Cover Story
A snail’s pace
Poised before projections of PowerPoint slides packed with graphs and figures, UC Santa Barbara economics professor Peter Rupert painted a picture of jobs in Northern Santa Barbara County as dim as the room he was lecturing in. The scene of Rupert’s presentation, the Fountain Pavilion at the Santa Maria Fairpark, was once lined with monitors…
What invention or discovery do you hope to see in your lifetime?
Bob Weir Allan Hancock College instructor “A way to world peace.” Kimberly Rahe farmers market booth manager “A cure for cancer.” Jerry Gault truck driver “Technology that will give the average person the ability to explore space.” Ken Guge Leisure Time Games owner “Teleportation.”
OCAF can
Nonprofits throughout the Central Coast have been hard pressed to keep going—especially nonprofits tasked with providing arts programs. But somehow, they’ve managed to keep going, usually with the help of strong supporters and financial contributions. The Santa Maria Philharmonic got a new lease on life from increased contributions after an aggressive fundraising push, as well…
Welcome the stranger
Reaching icon status doesn’t happen overnight. Country and folk music star Willie Nelson is definitely an artist deserving of the title, not just because of his songwriting prowess and profound love of music, but also because of his unwavering commitment to performance and, ultimately, his fans. The master will be performing on the Central Coast…
Not in hot water
Last week, my Tuesday began like most Tuesdays do. I woke up a few minutes later than I should have. I did some snooze button math and decided that I still had enough time to take a quick shower as long as I used the speed limit as more of a guideline, rather than a…
Adventure quest
Tony Piazza has been a lot of things in his career, but right now one of his favorite titles is “author.” He just released The Curse of the Crimson Dragon, an action-adventure book that follows on the heels of his first book, the Hollywood-based Anything Short of Murder. Piazza grew up in the ’60s and…
Say hello to Solomon
The Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department announced the winners of Los Flores Ranch Park’s “Name That Burro Contest,” awarding Katherine Rosalee Sutterfield the right to grant the burro his official name: Solomon. Sutterfield named the park’s newly adopted burro after the Solomon Hills, home of Los Flores Ranch. Second place went to Lily Martinez…
One classy cook
You’ve likely heard the old saying, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch,” but I’ve discovered what could be the next best thing: a free cooking class. The talented executive chef at Central City Market in Santa Maria is offering something that’s too good to pass up: complimentary cooking classes. The first class will…
Sign up for spring basketball
Central Coast basketball teams from fourth grade through high school varsity are encouraged to sign up for the West Coast Xtreme’s 2012 Spring League, which starts March 18. Games will be held at the new gym at Cuesta College each Sunday until June 3. Cost per team is $550 before March 18 and $585 afterward.…
Athlete of the Week: Jacob Rodas
Though Santa Maria High School’s saintly mascot may not be the most menacing, a wrestler from the school is working hard to make sure that he is. Meet Jacob Rodas, one of the school’s top wrestlers and our Athlete of the Week. “I want to bring pride back here to Santa Maria,” Rodas said. “Back…
The Bleacher Bum Chronicles Vol. XXIII
On Feb. 24, the National Basketball Association honored its superstars by kicking off the league’s annual All-Star Weekend event, held this year in Orlando, Fla. Admittedly, I didn’t watch the festivities—and apparently I wasn’t alone. The NBA All-Star break, while largely ignored by viewers this year, traditionally gives players time to reflect on the first…
Get in-FESTED!
OK, this is a bit embarrassing, but I’m just going to admit it now and get it over with. I had already been the director of the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival for about a year and a half before I really understood how to “do” a film festival! And when I say “do,”…
We need transparency, and let’s start with the chief
After reading three statements accusing chief Danny Macagni of using of racial slurs in the course of his duty, I consider him unqualified to be the chief of police wearing four stars on his lapel. With this bias against the chief, can I be fair in questioning the chief’s statements in Officer Covarrubias’s tragic death?…
Where have all the flowers gone?
