Christmas 2018
Parade of Lights
saturday, dec. 1, 2018 at 5:20 p.m. on Broadway between stowell and town center mall
City Tree Lighting Ceremony ~ 5:20pm ~ City Hall at Cook and Broadway
Bring your canned goods to donate to the salvation army Presented By
Santa Maria & nipoMo rotary ClubS
sPonsored By
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Festival of Lights ~5pm to 8pm ~ West side of Broadway between Cook and Main
Rabobank proudly supports the Parade of Lights
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GROWTH STARTS SMALL.
R a b o b a n k A m e r i c a . c o m /G r o w Personal Banking
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Business Banking
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Home Lending
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Food & Agriculture
Arroyo Grande 1026 East Grand Avenue (805) 473-6825
Nipomo 615 West Tefft Street (805) 929-1911
Santa Maria 519 East Main Street (805) 922-2144
Atascadero 950 El Camino Real (805) 466-2325
Paso Robles 845 Spring Street (805) 238-7200
720 North Broadway (805) 347-9999
Buellton 61 West highway 246 (805) 688-5571
Pismo Beach 801 Price Street (805) 773-5255
1554 South Broadway (805) 922-6951
Guadalupe 905 Guadalupe Street (805) 343-5467
865 Oak Park Boulevard (805) 473-0333
Lompoc 828 North H Street (805) 735-3777
San Luis Obispo 75 Santa Rosa Street (805) 544-7070 2276 Broad Street (805) 541-5500
1110 East Clark Avenue (805) 937-2028 Santa Ynez 3600 Sagunto Street (805) 688-6424 Solvang 1571 Mission Drive (805) 688-6150
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INDEX
Rotary Santa Maria South: The easy-going evening club! Page A6 Parade of Lights will bring dazzling display to Broadway Page A7 Breakfast Rotary wishes all a joyful holiday season Page A9 Downtown Fridays & MEGA 97.1 part of Parade Page A10 Salvation Army a key partner for the Christmas Parade of Lights Page A10 Local Rotaractors enhance community impact Page A11 Parade of Lights Lineup Page A12 In case of rain Page A13 PLAY Inc. supports partnership for inclusive playground Page A14 Interact means positive impact! Page A15 Rotary Club of Santa Maria has longest legacy in city Page A17 A thank you to our sponsors! Page A19 Christmas Parade of Lights - a proud community tradition Page A20 Rotary is service above self Page A21 Nipomo Rotarians: Collaborators extraordinaire! Page A22
Christmas parade flag:
A tradition continues Jim Bray ROTA R I A N
A
n ongoing tradition of the Christmas Parade of Lights is a giant Christmas flag that will again be carried down the parade route by local Rotarians, their family members, and parade volunteers. It takes around 25 volunteers to carry the flag, which measures 40 feet by 60 feet, and weights approximately 50 pounds. The bright red flag sports a white Christmas tree in the center. Betty’s Fabrics of Santa Maria donated all of the material for the flag’s construction. Spectators, both young and old, are
encouraged to throw money into the flag. Over the past few years, money collected in the flag has averaged approximately $900. This helps defer the cost the parade, which this year is budgeted at approximately $44,000. A great way to contribute is to take a dollar bill and fold it around two quarters. That makes the money very easy to toss into the flag. However, donations of any amount are greatly appreciated. When the flag passes your way, please be generous knowing that you are part of the effort to help your local Rotary clubs produce the Christmas Parade of Lights for another year.
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Rotary Santa Maria South: The easy-going evening club! Vicki Connor ROTARIAN
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Rotary Santa Maria South is Santa Maria’s only evening Rotary club, and is known for its committed, creative, and relaxed approach to service above self. It encourages professional, long-term friendships with a variety of monthly service opportunities and creative fundraising activities, as well as lively, bi-monthly conversations over a premeeting glass of wine. Current Club president Nicole Reeves brings a Millennial perspective to the Club’s many traditional activities. Established over 45 years ago when a few local professionals realized that evening meetings would better accommodate their busy appointment schedules, the Club currently meets at 6 p.m. the first and third Mondays of the month, normally at the
Rotary SM South run-walk booth.
Provided Photos
Growing Grounds presents a check to Rotary Santa Maria South.
Santa Maria Inn, for informative presentations and interesting guest speakers. The Club supports a variety of good causes and special projects, with some representing longtime commitments, and others being adopted more recently to address new or unmet community needs. For many years, Rotary Santa Maria South has
periodically prepared and served meals at the Good Sam Shelter, has provided college or university scholarships for high schoolers, and has sent two or three students to RYLA, Rotary’s youth leadership camp. The Club sponsors the Orcutt Academy High School Interact Club and provides the Club
a Rotary advisor to give input on the Interact club’s service activities. Rotary Santa Maria South is also a sponsor for the City’s summer “Music in the Park” series, and co-sponsors with other Rotary clubs the Christmas Parade of Lights. Club members enjoy providing seed money, as well as ongoing funding,
Fundraiser chair Georgia with Richard.
for worthwhile efforts. Teal Journey Ovarian Cancer Foundation received its start-up funds from Rotary Santa Maria South, as did the Blochman School Lego League robotics Team program. Blochman’s robotics team is now sponsored by the Club. A few years ago, when starting its annual run/ walk, Rotary Santa Maria South designated part of the proceeds to the horticultural rehabilitation program at Growing Grounds, and the Club continues its support to this day. Internationally, Club members support
two village schools in La Paz, sending members down to La Paz for periodic assessment or distribution of supplies. All of the above activities are supported by annual fundraisers such as the Halloween Wine Raffle, this year with a 20s/30s theme, as well as the spring Run/Walk, the 2018 partial proceeds of which went to CASA. Two newer activities of the Rotary Santa Maria South club are supporting homeless individuals in the area through volunteering to help monthly at the Showers of Blessings effort as well as serving a monthly meal at the Salvation Army to individuals living on Santa Maria streets. Interested in knowing more? Contact Membership Chair Peter Garcia, (peterleandro garcia@yahoo.com) or visit Rotary Santa Maria South https://www. facebook/santamariarotarysouth or www.rotarysantamariasouth.org
Parade of Lights will bring dazzling display to Broadway More than 100 entries signed up for Dec. 1 event Mike Hodgson M H O D GSON@ L E EC E N T RALCOAST NEWS.COM
PassengerTeresa Voita and driver Chase Goulet show off their four-wheeler in the 2017 Christmas Parade of Lights.
