Author: KEYT

Jarrod Zinn

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – Cities up and down the coast are preparing for fun and festive Easter activities this weekend.

The city of Santa Maria is hoping people come out to its “Egg-Splore Our Parks!” event.

The Santa Maria Recreation & Parks Department has organized a community wide egg hunt contest.

“The prizes are small. They’re non cash prizes with some of our kind of event swag as well as some special specialty gift cards, too. So for an extra surprise bonus,” says Jeanette Blanco, with Santa Maria Recreation and Parks.

At six local parks, there is a two-dimensional egg sign where people can take fun photos for non-cash prizes.

“We’re excited to bring this event back. Every year, a lot of families come out and enjoy the day. It’s a chance to picnic and and kind of just do their own Easter egg hunt and post those pictures on social media,” says Blanco.

There is also a hidden golden egg at one of the six parks, which contains a special, undisclosed bonus prize.

“We definitely encourage families to get creative with their photos. The sillier the better. We love that. We just want families to get out there and have fun,” says Blanco.

The event runs between now and Sunday evening.

The contest closes Sunday evening and winners will be announced on April 23rd.

For submission details be sure to click here for the “Egg-Splore Our Parks” web page.

John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Moving out without much of a plan is not in the playbook for business owners who dread the letter that says they are not getting a lease renewal. But it is happening.

The latest is the Game Seeker on State Street in downtown Santa Barbara.

Owner Ingrid Estrella put out a notice on Instagram with the message saying she is not getting a lease renewal. The store has been there 20 years. She took over from her job as an employee when the previous owner sold it. That was in February of 2020 right before the Covid crisis.

“I think we thought we had more time. And then it kind of just came sooner than we expected,” she said. “We are not giving up. I don’t believe that this is the end. You know, when we took over this business, the vision was greater than this building. “

She is asking the customers if they know of a new site and has the word out to commercial realtors.

The store has face other economic challenges including the COVID pandemic, but has survived as a locally owned business that is stocked with the latest games evolving into the main stream, while stocking the classics.

Often the store sees extra business during the holidays and when family get-togethers take place.

It even has a game out front for passersby to play.

In the online message, Estrella said she is closing down in a couple of weeks and everything is 30 percent off to reduce the load.

One customer picking up a game, Julian Ricasata said, “for people my age, it’s kind of something that’s not technological that you can connect together with. And I think something physical helps you mentally, challenge yourself.”

There was also a game outside of the store on a table being played by passersby.

In the big picture, tariffs may be yet another concern on operational costs. “There’s a possibility we won’t have product or access to product because it’s so expensive, but we don’t know,” said Estrella. “And so we’re at this crux of, you know, what’s our next move? No pun intended, but what is it? 

For now the personal service is still the edge the local store has over the internet purchases. Estrella said,  “because we know our product. We know what it is.”

Nearby the owner of Pascucci, Laura Knight has also been told her lease is not being renewed. She will leave in mid-May, but has a new spot in the 1200 block of State Street.

In the meantime, drinks are discounted with meals to keep the flow of customers coming through.

On Milpas St. the longtime fresh fruits and vegetable store, Tri-County Produce was closing at the end of the month. An employee Jaimie Desales and his son are going to purchase it. That was announced late Friday afternoon.

The site will have a future as a housing and market mixed used project based on plans submitted to the city.

In the 900 block, Cookie Plug is closing after it was not able to work out a lease with the city. It had been subleasing from Metropolitan Theatres which had run the Fiesta 5 theatres until selling it off to the Santa Barbara International Film Festival as the new Film Center.

Dave Alley

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – The future of artificial intelligence (AI) in education and the workforce was the featured topic during a first-of-its-kind summit being held Friday at Allan Hancock College.

The six-hour gathering brought dozens of people from on and outside the campus including faculty, staff, students, industry partners, and community members to learn about what AI is.

“We are looking to bridge the gap between faculty knowing how to embrace AI in their coursework and curriculum, how to work with students as they understand how to work with AI, and know what the parameters are,” said Nancy Jo Ward, Allan Hancock College Media Arts Faculty, who help organize the event. “We are offering workshops and are getting information from our Chancellor’s office. AI is a constantly moving subject and there’s a lot of fear and anxiety around AI. We have our celebrants and we have our people that are naysayers, and we’re providing an opportunity for discourse.”

Hancock College said the first-ever event is part of the school’s commitment to innovation and preparing students and the community for success in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

“It’s here,” said Ward. “It’s not going away, so the more we can be at the forefront of that to support knowledge around, I think that it positions Hancock in the best place. We want to support our faculty who have anxiety. We want to support them to celebrate the use of AI as a tool for efficiency. We want them to be able to support students and their understanding of the limitations and possibly the risks of AI. It’s a conversation that’s not going away.”

