Cover Story
Under pressure
They’re often hailed as heroes facing extraordinary dangers to save others from harm’s way. But after the fanfare dies down, they’re left with only the stark reminder of the fragility of life and the memory of things that most people never have to see in their lifetimes. Sometimes, there’s no recognition for their efforts. Sometimes,…
Holy halibut!
Visit The Rock Seafood & Grill in Nipomo during the lunch or dinnertime rush and you may have to get in line—a line out the door. People like what owner Daniel Rivas is serving, and it’s not just seafood. God’s message is on the menu, too. “Right when they walk in, they see ‘The…
What is the best thing you have seen at a thrift store?
Chris Welch student “An awesome silver sparkly drum set.” Josh Davlia student “A Pink Floyd record with the original poster inside.” [image-3] Beatrice Maldonado student “I got these cool $50 Oxford shoes for only $2.” [image-4] Nancy Meddings dean at Allan Hancock College “A big purple dollhouse that I bought for my daughter.”
I do not support nuclear power
Regarding “Support nuclear power” (2/2) by Justin Ruhge: He refers to the approval of the Yucca Mountain storage facility by the federal government. My question is when was or when will the federal government approve Yucca Mountain as a storage site for nuclear waste? As a responsible biologist, I was arrested in 1978 in front…
On the roster
• Coastal Valley Soccer Club: The Coastal Valley Soccer Club (CVSC) is holding tryouts for the Central Coast Soccer League (CCSL) and Coast Soccer League (CSL). Open tryouts for boys ages 9 to 17 will be held 10 a.m. to noon on Feb. 25 and March 3 at Crossroads Field on College Avenue in Santa…
It’s trivia time
The Santa Maria Noontime Kiwanis club is inviting all local brainiacs and nerds to the 16th annual Trivia Challenge at the Abel Maldonado Youth Center on Feb. 26. Teams of four are encouraged to register for the free event, held as a benefit for VTC Enterprises. The contest will feature two divisions—high school teams and…
Build a Pinewood Derby car and race!
The Lompoc Police Activities League—in conjunction with Home Depot, Lompoc Parks & Recreation, and Lompoc YMCA—will be host to a series of workshops to gear up for the city’s Pinewood Derby Race on March 17 at Anderson Recreation Center. The workshops are open to all kids ages 5 and older, and will be held at…
Train for triathlons
The Central Coast Triathlon Club and Santa Maria Valley YMCA are teaming up to provide training for triathlons. The Tri-Training teams are designed to provide athletes with the tools and confidence to accomplish their first triathlons, regardless of fitness level. The teams are open to YMCA Members and non-members, who get two weekly passes per…
PAL Boxing holds bouts
The Santa Maria Police Activities League will be holding a full card of local amateur boxing matches on March 3 at the Minami Community Center. Advance pre-sale tickets are available for $5. Regular tickets are $10. Doors open at 5 p.m., and the first bout begins at 6 p.m. The Minami Community Center is at…
Babe Ruth league holds a wood bat tourney
Santa Maria Babe Ruth Baseball will be holding a wood bat tournament for players ages 14 and younger from Feb. 24 to 26 at Elks Field in Santa Maria. The fee is $350 per team and is due by Feb. 20. Teams must provide proof of insurance before the first game and have a three-game…
Parkour brothers
Is it a sport? A discipline? A philosophy? According to its practitioners, parkour (or l’art du deplacement) is all of the above, incorporating running, jumping, climbing, vaulting, and balancing to discover efficient paths through any environment. Nipomo’s Craig Gibbons, a “traceur” (parkour practitioner) since 2009 and a student at Allan Hancock College, recently gave his…
Stuart Malm
Righetti High School’s Stuart Malm is humble, soft-spoken, and hesitant to admit any hint of his prowess as a wrestler. “I don’t think I’m that good,” he said of his wrestling abilities. However, a short video on Youtube that shows Malm in the heat of battle is confirmation of the old adage “actions speak louder…
A creative cadence
A music store is more than a simple retail outlet. It’s a nexus for a musical community where teachers, students, artists, and collectors converge and create a cultural hub. Jensen Guitar and Music Company in Santa Maria has been just such a neighborhood shop, but, due to the current economic climate, it must unfortunately close…
