Cover Story
Hear the people sing
Every actor has a role he or she is dying to play: the career-defining character who would mark the pinnacle of dramatic success. Likewise, every theater has one play it hopes to someday produce: the one that seems impossibly out of reach but worth dreaming about anyway. Ask around, and that play is almost…
Clubs & Meetings
4-H welcomes anyone interested in the group to sign up now. Find a nearby club by contacting the Santa Barbara County 4-H Office at 692-1730 or zmhughes@ucdavis.edu. ALTRUSA INTERNATIONAL, INC. of SANTA MARIA, a nonprofit business and professional organization, meets the second Wednesday of each month, 6:30 p.m., in the Altrusa Theatre of the Santa…
Spiritual
BAHA’I interfaith worship services are the second Sunday of each month. Info: 489-4172. Children’s classes are the first Saturday of each month. Info: 937-9451. Study circles about The Life of the Spirit are ongoing in Santa Maria. For questions, dates, and times: 614-0963. Info: 937-9451. BETHEL LUTHERAN CHURCH holds worship services Sundays with Holy Communion…
Farmers Markets
SANTA MARIA 100 S. Broadway at Main, Wednesdays, from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Features local beekeepers’ honey and bee pollen, breads and pastries, plants and flower bouquets, fresh fruits and vegetables. ORCUTT Corner of Clark and Bradley, Tuesdays, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fresh honey, flowers, and eggs, along with fresh fruits and vegetables.…
Barbecues
ONGOING FILIPINO COMMUNITY OF SANTA MARIA VALLEY barbecues Filipino food at the Smart and Final parking lot, N. Broadway on Saturdays and Sundays. Menu items include tri-tip, chicken, beef kabobs, chicken adobo, salad, rice, and bread. Meals cost $6. Info: 922-3422 or 922-3799. FILIPINO CATHOLIC SOCIETY, under the direction of St. Mary’s Church and St.…
Health
SANSUM CLINIC offers a “Diabetes Essentials” class on April 9 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the clinic. Cost is $8. A “Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes Nutrition” class is April 16 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the clinic. Cost is $8. The clinic is located at 1225 North H St., Lompoc. Info: 737-8700. MARIAN MEDICAL…
Art
TRANSITIONS-MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION and the Healing Arts Council of Santa Barbara County are accepting art entries from locals suffering from mental illness for the 2009 “The Art of Recovery” show. The deadline for all art is April 10 at 4 p.m. Info: 739-8680 or patrick-bergin@excite.com. THE ALLAN HANCOCK COLLEGE fine arts faculty presents its annual…
Learning
THE CITY OF SANTA MARIA UTILITIES DEPARTMENT presents a free mobile washing clean water runoff workshop April 9 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Minami Community Center, 600 W Enos Drive, Santa Maria. Info: ci.santa-maria.ca.us/3117-MobileCarWashingPollution.pdf or 925-0951, Ext. 7270. THE AMERICAN RED CROSS holds Disaster Training Classes on the third Saturday of the month…
Recreation
THE SANTA MARIA VALLEY YMCA offers spring break swim lessons April 13 through 17 at 9 a.m. at the YMCA, 3400 Skyway Drive, Santa Maria. An Adult Arena Soccer league meets Mondays through Fridays. Deadline to register is April 15. Cost is $425 per team, $400 per member team. Info: 937-8521. THE MINERVA CLUB presents…
Kids & Family
THE LOMPOC PARKS, RECREATION, AND URBAN FORESTRY DEPARTMENT and the Lompoc Kiwanis Club present an Easter Egg hunt on April 11 for kids 3 and younger at 10 a.m., 4 and 5 at 10:15 a.m., 6 to 8 at 10:30 a.m., ages 9 and 10 at 10:45 a.m., and 9 through 12 at 11:45 a.m.…
Dance Lessons
ONGOING EVERYBODY CAN DANCE offers classes in ballet dance for ages 3 to adult. Call for schedules. Boys and men receive full scholarships. The studio is located at 800 S. Broadway. Info: 937-6753. THE DANCE STUDIO offers dance classes in Santa Maria and Nipomo in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, Acrobatics, and Dance Team. Info:…
Stage
PCPA THEATERFEST presents its production of Les Miserables April 9 through May 10 at the Marian Theatre, 800 S. College, Santa Maria. Cost is $33 to $35. Info: pcpa.org. WORTH THE DRIVE THE ST. JOHN NEUMANN CATHOLIC CHURCH and the Spanish Youth Group “Anawim” presents its production of La Via Dolorosa, with part 1 being…
Night Life
The following venues offer either regularly scheduled live entertainment or DJ-hosted dance music. Most performances start after 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. IN THE AREA CLUB 805, AKA STINKY’S BAR & GRILL: 2430 South Broadway, 614-9316. DJ Davey D Saturday nights. THE COACHMAN: 1531 S. Broadway, 922-5556. Thursday through Saturday: DJ from 9 p.m. to…
Concerts
WORTH THE DRIVE UCSB ARTS AND LECTURES presents Zakir Hussain, tabla virtuoso, performing in concert with Pandit Shivkumar April 9 at 8 p.m. in the UCSB Campbell Hall, Santa Barbara. Cost is $40, $15 for UCSB students. The Emerson String Quartet performs in concert on April 16 at 8 p.m. in the UCSB Campbell Hall,…
Special Events
THE LOMPOC VALLEY BOTANIC AND HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY presents its annual plant sale on April 12 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the corner of Pine and H Street, Lompoc. Info: 735-3974. THE LOMPOC VALLEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND VISITORS BUREAU and the Allan Hancock College Foundation present the annual Salute to the Arts mixer, featuring…
Handmade quilts benefit local children
A Santa Maria quilting guild has been hard at work with various fabrics, cutting cloths of different colors into shapes that fit together, all in the service of local children who need a little help. The All American Quilting Guild of Santa Maria is made up of women with a desire to make a difference…
Man alive, I’m 55!
