Sun, February 12, 2026

Outrunning leukemia

Fatigue and achiness were the first signs that something was wrong. Initially, international triathlete Siri Lindley just thought it was her age after a lifetime of pushing her body. But doctors discovered it was acute myeloid leukemia. For our annual Health and Wellness issue, Staff Writer Caleb Wiseblood talks with Lindley about her cancer journey, fitness, horse therapy, and her annual 5K run [6] Staff Writer Bulbul Rajagopal from our sister paper, New Times, writes about outpatient IV treatments for beauty, energy, and more [8]

Also, read about the Santa Maria City Council’s conversation about how the city should support immigrants [4]; a music man who’s teaching both kids and adults [22]; and how a lavender lover is sharing her knowledge [25]

Camillia

FETCH BETTER BEHAVIOR

• California gubernatorial candidate and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco will visit Lompoc on March 15 for a meet-and-greet event. Free and open to the public, the program is scheduled to take place on March 15, from 1 to 4 p.m., at the Lompoc Elks Lodge located at 905 E. Ocean Ave., Lompoc. After the public gets the opportunity to meet and speak with Bianco, he will participate in a town hall-style forum to discuss his vision for California. To help organizers plan for the event, attendees should RSVP no later than March 1 by emailing: erin.biancoforgovernor@gmail.com . In January, the California Police Chiefs Association (CPCA) announced its dual endorsement of Bianco and U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Castro Valley) in the Republican and Democratic primaries, respectively, for governor of California. “Our endorsement is not about politics. It is about ensuring voters understand which candidates in each major party have demonstrated a commitment to public safety and effective law enforcement,” CPCA President Jason Salazar said in a statement. Bianco’s platforms in his campaign for governor include crime reduction and improving protections for victims of crimes.

•U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-California) recently called for U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick ’s resignation following reports of his past interactions with Jeffrey Epstein according to the Epstein files released by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky)—the lead Republican behind the Epstein Files Transparency Act—also urged Lutnick to step down. Both Massie and Schiff made their comments on Feb. 9. “Howard Lutnick clearly went to the island if we believe what’s in these files,” Massie told CNN during an interview. “He should just resign. … He was in business with Jeffrey Epstein, and this was many years after Jeffrey Epstein was convicted.” In his Feb. 9 statement, Schiff described Lutnick’s “business dealings with a convicted child sex offender” as raising serious concerns about his judgement and ethics. “Lutnick has no business being our commerce secretary, and he should resign immediately,” Schiff said. “We must not forget that this information only came to light months after the Trump administration was required by law to release the Epstein files. Damning revelations like these demonstrate exactly why Donald Trump and the [DOJ] have slow-walked and obscured the release of this information from the beginning.” Schiff said he will continue to “demand a full and independent investigation into how Trump’s attorneys at DOJ have handled these files, to ensure full accountability and that nothing is withheld,” he stated.

•U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-California) and U.S. Reps. Becca Balint (D-Vermont) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-New Jersey) introduced the Mental Health Career Promotion Act on Feb. 5. This legislation aims to bolster the behavioral and mental health care workforce pipeline by providing students with educational opportunities to learn about and pursue careers in the field, according to Padilla’s office. The bill would create the Behavioral and Mental Health Career Promotion Grant Program, which would provide funding to schools to establish mental health career promotion programs for high school and community college students. Padilla stated that too many students go untreated for mental health issues because they either don’t know where to seek help or there are not enough trained mental health professionals available to meet the demand. “Far too many people struggling with their mental health are left to suffer in silence because of our nation’s severe shortage of qualified providers,” Padilla stated. “We must meet students where they are at by expanding resources for students to learn about careers in mental health care.” m

Santa Maria’s immigrant resolution stirs backlash from elected officials, advocacy groups

Of all the tangents Santa Maria leaders veered into while discussing a resolution to support immigrants, nostalgia for the 1950s was one of the most disheartening, an Oxnard official stated.

“People need to really think more critically about romanticizing that era,” Oxnard City Council Member Gabe Teran said in a Facebook thread.

Teran was referring to a comment Santa Maria Mayor Alice Patino made during her council’s Feb. 3 meeting.

“Seeing what’s happened to Santa Maria, … people say to me, we would like Santa Maria back where it was in 1955 or something—when it was a small, lazy little town,” Patino said, after describing recent demonstrations in town protesting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity and asking city officials to show solidarity.

“I think it’s really sad when I see people out there yelling and screaming,” she said. “We’re not the bad guys. We really are not the bad guys.”

Oxnard Councilmember Teran commented:

“It’s highly likely that none of the current [Santa Maria] council would have been able to sit in those seats during that time,” and added that some cities “still had homes with deed restrictions that prohibited selling to families of color” during the ’50s.

His comment was a response to a Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE) Facebook post about the Santa Maria City Council. The local nonprofit described various snippets of Patino’s commentary as “horrendous.”

Comments on the thread ranged from critical to messages of support for Patino, who also said she worried for ICE agents, police officers, and firefighters’ safety during “violent protests” across the country.

“Good for Alice, standing up for ICE and our law enforcement officers,” Bob Boggess commented.

“I stand with Alice Patino,” Connie Avila commented, followed by the clasped prayer hands emoji, an American flag, and a heart.

During the council’s Feb. 3 meeting, Councilmember Gloria Soto said she was “extremely underwhelmed” with the 190-word resolution staff drafted to formalize the city’s “support for immigrant residents of Santa Maria,” as it’s subtitled.

“It lacks showcasing the fear and instability that ICE has caused in our community,” Soto said. “It doesn’t state anywhere on this resolution that we as a council are prohibiting any type of city resources, staffing, or facilities from being used for ICE enforcement.”

After Soto pitched amendments to the resolution, Patino said no matter what the council agrees to add, it’s up to federal officials to resolve issues related to immigration enforcement.

“It’s like putting a Band-Aid on a huge surgical wound. … This really takes action for our leaders at the federal level,” Patino said. “When I saw millions of people coming across the border through the last administration, and they were never vetted, I was thinking, ‘Oh my gosh. What is that going to mean to all of us?’”

The Sun reached out to Patino for additional comments, but did not receive a response before press time.

With a 4-1 vote (Soto dissented), the council ultimately adopted city staff’s resolution as it was presented, without any of Soto’s suggested revisions.

Two days after the vote, Soto shared more of her thoughts about the resolution and the council’s discussion on her Facebook page.

“Hurtful comments were made that expressed sympathy toward, and appeared to justify, violent ICE actions. That rhetoric causes real harm to immigrant families in our community who are already living in fear,” Soto posted on Feb. 5. “I could not support a watereddown resolution when it became clear that its intent was not shared or upheld. Standing with and in support of immigrants requires clarity, consistency, and the courage to reject harm— not excuse it.”

—Caleb Wiseblood

Lompoc Police Department uses AI tool for nonemergency dispatch

An AI assistant is now answering calls made to the Lompoc Police Department’s business line to report non-emergencies. Police hope the technology, called Hyper, will allow dispatchers to focus on emergency situations.

“It’ll help reduce the volume of calls coming directly into dispatch because there’s an enormous amount of calls that come through that aren’t emergencies,” Community Services Sgt. Scott Morgan told the Sun. “The Hyper support tool can help mitigate some of that and create less work for some of the dispatchers.”

The Lompoc Police Department partnered with Hyper to manage non-emergency calls to

the department’s business line starting Feb. 10. All calls to 911 will still be received by a human dispatcher.

Hyper is a voice-based software that can respond to calls in multiple languages and is trained to manage minor incidents and guide callers to appropriate resources. Common calls that the technology might respond to in Lompoc are reports of petty theft, parking problems, fireworks, and loitering.

Adding the AI dispatch service comes just a couple of months after the Lompoc Police Department was cleared to operate drones as first responders on the scene. Other recent upgrades include the use of a dictation service for writing reports and a new radio system for the first time in three decades. Morgan said that since Police Chief Kevin Martin took the role in 2023, the department has embraced technology.

“He is all about trying to make the local police department as efficient as possible,” Morgan said.

Multiple public safety agencies in the U.S. and Canada are using Hyper, the company’s chief operating officer, Reinhard Ekl, told the Sun in an email. Lompoc is the first on the Central Coast. A large sheriff’s office in California also integrated the technology, but it hasn’t been publicly announced, Ekl added.

Hyper tested its software in stages, beginning with controlled scenarios from scripted cases that agencies commonly receive. The AI is also trained to transfer a distressed caller to a human if the situation is urgent.

“A key principle is that if the system is uncertain, it should hand off to a human rather than guess,” Ekl said.

When operational issues arise, the company identifies the problem, reviews and corrects the workflow, and tests the improvement before releasing it on a wide scale, Ekl explained. Call the Lompoc Police Department’s business number, (805) 736-2341, to speak with Hyper for non-emergency purposes.

—Madison White

County orders monthly audits of Sheriff’s Office overtime use

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors will continue tracking overtime use at the Sheriff’s Office after a recent review showed that a few employees more than doubled their pay.

“The current system really rewards overspending,” 3rd District Supervisor Joan Hartmann said during the Feb. 10 board hearing. According to county staff, during the fiscal year 2024-25, 29 Sheriff’s Office employees made more money from working overtime than from their regular salaries. These employees made a combined total of $2.29 million in regular pay and other pay, while also making $2.28 million in overtime pay alone.

Unbudgeted Sheriff’s Office costs tied to overtime pay in 2024 and 2025 led the Board of Supervisors to take a closer look at the department’s timekeeping and payroll activity. On Feb. 10, county staff presented the board with a “limited-scope review,” which it emphasized was not to be confused with an audit of the Sheriff’s Office.

“This engagement was not an audit, and no assurance or opinion is expressed regarding the adequacy of internal controls or compliance with county policies,” the staff report states. The report described a “recurring pattern” in which some Sheriff’s Office employees coded overtime in their standard work periods before working any regular hours, “distorting overtime reporting and being incongruent with the principle that overtime should only apply after regular hours are worked.”

Hartmann proposed establishing the position of an inspector general to oversee the Sheriff’s

Office’s spending related to overtime and other uses, based on a piece of state legislation— Assembly Bill 1185—which allows counties to create sheriff oversight boards.

“Without oversight, the loop continues,” Hartmann said.

Sheriff Bill Brown said at the meeting that the amount of overtime hours the department’s employees use reflects understaffing issues and his office’s response to emergency calls.

“At the end of the day, you control my budget. So if you decide that you want to cut my budget by $10 million or $15 million, we will work within

that budget to the extent that we can,” Brown said. “But it’s going to result in things that neither you or your constituents will be happy with.”

“We have many departments that deal with emergencies,” 2nd District Supervisor Laura Capps said. “A picture is being painted that these challenges are unique solely to the sheriff’s department, yet we have other departments that deal with emergencies all of the time.”

With a 4-0 vote (5th District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino was absent), the board directed its internal audit staff to return monthly for the next six months with updates on the Sheriff’s Office’s overtime use. m

—Caleb Wiseblood

‘Living

a miracle’

Celebrate Life 5K co-founder and cancer survivor retraces steps from near-terminal diagnosis to remission

BY CALEB WISEBLOOD

No amount of medals or trophies could stack up against 12-time international triathlon winner Siri Lindley’s greatest victory: overcoming acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

The average five-year survival rate for those diagnosed with AML is 29 percent, according to WebMD. The odds doctors gave Lindley after her diagnosis six years ago were much less, she said.

“They had given me a 5 percent chance of surviving,” the Santa Ynez resident said during a recent Zoom call. “I’m basically living a miracle.”

Both Lindley and her wife, Rebekah Keat, enjoyed long careers in professional athletics and coaching, so they didn’t think twice when Lindley began feeling fatigue and more frequent soreness in her legs than usual around a milestone birthday.

The couple’s dog seemed to sense something was wrong too, Keat said.

“She never used to lie on the bed before, but then she started lying on [Lindley’s] legs,” Keat said. “Her legs and bones were aching. … But being athletes, we’re kind of used to pain. We were always used to being in pain, and almost switching that off.”

When Lindley went in for a pre-op to assess hip replacement options, her doctor described her blood work as “really off.”

“They came out and said, ‘Sorry, we’re not doing this surgery, you’ve got to go in for further testing,’” Lindley recalled. “Within a matter of days, they said it was AML. … My doctor said I could have been gone within weeks.”

‘It’s reminding people: Live your best life now because this is the only one you get.’ —Siri Lindley

“I felt really exhausted, and I thought it was age. I had turned 50,” Lindley recalled. “I needed a hip replacement because I trained way beyond what I was capable of.”

To the rescue

The sixth annual Celebrate Life Run will take place on Feb. 21 starting at 9 a.m. at Believe Ranch and Rescue in Santa Ynez. Visit believeranchandrescue.org or runsignup.com/liferun5k for more info on the upcoming 5K run/walk, which will feature merchant pop-ups and opportunities to meet the rescue horses.

