Cover Story
Missed the target
An early morning mist weaves in and out of the brush lining the trails at La Purisima. This time is a quiet time, broken only by the rustle of a small animal and the occasional footsteps of a passing walker or jogger. Peaceful hours like this make La Purisima Mission a favored location for people…
On the roster
• West Coast Xtreme Basketball Academy: West Coast Xtreme and Central Coast Elite Performance Training are looking for third- through eighth-grade boys and girls to compete in basketball leagues and tournaments. Prospective athletes should bring their own basketball and water to a free basketball Skills & Drills clinic on March 26, from 7 p.m. to…
Time for football and cheer
The Santa Maria Youth Football League and Cheer will be holding its first set of registrations on March 24 and 25 at the Westgate Community Room next to Liberty Elementary School. All players between the ages of 8 and 14 must provide two copies of a birth certificate, a recent photo, and a recent report…
Hancock is host to high school All-Stars
The best Northern Santa Barbara County high school seniors will take on San Luis Obispo County all-stars at the 22nd annual Kiwanis Central Coast All-Star Basketball Spectacular on March 31 at Allan Hancock College. The event features boys’ and girls’ games, and three-point shooting and slam-dunk contests between the game and at halftimes. Coaches for…
Athlete of the Week
Softball player Vanessa Gonzalez, 16, isn’t on her high school varsity team. Her school’s softball coaches didn’t take her twice in the three years she’s tried out. She’s never played a full season of high school softball. So why is she our Athlete of the Week? Even gifted athletes struggle with maintaining the perseverance and…
‘Crit’ city
The Amgen Tour of California’s decision to bypass the Central Coast in 2012, yanking Solvang’s time trial stage along with it, left cycling enthusiasts in the Santa Ynez Valley with a considerable racing void. Enter the Firestone Walker Avenue of Flags Criterium on March 31, the first race of its kind in downtown Buellton—and one…
A consortium of strings
The Central Coast, sitting almost exactly at the midway point between the major metropolises of San Francisco and Los Angeles, is unfortunately lacking when it comes to the scale of convention events enjoyed by the big cities. But one local has organized a convention modeled after larger events while preserving a local feel. Ed Miller,…
Punk rock photography goes on display
Daniel Dreifuss, award-winning photographer and owner of Volatile Magazine, will hold his first public photography show on April 14 at O’Sullivans Pub in Santa Maria. Dreifuss will display photos he’s taken over the last seven years of covering punk rock bands, including NOFX, Pennywise, Bad Religion, Dropkick Murphys, and many others. Volatile Magazine was…
Barbara Alloway is featured at McKeon Phillips
The work of Barbara Alloway will be on display at McKeon Phillips Winery and Art Gallery, 2115 S. Blosser Road in Santa Maria, throughout April. “Imagined Places” features new paintings on silk. A reception will be held from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on April 13 at the winery and art gallery. The winery will offer…
Hear sweet talk at the C Gallery
L.A.-based Sweet Talk Radio, the indie-folk duo of Kathrin Shorr and Tim Burlingam, will return to the C Gallery, 466 Bell St. in Los Alamos, at 7 p.m. on April 15. The concert is part of the C Gallery’s “Sing to Me” concert series and celebrates “Good-bye Tax Day!” “Sing To Me” concerts, with only…
Lompoc photographers present ‘Of the Vine’
The Lompoc Photographers Guild will be showing some of its best works of vineyards, the winemaking process, and the artistry of wines and vines. The exhibit will hang from March 22 to May 5. A reception for the exhibit will be held on April 4, at D’Vine Wine Bar, 107 W. Ocean Ave. in Lompoc,…
It’s time for the Spring Show
The Lompoc Valley Art Association 2012 Spring Show kicks odd with an ingathering for the competition on March 26 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Cypress Gallery, 119 E. Cypress Ave., in Lompoc. The judged show offers monetary prizes and ribbons as awards. It’s open to any artist 16 or older, and entrants…
Enter reality
So it was Friday night, and I was getting dolled up, because I was pretty sure I was having a heart attack, and I wanted to look good when the paramedics got here. OK, well, I was pretty sure I was not having a heart attack, but you can never be sure. My chest felt…
WonHeart, one community
When a community begins to change toward the negative, residents take notice, though few typically get up and do something about it. Joelyn Lutz saw such a change in the works and wanted to combat it, so she began the Santa Maria nonprofit WonHeart, with a vision of creating more social cohesion and harmony in…
Hungry for more
It’s early on a Friday morning when students start filing into Ms. Doree Rodgers’ eighth grade honors English class. As the Tommie Kunst Cougars settle into their desks, Ms. Rodgers announces that there’s been a slight change in today’s plans. The class is supposed to be taking a test on John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and…
Spring is for detox
When I take a deep breath, I smell spring in the air. Join me and take a deep breath to awaken your senses. Inhale the cool air, fragrant with blossoming flowers and budding trees. Smell the freshly cut grass, hear the birds singing their sweet, melodic songs. Spring is in the air. The days have…
Opulence in a ghetto
Hidden behind Lompoc’s Home Depot is the cornflower blue and white Sobhani Industrial Park, home to a “diamond in the rough”—the Lompoc Wine Ghetto. By outward appearances, it’s a far cry from the romantic, vineyard-encompassed wine estates scattered throughout the scenic Santa Ynez Valley. But out-of-town, “in the know” wine enthusiasts have already discovered what…
