Cover Story
Avia Belle Moon explores the Central Coast’s paranormal hot points
Watch a video of Avia Belle Moon’s work. Civilizations, religions, and philosophies, for as long as they’ve existed, have failed to deliver a verifiable, definite answer as to what awaits us after the ends of our lives. Not even the reign of modern science—with all the electronic technology that comes with—can explain what our consciousness…
Do you think students should be allowed to wear their Halloween costumes to school?
Julie Fish sixth-grade teacher “Yes, kids should be allowed to dress up. I think fantasy and tradition are important.” Bridgette Howard fifth-grade teacher “No. I … think it is a distraction if they are in their costume all day.” Tom Georgii fifth-grade teacher “No, I don’t think so. It’s a celebration to do with families,…
Seeing with sound: Blind soprano Laurie Rubin will perform a recital for the Lompoc Concert Association
Watch a video of Laurie Rubin performing. Laurie Rubin is a professional opera singer who’s performed across the United States, in Europe, and even under the baton of John Williams, yet she’s never gazed upon a page of sheet music. Born blind, Rubin has had to make do without her sense of sight her entire…
Getting creative
Michaels offers several arts and crafts events for kids, including a “Kids’ Club Thanksgiving Handcrafted Turkey” event on Nov. 2 from 10 a.m. to noon for $2, which includes supplies. A “Kids’ Club Winter Wonderland Snow Globe” event is Nov. 9 from 10 a.m. to noon for $2 as well. Michaels is located at 1934…
Two chances to honor the dead
Several local groups are celebrating Dia de los Muertos by inviting the community to join in the altar building, honoring of loved ones, and entertainment at some special events. The Dana Adobe Nipomo Amigos will present a lecture by Helen Daurio about the origins and meaning of the holiday followed by live poetry by Enedina…
Sponsor a tree for the Dunes Center
The Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center is accepting sponsorships for its upcoming Trees of the Season benefit event that takes place Dec. 6. Those interested in sponsoring a tree for the event need to fill out an application, pay the $200 registration fee, and have the decorated tree or wreath to the Dunes Center by Nov. 11.…
Los Padres Artist Guild Christmas Show approaches
The Los Padres Artist Guild is preparing for its upcoming Christmas Show with the theme “The Colors of Christmas.” The show is the 38th annual holiday show for the guild and will feature media, including jewelry, paintings, ceramics, photography, woodwork, holiday quilts, and other craft items. Several members of the Silk Painters International (SPIN) will…
Photographer Nancy D. Hall shares snapshots of the world at the Cypress Gallery
Photography is a media that has enjoyed quite a bit of development since it was first invented. From the black-and-white photography of Ansel Adams to the digital images of today, the means by which we take photos has changed. But many enthusiasts would argue that what makes a great photo hasn’t changed at all. Nancy…
Point San Luis lighthouse creeps out visitors during haunted tours
View additional photos from the Point San Luis Haunted Lighthouse event. I was supposed to be at the Point San Luis Lighthouse parking lot by 1:45 p.m. The lighthouse’s executive director, Kristi Balzer, warned me that if I was late, the trolley would leave without me. And it was going to leave at 2 p.m.,…
Good fences make good neighbors
There is something in each of us that creates a desire to see the unseen, take a peek at that which is not meant to be seen. This is true with both nudity and car accidents. Not matter how horrible it is, you’ve just got to look. This is why I was concerned about our…
Chef Ryan Gromfin concocts a soup recipe for grown-ups this Halloween
For the Halloween edition of Eats, I invited chef Ryan Gromfin to share one of his scrumptious soup recipes using seasonal gourds. Gromfin was formerly the chef at Central City Market. Now as a consulting chef, Gromfin assists restaurant owners around the world, inventing recipes, designing menus, and training staff. He recently worked locally with…
Farmers market to fundraise for Righetti’s magazine
The second annual fundraising event to keep the written word alive at Ernest Righetti High School will bring fresh produce, barbecue, and entertainment to the school’s east parking lot on Nov. 1. More than 20 vendors will feature fruits and veggies from the Santa Maria Valley—some of which will be donated by local farmers—as well…
Hancock hosts speaker who went from fieldworker to public affairs liaison
A migrant worker turned motivational speaker will give a presentation at Allan Hancock College on Nov. 7. In order to inspire students to dream big, Raúl Lomelí, the co-founder and executive director of Saber es Poder—Knowledge is Power—will share his personal story on Hancock’s main campus in Santa Maria, room C-40, from 5:30 to 8…
St. Joe’s donates bowls to feed the hungry
St. Joseph High School students handcrafted 134 bowls to donate to the 12th annual Santa Maria Empty Bowls event held on Oct. 23. The students worked after school to create something special to contribute to the local community. Their bowls were purchased during the empty bowls event, filled with soup, and taken home to serve…
Hobnobbing With Helen
Hobnobbing traveled 20 miles on Friday evening, Oct.18. You would have made the trip, too, if you knew that you could have mingled with some of Guadalupe’s delightful citizens and supporters—and that you would have enjoyed flavorful Caribbean cuisine. The occasion was the Guadalupe Salad Festival’s annual award dinner. For the fourth year in a…
Spotlight on: Pure Natural Juice
A woman walks into Pure Natural Juice in Santa Maria and greets owner Erik Lachino warmly in Spanish. She’s a regular—at least for the three months the juice bar has been open—who likes to stop by a couple of times a week. Today, she needs a juice that will help reduce inflammation. Lachino recommends something…
