Cover Story
Walking the line
Dressed in a light blue jumpsuit, Frank Godinez is led into the Inmate Reception Center at Santa Barbara County Jail. Once locked inside, he turns around, stoops low enough for the guard to remove his handcuffs through a slot in the door, and approaches the jailhouse phone. Brow furrowed, his voice carries tinges of anger…
What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten or prepared for someone else?
Bryan Hersey Tom’s Burgers food prep “I had a piece of toast with the egg cooked inside it once. It might not be weird to other people, but it was weird to me because I don’t like runny yolk. I’m kind of a simple eater.” Nick Long Tom’s Burgers cook “Some guy ordered a U…
Jump for joy!
Know any thrill seekers who are notoriously hard to shop for? There’s nothing like jumping out of a plane to put a smile on an adrenaline junkie’s face. Since Jan. 1, 2000, Skydive Santa Barbara has been offering tandem jumps and top-quality skydive training. “We’re the fastest growing skydive school in Santa Barbara County. We…
Musical glory
The Lompoc Valley Master Chorale is celebrating the holiday and 20 years of musical contribution to Lompoc’s musical community with the piece that originally brought the group together: George Frederic Handel’s setting of the Messiah to be performed on Dec. 16 and 17 in Lompoc. “David Hensley, who was the founding director of the group,…
Cookies and latkes and Brits, oh my!
The holidays at my house are an international affair. I plan my shopping, baking, decorating, and gifts with the kind of precision that went into the Yalta Conference. I, of course, represent President Roosevelt, the American contingent. I replace Stalin with stollen—sweeter, nicer, and far more palatable—and my husband is Sir Winston Churchill, cigar and…
Check out best-dressed homes
The city of Santa Maria announced the winners of this year’s Lights, Sights, and Holiday Nights program. Recreation and Parks staff pre-judged entries, and then the Recreation and Parks Commission’s Lights, Sights, and Holiday Nights Committee determined the final award winners. The Grand Prize winners include: • Best Decorated Residence within four City quadrants: Jose…
Photography fills the C Gallery
The C Gallery is having its first all-photography show. The exhibit, called “Road Trip,” will be curated by photographer, teacher, and author Kam Jacoby. Photographers are invited to submit work relating to the theme. The show is set to open Jan. 21. There’s an entry fee of $20 for the first submission and $5 for…
See Rittenberg’s display at Los Olivos Cafe
Jean Rittenberg’s paintings are showing through Feb. 10 at the Los Olivos Cafe, 2870 Grand Ave., in Los Olivos. Rittenberg is an active member of the Artists Guild of the Santa Ynez Valley, whose work is often on view in the Guild Room at Gallery Los Olivos. A reception for the artist will be held…
Made you look!
Mark Velasquez was just 13 when he first encountered the obstacle that would make his artistic career the frustrating, delicious thing it is today: He was unabashedly fascinated by the human figure. The young Velasquez had asked his mother for a book by artist Boris Vallejo, whose highly photorealistic depictions of ripplingly muscled men and…
Out to sea
Shortly before Christmas, Santa Ynez Valley artist Ron Guthrie will deploy with the U.S. Coast Guard. His job will be a little different from that of typical personnel, though, as he’s tasked with bringing along a camera and his artistic eye to document his trip. Guthrie will be traveling on the Coast Guard Cutter Stratton…
What’s on Deck?
Thursday, Dec. 15 Boys’ Basketball Nipomo @ Morro Bay 5 p.m. Templeton @ Lompoc 6 p.m. Boys’ Soccer Santa Ynez @ Santa Barbara 5 p.m. Cabrillo @ Lompoc 7 p.m. Girls’ Basketball Lompoc @ Templeton 6:30 p.m. Morro Bay @ Nipomo 6:30 p.m. Girls’ Soccer Cabrillo @ Lompoc 3:30 p.m. Santa Barbara @ Santa Ynez…
Lace up those basketball shoes
Basketball players ages 18 and up have until Jan. 12 to register for the city of Santa Maria’s Adult Basketball League. Games are five-on-five and league play begins on Jan. 27, with men’s and co-ed divisions offered. Players must be able to suit up Monday through Friday for the 10-week season. Fees are $252 for…
On the roster
• Winter Break Camp: The Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department’s Winter Camp for children ages 6 to 12 will be held at the Minami Community Center, 600 W. Enos Dr., from Dec. 19 through Jan. 13, 2012. The fee is $75 per week for each child, based on a full day from 7:30 a.m.…
Set and spike with a city volleyball league
The Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department is looking for men and women to participate in the city’s six-on-six adult volleyball league, which begins play on Jan. 29. Games will be held at various city gyms over 10 weeks. Men’s and women’s divisions play on Sundays; co-ed divisions on Wednesdays. Fees are $152 for resident…
The Bleacher Bum Chronicles Vol. XXI
Time is running out. The shopping days are counting down like the final minutes of a deciding playoff game. The outcome is in your hands. Will you pull out a game-winning gift or choke in the clutch? Wipe that sweat off your brow and take a breather, Buyer, because the Bleacher Bum is here to…
Luke Branquinho
Now it can be told: Los Alamos’ Luke Branquinho truly has a handle on the sport of steer wrestling. Competing at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo for the 10th time since 2001, Branquinho won his third world championship at the 10-day professional rodeo event in Las Vegas, which concluded on Dec. 10. “It’s been the…
Foodie gift ideas
A much-publicized trend this holiday season is to “shop small” and buy local; support your hometown businesses to keep them afloat during these tough economic times. Here are three ways to do just that, if you’re looking for holiday gifts for the cook or oenophile in your life. What could be a more appropriate holiday…
A new hope
So I was at my friends’ house, and their young daughter was playing with a toy that consisted of simple metal locks mounted on a wooden board. She spent quite a while—especially for a toddler—manipulating the various chains and fasteners to open doors that revealed images of cheerful farm animals. Having successfully figured out how…
Why Christmas Trees Aren’t Perfect, by Richard H. Schneider
Richard Schneider’s 1988 seasonal classic has everything children adore: a queen, a castle, a magic forest, and small animals. Schneider weaves a lovely tale with a wonderful message for all ages, which has never been more timely: Small, random acts of kindness do count and can have a lasting impact on both the giver and…
Need money for school?
