They came by the dozen and filed in front of the county Engineering Building in Santa Barbara just as the sun began to set on July 11. Armed with signs and shouting slogans decrying fossil fuels, the protesters then marched haphazardly inside, squeezing into the small meeting room that was quickly packed to near capacity. […]
Exxon tanker truck proposal met by protesters before meeting
Posted inFood & Drink
Debonair affair: Urbane Cafe brings a diverse menu to Santa Maria
When the Urbane Cafe first opened, we beelined it straight for the new venue. Journalists like two things in life: fast, affordable food and funny videos of cats (but we’re not here to talk about that). The venue quietly opened a few months ago in the new Enos Ranch center, which along with bringing mind-numbing […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Fly me to the moon: Santa Maria Public Airport’s latest art display is filled with bold visions
The Santa Maria Public Airport is filled with quiet spaces–people reading books, waiting in line for car rentals, or sharing a meal at the restaurant. Hovering over all of them is an ongoing display of public art featuring painters and photographers from the community. Valley Art Gallery is behind the colorful works that line the […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Building a band: Certain Sparks Music offers summer program so kids can join a band in Lompoc
Studying the art of music can often feel like an isolating, solitary affair, with hours spent alone practicing the necessary scales and chords to one day become a “real” musician. That approach to education neglects one thing that has always spurred musicianship throughout the ages: collaboration. Having aspiring musicians study together can actually be an […]
Posted inOpinion
Of course
Sometimes, you just see things coming. At least, those of us who’ve reported on Santa Barbara County, its cities, towns, industries, and activists for any period of time can. That’s why I wasn’t at all surprised to see the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission flooded by protesters from The Center for Biological Diversity, Citizens For […]
Posted inOpinion
Cave rescue in Thailand was no ‘miracle’
The rescue of 12 boys and their soccer coach who were trapped deep in a cave in Mae Sai, Thailand, by flooding from monsoon rains in late June captured worldwide attention. “Miraculous!” was the common exclamation made in response to the news when the last boy and coach were escorted out of the cave. […]
Posted inNews
Spotlight on: Pashion Footwear, Haley Pavone, CEO
It took a freak dance floor accident for Haley Pavone, 22, to look down at her high-heeled shoes and wonder if there was a better way. Working her way through college at Cal Poly SLO as a business major with a focus on entrepreneurship, Pavone attended a formal event in spring of 2016. Like she […]
Posted inNews
Strips that save: Pacific Pride Foundation distributed thousands of fentanyl test strips in past year
It’s been a little over a year since several organizations throughout the state started giving out free fentanyl test strips in an effort to curb opioid overdoses. Since then, California has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars distributing the strips to syringe exchange programs across California, including Santa Barbara County’s Pacific Pride Foundation, which alone […]
Posted inNews
55 Fiction 2018: Keep it short, keep it sweet, and if it’s good enough, you’ll read it this week
55 Fiction Keep it short, keep it sweet, and if it’s good enough, you’ll read it this week You can say a lot in 55 words. You can kill someone, love someone, or save someone. Tell stories about torture, divorce, or family drama. Make political statements. Riff on societal issues. But there are only […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Garbage disposal disposition: Krider isn’t allowed in the kitchen, unless it’s to fix something
I‘m not allowed to be inside the confines of the kitchen area of my own house. Yes, the same house that I send most of my paycheck to the bank each month so we can live in. That is the house where I’m not allowed to walk through, or especially loiter in, the general kitchen […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Arts Briefs
Sphinx and Drinks gala featured in Guadalupe The Dunes Center in Guadalupe is hosting its Sphinx and Drinks gala event on July 21 to benefit the center’s educational programs and activities. The event is to commemorate the unveiling of the most recent artifacts excavated from Cecil B. DeMille’s Ten Commandments movie set site in the […]
Posted inOpinion
We knew about Trump
So many of us knew what a dangerous, corrupt, and unintelligent resident landed in the White House, a puppet of Russia and Putin. The facts around the 2016 election have dribbled out slowly via the press, silenced by Fox News and right-wing entities, right-wing politicians, and a racist base. Ignoring our nation’s intelligence investigations to […]