My mother called a few days ago to sing “Happy Birthday,” then asked if I had applied for my AARP card yet. “You’re officially a senior citizen,” she said. Wow, thanks, Mom, you sweet old bat! I just had a birthday, my 55th, and suddenly I began to see things more clearly. Not literally. In…
What would you do with your paycheck bump from the federal tax credit?
Nichole Shuman housewife “Use the extra money for groceries or on gasoline.” Polo Perez payroll “I would put it toward my kid’s college fund.” Justin Pardo clerk “Save the money up so that I can buy personal needs.” Adam Spence clerk “Shoebox the money. This is the first time I’ve heard about the tax credit.”
Hobnobbing with Helen
Santa Marians don’t have to be afraid of things that go bump in the night. Thanks to the largesse of the Santa Maria Police Council, the city’s SWAT team can deal with nocturnal crime issues with dispatch, because it has infrared goggles and can see in the dark. The council held its second annual membership…
Community Notebook 4-9
MONDAY, APRIL 13 • The Santa Maria City Block Grants Advisory Committee has its regular meeting at 5:30 p.m. in the City Hall Conference Room, 110 E. Cook St., Santa Maria. TUESDAY, APRIL 14 • The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has its regular meeting at 9 a.m. in the Betteravia Government Center’s Board…
‘It’s a pretty easy bill’
On May 19, voters will be presented with a handful of propositions designed by the state Legislature to help close California’s $42 billion deficit. Two of those propositions—1D and 1E—directly impact programs in the state health care system. Some health-care experts are worried that the propositions’ passage would hurt more than it would help. “The…
Monetary medicine
On May 19, voters will be presented with a handful of propositions designed by the state Legislature to help close California’s $42 billion deficit. Two of those propositions—1D and 1E—directly impact programs in the state health care system. Some health-care experts are worried that the propositions’ passage would hurt more than it would help. “The…
Corrections
• In its March 24 issue, the Sun incorrectly reported the location of an upcoming Luis Oasis Senior Center benefit dinner. The event will be held at the Santa Maria Fairpark, 937 S. Thornburg St., in Santa Maria. The story also mistakenly blended two programs into one description. To clarify: The center hosts daily luncheons…
North County crisis center recognizes Sexual Assault Awareness Month
On April 14, dozens of advocates for women’s and children’s rights will march through the streets of Lompoc in observance of Sexual Assault Awareness and Child Abuse Prevention month. The candlelight vigil will begin at 7 p.m. at the North County Rape Crisis and Child Protection Center, 511 E. Ocean Ave., and end at the…
Santa Marians ‘Start! Walking’ for a healthier lifestyle
On April 8, people working in Northern Santa Barbara County were set to take their first steps toward maintaining a more active lifestyle during National Start! Walking Day. Dozens of Santa Marians, including Mayor Larry Lavagnino, planned to meet on the lawn in front of Marian Medical Center for a 30-minute walk along Church Street.…
‘Plunger Rebellion’ to flush out taxpayer angst
It’s not Boston circa 1773, but the Taxed Enough Already movement celebrates a TEA party of its own in Santa Maria on Tax Day, April 15. The city is one of 1,500 nationwide to host a rally for tax and regulatory relief, an event that local radio talk-show host Andy Caldwell has dubbed “The Plunger…
Santa Barbara County supervisors go back to the drawing board on oil drilling moratorium
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors had a full agenda slated for its April 7 meeting. The board attracted national attention for reconsidering its August 2008 3-2 decision to allow expanded oil drilling off the county’s coastline. However, now that the board’s ideological majority has shifted—with the more environmentally friendly Doreen Farr replacing Brooks…
Goodbye, Gottschalks
After more than a century of business on the West Coast, retailer Gottschalks will be closing its doors. On March 31, Gottschalks officials announced that, after holding a court-supervised auction, the company had been purchased by a liquidation group. “Despite all our efforts at earnest negotiations, we were unable to reach an agreement with our…
Wells Fargo adds new financial consultant
Wells Fargo Private Client Services announced that it’s added a new financial advisor to handle investment clients in Nipomo and Grover Beach. Jay Hutchcraft, who has a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Hawaii and more than three years of experience in financial services, joins Chris Corona, Jeff Oetman, and Scott Holmes on…
