Just two years ago, Ashley Moody, 17, was the No. 1 girl in her age group at BMX racing. Then she took a year off to help build the new Santa Maria BMX off-road bicycle track behind the Elks Rodeo Arena. If that seems like a waste of time for a top rider, she doesn’t […]
Athlete of the Week
Posted inOpinion
What was the last thing you bought?
James Cotton director “A beer.” Gary Mendoza coordinator “Desperate Housewives, season four. I start the second disc tonight.” Aisha Stephenson HR director “I bought a blow dryer.” Stuart Hawkes lead carpenter “A corrugated drain pipe.”
Posted inFood & Drink
Time for tomatoes
Like a thousand fiery suns setting in the haze of a summer sky, tomatoes tumble from market bins and vegetable patches, scarlet, ripe, and ready to eat. We’ve waited all winter for this prolonged moment of juicy heaven and now is the time to welcome it with open arms … er, mouths. Fast-maturing Early Girls […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
My summer rental
Vacation is supposed to be for fun and relaxation. Back in the day when I was a carefree kid, vacations were fun. The toughest decision I had to make at 10 years old was which roller coaster I should sprint to next. Now that I am a parent, vacations are less relaxing and more like […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Arts Briefs
Young performers needed for Irving Berlin’s White Christmas PCPA needs young female performers, ages 9 to 14, for the upcoming holiday production of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas. Auditions are scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Aug. 23, in the Severson Theatre on the Allan Hancock College campus in Santa Maria. Young performers should […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Sing softly and carry a big sound
There have been many attempts to describe the sounds of Lompoc band Clark, and the trio, admittedly, will accept any and all of them. That’s because listeners find the band to be a little indefinable—and its members agree. Clark produces the kind of dreamy music you want to listen to on a cool day while […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
When America was young
In a time when America is uncertain, teetering on change, watching as the American Dream is called into question by middle-class citizens, it’s comforting to be reminded that this country has always been that way. And that there’s always been glimmers of opportunity, hope, and the freedom to dream. In Ragtime, the characters struggle with […]
Posted inOpinion
Some burial etiquette
Thank you for allowing me this space to thank morticians who honor our former military at their burial. I do especially appreciate those of you who make the time to have the casket covered with the stars of the flag over the head of the veteran and those of you who put the folded flag […]
Posted inOpinion
Here’s a standing ovation for PCPA
Bravo to PCPA! The current offering from PCPA deserves accolades. The staging, costuming, choreography, direction (musical and acting), and finally, the performers were absolutely outstanding. I truly believe a New York Broadway company could not have presented a better production. How lucky we are to have this kind of theater in our community. I support […]
Posted inOpinion
Thanks for the artsy memories
Sincere accolades to Shelly Cone for her recent article “Where is the art?” (July 17). Santa Maria and surrounding environs have numerous national and internationally known artists. Frank Gray has a stunning piece in the White House; Sandra Kay Johnson and Gerry Stinn, to name only two, are in the Smithsonian; and Bill Shinn is […]
Posted inNews
Hancock offers college on Saturdays, substance abuse prevention, and parent-child preschool
This fall, Allan Hancock College is offering Saturday-only classes—ranging in credit from a half unit to three units—at the Santa Maria campus and the Lompoc Valley Center. Class subjects include winemaking, art, business, drama, English, global positioning systems (GPS), math, speech, and more. Internet/Hybrid classes, which combine online study with some onsite attendance, are also […]
Posted inNews
Picnic prizewinner
On July 13, Cabrillo High School graduate Clayton Williams won a $1,000 scholarship from the Lompoc Valley Republican Club during its annual picnic. The club selected Williams’ essay, “What I Would Do if I Were President,” as the winning essay. Williams is planning to attend Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, in the fall to study […]