SARAH E. THIEN, Author at Santa Maria Sun

Leadership Project gets mixed reviews

Santa Barbara County Grand Jury suggests improvements for the county’s new management system

by SARAH E. THIEN July 23, 2008August 31, 2022

Up until about a year ago, Santa Barbara County managers fell into one of about 200 different classifications with 77 pay ranges. The payroll process was a tangled web of employment categories and scheduled, automatic pay raises. Then came the Leadership Project, unanimously approved by the Board of Supervisors in June of 2006. The idea […]

Music, Arts & Culture

Hancock to host girl’s tennis tournament for young players

by SARAH E. THIEN July 16, 2008April 12, 2023

Allan Hancock College is set to host a girls doubles tennis tournament for girls entering grades 9 through 12. The tournament will be held Aug. 23 at 9 a.m. Each participant is guaranteed to play five 10-game pro sets. The entry fee is $25 per player, with proceeds benefiting the Hancock women’s tennis team. For […]

Music, Arts & Culture

Locals win at Orcutt Star Spangled Softball Tournament

by SARAH E. THIEN July 16, 2008April 12, 2023

All-star teams from Santa Maria, Five Cities, and Nipomo made it to the championships on July 6 at the Star Spangled Softball Tournament at Lakeview Junior High School, hosted by the Orcutt Youth Softball Association. The Santa Maria Dream Team took a 3-1 victory against Moorpark in the under-10 finals, led by pitcher Hannah Diaz. […]

News

Mobile Claims Office arrives in Goleta

by SARAH E. THIEN July 16, 2008June 21, 2024

Fire victims in southern Santa Barbara County now have access to on-demand claims service through Allstate. The insurance company’s Mobile Claims Office has arrived in Goleta to help customers affected by the wildfires. The unit is a specially outfitted motor home that provides a place for customers to meet with catastrophe personnel to begin the […]

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Nipomo Properties gets into management

by SARAH E. THIEN July 16, 2008August 31, 2022

Diane Kuhnle, owner of Nipomo Properties, recently announced a new, in-house property management division, known as Central Coast Property Management. The division will help in finding rentals and managing. The office is located at 530 W. Tefft St., in the Von’s shopping center in Nipomo. For more information, visit www.centralcoast propertymanagement.com or call 929-7199. Biz […]

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Win a new house

by SARAH E. THIEN July 16, 2008August 31, 2022

Can’t afford a new home? There’s always a chance you could win one in a raffle. Tickets are currently being sold for $100 a piece for the chance to win the Central Coast St. Jude Dream Home. The $350,000 house is being built by Flatley Homes at their Celebration subdivision, off of Miller and Betteravia […]

Music, Arts & Culture

They can make you faster, stronger, less likely to flail arms while running

The creators of an inaugural speed and agility clinic seek to improve local athletes

by SARAH E. THIEN July 10, 2008August 17, 2023

In sports, there are two distinct categories of play: the season and the off-season. It’s the off-season when Eliseo Munoz and John Malinowski really shine. Munoz and Malinowski are athletic trainers. They’re also friends and colleagues (both work full time at Sim’s Physical Therapy). But here’s where it gets exciting: In their scant free time, […]

Music, Arts & Culture

Sign up for Santa Maria Summer Sports Experience camp

by SARAH E. THIEN July 10, 2008April 12, 2023

The City of Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department is offering weekly sports camps starting now through Aug. 1. The Summer Sports Experience camps meet from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. At the camps, boys and girls, ages 6 to 12 will be introduced to a variety of sports, such as soccer, […]

Music, Arts & Culture

Marshallia Ranch sees golfers in the swing

by SARAH E. THIEN July 10, 2008April 12, 2023

The Junior All-Star at Marshallia Ranch golf tournament came to a conclusion with no Central Coast athletes in the top spots, but with plenty of good rounds played. Patrick Grimes of Palo Alto took his first ever American Junior Golf Association win with a tournament total of 2-over-par 118. Yueer Cindy Feng of Orlando, Fla., […]

News

Santa Maria Women for Agriculture awards scholarships

by SARAH E. THIEN July 9, 2008August 31, 2022

The Santa Maria Chapter of California Women for Agriculture awarded $1,000 scholarships to six local students at a recent luncheon. This year’s recipients are Amy Guerra, Mark Powell, Amanda Rosa, Lisa Baray, Megan Brownell, and Ashli Middleton. California Women for Agriculture is dedicated to the survival of agriculture. Members serve as a non-partisan, non-sectarian, non-commercial […]

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Chamber of Commerce holds mixer with nonprofits

by SARAH E. THIEN July 9, 2008August 31, 2022

The next Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce mixer will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on July 17 at the Community Cornerstone Center for Nonprofits, 120 E. Jones St. According to a press release, the Chamber is celebrating the partnerships and friendships that have been established between local government, businesses, grantors and patrons. […]

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Schock’s Furniture Crafters, out of the wood business

by SARAH E. THIEN July 9, 2008May 8, 2023

After almost 20 years in Orcutt, Wil Schock, owner and furniture designer of Schock’s Furniture Crafters, is putting down his tools and walking away. “Even after 25 years of designing furniture every day, I still love this job. I’ve been artistic all my life, into music, restoring antique cars and motorcycles. But designing allowed me […]