Cover Story
Right on track
The president of Santa Maria Valley Railroad loved trains as a kid, but never laid a penny on the track to watch a locomotive flatten it. “Most of the time they just fly off,” he explained. Such no-nonsense practicality is the driving force behind management at the railroad, led by Robert Himoto, a man with…
Local heroes recognized for excellence in education
On June 7, the California School Employees Association (CSEA) honored 39 southern California “unsung heroes” at a banquet and awards presentation in Granada Hills. The honorees were selected from among more than 26,000 school employees represented by CSEA in Los Angeles, Ventura, and Santa Barbara counties. Award recipients were selected by their co-workers for…
Hobnobbing with Helen
Luscious, local strawberries were the theme of Santa Maria Rotary Club South’s Seventh Annual Strawberry Ball on the night of June 14. The berries were everywhere—in the salads and centerpieces, on the desserts, and in baskets on the auction table. This party was as sweet and yummy as the fruit. More than 200 Rotary supporters…
Local students help in fight against Alzheimer’s
Children of all ages clapped and cheered during an outdoor assembly on June 11 at St. Louis de Montfort School in Orcutt, as students from Mrs. Cindy Hubbard’s fifth grade class announced that they raised a grand total of $1,047.45 for the Central Coast chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. The organization provides resources and support…
June is Adopt-A-Cat Month
In honor of national Adopt-A-Cat Month, the Santa Maria Valley Humane Society, in accordance with the American Humane Society, is encouraging local residents to adopt or a cat or kitten. Also during the month of June, the Humane Society is hosting the “Seniors Helping Seniors” cat adoption program, which waives the adoption fee for people…
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
ONGOING FILIPINO COMMUNITY OF SANTA MARIA VALLEY barbecues Filipino food at the Smart and Final parking lot, N. Broadway on Saturdays and Sundays. Menu items include tri-tip, chicken, beef kabobs, chicken adobo, salad, rice, and bread. Meals cost $6. Info: 922-3422 or 922-3799. FILIPINO CATHOLIC SOCIETY, under the direction of St. Mary’s Church and St.…
HEALTH
SANSUM CLINIC offers a “Weight Management Strategies” class June 19 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the clinic. Cost is $15. A “Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes Nutrition” class is June 19 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the clinic. Cost is $8. The clinic is located at 1225 North H St., Lompoc. Info: 737-8700. ONGOING…
ART
THE SANTA MARIA TOWN CENTER presents a photo display by the Center for Research and Postgraduate Studies in Social Anthropology in Mexico, in collaboration with UCSB, titled “Transborder Dialogues: Migration Through Children’s Eyes,” through June 22 in the upper level of the Town Center across from Payless Shoes in Santa Maria. THE GROSSMAN GALLERY presents…
LEARNING
THE MARIAN CANCER CENTER, in cooperation with Allan Hancock College, presents a four-part lecture series titled “Living with Cancer” Tuesdays from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. through June in the Community Education Building, Hancock College, building S, rooms 108 and 109. Info: 739-3780. THE LIGIA DANTES FOUNDATION presents a “Meditation in Daily Living” dialogue with Ligia…
RECREATION
LA PURISIMA MISSION presents a Village Days event featuring live demonstrations June 21 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the mission in Lompoc. Info: 733-3713. THE SANTA MARIA VALLEY PACKERS present a Fantasy Baseball Camp with a 35-or-older age limit July 18 and 19 at Allan Hancock College, John Osborne Field, Santa Maria. Deadline…
KIDS & FAMILY
THE SANTA MARIA PUBLIC LIBRARY offers its summer reading program “Catch the Reading Bug” June 23 through Aug. 1 at the library, 420 S. Broadway, Santa Maria. THE SANTA MARIA VALLEY YMCA presents its Summer Camp starting every week through Aug. 15 at the YMCA, 3400 Skyway Drive, Santa Maria. The YMCA offers swim lessons…
DANCE LESSONS
DANCE LESSONS in preparation for the Obon Festival are from 6:30 to 8 p.m. June 26, July 3, 9, and 17 at the Veteran’s Memorial Cultural Center, 313 W. Tunnel St., Santa Maria. Info: 937-7026 or 934-1797. ONGOING EVERYBODY CAN DANCE Academy offers classes in ballet, jazz, modern, and Spanish dance for ages 3…
