Cover Story
Curtain call
During the Take A Bow—A Tribute to Robyn Metchik’s Retirement event at the Clark Center, the drama teacher at the heart of it all will have plenty to reflect on. Metchik has directed or produced shows such as Grease, Bye Bye Birdie, The Diary of Anne Frank, Fiddler on the Roof, Pirates of Penzance, Macbeth,…
What’s on Deck?
Thursday, Apr. 19 Boys’ Golf- Pioneer Valley Tournament @ Blacklake 1 p.m. Morro Bay Tournament @ MBGC 1:30 p.m. Mission College Prep @ Orcutt Academy 2 p.m. Boys’ Tennis- Righetti @ Pioneer Valley 3 p.m. Laguna Blanca @ Santa Ynez 3:30 p.m. Cabrillo @ Morro Bay 3:30 p.m. Orcutt Academy @ Coast Union 3:30 p.m…
On the roster
• Santa Maria Valley Packers fundraiser: The semipro Santa Maria Valley Packers baseball team is raising money with a poker event on April 21. Organizers will be giving away a champion’s bracelet and a 40-inch TV to the night’s big winner. A $50 donation secures a buy-in, with re-buys available in the first three rounds.…
Walk to combat Parkinson’s Disease
April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month, and the Central Coast Parkinson Disease Support Group and the Parkinson’s Support Group of Santa Maria are inviting local residents to take part in the 6th Annual Parkinson’s Walk for a Cure on April 28. The 1.5 mile or 4 mile walks will raise money to support the Parkinson’s Alliance…
Sign up for football and cheer
All boys and girls interested in football and cheerleading are invited to sign up for the Santa Maria Youth Football League’s 2012 season. Football fees are $200 per player. Players must be between age 8 and 14 during the season to participate. Cheerleaders must be in kindergarten to 8th grade for the 2012-2013 school year.…
Learn water safety in Lompoc
If you’re in need of a summer job, you might want to look to the Lompoc Parks, Recreation Department’s Water Safety Instructor classes for aquatics training. Upon successful completion of the courses, participants will be certified to teach Red Cross water safety and learn-to-swim classes with the potential for job opportunities countywide. Classes meet April…
Athlete(s) of the Week
Sometimes good things come in pairs. It’s certainly true for the boys’ and girls’ basketball teams of tiny St. Mary of the Assumption School, a Catholic school in Santa Maria. Both teams—made up of sixth through eighth-graders—recently completed perfect 17-0 league seasons and won their respective Central Coast Small Schools League Championship Tournaments. According to…
Ritualistic behavior
Before every Allan Hancock College baseball game, you’ll find shortstop Matt Foley deeply engrossed in his pre-game routine. First, he puts on his dusty Hancock baseball hat, faded and stained with the dirt and sweat of past games. Then, he puts on his right cleat before his left, and if he just so happens to…
What’s the most memorable theatrical production you’ve ever seen?
Alice Utsunomiya retired “The King and I at PCPA; it was performed well and there were local kids in it.” Mario Gutierrez food safety auditor “Cats; I liked everything about it—the songs, everything.” Arthur Cruz grocer stocker “I haven’t really seen one, but I’ve been in one. I was in elementary school and it was…
Honoring the troubadour
The life of a traveling musician is full of twists, turns, and tumbles. It’s not a profession where the fittest survive; rather, that distinction goes to people most committed to the art. One local concert series gives a home on the road to traveling and local musicians who specialize in the storytelling and wisdom-sharing side…
The next obsession
It’s well-documented around my house that I easily obsess over things. I’ve denied it for a very long time, but I have to admit it’s true. I don’t just “like” things, I “adore” things. I revel in them. I become a cheerleader for what I like—much to the annoyance of those around me. Like that…
Talk about mom
The C Gallery in Los Alamos will be host to a unique and personal custom gift party to honor moms from 3 to 5 p.m. on May 5 at the gallery in Los Alamos. Artisans from near and far will showcase their custom gift ideas, while guests share stories about their moms. The event will…
See Carol Wood’s pastels
A series of works in pastel and oil by local artist Carol Wood will be on view April 23 through June 25 at Los Olivos Café, where the public is invited to a reception for the artist from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on May 3. Born in Southern California, Wood moved to the Santa Ynez…
Literacy Council director featured at luncheon
Altrusa of the Central Coast will feature Beth Wonson, Central Coast Literacy Council’s new executive director, at its monthly program luncheon at noon on April 23 at the Santa Maria Inn, 801 S. Broadway. Wonson left a career in education to work in the nonprofit sector in 1998. She worked for 10 years with Project…
Take a bow
The Pacific Conservatory for the Performing Arts has unquestionably earned a local reputation for quality theater—a reputation that’s spread far and wide. Recently, at a United States Institute of Technical Theatre convention, the conservatory was officially recognized with the Thomas DeGaetani Award for outstanding lifetime achievement and longtime contribution to the performing arts community. PCPA’s…
