May 19 - June 1, 2020
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2 H Santa Ynez Valley Star H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H May 19 - June 1, 2020
Solvang looks to quell rising city attorney fees Legal costs have risen to over $500,000 in current fiscal year By Janene Scully,
Noozhawk North County Editor
Photo contributed The Santa Ynez Chumash Environmental Office’s efforts are focused on reducing materials used in production and encouraging the reuse and recycling of other materials.
Chumash recognized by EPA for waste reduction efforts Resort diverted nearly 1,500 tons of waste from landfills to achieve zero-waste goal Staff Report
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are pleased to recognize the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians and Chumash Casino Resort for their environmental stewardship and encourage others to follow their lead.” “As the original stewards of the Santa Ynez Valley, our tribe understands the importance of minimizing our impact on the environment by any means necessary,” said Kenneth Kahn, Tribal Chairman for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. “The casino’s Facilities Department has taken our recycling efforts to another level, and it has required a lot of cooperation throughout our resort to get us where we are today.” Since winning the WasteWise Tribal Partner of the Year Award in 2015, the Chumash Casino Resort, owned and operated by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, increased its efforts to decrease its waste stream. In 2018, the resort diverted more than 1,497 tons of materials, 90.94 percent of its overall waste stream, from local landfills in an effort to reach its zero-waste goal by 2019. EPA recognized the tribe for its waste reduction last year as well. For more information about Chumash Casino Resort sustainability efforts visit: https://www. epa.gov/smm/wastewise#AwardsandAwardWinners WasteWise is one of EPA’s longest-running voluntary programs and celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2019.
he Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently recognized the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians and Chumash Casino Resort as its EPA WasteWise National Tribal Partner of the Year. The tribe was honored for its outstanding accomplishments during 2019 in sustainable operations. The organization is one of 11 WasteWise partner organizations recognized nationally for their efforts this year. “As we begin to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, it is fitting to highlight these WasteWise partners for their dedication to waste reduction, environmental stewardship and sustainable materials management,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “These efforts not only provide environmental and cost savings benefits, but they also increase the efficiency of these businesses and organizations positioning them for greater success.” “For more than 25 years, the WasteWise program has encouraged organizations and businesses to divert waste and apply sustainable materials management practices, saving them For more information, visit: https://www. resources and money,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator John Busterud. “We epa.gov/smm/wastewise. HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
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W
ith Solvang’s legal fees topping $500,000 — significantly higher than previous years — the City Council has decided to appoint a committee in an attempt to File photo quell the skyrockChip Wullbrandt eting costs after 10 months. On April 27, the council approved another $57,000 invoice for the Santa Barbara-based law firm of Price, Postel & Parma, where City Attorney Chip Wullbrandt is a partner. That April 14 invoice included more than $46,000 chalked up to the COVID-19 public health crisis, but it did not itemize the services. The legal fees for January through March 13 added up to $124,483, for a total to date of $444,483, including general fund, water and wastewater expenditures, according to a March memo to the council. Wullbrandt justified the year’s legal expenses on additional costs related to the departure of staff — many of whom were forced out — including the city manager of five months, the administrative services director, the city attorney, the planning director and the city clerk plus recovery of assets the city claimed it owned from the Solvang Conference & Visitors Bureau. The justification also cited “the need to ‘catch up’ from many years of complacency and special relationship-based operations.” Mayor Ryan Toussaint and Councilman Daniel Johnson will serve on the ad-hoc committee aimed at creating cost control methods and budget recommendations for legal costs. The mayor did not respond to a request for comment. From the start, Wullbrant’s hourly rate of $335 and invoices have been higher than his predecessors. For the 2015-16 fiscal year, the city’s legal fees under the prior city attorney amounted to $74,682 with slight growth until the city budgeted $80,000 for 2018-19. In July, Wullbrant billed $74,000, a tally that would have meant more than 223 hours for an attorney. With 22 work days, that would mean about 10 billable hours per day. By all accounts, Wullbrandt’s involvement in city business has far exceeded the typical role of a contract city attorney as he attended the state of the city address, rode in the Julefest parade and attended business openings. On Monday, after talking about controlling city attorney costs, the council debated about tossing a topic to Wullbrandt to research.
“I just want to caution, since this item was earlier, we’re trying to control the costs of the city attorney,” Toussaint said. “I love how this council always wants to say I want to control the costs of the city attorney, but then let’s throw all this stuff on the city attorney.” At the March 30 meeting, the council agreed to budget $100,000 for legal services related to the public health crisis and $10,000 a month for the remainder of the fiscal year, which ends June 30. Johnson discussed curtailing services and creating a cap for legal fees, adding that Solvang most likely would not get reimbursed by the federal government. Johnson suggested that “maybe Chip can’t be involved in every single thing,” saying his associates who charge less could be tasked for some duties. “You’re not going to find an attorney who is going to do any sort of real work for $100 an hour,” Wullbrandt said. “Dave Fleishman,” Johnson muttered into the microphone, referring to the prior city attorney. “Dave Fleishman was even substantially more than that, and I just would note he was paid a monthly retainer by four cities,” Wullbrandt said. That’s not uncommon for contract city attorneys to work for multiple jurisdictions or to have a retainer for a set number of hours, typically at its lower-than-normal rate. “I’m not trying to knock on your abilities … and I don’t care what the public says regarding your fees because you’ve done a fantastic job,” Johnson said. “But I do feel we have a crisis. We’re trying to save money.” Councilman Robert Clarke said he had received complaints from residents about money spent for city attorney costs and an out-of-town event-planning company hired to handle tourism services. The high legal bill comes as Solvang laid off eight city employees, citing the public health emergency. Wullbrandt chaffed at comments about his rate and argued with people on social media when questions arose about the city’s increased cost for legal services. He often touts the fact that he lives in the Santa Ynez Valley, so he doesn’t charge Solvang for travel costs. Last year, Solvang’s longtime city attorney firm of Hanley & Fleishman resigned with a veiled jab at the council. A written statement by the firm noted a positive performance evaluation and that “the City Council majority is entitled to and should be served by a city attorney whose ethical standards and commitment to the rule of law more closely match their own.” The city then hired Wullbrandt, first on an interim basis and later gave him the job despite the fact that the hourly rate exceeded others who submitted proposals. Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com.
May 19 - June 1, 2020 H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H Santa Ynez Valley Star H 3
DA’s office scolds Solvang council on Brown Act violations By Raiza Giorgi and Janene Scully publisher@santaynezvalleystar.com
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he Solvang City Council was scolded for trying to uncover who complained that the panel might have violated the state law regarding open meetings. In September, the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office sent a letter to the City Council and City Attorney Chip Wullbrandt regarding allegations they violated the state’s Ralph M. Brown (Open Meetings) Act. The letter and complaint stems from a July 8 meeting where the City Council held a closed session discussion regarding Photo by Daniel Dreifuss threatened litigation, but abruptly voted Solvang City Hall is shown above. The Solvang City Council has been scolded for trying to uncover who complained to the Distict to terminate contracts with two nonprofit Attorney’s office about the council’s violations of the Brown Act. organizations — Solvang Conference and chalked it up to a public relations fight, and that records related to law enforceVisitors Bureau and Solvang Chamber of “not a violation of a law aimed at transment investigations office are exempt Commerce. parency” when the council rescinded the from disclosure under the California City councils and other agencies illegal action. Public Records act. operate under Brown Act, which seeks to The DA’s office halted its investigation Attempts to get the names prompted ensure governing bodies are transparent when the council on Aug. 12 remedied Nelson to chastise Solvang officials. while conducting business. the violation by voting to rescind the “Second, as a reminder to all involved, The agenda also included presentations action at the heart of the allegation. witnesses to crimes are protected by both from both organizations, but the council “Typically, that would be the end of state and Federal law,” Nelson said, citing canceled those. the matter from this Office’s perspecCalifornia Penal Code and state labor “There is no reading of the Brown Act tive,” Nelson said. “However, the District laws. that would allow the Council to cite Cal. Attorney’s Office has received multiple In response to a public record request Gov. Code § 54956.9, go into closed requests to release the name or names from the Star and Noozhawk, the District session, and come out to vote to termiof the person or people who made the Attorney’s Office confirmed who sought nate the contracts with the Chamber and Brown Act complaint. the names. Visitors Bureau,” Deputy District Attor“Although it is not entirely clear, this On Aug. 28, Councilman Chris Djerney Casey Nelson wrote. “On its face, the naes first called the District Attorney’s action taken during the closed session and request appears to be made on behalf of the Council. The implication of the Office seeking confirmation of names the ensuing vote was a violation of the request is that the Council plans on using of people he suspected of reporting the Brown Act.” the information to take retaliatory action Brown Act violations and later emailed, The Santa Ynez Valley Star and Noozagainst the person, or people, who made using his city account, to press for identihawk challenged the council’s action as the complaint.” ties and claiming they were public record. violating the Brown Act. Nelson pointed out that law enforceNelson noted that his office does not After trying to downplay allegations of violating the Brown Act, Wullbrandt release details about who filed complaints ment investigations were exempt for
disclosure, something Djernaes said he found “amazing.” “I thought this is the bedrock of our justice system,” Djernaes wrote in an Aug. 29 email, adding he asked the investigator “to tell you to expedite and conclude your investigation in September.” Days later, Nelson sent the letter via email and regular mail reminding Solvang officials that both the Brown Act and Public Records Act “are not mere trifles.” The foundation for both laws includes the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment which protects the people’s rights to “peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” “Less eloquently stated, the people have fundamental right to complain about, and to, their government,” Nelson said. “They also have a right to be free from reprisals for doing so.” The Solvang City Council continued to struggle with the provisions of the Brown Act, as two concerns were raised at their meetings on Nov. 25. At the Nov. 25 meeting, Mayor Ryan Toussaint prevented Renaissance Antiques co-owner Julie Palladino from speaking during public comment, because her husband and business partner Ron Palladino had already spoken about the recent Solvang Fall Festival. Toussaint said since they represented the same business, she didn’t need to speak, although the CNPA said the action violated Julie Palladino’s First Amendment rights as well as the Brown Act. Janene Scully is the North County Editor for Noozhawk. She can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com.
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4 H Santa Ynez Valley Star H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H May 19 - June 1, 2020
A message from Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital
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hile the COVID-19 pandemic is unlike anything we’ve experienced before, Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital (SYVCH) stands ready to care for our community 24/7/365. Should emergency care be needed for COVID-19 or other types of emergencies, Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital is prepared to provide safe care. Though this is the healthcare challenge of a lifetime, Cottage Health has long made efforts to be ready and prepared for emergencies, with ongoing training for staff and close monitoring of medical supplies and staffing needs. At Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital, a number of important protections are in place to ensure safety for patients, health care workers and the community: n Access to the hospital has been consolidated to one entrance, where all are screened and provided with masks before entering. n The hospital has protections in place to prevent the spread of germs and ensure patient safety. n Diagnostic and radiologic exams continue to be available with a physician order. n Emergency Department patients are triaged by clinical staff: n All patients with COVID-19 symptoms are screened in rooms prepared with isolation precautions. n Potential COVID-19 patients who need hospital admission are transferred to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for inpatient care on a specialized isolation unit.
n Urgent procedures are done with appropriate safety precautions. n Elective procedures and screenings are being rescheduled, to resume in phases starting next week. n Hospital visitors are restricted in compliance with public health officer orders, but SYVCH has technology available to keep patients and families connected. Fortunately, quarantines and social distancing are slowing the spread of COVID-19 in the community, so please continue to: n Stay home as much as possible n Wash hands often with soap and water n Wear masks around others n Practice social distancing by staying at least six feet away from others I am thankful to be part of this community. Your outpouring of support and gratitude is a constant source of encouragement for healthcare workers at our hospital, and Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital thanks you for your collective efforts to keep our community and our hospital safe. We also extend thanks to the many community members and local business who have made generous donations including medical supplies like face masks. Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital looks forward to getting through this challenge with you. It is a great honor to be trusted to care for you.
Anti-cannabis lawsuit a scare tactic
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ear Santa Ynez Valley Star, After months of research, I decided to move to California and build a lab testing business in Lompoc and serve the legal cannabis growers in the Santa Barbara County community. It was surprising to me to read in the Santa Ynez Valley Star that the “Coalition for Responsible Cannabis,” is now resorting to suing the county using an environmental law to attack organically grown, pesticide-free cannabis. The coalition’s claim that the county’s oversight and review of cannabis applications is inadequate is just a thinly veiled scare tactic to drive up costs for local cannabis farmers and the county staff costs. Over the last year, I’ve had the pleasure of touring several of these local farms, most of
them family-run, and met the dedicated people behind them. The kinds of cannabis business leaders that the Santa Barbara community and regulatory environment have invited are the primary reason that I had the confidence to move my family to the county and commit to serving this industry. I’ve watched the Board of Supervisors meetings for the last year and been consistently impressed by their thoughtful deliberations and reasonable debate on the issues surrounding cannabis farms. I strongly support the county supervisors’ efforts to defend against this blatant attempt by a small minority of wealthy individuals to change the rules just because they didn’t like the result. Leo Welder Santa Barbara
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.
