Five years after purchasing the former Willemsen Dairy property for public use, the City of Buellton and its residents got to see a big result of that acquisition on Feb. 8 with the grand opening of the new Buellton Library.

City, county and Goleta Valley Library officials were on hand to usher in the new facility in the refurbished building on 202 Dairyland Road, down the street from River View Park and right next door to the developing Santa Ynez Valley Children’s Museum.

In fact, Ashley Jenkins, the founder and board president for the museum was able to bring out a few games and activities for the kids outside the library, which also had an inflatable slide for entertainment. Also outside the building was a used book sale, a bookmobile from the Isla Vista Library, and staff inside to anwer any questions about the new place.

Leading a quick view of the inside, Buellton City Manager Scott Wolfe pointed out the main area, with the big picture windows offering a view of the hills above the Santa Ynez River, as well as the main conference room that can be divided with a temporary barrier if need be, and a smaller room which will eventually be a store for the Friends of the Buellton Library.

Wolfe said the library was an example of the city trying to expand its focus.

“What I’ve been working on since I’ve been here is going beyond just the basics — filling the potholes, making sure the water turns on — and working more on community amenities,” he said. “Purchasing this [Willemsen] property reallyenabled us to dream big.”

Wolfe said the location of the new library opens up a new area of activity.

“It’ll really be much more of a social hub, and we will have activities going on in here,” he said. “Also, we have it in a nice neighborhood, and with the proximity to the [River View] park and the upcoming Children’s Museum, the Botanical Garden, we really have a nice row of facilities here.”

Holly Sierra, the former Buellton mayor, is now the president of the Friends of the Buellton Library organization and has served as a point person of sorts with the project.

“I think this started about three years ago; we decided to have the library here, and we were planning to have it openabout a year and a half ago,” Sierra said. “However, they ran into problems with the house that needed to be fixed, and it just kept getting extended.”

Sierra said the former library, located on Highway 246 next to the police station and City Council chambers, was closed in September to start the transition, and she is happy the new library is ready.

“I’m just so pleased with it,” she said. “This is, libraries are, the center of the community. People keep saying libraries are a thing of the past, and I couldn’t disagree more.

“I mean, we are planning so many incredible community activities here. We are going to be working with the city to put on some amazing programs.”

The opening culminated in a ceremonial ribbon-cutting in front of the library entrance, with Wolfe and Sierra beingjoined there by Mayor David Silva, Vice Mayor Elysia Lewis, City Councilmember John Sanchez, and library officials and staff members.

Silva told the crowd to give themselves a round of applause for being able to celebrate the birth of a new library, which came to fruition after being first proposed five years ago.

“This is something our little community can be proud of,” he said. “It feels like you’re invited into someone’s home to come and read a book, sit by the fireplace, and have these wonderful views, and this wouldn’t have been possible without so many people to make this happen.”

In her turn addressing the crowd, Lewis admitted she was skeptical of the library proposal at first.

“I stand very humbled. I don’t know if you guys followed the progression of this library, but I was one of the ones that was like ‘Huh? You’re going to take a house on a ranch and you’re going to make it a library?'” she said. 

However, Lewis admitted that the efforts of Sierra and the other proponents of the library proved to be right.

“As I stand here this morning, walking in, and seeing it last night, it is stunning,” she said. “And, I could not think of a better way to utilize the property and make it a gem for the city.”

The library is now in operation and open five days a week: Monday and Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The library will be closed on Thursday and Sunday.

For more information on the library and its programs and events go to goletavalleylibrary.org/about/santa-ynez-valley-libraries or facebook.com/BuelltonLibraries/

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In its Thursday, Feb. 13, meeting, the Buellton City Council voted to draft a letter of appeal to Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors over the transfer of pipeline permits granted to Sable Offshore by the County Planning Commission.

Vice Mayor Elysia Lewis attended the meeting remotely, with City Manager Scott Wolfe explaining that by emergency Brown Act rules, she would be able to participate in the meeting despite not being present. 

