Cover Story
Who will lead?
The campaign for Santa Maria City Council is shaping up to be one of the most competitive political races on the Central Coast. Three incumbents and four challengers will face off to represent a city burdened by tough economic times and a controversial police department. Current City Council members Alice Patino and Mike Cordero are…
St. Joseph administrators found guilty of failing to report suspected child abuse
After four days of testimony, jurors in Santa Maria determined the fate of two St. Joseph High School officials accused of failing to report a suspected sexual assault of an underage female student. The jury found St. Joseph principal Joseph Myers and former dean of students John Walker guilty of failing to report the alleged…
Harvesting art
When the leaves start turning colors and the Santa Maria weather begins to cool down (in theory), you can expect the community to share the fruit of a productive summer. Autumn Arts Grapes and Grains is a community festival that celebrates art in its many forms, including local live music. The festival was born 56…
Hoofbeats featured at Flying Goat Cellars
A new installation at Flying Goat Cellars Tasting Room will feature Nancy Holly Photography “Hoofbeats in the Wind,” benefiting Return to Freedom wild horse and burro sanctuary in Lompoc. A photographer’s reception will launch the exhibit on Oct. 12, from 4 to 6 p.m. The tasting room is located in the Lompoc Wine Ghetto at…
Nominations for arts honorees accepted
The Santa Maria Arts Council is accepting nominations for 2013 individual grants in the arts honorees. Santa Maria Arts Council member groups are invited to submit the name of an individual—teachers, patrons, activists, and artists—who has positively and significantly impacted the arts in Santa Maria Valley. To submit a nomination, e-mail the nominee’s name, a…
Halloween trees appear at Discover Museum
This month the Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum will be home to an “enchanted forest” of fabulously fun trees visitors can enjoy all month long and also have to a chance to win on Oct. 27. Borrowing the successful idea of Christmas tree raffles done for many years by the local Altrusa clubs, Discovery Museum…
Solvang gets scary
Standing in front of businesses, sitting on benches, perched on the sidewalk, scarecrows will soon take over Solvang, acting as ambassadors of the fall season and giving the city a festive atmosphere. The Scarecrow Festival and Fall Frolic takes place throughout the Solvang downtown area and the greater Santa Ynez Valley. Merchants are encouraged to…
Sights about town
Known as the Valley of Arts and Flowers, Lompoc offers an abundance of inspirational scenes, and Sylvia Cummings Kokatnur can count herself among the artists for whom the Lompoc Valley has become a muse. Her locally inspired work makes up “Around Town and Beyond,” the latest exhibit at the Lompoc Museum of Art. Kokatnur likes…
Wilder pastures
This is an open letter to the guy leering at me while I pump gas, or maybe who is having a stroke, in which case just ignore this letter and I apologize for not calling 911. Dear strange man who is being rude to his girlfriend by staring at me: Roll the string of spit…
On the roster
• Dunes Center Golf Tournament: The Guadalupe Dunes Center will be holding its sixth annual Coreopsis Cup golf tournament on Oct. 5 at the Monarch Dunes Golf Course in Nipomo, a benefit for the center’s education programs. Registration begins at 11 a.m. with a shotgun start at noon. Player fees are $150 and include unlimited…
Yoga center offers free classes for anniversary
Treetop Yoga in Santa Maria is turning a year old and to celebrate, owner and instructor Nicole Donati is offering a series of free yoga events for community members. The studio’s first birthday party will be held Oct. 5 from 5 to 7 p.m., where the public can see the studio, meet the teachers and…
Athlete of the Week: Karl Fredrickson
Santa Ynez High School senior Karl Fredrickson has it right when he says water polo is a sport that most people don’t understand. People don’t seem to get why anyone would want to play a sport that requires players to swim back and forth constantly, drowning in pool water–all the while being beat up by…
Go outside!
Among its many charms, Santa Barbara County is also home to some of the best hiking trails on the Central Coast, offering spectacular views and much-needed outdoor activity for all levels of hikers and backpackers. With so many options available, there are plenty of trails within an hour’s drive to add to your bucket list,…
Secrets of an icon
Restaurants come and go. But every now and then, one comes along with the recipe for success, and stays forever. Such is the case with the Hitching Post in Casmalia, celebrating its 60th anniversary in the capable hands of the Ostini family. Santa Barbara County’s Historical Landmark No. 37 was built a century ago in…
Strange bedfellows make for a powerful statement
It is no less than miraculous what can happen if humans can put aside their differences, get past their egos, and look to the common thread between them. The power of a unified group of individuals is undeniable and a force that can be daunting if focused and successful when implemented. It is this spirit…
Travel to Paris or Rome!
