Cover Story
Down for the count: Drought, development, and encroachment could be responsible for dwindling deer population
Crack. Bill Decker, 69, drops his truck into the lowest gear and punches the gas. The Toyota Tundra whines as its all-terrain tires climb the series of broken concrete slabs that used to be called a road. “This is all public land,” Decker says, surveying the surrounding chaparral, tall grass, and rolling foothills that stretch…
What is something new or different you’d like to see at the Santa Maria Town Center East mall?
Jim Fosdick retired “It would be great to see some more tenants. Maybe something sports related.” Ozzy Bravo food service “They could decorate more. It looks really nice when they do it up for Christmas. They do a good job.” India Fields student “It gets a little stuffy upstairs so maybe some better ventilation.” Taylor…
Central Coast high schools ready to launch new athletic leagues, depart Southern Section
The days of the Central Coast’s traditional prep sports leagues—the Los Padres League (LPL) and PAC-8—are numbered, as are many high schools’ long and notorious bus rides to far-flung areas of Southern California. Come next fall, 13 of the region’s 16 high schools will jump ship from the CIF Southern Section and begin competing in…
Vanessa Gomez
Injuries could have derailed Vanessa Gomez’s softball career several times. But she wouldn’t let them. First it was a broken ankle when she was 11. Then it was a bone spur that required surgery at 13. Last spring, it was a torn ACL and another surgery. Each time misfortune struck, Gomez stayed patient, rehabbed, and…
Santa Maria high schools begin installing solar panels
The installation of solar panels at several Santa Maria high schools began on Oct. 23, and the new solar energy systems are expected to save the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District millions in utility fees. Parking lots at Pioneer Valley and Ernest Righetti high schools, and a grassy area at Delta High School,…
Spotlight on: Rockin’ Jump Trampoline Park
Families looking for a fun recreation opportunity or in need of some alternative workout options should bounce on over to the Rockin’ Jump Trampoline Park at 215 Town Center East in Santa Maria. The 17,000 square foot, locally owned franchise celebrated its grand opening on Sept. 1, and co-owner Casey Klajbor said he and his…
Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors approve Camp 4 deal
Despite months of intense debate, outcry from Santa Ynez Valley community members on both sides of the issue, and various legal threats and filings, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors officially entered into an agreement with the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians on Oct. 31 regarding Camp 4. The supervisors voted 4-1 in…
Santa Maria police work to decrease prevalence of hit-and-run traffic indicents
A Santa Maria man was killed near the intersection of North Broadway and Williams Street on Oct. 21, when a car collided with him. The driver fled without stopping. The victim, 74-year-old Armando Recendis-Alanis, was riding his bicycle on Williams across the intersection at about 5 p.m., according to a Santa Maria Police Department (SMPD)…
Raybern Foods agrees to pay settlement over underweight sandwiches
A Bay Area-based sandwich producer that sells products through stores across the country in Wal-Mart and Costco reached a settlement with three Southern California district attorneys after it was caught selling sandwiches that weighed less than advertised. Raybern Foods, of Hayward, paid more than $168,000 in civil penalties and various other cost recovery fines to…
Collaborative on Homelessness partnered with police for enforcement operation
The Santa Maria Police Department (SMPD) reported nine citations and one arrest that resulted from the department’s Alcoholic Beverage Control enforcement operation on Oct. 28. The Central Coast Collaborative on Homelessness (C3H) had a staff member tag along on the mission. During the operation, funded by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control Grant Assistance…
Sheriff’s deputies some of county’s only first responders carrying opioid overdose drug
Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office patrol deputies are some of the county’s only first responders that carry Naloxone nasal spray, better known as Narcan, a drug that blocks the effects of opioids and can prevent death in the event of an overdose. Sheriff’s Office deputies began carrying Naloxone after undergoing training earlier this year as…
Tantrum time
Nobody loses it worse than when they can’t get what they want and there’s nothing they can do about it. Just look at the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors meeting on Oct. 31, where Santa Ynez Valley residents threw a collective conniption over the county’s agreement regarding Camp 4, the land owned by the…
Injured athletes have options
My name is Dr. Tommy John and I’m the son of retired MLB pitcher Tommy John, the same athlete whom Tommy John surgery is named after, a surgery that is now negatively impacting our children involved in youth sports. I can’t express to you how disconcerting it is to say my father’s name and have…
Guadalupe City Council should get its act together
Since the Guadalupe City Council has not done anything about the football field at O’Conner Park in the city of Guadalupe, maybe they should spend the funds on hiring more Fire Department employees. We have three full-time fire captains and one part-time permit tech/firefighter. I am concerned that we do not have a fully staffed…
Making America great again?
