Cover Story
A new home: Syrian natives speak on war, religion, and starting fresh in Santa Maria
On a clear April morning in Santa Maria, Samir Fadel sat with his brother Tony and uncle Yaser Antoun Shleel in the back office of their family-owned liquor store on S. Blosser Road. The men were mostly working, clacking away at keyboards and calculators, but they took breaks now and then when people popped into…
Squeegee for your life
I’ve been married for 20 years, in a row, to the same woman. I give credit to my two-decade-long marital success to one single thing: Keeping Mrs. Krider happy. Just like the saying goes, happy wife, happy life. I do what I can to keep my wife smiling. Now, even though it is my priority…
Remembering Henry Grennan
Former Allan Hancock College Board of Trustees President Henry Grennan died on May 1, following a battle with cancer. He sat on the board for 12 years, in addition to more than 40 years’ experience working as a teacher and administrator for the Santa Maria-Bonita School District and Chapman University. Grennan, who served as a…
Hancock adds to College for Kids
Allan Hancock College will introduce five new classes to its College for Kids program this summer, according to a press release from the college. New courses will include “Science of Ice Cream,” in which students learn chemistry, physics, and agricultural science by making their own butter and ice cream; “Seed to Table Family Cooking,” which…
SMHS race team kicks off high-speed season
Santa Maria High School’s race team is gearing up for an interesting season, with Crew Chief Chris Salce preparing younger teammates to replace him when he graduates at the end of the school year. Salce, who began racing cars his freshman year of high school, moved into the leadership position after only one year on…
Hobnobbing with Helen
There is so much going on in the merry month of May! You will be happy to learn that some of it (the goings on) is totally awesome in the heartwarming department. We are talking about the Make-a-Wish Foundation’s annual golf tournament and fundraiser held on Friday, May 5, at the Santa Maria Country Club.…
St. Petersburg Men’s Ensemble brings Russian sacred and secular music to Central Coast
The Russian Orthodox liturgy is steeped in tradition, and its music is no different. The vocal music performed in Russian Orthodox churches is always unaccompanied vocals, explained Kirill Sokolov, director of the St. Petersburg Men’s Ensemble. The group performs several concerts across the Central Coast, including a concert in Santa Maria on May 17. The…
Spotlight on: Echo Group
Santa Maria Marine Corps veteran Steve Baird was a player for a local Marine Corps League softball team in 2015 when Navy veteran Brian Williamson, who was on an opposing team, noticed the marines proudly displaying their flag. In response, Williamson brought the Navy flag to a follow-up game and it caught the attention of…
Donor data: A breakdown of the outside cash Congressman Salud Carbajal received in the first quarter of 2017
Congressman Salud Carbajal announced in April that he raised more than $566,000 in the first three months of 2017, with at least 70 percent of those contributions coming from his district, the 24th Congressional District, along the Central Coast. Carbajal was officially sworn in for a two-year term in January and began raising money for…
Where do your ancestors come from?
Angie Mendoza office clerk “Mexico.” Angela Garaboldi homemaker “I’ve been told I’m of Italian descent.” Perry Clyatt retired general contractor “I actually have no idea. My son and I have tried researching it, but my family tree is essentially dead.” Carmen Earle gymnastics/cheer coach “My ancestors are from Taiwan.”