STAGE
PCPA THEATERFEST presents its production of The Heart’s Desire through June 28 in the Marian Theatre, Allan Hancock College, Santa Maria. Info: 922-8313 or pcpa.org. IMPROVISATIONAL HUMOR CLASS meets Mondays at the Santa Maria Town Center mall’s second-floor community room to teach theater games, comedy concepts, and Whose Line Is It Anyway?-style games from 5:30…
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. to…
CONCERTS
THE LOMPOC POPS ORCHESTRA presents a “Festival of Music” concert June 23 at 7:30 p.m. at the Lompoc Civic Auditorium, 217 S. L St., Lompoc. Info: 735-8511. WORTH THE DRIVE DARE TO MOVE features 35 high school youth from the Bay Area performing in concert June 21 at 7:30 p.m. at St. John’s Lutheran Church,…
SPECIAL EVENTS
THE SANTA MARIA NOONTIME KIWANIS CLUB presents its annual “All you Can Eat Spaghetti Feed” June 20 from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the Veteran’s Memorial Building, 313 W, Tunnell St., Santa Maria. Info: 925-3221. THE ST. JOSEPH HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION presents its fifth annual wine and beer tasting event, featuring live music, art,…
Rain and hail can’t dampen out spirits – just our clothes
“Hey, don’t downplay my achievement strange man,” I said to the portly, middle-aged tourist standing in front of me. It was 4 o’clock in the afternoon, and I had just finished hiking up the Yosemite Falls trail to the top of the upper falls and then down again—all during a continuous drizzle and, at the…
Athlete of the Week
The first time Joseph Rodriguez, 12, hit a home run, he got a piece of a low pitch and lobbed it out past center field. It was a bit of a surprise, he said, when that hit sailed out of the park. But the second time Rodriguez hit a homer, it was much more definite.…
Hancock softball team recognized for rising stars
An all-freshman team, led by coach Angeli Guerrero, has earned recognition from the Western State Conference. Guerrero was named Co-divisional Coach of the Year for her efforts with the team, leading them to a third-place finish with a record of 15-26. Three players were also named to the all-conference second team: first baseman Lily Ruiz…
Two pools are ready for swimmers, just in time for summer
This summer, Santa Maria Valley residents have more pool choices than ever. Both the Paul Nelson Aquatic Center and the new Pioneer Valley High School pool will be open to the public and hosting special lessons and events. At Paul Nelson, the People for Leisure and Youth and the Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department…
Wines shine in summer
While the summer sun shines and area grapes happily ripen on their vines, winemakers not patrolling vineyard rows often throw parties to pass the time. They celebrate their bottled gems by discussing their craft over glasses of red, white, and pink, and much to our good fortune, occasionally invite the rest of us to come…
Hanging it up
It was a sad day at the Town Center Gallery as artists filtered in and out of the space, taking their artwork down and packing boxes. On June 13, the walls were bare at the rent-free venue where local painters, sculptors, and other artisits have displayed their work for the last three years. A group…
Battles of the heart
There’s hardly a war story out there that isn’t heart wrenching, that doesn’t touch the soul on some level. In that respect, Jos» Cruz González’s play, Heart’s Desire, is no different than any other tale of wartime strife—but just when you think you’ve seen it before, this play reaches out and hits you were it…
Clean up your fruit, or eat it
I was walking down Branch Street in San Luis Obispo the other day and passed a house that had an apricot tree with overarching branches loaded with fruit growing in the front lawn. The tree had dropped many apricots on the sidewalk and I had to step carefully to not soil my shoes on the…
Consider that God doesn’t make mistakes
Human beings have a strong tendency to need to be “better than” or superior to others. This tendency is driven by the ego and helps make an individual feel better about him or her self. Often, humans group together, in clubs, religious organizations, political parties, and even entire nations. Then the motivation often is a…
Say it isn’t so
It breaks my heart to hear Mr. Denneen say he is giving up.