Anyone who has lost a loved one in their family knows the pain one suffers. Sadly, for some, and understandably, that pain never goes away. Many feel the need to visit the gravesite regularly, bringing flowers to decorate the site. This, too, is understandable. However, flowers do create more work for the employees who are…
Mardi Gras fundraiser is a success for St. Mary’s
Fat Tuesday proved to be lucrative for St. Mary of the Assumption School, whose 10th annual Mardi Gras dinner, dance, and auction raised more than $20,000 for educational programs and infrastructure improvements. About 200 community members attended the celebration, held at the Radisson Hotel. The event included a silent auction and, for the second year,…
Local Rotarians help children in La Paz
A handful of members from Santa Maria Rotary South recently returned from a trip to La Paz, Mexico, where they checked in with students and teachers at a rural school the club supports. Rotary South decided to form an international bond with Colonia Diana Laura School and a La Paz-based Rotary Club, Bahia de La…
Music and art all March long!
Q: What do you get when you have four engineers in the same room? A: A string quartet! Having fun with music and art is a great way for young children to develop verbal skills, creativity, critical thinking, and innovation, so during the month of March, the Discovery Museum is celebrating the arts! As a…
A tasty way to support a library
The MOMS Club in Orcutt has whipped up a cookbook full of favorite recipes, which is being sold to raise funds for the Friends of the Orcutt Library in support of the new library to be built in Old Town. As the MOMS Club press release said, “What better way to support a library than…
Spotlight on: Allan Hancock College Small Business Entrepreneurship Center
Allan Hancock College students and staffers celebrated the grand opening of their Small Business Entrepreneurship Center (SBEC) on Feb. 22 in a way befitting their city: with a Santa Maria-style barbecue. The event also included a traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony and a less-traditional photo booth and dunk tank. The center was four years in the making,…
The ongoing Prop. 8 debate
The debate over the constitutionality of Proposition 8—the 2008 California ballot initiative that bans gay marriage—has been ongoing and heated, with both sides volleying arguments and appeals back and forth. On Feb. 7, the issue inched a step closer to the U.S. Supreme Court when a federal appeals court ruled the ban unconstitutional because it…
The battle continues
The Bridgehouse—a shuttered emergency homeless shelter previously owned and operated by Lompoc Housing and Community Development Corporation (LHCDC)—could reopen and be serving Lompoc residents within a week’s time, according to Good Samaritan Services Executive Director Sylvia Barnard. “We’re waiting to sign a contract agreement with the county. We’re hoping to have [the shelter] reopened by…
Santa Maria City Council mulls an apartment ordinance
City officials are considering passing an ordinance that would give owners of motels scattered around Santa Maria the option to convert the properties into small permanent apartments. The 30 or so motels have been around since the 1920s, when Santa Maria was once used as a rest stop for travelers going up and down Broadway,…
Santa Maria high school district investigates a potential location for a new school
Santa Maria is a city that continues to expand—and quickly—to accommodate a growing population. For the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District (SMJUHSD), this means making room for more students. In 2004, taxpayers authorized the allocation of Measure C bonds to provide more facilities for students. In an effort to use the Measure C…
More than a dozen protestors are arrested at a Vandenberg launch
About 70 people gathered in front of Vandenberg Air Force Base just before midnight on Feb. 25 to protest the launch of a Minuteman 3 and the use of intercontinental ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons in general. About an hour later, base security arrested 15 people for trespassing once they stepped on base property. Among…
Police union votes ‘no confidence’ in Macagni
In an anonymous vote, 85 percent of the union representing most sworn officers of the Santa Maria Police Department expressed “no confidence” in Police Chief Danny Macagni, union leadership announced Feb. 24. Backed by about a dozen members of the Santa Maria Police Officers’ Association, president Chris Nartatez revealed the results of a mail-in ballot…
