Cover Story
The Sun genie helps local nonprofits get their wishes granted
Genies are mythical creatures most people associate with warm Arabian nights, not sparkling evergreen trees and the hustle and bustle of the holidays. But this year, the Sun staff decided that now is the perfect time to pull the cork on the genie bottle and grant some local nonprofits’ wishes, big and small. So take…
The Red Barn in Santa Ynez reopens under new ownership–the Nichols Brothers
It cannot be overstated; the people of the Santa Ynez Valley eagerly anticipated the opening of the latest venture by “The Brothers,” Matt and Jeff Nichols. The Nichols brothers, who are experts at homemade, fine comfort cuisine, earned a loyal following with their Brothers Restaurant in Solvang in the ’90s and during their decade of…
If you could have one wish come true for the holidays, what would it be?
JR Reyes “To have a nice family vacation.” Sandra Lorato volunteer “For all my family to get together and be happy.” Jane Maelr professional “Take a trip to Samoa with my whole family.” Joette Reyes business owner/cook “Enjoying the holidays with family and friends.”
“Nerdy before it was hip”: NerdsterObscure offers handmade creations made by a nerd, for nerds
A local artisan managed to slip through the cracks for last week’s Last-Minute Holiday Gift Guide, leaving the nerdy/hipster subcultures woefully underrepresented in the guide. One local has tailored her Etsy shop and products to appeal to the Jedi knights, Vulcans, and Bronies among us. “Honestly, I thought it would just be moms out looking…
Link’s adventure through Hyrule comes to life at the ‘Symphony of the Goddesses’ in San Jose
A night at the symphony generally conjures up the thought of needing to get a suit pressed or that little black dress dry-cleaned. So why then did a select group of concertgoers pull out their green tunics and long flowing princess dresses this weekend? The Legend of Zelda—Symphony of the Goddesses wrapped up its last…
Counting our feathered friends
The National Audubon Society asks Santa Maria Valley birders to help in the annual “Christmas Bird Count,” an effort to catalog the number and variety of wild birds in the area. “Winter bird counts in this area rank high nationally because of our local habitat and our location along the Pacific Flyway,” local birder Alex…
The Santa Maria Public Library needs artists
The Santa Maria Public Library’s Shepard Hall Gallery houses magnificent art exhibitions each month throughout the year and is open to the public to view for free. The library is currently holding open registration for artists from Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties through Jan. 2 at 6 p.m. The library’s goal is to…
Exploring visual intent
Local poet and award-winning artist Lin Tarczynski will be signing her new book, “A Kick in the Eye,” at The Bookstore, 1137 North H St., Suite Q, Lompoc. The book features Tarczynski’s Asemic writing—a post-lingual style of visual intent—alongside the work of 11 artists in a graphic novel format. Some Asemic work looks like writing,…
Calm in the face of fame: David Vienna lands a book deal after telling parents to take it easy
I’m not at all jealous of David Vienna. I mean, I was. But I’m not now. When I first heard that the man who essentially took me under his wing when I was first an intern at the Sun and trained me up in the ways of journalism, essentially grooming me to take over for…
Diaper days
In early December—while doing my best not to fall off of a rickety ladder as I tried to hang up the Christmas lights—I realized something sort of sad: My kids are teenagers now, which means Santa’s sleigh won’t bother to park on our roof this year to deliver remote control cars or a life-size Barbie.…
Santa Barbara Foundation waives proof of citizenship requirement for student aid
Beginning in 2014, the Santa Barbara Foundation will apply its student aid funds to the best-qualified students from Santa Barbara County, regardless of citizenship status. As the largest annual donor to the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara, the foundation expects to provide $1.6 million for student aid in 2014 and requests that citizenship status no…
Guadalupe junior high teaches students respect
The Golden Rule at Kermit McKenzie Junior High School is respect. More than 80 students recently participated in Respect Day, where they learned that treating other people the way they want to be treated is not only fun, but also productive. Representatives from Fighting Back Santa Maria Valley worked with sixth-grade students on activities designed…
Santa Maria bus driver inducted into safety wall of fame
Student Transportation Inc. recognized employee Les Johnson, a Santa Maria school bus driver and in-service trainer, as one of the best and brightest when it comes to safety. Managers and general managers nominated employees with the Student Transportation Inc. network who went above and beyond their duties to make safety a top priority at the…
Spotlight on: Vintage Veranda Antiques and Mall
Antiquing is a very community-oriented endeavor, whether you’re a customer on the hunt for something special or an entrepreneur peddling your wares. Merry Feliz and Babe Evans, owners of Vintage Veranda Antiques and Mall in Old Town Orcutt, have been part of this old-is-new community for several years. Feliz used to own Veranda, a nearby…
Political Watch 12/19/13
• The California Department of Conservation gave notice on Dec. 11 of an interim rulemaking package to regulate oil and gas well stimulation, or hydraulic fracturing. The package is made up of emergency regulations that were mandated by Senate Bill 4, which was passed earlier this year to tighten fracking regulations. The short-term rules will…
Community Corner: ‘Tis the season for giving!
