Cover Story
Tornado in a teardrop
This year’s 55 Fiction contest winners condense effectively to pack a mighty punch
What does the Fourth of July mean to you?
Ramses Plascencia student “It means freedom and independence. Fireworks remind me of the man who wrote ‘The Star-Spangled Banner.’” Lily Solomon student “I don’t really care for the Fourth of July holiday.” Maria Aguire retired “The Fourth of July is an important day for this country and its citizens. It is a great occasion. The…
Athlete of the Week
Ed. note: Olivia Patterson is the sister of Sun Intern Rebecca Patterson, who wrote up this family-influenced column for our holiday issue. Cartwheels, splits, flips, and jumps are common at KT’s All-Star Gymnastics in Santa Maria. The gymnasts endure rigorous exercise and dare meticulous stunts. One of these young gymnasts, Olivia Patterson, overcame injury and…
Going the distance
The Santa Maria Saints’ cross-country team will be host to summer training starting early July. Head coach Adolfo Lopez will work with runners Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Athletes are asked to meet at the field near the pool at Santa Maria High School; all female and male distance runners…
Get your game on the court
The newest addition to the Allan Hancock College coaching staff, basketball head coach Tyson Aye, will be heading up a basketball camp at the school. Open to girls and boys ages 6 to 18, the camp will be held from 9 a.m. to noon at the Joe White gymnasium. Players will learn ball handling and…
Polo legends return to Santa Ynez
Team Platinum Performance will return to defend its 2012 championship title at the Polo Classic on July 20 at the Santa Ynez Polo club. Platinum Performance will include brothers Memo Gracida—a hall-of-famer with the most U.S. Open wins—and Carlos Gracida, a three-time Grand Slam of Polo award winner. For VIP, patron, and general admission tickets,…
Bulldogs are headed for the Bigs
Two Allan Hancock College Bulldogs are on their way to playing Major League Baseball, the college’s athletic department recently announced. Pitchers Jordan Sechler and Chuck Buchanan were both drafted to the Atlanta Braves organization in the 18th and 19th rounds of the MLB draft held earlier this month. Sechler and Buchanan will join former Bulldog…
Adventure is out there
The Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department invites teens ages 12 to 18 to check out the Teen Treks Excursion Program. From now until Aug. 18, teens will have the chance to explore various parts of the Central Coast, including the water slides in Paso Robles, Avila Beach, a kayaking trip in Morro Bay, and…
Dive on in!
Courtesy of PLAY, Inc., the Paul Nelson Aquatic Center will present free swim days until Aug. 25. Open to all ages from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Sundays, the Olympic-size pool is available for family, friends, and neighbors to visit. An adult must accompany all children; lifeguards are on duty at all times. Bathing…
Saints name their ‘new’ football coach
Santa Maria High School football coach Gabe Espinoza has been through the ups and downs of the Saints program for almost 10 years. He started out in 2004 and has worked as the offensive and defensive coordinator. The most consistent coach at the school, Espinoza is also an alumnus who can relate to a lot…
Ace Warrior named MVP
Righetti pitcher Katie Chenault dominated in the circle this season. On May 31, she delivered a stellar performance in the Warriors final CIF game against Sunny Hills. Chenault came through with 12 strike outs and only one walk that kept her just shy of a perfect game. Chenault helped out at the plate as well…
Circular motion
Big things were happening in small-town Lompoc and Buellton as closed-off city streets filled with racing cyclists marking the return of the 805 Criterium Race weekend. The race is now pegged as the largest criterium racing weekend in California and one of the biggest in the United States. Part of a two-day event, the races…
Don’t wait to be told to have compassion
There are certain buttons of mine that, when pushed, reliably (predictably?) produce a column. It’s probably due to the fact that my great-grandmother on my father’s side was a parrot. I have a bit of the squawk in me, in case you haven’t noticed, and it doesn’t take much to get me crying out: “Political…
A state of hope
On June 15, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West procreated, and on June 26 the Supreme Court of the United States struck down the Defense of Marriage Act and repealed California’s Proposition 8, making me, a card-carrying gay, an almost fully fledged citizen of the United States of America. My mother claims I’m not actually a…
Destination wine club
You’d be hard pressed to find someone more passionate about wine than Jerry Fiore. At one time, he and his wife Liz were members of more than 20 high-end California wine clubs. They moved to Santa Ynez nearly a decade ago and decided to start their own unique wine club—turning their beautiful five-acre property on…
Playin’ in a travelin’ band
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame legends Stu Cook and Doug “Cosmo” Clifford made up half of Creedence Clearwater Revival with the Fogerty brothers, completing one of America’s favorite bands of the 1960s and early ’70s. Now, decades later, Cook and Clifford serve as a solid musical foundation for Creedence Clearwater Revisited, which will be…
Fruits and vegetables
There is an ugly war going on at my house—a war I am personally losing. This is a very technical and delicate battle. Right now the odds are not in my favor, with the score three against one. My wife and kids are on one side (the fruity side), and I am on the opposing…
Lighting the sky
Every year, Americans celebrate Independence Day with a relaxed afternoon of barbecue, maybe some sports, and togetherness with friends and family. But once the night sky falls, partiers enjoy adding some gunpowder to the mix, celebrating with a flurry of colorful explosions that light the night sky. Heading up the massive detonations for a local…
Crafty kids
Michaels arts and crafts store offers two upcoming classes for kids. “Kids Club Summer Games Event” is July 6 from 10 a.m. to noon. “Kids Club Summer Bugs Event” is on July 13 from 10 a.m. to noon. Cost is $2. Crafting happens in 30-minute sessions for both events. For more information, contact Michaels at…
Learn to e-borrow
