Need to improve your concentration and sense of personal peace? Allan Hancock College Community Education is offering a free summer tai chi and chi gung class that will meet every Wednesday, June 16 through Aug. 4, from 3 to 4:55 p.m. in the dance studio at the rear of the Lompoc Civic Auditorium, on Cypress […]
Get your chi on
Posted inNews
Graduating from the workforce
On May 25, Allan Hancock College employees honored more than 20 of their peers who are set to retire this year at a special reception on the Santa Maria campus. According to college officials, this year’s retirees have contributed a total of 541 years of service to the college. The most senior retirees are electronics […]
Posted inOpinion
Pay attention to the breadwinners
The fundamental flaw in the Santa Barbara County budget crisis is that the Board of Supervisors has been in denial for the past three years. They ignore their money problems that, they, themselves, have caused by allowing out-of-control spending of the public money. The board will claim they have a balanced budget as they pop […]
Posted inOpinion
Environmentalists have oil on their hands, too
If you are an environmentalist, member of the Sierra Club, or liberal Democrat, you are partly responsible for the BP oil spill in the gulf. Had you allowed the oil companies to drill onshore in the lower 48 and offshore in shallow waters in California and Alaska, they would not have been forced to go […]
Posted inOpinion
Fewer beach campers would bring in more money
Off-roaders and campers on our beach and dunes do not bring to our community as much money as the off-road industry and state bureaucrats make us believe. Most tourists camping on the beach eat non-expensive food usually brought from home or bought at big local grocery stores that don’t need the off-roaders to make money […]
Posted inOpinion
Why inaction in the face of a threat?
Let’s see if I have this straight. Vehicle traffic in the Oceano Dunes has destroyed a natural crust that keeps tiny silica particles (10 micron and smaller) from blowing into inhabited areas in large quantities. When these particles are breathed in, they remain in the lungs and cause serious problems, some leading to death. The […]
Posted inOpinion
Another market would be great
As a new, yet still part time, resident of the beautiful Central Coast, I look forward to as many farmers’ markets as I can visit, mostly on the weekends. I look forward to Saturday’s experience in Arroyo Grande, but it would be wonderful to have the Spencer’s market location in Orcutt for delectable produce. It […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Central Coast food fun
A hearty appetite knows no season, but the long days of summer, laced with mouthwatering aromas from hundreds of busy barbecues, do tend to send tastebuds into overdrive. Fortunately, here in the heart of Santa Barbara County wine country, chefs and food purveyors offer plenty of creative options for locals looking to quiet those pesky […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Grab a chair – or create one
Los Alamos merchants are pulling out the chairs for the inaugural Chair Faire—which they hope will become an annual event—from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on July 31. The chairs will line the sidewalks of Los Alamos for display. Artisans and chair owners can show any type of chair, but artistically inclined folks are especially […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
PCPA goes to the dogs
This summer, PCPA will unleash a tale that takes the term “animal lover” to a whole new level. Greg brings home a dog, bearing only the name “Sylvia” on her nametag, from the park and finds an escape from the frustrations of his job and the emotions that come with middle age. Sylvia (Stephanie Philo) […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Discovery Museum is looking for members
The Discovery Museum’s 2010 Summer Membership Drive is underway. So it can offer free memberships or program discounts to needy families, the museum needs to recruit 200 new members by June 30, which would help the museum offer memberships to 10 families facing difficult economic times. A family membership costs $85 and includes two adults […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
The orderly
Sometimes I am completely retarded. I know, I know, that isn’t a very politically correct thing to say anymore. But when it comes to doing very simple tasks—for instance ordering something to eat at a restaurant—I fit the definition of being retarded quite well. Webster (the dictionary, not the African-American kid with all the personality […]