At 2:30 in the afternoon on July 13, Karen Cordary, arms full of raffle ticket rolls and supplies, waltzed into the Addamo tasting room on Clark Avenue in old Orcutt. For the past eight weeks, Karen has been part of a crew that raised money for and awareness of the local Cancer Society’s annual Relay […]
Hobnobbing with Helen
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Community groups join together to discuss home-care threats from budget cuts
The Quality Home Care Coalition of Santa Barbara County’s name says it all. The collection of community groups cares about quality home care. Members of the group include Congress of California Seniors, Independent Living Resource Center, AARP, and United Domestic Workers of America. In response to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s revised budget proposal, the coalition will […]
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Farewell to the fair
As festivities came to a close at the Santa Barbara County Fair on July 13, the Santa Maria Fairpark released a statement reporting that the fair welcomed almost 115,400 people during its five-day run, July 9 to 13. Attendance was slightly down this year (about 4.5 percent), fair CEO Dennis Person said in the release, […]
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County supervisors extend SMOOTH for Ag Van program, consider future funding options
On July 8, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1, with 3rd District Supervisor Brooks Firestone dissenting, to extend an agreement with the Santa Maria Organization of Transportation Helpers (SMOOTH) to continue running the Agricultural Worker Transportation Project in the Santa Maria Valley area through June of 2010. Based on the success of […]
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California legislators reject Bush’s lift of offshore drilling ban
On July 14, President George W. Bush lifted a nearly two decade-long executive ban on drilling for oil and natural gas off the country’s shoreline, thus challenging Congress to allow exploration for domestic energy sources to ease climbing energy prices. Democrats in Congress and environmentalists, however, have criticized the step as a political stunt, and […]
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Santa Barbara County Planning Commission pushes forward Naples development
After years of controversy and scrutiny, the Santa Barbara Ranch Project, dubbed the Naples Project, came one step closer to reality on July 10. The Santa Barbara County Planning Commission accepted the development’s final Environmental Impact Report. Located on the Gaviota Coast two miles northwest of Goleta, the Naples townsite has been the focus of […]
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Get to the point
The sand has the consistency of sugar—no pebbles, no tar. Deep like a mattress, it invites a hiker to rest. Nobody else is here, and there is no alien sound—no automobiles or ATVs, no drone of airplanes, no yapping dogs—only the trill of gulls and the surf, crashing, dominant, primal. Beyond the surf, two brown […]
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Dangerous heat
On July 11, family members and friends held a funeral service at St. Louis de Montfort Catholic Church in Orcutt, honoring the life of 64-year-old Jose Macarena Hernandez. Hernandez died during last month’s record-breaking heat wave while harvesting butternut squash on a farm in Santa Maria, United Farm Workers of America reported. His death—along with […]
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Where is the art?
Plump strawberries, mouth-watering tri-tip, award-winning Pinot Noir—Santa Maria is known for many things. But stuff like public art and fine galleries? Probably not on the list. The city is surrounded by art-loving communities and breathtaking vistas that have long inspired artists, but it hasn’t fully developed a definitive artistic identity. Sure, there are plenty of […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
CLUBS & MEETINGS
ALTRUSA INTERNATIONAL INC. of SANTA MARIA, a nonprofit business and professional organization, meets the second Wednesday of each month, 7 p.m., in the downstairs conference room at United Way, 1660 S. Broadway. Info: 352-0026 or 937-4071. ALTRUSA INTERNATIONAL INC. OF THE CENTRAL COAST meets at noon the second and fourth Monday of every month at […]
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SPIRITUAL
BAHA’I interfaith worship services are the second Sunday of each month. Info: 489-4172. Children’s classes are the first Saturday of each month. Info: 937-9451. Study circles about The Life of the Spirit are ongoing in Santa Maria. For questions, dates, and times: 614-0963. Info: 937-9451. BETHEL LUTHERAN CHURCH holds worship services Sundays with Holy Communion […]
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FARMERS’ MARKETS
SANTA MARIA 100 S. Broadway at Main, Wednesdays, from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Features local beekeepers’ honey and bee pollen, breads and pastries, plants and flower bouquets, fresh fruits and vegetables. ORCUTT Corner of Clark and Bradley, Tuesdays, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fresh honey, flowers, and eggs, along with fresh fruits and vegetables. […]