February is always a good month to explore matters of the heart. For Santa Maria Philharmonic Society Music Director Michael Nowak, the idea was a perfect springboard for the Philharmonic Orchesta’s third concert of the main season. But, there’s a little more to it than that, he explained. “Valentines doesn’t hurt, but mostly this is […]
Santa Maria Philharmonic plots an emotional journey with works by Copland, Mahler, and Mendelssohn
Posted inOpinion
Crucial concerns
Ever lose track of everything you need to be concerned about? Gun death, domestic violence, human trafficking, natural disasters, ongoing drought, social media threats—it’s a lot to process! We should be concerned about all these things. The Cachuma Reservoir has only risen to 50 percent this past water year, and the wet season won’t last […]
Posted inNews
Girls’ Night Out will provide space for junior high school girls to get creative
Local junior high school girls will have an opportunity to get creative and interact without boys on Feb. 24 at another of the city’s Girls’ Night Out events. Attendees of Girls’ Night Out, a girls-only event hosted by the Abel Maldonado Community Youth Center staff, will meet at the community center and head together to […]
Posted inNews
High and dry: Parched wet season leaves water mavens wary of future
When it comes to the question of “is California in a drought?” The answer depends on who you ask. On Feb. 6, the U.S. Drought Monitor listed Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles counties as experiencing what it called “severe drought” conditions. The designation is the third in five total levels on the monitor’s scale—compiled […]
Posted inNews
Hundreds of Santa Maria High School students skip class after threatening social media posts
Roughly 300 Santa Maria High School students were pulled out of class or stayed home from school on Feb. 16 after administrators and parents became aware of threatening social media posts made by two seperate students. Both posts followed closely behind a highly publicized school shooting in Parkland, Florida, where 17 individuals were shot and […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Lompoc Library announces Zip Book program
The California State Library selected the Lompoc Public Library System to participate in a project called Zip Books to help library users get better access to books they want. The program helps libraries purchase requested books they don’t own and then have them shipped to the user directly. Books checked out through the Zip Books […]
Posted inOpinion
Make every room energy efficient
As an energy coach for the county-operated emPower Central Coast program—along with more than 20 years in construction and energy conservation—I am committed to helping homeowners make their houses more energy efficient. As part of emPower’s free Energy Coach service, I’ve helped homeowners determine which home upgrades will help make every day brighter and more […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Spirit Ricks
Although Allan Hancock College student Spirit Ricks is only a freshman, he’s already captain of the Hancock men’s basketball team and averages double digits in both rebounds and points each game. “He’s more than a great player,” head coach Tyson Aye said in an interview with the Sun. “He’s a great player and a great […]
Posted inNews
Santa Maria high school district celebrates Career Technical Education Month
In honor of national Career Technical Education (CTE) Month, the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District is working to raise awareness about its CTE education efforts that prepare high school students for high-wage, high-demand careers. “CTE Month is a time to celebrate our classrooms that extend into our community, partner with industry and college […]
Posted inNews
Political Watch 2/22/18
• Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) addressed the tragic shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, a day after the attack, on Feb. 15 from the floor of the U.S. Senate. Feinstein expressed condolences and grief to the families who lost children and family in the attack, and said, “But today grief and sorrow on […]
Posted inNews
Hobnobbing with Helen: Hats off to books!
Welcome to Wonderland. More precisely, welcome to the Mad Hatter’s Bash in Wonderland, a production of the Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department. This dazzling and delightful evening of dinner and dancing raised money for the Special Olympics, now in its 50th year, on Saturday, Feb. 3, at the Veterans’ Memorial Center in Santa Maria. […]
Posted inNews
Solvang forms subcommittee to handle horse-drawn trolley issues
An unusual amount of time and money have been put toward efforts to adequately answer a question that has perplexed Solvang City Council members for months now: Where should the Honen park? The Honen, a horse-drawn trolley, is one of Solvang’s most popular and most photographed tourist attractions, according to Solvang City Councilmember Ryan Toussaint. […]