Remember to drive extra safely around Santa Maria for the next few weeks—there are three big road construction projects in the works. The city’s annual street maintenance chip seal program, which began Aug. 11 and is scheduled to last for four weeks, will treat approximately 100 street segments and cost about $800,000. Chip sealing involves […]
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Santa Barbara County receives an award from a technology company
Santa Barbara County was recognized on Aug. 6 for its use of the geographic information system (GIS), by the company that makes it, ESRI. The award was presented at the 28th Annual ESRI International User Conference in San Diego. GIS combines computer hardware, software, and data to create a tool for analyzing and displaying geographic […]
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Director of utilities is key speaker at business luncheon
Rick Sweet, director of utilities for the city of Santa Maria, will be the featured speaker at the Business Development Luncheon on Aug. 19. Sweet has worked for the city for 21 years, starting as an assistant civil engineer, then becoming Santa Maria’s city engineer, director of public works, and finally director of utilities. Sweet […]
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Find a piece of Southern Italy in Orcutt
The Trattoria Uliveto, a new restaurant in Orcutt, is set to open its doors for the first time on Aug. 22. Owners Jim Spallino and Alfonso Curti, formally of Grappolo in Santa Ynez, have created a menu emphasizing the simple tastes of an Italian kitchen, from a salad of arugula and parmesan to a spinach […]
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New superintendent is ready to start the school year
Hometown educator Phil Alvarado is excited and ready for change
Phil Alvarado can trace his career in education back to one single moment. It was 1973, and Alvarado was leaving after his last day as an instructional aide at Oakley Elementary in Santa Maria. It was to be his last day as an educator—he was on his way to the Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara […]
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Trial by peers
Santa Barbara County offers teens a second chance through its Teen Court program
The door opens, and the judge, draped in legal-grade black, enters the room. A bailiff gruffly commands everyone present to “please rise,” and proceeds to swear in the jury members. Silence settles on the courtroom as a fresh-faced youth and his mother are ushered in and seated at the defendant’s table. The trial is about […]
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A matter of great import
Locals may love or hate outsourcing and the impact it’s making on area businesses – but they can’t ignore it
What are you holding right now—besides this newspaper? A pen? A mug? Take a closer look at whatever you’ve wrapped your fingers around, and you might find these familiar words stamped into the bottom: Made in China. Sometimes those three little words—or variations on them—are a great thing: Cheap materials and cheap labor add up […]
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Get a good Head Start
Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties are currently recruiting children ages 3 to 5 for the Head Start program, and children ages 0 to 3 for the Early Head Start program. The program provides hands-on learning and child care to families of various backgrounds. The Early Head Start program is a home-based program and […]
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Registration deadline for Allan Hancock College fast approaches
Students interested in attending college classes in the fall, listen up! Online registration for Allan Hancock College continues through Aug. 13, and in-person registration is scheduled for Aug. 18 and 19 at all college locations. Also this fall, Allan Hancock College will offer more than 200 Fast Track classes at the Santa Maria campus, and […]
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WEV isn’t just for businesswomen
Always dreamed about opening up your own business or being your own boss? Women’s Economic Ventures is starting self-employment training classes in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties in September. The classes are part of a 14-week, 56-hour program targeted at women (but also serving men) that provides guidance on how to start, operate, or expand […]
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Passing the torch
On Aug. 5, Santa Maria-Bonita School District employee and Santa Maria native Phillip L. Alvarado (left) was named superintendent-elect to replace current Santa Maria-Bonita School District Superintendent David Francis (right) upon his retirement in January 2009. A longtime educator and child advocate, Alvarado said a “child should never stop learning” and stressed the importance of […]
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Capital Pacific homes are on sale now in Vandenberg Village
A new phase of homes has been released at Providence Landing in the Vandenberg Village area. Capital Pacific homes has sold all but two of the new houses so far, according to a press release from the company. Patrice Weston, sales manager at Providence Landing, said in the release that homes are selling well. “We […]
