SARAH E. THIEN
Posted inNews

Gas theft plagues at least one area in Santa Maria

Out at the industrial park near the airport, someone is draining gas tanks at local businesses
by SARAH E. THIEN

Gasoline prices are slowly falling, much to the relief of drivers everywhere. According to the Automobile Association of America (AAA), prices are down in Santa Barbara County from a high of $4.70 in June to a current tally of $4.04. And, in at least one part of Santa Maria, gasoline is free—with a little bit […]

Posted inOpinion

The boy wizard trumps all

To the winner of the autographed Harry Potter book from the library fundraiser: I’ll give it a good home
by SARAH E. THIEN

I have a confession to make. A couple of weeks ago, I told Mark van de Kamp, a management analyst for the city, that the Santa Maria Public Library doesn’t need any more money. A week before that, I said the same thing to Phil Alvarado, the new Santa Maria Bonita School District Superintendent and […]

Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture

The Golden Dukes are the best team in town

Voted to the top by Sun readers, these team members are hanging up their golden jerseys and moving on to high school
by SARAH E. THIEN

Coach Doug Sims was not surprised to learn that his team, the Golden Dukes, had won Best Local Youth Sports Team in the Sun’s annual Best Of poll. Happy? Yes. Surprised? No. “It’s our parents,” he said, explaining how they got the votes. “We have great parents.” The Golden Dukes is a basketball team. They […]

Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture

Athlete of the Week

by SARAH E. THIEN

Some athletes are dedicated to their sport, and some athletes are really dedicated to their sport. Anthony Robinson, 17, falls into that second category. He loves soccer so much, he drives to Santa Barbara twice a week for practice and down to Los Angeles—or, if he’s lucky, Santa Barbara again—for games. “That’s where the best […]

Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture

Meet the new coach

Rod Garcia wants to make Allan Hancock College women’s soccer something to brag about
by SARAH E. THIEN

Rod Garcia didn’t even know about a job opening at Allan Hancock College, until he started getting the calls. “A lot of folks over there had been kind enough to let me know about it,” he said, “and they told me maybe I should take the job.” So he did. Rod is now the new […]

Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture

Athlete of the Week

by SARAH E. THIEN

The Balderas brothers are back in the spotlight in the junior boxing world after coming back from the 7th annual Desert Showdown National competition in Coachella. Carlos, 11 (left), and Rudy, 12, both made it to the final round in the 75-pound weight class (though in different age groups). Just making the finals is a […]

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