Cover Story
Art, meet the future
Poll parents about career dreams for their children, and the top three jobs are probably doctor, lawyer, and maybe social networking website creator. What’s on the low end of the list? Try community theater actor or potter. That’s not so much a dig at off-Broadway thespians as it is a reflection of how society’s values…
What song makes you change the radio station?
Shundrika Delaney youth development specialist “Take anything Pitbull off the radio, because his music makes me feel dizzy.” Ashley Dicey student “‘Poker face’ by Lady Gaga, because that song is beyond stupid and it makes my brain hurt every time I hear it.” Tiffany Moenoa youth development specialist “‘Blame It (On the Alcohol)’ by Jamie…
Move it for Bull Canyon
Run … or walk to the Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Center or City Hall to pick up an application for the 11th annual Bull Canyon Run, scheduled for May 9. More than 600 runners and walkers are expected at 8 a.m. for the 5K and 10K event, which starts and finishes at the Edwards…
Tennis, anyone?
Kings and queens of the (tennis) court have until May 11 to sign up for the Five Cities Tennis Association’s annual Spring Tournament and Barbecue. The tournament, also sponsored by Arroyo Grande Recreation, will take place May 16 and 17 at Soto Sports Complex in Arroyo Grande. The Famous Fuhrmann’s barbecue lunch at noon on…
Bulldogs qualify for playoffs
After its most successful season in years, the Allan Hancock College baseball team was rewarded with a postseason berth for the first time since 2004. “This is what we’ve been working towards all season, and our players have earned this,” said Hancock head coach Chris Stevens. The Bulldogs enter the regional playoffs as Southern California’s…
Basketball and bad blood
After five successful seasons as head coach of the St. Joseph High School girls’ basketball team, Ron Barba won’t be coming back for another run at the California Interscholastic Federation sectional championship. The dismissal, Barba claims, came after school principal Joseph Myers received complaints from a small group of players’ parents about Barba’s aggressive coaching…
Josh Marzett
When the starting gun fires and Santa Maria High School’s Josh Marzett bursts out of the blocks with his short and stocky frame, it’s something to watch. Just don’t blink. At a dual league meet against St. Joseph on April 28, Marzett set his personal best mark in the 100-meter-dash at a blazing time of…
Political Watch 5-7
• On April 29, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 249-175 in favor of the Local Law Enforcement and Hate Crimes Prevention Act (H.R. 1913). The bill will give state and local law enforcement agents the tools and resources to prevent and prosecute hate crimes. The current federal hate crimes law only authorizes federal aid…
Community Notebook 5-7
MONDAY, MAY 11 • The Santa Maria City Block Grants Advisory Committee has its regular meeting at 5:30 p.m. in the City Hall Conference Room, 110 E. Cook St., Santa Maria. TUESDAY, MAY 12 • The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has its regular meeting at 9 a.m. in the Betteravia Government Center’s Board…
Hobnobbing with Helen
Kiwanis Gypsy Carnival When I learned that the noontime Kiwanis were having belly dancers and tarot readers at their Gypsy Carnival, I knew I had to go. Held on April 24 at the Veteran’s Memorial Building on Tunnel Street in Santa Maria, the carnival offered a buffet, entertainment, games of chance, and a no-host bar…
A night at the opera
Opera lovers throughout the Central Coast are invited to celebrate “An Evening at the Opera,” presented by the Community Partners in Caring on June 20. The event will benefit the Clergy Waiters Night Fundraiser, with proceeds directly helping support community seniors with screenings, lunches, materials, staffers, and coordinating events. Pastors, ministers, and religious leaders serve…
Study up for the GED at Allan Hancock College
Trying to get a job? Considering joining the military? If so, you’ll need a high school diploma—or a GED certificate. Beginning June 15, Allan Hancock College will offer free General Education Development (GED) classes to students who haven’t completed their high school diploma. GED classes help prepare students to take the GED exam and are…
