During its regular meeting on Monday, May 12, the Solvang City Council discussed the viability of the Design Review Committee in the building permit process before ultimately deciding that the DRC should remain as a city committee.

Councilmember Elizabeth Orona was absent from the meeting.

The DRC was formed by the City Council in early 2021 as a successor committee to the Branding and Design Committee (BDC), and the Board of Architectural Review (BAR), which was disbanded in 2020.

However, in its Sept. 9, 2024, meeting, the council voted 3-2 to put a discussion item on a future meeting agenda on the possible elimination of the DRC. No reason was given, although some applicants had expressed to city staff that the DRC process was cumbersome and time-consuming.

In his report on the item, Solvang Planning and Building Manager Rafael Castillo stated that since the September meeting, changes in the city zoning ordinance had streamlined the application process and modified the role of the RDC. Among those changes were the codification of objective standards and elimination of subjectivity, establishment of a pre-application reviews to give the DRC flexibility, and the elimination of the requirement for DRC to review residential projects for consistency with adopted Housing Element policies.

Also in late 2023, changes to the application process introduced checklists that outlined minimum requirements for applications, helping alleviate the adversarial atmosphere between applicants and the DRC when the paperwork is incomplete.

Castillo said with these changes, DRC has been able to give clear direction to applicants, and “highly” recommended that the committee be retained.

When Councilmember Claudia Orona asked Castillo about recent feedback on the application process, Castillo said the checklist bring a “certainty” to the process with each side knowing what’s required.

Mayor David Brown stated he was one of the councilmembers in September who wanted the discussion on the RDC.

“I wanted to document the relevance, because the complaint came from a developer with difficulties in the process,” he said. “Now we’ve baked in codes, I’m for the DRC. It maintains our brand of why we’re the Best Little City in the West. I back keeping DRC.”

In public comment, Dennis Beebe wondered if, “with the state sticking its nose into our business,” the city shouldn’tgive even more influence in design decision and touched on Brown’s “Best Little City in the West” reference.

“Do you think Solvang would have won that ‘Best in the West’ award if not for the decisions of the DRC?” he stated.

DRC Chair Esther Jacobson Bates spoke to advocate for the role of her committee and complimented Castillo and his staff for objectifying and making clear the elements of design.

“With that clarification, we don’t have that adversarial role that Rafael described earlier,” she said.

After public comment, councilmembers all voiced support for keeping the RDC. As Orona put it, “If it isn’t broke, don’tfix it.”

Infanti moved for the RDC to not be eliminated, with Orona seconding. The motion passed 4-0.

In other business:  

During his Manager’s Report, City Manager Randy Murphy introduced Santa Barbara County Fire Battalion Chief Tom Himmelrich and Station 30 Capt. Andrew Weddle to brief council on the May 2 fire at the “Water Wheel Building” on 2nd Street and Molle Way.

Himmelrich said the “Molle Incident” was first reported at 5:29 a.m. that morning when two callers reported smelling smoke in downtown Solvang. Station 30, located in the same building on Oak Street as the Council Chambersresponded to the incident and arrived with the building in flames.

Himmelrich then said more engines were called, and four engines and one battalion chief answered the call. Answering questions from Infanti and Brown, he said the fire was currently under investigation and the building was a total loss.

Brown praised the firefighters for their efforts: “Thank you and your team for an awesome response and efforts to prevent damage to other buildings.”

After the item on the RDC, council voted to receive and file the Solvang Entitlement and Building Checklist.

Council unanimously passed a motion to change the name of the Measure U Citizens’ Oversight Committee to the Revenue Measures Oversight Committee.

Council agreed to table the discussion item on the city camping ordinance. The ordinance was amended in 2023 due to related court decisions in Idaho and Oregon, but those decisions have now been overturned. Brown suggested councilpostpone the item until they could properly review some “11th-hour feedback” from the county.”

With the fourth Monday of May being Memorial Day, the City Council will next meet on Tuesday, May 27, at 6:30 p.m.

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After months, and for some years, of anticipation, the newest building to be seen from Highway 246 now has out the welcome mat as the Chumash Museum and Cultural Center opened to the public on Thursday, May 15.

The opening culminates two decades of planning by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians.

“Twenty years ago, we were an advisory committee and now we’re a board,” said Museum Chairwoman Kathleen Marshall. “It has been a journey, but we appreciate it.”