Find a lineup of parade entries, and a route map on Pages A12 and A13.
continued. “Now we can do it in about half an hour. “Thank God for computers,” he added. Still, it’s no small task. This year, when the Parade of Lights steps off at 5:20 p.m. from Stowell Road, 104 entries with about 3,000 people will roll, march, dance and cartwheel up Broadway to the procession’s end at the Santa Maria Town Center mall. Gibson said the parade will include marching bands from Pioneer Valley, Santa Maria and Righetti high schools, Orcutt Academy and several middle schools. “And Arroyo Grande (High School) is coming down to be in the parade, as well,” Gibson added. A motorcycle group, several car clubs, cyclists, cheerleaders, baton twirlers, walking groups and two or three gymnastics teams — one apparently costumed as Grinches
PLEASE SEE PARADE, Page A8
Elisa Ramirez, Contributor
Arian Oropeza, 16 months old, makes a cute mini Santa Claus at the 2017 Christmas Parade of Lights.
A L L AN H ANC O C K C O L L E G E
Nutcracker YOUT H DANC E
Presents
2018
Friday, December 21, 7 p.m. Saturday, December 22, 2 p.m. Photo courtesy of Arrow Photo
Parade Route Map
— will also be scattered among the many floats entered by businesses, government agencies, veterans groups, schools, nonprofit organizations and just friends. An estimated 20,000 to 25,000 spectators, many of them children, will line the sidewalks and curbs on both sides of Broadway to watch them all go by, illuminated by umpteen white and colored lights. “No, I have no idea,” Gibson responded when asked if he knew how many lights there might be altogether. “But, boy, there are a lot of them.” Every year there are a few surprises in the lineup as well as a number of perennial favorites. “One of the entries that always does a good job is the one from St. Mary of the Assumption School,” Gibson said. Another of the entries to watch for is the one entered by State Farm Insurance agent Donna Randolph, which surrounds itself with “snow” as it rolls along.
Presale tickets available at Community Education (bldg. S) or at the door for $10 children/$15 adults. Call 1-805-922-6966 ext. 3209 for details.
Ethel Pope Auditorium Santa Maria High School 901 S. Broadway
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When the Santa Maria Parade of Lights rolls up Broadway on Saturday, Dec. 1, it will be such a dazzling display of lights and sounds that it’s likely no one will notice how perfectly timed, calculated and coordinated it is. Making it so is the responsibility of the three co-chairmen who organize the annual parade presented by four Rotary Clubs, a Rotaract Club and an Interact Club. The idea behind its organization is that the powerful sound of a marching band doesn’t overpower the softer music from a float — or another marching band — and walking groups, cars, bicycles and motorcycles are well dispersed among the floats. “There’s a little bit of an art to it,” said Mike Gibson, who has co-chaired the parade with Dave Wright since it started 24 years ago and Tom Martinez, who joined them shortly after that. “It’s a lot easier than when everything was on paper,” Gibson said. “Now they fill out the applications online, and it downloads them into spreadsheets. “When they were on paper, Dave and I would spread them all out on the floor, and it would take seven to eight hours to put it together,” he
Parade From A7
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“She’s got some kind of a machine that uses soap and pumps out little bubbles,” Gibson said. “It looks like snow on the street.” Randolph said her entry will be back, but she’s changing things up a little this year, although she’ll still be blowing her faux snow on Broadway. “We have these machines my husband built with windshield washer fluid pumps,” she explained. “They use a mixture of Dawn dishwashing liquid and rubbing alcohol, and it looks just like snow.” In the past, their float was pulled by her van, with the faux snow blowing up and out from the pumps mounted on
Lemos Food & Pet Supply’s float rolls along the route during the 2017 Christmas Parade of Lights.
its top. But this year, the van will be replaced with a 1949 Plymouth she got for her office that has classic 1940s company logos on the doors. “We have more fun than the kids,” Randolph said, referring to the many children who watch the parade. “Some of the kids
have never seen snow. We love to see their faces just light up when they see it.” Another highlight this year will be the last entry in the parade — Santa Maria Fire Department’s new ladder truck that went into service earlier this year. Santa Claus, who most certainly serves as a fireman when he’s not out delivering toys, will be at the far end of the ladder, manning the second steering wheel needed to maneuver the 65-footlong truck. “So that should be kind of cool to see,” Gibson said. Entries in this year’s parade will be competing for a total purse of $4,500 in prize money. Entries will be evaluated by a panel of six judges — one each from the Rotary Club of Santa Maria Breakfast, the Rotary Club of Santa Maria Noontime, the Rotary Club of Santa Maria South, the Rotary
Elisa Ramirez Photos, Contributor
One of the Santa Maria BMX riders high-fives paradegoers at the 2017 Christmas Parade of Lights.
The Gold Coast Collision float moves along the route during the 2017 Christmas Parade of Lights.
Club of Nipomo, the Santa Maria Valley Rotaract Club for 20-somethings and Rotary’s Interact Club for high school students. Prizes of $350 for first place and $150 for second place will be awarded
in seven categories, and $1,000 will go to the sweepstakes winner, Gibson said. The theme this year is “The Joy of Giving,” which is appropriate for the Parade of Lights.
