By Pamela Dozois

Contributing Writer

and Mike Chaldu

michael@santaynezvalleystar.com

Rolf and Robyn Richter, longtime residents of Los Olivos, have reached out to the Santa Ynez Valley Star to voice their concerns about the multi-colored crosswalk that appeared overnight earlier this summer in the middle of the small town of Los Olivos.

In the middle of June, which is recognized as Pride Month, while visiting the Los Olivos Post Office to collect their mail, the Richters, as well as other town residents, were surprised to see the crosswalks in the middle of Los Olivos painted in the bright colors of the rainbow, celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community, not their usual white.

“Let me be clear, I am now and have always been a ‘live and let live’ kind of person. What signs you put up on your own property is your business,” Rolf Richter said. “But when a small minority of people take over an unincorporated town and disallow their fellow residents of having a say in what happens on the public streets in their town, well this is very concerning.

“The residents of Los Olivos were not consulted on whether they were OK with painting the crosswalks in rainbow colors. We, the residents of Los Olivos, have a say as to what happens in our little town; not just the business owners, who mostly reside out of town.”

The painting of the crosswalks in Los Olivos came after a similar proposal in Solvang earlier in the year.

The Richters heard of the proposal made to the Solvang City Council in February by business owners of a children’s gift and toy shop in Solvang, Kiel and Matt Cavalli, who are also founder and executive director, respectively, of the Rainbow House, a nonprofit geared toward the LGBTQIA+ community. 

The original proposal at the Feb. 27 Solvang City Council meeting included the painting of crosswalks on two intersections of Copenhagen Drive, along with pride banners on city-owned streetlights for the entire month of June. That was voted down by the council on a 3-2 vote.

On April 24, the Cavallis came back with an amended proposal to fly the pride banners for a two-week period in June, with no mention of painted crosswalks. That proposal was approved by a 3-2 vote as Mayor Mark Infanti, who voted against the previous proposal in February, voted yes for the amended one.

Later in that meeting, the council voted to ban all non-city banners for display after the already-approved Pride banner and Solvang Theaterfest banner are displayed this year.

“Cavalli’s proposal caused the City Council to amend the City Charter, disallowing any banners except the ‘Welcome to Solvang’ banners to be flown in the future,” said Rolf Richter, who along with Robyn attended the April 24 meeting. “This amendment eliminates the once informative and inviting banners such as Julefest, the Elverhoj Museum, and Theaterfest for example, all long-time Valley institutions, to be flown in the future. In my opinion, the Cavallis and their small LGBTQIA+ community have ruined this valuable way to announce events for everyone.”

After a similar proposal was introduced in Los Olivos, the Richters said being in an unincorporated town in the Valley, they did not have the opportunity to voice their opinions on rainbow crosswalks.

“[Jefferson] Woeste, the chair of the Los Olivos Chamber of Commerce and business owner in Los Olivos, seemed to take it upon himself to consult with Supervisor Hartmann, who consented to these crosswalks being painted in rainbow colors, without even consulting the residents or business owners for the most part,” Richter said. “The crosswalks were quickly and quietly painted. It happened at 5 a.m. on Tuesday, June 13, without anyone in the town being notified.”

Jefferson Woeste, owner of the J. Woeste plant nursery in Los Olivos and member of the Chamber board, told the Santa Ynez Valley Star he put in motion the idea to paint the crosswalk in rainbow colors during Pride Month, and then paint the walks in red, white, and blue to celebrate July 4.

Woeste said he pursued the crosswalks project after a campus club at Santa Ynez High School had rainbow colors painted on campus crosswalks and speedbumps during a week-long “No Place For Hate” campaign. After complaints from parents, school maintenance painted over the rainbow colors with white paint after just two days.

About the SYHS crosswalks, Woeste said “they were painted on a Monday, and the next day, kids are showing up and their being painted white.” Woeste claimed that out of 10 people who commented on the campus crosswalks, only three objected.

