The YMCA is celebrating this holiday season with several specialty camps. For kids whose parents are working over most of the holiday season, the YMCA is offering winter break camps Dec. 21 through Jan. 19. Camp members will get to participate in plenty of fun activities, such as skateboarding, Wii game days, swimming, and arts […]
When school is out, the Y is in with winter camps
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Women’s Economic Ventures graduates 78 future business owners
Aspiring business owners from Santa Maria to Ventura descended on Fess Parker’s Double Tree Resort in Santa Barbara on Dec. 16 to pick up their Women’s Economic Ventures Self-Employment Training program certificates. The 14-week program teaches women and men how to start their own business, from developing a business plan to getting a business license […]
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Time to rock
The instructors are trained, construction is done, and all the equipment is in place. Rockstar Fitness is now open to the public and accepting memberships. More than just another gym, Rockstar Fitness is a club, offering the latest in fitness science. Classes include Boot Camp, BodyCombat, spinning, pilates, Les Mills, and CrossFit, all guaranteed to […]
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Atlas spokeswoman earns certification
Susan Price, communications manager for Santa Maria-based turboexpander manufacturer Atlas Copco Mafi-Trench, has joined the ranks of the trade-show industry’s top talent. Price completed EXHIBITOR’s Certified Trade Show Marketer accreditation program, consisting of a 28-course core curriculum, an examination, and acceptance of a candidate portfolio. The CTSM program is the only university-affiliated certification program in […]
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Building a better supplier
Santa Maria’s ABC Supply Co. Inc. Solution Center—a wholesale supplier of roofing, siding, windows, and other exterior building products for area contractors—has recently been redesigned. The store’s reconfigured layout features a specially designed “wing panel” system to put product information at customers’ fingertips. Visitors can quickly understand key benefits and make comparisons between different product […]
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From jail to new beginnings
For people who are homeless, getting out of jail can sometimes prove to be more of a problem than a relief. An ongoing lack of local facilities and services for homeless people with mental illness, chronic alcoholism, or substance abuse problems has turned jail into the largest de facto in-patient psychiatric and detox facility in […]
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A gift that keeps pedaling
While approaching Main Street Cycles, I was surrounded by bikes and smiling children. And the kids were smiling for good reason: They were the new owners of the bikes, courtesy of the Good Samaritan Shelter, Team Tailwinds, Main Street Cycles, and generous donations from throughout the community. The program (this is the first year it’s […]
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Santa Barbara County Fire Department lifts ban on permitted burning
Low-risk fire season has officially begun, according to a recent announcement from the Santa Barbara County Fire Department. The transition to a “low fire-preparedness level” means the ban on permitted burning in designated areas within the jurisdiction of Santa Barbara County has been lifted. As a result, fire department officials said, smoke may be visible […]
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Marian Medical Center lauded for its diabetes education
The American Diabetes Association has recognized Marian Medical Center’s Diabetes Education Center for exceeding national standards for diabetes self-management education. The only one of its kind in Northern Santa Barbara County, Marian’s diabetes education program received the same recognition in 2006. And according to the ADA, it continues to excel in providing excellent diabetes management […]
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Santa Maria police still search for answers in fatal stabbing
The Santa Maria Police Department is reaching out to community members to help them solve the recent homicide of a Santa Maria man. Eighteen-year-old Erik Alonso was stabbed to death earlier this month. On Dec. 18, the police department’s gang suppression team arrested a handful of suspects after receiving information that fights and/or a possible […]
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Lompoc activists look to block Walmart expansion
The Christmas season usually brings glad tidings to retailers, but a local activist group is intent on putting a wrap on Walmart’s wishes of super-sizing a store in Lompoc. Receiving a monetary boost from the nonprofit Fund for Santa Barbara, a grassroots campaign calling itself Citizens Against Walmart Expansion (CAWE) is ramping up efforts to […]
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Christmas card detective
This time of year, my mailbox fills up with lots of Christmas joy and a little bit of Christmas anxiety. The joy comes from the many Christmas cards I receive from long-lost friends and can’t-seem-to-get-lost family. I love seeing pictures of my friends and their growing kids. I like knowing I’m not the only one […]