Cover Story
California biologists fight to help condors stay alive–and thrive
Imagine, as you stand on a grassy plateau overlooking the thirsty San Joaquin Valley foothills, three school buses soaring through the air about 40 to 50 feet above your head. Now replace the bright yellow paint and several tons of metal with the cream-and-charcoal feathers and naked pink flesh of a California condor. Typically weighing…
Win-win: Growing Grounds Farm provides therapy and job skills
View slideshow below A gloved hand reached between a mass of green leaves with bright purple-red veins and tugged just so at the base of a group of stalks. Out of the sandy soil popped the familiar curve of a beet. Julia Allen squinted at the vegetable from beneath the brim of her cap, checking…
Santa Maria City Council upholds development permit for ICE facility
It was a long and emotional night at the Santa Maria Fairpark last evening, as more than 1,200 local residents came out to protest construction of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement Facility (ICE). The Santa Maria City Council’s special meeting to discuss four appeals against the Planning Commission’s Feb. 5 decision to grant a development…
Discovery Museum appoints an executive director
The once-foundering Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum has officially hired interim director Chris Slaughter as the museum’s executive director. Slaughter started serving as interim director for the museum in October 2013 after a long summer of working with a small group of community members to pull the museum back from the brink of financial collapse.…
Do you think it’s important to protect endangered species?
Billy Cortez student “Yes, it’s very important. Everything that disappears affects something else, and everything needs to remain in balance.” Nino Eng insurance agent “I don’t think it’s necessarily important. There are more noble things to worry about, but I definitely think protecting animals is a good cause.” Diana Melero student “Yes, I think it’s…
Spotlight on: Ascendant Spirits
Ascendant Spirits is a trailblazer in its industry: Not only was it the first craft distillery to open its doors in Santa Barbara County, but it was also the first to legally manufacture liquor there since Prohibition. However, just because the Prohibition era has passed doesn’t mean the company is without its share of frustrations…
Hancock recognized for community college excellence
Allan Hancock College was named one of the nation’s top 150 community colleges and is now eligible to compete for the 2015 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence and $1 million in prize funds. It’s one of seven California community colleges that were recognized. The prize is awarded every two years and is one of…
Head Start and Early Start are looking for new program participants
Community Partnership of San Luis Obispo is recruiting for the 2014-2015 school year children from 3 to 5 years old for its Head Start Programs, pregnant mothers and children up to 3 years of age from low-income families for the Early Start Programs, and children with disabilities. Head Start/Early Start doesn’t discriminate based on race,…
St. Joseph student and teacher receive service awards
St. Joseph High School senior Alexis Laggren and Regine Donner, a St. Joseph French Teacher, were honored with Archdiocese of Los Angeles Christian Service Awards in a special Mass on March 18 at St. Basil’s Church in Los Angeles. Every year the Archdiocese of Los Angeles Department of Catholic Schools recognizes outstanding high school seniors…
Political Watch 3/27/14
• State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) toured Santa Barbara County drought sites on March 21, as well as projects designed to enhance water capacity and reduce demand. Lake Cachuma’s and the city of Santa Barbara’s water recycling and desalination plants were on the list, as well as the Cachuma Resource Conservation District’s mobile irrigation…
Community Notebook 3/27-4/3
TUESDAY, APRIL 1 • The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has its regular meeting at 9 a.m. in the Board of Supervisors Hearing Room, 105 E. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara. Agendas are available at http://santabarbara.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx#current. • The Vandenberg Village Community Services District has its regular board meeting at 7 p.m. in the District Office…
Community Corner: ‘Day of Hope’ helps local cancer patients
Hundreds of volunteers will be stationed at street intersections in Santa Maria and Orcutt on April 3 from 6 a.m. to noon selling $1 special edition “Day of Hope” Santa Maria Times newspapers. All proceeds from the fundraising event will go toward providing support to Marian Cancer Care patients at Mission Hope Cancer Center. “One…
A lawsuit and dust-control measures aim to end the Oceano Dunes status quo
Sand dunes are complicated, unstable, constantly shifting, and abrasive—a delight to some, and a nuisance to others. Fittingly, all of those adjectives are equally suitable for describing the years-long dispute over the regulation of the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area. At the heart of the debate is a coarse, airborne dust called PM10 (particulate…
Judge dismisses charges against Orcutt rapper
Santa Barbara County Judge Patricia Kelly dismissed felony charges March 19 against Anthony Murillo—a 20-year-old aspiring rapper and Orcutt resident—that accused him of threatening two sex-crime victims. Kelly said the song, called “Remix for Life,” didn’t provide enough proof of a threat for felony charges. Some of Murillo’s supporters cheered when Kelly announced her decision,…
Capps asks officials to postpone ICE facility decision
Earlier this month, U.S. Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) wrote a second letter to government officials asking them to postpone the final decision on a proposed ICE facility in Santa Maria until more of the community’s questions could be answered. The Santa Maria City Council was scheduled to vote on the matter at a special…
Harmon challenges Achadjian in 35th Assembly District race
Local climate-change activist Heidi Harmon has announced her candidacy to challenge incumbent Republican Assemblyman Katcho Achadjian. To win the seat, Harmon, a Democrat, will not only have to best a popular local incumbent, but also face a district with a Republican majority. The 35th Assembly District, which Achadjian has represented since 2010, gives a slight…
Get whimsical at Michaels
The Santa Maria Michaels offers arts and crafts events, including “Kids’ Club Whimsical Works of Art” on April 5 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Michaels, 1934 S. Broadway, in Santa Maria. More info: 349-8801.