Wende Cappetta Vice President Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital
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May 19 - June 1, 2020 H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H Santa Ynez Valley Star H 5
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6 H Santa Ynez Valley Star H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H May 19 - June 1, 2020
CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES
Local individuals, families assisted through COVID-19 joint response Staff report
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nited Way of Santa Barbara County, the Santa Barbara Foundation and the Hutton Parker Foundation are leading a countywide funders’ collaborative, the COVID-19 Joint Response Effort for Santa Barbara County. The effort will provide assistance to individuals and families, as well as organizations actively assisting community members affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. More than $2 million have been secured and fundraising continues to help those most in need. United Way is working in partnership with Family Service Agency to distribute individual assistance grants to individuals and families in need on a rolling basis for as long as funds are available. United Way and Family Service Agency are currently reviewing hundreds of applications and conducting remote interviews with all applicants to verify information and needs, and to provide case management ser-
vices. The demand for these grants has been substantial, with more than 1,500 households seeking assistance. Financial assistance checks from the COVID-19 Joint Response Effort are reaching families right now. Within the next two weeks, more than 800 households (representing some 2,400 individuals) will receive grants from United Way totaling $600,000 due to community support, which has made this possible. Individual assistance grants will continue to be approved on a rolling basis as funds become available. “While the long-term effects of the pandemic on our community are still evolving, we are clearly seeing the immediate economic toll of COVID-19 on our most vulnerable community members,” said Steve Ortiz, president/CEO, United Way of Santa Barbara County. “Tens of thousands of Santa Barbara County individuals and families who have lost employment are in desperate need of
financial support right now to pay rent, buy food and medicine,” he said. “Any funds we receive for the effort will go directly to those most in need. “Paying rent is the top concern of many local families and individuals,” Ortiz said. “Households are also having to make heartbreaking choices about buying food versus paying the bills or purchasing needed medications.” Given the extraordinary demand from the community for help, which already well exceeds the total funding available at this time, United Way expects to conduct a second round of funding in the coming weeks, particularly as the long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic begin to take effect. To do this, however, additional donations are needed from those fortunate enough to donate in these trying times. The COVID-19 Joint Response Effort will align and coordinate efforts, collect and share information, and distribute financial resources on a rolling basis for the community’s most
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May 19 - June 1, 2020 H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H Santa Ynez Valley Star H 7
CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES
Make someone’s day special — Send them a hand-written note
Solvang stationery store has the materials for you to do just that By Pamela Dozois
news@santaynezvalleystar.com
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n this age of electronic communication, letter writing and sending cards seems to be an antiquated idea. But going to the post office and finding a hand-written envelope is surprisingly uplifting to the spirit, a romantic interlude and a throwback to the past. Letter writing is a way to connect the hearts of people, most any time, but especially at this time of isolation. The Giving Ink in Solvang has everything one needs to make someone’s day special. “My background is in the restaurant business, spending 20-plus years managing restaurants. Part of my job was to manage their special events,” said Michelle Castle, owner of The Giving Ink. “I always loved the artistic details of the business, the printed menu, place cards, etc. I graduated from UCLA School of Design and details for special events was a way for me to make something functional, also aesthetically pleasing. This naturally led to designing custom invitations and starting my own line of stationery. I enjoyed connecting people through well designed products.” Castle moved to the Santa Ynez Valley in 2013 and it was natural for her to continue her invitation and stationery design as the region hosts numerous weddings and events and Castle said she was thrilled to be a part of this industry, opening her store, Honey Paper, in Los Olivos. “There were no stationery stores in the area so opening a small store front seemed like a natural thing to do,” Castle said. “The retail portion grew and designing custom invitations became too much as a single mother. My twin girls, one of whom is a special needs child, took a lot of attention and my children were my priority, so I stopped the custom design and expanded my retail portion.” “Last fall I realized that Solvang may be a better fit for my retail store,” she explained. “In the process of moving I went to Trademark ‘Honey Paper’ and there was something similar already trademarked. The move became an opportunity to start over and really emphasize
Photo by Pamela Dozois Michelle Castle is shown outside of her store, The Giving Ink, in Solvang
what was important to me and my business, which is selling quality products that promote a more analog lifestyle – through writing, journaling, etc. The Giving Ink was born. “I continued to embody a desire to connect the hearts of people through handwriting, illustrations, and a renewed interest in a slower form of communication,” she said. “My shelves and online shop are filled with items to inspire all forms of written correspondence. I offer a curated selection of high-quality products from around the world, including my original watercolors, maps and illustrations, which are printed individually on high quality paper at my boutique. The benefits of incorporating the handwritten note into your life are many and our selection includes items you can share with others and create meaningful connections.” Business was doing well in her new location until she was notified that her store must be closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Both of her children were destined for home schooling because of school closures. “There have been so many changes at such a rapid speed that sometimes I feel as though I am holding my breath,” Castle said. “I am so proud of how parents have prioritized the
Missed an issue? Lost your copy? Want to read on your tablet or smartphone?
well-being of their children and families over all the stress and loss of employment and finances.” “It is difficult not only to take charge of our children’s education and well-being mentally, emotionally and physically but to then have to spend numerous hours navigating the web in order to find financial help and information is frustrating,” Castle said. “The task is daunting and like many, 7 weeks into the shut-down, I have not received a single penny from the government stimulus program. “I was one of the first to apply to Union Bank for a business loan and for the Paycheck Protection Program, but I’ve heard nothing and have received nothing. I continued looking but I was drowning in the pages and pages to read through, link upon link to follow and applications to fill out only to receive nothing. Who has the time to do that?“ “With my business closed and no money coming into the household the stress began to mount along with my unpaid bills,” Castle continued. “I am actually paying my employee to handle any on-line orders that might trickle in. My business is down 85 percent and as of April 23 there has been no information as to
when I can open or how to prepare to open my store again. “Fortunately, a friend directed me to the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department ‘Stay Well at Home Order 2020-8 which was issued on April 24, which replaces Order No. 2020-7.1,” Castle said. “After searching through the reams of attachments, I fell upon one that spoke about essential businesses with the county that could reopen and #37 referred to ‘online wholesale or retail sales business’ under which my business falls. It stated a list of business that could reopen (under certain safety guidelines). It also listed those businesses who were still to remain shut down. “I printed it out to be on the safe side, which was a miracle of sorts, because when I went to retrace where I had found it, to make sure I was following the proper procedures for my employee and my online business and my store operation, I couldn’t remember the steps I had initially taken to find the exact page. I am more comfortable in the knowledge that I can now reopen my store under the conditions laid out by the authorities. “For the moment I’m super excited, but you never know if things will change and if I will be able to find the newest guidelines online. Good luck to everyone. Let’s open, keep everyone safe and get back to business.” The Giving Ink specializes in stationery, gifts, cards, journals, and high-quality office supplies. It is located at 1607 Mission Drive, Solvang. “During this pandemic and self-isolation, the need to connect with others has never been so important,” Castle said. “It has broken my heart to close – not just for the obvious financial reasons, but I have had customers needing cards to send love ones. “The Governor recently listed ‘manufacturing and distribution of paper goods’ as one of the essential businesses. We are not fully open yet, but I am excited to be there again in a meaningful way as we go into the future, perhaps with renewed priorities,” said Castle. “Our products are now all available online, however, we pride ourselves in our quality and believe there is something special about the feel of good quality items as well as connecting with our customers with service and a simple hello.” For more information, call 805-825-9320 or visit thegivingink.com.
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8 H Santa Ynez Valley Star H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H May 19 - June 1, 2020
CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES
Appreciating what COVID has given us By Leanne Cooper Elliott Contributing Writer
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f I were to write a news broadcast, I think I would open with something like “Welcome to the greatest social human experiment ever recorded before a live studio audience.” If ever we were under Photo contributed the microscope of our Leanne Cooper Elliott own human condition – both the good and the bad – it is right now. When I read back on the earliest draft of this piece, I’m struck by the hubris in my reporting. That our fear around this is overblown. The numbers were getting bad way over there, on the other side of the world. Sure, part of China and all of Italy had shut down, but in our past experience with the other runaway viruses – SARS, Swine Flu, Bird Flu and EBOLA – our fear over it breeching U.S. shores in any significant way was mostly conceptual and distant. So, in the early days, I felt the big news was that I was turning germaphobic. This was a sincere revelation since I know a few true germaphobes and I’ve been really certain up until now that I’m not one of them. I’ve always liked things really tidy, but I’m OK with it not always entirely clean. I’m the girl that, in my very early 20s, thought nothing of arriving to Thailand, where I checked myself into the cheapest youth hostel in Bangkok, showered in the most unsanitary bathroom, and then brushed a dead cockroach off the pillow before bedding down for a deep and restorative sleep. I was alone. It was nasty. I was apparently fine with that. So, to my surprise, those first weeks found me compulsively disinfecting doorknobs and strategizing how not to come off as a jerk when I don’t shake hands or go in for a hug. I treated the kids more intentionally like the petri dishes they really are, especially fresh out of the goat pen. I only touched my face through my sleeve. I was having trouble touching anything in my house
without wondering who touched it last, where have they been, and how long ago were they on a plane from somewhere foreign? Or maybe even just anywhere bordering New York. And that was in my house. Located out in the countryside of a rather wide geographic location that, at the time, had no known cases of the wicked, most stealthy collection of germs on the market today, COVID-19, aka the Novel Coronavirus. We had already affectionately named her “Rona.” She was taking over the news cycle and she was starting to take over my brain. Out in the general population, she was inciting so much immediate fear that we were stockpiling alcohol and spaghetti, and strangest of them all – rationing paper goods like it was the End of Times. In those early days, it all seemed overly cautious and maybe even a little ridiculous … until the lights started to go out. On Monday, the first school fundraiser was canceled, and by the weekend everything was canceled, schools closed indefinitely, and by the end of the following week we were on near-total lockdown. Groceries? Yes. Post office? Maybe. A trip to the gym, dinner with a friend, a stroll through a crowded mall? Absolutely NO. Our new normal included maintaining 6 feet and having the forgotten canister of Clorox wipes at the ready. We learned again how to religiously
wash our hands (20 seconds has never felt longer), cough into an elbow and for goodness sake JUST STAY HOME. And so home we stayed. What a strange and unsettling thing to have the normalcy and comfort of home, and simultaneously feel like a sitting duck, not sure from which direction the bullets might come flying. I’ll admit, that even though those first weeks had their stress and challenges, both of the adults in the house had been in need of a serious break. Like most families with young children, we were overcommitted, overbooked, overworked, over-obligated, and generally over it. We were on a relentless schedule that we kept promising to curb and slow down, but instead, we just managed to take on more and more. So those first weeks contained a bit of relief. While we turned bedrooms into classrooms and the dining table into an office, we were kind of high from the surplus of free time and the absence of the next pressing thing. We figured out a thing called Zoom (do we know how to unmute yet?) and had virtual cocktail hours and work meetings, and it was all kind of fun, in a way. But then week one turned into week two, which naturally became week threefourfiveandsix. Each week felt like a year with a similar trajectory of ups and downs. One day felt fine, like we could happily do this forever. Until the
next day, when I watched too much news or forgot to step outside and breathe and the whole day felt like a massive boot pressing on my chest. I wanted to cry. I wanted to fix it. I wanted the sound of my family knocking about the house to be much less annoying. Spring break was the worst week of them all. I named that week “The Year of the Beached Whale.” It refused to end. There were days and days of ominous rain falling from the sky, and all those plans to backyard camp, write letters, bake – none of it really happened. Those days were the heaviest. I fought back tears and crushing sorrow. Forget distance learning and empty grocery shelves. The very real situation was that a lot of people were dying pretty much everywhere, and they were dying alone, isolated from loved ones, literally suffocating under the crush of a virus that would relent and show mercy for some, but not enough. That was the week we stockpiled Doritos and candy and gin. It seemed more essential than freezing bacon or buying bags of dried beans. They were luxury items that might somehow tether us to a sense of joy and normalcy. It was impossible to focus, and so all the good intentions and to-do lists gave way to this feeling that we were beached whales. Powerless immobility. Indecision. Confusion. Where are we going? Where have we just been? It was unclear as hell. It made me think back to the very distant world of January, just two months before, and the electricity that hung in the air. It was the beginning of a new year and also a new decade, a time to do Big Things. Maybe it was the symmetry of two-zero-two-zero that carried an auspicious pattern of possibility, but for me it felt manic and a little desperate. There was this urgency in me, and everywhere I looked, to do what needed to be done this year or bust. Big business changes. Big house remodel. Big weddings. Big trips. Big investments. Big plans. Hectic, breathless, urgent plans. Instead of feeling excitement, I felt unsettled and stressed. It didn’t seem sustainable, and when I get this feeling I can also hear Big Loss coming like approaching hoof beats. I mentioned APPRECIATING CONTINUES TO PAGE 9
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When you think of real estate,
think of me.
A word from the seller I can't say enough good things about the performance of my real estate agent Deanna Harwood. She took over the home preparations after I exhausted myself getting the house ready for sale. She smoothed the waters that were getting bumpy between buyer and seller, and finally she got the deal closed in what has been an emotionally and logistically difficult period of time.
Cell/ Text: (805) 325-1452 Harwood.Deanna@gmail.com www.DeannaHarwood.com 2933 San Marcos Ave., #102/PO Box 778 Los Olivos, CA 93441 DRE#00999839 • CalBRE#01317331
May 19 - June 1, 2020 H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H Santa Ynez Valley Star H 9
CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES o APPRECIATING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 this feeling to a friend on the phone one day, around the beginning of February. “Something doesn’t feel right,” I said. Well, it shouldn’t, she assured me, and then she explained that astrologically speaking 2020 is not a year to build, it’s a year to tear down. Total destruction. Burn it to the ground and start again. Shoot. No kidding. At the time, it sounded impossible that a year promising to launch us into the stratospheres, could potentially crash and burn. This intrigued me. And, I have to be honest, this kind of thrilled me, too. It might be the Scorpio in me, but I love the act of tearing down and rebuilding. Throw a match on it, let’s begin again. That’s totally my jam.
I. Had. No. Idea.
Could any of us have guessed to what extent the world would catch on fire? I held my breath in disbelief for days as it unfolded and when I finally exhaled, it contained so much sorrow and disappointment that it felt like I was being exorcised. When the demons finally loosened their grip, I knew I had to make choices. Have a two-martini lunch and sleep for three weeks? Maybe. But also, I was being pushed to reassess, strategize, get creative, feel deeply, remember how to laugh with my kids and above else, get radically quiet.
Radically. Quiet.
Now THAT is a terrifying state to try and manage. I’m always so busy doing, so sure that doing is the answer, that when I got quiet and un-busy it was the most disturbing kind of relief. Quiet can be uncomfortable. Quiet is a truth teller. Quiet whispers in your ear that, when this is over, we can’t really go back to the way we were before, even if we try. Here’s my dirty little secret almost seven weeks in: I don’t want it to go back to the way it was before. I definitely want people to stop dying. I definitely want to stop the acceleration of ruined lives, broken families, and dire financial ruin. I would like our frontline medical professionals to be able to go home to their families at the end of the day. I would like us to be able to go to a game, eat out and earn the living we need to keep the wheels of our life turning. A lot of bad stuff is happening to a lot of good people, and that I would definitely like to stop. But there are a lot of things I want to keep. The world, in large part, has risen to this incredible place of generosity. If we look past the politics, there is so much goodness happening across the globe. When given the time and opportunity, the human spirit can’t help but soar
In Memory of
to new places. Heroic and heartwarming things are happening all around us. If you’re in doubt, check out the places around the corner serving free meals and handing out produce every day. Check out the teachers who, without any warning, invented a whole new way to structure school, and showed up for our kids with smiles on. Check out the 7 p.m. Instagram videos from New York, or watch an episode of “Some Good News” with John Krasinski on YouTube, and just try, try to get through even a few minutes without welling up at the love we have for each other, even when we’re total strangers. And if the human stories aren’t enough, let’s celebrate the blue skies over Mumbai, the clear waters in the Venice canals, the flocking flamingos in Brazil, the rampant monkeys in Asia, the lone coyote under the Golden Gate, and countless other wild beasts around the world that are finally getting the leg-stretch they have needed and deserved for decades. Let’s look at the spring flowers, so audaciously blooming. The birds still singing, the bugs still foraging. How dare they! Nature is writing us a new rule book, if we are willing to look around and see it. This is the stuff that I want to mark this time in my memory. Not my own plight around what has been lost, or the number of pounds I may or may not have gained. I want to remember the softening. I want to remember the generosity. I want to remember that we have all done something heroic in even the smallest gesture towards someone else. If we have shown ourselves anything in these weeks, it’s that we are resilient, and gosh darn it, if we get quiet we might just find that there is abundance where we never thought to look. And there is hope even when we feel hopeless. And there is an opportunity here to rise up and change in ways we never thought possible. When life reopens and we work out our new-normal, I hope that instead of blindly charging back to the way it used to be, that I (and we) might take a beat and decide what it is we want to bring with us, and keep alive from this time. Time to group chat, time to write and read, time to cook a meal for the neighbor over the fence. Time to sit with the kids to dream and create. And above all else, time to be radically quiet. Of all the loss we have suffered, I hope we can remember what we have gained. I hope we can resist leaving everything about this isolation behind us and maybe find a way to pack up the best parts and bring them with us. We are going to need it in the new unknown.
