The day before Easter Sunday drew sizable crowds, despite the threat of rainy weather, to Buellton’s River View Park for the 33rd annual Easter Eggstravaganza on March 30.

The leadup to the popular egg hunt was greated with mostly sunny skies, although the event had to be curtailed somewhat with the possibility of the wet weather.

“It looks like the egg hunt will come along just fine,” Recreation Coordinator Kristen Thomsen of Buellton Rec said before the start. “However, we had to cancel a few things that were part of it. No petting, no games and a lot of the vendors canceled out, but we still have the Easter Bunny coming.”

As the time for the hunt came closer, Buellton Recreation Coordinator Allison Firey warmed up the crowd by running along the rope trying to get a good crowd shot with her cellphone camera.

Meanwhile, Fred Lageman of Solvang Recreation was out in the field with a bullhorn, reminding the participants how much time was left before the hunt, and the ground rules for the hunt.

Then, finally, Lageman counted it down and the kids, some with parents in tow, took off to get as many eggs as they could, and many were seen just minutes later with a full basket of the plastic eggs. The eggs had candy inside (of course), but some were “golden eggs” hidden somewhere in the park grounds and redeemable for a bigger prize from the Rec Department.

Of course, the rain did make an appearance, as a quick cloudburst passed over the park as kids and their parents were sorting out the collected eggs.

James Downing and his family — wife Sydney, and kids Tylee and Sawyer — were among those prepared as he held up an umbrella while the kids were going through their loot.

“It’s a good thing I brought this,” James said referring to the umbrella, “it said on the news the rain would come, but at least it waited until the hunt was over.”

While many of the booths and activities were canceled due to the threat of rain, one group that showed up was the Valley Christian Fellowship where Pastor Jon Firey and Sherri Noble were selling toys and other Easter goodies to raise money for the VCF.

“This has always been a good event, and I just wanted to support Buellton Rec,” said Firey, who is also a professional musician and married to Allison, who works for the rec department. “We were coming here rain or shine.”

Also able to make it for the event was the Easter Bunny, who was taking pictures with a long line of event attendees.

Despite the somewhat abbreviated event this year, Thomsen said the event was a success, and now they can look forward to next year’s Eggstravaganza, slated for April 19, 2025.

Feature Image: Kids fill up their bags with plastic eggs during the Eggstravaganza on March 30 at River View Park in Buellton.

The post Rainy forecast can’t curtail egg hunters at annual Eggstravaganza appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

Solvang (SolvangUSA.com), affectionately known as “The Danish Capital of America,” has been voted as second-best in the “Best Small Town in the West” in the 2024 USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Travel Awards, the results for which were publicly announced on April 10. The unique Southern California destination joined category winner Seward, Alaska, and third-place holder, Grants, New Mexico, in the top three spots.

In 2024, Solvang was nominated by a panel of experts and the 10Best editorial team for the USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards in two different travel categories: “Best Small Town in the West” and “Best Main Street.” The travel awards contest and online voting launched for the “Best Small Town in the West” category on Monday, March 4, and online public voting ran through Monday, April 1. (Results for the “Best Main Street” awards category have not yet been announced.)

No stranger to the USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, Solvang was one of the 10 Best Historic Small Town winners in 2016 and 2018. In 2017, USA TODAY named Solvang as one of “10 great places to enjoy global Christmas traditions in the USA.” More recently, Solvang was nominated for the 2022 USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards in two different categories, “Best Historic Small Town” and “Best Small Town Cultural Scene,” and secured seventh place in the 2022 winners’ listing for the latter category.

Solvang is the only California town represented in the top 10 winners’ list for 2024’s “Best Small Town in the West,” and jostled for first place among the top finishers throughout the voting period. The fourth through 10th place winners in the category are: Cody, Wyoming; Manitou Springs, Colorado; Gig Harbor, Washington; Bainbridge Island, Washington; Williams, Arizona; Durango, Colorado; and Ashland, Oregon.

The annual USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice awards feature the top 20 nominees in contests covering travel and lifestyle topics such as food, lodging, destinations, travel gear, things to do, seasonal family fun, and more. The 10Best Readers’ Choice Award contest launches new categories every other Monday at 12 p.m., revealing each category’s 20 nominees. After four weeks of digital voting, the contest closes on the 28th day at 12 p.m. Rules allow the public the right to vote online for one nominee per category, per day. More information about the USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards may be found at 10best.usatoday.com/awards/about-usa-today-10best-readers-choice-awards/.

Dog-friendly and ideal for kids, Solvang, known for its Danish-American vibe, architecture and design details, pastries and bakeries, and array of wine tasting options, also boasts dozens of unique boutiques, restaurants and gourmet food purveyors. Carefully curated indie booksellers and high-end home goods suppliers mingle with fairy tale-like children’s stores and museum gift shops. Solvang’s foodie destinations offer everything from elevated street cuisine – like locally-sourced fish tacos on hand-made tortillas, and comforting ramen noodles – to European-style pretzels and sausages, to Italian standbys or iconic Danish dishes, to elevated new-Californian fare in the form of MICHELIN-honored menus. Solvang visitors sip small-batch, locally-roasted coffee, shop for exotic, hand-bottled spice blends, or enjoy Tiki cocktails and craft beer, all part of an indulgent and one-of-a-kind, year-round shopping and playing escape.

