Local art enthusiasts and artists of all skill levels can reserve their space at an upcoming digital art workshop led by Nipomo-based painter and digital artist Fred Ventura. Hosted by the Morro Bay Art Association, the two-day workshop includes sessions on Saturday, March 9, and Saturday, March 16, from 1 to 3 p.m. both days, […]
Nipomo artist Fred Ventura leads digital art workshop in Morro Bay
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Political Watch: February 22, 2024
• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) urged House Republican leadership to bring the Senate-passed bipartisan national security supplemental aid bill to the floor for a vote, emphasizing its potential to meet the nation’s security challenges and help save lives in the short and long term, according to a Feb. 14 statement from his office. […]
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State gives Guadalupe flood protection baskets
Guadalupe has new tools at its disposal to help prevent flooding during winter storms, thanks to its partnership with Santa Barbara County. In 2023, historic rainfall caused the Santa Maria River to veer off its natural course—flooding Guadalupe’s Pioneer Street, the wastewater treatment plant, and farmland. After a months-long effort to get federal and state […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Great American Melodrama seeks short-term rentals for guest artists
As part of its goal in showcasing performing artists from around the country, the Great American Melodrama in Oceano is looking for local residents with an extra bedroom, ADU, or other spot to spare for short-term rentals. If “hosting artists while earning extra income sounds like a fantastic opportunity,” email stacy@americanmelodrama.com to be added to […]
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Lompoc project benefits from state density bonus
A local developer is on track to build more than a dozen two-story homes on a 3-acre tract in Lompoc, despite the proposal’s deviations from some city standards. Currently covered by dirt and weeds, the project site is an undeveloped parcel on the southeast corner of North V Street and West North Avenue. The planned […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Arroyo Grande High School’s Theatre Company performance of Silent Sky nets them a chance to perform at the International Thespian Festival
Next stop, Indiana Follow Arroyo Grande High School Theatre Company on Facebook or Instagram @aghstheatrecompany to find out how you can help the group get to its summer performance at the International Thespian Festival. The moment was almost four years in the making for one Arroyo Grande High School (AGHS) Theatre Company member. “I thought […]
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Mildew levels, lower demand affected local grapes in 2023
Spear Vineyards lost more than half its chardonnay crop and just under a quarter of its pinot noir crop to mildew, grower and owner Ofer Shepher told the Sun. “Unfortunately, with the weather patterns we had, not so much the rain but the lack of wind, we had a lot of mildew pressure,” Shepher said. […]
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Shifting services
California voters will vote on Proposition 1 in March, which could change local behavioral wellness program funding and structure. The multi-pronged legislation attempts to modernize the 2004 Mental Health Services Act (MHSA)—a personal income tax measure that established the current structure of county behavioral wellness programs—and add a $6.4 billion bond measure to build 10,000 […]
Posted inFood & Drink
World of Pinot Noir celebrates vintners’ varying approaches to making wine from the same grape
One grape to rule them all For more info on World of Pinot Noir, visit worldofpinotnoir.com. The Santa Barbara program will include various events to highlight local and visiting wineries between Feb. 29 and March 2. World of Pinot Noir will take place at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara, located at 8301 Hollister Ave., Santa Barbara. One […]
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Santa Barbara County’s Partners in Education is looking for Santa Maria professionals to help with job readiness program
Erika Terrazas participated in Partners in Education’s Job Readiness Training and Internship Program when she was in high school in 2010. And now, as the nonprofit’s program services manager, she’s recruiting professionals in Santa Maria to volunteer for the same job readiness program she did 14 years ago, she told the Sun. “From experience, it’s […]
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Political Watch: February 15, 2024
• The California Strategic Growth Council awarded Resilient Cuyama Valley $1.08 million in funding through the Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) Program, according to a Feb. 8 statement from Assemblymember Gregg Hart’s (D-Santa Barbara) office. The TCC Program funds community-led development and infrastructure projects that achieve major environmental, health, and economic benefits in California’s most disadvantaged […]
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Bob Nelson leads fundraising in 4th District race
Krishna Flores is going up against Bob Nelson in the Santa Barbara County 4th District supervisorial race with a little more than $2,000—$44,000 less than incumbent Nelson. “As a challenger running a true grassroots campaign, we never expected large sums of money, but we had a great plan to spend the money wisely and strategically,” […]