Cover Story
Start by believing
It’s been about a week since Shane Villalpando was sentenced to one year in Santa Barbara County Jail and five years’ probation for having unlawful sex with underage teenagers. He’ll have to register as a sex offender throughout the duration of his probation. He’ll have to attend sex offender counseling and receive treatment for drug…
What trips or vacations have you gone on this summer?
Joan Chenault retired “I haven’t done much yet, but I am going to British Columbia in late August. I have a timeshare up there.” Mindy Truex social worker “I went to Long Beach not too long ago, and that’s probably the only place I’ll go if I vacation in the future.” Brian Goodenough delivery truck…
‘Ancestors of our enemies’
It’s a strange sight, a home built into a cliff. When, on a hike in southern Utah, this sight first greeted Dr. Donald J. Rommes—neonatologist by profession and photographer in his spare time—the doctor was initially wary of sharing photos of what he’d seen. The cliff dwellings he’d encountered were just some of many such…
The economy is paramount
During my college days in the Boston area in 1950 to ’51, I bought a book titled Prejudice. As a young State of Mainer, I was impressed with the ethnic and cultural melting pot of Boston. The book was filled with boring statistics, but had a great introduction that included a story. The story told…
Identity Tracking
Tracking ancestry and bloodlines is an über-methodical process. Throw government regulations into the mix, and proving that you are who you say you are is a potentially years-long endeavor. Decades, even. At a recent Bureau of Indian Affairs-hosted meeting in Solvang, emotions also showed up as a starring role in the process to gain official…
Talent through the ages
The words “youth theater” may conjure, for some, images of construction-paper set pieces, forgotten lines, and terrified-looking kids in costume. Joyce Mayhew, artistic director of the Lompoc Youth Theater, hopes to dispel any such myths theatergoers have about youth theater with her program’s upcoming production of Beauty and the Beast, Jr. “I feel like there…
Come back from recess!
While I loved school back when I was just a fledgling learning to spell and do math and recite historical dates, I really loved recess. The word itself still sends shivers of excitement down my hollow spine. To run! To play! To soar! Recess was practically magical, an oasis of free time amid hours of…
Get the whole family involved
Michael’s Arts and Crafts presents arts and crafts events for kids, including a “Kids Club Handy Growth Chart Event” on Aug. 3. A “Free Family Craft Time Event” is Aug. 10. Each event runs from 10 a.m. to noon in half-hour sessions at Michael’s Art and Crafts, 1934 S. Broadway, Santa Maria. More info: 349-8801.
PCPA ‘olds auditions for Mary Poppins
The Pacific Conservatory for the Performing Arts is in need of two young actors to play the roles of Jane and Michael Banks, the young children cared for in the play Mary Poppins, as well as young ensemble cast. Auditions are to be held on Aug. 10 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Columbia…
Take a night out
The City of Santa Maria Police Department, Recreation and Parks Department, and the People for Leisure and Youth (PLAY, Inc.) have joined forces to provide a fun and safe event celebrating the National Night Out on Aug. 6 from 4 to 8 p.m. Festivities will include free food and beverages, activities for youth, commercial and…
Santa Maria Arts Council calls for artists
The Santa Maria Arts Council is presenting its 2013 Birdhouse Fundraiser, which features 10 birdhouses painted by local artists to be raffled at the annual Autumn Arts Grapes and Grains Festival in October. The arts council currently needs artists to volunteer their talents in painting a birdhouse. Only five of the 10 birdhouses have been…
Local Notes: Lend me your ears
Sometimes, unavoidably, I appear as part of my reporting. I may be a writer, but I was a musician first, and I can’t help but have a foot each in the local art and music communities. Your humble columnist has performed Handel’s Messiah with the Allan Hancock College Singers and Santa Maria Philharmonic Orchestra, was…
This old truck
For trips to the lake, runs to Pick-and-Pull for racecar parts, or back and forth from Orchard Supply Hardware to deliver landscaping bricks, I drive a Dodge Ram 1500 two-wheel drive P.O.S. pickup truck. There’s nothing fancy about it. I don’t have it jacked up on big tires; it doesn’t have cool custom wheels or…
Solvang-style breakfast
For years I have taken out-of-town visitors and local friends alike to Solvang for breakfast at Paula’s Pancake House, which is known for some of the best pancakes and waffles around. Paula and Charles Greenwald found success serving their customers crepes and waffles at The Belgian Café in Solvang, so in 1986 they opened a…
It wasn’t always a joke
OK, I read this today over my chili verde and eggs (“Yes, I’ve used the N-word,” July 11). What I’m getting out of the Paula Deen deal is that she did not own up to it. She tried beating around the bush by saying that it was long ago. She went on to say she’s…
Plenty of shame to go around
After reading Gary Wechter’s commentary (“Yes, I’ve used the N-word,” July 11), I wonder what progress we have made in our understanding of racial intolerance? How could it not have occurred to Wechter that the reason the African American man did not appear indignant about “cousin Margie” calling him “nigger” did not mean he thought…
The sounds of silence
I guess a few more of you will have to die off (“Yes, I’ve used the N-word,” July 11). With all due respect, I was living in Jim Crow Arkansas in the ’50s when white people did refer to us as nigger. It was not acceptable to us, and I must enlighten you that it…
Javier Cardenas
The sound of reggae music and grunting fighters echoed as soft-spoken Javier Cardenas (pictured in white) wrestled with his partner at the Paragon Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gym in Santa Maria. With sweat running down his brow after several intense practice rolls—which are informal matches of sorts solely for practice—Cardenas said, “Jiu-Jitsu is for the smaller person…
Memorial auction returns
The 12th annual Joe White Memorial Dinner and Auction is quickly approaching. Scheduled for Aug. 17, the event will be held at the Santa Maria Fairpark Pavilion. The doors open at 5:30 with a silent auction and social hour. The evening will also feature a New York strip steak dinner served at 7 p.m. with…
Get your game on the court
The newest addition to the Allan Hancock College coaching staff, basketball head coach Tyson Aye, will be heading up a basketball camp at the school. Available for girls and boys ages 6 to 18, the camp will run from 9 a.m. to noon at the Joe White gymnasium Aug. 5 through 8. Players will learn…
A new coach and schedule are on the way
The Santa Maria Saints cross-country team will start playing host to summer training on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and Wednesdays from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saints athletic director Joe Graack will soon announce the new head coach for girls’ cross-country. “We have the goal to take the Santa Maria…
Run with the big ‘Dogs
Allan Hancock Athletics announced that the women’s cross country team is now recruiting both experienced and inexperienced runners to race this season. For more information, contact Coach Louie Quintana at 705-3299.
