Marines of the Coastal Valleys—including the communities of Santa Maria, Orcutt, Santa Ynez, Solvang, Buellton, Lompoc, Los Alamos, Los Olivos, and Guadalupe—have gathered together to form a new Marine Corps League detachment. Marine Corps League Coastal Valleys Detachment 1340 has officially been chartered. The Marine Corps League is dedicated to helping active duty and […]
Santa Maria gets a Marine Corps league detachment
Posted inOpinion
Give people incentives to stay healthy
Regardless of where Congress goes with health care, isn’t it time we paid attention to our own health-care footprints? A study appearing in this month’s Journal of the American Medical Association says that you can reduce your risk of chronic diseases—such as diabetes, stroke, cancer, and heart disease—by 80 percent just by following four simple […]
Posted inOpinion
Everybody needs to be able to understand health care
As a member of AARP, I oppose any governmental involvement in health care! I have no confidence in my elected officials in Washington, D.C., since their current and past actions of mismanagement for Medicare, Social Security, and bail-out plans for undeserving companies speak volumes! The average American has no voice in government any longer, since […]
Posted inOpinion
Don’t be a sheep: Get educated about health care
One of the most ignorant arguments against health-care reform is that we will then have government making decisions about health care options. So am I to assume that those who are afraid of that are OK with CEOs and “for-profit” corporate bureaucrats making those decisions? Who do they think is making those decisions now? It’s […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
The pizza men
In my early years of marriage, I made a lot of mistakes. I’m not talking about the usual stuff like leaving the lid up. I’m referring to the time I spent money we didn’t have on cars I shouldn’t have purchased. A young family doesn’t exactly need a used 1992 notchback Mustang 5.0 LX with […]
Posted inNews
Farm organization endorses tax reform
Stressing the multiple benefits of maintaining family farms and ranches, a coalition of California farm organizations has endorsed tax-reform legislation that would exclude farm assets from the federal estate tax. The Family Farm Preservation Estate Tax Act, H.R. 3524, would exempt farm and ranch assets from estate taxes as long as the property remains […]
Posted inNews
State tax rates adjusted
The Franchise Tax Board released the 2009 state tax brackets, indexed each year by adjusting them to reflect changes in the California Consumer Price Index. Filing requirement thresholds, standard deduction, and certain credits were adjusted, along with income tax brackets, based on the deflation rate of -1.5 percent. The standard tax deduction will […]
Posted inNews
Share career info at Hancock
Local employers are invited to sign up for Allan Hancock College’s Career Exploration Day, taking place this year on Oct. 2. Businesses will be able to share information on careers and meet with more than 1,000 high school and college students to excite them about employment opportunities within local companies. Exhibit registration forms […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Beyond the shack
Among the early, brave souls to tackle winemaking in Santa Barbara County, Bill Wathen and Dick Doré turned a messy hobby into a booming business. In the nearly 30 years since they slid a fresh cork into their first bottle of wine, the pair has earned global fame as “the Foxen boys.” “I remember, […]
Posted inNews
Allan Hancock College course aims to take the unknown out of cancer treatment
Learn all about the advances being made in cancer prevention, treatment, and research by attending a series of free presentations Sept. 22 through Oct. 20 at the Allan Hancock College Student Center. Each session will focus on a different topic, and will be presented by Marian Medical Center physicians and other health-care providers who specialize […]
Posted inNews
Santa Maria Valley Industry Education Council is ‘Wild About Partnerships’
In honor of Santa Maria’s education-friendly businesses, the Santa Maria Valley Industry Education Council and Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce will be co-hosting the 2009 business appreciation luncheon, “Wild About Partnerships,” on Sept. 9 from noon to 1 p.m. at the Santa Maria Elks Lodge. The luncheon will include an awards ceremony to […]
Posted inNews
Local TV station, Realty company pledge to make a difference ‘One Class at a Time’
To help ease the fiscal burden put on schools by severe budget cuts to education, KSBY and Century 21 Hometown Realty have started “One Class at a Time,” a grant program for K-12 classrooms in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. Every two weeks, KSBY and Century 21 Hometown Realty will award a […]
