Cover Story
Reaching across the divide
Phone calls to most public agencies and social service providers in Santa Maria will yield messages in Spanish and English. Local callers won’t, however, hear a language spoken by an estimated 15,000 to 25,000 people in the valley: Mixteco. Trilingual translators are rare, and that lack creates difficult situations for people who’ve immigrated to Santa…
Capturing the outcomes
The military often serves a dual purpose in the lives of the people who make up its forces. It teaches new skills to soldiers—skills they may otherwise have never learned—and it also fosters talents the enlisted already enjoy, using them to help maximize the success of the various objectives the military meets day to day.…
What do you think about the county cutting the 4-H program?
Heather Hamer photographer “I do think it’s a really great program because it teaches kids what they’re not going to learn at school. And with our county’s strong farming culture, it would be a shame to take it away.” Alan Daurio former aerospace engineer “I think it’s a good program. It gets them away from…
Hobnobbing With Helen
For some of us—that would be me—the annual Santa Maria Valley Humane Society 4-Legged Affair fashion show, held this year on May 25 at the Elks Club, was a one-legged affair. Guess who now breezes through her day—slowly—with a medical device? I recently took the fall of my life, injured a leg, and now can…
The Benchwarmer
Being a Benchwarmer obviously means I don’t play a lot. In fact, the name “Benchwarmer” means exactly what it implies: to keep the seat warm. But being a benchwarmer does allow for a lot of time to sit back and observe. I’ve observed that athleticism requires a lot of hard work, accountability, and the drive…
Athlete of the Week
The biggest keys for success when it comes to balancing three sports, according to Jed Hedlund, are time management and staying focused. As a senior at Valley Christian Academy, Hedlund has managed his time wisely. A tri-sport athlete, he’s found success in football, basketball, and baseball. Playing all three sports has helped him mature as…
Muddy mayhem
Get off the couch, get in shape, and get ready to get dirty for a good cause at the inaugural Muddy Madness 5K charity race at Sky Ranch in Santa Ynez Valley on June 1. Race proceeds will benefit scholarships and various programs at Allan Hancock College. The event will feature a barbecue, live music,…
Bulldog baseball is golden
Earlier this month, 10 Hancock baseball players were named to All-Conference and four players received the Golden Glove Award. Catcher Ryan Welker and pitcher Nathan Thompson each received the Golden Glove Award for their division. Thompson was also named to First Team All-Conference for his work on the mound this last season. He pitched 83…
See wine country on two wheels
Local nonprofit People Helping People (PHP) announced that registration is now open for the fourth annual Wine Country Bike Trek, set for June 14 through 16. Home base will be at Midland School in Los Olivos; the ride is 30 to 50 miles of rolling hills and flat terrain. Participants can choose to race one,…
Keep on survivin’
The Santa Maria Parks and Recreation Department will present its own version of the popular TV show Survivor June 17 through 21 at the Abel Maldonado Community Youth Center. At the overnight event with starting times still being worked out, participants will be grouped into teams and taught basic survival skills. Teens will be required…
Titans eliminated after second round
With CIF season in full swing, the Titans lost a tough battle to Victorville Silverado on May 21. After a stellar season, the Titans returned this year and made it to second round play of CIF Southern Section Division 5 playoffs. The Titans took an early lead in the Tuesday game, scoring one in the…
Run with the bulls
Runners of all shapes, sizes, and skill levels are welcome to participate in the annual “Running of the Bulls” on June 1. A two-mile fun run held before the start of the Elks Rodeo Parade, the race starts at 8 a.m. on Broadway. Registration fees include a T-shirt, and all first- and second-place finishers in…
Making connections
For millennia, humans have been chanting their way to a spiritual connection to the Other in the universe. From the ancient Vedic practice of Kirtan to the Gregorian chant of the early Catholic Church, music has always been a bridge to the spiritual world. Santa Marians will have their own chance to connect spiritually and…
Creative kids
The Santa Maria Michaels store offers upcoming arts and crafts classes for kids. A “Kids Club National Drawing Day Event” is June 1 from 10 a.m. to noon. A “Kids Club Father’s Day Card Event” is June 8 from 10 a.m. to noon For more information, contact Michaels at 349-8801 or visit the store at…
Art in the valley
The Lompoc Valley Art Association presents its monthly general meeting, including a guest speaker, on June 4, with social hour starting at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting beginning at 7 p.m. at the Stone Pine Hall, 200 South H St., Lompoc. The meeting will include guest artist Helle Scharling Todd, who will present the talk…
Now you can ‘like’ the city Utilities Department
The city of Santa Maria Utilities Department has announced the creation of a Facebook page to keep residents informed on city programs, refuse collection schedules, and more. Visitors who click ‘like’ can stay abreast of important information on recycling, water conservation, storm water, household hazardous waste, and upcoming community events. More information is available at…
Support local music
The various music programs at Lompoc Union School District schools are the subjects of a benefit event in Lompoc on June 1. The fundraiser event will include a barbecue starting at 5 p.m., a keynote address by Lompoc Mayor John Linn at 7 p.m., and live jazz/funk/rock music from 5 to 9 p.m. at the…
Go digital
The Santa Maria Public Library is offering a free “Digital Literacy” training workshop for those interested in becoming better versed in computer technology on June 5. Programs like Word, Excel, and Powerpoint will be discussed, as will the various documents and projects they can be used to create, and photos, video, and music that can…
Stuff I think about
My mother loves to send e-mails to me. This is a woman who has yet to figure out how to forward e-mail without including every single freaking line from previous senders. I now know the e-mails for each one of her friends, everyone at her church, and all of her real estate associates. Mom’s e-mails…
Dedicated to quality
Any time a large group of people assembles to achieve a common goal, especially a creative one, some ground rules always help things move smoothly from the beginning. This technique isn’t lost on Joyce Mayhew, artistic director of the Lompoc Youth Theater. “The three rules in all my drama classes are the same,” she said.…
Persevering Paul
A Santa Maria man born in Communist Poland 45 years ago, who immigrated to North America with not much more than the shirt on his back, has become one of California’s most respected winemakers. Paul Lato has taken the long and winding road—leaving his birthplace seeking freedom to fulfill his dreams, discovering wine, completing college…
Avoid breast removal?