Marilou Blackstock May 11, 1921 – April 18, 2020
Marilou Blackstock was born on May 11, 1921 in Cherokee, Iowa and lived in Solvang for over 40 years. She loved the small town feel of Solvang and all the beautiful shops. She had many happy memories traveling with her husband Harry S. Blackstock, passing out their silver dollars to everyone and assisted her husband playing Santa Claus for many years at local events, parades, and neighborhood parties. She loved to participate in fashion shows, enjoyed playing bridge with her friends, and spending time with her husband at the Elks Lodge 2640. The picture was taken by her daughter at one of the many fundraiser fashion shows hosted by the Santa Ynez Cottage Hospital Auxiliary. She was a beloved wife mother and grandmother. Marilou was a member of DAR, Lifetime member of Santa Ynez Cottage Hospital Auxiliary, worked at New to You Gift Shop, Founder of the Debs of the SYV Women’s Club teaching manners and modeling, and served as the Scholarship Chairman for the Santa Ynez Hospital Auxiliary from 1997-2008. Marilou leaves behind her daughter Betty Lou Markel and her husband Jerry. Her son Harry S. Blackstock Jr. and his wife Marianna
Residential • Commerical • Industrial
Granddaughter Holly Moore and her husband Lonnie Grandson Harry S. Blackstock III and his wife Melanie Granddaughter Vicki Hodge Great Grandchildren: Brandon Duzenski, Savannah, Elena, and Bradley Moore Sr. Emily, Hailey, and Molly Blackstock. Great-great grandchildren Twins - Bradley Jr. & Graycee Moore.
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805-688-0321 • www.jrbarto.com Celebrating 30 years in business
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Marilou was preceded in death by her husband, Harry S. Blackstock Sr.
In lieu of traditional gifts, memorials can be made in honor of Marilou Blackstock to: Santa Ynez Valley Elks Lodge #2640 1095 Meadowvale Road Santa Ynez, CA 93460
Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital Auxiliary Scholarship Fund 3791 Live Oak Road Santa Ynez, CA 93460
VNA Health Foundation (Hospice) 509 E. Montecito Street, Suite 200 Santa Barbara, CA 93103 805.690.6290
10 H Santa Ynez Valley Star H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H May 19 - June 1, 2020
CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES
COVID-19 relief grants available for arts and culture nonprofits Santa Barbara County holds the largest relative number of arts and culture nonprofits per capita in California. In 2016, the county partnered with the City of Santa Barbara to commission Americans for the Arts and the Office of Arts and Culture to conduct an economic impact study. The 93 arts and culture nonprofit participants generated almost $200 million, supporting 5,857 full-time equivalent jobs and directly contributing $4.6 million in local government revenue. “We hope this funding will help support organizations in a critical way so they can continue to provide their exceptional services to communities in need,” said Karen Kerns, Vice Chair of the Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation. “The Santa Barbara Bowl believes in the power of the arts to transform lives. During difficult times, people turn to the arts as a way to heal and come together.” Additional contributions to this relief program have already been pledged by the Santa Maria Arts Council and private donors. The second cycle will also include a program intended to keep artists working during this time.
County groups collaborating to give out over $75,000 Staff Report
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n recognition of the nonprofit arts and culture industry’s essential contribution to Santa Barbara County’s economy and community identity, the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission, Santa Barbara Foundation, and Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation are collaborating on a new COVID-19 Relief Grant Program for arts and culture nonprofits. More than $75,000 will be disbursed in two cycles to support county arts and culture nonprofits impacted by COVID-19. The application is available at sbac. ca.gov/county-grants. Submissions are due by May 24. The County Office of Arts and Culture will host an online grant workshop for interested applicants at 3 p.m. Wednesday, May 13. Funding for the COVID-19 Relief Program is provided through the Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation lease agreement where 50 cents from every ticket sold goes into a fund for arts and culture grants. Additionally, the Santa Barbara
Foundation contributed $25,000 to help increase the scope and impact of the program, which is intended to help arts and culture organizations with general operating expenses, including staff and facilities support. The grant is stewarded by the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission and administered by the County Office of Arts and Culture. “Arts and culture are the heart of our community,” said Jackie Carrera, president and CEO of the Santa Barbara Foundation. “This collaboration aims to provide relief and support to arts and cultural organizations as they navigate
through this pandemic. We are thrilled to partner with the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission to offer this program.” Support is designated for nonprofit arts and culture organizations working to produce, promote and preserve arts and culture in Santa Barbara County. Applicants must have an annual operating budget under $1 million. “We are so fortunate to live in a place with such incredible arts and culture spaces,” Arts Commission Chair Dennis Smitherman said. “Hopefully this grant can help keep their doors and businesses open.”
To learn more about this relief effort and program, please visit sbac.ca.gov.
Subscriptions Now Available Why go looking for a copy of the Santa Valley Star When you can haVe one deliVered directly to you?
We will save you the time and effort it takes to go out and pick up a copy of the Star. Now you can sit back and let us come to you. Delivery service of our free publication is $48 per year. Your subscription will begin with the first issue after payment is received and continue for one year there after. To subscribe, email amberly@santaynezvalleystar.com, go online to www.santaynezvalleystar.com, or fill out Local singer the form below and mail to PO Box 1594, Solvang, CA 93463: showcases talentspells beyondsuccess Shotgun years BehindTheLens for her NAME: _____________________________________________________________ local woman March 7 - 20, 2017 • Vol. 2, No. 3
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Local photojournalist has a A prolific, award-winning career
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George Rose loves taking photos of Santa Ynez Valley landscapes like this Happy Canyon rainbow shot.
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ore than 100 people turned out for a recent community meeting organized by a group opposed to the “Camp 4” property in Santa Ynez becoming part of the Chumash reservation. Members of the Santa Ynez Valley Coalition, which was created to defeat legislation that would take the rural land “into trust” for the tribe, focused on land use and preserving the valley’s rural character. At the meeting on April 27 at the Solvang Veteran’s Memorial Hall, coalition members recounted the history of land-use master plans called the Valley Blueprint and the Valley Plan and said they would release more information in the coming weeks, organizers said. The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians announced in January that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) had placed the tribe’s 1,390 acres known as “Camp 4” into federal trust. “Camp 4 is officially part of our reservation so we can begin the process of building homes on the property for tribal members and their families and revitalizing our tribal community,” Tribal Chairman Kenneth Kahn said in a prepared statement that was part of that announcement. The tribe bought the Camp 4 property in 2010 from late actor, vintner and hotelier Fess Parker, and they soon began the process of placing the land into federal trust, which makes it part of the tribe’s sovereign nation. Those efforts have been loudly opposed
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2886 M o CAMP 4 CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 e ission Drive • Santa Yn ez Solvan g • 805- Valley elranc homar 688 43 ket.com 00 2886 Mission Drive • Solvang • 805-688-4300 o
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news@santaynezvalleystar.com
“Your voice is the instrument and I felt like we were in the 1930s,” Remak said. news@santaynezvalleystar.com Elizabeth, 12, a seventh-grader at Solvang Elementary School, ultimately didn’t win the competition but she definitely left an impression on the hundreds of people who came to see the performances. Nolan shley Carroll does everything she Montgomery can keep her concentration betweenof Dos Pueblos High School was crowned the winner. “Being and on stage was mind blowing and I had such a great time. rounds by wearing dark glasses Performing is about bringing a smile to people’s faces, and that’s what I listening to music as she pushes through each strive for when I perform,” Elizabeth said. trap-shooting match. She’s no stranger to the stage as she has performed in the valley for His career includes images of natural disasHer process is definitely working, because Story by Raiza Giorgi various the national anthem at Fourth of July and porters, Super Bowls and Hollywood’s the biggest 22-year-old from Solvang won her functions-singing first Photos by George Rose traying Poppins in last year’s production with the Arts Outreach celebrities. World Cup gold medal in Acapulco onMary March Summer Theater. Rose started his professional journey 19. more This popular eorge Rose loves to post pictures of the than 40 years ago when he was in college, “I keep my pre-shooting routine going and event along with Teen Dance Star are now in their seventh to season of crowning hardworking students, and creator and executive Santa Ynez Valley landscape, especially studying art history. He fell into photography I’ve met with sports psychologists help me Photo contributed producer Lambert, a former valley resident, talks about his efforts. along Armour Ranch Road where new while he was a copy messenger for the withProgmy mental focus and staying calm.Joe It can Solvang native Ashley Carroll father, Charlie “I am to really and humbled bycredits their her hard work andCarroll, what’swith instilling in her the love of shooting clays and a blacktop paving contrasts starkly with the epic ress Bulletin, a small newspaper in Pomona. be hard when you have people talking you impressed sense of responsibility and safety around firearms. really amazing landscape of meadows and mountains beyond it. “I used to hang out with the sportsbetween editors,matches, and I really try to pick a is they set their goals to get into the show, or into the top 10 and they keep pursuing their dreams,” Lambert However, his stunning landscapes are just and they helped me with my interestsong in phoand focus on it,” Carroll said. or participating in league events.said. My friends Union High School Carroll has been attending Star drew all around Santa “retirement photos” for Rose, who made an tography. I would make the plates on plastic, Carroll has been trap shooting This sinceyear’s she Teenwould wantcontestants me to go tofrom a party with them andBarbara the University of Colorado and working on at the Arlington Theatre. The finalists award-winning career in photojournalism that which would get transferred onto thewas printing in second grade. It was anCounty activityperforming that I their knewhearts if I didout I wouldn’t get enough rest or her general education. She believes this will weredid Jillian GarnettgetofinSan Marcos School (12th Grade), Elizabeth spanned from the days of spending hours with equipment, and back then it was theshe cusp of her father, Charlie Carroll, and togethtrouble andHigh not be allowed to shoot,” be a big year for her shooting. She moved to of SolvangCarroll Schoolsaid. (7th Grade), James McKernan of BishopColorado Springs to be close to the Olympic film in the darkroom to the more immediate the turning point of technology,” Rose said.is now the coach for thePadfield er. He Santa Ynez High School (12th Trujillo of Dos Pueblos High gratification of making and manipulating digital In the late 1970s and early 1980s Valley Rose Sportsman Association’sDiego Scholastic Trap Grade), shootingNicole has also allowed her to Training Center, which is also the headquarPhoto Daniel Dreifuss (11th Grade), Daniel Geiger of Pioneer Valley High School images. spent six years as a staff photographer forTarget the byProgram, Clay in whichSchool hundreds participate in a sport and travel all around the (11th ters for USA Shooting. She placed second Seventh-grader Padfield of Solvangtwice wowedfor theacrowd with her rendition of “Summertime” by Georgeprimarily Gershwin. The judges were stunned to HeElizabeth has been nominated Pulitzer Los Angeles Times, focused in the of kids from all around the Central Coast world for competitions. TEEN Recently went toON PAGE for the learn her age and said her vocal talents were astounding. STAR she CONTINUED 11 2016 Olympic team trials and is still Prize. entertainment industry. He has photographed participate. Azerbaijan, a former Soviet republic east of deciding if she wants to go for the next Olym“Photojournalism is such an admirable profes- figures from Elizabeth Taylor, Zsa Zsa“He and wouldn’t let me shoot until I could Turkey. pic tryouts. sion because it can really capture the story for Eva Gabor to Meryl Streep, Sidney hold Poitier, the gun up on my own for a good “It was a beautiful country and one of the “A highlight for me was meeting Kim the reader. I was really lucky to have my career amount of time. We would set up boxes in the cleanest places I’ve been to. The streets were Rhode, who has been an inspiration to women GEORGE ROSE CONTINUEDliving ON PAGE 20 and I would practice for hours in the heyday of print journalism,” Rose said. room impeccable and the people were beyond hos- in shooting. After talking to her it became until I was ready,” Carroll said. pitable,” she said. really clear to me that I can achieve this as She she believes that more kids should take Carroll also won bronze in the HH Sheikha well,” Carroll said. lessons and learn their way around a gun. Fatia Bint Mubarak Women’s International Rhode became the first athlete to win an “Guns actually kept me out of trouble, beShooting Championship in the United Arab individual medal during six consecutive sumcause every Friday night and most weekends Emirates on April 13. SHOOTING CONTINUED ON PAGE 13 my dad and I were at the trap range practicing Since graduating from Santa Ynez Valley
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SYV coalition says Camp 4 impacts larger than they seem
Ashley Carroll travels news@santaynezvalleystar.com een Star Santa Barbara judge Catherine Remak thought there the world to compete was a typo next to Elizabeth Padfield’s name because her maturity and depth of range were astounding during the competition in trap shooting on Feb. 25 at the Arlington Theatre.
Sunrise Armour Ranch Road photo by George Rose, photo graphic by Aimée Reinhart Avery
e Com pliment
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May 19 - June 1, 2020 H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H Santa Ynez Valley Star H 11
CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES
How to safely unpack, clean groceries during coronavirus By Foodbank of Santa Barbara County
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ere at the Foodbank, we’ve gotten a lot of questions recently about how to correctly unpack and clean your produce and food items during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Foodbank takes precautions to limit exposure of your food to COVID-19 – food is held for two days before it gets distributed to eliminate any contamination that may have occurred before it reached our warehouse. First, we want to preface this by saying that, according to the CDC, there is no evidence to support transmission of COVID-19 by food. In general, because of poor survivability of these coronaviruses on surfaces, there is likely a very low risk of spread from food products or packaging that are shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient, refrigerated or frozen temperatures. It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose or possibly eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads. However, even if the chance of contracting the virus through your groceries is slim, we still want to err on the side of caution to ensure that your groceries are germ-free. Below are tips we’ve compiled on how to safely and effectively unpack and clean your food.