Spectators are asked to bring canned goods and place them in collection boxes located all along the parade route. The Rotary Clubs then will turn over everything collected to the Salvation Army. “We collect 4,000 to 5,000 pounds of canned goods every year,” Gibson said. “That’s a lot of canned goods.” One thing that seems to characterize the parade is its festive nature — shining eyes, wide smiles and sparkling laughter — brought about by the dazzling arrays of lights, stirring music, youth performances and shouts of “Merry Christmas!” “That’s one thing that’s so great about it,” Gibson said. “Everybody’s in a really good mood.”
Breakfast Rotary wishes all a joyful holiday season Vicki Connor ROTARIAN
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Santa Maria Breakfast Rotary wishes the Santa Maria Valley a joyful holiday season. May the light of Christmas fill your families with an abundance of happy cheer. How do we do this? Rotary has a vision. Our vision is “Service above Self” since 1984. Our dedicated Rotarians work with nearly all non-profits. We are committed to education, volunteering, and fundraising for the greater good of the community. Our fundraising efforts result in thousands of dollars per year that is distributed throughout the community. Additionally, the Rotary Breakfast Club supports veterans and military personnel. Since 1984, our dedicated Rotarians have worked with other local Rotary groups volunteering thousands of hours for numerous causes while contributing nearly $1 million to local and international organizations. Whether it is a Special Contributed Olympics athlete triumphant Royce and Diane Smith present a check to Breakfast Rotary for an international project in Guatemala. Pictured from left are Tim Seifert, Diane Smith, Royce Smith, Frank Ortiz and Jim Peterson. Royce and Diane are from the Fargo North Dakota Rotary Club and Tim, Frank and Jim PLEASE SEE BREAKFAST, Page A16 are members of Breakfast Rotary.
Downtown Fridays & MEGA 97.1 part of Christmas Parade of Lights Ed Carcarey
Jim Bray
CO N TRI B U TOR
ROTARIAN
Downtown Fridays & MEGA 97.1 will join the Christmas Parade of Lights again this year. This event is called the Foodsco Festival of Lights and will run from 5 p.m. when Broadway is closed until 8 p.m. immediately after the parade is over. Since April 2016, Downtown Fridays proved to be the place for families, fun, and community camaraderie. The weekly event features live local bands, food booths, food trucks, arts and crafts, kids’ activities, novelty items, and a beer tent. Although this popular event is closed for the winter, you will have the opportunity to participate before, during and after the parade on the west side of the median on Broadway between Cook and Main streets. The parade proceeds on the east side of the median until finishing at the Mall. The Foodsco Festival of Lights will feature live Christmas music, Party Factory Kids Zone with Bouncers and a Mechanical Bull, two fully decorated Christmas Trees loaded with gifts to be given away by Altrusa’s Festival of Trees, Beer Tent with heaters, and some of the best food trucks on the Central Coast serving the hungry crowds!
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Salvation Army a key partner for the Christmas Parade of Lights The Salvation Army began in 1865 when William Booth, a London minister, gave up the comfort of his pulpit and decided to take his message into the streets where it would reach the poor, the homeless, the hungry and the destitute. His original aim was to send converts to established churches of the day, but soon realized that the poor did not feel comfortable or welcomed in the pews of many of the churches and chapels of Victorian England. So, Booth decided to establish a church especially for them – the East London Christian Mission. In May, 1878, a draft of the mission’s annual report was written entitled “The Christian Mission is a Volunteer Army.” Booth’s son, Bramwell, strongly objected
to this wording stating he was not a volunteer — he was compelled to do God’s Work. So, he crossed out the word “Volunteer” and substituted the word “Salvation”, and the Salvation Army name was created. The local Santa Maria Salvation Army Corps & Community Center has been in the Santa Maria Valley for approximately 75 years. According to Lieutenant Juan Torres, Corps Officer who has been with the Santa Maria office of the Salvation Army for four years, “There are so many services the Salvation Army provides that I don’t think the local community realizes. Not just
can food and hot meals, but clothing, diapers and formulas for children, soap and shower supplies along with showers, help with utilities, as well as spiritual comfort and guidance. We serve 120150 lunches a day Monday thru Thursday and help out over 400 families with toys and Christmas baskets during the Christmas season. The Christmas Parade of Lights goes a long way in helping us meet our very important can food needs.” When the Santa Maria
Breakfast Rotary Club decided to take on the project of resurrecting the Christmas Parade of Lights, it was decided to make this a real community event by asking participants and viewers alike to bring non-perishables, that have not expired, to the parade to be donated for the benefit of the Salvation Army – particularly canned soups, pastas, vegetables and cereal. As a result, this effort has grown into the largest canned food drive of its kind on the Central Coast. Each year, the Christmas Parade of Lights contributes almost a ton of canned goods to the local Salvation Army’s effort to feed the needy. This effort meets the Salvation Army’s needs for about two months. Because of the charitable focus of the parade to benefit the Santa Maria Salvation Army, the parade’s efforts are truly worthy of its theme — “The Joy of Giving.”