Do review on-line responses from “healthy lifestyle experts” to Angelina Jolie’s breast-removal action. 1) On YouTube: 32 years ago, (now age 60) author Ellen Jaffe Jones considered having mastectomies to dodge a huge family history of cancer, but instead chose diet/running to defy odds. 2) Dr. John McDougall: Some important lessons can be learned from…
Much too hot to handle
I have no problem speaking truth to power. Or at least my opinion to power. If I’m mad about an legal loophole in an out-of-date law, I’ll say something about it. If I think a local elected official is being particularly boneheaded, I’ll speak up. The hope is that someone will hear me—or others like…
Supervisors, please fund our farming future
Regarding the 2013-2014 county budget and the agricultural commissioner/U.C. Cooperative Extension: The Santa Barbara County Farm Bureau represents more than 600 diversified agriculturalists in Santa Barbara County. Agriculture provides a strong economic base of the county, with a local impact of more than $2.5 billion. It has come to the attention of the Santa Barbara…
Law enforcement to lead teen paintball trip
Santa Maria Recreation and Parks is teaming up with local law enforcement officers to provide a free trip to The Shack paintball field in Santa Maria on June 15. Teenagers in 7th through 12 grades will meet at the Abel Maldonado Community Youth Center—600 S. McClelland St. in Santa Maria—at 9:30 a.m. to head out…
Hancock foundation hands out big money to students
A crowd of more than 800 people witnessed the Allan Hancock College Foundation award more than $300,000 in scholarships to 235 students during its 44th annual awards banquet on May 23. Scholarships of up to $10,000 each were awarded to both returning and transferring students by 134 donors from the community through the foundation’s scholarship…
High school meets preschool
Early childhood education met psychology during the month of May in a hands-on childcare class developed by Ernest Righetti High School. As part of the Family and Consumer Sciences curriculum, 35 students gain knowledge about careers with children by operating a preschool on campus. Students provide 20 3 1/2- to 5-year-olds with child care through…
Give a dollar, get so much more
Last year, the Food Bank Coalition of San Luis Obispo County’s annual Hunger Awareness Day brought in around $120,000, not quite meeting the campaign goal of raising $150,000. This year, results are bound to be different in a good way. On June 7, the Food Bank will administer 26 sites throughout the community, compared to…
‘God, I hope I get it’
As June–the month of financial reckoning for Santa Barbara County-funded programs and services—draws closer, many organizations have already started pleading their cases to the Board of Supervisors and the public at large to save their programs from the chopping block. Faced with an increasing deficit, the county has steadily cut funding to a multitude of…
Biz Spotlight on Deck 2 Batting Cages
Los Angeles native Darrell Skaggs’ son might be a professional baseball player, but it’s the business owner’s love for the game that inspired him to open a batting cage and training facility in Santa Maria. On Deck 2 Batting Cages had a soft opening in mid-May at the Santa Maria Town Center, and will have…
Correction
In the May 23 article, “A full circle of skill,” the photo credit was incorrect. The photograph was courtesy of Photoworks Frame Gallery.
Nipomo authorizes funds to fix broken well
Amid struggles to get a recently approved pipeline financing plan up and running, the Nipomo Community Services District on May 22 authorized spending almost $80,000 to perform emergency repairs on one of the district’s largest production wells. According to a press release sent out by the district, Director of Engineering and Operations Peter Sevcik told…
Memorial Day fire spreads in Los Padres
Six Santa Maria-based fire tankers resumed work the morning of May 28 to battle a blaze that broke out on Memorial Day off of Paradise Road in the Santa Ynez Valley, spread east into the backcountry, and grew to almost 2,000 acres in less than 24 hours. The tankers were grounded the afternoon of May…
Hancock finalizes its presidential appointment
After a couple of weeks of loose-end tying, the Allan Hancock College Board of Trustees named lead finalist Kevin G. Walthers as the college’s fifth superintendent/president on the evening of May 21. A May 13 site visit to Las Positas College in Livermore, where Walthers is currently president, cemented the trustees’ decision. Rebecca Alarcio, a…
DA won’t seek death penalty in Ibarra murder trial
The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office announced on May 23 that a criminal grand jury indicted nine defendants for the torture and murder of 28-year-old Santa Maria resident Anthony Ibarra, whose body was found in a U-Haul truck in Orcutt on March 19. The grand jury indicted Ramon Maldonado, Reyes Gonzales, Jr., Santos Sauceda,…
