The Pacific Conservatory Theatre (PCPA) presents its production of Cabaret at the Solvang Festival Theater, with performances through Aug. 25. This iteration of the iconic musical opened at the Marian Theatre in Santa Maria where it ran in late July, and moved to Solvang in early August. Set in Berlin during the 1930s, Cabaret follows […]
Solvang Festival Theater brings PCPA’s Cabaret to its stage
Posted inSpecial Issues
Bond, school bond
Santa Maria-Bonita In the 2023-24 school year, Santa Maria-Bonita School District had more than 17,000 students enrolled in its 17 elementary schools, four junior high schools, and one combined elementary and junior high. By 2029-30, the district expects more than 18,000 enrolled students, not accounting for students who might come from housing projects currently in […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
County Youth Poet Laureate hosts reading at Solvang Library
Born in Santa Barbara and raised in the Santa Ynez Valley, Jasmine Guerrero Sevilla holds the prestigious title of youth poet laureate of Santa Barbara County. In early August, Sevilla led a free workshop in Solvang for young writers ranging from ages 9 to 12. On Saturday, Aug. 10, Sevilla and the workshop’s students will […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Education Today 2024
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 […]
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 […]