July 2 - July 15, 2019
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A strong love of country and outer space Lunar rover designer Putty Mills and wife Carol will be grand marshals of July 4 parade By Raiza Giorgi
publisher@santaynezvalleystar.com
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utledge “Putty” Mills of Santa Ynez has a special affinity for space travel and a special pride in his country. After serving in World War II, he was directly involved with NASA’s Apollo missions, training astronauts after building the prototype of the Lunar Rover for the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. This year, he and his wife Carol will be the grand marshals for the Fourth of July Parade through Solvang. “The choice of Putty and Carol was easy. They represent a local tie to the past of
America’s Greatest Generation and their sacrifices and innovation, and the current generation that has continued the incredible technological advances to further our exploration of space,” said Steve Palmer of the Solvang Breakfast Rotary Club, which organizes the parade. “We were so honored to be chosen as the grand marshals. This holiday is the most important, as we get to take a day and honor the people that created this great country, and those over the years that have improved it,” Mills said. While looking back at the age of 96, he also looks forward. “I look up at the sky and think out of all the millions of planets in the universe, how can we be the only life forms. It seems to me that there very well could be other versions of life, and I wonder what they are,” Mills said. He also is amazed that the country has gone in a matter of 50 years from putting a
man on the moon to talking about the possibilities of putting someone on Mars. This year is the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission that first landed on the moon, when astronaut Neil Armstrong said those famous words, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins launched from the Kennedy Space Center on the morning of July 16, 1969, and four days later Armstrong set his foot on the moon. More than half a billion people were watching on television, according to NASA. Aldrin soon joined him and uttered his simple but powerful description of the lunar surface: “magnificent desolation.” Then they explored the surface for two and a half hours, collecting samples and taking photographs. The pair left behind an American flag, a patch honoring the fallen Apollo 1 crew, PUTTY MILLS CONTINUED TO PAGE 26
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Photos by Raiza Giorgi Self-taught engineer Rutledge “Putty” Mills sits in his prototype of the lunar rover in which Apollo astronauts trained for moon expeditions.
Solvang ready to celebrate Fourth of July By Katie Terou
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SYV Star Intern
olvang residents and visitors will celebrate Independence Day on Thursday, July 4, with events being held throughout the day. Here is the schedule:
10 a.m. to 11 a.m. — Free concert by Santa Ynez Valley Wind Ensemble at the Solvang Park Gazebo. 11 a.m. — Fourth of July parade sponsored by the Solvang Rotary Club, featuring floats, horses, vehicles and more. The parade begins at Santa Ines Mission and then proceeds down Mission Drive, Fourth Place, Copenhagen Drive and Alisal Road, ending back at the mission. Noon to 2 p.m. — A barbecue sponsored by Solvang Rotary Club will take place in Solvang Park. There will be hotdogs, hamburgers, linguiça and meal combos including chips and soda ranging from $5 to $7 per meal. The T-Bone Ramblers, a local band, will provide entertainment. 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. — Free concert by the Santa Ynez Valley Master Chorale featuring Americana, traditional and patriotic music at the Solvang Veterans Memorial Hall. 2 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. — Gates open at 2 p.m. at Mission Santa Inés for festivities that include food booths, wine and beer garden, and kids’ activities including a bounce castle and face-painting. Local performers will take the stage at 5 p.m. to provide entertainment until the FOURTH OF JULY CONTINUED TO PAGE 27
El Rancho Market
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2886 Mission Drive • Solvang • 805-688-4300 elranchomarket.com
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