JEREMY THOMAS
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture

A Kustom Kommunity

Custom auto enthusiasts descend on Santa Maria for a weekend of cruising, carousing, and, of course, cars
by JEREMY THOMAS

On a warm Memorial Day weekend, Santa Maria’s streets filled with the smell of exhaust and the sound of roaring engines. Hundreds of customized roadsters and vintage cars and trucks rolled in from all over the world for the West Coast Kustoms’ Cruisin’ Nationals car show. For event co-founder Penny Pichette, emotions ran high. “It’s […]

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Spotlight on: Susie Q’s Brand Specialty Foods

Susan Righetti, owner
by JEREMY THOMAS

If there’s any one thing considered synonymous with Santa Maria, it’s got to be barbecue—and few people have helped expose the rest of the world to the local culinary tradition the way Susan Righetti has. For the past 30 years, through her Susie Q’s Brand line of retail products, Righetti has supplied folks far and […]

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Map quest

The county’s redistricting is shaping up while the public yawns
by JEREMY THOMAS

As Santa Barbara County gets set to tackle the Herculean task of supervisorial redistricting, a series of poorly attended workshops has county officials and others bemoaning a lack of public interest in the issue. Fifth District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino said supervisors had hoped to see more citizen input in the process, but thought the subject […]

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Orcutt memorial legislation clears hurdle

by JEREMY THOMAS

A bill that could clear the way for the construction of a veterans’ monument on Clark Avenue, at the gateway to Old Town Orcutt, is heading to the state Senate floor. On May 26, the Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously approved the bill, authored by 19th District Sen. Tony Strickland (R-Simi Valley), by an 8-0 vote. […]

Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture

Bike the Santa Ynez Valley

by JEREMY THOMAS

People Helping People, a nonprofit organization providing social services to Santa Barbara County residents, will be holding its annual Wine Country Bike Trek June 24 through 26. Riders can sign up for a three-day ride, with camping for two nights at Midland School in Los Olivos, or a one-day ride on June 25. The three-day […]

Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture

A weighty cause

Powerlifters visit Santa Maria from far and wide to honor American veterans
by JEREMY THOMAS

As powerlifters took to the platform one by one, grunting and straining in squat, bench press, and deadlift competitions, Arthur Hicks sat in the front row alongside Edith, his wife of 65 years, watching intently. One of the few Tuskegee Airmen still alive, the 88-year-old was a flight instructor and mechanic in the legendary squadron […]

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Spotlight on: The Rock Seafood & Grill

Daniel and Susan Rivas, co-owners
by JEREMY THOMAS

On any given day, especially around lunchtime, it’s not uncommon to see a line of folks hungry for clam chowder and seafood snaking out of The Rock Seafood & Grill. The family-run restaurant, owned by Daniel and Susan Rivas, opened in Nipomo in December, and business has been booming ever since. According to Daniel, his […]

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Frack that!

Santa Barbara County balks at an oil company’s use of hydraulic fracturing techniques without its permission
by JEREMY THOMAS

It’s a controversial drilling practice, recently linked to groundwater contamination in natural gas operations. County officials contend it was performed in a Northern Santa Barbara County oil field without their permission. Hydraulic fracturing, more commonly known as “fracking,” allows oil companies to access oil and gas reserves previously unreachable by traditional methods. Highly pressurized liquid […]

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Fairpark bows out of satellite horse wagering

by JEREMY THOMAS

Unable to weather the combined threats of online gambling and a dismal economy, the Santa Maria Fairpark will end its stake in pari-mutuel off-track betting at The Horse Man’s Club come May 31. The club—one of 31 satellite wagering facilities left in the state network—opened at the Fairpark in 1987. It simulcasts horse races Thursdays […]

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Spotlight on: Jack’s All-American Plumbing

Jack and Becky Bingham, owners
by JEREMY THOMAS

Having reached two decades in the plumbing business, Jack’s All-American Plumbing has come a long way from its humble beginnings. Co-owner Jack Bingham got started with a local plumbing company shortly after moving to the area at the age of 17. He met his wife Becky during a service call, they got married, and decided […]

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