THE LOMPOC VALLEY HISTORICAL SOCIETY presents a Victorian Christmas event at the historic Fabing-McKay-Spanne House Dec. 20 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the house in Lompoc. Info: lompochistory.org or 735-4626. RIVERBENCH WINERY features wine and Christmas cookie pairings Dec. 20 through 24 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the winery, 6020 Foxen Canyon […]
SPECIAL EVENTS
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
The Sun takes you sailing!
Let’s get one thing clear right off the bat: Sailing is a sport. No, it’s not like rugby, say, or competitive foosball. But still. The Olympics and America’s Cup all say it’s a sport. You wouldn’t want to make the America’s Cup angry, would you? Our sport even comes with a rulebook. Chapman Piloting and […]
Posted inNews
Hobnobbing with Helen
It’s easy to love the little town of Guadalupe, and even easier to be totally enamored of the Dunes Center on its main street, also known as Highway 1. Situated in a lovingly restored, cozy, Craftsman-style cottage with a fireplace, the Dunes Center is dedicated to preserving the local ecosystem and educating the public […]
Posted inNews
Community Corner
The Central Coast Rescue Mission in Santa Maria will be hosting its holiday dinner and giving away toys for children in need as part of the Tubs of Love drive on Dec. 18. The dinner and toy giveaway will take place at the Veterans Memorial building at 313 W. Tunnel. Joyce Nix, who’s been with […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Shepard Hall Gallery seeks artists
The Santa Maria Public Library Shepard Hall Gallery is calling for artists to submit work for consideration for monthly exhibitions. Work will be juried, and selected artists will exhibit for one month at a time. An application and guidelines are available at the city’s website at ci.santa-maria.ca.us. The deadline for submission is Jan. 16 at […]
Posted inNews
Get your jiu jitsu at a new location
Paragon MMA and Fitness Academy (formerly West Coast Martial Arts) recently moved into its new home: a 7,300 square-foot facility at 4869 Bradley Road in Orcutt. The academy offers Brazilian jiu jitsu, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and conditioning classes, as well as a full cardio and weight area for adult members. Kids ages 3 to […]
Posted inNews
Local economic ventures will launch soon
On Dec. 16, Women’s Economic Ventures graduated a class of 82 Santa Barbara County residents, 17 of whom celebrated at a ceremony in Santa Maria. The class members were fresh from 14 weeks of lessons in finance, leadership skills, marketing, and more, courtesy of the organization’s Self-Employment Training program. The graduates are now poised to […]
Posted inNews
The Trujillo legacy
Leo Trujillo is leaving the Santa Maria City Council this month, and one of his greatest legacies to the people of Santa Maria will be toilets. “I was instrumental in making sure we had permanent restrooms installed in all the city’s parks,” Trujillo said during an interview with the Sun. “We planned to do about […]
Posted inNews
Political Watch
• On Dec. 10, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously approved legislation co-authored by U.S. Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) and U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-W. Va.). The Short-term Analog Flash and Emergency Readiness Act (SAFER) allows for the short-term continued analog broadcast of essential information after the Feb. 18, 2009, nationwide transition to digital […]
Posted inNews
Santa Maria-Bonita superintendent set to retire
On Dec. 19, David Francis will have his last working day as superintendent of the Santa Maria-Bonita School District, though he’ll retire officially on Dec. 31. He will be succeeded by Assistant Superintendent Phillip Alvarado. Francis started as the superintendent of the district in July 1999. Before coming to the district, he spent seven years […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Set in stone
People don’t see religious miracles every day, but in everyday life, small miracles happen all the time. When Anders Johnson—a Santa Barbara man of no religious persuasion—was inspired to build a tribute to the Virgin of Guadalupe in the city of Guadalupe, it may not have been a Vatican-classified miracle, but it was a blessing […]
Posted inOpinion
Don’t kill a tree this season
Christmas. ’Tis the season, so they say. Many folks begin their celebrations by killing a beautiful five- to 10-year-old tree and propping up the corpse in their living room to watch it shrivel and dry. Oh, what fun, and fa la la la. Macabre? Indeed. “What a beautiful tree,” friends say. “Yep, I cut it […]