Cover Stories
Come for the music, stay for the friends
Nearly 25 years ago, a group of friends—all DJs at KCBX, many of whom regularly attended the Strawberry Music Festival at Camp Mather in Yosemite—started pondering the idea of a similar festival on the Central Coast. “We started to wonder, can we do something like that here for KCBX?” said Haila Hafley-Kluver, who also had…
A lady of legacy
My artistic career essentially began in the living room of Patricia Jean Boyd, known as Patty Boyd to parents, and—respectfully—as Ms. Boyd to her students. I remember clearly our first meeting: I was 7 years old, and already slightly taller than she. After a brief introduction, I found myself sitting at the beautiful baby grand…
Myers’ killers sentenced to life in prison
The trial of Rhonda Wisto and Frank York is over. On May 8, the last of five defendants who faced conspiracy and murder charges in the killing of 15-year-old Santa Maria teen Dystiny Myers were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. During the speedy hearing, a standing-room-only courthouse filled with green-ribbon-wearing…
Sandra Brown announces her bid for sheriff
Another Brown is vying for the title of Santa Barbara County Sheriff. Sgt. Sandra Brown, a 16-year veteran with the department, recently announced plans to challenge two-term incumbent Sheriff Bill Brown in the June 2014 election. The two Browns aren’t related. In an interview with the Sun, Sandra said she’s running for sheriff to get…
The dance of the belly
The rhythmic clang of cymbals fills the small room and crashes through a nearby glass-paned door into an adjoining ballet studio. Two little girls in pastel leotards and tights timidly approach the divider to see what could be making such a foreign sound. A glimpse through the glass reveals a group of women dressed in…
Which of your teachers had the biggest impact on you?
Melanie Clifford yoga and pilates instructor “Mr. Wilson, my history teacher. He was the greatest teacher because he conveyed his passion when he taught. He taught us the stories around the historical moments that made it so understandable and interesting.” Heather Rose YMCA fitness instructor “Miss Duran in the fifth grade, because she made learning…
A ‘sweet’ qualifying meet
The Hershey’s Track and Field Games will be held May 11 at the Pioneer Valley High school track. With events kicking off at 9 a.m., the games are open to boys and girls of all skill levels from ages 9 to 14. Top performers at the games will receive medals and progress to the Hershey’s…
Run with the Bull
The 15th annual Bull Canyon Run will be held May 18. The event will kick off at 7:30 a.m. with a 10K run/walk followed by a 5K run/walk at 8 a.m. The run will also feature a 5K kids’ run for children ages 2 through 5 and ages 6 through 9 at 9:45 a.m. The…
Muddy Mayhem
Get off the couch, get in shape, and get ready to get dirty for a good cause at the inaugural Muddy Madness 5K charity race at Sky Ranch in Santa Ynez Valley on June 1. Race proceeds will benefit scholarships and various programs at Allan Hancock College. The event will feature a barbecue, live music,…
Athletes of the week
Water polo players Layne Porter and Emily Edds are sharks in the water. Playing for the One Way 12U water polo team out of the Santa Maria Swim Club, Porter and Edds helped lead their team to a second-place trophy at the Oxnard water polo tournament earlier this month. At a recent tournament, Porter, 12,…
Shuttered symphony
Quality doesn’t come cheap. The axiom hit close to home for the Santa Maria Philharmonic Society, which, due to a lack of budget and return revenues from concerts, has been forced to cease its services—as in, it can no longer provide top-notch classical music performances to the Santa Maria Valley. The decision was made at…
Art for all of us
The Santa Maria Michaels store offers upcoming arts and crafts classes for kids. “Kids Club Mother’s Day Heart Necklace Event” is on May 11 from 10 a.m. to noon. “Kids Club Celebrate Your Hero Event” is May 18 from 10 a.m. to noon. For more information, contact Michaels at 349-8801 or visit the store at…
Coastal Voices to include jazz trio in upcoming concert
Coastal Voices, a local community choir, is used to performing a cappella or with the help of a piano, but the group decided to call in for some help for an upcoming concert. The show—scheduled for May 18 at 4 p.m. and May 20 at 7 p.m. at the St. Andrew United Methodist Church, 3945…
An afternoon of poetry, art, and drama
Café Noir in Santa Maria is going to play host to a veritable cornucopia of art on May 18 in “An Afternoon of Poetry, Art, and Drama” from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the café, 1555 S. Broadway, Santa Maria. The event will feature poetry readings by BJ Riley, who’s written several books of poetry,…
Bookworm features talk by author’s widow
Russell Means was an American Indian political activist known for several books, including his last title, co-authored by Bayard Johnson and published posthumously: If You’ve Forgotten the Names of the Clouds, You’ve Lost Your Way. The Bookworm in Santa Maria will be featuring a talk by Means’ widow, Pearl Means, on May 18 at 1…
A tradition of quality
Portraying the struggle of an oppressed people fighting to hold onto its traditions in a changing world—within a couple hours, no less—is not an easy task, but the masters of drama and music at PCPA Theaterfest are more than prepared for it. The Fiddler on the Roof is one of Broadway’s most beloved musicals. Winning…
The masterpiece of American motorsports
