Cover Story
Santa Maria’s hit-and-run dilemma
It’s 6:30 p.m. on a Friday evening on Main Street. A woman driving a sedan pulls a sharp U-turn in front of a group of 14 Santa Maria Police Department officers and various onlookers. She speeds off down Pine Street with orange safety cones lodged in the car’s wheel-well, and a patrol car soon tracks…
What’s your favorite magazine?
Michael Conley Albertsons meat cutter “Photo Ad, because I’m always looking for bargains on off-road vehicles.” Shawn Jones Jensen’s assistant manager “Consumer Reports, because I like to know what the best products are.” Deb Reynolds waitress “People magazine, because it has a lot of variety.” Garrett Alford waiter “Skateboard magazines, because I love to skateboard.”
Learn all about nursing
Nursing will take center stage during a career workshop scheduled for March 31 at Allan Hancock College’s Santa Maria campus. From 3 to 5 p.m., the college’s health and nursing program directors will meet with potential students interested in the college’s nursing assistant, registered nursing, and licensed vocational nursing programs. The directors will provide information…
Clubs & Meetings
4-H welcomes anyone interested in the group to sign up now. Find a nearby club by contacting the Santa Barbara County 4-H Office at 692-1730 or zmhughes@ucdavis.edu. ALTRUSA INTERNATIONAL, INC. of SANTA MARIA, a nonprofit business and professional organization, meets the second Wednesday of each month, 6:30 p.m., in the Altrusa Theatre of the Santa…
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
A BENEFIT BARBECUE for the Mendoza family, who lost their home in a fire, is March 28 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at LASO, 845 W. Cook St., Santa Maria. Cost is $8. Info: 922-2771. ONGOING FILIPINO COMMUNITY OF SANTA MARIA VALLEY barbecues Filipino food at the Smart and Final parking lot, N. Broadway…
Health
SANSUM CLINIC offers a “Cholesterol Management” class on April 2 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. MARIAN MEDICAL CENTER presents a “Smart Eating for Kids and Teens” class meeting the first Monday of each month this year from…
Art
ALLAN HANCOCK COLLEGE, the city of Lompoc, and Lompoc Mural Society present a dedication ceremony for the Community Canvas mural The Character by Gabriel Delgadillo, an Allan Hancock College student, on March 27 at 2 p.m. at the intersection of Chestnut Avenue and North H Street in Lompoc. Info: 922-6966, Ext. 3705. THE LOMPOC VALLEY…
Learning
THE PARKINSON’S SUPPORT GROUP OF SANTA MARIA features a speech therapist speaking about Parkinson’s on March 26 at 1 p.m. at Grace Baptist Church, 605 E. McCoy Lane, Santa Maria. Info: 937-7776 or 925-0266. THE SANTA BARBARA COUNTY ANIMAL CARE FOUNDATION presents a full-day workshop titled “It’s Raining Cats and Dogs,” featuring information on pet…
Recreation
THE PISMO NATURE CENTER presents a “Native Plant Gardens and Oceano Lagoon” walk on March 27 at 9:30 a.m. at the Nature Center, Oceano Campground. Info: 772-2694. ONGOING A MEN’S AND WOMEN’S BEACH FLAG FOOTBALL LEAGUE with four-on-four teams, no contact, is every Sunday at the beach in front of the Sandcastle Inn, Pismo Beach.…
Kids & Family
THE SANTA MARIA TOWN CENTER welcomes all to visit the Easter Bunny, who hops into the Town Center March 28 through April 11 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the week, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays, and noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays at the Town Center, Main and Broadway, Santa Maria.…
Dance Lessons
NIPOMO DANCE features free dance classes for the month of March. Info: nipomorecreation.org or 929-5437. ONGOING EVERYBODY CAN DANCE offers classes in ballet dance for ages 3 to adult. Call for schedules. Boys and men receive full scholarships. The studio is located at 800 S. Broadway. Info: 937-6753. THE DANCE STUDIO offers dance classes in…
Stage
PCPA THEATERFEST holds auditions for seven boys and four girls, ages 7 to 15, for its production of The Music Man. Auditions are on March 28 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Columbia Business Center, room 18, 900 E. Stowell, Santa Maria. Info: 928-7731, Ext. 3100. THE SKY WORLD POETRY SERIES presents an open…
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 SANTA MARIA PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY presents a concert featuring Café Musique on March 29 from 2-4 p.m. at the Center Court of the Santa Maria Town Center, Main and Broadway, Santa Maria. Info: 925-0412. CENTRAL CITY SWING, directed by Bob Swayze, presents a big band jazz spring concert on March 31 at 7:30 p.m. at…
Special Events
TIP-A-COP 2009 features officers from Northern Santa Barbara County law enforcement agencies waiting tables to benefit Special Olympics on March 26 from 5 to 9 p.m. at Pepper Garcia’s Restaurant, Santa Maria Airport, Santa Maria. Info: 928-3781, Ext. 7672, or torchrun.net. THE AGAPE HEALTH AND FITNESS CLUB presents a grand opening ceremony showcasing the club’s…
Who will tell our stories?
