Those who have enjoyed their quaffs at Figueroa Mountain Brewery, the Buellton establishment on Industrial Way, now can enjoy some good eats at the place, as it welcomes a new food provider: Hudson’s Grill at Fig Mtn Brew.

The announcement of the new partnership came in August: After 10 years of operating the restaurant internally, owner Jaime Dietenhofer has teamed up with Alex Uribe to revamp the restaurant offering at the location. The eatery is an American Grill concept with a full menu, open seven days per week.

The place had a soft opening on Labor Day Weekend, with Alex and his family serving up such popular items as smash burgers, Nashville chicken sandwiches, and wood-fired brick-oven pizzas.

“I have known Alex since high school, he has done a great job with his restaurants in the valley here and we are excited to have him focus on the quality of service and food,” he said. “Running a restaurant is an intense task that requires a lot of focus. We are excited to have Alex focus on the food, while we focus on what we do best, making award-winning beer.”

Jamie Dietenhofer started Figueroa Mountain with his late father, Jim, in 2010.

“We opened the brewery but didn’t have any food here,” he said. “People wanted to stay and we would just order in from other restaurants. But we opened our kitchen in, I think, 2015, just to create an environment were people can stay.

“But we found out running a restaurant is full-time and you have to be on top of it, and I’ve watched Alex with all of his restaurants. Just seeing how diligent he is — that’s what you need have a successful restaurant, and our primary focus is beer.”

Uribe is no stranger to the restaurant business — like Dietenhofer, he started a business with his father when they opened California Tacos in Solvang. He has since expanded to locations in Buellton and San Luis Obispo. His family is involved in all of the restaurants, and each one also has a photo of his father, who passed away in 2002.

“I had talked to Jamie about opening a place in here, and we just went back and forth,” Uribe said. “I was ready to do it when he wasn’t and he was ready to do it when I wasn’t. Then this past February we were feeling it’s a good time to do it and started having meetings.”

Uribe is excited about the opportunity and looks forward to the revamp. “We are going to update and improve the menu and the experience for locals and visitors. Hudson’s Grill at Fig Mtn Brew will be an affordable location so families can eat here regularly for lunch and dinner and not break the bank while having a great experience. The food will complement the already amazing beer offerings.”

And for long-time locals, this Hudson’s Grill has no connection with the Hudson’s Grill that had a location in Santa Maria years ago. “Nah, I named it after my grandson,” Uribe said with a laugh.

With the addition of Hudson’s Grill, Dietenhofer is looking to expand the Figueroa Mountain site, in space and in clientele.

“We opened up the upstairs space with tables, and added more to the ground floor,” he said. “And the outdoor patio will have more seats and tables with a huge flat-screen TV and more scattered inside, and we’ll have games out in the patio for the kids to play.”

And that leads to Dietenhofer’s aim to make his place more of a family establishment, even if there is alcohol served.

“I really don’t want to limit my customers,” he said. “I want to have people to come in and have a drink and good food, but I want their kids to come in too, make this a family-friendly place.”

And that works in with Uribe’s menu, which he plans to keep relatively inexpensive.

“I just like to present a value menu here, where a family can come in and eat and not have to pay a lot,” he said.

Hudson’s Grill at Fig Mtn Brew, inside Figueroa Moutain Brewery, is located at 154 Industrial Way in Buellton. It is open Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. You can also order online at hudsonsgrillatfig.com/

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Five former athletes and one former coach from Santa Ynez High are to be the newest additions to the school’s Wall of Fame. Parker Colvin, Josh Hartman, Coach Iain McPherson, Kelley Moore, Meghan Mosebar, and Chris Pace will be honored Friday, Sept. 19, at 6:30 before the Pirates’ football game against Nipomo High.

Parker Colvin

Colvin graduated from Santa Ynez High in 2009. He played four years of football and golf, and he earned the Jeff Rio Memorial Scholarship and was named the Most Valuable Male Athlete for the class of 2009.  After graduating high school, Parker attended Cal Lutheran University, where he played four years of golf. During his college career, his team had a NCAA Division III National Championship appearance in 2012, and 2013. In 2011 he was CLU’s golf team MVP and won Athlete of the Week for Southwest California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC). Colvin graduated from Cal Lutheran with a degree in exercise science with an emphasis in sports medicine.

Josh Hartman

Hartman graduated from Santa Ynez High in 2006, where he was a standout athlete in both football and track. As a senior, he captured the Los Padres League titles in the 100 and 200 meters and also won the 100-meter dash at the Santa Barbara County Championships. On the football field, Josh earned All-League honors twice. He was named the team’s Most Valuable Player and honored as the school’s Most Valuable Male Athlete in his final year. After high school, Josh concluded his athletic career at Chapman University, playing football while earning a bachelor’s degree in business with an emphasis in finance. Following graduation, he began working under one of his former coaches, Jim Colvin, who helped launch his career in the hospitality industry. Josh now serves as a director of revenue management.

Iain McPherson

Iain “Coach” McPherson left an enduring legacy at SYHS as a U.S. history teacher and a devoted coach of the soccer, swimming, and water polo teams. Known for his tough love approach, he earned respect from students and players by pushing them to achieve more than they thought possible. As an All-American swimmer himself, he coached numerous athletes to CIF, All League MVPs, and All-American. Beyond the classroom and pool, Iain was a proud Scotsman and family man, cherished by his wife Linda and daughters Kerry and Heather. In 1998, Coach McPherson was the winningest coach in SYVHS history with 1,359 wins; however, he passed away in February 1999 at the age of 53. It wasn’t the wins he valued most, but the special relationships he built with his students and players.

Kelley Moore

Moore graduated from SYHS in 1972. He went on to play football at Allan Hancock College and Chico State.  After graduating from CSU Chico in the spring of 1977, Dr. Coach Kelley Moore has been blessed to have had a lifetime, 49 years, in the coaching profession. The high-school portion of his career includes coaching tennis, wrestling, basketball, and track and field (28 years as head coach). Moore also spent four years with Allan Hancock College as the head track and field and cross country coach, and as an assistant coach for football.  That was followed by two years as Head Track and Field Coach and Assistant Football Coach at Thiel College. He has as an assistant football coach the last four years at Arizona Christian University.

