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Whiskey weather
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What’s your favorite type of liquor?
Ehi Robinson student worker “I don’t drink often, but when I do, I drink Ciroc, ’Cause that’s what P. Diddy drinks.” Jeff Hamsher student “I like to drink whiskey because of the taste.” Domanic Padron deli worker “Long Island Ice Teas all day! It’s got all the good stuff in it.” Mallory Lowers server “I…
The tank is empty
I think my wife is intelligent. I think this because that is what she tells me. I have to believe her, because it does seem like a lot of times she knows stuff I don’t. She uses vocabulary words like integer (instead of just saying number), and she remembers that the symbol for sodium in…
Fashion for a cause
The Kiwanis Aktion Club of Santa Maria—with the help of several local business, government, and nonprofit groups—presents “Fashion Aktion,” a benefit fashion show event scheduled for March 24 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Veterans’ Memorial Building, 313 W. Tunnel St., Santa Maria. The event will feature emcees Wendy Thies Sell (who’s also the…
Challenging tradition
An upcoming film screening and discussion group will ask the question: Why can’t women serve as Catholic priests or popes? The film Pink Smoke Over the Vatican explores that topic and is to be screened on March 21 at 7 p.m. at Unity Chapel of Light, 1165 Stubblefield Road, Orcutt. There will be a Q-and-A…
Playing with sticks
The Los Alamos Merchant Society (LAMS) presents, as part of its “Third Saturday Evening Stroll Series,” an event with the theme of “Sticks,” celebrating the end of winter and the beginning of spring on March 16 from 4 to 8 p.m. on Los Alamos’ downtown Bell Street. The evening will include an artist reception for…
PCPA resident artist chosen for exclusive master class
PCPA Theaterfest resident artist and lead in the current production of The Tempest Andrew Philpot has been chosen to take part in an exclusive master class instructed by actor Alan Alda in July. Since 2009, the Ten Chimneys Foundation has facilitated the Lunt Fontanne Fellowship Program, which selects just 10 of the nation’s top regional…
Sequestering songs
While a potential budget sequester may have seemed far off in August 2011, when President Barack Obama signed the Budget Control Act into law, the across-the-board federal cuts are already upon us. Unfortunately for the Central Coast, that means a series of free community concerts has been cancelled. The United States Air Force Band of…
Reciting the rhythm of words
Poets weave words into tapestries of emotion and color, which truly come to life with the often passionate and somewhat musical spontaneity of live recitation. The National Endowment for the Arts supports the art of recitative poetry with an annual recitation contest called “Poetry Out Loud,” open to high-school-aged competitors. One such local student, Eduardo…
Up-and-coming creators
A cornerstone in any child’s education is arts and crafts time. Drawing, painting, and sculpting are all ways a young mind can discover and communicate with the world, while creating a little piece of it. People who pursue their skills into their adolescence and early adulthood often find a rewarding outlet for self-expression. “What kid…
Need for speed
The Santa Maria Karting Association kicked off its first race of the year on March 10. Located at the Santa Maria Airport, the event was free and open to the public. The association will hold an Open Track Day on March 24 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please e-mail general information questions to info@smka.org.…
Golf galore
If you’re looking to improve your golf game, think about signing up for the Central Coast Golf Academy spring break camp. The first camp offered will run from March 25 to 27; classes will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday. The camp is offered for players ages 6 to 18; all…
No worries
Stress impacts us all in a variety of ways and can be hard to manage. Learn how to cope with the negative physical and emotional effects of stress through Allan Hancock College’s new community education course, “Stress Management.” Led by professor John Hupp, the class will teach students how to use stress to their advantage…
Get your kicks
The best of things usually start as a notion that becomes a dream, an idea that becomes reality. For business partners Jose Cerros and Dave Eckenrode, it took determination, unwavering faith, and vision to bring their dream of an indoor soccer arena to life. Still under construction on the second floor of the Santa Maria…
Athlete of the Week: Jamie Miller
Cabrillo High School soccer player Jamie Miller (pictured here in white) played an integral role in the Conquistadores’ success this season. The center midfielder scored seven goals and had 12 assists, leading her team to its first ever CIF Final. It wasn’t just Miller’s athletic ability that made her stand out, however; it was also…
Finding Chef Rick
As I opened the door to the Santa Maria Tamale Shop near the corner of Betteravia and Blosser roads, I simultaneously spotted a grinning Chef Rick Manson behind the counter and smelled familiar aromas that should take longtime customers back in time. I was transported back to “the good ol’ days” when Manson served up…
The reality of sex-offender designations and treatment
