Cover Story
Barefoot and brilliant
Local cross-country runners Hayes Dunn and Beth Rigali found it hard to believe, at first, that there existed a culture in which running isn’t just a part of life, but a way of life. In America, we run for cancer, finish lines, and out of a desire to be in shape. Here with our cars,…
What do you want the Easter Bunny to bring you this year?
Aubrey Campa artist “Bunny erasers because I like to draw.” Brianna Campa candy taste-tester “Candy! My favorite candy is Smarties.” Amelia Campa jewelry model “Dangly earrings.” Angie Campa mom “A night out with my husband; we’d go out to dinner.”
Sharing the love
People across the globe have chanted in many tongues words of peace, love, God, and togetherness for millennia, making connections to others solely with the power of music. A touring group heading through town celebrates the tradition of spirituality, prayer, and mantra with a contemporary alternative twist. Larisa Stow and Shakti Tribe is the brainchild…
The tie makes the tyrant
I’m officially all grown up now. As much as I try, I can’t deny this fact any longer. I have reached the age and the stature in life where I must be a grownup. And being a grownup, with a grownup job, means I have to wear a tie to work. I need to look…
Kids’ crafting events
Michaels arts and crafts store offers two upcoming classes for kids. The first event is titled “Kids Club Hatching Chick Event” on March 30 from 10 a.m. to noon for $2 per child. A “Kids Club: Celebrate Earth” event is April 6 from 10 a.m. to noon. Crafting happens in 30-minute sessions for both events.…
Guiding girls
The Santa Maria Police Activities League (PAL) is preparing its “Girls Circle” event for girls between the ages 12 and 17. The program aims to encourage girls into helping each other by sharing their experiences. The topic of the “Girls Circle” program is “Body Image” and is slated to start on April 10. The program…
Muralist needed
The Lompoc Animal Shelter is seeking an artist to paint a mural on the exterior wall of the shelter. Interested artists can get information at 735-4931 or cheryl.belhasen@gmail.com. Los Olivos art fest open for vendors The Los Olivos Quick Draw and Artwalk festival is expanding this year to include booths for local artists and artisans…
Study proves art attracts dollars
The Project of Americans for the Arts has released, as part of the Arts and Economic Prosperity IV study, the “Economic Impact of Nonprofit Arts and Culture Organizations and Their Audiences in Santa Barbara County, Calif.” The report quantifies the effects of the arts on the local economy, showing that arts help spur economic growth.…
Guitar lovers unite
Last year’s inaugural Central Coast Guitar show was a convergence of everything guitar. Several long aisles of tables and booths lined with purveyors of new, used, and vintage guitars, amps, chords, picks, capos, strings, slides, songbooks, shirts, and concert and lesson DVDs were packed with excited musicians, collectors, and fans from all over the Central…
Poets of pose
Dance is the poetry of movement; no words necessary, no instrument required. Expressing deep, abstract ideas and emotions only using your body may seem like a scary prospect for someone with two left feet, but for a trained dancer, it’s a chance to exist fully in the moment as art embodied. Allan Hancock College has…
Athlete of the Week: Brent Dionisio
Brent Dionisio can jump higher than most people are tall. At a track meet against Righetti High School on March 14, the Pioneer Valley High School junior, who’s 5-foot-11, briefly elevated his entire body to a height of 6 feet and 6 inches during the high jump competition—his personal best. For this feat and for…
Get outside and play!
On the third Saturday of every month from March through November, head out to Los Flores Ranch Park to explore a new educational program through the Santa Maria Parks and Recreation Department. Los Flores Ranch Park docents will teach the history, geology, and biology of the park through walks and hands-on learning. Guides will also…
Cultural exposure
Learn the art of running from the ancient Tarahumara Indians. On Thursday April 4, renowned photographer, cross-country coach, and marathon runner Luis Escobar will offer a presentation and photos on his experiences with the Tarahumara. The event will be held at Ulivetto’s restaurant in Orcutt; it starts at 5:30 p.m. and is open to the…
St. Mary’s takes it all
The St. Mary of the Assumption girls’ basketball team finished off a near perfect season with an exciting win over Pacific Christian Academy. On Thursday, March 21, the Squires swept the middle school championship tournament for the second year in a row, beating PCA 36-32. According to a recent press release from St. Mary’s, neither…
The Benchwarmer
All right, let’s get down to it. I know my last few commentaries from the bench have been fairly critical of the world of sports. Normally, I’m not prone to lengthy rants, and there are plenty of positive aspects to sports. But! It would seem that the moral code of modern athletes is pretty much…
Bacon bonanza
Bacon. It’s not just for breakfast anymore. Top chefs around the country are embracing the hog; featuring pork belly, bacon, and pancetta regularly on their menus. Nowadays, restaurants offer pork in everything from starters and entrees, to drinks and desserts. So it makes perfect sense that bacon festivals are popping up across the nation to…
Here are more options for health and safety
I read the article “It takes a village” (March 21) this morning and I would like to offer some helpful (I hope) input. I am a physical education teacher who’s worked 21 years in the state of South Carolina. I moved to the Central Coast in June 2012. I am actively seeking employment in California…
Wrestling matters