Meghan Mosebar

Mosebar graduated from SYHS in 1995, went to Purdue University from 1995-1997, and transferred to and graduated from the College of William & Mary in 2000. Mosebar earned high honors each of her four years of high school: She earned varsity letters in volleyball three straight years as a middle hitter, named All-League First Team her sophomore and junior years. Her senior year, she set a school record for most blocks and kills in a single match, leading her team to a Los Padres League championship, and winning Los Padres League MVP honors. Meghan received athletic scholarship offers from many Division I schools and accepted a full volleyball scholarship to Purdue University in Indiana. During here junior year, Mosebar transferred to William and Mary in Virginia, where she also received a volleyball scholarship, graduating in 2000 with a Bachelor of Science in biology. While at William and Mary, she earned Dean’s List High Honors, All-Conference CAA Scholar Athlete, and was team Co-Captain 1999-2000. Meghan currently resides in Rockledge, Florida, where she has taught elementary school, and coached club volleyball. She now works with nonprofit organizations on the Space Coast of Florida, serving families with daycare and housing assistance, while enjoying life with her 19-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son.

Chris Pace

Pace graduated from Santa Ynez High in 2004. While at SYHS, he played water polo and soccer, and was a team captain on the swim team. Outside athletics he was the senior class president, a boys state school representative, and Eagle Scout. He was accepted into the U.S. Air Force Academy, where he graduated with a Bachelor’s in systems engineering management. While at the USAFA, he played water polo all four years, three times winning the varsity’s Hardest Worker Award, and in his senior year won the Derek Argel Memorial Award, for the athlete who demonstrates perseverance and an incredible work ethic, which was named for the former USAFA water polo player and alum of nearby Cabrillo High in Lompoc, who was killed in action in Iraq in 2005.

The post Five former athletes, one coach to be added to SYHS’s Wall of Fame appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

Buellton will soon have a full City Council. Santa Barbara County certified the city’s Aug. 26 Special Election on Sept. 12, with Carla Mead earning the District 4 seat. The math tutor and board chair for the SYV Humane Society earned 269 votes (60%) to defeat former Buellton City Council member and Mayor Dave King, who received 179 votes (40%). The vote total was unchanged from the previous update that was released on Aug. 29.

“It’s official! Santa Barbara County has certified the election results and I’m honored to share that I’ve been elected to represent District 4 on Buellton City Council,” Mead posted on Instagram after the certification was announced. “Thank you to everyone who believed in me, knocked on doors, and cast a ballot. I promise to be a leader who listens, serves, and works every day for our community.”

Mead also invited Buellton residents to attend the Sept. 25 meeting where she is expected to be sworn in, and encouraged everyone to dress in pink.

The mail-only election involved only those voters living in the city’s District 4, which consists of all the city area east of Highway 101, and a strip of land east of 101 and north of Central Avenue and Avenue of Flags. The county reported 449 of 879 registered voters in the area (51%) sent in ballots.

In Buellton’s Sept. 11 City Council meeting, City Manager Scott Wolfe said the winner of the special election will be sworn in and take the District 4 seat at the Thursday, Sept. 25, City Council meeting.

The seat was vacated when previous District 4 City Councilmember David Silva assumed the mayor’s seat in January. Silva had defeated the incumbent King in last November’s mayoral election.

Mead expressed her interest in the seat early on and had met with the members of the current City Council before stating her case for the position at the Jan. 9 meeting, with many residents coming to support her bid. However, King, also at that meeting, then expressed his interest in the vacancy. The councilmembers, some of whom hoped to appoint a councilmember that night, then deadlocked on the candidates, with Silva and Vice Mayor Elysia Lewis supporting Mead, and City Councilmembers Hudson Hornick (who said at the time he preferred an election to decide the seat) and John Sanchez backing King. At the next meeting, on Jan. 23, the councilmembers deadlocked again and then decided to have a special election.

City Council reclassifies two city positions in short meeting

The Buellton City Council, cognizant of the imminent retirement of two city employees, voted to reclassify two city positions during its regular meeting on Thursday, Sept. 11. It was the only business item for the meeting, which last about half an hour. The council was at three members on the night with the absence of Hudson Hornick.

The two positions being reclassified were Administrative Assistant to Administrative Assistant/Deputy City Clerk, and Staff Assistant/Planning Technician to Planning Assistant/Code Enforcement Officer. The adjustments are being done because the city will be seeing or have seen a retirement with current employees taking on additional duties onto their own.

City Clerk Linda Reid said the employees whose positions have been reclassified would each get a 10% raise, which would be an increase of $17,942 in the city budget. Reid said the increase would be taken out of a city operating surplus, making the fiscal impact on the city minor.

City Councilmembers were pleased with the move, which they said dealt with the succession of the positions. Reid herself is planning to retire next year.

“I see it as a fiscally responsible move,” Silva said. “I like the idea of additional compensation for employees as they seek retention and growth, and there’s a saving by not having another full-time position. I’m grateful for the staff thinking outside.”

Vice Mayor Elysia Lewis thought it was a forward-thinking move.

“I think it’s also important for retention planning; when you’ve had someone working there for several years and is a staple of the place, you forget and realize you don’t know much they do,” said Lewis, referring to Reid. “Getting somebody new in, it takes awhile for someone new to get that same expertise, and it can burn them out when they don’t know stuff right away.”

Sanchez moved to approve the item, with Lewis seconding, and it passed 3-0.

In other business:

Silva read a proclomation to recognize Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.

In his council comments, Silva requested a moment of silence for the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001.

