Cover Story
Representation at large: Could Santa Maria benefit from moving to district elections?
The Chicano Civil Rights Movement was in full force in Southern California during the 1970s, and Frank Banales, a born-and-raised Santa Barbara resident, pushed himself into the fray. Before it became a symbol of empowerment, “Chicano” was a derogatory term for the son or daughter of a Mexican immigrant. Banales said the term “Chicano” was…
Who’s your favorite Star Wars character and why?
Chris Erickson musician “Han Solo, because of his arrogance.” Brian Appiano restaurant owner “Chewbacca, he came to my fifth birthday party and it was awesome!” Samantha Hutson artist “Princess Leia, because she’s powerful and a woman.” Chris Rincon fumigator “Darth Maul, because he is a Sith.”
2015 wine wrap-up: Reflections on a year of tasting in Santa Barbara County
As I look back at my wine country wanderings over the past year and through the hundreds of photographs that I’ve taken along the way, I realized how many experiences and wines that I have yet to write about in this column. So, before the year is up, I want to share with you a…
Finished business
You know how some people have that embarrassing dream—of showing up somewhere in their underwear? Well I’ve always been the opposite. My perpetual dream is that I will show up somewhere important and I’m the only one not in her underwear because apparently I didn’t get the memo. I don’t know why my sensibilities have…
Santa Maria Philharmonic expands youth outreach with Nutcracker performance
View a video of the Santa Maria Philharmonic Society’s production of “The Nutcracker.” Scores of Santa Maria valley fifth graders lined the grass and pavement at the corner of Broadway and Morrison, patiently filing into the historic Ethel Pope Auditorium on the morning of Dec. 15. This was the second day of free youth outreach…
Santa Maria actress Rebekah Alexander wins awards for web series
Santa Maria native Rebekah Alexander is the co-creator of Lunch Break Feminist Club, which discusses feminist topics with playful irony and humor, and was recently honored with two awards at the Hollywood & Vine Film Festival on Dec. 12. Lunch Break Feminist Club won the festival’s Audience Award for Best Web Series and the award…
Santa Ynez Valley Arts offers Small Works show through December
Santa Ynez Valley Arts showcases the work of several local artists in the Small Works show and sale, on display through Dec. 31 in the Guild Room at Gallery Los Olivos. The diverse show features small and price-friendly pieces of art that make perfect gifts. Featured artists include Kathy Badrak, Marianne Barnard, Susan Belloni, Dolores…
Los Alamos Valley Men’s Club donates to People Helping People
Representatives from the Los Alamos Valley Men’s Club (LAVMC) presented a $5,000 check to People Helping People, according to a press release. The donation was designated to provide Christmas gifts and food for needy Los Alamos families during the holiday season. “We are grateful to be able to make this donation now so that Los…
Standing Sun Wines welcomes artist Elizabeth Brandstater
Standing Sun Wines Art Gallery will host an open house event on Dec. 23 from 5:30 to 8 p.m., showcasing the work of acrylic, mixed media, and encaustic artist Elizabeth Brandstater. Brandstater is a Lebanese artist born to Australian parents who settled in America. She’s known for her large, abstract paintings and encaustic work, which…
Daytripper: Universal City Walk was a perfect location to take in the latest Star Wars
This year December held an event even more anticipated than Christmas for me: the opening of The Force Awakens, the latest story it the Star Wars franchise. And to make it special, I took the family to see it at Universal City Walk at the Cinema Stadium AMC IMAX Theatre. The movie shattered box office…
Polly Frost shares her past with humor in a one-woman show
NYC writer/performer Polly Frost knows that her one-woman show We Only Get One Father—So Why Was I Given Mine? sounds like a bit of a downer. The title alone conjures up thoughts of neurotic hand wringing and emotional naval gazing. Let me assure you, it’s anything but. Instead, Frost’s show is a poignant mix of…
Jose Rios
Jose Rios of Pioneer Valley High School is every soccer coach’s dream. Fast as lightning, the senior is also smart, skilled, and versatile. Rios plays right midfielder for the varsity team, but his coach said he has the skill set to play anywhere on the field. “There’s so many good things about Jose,” head coach…
Going all in: Santa Maria High girls’ water polo is attracting talent, learning from failure, and determined to grow
Joshua Troeger, the first-year head coach of the Santa Maria High School girls’ water polo team, offered a sage response when asked what was his team’s best win of its young season. “Honestly, a lot of our best games have been losses,” Troeger said. “You learn so much more from losing, from the really good…
Stuck in the middle
Welcome to the last week of 2015, everybody. I know, I don’t want to think about it either. But I’m excited for a little me time. Just my feathers and the wind. It’s getting chilly, so I’m heading south for the holidays and won’t be back until 2016. It’s so close I can smell the…
Conservatives and democracy
Matt Kokkonen makes some compelling points in his piece “To protect the U.S., vet refugees” (Dec. 3). He writes that the religious culture of Syrian Muslims makes their worldview incompatible with freedom and democracy. While considering this, we should perhaps look at the broader picture. The problem isn’t that Islam specifically is incompatible with liberal…
Common sense?
