Stage Scene L.A., which reviews performing arts, recently recognized PCPA’s 2009 Summer Season with 11 awards. Editor Steven Stanley reviewed 256 eligible productions throughout L.A. and surrounding areas—including Solvang—between Sept. 1, 2008, and Aug. 31, 2009. PCPA’s awards include Best Director for Roger DeLaurier for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Les […]
PCPA gets recognized
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Marking memories
This month marks the 80th anniversary of the stock market crash that many people believe kicked off the Great Depression. With the current economy in a recession, parallels abound. But though there may be similarities between now and then, some say the Great Depression was an event like no other. “People just don’t realize […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
A cruise up the coast
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 […]
Posted inNews
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 […]
Posted inNews
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 […]
Posted inNews
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. […]
Posted inNews
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 […]
Posted inNews
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 […]
Posted inNews
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 […]
Posted inNews
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 […]
Posted inNews
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 […]