Cover Story
Happiness and cheese: Palo Mesa Pizza has taken big honors on the global stage
I felt at home the moment I walked through Palo Mesa Pizza’s doors. There’s something truly genuine about the environment that owner Michael Stevens has built at his businesses—not to mention the amazing pizza. We’re talking internationally acclaimed pizza. In March 2013, Stevens competed in the International Pizza Challenge in Las Vegas and…
Do you have vacation plans this summer?
Dave Lombardo retired “I’m going to Portland, then after that I’m going camping in the Sierras.” Al Steinberg retired “I’m retired so I don’t have plans. I just take things as they come.” Tyree Schultz sales manager “I’m going camping at Lopez Lake.” Mia Hughes intern “I’m going to a wedding in San Diego.”
Community Notebook 6/5-6/12
MONDAY, JUNE 9 • 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. • The Solvang City Council has its regular meeting at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers, 1644 Oak Street, Solvang. agendas are available at…
Community Corner: Hospice of Santa Barbara lends support
In the wake of a horrible tragedy, Hospice of Santa Barbara is providing services to help anyone affected by the recent shooting in Isla Vista. Mourners have banded together throughout college campuses and across the world to show support for those who lost loved ones due to the violent act that took place on Friday,…
Bring on the cheese: The Santa Ynez Valley Cheese Company embarks on a stinky and tasty evolution
Staring at me from a white sheet of wax paper is a blue- and white-speckled mass of Stilton. Drizzled alongside it are a few dots of lavender-vanilla honey. “They say mold loves sugar, sugar loves mold: You know, it’s a good marriage,” Kristin Collins, owner of the Santa Ynez Valley Cheese Company, tells me on…
Woody on the block: Woody’s Butcher Block brings prime cuts to Santa Maria
Barbecue season is in full swing this month, bringing with it long, sunny days spent grilling and chilling in the backyard or at the park. Of course, everyone in the Land of Tri-Tip (i.e. the Central Coast) has his or her own special way of prepping and cooking meat; it’s when it’s time to take…
Politicians introduce legislation after the Isla Vista tragedy
Legislation is appearing at both the state and national level as local politicians respond to the shootings and stabbings that took the lives of six UC Santa Barbara students on May 22. U.S. Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara), California Assembly member Das Williams (D-Santa Barbara), and state Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) are all putting…
The District 24 race is a fight for second place
Everyone crowded into the back room of Rusty’s Pizza Parlor on State Street in Santa Barbara on June 3 knew that U.S. Rep Lois Capps was going to win the primary race for District 24. First place wasn’t what this primary was about to the people eating pizza and hovering over a couple of iPads…
Incumbent Bill Brown wins Santa Barbara County Sheriff
Sheriff Bill Brown is getting a third term in Santa Barbara County. Semi-official results posted on the county Registrar of Voters website showed that the incumbent beat challenger Sgt. Sandra Brown (no relation) by roughly 7,400 votes. County officials estimated a voter turnout of 29.31 percent, with 56,837 ballots filed. The first numbers of the…
Santa Barbara County residents say ‘no’ to Measure M
Measure M—the ballot initiative that Santa Barbara County Supervisor Peter Adam penned to tackle the county’s $300-million backlog of road and facility maintenance—sputtered to a halt just short of the finish line on June 3. The final election night post to the county Registrar of Voters website at 11 p.m. showed that just more than…
Compton gets the edge on Ray in District 4
In San Luis Obispo County’s District 4—which includes Arroyo Grande, Oceano, Nipomo, and rural areas along Highway 166—the two mainstream supervisorial candidates made a strong statement as the professed “outsider” candidate faded away. The race for what many locals consider to be the “swing seat” on the SLO County Board of Supervisors has been contentious…
Exciting taste buds and eardrums: The Los Olivos Jazz and Olive Festival features local wines, competitive food pairing, live music
Los Olivos is a tiny town full of residents who are more than proud of its namesake. It’s just as easy to find an olive oil tasting as it is to find a wine tasting among the restaurants and tasting rooms that line Alamo Pintado and Grand Avenue. This passion for the fruit attracts tourists…
Crafting for Dad
Michaels in Santa Maria offers a Free Family Craft Time: Father’s Day event that teaches how to make a card for Dad on June 7 from noon to 3 p.m. A Kids Club: How to Train Your Dragon 2 Crafty Visor event is June 7 from 10 a.m. to noon. Michaels is at 1934 S.…
Cypress Gallery plays hosts to the Andersens
The Lompoc Valley Art Association’s Cypress Gallery is host to an exhibit titled A Little Medley, featuring the acrylic paintings of Vicki Andersen and clay sculpture of Gill Andersen showing through June 28. The couple will be present at a reception on June 8 from 1 to 3 p.m. The Cypress Gallery is at 119…
Downtown Merchants hold a kick-off event
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce is holding a Downtown Merchants Kick Off event for local merchants in the downtown Santa Maria area. The Downtown Merchants Committee has been working at gaining traction in promoting Santa Maria’s downtown and supporting businesses in the area. The event is scheduled for June 5 at 5:30 p.m.…
Flying Goat Cellars shares wine from the barrel
Flying Goat Cellars is holding two special events on June 21 that will showcase and highlight the winery’s wines. A Barrel Tasting and Luncheon event is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will include a tasting of select 2013 wines fresh from the barrel with winemaker Norm Yost, who will discuss his winemaking and…
Figueroa Mountain unveils a new brew
Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company is unveiling its new craft beer, a Kolsch-style ale named “101” after the iconic Californian freeway. The brewery is holding a party for the release of the new brew, which is the first beer Figueroa has released in a can, on June 21 from noon to close at the company’s taproom…
