For people who are homeless, getting out of jail can sometimes prove to be more of a problem than a relief. An ongoing lack of local facilities and services for homeless people with mental illness, chronic alcoholism, or substance abuse problems has turned jail into the largest de facto in-patient psychiatric and detox facility in […]
From jail to new beginnings
Posted inNews
A gift that keeps pedaling
While approaching Main Street Cycles, I was surrounded by bikes and smiling children. And the kids were smiling for good reason: They were the new owners of the bikes, courtesy of the Good Samaritan Shelter, Team Tailwinds, Main Street Cycles, and generous donations from throughout the community. The program (this is the first year it’s […]
Posted inNews
Santa Barbara County Fire Department lifts ban on permitted burning
Low-risk fire season has officially begun, according to a recent announcement from the Santa Barbara County Fire Department. The transition to a “low fire-preparedness level” means the ban on permitted burning in designated areas within the jurisdiction of Santa Barbara County has been lifted. As a result, fire department officials said, smoke may be visible […]
Posted inNews
Marian Medical Center lauded for its diabetes education
The American Diabetes Association has recognized Marian Medical Center’s Diabetes Education Center for exceeding national standards for diabetes self-management education. The only one of its kind in Northern Santa Barbara County, Marian’s diabetes education program received the same recognition in 2006. And according to the ADA, it continues to excel in providing excellent diabetes management […]
Posted inNews
Santa Maria police still search for answers in fatal stabbing
The Santa Maria Police Department is reaching out to community members to help them solve the recent homicide of a Santa Maria man. Eighteen-year-old Erik Alonso was stabbed to death earlier this month. On Dec. 18, the police department’s gang suppression team arrested a handful of suspects after receiving information that fights and/or a possible […]
Posted inNews
Lompoc activists look to block Walmart expansion
The Christmas season usually brings glad tidings to retailers, but a local activist group is intent on putting a wrap on Walmart’s wishes of super-sizing a store in Lompoc. Receiving a monetary boost from the nonprofit Fund for Santa Barbara, a grassroots campaign calling itself Citizens Against Walmart Expansion (CAWE) is ramping up efforts to […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Christmas card detective
This time of year, my mailbox fills up with lots of Christmas joy and a little bit of Christmas anxiety. The joy comes from the many Christmas cards I receive from long-lost friends and can’t-seem-to-get-lost family. I love seeing pictures of my friends and their growing kids. I like knowing I’m not the only one […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Enjoy rug-hooking and hot chocolate
Cozying up with music and a coffee and Kahlua. Reading a book with eggnog and brandy. Maybe enjoying hot chocolate and peppermint Schnapps and a little rug-hooking. Such were the ideas behind C Gallery’s latest class. Suzanne Sattler will instruct a cozy workshop on Jan. 23 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the gallery […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Music students hit a high note
The Central Coast Music Teachers Association recently held its 20th annual fall auditions. Out of a total of 35 participating students, 23 received the highest rating of “5,” qualifying them to play at the CAPMT Northern Festival in Danville on Jan. 23, 2010, or at the upcoming CAPMT conference on Feb. 6, 2010, in the […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Daytripper: Santa Barbara and Solvang
Having a wedding anniversary in the middle of the holidays isn’t ideal, but it was definitely planned. As with most of the things my husband and I plan in our lives, however, it doesn’t make much sense. The holidays are the busiest time of the year—what with travel and shopping and planning—and this year, in […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Programmed for success
When it comes to significant moments in recent musical history, the current record-breaking U2 360° Tour must surely rank right up there near the top. So must performing at both the Lincoln Memorial for the inauguration of the 44th U.S. president and a succession of Grammy Award ceremonies. Bruce Springsteen’s reunion tour with the E […]
Posted inOpinion
Pull together to support AgJOBS
The year 2010 will bring the AgJOBS bill sponsored by California Sen. Dianne Feinstein before Congress, which in turn will have a profound effect on the economy of the Central Coast—and in particular the coastal valleys such as the Salinas Valley and the Santa Maria Valley, where farmers harvest labor intensive crops. As we all […]