The County Planning Commission granted the pipeline permits allowing the transfer of the pipeline from Exxon Mobil to Sable Offshore. This would allow Sable to re-activate the pipeline running through the city, subject to other approvals from state agencies. A significant question that remains unanswered is what, if any, testing, repair, or re-alignment of the existing pipeline will need to be completed to ensure the safety of the pipeline. This question is a central point of the appeal to the Board of Supervisors.

District 1 City Councilmember Hudson Hornick recused himself from the item because of his status as a county employee, so it was up to Silva, Lewis, and District 3 Councilmember John Sanchez to debate the item.

The subject has been raised in previous Buellton City Councils meetings by residents Larry Bishop and Len Fleckenstein, who both also spoke at the Feb. 13 meeting.

“What I am hoping what the city will do is appeal to the county and even the state to do whatever they can to stop the startup of this pipeline,” Bishop said. “This remedy is important to us because it goes under our city and is unsafe; there’s a lot of corrosion issues they’re not addressing and haven’t addressed for 35 years.”

Fleckenstein spoke later, encouraging the City Council to support the appeal, and also to convince officials to reroute the pipeline around Buellton.

“I ask that the city insist on the oil industry making good on Exxon’s own proposal in 2017 to change the alignment for the pipeline to go around Buellton,” he said. “Residents of the city expected the pipeline to be relocated. The City Council should reject this bait-and-switch scheme by the oil companies.”

Bishop and Fleckenstein were two of four speakers on the item, all of whom supported the appeal of the transfer.

Going back to council, Lewis had mixed feelings about the item.

“I want to be cognizant of the fact that we need to protect our residents, but I don’t want to cut off my nose to spite my face,” she said. “We get a lot of tax revenue, for our city and our schools, from the products these companies produce.”

Silva said he had concerns about the pipeline through personal experience.

“My No. 1 concern is safety for our city,” he said. “I grew up in Santa Maria’s Sunrise Hills where there were 

houses built on sumps and caused health problems although they were up to code.

“It gives me pause that we have a pipeline up to code for 1989. It’s not much to ask council to have this position not to have crude oil running though town.”

However, Sanchez said the city should stay out of it.

“I don’t think we should get into this fight,” he said. “For the safety things that happened, they have check valves now. [Sable] is going to be protective as anyone for that. They’re going to take good care of it.”

However, Lewis and Silva both answered that the city should at least make a statement to let people know where they stand.

“What message do we send if we don’t even give our input,” Silva said. “We can’t sit here and there will be no leak. I’drather take that position, we owe it to our city.”

“I prefer not to take a stance,” Sanchez said.

Silva eventually made a motion to submit a letter supporting the appeal, and Lewis seconded. The motion passed 2-1, with Sanchez appealing.

The City Council will meet next on Thursday, Feb. 27, at 6 p.m.

District 4 Special Election ratified

As part of its Consent Calendar for the Thursday, Feb. 13, meeting, the Buellton City Council passed three items to establish a Special Election for the District 4 council vacancy. The seat became vacant when District 4 City Councilmember David Silva was elected mayor in November.

The council voted in the Jan. 23 meeting to establish a special election for the seat when the remaining councilmembersdeadlocked on appointing to the seat to either Carla Mead or former Mayor Dave King.

The election will be mail-in only and take place on Aug. 26 for a partial two-year term. The nomination period will run from May 5 through May 30.

To run for City Council District 4, you must be a registered voter in District 4. The Buellton District Map can be foundat cityofbuellton.com/government/district-elections/. To take out candidate papers, please contact City Clerk Linda Reidat lindar@cityofbuellton.com or call (805) 686-7424 to schedule an appointment. 

VOTER REGISTRATION

To be eligible to vote at the Mail-In Special Election on Aug. 26, you must be registered to vote no later than Monday, Aug. 11. For more information regarding voter registration or to obtain a vote-by-mail ballot, visit countyofsb.org/164/Elections

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The Solvang City Council met on Monday, Feb. 10, for its regular meeting, and it was an item on the council’s Consent Calendar that seemed to get the most attention.

Of course, it was a subject that’s been on the minds of citizens speaking out on the non-agenda Public Communication: The “Builder’s Remedy” application to build a 100-unit apartment complex on Alamo Pintado and Old Mission Road in Solvang, known as the Wildwood development.

