During a basketball game, the versatile 6-foot-7 Cameron Walker might check the clock to determine what kind of play he needs to call next. On Nov. 12, the 17-year-old Ernest Righetti High School varsity basketball player was off the court when he checked the clock for a much bigger play. He sat between his parents […]
AARON SALAZAR
How to move mountains: Volunteers collaborate to build Lompoc’s River Bend Bike Park
A coastal breeze made its mid-morning rounds on Nov. 2, and Dave Baker breathed in the aroma of fresh, wet dirt. Wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, cargo shorts, and work boots, Baker stood on top of a 12-foot mound inside the nearly completed River Bend Bike Park in Lompoc. From the tallest point in the […]
California scorpionfish fishery will close on Nov. 15
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife will close both the commercial and recreational fishery for California scorpionfish on Nov. 15, and it will remain closed statewide through the end of the year. The CDFW predicts that the California scorpionfish’s annual catch limit for 2014 will be exceeded unless the fishery is closed. Fishing for […]
Elementary schools duked it out for the flag
Tunnell Elementary School took on Ralph Dunlap Elementary School in the Boys and Girls Club All-Valley Flag Football Super Bowl championship on Nov. 6. The Tunnell Thunderbirds overtook the Dunlap Dolphins, 30-0, under the lights at the Pioneer Valley High School football field. The Thunderbirds were victorious for the second year in a row. The […]
Justin Murillo
The Ernest Righetti High School varsity boys’ water polo team won the Pacific Athletic Conference 8 championship on Nov. 7. The Warriors sunk the Arroyo Grande High School Eagles 12-7 in their home waters. Righetti held the lead the entire game. At one point, the Eagles scored three unanswered goals, which brought them within two […]
From one car lover to another
The Wheels ‘N’ Windmills Car Show organization donated $1,000 to the Lompoc Valley Motorsports Committee at the Alisal River Golf Course in Solvang on Oct. 24. The Lompoc Valley Motorsports Committee runs the Kids Moto Fun Park, which is a free, interim facility for children up to age 12 at River Park. The Lompoc Valley […]
It’s never too late for tee time
The Central Coast Golf Academy is offering golf classes for beginners at the Cypress Ridge Golf Course in Arroyo Grande. Staff instructor and Professional Golfers’ Association of America apprentice, Ken Smokoska, will lead the hour-long adult classes Wednesdays and Thursdays starting at 3:30 p.m. The first five sessions are $99 and additional sessions are $139. […]
Santa Barbara citizens will walk in remembrance of those affected by Alzheimer’s disease
The Alzheimer’s Association California Central Chapter expects more than 1,000 people to participate in this year’s Santa Barbara Walk to End Alzheimer’s at the Earl Warren Showgrounds on Nov. 8. Check-in begins at 9 a.m., and the mayor of Santa Barbara, Helene Schneider, will address the crowd at the opening ceremony at 10 a.m. A […]
Willie Iribarren
The Southern California Football Association named Willie Iribarren from Allan Hancock College the Northern League Athlete of the Week on Oct. 27, in the eighth week of this season. Iribarren plays linebacker for the Bulldogs and leads the team’s defensive line this season with 81 tackles, averaging 11.6 tackles per game and 7.5 tackles for […]
A local coach starts Santa Maria’s first youth wrestling program
Anthony Dakuras walked into the gym at the Minami Community Center on Oct. 30, laced up his wrestling shoes, and set his bag and bathroom scale on the bleachers. Dakuras is the head instructor and founder of Santa Maria All-American Wrestling (SMAAW), which is the first wrestling class offered through the city of Santa Maria […]
Hancock coach honored for dedication
Head coach of the Allan Hancock College women’s basketball program, Cary Nerelli, was inducted into the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section’s Hall of Fame on Oct. 23. Nerelli accepted the award in Long Beach along with 10 other inductees. Neralli took over Bulldogs’ basketball in 2013, after establishing himself as a well-known high school coach […]
Here comes wild turkey season
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is opening wild turkey season just in time for Thanksgiving, of course. From Nov. 8 through Dec. 7, hunters can search for a feathered bird to feast on for the holidays. The daily limit is one turkey of either sex. Want to bag a different sort of bird? […]