The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach is a decadent and depraved festival of speed. I mean that in the best possible way. Every year a refreshing cloud of racing fumes blankets the normally clear coast of Long Beach, energizing the faithful over three days of vehicular mayhem. While the race might seem like a…
Local high schools win big at welding contest
Students from Ernest Righetti and Pioneer Valley high schools earned top honors at the 16th annual Allan Hancock College high school welding contest on April 27. They competed in beginning and advanced levels against almost 100 students from 10 high schools from Paso Robles to Santa Ynez. Eric Alvarez from Righetti took first place in…
Righetti film fest headlines on campus
More than 30 student films will make their debuts at the 15th annual Ernest Righetti High School Film Festival on May 10 and 11. Music videos, dramas, and everything in between will be judged at the competition. The films run from 60 seconds to 15 minutes, and student filmmakers can enter up to two films…
Laps for Boston
Loud. That’s the best way to describe Miller Elementary School’s field on May 2, when almost all 800 students ran and shouted their way around a course set up for a Boston Marathon fundraiser. Each student didn’t run his or her own marathon, but at least 26 students per class ran one mile each, which…
Earth Mother
A decade after Sideways, the wine road-trip indie flick, was filmed in Santa Barbara County, “The Sideways Effect” is still coming to light. Turns out, one of the millions of moviegoers who saw it was a young film-school graduate from New Zealand living in England. Little did Angela Osborne know at the time that her…
Move it!
Get your sexy on!” Malinda, my Zumba instructor, calls out to her students during a particularly provocative hip movement. Are my hips even capable of such a gyrating, spiraling motion? I’ll give it a try, though I may be headed toward my first hip replacement with that last rotation. Here I am, edging my way…
Gaze into the future
Behold, the Great Canarini! I know and see all! Tremble at the terrible power of my prognostication! While I love this column, I do sometimes enjoy a little more theatricality than it typically allows. So I’ve been trying out some other things. I found a cool glass sphere at a local thrift shop, and then…
Don’t forget those who give so much
Memorial Day, my wife and I will toast the continuing courage and devoted sacrifices of the wives, girl/boy friends, mothers, and fathers of returning military members who have served in all wars, and especially recent conflicts. Veterans not only have physical wounds, but much deeper emotional wounds that their military training taught them to bury…
May God have mercyon Annette Funicello
In reading about the sad death of Annette Funicello, a former Mouseketeer and actress, due to the complications of MS, it made me realize how important it is now to find a cure to this devastating, life-taking disease. Annette had progressive multiple sclerosis, meaning that her symptoms kept on coming and became elevated and worse…
Green decades
Back in 1993, I was 19 years old and I had it all figured out. I was going spend my life traveling from one concert to the next, partying and interviewing famous rock bands for Rolling Stone magazine. It may sound like I was being naïve, but I did have a backup plan. If things…
Ready for another round?
It appears that nothing can hold Santa Maria Bonita School District Board Trustee Will Smith back. He’s determined to speak his piece, even after a cease-and-desist order was handed down by the California Public Employment Relations Board. Administrative Law Judge Eric Cu, with the employment relations board, issued the order on April 18, telling Smith—and,…
The great pill debate
About every month or so, employees with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department transport thousands of pounds of discarded prescription medications to a medical waste company in Long Beach to be incinerated. These trips are part of Operation Medicine Cabinet, a program run by the Sheriff’s Department and the county Public Works Department that offers…
Spotlight on: Deckers
As the manager of Deckers, a popular burger joint in Santa Maria, Patrick Corbo knows a thing or two about what goes into his spectacular version of America’s favorite sandwich. “We [use] locally grown fresh ground beef and turkey. When you get a burger, it’s actually a meat ball [that] we actually cook right there…
Hancock chooses lead finalist, but wades through ‘due diligence’
Pending the results of a visit to Las Positas College in Livermore and contract negotiations, the Allan Hancock College Board of Trustees announced at its May 1 meeting that Kevin G. Walthers is the man to take the school’s helm. Walthers is currently president of Las Positas College and has been since August 2011. The…
Lawsuit questions Nipomo water project funding
The Mesa Community Alliance has loudly voiced its opposition to the Nipomo Community Services District water pipeline project. After last year’s vote defeated a $26 million version of the proposed project, which would have essentially created a tax district to finance construction, the alliance went into hibernation. But now they’re back and armed with a…
Celebrate Mom
It’s hard to imagine what would warm a mother’s heart more than seeing her children busily crafting at the community library. On May 11, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Altrusa of the Central Coast—a community service organization supporting literacy, youth, and volunteerism—will be host to a Mother’s Day event with its sponsored youth volunteer…
