Cover Story
Shed some light on the season
Each year, as the days get shorter and the nights get longer, we at the Sun turn our thoughts toward nonprofits. Early sunsets mean it’s time once again for our annual wish list, highlighting local people and groups who make a difference in this community—and need someone to make a difference for them in return.…
What’s your favorite Christmas movie?
Karine Hallette mother “A Christmas Carol, the one with Mickey Mouse. It’s funny and a little smart.” Sharon Carr park connoisseur “It’s a Wonderful Life. He struggles through life trying to please everyone, and you can relate to him.” Lindsay Dickenson bookseller “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Who doesn’t love it? And, it also has…
Political Watch 12.24
California Democratic Party chair John Burton is predicting that Sen. Abel Maldonado (R-Santa Maria)—Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s nominee to replace newly-elected U.S. Rep. John Garamendi (D-Walnut Grove) as lieutenant governor—won’t be confirmed by the Democratically controlled state Legislature, according to information on progressivecaucuscdp.org. Burton was quoted in interviews posted on the website as saying the Democrats…
Community Notebook 12.24
FRIDAY, DEC. 25 • Merry Christmas! WEDNESDAY, DEC. 30 • The City of Santa Maria Families for the First Decade Project, a group of individuals and agencies who organize programs for the Abel Maldonado Community Youth Center, has its regular meeting from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the Minami Center, 600 W. Enos St.,…
Christmas card detective
This time of year, my mailbox fills up with lots of Christmas joy and a little bit of Christmas anxiety. The joy comes from the many Christmas cards I receive from long-lost friends and can’t-seem-to-get-lost family. I love seeing pictures of my friends and their growing kids. I like knowing I’m not the only one…
Allan Hancock College to release Community Education class schedule
Spectrum, Allan Hancock College’s schedule of Community Education classes, will be available Jan. 5, 2010, the college announced earlier this month. Registration will begin that same day. Community Education classes are free, noncredit classes that focus on subjects such as parenting, health and safety, senior living, and more. College officials said some fee-based classes have…
When school is out, the Y is in with winter camps
The YMCA is celebrating this holiday season with several specialty camps. For kids whose parents are working over most of the holiday season, the YMCA is offering winter break camps Dec. 21 through Jan. 19. Camp members will get to participate in plenty of fun activities, such as skateboarding, Wii game days, swimming, and arts…
Women’s Economic Ventures graduates 78 future business owners
Aspiring business owners from Santa Maria to Ventura descended on Fess Parker’s Double Tree Resort in Santa Barbara on Dec. 16 to pick up their Women’s Economic Ventures Self-Employment Training program certificates. The 14-week program teaches women and men how to start their own business, from developing a business plan to getting a business license…
Time to rock
The instructors are trained, construction is done, and all the equipment is in place. Rockstar Fitness is now open to the public and accepting memberships. More than just another gym, Rockstar Fitness is a club, offering the latest in fitness science. Classes include Boot Camp, BodyCombat, spinning, pilates, Les Mills, and CrossFit, all guaranteed to…
Atlas spokeswoman earns certification
Susan Price, communications manager for Santa Maria-based turboexpander manufacturer Atlas Copco Mafi-Trench, has joined the ranks of the trade-show industry’s top talent. Price completed EXHIBITOR’s Certified Trade Show Marketer accreditation program, consisting of a 28-course core curriculum, an examination, and acceptance of a candidate portfolio. The CTSM program is the only university-affiliated certification program in…
Building a better supplier
Santa Maria’s ABC Supply Co. Inc. Solution Center—a wholesale supplier of roofing, siding, windows, and other exterior building products for area contractors—has recently been redesigned. The store’s reconfigured layout features a specially designed “wing panel” system to put product information at customers’ fingertips. Visitors can quickly understand key benefits and make comparisons between different product…
From jail to new beginnings
For people who are homeless, getting out of jail can sometimes prove to be more of a problem than a relief. An ongoing lack of local facilities and services for homeless people with mental illness, chronic alcoholism, or substance abuse problems has turned jail into the largest de facto in-patient psychiatric and detox facility in…
A gift that keeps pedaling
While approaching Main Street Cycles, I was surrounded by bikes and smiling children. And the kids were smiling for good reason: They were the new owners of the bikes, courtesy of the Good Samaritan Shelter, Team Tailwinds, Main Street Cycles, and generous donations from throughout the community. The program (this is the first year it’s…
