Cover Story
Three for 4: Meet the candidates vying for the crucial District 4 seat on the SLO County Board of Supervisors
This race was never supposed to happen. San Luis Obispo County’s 4th District—which includes Arroyo Grande, Oceano, Nipomo, and small communities along Highway 166—was firmly in the grasp of Supervisor Paul Teixeira. Like Katcho Achadjian before him, Teixeira was a beloved South County moderate Republican who represented his district with folksy aplomb. It was widely…
Nipomo High School community rallies to save principal’s job
Jim Hogeboom, Lucia Mar Unified School District’s superintendent, made one thing very clear to the Nipomo High School community that packed the May 6 school board meeting: At the end of the school year, Michelle Johnson would no longer be the high school’s principal. “It’s time to move on, and I know that’s not what…
Bed tax gets preliminary approval from county supes
The difference between the current Transient Occupancy Tax of 10 percent and increasing it to 12.5 percent is enough to bring almost $2 million extra to Santa Barbara County’s general fund. On April 22, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors opted to put that tax increase on the Novemeber 2014 ballot. The tax is…
What movie sequel would you actually want to see?
Brendan Rowe graphic designer “South Park, because filthy cartoons rule.” Dora Mountain marketing and events coordinator “They’re already making the sequel I want to see: Dumb and Dumber To. I also wouldn’t mind seeing a Billy Madison sequel.” Colin O. Tucker assistant art director “Some super obscure foreign indie film you’ve never heard of because…
What’s on Deck? 5/1 – 5/8
Thursday, May 1 Boys’ Golf Pioneer Valley vs. St. Joseph Tourney @ SMCC, 1 p.m. Nipomo @ Lompoc Tourney, La Purisima, 1:30 p.m. Boys’ Tennis Santa Ynez vs. Morro Bay @ SYHS, 3:30 p.m. St. Joseph vs. San Luis @ SJHS, 3 p.m. Pioneer Valley vs. Orcutt @ OAHS, 3…
Hershey games at PVHS
May 10 marks the return of the Hershey Track and Field games. A free event for ages 9 through 14, children are allowed to compete in several running and field events at this qualifying meet. The top placers will advance to the state meet in San Jose this coming June. Pre-event registration is required by…
The Criterium returns
The Central Coast 805 Criterium Bike race returns to the valley with one race in Buellton and two races now available in Lompoc. A criterium is a bike race held on a short course that usually loops through closed off city streets. Scheduled for May 9 through 11, the race has also expanded to include…
Bramble swims big for Hancock
The Allan Hancock College is experiencing continued success in their inaugural year, with freshman swimmer Leanna Bramble setting a program record in the 100-yard medley. The Orcutt Academy grad broke her own record with a time of 1:01.42 to open the Western State Conference championships. The Bulldogs competed for their first-ever conference championships last week.…
Baseball culture on the Central Coast
Mexican American Baseball in the Central Coast is a novel detailing the rich history of local baseball as told by former players Eddie Navarro, Richard Santillan, Christopher Docter, Anna Bermudez, and Allan O’Connor. The book pays tribute to the teams and players who brought joy to fans in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. To celebrate…
Saundra Renner
Sometimes, our biggest competition has a familiar face. For Nipomo High School (NHS) junior Saundra Renner, challenging herself to perform to her best ability happens every time she takes to the field. “[Softball] taught me how to be a leader and shake off my mistakes. I always try to one-up myself,” she said. A member…
Top Dogs: Hancock softball takes the Western State Conference title for the first time since 1998
Nail-biting championships, last-minute dunks, the glory of taking the title—those are the moments athletes and sports fans everywhere live for. Despite continuously being asked by breathless sports broadcasters, “How did that feel?” athletes usually struggle to come up with answers that aren’t cliché. The Lady Bulldogs softball team is still trying to let those feelings…
