Cover Story
Fighting silence: A local woman spreads the word about ovarian cancer after her mother’s battle against the disease
Something wasn’t right: She couldn’t eat much. The little she did eat made her feel very full. Her stomach was constantly cramping. She felt sick too often. And she didn’t have any energy. The short, sassy, big-brown-eyed Valentina Martins was never tired, and she befriended almost everyone she met. She was usually overflowing with vitality;…
Build something and tell me what it is.
Cristina Garcia-Avalos Student “An office building” Gisel Cruz Chuck-E-Cheese employee “A Factory” Joseph Aranda Burger King employee “My future house with helicopter pad.” Matthew Gauna Student Athlete “Just trying to make something tall.”
Volunteers and nonprofits collaborate to bring world-class music to Guadalupe
The complexities of hosting a world-class musical ensemble in concert are numerous—dressing rooms, proper permitting, keeping the artists fed, and many other factors need to be considered. One local nonprofit, Viva el Arte de Santa Barbara, brings big-name bands into Santa Barbara County’s Latino music scene, but couldn’t do it without the help of ready…
Star Voice selects finalists
More than 140 Tri-County area singers applied to the Star Voice singing competition happening at the Chumash Casino on Oct. 18, but only 12 local vocalists could make the cut. The selected few represent talent from as far north as Atascadero and as far south as Simi Valley between the ages of 18 and 67.…
Wildling Museum offers basic photography workshop
The Wildling Museum is offering a photography class, Basic Photography Workshop: Understand Your Camera and Create Beautiful Photographs, on Sept. 27, Oct. 20, and Nov. 22 from 10 a.m. to noon. Instructor Natalie Morris will lead the two-hour Saturday classes that include a classroom lecture and hands-on photography. Classes take place at the Wildling Museum,…
Central Coast Music Teachers Association holds presentation in Santa Maria
The Central Coast Music Teachers Association is inviting all private studio music teachers on the Central Coast to a kick-off luncheon event at the home of Betty Hansen in Santa Maria on Sept. 20 at 10 a.m. for a short business meeting and presentation. Local pianist, tuner, and piano technician Larry Keast will make the…
Altrusa announces funds for nonprofits
The Altrusa International Foundation Santa Maria Inc. has announced that the organization’s Fall 2014 Grant Funds applications are now available for local nonprofits. Programs that bolster literacy and childcare and programs for people with disabilities have benefited from Altrusa’s funds in past years. Applications are currently available at Children’s Resource and Referral Services, 705 E.…
The Dixie Swim Club celebrates Southern sisterhood with laughs
It’s important to have friends you can rely on in life, even if it’s only once a year. The Santa Maria Civic Theatre’s opening production for the community theater’s 56th season is The Dixie Swim Club, which follows a group of college friends who meet on the same weekend in August every year at a…
Annual Chalk Festival raises funds and awareness for school art programs
Most kids know that a bucket of chalk and a blank sidewalk can make for an afternoon well spent, so it makes sense that the Orcutt Children’s Art Foundation (OCAF), a local nonprofit that seeks to supplement local art education in schools, is inviting parents and kids to do their finest chalk-work on the streets…
Autumn days and years
We have come full circle and autumn is once again upon us. It is my favorite season of the year. Everything’s richer, heartier, and more full-bodied, from colors to foods. Daylight hours are fewer, and, as the weather cools, we all get ready to huddle around a fireplace or cuddle under warm throws while sipping…
10 questions with Kay Flagg: Catching up with the owner of Kay’s Country Kitchen in Orcutt
You know you’ve made it big when everyone knows you by just one name. Orcutt’s single-named icon is Kay. I recently sat down for a cup of coffee at the copper counter inside Kay’s Country Kitchen with Kay Flagg during a busy Friday morning breakfast rush, where we talked about food, love, and why life…
