By Mike Chaldu

michael@santaynezvalleystar.com

For the second straight year, the Santa Ynez High girls basketball team will be headed to Fresno’s Selland Arena to vie for a CIF Central Section championship.

This year the Pirates are in the Division V bracket, seeded No. 5, and will be playing No. 3 seed Rosamond High, on Saturday, Feb. 27. This year, Pirates head coach Jennifer Rasmussen is confident her team can seal the deal after falling in the 2025 Division IV championship game.

“We were there last year [losing to Central Valley power Immanuel High of Reedley], they’ve been there before, and this time they just have to do their job and win the game,” Rasmussen said during the Pirates’ Thursday practice, their last before leaving Friday for Fresno.

Santa Ynez and Rosamond are scheduled for a 10 a.m. tipoff, the first of six championship games (three girls, three boys) to be played at Selland Arena on Saturday.

The Pirates (15-10, 4-6 in the Sunset League) earned their berth to the title game on Friday, Feb. 20, by knocking out the top seed of Division V, Coalinga High, overcoming a halftime deficit to defeat the Horned Toads 62-55.

Coalinga, whom Santa Ynez beat in the second round of the playoffs in 2025, came in as co-champions of the West Sierra League with a 23-8 overall record, but the Pirates were able to overpower them in the second half to erase a nine-point halftime deficit.

“I thought we controlled most of the game, but we had a letdown in the second quarter, which I don’t know why, but we have one quarter when we let down a bit,” Rasmussen said. “At halftime, I just stressed one basket at a time and just stop them and then score, and when we came out for the second half, that’s what we started doing, and we just played great team ball like we did to start the game.”

The Pirates allowed just eight points in the third quarter, which ended with them down just 39-37, and then scored 25 in the final quarter to overtake the Toads for the win.

Helina Pecile was the top scorer for SYHS with 16 points, while Rylan Agin added 14, and Jazmine Juarez 11. Pecile and Elliette Rasmussen brought down 7 rebounds each to tie for the team lead.

Before beating Coalinga, the Pirates traveled all the way up to Bishop and defeated host and No. 4 seed Bishop Union 47-25.

As the SYHS prepare for Rosamond, Rasmussen noted that her team is going into the title game with a little more rest, as the Pirates beat Coalinga on Feb. 20, but the Roadrunners played their semifinal against Corcoran this past Tuesday, Feb. 24. However, the coach admitted that there could be drawbacks.

“I appreciated the additional rest, but at the same time, we haven’t been used to taking off a week between games,” Rasmussen said. “We’re almost to the point we’re running out of things to do in practice; however, I think we’ll be OK.”

Rasmussen said she has had the chance to see some footage of Rosamond.

“They’re a 3-point shooting team like we are, and they have a physical defense,” she said. “But I think we can run with them.”

The game is scheduled for 10 a.m. in Fresno, and is being offered on streaming through the NFHS Network website, which specializes in high school games. Viewing of the game requires a paid subscription. To get access, go to nfhsnetwork.com, or you can click a link on www.maxpreps.com/ca/santa-ynez/santa-ynez-pirates/basketball/girls/

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The Buellton City Council, in its Thursday, Feb. 12, meeting, heard and then ultimately approved new Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) guidelines in an effort to improve communications to developers about what will be expected, and to claim more local input on developments on roads like Highway 246, the main drag of the city that’s under Caltrans jurisdiction.

Councilmember Elysia Lewis and City Manager Scott Wolfe were absent from this meeting.

The Business Item 8 was the first of two on the agenda, and ultimately, the only one it took action on.

In introducing the item, Contract City Planner Irma Tucker said that city staff was instructed in May 2025 to work with traffic engineers to update the Interim Traffic Impact Analysis guidelines that were adopted in 2020-21. Buellton’s Public Works and Planning Department staff worked with Associated Traffic Engineers (ATE), a Santa Barbara consulting firm, and the General Plan Update team.

Tucker said the new TIA guidelines “represent a more user-friendly and implementable tool for traffic impact evaluation, with standards that reflect traffic, circulation, and mobility issues specific to Buellton.”

Among the key policy and operational issues are implementation into the city’s General Plan update, addressing the needs of Buellton’s small-town nature and location at the crossroads of two major highways, and identifying realistic assessment thresholds and standards in regards to major development projects planned along Highway 246.

Tucker identified two main aspects of the new guidelines are a Local Traffic Study (LTS), which would generally be required for all development projects in Buellton, and a Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) study, which may or may not be required and assesses how a new project could affect the distance a motorist may have to travel with the new development installed.

“The LTS is the most sensitive to local circumstances and consistency with city policy and gives the city the most local control with how traffic issues are mitigated,” Tucker said.

During council questioning, Councilmember Hudson Hornick asked about certain exceptions made for the LTS requirement along Highway 246 intersections, including Highway 101, Avenue of Flags, and McMurray Road, among others. Tucker said they had a lower standard (LOS D) because they were the busiest intersections and there is limited ability to make required changes to reach the regular standard, and ability of approve development.