Donald Trump once again raised the removal of Confederate statues and memorials while touting his support for Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie. The president tweeted “Ed Gillespie will turn the really bad Virginia economy #’s [sic] around, and fast. Strong on crime, he might even save our great statues/heritage!” So walk me through this.…
American Nobel winners: a legacy of teaching and learning
Eight American scientists won the Nobel Prize this year. We appreciate them for their inspiration and discoveries, and also thank the teachers they had throughout the years who encouraged their curiosity, tenacity, and brilliance. America’s dominance in Nobel Prizes is an ongoing success story, as our scientists continue to extend the reach of human knowledge.…
True love: Rebecca opens up about her special relationship
I am coming up on the one year anniversary of when I got engaged to my true beloved, Chris. I thought I would take this opportunity to share some inner glimpses at our idyllic and absolutely perfect relationship, which you will obviously be very jealous of. A few weeks ago I was out sick. Chris…
LOCAL NOTES: Local Chumash keep their language and culture alive with music
The steady rhythm of a rattle, the sharp crack of wooden clappers, and the sound of voices singing in unison hung over the Santa Ynez Valley on Oct. 14. You wouldn’t recognize the syllables or what they meant, that is unless you were one of the few who’ve studied Samala, the ancestral language of the…
Dana Adobe hosts outlaw book signing
The DANA Cultural Center in Nipomo will host a book signing and talk on Nov. 5 with local author Jim Gregory about his new book. Arroyo Grande author Gregory’s third book on local history, San Luis Obispo County Outlaws: Desperados, Vigilantes, and Bootleggers, released in October by The History Press, traces the history of crime…
Standing Sun hosts new work by Felipe Molina
Standing Sun Wines hosts new work by artist Felipe Molina through Nov. 30. Molina was recently inducted into the Album Art hall of fame for his Counting Crows album covers. Molina has studied at the Salmagundi Art Club, Lyme Academy, New Haven Creative Arts Workshop, and the Center for Contemporary Printmaking. He is also the…
Arts symposium features information on local art funding
The Santa Barbara Office of Arts and Culture will host the North County Arts Symposium on Nov. 3. The event is sponsored by the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission and the city of Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department. Presenters include Randy Cohen, vice president of Americans for the Arts, who will share compelling information…
Solvang and Buellton libraries host maker workshops
The Solvang and Buellton libraries will host two individual maker workshops to teach the construction of handmade catapults on Nov. 4 and Nov. 11, respectively. The workshop will teach about catapults, an ancient weapon more than 2,400 years old. The makerspace projects will be made out of popsicle sticks and will launch pom-poms and cotton…
Bill Dewey’s aerial photography gives a stunning glimpse of the Central Coast
The first time Bill Dewey flew with his father, he was a young boy. His memory now clings to images of puffy white clouds whipping through the sky around him. “It was a bright spring day,” he recalled. “The feeling was absolutely intense and surreal. It never left me even as I grew older.” Today,…
Ceramist Amiko Matsuo brings Pyrometric’s powerful statement to Foxworthy
Three cones stand together, each one showing the signs of havoc from some unwieldy and apathetic force. They have been burned badly, and yet are still deeply beautiful. The jarring and angst-ridden imagery is the work of ceramist Amiko Matsuo, whose work is on display at the Foxworthy Gallery in Santa Maria in an exhibit…
La Perla Market and Deli is an authentic treat in Santa Maria
In the late 1990s, I was stuck working the worst possible job in the history of time. I was writing copy for a law firm’s fledgling website and hated every minute of it. Lawyers, y’all. Anyway, one of the highlights of the job was my cellmate (or office mate, however you see that), Brenda. She…
