Cover Story
Kid coders: Local youth learn to program their own websites, games, and apps through UCode in Orcutt
The gleam of laptop screens reflected off Sebastian and Tristan Thau’s glasses as the brothers—aged 11 and 7, respectively—navigated an online interface. The siblings shared one side of a table at UCode, an Orcutt business that teaches kids computer programming languages and techniques. The two quickly booted up a number of games and applications they…
Should our schools teach kids how to code?
Tyler Reed student “In high school, maybe. That’s a tough question.” Larry Daniel student “It would be useful.” Bruce Willard student “Coding is a skill that’s very important to today’s world. It should be an elective.” John Tjaden student “It teaches you logic, which is a huge thing that people seem to lack at our…
Santa Maria-Bonita’s giving iPads to teachers
Before the end of this school year, every full-time certificated teacher in the Santa Maria-Bonita School District should have an iPad in his or her hands. The iPads will provide teachers with the freedom to move around the classroom, improve interactions with students, and keep them connected to all of the digital resources they need…
Guadalupe students get a leg up from local farmers
Since April 4, local farmers and their crews have given their time to build Mary Buren Elementary School students a new playing field in time for the next school year. Tommy Minetti with Betteravia Farms and Paul Silveira with Boavista Farms have donated hours, equipment, and expertise to the project. “It feels great to give…
Santa Maria High FFA takes championship titles
Santa Maria High School FFA brought home two state championships for 2015. Students pulled the top spots in the Farm Power and Machinery category and the Milk Quality and Dairy Foods category. In late April, the Santa Maria High Farm Power team nailed down the state championship for Farm Power and Machinery at the Fresno…
Spotlight on: FuzzyDuck Creations
Ken Martin’s done a lot of things in his life. He was a truck driver, owned a janitorial services company, and ran a successful self-storage company in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Residents of Santa Maria may remember Martin from Stardust Cruises Limousine Service, carting customers around the Central Coast in pimped-out shuttle buses. He sold the…
Political Watch 5/7/15
• On April 29, Gov. Jerry Brown issued an executive order to establish another greenhouse gas reduction target for the state—40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. A press release from his office said it’s the most aggressive benchmark enacted by any government in North America. The state is on track to meet or exceed…
Community Notebook 5/7/15 – 5/14/15
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. • The Solvang City Council has its regular meeting at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers, 1644 Oak Street, Solvang. Agendas are available at…
U.S. Fish and Wildlife releases a draft recovery plan for the California tiger salamander in Santa Barbara County
The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently pinned a tentative price tag on what it could cost to save Santa Barbara County’s California tiger salamanders. The draft recovery plan, published on April 24, calls for more than $46 million to purchase and protect more than 30,000 acres of salamander habitat in the county. The…
Santa Ynez residents want 246 to be safer
More than a month has passed since the death of 15-year-old Carina Velazquez, and the feeling of anguish still resonates within the Santa Ynez Valley. On the evening of March 26, Velazquez, a student from Santa Ynez Valley Union High School, was attempting to cross Highway 246 in front of the school after an FFA…
Coco’s in Santa Maria closes with a lawsuit on its heels
After serving customers for several years in Santa Maria, Coco’s Restaurant Bakery on Broadway closed down suddenly on April 30. The restaurant in Santa Maria was part of a massive closure of at least 70 stores across California, Nevada, and Arizona after the chain was acquired by its new owners, Texas-based Food Management Partners, on…
Hancock alum Artis-Payne drafted by the Carolina Panthers
Allan Hancock College alum Cameron Artis-Payne was recently drafted by the Carolina Panthers during the fifth round of the 2015 NFL draft. Artis-Payne was the 17th running back selected and the 174th pick overall. He could not be reached for comment as of press time. Artis-Payne is the first former Hancock football player drafted since…
Apel strikes out again with the Supreme Court
John Dennis Apel holds the rare distinction of taking his case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, twice. But on April 27, the justices refused to hear arguments in the United States v. Apel case the second time around and instead upheld a ruling by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. The persistent…
Lucia Mar’s superintendent is leaving
After seven somewhat contentious years at the head of the Lucia Mar Unified School District, Superintendent Jim Hogeboom announced plans to move on to another district. He’s likely leaving for a superintendent position with Novato Unified School District in the Bay Area. In a statement to district staff, Hogeboom said that he and his wife…
APCD takes a stand on greenhouse gases
The Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District, which governs the parts of our air too small to see but big enough to worry about, recently decided to strengthen the threshold for greenhouse gases. In a special meeting on April 30, the APCD’s board voted to adopt a bright line of 10,000 metric tons of…
Organizers protest Santa Maria ICE facility for May Day
The chants of protesters mingled with the sounds of traffic on the corner of Broadway and Main in Santa Maria during the evening of May 1. “Hey Obama, don’t deport my mama!” one protestor said. “Que queremos? Justicia! Cuando la queremos? Ahora!” another said. Organizers from local groups gathered at two locations in Santa Maria…
Sleep is for wussies
I haven’t been sleeping well lately. Lack of sleep makes me a cranky guy, and nobody wants to be around cranky guy. You see: Cranky guy is the kind of guy who has little temper tantrums about stuff he normally doesn’t really care about. “Why didn’t someone take out the trash last night?” “Why did…
The Allan Hancock College Singers present ‘Spirit and Soul’
The Allan Hancock College Singers is a coalition of students who come together to create vocal harmony. The group prepared all semester long for the upcoming concert Spirit and Soul, which explores American spirituals and soul music. Sun Arts Editor Joe Payne caught up with Ann Lucas, the Allan Hancock College Singers conductor and class…
Santa Ynez Valley Artists Tour goes to the Elverhoj
The annual Santa Ynez Valley Artists Tour is on hiatus while organizers wait for county decisions regarding art tour regulations, so the Elverhoj Museum of History and Art in Solvang is honoring the group with an exhibition of collected works titled All Together Now. The exhibit shows through July 26 at the Elverhoj Museum, located…
County to offer water wise landscaping workshops
The Santa Barbara County Water Agency announced a series of four Water Wise Landscaping Workshops beginning May 16 and running through June 6. The three-hour classes are designed to introduce homeowners, residents, and business owners to the fundamentals of landscaping for semi-arid climates that require minimal water. The May 16 workshop happens from 9 a.m.…
Lompoc Valley Master Chorale performing An American Tapestry
The Lompoc Valley Master Chorale is preparing for a celebration of American music, both classic and new, for two performances on May 8 and 9 at 7:30 p.m. The performance will showcase the chorale, now in its 23rd season, under the baton of Kathleen Hacker with accompanying pianist Yun Murphy. The concert will feature American…
Santa Maria Arts Council still accepting grants applications
The Santa Maria Arts Council is accepting applications for the Lester B. Hayes Project and Performance Grants through May 8. A maximum of $2,500 is available in 2015 for organizations or individuals located in the Santa Maria Valley that benefit area residents. Organizations that apply must be able to demonstrate nonprofit status. Nonprofit status isn’t…
The Santa Maria Civic Theatre takes on midlife crisis with ‘Brooklyn Boy’
In the last show of the Santa Maria Civic Theatre’s 56th season, the little theater off Broadway performs its production of Brooklyn Boy, a bittersweet comedy drama that tackles the crisis that comes along with being middle-aged. Written by playwright Donald Margulies, the Pulitzer Prize winning author of Dinner With Friends and Sight Unseen, Brooklyn…
Art in the Park is alive in Los Olivos
The Santa Ynez Valley is home to more than picturesque, rolling hills draped with grape vines. The hills are also alive with artists specializing in various media. Their collected creations are so numerous that the art galleries in the valley can’t contain them. In an effort to showcase the work of its more than 100…
Save the salamanders
What’s a slimy, slippery miniscule critter with stripes or dots and beady little eyes that’s also considered an endangered species in two California counties? No, it’s not the red-legged frog—stripes and dots, people! Oh, and they scurry; they don’t hop along. Yup, it’s that other species doggedly plaguing development projects in Santa Barbara County, the…
Booming companionship
I have decided that the online dating scene has given the male population of the planet the mistaken idea that they deserve a relationship “at this point in their lives” and are so perfect, balanced, have found their inner divinities, their Harleys, can cook like a chef, kids are grown, wife has flown, and it…
Alex Andrade
The first thing that coach Marc Tosches noticed about Orcutt Academy freshman track thrower, Alex Andrade, was the tremendous physical strength he already has at 14 years old. It’s a sign that he will only get stronger and better in the future. But even more than that, Tosches said what really stands out about this…
Ring royalty: A local wrestler has big dreams of making the WWE circuit
To most, he is known as Elias “Buddy” Garcia, a coach, instructional assistant, and aspiring teacher who is an impressive combination of humble, hard-working, and determined. But in the wrestling ring, he’s known as Buddy Royal—an evil villain that kicks ass with old-school flare and cocky antics. The training gym, where Garcia practices at least…
Meet the flockers: Lompoc’s Dare 2 Dream Farm delivers eggs, chickens, and backyard farming know-how
I can say from experience that raising a small flock of backyard chickens is not without its perils. One hen surprised me when she “came out” as a rooster, crowing at dawn for the entire neighborhood to enjoy. Another decided to lay her eggs behind the shed, unbeknownst to yours truly. My trusty Ameraucana laid…
