Cover Story
Feeding a hunger: Local organizations and city government collaborated to help provide federally supported free meals for kids throughout summer break
On a cool, foggy afternoon, Santa Maria Recreation and Parks employees pulled vacuum-sealed trays out of a large ice chest and handed them an apple and a carton of milk to kids lined up at a table near the sidewalk at the Newlove Community Center. It was the week before school resumed, and one of…
Lawsuit alleges teaching assistant bullied special needs students at Lompoc Valley Middle School
While students in the Lompoc Unified School District began a new year of school on Aug. 18, a recently filed lawsuit awaits school officials in Santa Barbara County Superior Court. Filed on Aug. 13, the lawsuit alleges that a student—identified as Jane Doe due to privacy reasons—at Lompoc Valley Middle School “engaged in bullying, assault,…
What can we do to help out with childhood hunger during the summer?
Maleena Noriega works at Tortilla Mexico “Start lots of foundations. Have people gather canned foods, stuff that doesn’t perish fast.” Lynali Noriega student “People can donate canned food. Every cent helps.” Steve Ramm retired “It’d be nice if they just kept the dining room open a couple hours a day. They probably don’t have the…
Santa Maria Joint Union High School District earmarks extracurricular funds
Representatives of Santa Maria Joint Union High School District announced that the district will earmark $900,000 to help student engagement in extracurricular programs in order to build relationships, develop social and physical skills, and to stay involved in school. The money will go toward funding athletic programs at the district’s three high schools, whereas in…
Guadalupe schools get upgrades
Students in the Guadalupe Union School District saw a lot of positive changes when they returned to school Monday, Aug. 17. Mary Buren Elementary School got a spruced-up athletic field for physical education activities and other events. The field facelift was made possible through a donation of time and materials from business partners Tommy Minetti…
Santa Maria High students show spirit during March of the Saints
Santa Maria High School students took pride in showing off their school to incoming students with the “March of the Saints,” on Friday morning. More than 1,000 students participated in the rally that featured 30 student booths, numerous athletic demonstrations, and alumni from colleges and universities around the country. The long-standing tradition gives current students…
Spotlight on: Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company
Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company is in the spotlight once again. This time, the brewery made Inc. magazine’s annual list of the 5,000 fastest growing, privately held companies in the United States. The list may only seem like someone’s trivial opinion, except that the New York City magazine has been putting out similar lists since 1982.…
Political Watch 8/20/15
• On Aug. 17, a bill by state Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) that allows community colleges to discipline students for off-campus sexual assault violations passed the Assembly with a 63-0 vote. It awaits approval from Gov. Jerry Brown. The bill, Senate Bill 186, gives community college districts jurisdication similar to the extended jurisdication UC…
Community Notebook 8/20/15 – 8/27/15
MONDAY, AUG. 24 • 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. TUESDAY, AUG. 25 • The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has its regular meeting at 9 a.m. in the Betteravia Government Center’s Board of Supervisors Hearing…
Hobnobbing with Helen
It was one of those nights when you had to circle the block at least once to find a parking place at the Veterans’ Memorial Community Center. The nighttime Kiwanis held its annual fundraiser—always surefire fun—on Friday evening, Aug. 7. For several years, this event has had a speakeasy theme. This year, the nighttime Kiwanis put…
Zodiac Seat Shells fires and sues its former CFO
Last October, then-Santa Maria City Planning Commissioner Etta Waterfield and commercial realtors were handing out free hotdogs and tacos to employees of Zodiac Seat Shells in the parking lot of its new factory. At the time, Waterfield was campaigning for a spot on the City Council that she eventually won. Former Zodiac Chief Financial Officer…
Give me shelter: The founder of the immigrant sanctuary movement talks about its history
It was another searing, cloudless day in Santa Maria on Aug. 13. Dozens gathered in protest outside the initial arraignment for Victor Ramirez, an undocumented immigrant who pleaded not guilty in the assault and killing of 64-year-old Marilyn Pharis. Some carried signs calling to “defund sanctuary cities.” Across the street, counter protesters chanted, “Don’t hate!”…
Correction
• In the Sun’s annual Best Of edition, which came out Aug. 13, the name of local business for Best under the Best Local DJ category should’ve been listed as A Class Act Event Services. The runner-up for best nursery should have been listed as Whispering Pines Nursery. And Best Nursery category winner Old Town…
Vandenberg Air Force Base tests Minuteman III missile
Vandenberg Air Force Base was set to launch an unarmed Minuteman III missile as an operational test in the early morning hours of Aug. 19. The Air Force Global Strike command regularly uses VAFB to ensure that its weapon systems are working as intended. This makes the fourth test from VAFB this year, following the…
Father shoots knife-wielding son during altercation
On Monday, Aug. 17, the Santa Maria Police Department reported a shooting at 11:10 p.m. in the 3400 block of Greenacre Drive, where they say a father reportedly shot his 24-year-old son in self-defense. According to Sgt. Russ Mengel, the father and son were having an argument that evening. It’s not clear why they were…
California pays $2/square foot for ripped-up lawns
California is rolling out $30 million in rebates to replace turf and toilets as the drought drags on. On Aug. 12, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced two rebate programs. The goal is to inspire Californians to tear out 10 million square feet of lawn and to replace 60,000 water-inefficient toilets. Homeowners replacing an…
