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LISBON, Iowa (KWWL) — While many schools across Iowa sit empty with summer in full swing, the Lisbon Community School District has turned into a construction site to welcome the $9.2 million in projects approved by voters last year.

Lisbon voters approved a three-question, two issue bond in February 2018. Now the projects are taking shape with a new football field, auditorium, and updates to classrooms.

“It’s just transforming right before your eyes,” said Pat Hocking, Superintendent for the Lisbon and Springville School Districts.

Neighboring homes have been knocked down to make way for a much bigger Lisbon campus.

“The track will get poured this summer yet, but we won’t be playing anything on it till next spring,” said Hocking.

A larger football field with a track and practice fields as well as a state of the art 500 plus seat auditorium are some of the largest projects on the list.

Now, they’re well underway and Hocking said it’s all thanks to the voters, “We did pass a three-question vote all at 70% or better so very excited. Very excited about having the support from the people.”

A facility committee put the plan together and suggested putting the vote up for consideration with three questions on the ballot said Hocking, “Lisbon is very big on athletics but we also have a very strong fine arts program and we didn’t want them to pit them against each other so somebody came up with the idea of all or none.”

Next, the ground will get dug up to make way for the auditorium pit style seating and the lobby area will get finished up with a secure entrance.

Once the update is complete the building will have four secure points of entrance said Hocking, “You either have to get buzzed into the building by an individual inside or you must come into one of the offices before preceding out.”

Construction began as soon as the bell rang for summer and now crews are racing to have it done before school starts on August 23rd.

Project Superintendent with Larson Construction, Beau Zaruba said everything’s on schedule pending mother nature, “The weather definitely makes it tough… That makes it challenging but we’re definitely moving in the right direction.”

Some of the classrooms are ready for students, others still have a ways to go. However, the staff is ready for the next challenge of getting settled into new spaces once construction is complete.

“There’ll still be some growing pains in the next year or two while we get set,” said Hocking.

Until the football field is ready to host games in the fall of 2020, the district plans to utilize Coe College facilities.

To learn more about the district or some of the updates visit their website.

The Vatican is hoping to facilitate a friendly encounter between a group of young Russians and their Ukrainian peers next week in Lisbon during World Youth Day ( WYD ), La Croix has learned.

Pope Francis will arrive in the Portuguese capital on the second day of the August 1-6 gathering of teens and young adults, and delegations from the warring Eastern European countries are also expected to be there, according to Church sources.

L'Œuvre d'Orient, the Paris-based Church agency that supports Christians from the East, said it was helping to cover costs for nearly 300 Ukrainians who will be going WYD-Lisbon. And according to sources that spoke with La Croix , some 18 young adults from Russia will be coming to the youth gathering with one of the country's Catholic bishops. It is understood that both groups will be made up primarily of young women, the men being held back in both countries to meet their military obligations.

Among the small group from Russia there will be some foreign university students living in the country. As with the other participants from all over the world, catechesis in Russian is also planned for Lisbon.

The Vatican is eager to highlight the presence of the young Russians and Ukrainians as an opportunity to encourage "reconciliation" between nationals of the two countries that have been at war since February 2022.

"WYD is traditionally a time for intercultural encounters, which can also be encounters of peace," said one Vatican source.

The same source confirmed that young people from other war-torn countries are also taking part in the meetings organized in Lisbon, such as those from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. On the other hand, a group of Syrian Catholics that had planned to attend World Youth Day had to cancel their plans, as the Portuguese authorities refused to grant the necessary entrance visas.

"It's normal for all nationalities to be represented"

"There's nothing extraordinary about the presence of Russians and Ukrainians. It's normal for all nationalities to be represented," insisted another Vatican aide.

The pope's official program during his five days in Portugal does not reveal any particular initiative to bring together the young people from the two countries, but many admit that such a possibility is not out of the question.

Since the beginning of the war, Francis has twice brought Ukrainians and Russians together,...

Lisbon, Portugal has been inundated with tourists in recent years, as fans from across the globe (and particularly America) head to the coastal European city in search of seafood, steep hills, and lots of sherry. Now Angelenos can book a closer-to-home trip for much the same experience, with this week’s opening of Barra Santos in Cypress Park.