“Sounds like you’re striking a balance between getting developments approved and the limitations on what developments can reasonably do; is that fair to say,” Hudson said. Tucker replied that it was an accurate statement.

Tucker added that another aspect of the congestion is that traffic going slower across town can benefit businesses.

“Businesses can thrive on going slowly by and seeing your business, instead of just flying by,” she said.

Mayor David Silva pointed out that the VMT, which he said was a greenhouse gas issue, could offset the declining effectiveness of the state CEQA requirements.

“At some point, CEQA was a really great tool to block development; over time state has weakened that,” he said. “Now we have created objective standards for LTS; predictable, developers now know. As CEQA becomes less utilized, we’ve strengthening local ability to examine that in more efficient, objective standards.”

However, Councilman John Sanchez interpreted that to mean the new guidelines could be used to stop development, as CEQA has had the repuation of doing.

But Silva answered back that, “As CEQA becomes less utilized, we’ve strengthening local ability to examine that in more efficient, objective standards.”

City Attorney Greg Murphy then chimed in that the role of CEQA, and the LTS standards, is misconstrued.

“CEQA was used by people to stop development,” he said. “CEQA not meant for that — it’s to study impact and mitigate them. CEQA is about studying impacts.”

Vice Mayor Carla Mead has praise for the new standards before it went to vote.

“I feel this is being proactive,” she said. “I asked what’s best way to get developers to Buellton, it is to get standardized policies that are clear, so builders know.
Having this proactive policy makes their job easier, that’s where developers want to be. It helps us greet people who want to invest in this city.”

The council was scheduled to hear Business Item 9, adopting Resolution No. 26-02, which would raise the city’s employee insurance contribution to $2,190 from the current $1,800. However, Sanchez recused himself due to having a finanical interest in the matter, leaving three councilmembers to hear the item.

Then, Hornick request to table the item because he wanted to ask questions about the topic to Wolfe, who was absent. Murphy then informed the council that unless the vote on the item was unanimous, it wouldn’t be able to pass because two votes is less than the majority required to pass an item. With that, the council decided to table that item for a future meeting.

The next Buellton City Council meeting will be Thursday, Feb. 26, at 6 p.m.

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Live music and nighttime business suddenly emerged as a main topic at the Solvang City Council’s Monday, Feb. 9, meeting — more specifically, how a recently installed $200 temporary use permit is affecting the city’s nighttime businesses to provide that music.

During Public Communications, Lisa Mesa, who along with her husband Alfred has owned and operated The Good Life craft beer and wine establishment, told the City Council the TUP was adding another difficult expense to her business, and others in town who like to provide people a place to go and listen to live music after 6 p.m.

“I’m hear to speak for the businesses that give this city a heartbeat after the sun goes down,” Mesa said. “I ask the city reconsider the $200 temporary use fee requirement for businesses hosting live music. Adding a reoccurring financial hurdle is a step in the wrong direction for our local economy.”

Mesa, whose business is located on Mission Drive in the middle of Solvang’s tourist district, said the TUP fee is another tacked on to expenses that are already making it difficult for nighttime businesses to operate.

“The cost of doing business has reached a breaking point, and small businesses here have been squeezed from every side,” Mesa continued. “We have increases in business license fees, rents continue to climb. This fee might seem nominal, but to us it’s another death by 1,000 cuts.”

Mesa pointed said her establishment has hosted live music “every Saturday night for 14 years” without any trouble.

“We have not had any noise complaints or visits from law enforcement or safety, and thousands of happy guest who stayed in Solvang and extra hour or two,” she said. “I ask the council to remove the $200 fee on places that host live music. Let’s not put a price tag on the vibrancy of our town.”

Another local business owner, Peter Lancucki, who operates Final Girl Wines, also requested the fee be removed and pointed out the music at businesses like his and Mesa’s are not very disruptive.

“The thing is, the events in the [Solvang] park have bands that are louder, although I really like those too,” he said. “There’s always people asking ‘what is there to do after 6 in Solvang?’ Well, we’re providing that. The city is always spending money to bring people here, but you put barriers to have nightlife.”

Also speaking was Keith Cox, a part-time musician from Santa Maria, who said the fee could bring an end to live music at local hangouts.

“The fee is punitive for businesses, who also have to pay BMI, and ASCAP licensing fees for cover bands,” he said. “It’s very expensive, and three out of five venues have stopped playing music.”

Councilmembers could not formally discuss the matter at the meeting because it was not on the agenda; however, after Mayor Dave Brown and Councilmembers Claudia Orona and Elizabeth Orona expressed interest in revisiting the issue during Ex Parte Communications, it was announced that staff would work on getting an item on the agenda for a future meeting.