The Consent Calendar item was to approve an agreement with Rincon Consultants, Inc. to prepare an Initial Study and prepare documents for California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) compliance in connection and start toward an Environmental Impact Report for the total amount not to exceed $252,272. 

Public Communication, as usual came before the Consent Calendar, and residents who have repeatedly voiced their opposition to the Wildwood project, objected again on two counts.

The first speaker, Dennis Beebe, expressed his disappointment that the subject was relegated to the Consent Calendar, which are items usually meant to be approved without any discussion and as he said, “you can’t engage with the public on this, as we would like to.”

Beebe then continued on to his second objection: The choice of consultant for the study up for approval, Rincon Consultants.

“I don’t think the contractor, Rincon, has a good understanding of the scope of the project,” he said, pointing out that Rincon proposes just two parcels of the property, when the development is actually planned for five parcels; and that there were 12 studies Rincon planned for peer review, but Beebe said he couldn’t find those studies in the submitted application.

“So, I don’t think this contract is ready for prime time, and I hope you’ll ask the appropriate questions to resolve my concerns,” he concluded.

Subsequent speakers echoed Beebe’s concerns, all requesting that the item be pulled from the Consent Calendar, and put on the main agenda for a future meeting.

Steve Martin agreed there were many factors lacking in Rincon’s proposal, calling it “incomplete” and saying it “could well decide the fate of Wildwood by setting up an unjustified, improper approval” of the project.

When it came time for the Consent Calendar, council did pull the item (6d) concerning the consulting contract while unanimously passing the other consent items.

Planning Manager Rafael Castillo stated that the approval of the contract is just the next step to move it forward so that the project does eventually go before the council, and ultimately is open to public comment.

“The reality is that this is the next step; we need to meet the requirement to move the project forward,” Castillo said. “The EIR is that avenue. We need to move the project along.” Castillo noted the process would take 9 to 12 months.

Ultimately, Councilmember Mark Infante started a motion to approve the contract, but Martin immediately called for a point of order, saying that council couldn’t pass something without it being on the discussion agenda. However, Mayor David Brown and Assistant City Attorney Craig Steele said council was well within its rights to vote on the action, pointing out that the public had commented on it, and it had been pulled from the Contest Calendar for discussion by council.

Infante’s notion stood and was seconded by Claudia Orona. The motion passed 4-1 with Councilmember Louise Smith dissenting.

In other business, council listened to a presentation from Management Analyst Olivia Uribe Mutal proposing increased public surveillance in Solvang.

“While we have a very nice town here in Solvang, there has been an influx of crimes: Theft of tourists, vandalism in public bathrooms, gas siphoned from cars,” Uribe Mutal said. “All are crimes of opportunity, but could have been prevented by increase surveillance. I am seeking direction of expansion of video surveillance.”

Uribe Mutal mentioned possibilities like AI and cloud-based systems that would improve and ease search efforts. She said that could include technology like license plate ID cameras, wi-fi cameras, and drones.

Councilmembers had concerns with cost; when Claudia Orona asked Uribe Mutal the costs, she said it depended on many details of what they might want. That’s why she was requesting direction from council.

Elizabeth Orona expressed concerns about cost and privacy issues, while Infante wondered how much the city reallyneeded license plate ID cameras.

At the end, council instructed Uribe Mutal to get a couple of specific options to study on improving surveillance andthey could move on from there.

The meeting started off with an appearance by young Audrey Smith, the Solvang School student who won the honor of being Mayor for a Day. She was introduced by Brown and led the council in the Pledge of Allegiance, and also sat in the mayor’s chair for City Clerk’s presentation on the ins and outs of her job before departing. Brown said she would take tour of city facilities.

The next City Council meeting will be Monday, Feb. 24, at 6:30 p.m. 

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By Mike Chaldu

After three straight home playoff wins, the Santa Ynez High girls basketball squad is headed to Fresno next Friday, Feb. 28, to play for the CIF Central Section Division IV championship.

The No. 2 seed Lady Pirates outlasted No. 3 Matilda Torres High of Madera 49-42 in the semifinal matchup Thursday, Feb. 20, at the SYHS gym.

