Dance the night away Get your dancing shoes on and foxtrot over to Santa Maria Dance Days. The event is a series of dances to be held Nov. 14 to 16 at the Santa Maria Inn. Dancers can sign up for a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday pass—or for all three days. Workshops include waltz, bolero, […]
Arts Briefs
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
A growing garden
Alan Riggle stared out of his window in Cambria. As he gazed at his tree-covered property stretching out before him, he had an idea. The abstract sculptor usually makes pieces that end up in television shows, movies, and car commercials, but for once the nature that surrounded him also inspired him. “I thought, ‘This stuff […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Saying goodbye
The David Ryan Gallery in Old Orcutt, one of the few remaining art galleries in the Santa Maria area, is set to hang its last piece of art. The gallery will close by the end of December. The decision wasn’t an easy one for owners Ron and Terri Thatcher. The gallery was never about making […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Approach the Bench
Los Olivos, once a sleepy country village where dogs lounged in the middle of the road, has matured into a wine-centric burg with a main drag wryly known among locals as “tasting room row.” In mid-summer, the number of tasting rooms doing business along Grand Avenue—the two blocks that constitute downtown—totaled 16. On Oct. 9, […]
Posted inNews
Local students get a chance for grant money
High school students building remote-controlled submarine robots and third graders learning about bats are just two examples of ways in which grant money from an education initiative is being used to encourage local students to choose careers in math and science. The Education Collaborative, an outreach program of the Society of Petroleum Engineers of Santa […]
Posted inNews
Brooks Institute celebrates Emmy wins
Faculty member Tracy Trotter of Trotter Productions and Brooks Institute alumnus Stephen McGee recently brought home a couple of Emmy awards. Trotter won his Emmy as the director of photography for his public service announcement, “Voter.” The announcement is currently showing in the Los Angeles area. McGee won his third Emmy for his project, “40 […]
Posted inNews
Classical KUSC comes to the Central Coast
The most listened to public radio station in the Los Angeles area is expanding its service to the Central Coast, starting in early 2009, according to station president Brenda Barnes. “We are very pleased to bring our all-classical format to the Central Coast. KUSC has recently been ranked by Arbitron as the most listened to […]
Posted inNews
It’s a last-minute chance to receive loans for Gap Fire losses
Nov. 6, the same day this issue of the Sun came out, is the last day to fax in paperwork for an Economic Injury Loan from the Small Business Administration (SBA). On Nov. 6, the county is sending in the paperwork for local businesses that lost revenue during the Gap Fire. The Economic Injury Disaster […]
Posted inNews
Political Watch
The Human Rights Campaign recently recognized U.S. Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) for her support of issues important to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender communities (LGBT). “I am pleased to receive this recognition for my efforts to fight for equality for all Americans,” Capps said in a press release. “All Americans will benefit when […]
Posted inNews
What Kids are Reading
Marveltown by Bruce McCall recommended for ages 5 to 8 Marveltown is a gleaming, retro-futuristic city of wonder. Flying vehicles soar over, under, and around suspended roads and improbable towering buildings. Daredevil antics, such as sky-skiing and elevated marlin fishing, are commonplace. And every Saturday, all of the kids in the town get access to […]
Posted inNews
For troops, care packages really are service with a smile
On Oct. 25, members of Altrusa of Santa Maria met at the Santa Maria Post Office with Si Tenenberg to ship 49 boxes of supplies to U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. Altrusa of Santa Maria members donated boxes of supplies and spent a morning at Tenenberg’s home packing and labeling the boxes. Fundraising efforts […]
Posted inNews
Hobnobbing with Helen
Be still my heart! A bevy of dashing, charming male waiters tended to milady’s wine and food needs on Oct. 23 at the Santa Maria Country Club. Domestic Violence Solutions (DVS) activist Peggy Blough and friends hatched the idea for this first-time event. It was billed as “Santa Maria Men Against Domestic Violence Present Girls’ […]