Silva also inquired about makes a Request for Proposals to look into getting a new vendor for its city website, which Wolfe said he would look into. Silva also mentioned the Chumash tribe being open to sharing artifiacts with Buellton entities, and discussion about a tree canopy, which Hornick has express support for in the past.

In his City Manager’s Report, Scott Wolfe said the new City Councilperson would be sworn in the next meeting on Thursday, Sept. 25, and the meeting after that, on Thursday, Oct. 9, would be cancelled.

The post Carla Mead officially named winner of Buellton’s District 4 Special Election appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

For the fourth straight year, city and county leaders, car aficionados, and people just wanting to enjoy an afternoon of food, music, and dancing gathered at Rancho San Marcos Golf Course, just east of Lake Cachuma for the Cars and Cowboys car show on Saturday, Sept. 6.

The event is a main fundraiser for the Buellton Meals on Wheels program, which provides daily meals for the elderly in the Santa Ynez Valley. The program is run by the nonprofit Santa Ynez Valley Community Outreach.

The site was a departure from the previous three years, when the show was held at Red River Ranch in Los Olivos. However, according to Pam Gnekow, executive director of Santa Ynez Valley Community Outreach, Al and Denise Frink, the ranch’s owners, have been doing some renovations on their property and couldn’t host it this year.

That left Gnekow with the task of finding a new site for Cars and Cowboys, but a chance visit to Rancho San Marcos gave her a great alternative. “I came here to attend a wedding, and it was my first time here,” she said. “I thought this was just a fantastic place, and I told the owner, ‘I’ll do anything if you let me have the car show here,’ and he said OK. I’m just thrilled to have this at such a nice venue.”

The Cars and Cowboys show organizers take pride in getting a car or two that’s a bit “out of the box,” like the Batmobile, which made an appearance at the show last year. There was no Batmobile this year, but there was the Platypus, a funky-looking car that actually started out as an airplane.

Dana Newquist of Santa Barbara tells the story of finding the shell of a 1947 Republic Seabee Amphibious Airplane in a friend’s salvage shop. Newquist said his friend resisted his overtures to buy the fuselage for five years until finally agreeing to the deal in 2019.

“And then I met this guy,” Newquist said, pointing to Bruce Terry, who did the metal fabrication. “He said, ‘I can’t use this. If you want a car like this, I have to get fresh aluminum to build this up. I asked ‘How long will that take?’ and he said ‘I don’t know.’ Turns out it’s taken five years and it’s finally here.”

Newquist said he always gets reactions from people at the shows “Oh, everybody comes to see it,” he said. “You know, ‘what is it?’ or ‘How’s it powered?’ so on and so forth. It drives like a car, but we really wanted to make it look like an airplane, so we have stuff on it like the fin that makes it look different.”

The Platypus was one of several cars displayed on one of the greens and fairways of the gold course, right next to the pond. The field of cars, ranging from classics, to racing cars, European models, one of which was a rare 1970 Fiat minivan, which was brought by Mark and Lois Mitchell.

“We’ve had this for six or seven years after buying it from a car website,” Mark Mitchell said. “The original owner was from Vienna, Austria, and took good care of it, really meticulous. Everytime he filled up he would write it in a little book. When we got it, it only had about 40,000 miles on it.”

Mitchell said the van is one of about 18 cars he owns and takes to car shows, and the organizers requested the van.
“I came here last year, and then they asked if I could bring something a little different,” he said. “So I gave them a couple of choices and they said ‘Yeah, bring that van.”

In addition to the cars being shown, attendees were also treated to premium food, wine, and cocktails, and a silent auction of various lodging, dining, and vacation packages from local vendors. Doing the honors as the auctioneer was Taylor Glines of Santa Maria.

“Like last year, I knew I wanted to get a female to do the auction,” Gnekow said. “And I got a good one.”Glines comes from a long line of auctioneers, one of them being the late Jim Glines, who is also known as the founder of the Community Bank of Santa Maria.

“Pam and I are good friends, and I was happy to accept her invitation to do this,” Glines said. “I’ve been doing this for a long time, when I was young and listening to my dad and grandfather doing it. I used to ride with my grandpa in the truck and he would be listening to his auction tapes. It just always seemed to be a cool thing to do for me.”

After the auction, the crowd, all nestled in a nicely shaded area next to the clubhouse, were entertained by music from DJ Scott Topper, and near the end of the event were getting together for some line dancing, a fitting end for an event called Cars and Cowboys.

The post Annual Cars and Cowboys show returns at a new site appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

California’s premier Danish heritage festival, “Solvang Danish Days” (SolvangDanishDays.org), returns with a three-day event weekend lineup Friday through Sunday, Sept. 19, 20, and 21. The 2025 Solvang Danish Days theme, “Be Happy – Vær Glæde!,” will be celebrated during this year’s event, which honors the 1911 establishment of Solvang by Danish-Americans.

The 2025 edition of Solvang Danish Days will once again offer attendees a Danish immersion experience — without the flight to Europe — while helping to preserve Solvang’s authentic Danish heritage. Danish Days guests looking to “live like Vikings” throughout the event weekend have the opportunity to purchase a “Dane For A Day” VIP ticket bundle (only available online atwww.eventbrite.com/e/solvang-danish-days-2025-tickets-1343140412129?aff=oddtdtcreator), while those looking to gain quicker entrance to the Saturday and/or Sunday Æbleskiver Breakfasts may purchase online tickets for the breakfasts in advance. Advance, online tickets for the 2025 Æbleskiver Breakfasts and Dane For A Day ticket packages are currently on sale.

Solvang Danish Days continues to mix “old country charm and customs” with a more modern “way of life” through its varied activities that blend Danish-American traditions with present-day festival highlights, while showcasing everything “Solvang.”

The weekend’s array of offerings includes activities for all ages ranging from fan-following food events surrounding Æbleskiver, the iconic Danish pastry rounds; to a Danish-style beer and wine garden serving Danish import, Carlsberg beer, alongside local brews, wines and festival foods; to an axe throwing arena; a Viking “camp” and presentations; interactive history lessons at the Elverhøj Museum of History & Art; story time sessions with fairytale favorite, Hans Christian Andersen; to a future-telling rune reader; and, an Old World artisanal crafts marketplace.