Get your motor runnin’
It was a fine moment. Everything was right. There I was, at the world famous Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, driving my racecar at ludicrous speeds around the racecourse while my pit crew timed my increasingly fast laps. The car was looking great, the team was prepared, and I was passing cars like a madman on…
Nonprofit grants are available to boost tourism
The Santa Ynez Valley Hotel Association announced that it’s streamlined its grant application process for 2012. The association will accept Community Grant Award applications from Santa Ynez Valley nonprofit organizations throughout the year and make awards five times per year for events that can attract overnight visitors mid-week. Grant amounts are in the $1,000 to…
Artist Salon highlights sculptor
Larry Rankin, a sculptor who works in bronze, wood, and stone, will be this month’s presenter for Artist Salon No. 10. The program will be from 6 to 8 p.m. on Feb. 29 at Rankin’s studio at 433 Freear Drive, Buellton. Rankin’s expression through art is to create works not only varied, but emotionally evocative.…
Money available for the arts
The Santa Maria Arts Council is preparing to give $10,000 in cash awards to emerging artists in music, drama, dance, and visual arts. Artists interested in entering the competition must first attend a workshop to obtain an application. Workshops will be held at 6 p.m. at Allan Hancock College’s Lompoc campus in the LVC Café;…
Hancock students get showy
Every student deserves a chance to show his or her talent—especially when that talent is great. Each year, Allan Hancock College’s Fine Arts department does just that with its annual Fine Arts Student Art Show, showcasing juried items of exceptional quality created by students for display. This year, more than 120 works in various media,…
‘Let’s do this again’
Each year, Santa Maria Valley artists get together their best works and put them on display for the community to see at the Brush and Palette Art Show. The event has been a favorite of the community and artists for more than a decade because of the variety of styles it showcases and the chance…
‘A-p-i-o-l-o-g-y’
Scores of students from throughout Santa Barbara County will be buzzing with excitement on Feb. 23 when they compete in the annual county spelling bee in the auditorium of the Santa Barbara County Education Office at 4400 Cathedral Oaks Road. The elementary contest for fourth- through sixth-graders will begin at 9 a.m. The junior high…
California Lutheran offers local master’s degree program
Interested in earning a master’s degree in educational leadership? California Lutheran University is now offering a community partnership program with classes at the Orcutt Union School District administrative offices at 500 Dyer St. in Old Orcutt.The program gives aspiring educational leaders an opportunity to learn from faculty members who have worked as administrators. Graduates go…
Orcutt Academy thanks its leaders
Students, teachers, administrators, and local officials crowded in front of Orcutt Academy High School (formerly May Grisham Elementary School) the morning of Feb. 9 for a dedication ceremony at the charter school’s new campus and to thank the people who helped make it a reality. “This is a great day because this is a dream…
Spotlight on: Adventures Out West Segway Tours of Solvang
Close your eyes and imagine yourself on a self-balancing, electric, emission-free personal transportation device with two wheels and intuitive sensors that respond to subtle shifts of your body weight. You might be picturing yourself in some future world, or maybe on another planet. Now open your eyes and look around at the sights and scenes…
Touch Blue, by Cynthia Lord
Touch Blue, by Cynthia Lord, is about an island off the coast of Maine. The families living there are worried about their small school being closed by the state because there aren’t enough students to keep it open, and some families would have to move to the mainland. They get an idea and take in…
Celebrate barbecue, Santa Maria style
Good ol‘ Santa Maria-style barbecue is so famous and finger-licking good, it’s been to the White House! Santa Maria has even been called the “Barbecue Capital of the World.” What’s the secret, you ask? Jim Glines, community leader and barbecue expert, tells us it boils down to the cut, quality, aging, and cooking of the…
