By Pamela Dozois

Contributing Writer

A new art gallery, Galerie LaParliere, has opened in Solvang, specializing in decorative painting, intricate hand painted furnishings and décor, murals, trompe l’oeil, and fine and decorative art. It is the work of French artist Maryvonne LaParliere.

For more than 30 years, LaParliere has built an acclaimed career, with both international and American clients. She has worked for the Orient Express Hotel chain, several universities, and hospitals, for diplomats, celebrities, estates, and chateaux. Her work has also been featured in numerous exhibitions and in local and international media.

Born outside of Paris, France, LaParliere spent her childhood near Rueil-Malmaison, where Monet and Renoir painted. She said she was inspired by their work and the beauty of her surroundings, which fed her artistic sensibilities. She knew from a very young age that she wanted to be an artist.

“At 16 my family moved to the Loire Valley with its charming villages and beautiful Chateaux filled with art, which I so enjoyed,” said LaParliere. “I then went to study at Les Beaux Arts in Tours, France.

“I learned how to paint when I was a teenager and started out doing portraits and landscapes. But I felt confined by a little piece of canvas, so I started painting furniture for fun.”

In 1988, LaParliere moved to Santa Barbara, where she began restoring furniture and painting full scenes on them. Her art was noticed by Beverly Hills celebrities and she was commissioned to do furniture paintings, trompe l’oeil, and murals. She had become adept at translating a family’s history into murals or turning an armoire, table, desk, or cupboard into beautiful works of art, personalized to her clients. She also exhibited her work and was active in the art world. She was then commissioned to create 70 feet of murals at the Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital.

LaParliere moved from California to Virginia, opening up galleries in Charlottesville and Gordonsville where she displayed her work from 1995 to 2010. Then, she moved back to Santa Barbara in 2010. 

In 2010, after a solo exhibition at the French Embassy, LaParliere was decorated by the French Ambassador as a “Knight in the Order of the Palms” in recognition of her work and for bringing French culture to so many in America.

She remained in Santa Barbara until 2015 when she again moved back to Virginia and got married. But the call of Santa Barbara was strong and she returned to California and the Santa Ynez Valley at the beginning of COVID.

“As everything was shut down I started painting a lot of things in my house, such as faux tiles which surround the exterior windows of my patio,” she said. “They look like real tiles, but they are painted on the wall. I kept busy painting — painters can never stop painting, you know. I continue to explore the field of decorate art, creating wall frescoes in the Greek and Roman style, faux finishes and decorating old wood with angels and other figures.”

LaParliere signed a lease in April and set up her new gallery in May. Upon entering Galerie LaParliere, one has the sense of entering a new, brightly colored, fantasy old-world establishment that instantly instills a sense of happiness and lightness. It is an extension of LaParliere’s own personality.

LaParliere painted one of the many horses on display throughout the Valley. Unfortunately, hers was stolen from the corner of Highway 246 and Sagunto Street in Santa Ynez.

Galerie LaParliere will be holding a ribbon cutting ceremony from 4 to 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 26. The gallery is located at 485 Alisal Road in Solvang, on the second floor, Suite 209.

For more information, visit laparliere.com, mv@laparliere.com or call 434-962-3407.

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“154 & Paradise,” a play by Gerald DiPego, will be staged Sept. 22-24 and Sept. 28-30 at Center Stage Theater in Santa Barbara’s Paseo Nuevo Center. There will be eight performances, three weekend matinee and five evening performances. The play will be directed by Peter Frisch. 

The play is about a fictional fatal accident on the San Marcos Pass, and all the people who had any contact with the deceased during his final day are assembled in a room by an “examiner.” It is a stark drama with a bit of magical realism. Showtimes are 2:30 for the matinees, and 8 p.m. for the evening shows, except Thursday, Sept. 28, which will be 7:30 p.m. For showtimes and to get tickets, visit www.ticketor.com/cstheater/tickets or call (805) 963-0408.

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By Pamela Dozois

Contributing Writer

Tucked away in a charming little alcove, unofficially named Fairytale Lane, is the newest fine art gallery in Solvang, called A. Alvarez Fine Art Gallery and Art Studio.

His parents naming their son “Art” seemed to foreshadow the career path he would take in life, one of a lifelong dedicated artist. Alvarez has been painting since 1980, but his love of art started in childhood.

Alvarez likens his life story to that of Forrest Gump with surprise encounters with “just the right people” at “just the right time.”

“I was one of those kids who couldn’t put a pencil down and was constantly getting into trouble drawing monster hot rods,” said Alvarez who, in his youth, considered himself a rebel artist.