“The school approved it, and they caved to those three parents,” he said. “So therefore I thought, you know, that’s not right. Let’s see if we can do that in Los Olivos.”

Woeste said he took the idea to paint the crosswalks in Los Olivos to the Chamber of Commerce and they unanimously said yes. He said he then reached out to Scott Ramsey of Ramsey Asphalt, who did the rainbow-painting on the Santa Ynez High campus.

“[Scott’s] also the dude who deals with County Roads,” Woeste said, pointing out that department is the one in charge of approving projects like this. “He knows what’s required. He knows that if you’re going to paint a crosswalk, he knows you need flagmen, he knows there are procedures, he knows all that.

“He proposed it to County Roads and they sat on it. He told me ‘I’m sorry,’ and that he didn’t think it would happen,” Woeste said. “Bottom line, there’s first amendment rights involved, not to mention the legality and technicality, and roads goes to county counsel, county counsel says yes.

“County Roads reaches out to Joan Hartmann’s office, she’s like 100 percent ‘let’s do this.’”

“We went through every legal proper channel,” Woeste said. “We went through the same channels when we painted them red, white, and blue.”

Richter said he called Hartmann’s office twice went to the office once when it was closed, then he tried to contact Mary Nash, a member of the Los Olivos Chamber of Commerce. He said he has not heard back from either.

“No one asked us, the folks who live in Los Olivos,” he said. “We feel voiceless and no one in the Chamber even consulted us. I had initially put up several flyers, voicing my opinion, which were promptly torn down. My wife and I continued to put up flyers daily, which continued to be torn down.”

Richter also brought up another factor — the horses that ride through town.

“We are also an equestrian town with horses riding daily through the town,” he said. “One of the reasons the Solvang City Council denied Cavalli’s [original] proposal is because it is dangerous for horse and rider to traverse the colorful crosswalks. One of the veterinarians at Alamo Pintado Equine Clinic confirmed that ‘it’s a well-known fact among horse riders that stripes of any colors are dangerous for horses to tread on and they’ll bolt since they instinctively view them as cattle guards to get their feet caught in.’“ 

On Sunday, June 25, Richter heard from Meighan Dietenhofer, Joan Hartman’s Solvang representative, seven days after Richter had left a phone message for her.

“Dietenhofer had no response when I asked her why Hartman didn’t nix the crosswalk idea when she already should have known of the dangers to horses and riders as this was one of the reasons that the Solvang City Council rejected the painted crosswalks,” said Richter. 

“The people in Los Olivos pay high property taxes. It takes a lot of work to afford to live here and to not get a vote or a voice on what happens in our community feels like a slap in the face. This is not about just the crosswalk — it’s about what could happen next.” 

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By Mike Chaldu

michael@santaynezvalleystar.com

The Dunn School, the private boarding school located in Los Olivos, is one whose administration has never been afraid to think outside the box.

And that philosophy carried over into the school’s Commencement ceremony on June 3: During the awarding of the diplomas, instead of having the student just walk across the stage and sit back down, each of the 41 graduates of the Class of 2023 had a faculty member of their choosing introduce them and say a few words about the graduate, or as much as they could in the 45-second time limit.

That resulted in many fond memories — some humorous, some inspirational, some poignant, and some emotional.

For instance, Hannah Bishop got hear her personality be compared to a “jingle,” and got to hear an exercept read from a class-assigned letter from the point of view of herself as a 77-year-old, which included a characteristic “anyhoo” mixed in with the essay.

Bernard Grunzweig got to hear one last time from College Counselor Terri Devine a mantra she said she uttered everyday — “Thank goodness for Bernie” — as she recounted all the help her student had done and the great attitude he displayed in and out of the classroom.

Johnathan Johnson got to hear his former assistant baseball coach and advisor gush about “The Rhino,” Johnson’s alter ego known as “the most intense pitcher I’ve ever seen take the mound.”

