Cover Story
The living laboratory: Santa Cruz island offers educators and researchers a living model
The North America of the Pleistocene Epoch—a geological time period that spanned from about 2.5 million years ago to 11,000 years ago—was a continent of tumultuous change. During that time, several glacier-heavy cycles shaped the landscape and even lowered sea levels hundreds of feet, exposing the continental shelf that lies under water again today. Also…
The Santa Maria Arts Council awards $13,000 in grants to local artists and performers
Allan Hancock College student Kaden Howard has been using the same tablet, a Wacom Intuos 3, to draw cartoons and character sketches for the past nine years. “It’s a little baby tablet,” Howard told the Sun in a recent interview. Now, thanks to a $1,500 first-place visual arts grant from the Santa Maria Arts Council,…
What do you know about the Channel Islands?
Josh Ducusin window cleaner “They’re really close to where I’m from out at Port Hueneme. I know that they’re some beautiful islands that I’ve Richard Mathis retired “The islands off of Santa Barbara, right? They have that endangered species of fox there. I think they’re doing great things to protect it.” George Herrera retired “There…
Santa Maria’s local food bank faces a fresh produce shortage
The walk-in cooler at the Food Bank of Santa Barbara County’s Santa Maria facility is filling up slower and moving produce out faster than it has in the past. This is partially attributable to environmental factors like the drought, Jamie Nichols, food bank director of operations, told the Sun after an April 16 press conference.…
SLO County offers free bus rides to celebrate Earth Day
In observance of Earth Day and to encourage environmentally friendly transportation, the San Luis Obispo County Regional Transit Authority (RTA) and South County Transit (SCT) will be offering free rides for all passengers throughout the county on Sunday, April 27. The city will also be providing a special service on its popular double-decker bus to…
Discovery Corner: Celebrate trees at the museum
The Discovery Museum is offering free admission on Saturday, April 26, from 10 a.m. to noon to celebrate Arbor Day with lots of fun educational activities inspiring kids to help make the world a greener, happier place. “Terry the Tree” will be at the museum to hand out tree seedlings for kids to plant at…
Easter celebration takes center stage at St. Mary’s
St. Mary’s of the Assumption students re-enacted the Passion of the Christ and performed Living Stations of the Cross on April 18. More than 15 middle school students participated, playing Jesus, Mary, Roman soldiers, and other prominent figures. In a press release from St. Mary’s, school Principal Michelle Cox said that students look forward to…
Righetti pulls together to help a student in need
Ernest Righetti High School students and staff recently organized a fundraiser to help ease the burden of medical costs for a student with cancer. Joshua Amador, 19, who will graduate in June, has had brain cancer for several years and is undergoing numerous surgeries at an Orange County hospital. He’s now in remission. The Righetti…
Spotlight on: At Your Service Legal
After moving to Santa Maria in 2005, Tennessean Tyler Gross studied music business at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood. With that experience under his belt—and one-on-one time spent with some big names in the industry—Gross decided he wanted to become an entertainment lawyer. In a recent interview with the Sun, the entrepreneur said he knew…
Phillips 66 health and safety specialists allege they were punished for unionizing
On a late Monday afternoon in January 2012, a group of five health and safety shift specialists were called to meet with four managers of the Phillips 66 Santa Maria Refinery. And while the reason for the meeting was unclear before they entered the room, the five specialists soon left with the distinct impression that…
Political Watch 4/24/14
• Californians account for nearly one fifth of the number of people who signed up for insurance under the Affordable Care Act nationwide. Covered California—the state’s insurance market—announced on April 17 that nearly 1.4 million Californians signed up for health insurance before the extended deadline of April 15. In a press release on the Covered…
Community Notebook 4/24-5/1
MONDAY, APRIL 28 • The South County Advisory Council has its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Nipomo Community Services District Headquarters, 148 S. Wilson St., Nipomo. • The Solvang City Council has its regular meeting at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers, 1644 Oak Street, Solvang. Agendas are available at cityofsolvang.com. THURSDAY, MAY…
Orcutt Academy’s K-8 school is looking for a bigger home and shopping in Los Alamos
Palomino horses gallop and rear along the barbed-wire fence adjacent to the lot that Orcutt Academy’s kindergarten-through-eight-grade-school occupies in Casmalia. April 17 was the last day before spring break. Every student at the school was screaming, running, swinging, leaning, or climbing on the playground and field that take up the majority of campus. That’s 81…
Clarifications
• Brian Trautwein wanted to clarify some of his statements regarding the failing pumps at Hilton Creek in the April 17 cover story “Dry flow.” He wrote to the Sun to say that he felt “the problems at Hilton Creek are symbolic of the overall failure of the Cachuma Project to protect steelhead. While the…
CAUSE seeks a judge’s ruling on the city’s decision to deny an election petition
More than 5,000 signatures of support didn’t get the job done for a petition submitted by community groups trying to get an initiative placed on November’s ballot that would require Santa Maria City Council members to be elected by districts. Campaign organizers only needed to collect 2,700 signatures by April 11 to get the initiative…
County supes took no action on the Los Olivos farmhouse dispute
It takes a zoning laws genius to follow any sort of battle over land-use regulations, but the fight that came before Santa Barbara County Supervisors in March was especially confusing and came with a history that dated back to the 1880s. The question was whether a couple should be allowed to live in an old…
An old military ordnance spurs the evacuation of downtown Solvang
The discovery of an old military ordnance in an alleyway behind several Solvang businesses on April 16 prompted members of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department to evacuate the town’s downtown area. After receiving a phone call from a concerned citizen around 3:30 p.m., the Sheriff’s Department’s bomb squad and Vandenberg Air Force Base’s explosive…
