Can it be? Has yet another year come and gone? Each year I feel more like Sisyphus, the mythical King of Ephyra who, for his sins against the gods, was condemned to roll a huge boulder to the top of a towering hill. Each time he made it to the summit, the boulder would roll […]
Times are a changin’
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Viva el Arte de Santa Barbara presents Los Camperos de Nati Cano in Guadalupe
The year may be fresh, but that’s never slowed down Viva el Arte de Santa Barbara, a nonprofit coalition that brings world-class Hispanic musical ensembles to the county. The group offers a series of outreach performances at schools, workshops, and free community concerts in Santa Barbara, Isla Vista, and Guadalupe. Viva’s first guest this year […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Patricia Stalter explores Central Coast in exhibit at Los Olivos Cafe
The Santa Ynez Valley Art Association presents the digital fine art of Patricia Stalter in her exhibit Splendors of the Central Coast showing at the Los Olivos Café beginning Jan. 7. Stalter is known for her creative use of digital technology, combining photography with digital painting, producing work inspired by the expansive vistas found on […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Luis Oasis Senior Center in Orcutt offers arts instruction and activities
The Luis Oasis Senior Center offers a variety of workshops, classes, and crafting sessions throughout each week. Some require materials fees, but most are free to attend. Some classes are strictly for seniors and members, so call ahead before crashing a session. A Photoshop Workshop with Jim Bryan will show how to navigate the popular […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
DANA receives $25,000 to match challenge grant
The DANA Cultural Center received a $100,000 challenge grant from the Henry Mayo Newhall Foundation, the sum of which has been mostly matched thanks to a recent $25,000 grant donation from the Edwin and Jeanne Woods Family Foundation. The challenge grant and matching funds will support the organization’s Phase II Historic Park Development Project, which […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Five Cities teacher pens educational mystery books for children
When Five Cities-born physical education teacher Jerome Jones was working at a school in Utah, he went to the school library to find a book for kids that broke down health and nutrition on a level they could understand. But no such book could be found. Jones, 33, decided to solve the problem by writing […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Slow down for eagle season at Cachuma Lake
Santa Barbara County Naturalist Rosey Bishop remembers the first time she witnessed a bald eagle spread its mighty wings and soar across a powder blue sky. Despite the fact she grew up in Santa Barbara—not far from the Bald Eagle territory of Cachuma Lake—she was all of 25 years old. Now, after three years of […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Gabrys Sadaunykas
Gabrys Sadaunykas, a senior basketball player at St. Joseph High School, had himself a New Year’s to remember. Sadaunykas led his team to two tournament championships in less than a week, earning Most Valuable Player honors at both the Las Vegas Invitational and the White Mountain Holiday Classic in Arizona. “I was excited,” Sadaunykas told […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
From the ground up: Nipomo high school girls’ wrestling emerges as a force to be reckoned with
To see the Nipomo High School girls’ wrestling team in action, walk through the gates of Nipomo High School, and bypass the main gym. Meander through a stretch of classrooms and arrive at a cluster of unremarkable portables. Inside Room 127, though, is perhaps the most creative use of a portable you’ll ever see. Here, […]
Posted inFood & Drink
At The Jetty: An old Central Coast favorite shines again
New Year’s Eve was a mellow dining experience for me. As people everywhere enjoyed swanky dinner places or visited loud noisy bars, my family and I decided to ring in the new year in an atmosphere that was quiet, familiar, and to adopt an overused phrase: where everybody knows our names. We ate at the […]
Posted inOpinion
Depends on your definition
What happens when you install artificial turf along Broadway Street in Santa Maria? The city freaks out! Well, eventually the city freaks out. The Jiffy Lube on Broadway got itself into a heap of trouble for apparently not continuing its communication with the city over some artificial turf that was installed at the location earlier […]
Posted inOpinion
Proposed Phillips 66 rail extension would be beneficial
Full disclosure, I have been a Phillips 66 employee for more than 25 years. I believe that having a safe and reliable source of crude supply to our plant helps to ensure the livelihood of 200 full-time employees. We currently have limited access to local crudes due to the partial shutdown of the Plains All […]