To learn more about Siri Lindley and Rebekah Keat’s workout videos, visit siriandbeksquad.com. The series includes virtual workout videos hosted by Lindley and Keat, wellness tips, nutritional challenges, and other offerings.

will embark from the start line at 9 a.m.

“It’s a day to celebrate your own life; someone you love and their life; maybe someone who’s passed—to celebrate honoring them, running for them—or running for someone that’s fighting a diagnosis,” Lindley said. “It’s a day of remembering what a gift every breath is, and how you’re going to use that; how you’re going to live this moment right now when you know how precious it is.

“What’s important to me is reminding people this is a day to celebrate life,” she continued. “It’s reminding people: Live your best life now because this is the only one you get.”

Proceeds of the event, which will also include several local merchant pop-ups, will support Lindley and Keat’s ranch, which operates as a nonprofit horse rescue. Part of the organization’s funding goes toward purchasing horses at public livestock sales, to prevent kill buyers from acquiring them for slaughterhouses outside of the U.S., the couple explained.

“We’ve saved 356 horses in eight years,” Lindley said. “A lot of them have been adopted out. We currently care for 51.”

Attendees of the Celebrate Life Run will have the opportunity to meet the couple’s horses, including some that are part of the ranch’s equine therapy program.

“These horses go on to heal people,” said Lindley, whose therapy horses regularly interact with clients who suffer from PTSD and other disorders.

Believe Ranch and Rescue also periodically partners with the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation to host equine healing events for children going through cancer to meet and bond with the horses.

Outside of caring for horses at their home and some of their neighbors’ horses at other ranches in Santa Ynez, Lindley and Keat spend their time designing workout routines for those who subscribe to their monthly fitness plan.

The program includes a series of 15-minute beginner-friendly exercise sessions intended for people “who maybe never worked out their entire lives,” Lindley said.

“It’s doable and sustainable, and not just for people that have never worked out before but people that have high-pressure jobs and don’t have more than 15 minutes to work out,” Lindley said. “What we’re doing is what’s going to give them the biggest bang for their buck.”

Lindley and Keat’s mutual pursuits as professional triathlon athletes led them to each other in the mid-1990s. But they didn’t start dating until around 15 years after initially meeting.

But within less than a year, Lindley went into remission after undergoing two clinical trials at UCHealth Anschutz in Colorado (the couple moved to California about three years ago), a bone marrow transplant, and months of chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Lindley’s battle with leukemia is the subject of a new documentary, Tri Me, which will be available on streaming platforms sometime this spring, Lindley said. Her journey toward remission also inspired an annual 5K run/walk she and her wife host at their horse ranch in Santa Ynez.

This year marks the sixth Celebrate Life Run, which is scheduled to take place on Feb. 21 at Believe Ranch and Rescue. Participants

“There was always a spark there, but every time we’d always both been in relationships,” said Keat, a six-time Ironman Triathlon champion.

Keat eventually approached Lindley, who’s about nine years older, to become her coach in the 2010s. At a training camp in Australia, the two bonded while sharing meals, conversations, and cooking space in the camp’s kitchen area.

“Every night we basically had to cook dinner in the same kitchen, and over time we fell in love. Neither of us wanted to but,” Lindley stopped with a laugh just as Keat interjected during a Zoom call.

“It’s not that we didn’t want to,” Keat said with a smile, “it’s that we weren’t really expecting it.” m

Reach Senior Staff Writer Caleb Wiseblood at cwiseblood@ santamariasun.com.

Drip and decompress

Central Coast residents are getting hooked on IV treatments to boost immunity and wellness

BY BULBUL RAJAGOPAL

Needle-phobia, stark and sterile rooms, and medical staff dashing from one patient to the next are nonexistent when you sink into a cushy armchair at MedSpa SLO.

The “longevity lounge” is a one-stop shop where locals can receive an intravenous (IV) cocktail of fluids that can boost energy and beauty and even fight the flu.

“By the time you leave, you either feel the benefits of clearer thinking, the hydration, or in the next day or the next few days with the vitamins,” MedSpa SLO owner Kristie Geiges said. “You’re getting a 100 percent of that versus taking them orally.”

Geiges is a registered nurse who worked in critical care until 2022. Her responsibilities peaked during the pandemic when she was assigned to night shifts at the COVID-19 unit in an unfamiliar community. That’s when she began researching different health and wellness treatments, especially considering her own history with low vitamin D levels.

“I started looking into IVs because what do we do when you come to the ER? Pretty much the first thing you’re going to do is get an IV,” Geiges said. “Why can’t we do that outpatient? I mean, they’re doing it in Vegas for the last 20 years for hangover drips.”

The popularity of IV treatments is growing around the Central Coast, with medical spas popping up from Santa Maria to Paso Robles. It can be expensive. For instance, in Santa Maria, mobile IV therapy through I.V. Doc can cost between $200 and $3,000, depending on the treatment. Central Coast Allure Med Spa’s Liquivida IV therapy offers payment plans to help

customers afford the treatments.

“It’s not a trend, it’s just a choice and lifestyle, and people starting to care more about what goes into their body,” Geiges said. “I think people are advocating for their health a lot more than they were.”

At MedSpa SLO, outpatient care looks like being welcomed into the serene spa on Pacific Street where a medical expert first conducts a good-faith exam on video about the client’s medical history.

Then, Geiges and her fellow registered nurse guide their clients into the IV therapy room where a quick blood pressure check is followed by a virtually painless needle insertion thanks to the help of a vein finder device.

Depending on individual needs, people can choose from a menu of four IV therapy concoctions priced between $179 and $199 that usually come in 1-liter bags.

There’s the amino acid-rich “Peak Performance” mixture that’s designed for athletes and active people; the amber-colored Myers Cocktail packed with B-12, vitamin C, magnesium, calcium, and zinc meant for all-around wellness; “Flu Who?” that kicks colds, flu, and inflammation with a double dose of vitamin C; and “the Glow Getter” infused with biotin and glutathione that hydrates, detoxifies, and promotes healthy skin, hair, and nails.

The MedSpa SLO team also offers mobile IV treatments for groups—like bachelor and bachelorette partygoers the morning after their shindig.

HEALTH & WELLNESS continued page 10

Three for IV

MedSpa SLO is located at 867 Pacific St., suite 110, in San Luis Obispo. Visit medspaslo.com or call (805) 457-3244 for more information on its treatments.

IV Hydration and Beyond is located at 1512 Park St. in Paso Robles. Call (805) 769-4001 or visit ivhab.com for more information.

IV Beach House is located at 1801 Shell Beach Road in Pismo Beach. Visit ivbeachouse.com or call (805) 706-0511 for more information.

I.V. Doc offers mobile therapies in Santa Maria. Learn more at theivdoc. com/mobile-iv-therapy-santa-maria-ca.

Central Coast Allure Med Spa is located at 2151 S. College Drive, suite 105, in Santa Maria. Visit allurecentralcoast.com or call (805) 232-5200 for more information.

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Building Confidence

“Typically, if we’re doing pregame, like big event parties, we always have glutathione and vitamin C. That’s really going to help our skin glow,” Geiges said. “If we’re looking at hangover drips, we’re always going to bring that Zofran, which is for nausea, Toradol for headaches and body aches, and then we’re going to put some magnesium in the bag and all the B vitamins because alcohol depletes all of those. We’re going to perk you right back up!”

Each IV treatment lasts roughly an hour, during which clients socialize, curl up with a book, or help themselves to snacks. Geiges recommends a light meal before arriving and added that people can go on with their regular activities uninterrupted after their treatments.

Paso Robles registered nurse and family nurse practitioner Hanna Roewer agrees that education is key. The founder of IV Hydration and Beyond, Roewer noticed a flutter of interest in IV therapy after the release of an episode of The Kardashians where celebrities Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber catch up over a treatment called NAD.

NAD or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide is found naturally in the body, and it helps with generating energy but can their levels drop with age and stress. Through injections and IV, NAD therapy is meant to reduce fatigue and brain fog and improve longevity. Both IV Hydration and Beyond and MedSpa SLO offer NAD treatments.

“I think it’s the Kardashians who said, ‘Oh, NAD makes you look younger,’ and this and that. But I always tell my patients that it does have benefits in it, but it’s not for everyone,” Roewer said. “Locally, it’s more a medical necessity, but we have more tourists who are more familiar on the longevity route, like the IVs and all the biohacking modalities.”

Roewer moved from Chicago and previously worked at Community Health Centers of the Central Coast in Atascadero before opening IV Hydration and Beyond in 2022. Along with IV

treatments ranging between $120 and $220 each for immunity, hangovers, energy, pain relief, and anti-aging, she also offers a simpler option for hydration.

“The older population who can’t take two water bottles a day and they just can’t take sufficient hydration, they’re a good candidate for IV,” she said. “Then people who are just getting sick and they want to combat those illnesses are good candidates as well. … Pregnant patients—we also treat them in collaboration with their OB-GYN.”

According to registered nurses Linda McCormick and Yvette Hickey, who are cofounders of IV Beach House in Pismo Beach, insurance doesn’t cover IV therapy because it’s an elective treatment.

“It can get really pricey, and the average cost is between $150 and $225,” Hickey said. “The benefits, depending on the person and the severity of the condition, they can feel great up to two weeks after.”

Since they opened IV Beach House in August 2025, Hickey and McCormick see from six to eight clients every day, and they have room to tend to seven people at a time. About half their clientele are regular visitors.

The business offers four monthly membership plans between $99 and $400, which include several IV treatments, vitamin B12 injections, and discounts on add-on services.

IV Beach House will also be bringing its services to group events in the future, with discounts available for gatherings of more than five people.

“Since I’ve started receiving the infusions, I haven’t been sick once,” McCormick said. “That’s a common thing that our clients mentioned, especially clients that travel a lot. It really helps boost your immune system and can help prevent illness and definitely shorten the duration.” m

Reach New Times Staff Writer Bulbul Rajagopal, from the Sun’s sister paper, at brajagopal@ newtimesslo.com.

Be positive

Vikings of Solvang holds biannual blood drive under new leadership

BY CALEB WISEBLOOD

The price of a cup of coffee can be a real pain for someone who’s about to donate blood, Solvang local Kim Jensen explained.

“Drink a lot of fluids before you come, but don’t be drinking coffee. It’s hard to find a vein when you drink too much coffee,” said Jensen, referring to caffeine’s tendency to constrict blood vessels. Jensen recently stepped into the role of chief with nonprofit Vikings of Solvang, which hosts a community blood drive twice a year. One of his goals as the group’s new leader is to expand participation in the biannual event.

Local lifeblood

From start to finish, participating in the blood drive takes less than an hour, he said, and that’s including the check-in and blood test before being approved to donate.

“They have to make sure you have enough iron and all the other things, and then you sit there and wait until a chair opens up,” Jensen said. “The whole thing’s about 30 minutes.”

Find out more about the Vikings of Solvang and the local nonprofit’s upcoming community blood drive at vikingsofsolvang.org. The blood drive will take place on March 19, from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m., at Solvang Veterans Memorial Hall, located at 1745 Mission Drive.

“It’s something you can give that will save somebody. One pint can save three lives,” said Jensen, who’d been a Viking member for 12 years before taking the helm. “It’s that valuable.”

When he stepped into the role in February, Jensen set out to increase attendance at the next Vikings blood drive in March by tasking the club’s 200-plus members with encouraging at least three people each to donate.

Jensen told the Sun he’s been a frequent blood donor through different organizations since his college days.

“When I went to Long Beach State, I did it all the time,” he said. “That was just something that I thought was important. You can’t make blood. There’s nothing that can even replace blood. There’s nothing that can be manufactured to do so.”

As a reward for donating one pint of blood at the upcoming Vikings of Solvang drive, participants will receive a $25 voucher that can be redeemed at a handful of local restaurants and businesses, including Jensen’s chocolate shop at 1679 Copenhagen Drive.

“It’s a way of saying thank you,” the proprietor of Ingeborg’s Danish Chocolates said.

Other spots include Paula’s Pancake House, Olsen’s Danish Village Bakery, Chomp, Mortensen’s Bakery, Solvang Brewing Company, the Red Viking Restaurant, The Landsby, and Solvang Restaurant.

Since donors need to stay and rest for a bit after giving blood, Jensen said there will be plenty of complimentary refreshments to pass the time, including selections from his chocolate shop.

To learn more about the event, visit vikingsofsolvang. com. Blood donation professionals from Vitalant’s Central Coast chapter (serving San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties) will facilitate the drive.

A finger prick at the start of the process will determine a participant’s blood type immediately, Jensen said.

“If you’re type O-negative, you can give it to anybody,” he said, referring to the rare blood type all types can receive in a transfusion.

“They call them the golden boys and golden girls,” Jensen explained. “They can save anybody.”

