Four Santa Maria Joint Union High School District team members have been recognized as 2016 Classified School Employees of the Year. Recently retired bus driver Virginia Villa, grounds maintenance worker Richard McKinley, Delta High School career technician Jamie Ellis, and Righetti High School instructional aide Alma Cervantez were honored and given special plaques by the […]
SHELLY CONE
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May Faire to take place in Los Olivos
St. Mark’s-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church Preschool will host its May Faire from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 30, at the campus at 2901 Nojoqui Ave., at the corner of Alamo Pintado Avenue in Los Olivos. The event celebrates the spring season with fun for the entire family; with all proceeds benefiting the preschool scholarship […]
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Pioneer Valley student achievement recognized
Four Pioneer Valley High School students are now part of the National Hispanic Recognition Program (NHRP) after scoring within the top 2.5 percent of all Hispanic and Latino PSAT test takers in the Western Region. The recognition allows 11th graders Erik Ruiz, Joseph Soria, Daniel Segura, and Analiese Ramirez to highlight their outstanding accomplishments to […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
A rocking first
On occasion good times come wrapped in satin and skinny pants
I love a good rock song. Or blues. Definitely punk. Sometimes hip-hop. And on occasion, classical. I like a song that reaches out and smacks you on the backside prompting a surprised gasp. Music should make you feel something—alive. Other than that requirement I’m pretty lax on the packaging. It’s a good thing too because […]
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Zodiac Aerospace provides a campus facelift for Tunnell Elementary
On Thursday, April 7, more than 100 volunteers brought out paint, plants, and elbow grease to beautify the Tunnell Elementary School campus. The beautification project was made possible through a Give and Grow Grant provided by Santa Maria business Zodiac Aerospace. The volunteers, many who work for Zodiac Aerospace, painted murals, planted low-maintenance landscaping, created […]
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Santa Barbara County honors Classified School Employees of the Year
At its monthly board meeting on April 7, the Santa Barbara County Education Office recognized six professionals from throughout the county as the 2016 Santa Barbara County Classified School Employees of the Year. Teresa Acosta, an administrative assistant in the Lompoc Unified School District was honored in the support services and security category; Foothill Elementary’s […]
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Creating a downtown: Can a revamped development plan and a farmer’s market help revive the city’s core?
It’s Friday afternoon. You shower after work and walk the two blocks from your downtown loft to the farmers’ market. There you grab some produce and a bite to eat at the Asian fusion food truck and catch a few songs from your favorite local band. Along the way, you stop at that popular café […]
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Hancock College gets technology grant
More students in numerous design programs like graphics, multimedia, and architectural drafting at Allan Hancock College will soon see their creativity come to life thanks to a national grant. New Matter, a technology company, selected 100 schools and school districts in 28 states to benefit from its Educate and Inspire Initiative. Hancock College, the only […]
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Orcutt Academy robotics team finishes strong at competition
The Orcutt Academy High School robotics team recently returned from the Ventura Regional Competition March 24 through 26 at Ventura College, where the team earned a strong finish. This year’s challenge, called FIRST Stronghold, had some defensive elements that wreaked havoc on the robots. Orcutt Academy’s team FIRST3512 Spartatroniks suffered a setback when its robot, […]
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Event gives Santa Maria area students a look at higher education opportunities
Students from Santa Maria, Pioneer Valley, and Righetti high schools learned about higher education during a recent field trip to two Bay Area universities through the Student Academic Achievement Seminar. The experience brought the young learners to the University of San Francisco and San Francisco State University where they toured the campuses and participated in […]
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Author visits English learners
Students in Santa Maria Joint Union High School’s English 2 Intensive Class for English Learners received a literary treat when the author of a memoir they’ve been reading spoke to their classes on March 22. Author Reyna Grande, who wrote a memoir entitled The Distance Between Us, gave students a first-hand account of her experience […]
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Kiwanis offers student scholarships
On March 15 Santa Maria Kiwanis held the 55th Annual California Scholastic Federation/Honor Student Awards and Recognition Dinner at the Veterans’ Memorial Community Center. More than 300 students and supporters attended. All the work to put on the event was handled by club volunteers and members of Kiwanis-sponsored Key Clubs. Key Club members are made […]