Spotlight

The Santa Maria City Council on Sept. 7 approved liquor licenses for two Walgreens locations, and denied a license to a local convenience store. By 4-1 votes, the council approved requests for “Type-20” beer and wine sales licenses at Walgreens stores at 2399 S. Broadway and 707 N. Broadway. The In In Out Market at […]

New Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce programs will be discussed at a combined meeting of the Manufacturers Association and Business Development Committee on Sept. 28. The online Chamber Challenge newsletter, Chambercard benefit program, and Chamber Master—the Chamber’s new membership management software—will be the topics of a detailed talk by Marcy Lariz, events coordinator for […]

Signcraft, a Santa Maria-based custom sign manufacturer with clients throughout the Central Coast, recently welcomed Mark Blackford as the company’s new owner. Relocating to the area from Chino, he managed Hydrel—an architectural lighting company—and Omni Playgrounds, a supplier of play spaces for McDonald’s and Burger King. Signcraft, located at 307 E. Main St., provides graphic […]

The Lompoc Valley Festival Association will be holding a drawing to benefit the organization on Oct. 16 at 6 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Building’s Small Hall. Tickets cost $25 apiece, and a maximum of 200 will be sold. Prizes include cash in the amounts of $100, $200, and $1,000; a four-pack of carnival tickets; […]

Conceived by local merchants to promote Guadalupe and celebrate the region’s produce, the first-ever “Salad Bowl Festival” is tossing up fun on Sept. 12. The event will be held at LeRoy Park, 4630 11th St., from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The festival’s centerpiece is a 5K run and half-marathon, which starts and finishes at […]

Pack n’ Ship Direct, a wine shipper serving 220 wineries and direct marketers from Washington to Santa Barbara, announced a new strategic alliance and warehousing and shipping venue with Central Coast Wine Services in Santa Maria. The company had been previously operating within the Fess Parker Wine Center in Santa Maria, but an increase in […]

Business and education partnerships will be recognized during an upcoming 2010 Business Appreciation Luncheon presented by the Santa Maria Valley Industry Education Council and the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce on Sept. 8. The event takes place at the Elks Lodge, 1309 N. Bradley in Santa Maria, from noon to 1:30 p.m. Cost to […]

The Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center and the United Way of Santa Barbara County announced that 25 students from Northern Santa Barbara County earned $500 scholarships for their work in the center’s “Fun in the Sun” summer program. The pilot project, for sixth through ninth graders, incorporated a service-learning component from the Corporation for National and Community […]

Western Pacific Land Group announced the release of eight new homes in the Pine Creek community at Rice Ranch in Orcutt. The company reported the release is being offered earlier than anticipated due to strong sales at the community. The new homes include one- and two-story designs, and several homes feature three-car garages. The homes […]

Santa Lucia Bancorp, parent company of Santa Lucia Bank, recently announced the appointment of Margaret Torres as the company and bank’s new executive vice president and chief financial officer. Prior to accepting the position, Torres served as the executive vice president and chief financial officer of Heritage Oaks and Heritage Oaks Bancorp. The bank also […]

Santa Barbara County will be holding a workshop in Santa Maria to provide information to contractors about the county’s emPowerSBC program on Aug. 30. EmPowerSBC offers financing to help residential and commercial property owners cover the upfront costs of energy efficiency, water efficiency, or renewable property improvements. Contractors who take part in the workshop will […]

Got an old TV or computer you’re looking to toss? Clean out your closets and storage rooms and drop off your old electronics at the August recycling event held by Electronic Recyclers and the Santa Maria Fairpark. Items accepted for recycling include televisions, computer monitors, towers and keyboards, LCD and plasma screens, laptops, printers, copiers, […]