Cover Stories
For the naughty person on your list
We all have a body domination sadomasochist (BDSM) on our holiday gift list, right? Whether you’ve got a truly close friend or a family member who shares too much, there’s a perfect gift for those on the kinky side of things, and it’s crafted right here on the Central Coast. Tom Douvia, a third-generation master…
The local touch: Central Coast artisans can provide handmade gifts for just about everyone on your holiday shopping list
While droves of pup-tent pitching fanatics finalized their holiday purchases early this year, many (including this procrastinating pen smith) have barely begun to list the friends and family who will receive some holiday generosity. But before you swarm the nearest corporate outlet, take a gander at the Sun’s Last Minute Holiday Gift Guide, which features…
Girlfriend of murder trial suspect arrested for allegedly attempting to smuggle drugs into the county jail
On Dec. 17, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department detectives arrested the girlfriend of one of the suspects in the Anthony Ibarra murder trial for allegedly attempting to smuggle drugs into the jail in Goleta, as well as child endangerment. Detectives served a search warrant around 9 a.m. at the home of Banesa Gutierrez, 25, in…
What does the Sun staff want for Christmas?
Amy Asman managing editor “My husband and I are in the process of house hunting, so I want a house for Christmas.” Ryan Miller executive editor “Money for a tattoo, but a house would be nice, too.” Camillia Lanham staff writer “I want a place to rent that my dog and I can call home.”…
Get hopping: Valley Brewers offers last-minute gift ideas for someone interested in crafting beer, wine, mead, and cheese
I’ve wanted to make mead for years. Maybe it’s my fascination with the ancient epic tale of Beowulf, in which they drink the honey-based alcohol like it’s water. Maybe it’s because I’m the sort of person who likes to dive into interests just a bit off the mainstream. Or maybe it’s because I simply want…
Eat, drink, and be married: Say, ‘I do!’ to Field to Table Catering and Events
Turning 30 in September was a milestone for Santa Maria native son Tracy Labastida. This fall, he left his job of six years as executive chef and general manager at Testa Catering—the largest caterer in Northern Santa Barbara County—to venture out on his own. On Nov. 1, the enthusiastic and energetic Labastida started his own…
Holiday crafting at Michaels
Michaels offers several arts and crafts events for kids, including a “Kids’ Club Crayola Wintery Work of Art” class on Dec. 14 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. with half-hour sessions for $2 for kids ages 3 and older. Michaels is located at 1934 S. Broadway in Santa Maria. More information is available at 349-8801.
Celebrating young musicians: The Central Coast Music Teachers Association
The Central Coast Music Teachers Association held its 24th annual CAPMT Piano Auditions and Honors Program on Nov. 1 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Arroyo Grande and Nov. 2 at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in San Luis Obispo. More than 30 audition students performed, and seven honors students participated as well. Sixteen students received…
Santa Barbara County Arts Commission honors Connie Rohde-Stanchfield
The Santa Barbara County Arts Commission awarded the 2013 Leadership in the Arts Award to Connie Rohde-Stanchfield, a longtime local educator and arts advocate, at the Dec. 3 Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors meeting. The commission also presented the award at a special celebration on Dec. 5 at the Channing Peake Gallery, located on…
A magical, musical, hilarious holiday: The Great American Melodrama presents a ‘Holiday Extravaganza’
Watch a video of the intermission hijinx at The Great American Melodrama. The Great American Melodrama in Oceano buzzed with excitement as the packed house waited for the Holiday Extravaganza to begin. The actors who were seating the theater patrons and serving up confections in the bar line were favorite faces of the Melodrama, but…
Visions of Lompoc: The city known for its flowers, mural–and UFOs?–catches Etsy sellers’ eyes
Artists are often drawn to sites that have a sort of energy, be it peaceful, spiritual, mystical, or mysterious. Lompoc, with its lush surroundings and historic mission, is no stranger to such attention. Painters, photographers, and others are pulled to the area, seeking their muse in this city near the sea on California’s Central Coast.…
God rest ye merry gentleman
It’s beginning to feel quite festive here at Waterman Manor. December is always a busy month for us, with our grandson’s birthday, Hanukkah, and Christmas filling our days and shopping lists. My husband, The Brit, has been recovering from recent surgery that would not be standard procedure for him if it did not bear complications.…
Singing stanzas: The local open mic event at the Bookworm is a warm welcome to musicians
When Darin Jabler, owner of the used bookstore The Bookworm, started hosting an open mic event on the second Saturday of each month, he didn’t know what to expect. But, as a popular baseball movie says, “If you build it, they will come,” and quickly poets and prose writers alike showed up to read from…
Teens invited to do-it-yourself gift workshop
Though the actual crafts to be made are a secret, the Santa Maria Public Library’s teen gift-making workshop will be a far cry from creating a kindergarten handprint reindeer on construction paper. Handmade ornaments, cards, mugs, and sweet treats are potential outflows of creative productivity that could happen on Dec. 18 between 4:30 and 7:30…
Holiday happiness comes in small packages at KnitFit
Small and inexpensive is the name of the drop-in gift-making game at KnitFit in Solvang. The last-minute play in this store starts as low as $3 and runs up to $15, depending of course, on what a child’s creative juices are saying when they drop by. Children can make holiday cards, decorate a plastic ornament,…
Creation Station offers gift-crafting classes for kiddos
Children ages 8 and older can head over the Creation Station Fabric and Quilt Shop in Buellton and get down with their creative side just in the nick of time to shove presents under the tree. The Creation Station is offering up two kid-friendly gift-crafting classes to add a little flair to its holiday season…
Spotlight on: The Hideout Coffee House
