Cover Story
Roll with it
Who was the first in your circle to take the plunge and buy a computer? Or a cell phone or an iPod or ; (drumroll) ; who was first to park the car and bicycle to work? Was it goofy Uncle Jimmy, who used to ramble on about health and flax seed tea? Or was…
CLUBS & MEETINGS
4-H welcomes anyone interested in the group to sign up now. Find a nearby club by contacting the Santa Barbara County 4-H Office at 692-1730 or zmhughes@ucdavis.edu. ALTRUSA INTERNATIONAL, INC. of SANTA MARIA, a nonprofit business and professional organization, meets the second Wednesday of each month, 6:30 p.m., in the Altrusa Theatre of the Santa…
SPIRITUAL
BAHA’I interfaith worship services are the second Sunday of each month. Info: 489-4172. Children’s classes are the first Saturday of each month. Info: 937-9451. Study circles about The Life of the Spirit are ongoing in Santa Maria. For questions, dates, and times: 614-0963. Info: 937-9451. BETHEL LUTHERAN CHURCH holds worship services Sundays with Holy Communion…
FARMERS MARKETS
SANTA MARIA 100 S. Broadway at Main, Wednesdays, from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Features local beekeepers’ honey and bee pollen, breads and pastries, plants and flower bouquets, fresh fruits and vegetables. ORCUTT Corner of Clark and Bradley, Tuesdays, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fresh honey, flowers, and eggs, along with fresh fruits and vegetables.…
BARBECUES
ONGOING FILIPINO COMMUNITY OF SANTA MARIA VALLEY barbecues Filipino food at the Smart and Final parking lot, N. Broadway on Saturdays and Sundays. Menu items include tri-tip, chicken, beef kabobs, chicken adobo, salad, rice, and bread. Meals cost $6. Info: 922-3422 or 922-3799. FILIPINO CATHOLIC SOCIETY, under the direction of St. Mary’s Church and St.…
HEALTH
SANSUM CLINIC offers a “Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes Nutrition” class Oct. 16 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the clinic. Cost is $8. Sansum Clinic is located at 1225 North H St., Lompoc. Info: 737-8700. MIDDLE PATH MEDICINE presents a free colds and flu community health class with Gary E. Foresman, MD, on Oct. 20 from…
ART
THE LOMPOC VALLEY ART ASSOCIATION presents its annual Fall Show through Oct. 26 at the Cypress Gallery, 119 E Cypress, Lompoc. Info: lompocvalleyartassociation.com or 737-1129. ALLAN HANCOCK COLLEGE presents the art show Terra Tectonica, featuring ceramic works by fine arts instructor Bob Nichols, through Oct. 25 at the gallery, Academic Resource Center, Allan Hancock College,…
LEARNING
THE AMERICAN RED CROSS, Santa Barbara County Chapter presents a “Mass Care Overview and Shelter Operations/Simulation” Oct. 16 and 23 from 6 to 10 p.m. Info: sbredcross.org or 687-1331, Ext. 119. THE LIGIA DANTES FOUNDATION presents “Awareness, Insight, and Transformation” with Ligia Dantes on Oct. 18 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Nipomo. Info:…
RECREATION
WORTH THE DRIVE YOGA SHALA offers a Beginner Yoga Series on Thursdays, through Nov. 6, and a Yoga Basic Series on Wednesdays, through Nov. 5, both from 6 to 7:15 p.m. at Yoga Shala in Avila Beach. Cost is $60. Info: 556-0413. FREE YOGA FOR CANCER SURVIVORS sessions, with instructor Shoosh Crotzer, are Wednesdays from…
KIDS & FAMILY
FIGHTING BACK SANTA MARIA VALLEY presents “Free 4 the Weekend,” featuring games, food, music, and other fun for seventh and eighth graders who take a drug-free vow on Oct. 18 from 7 to 11 p.m. at Saturn of Santa Maria, 2175 Bradley Road, Santa Maria. Info: 346-1174. THE SANTA MARIA PUBLIC LIBRARY presents its Slightly…
DANCE LESSONS
ONGOING EVERYBODY CAN DANCE offers classes in ballet dance for ages 3 to adult. Call for schedules. Boys and men receive full scholarships. The studio is located at 800 S. Broadway. Info: 937-6753. THE DANCE STUDIO offers dance classes in Santa Maria and Nipomo in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, Acrobatics, and Dance Team. Info:…
STAGE
THE LOMPOC CIVIC THEATRE presents a haunted house—not recommended for kids 14 and younger—on Oct. 17, 18, 24, 25, 30, and 31 from 7 p.m. to midnight at the Old Lompoc Theater, 100 block of North H St., Lompoc. Cost is $5, $2.50 for all visits after the first that night. Info: 735-2281. IMPROVISATIONAL HUMOR…
NIGHT LIFE
The following venues offer either regularly scheduled live entertainment or DJ-hosted dance music. Most performances start after 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. IN THE AREA CLUB 805, AKA STINKY’S BAR & GRILL: 2430 South Broadway, 614-9316. DJ Davey D Saturday nights. THE COACHMAN: 1531 S Broadway, 922-5556. Thursday through Saturday: DJ from 9 p.m.…
CONCERTS
THE LOMPOC CONCERT ASSOCIATION presents Thuringer Salonquintett performing “Stringtime ‘N Denver” on Oct. 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church, 925 North F St., Lompoc. Info: 735-1408 or 736-8713. VIVA EL ARTE DE SANTA BARBARA presents “Musica, Danza, y Mucho Mas,” featuring the band Quetzal in concert on Oct. 18 at 7:30…
SPECIAL EVENTS
THE LOMPOC VALLEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE and Visitors Bureau’s monthly luncheon is Oct. 16 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Embassy Suites Hotel, Lompoc. Cost is $15. Info: 736-4567. THE SANTA MARIA POLICE COUNCIL holds a night of “Funny Business,” including comedian Carl Wolfson, on Oct. 17 with social hour beginning at 6…