Authentic bites: Santa Maria’s Las Comadres offers up El Salvadoran comfort food
Ever since I started writing about food and wine in Santa Maria, I’ve had Las Comadres on my list of “must visit” locations. A quiet, unassuming spot near the intersection of Broadway and Main, the venue doesn’t cry out for attention as a hotspot for foodie circulation. But it has one thing the hipster food…
Local teachers earn Lighting the Way Educator awards
The Santa Maria Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (CJCLS) awarded six teachers from Central Coast high schools with Lighting the Way Educator plaques on May 3. “Offering recognition to all dedicated teachers in our area is what the Lighting the Way educator program is all about,” Santa Maria Stake President…
Valley Art Gallery seeks new board members
The Valley Art Gallery board of directors is seeking talented and energetic individuals to fill three open positions: vice president, secretary, and board member at large. Voting takes place June 12 through 18. In order to enter the running, candidates must submit a brief biography to the board. Bios should be 100 words or less…
A century of stories: Santa Maria Inn celebrates 100 years
The Santa Maria Inn celebrates 100 years of operations this month, and the hotel plans to mark the occasion with a special open house event. In 1904, a man named Frank McCoy came to the Santa Maria Valley for the same reason many others did in that day—to work for Union Sugar. But McCoy had…
PCPA vet brings a Mark Twain classic to life at Great American Melodrama
Before I went to see the Great American Melodrama’s production of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, I tried to remember the last time I read the book. Mark Twain’s classic 1889 comedy intersperses tales of the Arthurian legends with a comedy about American exceptionalism. It’s been fodder for adaptation before. In 1949, the…
Stuart Repon-Ness
For some, running 1 mile is something to dread. But running 1,500 miles? Out of the question. Stuart Repon-Ness, an United Kingdom native, is running from San Diego to Seattle, Wash.—including along Highway 101 between Solvang and Orcutt on April 27—in order to raise money and awareness for a handful of charities. Repon-Ness is a…
Armed for victory: Pioneer Valley High School teacher Riccardo Magni competes at Armlifting World Championships in Russia
There is nothing Riccardo Magni does half-heartedly. From teaching to training, Magni aims to compete and succeed, which is why he has the honor of being one of three Americans to compete in the Armlifting World Championships on May 12 through 14, in St. Petersburg, Russia. Magni, a science teacher at Pioneer Valley High School,…
More money problems
Oh geez, the budget problem just hit Lompoc like a ton of bricks. For the same reason that Santa Barbara County is in the hole—more expensive employee pensions—the Lompoc City Council is considering putting funding for outside agencies on the chopping block. That might leave the Lompoc Chamber of Commerce and Visitor’s Bureau, the Lompoc…
Make taxes fair
The United States and the states must reform their tax structures to make it more equitable for everyone. Presently, Congress is just “fooling around with the numbers,” but not giving us tax reform, that means no IRS in the future. Today, 40 percent of the people pay 90 percent of the taxes. In addition, everyone…
Kahn doesn’t speak for us
How is everybody doing? This is to clarify that while Mr. Khan (“A Muslim speaks,” April 27) is entitled to his own opinion, he is in no way, shape, or form associated with the Islamic Center of Santa Maria. In fact, we do not know who he is. He is not a member of the…
Obamacare needs to go
It appears Michael Smith lives in La La Land, per his May 4 letter (“Trump’s an underachiever”). Remember Obama stating, “To increase the national debt is mortgaging the future of our children and grandchildren”? He promised to cut the debt in half. The debt at the time was $9 trillion. It is now at $20…
Say yes to art!
Let me just state what should be the obvious: Art is a big deal. In fact, it is vitally important. Art is not a frill. For those who agree with that assertion, they will likely find it hard to believe there are some within the city who are working against the beautifying of Santa Maria.…
Budget or bust: Lompoc faces major funding cuts, higher taxes
Lompoc’s Chamber of Commerce may lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in city funding for the next two years, if the dramatic cuts proposed in Lompoc’s draft 2017 to 2019 budget make their way into the final version. The draft budget, which city staff presented at the May 2 Lompoc City Council meeting, eliminates all…
SMPD Chief Ralph Martin to retire this summer
Santa Maria Police Department (SMPD) Chief Ralph Martin announced on May 5 that he’ll be retiring after serving nearly five years with the city and more than 40 years in law enforcement. Martin was originally hired by City Manager Rick Haydon on Aug. 6, 2012, as the interim chief following a series of officer-involved shootings…
Guadalupe residents fight warrantless rental inspections
A group of Guadalupe residents have partnered with attorney Stew Jenkins to challenge the city’s rental inspection program, which mandates annual warrantless inspections of all rented properties. Jenkins, who presented a 12-page letter to the Guadalupe City Council on May 2 protesting the rental inspection program, said 17 residents are working with him to contest…
Supervisors favor new groundwater agencies for Cuyama and Santa Maria
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to create two groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs)—one for the Cuyama Valley Groundwater Basin and another for the fringe areas of the Santa Maria Groundwater Basin—at its May 9 meeting, with 4th District Supervisor Peter Adam recusing himself from both votes. The Cuyama basin will partner with…
Santa Maria chooses official district map
On May 16, the Santa Maria City Council will formally adopt an official map to reflect the newly formed political districts for the upcoming council elections in 2018 and beyond. The council had made a preliminary vote of 4-1 to choose map “N-1” at its May 2 meeting. It was the fourth such meeting held…
Political Watch 5/11/17
• The GOP-proposed American Health Care Act barely passed the House of Representatives on May 4 with a vote of 217-213. Nearly all House Republicans voted for the bill—which would repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act passed in 2010—with 20 voting no. All House Democrats opposed the bill, including Central Coast Rep. Salud Carbajal.…
Clarification
In the May 4 article, “Missileer mentality,” the Sun erroneously reported that Vandenberg Air Force Base was scheduled for an interceptor system launch on May 3. The launch was actually an unarmed Minuteman III missile. The interceptor system falls under the Missile Defense Agency, not the Air Force.
