Cover Story
The curious case of Anyck and the fertilizer factory
On Oct. 11, 2011, Anyck Turgeon climbed onto the stage of the eighth annual International Business Awards held in Abu Dhabi. Dressed in a glimmering purple gown, Turgeon charmed the crowd comprising hundreds of international executives and accepted her award. She was there on behalf of CoreClean Group, an agricultural chemical company headquartered on the…
Alleged victim of slain officer files notice with Santa Maria
In late February, the Woodland Hills-based law offices of Goldberg and Gage sent a notice of governmental claim to the city of Santa Maria on behalf of “Jane Doe,” identified in the notice as the “Explorer raped by Santa Maria Police Officer Albert Covarrubias, Jr.” Such a notice is usually the first…
What was your New Year’s resolution, and how has it been holding up so far?
Nadine Salutan hostess “Stop gossiping; I’ve only been doing a little since.” Mary Sivongsa student “To stop eating fast food; I’ve been trying, but it’s kind of hard when you work at In-n-Out.” Carl Lozano hip-hop beat conductor “It was to finish all my projects that I’ve been working on. I’m taking my time on…
Athlete of the Week: Ryan McNeil
Here’s a tip: If you see our Athlete of the Week, Ryan McNeil, anywhere around town, get his autograph. Quick. There are three main things to look for when trying to spot the high school baseball prodigy. First is his height; he stands about 6-foot-4, making him hard to miss. Also, look for a swarm…
On the roster
Vendetta Pro Wrestling: Local pro wrestling returns to Lakeview Junior High School for “Shamrock Slam 2012” on March 17. The card features championship matches, “Lucha Libre” style wrestling, and Tag Team and Tri-Force championships. Doors open at 6, and the action starts at 7 p.m. Presale tickets are $15 for ringside and $10 for general…
West Coast Xtreme wants you!
California West Coast Xtreme Basketball Academy is partnering up with Central Coast Elite Performance Training and looking for third- through eighth-grade boys and girls. Teams are being formed to compete in leagues and tournaments and help players learn basketball fundamentals and develop their skills. Prospective athletes should bring their own basketball and water to free…
Go fish at Cachuma Lake
The Neal Taylor Nature Center at Cachuma Lake will be host to two fishing events to kick off spring. First is the Adult Fishing Workshop on March 17 from 8:45 a.m. to noon, teaching adults basic fishing skills. The registration fee is $10 and limited to the first 40 adults. All equipment will be provided.…
Casting a wide net
The South Coast Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), which limit fishing in coastal zones from Point Conception south, are drawing mixed reactions from people who protect the ocean—and people who depend on it for their livelihood. After several delays, the four MPAs off Santa Barbara County took effect on Jan. 1, closing off about 15 percent…
Never too young to learn
Every great musician enjoyed the guiding hand of a teacher at one point. Whether it’s the rigorous weekly or bi-weekly meetings with a seasoned professional preparing a youngster for a classical music career, or just a talented and generous uncle picking on the back porch, people who teach shape the kind of musician an early…
Packaging challenged
I have a very serious problem. I can’t open things. I’m not talking about doors of opportunity or anything metaphorical or meaningful. Like, I can’t open a package of cheese. Any item wrapped in some sort of clear plastic that normally requires two fingers and the slightest tearing to open, I absolutely can’t do it.…
Santa Maria Has Talent awards $1,000 prize
Singer Jasmine Binney of Santa Maria took home the winner’s trophy and a $1,000 check the night of March 10 in the third annual “Santa Maria Has Talent” competition at Santa Maria Veteran’s Hall. The talent award was sponsored by Coast Hills Credit Union. The Sun’s own executive editor, Ryan Miller, won second place singing…
Brown bag it and talk art
The Santa Barbara County Arts Commission, 4th District Supervisor Joni Gray, and 5th District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino will be host to a Brown Bag Lunch from noon to 1:30 p.m. on March 21 in the Betteravia Government Center’s Board of Supervisors Conference Room at 511 E. Lakeside Parkway in Santa Maria. Hear the latest about…
Santa Ynez artists auction art
An April Fool’s Day art show reception and silent auction, featuring work by members of the Artists Guild of the Santa Ynez Valley, will highlight a number of works by serious artists. Now on display at Avant Tapas and Wine Bar, 35 Industrial Way in Buellton, are the works of 21 artists who created a…