Hancock to host upcoming YELL conference
Get ready to YELL about something important! On Oct. 18, Allan Hancock College will co-sponsor the Young Educated Latino Leaders (YELL) Conference, open to any young Latino or Latina in grades nine through 12 or community college. At the conference, professional guest speakers and Latino role models from the Central Coast will present college and…
Seasonal ag work pays off when it comes to education
If you or your parents earn a livelihood by providing agricultural labor, you might be exempt from paying non-resident tuition at Allan Hancock College and other California community colleges. According to a press release from Hancock, the California Education Code states that students who are employed, or whose parents are employed, in seasonal agriculture work—such…
Baby, it’s getting cold outside!
Students from Taylor Elementary School are preparing for colder weather by helping locals in need. Members of Mario DiCarlo’s third grade class are collecting used coats and jackets for the Good Samaritan Homeless Shelter. Friends, family members, and people in the local community are being asked to clean out their closets and donate clean garments…
Doing their part
Tunnell Elementary School teachers David DuBransky and Patsy Mitchell, along with student Ashley Salinas, recently contributed to the fight against cancer. The teachers participated in a cancer walk at Children’s Hospital of Orange County, and Salinas donated her hair to Locks of Love. Salinas, who had never had her hair cut, told her parents that…
Hitching Post products are now available by mail
Away from home and in need of some barbecue? Not a problem. The Hitching Post recently launched a mail-order service that can deliver its famous steak, lobster, ribs, and artichokes anywhere in the United States. The products are flash frozen and then shipped, meaning that the food is prepared exactly as it would be at…
Santa Maria Community Television and Hancock College team up to provide programming
Starting in October, Santa Maria Community Television will be airing University of California Television programming on Comcast Cable channel 24. The new programming is provided under an agreement with Allan Hancock College, which will sponsor a daily block of educational programming from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nationally distributed and commercial free, UCTV features educational…
Drew Sugars steps in as public information officer for Sheriff’s Department
The new spokesperson for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department is someone with whom a lot of people on the Central Coast are already familiar: former KCOY anchor Drew Sugars. Sheriff Bill Brown has appointed Sugars as the public information officer for the department, effective Oct. 6. Sugars has been with the department since March…
Yes, it’s a party; no, there won’t be alcohol
Seventh and eighth graders from Santa Maria, Orcutt, and Guadalupe will be partying in a drug- and alcohol-free environment on Oct. 18 from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Santa Maria Saturn dealership thanks to Fighting Back Santa Maria Valley. “This is a chance for kids to have a good time without the pressures of…
Caltrans to fund local school safety programs
Traveling to school is about to get safer for Santa Barbara County, following Caltrans’ Oct. 9 awarding of $46 million to cities and counties throughout the state—including Lompoc and Santa Barbara County—for projects funded through the federal Safe Routes to School program. The program is designed to help students in Kindergarten through eighth grade travel…
County drops felony charges in Zaca Fire case
Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Zel Canter recently dismissed five felony counts and additional charges filed against a local ranch and two of its employees for allegedly starting the Zaca Fire last summer. On July 4, 2007, Rancho La Laguna LLC employees Santiago Iniquez Cervantes of Santa Maria and Jose Jesus Cabrera of Santa…
Santa Barbara County supervisors reject PXP project appeals
On Oct. 7, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1, with 4th District Supervisor Joni Gray dissenting, to deny appeals against an offshore oil-drilling project that would give Plains Exploration & Production Co. (PXP) sole drilling access to the county’s Tranquillon Ridge. The board voted in favor of a previous decision made by…
Santa Maria Public Airport hires new general manager
After a nine-month search, the Santa Maria Public Airport finally hired a new general manager. Chris Hastert, the former deputy director of two Ventura County airports, began on Oct. 14. As general manager, Hastert is responsible for managing hundreds of commercial leases, private and county hangar license agreements, and the future development of several airport…
Peace by peace
Community members from all walks of life came together to enjoy food, music, and religious reflection in honor of Santa Maria’s 12th annual Peace Week, Oct. 13 through 18. Hosted by the People for Nonviolence Committee of Marian Medical Center, Peace Week offers a series of free public events aimed at bringing the communities of…
What’s the worst bicycle accident you’ve been in?