Solvang Danish Days boasts a full weekend of entertainment with multiple parades, Danish folk dancers and musicians performing at locations all over town, plus afternoons and evenings of free, live concerts on the Midgaard Pavilion Stage in the middle of downtown Solvang, adjacent to the Viking Beer & Wine Garden. Solvang Danish Days 2025 will, once again, also offer family-friendly pastimes, including the popular, and shaded, LEGO tents in Solvang Park, and an expanded Kid’s Korner with face painting, activities, and games.

Also returning to Solvang Danish Days is the pastry-fueled, all-ages Aebleskiver Eating Contest, which will take place on both Saturday and Sunday at 11:30 AM, crowning 2025 winners able to consume the highest count of aebleskiver in just five minutes, all hands-free. Rejoining this year’s nosh is competitive eater Naader Reda (@freakeating), trying to best his own record from the 2024 Aebleskiver Eating Contests.

Since the 1960s, Solvang Danish Days has been presided over by each year’s Danish Maid, a tradition that remains an honorable accomplishment for each of the Maids appointed by the Danish Days Foundation Board members to become a specific year’s Danish Days “royalty.” Solvang’s Danish Maids serve as goodwill ambassadors during their year of service, making public appearances to promote Solvang and the City’s spirit of Danish hospitality.

The 2025 Danish Maid is 17-year-old Addie Madrid, a Solvang resident and third-generation Maid whose Danish roots reach across the seas to Denmark. Her mother, Ashlee, is of mixed background, including Danish ancestry, and her grandmother, Glenda, traces her Denmark ties to her Danish-born parents, Marie and Johannes Jaeger.

Serving as the 2025 Danish Maid, Addie follows the regal, third-generation path of her grandmother, Glenda Jaeger Madrid, Danish Maid in 1971; her mother, Ashlee Madrid, Danish Maid in 1999; and her sister, Aleena Madrid, Danish Maid in 2022.

“Velkommen to Danish Days 2025,” said Addie Madrid, Solvang’s 2025 Danish Maid. “I’m so excited that we get to gather once again to celebrate our heritage, our stories, and everything that makes Solvang feel like home, for locals and for visitors. Whether you’re here for the traditional Danish foods, the parades and dancing, or simply the feeling of community, I hope this weekend reminds you – just like it reminds me – of where we come from and why we keep returning.”

Meanwhile, it was announced on Monday, Sept. 15, that Brenda and Mark Anderson will be the 2025 Danish Days Grand Marshals. Brenda’s family has been involved in Danish Days since its inception, and the couple and their offspring have been involved with the event for many years (see item in News Briefs, page 2)

More information about Solvang Danish Days including the preliminary schedule a brief history of the event, parade applications, and contact information, is also available at www.SolvangDanishDays.org. Solvang Danish Days is also on Facebook (facebook.com/SolvangDanishDays) and Instagram (@DanishDays). You can also find a day-by-day schedule with this story at santaynezvalleystar.com

Solvang Danish Days 2025 – Preliminary Event Weekend Highlights*

FRIDAY, SEPT. 19

10:30 a.m.: John Clark, Hans Christian Andersen Storytime – Young and old alike will enjoy listening to an hour of tales from Denmark’s favorite author. Friday reading: 10:30 AM at the Solvang Library (1745 Mission Drive).

4 to 7 p.m.: Free Concert – The Rincons, performing live in free concert on the Midgaard Pavilion Stage in Parking Lot 2, in downtown Solvang, adjacent to the Danish Days Viking Beer & Wine Garden. All ages welcome; but one must be 21 years or older to enter Viking Beer & Wine Garden.

4 to 9 p.m.: Axe Throwing – An axe-throwing arena in downtown Solvang. Public invited to give axe throwing a try; must be 13 years of age or older to enjoy. Ages 13-17 need to have a parent or guardian present. Closed-toe shoes required. Axe throwing continues on Saturday and Sunday.

4 to 9:30 p.m.: Viking Beer & Wine Garden – Outdoor beer and wine garden; supports the Solvang Danish Days Foundation. Viking Beer & Wine Garden continues on Saturday. (Guests must be 21 years of age or older to purchase alcoholic beverages.)

7:30 p.m.: Torchlight Parade – Free for participants, all ages welcome, candles will be provided. Route begins at Alisal Road and Laurel Avenue, strolling south down Alisal Road and ending at the Midgaard Pavilion Stage

8 p.m.: Opening Ceremonies in Solvang Park introducing the 2025 Danish Maid, Addie Madrid, a welcome by Solvang Mayor David Brown, plus the 2025 Grand Marshals (TBA). Velkommen Street Dance follows with Danish dancers performing to live music.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 20

8:30 a.m. to  12 p.m.: Æbleskiver Breakfast on Copenhagen Drive between First and Second streets, $10 per person (with Danish sausage, $12). Tickets available online in advance, or at the event entrance.

9 a.m.: Old World Artisans Marketplace – Demonstrations and artisan hand-crafted items including Scandinavian arts & crafts, woodworking, papercutting, among others. An open-air Nordic shopping district of finely crafted items, on First Street.

Vikings of Bjornstad – The Vikings of Bjornstad, a living history and educational group concentrating on the Viking age, will be in Solvang for this year’s Danish Days.

10 a.m. to. 5 p.m.: Expanded Kid’s Korner featuring the popular LEGO® tents in Solvang Park, plus Luna’s Jumps attractions.

10:30 a.m.: John Clark, Hans Christian Andersen Storytimes – Saturday reading at the Hans Christian Andersen Museum (at The Book Loft).

