Cover Story
What’s the best thing you have going for you right now in your life?
M. Ruth Yarnell writer “I just published a book. The title is Worn Out Shoes; it’s my autobiography.” Andy Wilson maintenance man “Right now the best thing for me is working and saving money for college. I’m looking at two Christian colleges, and I’m also looking into the ROTC program. I’m thinking I may join…
The day I’ve been waiting for has finally come
This is the last time. I promise. It has to be. All of my readers who are sick-near-unto-death of me writing about A.B. 65 can be assured that I won’t be writing about it anymore after today. That’s because the state Assembly finally—finally!—agreed that everyone, whether married or single, deserves to be treated the same…
Hancock will get you to the Getty
Allan Hancock College’s Community Education program is offering an educational bus tour to the Getty Center in Los Angeles on Oct. 4 with registration currently open through Aug. 29. The Getty Center highlights many exhibits, including pre-20th-century European paintings, drawings, illuminated manuscripts, sculpture, decorative arts, and 19th- and 20th-century American and European photographs. The bus…
Fun for all ages
The Santa Maria Michaels presents arts and crafts events for kids, including a “Kids Club Duct Tape Book Cover Event” on Aug. 24. A “Kids Club Grandparents Day Card Event” is Aug. 31. Each event runs from 10 a.m. to noon in half-hour sessions at Michaels, 1934 S. Broadway, Santa Maria. More info: 349-8801.
Taking action
The Community Action Commission of Santa Barbara County presents the annual “Head Start Book Drive” event with the goal of providing complete sets of new books in 24 centers in Santa Barbara. The event runs through September. Community members can help buy books for kids up to 5 years old. Direct donations can also be…
A new gallery arrives
A new business that combines the showcasing of fine art with antiques is opening soon. The “Antiques, Etc. and Art Gallery” will be holding a grand opening event on Sept. 1 at noon. The shop will be in the Oak Knolls Shopping Center at 1102 E. Clark Ave., suite 120, Orcutt. More info: 714-6688.
Capture local parks with your phone
The City of Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department presents a new “Summer Cell Phone Photo Contest” event, calling for locals to snap a photo with their phone at any Santa Maria Recreation and Parks event, program, or park. The photos will be judged by local artists and, if selected, will be displayed on the…
Literary orphan
Ed. note: Ashley Schwellenbach, managing editor of the Sun’s sister paper, New Times, frequently contributes to this paper (mostly behind the scenes for stuff like the Holiday Guide and the like), so we wanted to show you what she does when she’s not writing about clam poachers. Schwellenbach admits she’s going for something of…
Bibliotopia found at Broadway Books
A friendly aroma greets my nostrils upon walking into Broadway Books. It’s the scent of books that have been lovingly tended and carefully stored. I couldn’t keep the smile off my face, nor could I stop my eyes darting from shelf to shelf, quickly scanning the spines of scores of books, any of which could…
Exploring Cyrano
PCPA Theaterfest is enjoying an astounding season, presenting a range from such iconic classics as Fiddler on the Roof to the romping hilarity of Spamalot. The company has definitely been flexing its muscles. For the latest production, the poetic Cyrano de Bergerac, PCPA has called in a new face to the theater company. Derrick Lee…
Prairie Home meets wine country’s own
Forget about Lake Wobegon. This transmission is coming from Los Alamos. You can also forget about hearing from Dusty and Lefty; Captain Bucky is here. And your beloved Guy Noir has been replaced with the wine-centric gumshoe Peno Noir. Bedford Winery is raring up for its 11th annual “W.I.N.O. Radio Dinner Show.” The annual event—a…
Men in plaid
What exactly does an 11-year-old boy do to a pair of shoes that makes them look like they were worn by one of the lancers in the charge of the Light Brigade? And I’m not talking about one of the survivors! After only two months, a new pair of Van’s tennis shoes looks more like…
New chefs in Old Town Orcutt
