Santa Ynez Valley Star July B 2018

July 17- August 6, 2018

Camp Whittier is down, not out

INDEPENDENCE DAY FUN

Leaders vow to ‘win the series’ after fire ‘won the first game’

Photos by Raiza Giorgi Clockwise from above: Members of the American Legion carried the colors to begin the parade; children lined the streets of Solvang, showing their American spirit; and the theme of this year’s Fourth of July parade was “Our Exceptional Country.”

Weather pitches in for celebration Festivities enhanced by cooler temperatures before heat wave

By Raiza Giorgi

news@santaynezvalleystar.com

J

ust before a big heat wave arrived, thousands of people were able to enjoy one more temperate summer day as they participated in Fourth of July festivities, including the big parade through downtown Solvang.

“We were really lucky to get the nice weather before the heat wave, and I am always amazed at how many people come from out of town to enjoy the parade and fireworks. We have a great town, and I am really proud of all the volunteers that make this day

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so special,” said parade emcee Allan Jones.

Jones was joined in the announcers’ booth by local celebrity Shaun Cassidy.

“Shaun was a great co-announcer this year, and we both really enjoyed seeing all the great entries,” Jones added.

Once again the crowd was awed by Solvang Elementary School student Libby Padfield singing the National Anthem.

This year hosted 71 parade entries that included Grand Marshals Jim and Phyllis Axtell of Solvang. Phyllis is a former principal of Ballard Elementary, and Jim served in World War II before becoming part of a team developing jets that produced the XP-80.

The code name for the project was “Skunk Works,” after a reference in the newspaper cartoon “Li’l Abner.”

“While I was in the Air Force we ended up as the first squadron that went to Hiroshima after they dropped the bomb. I can tell you, that is something I will never forget, just the

Editor’s Note: The Santa Ynez Valley Star will be talking to leaders of each camp near Lake Cachuma that was damaged in the Whittier Fire last summer and updating readers on their progress of rebuilding and the challenges along the way. This first story focuses on Camp Whittier. utter destruction for as far as the eye could see. It was heartbreaking,” Jim Axtell said in an interview with the Star in February.

As the Axtells rode by they were greeted with cheers and applause from the crowd.

Other notable entries included the prototype of the Lunar Rover built by valley resident Putty Mills for the space program in the 1960s. The 95-year-old rode on it with a prop astronaut as many people took photos.

Other popular entries included the many equestrians with the Los Charros group, including one of their riders doing rope tricks while standing on his horse.

Children eagerly ran out to pick up pieces of candy and also to get soaked by the Santa Ynez Valley Union High School water polo team. One person walked up to greet the team and they soaked him completely, with every water gun aimed at him, to the delight of the crowd.

JULY 4 CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

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El Rancho Market

By Raiza Giorgi

news@santaynezvalleystar.com

T

he Whittier Fire swept through the forest on the north side of San Marcos Pass on July 8, 2017. Almost precisely a year later, on July 6, similar conditions sparked the Holiday Fire on the south side of the ridge.

With temperatures above 100 degrees and dry winds blasting down the slopes, the Holiday Fire leaped to fearful life on a Friday night, destroying homes and forcing 3,200 people to evacuate at a moment’s notice.

By the next day, firefighters had contained it at about 100 acres of destruction in the neighborhoods on North Fairview Road. At the Star’s press time, with the danger past, fire officials said 10 homes and 14 other structures had been destroyed and three more homes damaged, but no one had been killed. Suppression costs were estimated at $1.5 million.

CAMP WHITRIER CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

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2 H Santa Ynez Valley Star H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H July 17- August 6, 2018

Thank You!

Rotary Club of the Santa Ynez Valley Wishes To Thank Everyone Who Made the 24th Annual 4th of July Fireworks Show & Festival a Resounding Success!

Without your generous contributions, support and continuing good will, we could not have brought this family fireworks event to our Valley.

We Rotarians and the entire community laud the support of: Sponsors Premier Sponsors:

City of Solvang

Diamond Sponsors:

Santa Barbara Veterans Foundation Platinum Sponsors:

Visit SYV • Buellton Visitors Bureau • C&D llp • Allan Hancock College

Gold Sponsors: Cottage Health • Nieslsen Building Materials, Inc. • Barca & Barca Financial Network • Kelly Hunziker, Edward Jones • Vreeland Ford • Rabobank • Union Bank • Montecito Bank & Trust • Rio Vista Chevrolet • Pacific Western Bank • El Rancho Market Silver Sponsors: Seaberry Inc, dba Tower Pizza • Buellflat Rock Company • Nielsen’s Market Inc. • Pintado Pools • Chomp • Dan Hemming Concrete

Trade Sponsors:

Alma Rosa • Alisal Guest Ranch • Andrew Murray Winery • Bottlest/ Teravant Wine Company • Brick Barn Winery • Casa Cassara Winery • Central Coast Machinery • Dascomb Cellars • Demetria Winery • Firestone/Walker Brewery • Feliz Noche Winery • Hans Birkholm • KCOY TV • Knight Broadcasting • Kris Curran Wines • Lions Peak Winery • Loring Winery • Lucas & Lewellen Winery • Lucky Dog Winery • Pacific Beverage Company • Sanford Winery • Twenty Mile Winery • Waste Management

Friends

Chicago Title • Owens & Thore Tax Professionals • The Inn Group • King Frederik Inn • Olsen’s Danish Village Bakery • Santa Ynez Valley Medical Assoc • SYV Assoc of Realtors • Bob and Carol Jackson • Valley Hardware • The Home Connection

Let’s Not Forget

Dwayne Elder • Lonnie Erickson • Les Jones • Gary Levin • Michael Limotta • David & Janet Rasmussen • J. Patterson • Gary & Julia Shoen • Chris & David Seltzer • Pat & Dan Simon • Shawna Cota • Steve Shinmoto

Our Entertainers

Elizabeth Padfield • Killer Tofu • Bear Redell • National Anthem-Lynni Gilfrey • Colorguard-BSA Troop 46 • Emcee-Doug Nelson of Krazy Country Radio 105.9

Our Volunteers

Mike Murillo & Family • Nielsen’s Building Materials • SB County Sheriff’s Department • SYV Rotarians-Spouse-Family Members & Friends • SYV Women Hikers • Solvang Fire Department • Boy Scout Troops 41 and 46 • Bocce Babes • Mike and Gabe Limotta • Vandenberg Air Force Base Personnel

Contributions If you enjoyed the fireworks, but were unable to attend, consider a contribution to enhance your Rotary community projects:

star news July 17- August 6, 2018 H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H Santa Ynez Valley Star H 3

Grand Jury slams county’s financial management Citizen panel wants changes after $2 million embezzlement

By Giana Magnoli

Noozhawk Managing Editor

A

Santa Barbara County Public Works Department accountant was able to steal about $2 million over a nine-year period before getting caught last year, and a Grand Jury investigation of the county’s financial management found “significant residual risks to the county’s finances.”

The panel’s report, released June 20, outlined concerns about the county’s financial information network (FIN) and lack of consistent financial management training, or standard job requirements, among county employees.

“Many of the noted weaknesses of FIN result in costly duplications of efforts by staff in other departments,” the report stated.

The software the county uses for its internal finances, the FIN, appears to lack basic security measures and helpful features such as accounts payable and accounts receivable, so department have created their own systems, according to the report.

After the fraud was discovered in 2017 (for which the former Public Works senior accountant, Lynn Hogan, has been sentenced to prison), the county was slow to respond, and did not even require employees to change their FIN passwords, the report found.

Hogan was accused of creating fake vendor numbers and issuing false refund checks to 10 people and two organizations, avoiding detection for nearly a decade.

“A key element that contributed to the fraud was the fact that there was no second approval (signature) required to create a temporary vendor number,” the report concluded. “A temporary vendor number is always 999999, which is assigned to a vendor, such as a consultant, supplying services to the county and is intended to be used for a single transaction;

as such, there is no accumulation of payments by vendor.”

The Grand Jury found that, in wake of the fraud, that process wasn’t changed.

“Staff members were not required to change FIN passwords, temporary vendor numbers are still used even if there has been more than one transaction with the entity, and paper checks are still often used in place of Automated Clearing House transfers, increasing the risk of theft or loss,” the report said.

The county has started quarterly meetings between the Auditor-Controller and county departments’ chief financial officers, issued an “Internal Controls Policy,” and trained its accounting staff on internal controls and fraud.

The Grand Jury report includes many recommendations for the county and individual departments, including: n Fully staffing the Internal Audit Division of the Auditor-Controller’s Office (which the Grand Jury says had 2½ positions filled out of five funded, before the embezzlement was discovered). n Require financial management and conflict of interest policy training for department and program heads. n Look into getting Enterprise Resource Planning software. n Make departments account for their spending in a formal, written statement each year to their supervisors or the County Executive Office. The Grand Jury recommends “that the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors direct all program heads, division heads and department heads to sign annual statements to their managers, stating that all funds under their control have been managed in compliance with county financial management guidelines and the county’s Internal Control Policy.”

Allegations of conflict of interest and inadequate job qualifications were highlighted in the recent Auditor-Controller’s race between Betsy Schaffer and Jennifer Christensen. Schaffer, the county’s assistant Auditor-Controller, won the election by a wide margin.

Go to www.sbcgj.org/2018/InternalControls .pdf to read the full Grand Jury report on EMBEZZLEMENT CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

Photo contributed The Avenue of Flags Specific Plan is a tool to create a vibrant downtown district around the Avenue of Flags in Buellton.

What’s happening on The Avenue Staff Report

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ver the past decade, proposed changes to the Avenue of Flags have been a recurring topic in Buellton. City officials recently provided the following update: The Avenue of Flags Specific Plan has been completely updated to include the final round of revisions leading up to the Specific Plan’s approval by City Council on Oct. 26, 2017.

While the overall downtown revitalization goals and programs of the Specific Plan remain the same, council made some significant changes, most notably the approval of a single architectural design style – Art Deco – for future development and exterior renovations. Added to the Specific Plan was a call for “high quality

development” and the encouragement of local and regional businesses rather than national chains.

The Specific Plan area’s underlying General Commercial Zone now has a Specific Plan overlay which uses “formbased code” to regulate land use, development standards, building form, and public infrastructure. Development incentives in exchange for community-benefit public improvements may be considered through the Development Opportunity Reserve (DOR) program.

The Specific Plan serves to implement the Buellton Vision Plan 2012 goal of creating a vibrant downtown district around the Avenue of Flags. It is a culmination of a multi-year planning process, from 2015 AVENUE CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

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4 H Santa Ynez Valley Star H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H July 17- August 6, 2018

‘Condor Cam’ allows everyone look at wild birds

By Robyn Gerstenslager

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Giana Magnoli / Noozhawk photo The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously July 3 to place a pair of competing redistricting proposals on the November ballot.

2 county redistricting ideas set for November ballot

Montecito resident Bob Collector.

“Whether you like Mr. Collector’s work or not, I promise you we would not be talking about it if he hadn’t brought this forward,” Fifth District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino said.

The board voted 5-0 in support of Williams’ proposal, which will have a second reading on July 17.

The board also voted unanimously to review

By Joshua Molina Reason in Government’s proposal again on July Noozhawk Staff Writer 17, giving staff time to answer some of the supervisors’ questions that came up in the meeting. pair of competing redistricting Both proposals to create redistricting comproposals collided July 3 at the Santa missions are destined for the November ballot.

Barbara County Board of Supervisors If they both fail, the process would revert to meeting — and it looks like both are moving the current system; if they both pass, the one forward on the November ballot. with the higher vote percentage wins.

A group called Reason in Government “I think both of these copies represent a gathered more than 16,000 signatures to place really good faith effort to do the right thing,” a measure on the ballot that would call for an Supervisor Peter Adam said. “It is kind of neat independent redistricting commission to draw that all sides are doing something.” new supervisorial lines in 2020, at the time of All of the supervisors agreed that an outside the next census. group drawing the lines would be better than In response, Supervisor Das Williams develthe current system, in which the elected superoped a competing ordinance that he believes is visors draw them. more fair than the Reason in Government pro“Anything is better than the status quo,” posal, and that bars public employees and union Lavagnino said. “When we are drawing our members from serving on the commission. own lines, it doesn’t make a lot of sense.”

The supervisors expressed support for The main difference between the two proWilliams’ proposal, but praised Reason in REDISTRICTING CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 Government’s proposal, which is headed by

Competing measures call for independent redistricting commission to draw new supervisorial lines in 2020

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People across the world can get an upclose-and-personal view of an endangered California condor chick through livestreaming video of a nest near the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge in Ventura County.

The chick and its parents make up one of the 12 California condor nests in the mountains of Ventura, Santa Barbara and Kern counties — the highest number of nests ever recorded in southern California.

“Not only do we have more nests, but they are also spread out across a broader area, indicating that California condors continue to expand back into parts of their historic range,” said Molly Astell, wildlife biologist with the service’s California Condor Recovery Program.

The Condor Cam website is at www. allaboutbirds.org/condors.

“Until now, only a handful of biologists had the privilege to observe wild condor nests,” said Estelle Sandhaus, Santa Barbara Zoo’s director of conservation and science.

“They had to trek into the remote backcountry and wait for days, sometimes weeks, at observation blinds located hundreds of feet from the nests to catch a glimpse of the birds,” she said.

“Today’s technology allows researchers like us to observe a number of nests with high precision, and in high def. That enables more efficient nest management and research for us, and allows anyone with an Internet connection to share in the excitement of scientific discovery,” she said.

California condor chick No. 923 hatched on April 6 and is being raised by 16-year-old female condor No. 289 and 13-year-old male condor No. 374.

This is the pair’s first year on the livestreaming Condor Cam and is their first attempt at raising a chick together, though both previously nested with other condors in the past.

The chick’s father has fledged three other chicks in the past with two previous mates.

The mother has fledged one chick previously and has nested with three other mates.

Followers of the California Condor Cam watched a chick hatch live in the wild for the first time in history from a cliffside nest at Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge

Photo contributed The female arrives at the nest, where the male has been tending the chick.

in 2015.

Since then, livestreaming video of California condor chicks at the refuge have gained worldwide attention with nearly 2 million views from more than 190 countries and 34 million minutes, or 65 years, of watch time.

The Hutton’s Bowl Condor Cam is made possible through access provided by private landowners, and through the financial and technical support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Santa Barbara Zoo, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, Disney Conservation Fund, and Friends of California Condors Wild and Free.

In California, wild condors are found in the mountains of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Ventura, Monterey, San Benito, Los Angeles and Kern counties, and most recently in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Tulare and Fresno counties.

In 2017, California condors were spotted roosting in the western Sierras for the first time in nearly 40 years.

The number of California condors dropped dramatically in the mid-20th century, leading the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to designate the species as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. By 1982 there were only 22 of the iconic birds left in the wild.

CAM CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

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July 17- August 6, 2018 H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H Santa Ynez Valley Star H 5

Entire Buellton City Council on Nov. 6 ballot

Candidates can file until Aug. 10 for one of 5 seats Staff Report

B

uellton is facing an unprecedented City Council election on Nov. 6, when all five seats will be on the ballot at once because of procedural changes and resignations.

The filing period for anyone interested in becoming a candidate began July 16 and closes on Friday, Aug. 10. The deadline will be extended an additional five days, to Wednesday, Aug. 15, if one of the incumbents does not file to run again.

Candidates must obtain and file nomination papers with the Buellton city clerk.

On the ballot Nov. 6 will be a two-year term for mayor and two council members, and four-year terms for two other council members. A typical ballot contains either two or three of these positions in alternating elections.

However, in 2014 residents voted to directly elect a mayor every two years, ending a practice of the council appointing one of its members to be the mayor for a year.

When Holly Sierra became the first directly elected mayor in November 2016, the election cycle changed to electing the mayor and one council member on one ballot (in 2016 for the first time) and then three council members on the ballot two years later (this November).

On March 8 this year, however, the City Council changed the cycle again so that an elected mayor and two council members are on the ballot every two years. To set up that cycle, the council decided that of the three council positions that would have been on this November’s ballot, the candidate who finished third would serve a two-year term.

Then three council members resigned in 2017 when they moved outside the city limits. After appointing replacements to CANDIDATES CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

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Public comment sought on stormwater plan Staff Report

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anta Barbara County is seeking public feedback on its draft of a stormwater resource plan to improve regional water self-reliance and adapt to the effects on water supply from climate change.

The county Water Agency will take public comment at 5:30 p.m. July 19 in the Planning Commission hearing room of the County Administration Building at 105 E. Anapamu St. in Santa Barbara.

The draft plan is available for public review at www.countyofsb.org/pwd/asset

.c/2450.

