Cover Story
Their time to shine
Earning an athletic scholarship to play in college is no easy feat, and it happens less than the average reader might think. According to the NCAA, only 2 percent of high school athletes will earn a scholarship to play in college.Earning an athletic scholarship to play in college is no easy feat, and it happens…
Nipomo pipeline survives injunction attempt
A $17.5 million project to connect the Nipomo Mesa to an outside water supply withstood a recent legal challenge by a citizens’ group. On June 5, Judge Martin Tangeman denied a preliminary injunction request and allowed the project to go forward during litigation. Given the scope of the pipeline plans and the court docket, that…
Anticipating the end
Black ink practically screamed “Safe Strawberries Now!” from neon pink stickers worn by attendees at a recent Santa Maria meeting to discuss the latest pesticide to face increasing regulations. Fieldworkers and activists echoed the sentiment spelled out on their chests during the public comment period at the end of the California Department of Pesticide Regulation-led…
What’s your favorite sport to play?
Janni Rodriguez office employee “I played softball in high school. I still love it; I just don’t get to play anymore.” Matt Hernandez traffic operations coordinator “Right now, my favorite sport is running, only because all you need are tennis shoes and a place to run. It’s a good way to relax and enjoy the…
Hooray for hugs
Publishing a first book may seem like a daunting task, but to someone who’s achieved fatherhood twice, the endeavor seems more than possible. Scott Washburn isn’t just a self-published local author; he’s a father as well. His two young children were the inspiration for his first book, The Best Bear Hugs Ever. “Right now they…
Connecting with culture
The Mexican state of Oaxaca is well known as one of the most diverse places in Mexico, not just in its flora and fauna, but culturally. Due to the state’s rough, mountainous terrain, the indigenous tribes were essentially isolated from each other, as well as from Spanish conquest. Even before Cortez’s infamous excursion to…
See wine country on two wheels
Registration is now open for the fourth annual Wine Country Bike Trek, set for June 14 through 16. Home base will be at Midland School in Los Olivos; the ride is 30 to 50 miles of rolling hills and flat terrain. Participants can choose to race one, two, or all three days. Riders are encouraged…
Keep on survivin’
The Santa Maria Parks and Recreation Department will present its own version of the popular TV show Survivor June 17 through 21 at the Abel Maldonado Community Youth Center. At the overnight event, participants will be grouped into teams and taught basic survival skills. Teens will be required to compete and survive in the natural…
Lanthier takes over as boys’ coach
Pioneer Valley High School recently announced that Athletic Director Greg Lanthier will take over as its head boys’ basketball coach, in addition to maintaining his duties as AD. “The goal here is for me to change the culture and create a quality, competitive basketball program that our student athletes can be proud to participate in,”…
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,…
Summer baseball with the ‘Dogs
Players of all ages and talents are invited to improve their game at this year’s Allan Hancock College summer baseball clinic scheduled for June 17 through 20 and June 24 through 27 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Former major league player Bryn Smith, head coach Chris Stevens, and Santa Maria Packers coach Scott Nickason…
Racing the streets
The largest criterium racing weekend in California is scheduled for June 29 and 30. Sponsored by Firestone Walker Brewing Company, the two-race event will benefit the Santa Ynez Valley Cycling Club and Lompoc Police Foundation. Firestone’s 805 Ale is the title sponsor. Criterium races are bike races over short distances that loop along a circuit…
Y’all come back now!
My horse, Dude, and I amble along the dusty trail, the large oak trees shading us from the late-afternoon sun. It’s a quiet, temperate day, and there’s a light breeze blowing in from the Santa Ynez Mountains. Ahead of us on the trail, standing in a sun-dappled clearing, are four canvas-covered wagons looped around a…
Tatiana Dunlap
The first thing that came to Coach Ed Torres’ mind when he began describing former player Tatiana Dunlap was “intensity.” The women’s basketball coach worked with Dunlap for three years; her athletic ability and obvious passion for the game were the first things that stood out to him. “She is committed to improving as a…
Santa Maria High seniors leave parting gifts
What do you give a school that took care of you over the course of four years? Most seniors leave nothing, but a conscientious few from Santa Maria High School decided to give a gift that left a lasting impression—and got themselves a good grade in the process. Students from the Advancement Via Individual Determination…
Bilingual seniors earn special recognition
The art of mastering two languages is tricky, and for 111 seniors graduating from the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District, it did take some work. Those students earned themselves a special Seal of Biliteracy Recognition Award on their high school diplomas by taking four years of high school languages with a 3.0 GPA,…
Work starts on Santa Maria-Bonita’s new school
The shovels hit the dirt—ceremonially, figuratively, and literally—on the morning of June 5 at the corner of Biscayne Street and Carmen Lane, where Santa Maria-Bonita School District’s 20th school will eventually stand. School board members, Superintendent Phil Alvarado, and construction company folks posed for pictures in hard hats and scooped up a bit of dirt…
Spotlight on: Melby’s Jewelers CEO Mark Melby
At Melby’s Jewelers in Santa Maria, a diamond ring sitting peacefully in a glass case represents a rich family history stemming all the way from Bergen, Norway. The fine jewelry shop on East Clark Avenue began with current CEO Mark Melby’s grandfather, Arnold Melby, at the helm. In the early 1900s, Arnold’s father passed away…
Wanderlust
Do you think FoodMaxx has risotto?” I asked my husband. It was a night that gave us an odd unsettled feeling. Confused by the nocturnal vibes we were getting, we decided to stray from our usual dinner fare and indulge in something a little bit rich and creamy, and just a tad bit foreign. “Sure,…
Got any change?