Local Rotaractors enhance community impact Vicki Connor ROTA R I AN
Rotary International is the parent organization to Rotaract. Rotary is an international network of more than 1.2 million members worldwide, 7,100-plus professional clubs in 167 countries. Each club provides volunteer, networking, and social opportunities for local club members. The Santa Maria Valley Rotaract Club is one of 9,522 Rotaract clubs in over 177 countries. All of the clubs are started at the local,
grassroots level by active young professionals and students in order to better serve their communities. Rotaract provides young professionals with an opportunity to serve the local and global community, network with industry leaders, and cultivate their leadership skills while developing lasting and meaningful relationships. The Rotaract club meets twice a month to exchange ideas, plan activities and projects, and socialize. Local Rotary groups
sponsor the club and, because of this relationship, Rotaractors become true “partners in service.” Members share a desire to better their community and themselves, make friends, and have fun! Some Rotaractors are earning advanced degrees and professional certificates; most are working full time. Santa Maria Valley Rotaract has thrived this year. The Club’s primary project was for the benefit of Domestic Violence Solutions (DVS), in partnership with the Rotary Club of Santa Maria, Rotary Club of Buellton, and Rotary Club of Lompoc. DVS provides emergency shelter services, transitional housing services, support services, 24 hour crisis and information hotline, and other services. In 2016, one DVS shelter location sustained damage from a leaky roof. The roof was repaired,
Contributed photos
Above, Rotaract at Luau; below, Rotaract members in planning.
but the carpet below was destroyed. The room — the “play room” — was out of
use for over a year. Rotaract was put in touch with DVS to see how we could
help. After regular visits to the shelter, the Clubs worked with DVS staff to remove the old carpet and install new flooring. The Clubs also donated furniture, a flat-screen television, toys, and books. The play room is up and running once again. This is just one of several service projects of the local Rotaract Club. The club continues to grow and stay true to the mission of “Service Above Self”
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15 Student Transportation of America
2 Orcutt Union School District Jr. High Band
16 Lemos Feed & Pet Supply
3 Fidelity National Title
17 Nipomo Cowboys Cheer
4 Santa Maria Times
18 Armando’s Auto Body & Paint
5 Rotary Clubs of Santa Maria and Nipomo
19 Allstate—Santa Maria Insurance Agency
6 Santa Maria Valley Railway Historical Museum
20 CalPortland Construction
7 City of Santa Maria Public Works Department
21 Righetti FFA
8 El Camino Jr High School Cheerleading and Triple Threat All Star Cheerleading
22 Idler’s Home
9 Santa Barbara County 5th District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino 10 Oakley Dolphins Elementary School 11 Central Coast Shuttle Service 12 Reyes Coca Cola Bottling 13 Doc Burnstein’s Ice Cream Lab 14 Righetti Warrior Marching Band
23 Kt’s All Star Gymnastics 24 Rotary Donation Flag
Announcer
TV Television
Restroom
As Español announcer
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27 Boys and Girls Clubs of Santa Maria Valley 28 Coast Family Home Care 29 Moxie Cafe
As Town Center Mall McClelland St.
Broadway between Enos Drive Cook St. and Main Street will be closed X X beginning about 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. Dec.1.6. Orange St. Additionally, Stowell Road will X As be closed at 3 p.m. between Broadway and Depot Street on parade day because that is the Boone St. X X area where entrants will line up for the parade. Jones St. X X The closures will be in effect A until the parade ends at approximately 7:30 p.m. Park Ave. X AX For emergency traffic, police officers will be stationed where J Broadway intersects with Morrison St. X J TV X Jones and Cook streets. Other ta San drivers wanted to cross ria Ma Broadway should use Battles Camino High X Collegio Road on the south or Main Street to the north.
25 Donna Randolph’s State Farm Insurance 26 Pioneer Valley High School
Judges
Finish Broadway
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Staging area
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Parade of Lights
Parade of Lights
Stowell Rd.
30 Fesler Jr High School and Miller Elementary school cheerleading squads 31 Community Bank of Santa Maria 32 City of Santa Maria Utilities Department
54 JB’s Jewelers 55 Knight Broadcasting/ Good Samaritan Services 56 Santa Maria 4 Wheelers 57 Santa Maria Public Library 58 Iglesia Monte De Zion 59 Central Coast Safety
33 Kiwanis Club of Santa Maria—Noontime
60 Tommie Kunst Junior high School Marching Band
34 Santa Maria Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram
61 Foodbank Of Santa Barbara County
35 Lidos 36 Gold Coast Radio 37 Laninis PLumbing Repair 38 St. Mary of the Assumption School 39 Santa Maria Valley YMCA
62 Allan Hancock College Youth Dance 63 Vintage Volkswagen Club of American Central Coast Chapter 64 Pacific Christian center
80 Santa Maria High School Saints Band 81 Laurus College 82 Santa Maria Terrace 83 S&D’s Mr. Nice Cream 84 Santa Maria High School Cheerleaders 85 JD Humann Landscape, Inc. 86 Smith’s Alarms 87 Vandenberg Air Force Base Jets Gymnastics Team 88 Cal Skate Roller Derby & Central Coast Sports Arena 89 Paradise British Car Club 90 Orcutt Academy High School Band 91 Trivium Charter School
65 Ballet Juvenil Azteca de Rocio Santos
92 Iglesia Internacional Casa de Dios
42 Santa Maria Shrine Club
66 Santa Maria Police Explorer POST 115
43 One Nation 805
67 Girl Scouts
94 Arellanes Junior High School Cheerleaders
44 Santa Barbara Family Dentistry
68 Christ United Methodist Church
45 Arroyo Grande High School Eagle Marching Band
69 Santa Maria Model A Ford Club
40 CASA of Santa Barbara County
46 7-Eleven 47 Calvary Chapel Of Santa Maria 48 Santa Maria High School FFA 49 American General Media
70 El Camino Jr. High Band 71 Allan Hancock College 72 Centro Cristiano de Evangelismo 73 St. Joseph’s Church
93 Bent Axles Street Rods Inc. 93
95 Pioneer Valley FFA 96 Pioneer Valley Panther Cheer 97 Michael B. Clayton & Associates 98 American Legion Riders Orcutt Post 534 99 Lazer Broadcasting Corp.
