The great unused potential of the comic is baffling to me. Take the written word in all its nobility, beauty, and dexterity. Compound that with all of the visceral, emotional, and evocative qualities of the visual arts. Now put them in your transmogrifier and press the button. What you expect to get from the equation […]
Wham! Biff! Pow!
Posted inOpinion
Should California abolish the death penalty?
Joanna Martinez receptionist “They should be sentenced for life. It doesn’t teach anything to murder someone. Put it in the Lord’s hands, and let him judge them.” Stacy Wilson industrial sales “Each case is unique, but certain heinous crimes deserve the death penalty.” Travis Hanson student “It should not be abolished. But it should only […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Wine and art to benefit Arts Outreach
Fiddlehead Cellars recently announced “The Art of Fiddlehead,” a series of receptions for the palate and the palette, beginning on May 3. The series will benefit the nonprofit Arts Outreach while highlighting Fiddlehead wines and local artists. Series events will happen in the Fiddlehead barrel room in the Lompoc Wine Ghetto, 1597 E. Chestnut Ave., […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Folklorico!
Skirts twirling like colorful pinwheels and feet shuffling to the rhythmic beat of traditional Mexican folk music will fill the stage during Allan Hancock College’s annual FOLKLORICO! performance. The event is a collaboration between dancers from the college’s dance department, the college’s youth division, and the folklorico groups from Santa Maria, Pioneer, and Righetti high […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Steel is strong
The thought of a military band usually evokes images of rows of shimmering brass and sounds of lively marches a la John Philip Sousa. Rarely does one envision an electric light show, a full rock drum kit, and screaming guitar solos. But the United States Air Force Academy Band’s popular music ensemble Blue Steel aims […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Battle on
Santa Maria Civic Theatre wraps up its season with a few good laughs with Ed Simpson’s The Battle of Shallowford. Directed by Richard Dresp, the production fuses a slice-of-life look at the small town of Shallowford, N.C., and its residents, who live through the chaos following the broadcast of The War of the Worlds by […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Everything you wanted to know about sex*
“Grandma, where do babies come from?” The question was one I had been expecting, but not just yet. Mini-Brit was then only in kindergarten. Always an observant little fellow, he noticed that a classmate’s mother’s tummy was growing quite large. When he asked his schoolmate about it, she announced that her mommy was going to […]
Posted inFood & Drink
¡Felicidades El Pueblito!
A Santa Maria restaurant owner has good reason to be jubilant, and it’s not just this weekend’s Cinco de Mayo celebration. Feb. 27 marked El Pueblito Restaurante’s 15th anniversary. The Mexican restaurant opened for business in 1997, at the corner of South Blosser Road and Boone Street. “Fifteen years is a long time! We keep […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
On the roster
• Titan Classic Golf Tournament: A golf fundraiser for Nipomo High School Booster Club takes place May 12 at Monarch Dunes Golf Course. The event starts at 11 a.m. Sponsorship opportunities are available, ranging from $50 to $1,000. For more information, call the Nipomo High School office at 934-3030 or 474-3300, or visit nhstitans.org. Participants […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
West Coast Xtreme holds basketball clinics
California West Coast Xtreme Basketball Academy announced its “Skills and Drills” basketball clinic schedule for boys and girls in third through eighth grades. Clinics will be held May 8, 21, and 28 in the gymnasium at St. Joseph High School. Clinics for third to sixth graders will run from 7 to 8 p.m., and 8 […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Sign up for Orcutt youth basketball
Summer is just around the corner, and so is the Orcutt Youth Basketball program for second through sixth graders, hosted by the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Maria Valley. The six-game season runs June 18 to July 26, with all games held at Lakeview and Orcutt junior high schools. The cost is $50 for […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Polo fundraiser in the Valley
Central Coast residents can experience the thrill of polo in person at the inaugural Santa Ynez Valley Polo Classic on July 21. The event starts with a Junior Polo Team exhibition, followed by a match featuring several of the highest rated players in the world. It benefits People Helping People, a nonprofit organization celebrating its […]