Viva la Santa Maria Valley Humane Society! The group held its annual magnifique fundraising dinner, “April in Paris,” on April 9 at the Country Club. It was so c’est si bon. As well as being too much fun, the evening was a musical and visual delight, a montage of glamour and glitz. Jimmy Enos and […]
Hobnobbing with Helen
Posted inNews
Love your mother
On April 14, students at Pioneer Valley High School spent one of their last lunch periods before a much-anticipated Spring Break celebrating Mother Earth. Associated Student Body President Brooke Martin and ASB member Kennedy Coleman teamed up with teacher Erika Hirsch to host a rally in honor of Earth Day. The goal: to teach their […]
Posted inNews
Spotlight on: Custom Workouts
Small scene, big results. That’s the motto for Custom Workouts’ co-owners Susie Duane and Marc Gatson, who are celebrating five years in business and preparing to move their private fitness studio into a much larger facility by June. Duane and Gatson, both certified personal trainers, met while working at another local fitness center. They wanted […]
Posted inNews
We draw the lines
Keep counties whole. That was the message from an overwhelming number of residents who attended a California Citizens Redistricting Commission meeting on April 13 in San Luis Obispo. The 14-member commission made a stop in SLO County to seek comments from local voters regarding the shape of the area’s political districts. More than two dozen […]
Posted inNews
The home stretch
More than 30 years after it was proposed to prepare the community for the eventual development of the Nipomo Mesa, the ambitious—and sometimes controversial—Willow Road Extension Project is on its final leg. Construction crews broke ground on the second and final phase of the project in early April, when the Central Coast-based Granite Construction Co. […]
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County health: Premature death is mostly preventable
More than 28 percent of all deaths in Santa Barbara County in 2008 happened prematurely, and the top reasons for those deaths were largely preventable, according to a report released by the county public health department. The 2011 Community Health Status Report—released April 15—examines the leading causes of illness and death in Santa Barbara County […]
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Ventura councilman appointed to Coastal Commission seat
After nearly two decades without a local official filling a seat at the powerful California Coastal Commission, Ventura County was shown a little love by Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown. Brian Brennan, a three-term councilman and former mayor for the city of Ventura, was announced as Brown’s selection to represent Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis […]
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Blazes beware: A new Santa Maria fire station is on the way
The city of Santa Maria held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new Fire Station No. 3 on April 18. The new fire station will replace the current facility at 1527 N. College Drive, which is a converted, more than 70-year-old house. The old station’s crew and equipment will move to the new station to allow […]
Posted inOpinion
Are you a sunshine or a rain type of person?
Irma Valdez hair stylist “Sunshine. I don’t like when it’s cold. I don’t like wearing sweaters.” [image-2] Anthony Ibarra student “Sunshine for sure. It’s warm, and you get to be outside and do active stuff.” [image-3] Hugo Lopez student “Sunshine, because it’s not depressing.” [image-4] Jim Newell manager “Rain. [I] grew up in Las Vegas […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Sharing the gift
True musical knowledge is a difficult commodity to come by, and unbeknownst to many, Santa Maria has played host to a mastermind in the musical arts for nearly a quarter century. Students uncountable have been helped by the priceless knowledge dispensed tirelessly by Dr. Marcus Engelmann, Fine Arts Department chair and music instructor at Allan […]
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Supporters of an Orcutt veterans’ monument make a stand against Caltrans
Cars honked and curious passersby lent support to an Orcutt Vietnam veteran who recently took his fight against Caltrans over a proposed memorial onto an embankment near Highway 101’s Clark Avenue exit. Steve LeBard, president of the Old Town Orcutt Revitalization Association (OTORA), wants to build a monument honoring veterans near the site, comprised of […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Cameron Jones
Break out those peanuts and Cracker Jacks, it’s springtime again, and with it brings another season of baseball. Locally, one player you may want to keep an eye on is Righetti High centerfielder Cameron Jones. Jones has been playing baseball for the past 10 years, and while he’s only a sophomore, he has a strong […]