Altrusa’s Central Coast chapter gives the gift of reading through a Santa Maria Public Library donation
Children in the Santa Maria and Orcutt areas will soon be given more access to books and other materials, thanks to a recent $55,000 donation to the Santa Maria Public Library from Altrusa International Inc. of the Central Coast. “This is a wonderful gift,” city librarian Jack Buchanan said in a press release. “It fills…
Local students receive Minerva Club Scholarship
On May 3, a dozen Santa Maria Valley high school seniors were awarded $1,400 scholarships at the Minerva Scholarship Tea. The students had no idea how much money they would be receiving, but as soon as they heard the club announce the amount, smiles lit up on all the faces in the room. The students…
There are jobs in the Army
It’s no secret that people looking for a job lately have been having a tough time of it. But with the economy in its second year of recession, there’s at least one job sector that’s doing well: the United States Armed Forces. The U.S. Department of Defense recently reported each branch of service meeting or…
In a Sacramento state of mind
If everything goes according to plan for Hilda Zacarías, there could be two Santa Marians in the California State Legislature. The Santa Maria City Council member recently announced her intention to run in 2010 for the 33rd District Assembly Seat being vacated by San Luis Obispo Republican Sam Blakeslee because of term limits. In a…
Local group protests millions in proposed cuts to state developmental services
Another group of concerned individuals has joined California educators, health-care specialists, and others in speaking out against state budget cuts. On April 30, more than 100 people gathered at Santa Maria City Hall to protest approximately $100 million in proposed cuts to the California Department of Developmental Services for the 2009-2010 fiscal year. The department…
Changes to Santa Maria tanker base prompt worries about fire safety
Recent changes in firebase operations at the Santa Maria Public Airport have some local fire officials worried about the U.S. Forest Service’s ability to fight fires on the Central Coast. Earlier this year, the Forest Service transferred two of the Santa Maria Air Attack Base’s full-time managerial employees to a nearby district office, and downgraded…
Santa Maria seeks input on disbursing $1.2 million in state funding
On May 11, the Santa Maria Block Grants Advisory Committee will hold a public hearing to discuss how the city should spend more than $1.2 million in state funding. The California state government has received approximately $145 million in Neighborhood Stabilization Program funding from the federal government. The money is meant to help Santa Maria,…
Panda Express comes to Lompoc
Quick and tasty Chinese cuisine is headed for Lompoc. Hayes Commercial Group announced that Panda Express, a fast-food chain specializing in wok-cooked gourmet-style food, will be moving into a location at 1405 North H St. on March 31 of 2010. The group announced the sale of the property to CFT Development, which will redevelop the…
Teens, get to work
Local businesses and agencies in Santa Maria will be distributing applications and conducting formal job interviews at the Abel Maldonado Community Youth Center, which hosts its sixth Teen Job Fair on May 7. The fair is sponsored by the Families for the First Decade Project Collaborative and will take place at the center, located at…
Propane facility gasses up
Local and family-owned propane marketer Delta Liquid Energy recently announced that its newly constructed rail facility in Santa Maria is now fully operational. The site, which will be used to import propane from Texas and Canada, includes more than 300 feet of private railroad track, a propane storage capacity of 90,000 gallons, and an office…
Uncle Sam wants you for 2010
The Los Angeles Regional Census Center, comprised of 19 counties in California—including Santa Barbara County—is looking to hire help for its 2010 census counts. The 26 local census offices in Southern California will open in the fall of 2009 to direct field operations for the region’s population count. The focus of the Regional Center is…
Who wants to be a dog catcher?