“If you must tell me your opinions, tell me what you believe in. I have plenty of doubts of my own.” —Goethe We have tangible and financial needs, but more important than those is the essential and ineffable impact for good we aspire to have in this community. We believe the art of theater…
Improve your game
Saint Joseph High School basketball coaches Ron Barba and Ed Torres will instruct 3rd through 8th grade boys and girls on offensive and defensive hoop skills at the school gym on March 30. The cost of attending the clinic is $25, with girls’ drills from 6 to 7:30 p.m., and boys’ from 7:30 to 9…
Local BMX track hosts state qualifier
Bicycle motocross fans have a chance to see skilled riders from all over California compete for trophies when the Santa Maria BMX track hosts a state qualifier race for the first time on April 4 and 5. The race, held at the Elks-Unocal Event Center, is sanctioned by the National Bicycle League and will help…
Junior golfers tee off at Vandenberg
About 100 top young golfers will compete for their futures in the sport when the American Junior Golf Association holds its Golf World Preseason Junior tournament March 27 through 29. Of the 78 California golfers participating in the event at Vandenberg’s Marshalia Ranch Golf Course, three are from Santa Maria: Righetti High School junior Cody…
High school’s not such a drag after all
Santa Maria High School junior Angel Espinosa was bored with schoolwork, and his grades showed it. He was looking for a reason to stick with his studies. He found motivation when his automotive shop teacher got him involved in a unique after-school program: drag racing. In 2007, the Santa Maria Police Department was looking for…
Michael Ybarra
Santa Maria High School varsity baseball team member Michael Ybarra is drawing attention for his excellence and competitive drive out on the field. He’s been playing baseball since he was a youngster. He began at just 6 years old after he was influenced and encouraged by his mother )who played softball) and his father (who,…
Arts Briefs
The Lompoc Concert Association wants you The Lompoc Concert Association kicked its membership drive into high gear by announcing its 62nd concert season and a call for members. The season starts Oct. 9 with Project, a flute, bass, and cello ensemble that balances the classics with elements of world music, jazz, and hip-hop. Jan. 20,…
Back to the start
Judy Chapel is experiencing a bit of déja vu. It started when she became an artist. All the joy she found in painting and drawing as a kid came flooding back to her. Art was what she did to have fun with her friends and family. It was what she took classes in when she…
A Renaissance to remember
Some people believe they should’ve been born in a different time or place. Some people simply wish that, but others actually make it happen—at least for a weekend. For those whose heart belongs to the late 1500s or early 1600s, Justin LeCavalier of the Living Knights has brought the English Renaissance to Lompoc. The Lompoc…
Community Notebook 3-26
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1 • The Santa Barbara County Planning Commission has its regular meeting at 9 a.m. in the Planning Commission Hearing Room, 123 E. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara. The agenda is available at co.santa-barbara.ca.us. • The Santa Maria Planning Commission has its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, City Hall,…
Hobnobbing With Helen
Question: When does a gym not look like a gym? Answer: When it’s a St. Joseph High School spring BASH event. This year’s fun filled BASH was held on March 13 and 14 at the school’s gymnasium. A crew of creative minds, led by Decorations Chairman Julie Carr, transformed the athletic facility into a very…
Nipomo Swapmeet gives bucks away
Sundays from March 29 to April 12 mean free Easter bucks for kids at the Nipomo Swapmeet. Children can use the coupons like cash at any participating vendors. To pick up Easter Swapmeet Bucks, visit the Swapmeet office at 263 North Frontage Road in Nipomo at noon on Sundays. There’s a $3 charge for parking.…
Get a blossom for all seasons