The aroma of sweet freshly baked bread filled the Hideout Coffee House on Dec. 6. It was panipopo, Samoan sweet coconut rolls doused in coconut cream sauce. Liquid soaked into the fluffy, white dough where the edges of the roll met the coconut cream sauce in the baking pan. It’s a specialty of Joette Reyes,…
Political Watch 12/12/13
• Several California Democrats and the California-based group CourageCampaign.org recently launched a petition demanding that a healthcare website created by California Republicans be taken down. According to the Sacramento Bee, a statement released by California Democratic Party Chair John Burton said the website shows that “Republicans in California have no qualms about following their national…
Community Notebook 12/12-12/19
TUESDAY, DEC. 17 • The Guadalupe Planning Commission has its regular meeting at 6 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, City Hall, 918 Obispo St., Guadalupe. • The Santa Maria City Council has its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, City Hall, 110 E. Cook St., Santa Maria. Agendas are available…
Hobnobbing with Helen
Let’s play holiday Jeopardy! Question: What celebrated, distinctive events make Christmas and the holidays ultra-special, glamorous, and exciting in our hometown? Answer: What are three Altrusa Christmas tree raffles? Here’s another question: When do these raffles take place? Answer: What is mid-November, when the nighttime Altrusa Club has its annual Christmas Tree Extravaganza at the…
Community Corner: Giving ‘Food from the Vine’
Some local wineries, tasting rooms, and vineyard management companies are sharing the fruits of their labor, so to speak, by raising money for the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County. Through Jan. 6, Santa Barbara County businesses participating in the “Food from the Vine” program will hold unique fundraisers, such as donating proceeds from sales of…
Furry little Christmas: The Santa Maria Valley Humane Society’s 2014 calendar is the gift that keeps giving
Need a gift for the loved one on your list who has everything? Well, if that person loves animals and likes to know what day it is, look no farther than the Santa Maria Valley Humane Society’s 2014 Pet Pin-Up Calendar! The product of a partnership between the Humane Society and the Santa Maria Times,…
Hyde Park and Santa Maria Energy announce a merger
Although it’s not official quite yet, Santa Maria Energy has agreed to merge with a company known as the Hyde Park Acquisition Corp. II, out of Delaware. Bob Poole, Santa Maria Energy’s public and government affairs manager, said the paperwork will take another week or two, so the company can’t talk about the details of…
City Council gives Atlas-Copco the thumbs up to move forward on development plans
It’s not a total green light to develop property, but on Dec. 3, the Santa Maria City Council unanimously voted to enable Atlas Copco Mafi-Trench to begin taking steps toward building a new factory in Santa Maria. The new buildings are slated to go up on a property currently owned by the city. The 20-acre…
The National Weather Service says the Central Coast is suffering from ‘extreme drought’
This year was one of the driest in history for the Central Coast—and most of California, for that matter. In mid-November, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) labeled a large portion of California as suffering from “extreme drought.” In a map released by the U.S. Drought Monitor, California is painted orange, which stands for…
Where is the love?
Hello, faithful Sun readers! Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza, and Merry (almost) Christmas! As is tradition, in honor of our annual Last-Minute Gift Guide issue, I’m going to write a little roundup on what our local leaders could use this holiday season. But before I do that, I’d like to talk about what’s been going on…
I object to that nuclear premise
Once again, the NRC has endured endless complaints from people like Mothers for Peace’s Jane Swanson and “the same old characters opposed to Diablo Canyon” (“The confidence game,” Nov. 28). I challenge any of these activists to show evidence that they actively supported the development of Yucca Mountain in Nevada for the long-term storage of…
R.I.P.
We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our friend, Common Sense, after a long period of failing health. Common was the son of Logic and Reason, both of whom predeceased him. His brother, Horse, was well known in rural communities. Common passed away from general malaise. He has and had several aunts, uncles,…
This county is more than its extremist leaders
It’s déjà vu all over again. A few weeks ago an oil company sought planning permission to drill new wells just south of Orcutt. The Planning Commission had given the green light for a project that would bring jobs to our area and pour badly needed tax revenue into county’s general fund. The board rejected…
What’s on Deck? 12/12 – 12/19
Thursday, Dec. 12 Boys’ Basketball Pioneer Valley vs. Nipomo @ PVHS, 7 p.m. Girls’ Water Polo Nipomo vs. San Luis @ NHS, 3 p.m. Cabrillo vs. St. Joseph @ Aquatic Center, 2:40 p.m. Pioneer Valley vs. Morro Bay @ PVHS, 4 p.m. Santa Ynez vs. San Luis @ SLOHS, 4…
Walk off the winter treats
Join local Guadalupe resident Ray Segovia for a guided two-hour exploration of local nature, wildlife, and history. Bring the family and friends for a healthy and educational way to work off the holiday foods. Meet at the Oso Flaco parking lot at 10 a.m. on Dec. 28.
Allan Hancock ‘Bulldog Classic’ tournament benefits local families
The Lady Bulldogs basketball team is gearing up for its annual Bulldog Classic Tournament. Scheduled for Dec. 12 through 14 at the Joe White Memorial Gymnasium, the event helps local families in need. According to a recent press release from Allan Hancock College athletics, Toys for Tots of Santa Barbara County estimates that it will…
Manny Flores
Boxing is a sport that requires tremendous personal motivation and discipline. Local boxer Manny Flores counts on these traits to bring him success in the ring. Only boxing for three and a half years, the lightweight fighter is determined to move up through the ranks. Flores said he knew he could find success in the…
Righetti soccer is taking a stand against teen suicide
Death is an inevitable part of the human condition—sometimes it’s even a welcome form of peace. But choosing death as a way to overcome suffering that could be treated, or prevented, is a tragedy. With children and teens, it may be hard to fathom why one so young would take his or her life, but…
