MONDAY, DEC. 13 • The Santa Maria City Block Grants Advisory Committee has its regular meeting at 5:30 p.m. in the City Hall Conference Room, 110 E. Cook St., Santa Maria. TUESDAY, DEC. 14 • The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has its regular meeting at 9 a.m. in the Betteravia Government Center’s […]
Community Notebook – 12.09
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CALMing effect
Child Abuse Listening and Mediation (CALM)—a Santa Barbara-based nonprofit organization dedicated to putting an end to child abuse—has opened its doors to the North County community. Thanks mainly to a grant from the county’s Department of Alcohol, Drug, and Mental Health Services, the organization will be offering counseling and preventative treatment to local families affected […]
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Chemical warfare
After years of debate and strong opposition from scientists and environmental groups, the state’s Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) gave final approval on Dec. 1 to using the pesticide methyl iodide on California’s strawberry crops. Methyl iodide, also known as iodomethane, is listed by the state as a carcinogen under Proposition 65. It’s a fumigant […]
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Donate a warming guide
With Old Man Winter already lurking about Santa Maria, and the economy still in a bad place, there are more people in need of basic supplies these days. That’s where RaboBank and the Santa Maria Noontime Kiwanis chapter come in. They’re holding their 13th annual December Coat Drive, but they can’t help those in need […]
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Christmas marches in Old Orcutt
The Old Town Orcutt Christmas parade will start at noon on Dec. 11 in downtown. Enjoy discounts with local merchants, business tours, drinks, and free desserts at various locations after the parade. Old Town Market will have a Toys for Tots box outside to collect unwrapped gifts, and Marines will be on hand to collect […]
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Regulators reject Smart Meter moratorium
California utility regulators won’t block Pacific Gas & Electric from completing installations of its controversial Smart Meters, despite questions about long-term health effects. On Dec. 2, the California Public Utilities Commission rejected a request by a safety watchdog group to postpone PG&E’s installation of the new digital meters until further studies on potential health impacts […]
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Lujan takes stand in his defense
The Lompoc man charged with the murder of his former girlfriend’s 4-year old son spent an entire day testifying in his own defense. James Lujan, 30, of Lompoc, spent Dec. 1 fielding questions from defense attorney David Bixby. The prosecution was able to cross-examine him for roughly 30 minutes before trial convened for the day. […]
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Michael Wilson’s sentencing gets postponed
Victims of sour business deals orchestrated by Orcutt businessman Michael Lee Wilson will have to wait another week to have their day in court. Wilson, who pleaded guilty to nearly 60 felony counts of grand theft, was set to receive his sentence on Dec. 3. The hearing, however, was delayed because of a family emergency […]
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Psst … a secretive spacecraft lands at Vandenberg!
After seven months in Earth’s orbit, the U.S. Air Force’s first unmanned reusable spacecraft, the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, landed amid a shroud of secrecy at Vandenberg Air Force Base on Dec. 3. The landing, overseen by the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office and performed remotely by an astronaut pilot, happened at 1:16 a.m. and […]
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Lambert releases fourth album
Santa Maria musician Chris Lambert is set to release his latest album, called Phoebe, on CD and vinyl, as well as a name-your-own price digital version. As a supplement, listeners will also be able to download an entire stripped-down acoustic recording of the album, titled Phoebe, Naked. The album is Lambert’s fourth self-released album and […]
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Raffle for a quilt
Lompoc Museum is holding a quilt raffle to raise money to support the museum store’s Pine Hall Fund. The quilt is handmade, inspired by the 1909 Burpee Seed Catalog. The cover was used in the 2009 Lompoc Museum exhibit poster honoring the 100th anniversary of the sweet pea coming to Lompoc. The drawing will be […]
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The reveal
Betteravia Gallery’s “I Can See Your Tag: Portraits!” exhibition explores emotional revelations, and the result is both an inner and outer view of various individuals. Curated by Connie Rohde, director of C Gallery in Los Alamos, the show’s theme plays with the notion that clothing may disclose something about the wearer, but so may body […]