In some athletes, talent is evident right off the bat. For longtime boxing trainer Willie Flores, he saw it in Brandon Gutierrez the moment the 12-year-old stepped foot into the Santa Maria Boxing Club. “I saw him hitting the bag and the way he was moving and the way he handled himself,” Flores said. “I […]
Brandon Gutierrez
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Weekend warriors
For Scott Chapman, free safety for the Central Coast Seminoles, Sept. 11 was a homecoming of sorts. The 33-year-old was back on the same Santa Ynez High School field where he once played prep ball; it was for the first time since he hit the turf for the defunct semipro Santa Barbara Condors in 2001. […]
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Walk for Lompoc Hospital
The Lompoc Hospital Foundation will be holding its 20th annual fundraising Walk-a-thon on Oct. 2 at Ryon Park. Participants can choose to walk either 3.1 or 5 miles. Check in is 9 a.m. with the walk starting at 9:30. Prizes will be given away, and a free lunch will be served to walkers. Each participant […]
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Fall into league basketball
West Coast Xtreme Youth Basketball Academy is seeking boys and girls in fourth through eighth grades to play basketball in a fall league at Cuesta College beginning in September. Teams will play a 10-game schedule, with two games each Sunday until Oct. 31. The cost will be determined depending on the number of players on […]
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Tee off with Altrusa
Altrusa of Cinco Ciudades—a nonprofit focusing on literacy, special needs, and leadership development—will present its 18th annual “Tee-Off With Altrusa” golf tournament on Oct. 2 at Monarch Dunes Golf Course in Nipomo. Non-golfing supporters of Altrusa can sign up for a wine tour, then join the golfers for a banquet dinner and live auction. Spouses […]
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Speller’s delight
Word wizards will have their time to shine at the Central Coast Literacy Council’s annual Spelling Bee and Silent Auction on Sept. 18 at Shepard Hall in the Santa Maria Public Library, 421 S. McClelland St. Sponsored teams will compete in the contest, which starts at 1 p.m. and continues until there’s only one team […]
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Let’s go clean a beach!
Bust out the garbage bags and pokers—it’s time to do some fall cleaning. As part of California Coastal Cleanup Day 2010, the California Coastal Commission and Santa Barbara County Public Works Department are encouraging locals to help pick up trash and debris at dozens of local beaches on Sept. 25. Last year, according to a […]
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Jazz Age returns for Mayor’s Ball
It will be a black-and-white affair at the fourth annual 2010 Northern Santa Barbara County Mayors’ Ball, held on Oct. 2 in Santa Maria. The theme for the evening is “All That Jazz,” and features a gourmet dinner, dancing to Beaujolais, and a silent and live auction. The event will serve as a fundraiser for […]
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Live in the fast lane
Verizon Wireless Inc. announced that the company recently added a new higher speed Internet service in the Santa Maria area. On Aug. 30, the company added a new high-speed tier with 10- to 15-megabits-per-second downstream and 1 megabit-per-second upstream service. Prices for the high-speed tier range from $49.99 to $59.99 per month for residential customers. […]
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Council approves liquor licenses
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 […]
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Chamber discusses new programs
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 […]
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Dirty round secrets
We recently had a loss in our family. It was very tough emotionally, and obviously quite tragic—as you could imagine. Out of all of us, my wife has taken it the hardest. It’s been rough. Things just haven’t been the same at our house since the dishwasher died. It wasn’t a complete surprise. The dishwasher […]