As for agenda items, the council heard a Mid-Year Budget review and budget adjustments from Administrative Services Director Wendy Berry. The budget has benefited from the Tourist Occupancy Tax (TOT) to the tune of $1.4 million so far in the fiscal year, which after expenses came to a change of $1.195 million for the current budget.

Elizabeth Orona asked about a line of $132,000 for addtional water pumping, which Berry said was due to the city having to pump more water with the lack of rain so far in the year. Claudia Orona later pointed out a discrepancy in the legal fees budget, which turned out to be a typo, with the actual figure being 411,000.

Ultimately, the council voted 5-0 to accept the budget adjustments with the corrected typo.

In the second, and final, discussion item, Public Works Director Bridget Paris introduced a budget adjustment to enable a citywide curb marking inventory project.

The Citywide Curb Marking Inventory Project is designed to create an inventory that will document, including through photographic evidence, existing curb conditions, such as curb color, restriction type, signage presence, and segment length. The resulting data will provide a reliable baseline for evaluating on-street parking capacity, curb utilization, and roadway marking needs.

The database and mapping will also support future development of a Curb and Street Marking Code, informed by California Vehicle Code requirements and best practices, to clarify installation criteria and enforcement standards. Findings will be used to analyze where curb markings may be installed, modified, removed, or maintained and to inform future temporary
and permanent parking strategies.

Councilmember Mark Infanti, who said he liked the project, moved to approved, with Claudia Orono seconding, and the item passed 5-0.

The City Council will meet next on Monday, Feb. 23, at 6:30 p.m.

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It’s not often — or ever, for that matter — that you expect to see local mayors and councilmembers jump into the pool in support of a new aquatic center, but in the early morning of Feb. 7, that’s exactly what happened at Santa Ynez High School.

The occasion was the SYV Community Aquatics Foundation’s Polar Bear Plunge, which highlighted the foundation’s effort to build a new two-pool Aquatic Center to replace the single-pool complex where the Polar Bear Plunge was held.

The occasion was attended by several members of the Solvang and Buellton city governments, including Solvang Mayor David Brown and Buellton Mayor David Silva. The two then kicked off the plunge by doing cannonballs into the pool, with Silva wearing some floaties to get into the spirit of things. They were followed by City Councilmembers Claudia Orona (Solvang) and John Sanchez (Buellton) and Solvang City Manager Randy Murphy, SYVCAF President Lisa Palmer, and Buellton Rec Coordinator/SYVCAF Board Member Kristen Thomsen.

After that Valley residents of all ages were invited to jump in and enjoy the current SYHS pool for about an hour as coffee and donuts were served and information on the proposed Aquatic Center and signups for current aquatic programs were made available.

Before all the officials cannonballs, Palmer was able to kick off the series of speakers by the pool by making a promised “big announcement” that the fundraising campaign, which has a $13.7 million goal, has passed a notable milestone.

“I’m happy to report we have gone past the $5 million mark,” Palmer said as the crowd applauded. “We reached the mark after a $250,000 donation from the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians.”

Another big part of that $5 million was a joint agreement by the cities of Solvang and Buellton, who will share in the management of the Aquatic Center, and earlier this year agreed to each pledge $500,000 toward the project.

“We’ve been hearing for almost decades the need for a new pool,” Buellton Mayor David Silva said. “But this is more than just building a pool, it’s providing access. That means access for student-athletes to have first-rate facilities, access for students and community members to learn about aquatics”

“I think the effort to bring it this far has shown the courage and tenacity of this group,” Silva continued and lauded Palmer for spearheading the effort.

Solvang Mayor David Brown said the progress of the project is an example of neighboring communities working together.

“It’s not just the fundraising and putting the pool together, but all of us putting in a little bit and a little more,” he said. “This project mean safety for children, who will learn how to swim, therapy for seniors, and togetherness for a pool that serves the whole community.”

Also speaking on behalf of Santa Ynez High were District Superintendent Dr. Kimberly Sheehan, and SYHS aquatic athletes Atticus Heimerdinger and Jake Montejano.

Sheehan praised the support of the community for the school’s activities as well as academics, and said the development of top-notch facilities breeds success.

“Last year we were able to renovate the tennis courts, and last fall our girls tennis team won the CIF championship,” she said. “Last year we had donors put in the [sand] volleyball courts, and our beach volleyball team made it to the CIF semis.”

Sheehan added that the current pool used by the water polo and swimming programs aren’t up to CIF standards, so the athletes spend a lot of time on the road for playoff games. That point was echoed by Heimerdinger when he spoke.

“A new pool really would mean a lot to us,” he said. “Our pool does the job, but really needs a lot of work. A few days ago, the heater went down and we had to practice in freezing water, and I know the girls water polo team had to go to Lompoc every day for a week for practice and games because they couldn’t have games here.”

Heimerdinger also said there are plenty of aquatic athletes to come in the future who would love to have a new facility.