More than 200 people attended the summit that included keynote presentations, breakout sessions and panel discussions with experts from both education and industry.

Over the course of the day, attendees had the opportunity to learn about AI trends, its practical applications, ethical considerations, and how AI is shaping the future of learning and employment.

Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Kids are making efforts to save the environment at Vieja Valley Elementary School in Santa Barbara.

The students established the Clean and Green Club to reduce plastic use at their school. 

They researched ideas for how to do that and came up with the idea of switching to reusable sporks. 

This student-led initiative has allowed them to raise money to buy reusable sporks for the school’s food service program.

“We have planted this garden. We got a grant for a dishwasher and we got metal sporks in the cafeteria,” said Dylan McLernon of Vieja Valley Elementary School.

“I’m excited because of global warming and climate change everyone makes a difference,” said student Alaina Galbraith of Vieja Valley Elementary School.

The school administration believes this is a testament that students can have a voice and lead improvements at their schools and in the world.

Mike Klan

UC SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Casey Murray Jr. delivered a go-ahead RBI single in the top of the 11th inning as Big West-leading Cal Poly edged UCSB 4-3 to begin this 3-game Blue-Green rivalry series.

Gauchos ace Tyler Bremner struck out a career-high 13 batters in seven innings of work but the Mustangs managed to scratch out 3 runs off of him despite his dominance.

“(It was a) good college baseball game,” UCSB head coach Andrew Checketts said. Two good teams, and they’re well coached, they’ve got a good team.”

“I thought [Tyler Bremner] was competitive on the day, bullpen was competitive and we had some chances offensively, just couldn’t get some swings going.”

“They’re in first place … they’re pitching well during conference play, and so it’s different pitching. You’ve got to figure out a way to score without hitting homers and we’ve got to keep working on that.”

Bremner was lights-out early, striking out the first seven hitters he faced and going a perfect nine up, nine down his first time through the Cal Poly order. The Mustangs only put one ball in play against Bremner in the first three innings, a one-out pop-up in the third, which Bremner followed up with his eighth strikeout of the day.

By the time the Mustangs were coming up for their second time through the order, Bremner had a 1-0 lead to work with. In the bottom of the second, Jack Holman marked his return to the lineup with a lead-off single back up the middle. Rowan Kelly bunted Holman into scoring position, then Ian Fernandez brought him home with an RBI double down the left field line.

Unfortunately, Fernandez came up limping around first and had to leave the game. With the Gauchos’ other catcher in the lineup, Nate Vargas, occupying the designated hitter role, Santa Barbara had to forfeit their DH to move Vargas behind the dish, meaning Gaucho pitchers would have to either hit or be pinch-hit for. The question of what to do with Bremner came up in the Gaucho half of the fourth, by which time it had become more complicated, as Cal Poly had taken a slim lead. A lead-off walk, fielder’s choice, RBI double from Alejandro Garza, wild pitch and RBI sacrifice fly by Jack Collins put the Mustangs up, 2-1, in the top of the fourth.

However, Bremner had also picked up his ninth strikeout of the night in the top of the fourth and with five innings of baseball left to play, head coach Andrew Checketts kept his ace in, giving Bremner his first collegiate at-bat. He went down looking on three pitches. As if to add insult to injury, the Mustangs scratched across another run in the top of the fifth with a single and a two-out RBI triple by Jake Downing, despite Bremner striking out two more hitters in the frame.

But three runs were not going to be enough to chase Bremner from the game, especially after he struck out another Mustang to strand two runners on in a scoreless sixth. That bounce-back frame made it easier for the Gauchos to keep Bremner on the mound for the top of the seventh; with his spot in the order due up third in the bottom of the seventh, it was a preferable option to keep him out there rather than sending out a reliever who would then be pinch-hit for after just the one inning.

Bremner picked up his career-best 13th K of the day in the top of the seventh, then Reiss Calvin pinch hit for him in the bottom of the inning. Calvin walked and got into scoring position after a wild pitch, but was left stranded.

Donovann Jackson took over and pitched a perfect eighth on the mound, then the offense got the scores level in their half of the inning. LeTrey McCollum’s single up the middle got the rally going, and Cole Kosciusko’s single right after made it a real threat. With two outs, Vargas delivered the clutch swing, driving a ball nearly to the fence in right center, out of reach of the diving center fielder. The deep drive got Vargas all the way to third for his first career triple, scoring both McCollum and Kosciusko to tie the scores at 3-3.

