In the wake of the La Brea Fire and the raging Station Fire near Los Angeles, county fire officials are urging residents to take steps to help prevent the next blaze from becoming a monster. About a quarter of the Los Padres National Forest’s 2 million acres has burned in the past several years, […]
Keeping one step ahead of the flames
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Hanging up his helmet
Fighting fires has always been in Santa Maria Fire Chief Frank Ortiz’s blood—whether he knew it or not. When the Sacramento native graduated from high school in 1976, his father—a local fire chief—suggested that his son sign up as a volunteer in his department. Unbeknownst to Ortiz, that position started a lifelong career as […]
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There will be dunes
ConocoPhillips’ Santa Maria facility recently donated $30,000 to the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center. The center provides in-class and after-school environmental science education focused on the delicate Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes ecosystem, which stretches from Pismo Beach to Point Sal. The center also offers after-school and summer programs to local youth through the Boys and Girls Club. […]
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Congresswoman Lois Capps co-hosted town hall meetings
Central Coast residents joined the rest of the country on Sept. 2 and 3 in attending town hall meetings to discuss a public health insurance option. On Sept. 2, U.S. Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) met with her fellow Santa Barbarans at First Methodist Church on Anapamu Street. The next day, Capps traveled to […]
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Quilt while you’re ahead
See more than 130 quilts on display at the 2009 Garden Party Quilt show, set for Sept. 26 and 27 at the Anderson Recreation Center, 125 W. Walnut Ave., in Lompoc from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission costs $5 per person. There will […]
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Meet artists at Town Center Gallery
The Town Center Gallery will host its next artist reception on Sept. 18 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. This month’s reception will include a silent auction. In addition, all of the contributing artists will introduce themselves and briefly speak about their background in the world of art, their medium, and other tidbits. Some of the […]
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Mural towns
How did a mural on the side of Santa Maria’s Chamber of Commerce building end up in a book? It was all the doing of author Kevin Bruce, inspired by his admiration of muralist John Pugh and his fascination with small-town murals. Not that Pugh created the Santa Maria mural depicting Broadway circa the […]
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On the other side
It can be a shadow-casting ray of light or an interesting accessory that catches her eye. It could be a combination of objects. Whatever it is that inspires Minnie Anderson, she strives to perfectly recreate that moment of inspiration in her paintings. Her realism, especially in portraits of people, is a practice in discipline. […]
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Partner up your business
Nonprofit organizations and businesses alike can learn how to connect, network, and benefit from local partnerships and philanthropy at the Nonprofit Support Center’s Community Outreach Roundtable on Sept. 29. The event’s special guest will be Laura Webster, project coordinator for Driscoll’s Philanthropy. Webster has been with Driscoll’s for three years, generating programs and support for […]
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Beat the heat at DQ
In time for summer’s swan song, the Santa Maria Town Center got a whole lot sweeter, welcoming Dairy Queen to its renovated food court. The confectionery chain is teaming up with Orange Julius in a new joint store, bringing along its menu of signature Blizzards and cakes, complete with layers of chocolate and vanilla […]
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Mall welcomes a kid-friendly salon
Getting a child into a barbershop can be a chore, but that’s not the case with Whipper Snippers, the newest addition to the Santa Maria Town Center. The full-service salon specializes in children’s trend-setting styles, and comes equipped with fun styling chairs. Each station is outfitted with video games and movies, and kids can […]
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County exhibit claims top awards
A California State Fair exhibit promoting Santa Barbara County’s agriculture and tourism industries—the first all-county exhibit to do so in more than 10 years—won the fair’s Gold award and Best Marketing award. This year, 35 of 58 counties entered exhibits, and judges selected the county as a blue ribbon recipient and winner of one […]
