Central Coast pet stores offer gifts and treats for locals’ furry friends or scaly babies this holiday season By Taylor O’Connor Stocking stuffers for the music lover in your life By Adrian Vincent Rosas Read the entire issue here!
Last Minute Gift Guide 2023
Posted inFood & Drink
A Santa Barbara County-based project aims to research the native plant and its local economic prospects
With the help of nearly $5 million in federal funding, a Santa Barbara County elderberry farming experiment kicked off in November, aiming to make the locally grown medicinal plant more widely available on the West Coast. Spearheaded by the White Buffalo Land Trust, a regenerative farming-focused nonprofit founded in Summerland five years ago, the project […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
BINGEABLE: Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence
Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence What’s it rated? Not rated When? 2023 Where’s it showing? Hulu When you send your kids off to college, you worry about the normal things: Will they eat anything besides candy and french fries for the next four years? Was that a beer bong you saw the […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
NEW FLICKS: May December
May December What’s it rated? R When? 2023 Where’s it showing? Netflix This is showing up on many critics’ best picture list, and for good reason: The performances are absolutely mesmerizing. The story focuses on a couple—Gracie Atherton (Julianne Moore) and Joe Yoo (Charles Melton)—whose notorious romance was tabloid fodder in 1992 when Gracie was […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Leave the World Behind drips with tension and dread
Leave the World Behind What’s it rated? R What’s it worth, Glen? Full price What’s it worth, Anna? Full price Where’s it showing? Netflix Co-writer and director Sam Esmail (Comet, Homecoming, Mr. Robot) helms this thriller about a cyberattack. The story focuses on the Sandfords—mom Amanda (Julia Roberts), dad Clay (Ethan Hawke), and kids Rose […]
Posted inNews
Mesa Pines in Arroyo Grande grows affordable, native Christmas trees
In rural Arroyo Grande, a mulit-generational family-owned farm specializes in selling native Central Coast trees for Christmas at a reduced price to help SLO County families have a budget-friendly holiday season. Mesa Pines is run by Erin Riffle and his family who only plant and sell Monterey Pines to support California’s native plant life—and because […]
Posted inNews
Political Watch: December 14, 2023
• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) announced on Dec. 8 $1 million in investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support improved passenger rail options for Central Coast residents. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which passed in November 2021, authorized the creation of a new rail program to support development of improved intercity passenger rail. […]
Posted inNews
Rescue Mission Alliance Central Coast launches its first women’s recovery program
While Rescue Mission Alliance Central Coast has been running a men’s recovery program for the past several years, there wasn’t an option for women, said Director Chris Rutledge. “Within our organization, we know there’s a demand for it, and we don’t currently have residential services for women,” Rutledge said. “During my time since 2017, we […]
Posted inNews
Political Watch: December 7, 2023
• Assemblymember Gregg Hart (D-Santa Barbara) and State Sen. Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara) presented a $750,000 check for the Santa Barbara County Fire Department to purchase a marine rescue boat, according to a Nov. 28 statement from Hart’s office. “The Conception dive boat disaster and numerous environmental emergencies have underscored the importance of enhancing emergency […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Woodin You Like to Party caters local events, gets festive with holiday charcuterie boards
Party invite Call (805) 868-1858 or visit woodinyouliketoparty.com to find out more about Woodin You Like to Party, a Santa Maria-based event planning and charcuterie company. Complimentary home deliveries of charcuterie orders are available to residents of the Santa Maria Valley area, while a delivery fee applies to customers in other cities along the Central […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
NEW FLICKS: Albert Brooks: Defending My Life
Albert Brooks: Defending My Life What’s it rated? R When? 2023 Where’s it showing? Max Albert Brooks really hit my radar when I saw him in Broadcast News (1987) as the smart but uncharismatic TV news reporter Aaron Altman. Yes, I first saw him in Taxi Driver (1976), but he’s so good at playing a […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
NEW FLICKS: The Boy Who Lived
The Boy Who Lived What’s it rated? Not rated When? 2023 Where’s it showing? Max To say I’m a bit of a fanatic for all things Harry Potter (besides, that is, the author herself these days) rings true, so a film produced by Daniel Radcliffe that dives back into the time of filmmaking is a […]