Cover Story
Dry flow: The steelhead recovery effort starts below Bradbury Dam, but the water isn’t always on
A low-hanging mist is strung out between the summits directly above the gray-blue expanse of Lake Cachuma. From the Bradbury Dam overlook, you can only see the side of the lake that butts up against a 2,976-foot-long, 206-foot-high, rock-covered slope of a wall with a road running along its top and a gigantic cement structure…
What is your favorite type of endangered animal and why?
Nick Zimkowski student “Bald eagles. It’s really majestic seeing them fly around. They’re just beautiful creatures.” Ruby Delacruz student “Polar bears. They’re nice animals that the next generation should see.” Christine Wood student “Polar bears; they’re unique and the environment they live in is unique. They represent everything that is endangered.” Sophie Couture military “Tigers.…
The Bureau of Reclamation stops state water flow into Cachuma
Read about another issue caused by the Bureau of Reclamation’s pumps in this week’s cover story. With Lake Cachuma’s water level sitting at 38 percent capacity just before summer, the reservoir needs every ounce of water it can get. Although the Central Coast Water Authority (CCWA) has been steadily adding state water to the lake…
The innovative Moxie Cafe serves healthful options in an unexpected location
Six years after becoming the first Central Coast company to be certified as a “Fit Friendly Worksite” by the American Heart Association, Hardy Diagnostics has upped the ante. The Santa Maria-based company is the third largest manufacturer of bacteriological culture media in the United States. Hardy Diagnostics goes above and beyond when it comes to…
The Dunes Center receives funding for further Ten Commandments excavation
The Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center has received funding from the Santa Barbara County Coastal Resource Enhancement Fund and the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce for a continuation of the excavation of a sphinx statue from the Cecil B. DeMille Ten Commandments set that is submerged in Guadalupe dune sands. The Dunes Center is in need…
Local libraries celebrate National Poetry Month
The Orcutt branch of the Santa Maria Public Library celebrates National Poetry Month with an event for kids, including live readings using props. The reading events will include poems from Shel Silverstein, Jack Prelutsky, and Ogden Nash. The program happens on April 23 at 3 p.m.at the Orcutt Library, 175 S. Broadway, Old Orcutt. More…
Storyteller Jim Cogan performs at Santa Maria Public Library
The Santa Maria Public Library presents a performance by Jim Cogan, storyteller extraordinaire. Cogan will perform “The Night of a Thousand Stars” on April 17 at 6:30 p.m. in the library’s Shepard Hall. Cogan uses creative sounds, energetic movement, and funny faces to provide a reading-focused performance appropriate for kids, teens, and adults. The library…
Art for kids
Wine and Design Orcutt presents “Art Buzz Kids,” a special studio for creative youngsters. The program runs from April 21 through 25 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day. The class is for ages 4 to 8. Cost for the program is $225, including art supplies, a snack, and lunch each day. More information…
AHC Youth Dancers present Magical Moments
The Allan Hancock College Youth Dancers are performing the annual Magic Moments dance recital featuring a production of A Mermaid’s Tale on April 26 at 7 p.m. andApril 27 at 2 p.m. at the Santa Maria High School’s EthelPope Auditorium. The Youth Dance Company class is part of the College for Kids (CFK) program offered…
The Drive-In Romeos make what’s old new again
Dip your comb into some pomade, shine your wing tips, and don’t forget the Ray-Bans when you come out to a Drive-In Romeos show. The Santa Maria-based four-piece R&B rock group is dedicated to providing an old-school sound for local rock, beat, rockabilly, and soul fans. “I think we’re more R&B based, like from the…
Canine capers in the Five Cities
On a recent sunny day, my fiancée, our two chihuahuas, and I embarked on an afternoon out. Lucy and Pepper (yes, both named after songs by The Beatles) were best friends at the Santa Maria Valley Humane Society, and we were lucky to keep the feisty little duo together when we adopted them many years…
Local businesses, parents, and community members are clamoring to support the Lompoc Youth Theater
