Cover Story
Interpreting the signs
Hours after our so-called “perfect baby girl” was born, not only was she put to the test, but so was our idea of perfection. My husband and I were moments from dressing Sienna Dorothy in a pink velour onesie, tucking her in an infant car seat for the first time, and gingerly driving her home,…
Spotlight on: Anytime Fitness
Anytime Fitness will be celebrating the grand opening of its new 24-hour gym on Jan. 28, and lots of Old Town Orcutt business merchants are pitching in with free food and prizes to make it a grand day for the entire community. The event, which runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., will offer something…
What do you do in your spare time?
Steven Garcia sales “I go to shows where my friend’s band, The Mighty Fine, is playing.” Tamara Hooker radiation protection tech “I like to scrapbook. I like to cook.” Brian Hooker radiation protection tech “I love to hunt and fish. And I like to eat.” Yohan Silva Caregiver for mentally handicapped “I like to socialize,…
Power Lunch, Book 1: First Course, recommended for all ages 9 to 13
Joey has a secret, one that’s prompted several moves to new towns, new schools: He has superpowers. Sometimes. As long as he sticks to an all-white diet—milk, tofu, eggs without the yolks, unbruised bananas—he stays normal. But if he eats trail mix, he gets a burst of amazing speed. If he drinks fruit punch, his…
How animals spend the winter
During winter, most of us keep warm by bundling up and staying indoors. Do you ever wonder how animals spend the winter? Some animals—like geese, bats, caribou, elk, and whales—migrate to warmer weather. Whales have even been spotted traveling south this week near our coastline! Check out Santa Barbara whale-watching tours to watch the migration…
Spring registration is still open at Hancock
Planning to take a spring credit class at Allan Hancock College? Register online at hancockcollege.edu through Jan. 27. Classes begin the week of Jan. 23. New students and those without a user name and password must apply for admission to the college before registering for classes. Access to the online admission application is also available…
Santa Maria-Bonita GATE students end their winter break with a special workshop
The pounding of tribal drums resonated through the air at Tommie Kunst Junior High School on Jan. 11. Inside the school’s gymnasium, several hundred students craned their necks or stood on tiptoe to catch a glimpse of the frightening, golden-headed dragon prowling in front of the stage. The performance by Los Angeles-based Japanese Taiko drummers…
Come together, right now
Going through Alzheimer’s can be a lonely, frightening ordeal for people afflicted with the disease, as well as the families and caregivers who are responsible for around-the-clock care that can last up to a decade or more. Stigma associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia can lead to social isolation for both patients…
Nurse of all trades
Almost everyone knows how important teachers are to education, but there are plenty of other people working to make sure our children develop into well-informed citizens. There are parents and other family members, child-care providers, tutors, and community volunteers. And there are countless other individuals supporting children from behind the scenes at local schools—such as…
Google two of these and call me in the morning
Woody Allen is perhaps the most well known hypochondriac. According to Don Hilty, professor and vice chair of faculty development in the UC Davis Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Allen’s iconic bumbling caricature “feels like he’s ill and he’s worried about being ill, but technically he’s not.” And Allen’s neurotic character had the luxury…
Lompoc High School principal is still on administrative leave
When Lompoc High School students return from their winter break, they might be surprised by the absence of their principal, Alfonso Garagarza. Garagarza, who has been principal of Lompoc High School for the last three years, was placed on paid administrative leave after a fellow staff member filed a complaint against him at the end…
Alameda County judge will decide the fate of a pesticide
A lawsuit filed by environmental and farmworker rights groups challenging the state’s approval of methyl iodide, a highly toxic pesticide used on strawberries, had its day in court on Jan. 12 in Oakland. Appearing before Alameda County Superior Court Judge Frank Roesch, attorneys for environmental law firm Earthjustice argued that in authorizing the fumigant, the…
Lompoc leaders scramble to find long-term housing for homeless people
After several months of speculation over the status of its properties, the now-defunct Lompoc Housing and Community Development Corporation has told the city of Lompoc it will no longer be able to run two homeless shelters. As of Jan. 17, homeless people living in Lompoc won’t be able to seek shelter and other services from…
Santa Maria’s California Fresh closes
Santa Marians bid farewell to smoothie and sandwich shop California Fresh on Jan. 13, after eight years of business on the Central Coast. To say goodbye to customers, California Fresh owner Chad Jordan held a barbecue at his shop’s relatively new location on Industrial Parkway. Jordan moved his business from a storefront on Betteravia Road…
What’s on Deck?