SYHS started off strong, jumping out to a 7-0 lead in the opening minutes and went to halftime with a 28-19 lead. The Lady Pirates started the third period moving up the lead to 31-19. After that, though, the visiting Toros ran off a 12-2 run to pull within 33-31.

SYHS was able to stave off Torres’s charge and with 5:34 left, Helina Pecile made a layup with a foul shot for a three-point play, and then on the next trip down the floor, Lexi Molera hit a three-point shot to put the Pirates up 43-35. Pecile hit four clutch free throws to clinch it for SYHS.

The playoff run has been enjoyable for the team this year, according to head coach Jennifer Rasmussen, especially after the disappointment last year when the Pirates were the top seed and lost in the second round.

“After last year, we made a goal that we would get past the second round, and we did so,” Rasmussen said. “We definitelywanted to win tonight, but if we hadn’t, at least we had gotten past that level. And I think that took off the pressure tonight.

“We just fought, we played together, and the girls just really focused on what we worked on in practice and played like a team.”

That focus will be tested Feb. 28 in Fresno, as the Pirates face top-seeded Immanuel High of Reedley. Game time will be 2 p.m. at Selland Arena.

The Eagles have shown so far their No. 1 seeding has been earned as they have posted lopsided wins over McFarland (70-6), Fresno (53-25) and Atascadero (67-29) on their way to the title game. Immanuel was 26-5 in the regular season and placed second in the Tri-County-Kings Canyon League with a 7-1 record.

Two days before the win over Torres (Feb. 18), SYHS defeated Coalinga 48-33 in a second-round win over at the SYHS gym.

Sophomore Kailani Ladera led the way for SYHS against Coalinga with 15 points to go along with 9 rebounds and 3 steals. Junior Helina Pecile added 9 points and 11 boards, while senior Kylie LaPoint had 9 points and 4 assists and junior Rylan Agin chipped in 10 boards and 6 assists.

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Santa Ynez High School got to celebrate some more CIF championship athletes on Jan. 23 as members of the Pirates girls golf team received their championship rings during a lunchtime ceremony in the high school’s meeting room.

The ceremony was anything new to the team, as they had the same ceremony last year after winning the title in 2023.

Administrators and family members, joined the golfers as they were introduced one-by-one by head coach Sara Ovadia and assistant coach John Nicholas and given their rings. The team members were Caralyn Barber, Katherine Becerra, Kacy Caplan, Sierra Freedman, Savannah Hudley, Mackenzie Phelan, and Addison West.

The squad successfully defended its CIF Central Section Division 2 title Oct. 29 in Visalia. The Pirates beat runner-up Atascadero by five shots, shooting a team score of 483. Cabrillo (522) and Lompoc (523) finished fourth and fifth, respectively. 

Ovadia also coaches the boys golf team, who has also won the last two CIF Central Section championships. The boys will soon start their season in hopes continuing the Pirates golf program’s amazing run.

The coach said her program is fortunate to have players coming in with prior golf experience.

“We had a few kids who played before high school, and that experience has built a solid nucleus for our team,” Ovadia said. “Then as they progressed, freshman would come in and our established players have been good at pushing them along. We’ve also had a couple who came from other sports who realized, if they put the effort in, could find success in this sport rather quickly.”

Ovadia will soon get started with the boys golf season, which starts March 4 with a match against Santa Barbara atSanta Barbara Golf Club. The Pirates play their first home match on March 6 against Cabrillo at the Alisal River Course in Solvang.

Boys basketball beats Nipomo for seventh straight win

The Santa Ynez boys basketball team is on a roll, as the Pirates defeated Nipomo 76-25 at home. Lucas Ollenburger led SYHS with 18 points in that game, along with 7 rebounds, while Jude Pritchard and Wesley Satterthwaite added 11 points each.

Before the Nipomo game, the Pirates posted a couple of non-league victories. On Jan. 28, they beat Orcutt Academy 78-42, with Ollenburger scoring 18 points in that game, while Pritchard (16 points) and Ikenna Ofiaeli (15) also had high scoring ouputs.