While the new Barra Santos, the latest venture from the hit hospitality team Last Word (Found Oyster), isn’t quite the same thing as being on the Iberian peninsula, co-owner Mike Santos wants to at least offer a similar feeling. Santos was born in Portugal and raised in East Coast Portuguese communities, and now he’s running one of the first true restaurants for piri piri chicken, bacalao fritters, and marinated pork bifana sandwiches anywhere in Southern California. Chef and partner Melissa López (Bestia, Barbuto) is on to oversee the culinary side of things at the small, snacks-focused spot, while Last Word wine director Evelyn Goreshnik is handling the drinks. Expect a full array of sherry, port, madeira, and wine, in addition to draft beer and brews imported directly from Portugal. The opening menus are below.

As for the anticipated new Cypress Park space itself, expect a small footprint reminiscent of Last Word’s other familiar venture Found Oyster. A long, 25-foot red oak bar makes for the primary dining area, save for some additional exterior seating directly out front. Pendant lights and curtains at the front of the long building give the feel of a longtime neighborhood hangout that’s been built with brick and aged with time, while handprinted tiles feel as if they’re pulled directly from Lisbon proper.

The new Barra Santos is part of a larger transformation happening lately across Cypress Park, Glassell Park, and the eastern edges of Eagle Rock. In recent years the area has seen an uptick in daytime spots like Bub & Grandma’s and Loquat Coffee, as well as drinking destinations like Wife & the Somm, Capri Club, and the Grant bar. While some in the surrounding neighborhoods have welcomed the influx of hospitality options, others have felt that some of the businesses may be priced out of reach for longtime locals, spurring growing fears of ongoing gentrification and displacement. Next door, Last Word is also opening Shin’s Pizza, a neighborhood pizzeria for inexpensive after-school takeout slices and snacks.

The new Barra Santos opens Friday, March 24 at 1215 Cypress Avenue, keeping hours from Wednesday to Sunday, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

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In this sun-soaked region, you’ll find Michelin-starred meals, an exciting wine scene, and a new group of young, progressive creatives.

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"Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem recently visited the Algarve," textile artist Vanessa Barragao's studio assistant said during my visit. She was one of many who mentioned the Hollywood elite flocking to this region with 300 days of sunshine a year, a coast that forms a jagged smile along the Atlantic, and a burgeoning wine scene. A much less elite Angeleno, I thought to myself, had I traveled nearly 6,000 miles to discover the "California of Europe?"

I didn't mind — I love California. And after spending 10 days in Portugal’s southernmost region with my boyfriend, it was obvious that California and the Algarve have both similarities and striking differences.

One common thread is that the Algarve has more Michelin-starred restaurants than all other areas of Portugal combined (and California has more Michelin-starred restaurants than any other U.S. state). We tasted local cuisine over a three-hour meal at Vista, a restaurant helmed by chef João Oliveira.

Within minutes, I shed tears of joy. From the first bite (a molecular explosion of green apple, wasabi, and fennel) to dessert (a miniature citrus tree with an orange sphere encased in a ganache-covered shell and filled with orange chocolate mousse), Oliveira and his staff performed an opera of flavor.

But zoom out, and the local Algarve cuisine splits with California. The Algarve is inflected with a North African influence. After all, the area spent centuries under Moorish rule. Pepper, curry, and coriander spice up the menus, and a traditional dish called cataplana is the Algarve’s answer to tagine.

Similarly to California, the Algarve offers a lovely mix of beaches, countryside, and city life, but it looks a bit different. For instance, in the fisherman's village of Olhão, we climbed the bell tower of the Church of Nossa Senhora do Rosário for a spectacular view over a zigzagging blanket of white Cubist buildings that conjured comparisons to towns Morocco's Tetouan or Spain's Cadaqués.

Later, we spent a few days in Vila Real de Santo António, the border town between Portugal and Spain, on the right bank of the Guadiana River. This city was planned during Portugal's "Age of Enlightenment" and features neoclassical buildings and symmetrical, Pombaline blocks (akin to Lisbon). Nothing in California compares.

Then, in the capital city of Faro, the comparisons to California returned. Here, you might notice nods to William Krisel's Palm Springs or John Lautner's Hollywood, as it's a hotbed of modernist buildings designed for a tropical climate.

