George Rose is fascinated by lonely oak trees. So much so that he is willing to go to great lengths to capture the perfect picture of one. The shutterbug was in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, an up-and-coming region for winemaking, when he jumped in a helicopter to try and get some aerial shots. The oak tree […]
George Rose and Felice Willat bring their travel photography to Gallery Los Olivos
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
MUSIC: Sound of the season: Local ensembles prepare artful holiday concerts with orchestras, choirs, and more
The ring of church bells, warm brass harmony, and choral singers’ high melodies all conjure a certain time, place, and feeling—the holidays. With centuries of traditional celebrations around Christmas and New Year’s, musicians have added ornaments and tunes of their own to the cultural zeitgeist each year. But even when trying to write the next […]
Posted inOpinion
Who do you believe?
It’s hard for some to keep the facts straight in this “post-truth” age of “fake news” and hyper-partisan demagoguery. It certainly wasn’t easy for the demagogue-in-chief, President Donald Trump, who preceded a visit to areas of California hit hardest by the Camp Fire and Woolsey Fire with a tweet blaming the state’s wildfires on poor […]
Posted inNews
Cal Poly cube sats help NASA stay in touch with InSight lander
NASA’s InSight lander successfully touched down on the surface of Mars on Nov. 26 to enormous fanfare worldwide. The mission’s engineers, including a team from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, were able to stay in contact with the vessel thanks to two cube satellites that were tested and prepped by Cal Poly engineers and students just […]
Posted inNews
State AG approves Dignity Health merger with conditions
The California Attorney General’s Office approved a planned merger between Dignity Health and Catholic Health Initiatives, but not before setting several additional conditions on the deal. According to the conditions set by the Attorney General’s Office, the newly formed organization, called Common Spirit Health, will operate nearly 140 hospitals in 16 states, including 30 hospitals […]
Posted inNews
Central Coast Chambers of Commerce announce new partnership
A new nonprofit economic development organization says its intended goal is to create a Central Coast “super region” spanning from Vandenberg Air Force Base in Lompoc to Camp Roberts north of Paso Robles. More than a dozen Central Coast chambers of commerce, including San Luis Obispo, Santa Maria Valley, Solvang, and Templeton, rolled out the […]
Posted inNews
Santa Maria high school district and Faculty Association to hold fact-finding hearing
The Santa Maria Joint Union High School District (SMJUHSD) has been negotiating contracts with its teachers union for more than a year, and since the groups declared an official impasse in early October, little has been accomplished. Even with a state mediator, the parties were, again, unable to agree on a few key topics this […]
Posted inNews
Guadalupe awaits state decision on allegations of unfair practices and failing to honor union contract
Guadalupe city employees were suddenly informed last year that they would no longer be eligible for merit-based salary step increases. Now the city is fighting an unfair practices charge filed by union representatives of those employees, and both parties are awaiting a judge’s decision on the case. The complaint, which is being handled by the […]
Posted inNews
Local fire artists find peace in the middle of infernos
Engulfed in flames Local fire artists find peace in the middle of infernos “Don’t try this at home,” Shayne Mastriano says before guzzling a mouthful of highly refined lamp oil. He’s careful not to swallow the liquid that his peers claim tastes like a combination of candle wax and coconut oil. Mastriano sidles over […]
Posted inOpinion
Trump dishonored the military
Trump showed his true colors this past Veterans Day weekend. The president of the United States had time to meet with Vladimir Putin overseas, but he didn’t have time to visit the Aisne-Marne American cemetery in France, the final resting place of 2,289 U.S. troops killed during World War I? The White House said the […]
Posted inOpinion
Serving in government can teach a lot
Twenty-three years ago, I began my voluntary service with the city of Lompoc. I always felt that it was every citizen’s duty to give something back to the community, and at the time there was a need for someone to serve on the Water Commission. The city operates its own water utility, as well as […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Athlete of the week
He may be just 7 years old, but Dominic Marshall can already kick through a slab of wood a few inches thick. It’s a feat that could seem almost impossible to most, but for kids like Marshall, who trains for about three hours a week at Rising Sun Martial Arts Academy, breaking barriers is all […]
