Cover Story
Sauce in the stocking: Local beer, spirits, and wine companies provide libations that make great last-minute gifts
As the year winds down and the holidays ramp up, things can get a little stressful. And 2016 wasn’t an easy year, whether you’re recovering from election season or a favorite celebrity death (RIP Gene Wilder!). Thankfully, once Christmas and New Year’s Eve finally arrive, the time comes to relax, and most of all, celebrate.…
Farmworkers voice concerns at Santa Barbara County forum
On Dec. 5, Santa Barbara County migrant farmworkers received a chance to directly voice their concerns to state officials at an evening forum held at the Joseph Centeno Betteravia Government Administration Building in Santa Maria. The meeting room and lobby were packed as farmworkers expressed their concerns about specific working conditions among the local agricultural…
Spotlight on: iRecover
When it comes to treating people with addiction disorders and mental illnesses, it’s good to have options, and now Santa Maria has one more. iRecover, which opened at 607 E. Plaza Drive in Santa Maria, offers outpatient mental health and addiction services. Jim Gray started the company in Alberta, Canada. Deon Smit is iRecover’s chief…
Falcon 9 rocket scheduled for launch from Vandenberg
SpaceX has scheduled is first launch of a Falcon 9 rocket since one exploded on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Fla., in September. The next launch is slated to take place on Dec. 16 from Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB). The VAFB press office confirmed with the Sun that the rocket is expected to…
The locals who stood at Standing Rock: Three Central Coast residents reflect on their week protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline
Hundreds of people stood on a bridge, praying. They did so in the wake of violence: The previous night, on that very bridge, demonstrators tried to dismantle a police barricade. Law enforcement officers responded with rubber bullets, tear gas, mace, armored trucks, and fire hoses—in below-freezing temperatures. And yet, the following morning—on Monday, Nov. 21—the…
Application deadline to apply for UC schools extended
Students hoping to transfer to a University of California campus next fall will have more time to apply. The UC extended the deadline for transfer students to file applications for fall 2017 from Nov. 30 to Jan. 3, 2017, widening the window for qualified students preparing to transfer to the university. “This is a great…
Santa Maria High students maintain trails at Los Flores Ranch
Twenty Santa Maria High School students who love the outdoors added to its beauty during the Thanksgiving break. The community service project involved members of the Alpine Club spending several hours building and maintaining trails at Los Flores Ranch, a recreational space in the Solomon Hills. The area is a popular place for equestrians, cyclists,…
What’s a good last-minute Christmas gift?
Cassie Perez works at Go! Calendars “A calendar, but I’m biased!” Paul Gould student at Righetti High School “Pajama pants.” Leslie Guerrero student at Pioneer Valley High School “A teddy bear, not just any stuffed animal. It has to be a teddy bear.” Rudy Ruiz owner of World 1-1 Games “A video game of course!”
Have a jolly troll-y Christmas
It’s December and we have come full circle again. The pumpkins on my porch have been replaced with poinsettias. My favorite Thanksgiving traditions are watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the National Dog Show, and giving my family the bird. Every year my English spouse asks, “Are we going to have a turkey?” Turkey day…
Home for the holidays: The Great American Melodrama celebrates the season with classics, comedy, and tunes
The Great American Melodrama always feels like an extra special place during its annual tradition, the Holiday Extravaganza. The halls are decked, the piano sings with familiar songs, and the youth actors that make up the Cratchit family in A Christmas Carol lead you to your seat. That’s how the Holiday Extravaganza always begins, with…
Doughnut think twice: Sweet and savory collide at Yummy Donuts & Deli
Have you ever caught yourself craving a doughnut instead of that boring bag of chips with your sandwich? The thought had never occurred to me, but it felt so natural once I tried the combination at Yummy Donuts & Deli in Santa Maria. The concept of mixing a doughnut shop with a deli seems quite…
Sarah Raines leads a community production of Handel’s ‘Messiah’ in Lompoc
Musicians assemble every year to produce the same great work of classical music, with choristers singing the familiar melodies and musicians sounding their parts proudly. The tradition is centuries old, ever since George Frederic Handel composed the oratorio Messiah in 1741. The massive three-part oratorio is performed both on Christmas and Easter, with different parts…
LVAA offers holiday exhibit
The Lompoc Valley Art Association (LVAA) offers a holiday show at the Cypress Gallery, which runs through Dec. 24. The gallery is open from noon to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. The LVAA is also currently seeking three volunteers to join the program committee for 2017. Contact Trish Campbell for more info at trishcampbell1108@yahoo.com. The…
Local musicians join touring artists for benefit concert
