Dan Bennett

From surf to stage, Richie Strell has stayed busy since moving from the East Coast to San Diego County u2014 twice u2014 landing here for good in 1997. The respected musician (and surfer), now 78 and living in Lake San Marcos, has been seen and heard on local music-venue stages for years. Strell was recently offered the opportunity to perform and act in the musical play u201cHop on Board – The Dust Bowl Story.u201d The show had a successful run in Poway, and now plays at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31

By Dan Bennett OCEANSIDE - Happy birthday, Oceanside Beach Lifeguards. 100 years of saving lives is an impressive milestone. The Oceanside Beach Lifeguards, officially the Oceanside Lifeguard Service, a unit of the City of Oceanside Fire ...

OCEANSIDE u2014 At the heart of Oceanside Dia de los Muertos are family and community u2013 past, present, and future. The festive annual event returns to downtown Oceanside on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for its 25th year, again offering a wide array of entertainment and celebrations. Admission is free. Honoring the sacred and celebratory Mexican tradition Day of the Dead, the event includes the popular and heartfelt ofrendas – altars to loved ones. The altars represent the four stages of lif

VISTA u2014 Westen Nack says he knew by age 3 that he was fascinated by tractors. Now, at age 15, the ninth-grader at Valley Center High School is sharing his expertise in a marketing role. Nack is helping promote the annual October Antique Tractor Show, taking place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Saturday and Sunday, and again Oct. 24-25, at the Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum in Vista. u00a0 Nack says the event showcases a wide range of gas and steam engines in full operation, alongside an impre

Thereu2019s something really weird happening at LEGOLAND this Halloween season. And itu2019s the good kind of weird. The annual Brick or Treat event at LEGOLAND California Resort in Carlsbad offers children a double treat: candy and Halloween greetings from (mildly) scary monsters and just plain oddball creatures. Adventurous children of all ages, and their camera-equipped parents, spend time on Brick or Treat Street, knocking on doors and being entertained by strange (but amusing) inhabitants.

OCEANSIDE u2014 The new OC-30 Courtyard and facilities at MiraCosta College stress unity and community. On Tuesday, Sept. 29, MiraCosta College hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate and introduce to the community the $69.4 million campus complex, a smoothly flowing and spacious complex that will serve as a home base for MiraCosta Collegeu2019s Social Sciences Hub, Student Life and Leadership, Equity Centers, classrooms, faculty and staff offices, and student study and collaboration space

OCEANSIDE u2014 Itu2019s time to eat in Oceanside. And drink. And then eat some more. The annual Taste of Oceanside, presented by MainStreet Oceanside, returns Saturday with delicious dishes from Oceansideu2019s many talented chefs and cooks. The event kicks off with a VIP First Taste experience, featuring early entry; then, from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m., it welcomes ticketed guests to sample more than 75 taste-and-sip stops throughout the downtown area. u201cTaste of Oceanside is a cornerstone event f

VISTA u2014 Wheels were everywhere in downtown Vista last Saturday, and there was no age limit for the drivers. The event was the third Cyclovia Vista, a free event allowing bicyclists, pedestrians, skateboarders, scooter riders, and other self-powered transportation riders to take over the area around East Broadway and South Citrus Avenue for a few hours. The goal of the event, produced by the City of Vista in partnership with the California Office of Traffic Safety and the Bike Coalition of Sa

OCEANSIDE u2014 The Mellano family has been harvesting Southern California land for more than a century, so itu2019s no surprise that Mellano Farm Stand in Oceanside knows how to put on an enjoyable harvest festival filled with teaching moments. The 2026 Pumpkin & Marigold Harvest Festival starts Saturday, then continues each Saturday and Sunday for the next six weeks on the 20-acre farm in South Morro Hills. The festival celebrates all things fall, including marigolds, pumpkin-pie eating contes

SAN MARCOS u2014 The annual Double Peak Challenge in San Marcos is the kind of race where, once youu2019ve climbed high, you climb even higher. The popular event, happening Saturday, sees racers start in the heart of San Elijo Hills Neighborhood Park and climb 1,176 feet to the Double Peak summit, 1,558 feet above sea level. Itu2019s known as North Countyu2019s highest point. Racers choose between the 10k timed race, a 5k untimed run/walk (650 feet), and a Kids Trail Trot. u201cWeu2019re definit

CARLSBAD u2014 Great news for sea turtle lovers: We have learned how to protect them, and weu2019re getting better at it. That was the encouraging message conveyed by Sabrina Mashburn, executive director of the nonprofit SoCal Sea Turtles, on Saturday at the Batiquitos Lagoon Nature Center in Carlsbad, part of the centeru2019s ongoing monthly speaker series. Over decades, the number of green sea turtles had dwindled, but the global population has increased about 28 percent since the 1970s, accor

VISTA u2014 Guitarist Anthony Cullins got his start in Fallbrook (his nickname is the Fallbrook Kid), but the world, or much of it, is his stage. Cullins recently returned from a London performance. Heu2019s back in Fallbrook now and performs Saturday, Sept. 19 at the BBQ, Blues & Brews fundraising event at the Vista Historical Society & Museum.u00a0 u201cIu2019ve been fortunate enough to play in Norway, Denmark, India, so many places,u201d Cullins said. u201cAudiences in different countries hav

By Dan Bennett Complete Streets are streets that everyone can use. To be considered complete, streets should be accessible to people of all ages and physical abilities, and accessible to people using different modes of transportation, including…

By Dan Bennett More than 90 percent of U.S. children between ages 6-18 years eat more sodium than recommended, putting them at risk for developing high blood pressure and heart disease later in life, according to a recent report issued by the Centers…

By Dan Bennett Bikes Count is a regional bicycle counting program sponsored by the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency, the Active Transportation Research (ATR) program at San Diego State University (SDSU), and the San Diego…

By Dan Bennett It’s not always easy for school districts to secure and serve the most fresh and healthy food in school meals. The process is often hindered by outdated policy and systems practices that prevent students from receiving the best healthy…

By Dan Bennett When Vivian Simpson and her 10-year-old grandson Jonathan heard that their apartment complex in the Oak Park neighborhood of San Diego would go completely smoke-free, they were understandably relieved. Jonathan suffers from asthma, and…