Susan Beckmen recently joined the Solvang Theaterfest board of directors as its newest member. Beckmen has a long history working in the wine industry and doing philanthropic work. For more than 30 years, she served as controller at Hartley and Ostini LLC, Hitching Post Wines. She also spent eight years working as treasurer for the […]
Solvang Theaterfest welcomes newest board member
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Film group brings Charade to Buellton
The Central Coast Film Society (CCFS) will host a screening of Charade in Buellton on Sept. 1. The film first debuted in 1963 and stars Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant. The genre-blending film was directed by Stanley Donen and tells the story of a woman (Hepburn) pursued by numerous men who seek the money that […]
Posted inOpinion
Remembering the power of our vote
Voting was once a valued civic duty in American politics. Our democracy is built around opportunities that allow its citizens a voice in the structures that govern society. Voting is a way to make change; it’s our way to let the government know what we think would help our society. A lot of people don’t […]
Posted inOpinion
Frenemies
Don’t you hate it when you want the same thing as your friend wants, but you can’t agree on exactly how to get it? It really burns my feathers, guys. I don’t want fair-feathered friends on my side of the cage, I want yes birds, dammit! As in, whatever I say goes! I think the […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Sebastian Saiz
Santa Maria High School’s starting quarterback Sebastian Saiz has a challenging football season ahead of him. The 17-year-old senior is following in the immediate footsteps of last year’s All-Area MVP, and he’s working with a young, inexperienced team. But head football coach Dan Ellington said Saiz is determined to make this football season a good […]
Posted inNews
UCSB SmartFarm uses cloud computing to help farmers increase sustainability
The cloud. It’s that mysterious term that IT technicians rattle off but never really explain, the confusing technology that somehow backs up our phones, saves our endless emails, and allows for quick and easy video streaming on Netflix. Cloud computing technology–which allows businesses and individuals to deliver and receive storage, processing power, and other computing […]
Posted inNews
Supervisors approve loan for Santa Maria affordable housing project
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors approved more than $3 million in federal, county, and city loans to help fund an affordable housing project in Santa Maria. “There’s been an increased sensitivity in the city of Santa Maria for folks that are homeless and there’s been a considerable push for outreach,” 5th District Supervisor […]
Posted inNews
Spotlight on: Pristine Physique – Gary Gorospe, owner
Pristine Physique‘s owner Gary Gorospe knows fitness. The amatuer body builder used to compete throughout California, and the certified personal trainer says that staying in shape isn’t just a business for him; it’s a way of life. “You have to live that lifestyle; it’s something you have to adhere to. … It’s your breakfast, lunch, […]
Posted inFood & Drink
The Century Room at the Santa Maria Inn echoes the landmark hotel’s attention to vintage details
As Johnny Mathis cooly croons about forgotten lovers, a teenager behind me pipes up. “Who is this singer?” he asks. I shoot a glance to the table, wondering if I need to offer my input. Next to him is an elderly gentleman who cracks a smile and chuckles. He shakes his head and we exchange […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
PCPA’s ‘Mamma Mia!’ gives audiences all the ABBA they want and then some
When it comes to the music of 1970s super act ABBA, people either fall in one of two camps. It’s either literal ear poison that makes you want to scream until the pain stops or it is the soul-swelling soundtrack to your life that can send you soaring into another dimension where all your dreams […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Artist Trish Campbell featured at Flying Goat Cellars through September
Trish Campbell misses the flower fields that used to cover the lands surrounding Lompoc. The artist, whose work is on display at Flying Goat Cellars‘ tasting room in the Lompoc Wine Ghetto through Sept. 30, remembers them fondly. The lavish colors and perfectly color-blocked compositions of the fields sometimes even show up in her work, […]
Posted inOpinion
Reality check
Just about every time I bring up the president, I get the inevitable angry letter that tells me to “go get a job in a mine,” or something like that. Well, to really flesh out the metaphor I’m named after, in this week’s lesson, the “mine” is discourse in politics, and the dangerously noxious gas […]