Have lunch with grandparents
St. Joseph High School’s highly anticipated annual Grandparent Luncheon will be taking place on March 23. Alumni Director Karen Jaeckels said this event is one of her favorite to hold. “It’s so much fun catching up with grandparents and seeing them connect with their grandchildren. Many of these grandparents are parents to alumni that I…
Head Start Program receives a $5 million federal grant
The Community Action Commission of Santa Barbara was awarded nearly $5.2 million in funding to continue its Head Start program, which currently serves approximately 1,300 families in Santa Barbara County. The aim of the Head Start program is to provide health, nutrition, and education services to low-income families with children younger than 5. Head Start…
Health is what’s on the menu
In honor of National Nutrition Month, U.S. Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) visited Adam Elementary School on March 14 to witness first-hand what the Santa Maria-Bonita School District is doing to make school meals healthier. The district has teamed up with local growers and the federal government to implement menu changes aimed at reducing childhood…
A titillating debate
A Guadalupe parking lot has caused quite a stir of late, leaving city officials annoyed and bombarded with phone calls. The “parking lot,” as Guadalupe residents generically call it, sits across from the Far Western Tavern and is the venue for various community activities and events, such as the annual Salad Bowl, car shows, and…
Hobnobbing with Helen
Santa Maria Has Talent! Oh my, does it ever! If you have any doubt, you have only to attend Rotary South’s annual talent show, which is now firmly established in the local fundraising firmament. The third such talent show in the club’s history took place March 8, 9, and 10 at the Santa Maria Veteran’s…
Painting helps children develop skills
Let that inner painter shine this month at the Discovery Museum! As our programming focus in March is about music and art, exploring paint and painting is one of many ways to learn about art making. Whether your little one enjoys finger painting or brush painting, we would love to celebrate their artistic efforts through…
Fashion in Aktion
The Aktion Club of Santa Maria is holding its seventh annual Fashion in Aktion show on March 25 from 1 to 4 p.m. Models of all ages will strut their stuff, wearing outfits that come from Vocational Training Center (VTC) thrift shops. This sometimes-raucous event usually attracts about 400 attendees for an afternoon of entertainment,…
Spotlight on: Recovery Ranch
Recovery Ranch in Santa Ynez is a structured, sober-living house with a slogan: “We are clean and sober men who live as gentlemen.” The concept of being a gentleman is one of the keys to the success of the program, according to the ranch’s founders. Profanity is prohibited, good manners are stressed, and the men…
Gallegly’s legacy
Elton Gallegly is currently the longest-serving member in the U.S. House of Representatives. For nearly three decades, he’s had a direct role in our country’s government, shaping policy, meeting world leaders, and introducing countless legislation. Some constituents in the 24th Congressional District view him as a champion for national security; others view him as a…
Rice Ranch developers stave off foreclosure by negotiating with Wells Fargo
According to a public notice filed March 9, Rice Ranch Ventures LLC has until March 29 to negotiate loan terms with Wells Fargo Bank, or the housing project’s undeveloped land will be sold at public auction. In an interview with the Sun, developer John Scardino said he’s in negotiations with the bank to keep the…
Santa Barbara County Grand Jury reports on SMPD impound policies
On March 7, the Santa Barbara County Grand Jury reported that the Santa Maria Police Department (SMPD) maintains appropriate towing practices, despite the controversy it has attracted for its number of impounds. In July 2011, the jury received complaints from Santa Maria residents claiming that towing and impound practices were unfair and had become “a…
Union Bank to acquire parent company of Santa Barbara Bank & Trust
UnionBanCal Corporation—which owns Union Bank—announced it’s entered into an agreement to buy the Santa Barbara-based Pacific Capital Bancorp for a reported $1.5 billion. Pacific Capital operates Santa Barbara Bank & Trust, which runs 47 branches in California, including four in Northern Santa Barbara County—one each in Santa Maria, Lompoc, Los Olivos, and Solvang. Debbie Whiteley,…
After the smoke clears
On March 15, the Santa Barbara County Fire Department responded to reports of a house fire on East Foster Road in Santa Maria. Members of the first engine crew to arrive on the scene found a small single-story home engulfed in flames. Firefighters quickly knocked out the fire. Two people were treated by firefighters for…
Alleged victim of slain officer files notice against Santa Maria
As reported online by the Sun on March 16, the Woodland Hills-based law offices of Goldberg and Gage sent a notice of governmental claim in mid-February to the city of Santa Maria on behalf of “Jane Doe,” identified in the notice as the “Explorer raped by Santa Maria Police Officer Albert Covarrubias, Jr.” Such a…
If we gave you $100 to spend in 10 seconds, what’s the first thing that comes to mind to spend it on?
Juan Esquivias certified nursing assistant student “Clothes.” Angel Nevarez certified nursing assistant student “Food!” Kimber Castaneda certified nursing assistant student “Baby stuff. Diapers.” Kyle Rantz student “Music equipment.”
