Cover Story
Crossing the line
Fences have been cut. Yards have been trampled. Locals have walked out of their homes to find strangers hiking past, oblivious—maybe even uncaring—to the fact that in their wanderings, they’ve strayed from legitimate public paths and onto someone’s private property. Rice Ranch boasts miles of trails open to hikers and cyclists, but the open space’s…
What Kids are Reading: The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom
In your classic fairytale, you’ve got a young woman facing horrible prospects or peril—think Snow White’s poison apple, Rapunzel’s imprisonment, Cinderella’s horrid home life, and Sleeping Beauty’s curse-triggered enchantment—only to be rescued by a prince. And not just any prince. Prince Charming. Such a feat of daring, you’d think, would immortalize the hero in song,…
Have you seen any good movies, plays, or television shows lately?
Don Short heavy equipment operator “Saw The Lone Ranger recently, had mixed feelings about it. I’ve also been watching Duck Dynasty, which is hilarious.” Cierra Lacasse student “The new season of Pretty Little Liars has been really good, but I can’t think of much else I’ve seen recently.” Kirsten Garbers part-time student, part-time instructional assistant…
Political Watch 8/8/13
Thanks to the passage of Proposition 39, an estimated $450 million will go to California schools in the upcoming year to pay for energy efficiency and clean energy projects, including approximately $7.8 million for local schools in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Additionally, nearly $50 million will be provided to fund energy projects at…
Lompoc Library Foundation offers ‘Concerts on the Library Lawn’
The Lompoc Library Foundation has been offering a concert series every year since 2007 as a gift to the community that’s given the small nonprofit so much support. The “Concerts on the Library Lawn” always feature three consecutive concerts in August that bring fun, relaxing music to the patch of grass outside of the library.…
Railroad author signs book at Goleta Depot
The South Coast Railroad Museum at the Goleta Depot will play host to author and historian Henry E. Bender, Jr., for a book signing event on Aug. 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the museum at 300 N. Los Carneros Road, Goleta. In his book Southern Pacific Lines Standard-Design Depots, Bender details historic railroad…
Fun for all ages
Michael’s Arts and Crafts presents arts and crafts events for kids, including a “Free Family Craft Time Event” Aug. 10. A “Kids Club Bookmark Event” is Aug. 17 from 10 a.m. to noon. 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…
Celebrate local films
The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival presents “SLO County on the Silver Screen,” a film screening series celebrating films shot and made locally, as part of the festival’s 20th anniversary. A screening of Cecil B. DeMille’s 1923 silent production of The Ten Commandments, which was filmed in the Guadalupe Dunes, will be screened on…
Lompoc Civic Theatre needs actors
The Lompoc Civic Theatre is holding a casting call for an original play by Paul Allen Thornton titled Audition for Murder. The play is set to run in October; the auditions will happen Aug. 13 and 14 at 7 p.m. at the Stone Pine Hall, 210 South H St., Lompoc. The play calls for seven…
Eyes on the sky
It’s not every day pilots invite people to come over and shoot at their planes, but the Tri Valley Modelers are doing just that. True, they may not be sitting in the craft they’re piloting, but they’re maneuvering them nonetheless. And they’re so confident in their skills that they’re inviting locals to come try their…
Garbage no more
Even a single piece of trash has ramifications, whether the careless litterer thinks so or not. An environment cluttered with foreign objects, be they single-use plastics or tin cans, isn’t in its purest state. But two Guadalupe nonprofits are providing a home for an exhibit that makes use of such discarded waste, transforming it into…
She loves them yeah, yeah, yeah
It’s all my parents’ fault,” I imagine I’ll say to medics after fainting, 1965 Shea Stadium style, when Paul McCartney sings the first few words of The Beatles’ hit Something. I wouldn’t tell them how I only stopped short of rushing the stage because the thought of a 40-year-old mom of four clamoring toward a…
Mattei’s Tavern: Comfortably classy, more than a touch of whimsy
Mattei’s Tavern, built in 1886 and considered one of the best-preserved stagecoach stops on the entire West Coast, has undergone a remarkable rejuvenation and is now ready for 21st century customers. Chef Robbie Wilson and his wife and business partner Emily Perry Wilson recently gave me a tour, explaining the changes they made to the…
Discounts? Count me in!