It seems that in California’s current/annual budget debacle, it’s one public employee union against another. “Guns or butter?” we are asked, each side having valid points. What we really need is a healthy private sector that can provide a robust tax return to an inclusive and functioning government and at the same time can provide…
The United States doesn’t make cars I want
Chrysler will not survive if it becomes part of Fiat and the UAW. When I purchased my new Dodge truck in 2006 it was then Daimler/Chrysler. That is Mercedes Benz. They invented the automobile and the diesel car and truck. My truck had Mercedes and German technology. After three years, I have had no problems,…
Step up the enforcement
About 10 years ago, my son was rear-ended by an illegal. “Hit and run,” my son’s vehicle was disabled and unable to chase the driver of the damaged-but-not-disabled vehicle that hit him. The police were called. They wrote the usual report, but cannot take the time to look for all of these “minor” incidents. My…
Contribute to the amazing PCPA
I just sent a donation to PCPA Theaterfest, not because I am rich, but because PCPA makes my life richer with the live theater they bring to me year round. I came to Santa Maria in 1985 to perform at PCPA in Gypsy, and last performed and taught there in 2000. I know from the…
Bring on more Rob Krider
Why isn’t that (sometimes) nice young fellow Rob Krider in every edition of the Sun? He’s funny. He’s self-effacing. O.K., maybe he’s just honest. But his column is the reason I read the publication. Truly. Won’t you consider it? Or, how about alternating with a column by his wife, whom he loves? Might be interesting…
Arts council highlights artists
The 2009 Santa Maria Arts Council Grants Showcase will be held at 5:30 p.m. on May 18 at the Veterans Memorial Community Center in Santa Maria. This year, the council is awarding $10,000 in first- and second-place awards to the valley’s top emerging artists in dance, drama, visual arts, and music. The evening includes visual…
Amigos need Heritage Day actors
The Dana Adobe Nipomo Amigos will hold several casting calls for men, women, and children of all ages to perform during the 10th anniversary of the Heritage Day celebration in Nipomo, to take place July 19. Actors are specifically needed to re-enact the 1850 wedding of the Danas’ eldest daughter to Henry Tefft. Participants will…
Here’s one for the kiddos
SteveSongs, the multi-talented children’s musician and co-host of PBS KIDS morning shows, will hold his only Central Coast-area concert in Santa Maria at 3 p.m. on May 17 at Upward Bound Preschool, 4725 S. Bradley Road. Tickets cost $8 per person in advance or $10 at the door. Call 1-800-937-3397 or visit SteveSongs.com or stevesongs.blogspot.com…
Spotlight on mom, spotlight on art
Grab a glass of wine and wander through lush gardens with a sparkling pool as a backdrop, perusing fine art and discussing the current trends in artistic sensibilities with the artists themselves. Sounds like perfect Mother’s Day stuff. Mom will dig it, right? The Town Center Gallery and Santa Maria Inn hope so. The two…
A look at Lompoc
In the most superior part of California’s coastline, in the awesome county of Santa Barbara, lives the guardian of the virtues of the city of Lompoc: a man loyal to his hometown and happy living in the city of arts and flowers. John McReynolds is a writer (you’ve read his work in the Sun), author,…
Clubs & Meetings
4-H welcomes anyone interested in the group to sign up now. Find a nearby club by contacting the Santa Barbara County 4-H Office at 692-1730 or zmhughes@ucdavis.edu. ALTRUSA INTERNATIONAL, INC. of SANTA MARIA, a nonprofit business and professional organization, meets the second Wednesday of each month, 6:30 p.m., in the Altrusa Theatre of the Santa…
Spiritual
BAHA’I interfaith worship services are the second Sunday of each month. Info: 489-4172. Children’s classes are the first Saturday of each month. Info: 937-9451. Study circles about The Life of the Spirit are ongoing in Santa Maria. For questions, dates, and times: 614-0963. Info: 937-9451. BETHEL LUTHERAN CHURCH holds worship services Sundays with Holy Communion…
Farmers Markets
SANTA MARIA 100 S. Broadway at Main, Wednesdays, from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Features local beekeepers’ honey and bee pollen, breads and pastries, plants and flower bouquets, fresh fruits and vegetables. ORCUTT Corner of Clark and Bradley, Tuesdays, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fresh honey, flowers, and eggs, along with fresh fruits and vegetables.…
