Cover Story
Money to burn
On the afternoon of July 1, Goleta residents Elaine and Jerry Smith were about to leave for a concert and picnic on the beach. They had just listened to a small blurb on the news about a fire burning in the hills above town, but didn’t give it much thought. “We knew that the fire…
It’s never too late to play ball
In my mind’s eye, I am gliding like a deer across center field—smooth, swift. Or I am bending a curve ball past a swinging batter—crafty. It’s easy to imagine those things because I did them once … a long time ago, way before computers and cell phones. It was the Kennedy Administration, 45 years ago.…
Two Hancock baseball players move on
Dane McLaughlin and David Harman, both outfielders, will be leaving the Bulldogs and moving on to four-year programs next season. McLaughlin, a sophomore from Arroyo Grande High School, will be playing for Fresno State University, the reigning NCAA champions. At Hancock, McLaughlin led the Bulldogs in batting average with a .343, and had 60 hits,…
Righetti Cross Country team works out for the summer
Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, the Righetti High School cross country team and team hopefuls will be meeting for summer workouts at 7 a.m. All Righetti students, including incoming freshmen, are welcome at the workouts, regardless of experience. Contact coach Luis Escobar for more information at luis@reflectionsphotographystudio.com. Sports Shorts is compiled by Sports Editor Sarah…
Athlete of the Week
Just two years ago, Ashley Moody, 17, was the No. 1 girl in her age group at BMX racing. Then she took a year off to help build the new Santa Maria BMX off-road bicycle track behind the Elks Rodeo Arena. If that seems like a waste of time for a top rider, she doesn’t…
What was the last thing you bought?
James Cotton director “A beer.” Gary Mendoza coordinator “Desperate Housewives, season four. I start the second disc tonight.” Aisha Stephenson HR director “I bought a blow dryer.” Stuart Hawkes lead carpenter “A corrugated drain pipe.”
Time for tomatoes
Like a thousand fiery suns setting in the haze of a summer sky, tomatoes tumble from market bins and vegetable patches, scarlet, ripe, and ready to eat. We’ve waited all winter for this prolonged moment of juicy heaven and now is the time to welcome it with open arms … er, mouths. Fast-maturing Early Girls…
My summer rental
Vacation is supposed to be for fun and relaxation. Back in the day when I was a carefree kid, vacations were fun. The toughest decision I had to make at 10 years old was which roller coaster I should sprint to next. Now that I am a parent, vacations are less relaxing and more like…
Arts Briefs
Young performers needed for Irving Berlin’s White Christmas PCPA needs young female performers, ages 9 to 14, for the upcoming holiday production of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas. Auditions are scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Aug. 23, in the Severson Theatre on the Allan Hancock College campus in Santa Maria. Young performers should…
Sing softly and carry a big sound
There have been many attempts to describe the sounds of Lompoc band Clark, and the trio, admittedly, will accept any and all of them. That’s because listeners find the band to be a little indefinable—and its members agree. Clark produces the kind of dreamy music you want to listen to on a cool day while…
When America was young
In a time when America is uncertain, teetering on change, watching as the American Dream is called into question by middle-class citizens, it’s comforting to be reminded that this country has always been that way. And that there’s always been glimmers of opportunity, hope, and the freedom to dream. In Ragtime, the characters struggle with…
Some burial etiquette
Thank you for allowing me this space to thank morticians who honor our former military at their burial. I do especially appreciate those of you who make the time to have the casket covered with the stars of the flag over the head of the veteran and those of you who put the folded flag…
Here’s a standing ovation for PCPA
Bravo to PCPA! The current offering from PCPA deserves accolades. The staging, costuming, choreography, direction (musical and acting), and finally, the performers were absolutely outstanding. I truly believe a New York Broadway company could not have presented a better production. How lucky we are to have this kind of theater in our community. I support…
Thanks for the artsy memories
