Ed. note: Longtime Sun friend John Ready recently talked his way into the 59th Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance event and brought back proof of his journey in the form of celebrity sightings, tales of classic cars, and plenty of chest-clutching swooning over the Benzs and Bugattis. While this annual event has come and gone, the […]
A cruise up the coast
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The rise of civilization
A wise man once said: “This is grain, which any fool can eat, but for which the Lord intended a more divine means of consumption … beer!” For all of recorded history, it’s been with us. Beer, in fact, may have been responsible for recorded history. According to Bryon Burch in his book, Brewing […]
Posted inOpinion
Who’s your favorite guitar player?
Gene Ortiz I &C technician “Eddie Van Halen. I like his type of music, but he’s just one on a long list of my favorites.” Kaylee Bondietti baker “Johnny Cash, because I’m living in a ‘Ring of Fire.’” Jeff Helms band director “Slash, because he was the first thing I thought of. I don’t really […]
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Strings and things
It wasn’t a dark and stormy night, but it was a dark and quiet theater. It was a large theater, as theaters go: 2,000 seats. In the middle of the cavernous space sat a man in a lonely black chair, his fingers plucking the nylon strings of his classical guitar. With each complicated movement of […]
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Political Watch 9-24
Getting a college education just got a lot more affordable. On Sept. 17, the House voted 253 to 170 to pass H.R. 3221, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA). The bill will reform the federal student loan system, saving taxpayers $87 billion and directing $10 billion of those savings back to the U.S. […]
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Community Notebook 9-24
MONDAY, SEPT. 28 • The Nipomo Community Advisory Council has its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Nipomo Community Services District Headquarters, 148 S. Wilson St., Nipomo. WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 3O • The City of Santa Maria Families for the First Decade Project, a group of individuals and agencies who organize programs for the Abel […]
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Hobnobbing with Helen
Tis the season for nonprofit walks in Waller Park. The American Heart Association held its yearly walk and fundraiser, blessed by perfect weather, on Saturday morning, Sept. 12. About 300 Heart Association supporters, many of them survivors of triple and quadruple bypass surgery, took part. I suspect there were a number of pacemakers and […]
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Waiting for a superman
With 35.5 million Americans suffering from hunger—33 percent of them children, and 125,000 of them local—we need a Superman. We can’t wait on him forever, though. So, in the meantime, Macy’s will come to the rescue by working to end domestic hunger. Macy’s, the mega-chain known for its Thanksgiving parade, will be partnering with […]
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Grants will keep locals in their homes
Homelessness is a problem every city deals with. There are countless groups and nonprofits around the country that serve a needy population by providing shelter, food, and other amenities to people who literally have nothing. And there are other groups that fight the problem from the other end, by aiming to prevent homelessness in […]
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Progress reports are out for area schools
Santa Maria’s high schools showed steady gains in language and math proficiency over the past year, while its elementary schools experienced more varied results, according to data released by the California Department of Education on Sept. 16. The state’s Growth Academic Performance Index charted performance from 2008 based on annual assessment tests: the Standardized […]
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Correction
In the Sun’s recent Best Of issue, the runner up for Best Massage Therapist was misidentified. The honor should have gone to Jainine Evers. News Briefs is compiled by Sun staffers from staff reporting and local and national media. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, e-mail, or mail.
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Volunteers keep Santa Barbara County’s waterways clean
On Sept. 19, residents up and down the Central Coast celebrated the 25th annual California Coastal Cleanup Day by collecting more than two tons of trash and recyclables, according to an announcement from the Santa Barbara County Public Works Department. A total of 687 volunteers cleaned 23 beaches and creeks in a three-hour period, […]