Beneficial projects identified by the plan include improving stormwater quality, increasing water supplies, and providing flood management, environmental and community benefits.

A 45-day public comment period ends on Aug. 15.

For information about the draft plan, the public comment period or the meeting, contact John Karamitsos, Program Specialist, at 805-739-8761 or Johnk@cosbpw.net.

For more information on the county Water Agency, visit www.countyofsb.org/pwd/ wateragency.sbc.

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New K-9 team to search jail for drugs Sheriff’s newest dog, Krypto, was purchased by nonprofit group Staff Report

T

he Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office has added a new K-9 officer to help find and eliminate illegal drugs in the Santa Barbara County Jail.

Krypto, a 14-month-old, high-energy black Labrador, started his new assignment the first week of July with his handler, Custody Deputy Ian Ur. The purchase of Krypto was made possible by funding from the Project Deputy Dog program of the nonprofit Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse (SBP).

The posse is made up of volunteers throughout the county who donate their time and effort to help the Sheriff’s Office fill needs not funded by the county budget.

The group saw a specific need to fund the Sheriff’s K-9 program, so it started the Project Deputy Dog campaign in early 2017. Purchasing a jail narcotics K-9 was the project’s first objective.

“Having a dedicated narcotics K-9 team is an efficient and effective way to help eliminate drugs from the facility which as a result creates a safer environment for both inmates and staff as well reduces criminal activity both inside out outside the facility. As a dog lover, this is an easy program to support,” said SBP board member Susan Pohls.

Krypto is trained to detect marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, heroin and methamphetamine. He is also certified on building, car and open-area searches.

Krypto was born on April 5, 2017, and was one of eight puppies in his litter. He was given the name Krypto, the name of

Photo contributed K-9 Krypto and his handler, Custody Deputy Ian Ur, are assigned to find narcotics at the Santa Barbara County Jail.

Superman’s dog, because of the drive and confidence he displayed as a puppy.

Ur and Krypto will also work at the Santa Maria Northern Branch Jail when it opens in the summer of 2019.

Project Deputy Dog is well on its way to raising enough money for the Sheriff’s Office to purchase a fourth patrol K-9 but still needs to raise $30,000. Having a fourth patrol K-9 will allow the county to have bomb- and narcotics-trained canine teams on duty at all times.

In addition to the cost to purchase the dog, there are ongoing training expenses, supplies, equipment and funds that go toward replacing dogs who are near retirement.

For more information about Project Deputy Dog, go to www.sbsheriffsposse. org.

6 H Santa Ynez Valley Star H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H July 17- August 6, 2018 “Our program is proof that when you do something right for the community that As firefighters continued to seek out hot people will support you in times of need. spots and helped residents return to their We have seen so many amazing people homes — or the remnants of their homes step up since the fire to help us, and we — in Goleta, the year-old Whittier burn turned around and helped our neighbors,” scars remain obvious near Lake Cachuma. Baker added.

Operators of several camps damaged A neighboring facility, the Boy Scouts’ by the Whittier Fire are still cleaning up Rancho Alegre, was nearly leveled by the while making plans to rebuild. One of Whitter Fire. The camp also hosts Outdoor them, Circle V Ranch Camp, had planned School, where students from all around a dedication ceremony on Sunday, July the Central Coast learn about ecology and 8, but postponed it in the face of continuscience. ing high temperatures and the number of “We (at Camp Whittier) immediately firefighters who needed to be fighting the responded to their needs and since we Holiday Fire still had many structures left and they “I remember touring the camp after a few needed a facility, as soon as we could open days when we were allowed, and the fire we invited the Boy Scouts to come and marshal grabbed me on the shoulder and partake. It was a win-win for everyone,” said, ‘If you hadn’t done the fire abatement a few weeks ago, this camp would Baker said.

Baker said that he and the Stepiens have not be here,” recalled Michael been involved in planning the rebuilding Baker, CEO of the United Boys & Girls Club and hope to have it completed by early that operates another one, Camp Whittier. next year.

The girls’ cabins were destroyed, Baker recently gave the Star a tour of the with just the two bathrooms remaining. camp, recalling details about the day the “The cabins would have been done by fire broke out and what has transpired in this summer, but everything got put on the past year.

Just a month prior the Whitter Fire, camp hold when the Thomas Fire and subsequent mudslides happened. It makes getmanagers Todd and Jenny Stepien asked Baker to hire a crew for fire abatement. ting a permit and plans approved harder, The crew cleared brush, weed-whacked tall as there are now more people in line to grass, and made sure there wasn’t any fuel rebuild and the county is hypersensitive near buildings. to code enforcement, with good reasons,” “They are seriously the most special Baker said. people, and I am so glad we hired them He particularly thanked two other peobecause I wouldn’t have though to do that. ple: board member Rich Ridgway, who has That’s why I run the program and they run helped keep the rebuilding on track; and the camp,” Baker said.

Tom Heath, an engineer who has helped Not only did Baker give the Stepiens at his expense to compile the plans for the credit for their managerial skills, he also new buildings and even done manual labor credited them for financial success. during the camp cleanup.

“When I came to Santa Barbara County “Imagine trying to clean up food waste three years ago, the camp barely broke that was two weeks old and had been even. In the time that Todd and Jenny have sitting in several days of weather over 100 been there they have made the camp so degrees and then covered in ash. That was successful that it supplements our profun,” Baker said sarcastically. grams that lose money,” Baker said.

Baker said there are opportunities for At the time of the Whittier Fire the organizations and businesses to sponsor camp was booked solid until the holithe rebuilding process. For a various levels days. When the fire shut them down, of giving, donors can name the buildings their business insurance covered the cost that will be built or other projects such as of the damage. But the Boys & Girls Club lost more than six months of revenue the zip line and ropes course and the pool house. that helps fund its programs around the “Our camp lost the first game, but we county. will ultimately win the series,” Baker The United Boys & Girls Club is a added. nonprofit youth development agency that To help the United Boys & Girls Club serves children from 5 to 18 years old at nine locations across the county. rebuild, go to www.unitedbg.org/donate.

CAMP WHITTIER CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Joshua Molina / Noozhawk photo A Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s patrol car with Goleta’s city logo sits in front of the substation at the Camino Real Marketplace.

Solvang, Buellton to pay more for sheriff’s services

Cities face increases of almost 30% over next 2 years

By Joshua Molina

Noozhawk Staff Writer

W

ithin the next two years Buellton and Solvang likely will begin to pay the full cost of law enforcement services provided by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, ending a situation in which the county partially subsidizes law-enforcement services in those cities.

The county Board of Supervisors voted to approve renegotiated contracts on July 3.

The cities of Goleta, Carpinteria, Buellton and Solvang contract with the county for law enforcement services rather than hiring and equipping their own police officers.

Buellton and Solvang are expected to see cost increases of 27 and 29 percent, respectively, which will be phased in over two years.

The county will switch from a full-time-equivalent (FTE) staffing model to charging for actual service-hour costs.

Fourth District Supervisor Peter Adam expressed his frustration with decades of subsidies to the incorporated cities.

“They have a choice to make,” Adam said.

“You need to just tell them how much it is going to cost and they can do their own police department if it’s cheaper or not. I understand the empathy for a situation that is going to cause some discomfort, but at the same time I don’t know why nobody has empathy for the people of Orcutt for taking service hours out of Orcutt or eastern Goleta Valley.”

Buellton has contracted with the county for law enforcement since it incorporated in 1992.

The cost for the county to provide law enforcement services to Buellton in the 2018-19 fiscal year is $2,158,416, a 27-percent increase from last fiscal year. The county will subsidize Buellton by $372, 211.

Solvang has contracted with the county since it incorporated in 1985. The reimbursable cost for law enforcement services for the 2018-19 fiscal year is $2,137,812, a 29-percent increase over last year.

The county will subsidize Solvang by $370,365 this fiscal year.

“If we continue to subsidize the service, then we are taking it from somebody in my district’s mouth and giving it to somebody else, and I am opposed to that,” Adam said.

Supervisor Das Williams urged Adams to take the long view.

“I think you have a hard time winning,” Williams told Adam. “You are winning, man.

We’re gonna get there.”

Adam responded back: “I wish you wouldn’t help me define winning because I can do that for myself. I will probably not consider it winning if we don’t have it full speed next year.”

Supervisor Janet Wolf agreed that “we are moving in the right direction.”

The county began renegotiating the contracts with the cities in 2016.

Undersheriff Bernard Melekian said phasing in the cost increases is “equitable.”

“We certainly anticipate Solvang and Buellton will be paying a full cost recovery over the next two years,” Melekian said.

Goleta and Carpinteria are budgeted to pay their full law enforcement amounts this fiscal year.

Noozhawk staff writer Joshua Molina can be reached at jmolina@noozhawk.com.

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Letters to the editor should be no more than 300 words in length.

Send letters to: Raiza Giorgi, PO Box 1594, Solvang, CA 93464 or email to: news@santaynezvalleystar.com Please include your name and address and phone number.

High school board fails a teachable moment On June 19, Santa Ynez High Principal Mark Swanitz’s 2018-19 employment contract was on the school board meeting agenda. The contract included another 4 percent salary increase, and total compensation of $191,305.22.

Principal Swanitz was a no-show at the board meeting. Three out of five board members attended. Board member Jerry Swanitz, Principal Swanitz’s father, had to recuse himself from voting because of his conflict of interest. Without a quorum, the item was postponed until the Aug. 21 board meeting.

Should the board be rewarding Principal Swanitz with a raise given his recent

DUI arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol? The complaint listed his blood-alcohol content at 0.12 percent. A 0.08 percent BAC is legally impaired and it’s illegal to drive at this level. Research concludes, “a 0.10 - 0.12% BAC causes significant impairment to motor coordination and good judgment. Speech may be slurred.

Balance, vision, reaction time and hearing will be impaired, and probably not thinking straight.”

Numerous drunken-driving deaths in the Santa Ynez Valley involve teenagers.

The district should expect far greater standards from its veteran administrator who

appointed to the commission.

The panel members also could not have posals is that Collector’s seeks to disqualify been elected to an office or been a candidate most people affiliated with partisan politics during the previous eight years. The person and previous political involvement from also could not have served as an officer, serving on the commission, whereas Williams’ employee, paid consultant or an elected or proposal looks for people with qualified appointed member of a political party. experience.

The restrictions would also apply to people who For example, the Reason in Government have family members who held those posts. proposal states that the districting commission Under Williams’ proposal, however, the would consist of five members, plus five alter- redistricting commission would have 11 memnates. They could not be a registered member bers, with at least two members coming from of a political party, or have changed their each supervisorial district and one member atpolitical party for the eight years prior to being large. It requires that the person voted in Santa

REDISTRICTING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

CAM CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 Today, due to intensive, continuing captive breeding and recovery efforts led by the FWS in conjunction with multiple public and private partners, the California condor population has grown to some 470 birds worldwide, with

more than half of the population flying free.

To watch the Condor Cam, visit www.all aboutbirds.org/condors.

For answers to frequently asked questions about the nest cam, the parents and the chick, visit www.fws.gov/cno/es/CalCondor/Condor Cam.html.

makes disciplinary decisions involving teens, drugs and alcohol, some resulting in suspension or expulsion from school.

School officials maintained radio silence immediately after Swanitz’s DUI arrest. Questions swirled; did the board really hire a public relations consultant rather than demanding Swanitz be put on administrative leave immediately?

This year, the board slashed teaching positions and supplies to address the structural budget deficit, which currently is $397,602. Administrator salaries are increasing more than teacher salaries. It’s baffling that a school board member, even someone with the name Swanitz, has not

suggested to the principal that he should just walk away for the sake of the kids.

I urge you to contact Superintendent Scott Cory at scory@syvuhsd.org and request that he forward your concerns to board members Jan Clevenger, Kyle Abello, Jerry Swanitz, Christine Burtness and Steve Foley. Urge them to vote responsibly on Aug. 21 and not renew Principal Swanitz’s contract or deny his raise for total compensation of almost $200,000. Otherwise, the message is simply arrogance, and the students are taught exactly the wrong lesson. Such a shame.

Michelle de Werd Los Olivos

Barbara County elections, in at least one of the last three statewide elections.

It requires applicants to possess “analytical skills relevant to the redistricting process and voting rights,” the ability to be impartial, and demonstrate an appreciation for the diverse demographics and geography of the county.

Williams’ proposal also requires the commission to be as proportional as possible to the total number of voters who are registered with each political party, and “reflect the county’s diversity, including racial, ethnic, geographic, age and gender diversity.”

In addition, Williams’ “You Draw the

Lines” proposal requires the county elections official to create a pool of the 45 most qualified applicants with a minimum of five applicants from each existing supervisorial district and the District Attorney to conduct a random drawing to select one commissioner from each of district.

The five selected commissioners would appoint the remaining six applicants.

“What we want are people who are interested, but not conflicted,” Adam said.

CANDIDATES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

That left the fifth seat vacant until the Nov. 6 election.

For more information, go to Buellton City Hall at 107 W. Highway 246 or call 805-688-5177. The building is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday but closed for lunch from noon to 1 p.m.

complete two of those terms, the council discovered it couldn’t make a third appointment because state law forbids having a majority of the council appointed rather than elected.

Noozhawk staff writer Joshua Molina can be reached at jmolina@noozhawk.com.

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8 H Santa Ynez Valley Star H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H July 17- August 6, 2018

JULY 4 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Solvang Mayor Jim Richardson won the award for best Candy Thrower.

The festivities kept going after the parade with a barbecue hosted in Solvang Park by the Solvang Rotary Club and a free concert.

Later in the afternoon the Rotary Club of Santa Ynez sponsored the annual festival at Mission Santa Ines, which included bounce houses and games for children, beer and wine booths for the adults, and concerts by several local bands before the fireworks started at 9 p.m.

Award winners in the July 4 parade were: Sweepstakes Award - Reel Cowboys Best Use of Parade Theme - Rotary Club of Solvang Most Patriotic – Daughters of the American Revolution Most Original – Moon Rover vehicle by creator Putty Mills Most Amusing – Herbie the Love Bug Most Unique - Mecha Pirates Team of Santa Ynez Valley Union High School Most Creative – Pedego Electric Bikes Best Band – Charros Unidos of Central Coast Best Singing Group – Soul Cats Best Singing – Single – Libby Padfield, National Anthem Best Family Group – Willow Creek Ranch Friends & Family Best Church Group – Santa Ynez Valley Presbyterian Church Best Senior Group – Solvang Senior Center Best Animal Group – Santa Ynez Valley Humane Society Best Wagon Group – Santa Maria Elks Officers Wagon & Outriders Best Wagon – Single – San Lorenzo Seminary

AVENUE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 to 2017, involving the community through numerous public workshops, listening to the desires of property and business owners, and several public hearings before the Planning Commission and City Council.

What’s happening on The Avenue in 2018?

Development project applications are

Dancers from the Garcia Dance Studio got the crowd cheering as they danced by.

Road Apple Crew – Lucky Clover 4-H Team One Best Sport Group – Boys Water Polo Team of Santa Ynez Valley Union High School Best Military Group – Flat Fender Friends Best Walking Group – Friends of the Library Best Dancing Group – Garcia Dance Studio Most Energetic – Figueroa Mountain Brewing Photos by Raiza Giorgi Best Group for a Cause – Veggie The crowd cheers for Los Charros riders and their trick roper.

Rescue Best Fire Engine – Solvang Station 30, Best Automobile Group – 3 Patriotic Best School Group – Varsity and JV New Ladder Truck Corvettes Football Teams of Santa Ynez Valley Best Equestrian Group – Shooting Stars Best Automobile – Single – 1936 Union High School Best Equestrian – Single – Tequileros Pontiac Cabriolet, Dr. Baeke, SYV Plastic Best Youth Group - Lucky Clover 4-H Seniors Surgery Best Dog – Great Pyrenees on float of Best Viking Ship – Vikings of Solvang Best Automobile – Antique - 1936 Law Office of Mark Massara Best Color Guard – American Legion Ford Deluxe Roadster, Ron & Cindy Long Best Candy Thrower – Mayor Jim Best Automobile Antique Group – San- Post #160 Best Street Sweeper – Broom Bear ta Maria and SYV Model A Clubs Richardson of Solvang being processed for: n Arco Gas Station project – AM-PM convenience store and quick-serve restaurant n 518 Avenue of Flags Mixed-Use development – retail, office, showroom/ storage, residential n Art Deco Interest in other properties Other things of interest include: n Art on The Avenue: Public art has

popped up on the median near Damassa Road, where it will stay through fall. n Median Improvements: The City Council recently put $250,000 in the budget as a start on improving Median 2 with parking and “flex space” n Parking lot on city-owned property at 480 Central Ave. The potential 19-space parking lot may provide off-site parking for

commercial uses on the avenue.