Discovery Corner: A new look for the Discovery Museum
Exciting news from the Discovery Museum! In celebration of our 10th anniversary on McClelland Street, we’ve created a new logo for the museum and we wanted you to be the first to know! The new branding is a fresh, playful look at our mission to explore ourselves, our valley, our world, and beyond. We’re working…
Pollution Control District awards teachers with grants
With the recent celebration of Earth Day, it seems appropriate that teachers across the county have recently been honored for their contributions to environmental education. The Air Pollution Control District of Santa Barbara County teamed up with the Santa Barbara County Education Office to encourage environmental innovation through the “Care for our Earth” grant program.…
Allan Hancock turns science into magic
A zany exhibition filled with all manner of scientifically based features is Friday Night Science at Allan Hancock College. The event’s aim is to fill all those who attend—both parents and children—with a sense of wonderment. “Kids will see explosions, fireworks, even a full ostrich skeleton,” Rob Jorstad, physics instructor and Friday Night Science creator,…
Spotlight on: Sky’s the Limit Ballooning Adventures
Although Sky’s the Limit has been flying hot air balloons for only six months in Santa Barbara County, the family-owned business has been operating out of San Diego for more than 20 years. For James Lawson, the co-owner and pilot of Sky’s the Limit Ballooning Adventures, hot air ballooning is more than a hobby: It’s…
Hobnobbing With Helen
Hip hip hooray for the SMVHS Runway! SMVHS is the Santa Maria Valley Humane Society, whose annual fashion show fundraiser, a “Four-Legged Affair,” was—dare I say it?—a howling success. Yes, there were cute dogs strutting down the runway, their tails wagging like flags in a high wind. And, yes, there were two-legged models, like former…
Community Corner: Palo Mesa is the best American pie in Italy
The U.S. Pizza Team recently traveled to Parma, Italy, to compete in the 23rd annual World Pizza Championships on April 7 through 9. More than 30 other countries joined the 16 American pizza makers. One of these “pizzaioli” was Michael Stevens of Palo Mesa Pizza in Arroyo Grande. Stevens has been a member of the…
Political Watch 5/1/14
• A bill by state Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) to prohibit nonprofit affordable housing projects from being charged fees or back taxes is headed to the Senate floor after unanimously passing out of the Senate Governance and Finance Committee on April 24. California law exempts nonprofit housing developments from paying property taxes, but some…
Community Notebook 5/1-5/7
MONDAY, MAY 5 • The Solvang Planning Commission has its regular meeting at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers, 1644 Oak Street, Solvang. TUESDAY, MAY 6 • 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…
Mulling Measure M: Supervisors Peter Adam and Steve Lavagnino share their differing opinions of the county maintenance initiative
The Brown v. Brown sheriff’s race—incumbent Bill versus sergeant Sandra—is arguably the biggest political face-off in Santa Barbara County’s June 3 primary, especially for residents living north of the Gaviota Tunnel. But there’s another item on the ballot that could greatly impact county coffers, roads, and parks: Measure M-2014. Last year, 4th District Supervisor Peter…
ADMHS’s systemic overhaul comes with a price tag
Systemic change comes with a lot of adjectives. At the Santa Barbara County Department of Alcohol, Drug, and Mental Health Services (ADMHS), that overhaul is described as a “comprehensive system change effort.” It’s one of those terms most people roll their eyes at. It’s management jargon. What do those terms mean—in easily understandable terms—for an…
Correction
The Sun used the wrong pronoun to identify Kaden Howard in an arts story last week. He is the winner of a grant from the Santa Maria Arts Council.
