I was shocked to read recently that county official Dianne Black denied a recent request for the emergency truck transport of oil from the Las Flores facility on the Gaviota Coast because she could not identify it as an emergency. Apparently, she was not aware of the major oil spill at Refugio Beach that shut […]
Hydrogen and electricity
Posted inFood & Drink
Mushroom madness: Bedford Winery will play host to 10th Annual Mushrooms Gone Wild festival
Why are mushrooms so interesting? Is it because they thrive in the dark? Is it because of their expansive medicinal uses? Maybe it’s because they just taste so good, adding a depth to the dishes in which they are added. Whatever the reason, they are revered by foodies and mushroom aficionados alike, and on Jan. […]
Posted inOpinion
What would you do with $1.5 billion?
Jackie Rodriguez caretaker “Pay off a lot of bills and buy a house and help the rest of my family.” Triston Williamson unemployed “I’d buy a whole neighborhood and put my friends in it.” Brandon Perry assistant principal “Retire.” Eamon Lacey IT consulting “Travel the world.”
Posted inNews
Commitment to care: Waves of Health provides essential medical attention and supplies to patients in Dominican Republic
The pills are huge, bleached white with “IP 220” stamped on one side, and they’re pouring out of a bottle you need two hands to hold. It’s metformin, a drug used to treat type II diabetes. Two residents (doctors in training), a medical school student, and I are measuring six-month supplies into zip-lock bags. A […]
Posted inNews
Political Watch 1/14/2016
• On Jan. 7, Gov. Jerry Brown released his proposed budget, the starting point for months of budget discussions. Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara), chair of the California Legislative Women’s Caucus, and Assemblymember Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens), vice-chair, released the following statement that reads in part: “The Legislative Women’s Caucus remains committed to ensuring all […]
Posted inNews
Community Notebook 1/14/16 – 1/21/16
TUESDAY, JAN. 19 • 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. • The Santa Maria City Council has its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, City Hall, 110 E. Cook St., […]
Posted inNews
Local militia madness: Historian says militias once had a home on the Central Coast
As Ammon Bundy and a band of armed protesters occupy an empty federal building on Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Oregon, the term “militia” has been getting tossed around. Bundy is the son of Cliven Bundy, the Nevada rancher who instigated at standoff with federal authorities in April 2014 in protest of unpaid […]
Posted inNews
Finding your oasis: Senior volunteers come together at Oasis Center in Orcutt
What’s your oasis? Is it working with your hands, moving paintbrush over paper? Is it moving your body, learning a new step? Perhaps your happy place is found more simply: connecting with friends over a cup of tea. The volunteers at the Oasis Center in Orcutt have found their respective passions over the course of […]
Posted inNews
Helping Habitat: Building homes for others can open up doors to different cultures
I’ve always wanted to travel. However, being a single, young, female makes travel a bit difficult. Plus, I was always working, never had money, and no one else seemed to share my desire—nay, need—to travel and discover the world. Not just the tourist destinations either. If I went to France, it would be more than […]
Posted inNews
Growing Humane Society calls for volunteers
The Santa Maria Valley Humane Society (SMVHS) is starved for volunteers as the organization approaches two major milestones: the expansion of its dog program and the launch of a trap, neuter, and return (TNR) program for feral cats. SMVHS will open a new dog kennel along with two dog yards by the end of January, […]
Posted inNews
A cuddle for comfort: Marian Regional Medical Center develops baby cuddler volunteer program
The Marian Regional Medical Center’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) houses 21 infant beds, a team of medical professionals and—for 12 hours a week—a Sister of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity. Sister Virginia Boos volunteers in the NICU as a baby cuddler, and the job is exactly what it sounds like: holding and […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Cabin in the woods
During the winter months, many people enjoy driving up to the mountains, playing in the snow, and sleeping in quaint little rustic cabins. I think those people are quite stupid. Sure, on paper it all sounds so nice: the majestic mountains, the falling snow, small romantic cabins. What’s not to like? But the reality of […]