Righetti High School mourns death of teacher
Righetti High School students and staff mourned the death of a popular English teacher after hearing about her passing when they returned to school on Aug. 17. Deanna Byrne passed away sometime over the weekend of Aug. 14 in Ashland, Ore., according to a statement from the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District. Superintendent…
Marilyn Pharis murder sparks dueling protests on immigration policy
View a slideshow of the dueling protests. On the same day that Victor Aureliano Martinez Ramirez and Jose Villagomez were arraigned the murder of 64-year-old Marilyn Pharis, groups armed with signs and chants took to the corner of Cook and Miller streets around noon on Aug. 13 to protest her death. But the groups weren’t…
Opinion and fact
I return several times a year to my hometown of San Luis Obispo, and it is always a pleasure to read New Times as a way to keep in touch with local developments. As a high school English teacher with 27 years of classroom experience, I was particularly interested to read the Aug. 13 issue…
Oil’s not the bad guy
You would think that the elected folks who campaigned to support their constituents would do so. Measure P was soundly defeated in the November 2014 election. For those of you who forgot, Measure P wanted to shut down the oil industry in Santa Barbara County. Today we have most of our elected supervisors, senators, Assembly…
Illegal immigrants who commit crimes should be deported
Where are our elected representatives when we need them? Hiding, that’s where. Recently a horrendous assault, rape, and ultimately a murder occurred in Santa Maria. Who did it? An illegal alien who had been deported more than once, convicted of several misdemeanor crimes, and was sought by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), that’s who. Police…
Politicizing, polarizing
Illegal alien. Illegal immigrant. Undocumented immigrant. These are all terms, politically correct or not, that refer to the same thing: people who have crossed the U.S. border in secret, undetected—without a green card, a work visa, a passport, or citizenship. These are the people who come to the United States of America in search of…
Before #ThrowBackThursday there was ‘reminiscing’
It’s been a lovely August here at Waterman Manor. The drought has killed all the weeds in the garden and, although some of the garden hasn’t fared too well, my white roses still look splendid! I have been resolute in watching our water use, rationing every drop in the garden. I also cut my husband,…
Presqu’ile Winery hosts regular live music and brings big name acts for outdoor performances
Even though the Santa Maria Valley is Santa Barbara County’s most populous area, it has lacked a live music venue that regularly delivers concerts featuring high quality, touring performers. One of the newest additions to the valley’s wine scene, Presqu’ile Winery, took the deficit into consideration when designing the stunning new tasting room and winery.…
DANA Cultural Center holds family campfire event
The DANA Cultural Center welcomes locals to a family campfire event happening on the historic Dana Adobe grounds on Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. Campfires were a frequent sight during the rancho’s heyday, and included sharing of food, music, stories, and more. The free event will include hot chocolate, marshmallows, live music, and, of course,…
Santa Maria Philharmonic Society announces new season
The Santa Maria Philharmonic Society announced its 2015-2016 season, which boasts several large orchestra concerts, expanded youth outreach, guest soloists, and several esteemed guest conductors. The expanded season comes thanks to renewed support over the last few seasons since the orchestra nearly shut down. The season opens with a concert that includes beloved Santa Maria…
Valley Art Gallery needs art for its new location
The Valley Art Gallery—formerly the Town Center Gallery—is a nonprofit art gallery that just opened in Orcutt, and the new gallery needs art. Members of the Valley Art Gallery organization, which include visual artists of many flavors, invite locals to submit their art and join the group. The Valley Art Gallery planned to open to…
The Great American Melodrama celebrates 40 years
Look up the word “melodrama” and you’ll find that this concept distinguishes itself along the spectrum of theatrical productions with sensational characters and over-the-top stagecraft. One night inside the Great American Melodrama in Oceano and you might be pleasantly surprised to know that the theater lives up to its name, and has for decades. This…
Erica Bartnik explores her bipolar disorder with images at the Cypress Gallery
Doctors may not have nailed down exactly why people present certain mental disorders, such as bipolar disorder—formerly known as manic depression—but plenty of evidence has stacked up that suggests genetic factors come into play. For local photographer Erica Bartnik, she can’t remember a time when she didn’t have racing thoughts, unbidden negative emotions, and violent…
Healthful heroes: Veggie Rescue helps thousands in Santa Barbara County
They don’t wear red tights and a cape. Nor do they have superpowers. However they do dedicate their lives to helping the less fortunate, and they drive a cool van with a giant carrot on the back. The fine folks at Veggie Rescue are making our community a better place, and it’s probably only slightly…
Penny De La Cruz
When she started practicing Jiu Jitsu four years ago, Penny De La Cruz didn’t like it. “I would get hurt—like, ‘ow’ and fall,” she told the Sun. De La Cruz just returned from the 2015 Kids World Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Championship in Ontario, Calif. There, she joined some 800 athletes between the ages of 4…
Rolling with the punches: Juan Daniel Velazquez builds his life around amateur boxing in Lompoc
For his last boxing match, on the weekend of July 25, Juan Daniel Velazquez drove down to an arena in Oakdale with his dad. How’d it go? “It was good,” Velazquez said. “They stopped the fight. He wasn’t throwing punches—if they see that he gets hard hit, they stop the fight.” He pulled his first…