The Santa Maria Public Library welcomes all owners—or prospective buyers—of the Nook or Nook Simple Touch e-reader devices to a free “Nook E-book Workshop.” The program will instruct participants in how to borrow books from the library using only the digital files and device. The workshop is scheduled for July 30 from 11 a.m. to…
Dunes Center gets creative
The Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center has announced funding for a nature-based creative writing program that will be offered over the summer in Santa Maria and Guadalupe. The program was piloted during the spring quarter in Guadalupe with enthusiastic feedback from the 3rd to 5th graders in the program. Thanks to the positive support, the program will…
South Coast Railroad Museum offers historic excursions
The South Coast Railroad Museum has more than just models; the historical organization has preserved and restored several working, vintage railroad cars. It will be offering rides on several of these antique locomotives from Santa Barbara to San Luis Obispo and back. An expedition is scheduled for July 13 featuring the Vista Dome car, “Silver…
Back with a vision
The Santa Barbara County Arts Commission has been patiently waiting—for more than a year—for completed renovations at the Joseph Centeno Betteravia Government Center, location of the Betteravia Gallery. The update to the facility afforded much more room for the government programs that make use of the space, including the art gallery. “An ‘art drought’ is…
Young actors’ summer camp moves to Lompoc
PCPA Theaterfest’s Young People’s Project for young performers spans eight days of theater workshops in acting, singing, and dancing. And for the first time, the sessions will take place at the Lompoc Civic Theatre. The weeklong project runs July 7 through 14 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Students will spend time with professional actors,…
St. Mary’s School says Aloha
A celebratory Aloha Day sent St. Mary of the Assumption School students scuttling off to six weeks of freedom on June 26. St. Mary’s students participate in the longest school year in the Santa Maria Valley, according to a recent press release. Principal Michelle Cox said in the release that children attend at least 20…
Panthers put on free football camp
Rows of young football enthusiasts did jumping jacks while facing Pioneer Valley High School’s campus from the football field on June 26. Some of Pioneer’s football players shouted out another warm-up activity, and the kids performed accordingly. It was the last day of a free football camp coached by the school’s team for neighborhood kids.…
Spotlight on: Larrabee Recycling Center
The title “business of the year” might draw to mind images of a fancy restaurant or a high-end jewelry store. The winner of this year’s 35th Assembly District Small Business of the Year award, however, has a much more practical purpose. Since 1961, Larrabee Recycling Center has been one of Santa Maria’s largest recyclers of…
Politcal Watch 7/4/13
• After undergoing close to 10 months of construction, the Joseph Centeno Betteravia Government Center is back in business. Members of the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors recently played host to a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new-and-improved center. Joe Centeno, a former 5th District supervisor and the building’s namesake, was expected to appear as…
Community Notebook 7/4-7/11
MONDAY, JULY 8 • 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. TUESDAY, JULY 9 The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has its regular meeting at 9 a.m. in the Betteravia Government Center’s Board…
Life’s a carnival
There’s heat, and then there’s heat. This summer might be blazing, but it doesn’t hold a candle to a jalapeño ice cream sundae with hot fudge or strawberry sauce. That’s one of the featured items on the menu at Judy Henbury’s ice cream stand at the Santa Barbara County Fair, set for July 10 through…
Oil harvest
It’s hot, and the buzz of nature’s busy pollinators hangs low over a dry field of purple flowers while lizards dart in and out of the foliage. Wind carries the scent of sweet sleep from the long stems, and a wine country tour van pulls down the driveway. “Here we go,” Cole Eubanks says as…
Hungry babies, happy moms
The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department is really good at teaching new mothers how to breastfeed. That’s according to the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners and the International Lactation Consultant Association, which recently recognized the department for excellence in lactation care. Winners of this award have a high number of professionally certified staff,…
Same-sex marriage is legal–again–in California
Couples across California are rushing to get married after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals lifted the stay on same-sex marriage on June 28, just two days after the U.S. Supreme Court published its opinion in the Proposition 8 case, Hollingsworth v. Perry. Proposition 8 proponents responded by filing an emergency petition with the Supreme…
SLO Supervisor Paul Teixeira dead at 57
San Luis Obispo County was in mourning and the American flag in front of the county building was being flown at half-staff following the announcement that Board of Supervisors Chair and District Four Supervisor Paul Teixeira had died. Teixeira died the night of June 26 after being taken to Marian Medical Center in Santa Maria.…
Controversy and confusion
A Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District Board discussion about an emission reduction credit bank heated up at the June board meeting when conflict of interest charges started rolling off the lips of board members. The charges were eventually leveled against Lompoc City Council member Ashley Costa, who is one of the elected representatives…
Bill aims to prevent victims from being fired
A bill that would prevent employers from firing or discriminating against employees who’ve been victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking passed out of the California Assembly Judiciary Committee on June 28. If signed into law, Senate Bill 400 would also require employers to make reasonable efforts to protect victims from their abusers or…
denMat expansion brings teeth to Lompoc
Stone teeth are lined up in sets of two on a long counter. Like obedient students, they’re molded to become a part of something bigger—a full, healthy-looking smile. The models will eventually travel from the sterile lab to a technician’s hands, where they’ll be used to make a new Snap-On Smile or a set of…
