Family, friends, and local officials gathered at the newly christened Eric P. Okerblom Bike Path in Orcutt Aug. 6 to remember Eric Okerblom—who died last year while riding his bike on Telephone Road—and reminisce about the extraordinary traits he possessed. To honor Eric, the county also installed a plaque on the path. The plaque, which […]
HENRY HOUSTON
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Jhordy Ramirez
Before coach David Ramirez found him, he had lost two fights. But now, after starting a strenuous twice-a-day training regimen, 15-year-old Jhordy Ramirez is on his way to the top. He’s already made progress after becoming a Coachella East Coast champion, claiming a national belt. In fact, he mopped up the competition: He knocked down […]
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A time to remember
A memorial plaque for Eric Okerblom will be placed at the Orcutt Creek bike path
The grainy asphalt of Telephone Road often sits beneath a bare, blue sky, its twists and turns surrounded by farmland and, farther off, rolling hills. It’s a tranquil setting, prized by cyclists—when there aren’t cars and semi-trucks blazing past. Eric Okerblom’s memorial stands as a reminder to both aspects of the road: its beauty and […]
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D.A.R.E. to be Lazarus?
Despite bad economic weather, the anti-drug program can be resurrected
In Santa Maria, sixth graders usually don’t get much of a graduation ceremony to celebrate their move into the world of junior high school—a crueler place where there isn’t a playground. There’s long been one event, however, that many children looked forward to: their D.A.R.E. graduation at the Elk’s Lodge. The anti-drug program D.A.R.E., which […]
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Megan Allen
Running may not get you away from your problems, but for recently graduated Righetti High School senior Megan Allen, it’s going to take her all the way to the admissions office at Cal State Northridge. Once there, Allen will participate in the 100- and 300-meter hurdles portion of the Division I college’s track team. “I’m […]
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Roll over, Shakespeare
PCPA brings West Side Story–that American classic–to life
When Leonard Bernstein, Jerome Robbins, Arthur Laurents, and Stephen Sondheim met up, they wanted to see if they could bring their “acts together and do a work on the popular stage,” as choreographer Robbins said. The end result was a Broadway masterpiece, an American Romeo and Juliet, a great American Opera. Today, more than 50 […]
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Alfred Plaza
Alfred “Alfie” Plaza began skateboarding not because of the hit video game Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, but because his uncle influenced him. “I started skateboarding when I was 9,” Plaza said amid loud bangs and thumps from nearby skateboarders. “He got boards for me, and he showed me everything.” Once inspired, Plaza knew there would […]
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An excuse to horse around
The fast, fun times of throwing someone else’s shoes
Sure, I played my fair share of video games as a child (R2, R2, L1, R2, left, down, right, up, two times, and it accesses all of the weapons in Grand Theft Auto III). Despite my love for video games, though, I always had fun playing a game of horseshoes. It all began during a […]
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Local hospital talent offers ease of mind
With the recent addition of a new doctor for an Intensive Center and Critical Care Unit, and a nurse who has passed the Certified Breast Care Nurse examination, Central Coast hospitals are proving themselves to be a place of refuge for the ill. Dr. Robert Hinds will now be working at Arroyo Grande Community Hospital […]
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Motown comes to the Central Coast
Spend a night with the Booker Tease
It wasn’t just any night at O’Sullivan’s in Santa Maria; it was the owner’s birthday, so there was a light feeling among the pub crowd. With an Irish name like O’Sullivan’s, it was fitting that they would have a band on the stage performing in the Irish idiom, and it went over perfectly: People were […]
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Local union ramps up community service efforts
Every once in a while, the local Carpenter’s Union likes to help those who are in need. It’s done without the cameras of a television show, but the passion for assisting those in dire situations is unmatched by such television shows. And this passion for helping is apparent in the motive for Carpenter’s Union 1800’s […]
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James Brooks
James Brooks has traveled quite a long way to play baseball—all the way from the sunny land of Australia. Brooks started playing baseball at 17, but he had been playing softball since he was around 5 because his brother and sister were playing. “[Softball and baseball] are minority sports in Australia,” said Brooks, who has […]