Movie production has always meant big money: money for the actors, money for the moviemakers, money for pretty much anyone who touches the camera, script, costumes, or equipment. What isn’t as obvious is that the industry also spreads the wealth.
Production creates jobs. In other words, it opens doors for taxpayers and consumers to dole out cash. Crews pay taxes and... [ Read More ]
The door opens, and the judge, draped in legal-grade black, enters the room.
A bailiff gruffly commands everyone present to “please rise,” and proceeds to swear ...
Phil Alvarado can trace his career in education back to one single moment. It was 1973, and Alvarado was leaving after his last day as an instructional aide at Oakley Elementa...
Remember to drive extra safely around Santa Maria for the next few weeks—there are three big road construction projects in the works.
The city’s annual street mai...
Want to make an impact on community development in the downtown Santa Maria area?
Staff members from the Santa Maria Community Development Department are holding an Aug. 14 m...
After a three-month-long investigation, the California Department of Industrial Relations’ Division of Occupational Safety and Health has issued six citations and $262,7...
As of Aug. 16, 53 Department of Motor Vehicles offices—including the Santa Maria, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara offices—will suspend service on Saturdays beca...
Roy Allen is Alzheimer’s man in Santa Maria. This effusive, personable fellow is determined to get out the message on the diseases that rob millions of people of years o...
Superheroes save planets, soar through the sky, fight evil, and still manage to lead pseudo-normal lives. With a lot of the public’s attention now focusing on heroes of ...
• Lompoc resident Robert Cuthbert, who’s running as a 33rd State Assembly candidate, recently released a statement in response to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s...
Six years ago, California voters passed Proposition 49, which created thousands of new after-school programs, invested in public safety, and guaranteed that funding would not ...
I applaud the Parks and Recreation Commission considering banning tobacco products in our parks.
Parks are frequented by families, especially those with small children. Child...
Please make it known that Iran is an imminent threat to the whole world. Iran is defiant and will not stop its nuclear ambitions.
It is important for the American and world p...
As an Independent trying to stay on top of the platforms of politics, I am dismayed by the lack of knowledge of the Democratic opinions. I don’t care for Bush, but under...
There was a time when the Republican Party believed in realistic goals and personal responsibility. Under the failed policies of the Bush Administration, this is no longer the...
Some politicians are now calling for change—this might even sound good to young people who have no memory of the past. I remember when gas was 25 cents a gallon. My firs...
The legislators gridlock has created a complete mess. Hospitals, nursing homes, and community health clinics are no long being paid. Schools are trying to plan a new school ye...
Michael Phelps is cool and all, but Jason Lezak is my new hero. By the time you read this, you’ll have heard all about him. (If you follow the news at all, that is.)
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Ryan Newman ran his first triathlon on a whim. That’s right: on a whim. His cousin was in town for the Lompoc Sprint Triathlon in April 2007 and her friend couldn’...
On Aug. 13, at a conference in the Windy City, the Santa Maria Elementary Education Association announced its affiliation with the American Federation of Labor and Congress of...
It’s that time again! Local elementary, middle, and high school students are packing their backpacks and heading back to school.
The Santa Maria-Bonita School District ...
One of the best things about being a bird is that no one complains when I sit on a fence. It’s what I do. It’s what we all do. Well, sometimes I sit on branches or...
Anyone incapable of appreciating the absurd would do well to stay clear of PCPA’s adaptation of MoliÀre’s The Imaginary Invalid. From the basic plot premise...
In a time of plague, war, famine, and greed, a young girl stood up for her convictions and followed a path of unselfish servitude to those in need. Her actions in the 14th cen...
Sorpresa! comes to Comcast
Santa Maria households can say 8hola! to a new 24-hour kids’ programming station for Hispanic children. 8Sorpresa! is America’s fastest...
This is the first all-computer-animated “Star Wars” movie, which takes place between episodes II and III of the live-action film series. Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalk...
Sliding down the slippery slope toward harvest, winemakers and growers on the Central Coast spend hours each day contemplating their ripening grapes. Despite a rough spring fr...
Watch out for orchids, because they have us outnumbered! There are four times as many specie of orchid than there are mammals, and twice as many as birds. Luckily, orchids are...
The Santa Maria Valley YMCA provides the area’s youth with safe and exciting activities all year round, but the fun is just about to begin. The “Family Day in the ...
Laughs are sure to shake the walls at the Lompoc Civic Theatre’s latest production: Ruthless—The Musical. The play pokes fun at old Broadway classics like Gypsy, M...