Political Watch 9/18/14
• The League of Women Voters is holding three forums in September regarding the 2014 election; all of them will be held at the Betteravia Government Center, 511 E. Lakeside Parkway in Santa Maria. The first forum will be for Santa Maria City Council candidates on Sept. 20 from 10 a.m. to noon. The next…
Community Notebook 9/18/14-9/25/14
MONDAY, SEPT. 22 • The South County Advisory Council has its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Nipomo Community Services District Headquarters, 148 S. Wilson St., Nipomo. • The Solvang City Council has its regular meeting at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers, 1644 Oak Street, Solvang. Agendas are available at cityofsolvang.com. TUESDAY, SEPT.…
Community Corner: Give back to Santa Barbara County
The 22nd annual Day of Caring event in Santa Barbara County welcomed men, women, and children who together contributed an estimated $375,000 worth of volunteer hours to a variety of local causes and organizations in 2013. This year, in advance of the 23rd annual event, United Way of Santa Barbara County announced that organizers have…
Hobnobbing with Helen
Pens, pens, and more pens: They were the primary giveaway (thank goodness—a hobnobber can never have too many pens) at the Santa Maria Chamber of Commerce’s 29th annual Business Trade Show. Among the many freebies on parade were also food samples from local restaurants. Moxie made its trade show debut with its popular, mouthwatering tri-tip…
The price of growing: Santa Maria-Bonita says passing Measure T would help ease overcrowded classrooms
This may sound like a fairytale: There are no official arguments filed against a proposed bond that could cost local homeowners up to a collective $45 million. But it’s not a fairytale. It’s real politics. Matt Beecher, assistant superintendent of business services for the Santa Maria-Bonita School District, wrote in an email to the Sun…
Supervisors give the Cuyama solar project five thumbs up
On Sept. 9, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors tentatively approved a solar project in the Cuyama Valley that, when built, will be capable of powering up to 15,600 homes. The decision was unanimous and comes about two years after First Solar signed a deal with PG&E to sell the electricity it would generate…
Santa Maria remembers 9-11
It wasn’t that cold, it wasn’t that early, but the attendance at the Sept. 11 commemoration ceremony held at the fire station on Cook Street in Santa Maria was dismal. The Santa Maria Fire Department invited the community of Santa Maria to gather city wide at any of the city’s five fire stations at 7:20…
Gov. Brown signs historic groundwater legislation
In an effort to strengthen local management and monitoring of groundwater basins, Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation on Sept. 16 that brings California out of its role as the only state in the nation that doesn’t keep track of most of its groundwater. “We have to learn to manage wisely water, energy, land, and our…
Santa Maria veterans speak out at a town hall meeting
“Veteran” is a word that tells many stories: of loss, duty, outrage, sacrifice, and heroism. It’s the only word that encompasses the simultaneous anger and gratitude many who attended a town hall meeting on Sept. 15 expressed. The Santa Maria Outpatient clinic opened its doors that day to veterans and their family members, other veteran…
Discovery Corner: Join us for Nickelodeon’s 11th annual Worldwide Day of Play
What’s the thing kids like to do most? Play, of course! These days it seems like a lot of play involves a screen of some sort, but on Sept. 20 the Discovery Museum will celebrate Nickelodeon’s 11th annual Worldwide Day of Play. On this day, the beloved TV station will go dark as a way…
Book Money
Altrusa International of the Golden Valley President Linda Cordero presents Santa-Maria Bonita School District Superintendent Phil Alvarado with a check for $16,200 to purchase library books for the district’s 19 schools.