The final version of the Avenue of Flags Specific Plan is available on the city’s website. Go to www.cityofbuellton.com and select “Planning” from the “Departments” menu, then navigate down the page to “Avenue of Flags.”

For more information, call the Buellton Planning Department at 805-688-7474.

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July 17- August 6, 2018 H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H Santa Ynez Valley Star H 9

business

Local nursery devoted to native plants

By April Charlton Contributing Writer

D

rought-resistant gardens don’t have to resemble arid deserts filled with prickly cacti; they can burst with color and fragrance just like a water-intensive landscape.

“Absolutely,” said Nick Giese, Manzanita Nursery manager, when asked whether water-wise, native landscapes can be colorful and beautiful. “I mean, you are never going to know unless you come out here and check it out. It’s pretty obvious.”

On the hillside of Chalk Hill Road, a few miles north of Solvang, Ron Griffin and his wife, Diane, opened the nursery that specializes in native plants in the mid-1990s. The 13-acre property was purchased in 1975 and is shared with the Griffins’ home. Between three and four acres are in production for the nursery.

“I like to say this is a hobby gone awry,” Ron Griffin said with a laugh during a recent tour of the nursery, where numerous native plants were blooming — colors ranging from various hues of purple to shades of yellow — and tall ornamental grasses swayed in the breeze.

The couple decided to get into the nursery business, specifically native plants, after Diane took a painting class at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden and it spurred their interest to learn about drought-resistant landscapes, Griffin said.

“I’m kind of self-taught,” Griffin said, noting he took every native-plant class available at the Botanic Garden prior to opening Manzanita Nursery, which is the only nursery in Santa Barbara County specializing in native plants. “First I learned how to kill plants

By Joshua Molina

Noozhawk Staff Writer

T

Photo by April Charlton Ron Griffin and his wife, Diane, opened Manzanita Nursery to focus on native plants.

before I learned how to grow them well.”

When the couple opened their nursery, there wasn’t much of a demand for native plants, Griffin said.

Today is a different story, as California’s drought has persisted and changing weather patterns have left more people looking beyond the typical big, green lawn for their landscaping needs.

“A lawn takes so much water, mowing, maintenance, everything,” Giese said. “It’s kind of pointless.”

For Giese, it’s common sense to plant na-

tive gardens and use natives for landscaping, especially in drought-prone California, while steering away from water-intensive plantings and artificial turf, which has its drawbacks as well, since wildlife such as deer view the fake grass as food, he said.

“They come down to eat (the artificial turf) and it’s not food, so they basically starve themselves,” Giese said. “All these (native) plants have evolved over time, not only the plants, but the animals, too. … By putting in these

o MANZANITA CONTINUED ON PAGE 29

Buellton and Solvang growth outpace county, state and nation

By Kenneth Harwood

Economist, Solvang Chamber of Commerce

B

uellton and Solvang appear to be outstanding places of growth in Santa Barbara County.

In 2017, both cities grew at more than double the rate of Santa Barbara County, California, the nation and the world (world population grew at 1.1 percent).

In the recession year of 2008, Buellton grew 1.1 percent and Solvang grew by 0.9 percent, so their growth rates in 2017 were more than double those rates as well.

Communities tend to grow when their residents find work locally or nearby.

Solvang and Buellton are located centrally in Santa Barbara County, and many residents commute to Santa Barbara, Santa Maria and Lompoc for work in the larger cities.

Growing residential population helps

Target submits plan to take over Kmart space in Goleta

Local growth

Comparing population increases in 2017 Place Population Yearly growth (%)

Buellton 5,291 3.8% Solvang 5,771 2.1% Santa Barbara County 453,457 0.8% California 39,809.693 0.8% United States 324,459,463 0.7% Graphic by Aimée Reinhart Avery

local retailers and providers of services such as health care and financial services, especially in months when visitors are few.

Notes of caution are in order. Estimates of population could eventually be revised downward, as some have been. Growth in population will tend to slow, disappear, or turn negative in times of recession.

However, years of strong growth and low unemployment are worth enjoying.

The details of city, county and state population are online at state of California, Department of Finance, Demographic Research Unit. Go online to Worldmeters Population to see estimates of U. S. and world population.

arget has submitted a preliminary application to the city of Goleta to take over and remodel the building now housing Kmart near the corner of Storke Road and Hollister Avenue.

In June, the Minneapolis-based company submitted a dozen pages that outlined a general plan to move into the Kmart building.

Goleta will evaluate the proposal and get back to the company.

The documents submitted to the Goleta Planning Department show plans for a redesign of the Storke Plaza Retail Center, with Target as the anchor tenant and a new sign and facade program for the nearby row of businesses that include Cajun Kitchen, Subway and the Indo China Market.

“We were informed … (in early June) that Target will be replacing Kmart,” Councilman Roger Aceves confirmed to Noozhawk. “They have submitted a preliminary application for interior and facade improvements. I am very excited, as our community has been begging Target to find a location in our city.”

Target did not offer any specifics on the proposal, but confirmed the Goleta interest.

“We are certainly looking for opportunities in the Santa Barbara and Goleta area,” said Jacqueline DeBuse, a spokeswoman for Target. “Filing an application is just one of the many steps in the process. We are interested in the area, and we believe there is an opportunity to serve guests in that area.”

DeBuse said to the degree that Target has interest in Goleta, it would not affect the planned small format store already deep in the planning process in Santa Barbara.

It is unclear if Kmart plans to sell the remainder of its lease to Target, or how exactly Target will take over the spot.

Calls to Kmart’s parent company, Sears, were not returned.

The documents submitted to the city show colored renderings of buildings at 6865 Hollister, the site of the current Kmart, and 6861, the nearby retail properties anchored by Cajun Kitchen.

The proposed Target would be about 116,578 square feet. The architect listed on the submittal is MCG Architecture.

Goleta Associate Planner Joe E. Pearson II is one of the planners assigned to the project.

The architects also submitted a landscape plan with Western redbud, Catalina ironwood, California sycamore and coast live oak trees replacing some lemon-scented gum, jacaranda and canary island pine trees on the site.

Target has long sought a Goleta location, dating back to the early 2000s. The company got close with sites near Los Carneros Road

o TARGET CONTINUED ON PAGE 28

10 H Santa Ynez Valley Star H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H July 17- August 6, 2018

New Frontiers to open new store this month

Tie-dye workshops offered on summer Sundays

Anchor store moving next door in shopping center that is being rebuilt

By Pamela Dozois Contributing Writer

By Raiza Giorgi

T

news@santaynezvalleystar.com

Owner Missy Collier stood in the mezzanine and looked down over the new space where New Frontiers is set to open late this month, reflecting over the past two years of hard work.

“We outgrew the current space for New Frontiers 10 years ago, but finding a space for a big retail store is hard to find in the valley.

We are so grateful to Josh Richmond and his family for coming to us with this idea of building a new store, and I can hardly stand the wait until it opens,” Collier said.

The natural food store will close its doors on July 22, taking a few days to move to the new location next door. Collier expects to re-open July 26 or 27.

“I remember when we first opened in the valley 21 years ago and people told Jake (Collier’s husband and founding partner) that we wouldn’t last six months. One house application we turned in turned us down because we had our own business,” she recalled.

Photo by Raiza Giorgi New Frontiers owner Missy Collier, staff members Stephan Dominguez and Dave Blanchard, and other employees will welcome the first customers in their new store late this month.

New Frontiers has become a staple for organic food in the past two decades at its location at the corner of Alamo Pintado Road and Highway 246, in what is now called The Merkantile shopping center. It sells organic produce, meats, holistic supplements and herbal remedies, and its deli is one of the best in the valley under the stewardship of local chef Anne Bunch.

“We can’t wait for our customers to walk in and feel the grandness of the new space and the fact their carts will fit in the aisles — and that there aren’t support beams in the aisles, either,” she laughed.

The new store boasts a bigger customer seating area indoors, a separate coffee/ smoothie/juice bar, a separate bakery space from the kitchen, a full-service meat counter, and more in the new 13,000 square feet of retail space. With offices, storage space and loading dock included, the building is 18,000 square feet.

The deli service will be expanded to include sliced meats and cheeses, a pizza oven, and a build-your-own stir-fry service where people can make their choice of ingredients NEW FRONTIERS CONTINUED ON PAGE 28

o

erry Row, co-owner of Terramonary Wear in Los Alamos, will be holding tie-dye classes throughout the summer.

Row started tie-dying in his youth, just fooling around, he said, and he wasn’t very good at it. However, things have changed now that Row has dedicated time and effort to perfecting the art.

“What inspired me to get back into tie-dyeing shirts a year ago was that I had a heart episode in 2015, which put me in the hospital where I received a pacemaker. In the summer of 2017, I wanted to commemorate the anniversary so I created some tie-dye shirts with a target over my heart,” he said. “It was fun, and I started learning more about the art of tie-dyeing through the Internet. I bought some materials, dyes and squeeze bottles and some blank cotton shirts.”

“My wife, Ramona, and I decided to visit some friends in Oregon to see the total eclipse of the sun and take a batch of (his newly

o TIE-DYE CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

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July 17- August 6, 2018 H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H Santa Ynez Valley Star H 11

spotlight LOCALLY GROWN

Summer is the season for fresh food Farm-stand shopping also supports local farmers

Staff Report

A

Finley Farms Clairmont Lavender Farm

Santa Barbara Blueberries

Folded Hills Farmstead

Solvang Farmers Market Photos contributed

griculture, the largest industry in Santa Barbara County, contributes $2.8 billion to the local economy and provides more than 25,000 jobs.

The Santa Ynez Valley has a temperate climate and many micro-climates that support and sustain everything from oranges, lemons, limes and exotic varietals such as dragon fruit to the traditional lettuces, squashes, melons, flowers and more.

Here is a list of farm stands where people can pick up fresh local produce and simultaneously support local farmers and ranchers. n Clairmont Lavender Farm: 2480 Roblar Ave. in Los Olivos; open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day but Tuesday.

The farm has five acres of the Grosso variety of lavender, known for its healing qualities. The fields are breathtakingly beautiful with a backdrop of the Santa Ynez Mountains and 300-year-old oak trees dotting the grounds. Filmmakers, photographers and painters arrive each year to apply their craft.

The driveway is lined with olive trees that were planted by the Spanish missionaries. The farm is entirely organic. They harvest with the traditional method of cutting each plant by hand, banding, and hanging the bunches, and also with a handheld hedge clipper n Solvang Farmer’s Market: First Street and Copenhagen Drive, Solvang.

The Solvang Farmer’s Market takes place from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday afternoons year-round. It’s a one-stop shop for locally grown vegetables, fruits, cheeses, meats, flowers, jam, hummus, flowers and more. n Finley Farms: 1702 N. Refugio Road in Santa Ynez.

Finley Farms supplies its own produce to local businesses and has a farm stand open most of the year. In addition, they also sell their fresh food at local farmer’s markets, including the Solvang farmer’s market on Wednesdays.

Their selections vary based on the season. In April and May, you can expect FARM STANDS CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

o

12 H Santa Ynez Valley Star H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H July 17- August 6, 2018

Something Good Organics

FARM STANDS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 lots of leafy greens like spinach, lettuces, beets, carrots, turnips, strawberries, and much more. This time of year, you can find all of that and more, including raspberries, tomatoes, zucchini and basil.

In August, September, and October, their produce list includes cantaloupe, winter squash, pumpkins, gourds, and much more. They also sell field flowers all year. n Folded Hills Farmstead: Between Buellton and Santa Barbara on Highway 101; open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

April to October.

The farm has a wide variety of vegeta-

Summerset Farms

bles, including multiple types of lettuce, carrots, broccoli, beets, asparagus, chard, fava beans, dill, and multiple cabbages and squashes. Additionally, Farmstead has multiple fruits available, including lemons, tangerines, grapefruits and strawberries.

Homemade baked goods are also available in the Farmstead shop. n Global Gardens: 2450 Alamo Pintado Road; Open every Thursday – Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This olive farm stand is on a 3-acre mini farm, at the junction between Los Olivos and Solvang. Get an education on all things extra virgin, purchase fresh, home-grown Extra Virgin Olive Oils, Balsamic Fruit Vinegars, Spice Blends,

Olives, Mustards, Spreads, Organic Snacks, and Beauty Products made with their own olive oil. Talk with a real farmer and get the real dirt on food issues, like organics and GMOs. n Santa Barbara Blueberries: At 1980 Highway 101 south of Buellton, this farm sells blueberries daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. as long as there are berries to be picked. Visitors can also find honey, jam, and other products from the farm in its Blueberry Hut. n Something Good! Organics Farm Stand: At 9499 Santa Rosa Road, this Buellton farm stand offers freshly picked organic produce every Thursday – Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Something

Photos contributed

Good also offers a weekly CSA (community-supported agriculture) box by subscription. n Summerset Farm: Highway 154 and Edison Street in Santa Ynez; opens at 9 a.m. daily.

This little farm plays a multitude of roles depending on the season. During the fall, it serves as a popular pumpkin patch. Other times, such as during the summer, it is a produce stand where shoppers are welcome to pick their own strawberries and raspberries. Peaches, squashes and onions are also available.

Summerset Farm is also part of Dale’s Nursery, which sells trees, shrubs and perennials.

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July 17- August 6, 2018 H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H Santa Ynez Valley Star H 13

star lifestyle

The spiritual voyage of a lifetime Valley welcomes its first Soto Zen priest, who happens to be a woman

By Pamela Dozois Contributing Writer

Seniors, try these 6 rules of basic maintenance

By James Riley

A

fter nearly 60 years of spiritual dedication, devotion and study, Carol Abrahamson is the Santa Ynez Valley’s first Soto Zen priest and one of the first women to be ordained in what historically has been a male-dominated community.

She was ordained in 2016 at the Santa Barbara Zen Center by Sensei Gary Koan Janka, head teacher and officiating priest at the center, who remains her teacher and friend.

“It is a great honor to have such a wise and learned teacher in our midst.

She is a valley treasure,” said Sandra Mastromonaco, a board member and participant in the local sangha, a meditation group.

“You don’t just say ‘I want to be a Zen priest,’ you have to be invited, and it takes many years of study, dedication, and practice to become one,” Abrahamson said. “And then the study and practice continues. I won’t get through all the levels in this lifetime. I will be 80 years old in July.”

“There is tremendous value when a spiritual center has leadership that has the credentials and a great intention of providing a learning environment,” Abrahamson continued. “People come to the sangha wanting to learn something or understand something that is troubling them in their lives. I want to give them something to take away with them and apply it to their lives and see an improvement – to learn and blossom.”

“The sangha is meant to help people broaden their spiritual path and inspire people to compassion, love and patience for all they encounter,” said Mastromonaco. “Carol, or Kanjin as we call her, is a lovely, gentle person who exudes these qualities and teaches in the same manner.”

Kanjin is the Buddhist name that was given to Abrahamson at her ordination. It means Perfect Compassion, and it is the name by which her students address her.

“Kanjin has swung open a gate to learning in a way that is accessible and applicable to daily living. Her experience, openness and humor have enriched my life,” said Pamela Harris, the board secretary and sangha member.

Abrahamson had had a private practice in the valley for eight years, providing end-of-life care in the Buddhist tradition.

When her last patient died nearly two years ago, Sensi Koan suggested that she

SENIOR FITNESS

Contributing Writer

T

Photo by Pamela Dozois Carol Abrahamson is the Santa Ynez Valley’s first Soto Zen priest, and one of the first women to be invited into the priesthood.

open a Zen sangha in the valley.

A friend gave her a list of five places that might be suitable and the first person she approached was Chad Melville, then the owner of Samsara Wine Company. He immediately offered his tasting room in Los Olivos to her, free of charge.

“So many people showed up the first day, there was a line down the street. I had to turn some away, as the tasting room would only hold 14 people or so,” Abrahamson said. “I ended up with a data base of 130 people, all interested in meditation.

After a few meetings, the space at the tasting room became too small, so we moved to the Grange.”

John Patrick Sullivan, board vice president and a sangha member, recalled that first class, and that line.

“When I first met Kanjin, in December 2016, she was about to give her first class at Samsara Winery’s tasting room. …

Someone was checking names at the door (and) … I expected to be turned away. ....

But then Kanjin calmly walked over and said, ‘Please find this man a cushion.’”

The journey to priesthood requires many years of diligent study and dedication to the practice of Zen Buddhism.

Abrahamson began her long spiritual journey in her 20s. Born and raised in Petaluma, she says she found her way to Buddhism carrying around an old tattered copy of “Siddhartha,” thinking that surely those words would lead her to a teacher.

