Austin Gruber lieutenant “I haven’t been changed by a volunteer, but I’ve worked with Habitat for Humanity in Virginia and was part of the Airmen Against Drunk Driving—basically seven years of volunteering.” Judy Sachson retired “When I first saw the Santa Maria Dog Shelter and what they do there, it made me want to volunteer, […]
How has volunteering changed your life?
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Two legs, four legs
Wanted: Volunteers to cuddle babies, play with puppies, and taste ice cream. Looking for volunteer opportunities? You won’t find that ad—not in real life, anyway. Then again, you probably won’t see one detailing the true work behind an opportunity: Wanted: Someone to wash 20 loads of laundry, mop poopy kennels, and rake dirt. For free. […]
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Political Watch 1.14
It seems to be katching on—San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Katcho Achadjian recently announced that 15 current and former city council members have endorsed him in his campaign for the 33rd District Assembly seat. The council members, such as former Lompoc Councilman Will Schuyler and former San Luis Obispo Councilwoman Dodie Williams, join a growing […]
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Community Notebook 1.14
FRIDAY, JAN. 15 • The Santa Maria City/County Coalition for the Homeless has its regular meeting from 10 a.m. to noon at the Betteravia Government Center conference room, 511 East Lakeside Parkway. • The Lompoc City/County Coalition for the Homeless has its regular meeting from noon to 1 p.m. in the Board of Supervisors conference […]
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Hobnobbing with Helen
This first column of the year is more about what’s coming than what has been. Consider the coming attractions: Is this shaping up to be a great, fun year or what? NASCAR races, New Orleans Jazz Festival, cruises The above are included in live auction packages available at the Santa Maria Philharmonic Society’s annual fundraising […]
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With a little help from the docents
The Central Coast is a wonderful place: sleepy foggy mornings, consummate rolling hills that shelter the voluptuous wine grapes, and sunsets that bleed orange throughout the open skies. And it’s home to the historically and scenically rich Dana Adobe in Nipomo. The Dana Adobe, also known as Casa de Dana, was a ranch built by […]
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Reporting for duty
They may not carry guns or have academy-grade training, but members of the Santa Maria Police Department’s volunteer program are an integral part of the city’s police force. Since 1995, civilians have been doing certain tasks that “free up employees to go on and do something else,” volunteer coordinator Penny Pastore said. The services provided […]
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Continue the holiday gusto
For Christmas, Santa Claus can’t please everyone and sometimes leaves gift cards to people who will never use them. In an effort to put such gifts to great use, Make-A-Wish Foundation is offering to take them to fund its organization. Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Tri-Counties uses the unused gift cards as “first gifts,” meaning a […]
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Orcutt school district moves ahead
In an effort to counteract revenue losses, the Orcutt Union School District is moving forward with plans to lease district-owned land for the development of about 250 senior housing units in Old Town Orcutt. The plan would require the rezoning of nearly 10 acres of land, located between Soares Avenue and Rice Ranch Road, purchased […]
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Lompoc officials, police officers square off over labor negotiations
Highly contested labor negotiations between the Lompoc Police Officers Association and the city of Lompoc have ended with the city imposing an almost 11 percent cut in pay and benefits on its law enforcement employees. Narrowly approved by the City Council on Jan. 5, the cuts will begin on Jan. 22 and last for 12 […]
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Local officials kick off construction of the new Santa Maria transit center
The dirt flew at an official groundbreaking ceremony on Jan. 7 for the new multimillion-dollar Santa Maria Intermodal Transit Center, to sit at the corner of East Boone and South Miller streets. After a brief ceremony, Santa Maria City Council members, Caltrans officials, and U.S. Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) sunk their gold-plated shovels into […]
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Howerton named SBCAN advocacy director
The Santa Barbara County Action Network announced the appointment of Joyce Howerton as the group’s director of advocacy and outreach. Howerton is a founding member of SB CAN and has served as the organization’s north county vice president. As a three-term mayor of Lompoc, Howerton secured pay equity for women, created a regional landfill project, […]