It turned out to be a great day for a cold beer or a glass of Central Coast wine. Descendants of the area’s earliest settlers congregated on Saturday, July 14, at Pioneer Park on Foster Road for the Santa Maria Valley Pioneer Association’s 88th annual picnic. We are talking gobs and gobs of history here. […]
Hobnobbing with Helen
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A companion for Hunter
A dog will always be “man’s best friend,” and can also be a guardian for children. But the latter doesn’t come cheap. Tamara Pierce’s 3-year-old son Hunter is an autistic child who she said has a need to wander and explore his surroundings. Hunter is also quick, which creates the potential for him to sneak […]
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Holy comics, Batman!
Attention, citizens of Santa Maria: There are some Super Writers among you, creating exciting, new stories and teaching others about the magical power of words. From July 16 to 20, I led more than a dozen 6- to 10-year-olds on a daring adventure through the world of comics at the Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum. […]
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Woman in combat
The M1 Abrams tank weighs in at a formidable 62.8 tons of heavy metal. It can reach a top speed of 45 miles per hour. Originally entering the U.S. Army service in 1980, the M1 Abrams tank uses mobility, shock effect, and sheer firepower to eliminate enemy forces. Equipped with a 105-millimeter main armament gun, […]
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Spotlight on: Hideout Coffee House
There’s a new place in Nipomo for people to relax with a cup of coffee while they read a book, browse the web, or just hide out. The Hideout Coffee House is owned by Calvary Chapel in Nipomo, and according to Tom Bates—Hideout’s manager and youth pastor for the church—the shop’s main purpose is to […]
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Independent investigators interview SMPD personnel
On July 24, lawyers from the Los Angeles County Office of Independent Review started interviewing police officers, city personnel, and other individuals with close ties to the Santa Maria Police Department as part of a third-party investigation. City Manager Rick Hayden requested that the Office of Independent Review conduct an audit of the police department […]
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Abel Maldonado’s wife and son survive a fatal car crash
The wife and teenage son of U.S. congressional candidate Abel Maldonado were in a car accident on July 23 that resulted in the death of a 30-year-old man. According to a traffic collision report by the California Highway Patrol, Laura Maldonado was driving her Cadillac Escalade eastbound on Foxen Canyon Road at 55 miles per […]
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Solvang city officials consider playing host to the 2013 Tour of California
The Solvang City Council on July 23 directed its city manager to look further into a proposal for serving as a host city for the 2013 Amgen Tour of California, one of the world’s most prestigious cycling events. City Manager Brad Vidro will meet with the city’s Conference and Visitors Bureau and local organizing committee […]
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County parks commission to consider parking fees at several beaches
Free parking at beaches in Santa Barbara County could soon be a thing of the past, like cheap gas or Pontiac convertibles. On July 26, the Santa Barbara County Parks Commission will hold a public meeting to discuss a staff report on the possibility of charging parking fees at seven parks to generate revenue for […]
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Trespassing violations shutter Lompoc’s Surf Beach until October
The lone public access gate to Surf Beach west of Lompoc stood chained and padlocked July 21, the result of a temporary closure enforced by Vandenberg Air Force Base officials. Authorities said the closure came after Vandenberg reached a cap of 50 trespassing violations into the habitat of the endangered snowy plover, in concordance with […]
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Leeds will spend the rest of his life in prison for scrap yard killings
On July 19, Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce Dudley announced that “mass murderer Lee Leeds was sentenced to a term of 100 years to life [in prison]” for shooting and killing four people, including his father, at a Santa Maria salvage yard in 2008. “That term will then be followed by a term of […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Budi and friends
The Santa Ynez Valley has long been a getaway for television celebrities; many TV stars even made the valley home: Ellen DeGeneres, Portia de Rossi, Cheryl Ladd, Jennie Garth, Noah Wyle, John Forsythe, and Fess Parker, just to name a few. Add the name Budi Kazali to the list of local luminaries appearing on the […]