The most important thing to note when unpacking and cleaning your groceries is that the virus breaks down relatively easy with warm water and soap. So, as a general rule, start by thoroughly rinsing all produce in water. Canned goods or items sealed in plastic or glass containers can be rinsed with warm water and/or soap as well, although it’s also effective to use disinfecting wipes on these items. Make sure to avoid getting any chemical cleaning agent or soap in your food if you do decide to use wipes or cleaner on packaged food items. You don’t want to use dish soap, chemical cleaner or bleach on any produce. Even
though soap is effective at preventing the spread of the virus, it’s designed for cleaning surfaces and hands, and isn’t made with human consumption in mind – meaning scrubbing your apples with soap isn’t a good idea, even if you’re worried about reducing virus transmission. Another rule of thumb when unpacking/ cleaning food: wash your hands often. This may sound repetitive, but it really is super important as it will prevent germs from one item from spreading around your home while you touch things. Avoid touching your face while unpacking and cleaning food, and wash your hands again when you’re done. In addition,
before preparing or eating food, it is important to always wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds for general food safety. Washing fruits and vegetables Lettuces and other leafy greens: Fill a large bowl with water and immerse the greens in it. Swish the greens around to loosen any grit, let stand for a minute so the grit can drop to the bottom of the bowl, then lift the greens out into a colander. Run the greens in the colander under cold water very thoroughly, using a sprayer if you have one. Root vegetables: Scrub them under running water with a vegetable brush. If you don’t have one, you can use your fingers to scrub off any caked-on dirt. Sturdy vegetables and fruits: For items such as green beans, asparagus, cucumbers and grapes, rinse well under a high-pressure stream of water while rubbing with your hands. Let dry in a clean colander if needed. Delicate vegetables and fruits: For soft stuff such as tomatoes, ripe stone fruit and berries, rinse under a steady but low-pressure stream of water, turning the items gently with your hands to ensure all sides are rinsed but not bruised. Spread on a clean kitchen towel or paper towels to dry so they don’t get crushed.
Enroll at Hancock immediately after graduating from Santa Ynez Union Valley High School and get one year FREE at AHC! Apply today! The Hancock Promise will pay for tuition and fees for a student’s first year. After applying, download the PROMISE APP to check your application status and progress.
Learn more about the Hancock Promise at www.hancockcollege.edu/promise
12 H Santa Ynez Valley Star H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H May 19 - June 1, 2020
Congratulations to the Dunn School Class of o the Dunn School Class of 2020
Benjamin Ableman College of Marin
Izabella Alvaro Ricardo Amezcua Arizona State University East Los Angeles College
Nathan Conger Chapman University
Kaya Cerecedes-Crosby Wellesley College
Jackson Grunzweig USC
Sam Kashfian College - TBD
Olivia Berman Oklahoma State University
Luiza Curvacho College - TBD
Sam Davison College of Charleston
Kate Farinella University of Denver
Keegan Hawkins California Polytechnic - SLO
Michaela Horvath University of Oregon
Lauren Jamison College of Idaho
Svenn Johannensen Montana State University
Prentice Jones Barnard College
Mert KantĂźl Otis College of Art & Design
Ondra Kyselak College - TBD
Ian Lamm Lewis & Clark College
John (Yiyang) Li College - TBD
Allen Lin College - TBD
Emma Liu University of Miami
Danny Lee McGee Columbia College Chicago
SCHOOL
Bella Bienert College - TBD
Richard (Xiaotong) Cheng UC - San Diego
Miya Beiman UC - Irvine
Jacqui Graham Cade Ford Loyola Marymount University The New School: Parsons
May 19 - June 1, 2020 H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H Santa Ynez Valley Star H 13
Constantino Noval USC
Emily Nutting Trinity College
Julia Pinheiro Almeida College - TBD
Helena Prossova College - TBD
Alpha Sowe CSU: Dominguez Hills
Carter Stacy Macalester College
Skyler Storm University of Colorado - Boulder
Macey Turbow UCLA
Michael Uribe Pepperdine University
Christina Wang Fordham University
Arisa Waters UCLA
Crystal Xiao New York University
Rene Zepeda SBCC
Tim Zhou Northeastern University
Congratulations to the Dunn Middle School 8th Grade Graduates of 2020
Oscar Aguayo
Aria Daugherty
Ashlin Finley
Darien Gelles
Orin Grant
Alexander Grenier
Keira Hazard
Zachary Horvath
Aiden Jimenez
Kaden Jones
Tri Le
Lonnie Masopust
Jacob Metzger
Michael Moreno
Matthew Musson
Hung Nguyen
Tristan Olivares
Evan Perez
Julia Rhodes
Mariah Simpson
Anna Solem
SCHOOL Arden Stacy
Abran Uribe
Daphne Urquidez
Oliver Vachon
Gavin Wang
14 H Santa Ynez Valley Star H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H May 19 - June 1, 2020
CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES
2-1-1 helpline calls increase 300% since outbreak By Sheri Mobley
2-1-1 Santa Barbara County
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-1-1 Santa Barbara County, the helpline that connects callers to local health and human services, is experiencing a steep rise in calls since the COVID-19 outbreak and social distancing requirement. In the last two weeks of March – March 16-30 – calls to 2-1-1 increased by 300 percent. In the first five days of April, the call center handled close to 500 calls, exceeding the typical volume of a full month. Sixty percent of the call volume is for senior-related resources such as food delivery. As the county enters its fifth week of lockdown, more callers are now inquiring about healthcare, including help with domestic violence and mental health issues. As of April 12, 2-1-1 Santa Barbara County is the main phone line for COVID-19 information and resources. The county’s local Office of Emergency call center has closed. “At first, calls were for general information such as ‘what is COVID-19?’ and ‘who is at risk?’” said 2-1-1 program manager Elisa Pardo. “Shortly after the first week of shelter-in-place, it was inquiries for food information, child-care resources, rent assistance, utility assistance and general financial assistance. “Now we are experiencing more healthcare questions, with calls related to mental health issues increasing countywide.” From February to March of this year, 2-1-1
Santa Barbara County had a 30 percent increase in mental health calls, including inquiries about support for depression and suicidal thoughts. Domestic violence-related calls have tripled since the restrictions on movement due to COVID-19. 2-1-1 Santa Barbara County is the centralized information and referral system, connecting people to health and human services, post-disaster relief, and public instruction through live assistance from trained and certified information and referral specialists. The helpline is multilingual, confidential and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at no cost to the caller. For county residents in need of COVID-19 information and resources
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n Dial 2-1-1 with inquiries (if calling from 805 area code). n Dial 800 400-1572 (if calling from an area code other than 805). n Text ZIP code to 898-211 to connect with a live call specialist. n Visit www.211sbco.org The 2-1-1 program works directly with the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management (OEM), Santa Barbara County Public Health and other local organizations and agencies to gather, update and house resources and contact information that is then used by accredited call center specialists in their response to calls and texts from the public.
“We’ve noticed that our call volume is not only based on what is happening in our community but is also highly influenced by what is being covered in the media,” Pardo said. 2-1-1 was recently recognized by California Gov. Gavin Newsom as an “incredible system that connects people to real services.” Newsom announced the creation of a statewide hotline in coordination with the local 2-1-1 systems, so Californians have a one-stop shop to answer their questions and get assistance during this crisis. For example, the 2-1-1 system can help older Californians access grocery and medication delivery while staying at home. 2-1-1 Santa Barbara County is supporting an initiative for senior food and meal distribution by serving as the centralized request line. A countywide partnership between Community Action Commission, Foodbank, Care 4 Paws and the city of Santa Maria provides meals and groceries, including pet food, to individuals 60 years of age or older, or 55 years of age or older with disabilities. “We want the public to know about and make use of this valuable community service, but we also want them to know that in a life-threatening emergency, always dial 911,” Pardo said. During the Thomas Fire and Montecito flood/ debris flow, calls to 2-1-1 increased by 1,000 percent for disaster-related aid and information. More typically, the needs are for mental health and addiction services, housing, legal assistance and public safety.
May 19 - June 1, 2020 H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H Santa Ynez Valley Star H 15
GENEALOGY TIPS
Are your sources direct, indirect or negative? Sheila Benedict
Contributing Writer
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ontinuing from last month, there are three essential parts to the research process. The basics are that the sources provide information from which we can do the analysis of the evidence. Breaking it down further: 1) locating sources, which can be documents, people, books, and/or databases; 2) reviewing the information in the sources to determine if it came from a primary source (someone or something with firsthand knowledge), a secondary source (not firsthand), or one that could be hard to determine whether it is either first or secondhand, and 3) verifying if the evidence is relevant to your research project. The evidence can be direct, indirect or, in some cases, negative. An example: you have found some documents that show someone was in a particular place at a particular time. However, when you look at a census schedule for that place and time, the person should be there but is not – that is
called negative evidence. There is also negative findings from a search that provides nothing relevant. They are distinctly different but easy to confuse. As mentioned, the research is demanding but worth the effort – you and your family deserve accurate and verifiable data of past generations so that future generations have an accurate picture of who they were and from where they came. If you have gathered documents as the April column suggested, a birth record is direct evidence that child was born and the information usually came from the mother who had primary information from that source. Even there, some information needs to be questioned and verified. What about a census schedule? Yes, it
contains direct evidence that a particular family lived at a specific place/address at a given time. Where it falls short is who gave the information to the enumerator? Was it a person who had direct knowledge or perhaps someone who happened to be home and just answered the questions not knowing if the information was factual or not. When someone goes to a mortuary to give information to the people there for their records, is all of it verifiable, such as correct date of birth, parent’s names or even place of birth? Unfortunately, the further back you go with the documents, i.e. census, the probability of inaccurate information increases. One of the past columns had some books to assist your research process. There are also databases, both paid and free, libraries
in the areas where your ancestors lived, churches, city, county, state, and federal repositories, and of course, those boxes under the bed! One of the best non-genealogy books I have on my desk is a legal dictionary. You might consider questioning family to find out if someone ever did research on the family. If there is a family history printed, privately or public, it helps to remember there can be mistakes in those too. There are great historical societies that collect local family papers. However, just because it is printed does not make it factual. The list of sources is endless and with digitizing going on 24/7, even from home computers, it will continue to be endless. See you next month and stay healthy and safe. Sheila Benedict is a professional forensic and family genealogist. She is the author of Research in California, which she wrote in 2015 for the National Genealogical Societies Research in the States Series and writes articles in a variety of genealogical society newsletters and magazines.
Author offers ‘R/Evolution’ in time of pandemic Eric Hutchins introduces fresh approach to happiness, sustainability and peace By Pamela Dozois
news@santaynezvalleystar.com
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he COVID-19 Pandemic may prove to be the most influential global event thus far in this new century and millennium. The question is ‘can the bright, engaged, forward-thinking individuals in every community use it to begin elevating their lives, their communi- Eric Hutchins enjoying a day ties, and humanity?’” sailing. This is the question posed by Eric Hutchins, author of “Becoming Humanity’s Next R/Evolution.” His new book offers a clear description of how to do just that. He suggests that “the most socially engaged, forward-thinking, one percent in each community begin healing the Earth, humanity, and themselves by using at least two of five proven, easily learned techniques” described in his book. “One percent of any community can begin to create the necessary and sufficient conditions to elevate the life of every citizen, the social, economic, and environmental sustainability of their community, and foster global peace by integrating, in greater abundance, the eight key
qualities of thought, intention, communication, and action. These qualities are steadiness, joy, empathy, compassion, generosity, creativity, intelligence, and wisdom. We need a balance of all 8 of these qualities that is unique to each situation in life,” said Hutchins. The book showcases traditional forms of “introspective self-transcendence” (a specific, effortless type of meditation) as the necessary techniques for cultivating an abundance of these qualities. It also showcases four other proven, easy-to-use techniques that promote the reflexive expression of these qualities in our relationships, school and workplace organizations, communities, and public institutions. These techniques are Compassionate Communication, Appreciative Inquiry, Affirmative Coalescence and Nonviolent Direct Action. “After all is said and done, there is simply no other way to transform the usual form of static, circular ‘change’ into ‘r/evolutionary change’ that spirals ever upward,” he stated. “To achieve both the lives we want and the communities humanity desperately needs on a local-to-global scale, we simply begin cultivating these r/evolutionary qualities from their inexhaustible source: our vast inner ocean of pure consciousness.”
“Humanity is presently at a crossroad between accelerating decline and renewed ascension. Accelerating decline will inevitably lead to a dramatic reduction in global population and misery on an almost unimaginable scale,” Hutchins said. “Renewed ascension, on the other hand, will lead to greater happiness made long-lasting by inner joy and humanity’s greatest achievements both here on Earth and elsewhere in Photo contributed Eric Hutchins new book titled “Becoming Humanity’s Next R/ Evolution” offers a fresh approach to lasting happiness, community sustainability and world peace, a new push for humanity’s fourth global r/ evolution
our solar system. “This is the r/evolution urgently needed in every life and every community on a global scale. The key is not a new physical or digital technology, mass conversion to a new religious or social doctrine, or the further restriction of citizen freedoms. The key is the growing use of one long-proven technique to cultivate our most positive core qualities directly from their source.” “Becoming Humanity’s Next R/Evolution” is for those seeking the full enjoyment of their lives and a leading role in bringing their community across the threshold of humanity’s fourth global
r/evolution,” Hutchins said. Hutchins’ lifelong quest has been to live a full, joyful life in a more sustainable world. At university, he immersed himself in psychology, sociology and anthropology and studied social philosophers from Plato, Burke, and Paine to Marx and Gandhi. He also began the daily practice of a traditional, self-transcending form of introspection. From these influences, Hutchins says he has come to recognize that the key to humanity’s survival is our inner wholeness of mind not the universal embrace of any one philosophical, religious or social doctrine or the global application of physical or digital technologies. For five decades, he’s maintained his twice-daily introspective practices; East-West studies of human consciousness; and interest in elevating global society by elevating each individual. It took Hutchins 12 years to write the book, which was written as a syllabus for a weekend workshop or for a 10-week workshop, in two different formats. Hutchins lives on the Central Coast and may be contacted at eric@theNextRev.site. To purchase a copy of “Becoming Humanity’s Next R/Evolution, visit https:// www.balboapress.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/751703-becoming-humanitys-next-revolution or https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Humanitys-Next-Evolution-Communities/ dp/1982203080/ See also Hutchins previous book “Nectar of the Eternal, Wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita for a Joyful Life and a Sustainable World.”
Arrange for the author to speak with your group by emailing publicspeaking@the NextRev.site.