And in a curious way they did. While living in San Francisco, working as a technician in Marin General Hospital, she met someone who would change her life.

“I met Alan Watts (a British philosopher, writer, speaker and Zen teacher) during his illness while I was working at Marin General Hospital,” said Abrahamson. “We began with talks, Zen talks — rather, Alan talked and I listened.

Ultimately Watts introduced her to Dr. ZEN CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

o

hanks to good genes, an active lifestyle and good fortune, I’ve survived 75 years in reasonably good health. Having experienced some of the inevitable and subtle changes associated with the aging process and having had a career in training and teaching movement to all ages and types of people, I feel qualified to share with you my six rules of basic maintenance for seniors.

These are general rules of maintenance that add years of longevity and quality to our life spans. They are based upon common sense, experience and are supported by a breadth of research.

I want to preface these rules with a statement of the obvious. It’s clearly understood that smoking, excessive drinking and obesity are likely to reduce longevity and quality of life as we age. The evidence is so consistently strong that little discussion is needed.

Here are Jim’s six rules of basic maintenance: n Don’t Fall! Falling is the greatest hazard for seniors, often resulting in broken bones or a concussion. Broken bones lead to immobility, the enemy of longevity and quality of life. Immobility results in loss of bone density and muscle mass.

It reduces cardiovascular efficiency and effects balance.

The best ways to reduce the chance of falling are to move well and often, practice balance skills and improve strength. n Have regular physical and dental check-ups: The sad truth is that most diseases that disable or kill us are correlated with age. The longer we live the more likely we are to get cancer, heart disease, stroke or arthritis and dementia. Early detection and treatment is our best defense against these afflictions.

It is prudent to get a regular medical and dental check-up. n Walk daily: “Move well and move often throughout the day” is a mantra I often repeat. Brisk walking is easy cardio, improves balance and mobility skills, maintains joint health and muscle mass, and seems to improve emotional outlook.

The body is designed for and requires movement to be healthy. n Eat real food: A little protein with most meals plus a rainbow of fruits and SENIOR FITNESS CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

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14 H Santa Ynez Valley Star H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H July 17- August 6, 2018 botic-assisted surgery results in less blood loss, less pain and discomfort, and a faster recovery.

In addition to cardiothoracic surgery, Cottage offers robotic surgery for many other procedures including general surgery, gynecology and urology.

To learn more, visit cottagehealth.org/ robotic-surgery.

LIFESTYLE ROUNDUP

Photo contributed Kids can learn to tie many styles of knots during the free fishing workshop.

Free fishing workshop for kids on July 21 Children from 8 to 15 years old can sign up for a free workshop to learn how to fish from expert fishermen and women from 8:45 a.m. to noon on Saturday, July 21, at Lake Cachuma.

Kids in small groups will circulate through presentations on knot-tying; casting; trout fishing; rigging for bass, crappie and blue gill; and salt-water fishing. Parents are welcome to observe if they do not want to participate.

The program, hosted by the Neal Taylor Nature Center, is limited to the first 40 kids/parents to sign up; pre-registration is urged. Call 805-693-8381 or email JCipolla@clnature center.org.

LO Post Office offers passport services The Los Olivos Post Office is now a “passport acceptance agency,” allowing it to issue new passports, renew old ones, and provide passport photos.

The office also has new operating hours at the counter, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Friday. Hours for passport services are between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. — only by appointment — which can be made by calling 805-688-4573.

For more information on obtaining a passport, visit www.usa.gov/passport.

Visit our Website at www.RELoans.com

Photo contributed Kathy Badrak will teach a class at the Wildling Museum on July 28 with Karen Osland.

Workshop to teach ‘random weave’ basket style The Wildling Museum will offer a random-weave basket workshop with Kathy Badrak and Karen Osland from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 28.

Participants will learn the basketry technique of random weave, using rattan reed and vines. This weave allows the weaver to create a free-form basket, a sculpture, or a more structured form such as a bowl, tray or dish. Finished baskets will be about 5 to 10 inches in diameter.

There is a limit of 14 students for the six-hour workshop, which includes a halfhour lunch break. Tuition is $45, plus an additional $10 to be paid on the day of the class for materials.

To register, visit www.wildlingmuseum. org/random-weave-basket-class-july-28th/, stop in the Wildling, or call 805-686-8315.

For more information about the museum, visit www.wildlingmuseum.org.

Cottage adds new robotic heart surgery procedure Cottage Health has begun offering minimally invasive cardiothoracic robotic surgery after the recent arrival of Dr. Peter Baay at the Cottage Robotic Surgery Center at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.

Since 2005, Cottage has performed more than 2,000 robotic surgery procedures. The robotic center features the state-of-the-art da Vinci Xi Surgical System. Compared to traditional surgery, studies show that ro-

parish hall of Bethania Lutheran Church in Solvang.

The trip, from March 3-16, 2019, will be led by local travel agent Linda Johansen, who donates her commissions from these group trips to local nonprofit organizations.

Anyone who registers for the trip by making a deposit on the night of the orientation will receive a $150 discount.

Openings are still available for a trip this December called “Christmas in London,” Johansen added.

To register for the Japan trip orientation, or get brochures for any of Johansen’s trips, call her at 805-686-1644.

Comedy show, dinner, to help shelter animals The Santa Barbara County Animal Care Foundation will present its second annual “Raise the Woof!” comedy show and dinner on Saturday, Sept. 22, at the Masonic Hall at 700 Lakeview Road in Santa Maria.

The event features a three-course meal followed by two professional comedians from the Los Angeles area who have been featured on HBO and Comedy Central.

There will also be a silent auction, 50-50 Photo contributed drawing, a raffle and music by the Clark St. The city of Buellton supplies a free barbecue at the event.

Flyers, a local band.

The foundation is an all volunteer non-profit organization that raises money to help animals that arrive at the three county animal shelters sick, injured, or abandoned and in need of medical attention.

The 14th annual Buellton Barbecue BoFor more information, visit www. nanza will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. sbcanimalcare.org. To donate, sponsor, or Saturday, July 28, at River View Park. volunteer at Raise the Woof, email Libby The city of Buellton provides a free Walling at libbydee66@gmail.com. barbecue and asks those attending to bring a dessert to share.

There will be a chocolate chip cookie contest, kid games and water fun throughout the afternoon.

The Family Service Agency and the The park is at 151 Sycamore Drive.

Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County have announced a partnership to coordinate legal and social services to county residents age 60 and older who are victims of physical, emotional or financial A video orientation for a trip called abuse.

“The Cultural Treasures of Japan” will be Santa Barbara County Adult Protective shown at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 31, in the LIFESTYLE CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

‘Barbecue Bonanza’ returns to Buellton

Partnership expected to help senior crime victims

Orientation for Japan trip set for July 31

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July 17- August 6, 2018 H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H Santa Ynez Valley Star H 15

Story of July, Dog Days tied to ancient Rome Valley farrier July is one of two months named for a person; August is the other

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s months go, July is a little unusual. Most of the other months are named for gods, goddesses, festivals or numbers.

July is one of two months named for a person — in this case, Gaius Julius Caesar. The other is August, which honors Julius Caesar’s great-nephew and the first Roman emperor, Gaius Octavius, better known in history as Caesar Augustus.

How did this happen? Well, all the months of our calendar were handed down to us by the Romans. July was originally the fifth month of the ancient Roman calendar and called Quintilis, which is Latin for “fifth.” During his rule, Caesar reformed the Roman calendar because its inaccuracies had, over time, allowed the months to drift across the seasons. January, for example, was in the autumn. The reformation created the Julian calendar, which closely resembles the Gregorian calendar we use today, and it was more closely synced to the year’s seasons.

After Caesar’s assassination in 44 B.C., the Roman Senate renamed the month Quintilis to Julius. Caesar had been born during the month of Quintilis, so for the Senate it was the natural choice for honoring him.

July is also when the hot, sultry Dog Days of summer begin. Today, many people believe the Dog Days are a reference to the conspicuous laziness of domesticated dogs and humans “dogging” around, or being “dog tired” during the hottest days of the summer. As quaint as these sayings are, these phrases have nothing to do with the original meaning of the phrase.

The Romans called the Dog Days, in Latin, “diēs caniculārēs.” According to

By John Copeland John Brady’s history of our calendar, “Clavis Calendarium,” printed 1813, the Romans believed it to be an evil time “when the seas boiled, wine turned sour, dogs grew mad, and all creatures became languid, causing to man burning fevers, hysterics, and phrensies (frenzies).”

In reality, the Dog Days referred to when the star Sirius was brightest in our sky and rose and set with the sun. If you get up early from July to early August and go outside to watch the sunrise, you will see both the sun and Sirius climbing into the sky.

The ancient Romans and Greeks considered Sirius to be the “Dog Star” because it is the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major (Big Dog).

They also noticed that the hottest days of the year occurred in conjunction with Sirius and the sun. It makes sense that the name of the Dog Star, in ancient Greek, means “scorching.” They incorrectly assumed that Sirius and the sun were acting in league to create “days of great heat.”

But the Dog Days, when Sirius rises with the sun, are not the hottest days of the year.

Our summer heat is not caused by the added radiation from far-away Sirius, regardless of its brightness. Warm summer weather is a direct result of Earth’s tilt on its axis. During the summer months, the position of the Northern Hemisphere allows the rays of sunlight

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strike it more directly. Because Earth’s oceans heat up and cool down slowly, it takes time for the summer sunlight to have a warming effect. In July, the oceans are still cool from the winter and that delays peak summer heat by about a month and a half.

In ancient Egypt the Nile River flooded each year, usually beginning in late June. The people welcomed this event, called the Inundation, because the floodwaters brought rich soil needed to grow crops in what was otherwise a desert.

No one in Egypt knew exactly when the flooding would start, but they noticed a coincidence that gave them a clue: The water began to rise on the days when Sirius began to rise before the Sun. The ancient Egyptians called Sirius Sothis.

Sothis and the Inundation became so important to the Egyptians’ survival that they began their new year with the new moon that followed the star’s first appearance on the eastern horizon.

Today, the Dog Star rises later than it did in ancient times. Its ascension no longer coincides with the start of the Nile flood, which no longer occurs, because the river is now controlled by the Aswan Dam. The change is due to the very slow wobble of Earth’s axis, at about 1 degree every 50 years. The stars in our night sky shift independently of our calendar seasons. The term for this is the precession of the equinoxes.

The constellations we see in the night sky today have moved roughly 41 degrees from their positions in the sky in ancient times. Sirius still makes its appearance during hot summer days, but today the Dog Days of ancient Rome are not the Dog Days for us. Roughly 13,000 years from now, the conjunction of Sirius and the sun will not even occur during the summer. Sirius will be rising with the sun in mid-winter. Then, we may be referring to the Dog Days of winter. But for now, most of us see the Dog Days as the start to our vacations.

Pete Healey publishes second book

By Jessica Schley Contributing Writer

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alley native Pete Healey has published his second book, “Evaluating Radiographs for Equine Foot Management,” written for fellow farriers.

The book includes dozens of radiograph images with angle measurements along with text explaining his extensive research. Written in a technical style, the book is meant for the equine professional but is accessible to any horse owner wanting to know more about hoof angles and horseshoeing.

Photo contributed Chapters include Pete Healey has published “Basic Understanding his second book, “Evaluof the Radiograph” and ating Radiographs for “Understanding the Equine Foot Management,” written for fellow farriers. Basic Mechanics of the Foot,” with others covering soft tissue measurements, dorsal wall length, tendon surface angle, laminitis, and much more.

Healey has been shoeing horses since 1979 and has been a contributing author for the American Farriers Journal as well as Ranch & Reata magazine. He regularly gives lectures with other farriers both regionally and nationally.

In 2002, Healey began a working relationship with the world renowned Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center. He is a certified farrier with the American Association of Certified Farriers and a graduate of Dr. Redden’s Advanced Equine Podiatry Course.

The book is available for purchase through Amazon. Copies may also be purchased directly by emailing pmlhealey@gmail.com.

16 H Santa Ynez Valley Star H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H July 17- August 6, 2018

ZEN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 Kim McKell, his then co-lecturer, an ordained teacher in the Tibetan tradition and a Jungian psychologist. It was arranged for Abrahamson to study meditation with her.

After a time, McKell brought her to the San Francisco Zen Center and introduced her to Suzuki Roshi, a Soto Zen monk and teacher who helped popularize Zen Buddhism in the United States.

Her time at the San Francisco Zen Center ended when she and her husband and children prepared to move to Iran.

“My husband had received a Fulbright Scholarship to teach at the University of Pahlavi in Shiraz, Iran,” she said. “There were six children to consider, many endings: a design practice which I had, restoring historical buildings, Richard’s dental practice, a beautiful home in Sonoma, friends and family. I had continued to meditate and study, however I had not moved beyond conceptual understanding to experiential exploration and integration of the Zen teachings. So when we embarked on the journey to Iran I did not have the inner resources that would guide me into a Middle Eastern experience, and my carefully constructed way of life blew apart.

“Iran, at that time, was mostly unknown and often misunderstood by the Western world. It is an ancient culture, mysterious, ambiguous, unpredictable, and steeped in religious paradox. This would not be like moving to Paris,” she said jokingly.

“My Buddhist practice had been built

on intellectual knowledge without application to daily life, so of course it was not sustaining me – talking Zen is not living Zen,” she said.

“Yet my year and a half in Iran was a precious gift. It was the beginning of the dismantling of my ego, thus allowing an opening into awareness of limitations, dysfunctional behavior and beliefs of ignorance. By the time I returned to the United States, I was learning to manage my anguish, confusion, and self-doubt and to be willing to struggle with discomfort without projecting the cause onto others,” Abrahamson said.

She returned to the United States seeking a different practice, softer than Zen, with an emphasis on the feminine.

She chose Siddha Yoga, a Hindu tradition.

“I eventually went to study at the Siddha Yoga Ashram in Oakland, with meditation master and teacher Gurumayi Chidvilasananda,” continued Abrahamson. “Siddha Yoga proved to be exactly what I was seeking. I settled in and requested my seva (assignment). I wanted to work in the bakery but Gurumayi had other plans for me. Instead I was asked to join a team with the purpose of designing a small temple to be built behind the Ashram in Oakland. This would be ‘design by committee.’ I was not a happy camper.

“Meeting weekly with four others, it took about a year to arrive at an agreed-upon plan. When the drawings were presented to Gurumayi, she responded with appreciation for all our efforts and then informed us that the project had been canceled. I then realized the lesson I had

been given. The many years of work in the architectural/design field had reinforced a ‘results oriented’ mindset. Gurumayi had given me an opportunity to find the meaning in process by finding joy working in the present moment without holding onto future results.”

Next, in two years at the Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe, she began her training in end-of-life care.

She then moved to Florida to work with a hospice organization for four years before coming to the Santa Ynez Valley.

“My life has not been lived as a planned trajectory. Rather, it has been a voyage, a path of learning and service, and with the end of my story comes a new beginning of learning and teaching at the sangha in Los Olivos,” she said.

Abrahamson continues her studies at Santa Barbara Zen Center. She also leads two meditation groups very Wednesday at the Santa Ynez Valley Grange Hall, one at 9 a.m. and another at 5 p.m., which includes a traditional service with meditation, followed by a dharma talk (Buddha’s teachings).

The Grange is at 2374 Alamo Pintado Ave. in Los Olivos. The hall is open Wednesdays from 1 to 5 p.m. for anyone who wishes to drop in and meditate. Everyone, including children, is welcome to attend the sangha.

Donations are welcome, as Abrahamson is sustained by donations. She also officiates at weddings, renewal of vows ceremonies, and memorial services.

Abrahamson can be reached at clabrahamson@gmail.com or 818-8134008.

SENIOR FITNESS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

vegetables and some grains, legumes and good fats provides the basics of a good diet. If it comes in a cardboard box, has sugar, salt or fat commercially added, or doesn’t resemble anything like its original appearance, it probably isn’t good for you. n Drink lots of water: Seniors often experience a diminished thirst response and may become dehydrated, but the body requires water to function properly.

Keep water handy at home and in your car and drink regularly during the day. If you urine is reasonably clear, you are hydrated. If it is yellow, you need to drink more water. n Make friends and love your family: Doing good for others and contributing to your community brings meaning and joy to your being and is also likely to increase longevity and quality of life.

As we move through the senior years, we are not the person we used to be.

We break more easily and recover more slowly. Senior divisions exist in most competitive sports because, although we can’t compete against 20-year-olds, we can enjoy competition.