SYHS (15-8, 5-0 in the Sunset League) will return to action tonight (Feb. 4) at Righetti, who is just one game behind the Pirates at 4-1 in league. The Pirates close out the regular season with home games against Morro Bay (Feb. 7) and Cabrillo (Feb. 11). After that, Santa Ynez will find out its postseason seeding.

Pirates boys wrestling finishes dual-match schedule undefeated

The Santa Ynez boys wrestling team defeated host Nipomo 46-35 in its final dual match, finishing 5-0 in duals. The Pirates’ Carter Franson (pin), Curren Lane (pin) and Neal Cunningham (tech fall) posted wins, while the other SYHS winners were by forfeit.

On the girls side, Santa Ynez held an exhibition dual match against Nipomo. Team captains Malia Ortiz and Ariela Contreras, as well as junior Mary Carpenter, picked up wins for the Lady Pirates.

It was an emotional night for the Lady Pirates as they wrestled their final team event with Ortiz, the sole senior to take the mat against Nipomo, picking up a first-round fall, finishing her career undefeated in league duals. 

“Malia has been a captain, role model and dominant force on the team throughout her high school career and has set the bar high for future Lady Pirates,” girls wrestling head coach Chantalle Castellanos said.

Girls basketball battling in Sunset League

The SYHS girls basketball team played the two best teams in the Sunset League and unfortunately, lost them both.

The Lady Pirates fell to first-place San Luis Obispo 58-48 on Jan 31. However, SYHS got a good effort from Helina Pecile, who had 15 points and 12 rebounds, while Kylie LaPointe added in 9 points and 6 rebounds.

Three days before that, the Lady Pirates fell to second-place Cabrillo 47-27, with LaPointe leading SYHS with 10 points.

Santa Ynez (12-9, 3-4 in the Sunset League), will play their final home game tonight, against Lompoc, and will close out the regular season with road games at Paso Robles (Feb. 7) and Templeton (Feb. 11).

Soccer programs get mixed results last week

The Pirates boys soccer team defeated St. Joseph 2-0 on  Jan. 31, with goals scored by Cristian Sandoval and Abraham Corrales. SYHS (5-11-3, 3-2-2 in Sunset League). The team is in second place in the league, pending its regular season finale Feb. 7 at Lompoc.

On the girls soccer side, SYHS lost a close one to Cabrillo 3-2 on Jan. 28, with Hannah Ricci and Grace Vazquez scoring the Pirate goals. SYHS (6-8-1, 2-4 in the Sunset League) closes out its regular season with home games against Pioneer Valley (Feb. 4) and Santa Maria (Feb. 7). 

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The Santa Ynez Valley Elks Lodge, in collaboration with Santa Ynez Valley Union High School, is pleased to honor Sierra Freedman as the January Elks Student of the Month.

In the eighth grade, Sierra, like many other students,  found herself in the throes of the COVID pandemic. She didn’t want to do schoolwork at all and it took her until her sophomore year to recover from the negative effects of the pandemic. She now maintains a 3.6 GPA. The one thing that turned things around for Sierra was an early birthday gift of her dog, Koda! Koda brought her joy and helped her become more active.

Her love of animals got her involved in the ag program at the high school. She has helped her farm team all four years of high school, where she tends to the ewes and lambs, checking on them every morning and evening. She has been described by an ag teacher as the farm manager.

Sierra has been working since the age of 12 as a baby/petsitter as well as working at OstrichLand in Buellton as an animal caregiver.

Additionally, Sierra has played golf all four years on the SYHS team and helped the Pirates win back-to-back CIF championships in her junior and senior years.

Sierra loves spending her free time at the beach, golfing, and with her dog. Her favorite book is “Lord of the Flies,” her favorite class is veterinary science, her favorite concert is by Pink! and she would love to travel to Yellowstone.

Sierra will be attending Cal State Monterey Bay, majoring in marine biology or wildlife biology. She wants to work with animals, whether domesticated, wild, or marine. Her goal is to work in animal science and environmental conservation.

Santa Ynez Valley Elks honored Sierra with a check for $100. Congratulations!

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R & B funk band Tower of Power will make its return to the Chumash Casino Resort’s Samala Showroom at 8 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 14. Tickets for the show are $39, $49, $59, $69, and $79. 