The post Solvang takes second place in USA TODAY Travel Award Category appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

The Buellton City Council met for its regular meeting on Thursday, April 11, without Mayor Dave King, so Vice Mayor David Silva conducted the proceedings through most of the meeting as the councilmembers discussed a couple of business items involved proposed parking policy changes.

The council also conducted a conceptual review of the proposed “Highway 246 Commercial Center,” which included an eye-catching drive-thru coffee shop.

After approval of the Consent Calendar, and a proclamation recognizing National Donate Life Month — promoting organ donation — the council went ahead with Business Item 7, the conceptual review. Councilmember Hudson Hornick recused himself from the item, but was allowed to stay and listen to the presentation.

Contract City Planner Irma Tucker introduced the item and described the “Highway 246 Commercial Center,” which has been proposed by applicant Lonnie Roy.

Tucker said the center, located at 20 E. Highway 246 and 220 Avenue of Flags (north of the Flying Flags RV Park and Ellen’s Pancake House) would consist of a space-themed hotel with 24 units, a market/deli with an art deco architecture, and a drive-thru coffee shop that promises to get the attention of passersby.

The coffee shop would have a giant coffee pot with an opening to let customers’ cars through as part of the drive-thru.

Tucker said a drive-thru is not allowed on that parcel, but an amendment could be made to the plan to allow for it.

The reaction from the council was mostly positive, with Silva calling it “shockingly exciting” and saying “it would be fun to say I drove through a coffee pot.” Councilmember John Sanchez liked the fact that any drive-thru line would be contained in the center’s parking. “I’m pro drive-thru,” he said.

Councilmembers’ comments would be forwarded to the Planning Commission.

Business Item 7 was to discuss potential truck parking and the restriping of South Avenue of Flags jointly, but Sanchez requested the two aspects be discussed separately.

Sanchez had suggested an ordinance change that would make it legal for semi-trucks or other large vehicles to park in a part of the road that straddled the right lane leading to Ellen’s Pancake House and the left lane leading to Highway 246. The councilmember said he’s seen truck drivers use the space just south of the median with no trouble.

Public works director Rose Hess in her presentation said the city ordinance doesn’t allow for any vehicles to park more than 18 inches from the curb, and suggested an area on the curb where semi-trucks could be parked. However, Sanchez said he just wanted to legalize parking on the street area; he was not intending to have any existing parking taken out.

Hess said that was not an option, saying there potential issues with letting anyone park at the spot Sanchez proposed. In public comment, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Lt. Mark Valencia backed Hess, saying that changing the 18-inch ordinance would open up the city to liability if there was an accident.

The other three councilmembers also agreed that the proposed parking area was not a good idea.

“It doesn’t seem like something that would work; I’d be against it,” Silva said. “We should look at a place for truck parking but not there — if engineers and law enforcement say its wrong, that’s saying something.”

Council directed staff not to pursue the parking proposal, and councilmembers then started discussion on the restriping of South Avenue of Flags.

Hess proposed modifications to narrow the two-lane road to one in front of Flying Flags going northbound, and Shadow Mountain Drive going southbound.

Sanchez pointed out there was no accomodation for people turning into the RV park, and said that would potentially back up northbound traffic. He suggested a right-turn lane into Flying Flags, but as the discussion continued admitted he just was not in favor of narrowing the road to one lane.

Hornick said he liked the idea of the right-turn lane, but was in favor of one lane in each direction.

“I agree that [people turning into Flying Flags] could be a problem, but I like the one-lane idea,” he said. “I see it as more pedestrian friendly.”

Sanchez then continued his opposition to the one-lane idea in talking about the southbound lane.

“People going right [on Shadow Mountain Road] toward Zaca Creek Golf Course would be holding up traffic for people wanting to get to work,” he said.

However, Hornick answered that with “I understand, but we actually want to slow it down.”

Ultimately, Hess was directed to move forward on the restriping.

The final business item, Item 9, had to do parking issues on McMurray Road by Valley Vineyard Circle. Silva recused himself because he lives on Valley Vineyard Circle, and left the meeting, with Councilmember Elysia Lewis being handed the gavel.

Hess said there have been multiple issues with parking in the area, partly because there has been a lot of construction there, with heavy vehicles and equipment required on site. There have also been complaints of vehicles parking too close to the intersection, blocking sight lines for those trying to turn onto McMurray.

Hess introduced a map proposing red curbs (banning any parking) all around the field formed by Valley Vineyard Circle and McMurray Road. The reaction to that was negative, with three residents (one by email) criticizing the idea.

During public comment, one resident said “This is extremely aggressive [the amount of red curbs]; it just seems like a lot to me.”

Lewis said she was not in favor of the amount of red curbs. “It causes more problems than it solves,” she added.

Sanchez agreed with Lewis, and went even further, saying there should be no red curbs at all. “I don’t understand limiting parking on any public street,” he said.

The discussion ended with City Manager Scott Wolfe saying they will come back with another proposal for the area at a future meeting.

The City Council will next meet on Thursday, April 25, at 6 p.m.