If completing the John Muir Trail carrying a 60-pound backpack at 80 years of age is on your bucket list, you should rewrite your list. If you hand your friend your third glass of wine and say, “Watch this,” you may regret your decision.

It’s true, I’m not the man I used to be. My activities have changed, yet I’m active, have friends and enjoy life. What more to ask for?

July 17- August 6, 2018 H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H Santa Ynez Valley Star H 17

arts & nonprofits

New film society to promote area art, artists

Local artist’s film to be shown at first fundraiser Staff Report

Staff Report

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entral Coast residents have a personal connection to many major motion pictures that have filmed in the area, such as the Gainey Ranch as a set for “Of Mice and Men” and “Sea Biscuit,” or Johnny Depp standing at the top of the Black Pearl on the Guadalupe Dunes.

Now a new nonprofit organization, the Central Coast Film Society, has been formed to celebrate and promote film, media arts, entertainment and more.

“There is such a rich history of film and media in our area and that is why we created the Central Coast Film Society, as well as to foster the abundance of talent that comes from it,” said Daniel Lahr, the society’s executive director.

“One thing the board of directors made clear was that this organization will do everything it can to help foster our future filmmakers and will look to help mentor local film students by having special screenings and interviews with industry professionals. Our students and emerging artists deserve every chance possible to actually do what they love to dream about,” Lahr said.

Lahr grew up on a ranch in Los Alamos and has been making independent films since he was 15 years old. His films played at multiple festivals around the country, winning awards and accolades along the way.

He received his bachelor of fine arts degree in motion pictures and television at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. After working in Hollywood for a few years, he began working in the hospitality and tourism industry and managed world-famous attractions throughout the state.

Lahr then returned to the Central Coast with his family and began to turn his dream of a local film festival into a reality.

The goal of the CCFS is to provide local filmmakers and films a venue to call home, foster future media artists, and create opportunities to get involved in the industry by hosting lectures, screenings and eventually a film festival.

“It is such a humbling moment for me to be surrounded by people who not only share my vision but are prepared to take the journey together to make it become a reality,” Lahr said. “Everyone on the (festival’s) board has a great perspective to the community and the film industry, which is vital as we brave the waters together.”

The board members are Alexandria Baldacchino, Shaun Boyd, Sarah Risley,

Photo contributed The founders of the Central Coast Film Society are, from left, Alexandria Baldacchino, Shaun Boyd, Sarah Risley, Raiza Giorgi, Daniel Lahr and Chris Manigault.

Raiza Giorgi and Chris Manigault.

Baldacchino brings the foundation nearly 10 years of financial management experience with particular strengths in banking, profit and loss reporting, and developing policies and procedures. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business from Cal State Northridge.

Manigault, originally from Hollywood, lived in the Santa Ynez Valley from 1996 to 2001. He attended San Diego State University and then Chapman’s University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, where he earned a master of fine arts degree in film and television producing.

He continues to work as a producer and manager of a variety of film and television projects. His goal is start his own production company, producing faith- and family-friendly films.

Risley is a lifelong enthusiast of film, film production, and the film industry.

Since moving to the Central Coast in 2007, she founded the Diablo Canyon Chapter of U.S. Women in Nuclear, whose members participate in community outreach, education, and the advancement of women in STEM fields. She holds a

master’s degree in business administration from the Orfalea College of Business at Cal Poly.

Boyd, who is from the Santa Ynez Valley, got a degree in economics from Cal Poly but ended up working for the Sundance and Telluride film festivals.

Now back in the valley, he owns a custom woodworking shop called Shaun Boyd Made This.

Giorgi is the owner and publisher of the Santa Ynez Valley Star and Santa Barbara Family and Life Magazine. Another longtime Santa Ynez Valley resident, she received her bachelor of science degree in journalism from Cal Poly and has been involved in theater, dance and media since she was a child.

Membership in the Central Coast Film Society gives access to regular information about upcoming events and screenings along with discounted tickets. Those events and dates are still to be determined.

For more information, log onto www. centralcoastfilmsociety.org. You can find the society on Facebook and Instagram @centralcoastfilmsociety and Twitter @centralcoastfs.

rom traditional filmmaking techniques to the evolving landscape of new technologies, many of which he helped pioneer, John Copeland of Santa Ynez has made a significant contribution in shepherding entertainment to viewers around the world.

Copeland’s film “And Man Created Dog” will be screened at the first fundraiser for the Central Coast Film Photo contributed Society at 5:30 p.m.

John Copeland’s film “And Saturday, July 28, Man Created Dog” will at the Los Olivos be screened at the first fundraiser for the Central Community Hall (formerly known as Coast Film Society. the Grange Hall).

The film explores how man created the dog through natural selection from the fearsome ancestor, the wolf.

It explores the greatest inter-species friendship on Earth over the course of 40,000 years.

Working closely with scientists, the film deconstructs the genetic history of “man’s best friend” and explores how man has consistently re-engineered the dog to adapt to a changing world.

Copeland has produced more than 240 hours of prime-time television, ranging from the award-winning science fiction television series “Babylon 5” to historical documentary series such as “The Wild West” and scientific documentaries such as “Faces of Earth.”

He works with MIT’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, teaching undergraduate science and engineering students the art of visual communication and storytelling.

He also contributes a regular column to American Geosciences Institute’s “Earth” magazine.

He and his wife, Shannon Casey, have lived for 19 years in the Santa Ynez Valley, where they grow olives and produce award-winning olive oils at Rancho Olivos.

For more information about the film screening or to buy tickets at $5 per person, log onto www.centralcoastfilmsociety.org. Tickets can be purchased at the door, and light refreshments will be included. There will be a Q & A session after the film with Copeland.

18 H Santa Ynez Valley Star H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H July 17- August 6, 2018

‘I LIVE MY DREAM EVERY DAY’

Maggie Mesikep finds joy with Los Olivos Dance Gallery

By April Charlton Contributing Writer

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aggie Mesikep says he has spent the better part of her adult life “living the dream.”

She is affectionately known as Miss Maggie to the thousands of students who have floated and twirled across the floor and performed pliés in front of the mirror at Los Olivos Dance Gallery for nearly 25 years.

“I wanted to have a (dance) school from age 7; I live my dream every day,” Mesikep said from her small school on Nojoqui Avenue. “I feel so fulfilled and filled with love, with respect. Working with students, watching their self-esteem (and) self-confidence grow; dance aside, watching them become their best selves, that’s what gives me the most joy. When the dance comes along with it, it’s breathtaking.”

A Lompoc native, Mesikep, 49, began dancing as a small child. She recalls always having a lot of energy, always tapping her feet and moving a lot. It was something her mother channeled into dance classes, starting at 5.

“That is how it all started. I have always

Photos by Mike Mesikep One of the cutest performances at the annual Centre Stage show is by the youngest dancers who are just learning to stick to the beat.

been creative and love using my imagination and expressing through movement,” Mesikep said. “It has always been in me.”

Mesikep danced throughout her youth and said at one point a teacher told her she would never be a dancer because of her physique. She said the comment simply

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made her work harder to attain her dream.

At that time, Mesikep switched dance schools, got her pointe shoes and never looked back. She eventually attended UC Irvine, where she graduated with a degree in dance and an emphasis in teaching and management, knowing she wanted a dance school.

That teacher’s comment “sort of fueled me to do better and to create a school that I always wanted,” Mesikep said. “If I was little, this is where I would want to come and what I would want to see.”

805-688-8400

Los Olivos Dance Gallery teaches not only traditional ballet and tap but also contemporary styles.

Mesikep, along with the help of her husband, Mike, has been operating Los Olivos Dance Gallery at 2948 Nojoqui Ave., Suite 6, for the last 24 years. The couple do pretty much everything at the studio, where students can take classes in ballet, jazz, tap and hip hop. Classes are offered for kids as young as 4 years old up to adult.

Mike Mesikep, who also grew up in Lompoc, laughed that his wife groomed him for the job over the years. The pair met in kindergarten but didn’t start dating until their senior year of high school. They were married shortly after college and have been

o MESIKEP CONTINUED ON PAGE 27

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Melinda R. Oquist, D.D.S.

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Early arrival & late pick up can be arranged. Extra $25 charge will apply P.O. Box 32, Buellton, CA. 93427 805-588-7600 • trinitythreeday@gmail.com

July 17- August 6, 2018 H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H Santa Ynez Valley Star H 19

Dogs brave ‘ruff’ competition to benefit library Dogs and their owners flock to Los Alamos to ‘Bark for Books’

By Pamela Dozois Contributing Writer

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ongeniality, camaraderie and canine competition filled the ninth annual community Bark for Books dog racing event on the last Saturday in June at Ferrini Park in Los Alamos.

About 300 people attended throughout the day, some accompanied by canine companions both large and small. Proceeds from the event benefit the Los Alamos Public Library.

The event was begun about 10 years ago as the Los Alamos Dog Races by local residents Wendy Wergeles, Madeleine Jex and Dennis Keane after a discussion of how to draw more visitors to the little town. Keane suggested they organize a dog race, as they had in his hometown of Killarney, Ireland.

“The first events were held at the county park on Centennial,” said Wergeles. “We erected a fence to accommodate the dog racing and had a barbecue. The event eventually grew so big we decided to move it to Ferrini Park.

We knew we wanted the money we raised to benefit a good cause. At first the profits went to the Pony Club in Santa Maria, but then we decided to support the newly established local library some years ago and have been doing so ever since.”

Photos by Devyn Marseilles Left, Genete Bowen and her dog Gretta sang “America the Beautiful” together. Above, four dogs raced for the grand prize in the finals.

Festivities included dog tricks, dogs in costume, and a dog-kissing contest. Martha, with owner Jay Brenneman, won Best Costume for her bumblebee outfit. Luna Baduna, a black Labrador-Queensland heeler with her owner Victor Gallegos, won the Best Tricks division with Luna’s 1-2 punch of Downward Dog Yoga and an amazing Wild West Shootout combo.

Next came a demonstration by Deputy Mike McNeil of the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Canine Division and his police dog, Magnum, a 6 ½ year-old German Shepherd. Magnum has been working as a police dog for five years after training at the Inglis Police Dog Academy in Ventura.

Magnum has performed 15 “finds” in his ca-

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reer, McNeil said. When he corners a suspect, McNeil added, Magnum barks loudly as if to say, “Dad, I found something, come and see.”

He then holds the position, basically saying to the perpetrator, “I found you, and I own you, and it’s your decision what you do next.”

Genete Bowen and her dog Gretta then sang “America the Beautiful” together, to the delight of the audience.

Numerous raffle prizes were given out throughout the afternoon, thanks to dozens of sponsors.

Judges for the various events included 3rd District county Supervisor Joan Hartmann, Solvang City Manager Brad Vidro, and Lyla Oyakawa.

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Thirty-six dogs entered the races, with the first races leading up the finals.

Winners were Ruger, a Mastiff mix with owner Jillian Ostrove, in the first race; Chica, a Chihuahua with owner Melissa Moore, in the second; Kippy, a border collie with owner Claycen Cooper in the third; and Tule, a Labrador with his owner Madeleine Jex. In the fourth.

Those four winners competed in the fifth and final race for the grand prize. Tule was the winner of a huge gift basket from Lemos Feed and Pet Supply.

Local authors Petrine Mitchum, R. Lawson Gamble and Barbara Hodges spoke about their books and were on hand to sell and sign them.

“That was so much fun – yet again! Thanks for all the hard work, everyone. Can’t wait for next year. Victor and Luna promise to add a DOGS CONTINUED ON PAGE 27

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20 H Santa Ynez Valley Star H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H July 17- August 6, 2018

Local musician uses her art for healing Nataly Lola supports many causes, including Camp No Limits

By Pamela Dozois Contributing Writer

I

f the first gifts you received at birth from your mother were records by Blondie and The Go-Go’s, your future might involve music in one way or another.

So it is with singer-songwriter, composer and independent recording artist Nataly Lola Plotner, who prefers to use her stage name, Nataly Lola.

“Growing up, music filled my home,” she said. “My mother, Melody Plotner, had a great vinyl record collection which she played all the time. When I was little I learned to sing songs from the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s. Then my brother and sister added albums from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. My life was steeped in the music of Patsy Cline, Joni Mitchell, The Temptations, Fleetwood Mac, The Beatles, Cyndi Lauper, Van Morrison, and The Cranberries.

I wanted to be Blondie (Deborah Harry) when I grew up. Under all this blonde hair, I still maintain that one streak of brown hair in homage to her.”

Nataly credits her mother as her greatest musical inspiration, someone who loves music, all genres of music from classical to pop and everything in between, and surrounded her in it.

“My mother learned to play the accordion from one of those door-to-door salesmen in the ’60s selling accordion lessons. The accordion is harder to play than you think. Then she taught herself to play the piano and the guitar.

She insisted that we all learn to play the piano as well.

“She was a strict piano teacher, making sure we practiced every day. My sister, Shannon, was an accomplished pianist, as was my brother, who also played the guitar. We were avid watchers of MTV when it first came out, and we would make home music videos together,” she recalled.

In high school Natalie was always active in the arts, participating in choir, theater and dance. She also played in many bands but found that she mainly enjoyed writing her own music. She says her writing was inspired

Photo by Patrick Trautfield Nataly Lola is pictured on the cover of her self-titled CD.

The ukulele is Nataly’s favorite instrument for composing.

by Tori Amos and Joni Mitchell. She always loved poetry and books and would compose her own music and lyrics, even when she was a little child.

At 17, she decided to learn how to play the guitar because She felt that composing her songs on guitar would be easier and more convenient than on the piano. She said that melodies and lyrics would just pop into her head, that writing music came easily to her, and that the guitar seemed the most expedient way of composing.

“At first my mother was reticent about teaching me the guitar. She said she didn’t want to waste her time teaching me if I wasn’t serious about it. That meant practice, practice, practice. I used to think it was impossible to get both hands to work simultaneously and I would complain all the time, because it hurt my fingers. But my mother persisted and so did I,” she said.

Having accomplished the guitar, Nataly fell in love with the ukulele, and she found it even easier to write her songs on the ukulele.

“I found that I liked to write my music on the ukulele best, then transpose it to the guitar and piano. When a melody pops into my head I can easily pick up the ukulele and instantly bring it to life. It’s much easier to carry around a ukulele than a guitar — or a piano, for that matter,” she said jokingly.

larly on The Krush 92.5. She is also actively involved in theater.

She is also an active dancer, actress, and teacher of the performing arts. She started in Photo by Annie Wald Photography dance and gymnastics at the age of two, graduated from Hancock College with an AA degree in dance, and has been teaching dance classes At 19, Nataly met her mentor, Randy Rigby, for 18 years at the Studio of Performing Arts who was a platinum award-winning producer in Grover Beach. She also gives private music and Grammy nominee before his death. lessons in guitar and voice at La Botte Bistro “Randy took me under his wing. He pushed in Buellton. me to go public with my music and make a “Francesca Agate lets me use her space at living at it. He inspired me to keep writing and La Botte Bistro during the day as her restaupursue more of my own music. He provided rant doesn’t open until 5 p.m. and they have a me with the tools I needed to succeed, a guitar, piano I can use there as well,” said Nataly and PA system to help further my career.

She also volunteers as a camp counselor at “He believed in me. His great team of “Camp No Limits” along with her boyfriend, people and notable musicians invested a lot of Cameron Clapp, who is a triple amputee. They money and time helping me make my record work with children who have lost limbs or “Nataly Lola” under the Harvest Road Music have limb differences. record label in Denver, Colorado. One of the “My sister, Shannon, died three years ago, songs from that album, “Meet Me at Midat the age of 34, from opioids, leaving behind night,” won second place in the open category two children. She started taking medication out of more than 300 entries at the 2017 New for severe pain in her forearms due to the Times Music Awards. repetitive nature of her job. The medication “Making a record album is an expensive didn’t heal her, just eliminated the pain. Once endeavor. It can cost up to $10,000, so Randy the opioids got her, she was a changed woman. gave me a great gift,” she said.

It was so fast.

Nataly has performed with Rigby and Zach “Shannon’s death left our family devastated Carothers of the Grammy Award-winning and I fell into a deep depression that I could band “Portugal The Man.” She has also been a not seem to overcome,” Nataly said. “It was featured artist with Sunset Magazine’s yearly when I started volunteering at Camp No Limlifestyle festival, “Savor the Central Coast.” its that I found a way out of it, putting my life She and her band Ghost\Monster have been back together, in the right, healthy perspective. featured at many local concert series including “Working with these kids is a blessing,” she headlining at the Wildflower Triathlon that continued. “Giving of yourself to others is so draws more than 30,000 athletes and spectarewarding and healing. The camp runs for 3 ½ tors. Her original music can be heard reguLOLA CONTINUED ON PAGE 25

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July 17- August 6, 2018 H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H Santa Ynez Valley Star H 21

food~drink

ON THE MOVE

Popular Santa Barbara restaurant expanding to Solvang

By Vida Gustafson Contributing Writer

I

By Raiza Giorgi

news@santaynezvalleystar.com

M

aria Arroyo had been coming to the Santa Ynez Valley for several years for getaways and wine tastings, and she loved the atmosphere so much that she moved to Los Olivos two years ago.