He attributes some of his artistic inspiration to his seventh-grade teacher, Marjorie Hasley, who was not only a teacher, but an artist in her own right. She saw that he had talent and supported it.

Born and raised in Santa Ynez, Alvarez moved to Modesto after graduating from Santa Ynez Valley Union High School.

“At that time, I didn’t know I was an artist and attended Turlock College, focusing on business,” he said.

His parents, Leo and Elvira Alvarez, arrived from Jalisco in the 1950s. Leo gradually built a small empire, selling animals to stockyards while his wife raised their daughter and six sons.

“I was a first-generation American and, of course, like any parent, they wanted me to go into a field they thought would be lucrative and secure and art was definitely not in the cards,” said Alvarez.

Alvarez quickly landed a job with Foot Locker when the brand was new to the athletic scene, having only 40 stores in the country at the time.

“Because I had played football and baseball in high school, it was so easy for me to know what the athletes wanted and I sold everything the store carried,” said Alvarez. “I went from assistant manager to manager within four months.”

However, Alvarez fell into the art scene in a decidedly unexpected way, while on an outing to a car show in Turlock.

“I made friendships with all the managers in the mall, and one day we decided to go to a car show,” explained Alvarez. “It was the first time I had ever been to a car show. They were few and far between at the time. My jaw dropped when I saw a guy painting a car on T-shirts using a metal tube, which blew out colored mists of paint. It was the first time I had ever seen airbrushing and from that moment on, I was hooked. 

“I saw all these hot rod T-shirts with crowds of people standing around watching the artist painting them. I also saw a lot of money changing hands. I thought to myself, ‘I can do that,’ eased up to the artist, and asked a few questions. He knew immediately that I was potential competition. He saw the wheels in my head turning and he made it seem like he had the corner on the market and there was no room for me.”

However, that meeting did not deter Alvarez.

“The next day, first thing, I went to Aaron Brothers in Modesto and tried to explain to the store manager what the instrument the artist had been using the previous day looked like,” said Alvarez. “She told me it was an airbrush, but that I had to wait until the next day to purchase one. She recommended that I speak to an older gentleman the following day to learn more about airbrushing.

“Bright and early the next day I was at the old gentleman’s counter and he sold me everything I needed to get started airbrushing.”

Alvarez said he got hooked on it immediately.

“I took it all home and didn’t sleep for two days — I was so excited, I couldn’t stop airbrushing and having fun, creating, and learning how to control the instrument,” said Alvarez. “Two weeks later I returned to Aaron Brothers to show the older gentleman what I had created and he asked, ‘Who is teaching you?’ and I said, ‘Myself.’ He said my work looked great but that I needed a little help with the finer details and he showed me how to adjust the instrument to create a finer line.”

On the advice of his new-found mentor, Alvarez worked for another three weeks practicing with the pen and learning how to mix the paint. He returned to the store to show the man what he had done and the man, Alvarez said, was “absolutely amazed.” He asked Alvarez to return the next day as he had something to show him.

“As I approached his counter, he pulled out five illustrations of automotive design. It turned out that he was an automotive illustrator who worked for major automotive companies in the ad department,” Alvarez said. “He was an airbrush expert. That opened my eyes to a new genre: airbrushing. Three weeks later, I was selling my airbrushed T-shirts at an outdoor swap meet in Ceres, California — right out of the back of my car. Within a three-month period, I was making more money in one or two days at the swap meet than I made as a manager at Foot Locker. 

“So, I started doing car shows in Los Angeles and worked with ‘Big Daddy’ Ed Roth, who was my childhood hero and is considered the father of airbrushing and hot rod building. I toured with Ed for two years and became a top airbrush apparel artist opening a store in Puente Hills Mall, California. where ‘Back to the Future’ was filmed.”

By that time Alvarez was enough of a circuit celebrity that airbrush manufacturers hired him to demonstrate their products at shows. Exhibiting his art work at an art show in Anaheim, representatives from Disney were scouting for background artists to work on “Beauty and the Beast,” creating dioramas for windows on Main Street in Disneyland. They saw his work and offered him a job in their Sign Department. 

“What was a three-month job turned into a five-year stint with Disneyland in Anaheim,” said Alvarez. “I loved the Disney characters, there was so much life in them. And being associated with even the park’s Sign Department was a dream come true for me.”

At Disneyland, he continued to hone his art.

“At Disneyland, I spent my breaks recreating Disney artwork around my cubicle and around my art station,” continued Alvarez. “One day some Disney Imagineers and executives came by and saw my artwork and asked why I was working at Disneyland and not at the Walt Disney Studio. They recommended me to become an apprentice for Eddie Young, a senior illustrator designer working freelance for the Disney Company. He hired me as an apprentice and that’s where I learned how to do Disney illustrations the ‘Disney way.’ Three months later, I had surpassed him as an illustrator of Disney characters. Young arranged for me to show my work to art directors at Disney’s Burbank offices.”