The 14,000-square-foot facility, which is located on the corner of Highway 246 and Edison Street in Santa Ynez, showcases a portion of the tribe’s collection of more than 24,000 historically significant cultural items, including baskets, musical instruments, hunting tools, ceremonial items, and regalia — highlighting the richness and diversity of Chumash culture.

A huge part of the “journey” leading to the museum’s opening was obtaining the artifacts, which was no easy feat, according to Marshall.

“Unfortunately we’ve had to purchase all our items, because they were stolen from us,” she said. “It’s been quite a process and we’ve been purchasing from personal collectors for a while, just trying to get our collection up to open a museum.”

Another feature of the museum is its unique architecture, which was designed by the award-winning Jones & Jones Architects (also designed the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.), and is anchored by large dome structures that pay homage to the Chumash people’s traditional dwellings, the tule ‘ap. Outdoors, the 3.5-acre cultural park features exhibits and over 11,000 California native plants, including nearly 100 species used by the Chumash.

Although the museum had been open for a short time on the morning of May 15, Marshall marveled at the reactions she heard from visitors.

“The expressions we see when they walk in here [to the entrance] is something to see,” she said. “I just heard someone come in here and then say ‘this is unbelievable.’ It’s reactions like that I like to hear.”

While the museum was opening to the public for the first time, Marshall said it had already been open enjoyed by tribal members for a while.

“We had our grand opening for the tribal members a few weeks ago,” she said. “Opening the doors and seeing their emotions, their tears, their family unity, has been amazing. Clearly it was important for the tribal people to see it first. It was important to let them have their time with it before we opened it to the public.”

Now that the museum is open to the public, Marshall planning how to make it a destination for people in the Valley and beyond.

“Well, we’re looking to host school groups on visits and field trips,” she said. “We’ll probably start contacting schools at the beginning of the next school year. We’ll be closed to the public in the middle of the week, so we can bring those groups in on those days.

“We also want to bring in events and outside attractions, like basket weavers and flint knappers, or do an art show. The doors are wide open, and we have all kinds of things in mind. We’ll see how it plays out.”

Early on May 15, a good crowd came through to see the exihibit and explore the outside park, and reviews were very positive.

Tony Amastres and his wife Krista, of Goleta, said they had been driving by the building for months and wondered when it would open.

“We were at the golf course and someone told us it was opening today,” Tony Amastres said. “So, we came up to see if that was true, and it was.”

The Amastreses were very pleased with what they saw.

“It’s fantastic. It’s a great thing to have here,” Tony said. “I look forward to coming back, and bringing some other people we know in Goleta.”

Tony Amastres said he enjoyed the walk-through main exhibit.

“I love the way that it transitions from the ancient history to, for lack of a better word, current era and the mission history,” he said. “It obviously has a lot geared for kids, but if you really sit there and dig through it, you get a ton of information.”

Meanwhile, Courtney Connolly of Grover Beach, was getting ready to go into the museum with her kids Ortiz, 4, and Orla, 2, who go to Acorn Village Forest School in Santa Ynez Valley.

“I’ve been waiting for it to open ever since I’ve been driving past it, and I saw it was opening day, so I decided to check it out,” she said. “I’m planning to get a membership so the kids and I can do some stuff together, and then I can come by myself and actually digest all the stuff.”

Reactions like that are what pleases Marshall and hopes they bring more people to the museum.

“We’re honored to have this, and I think people are really going to have a great experience, walking in our footsteps for a little bit,” she said. “I’d just like to tell them, ‘Come visit and learn about our people. You will learn so much about who we were and who we are.'”

The museum’s hours of operation will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, and tickets are available for purchase at www.sychumashmuseum.org. Admission is $15 for adults (18-64), $12 for seniors (65+), $12 for teens (13-17), $10 for children (3-12), $12 for military members (with ID) and free for toddlers (2 and under).

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The revised schedules include enhanced routing and the introduction of new and permanent stops to better serve the community’s needs. Among the key updates:

• New permanent stops at the Chumash Casino and the Tribal Health Clinic, offering easier access to two of the region’s most frequented destinations.
• A new stop at the Buellton Library, giving residents and visitors improved transportation options to this important community resource.

“These changes are part of our ongoing commitment to improving accessibility, reliability, and convenience for SYVT riders,” said Bridget Paris, the City of Solvang’s public works director. “We’re excited to make public transit work betterfor everyone in the Santa Ynez Valley.”

Riders can view the updated schedules and route maps at www.syvt.com or pick up a printed schedule on board any SYVT bus.

For more information, please contact SYVT Customer Service at (805) 688-5452 or info@syvt.com.