As a boy growing up in the Santa Maria Valley, James Gentry fondly remembers looking up and seeing the iconic longhorns and wildlife mounts on the walls at the historic Far Western Tavern in Guadalupe when dining there with his family. Fast-forward 20 years and Gentry finds himself in charge of the kitchen at the…
LAURA FULLMER
Golf balls aren’t the only things being driven by Buellton resident Laura Fullmer. According to her coaches and parents, Fullmer is extremely driven as a student, an athlete, and in all that she does. Fullmer attends Santa Ynez High School and lives with her mother and father. When she was 6 years old, her grandpa…
A new coach and schedule are on the way
The Santa Maria Saints cross-country team is playing host to summer training on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 to 10 a.m. and Wednesdays from 5 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 High School cross-country…
Run with the big ‘Dogs
Allan Hancock College 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 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 be…
Play golf and give back
Committed to strengthening low-income families, St. Vincent’s is proud to announce its 12th annual Golf Classic tournament at the La Cumbre Country Club on Aug. 26. Registration starts at 10 a.m., with an awards ceremony and reception to follow at 5 p.m. All proceeds from the event go to St. Vincent’s Children and Family Services.…
Last chance for tennis camp
Held at the Shell Beach Tennis Courts, coach Patience organizers will work with players to teach beginning tennis skills through drills and practice games. Sessions and private lessons will continue until Aug.3. Lessons are available from 9:15 to 10 a.m., 10 to 10:45 a.m., or 10:45 to 11:30 a.m., and are open to players in…
Senior softball at Hagerman
Senior citizens ages 50 and older are invited to come out every Monday and Thursday for some softball and fun in the sun. Batting practice begins at 10 a.m. and games kick off at 11 a.m. Senior rules apply; the event includes a monthly pizza party or barbecue. The cost to play is $1; games…
Micro Wrestling comes back to the Maverick
Hailed as the “Greatest Little Show on Earth,” Micro Wrestling will come back to the Maverick Saloon in Santa Ynez, on Thursday, Aug. 29. Set to kick off at 8:30 p.m., Mark Burnett of Maverick Saloon said it’s going to be a night of fun and laughter as the professional wrestlers put on an excellent…
On pins and needles
Danilo Perez—a retired Santa Maria physical education teacher and avid runner—lies flat on his stomach, breathing deeply. While the tiny needles sticking out of his back might indicate some kind of masochism, Perez is actually finishing up another monthly acupuncture treatment. “Treatment is like a tune-up,” Perez said. “Acupuncture is part of my regimen.” Perez,…
Will warrior women end U.S. hunger?
On an August afternoon 36 years ago, my world flipped upside down. I was 27, mother to a 3-year-old and an 18-month-old. My college career was on hold while my husband considered a graduate degree. But that wasn’t going to happen because on this one August day a deadly accident terminated our dreams. This accident…
After-school program brings youth center closer to Pioneer Valley
The Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department is welcoming students from Pioneer Valley High School to partake in free after-school activities at the Edwards Community Center from 2:30 to 4 p.m. The program started on Aug. 19 and provides recreational activities, snacks, games, and more for the students. Recreation and Parks Department Associate Teresa Rayburn…
What Kids Are Reading: The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg
The Civil War is tearing apart the country—and families, as Homer P. Figg’s older brother, Harold, is sworn into the Union army. Shortly after the elder Figg’s departure, however, Homer learns that it was an illegal conscription carried out with the help of the boys’ degenerate uncle and a corrupt judge in exchange for money.…
Rodeo association kicks off high school season with an initiation meeting
The California High School Rodeo Association District 7 Commission will welcome past and future members at a general meeting on Aug. 31 at 2 p.m. at the Madonna Inn. Junior high and high school students interested in participating in the 2013-2014 rodeo season are invited to attend the meeting, which kicks off another year. District…
Robotics challenge pits LEGO machines in battle
