Matt Sauer seems to be adjusting well to his new life in Florida. The Ernest Righetti High School graduate sounded content and sure of his path during a recent interview with the Sun, and despite his teammates in the background making him laugh throughout the phone call, Sauer exudes a maturity that belies his age. […]
Yankee warrior: Righetti High School graduate Matt Sauer was drafted by the New York Yankees, setting him on the path to the majors
Posted inOpinion
What is your favorite baseball team?
Ruby Esparza self-employed “The Angels. My family has been following them for a while.” Guillermo Esparza works at Baskin-Robbins “Angels, because it was the first team I played on for T-ball when I was little.” Brian Esparza student “Angels, because they are closer to us.” Cherie Santana mom “Los Angeles Dodgers because I’ve always been […]
Posted inOpinion
Money matters
Money, money, money. Everything costs something, and some things cost a helluva lot. Take the Alamo and Whittier fires, which have already racked up tens of millions of dollars in costs. Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in Santa Barbara County to help address the crises, funneling emergency personnel and truckloads of state […]
Posted inNews
Political Watch 7/27/17
• After President Donald Trump pressured Senate Republicans to push forward with their promise to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act on July 24, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) issued a statement condemning the vote then planned for July 25. “Make no mistake, a yes vote tomorrow is an endorsement of the most indefensible process […]
Posted inNews
Rep. Salud Carbajal works to improve the Affordable Care Act in the face of Republican repeal efforts
After an unusually sickly childhood filled with doctor appointments, chronic ear infections, and seemingly untreatable allergies, Baylee Gregory of Lompoc finally discovered why she, unlike her five siblings, was always so unhealthy. Baylee was 14 when she was diagnosed with common variable immunodeficiency, a disease that severely weakens the immune system. Baylee’s mother, Annette, explains […]
Posted inNews
Spotlight on: Charlotte’s Vintage Silver & Western Treasures
Having a business is no new experience for Charlotte Becerra. She began working in retail when she was 8 years old, helping her mom in the family’s houseware stores. She started up her own business in her mother’s store when she was 12, where she sold toys and called it Charlotte’s Christmas Corner. Now, she’s […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
The great eBay war of 2015
They say “war is hell.” I understand that intimately, for I am an eBay shopper. Here is my harrowing tale of survival. The year was 2015. Some young upstart named Kenny G released an album called Brazilian Nights, which shook American pop culture to its core, skyrocketing all the way to No. 86 on the […]
Posted inOpinion
Addressing mental health for the sake of our youth
When it comes to mental health, speaking up can be an act of courage. Several prominent individuals have taken that public step and have helped young and old alike by sharing their personal challenges. It has helped catalyze a conversation about the very real mental health issues many in our community face every day. Our […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Soul’d Out celebrates singer’s birthday with show at Santa Maria Inn
Working isn’t how most like to spend their birthday each year, but there are a few exceptions. Like lead singer for local band Soul’d Out, Lisa Duran, who will perform with the band on her birthday, Aug. 5, at the Santa Maria Inn’s Olde English Tap Room. It’s a good thing the members of the […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
The story of Bun: Santa Maria couple craft the second installment of graphic novel series
“A boy. A girl. A rabbit. An unspeakable evil.” The epigrammatic descriptor of Brian Silveira and Lisa Nguyen’s graphic novel barely scratches the surface of the provocative and stirring work that is Bun. Based in Santa Maria, the comic book creators have penned a unique work published and distributed almost entirely on their own. They […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Great American Melodrama’s ‘The Tavern’ brings comedy, mystery to Oceano
The history of George M. Cohan’s play The Tavern provides an illuminating insight into the mechanics of playwriting and Broadway politics in the 1920s. Originally penned by Cora Dick Gantt as a serious and twisty melodrama, Cohan’s version turned the piece into a satire, serving an edgy, before-its-time meta spoof of popular stage genres of […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Winemaker Marc Piro quietly makes a name for himself in Santa Maria
You won’t find Piro Wine Company among the sprawling properties that line Foxen Canyon where tourists flock to gather up logo-stamped merchandise and Instagram themselves lounging on luxurious patio furniture. And for now, Marc Piro is happy with that. Inside Au Bon Climat, a short turnoff from Santa Maria Mesa Road, wine barrels are stacked […]