Formed in 1968, Tower of Power is a 10-member band that has been performing and releasing music for almost 60 years. Currently featuring founding members Emilio Castillo and Stephen “Doc” Kupka, the group is known for its horn section and distinctive blend of funk, soul, and R&B. With a total of 26 studio albums, the band has featured an array of instruments over the decades, including saxophone, drums, keyboard, trumpet, trombone, and bass guitar.

Tower of Power earned the SoulTracks Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 and have had eight songs chart on the Billboard Hot 100, including hits like “You’re Still a Young Man,” “So Very Hard to Go,” and “Don’t Change Horses (In the Middle of a Stream).” From its first album, “East Bay Grease” released in 1970, to its most recent holiday album, “It’s Christmas” released in September of 2024, the group continues to be celebrated for their iconic sound and enduring legacy.

With one of the most influential horn sections in the music industry, the band has collaborated with numerous musicians across various genres, adding their signature sound to tracks by artists like Santana, Elton John, Rod Stewart, Stevie Nicks and more. 

Don’t miss an opportunity to experience this legendary band perform live in one of the most popular venues in Santa Barbara County.

Located on Highway 246 in Santa Ynez, the Chumash Casino Resort is an age 21-and-older venue. Tickets for all events are available at the THE CLUB at Chumash or online at chumashcasino.com

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For the third straight January, the Solvang Chamber of Commerce and Solvang Parks and Rec combined to provide an avenue for young Santa Ynez Valley residents to sell their homemade products, hone their budding business acumen, and for many display their creative talents.

The latest Jr. Entrepreneur Fair was held Jan. 17 at the Solvang Veterans Memorial Hall, the same site as the inaugural one in 2023. Last year, it returned to the Veterans Hall, and another Jr. Entrepreneur Fair was held in July during one of the city’s summer concerts at Solvang Park.

Solvang Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Tracy Beard said another fair is planned for summer again this year, and also during the Solvang Julefest in December, where “they can sell some neat holiday stuff.”

Among the participants in the latest fair were a familiar sibling duo. Finn and Maisie Curtis, were in the same spot and had the same cause as last year, giving out copies of Finn’s Santa Ynez Way magazine and seeking support for a theater project. However, that theater proposal has changed from a re-opening of the Parks Plaza Theater in Buellton to a new theater in downtown Solvang.

“Last year, we had the idea to open up the Parks Plaza Theater again, and I actually got together with people who wanted to buy the building,” Finn said. “However, that kind of fell through.”

However, Finn decided to keep the theater idea, but change it to a small complex somewhere in Solvang.

“I would like to get something in Solvang because it would be easier to get people in because of all the foot traffic they have in the downtown area,” he said. “In Buellton, they really don’t have many sidewalks because the main road is the highway. [In Solvang] it would be easier because of the tourists that come in, and we could find an existing building that’s already up to code, unlike the Parks Plaza Building, where it would cost some money to change things.”

While the Curtises were publicizing something that was still just a concept, many of the young entrepreneurs had products on the tables to sell, many of them made from scratch and reflecting hobbies and interests that inspired them.

Twelve-year-old Berkeley Brown is a fan of comics and and author Dav Pilkey, who is known for his series of books featuring characters like Dogman and Captain Underpants.

Berkeley had several stacks of homemade storybooks featuring his own characters, led by Trashman.

“I had heard about how some authors I read would just find a random object next to them and make a character out of it,” he said. “So when I decided to do that, first thing I saw was our trash can, so I created the character named Trashman. After that, all my character sort of spun off from him.”

Berkeley’s “books” are written multi-page stories (each connected with a single staple in the corner) with his ownillustrations on the front. In addition to Trashman, he has created characters like Heat Hawk, Space Kitty, and Judo, who he describes as a “tiger that knows karate.”

Next to Berkeley’s table, were a couple of friends — Joseph Brown and Mason Morton — who put their interest in 3D printing to good use. The two had a tableful of plastic products like wall outlets covers, figurines, keychains, and fidget contraptions. But their signature creation was a “marble run” that moved a marble up via a small conveyor belt and a path of gullets and ramps where the marble traveled to the bottom.

