A little more than a week after settling in at the American Red Cross, Santa Barbara County Chapter, four new AmeriCorps members are off to New Orleans to help Hurricane Gustav evacuees. On Aug. 29, Ally LeClair, Laura Parrot, Jeffrey Scott, and Ashley Spoto boarded a plane for the Big Easy, where they would help […]
Local AmeriCorps members head to New Orleans to help Hurricane Gustav evacuees
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Maria Fabula to speak at Hispanic Business Committee luncheon
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Hispanic Business Committee luncheon will be held on Sept. 8 in the Santa Maria Room at the Santa Maria Inn. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m., with lunch and a presentation from noon to 1 p.m. Maria Fabula is the featured speaker. She’s the regional manager of Nonprofit Support […]
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Free foreclosure workshop offers help to locals
It’s an unfortunate fact that some people in Santa Maria need help holding onto their homes. Peoples’ Self-Help Housing can offer that help. The organization is hosting a “Foreclosure Prevention Seminar” on Sept. 10, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The seminar will present alternatives and loan options for first-time buyers. Brian Kerrigan, a counselor for […]
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Wells Fargo donates much-needed funds to Foodbank
The Foodbank of Santa Barbara County serves more than 100,000 people in the county annually, and with increased demand this year, the group needs all the help it can get. That’s why a recent donation of $10,000 from Wells Fargo was so appreciated. “On behalf of all the hungry people or member agencies, I want […]
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Vandenberg Air Force Base plans to launch Delta II carrying GeoEye 1 satellite
Keep your eyes on the sky. Vandenberg Air Force Base is scheduled to launch a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket carrying the GeoEye 1 satellite from Space Launch Complex 2 on Sept. 4 at approximately 11:50 a.m. The GeoEye 1 satellite will collect high-resolution imagery for “a wide array of commercial and government applications,” […]
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Crow tests positive for West Nile Virus in Santa Barbara County; Canine Parvovirus rears its head
On Aug. 27, the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department announced the first sign of West Nile Virus activity in 2008. A crow that ultimately tested positive for the virus was turned in for testing by the Mosquito and Vector Management District of Santa Barbara County. West Nile Virus is a blood-borne virus typically transmitted […]
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Guadalupe City Council wants children to get inside earlier
It’s 10 p.m. Do you know where your children are? That question—though cliche —was addressed by the Guadalupe City Council during its Aug. 26 meeting. The council directed city staffers to change the current 11 p.m. curfew written into city code to an hour earlier. The curfew would last from 10 p.m. to sunrise the […]
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Hancock leaders eye the possibility of on-campus student housing
Student housing on Allan Hancock College’s Santa Maria campus might not be an idea of the past anymore. The Allan Hancock Joint Community College District Board of Trustees is planning to discuss the idea at its Sept. 16 meeting—or at least the possibility of hiring a consultant to look into the feasibility of the project. […]
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Board sends a pro-oil letter, environmental groups react
Members of the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors have made their voices heard, and the majority of them are encouraging oil exploration. The board voted 3-2 on Aug. 26 to send a letter to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, asking him to reconsider his policy on offshore drilling. For the record, Schwarzenegger is against offshore drilling. […]
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Artistic expression and rules collide
Graffiti, as a concept, is about as old as the dust in the Santa Maria River bed. Well, maybe not that old, but it’s been around for a long time. The ancient Romans carved graffiti—including Latin curses, political caricatures, and the like—on walls and monuments. And they’re not the only ones. Everyone from the mighty […]
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Where do we draw the line?
In 2007, there were 36,247 people living in poverty in California. In a state with a population of 36 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, that means one out of every 1,000 people in California is living in poverty. In Santa Barbara County, the latest Census Bureau information (from 2004) showed that 12.5 percent […]
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Yo-ho-ho!
Forget all that X-marks-the-spot business. If you’re looking for treasure, drop the map and grab a copy of this year’s Santa Maria Sun Best Of readers poll. No booby traps. No dead men’s chests. Just a bounty of booty, from top restaurants to hip shops to community movers and shakers. Sun Calendar Editor Joe Payne […]