Santa Barbara County Fire Department lifts ban on permitted burning
Low-risk fire season has officially begun, according to a recent announcement from the Santa Barbara County Fire Department. The transition to a “low fire-preparedness level” means the ban on permitted burning in designated areas within the jurisdiction of Santa Barbara County has been lifted. As a result, fire department officials said, smoke may be visible…
Marian Medical Center lauded for its diabetes education
The American Diabetes Association has recognized Marian Medical Center’s Diabetes Education Center for exceeding national standards for diabetes self-management education. The only one of its kind in Northern Santa Barbara County, Marian’s diabetes education program received the same recognition in 2006. And according to the ADA, it continues to excel in providing excellent diabetes management…
Santa Maria police still search for answers in fatal stabbing
The Santa Maria Police Department is reaching out to community members to help them solve the recent homicide of a Santa Maria man. Eighteen-year-old Erik Alonso was stabbed to death earlier this month. On Dec. 18, the police department’s gang suppression team arrested a handful of suspects after receiving information that fights and/or a possible…
Lompoc activists look to block Walmart expansion
The Christmas season usually brings glad tidings to retailers, but a local activist group is intent on putting a wrap on Walmart’s wishes of super-sizing a store in Lompoc. Receiving a monetary boost from the nonprofit Fund for Santa Barbara, a grassroots campaign calling itself Citizens Against Walmart Expansion (CAWE) is ramping up efforts to…
Christmas card detective
This time of year, my mailbox fills up with lots of Christmas joy and a little bit of Christmas anxiety. The joy comes from the many Christmas cards I receive from long-lost friends and can’t-seem-to-get-lost family. I love seeing pictures of my friends and their growing kids. I like knowing I’m not the only one…
Enjoy rug-hooking and hot chocolate
Cozying up with music and a coffee and Kahlua. Reading a book with eggnog and brandy. Maybe enjoying hot chocolate and peppermint Schnapps and a little rug-hooking. Such were the ideas behind C Gallery’s latest class. Suzanne Sattler will instruct a cozy workshop on Jan. 23 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the gallery…
Music students hit a high note
The Central Coast Music Teachers Association recently held its 20th annual fall auditions. Out of a total of 35 participating students, 23 received the highest rating of “5,” qualifying them to play at the CAPMT Northern Festival in Danville on Jan. 23, 2010, or at the upcoming CAPMT conference on Feb. 6, 2010, in the…
Daytripper: Santa Barbara and Solvang
Having a wedding anniversary in the middle of the holidays isn’t ideal, but it was definitely planned. As with most of the things my husband and I plan in our lives, however, it doesn’t make much sense. The holidays are the busiest time of the year—what with travel and shopping and planning—and this year, in…
Programmed for success
When it comes to significant moments in recent musical history, the current record-breaking U2 360° Tour must surely rank right up there near the top. So must performing at both the Lincoln Memorial for the inauguration of the 44th U.S. president and a succession of Grammy Award ceremonies. Bruce Springsteen’s reunion tour with the E…
Pull together to support AgJOBS
The year 2010 will bring the AgJOBS bill sponsored by California Sen. Dianne Feinstein before Congress, which in turn will have a profound effect on the economy of the Central Coast—and in particular the coastal valleys such as the Salinas Valley and the Santa Maria Valley, where farmers harvest labor intensive crops. As we all…
Lady Knights are off and running
Winning the CIF Southern Section Division V-AA championship in March put a bit of pressure on the St. Joseph girls’ basketball team at the start of this season. Not that the tension has made a difference. With a 4-0 record already, coach Ed Torres and his girls must be doing something right. The early wins…
Riley Gauld
The new year will find Allan Hancock College offensive tackle Riley Gauld in a new zip code, as the First Team All-Conference selection signed a letter of intent on Dec. 16 to attend San Diego State. “They were first to offer, and I got interested in them right away,” Gauld said. “They were the most…
Bulldog baseball swings into 2010 with ranking
Preseason baseball rankings are out, and the Allan Hancock College baseball team will start the new season ranked 17th in Southern California by the California Community College Baseball Coaches Association. The Bulldogs finished 2009 with a record of 15-10 in conference and 22-22 overall. They ranked ninth in the final RPI report and 14th…
Wine for the holidays
