl paradise Visit bobagrandesantamaria.com or call (805) 623-8898 for more info on Boba Grande, located at 1130 E. Clark Ave., suite 130, Orcutt. The shop is open daily, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. As its name suggests, Boba Grande doesn’t fall short for fans of milk teas in generous portions. The new Orcutt shop’s […]
Posted inOpinion
Cold, hard facts?
Homelessness is not an issue that the majority of Santa Maria’s City Council seems interested in tackling, solving, or taking a bite out of. To me, it simply sounds as if Mayor Alice Patino would simply like for it to just go away. Patino, by the way, is running for mayor, again. She doesn’t seem […]
Posted inNews
Santa Maria Recreation and Parks encourages residents to take advantage of summer services
While July is coming to an end, and with it local Recreation and Parks Month celebrations, Recreation Services Manager Dennis Smitherman encourages residents to use Santa Maria’s parks and take advantage of its recreation and parks programming. “Recreation and parks have such a huge impact on the community,” Smitherman said. “The first is [socializing] and […]
Posted inNews
Political Watch: July 25, 2024
• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) is one of nearly 100 House Democrats cosponsoring new legislation that would repeal an antiquated federal law that has been raised by conservative voices as the potential foundation for enacting a federal ban on abortion nationwide, according to a July 18 statement from Carbajal’s office. The legislation introduced […]
Posted inNews
Lompoc City Council moves two similar measures to the ballot
Despite early concerns regarding voter confusion, the Lompoc City Council voted 3-2 (with councilmembers Jeremy Ball and Dirk Starbuck dissenting) during its July 16 meeting to leave two measures on the November general election ballot that would discontinue public use of 82 acres of city-owned land that includes Ken Adam Park. “I think that when […]
Posted inOpinion
Cover the other side of the YMCA issue
Your feature article of July 4 titled, “All day, all night: A YMCA in Santa Ynez wants to stay open 24/7, but its neighbors are against the plan,” by Taylor O’Connor is very one-sided, whether intended or not. Most of the article focuses primarily on the reasons why it is a good idea to convert […]
Posted inOpinion
The center must hold if there’s any hope for the presidential election
In November 2016, immediately after Donald Trump’s election, Yeats’ famous lament over the apocalyptic carnage of World War I seemed to capture that moment in our history. Of course, our nation survived the next four years. The “centre” did hold, but just barely: On Jan. 6, 2021, for hours “mere anarchy” was loosed upon the […]
Posted inOpinion
Line of fire
Our country’s celebrity obsession hit a new low earlier this month. If it please the court of readers, I’d like to submit these exhibits regarding the Lake Fire. Exhibit A: “The battle to save Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch from destructive Lake fire” is the headline for an LA Times July 12 feature-length piece. Exhibit B: […]