A robot battle showcase topped off an eight-week robotics program held by the United Boys and Girls Club of Santa Barbara County in Lompoc. On Aug. 13, small teams of elementary and junior high school students in third through eighth grades built and programmed LEGO robots for various tests and competitions. The “Sumo Challenge” showcase…
Spotlight on: Aaron’s Plumbing
He’s the strong silent type, and 50 percent of his work is dealing in fecal mater. A career in plumbing was never one of Aaron Gendernalik’s lofty goals. He said he remembers being young and watching a plumber fix his kitchen sink—and he told his mother he never wanted that job. For the last 10…
Political Watch 8/22/13
• Santa Maria Valley League of Women Voters will provide voter registration in the Santa Maria Public Library courtyard on Aug. 26—Women’s Equality Day—from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The library is at 421 S. McClelland St. On Sept. 24—National Voter Registration Day—the league will hold another voter registration day from 11 a.m. to 3…
Community Corner: Alzheimer’s Association
The Alzheimer’s Association fundraiser event set for Sept. 28 at Waller Park in Santa Maria will welcome runners and walkers of all ages with the inaugural 5K run and half-mile kids’ fun run. Registration for both events begins at 7:30 a.m. The Walk to End Alzheimer’s event will also feature the 3K and 5K walk…
Community Notebook 8/22-8/29
MONDAY, AUG. 26 • 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. TUESDAY, AUG. 27 • The Guadalupe City Council has its regular meeting at 6 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, City Hall, 918 Obispo St., Guadalupe. •…
Hobnobbing With Helen
Club K Speakeasy celebrated the Roaring Twenties on Friday, Aug. 9, at the Vets Memorial Hall in Santa Maria. It was a roaring success. Noontime Kiwanis has come up with a surefire formula for pleasing people at its annual signature fundraiser. The basics are scrumptious food, madcap gaming activity, and irresistible silent auction items—with a…
Redefining the teacher
The students faced a list of questions displayed at the front of David Preston’s classroom at Ernest Righetti High School. It was the start of third period on Aug. 15, and each senior in the AP literature and composition class was writing the answers to those questions in a growing journal. “How would you go…
Home, ‘green’ home
The Rosenthals’ home off of Highway 246 in Solvang provides a cool oasis from the 100-degree weather. The white, single-story ranch house is neat and comfortable, with shiny wood floors and large double-paned windows that overlook a wraparound patio, a grassy lawn, and horse corrals. It’s David and Kathleen Rosenthal’s dream house—but it didn’t start…
Buellton Planning Commission approves Meritage project
Senior citizens could be getting more real estate options in the Santa Ynez Valley in the years to come. On Aug. 15, the Buellton Planning Commission unanimously approved issuing a conditional use permit and certified the environmental impact report for the Meritage senior living project. It now goes before the Buellton City Council for approval.…
State Assembly passes Achadjian’s ‘rape-by-fraud’ bill
After almost three years and two separate tries, the California State Assembly unanimously approved on Aug. 19 a bill aimed at changing the legal definition of rape to include attackers who coerce victims into sexual activity by impersonating their significant others. Authored by Assembly members Katcho Achadjian (R-San Luis Obispo) and Bonnie Lowenthal (D-Long Beach),…
Santa Barbara County opts out of government talks with Chumash
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors chose not to vote directly on the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians’ request to engage in direct government-to-government talks. Instead, supervisors voted 3-2 during their Aug. 20 meeting, with Salud Carbajal and Larry Lavagnino dissenting, that county planning staff treat the tribe as a private landowner when…
The state advises Oso Flaco Lake fishers on friendly eats
On the menu of edible fresh fish caught at Oso Flaco Lake are blue gill and hitch. If it’s gigantic goldfish that you want, though, you should probably drop your hook elsewhere. And as far as Oso Flaco Lake bass are concerned, the California Environmental Protection Agency (CEPA) recommends only eating one a week. CEPA’s…
