AMY ASMAN, Author at Santa Maria Sun

Beating the bottle (at any age)

National and local agencies come together to address alcoholism among older adults

by AMY ASMAN April 28, 2009August 17, 2023

Aaron Pankratz, manager of the agency’s Senior Connection Program, said elder adults belong to one of the groups most vulnerable to alcoholism. Unfortunately, that’s also one of the most-often ignored groups. According to information from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), data suggest that the number of substance-dependent and -abusing adults […]

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Santa Maria River Levee fully funded, officials say

by AMY ASMAN April 28, 2009August 31, 2022

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has secured more than $40 million in federal funding to repair the Santa Maria River Levee, according to an announcement from the office of U.S. Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara). Officials predict the funding, made available as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, should be enough to […]

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Santa Maria City Council snuffs out tobacco ban in parks

by AMY ASMAN April 28, 2009August 31, 2022

Local smokers can still light up in Santa Maria parks, according to the Santa Maria City Council. On April 22, the council voted 3-2 (with council members Hilda Zacarias and Mike Cordero dissenting) to shoot down a proposed ban prohibiting smoking and the use of other tobacco products in city parks. The ordinance would have […]

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Santa Maria Elks Rodeo Queen contestants are back in the saddle

by AMY ASMAN April 28, 2009October 4, 2024

Local Rodeo Queen contestants are dusting off their cowgirl hats for the 66th Annual Elks Queen Kickoff and Auction, set for May 2 at the Elks Lodge, 1309 N. Bradley Road, in Santa Maria. The contest went on a hiatus for the first time ever last year because not enough contestants threw their hats into […]

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Woofstock promises groovy dog days

by AMY ASMAN April 28, 2009August 31, 2022

Businesses looking to advertise or participate in the Winners of Off Leash Freedom’s (WOOF!) seventh annual Dogs Day of Summer event at Waller Park have until May 15 to submit commitment forms. This year’s event, held on June 27 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., will be called “Woofstock at Waller” and celebrates the seventh […]

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Women’s group receives intern grant

by AMY ASMAN April 28, 2009August 31, 2022

Women’s Economic Ventures announced the group has been chosen to receive a grant from the Citi Foundation to hire a graduate student for a summer internship. WEV, a nonprofit organization that provides training and micro-loans to businesswomen, will join 14 other programs nationwide in the Citi Aspen Intern Program, an initiative that introduces college students […]

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Santa Maria-Bonita School District’s special education department gets some new wheels

by AMY ASMAN April 28, 2009October 28, 2022

In March, longtime Santa Maria residents Dorothy and Mark Smith donated a new 2009 Dodge Caravan to the Santa Maria-Bonita School District’s Special Education Department. The van will be used for the severely handicapped students’ community-based instructional program, which develops students’ functional skills and fosters independence at school and within the community by taking them […]

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Santa Maria’s looking for a few good junior firefighters

by AMY ASMAN April 28, 2009October 28, 2022

For boys and girls dreaming of putting on a firefighter’s helmet and getting up close and personal with a fire truck, the Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department is offering a Junior Firefighter’s Camp July 13 to 17 at Fire Station No. 2, 416 W. Carmen Lane, in Santa Maria. The hands-on four-day camp is […]

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Balloons in the classroom

by AMY ASMAN April 28, 2009October 28, 2022

Integrated science teacher Ty Frederiks (center) and his Orcutt Academy students collected data from balloon-suspended sensors to monitor the weather during the school’s first-ever Balloon Festival on April 23 and 24. The students made projections about different weather components—temperature, atmospheric pressure—and then compared those hypotheses to the data they collected. “I’ve never done anything like […]

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Law of the land

by AMY ASMAN April 22, 2009August 31, 2022

A controversial bill that would allow California counties to cancel Williamson Act contracts on behalf of tribal governments hit a roadblock during an April 15 committee hearing in Sacramento. Established in 1965, the Williamson Act protects California’s ag land by giving landowners property tax breaks in exchange for agreeing to keep the land agriculturally zoned […]

Music, Arts & Culture

Exotic escape

Get a taste of Thailand without driving too far

by AMY ASMAN April 21, 2009December 2, 2023

About two years ago, I took up kickboxing. Muay Thai to be exact. The national sport of Thailand, Muay Thai is like cardio kickboxing on crack. It combines traditional punch combinations with several kinds of kicks, and—if you want to get really fancy—flying elbows and knees. Practicing Muay Thai has taught me a lot of […]

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Army Corps of Engineers will soon begin levee repairs

by AMY ASMAN April 21, 2009August 31, 2022

Long-awaited repairs on the Santa Maria River Levee could begin as early as this summer, project engineers announced on April 17, during a meeting along the Santa Maria riverbed. Col. Tom Magness of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers informed a group of local officials—including U.S. Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) and Santa Maria Mayor […]