“I was born and raised in Santa Barbara, and our family history goes back generations, but I wanted a fresh start,” she said.

Arroyo, who is part owner of Los Arroyos restaurant on the South Coast with her ex-husband Tony Arroyo, decided that the valley needed a location as well. The popular Mexican food restaurant is scheduled to open in early August in the Merkantile shopping center at Highway 246 and Alamo Pintado Road.

“I called Tony up and suggested we start a Solvang location, and now here we are about to open up at the end of the month,” she said.

It has taken about a year of planning to get this far, and the Thomas Fire and mudslides pushed their opening date from spring to late July.

“Thinking of coming this far in our restaurant and partnership is amazing. We had very different upbringings as I was the typical Santa Barbara girl, going to private schools, horse riding lessons, played volleyball, and Tony came here from Mexico sleeping on his cousin’s couch at 13 and working in restaurants to earn money,” she said.

Tony worked at Moby Dick’s on Stearns Wharf, working his way up to manager, and then worked at Carlito’s, where he met Maria.

“We ended up falling in love and it was amazing. We were a great team and eventually decided that we wanted to open our own restaurant. We loved our Carlito’s family, but

The only chocolate chip cookie recipe you’ll ever need

Tony and Maria Arroyo’s son Diego, 13, has shown a passion for the restaurant business that makes them hope he will take over the business someday.

“Doing this while starting our family was a lot of stress, and while we were great business partners we decided that our relationship should stay as such and parted ways as friends,” Arroyo said.

Both are thrilled that their son Diego, now 13, has shown an interest in the restaurant business and hope he will someday take over the operations.

“Diego is amazing and loves learning about his heritage and the recipes. He really Photos contributed takes after his father with his ethic and attenMaria Arroyo is ready to open a Solvang location of Los tion,” Arroyo said.

Arroyos restaurant in late July.

Arroyo added that the feel of the restauwanted to strike out on our own,” she said. rant will be just like their others, very family In a 600-square-foot space the two started friendly and keeping in line with using fresh the restaurant in 1999 and ran the business ingredients that are locally sourced as possible. themselves with just a few employees, some “We are really thrilled to partner with local of whom are still with them today, until deproducers, from farmers to wine makers, and mand required hiring more staff and leasing the valley has some of the best,” Arroyo said. more space. From their first location on Coast To find out when they are opening follow Village Road, they have since opened places them on Facebook or log onto their website at in Camarillo and Goleta. www.losarroyossolvang.com.

believe that this is only chocolate chip cookie recipe you’ll ever need.

I know that’s a sweeping statement, but trust me. These cookies come out crispy on the edges and chewy in the center. Their taste is a perfect balance between butter, chocolate and vanilla.

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This recipe also converts to being gluten-free really successfully. Just substitute your favorite gluten-free flour mix for the wheat flour listed.

Ingredients 3/4 cup melted butter 1 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup white sugar 1 tsp vanilla 1 egg plus 1 yolk 2 cups flour 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate baking chips

Method Mix together thoroughly the eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla, and then sift in the flour, salt, baking soda and chocolate chips.

Drop tablespoons of dough 2 inches apart on a baking sheet and bake at 325° F for 15-17 minutes.

Then enjoy. Don’t forget the milk!

Enterprising couple behind success at Wandering Dog Keys 2 the Coast

By Donna Polizzi

W

hen the Wandering Dog Wine Bar opened in 2007 it was one of the only places open past 5 p.m. in Solvang, especially on the west side of town.

The proprietors, Jody and Charles Williams, both worked on the winery side before opening Wandering Dog and had talked for years about having a wine bar where they would carry varietals and wines from all over the world along with amazing boutique local wines.

In 2007 there were many wineries that didn’t have tasting rooms, so the pair thought it would be great to offer tourists a spot where they experience an wide selection of great wines. They decided to name the business after their family dogs that were always getting out and wandering the neighborhood in search

of anything and anyone to socialize with.

Like that, they say, wine is like a social activity meant to be explored and experienced.

Over the years they’ve slowly changed their business model as more and more boutique vintners have started up or moved into the area to open their own tasting rooms. That’s where and how the Wandering Dog label developed.

It was a great way for the Williamses to continue working with the winemakers they had formed friendships with and had such tremendous respect for. Yet they also wanted to produce a varietal of wine with their friends that was unique to them, something their customers couldn’t purchase from anyone else.

Each wine in their high-end assortment (their Signature Series) is named after a family dog, starting with Charles’ childhood Newfoundland, Leila. And all are carefully crafted

o WINE BAR CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

Photo contributed Each wine in the Williams’ high-end assortment of wines is named after a family dog.

22 H Santa Ynez Valley Star H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H July 17- August 6, 2018

Hancock wines win big in Orange County competition Staff Report

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our wine varietals produced by Hancock College Winery won medals at the 42nd annual Orange County Fair Commercial Wine Competition on June 2-3.

The 2016 albariño won bronze, the 2016 torrontes took silver with 85 points, and both the 2016 malbec and 2016 syrah placed gold with 90 and 92 points, respectively.

“I am proud of all the students and professors that were involved in the production process,” said Agribusiness Program Director and Professor Alfredo Koch. “I personally enjoy these wines very much and am excited that they are being recognized for their greatness.”

The Orange County Fair’s competition is the largest and most comprehensive judging of California wines in the world. The competition attempts to judge every grape wine made in California that is commercially available in Orange County. All wines were judged by professional wine makers or wine principals.

Hancock’s albariño, syrah and torrontes grapes are grown on the college campus vineyard, which is behind the baseball and softball complex. The malbec grapes are grown in Paso Robles. The wines are professionally made by Hancock faculty and are bottled on the Santa Maria campus through the Hancock Viticulture and Enol-

ogy Foundation. Students learn every phase of wine production under the instruction of agribusiness faculty.

“We have an educational winery with a small but fine production, and our aim is to collaborate with all wineries in the community that support us,” Koch said. “We hope to continue to train students to succeed in the wine industry.”

“The quality of our wine is a great calling card to bring more students into our program and to attract the community, wine-buying consumers, restaurants and retailers,” said Hancock Winery Operations Manager David Corey.

“By participating in the community and improving the relationship between our industry and our community, we hope to inspire more people to get involved with our local wine industry,” Koch added. “With our increased visibility in the community, my vision is to build a wine center in Santa Maria in order to provide more educational and promotional activities.”

The college winery is open for tastings every Friday from 2-6 p.m. in building O, Room 211, on the Santa Maria campus. It offers 11 different wines for sale and four for tasting, including all four award-winning wines. Tasting flights may also include chardonnay, pinot noir rosé, pinot noir and syrah.

For more information, visit www.hancock college.edu/agribusiness/vineyard.

WINE BAR CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

and produced by Jody and Charles while working closely with other winemakers.

They’ll spend a few hours tasting through different barrels, clones, vineyard sources, varietals to achieve the perfect wine — especially one that epitomizes the dog it’s named after.

For example, their Paige Super Tuscan is a blend of three non-traditional varietals (sangiovese, cabernet sauvignon and merlot), as Paige is a non-traditional “blend” of breeds — a mutt. You get the idea.

So, to put a bow on all of this, along with their Wandering Dog wines, the Williamses still carry a good selection of global wines on the higher-end side.

Everything is palate-picked by Jody and Charles.

They’ve had to scale back some of their selections due to being in wine country and the majority of their visitors wanting local wines. However, they are committed to never giving up their global selection.

That’s what keeps it interesting.

The Williamses have more than just a love of wine, however. They have a competing passion for their home fruit and vegetable garden, which led them to the discovery of shrub drinks a few years ago.

What started out as a whim ended up turning their kitchen into a mad-scientist lab, with jars of various combinations of fruits, vinegar and sugars taking up most of the counter space.

While taste-testing the elixirs, they came to the conclusion that shrubs are perfect at any time of day, and so Broken

Clock Vinegar Works was born. From the first release in March 2016, they say, the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

Having their own wine bar to function as a taste-testing center allowed them to refine Photos contributed their process with direct Jody and Charles consumer feedback.

Williams have expanded In late 2017 Broby opening Broken Clock ken Clock moved to Vinegar Works, where they produce vinegar and a dedicated commercial space where the create shrub cocktails. shrub production could expand to meet the rising demand for unique, healthy and tasty cocktails. While not the first shrub company, they have set themselves apart by being the only one that produces their own vinegar on site, starting with the fruits used in the shrubs.

Additionally, by producing their products under a winery liquor license, the opportunity to expand their product line beyond the shrubs and into ready-to-drink “Shrub Coolers” and “Shrubaritas” is unparalleled in the industry.

So, the next time you are in Solvang, take the time to visit Jody and Charles Williams, the Central Coast’s most enterprising husband and wife wine- and vinegar-making team, and be sure to partake of their fabulous assortments of unique wines and several flavors of vinegar.

Donna Polizzi is a regional travel expert and founder of Keys 2 The Coast, a free travel resource for the Central Coast. Visit Keys2theCoast.Com for more information.

July 17- August 6, 2018 H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H Santa Ynez Valley Star H 23

education

SYHS Alumni launch fundraising challenge for pool complex Staff Report

S

anta Ynez High School alumni are rekindling their class and community pride by holding the Santa Ynez Valley High School Alumni Class Challenge — a fun competition to benefit the future Santa Ynez Valley Community Aquatics & Sports Science Complex that is scheduled for completion in 2020.

The “challenge” has been issued to every graduating class since 1965 (when the current 53 year-old pool was built) to raise at least the amount of their graduation year. The drive extends through September.

The two-acre complex will replace the

53-year-old Santa Ynez High School pool and will include an Olympic-sized 50-meter competitive pool, a 25-yard warm-water therapy pool; an “In Memory of Those Who Serve” grand entry plaza; a sports medicine and science building; changing rooms, storage, lockers, and a family play area.

It is intended to be affordable and accessible year-round with programs and activities for all valley residents.

To kick off the competition, Linda Johansen, Class of 1967, organized her class to donate $1,967 to the SYV Aquatics Foundation. Now that class has thrown down the gauntlet for all other classes to donate at least their year in dollars as well.

“The class of 1967 challenges all SYHS alum to step up!” said alum Carol Paaske, who is helping to coordinate the competition. “Go ahead, try and beat us.”

“The Alumni Class Challenge will help spread awareness that the current high school pool, built in 1965, has outlived its useful purpose,” said Kristen Thomsen (‘87) the foundation’s executive director who is also coordinating the competition.

“So many of us have fond memories of learning to swim, playing on an aquatics team or swimming for fun and health at Photo contributed the pool. The next generations of alumni The SYHS class of 1967 has donated $1,967 to help build the and everyone in our community need a Santa Ynez Valley Community Aquatics & Sports Science POOL CONTINUED ON PAGE 24 Complex.

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Pirate jazz band playing a happier tune Dedicated students win the right to get academic credit for their work

By Kyah Corff SYV Star intern

A

fusion of musical tones haunts the halls of Santa Ynez Valley Union High School in the early mornings.

Waves of soulful or invigorating jazz sounds burst from the music room as determined students play their parts with passion.

This is the work of the SYHS Jazz Band, a new club in the past school year that has already gained some local notice — and which will become an official class in the new year.

To play in the band, members wake with the sun every other morning while most of their classmates are still hitting the snooze button. The students demonstrate a passion for jazz and a quiet determination to perfect their musical talents.

“Jazz. it’s the challenge of improv and the excitement of playing something new every time. It’s a very attractive style of music,” said energetic director Les Rose, who came out of retirement to create the jazz band.

A local jazz celebrity, Rose worked in Santa Barbara County as a music teacher for 30 years. In retirement, he grew restless and missed teaching, so he became interested in

Photo by Kyah Corff The Santa Ynez High School Jazz Band will now be an official class rather than an extracurricular club.

bringing jazz to the high school.

Last spring, he approached Principal Mark Swanitz and proposed teaching a jazz class.

Swanitz gave him his full support to organize an out-of-school class (in the “zero period” before school) if he could get the students to wake up early enough.

Rose soon found eager participants from the high school’s marching band and music

department. He teamed up with Allen Smithson, the now former band and vocal ensemble music teacher at SYVUHS, to organize and direct the jazz band.

One of about 15 members of the jazz band, senior Zane St. Andre Jackson said he joined to challenge himself. He is planning to attend UCLA and commit himself to jazz studies.

He is specifically grateful to jazz, he said, because it is a “meeting point for the intellectual side and the creative side.”

“Jazz — it’s a great way to start the morning,” added Rachel Staude, who has received a scholarship to the distinguished art school of Wigan and Leigh College in England.

Staude attended Olive Grove Charter School but still participated in the jazz band because of the opportunities it provided.

In its first year the club performed at several concerts, including the Veterans Day celebration at the Solvang Veterans Memorial Hall and the high school’s spring and winter concerts.

The jazz band also performed for the Central Coast Jazz Society and was invited to the 42nd annual Jubilee By the Sea — an exclusive all-professional jazz festival — at the Pismo Beach Veterans Hall. The band also scored Gold standing and second place at the competitive WorldStrides OnStage Music Festival in April.

In its first year, the jazz band was a club funded by parents. Partly because of its accomplishments, and the students’ passion, the band will become a for-credit, district-funded class in 2018-19.

JAZZ CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

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EDUCATION ROUNDUP

Rose Satchwell named to Dean’s Honor Roll Nursing major Rose Satchwell of Solvang has been named to the Dean’s Honor Roll at Oklahoma Baptist University for the spring semester.

The Dean’s Honor Roll acknowledges those who achieved a grade-point average from 3.4 to 3.69.

For more information about OBU, visit www.okbu.edu.

Azusa Pacific University honors 4 local students Cynthia Arroyo of Santa Ynez, Samuel Carleton of Solvang, Valeria Flores of Ballard and Kadyn Gianis of Solvang made the most recent academic Deans’ List at Azusa Pacific University in recognition of achieving a grade-point average of 3.5 or better.

Wagstaffe makes Dean’s List at Wheaton College David Wagstaffe of Solvang was named to the spring 2018 Dean’s List at Wheaton College for students achieving a 3.5 gradepoint average or higher on the 4.0 scale.

o EDUCATION CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

Jewish group awards $3,000 scholarship to local graduate which emphasized Tikkun Olam, a Hebrew phrase that translates as “repairing the he Santa Ynez Valley Jewish world” through social justice and social Community, reviving a program action,” SYVJC President Susie Margolis that had been dormant for several Pierson said in her presentation to Angel. years, has presented a $3,000 scholarship to “Your work with the Solvang library, your graduating high school senior Angel Valdez church, as a music theory tutor and much Ordonez. more exemplifies this meaning.

“We received many applications, but “Your other accomplishments are no less yours spoke to the committee in a manner impressive: co-founder of the Jazz Club, Staff Report

T

your work and support of other English Learners, and more. As a retired English and ESL teacher, I was personally proud of your achievements in English.”

The scholarship program was reactivated this year thanks to a donation from Montecito Bank and Trust.

Angel plays the flute, clarinet, saxophone and violin. He is the president of Mission Santa Ines Youth ministry and a youth lead-

er for the mission’s confirmation program.

This fall he will be attending UC Berkeley, majoring in legal studies or social science with a goal of attending law school to become an immigration attorney.

He was named student of the month in March 2018 and is also the recipient of a $100 scholarship from local financial adviser Kelly R. Hunziker.

SCHOLARSHIP CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

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24 H Santa Ynez Valley Star H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H July 17- August 6, 2018

POOL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23

safe place to swim for competition and recreation. It would be kind of us to pass it on,” she added.

The new complex is intended to be a multi-use aquatics facility for the entire valley, open seven days a week, and accessible to the public during school hours.

“The high school is the largest community center in the valley,” said Scott Cory, a 1983 graduate who is now school district superintendent.

“Right now, we have more than 30 organizations using our facilities in any given year. The opportunity to bring on board the Community Aquatics & Sports Science Complex will expand our partnerships even more, so we can benefit everyone in the community from ages 2 to 92.”

Aquatics Foundation President Bruce Porter noted that “more than half of the complex funding has been raised so far, a significant achievement considering no Measure K (school construction) bond money is going toward the complex.”