Highlights

• The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce will host its virtual AI training for small businesses on Feb. 24, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Led by featured speakers and AI experts Norma Davey and Frank Kenny, the 90-minute webinar aims to break down various AI topics in a practical and approachable way for small business owners and teams. Admission is $20 for Santa Maria Valley Chamber members and $35 for other registrants. Visit santamaria.com for more info.

• The Carnegie Corporation of New York recently awarded a $10,000 grant to the Lompoc Public Library, which is among the 1,300-plus Carnegie library systems. “I am honored and thankful to accept this grant, … on behalf of the entire library team,” library director Sarah Bleyl stated. The grant will support community programs, classes, and library materials. The Carnegie Corporation described Lompoc’s library system as an example of a cradle of democracy—a phrase coined by Andrew Carnegie to describe public libraries. m

Reach Senior Staff Writer Caleb Wiseblood at cwiseblood@ santamariasun.com.

AUTHORIZED DEALER:

What do you think of Fighting Back

Santa Maria Valley helping formerly incarcerated kids at risk of gang involvement?

50% It’s a good program, and more like it are needed.

50% It’s great. These youths needs mentorship outside the Probation Department.

0% Are gangs even an issue in Santa Maria?

0% It’s unnecessary. Kids learn their lessons in juvenile hall.

4 Votes

Vote online at www.santamariasun.com.

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No real resolve

Local support for immigrants lacks backbone

BY SCOTT FINA

There’s a common idiom heard among the halls of newspaper offices and other media outlets: “old news is no news.”

There was certainly some of that at the Santa Maria City Council meeting on Feb. 3. The meeting was dominated by extensive public comment and discussion among City Council members on how to acknowledge Santa Maria’s efforts to help its immigrant residents deal with less than humane deportations called for by the second Trump administration.

Surely readers are aware that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents have been running around our country, grabbing undocumented immigrants, detaining them, and deporting them. In the process, families have been torn apart. This has overshadowed news and social media for many months.

The local reaction? Fear is spreading around Santa Maria and its surrounding valley, with some undocumented adults afraid to go to work, shop, or take their kids to school.

In response, the City Council passed a resolution to help allay this fear. Here are the key assertions in the resolution:

“Whereas, the Santa Maria Police Department has made clear it does not enforce federal immigration laws and does not inquire about individuals’ immigration status; and whereas, the Santa Maria Police Department’s focus and commitment is community safety and crime prevention, and continues to foster trust and cooperation with our community.”

One asks, are these actions adopted by the City Council, to help protect immigrants in Santa Maria, significant? Will these folks walk down our streets no longer afraid of ICE and CBP?

Not likely. The City Council resolution is redundant, at best.

California law, SB 54, put into force on Jan. 1, 2018, already disallows local police from enforcing immigration law, including inquiring about residents’ immigration status, or cooperating with federal immigrant agents in detaining and

deporting them.

The City Council resolution is old news.

Sadly, there are more actions that could help Santa Maria support its thousands of undocumented immigrants.

Councilmember Gloria Soto read off a good list of them, but they never made it into the resolution.

Moreover, the mayor put a damper on the evening by looking back to March 3, 2016, describing how the Santa Maria Police and other law enforcement agencies—including ICE— conducted Operation Matador, rounding up 15 MS-13 gang members. The gang, which comprised undocumented members, had been responsible for several murders of local residents in the three years leading up to Operation Matador.

The mayor also noted how other undocumented residents in Santa Maria committed murders, detailing one case in 2015 where the victim was raped and killed by an undocumented man who had a criminal record. That case made national news.

Everything the mayor said was true. The way it was presented in the current context, however, could suggest that immigration itself was the cause of the murders.

I doubt the mayor intended this, but her statements could reinforce unfair perceptions of undocumented residents in the Santa Maria Valley who are overwhelmingly peaceful and otherwise law-abiding, not to mention essential to the regional economy.

And there’s something the mayor may have missed.

In 2014, I was one of four parties that attempted but lost in appealing Santa Maria City Council’s permitting of the construction of the ICE facility that operates today in the city. Not long afterward, I got to know the lead ICE agent in Santa Maria. The agent and I developed a respectful relationship—even though he was aware I had serious qualms about the mission of his agency.

This lead agent, who has since retired, welcomed community leaders to meet with him and also tour the ICE facility. He was honest and transparent—willing to respond to requests from immigration support agencies on the whereabouts of specific residents who’d been detained. During his leadership, ICE agents were ordered to arrest and detain undocumented immigrants who had serious criminal convictions, in accordance

with detailed executive actions initiated by the leadership of the Department of Homeland Security under the Obama administration. The ICE agents were generally targeting undocumented residents who fell under the criminal categories warranting detention and deportation. This was a far cry from the blunt and inhumane approach the second Trump administration has adopted: “mass deportation” to use the words President Trump has stated on numerous occasions. What we have today is a more insensitive, aggressive, and, at times, merciless generation of ICE and CBP agents. m

Scott Fina writes to the Sun from Santa Maria. Send a letter for publication to letters@santamariasun.com.

Harmful rhetoric

At the Feb. 3 City Council meeting, a resolution expressing support for immigrant residents was brought forward and approved. I could not support it, not because I oppose standing with immigrant families, but because what unfolded during council’s discussion revealed how easily words of support can be undermined by harmful rhetoric and a refusal to act.

During the meeting, Mayor Alice Patino justified ICE enforcement by framing it as a matter of public safety and by repeatedly alluding to immigrants as violent criminals. That framing is not only deeply hurtful, it is factually wrong.

Extensive research shows that immigrants, including undocumented immigrants, are less likely to commit violent crime than U.S.-born citizens. A January 2026 study by the UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge found that under recent federal enforcement expansions, ICE detentions have overwhelmingly targeted noncriminal, law-abiding Latino residents. Nearly three-quarters of those detained had never been convicted of a crime, contradicting the narrative that ICE focuses on “dangerous criminals.” When elected officials invoke “public safety” to justify immigration enforcement, they perpetuate a dangerous narrative. That rhetoric does more than harm immigrant families, it undermines the work of our police department.

I respect the leadership of our police chief, who has stated that the Police Department does not work with or assist ICE. That distinction between local public safety and federal immigration enforcement is critical. Public safety is strengthened when residents know their local police are not there to serve as an extension of ICE. Preserving that clarity is essential to the safety and stability of our community.

Equally troubling was the role of the rest of my colleagues on council. The resolution was brought forward and framed as a show of “support” for immigrant communities. However, when given the opportunity to strengthen it with concrete actions—citywide training, transparency requirements, and clear limits on the use of city resources—they chose not to act. That is performative leadership: offering words of solidarity while declining to take the steps that would make that solidarity real.

During the meeting, I asked my colleagues directly whether they disagreed with the violent ICE tactics that have separated families, violated constitutional rights, and traumatized our community. Not one council member said no. Silence in the face of harm is not neutrality, it is complicity.

Santa Maria’s immigrant families deserve leadership that rejects false narratives about criminality, respects the integrity of local law enforcement, and is willing to pair words with action. Public safety is built on trust. And trust cannot coexist with rhetoric that criminalizes immigrants or excuses harm. I will continue to stand with our immigrant neighbors and push for policies that protect dignity, safety, and truth, not just resolutions that may sound good on paper.

It’s easy to pick apart Mayor Alice Patino’s rambling commentary at the Feb. 3 Santa Maria City Council meeting.

Her comments placed blame on protesters for the violence witnessed across the country and questioned whether demonstrators in Santa Maria would be peaceful. She stood up for Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, excusing the actions of bad actors and the deaths that resulted from their actions, and seemed to demonize undocumented immigrants in her hometown as criminals while feigning support for their children.

It was painful to listen to. I kept thinking, “Get to the point, Alice.”

Do you hate undocumented immigrants?

Do you think ICE should deport them all? Wait, you think we should help their kids? It was confusing.

She tried to pull her argument together but only succeeded in becoming the target of much-deserved criticism on social media, after she criticized the Biden administration for allowing “millions” to cross the border unchecked; lamented criminal acts committed by undocumented folks in Santa Maria well before his time as president; cautioned local protesters; and waxed poetic about better days— days when she would never have been allowed to ramble from a governing body’s dais. Out of touch. That’s how it sounded. She excused the Trump administration’s overly aggressive tactics, agreed with his broadsweeping characterization of immigrants, and failed to acknowledge any positive contributions to the community.

“I do not want to make Santa Maria a sanctuary city. I do not want to protect criminals in Santa Maria,” Patino said.

“Does this council agree with the tactics that ICE is currently using?” Councilmember Gloria Soto asked. “Is that something that we can at least agree on?”

Patino questioned what those tactics were: “I have no idea.”

The videos and testimony about how ICE and other federal immigration agents treat people are pervasive. How can she feign ignorance? Patino would have to actually live under a rock not to see it.

“I really have no idea what they’re actually doing here in Santa Maria,” she said of ICE.

“In the state of California, if those jails were allowed to give the criminals over to the federal government, then we would be getting these people out of here,” she said. “When they’re released from that jail, do you know where they go? They don’t go down to Santa Barbara. … They come into Santa Maria.”

The problems in Santa Maria are bigger than ICE, she said, calling it a “huge problem.”

Sounds like maybe it’s time to move, Alice, to a whiter, more rural town like your friend and colleague, former Councilmember Etta Waterfield did.

The problem with this whole discussion is its lack of nuance. The problem with ICE’s tactics is the narrative and the impunity that it enables— the fear it instills in law-abiding residents.

Are there criminals here that don’t have the legal papers to live in the United States? Absolutely. That’s not the vast majority, and Patino knows that. Are some ICE agents behaving abhorrently and likely committing crimes in the process? Absolutely. Is it the majority? Probably not.

The mayor of a city of more than 110,000 people where 80 percent of the population is Latino should be able to bridge that argument. And she couldn’t. m

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Hot Stuff

FOUR-COURSE VALENTINE’S

Pico Los Alamos is offering a Valentine’s Day Four Course Dinner on Saturday, Feb. 14, from 3:30 to 8:30 p.m. Enjoy avocado crudo, salad, filet mignon, and flourless chocolate cake. Tickets start at $93 per person. Visit losalamosgeneralstore.com to book tickets and get more information.

—Angie Stevens

ARTS

SANTA MARIA VALLEY/LOS ALAMOS BALLROOM, LATIN, AND SWING DANCE

CLASSES Social ballroom, Latin, and swing lessons for all ages. Beginner and advance classes. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, 7-9 p.m. $45-$55. (805) 928-7799. Kleindancesarts.com. Klein Dance Arts, 3558 Skyway Drive, suite A, Santa Maria.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: POST-WILD:

NATURE IN THE 21ST CENTURY This exhibition is dedicated to exploring how contemporary artists depict, interpret, or challenge the concept of nature in the current age. We are looking for works that evoke the spirit of the 21st century Through Feb. 15 Betteravia Art Gallery, 511 Lakeside Pkwy, Santa Maria.

DANCE CLASSES There are weekly dance classes, from ages 2 to adult, at KleinDance Arts . Mondays-Saturdays, 4-8 p.m. (805) 268-2530. kleindancearts.com. KleinDance Arts, 1954 S Broadway, Suite J, Santa Maria.

DANCE CLASSES: EVERYBODY CAN

DANCE Classes available for all skill levels. Class sizes limited. Everybody Can Dance, 628 S. McClelland St., Santa Maria, (805) 937-6753, everybodycandance.webs.com/.

VALLEY ART GALLERY: ROTATING

DISPLAYS Featured artists of Santa Maria’s Valley Art Gallery frequently display their works at the airport. Check website for details on monthly exhibits and full list of the gallery’s artists. ongoing valleygallery.org. Santa Maria Airport, 3217 Terminal Drive, Santa Maria.

SANTA YNEZ VALLEY

6-WEEK KIDS ART CLASS (AGES 7-12)

This class will explore new mediums each week with guidance so that each artist is

free to create, express, and explore in their own, unique way. Wednesdays, 4-5:30 p.m. through Feb. 25 $285. (805) 325-8092. artspotonwheels.com. Art Spot on Wheels, 320 Alisal Road, unit 306B, Solvang.

BETWEEN EARTH & SKY EXHIBIT

Featuring 20 dazzling photos of bright and beautiful birds amidst the backdrop of California wildflowers, Between Earth & Sky showcases some of local photographer Deborah Kalas’ most spirited work. Mondays, Thursdays-Sundays. through April 20 calnatureartmuseum.org. California Nature Art Museum, 1511-B Mission Dr., Solvang.

KID KRAFT ART WORKSHOP - ANIMAL PORTRAIT PAPER MOSAICS Plan and arrange your very own animal portrait with a variety of colorful and patterned paper options. Feb. 15 1-3:30 p.m. $35. (805) 688-1082. calnatureartmuseum.org. California Nature Art Museum, 1511-B Mission Dr., Solvang.