The Allan Hancock College Financial Aid office distributed more than $11 million in student federal and state financial aid and scholarships during the 2010-11 academic year. Officials are encouraging current and future students to learn more about applying for their own financial aid. The application process is quick and easy, and those who qualify may…
Give the gift of books
Children’s books make great gifts, and during the month of December the Allan Hancock College Bookstore is making gift giving even more appealing by matching every children’s book sold with the donation of a book to Hancock’s Children’s Center Lab School. The books were purchased by the bookstore, but handpicked by the Children’s Center staff.…
Local schools donate food to charity
Schools throughout Northern Santa Barbara County are getting into the holiday spirit this year by collecting donations for local nonprofits. In Santa Maria, the students at Rice Elementary School recently collected two shopping carts’ worth of food to donate to the Santa Barbara County Foodbank and the People of Greatness Community Center. Located at 1503…
Hobnobbing with Helen
So beautiful! So delicious! So congenial! How else to describe the extraordinary Palm Court Holiday Candlelight Tour held in a historic neighborhood near the Santa Maria Inn? Three wonderful period (circa 1930) homes, loaded with spectacular Christmas décor, were the focus of this tour, which is also a progressive dinner. Imagine French 75 cocktails (champagne…
The Discovery Museum is here for you this December
As Christmas approaches and things get hectic, don’t forget that the museum will be open during winter break from school. Need to get out of the house for a couple hours? Out-of-town visitors looking for something to do? Need a Christmas gift for that special family? Now is a great time to renew or purchase…
Celebrate Christmas with the Rescue Mission
Christmas can be a particularly difficult time of year for people and families who are out of a job, out of money, struggling with addictions, or living on the streets. To help make the season brighter, the Central Coast Rescue Mission in Santa Maria is holding its annual Christmas Celebration for the needy on Dec.…
Spotlight on: Las Palmas Mexican Restaurant
While it may not look like much from the outside for the time being, Las Palmas Mexican Restaurant rewards the senses with a true taste of Guadalajaran cuisine inside. Oscar Lucatero and his wife Orquida Cortez opened the family-run eatery in April, their first entrée into the restaurant business. Lucatero’s father ran a seafood restaurant,…
Have a blast
Tangible gifts are so last year. This year, why not think outside of the (gift) box and buy that woman in your life something that’s more about the experience? Give her the ability to pull the trigger. Range Master of Santa Maria offers a Women’s Shoot 101 class that combines a mix of physical self-defense…
Supes sign off on new plan for North County jail
On Dec. 6, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved Sheriff Bill Brown’s request to apply for a new phase of state funding that could simultaneously offer a better-equipped facility and save the county a significant amount of money. Brown told the board the phase could be a major step in building better-equipped…
Supes allocate funds to repair Guadalupe Dunes road
With hopes of reopening the Rancho Guadalupe Dunes County Park to vehicles by the spring, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted on Dec. 6 to allocate $300,000 to repair the park’s damaged access road. The majority of the money—$250,000—will come from Coastal Resource Enhancement Fund grants. The remaining $50,000 will be appropriated from…
Univision isn’t closing
After hearing widespread reports that Univision—Santa Maria’s only Spanish-speaking TV news affiliate—would be going off air within the week, station management released this statement: “KPMR-DT Channel 21 is not closing. As the Spanish-language leader in the Santa Barbara market, we remain dedicated to serving our loyal audience. We currently expect the last broadcast of KPMR’s…
Lompoc appoints a long-awaited economic committee
After plenty of discussion and a few disagreements over who should qualify for a seat, Lompoc City Council members made their final selections for the city’s Economic Development Committee on Dec. 6. The new committee will be headed by Teresa Gallavan, the city’s economic development director and assistant city clerk. The creation of Gallavan’s position…
Lompoc City Council sifts through the mess that is LHCDC
The city of Lompoc is deeply entrenched in a financial quagmire now that affordable-housing nonprofit Lompoc Housing and Community Development Corporation (LHCDC) has gone under. Last month, the City Council asked staff members to provide a report on the potential liability for repayment of outstanding federal loans made to the now-defunct nonprofit. The city started…
Peter Adam is running for county supervisor
Longtime Santa Maria farmer Peter Adam has announced he’s running for 4th District Santa Barbara County Supervisor in the June 2012 election. Adam is vice president of Adam Brothers Farming, a company known for its vegetables and for its well-publicized legal squabble with the county in the early 2000s. In the suit, Adam Brothers claimed…
