• Hey Obamans, check it out! On Aug. 21, the Democratic Club of Santa Maria Valley welcomes Obama District Campaign Coordinator Walter Heath, who will lead a discussion about the coordinated campaign for the Santa Maria Valley. Also, the draft of the local vision of the Democratic Platform will be presented. This work, recently crafted […]
Political Watch
Posted inNews
Celebrate the community’s big givers
The night was heavy and dark, but the 300 people attending the 89th Annual Installation and Awards Dinner at Elks Lodge No. 1538 could see nothing but the shining lights of the three award recipients on Aug. 13. The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce and Visitor & Convention Bureau—along with major sponsor BreitBurn Energy—ignited […]
Posted inNews
Correction
The Aug. 14 cover story, “You oughtta stay in pictures,” mistakenly reported some dollar amounts. Santa Barbara County Film Commissioner Geoff Alexander should have been quoted as saying that the movie industry is a $38 billion industry for the state and that companies filming car commercials usually spend $100,000 or more.
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Santa Maria battles congestion concerns at Kohl’s Shopping Center
Roadwork began Aug. 18 on the Kohl’s Shopping Center driveway intersection—a section of road that’s proved troublesome for Santa Maria drivers. Santa Maria city officials hired a contractor to improve vehicle access on McCoy Lane and modify roadway markings. The left turn access into and out of the commercial driveway to the Kohl’s Shopping Center […]
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Portions of Los Padres National Forest close due to fires
Several lightning-sparked fires in the area have caused the U.S. Forest Service to close a portion of the Los Padres National Forest in Northern Santa Barbara County. The “Lightning Complex Fires” started on Aug. 15 in a remote area of Los Padres National Forest, approximately 18 miles east of Santa Maria. As of press time, […]
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Stroll down memory lane with missiles at Vandenberg Air Force Base
On Aug. 18, in front of a crowd of more than 150 family members, airmen, and civilians, five men who worked on Vandenberg Air Force Base’s first-ever missile launch answered questions and reminisced about the Golden Age of missile defense systems. Darrell Cummings, Larry Newton, Dave Norlund, Dick Parker, and Phil Payne were the guests […]
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Searching for intelligent life
On Aug. 16 and 17, a handful of scientists and academics—accompanied by a crowd of several hundred people—descended on the Historic Santa Maria Inn. Their mission: to discuss and debate the existence of extraterrestrial life, alien or otherwise. Far from a top-secret military debriefing, the Central Coast Science and UFO Symposium welcomed people from different […]
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After-school programs circle the wagons
While the legal tussle between the governor and the state controller has been the most visible budget battle in recent days, another skirmish has been brewing beneath the threats of a lowered minimum wage and Superior Court proceedings. This lesser-known fight is still mostly saber rattling for now—and will likely remain so until California’s budget […]
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Locals seek to preserve the golden years
In 2006, Santa Maria resident Abigail Garcia went to visit an ailing friend of the family. The woman had been sick for some time and was living in a skilled nursing facility where she could receive around-the-clock medical care. The visit, though only about an hour long, made a powerful impact on Abigail, whose then-84-year-old […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Excuse me, could you spare a nickel or dime?
I used my second-grade math skills the other day, but somehow forgot to move a decimal point, resulting in my bank account being overdrawn. Whoops. For this act of stupidity, the bank awarded me with a charge (overdraft fee) for insufficient funds. The fee put my bank account further in the red. This process seems […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Arts Briefs
Get ready for an Orcutt Aquacenter poolside party Get one last summer swim in and help support the Orcutt Aquacenter from noon to 3 p.m. on Sept. 28 at the Foxenwood Tennis and Swim Club, 1087 Clubhouse Drive in Orcutt. The Aquacenter’s board of directors is hosting a poolside party and barbecue in celebration of […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
It’s all about heart
This is the story of a group of guys trying to make it big in rock’n’roll. It’s a story like a lot of other stories in a lot of other cities. It’s a story about young friends who are passionate about music, give up the comforts of a secure lifestyle, move in together, and devote […]