Alvarez interviewed for the upcoming international home entertainment release of “Pocahontas” and three months after quitting Disneyland, he was the senior illustrator/designer for that movie. At a screening of a couple of clips to the marketing and creative people, Alvarez was handed a copy of the “Pocahontas” marketing guidelines. The credits read “Art Director — Vivian Guzman, Illustrator — Art Alvarez.”

“Suddenly, I was hit by a wave of emotion,” said Alvarez. “Everything I’d been working for was right there in the words ‘Illustrator — Art Alvarez.’ I wanted to go out into the hallway and scream at the top of my voice like I’d just won the Academy Award for artistry. It was a great feeling.” 

Alvarez said that he knew that when he saw that airbrush for the first time that that’s what he wanted to do with his life — he wanted to be the very best airbrush artist and Alvarez has accomplished his goal. He is being inducted into the Airbrush Hall of Fame this summer.

“What I did with airbrushing I now am doing with oils. I am focusing on creating fine art in oils with the same motivation that I had at the very beginning,” said Alvarez. “I want to leave behind a body of art work that people will see and enjoy over and over again after I’m gone.” 

Alvarez returned to the Santa Ynez Valley and opened up his gallery after suffering a personal loss.

“Laura, my wife of 32 years, and I were in the process of moving from Victorville, California, back to the Santa Ynez Valley when she passed away in 2021,” said Alvarez. “It was my goal to open an art gallery in three years, but due to fortuitous circumstances, I opened this past January.”

As he displays his work in the gallery, Alvarez’s mind harkens back to those who helped him along the way.

“I am grateful to all the people I met in my life who supported my art and gave me the stepping stones I needed to fulfill my passion,” said Alvarez. “I feel blessed. God provided me with a gift and I have used it to the best of my ability. I am now happy to be back home in the Santa Ynez Valley where it all started.”

The A. Alvarez Fine Art Gallery and Art Studio walls are filled with original paintings and Disney prints, art collections, and works by Kelly Hine, an oil pastels landscape artist, as well as blown glass pieces by artist Seth Brayer, sculpture pieces, and a collection of vintage airbrushes, and Disney memorabilia.

The A. Alvarez Fine Art Gallery and Art Studio will celebrated its Grand Opening on Sunday, May 21, and is located at 1683-A Copenhagen Drive in Solvang. The gallery is open Thursday through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

For more information, call the gallery at (805) 691-9058.

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By Pamela Dozois

Contributing Writer

Chris Di Pego has been tickling the ears of her listeners with her beautifully smooth, yet powerful voice and her unique and versatile singing style since she was a young girl.

“Singing has always been my passion, that and my art. I started singing at a beer bar in college at Arizona State University, mostly pop music during the ’70s,” said Di Pego. “Singing has always been a huge part of my life.”

After college she instantly joined a show group called “Fantasy” singing in various locations around the United States and appearing on shows with Bob Hope. She also started writing music and collaborating with song writers as well as writing her own.

“When I returned from being on the road, I did the club scene in Los Angeles singing at Bob Burns in Santa Monica, numerous restaurants and dinner clubs,” she said. “I had a single out with Frankie Valli called ‘Where Did We Go Wrong.’ I’ve been performing for more than 30 years.”

During her time in Los Angeles, she opened her own business called Pretty Penny, selling her novelty ladies accessories to Nordstrom.

“When we moved to the Valley, I started singing locally at Theaterfest and various venues throughout the Valley,” Di Pego continued. “I also sang for years at ‘Thursday Nights’ at Fess Parker’s Inn and Spa with Marcie and Fess and my husband, Jerry, playing the snare.” 

Her husband is Gerald Di Pego, a playwright, producer, and film writer of “Phenomenon,” “Message in a Bottle,” “The Forgotten,” “154 and Paradise,” and “Words and Pictures” to name just a few of his accomplishments.

They have been married for 31 years. They met over a hedge in Santa Monica, but it wasn’t until five years later she says, that they ran into each other and both were available.

“He asked me to a Christmas party at his house and that was it,” she said.

The Di Pegos raised two standard poodles they had for 14 years. They now have a 1.5-year-old miniature poodle named Gage.

Not only is Di Pego a jazz singer, who likes to take standard songs and do her own thing with them, she is also an artist, who favors abstract art and various crafts. Her work is presently hanging in Sainte Marie, a new store in Solvang that is an in-house fashion boutique, and also her art is soon to be viewed at L’Angolino Restaurant in Solvang.