11 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Living History Festival at Elverhøj Museum of History & Art (1624 Elverhoy Way; www.Elverhoj.org). Exhibits come to life during this free, interactive history lesson for all ages. Craftspeople, artisans, and storytellers demonstrate their skills and entertain visitors. Snap a selfie at the Viking photo stop stocked with costumes and props.

11 a.m. to 9 p.m.: Axe Throwing

11:30 a.m.: Æbleskiver Eating Contest – Contest will be held in the Midgaard Pavilion in Parking Lot 2, downtown Solvang, adjacent to the Danish Days Viking Beer & Wine Garden. All ages welcome for this five-minute competition.

12 to 9:30 p.m.: Viking Beer & Wine Garden – Outdoor beer and wine garden; supports the Solvang Danish Days Foundation. (Guests must be 21 years of age or older to purchase alcoholic beverages.)

2:30 p.m.: Danish Days Parade – Includes the Solvang Village Band atop the Carlsberg Beer Wagon, floats, equestrians, Village Dancers and more. Line-up starts at 1:30 p.m. on First Street near Molle Way; parade begins by turning east on Copenhagen Drive, then north on Alisal Road, west on Mission Drive, south on Atterdag Road, east on Copenhagen, south on Second Street, finishes through Molle Way (running behind Solvang Festival Theater) back to First Street. NO CHARGE to participate in the parade; applications are available at www.SolvangDanishDays.org/contact-us

3 to 10 p.m.: Free Concerts featuring live performances on the Midgaard Pavilion Stage. Out Of The Blue performs from 3 to 6 p.m.; The Molly Ringwald Project performs from 7 to 10 p.m.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 21

8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.: Æbleskiver Breakfast on Copenhagen Drive between First and Second streets, $10 per person (with Danish sausage, $12). Advance tickets available for sale at solvang-danish-days-2025.eventbrite.com.

9:00 a.m.: Old World Artisans Marketplace

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Axe Throwing

Vikings of Bjornstad

10 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Kid’s Korner

11 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Free Admission Day at Elverhøj Museum of History & Art (1624 Elverhoy Way; www.Elverhoj.org). Enjoy a day of free admission to Solvang’s Elverhøj Museum of History & Art.

11 a.m. and 1 p.m.: John Clark, Hans Christian Andersen Storytimes — Sunday readings: 11:00 a.m. at the Hans Christian Andersen Museum (at The Book Loft), 1 p.m. at the Elverhøj Museum of History & Art.

11:30 a.m.: Æbleskiver Eating Contest – Contest will be held in the Midgaard Pavilion in Parking Lot 2, downtown Solvang, adjacent to the Danish Days Viking Beer & Wine Garden. All ages welcome for this five-minute competition.

12 to 2:30 p.m.: Free Concert – The Lowdown Dudes Band performs live in the Solvang Park Gazebo.

12 to 5 p.m.: Solvang Brewing Co. in Solvang Park – Sip locally-crafted beers at the Solvang Brewing Company tent in Solvang Park. (You must be 21 years of age or older to purchase alcoholic beverages.)

2:30 p.m.: Children’s Parade – Parade begins at Atterdag Square (corner of Atterdag Road and Copenhagen Drive) and meanders down Copenhagen to Solvang Park. All children and families are welcome to join this event; no charge to participate, and costumes are encouraged.

3 p.m.: Danish Days Closing Ceremony in Solvang Park – The 2025 Danish Days Maid closes the festive event weekend.

The post Solvang welcomes 88th celebration of Danish Days appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

For the third time this year, local demonstrators lined up in front of the Solvang Veterans Memorial Building on Saturday, Aug. 16, to protest the policies of President Donald Trump. The latest demonstration, was titled “Protect Our Checks,” amid concerns that the president’s policies will threaten Social Security.

Worries about the federal program came after recemt comments made by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who called a new Trump initiative a “backdoor for privatizing Social Security.” Bessent later clarified his statement in a social media post and said the Trump Administration is “committed to protecting Social Security and to making sure seniors have more money.”

On Thursday, Aug. 14, Trump signed a proclamation honoring the 90th anniversary of Social Security, and siad he said he will honor his “sacred promise” made on the campaign trail to protect the program.

The Solvang rally, as well as many across the country, including ones in Santa Barbara and Lompoc, was held on Aug. 16 because it was two days after the 90th anniversary of the Social Security legislation being signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The local protest was organized in part by Indivisible SYV, a local political action group.

Crowds stood along the sidewalk in front of the Veterans Building on Mission Drive (a few on the other side of the street) with signs with slogans like “Make America Think Again,” “Democracy Not Dicktators,” and “Crybaby-in-Chief” while some motorists passing by honked their support. While Social Security was the catalyst for this particular protest, demonstrators also had other issues in mind.

“This is happening because we just had the anniversary of FDR signing Social Security into law,” said protester Donna Small. “But we also have our issues with the ICE immigration raids and the redistricting in Texas. We need to keep people aware of what’s going on.”

Also at the protest, leading the crowd in chants via his bullhorn was Benjamin Vizzachero, who had a personal reason for attending the rally.

“I got fired by the Trump administration after the budget cuts,” Vizzachero said. “I got involved with the group [Indivisible SYV] and I thought it needed a little more energy.”

One part-time local resident who wasn’t at the Solvang rally, has been a booming voice in support of Democratic Party causes.

Jon Bauman, who has a home in the Santa Ynez Valley, is the president of a national political action committee called Social Security Works, which advocates for protecting and expanding Social Security, and is also a member of the steering committee of Indivisible SYV, a local branch of the national organization that has established itself as one of the key groups resisting the current administration’s policies.

However, many remember Bauman by his nickname “Bowzer,” and his standing as one of the lead singers for the popular group Sha Na Na in the 1970s and ‘80s, a deep-voiced, musclebound, slicked-back-hair crooner who could belt out the band’s trademark ‘50s doo-wop sounds with the best of them at concerts and during the group’s weekly TV show.

