Cover Story
Where do we draw the line?
In 2007, there were 36,247 people living in poverty in California. In a state with a population of 36 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, that means one out of every 1,000 people in California is living in poverty. In Santa Barbara County, the latest Census Bureau information (from 2004) showed that 12.5 percent…
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 cholesterol management class Sept. 4 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the clinic. Cost is $8. A “Diabetes Essentials” class is Sept. 11 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Cost is $8. The clinic is located at 1225 North H St., Lompoc. Info: 737-8700. ONGOING ARTHRITIS FDN. is a low impact,…
ART
SANTA MARIA PUBLIC LIBRARY hosts its inaugural art exhibition—showing contemporary art by artists with close ties to Santa Maria—through Sept. 30 in Shepard Hall off of the lobby. For more information on exhibiting, call 922-6966, Ext. 3705. ALLAN HANCOCK COLLEGE presents an exhibit, Framing of Light, featuring the photography of Cathy L. Gregg, through Sept.…
LEARNING
A WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY on Monday evenings, covering “The Life of Moses,” holds sign ups Sept. 8 and 15. Info: 219-0154 or bsfinternational.org. CUESTA COLLEGE offers a “Composing Your Life Story” class through its emeritus program for nine Thursdays from 1 to 4 p.m., starting Sept. 11 at Trilogy Central Coast, 1640 Trilogy Parkway, Nipomo.…
RECREATION
LA PURISIMA MISSION offers a “Purisima’s People Day,” featuring demonstrations and information about former mission dwellers, on Sept. 6 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the mission in Lompoc. Info: 733-3713. WORTH THE DRIVE WOMEN’S HEALTH MAGAZINE hosts a kayaking event as part of its “Are You Game? Road Trip Adventure” on Sept.…
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. Sept. 10 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…
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 Hot Mikado by Gilbert and Sullivan through Sept. 7 at the Marian Theatre, Allan Hancock College, Santa Maria. Info: pcpa.org. IMPROVISATIONAL HUMOR CLASS meets Mondays at the Santa Maria Town Center second-floor community room to teach theater games, comedy concepts, and Whose Line Is It Anyway?-style games from 5:30…
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
WORTH THE DRIVE THE ARROYO GRANDE VILLAGE SUMMER CONCERT SERIES presents local ensembles in concert for free every other Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Rotary Bandstand on the Village Green, Arroyo Grande. The San Luis Obispo Blues Society presents The Cinders and The Al and Val Duo Sept. 7. Info: 773-4173 or www.curtisreinhardt.com. THE…
SPECIAL EVENTS
THE LOMPOC BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB holds the Norma Stillman Memorial Golf Tournament Sept. 5 starting at 1 p.m.—lunch is at 11:30 a.m.—at the Village Country Club, Lompoc. Info: 736-4978. THE NORTH COUNTY RAPE CRISIS AND CHILD PROTECTION CENTER presents “Night at the Races,” a hobbyhorse fundraising race event, on Sept. 6 from 8 to…
It’s the season of squash
These last days of summer belong not so much to baseball and back-to-school, as to the incredible tumble of squash erupting from vegetable patches and grocery bins all over town. Green, yellow, smooth, or warty, the prolific members of the squash clan pretty much rule the season of harvest. Heralded as “baby” squash during the…
Who are you wearing?
Kathryn Leedom outgoing Sun intern “My ensemble consists of sandals from Pacific Sunwear, jeans from Express, a shirt from the Gap, and a sweater from the bottom of my closet.” Troy Ambroff student “I’m wearing Crew jeans. I have no idea where my shirt came from, and I’m wearing Emerica shoes.” Lindsay Flamm cashier “I’m…
Back inaction
In my mind, I’m still a young, hip, cool guy, an assessment I’m sure both of my kids would quickly disagree with. Nowadays, when I look in the mirror, I don’t see my laid-back, good-looking, surfer self (another non-factual self assessment). I see some other dude, some dude with lines near his eyes and hair…
Artists Artists create a Mural in a Day
The public is invited to celebrate the Lompoc Mural Society’s 16th Mural in a Day project at a dedication ceremony at 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 6, following the mural’s completion. Artists will create the mural from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the south wall of 111 1/2 South H St. The subject of this…
Community theater celebrates a milestone
Even a theater critic such as myself gets sentimental when he learns that Santa Maria Civic Theatre is celebrating its 50th season this year. I have some personal experience with the organization’s history. My first (and, thus far, only) appearance on a Santa Maria stage was in the theater’s production of the suspense thriller Veronica’s…
The joint is jumpin’
There are some who like it cool and those who like it hot. PCPA’s take on Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado is for the latter. It’s definitely hot. A love story at its heart, Hot Mikado balances the American swing-era style and attitude atop a Japanese setting to tell a story laced with political jabs…
Olympics got locals up and moving
Whether or not the Summer Olympics increased interest in local athletics isn’t really a question for Mike Ashmore, head coach of the Santa Maria Swim Club. “The phone has been going nuts!” he said. “Ability isn’t going to be affected by the Olympics, but there is definitely an increase in interest.” With highly publicized swimmers…
Sign up now for the Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk
The Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk is coming back to Santa Maria. The last time the walk came to town (in 2003), the event raised more than $100,000 for the Alzheimer’s Association. The Central Coast chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association has offices in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties, including in Santa Maria. This…
‘Take Me Fishing’ event is back for a second year
The city of Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department wants to invite boys and girls ages 6 to 12 to the second annual “Take Me Fishing” event, happening Sept. 21 at Jim May Park. The event is co-hosted by the Santa Maria Valley Sportsmen’s Association and Central Coast Salmon Enhancement. Kids can learn the basics…
Athlete of the Week
Just three years ago, Rene Rodriguez, played competitive youth football for the first time. Today, at 15, he’s the quarterback for the Pioneer Valley High School junior varsity team. It’s safe to say that Rene ’s skills progressed fairly quickly. “Once he tried it, we were really proud of him, he really got it,” said…
The government must respect the law
When humans first came together to live in agricultural communities, the need developed for rules and laws. It became important for those early leaders, just as today, to set good examples to follow for the rest of the community. Those social rules and laws have become the glue that holds modern civilization and societies together.…
The wheels on the bus are spinning again
One way to tell that school has started up again is the addition of yellow buses on local roads and highways. On Aug. 25, Student Transportation of America (STA), the organization that manages school buses in the Santa Maria area, announced that its more than 6,000 employees are trained and ready to go back to…
AHC students: Get ready for a big ‘Bow-WOW!’
