Cover Story
Meet the other presidents
On Inauguration Day, Americans welcomed a new president. With little fanfare and virtually no undercover security detail, some community art organizations recently transitioned to new leadership as well—a move that brought renewed hope of a national administration that might support the arts a bit more. Such positive change could ripple down to the Santa Maria…
Cambria Morales
Cambria Morales is a soft-spoken eighth-grader who, according to her mom, likes tea parties. Get her in the water, though, and it’s a whole different story. Morales is one of Santa Maria’s most promising up-and-coming water polo players. Morales was selected last year to attend a water polo training clinic at the Olympic Training Center…
Plants are healthy-no question
It was interesting reading your recent article (“Get to know vegetarianism,” Jan. 22). I am not a vegetarian, but am very diet conscious. My spouse is diabetic, and I am a survivor of two melanoma surgeries and a nine-month protocol using Interferon as part of the post-cancer treatment. I lost about 25 pounds during that…
What’s your definition of art?
Armond Benson operations manager “Anything black and silver with a skull and crossbones on it.” Shawna Shaber marketing assistant “Charles Russell—because it’s cowboys and Indians. I’m the Indian.” Tanith Ramos administrative assistant “Ornate, colorful tattoos of dragons.” Wendy Knowles retired schoolteacher “Anything pleasing to the eye, or someone’s expression of who they are.”
Clubs & 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 and vegetables.…
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
SANSUM CLINIC presents its cholesterol management class on Feb. 5 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the clinic. Cost is $8. A diabetes essentials class is Feb. 12 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the clinic. Cost is $8. The clinic is located at 1225 North H St., Lompoc. Info: 737-8700. MARIAN MEDICAL CENTER presents…
Art
THE SANTA BARBARA COUNTY ARTS COMMISSION presents “The Essential Worker,” featuring pictures by 10 area photographers, Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Feb. 13 at the Betteravia Government Center, 511 E Lakeside, Santa Maria. Info: 568-3994. THE SANTA MARIA PUBLIC LIBRARY presents the art exhibit, A Window into Argentine Palettes, featuring…
Learning
ALLAN HANCOCK COLLEGE presents its 2009 Bow-WOW! orientation event on Feb. 5 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the center courtyard, Lompoc Valley Center, Lompoc. Info: 922-6966 or 1-866 DIAL AHC, Ext. 3629. MARIAN MEDICAL CENTER presents a “Stroke/Hypertension/Heart Disease” class on Feb. 5 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at Marian Medical, Room A,…
Recreation
THE LUIS OASIS SENIOR CENTER holds floral design classes Feb. 5, 11, and 12 at 6 p.m. “Painters and Ceramics” meets on Feb. 6 at 9 a.m. “Faceting and Silversmithing” meets on Feb. 6 and 9 at 1 p.m. A card-making class is Feb. 10 at 9 a.m. “We Love to Sing,” the Oasis singing…
Kids & Family
THE SANTA MARIA PUBLIC LIBRARY presents “Wish Upon a Star Story Time” for ages 3 to 5 on Wednesdays at 12:30 p.m. and Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. through Feb. 26 at the Santa Maria Public Library, 421 S. McClelland St., Santa Maria. Reservations required. Info: 925-0994 or 925-4354. ONGOING LA LECHE LEAGUE SANTA MARIA offers…
Dance Lessons
ONGOING EVERYBODY CAN DANCE offers classes in ballet dance for ages 3 to adult. Call for schedules. Boys and men receive full scholarships. The studio is located at 800 S. Broadway. Info: 937-6753. THE DANCE STUDIO offers dance classes in Santa Maria and Nipomo in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, Acrobatics, and Dance Team. Info:…
Stage
THE SANTA MARIA CIVIC THEATER presents its production of God’s Favorite by Neil Simon Feb. 6 through 28 at the theater, 1660 N McClelland St., Santa Maria. Info: 922-4442. NIPOMO HIGH SCHOOL’S DRAMA DEPARTMENT presents the Visions of Valentines Variety Show on Feb. 11 and 12 at 7 p.m. in the Olympic Hall, Nipomo High…
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 CLUB 805, AKA STINKY’S BAR & GRILL: 2430 South Broadway, 614-9316. DJ Davey D Saturday nights. THE COACHMAN: 1531 S. Broadway, 922-5556. Thursday through Saturday: DJ from 9 p.m. to…
Concerts