The post Parking, traffic dominate discussion at latest Buellton City Council meeting appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

The Solvang City Council held its regular meeting Monday, April 8, and a good portion of it was spent discussing the council’s prioritized list of goals that was reached at a March 9 workshop.

Mayor Mark Infanti was not present physically at the meeting due to not feeling well, but he did participate via Zoom, with Mayor Pro Tem Dave Brown running the proceedings.

However, the mayor’s seat was not empty, at least not for the start of the meeting, as Solvang School second-grader Finley Henderson fulfilled her duties as “Mayor of the Day.” Finley had won the honor through a school contest, and also got to light the city Christmas tree at Solvang Park back in December.

On April 8, she called the meeting to order and led the council in the Pledge of Allegiance. Then she told the council and staff what she learned as honorary mayor that day.

“I learned about the Fire Department, all the water and how you clean it in the city, and how a building gets done,” she said. Finley was then asked by Brown if she had any recommendations, and she said she had suggested a mini-golf course in Solvang “where kids and families can go to have fun.”

Brown then presented her a gift on behalf of the city, a package of donuts, noting Finley’s love of the treats, and thanked her for “running the city.”

The first of the discussion items on the evening concerned the City Council’s prioritizing of its city goals over the next two years. During the City Council workshop on March 9, the city staff established 33 goals after input from the public and city officials. 

The council concentrated on the top 15, which ranged from the city parking situation (which was ranked No. 1) to affordable housing, local law enforcement staffing, traffic congestion, developing more local events to even it out with tourism events, and drawing business conferences and events to the city.

The council discussed and prioritized the goals with Special Advisor Rod Wood, who advised them on how they could move forward in implementing the goals and even consolidated some that were similar in scope. (To see the list of prioritized goals, go to www.cityofsolvang.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04082024-824 and jump to page 159).

“What we don’t want is a list of goals and two years later nothing gets done,” Wood said. “My task is to make sure you move forward with what you have approved tonight.

Money’s never the problem, getting to ‘yes’ is the problem.”

During public comment, Friends of the Solvang Library Board Member David Goldstein and Solvang resident Cary McKinnon advocated for the library improvements, which was among the top 15 of the city goals.

“A great city deserves a great library,” Goldstein said. “Right now, our services require three times the space that we currently have.”

“Thank you for considering the library on your list,” McKinnon said. “What is needed is more meeting space; it has none right now, and I get a lot of questions about that.”

At the end of the item, city staff was directed to move forward with the top 15 items, and Wood said after that they could rework them to fit budget concerns.

City Manager Randy Murphy said the list of priorities has been shared with grant writers in the hopes that Solvang could get extra funds for some of the projects.

In other business:

The council established a new Ad Hoc Budget Committee, which Murphy said earlier could be helpful in dealing with the City Council goals. The committee consists of the mayor (Infanti) and additional City Council member and a member of the Measure U Citizens’ Oversight Committee.

Councilmember Robert Clarke was appointed to the committee along with Infanti. The Measure U representative will be determined during a meeting for that committee.

The council heard the item of RATPDev, the operator of Santa Ynez Valley Transit, requesting an amendment of the five-year contract between the operator and city reached in 2022. Mainly, RATPDev requested an increase in fixed rate for non-transit costs, variable costs based on revenue hours, and to recover unforeseen escalation of costs estimated at $103,158.51, a 13.5-percent hike.

Public Works Director Rodger Olds said renegotiating with the transit operator was recommended so that they don’t risk having an unhappy vendor, but Councilmember Elizabeth Orona questioned the request when she found out that RATPDev could not provide any figures for ridership or finances. Orona also pointed out the operator was already getting a 12 percent increase under the current contract.

“We need to be transparent,” she said. “I want to see some match because now they’re asking for essentially 24.5 percent when they’re already getting 12 [percent]”

Solvang resident Denise El Amin, who’s been a frequent participant in public comment, thanked Orona for bringing up the lack of information, but took the council and operator to task.

“How can you have a five-year contract and just decided to redo it after one year,” she said. “I go outside where I live and see a bus go by and there’s like three people in it, and now they won’t give us the ridership figures. It’s a disgrace to give a presentation without figures.”

At the end, it was agreed that Olds would bring the presentation back to council after he was able to get some figures from RATPDev.

The City Council will meet next on April 22 at 6:30 p.m.

The post Solvang City Council prioritizes goals during latest meeting appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

The fish will be biting at Cachuma Lake the weekend of April 20-21, and multiple anglers will be looking to take advantage of that as the lake’s Neal Taylor Nature Center will be holding its 27th Annual Fish Derby.

The Fish Derby is the major fundraiser for The Nature Center at Cachuma Lake, which is a nonprofit organization.

This year’s Fish Derby will again include prize categories for multiple types of fish such as crappie, bass, catfish, trout, and carp. The prize pool has been increased this year which means everyone has a chance to win great cash prizes, fishing gear, and more!