Studying abroad is a right of passage for many college-age students, including those who attend Allan Hancock College. Hancock is offering two unique study abroad experiences this year: a spring session in Rome and a summer session in Paris. There will be an informational meeting on these programs Oct. 4 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.…
Wildfires–they’re not all bad
Wildfire is often viewed as only a destructive force that threatens humans, animals, and property, but in California it also plays an integral role in shaping our regional ecology. Locals can learn more about the relationship between fire and the environment at a free lecture by fire ecologist Jon E. Keeley on Oct. 11 at…
Hobnobbing with Helen
Quick! Run to your calendar and see if you’re free for any of the remaining performances of Dearly Beloved, now playing at the Santa Maria Civic Theater. “Wasn’t this a crack-up?” Vonnie Stewart said after a recent Thursday night’s show. The Humane Society bought out the house and held a fundraiser there. Humane Society supporters…
The Discovery Museum is full of energy
October is “Energy Month” at the Discovery Museum. From Viscosity experiments! Pinwheel crafts! Wind catching! Magnet hunting and calorie burning! It’s all about energy this month at the museum as we celebrate all types of energy: petroleum and natural gas, solar and wind, magnetic and human energy. Why all the buzz about energy? Well, the…
Play with your food
On Oct. 13, the people of Guadalupe will once again be cabbage bowling at the third annual Salad Bowl Festival, which celebrates the city’s role as a major center for agriculture. In cabbage bowling, cabbages are rolled at pins, and live goats will be on-hand to clean up afterwards. Some of the other attractions include…
Lompoc gets healthy
The city of Lompoc can count itself among a growing number of cities making a commitment to healthier living, resolving to promote community gardens, offer wholesome choices in vending machines, and facilitate workplace wellness. On Sept. 18, the Lompoc City Council passed a Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) resolution, part of a state initiative aimed…
Spotlight on: Uniforms & More
A lot of feeling good comes from looking good—at least that’s what Vicki Trejo believes. A native of Santa Maria and former employee of the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District, Trejo is now the owner of Uniforms & More. “My husband and I drove around looking for a needed business,” Trejo explained, adding…
DJ Farms is still on the horizon
A 209-acre parcel of farmland at the intersection of Highway 166 and Highway 1—less than a mile from the heart of Guadalupe—still stands undeveloped. But the land inches closer to breaking ground as Guadalupe city officials make final resolutions and adjustments to the project this month. The DJ Farms project was first introduced to the…
Water board issues partial stay on irrigation regulations
The California State Water Resources Control Board is giving farmers more time to comply with some provisions in an order imposing tougher environmental regulations on discharged wastewater in irrigated land. On Sept. 19, the board issued a stay on the order, which institutes a three-tier system dividing farms, vineyards, and nurseries based on their threat…
District Attorney serves search warrants on former LHCDC director
Financial records belonging to the defunct nonprofit Lompoc Housing and Community Development Corporation (LHCDC) are finally in the possession of the Santa Barbra County District Attorney’s Office. On Sept. 12 and 13, Chief Deputy District Attorney Kelly Scott served several search warrants on LHCDC’s former director, Sue Ehrlich, and seized dozens of boxes of documents.…
Nipomo educator wins SLO County Teacher of the Year
Ann Elliott, a third grade teacher at Dorothea Lange Elementary School, never thought she’d win an award like San Luis Obispo County Teacher of the Year. She distinctly remembers when her husband’s aunt won the award in her school district, more than 25 years ago. “And I thought, ‘Oh, that will never be me,’” Elliott…
How do you feel about the new imposed tax at Amazon.com?
Erin Leduc graphic designer “Honestly, I don’t mind it, If I need something then I just buy it. It doesn’t really affect me.” Vincent Honeycutt grocery store employee “I was not aware they started doing that.” Karen Shapiro administrative assistant “I think it’s good; with the economy the way it is I think the states…