“I coach swimming at the YMCA, and there are a lot of kids who are passionate about swim, who are looking forward to swimming at the high school, and if they have this great new pool, I think it would bring out the best in them.”

The Aquatic Center, as projected would consist of two Myrtha pools — one a competition-ready 33-meter pool with the same depth all-around for water polo matches and swim meets. The addition of this pool would allow the SYHS programs to host postseason CIF events. The second one would be a warm 25-yard pool for fun, lessons, and fitness. The center would be located at the present pool location southeast of Rio Memorial Field and next to the SYHS gym.

According to the SYVCAF, the target date to raise the $13.7 million to build the center will be December 2026, with construction to hopefully begin sometime in 2027 once full funding is secured and building permits are secured, and the center to open in summer 2028.

For more information on the Aquatic Center project, its progress, and how you can keep track of the project, go to www.syvaquatics.org/

The post Mayors, councilmembers among those taking early plunge for aquatic center appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

How did they all do? Here the roundup:

Molera’s treys, team defense carries girls basketball over Taft

The Pirates girls basketball team finished the regular season with a 12-10 overall record, including 4-6 in the Sunset League, and earned the fifth seed in Division V and a home game in the first round.

SYHS drew 12th-seeded Taft in the first-round game on Feb. 14, and the Pirates’ defense made its presence known early, shutting out the visiting Wildcats in the first period, and then riding the hot hand of senior guard Lexi Molera on its way to a 58-27 victory.

Molera led the team with 23 points, on the strength of seven 3-pointers, which was one short of the school’s single-game record. In fact, with the game well in hand late, Molera’s teammates kept feeding her the ball to tie or break the record, although she fell one short.

“I’ve been trying to beat the record forever, and I got close but just missed,” Molera said after the game. “Once I hit the first, it just kept flowing.”

The Pirates defense also impressed, rolling to a 12-0 advantage at the end of the first period, and a 27-7 margin at halftime.

“We’re a very defensive team overall,” Molera said. “We have short guards so we’re always hand checking to keep them off-balance.”

Pirates head coach Jennifer Rasmussen was very happy with the defensive performance.

“They were hustling, and they were just dominant,” the coach said. “We had Helina Pelice out there and she’s really good at anticipating steals and being in the right place to stop them.”

Pelice added 9 points for SYHS and dominated the boards along with teammate Elliette Rasmuseen as they had 15 rebounds apiece.

It had to be a gratifying performance from Pelice, who continues to recover from a sprained ankle suffered a couple weeks earlier.

“Yes, she really picked it up tonight,” said Coach Rasmussen of Pelice. “I’ve been bringing her along slowly with the injury; I think tonight was the first time since the injury she’s put in a full game.”

The Pirates moved on to a second-round matchup and a long road trip to Bishop to play fourth-seeded Bishop Union on Wednesday, Feb. 18 (results were not available at press time). If SYHS was able to pull that out, they would be playing again tonight (Feb. 20) against the winner of No. 1 Coalinga and No. 8 Sanger West. If Sanger was able to pull off the upset the game will be at Santa Ynez, but if Coalinga wins, then its back on the road for the Pirates.

Ladera scores twice as Pirates girls soccer beats Lompoc

While many Central Coast schools get matchups with San Joaquin Valley teams during the CIF playoffs, for the SYHS girls soccer team, their opponents were very familiar: the Lompoc High Braves.

The Pirates, 10-2-2 on the season a first-place finish (7-1-2) in the Ocean League and the fourth seed in Division III, met a Lompoc team that was 5-11-3, and 2-4-2 in the Sunset League (fourth place).

SYHS dictated the pace of the game all night, and Kailani Ladera scored two goals to lead the Pirates to a 3-0 victory.

Though the Pirates have been successful all this season, head coach Rob Cantrell feels his team is just now hitting its stride.

“This is our 14th game, and with a usual 28-or-so game season these players are used to, we feel we’re at midseason,” he said. “We’re working through the things a team needs to be working on at a midseason level. Tonight, we didn’t depend so much on our front and midfield, but we brought the defenders into the attack. That’s what they call ‘total football.'”

Cantrell felt his team started out a little hesitant, but picked up their game shortly into the first half, and junior midfielder Kailani Ladera opened the scoring with a long-range shot into the top corner of the net in the 13th minute, and that 1-0 lead would hold until halftime.

In the 43rd minute, junior Isabella Rubio added to the Pirates’ lead taking advantage of a funny bounce of a Braves defender and put it in the net, and Ladera scored off a shot in the 75th minutes to close the scoring.

For its second-round game on Tuesday, Feb. 18, SYHS played another Central Coast school, Pioneer Valley (14-5-3, 4-3-1 in the Sunset), with the result unavailable at press time. The winner of that game played the winner of No. 1 Torres and No. 8 Reedley in Thursday’s semifinal.