Goleta councilmember named to Housing Trust Fund
The Housing Trust Fund of Santa Barbara County welcomed city of Goleta councilmember Michael T. Bennett to its board of directors. Bennett has served on the Goleta City Council since 2006 and represents the city in the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments. He’s president of the League of California Cities Channel Counties Division and…
Find joy, work at Allan Hancock College
Most people have heard of Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club. On April 24, Allan Hancock College will take a page from Tan’s book—so to speak—by hosting the Joy Work Club Women’s Conference from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Santa Maria campus Student Center. The club is a network of businesswomen meeting to…
Local students crochet blankets for babies in need
Newborns at Marian Medical Center’s pediatrics center are sleeping a little more snugly thanks to a donation from the Tommie Kunst Junior High School Crocheting Club. Club members recently donated 21 hand-crocheted blankets to the hospital, distributed to ailing infants through a program called Project Linus. The project is a nonprofit organization made up of…
For the love of libraries
Libraries and the literary treasures they bring to communities nationwide will be the focal point of National Library Week, set for April 12 through 18. To celebrate, the Santa Maria Public Library is hosting a series of events, culminating with the 19th annual Night of a Thousand Stars on April 16 at 7 p.m. in…
Chris Blystone
For the first time in his young golfing career, St. Joseph High School junior Chris Blystone can enjoy making a splash. On March 29, Blystone beat out 71 other American Junior Golf Association hopefuls from all over the western United States and Canada, taking the Boys’ Division crown in the Golf World Preseason Junior at…
Raise money, run, and grant wishes
Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Tri-Counties is counting on donations from entrants in the Camarillo Half-Marathon, which will take place April 19. For each registration in the 10k and 5k runs, $5 will be donated to the organization. The group’s board of directors will be participating and fundraising as Team Make-A-Wish. The Make-A Wish Foundation of…
Catch some trout at Cachuma Lake
Fishing fanatic? Register for a chance at cash and prizes in Cachuma Lake’s 14th Annual Trout Derby, scheduled for April 18 and 19. About $5,000 worth of prizes will go to anglers of all ages during the weekend, and free arts and crafts activities will be available to children on April 18. Registration forms are…
Blacklake Golf Resort tees up an expo
A day of free golfing demonstrations and instruction from Professional Golf Association players is on tap at Nipomo’s Blacklake Golf Course on April 11 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The expo kicks off with a series of half-hour clinics, beginning at 9:30 a.m. with LPGA pro Dixie Eckes teaching pitching. At 10:30, world-renowned instructor…
And they’re out?
Santa Maria Packers pitching coach Bryn Smith didn’t want it to turn out this way. When he and the rest of the Santa Maria Indians’ coaching staff left the team to form the second incarnation of Packers baseball in December 2007, their intention was simple: to continue the legacy of the Indians’ longtime manager Clarence…
Feed at the festival
When considering edibles to pair with wine, treats like grilled beef, pungent cheese, and even dark chocolate come to mind. Each offers layers of flavors that mingle with those of a well-matched wine, proving that food and vino just naturally go together. Amid the verdant beauty of Lompoc’s River Park, organizers of the Vintners’ Festival,…
Arts Briefs
Open your eyes for irises The Lompoc Iris Society will hold its annual Iris Show on April 25 and 26 in the Hancock Gallery of the Lompoc Public Library, 501 East North Ave. in Lompoc. The show will feature about 200 named varieties of iris on display, and some of the entries will be included…
Staying wild
California is revered for many things, but the ocean and weather are probably the biggest draws. Once upon a time—before the state was buried under crowded freeways, miles of pavement, and dismal smog—its untouched stretches and unspoiled landscapes enticed people to settle here. That historic California is the one captured in the Wildling Art Museum’s…
Bringing it together
A few years from now, Allan Hancock College students will be able to pursue an arts education without having to take a class here, rushing to the opposite side of campus for another class there, and then jumping in a car and driving across Stowell for yet another. Like a sculptor with clay on a…
