Cover Story
Popping pills
A young man approaches the pharmacy counter with two prescriptions. One is for a painkiller. One is to treat a medical condition. Shaky and anxious, he asks the technician what the total is. Unable to afford both, he opts for the painkiller. “You can tell when they are addicted, but you can’t do anything but…
If you could, what instrument would you play?
Eva Bachman receptionist “I’ve always wanted to know how to play the acoustic guitar.” Stephen Ramm sheet metal worker “Piano, because it’s a very expressive instrument.” Brittany Talbot waitress “Piano, because it’s pretty and I like its sound.” Lance Heather division manager “The drums. I used to play them in high school, and it was…
School board bout
Whitman vs. Brown. Maldonado vs. Newsom. Capps vs. Watson. When these candidates face off in their respective political races on Nov. 2, voters will probably know enough about their platforms to make a decision. In contrast, many people might not know enough about who’s running for the local school board. With this in mind, the…
Community Notebook 10.14
FRIDAY, OCT. 15 • The Lompoc City/County Coalition for the Homeless has its regular meeting from noon to 1 p.m. in the Board of Supervisors Conference Room, 401 E. Cypress Ave., Lompoc. TUESDAY, OCT. 19 • The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has its regular meeting at 9 a.m. in the Board of…
Political Watch 10.14
Santa Maria Mayor Larry Lavagnino announced earlier this month that he’s endorsed Congresswoman Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) in her bid for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives. At a press conference on Oct. 5 at the Santa Maria River Levee, Lavagnino mentioned Capps’s work in helping ensure the city received $40 million in Recovery…
Field testing
Field laborers who apply toxic pesticides to crops can now breathe easier, a result of the Farm Worker Health Act signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Sept. 27. Authored by Assemblymember Pedro Nava (D-Santa Barbara), chair of the Assembly Committee on Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials, the legislation—also known as AB 1963—addresses workers…
A home to call her own
On Oct. 10, during the KCOY 12 St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway Special, two patients from St. Jude Children’s Hospital, Elizabeth Lobato and Brooke Renaud, drew tickets for prizes. The winning ticket had Jessica Soo’s name on it; she won a new house in Nipomo’s Trilogy Monarch Dunes Community. The house, priced at $640,000, was…
Supes refuse to take official stances on initiatives
With the Nov. 2 general election just around the corner, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors passed on taking official positions on the ballot measures during its regular meeting Oct. 12. It was revealed the county’s six-member Legislative Program Committee voted to take stances on three initiatives: propositions 19, 25, and 26. Still, the…
Sheriff’s Department snuffs out multiple pot grows
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department was busy with marijuana recently, raiding grow operations at three different locations in the North County over three days. In the early morning hours of Oct. 4, sheriff’s personnel raided outdoor grows on Tepesquet Road near Colson Canyon and another off San Marcos Pass near Kinevan Road. The raids…
Memorial services scheduled for Vandenberg airman killed in Afghanistan
Family members, friends, and fellow servicemen and women planned to gather Oct. 13 at a memorial service honoring Vandenberg Air Force Base airman Daniel Johnson, who was killed in Afghanistan earlier this month. Air force officials sent out a press release on Oct. 12 announcing there would be a body transfer ceremony at the base…
Santa Marians honor victims, call on the community to stand against harassment
Several dozen people gathered at Santa Maria City Hall on Oct. 11—National Coming Out Day—in memory of the many lesbian, gay, bi, and transgender youth who have committed suicide or had their lives taken by others due to bullying or violent discrimination. The evening vigil began with a somber slide show of pictures of individuals…
PCPA tours
The PCPA Outreach Tour is hitting the road. Four actor interns and a stage management intern will traverse Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties October through May with original productions produced specifically for elementary through high school students. The first production is PCPA’s first outreach musical adapted by Outreach Director Leo Cortez from the…
Circles and sticks
The C Gallery in Los Alamos is launching its third annual fall group show and is calling for artist submissions in all media from Oct. 20 through 23. The show will open to the public on Oct. 30. The theme is “Circles and Sticks,” and the show will share the gallery with San Diego artist…
Gallery shows small treasures
Small, affordable art treasures are currently being featured at Town Center Gallery. All works by local artists on special display are 12 by 12 inches or smaller and include silk on canvas, watercolors, oils, photography and painted floral tiles. Costs range from $15 to $45. Town Center Gallery currently features artists John Card and Pat…
Photos from Africa
Photographer Nancy Hall has long been addicted to capturing moments. Camera always at the ready, Hall has been continually rewarded with one-of-a-kind shots. For October, Hall will share some of her favorite photographs from her experiences in Africa and other exotic locations—as well as from oft-frequented sites on the Central Coast—in “Photography … A Moment…
Hear hip hop like you haven’t heard it lately
Don’t say Venomous Voices is like every other hip-hop band. If you do, then you don’t know hip hop. And you definitely don’t know Venomous Voices. While the Central Coast band puts itself in the hip hop genre, the members feel strongly about setting themselves apart from what the genre has become. The band exists…
Clubs & Meetings
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Spiritual
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Farmers Markets
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Barbecues
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Health
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Art
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Learning
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Recreation
@font-face { font-family: “Geneva”; }@font-face { font-family: “New York”; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 10pt; font-family: “Times New Roman”; }span.Absatz-Standardschriftart { }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } ONGOING A MEN’S AND WOMEN’S BEACH FLAG FOOTBALL LEAGUE with four-on-four teams, no contact, is every Sunday at the beach in front of the…
Kids & Family
@font-face { font-family: “Geneva”; }@font-face { font-family: “New York”; }@font-face { font-family: “NimbusSanDLigCon”; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 10pt; font-family: “Times New Roman”; }span.Absatz-Standardschriftart { }p.hapstext, li.hapstext, div.hapstext { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: 9pt; font-size: 8pt; font-family: NimbusSanDLigCon; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } THE CACHUMA LAKE NATURE CENTER presents “Creepy…
Dance Lessons
@font-face { font-family: “Geneva”; }@font-face { font-family: “New York”; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 10pt; font-family: “Times New Roman”; }span.Absatz-Standardschriftart { }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } ONGOING BLUE MOON HAVEN BELLY DANCE currently teaches American Tribal Style dance classes on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays in Lompoc and Thursdays in Grover…
Stage
@font-face { font-family: “Geneva”; }@font-face { font-family: “New York”; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 10pt; font-family: “Times New Roman”; }span.Absatz-Standardschriftart { }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } THE LOMPOC CIVIC THEATRE presents its third annual haunted house, “A Nightmare on ‘L’ Street,” Oct. 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30 and 31 starting…
Night Life
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Concerts
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Special Events
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Teenagers–am I right?
