Cover Story
Rewriting history
On any given day, people building family histories discover new information about their genealogy. The revelations tend to be interesting, but not often earth shattering. They may find a new relative here or there, maybe word of an interesting career or a love story. Nearly 1.4 million subscribers search Ancestry.com’s databases for help tracing their…
What should Abel Maldonado do next?
Stephanie Beal meteorologist “Contribute more to local issues instead of going statewide.” Mark Dennis wrestling coach “Take a vacation, regroup, analyze, and decide what to do. Maybe get in contact with [Congressman] Dan Lungren.” Casey Manfredi personal trainer “Give me a call and come train with me.” Ron Henson business owner “Get out of politics.”
NTF calling …
In the wake of a series of raids on medical marijuana delivery services, which left the owners of those collectives with a long list of criminal charges and financial burdens, law enforcement officers have now begun contacting the collective members. Charges against three defendants in the late-2010 investigation were rejected by the District Attorney’s Office…
Political Watch – 2.17
After a long legal battle, the Center of Biological Diversity is celebrating the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s decision to designate more than 98,000 acres of critical habitat for the arroyo toad. The habitat includes portions of Monterey and Santa Barbara counties, and most of Southern California. According to a press release from the Center…
Community Notebook – 2.17
FRIDAY, FEB. 18 • The Lompoc City/County Coalition for the Homeless has its regular meeting from noon to 1 p.m. in the Board of Supervisors Conference Room, 401 E. Cypress Ave., Lompoc. MONDAY, FEB. 21 Happy President’s Day! TUESDAY, FEB. 22 • The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has its regular meeting…
To Sac and back
The native son has returned.In January, Abel Maldonado—California’s second-ever Latino lieutenant governor and Santa Maria’s most famous politician—surrendered his position as the state’s second-in-command to Democrat Gavin Newsom after a dogged campaign effort. Many Californians will recall that Maldonado was resolute in his path to the lieutenant governorship. In November 2009, former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger…
Cupcakes speak louder than words
Solvang’s Blake Colvin was a chemotherapy patient from age 8 to 10, and she was once thought to be terminally ill, so she knows the pains of the treatment process. Because of her personal experience, she’s dedicated much of her free time to bettering the lives of those facing similar battles. It began with Cupcakes…
SLO Regional Transit Authority is seeking financial backing from county government
Fasten your seat belts; it’s going to be a bumpy financial ride. On Jan. 25, in a back conference room in the San Luis Obispo County Government Center, some of the county’s top financial experts listened as Regional Transit Authority Executive Director Ed King pleaded his case: The agency, whose buses connect SLO to Santa…
Walmart clears final hurdle for Lompoc store expansion
Nearly four years after Walmart told the city of Lompoc it wanted to expand its existing store, the city’s Planning Commission has given the retail giant the go-ahead. On Feb. 9, the Lompoc Planning Commission voted 3-1, with commissioner Kate Griffith dissenting, to approve Walmart’s development plan for its 721 W. Central Ave. location. Commissioner…
Denny’s hate crime case advances in court
A hearing has been scheduled to determine whether Curtis Martin—the 24-year-old parolee who in September 2010 allegedly attacked a Santa Maria Denny’s employee for “being gay”—is mentally competent to stand trial. The hearing has been placed on the docket for March 28. According to court documents, Martin has been charged with attempted murder, committing a…
Financial advisor wins award
LPL Financial recently recognized Robert T. Bruno, an independent financial advisor at Bruno Strategic Wealth Management in Orcutt, as a top financial advisor, naming him to the LPL Financial Patriot’s Club. The distinction is based on a ranking of all registered advisors supported by LPL Financial, and is awarded to less than six percent of…
Diani Companies get LEED certified
The Diani Companies announced the completion of their new LEED silver certified corporate office, an 11,000-square-foot facility in Santa Maria. The company achieved the LEED certification for energy use, lighting, water, and material use. The U.S Green Building Council established the certification to encourage the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings nationwide. The…
Santa Lucia Bank records losses
Santa Lucia Bancorp, the parent company of Santa Lucia Bank, posted its fourth quarter earnings for 2010, reporting a net loss of $1.2 million. The figure compares with a net loss of $4.6 million in the third quarter of 2010, and a net loss of $2.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2009. For the…
Order pizza, save music
Marco Polo’s Pizza in Santa Maria, now under new ownership, will be holding a fundraiser for local schools on Feb. 22 and 23. A percentage of all pizzas ordered on those two days will go toward “Keep the Music Playing in Santa Maria,” an event to raise money for school music programs. Marco Polo’s has…
Money for young Dick Tracys
Students or graduates of Allan Hancock College prepping for a career in investigative law, look no further for scholarships. The Edwin O’Neill Law Enforcement Scholarship is here for backup. Anyone who wants to apply for the two-year, $10,000 scholarship must meet the qualifications of having an A.S. or A.A. degree from Allan Hancock College, or…
Teach the children to read
Christmas is coming late—or early—for California: Bruce Larkin, owner of Wilbooks, Inc. and author of more than 900 children’s books, has pledged that his company will donate 10,000 books to elementary schools in 2011. “Children need to enjoy all of the great opportunities that our country offers,” Larkin said in a statement. “I owe my…