Thumbing through cookbooks and old family recipes, party planners anticipate the arrival of guests. ’Tis the season for convivial gatherings, and with them comes an irresistible parade of holiday foods and beverages. After choosing the menu, hosts consider the wines that will bring out the best in each dish. They know that by matching delicate…
Clubs and Meetings
4-H welcomes anyone interested in the group to sign up now. Find a nearby club by contacting the Santa Barbara County 4-H Office at 692-1730 or zmhughes@ucdavis.edu. ALTRUSA INTERNATIONAL, INC. of SANTA MARIA, a nonprofit business and professional organization, meets the second Wednesday of each month, 6:30 p.m., in the Altrusa Theatre of the Santa…
Spiritual
BAHA’I interfaith worship services are the second Sunday of each month. Info: 489-4172. Children’s classes are the first Saturday of each month. Info: 937-9451. Study circles about The Life of the Spirit are ongoing in Santa Maria. For questions, dates, and times: 614-0963. Info: 937-9451. BETHEL LUTHERAN CHURCH holds worship services Sundays with Holy Communion…
Farmers Market
SANTA MARIA 100 S. Broadway at Main, Wednesdays, from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Features local beekeepers’ honey and bee pollen, breads and pastries, plants and flower bouquets, fresh fruits and vegetables. ORCUTT Corner of Clark and Bradley, Tuesdays, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fresh honey, flowers, and eggs, along with fresh fruits…
Barbecues
ONGOING FILIPINO COMMUNITY OF SANTA MARIA VALLEY barbecues Filipino food at the Smart and Final parking lot, N. Broadway on Saturdays and Sundays. Menu items include tri-tip, chicken, beef kabobs, chicken adobo, salad, rice, and bread. Meals cost $6. Info: 922-3422 or 922-3799. FILIPINO CATHOLIC SOCIETY, under the direction of St. Mary’s Church and St.…
Health
MARIAN MEDICAL CENTER offers a “Smart Eating for Kids and Teens” class meeting the first Monday of each month this year from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Medical Center at 1400 E. Church St., Santa Maria. Info: 739-3578. ONGOING SYCAMORE MINERAL SPRINGS HEALING ARTS INSTITUTE offers a range of classes including yoga and meditation,…
Art
THE SANTA MARIA PUBLIC LIBRARY presents the exhibit “Photographers Gone Wild, Capturing the Central Coast” featuring local photographers Mel Felix, Cathy Gregg, Lynda Schiff, and Jeanne Sparks through Dec. 31 at the Santa Maria Public Library, Shepard Hall 421 South McClelland St., Santa Maria. Info: 925-0994, Ext. 117 or dhildinger@ci.santa-maria.ca.us. COFFEE AND COMPANY’S Lucmann Gallery…
Learning
WORTH THE DRIVE THE WILDLING ART MUSEUM presents an “Art on the Wild Side” class on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to noon at the museum, 2928 San Marcos, Los Olivos. Cost is $5. Info: 688-1082 or wildlingmuseum.org. ONGOING EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS for inventors, entrepreneurs, new product developers, and creative individuals that feature expert speakers and resources…
Recreation
THE SANTA MARIA INN holds Monday Night Football events through Dec. 28 in the Olde English Tap Room at the Santa Maria Inn, 801 S. Broadway, Santa Maria. Info: 928-7777 or santamariainn.com. THE CITY OF SANTA MARIA RECREATION AND PARKS DEPARTMENT holds open registrations for a 7 on 7 adult outdoor soccer league through Jan.…
Kids & Family
THE PISMO BEACH YOUTH THEATRE presents musical theater production classes for 4th through 8th graders for a production of Annie meeting Wednesdays from 4 to 5:30 p.m. through Dec. at Temple Beth El, 1501 E. Alvin, Santa Maria. Cost is $40 per month. Info: 471-4976 or pismobeachyouththeater.com. THE SANTA MARIA VALLEY YMCA offers winter break…
Dance Lessons
WORTH THE DRIVE THE CITY OF PISMO BEACH Recreation Division Community Development Department presents a “(Salsa) Latin American Dance” class is Mondays from 7:15 to 8:15 p.m. through December at the Pismo Beach Veterans’ Hall. Cost is $10 per class. A “Ballroom Dance” class is Mondays from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. through December at the…
Stage
WORTH THE DRIVE THE TEMPLE OF THE PEOPLE presents a youth group production of a 30-minute original yule show featuring carols, and the Temple Builders presents the play Father Christmas Dec. 24 at 2 p.m. at the Hiawatha Lodge, 3065 Temple St., Halcyon. Info: 481-4019 or Adelasie@gmail.com. CAL POLY presents a “New Year’s Eve Comedy…
Night Life
The following venues offer either regularly scheduled live entertainment or DJ-hosted dance music. Most performances start after 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. IN THE AREA ADDAMO VINEYARD/TASTING ROOM: 400 E. Clark Ave., suite E, Santa Maria, 937-6400. Live music Sundays from 2 to 5 p.m. CLUB 805, AKA STINKY’S BAR & GRILL: 2430 South Broadway,…
Special Events
THE HISTORIC SANTA MARIA INN presents a New Year’s Eve party featuring live music, dancing, food, a no-host bar, and a Champagne toast on Dec. 31 starting at 8 p.m. at the Historic Santa Maria Inn, Broadway, Santa Maria. Cost is $139 per couple. Info: 928-7777. WORTH THE DRIVE UNFINISHED BUSINESS PRODUCTIONS present the third…