74 Camp Fire of the Central Coast
100 Central Coast Peacemakers
75 Casa Pacifica 76 Jurassic Party Rentals
101 RHS Thunder Drumline and Righetti High School Spirit Squad
77 Honda of Santa Maria
102 Rabobank
52 Waste Management
78 Los Padres National Forest
103 The Salvation Army
53 Los Prietos Boys Camp
79 Antlers 1538 of the Santa Maria Elks 1538
104 Santa Claus
50 California School Employees Association 51 The New Image Thrift Store (Domestic Violence Solutions)
In Case of Rain The Parade of Lights has only been cancelled once in the 20 years that Rotary has been hosting the event. That happened in one of the early years when the event was much smaller and it was postponed to the following week. Organizers are of the opinion that given the magnitude of the event, postponing the event one week is not feasible. Too many people, volunteers and participants
alike, have already made plans for the following week. Organizers therefore will make every effort to put on the parade even under light rain conditions. However, heavy rain conditions will cause cancellation of the event. Organizers will post a message on the web site at www. smparadeoflights.org if the event is cancelled no later than 2 p.m. on Saturday Dec. 1.
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PLAY Inc. supports partnership for inclusive playground Teresa Reyburn PUBLIC RELATIONS CHAIR
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The People for Leisure and Youth, Inc. (PLAY, Inc.) is a local non-profit organization founded in 1997 to enhance, support, and promote the recreation, leisure, parks, and
cultural services offered by the Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department to enrich the lives of the residents of the Santa Maria Valley. Together, both organizations work to improve community parks and leisure services to enhance the lives of local residents. At its core, PLAY, Inc. believes every community member should have the opportunity to participate in recreation and leisure activities. Whether it is an after school program, robotics program, sports league, or a large community event, PLAY, Inc. wants to ensure opportunities like these are available for future generations and relies on community support to make this happen. One of the greatest joys of being a child is the ability to play, socialize, and interact with other children. With more than 100,000 people living
Christina Curry
in Santa Maria, there is currently no play area for children or young adults with disabilities. This year, PLAY, Inc. has taken on a special endeavor for our community’s most special members by partnering with the Santa Maria Kiwanis for Kids Foundation and the Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department in support of their fundraising campaign to build an inclusive playground for children and young adults with disabilities at Preisker Park in Santa Maria. A truly accessible play space benefits everyone
and can offer all children the opportunity to play alongside one another and help create a sense of understanding and community, while also providing a greater range of learning and developmental opportunities, regardless of one’s abilities. The total cost for the playground and installation is $200,000. Kiwanis and the Recreation and Parks Department have made a good start, but are turning to the community for the remaining $100,000. Donations can be made at www.gofundme.com/ santa-maria-universalplayground. You’re invited to join PLAY, Inc. and the Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department for the grand illumination of our 24-foot Christmas tree at the Community Tree Lighting Ceremony that will take place on Saturday, December 1st at the City Hall Courtyard on
the corner of Cook and Broadway streets. Festivities begin at 4:30 p.m. with the Coastal Voices Choir spreading joy to the crowd with caroling. The Christmas tree lighting takes place at 5:20 p.m. to mark the beginning of the Rotary Christmas Parade of Lights! At the Community Tree Lighting, PLAY, Inc. is inviting the community to believe in and support our mission by participating in The Holiday Spirit Project! This ornament fundraiser will help bring recreation and leisure programs to the community while making the Community Christmas Tree dazzle! Make a donation of $10 to PLAY, Inc. and receive an ornament for your home. A personalized tag of your family, individual or business’ name will also be attached to an ornament on the Community Christmas Tree located
on the corner of Cook and Broadway! There are two ornament styles to choose from (Santa Claus or Holiday Bells) and they can be purchased at the Community Tree Lighting event, or online at www. santamariaatplay.org. PLAY, Inc.’s mission of getting everyone out to play is possible because of the contributions community members make to the non-profit organization. There are many ways for community members to get involved. A COMMUNITY UNITED: Connecting the community through various parks, programs, and events is the heart of PLAY, Inc. PLAY, Inc. helps bring our diverse population together with the common goal of leading active lifestyles while having fun. We want to build an enjoyable and cohesive community through people, parks, and programs.
Interact means positive impact! Vicki Connor ROTARIAN
Interact is a Rotary program for 12- to 18-yearold students now boasting 20,372 clubs in 159 countries. There are 468,556 Interactors worldwide
learning leadership skills and practicing “Service Above Self”. The purpose of the Interact program is to encourage youth to take action to make a difference in their school and community, to discover new cultures, foster international understanding, have fun, and for Interact clubs to connect with other clubs from around the world. There are four Interact clubs in the local area, each sponsored by a Rotary club. The Nipomo High School Interact Club is led this year by president Kurtis Newton, with the high school advisor being Shannon Hrase. Peggy Hesse of the Nipomo Rotary Club is the Rotary Club liaison. Nipomo Interactors are doing a beach clean-up in Oceano this year, as well as helping with the Christmas Parade of Lights. The club
Contributed photo
Righetti High School Interact members.
also supported the “Winner, Winner Tri-Tip Dinner” of the Nipomo Rotary Club, an event benefiting a local drama club, and Boy Scouts. Other projects are also under discussion or on the calendar. Interactors at Orcutt Academy High School have Jessalyn Prado as club president. John Dell’ Armo is the OAHS Interact Club advisor, and Leigh Collier represents Rotary Santa Maria South
as liaison to the club. OAHS Interactors have served meals for homeless individuals temporarily at the Good Samaritan Shelter (Good Sam), and have coordinated a sock and underwear drive for homeless people through the Showers of Blessings program, as well. The Club did a successful campus Club Day fundraiser selling chips, salsa and guacamole. Co-presidents Akami
Karamitsos and Jessica Powell are leading Righetti High Interactors this school year, with Kim Karamitsos as Interact Club advisor. The Club serves meals at Good Sam monthly, volunteers at the local animal shelter and Family Day, coordinates a shoe drive, and supports several other events/ causes. Michele Jensen serves as the Breakfast Rotary liaison to the Righetti High School
Interact Club. Danielle Martinez is the St. Joseph’s High School Interact Club liaison from The Rotary Club of Santa Maria. The Interact Club president at St. Joe’s is Jason Dubowsky, and Grace Kerschner is the Club advisor. St. Joe’s Interactors actively participates in many joint Rotary events such as fundraisers, bake sales and the holiday Parade of Lights. They have raised funds at school by selling pizza and root beer floats. They have placed flags on veterans’ graves to celebrate Veterans’ Day, volunteered at the Santa Maria air show, and donated a decorated Christmas tree to Altrusa last year. They also enjoy volunteering at Triple A home playing games with the elderly residents. Last year they donated funds to several local nonprofits.
