School is about to be back in session for the 2024-25 school year, which means summer is almost over—sad. But it also means a new school year for all of those students, new learning, new friends, new experiences—rad! For this year’s annual Education Today issue, Staff Writer Taylor O’Connor speaks with school districts that are […]
Education Today 2024
Posted inFood & Drink
Discover one of Solvang’s hottest nightcap spots inside the Vinland Hotel
Enjoy your stay Visit vinlandhotelandlounge.com for more info on the V Lounge, located inside the Vinland Hotel, at 1455 Mission Drive, Solvang. The lounge’s menu features appetizers, desserts, craft cocktails, beer, and wine, and is open to hotel guests and the public. A handful of luxury suites at the hotel are sponsored by local wineries […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
FitForever Gym’s Artisan Market unites artists, benefits local dog rescue
Fit check FitForever Gym in Arroyo Grande will hold its upcoming Artisan Market on Saturday, Aug. 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This event’s featured artisans are Tina Doherty, Anne Kunzig, Myles Herman, Judy Wood, Craig Trapp, Cheryl Carlson, Rich Wilke, Lori Sherry, Adrian Luna, Lisa Ferson-Zavala, Maggie Pickering, Nancy Valentine, Melissa Walker-Scott, Jeanne […]
Posted inOpinion
Let’s teach how to think, not what to think
In response to Ron Fink’s July 25 “What’s the fuss?” commentary about the Ten Commandments in public schools, I have a couple of points to make about the Constitution mandating a separation of church and state. He claims it was not to keep the church out of the state, but it was that, and to […]
Posted inOpinion
Opinions are one thing, but keep the facts straight
Kindly allow me space in your paper to correct two flagrant fictions contained in Dan Dennis’s opinion piece of Aug. 1 (“The stakes are too high”). President Franklin Roosevelt’s Glass-Steagall law was passed in 1933; the Great Depression had been already raging since the collapse of the stock market in October 1929, four years earlier. […]
Posted inOpinion
Democratic Party’s style is to avoid democracy by simply anointing a candidate
What is democracy? Merriam-Webster defines it this way: “rule of the majority; a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections.” Earlier this year there was a primary election where registered voters of each political party […]
Posted inOpinion
New normal
I’m a little confused about a recent Santa Barbara County Planning Commission decision about cannabis—mostly I’m confounded about Commissioner John Parke and his support of a processing project, something I assume he’s against. You know, he’s always talking about that odor. Cannabis smells impacting quality of life seem to niggle Parke like no other, insinuating […]
Posted inNews
Caltrans awards SBCAG a $480,000 grant to update Santa Barbara County’s bicycle maps
Bike maps help bicyclists identify and navigate routes throughout their region and understand a route’s classification—from multi-use trails to bike lanes on the street. However, Santa Barbara County’s mapping system is outdated by more than a decade, said Lauren Bianchi Klemann, public information officer for the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments. “With roads and […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Local chef Don Carr curates elaborate private dinners across the Central Coast
Intimate inspirations Visit inspireddiningevents.com for more info on Don Carr’s private chef experience services. The unparalleled bliss that comes with enjoying a gourmet meal without lifting a finger or washing a single dish isn’t restricted to those who dine out, thanks to private chefs like longtime local Don Carr. “We’re basically a traveling restaurant,” Carr […]
Posted inNews
Buellton sets road access boundaries on condos project
In the eyes of some Rancho de Maria residents, a recent ruling that limits road access between the Buellton neighborhood and an upcoming housing development to emergency use or by permit could use less leeway. Greenlit by city officials in 2018, the Hub project—which will bring new condos to a 17-acre site west of Rancho […]
Posted inNews
Santa Barbara, SLO counties begin Santa Maria Riverbed encampment cleanup
Santa Barbara County 4th District Supervisor Bob Nelson has supported efforts to resolve homeless encampments since he took office in 2021. However, he said that because multiple jurisdictions oversee portions of the Santa Maria Riverbed—including Caltrans, Santa Maria, and SLO County with the majority—it’s been difficult to facilitate any cleanup of the area. “It’s been […]
Posted inNews
Looking to the future: Diana Perez faces Alice Patino for Santa Maria mayoral race
Alice Patino threw her hat in the ring for a fourth term as Santa Maria mayor “to keep the continuity going.” “I want to continue to represent the interest of the communities in Santa Maria,” Patino said. “It’s important for Santa Maria to have a voice at the regional and state level of issues that […]