The Wildling Museum of Art and Nature announced the addition of two new board members, Jim Balsitis and George Rose. Balsitis, who currently serves as the director of facilities at Old Mission Santa Barbara, is a Wildling Museum member who donated time and services as the lead contractor on the museum building project, including a […]
Wildling Museum adds two new board members
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Solvang unveils new public art sculpture
As part of a loan from The Morris B. Squire Foundation, the city of Solvang recently unveiled a new public sculpture. The work, titled The Golden Stein, is located at the center median of First Street, between Copenhagen Drive and Molle Way. The sculpture takes the place of a hundred-year old oak tree that lost […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Grants program offers $50,000 for local arts
The Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture is offering $50,000 in grants for arts programs through the Arts Making Impact (AMI) Grant Program. The grants are open to local arts programs, artists, schools, community groups, and other cultural organizations. Applications are currently sought for programs that provide transportation access, materials, education, or create […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Humor: Rebecca works it out
For many years now I’ve warned my enemies that I would get back in peak physical condition and come for them. Well that day has finally come as I, Queen of Couch Surfing, have taken on a personal trainer. I legitimately felt bad for the man. Here is someone who has devoted his profession to […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
The Santa Maria Public Library hosts the work of Floyd and Barbara Snyder
For its latest public art exhibit, the Santa Maria Public Library hosts two unique artists who have made a name for themselves on the Central Coast. Floyd and Barbara Snyder’s collaborative work speaks to a kind of inside joke, but there’s nothing to laugh at when it comes to their captivating work. The joke is […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Poets Paul J. Willis and Garland Thompson Jr. read their work in Orcutt
“Intrigued by the intersection of faith and nature,” is how poet Paul Willis describes himself on his website. A cursory glance at his body of work reveals it’s an apt label. “[Poetry] is always there as a way for people to connect with themselves and one another,” Willis said. “And to connect to the world […]
Posted inFood & Drink
EATS: How appear on a talk show about food (and make sure you get enough to eat)
I was recently invited to participate in a filming of the locally produced food-themed talk/lifestyle show Taste Buds. Hosted by Teri Bayus, Taste Buds is a fun and informative look at Central Coast dining featuring on-location filming at some of the region’s best and most popular restaurants. The show lets viewers get an inside look […]
Posted inOpinion
Boxed in
Everybody loves choices, right? But what happens when you only get a very superficial range to choose from? What if they’re all pretty much the same? That’s what Santa Maria‘s handy types and do-it-yourselfers are asking themselves now that Orchard Supply Hardware (OSH) is closing down (see page 7). While OSH may be a multi-state […]
Posted inNews
Local Boy Scout works to bring Santa Maria-style barbecue to homeless
It’s not every day a teenager devotes his free time to raising thousands of dollars for a community project, but 13-year-old Alexander Andrade isn’t your average teen–he’s a Boy Scout. Wait–haven’t we heard this before? Alexander, a freshman at Ernest Righetti High School and member of Orcutt Troop 95, isn’t the only community-minded Andrade in […]
Posted inNews
Newly signed bail reform bill faces challenges
A newly signed bill ending cash bail in California drew a relatively mixed reaction from state representatives, activists, and local law enforcement. On Aug. 28, Gov. Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 10, or the California Money Bail Reform Act, into law, effective Oct. 1, 2019. “This a transformative day for our justice system,” state Chief […]
Posted inNews
Liquidation sales commence as customers and employees mourn looming closure of Orchard Supply
It’s been a little more than 10 years since Kelly White O’Neill became a self-described “serious customer” of Santa Maria’s Orchard Supply Hardware (OSH) store. As an avid gardener, do-it-yourselfer, and the owner of a historic home, O’Neill said she frequently stops in at OSH for its notoriously friendly, knowledgeable workforce and its unbeatable gardening […]
Posted inNews
Starting over: After serving time in state prison, inmates released under realignment must make a new life
The letter was written on a single sheet of ruled notebook paper. Neatly folded and just four paragraphs long. The words, penned in a looping cursive, were hopeful but pleading. “I am in need of a stable, clean and sober living environment,” it stated. “I am totally committed to living life in a productive manner.” […]