Cover Story
Slice of life
Summer has a way of sticking in the fondest part of memories. Maybe it’s the warmth of the unbroken sun or the way everyone seems to adopt a more laid back way of doing things. The sights and smells help create that lasting impress; kids swimming at the pool, the crumble of sand at the…
Inappropriate Facebook comments stir controversy
Editor’s Note: This story came to the paper from a Sun employee. Rene Rodriguez, Sr., is an account executive with the Sun. The editors discussed the issue and agreed that we would have reported on it no matter who brought it to us. Also, please note that there is very strong profanity throughout several of…
If you were a dessert, what would you be?
Andrew Klock residue scientist “A hot fudge sundae. It has a little bit of everything.” Garrett Ensor chemist “A Twinkie, because they’re good forever, just like me!” Jackie Swider residue technician “A Twinkie, because they’re good forever, just like me!”
What’s on Deck?
Thursday, July 14 Semipro Baseball Ventura D’Rays @ California Wahoos 6 p.m. Santa Maria Valley Packers @ Marysville Gold Sox 7 p.m. Friday, July 15 Semipro Baseball California Wahoos @ Santa Maria Reds 6 p.m. Santa Maria Valley Packers @ Marysville Gold Sox 7 p.m. Saturday, July 16 Auto Racing IMCA Modified Clash…
On the roster
• La Purisima Mission Kids Outdoor Camp: Children ages 8 to 10 will enjoy three days of ranger-led hikes, nature crafting, and playing outdoor games at La Purisima Mission State Park July 12 through 14. The camp will be held from 10 a.m. to noon daily. The cost is $30 per camper. To register, call…
Former L.A. Lakers and Hancock coach to speak
Bill Bertka, a former assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers and head coach at Allan Hancock College, will be the featured guest speaker at “The Valley Speaks” event on July 30 at the Santa Maria Public Library. In addition to winning five NBA championship rings with the Lakers, Bertka led the Bulldogs to a…
Disc golf tournament comes to Waller Park
Disc golfers will seek to earn a spot in the 2011 United States Disc Golf Championship at the Professional Disc Golf Association’s Santa Maria Open July 29 to 31. The top 10 golfers at the Region 4 qualifying tournament will receive invites to the championships; each player with a PDGA rating of 850 or higher…
Take flight in fall basketball league
Girls and boys from fourth grade to high school can brush up on their basketball skills at West Coast Xtreme Youth Basketball Academy’s fall basketball Central Coast League beginning Aug. 28 at Cuesta College. Games will be played Sundays until Oct. 30. The cost per team is $550 before Aug. 20, or $585 thereafter. Sign-ups…
Tri-the-Bull is back!
Athletes of all skill levels are invited to test their endurance by swimming, running, and biking their way through the third annual Tri-the-Bull Triathlon, scheduled for Aug. 6 at Pioneer Valley High School. New to this year’s edition is the Junior Division, for children ages 7 to 10. Juniors will swim 100 meters, bike two…
Gordon Keck
Gordon Keck, 11, has come a long way since his days of riding dirt bikes with training wheels. Keck, who is from the Santa Ynez Valley, recently clinched a spot at the American Motocross Association’s (AMA) Amateur National Motocross Championship—the World Series for aspiring dirt bike riders. The 29th annual championship will be held at…
Walking on water
It used to be you needed a touch of divinity to walk on water, but through the emerging sport of stand up paddleboarding (SUP), young and old people alike can experience a feeling bordering on the miraculous. While the concept has been around for centuries in Hawaii—and was reintroduced there by surfer Thomas Blake in…
More of a good thing
As staffers at the landmark Far Western Tavern prepare to move from a site the business has occupied for more than half a century, another popular Santa Maria-area restaurant, Chef Rick’s Ultimately Fine Foods, bites the dust. Both pieces of news come as a bit of a shock to locals used to a certain culinary…
Park yourself
If you are looking for a fine example of community outreach, a chance to relax, and some down-to-earth local music for free, then you won’t want to miss a single day of the Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department’s annual Concerts in the Park Series. The concert series runs every Sunday from now through August…
Spider squatters
What do you call a hobo crossed with a blueberry? Oddly enough, this was the thought that came to mind as I found myself crouched down on the ground, a toilet scrub brush in my hand and tears welling in my eyes. As pathetic as I felt, this simple joke my son Chase told me…
Auditions announced
Auditions for Santa Maria Civic Theatre’s first play of the 2011-12 season—the classic Blithe Spirit, written by Noel Coward and directed by Alan Foster—will be held July 18 and 19 at 7 p.m. at the theatre, 1660 N. McClelland Street, Santa Maria. For information, call 922-4442 or visit smct.org. Arts Briefs is compiled by Arts Editor Shelly…
My Fairytale casting announced