Give to the Saints
The Santa Maria Saints will hold a fundraising golf tournament at Marshallia Ranch Golf Course on Saturday, Aug. 24. All proceeds from the event will be donated to the boys’ and girls’ golf teams of Santa Maria. The tournament will feature a four-man scramble and prizes for longest drive and straight drive; there will also…
Explore wide-open spaces
On Aug. 13, the Orcutt Trail Commission and Santa Maria Valley Open Space will host a free picnic barbecue at Rice Ranch Park in Orcutt. The event will feature docent-led hikes and an introduction to the trail system at the park; docent hikes begin at 4 p.m. The public is encouraged to attend for an…
Olympic Clinic
The City of Pismo Beach Recreation Division has partnered with the Dream in Gold to bring legendary Olympic Gold-Medalist Misty May-Treanor to the Central Coast. The city will be holding one-day clinics on Saturday, Aug. 10, and Sunday, Aug. 11, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the beach volleyball courts. Located at the end…
Lompoc officials talk potential water rate increases
Water and motorsports make a bit of an odd couple, but that’s what’s on the agenda at the Lompoc City Council meeting on Aug. 6. There will be two public hearings at the meeting: One will focus on whether the city should apply for state grants for a motorsports park and create a memorandum of…
The finish line draws closer
Lompoc Valley Motorsports Park is now closer to completion with the allocation of some much-appreciated grants. On July 5, the project was given a push forward when approved for $1 million in grant money from the state’s Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division. “The nearly million-dollar grant provides critical funding for development,” said Lompoc Economic Development…
Emission regulations classes offered in Lompoc
During the month of August, Allan Hancock College is offering two free courses at the college’s Lompoc Valley center. The college and the Central California Environmental Training Center are offering the classes in collaboration with the California Air Resources Board. Fundamentals of Enforcement, or “Smoke School,” is a three-day course that provides a basic overview…
Fighting back for literacy
The United Way Power Reading program strikes again with an awards ceremony on Aug. 2 that will reward Fighting Back Santa Maria Valley students who made strides in the literacy program this summer. The City of Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department partnered with the United Way and Fighting Back Santa Maria to meet the…
Algebra Academy boosts student math skills
A partnership between Cal Poly and Santa Maria High School boosted the math skills of 20 students from the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District during a weeklong algebra camp that ended on July 26. Students from Santa Maria and Pioneer Valley high schools participated. They were given mind-teasing math problems and guided to…
Spotlight on: Omakase
Omakase Japanese Restaurant opened its doors on June 29 and has thrived since then. Owners Eric Huynh and Sid Patel have collaborated and meshed their strengths to create a balance of fine food and hospitality. The decor in the Old Orcutt restaurant reveals a trendy and city-like look while incorporating the rustic and inviting feeling…
Political Watch 8/1/13
A recent California field poll released by the Field Research Corporation revealed President Barack Obama’s job performance rating among state voters has taken a 10-point drop since the Field Poll’s last measure in February 2013. Then, 62 percent of the state’s voters approved of the job he was doing. Now, the president’s approval rating stands…
Community Notebook 8/1-8/8
TUESDAY, AUG. 6 • The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has its regular meeting at 9 a.m. in the Board of Supervisors Hearing Room, 105 E. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara. Agendas are available at santabarbara.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx#current. • The Vandenberg Village Community Services District has its regular board meeting at 7 p.m. in the District Office…
Community Corner: Speak easy, Kiwanis
The Kiwanis Club of Santa Maria was established in 1923 with the intention of offering a helping hand to the community. Members are responsible for a variety of clubs, fundraising, and events that fund projects for youth in the area—working with the YMCA and Boys and Girls Club, and beginning the SMOOTH transportation system, to…
Mesa residents voice concern about a proposed refinery rail expansion
Exploding railroad cars and what public coastal access really means were chief issues brought up at a July 29 scoping meeting that covered a proposed rail line expansion for the Phillips 66 oil refinery on the Nipomo Mesa. Bill Henry, a project consultant brought in by San Luis Obispo County to help specifically with the…
Achadjian says bill authorship dispute kept rape loophole open
California still can’t prosecute as rapists people who trick an unwilling partner into sex by impersonation, unless the perpetrator is posing as the victim’s spouse. Assembly Bill 65 seemed poised to close the rape-by-fraud loophole on July 11 when the California Senate scheduled a third and final reading of the bill. Instead, legislators delayed a…