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Contributed photos
Breakfast Rotarians Shannon Seifert (left) and Teresa Reyburn at a club meeting one Thursday morning at the Santa Maria Inn.
Breakfast From A9
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from participating in yearround competition, a child experiencing their first Christmas parade, or a displaced resident receiving food at the local shelter, dreams are realized every day by
thousands of people from all ages, cultures, and economic backgrounds because of the Breakfast Rotarians’ selfless commitment to service. Our club encourages students to attend higher education programs through annual scholarships. This year our club provided $31,000 in scholarships to high school seniors that would be
Toys purchased by Breakfast Rotary for Probation Department toy drive.
attending college universities. The Breakfast Rotary Club not only serves our local community, but also provides support to international communities. Clubs, individually and collectively, work to improve the health, sanitation, and educational opportunities in villages and cities around the world. Rotarians from Santa Maria and Nipomo
have traveled to Africa and India to immunize children from Polio, to Mexico to build and improve free health clinics and schools, and presently are working with multiple U.S. clubs to build new schools and expand existing sites in rural Guatemala. Our world is a small one, and serving together to improve the lives of new friends in other
countries really proves that point. It is a wonderful experience—and is at the very heart of Rotary’s mission. This year marks the 24th annual Parade of Lights. The Breakfast Rotary Club volunteers countless hours to ensure these holiday experiences continue year after year. We look forward to another joyful Christmas Parade.
Rotary Club of Santa Maria has longest legacy in city
Vicki Connor ROTA R I AN
Contributed photo
PLEASE SEE LEGACY, Page A18
Rotary Club of Santa Maria park cleanup team.
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The Rotary motto of “Service Above Self” is well established in The Rotary Club of Santa Maria, which, as the oldest Rotary Club in Santa Maria, has the longest legacy of community service. It has been providing service in the Santa Maria valley for over 90 years. Sponsored by the Santa Barbara Club and chartered in 1922, the club has sponsored the San Luis Obispo Rotary Club in 1923, Lompoc Rotary in 1925, the Guadalupe Rotary in 1940, the Santa Maria South Rotary Club in 1973 and Santa Maria Breakfast Rotary in 1984. The club’s first meeting was held at the Santa Maria Inn, and the club continues to meet there on Tuesdays at 12:10 p.m. The Rotary Club of Santa Maria also sponsors an Interact club at St. Joseph High School Interact Club which was established in 2006. The club is also working to create additional Interact Clubs at two local high schools. The new local Rotaract Club for young professionals was
also inspired by the club’s efforts. The many local and international service efforts of the club are supported by an annual fundraising dinner/auction, which this year was held Nov. 3. Chaired by President-Elect, Cynthia Schur, and supported by club members and hundreds of community members, this year’s event honored the recently retired Judge Rogelio Flores with the “Don Melby Business Ethics Award”. This year’s Call to Action beneficiary was Veterans Stand Down. According to current club President, Michelle Shipman, the total funds raised over the last 19 years surpassed the $1 million benchmark and have supported many local service projects as well as organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club, YMCA, CASA of SBC, Good Samaritan Shelter, Santa Maria Public Library Foundation, Camp Fire Central Coast, Allan Hancock College Scholarship Foundation, and numerous others.
Legacy From A17
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The historical Rotary Club of Santa Maria boasts a strong link with Cecil B. DeMille, who, while filming “The Ten Commandments” in Guadalupe regularly attended club meetings at the Inn. His affection for the club led him to ask his Hollywood prop department to make a Rotary Wheel for the club, which he presented to club members. This wheel now sits in the Santa Maria Historical Museum. The Rotary Club of Santa Maria is a proud co-sponsor of the
Christmas Parade of Lights, working with the other Rotary Clubs in Santa Maria and Nipomo for several months to assure that all logistics are managed efficiently. Besides sponsoring the parade, the club has joined with the other local Rotary clubs in the building of Rotary Centennial Park and the Central Coast Literacy Center in the Santa Maria Library. Jointly the local clubs have worked to clean up the Dunes Center in Guadalupe and Oso Flaco Lake, and have sponsored the “Concerts in the Park” during the summer. The club has also provided support for international projects of other local clubs.
Cheryl and Jim Talbott, the CEO for SMOOTH at a Rotary Club meeting.
Contributed photos
Decorations at the Sips and Sombreros fundraiser.
President Michelle Shipman, left, with Mayor Alice Patino and Councilwoman Etta Waterfield.
A thank you to our sponsors!
he Rotary Clubs of Santa Maria and T Nipomo wish to thank the following:
Major Sponsors:
Rabobank Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Dignity Health Hospitals of the Central Coast and Marian Medical Center
Primary Sponsors:
Santa Maria Times KCOY and KKFX Television
High Definition Screen Sponsorship: Coca Cola of Santa Maria
Parade Sponsors:
In-kind Sponsors:
Quinn Equipment Rental PRP Companies—Printing All American Screen Printing
And thanks to the many fine organizations below who have helped in one fashion or another to make this parade a great community event:
Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department Santa Maria Police Department Santa Maria Fire Department Civil Air Patrol Squadron 101—Vandenberg and Santa Maria Santa Maria Town Center Spinoso Real Estate Group Interact Club of Nipomo H.S.
