Cover Story
Nature’s way
In the deep recesses of Lompoc’s Miguelito Canyon, where the hills swallow the roads and the landscape begins to resemble the beautifully lonely terrain of the classic Old West, sits Paddock Paradise. Jaime Jackson uses the patch of land to educate people in natural horse care. On a recent afternoon, the sun pressed down hard…
On the roster
• Cruzin’ for Life: The annual car show, cruise, and concert fundraising event takes place Sept. 21 to 23 at the Santa Maria Fairpark. Friday’s events include Family Fun Night, an evening of carnival rides and games, a car show meet and greet, and a ’60s dance at the Plaza Pavilion. The event continues Saturday…
Dunes Center holds benefit 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 the shotgun start at noon. Player fees are $150 and include unlimited range balls, lunch, food, and…
Athlete(s) of the Week: Kacy Ortiz and Alissa Laventes
The age-old adage “good things come in pairs” will never get old, especially with such proof in the dynamic tennis duo from Orcutt Academy. Kacy Ortiz and Alissa Laventes—both going into their senior year of high school—bring unique talents to their tennis partnership. Kacy, fearless and outspoken, adds power and passion to the court. Alissa,…
Flag man
Unless you happen to be the lead driver heading down the home stretch of an auto race, you probably don’t think much about the checkered flags the flagmen wave to signal a victory. But if you’ve ever seen the exhilarating finish of any NASCAR or international racing event, you’ve probably seen one of Tony Otto’s…
Harnessing harmony
A capella barbershop-style singing is a genre unto itself. Bringing images of mustachioed men in straw hats and red-and-white-striped shirts, barbershop style started with such Tin Pan Alley favorites as “Hello My Ragtime Gal,” “Heart of Heart,” and “Let Me Call You Sweetheart.” Today, some talented local men keep the tradition of barbershop harmony alive.…
Fire in the hole!
I know it may sound impossible, but it truly did happen. My wife caught my barbecue on fire … like really on fire, as in call the fire department kind of on fire. Yes, I know the whole thing sounds sort of ironic, since barbecues are designed, built, and used to contain fire. The whole…
Mural honors unsung heroes
The Lompoc Affiliate of Santa Barbara Foundation and the Lompoc Mural Society will partner in presenting 2012’s Mural-in-a-Day project, which will highlight several awarded “unsung heroes” of the Lompoc community through the creation of a public mural. The painting will take place throughout the day on Sept. 15 in Old Town Lompoc. The mural design…
Get fluent in nature with Fred and Larry
The Wildling Museum will kick off its next session of “Fluent Nature with Fred and Larry” field classes on Saturday, Sept. 15, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Join esteemed local naturalists Dr. Fred Emerson and botanist Larry Ballard for an informative morning learning about the natural history of the Santa Ynez Valley at the Los…
Rendezvous Series delivers
The Santa Maria Philharmonic successfully delivered an afternoon of music as part of its Rendezvous Series. Philharmonic members and guests were treated to the harmonies of the Burnished Brass Quartet, comprised of Rich Ward and Jerry Boots on trumpet, Steve Wilson on trombone, and Greg Magie on horn. Katelyn Guy, a recent graduate of San…
Meet them all the way
On the eve of the 35th anniversary of its debut album, Toto has embarked on a worldwide tour with three California performances, kicking off with a show at Chumash Casino. The band became a household name with songs like “Africa,” “Hold the Line,” “Rosanna,” “I Won’t Hold You Back,” and “I’ll Be Over You.” Formed…
Chekhov’s blue period
I was looking forward to reviewing PCPA’s production of Three Sisters—one of Russian playwright Anton Chekhov’s masterpieces—because I wanted a meaty drama I could really sink my teeth into. Unfortunately, I ended up biting off more than I could chew. Granted, I’m not an expert when it comes to dissecting Chekhov’s work. He’s considered one…
Keep it in context
You might consider why 2016: Obama’s America is being hyped just before the election. I suggest you Google “Gerald R. Molen” and “Dinesh D’Souza”—its creators—and find out who they are. Their backgrounds and affiliations may clarify their reasons for making such a film and certainly put into question their objectivity in doing so. Filmmakers know…
Some people’s heroes
The conventions are over, thank God—that is if you are allowed to mention God. Our choice is simple: Vote for a younger, charismatic, teleprompter-reading, self-admitted Marxist mentality that disrespects our allies and placates our enemies, with less experience going into office than Sarah Palin, or a Mormon business man who has made the hard choices,…
No thanks, Obama
President Obama’s speech at the DNC was filled with goals embraced in rhetoric of hope reminiscent of the statements and promises he made four years ago. Why didn’t he accomplish them during the first four years when he had both houses of the Congress during the first two years of his administration? His excessive spending…
Everyday workers need the breaks
