Cover Story
Fathoms below
In the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary alone there are more than 150 documented shipwrecks. Of those, only 30 have been located and surveyed. Robert Schwemmer’s job is to go find the rest of them. As cultural resources coordinator for the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, Schwemmer is equal parts historian, detective, and wreck diver.…
Setting the spark
The sun had already set over the Lompoc skyline, and North H Street was lit by the lampposts, still open businesses, and cars speeding down the city’s main drag. We pulled into the parking lot of an unobtrusive building with the name Certain Sparks Recording Studio and Music Lessons emblazoned on the side. Since this…
Enjoy a date night
The Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum and the 510 Event Center have paired up to provide a unique event designed to give parents a chance to enjoy some nightlife while their kids enjoy some safe and fun childcare. “Date Night” offers childcare and tickets for dinner and a live comedy event on Nov. 29. Kids…
Support PLAY, Inc.
The People for Leisure And Youth, Inc. (PLAY, Inc.), along with the city of Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department, is asking the public for donations in order to help procure a 24-foot Christmas tree for the center of town. The Christmas tree will be part of the holiday décor placed downtown, which includes low…
Fast featured in Reader’s Digest
Local artist and Allan Hancock College fine arts instructor Marti Fast’s work will be featured in the latest edition of Reader’s Digest “Drawing & Sketching Secrets” by author and artist Donna Krizek. Some of Fast’s work was featured in the Strokes of Genius: the Best of Drawing books, which led to an invitation to contribute…
Tengo famiglia!
The Santa Maria Civic Theatre is a nonprofit, volunteer organization dedicated to providing the Santa Maria Valley with live theater in an intimate setting. Currently celebrating its 53rd season, the cast and crew are presenting a production of Over the River and Through the Woods for the holiday season. As the classic Lydia Maria Child…
Masters of movement
A grand works of genius will always have an audience, and some are so beloved that they continue to pack theaters more than a century after they premier. Local dance studio Everybody Can Dance, also home of the Santa Maria Civic Ballet, is gearing up for the annual production of The Nutcracker on Nov. 24…
Mustang madness
My son’s birthday is quickly approaching. It will be his sweet 16. I decided, based on his gender, to forgo throwing him an extravagant birthday party with musical guests Usher and Justin Bieber. Instead, I figured I would just buy him a car. I’m not buying him a car to spoil him. I am buying…
Lompoc at the movies
Entertainment has been an integral part of the fabric of Lompoc culture from its beginning in 1874 when it was formed as a planned temperance city by the Lompoc Valley Land Company. The first venues were two dance halls on the second floors of the Swanton Stables on I Street and the Dinwiddie Store on…
On the roster
•Treasure Hunt: Walking is healthy, and the city of Santa Maria found a way to make it fun, too! On Dec. 15 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., the Parks and Recreation Department will be host to a community walk featuring a “Treasure Hunt” theme. This a two-mile walk open to all ages; meet at…
Athlete of the Week: Dana Bouquet
After years of dedication and excellence to sports on the Central Coast, high school senior Dana Bouquet, a St. Joseph Knight, signed a letter of intent to Notre Dame to play softball. She did so in front of family, friends, and schoolmates during a signing ceremony inside the St. Joseph Gymnasium. The local star athlete…
Pump it up
Solvang resident Jennifer Santos was walking the floor at The Fit Expo in Los Angeles this past January went she stumbled upon a booth for SAN, a national nutrition supplement company. “They had fliers for a competition called ‘Flab to Fab,’” recalled Santos, who works as a trainer at Anytime Fitness in Orcutt and serves…
Thanksgiving with Liz
Thanksgiving is Liz Addamo’s favorite holiday, “Oh, hands down!” She has hosted family and friends at her Orcutt home for Thanksgiving for the last seven years. “I come from a huge family. I’m the oldest daughter of five, I have five, and my sister has five,” Liz told me as we sat together in a…
High school district leadership stays the course
Santa Maria Joint Union High School District voters have re-elected Victor Tognazzini and Dr. Jack Garvin as trustees. Tognazzini led the Nov. 6 election with 20,327 votes (39.34 percent) while board president Garvin claimed 15,898 votes (30.77 percent), according to the Santa Barbara County Elections Office. Challenger Diana Perez finished third. “I will continue my…
Righetti students to make wearable art
Fashion is a great way to express one’s individuality and creativity. A $1,500 grant will soon be helping more than 400 Ernest Righetti High School students do just that when they use the money to design and produce backpacks, purses, and bags to raise money for the school’s art department. The Fashion Institute of Design…
A different kind of school ‘drive’
There’s nothing quite like a brand-new car, especially when that car helps students at local schools. Sponsored by local car dealerships, St. Joseph High School’s annual Support Our Schools car raffle gives Santa Marians the chance to win one of four brand new cars or $15,000.Tickets are available for a $20 donation by calling St.…
Random acts of kindness
A Righetti High School club recently visited some local military veterans in observance of the 2012 Veterans Day celebration . The Random Acts of Kindness group, which began just this year, is out to make a difference. Comprised of 15 to 20 members, the club’s goal is to provide a positive presence in support of the…
Spotlight on: Leisure Time Games
On the ground floor of the Santa Maria Town Center mall, Kenneth John Guge III runs a business unique from any other in the realm. With Leisure Time Games, Guge has created not only a well-stocked store dedicated to selling a large selection of board games, card games, and related merchandise, but also a central…
Want some cilantro with that?
The cilantro field on the corner of Bradley and Betteravia roads is hands down the best-smelling field in Santa Maria. The sparkling green shoots emit an aroma that conjures up visions of mouth-watering al pastor tacos or carne asada burritos. It smells so good you almost want to grab a handful and eat it on…
Seismic testing sunk
Tears were shed, laughs were shared, activists in animal costumes required translators, and Pacific Gas & Electric left Santa Monica empty handed. As recommended by its staff, the California Coastal Commission put the final nail in the coffin for PG&E’s controversial plan for high-energy, three-dimensional studies off the Central Coast—at least for this year. On…
Lompoc celebrates Small Business Saturday
Headed by the Lompoc Chamber of Commerce, a new marketing effort is under way in the city to promote local small businesses in the wake of Black Friday madness. Appropriately dubbed Small Business Saturday, the event is aimed at encouraging the community to see what local shopping has to offer on Saturday, Nov. 24. A…
Santa Maria’s chief hopefuls are in
Santa Maria needs someone to help its police officers recover stolen property. Arrest offenders. Regulate traffic. Investigate complaints. Those duties and more fall under the stated responsibilities for the city’s chief of police, who has to direct the department’s personnel and equipment in their combined efforts to preserve law and order. The Santa Maria Police…
Primus Labs gets tangled in a bevy of wrongful death suits
A collection of wrongful death lawsuits filed against several agribusinesses, including Santa Maria-based Primus Labs, is currently making its way through bankruptcy court in Colorado. The litigation stems from a listeria outbreak in the summer of 2011, when 147 people in 28 different states became ill after eating bacteria-laced cantaloupe. According to an investigation conducted…
In another life, would you become a pirate?
Shay Nichols Works at Fudge Kitchen “Heck ya, because pirates are awesome.” Glenn Bartholio Retired “No. I’m not an aggressive enough person.” Tom Shain Retired spaceship engineer “That would be interesting. Johnny Depp makes it look like a lot of fun.” Denise Skok Nurse “Yes. Adventure, gold, treasure, living on the edge all sound very…