Third Wednesday event in Solvang is a town-wide midsummer celebration
Solvang stays in touch with its roots, as is apparent in the title of its upcoming Third Wednesday event: Midsommer Musik. The day includes 12 straight hours of free live music, with local eateries and tasting rooms offering special deals and discounts to visitors seeking food and drink. “The Midsommer Musik is kind of a…
Taste the creativity: Wine and Design in Orcutt gives locals a chance to get creative while sipping beer and wines
When caught up in the challenge of the work-a-day life, it can be difficult to schedule times to engage in creativity, a gift everyone shares, whether they remember it or not. Once engaged, the creative process doesn’t just help us express ourselves; it helps us relax. Wine and Design in Orcutt is a business that…
Potty power
Every single person on this planet has his or her own special talent. For instance, Michael Phelps can swim ridiculously fast; Slash can play the guitar louder than a hurricane; and me, well, I have the unique ability to completely clear out a public restroom. Sure, it isn’t the coolest God-given talent to have. I…
Cheers to 30 years: Summer sparkles at Laetitia Vineyard and Winery in Arroyo Grande
“Summertime, and the livin’ is easy.” The wines are chilling and the grapevines are high. Bands will be playing and new releases will be flowing at Laetitia Vineyard and Winery all summer long. The winery, located along U.S. Highway 101 between Nipomo and Arroyo Grande, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year with lots of…
QAD invests in a technological future at El Camino Elementary School
Every year, Santa Barbara-based global software company QAD invests in projects that provide students with the opportunity to spend hands-on time with cutting-edge technology. Vice President Murray Ray and other leaders from the software company attended a ceremony at El Camino Elementary School on May 14, where they awarded $28,768 to the school. The funding…
Discovery Corner: Celebrate ranching life!
Museum members and staff had a great time walking in the recent Elk’s Rodeo Parade, meeting hundreds of Santa Maria families along the route. Rodeo, barbecue, and the ranching life are a big part of our Santa Maria-area culture, which is alive and well in the Our Valley exhibit at the Discovery Museum. We invite…
Students celebrate at The 29th annual Central Coast Science Fair
The 29th annual Central Coast Science Fair honored standout students who reached great scientific heights on May 30 and 31. Mentoring provided by engineers and scientists from Vandenberg Air Force Base helped students create the projects on display at this year’s event. More than 200 students took part in the science fair this year, marking…
Spotlight on: Central Coast Specialty Foods
Adventurous chefs in Lompoc and beyond now have a place to buy unusual, high-quality cheeses, meats, pastas, and sweets. Need some buffalo’s milk cheese? How about some kangaroo meat? Would you like to try Galactic Gelato? (It’s described as “mint astronaut gelato floating in spacy dark chocolate.”) Well, look no further than Central Coast Specialty…
What a (fill in the blank) election night!
They’re all the same. The candidates are different—or at least they have different names—but the elections themselves are all the same. If you know me, you know that I love elections. Or I have loved elections. The bustle of the polling places, the volunteers and proud voters, the hopeful candidates, the tension, the promise, the…
Preventing tragedies like Isla Vista’s
Members of the UCSB, Isla Vista, and Santa Barbara communities are brought together and laid low in grief by the multiple murders committed in Isla Vista on Friday night, May 23, 2014. Their lives just beginning, seven beautiful young people are instantly and horrifically gone. Families are devastated and inconsolable, and our communities terrified. When…
Fundraising for Nipomo Titans football
The Nipomo Titans Youth Football League is holding a fundraiser barbecue and registration event on June 8 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot of the Nipomo Ace Hardware. Tickets to the event cost $8 and include a chicken lunch with beans, rice, bread, salsa, and a drink. Registration for the football…
Softball fun at Orcutt Hill
Grab your glove and your family and join the Guadalupe Dunes Center for its second annual softball tournament June 21. The event kicks off at 10 a.m. at the Newlove Picnic Camp Grounds, which are just off of Highway 101 about 2 miles south of Clark Avenue. It will also include a bounce house and…
Girls Inc. announces new camp
Last week, Girls Incorporated of Greater Santa Barbara announced the addition of a new Triathlon Training Camp to its annual summer program. The new camp will serve as an opportunity for girls ages 7 to 14 to be coached through participation in a triathlon. The camp is intended to help girls develop a new path…
Golf Camp at Cypress
Cypress Ridge Golf Course is set to hold its Summer Junior Golf Camp in two sessions this year. The first session runs June 23 through 25, followed by the second session, Aug. 11 through 13. The camp is open to golfers ages 7 to 16. Snacks and lunch are included in the price. The cost…
Hancock holds cheerleading tryouts
On May 22, the Bulldogs held cheerleading tryouts to find current and incoming students with plenty of school pride and a desire to represent the college throughout the community. The squad, which features both males and females, performs at Hancock sporting events, student body activities, and basketball and football games. “Getting involved in cheerleading allows…
Josh Rodriguez
Guadalupe native and wrestler Josh Rodriguez is on a determined road to the Fila Junior Pan American Championship in Toronto, Canada, this summer. “I like the competitiveness, the one-on-one aspect,” Rodriguez said of his sport. “It’s all up to you and how you perform. It comes down to who works hardest.” Rodriguez began wrestling in…
Fanatics for fungus: Foraging for mushrooms brings exercise and flavor to the table
Magic grows in the beautiful forests of the California Central Coast. The smell of rich earth and forest awakens your senses, while the towering redwoods and pines draw your eyes upward. But the real magic can be found in the opposite direction, at the base of these giants. Growing in colorful, waxy spires or round,…
