For months, the opposing forces on either side of the Santa Barbara County transportation debate have threatened to nuke Measure D’s chances of survival at the June ballot box. In a surprise orgy of cooperation, the Board of Supervisors and representatives from each city came together Monday to approve a single three-quarter cent sales tax proposal for the June ballot.
ENOUGH ALREADY: Some of the recent rants appearing in the News-Press have demonstrated that it is, in fact, possible to have too much of a good thing. The good thing, at least in theory, is the daily newspaper as a fiercely independent and intensely individualistic expression of its owner’s moral and civic passions.
At the Lobero Theatre, Saturday, April 22.
As a scratchy recording of Marshall Crenshaw’s “Cynical Girl” emanated from an antiquated record player and signaled the start to Sings Like Hell’s 19th season, there was an intrinsic beauty within the lack of posturing that accompanied Amy Rigby and Marti Jones to the stage. Free from pretense and imitation, the Cynical Girls packaged their quirky and frank take on life with enthusiasm, charm, and humor.
At Center Stage Theater, Sunday, April 23. Shows through May 7.
Haul a fish out of a suburban river, gut it, and maybe, just maybe, a shiny pearl necklace-swallowed sometime during its upstream swim-will be nestled inside. This unlikely event is typical of String of Pearls, playwright Michelle Lowe’s valentine to the complexities of female relationships. Currently playing at Center Stage Theater, it’s the latest winning production of Santa Barbara Theater’s (SBT) inaugural season.
A major telecommunications bill intended to allow cable phone companies to compete with monopoly cable TV and Internet providers like Cox Communications was denounced Monday by Santa Barbara finance chief Robert Peirson in a meeting with the City Council and Congresswoman Lois Capps.
At UCSB’s Campbell Hall, Tuesday, April 18.
From the moment Lila Downs stepped on stage, it was impossible not to smile. She is a fiesta embodied, a celebration in the flesh that bears tidings of joy, heartbreak, history, tragedy, and triumph. Her beaming face and dancing body draped in velvet, beads, and epic-length braids bore a passing resemblance to wild-woman artist Frida Kahlo, a comparison often made. This isn’t surprising as Downs’s won some notoriety for singing her composition “La Llorana” in the film Frida.
Even while The Barry Berkus and Family Art Collection in Memory of Gail Berkus was still in the process of being hung, nothing could hinder the curiosity of passers-by. Whenever onlookers inquired about whose work was going on exhibit, the County Art Commission’s Curator of Collections Rita Ferri enthusiastically informed them that this collection of art is now in fact theirs.
Want to save a national treasure? Here’s how: The “Eagles Forever!” contest calls upon people of all ages to write a 500-word essay or submit an artwork answering the question, “Why is the Bald Eagle important to America?” Current pressure from powerful special interests and developers urge Congress to weaken the 30-year-old legislation protecting the endangered species. Due to a recent extension, contestants now have until April 30 to submit their entries. More information can be found at eaglesforever.org.
This Rancho Oso piggy angles for a snack or a tickle
GOOD NEWS: Some people just don’t know how to throw a party. With the umpteenth annual Earth Day right around the corner, I am bracing for the inevitable tsunami of doom ‘n’ gloom factoids proving, yet again, how we’ve screwed up the planet beyond redemption. Okay, maybe we have, but is this really a reason to be so negative?
