CLUB SCENE

COMPILED BY JUN STARKEY

A member of the Lions Club of Carpinteria uses their Spot Vision camera to check the vision of sophomore Sawyer Kelly.

Lions conduct vision tests, meet new member

The Lions Club of Carpinteria completed its annual vision screening program with Carpinteria Unified School District and welcomed its newest member Randy Carrasco recently. Carrasco lives in town with his wife, Brandee, and their children. He has worked in law enforcement for 25 years, currently serving in the Oxnard area.

The Lions’ annual vision screening project is designed so that all students in Carpinteria are screened every three years. Club members visit a new school site each day, under supervision of a medical professional, to perform the vision tests. This year, under the guidance of School Nurse Kristina Calamia, the Lions screened a total of 714 students.

“The Lions main goal is protecting people’s eyesight and this project will let a student know if they would benefit by a visit to an eye care professional,” said project chairperson Doug Treloar. “The Lions members also enjoy this opportunity to interact with the students.”

Monthly Meeting: Carpinteria Beautiful

Local organization Carpinteria Beautiful will hold its next meeting on Saturday, March 11, at 9 a.m. at City Hall located at 5775 Carpinteria Ave. The meetings are open to the public.

Scholarship in Scandinavia open for local students

The American Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) of Santa Barbara is offering funding assistance to two local students interested in studying in Scandinavia for up to eight weeks.

The grants will award $3,000 to help cover the costs for the trip, which would last between six to eight weeks. The application deadline for the scholarships is March 31.

The foundation stated that preference will be given to students with a serious interest in Scandinavia, and those seeking to enroll in a formal academic setting with specific academic goals.

“We hope that students will not only succeed in achieving academic goals but will also benefit from exploring that country’s culture, history, and social structure,” read the press release from the foundation.

ASF announces new board

The American Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) of Santa Barbara has announced its new board as of January 2023, which includes Peter Haslund, Sandy Evans, Cheryl Wright, Greta Liedke, Bonnie Yonker Hammett, Heidi Poley, Ellen Zissler and Brooke

4-H Club donates socks to Transition House

Members of the Playa Del Sur 4-H officer team delivered socks to Transition House in Santa Barbara on Tuesday, Feb. 28.

The 4-H club collected over 50 pairs of socks during its winter sock drive, and Transition House accepted all the socks ranging in sizes from infants to adults. “No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted,” 4-H President Gizelle Lopez said.

Tomato Soup with Fresh Fennel

Cvn

Chef Randy

Randy Graham

This is a wonderfully hearty vegetarian soup for the chilly days of winter. Quick and easy to prepare, tomatoes and fennel pair nicely with vegetarian sausage to make a tasty soup. Sherry elevates this soup to another level. Make a double batch and save some for another day.

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large fennel bulb (diced)

3 Lightlife Italian Style sausage (sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds)

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

1 tablespoon dry sherry

4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon Vegetable Base

3 sprigs of fresh Italian parsley

Directions:

Heat oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add fennel and sauté for three to five minutes. Stir in sausage and fennel seeds and cook for five to seven minutes, or until fennel seeds are slightly softened and bits of sausage are stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add wine and cook for five to ten seconds, scraping to deglaze the pan. Add broth, tomatoes, vegetable base and parsley sprigs. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for ten minutes. Remove parsley and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve with a slice of fresh Ciabatta bread. Robin likes a grilled Havarti cheese sandwich with this soup. You might try that too!

Tip: This soup freezes well.