WILD IN CALIFORNIA SOLO EXHIBITION

See the exhibition Wild in California, a solo exhibition by Museum Founder, conservation advocate, and artist Patti Jacquemain. A array of woodcut prints and mosaics will be showcased, highlighting the bioregions and species that make up California’s rich biodiversity. Through Feb. 23 calnatureartmuseum.org/news/ wild-in-california-2025. California Nature Art Museum, 1511-B Mission Dr., Solvang.

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY RIGHT IN THE EYE: GEORGES MELIES LIVE MOVIE-CONCERT A trio of musicians plays an extraordinary range of 50 instruments on Georges Melies’ silent films with a score created by Jean-Francois Alcolea. Feb. 22 , 2-3:30 p.m. $39-$59, Platinum $65 - Senior & Student Discounts. (336) 996-02184. clarkcenter.org/shows/

right-in-the-eye. Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande.

WHOSE LIVE ANYWAY? (ENCORE PERFORMANCE) Whose Live Anyway? is 90 minutes of hilarious improvised comedy and song all based on audience suggestions. Feb. 17, 7:30-9 p.m. $63-$89. (805) 489-9444. clarkcenter.org/. Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande.

WORKSHOPS AND MORE AT THE LAVRA

Check the venue’s calendar for storytelling workshops, lectures, movie nights, and discussions held on a periodic basis. ongoing thelavra.org/home. The Lavra, 2070 E. Deer Canyon Road, Arroyo Grande.

SAN LUIS OBISPO

ACTOR’S EDGE: ACTING CLASSES

Actor’s Edge offers film and television acting training in San Luis Obispo, plus exposure to Los Angeles talent agents. All ages and skill levels welcome. Classes available in SLO, LA, and on zoom. ongoing $210 per month. actorsedge.com. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

ARTIST RIKI SCHUMACHER AT ART CENTRAL GALLERY Schumacher’s work is pensive and introspective, inspiring one to take a solitary walk on a cloudy day. Wander in to reflect on her “delicious, wistful landscapes.” Mondays-Saturdays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sundays, 12-4 p.m. Free. (805) 747-4200. artcentralslo.com/galleryartists/. Art Central, 1329 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

BEYOND THE BASICS OF WATERCOLOR WITH VIRGINIA MACK This is a class for those who love imagining ways to further their visual expressions. A watercolorbased course, but one that branches out into other media. Mondays, 10:30 a.m.12:30 p.m. $35 per class. (805) 747-4200.

artcentralslo.com. Art Central, 1329 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo. CENTRAL COAST COMEDY THEATER IMPROV COMEDY SHOW An ongoing improv comedy program featuring the CCCT’s Ensemble. Grab some food at the public market’s wonderful eateries and enjoy the show upstairs. Second Friday of every month, 6-8 p.m. $10. centralcoastcomedytheater.com/shows/. SLO Public Market, 120 Tank Farm Road, San Luis Obispo.

CREATIVITY DAYS WITH THE SILK ARTISTS OF CALIFORNIA CENTRAL COAST An opportunity to work on your own projects and materials while picking up new skills among friends. Note: this event is held mostly every third Monday (attendees are asked to call or email to confirm ahead of time). Third Monday of every month $5; first session free. artcentralslo.com. Art Central, 1329 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo, (805) 747-4200.

FRIDAY NIGHT IMPROV AT SLO PUBLIC MARKET Fueled by your suggestions and questionable life choices, this cast of quickwitted weirdos will spin chaos into comedy right before your eyes. Feb. 13, 6:15-8 p.m. $10. my805tix.com. SLO Public Market, 120 Tank Farm Road, San Luis Obispo.

INTO THE HEART OF THE GARBAGE PATCH: A FILM AND CONVERSATION WITH CAPTAIN MOORE Captain Charles Moore, oceanographer and discoverer of The Great Pacific Garbage Patch in 1997, will present his powerful documentary and fight against plastic pollution. Feb. 19 7-9 p.m. Free. (530) 383-6082. ecoslo.com/ events. Unitarian Universalist Church, 2201 Lawton Ave., San Luis Obispo.

JAPANESE CALLIGRAPHY AND ART Owen and Kyoko Hunt from Kyoto, Japan offer classes for Japanese calligraphy (Fridays, 5:30-6:30 p.m.), a Japanese art

called “haiga” (Fridays, 10-11:30 a.m.) and more at Nesting Hawk Ranch. Fridays $45. (702) 335-0730. Nesting Hawk Ranch, Call for address, San Luis Obispo.

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET This highenergy jukebox musical is a celebration of music history, packed with heart, humor, and pure rock ‘n’ roll magic. Fridays, 7-9 p.m., Saturdays, 2-4 & 7-9 p.m., Sundays, 2-4 p.m., Wednesdays, 7-9 p.m. and Thursdays, 7-9 p.m. through March 5 $43$63. (805) 786-2440. slorep.org/shows/ million-dollar-quartet-2026/. SLO Rep, 888 Morro St., San Luis Obispo.

PAINT A PREMADE POTTERY PIECE!

Drop into the studio to pick out and paint a premade piece! There is fun for all ages, and prices are based upon size. Mondays, Wednesdays-Saturdays, 2-7:30 p.m. $30$75. app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule. php?owner=22676824&appointmentTy pe=35974477. Anam Cre Pottery Studio, 1243 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

PICKET PAINTING PARTY Decorative picket purchasing opportunities are available to show your support and help fund maintenance and educational programs in the Children’s Garden. Second Saturday of every month, 1-4 p.m. $75 per picket or 2 for $100. (805) 541-1400. slobg. org. San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden, 3450 Dairy Creek Rd., San Luis Obispo.

PLEIN AIR PAINTERS OF THE CENTRAL

COAST A self-directed fun group of dynamic artists who enjoy painting and sketching outdoors. Artists meet on site at various locations. Weekly plein air destinations are provided by Kirsti Wothe via email (mrswothe@yahoo.com).

Wednesdays, 9 a.m.-noon SLO County, Various locations countywide, San Luis Obispo.

SAMANTHA NYE: WEB OF LOVE See Guggenheim Fellow Samantha Nye’s immersive video installation starring Annie Sprinkle and Beth Stephens filmed on location in SLO. Mondays, Fridays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. through March 13 Free. cuesta.edu/community/cuesta-arts/ artgallery/2025-2026-Exhibitions/ WebofLove.html. Harold J. Miossi Gallery, Highway 1, San Luis Obispo, (805) 546-3202.

SLO COMEDY UNDERGROUND OPEN MIC NIGHT Enjoy a night of laughs provided by the local SLO Comedy Community. It’s open mic night, so anyone can perform and “you never know what you’ll see.” Tuesdays, 8 p.m. Free. Libertine Brewing Company, 1234 Broad St., San Luis Obispo, (805) 5482337, libertinebrewing.com.

SURF DREAMS: A MULTIMEDIA EXHIBIT OF SURF-INSPIRED ART AND MUSIC Each image in this exhibit will have three surf-inspired songs which can be played on a smart phone by scanning the QR codes. Bring earbuds. MondaysSaturdays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. through Feb. 14 Free. (805) 543-4025. The Photo Shop, 1027 Marsh St., San Luis Obispo. VALENTINE’S DAY CLAY WORKSHOP Create your own Valentine’s Day clay trinkets with guided instruction. Staff will clear-glaze finished pieces, which will be ready for pickup three weeks after the workshop. Ages 6 and older are welcome to join. Feb. 14 , 1:30-3 p.m. $45. anamcre. com/. Anam Cre Pottery Studio, 1243 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

VIRGINIA MACK: BEGINNING WATERCOLOR This is a watercolor class designed to let you jump in and try out this engaging medium through experimentation. It’s designed for beginners and those with watercolor experience who wish to expand their knowledge of painting in watercolors. To enroll please contact Mack via email: vbmack@charter.net Mondays, 1:30-3:30 p.m. $35. (805) 747-4200. artcentralslo. com/workshops-events/. Art Central, 1329 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo.

WHITNEY PINTELLO: SOLO SHOW On display now through mid-April. ongoing slogallery.com/. SLO Gallery, 1023 Broad St., San Luis Obispo.

NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY

COSTA GALLERY SHOWCASES Features works by Ellen Jewett as well as 20 other local artists, and artists from southern and northern California. Thursdays-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sundays, 12-4 p.m. (559) 799-9632. costagallery.com. Costa Gallery, 2087 10th St., Los Osos.

THE LAST ROMANCE By the Sea Productions is presenting The Last Romance by Joe DiPietro. On an ordinary day in a routine life, Ralph decides to take a different path on his daily walk—one that leads him to an unexpected second chance at love. Relying on a renewed boyish charm, Ralph attempts to woo the elegant, but distant, Carol. Defying Carol’s reticence—and his lonely sister’s jealousy—Ralph embarks on the trip of a lifetime, and regains a happiness that seemed all but lost. Feb. 13 7 p.m., Feb. 14 7 p.m. and Feb. 15, 3 p.m. $17.91. my805tix.com. By The Sea Productions, 545 Shasta Ave., Morro Bay.

THE PLEIN AIR TEAM Acrylic artist, Nancy Lynn, and husband, watercolorist, Robert Fleming, have an ongoing show of originals and giclee prints of Morro Bay and local birds. ongoing (805) 772-9955. Seven Sisters Gallery, 601 Embarcadero Ste. 8, Morro Bay, sevensistersgalleryca.com.

THE REBOOT SPEAK EASY PRESENTS LOVE AND OTHER BLUNDERS Enjoy this post-Valentine’s Day show featuring a curated line-up of seasoned and first-time tellers sharing true personal stories about the flawed, funny ways we love each other. Feb. 20 7-9:15 p.m. Free. facebook.com/ the.reboot4u. Inn at Morro Bay, 60 State Park Rd, Morro Bay, (805) 225-2393.

CULTURE & LIFESTYLE

SANTA MARIA VALLEY/LOS ALAMOS

BEER YOGA AT NAUGHTY OAK Jenn’s Beer Yoga is always a great way to start your Sunday! Jenn will lead you through the most fun you’ll ever have at yoga. All levels are welcome. Feb. 15 11 a.m.-noon $25.78. my805tix.com. Naughty Oak Brewing Company, 165 South Broadway, Orcutt.

BREAKFAST WITH THE PRESIDENT Marian Regional Medical Center invites you to attend a unique opportunity to explore the advances in health care in the Santa Maria Valley. Feb. 18 8-9:30 a.m. Free. (805) 739-3595. supportmarianmedical.org. Marian Regional Medical Center, 1400 E. Church St., Santa Maria.

FEEL GOOD YOGA Tuesdays, Thursdays, 8:30-9:30 a.m. (805) 937-9750. oasisorcutt.org. Oasis Center, 420 Soares Ave., Orcutt.

GROUP WALKS AND HIKES Check website for the remainder of this year’s group hike dates and private hike offerings. ongoing (805) 343-2455. dunescenter.org. Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center, 1065 Guadalupe St., Guadalupe.

SANTA MARIA COIN CLUB: MONTHLY MEETING Coin collectors of all ages invited. Bring coins for free appraisals. Third Wednesday of every month, 7 p.m. Yearly membership: $20-$25. (805) 9373158. Cornerstone Church, 1026 E. Sierra Madre Ave., Santa Maria.

SANTA MARIA TOASTMASTERS Develop your public speaking skills at this club meeting. Third Tuesday of every month, 6:30-8 p.m. (805) 570-0620. Santa Maria Airport, 3217 Terminal Drive, Santa Maria.

SANTA YNEZ VALLEY

BLEND IN LOVE: A WINE BLENDING EXPERIENCE ITEM PRICE Join at Sunstone Winery for an intimate afternoon of wine crafting with your special someone and master winemaker, Michael Miroballi. Feb. 14 11 a.m.-1 p.m. $195. (805) 688-9463. sunstonewinery.com. Sunstone Winery, 125 N. Refugio Road, Santa Ynez.

CELEBRATING LOVE IN THE VALLEY:

VALENTINES DINNER SPECIAL Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a romantic four- course dinner, live music, and Prosecco at Santa Ynez Marriott—an unforgettable evening in the heart of wine country. Feb. 14 , 5-7 & 7:30-9:30 p.m. $99. (805) 688-1000. Santa Ynez Valley Marriott, 555 McMurray Road, Buellton.

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY

BEGINNING BALLET FOR ADULTS Enjoy the grace and flow of ballet. No previous experience needed. Wednesdays, 5:15-6:15 p.m. $12 drop-in; $40 for four classes. (510) 362-3739. grover.org. Grover Beach Community Center, 1230 Trouville Ave., Grover Beach.

BODY FUSION/EXERCISE AND FITNESS CLASS Do something good for yourself and stay fit for outdoor sports, while enhancing flexibility, strengthening your core to prevent lower back issues, improving your posture through yoga, and more. Tuesdays, Thursdays, 9-10:30 a.m. Free. (970) 710-1412. Avila Beach Community Center, 191 San Miguel St., Avila Beach, avilabeachcc.com.