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An early-morning fire engulfed an abandoned three-story building on the corner of 1st Street and Molle Way in Solvang on Friday, May 2. The building is Hans Christian Andersen Square, informally known in town as the “Water Wheel Building.”

Santa Barbara County Fire responded to a 5:29 a.m. for a structure fire, and firefighters arrived at the scene with the building already fully in flames. Originally a two-alarm fire, the incident was upgraded to a third alarm, with a strike team from the Operational Area being ordered.

“We went into defensive operations to keep the fire from spreading to adjacent building,” said County Fire PIO Scott Safechuck in a video posted on X. “[We also] evacuated a block in either direction due to the fire conditions and the heat coming off the building.”

Safechuck reported the fire was knocked down at 7:19 a.m. County Fire said an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire.

The property at 1st and Molle consists of three buildings that hosted a number of shops and a museum, but has sit abandoned for over a decade.

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The Buellton City Council met for its regular meeting on Thursday, April 24, and moved forward two items involving the further development of the Willemsen property on Dairyland Road.

Mayor David Silva attended the meeting by remote from Sacramento, so Vice Mayor Elysia Lewis conducted the meeting.

The first item having to do with the Willemsen property was actually one pulled from the Consent Calendar: Item 5, which dealt with the awarding of a contract for the parking lot project for the recently opened Buellton Library and future projects on the site.

Public Works Director Rose Hess reported that the project was put out for bid in February, and by March 13, four bids had been received, with V. Lopez and Sons submitting the low bid at $2,147,561.10.

Hess also said the project would be divided into two phases: Phase 1 is the main parking lot, stairs and existing access road rehabilitation, while Phase 2 would be the drainage modification and the access drive directly between parking lots.

Councilmember Hudson Hornick, however, pulled the item for discussion as he was unsure the city should be paying right now for a parking lot near property that isn’t fully developed. Although the library has been completed, the Santa Ynez Valley Children’s Museum is a work in progress and much of the land behind it hasn’t been improved.

“My reservation is that it’s a lot of money to build a parking lot before we even have a demand for it,” Hornick said.

However, Councilmember John Sanchez said this is the right time to spend the money for the lot.

“We’re going to have a parking lot there, we should just do it now,” he said. “It’s not going to get any cheaper.”

Silva agreed with Sanchez, saying “I’d rather spend now, instead of spending more later.”

Lewis added that the city had told residents near the property that the parking lot would alleviate traffic problems.

“We already have events planned for the property,” she said. “We’ve promised people in that area we wouldn’t get [the roads] congested.”

Eventually, Hornick was swayed to the others’ side, and after a motion by Sanchez to approve the item, it passed 4-0.

Later, the council discussed a future facility that will be served by the parking lot: Mainly, the possibility of a partnership between the city and the Santa Ynez Valley Children’s Museum, which is planned for the space next to the library on Dairyland Road.

As City Manager Scott Wolfe noted in his report, at the March 13 City Council meeting, the council appointed an ad hoc committee comprising of Silva and Lewis to investigate a potential partnership with the Children’s Museum. This was made following a request for a partnership with the city by SYVCM Executive Director Ashley Jenkins during a public comment at an earlier meeting.

After some discussion between the committee and Jenkins, the committee recommended that the city provide short-term financial help to get the necessary projects built and the museum off the ground. 

The funding plan proposed by the ad hoc committee calls for an initial contribution of $500,000 for FY 2025/26, followed by $300,000 for FY 2026/27, and a final contribution of $200,000 (on a matching basis) for FY 2027/28. This recommendation also requires the periodic review of expenditures of city funds by SYVCM and progress reports, with the result of these reviews and reports informing the City Council’s consideration of the subsequent year’s budget.

At the start of council discussion, Hornick inquired about the nature of the initial $500,000 contribution, whether it was limited to agreed expenditures or just a “gift.” Wolfe replied it would be contigent on an agreed-upon list of projects the museum would have to complete. 

Hornick also wondered about any perks or discounts Buellton residents might be able to benefits from. Silva agreed that giving more consideration to Buellton residents would be a good idea, although drawing people from beyond city limits would be good too.

John Sanchez asked about liability: Would their involvement carry legal risk. Wolfe said the city attorney would be able to draft an agreement that would keep the city protected.

In Public Comment, Melissa Miller who lives in the neighborhood, was looking forward to seeing a completed Children’s Museum.

“It’s exciting to be a part of this, it’s needed to help children grow,” she said. “Children’s museums are destinations; this is an exciting opportunity, and I’m excited for it.”

