Cover Story
Significant and unavoidable
The mighty Greek deity Zeus presided over his council of gods atop Mount Olympus, dictating his divine wisdom to the mortals on Earth. In California, we have the California Coastal Commission, the ever-powerful independent and quasi-judicial regulatory body that overseas and enforces the Coastal Act, the legislation that ensures the pristine California coastline doesn’t befall…
What memory of the beach stands out to you?
Bryan Eiler safety specialist “Running on the sand, hearing the waves crashing.” Barbara Cann playground supervisor “Playing in the waves [and] body surfing when I was younger. I used to go to Pismo and Avila a lot. I’m sure I shouldn’t do that now.” Cadence Brown beach enthusiast “One time I got four buckets of…
Home run
The city of Solvang is getting ready for the 2013 baseball season—join the Solvang 5×5 team to meet friends, have fun, and get some exercise. Games are set to begin Feb. 10; the registration deadline is Feb. 1. The cost is $420 per team, and all games are played at Jonata school in Buellton. For…
Get the flag
Football can be dangerous; if you love the sport but not the risk, think about joining the Solvang adult flag football league. Games start Jan. 26 and run through March 30—depending on the number of teams that register and the weather. Registration is due Feb. 11. Everyone is welcome; the cost is $400 per team…
Winning!
The Hancock men’s basketball team continued to plow through the competition with a 91-77 win over Santa Barbara City on Jan. 9. Khufu Najee and Leron Fisher rang up 20 points, while Demetrius Thomas came up big with 25 points on the game. The Bulldogs also celebrated a double overtime win against El Camino on…
Warriors on top
The Righetti varsity wrestling team dominated at the recent tri-league meet against St. Joseph and Pioneer Valley. Righetti came out of the tournament with two victories, having stomped St. Joseph 73-6. Wrestlers Luke Wilson and Stuart Malm each pinned the competition in less than a minute and a half while teammate Jacob Campbell sealed the…
Athlete of the Week: Shemarr Parker
Although Shemarr Parker only recently came to Santa Maria from the Bronx, he’s made his way from anonymity to a near-hot-shot within the halls of Santa Maria High School. Before his brother had him moved to Santa Maria—he also has another brother who plays on the team, senior Marquis Parker—Shemarr had been playing basketball for…
New league lineup
There are 16 high schools that comprise the current Pac 7 and Los Padres athletic leagues. From Paso to Cabrillo, from Morro Bay to Santa Ynez, there’s a wide range of athletic talent and school size that keeps competition unpredictable and exciting. The current leagues have seven teams in each: St. Joseph, Arroyo Grande, San…
Tin Pan Alley meets the old log cabin
What do cabaret and bluegrass music have in common? Not much! But the unlikely pairing of genres makes up the show “Bluegrass All-Stars and American Cabaret” to be performed for a fundraiser for Temple Beth El in Santa Maria. The show, a continuation of “From Broadway to Bluegrass,” which has been enjoyed at the temple…
Know your railroad history
The South Coast Railroad Museum presents an educational lecture on local railroad history titled “Southern Pacific’s Depots of Santa Barbara County” on Jan. 22 by Jean-Guy Dube. The event is free thanks to the sponsorship of the South Coast Railroad Museum, and will feature an exhibition of detailed depot building blueprints. The blueprints are crafted…
Santa Maria Library holds call for artists
The city of Santa Maria Public Library has announced its “2013 Gallery Exhibition Call for Artists.” The library shows art year round to promote the cultural wealth of the Central Coast, with exhibitions rotating every month. The goal is to provide the community with a diverse array of media, concepts, and subject matter. The Santa…
Prepare your chair
Altrusa International Inc. of Santa Maria, along with the People for Leisure and Youth (PLAY, Inc.) and the Friends of the Santa Maria Library, has announced the second annual “Drop Everything and Read Painted Chair Event.” Each chair is to be painted to match the theme of a favorite book that either artists or a…
The sky’s the limit
A good idea can arrive without a moment’s notice. Hopefully when that idea comes, you’ll be ready with pen and paper, as was local author James T. “Tom” Lanier when the idea for his debut book, Finney’s First Flight, came to him. “Frankly, the whole idea just popped in my head,” he said. “All the…
Acting from the inside out
The Central Coast is teeming with talent, and among the many artists who call the area home are actors. Many actors. Between PCPA, Cal Poly, UCSB, and the myriad community theaters dotting the coast, throngs of thespians make up quite the community. A rare chance for local actors is approaching in the form of a…
Surf or die
There are certain things you do in life that define who you are. For me, ever since I was a student at Cal Poly and a resident of the Central Coast, I identified with surfing. I still identify myself as a surfer, although anyone who has ever been with me in the ocean would probably…
Oportunidades de educacion para hablantes de Español
Registrese en linea ahora para las clases de Ingles como Segundo idioma en el Colegio de Allan Handcock. Las clases comienzan el 22 de Enero y se dictan varias veces por 16 semanas en el campus de Santa Maria. Las materias enseñadas incluyen Lectura Y Escritura (cuatro unidades de credito por cada una) Y Gramatica…
