Cover Story
When trails end: Nipomo landowners and equestrians battle over horseback riding routes on the Mesa
Like countless hikers and horsemen, dog walkers and joggers, Doreen Lopez has been riding and hiking the trails through Nipomo’s eucalyptus groves and along its sandy bluffs for decades. Like untold numbers of property owners, Jim Harrington hoped to enjoy the peace and quiet of country living in the privacy of his own home. Today,…
Inmate dies after cardiac episode in Santa Barbara County Jail
An inmate at the Santa Barbara County Jail suffered a cardiac related medical emergency on Dec. 26 and later died, said Kelly Hoover, the public information officer with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. News of the inmate’s death was released to the public on Dec. 30. According to Hoover, the 69-year-old male inmate was…
What’s your favorite place to hike or walk?
Eli Gagnon student at Righetti High School “Lake Isabel because I love hopping from rock to rock across the lake.” Matthew Gagnon student at Righetti High School “The Nira campground in Los Padres.” Katie Goodrich student at Allan Hancock College, studying early childhood development “Point Sal because it’s so green! It reminds me of The…
Greatness rising: Orcutt Bakery offers a solid spread of scratch-made cookies, cakes, and other treats
Take one bite of Orcutt Bakery’s signature cheesecake and you instantly discover the secret to their success. Light and fluffy, with an exquisite and surprisingly fresh burst of fruit topping, the bakery’s cheesecake does more than define the venue’s signature scratch-baked style. It instantly tells you a story about the person who made it. In…
Chumash Casino to host Rick Springfield solo show
The Chumash Casino Resort welcomes the iconic Rick Springfield on Jan. 19 for an evening performance of his new solo show, Stripped Down. The concert features the rock star alone on stage with just his acoustic guitar. Springfield is best known for his hit “Jessie’s Girl,” but many also know him from his role as…
Santa Maria Library offers adult coloring program
The Santa Maria Public Library expanded its adult coloring program to include longer sessions and meet twice per month, according to a release from the library. The next scheduled programs take place Jan. 10 and Jan. 25 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. both days. The library invites adults to attend the free program. The coloring…
Santa Maria Recreation and Parks announces poster contest winner
The city of Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department announced the winner of the Clean and Smoke-Free City Parks Youth Poster Contest. Celicia G., a student at Taylor Elementary School, designed the winning poster. Celicia’s poster is on display at local government offices and facilities and she will receive a prize, according to a release…
A year to get moving
I remember how I felt on the first day of school every year when I was a child. I had a sense of excitement and exhilaration about the newness of my book bag, pencil case, notebooks, and even my shoes. I still love to buy new notebooks of any size. Enrolled in a Catholic school…
Make the resolution to learn an instrument this year
If you are one of those people who have pined for music their entire life and are yet to pick up an instrument or get some lessons, I feel for you. I get it, we all put up mental blocks, but this is one you need to knock down. If you make a resolution for…
For artists, by artists: Valley Art Gallery cooperative shines light on founding members through Feb. 11
Sometimes, you’ve just got to roll up your smock and go totally DIY. Like the old adage goes, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” In the case of a diligent group of Santa Maria Valley area artists, I’d amend that quote to read something like, “Be the scrappy nonprofit artists cooperative…
Bug’s eye view: Alice Abela shares her local wildlife photography online
It’s the New Year, and everyone’s making resolutions. One local wildlife biologist’s story of a New Year’s resolution turned successful hobby can serve as an example and inspiration for anyone hoping to break into a new art. Alice Abela is a working biologist in Santa Barbara County who developed an interest in photography years ago.…
Danita Estorga
On Dec. 8, Righetti senior basketball player Danita Estorga scored her 1,000th varsity point. The accomplishment is even more impressive since Estorga achieved the goal in only the team’s second game of the season. Compound that with the fact that Estorga is the defending PAC 8 Defensive Player of the Year, and it’s plain to…
Get a running start on 2017: Keeping New Year’s fitness resolutions takes planning, accountability, and something to work toward
Every year, right after the holidays, countless individuals vow to to make the new year a different one. They resolve to read more, work less, or try something they’ve never experienced before. Among those resolutions, attaining a higher level of fitness comes first for many people. According to a December 2016 statisticsbrain.com study sourced from…
