Cover Story
Success on the green screen
There are two types of visual effects: the in-your-face explosions and monsters and aliens for some muscle-bound actor to blast, and the low-key, the subtle, the kind you can’t pick out at all. This summer, someone at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences saw something in the second category—something that most viewers don’t usually…
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 “Diabetes Essentials” class Sept. 11 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Cost is $8. A “Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes Nutrition” class is Sept. 18 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the clinic. Cost is $8. The clinic is located at 1225 North H St., Lompoc. Info: 737-8700. ONGOING ARTHRITIS FDN. is a…
ART
THE CYPRESS GALLERY currently features the art of Jon Robert Lyra and Judith Grames-Lyra in the exhibit By The Sea through Sept. 28 at the Cypress Gallery, 119 E. Cypress Ave., Lompoc. Info: 737-1129. THE GROSSMAN GALLERY presents an exhibit by Carol A. Kemp titled, The Face of It, through Sept. 30 at the gallery,…
LEARNING
THE DANA ADOBE NIPOMO AMIGOS presents, as part of its historic talks, Samantha McTighe speaking about “Herbs of the Chumash” on Sept. 13 at 1 p.m. at the Dana Adobe, 671 S. Oakglen Ave., Nipomo. Info: 929-5679. A WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY on Monday evenings, covering “The Life of Moses,” holds sign ups Sept. 15. Info:…
RECREATION
SANTA MARIA RECREATION AND PARKS DEPARTMENT holds a football punt, pass, and kick skills competition on Sept. 18 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Hagerman Sports Complex, 3300 Skyway Drive, Santa Maria. Info: 925-0951, Ext. 260. WORTH THE DRIVE THE WILDLING ART MUSEUM presents a “Birds of the Santa Ynez Valley Region” course…
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
PCPA THEATERFEST presents its production of The Weir by Conor McPherson showing Sept. 12 through Oct. 5 in the Severson Theatre, Allan Hancock College, 800 S. College Dr., Santa Maria. Cost is $16.25 to $26. Info: 922-8313 or pcpa.org. THE SANTA MARIA CIVIC BALLET holds auditions for teen and adult dancers on Sept. 13 from…
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
TRILOGY CENTRAL COAST hosts a free concert featuring Usual Suspects in concert Sept. 13 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Trilogy Central Coast, 1640 Trilogy Parkway. Info: 1-888-458-8379. WORTH THE DRIVE THE CLARK CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS presents Winter Dance Party, a musical tribute to Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper…
SPECIAL EVENTS
THE SANTA MARIA A’s FORD CLUB presents its annual All-Ford Car Show, featuring cars from 1903 through 1986, on Sept. 13 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. in downtown Santa Maria along McClelland Street. Info: 937-8257. THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION presents its annual “Start! Heart Walk” featuring a 5k walk, a wellness festival, health screenings,…
Making headlines
In the mid-1970s, the Firestone family built Santa Barbara County’s first post-Prohibition winery to bottle their homegrown wine grapes under their own label. Tony Austin, prote;ge; of Andre; Tchelistcheff, the godfather of the California wine industry, came aboard as winemaker and eagerly shepherded the fruit of the young vines into remarkably good wines. Since then,…
You just founded a new high school. What’s the mascot, and what are you team colors?
Brad Memberto sports information specialist/journalist “The Bruins, because I’m a huge UCLA fan, but the colors would be blue and gold. Go Bulldogs!” Kim Ensing Allan Hancock College athletic director “The mascot would be a big wave: The Waves. The school colors would be blue and white. I picked the waves because I’m learning to…
Chapman University welcomes adult learners
Looking to complete your college degree? On Sept. 23 and 24, academic advisors from Chapman University will be on hand at the college’s Santa Maria Valley Campus to answer questions about Chapman’s history, academic programs, and adult learning programs. All sessions are free, and begin at 5 p.m. at the Santa Maria Valley Chapman University…
Future Stars of Science return to Guadalupe Dunes Center filled with knowledge and inspiration
Last month, Guadalupe Dunes Center interns Diana Perez, Mariah Gonzalez, and David De la Garza spent two weeks on the East Coast where they toured the Smithsonian Institution, did some sightseeing in Washington, D.C., and learned how to (humanely) tackle a deer. While that last part doesn’t sound like a typical tourist attraction, it’s an…
Political Watch
• Green is the new black. Congresswoman Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) participated in a roundtable discussion with several leaders of Central Coast green businesses and organizations on Sept. 4. Topics included sustainable energy practices and steps the federal government can take to promote the issue. Two days later, Capps kicked off her fall re-election campaign…
Lompoc launches new marketing campaign to promote ‘Lompoc Wine Country’
Ever heard of Lompoc Wine Country? If the city of Lompoc’s new marketing campaign works, then the answer to that question will be yes. The city has partnered with the Santa Barbara Conference and Visitors Bureau and Film Commission to promote Lompoc Wine Country. The city’s website will be linked to and from the city…
Panel brings nonprofits and philanthropists together
Attendees at the Nonprofit Support Center’s Funder Panel symposium on Sept. 25 will be able to talk directly to some of the voices of philanthropy on the Central Coast. Participants will be able to ask questions and address issues that directly impact their organizations. Members of local nonprofits will participate in discussions designed to provide…
Among ‘Friends’ at the library
By now, everyone probably knows about Santa Maria’s brand-new, state-of-the-art library. But what people probably don’t know about is the brand-new library shop. Located just outside of the main library and next to the library cafe;, The Library Shop is an enhanced version of the old Friends of the Santa Maria Library bookshop. What used…
Hobnobbing with Helen
Great food, a celebrity guest, and exciting auction items—Allan Hancock College’s seventh annual Joe White Memorial Dinner had it all. Held on the evening of Aug. 23 at the Santa Maria Fairpark, the event is the Hancock College Boosters’ major fundraiser for the Athletic Department. The dinner attracted close to 400 friends and fans. It…