Brenda Lee mother “Ran into the back of a car and hit my ‘personal area.’ What’s worse, I hit the same car in the same spot two weeks later.” Lewis Height retired from Shell Oil “Never had a bike. I grew up during the Depression.” Mary Height retiree “I fell off my granddaughter’s bike and…
County Public Works prepares for an emergency
There’s no such thing as being too prepared, and county officials have taken that sentiment to heart recently. Officials launched a mutual aid agreement between county public works departments, while at the same time treating land scorched by the Gap Fire to prevent flooding and mudslides. The two projects are happening simultaneously, and both are…
The Ty-D-Bol Man on wheels
It’s all Michael Phelps’ fault. While watching hours and hours of the Olympics, waiting to see if he won 175 gold medals in one event, I was subjected to repeat commercials of RV sales and motorhome dealership closeouts. They said that there has never been a better time than right now to buy an RV.…
Arts Briefs
Stinn and Shinn take their show on the road Two local artists are packing their works and heading south. Gerry Stinn and Bill Shinn will have a reception, demonstration, and book signing at the Santa Barbara Art Museum Store. The Stinn and Shinn Trunk Show will take place on Oct. 25 at the store. In…
A dash of the surreal
Splash a Disney cartoon character with bright paint, then slowly melt it on a barbecue while listening to one of the trippier Beatles’ albums. Your end result may begin to approach something born from the brain of Brent Parker. The jack-of-all-visual-artsy-trades, Sun freelancer, and former Santa Maria Arts Council grant recipient is currently showing his…
Sweet serenade
The Allan Hancock College Singers have been on a high note lately. From an upcoming concert in which they’ll be collaborating with the San Luis Obispo Chamber Orchestra, to an invitation to perform at the annual Hearst Castle Holiday Gala, the choir has found that it’s inspired others to sing—sing its praises. Dr. Ann Lucas,…
Authentic guys prepare food
Gentlemen, fire up your ovens, grills, and breadmakers! Tie on those manly aprons and head for the kitchen—it’s time once again to brandish your giant spoons at Real Men Cook, the Arts Outreach annual fundraiser and lively showcase for brawny local talent. This year’s event, slated for Oct. 25 at Flag Is Up Farms, marks…
John MacKinnon will bring change, here and now
As Election Day nears, we may all agree great leadership is needed now more than ever before. The call for change rings louder and louder in my ears as each presidential candidate exclaims he’s the “one change” that will address the challenging problems we face. As I see it, a “change” we need to make…
Jed Beebe is qualified, committed, and a beautiful musician
Jed Beebe is running for judge of the Superior Court of Santa Barbara County. Over the last 10 years, I’ve worked with him and known him personally, as a friend and a neighbor. If elected, Jed will be a remarkable judge. With more than 30 years of legal experience, including the last 18 years as…
Vote no on Measure A and its new tax
On the ballot is Measure A, a proposed 30-year tax. Measure A is on the ballot because Measure D, passed many years ago to fund roads as a temporary tax, is about to expire. Some have said that Measure A is not a new tax. As noted above, Measure D is temporary and about to…
Getting down with Zumba
Editors are super annoying. Take Ryan Miller, for example. He just loves to take me out of my comfort zone and then make me write about it. It’s like some sick hobby of his. Case in point: Zumba. Or, as I like to call it, butt shaking set to music. When Ryan heard that I…
Vandenberg ‘Run to Remember’ honors fallen servicemembers
On Vandenberg Air Force Base, men and women will be running to remember servicemembers who fell in the line of duty during operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. The charity “Run to Remember” will take place Oct. 20 through Nov. 11 at the base. During the run, active-duty military members, civilians, contractors, and retirees will run…
Athlete of the Week
Being a team leader means setting an example for the rest of the guys through the good and bad, and Ryan Duran has done just that, serving as a role model for the rest of his team during a tough first start to the season. “Ryan leads by example,” said Offensive Coordinator Joe Robledo, back…
