Cover Story
Life, death, and salami
It’s a well-known fact that history repeats itself. The idea of eating only locally made products is quite the rage, but just 150 years ago in this county and worldwide, it would have been the primary option. Antonio Varia, owner of Buona Tavola in San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles, has never thought that making…
Zuniga and Orach win seats on the Santa Maria City Council
The Santa Barbara County Election’s Office announced a little before 6 p.m. on Dec. 4 that Terri Zuniga was the top vote-getter in the race for Santa Maria City Council with 9,728 votes. “My phone was blowing up with people saying, ‘It’s 5 o’clock. Why haven’t they posted it yet?’ I just kept refreshing my…
Lucky charm
It’s as if she discovered a four-leaf clover, but people familiar with Heather Lee Henry’s culinary talents know there’s much more than luck behind her landing the job as new head chef at Rooney’s Irish Pub in Orcutt. In September, well-liked Chef Anthony Endy left Rooney’s to accept a position as chef at Paul…
Sharing the music
Music is a special thing to share with children, but an even greater gift is to invite them to join in on the music making. Local educators and performers Nina Ryne and Jan Grigsby will be performing a free kids concert at the Toy Zoo, where they’ll not just perform, but will invite kids to…
Contribute to those in need
The Embassy Suites Hotel in Lompoc is accepting donations for Toys for Tots through Dec. 17 at the hotel, 1117 North H St., Lompoc. Santa will be available for pictures with any donor on Dec. 8 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. This year, the Embassy Suites Hotel, which is owned by Windsor Management Services,…
Orcutt gets new library location
The Orcutt Branch Library is closing its longtime location in favor of an expanded facility to better serve library goers in town. The current location in the Clark and Broadway shopping center in Orcutt will close its doors on Dec. 1 and will reopen in Old Town Orcutt’s Union Plaza development at 175 South Broadway…
Creating peace makers
Local nonprofit organization WonHeart follows a simple philosophy: “When we are kind to ourselves, then we are kind to others.” This mantra served as the foundation for the new program “I’m Amazing You’re Amazing” presented by WonHeart volunteers Candyce Estave and Joelyn Lutz to local CASA kids on Nov. 17. The program was sponsored by…
Keeping kids creative
In a school system plagued by standardized testing and diminishing budgets, any program that prepares kids for real-world challenges and careers should be put on a pedestal. But often those same programs, even if they get support from the county, could still use support from the community. The Righetti High School Farmers Market is a…
Another piece of the puzzle
While fictional heroes tend to possess extraordinary powers due to radioactive spider bites, coming from another planet, or receiving an alien ring, some get by solely on the power of their brains. Local author Farah Shaw found inspiration for her series Sherlock Academy in the classic Sherlock Holmes novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle due…
Reality’s great
When you are little, you are taught that lying is bad. Growing up, you realize that it’s sometimes necessary. Then there are times when it’s just plain fun, because sometimes a lie can get you to the happiest place on Earth. Our first trip to Disneyland was thwarted some months ago when my youngest son…
Fun drive
Do you like to drive? Do you like to drive fast? Check out the Fun Day and Membership Drive hosted by the Santa Maria Karting Association. The event is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 1, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the karters are excited to open their gates to the public. They will be…
Giving back
The Hancock women’s basketball team is getting into the holiday spirit by teaming up with the Toys for Tots Foundation of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. Bring an unwrapped toy worth $10 to the annual Bulldog Classic Tourney at the Joe White Memorial gym Dec. 6 through 8 from 1 to 7 p.m.…
On the run
The St. Joseph girls cross country team just wrapped up a strong season at the state meet Nov. 25. Last season, sophomore runner Beth Rigali was the only one from her team to qualify for the CIF State girls cross country meet. But this season, the whole team attended the Division 5 state race in…
The Benchwarmer, Vol. I
Names. They’re what define us and help us to create our own sense of identity. These days, names come in all sorts of shapes and sizes—impossibly long, dangerously short, with vowels or no vowels; there’s no telling what someone will come up with next. It appears as though the world has entered into a dangerous…