Interact Club of St. Joseph H.S. Interact Club of Righetti H.S. Interact Club of Orcutt Academy H.S. Righetti FFA Students from Arrellanes Jr. High Students from Lakeview Jr. High Students from El Camino Jr. High Students from Orcutt Jr. High Portable Johns Landmark Square Santa Maria Explorer Scouts Guadalupe Explorer Scouts Straw Hat Pizza and Randy/Mary Wise
Del Taco and Martin/Debi Testa Santa Maria Inn Santa Maria Inn Barber Shop Santa Maria Fairpark SLO Grind Coffee Hot Dog on a Stick Central City Market and Town Center Mall Santa Maria Jeep Chrysler
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Darren Gee—Darren’s Strawberries Milt Guggia Enterprises Toyota of Santa Maria Lemos Pet Supply Pacific Petroleum SEIU Local 620 Streator Pipe and Supply
Santa Maria Inn and Radisson Hotel Santa Maria Airport District Santa Maria Parks and Recreation Department Santa Maria Valley Crop Services
Santa Maria’s Christmas Parade of Lights - a proud community tradition Jim Bray
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ROTA R I A N
This year marks the 24th Christmas Parade of Lights under local Rotary leadership. In the beginning, and for many years, the Christmas Parade of Lights was organized and run by the Lions Club of Santa Maria. During the first years, the parade ran south on Broadway, from Fesler to Boone Streets. Surprisingly, traffic was allowed to continue on Broadway, using the western lane while the parade ran down the east side of the street! Unfortunately, in 1994 the parade did not happen at all. Disappointed in the loss of this annual holiday tradition, some local Rotarians in the Santa Maria Breakfast Rotary Club decided to take on the project of resurrecting the parade and making it bigger and better than ever. They were assisted with the early financial support of the Santa Maria Times. It was also decided to make this a real community event by asking participants and viewers alike to bring nonperishables to the parade to be
Elisa Ramirez, Contributor
The Santa Maria High School band marched in the 2016 Santa Maria Parade of Lights.
donated for the benefit of the Salvation Army – particularly canned soups, pastas, vegetables and cereal. As a result, this effort has grown into the largest canned food drive of its kind on the Central Coast. Each year at the Christmas Parade of Lights, almost a ton of canned goods are collected for use, which will generally last into the spring. Because of the charitable focus of the parade, the theme over the years has been “The Joy of Giving.” One of the first things
organizers did when the parade was revived in 1995 was to change the direction of the parade and start at the Santa Maria Inn and go north, finishing at the Town Center Mall. The Rotarian organizers secured permission from the city and Caltrans to completely close Broadway during the parade. This allowed viewers to comfortably see the parade from both sides of the street, as well as provide greater safety to the participants. Parade organizers also stationed announcers, in English and Spanish,
along the parade route. Realizing this effort was much too big for one Rotary Club, the second year (1996) saw the combination of all three Santa Maria Rotary Clubs (Breakfast, Noon and South), as well as the Rotary Club of Nipomo, come together to organize and run the event. It has been a joint effort ever since with planning beginning each year in August. In 1997, organizers purchased figurines from the sponsorship proceeds, and with help from the city, placed them along the median in front of the mall. In 2001, local television stations KCOY and KKFX began broadcasting the parade live. In 2003, due to the large crowds that were turning out for the event — estimated now at some 25,000 to 30,000 people — the parade was extended starting at Stowell and Broadway. In 2006, the Santa Maria Christmas Parade of Lights website was created (www. smparadeoflights.org) and today is a key part of the parade experience. This website allows parade applications to be completed and submitted
on line, as well as other information including the parade route, street closures, parade history, and a photo gallery of past parades. Also in 2006, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) helicopter kicked off the parade with a flyover of the parade route. The idea came from parade co-chairman Mike Gibson who figured if the Rose Parade had a flyover, “why can’t we have a fly over of our own?” In 2012, California Shock Trauma Air Rescue (CALSTAR), provided the helicopter, and will again fly over the 2018 parade. These flyovers have become a muchanticipated part of the parade. As we celebrate our 24th year of parade sponsorship, the four local Rotary clubs have been proud to be a part of this community celebration. We are extremely grateful for the approximately 2,500 participants, almost 250 community volunteers, local city and law enforcement personnel, as well as over 100 Rotarians who have helped make the Christmas Parade of Lights a truly signature community event for the Santa Maria Valley.