Anglers of all ages are encouraged to enter the derby on April 20 and 21. Registration fee for adults is $40 if sent in advance or $45 if paid on-site Friday, April 19 to Sunday, April 21, and Youth Registration for ages 4-15 years old is always $10. Registration forms are available at Cachuma Lake Park entry gate, store, marina, Nature Center, and local businesses. To receive information and a registration form in the mail, leave your name and address on the hotline (805) 693-8381 or visit TROUTDERBY.org

Cash prizes amounting to more than $5,000 plus thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise prizes will be awarded in many categories and to anglers of all ages. Certain prizes are designated for children and for teens. 

All anglers 16 years and older must have a fishing license, which may be purchased at the marina. 

Free arts and crafts activities will be offered to children Saturday afternoon of Derby weekend and the Nature Center will also host a special Books & Treasure Sale on Saturday.

The Derby fishing begins at 6 a.m. on Saturday, April 20, and ends at 12 noon on April 21. Contestants must fish in Cachuma Lake during the tournament hours and may fish from shore at any time during the Derby including Saturday night. A flare will be fired at the harbor to start the Derby on Saturday and to end the Derby on Sunday.

Due to the threat of quagga mussels, Cachuma Lake has a 30-day quarantine and inspection of all boats except those with a Cachuma Lake Tag and kayaks/canoes. 

Please check for updates to the inspection protocol at sbparks.org

Other Fish Derby activities include:

Visit the Neal Taylor Nature Center:

Thursday through Saturday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Admission: Donations welcomed.

Children’s Activities will be on the lawn in front of the Nature Center from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday. Donations welcomed.

Purchase raffle tickets (open to general public) for valuable prizes starting at 12 p.m. on Friday, April 19, and throughout the Fish Derby. The winning tickets will be drawn at the Sunday Awards Program, which begins at 1 p.m. at the Fireside Theater. You need not be present to win the raffle.

One-and-a-half hour wildlife cruises on the lake, led by the Park Naturalist, are $18 for adults; $12 for children 5 to 12 and 62+ years. Reservations required: Call the Naturalist office at 805-688-4515

Books and Treasures Sale: At the Nature Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.

Awards Program at the Fireside Theater on Sunday, April 21, at 1 p.m. 

To make reservations for cabins, yurts, individual campsites, or full hook-up sites go to  www.sbparks.org/reservations or call (805) 686-5050. For other camping information, call (805) 686-5054.

About the Neal Taylor Nature Center at Cachuma Lake

The Neal Taylor Nature Center (NTNC), a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, is located within Cachuma Recreational Area in a picturesque old ranch house. Developed and operated by a corps of committed volunteers, it offers exhibits on the local valley and mountain environment for all ages, emphasizing hands-on exhibits for children of all ages. There is also a Native Garden behind the Nature Center.

The post Fish will be biting this weekend at Cachuma Lake appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

Visitors to Mission Santa Ines on Saturday, April 6, got to experience an event that’s becoming a little more frequent in Solvang: the Flying Miz Daisy Vintage Market.

With a little cooperation by the Central Coast weather, the market was able to happen on the first weekend in April, albeit in a slightly different location.

“We usually have this on the lawn next to the mission,” said Char Goetz, the founder/proprietor of Flying Miz Daisy. “However, with the threat of rain, we had to move it to the parking lot. Of course, we were able to sunny weather today, so it’s working out fine.”

The Flying Miz Daisy market is not your typical “swap meet” or “flea market.” While some of the vendors deal in straight antiques, many handcraft their products out of repurposed materials, whether it be furniture, home decor, jewelry, or clothing.

It was exactly what Goetz was going for when she first began the outdoor market, originally called Driving Miz Daisy, approximately 10 years ago in Orange County.

“I was an antique dealer for quite a number of years, maybe 15 or so, and my kids were growing up, and I decided, you know, Orange County could use a really cool winter market,” she said. “Since I was shopping at them all the time, I thought I could do it in a different way. I wanted to bring in the whole community where kids and all different ages just want to spend the day.

“I had a row of vintage trailer shops, a vintage barber, and a farmers market. I had a children’s play area. It was beautiful to see everybody come together.”

Goetz said it was important to bring a sense of community and personal touch to selling goods, something she feels has been lost.

“You know, we’re living in the age of technology, right?” she said. “And people are just shopping online all the time and losing that one-on-one experience. With this [Flying Miz Daisy], it’s so cool to see people go ‘Yes, I know what that is, and let me tell you a story about that.’ Then you know it’s going great.”

On the vintage market’s website (www.flyingmizdaisy.com), Goetz describes its vendors community as “a family” that “welcomes those who seek a different kind of relationship with the goods that surround them.”

“A lot of them have been with me for years and years, and they follow me where I do my shows,” she said. “There are some new ones, which is great, from the Central Valley and up, but I usually like to have the antiquing community with me on these.”

While Goetz treasures her vendor “family,” her real family is also very dear to her. Goetz and her husband, Bob, have lived in Solvang since 2020, and she keeps in touch with her four adult sons, Peter, Bobby, Corey and Dusty. In fact, two of them made appearances during our interview: Peter, who has a production company that works with TV network like the Discovery Channel, facetimed Char from the Amazon, where he was doing some work; and another son, Corey, who recently moved to the area and has a health and fitness podcast, came in person to check on his mother.