Lompoc Youth Theater leaders have strived to ramp up the quality of their summer theater program ever since their first production of High School Musical five years ago. Student tuition and ticket sales only go so far in supporting a quality live theater production, explained Joyce Mayhew, founder and director of the Lompoc Youth Theater,…
What’s on Deck? 4/17 – 4/24
Thursday, April 17 Swimming Pioneer Valley vs. Paso Robles @ PVHS, 2:30 p.m. Softball Pioneer Valley vs. San Luis @ SLOHS, 4 p.m. Boys’ Volleyball St. Joseph vs. San Luis @ SLOHS, 5:30 p.m. Pioneer Valley vs. Righetti @ RHS, 5:30 p.m. Baseball Santa Maria vs. Orcutt Academy @ Elks…
Hancock launches a youth club
If all goes according to plan, men’s basketball coach Tyson Aye will be spearheading the new youth basketball club at Allan Hancock College. According to a press release from the school, the club would serve as an extension of Aye’s clinics. “A lot of parents and coaches are asking us to do more for the…
Host town set for Long Beach
Long Beach will become the first Los Angeles County host town for the Special Olympics World Games in 2015. According to a press release from Special Olympics of Northern Santa Barbara County, 7,000 athletes from 177 countries will be welcomed to Southern California July 21 through 24. The three-day event will feature cultural events, sports…
Ark Tennis Camp returns
Patrick Ortiz, owner/operator of Ark Tennis, will work together with local tennis athletes during the annual Ark Tennis Camp. Held April 21 to 24, the camp will take place at the Orcutt Junior High School tennis courts. The camp is divided into three sessions: beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. The beginners’ camp runs from 8:45…
Run for Ricky
Santa Ynez classmates of January car crash victim Ricky Santos are holding a fundraiser May 4. Proceeds from the event will go toward helping Ricky’s family cope with medical expenses. Santos lost his life due to injuries from the accident; he was in the Intensive Care Unit for five days. His sister, Karla, was critically…
Leanna Bramble
Making a splash is exactly what some women athletes are doing at Allan Hancock College this spring. With a brand-new swimming team in its first year, these girls are setting the stage for future generations of the sport at this local institution. Standout swimmer Leanna Bramble is one of 11 women who hope to put…
Paragon of Santa Maria makes a name for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Two men are lying on a smooth, yellow mat; their breathing is heavy, their arms and legs are impossibly tangled together, and their skin shines with sweat. They remain locked together, each trying to anticipate the other’s next move. One man is bigger than the other, but in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, size really doesn’t matter. There…
Out-of-control parties require a new sheriff
The recent street party in Isla Vista once again turned into a riot. How could this not be predicted by the team led by Sheriff Brown? This is an event that happens every year, and it just seems to get worse every year. Why didn’t Sheriff Brown have adequate personnel in place to take care…
Shouldn’t we focus on real crime?
The new Union Valley Parkway on/off ramp has quickly become a favorite, especially for those of us who live right next to it. However, immediately after opening, it also became a hotspot for CHPs and sheriff’s deputies to sit and ticket drivers. The ferocity with which they issue tickets there gives the impression that either…
Feathers and scales
What’s one fish? I mean, what’s one measly, floppy, scaly, individual fish? That thought’s been on my mind ever since I first learned about what’s going on over at Bradbury Dam, as highlighted in this week’s cover story. Actually, it’s more like what’s not going on over at Bradbury Dam. Or, even more accurately—and to…
Farmers fear oil and water do mix
Recently, applications to drill thousands of new oil wells in Santa Barbara County are being turned in at record rates (7,700 by just one company). These wells plan to go after heavy crude using extreme techniques that pose a risk to residents and other businesses. We can get an idea of what the future might…
Discovery Corner: Hunt for Easter eggs at the museum
The winds of spring were blowing strong in Santa Maria on Sunday, April 13, just in time for our fifth annual Discovery Museum Family Kite Festival. The skies of Rotary Centennial Park were full of hundreds of kites, and 2,000 children and their families enjoyed a fantastic free event thanks to the support of the…
Library’s Night of a Thousand Stars celebrates 24 years