Albert Einstein explained in humorous fashion
Duffy Hudson, a veteran of Broadway and film, will bring his one-man entertainment show, The Relativity of Albert Einstein, to the Santa Maria Public Library at 4 p.m. on March 20 in Shepard Hall. Hudson will explain, in his humorous fashion, the famous physicist’s life and his Theory of Relativity. Knowledge of physics isn’t required,…
Learn Chinese brush painting with Town Center Gallery
The Town Center Gallery is host to Chinese brush painting classes for adults Thursdays from 6 to 8 p.m. with Stephany Andrews at the Town Center Gallery, 321 Town Center West, B6. The class is $15 for members and $17 for nonmembers per class. Materials will be supplied for the first class. For more information,…
Jazz plays on in Solvang
Solvang’s initial Famous Jazz Artists Series is off to a running start with its second concert, featuring jazz guitarist Ron Eschete, scheduled for March 17 at the Terrace Dinner Theater, upstairs at Manny’s Restaurant. Ruth Hoover of Solvang and Charlie and Sandi Shoemake of Cambria launched the famous Jazz Artists Series in February. The Shoemakes…
Maine event
It’s become a popular production to present as of late, but Larry McLellan, president of Lompoc Civic Theatre, didn’t know that when he added Almost, Maine to the theater’s season lineup. “The play is getting a reputation that everybody has to do it,” he said. The show recently ran in Cambria, and it’s currently in…
The price of war
Babe Ruth and baseball. John D. Rockefeller and capitalism. Arthur Miller and the American Dream. These names and subjects are often considered synonymous in discussions of our country’s cultural identity. Some people might find it surprising that a playwright and a baseball player could be mentioned in the same defining way. But anyone who paid…
Shamrock shindig
Saturday, March 17, promises to be the biggest day for Rooney’s Irish Pub since the establishment opened its doors in Old Town Orcutt nearly two years ago. About 2,500 spirited partygoers patronized the pub last St. Patrick’s Day, when the holiday fell on a Thursday. “It’s a big party—lots of green funky hats, goofy shirts,…
Really, I don’t like him
Rush Limbaugh is a limp-legged Viagra swiller who has more in common with the Taliban male than the majority of American males. Quite pathetic those who still adhere to his hateful and anti-feminist swill.
Just say no to the oil industry
This area lays claim to three of the largest on-shore oil spills in North America: Tank Farm, Avila, and Guadalupe Dunes. A 1998 federal study analyzing oil industry activity in San Luis Obispo County from 1950 to 1998 concluded “the region would have been equally as well off economically had there been no such activity.”…
Otters get all the awards
Well, it’s almost spring, and awards for the most important animal in the ocean are being given out again. And the winner is: The sea otter! But of course, the sea otter wins every year. First, Toola died. The surrogate sea otter mom from the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Sympathy Award. Next, white sharks are munching…
Dear Canary,
Just read your column (“Where have all the leaders gone?” March 8). A couple of things struck me. You get uncomfortable when you see a cop talking to a homeless guy? Why? I get uncomfortable when the guys with the signs hit me up, every time I go to CVS on Broadway—same guys, every day.…
Every day is March 10
It’s been a year since we sat in front of our TVs, drop-jawed, open-mouthed, watching in horror as an earthquake and monstrous tidal wave engulfed the coasts of northeastern Japan. A year since video of an exploding nuclear reactor played again and again. A year since I called my brother in Tokyo, begging him to…
Happy times at Happy Hollow Preschool Open House
Happy Hollow Preschool is holding its first-ever open house on March 31 and April 1, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., inviting parents and kids to experience the fun activities offered to young students. The preschool will display art projects and other creative works by current students, and will also have plenty of activities for…
St. Joe juniors visit Northern California universities
St. Joseph High School juniors took another step on the road to higher education recently as they set off on a three-day tour of Northern California universities, giving them the opportunity to experience college life first-hand. Students toured campuses, spoke to university officials, and learned about the various programs offered at each college. The tour…