CITY OF ARROYO GRANDE PRESENTS MEET THE MACHINES Don’t miss Meet the Machines in the Soto Sports Field Parking Lot. First 300 kids get a free goody bag. Feb. 21 9 a.m.-noon Free. (805)

FINE DINING

The Lompoc Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Restaurant Week, from Monday, Feb. 16, to Sunday, Feb. 22, celebrates the food and beverage artistry of the valley’s dining establishments. Patrons can choose from specials such as prix-fixe meals for one, a two-for-one dining option, a special event, or wine/beer flight with pairings for $20.26 (plus tax and tip) at various restaurants. Visit explorelompoc.com/event/2026-lompoc-restaurant-week for more information.

—A.S.

WIDOWERS Call for more

Second Saturday of every month, 10 a.m. (805) 904-6615. Oak Park Christian Church, 386 N Oak Park Blvd., Grover Beach. SAN LUIS OBISPO

30-DAY BREATH AND RESET JOURNEY FOR WOMEN Wired at night, drained all day? Reset your body in 30 days. Focus on breath practices to calm stress, sleep deeply, and restore lasting energy. Registration is required. Tuesdays, 6:307:30 p.m. and Saturdays, 10-11 a.m. (805) 235-7978. charvetgratefulbody.com. Live Webinar, online, SLO County.

AERIAL SILKS CLINIC Silks is a great way to learn flipping safely! Build memory, strength, coordination, confidence, and endurance at our Aerial Silks Clinic. Geared towards children ages 7 to 17 years, all levels are welcome. Feb. 14 1-3 p.m. $25/ 1st child, +$10 per additional sibling.. (805) 547-1496. performanceathleticsslo.com/ saturday-event-clinics. Performance Athletics Gymnastics, 4484 Broad St., San Luis Obispo.

473-5472. arroyogrande.org/events. Soto Sports Field, Ash Street, Arroyo Grande. DANCE FITNESS ART AND CULTURE FOR ADULTS Discover dance as a form of artistic expression and exercise, using a wide range of styles and genres of music (including modern, jazz, Broadway, ethnic). Tuesdays, 4-5 p.m. $10 drop-in; $30 for four classes. (510) 362-3739. grover.org. Grover Beach Community Center, 1230 Trouville Ave., Grover Beach. DONATION-BASED YOGA FOR FIRST RESPONDERS, EMTS, AND CARETAKERS Class schedule varies. Contact empoweryoga805@gmail for details and reservations. ongoing (805) 619-0989. empoweryoga805.com. Empower Yoga Studio and Community Boutique, 775 W. Grand Ave., Grover Beach. MORE EVERYDAY IMPROV: SKILLS FOR LIFE Interactive applied improvisation classes build empathy, emotional intelligence, resilience, and creativity through accessible, laughter-filled exercises. No experience is required; attend individual sessions or the full series. Every other Sunday, 6-7:30 p.m.

through March 29 $15 each or $75 all. theagilemind.co/. Women’s Club of Arroyo Grande, 211 Vernon St., Arroyo Grande, (805) 270-5523.

MULTICULTURAL DANCE CLASS

FOR ADULTS Experience dance from continents around the earth, including from Africa, Europe, and more. Described as “a wonderful in-depth look at the context and history of cultures of the world.” Tuesdays, 5:30-6:30 p.m. $10 dropin; $30 for four classes. (510) 362-3739. grover.org. Grover Beach Community Center, 1230 Trouville Ave., Grover Beach. NIPOMO SENIOR CENTER MEMBERSHIP SIGN-UP & POTLUCK Bring a dish to share and join for a potluck, along with general meeting updates and local informative guest speakers. Third Wednesday of every month, 12:30-2 p.m. (805) 929-1615. nipomoseniorcenter.org. Nipomo Senior Center, 200 E. Dana St, Nipomo.

POINT SAN LUIS LIGHTHOUSE TOURS A docent-led tour of the buildings and grounds of the historic Point San Luis Light Station. Check website for more details. Wednesdays, Saturdays

pointsanluislighthouse.org/. Point San Luis Lighthouse, 1 Lighthouse Rd., Avila Beach.

QI GONG FOR LESS STRESS AND MORE ENERGY Experience the energy of Qi Gong through simple standing movements promoting flexibility, strength, relaxation, and increased energy. Suitable for all ages and fitness levels, Qi Gong revitalizes and enriches your life. An outdoor class overlooking the ocean. Wednesdays, 4-5 p.m. $14 per class or $55 for 5-class card with no expiration. (805) 440-4561. pismobeach.org. Margo Dodd Gazebo, Ocean Park Blvd., Shell Beach.

QI GONG: MINDFUL MOVEMENTS FOR LESS STRESS AND MORE ENERGY

Balance your mind, body, and spirit with Qi Gong — gentle stretching and strengthening movements that promotes physical wellbeing and inner peace. This is geared towards all fitness levels and ages. Mondays, 9:30-10:30 a.m. $14 per class or $55 for 5-class card. (805) 440-4561. balancedlivingayurveda.com. Shell Beach Veterans Memorial Building, 230 Leeward Ave., Pismo Beach.

SOCIAL GROUP FOR WIDOWS AND

BEYOND MINDFULNESS Realize your potential through individualized meditation instruction with an experienced teacher via Zoom. This class is for those who wish to begin a practice or seek to deepen an existing one. Flexible days and times. Certified with IMTA. Email or text for information. Mondays-Sundays, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Sliding scale. (559) 9059274. theartofsilence.net. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo. BOOK BUDDIES Bookworms, assemble! Woods Humane Society is welcoming animal lovers age 7 to 17 to join us in reading to our furry friends. Wednesdays, 3:30-4:30 p.m. $5. (805) 543-9316. woodshumanesociety.org/youthprograms. Woods Humane Society, 875 Oklahoma Ave., San Luis Obispo. BRAVER ANGELS SLO ALLIANCE: AN EVENING WITH MAURY GILES CEO Braver Angels CEO Maury Giles shares insights on courageous citizenship. Join us and learn how you can make a difference in these contentious times. Feb. 18 , 6:15-8:30 p.m. Free. (805) 544-1373. braverangels.com. United Church of Christ (Congregational) of San Luis Obispo, 11245 Los Osos Valley Road, San Luis Obispo. CAL HOPE SLO GROUPS AT TMHA Visit website for full list of weekly Zoom groups available. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays calhopeconnect.org. Transitions Mental Health Warehouse, 784 High Street,

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San Luis Obispo, (805) 270-3346.

CARNIVOROUS PLANTS: FEED ME,

VALENTINE: THE LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

Join us Valentine’s Day for Science on Screen: Little Shop of Horrors followed by experts exploring carnivorous plants, Audrey II’s science, and evolution with live specimens.

Feb. 14 7-9 p.m. $20. (805) 541-5161. slofilmcenter.eventive.org. Palm Theatre, 817 Palm St, San Luis Obispo.

CENTRAL COAST POLYAMORY

Hosting a discussion group featuring different topics relating to ethical non-monogamy every month.

Third Wednesday of every month, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Free. galacc.org/events/. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

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DAILY QIGONG PRACTICE For the early riser or commuter, every weekday morning. Maintain or improve concentration, balance, and flexibility. Includes weekly Friday 3 p.m. class with more practices. Led by certified Awareness Through Movement teacher. Mondays-Saturdays, 6:10 a.m. and Fridays, 3 p.m. $35/week or $125/ month. (646) 280-5800. margotschaal.com/ qigong. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

ON DISPLAY

advance. Learn a wide range of techniques and skills. Tuesdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. St. Timothy’s Catholic Church, 962 Piney Way, Morro Bay, (805) 772-2840, sttimothymorrobay.org.

CO-DEPENDENTS ANONYMOUS MEETING

Co-Dependents Anonymous (CoDA) is a Twelve Step recovery program for anyone who desires to have healthy and loving relationships with themselves and others. Meeting is hybrid (both in person and on Zoom). For information, call 805-900-5237. Saturdays, 1-2:15 p.m. Free. thecambriaconnection.org/. Cambria Connection, 1069 Main St., Cambria, (805) 927-1654.

MORRO BAY METAPHYSICIANS DISCUSSION GROUP A group of metaphysically minded individuals that have been meeting for many years now in the Coalesce Chapel. Club offers a supportive metaphysical based community. Members discuss a different topic each week. All are welcome to join. Fridays, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Suggested donation of $10-$15. Coalesce Bookstore, 845 Main St., Morro Bay, coalescebookstore.com/.

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FAMILY CLIMB: PARENT-CHILD AERIAL

SILKS CLASS Family Climb is a parent-child structured silks class for ages 5 and older! Together you’ll build strong muscles and memories. No experience is necessary.

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Feb. 14 11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. $15/ 1st child, +$10/ additional sibling. (805) 547-1496. performanceathleticsslo.com/saturday-eventclinics. Performance Athletics Gymnastics, 4484 Broad St., San Luis Obispo.

FREE TOURS OF THE MISSION Tour San Luis Obispo’s Spanish Mission, founded in 1772. Come learn its history and importance to the development of this area. Tours are led by docents and meet in front of the church Sundays, 2:30 p.m. and Mondays-Saturdays, 1:15 p.m. Free. (805) 550-7713. missionslodocents. org. Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, 751 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo.

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GALA PRIDE AND DIVERSITY CENTER BOARD MEETING (VIA ZOOM) Monthly meeting of the Gala Pride and Diversity Center Board of Directors. Meets virtually via Zoom and is open to members of the public. Visit galacc.org/ events to fill out the form to request meeting access. Third Tuesday of every month, 6-8 p.m. No admission fee. galacc.org. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

HEALING DEPRESSION SUPPORT GROUP A safe place to share feelings of depression with those who suffer and those who have recovered to a full, healthy outlook on life. Mondays, 6-7 p.m. Free. (805) 528-3194. Hope House Wellness Center, 1306 Nipomo St., San Luis Obispo. INTO THE HEART OF THE GARBAGE PATCH:

A FILM AND CONVERSATION WITH CAPTAIN MOORE This documentary, featuring Captain Moore and the Oceanographic Research Vessel Algalita, takes you on an extraordinary trip to the heart of the Garbage Patch. Feb. 19, 7-9 p.m. Free. app.dvforms.net/api/dv/dw20re. Unitarian Universalist, 2201 Lawton Ave., San Luis Obispo.

LGBTQ+ FED THERAPIST LEAD SUPPORT GROUP (VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM) A prorecovery group offering space to those seeking peer support, all stages of ED recovery. We understand recovery isn’t linear and judgmentfree support is crucial. Share, listen, and be part of a community building up each other. Third Wednesday of every month, 7-8 p.m. Free. galacc.org/events/. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION Celebrate Lunar New Year with vibrant performances, art, food, resources, and activities for all ages— honoring culture and connection in San Luis Obispo. All are welcome! Feb. 19 6-8:30 p.m. Free. (805) 781-7073. slocity.org/LunarNewYear. Mission Plaza, Downtown, San Luis Obispo. MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION (ONLINE MEETING) Zoom series hosted by TMHA. Thursdays, 10:30 a.m.-noon Transitions Mental Health Warehouse, 784 High Street, San Luis Obispo, (805) 270-3346.

PLUG-IN TO LOCAL CLIMATE ACTION Get inspired by local action, connect with others, and discover more ways to get involved with the SLO Climate Coalition. Attend virtually or inperson. Sustainable snacks and childcare will be provided. Third Thursday of every month, 6-8 p.m. sloclimatecoalition.org/events/. Ludwick Community Center, 864 Santa Rosa, San Luis Obispo.

Q YOUTH GROUP (VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM)

An artist’s reception will be held at Art Center Morro Bay on Sunday, Feb. 22, from 2 to 4 p.m., to commemorate the two new exhibits on display at the gallery until Monday, March 30. In the Main Gallery, the exhibit A Shift in Perspective features works that challenge conventional norms and encourage re-examination. Aquarius, the Central Coast Watercolor Society’s annual juried exhibit, is on view in the Russell Gallery. Head to artcentermorrobay.org for more details.

This is a social support group for LGBTQ+ and questioning youth between the ages of 11-18. Each week the group explores personal, cultural, and social identity. Thursdays, 6-8 p.m. Free. galacc.org/events/. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

SCHOOL’S OUT DAY CAMPS Burn off energy at gymnastics camp while school’s out! The camp is geared towards ages 4 to 13, and no experience is necessary. Extended care and customizable schedules are available. Mondays, 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. through Feb. 16 $45-$396. (805) 547-1496. performanceathleticsslo.com/ camps. Performance Athletics Gymnastics, 4484 Broad St., San Luis Obispo.

