Cover Story
Santa Barbara County needs more foster families
A cacophony only six children can make bounces around the Rojases’ family room. It’s movie time, and Sherena Rojas is calmly directing the organized chaos of movement into a semi-seated row on the checkered carpet below the television. After the children plop down, she doles out a mid-afternoon snack: little bags of cookies. The opening…
Would you consider being a foster parent?
Sara Brown office clerk “Actually, I thought about it quite a bit. I’d love to be a foster parent; I just never went forward with it. Maybe after this little one is born.” Sally Heavener retired “Well, I just retired and I take care of my 96-year-old mother. I always thought about it, but my…
PCPA Theaterfest weaves a delightful harmony with ‘Forever Plaid’
View highlights from “Forever Plaid.” Many a beloved artist or band has been cut down in their prime by the perils of automobile or airplane travel, but no group has taken its demise in stride as well as The Plaids, the four-part harmony guy group that emulated the clean-cut style of the 1950s and early…
Gale McNeeley presents a tribute concert to the late folk icon Pete Seeger
The folk music sphere gave a heartfelt goodbye to one of its favorite sons at the beginning of this year. Pete Seeger, the banjo-plucking, honey-voiced folk icon passed away in late January at the ripe age of 94. One local singer and longtime Seeger fan, Gale McNeeley, is presenting a tribute show highlighting the late…
Michaels offers creative fun
Michaels offers a Summer Souvenir Chest class for ages 3 and older on July 12 from 10 a.m. to noon. Cost is $2 per 30-minute session. A free Travel Journal and Chalkboard Event is for all ages on July 13 from 1 to 4 p.m. A special science series includes Week 5: Denver Art Museum,…
Everybody Can Dance expands
Everybody Can Dance has moved its studio space after a decade in its former location. Founding director Diane Zink, who teaches the advanced ballet classes and choreographs the studio’s shows, found that the studio needed more room for expanding dance programs. The new address is 628 S. McClelland St., Santa Maria. Students ages 2 through…
Walk Guadalupe
The Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center offers a Guadalupe Walk and Talk event led by docent and long-time local Shirley Boydstun, who will share her knowledge of the historic buildings and families in Guadalupe on July 19 at 10 a.m. The event meets at The Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center, 1065 Guadalupe St., Guadalupe. More info: 343-2455 or admin@dunescenter.org.
The Bookworm holds an open mic
The Bookworm in Santa Maria will hold an open mic event for poets, musicians, and other performers or writers on July 12 at 8 p.m. The featured performer for the event is local music duo The Feral Parrots. The Bookworm is located at 230 E. Betteravia Road, suite K, Santa Maria. More information is available…
Santa Maria Philharmonic announces season
The Santa Maria Philharmonic Society has met the fundraising goals required to reinstate its full concert season. The society announced its upcoming season, which features several orchestral concerts, a pops concert, and community events throughout the 2014-2015 season. The first concert of the season is Voices of Passion: Music for Strings and Soprano with James…
Two Righetti High School alumni earn Emmy awards for their work in broadcast journalism
The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) is the organization that gives out Emmy awards each year. While most people are familiar with the Emmys for entertainment television, NATAS also offers regional competitions for broadcast journalism—just ask the Sun’s wine and food columnist Wendy Thies Sell. The Northern California Chapter of NATAS held…
Go whole hog: Have fun pigging out at this year’s Bacon & Barrels in Los Olivos
Got a hankerin’ for hog? Need to add some sizzle to your Saturday? Then look no further than Bacon & Barrels. The second annual event in Los Olivos—named one of the top five festivals in California by The Huffington Post—will be held at the Saarloos and Sons field July 18 through 20. The three-day outdoor…
Political Watch 7/10/14
• A bill introduced by Assemblymember Henry Perea (D-Fresno) would put a three-year delay on a rule requiring the energy industry to purchase permits for transportation fuels, the Sacramento Bee reported. Lawmakers and critics have been warning about a resulting price bump at the pumps for months. The rule is a result of AB 32,…
Discovery Corner: Sending letters to our troops!