In recent months, there have been several references in the media to the term “sexually violent predator” (SVP) and the fact that my office has sought to stop someone who has been found to be an SVP from being placed in our county as a transient. Many community members have asked me about the designation—SVP—and…
Hancock offers free stress management class
Tips on how to deal with stress will be part of a free spring semester class offered through Allan Hancock College Community Education. The stress management class will address the negative physical and emotional reactions to life’s stresses and help develop coping skills, communication skills, and relaxation exercises. It will meet Mondays from April 15…
Santa Maria-area language teachers win awards
Language programs at Pioneer Valley and Santa Maria high schools have grown in both the number of classes and student proficiency over the last few years, and now a couple of their teachers have the awards to prove it. The California Language Teachers’ Association recently announced that Pioneer Valley Spanish teacher Carolyn Lucero received this…
Girl Scout donates to Circle V Ranch Camp
A 16-year-old Girl Scout from San Marino donated more than 2,000 children’s books and 450 art supplies to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s Circle V Ranch Camp in March. Isabella Virgen chose the camp for her Gold Award Girl Scout project because she was impressed with her experiences as a Camper-in-Leadership-Training at Circle…
Empty bowls fills stomachs
Fight hunger in your community while enjoying some delicious soup at the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County’s ninth annual Empty Bowls fundraiser on March 27 at the Veteran’s Memorial Building, 100 E. Locust Ave., in Lompoc. For a donation of $25, attendees will get to select a uniquely handcrafted ceramic bowl, enjoy a simple meal…
Spotlight on: The Berry Stop
When fruit industry leaders California Giant first approached Kathy McPike about opening a fruit stand on its property, she was nervous about accepting. For seven years, McPike had managed a fruit stand on the very same land, but this was the first time she’d ever contemplated leasing a stand of her own. “The community’s been…
A dog we can depend on
Riley paws maniacally at his kennel door, his cute puppy-dog whine occasionally exploding into a deep baritone bark. “Hey. Hey. I know, buddy,” Santa Barbara County firefighter Eric Gray admonishes the 5-year-old Labrador retriever in a calm, reassuring voice. “The center of his world is this toy,” Gray says as he holds up what looks…
Straight from the kitchen
This year, home bakers can become business makers thanks to a new law legalizing home food preparation and sales. The Cottage Foods Act went into effect in January, bringing with it the opportunity for California’s baking enthusiasts to carve out an income for themselves. The law allows individuals to register for a license with county…
Clarifications
Nancy Ortega—the wedding planner with Fabulous Weddings who was quoted in the Feb. 14 Brides article “Party animals”—plans all kinds of weddings, including those that feature pets. Anna Weltner is the arts editor of New Times, the Sun’s sister paper to the north. News Briefs is compiled by Sun writers from staff reporting and local…
Santa Maria City Council approves SEIU employee contract
On March 5, the Santa Maria City Council unanimously approved the last of its negotiated salary and benefits contracts with city employees. It’s taken three months to get the 270 city employees represented by Service Employees International (SEIU) Local 620 to agree to their contract for the year. The union members’ last contract with the…
Gauging the sequester’s effects could take a while
It’s a bit tricky to truly calculate the effects of the automatic federal budget cuts known as the sequestration enacted on March 1. There are estimates, guesses, and big numbers behind dollar signs, but until the final budgets are out or the higher rungs of government show exactly where the knife will cut, many agencies…
Recent cockfighting raid nets 233 birds
Responding to reports of an alleged cockfighting ring in the area, San Luis Obispo County sheriff’s deputies and animal control officers served a search warrant at a rural property on Orchard Road in Nipomo on March 8. They reported finding 233 roosters in cages. According to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department, evidence collected…
A panga crashed near Vandenberg Air Force Base
A boat carrying at least $1 million worth of marijuana that washed up on Wall Beach near Vandenberg Air Force Base on March 7 is a panga, U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials confirmed on March 8. Dave Wales, the ICE agent in charge of the investigation, said the contraband marijuana weighed in at approximately…
Respected Santa Maria judge Edward Bullard dies
Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Edward Bullard—arguably the anchor of the Santa Maria criminal court division—died suddenly on March 10 of complications from heart surgery. He was 59 years old. Superior court executive officer Gary Blair said Bullard suffered a heart attack earlier this month, but was expected to make a full recovery. He…
Every vote counts, every vote costs
How do you get songs out of your head? I need some help, because my brain has been like an iPod with only one song, stuck on endless repeat. Or maybe shuffle. But it’s still just one song. I’m a regular victim of catchy music. I find myself whistling tunes for days at a time.…