Owner and CEO of All Seasons Flowers, Benno Dobbe, announced he’s changing the name of his Nipomo company to Holland America Flowers, effective March 31. Dobbe moved to America from the Netherlands in 1980 and started the cut flower company in Nipomo in 1986. Now headquartered in Washington state, Holland America grows lilies, snapdragons, and…
Buellton gets drive-thru coffee
Coffee drinkers in a hurry can grab their morning cup of joe at Coffee Cabin, a new drive-through kiosk open at 264 East Highway 246 in Buellton. The kiosk’s founder, Jennifer Houck, is a former Oregon restaurant owner. “When I moved to the Santa Ynez Valley five years ago, I was surprised that the drive-thru…
Santa Maria Human Resources gets new board of directors
The Santa Maria Human Resources Association has announced its new board of directors, installing Tanya Astrosky as president and naming Jennifer Christiansen of Byars Thompson Buchanan Insurance and Financial Services as vice-president. The board includes Lisa Walker of VTC Enterprises as secretary, and Colleen Pyle of Central Coast Urgent Care as the group’s treasurer. Program…
Santa Maria-Bonita School District cancels several annual events
Students attending schools in the Santa Maria-Bonita School District will have to wait one more year to attend some of the district’s annual events, including the Multicultural Fair, Track Meet, and Geography Bee. The announcement came from district officials earlier this month. District spokeswoman Maggie White said the decision was based on “a combination of…
Tibet Awareness Day won’t fly with China
The Chinese government wasn’t happy with a seemingly innocuous bill by Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee to declare March 10 Tibet Awareness Day in California. In a possibly unprecedented move, representatives from the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco actively lobbied against the bill in Sacramento. That lobbying appears to have worked. With his non-binding “consent item,” the…
An oasis for seniors
About a dozen men and women sit together in a semi-circle, plucking at their ukuleles and singing. The music flows through the room like a soft Hawaiian breeze. “Oh, we’re going to a hukilau / A huki, huki, huki, huki, hukilau / Everybody loves a hukilau / Where the laulau is the kau kau at…
Santa Marian named Woman of the Year for district
Etta Waterfield, a local leader in business, government, and the nonprofit sector, was recently honored as the 33rd Assembly District’s 2009 Woman of the Year during a ceremony at the State Capitol. Nominated Woman of the Year by Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee (R-San Luis Obispo), Waterfield has played an active role in the community ever since…
Union Valley Parkway prompts complaint
An Orcutt-based activist group is one step closer to possibly filing a lawsuit against the city of Santa Maria over the Union Valley Parkway project. On March 11, a law firm representing Orcutt Citizens for Better Environment submitted a written legal complaint to the Santa Maria City Council, alleging documents related to the proposed project…
California ag secretary speaks at Foodbank luncheon
Farmers and food banks need to cooperate to improve the food infrastructure, educate the public about nutrition, and secure the future of food production, according to California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary A.G. Kawamura. “We’re seeing an enormous crisis in the food arena,” Kawamura said. “The nutrition programs in the country really can be…
Lompoc memorial building gets a facelift
The Lompoc Veterans Memorial Building is now home to 4th District Supervisor Joni Gray’s Lompoc offices. On March 20, Gray and her staff were host to a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house during which about 200 Lompocans got to see the newly restored offices. “For years, I’ve been concerned, as have local residents, about…
The whole story
Some business owners simply slap a catchy moniker on their establishments, while others consider the choice with mathematical precision. For one Nipomo-area restaurateur, however, the two approaches collided, giving rise to a neighborhood gathering place with an unforgettable name: Pi-Whole Pizzeria. “How do I explain?” chuckled Phil Silver, owner of Pi-Whole Pizzeria. “My son said…