These days he’s still using his booming voice to work up a crowd, but this time mostly with the help of a bullhorn at rallies protesting many of the Trump administration’s severe budget cuts, federal worker layoffs and harsh immigration policies. Small said Bauman was taking part in the Protect Your Checks protest in Bakersfield that day.

The theme of the Aug. 16 rallies is one that’s particularly close to Bauman’s heart. Since his Sha Na Na days, he’s become a nationally known expert on Social Security legislation and an advocate for a variety of senior issues. It has been widely publicized that if no changes are made in Social Security funding, benefits may have to be cut by as soon as 2034. Recent statements from Trump’s Secretary of the Treasury have made Bauman even more worried about the future of Social Security.

“Treasury Secretary (Scott) Bessent really did say the quiet part out loud the other day when he said ‘Oh, this is a backdoor way of privatizing Social Security,’” Bauman said in a press release before that protests, referring to the $1,000 ‘Trump Accounts’ for newborns that are envisioned in what Bauman calls the “Big Ugly Budget Bill” that Congress passed in July.

To Bauman, the Protect Our Checks rallies was provide a way for people to support not only the future of Social Security, but other threatened programs that are critical to seniors, including Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.

“The biggest line of attack are the DOGE cuts,” Bauman said, referring to Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, which has slashed the number of  Social Security employees by 7,000, or more than ten percent. “They’re trying to destroy the Social Security Administration so that it doesn’t function. And then they’ll say ‘Oh, see this whole program doesn’t work … we’ll have to give it over to Wall Street and they’ll make it work.’”

Back at the Solvang rally, protester Mike Brady, who is a 50-year resident of the city, said he was speaking out for Social Security, but his reason for being there was much broader.

“I’m here because I belive in democracy,” he said. “Our constitution is being taken away, and if we let it, there’s nothing left but a dictator. Do we want that? I say no.”

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The owner of the Farmhouse Motel on Avenue of Flags objected to the Buellton City Council’s attempt to remove his business’ standing as a housing unit, as the council introduced a first reading of a proposed update that would limit hotel rooms to just short-term rentals, during the council’s regular meeting on Thursday, Aug. 14.

The council put the public hearing, Resolution 25-06, on the agenda to eventually prohibit hotels rooms from being long-term rentals, or single-room occupancies (SROs). Farmhouse Motel was one of the lodging establishment that eventually became residential units for low-income individuals that the city believes does not fit in with the planned redevelopment of the Avenue of Flags corridor. The city also desires hotels on that street that will bring in more Transient Occupancy Tax (TOR).

However, due to the state of California designating the motel as a low-income residence, the city would have to arrange alternate housing for any displaced residents to move into.

During Public Comment on the item, Kerry Moriarty, owner of the Farmhouse Motel, protested the proposal to take away his business’ designation for long-term residence, believing his motel is being singled out.

“My property is really the only one that’s affected by this proposal,” said Moriarty, who noted that the nearby Red Rose Court was deterimined to be exempt from the ordinance, and the San Marcos Hotel, which only rents long-term to “three or four” tenants.

“I’ve had this property for 20 years; I’ve operated it as an apartment building, I’ve got a mortgage on it underwritten as an apartment building,” he said. “If it goes back to being a motel, guess what happens to that mortgage — I go in default.”

“I don’t know how you’re even considering this with the state mandate on affordable housing,” he continued. “My property is what the state mandate is trying to preserve.”

Later on, one of Moriarty’s tenants spoke on behalf of the owner.

“I’ve been a Farm House resident 14 years, disabled 15 years ago and this is the only place I can afford,” said the man, who did not give his name. “It just doesn’t seem right, it’s a nice place .Cary keeps it up nice. With the homeless problems in that state, to take our home away from us, I don’t understand.”

When it went to council, it was pointed out that this was just a first reading, and wouldn’t have a chance to pass until the next council meeting on Sept. 11.

Vice Mayor Elysia Lewis said she was uncomfortable with the Dec. 31 deadline for residents of the Farmhouse to move out, citing the probable cold weather at the time. Councilmember Hudson Hornick thought the deadlines were too tight also, while John Sanchez (who incidentally was on remote from Nottingham, England), suggested the Farmhouse could get an extension and noted that his son had stayed there at one point.

Ultimately, council moved to approve first reading, but with the ameneded dates of April 1, 2026 (instead of Dec. 31), to vacate the motel, and Oct. 31, 2026 (instead of June 30, 2026) to be moved into other affordable housing. The motion passed 3-1 with Sanchez dissenting.

In other business:

The City Council approved a $48,800 outlay to the upcoming Buellton Theatre Project, a 14-week theatre arts program that will culminate in a performance of the Broadway musical “Annie.”

City Manager Scott Wolfe introduced the item because the original choice, Allison Firey of Buellton Parks and Rec, will be a volunteer on the project and recused herself. In fact, it was Firey who made the presentation to council, noting that her love of performing was inspired by being in a production of “Annie” as a child. Council passed the item 4-0, with Hornick calling the proposal “awesome.”

After the approval last month of Hundred Hills School operating on the Willemsen site by the library for up to five years, council discussed initiating the process of investigating possible uses for the Dairyland Road parcels once the school finds another permanent location in Buellton and leave it temporary site. If approved the council would then appoint two members of council to appoint an ad hoc committee to lead the effort.

While three of the councilmembers backed the idea, Sanchez opposed it, citing animosity in the debate over the school’s location, and said they should let the school settle in at the site before thinking about a replacement. “Let the school have its time there. Put it off for a year,” he said.

However, Lewis believed that with the complaints during the HHS debate about the lack of transparency and notification on the proposal, the council needs engage with the public early. “Getting ahead of future project, being proactive would benefit city more,” she said. “Also it would be a show of faith to public.”

Interestingly, when the council decided there was a consensus to go forward with the committee, Sanchez immediately volunteered to serve on the committee. However, Wolfe believed that the Distict 1 representative, Hornick, should serve along with Mayor Silva. Silva and Hornick agreed and were voted as the ad hoc committee by a 3-1 vote, Sanchez dissenting.