Boys basketball eliminated by Bakersfield North

The Santa Ynez High boys basketball team saw its season end Friday, Feb. 13, in Bakersfield as North High Stars beat the visiting Pirates 52-44 in a first-round Division III contest. The home Stars were a seventh seeded, while the Pirates were No. 10.

Despite 21 points from Mason Skidmore, SYHS was battling from behind since North jumped out to a 7-2 early lead. Aside from a brief 29-29 tie in the third period, the home team lead for the entire game.

The Pirates (16-12, 6-2 in the Sunset League for second place) finished the regular season in strong fashion, winning seven out of their last eight before the first-round loss.

SYHS boys soccer falls to host Riverdale

Santa Ynez, ranked No. 12 in Division IV, lost to fifth-seeded Riverdale High 4-2 in a first-round game played at Lemoore High School. 

Santa Ynez went down to an early 2-0 deficit, until senior Marcos Rivera tied the score with two direct free kicks by halftime. 

However, Riverdale’s Xaidyn Camacho, who had three goals and an assist for the game, helped Riverdale regain the lead and the Cowboys got one more goal, to close it out.

The Pirates end at 7-5-4, 3-2-3 (third place) in the Sunset League. Rivera and Vince Guerrero, both seniors, led the team with six goals apiece on the season.

Six Pirate wrestlers advance to Central Section Masters

The Santa Ynez Pirates qualified six wrestlers for the Central Section Masters Tournament, taking place on Feb 20-21 at Fresno’s Selland Arena.

Dallana Margarito (145 lb. sophomore) took fourth at the Girls D2 CIF tournament to qualify. Joey Duarte (285 lb. junior) took second, Neal Cunningham (157 lb. senior) took third, Curren Lane (144 lb. sophomore) and Kaj Kretzschmer (175 lb. senior) took fifth and Hayden Pahler (165 lb. junior) took seventh at the Central Section D3 Boys CIF Tournament. Out of the 4 girls and 9 boys competing we had 6 qualify for Masters.

“The Pirates have been working hard all year and are performing their best in the postseason,” said Sean Yamasaki, the first-year wrestling coach. “I am beyond proud of this team and the effort they have put in and I am super excited for this next tournament and the future of our team.”

Some notable matches from the weekend were Hayden Pahler winning his seventh-place match with a last-second takedown to qualify for Masters. Luke Elliot, despite not qualifying had his best tournament of the year with two pins to make the second day of the tournament. And Neal Cunningham won his third place match in overtime.

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In its first season in the Ocean League, after two years in the Sunset, the Santa Ynez High girls soccer team seems to really be hitting its stride.

The Pirates are in the midst of a five-game winning streak, and seven-game unbeaten streak, and stands at 6-0-1 in the league, 8-1-1 overall

“It’s finally starting to come together,” said SYHS head coach Rob Cantrell. “We work really hard with some of the things we’re doing, and the girls are just playing for each other.”

That was in evidence on Jan. 23, when the Pirates beat Nipomo 8-0 in a game that saw five different players score for SYHS.

“I think we have a better chemistry this year,” Cantrell continued after the Nipomo game. “These kids have played with each other a long time.”

Assistant coach Julia Pritchard, a former player for the Pirates, said she senses a better attitude with the team.

“We’re connecting this year, and we found a calm,” Pritchard said. “I feel like past seasons were so hectic and out-of-place, and this year we found our groove.”

Some of that can be attributed to a bolstered coaching staff, as Cantrell recruited SYHS employee Polo Amador to join him and Pritchard on the sidelines.

“I finally got him to coach for us this year, and it allows us to see the game through three eyes,” he said. “We can see things differently, but with the respect we have for each other, the girls see that the and are buying into that. It’s just a real good synergy right now.”

In that win over Nipomo, Hannah Ricci scored four goals and assisted on three others, while Kailani Ladera had a goal and 3 assists of her own. Meanwhile, Campbell McClurg and Coral Murray scored their first goals of the season.

Ricci and Ladera currently have 7 goals apiece on the season to tie for the team lead.

The Pirates followed up the win over Nipomo with victories over Morro Bay (2-1) on Jan. 27 and Templeton (2-1) on Jan. 30. Ladera and Isabella Rubio had a goal apiece in each of those wins.

SYHS closes out the regular season schedule with three road games, starting with the one against Mission Prep that was played on Tuesday, Feb. 3. After that, the Pirates go to Morro Bay on Friday, Feb. 6, and Cabrillo on Tuesday, Feb. 10.

Boys soccer all even in league after loss to Nipomo

The Pirates boys soccer program lost to Nipomo 4-0 on Jan. 23, and stood at 2-2-2 in the Sunset League and 6-4-3 overall. The team took a week’s hiatus on the schedule and returned to action on Tuesday, Feb. 3, against Morro Bay, and will play its regular-season finale Friday, Feb. 6, at home against Templeton. Game time is 6 p.m.