Divine music
Combining their love of jazz with their love of God, some Central Coast musicians are challenging the notion of traditional worship. Jazz Divine offers a monthly jazz worship service that serves up a non-denominational message with some traditional mainstream jazz performed by talented musicians. Jazz Divine consists of Geoff Moran on drums, Ed Hite on…
On the books
Go to the library. That’s basically everything I set out to say to you today. It’s simple, really. Just go to the library. I don’t think I should have to make a case for why this is such a vitally important action for you to take, why an ongoing commitment to literacy, education, and access…
Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department offers anti-bullying workshop for teens and families
The campaign against bullying in schools continues to gather public attention with the national release of, and ratings controversy surrounding, the documentary film Bully. Locally, the Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department and PLAY, Inc. are continuing the anti-bullying conversation with an interactive workshop on April 21. Teens and adults are invited to attend the…
Local teens speak out against underage drinking and bullying
In observance of National Alcohol Awareness Month, some local youth-oriented nonprofits are hosting events to educate the public about the dangers of alcohol abuse, and encouraging people to make healthier, safer choices. On April 14, Fighting Back Santa Maria Valley held a youth rally at Santa Maria City Hall to talk to teens about overcoming…
Hobnobbing With Helen
This is magical,” project coordinator Donna Cota said. She was referring to the great turnout (more than 125) and the animated buzz in the air as Friends of the Library supporters and Night Time Altrusans gathered on April 12 for a wine and cheese reception at the Painted Chair Fundraiser in Santa Maria Town Center…
Spotlight on: OhFancyBaby
Every Earth Day, people worldwide turn their attention to finding simple ways to be a little more eco-friendly. For Orcutt mom Laura Weiting, her sensible solution was switching over from disposable to cloth diapers, and getting others to do the same. Last year, Weiting started researching the benefits of cloth diapers after finding her second…
Ay, Chihuahuas
They’re small. They yap. Some of them shake uncontrollably. But they’re so. Darn. Cute. Chihuahuas easily wriggle their way into locals’ hearts, and the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department is recognizing that fact with May’s celebration of “Chihuahuas de Mayo.” County Chihuahua (and Chihuahua mix) owners can get their animals spayed or neutered for…
Berry bounty
Dressed in a red sweater and red-and-white-striped shirt, ag entrepreneur Cees Dobbe charmingly evokes the brightly colored flowers of his native Holland. “I’m the Dutch guy who grew up in the tulip fields,” he said with a congenial laugh. Dobbe is probably best known on the Central Coast for co-founding All Seasons Flowers—one of the…
Chumash say annexation will bring more jobs to Santa Barbara County
On April 10, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians issued a report citing the potential economic benefit of constructing homes on its rural Camp 4 property in the Santa Ynez Valley. Tribe officials say the project, which has received ample scrutiny from some valley residents, would create hundreds of jobs and infuse some life…
Solvang leaders look into developing a regional park
The Solvang City Council recently approved the creation of an ad hoc committee to explore the possibility of purchasing 16 acres of land near Alamo Pintado Road to create a regional park. The council voted 4-0 at its April 9 meeting to establish the committee, which will be headed by council members Joan Jamieson and…
Lompoc’s La Purisima Golf Course is up for sale
Yet another victim of the down economy, La Purisima Golf Course, an award-winning 18-hole championship course in Lompoc, is officially on the market with price tag of $6.25 million. Course owners have quietly searched for a buyer since last fall, but recently made the sale public to squash rumors of its imminent closure, management said.…
Top Santa Maria employer, C&D Zodiac Aerospace, expands its facilities
Flanked by city leaders, executives with C&D Zodiac Aerospace—one of the largest private employers in Santa Maria—announced April 12 the company is expanding into a new 82,000-square-foot building. Tony Guy, C&D Zodiac Aerospace’s vice president and general manager, said the addition of a facility on Skyway Drive comes as a result of the airplane interior…
Wine fest rebirth
Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the granddaddy of local wine events is bigger and better than ever. The Santa Barbara County Vintners’ Festival moves to a new location on Saturday, April 21: The Carranza, a scenic spot along Zaca Station Road, on the outskirts of Los Olivos. “The Carranza—just the name alone makes it worth the…
