Cover Story
Winning the Peace
Before the sun rises each day over Baghdad, the predawn silence is broken by the muezzins’ calls to prayer, bellowing from electric loudspeakers throughout the city. For soldiers of the 425th Civil Affairs Battalion, the new day begins much like the last. Some of the reservists—most of whom have trained one weekend per month and…
What’s your favorite war film?
Aaron Wexler retire “Sink the Bismarck or The Longest Day. They’re both highly dramatic, but in war that’s how it is: life or death. It’s the most exciting drama around.” Alicia Ramirez dental assistant “I don’t really watch war movies, but someone had told me about Life is Beautiful. I really liked it because it…
Wake up and audition
The Santa Maria Civic Theatre announced auditions for the second show of the 2009-2010 season, the comedy, Wake Up, Darling, written by Alex Gottlieb and directed by Meg Smith. Auditions will be held on Sept. 21 and 22 at the theater at 7 p.m. Santa Maria Civic Theatre is located at 1660 N. McClelland St.,…
Artists open their studios
The inaugural Lompoc Valley Artists Studio Tour will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 3. Lompoc artists—including Linda Gooch, Vicki and Gil Andersen, Tonya Schultz, Debby Fuller, and Elizabeth Monks Hack—will open their studios for a first-hand chance to see where and how they create. Ten studios will be open…
A lovely ghost story
It’s one of the most intriguing and captivating ways people communicate. A primitive and yet enduring method of teaching, storytelling continues to be a favored way to pass along information and teach about the world. As a young Latina in East L.A., listening to stories was a way for Olga Loya to connect with…
Audit the action
Yes, the middle word in the title is sex. Do we even need some kind of catchy introduction to get your attention? Actually, Santa Maria Civic Theatre’s latest show is mostly about over-the-top comedy. Premiering in 1979, it was the first of 23 plays written by the team of Billy Van Zandt and Jane…
Political Watch 9-17
• Let the campaigning begin! Earlier this month, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown announced his endorsement of Senior Deputy District Attorney Joyce Dudley in her bid for District Attorney. “Joyce Dudley is an outstanding prosecutor who has the experience, toughness, and integrity we need in a District Attorney,” Brown said in a release to…
Community Notebook 9-17
FRIDAY, SEPT. 18 • The Santa Maria City/County Coalition for the Homeless has its regular meeting from 10 a.m. to noon at the Betteravia Government Center conference room, 511 East Lakeside Parkway. • The Lompoc City/County Coalition for the Homeless has its regular meeting from noon to 1 p.m. in the Board of Supervisors Conference…
Help stuff the bus
What’s metal, painted black and yellow, rolls on wheels, and is coming to Santa Maria? If you haven’t heard, Gus the Bus will stop in the parking lot of Wal-Mart in Santa Maria (2220 South Bradley) on Sept. 19, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Gus will be there as part of a…
Aaagh! Swine flu!
Little about swine flu is routine, particularly when it comes to vaccines. This year, unlike in previous flu seasons, people older than 65 will be turned away from vaccination clinics. Historically, elderly people have been encouraged to get vaccinated early in the flu season because they’re at greatest risk. This year, they’ll be told…
District Attorney Christie Stanley endorses Josh Lynn as potential successor
After serving almost three years as Santa Barbara County’s District Attorney, Christie Stanley has announced she won’t be running for a second term. Instead, the county’s top attorney has endorsed Chief Trial Deputy Josh Lynn for the job. Lynn confirmed the endorsement in a recent interview with the Sun, explaining that Stanley, who is…
The future’s hazy for a proposed Orcutt marijuana dispensary
Citing confusion over the status of a lease agreement, Santa Barbara County’s Planning Commission postponed a Sept. 9 ruling on a permit for a proposed medicinal marijuana dispensary in unincorporated Orcutt. The commission will take up the issue again on Oct. 21. According to Planner Joyce Gerber, the delay will give the commission time…
Court injunction puts halt on adult daycare cap
Senior citizens attending adult day health-care facilities are going to be able to go back to their regular routines for the time being, according to a recent announcement from the California Department of Health Care Services. Earlier this year, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, in an attempt to cut state spending, proposed limiting Medi-Cal adult daycare…
Project Clean Waterways comes to the Santa Maria area