Shelly Silva came to the podium with her daughter Sammie, and identified herself as a funder and supporter of the museum.

“I’d like to establish a destination for interactive play,” Shelly Silva said. “Just the possiblities: A water slide, imagine the soccer field that could be there.”

Jenkins came up to speak and give her vision of the museum and its effect, about how she wants to first get her programs online and then go from there, and how she wants her museum to be a “supplement” not a replacement for school.

“I’m proud to be part of this community,” Jenkins said. “I’ve been pushing this hard, but it’s what this city wants.”

Hornick expressed concern about the cost, especially with the first-year amount of $500,000, but emphasized he loves the idea of a children’s museum.

“I’m all for fiscal responsibility,” he said, “but don’t be afraid to come to us if you need something.”

Ultimately, Silva made the motion to move forward with the partnership, with Hornick seconding, and it passes 4-0.

The Buellton City Council will have a special joint meeting with the city Planning Commision on Wednesday, May 7, at 6 p.m., and then meet for its next regular meeting May 8 at the same 6 p.m. time.

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In a longer-than-usual regular meeting on Monday, May 28, the Solvang City Council heard from a dozen organizations asking for grant funds for fiscal year 2025-26, and also gave staff direction on changes for the city sign ordinance.

The meeting, which ran for 3 hours and 53 minutes, began with three proclamations, as the council honored retiring Sheriff’s Lt. (and de facto Police Chief) Mark Valencia, who is retiring, recognized Child Abuse Awareness and Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and one on Drinking Water Week.

After a presentation from the city’s marketing consultants, and the consent calendar, Mayor David Brown asked to move up Discussion Item 8b up on the agenda, a motion the council unanimously passed.

Brown then recused himself because his wife was one of the people scheduled to request grant funds for her organization. Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Orona took over the gavel for the item as Brown stepped out.

Speaking on remote from Huntington Beach, City Administrator Wendy Berry gave the report for the grant requests and said the grant fund request period lasted from Feb. 1 to March 31, workshops on Feb. 19 and March 11 to help with the paperwork.

Berry said city staff received 12 grant-fund applications, but only four were actually complete. The city’s ad hoc committee gave a week’s extension to those applicants who didn’t have all the paperwork.

The applicants were called up one-by-one by City Manager Randy Murphy. The grant request were as follows:

Atterdag At-Home Meals on Wheels: Director Karen Brown said the program, which was nearly discontinued in 2016, delivered over 25,000 meals last year and the number of seniors to serve are growing. Atterdag is asking for $20,000.

Bethania Food Distribution: Linda Marzullo said the operation has been going on for five years, but food is still needed. Marzullo said she asked for $2,000 last year but will probably ask for more.

Santa Ynez Valley Aquatics: Lisa Palmer said the mission of the foundation to bring aquatics access to all of the Valley, and is looking to build new aquatics center. Her group has raised $1 million, goal is $13.7 million by end of 2026.

SYV Fruit and Vegetable Rescue: New Executive Erin Shugart looking for $10,000 grant for group that provides freshnutrient-rich food with minimal environmental impact.

SYV Historical Museum: Absent

SYV People Helping People: CEO Erica Flores asked for $15,000, saying Solvang is the heart of their operation. The group networks with family resource center to provide an emergency food pantry.

SYV Western Heritage Foundation: Kevin Murphy, president of nonprofit foundation formed to fund Santa Ynez Old Days rodeo and preserve ag and western heritage.

Solvang Chamber of Commerce: Linda Palmer, community outreach, asking $46,500 to fund new Solvang Safe program, which encourage businesses to help in emergency.

Danish Days: Co-Chair Cassandra Ferris, who organizes the Danish Days Festival said the nonprofit relies on donations from public and city and use sponsorship. President Thomas Birkhold said grant fund helps them add bathrooms, PAsystem, table and chair rentals. the number increased from 2,000 to 6,000. 

10. Rotary Club: Steve Palmer, Chairman of 4th of July parade with Valerie Kissell. “The 4th of July parade speaks for itself,” he said. 

11. Viking Charities: Car Show Chair Greg Wietzman car show chair seeks funding for Viking Car Show, asking for $3,000. He said he’s asking for less this year, while eliminating beer garden and food vendors.

Claudia Orona said council has received the requests have been received, and Murphy said the requests would go back to the ad hoc committee and be discussed again at the June 9 council meeting.

Later in the meeting, Planning and Building Manager Rafael Castillo addresses the council on Item 8d, on Modifications to the Sign Ordinance.

