Cover Story
Sizist spawn
From a poodle with a person problem, to bloodthirsty writers plotting their revenge against editors, to an unrepentant sinner presumably standing at heaven’s gate, New Times is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its annual 55 Fiction competition with wit, cynicism, whimsy, and style. And the Sun is joining in. In keeping with our tradition of…
What is your favorite word?
Bob Franklin blackjack dealer “Love.” Andrea Zimkowski student “Spontaneous.” Jessica Hernandez student “Whatever.” [image-4] Brittney Mayes Subway employee “Beautiful.”
Why be ‘fair’ to such a repugnant thing?
Being “fair and balanced” with animal torturers and their “respectable” clients is disgusting (“The last hurrah of foie gras,” 6/28). It is like giving Hitler’s rationale for killing human millions “balanced” coverage. It shows the amorality of American “objective” journalism. Some indecencies are repugnant, and must be treated as such by any decent person. A…
Athlete of the Week: Emily Mangione
The day before Emily Mangione and her family left for the Silver State International Rodeo in Winnemucca, Nev., she didn’t sound nervous. In fact, she sounded confident and ready. Mangione, going on her sophomore year at Nipomo High School, recently qualified for the International Rodeo in the pole bending category, finishing third in overall points.…
On the roster
• Santa Maria Youth Football League: The league is taking registrations for the 2012 football and cheerleading seasons. Football fees are $200, including a jersey, gear rental, a trophy, and a basic picture package. Players must be between the ages of 8 and 14 during the season to participate. Cheerleaders must be in kindergarten to…
Cachuma campground gets a new name
The Santa Barbara County Parks department officially renamed a camping area at Cachuma Lake as “Chumash Meadows” during a special ceremony on June 28. The official unveiling of the campground sign was accompanied by remarks from county officials and leaders from the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. The tribe’s spiritual leader also performed a…
Dig into youth volleyball
Want to learn the fundamentals of volleyball? The city of Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department will be holding a volleyball clinic for youth ages 7 to 14, to introduce the sport to younger children and prepare older athletes for the upcoming fall season. The clinic takes place for ages 7 to 10 at Edwards…
‘New Generation’ of boxers to face off at Chumash Casino
Professional boxing is returning to Chumash Casino on July 20, when undefeated lightweight Art Hovhannisyan faces off against Venezuelan Miguel Acosta in the 10-round main event for nationally televised ShoBox: The New Generation. Hovhannisyan boasts an undefeated record (14-0-2, eight KOs) and will be looking to rebound from a loss to Cristobal Cruz at his…
Lompoc man plans to walk for Special Olympics
A Lompoc man has started a fundraiser to benefit the Special Olympics of Northern Santa Barbara County. Cooper Barrick, brother of Lompoc Special Olympic athlete Cameron Barrick, intends to raise $5,000 for Special Olympics by walking the entire 500-mile Camino de Santiago in northern Spain. Cameron is autistic. Cooper has set up a website for…
Back on track
Santa Maria Karting Association president Scott Grundfor was beginning to think it was never going to happen. But on July 1, following a two-year battle with the Federal Aviation Administration, go-karts returned to the club’s track at the Santa Maria Airport with an all-day open practice session, giving the group an idea of which members…
Draw from dusk till drawn
Join fellow artists and draw, draw, draw at the CAF Dusk ‘til Drawn: 24-Hour Drawing Rally from 6 p.m. on July 20 to 6 p.m. on July 21 at the Contemporary Arts Forum, 653 Paseo Nuevo in Santa Barbara. Working artists will draw side-by-side with dabblers and future artists, providing a laboratory for sharing, creating,…
It’s on at PCPA Theaterfest
PCPA Theaterfest’s upcoming 49th season features an assortment of theatrical experiences, from established family favorites to the newest prize-winning plays and musicals. The season kicks off on Nov. 8 with the family musical adventure The Wizard of Oz, playing in the Marian Theatre through Dec. 26. Join Dorothy as she travels far and wide only…
Cowboy up
Ah, the cowboy way—close to nature, a little rugged, and a lot of fun, right? Visitors to the Santa Barbara County Fair this year will get a taste of that life at Cowboy Bootcamp, free to fairgoers with paid admission. Cowboy Bootcamp is part of the Great American Petting Zoo’s themed Ag-Venturelands. This attraction includes…
Making musicals happen
Santa Maria’s own Pacific Conservatory for the Performing Arts is a buzzing hive of activity. Actors, set designers, light technicians, and costume designers are working around the clock to make the world-class live productions of PCPA Theaterfest happen. And, as most great stage productions rely on music to tie things together, so does PCPA rely…
After the storm
Wild weather, severe storms, and lightning are usually the stuff bad dreams are made of for young children. As a local photographer, Cathy L. Gregg was not one of those children. She was always fascinated by thunder, lightning, and the like—thanks to a father who studied weather and shared that passion with his children. “It’s…
The double standard
As a married man, I learned very quickly that there is a double standard for pretty much everything. Men and women are different, and therefore they obey different rules. For instance, it’s OK for wives to talk about how “hot” an actor is, where husbands don’t really have that option. If a man and a…
Leaders at Family Partnership Charter School take a pay cut
Striving to positively impact Family Partnership Charter School’s 2012-13 budget, the school’s administrative team recently requested they be furloughed for five days during the upcoming school year. Todd Mitchell, Mark Palmerston, and Suzanne Clark submitted their proposal at the June 19 meeting of the charter school’s governing council, which expressed its appreciation and then unanimously…
Preserve your summer vacation memories!
