Inspiration is all around us, all the time, if you look for it. Part of Allan Hancock College fine arts instructor John Hood’s teaching method is helping his students recognize that fact, often taking his classes on walks to absorb as much as possible from what’s around them. But taking that same awareness and refracting […]
AHC features the work of instructor John Hood at the Ann Foxworthy Gallery
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Festival to host free strawberry tastings
Fun fact: Not all strawberries are the same. Strawberry plants actually comprise 103 distinct species and subspecies, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. There’s a lot more to that little red berry than meets the eye, and at the Santa Maria Valley Strawberry Festival, attendees will have the chance to taste the difference […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
The Sun Center Stage is the place to be at the Santa Maria Valley Strawberry Festival
The Strawberry Festival is always a flurry of fun for visitors looking for anything from a carnival ride and some funnel cake to mechanical-bull riding and live music. The Santa Maria Fairpark becomes an explosion of colorful attractions and activities, but at the heart of it all is the Center Stage, which is sponsored by […]
Posted inNews
Political Watch 4/28/16
• On Friday, April 22, Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) attended the eighth Santa Maria Veterans Treatment Court graduation hosted by Judge Kay S. Kuns. The ceremony celebrated the graduates’ completion of a rigorous court-supervised rehabilitation program where participants demonstrate their commitment to a clean-and-sober lifestyle. During the ceremony Capps presented certificates to the graduates. […]
Posted inNews
Community Notebook 4/28/16 – 5/5/16
MONDAY, MAY 2 • The Solvang Planning Commission has its regular meeting at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers, 1644 Oak Street, Solvang. TUESDAY, MAY 3 • The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has its regular meeting at 9 a.m. in the Board of Supervisors Hearing Room, 105 E. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara. • […]
Posted inNews
Spotlight on: Santa Maria Hot Dogs
What do hot dogs and free enterprise have in common? America, where you can have both. And there’s nothing that screams America more than a hot dog stand, which is what Guillermo Chavez and his two brothers, Mauricio and Emidio, have started as a small business. April 25 was the first day of business for […]
Posted inNews
Hobnobbing with Helen
Social evenings in art galleries are one of my favorite things. Sipping wine and noshing on classy appetizers while surrounded by like-minded people and art—well, it doesn’t get much better than that. Heidi and Robert Gruetzemacher, owners of The Frame Gallery in Orcutt, occasionally host fundraising receptions. These happenings are held on an irregular basis. […]
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Amid negotiations, public high school teachers in Santa Maria are one step away from striking
Nearly 100 educators from the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District (SMJUHSD) gathered on the front lawn of the district headquarters during the late afternoon of April 12, shortly before the district’s board meeting. All of them were from the SMJUHSD Faculty Association, which represents educators from all four of the district’s high schools. […]
Posted inNews
Santa Barbara County Fire Department stocking up on ballistic vests
The Santa Barbara County Fire Department (SBCFD) will purchase ballistic vests and helmets to distribute among engines and ambulances throughout the county, according to Fire Capt. David Zaniboni. “It’s just another piece of equipment we’re adding to our tool chest,” Zaniboni said. “In the country and the world, and even here in Santa Barbara, there’s […]
Posted inNews
Santa Barbara County to provide eco-friendly disposal of large plastics
Santa Barbara County is giving growers a sustainable way to chuck their pesticide empties: a free, on-the-spot recycling event for agricultural plastic containers. The county has only held the event once before, more than six years ago, and it didn’t see much of a turnout, according to Deputy Agricultural Commissioner Lottie Martin. But she said […]
Posted inNews
USDA ups standards for organic livestock, poultry
Prefer your Santa Maria-style barbecue with certified organic beef? Well, new rules from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) might make that a little more difficult. The USDA announced on April 7 that it is proposing additional rules to its organic livestock and poultry requirements in an attempt to improve consistency among growers who […]
Posted inNews
Lompoc will consider a drone ordinance
The city of Lompoc is considering a drone ordinance following a citizen complaint at the April 19 City Council meeting, according to Mayor Bob Lingl. Drones are unmanned aerial vehicles that often have cameras attached, used to record footage from a bird’s-eye view. At the meeting, resident Dave Marston accused a neighbor of violating his […]