DiPego will be performing jazz in the courtyard of Sainte Marie from 5-7 p.m. Saturday, May 27. This is a free concert. She will be performing with Chris Judge on guitar and Brendan Statom on stand-up bass. Sainte Marie is at 1623 Mission Drive, Solvang.

Di Pego will also be performing at Red Tail Ranch in Buellton on July 8 along with Judge, Statom, and singer, songwriter and poet, Ruben Lee Dalton.

For more information, call (805) 245-9349.  

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By Pamela Dozois

Contributing Writer

The Elverhoj Museum of History and Art will be presenting a documentary film screening of “Passage To Sweden” at 4 p.m. Sunday, April 30, in the Parish Hall of Bethania Lutheran Church in Solvang.

“Passage To Sweden” shines a light on the mostly unheard story of how thousands were spared from the Holocaust by being smuggled into Sweden. Focusing on World War II in the Scandinavian countries, it illustrates how ordinary citizens worked to save the lives of their Jewish countrymen when the Nazis closed in. Supported by archival footage, the film captures the courage, compassion, and protection that Scandinavian countries (especially Denmark) and their citizens offered refugees facing persecution. 

“Passage To Sweden” is the work of independent filmmaker, director, producer, and writer Suzannah Warlick, owner of Bubble Soup Productions. Warlick shot 130 hours of material weaving together archival film footage, photographs and interviews with people who lived in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Hungary through the war years. She is on a mission to have as many people as possible watch the film. 

Warlick’s love of documentaries and independent films led her to create and develop the CBS Film Series in Santa Clarita.  

“Passage to Sweden” illustrates how from 1940-45, the sheer luck of where they lived made a world of difference to the Jewish people of Scandinavia. For unique political and geographic reasons, the Scandinavian Jews of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark had very different experiences. Warlick’s one-hour film explores the different treatment of Jews in the three Scandinavian countries during World War II. By rescuing and giving sanctuary to Jews, Sweden and Denmark acted as “righteous nations,” in contrast to Norway, which did not. The contrasting ways in which their respective leaders and ordinary everyday people behaved under those dire circumstances offers a rich morality lesson that could educate people from all walks of life.

The film tells of how Jews were rounded up and sent to concentration camps during the German occupation. Defying the occupying German forces, and protecting fellow citizens, spontaneous and dramatic rescue operations were conducted to save thousands of Jewish lives. First-hand personal accounts in the film also convey the extraordinary ways Swedish diplomats leveraged their political position to save Jews from within Hungary and Germany.

In “Passage to Sweden,” special attention is paid to the Norwegian resistance, the citizens of Denmark, the Swedish Red Cross, Raoul Wallenberg, and Count Folke Bernadotte, who risked their own lives to protect their Jewish neighbors. 

“The film is my way of honoring those who acted as ‘up standers’ instead of ‘bystanders’ during one of the most horrific times in history,” said Warlick. “People who risked their lives, showed courage and compassion to save Jews during the Holocaust need to be remembered and have their legacy kept alive. ‘Passage To Sweden’ is a powerful example of how anyone can make a difference, how leadership matters, and how solidarity with our fellow citizens is vital to ensuring fundamental human rights for all of us.”

“I made the film at the request of Chana Sharfstein, one of the narrators and Swedish native,” Warlick explained. “At the time she was a tour guide giving Jewish tours to Scandinavia and mentioned that many people weren’t aware of what happened in Scandinavia during WWII. I didn’t know much about what happened in that part of the world myself. Chana was an orthodox Jewish child living in Stockholm during WWII and had a very happy childhood, while Jews in neighboring countries were being rounded up and taken to concentration camps. This piqued my interest in making the film. 

“Since the release of ‘Passage To Sweden,’ we have been educating audiences around the globe. Chana was right — many people aren’t aware of this unfamiliar chapter in WWII history. It’s been a real pleasure to be able to bring some new information to people through the film.”

Warlick said any organizations, schools, companies, museums, or clubs who would like to share the film with their community can email passagetosweden@gmail.com for more information. Warlick is interested in educating as many people and students as possible.

“’Passage To Sweden’ is an important film and I hope to see people of all ages at the free screening,” said Esther Jacobsen Bates, executive director of the Elverhoj Museum of History and Art.

“Passage To Sweden” is presented by the Elverhoj Museum of History and Art with the support of the Santa Ynez Valley Jewish Community and the host location, Bethania Lutheran Church.

Admission is free. Doors open at 3:30 p.m. with book sale and exhibit about the Danish WWII boat rescues.

