Cover Story
Yo-ho-ho!
Forget all that X-marks-the-spot business. If you’re looking for treasure, drop the map and grab a copy of this year’s Santa Maria Sun Best Of readers poll. No booby traps. No dead men’s chests. Just a bounty of booty, from top restaurants to hip shops to community movers and shakers. Sun Calendar Editor Joe Payne…
Hobnobbing with Helen
The new City of Santa Maria Public Library opened officially with speeches and a ribbon-cutting on the morning of Aug. 23, but on the night before, major donors and guests were treated to a “sneak and peek” preview. What a great party. What a great evening. The pre-opening celebration was held from 5:30 to 7:30…
CLUBS & MEETINGS
ALTRUSA INTERNATIONAL INC. of SANTA MARIA, a nonprofit business and professional organization, meets the second Wednesday of each month, 7 p.m., in the downstairs conference room at United Way, 1660 S. Broadway. Info: 352-0026 or 937-4071. ALTRUSA INTERNATIONAL INC. OF THE CENTRAL COAST meets at noon the second and fourth Monday of every month at…
SPIRITUAL
BAHA’I interfaith worship services are the second Sunday of each month. Info: 489-4172. Children’s classes are the first Saturday of each month. Info: 937-9451. Study circles about The Life of the Spirit are ongoing in Santa Maria. For questions, dates, and times: 614-0963. Info: 937-9451. BETHEL LUTHERAN CHURCH holds worship services Sundays with Holy Communion…
FARMERS MARKETS
SANTA MARIA 100 S. Broadway at Main, Wednesdays, from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Features local beekeepers’ honey and bee pollen, breads and pastries, plants and flower bouquets, fresh fruits and vegetables. ORCUTT Corner of Clark and Bradley, Tuesdays, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fresh honey, flowers, and eggs, along with fresh fruits and vegetables.…
BARBECUES
ONGOING FILIPINO COMMUNITY OF SANTA MARIA VALLEY barbecues Filipino food at the Smart and Final parking lot, N. Broadway on Saturdays and Sundays. Menu items include tri-tip, chicken, beef kabobs, chicken adobo, salad, rice, and bread. Meals cost $6. Info: 922-3422 or 922-3799. FILIPINO CATHOLIC SOCIETY, under the direction of St. Mary’s Church and St.…
HEALTH
SANSUM CLINIC offers a stress management class Sept. 3 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the clinic. A cholesterol management class is Sept. 4 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the clinic. Cost is $8. The clinic is located at 1225 North H St., Lompoc. Info: 737-8700. ONGOING ARTHRITIS FDN. is a low impact,…
ART
THE CYPRESS GALLERY currently features the exhibition Abstract Thought by Elizabeth Monks Hack through August at the gallery, 119 E. Cypress Ave., Lompoc. The art of Jon Robert Lyra and Judith Grames-Lyra shows in the exhibit By The Sea through Sept. 28 at the Cypress Gallery. Info: 737-1129. THE GROSSMAN GALLERY presents an exhibit by…
LEARNING
THE PARKINSON’S SUPPORT GROUP OF SANTA MARIA presents Dr. James Sutton speaking about Parkinsons’ disease on Aug. 28 at 1 p.m. at Grace Baptist Church, E. McCoy and College Drive, Santa Maria. Info: 937-7776 or 925-0266. ONGOING EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS for inventors, entrepreneurs, new product developers, and creative individuals that feature expert speakers and resources…
RECREATION
WORTH THE DRIVE THE CACHUMA LAKE NATURE CENTER presents Astronomy Nights, featuring a presentation and stargazing, Aug. 30 at 10 p.m. at the Cachuma Lake Fireside Theater, Cachuma Lake. Cost is $8 for parking. Info: 693-0691 or www.cachuma.com. THE WILDLING ART MUSEUM presents a “Birds of the Santa Ynez Valley Region” course Wednesdays from 8:30…
KIDS & FAMILY
PISMO BEACH YOUTH THEATER offers Youth Theater classes Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 4 p.m. through August at YOYO, Foster Road, Orcutt. Info: 471-4976 or www.pismobeachyouththeater.com. ONGOING BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS is looking for volunteers to meet one or two hours a week with a young person to develop a one-to-one friendship. Orientations…
DANCE LESSONS
ONGOING EVERYBODY CAN DANCE offers classes in ballet dance for ages 3 to adult. Call for schedules. Boys and men receive full scholarships. The studio is located at 800 S. Broadway. Info: 937-6753. THE DANCE STUDIO offers dance classes in Santa Maria and Nipomo in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, Acrobatics, and Dance Team. Info:…
STAGE