After a lead-off single started the Cal Poly half of the ninth, Cole Tryba relieved Jackson and threw just one pitch, getting an out on a sacrifice bunt. With his assignment completed, it was over to Nathan Aceves, who saw that runner take third on a wild pitch, but then got a huge hand from his defense to escape the jam. On a squeeze bunt attempt, the batter missed the ball and the runner had come crashing home so fast that he was practically in Vargas’ lap, slamming on the brakes and running back towards third. Vargas chased him before tossing to Xavier Esquer to finish the pickoff. A fly out ended the top of the ninth, and a different fly out ended the Gaucho half of the ninth after Santa Barbara put two on with a two-out error and single.

In extra innings, Raymond Olivas pitched a perfect tenth after Liam Barrett had pinch hit for Aceves in the ninth, but the Gauchos also went down in order in their half of the tenth. Olivas nearly got around a lead-off single in the 11th, but a two-out stolen base, then a hit on a full count by Murray Jr. gave Cal Poly the go-ahead run. The Gauchos could not mount a rally in their half of the 11th and fell, 4-3.

BY THE NUMBERSBremner’s 13 strikeouts on Thursday are a career high and bring him within 20 of tying UC Santa Barbara’s all-time career strikeout record of 274, currently held by Dan Yokubaitis. Bremner’s was the first 13-strikeout haul of the season, with the last Gaucho arm to rack up a baker’s dozen of K’s being Ryan Gallagher against Cal State Bakersfield on May 10, 2024.Thursday’s game was the third extra-inning game of the season for Santa Barbara, with all three coming at home. It was the first time that the Gauchos lost an extra-inning game since March 26, 2024 at UCLA. Since then, Santa Barbara had been 3-0 when playing free baseball.

UP NEXTThe Gauchos and Mustangs will be back at it for the second game of the 2025 Blue-Green Rivalry Series on Friday, April 18 from Caesar Uyesaka Stadium and on national television. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. as the showdown between Santa Barbara and Cal Poly will be broadcast on ESPNU. Calvin Proskey is set to take the ball for the Gauchos, opposed by Josh Volmerding for the Mustangs. The first fans in attendance at Saturday’s game will receive a free throwback UC Santa Barbara Baseball hat.

(UCSB Athletics contributed to this article).

Mike Klan

GOLETA, Calif. – Liv Plourde is now the all-time leading goal-scorer for San Marcos High School girls lacrosse.

With four goals in the Royals 18-4 victory at Dos Pueblos, Plourde pushed her total to 107 career goals moving past Mia Martinez-Tomatis who ended up with 105.

Plourde also had 5 assists as San Marcos improved to 16-2 on the year.

“Now every goal Liv scores is a school record total,” said San Marcos head coach Paul Ramsey.  “What’s really nice for us is the way she shared the ball the whole game even though she was closing in on the record.” 

San Marcos led 5-1 after the first quarter and stretched their lead to 12-3 by halftime.

Junior goalie Carly Grant played the whole game for San Marcos and had 7 saves while allowing only 4 goals for 64%.

“Amazing goalie play today and I have to commend Dos Pueblos goalie Stella Lawler,” said Ramsey. “She is one tough athlete.”

Lawler made 12 stops facing the thirty San Marcos shots on the Dos Pueblos goal. Reagan Arnold led the Chargers with 2 goals and an assist.

The Channel League champion Royals are 9-0 in league and will play at Santa Barbara on Tuesday, April 22.

Dave Alley

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – Dozens of Santa Maria children received a bundle of Easter gifts during a charitable event held Thursday afternoon.

For three hours, the Knights of Columbus hall was the site of a free gift distribution for kids of Catholic Charities clients.

After registering earlier in the month, parents, along with any children they brought, went through a distribution line and were able to receive a number of free items.

Some of the gifts included candy, art supplies and egg decorating kits, educational materials and supplies, financial preparedness activity books, along with personal necessities, such as hand cream, lip balm and dish soap.   

“The idea behind this is helping the community,” said Ruth Sherrill, Catholic Charities Client Resource Coordinator. “Its about building and strengthening families, building communities and bringing resiliency when times are tough. These types of joyous events can be moments of strength that people can draw on when times are tough, and it has been tough in our community, and we don’t know what the future might hold.”

The clients were able to pick up approximately $100 worth of items at the distribution, with the generous gifts intended to brighten the holiday for their families, especially the children.

“People are just very grateful coming through with all the kids,” said Brother David Hirt, a Capuchin Franciscan with San Lorenzo Seminary. “The kids are always looking for something to do, and just they’re happy to get what they’re getting here, and it’s good to give.” 

Funding for all of the giveaway merchandise and other items were provided through both in-kind and financial to the program. 

“It’s amazing,” said Paolo Oros, Cal Fresh Healthy Living Nutrition Educator. “It’s beautiful to see the community letting volunteers come serve the community and giving them a bit of hope and necessities for them, and also happiness. It’s just really beautiful to see that.”