Bethania Parish Hall is at 603 Atterdag Road, Solvang.

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Sculptor, Valerie Stevens, is 88 years old and still has her nimble fingers fashioning clay. She began sculpting seriously in her mid-40s. On a trip to Oregon, she was unexpectedly inspired to begin sculpting and she has not stopped since.

“On a road trip to Oregon with my husband, my stepson offered to give us a tour of his foundry in Joseph, Oregon,” said Stevens. “When I saw all the people busy working with clay figures that would then be turned into bronze, my fingers began to itch and I announced that I wanted some of that clay. That started me on a voyage of sculpting. 

“I like the challenge of the work,” she said. “God gave me this particular talent and the challenge is to do my best and make the piece I’m working on as perfect as possible.”

It takes Stevens several months to finish a piece as she says she has to be “in the mood”, but she doesn’t like having things hanging around on her desk, so she works at getting things done in a timely fashion.

She said she has tried potting, but her hands weren’t strong enough and the finished product was nothing but a round bowl — not particularly inspiring. 

“When I went to that foundry it was the answer to that long-time desire I had: sculpting the human figure,” she continued. “It came pretty easily to me and I surprised myself. If I made a mistake, I could easily correct it as the clay I use is oil-based. Regular clay is water-based, so it dries out rapidly. Oil-based clay remains pliable, so making corrections, even days later, is easy.”

Stevens very first venture into sculpting came quite unexpectedly, when she was in high school in 1952.

“My father owned a jewelry store in Parkridge, Illinois. The Towle Sterling Company was sponsoring a contest for the Best Window Display featuring their new sterling silver flatware pattern called ‘Southwind,’” Stevens recalled. “I asked my father if he would like me to make a sculpture of a woman similar to the one on their brochure. He readily agreed, even though I had never done any sculpting before. Unfortunately, I had used a water-based clay and it cracked in numerous places as it dried. Because I couldn’t finish it due to all the cracks, my Dad sent them a photo of my first attempt at sculpting and they sent me a consolation prize — a sterling silver sugar spoon, which I still have.”

Stevens is a woman of many talents: Not only does she sculpt, but she paints and is a published author.

“I never knew I could write, but people would come to me asking for guidance in difficult life situations,” she explained. “I thought, there are all these 12-step programs, but why isn’t there something in the Christian churches that could help those struggling souls. I was going to Montecito Presbyterian Church at the time, and there were several 12-step programs but none with a Christian basis. So, I wrote one. I just think those things are God-inspired. My sister was the writer in the family and I was the oldest, so I thought if I was inspired by the Lord to do something that could be used in Christian churches to help people, then I should do it. And they picked it up.”

Her book, “12 Keys to Freedom in Christ — A program of spiritual growth and discovery that promises New Hope for Troubled Lives” has been used by many support groups in the Santa Barbara area. 

Stevens has been living at the Atterdag Village for the past year and she says she enjoys it very much. In one tiny room, Stevens has managed to create something like a tiny house, with one large desk for her computer, a living-room/bedroom area and table, an art studio that doubles as a kitchen table, a library, a tiny seating area along with and a small kitchenette, and a bathroom roughly the size of half of her living space. Her sculptures adorn the tables and walls.

“It’s like a tiny house with maid service and it handles all my needs,” she said.

Presently, Stevens is working on a sculpture of her middle daughter, Lynn. She saw a sketch of a woman in a particular pose, which she liked, and took a picture of her daughter in that pose.

“This piece is mostly finished except for the legs and the shoes,” she said. “I’ve made various pieces for family members over the years.”

She plans on taking the finished clay piece to a foundry in Burbank where it will be made into a bronze sculpture.

“It takes about a week until I can get it back,” she said.

Recently, Stevens has been inspired by a photo of a ballerina for her next project.

Stevens continues to be an inspiration herself at 88 years of age and says she sculpts for her own pleasure and wishes that more people would follow their dreams and not be afraid to give them a try.

For more information, email v.stevens1@verizon.net.

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Staff Report

LOS ALAMOS — The Western Author Party & Signing event at Bedford Winery, which was postponed last month due to a COVID-19 outbreak, has been rescheduled for Saturday, Aug. 20, at the winery.

This will be a Western-themed book signing party, featuring R. Lawson Gamble and his third novel in the “Johnny Alias” Western series, titled “Johnny and the Comanche.” His previous titles in the “Johnny Alias” series, as well as books from his “Zack Tolliver, FBI” series will also be available.

Also scheduled is Nipomo author Wanda Snow Porter, whose Western children’s books (such as “Riding Babyface,” “Spurs For Jose,” and “Capturing Time”) are sold at Dana Adobe and have resided in the top 100 in that category on Amazon.