16 H Santa Ynez Valley Star H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H May 19 - June 1, 2020
How COVID-19 has affected our SYV nonprofits By Pamela Dozois
“Art and nature are wonderful avenues of solace and inspiration during trying times, so we just want to help make that as available as we can,” continued Demangate. “When we do re-open, we know it will be in a limited capacity, likely only weekends to start,” she said. “We rely on our volunteers for front desk support, and many fall into the highrisk category for COVID-19, so we will be very cautious before fully opening. We are currently exploring new cleaning regimens and personal protective equipment requirements for staff once we are able to re-open.”
news@santaynezvalleystar.com
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The Santa Ynez Valley Star is interested in the well-being of the valley’s nonprofits. The following is a compilation of some replies as to how COVID-19 has affected each of them. For a full list of the nonprofits that serve the valley and surrounding communities visit https://www.santaynezvalleystar.com/the-santa-ynez-valley-stars-nonprofitguide/. If you can contribute even a few dollars it goes a long way!
Solvang Senior Center
Friendship House
“I am pleased to report that everyone at Friendship House, staff and residents, are healthy. We don’t have any anyone with respiratory, fevers or any other type of illness. No COVID-19 cases,” said Tammy Westwood, executive director of Friendship House. “We are fully staffed and morale is good. All residents are socially distancing, we are making sure that they sit at least 6 feet apart at all times,”. Staff members are doing one-on-one activities, puzzles, crafts, reading and a lot of music and fun movies, such as musicals, throughout the day. They take residents out for a lot of walks as the weather has been beautiful. They continue to check everyone’s temperatures daily, and all staff are wearing masks and using universal hand washing procedures daily and the facility continues to have weekly meetings and updates with Santa Barbara County Public Health Department and the Center for Disease Control for guidance on how to keep this virus off the campus and keep everyone safe. “We are currently under ‘no visitors’ restrictions and we are not to allow anyone on campus unless it is absolutely essential. COVID-19 is NOT welcome here,” Westwood added. “We are so fortunate to live in such a caring community,” continued Westwood. “I posted on Facebook a few weeks ago that we would be accepting handmade face masks as we don’t currently have any disposable ones. (We do have N95 masks but are not using them unless needed if someone show symptoms or diagnosed with covid-19). We have received several handmade masks and even some disposable masks, enough to give one to every staff member and residents. Several masks came from my hometown in Des Moines, Iowa. We have also received several letters/cards of encouragement, flowers, cookies, candy, and fruit from community members. We really appreciate everyone’s
Photo Contributed Pictured are some of the face masks that have been sent to Friendship House from all over the country.
generosity and support during this challenging time.”
Happy Endings Animal Rescue Sanctuary
“At Happy Endings Animal Rescue Sanctuary in Solvang, we are in a critical situation,” said C.C. Wellman, executive director. “Our private and business donations have evaporated. So many people are out of work, they need help buying groceries let alone feeding their own animals. We exist to help improve the lives of animals in our community and the people who love them. It’s shattering emotionally to say, no we can’t help, when we don’t even have enough resources to guarantee feeding our own rescued animals. We currently have 13 rescued horses in sanctuary and our feed bills are $2,400 per month. Our emergency reserves are painfully thin. We’ve helped some low-income seniors with small contributions of food when they’re afraid to go out and shop themselves, but our ability to do this shrinks every day. We’re worried that our small community is heading into a disaster in terms of animals suffering from this crisis. Any donation, no matter how small, will help tremendously at this time.” Wildling Museum of Art and Nature “The Wildling Museum of Art and Nature closed to the public on Friday, March 13, along with many other area museums, in order to protect our community, volunteers and staff just
ahead of the governor’s stay-at-home order,” said Stacey Otte-Demangate, executive director. “We are taking all steps to be financially responsible during this time, but we are feeling the deep impact of COVID-19. The Wildling Museum operates through admission fees, membership dues, fundraising events, grants, and the generosity of our donors. Each day our doors are closed, the impact grows, as the warmer spring and summer months are usually our most busy. “In April, we sadly had to cancel both our annual Spring Barbecue fundraising event and our 20th anniversary reception, which was meant to coincide with a retrospective show highlighting works from the past 20 years of Wildling exhibitions,” continued Demangate. “While we were fortunate to receive a PPP loan, we are also applying for local and national grants as we try to make up for lost funds and plan ahead for eventual reopening. We have also been fortunate to receive generous support from longtime donors who have helped us bridge the gap right now.” During their closure, they have stepped up their social media and website efforts with a new Virtual Visit page (www.wildlingmuseum. org/virtual-visit) and are sharing digital resources with their email subscribers, as, according to Demangate, they are unable to host their museum programming and events.
The Solvang Senior Center is still going strong, even during this time of extreme uncertainty and concern. Although all physical and social activities have been suspended until further notice, Ellen Albertoni, executive director and Anne Twigg, kitchen manager are still at the Center every day during normal hours. “We are still here to fulfill our mission statement: We strive to enhance lives of community members ages 55 and over, by providing resources and opportunities for growth in mind, body and spirit,” said Albertoni. “During these unpredictable and frightening times, we feel that we can best serve our community seniors by offering them a sense of calm, normalcy and familiarity. “As we realize that the next several months are going to be filled with uncertainty, we also realize that we have to adapt and be flexible with how we approach the needs of our seniors. With the help of a fantastic group of volunteers, all of our 500 members have been contacted, checking in on their needs and offering a kind voice at the other end of the phone.” Their daily lunch program has been converted to pre-order, take-out-only with pick-up times between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Honoring the new Health Department regulations, the volunteers are suited up in gloves and masks and they gladly offer diners curbside service, if need be. Nutritious organic produce, freshly baked goods, nutritious protein food sources, and much more are added as a bonus to the meals. “As important as nourishing the body, we realize that it is even more important at this stressful time to nourish the mind and soul,” said Albertoni. “We continue to offer free wool and patterns for knitters to continue knitting for the troops. We continue to offer a plethora of puzzles and books from the center library to HOW COVID-19 CONTINUED TO PAGE 30
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May 19 - June 1, 2020 H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H Santa Ynez Valley Star H 17
Women of Achievement Awards moved to October Staff Report
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he 2020 AWC-SB Women of Achievement Awards, presented by Women Connect4Good, has been rescheduled for 11:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 23, due to the COVID-19 global health crisis. The luncheon, originally slated for late April, will be held at the Hyatt Hotel Santa Barbara. This year’s honorees are Barbara BenHorin, CEO of Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara, and Luz Reyes-Martin, executive director of Public Affairs and Communications at Santa Barbara City College. Each represents this year’s event theme of Vision, Voice, Advocacy for a New Generation. Now in its 13th year, the Women of Achievement Awards, is the signature event of the Santa Barbara Chapter of the Association for Women in Communications. It recognizes Central Coast women who are exceptional communicators and outstanding leaders. Tickets for the event will go on sale later in the year. “This year, of course, public health is our top priority,” said Carolyn Jabs, president of AWC-SB. “So we are heeding the advice of experts about public events.” Jabs said many AWC-SB members, including the WOA honorees, are playing crucial roles in keeping the community informed during the COVID-19 crisis. “We look forward to a time when we can
safely gather in a true celebration of the outstanding work done by Luz and Barbara,” she said. Sponsors of the 2020 Women of Achievement Awards, presented by Women Connect4Good, include Women Connect4Good, Santa Barbara City College Foundation, Santa Barbara Independent, Natalie Orfalea Foundation, Southern California Edison, Fielding Graduate University, Girls, Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara, Montecito Bank and Trust, and Sanger Swysen & Dunkle, Catherine J. Swysen partner. AWC-SB has presented the Women of Achievement Awards for more than a decade. Past winners include KEYT journalist/anchor Beth Farnsworth, State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson, retired Congresswoman Lois Capps, former Mayor Helene Schneider, Santa Barbara Independent editor-in-chief/co-founder Marianne Partridge, Dr. Carrie Hutchinson, Paula Lopez, Lynda Weinman, Catherine Remak and Sara Miller McCune. A complete list is available at awcsb.org. AWC is a national organization, which has been encouraging women to develop their skills as communicators for 100 years. The Santa Barbara chapter sponsors monthly meetings that help women stay current on key developments in the technology, practice, psychology and ethics of communications. For more about membership in AWC-SB, visit awcsb.org.
Cox Foundation Donates $25,000 to Foodbank Staff Report
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ox Communications is helping feed families in Santa Barbara County through the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County with a $25,000 donation from The James M. Cox Foundation. The grant will support local families in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. “A gift like this one is a huge help to the foodbank as we implement many initiatives outlined in our countywide Disaster Feeding Plan, as well as the many innovative approaches we’re adopting as we navigate the Covid-19 crisis,” said Erik Talkin, CEO of Foodbank of Santa Barbara County. “For a response that will likely last for many months and beyond, Cox is helping us ensure the health of the county for the duration.” The James M. Cox Foundation is the charitable arm of Cox Enterprises and the parent company of Cox Communications. In response to the growing strain on feeding the community, the foundation announced a $25,000 donation to
support people in need where Cox lives and works. “We are so proud to support the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County and the incredible work they are doing to support our communities during this pandemic,” said Kirsten McLaughlin, market vice president, Cox Communications. “Since March 7, the Foodbank has delivered 77,000 pounds of food each week, which is double the amount of food from the same period in 2019. As school and workplace closures make access to nutritious food even more challenging, these children and working families need our help now more than ever. We are thrilled to enable such a great partner to ensure the needs of our community are met during this challenging time.” For more information on how to receive meals from the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County or how you can support them with time, talent or treasure during this critical time, visit www.foodbanksbc.org.
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18 H Santa Ynez Valley Star H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H May 19 - June 1, 2020
CONGRATULATIONS
SANTA YNEZ VALLEY UNION HIGH SCHOOL Alexa Garcia AVID Senior Santa Barbara City College, Kinesiology
CLASS OF 2020
Amanda Krystkowiak UCSB, Bio- PsychologyÂ
Amelia Kazmierczak Campuswide Honors Collegium at UC Irvine for the Film and Media Program
Anna Palsgaard Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, majoring in Biochemistry
Anthony Gills SBCC & SB Rugby Academy
Blake Economus Colorado State University
Brayden McCoy Cuesta College, with the intention of playing baseball
Caelyn Rae Linane Santa Barbara City College
Cassy Medina AVID Senior Allan Hancock College, Nursing
Cayden Robinson Santa Barbara City College
Christian Preciado Allan Hancock College
Christopher Gundrey Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Dafne Acosta-Silva AVID Senior California Baptist University, Nursing
Daniela Castillo AVID Senior Santa Barbara City College, Radiography
Davis Key Reinhart University of Michigan: School of Music, Theater & Dance, majoring in music composition.
Dean Tipolt Santa Barbara City College
Diego Buenrostro AVID Senior Allan Hancock College, Viticulture and Analogy
Dylan Featherson Cal Poly
Edgar Guerrero AVID Senior Santa Barbara City College, Cybersecurity
Emily Ann Cunningham Santa Barbara City College
Estrella Barbosa AVID Senior California State University Channel Islands, Nursing
Fernando Juarez-Angel AVID Senior Santa Barbara College, Agriculture
May 19 - June 1, 2020 H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H Santa Ynez Valley Star H 19
CONGRATULATIONS
SANTA YNEZ VALLEY UNION HIGH SCHOOL
CLASS OF 2020
Georgia Almazan Allan Hancock College, Criminal Justice & Law Enforcement
Gillian Nielsen San Jose State, majoring in graphic design and minoring on communications
Guy Smith III Notre Dame University
Hannah Mesikep Santa Barbara City College
Ingrid Mejia AVID Senior Santa Barbara City College, Biology
Jace Grieco Cal Poly School of Engineering
Jackson Davenport Allan Hancock College, Library Science
Jackson Raney Santa Barbara City College
Jacob Nolan Davies Cuesta College, Fire Academy
Jaden Ogan AVID Senior Allan Hancock College, Business Administration
Jaime Gonzalez AVID Senior California State University- Northridge
Jasmine Enciso AVID Senior Allan Hancock College, Viticulture
Jessica Lerena AVID Senior Allan Hancock College, Photography
Justin DAVID Seniorson Santa Barbara City College & Allan Hancock College, Autobody Technology
Kateryna Socolovska Santa Barbara City College
Kiely West Santa Barbara City College
Kylie Shae Luke Sonoma State University, Pursuing a Degree in Kinesiology
Lauren Thorburn Chapman University, Majoring in Broadcast Journalism & Documentary, Honors Program
Liz Rodriguez Zepeda AVID Senior Santa Barbara City College, Administration of Justice
Lukas Bohnet Eckerd
Maggie Duran AVID Senior Allan Hancock College, Administration of Justice
Malia Loos NYU to study Film
Marina Vengel Cal Poly SLO
20 H Santa Ynez Valley Star H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H May 19 - June 1, 2020
CONGRATULATIONS
SANTA YNEZ VALLEY UNION HIGH SCHOOL Miranda Figueroa Solis AVID Senior San Francisco State University, Biology
CLASS OF 2020
Morgan Blunt Northern Arizona University
Nadia Renteria Santa Barbara City College, Graphic Design
Natalie Cedeno Santa Barbara City College, Biology
Natalie Robles AVID Senior Allan Hancock, Psychology and Biology
Nataly Burgos AVID Senior Santa Barbara City College, Nursing
Nicholas Ready Santa Barbara City College
Nicolas Dragonette Barrett, the Honors College at Arizona State University
Olivia Cortopassi Columbia University, NYC, Majoring in Astronomy
Parker Jacobsen Santa Barbara City College
Prairie Colgate Santa Barbara City College
Quincy Valle Santa Barbara City College
Rachel Manfreda AVID Senior CSU – Channel Islands, Psychology
Richie Castro Sandoval AVID Senior CSU Bakersfield, Kinesiology, Wrestling
Samantha West Santa Barbara City College
Sarah Johnston Santa Barbara City College Honors ProgramÂ
Sean Kennedy Santa Clara University and plans to major in Economics and Finance
Sydney King Santa Barbara City College, Marine Science
Tao Kingsley College - TBD
Terra Dafoe College - TBD
Ty Sherman Azusa Pacific University
Tyler Rasmussen AVID Senior
Cuesta College, Ag Mechanics/Construction Management, playing Baseball
May 19 - June 1, 2020 H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H Santa Ynez Valley Star H 21
SYV honors Saarloos, Herthel with the tip of their hats By Raiza Giorgi
publisher@santaynezvalleystar.com
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arry Saarloos had a booming, infectious laugh that could make anyone turn their head in amazement. Susan “Sue” Herthel was a quiet, but strong leader in the equine medicine world as the matriarch of Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center. Both of these longtime Santa Ynez Valley locals were honored as hundreds of Santa Ynez Valley locals turned out to give a wave, and tip their hats to their families on April 26 in Los Olivos. There was an impromptu processional of more than 300 cars, trucks, wagons and horses that paraded down Grand Avenue, where people waved to the Herthel and Saarloos families that sat along the street. The bells at St. Mark’sin-the-Valley Episcopal Church rang for 45 minutes straight by Rev. Randall Day in honor of the two. Herthel was the wife of the late veterinarian Doug Herthel and co-founder of Alamo Pintado. She was a teacher by trade and quickly trained to become an incredible veterinary technician, assisting Dr. Herthel with all facets of equine medicine, according to her son, Troy Herthel. Doug and Sue Herthel started the Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center on their property along Alamo Pintado Road in Los Olivos. Some friends remember that even before they opened the clinic, Herthel would practice at his residence, even doing surgery in the front yard, in downtown Los Olivos across from St. Mark’s-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church. Doug Herthel passed in July 2018, of Lewy body disease, and Sue followed in late April. “The outpouring of love and support from the Santa Ynez Valley residents as well as the
equine and veterinary communities has been overwhelmingly positive and comforting!,” Troy Herthel wrote. “The Herthel families as well as the Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center family greatly appreciate everyone’s well wishes, inspirational stories, and most importantly emotional support! Though they may not physically remain, their spirit, ideals, and love story live on in each and every one of us.” Larry Saarloos passed after complications from a horseback riding accident at Hollister Ranch on April 14. He was flown to UCLA Medical Center and treated for a broken neck. He was supposedly recovering, until a social
media post a week later by his son Keith Saarloos indicated he passed. “They say you don’t become a man until your dad passes away,” Keith Saarloos said in an post. “Today my brother and I are men. The best part about it I had a really good teacher, and we had nothing left unsaid to our father.” “That right there is my dad,” Keith said, pointing the camera to the vineyard on Ballard Canyon Road. “This is who he is.” The Saarloos family came to the Santa Ynez Valley in the late 1990s when they purchased The Roasted Bean coffee shop in Santa Ynez (now known as Pony Espresso). They settled in Los Olivos and started a vineyard, growing grapes for local vintners and then started their own label Saarloos and Sons, opening a tasting room at the end of Grand
Photos contributed Larry Saarloos was active in the horse community, being a member of several riding groups such as the Valley Penning Association and a member of the Rancheros Visitadores.