Vince Guerrero leads the team in scoring, with 6 goals and and an assist for 13 points on the year, with Cristian Sandoval tallying 4 goals of his own. Mario Villegas has a team-high 5 assists.

Boys basketball continues to shine in league play

The SYHS boys basketball team traveled to Righetti on Jan. 30 and defeated the host Warriors 66-46 to raise its record to 4-1 in the Sunset League and 14-10 overall.

Mason Skidmore led the Pirates with 22 points in that game, with Jude Pritchard adding 14 points and 7 rebounds, and Lucas Ollenburger (12) and Gael Villalobos (11) also scoring in double figures.

SYHS played at Templeton on Tuesday, Feb. 3, and will close out the regular season with home games against Paso Robles on Friday, Feb. 6, and Tuesday, Feb. 10. Game time for both is 6:30.

Pirates girls basketball suffers third straight loss

The SYHS girls basketball team fell to Righetti 53-45 at home Jan. 30. It was their third straight loss and dropped them to 2-5 in the Sunset League and 10-9 overall.

The Pirates suffered an even bigger loss during its 41-29 defeat to Lompoc on Jan. 23 as one of their top players, Helina Pecile, went down with an injury. It was unclear at press time how long she would be out.

SYHS played a home game against Cabrillo on Tuesday, Feb. 3, and will end its regular season with road contests against Atascadero (Feb. 6) and Lompoc (Feb. 10).

The post Pirates girls soccer riding new ‘calm’ to undefeated league record appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

It’s not often you see the high-school wrestling coach handing out cookies to his wrestlers after a hard-fought couple of duals, but last week there was Sean Yamasaki, in his first season heading the Pirates program, distributing the baked goodies Jan. 28 after his boys and girls teams defeated Nipomo on their respective Senior Nights.

“My mom used to do that with me,” he said. “Back when I was in high school and wrestled, and even in college, she would come to the dual matches and always have a big batch of cookies for everyone. So, I’m continuing that.”

The days of Yamasaki wrestling competitively are actually not that long ago. He was hired by SYHS last summer shortly after graduating from San Francisco State with a degree in kinesiology with Cum Laude honors. He is also a 2020 graduate of Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta.

At SFSU, an NCAA Division II school, Yamasaki was named team captain and finished in sixth place at NCAA Super Region 6 tournament as well as third in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation conference tournament. At DPHS, he finished his high school career as one of only three wrestlers in Channel League history to be a four-time league champion.  He was also a three-time CIF Southern Section top 10 competitor.

And now, he is quickly transitioning from a student/athlete to a teacher on the wrestling match.

“It’s been a learning experience for me, I actually look like one of the students here, so it’s not always easy to tell my wrestlers ‘hey, you have to listen to me,” he said with a laugh.

Also, Yamasaki is learning how to take his knowledge and convey it to his athletes.

“When things come natural for me, it’s hard to think about and break it down to get them to understand the generic movements and how I can get them to understand what they’re supposed to be doing,” he said. “One thing I’m trying to do is think of key words to make them understand and finding terminology that clicks with them.”

If the boys and girls dual meets against Nipomo are any indication he seems to be making progress. The Pirate girls defeated the Titans 18-12 in a result that came down to the last match, and the boys dominated Nipomo to the tune of a 58-12 final score.

In the girls match, the Pirates had built a slim 15-12 lead thanks to pins from Willa Hansen at 120 lbs. and Patricia Silva at 155, as well as a decision by Dallana Margarito at 145.

The final girls match, at 170, pitted SYHS’s Andrea Garcia against Nipomo’s Anna Benitez. Garcia built up an 11-4 lead with less than two minutes left in the final period when Benitez was able to get the upper hand and tried to get Garcia’s shoulders to the mat for a pin that would have given the Titans the dual-match win. However, Garcia was able to hold off the pin attempt until time ran out and gain the decision and clinch it for the Pirates.

The boys match had no such suspense. The Pirates got pins from Cole Arrellano (113), Jake Montejano (120), Luke Elliott (132), Carter Franson (150), and Anthony Herrera (215), as well as major decisions from Curren Lane (144) and Neil Cunningham (157).

Three days after the Nipomo matches, the Pirates sent nine wrestlers to the CCAA League Finals in San Luis Obispo, with six placing in their weight classes.

For the girls, Willa Hansen placed sixth at 117, Dallana Margarito second at 147, and Andrea Garcia second at 172. For the boys, Luke Kruse placed third in 146, Jonathon Rodriguez second at 159, and Jack Kohne third at 167.

SYHS will compete in the CIF Team Tournament in Morro Bay this weekend, Feb. 6-7, and the weekend after, Feb. 13-14, will be the CIF tournaments in Hanford (Sierra Pacific High School, girls) and Fresno (Edison High, boys), where competitors hope to move on to the subsequent CIF Masters and State tournaments.