Political Watch 10/31/13
• The Santa Maria Valley Republicans are having their monthly meeting on Nov. 1 at 11:30 a.m. at the Santa Maria Inn, located at 801 S. Broadway in Santa Maria. • On Oct. 24, Assemblyman Tim Donnelly (R-Twin Peaks) announced from the steps of the State Capital a campaign to recall several state lawmakers…
Community Notebook 10/31-11/7
MONDAY, NOV. 4 • The Solvang Planning Commission has its regular meeting at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers, 1644 Oak Street, Solvang. TUESDAY, NOV. 5 • The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has its regular meeting at 9 a.m. in the Board of Supervisors Hearing Room, 105 E. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara.…
Community Corner: Marian hospital’s dog therapy program is expanding
The canine-human family just keeps growing at Marian Regional Medical Center! When the Sun wrote about the hospital’s new pet therapy program in September, there were four people and their dogs working only one to two days a week. Now there are nine teams working three to four days a week, according to Dignity Health…
PCPA’s costume shop brings ‘Mary Poppins’ to 3D
With a paintbrush, PCPA Theaterfest intern Jun Han blotches different shades of green on fabric to make it look like a tree that’s come to life. Just across from her, PCPA Crafts Supervisor Fred Deeben is attaching a green felt top hat to the face of a frog. Both the frog and the bush are…
Contractors are almost done drilling under the Santa Maria River Levee for the Nipomo pipeline
Water was the topic of the day at an Oct. 25 event highlighting the ongoing construction of the Nipomo Supplemental Water Project, which will pump a combination of state and Santa Maria city water to Nipomo via an inter-tie pipeline. “[This project] is a lifeline to the Nipomo Mesa,” Nipomo Community Services District General Manager…
Congressman introduces legislation to annex Camp 4
No one was too surprised when word broke on Oct. 24 that a bill had been proposed in the U.S. House of Representatives to allow the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians to annex its Camp 4 property. As Santa Barbara County 3rd District Supervisor Doreen Farr put it in an e-mail she sent to…
Santa Maria arts icon Nat Fast dies
Within just 24 hours of his passing on Oct. 27, condolences came pouring in to the family of Nat Fast, relating how much the iconic local artist meant to the community and each person he knew. “It has been amazing to feel the outpouring of love for Dad,” Marti Fast, Nat’s daughter, told the Sun.…
Location, location, location expectation
The other day, I heard one of my co-workers unsuccessfully trying to spend some cash. A lot of cash. She’s trying to buy a house on the Central Coast, and that’s apparently not an easy task. “I just want someone to take my money!” she shouted to the heavens. “Give me a house, and I’ll…
Teams work to help students cross the divide into success
In third grade, “Maria” was doing so poorly in school that she was at risk of dropping out. By the end of fourth grade, she was a top student who was working above her grade level. What made the difference? Many factors, and many people, were essential to the transformation, but one event stood out:…
What’s on Deck? 10/31 – 11/7
Thursday, Oct.31 Cross-country St. Joseph, Cabrillo, Pioneer Valley, Righetti @ SB County Meet River Park, 2 p.m. Nipomo @ SLO County Meet Laguna Park, 2 p.m. Santa Ynez @ Lompoc River Run, 2 p.m. Girls’ Volleyball St. Joseph vs. San Luis @ SJHS, 6 p.m. Santa Maria vs. Cabrillo @…
To the top!
Join the Nipomo Parks and Recreation Department and a state park docent for the Valencia Peak hike at Montaña de Oro State Park. The moderate-level hike will depart Nov. 16 at 10 a.m. and return at 12:30 p.m. Please wear proper hiking attire, and bring plenty of water. Meet at Montaña de Oro State Park…
Support the Special Olympics
Support Special Olympics of Northern Santa Barbara County at this year’s law enforcement torch run and crab feed on Nov. 22. Open to all ages, the event will feature all-you-can-eat snow crab, live entertainment, and a silent auction. The event kicks off at 6 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Community Center, 313 W. Tunnell St.…
Dance until you drop
Through Nov. 28, the Buellton Veterans Hall will be offering a series of adult dance classes. Dancers can learn the techniques of ballroom as well as east and west coast swing dance. Experienced dance teacher Dawn Ramallo-Wilson will teach the course.
Warrior Auction
Support Righetti High School athletics by joining the Warriors for an auction and dinner/dance Saturday, Nov. 23, at the Radisson Hotel in Santa Maria. The event begins with no-host cocktails and a silent auction at 5 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 p.m. The dancing goes from 8 p.m. until midnight. Tickets are $50 per…
Tough tennis
The Santa Maria Saints and Morro Bay Pirates girls’ tennis teams met for the most intense match of the season. The teams split 18 sets evenly at 9-9. They had to go to a tiebreaker, which the Saints won, 10-8. Saints tennis finished the season with an exciting Los Padres League win at the Minami…
Javier Ventura
On most days, you’ll see Javier Ventura running to school. Fast and light, Ventura isn’t running from bullies or because he’s late—he’s simply running because he can and he loves it. An eighth-grade cross-country runner at Fesler Junior High School, Ventura is the top runner for the Falcons. Lupe Alindajao has coached the runner since…
The Benchwarmer: Zombie games come to the Central Coast
Their ragged breathing is loud in my ears and my fearful heart threatens to explode out of my chest. I try desperately to make my legs go faster, but the more I push, the heavier they get. I desperately want to increase the distance between them and me. The sun is setting and casts spooky…