However, a driving force in Char Goetz’s efforts with Flying Miz Daisy and her philanthropic efforts is her late daughter, Ashley Goetz, who was born with cystic fibrosis, and passed away from the disease at age 25 in 2014.

Char said it was Ashley who had an important role in the establishment of Flying Miz Daisy.

“Before she passed, we sat down and actually did a dream board, or we like to call it a vision board, and she said ‘Mommy, what do we want to do with this trailer? Where do you want to go with it?'” Char said. “And I said I really wanted to open a vintage market, and we put it on the vision board.

“I took it to the city of San Juan Capistrano, and they were like, ‘this is great,’ and that’s how I got it started. So, Ashley was the one who pretty much inspired this.”

Ashley also inspired Char to create a foundation bearing her daughter’s name to contribute to deserving causes. Details can be found at ashleygoetzfoundation.com. Recipients of the foundation currently shown on the site, include Slave 2 Nothing, a foundation that aims to eliminate human trafficking and helps those in the throes of drug and alcohol addiction; and Womencraft, a community-driven social enterprise that designs, produces and exports hand-woven home décor items made from natural fibers and vibrant fabrics of East Africa.

“We’re in the process of changing it up, because we like to change up who we give it to,” Char said. “We have all women-based organizations we donate to, because she was all about that. So we donate every year to these causes, and [Mission Santa Ines] is one of them.

“Our goal is just to help as many people as we can and keep her legacy alive.”

A trip through the Flying Miss Daisy Vintage Market shows a number of different kinds of vendors. One of them was Anything Rustic, which sells furniture and home decor obtained from far and wide.

“We items sourced from around the world,” said Audrey Rivera, who runs the Anaheim-based business with her husband Hank, and their two sons, Zavier and Jeremiah. “We get stuff from far away as Germany and France.”

“We hand-pick every item we sell,” Hank said. “A lot of love went into it.”

The Riveras said working this show represented the first time they came to Solvang.

“We do at least 12 shows a year for our business,” Audrey said. “Sales have been amazing here for us today, so it’s definitely a success.”

Nearby, Pamela Amrine of Ojai was selling her wood products out of her trailer, along with Samantha Simpson. There, the selection ranged from small wooden signs with various sayings to flowerboxes to benches, all made with salvaged wood.

“Everything we have here is repurposed and recycled through my business, called Pamela’s,” Amrine said. “I’ve been doing this for 20 years to support my kids and grandkids.”

Amrine said she makes the rounds at all the big antique shows.

“Yeah, I do this show, Three Speckled Hens in Paso Robles, Great Junk Hunt, Barn Chicks; there’s a lot of them.”

Other kinds of merchandise spotted for sale at the market included clothes and antiques as well as a few food trucks.

Since starting it in Solvang last year, Goetz has run the Flying Miz Daisy twice a year, with the next one scheduled at the mission for Sept. 21. 

“We got it scheduled right in the middle of Solvang’s Danish Days, so we should do pretty well with that one,” she said.

Goetz said the market will continue to have a presence in Solvang as long as she resides there, and talked about how much she’s enjoyed the area since making the move in 2020.

“Solvang really has that small-town feel we were looking for when we moved from Orange County,” she said. “It really is so beautiful here. We live here, but I always feel like I’m on vacation.”

To find out more about the Flying Miz Daisy Vintage Market, go to flyingmizdaisy.com. For more info about the Ashley Goetz Foundation, go to ashleygoetzfoundation.com.

The post Flying Miz Daisy makes its presence felt in Solvang appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

By Mike Chaldu

michael@santaynezvalleystar.com

The Buellton City Council had its regular meeting on Thursday, Feb. 22, and during it got the process rolling on possibly getting an amended Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) on the November ballot.

The UGB was one of two business items on the agenda for the meeting.

An Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) is a concept that separates urban areas from the surrounding natural and agricultural lands, or greenbelts. It puts a limit on how far out the city can expand. 

In giving the presentation to council for the UGB, City Manager Scott Wolfe noted that it was identical to Buellton’s city limits, which isn’t usually the case for a city. He added that the city’s sphere of influence, which identifies areas outside of city limits which may at one point receive municipal services from the city, is also the same as city limits, which means the city cannot offer services past its limits.

“This UGB was established by voters in 2008 and can only be amended by voters,” Wolfe said. “However, the initiative expires on Dec. 31, 2025, and we only have one election left until then, in November, and we need to get an extension or an amended one on the ballot, or it’s going to expire.”

Wolfe proposed putting on the ballot an amended UGB with a sphere of influence expanded in three areas: past the west boundary of the city farther out on Highway 246 and its environs, north of the city boundary along Highway 101; and the east of town, in an area east of McMurray Road.

The city manager said his presentation was the first step in a compact schedule meant to get an amended UGB on the ballot, having the “phases” outlined with Phase 2, a workshop during the city’s Planning Commission meeting on March 21; another workshop in the City Council meeting on April 25; and the UGB ballot initiative to be put before the City Council at its May 23 meeting in order to get it on the November ballot.

In council’s comments and questions, Councilmember Hudson Hornick had a few questions and concerns, among them whether the proposed SOI would open the door to overdevelopment and whether a proposed Southern expansion would threatened the trail easements the council had established. Wolfe said there’s the potential for overdevelopment, but it usually doesn’t work that way and the trail easements would not be threatened.

