Our 164th Year
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S AT U R DAY, J U N E 6 , 2 0 2 0
RAFAEL MALDONADO / NEWS-PRESS
A head-on collision on State Route 154 left one person dead and another injured.
Head-on collision results in fatality State Route 154 accident leaves one person dead, another injured By MITCHELL WHITE NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
O RAFAEL MALDONADO/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
Anabelle Hoskins, a Santa Ynez Valley Union High School graduate, is ready to take flight as she rides in a commencement parade Friday through the valley.
ne person died and another suffered critical injuries in a head-on collision Friday morning on State Route 154 near East Camino Cielo, authorities said. The collision was reported around 10:44 a.m. Santa Barbara County Fire Department crews were joined on scene by crews from the Los Padres National Forest. Upon arrival, responding units found both vehicles had sustained heavy damage as a result of the collision, said Capt. Daniel Bertucelli, county fire spokesman. One passenger vehicle suffered significant front and side damage, while a pickup truck involved in the collision overturned and
settled on its roof. Both vehicles remained on the roadway, Capt. Bertucelli said. The patient who suffered critical injuries, Oscar Pereyra, 61, of Santa Barbara, required extensive extrication before being transported to a local hospital for treatment. The other victim was declared dead at the scene, Capt. Bertucelli said. The deceased was later identified as 31-year-old Michael Kai Liu, of Arroyo Grande, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department. Mr. Pereyra was suspected of driving under the influence and was arrested on suspicion of felony DUI. The 154 was shut down for a time following the collision, the cause of which remains under investigation. email: mwhite@newspress.com
Instant celebrities Santa Ynez Valley Union High School holds car parade for graduates
By: GRAYCE MCCORMICK NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT
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alley streets were buzzing with excitement and enthusiasm on a cloudy Friday morning as family and friends got ready to celebrate the Santa Ynez Valley Union High School graduating class of 2020. This creative version of a socially distant senior celebration took the form of a car parade, passing through Buellton, Solvang, Santa Ynez, Ballard and Los Olivos before arriving at the school’s football stadium. The graduates’ vehicles were decked out with chalk, balloons, streamers and photos. As they cruised through the Valley streets, they were basically celebrities waving to their fans, some even
perched out of the sun roof of Debbie Goldsmith, a special their car. education teacher at SYVU, “To watch a really communitywas especially delighted at the based effort to make all of this students’ arrival. happen in this time to support our “While we can’t have a grads has really been something traditional send off, this to watch unfold,” celebration said Scott is still joyous, Cory, SYVU’s celebratory, superintendent. Santa Maria high schools show and conveys our “We’re hoping creativity with their graduations. feelings of pride that this day and confidence for them will in the graduating be something class’s future,” that they’ll she said. remember.” Ms. Goldsmith had one student SYVU faculty and staff graduating this year, Kevin Reyes, anxiously awaited the arrival of who she’s taught since he was in the parade in the football stadium fourth grade. Choking back tears, at the high school. Once the first she said she was thrilled to share graduate entered the field, it was in his joyous day, and “finally a burst of flag-waving, confettithank him for all the work he did.” throwing, bubble-blowing, Graduating seniors drove up cheerful pride from all the to the center of the football field teachers and families. to a stage, where they could get
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out of their cars and pose for a photo, while their name was read over a microphone. Because the school plans to replace their football field, this provided a unique opportunity for the cars to actually drive up onto the turf. “This will leave that mental mark for (the students) to let them know that the school was supporting you, the community was supporting you and everybody was behind you on this one,” Mr. Cory said. He added that the school is still holding out for an in-person ceremony on the tentative date of July 24, but for those who won’t be able to make that date, the car parade will hopefully still leave a lasting memory for the SYVU seniors. Email: gmccormick@newspress. com
COURTESY PHOTO
Westmont’s Aug. 22 Bryant & Sons Cup soccer match at UCSB has been postponed by a delay in sports mandated by the NAIA.
Fall sports delayed for Westmont College By MARK PATTON NEWS-PRESS SENIOR WRITER
W At left, graduate Amanda Krystkowiak waves as she’s driven to the stadium.At lright, graduates drive onto the field at the Santa Ynez Valley High School stadium.
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estmont College will delay the start of its fall sports after an announcement by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics that its institutions may not resume workouts any earlier than Aug. 15 or begin play before Sept. 5. School officials confirmed that this will “have a significant impact” on the nonconference schedules for both men’s and women’s soccer, as well as women’s volleyball. Among the contests affected is the Warriors’ 58th annual “Bryant & Sons Cup” cross-
town men’s soccer exhibition, which had been set for Aug. 22 at UCSB. “We’ll be asking UCSB if that can be rescheduled,” Westmont athletic director Dave Odell said. “We do still have four or five nonconference games for soccer that we want to keep — such as the fun match between (coaching brothers) Dave and Phil Wolf at Point Loma (on Sept. 19). “But we are going to try to move around some things that are scheduled to be held prior to Sept. 5.” He did express relief in seeing a light at the end of the tunnel caused by the coronavirus pandemic. “We’re working really hard Please see westmont on A10
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L O T T E RY R ESU LT S
Comics................. A8 Classified.............. A9 Life.................... A 4-5
Wednesday’s SUPER LOTTO: 7-17-26-36-42 Meganumber: 3
Friday’s DAILY 4: 3-0-0-2
Friday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 32-35-37-47-55 Meganumber: 22
Friday’s FANTASY 5: 2-11-14-18-25
Friday’s DAILY DERBY: 04-10-05 Time: 1:43.67
Wednesday’s POWERBALL: 1-3-26-41-64 Meganumber: 17
Obituaries........... A10 Soduku................. A7 Weather.............. A10
Friday’s DAILY 3: 2-8-6 / Evening 7-1-5