WORTH THE DRIVE THE SANTA BARBARA CONTEMPORARY ARTS FORUM presents Sara Paul Ocampo in concert on Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. at the Art Forum, 653 Paseo Nuevo, Santa Barbara. Info: 966-5373, Ext. 104. THE C GALLERY presents Alan Satchwell and his concert “The Nearness of You” on Feb. 6 at 7:30 p.m. at the…
Special Events
THE SANTA MARIA TOWN CENTER sponsors the California Tropic Children’s Pageant on Feb. 7 at 8 a.m. at the Santa Maria Town Center, Santa Maria. Info: 877-998-7674. THE WEST COAST NATIONALS TRACTOR PULL takes place at the Elks Unocal Event Center, 4040 Highway 101, in Santa Maria on Feb. 7 at 1 p.m. Cost is…
Arts Briefs
Robin Hood sweeps through the library Hold on to your pocketbooks. The Traveling Lantern Theatre Company will present Robin Hood at 7 p.m. on Feb. 26 at the Santa Maria Public Library. The event is open to children ages 5 and older. Tickets are required and will be available in the children’s room of the…
On their toes
By leaping lightly and bounding gracefully across the stage, a good ballet dancer makes a story come to life through dance. Muscles flex and bodies stretch, making light of months of repetitious practice and extreme discipline. For ballet dancers, tying on toe shoes to perform muscle-burning movements is worth the reward of a perfectly executed…
Portrait of a lady
A painter’s soul is hardly ever at rest. Goaded by a need to create and a desire to manifest the source of driving inspiration, an artist finds only temporary reprieve in completing a work of art before inspiration takes over once again. Henry Asencio is an artist driven by contrasts. He hails from Santa Maria,…
It was leaving her breathless
The other day I came home from work, and when I went in to give my wife a kiss, she made a sour face and turned her head away. I was shocked. “What’s up, Baby?” “Your breath smells like a sweaty garbage can is what’s up.” “A sweaty garbage can? Really?” “Yes, it’s part rotten…
Hancock baseball camps are a hit
Bunt. Or not. How do you decide? How do you even bunt in the first place? Allan Hancock College’s baseball coaches will lead Sunday hitting camps on Feb. 22, March 15, and April 5. All three camps run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Players ages 8 to 18 will work on swing mechanics and…
From Bulldog to Husky
Basketball, admitted Dorson Boyce, was the sport everyone played while growing up in Queens and Brooklyn. Boyce, however, has been playing football since he was 7. He said he played both sports in high school, but ultimately bucking tradition by just playing football seems to have been a smart move: Come March, Boyce will be…
Liquid investments
Home to mild weather and moderating ocean breezes, Santa Maria enjoys a fairly even climate all year round. But with temperatures on the rise across the globe, local wine collectors may want to take another look at the storage conditions that will best protect their precious galleries of liquid art. Unlike spirits, such as bourbon…
Kick smoking out of city parks
I would like to express my views on smoking in our public parks. This refers to all types of tobacco use in all of our parks. It has been proven that secondhand smoke is as damaging or more so than smoking itself. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is the fourth largest killer in the USA! This,…
Property owners should be able to build what they want
Just who appointed Mr. McCalip as czar of development in Santa Barbara County (“Just say no to leapfrog developments,” Jan. 29)? His comments on the proposed La Purisima Resort project at the La Purisima Golf Course in Lompoc are inflammatory and misleading. We don’t mind that he has a personal opinion, but when the Santa…
Political Watch
• On Jan. 28, more than 50 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, including Congresswoman Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara), sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton requesting the United States take immediate action to address the situation in Gaza. “The violence in Israel and Gaza and the resulting humanitarian crisis calls for…
Community Notebook
MONDAY, FEB. 9 • 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. TUESDAY, FEB. 10 • The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has its regular meeting at 9 a.m. in the Betteravia Government Center’s Board…
A wired wish comes true
Kyle Shea knew there was some sort of surprise coming—he just had no idea how big it would be. The 15-year-old Pioneer Valley freshman who was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease saw his wish come true, thanks to the Make-a-Wish foundation. “It was very shocking,” Kyle said. “I had an idea [there was something planned], but…
