More than 100 cattle ranchers and dignitaries recognized Nipomo’s Jocko’s Steak House as the best beef restaurant in the state on Oct. 6. At the event, the California Beef Council awarded the restaurant its 2009 California Beef Backer Award, which recognizes restaurants that promote the beef industry through menus, promotions, and popular entrees. After almost […]
It’s what’s for dinner
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Orcutt Academy offers an alternative way to learn
It’s going into its second school year, and already Orcutt Academy’s independent study/blended program has reported a 100 percent increase in enrollment, from 33 to 66 students, according to an announcement from the school. The program allows some of the charter school’s students to blend weekly independent study and classroom instruction to create a more […]
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Fall into learning at Allan Hancock College
The autumn season tends to mark the beginning of the school year for students in kindergarten to college. At Allan Hancock College, learning opportunities are available to adults, too, as registration is now open for a handful of Community Education classes and events happening this month. History and economics will take center stage Oct. 16 […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Coloring the sunset years
Get a grandmother talking about her grandchildren, and at some point she’ll pull out a little book filled with photos. Dolores Gonzales is no different. Actually, she’s a little different. Yes, she proudly shows off the beaming faces of her two grandchildren, but instead of in a handy wallet-sized book, the portraits are hanging on […]
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Sizing it up
The C Gallery has a little bit of art to show. The “Miniatures” show opens at the gallery in Los Alamos on Oct. 24. An artists’ reception will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. for the more than 30 artists submitting work. Artists from as far north as Oregon and as far south as […]
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Hale hands out artist awards
Gallery owner Judith Hale was the juror for the October juried show of the Artists Guild, which is hanging in the guild section of Gallery Los Olivos through October. Both the judge’s award and first place were given to paintings of artichokes by Mary Jean Connors. First place went to Artichokes in Flower. Second place […]
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Have Volkswagen, will travel
I’ll never forget the first time I drove a car: a beat-up Volkswagen Beetle. It was the stereotypical 16-year-old boy’s VW, with primer for paint and a stiff lowered suspension that would knock the fillings out of your teeth when you rode in it. The car was probably worth about $700, but it had a […]
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The circus is in town
A man in a white lab coat, his face covered in blood, approached a woman in the front of the Calvert Theater in Lompoc. “I understand you have the body parts?” he asked, and that’s when my inner chicken went “ba-gok!” This was supposed to be the preview of the latest Cirque du Mort production, […]
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Gunnar Jesperson
There are many different styles of quarterbacks, and Allan Hancock College’s sophomore starter just happens to be a Gunnar. Redshirted last season, Gunnar Jesperson has piloted the Bulldogs to a 5-1 start in 2009, throwing for 1,001 yards and eight touchdowns through the season’s sixth game. “Being a leader of this team is something special,” […]
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Autocross returns after a two-year hiatus
Halloween means candy, costumes, and trick-or-treating, but for Charlie Perry and the rest of the members of the local Corvette car club, the holiday also means it’s time to get back on the track. After two years of searching for a venue, the Santa Maria Vapor Trail Vettes reached a final agreement with Allan Hancock […]
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Help build Orcutt’s Aquacenter
Approved by the county in 2007, Orcutt’s community swimming and recreation facility will soon become a reality, and the public is invited to get involved in the fund- raising process to help finalize the Aquacenter’s permit process, begin on-site improvements, and build the 16,500-square-foot Orcutt Community Building. The facility will serve the Orcutt and Santa Maria […]
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Join web-P.L.A.Y.
The nonprofit People for Leisure and Youth (P.L.A.Y.) has launched a new website to highlight leisure, recreational activities, and events in the Santa Maria Valley. The website, santamariaatplay.org, includes news, an events calendar, and a link for online donations. Visitors can also sign up for a contest to win a recreation package. P.L.A.Y. supports community […]