Bear Erickson of Buellton and Jim Pugh of Santa Ynez will join touring musicians Owen Plant and Aireene Espiritu for a benefit concert in Los Olivos. Proceeds go to the Little Village Foundation and the preschool at St. Mark’s-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church. The concert takes place at St. Mark’s on Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. Erickson…
Santa Maria Civic Theatre presents ‘A Christmas Carol’
A Christmas Carol opened last week and runs through Dec. 18 at the Santa Maria Civic Theatre (SMCT). The show starts at 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, with matinee performances at 1:30 p.m. on Sundays. The community is encouraged to come early for preshow entertainment. Doris Baizley adapted the show and Rob Paulus directed…
Friends of Lompoc Library hold Christmas tree fundraiser
The Friends of the Lompoc Library System holds its annual Decorated Tabletop Christmas Trees Fundraiser this month. Raffle tickets are $1 each or six for $5. All proceeds benefit the Lompoc Library System through the Friends. Drawings take place at 2 p.m. on Dec. 17. Tickets are on sale until then. The tabletop trees were…
Solvang Antiques features demonstrations and small works throughout December
Solvang is filled with beautiful boutiques and artsy destinations, but one of its best spots for viewing fine art is in the back of an antique shop. Solvang Antiques is definitely a gorgeous place to enter, the antiques are high quality and stunning to view, but those who journey to the back of the store…
Delanie Wisz
There’s possibly nothing as rewarding as watching your hard work pay off. And that’s exactly what Delanie Wisz, 17, did recently as she signed her letter of commitment to play softball at Loyola Marymount University. “I’m very excited but also very nervous,” the Righetti High School senior said. She said she had looked at several…
Athlete-run nonprofit hopes to reinvigorate Guadalupe’s baseball program
Guadalupe used to have a thriving little league baseball program, longtime locals say. Now the city’s ball fields stand in various states of disrepair. That has begun to change though, now that the city has caught the attention of a nonprofit devoted to spreading a passion for baseball. Concord-based More Than a Game caught wind…
Careful where you place that trust
Who can a little birdy trust if she can’t trust the police? That’s the question that’s been knocking around in my head over the last week. In case you somehow missed it, a Dec. 1 Sun story about the Santa Maria Police Department (SMPD) issuing a ruse press release made national—and even international—news. Chief Ralph…
A great privilege
Eighteen years ago, I was honored and humbled to be elected as your member of Congress. After spending my career as a nurse and in our public schools, I never expected to serve in Congress—but I was eager to answer the call to public service on behalf of our community. Like my husband, Walter, before…
Put Christianity back in America
The article by Don Casebolt (“Religious roots,” Nov. 17) is one by an extreme leftest and anti-Christian. His hate for religion is too obvious. He attacks them all. But for the worst is the Muslim followers who believe in an ideology like Scientology. You can pick and chose passages in the Bible and then give…
Nonprofits are excellent examples of humanity’s goodness
During the latter half of my 20s, our country had to yet to realize that the Great Recession had begun. Ignorance was bliss at the time. Personally, I made plans to go back to college and finish my degree after an eight-year hiatus. Fate had even more plans for me as I ended up with…
Hobnobbing with Helen
’Tis the season for long lines at the post office and hard-to-find parking spaces at shopping centers. ’Tis also the season for beguiling shows of Christmas lights. Outdoor trees all aglow with greens, blues, reds, and yellows inject bright and cheerful pops of color into the pitch black winter nights. One of the most splendiferous…
Truth or lives: Santa Maria police used fake news release to thwart murder
The revelation that some internet users put out fake news during the election season has caused a lot of controversy, but fake news can possibly serve a beneficial function. In February, the Santa Maria Police Department (SMPD) issued a ruse press release that was subsequently reported by local news media, the Sun has learned. But…
Cities sign on for project aimed to extend Tajiguas Landfill lifespan
Cities participating in the Tajiguas Resource Recovery Project are getting the ball rolling on the operation, which aims to reduce the amount of trash going into the Tajiguas Landfill. The project consists of a materials recovery facility, which will process solid waste from the Tajiguas Landfill as well as recyclable and organic material collected from…
Man convicted of Nipomo gang assault sentenced to probation
Just one week after his older brother was sentenced to serve a lengthy prison term for the gang-related assault of a community college student, 20-year-old Javier Chang was sentenced to probation for the same crime. SLO Superior Court Judge John Trice sentenced Chang Dec. 6 to five years of probation for the 2014 assault. The…
Community Notebook 12/8/16 – 12/15/16
MONDAY, DEC. 12 • The Santa Maria City Block Grants Advisory Committee has its regular meeting at 5:30 p.m. in the City Hall Conference Room, 110 E. Cook St., Santa Maria. • The Solvang City Council has its regular meeting at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers, 1644 Oak Street, Solvang. agendas are available at…