Get out the shovels and trash bags—it’s time for some fall cleaning. On Sept. 19, Central Coast residents and thousands of other Californians will have an opportunity to help clear trash and debris from beaches and inland waterways as part of the 25th annual California Coastal Cleanup Day. The Santa Barbara County Public Works…
Fall into hoops
Ron Barba’s West Coast Xtreme Basketball Academy will hold a Skills and Drills basketball clinic for boys and girls in grades 3 through 6 on Sept. 17. The clinic, held at St. Joseph High School from 6 to 8 p.m., will teach offensive and defensive skills. The cost is $40 for each participant, and…
Dates set for ALS golf benefit
Straight Down’s Fall Classic is currently accepting requests for volunteer caddies to work the 13th annual golf tournament, set for Nov. 14 and 15 at the San Luis Obispo Country Club. For this year’s tourney, Straight Down, a golf apparel and accessory company, is teaming with the ALS Association to help provide assistance to…
It’s not too late to get your kicks
There’s still time for children aged 3 to 12 to register for the Central Coast’s only arena soccer league. The Santa Maria Valley YMCA has extended the deadline to register for its Youth Soccer program to Sept. 21. The cost for registration is $60 for YMCA members and $80 for participants. Financial assistance is…
Participation now has its price
For high schools in the Lompoc Unified School District dealing with the reality of 30-percent cuts to their athletic budgets, it’s come to this: Student-athletes at Lompoc and Cabrillo high schools are now being asked to contribute $100 to their schools in order to participate in sports, regardless of the type or number of sports…
Brandon Pita
It’s not just spinning wheels to call Brandon Pita the star of Santa Maria BMX—the 12-year-old has the hardware to prove it. On Aug. 31, Pita took home the 2009 12 Novice division championship from BMX’s premier event: the National Bicycle League Grand Nationals in Louisville, Kent. For Pita, who just started racing bicycle motocross…
Tutoring now offered at Abel Maldonado Community Youth Center
Need homework help? Local college students will be offering tutoring in several subjects for students in grades 7 through 12 at the Abel Maldonado Community Youth Center. Tutors are available Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 3 to 7 p.m., and Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. No appointment is necessary. Individual or study…
First 5 starting radio campaign on pregnancy health
Starting this month, expectant and new mothers can get some important information about pre- and postnatal health on local radio waves. First 5 Santa Barbara County, in partnership with Emerald Wave Media and local OBGYN Dr. Robert McGhie, is producing a series of radio spots educating mothers on subjects such as breastfeeding and postpartum…
Barbecue, California style
I first heard about the excellent food at Rancho Nipomo from winemaker Ardison Phillips of McKeon-Phillips winery. Sometime later, I was reminded of it by winemaker Ariki “Rick” Hill of Labyrinth, who spoke highly of it. Then I read a glowing review by Teri Bayus in Grover Beach, and I thought, “I’ve got to try…
School rules
My kids went back to school recently, which means we can finally clean the living room. There was really no point cleaning it during the three months of summer. As soon as we picked up the 75 DVD cases (each with the wrong DVD in it) and pushed aside the Wii accessories to clear a…
Please consider this
Let’s get it straight: When it comes to health insurance, the United States has the most misinformed, fearful, gullible, short-sighted, and short-changed population among developed nations. The private insurance industry has made fools of us. Please consider this: If you view your life and health as above all means for private profit and…
Parents have more influence over their children
To the parents who were concerned about President Obama’s speech addressed to their school-age children: I would like to address all of the parents of this county who didn’t want their children to hear Obama’s speech because of its possible political content. First: From what I have read and observed, parents have a…
Make the parents pay
Public school districts across the United States are disbursed funds from the state governments for children attending school, and funds are withheld for those who are absent. The hundreds or thousands of paranoid extremist parents who kept their children home from school on right-wing hysteria surrounding President Barack Obama’s speech urging kids to “stay in…
I have a question for the protesters
The Tea Party Conservatives are attempting to rip a page from the ’60s protest movement. The question is: Where were they when millions of their fellow Americans were protesting a multi-trillion-dollar war?