Vice-Mayor David Silva expressed concern whether the expanded Sphere of Influence area would be able to accomodate the city’s modest regional housing allocation numbers, and Wolfe assured him it would.

“So what I see here it’s the density vs. sprawl discussion, we have this and wait for the state to blink, which they never do,” Silva said, “but this is something that gives some say, and not having to do Builder’s Remedy.”

“It makes thing a little more flexible for us.”

After discussion, no motion was taken as a council vote isn’t planned until the May 23 meeting.

The second item had to do with Authorization of Contract Extension with KOA to Prepare Caltrans Traffic Study

Wolfe said the city had been working with a business called KOA Crane to prepare a traffic study for Caltrans, proposing a ‘Skinny 246’ plan to narrow the roads and put in medians, bike lanes, and other “traffic-calming” measures. 

The city manager said they had already agreed with KOA Crane on a contract for $56,000, and said the study would be a means to get Caltrans to do other work in the Valley, and recommends that the council approve it.

Councilmember Elysia Lewis was concerned about how long it might take, but Wolfe assured her it would only be a few months, and hoped to be seeking grants by summer.

After hearing that Caltrans would have no involvement with the study, Councilmember John Sanchez asked if it was possible for the city to do all this work getting the study, and for Caltrans to say no to their requests.

“That is a possibility,” Wolfe said. “But I think if Caltrans sees we made the effort to put this together, they be more receptive to us.”

Mayor Dave King agreed with that sentiment.

“This survey is on our time; we can put it together, and I believe Caltrans will partner with us,” he said.

Lewis moved to approve the study, and it passed by a 5-0 vote.

The next Buellton City Council meeting will be March 14.

The post Buellton City Council takes first step in getting updated Urban Growth Boundary on November ballot appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

By Mike Chaldu

michael@santaynezvalleystar.com

The Solvang City Council met for it regular meeting on Monday, Feb. 26, and a big topic on the evening was water and sewer payments — or to be more specific, what to do about residents who are delinquent in those payments.

The council convened as a foursome for this meeting due to the absence of Mayor Pro Tem Dave Brown, although he would briefly participate by proxy. Also, City Manager Randy Murphy appeared by remote.

Presented as the first discussion item for the meeting (Item 6a.Discussion and Possible Action to Provide Direction Regarding Enforcement of Delinquent Water and Sewer Utility Bills 225), it involved city staff seeking direction on how do deal with residents who don’t pay their water/sewer bill.

“Staff is seeking direction from council in enforcing payment of water sewer bills,” explained City Counsel Chelsea O’Sullivan in introducing the item. “Mainly, we’re wondering how aggressive we want to be with enforcement.”

O’Sullivan went on to explain that the city code says that the city cannot disconnect someone’s water until the account is delinquent for 60 days, and even then there’s a policy on giving the person further notice. Also, a delinquent water/sewer customer must be offered an alternative payment plan.

Murphy, speaking remotely and seen on a monitor, said staff wanted to “see what the tolerances are for this,” and added that as long as a customer makes a minimal effort to pay, the water will stay on. He also said one option is to make the property owner responsible for the bill in cases of a tenant being delinquent.

When asked by Councilmember Elizabeth Orona how big a problem it was, Murphy replied “it’s at the lower end of the scale, but it is a problem. It’s a matter of making it fair and equitable to enforce.”

Then, Orona tried to analyze the topic from the point of view of the utility rate-payers.

“I think in looking at this we need to acknowledge that water costs have gone up almost 30 percent,” she said. “It’s important to note, I have a lot of feedback from residents who felt an imposition with the increase. I just want to be fair and understanding.”

In contrast, Councilmember Robert Clarke was less sympathetic to the delinquent payers.

“Waste Management, for instance, doesn’t sit around and discuss this; if you don’t pay for trash service, they don’t pick it up,” he said. “If I don’t pay Culligan, I don’t get my soft water. If I don’t pay Comcast, then I get my internet cut off.

“We have the policy of offering people alternate payment plans. Some get to the point where they agree on a payment plan and still don’t pay. I don’t get it; I’m tired of hearing this.”

Elizabeth Orona then asked about the issue of a rental tenant being delinquent and whether they can make the property owner responsible for that.

“Oh, definitely we make the landlord responsible for it,” O’Sullivan answered. “We cannot by state law charge any subsequent tenants for it.”

Mayor Frank Infante then said, “That’s what brought this up. There was a case where the renter left, after turning the water back on. Later, a big bill came because of that, and the landlord refused to pay it.” Infante then said in his view, they should just make the landlord liable for any delinquent payments in situations like that.

Councilmember Claudia Orona agreed, saying that the landlords would have the resources to protect themselves in that situation.

Despite his absence, Brown, who is a mortgage lender and financial planner by profession, also made some thoughts on the subject as he gave Infante a message beforehand to read at the meeting.

The city can place a lien on this property, which must be paid when transferred,” Brown’s note, read aloud by Infante, began. “In the meantime, this lien can be sold to investors who want to earn the interest rate; this way the investor buys the lien from the city, so we get paid, and now they collect on past due amount knowing they are getting paid for the principle and interest when the property is sold.”