Teachers: Stop whining and quit
I am tired of the constant whining by teachers. If your job and pay makes you unhappy, quit. Compared to many other jobs, you are doing quite well, but you can’t be doing your best if you are disgruntled at your job. So, in the interests of the students as well as your own mental…
This nuclear plant re-licensing issue is personal
I have been a resident of San Luis Obispo county since 1972 and a neighbor of Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant for more than a quarter century. Some of my concerns regarding re-licensing are these: Thousands of tons of high-level ionizing radioactive waste stored here for the foreseeable future—no one knows if there will be…
Canine devotion
Oh man! Just when I thought I was getting used to global terrorism and environmental catastrophe, there is something else to worry about. Something you get from someone you love or who loves you. Zoonoses (a name a marketer would die for) is the latest scourge I can get from my pets. My immune system…
California needs more than full-service gas
Norman Mehl’s recent letter to the Santa Maria Sun (“Let’s pump our way into better financial shape,” Feb. 3) suggested a partial solution to California’s unemployment problem and weak economy would be to bring back the full-service gasoline station, hire service station attendants, and have them pump our gasoline as is done in Oregon. It’s…
Adjusting dogs is no joke
The recent “News of the Weird” article, “Fido, you’re so tense!” (Jan. 20), must have sounded funny and off the wall to most people. It was intentionally worded to sound comical, and that’s OK for this type of article; however, I would like to shed some light on this from a chiropractor’s perspective. First of…
Stop paving paradise
Oprah and legions of other Central Coast admirers celebrate the many wonderful features that distinguish our area. The weather is fantastic, the open space is beautiful, and the people around Oprah and legions of other Central Coast admirers celebrate the many wonderful features that distinguish our area. The weather is fantastic, the open space is…
Robert Lopez
Ask some average 10-year-olds how they spend their days. If you’re lucky enough to get an answer, it will probably involve a video game or a cartoon. That isn’t the case with fifth grader Robert Lopez, who’s too busy scoring runs on a baseball diamond to hit home runs on an Xbox. Lopez has been…
Cycling toward ‘Mecca’
As Gilroy is to garlic, the Central Coast is to cycling. With its natural beauty and diverse terrain, the region presents a mix of rides for enthusiasts, from gentle rolling hills to steep climbs, earning its international reputation as a cycling Mecca. From January to the end of summer, the road racing season draws cyclists…
The pain of birthdays
The other day my son celebrated his 14th birthday. Besides the requisite presents and birthday cake, it also meant my wife reminisced about the day she gave birth to our oldest child. This isn’t good for me. You see, apparently, as the story goes, I wasn’t exactly the most supportive husband on the “toughest day…
Bowling for mental health
Bowling teams are forming for Transitions-Mental Health Association’s 30th annual Bowl-a-Thon fundraiser, coming to Rancho Bowl in Santa Maria on March 26. The event benefits TMHA’s Growing Grounds Farm in Santa Maria, as well as the group’s SLO Hotline—a suicide prevention crisis phone line. New for this year’s fundraiser is a logo and theme of…
Wizards to bring hoop magic to Hancock
The Allan Hancock College basketball gym once again promises to be the site of plenty of “tricks, hoops, and alley oops” as the Harlem Wizards come to town on March 25 to take on the Vandenberg Hawks. Tickets are available online at rhsboosterclub.com and in person at multiple locations, including the Hancock bookstore on the…
Wildling is for the birds
The Wildling Art Museum is offering birding classes with noted naturalist and birder Dr. Fred Emerson from 9 to 11a.m. the third Saturday morning of the month Feb. 19 through May 21. Emerson will discuss the local ecology and natural history of each site visited. Because of the late rains last year, spring should arrive…
Views, big and small
The Town Center Gallery will display large and small views of the world: Martin Johnsen’s pastel drawings and Beth Ostapuik’s Pysanky Ukrainian eggs. The public is invited to a reception for the featured artists from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Feb. 18. Johnsen will show 12 pastel drawings he refers to as “cityscapes.” His subjects…
The pain of birthdays
The other day my son celebrated his 14th birthday. Besides the requisite presents and birthday cake, it also meant my wife reminisced about the day she gave birth to our oldest child. This isn’t good for me. You see, apparently, as the story goes, I wasn’t exactly the most supportive husband on the “toughest day…
Notes from France
World-renowned French guitarist Pierre Bensusan sat in the middle of the Santa Maria community television studio, waiting for his cue as a small cadre of guests and technicians looked on. He broke the silence by scatting. Then his guitar joined in, filling the room with a harmonious sound that was both familiar and foreign—definitely a…
Watch your Steps!
PCPA should run a disclaimer for audiences at its latest presentation, The 39 Steps: “Warning. Possible risk of whiplash.” That’s not necessarily a bad thing. The play is actually exciting, like a roller coaster or fast-paced carnival ride. There are moments of witty dialogue, incredibly funny on-stage costume changes, and unbelievable situations. The laughs come…
Find food and fun on the Central Coast
Bordered by fields of growing vegetables, acres of fodder-rich grazing land, an ocean brimming with seafood, and a wonderland of wineries, the Central Coast qualifies as a foodie’s delight. Local residents in search of tasty everyday fare or a sumptuous dinner out need look no further than beyond their own proverbial back yard. Often called…