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For its regular meeting on Monday, Jan. 26, the Solvang City Council discussed land use at Mission Santa Ines, more specifically the 2024 zoning change made to give the mission more flexibility in use of its property.

In the item, the first of five discussion items on the evening, was prompted by public comment during the Nov. 10, 2025, City Council meeting. During that session, Char Goetz, who owns the Flying Miz Daisy Vintage Market that periodically operates on the mission’s property and also serves on the city’s Design Review Committee, stated her objections to what she saw as overly restrictive oversight by the city’s Community Development Department while conducting her event. She requested that the zoning return to its designation before the 2024 change.

In the Jan. 26 meeting, Community Development Director Rafael Castillo reported that the current land use and zoning framework, adopted in July 2024, with and supported by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, was intentionally crafted to convert the Mission from a non-conforming use to a conforming “quasi-public” facility while preserving parish activities, historic resources, and future flexibility. Staff also reviewed the Temporary Use Permit (TUP) process established under the 2024 Zoning Ordinance, which provides a streamlined and flexible mechanism for regulating temporary events on private property, and recommends no changes to the existing land use designations, zoning, or TUP regulations at this time.

The TUP allows for events such as the Vintage Market and the annual Fourth of July fireworks event to be held on mission grounds.

Castillo said prior to the adoption of the Land Use Map and General Plan, Mission Santa Ines was designated “Agriculture (AG)/Institutional (I)” (Figure 1). The Mission’s ancillary offices, and residential uses were located in the Institutional zone, considered an “allowed use”, and the remainder of the Mission was in the Agriculture zone, which required a conditional use permit (CUP) for meeting facilities, and the remainder was considered existing, non-conforming uses.

Castillo pointed out that the complaint was made by someone who was not the property owner or a representative, and that the zoning changes were approved by City Council in 2024 and supported by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, which has authority over the mission.

“So at this point, the city staff is recommending no change to any of the land uses that has been designated as part of the General Plan by the zoning ordinance,” Castillo said.

However, Councilmember Elizabeth Orona questioned whether the zoning was appropriate, suggesting that the mission receive its own zoning designation. “Something singular like with the Alisal Guest Ranch or the mobile home park,” she said.

City Manager Randy Murphy repeated that the current zoning is fine with the archdiocese, which then prompted Elizabeth Orona to ask if the local administration had been consulted on this. Murphy answered that the city just deals with the archdiocese in those matters.

“I have concerns that the mission administration haven’t been consulted,” Orona answered. “The church should have more jurisdiction than the city on what happens on their property.”

To that, Mayor Dave Brown, who said he is a parishioner at the mission, said the local administration approves of the current setup.

“I’ve talked to the priest,” Brown said. “We’re in agreement to keep it the same.”

Meanwhile, Goetz was present for the Jan. 26 meeting and spoke at public comment, agreeing with the notion that the local mission hierarchy should be consulted.

“I have a wonderful relationship with staff there,” Getz said. “While city staff collaborated with archdiocese, the mission staff themselves were not consulted. Talking to archdiocese is not adequate.”

Goetz also repeated her desire to revert to previous zoning designation.

Ultimately, council decided to table the discussion, and consult the local mission staff before bringing it back at a late date. No action was taken.

In other business, the council approved four first readings of regulations, all meant to “clean up” language and disrepancies in city ordinances. One was Ordinance No. 26-0388, Amending Certain Sections of Title 1 (Administration), Chapter 3 (General Penalties) and Title 4 (Business Regulations), Chapter 9 (Business Certificates) of the Solvang Municipal Code to strengthen enforcement tools.

City Attorney Chelsea O’Sullivan said the item is the city’s effort to increase enforcement tools, make them less of a “paper tiger.” Under the change, the default violation on a citation would be a misdemeanor instead of the lower standard of “infraction,” with O’Sullivan pointing out they can lower a charge to infraction when reviewing it. And while criminal citations are allowed in code enforcement, they aren’t issued as such unless in extreme cases.

Councilmember Claudia Orona asked about the possibility of bringing criminal charges for code violations and whether that was necessary. Murphy repeated the “paper tiger” term and said they were putting some teeth into it.

“How sharp are the teeth?” asked Claudia Orona. “Could I spend six months in jail for not taking out my A-frame out of public?”

O’Sullivan said that while the option of jail time is in the ordinance, she said there was no way a judge would issue that for a city code violation. The point of it, O’Sullivan said, is that it would require the violator to go to court to take care, adding some “gravitas,” to the citation and emphasizing the seriousness of it.

Ultimately, council voted 5-0 to pass the first reading.

The City Council will next meet on Monday, Feb. 9, at 6:30 p.m.

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GOOD MEDICINE
By Dr. Hyun K. Lee

In the traditional East Asian calendar, 2026 is the Year of the Horse, and more specifically, the Year of the Red Horse, also known as the Fire Horse Year. Each year in this calendar system is defined not only by an animal sign, but also by an elemental quality and color.