SHARING THE LOVE THROUGH COMMUNITY LIVING Celebrate Valentine’s Day with the non-profit Smart Share Housing Solutions’ Sharing the Love through Community Living fundraiser. Feb. 14 , 12-2 p.m. $20. (805) 2155474. smartsharehousingsolutions.org. Odd Fellows Hall, 520 Dana St., San Luis Obispo. SLO LEZ B FRIENDS (VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM)

A good core group of friends who gather to discuss topics we love/ care about from movies, outings, music, or being new to the area. We come from all walks of life and most importantly support each other. Transgender and Nonbinary folks welcome. Third Friday of every month, 6:309 p.m. Free. sloqueer.groups.io/g/lezbfriends. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

SLO NOONTIME TOASTMASTERS CLUB MEETINGS Want to improve speaking and leadership skills in a supportive and positive environment? During COVID, we are meeting virtually. Contact us to get a meeting link for info. Tuesdays, 12-1 p.m. Free. slonoontime. toastmastersclubs.org. Zoom, Online, Inquire for Zoom ID.

SLO PHILATELIC SOCIETY The SLO Philatelic Society (SLOPS) meets at the SLO Senior Center on the first and third Tuesday of each month. Visitors are welcome. Third Tuesday of every month, 1-3 p.m. SLO Senior Center, 1445 Santa Rosa St., San Luis Obispo, (805) 540-9484, slocity.org/seniors.

SLO RETIRED ACTIVE MEN MONTHLY GETTOGETHERS SLO RAMs is a group of retirees that get together just for the fun, fellowship, and to enjoy programs which enhance the enjoyment, dignity, and independence of retirement. Third Tuesday of every month, 11 a.m. -1 p.m. $31 luncheon. retiredactivemen.org/. Madonna Inn Garden Room, 100 Madonna Road, San Luis Obispo.

SLO RETIRED ACTIVE MEN: WEEKLY COFFEE MEETING SLO RAMs is a group or retirees that get together just for the fun, fellowship, and to enjoy programs which enhance the enjoyment, dignity, and independence of retirement. Thursdays, 8:30-9:30 a.m. $10 coffee meeting. retiredactivemen.org. Madonna Inn, 100 Madonna Rd., San Luis Obispo.

THE SOUTH COUNTY AND THE U.S. NAVY,

1861-1945 In an illustrated lecture, local teacher and historian Jim Gregory will trace the long the relationship between the Navy and the South County, including Pismo Beach. Feb. 19 4:30-5:30 p.m. Free. (805)543-1763. vetmuseum. org/. Central Coast Veterans Memorial Museum, 801 Grand Ave., suite 102, San Luis Obispo.

STAY YOUNG WITH QI GONG Qi Gong boosts energy and vitality, reduces stress, improves balance and flexibility, and, best of all, is fun.

Join instructor Devin Wallace for this Crows End Retreat outdoor class, which is held in a beautiful setting. Call or email for location and to reserve a spot. Tuesdays, 10-11 a.m. $12. (805) 709-2227. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

SUNDAY EVENING RAP LGBTQ+ AA GROUP (VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM) Alcoholics

Anonymous is a voluntary, worldwide fellowship of folks from all walks of life who together, attain and maintain sobriety. Requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. Email aarapgroup@gmail.com for password access. Sundays, 7-8 p.m. No fee. galacc.org/events/. Online, See website, San Luis Obispo.

SUSAN DE GHIZÉ TALK: ‘SUPPORTING DIVERSE LEARNERS IN MUSIC THEORY’

Hear Susan de Ghizé, a professor of music at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, where she also serves as program coordinator and music theory and aural training coordinator. Feb. 12 , 11:10 a.m. Free. (805) 756-2406. music.calpoly.edu/calendar/special/#ghize.

Cal Poly Davidson Music Center, Room 218, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

TEEN MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT GROUP

Learn more about mental health and coping skills to help you through your journey towards wellness and recovery. Thursdays, 4:30-6 p.m. Free. (805) 540-6576. t-mha.org. Hope House Wellness Center, 1306 Nipomo St., San Luis Obispo.

TOUR THE HISTORIC OCTAGON BARN

CENTER The Octagon Barn, built in 1906, has a rich history that The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County looks forward to sharing with visitors. Please RSVP. Fourth Sunday of every month, 2-2:45 & 3-3:45 p.m. Tours are free; donations are appreciated. Octagon Barn Center, 4400 Octagon Way, San Luis Obispo, (805) 544-9096, octagonbarn.org.

TRANS* TUESDAY A safe space providing peer-to-peer support for trans, gender nonconforming, non-binary, and questioning people. In-person and Zoom meetings held. Contact tranzcentralcoast@gmail.com for more details. Tuesdays, 7-9 p.m. Free. GALA Pride and Diversity Center, 1060 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, (805) 541-4252.

NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY

CENTRAL COAST WOOD CARVERS Learn the art of wood carving or wood burning. Join Central Coast Wood Carvers in Morro Bay at St. Timothy’s. Open for beginners, intermediate, or

SOCRATES DISCUSSION GROUP Have a topic, book, or article you wish to discuss with interested and interesting people? Join this weekly meeting to discuss it, or simply contribute your experiences and knowledge. Contact Mark Plater for instructions on entering the Chapel area. Wednesdays, 10 a.m.-noon (805) 528-7111. Coalesce Garden Chapel, 845 Main St., Morro Bay.

FOOD & DRINK

SANTA MARIA VALLEY/LOS ALAMOS

BAR TAKEOVER THURSDAYS Join us Thursdays to meet and chat with the winemaker of the flight we’re featuring that week. Thursdays, 4-7:30 p.m. $15-$30. (805) 623-5129. Steller’s Cellar, 400 E. Clark Ave., Orcutt, stellerscellar.com.

FOOD TRUCK FRIDAY Head to Food Truck Friday, with wine bottle specials and local food trucks every Friday at the Wine Stone Inn. Fridays, 4-9 p.m. through April 24 Free. (805) 332-3532. Wine Stone Inn, 255 W. Clark Ave., Orcutt, winestoneinn.com/.

FOOD TRUCK FRIDAYS AT COSTA DE ORO Featured vendors in the series include Cali Coast Tacos, Cubanissimo, Danny’s Pizza Co., Chef Ricks, and more. Call venue for monthly schedules. Fridays (805) 922-1468. costadeorowines.com. Costa De Oro Winery, 1331 S. Nicholson Ave., Santa Maria. FOOD TRUCK FRIDAYS AT WINE STONE INN Fridays, 5-8 p.m. Wine Stone Inn, 255 W. Clark Ave., Orcutt, (805) 332-3532, winestoneinn.com. FRIDAY NIGHT FUN Karaoke with DJ Nasty. With Beer Bucket specials. Kitchen stays open late. Come out and sing your favorite song. Fridays, 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Roscoe’s Kitchen, 229 Town Center E, Santa Maria, (805) 623-8866.

PRESQU’ILE WINERY: WINE CLUB Call or go online to make a reservation to taste at the winery or find more info on the winery’s Wine Club offerings. ongoing presquilewine.com/ club/. Presqu’ile Winery, 5391 Presqu’ile Dr., Santa Maria, (805) 937-8110.

SECOND SATURDAY OPEN AIR MARKET: LOS ALAMOS A carefully curated open air artisan and farm market. Features great vintage finds, handwoven and hand dyed textiles, hand-spun yarn, organic body care products, and locally grown organic eats. Second Saturday of every month, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. (805) 722-4338. Sisters Gifts and Home, 349 Bell Street, Los Alamos.

SIPPIN’ SUNDAYS Every Sunday, come cozy up inside the tasting room and listen to great artists. Sundays, 1-4 p.m. Free. (805) 937-8463. cottonwoodcanyon.com. Cottonwood Canyon Vineyard And Winery, 3940 Dominion Rd, Santa Maria.

TACO TUESDAY Tuesdays, 5-8 p.m. Wine Stone Inn, 255 W. Clark Ave., Orcutt, (805) 332-3532, winestoneinn.com/.

TAP THURSDAY Head to Tap Thursdays at the Wine Stone Inn every week, featuring $5 draft beers and $5 Cava’s. Thursdays, 3-9 p.m. through April 16 Free. (805) 332-3532. Wine Stone Inn, 255 W. Clark Ave., Orcutt, winestoneinn.com/.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19

THURSDAY EVENING BAR TAKEOVER

Visit website to find out about featured vintners. Thursdays stellerscellar.com.

Steller’s Cellar, 405 E. Clark Ave., Orcutt.

VALENTINE’S DAY FOUR COURSE

DINNER Dine on delicious Avocado Crudo, Finley Warm Broccolini and Kale Salad, Kiani Preserve Filet Mignon with Mighty Cap Mushroom Demi, and Flourless Chocolate Cake. Feb. 14 $93. losalamosgeneralstore.com/. Pico Los Alamos, 458 Bell St., Los Alamos.

WINE AND DESIGN CLASSES Check Wine and Design’s Orcutt website for the complete list of classes, for various ages. wineanddesign.com/orcutt. Wine and Design, 3420 Orcutt Road, suite 105, Orcutt.

WINE BINGO WEDNESDAYS Join Wine

Bingo Wednesday at the Wine Stone Inn –– the original bingo night in Old Orcutt. The event will occur weekly with the purchase of an adult beverage. Wednesdays, 5-8 p.m. through April 29 (805) 332-3532. Wine Stone Inn, 255 W. Clark Ave., Orcutt, winestoneinn.com/.

SANTA YNEZ VALLEY

CHOCOLATE & WINE PAIRING

EXPERIENCE Celebrate love and indulgence this Valentine’s Day weekend at Sunstone Winery with our guided Wine & Chocolate Pairing experience. Feb. 13

11 a.m.-5 p.m., Feb. 14 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and Feb. 15 11 a.m.-5 p.m. $50. (805) 688-9463. sunstonewinery.com. Sunstone Winery, 125 N. Refugio Road, Santa Ynez.

LOMPOC/VANDENBERG

HEAD GAMES TRIVIA AND TACO

TUESDAYS CLASH Don’t miss Head Games Trivia at COLD Coast Brewing Company every Tuesday night. Teams can be up to 6 members. Earn prizes and bragging rights. Kekas will be serving their delicious local fare. Fun for all ages. Tuesdays, 7-9 p.m. Free. (805) 819-0723. coldcoastbrewing.com. COLD Coast Brewing Company, 118 W Ocean Ave., Lompoc.

LOMPOC RESTAURANT WEEK The Lompoc Valley Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce a special week-long event: a seven-day celebration of dining and beverage artistry in conjunction with the restaurant owners of the Lompoc Valley. Free to members. $35 for nonmembers. Feb. 16-22 $0-$35. members. lompoc.com. Various Lompoc Valley businesses, Lompoc, Lompoc.

SAN LUIS OBISPO

SLO CRAFT BEER FEST Join us as we celebrate the makers of craft beverages and raise a toast to their unique and wonderful creations. Many of the best breweries in the U.S. will be featured at this event. Selected cider, spirits, and kombucha will also be poured. Tickets include a souvenir tasting cup, unlimited beverage samples, selected food samples, beer educational seminars, and access to all the fun. Feb. 21 , 1-5 p.m. $92.90-$103.61. my805tix.com. Madonna Expo Center, 100 Madonna Road, San Luis Obispo.

NORTH COAST SLO COUNTY

BREAKFAST ON THE BAY A monthly occasion that brings together the passionate citizens and business owners of the greater Estero Bay region in one place to deepen connections and share information. Breakfast is included with ticket price. Third Wednesday of every month, 7:30-9 a.m. $20 per member; $25 per non-member. (805) 772-4467. morrochamber.org. Morro Bay Community Center, 1001 Kennedy Way, Morro Bay.

VALENTINE’S DINNER AT THE LODGE

Celebrate your special someone with a romantic Valentine’s Dinner, featuring a special menu and complimentary rose, all set among the cozy beauty of the pines! Feb. 14 , 5-9 p.m. and Feb. 15 5-9 p.m. (805) 927-4200. cambriapineslodge.com/ events/onsite. Cambria Pines Lodge, 2905 Burton Dr., Cambria.

SUNDAY NIGHT FUN End the weekend with some good vibes. Music by DJ Van Gloryious. Sundays, 8 p.m.-midnight Roscoe’s Kitchen, 229 Town Center E, Santa Maria, (805) 623-8866.

SANTA YNEZ VALLEY

LIVE MUSIC SUNDAYS Sundays, 2-6 p.m. Brick Barn Wine Estate, 795 W. Hwy 246, Buellton, (805) 686-1208, brickbarnwineestate.com.

WINE DOWN WEDNESDAYS

Wednesdays, 4:30-5:30 p.m. Brick Barn Wine Estate, 795 W. Hwy 246, Buellton, (805) 686-1208, brickbarnwineestate.com.

