Forget Me Not Boutique recently opened in the Historic Santa Maria Inn. The shop specializes in one-of-a-kind items, from clothing to accessories. Owned by sisters Donna De La Cruz and Lisa Villareal, the boutique offers a unique inventory for men and women. Forget Me Not Boutique is located at 801 S. Broadway in Santa Maria. […]
JEREMY THOMAS
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Tevin Lemon
Nipomo High School pole vaulter Tevin Limon just keeps raising the bar on his own records. At the Pac-7 league track and field finals on May 6, the sophomore set a new school mark by vaulting 14 feet, 4 inches, smashing his personal best by 10 inches. “I’ve been working on really shooting up in […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Catching air
SLO flight school’s introductory lessons take the mystique out of piloting an aircraft
It’s a beautiful, clear May morning, and I’m soaring thousands of feet over the Pacific Ocean. I’m at the controls of a lightweight four-seater Cessna 172, along with my flight instructor for the day, Jon Stamets. Below, I see the white-capped breakers off Avila Beach and the coastline stretching for miles in either direction. Headset […]
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County HIV programs feel the squeeze
Cuts to prevention and education programs could lead to a surge in new infections, officials say
When Curtis Greenhaw tested positive for the HIV virus in 1982, he—like many others living in San Francisco at the time—considered his diagnosis a death sentence. Today, at 49, Greenhaw expects to live a long, normal life, working as a volunteer and test counselor at Pacific Pride Foundation, a resource center for HIV-positive clients in […]
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Strawberry Festival is a success!
The numbers are in for the 23rd annual Santa Maria Valley Strawberry Festival, and according to event organizers, business was good. The three-day event, held this year from April 23 to 25 at the Santa Maria Fairpark, saw an overall attendance of 60,140, an eight-percent increase from 2009. In a press release, Fairpark CEO Dennis […]
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Economic project peers into 2010
The prospects for Northern Santa Barbara County’s economy in 2010 will be the topic of a seminar presented by the UC Santa Barbara Economic Forecast Project on May 7. The program will feature Chris Thornburg, founding principal of Beacon Economics and chief forecaster for California State Controller John Chiang, who will speak on “The U.S. […]
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Habitat sells building materials
Why throw out your excess building materials when you can donate them to Habitat for Humanity? ReStore of Northern Santa Barbara County is a home and office salvage recycling center owned and operated by the local branch of Habitat for Humanity. It’s also a retail outlet where quality used and surplus building materials, furniture, and […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
DAN ANDO
Pioneer Valley senior Dan Ando made a name for himself on the football field during his high school career, but his track exploits deserve at least an honorable mention. Despite running on an iffy knee, Ando set new school records in both the 100- and 200-meter events during the Santa Barbara County Championships on April […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Keepin’ it fresh
High school athletic directors vow cuts to Los Padres League freshman sports won’t keep student-athletes off the field
Though Los Padres League officials voted to suspend freshman high school sports in 2010-11, the move doesn’t mean incoming student-athletes won’t be able to play, according to league officials and school athletic directors. Principals for the seven schools in the Los Padres League voted unanimously to cut freshmen athletic programs back in January. The decision […]
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The county powers up
A new program is set to offer financing for energy-efficient building projects
Just in time for Earth Day, Santa Barbara County is rolling out a new program intended to make it easier and cheaper for residents and business owners to retrofit their buildings for greener energy use. The program, EmPowerSBC, is designed to kick-start construction by providing up-front financing for county-approved projects. According to David Matson, director […]
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Chamber lauds strawberry industry’s best
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce recognized the cream of the area’s strawberry crop during its 20th annual Strawberry Industry Recognition Dinner on April 14. Guillermo Maldonado of DB Specialty Farms won the award for best supervisor or manager for 2009. Central West Produce/G & S Farms took home honors for best sales association, […]
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Community Bank reports quarterly growth
Community Bank of Santa Maria released its first quarter earnings report for 2010, reporting an increase in total deposits, loans, and net profit. Community Bank CEO Jim Glines reported the bank’s total deposits were up 10.86 percent from the same period a year ago. Total deposits rose from $114,189,324 to $126,592,412 from the first quarter […]