Castillo recounted how city staff was directed in November to do a workshop on new design standards and held a joint Planning Commission and Design Review Committee Workshop on March 13, to discuss six key items:

• Objective Design Standards with the R-3 Lots and maintain control with DRC input over new projects.
• Incorporation of a “Design Handbook” including the use of approved color palettes.
• Use of A-frame Signs and Sandwich Board Signs within the Village/City.
• Additional Temporary Signage
• Use of Banner Signs in the Village
• Elimination of Content Based Regulation and replacement with objective standards.

Castillo told council he was looking for direction on which of those items to start work on.

Councilmember Elizabeth Orona, however, asked why there was no progress on any of those items, and Castilloanswered that those items were established to come back and get direction over which took priority.

“Basically, I’m doing an overview, no redline changes,” he said. “we’re bringing the workshop to you and getting direction. We’re waiting to see if we get direction.”

Brown saw that and suggested Castillo concentrate on the A-frames and temporary sign to begin.

At the end, Murphy assured the council that they would properly be apprised of any changes in the future.

The next meeting for the Solvang City Council will be Monday, May 12, at 6:30 p.m.

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Kenneth Kahn has been re-elected as Tribal Chairman of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, marking his fifth consecutive full term leading the tribe’s governing body. The recent election also reaffirmed the leadership of Business Committee members Mike Lopez, Maxine Littlejohn, Gary Pace, and Raul Armenta, who will each continue serving two-year terms.

The Chairman and Business Committee oversee the legal, business, and policy affairs of the tribe while working to ensure the economic well-being of its members. Kahn, 48, was first elected to the Business Committee in 2003 at age 25, making him the youngest member ever elected to the board. Over the years, he served as Secretary-Treasurer and Vice Chairman before being elected Chairman in a 2016 special election. Beyond his tribal leadership role, Kahn serves on the California Truth and Healing Council and as Vice Chair of the Native American Rights Fund.

Returning as Vice Chairman, Mike Lopez enters his sixth consecutive term on the Business Committee. Lopez, who served a decade on the Santa Ynez Gaming Commission, also holds leadership roles with the California Nations Indian Gaming Association and the United Boys and Girls Club of Santa Barbara County.
Maxine Littlejohn, re-elected to her sixth term, continues as Secretary-Treasurer. A Business Committee member since 2000, she briefly left to serve on the Gaming Commission before rejoining the board in 2015.

Gary Pace, a longstanding figure in tribal leadership, begins his 12th consecutive term. He first joined the committee in 2004 following a special election and has helped guide the tribe through two decades of growth.
Raul Armenta returns for his sixth consecutive term after first joining the committee in 2016. Prior to that, he served nearly 20 years on the Gaming Commission.
Since the passage of the Indian Reorganization Act in 1934, federally recognized tribes like the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians have operated under self-governing constitutions. These governing systems, rooted in tradition and cultural identity, enable tribes to manage their own affairs while preserving their heritage.
The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, located in Santa Barbara County, remains the only federally recognized Chumash tribe in the United States. Its reservation was officially established in 1901.

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A Buellton woman has been arrested for attempted murder of her boyfriend. On Sunday, March 30, at approximately 1:58 a.m., a deputy came upon a male subject in the roadway on Highway 246 at Valley Station Road. As the deputy attempted to usher the subject from the roadway, he discovered that the man had several stab wounds and lacerations to the shoulder, hip, chest, back and hand. The victim told deputies that his girlfriend had stabbed him and was inside a nearby residence in the 200 block of Valley Station Road. 

While deputies were rendering aid to the victim and attempting to control his bleeding, the suspect, 40-year-old Lydia Alicia Gonzales, stepped outside of the residence and threw cans of beer at them. Gonzales was quickly taken into custody and was safely restrained despite being extremely combative. Gonzales was booked at the Northern Branch Jail for felonies including attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and domestic violence. She is being held on $1 million bail. 

The victim was transported to an area hospital and is in stable condition. 

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On Feb. 18, U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Brian Robinson, commander of the Air Education and Training Command, and Chief Master Sgt. Chad Bickley, AETC command chief, visited Vandenberg Space Force Base. Their visit focused on briefing personnel on missile maintenance training developments and coincided with a Congressional Delegation’s engagement with base leadership. Robinson also toured the 532nd Training Squadron, receiving mission briefings and engaging with students and instructors on the latest advancements in missile maintenance and operations training.

