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Pickax-wielding intruder caught

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In a case of life imitating art, a pickax-wielding man smashed his way into a Santa Maria house, terrorizing a family of five who took refuge in a back bedroom until police arrived.

The horror-movie-like incident began at about 10 p.m. Monday when 15-year-old Willie Estrada, a Pioneer Valley High School student, heard a knock on the front door of his family's home in the 900 block of North School Street.

Estrada said he was able to get a quick look at the man's face before the visitor put his hand over the peep hole.

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Music program spared from budget cuts

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The Righetti High School band program has been spared, at least for now, though the teacher who leads it will have her hours reduced.

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LOCAL BUSINESS  NEWS

A getaway helps do some good

The last week of April and the first week of May still found grape growers being awakened by their frost alarms. Cold mornings, with temperatures tenaciously holding on to temperatures down into the low 30s, were more common than not.

Our pinot noir and chardonnay grapes are beginning to bloom. Ideally, growers look for even temperatures with no big swings between daytime and evening.

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SPORTS

Eagles Go Large

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Seven Arroyo Grande hits, including catcher Lucas Kephart's three-run home run. Thirty-nine Jason Ochart pitches. Three Glendale Hoover errors.

Oh yes, eight Arroyo Grande runs. That summed up the bottom of the fourth inning Tuesday as the Eagles snuffed out the Tornados, 8-0 in a CIF Southern Section Division II wild card game at Arroyo Grande's POVE Field.

The Eagles were errorless behind Corey Butcher, who stymied Hoover on three hits, all singles. “He's money,” Kephart said of his batterymate after he checked the Tornados on a 78-pitch complete game. Wysong said the shutout was Butcher's first this season.

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Dark Sky lights path for musicians

A Human and his STDs wanted more exposure

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So the underground, punk-rock band based in Santa Maria paid $100 to Dark Sky Records, owned by Rich Macke and his business partner, Greg Santori, to be on a compilation CD that was distributed to college and underground radio stations and Internet radio stations. The band received 10 CDs of their own, which they could sell back to others if they wanted to.

Human (who said he won’t reveal his real name to anyone) owns his own record label based in Santa Maria, Back Door Records, so you’d think he wouldn’t need the help of another label. But Human said at the local level, the focus is more on collaboration than competition, because bands need all the exposure they can get.

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Beyond Left Field

Spoiled Sports

Posted on Wednesday, April 23 2008

Darn it, the Miami Dolphins went and took all the fun out of this weekend. With the firm knowledge that the NFL is now first, second, third and (oddly enough) sixth on most sports fan’s list of favorite leagues, the NFL Draft has always served as that mid-spring anchor for football junkies (and, more to the [...]

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Throwing their way into the limelight

Posted on Friday, April 18 2008

She was Lompoc High School’s lone representative at the Arcadia Invitational, a nationally-renowned high school track and field meet, on April 12. But what a lone representative! Senior Chelsea Cassulo uncorked a shot put of 42-8 1/2, her personall best by a long, well, shot. That placed her third in the women’s invitational division, the toughest division [...]

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At last, money isn’t everything

Posted on Thursday, April 17 2008

After Bill Self coached Kansas to the 2008 NCAA Division I basketball championship, it figured that at least one other school would try to woo him away. Word had it that that school would be Self’s alma mater, Oklahoma State, with a staggering bonus package, in the $10, 000,000 range, I believe. Self said no thanks, he’s [...]

COMMUNITY CALENDAR


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Music Together
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Cal Poly Engineering Days Registration
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Judy Sherman and The Big Rock Balalaikas
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“Boundaries in Dating” four-part video series
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The Rotary Wine Country Ride
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College Financial Aid for Hancock College
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Pet Portraits help VIVA Cat Shelter
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Nature Center needs donations for Yard Sale
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Fund for fire victims
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NFL flag football early bird registration
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Junior Fairboard Membership Applications
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Summer Programs for Girl Scouts
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Space needed by Exploration Station
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Reunion: Righetti High School Class of 1988
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Reunion: Santa Maria High School Class of 1953
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Reunion: Santa Maria High School Class of 1978
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Reunion: Santa Ynez High School Class of 1998
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Reunion: USS Hollister Destroyer (DD-788)
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Reunion: USS Iwo Jima Class Association
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Reunion: USS Maddox Destroyer Association
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CITIZEN COMMENTARY

Declare war on eco-barons

Absolutely the most frequently voiced complaint from the American public is the high price of gasoline. These prices are because demand exceeds supply.

As the world becomes more industrialized, the problem worsens, we place blame on politicians, big oil, the Mideast, etc. The solution is to increase supply by repairing and building more refineries, along with tapping our own oil supplies from the Gulf Coast, Pacific Coast and Alaska.

Jobs will never return to the U.S. Certainly any foreign investment will be thwarted by the cost of energy. Alternative fuel sources are a nebulous concept, while causing problems such as higher food costs, deforestation, etc.

The blame falls squarely on the shoulders of our environmentalist policies and people. This group would rather see our country become part of the Third World economically, than admit they were wrong or relinquish their power.

Oil drilling can be done less invasively than it used to be. We must rid ourselves of many policies and power these eco-barons hold over us.

Jim Fowler/Santa Maria


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