Orcutt narrows in on its next superintendent
As the man who’s spent his entire 42- year career in the Orcutt Union School District prepares to take his leave, the school board begins its courtship with the standout candidate to take his place as superintendent. Deborah Blow, currently superintendent of the Cambrian School District in San Jose, was selected as the lead candidate…
Operation: GoodJobs helps put Central Coast veterans to work
Abel Quintela served in the U.S. Navy from October of 1997 to December of 2012. “I went in a little older than most—I was 27,” Quintela told the Sun in a recent interview. The Ventura County resident worked hard during his 15-year career in the military, but all of that work didn’t translate very well…
Hancock holds public workshops for its 2014-2024 plan
Want to help plan for Allan Hancock College’s future? College officials are inviting Santa Maria, Lompoc, and Santa Ynez Valley residents to participate in two community forums on May 1. The first will be held at the Lompoc Valley Center from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.; the second will be at the Santa Maria campus from…
The Allan Hancock College Singers celebrate Spanish and Latino composers in concerts in Guadalupe and Santa Maria
Music is a language without words, unless you add them in, of course. This linguistic fusion has powered vocal music since the dawn of the art, and people of all languages enjoy setting their specific dialect to song. The Allan Hancock College Singers is a group of vocalists who have worked the entire semester mastering…
County awards ‘Water Wise’ video students
The Santa Barbara County Public Works Department’s annual “Water Wise High School Video Contest” saw a record high in the number of submissions this year, with 20 videos submitted from nine high schools in the county. The video contest is sponsored by the Santa Barbara County Water Agency and asks students to create a 30-second…
Help spread some oaks
The Santa Barbara County Farm Bureau Oak Tree Education Program has oak seedlings available free of charge to Santa Barbara County residents. The bureau’s agriculture and horticulture classes at Cabrillo, Lompoc, and Santa Ynez high schools brought at least 4,000 acorns to sprout. Available now are several hundred valley oaks, with Coast Live Oaks being…
Get oriented
The Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department has announced a new volunteer program, “Step Up Santa Maria,” which helps the department build a stronger and healthier community while volunteers build their résumés. An orientation event for “Step Up Santa Maria” volunteers is May 3 from noon to 2 p.m. at the Abel Maldonado Community Youth…
Rendezvous with the Philharmonic
The Santa Maria Philharmonic is sharing the final concert in the 2013-2014 season’s “Rendezvous Series” featuring the Burnished Brass Quartet, a local brass ensemble. The event is slated for May 4 at 3 p.m. at a private residence in Nipomo. The “Rendezvous Series” is a celebration of the old “parlor style” concerts of the early…
The collage master returns
The C Gallery is holding an event with “collage guru” Karen Browdy on May 10 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the gallery in Los Alamos. Browdy will help students transform inexpensive paper into unique components for collages during the class, which will also includes coffee, lunch, and a wine tasting. Cost for the…
PCPA Theaterfest revels in ‘Noises Off’
All theatergoers get to see at a performance is a tightly controlled, well-woven illusion, much like any good work of art. But what happens when the illusion isn’t all that well woven and the collaborators are less than ideal? Noises Off’s author, Michael Frayn, an English playwright and novelist, was inspired to pen the play…
Alexandra Wallace presents her first solo art show at the Santa Maria Public Library
Alexandra Wallace is a local photographer whose skills have already earned her work in fashion photography both in the area and for online publications. Her artistic style in the fashion world has translated over to the personal work she created for her first solo exhibition, which is showing for the month of May in the…
Oh, boy
Hello, all you mothers! May is here, spring is in the air, and I am finally recovering from that lost hour of sleep. Whoever thought up stupid Daylight Savings Time did not run a household, which is very much like being a sherpa. I must buy and unload mountains of groceries, tackle landslides of laundry,…
Co-operative winemaking: Eight great wineries share the same roof at the Buellton Bodegas
In Spanish, a bodega is a wine cellar or a small grocery store, usually in an urban area. In Santa Barbara County, the Buellton Bodegas is a building housing eight boutique wineries in an industrial area. The 30,000-square-foot building, located east of Highway 101 on Los Padres Way in Buellton, was sitting empty early last…
Sleep here, play here, pay here
One line in particular leapt out at me from this week’s paper. I’m going to lift it straight from our news brief about a county supervisor bed tax vote, so you can see it here where I’m going to talk about it: “Lawnae Hunter of the Economic Alliance of Northern Santa Barbara County and Joe…
Warning signs all parents should know
Many parents worry about their children experimenting with drugs, but very few parents know the warning signs that could indicate a child is actually abusing or addicted to drugs. It is powerful and important information. Addiction can ruin a child’s life, and it can also ruin the trust that is so necessary for a family…