Receiving letters and postcards in the mail is always a fun thing, especially when they’re from a friend or family member! It’s nice to know that someone is thinking about you. I know I was always excited to get postcards and letters from my friends and family. Our deployed service members love getting letters, too!…
Santa Barbara County 4-H holds successful walkathon
Walk for the Future of Leadership, the Emerald Star Project of six Santa Barbara County 4-H teen leaders, recently raised $7,500 for the club. The walk was held as an entry in the Santa Maria Elks Rodeo Parade on May 31. Fifty members participated, walking the entire length of the parade with uniforms, banners, and…
Passport Thursdays give kids a peek into other cultures
The guitar-laden refrains of Flamenco music put smiles on the faces of both parents and their children at the end of the July 10 Passport Thursday at the Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum. Oriol Roche, 17, from Barcelona, Spain, taught kids about Spanish foods and words, where the country is located, and two different dances:…
Community Notebook 7/10-7/17/14
MONDAY, JULY 14 • 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. • The Solvang City Council has its regular meeting at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers, 1644 Oak Street, Solvang. Agendas are available at…
Hobnobbing with Helen
The Santa Maria Historical Society wants to make history. They will do this by initiating a brand new signature event—an All American Antiques Show—to be held Saturday, Nov. 1, at where else but the Historic Santa Maria Inn. Historical Society Board President Jim Zemaitis and Historical Society Museum Executive Director Cindy Ransick recruited Christine Gerber…
Community Corner: Girl Scouts bring a bit of home to young hospitalized patients
An overnight hospital visit is a necessity for some children, but being away from home and all its familiarities and comforts can be an unsettling experience—or even a scary one. Members of the local Girl Scout Daisy Troop 50507 recently worked to bring a feeling of home to the Marian Regional Medical Center Pediatric Unit…
South SLO County’s water conservation plans are kicking into high gear
Seeing as the emergency in the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin and the dire water situations in coastal Cambria and Morro Bay have drawn a lot of attention, some locals might be surprised to learn that Southern San Luis Obispo County has water issues of its own. While California’s historically awful statewide drought is hardly breaking…
Santa Barbara County gets its first-ever conservation bank
The view from the passenger seat of the SUV I’m riding in is absolutely breathtaking: Two sandy, chaparral-covered hillsides converge into a sharp V through which w aves of green vineyards and golden brown hills are visible. We’re making our way up to a grassy plateau among the Purisima Hills for a barbecue. This might…
County officials pave the way for more affordable housing
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors recently approved some changes and updates to the county’s comprehensive plan that will encourage the development of more affordable housing. In a report presented to the board on July 1, staffers explained that the county has an adequate supply of housing for all income levels for the 2015-2023…
County plows forward with an addition to the North County Jail
As with many construction projects, the costs for the North County Jail continue to increase—but at least the county can expect some help footing the final bill. The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors unanimously gave Sheriff Bill Brown the go ahead at a July 8 meeting to accept a $38.9 million award from the…
Orcutt Academy’s K-8 programs switch school sites for next year
“When one door closes another one opens.” The saying has definite staying power in the Orcutt Union School District. As Orcutt Academy’s kindergarten-through-eighth-grade teachers make the switch from Casmalia to Los Alamos, the Casmalia campus will open up for the charter school’s K-8 independent study program. In April, the district’s school board voted to move…
Show them what they’ve won!
Twenty airmen and women from Vandenberg Air Force Base were selected to attend a special taping of The Price is Right in Los Angeles. The episode aired on July 4 as the program’s annual all-military tribute.