The Son of Neptune, by Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson is back. Most of him is, anyway. The modern demigod hero (first written about in a series of popular Greek-mythology-laced books by Rick Riordan) didn’t figure much into the first book of the author’s new series, “Heroes of Olympus,” but the second installment finds Percy fighting monsters again—though he can’t remember much about…
Join us as instruments come together
Do your little ones love to beat on pots and pans to their own rhythm? Or do they strum on air guitars as they run around the house? Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was composing symphonies before the age of 10. Today, some communities are even host to their own children’s symphonies. The symphony was standardized into…
A barbecue for ‘Binky’
Jason Melena Flores, 8, has masses of cancerous tumors throughout his brain. One tumor sits on his hypothalamus, which affects his pituitary gland, causing an early onset of puberty. Another tumor has damaged his optic nerve, which has made him lose his vision in his left eye. He was born with a genetic disorder called…
Spotlight on: Rendezvous Home & Garden
Rendezvous Home & Garden has returned to its roots in the Broadway Pavilion Shopping Center in Santa Maria, re-occupying the space where the business first opened its doors 11 years ago. Though the square footage is less than it once was, the store itself remains an inviting, relaxing place where customers can meander through different…
Santa Maria’s over-pup-ulation problem
Dogs are considered man’s best friend, and for good reason. What other animal rushes toward the door to greet his owner at the sound of jingling keys and the scent of a long day at work? Sadly, however, thousands of dogs in Santa Maria don’t have owners to greet. Santa Maria animal shelters house about…
Rice Ranch developers stave off foreclosure
According to a public notice filed earlier this month, Rice Ranch Ventures LLC has until March 29 to negotiate loan terms with Wells Fargo Bank, or the housing project’s undeveloped land will be sold at public auction. In an interview with the Sun, developer John Scardino said he is in negotiations with the bank to…
Orcutt man arrested on suspicion of drug dealing
On March 5, Santa Barbara County Sherriff’s Department officers arrested 59-year-old William Pearce Tyler on suspicion of selling methamphetamine from his motor home near Lakeview Junior High School in Orcutt. Tyler had been under investigation for three weeks before he was arrested. Undercover detectives reported they purchased methamphetamine from Tyler on two occasions while school…
Santa Maria City Council approves construction of a new police department building
With the recent turmoil at the Santa Maria Police Department, is now the ideal time to build a new police station? According to four out of five Santa Maria City Council members, there’s no time like the present. On March 6, council members voted to approve two contracts that would allow the construction process to…
Toru Miyoshi is running for Santa Maria city clerk
“I will probably go on record as the oldest candidate ever to run for public office,” joked Toru Miyoshi, who, at 82, is running for Santa Maria city clerk on the Nov. 6 ballot. Miyoshi is no stranger to public office. He served four terms on the Santa Maria City Council from 1970 to 1982,…
Lompoc’s Bridgehouse shelter reopens
There have been some new developments in the scramble to handle the dissolution of local nonprofit Lompoc Housing and Community Development Corporation. On March 9, Good Samaritan Services held a grand reopening ceremony for the Bridgehouse emergency shelter in Lompoc. Homeless families and individuals will now be able to go to the facility on Sweeney…
A celebration of health
On March 7, Marian Regional Medical Center officials held a grand opening ceremony at which members of the public could tour the new hospital. However, according to CEO Chuck Cova, the new building won’t fully be in use until mid-April due to some last-minute changes to state regulations.
Howerton enters the race for Santa Barbara County supervisor
Former Lompoc mayor and community activist Joyce Howerton announced March 9 that she’ll be running for 4th District Santa Barbara County Supervisor. Her main goal is to connect the office with the community—something she says has been missing as of late. “I think that the problem is that there’s been a disconnect between the 4th…