“I’ve been making stuff on the 3D printer for a couple years now,” Joseph said. “It was a small one and I got to print rings, and a year later I got one that prints four colors at a time, and then I got a better printer and was able to do better stuff.”

Among the other products being sold at the fair included baseball cards, orginal artwork, beaded bracelets.

Nine-year-old Levi Sanchez found an outlet for his artwork, selling T-shirts with the illustrations.

“I come up with these drawings, and then I send them to a website where I enter the designs and they print them on T-shirts and send them back to me,” Levi said. “Doing that helps you understand how there is money you need to spend in order to sell your stuff, and how you balance that with the money you charges for the product.”

Beard, took some time to address the crowd and participants, thanking them for coming to the event, and also handed out gift bags to all the young entrepreneurs with information on the Chamber of Commerce and gifts cards to be redeemed at local merchants. She also said there will be another Jr. Entrepreneur Fair this summer, with the date and location to be announced.

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After failing to agree on the appointment of a candidate to its District 4 vacant seat at its previous meeting, the Buellton City Council decided at its Jan. 23 meeting to hold a special election to fill the seat.

Carla Mead, a self-employed math tutor and wine ambassador for Rideau Winery who has served on multiple local boards and volunteer organizations, had expressed her interest in the seat early on and had met with the members of the current City Council, and stated her case at the Jan. 9 meeting. However, former Mayor Dave King, who had lost his reelection bid to David Silva (which created the District 4 vacancy) then expressed his interest in the vacancy. The councilmembers then deadlocked on the candidates, with Silva and Vice Mayor Elysia Lewis supporting Mead, and City Councilmembers Hudson Hornick and John Sanchez backing King.

Back to the Jan. 23 meeting, when council opened the item on considering appointment to the District 4 seat, Mead opened public comment by again stating her case to fill the position. However, with the talk the previous meeting of Mead being the desired “new blood” or “new voice” for the council, she made an effort to bridge any gap with the established council.

“While I generally embrace change as a positive force, I firmly believe that change should be purposeful and not done simply for its own sake,” Mead began. “When status quo goes unchallenged, things can get stagnant; however, that does not mean our existing methods and initiatives lack merit.”

Mead then went on to state her support to proposals brought by the previous council, of which King was a part, like the 100 trees initiative, safety measures along Highway 246. She also said she would support the idea of a newsletter, which Hudson has proposed.

Mead said one of her goals if she was on council would be to establish an economic development board (which she pointed out Hornick had suggested) and expanding community outreach with new commissions and boards that could encourage more people to get involved.

“With my experience, dedication, and collaborative approach, I’m confident I can contribute to the city’s growth and success,” Mead said in closing.

The remaining speakers in public comment, included those stating support for Mead (some of whom acknowledged King’s achievements on the council), but also some coming out for King, citing his experience (King did not speak on his behalf during this meeting).

One speaker stated his desire for the seat to be decided by an election, while others took the council to task for its heated debate in the previous meeting.

Also, one speaker familiar with Buellton city politics appeared to throw her hat in the ring: Victoria Pointer, who served on the City Council for the first 18 years of Buellton’s cityhood and was a former mayor herself, expressed her interest in the seat and disappointment in the previous meeting’s rancor.

“I’d like to throw in my name after hearing all the discourse two weeks ago,” Pointer said. “Personalities seem to get in the way of doing business. If I could help bridge any gaps, I’m here for you.”

When discussion returned back to council, Hornick asked City Manager Scott Wolfe what the costs of a special mail-in election for August, to avoid having to wait for November to fill the District 4 seat. Wolfe said City Clerk Linda Reid told him that it would be $30,000 to $35,000.

“To clarify, I think the only fair way [to fill the vacancy] is an election,” Hornick said. “I still maintain King is most qualified, and 1,200 people voted for him [in the last mayoral election]. I think we can put on our big-boy pants and hash this out.”

However, Silva (who was participating in the meeting remotely from Sacramento) still maintained that Mead was getting the most support from District 4 residents.