We should keep vehicles off the beaches
Thank you for this long over-due commentary (“Damage in the dunes,” June 12). I am also writing to the California Coastal Commission to plea for vehicle-free beaches. There is no excuse to ruin the dunes and the beach with noise and pollution and endangering animals, so thank you, thank you. I don’t seem to be…
Tell us your name, little bird
Suggestions for your column, “The Canary”: The writer’s name should go with the piece. Your letters to the editor require names—why not columns? The New Times Shredder/Sun Canary may have been fine when Steve Moss first started them, but no more. I am not a journalist, but newspapers have an obligation to clearly and accurately…
Keep your chin up, Bill
I feel so much safer now that the Off-Highway Vehicle law enforcers gave elder Bill Denneen a citation for walking his “tour” of kids in a preserve in order to protect from vehicles and “preserve” their safety (“Damage in the dunes,” June 12). I feel so much safer knowing that the OHSVRA cops are on…
Community West Bank adds new senior vice president
Sharon Brown is the new senior vice president, director of human resources, for Community West Bank, based in Goleta. She will oversee all human resource functions for the bank’s 150 employees at multiple locations. “Sharon brings over 20 years of human resources experience to Community West Bank,” Lynda Nahra, CEO and president of Community West…
Local businessman completes professional development series
Timothy Holt, president of Preservation Capital Group LLC, successfully completed level II of the Professional Development Series at the Grubb and Ellis 2008 Real Estate Symposium. The two-day event was held in Newport Beach, and sponsored by the Tenant-In-Common Association. The topics covered were recent developments in commercial real estate, specifically relating to 1031 tax…
Rice Ranch celebrates grand opening in Orcutt
The 580-acre development with a sports field, walking trails, bike paths, and, of course, houses, is now open for business in Orcutt. Western Pacific Land Group, the developer behind Rice Ranch, held a grand opening on June 7 and, according to a news release, about 2,000 people turned out to tour the new housing development.…
Hancock forum to offer solutions to gang-related problems
Allan Hancock College is offering a forum on gangs in the Santa Maria Valley on June 19 and 26, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Atkinson Community Center, 1000 N. Railroad, in Santa Maria. The forum will be offered in Spanish, and English translation will be provided. The event is free and open to the…
Santa Barbara County Planning Commission approves new Firestone event center
On June 11, the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission approved plans to use land and facilities, owned by outgoing 3rd District Supervisor Brooks Firestone, for a special events center. The commission voted 4-0-1, with Firestone-appointed 3rd District Planning Commissioner C.J. Jackson abstaining, to send the proposed rezoning and events center permit on to the Board…
Santa Maria Restorative Justice Task Force pushes for North County jail, crime prevention
In an effort to create a safer, crime-free community, the Santa Maria Restorative Justice Task Force welcomed members of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department to its June 12 meeting, where they presented the final report and the Blue Ribbon Commission on Jail Overcrowding’s recommendations. According to the report, the Santa Barbara County jail system…
Suicide ‘destination’ may soon be no more
On June 13, a passerby who saw a man walking along the Cold Spring Canyon Bridge called for help. When California Highway Patrol officers got there, the man claimed to be out for a walk, but after further questioning, he made a break for the edge of the bridge, said Commander Dominick Palera with the…
Making cents – heads and tails – of the budget
On June 13, after a week filled with lengthy presentations and impassioned pleas from the public, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors approved a final 2008-09 budget, which comes in at around $760 million and features millions of dollars in cuts to county-sponsored programs. The supervisors deliberated over the county’s available fiscal balance—approximately $4.1…
How would you describe the color of your eyes?
Nicole Rivero student “Blue-green and glossy.” Dolores Woods retired “Mine are dark brown, and a little dim at my age, but they were sparkly at one point.” Winston Harris student “Kind of a blue. … They’re mixed with blue and green.” [image-4] Brooke Robertson outgoing Sun intern “They’re usually blue/gray, but they can look green…
Open box, then assemble
The paint on my rain gutters is peeling. The backyard gate won’t close. Two of the front window shutters need repairing. My house needs some tender loving care. The big question is this: Am I working diligently on household to-do items and keeping my wife, whom I love, happy? Nope. Instead, I’ve been in the…
Support the fight
On June 5 and 6, Santa Barbara County residents may notice an odd though not unknown scene on local roadways—3,000 cyclists and crew pedaling through the wind and fatigue. Hopefully, most will look long enough to realize that this is not just some mega-bike club or century ride. This year, the 545-mile AIDS/LifeCycle is expected…