And in maybe the most amusing introduction, David Mason introduced Ukrainian student Lev Prosvietin by speaking his language — literally. Although he never spoke Ukrainian before, Mason delivered his words in that language (to Prosvietin’s bemusement), while fellow faculty member Toby Castle held cue cards with the English translation for the benefit of the audience.

“I did it as a surprise,” Mason said after the ceremony. “I got together with someone who knew Ukrainian to writer it and work on the pronunciation. It was so hard, obviously.”

It was those moments that wrapped up a festive ceremony full of cheers and tears, and some entertainment.

A five-piece band performed a couple of songs, one of which had Aidan O’Neill and Willa Levy teaming up for a rousing version of the 1976 Elton John/Kiki Dee hit “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.”

Dunn Head of School Kalyan Balaven began the Commencement with an original poem called “Ripples,” which was chock full of references of the people, places, and moments from the past year at Dunn.

“I read it last year, but each year I change it up a little bit to reflect what happened during each school year here,” Balaven said after the ceremony.

Eventually, Dunn’s three student speakers were able to take the podium.

First up was Joshua Marin, who spoke of his journey since arriving at Dunn as a sixth-grader, and issues he eventually had while there.

“In my freshman year, I felt like I’d been dropped into a maze, but what made it more difficult was it was pitch black,” he said. “I felt like I had to get through by feeling the walls and making random turns.”

However, Marin said, a classmate persuaded him to talk to a now-former faculty member to get the help he needed. He said the the closeness of the Dunn community is what helped him get through his “mental maze.”

“Dunn showed me that the beauty in life isn’t in the scenery or the money, though both are gorgeous,” Marin added. “But rather the bonds we create on our paths to success. This place will remain sacred not just because I grew up here, but because I met some pretty amazing people on the way.”

The next speaker, Quinby James, began her speech by introducing them to a girl who was a shy homebody who didn’t do much more than school, dance, and hanging with her mom.

“She came to this school seven years ago, but she’s no longer here,” James said. “She’s grown into the person standing before you today. She’s me.”

Thus began her story of how her experience at Dunn School has made her a “confident, outgoing, dynamic being that embraces all things new.”

It was her time at Dunn, James said, that taught her not to be afraid of failure (examples of which she told of while at Dunn), but to learn from them. She then told of when she decided to transfer to Santa Ynez High School, but came back to Dunn because SYHS was “too comfortable.”

In summary, she said to her fellow graduates, “I ask you to embrace the discomfort. I ask you to learn. I ask you to fail.”

The final speaker was Helen Pruitt-Kennett, winner of the Trophy of Excellence, Dunn School’s highest honor, for 2023.

Pruitt-Kennett began her speech by recounting how when she entered high-school age, she wanted to just “soar through” high school and instead go right to the “end” and enter college.

She then dabbled in extracurricular pursuits like racing motorcycles and, later, going on her first solo flight, which involved a flyover above the Dunn campus. 

“I was reluctant to get into the plane; some part of me feared I’d forget how to land,” Pruitt-Kennett said. “Then as soon as the wheels were off the ground and I was flying, and by some small miracle, I decided to come back.

However, there was a somber note to her achievement.

“What many didn’t realize was that the previous week, I had lost my mother,” Pruitt-Kennett said. “Flying was what I loved, but it was all I had.”

In all of that, though, Pruitt-Kennett realized something about her earlier wish to just soar through high school — that the “middle” wasn’t the waste of time she thought. With that she left a final message to her classmates.

“I stand here looking at the horizon of everything I want to be. Though I cannot see the setting sun past tomorrow, even if I take a step into the dark today, I will find my way down the path,” she said. “I don’t see an end — I just see the rest of my journey.”

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By Mike Chaldu
michael@santaynezvalleystar.com

After dealing with the January storms that caused flooding and a lot of other damage in the area, the Santa Ynez Valley, along with the rest of the Central Coast, dealt with another storm starting on Feb. 23.

This one wasn’t quite as damaging for the Valley, but it definitely had its challenges: Difficult driving conditions, power outages, and, yes, even snow.