Some famous person or other once said, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” I don’t agree. I think the more things change, the more they change. That’s what change is: change. Right? In my experience, people don’t like change. They like stuff to stay the way it is, the way it…
Budget woes put public health at risk
In communities across the country, people are changing the way they care for their health by limiting tobacco use, eating healthier, and becoming more physically active with the support of public health programs. Yet these recent advances are being dangerously and perhaps irrevocably compromised by recent budget cuts to proven community-based health programs. The current…
This is mismanagement
It was disappointing to read about Mayor Alice Patino’s inappropriate attack on a law firm representing a city employee by calling them “bloodsuckers.” Her outrageous comments may lead to a lawsuit, but the important issue is compromising the employee’s constitutional right of due process. For any elected official to make such a derogatory statement before…
The main thing
A slab of concrete near my house in San Luis Obispo contains the following nugget of Stengelese wisdom: The main thing is keeping the main thing the main thing. This message echoes in politics, a realm where something starts about one thing and often ends about something else. The emphasis usually shifts in ways harmful…
‘Our Valley oak’
You can see, there are a lot of Valley oak trees in the vineyard,” Chumash winemaker Tara Gomez pointed out as we walked through the tribe’s Camp 4 Vineyard in Santa Ynez on a warm summer morning last August. The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians was inspired by the historic trees when naming its…
Orchestra update
Local classical music lovers can rejoice at the latest news from the Santa Maria Philharmonic Society. As previously reported, the society decided to dissolve after an honest look at the nonprofit’s finances. While the society still can’t support a full season subscription concert, it won’t fade away, but will stay committed to the society’s youth…
Fun for fiancées and kids
The Santa Maria Michaels store is offering upcoming arts and crafts classes for kids. A Kids’ Club Father’s Day duct tape framing event is June 15 from 10 a.m. to noon. For more information, contact Michaels at 349-8801 or visit the store at 1934 S. Broadway, in Santa Maria.
You can dance, too
The Everybody Can Dance studio stands by its name, and is providing summer dance camps for beginning and intermediate dancers ages 6 to 14. Sessions run Mondays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 17 through 29 and July 22 through Aug. 2. There will also be free camp performances open to the…
Town Center Gallery lives on
Though the Town Center Gallery closed down a few months ago, it’s still going strong thanks to the Santa Maria Airport, which provides a home for the organization’s art. For many years, the gallery enjoyed installations in the airport’s glass display cases, including paintings, drawings, sculpture, and other three-dimensional art. But now, thanks to the…
Remembering Alvin Newton
Santa Maria Community Television has videotaped the memorial service for Alvin Newton, a reserve firefighter and police officer for the city of Santa Maria who died fighting a fire in 1970, and is broadcasting the service for the community to view on Santa Maria Community Television airing Mondays at 7:30 p.m., Wednesdays at 1 p.m.,…
Hobnobbing with Helen
The Santa Maria Police Council (SMPC) is a nonprofit group that raises money for the Santa Maria Police Department. They fund equipment and programs that would not otherwise be possible. Over the past five years, this civic-minded group has raised more than $250,000 for the police department. This figure doesn’t include the more than $30,000…
Community Notebook 6/13-20
TUESDAY, JUNE 18 • The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has its regular meeting at 9 a.m. in the Betteravia Government Center’s Board of Supervisors Hearing Room, 511 E. Lakeside Parkway, Ste. 141, Santa Maria. Agendas are available at santabarbara.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx#current. • The Guadalupe Planning Commission has its regular meeting at 6 p.m. in…
A generous donation helps fight domestic violence
A recent charitable donation of more than $1 million to Domestic Violence Solutions of Santa Barbara County will help the nonprofit organization protect women and children from violence and abuse. Santa Barbara resident Susan Trescher left Domestic Violence Solutions the bequest upon her death last year. It’s the largest donation from an individual in the…
Corrections
• The water rate increases listed in the May 23 article “Every drop is priceless” were incorrect. The rates for the city of Santa Maria have increased 5 percent annually for the past 25 years. • In the June 6 article, “Marian to the rescue,” the Sun misstated the amount of money Santa Barbara County…
Once-a-month hearings scheduled for murder case
Orange and blue jumpsuits were swapped for suits, ties, and makeup at the June 6 hearing that allowed media for the first time to capture images of the defendants charged in connection with the brutal murder of Anthony Ibarra. The cacophony of voices echoing out from behind the glass of the courtroom holding cell during…
Lucia Mar re-funds some cut programs
Lucia Mar re-funds some cut programs In addition to the programs and positions the Lucia Mar Unified School District Board of Trustees voted to restore in May, all district employees are anticipating a 2 percent pay increase. The board was expected to approve the bump at its June 11 meeting. The increase would be a…
AIDS/LifeCycle riders make a pit stop in Santa Maria
Little Orphan Annies, Minnie Mouses, and taproom wenches cycled through the streets of Santa Maria on June 6 as part of the annual AIDS/LifeCycle ride. The 545-mile journey from San Francisco to Los Angeles raises money to pay for essential services for people living with HIV/AIDS, and includes participants from all over the world who…