LOMPOC/VANDENBERG

KARAOKE AT COLD COAST BREWING CO. Pick out a song, bring your friends, and get ready to perform. Wednesdays, 6-9 p.m. COLD Coast Brewing Company, 118 W Ocean Ave., Lompoc, (805) 819-0723, coldcoastbrewing.com.

SOUTH COAST SLO COUNTY

MUSIC

SANTA MARIA VALLEY/LOS ALAMOS

HAPPY HOUR MUSIC SERIES Enjoy live music at the winery most Friday evenings. Check site for concert schedule. Fridays presquilewine.com. Presqu’ile Winery, 5391 Presqu’ile Dr., Santa Maria, (805) 937-8110.

LADIES NIGHT OUT Music by DJ Van Gloryious and DJ Panda. Features delicious daiquiri specials. Thursdays, 8 p.m.-midnight Roscoe’s Kitchen, 229 Town Center E, Santa Maria, (805) 623-8866.

LIVE MUSIC AT STELLER’S CELLAR

Various local musicians rotate each Friday. Fridays, 6-8:30 p.m. Free. Steller’s Cellar, 400 E. Clark Ave., Orcutt, (805) 623-5129, stellerscellar.com.

MUSIC AT ROSCOE’S KITCHEN Live DJ and karaoke every Friday and Saturday night. Featured acts include Soul Fyah Band, DJ Nasty, DJ Jovas, and more. Fridays, Saturdays, 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Roscoe’s Kitchen, 229 Town Center E, Santa Maria, (805) 623-8866.

MUSIC LESSONS AT COELHO ACADEMY Learn to play piano, drums, guitar, base, ukulele, or violin, or take vocal lessons. ongoing (805) 925-0464. coelhomusic.com/Lessons/lessons.html. Coelho Academy of Music, 325 E. Betteravia Rd., Santa Maria.

PATO BANTON WITH DUBWISE

COLLECTIVE: SHOW LOVE CONCERT

The beautiful Guadalupe Social Club opens their doors with a warm welcome for all music lovers to discover a whole new experience. Feb. 15, 4-9 p.m. $23.27. my805tix.com. Guadalupe Social Club, 945 Guadalupe St., Guadalupe.

CLARK CENTER PRESENTS: DIRECT FROM ROME, ITALY: THE THREE ITALIAN TENORS Experience the passion and romance of Italy in this unforgettable evening of music with Giovanni Maria Palmia, Ugo Tarquini, and and Alessandro Fantoni. Feb. 16, 7-9 p.m. $45-$59, Platinum $69; Senior & Student Discounts. (805) 489-9444. clarkcenter.org/. Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande.

CLARK CENTER PRESENTS:

INTERNATIONAL GUITAR NIGHT The 2026 tour features classical guitar virtuoso Stephanie Jones (Australia), rock-flamenco phenom Lucas Imbiriba (Brazil), fingerstyle sensation Alexandr Misko (Russia), and ukulele star, Taimane (Hawaii). Feb. 18 , 7:30-9:30 p.m. $38-$58, Platinum $64; Senior & Student Discounts. (805) 489-9444. clarkcenter.org/. Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande.

CLARK CENTER PRESENTS: RIGHT IN THE EYE LIVE MOVIE-CONCERT EXPERIENCE OF GEORGES MÉLIÈS’ FILMS A playful and current rendition of the works of Georges Méliès with an original score composed live for each film–making every piece unique. Feb. 22 2-4 p.m. $39-$59, Platinum $65; Senior & Student Discounts. (805) 4899444. clarkcenter.org/. Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande.

FESTIVAL MOZAIC PRESENTSNOTABLE DINNER: SCHUBERT TRIO Join Scott Yoo and the Festival artists for an interactive musical exploration of Schubert’s masterful Piano Trio No. 2. Feb. 21 3 p.m. festivalmozaic.org. The Monarch Club at Trilogy Monarch Dunes, 1645 Trilogy Parkway, Nipomo.

KARAOKE EVERY WEDNESDAY A weekly event with barbecue offerings and more. Wednesdays, 4-8 p.m. Rancho Nipomo BBQ, 108 Cuyama Ln., Nipomo, (805) 925-3500.

THE LOUNGE AT BESO An upscale after-hours nightclub experience. With limited capacity and a dress code. For ages 21 and over. Fridays, 10 p.m. my805tix.com. Beso Cocina, 1050 Willow Road, Nipomo.

NEIL DIAMOND SUPERSTAR: JACK WRIGHT’S NATIONAL TOURING TRIBUTE AMAZ Entertainment Presents: Neil Diamond Superstar - Jack Wright’s National Touring Tribute. Don’t miss this special Valentine’s Day concert! Feb. 14 , 7:30-9 p.m. $45-$65. (805) 489-9444. clarkcenter.org/. Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande. THE GRADUATES: THE SOUND OF SIMON & GARFUNKEL Castle Entertainment Presents: The Graduates: The Sound of Simon & Garfunkel. Feb. 21 7:30-9:30 p.m. $41.50-$79.50. (805) 489-9444. clarkcenter.org/. Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande.

VALENTINE’S WEEKEND JAZZ AT PUFFERS: SUNNY WRIGHT, PAT KELLEY, AND DAVID KEIF We’re bringin the love to Pismo with vocalist Sunny Wright, guitarist Pat Kelley, and bassist David Keif. Enjoy a great wine list and great people too! Feb. 15 5-8 p.m. $5. (805) 773-6563. puffersofpismo.com/. Puffers of Pismo, 781 Price St., Pismo Beach.

SAN LUIS OBISPO

CAL POLY CLARINET STUDENT RECITAL See this free recital presented by Cal Poly Music Department student clarinetists. Feb. 20 7:30 p.m. Free. (805) 756-2406. music.calpoly.edu/ calendar/free/. Cal Poly Davidson Music Center, Room 218, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

CAL POLY PIANO STUDENT RECITAL Enjoy this free recital presented by Cal Poly Music Department student pianists. Feb. 17 7:30 p.m. Free. (805) 756-2406. music.calpoly.edu/ calendar/free. Cal Poly Davidson Music Center, Room 218, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

DAKHABRAKHA This Kyiv quartet fuses Ukrainian polyphony with global sounds, delivering theatrical, award-winning performances that embody heritage, resilience, and evolving identity. Feb. 19 7:30 p.m. (805) 756-4849. calpolyarts.org/20252026-season/dakhabrakha. Performing Arts Center, 1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo. FESTIVAL MOZAIC - NOTABLE INSIGHT: STRAUSS ON STAGE Join Scott Yoo and the artists for a “museum docent’s tour” of Richard Strauss’s sonata for cello and piano during this one-hour event. Feb. 20, 5 p.m. $35. festivalmozaic.org. Harold J. Miossi CPAC at Cuesta College, Highway 1, San Luis Obispo. FESTIVAL MOZAIC PRESENTS - CHAMBER MUSIC WITH SCOTT YOO Scott Yoo will be joined by cellist Bion Tsang and pianist Orion Weiss for an afternoon of chamber music. Feb. 22 3 p.m. $45. festivalmozaic.org. Harold J. Miossi CPAC at Cuesta College, Highway 1, San Luis Obispo.

THE LAST TEN SECONDS OF LIFE Hear metal band The Last Ten Seconds Of Life, along with sets by Culprit and Isolate/ Divide. Feb. 16 6 p.m. $17.91. my805tix.com. Humdinger Brewing (SLO), 855 Capitolio Way, suite 1, San Luis Obispo, (805) 781-9974. MARK APPLEBAUM CONCERT: COMPOSING THE UNEXPECTED A composer, improviser and instrument builder, he will present recent work spanning graphic scores, invented instruments, and experimental compositions that blur lines. Feb. 12 , 7:30 p.m. Free. (805) 756-2406. music.calpoly.edu/ calendar/special/#applebaum. Cal Poly Davidson Music Center, Room 218, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

MININOVA - LOVE WILL CONQUER ALL Don’t miss this intimate pre-Valentines concert and dance, featuring Scott Martin, Kenny Lee Lewis, Rene Camacho, Jamaal Baptiste, and Jim Stromberg. Feb. 13 7 p.m. $23.27. my805tix.com. Chandler Hall, UCC San Luis Obispo, 11245 Los Osos Valley Road, San Luis Obispo, (805) 544-1373.

PEACE, BEAUTY, HARP Unwind into the weekend with the peace and beauty of the harp in the peace and beauty of SLO’s historic church. Fridays, 4:30-5:30 p.m. through March 20 Free. (805) 543-7212. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 1344 Nipomo St., San Luis Obispo.

SAVAGE MASTER AT HUMDINGER BREWING Hear Savage Master live, with accompanying sets from Trencher, The Cimmerian, and Hostile Takedown. Feb. 14 , 5 p.m. $17.91. my805tix.com. Humdinger Brewing (SLO), 855 Capitolio Way, suite 1, San Luis Obispo, (805) 781-9974.

THE STRING QUEENS Hear this dynamic trio deliver soulful, genre-spanning music in an intimate “in the round” performance, blending pop, jazz, soul, and classics into powerful journeys of connection. Feb. 12 , 7:30 p.m. (805) 7564849. calpolyarts.org/20252026-season/the-string-queens. Performing Arts Center, 1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo. TRESTLES + THE DIRTY TURKEYS Hear Trestles, a beach rock project from Santa Cruz, along with Dirty Turkeys, hailing from Boulder, Colorado. Feb. 12 8 p.m. $17.91. my805tix.com. Libertine Brewing Company, 1234 Broad St., San Luis Obispo, (805) 548-2337.

UKULELE MASTERS COMING TO PLAY Join this workshop with Hawaiians Herb Ohta, Jr. and Bryan Tolentino, followed by a concert and Hawaiian dinner. Feb. 16, 4-9 p.m. $59. Mt. Carmel Lutheran Church, 1701 Fredericks Street, San Luis Obispo. NORTH

ARTS BRIEFS

Buellton Rec Center hosts kids’ art classes during break

Registration is open for kids’ activities and day camps organized by the Buellton Rec Center for students to enjoy during school break.

From Feb. 17 to 20 the Rec Center is holding a day camp for 6-to-12-year-olds. Students will go on field trips and take part in games and crafts each day from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The four-day program costs $220.

Alternatively, students from 8 to 12 years old can attend an art camp from Feb. 17 to 20. There will be a different theme each day including Hello Kitty, baby animals, painting, and Minecraft. Camps run from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with all materials included for $35 per session. Students may sign up for one session or all four.

The activities are held at the Buellton Rec Center, located at 301 2nd St. in Buellton. Registration is available online at buelltonrec.com.

“The Recreation Department is dedicated to building a strong, interconnected community and improving the quality of life for the residents of Buellton,” according to its website. For a full list of the winter and spring activities, visit buelltonrec.com/programs. Adults and kids can participate in sports, dance, theater, crafts, first aid, cooking, and more.

PCPA’s next show transports viewers back to the Wild

West

A quiet, mysterious gunslinger settles in a Wyoming town, stirring up trouble for the characters of Karen Zacarías’ Shane, presented by the Pacific Conservatory Theatre (PCPA). The play, adapted from a 1949 novel by Jack Schaefer, opens at the Marian Theatre in Santa Maria on Feb. 12 and runs until March 1.

In a story keen on morals, sacrifice, honor, and courage, the audience will see protagonist Shane try to outrun his past in search of a better life.

“Shane’s presence stirs more than curiosity, it kicks up a storm between a ruthless rancher and the settlers and Native families holding their ground,” PCPA described in press materials. “As lines get drawn and bullets threaten to fly, Shane must choose between the peaceful life he longs for and the violent past he thought he’d left behind.”

Playwright Karen Zacarías is scheduled to attend as an honored guest during the theater’s final production of the play on March 1.

Tickets start at $25 and can be bought online at pcpa.org/ shows or by calling the box office at (805) 922-8313. The Marian Theatre is located at 800 S. College Drive in Santa Maria. m

Strumming away

Lessons for the whole family

Michael and Christine Nunez offer a range of lessons in singing and music. Sign up for in-home lessons in San Luis Obispo, Santa Maria, and Orcutt or at the studio in Arroyo Grande by visiting michaelsmusicacademy.com. Call (805) 473-8419 for more information.

“All ages. All levels, from beginning to advanced,” Christine said. “We’ve lately had several students who are newly retired. … It’s very rewarding to see them come in and work so hard. They’re doing so well and making progress.”

On the other side of the spectrum, many families hire Michael’s Music Academy for their children. Michael is patient and gentle with young musicians, careful not to rush them. Parents often sit in the living room at the Arroyo Grande studio to watch the lessons.

Michael credits his success to Christine because without her, he said he wouldn’t be able to follow his passion. In addition to running the administrative side of Michael’s Music Academy, Christine has her own physical therapy practice. She finds it rewarding to watch her husband flourish in a career he loves.

Even before they moved to Arroyo Grande, Michael was a self-employed music teacher. He’s also performed with bands for as long as he can remember.

