I have so many spice-related puns at the ready for this column. One of the secrets to being a successful home cook is having a well-stocked pantry ready at a moment’s notice to whip up something impressive for yourself or whatever friends you are trying to cajole into helping you move heavy furniture that weekend. […]
Pantry pride: Stock your kitchen with the right spices
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Lompoc seeks sculptors
The Lompoc Valley Sculptors Guild, in association with the Lompoc Valley Arts Council, is seeking to install four outdoor public garden sized sculptures in Lompoc’s Centennial Square. Each sculpture may be in place for at least one year and will be replaced by new sculptures for the following year on an ongoing basis. The goal […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Orcutt Community Theater unveils new production
Orcutt Community Theater will present a new production, Mama Won’t Fly, a comedy written by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope, and Jamie Wooten in April. The show runs April 13, 14, 20, and 22 at 7 p.m. and on April 15 and 22 at 2 p.m. The fast paced comedy is billed as a “race against […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
PCPA explores humanity and technology with ‘Watson Intelligence’
If you’re expecting to see Sherlock Holmes in The Pacific Conservatory Theatre PCPA production of The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence, don’t hold your breath. That’s because the play really isn’t about him, but rather Dr. John Watson, his longtime sidekick. Well, the play really isn’t about just that Watson either. The script is […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
A pair of travel photographers show their work in Santa Maria
Lee-Volker Cox always had a love affair with photography, from as far back as he can remember. Even when he was in the U.S. Air Force, he tinkered with the hobby. In 2007, he had the opportunity to take an assignment as installation commander at Thule Air Base, a remote location in Greenland. Cox used […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Country music royalty Carlene Carter says goodbye to her Santa Ynez Valley home
It’s not everyday that country music royalty comes to town to perform a show, but for Santa Ynez Valley residents, it’s all in the neighborhood. Carlene Carter has called Santa Ynez her home for a decade now, but all good things must come to an end. The daughter of June Carter Cash by her first […]
Posted inNews
Spotlight on: Chick-fil-A
Another new restaurant has opened its doors at the Enos Ranch shopping center in Santa Maria. On March 15, the Southern fried chicken restaurant chain, Chick-fil-A, officially began serving up order upon order of comfort food. “My team members and I can’t wait to serve our guests in the surrounding communities as we’re not just […]
Posted inNews
Santa Barbara County braces for massive winter storm
Emergency responders and planners in Santa Barbara County braced themselves for the worst as the largest storm of the year slowly made landfall beginning on March 20. That day, a mandatory evacuation order went out for the Thomas, Whittier, and Sherpa fires burn areas. As much as 10 inches of rain was expected to fall […]
Posted inNews
Santa Barbara County braces for massive winter storm
Emergency responders and planners in Santa Barbara County braced themselves for the worst as the largest storm of the year slowly made landfall beginning on March 20. That day, a mandatory evacuation order went out for the Thomas, Whittier, and Sherpa fires burn areas. As much as 10 inches of rain was expected to fall […]
Posted inOpinion
Dreaded deluge
You can’t predict the weather, they say. But the proverbial “they” could always be wrong, and I like to think we’ve come a ways when it comes to meteorology. I’ve seen the satellite images of the “atmospheric river” churning its way into California, and we all know the risks that poses to areas ravaged by […]
Posted inNews
Political Watch 3/22/18
• Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) wrote a letter to Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director Mike Pompeo and Deputy Director Gina Haspel on March 15, calling on the agency to release documents on Haspel, who is President Donald Trump’s hopeful to serve as CIA Director after Pompeo leaves to replace Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State. […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Jennifer Ballesteros
Despite several serious injuries to her forearm and shoulder, Santa Maria High School senior Jennifer Ballesteros battled her way to this season’s California Interscholastic Federation Girls Wrestling Championships. There, according to Jose Torres, head coach of Santa Maria High School’s girls wrestling team, Ballesteros took first in her league and second at regionals. Ballesteros fought […]