Alumni interested in taking part should visit the Santa Ynez Valley Aquatics Foundation Facebook page (www.facebook. com/syvaquaticsfoundation) to share pictures and stories about their experiences with the current pool. Donations can be made at www.syvaquatics.org or mailed to P.O. Box 1617, Santa Ynez.

Any graduating class that is interested in being part of the challenge can reach Thomsen at syvaquatics@gmail.com, 805680-7755 or 805-694-8232.

For more information: www.facebook. com/syvaquaticsfoundation, #syvaquatics or email syvaquatics@gmail.com.

Photo by Kyah Corff In its first year, the jazz band performed at several concerts, including the Veterans Day celebration at the Solvang Veterans Memorial Hall and the high school’s spring and winter concerts.

JAZZ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23

The jazz band members have always felt that their commitment to practicing jazz should count toward their grade-point average, and now it will.

It will still be taught in “zero period,” but that has an advantage.

Students are allowed no more than two electives, but with jazz band practice happening before school, it “allows you to do jazz without counting as an elective.

I can do art and Spanish still,” explained Josh Kazali, a freshman.

“I always wanted a jazz program,” said sophomore Davis Reinhert. “Even though it (the practice) is early, it’s worth it … it’s a great introduction to jazz.”

Kyah Corff is a senior at Santa Ynez High School and an intern for the Santa Ynez Valley Star.

SCHOLARSHIP CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23

EMBEZZLEMENT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

Academically, he was named AP Scholar with Honor at Santa Ynez Valley Union High School and was selected as a Regents Scholar for the University of California system. He is a member of the National Honor Society, California Scholarship Federation, Organization of Latinos and American Club and the Gay-Straight Alliance Club. He also received a UC Berkley Generation Change Scholar-ship The Santa Ynez Valley Jewish Community has been active locally for more than 40 years, providing a broad variety of experiences, including Jewish traditions, community support and connection, diverse Jewish education, interfaith collaborations, social justice, and pastoral care to serve the Jewish and Santa Ynez Valley communities.

Santa Barbara County’s financial management and internal controls.

The Grand Jury report focused on internal controls, but an external monitoring review of county departments — making sure state and federal funding is spent appropriately — was released in a report earlier this year.

That report summary, for the 2016-2017 fiscal year, found several instances of departments being overpaid or having compliance problems.

At the time of the monitoring review, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department was cited for not following policies and procedure, since it did not conduct performance reviews of its medical provider for the Main Jail, and the facility lost its accreditation by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care.

The Board of Supervisors has since hired a new contractor to provide medical and mental health services at the Main Jail, the California Forensic Medical Group, after blasting the previous vendor, Corizon Health.

A 2016 tour of the jail by the group Disability Rights California yielded a highly critical report of conditions in the facility, which prompted the county Grand Jury to investigate conditions of medical and mental health care at the Main Jail.

That same Grand Jury released two more reports investigating the Main Jail: one reviewing the facility itself (which the group found outdated and inefficient), and one evaluating all detention facilities in the county.

EDUCATION CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23 For more information on the school, visit wheaton.edu.

Bucknell names Murray to spring Dean’s List Callum Murray of Santa Ynez was named to the dean’s list at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pa., during the spring 2017-18 semester after earning a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher on a scale of 4.0.

Noozhawk managing editor Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli@noozhawk.com.

Congratulations Champion Specialists Dr. Michael Shenoda (left) and Dr. Joseph Aragon (right)

SEE YOURSELF HERE. Start at Allan Hancock College.

Joseph Aragon, MD, FACC, FSCAI and Michael Shenoda, MD, FACC, FSCAI Sansum Clinic is so proud to have this caliber of physicians to serve our patients and the entire central coast. This level of care is usually only available at major academic medical facilities – but Dr. Aragon and Dr. Shenoda offer it right here in Santa Barbara.

Fall classes begin the week of August 20.

Register now! www.hancockcollege.edu/fall Visit sansumclinic.org, or call (805) 898-3138 to schedule an appointment.

July 17- August 6, 2018 H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H Santa Ynez Valley Star H 25

Jackson names Bucket Brigade her nonprofit of year their community contributions.

The Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade ecognizing their heroic efforts to was formed after the Thomas Fire and help their neighbors after the dev- subsequent debris flow when a group of astating Montecito debris flow in volunteers came together to help dig their January, State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson neighbors out of the mud and debris. has honored members of the Santa BarbaSome 3,000 volunteers worked for ra Bucket Brigade as the Nonprofit of the more than three months to dig out nearly Year in the state Senate’s 19th District.

80 homes and parks.

Every year on California Nonprofits “After the disaster of January 9, people Day, members of the California Legislasaw the Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade ture present a nonprofit from each of their districts with a resolution commending BUCKET CONTINUED ON PAGE 26 Staff Report

R

o

Photo by Annie Wald Photography The members of Ghost\Monster are, from left, Jaxon Camaero, Nataly Lola, Dale Moon and James Yerkes.

LOLA CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20 days per session and I volunteer at six camps a year, all over the country. About 150 kids attend camp each session.

“I teach them to dance, play guitar and sing. One of the students has learned to play classical guitar using only her finger nubs.

Cameron teaches them how to use their prosthetics and the hygienic procedures involved with prosthetics, and teaches them to ride bikes, run and swim. Cameron can do anything with his prosthetics. He even surfs,” she explained.

“Whether by fate or circumstances, our

lives seem to have converged. I have known Cameron since middle school. We dated in high school and he actually broke my heart when we broke up. We have been together for eight years now and he is my biggest supporter, and I his,” she said.

She performs more than 175 gigs a year, playing at many local wineries. She has also performed with her band Ghost\Monster for weddings performs regularly at a large number of other Central Coast venues.

For more information, visit her website at www.natalylola.com, email nataly@natalylola.com, call 805-550-2634 or visit Facebook. com/natalylola.

Photos contributed by the Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade The Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade was formed after the Thomas Fire and subsequent debris flow when a group of volunteers came together to help dig their neighbors out of the mud and debris.

26 H Santa Ynez Valley Star H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H July 17- August 6, 2018

BUCKET CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25 operating from a place of compassion, coordination and collaboration and wanted to help,” said Montecito resident Abe Powell, who started the group.

“In just a few weeks, we grew from a small team to over 3,000 volunteers and we all learned an important lesson: Helping heals the helpers and the helped,” he said.

“Following the devastating Montecito debris flow, hundreds of Bucket Brigade volunteers stepped up, grabbed shovels, and dug their neighbors out of the mud and debris that had engulfed their homes and property,” Jackson said.

“The Bucket Brigade is a heartwarming and inspiring example of community coming together to help one another during a time of need. I am honored to recognize the Bucket Brigade’s selfless acts of kindness and their ongoing commitment to the community,” she said.

Jackson’s 19th Senate District includes Santa Barbara County and western Ventura County.

Photo contributed by the Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade Bucket Brigade founder Abe PowelL is shown during a tour of the devastation in Montecito.

LIFESTYLE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

Services says it receives almost 1,600 reports of elder abuse per year. Seniors who have been neglected or abused are often unable to get the help they need for a variety of reasons, and many need social services in addition to legal services to fully recover.

Funding for the partnership has been provided through the Victim Legal Assistance Program of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES).

Through bilingual staff, both agencies can address the needs of both English and Spanish speakers.

For more information, visit www. fsacares.org or www.lafsbc.org.

Photos by Pamela Dozois Above, Terry Row cuts the sinew off a dyed and dried shirt. Below, these shirts show the Dragon Scales design.

TIE-DYE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10 created) tie-dye shirts as eclipse gifts for the guests who were attending, to celebrate the occasion. They were a big hit,” he added.

“After that we decided to make more shirts and try selling them at a couple of outdoor events. … When we moved into our new store location … we decided to dedicate some floor space to my tie-dye shirts, which has proven to be a very successful decision.”

Row will hold his tie-dyeing workshops

from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. every Sunday throughout the summer. Classes are limited to 4 people.

Classes are $60 for a three-hour session, and all materials are provided. Each student will create a tie-dye shirt to keep.

Demonstrations will include Ne Make, an ancient Japanese technique of binding things such as stones into the fabric to create a bubble effect, and many others.

Terramonary Wear and Terramonary Porcelain Dinnerware is at 466 Bell St. in Los Alamos. To register, call 805-453-5075.

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July 17- August 6, 2018 H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H Santa Ynez Valley Star H 27

MESIKEP CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18

Photos by Devyn Marseilles The grand prize winner, Tule, is congratulated by his owner Madeleine Jex and her grandson, Will Hughes.

DOGS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19 few new highlights to their routine – determined to defend their title in the Best Tricks division at Bark for Books next year,” said Catherine Gallegos.

“As with every event this size, it takes a community to come together to make it happen. I would like to thank all the volunteers for their time and effort, all the vendors, and all the dogs and owners who made this event a great success,” Wergeles said.

together for 26 years.

“She has been grooming me for the job for a long time,” he said with a laugh.

“That’s the joke,” Mesikep added. “Since kindergarten I have been like, ‘I needsomeone who knows sound, someone who is good at printing and can do programs.’ He does all the programs.”

In addition to designing and producing the dance school’s annual Centre Stage program — a high-end, quality look-book just like the ones people receive at big-stage productions — Mike Mesikep also helps with all the maintenance and handyman work and anything else that needs to be done at the studio.

He is a professional photographer with a background in printing. His wife, in turn, runs all other aspects of the Dance Gallery, which recently expanded to include a third studio, aptly named the Dancers Legacy Studio, where covers of years of Centre Stage programs line the walls.

“We are a good team,” Mesikep said with a large smile for her husband, who readily admits he never envisioned a career running a dance studio alongside his wife. Yet, he said, it’s something he wouldn’t change for the world.

Much like his wife, Mike Mesikep said he feels incredibly valued by the students who attend and have attended the dance school over the years. When the curtain comes up on opening night every year for Centre Stage, he gets a little misty eyed. As does his wife.

“I just feel so blessed. Almost beholden, that it is too good to be true,” Mike Mesikep said, “because sometimes I joke this isn’t always pretty. I mop the floors. I do a little bit of everything, (but) ultimately it’s a tremen-

FYI For more information on 2018-19 classes at Los Olivos Dance Gallery, visit www. losolivosdancegallery.com, email Maggie Mesikep at lodg@verizon.net, or call 805-686-1627. dous sense of pride, especially our show.”

When Mesikep opened her school in 1994 at the same location she still operates today — the space was formerly used by Fess Parker’s Grand Hotel as an aerobics studio and juice bar — she joked with the property owner that she’d be around until she was 70. At that time, she had 60 students under her tutelage within less than a year and now, almost a quarter century later, Los Olivos Dance Gallery has more students than the town’s elementary school.

And today, Mesikep and the property owner joke that he may not be around until the studio owner is herself a senior citizen.

“I don’t know that I will be teaching when I am 70,” Mesikep said with her trademark smile. “But I sure hope so.”

She added, “I have always told Mike I will keep doing this as long as I get joy from it, and I am still getting joy.”

Los Olivos Dance Gallery’s Centre Stage production this year was May 18-19 at Solvang Festival Theater. The theme was “Movies That Move Us,” and it featured more than 50 choreographed dances from ballet to jazz and tap to hip hop. Next year’s Centre Stage will celebrate the studio’s 25th anniversary.

For more information, visit www.losolivos dancegallery.com, email Maggie Mesikep at lodg@verizon.net, or call 805-686-1627.

JUL 18 - JUL 21

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• Full Service Equine Boarding & Training Facility complete with irrigated grass pastures, fully enclosed show barns, 2 arenas, and a round pen.

• We have miles of the most beautiful private riding trails overlooking the Santa Ynez Valley and Pacific Ocean.

• We specialize in Colt Starting, Reining, we have a mechanical cow, and offer Lessons (Beginner to Advanced) and Trail Rides.

• Full Service Boarding rates start at $375/month.

Open Tuesday—Sunday, closed Mondays

28 H Santa Ynez Valley Star H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H July 17- August 6, 2018

TARGET CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

NEW FRONTIERS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

on Santa Barbara Airport property, next to Goleta.

The closest Target stores to Santa Barbara are in Ventura, Oxnard and Santa Maria.

In the early 2000s, Santa Barbara was cold to a Target on city-owned airport property because the liberal City Council majority at the time viewed it as a “low-paying retailer” that was not unionized.

Efforts to build a Target in Goleta also fizzled, with Target pulling out because of high impact fees proposed prior to approval.

In October 2017, Target announced plans to raise its minimum hourly wage to $11, which is now the California minimum wage, along with a commitment to increasing the minimum hourly wage to $15 by the end of 2020.

The community has long desired a Target, popular for its trendy-chic discount store items.

The new store would be near one of the most congested intersections on the South Coast at Hollister Avenue and Storke Road. Goleta has approved hundreds of

and have them cooked to order in a wok.

“The wok was especially popular in our San Luis store, and we are thrilled to bring that back,” Collier said.

The new store will also have a sushi bar and a hot bar that will have daily themes such as Mexican, Greek, Italian and others.

The store is also adding an olive bar and a cheese case.

“I am excited about the meat counter as well, because it will be like the old days when my grandma had her butcher she could order cuts from,” Collier said.

The opening this month will lead to a grand opening in October when New Frontiers celebrates 31 years in operation, 21 of them in the valley.

“We are committed to providing people a healthy living. We don’t advocate for any particular way of eating, just as long as it’s healthy,” Collier said.

All of the store’s contact information stays the same, including its phone number and address. Log onto www.newfrontiers market.com for more.

Joshua Molina / Noozhawk photo Target has submitted a preliminary application to the city of Goleta to take over and remodel the building now housing Kmart near the corner of Storke Road and Hollister Avenue.

new housing units within a two-mile radius of the site.

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July 17- August 6, 2018 H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H Santa Ynez Valley Star H 29 show up, take a cart and they want you to go shopping, ‘give me your money’ kind of thing,” native plants, you’re bringing beneficial pollina- Geise said about a visit to Manzanita Nursery. tors, insects, birds, all the above, and creating an “This is, I want you to be able to take care ecosystem that you get to enjoy as well.” of the plants and understand how to take care “The big, huge lawn was a product of the of them,” Giese added. “I didn’t work this Edwardian times in England … and it was hard to grow them for them to go to your adopted by Americans and sort of became an house and die. It’s beneficial for all involved.” icon, but it’s kind of outdated,” Griffin added.

The majority of the hundreds of plants People may believe they are helping the available at the nursery grow along California’s ecosystem — saving water in a thirsty state — coast, in the state’s chaparral, or are indigenous by taking out their lawns and replacing them to the Santa Ynez Valley, meaning they should with artificial turf, but Giese pointed out the grow well in local people’s yards as long as the practice also often harms trees that are planted plants get the proper care, Griffin said. as part of the landscape.

“We don’t have a lot of greenhouses, so we “A tree that was used to getting water from only grow stuff that will survive the summer the lawn is now dying because you basically put heat and the winter cold,” Griffin said about a carpet over it and it’s not getting any water,” what can be found at the nursery, which also he said. “It heats up and it kills the soil, so what has a tremendous selection of manzanita that does that do for any plant? Nothing, really.” can’t be found anywhere else locally. “OverPeople can achieve the same water savings, watering is probably the biggest problem we if not more, by replacing water-intensive encounter. People always think more is better.” lawns and plants with natives.

Manzanita Nursery, at 880 Chalk Hill Manzanita Nursery also sells books about Road, is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday gardening with native plants and offers custhrough Saturday, by appointment on Monday tomers help in choosing the rights plants for and closed on Sunday. Call 805-688-9692 or their needs. visit www.manzanitanursery.com for more “It’s not like another nursery where you just information.

MANZANITA CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

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30 H Santa Ynez Valley Star H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H July 17- August 6, 2018

events

upcoming

Patti LaBelle to perform at casino Staff Report

P Photos contributed Kuh Ledesma, left, and Zsa Zsa Padilla bring their Diva 2 Diva tour to the Chumash Casino on Aug. 3. Tickets available at the casion or online.

Diva 2 Diva Tour coming to Chumash Casino Staff Report

If you go:

P

inoy pop singers Kuh Ledesma and Zsa Zsa Padilla, joined by comedians Nanette Inventor and Mitch Valdes, are bringing their international tour Diva 2 Diva to the Chumash Casino Resort’s Samala Showroom at 8 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 3.

Ledesma, known in the Philippines as the ‘Pop Diva,’ has been performing for 35 years, encompassing more than 1,000 international concerts, numerous awards and 20 albums in the Philippine recording industry. She was the first Filipino singer to become a recipient of the Salem Music Awards in London in March 1989.