Gamble said the authors will sign their books at the event and may even read a passage or two from them.

Attendees are encouraged to wear their cowboy hats and boots for the event on the outdoor patio at Bedford Winery, and listen to country and western music performed by Bud Christoferson. 

Those present can enjoy a glass of wine, visit with old friends and neighbors and meet new ones, listen to the music, sample some munchies, and take away a free audiobook of “The Curse Of Matilija,” narrated by actor Case Matthews while supplies last. 

Those planning to attend are encouraged RSVP to winemaker@bedfordwinery.com although drop-ins will be welcome also. 

Bedford Winery is located at 448 Bell Street, Los Alamos. For more information, call (805) 344-2107.

Gamble is also planning a book signing Sept. 10 at The Bookstore, located at 1113 North H Street, Ste. Q, in Lompoc. For more information on his books and appearances go to rlawsongamble.com.

You can also find information on Porter’s books at wandasnowporter.com.

Both author’s books are available for sale at amazon.com.

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The first title in Harmon’s new Witness Protection series, “The Sacrificial Deal” is a suspenseful crime thriller that asks the dangerous question: How far would you go to protect your loved ones?

When successful pediatrician Dr. Sarah Stevens has a chance encounter with brutal Russian mobsters, she is forced to find an answer to that question. Stuck in witness protection and trapped between the FBI and the Russians, it turns out there is nothing Sarah won’t do to protect her family — but only on her own terms.

Together with her brilliant attorney and a cunning FBI agent, she formulates a plan …. The Sacrificial Deal!

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By Pamela Dozois

news@santaynezvalleystar.com

In 2017, Valerie Edmondson Bolaños stepped out of her comfort zone and threw herself into the Category 5 winds of Hurricane Maria, which devastated her home island of Puerto Rico, where her family members still lived. Since then, it is remarkable what one Solvang woman and her team of volunteers have accomplished. 

Valerie Edmondson Bolaños started a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and founded Warrior Angels Rescue, an organization of volunteers who are presently rescuing mostly women and children from Afghanistan.

Edmondson Bolaños started a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and founded Warrior Angels Rescue in the immediate aftermath of that storm. What began as an effort to rescue her own family grew exponentially. 

The following year, her team airlifted residents affected by the 1/9 Montecito debris flow, and in 2020 responded to the international border shutdowns at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, evacuating Americans stranded in Peru and other countries, such as Ecuador and Ghana. 

Warrior Angels Rescue is now evacuating girls, women and their families from the humanitarian crisis that is escalating in Afghanistan after United States forces withdrew, leaving Americans and those who helped the U.S. for more than 20 years stranded in the midst of a violent takeover. To date, Warrior Angels Rescue has secured safe harbor to evacuate more than 450 people from Afghanistan, mostly women and girls who were at a high risk of danger, and they are about to rescue 300 more.

“Sometimes our darkest moments bring out a strength of purpose from within us,” said Edmondson Bolaños. “The eye of Hurricane Maria went straight through Humacao, the town where I was born and sliced right across Puerto Rico exiting through Dorado, the town where my family lives. 

“I knew I had to get my family off the island after I lost contact with them for 36 hours. When I did finally speak to my cousin, she had no idea of the scale of devastation that Maria had left in its wake. She had no clue that the entire island was completely without power. There was no communication at all. She had to climb to the top of a mountain to make cell phone contact with me. I just knew I had to evacuate them. That’s how it started and it just snowballed from there.”

The seeds of her effort were planted when Edmondson Bolaños realized she had a couple of extra seats.

“Once I figured out how to charter a plane, a six-seater, which was enough for my four family members, I didn’t want the two vacant seats to go to waste,” she said. “I went on social media asking if any medical patients needed to get to the mainland, and the response was overwhelming.”

Edmondson Bolaños’ sister had just given birth in California, with complications, to a baby girl named Olivia Joy four days before, so she had a soft spot in her heart for a high-risk pregnant woman who was seeking help. She donated the two remaining seats to a very pregnant woman and her young son, while the husband remained behind in Puerto Rico.

“Coincidentally, the passenger on the first flight gave birth one month to the day, to the hour, on October 16, safely in Florida, and named her new baby Olivia Jean, the same first name as my niece,” Edmondson Bolaños said. “We call these little miracles ‘godwinks,’ like when your grandfather winks at you from across the dinner table and you know you are loved and he’s there for you. I have experienced so many godwinks in the evacuations we’ve led so far.”

Edmondson Bolaños didn’t plan on starting a nonprofit organization, but when she put out some feelers for those two empty seats on the plane, the response was so overwhelming that she knew she needed more planes. There were so many people who desperately needed to get off the island to survive.