Most notably, snow fell on San Marcos Pass on Highway 154 and got heavy enough for Caltrans to close the road Feb. 23 between the State Route 246 and 192 junctions between 12:43 and 2:40 p.m. A California Highway Patrol report said that 30 to 40 vehicles were stuck in the snow at 12:50 p.m.

Road and traffic conditions were also hazardous around Santa Barbara County: Highway 154 was closed temporarily again on Sunday due to a traffic collision. Highway 1 into Lompoc was closed last week because of erosion on the edge of the road near Santa Rosa Road. Finally, traffic on Highway 101 got a little heavier because of the closure of the Grapevine on Interstate 5 due to the snow. However, that road was opened on Thursday.

Meanwhile, much of the Santa Ynez Valley lost power on Friday, Feb. 24, with some stores reportedly having to close temporarily until power was restored in the afternoon.

As far as rainfall, the local areas picked up quite a bit in the 24 hours between 8 a.m. Feb. 24 and 8 a.m. Feb. 25. Totals showed Buellton with 2.84 inches in that span (4.13 for the storm overall), Los Alamos with 3.40 (5.73), and Santa Ynez with 3.92 (5.52). Cachuma Dam picked up 5.38 inches in that 24 hours (7.33 for the storm), which necessitated a release from Bradbury Dam of 25,000 cubic feet per second of water. The release brought about a rare site: A free-flowing Santa Ynez River all the way through Lompoc.

The storm subsided by Thursday, March 2, and the forecast is in the 60s and partly cloudy through this week.

Meanwhile, the Santa Ynez Valley Association of REALTORS® and the Santa Barbara Association of REALTORS announced that flooding disaster victims eligible for up to $3,000 rent or mortgage payment assistance
Anyone in Santa Barbara County whose housing was impacted by the January 2023 storms may be eligible for financial assistance up to $3,000. Specifically, Santa Barbara County residents who faced displacement or whose homes were damaged or destroyed may qualify for relief provided by the Santa Ynez Valley Association of REALTORS®, in partnership with the Santa Barbara Association of REALTORS® and the REALTORS® Relief Foundation.
Assistance is available for qualified applicants to assist with the following:
• Monthly mortgage expense for the primary residence that was damaged by the flooding disaster, or;
• Rental cost due to displacement from the primary residence resulting from the flooding disaster, or;
• Hotel reimbursement due to displacement from the primary residence resulting from the flooding disaster.
Residents who qualify may apply for reimbursement of one month’s mortgage, rent payment, or hotel reimbursement, or $3,000 — whichever is less.
The REALTORS® Relief Foundation (RRF) was originally created by the National Association of REALTORS® in response to the 9/11 attacks, and has gone on to help several communities rebuild after disasters ranging from wildfires to hurricanes. Through its efforts, the RRF has helped more than 19,000 families stay in their homes.
To apply for disaster relief assistance, please visit www.sbaor.org/forms/adra/

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By Raiza Giorgi

publisher@santaynezvalleystar.com

The little community building in Los Olivos known to many locals as the Grange Hall has had many uses from agricultural meetings, community events, dance lessons and more. For more than 80 years the Grange Hall has been a center point in not just Los Olivos but the Santa Ynez Valley, and locals are now rallying to save the hall from being taken over by a newly organized State Grange. 

Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge James F. Rigali granted a Motion of Summary Judgment for the California State Grange against the Los Olivos Community Org., inc. and Hall, in a lawsuit that was filed in April 2020, and will come before the court on Tuesday, Feb. 8. 

This isn’t just a local story, as grange halls all around the state are in the same situation trying to maintain local control over their community buildings as they have been sued by the California State Grange to take possession of the properties. 

About 10 years ago, California subordinate granges elected a state grange master who worked to liberalize the organization and make it more appealing to its changing local communities. That caused a rift with the national organization, which revoked the California State Grange charter, leaving its subordinate members in legal limbo. As a result, many of the subordinate granges elected to become independent of the National Grange organization. That is how Los Olivos became the Los Olivos Community Organization, according to John Copeland, secretary of LOCO. 