As the daughter of famous actor Carlos “Sonny” Padilla Jr., Padilla has always

Tickets for the show are $45, $55, and $65. They are available at the Chumash Casino Resort or online at www.chumashcasino.com been in the spotlight. She quickly found success in music, releasing multiple gold and platinum records throughout her career, including “Unchanging Love” and “Sentiments.” She also has had a successful career in film and television.

Tickets for the show are $45, $55 and $65, available at the casino or at www. chumashcasino.com.

atti LaBelle, the soulful soprano noted for her vocal power, range and emotional delivery, will perform at 8 p.m. Friday, July 27, at the Chumash Casino Resort’s Samala Showroom.

With more than 50 million records sold worldwide in a career that has spanned more than 50 years, LaBelle has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Apollo Theater Hall of Fame and the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame. In 2005, the World Music Awards presented her with its Legend Award.

LaBelle began her career in the early 1960s as lead singer and front woman of Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles. After the group’s name change to Labelle in the early ’70s, they released the iconic disco song “Lady Marmalade” and later became the first African-American vocal group to land the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. The group split in 1976 and LaBelle went on to launch her solo career.

In 1977 she released her critically acclaimed self-titled debut album, which included the career-defining song “You Are My Friend.”

Other singles that contributed to her mainstream success include “If Only You Knew,” “New Attitude” and “Stir It Up,” with the latter two crossing over to pop audiences and becoming radio staples.

In 1986, LaBelle released her best-selling solo album, “Winner in You,” which included “On My Own,” a duet with Michael McDonald, which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She later won a Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for her 1991 album “Burnin’,” followed by a second Grammy for her album “Live! One Night Only.”

Photo contributed Patti LaBelle will perform in the Samala Showroom on Friday, July 27. Tickets available online at the Chumash Casino or on their website.

Her success extended to acting with a notable role in the film “A Soldier’s Story” and in the TV shows “A Different World” and “American Horror Story: Freak Show.” In 1992, she starred in her own TV sitcom, “Out All Night.”

A decade later, she hosted her own lifestyle TV show, “Living It Up with Patti LaBelle.” In 2015, she took part in “Dancing with the Stars.”

Tickets are $75, $85 & $95, available at the casino or at www.chumashcasino.com.

Love art? Love nature?

Visit the Wildling Museum of Art and Nature!

HAND TO HEART AT THE GOOD SEED… NOW OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK! In the heart of Solvang … corner of Atterdag & Mission Dr.

Photo ©2018 Allie Marie Smith

Mie’s Beads Mie Hartmann, Owner FREE BRACELET with purchase of $25 or more.

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Call to join our volunteer’s tour of the new Nature Imagined show on July 24th. Phone: 805.686.8315 or wildlingmuseum.org/get-involved/

July 17- August 6, 2018 H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H Santa Ynez Valley Star H 31

To submit an event for publication, email the information to news@santaynezvalley star.com. To see more information online, go to www.santaynezvalleystar.com.

art.com or Events@gypsystudiosart.com.

calendar

July 24

Volunteer’s Tour of Nature Imagined – Wildling Museum, 805-686-8315 or wildlingmuseum.org/getBetter Hearing Event – Through July 31. Valley Hearing involved/.

Center, 2027 Village Lane, Solvang; 805-693-4623.

Trinity Eventing Summer Day Camp Begins –July 24-26 and Aug. 7-9. 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. daily. Summer The Beauty of Light Exhibit – Through July 31, 10 horseback riding program. $175/3 day session or $65/ a.m.-5 p.m. Gallery Los Olivos, 2920 Grand Ave., Los day; 805-588-7600 or email trinitythreeday@gmail.

Olivos; www.gallerylosolivos.com. com.

Little Big Riding School Summer Horse Camp – Mon.Fri. Weekly. July 2-27. 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 12-3 p.m. $350. week. Additional $150/week to attend both sessions daily; 805-886-2215 or email thelittlebigridingschool@yahoo.com. Cadillac Angels (American Rockabilly Blues) – 5-8 p.m. Solvang Park, Mission and First St., Solvang. Free; “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” present- www.solvang3rdwednesday.com. ed by Pacific Conservatory Theater – Through July 22. Solvang Festival Theater, 420 2nd St, Solvang; www. pcpa.org.

Buellton’s Premire Event – 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Parks Plaza Theater, 515 McMurray Road, Buellton. Free.

July 17

July 18

Solvang 3rd Wednesday - Visit www.solvang3rdwednesday.com.

Kristin Anderson Book Signing – 4-6 p.m. The Book Loft, 1680 Mission Drive, Solvang; 805-688-6010 or mail@bookloftsolvang.com.

July 19

Blood Drive – 2:30-6 p.m. Solvang Veteran’s Memorial Hall, 1745 Mission Drive, Solvang; www.blood4life.org.

Estate planning seminar – 4-5 p.m., attorney Lana Clark, 1607 Mission Drive, Suite 107, Solvang. Call 805688-3939 to reserve a seat.

July 20

Hidden Wings Open House – 6-8 p.m. 517 Atterdag Road, Solvang; 805-705-3918 or www.hiddenwings.org.

Movie Night – July 20 and 27. Neal Taylor Nature Center, Cachuma Lake Recreation Area, 2265 Hwy. #154, Santa Barbara. Free.

Movies in the Park “The Greatest Showman” – Movie will begin after sunset. Solvang Park on First St. and Mission Drive. Free; 805-688-7529.

July 21

Painting in the Vineyard – 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Kalyra Winery, 343 N Refugio Road, Santa Ynez. $65/person; www. gypsystudiosart.com or Events@gypsystudiosart.com.

Rockin’ Our Roots Concert in the Vines – 2-6 p.m.

Buttonwood Farm Winery, 1500 Alamo Pintado Road, Solvang. $50/person; www.buttonwoodwinery.com.

Nature Imagined Opening Reception – 3-5 p.m.

Wildling Museum of Art and Nature, 1511 Mission Drive, Solvang; www.wildlingmuseum.org.

Star Party with the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit - Neal Taylor Nature Center, Cachuma Lake Recreation Area, 2265 Hwy. 154, Santa Barbara. Free.

July 22

Painting in the Vineyard - Kalyra Winery, 343 North Refugio Road, Santa Ynez. $65/person; www.gypsystudios

July 31

Discover Havana Travel Presentation – 11 a.m.

Buellton Rec Center, 301 2nd Street, Buellton; www. buelltonrec.com.

August 1

T-Bone Ramblers – (Classic Rock) 5-8 p.m. Solvang Park, Mission and First St., Solvang. Free; www.solvang3rdwednesday.com.

August 3

Solvang Farmers Market - 2:30-6:30 p.m., First Street between Mission Drive and Copenhagen Drive, Solvang.

Solvang Summer Concert Series – Through Aug. 22.

5-8 p.m. Solvang Park, Mission and First St., Solvang.

Food available for purchase. Visit www.solvang3rd wednesday.com.

Every Thursday

Chair Exercises - 10 a.m., Buellton Senior Center, West Highway 246, Buellton; 805-688-4571.

Arthritis Exercise Class – 10:15 a.m.; poker, 1 p.m., Solvang Senior Center, 1745 Mission Drive; 805-6881086.

July 25

Summertime Smoothies - 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital, 2050 Viborg Road, Solvang.

Free; 805-688-6431.

July 26

Brain Injury Survivors of Santa Ynez Valley - 12-2 Movies in the Park “Jumanji” – Movie will begin after p.m., Bethania Lutheran Church, 603 Atterdag Road, sunset. Solvang Park on First St. and Mission Drive. Free; Solvang. Jodi House Brain Injury Support Center offers 805-688-7529. a support group for brain injury survivors and caregivers; www.jodihouse.org.

Diva 2 Diva Performance – 8 p.m. Chumash Casino Resort, 3400 Ca-246, Santa Ynez. $45 and up; www.

Honky Tonk Party – 4 p.m.-Free Tacos; 6 p.m.-Dance chumashcasino.com/entertainment.

Lessons. Maverick Saloon, 3687 Sagunto St., Santa Ynez. Visit www.themavsaloon.com.

July 27

Protein Powder Comparisons - 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital, 2050 Viborg Road, Solvang. Free; 805-688-6431.

Rock Cats Rock –(Rockabilly/Rock) – 5-8 p.m. Solvang Park, Mission and First St., Solvang. Free; www.solvang3rdwednesday.com.

Daily

U-Pick Berries – 9 a.m. for the season. Summerset Farm and Dale’s Nursery, on the corner of Edison and Baseline off Hwy-154; 805-245-0989.

Every Sunday

Mama Mia! Presented by Pacific Conservatory Theater – Through Aug. 26. 8 p.m. Solvang Festival Theater, 420 2nd St, Solvang; www.pcpa.org.

Arts and Crafts: “Nature Sun Prints” – 12-1 p.m.

Neal Taylor Nature Center, Cachuma Lake Recreation Area, 2265 Hwy. #154, Santa Barbara. Free. $10/vehicle parked; 805-693-0691 or Julie@clnaturecenter.org.

Patti LaBelle Performance – 8 p.m. Chumash Casino Resort, 3400 Ca-246, Santa Ynez. $75 and up. www. chumashcasino.com/entertainment.

Summer Jazz and Beyond Concerts – June 10-Sept.

8. Solvang Festival Theater, 420 2nd St, Solvang. To purchase tickets, visit www.solvangfestivaltheater.com.

Redfish – 8 p.m. Maverick Saloon, 3687 Sagunto St., Santa Ynez. www.themavsaloon.com.

Round Up Live Music on the Patio – 11 a.m. Maverick Saloon, 3687 Sagunto St., Santa Ynez. Visit www. themavsaloon.com.

July 28

BBQ Bonanza – 11 a.m.-2 p.m. River View Park, Buellton. Free.

Swinefest Loco Dinner – Mother Hubbard’s, 373 Ave Of The Flags, Buellton. 805-688-3912.

And Man Created Dog (National Geographic Documentary) Screening and Q&A – 5:30 p.m. Santa Ynez Valley Grange Hall, 2374 Alamo Pintado Ave, Los Olivos. $5/person; info@centralcoastfilmsociety.org.

Moonridge – 8 p.m. Maverick Saloon, 3687 Sagunto St., Santa Ynez. Visit www.themavsaloon.com.

July 29

Every Monday

Senior T’ai Chi, 9:15 a.m.; Arthritis Exercise Class, 10:15 a.m.; Creative Coloring, 1 p.m. every other Monday; Senior Issues, 1 p.m. every other Monday; Solvang Senior Center, 1745 Mission Drive; 805- 688-1086.

Every Tuesday

Knitting – 9 a.m.; computer class, 9:30 a.m.; bridge and poker, 1 p.m.; Solvang Senior Center, 1745 Mission Drive; 805-688-1086.

2-Step Lessons – 6:30 p.m.; 8 p.m. - Industry Night and Karaoke Party. Maverick Saloon, 3687 Sagunto St., Santa Ynez. Visit www.themavsaloon.com.

Painting in the Vineyard – 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Solminer’s deLanda Vineyard, 2650 Easton Road, Los Olivos; $65/person; www.gypsystudiosart.com or Events@ gypsystudiosart.com.

Every Wednesday

July 30

Knit and Crochet - 1 p.m., Buellton Senior Center, West Highway 246, Buellton; 805-688-4571.

Summer Art Camp – July 30-Aug. 3. Gypsy Studios-The Landing, 597 Ave of the Flags, suite 103, Buellton. www.gypsystudiosart.com or Events@ gypsystudiosart.com.

Yoga – 9:15 a.m.; Bingo, 1 p.m.: Solvang Senior Center, 1745 Mission Drive; 805-688-1086.

Healing Hearts Support Group – 2-4 p.m. Santa Ynez Valley Presbyterian Church, 1825 Alamo Pintado Road.

Free. To R.S.V.P. call 805-693-0244.

Every Friday

Pilates - 10 a.m., Solvang Senior Center, 1745 Mission Drive; 805-688-1086.

Bingo - 1 p.m., Buellton Senior Center, West Highway 246, Buellton; 805-688-4571.

Lincourt Summer Concert Series – 6-9 p.m. 3rd Friday of every month through Sept. 21. Food available for purchase. Visit www.lincourtwines.com.

Firestone Summer Concert Series – 6-9 p.m. First and last Fridays of each month through September. 5017 Zaca Station Road, Los Olivos. Free. Food and beverage available for purchase; 805-688-3940 or tastingroom@ firestonewine.com.

Cachuma Lake Dusk Walks – 6-7:30 p.m. Neal Taylor Nature Center, Cachuma Lake Recreation Area, 2265 Hwy. #154, Santa Barbara. Free. $10/vehicle parked; 805-693-0691 or Julie@clnaturecenter.org.

Every Saturday

Cachuma Lake Nature Walk – 10-11:30 a.m.; 805-6884515 or www.sbparks.org.

Junior Rangers Program – 12:30-1:30 p.m. Neal Taylor Nature Center, 2265 Hwy-154, Santa Barbara. Children 3 and up; under 10 years must be accompanied by an adult. $3/person. Nature Center admission is free. Visit www.clnaturecenter.org.

KidKraft – 2-2:45 p.m., 2nd Saturday of each month, Wildling Museum of Art and Nature, 1511 Mission Drive, Solvang; monthly art class for kids of all ages; $5/child, adult admission included.

Music Under the Stars – Now through Sept. 29th. 6-9 p.m. The Landsby, 1576 Mission Drive, Solvang, Ca. Visit www.thelandsby.com.

Going Batty – Through Sept. 1. Dusk. Neal Taylor Nature Center, Cachuma Lake Recreation Area, 2265 Hwy. #154, Santa Barbara. Watch the local bats come to feed. $10/vehicle County Park Admission Fee. Call 805-693-0691 or Julie@clnaturecenter.org.

32 H Santa Ynez Valley Star H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H July 17- August 6, 2018

$3,495,000 | 3220 Figueroa Mountain Rd, Los Olivos | 4BD/4½BA + GH Laura Drammer | 805.448.7500

Lic # 01209580

$3,269,000 | 3169 Montecielo Dr, Santa Ynez | 4BD/3½BA Brett Ellingsberg | 805.729.4334 Lic # 01029715

$2,195,000 | 2903 Lorencita Dr, Santa Maria | 3BD/6BA Suzy Ealand/Ken Sideris | 805.698.9902/455.3159 Lic # 01766178/00603730

$ 1,980,000 | 4001 Long Valley Rd, Santa Ynez | 3BD/2BA+GH

Carole Colone | 805.708.2580 Lic # 01223216

$1,869,000 | 2040 Dermanak Drive, Solvang | 4BD/4BA Claire Hanssen | 805.680.0929 Lic # 00887277

$1,349,000 | 1729 Cottonwood Ln, Solvang | 4BD/3BA Claire Hanssen | 805.680.0929 Lic # 00887277

$1,250,000 | 1645 Linda Vista Dr, Santa Ynez | 4BD/2½BA Brad Berch | 805.680.9415 Lic # 01244576

$1,149,000 | 616 Valley Oak Rd, Solvang | 4BD/3½BA Bill Grove | 805.350.3099 Lic # 01305262

$1,062,000 | 1224 Sawleaf Ln, Solvang | 3BD/3½BA Deanna Harwood | 805.325.1452 Lic # 00999839

$980,000 | 2625 Santa Barbara Ave, Los Olivos | 3± acs Nina Stormo | 805.729.4754 Lic # 01341678

$735,000 | 893 Alisal Rd, Solvang | 3BD/2½BA Laura Drammer | 805.448.7500 Lic # 01209580

$697,000 | 3153 Riley Rd, Solvang | 3BD/2BA Karin Aitken | 805.252.1205 Lic # 00882496

$595,000 | 280 Valley Station Cir, Buellton | 4BD/2½BA Sharon Currie | 805.448.2727 Lic # 01357602

$577,000 | 290 Main St, Los Alamos | 3BD/2BA Suzy Ealand/Ken Sideris | 805.698.9902/455.3159 Lic # 01766178/00603730

$419,000 | 144 Val Verde, Solvang | 2BD/2BA +den/office Karin Aitken | 805.252.1205 Lic # 00882496

$6,150,000 | 2775 Roundup Rd, Santa Ynez | 5BD/7BA; 19± acs

Nancy Kogevinas | 805.450.6233 Lic # 01209514

MONTECITO | SANTA BARBARA | LOS OLIVOS

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©2018 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties (BHHSCP) is a member of the franchise system of BHH Affiliates LLC. BHH Affiliates LLC and BHHSCP do not guarantee accuracy of all data including measurements, conditions, and features of property. Info. is obtained from various sources and will not be verified by broker or MLS. Sellers will entertain and respond to all offers within this range. Buyer is advised to independently verify the accuracy of that information. Lic# 01317331