A trivia contest for a not-so-trivial cause
Question: What international organization with clubs in 80 nations worldwide has been bringing aid to children in need since 1915? Answer: The Kiwanis. If you are a trivia buff and want a chance to test your skills and raise money for Kiwanis at the same time, put together a team of up to four people…
Riding for a reason
After more than a year researching the practices and products of the commercial horse slaughtering industry, Lompoc resident Karin Hauenstein decided to do something to change it. So she took her horses for a ride—from her ranch off the Santa Ynez River near Lompoc all the way to the streets of Hollywood, a distance of…
A beacon of health
Chuck Cova, president and CEO of Marian Regional Medical Center, is pushing a construction-grade piece of cardboard back into place over a stained-glass window with the wooden handle of a large, rectangular broom. It’s a windy Monday afternoon in Santa Maria. Cova, hospital spokeswoman Jessa Brooks, and I are standing in a courtyard between the…
Correction
The Sun would like to correct some factual errors printed in its Feb. 9 cover story, “What a mess.” Lompoc Housing and Community Development Corporation’s (LHCDC) financial problems came to light publicly in 2011. The Lompoc City Council meeting quoted from in the article occurred on Dec. 6, and the council has yet to select…
Martin sentenced to 26 years to life in prison
Curtis Martin—the 25-year-old man who in September 2010 attacked a Santa Maria Denny’s employee for allegedly “being gay”—has been sentenced to 26 years to life in state prison. In January, Martin pleaded no contest to attempted murder and admitted to several special allegations, including that he used a deadly weapon, he’s served prison time for…
Fish and Game sues Army Corps
On Feb. 6, the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) issued a notice that signals its intent to sue the United States Army Corps of Engineers. According to the department, the Corps has failed to comply with the federal Endangered Species Act with the adoption of a new national policy that requires the removal…
Army Corps donates $6 million to finish levee construction
As it stands now, approximately 3,700 feet of the Bradley Canyon Extension Levee remains incomplete—but not for long. With help from the office of Congresswoman Lois Capps, the city of Santa Maria successfully advocated for levee repairs to protect approximately 20,000 properties from flooding. On Feb. 8, Capps announced that the U.S. Army Corps of…
Maldonado throws his hat in the ring
Two-term state assemblyman, state senator, and former California lieutenant governor Abel Maldonado has made it official: He’s running for U.S. Congress in 2012. On Feb. 13, Maldonado, a Republican and Santa Maria native, pulled his necessary paperwork at the Santa Barbara County Elections Office, kicking off his campaign for the 24th U.S. Congressional District. “We…
Maybe three wrongs can make a right
To those mourning over lost liberty because of the corrupting influences that financial power has over government, an ironic twist may, for once, yield some just payback. Three travesties have resulted from those corrupting financial influences: The Supreme Court has ruled that corporations are citizens; the Justice Department has proved unwilling to prosecute financial firms…
Vote for Ron Paul; win the war on drugs
Say, do you plan to vote in the primary elections? I’m voting for Ron Paul, a Republican. We have open primaries in California, so anyone can vote for any party. He wants to legalize all drugs! He’s got my vote. The only way to successfully “end the war on drugs” is to legalize them all.…
Vote for someone willing to take on the Federal Reserve
The last president to stand up to the Federal Reserve was President Kennedy in 1963, when he signed Executive Order 11110, which is still in effect today, but has been ignored by all U.S. presidents since then. I encourage anyone who is reading this to do a quick Internet search of who owns the Federal…
Protest Santa Maria’s proposed rate increases
Via a recent mailing as required by Proposition 218, the city of Santa Maria has notified me and other property owners and tenants of their intent to increase our water and sewer rates by 16 percent over the next three years. Details were not given in the mailing that would justify raising our rates at…