My son is 13 years old, which means he already knows absolutely everything, except how to clear up acne. Sometimes I look at him in bewilderment and wonder, “Could you really have come from my loins?”—although, deep down, I know that he is definitely my son. I don’t know this because he and I share…
Hancock honors philanthropy
Allan Hancock College, along with a handful of local nonprofit organizations, is inviting the public to “Celebrate Philanthropy!” at an annual luncheon on Nov. 4 at 11:30 a.m. at the Santa Maria Country Club. The event thanks longtime philanthropists whose work has impacted the community. This year’s honorees will be Royce Lewellen, Ann Foxworthy Lewellen,…
The pirates of Pioneer Valley
Pioneer Valley came into being six years ago, as did its marching band. But the band wasn’t always bustling as it is today. In the beginning, there were just a few members squeaking out the theme from Pink Panther. And, a few years after that, the marching band’s field show consisted of the band members…
Tour cyclists will roll through Solvang again
Ending weeks of speculation, promoter AEG announced on Oct. 7 that Solvang would again be a host city for the 2011 Amgen Tour of California, a professional cycling road race. An individual time trial is scheduled for May 20, 2011, in Solvang, one of 15 cities through which the tour will officially travel over the…
Local wine merchant recognized
The Pacific Coast Business Times recently named Nicholas Miller, of the Central Coast Miller Family, one of the “Top 40 Under 40” business people in Santa Barbara County. Miller was recognized for his efforts within the Miller Family portfolio, which includes Bien Nacido Vineyards, Solomon Hills Vineyards, French Camp Vineyards, and Central Coast Wine Services…
Shop local for the economy’s sake
With looming concerns over the health and viability of the economy, the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce is introducing an aggressive campaign to encourage residents to spend their money in their own backyard. Beginning Oct. 15 and running through mid-December, the chamber will be saturating television, radio, and print with advertising, including the tagline,…
A century of Berchtold
The Berchtold Equipment Company, a third-generation family-owned farm equipment seller with a location in Santa Maria, is celebrating its centennial this year. Joseph Berchtold, a former miner and inventor from Dubuque, Iowa, started the company in Bakersfield as a feed-and-seed store in 1910. Joseph’s son E.G (Berch) Berchtold took over the company following his father’s…
Jordan Collins
Under the lights at Santa Maria High’s Ralph Baldiviez Stadium on Oct. 8, Lompoc senior running back Jordan Collins had a night to remember. In the Braves’ 51-7 drubbing of the Saints, Collins rushed for 130 yards on 11 carries, scoring three touchdowns on scampers of 28, 38, and 45 yards. Lompoc High head football…
Real men, good food
Autumn has arrived, and the time has come to decorate the house with goblins and oversized pumpkins, while ducking flurries of wind-swirled leaves. Among the fragrances offered by crisp air and rain-dampened soil, sensitive noses will detect the tempting aromas of grilled, stewed, stir-fried, and baked delicacies prepared by kitchen-savvy gents who make their home…
It’s clear: Vote for Hilda
The thing I’ve always appreciated about Katcho Achadjian is his total transparency: his transparent what-have-you-people-done-for-me-lately retort to the residents who begged him not to vote for the Cayucos Viewshed ordinance, a developer-written sweetheart deal. (He did, and got the county sued.) The transparent way he went to bat for a major financial backer who wanted…
Katcho can do it
For several years, politicians in Sacramento have used smoke and mirrors to hide the serious problems facing California’s economy. We’ve seen too many clever accounting tricks, slick press conferences, and empty promises. With unemployment at a nation-leading 14 percent and a multi-billion-dollar budget shortfall, we need to send someone to the State Legislature who will…
Like footballer, like lieutenant governor
Abel Maldonado blaming his aged father and family for delinquent income tax leans makes about as much sense as Reggie Bush blaming his father for living in a house rent free. At least Reggie Bush returned his Heisman Trophy.
We need Dirk Starbuck on the Lompoc City Council
I am voting for Dirk Starbuck for the Lompoc City Council. Dirk is a fourth-generation Lompocan who graduated from Lompoc High School prior to spending 20 years in the Navy defending our country. He returned to Lompoc and opened a small business: The Muffler Shop. Dirk is committed to Lompoc; he loves his hometown and…
We must protect American citizens
Arizona Governor Jan Brewer asked President Obama to do his job, put 10,000 military troops on Arizona borders to stop illegal immigration, drug cartels, and thugs from every undesirable Third World country coming in to the USA—including those who want to kill Americans: white, brown, black, yellow; color doesn’t matter. All Americans could be a…