Districto Escolar de Santa Maria-Bonita comienza a publicar agendas en Español en linea
Los padres que primera lengua es el Español podran ahora obtener actas Y agendas traducidas de las juntas del directorio de educacion del Districto Escolar de Santa Maria-Bonita en la pagina web del districto escolar, smbsd.org. El miembro del directorio Will Smith le dijo al Sun que al asegurarse que los padres que hablan Español…
Help make Mardi Gras magical for St. Mary’s students
Holding a Mardi Gras celebration and fundraiser isn’t an easy feat, especially for educators whose first priority is teaching children. That’s why officials at St. Mary of the Assumption are asking local businesses and individuals for donations. The Mardi Gras Dinner, Dance, and Auction is the school’s largest fundraiser. This year’s proceeds will go toward…
The big new dog (and cat) house
The Santa Maria Valley Humane Society and its residents will soon benefit from shiny new digs. The upgraded facility is currently under construction off of Stowell Road in Santa Maria. On Jan. 26, the public is invited to stop by and check out the progress between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. At the same time,…
Spotlight on: Roemer Way Self-Storage
While the TV show Storage Wars and its imitators have shone a bright light on the self-storage industry over the last few years, they’ve only told a small fraction of the self-storage story. The much larger part has to do with the millions of moves in and out of storage spaces undertaken by Americans each…
New face, new thoughts
Terri Zuniga made headlines this year as the top vote-getter in the race for Santa Maria City Council—after coming in third on election night. She’s worked in the nonprofit and social justice sector for nearly three decades. Now she’s trying her hand at city government. At her first meeting in December, Zuniga and fellow council…
Correction
In the Jan. 10 article, “It’s in the heart,” Amy Padilla’s title was misstated. She is Marian Regional Medical Center’s volunteer services manager. Additionally, the Mission Hope Cancer Center only has one shift of volunteers. The main hospital has two shifts. News Briefs is compiled by Sun writers from staff reporting and local and national…
Santa Maria takes action against crime
The Santa Maria Police Department is moving full-force ahead to meet the needs of the community with a new action plan, a press release from the city manager’s office reported Jan. 8. The city was host to a handful of community meetings where residents could voice some of their major concerns about city issues. According…
Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department hires a new spokesperson
After several months of searching, interviewing, and conducting background checks, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department has selected former KEYT anchor Kelly Hoover as its new public information specialist. Hoover will act as the department’s spokesperson, writing press releases, giving interviews to the press, and more. “I’m very honored and excited to take over the…
The new Santa Maria courthouse building is officially open for business
People going to the Santa Maria courthouse to pay a traffic fine, look up a court document, or find out when they’re next due in court will no longer have to cram into a portable trailer in the back parking lot. As of this month, they’ll get to use a brand-new, multi-million dollar facility. At…
Our kids don’t have a chance
News flash: Take away the Second Amendment. Take away the guns. Put into place more gun control laws. This will stop the killing. Coming from our so-called fix-it-all government. News Flash: We don’t need any more gun control laws; what we need is drug control laws. We have 300,000 children in the school system that…
State agencies should share the burden of tough times
Many middle- and lower-income Californians are facing harsh financial problems. The cost of basic necessities is rising steadily. State taxes and fees are among the highest in the nation—and taxes are going up, again. Times are tough for a lot of California folks. So state agencies should share this burden. After all, the state’s money…
Consider all the factors when filling a council seat
The right to vote for our elected officials is an important part of our Democracy. Although the participation in elections is disgraceful, it still plays an important part in upholding our Constitution. In regard to the last Santa Maria City Council election, if Councilman Cordero won the mayor’s seat, Alice Patino would have retained her…
An Ice Age of emotions on a warming planet
Once again this nation has discharged the looney-tunes world of uncompromising gun ownership. Meanwhile, the planet no longer politely speaks and now hands us looney-tune climate conditions. Rude is rampant. Gun fanatics scream while Mother Earth kicks us like an old tin can. I’m feeling like I might want to resurrect one of those bomb…
Lady Lane
The Santa Maria Valley is home to approximately a dozen wineries with local tasting rooms, three of which have a female winemaker: Lane Tanner at Sierra Madre Vineyards, Denise Shurtleff at Cambria Winery, and Clarissa Nagy of Riverbench Vineyard and her own Nagy Wines. A couple of smaller wineries based in Santa Maria are owned…
