Cover Story
TAP into the future
It’s been quite some time since Andy Stenson, an assistant superintendent at Lucia Mar Unified School District, stood in front of students in his own classroom. But on this brisk day in mid-March, the district’s head of curriculum and instruction is back in his teaching element. The lesson: merit-based pay for teachers. Stenson draws two…
If you transformed into a car, what would you be?
Veronica Garcia student “A Jetta. It’s a car that I would personally drive. And they’re little, cute, and gas efficient.” Lauren Gomes student “I’d be a Chevy Camaro because they look sleek, but they are also powerful. Plus, they’re pretty.” Alexis Lemus student @font-face { font-family: “Cambria”; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;…
Angel Pacheco
On March 27 at Allan Hancock College, the Kiwanis Club held the 21st annual Central Coast All-Star Basketball Spectacular, featuring some of the best high school talent in the area. Despite the north’s clear height advantage (that’s San Luis Obispo County) over the south (Santa Barbara County), the game went down to the wire. Players…
Help the EPA do its job
“To waste, to destroy, our natural resources … will result in undermining in the days of our children the very prosperity which we ought by right to hand down to them.” So said Pres. Theodore Roosevelt in his seventh message to Congress on Dec. 3, 1907. Propelled by funds doled out by billionaire owners of…
Sports Schedule
Thursday, March 31 Boys’ Volleyball Arroyo Grande @ St. Joseph 5:30 p.m. Paso Robles @ Righetti 5:30 p.m. Pioneer Valley @ San Luis Obispo 5:30 p.m. Boys’ Tennis Righetti @ Paso Robles 3 p.m. Pioneer Valley @ San Luis Obispo 3 p.m. Santa Ynez @ Morro Bay 3:30…
Local girls earn CIF honors
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SM Youth Football takes signups
The Santa Maria Valley Youth Football League will be accepting registrations for football and cheer beginning April 3. Football fees are $200, plus players must sell five cash calendars. A $100 deposit is due at the time of signup. Scholarships won’t be accepted, but payment plans are available. Fees include a jersey, photos, insurance, a…
Y holds Healthy Kids Day
For parents, instilling healthy eating habits can be a challenge. The Santa Maria YMCA can help at Healthy Kids Day on April 16. Healthy Kids Day is the nation’s largest health day of its kind for kids and families. The event is free and features activities for families to have fun, be active, and learn…
The hunt is on!
What’s Easter without a classic Easter egg hunt? Parents and their children are invited to take part in the holiday tradition at the eighth annual Spring Eggstravaganza on April 17. The day’s festivities are geared toward children ages 3 to 12, and include bounce houses, carnival games, and more. The event is free and takes…
Drivers, start your engines
April 2 is the date local racing fans and drivers have been waiting for all winter: the start of the 2011 racing season at Santa Maria Speedway. The one-third-mile, clay oval track has held races continuously since Doug Fort built it in 1964, and after recent heavy rains flooded the parking lot, track officials are…
Let’s make music together
Having lived in the Santa Maria Valley my whole life, and grown up as a musician, I’ve come to notice a stereotype about the area’s music scene. I am referring to the generally stated: “Santa Maria doesn’t have a music scene!” People who believe that are wrong. This misconception, in my humble opinion, comes from…
Karma–or was it carma?