Farzana, shown here gazing at the mountains, is one of the evacuees-turned-volunteers for Warrior Angels Rescue, and has been proactively supporting the mothers of young children traveling in the same group.

“My friend, Abby Hollingsworth, started a GoFundMe campaign which raised $100,000 in no time and it took off from there,” she continued. “A couple of weeks later we established ourselves as a nonprofit with the help of a law firm in New York called Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, a well-established and respected law firm which has a nonprofit incubator. 

“They contacted us and offered to help us get set up, on a pro bono basis. We were immeasurably grateful for their help, because once we were a 501(c)(3), it opened up more funding opportunities and possibilities because donations are tax deductible.” 

Edmondson Bolaños said that from the very beginning, the nonprofit never had to proactively make an effort to fundraise or get media coverage or legal assistance.

“At first, we spent our own money to fund the flights, but when people found out what we were doing, they genuinely wanted to help and that’s the way it has been ever since,” she said. “It made me realize that we could get a lot done using 100 percent volunteers. One hundred percent of every donated dollar goes to the actual cost of getting people to safety. I also think that having an all-volunteer team guarantees that the work we are doing is from the heart, and that’s important. That’s the reason our team is unstoppable.”

Since August 2021, Edmondson Bolaños and the Warrior Angels Rescue team have been evacuating and resettling girls, women and their families from the humanitarian crisis that is unfolding in Afghanistan. The messages and videos she is receiving directly from the families on the evacuation lists, she said are “just horrifying.”

“Afghanistan is in a state of upheaval. It is chaos by design, for power and control,” she said. “There are different factions, such as Haqqani, ISIS-K, and the Taliban, who are vying for power and that makes it even more dangerous for the people caught in the crossfire.”

Edmondson Bolaños explained these groups use evil tactics strategically, to divide and disempower. They hung one of their evacuees by one leg for three days. Women are being killed for showing even the slightest bit of skin; one was shot for wearing jeans, an American symbol, under her burqa, another for wearing the wrong shoes. All women and girls have to wear burqas, which cover every inch of their bodies, with a screen for seeing and breathing. 

“Women are stoned, beaten or killed for any perceived infraction by the Taliban. As far as they are concerned, there are only two places for women – in the house, or in the ground,” she said. “Any young girl who has dreams and aspirations is at risk. They are in grave danger in Afghanistan. Girls and women are forced to stay in their homes and serve the extended family and have zero aspirations and can be sold by desperate relatives. 

“The Taliban want to completely exclude women from their society. ‘Death notices’ are placed on the doors of suspected American supporters, which demand that they report to be killed on a certain day and if they don’t report, then their families will be killed.”

Edmondson Bolaños said the Taliban are targeting the upper and middle classes, the educated and professionals in order to quash any potential viable resistance to their takeover, so most people have gone into hiding. This means that most of the mechanisms that keep a society going are completely shut down. 

The Taliban are also trying to root out those who have worked with the U.S. forces when they were still on the ground. They torture and beat them publicly, while abducting and interrogating those who they think had close ties or worked directly with the U.S. forces, according to Edmondson Bolaños. 

“The middle class, the educated, and those who can, are leaving their homes behind, hiding out in less conspicuous areas, such as abandoned homes that have been bombed, with no windows, gaping holes and no electricity, while trying to get to the border of Pakistan or Iran,” she said. “They are under direct threat of starvation and death from the cold winter months. There is little to no heat, the economy is shut down along with the monetary system, and food is scarce.

“The Taliban have been bombing the power grid and there is sporadic internet access. There are few resources, they’ve had zero income since August, and they are actively being hunted down. We are providing them with coal, wood, oil, tons of blankets and solar chargers for their cell phones, so they can keep in touch with us.”

However, the efforts of Edmondson Bolaños and her volunteers still face major hurdles.

“We can’t send planes into Kabul to rescue anyone because the Taliban would kill them. We can land at the airport but we can’t get the people out that way,” she said. “They have to make it across the border to other countries such as Pakistan, where they are extensively vetted and administered COVID vaccinations. 

“We can then issue papers for them through the Pakistan government guaranteeing that they will only remain in Pakistan for 30 days and then they will be transported to other countries, such as Ecuador, which has been amazing, and Spain or Portugal, countries that will guarantee them a safe harbor for one year while their paperwork and visas are processed.”

Warrior Angels Rescue has also gotten assistance from the neighbors to the north. 

