The Santa Maria Arts Council will award a total of $10,000 this year to encourage and support the valley’s brightest emerging artists in dance, drama, music, and visual arts. First place awards are $1,500 and second place awards are $1,000. Applicants must have two years of residency and art study in the Santa Maria area, […]
Art gets recognized
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Spend time with the Wolf
The Santa Maria Philharmonic Orchestra will introduce 900 third-grade students to a performance of Peter and the Wolf under the direction of Maestro John Farrer on Feb. 16 at Pacific Christian Center. Peter and the Wolf is a composition by Sergei Prokofiev written in 1936 after his return to the Soviet Union. Dian Borad-Mirken will […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Still rocking the soul
The sound is rhythmic yet smooth and immediately prompts dancers to slide across the room to the dance floor. Then Soulamente’s lead singer grabs the microphone and belts out a jazzy song with a voice that comes from a deep dark somewhere hidden in the singer’s petite frame. It’s unexpected and totally irresistible, but that’s […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Mousetrap catches local audiences
Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap is the longest-running play in English-speaking theater. Its original London production got its start in 1952 and is still going today. But you don’t have to go all the way to England to unravel the secret of its success. You need look no further than Santa Maria Civic Theatre. Many of […]
Posted inNews
Love is in the air at Trilogy
Get in the mood for love and celebrate Valentine’s Day early this year with an evening of wine, roses, and general indulgence at Trilogy Central Coast’s Pre-Valentine’s Day Taste l’Amour on Feb. 11. Relax to the mellow sounds of Acoustico’s live music while perusing a variety of local vendors and artisans offering an eclectic selection […]
Posted inNews
Biodiesel buyers’ club hosts seminars
Central Coast residents interested in knowing more about biodiesel fuel are invited to attend a series of free seminars held by the Central Coast Biodiesel Buyers Club beginning Feb. 20. The club is a newly formed nonprofit dedicated to educating the public about the benefits of using bio-fuel. Margo Camilleri, chairman of the club formation […]
Posted inNews
Luncheon to discuss air quality
Recent developments in air quality management will be the topics of discussion at the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Business Development Committee luncheon on Feb. 16. As the luncheon’s guest speaker, Santa Barbara County’s Director/Air Pollution Control Officer Terry Dressler will talk about new state and federal climate protection regulations, strategies for reducing exposure […]
Posted inNews
Need help getting cash for college?
Throughout the month of February, Cuesta College and Allan Hancock College will be hosting free Cash for College Night events to help college-bound students apply for financial aid. Financial experts will be available at all of the workshops to assist students in filling out Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and Cal Grant forms. Assistance will also […]
Posted inNews
Santa Maria Valley YMCA now offers after-school child care
Beginning Feb. 15, the Santa Maria Valley YMCA, in partnership with the Santa Maria-Bonita School District, will be offering after-school care for kindergarteners at Robert Bruce Elementary School. The YMCA Kinderbridge program runs from after morning kindergarten class until 6 p.m., and includes homework time, a healthy snack, structured outdoor activities, games, and arts and […]
Posted inOpinion
Californians support offshore drilling–and more
The misguided liberal religious cult of environmentalists in California and their political supporters—like Lois Capps, Dianne Feinstein, Barbara Boxer, Pedro Nava, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, et al—do not speak for everyone in California. The majority of Californians support offshore drilling for oil. We also support such drilling in the Florida Everglades, the Gulf of Mexico, ANWR, […]
Posted inOpinion
Stop bickering and get the point on marriage
I am tired of hearing how gay marriage threatens family life (studies show only a third of families live the two-parent mom/dad model anymore), or how it has “always been this way” (read your damn Bible and early history, already). I am equally tired of seeing LGBT groups fruitlessly bang their heads against a wall […]
Posted inOpinion
Nipomo: Worry about gangs, not medicine
The Nipomo City Council should be more worried about gangs from L.A. that have invaded than someone from L.A who wants to bring relief to the infirm through a pot dispensary. Living on the Central Coast for the last 30 years has shown me Santa Maria and Nipomo are crime magnets, period—marijuana dispensary or not.