It’s long past time to rein in large corporations and banks, as their activities are driving the U.S. economy into situations that will make the 2008 recession look mild. Today, we see corporations seriously viewed as a “person” by the U.S. Supreme Court, massive amounts of outsourcing of American jobs, banks operating with virtually no…
Twenty questions with Chef Rick
You’ve made an impact in your community when your first name is a household name. Such is the case with Chef Rick, the highly regarded and telegenic local chef who earned a loyal following while serving “up tempo American cooking” for 22 years at his Orcutt restaurant, Chef Rick’s Ultimately Fine Foods, and on local…
Nutrition: A key component of healthy living
Want to learn more about eating healthy and staying healthy? Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital continues to present a series of free nutrition and diabetes wellness classes, held every Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m. in the front conference room at the hospital at 2050 Viborg Road in Solvang. Clinical Dietitian Stacey Bailey teaches the…
St. Joe’s welcomes new counseling staff members
Students at St. Joseph High School have four new members of the counseling staff to help them chart their way through high school and prepare for college and beyond. Led by Dean of Studies Monica Franco, the newly restructured counseling department welcomes Bonnie Gordon, Angelica Meza, and Rev. Charles Hofschulte. Franco, St. Joseph High School’s…
Come together, right now
With September comes Peace Week, the annual weeklong event that encourages local residents to meditate on the virtues of peace and unity. “There is so much violence in the world; we have come together to focus on promoting and building peace now and in the future. Peace Week reminds us that one by one, we…
Imagine peace
Think of a wish that is bigger than you, a wish that comes from the deepest part of your heart. That is the wish to hang on a Tree of Peace. On Saturday, Sept. 15, from 3 to 4:30 p.m., community members of all ages are invited to participate in a beautiful, touching Peace Week…
A line to friendship
There are times in everyone’s lives when the sound of a caring voice on the other end of the phone line can be a tremendous asset. Luckily, Transitions-Mental Health Association has launched a Friendship Line in Northern Santa Barbara County for people living with a mental illness. The Friendship Line is a peer-to-peer, non-crisis telephone…
Spotlight on: Poetic Wanderlust
Tracy Porter can find inspiration and beauty in anything. Whether it’s the design of a tile on a museum floor or the black-and-white stripes of a zebra, there’s beauty everywhere in the eye of this beholder. “It’s a 24/7 kind of thing,” Porter said with a laugh. “Everything around you can be used as inspiration.”…
Add to cart
Garry Harrington Sr., co-owner of Furniture Depot in Santa Maria, is looking forward to the day web-based retail businesses will have to begin charging sales tax for items purchased online. He won’t have to wait long. Starting Sept. 15, a new state law (AB 155) takes effect in California, requiring more than 200 larger retailers…
Clarification
The Sun would like to clarify some things written in its Sept. 6 cover story, “Into the Western.” The upstairs bar in the Far Western Tavern in Old Town Orcutt has been in the Righetti family for 100 years. Additionally, James Halsell of Halsell Builders, with the help of Susan Righetti and Marie Will, selected…
SBCAN welcomes a new director
The Santa Barbara County Action Network (SBCAN), a nonprofit organization advocating for social and economic justice, has named Ken Hough as its new executive director. Hough, a board member of SBCAN for two months, replaces Joyce Howerton, who retired after almost three years on staff with the organization. Hough previously worked for the Santa Barbara…
CHP: Driver killed in Maldonado crash was under the influence of meth
A driver killed in a July collision involving the wife of congressional candidate Abel Maldonado was under the influence of methamphetamine at the time of the crash, according to the California Highway Patrol. CHP spokesman Chuck Jones said toxicology reports on 32-year-old Joseph Scott Scheurn revealed “above a reportable amount” of the drug in Scheurn’s…
HUD finds problems with the county’s department of housing and development
Santa Barbara County officials recently released the findings of a monitoring visit from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) conducted in early May. HUD representatives reviewed the county’s Home Investment Partnership Act (HOME) program and its low-income housing projects that received funding from the federal government. In a letter to County Executive…
Panga boat operators speak to investigators
Just months after San Luis Obispo County got its first taste of maritime drug smuggling in recent memory, a second panga boat beached north of San Simeon—near the same location as the last one. The difference: The last bunch of smugglers got away with it. This batch didn’t. And now they’re talking. On Sept. 6,…
What classic movie should be remade?
Joe Zeller contractor “Blazing Saddles with Will Ferrell in Gene Wilder’s role.” Michelle Delisle office assistant “None of them, because they butcher them all.” KC Martinez retail management “The Song of the South by Walt Disney, because it’s a classic and you rarely see it anywhere.” Brenda Gonzalez retail “A Streetcar Named Desire because Marlon…