In celebration of National Library Week, the Santa Maria Public Library is once again hosting storyteller Jim Cogan. His creativity and outside-of-the-box antics are something teens, children, and adults enjoy, according to a press release from the city of Santa Maria. “Always engaging, full of mirth, mystery and surprises, Jim combines magical voices with creative…
Righetti High folklorico took the stage at Ethel Pope
The Ernest Righetti High School marimba band and ballet folklorico hit the stage on April 11 and 12 for their annual “Big Show” at the Ethel Pope Auditorium. Students twirled and stamped in bright blue, pink, green, and yellow costumes, recreating dances from the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Guerrero, Jalisco, Nayarit, and Veracruz. The Marimba…
Hobnobbing with Helen
Wow! Can you imagine raising more than $15,000 in less than 30 minutes? CALM—a local organization that deals with child abuse—did just that on April 3 at the Santa Maria Country Club from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The money raised came from on-the-spot donations, not from bids on auction items. “Ladies Get Loud for CALM”…
Champion Center will provide treatment for emergency and military personnel
For more than a year, the site of the old Lompoc District Hospital on Hickory Avenue has been a construction zone complete with cranes, bulldozers, and dumpsters. Although it’s not slated for completion until June 2014, residents of the south Lompoc neighborhood can finally see the finished product of the 18-month remodel: the Champion Center,…
Spotlight on: Ozzie’s Premium Yogurt and Gelato
It’s no wonder that within two weeks of opening its doors, Ozzie’s Premium Yogurt and Gelato is already set to be a sweet staple within the community. With a wide variety of both yogurt and gelato, Ozzie’s offers the best of both American and Italian desserts. To some, gelato might seem foreign. But to Ozzie’s…
Political Watch 4/17/14
• The Democratic Club of Santa Maria Valley is holding its monthly meeting on Thursay, April 17, at 7 p.m. at the International House of Pancakes, 202 Nicholson Ave., in Santa Maria. Yvonne Cudney of the Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County will be the guest speaker. She joined the foundation as a staff…
Community Notebook 4/17-4/24
TUESDAY, APRIL 22 • The Guadalupe City Council has its regular meeting at 6 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, City Hall, 918 Obispo St., Guadalupe. • The Lompoc Unified School District has its board meeting at 5:30 p.m. at the Education Center Board Room, 1301 N. A St., Lompoc. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23 • The…
Latino Outreach Council presents an inaugural Fiesta Latina
On May 2, the Latino Outreach Council of San Luis Obispo County will be holding Fiesta Latina, its first-ever Cinco de Mayo festival. The event will begin at 6 p.m. with a silent auction, no-host cocktails and wine, live entertainment by the Mariachis Mexicanisimo, and a dinner featuring Mexican fare. Dancing to festive Latin music…
Nipomo continues talking water
The Nipomo Community Services District Board of Directors approved a resolution adopting a Water Shortage Response Plan at its April 9 meeting. According to district staff, the five-stage plan includes targeted water-use reductions to “protect the long-term groundwater supply.” It also explains how the district will suspend processing requests for new water service in advanced…
Former Sheriff’s Department employees are indicted for alleged use of excessive force
A federal grand jury in Los Angeles indicted two former Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department custody deputies on April 10 for allegedly using excessive force against an inmate. Christopher Johnson was indicted on suspicion of depravation of rights, obstruction of justice, and aiding and abetting. Robert Kirsch was indicted on suspicion of depravation of rights…
A state grant boosts the county’s mental health services
Lompoc is expected to soon have a mobile crisis support team unit of its own, thanks to a $2.6 million grant from the California Health and Facilities Financing Authority. Pending approval from the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, the department of Alcohol, Drug, and Mental Health Services (ADMHS) will use the money to help…
The community gets tuberculosis information
About 100 locals showed up at the Santa Maria High School cafeteria on the evening of April 11—not for a science fair or other extracurricular activity, but to learn about what’s being done in light of the revelation two days earlier that a student at the school has been diagnosed with an active case of…
