The Schoolhouse Music chamber concert series in Los Olivos begins its season with the rumble of three concert grand pianos at St. Mark’s-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church on Feb. 12. The concert welcomes renowned pianists Zeynep Ucbasaran, Miguel Ortega Chavaldas, and Sergio Gallo performing works from Rachmaninoff, Godowsky, Anschutz, and Zampronha composed specifically for a three-piano setup. […]
Schoolhouse Music in Los Olivos begins with a bang
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
The space between: SLOMA’s exhibit Eye Matters explores spatial relationships
In the mundane moments of everyday life, as a bus races by or a child jumps off a swing, art can be found if you look closely, or in between the lines as they say. Erik Olson, a 67-year-old artist in Nipomo, is fascinated with the lines, curves, and all the other shapes and how […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Elverhoj Museum shares a career-spanning exhibit by Joseph Knowles
When local artist Joseph Knowles left his career in architecture in the 1980s to focus solely on his art, he plunged head first into abstract gestural work. But as time went by, he explored other ideas, retaining his style yet exploring the natural work in a starkly expressive way. An exhibition of work spanning Knowles’ […]
Posted inFood & Drink
The Food Archivist: Preserving the food-family connection
It seems like every family has that one signature dish that brings everyone together. It’s treasured like a priceless jewel. And more often than not, it’s a secret. Family recipes are special because they are the root of numerous fond memories, in which the food is the focal point to where everyone gathers. Often that […]
Posted inNews
Feeding body and mind: Free Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital classes teach public how to live healthier lifestyles
With every new year comes a flurry of healthy-eating resolutions—but by the end of January, many of them have wilted. Some resolutions fail from too many leftover holiday cookies and too little self-control. For others, the issue is education: How exactly does one change an unhealthy lifestyle into a healthy one? Those dealing with the […]
Posted inOpinion
What do you do to stay healthy and fit?
Amanda Bent service manager “I go to my doctor, because I got pregnant, and now they make me.” Kat Favorite assistant manager “I eat here, at Natural Café, because of our fresh and healthy options. I also skate to work.” Rafael Castillo machinist “I ride my bike and I work out.” Andrew Brunet college instructor […]
Posted inNews
McKenzie Jr. High celebrates opening of Learning Center
Kermit McKenzie Junior High School’s newly renovated Learning Center will take student, parent, and staff engagement and technology to a new level in Guadalupe. The grand opening for the nearly $400,000 learning center took place Jan. 20. The multipurpose facility features an educational environment for students where Google Chromebooks, a variety of books, and audio/visual […]
Posted inNews
Santa Maria Public Library offers free homework help after school
The Santa Maria Public Library began offering homework help Jan. 20 at the main library in the Homework Center on the first floor, 421 S. McClelland St. The free After School Homework Help program is available for students in grades kindergarten through sixth Monday through Thursday from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Volunteer tutors will […]
Posted inNews
Renowned Santa Maria author addresses Fairlawn Elementary students
On Thursday, Jan. 21, renowned author and former Santa Maria student Francisco Jiménez spoke to about 60 sixth-grade students at Fairlawn School in Santa Maria. Jiménez was invited to the school by his nephew, sixth-grade teacher Robert A. Jiménez. Jiménez spoke about his childhood in Santa Maria and his books, The Circuit and Breaking Through. […]
Posted inNews
Santa Maria area high school students encouraged to ‘think big’
Santa Maria and Righetti high schools had the opportunity to participate in assemblies featuring “ithinkbig.org.” The presentations held at Santa Maria High Jan. 21 and Righetti on Jan. 22 are creatively designed to encourage students to think “bigger,” and to go “deeper” with their lives. The activities include life-changing illustrations of personal struggles and accomplishments, […]
Posted inNews
Spotlight on: New Life Kitchen and Bath
El Niño is officially here whether you like it or not, and according to weather scientists, we’re supposed to get lots of rain. This is good, because California needs water, and bad, because it could be potentially devastating. Despite the outcome, it’s good to be prepared, or at least know the options. Enter Chuck Winkle. […]
Posted inNews
Political Watch 1/28/2016
• Following a year marked by beach closures and health warnings at a Santa Barbara County beach sullied by leaking crude oil, Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) recently introduced a bill to monitor and cap California’s old, abandoned, and leaking oil wells. Senate Bill 900, the Coast Oil Well Cleanup Act, would require that the […]