Free fishing workshop for kids on July 21
Children from 8 to 15 years old can sign up for a free workshop to learn how to fish from expert fishermen and women from 8:45 a.m. to noon on Saturday, July 21, at Lake Cachuma.
Kids in small groups will circulate through presentations on knot-tying; casting; trout fishing; rigging for bass, crappie and blue gill; and salt-water fishing. Parents are welcome to observe if they do not want to participate.
The program, hosted by the Neal Taylor Nature Center, is limited to the first 40 kids/parents to sign up; pre-registration is urged. Call 805-693-8381 or e-mail JCipolla@clnaturecenter.org.
Workshop to teach ‘random-weave’ basket style
The Wildling Museum will offer a random-weave basket workshop with Kathy Badrak and Karen Osland from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 28.
Participants will learn the basketry technique of random weave, using rattan reed and vines. This weave allows the weaver to create a free-form basket, a sculpture, or a more structured form such as a bowl, tray or dish. Finished baskets will be about 5 to 10 inches in diameter.
There is a limit of 14 students for the six-hour workshop, which includes a half-hour lunch break. Tuition is $45, plus an additional $10 to be paid on the day of the class for materials.
To register, visit www.wildlingmuseum.org/random-weave-basket-class-july-28th/, stop in the Wildling, or call 805-686-8315.
For more information about the museum, visit www.wildlingmuseum.org.
‘Barbecue Bonanza’ returns to Buellton on July 28
The 14th annual Buellton Barbecue Bonanza will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 28, at River View Park.
The city of Buellton provides a free barbecue and asks those attending to bring a dessert to share.
There will be a chocolate chip cookie contest, kid games and water fun throughout the afternoon.
The park is at 151 Sycamore Drive.
LO Post Office offers passport services
The Los Olivos Post Office is now a “passport acceptance agency,” allowing it to issue new passports, renew old ones, and provide passport photos.
The office also has new operating hours at the counter, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Friday. Hours for passport services are between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. — only by appointment — which can be made by calling 805-688-4573.
For more information on obtaining a passport, visit www.usa.gov/passport.
Orientation for Japan trip set for July 31
A video orientation for a trip called “The Cultural Treasures of Japan” will be shown at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 31, in the parish hall of Bethania Lutheran Church in Solvang.
The trip, from March 3-16, 2019, will be led by local travel agent Linda Johansen, who donates her commissions from these group trips to local nonprofit organizations.
Anyone who registers for the trip by making a deposit on the night of the orientation will receive a $150 discount.
Openings are still available for a trip this December called “Christmas in London,” Johansen added.
To register for the Japan trip orientation, or get brochures for any of Johansen’s trips, call her at 805-686-1644.
Comedy show, dinner, to help shelter animals
The Santa Barbara County Animal Care Foundation will present its second annual “Raise the Woof!” comedy show and dinner on Saturday, Sept. 22, at the Masonic Hall at 700 Lakeview Road in Santa Maria.
The event features a three-course meal followed by two professional comedians from the Los Angeles area who have been featured on HBO and Comedy Central.
There will also be a silent auction, 50-50 drawing, a raffle and music by the Clark St. Flyers, a local band.
The foundation is an all volunteer non-profit organization that raises money to help animals that arrive at the three county animal shelters sick, injured, or abandoned and in need of medical attention.
For more information, visit www.sbcanimalcare.org. To donate, sponsor, or volunteer at Raise the Woof, email Libby Walling at libbydee66@gmail.com.
Cottage adds new procedure for robotic heart surgery
Cottage Health has begun offering minimally invasive cardiothoracic robotic surgery after the recent arrival of Dr. Peter Baay at the Cottage Robotic Surgery Center at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.
Since 2005, Cottage has performed more than 2,000 robotic surgery procedures. The robotic center features the state-of-the-art da Vinci Xi Surgical System. Compared to traditional surgery, studies show that robotic-assisted surgery results in less blood loss, less pain and discomfort, and a faster recovery.
In addition to cardiothoracic surgery, Cottage offers robotic surgery for many other procedures including general surgery, gynecology and urology.
To learn more, visit cottagehealth.org/robotic-surgery.
Partnership announced to help senior crime victims
The Family Service Agency and the Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County have announced a partnership to coordinate legal and social services to county residents age 60 and older who are victims of physical, emotional or financial abuse.
Santa Barbara County Adult Protective Services says it receives almost 1,600 reports of elder abuse per year. Seniors who have been neglected or abused are often unable to get the help they need for a variety of reasons, and many need social services in addition to legal services to fully recover.
Funding for the partnership has been provided through the Victim Legal Assistance Program of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES).
Through bilingual staff, both agencies can address the needs of both English and Spanish speakers.
For more information, visit www.fsacares.org or www.lafsbc.org.