Here’s something I bet you didn’t know about me: I love discount shopping. I’m talking all kinds of discount shopping: garage sales, Black Friday sales, Christmas sales, Mother’s Day sales, Father Day’s sales, bar mitzvah sales … wait a second. I don’t think that last one is real, at least on a national scale. I…
Santa Maria’s library celebrates the new building’s fifth birthday
A day-long celebration in honor of the Santa Maria Public Library’s fifth birthday will take place on Aug. 24. Two local bands, a barbecue lunch, and various children’s activities are scheduled for the day. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. inside the library and outside in the Lavagnino Plaza. The only…
Van Leuven will take the helm at the accrediting commission
Retired Santa Ynez Valley Unified School District superintendent Fred Van Leuven was selected as the new executive director of the Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Van Leuven will begin his new leadership role on Oct. 1, replacing David Brown, who served in the position since 2002. Before his 11-year run…
YMCA plays host to Family Day at Waller Park
The Santa Maria Valley YMCA, Friends of Waller Park, and the Santa Maria Breakfast Rotary are teaming up to bring Family Day to Waller Park once again. The event has been happening each year for more than 35 years and draws more than 5,000 people a year to the park. In addition to vendors, this…
Spotlight on: Blue Sky Vapes
Unjustifiably taboo to some, a complete mystery to others, and something celebrated by fans, “vaping” is a relatively new alternative to smoking standard analog cigarettes. Frank Compston and Kristi Allen are excited to open Blue Sky Vapes for business in Santa Maria on Aug. 9 to provide this service to all interested customers— mostly cigarette smokers.…
Community Notebook 8/8-8/15
MONDAY, AUG. 12 • 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, AUG. 13 • The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has its regular meeting at 9 a.m. in the Betteravia Government Center’s Board…
Hobnobbing With Helen
Amelia Earhart made a guest appearanceat the Orcutt library’s special program held on Earhart’s birthday, July 24. But, you say, how could that be? The famous aviatrix and aviation pioneer was lost over the Pacific Ocean on July 2, 1937. Not to worry. It was not a mirage. Local pilot Patricia Lynn paid homage to…
Community Corner: Boys & Girls grilling for a good cause
Two things that are familiar to Santa Maria residents are the Boys & Girls Club and barbecues on Saturday. Both of these elements are coming together to raise money for a great cause. On Saturday, Aug. 17, the Alumni Club of the Boys & Girls Club will be host to a benefit barbecue to raise…
Global education through dual immersion
Teaching Mandarin, French, Spanish, and Arabic to elementary school kids is a fad that’s starting to eke its way into public schools across the country. But these classes aren’t like typical language classes for adults, which might run for an hour a day, four times a week, and that’s all the exposure you get. With…
Grover mayor narrowly holds onto air pollution board seat
The problem of harmful fugitive dust blowing onto the Nipomo Mesa from the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area continues to divide San Luis Obispo’s South County. Grover Beach Mayor Debbie Peterson stepped into the divisive issue, and it nearly blew her off the San Luis Obispo County air pollution control board. Following a heated…
Lawsuits line up against Santa Maria’s Windset Farms
Windset Farms and its contract labor provider, Pacheco Labor Services, were named in two lawsuits filed in May by former employees. The cases are separate: One is a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by Irma Sanchez; the other is a class action lawsuit alleging labor law violations. In addition to listing Windset Farms and Pacheco Labor…
Local strawberry growers battle a crop disease linked to last year’s whitefly infestation
Stunted plant growth, discolored leaves, and brittle roots: the symptoms of pallidosis, a disease currently affecting strawberry fields in Guadalupe and other parts of the Santa Maria Valley. “It’s a little bit of a perfect storm that has happened and it’s really hurting some of the growers,” said Laura Gregory, grower communications specialist with the…
Prevention fund needs our support
If current childhood obesity trends hold, we could see for the first time that our nation’s children will live shorter lives than their parents. What a troubling future that lies before them. The good news is there is an opportunity to stop this historic health debacle. To prevent chronic disease, a community must invest in…
Your racism writer showed his true colors
In response to the strangely titled commentary, “The economy is paramount” (Aug. 1): While the piece was solely about racism, the only lifelong racist in this article is the author, Mr. Otis Page. Judging our president as strongly biased, because he has commented on the Trayvon Martin murder, Mr. Otis shows his own true colors.…
When life gives kids lemons …
There’s this thing online called “trolling.” It’s when you post something really outrageous just to get a reaction out of people. That’s what I think the online magazine Slate was doing recently when it posted an opinion piece critical of lemonade stands. I’m not making this up. In a piece headlined, “Down with Lemonade Stands,”…
Malia, Analea, and Leila Pule
Local residents Kevin and Maria Pule have enough children to form a family soccer team. For non-soccer types, that’s 11 kids. There isn’t actually a family Pule team, but there are three Pules currently playing for the Orcutt Crusaders: 10-year-old twins Analea (pictured right) and Malia (left), and 9-year-old sister Leila (center). Analea plays goalie,…
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…
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 play host to 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…
Get clinical with Misty May-Treanor
The City of Pismo Beach Recreation Division has partnered with the Dream in Gold to bring legendary volleyball 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…
Water polo goes Olympian in Santa Maria
Three water polo Olympians—Maggie Steffens, Andy Stevens, and premier coach Ricardo Azevedo—are drawing 65 young people from around California to Santa Maria for an instructional camp set for Aug. 8 and 9. The instructors will be working with the youth at Paul Nelson Aquatic Center, and the event will culminate with an exhibition game on…
Spin cycle
Spinning—sometimes called indoor cycling—is a cardio program designed for broad appeal. It can be used to improve cardio, lose weight, tone muscles, and stay in shape, so people from all walks of life are welcomed into a spinning studio. One member of a local class shared that as she got older, her knees grew weak,…
