California news

April 18, 2025

Santa Maria Post Office to be Dedicated April 21 In Honor of Former Mayor Larry Lavagnino

SANTA MARIA, CA – On Monday, April 21, 2025, Santa Maria Post Office, located at 201 East Battles Road, will be dedicated to honor of the City’s former Mayor, Councilmember and longtime resident Larry Lavagnino at 10:00 a.m. “We are very proud to have this facility honor the life and accomplishments of Larry Lavagnino,” said Santa Clarita District Manager Al Santos.

Santos will be joined at the ceremony by Representative Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Santa Maria Mayor Alice Patino, Santa Barbara County Supervisor Steve Lavagnino, the Lavagnino family, and other dignitaries to unveil the building naming plaque that will be installed in the newly designated Larry Lavagnino Post Office Building.

Representative Salud Carbajal’s legislation to rename the Santa Maria Post Office at 201 East Battles Road to the “Larry Lavagnino Post Office Building” was officially signed into law by President Biden (H.R. 7158) on January 4, 2025.

No one loves the city of Santa Maria more than Larry Lavagnino. “I have a love affair with the city, that's what it comes down to,” he said.

He grew up in Santa Maria. He attended Santa Maria Union High School, he graduated from Santa Maria Allan Hancock College, served in the U.S. Navy, was a member of the Santa Maria City Council from 1996 to 2002, was Santa Maria Mayor from 2002 to 2012, and still lives four houses down from the Santa Maria home he grew up in.

During his tenure as councilmember and mayor, Santa Maria saw a significant number of improvements and additions, including a new library, multiple new fire stations, a new transit center, a new police department building, the expansion of the city’s wastewater treatment plant, and the widening of Santa Maria River Bridge and Highway 101.

In addition, Mayor Lavagnino was also able to help secure more than $46 million in federal funding for improvements to the Santa Maria River Levee, which protects thousands of homes and businesses in the area. He also helped bring about the Abel Maldonado Youth Center, which continues to provide a safe and welcoming space for teens

“I’m deeply honored and humbled,’ said Lavagnino. “I know there are many more deserving of this recognition, but I am very excited. I only wish my mom and dad were around to witness this.”

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The United States Postal Service is an independent federal establishment, mandated to be self-financing and to serve every American community through the affordable, reliable and secure delivery of mail and packages to 169 million addresses six and often seven days a week. Overseen by a bipartisan Board of Governors, the Postal Service is implementing a 10-year transformation plan, Delivering for America, to modernize the postal network, restore long-term financial sustainability, dramatically improve service across all mail and shipping categories, and maintain the organization as one of America’s most valued and trusted brands.

The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

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