Santa Barbara County Fire Chief John Scherrei will soon be passing the firefighting torch to someone else, following his retirement from county service in January 2009. On Sept. 22, Scherrei confirmed his pending retirement plans with County Executive Officer Michael F. Brown and the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors. The county human resources department […]
AMY ASMAN
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Otters are making waves
State legislators and local conservationists celebrate Sea Otter Awareness Week
Starting Sept. 21, the California Legislature and dozens of zoos, aquariums, and other organizations from Monterey to Melbourne, honored one of the Golden State’s biggest celebrities: the southern sea otter. Last month, the state Legislature, led by Sen. Abel Maldonado (R-Santa Maria), approved an initiative officially declaring the last week in September to be Sea […]
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First 5 Santa Barbara County will host an annual Champions for Young Children Conference
On Oct. 1, First 5 Santa Barbara County will welcome two of the nation’s leading child development experts to its annual Champions for Young Children Conference in Buellton. The daylong conference is designed to provide Santa Barbara County parents, teachers, and childcare professionals with the latest information to support the healthy development of young children. […]
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A dirty not-so-little secret
The first-ever peer-to-peer child porn sting leaves a community with unanswered questions
Last month, federal authorities successfully wrapped up an eight-month-long sting operation that resulted in the arrests of 55 people accused of using peer-to-peer computer software to trade and view child pornography. Led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the sting marked the first time law enforcement agencies have […]
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YMCA provides ‘Stepping Stones’ to a good education
Whoever said educational accreditation was only for college programs? The Santa Maria Valley YMCA’s Stepping Stones Center recently earned its accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), one of the nation’s leading organizations of early childhood professionals. “NAEYC accreditation lets families in our community know that children in our program […]
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What do shoes and books have in common?
Footwear and reading material don’t share a lot of common bonds—unless you consider a child’s typical reaction when he or she first gets a new book or pair of shoes. The Shoes for Students charity organization recently donated $12,000 to the Santa Maria-Bonita School District to help purchase books for all 13,200 students three times […]
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Supes appoint members to spay/neuter task force
Santa Barbara County has gone to the dogs. And cats. The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors recently established an 11-member Spay/Neuter Ordinance Task Force, whose job is to develop recommended language for a county spay and neuter ordinance. The first task force meeting will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 24, […]
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Charting new waters
Lompoc’s Camino Real Community Partnership Academy carries the charter school torch
Look out Orcutt Academy—there’s another charter school in the area. Similar to Orcutt Union School District’s Orcutt Academy, Camino Real Community Partnership Academy is Lompoc’s newest district-sponsored charter high school. Both schools offer a science-heavy curriculum. The teaching process at the two charters, however, couldn’t be more different, according to Camino Real co-founder Andrea Lawrence. […]
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Chapman University welcomes adult learners
Looking to complete your college degree? On Sept. 23 and 24, academic advisors from Chapman University will be on hand at the college’s Santa Maria Valley Campus to answer questions about Chapman’s history, academic programs, and adult learning programs. All sessions are free, and begin at 5 p.m. at the Santa Maria Valley Chapman University […]
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Future Stars of Science return to Guadalupe Dunes Center filled with knowledge and inspiration
Last month, Guadalupe Dunes Center interns Diana Perez, Mariah Gonzalez, and David De la Garza spent two weeks on the East Coast where they toured the Smithsonian Institution, did some sightseeing in Washington, D.C., and learned how to (humanely) tackle a deer. While that last part doesn’t sound like a typical tourist attraction, it’s an […]
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Among ‘Friends’ at the library
By now, everyone probably knows about Santa Maria’s brand-new, state-of-the-art library. But what people probably don’t know about is the brand-new library shop. Located just outside of the main library and next to the library cafe;, The Library Shop is an enhanced version of the old Friends of the Santa Maria Library bookshop. What used […]
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Santa Maria needs a Block Grants Advisory Committee member
The city of Santa Maria is looking for someone to fill an unexpired term on the Santa Maria Block Grants Advisory Committee, ending in July 2010. Applications will be accepted until 2 p.m. on Sept. 25. Members of the Block Grants Advisory Committee assess the community’s needs, conduct public workshops and hearings, review applications for […]