The Santa Maria Post Office was dedicated Monday morning to a former mayor, saluting Larry Lavagnino’s service to the city he loves while also roasting him a bit.
The ceremony, which included the unveiling of a plaque naming the building after the Santa Maria native, took place in front of the Post Office at 201 E. Battles Road.
“Mayor Lavagnino, you deserve a recognition that cements your legacy in this community for generations to come and to know, and I am proud to have championed that recognition in Congress,” said Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara.
“In the years ahead, kids are going to stop by this post office with their families and ask, ‘Who the hell was Larry Lavagnino?’” Carbajal said, eliciting laughter from those at the ceremony.
“I’m confident that when they hear your story and your lifetime of public service for Santa Maria, many will be inspired to follow in your footsteps.”
Lavagnino worked as an aide for former county supervisors George Curtis Tunnell and Harrell Fletcher, then worked in the private sector.
He later served on the Santa Maria Planning Commission and City Council before becoming mayor for 10 years. The numerous accomplishments include securing $46 million in federal funding for the Santa Maria River levee to protect homes and businesses and funding for a new youth center.
The 89-year-old has spent most of his life in Santa Maria, leaving only for a stint in the U.S. Navy that took him to Alaska.
“After a lifetime of accomplishment, service and honor, he still lives just down the street from where he grew up here in Santa Maria,” Carbajal said. “That says it all, doesn’t it?”
In early 2024, Carbajal announced that he would author legislation to recognize Lavagnino. The legislation moved through the approval process to land on the desk of President Joe Biden, who signed it into law on Jan. 4.
“This building now tells a story — a story of service, sacrifice, community and unwavering proof of pride in one’s hometown,” said Art Stilwell, the U.S. Postal Service’s manager of customer relations.
In addition to presenting a framed copy of the law to Lavagnino, the ceremony included unveiling of the plaque to be placed inside the facility.
“They got the name spelled right,” Lavagnino said dryly.
Those attending the ceremony included former Mayor Abel Maldonado, who also served a stint as California’s lieutenant governor.
Former council members and retired city employees who served with Lavagnino also were in attendance.
Mayor Alice Patino, noting that her husband and Larry Lavagnino played on the same baseball team decades ago, said residents sometimes ask her about the former mayor — “Larry, a lot of people don’t know you’re still alive.”
“He still loves Santa Maria,” Patino said, adding that it was a privilege to serve with Lavagnino on the council. “I am proud to call Larry my friend.”
Steve Lavagnino, his son and Santa Barbara County’s Fifth District supervisor, couldn’t resist a timely joke.
“By the way, Dad’s very confused today because he’s not sure if this is going to help him or hurt him on his quest to become the next pope,” Steve Lavagnino sad.
The son said the postal honor for his father made sense after realizing the man’s love for getting mail.
“No one loves Santa Maria more than Dad. Nobody loves the mail more than my dad,” Steve Lavagnino said, recalling a recent conversation when his distracted father admitted he was watching for the mail arrival.
With a large contingent of family members in the audience, Larry Lavagnino expressed appreciation to his wife, Donna, along with the others in attendance.
“As I prepared for today, I recognized that my life was like a big jigsaw puzzle — we don’t know what the final picture will emerge and when the final piece will be placed,” Larry Lavagnino said. “You, all of you are pieces of the Larry Lavagnino puzzle, and I thank you for the part you played in my long and happy life.”
It isn’t the only honor for Lavagnino this year. Earlier this month, he was named grand marshal of the Santa Maria Elks Rodeo Parade on May 31.
Last fall, Carbajal announced an effort to salute retired Marine Corp Brig. Gen. Frederick Lopez with a similar recognition at the Goleta Post Office.
Lopez, a Santa Barbara County native and Cal Poly graduate, served for more than 30 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, including during the Vietnam War.
With a new session of Congress underway, Carbajal reintroduced the legislation and intends to move it forward through the approval process. The bill must be approved by the House of Representatives and Senate before landing on the president’s desk.
In a 2015 ceremony, the Lompoc Post Office was dedicated in honor of Lompoc federal correctional officer Scott Williams, who was killed by an inmate on April 3,1997.