Santa Maria needs a Block Grants Advisory Committee member
The city of Santa Maria is looking for someone to fill an unexpired term on the Santa Maria Block Grants Advisory Committee, ending in July 2010. Applications will be accepted until 2 p.m. on Sept. 25. Members of the Block Grants Advisory Committee assess the community’s needs, conduct public workshops and hearings, review applications for…
New Lompoc Valley Senior and Community Center project is finally online
Staffers and volunteers at the Lompoc Valley Senior and Community Center can start packing up their boxes. On Sept. 3, the Lompoc City Council voted 4-0, with councilman Will Schuyler absent, to allocate more than $300,000 in funding to begin designing a new center at a new location on West Ocean Avenue in Lompoc. The…
Government officials question the safety of artificial turf in California
The artificial turf played on by children, teens, and professional athletes in California might be getting a government-mandated makeover, thanks to a recent lawsuit filed by the California Attorney General’s Office. The lawsuit alleges that three major producers of artificial grass—FieldTurf Tarkett, Astro Turf, and Beaulieu Group—“have knowingly and intentionally exposed individuals within the State…
U.S. Department of Transportation halts funds to all states
On Sept. 5, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced that, effective Sept. 8, the Federal Highway Administration will delay financial reimbursements from the Federal Highway Trust Fund to all states. In the past, DOT had estimated it would remain solvent until summer 2009. However, tax receipts have been dropping sharply in recent months due…
Better late than never
The launch of the Delta II rocket carrying a GeoEye 1 satellite was rescheduled for Sept. 6 due to Hurricane Hanna affecting the availability of key launch personnel at Cape Canaveral, according to a press release from Vandenberg Air Force Base. The rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 2 around noon that day. The…
Schools are waiting on the budget, but doing okay
The budget for the state of California is usually enacted in the beginning of July. That was two months ago. Now, things are getting a little sticky for government agencies across the county, for agencies that are counting on that money. Imagine working hard and then not getting paid for two months in a row.…
Counties court Paso for facility approval
On Sept. 18, officials from Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and San Benito counties will go before a review panel of employees from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). Their joint mission: to convince the state to fund the construction of a tri-counties prisoner re-entry facility in Paso Robles. In exchange for bringing…
Arts Briefs
A Hancock student wins big for his take on student life Dustin Peterson, an Allan Hancock College photography student, beat out 340 contestants to take grand prize in the Foundation for California Community Colleges contest, College Seen II. The photo contest was sponsored by Adobe and challenged entrants to depict the life of a community…
It’s independence time!
The United States celebrates its independence on July 4 with fireworks, and the beginning of the school year in September with a sigh of relief. For many Latin countries, however, September is the time for celebrating independence. Las Fiestas Patrias is the national celebration of two holidays, Cinco de Mayo (which technically happens in May)…
The active artist
In an artists’ world, nothing is really ever complete. Everything can be improved upon or changed. The smallest details can be an artist’s harshest enemy and most difficult challenge. Such is the case with Santa Maria artist Hattie Stoddard. Sitting in her dining room, sipping Crystal Light, Stoddard reflected on her mural work at the…
Poor delivery service aided newspapers’ decline
Daily newspapers have only themselves to blame for their demise. The publishers have missed one of the most important reasons why subscriptions have gone down: deterioration in delivery service. And now with the Internet in almost every household, it is probably too late to change. When we began a home in ’51, the morning and…
Be kind to Mother Nature
When the paved asphalt ends, so does the road. Why do trucks continue into areas where children make sand castles and people happily run their dogs and enjoy a peaceful hike? The Nipomo Dunes are such a unique display of Mother Nature’s genius that the roar of trucks, ATVs, and the RV city really does…
Survey the surveyors
I had two uninvited, and ultimately unwelcome, visitors knock on my door recently. Their stated intentions were to “conduct a survey” about Proposition 8, the upcoming ballot measure that would reverse recent judicial and legislative decisions that open the state of marriage to any couple seeking it. The visitors soon revealed that they were not…
Where is the outrage?
When the Chinese government silenced the voice of dissent during the Olympics, the media and many Americans expressed outrage at their tactics. Now, when producers of the news show Democracy Now, filming a peace march at the Republican National Convention, are manhandled and bloodied by law enforcement coordinated by the FBI, where is the media…
Ready to play? A new stadium is open for the season
Just one day before the grand opening of the new Santa Maria High School stadium, athletic director Ralph Baldiviez stood in the middle of the new field, recalling his own days of playing football for the Saints. “I wasn’t a starter,” he said, “but I worked hard.” Then he looked up and immediately saw the…
Punt, pass, and kick past the competition
Instead of watching the NFL on TV, kids can get a chance to emulate their favorite players at the NFL Punt, Pass, and Kick Skills Competition put on by the Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department. The free event will be held on Sept. 18 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Hagerman Sports Complex,…
One Way Water Polo starts new practice times
Every Sunday through December, the pools at Paul Nelson Aquatic Center will be full of water polo players. To join them, just show up to one of their open swims. The players in the masters (18 years and older) division are in the pool from noon to 1 p.m., and kids of all ages swim…
Athlete of the Week
Dan Ando wasn’t expecting to rush for 180 yards in his first game this season. He was hoping to play well, but a guy never knows. “First game, I knew coach would give me a couple carries,” Ando said. But he prepared, just in case. He’s practiced hard all summer, he’s been eating well, and…