“We were tired of paying dues that just went to feed the fight between the state and the national grange. None of it stayed in Los Olivos,” Copeland said. 

When a fire damaged the building in September 2013, neither the state nor the National Grange helped with rebuilding, Copeland added. 

“Our members and people in the community rose to the occasion and raised the required funds to cover the gap in what insurance would pay and the cost of rebuilding,” he said. “Our members remembered that when we decided to become our own organization in 2016.”

Copeland explained they formed the new nonprofit, the Los Olivos Community Organization, and transferred title from the SYV Valley Grange to LOCO. The SYV Valley Grange #644 corporation was then dissolved and LOCO received nonprofit status from the IRS and holds the title to the building, Copeland explained.

Copeland went further to say that the National Grange successfully sued to take the California Grange assets, and now is seeking to bring all the subordinate granges that allied with the more liberal organization, back into line under a newly reorganized State Grange.

“The National Grange can take control of the property ‘for the good of the order,’ Copeland said. “They’re trying to use this blanket bylaw to control us. Some other halls have walked away and some are fighting to keep their control like we are.” 

LOCO plans to appeal the Motion for a Summary Judgement ruling, which will take some time, Copeland said. However, if is not successful, they will be faced with difficult decisions. 

“Do we surrender the building that we love and into which we have poured so much time and treasure?” Copeland questioned. “Do we attempt to organize a new subordinate grange, joining the organization simply to retain control of our own property? Do we attempt to buy our own property, if that is even possible?” 

LOCO estimates the nonprofit needs $65,000 to cover bond fees to keep local control. It has some of that tucked away, but the hope is that its attorney can either reduce or get a waiver at the hearing on Feb. 8, before LOCO members start doing fundraising. They do have a GoFundMe page set up. 

“If we don’t come up with the cash for the bond the state grange takes control of the building and can lock us out. We have asked for clarification from the state’s attorney with no reply yet,” Copeland said. “We had great community support when the fire happened, and I think we can rally again to keep our hall.”

The Star reached out to the State Grange Communications department to get comment more than a week ago, and no response was given as of yet. We will update if and when we get a reply. 

————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

History of the Santa Ynez Valley Grange

The Santa Ynez Valley Grange No. 644 was organized Feb. 23, 1937, by a group of people who gathered at local schools and places to start a chapter of the agricultural organization to unite farming families and provide grassroots activism on their behalf. The building in Los Olivos was built in 1948 by members of the Santa Ynez Grange and maintained by locals. 

The Santa Ynez Grange was the first organized in Santa Barbara County and was the 316th established in California.

A founding member, Fred Lang, donated land in Los Olivos for a future grange hall and the group set a goal of $12,800 for the building project. It invested in U.S. savings bonds and later redeemed them to make the building a reality.

This was written by Janene Scully of Noozhawk in the fire rebuilding story posted on Aug. 2, 2014. She can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. 

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Staff Report

Combining the fourth annual NatureTrack Film Festival with the Los Olivos celebration of small-town life “Day in the Country” brought out record numbers of people, especially after the long lockdown. This was the first time the NTFF was live and in-person for one day since its abrupt halt in the face of COVID-19 in March 2020.

Festival organizers followed the pop-up live with a two-week virtual run of the nature-related films, allowing the audience to be worldwide, not just local.

Stats for this year’s virtual event, which ran Oct. 17-31: 2,775 streams, and 407 passes. Audiences ranging from India, Spain and Germany to strong showings in U.S. on the east and west coasts especially, with Colorado making the charts.

“It’s very exciting when the films we’ve chosen get such wide exposure,” said founder Sue Eisaguirre. “Many of our filmmakers have had films in each year and they make our film festival stand out in the crowd.” 