Thursday, Jan. 19 Boys’ Basketball Shandon @ Valley Christian Academy TBA Boys’ Soccer Lompoc @ Santa Maria 3:30 p.m. Cabrillo @ Morro Bay 3:30 p.m. Girls’ Basketball Shandon @ Valley Christian Academy TBA Girls’ Soccer Morro Bay @ Cabrillo 3 p.m. Santa Maria @ Lompoc 3:30 p.m. Girls’ Water…
On the roster
• Big Picture Athletics Winter Football: Big Picture Athletics will be holding an eight-week competitive seven-on-seven winter passing league for seventh- and eighth-grade teams from Jan. 22 to March 18. The focus of the league will be on exposure, player development, competition, and improved knowledge of the game. A maximum of 12 teams will be…
Golf for ‘Special Heroes’
The Hero Sports’ Special Heroes program, a nonprofit designed to get people with disabilities involved in team sports, will be holding a fundraising golf tournament on Jan. 21. The nine-hole tournament takes place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Laguna Golf Course in San Luis Obispo. Registration is $5. The tournament benefits the Special…
Titan up your school spirit
Bring the whole family and get in the Titan spirit at the Nipomo High School Booster Club’s Spirit Night on Jan. 25. The fundraising dinner will be held at the Arroyo Grande Village F. McLintocks from 4 p.m. to close, and 15 percent of all sales will be donated to the NHS Booster Club. F.…
Orcutt gears up for youth softball
Another season of the Orcutt Youth Softball Association is kicking off with a few last-minute registration dates and tryouts. Final signups will be held on Jan. 19 at McKenzie School in Guadalupe from 7 to 8:30 p.m. and on Jan. 21 from 9 a.m. to noon at Guadalupe City Hall. All players must provide proof…
Mikaila Davis
Mikaila Davis’ skill as a shot-putter has taken her places she never thought she could go. She first picked up a shot put during her junior year at Nipomo High School, and then refined her technique at Allan Hancock College. Now, she’s enjoying a full scholarship at Concordia University, a top-tier Christian university in Irvine.…
No pain, no gain
Coming off his junior year at St. Joseph High School, Zak Karsh is at a critical juncture in his football career. The All-League wide receiver has started getting letters from interested colleges, and is skipping basketball this spring to focus on working out nonstop to prepare for his senior year. “It’s just been making me…
The healing sound
The brain is a vastly complex organ. Its complexity is matched only by the number of possible injuries and disorders it can suffer, as well as the range of possible treatments. Music can help the brain in many ways, be it aiding with communication or promoting healing. One local, Victoria Lowrie FNMT, MT-BC, is a…
The sticky world of recycling
Like most of America’s youth, my kids are incredibly greedy. They have high-end technical wants in life that cost high-end technical dollars. Last time I checked you can’t get an iPod as a prize in a box of Captain Crunch Berries (although that day may come before I’m six feet deep). My kids like i-anything:…
Grants help County Arts Commission expand art
After a recently announced partnership between the Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation and Santa Barbara County Arts Commission, every concert ticket sale means 25 cents will go into an arts subsidy fund. The funds will be used by Santa Barbara County Arts Commission to leverage additional funding sources and community resources; eliminate barriers like materials, artist…
The Earth is art
“Earth as Art 3” is the latest exhibit at the Wildling Art Museum, 2928 San Marcos Ave. in Los Olivos. The exhibit will be on display through May 13. Organized by the United States Geological Survey, the exhibit showcases images of Earth’s surface chosen for their aesthetic beauty, rather than scientific value. Using digital satellite…
Railcars make up a model event
The San Luis Obispo Model Railroad Association (SLOMRA) and the Oceano Depot Association will present their fifth annual Model Railroad Days on Jan. 28 and 29. The free event will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day at the Oceano Depot, 1650 Front St. in Oceano. A wide variety of operating model trains…
People and places fill Cypress Gallery
“People and Places,” an exhibit of paintings by nonagenarian Gladys Efantis, will be the featured show at the Cypress Gallery in Lompoc from Jan. 31 through Feb. 26. Efantis began drawing during childhood and has had a career in the arts and graphic design, working in many mediums. A reception will be held from 2…
Art in the valley
Living amid the sights of Santa Ynez wine country has its advantages for artists, who don’t have to go far to find inspiration. The vines stretching in the sun, the golden rolling hills, and the overall agricultural feel feed the artistic mind. Richard Rice was reminded of that truth recently when he moved back to…
Solvang gets jazzy
Conventional wisdom says persistence pays off, but Solvang resident Ruth Hoover never imagined how long she’d have to persevere in her quest to bring jazz to her town. After almost two decades of effort, Hoover has finally triumphed: Next month will mark the first appearance of the Cambria-based “Famous Jazz Artist Series” in the valley.…
‘Illegal’ family unity seems more important than American family unity
Just read the Obama Administration proposed new regulation that would allow certain undocumented immigrants to remain in America instead of having to return to their country while their re-entry application is considered. Our President believes that the separation would be a hardship on the family. This same president had no problem sending our troops abroad.…
It’s the environment, stupid
Green will be the new economy. But as long as the petrochemical industry owns our government, environmentally friendly jobs will have the back burner. Drill, baby, drill continues to be the mindset of politicians beholden to Big Oil. We need jobs, but not at the expense of planetary destruction. Creating thousands of relatively short-term jobs…
False anger at spending cuts
In 2011, Californians saw protests against the spending cuts to services for the elderly, poor, sick, and college students. The protesters spoke out against the cuts and directed their anger at those they deemed responsible for the reductions, mainly banks and big corporations. However, California Democrats and the people who supported job-killing legislation deserve blame…
Thoughts on Iraq
I was surprised at the balance in your article “Out of Iraq” (Jan. 5) from a liberal media like the Sun. However, some comments are still deserved. We did not go to war in Iraq over oil; we get only 5 percent from them today; before, 0 percent. The WMD were believed in by the…
Thanks for the laugh
Chuck, you make me chuckle (“We can no longer support the freebies,” Jan. 5), but let’s get real. Yeah, it’s another sad day in America when the federal government is spending our hard-earned money on “illegals” … like the $3T on our Wall Street, white-collar, corporate criminal syndicate, international investment bank, financial fraud empire, and,…
Online porn is risky
Several years ago, researchers Wolak, Mitchell, and Finkelhor published a highly disturbing article in Pediatrics magazine about youth exposure to online pornography that highlighted its effects on youth ages 10 to 17. Very few kids or young teens find their way into my office, but I’m beginning to see more and more young adults who…
Dine-out deal
If you eat out only one week this year, make it January 22 to 28. At least 16 restaurants will serve up the deal of the year during Santa Ynez Valley Restaurant Week. To kick off 2012, local restaurants will offer three-course special tasting menus for just $20.12, delighting both taste buds and wallets. Here’s…
