Three dairy vendors are bidding on Santa Maria-Bonita School District’s dairy contract to provide students with milk for their free breakfast and lunch meals. On July 16 Robert Bruce Elementary third and fourth graders participating in the Migrant Summer School program put the cartons of milk to the test. Typically, vendors submit their proposal to […]
KAREN GARCIA
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Solvang’s Skytt Mesa neighborhood has trouble with shed code compliance
The size and location of one newly constructed shed in the Skytt Mesa neighborhood in Solvang subjected 21 other property owners to code enforcement review and violations, upsetting those with years-old sheds. A dispute between neighbors over the shed in question led to several complaints about other sheds in the Skytt Mesa area violating setback […]
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Solvang starts potential Copenhagen Drive reopening discussion
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s June 11 executive orders that effectively “re-opened” California have communities like Solvang considering whether to keep city modifications such as the Copenhagen Drive closure. Under the city’s emergency declaration in 2020, the council approved temporarily closing Copenhagen Drive to provide space for outdoor dining through the implementation of parklets. The policy was […]
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Solvang allows electric trolleys
The Solvang City Council approved a license program for electric trolley services on June 14. Tracy Beard, executive director of the Solvang Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber supports electric trolleys and advocates for that service in the city. “It’s part of the [Santa Barbara Go Green programs] that we have for going into the […]
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One woman is bringing paletas to the catering scene with her new pushcart
Brittany Gonsalves was looking to get her creative juices flowing last year after the pandemic halted her business operations. “I was trying to find something to keep occupied, be creative, and have an outlet to stay hopeful and keep going,” she said. She and her husband, Rigoberto Guzman, had started the Central Coast Tacos Catering […]
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Solvang continues its work to create a unified brand for its tourism marketing
Solvang’s City Council is taking steps toward a unifying its tourism marketing, overall brand, and direction for its visitor center. Currently there are three different agencies—IDK Events, the Solvang Chamber of Commerce, and Central Coast Marketing—that helm the city’s events, tourism, and marketing. All three use different websites and social media accounts to reach prospective […]
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Deported Goleta mother is granted parole to return to the U.S.
Two years after being deported to Jesús Maria, Aguascalientes, in Mexico, Goleta mother Juana Flores reunited with her 10 children and 18 grandchildren with the help of U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara). On June 2, Carbajal announced that the Department of Homeland Security granted Flores humanitarian parole, allowing her to stay in the U.S. […]
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Solvang OKs five-year license term for trolley services
More than a year has passed since the Solvang City Council was slated to discuss extending the business license term for animal-drawn conveyance from one year to five years. During the May 24 Solvang City Council meeting, the council—Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Orona, whose family owns Solvang Trolley, recused herself—revisited the matter and unanimously approved […]
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Solvang wants to see the Old Lumber Yard property turned into a hotel
The Old Lumber Yard in Solvang could be turned into a four-star hotel, something its developer says is lacking in the city’s hospitality offerings. But some residents believe the property should be transformed into housing. Jarret Gorin, the developer’s partner, said the difference between a two-star and a four-star hotel is a Day’s Inn and […]
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Solvang wants a reset on its tourism marketing and visitor center
Solvang’s contract for its visitor center is up in June, but the process of receiving contract proposals left the City Council wanting a more unified vision for tourism marketing. During the May 10 meeting, the council voted to extend the city’s current contract with Central Coast Marketing for visitor center operations from June to September. […]
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Multilingual caravan informs farmworkers about labor rights
In an informational outreach effort, the California Labor Commissioner’s Office and the Division of Occupational Safety and Health, also known as Cal/OSHA, is hosting a four-day mobile caravan to agricultural fields from Ventura to Santa Barbara counties to inform farmworkers about their labor rights. The caravan began on May 10 with a Department of Industrial […]
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Pet connections: A social media group assists in pet shelter adoptions
In 2020, individuals all over the state took a leap of faith and adopted furry companions to help them endure the ebb and flow pandemic life. Colorado State University researchers released a report in November 2020 that found bonding with a pet during the stay-at-home orders reduced feelings of anxiety and depression. Survey participants were […]