The C Gallery in Los Alamos is launching its third annual fall group show. The themed show is “Circles and Sticks,” the most elemental of forms. Artists are invited to submit works in all media Oct. 20 through Oct. 23. The show will open to the public on Oct. 30. “Circles and Sticks” will share […]
Call for circles and sticks
Lenses squared
[image-4] The Santa Barbara County Arts Commission is presenting “6×6: A Photographic Exploration” at the Betteravia Gallery through Oct. 22. Curated by Steven Lewis, a retired art faculty member from Allan Hancock College, the exhibition features work by photographers who create square images. Featured artists include David Passage, Karen Carson, Tim Webb, Lynn Andrews, David […]
When life hands you clams …
If you’ve been looking for a copy of Luther Whiteman’s Central Coast classic The Face of the Clam, you should know you could expect to shell out at least $148. The book, originally published by Random House in 1947, enjoyed a second printing after its initial release: an edition printed by the military during the […]
Political Watch 09.09
• Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.) was recently on the Central Coast to talk about “text4baby” (text4baby.org), a free mobile information service that offers health information to pregnant women and new moms, who can use the service until their baby is a year old. It also sends a toll free number to women using the service […]
Community Notebook 09.09
MONDAY, SEPT. 13 The Santa Maria City Block Grants Advisory Committee has its regular meeting at 5:30 p.m. in the City Hall Conference Room, 110 E. Cook St., Santa Maria. TUESDAY, SEPT. 14 • The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has its regular meeting at 9 a.m. in the Betteravia Government Center’s Board […]
Hobnobbing With Helen
A sun-drenched afternoon on a lovely hillside patio. Stupendous views. Music floating over the buzz of the crowd. Ice-cold Chardonnay and just-right-temperature Pinot Noir. Desserts rich with chocolate. Tempting morsels. All this was part of Central Coast Altrusa’s fourth annual Chocolate Delight afternoon affair, held on Sunday, Aug. 29, from 1 to 4 p.m. at […]
Cafeteria boot camp shapes up workers and menus
When students went to the cafeteria for lunchtime in the old days, they pretty much looked forward to it only because it wasn’t class. The Santa Maria Bonita School District recently revamped its menu through intensive boot camps for its food service cooks, so it’s all about the food now. About 30 lunch ladies and […]
Fire departments honor 9/11
This Sept. 11 marks the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. In remembrance of the tragedy, the Santa Barbara County Fire Department will hold a ceremony on Sept. 11 at its headquarters at 4410 Cathedral Oaks Road in Santa Barbara. The event starts at 9 a.m. Fire Chief Michael W. Dyer will give a brief […]
Changes to sign ordinance will head to Planning Commission
Revisions to an ordinance regarding sandwich boards and other temporary signs for Santa Maria businesses will go to the city’s Planning Commission before City Council members can decide how to proceed, city planners said. According to the city’s community development director, Larry Appel, a planning panel must review the proposed amendments before they go to […]
Conoco-Phillips agrees to clean up Nipomo oil spill
More than seven years after a spill was first discovered, oil giant Conoco-Phillips has agreed to excavate and clean up the 300-foot oil spill from the Nipomo Creek Pipeline near the Dana Adobe. The spill was discovered in the subsurface of the creek in May 2003, the result of a leak in a crude oil […]
Cabrillo High teachers stay home during student’s return to class
Nearly half of Cabrillo High School’s teachers skipped work on Sept. 2, the day of the return of a student allegedly involved in a physical altercation with the school’s head basketball coach, Gary West. A total of 29 of the school’s 65 teachers stayed out that morning, citing “personal necessity” time, according to Lompoc Unified […]
Study: Organic strawberries are better
Organic strawberries are not only more nutritious than their conventionally grown counterparts, but in some cases, they taste better, too. That’s according to a study conducted by Washington State University researchers and released on Sept. 2. The study, which the researchers called the most comprehensive of its kind, analyzed soil properties and quality of three […]