The wheels on the bus need someone in control
Through Feb. 22, Student Transportation of America is holding an online job fair to fill school bus driver positions throughout the United States and Canada. The company is providing what officials in a press release called “recession-proof jobs” in these tough economic times. “Kids have to go to school despite the ups and downs of…
Santa Maria-Bonita is cooking up something new
The Santa Maria-Bonita School District Food Service Department recently received a $25,000 grant, which will be used to install new double convection ovens in the cafeteria kitchens at two local schools. Adam and Robert Bruce elementary schools are expected to receive the new ovens sometime in February. The grant came from the Orfalea Foundation’s “Cool…
Get on the cutting edge of local business news
The short of it: Marian Medical Center is building a new hospital. The long of it: Ann Foxworthy Lewellen, co-chair of the Cornerstone Campaign for Marian Medical Center, will speak about the project at the Committee to Improve North County and the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce Business Development Committee’s upcoming monthly luncheon. A…
‘Foreclosure’ doesn’t have to be a dirty word
It’s not an ideal situation, but foreclosure doesn’t have to be an overwhelming, mysterious experience for homeowners. Just ask Brian Kerrigan, housing counselor for Peoples’ Self-Help Housing. On Feb. 11, Kerrigan will lead a free Peoples’ Self-Help Housing seminar to warn attendees about predatory lending and present options when it comes to dealing with a…
Get a gem of a deal with Kevin Main
Capture the moment. Kevin Main Jewelry Design and Studio and Tom Meinhold Photography are offering a complimentary photo sitting with every purchase for the Valentine’s Day season. Until Feb. 14, customers who buy a Valentine’s Day gift will get an opportunity to return to the studio for a complimentary photo sitting with Tom Meinhold and…
Hotel plans worry local agriculturists
Santa Barbara County planning commissioners will be talking about resort living at their weekly meeting on Feb. 11. They’ll also discuss dining and relaxing spa visits, though all through the lens of potential upcoming construction in Lompoc. First proposed in August 2007, the Hunter/La Purisima Resort project calls for the construction of an 80-room resort,…
Corrections
The Sun’s Jan. 29 cover story, “Mind the Gap,” incorrectly stated which school is the only school in the Santa Maria-Bonita School District without an After School Education and Safety program. The only school without the program is Tunnell Elementary School. Also on Jan. 29, Athlete of the Week Sonny Martinez’s school was misstated. He…
Santa Barbara County supervisors reject mandated housing
Risking a potential lawsuit and other punitive measures, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 during its Jan. 27 meeting to reject an affordable housing mandate from the state. To meet state requirements, the board considered selecting two parcels of land in Orcutt for residential rezoning. The parcels would have been home to…
Men allegedly involved in Nipomo cockfighting ring plead not guilty
On Feb. 2, two of the five men taken into custody for allegedly participating in a Nipomo cockfighting ring pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges. Cockfighting is a felony is most states, but is considered a misdemeanor in California. The other three men arrested during the Jan. 28 raid—one of the largest such raids in…
State Lands Commission stonewalls Tranquillon Ridge agreement
On Jan. 29, one day after the 40th anniversary of the 1969 oil spill that tainted waters off the coast of Santa Barbara, the California State Lands Commission voted 2-1 to reject an agreement between a Texas-based oil company and three local environmental groups. The agreement between PXP and the Environmental Defense Center, Get Oil…
California’s budget is going to the dogs
The cost of veterinary care, a round of golf, and amusement park tickets could all go up thanks to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposal to start taxing more services in the state. The proposal is part of the Republican governor’s plan to balance the state’s $42 billion deficit. If approved, it would apply a 9 percent…