Spotlight on: Resolutions Nutrition
Resolutions Nutrition is an instantly inviting business. With lime-green walls, comfortable couches, and a friendly atmosphere, the health club offers not only a wide variety of nutritional shakes, but also the perfect venue to sit down and stay for a spell. Owners Hannah Reed and Patrick Snow moved to California from Newport, R.I. Snow spends…
Watching the wheels go round
It was a gorgeous, sunny morning recently when I tried going on a bike ride with Ron. It was the singularly scariest event in my life. Not that I haven’t ridden a bike—I had a mountain bike that I loved. I could run over anything, jump off of any curb, and never worried about falling.…
Get a jump on this
My buddy Robert is all upset over the latest news to come out of Sacramento. As a California valley quail, he’s long enjoyed his status as the state bird, frolicking among golden poppies and telling his cousins in other states about the best surf spots—even though he’s never set a foot on a board in…
Danladi competes for Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year award
Former Dunn School soccer player Abu Danladi is headed to Hollywood to face off against other top athletes for the 2013-14 Gatorade Male High School Athlete of the Year award. Danladi will offer some stiff competition against other athletes. The Ghana, Africa, native scored at least one goal in every game he played last season…
Vote no on Measure P
As a landowner and mineral rights owner in Santa Barbara County, I’m concerned about the future of oil and gas drilling in California and Santa Barbara County. Currently the EPA is investigating whether the “F” word causes pollution of underground water sources or earthquakes. There is far too much untruth about fracking being circulated by…
Guadalupe, my hometown
Most of what people read and hear about Guadalupe is negative. The Santa Maria Times and KSBY have done a good job informing the public of the budget crisis in Guadalupe. We also have to deal with the false perception that Guadalupe is not a safe city. This is based on something that happened in…
Climate crisis has no party affiliation
Owing to past neglect in the face of the plainest warnings, we have now entered upon a period of danger … . The era of procrastination, of half-measures, of soothing and baffling … delays, is coming to its close. In its place we are entering a period of consequences. … We cannot avoid this period;…
Walk to save memories
A recent press release from the Alzheimer’s Association of Santa Barbara announced its 2014 Walk to End Alzheimer’s is scheduled for Nov. 8. More than 1,500 people from the Santa Barbara area alone are expected to attend the event at Earl Warren Showgrounds. In addition to the walk, the association will also be host to…
Swim for free
The Paul Nelson Aquatics Center is holding to free swim days for all ages. Family, friends, and neighbors are invited to come enjoy the Olympic-size pool and recreational pool from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. July 27 and Aug. 24. Lifeguards will be on duty during pool hours, but children under 5 must be accompanied by…
Give praise, and be moved
The Central Coast Church of Orcutt will be offering a series of meditative classes this summer, which began July 8 at 10 a.m. PraiseMoves is a Christian alternative to yoga. The class will focus on stretching and core strengthening, as well as improving balance and coordination. The classes can be modified for individuals with limited…
Drink beer and support SB Bikes
The Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition is pleased to announce the fifth annual Clips & Brews Tour. The beer-toting traveling film show, which makes its way through 21 cities from coast to coast, will now include Santa Barbara for the first time ever. New Belgium brewery will have 18 varieties of beer on tap to be…
Teen dance at the Abel Maldonado Community Youth Center
Teens in junior high and high school are invited to join in the fun for a night of electronic music and bright lights at the Abel Maldonado Community Youth Center. The dance will run from 7 to 10 p.m. at the center, 600 S. McClelland St. in Santa Maria. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Admission…
Go on the Kathleen Goddard hike
The Guadalupe Dunes Center will lead a hike through the Land Conservancy’s Black Lake Ecological area in honor of Kathleen Goddard Jones’ birthday on July 12. According to the center, Jones worked for the preservation of the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes as enjoyment. The hike will explore the unique Black Lake Ecological Area and dune habitat that…
Blake Lockhart
Success isn’t achieved overnight—it’s something that’s derived from countless hours of training. Going into his third year at Santa Ynez Valley Union High School, Blake Lockhart has already seen his share of success on and off the volleyball court. Just by the numbers, Lockhart had a standout season during his sophomore year. Making 214 total…
Lacrosse is making a name for itself on the Central Coast
Katrina Mackinnon, 11, was born and raised in California. Bounding with energy, Katrina participates in softball, cheer, track, and basketball—she loves any sport where she can run a lot. She might have said cheer or softball is her favorite sport, but that was before she witnessed a lacrosse game. “I didn’t really know what the…
