It’s a few months old as an organization, but the Santa Maria Young Professionals Networking Group (SMYPNG) is holding its official kickoff event on March 26. The event will celebrate the group’s official beginning. The organization seeks to connect young professionals on the Central Coast with each other and with community leaders. The event will […]
Young professionals celebrate kickoff
Posted inNews
Join hands to fund California community colleges
Several dozen Allan Hancock College students, teachers, and staff members stood hand in hand at the Santa Maria campus on March 9 in preparation for a statewide event designed to educate people about funding cuts affecting the community college system. On April 17, Hancock, along with more than 100 other community colleges, will participate in […]
Posted inNews
Oceano Dunes wind-monitoring towers approved
The towers—to be built by the California Department of Parks and Recreation Off Highway Vehicle division—will be used to collect data on sand and other particulate matter blowing off the dunes and into residential areas in Oceano and Nipomo. Residents complain dust kicked up by off-road vehicles is a health hazard. County officials from various […]
Posted inNews
Bountiful harvest
One day, about a year ago, Santa Maria resident Stephanie Hull was on Pabst Lane, driving through her neighborhood with her two daughters in the car. In front yards on both sides of the street stood fruit trees weighed down by overripe fruit. Rotten oranges littered the ground. “I said, ‘Look at all this fruit! […]
Posted inNews
They live to advise another day
Upset by a recent announcement from a rookie San Luis Obispo County supervisor, some elected members of two South County advisory councils slated for dissolution spoke out before the Board of Supervisors about a proposed change in guidelines for such groups in the area. And though many community members also voiced their support for changes […]
Posted inNews
State budget cuts continue to loom
When Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown entered office a month ago, he faced a $26.6 billion deficit—the largest in California’s history. He proposed dealing with the shortfall in two ways: a radical $12 billion slashing of the budget and a public vote on a continuation of sales and personal taxes, which should bag approximately $12.5 billion […]
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Santa Barbara County Supervisor Farr challenges Chumash land annexation
A request by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians for federal legislation to annex 1,400 acres of tribal-owned land near Santa Ynez recently drew the attention of Santa Barbara County 3rd District Supervisor Doreen Farr. Farr met with a staff member for U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Thousand Oaks) on March 9 in an attempt […]
Posted inOpinion
What’s your favorite thing to do at the beach?
Morgan Martinez unemployed “Walks on the beach. It is relaxing and keeps my mind off of things.” Luis Ojeda construction “Being out in the sun playing sports. It’s how I grew up—playing sports with family.” Andrew Hawkes student “Surfing. It’s really nice getting out in God’s world to ride the waves of the Central Coast.” […]
Posted inOpinion
Smaller school districts can combine to better survive
It has been my observation that during these very trying times many people, businesses, organizations and educators are and have been looking for new and innovative ways to maintain their level of work ethic, and quality of their product. Here in Los Alamos, we work hard every day to be certain that every school age […]
Posted inOpinion
We’ve survived recessions because we’re not stupid
As any reputable economist will explain, recessions have only one basic cause: a fall in “aggregate demand,” or, in English, people stop spending money. There are many reasons why people stop spending, like too much debt, not enough income, lost job or belief they will lose a job, etc. Nearly every advanced government in the […]
Posted inOpinion
Put yourself in a firefighter’s shoes
As the wife of a firefighter, I can no longer sit silently and listen to the public and the media trash my husband’s profession. These public servants work 24-hour shifts and sometimes are away from their family for 48 hours, 96 hours, and even two weeks at a time. They may work Christmas, Thanksgiving, and […]
Posted inOpinion
How do Santa Barbara and SLO counties compare?
I’m with Mike Stoker on this: We have got to break the circle of government employee union dues going to finance the campaigns of politicians. The politicians award the employees grandly with wages and benefits. The taxpayers pay the bills. There have been lots of assertions about the public employees’ work schedules being shorter than […]