Sincere accolades to Shelly Cone for her recent article “Where is the art?” (July 17). Santa Maria and surrounding environs have numerous national and internationally known artists. Frank Gray has a stunning piece in the White House; Sandra Kay Johnson and Gerry Stinn, to name only two, are in the Smithsonian; and Bill Shinn is…
Hancock offers college on Saturdays, substance abuse prevention, and parent-child preschool
This fall, Allan Hancock College is offering Saturday-only classes—ranging in credit from a half unit to three units—at the Santa Maria campus and the Lompoc Valley Center. Class subjects include winemaking, art, business, drama, English, global positioning systems (GPS), math, speech, and more. Internet/Hybrid classes, which combine online study with some onsite attendance, are also…
Picnic prizewinner
On July 13, Cabrillo High School graduate Clayton Williams won a $1,000 scholarship from the Lompoc Valley Republican Club during its annual picnic. The club selected Williams’ essay, “What I Would Do if I Were President,” as the winning essay. Williams is planning to attend Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, in the fall to study…
Buynak Law Firm opens new office in Solvang
Santa Barbara-based law offices, Buynak Law Firm, have opened a new location in Solvang, with Lana Clark, a 35-year resident of the city, serving as resident attorney. “We specialize in business, corporate, real estate, land use, tax, and estate planning,” S. Timothy Buynak, founder of the firm, said in a press release. The new office…
Humane Society offers low cost micro-chipping for local pets
More than one million pets wind up in animal shelters every year and are euthanized because they’re never reunited with their owners, according to the Santa Maria Humane Society. That’s why they’re going to help. On July 26, from 10 a.m. to noon, the Humane Society will be holding its monthly micro-chipping clinic. Cats and…
Lompoc Collaboration Faire brings nonprofits together
The sixth annual Lompoc Collaboration Faire’s purpose is to help nonprofits do their work better. To help achieve that end, the coordinators of the event have brought together guest speakers and are planning on holding panel discussions, seminars, and networking opportunities for nonprofits. Panels and discussions include “An Honest Look at Board Development,” with Joyce…
The Women’s Fund of Northern Santa Barbara County Just Keeps Giving
Most people can’t just up and give $55,000 away to charities. But they might have $500—the amount requested from people interested in joining The Women’s Fund of Northern Santa Barbara County. By giving this donation, a woman can team up with more like-minded women and accomplish things she probably couldn’t do alone. With 106 members…
County gets gold for waste
On July 7, the Santa Barbara County Public Works Department proved the old saying, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure” when it received the 2008 Gold Excellence Award from the Solid Waste Association of North America for Integrated Waste, in recognition of the county’s waste management program. SWANA’s national awards program recognizes excellence in…
County supervisors search for spay/neuter task force members
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors is now accepting applications from residents interested in serving on the newly created spay/neuter task force, established to make recommendations to the board concerning the countywide spay/ neuter ordinance discussed earlier this year. Applicants must be residents of Santa Barbara County who are 18 years old or older.…
Santa Barbara County cracks down on jury service no-shows
Contemplating skipping out on jury duty? Beware: The Santa Barbara County Superior Court recently implemented a tougher program, penalizing people who willfully fail to appear for jury duty. The program is designed to systematically track down county residents who don’t respond to their jury duty summonses and to enforce state-approved penalties, including fines or even…
Pending highway construction requires Measure A funds, SBCAG says
On July 17, the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) was reminded that timely completion of three big highway construction projects in Northern Santa Barbara County depends on the passage of Measure A in November. SBCAG board members were told at the meeting in Santa Maria that county staff was making “steady progress” on…
Leadership Project gets mixed reviews
Up until about a year ago, Santa Barbara County managers fell into one of about 200 different classifications with 77 pay ranges. The payroll process was a tangled web of employment categories and scheduled, automatic pay raises. Then came the Leadership Project, unanimously approved by the Board of Supervisors in June of 2006. The idea…
