On March 4, students, teachers, and even some parents papered local streets and schools with flyers urging supporters to defend education funding from even more drastic cuts. Local members of the California Teachers Association held signs and passed out informational pamphlets to parents as they dropped their children off at several Santa Maria and Orcutt […]
Local schools band together in defense of education funding
Posted inNews
Santa Barbara Bank celebrates 50 years
Santa Barbara Bank and Trust, the largest regional community bank in Santa Barbara County, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Louis Lancaster, Reuben Irvin, and Ralph Raddue founded the bank in 1960. The trio established the first branch at 20 East Carrillo St. in Santa Barbara, which now serves as the bank’s main branch. […]
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Game over for MotionZ
After more than five years operating in Santa Maria’s Town Center mall, laser tag and family entertainment center MotionZ will close its doors for good on March 28. Mary Alice and George Majoue opened MotionZ in November 2004 to provide an environment for families and teens to enjoy themselves. The entertainment center had been slated […]
Posted inNews
Expand your psychic horizons
Enlightenment, a new spirituality shop in Santa Maria, will be celebrating its grand opening with courses in psychic development on March 20. The store will be offering half-off discounts of $150 for four classes. Attendees will learn how to attune their spirit through direct messages from loved ones and through enhanced psychic meditation and to […]
Posted inNews
Santa Maria Saints win one jazzy award
Sound the trumpets—or, rather, saxophones: Santa Maria High School advanced jazz ensemble won first place at the 27th annual Central Coast Jazz Festival, held on Feb. 27 at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo. The Santa Maria Saints also won Best Saxophones, Best Trombones, Best Trumpets, and Best Rhythm Section; and Luke Rodriguez won Best […]
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Hancock instructor wins award for education excellence
For the second year in a row, an Allan Hancock College instructor has received the prestigious California Community College Association for Occupational Education Excellence in Teaching Award. This year, the honor went to Julie Kuras, the college’s nursing assistant programs coordinator and health sciences department chair. A nurse and educator for almost 30 years, Kuras […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Alex Grandy
Pioneer Valley wrestler Alex Grandy is ready for his close-up. By virtue of a fourth place finish in the state finals in Bakersfield on March 6, Grandy qualified for the prestigious National Wrestling Championships. The senior won five of seven matches at state, punching his ticket to Virginia Beach for March 25 to 28. “I […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Training day
You can tell which athletes are driven. They’re the ones out there on the field, day in and day out, even in the rain, getting every last ounce of effort from their bodies. More often these days, players who want to go the extra mile can turn to strength and conditioning coaches to get the […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Fish for trout in Cachuma
The Cachuma Lake Nature Center is getting ready for its big event of the year, the 15th annual Trout Derby on April 17 and 18. For those who want to fine tune their fishing skills, the center is holding an Adult Fishing Workshop on March 20 from 8:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The cost is […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Swim laps in Lompoc
If you love water and are looking for a relaxing and strengthening way to work out, the Lompoc Aquatic Center has lap swims available for a small fee. Enjoy the center’s indoor recreation and competition pools and relax after a stressful day at work. The program is geared toward adults; youth participation is allowed, but […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Try Tri-For-Fun
Always wanted to do a triathlon but don’t know where to start? The Santa Maria Valley YMCA is gearing up for its annual Tri-For-Fun triathlon on April 24. The event gives first timers a chance to complete their first triathlon and is a way to kick off the season for the experienced tri-athlete. The Tri-For-Fun […]
Posted inOpinion
Show Democrats the door in November
Obama and the Left are failing at every turn, yet they complain that Conservatives only criticize and never offer solutions. Interesting, considering they themselves are the undeniable masters of criticism and their only solutions involve unprecedented spending, massive deficits, ruinous debt, and higher taxes. Blinded by their ideology and hatred of all things Conservative, these […]