Uptown dining at The Market in the Santa Maria Town Center mall
The Market, a fine dining restaurant at the Santa Maria Town Center mall, is dramatically different than its predecessor, Central City Market. The stylish new restaurant and lounge quietly debuted a few weeks ago. The most visible change is the major renovation to the front room, where what used to be a deli is now…
Driving Under the Influence (of parents)
I like to consider myself a high roller. When I cruise up to the scene of an event, I have my lady at my side, my personal driver, and a wad of bills in my pocket. You might be thinking that rolling up in a limo with a pocket full of cash is a bit…
The Santa Maria Civic Theatre caps it’s 55th season with ‘Confusions’ by Ayckbourn
The Santa Maria Civic Theatre was buzzing with commotion. It wasn’t opening night of the all-volunteer theater company’s latest show, but rather a rehearsal for the play, Confusions by British playwright Alan Ayckbourn. Actors, technicians, and director Alan H. Foster were navigating set pieces, costumes, and even wigs to prepare for a full run of…
Parents and community members support Santa Maria High School bands
The Santa Maria High School concert band and jazz ensembles keep dozens of students involved in music on a daily basis. The program has grown much and earned many accolades since band director Ulises Valdivia began teaching the class—and mobilizing his students to support it. An upcoming spring concert and silent auction benefit is the…
Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center needs volunteers
The Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes center is in need of volunteers to help give tours of the Dunes Center museum. Applicants should be interested in history, local ecology, and willing to help with maintenance and administrative tasks. An informational workshop is May 2 from noon to 2 p.m. at the Dunes Center, 1065 Guadalupe St., Guadalupe. More…
Town Center Gallery lives again at the Radisson
The Town Center Gallery invites the public to a free art exhibition on April 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Santa Maria Radisson Hotel, 3455 Airpark Drive, Santa Maria. The exhibition will include the works of Michael Corob, John Card, Marilyn Benson, Franczeska Angel, and Susan Patton. More information on the one-day…
Lompoc Valley Art Association holds meeting
The Lompoc Valley Art Association’s general meeting is scheduled for May 6 at 6:30 p.m. at the Stone Pine Hall, 200 South H St., Lompoc. Members will be able to vote at the meeting in regards to changing the hours of the Cypress Gallery. The Lompoc Valley Art Association has also announced its spring show…
AHC extends annual Fine Arts Faculty Exhibit
The annual Allan Hancock College Fine Arts Faculty Exhibit has been extended through May 21 at the Ann Foxworthy Gallery on the campus at 800 S. College Drive in Santa Maria. The exhibit showcases the various skills and talents collected in the fine arts department’s teaching staff. The exhibit includes drawings, mixed media, oils, digital…
Know when to hold ’em
I’m all about speaking my opinion. Obviously I am. I wouldn’t have this column if I didn’t. But. I’m also not voting on issues that impact the county. I write about that sort of stuff, sure, but I’m not the one this community’s population is looking to for leadership and guidance. And even if I…
Let’s pull for a win-win
The article about the transformation of Little L.A. is so accurate (“Little L.A.,” April 3). When working in Oxnard and living in Guadalupe, I drove through town Friday nights, and Little L.A. was a very sleepy town. Today, the town is jumping Friday nights and all weekend. My only concerns are when the 1 Percent…
Liberals actually seek a better world for all of us
In response to Larry Bargenquast’s comments (“Trash the liberal-created culture”) on your opinion page of April 10: Mr. Bargenquast’s stereotypical and shopworn comments about the “evils” of progressive philosophy sound pretty much cribbed from the flaccid talking points of Hannity, Limbaugh, and the other incendiary and bombastic talking heads who seem to rule the day…
I’ll take Andy Caldwell’s challenge
On April 6, in the Santa Barbara News-Press, Andy Caldwell challenged the proponents of the Safe Air and Water Initiative to Ban Fracking to a debate. As one of the initiative’s signatories, I am pleased to accept. Here’s how we’ll do it: Santa Barbara News-Press will sponsor the debate in a mutually acceptable forum in…
What’s on Deck? 4/17 – 5/1
Thursday, April 24 Baseball Allan Hancock vs. Ventura @ AHC, 2:30 p.m. Softball Santa Ynez vs. Orcutt Academy @ SYHS, 4 p.m. Saturday, April 26 Baseball Nipomo vs. Caruthers @ NHS, 1 p.m. Swimming Santa Ynez vs. Righetti @ RHS, 9 a.m. Softball Pioneer Valley vs. Templeton @ PVHS, 1…
Hershey games at PVHS
May 10 marks the return of the Hershey Track and Field games. A free event for ages 9 through 14, children are allowed to compete in several running and field events at this qualifying meet. The top placers will advance to the state meet in San Jose this coming June. Pre-event registration is required by…
Pitch, hit, run!
Open to all participants in the Santa Maria Valley, the Pitch, Hit, and Run Skills competition returns April 30 at the Hagerman Sports Complex from 6 to 8 p.m. The event is free for ages 7 to 14, and its top players will advance to San Luis Obispo for the sectional competition. Participants will try…
The Criterium returns
The Central Coast 805 Criterium Bike race returns to the valley with one race in Buellton and two races now available in Lompoc. A criterium is a bike race held on a short course that usually loops through closed off city streets. Scheduled for May 9 through 11, the race has also expanded to include…
Daniel White
The tall oak trees blocked the sky above me as my black Ford Focus cruised along the bumpy dirt road in the remote hills of Nipomo. For a while, all I could think about was how dirty my car was going to be at the end of this. Thus far, this has been my most…
The Benchwarmer: Are students athlete or employee?
Student-athlete—not so long ago, I once defined myself as such. It is a title that demands being able to successfully operate in two worlds, one that requires just as much work as the other. As the saying goes, we were always told to “be students first and athletes second.” But I can decidedly say from…
