MONDAY, JULY 12 • 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, JULY 13 • The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has its regular meeting at 9 a.m. in the Betteravia Government Center’s […]
Community Notebook 07.08
Posted inNews
Women’s Fund distributes dollars
The Women’s Fund of Northern Santa Barbara County has awarded $120,000 to four local organizations committed to ensuring underprivileged women and children get a helping hand. “We are so pleased to be able to award grants to these amazing organizations doing important work serving the critical needs of women, children, and families in the North […]
Posted inNews
Whooping cough epidemic hits California
It started with a slight fever. Then a slight cough came on the little girl. It didn’t alarm her parents until they woke up early one morning to a sound they had never heard their daughter make. It was a hard cough that was different, coughs with little gasps or whoops in between. “It […]
Posted inNews
Killer adventure
Despite its rather ominous name, the killer whale isn’t a threat to humans—at least that’s the message educator and author Randall Eaton is trying to get out to the public. Eaton will be leading several expeditions to the San Juan Islands in Washington’s Puget Sound this summer to teach people about orca whales in their […]
Posted inNews
Correction
The Sun misprinted the name and subsequent information of a woman featured in last week’s Streetwise. Alice McGonigal is a San Luis Obispo Symphony and Santa Maria Philharmonic musician, who said, “I am a musician and will be participating in a musical ensemble playing marches and other songs for the birth of our country.” News […]
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Local vineyard wins top honor
Santa Maria’s Bien Nacido Vineyards has been named the 2010 California Vineyard of the Year. The California Exposition and State Fair planned to officially recognize the vineyard at the 15th annual California’s Grape and Gourmet event on July 7 in Sacramento. Each year, the Vineyard of the Year title goes to a California vineyard that […]
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Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce Dudley reveals plan to restructure office
Newly sworn-in Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce Dudley is cleaning house. In a July 2 message to office staff members, Dudley announced that rather than appointing a new chief assistant district attorney, she will use the funds to create three new focus divisions. The leaders of these units will report to Dudley directly. The […]
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Proposed sales tax increase to fund North County jail appears headed for ballot
A countywide half-percent sales tax increase intended to fund the construction and operation of a new North County jail in Santa Maria will likely be decided by voters this November. The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors on July 6 unanimously approved moving forward with a revised version of a ballot measure initially proposed by […]
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Federal grants help keep local firefighters up to date
The Santa Maria Fire Department is getting a much-needed upgrade. On July 2, U.S. Congresswoman Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) announced the city’s fire services received a $97,100 grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant program. The grant will go toward the purchase of thermal imaging cameras and crew development training. […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Get dancing
Warm up your feet: The annual Obon Festival is fast approaching. Dance practice, in preparation for the event, runs Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m., culminating with the July 25 festival at the Veteran’s Memorial Building, 313 W. Tunnell, Santa Maria. Send items for consideration to scone@santamariasun.com..
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Shapes and shadows
Branch-like hands reach across fields of light. Silhouetted jellyfish float upward. Tiger-headed women stare at viewers from blue-green forests. Imagine Wine and Art Gallery in Santa Ynez will feature the artwork of Santa Ynez artist Karina Puente, who’s exhibited her artwork around the country and internationally. She’s also part of the artistic directing team that […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Digital disaster
To get away from the 90-degree summer heat, my wife and I escaped to Las Vegas, only to find 108-degree extreme heat. We still haven’t figured out that thing, what do they call it? Climate? But what can I say, even though it’s in the desert, we still love The Vegas. Where else can you […]