Rotary is service above self Jim Bray ROTARIAN
For more than 110 years, Rotary’s guiding principles have been the foundation of its values: service, fellowship, diversity, integrity and leadership. To learn more about Rotary, and how to become a member of a local Rotary Club, visit the Rotary website at www.rotary.org. members served in 29 delegations to the United Nations Charter Conference. Rotary still actively participates in United Nations conferences by sending observers to major meetings and promoting the United Nations in Rotary publications. Rotary International’s relationship with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) dates to a 1943 London Rotary conference that promoted international cultural and educational exchanges. Attended by ministers of education and observers from around the world, and chaired by a past president of Rotary International, the conference was an impetus to the establishment of UNESCO in 1946. In 1932, Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor created the Four-Way Test. This is a code of ethics adopted by Rotary 11 years later. The test, which has been translated into more than
100 languages, asks the following questions: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? The Rotary Foundation was the dream of Rotarian Arch C. Klumph, who was the first to advocate the creation of a permanent charitable endowment. A self-made lumber magnate, Klumph became a founding member of the Rotary Club of Cleveland in 1911. The Rotary Club of Kansas City, MO made the first donation for the endowment in the amount of $26.50 in 1917. Supported primarily through individual donations, today, more than $3 billion has been raised by the Foundation to fund worthwhile humanitarian projects around the globe. In 1980, Rotary vowed to eradicate the polio virus through global immunization. The PolioPlus program was launched in 1985, and
Rotary began working with organizations like WHO, UNICEF, the CDC, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support the eradication effort. For every $1 Rotary commits to polio eradication, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has committed $2. Because of this tremendous effort, more than 120 countries have seen the eradication of polio since 1988. This includes 2.5 billion children who have been immunized. Today, polio remains endemic in only three countries, down from 125 in 1988. Youth is an important focus of Rotary as well, and gives young people an excellent opportunity to participate in community service. Rotary recognizes the importance of empowering youth and young professionals through leadership development programs such as Rotaract, Interact, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards and Rotary Youth Exchange. Rotarians are your
neighbors, your community leaders and some of the world’s greatest history-makers, including: Warren G. Harding, U.S. President; Guglielmo Marconi, Italian inventor of the wireless radio and Nobel Laureate; Thomas Mann, German novelist and Nobel Laureate; Dianne Feinstein, U.S. Senator; Frank Borman, American astronaut and James Cash Penney, founder of JC Penney Company. In more than 35,000 clubs worldwide, with a membership of 1.2 million, you will find Rotarians volunteering in communities at home and abroad to support education and job training, provide clean water, combat hunger, improve health and sanitation, as well as the fight to end polio. The organization’s dedication to serve others is truly expressed in its motto—Service Above Self. For more than 110 years, Rotary’s guiding principles have been the foundation of its values: service, fellowship, diversity, integrity and leadership. To learn more about Rotary, and how to become a member of a local Rotary Club, visit the Rotary website at www.rotary.org.
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Rotary is a worldwide organization of business and professional leaders that provides humanitarian service, encourages high ethical standards in all vocations, and helps build goodwill and peace in the world. As signified by the motto Service Above Self, Rotary’s main objective is service — in the community, in the workplace and throughout the world. The world’s first service club, the Rotary Club of Chicago, Illinois was formed Feb. 23, 1905. Paul P. Harris, an attorney, wished to recapture in a professional club, the same friendly spirit he had felt in the small towns of his youth. The name “Rotary” is derived
from the early practice of rotating meetings among members’ offices. Rotary’s popularity spread throughout the United States and within five years clubs had formed across the country from San Francisco to New York. By July 1925, Rotary had grown to more than 2,000 clubs and an estimated 108,000 members on six continents. As Rotary grew, its mission expanded beyond serving the professional and social interests of club members. Rotarians began pooling their resources and contributing their talents to help serve communities in need. During and after World War II, Rotarians became increasingly involved in promoting international understanding. In 1945, 49 Rotary
Nipomo Rotarians: Collaborators extraordinaire! Vicki Connor
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ROTARIAN
The Nipomo Rotary Club considers itself not a check-writing club, but a hands-on, collaboration machine. Its trademark BBQ crew supports other organizations with BBQing services for a variety of good causes, leveraging fundraising efforts and fostering more fundraising income for youth and local nonprofits. Wherever one goes in San Luis Obispo County, it’s likely that the Nipomo Rotary’s BBQ team and trailer have already been there, highlighting the club’s community collaboration as well as its BBQ skills. Past beneficiaries of Nipomo Rotary BBQ support have been the Nipomo Chamber, Mesa Middle School, 4-H, Dana Elementary School, Court Appointed Special Advocates, Lucia Mar Foundation, and Operation (animal) Rescue. This year, Nipomo Rotary Club’s key fundraiser, “Winner, Winner, Tri-Tip Dinner” raised about $28,000, according to current club president Barry Dunahoo. Twentyfive percent of the funds go to Nipomo Boy Scouts,
Contributed photos
Clockwise from top left: Nipomo Rotary 2018 fundraiser; Nipomo Rotary barbecuing; Nipomo Rotary barbecue crew; Nipomo Rotary with District Governor.
twenty-five percent to the Nipomo High School Drama Club, and fifty percent stay with the club to support its other nonprofit efforts. Nipomo Rotarians also recently helped rebuild
yurts and classrooms at Rancho El Chorro Outdoor School, a science camp run by the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education. In addition, the Club received a grant to build a BBQ at the Jack Ready Imagination Park, a 33-acre plot of land on the Nipomo Mesa which is being built for youth (and adults) with special needs. Among its activities
throughout the year, the Nipomo Rotary does a community clean-up on Thompson Road and Tefft Street, holds work days at the Nipomo Senior Center, hosts an annual Public Safety Dinner, and recognizes veterans each year with a Veteran’s Breakfast. It annually hosts a fundraising golf tournament, as well. This year, the Club gave $1,000 to the Alzheimer’s organization.
Supporting community youth is a priority of the Nipomo Club, with the club providing over $20,000 a year in funds raised for various youth growth programs, including university, community college, and vocational scholarships to high school graduating seniors from the Nipomo area. The club also sends high school students to the Rotary Youth Leadership
Awards (RYLA) and sponsors the very active Nipomo High School Rotary Interact club. A high-spirited club known for hard work, hearty camaraderie, and lots of laughs, Nipomo Rotary club meets every Wednesday morning at 7 a.m., at the Monarch Dunes Golf Club Butterfly Grille in Nipomo. Nipomo Rotarians have a great regard for family and several family social opportunities are included among Club activities each year. Nipomo Rotarians also funded and built a Rotary bandstand for the community, with the structure being created in memory of Paul Teixeira, a past president and long-time active member of the Nipomo Rotary Club. On the international front, Nipomo Rotarians have participated in Rotary’s worldwide immunization days and regularly raise money to support Rotary International’s fight to eradicate polio. The club has partnered with other Rotary clubs to send all weather tennis shoes to a village in Paraguay, to support an overseas clinic, to provide economic development opportunities for rural women in Bosnia and Herzegovina and club members have previously sent critical necessities to Zambia.
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