Zane Atkinson isn’t your typical Athlete of the Week; he isn’t a starter, and his name isn’t usually splashed across local newspaper headlines. But watch Atkinson at practice, talk with him, and you’ll see he’s probably one of the coolest athletes you’ll ever meet—and he proves you don’t have to be a starter to make […]
KRISTINA SEWELL
Posted inNews
Charity: Tales of a survivor
Local schools unite to help a beloved dog
Sometimes there are unprecedented acts of cruelty in the world that can’t be understood or explained. Such is the case for neglected dog rescued last month in Santa Maria. Left for dead on the steps of the county animal shelter in Santa Maria on Nov. 4, the dog named Charity was skin and bones, hairless, […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Athlete of the Week: Alex Mendoyino
Handling the left middle position in soccer is by no means an easy task; it requires constant running, directing other teammates, and a whole lot of thinking. Pioneer Valley High School varsity soccer player Alex Mendoyino plays the position with unparalleled skill and smarts. In keeping with his family’s tradition of producing soccer players, he […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Taking the steer by the horns
A steer wrestler from Los Alamos competes for his fourth world title
Steer wrestling. It’s one of the fastest events in rodeo, it’s probably the most dangerous, and it’s for people with a slight disregard for self-preservation. Also known as “bulldogging,” steer wrestling requires strength, agility, speed, timing, and, most importantly, understanding the principles of leverage. Competing against each other and the clock, cowboys mounted on horses […]
Posted inOpinion
My valuable lesson
Life doesn’t always go the direction you thought it would
I’m 23 years old (soon to be 24, I shudder) with a bachelor of arts degree in English. I graduated with honors; I’m hardworking, mature, and responsible. Despite all this, I sleep on a twin bed with my parents as housemates and work two part-time jobs along with babysitting and house cleaning on the side. […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Athlete of the Week: Beth Rigali
There isn’t a whole lot cross-country athlete Beth Rigali doesn’t like about running. A junior at St. Joseph High School, Rigali has been outrunning the competition this season. Her passion for running and boundless determination helped propel the St. Joe girls’ cross country team to the state race in Fresno at the end of November. […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Out with the old, in with the new
Hancock athletic facilities get a major facelift
When the Allan Hancock College baseball field was first built, it was only supposed to be temporary. Now, some 60 years later, the college’s baseball team still uses it—the same tired field with its myriad problems, namely sporadic irrigation. Head baseball coach Chris Stevens said hard work and donations from volunteers and boosters over the […]
Posted inNews
Solvang not selected to be host to Amgen Tour
Though the Amgen Tour of California professional cycling race whizzed through Solvang in 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2011, the city’s Conference and Visitors Bureau recently revealed that the quaint town won’t play host to this year’s Amgen Tour. The 750-mile race that starts May 12 in Escondido will instead stop in host cities Santa Barbara […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
The Benchwarmer, Vol. I
Some people shouldn’t play the Name Game
Names. They’re what define us and help us to create our own sense of identity. These days, names come in all sorts of shapes and sizes—impossibly long, dangerously short, with vowels or no vowels; there’s no telling what someone will come up with next. It appears as though the world has entered into a dangerous […]
Posted inNews
EPA reaches $2 million settlement for toxic dump
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reached a $2 million settlement on Nov. 20 with 290 small parties in a suit concerning the Casmalia Resources Superfund site. This is the ninth in a long series of settlements. The agreement demands that the parties pay their share of the EPA-estimated $284 million it will cost to […]
Posted inNews
Lompoc celebrates Small Business Saturday
Headed by the Lompoc Chamber of Commerce, a new marketing effort is under way in the city to promote local small businesses in the wake of Black Friday madness. Appropriately dubbed Small Business Saturday, the event is aimed at encouraging the community to see what local shopping has to offer on Saturday, Nov. 24. A […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
The King of Payne
California’s top running back prepares for football in the Southeastern Conference
Cameron Artis-Payne is one of those running backs who has an undeniable presence on the field. He’s explosively powerful and fast; just give him the ball and watch him blow through opposing defenses to the end-zone. A Harrisburg, Penn., native, Artis-Payne has run all over the competition this season, breaking records and breathing life back […]