“Canada has been wonderful and has taken in, with permanent asylum, hundreds of our evacuees, resettling them in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan,” Edmondson Bolaños said. “We are corresponding with the State Department and trying to cut through all the red tape and bureaucracy that doesn’t lend itself to responding as quickly as possible, as swiftly as they deserve, for those who have a strong case for protection from, and residency in the U.S. 

And the search to find countries in which to place the Afghan people continue for Edmondson Bolaños and her group.

These cabins in Alma Village in Ecuador have been rehabilitated, and used to house Afghanistan evacuees who have been resettled, thanks to the Warrior Angels Rescue program.Wa

“We are also in touch with countries in Latin America, the Middle East, and the Arabian Peninsula, hoping they will resettle some of the evacuees,” she said. “We have completed two missions so far, of high-risk school children and their families. And we are working to evacuate more than 1,000 more. It is our mission to successfully relocate all of these people into different countries, so they can heal, start anew and contribute meaningfully to their new home countries.”

“The vetting process is essential, to ensure that we are only evacuating families who either supported the U.S. and NATO allies, or hard-working, academically driven girls and women who are being hunted down for daring to have professional aspirations,” Edmondson Bolaños continued. “Warrior Angels Rescue pays for each of the evacuees’ ground and air transportation, guaranteeing that they have safe harbor, a dignified place to stay, Halal food to eat, and all the opportunities to succeed during their stay, even arranging for schooling. Vida School is an education program we started that is bringing them access to a world-class education.”

Presently, Warrior Angels Rescue is focused on children and women. But some people who helped the U.S. in Afghanistan are men and they are also being helped. A medical doctor, a Fulbright Scholar who advocated for women’s health, is just one of many who are at risk, according to Edmondson Bolaños. 

Helping women attain equal standing in any way is very dangerous, Edmondson Bolaños said. 

While medical care is not completely gone, it is still hard to get under the circumstances. There are simply too many people that are now relying on volunteer medical professionals who are scared, but also want to save lives. Some hospitals are still running, but people are going to work and not being paid. The Taliban keeps them because they are indispensable.

“For 20 years these Afghani people have been living normal lives, they are just like you and me,” Edmondson Bolaños said. “Our evacuees are so motivated to learn; they speak five languages; some are on the national basketball team, or Girl Scout leaders, martial arts champions and Olympians, professional athletes, musicians, science fair winners, doctors, lawyers — what is happening is a ‘brain drain’ from this country. 

“There is an entire generation of girls and women who will be lost if we don’t get them out of Afghanistan. They are suffering from depression and crushed dreams. Their beauty and strength are proactively being squashed and killed by the Taliban.”

As with anyone who runs a nonprofit, Edmondson Bolaños is always seeking people willing to donate to the cause.

“There is an overwhelming number of people who need help but there is also an overwhelming number of people who want to help and don’t know how,” Edmondson Bolaños said. “Ten thousand dollars ($10,000) can save a life. One hundred percent of the funds raised by Warrior Angels Rescue goes to the rescue efforts, transportation, housing, food and education along with medical and emotional support for one year or more, helping these people to heal from the trauma and loss they have endured and start a new life.”

For more information, visit www.warriorangelsrescue.org or call 805-295-8906. To donate visit GoFundMe at https://www.gofundme.com/f/evacuate-school-girls-to-safety. For larger donations, wire instructions are available upon request.

The post From hurricanes to humanitarian crisis, local woman rescuing hundreds from Afghanistan appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

Staff Report

While taking advantage of a break in the weather on Thursday morning, construction crews installed six new steel lighting columns at Solvang Festival Theater, utilizing a 350-ton crane to accomplish a huge milestone in Theaterfest’s $4.7 million rebuilding project. 

The columns, each weighing 12,000 pounds and rising more than 50 feet above the theater, will provide for safer, structurally sound lighting towers for the theater and for the lighting technicians who operate from the top of the towers during performances. 

The Theater rebuilding project, which commenced in September and is slated to be completed this July, will accomplish these key elements: 

• Ensure structural integrity for generations to come 
• Upgrade electrical, lighting, and sound technology 
• Assure safety for audience, stage crew and staff 
• Comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act 
• Reduce wind and noise for the audience 

Solvang Theaterfest launched the Imagine $4.7 Million Capital Campaign to renovate major parts of the theater in 2018. The community has responded generously and brought the theater to over 90 percent of its initial goal. Increased costs of construction, however, have resulted in adjusting the goal to just over $5 million. Completion of this project will bring the theater to today’s standards and ensure quality live entertainment in the Santa Ynez Valley for generations to come. 

For more information, contact Solvang Theaterfest Executive Director Scott Coe at exec.director@solvangtheaterfest.org. 

The post New steel lighting columns installed at Solvang Festival Theater appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.