In 2026, both the zodiac sign Horse and the elemental stem represent Fire, which is traditionally associated with the color red. This is why 2026 is often referred to as the Red Horse Year.

The Horse symbolizes movement, speed, and forward momentum. Fire represents heat, activation, and expansion. When these two forces come together, the year is understood as one marked by strong energy, intensity, and rapid change. This description is not meant as a prediction of good or bad fortune. Rather, it is a way of describing the overall tone and rhythm of the year.

In traditional East Asian medicine, fire-related years are seen as times when heat-related patterns tend to surface more easily. People who are naturally sensitive to heat may notice symptoms such as facial flushing, restlessness, digestive discomfort, headaches, or sleep
disturbance appearing more frequently during such periods.

The key concept is balance. When external conditions emphasize heat and speed, the body and mind are more likely to become overstimulated. Overwork, lack of sleep, excessive exercise, alcohol, and spicy foods can amplify this effect, pushing the system beyond its natural limits.
This is why older medical traditions emphasized moderation during Fire Horse years. The advice was not to slow progress, but to control pace and intensity.

From a modern perspective, the message is remarkably practical. A year associated with strong momentum is not a reason for fear, but a reminder to manage energy wisely — to cool excess heat without suppressing vitality, and to nourish the body without feeding unnecessary fire.

When balance is maintained, a high-energy year like the Red Horse Year can become an opportunity for renewal, clarity, and realignment.

Dr. Lee’s office is located at 175 McMurray Road, Suite G, Buellton. Dr. Lee also has offices in Los Angeles and Paso Robles. To make an appointment, call (805) 693-5162 or (310) 666-8021.

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With the City of Solvang’s designation as the “Danish Capital of America,” many locals have taken interest in President Donald Trump’s recently stated desire to make Greenland, a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, to become part of the United States, arguing that Greenland is vital to U.S. security.

That idea has prompted opposition from Greenland itself, and many others worldwide, including the U.S.

On Saturday, Jan. 31, local demonstrators showed up at Solvang Park to protest the U.S. administration’s potential attempts in a rally titled “Hands Off Greenland! Solvang Stands With Denmark” — a community rally to affirm respect for national sovereignty, democratic values, and the longstanding cultural ties between Solvang and Denmark.

Solvang resident Peter Wright and Santa Barbara County resident Gary Caris were the main organizers of the event, but the person who got the ball rolling on it was a pastor from Simi Valley.

Rev. Jim Burklo is the pastor of the United Church of Christ of Simi Valley and former Senior Associate Dean of Religious and Spiritual Life at the University of Southern California, and has been a supporter of progressive causes.

When thinking about the situation in Greenland, Burklo said at the rally he thought Solvang would be a great location, knowing about the origin of the town founded by Danish settlers in 1911.

“This [Greenland] issue comes up and I’m thinking what can I do about it, and I’m thinking, of all places, Solvang would be a great place to hold something like this, with our affection for Denmark and our opposition to this invasion,” Burklo said. “So, I didn’t know anybody here, but I was able to call Peter and Gary, and they did most of the work.”

Carig maintained that while members of the Santa Ynez Valley Democratic Organization have helped to organize the rally, this demonstration was “a grassroots response to the widespread distress felt across the community. It
is for Solvang and for anyone who supports the rights and integrity of both Denmark and Greenland.”

“Of course, our town has close ties to Denmark,” Carig continued. “This is something that’s bringing the community together, not necessarily a left or right issue.”

During the event, protesters lined up with signs along Mission Drive in front of Solvang Park. Many displayed the sign given out by organizers that said, “Hands off Greenland! Solvang Stands With Denmark,” although some brought their own signs with sayings like “Greenland is not for sale,” and “LE’GO Greenland and Denmark,” alluding to Denmark’s famous toy building blocks.

As the group demonstrated, many motorists honked in support, although Burklo admitted a few gave “one-fingered salutes” from their vehicles.

Later on, a group of singers accompanied by Lompoc resident Bill Carlsen on guitar, led the crowd in songs like “We Shall Overcome,” and “We Shall Not Be Moved,” and also versions of “This Land is Your Land” and “Hallelujah,” with modified lyrics from Carig (“with apologies to Woody Guthrie and Leonard Cohen”) with references to Trump and the Greenland issue.

One attendee to the event was Karen Johnson, a retired first-grade teacher who had taught in the College District and at Solvang Family School.

“We want to support Greenland and Denmark, because of the Danish roots here, but because it’s really important,” she said. “I have a couple of Danish friends who couldn’t be here today, they had go up north, but they thanked us for being here in support of Denmark. And they were a country that helped in World War II and many do not know that they did a lot to hide Jewish people from the Nazis during that time, so, yeah, they need to be stood up for.”

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