Athlete of the Week: Keanu Martinez
For the Righetti High School Warriors men’s water polo team, 2012 will be remembered as a high point in the team’s history. That’s in no small part thanks to their leading scorer, Keanu Martinez. In his fourth and final season with the team, Martinez helped to lead the Warriors to the CIF Division Final against…
When dreams won’t come
I thought I had Valley Fever recently. Turns out, I’m just really pissed off. It’s mostly because I’m so broke. Forget buying new tires for my truck; or doing anything fun; or saving money for the future: I can’t even afford shampoo. Luckily, I could rock dreadlocks if need be. What sucks is that I…
Local senior care office educates family members about Alzheimer’s disease
A recent survey conducted by the Marist Institute for Public Opinion found that Americans fear developing Alzheimer’s more than any other life-threatening disease. Out of the 1,200 people surveyed, approximately 61 percent said they feel unprepared to care for a loved one diagnosed with the disease. If personally diagnosed, participants said they fear the inability…
The Orcutt library branch is moving to Old Town
Start boxing up the books: The Orcutt branch of the Santa Maria Public Library is moving to a new location. On Dec. 1, the library will close its doors at 1157 E. Clark Ave., and reopen on Dec. 8 in its new, expanded facility in Old Town Orcutt’s Union Plaza, at 175 S. Broadway. The…
Vandenberg gives KUDOS to kids
Local service members’ children got a pre-Thanksgiving treat Nov. 17 at Cocheo Park on Vandenberg Air Force Base. The Kids Understanding Deployment Operations (KUDOS) event taught children and other family members about the deployment process. Base officials and approximately 50 volunteers created a pretend deployment line, where children were briefed on safety. The kids also…
Hobnobbing with Helen
It was an evening of pleasant surprises and not your ordinary philharmonic concert experience. First, the Pioneer Valley High School Band marched into the main space of Grace Baptist Church to play the “Star Spangled Banner” for attendees of the Philharmonic Society’s Nov. 17 concert. Betty Anthony, sitting next to me, said, “Isn’t this wonderful?”…
Rise of the machines!
The number of machines that are part of our everyday lives is really amazing, especially in our community where farm equipment, construction equipment, and recreational equipment seem to surround us. Ady Frausto, one of the Discovery Museum’s program coordinators, and I had a chance to get up close to some amazing John Deere tractors a…
Spotlight on: Local manufacturing
Four local manufacturing companies have come together in support of the Northern Santa Barbara County job market and to continue growing the field of machinists. Allan Hancock College has received a pledge of $120,000 in cash and equipment to go toward hiring a full-time faculty member in the school’s machining and manufacturing technology program. The…
Angel of Hope Memorial
The Angel of Hope is a statue erected in remembrance of children who have passed away before or after birth. At the base of the statue lie bricks engraved with the names of lost children, which have been donated by loved ones. A memorial will take place on Dec. 1 at 1 p.m. at the…
EPA reaches $2 million settlement for toxic dump
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reached a $2 million settlement on Nov. 20 with 290 small parties in a suit concerning the Casmalia Resources Superfund site. This is the ninth in a long series of settlements. The agreement demands that the parties pay their share of the EPA-estimated $284 million it will cost to…
Lompoc City Council digs into LHCDC’s finances
Nearly one year after the request for a report was first made, the Lompoc City Council received an analysis of the defunct Lompoc Housing and Community Development Corporation’s (LHCDC) finances. The draft report, which was compiled by Orange County-based Urban Futures Incorporated and presented on Nov. 20, included information on finances and low-income housing covenant…
City settles with victim of alleged rape by officer
Santa Maria officials announced Nov. 23 that a settlement had been reached in the case of a teenage Police Explorer who claimed she was sexually assaulted multiple times by a supervising officer and that the police department allowed the abuse to occur. City Attorney Gil Trujillo said in a prepared statement that the city agreed…
Which Black Friday deal has you camping outside of Best Buy?
Bryan Jeffries cook “I want a TV. I did this last year and didn’t get one.” Patty Hernandez nurse “Our computers at home aren’t working too well, so hopefully a new laptop.” Pistole Pete field worker “A couple of TVs, an XBOX, and maybe a laptop.” Angel Gonzalez sandwich maker “Plasma TV, XBOX, PS3, video…