‘Celebrate Peace’ with art
Art of Peace Imagine, in co-operation with the Lompoc Unified School District, invites the public to “Celebrate Peace” at a community meeting on March 31 at 7 p.m. at the Grossman Gallery in the Lompoc Public Library. The “Celebrate Peace” event will include community leaders, artists, teachers, and students sharing individual perspectives on the Peace…
Cesar Chavez Day event to include movie screening
The Central Coast Future Leaders and the United Domestic Workers are holding a Cesar Chavez Day reception and film event on March 31. It will begin with a dinner and reception at 5 p.m. at the United Domestic Workers office, 402 S. Miller St., in Santa Maria. The reception ends with a “PEACE March” to…
U.S. Rep. Lois Capps calls for student artists
U.S. Rep. Lois Capps has announced that her office is seeking entries for the 2014 annual Congressional Art Competition. The competition offers all high school students in the 24th Congressional District the chance to enter their visual art, which has a chance to hang and show for a year at the U.S. Capitol building in…
Tickets available for Santa Maria Public Library ‘painted chair’ fundraiser
The third annual “Painted Chair” raffle is underway, thanks to the concerted efforts of the Santa Maria Arts Council, Friends of the Santa Maria Public Library, and P.L.A.Y. Inc. The event is a benefit for the Santa Maria Public Library, and features chairs beautifully painted by local artists to be raffled off on April 12…
The Santa Barbara Choral Society gives voice to the works of classical and contemporary composers
One thing all human populations have in common, no matter how isolated or archaic, is singing. Not only are we compelled to sing, but singing in harmony is also a technique documented well before the notation to record the phenomenon was ever invented. It isn’t a surprise that almost everywhere you go in the country…
The Great American Melodrama brings the laughs with ‘The Mark of Morro’
Oceano takes up all of 1-1/2 square miles of the Five Cities area, but I bet you didn’t know that the tiny town has its very own state university. Well, the University of California Oceano (UCO) may not exist anywhere outside of the Great American Melodrama during its production of The Mark of Morro, but…
Hancock’s faculty art show features masterpieces by the college’s instructors
The student-master relationship is as old as time, and it’s the most efficient way to learn. Masters can share and give of themselves all day, every day, and still not reveal all their expertise. But what the master produces is often the greatest example of what his or her students can be capable of with…
The crack problem
I have this new problem in my life. It’s a pretty serious matter, one that could potentially get me arrested. This new problem is also something that embarrasses my children (although I personally see that as a glass-half-full situation since embarrassing my kids is the most fun part of being a parent). You see, somewhere…
What’s on Deck? 3/27 – 4/2
Thursday, March 27 Baseball Allan Hancock vs. Cuesta @ Cuesta, 2:30 p.m. Softball Allan Hancock vs. Ventura @ VC, 2:30 p.m. Swimming Cabrillo vs. Templeton @ LAC, 2:30 p.m. Boys’ Volleyball Pioneer Valley vs. Paso Robles @ PVHS, 4:30 p.m. Santa Maria vs. Santa Ynez @ SYHS, 5 p.m. Track…
Warriors down rivals
Ernest Righetti High School tennis defeated its rival, St. Joseph High School 15-3 March 20 during the PAC 7 league match up. The Warriors took eight single sets and seven double sets for the victory.
Rockin’ ’80s run
Family and kids are invited to come out and run the Rock the ’80s 5K while listening to classic ’80s jams. The race will feature a 5K for individuals ages 14 and older, as well as a kids’ 1-mile fun run; the course is out and back, winding through neighborhoods around Pioneer Park. Awards will…
Bulldogs support youth baseball
A recent press release from Hancock Athletics announced that the Bulldog Baseball team will hold its Youth Baseball Day on April 5 at John Osborne Field. The first pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. The release invites children and families to come out and cheer for Hancock in their conference battle as they take on…
Banning the ‘r-word’
The Special Olympics has teamed up with Santa Barbara nonprofit PathPoint to help ban use of the word “retarded.” The two organizations were hosts to a rally in Santa Barbara March 5 to kick off their initiative. Quickly gaining momentum, the campaign aims to end inappropriate use of the “r-word” against people with disabilities in…
Allie Molesky
There are those who say life is a constant barrage of hurdles to be overcome. Some people run around these hurdles; others go right through them. Senior track stud and uber-competitor Allie Molesky would rather jump over them. At the recent Atascadero Memorial Meet, Molesky led the Nipomo Titans with a winning triple jump of…
The Benchwarmer: Coming out in the pros
From my view on the bench this week, I can see a sandbox. The sides are painted a bright and inviting red, the sand is white and perfect for child-like molding. There are groups of kids in each part of the sandbox, playing games. In one corner, some kids are role-playing characters from The Avengers,…
This is my poker face
I’ve been scratching my head ever since I saw the new Lady Gaga video, great steaming chunks of which were filmed at nearby Hearst Castle. If you haven’t seen it yet, I’ll wait while you go watch it. You can probably find it pretty easily on the Internet. But be warned: There’s a lot of…
There’s always more to the story
Until March 10, Pearl Harbor was, to me, the setting of a story, relegated to black-and-white photos in history books. Pearl Harbor was a day on the calendar: Dec. 7, “a date which will live in infamy.” I had only the lessons in school to thank for keeping the setting and date alive in my…
Move over Napa–Paso Robles viticulture is making strides with some splendid cabernet sauvignon
We are witnessing an evolution in Paso Robles. Efforts to improve the region’s wines—and to get noticed for those efforts—are coming to fruition. In January, Wine Enthusiast Magazine named the Paso Robles American Viticultural Area (AVA) its 2013 Wine Region of the Year, recognizing “not only excellence in wine quality, but also innovation and excitement.”…
