As Christmas approaches, so do two chances to see Pryor Baird live in concert without venturing outside of the Central Coast. The prolific blues and country musician with local roots, widely known for his time on NBC’s The Voice, will perform in Atascadero on Friday, Dec. 20, at 6:30 p.m., and in Orcutt on Saturday, […]
Pryor Baird and supporting acts hold acoustic holiday shows in Orcutt and Atascadero
Posted inOpinion
Renewable energy will eventually replace fossil fuel
Thank you for publishing another well-informed and well-written piece by John Ashbaugh (“Don’t be afraid to talk about climate change during the holidays,” Dec. 5). The statement by Trump’s nominee for secretary for energy, Chris Wright, “There is no climate crisis, and we’re not in the midst of an energy transition, either,” is just wishful […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
PCPA’s Beauty and the Beast is a sweeping spectacle
Certain as the sun The Pacific Conservatory Theatre (PCPA) presents its production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast at the Marian Theatre through Dec. 22. Visit pcpa.org for tickets or more info. The Marian Theatre is located at 800 S. College Drive, Santa Maria. If there’s one tale as old as time that ages particularly […]
Posted inOpinion
Masatani’s Market will be sorely missed
Change is in the air. Masatani’s Market is closing in Guadalupe, possibly replaced by another business, run by someone else. MM has been part of Guadalupe’s community since 1922. When the Masatani family was interned during World War II, the community welcomed their return and supported the business ever since. It really was the unofficial […]
Posted inOpinion
Democracy’s gotten a raw deal
The “original sin” was having super delegates in the first place (“Democrats are paying now for their 2020 deal with the devil,” Nov. 21). If democracy had been allowed to run its natural course, in 2016, Bernie Sanders would have beaten Trump and we wouldn’t be having this conversation today. Of the people, by the […]
Posted inOpinion
Lompoc has had consistently poor mail service
“Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor the gloom of night stays these couriers from the completion of their appointed rounds” has been the unofficial motto of the U.S. Postal Service for generations. According to its website, one of the official missions of the U.S. Postal Service “is to provide the nation with reliable” service. […]
Posted inOpinion
Issues and action
In a first for Lompoc, the city now has an environmental justice element. City staff may have swung this one through the council in the nick of time! Mayor Jenelle Osborne is on the way out and Mayor Elect Jim Mosby is on his way in. I can’t imagine any sort of environmental justice anything […]
Posted inNews
Santa Barbara County K-12 students invited to submit to Air Pollution Control District art contest
Playing outside, practicing sports, riding bicycles, and hiking on trails are a few of the activities highlighted in artwork Santa Barbara County students submitted for the Air Pollution Control District’s inaugural art contest. “It’s a way to bring awareness of the importance of clean air in our community and the progress we’ve made,” Air Pollution […]
Posted inNews
Political Watch: December 12, 2024
• The House of Representatives unanimously approved U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal’s (D-California) bill to rename the U.S. Post Office on E. Battles Road in Santa Maria in honor of Larry Lavagnino, former Santa Maria mayor and City Council member and longtime resident, according to a Dec. 4 statement from Carbajal’s office. “Every community should be […]
Posted inNews
Telecommunication project permit changes raise public participation concerns
Local residents need more local authority when it comes to approving cell towers in neighborhoods, not less, Janet del’Giudice wrote to the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission in a public comment letter. “I and thousands of people like me oppose installations of unneeded, overpowered cell towers, often without proper notification to occupants and without proof […]
Posted inNews
Santa Maria-Bonita and Lompoc Unified bond measures pass
Four North County school districts placed bond measures on the ballot this year to make site improvements or build a new school—with two passing the 55 percent voter approval threshold. The Santa Barbara County Elections Office certified elections on Dec. 3, with more than 187,000 voters casting their ballots for the general election—which is nearly […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
NEW FLICKS: Blitz
Blitz What’s it rated? PG-13 When? 2024 Where’s it showing? Apple TV Plus Written and directed by Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave, Widows), this World War II film does something films about this war rarely do, which is to look beyond the good-versus-evil trope of the Allied Forces versus the Nazis and examine another […]