Nowhere to go
Over the last dozen months, the soaring rate of home foreclosures has had a crippling effect on the lives of tens of thousands of Americans. Families have been forced out of their homes, men and women have lost their jobs, and bank accounts have shrunk considerably. Humans, however, aren’t the only ones suffering from the…
CLUBS & MEETINGS
ALTRUSA INTERNATIONAL INC. of SANTA MARIA, a nonprofit business and professional organization, meets the second Wednesday of each month, 7 p.m., in the downstairs conference room at United Way, 1660 S. Broadway. Info: 352-0026 or 937-4071. ALTRUSA INTERNATIONAL INC. OF THE CENTRAL COAST meets at noon the second and fourth Monday of every month at…
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’ MARKETS
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
THE PEOPLE OF GREATNESS COMMUNITY CENTER holds a barbecue and summer boutique fundraiser July 26 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1503 N McClelland St., Santa Maria. Cost is $300. Info: 922-0400. ONGOING FILIPINO COMMUNITY OF SANTA MARIA VALLEY barbecues Filipino food at the Smart and Final parking lot, N. Broadway on Saturdays…
HEALTH
SANSUM CLINIC offers a “Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes Nutrition” class July 24 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the clinic. Cost is $8. The clinic is located at 1225 North H St., Lompoc. Info: 737-8700. ONGOING ARTHRITIS FDN. is a low impact, sit-in-chair exercise program held every Wednesday from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the…
ART
THE CYPRESS GALLERY currently features the photography of Collette Christel through July 27 at the gallery, 119 Cypress Ave., Lompoc. The exhibition, Abstract Thought,by Elizabeth Monks Hack, shows July 30 through August at the gallery. Info: 737-1129. THE LOMPOC MURAL SOCIETY accepts applications for artists interested in participating in the society’s “Mural In a Day”…
LEARNING
PROJECT CLEAN WATER holds a stakeholders meeting open to the public July 24 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the Board of Supervisors Hearing Room, 511 E. Lakeside Parkway, Santa Maria. Info: 568-3546 or fcrease@cosbpw.net. THE DANA ADOBE NIPOMO AMIGOS presents, as part of its summer talks, author Maury Hoag speaking about shipwrecks of the…
RECREATION
BOYS SCOUTS OF AMERICA, Los Padres Council, will hold its second annual soccer exhibition game and clinic on July 27 at Pioneer Valley High School stadium in collaboration with Major League Soccer Team Chivas USA. The double-header will feature Chivas USA U19 vs. Santa Maria All-Stars from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. and the ex-Chivas de…
KIDS & FAMILY
PCPA THEATREFESTS’ OFFICE OF EDUCATION AND OUTREACH offers acting, singing, and dancing workshops. “The new YPP jr.” is for kids ages 7 to 12 who like to sing and dance, set for July 27 to Aug. 2 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event includes a dinner with PCPA staff and a ticket to…
DANCE LESSONS
THE EVERYBODY CAN DANCE BALLET ACADEMY presents a five-week intensive dance teaching session featuring Jordi Ribera and Aubrey Walker for ages 11 through 21 through Aug. 1 at the studio, 800 S. Broadway, Santa Maria. Info: 937-6753. ONGOING EVERYBODY CAN DANCE Academy offers classes in ballet, jazz, modern, and Spanish dance for ages 3…
STAGE
SKY WORLD POETRY SERIES presents poet Larry Harris of Redding, at 3 p.m., Saturday, July 26 at Café Monet, 1555 S. Broadway, Santa Maria. Info: 720-6687 or tobola@verizon.net. PCPA THEATERFEST presents its production of the musical Ragtime through July 26 at the Marian Theatre, Allan Hancock College, Santa Maria. Info: 922-8313 or www.pcpa.org. IMPROVISATIONAL HUMOR…
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.…
CONCERTS
WORTH THE DRIVE THE SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY BAND performs a Twilight Concert on July 24 and 31 at 7 p.m. at Mitchell Park, on the corner of Pismo and Osos in SLO. Info: 543-5691 or cgrosse@charter.net. THE SANTA BARBARA BLUES SOCIETY presents Mark Hummel and the Blues Survivors with guest guitarist Rusty Zinn July…
SPECIAL EVENTS
THE FRIENDS OF THE LOMPOC LIBRARY SYSTEM will hold a Summer Book Sale July 25 and 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day in the Lompoc Library’s Grossman Gallery, 501 East North Ave., Lompoc. Info: 737-9038. THE LOMPOC VALLEY IRIS SOCIETY presents an Iris Rhizome Sale July 25 from 10 a.m. to 1…