Help for the job hunters
Job seekers and workers looking to get promoted are invited to a free employment workshop on Sept. 18 and 19. The event’s facilitator is Gregg Follett, career services consultant at Arbor Education and Training. Follett is a communication skills trainer with experience in sales and marketing and a reputation for coaching individuals to enhance…
Mall welcomes flower shop
Established more than 80 years ago in Lompoc, Avenue Flower and Gift Shop now has a second home in Santa Maria’s Town Center Mall. Featuring fresh flowers and bouquets, Avenue Flower creates custom floral designs and offers contemporary, traditional, dried, and silk arrangements, as well as gourmet gift baskets, greeting cards, and candles. …
Join a ladies’ night
Celebrating its sixth anniversary, Orcutt’s InSPArations Salon is bringing awareness to breast cancer with a ladies’ night on Oct. 22. Raffle tickets will be sold for $3 apiece at the salon beginning Sept. 21, with all proceeds going to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Entrants can win gift certificates for wine, spa…
What’s old is new again
Vintage dolls, commemorative plates, Chinese art, and original watercolor paintings are just a few treasures to be discovered at Chez Jeanía, a new antique shop recently opened in Santa Maria. Store owner Barbara Spencer named the shop in honor of her mother Jane, who died in January 2001. Barbara and her mother traveled the…
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, 6:30 p.m., in the Altrusa Theatre of the…
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…
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…
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…
Health
SANSUM CLINIC offers a “Diabetes Essentials” class Sept. 17 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the clinic. Cost is $10. “The Alzheimer’s Project: Caregivers” features a film screening on Sept. 21 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the clinic. A “Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes Nutrition” class is Sept. 24 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the…
Art
ALLAN HANCOCK COLLEGE’S Ann Foxworthy Gallery currently features a photography exhibit by Hancock instructor Dave Passage in the college’s academic resource center at 800 S. College, Santa Maria. An artist reception is Sept. 17 from noon to 1:30 p.m. Info: 922-6966, Ext. 3465. THE SANTA BARBARA COUNTY ARTS COMMISSION presents “Iron and Plastic: Alternative…
Learning
THE CITY OF SANTA MARIA Recreation and Parks Department presents a “Fabricalicious” class Mondays from 1 to 4 p.m. Sept. 17 through Oct. 22 at the Maramonte Community Center, 620 East Sunrise, Santa Maria. Cost is $40 to $49.50, $20 material fee due to instructor. Info: 925-0951, Ext. 264, or ci.santa-maria.ca.us. THE CITY OF…
Recreation
THE COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA presents the Coastal Cleanup Day’s 25th anniversary, including cleanups at the following beaches on Sept. 19 from 9 a.m. to noon: Arroyo Burro, Butterfly Beach, Carpinteria Creeks, Carpinteria State Beach, Chase Palm Park, East Branch, El Capitan State Beach, Ellwood Beach, Gaviota State Beach, Goleta Beach, Guadalupe Beach, Haskell’s Beach,…
Kids & Family
THE CITY OF SANTA MARIA Recreation and Parks Department presents an “NFL Punt, Pass, and Kick Competition” Sept. 17 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Hagerman Sports Complex, 3300 Skyway Drive, Santa Maria. Info: 925-0951, Ext. 260 or dsmitherman@ci.santa-maria.ca.us. An “ Improv for Teens” class is for kids ages 13 to 18 years Sept.…
Dance Lessons
THE CITY OF LOMPOC Parks and Recreation Department presents a belly dancing class from 5:30 to 7 p.m. through Sept. 28 at the Anderson Recreation Center, Panorama Room, Lompoc. Cost is $31.50, $26.25 for city residents. A Beginning Ballet class is from 5 to 6 p.m. through Sept. 28 at the Civic Auditorium Classroom, Lompoc.…
Stage
THE SANTA MARIA CIVIC THEATRE presents its production of Sex, Lies, and the I.R.S. Sept. 18, 19, 25, and 26, and Oct. 2 and 3 at 8 p.m. at the Santa Maria Civic Theatre, 1660 N. McClelland St., Santa Maria. Cost is $14. Info: 922-4442 or smct.org. THE LOMPOC CIVIC THEATRE presents two short…
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 ADDAMO VINEYARD/TASTING ROOM: 400 E Clark Ave., suite E, Santa Maria, 937-6400. Live music Sundays from 2 to 5 p.m. CLUB 805, AKA STINKY’S BAR & GRILL:…
Concerts
BETHANY CHURCH presents a Praise and Worship Rock Concert on Sept. 19 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Bethany Church, 4890 Bethany, Orcutt. Info: 268-3424 or reggiefulenwider@yahoo.com. WORTH THE DRIVE THE VILLAGES OF SAN LUIS OBISPO hosts a concert in benefit of the Alzheimer’s Association featuring Café Musique on Sept. 18 at 6…
Special Events
THE CITY OF SANTA MARIA presents its annual “Tastes of Mexico” event featuring Mexican cuisine, beverages, and entertainment on Sept. 18 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Veterans’ Memorial Community Center, 313 West Tunnell St., Santa Maria. Cost is $25, $80 for four tickets. Info: 925-0951, Ext. 260. A city-organized community meeting is Sept.…