Allan Hancock College students will have something to bark about during the college’s annual Bulldog Bow-WOW! orientation event on Sept. 3 and 4. New and current students who attend the event will be able to learn about the college’s academic programs and other student services while also enjoying free music, entertainment, and food. Students will…
Political Watch
• OMG! Texting while driving has gtg, according to the California Senate, which voted 25-14 to approve a bill banning the activity on Aug. 22. Only two Republicans backed the legislation. One was Sen. Abel Maldonado (R-Santa Maria), citing that the ban is an unnecessary infringement on personal behavior. However, supporters of the bill say…
Local AmeriCorps members head to New Orleans to help Hurricane Gustav evacuees
A little more than a week after settling in at the American Red Cross, Santa Barbara County Chapter, four new AmeriCorps members are off to New Orleans to help Hurricane Gustav evacuees. On Aug. 29, Ally LeClair, Laura Parrot, Jeffrey Scott, and Ashley Spoto boarded a plane for the Big Easy, where they would help…
Maria Fabula to speak at Hispanic Business Committee luncheon
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Hispanic Business Committee luncheon will be held on Sept. 8 in the Santa Maria Room at the Santa Maria Inn. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m., with lunch and a presentation from noon to 1 p.m. Maria Fabula is the featured speaker. She’s the regional manager of Nonprofit Support…
Free foreclosure workshop offers help to locals
It’s an unfortunate fact that some people in Santa Maria need help holding onto their homes. Peoples’ Self-Help Housing can offer that help. The organization is hosting a “Foreclosure Prevention Seminar” on Sept. 10, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The seminar will present alternatives and loan options for first-time buyers. Brian Kerrigan, a counselor for…
Wells Fargo donates much-needed funds to Foodbank
The Foodbank of Santa Barbara County serves more than 100,000 people in the county annually, and with increased demand this year, the group needs all the help it can get. That’s why a recent donation of $10,000 from Wells Fargo was so appreciated. “On behalf of all the hungry people or member agencies, I want…
Vandenberg Air Force Base plans to launch Delta II carrying GeoEye 1 satellite
Keep your eyes on the sky. Vandenberg Air Force Base is scheduled to launch a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket carrying the GeoEye 1 satellite from Space Launch Complex 2 on Sept. 4 at approximately 11:50 a.m. The GeoEye 1 satellite will collect high-resolution imagery for “a wide array of commercial and government applications,”…
Crow tests positive for West Nile Virus in Santa Barbara County; Canine Parvovirus rears its head
On Aug. 27, the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department announced the first sign of West Nile Virus activity in 2008. A crow that ultimately tested positive for the virus was turned in for testing by the Mosquito and Vector Management District of Santa Barbara County. West Nile Virus is a blood-borne virus typically transmitted…
Guadalupe City Council wants children to get inside earlier
It’s 10 p.m. Do you know where your children are? That question—though cliche —was addressed by the Guadalupe City Council during its Aug. 26 meeting. The council directed city staffers to change the current 11 p.m. curfew written into city code to an hour earlier. The curfew would last from 10 p.m. to sunrise the…
Hancock leaders eye the possibility of on-campus student housing
Student housing on Allan Hancock College’s Santa Maria campus might not be an idea of the past anymore. The Allan Hancock Joint Community College District Board of Trustees is planning to discuss the idea at its Sept. 16 meeting—or at least the possibility of hiring a consultant to look into the feasibility of the project.…
Board sends a pro-oil letter, environmental groups react
Members of the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors have made their voices heard, and the majority of them are encouraging oil exploration. The board voted 3-2 on Aug. 26 to send a letter to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, asking him to reconsider his policy on offshore drilling. For the record, Schwarzenegger is against offshore drilling.…
Artistic expression and rules collide
Graffiti, as a concept, is about as old as the dust in the Santa Maria River bed. Well, maybe not that old, but it’s been around for a long time. The ancient Romans carved graffiti—including Latin curses, political caricatures, and the like—on walls and monuments. And they’re not the only ones. Everyone from the mighty…
