JACOB LOPEZ
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture

The new Bulldogs

With emphasis on character, Allan Hancock College’s basketball program turns it around
by JACOB LOPEZ

The Allan Hancock College men’s basketball team just had its most successful season in a very long time. A frustrating 1-10 start blossomed into a dream season, culminating in the Bulldogs’ first outright conference championship since 1974. After finishing last the previous year, fourth year head coach Ralph Gorton not only turned the program around, […]

Posted inNews

Plot your own garden

by JACOB LOPEZ

Gardening is a popular hobby. It’s a passion for some and therapy for others. Sadly, however, not everyone has the resources to take up the activity. Got a green thumb but no place to stick it? Fret no more. For $27, you can reserve your very own garden plot in the city of Santa Maria’s […]

Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture

Robert Lopez

by JACOB LOPEZ

Ask some average 10-year-olds how they spend their days. If you’re lucky enough to get an answer, it will probably involve a video game or a cartoon. That isn’t the case with fifth grader Robert Lopez, who’s too busy scoring runs on a baseball diamond to hit home runs on an Xbox. Lopez has been […]

Posted inNews

Elderly assistance

by JACOB LOPEZ

The Central Coast Commission for Senior Citizens: Area Agency on Aging is a nonprofit responsible for allocating federal and state funds to local agencies to ensure supportive, nutrition-, and health-promotion services to seniors in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. The group is currently seeking bidders for its 2011 programs and services. “The goal […]

Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture

Jowey Koltes

by JACOB LOPEZ

There are fields, arenas, diamonds, courts, tracks, and courses. And then there are stages. “Dance is just like any other kind of sport,” Allan Hancock College student Jowey Koltes told the Sun. “To play football, you always want to be dominant, you always want to get to the next level. It’s the same thing in […]

Posted inNews

Serious business

by JACOB LOPEZ

Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV) will be holding free one-hour orientations in the coming weeks for its spring business training programs. WEV’s core 14-week Self-Employment Training courses will begin in February for those looking to start or improve their own business. The program’s target is women, but it serves men as well. “At a personal and […]

Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture

Courting a global view

Davide Mascia believes tennis can bring the world togethe–and provide a good workout in the process
by JACOB LOPEZ

America’s love affair with sports seems to only be getting hotter as the years go by. Between the professional games we watch on television and the local games we attend in person, there’s a niche out there for everyone. Despite its recent rise in popularity around the world, one “niche” sport that seems to stay […]

Posted inNews

On a rescue mission

One Central Coast group is looking for more help as it encourages local men to kick addiction
by JACOB LOPEZ

The new year is here, and everyone seems to be in the spirit of newness: new resolutions, new goals, new beginnings. The idea of a fresh start is a welcome one for those struggling through hard times in a hard land. The need for food, clothing, and shelter seems to be ever increasing. Sitting at […]

Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture

Mariah Cooks

by JACOB LOPEZ

The above statement has almost become cliché in today’s culture, but still rings true for hardworking student athletes across the nation. And it definitely rings true for the woman who said it: Righetti High School’s Mariah Cooks. Cooks plays basketball year round, constantly practicing, constantly getting better. She can play any position and is the […]

Posted inNews

Book drive honors MLK

by JACOB LOPEZ

The AmeriCorps Reading Literacy Program of the Santa Barbara County Education Office will be holding its 10th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day book drive on Jan. 17. AmeriCorps members will be at Chaucer’s Bookstore in Santa Barbara, The Book Store in Lompoc, and Borders in Goleta to collect books and offer activities for children. […]

Posted inNews

Aspire with Aspiranet

by JACOB LOPEZ

The Central Coast has a dire need for more local foster families. Aspiranet is a community-based nonprofit that’s brought children and families together for 35 years. Though headquartered in San Francisco, Aspiranet has been serving the Central Coast—from Northern Santa Barbara County to all of San Luis Obispo County—for 19 years. It’s helped provide safe […]

Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture

Jesse DeBone

by JACOB LOPEZ

Keichu-Do is an American martial art composed of karate, grappling, jiu-jitsu, and self defense—very serious stuff. Yet local youngling Jesse DeBone, age 12, has taken to it like a fish to water. “I hope to do it my whole life and will try to make a career out of it,” DeBone said. Although he’s new […]

Gift this article