Hobnobbing with Helen
Every now and then, a new nonprofit event pops up in town. Sometimes said event goes over so well and is such a hit that it becomes a classic. This is the case with Christmas with Holly, now in its fourth year. Christmas with Holly has become a can’t-miss holiday happening. Put on by Hats…
Santa Barbara County budget faces surprise problems in new year
For most of us, the new year means a clean slate—but for the county budget, not so much. The county’s looking at a rough fiscal year ahead, mostly thanks to an unexpected spike in pension costs for 2017-18. In October, the county Board of Retirement approved a decrease in the assumed rate of return on…
Abel to do it? Maldonado considered for cabinet job in Trump administration
The future Donald Trump administration looked to Santa Barbara County for a cabinet pick. President-elect Trump reportedly met with former California Lt. Gov. and Santa Maria Mayor Abel Maldonado in Palm Beach, Fla., on Dec. 28 to discuss the possibility of Maldonado’s leading the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). A local farmer, Maldonado is one…
Alleged child molester’s accuser recants story in court
A Santa Barbara County Superior Court judge denied bail reduction for a Santa Maria basketball coach alleged to have molested his stepdaughter, even though she recanted her accusation in open court on Dec. 19. Ramoan Blackmon, who is the executive director of Cal Hoops Elite Basketball Academy in Santa Maria, was arrested on Nov. 16…
Lompoc braces for wrongful conviction lawsuit
The city of Lompoc is preparing for a lawsuit from Joel Alcox, who alleges he was falsely arrested, prosecuted, and incarcerated for 26 years for shooting and killing Thakorbhai Patel at the Lompoc Motel. Alcox denies ever committing the crime. After a decade of litigation and three petitions for habeas corpus, Alcox’s third petition was…
Larrabee Recycling Center in Santa Maria closes
The Larrabee Recycling Center in Santa Maria closed its doors on Dec. 30, citing increased operational costs and decreasing profits and support from CalRecycle for shuttering the longtime recycling center. CalRecycle, a state government program that aims to bring together recycling and waste management programs in California, announced in December that it would cut some…
Spotlight on: The city of Santa Maria Community Development Department
With the new year comes new leadership for the Santa Maria Department of Community Development, which oversees the city’s planning and building divisions. City Manager Rick Haydon announced in a release from the city the appointment of Chuen Ng as the new director of the department. Ng begins his appointment as director on Jan. 9.…
Will Smith loses fight for revoked teaching credential
A court of appeal has issued its ruling, and Will Smith—Santa Maria mayoral candidate and former Santa Maria-Bonita School District board member—won’t be seeing the return of his revoked teaching credential. Smith, who conceded the mayoral seat to incumbent Alice Patino in November’s election, lost his teaching credential in 2009 after four years of work…
What the Trump?
It’s not easy doing a spit take as a bird. The beak just doesn’t allow the proper puckering technique it takes to send a geyser of coffee spewing across your computer screen. You end up just opening your beak and choking on whatever liquid doesn’t dribble down your front. That’s exactly what I did when…
The reason for the season
For many of us, Christmas is our favorite time of the year—the songs, the lights, the get-togethers with family and friends exchanging gifts and enjoying scrumptious dinners. The Christian belief is that God came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ, being both God and man, which is generally believed to be why we…
Another side of the story
I just read your piece regarding the protest in the mall on Dec. 18 (“‘Puppy Mill’ protest erupts at Santa Maria Town Center Mall”). Your story has many inaccuracies which I would like to address. The protest was legal and we were not kicked out by police due to handing out fliers without permission by…
Let’s win the West again
President Obama signed a bill that will address our dire water situation that stems not so much from drought as it does from policies that have squandered the water we would otherwise have in storage. The bill, with broad bipartisan support, passed through both houses of Congress and will facilitate water storage, conservation, desalinization, and…
Political Watch 1/5/17
• Several bills authored by Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) will become law in California on Jan. 1. Senate Bill 1005, or Modernizing California Law to Reflect Marriage Equality, updates the terms “husband” and “wife” in various code sections to the gender-neutral term “spouse.” This is to reflect that same-sex couples can legally marry in…
Community Notebook 1/5/17 – 1/12/17
• The Dec. 27 Guadalupe and Solvang city council meetings were canceled. • The Jan. 3 Santa Maria City Council meeting was canceled.
