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 […]
Hobnobbing with Helen
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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
Posted inOpinion
Invalidate all civil marriages?
My friend Ginger is 72 years old. Ginger suffered from back pain for quite some time and doctors recently found tumors in her spine. We all were concerned it was a recurrence of her previous cancer. While undergoing tests, Ginger reflected on her life. She shared that the one thing she always wanted but never […]
Posted inOpinion
Go ahead: Eliminate cement from your life
Regarding the “evil of cement” letter (“Cement is threatening life on Earth,” Dec. 4): People who espouse views can gain credibility by living those views. They tend to lose it when they want others to live as they direct but will not share in the same lifestyle. May I suggest that the writer do the […]