Barbecues
ONGOING FILIPINO COMMUNITY OF SANTA MARIA VALLEY barbecues Filipino food at the Smart and Final parking lot, N. Broadway on Saturdays and Sundays. Menu items include tri-tip, chicken, beef kabobs, chicken adobo, salad, rice, and bread. Meals cost $6. Info: 922-3422 or 922-3799. FILIPINO CATHOLIC SOCIETY, under the direction of St. Mary’s Church and St.…
Health
SANSUM CLINIC presents a “Cholesterol Management” class on May 7 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the clinic. Cost is $8. A “Diabetes Essentials” class is May 14 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the clinic. Cost is $8. The clinic is located at 1225 North H St., Lompoc. Info: 737-8700. MARIAN MEDICAL CENTER presents…
Art
THE LOMPOC PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM presents featured artist Denise Chavoya through May in the Grossman Gallery, Lompoc Public Library, 501 E. North Ave., Lompoc. Info: 875-8775. THE LOMPOC VALLEY ART ASSOCIATION presents featured artist Kimberley Reid through May at the Cypress Gallery, 119 East Cypress Ave., Lompoc. An opening reception is May 9 from 2…
Learning
THE SANTA MARIA ANIMAL CENTER presents a free lecture titled “Adopting the Right Pet” on May 7 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Santa Maria Animal Center, 548 W. Foster Road, Santa Maria. Info: 260-2386 or sbcanimalcare.org. THE LOMPOC PHOTOGRAPHERS GUILD presents a program with photographer and carbon ink specialist Paul Roark on May…
Recreation
THE SANTA MARIA LAWN BOWLING CLUB hold an open house featuring free lawn bowling on May 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 420 South McClelland, Santa Maria. Info: 473-3965 or dave.mc40@pacbell.net. THE MINERVA CLUB holds a bridge and games event on May 12 at 12:30 p.m. at the Minerva Club, Santa Maria. Info:…
Kids & Family
WORTH THE DRIVE THE EXPLORATION STATION features art classes for kids on Saturdays through May 9 at the Exploration Station, 867 Ramona Ave., Grover Beach. Cost is $60. Info: 473-1421 or info@explorationstation.org. ONGOING LA LECHE LEAGUE SANTA MARIA offers pregnant and nursing moms free breastfeeding support and information the third Wednesday of each month. Info:…
Dance Lessons
ONGOING EVERYBODY CAN DANCE offers classes in ballet dance for ages 3 to adult. Call for schedules. Boys and men receive full scholarships. The studio is located at 800 S. Broadway. Info: 937-6753. COUNTRY WESTERN DANCE CLASSES by Jeannette and Henry are Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. for country two-step lessons and from 8…
Stage
THEATER OF HOPE presents its first benefit performance featuring two comedies on May 9 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and May 10 at 2 p.m. at the Veterans Cultural Center, Santa Maria. The performance is in benefit of the Santa Maria Vocational Building Fund. Info: 928-5000 or 896-9207. PCPA THEATERFEST presents its production of…
Night Life
The following venues offer either regularly scheduled live entertainment or DJ-hosted dance music. Most performances start after 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. IN THE AREA CLUB 805, AKA STINKY’S BAR & GRILL: 2430 South Broadway, 614-9316. DJ Davey D Saturday nights. THE COACHMAN: 1531 S. Broadway, 922-5556. Thursday through Saturday: DJ from 9 p.m. to…
Concerts
THE LOMPOC VALLEY MASTER CHORALE presents “An American Choral Festival” spring concert on May 8 and 9 at 7:30 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church, 925 North F St., Lompoc. Cost is $15. Info: 588-7204 or lvmasterchorale.org. ALBERTO’S PIZZA hosts a punk/thrash concert featuring Voetsek, Wimpy Dicks, Public Defecation, and Slow Kidz on May…
Special Events
FIGHTING BACK SANTA MARIA VALLEY presents a Town Hall Meeting titled “Trust and Verify” about understanding alcohol use among teens on May 8 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Building, 313 West Tunnell St., Santa Maria. Info: 346-1774. THE SANTA MARIA SUN is accepting information for its annual Summer Guide through May…
Straight from the garden
A land of lush vineyards and fertile fields, the Santa Maria Valley produces an enviable bounty of fresh edibles, from crisp broccoli to succulent strawberries. Though many area growers still farm conventionally using petro-chemicals and fertilizers, a full 1,000 acres of area cropland have been certified organic. “There’s actually more organic land here than most…