PCPA THEATERFEST presents its production of Hot Mikado by Gilbert and Sullivan Aug. 29 through Sept. 7 at the Marian Theatre, Allan Hancock College, Santa Maria. Info: www.pcpa.org. IMPROVISATIONAL HUMOR CLASS meets Mondays at the Santa Maria Town Center second-floor community room to teach theater games, comedy concepts, and Whose Line Is It Anyway?-style games…
NIGHT LIFE
The following venues offer either regularly scheduled live entertainment or DJ-hosted dance music. Most performances start after 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. IN THE AREA CLUB 805, AKA STINKY’S BAR & GRILL: 2430 South Broadway, 614-9316. DJ Davey D Saturday nights. THE COACHMAN: 1531 S Broadway, 922-5556. Thursday through Saturday: DJ from 9 p.m.…
CONCERTS
THE MONARCH CLUB at Trilogy Central Coast presents Guy Budd and the Gypsy Souls in concert on Aug. 30 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the club, 1640 Trilogy Parkway, Nipomo. Info: 1-888-458-8379 or www.trilogyatcentralcoast.com. WORTH THE DRIVE THE CLARK CENTER presents country rock group Highway 101 in concert Aug. 30 at 8 p.m.…
SPECIAL EVENTS
THE LOMPOC POLICE DEPARTMENT holds a benefit cruise for the Special Olympics on Aug. 29 from 5 to 7 p.m. on Ocean Avenue in Lompoc. A car show also in benefit of the Special Olympics features custom cars, raffles, and a barbecue on Aug. 30 at Ryon Park, Lompoc. Info: 875-8108. THE LUIS OASIS SENIOR…
Finding his purpose
To say that life was hard for Francisco Jimenez would be a gross understatement. Life didn’t hand him lemons, it gave him ground crops. And they weren’t handed to him—he had to pick them himself. But life also has a way of giving purpose to struggle, and in the case of Jimenez, he found that…
Would you rather win a copy of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire signed by J.K. Rowling or a big-screen television?
Delfino Carreras library page “I would want the big-screen television because I don’t read the Harry Potter books.” Dottie Ott retired “Probably the book, because I could give it to my granddaughter, even though she’s 23.” Aaron Thomas construction worker “The Harry Potter book, because I could sell it on eBay for a lot of…
It’s never too late to learn something new
Need to brush up on your computer skills? Longing to learn about floral design? Registration is now being taken for Allan Hancock College’s fall Community Education classes. Most classes begin Sept. 2 and are offered through mid-December. Students can attend classes exploring arts and crafts, computers, cooking and nutrition, English as a Second Language, financial…
Santa Maria High School community comes together to strengthen academics, student life
Dozens of teachers, students, parents, and school administrators gathered at Santa Maria High School on Aug. 18 to accentuate the positive about the more-than-100-year-old school. During the daylong event, focus groups discussed the school’s strengths and brainstormed ways to improve upon its weaknesses. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell was on hand to give…
Santa Maria doctor moves his office to Shell Beach
Dr. Steven Posson has been testing his “on-time” model of seeing patients for the last year in Santa Maria. Now, he’s moving shop to 1353 Shell Beach Road in Pismo Beach. His new office is called The Doctor Is In Center for Family Health, and treats patients differently than most practices, according to a press…
AmeriCorps and Red Cross work together
The Santa Barbara County Chapter of the American Red Cross has four new employees: AmeriCorps members Ally LeClair, Laura Parrott, Jeffrey Scott, and Ashley Spoto. They will be working as part of the National Preparedness and Response Corps. Funded by special grants, the mission of this particular AmeriCorps program is to provide vital emergency assistance…
Hans Kardel receives Golden Eagle award
There may not be many glories to be had in the insurance business, but there is the Golden Eagle. Hans Kardel, of Kardel Insurance Services in Santa Maria, has received the prestigious Golden Eagle Award from the Leading Producers Round Table of the National Association of Health Underwriters. The Golden Eagle Award is the highest…
Locals set up a monumental honor in Old Orcutt
The western-style restaurants, shops, and art galleries that pepper Old Town Orcutt aren’t there by accident. While strollers wander among the planter troughs and glance at the decorative signs and historic murals, they can easy get swept away with the homey feel of the town. The Old Town Orcutt Revitalization Association is doing its best…
Correction
The Aug. 21 School Scene mistakenly reported an upcoming Righetti High School Warrior Welcome event. According to school employee Tammy Rhine, Warrior Welcomes are held in February.
