Alice Patino, candidate for 5th District Santa Barbara County Supervisor, is inviting the public to join her on Saturdays for “fun and exercise.” Patino will meet people at 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the JC Penny on the corner of Broadway and Stowell to go for walks and discuss important issues facing the Fifth […]
Political Watch 05.06
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Community Notebook 05.06
MONDAY, MAY 10 • 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, MAY 11 • The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has its regular meeting at 9 a.m. in the Betteravia Government Center’s […]
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Brandman University’s Santa Maria campus now offers business degree programs
Brandman University, a subset of Chapman University designed specifically for working adults, is hosting two free informational meetings—May 11 and 18—on its new business degree programs. The meetings will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the college’s Santa Maria campus, located at 1300 E. Cypress St. The university offers bachelor and master degrees […]
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And they call it piggy love
Kim “The Road Hog” Graham, Allan Hancock College’s director of public safety, planted a big wet one on Duke the Pig April 28 after winning the college’s first-ever “Kiss a Pig” fundraiser. Nancy “Babe” Meddings, the interim dean of learning resources, took second, and college president José M. “Napoleon” Ortiz came in third. Overall, the […]
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Hobnobbing with Helen
The flapper-filled fete was most assuredly a high-octane occasion. On a recent Saturday evening, as party-goers drove through the country club gates, they could see two vintage, classic vehicles that set the tone for a classy event: “The Great Catsby and the Barking ’20s.” The pristine Pierce Arrow and Packard, both from the 1920s, belong […]
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If we shadows have offended
It’s an old adage that has plagued mankind since cavemen first drew figures on their walls: What’s the difference between obscenity and art? The U.S. Supreme Court will also ponder this question when it hears a case focusing on repealing the ban on selling and renting “ultra-violent” video games to minors. However, the respondents—the Entertainment […]
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What’s the rush?
Sometimes it seems California Democrats and Republicans are playing the coming election season like an underground card game: making bluffs, calling bluffs, and going all in. When Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called a special election to fill a coveted Senate seat, it saddled five counties in the 15th Senate District with a multi-million dollar bill. And […]
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Rummage for the cause
Every year, mom gets the same gift: a Hallmark card and free lunch from her kids. This year, do something different. On May 8, the day before Mother’s Day, take her to the rummage sale that Fresh Start and the Red Cross, Santa Barbara County Chapter, are holding at 547 W. Betteravia in Santa Maria. […]
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Schwarzenegger withdraws his support of PXP project
Responding to last month’s devastating oil spill in the Gulf Coast, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenneger said at a press conference on May 3 he no longer supports expanding oil drilling of the California coastline. Originally, Schwarzenegger proposed using funds from the controversial Tranquillon Ridge project to keep state parks open. The governor will now have to […]
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District Attorney race gets ugly
Santa Barbara County District Attorney candidates Josh Lynn and Joyce Dudley faced off April 27 at what would end up being their last public debate before the June 8 election. In a statement following the debate, both candidates agreed to cancel the remaining scheduled events out of respect for retired District Attorney Christie Stanley, who […]
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Retired Santa Barbara County District Attorney Christie Stanley is laid to rest
The mournful bleat of bagpipes could be heard outside Santa Maria’s Pacific Christian Center on April 30 in observance of the passing of former Santa Barbara County District Attorney Christie Stanley. The 61-year-old succumbed to lung cancer on April 25. The pews inside the sanctuary brimmed to capacity as several hundred people, including law enforcement, […]
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County HIV programs feel the squeeze
When Curtis Greenhaw tested positive for the HIV virus in 1982, he—like many others living in San Francisco at the time—considered his diagnosis a death sentence. Today, at 49, Greenhaw expects to live a long, normal life, working as a volunteer and test counselor at Pacific Pride Foundation, a resource center for HIV-positive clients in […]