For many of us these days, making sense of certain human behaviors seems to defy common sense. In fact common sense doesn’t seem very common anymore. But was common sense ever very common? Before slavery was abolished, was it very common? Before women had won the right to vote, was it very common? An old…
Santa Maria Parks and Recreation offers winter fun during school break
The city of Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department will provide four weeks of winter fun during the annual Winter Day Camp that opens on Monday, Dec. 21. Winter Break Day Camp offers a fun, safe, and supportive environment for children ages 6 to 12 years old during the holiday vacation. Day camp incorporates indoor…
Diplomas available to Santa Maria students who failed the high school exit exam
Hundreds of students who were unable to obtain a diploma because they failed the high school exit exam can now officially receive that diploma according to the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District. For several years, high school students were required to pass the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) in order to graduate.…
Delta High School’s Free Holiday Store an exercise in Positive Psychology
Delta High School’s Free Holiday Store, stocked with clothing, opened for two days before students began their winter break. The items were collected by staff, students, and the community for Delta students, their families, or for the Delta students to shop for others in need. The Delta High School Philanthropy Group has been studying the…
Spotlight on: Los Olivos Wine Merchant and Cafe
On warm summer days, the Los Olivos Wine Merchant and Café offers an intimate wisteria-covered patio for dining, enjoying good company, and people watching. On cold winter evenings there’s a fireplace and cozy interior for drinking bold syrah and lingering over tantalizing cuisine. It’s an atmosphere that has made the restaurant a favorite with locals…
Political Watch 12/24/2015
• Among the bills authored by Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) this year, the following will take effect on Jan. 1: Senate Bill 358, the California Fair Pay Act: The bill will give women important new tools to challenge wage discrimination at work. It will ensure that women are paid equally for work that is…
Community Notebook 12/24/15 – 12/31/15
MONDAY, DEC. 28 • The South County Advisory Council has its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Nipomo Community Services District Headquarters, 148 S. Wilson St., Nipomo. • The Solvang City Council has its regular meeting at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers, 1644 Oak Street, Solvang. agendas are available at cityofsolvang.com. WEDNESDAY,…
Hobnobbing with Helen
Are there Christmas trees in a galaxy far, far away? We may never know the answer to this, but one thing is certain, there are and were a lot of Christmas trees in Santa Maria this year. More than one hundred trees—trimmed, lit up, and laden with gifts—were recently raffled off by two different Altrusa…
Homecare giant ResCare faces lawsuit after caretaker with a criminal past allegedly attacked autistic man
The video is disturbing. It’s July 20 and the alleged victim, a severely autistic man in his early 20s, sits at a table playing with a puzzle in a living room. After arguing about what appears to be a possible trip to the beach, the man’s caretaker, identified as Scott Allen Rogers of ResCare Homecare,…
Spearmint Rhino sues Florida doughnut shop for trademark infringement
When it comes to trademark infringement, it’s not always clear whether a company’s logo can be confused for another one. But that’s what Spearmint Rhino, the parent company of the Santa Maria strip club, is alleging against a doughnut shop in a lawsuit filed in Florida federal court. The Riverside County-based chain of “upscale” strip…
June shooting by Santa Maria police ruled justified by DA
The shooting death of a man by officers from Santa Maria Police Department during a domestic violence incident on June 5 was ruled justified following an investigation by the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office. The series of events leading up to the shooting is detailed in a report, which was released to the public…
Woman struck and killed by semi-truck in Santa Maria
Santa Maria Police Department officials identified a female pedestrian who was struck and killed in a traffic collision on Dec. 15 as 59-year-old resident Mary Linda Cabrera. According to SMPD Sgt. Daniel Rios, the incident occurred at 11:26 p.m. when Cabrera was struck by a semi-truck while crossing the road near the intersection of Blosser…
Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office installs new expired-medicine kiosks
Patients with unused or expired medications have a new way to dispose of them properly. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office announced on Dec. 14 the installation of eight kiosks throughout the county designed to accept such medications. The kiosks were installed as a part of the “new and improved” Operation Medicine Cabinet that’s meant…
Wrestling coach to stand trial for role in Nipomo crash
It’s been more than two months since a rollover crash in Nipomo left one of the car’s passengers—10-year-old Elijah Olivas—critically injured. San Luis Obispo County prosecutors closed the preliminary hearing alleging that the accident was caused by the actions of the only legal adult in the car, John Gilbert Martinez, a Guadalupe resident and wrestling…
Santa Maria Police Department identifies suspect in Nov. 25 stabbing
The Santa Maria Police Department is asking for the public’s help in locating 24-year-old Caesar Perez, who is wanted in connection to a Nov. 25 stabbing near the Santa Maria Town Center Mall. According to SMPD Lt. Dan Cohen, police were patrolling the 200 block of East Cook Street at 4:20 p.m. when they noticed…
Lompoc Police Department launches app
The Lompoc Police Department is always looking to better connect with the public. The department issued collectible “action hero” trading cards depicting some of its officers. Now they’re going digital. In addition to protecting and serving, the LPD is a place to find bulletins, submit anonymous tips, get information on most wanted criminals, and find…