Kevin Cahoon and Lesley McKinnell will be featured in the American premiere of PCPA’s production of My Fairytale, a new musical about Hans Christian Andersen directed by Scott Schwartz. My Fairytale previews in Santa Maria Aug. 12 to 20, then opens in Solvang’s Festival Theater running from Aug. 26 to Sept. 25. Cahoon will play…
Her perspective
Lompoc artists Tanya Schultz and Karen Davis-MacDonald have two very different artistic styles, yet they’ve a shared interest in painting what’s been a favorite subject of artists through generations: the female form. “I suggested to her [Davis-MacDonald] that we collaborate since our styles are so different,” Schultz said. “I’m thinking both styles will work well…
From his perspective
In honor of its own label depicting a female nude called “Pearl,” Imagine Wine and Art Gallery invited renowned Chicago artist Bruce Mondschain to show his famous nude female photography at the winery. Mondschain’s photos celebrate the female form with photos that are provocative, eye-catching, and stunningly beautiful. Mondschain’s photos make excellent use of color,…
Build roads, not bombs
The con job goes on. Throughout the Cold War, the CIA and our government consciously misrepresented the military prowess of the Soviet Union, exaggerating their military strength. They did this, of course, to justify a continuation of our obscene military budgets, to continue to feed the fat-and-sassy corporate culture that fed off the military budget.…
Spotlight on: Divine Guidance
I emerge from a cave overlooking a beach, clothed in animal skins and moccasins. Hunting for game, I’m suddenly struck in the head by a blunt object. I fall, and lose consciousness, rising out of my body and into the clouds above. No, I haven’t discovered the secret of time travel; I’m actually in the…
Hollister family donates its last remaining property to local marine institute
Heirs of the locally renowned Hollister family—one of the region’s first ranching families—have donated their sole remaining property to the Channel Islands Marine and Wildlife Institute. In May, the family recorded a gift deed for the historic Vista Del Mar Union School property on U.S. Highway 101 between Goleta and Santa Barbara. The Channel Islands…
Attention all Bulldogs: orientation is required
All students attending Allan Hancock College for the first time this fall are required to attend an orientation, the college recently announced in a press release. Fall 2011 Mega Orientations will be held July 25 and 26 at the Santa Maria campus and July 28 at the Lompoc Valley Center. The orientations will provide important…
Hobnobbing with Helen
There’s a brand new club in town. Its official name is Altrusa International, Inc. of Golden Valley. What a great way to think of Santa Maria: “Golden Valley.” We won’t be surprised if the Chamber of Commerce borrows this moniker from time to time for promotional materials. Bruno Brunello, husband of club co-founder Jackie Brunello,…
Staying cool in the pool
Famous for its pleasantly mild climate, California is a premiere destination for every tourist and vacationing family. If one were to travel to New Cuyama in the summertime heat, however, instead of a pleasant average temperature of 73 degrees he would be met with staggering temperatures exceeding 100 degrees. Residents of New Cuyama beat the…
In transition
It’s a blazing hot day in early July. It’s one of those midsummer days when almost everyone would have the air conditioning in their houses or cars blasting ice-cold air into their faces. But for the people who ride public transportation, staying cool can be a challenge. At the Santa Maria Transit Center on Miller…
Healing with horses
It’s another day at war, another day of fighting off ruthless insurgent attacks in the name of your country. You get up, clean your weapon, and prepare for patrol. You spend all day walking through the blazing deserts, shooting at threats and getting shot at. At the end of your watch, you return to base,…
Clarification
A quote contained in an article discussing the city of Lompoc’s opposition to a state redistricting draft (“Lompoc City Council members speak before redistricting commission,” June 30) was unclear. Redistricting Commissioner Gabino Aguerre said he believed proof of the commission’s hard work will play out in upcoming redistricting drafts.
Amazon’s leading the charge against an online sales tax
One of the nation’s largest online retailers is seeking a referendum to bring before voters the issue of whether such companies are required to charge sales tax for their products, even if they do not have a physical presence—a brick-and-mortar retail location—in the state. Seattle-based retail giant Amazon.com filed a petition July 11 to bring…
Stanford study: Climate change to diminish Santa Barbara County wine production
Over the next 30 years, premium wine production in Santa Barbara County could drop as much as 20 percent, a consequence of rising temperatures associated with climate change, according to a recently released Stanford University study. Using computer models and assuming a nearly two degree jump in average global temperatures by 2040, scientists predicted the…