Sue Herthel is shown with her husband Doug Herthel. The two founded the world-renowned Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center in Los Olivos.
Avenue. The elder Saarloos was active in the horse community, being a member of several riding groups such as the Valley Penning Association and a member of the Rancheros Visitadores.
Photo by Raiza Giorgi The Santa Ynez Valley community gathered to honor the lives of Larry Saarloos and Sue Herthel on April 26
The Santa Ynez Valley Star wants to express our sincere condolences to both the Herthel and Saarloos families. Sue and Larry will leave a void in our community, and we will honor their memories.
Photo contributed Guadalupe Court, located at 4202 11th St. in Guadalupe, will provide affordable housing for farmworkers and will benefit residents with an onsite playground, community center, and learning center with after-school tutoring and college prep.
Affordable housing available for farmworkers in Guadalupe Staff Report
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eautiful, new, affordable housing is coming soon to Guadalupe, it’s an opportunity not to be missed. With 38 rental units reserved for farmworkers and their families, the property, Guadalupe Court, is owned and managed by local nonprofit Peoples’ Self-Help Housing (PSHH). This housing is brand new, comes with many services, has an
affordable rent based on income - and applications are still available. “I want to really encourage anyone who works in agriculture, or who is retired from agriculture, or who has a member of their family who works in agriculture to take a look at this amazing opportunity,” said John Fowler, president & CEO of Peoples’ Self-Help Housing. “We want to support those who provide our most valuable resource, food, many
of who have been desperately waiting for years for affordable housing. Our bilingual staff are standing by for your questions and ready to help you with the application process.” Applicants must earn at least $5,753 per year from agricultural labor and be a citizen or legal permanent resident of the United States. Applications are available in-person from Riverview Townhomes, 230 Calle Cesar E. Chavez, Guadalupe,
CA; by email at gc@pshhc.org or online at pshhc.org. Any questions can be emailed to gc@pshhc.org or answered by phone at 805-249-2040. Founded in 1970, PSHH is the longest-serving nonprofit affordable housing organization on the Central Coast. For more information, visit pshhc.org, email info@pshhc.org or phone 805-781-3088.
22 H Santa Ynez Valley Star H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H May 19 - June 1, 2020
peasants FEAST is a love story on many levels By Pamela Dozois
news@santaynezvalleystar.com
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he decision to open a new restaurant in the midst of the coronavirus shutdown was one not for the faint of heart. Chef Michael Cherney and his wife, Sarah, did not let the unfortunate circumstances dampen their enthusiasm or resolve. They opened their eatery, named peasants FEAST on April 1 and have been wonderfully supported by the local community. “Opening a restaurant is hard,” Michael Cherney said. “Opening a restaurant in the middle of a pandemic is an entirely new game that not many, if any, have done.” “My husband and I had been actively looking for a space to open our first restaurant for the past three years,” said Sarah Cherney. “In November of last year we entered into escrow. The location was really important to us because we wanted it to be a very special and unique space for our community.” The Cherneys closed escrow on March 1 and, per their lease agreement, they were required to open for business within 30 days. Two weeks into painting and redecorating is when the COVID-19 announcement was made and everything was supposed to shut down. “We had already signed our lease so there was no turning back,” Sarah Cherney said. “We halted all of our interior design, the chairs are still unpacked, we stopped construction of our tables and we had to completely reinvent our business model. We hired three people instead of 15 that we had planned for. We cut our opening menu by one third. So our new plan of action was ‘take-out’ which thankfully has been going quite well.” “I’ve personally been working towards owning and operating my own restaurant for the past 15-plus years,” Michael Cherney explained. “To this day, I still remember the first day at The Art Institute of California culinary school in Santa Monica, when the Chef Instructors took us into Bistro 31, a student run restaurant, sat us down and said, ‘This industry is not for everybody. A quarter of you won’t make it. The work is hard. The hours are long. The pay is low. If you want to have ANY chance of being successful in this industry you have to accept that you will never see your family, never attend another birthday party, holiday party, social gathering, etc.....unless you’re the one cooking for it.’ “It didn’t bother me. My mind was set. I had a clear vision of my goal. I wanted to be a chef and own my own restaurant. I had my fun when I was younger and knew I was ready to put my head down and put in the work.” He would go to his first class, Baking and Pastries, at 6 a.m., finish around 3 p.m. and drive straight to work at Ortolan, five miles away, but a 45-minute drive, (this is in L.A.). On his way, Cherney would read notes, go over prep lists, and review flash cards. He would usually get off around 11 p.m. or midnight, and do it all over again the next day for pretty much the next three years. “I was the only person in the Ortolan kitchen who was still in culinary school, not to mention,
Photo by Linda Chaja Photography Chef Michael Cherney and his wife Sarah in front of their newly opened restaurant peasants FEAST
Photos by Daniel Dreifuss peasants FEAST offers many choices for meat-eaters, vegetarians and vegans alike, along with desserts, which are updated regularly
“My path has never been easy and I don’t ever expect it to be. If it were easy, it wouldn’t be as rewarding,” said Chef Michael Cherney of peasants FEAST.
still in my first introductory class,” Cherney recalled. “I was also the only person who spoke English. The kitchen brigade was built of mostly visa students from France or other parts of Europe who had been working in the hospitality industry since they were 11 years old. Here I was at 19, just starting, and already nearly a decade behind everyone else. They would point and scream, and I would do the best I could to understand, translate and execute.” After graduating, Cherney was offered a position as Chef de Partie at L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Las Vegas and worked under Robuchon, who is the world’s most decorated Michelin star chef. Cherney was offered the position of sous chef, once there was an opening, and waited three years, developing his palate and perfecting his skills. When the position failed to materialize, he felt that it was time to move on. Cherney wanted to get closer to the food itself so he did a lot of traveling to Central and South America, the Middle East, China, and the United States. His visits to each locale strengthened his understanding of the various cultural cuisines and inspired him to get more involved with the roots of his ingredients. He volunteered on a 40-acre sustainable and organic farm in Northern California and that is where he discovered a love for the farmer, fisherman and rancher and the ingredients that go into his recipes. Upon his return to Southern California,
Cherney joined the Nichols brothers’ team as Chef de Cuisine at Sides Hardware and Shoes, in Los Olivos. That is where he met Sarah, who was general manager of the restaurant. Both Cherney and his wife grew up in the San Fernando Valley, living just one town over from each other, but didn’t meet until their serendipitous encounter at Sides. “I’ve spent my life mostly in the hospitality industry but my degree is in theater,” Sarah Cherney said. “I taught drama in grades 5-8 at Solvang School for 3 years. I stayed home for a short while to raise my two youngest children, then went to work at Sides Hardware & Shoes. That’s where I met my husband Michael.” “A bunch of co-workers decided to eat dinner at Sides and for some strange reason they all canceled,” Sarah continued. “So I called Michael to let him know and to see if he still wanted to go, since it would just be the two of us. He said ‘It will be really awkward’ but he still wanted to have dinner. As a sous chef he hadn’t eaten a composed meal there yet, so he was game and we have been inseparable ever since. “Once we got to know each other – that was it! One of the first times we were together, Michael cooked me a meal made from everything in his garden. That was more than seven years ago. We’ve been married for two years. A year after our ‘this is not a date’ encounter, we returned to Sides, sat at the same table #23 and requested the same server, Jeni Gilbert, on
whose property we would eventually marry.” Sarah said she has been coming to Solvang since she was born. Her grandparents moved to Solvang to retire in the late 1980s, followed by her mother in 1997 and then she arrived in 1998. “My first Christmas was spent at the Alisal when I was 6 months old,” Sarah said. “I remember spending many summer vacations with my grandparents and attending plays at Theaterfest, which I could walk to from their house.” Since his time at Sides, Michael Cherney has worked up and down the Central Coast creating local, seasonal comfort food with a twist. He served as executive chef at Firestone Walker Brewing Company in Buellton, and catered private events in Paso Robles, all experiences which he says deepened his connection to his community. In 2019, the Cherneys started a Santa Ynez Valley catering company, peasants FEAST, which allowed Michael Cherney the opportunity to test recipes, and share his culinary concepts, by way of his often-sold-out “pop up” events throughout the wine region. “Part of our love for hospitality has to do with our families,” Sarah continued. “Everyone in both our families were food-lovers and loved to cook. Some of our dishes are named after family members because it was their recipe. It makes their memory live on every day. “The ‘peasants’ part in our business name is our way of saying ‘community.’ We really value the people who do the work that brings the food to our kitchen, which then allows us to craft great meals. The ‘FEAST ’part is for my mom. She believed in the power of shared meals to bring people together. We want to create a space which celebrates that, and which offers delicious foods and welcoming experiences for everyone.” Peasants FEAST offers many choices for meat eaters, vegetarians and vegans alike, along with desserts, which are updated regularly. The soups and the Family Meal change every week or two as well as the market salad and the Chef’s Specials, which also change weekly. It also offers a selection of local boutique wines and a revolving selection of local craft beers. “My path has never been easy and I don’t ever expect it to be. If it were easy, it wouldn’t be as rewarding,” Michael said. “To sit here in our empty restaurant, knowing that I’ve poured everything I have into it, not being able to share it with our community is heartbreaking. Since opening, we’ve had a great response from the community and are truly grateful and appreciative to be surrounded by such a loving, supportive group of people. But at the end of the day, all we want to do is welcome the public into our new home, here in Solvang, at peasants FEAST.” Peasants FEAST is located at 487 Atterdag Road at the corner of Copenhagen Drive. For more information, or to order take-out, call the restaurant directly at 805-686-4555 or visit peasantsFEAST.com // facebook.com/peasants FEAST // @peasantsFEAST.
May 19 - June 1, 2020 H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H Santa Ynez Valley Star H 23
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24 H Santa Ynez Valley Star H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H May 19 - June 1, 2020
SYHS hoping for in-person graduation in July New principal to be introduced at May 19 board meeting By Raiza Giorgi
publisher@santaynezvalleystar.com
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he tradition of pomp and circumstance has been postponed to July 24, after a poll to the parents asked what kind of celebration they wanted for their kids, according to Superintendent Scott Cory. “The parents very much want an in-person ceremony to celebrate their kids, which I Photos by Daniel Dreifuss completely understand,” Cory said. “This is the Four of the five graduating SYHS Varsity Baseball team shown getting honored during the groundbreaking of the new baseball bleachers. culmination of their education thus far, and they should be celebrated.” The original plan for June 5 just wasn’t feasible with the social distancing guidelines, he said. The football field is also being redone starting June 8 and that hopefully gives sufficient time to work out details. In the meantime, there is a graduate car parade taking shape for June 5, starting in Buellton and ending at the high school, Cory said. Those details are still being worked out. Other ways of celebrating seniors include getting yard signs, while several slideshows and media presentations are being created. There is also a Facebook group Adopt a Senior SYV, to celebrate them with gift certificates and other unique ideas. The baseball team honored their five senior players by having them do the groundbreaking “To have them do the groundbreaking for the future was great and that will be their legacy of passing the torch,” said Varsity Baseball Coach Warren Dickey. ceremony for the new bleachers that are being installed at the ballpark. Cory said this situation has been incredibly districts are being asked to possibly create dou“To have them do the groundbreaking for hard on all the students and staff, but he is ble bus runs and potentially add more teachers, the future was great and that will be their legincredibly proud of how everyone has handled “but where would that funding come from,” acy of passing the torch,” said Varsity Coach themselves thus far. Cory has asked. Warren Dickey. “My teachers were thrown into this situation “To be honest it changes all the time and Dickey has been the varsity baseball coach of a hard stop and then told they had to modify what was put in place on Monday completely since 2012 and been a coach since 2006. He their lessons to online within a week,” he said. changes by Friday,” he added. loves teaching the kids his favorite sport and “They have gone above and beyond and I can’t Santa Barbara County Superintendent of feels lucky to be able to impact a few kids. be more impressed.” Schools Susan Salcido has stepped up in “I had great teachers and coaches growing At the state level, Cory said he is frustrated Cory’s opinion and rallied the counties’ superup, and hopefully I am that for a few of these as the current budget projects are cutting eduintendents together to hopefully come up with kids,” Dickey said. “I can’t imagine what cation funding drastically, (which could change realistic solutions. they’re going through, all this stress on top of schooling, but they are handling it.” at a moment’s notice, he added) all the while “At the moment we are still projecting a start
date of August 13, because there is no way we can get a school year started in July as the governor has suggested,” Cory said. There are more things to consider such as Education Code statues, negotiating with teacher and staff unions, instructional minutes, health and safety, and that amount of time isn’t enough to get a school year started in July, Cory added. Even the state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said there are still so many questions that have to get answered to make that a reality. “Among them — how to keep everyone on campuses safe and healthy?” Thurmond said in a statement. “How will schools pay for teachers and resources to facilitate the smaller class sizes that social distancing requires.” New principal will be announced May 19 In other school news, Cory said that search for a new SYHS principal has been narrowed down to two candidates, and one of those will be introduced at the Board of Trustees May 19 meeting. “We had a great list of candidates and after several rounds of interview with teachers, staff, parents, students, community members and myself, we have narrowed the field to two candidates,” Cory said. Former Principal Mark Swanitz was demoted in February without explanation after the school board decided not to renew his contract. The decision also called for Swanitz to be reassigned to a certificated assignment within the scope of his credentials at the start of the 2020-21 school year. However the board then voted on April 21, to reduce the number of certificated teachers for the English department, of which Swanitz would be teaching, and decided to keep Casey Reck who even though is only a month less seniority that Swanitz has a higher degree in teaching Advanced Placement curriculum. Before coming to Santa Ynez as an administrator, Swanitz was the principal at Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta from 2006 to 2010. Swanitz, who earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Cal Poly, previously worked for schools in Fair Oaks, Elk Grove, Atascadero and Coalinga
SYHS’ Tyler Rasmussen named to Coaches’ Southern Section All-Senior Teams
By Barry Punzal
mitted to continue his career at UCSB, was named to the Division 3 team. Finefrock and Rasmussen, both standout pitchers, are on the Division 5 roster. Finefrock, who had two pitching wins and was batting over .600 with a pair of homers before the season was canceled, is headed to Claremont McKenna College. The 6-foot-4 Rasmussen, who turned in a complete-game performance in a 3-2 Santa Ynez win over Dos Pueblos in the Channel League opener, plans on playing at Cuesta College next year.