The City Council will not meeting on the next scheduled Thursday, Aug. 28, and will return to session on Thursday, Sept. 11.

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The Solvang City Council culminated a busy Monday, Aug. 11, regular meeting by directing staff to draft a new ordinance focused on short-term rentals (STRs) in the city in an effort to limiting them to the Village Mixed-Use zone. The council on this evening was just four members, with Councilmember Claudia Orona absent.

During the meeting, the council also voted to change how the city handles retirement benefits, discussed plans for the upcoming Julefest Christmas celebration and next year’s Wine County Half-Marathon.

Back in March, the City Council had directed city staff to begin revisions to the City’s short-term rental (also known as vacation rental) ordinance, which would include a framework of an ordinance for further input from the City Council and residents.

Planning Development Director Rafael Castillo in giving his report, said the main objective of the ordinance is determining where the rental (which by definition are homes where people reside for 30 days or less) was where the council would allow the STRs in the city.

Currently, the areas in the city zoned for STRs are the Village Mixed-Use Area (VMA), and some lots in the R-3 zone of the city, along Copenhagen Drive, east of Fifth Street. Castillo said staff recommend that the STRs be limited to the Village Mixed-Use Area only.

Residents who spoke in Public Comment agreed the STRs should be kept in the VMU area. Dennis Beebe said the council needs to make the VMU boundaries “explicitly defined,” along with the limits for STRs. C.J. Jackson and Aaron Peterson reiterated their views that city’s should not allow STRs in residential areas. “Have a nice neighborhood and put in transient people is not something we should not consider,” Peterson said. “Hotels basically are vacation rentals.”

Although the council was on board with limiting the rentals to the VMU area, Councilmember Elizabeth Orona did remind her colleagues of the importance of tourists and visitors, including those using STRs, to the city’s economy, and wondered if there could be a way to allow them outside the VMU with further conditions like caps, allowed usage, and a minimum distance betweens STRs.

However, Councilmember Mark Infanti said his problem was with the “outside the VMU part of that,” and Mayor David Brown agreed the rentals should be focused within the VMU.

“I’m not sure the juice is worth the squeeze — doing the entire city,” Brown said. “If we can limit it to Village we’ll be OK, outside that, there would be lots of problems.”

Castillo then suggested the compromise of limiting STRs outside the VMU to “homestays” where the property owner would have to be present, Mayor David Brown also favored limiting them downtown.

Castillo and staff were directed to draft an ordinance limiting the STRs to the VMU, but adding the possiblity of allowing the homestays outside the VMU and listing the conditions of them. Castillo said the draft could be presented at the next meeting in September.

In other business:

The council voted 4-0 to move its city employees retirement plan from the management of CalPERS to that of the Public Agencies Post-Employment Benefits Trust administered by Public Agency Retirement Services (PARS).

Administrative services director Wendy Berry introduced Rachel Sanders from PARS to make a presentation on the program to the council. Sanders said benefits of the program would be complete local control over assets, pension rates stabilization, establishment of a “Rainy Day Fund,” and more diversification

The plan would see the city’s retirement fund go into two “buckets” — a Pension bucket and Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) bucket —, require a plan adminstrator, and would be subject to annual reviews or more frequents reviews, if desired. It also gives the city the option of active and passive approaches to investments within the plan.

The council approved the item, along with an add-on to add language that council will select strategy and annually review the strategy.

Solvang Marketing and Events Coordinator Candice Libera addressed the council on two discussion items, one regarding plans for this year’s Julefest Celebration in December, and next May’s Wine Country Half Marathon.

She first spoke on the half-marathon, which has run in Solvang every Mother’s Day weekend since 2008, and draws approximately 2,500 participants plus their friends and families, Libera said. However, she also said that there were complaints about restricted access to businesses with the race’s finish line on Copenhagen Drive, as well as concerns about litter and damage to the grass at Solvang Park, where the post-race gathering is held. Libera said that changes would be made to the race course, placing the finish line at a new location that wouldn’t inhibit access to merchants, and measures would be taken to mitigate the litter and placement of equipment at the park to protect the grass.

She also said advertising and promotional materials would more prominently feature the Solvang name, another point of contention.

For the Julefest, Libera said that the city was close to a deal to bring in snow at some point during the monthlong celebration, and with consideration for traffic and safety on Copenhagen Drive, the street would be closed to vehicles between Alisal Road and 1st Street for the entire Julefest and the light diplay at Solvang Park would be expanded.

Libera said options to address parking concerns were being looked at, including the opening of Lot 72 east of Alisal Road for additional parking.

The City Council will take a scheduled break, with no meeting on Aug. 25, and will next meet on Monday, Sept. 8.

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In most of my articles, you’ll hear me recommending herbs to pair with acupuncture in order to treat or cure a problem. In this article I’d like to elaborate a bit on how herbs work and why they are so effective, using war as an analogy.

When there is a problem in the body — such as knee pain — we can consider that the body is at war with something in the problematic area. If our body is a country and we use World War II as an example, we can assume that the Axis has infiltrated our knee. The Allied forces need to overtake the enemy, but to do so, there has to be a secure battle strategy (diagnosis). In order to develop this plan, we must know what the terrain of the area is like in order to send out the appropriate forces and equipment. Is it mountainous? Is it surrounded by ocean? Is it a desert landscape? What is the climate like? Hot or cold? Dry or damp? What weaponry is being used? All of these indications need to be accounted for in order to devise the best plan of attack.

The herbs serve as our soldiers. Some soldiers are stronger than others. Some are armed with guns, while others have tanks, missiles, or other explosives. Knowing what you’re fighting and where the fighting is taking place indicates which soldiers to send out.

Oriental medicine is like the strategists. To win the war, you need all the enemy’s information you can acquire to form the best strategy. Then you need the ideal weapons and equipment to attack the enemy, win the war, and return the country to peacetime. Oriental medicine is also used to maintain peacetime and avoid situations of battle; we refer to this as preventative medicine.