Summer’s here! That means most kids are on summer vacation, but it doesn’t mean they can’t have fun learning outside of the classroom. Use something exciting—like a family trip to Disneyland or a picnic in your neighborhood park—to create a unique learning opportunity. Before heading out on your adventure, give your little one a disposable…
Philanthropy calls
The power of people in numbers was evident at this year’s Women’s Fund of Northern Santa Barbara County award ceremony. On June 27, the Women’s Fund awarded $80,000 to six local nonprofit organizations. Members of the Women’s Fund and representatives from the nonprofits mingled at the Historic Santa Maria Inn, enjoying delicious appetizers and good…
Spotlight on: Grocery Outlet
There’s always an excuse to skip on eating healthy. Kids moan that healthy foods don’t taste good, while adults complain they’re too expensive. Grocery Outlet is getting rid of those excuses—well, at least one of them. Owned and operated by the Donati family, Grocery Outlet in Santa Maria sells Godiva chocolates, Top Ramen, and kids’…
Changing of the guard
A Sun writer and photographer toured the Buellton police station on a recent Monday afternoon. Four days later, on Thursday evening, one of the officers interviewed had lost her job and the station had its hours cut by more than half. On June 28, the Buellton City Council voted 4-1, with Councilmember Judith Dale dissenting,…
State of the union
From the recall of Gov. Scott Walker in Wisconsin to the threat of a strike at Marian Regional Medical Center, employees’ unions have been front and center in the news as of late. According to the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organization’s website, aflcio.org, the modern labor movement began in the mid…
Sheriff investigates another officer-involved shooting
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department is investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred the morning of June 28, resulting in the death of Jose Rangel Rincon, a 23-year-old Santa Maria resident. According to a press release from the Sheriff’s Department, deputies were conducting a joint investigation with officers from the Santa Maria Police Department near…
Guadalupe government looks to voters for approval of two ballot measures
Guadalupe’s city leaders are asking residents to vote on some ballot measures this November; one involves taxpayers’ dollars and the other doesn’t, but both are designed to increase the city’s revenues. On June 26, the Guadalupe City Council voted 4-0, with Councilmember Ariston Julian absent, to place two measures on the ballot. One would change…
County supervisors consider appealing Chumash annexation
Santa Barbara County supervisors will hold a public meeting on July 10 to consider appealing the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ decision to annex 6.9 acres of land owned by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. The bureau announced it accepted the land into federal trust in a June 13 letter to the tribe, removing…
Lompoc penitentiary gets a new warden
Officials with the federal penitentiary in Lompoc announced the selection of Richard B. Ives as the prison’s new warden, replacing Lisa Sanders, who’s leaving the post by August. Ives is currently warden at the U.S. penitentiary in McCreary, Ky., but is returning to Lompoc, where he served from 1987 to 1994. He’ll take over the…
Ray of light, Ray of darkness
Man is in love/ And loves what vanishes —Keats I had two chances to meet Ray Bradbury; when I was living in L.A. the elderly author made two public appearances, and I allowed circumstances to make me miss both. It was not that I was fooling myself, exactly—Bradbury was quite old, and I knew I…
How to punish people for enjoying an event
Freeway off ramps have breakdown lanes on the right separated by a white line. A disabled vehicle can safely pull into these lanes. During the car show the weekend of June 16, these lanes were used for parking; the alternative being a spot halfway to Nipomo. After a happy, festive day of wandering through the…
It is all about the water
“Farming’s dark side?” (June 7) by Kathy Johnston was rather shocking in the fact that farmers are blamed for the Central Coast drinking water pollution. Even with regulations, monitoring tier upon tier of all approved and regulated pesticides, herbicides, and nutrients, even with rules in place from numerous regulatory agencies—Regional Water Quality Control Board, State…
Hog heaven
Sometimes food has the ability to take you home. The perfect combination of aroma and flavor can transport you back in time, to a different place; scent and taste trigger memory responses in the brain. My husband had just such an experience while dining at Sides Hardware and Shoes, a Brothers Restaurant—the new modern wine…
