On the day Nancy Jo Ward is interviewed by the Sun, she is busy experimenting with yet another technique in her digital art making. “It’s called a pastel ground,” she said. “It’s like a clear medium that has sand in it. I’m adding it to an aluminum print because I want to see what happens […]
Nancy Jo Ward debuts solo show at Ann Foxworthy Gallery
Posted inNews
‘The Patch’ offers fall fun and education opportunities for local students
It was last school year in May when Hannah Limon first attended a work day devoted to developing Santa Maria’s first ever pumpkin patch. Limon, a student at Pioneer Valley High School, had heard a lot about the program from one of her agriculture teachers–about how participants would learn to grow and harvest pumpkins and […]
Posted inNews
Spotlight on: Treetop Yoga
For Nicole Lowe, owner and lead instructor at Santa Maria’s Treetop Yoga, a seventh year anniversary is an occasion to take in stride. The studio celebrated the milestone in mid October by hosting a series of free classes that include yoga sessions for all ages and skill levels. “It was neat to kind of have […]
Posted inNews
What went wrong: Santa Barbara County analyzes action during Thomas Fire and 1/9 Debris Flow
For a brief stretch of time spanning December 2017 to January 2018, Santa Barbara County was synonymous with the word “disaster.” First, the Thomas Fire in December scorched hundreds of thousands of acres of federal, state, county, and private land, becoming one of the largest fires in California’s recorded history. Barely a month after the […]
Posted inNews
Lompoc to spend nearly a half million on riverbed cleanup
The Lompoc City Council approved a $400,000 contract on Oct. 16 with a company tasked with cleaning the Santa Ynez Riverbed, which is filled with several tons of trash left by recently removed homeless encampments. The city has been working with Qwikresponse, a Southern California-based company that specializes in hazardous and biohazardous materials removal, since […]
Posted inNews
Solvang opts to allow only one medical dispensary
Tempers flared to close a Solvang City Council meeting on Oct. 22 when the topic of cannabis came up on the night’s agenda. The issue at hand? How many medical marijuana dispensaries should be allowed within city limits. “I’ve talked to many constituents that are totally opposed to a dispensary [in town], period,” Mayor Jim […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Bookworm hosts former local columnist
Author Steve Corbett, a former local journalist, will appear at The Bookworm in Santa Maria on Nov. 3. Corbett will present a reading from his new book, Blood Red Syrah, a thriller based in Central Coast wine country. In Corbett’s novel, killer Wally Wilson fights with “Syrah,” a voice in his head that sends him […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
SYV Historical Museum presents 34th annual Vaquero Show
The Vaquero Show and Western collectible sale, presented by Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum (SYVHM), is set to take place Nov. 9 through 11. The event, now in its 34th year, honors the lifestyle, culture, and horsemanship of the California vaquero. The vaquero lifestyle evolved into a specific style of apparel, tack, saddles, and other […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
PCPA resident artist expands engagement
Pacific Conservatory Theatre (PCPA) announced Kitty Balay, resident artist, has expanded her engagement with the group. Balay has appeared in more than 80 productions and teaches Voice and Speech within in the conservatory, and will now also serve as the conservatory’s director of engagement. According to a release from PCPA, the actress, director, and teacher […]
Posted inOpinion
Support Measure Y
I have no artistic ability except for my talent at drawing “stick people,” but I can recognize what art brings to our community. I’ve seen the studies about how exercising that portion of our brain only enhances our other cognitive abilities in math and the sciences. I read the articles and watched other communities who […]
Posted inOpinion
Thanks for coming to AirFest
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped make the first annual Central Coast AirFest such a tremendous success. We were thrilled to be able to bring back a major airshow to the Central Coast after an absence of several years. Obviously, an undertaking of this nature does not happen without […]
Posted inOpinion
We need more jobs
As a small business owner, I have experienced firsthand how difficult it is to run a business on the Central Coast. But the cost of running a business here is only part of the problem. The other problem is how incredibly expensive it is to live in the Central Coast where few good-paying jobs exist. […]