“I want to make sure the will of D4 reflected as much as possible,” he said. “Overwhelmingly, District 4 supports Mead; if we want to get people involved we need to recognize support.” Hornick replied that although he felt the support for Mead was impressive, email support was not the same as votes.

When Lewis spoke, however, she came out more open to an election than she was two weeks earlier.

“Last meeting, felt like we would be successful. Since then, I’ve received flood of emails. Still at the point I favor a special election despite the cost,” she said. “I feel we’re hearing from D4 and not listening. If there is an election, there’s no question.

“The council having a special election would temper passion and feelings, and make it feel transparent. Keep our working relationships intact, give the new person the right start.”

When Sanchez spoke, he brought up the subject of district votes and wondering if anyone really knows who District 4 supports, and brought that no one know how many in District 4 voted for Silva and King in the mayoral election.

Things got contentious between Silva and Sanchez again, when Silva reiterated his view that any votes in District 1-3 aren’t relevant for a District 4 rep, and Sanchez then took Silva to task for his mayoral bid.

“The reason we’re having to do this is because you didn’t finish your four-year term [in District 4],” Sanchez said.

When Lewis asked to keep things civil, Silva answered back to Sanchez, “I appreciate your feedback, and appreciate your No. 1 goal seems to be to mitigate an election result you disagree with.”

At that point, Hornick stated it would be “prudent” to agree to the special election in August, and made the motion for it, with Lewis seconding. Motion passed 3-1, with Silva dissenting.

Wolfe said a resolution would be brought at the next meeting on Feb. 13 that a special election for the District 4 vacancy would be Aug. 5, and would be mail-in only.

The post Buellton City Council opts for special election to fill District 4 vacancy appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

The outbreak of destructive fires in Southern California, most notably the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades and Malibu and the Eaton Fire in the Pasadena area, is making its presence known up and down the state.

However, the catastrophe south has also given people outside the fire areas the chance to step up and offer assistance topeople and creatures of all kind. And that spirit has definitely emerged in the Santa Ynez Valley.

A big part of that relief effort has shown itself at the Santa Ynez Valley Humane Society facility in Buellton.

The SYVHS has welcomed in seven dogs that were up for adoption in Los Angeles-area shelters, according to Animal Care Supervisor Ally Boswell.

“In fact, two of them have already been adopted,” she said. “And there are others looking for a good home.”

Boswell said when the fires started up, SYVHS contacted shelters and offered to take some dogs in. She also pointed out that the dogs moved up to the Valley were one already up for adoption, rather than those displaced by the fire and are trying to reunite with their families.

“When this sort of thing happens, we have a network that we call partner shelters,” Boswell said. “We have a list of shelters and if they’re in an area that’s in trouble, we can go to that list and contact any of them to see if they need to move any pets.”

Boswell said they got their dogs from shelters in Pasadena, one that’s run by the city of Los Angeles, and another that’srun by LA County.

The Humane Society’s efforts didn’t stop with housing pets; it also organized a donation drive with food and supplies for pets in the fire areas.

“It was huge. We had our van completely full of stuff,” Boswell said. “We had a volunteer bring his pickup with a 4- by 8-foot trailer, and another volunteer who brought his van, so we were able to get it all down there.”

Boswell said that relief groups down in the fire area have requested people to bringing stuff because they’re already overwhelmed.

“They have more than they need in goods, but they’re still taking monetary donations,” said Boswell, who suggested anyone who wants to contribute should google “LA animal shelters” and find links to donate directly.

For the donation drive, Boswell said the SYVHS had an ally in Buellton Garage, located at Highway 246 in the shopping center where China Panda restaurant and Subway are located.

“They’ve had a bin there for people to drop off stuff, and we just picked that up to add to our stuff,” Boswell said.

Leslie Sherrill, operations manager for Buellton Garage, said the business frequently gets together with the SYVHS for adoption events and donations.

“We had an adoption drive here where they brought some pets,” Sherrill said. “We donated some of our proceeds from the day to help them out. We just love what they do and like to help, and it’s our way of giving back to the community.”

Having two entities work together like that illustrate what makes the SYV such a desirable place to live, according to Boswell.

“When you have something like this, it seems that everyone wants to come and help,” she said. “That’s what makes this such a great community.”

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