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Our 166th Year
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T H U R S DAY, A P R I L 2 8 , 2 0 2 2
Full-fledged fair
Housing prices rise in SB County
Santa Barbara expo pays homage to fairs of yesteryear
By KAITLYN SCHALLHORN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Real estate in Santa Barbara County is getting more expensive. The average price of a singlefamily home that sold in March was $1.3 million in Santa Barbara County, according to a recent report from the California Association of Realtors. That’s up from $1.05 million in February and $1.075 million in March 2021. In San Luis Obispo County, the average price of a singlefamily home that sold last month was $903,000 — an increase from $830,500 in February and $737,500 in March 2021. In comparison, the average price of a single-family home in March for Monterey County was $911,000, and in Santa Cruz, it was $1.6 million. The Central Coast had the highest year-over-year price growth with a 20.4% increase for the region, according to C.A.R. In Santa Barbara, the yearover-year price growth was 20.9%. In Santa Cruz, it was 45.5%, and in Santa Luis Obispo, it was 22.4%. However, Monterey County saw a decrease of 2.1%. But the region also reported the sharpest decline in sales on a year-over-year basis, dropping
Riders go airborne during the opening of the Santa Barbara Fair & Expo Wednesday at the Earl Warren Showgrounds. The fair will continue through Sunday.
By KAITLYN SCHALLHORN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
The Santa Barbara Fair & Expo opened Wednesday afternoon at the Earl Warren Showgrounds with what’s billed as the first “full fair experience” since the pandemic started. The expo will run through Sunday. This year’s theme,“Meet Me At The Fair,” is bringing back a bit of nostalgia. “Last year our fair was a simplified version with a carnival and some local music and food vendors,” Ben Sprague, CEO of Earl Warren Showgrounds, told the News-Press Wednesday. But now it’s a full-fledged fair again, with everything from live entertainment to baking and art contests. Exhibits are back, and an old car owned by movie legend Clark Gable graces one of the halls. Last year’s modified fair took place in June, but the full-fledged
fair is taking place during its traditional spring dates. “These are our longstanding dates for the fair,” Salvatore Milazzo, the showgrounds board president, told the News-Press. “Springtime in Santa Barbara is a really beautiful and special time of year. So to be back to our traditional time of year and to welcome the community back onto the property after the pandemic is special …We are trying to put the best offering forward that we can, acknowledging that it is special that we can offer that to the community in person.” This year’s fair offers baking contests, art contests, two entertainment stages, livestock, face painting, a petting zoo, a lego contest and more. There’s even a kissing booth. “We have all the pieces of the fair … It is an homage to the fairs of yesteryear, and offers the complete fair experience to the community,” said Mr. Sprague. This week’s fair marks the
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return of exhibits, which include arts and crafts. Mr. Milazzo said the fair wasn’t able to previously have those displays during the pandemic. “I think that is a very special part of the fair that is back and that we hope to grow in the future,” he said. “Real community interaction in a real community display space.” In addition to music, the entertainment lineup features dancing, a hypnotist and Frank the Magician. The livestock area includes goats, steers, pigs, mules, sheep and other animals. There are also interactive displays highlighting livestock and agriculture. “We have a variety of animals that are taking up residence on the showground for the week,” said Mr. Sprague. “In the past we have done 4-H competitions, but there hasn’t been as much interest,” he said. “So we are having a more display presentation where people
can come up and look and ask questions,” Adult entry for the fair is $8. The cost for children 6 and up is $5. Entry for children 5 and under is free. A one-day unlimited ride wristband is $30. The event is open today from 4-10 p.m., Friday from 4 p.m. to midnight, Saturday from 11 a.m. to midnight and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. (On each day, the exhibit hall closes before the carnival.) Attendees can park at La Cumbre Middle School or Bishop Diego High School and ride a free trolley. “The special thing about fairs is it is truly a community event, with the carnival and the big flashy rides but also the hand-painted signs and the kids’ face painting,” said Mr. Sprague. “Earl Warren is Santa Barbara’s community event center, and we are working on this being the best one we do.” email: kzehnder@newspress.com
Please see HOUSING on A4
SB Unified expects additional costs with transitional kindergarten
KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
At left, rides spin into action at the Santa Barbara Fair & Expo. At right, a father and daughter embrace after a prize-winning play at the fair.
20.1%. According to C.A.R., housing demand in the Central Coast was particularly strong last year with sales increasing 31.8% in March 2021. Therefore, a sizable drop was anticipated, C.A.R. said. In a recent memo to clients detailing the first quarter of 2022, Santa Barbara-based real-estate agents Mike and Kyle Richardson (“The Richardson Team”) said the high-sellers market has not resulted in any strong impacts in the Santa Barbara market thus far, “but with the extreme volatility of the stock market, the geopolitical sphere and rising interest rates, we can’t help but feel that changes are coming.” “Although Santa Barbara is a luxury market that often trails behind national trends, historically, these kinds of interest rate hikes have had a lasting impact on purchasing power and market,” the memo said. Overall, housing demand throughout California was strong, and median house prices set another record high, according to the California Association of Realtors. The state’s median home price in March was $849,080, a new
In compliance with a new state law, Santa Barbara Unified School District has already begun expanding its transitional kindergarten program. But officials are sounding the alarm about the hefty price tag the district might be left with, sans any intervention in Sacramento. Although California has set aside funding for the expansion of transitional kindergarten programs, SBUSD would not qualify because it’s a communityfunded school district, officials said during Tuesday evening’s board meeting. The district is considered a “basic aid” district as it receives funding from community property taxes. Expanding transitional kindergarten — which officials expressed support for — would require additional full-time teachers, more paraeducators and facility changes to ensure the classrooms are up to standard. This means by the time transitional kindergarten is fully phased in for the 2025-2026 school year, SBUSD will be on the hook for a recurring annual cost of about $1.27 million. So officials have turned to advocacy ahead of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s planned budget revisions next month. In an email to community members Wednesday, SBUSD warned if the governor did not
change the funding mechanism for expansion, “existing educational programs and the students that they serve could be impacted.” The district included in its email a step-by-step guide on how to contact the Governor’s Office and request a change in how transitional kindergarten is funded. According to a recent CalMatters analysis, about 15% of districts in California are basic aid districts. Board Member Kate Ford expressed optimism during Tuesday’s meeting that advocacy would work and maintained her excitement for the transitional kindergarten expansion. “I think it will change the face of education in California for lots of reasons,” Ms. Ford said. The expansion of transitional kindergarten in SBUSD is a phased-in, five-year approach: • Those who turned 5 before Dec. 2 could enroll in the current academic year. • Those who turn 5 before Feb. 2 will be included in the 20222023 school year. • Those who turn 5 before April 2 will be included in the 2023-2024 school year. • Those who turn 5 before June 2 will be included in the 2024-2025 school year. • Those who turn 4 by Sept. 1 will be included in the 2025-2026 school year. Please see COSTS on A2
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Classified................. B4 Life...................... B1-2 Obituaries............... A4
Wednesday’s SUPER LOTTO: N/A Meganumber: N/A
Wednesday’s DAILY 4: 8-8-4-1
Tuesday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 5-7-19-46-69 Meganumber: 2
Wednesday’s FANTASY 5: 1-4-18-23-25
Wednesday’s DAILY DERBY: 05-06-09 Time: 1:49.36
Wednesday’s POWERBALL: N/A Meganumber: N/A
Sudoku................... B3 Sports . .................... A3 Weather................. A4
Wednesday’s DAILY 3: 4-1-1 / Wednesday’s Midday 7-7-3