When I was a senior in high school, my parents had a very inviting little automobile that I wasn’t allowed to play with sitting in our driveway. It was a vintage British convertible sports car, an MGB, and nope, I was not supposed to drive it. I was told back then by my parents that…
True dreamer
Some songs burn a specific moment in time deep into the psyche, only to trigger a flood of emotion and memory when they’re heard again. “I want to do that,” said local musician Caesar “C-Bone” Hernandez. “I want to create songs that do that for people.” Listeners may one day say that about his music.…
Get wild in the backcountry
The Wildling Art Museum is offering a free slide show and panel discussion about the natural areas to visit in the Santa Barbara Backcountry on April 8 from 7 to 9 p.m. This latest offering in the Wildling’s “Get Inspired!” series of programs is an opportunity to learn more about local trails from a panel…
Arts Council winners are on display
The Santa Maria Arts Council Student Art Show goes on display in the Santa Maria Town Center April 2 to 30. The show represents local students in 7th through 12th grade in various divisions: drawing, painting, design, and photography. First-, second-, third-place, and Best of Grade ribbons will be awarded in each category. First place…
Trailing for wine
Whether you love it or you hate it, the rain gets the best of you after a while, creating a longing to bask in those familiar California sun-soaked days. When the downpours finally do break after the storms, it’s good to look for a reminder of the beauty they can leave in their wake. The…
Stand firm, GOP 5
In the ongoing and difficult California budget process, the Republican Party has been called “obstructionist.” Governor Brown has challenged Republican leaders to step forward with proposals that will move California forward and solve the state’s structural deficit problems. Our own District 15 senator, Sam Blakeslee, is showing real leadership with tangible and concrete proposals for…
Allowing nuclear power is madness
Wise public policy is central to a society. It should be based on such principles as the greatest good for the greatest number for the longest time. The policy to allow nuclear power is, by these principles, the greatest evil in history. Nuclear power creates many toxic products, including plutonium 239, the deadliest substance known.…
U.S. nuclear power is safe
I am sending the following to local, state, and federal officials, the media, and others regarding the important facts about Japan’s nuclear power disaster, which have been grossly neglected. The disaster in Japan regarding their old nuclear plants has been devastating. The disaster has generated the greatest media attention to radiation leaks from the older…
Don’t compare vet techs to nurse practitioners
In response to your article titled “Nurses of the animal world” (March 24), I applaud the fact that Allan Hancock College may be teaming up with the Humane Society to produce a vet tech certification program. It is a gross mischaracterization, however, to compare a person who receives this one-year certification at a community college…
Spotlight on: Wine Country
After four years doing business in the Santa Ynez Valley, Wine Country owner Don O’Neill knew it was time to make a move. So he brought the cozy, no-frills wine bar he purchased in 2005 to a brand new building in the heart of Old Town Orcutt. “Los Olivos was getting pretty saturated, so we…
Old Town gets Wine Country
After a 16-month absence, Wine Country celebrates its re-opening in a new location in the heart of historic Old Town Orcutt. Locals welcome the return of the family-owned bottle shop and wine bar, a haven of thoughtful sipping and stimulating conversation within the sometimes frenetic wine world. The grand re-opening takes place April 1, 2,…
What kids are reading
“Mama, is it time to go?” asks 7-year-old Emi, as she wipes away the tears and prepares to leave her home in this haunting story by Yoshiko Uchida. Emi and her family are Japanese-Americans in California in 1942, when the United States and Japan were at war and the U.S. government sent every Japanese person…
Discovery Corner
As we all know, the Santa Maria Valley is a fabulous place to live, work and raise a family. This beautiful valley abounds with nature and easy living, and our gorgeous weather makes outdoor activities a major part of our daily lives. One of the great (or not, depending on your point of view) natural…
Meet Santa Maria’s well-read warriors
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Spartan Robotics starts with a bang
The Orcutt Academy Robotics Team came away from the FIRST Robotics regional competition in Long Beach March 24 through 26 with two trophies, including the Rookie Inspiration Award and the Highest Rookie Seed Award. “We had people coming up to us saying, ‘There’s no way you’re a rookie team!’ That felt really great,” said Ty…
A friendlier Neighborhood
It’s fairly common to see a professional sports team or a group of A-list celebrities being charitable. They have the money and resources to do so—but don’t most people? Everyday people can’t afford to write out a $5,000 check to their favorite charities, but they can do the little things to make their communities a…
Space Center relaunches
Though the California Space Authority recently broke off plans with the U.S. Air Force for a California Space Center, the nonprofit group may have already found love on the rebound in Lompoc. And both sides are hoping it’s a marriage made in heaven. On March 25, the CSA simultaneously announced it had scrapped negotiations with…
Census figures will reshuffle Santa Barbara County supervisor districts
Santa Barbara County supervisors will have their work cut out for them this summer when it comes time to redraw district boundaries, thanks to a population boom in the North County over the past decade. According to the U.S. Census, the county added nearly 25,000 new residents from 2000 to 2010. The city of Santa…
Defense attorney switches out in Dystiny Myers case
The defense attorney for the sole defendant facing a death sentence in the Dystiny Myers kidnapping and murder trial has been dismissed. On March 23, San Luis Obispo-based attorney Raymond Allen was told by Superior Court Judge Barry LaBarbera that he didn’t meet the requirements of the court to defend a murder defendant facing capital…
PG&E unveils a SmartMeter opt-out proposal
Pacific Gas & Electric customers concerned about the safety of the utility’s SmartMeters will be able to essentially turn off their new meter’s wireless component—but doing so will come at a price. Meeting a March 24 deadline set by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), PG&E filed its application to modify its controversial SmartMeter program,…
A long-missing Lompoc woman’s jawbone is found
The remains of a Lompoc woman missing for almost a decade have been found, police announced at a press conference on March 23. Lompoc Police Department officials informed members of the media that a local citizen recently discovered a human jawbone while hiking in a remote part of Santa Barbara County. That person turned the…