Michael Stock, the co-owner of Quinta Dos Vales vineyard, explained that Californians are flocking to the Algarve for a similar laid-back lifestyle with a lower cost of living and no divisive politics. He added that there's a bevy of international schools, almost everyone speaks English, and taxes are low. Strolling with him among his vines, with the Monchique Mountains as our backdrop, the view and landscape did slightly recall Napa or Sonoma.

And when we later did a tasting at Morgado do Quintão, a historic estate with a 2,000-year-old olive tree, it was clear, too, that the Algarve’s wine scene might follow in Northern California’s footsteps. Quintão's approach is to reclaim their roots: low intervention, biological practices, and use of the indigenous grapes (called crato, negra mole, and castelão). They're also one of the first vineyards in the Algarve to export to the U.S. and have their wines in three-star Michelin restaurants worldwide.

The coast here also rivals the Golden State. The Algarve's beaches have earned 87 Blue Flags — one of Europe’s highest concentrations. It is said that the sandier, quieter beaches are on the eastern side of the Algarve, with warmer water and calmer winds.

I walked the east side’s Praia de Santo António and experienced a pristine panorama of shimmering ocean and untouched golden sand. Cliff and cove lovers should be aware of the western side, though, which has echoes of Malibu, and, at times, San Luis Obispo.

After returning to L.A. and reflecting on this trip, I thought of the Mark Twain quote: "All scenery in California requires distance to give it its highest charm." The same could be said of the Algarve. Their version of sun, sea, and Michelin stars may approximate California in certain ways, but it definitely has its own special vibe, too.

Best Places to Stay in the Algarve

Casa Modesta: Overlooking the Ria Formosa lagoon, this nine-room boutique hotel offers a design-oriented place to sync with nature's pace. It's also a former fisherman's home, lovingly restored by his architect granddaughter and run by her brother.

Bela Vista Hotel & Spa: This 19th-century, Moorish-style family home-turned-hotel provides gated privacy within a walkable neighborhood on one side and direct beach access on the other. Breakfast on the panoramic terrace is a must.

Best Places to Eat and Drink in the Algarve

Los Locos: A tiny, candlelit restaurant hidden in a cobblestone alley offers surprising flavor combinations and techniques. Trip: Try the salad with smoked greens.

Sushi Pearl: This upscale sushi spot serves just-caught local fish with Portuguese flourishes.

Vista: Expect an unparalleled, Michelin-starred dining experience focused on seafood and vegetables.

Grand House: A Belle Epoque-style bar where you can say your favorite spirit and wind up with a tailor-made, one-of-a-kind cocktail.

Chá Chá Chá: A British food writer opened this charming restaurant, which revolves around the morning’s catches.

Best Things to Do in the Algarve

Benagil Sea Cave: Accessible by boat, kayak, or stand-up paddleboard, this spot resembles nature’s cathedral, with an open-air oculus framing the blue sky.

Modernist Architecture Walking Tour: Faro's impressive collection of modernist and art deco buildings are discoverable with a guide created by the owners of the Modernist Hotel. (There’s an in-room copy for hotel guests' use.)

Morgado do Quintão: Come for the wine tasting and a romantic afternoon, leave with the maximum amount of bottles that will fit into your checked baggage.

Best Places to Shop in the Algarve

Kozii: This Tavira boutique sells beautiful, eco-conscious clothing and jewelry inspired by the techniques, people, and landscapes of Jaipur.

Vanessa Barragão: A young textile artist weaves giant tapestries that reflect on climate change, especially its impact on oceans. (By appointment only.)

Loulé Design Lab: Local artisans make and sell unique clothing, jewelry, and crafts here.

Ocean breezes, mountain views, stunning architecture, great food. Fala vocé português? Even if you don’t; Portugal is it, and has been for years. And recently, more Americans — especially Californians — are looking to make their vacations there permanent.

Today, we discuss why more Americans are trading in their SUVs and fast food drive-throughs for the affordable homes and easy living of Portugal — and what that means for local residents.

Read the full transcript here.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guest: L.A. Times correspondent Jaweed Kaleem

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