“That’s a collection agency,” Clarke said after the note was read.

“Yes, but that takes us out of it,” replied Infante, who then reiterated his proposal to “make the property owner solely responsible for the water bill, and what they do with the tenant is up to them.” 

In other business:

The Consent Calendar was approved, but not before Infante pulled Item 4g, which involved approval of a joint stormwater report between Buellton and Solvang. The council passed the other items on the calendar before discussion. Infante said he didn’t have a problem with the study, but admitted he didn’t realize that the two cities were involved in one and that Solvang people were involved. After he got clarity on the item, the council voted 4-0 to approve it and put it with the others.

Council approved mid-year budget adjustments for Fiscal Year 2023-24.

Council approved a contract with Cannon Corporation for design services and to provide construction management services for the HCA Middle Well Reliability Project in the amount not to exceed $325,067 plus a 10 percent contingency of $32,506.70 for a total not to exceed amount of $357,573.70 for the term Feb. 22, 2024 to Dec, 31, 2025.

The next City Council meeting will be March 11.

The post Solvang City Council discusses water payment enforcement appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

By Pamela Dozois

Contributing Writer

Unspeakable cruelty has been perpetrated on animals down through the centuries to the present. Many people believe that animals are not sentient beings with individual thoughts, feelings, and personalities. It is their contention that animals can’t feel pain or become emotionally disturbed or that communication with each other, let alone humans, is very limited. Thankfully, science is becoming more aware of the fact that not only animals but plants really do have the capability of communication. We as humans just have to learn how to listen.

Santa Ynez Valley resident Tammy Golden is an animal intuitive healer, behavior consultant, and herbalist who works mostly with horses who have psychological, emotional, behavioral, and physical issues. She listens to them through what she calls a universal language: their body language combined with energy.

Golden’s job is her passion. She has always cared for animals on a deeper level, from rhinos to feral cats. Presently she works mostly with horses. 

“I’ve been handling animals since I was about 4 years old and naturally knew how to listen to them,” said Golden. “The first animal I rode as a child was a giant Galapagos tortoise. I rode around on his back, and I didn’t want to leave. It was just a wonderful experience.”

She moved on other animals a few years later.

“When I was about 8 years old, I started making money by training our neighbor’s dogs,” she explained. “Working with animals is something I can’t say no to. I can’t work in a store or on a computer; I need to be outside in nature, up close and personal with something furry, feathered, or scaled.”

After that, Golden got experience with cats.

“My first cat was feral. My neighbor was overloaded with kittens, and she said if I could catch the mother, I could keep her. That was all it took,” she said. “Interestingly, I was not interested in the kittens, I wanted the mother. I caught her, took her home and got her calmed down and socialized. Over the next few years, she actually taught me how to communicate with cats, learning cat language. I learned some things from other trainers, but for the most part, I’ve learned from listening to the animals themselves.”

As a youngster, Golden had a dream of becoming an animal trainer and when she grew up she went to work at a wildlife theme park in northern California but quickly discovered it wasn’t what she thought it would be.

“It was a terrible place for animals, and I quickly moved on, getting myself fired because I refused to beat a baby camel,” she said. “I am not a proponent of animal training colleges because they treat animals not as sentient beings but as things, and that’s not right.”

Returning to Santa Barbara, Golden has worked with local animal sanctuaries and with individuals who want to create a better relationship between themselves and their horse.

“Horses are the most in need of help, I find, because abuse is normalized and overlooked in the horse industry,” said Golden. “There is no protection for horses. Most people have traditions about handling horses that are often cruel, often without people realizing what they are doing is cruel, starting out wrong and escalating into something where the horse doesn’t trust people anymore.

“People think that punishment is a way to fix a problem. In reality they are causing the animal just to fear you. I’m trying to educate people that if they allow the horse to speak with his body, to say, ‘I don’t like something or I do like something’ and how to respond in a proper way that the horse can understand, the outcome is better for people and horses. You are setting up a conversation between you and your horse — not an ‘obey me or else’ attitude.”

Golden’s method is to create a friendly environment where the horse feels comfortable and secure enough to engage with her in a form of communication.

“While every situation is different, I can give one example of what it looks like when I work with a horse,” she said. “It’s actually more like play. I offer an invitation for the horse to engage. I take on the body language and demeanor of the herd matriarch, which is the most trusted and looked up to member of the herd, a very motherly figure. Horses understand and see the mother movements I am making and will respond in all kinds of ways that help me to know what’s going on inside of them. This is always done in an open environment without any kind of physical restraints or round pen to limit the movements of the horse. 

“There is never any need to show dominance or be the alpha as these ideas are foreign to horses. I seek to become the trusted friend that a horse can feel safe talking to. Meanwhile, I am always watching and listening to their body language and feeling their energy.”

Golden’s work with horses has inspired her to pursue another goal.

“I am hoping at some point to open a healing center for horses and other animals where people can come, in a quiet and natural environment and learn how to communicate with their animals, a place to heal animals that are in such bad shape that they can no longer be around humans,” she said.

Golden has four grown children: a son who is a local ferrier, a daughter in Washington who practices ancient Chinese medicine, a son who is a prison guard and another daughter who writes, illustrates, and animates comic books.