Sanchez supports a former teacher with ALS
On Sept. 12, 14 staff members at Sanchez Elementary School took the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge to support former Sanchez teacher Hortensia Montoya, who has ALS. She was present with some of her family members as the ice rained down on the heads of her colleagues. As part of the school’s annual Jog-a-Thon fundraiser, students…
Hancock brings beekeeping class to campus
People can put basic beekeeping skills into practice as a first-time learner or as someone who wants to get serious about hobby beekeeping in the Intermediate Beekeeping class offered through Allan Hancock Community College Community Education. The class will meet on Wednesdays, Oct. 15 through Nov. 5, from 6 to 8:55 p.m. at the Lompoc…
Santa Maria Joint Union High School District celebrates perfect test scores
About 90 Santa Maria Joint Union High School District students were honored during the Sept. 10 school board meeting for getting perfect scores on a state academic exam. The district’s special certificates were awarded to sophomores and seniors from Ernest Righetti, Santa Maria, and Pioneer Valley high schools who dominated the California High School Exit…
Spotlight on: Heart & Sugar
One night in Russia, a little girl fell asleep to the sound of the mixer in the kitchen, wondering what kind of cake her mother was making for her birthday. The excitement of that anticipation led Alexandra Thompson to carry with her a lifelong love of baking, which she now brings to the Central Coast…
Up from the ground
First, locals started arguing about oil. Some folks, see, want to leave it in the ground, but other folks want to pull it up and out into the sunlight, where they can actually use it—and make money off it. Add to that the fact that some folks want to regulate how, whether, if, and when…
Actually, everybody’s been violent
Dr. Cader sounds like a very urbane, cosmopolitan gentleman, much like the erudite Muslim scholar, Abdelwahab Meddeb, whose French broadcast, Culture D’Islam, I listen to weekly. Both try to combat Muslim fundamentalism. Unfortunately, their erudition is waging an uphill battle against the Wahhabi madrassas sponsored by Saudi Arabian petro-dollars. The bloody ISIS massacres in Iraq…
Seriously, Islam is violent
I am appalled at reading the supposedly scholarly researched articles written by Dr. Cader, which promote the idea of Islam as the religion of peace (“Reawaken Muhammed’s words,” Sept. 4 and “‘These murderers are not our own,’” Sept. 11). That is just utter nonsense. Instead of reading the Koran, Dr. Cader should read the history…
The history of Islam is violence
The two commentaries by Dr. Rushdi Cader try to be apologetic for the actions of the Muslim radicals in the Middle East and elsewhere (“Reawaken Muhammed’s words,” Sept. 4 and “‘These murderers are not our own,’” Sept. 11). When it is your faith being besmirched, it raises anxieties and defensiveness. Can’t blame him, considering just…
Summer was full in Santa Maria
In a recent issue of the Sun, a local couple was quoted in Streetwise as stating that there is nothing for our children to do in Santa Maria (Aug. 21). It was further stated that there is a lack of opportunities and facilities for youth. The Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department, along with our…
What’s On Deck 9/18/14-9/25/14
Thursday, Sept. 18 Girls’ Tennis St. Joseph vs. Paso Robles @ SJHS, 3:30 p.m. RHS vs. Pioneer Valley @ RHS, 3:30 p.m. Santa Ynez vs. Cabrillo @ CHS, 3:30 p.m. Lompoc vs. SMHS @ LHS, 3:30 p.m. Girls’ Volleyball St. Joseph vs. Pioneer Valley @ SJHS, 4 p.m. RHS…
Friday Night Dances are getting in swing
Aktion Club invites dancers to bring their partners to the Veterans’ Memorial Community Center on Sept. 26, Oct. 24, and Dec. 5 for music, food and prizes from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 per dance and available at the Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department. Aktion Club is a community group that…
Women and girls are running to inspire others
Between 2,000 and 2,500 girls and women will compete in the 10k and 5k She.Is.Beautiful Run on Sept. 21 at East Beach in Santa Barbara. The event benefits Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara, which offers after-school programs designed to help girls from 4 to 17 years old see their full potential. The run is…
Allan Hancock College will host softball clinics
This fall the Hancock softball program will host three clinics for girls from 7 to 17 years old. The clinics are scheduled for Sept. 27, Oct. 25, and Nov. 22. College players and coaches will teach offense and defense, fundamentals, and game strategies. Each clinic runs from 9 a.m. to noon, and the cost for…
Brianna Farley
It’s early in the season, and the Allan Hancock College women’s volleyball team is already off to a great start. Only three games in, the Bulldogs are undefeated and have already tied last season’s total number of wins. The team has taken a promising first few steps and is being helped along in a big…
Massage therapy helps prevent sports injuries through holistic healing
Crystal-Bianca Cabanas loves to play sports. Whether she is running track and field or in the pool swimming laps, this 15-year-old is going hard year round. When she moved to the United States from the Philippines, her father encouraged her to be apart of many activities in the community, she said. This season, Cabanas is…
