The State Bar of California is working to shut down a Los Angeles County paralegal office that allegedly provided unauthorized immigration services to migrant farmworkers in the Santa Maria area, “fraudulently” charging some of them more than $12,000. In a Nov. 30 press release, the State Bar announced that it had obtained an interim order […]
El Monte paralegal fights allegations of unauthorized practice in Santa Maria
Posted inNews
Last-Minute Holiday Gift Guide: Santa Maria library makerspaces let you create a personalized gift
MAKE TO GIVE Makerspace programs at the Santa Maria library can help you create a last-minute holiday gift By Joe Payne • Photos by Jayson Mellom It was Saturday morning and things were already getting messy. But that’s OK at the Santa Maria Public Library’s weekly makerspace sessions, where kids and parents assembled cards and […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Santa Ynez hosts Mongol Derby rider
The Santa Ynez Historical Museum presents a firsthand account of the annual Mongol Derby, presented by Michael Turner on Dec. 14. Turner was the ninth place winner of the annual derby, which features riders from around the world racing across the steppe of Mongolia. The race is the longest and considered the most grueling in […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Cypress Gallery features His and Hers show
The Lompoc Valley Art Association presents a show by local artists Tom and Joellen Chrones called His and Hers, which runs through Dec. 30. Tom Chrones is a photographer and retired Lompoc Fire Department member who spent several years photographing fire investigations for his career. In his current work, he documents landscapes, architecture, and local […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Melodrama unveils new season lineup
Oceano’s Great American Melodrama announced its 2019 season lineup, which includes seven productions across the year. Starting on Jan. 24, the Melodrama will kick off the new year with a production of Steel Magnolias, the classic play that depicts the lives of a group of closely bonded Southern women. Plays also include comedies such as […]
Posted inOpinion
Word to the bird
The “settled science” of the ’70s predicted a coming Ice Age. Of course the lazy press went with the sensational without examination. Time magazine used the same cover with a penguin perched on an iceberg to sell the coming ice age in 1977 and then global warming in 2007. I guess they got a three-for […]
Posted inOpinion
State Parks is a fox in charge of the chicken pen
I am a resident of Oceano. Lately, I have been attending the meetings of the Nipomo/Oceano local area board for the San Luis Obispo County Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID). I was shocked to learn that State Parks is represented on such a board. Campgrounds or RV parks are not considered lodging businesses as it […]
Posted inOpinion
Working together
I‘ve griped before, asking local officials, representatives, and organizations to “do your damn jobs,” (“Do your job,” Oct. 18), so when they band together and actually do something, I can’t complain. What about an effort spearheaded by the Santa Maria Police Department on Dec. 1, which included 25 parole compliance searches targeting known gang members […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Charolette Ionata
Before this school year, Pioneer Valley High School student Charolette Ionata had never played a game of soccer in her life. Now she’s the varsity team’s starting goalie, and she’s making huge strides. Ionata, a senior, is an athlete by nature, according to coach Bilena Brafman, who said Ionata has long played volleyball and water […]
Posted inNews
Political Watch 12/6/18
• Gov. Jerry Brown ordered the State Capitol flag flown at half-staff in honor of President George H.W. Bush after news of his passing on Dec. 1. “Our thoughts are with the Bush family tonight,” Brown stated. “America has lost a true public servant.” Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) issued a statement as well, saying that […]
Posted inNews
Spotlight on: Angel of Hope memorial
Every year since she lost her son to a motorcycle accident in 2012, Suzanne “Sam” de St. Jean returns to the same place at the Santa Maria Cemetery in early December. It’s not where her son is buried, but the Angel of Hope statue is there, and so is a brick with his name on […]
Posted inNews
Hobnobbing with Helen: November notables
The Great Gatsby Gala—hosted by the Santa Maria Philharmonic Society on Saturday, Nov. 17, at the Radisson—positively delighted guests with a mix of creative decorations, xylophone and guitar music in the atrium, and a musical welcome (Jim Enos at the piano) with chilled sparkling wine in the foyer. Doesn’t that sound like the makings of […]