2025 State of Vandenberg Addresses Mission and Regional Impact

The annual State of Vandenberg event, held on March 14 in cooperation with the Santa Maria Valley and Lompoc Valley Chambers of Commerce, provided updates on the base’s mission and regional impact. U.S. Space Force Col. Mark Shoemaker, commander of Space Launch Delta 30, presented the 2025 Vandenberg Commanders Community Service Award to David Goldy, the 576th Flight Test Squadron Honorary Commander.

Col. Dustin Harmon, commander of the 377th Test and Evaluation Group, highlighted the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile test launch mission at VSFB, emphasizing launches scheduled five years in advance. Additionally, Lt. Gen. Douglas A. Schiess, Commander of U.S. Space Forces – Space, underscored the base’s strategic importance and future operational goals.

Honorary Commanders Tour Firefly and NASA Facilities

On March 25, a group of honorary commanders from Vandenberg and Los Angeles Air Force Base participated in a base tour that included visits to Firefly Aerospace and NASA facilities. The program aims to strengthen community partnerships by informing local leaders about the Air and Space Force missions. Attendees engaged with Firefly staff and Space Launch Delta 30 Public Affairs members to gain deeper insight into Vandenberg’s collaboration with commercial partners.

VSFB Honors Chief Master Sergeants in 2025 Recognition Ceremony

Space Launch Delta 30 hosted the 2025 Chief Master Sergeant Recognition Ceremony on March 28, honoring the newly selected Chief Master Sergeants. The event celebrated their promotion and dedication to upholding the highest standards of excellence within the U.S. Space Force.

As Vandenberg Space Force Base continues to evolve, these key events demonstrate its commitment to excellence in leadership, training, and community collaboration, reinforcing its pivotal role in national security and space exploration.

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On a busy weekend in Solvang, a number of Santa Ynez Valley demonstrators gathered along Mission Drive in front of the Veterans Memorial Hall to participate in a national day of protest on Saturday, April 5.

The protest, referred to as “Hands Off,” was against the recent policies of President Donald Trump, including newly imposed global tariffs, cuts to government agencies and federal workforce, and raids to round up undocumented immigrants, among other policies made by the president after his reelection in 2024.

According to the Associated Press, demonstrations were organized for more than 1,400 locations in all 50 states, with an estimated 3 million participating.

Among the ones on the Central Coast was the one in Solvang (there were also demonstrations in Santa Barbara and Lompoc) spearheaded by Solvang resident Christine Pickavet, with help from Santa Ynez resident Leslie Churchfield.

“I wanted to go to Santa Barbara, and I saw there was one in Lompoc, but I knew we had a strong presence of people here in Solvang to do one,” Pickavet said. “So I contacted Leslie, and we got the word out.”

Pickavet said she organized the demonstration mainly to give people a voice, and there was no one issue over the others that prompted her to protest.

“We wanted something here in Solvang for local representation for our voices, because I think it can lean the other way sometimes,” she said. “I just wanted everyone who shares our perspective to know that they’re not alone here in the Valley, and I knew it could gather even if it was just Leslie and I on the corner.”

Plans for the protest were curtailed somewhat by the Bricks and Builds weekend-long event, which was an inaugualconvention for Lego builders and enthusiasts. Organizers had reportedly sought to use Solvang Park, but the Bricks and Builds already had activities and entertainment set up there. The protesters gathered instead at Mission Drive in front of the Veterans Hall, which was the main location of the Lego event.

Most demonstrators had handmade signs that they held up for passing motorists to see, many playing off the “Hands Off” idea, and others referring to more specific subjects, like the tariffs, governmental cuts, immigration, and LBGTQ+ issues. Motorists could be heard sounding their horns, presumably in support, as they passed the protesters.

“The reactions from people passing by has been very positive,” Churchfield said. “We’re getting a lot of honks.”

While the more than 100 protesters had a few issues to protest, Nancy Dale of Solvang said it all stemmed from what she thought the federal government was becoming.

“With who’s in charge now, I feel the government is becoming autocratic, and that really scares me,” she said.

Amy Derryberry of Solvang, who came to the demonstration with Dale, agreed, saying, “I think it’s become a power grab that’s unconstitutional and with all of [Trump’s] that are completely not qualified for any of the offices that they’reat.”

Ultimately, for Churchfield and other protesters, it was the satisfaction of being a part of something bigger, and letting her voice be heard.

“We’re taking part here, but it’s the National Day of Protest, and we’re standing strong with apparently two and a half million other Americans, and that feels good,” she said.

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