Cover Story
Uncork and uncap
In a generous land where row crops and wine grapes thrive in neighboring fields, the happy activity of harvest calls out for a celebration. As Central Coast farmers bring in their crops, chefs create edible masterpieces, and artists interpret the colorful interplay of life all around, what better way to acknowledge the bounty than with…
SPECIAL EVENTS
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SOLUTIONS presents “Recovering from Domestic Violence,” featuring speakers and a candlelight vigil, Oct. 9 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Shepard Hall, Santa Maria Library, Santa Maria. THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS holds a forum for candidates for Santa Maria City Council, mayor, and Superior Court judge on Oct. 9 from 7 to…
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, 7 p.m., in the downstairs conference room at United…
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 “Cholesterol Management Class” from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the clinic. Cost is $8. A three-part “Weight Management Strategies” class starts Oct. 2 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the clinic. Cost is $15. A “Diabetes Essentials” class is Oct. 9 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the clinic. Cost is…
ART
THE LOMPOC VALLEY ART ASSOCIATION presents its annual Fall Show through Oct. 26 at the Cypress Gallery, 119 E Cypress, Lompoc. Info: www.lompocvalleyartassociation.com or 737-1129. MARILYN DOVER BENSON exhibits her paintings through December at Community West Bank, South Miller, Santa Maria. Info: 937-8108 or donaldbenson2@mac.com. ALLAN HANCOCK COLLEGE presents the art show Terra Tectonica, featuring…
LEARNING
MORTGAGE RESOLUTION SERVICES offers two seminars on Oct. 8: “Short Sales from Start to Finish” is from 9 a.m. to noon “Short Sale Mastery” is from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Santa Maria Board Office, 2236 South Broadway, Santa Maria. Cost is $49 for each class. Info: (916) 631-6180, mresolution.com, or rockey@mresolution.com. THE CENTRAL…
RECREATION
WORTH THE DRIVE YOGA SHALA offers a Beginner Yoga Series on Thursdays, Oct. 2 through Nov. 6, and a Yoga Basic Series on Wednesdays, Oct. 8 through Nov. 5, both from 6 to 7:15 p.m. at Yoga Shala in Avila Beach. Cost is $60. Info: 556-0413. THE SOLVANG LIBRARY presents “CENSORED! A Banned Books Reading”…
KIDS & FAMILY
THE SANTA MARIA PUBLIC LIBRARY offers “Little Red Wagon Story Time” for kids ages 3 to 5 on Wednesdays at 12:30 p.m. and Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. through Oct. 16 at the library, 421 S McClelland St., Santa Maria. Pre registration is required. Info: 925-0994 or 925-4354. ONGOING BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS is looking…
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 SANTA MARIA CIVIC THEATRE presents its production of Sugar! Oh, Sugar! through Oct. 4 at the Santa Maria Civic Theatre, 1600 N. McClelland St., Santa Maria. Info: 922-4442 or www.smct.org BEYOND SUNDAY PRODUCTIONS presents its production of Anne of Green Gables Oct. 4 and 5 for $6 (includes cake), and Oct. 11 and 12…
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
WORTH THE DRIVE UCSB ARTS AND LECTURES presents Loudon Wainwright III and Leo Kottke together in concert Oct. 2 at 8 p.m. in the UCSB Campbell Hall, Santa Barbara. Cost is $40, $15 for UCSB students. David Byrne performs “Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno” on Oct. 4 at 8 p.m. at the Arlington…
SPECIAL EVENTS
THE AUTUMN ARTS GRAPES AND GRAINS FESTIVAL features fine art, photography, crafts, live art demonstrations, youth activities, a char show, a farmer’s market, live music, and beer and wine tasting on Oct. 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Civic Center along South McClelland St., Santa Maria. Free admission. Info: 937-1112 or 878-5662.…
What’s your favorite drink?