Noozhawk Sports Editor
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hree area prep baseball players have been named to the California Baseball Coaches Association All-Southern Section Senior Teams. Santa Barbara High shortstop Nick Oakley, Bishop Diego pitcher Hamilton Finefrock and Santa Ynez pitcher Tyler Rasmussen were nominated by their respective coaches for their career success. The senior team is a way to honor standout players from all seven CIF-SS divisions who had their final high school season cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. The slick-fielding Oakley, who has comSanta Ynez High School pitcher Tyler Rasmussen
Photo contributed
Noozhawk sports editor Barry Punzal can be reached at bpunzal@noozhawk.com.
May 19 - June 1, 2020 H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H Santa Ynez Valley Star H 25
Dr. Seuss helps SYHS senior student cope with stress of COVID-19
By Lauren Thorburn Special to the Santa Ynez Valley Star
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s a graduating senior this year, it has been difficult to come to the realization that high school is essentially over at this point. Everyone has been dealing with this situation in different ways and I would like to think, for the most part, that I have been doing well. I went through three stages of emotions once I officially realized that the rest of my senior year was going to be an unconventional and novel time in my life. The first stage was denial. I kept telling myself that everything will go back to normal before the end of the school year, and that we would all be able to attend Prom, Grad Nite, and Graduation. This stage felt like a strange limbo, as no one knew for certain how everything was going to pan out. Once I had accepted that nothing was ever going to be “normal” again, I moved onto the next stage which was lack of motivation and anger. I put both of these emotions in the same stage because they occurred simulta-
neously while I was stuck at home. I asked myself, “what is the point to keep hoping for something that has a high possibility that it will never happen?” Furthermore, I was annoyed that this had to happen this year. Why 2020? During this stage my mentality was just to get senior year over with: attend the classes I needed in order to receive desirable grades, and then move on with my life. However, after about a week of feeling sorry for myself, I knew that there was a better way to look at this situation. So, I moved onto the third stage which I call creative optimism. This stage was when I began participating in zoom games nights, or hosting Netflix parties. This stage was when I began trying to see the positive among the negative. There is a quote by Dr. Seuss that has been helping me cope with all the emotions I have been feeling, it goes “don’t cry because it is over, smile because it happened.” I have used this quote before, such as when I moved from Zimbabwe, Africa, to California, or when someone close in my life has passed away or moved
to another country. However, I believe that this is the most important time that I will ever use this quote. It serves as a reminder that when I will look back at this experience in ten, twenty years, there were good times even though bad things were happening. Throughout my entire high school adventure I have learned incredible lessons that I will take with me for the rest of my life, and this quarantine does not define my high school experience, it only adds to the lessons I have already learned. Good will come out of this, that is something I can say with confidence. Although I have been trying to remain positive about this situation, I am still quite upset about not being able to have a traditional high school graduation, like the one my brother had just short of a year ago. I may never be able to walk down the football field surrounded by my entire graduating class, former teachers, and family members from far and wide. For me, to be able to have the full “American” high school experience was something I was really looking forward to doing. Being able to throw
Did you stock up to hunker down at home?
Know the expiration date! Put the foods with the shortest shelf life front and center and cook with those first.
Freeze freeze freeze! Freezing our food can extend its shelf life by several days.
Use up leftovers and food scraps. Make a DIY veggie stock or bake croutons from stale bread.
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Lauren Thorburn will be attending Chapman University in the fall majoring in media and film studies. We will her all the best as well as the entire Class of 2020.
Visit www.LessIsMore.org for more information on food waste and food storage tips
DON’T LET THAT FOOD GO TO WASTE! Here are some of our favorite tips:
my cap in the air and take pictures with all the graduating seniors, as well as the underclassmen that I was leaving behind, is important for me. I know that no matter what type of graduation will be planned this year, it will be one that will not be soon forgotten. It feels quite strange and humbling to literally be making history this year.
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26 H Santa Ynez Valley Star H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H May 19 - June 1, 2020
Congratulations Class of 2020
James Borghesani Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Nathaniel Bertucio Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Carolina Gonzales Chapman University
Quinnlyn Jonas College of the Atlantic
Gavin Kurnik Montana State University Bozeman
Jade Feldsher Rochester Institute of Technology
Elizabeth Chamberlain Santa Barbara City College
Madeline Hoorn Scripps College
Hana Harvey Smith College
Jane Lewis Smith College
Jack Thomas Southern Oregon University
Jiaqi Liu UC Davis
Maisy Lewis Wesleyan University
Bo Chang Wheaton College
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May 19 - June 1, 2020 H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H Santa Ynez Valley Star H 27
Appreciating children’s AHC debuts first teachers: parents Latino Studies program and guardians for summer, fall Staff Report
By Dr. Susan Salcido
Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools
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his week we celebrate National Teacher Appreciation Week. During this time each year, school staff breakrooms are commonly brimming with homemade desserts; lunches for teachers are coordinated by Parent-Teacher Associations; and colorful posters and cards, filled with kind sentiments for teachers, adorn special spaces at schools countywide. This year, the recognition for teachers must take on a completely different shape, and while we reflect on our appreciation of teachers from afar, let’s also broaden our thanks to children’s first teachers: their parents and guardians who are contributing to their children’s life lessons every day. In the absence of in-person interactions, teachers are connecting with students during classes in authentic and important ways, finding solutions to unanticipated issues that are as novel as the coronavirus that has caused this new reality. To teachers, connecting with students online, making sure each individual is seen and noticed, trying out a silly joke to evoke a smile, checking on absent students after class, teaching rich content with compassion and empathy, we say thank you. We recognize that many teachers are also parents with children who need their attention just as their students do. Some teachers have parents or family members who need extra care. Further, many serve as trusted advisers for other families who have questions about schooling and parenting during these uncertain times. We are grateful for the multiple roles you play as you support students and families, including your own. As schools have shifted to remote learning, parents and guardians have had to adjust how they support their families at home. While parents are helping their children navigate online studies, they are also providing examples for their children with life’s lessons of grace, vulnerability, grit, hope, and optimism. Parents have had to handle so much so quickly, all while providing opportunities for their children to
Photo contributed Dr. Susan Salcido
connect with teachers, keeping children’s hearts and minds engaged, and supporting their children’s real grief as they miss friends, routines, school, sports and events that can be so healthy and motivating. To parents and guardians, we say thank you, and we want you to know we appreciate how much more you are shouldering during these most unusual times. As we enter into our Santa Barbara County’s eighth week of TK-12 grade campus closures, it is nearly impossible to overstate the appreciation for teachers, parents, and all those who are working to serve others — from frontline medical workers to the delivery drivers to those serving fresh food and meals to those in need. We thank those who contribute to the mental wellness of others, and teach by example, as we need that support in the deepest ways. Thanks to all who model compassion and kindness for their fellow humans, who stay at home to protect themselves and others, and who teach our children life’s lessons from a distance and from home.
llan Hancock College will offer a new degree program in Latino/Latina Studies beginning this summer and fall The associate of arts degree program provides a structured study of Latino/Latina heritage and fosters an understanding of Latino/Latina history, culture and aesthetics. The new degree program is the first of its kind at Hancock, which is designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) by the U.S. Department of Education. “Hancock curriculum is dynamic, and our curriculum committee works very hard to ensure our programs meet current needs,” said Hancock Superintendent/President Kevin G. Walthers, Ph.D. “Over the past year, the college has approved 22 new degrees, 48 new courses and reviewed more than 45 programs.” The new degree program utilizes existing courses at Hancock across a wide range of disciplines including history, literature, art, sociology, language, dance and more. The required courses in the program will help students develop an understanding of the history, culture and aesthetics of Latinos/Latinas, as well as the issues and cultural realities within their communities. “I hope that students pursuing this program will walk away with a more sophisticated
Olive Grove Charter School Class of 2020 Kiele Finley
Congratulations on your graduation.
racial-ethnic consciousness and the ability to intellectually confront issues of race, history and culture,” said Hancock English Professor Marc García-Martínez, Ph.D., who developed the program while on sabbatical. “For our community, a program like this not only disseminates a shared knowledge but confirms for many people in the Santa Maria Valley an institutional respect for their heritage and experiences.” Graduates of Hancock’s Latino/Latina Studies program can pursue careers in education, politics and government, municipal and urban planning, social work, community arts and development, union organizing and labor relations, public or business policy and other areas. Students planning to transfer to a four-year university to study sociology, cultural studies or counseling will benefit from the new degree program as well. Students can begin taking classes in the program beginning in the summer and fall. Class search for summer and fall classes at Hancock is currently open. General registration started May 9. Summer classes start June 15 and will be offered remotely. Fall classes begin August 17. For more information about summer and fall classes, visit www.hancockcollege. edu/summerfall.
Orcutt Academy High School
Class of 2020 Trinity LaShay Nunn Congratulations on your well-deserved success.
Register now for SBCC’s online-only summer sessions Staff Report
D
uring this time of staying in and social distancing, Santa Barbara City College invites everyone in the community — whether they are looking to earn an associate degree, transfer to a four-year university or enjoy life enrichment classes through the School of Extended Learning — to enroll in summer classes. Following the guidelines issued by the California Department of Health regarding health and safety, classes will be offered online. Students can choose from hundreds of credit classes in everything from accounting to zoology. The School of Extended Learning is offering more than 200 tuition-free classes, normally held at the Schott and Wake cam-
puses, in a live video-conferencing format. Programs include Adult High School, GED, Career Skills Institute, English as a Second Language, Health and Safety, Parenting and classes for Older Adults. Two six-week sessions are offered, starting May 18 and June 29. Registration for credit classes is online at sbcc.edu/classes. Those interested in enrolling in School of Extended Learning classes must register online at http://www.sbcc.edu/extendedlearning. Students are encouraged to register as soon as possible to ensure entry into their desired classes. SBCC has been named the No. 1 Community College in the nation by the Aspen Institute; and for the third consecutive year, Value Colleges rated SBCC the No. 1 Community College as “a flawless investment.”
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NOW PR OVIDING
NEWS / TALK RADIO o n 10 6 . 3 F M t o t h e SANTA YNEZ VALLEY
May 19 - June 1, 2020 H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H Santa Ynez Valley Star H 29
SYHS entry places third in county WaterWise video contest Another SYHS entry gets honorable mention; Dos Pueblos takes top prize Staff Report
T
he Santa Barbara County Water Agency is pleased to announce the winners of the 21st Annual WaterWise High School Video Contest. In total, 28 students from five schools throughout the county submitted 10 videos. Students were challenged to create 30-second videos centered on the theme “Life After Lawn.” While the Water Agency and water providers arrange for monetary prizes to the winning schools, private sector sponsors provide awards for the students. First Place: “Drought Resistant Lawns are the Future” by Dos Pueblos High School received $1,000. Students won a $500 prize provided by Carollo Engineers. Second Place: “Mulch Master” by Pioneer Valley High School received $500. Students won a $250 prize provided by Geosyntec Consultants.
Third Place: “Doctor Drought” by Santa Ynez High School received $300. Students won a $150 prize provided by Ewing Irrigation. Honorable Mentions for North County and South County submissions: n North County: “Life Without Lawns” by Santa Ynez High School received $100. Students won $50 carwash vouchers provided by Splash n’ Dash Recycled Water Carwash. n South County: “Alternative Ways” by Dos Pueblos High School received $100. Students won tickets to the 2021 film festival provided by the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. n People’s Choice Award: “Drought Resistant Lawns are the Future” by Dos Pueblos High School with a record high of 364 likes on the WaterWiseSB YouTube channel. The school received $500 and the students won a $500 gift card provided by All Around Landscape Supply. The Water Agency thank our community sponsors for their generous support. View all video submissions and learn more about our sponsors by visiting WaterWiseSB.org/HSVC.
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keep minds busy and occupied. We now have bags of beautiful donated fabric for those who would like to sew masks for themselves or others. We also have hand-sewn masks available to share. We continue to be an open phone book to offer folks the chance to stay in touch with each other. Most importantly, we continue to be here for any senior who needs assistance, a kind voice, an attentive ear and reassurance. We are all in this together as a community and we all work together in this community to help our most important and vulnerable community members.” “The Solvang Senior Center is grateful for the overwhelming generous community support that we’ve received from day one of our new normal and grateful for the future support we know we will continue to receive,” continued Albertoni. “Being good stewards of our gifts, acknowledging that other nonprofits may have different needs, we’ve had the privilege of being able to share any of our surplus with other senior facilities such as the Golden Inn and Village, Friendship House, and People Helping People.” “The uncertainty of our current time has contributed to some of our funders curtailing, pausing or refocusing their funding, causing some uncertainty with both our present and future finances,” said Albertoni. “Unfortunately, our expenses have not pushed that pause button. As many other valley nonprofits have had to do, we have had to cancel plans for a major fundraiser and also our mini monthly fundraisers. That being said, we are truly grateful for the emergency funding we have received from our valley friends: Santa Barbara Foundation, Valley Foundation, Kei Lin Foundation, Rotary Clubs of Solvang and Santa Ynez as well as gifts of the heart from Solvang restaurants, Veggie Rescue, Sysco Foods, Atterdag Village, and our tireless volunteers.” The Solvang Senior Center is open Monday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Tuesday-Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. To help support the Center or for more information about available services, call Ellen at the Center at (805) 688-3793. The center is at 1745 Mission Drive, Solvang. Email-ssctr@verizon.net. Website-www.solvangseniorcenter.org.
