About two years ago, I took up kickboxing. Muay Thai to be exact. The national sport of Thailand, Muay Thai is like cardio kickboxing on crack. It combines traditional punch combinations with several kinds of kicks, and—if you want to get really fancy—flying elbows and knees. Practicing Muay Thai has taught me a lot of […]
Exotic escape
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Community Notebook 4-23
MONDAY, APRIL 27 • The Nipomo Community Advisory Council has its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Nipomo Community Services District Headquarters, 148 S. Wilson St., Nipomo. TUESDAY, APRIL 28 • The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has its regular meeting at 9 a.m. in the Betteravia Government Center’s Board of Supervisors Hearing […]
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Hobnobbing With Helen
Are they or are they not they closing their doors? That’s the question on everyone’s lips. After the recent media blitz proclaiming dire financial circumstances at PCPA, the locals aren’t sure whether—despite 45 years in this community—PCPA is on the verge of going under. The Sun’s readers want to know, I told PCPA Artistic Director […]
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Wasting no time in changing the world
The Community Action Commission of Santa Barbara County will be honoring people who’ve given outstanding service to the community at its fourth annual Champions dinner. The commission is a private, nonprofit social service agency committed to helping low-income residents achieve and maintain self-sufficiency. It currently serves about 10,000 members whose needs outweigh their ability to […]
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Army Corps of Engineers will soon begin levee repairs
Long-awaited repairs on the Santa Maria River Levee could begin as early as this summer, project engineers announced on April 17, during a meeting along the Santa Maria riverbed. Col. Tom Magness of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers informed a group of local officials—including U.S. Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) and Santa Maria Mayor […]
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Santa Barbara County officials, environmental groups tell federal government to stop offshore oil drilling
Delegates from Santa Barbara County recently attended a meeting with U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar in San Francisco to talk about the natural resources of the Outer Continental Shelf and, more specifically, the future of offshore drilling. The meeting was one of four regional meetings around the country held by the Department of […]
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Orcutt citizen group sues over Union Valley Parkway project
The city of Santa Maria, Santa Maria City Council members, and Santa Barbara County could be heading to court over the Union Valley Parkway project after being sued on April 17 by local environmental group Orcutt Citizens for Better Environment (OCBE) and two local residents. On April 15, OCBE and Frank and Pat Culley filed […]
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Association nixes federal stimulus funding for Santa Maria River bridge project
Federal stimulus money originally intended for widening the Santa Maria River bridge will now go into local government coffers, following an overwhelming decision from the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG). On April 16, SBCAG voted 11-0, with county Supervisor Joni Gray and Carpinteria City Councilmember Joe Armendariz absent, to allocate the money to […]
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Strawberry Festival kicks off its 22nd year
Strawberries are having their time in the sun. This year marks the 22nd annual Santa Maria Valley Strawberry Festival, where family, festival rides, and strawberries meet. This year’s theme is “Red, Ripe, and Ready”—fitting for the two-day extravaganza. The festival launch marks the beginning of strawberry season. It also highlights the importance of the strawberry […]
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Selina Gonzalez
Selina Gonzalez was born and raised in Santa Maria and began playing sports when she was only 4 years old. Early on, she was coached by her cousin, Tony Lara, and she grew up playing ball with his daughter on the Central Coast. Shortly after playing co-ed T-ball, she moved up to recreational softball, which […]
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Students take on the police
The Cabrillo High School Girls’ Varsity Team will host a softball game on April 25 against Lompoc police officers to raise money for the Lompoc Police Department’s Relay for Life. The teams will hit the diamond at Cabrillo High School’s softball field at 11 a.m. The Cabrillo ladies’ team will bring the heat by throwing […]
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They’ve got a fast car
The Santa Maria Speedway—kicking off its 2009 season on April 25—is under new management this year. That would be 39-year-old Chris Kearns, a former racer who started promoting three years ago. Kearns was doing just that (promoting, not racing) at the Santa Maria Town Center on April 18, along with 30 of the cars that […]