Santa Barbara County supes address the energy crisis
Oil, oil, oil was the topic of discussion at the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors meeting on Aug. 26. The board cleared its departmental agenda of other items in order to devote its full attention to a public hearing assessing the ongoing energy crisis and its impact on Santa Barbara County. At the heart…
City schedule changes for Labor Day
True to Labor Day holiday traditions, there will be no trash or recycling collection service or street sweeping in Santa Maria on Sept. 1. The Santa Maria Regional Landfill and city administrative offices will also be closed in observance of the holiday. For the holiday schedule only, city residential and commercial customers will receive service…
Santa Barbara County supervisors plan Gap Fire community meeting
The Gap Fire might be nothing but ashes now, but that doesn’t mean it’s history. Santa Barbara County Supervisors Janet Wolf (2nd District) and Brooks Firestone (3rd District) will host a community forum starting at 6 p.m. on Sept. 11 to discuss the recent fire, its damage to hillsides and forest areas, and what the…
Forest and park are open to the public again
More than 100,000 acres of the Los Padres National Forest near Santa Maria reopened to the public on Aug. 22, after being closed for almost a week due to the “Lightning Complex” fires. The blazes, now contained, burned a total of 244 acres. Preisker Park, which was closed to the public in order to serve…
Orcutt Academy opens its doors
School officially began for the Spartans on Aug. 22, as Orcutt Academy opened the doors to its two new campuses. Orcutt Academy, operated through the Orcutt Union School District, is a public charter school geared toward providing alternative education methods to local students. The Casmalia campus—formerly Winifred Wollam Elementary School—caters to students in kindergarten through…
Locals celebrate the new library
Hundreds of Santa Marians gathered at the site of the city’s newly constructed Santa Maria Public Library, where officials spoke and celebrated the opening of the building on Aug. 23. The ceremony opened with a prayer and the pledge of allegiance. City Librarian Jack Buchanan greeted the crowd in a black-and-white tuxedo, and City Councilwoman…
Gas theft plagues at least one area in Santa Maria
Gasoline prices are slowly falling, much to the relief of drivers everywhere. According to the Automobile Association of America (AAA), prices are down in Santa Barbara County from a high of $4.70 in June to a current tally of $4.04. And, in at least one part of Santa Maria, gasoline is free—with a little bit…
Arts Briefs
Celebrate music in the garden After seven successful seasons, the Santa Maria Philharmonic begins its eighth on Sept. 27 with a concert of selections from Weber, Schubert, Elgar, and Tchaikovsky. To kick off the 2008-2009 season, the Santa Maria Philharmonic Society will host a fundraiser on Sept. 7, titled “Garden Party at Ambrosia,” at the…
About face
For some artists, perhaps the only other thing more valuable than their work is time—time to create, and time to think about creating. Such time was an elusive thing for artist Carol A. Kemp, who goes by the moniker of CarolK. To make the most of what she had, she committed to a project that…
Custom crush
Noted for its converted dairies and makeshift barrel rooms, Santa Barbara County’s early wine scene harbored surfers-, cyclists-, and retail clerks-turned-vintners who tackled harvest with second-hand equipment and jerry-rigged crush pads. Rustic and colorful, the early 1980s saw the birth of a local industry destined for greatness, no matter how humble its beginnings. In 1987,…
The boy wizard trumps all
I have a confession to make. A couple of weeks ago, I told Mark van de Kamp, a management analyst for the city, that the Santa Maria Public Library doesn’t need any more money. A week before that, I said the same thing to Phil Alvarado, the new Santa Maria Bonita School District Superintendent and…
The Golden Dukes are the best team in town
Coach Doug Sims was not surprised to learn that his team, the Golden Dukes, had won Best Local Youth Sports Team in the Sun’s annual Best Of poll. Happy? Yes. Surprised? No. “It’s our parents,” he said, explaining how they got the votes. “We have great parents.” The Golden Dukes is a basketball team. They…
Pest Control Operators host golf tournament at Monarch Dunes
They may deal with pests every day, but in their off hours, the Pest Control Operators of California are hosting their fourth annual golf tournament at Monarch Dunes in Nipomo. The tournament takes place Sept. 20 and is open to the public. The cost is $100 and must be prepaid by Sept. 12. The entry…
Former Cal Poly coach joins men’s basketball staff at Hancock
Veteran basketball coach Ernie Wheeler will join the team as assistant coach to Ralph Gorton during Allan Hancock College’s upcoming men’s basketball season. Wheeler was the head coach at Cal Poly for 14 seasons, from 1972 to 1986, and has more than 45 years of experience coaching basketball. At Cal Poly, he holds the record…
Athlete of the Week
Some athletes are dedicated to their sport, and some athletes are really dedicated to their sport. Anthony Robinson, 17, falls into that second category. He loves soccer so much, he drives to Santa Barbara twice a week for practice and down to Los Angeles—or, if he’s lucky, Santa Barbara again—for games. “That’s where the best…