“My main goal is to change people’s perspectives about the other beings with whom we share this planet,” said Golden. “Communication is everything! If we can’t communicate with each other and our animals, how can we have harmony in this world.” 

To contact Golden, call (805) 245-4158.

The post Valley healer: Communication is everything when dealing with animals appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

By Pamela Dozois

Solvang resident Iris Duplantier Rideau recently released her new book “From White to Black: One Life Between Two Worlds” a memoir of her life. 

It is an intimate look into the life of a Creole woman born in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1936, when Jim Crow was the law of the land, through her journey to become the first black woman to own her own winery and vineyard in United States. It is a story of a determined, goal-oriented, multifaceted business woman who would not let anything stand in her way of reaching her dreams, and along the way work to cultivate civil rights, and affirmative action for the underprivileged in society.

“I was motivated to write this book because of the struggles I had to endure as a young person and I wanted to tell the story as to how I got here,” said Rideau. “I was born Creole, which is a mix of French, Spanish, African, and Native American. As Creole, some of us were whiter-skinned and others were darker-skinned. Some of us could easily pass for white. When I went out with my grandmother, we passed for white all the time. I experienced all the privilege and opportunities afforded to the White race. But when I went out with my darker-skinned cousins, I experienced all the oppressions and hardships of the Negro race.”

It was a trip to the West Coast and back that really brought home the differences to a young Rideau.

“In 1946 I traveled with my grandmother to California and took the White train and enjoyed its beauty and luxury,” she said. “But on my return with my mother’s girlfriend, I traveled on the Negro train back to New Orleans and the difference was so shocking that when I finally arrived in New Orleans, I could hardly speak. We didn’t have the Jim Crow laws in the West, only in the southern part of the United States, and they were so horrible and inhumane, degrading and demoralizing. I knew I needed to get back to California in a hurry. I didn’t want to live as an indentured person of color in New Orleans.”

Between 1916 and 1970 during “The Great Migration,” 6 million Negroes, Creoles, and all people of color migrated from the rural South to the North, Midwest, and West. She said it took her two years to finally convince her mother to move to California. They finally packed up their belongings and moved to Los Angeles where Rideau attended school.

In her book, Rideau says she was determined not to spend her life as a factory worker, doing menial work for pennies. Her goal was to work as a receptionist for a large company. As a black woman, that opportunity was not available to her at that time. But being light-skinned and a hard worker she was able to circumvent that bias. She procured a job as a receptionist at an insurance agency and learned the business from the inside out.

During that time, at the age of 20, she married a real estate developer who was also her first love in grade school. He wanted her to stay home and raise her daughter, whom she’d had at the age of 16. But eventually, Rideau had bigger ideas starting her own insurance agency in 1967.

After the Watts riots in 1965, people in that neighborhood found it almost impossible to secure insurance or loans for their homes and businesses due to “red-lining,” Rideau explained, saying that insurance companies didn’t want to take on the “high risk” of insuring properties within that area, which was a real hardship for both home and business owners.

“My agency was there to provide insurance to those thousands of people considered to be high risk,” said Rideau. “It launched my career overnight.”

Rideau remained in the insurance and securities business for 32 years, becoming involved in the political scene in California working to improve the rights of the underprivileged. By that time, she was totally burnt out from fighting politics, politicians, and the financial world, and was looking to find a nice quiet place to retire. But as it turned out, she was off to start a whole new life, as a winery and vineyard owner. 

“I was looking for a place of peace and tranquility and I found the Santa Ynez Valley,” said Rideau. “I bought a piece of property that was adjacent to the now winery. All I could think about was six acres at the time. I built a home for myself and one for my mother, which took another four years before I was finally able to say good-bye to Los Angeles and focus on my new life.”

During those four years of commuting back and forth from the Valley to Los Angeles, she and her niece/godchild, Caren Rideau, would go wine tasting on weekends in the Valley.

“I fell in love with the wine lifestyle,” said Rideau. “And that was it for me. I bought the property adjacent to my home with an historical Adobe landmark building on it, renovated it and established a winery with acres to grow my own grapes and make my own Rideau label of wines.”

After years of hard work, education and trial and error, Rideau established her own tasting room and winery, making her award-winning Rideau wines.

Rideau’s book “From White to Black” tells the story of a woman who knew what she wanted out of life and gave it her all to accomplish it, becoming a business entrepreneur, a political activist, and eventually a winery owner. It is a story of a life well-lived.

Rideau recently sold her enterprise to a French family from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and she lives but minutes away from her beloved vineyard. At 87, she is still going strong enjoying her retirement by traveling, doing Pilates three times a week, and enjoying life to the fullest.

Rideau will be holding a book-signing and a reading from her book “From White to Black” from 1 to 4 p.m., Friday, Nov. 3 at Rideau Winery at 1562 Alamo Pintado Road, Solvang. Her book may be purchased that day or anytime at Rideau Winery, accessed on Amazon, or at The Book Loft in Solvang.

For more information, email iris_rideau@comcast.net.

The post Local winery owner Iris Rideau tells her story in a new memoir ‘From White to Black’ appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.