Debbie Jo Scruggs fitness manager “Margarita. It’s the girliest drink that gets me f—d up.” Jean Teran substitute teacher “Red wine. For health reasons.” Joy Greenwood Costco employee “Rancho Sisquoc Cabernet. I like the taste.” Tammy Stokes cook “Coors Lite. Because it’s made in the Rockies.”
Arts Briefs
257 words David Ryan gets ready for Empty Bowls David Ryan Gallery’s Oct. 3 Art and Wine Party will feature the kickoff for this year’s Empty Bowls fundraiser for the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County. Stop by to browse bowls made by local ceramists. Most will be available for $20. Buy them at the event,…
Welcome Each Passing Day
Each Passing Day—with a sound that resembles Iron and Wine, Damien Rice, and Death Cab for Cutie—explores relationships, both the bliss and the pain. But for lead singer Loren Radis, it was the pain that was the catalyst for motivation. A bad breakup prompted him to seek comfort in his music, and that music helped…
Take a local treasure hunt
You don’t need a map to find something special at a thrift store, although having good directions helps. I believe women have a shopping gene. Or, more specifically, a bargain-shopping gene. So when I found myself with a free day and six hours before I had to pick the boys up from school, mine kicked…
The farm is here to stay
The people could be a metaphor for the soil. Or the soil could be a metaphor for the people. The farmers are predominantly bipolar, schizophrenic, severely depressed. The land is a dusty four acres of sandy dirt, once home to abandoned machinery. A promise of good things to come isn’t the first thing that comes…
Nipomo High students help Mother Nature
A handful of Nipomo High School students worked over a recent weekend to enhance the Nipomo Creekside Preserve. Local volunteers joined members of the high school’s Progressive Club in an effort to help restore the preserve’s natural processes. The club has been helping with workdays at the preserve since 2006. Led by Land Conservancy Stewardship…
Million-volt Tesla coil comes to Orcutt
Danger Will Robinson! The Santa Cruz Institute of Particle Physics will bring a million-volt Tesla Coil to Orcutt Academy High School on Oct. 8. The coil, which looks like a cross between a robot and a giant generator, will be on display beginning at 1 p.m. at the Harold Black Sports Pavilion on the Orcutt…
Students learn about the importance of safety
Dozens of Santa Maria-Bonita School District students—kindergarteners through sixth-graders—learned all about being “Masters of Disaster” the week of Sept. 22, as part of a joint program between the American Red Cross, Santa Barbara County Chapter and the district’s After School Education and Safety (ASES) program. Red Cross staffers made several presentations to the district’s elementary…
SEE International hosts free vision screenings for World Sight Day
Low-income residents of Santa Barbara County who don’t have vision care insurance can come to a free screening day on Oct. 9, presented by Surgical Eye Expeditions International. The screening goes hand in hand with World Sight Day, an event created by VISION 2020, a global initiative to eliminate blindness by the year 2020. This…
KCOY 12 and FOX 11 offer more hours of live local news
Central Coast viewers can now catch four hours of live local news in the morning. KCOY CBS 12 is now airing its Sunrise Morning News starting at 5 a.m. When the CBS Network takes over at 7 a.m., the local team will switch to FOX 11 and continue live until 9 a.m. “We now have…
St. Joseph’s Orcuttopoly game board has space available
The Saint Joseph High School Booster Club is busy putting together its first edition of Orcuttopoly, a Monopoly game built around the city of Orcutt. All of the business spots on the board have been taken, but there’s still room for a family or business to put its name in the center of the board…
Political Watch
On Sept. 23, in an effort to better protect wildlife habitat and other open spaces, the House of Representatives passed the Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program Act (HR 1907) by a vote of 313-59. Introduced by U.S. Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.) and U.S. Rep. Jim Saxton (R-N.J.), the legislation formally authorizes the National Oceanic…
Here’s to your health
Need an eye exam? Blood pressure check? Body Mass Index reading? Hey, how’s your bone density? Arroyo Grande Community Hospital and local nonprofit health care organizations will be offering free health screenings and information at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Nipomo on Oct. 5. The event is part of the Bi-National Health Fair, itself part…
Make Adopt-a-Dog Month something to bark about
Throughout October, the Santa Maria Valley Humane Society is paying tribute to “man’s best friend.” For the second year in a row, the Santa Maria Valley Humane Society is using the national campaign to encourage community members to adopt a shelter dog. Shelter staff members are quick to list the benefits of adopting a dog,…
Farmers, environmentalists form a historic partnership
Following a much-talked about inaugural party on Sept. 22, the Santa Barbara County Ag Futures Alliance is already busy planning its first official meeting, during which alliance members plan to discuss some of the most important issues facing agriculture in the county. A specific date has yet to be announced, but Eric Cardenas, the alliance’s…
Hancock College to host suicide prevention forum
National Mental Health Awareness Week is fast approaching (mark your calendar for Oct. 5 through 11), and in order to educate the public about its importance, Allan Hancock College and the Glendon Association are holding a free public information forum called “Giving Voice to Hope: Stories of Survival and Change” on Oct. 7, at 6:30…
Happy Anniversary, SMAT!