“I just love music,” Michael said. “I love teaching it, performing it, and sharing it.” m

ages

With many instruments in his tool belt, a Central Coast musician passes his knowledge on to students of all

BY MADISON WHITE

In kindergarten, Michael Nunez learned how to play the accordion. It was a popular instrument at the time, so his parents started him in group lessons.

By the time he was in junior high, Michael was also playing drums, piano, and guitar. When his friends took interest in the instruments, he lent them a hand as they learned.

“From that point on, it evolved from just helping my friends to now it’s a full-time business,” the music teacher said.

Some 35 years later, he and his wife, Christine, run Michael’s Music Academy out of their home studio in Arroyo Grande. They just hit 21 years and are busier than ever.

While Michael teaches at the Arroyo Grande studio, four other musicians instruct at students’ homes in Orcutt, Santa Maria, and San Luis Obispo. With the longest waiting list they’ve ever had, the business is looking to hire another teacher to expand its services in the Santa Maria area. Between 60 and 70 students take lessons from Michael’s Music Academy right now, Christine estimated.

When the couple moved to the Central Coast, they noticed a need for music lessons in the area. A lack of public school funding has left campuses without music education lately, and Christine said they fill the extracurricular gap with private sessions.

Students can take lessons from Michael in guitar, piano, percussion, mandolin, ukelele, songwriting, and singing. He thought he’d be bored if he only taught one.

How many instruments does Michael know how to play?

“Well, how many are there?” he said with a laugh. “I’m just kidding.”

Christine said her husband’s talent and the expertise of the four other teachers set their academy apart from other music schools in the area. Students can learn saxophone, flute, clarinet, harp, and the accordion, too.

“We’ve got teachers who can go into a family’s home, teach one kid flute, the other kid violin, and the other kid piano,” Christine said. “It’s amazing. I don’t know anybody else in this county or Santa Barbara County who offers that.”

Michael’s wealth of knowledge gives students flexibility in their lessons. He may start someone out on the piano, and as they learn more about music, they may choose to pick up a guitar or drumsticks.

To help students express themselves through music, Michael customizes lesson plans, teaching students what they want to learn— whether it’s pop music, Broadway hits, religious songs, or heavy metal. He believes the joy found in singing and playing instruments is a gift from God.

“I really want to connect with my students,” he said. “I really want to have a loving bond, a heart-toheart relationship, with each of my students. It makes a world of difference.”

There aren’t any age restrictions at Michael’s Music Academy either. He’s taught children as young as 3 and 4 as well as adults in their 80s.

Staff Writer Madison White played the violin for eight years, only stopping to fit the high school newspaper class into her schedule. Send notes to mwhite@santamariasun.com.

For fear that

Performances: February 20 - March 8 Fridays & Saturdays at

Romance is dead

French writer-director Luc Besson (La Femme Nikita, The Professional, The Fifth Element, Lucy) reimagines Bram Stoker’s classic vampire story about 15th century prince Vladimir of Wallachia (Caleb Landry Jones) who after the death of his wife, Elisabeta (Zoë Bleu), renounces God and is cursed with vampirism. Determined to find the reincarnation of Elisabeta, he searches through the ages, eventually discovering her in Mina Murray (also Bleu). Meanwhile, a priest (Christoph Waltz) works to undo Dracula’s damage and free those he’s turned into vampires. (129 min.)

Glen: I’ve always loved vampire films. In my early teens, I was always down for a Hammer (1958 to 1974) double feature at the mall.

DRACULA

What’s it rated? R

Nosferatu the Vampire (1979), The Hunger (1983), Fright Night (1985), The Lost Boys (1987), Near Dark (1987), Cronos (1993), From Dusk to Dawn (1996), Blade (1998), 30 Days of Night (2007), Let the Right One In (2008), Daybreakers (2009), Only Lovers Left Alive (2013), Nosferatu (2024), right up to Sinners (2025)—I’ll watch them all, and I love the really inventive ones. Besson’s take is akin to Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 Dracula in that it wants to stay true to Bram Stoker’s 1987 gothic novel, but by adhering so closely to the original tale, it borders on the cliché and comical. Besson adds a few deviations from Stoker’s story. For

QUEEN OF CHESS

What’s it rated? TV-14

When? 2026

Where’s it showing? Netflix

instance, his Dracula’s lure is a perfume. We also get some impaled heads, which don’t appear in Stoker’s story but are connected to the historical figure that inspired Stoker, Vlad the Impaler. As vampire movies go, this one has atmosphere and style, but in the pantheon of vampire flicks, it’s forgettable.

What’s it worth, Anna? Stream it

What’s it worth, Glen? Matinee

Where’s it showing? Regal Edwards

RPX Santa Maria, Regal Edwards Arroyo Grande

Anna: It certainly focuses on the romance part of the story. The film opens with a frenzied montage of Vlad and Elizabeta in the throes of sex, of dancing, of shooting a gun through a pillow, of pillow fights, of what feels like an acid trip that has gone on far too long. When sent to war, he sends his bride away, and that’s where she meets her terrible fate. The film is raw in many ways and over the top in many others. I think the acting was good here, and maybe I’m suffering from a bit of Dracula overload between this film and Nosferatu coming out not long ago, but it didn’t have a particularly big wow factor for me. Cinematically it was effective, and if you don’t mind the familiar story, it may be worth catching a matinee if you’re in the mood.

Glen: Landry Jones is suitably odd looking as Dracula. I think he may have been cast because he shares similar uniquely distinctive features to Klaus Kinski, star of Werner Herzog’s Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979). He’s sweaty and feral and intense. Bleu, who’s the daughter of Rosanna Arquette, matches Jones’ intensity. Christoph

Waltz as the priest is good as usual, but there’s not that much for him to do, and he seems to understand he’s in a mostly rote retelling of this classic story. There are a lot of vampire movies I’m always up for watching again, like 30 Days of Night and Near Dark, and while I’m glad to have seen it and think it’s worth a matinee for vampire fans, I probably won’t be revisiting Besson’s Dracula Anna: There’s plenty of vampire content out there, much of it more memorable than this. It doesn’t get it all wrong though. I’ll give it up to the costuming department that managed to make a meal of every outfit, especially as Vlad

traveled through the eras and visited worldwide destinations as he hunted for the ingredients to his perfume. The French perruques and painted faces, group dances, fawning women—the scenes are rich. Casting-wise, the film is spot-on. It just didn’t feel like a novel approach to the tale. Maybe keep this one in mind when it comes onto streaming platforms. Until then, revisit some of the vampire flicks already flooding the market. m

New Times Arts Editor Glen Starkey and freelancer Anna Starkey write Sun Screen. Comment at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.

Hungarian chess prodigy Judit Polgár was raised to be a champion, and that’s exactly what she became. Alongside her sisters and under the controlling hand of her father, the Polgár family forwent formal education, instead focusing on a singular task—mastering chess. Judit especially had a knack for the game, and through interviews with Judit, her sisters, and her opponents, we watch her rise through the ranks and play alongside champions who are double and triple her age. Watching the early-’90s clips of footage is quite the reminder of how the world spoke of and to women not so long ago. Judit was dismissed as a frivolous threat—too young, too female—to ever be dangerous. However, she went on to become the world’s youngest grandmaster at the time at only 15 years and 4 months old.

It’s funny to think that watching a board game played by others is riveting, but this documentary manages to hook the audience from the start, and Judit’s story is truly fascinating. You can sense how big the win was when she beat her competitor Garry Kasparov, and there’s nothing but joy to feel for the young girl as we watch her shine and rise. (93 min.) —Anna

STEAL

What’s it rated? R When? 2026

Where’s it showing? Prime

Sotiris Nikias (Café 404 ) created this British crime thriller about an armed heist of a pension management company. A group of highly trained criminals takes control of the office and its workers, using phone jammers to prevent outside communication. The robbers force office workers Luke (Archie Madekwe) and Zara (Sophie Turner) to electronically transfer 4 billion pounds ($5.5 billion) into their accounts before fleeing.

Detective Chief Inspector Rhys Covaci (Jacob FortuneLloyd) arrives to investigate the crime, and what follows over six episodes is the unearthing of who’s involved and how, with the help of forensic accountant Darren Yoshida (Andrew Koji).

What makes the series so watchable are the morally compromised characters and the mystery of who’s behind it all. DCI Covaci has a gambling addiction and believes his higher-ups are trying to prevent him from solving the crime.

Luke and Zara may not be innocent victims. The real focus is on Zara, whose job is a dead end. She’s a bottom-tier worker frustrated by her pay and inability to move up—a frustration many feel in entry-level work. She’s got a very

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Fields of purple

An early grower in of the Central Coast lavender industry continues sharing the flower’s many uses

BY MADISON WHITE

Bees and lavender are a natural combination. When the weather was warm, the fields of lavender at Lila Avery-Fuson’s family farm hummed.

“Basically, the bees own the lavender. We just get to borrow it when it’s cool,” she said.

The 7-acre farm was known for hosting you-pick events before the summer heat in Paso Robles fully kicked in. Avery-Fuson remembers stocking plenty of EpiPens for severe reactions, but the bees were usually so intoxicated from the lavender that they just bumped into people rather than stinging them.

Five years ago, her business, Central Coast Lavender, experienced many losses, including the majority of the friendly buzzing insects. The founder pivoted after the pandemic, scaling down acreage and selling directly to consumers rather than continuing wholesale. With the help of a few family members, Avery-Fuson still sells home goods and lavender products

online from flowers that she distills.

Last fall she started an educational program called The Lavender Academy to teach small growers all about the plant, from the medicinal benefits to how to monetize their crops. She said information about the online course will be available on her website for this year’s spring session, set to begin in March.

“I love my position now as a mentor and an educator and a formulator,” she said. “I think I find more joy in helping others through teaching them how to start from the ground up and how not to make the same mistakes that I had to make three or four times to get it right.”

Since planting the first crops on her Paso Robles farm in 2007, AveryFuson has assumed a prominent role in the local and national lavender industry. She founded the Central Coast Lavender Growers Association almost 20 years ago as the state’s first nonprofit lavender group. In 2011 Avery-Fuson was a founding member of a similar organization at the national level.

Recipes galore

To buy Central Coast Lavender products online and learn more about The Lavender Academy, visit centralcoastlavender.com. Follow @centralcoastlavender on Instagram for updates and recipe ideas.

“I feel extraordinarily blessed to have been the first one to dive off that top and build my wings on the way down and be able to be one of the pioneers in the lavender industry of the United States,” she said. “I can’t believe I was.”

After convincing the Paso Robles City Council, she got the Central Coast Lavender Festival up and running with the help of Norma Moye, who passed away in December last year. Since the pandemic, the festival has included local olives and is now known as the Paso Robles Olive and Lavender Festival.

Of all the ways to use lavender in the kitchen, Avery-Fuson’s favorite is to incorporate the buds into shortbread cookies. Her recipe uses a lot of butter and lemon zest. The cookies made a good snack for farm visitors when Avery-Fuson hosted tours.

“I would always have lavender lemonade and lavender shortbread

cookies for after they walked the fields and came up and wanted to go shopping in my farm store,” she recalled.

Avery-Fuson’s wealth of online recipes spell out just the right combination of ingredients to use dried lavender in lemon bars, jams, simple syrups, chocolate marshmallows, scones, butter, and beverages.

Another treasured recipe in her household is lavender and mint tea steeped in coconut cream instead of water.

“It’s so good,” Avery-Fuson said. “It’s a nighttime drink, and it helps you sleep, too.”

She doesn’t want people to forget the plant’s uses as a medicinal herb, either. Lavender has anti-inflammatory and anti-nausea properties as well as therapeutic benefits for relaxation, the grower explained.

Over the years she’s learned a lot about the scientific and agricultural principles of planting lavender. At the end of the day, it’s a crop, she explained, that loves the Central Coast’s Mediterranean climate just like grapes and olives.

French lavender, a hybrid species, yields three times as much oil as the English variety and is used to make essential oils. English lavender is recommended for culinary uses. Depending on the species, lavender can bloom between April and July. Each year’s harvest depends on the weather, water, soil, and sunlight.

Avery-Fuson’s family history in Paso Robles dates back to the mid-1800s. She remembers her

grandmother making lavender tea and salves to treat “melancholy.” Yet it wasn’t until the early 2000s that the business founder started her own lavender journey.

A genetic degenerative brain disease diagnosis led Avery-Fuson to lavender’s natural remedies. By learning more about the plant, she found her own purpose again, using it as fuel for Central Coast Lavender.

“It changed my outlook from being a victim of a diagnosis to putting me on a mission of owning it and turning around my health,” Avery-Fuson said.

Despite today’s scaled-down production, she’s found a new way to grow the business by spreading her knowledge. There aren’t as many bees buzzing around her farm, but the industry’s hum is still loud. m

Staff Writer Madison White’s favorite color is purple. Send flowers to mwhite@ santamariasun.com.