On Feb. 13, 2013, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended to remove wrestling as one of its 25 “core sports” from the 2020 games and beyond. This shocked the wrestling community and sports enthusiasts worldwide because wrestling is one of the original sports in the Olympics and participated in worldwide. In 2012, more than 70…
Spotlight on: Chomp
Only four weeks ago it didn’t exist. And recently Aaron Petersen, co-owner of Solvang’s newest burger experience, Chomp, said, “We really have been overwhelmed the first three weeks. We had no idea that this many people would want to come in and try us.” But by having grown up in Solvang and by partnering with…
Girls Circle sessions start up again
Body Image is the topic of the next set of sessions presented by the Police Activities League that are geared specifically toward teenage girls. Girls Circle is a free program aiming to provide girls with the opportunity to help each other by sharing experiences. The circle will start April 10 and meet every Wednesday for…
Reading comprehension is put to the test in a book battle
In a contest of reading comprehension and teamwork, more than 150 students from 13 Santa Maria-Bonita School District elementary schools put their skills on the mat for the district’s Battle of the Books on March 22. Only five students came away as champions, and they will move on to ply their might in Santa Barbara…
Guadalupe celebrates Ag Day
Willie stubbornly backed up against the sidewalk as his owner, 7-year-old Sage Pearce, just as stubbornly prodded him back onto the grass before the next horde of kids encircled the miniature-horse portion of Ag Day at Guadalupe Park on March 20. Children from the Guadalupe Boys and Girls Club and the Guadalupe Elementary School afterschool…
Keeping mom and baby safe
The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine recently recognized a Central Coast doctor as one of the top caregivers in the nation. Dr. Laurence Shields—medical director of Marian Regional Medical Center’s perinatal center—won the Norman F. Gant Award for best research in maternal medicine. The award is given for the research paper most likely to reduce maternal…
Catholic guilt
It is unfortunate that he has been guilty of improper actions on two or three occasions … but how many priests are there completely blameless over a period of 10 years?” The above words were penned in 1980 by Juan Arzube, a now-deceased bishop in the Catholic Church’s Los Angeles Archdiocese, which governs parishes in…
Change of funds
March is application time for law enforcement, road construction, fire departments, and paramedics in Santa Ynez, Solvang, Buellton, and Santa Barbara County, all looking to get a boost from the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians via the state through grants designed to help alleviate casino impacts. Public service, safety, and infrastructure groups can get…
Homicide arraignment continued again
The cacophony of six lawyers speaking to six defendants in the courtroom’s holding cell made it hard to understand exactly who was talking and what they were saying on the afternoon of March 25. Meanwhile, two more pairs of defendants and their lawyers stood close by in the courtroom. That equals a total of eight…
Correction
In the March 14 article “A dog we can depend on,” the Sun failed to acknowledge that Santa Barbara County has a second canine search-and-rescue team. Juanita Smith and her dog Blaze, of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department, are also certified and are regularly called out to incidents. News Briefs is compiled by Sun…
Nipomo developers’ thirsts are quenched–for now
Developers in Nipomo once again have access to water for new projects thanks to a recent ordinance by the Nipomo Community Services District. During its March 13 meeting, the district board unanimously voted to immediately suspend a previous ordinance that had halted the processing of new water-service applications. The new ordinance—along with the date of…
Common Ground data reveals county’s most vulnerable
The bottom line is there are too many people who are homeless in our communities. That was the overall message from officials at a press conference held March 25 at Santa Maria City Hall to announce the results of the Common Ground vulnerability index survey conducted earlier this year. On Jan. 22 and 23, more…
Lompoc eyes potential changes for its theater
Getting Lompoc’s historic theater from where it is now—dilapidated and rotting on a corner in downtown—to where some citizens want it to be—restored and bringing tourists to downtown—is going to take some finagling. The jumbled loans that make up the Lompoc Housing and Community Development Corporation’s (LHCDC) debt on the theater have held the property…
Dudley and Achadjian will fight the release of predators
Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce Dudley and state Assemblyman Katcho Achadjian (R-San Luis Obispo) are teaming up again—this time in an attempt to change state law that allows sexually violent predators to be released into communities as transients. On March 26, the District Attorney’s Office announced in a press release that the California Supreme…
Defendants in Myers trial guilty on all counts
After just 2 1/2 hours of deliberation, jurors in the Dystiny Myers murder trial returned guilty verdicts for both defendants before an emotional audience. Frank Jacob York, 21, and his mother, Rhonda Maye Wisto, 49, both of Nipomo, were convicted of charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder, as well as criminal enhancements…
I’m feeling oh-so-blue
This isn’t my typical column week. You shouldn’t be reading this right now. But I couldn’t wait until my scheduled slot to share what’s on my mind, so I asked the editors if I could have this space. They agreed–cautioning that this was my idea, so they weren’t obligated to throw any extra birdseed my…