Pearls are the traditional gift of choice for celebrating a 30th anniversary, but in order to commemorate its three decades of service, Santa Maria Area Transit (SMAT) hosted several events Sept. 29 through Oct. 1, thanking longtime riders and the Santa Maria community. On Sept. 30, customers received commemorative pins. The following day, Oct. 1,…
Flying high
Who hasn’t dreamed of flying? That dream recently became a reality for Kurt Miltenberger, an eighth-grade algebra teacher at Tommie Kunst Junior High School in Santa Maria. Miltenberger was one of 54 California math and science teachers selected to participate in the Northrop Grumman Foundation Weightless Flights of Discovery program. The local teacher almost didn’t…
County officials determine the impact of the state budget
The state budget is here, and unfortunately it hasn’t really made anyone happy. Republicans and Democrats alike have complained that they didn’t get exactly what they wanted, and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has publicly complained about the entire budget process and its end result. That end result is exactly what the county is grappling with right…
Explain conservatives to me
I’m a little confused. Would someone please explain to me what exactly a “conservative” conserves? What can they lay their hands on and say, “This is what we stand for”—is it the American way of life? That question only raises these questions: Which Americans? And what “way of life?” I always understood that to be…
‘The angry left’
The president spoke of the “angry left” during his convention speech the other day. I cannot speak for all, but I am angry. I am angry because at the end of your two terms as “steward” of the country, you leave us and our children and grandchildren with a $10 trillion debt. I am angry…
Do you have some problem with Lompoc?
I write this letter with great concern. I have never had a reason to contact any editor of any newspaper to complain of the unprofessional ethics and insensitivity of an article that was allowed to be printed in their newspaper. This is a first for me—but I feel that it is absolutely necessary that you…
Warriors bounce back from loss of quarterback
What does a team do when its star quarterback goes down seven plays into the first game of the season? First, coaches send in the backup—in this case, a junior named T.J. Jordan. Then, they move on. In the tough Pac-7 league, there’s no time to dwell on misfortune, and the Righetti Warriors know that…
Solvang gets ready to welcome back Lance
The news that Lance Armstrong has come out of retirement has made it all the way through the press and back again, but there’s one small city that has yet to sing his praises. Solvang is very happy that Armstrong is back and will be racing in the Amgen Tour of California. “We are thrilled…
Locals get a chance to compete in Jeep 48STRAIGHT Mountain Bike Series
This year, the Jeep 48STRAIGHT Mountain Bike Series at the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo is adding something new to the competition—besides the funky name. For the first time, the event will include an open qualifier for local professional and semi-professional riders. Racers from around the state can enter and race on the same…
Athlete of the Week
Gwen Pryor loves a particular kind of music: the sweet sounds of the cardiovascular system humming. She’s been helping her students fine-tune their bodies for the last 14 years. Now, thanks to an essay she wrote likening her students’ bodies to musical instruments, Pryor and her fellow teachers in the P.E. Department at Tommie Kunst…