Some well-known Northern Santa Barbara County organizations are in the giving mood this month. Thanks to Wells Fargo and local residents, the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County distributed 2,075 turkeys and 2,000 chickens to families in need this Thanksgiving. The community also donated $26,100, which Wells Fargo generously matched with $25,000. “At Wells Fargo, we…
Santa Maria-Bonita board member’s teaching credential could be revoked
The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing recently upheld a proposed decision made by Administrative Law Judge Mark Harman earlier this year to revoke the teaching credentials of Will Smith, a former Santa Maria-Bonita School District teacher who now sits on its Board of Education. “The credential is still in place and I can still teach.…
The Dana Adobe forges ahead with development plans after a re-zoning approval
Just past the stone remnants of a pit once used to render beef tallow, the Temettate Ridge backs up against the sky. The ridgeline’s slope toward Santa Maria was highlighted by the sun’s steady search for the western horizon during the afternoon of Dec. 13. Marina Washburn, executive director of the Dana Adobe Nipomo Amigos…
Orcutt teachers and district officials reach a contract agreement
The Orcutt Educators Association and the Orcutt Union School District can put their recent contract extension debate in the history books. After a few months of intense negotiations between the union and the district, the two have agreed on a 4 percent on-schedule increase (a permanent raise in pay), a 4 percent off-schedule increase (a…
A former Lompoc prison guard will go behind bars
Timothy McNally, 33, was sentenced Dec. 11 to 25 years to life in prison for murdering his friend Gary Bent in a Lompoc hotel room. A Santa Maria jury in October found McNally, a former guard at the Lompoc Penitentiary, guilty of second-degree murder with use of a firearm. This was McNally’s second trial; the…
Apel case lands in the U.S. Supreme Court
John Dennis Apel has long been a thorn in Vandenberg Air Force Base’s side. The activist has participated in many protest actions at the base, including flinging his own blood on a base wall in 2003. For doing that he was arrested, convicted of vandalism, and sent briefly to jail. The stunt also resulted in…
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department gets some new hires and some potential funding
It’s been a busy month for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department. In addition to fighting crime, department officials recently announced they’ve hired five new deputies. Adam Alegria, Tyler Manley, Aaron Kanes, Derek Spears, and Cameron Ferrell graduated along with 20 other recruits from the Allan Hancock College Law Enforcement Academy on Dec. 12. They…
Goodwill toward birds
When it comes to the holidays—or any day, for that matter—I’m sure most people would say I’m more of a Scrooge than a Santa Claus. But remember, even Scrooge had a change of heart, and so can I. So while I didn’t get a visit from canaries past or future, my little yellow heart is…
A road runs through it
When it comes to the value of property, Realtors tell us it’s all about “location, location, location.” On Dec. 4, the U.S. Supreme Court put that proverbial maxim to the test in its hearing of oral arguments in U.S. vs. John Dennis Apel. The value of the land at stake in U.S. vs. John Dennis…
What’s on Deck? 12/19 – 12/26
Thursday, Dec. 19 Girls’ Soccer Santa Maria vs. Templeton @ THS, 3:30 p.m. Santa Ynez vs. Lompoc @ LHS, 3:30 p.m. Boys’ Soccer Santa Ynez vs. Lompoc @ SYHS, 3:30 p.m. Santa Maria vs. Templeton @ SMHS, 5:30 p.m. Nipomo vs. Morro Bay @ NHS, 5:30 p.m. Girls’ Basketball …
While away the winter hours in Winter Day Camp
The Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department is proud to announce the return of Winter Day Camp. Set to kick off Dec. 16, the program provides children in grades first through sixth with enrichment activities. The camp is ideal for working parents and coincides with the Orcutt and Santa Maria-Bonita school districts’ winter breaks. The…
Walk off the winter treats
Join local Guadalupe resident Ray Segovia for a guided two-hour exploration of local nature, wildlife, and history on Dec. 28. Bring your family and friends to the event for a healthy and educational way to work off the holiday foods. Meet at the Oso Flaco parking lot at 10 a.m.
Lompoc Brave will be a Bruin
According to ESPN.com, Lompoc High School senior Ainuu Taua committed this week to play football for the UCLA Bruins in 2014. The 6-foot, 293-pound tackle—who is ranked as the No. 20 player in California—had offers from numerous PAC-12 colleges before accepting a tough-to-beat offer from UCLA. In his senior season, Taua recorded seven sacks and…
Freshmen Bulldogs come up big
The men’s basketball team at Allan Hancock College extended its winning streak to three games and improved its overall record to 3-6 on the season with its 79-68 win over Los Angeles Valley Dec. 12. According to Hancock athletics, three freshmen reached double digits. Guard Tayvon Myers had 25 points and made 11 of his…
Monique Brunello
Sara McGilliway, the girls’ soccer coach at St. Joseph High School, said the Lady Knights are coming into this season with a secret weapon on their side: senior attacking-mid Monique Brunello. “She is a strong leader with actions on and off the field. She is very competitive in a positive way,” McGilliway said. Brunello started…
Benchwarmer says let’s ask for more from student athletes
Back in my college days, which seem so far away now, I was known around campus for being an English major and a talented writer. In college speak this translates to “Hey, that chick can help me with my paper!” That’s how the student athlete with 18 units who was also running the college’s newspaper…