Western medicine has a very different approach. Often, to win the war, they skip the strategic battle and go directly to dropping an atom bomb (surgery). In this instance, the war might be over, but the land has now been altered and is no longer in its natural state. Life in this area is now forever changed.

Once a proper diagnosis (battle strategy) is made, I prescribe the various herbs that will win the war but leave the terrain intact, just as it was found before the fighting began. Some herbs are stronger than others, some are beneficial to a specific organ, and some increase or decrease an element or “weather” issue. Having the correct strategy tells me if herbs are needed to eliminate heat, dampness, dryness, etc., or which organ needs aid.

My herbs are very high quality, cleaned, and boiled together to extract the essence of each. As a master herbalist, I design the mix and have them created especially for me, tailored to the individual constitutions as well as the patient’s needs. I primarily use liquid herbs, as they are distributed throughout the body quickly and easily. I prefer them over capsules of powdered herbs because pills are slower to disperse and can often end up being wasted by the body more than they are used. Just think of herbs like a prescription that a doctor gives you. You wouldn’t expect to get better if you didn’t take the medication he prescribes. It’s the same with herbs.

Nobody wants war, but unfortunately in most generations war is inevitable, both externally and internally (illness). Peace is always the best strategy, but should your own “country” start fighting, it’s good to know that you have access to the best military for proceeding to victory.

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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A Buellton Planning Commission item on the building of a proposed private elementary school consisting of “yurts,” or California Roundhouse buildings, on Dairyland Road, in the same area as the Buellton Library, ultimately led to a 2-2 vote from the commissioners, technically denying the project, during the Thursday, July 3, meeting.

However, Commission Chair Shannon Reese said near the end of the three-hour meeting that the proposal will end up going before the City Council at some point.

The item was put on the Planning Commission after members of the public voiced their concerns about the school during a town-hall meeting in June.

After City Manager Scott Wolfe introduced the item requested a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for the project, Contract Planner Irma Tucker made a presentation for the proposal, called the Hundred Hills School Project.

Speaking by remote, Tucker explained the Hundred Hills School would be a Waldorf-inspired school serving preschool through the fourth grade. The campus, on the topmost portion of the Willemsen Property at 202, 208, 212, and 218 Dairyland Road, would consist of four classrooms, one administration building, and one restroom, all of the California Roundhouse building style, more commonly know as “yurts.”

Tucker said the school would originally serve a maximum of 50 students, and the length of approved for the CUP would not exceed five years.

“Mainly, this would be an incubator site,” she said. “They want to establish their school on this site while searching for a more permanent location. The temporary use would allow the site to return to original use.”

Applicant Sundeep Chanana thanked the supporters of the project and also the detractors, noting the “subset who go out of their way to disrupt our Saturday get-togethers, post anti-school flyers, and spread misinformation,” and requested they take him up on his offer to meet.

Chanana lauded the benefits of the school, calling it “an unparalled educational opportunity for Buellton and mentioned he and his wife had offered to pay the city the full cost of the five-year lease upfront but that the offer was refused.

He also addressed concerns stated by residents, saying that the topography of the site would be unchanged with only minimal grading; the structures to be built would have the longevity of stick-built homes; and there would be only one pickup and dropoff zone and that pickups and dropoffs would be staggered to mitigate traffic. He stated 40% of the schools applicants were from Buellton, with scholarships being offered to Buellton residents.

Fellow applicant Whitney Chanana, thanked their supporters for being there. She told the commission addressed the neighbors to the project and stated they had listened to their concerns about parking, traffic, and architectural compatibility during the earlier town hall meeting. She asked the Planning Commission to consider the project on its merits, and give students and parents in a city with one elementary another option.

After the applicants’ presentations and a short recess, the meeting reached public comment, which elicits contributions from 32 people on the record, 18 of them stating opposition.

Most of the objections came from residents of the surrounding neighborhood who believed there would be a negative impact with traffic and noise because of the school. Others did not like the idea of city-owned land being used for a private school. Former Buellton Mayor Holly Sierra, speaking strictly as a city residents, “The property was supposed to be for the people of Buellton. While I’m not against the school, it shouldn’t be on this property. It should be for the people of Buellton, not a private school.”

However, the project did also have supporters that spoke out at the meeting. Some of those who spoke in favor of Hundred Hills School noted the lack of options for students in early education, most notably preschool, while others praised other Waldorf schools and said it would be a great experience for Buellton children.

“It is good for Buellton to have another option,” Ralph Kunz said. “My kids went to a Waldorf school, and when they were in college, professors said what great kids we have and how they have a different way of thinking. It’s important to consider it’s not for everybody, but it’s an opportunity for people if they want it.”

After public comment, commissioners expressed their final thoughts on the item. Commissioner Kasey Kump said that listening to all the input, he felt the project just didn’t fit in with the neighborhood, emphasizing that the decision was not a judgement on alternative education or private schools in general. Meanwhile, Vice Chair Marcillo Sarquilla saidthat while traffic concerns could be mitigated by shuttling students to and from the school, he felt that Oak Valley Elementary School in Buellton was adequately providing the needed services for preschool and kindergarten students.

Commissioner Brian Campbell was concerned that the project came as a surprise to many residents, but felt there were merits to both sides of the issue, while Chair Shannon Reese said that while she liked the idea of a small town like Buellton having just one school that everyone went to, she felt the project was appropriate for the zone, noting that uses such as schools and churches are routinely places in residential infill zones. She states she lives next to Jonata School, which is much larger and also uses collector streets, and she doesn’t find it has an adverse impact. 

Ultimately the commission voted twice, both times Sarquilla moving for disapproval, and both times resulting in a 2-2 deadlock with Sarquilla and Kump voted to disapprove, and Campbell and Reese voting not to disapprove. Wolfe announced that the vote actually meant the CUP was denied and the matter would go next to the City Council.

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