Veggie Rescue
On March 9, Veggie Rescue, along with about 85 community members celebrated a big milestone – delivering 1 million pounds of food. They threw a Million Pound Party, with good food and merriment. And then the world changed. “Initially our board suspended operations, but by March 20 we had worked with the Health Department to come up with a protocol for our drivers, to keep them and those they came into contact with safe, to the best of our ability, “ said Amy Derryberry, executive director. “All of our drivers, however, chose to remain home for the first two weeks, out of concern. But, one of the chefs who had helped with our party and was out of work jumped on board and saved the day. Two of our drivers have since returned, and between them, our founder, Terry Delaney, and myself, we have been scrambling to keep up with all the food becoming available to us.” Veggie Rescue made a connection with Sysco of Ventura County, and they have been making a weekly donation, with items such as milk, hash browns, liquid eggs, sausage, produce, tortillas, cottage cheese, etc. In addition to Sysco, their produce donations have come from Food Forward of Ventura, Midland Garden, Shu and Debby Takikawa owners of The
o HOW COVID-19 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16
Garden of… in Los Olivos, Tutti Frutti, as well as the farmers’ markets they regularly attend. “This food has been a boon to the organizations that we deliver to, which prepare meals,” said Derryberry. “We have also had several high-volume donations of produce from several partners. We are still calculating our April deliveries, but they look to be in the neighborhood of 50,000 pounds, an all-time monthly record for
Veggie Rescue. “With all this food that has been made available to us, we have been able to add 10 new distribution sites – United Boys & Girls club in Santa Barbara, three restaurants that are cooking prepared meals for hospital and front line workers in Ventura and Santa Barbara, a Carpenteria restaurant working with the local Rotary to put together bags of groceries for families in need, River of Giving, also distributing bags to families, and St. Marks Soup program in Los Olivos and Bethania Church food distribution, Boys & Girls Club in Lompoc, and the most impressive to me, the Salvation Army in Santa Maria, where when I met with them on March 30, had just ramped up their program from 120 lunches, Monday through Thursday, to 400 meals, 7 days a week. They are now doing over 900 meals a day.”
Santa Ynez Valley Humane Society
The Santa Ynez Valley Humane Society shut down its services to the public on March 20 when the stay-at-home order was started. That included adoptions, vaccinations and surgeries for all of their animals said Bob Jennings, board president. “At that time, we still had about 13 dogs and nine cats in house. All of our cats were placed into foster homes except one with a medical condition thanks to ASAP in Santa Barbara. At this point all of those cats have been adopted by the fosters,” Jennings said. “We also had to shut down our Thrift Store in Solvang, so we have lost all income from that source. We have done our best to keep all of our staff working with feeding and caring for the animals we have left in the shelter. We applied for the SBA PPP loan and we did receive funding from that last week. That will insure we can keep our staff working and paid for the next 8 weeks. We do have kittens that will be ready for adoption soon and have additional cats and dogs ready for adoption. “We have started adoptions by appointment and are looking to start in-house surgeries in the middle of May. We would like to start public surgeries by June 1st. Our veterinarian, Dr. Schank, has put together adoption protocols for our interaction with the public and will be putting together the same for vaccinations and
surgeries. Our shelter is successful because of our community support and the staff that we have working daily with the animals in our care. That support will be huge for us in the coming year to continue our work with homeless animals.”
Elverhoj Museum of History and Art
Elverhoj Museum of History and Art closed its doors to visitors on March 15, two weeks after the debut of the wildly popular art exhibition “Legacy of Decency: Rembrandt, Jews and Danes.” At the same time the shutdown took effect, Elverhoj’s revenue streams dried up and eventually it became clear that the Solstice Sundowner benefit party, the Museum’s major fundraiser, would have to be cancelled, staff reduced, and volunteer participation put on hold. “We are staying connected with our members and community in a variety of ways,” said Esther Jacobsen-Bates, executive director. “Social media (Facebook and Instagram) posts are widely viewed. Two new e-series are generating an outpouring of positive comments and sharing of stories. Our ‘This Day in Solvang’ e-series incorporates old black and white photographs from the museum collection with Solvang personalities and connects them with current local events. The series launched April 7 and marked the 1939 date of the first Danish royal visit to Solvang. Other topics have included the first fill and spill of Cachuma Lake, the opening of the Solvang Lutheran Home (now Atterdag Village), and Solvang’s celebration of the end of WWII and the liberation of Denmark. The second e-series focuses on the art hanging in the gallery; ‘Rembrandt: A Virtual Tour’ has taken readers on an armchair tour to four stops around the world celebrating the master artist.” Their recently released book, “The Spirit of Solvang,” remains available exclusively at Elverhoj and can be ordered by phone for curbside pickup or shipment. “Debuting later this month is our first virtual exhibition, ‘The Art of Face Masks,’” Bates said. “We are reuniting the creative group of artists that participated in ‘The Art of Dress’ exhibition in 2019. Now these artists tackle the role of the face mask as a form of art and self-expression. Hand-dyed fabrics, various styles, a range of techniques, and conceptual thinking are employed in these one-of-a-kind pieces.” “Collaborations with museum colleagues has provided immense support as we navigate through this unprecedented time,” continued Bates. “We are working to create fun and educational video content, and sharing sources, information and best practices that put health and safety first as we create our individual plans for phased reopening when it is deemed safe.” “And this is the time to explore the healing power of art. The connection between art, healing, and public health is well documented and
studies have shown that making art reduces stress and anxiety, even if you aren’t good at it. It’s time to get creative!” urged Bates. “I think we will see some powerful art created during this time of uncertainty and it will aid community healing.” Connect with the Elverhoj on Facebook and Instagram, or email info@elverhoj.org if you want to be added to the list to receive the e-series.
Santa Ynez Valley Foundation
In March, the Santa Ynez Valley Foundation created the “Coronavirus Relief Fund” to assist the most vulnerable in our area impacted by the global pandemic, as quickly as possible. To date, the emergency relief fund has raised over $50,000 in new funds. The most recent beneficiary of these emergency funds is the newly formed “Food for SYV” coalition. Created in response to the increased demand for food and necessities brought on by the Coronavirus, the “Food for SYV” brings together the collective efforts of new and existing organizations, to streamline volunteer work, local food distribution efforts to broaden reach and help more valley families Led by Buellton Senior Center’s Executive Director Pam Gnekow and St. Marks in the Valley Priest and Rector Rev. Randall Day, in addition to numerous volunteer chefs and individuals, “Food for the SYV” is serving approximately 900 quarts of soup, stew, or chili each week (and “extras” – including bread, vegetables, fruit) to approximately 700 people. There are more than 50 volunteers who cook, host on-site pick-up, and deliver meals to families. Weekly deliveries are made in Lompoc, Los Alamos, Cachuma Village, and throughout the SYV communities. As part of “Food for SYV,” newer organizations such as the River of Giving, led by Maili Halme, Susan Halme, Carlene Jones and Anne Lawrence, are helping to support Gnekow’s efforts, focusing on restaurant workers who are out of work due to the current state and federal mandate. This organization expands food distribution to in-home deliveries, and pick-ups at locations behind Chomp restaurant in Solvang, Steve’s Wheel and Tire in Buellton, and supports Bethania Lutheran Church in Solvang. “Because of our well-established relationships with local charities, and with the ‘Coronavirus Relief Fund,’ The Valley Foundation is uniquely positioned to expedite funds to those local charities that need donations the most,” said Anne Christensen, executive director. “While we are seeing some easing of lockdown measures, we are still seeing an increasing number of local families who are in great need of assistance,” said Hayley Firestone Jessup, president of the Santa Ynez Foundation. “This is far from over, but with the outpouring of volunteers and donations, our valley will get through this together.” All donations to the Santa Ynez Valley Foundation’s Coronavirus Relief Fund will directly support local charities. All donations are tax deductible. One hundred percent of donations will be distributed to those in Santa Ynez and Los Alamos to meet basic needs during the pandemic including rent, food and medical care. Donations may be made on the Foundation’s website at syvalleyfoundation.org or by sending to 485 Alisal Road, Suite #272, Solvang, CA 93463. For more information about the Relief Fund or the Foundation, please contact Anne Christensen at syvf@verizon.net or (805) 688-2991.
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Congratulations SYHS Class of 2020 Caps off to you, Graduate! Well done! Maya Abdulaziz Dafne Lizbeth Acosta-Silva Nicholas Peter Aichinger Allison Taylor Alderete Henry Trinkner Allen Georgia Nicole Almazan Citlaly Alvarado Henry Anthony Alvitre Carlos Mario Amarillas Julian James Ames Wyatt Wade Arnold Eduardo Arriaga Plascencia Vicente Avalos Brando Avila Torres Olivia Suzanne Baeke Estrella Briyith Barbosa Angelina Rae Becerra Vincent Bruce Becerra Morgan Rae Blunt Lukas D Bohnet Colin Michael Brady Diego Buenrostro Sergio Omar Buenrostro Jose Buenrostro Ramos Jonathan Martin Burciaga Nataly Burgos Canchola Sean Brody Campbell Ryan Nikolaos Casey Autum Faith Cash Daniela Castillo-Villa Richard Emmanuel Sandoval Gianni DAVID Senior Cecchini Natalie Lisbeth Cedeno Charlotte Viola Childers Drake John Clark Kylie Elizabeth Clouse Prairie Barca Colgate Clarissa Lee Collison Brynn Erin Conway Jacqueline Corona Andrea Coronado Olivia Margaret Cortopassi Kiara Mariwalla Costarelli Connor Charles Cunningham Emily Ann Cunningham Camilla Costanza Curti Roni Ann Allene Curtis Terra Rose Da Foe Jackson Heath Davenport Clayton Robert DAVID Seniorson Justin Ray DAVID Seniorson
Jacob Nolan Davies Ashkan Dehnaey Austin Richard Alexander Delgado Brock James Dix Joe Manuel Domingos Sarah Ruth Donahue Nicolas John Dragonette Margarita J Duran Raylynn Dysart William Blake Economus Jezebel Mayann Eligino Dela Cruz Jasmine Del Rosario Enciso Giovanna Escalera Dylan George Featherson Miranda Noemi Figueroa-Solis Carter James Fuette Alexa Garcia Armani Viannca Garcia Vanessa Garcia Zepeda Rebecca Olivia Gechter Tyler Damien Germani Christian Elijah Gil Anthony Zyan Gills Diana Michelle Gomez Jaime Miguel Gonzalez Ismael Gonzalez Stephanie America Gonzalez Quiroz Riley Orion Goodwin Benjamin Hamilton Gould Jace Anthony Grieco Edgar Guerrero Ximena Rose Guerrero Miguel Angel Guerrero Christopher Richard Gundrey Isabel Grace Hall Jake Michael Healey Alexis Anne Hemming Azucena Hernandez Vaca Ivan Hernandez Brisa Marisol Herrera Bryan Herrera Cierra Jewell Hetzel Annabel Rose Hosking Rylynn barra Alexander Thomas Ives Parker Ray Jacobsen Luzmaria Jimenez Sanchez Sarah Faith Johnston Fernando Juarez Angel Amelia Kaya Kazmierczak Michael Wayne Kelly
Sean Joseph Kennedy Sydney Lane King Tao James Grant Kingsley Walter Jude Kostrzewa Rozlin Eve Kristoffersen Amanda Evelyn Krystkowiak Larson Alexander Ladinig Jessica Lerena Caelyn Rae Linane Grant Thomas Lockhart Malia Anne Loos Juan Sebastian Lopez Pochomio Shash Lopez Kylie Shae Luke Rachel Christine Manfreda Brandon Emmanuel Martinez John Grey McCarty Brayden James McCoy Cassandra Medina Alondra Christina Medrano Ingrid Victoria Mejia Ryann Elizabeth Melville Hannah Grace Mesikep Tewodros Nahom Michael Jacob Montalvo Fatima Guadalupe Montaño-Navarro Eric Andrew Montejano Maya Poling Moore Josue Saul Navarro Jordan Caliana Whitney Clara Grace Newton Andrew Marcus Nielsen Gillian Marie Nielsen Sean Joseph O’Neill Jaden Myles Ogan Cristina Guadalupe Pacheco Ruiz Anna Martina Palsgaard-McCann Adrian Paque Alex Junior Perez Vidal Perez Nuñez Lucero Stephany Perez Granado Elizabeth Perez Cortez Sigerson John Porter Christian Alejandro Preciado Ramirez Jaeger Gryfydd Purdom Rosario Elizabeth Ramos Jackson Joseph Raney Tyler Paul Rasmussen Matthew William Ray
Nicholas George Ready Davis Key Reinhart Katelyn Joanne Rennie Nadia Celia Renteria Brandon Lee Reyes Kevin Reyes Diego Reynoso Roger Rivera Cassandra Rivera Cayden Malik Robinson Natalie Robles Nicolas Sebastian Rocha Anahy Rodriguez Ana Lizette Rodriguez Zepeda Filiberto Rodriguez Valdez Nate Patrick Rogers Nelson Omar Romero Nicole Araceli Romero Jose Antonio Romero Guzman Jason Jaime Ruelas Dalia Rubi Sanchez Rodriguez Trinity Alice Scott Megan Therese Segal James Duane Serritslev Tyson Dunn Sherman Noah William Silvola Guy Ward Smith III Kateryna Socolovskaya Mark Anthony Solorzano Grete Helene Staal Jacob Meiowa Thielst Owen Mattthew Thompson Lauren Nicole Thorburn Dean Alexander Tipolt Gage Young Transeth Miles Ford Trobridge Adamary Judith Ureña Katelynn Rose Valenzuela Quincy Valle Daniela Vazquez Marina Sophia Vengel Emma Kay Weber Kiely Danielle West Samantha Allison West Ayatuluh’tul Arlee Wyatt Alexa Yacoub Mason Thomas Young Sophia Elise Zamora Mario George Zaragoza Diego Alejandro Zepeda Virgen
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