“[NatureTrack] is one of my favorite film festivals on the nature circuit … extremely well-organized with a great selection of films. They host many educational activities promoting the appreciation of nature,” said filmmaker John Dutton, whose award-winning “Discover Wonder: The Octopus Garden” was included in the event.

Luis Palomino Benítez of “Flying with Spider Monkeys” lauded the “fantastic staff, helpful and friendly,” with a nod to the selection and talent his film was among, adding “I wish I could have attended.”

Next year is a milestone for festival — the fifth annual celebration of connecting people to nature — and the organizers have plans to get back to an in-person festival for three days, and possibly expand it further. The virtual part will remain in place for all future festivals.

Making its world premiere at the NTFF was a documentary co-produced by NatureTrack with Golden Cage Films — Mitchka Saberi and Francisco Lopez. “The Accessible Outdoors” shows how a manual wheelchair user can transform their chair into an all-terrain vehicle using Freedom Trax, while investigating the importance of connection and access to nature for all people.

The filmmakers noted how the disabled audience members in attendance were able to see a problem they’ve surely experienced firsthand reflected on screen, and were excited by one possible solution in the Freedom Trax devices.

Using the Freedom Trax removes barriers to accessing beaches and trails for wheelchair users and others with physical disabilities. NatureTrack uses the Freedom Trax so docents, teachers and students can participate in the outdoor field trip program.

NatureTrack has also expanded its program beyond just school trips to include trips for wheelchair users and others with physical disabilities, offering trips to beaches and trails throughout the county.

“As we were shooting the film about incorporating Freedom Trax into NatureTrack’s outdoor field trips for our website, I realized there was more to tell about the lack of access to nature and the outdoors for disabled people,” Eisaguirre said. “I wanted the film to convey the importance of connection and access to nature for all people. Mitchka and Francisco did just that. I enjoyed working with them.”

In their director’s statement the pair noted, “Before making this film, we hadn’t considered how extensive the topic of disability access is. As two able-bodied people, it wasn’t until talking to people with a variety of disabilities we came to realize access to nature isn’t an issue to be ignored until it impacts you or someone close to you.

“We all deserve the ability to experience nature and connect with it, and that ability could easily be taken away from us at any moment. We shouldn’t wait until that moment comes to advocate for change in this sector.”

The film will be submitted to more film festivals nationally and internationally.

“We’re thrilled to continue sharing the film with audience members of all abilities, hoping everyone can take something away from the topics we address in the film,” Saberi said.

The film festival organizers thanked its 70-plus volunteers who helped on the event, as well as staffing the Day in the Country booth, 5K and Fun Run.

Thanks were also given to sponsors for their support: The Land Trust of Santa Barbara, Dunn School, We Watch, Solminer Wine Co., Bell Street Restaurant, Global Gardens, Mechanics Bank, FLIR/Teledyne, J. Woeste, Montecito Bank and Trust, First Street Leather, McFadden & McFadden PR, Pacific HR, Visit SYV, El Rancho Market, and St. Mark’s-in-the-Valley for use of its facilities.

NatureTrack is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that provides cost-free outdoor field trips for Santa Barbara County schoolchildren, utilizing local trails and beaches throughout the county, and provides field trips for wheelchair users of all ages. Funds raised in the film festival support the year-round expenses for NatureTrack.

For more, visit https://NatureTrackFilmFestival.org.

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 appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

Staff Report

The Fourth Annual NatureTrack Film Festival will have a dozen wonderful premieres to see at the in person live pop-up on Saturday, Oct. 16 and in the virtual program that runs for two weeks Oct 17 – 31. 

The USA premieres include “Island of the Hippos,” “OPI,” “Seaturtle Watcher,” “Ingenuos,” “The Ants,” “The Accessible Outdoors,” and “Jurria – The Guardians of the Poles.”  NTFF has “Korovadu,” “Sebastian and Max’s Grand Canyon Adventure,” “ A Flyfishing Refugee,” “An Alaskan Fight,” (the previous two by the same filmmaker Brian Kelley who is based in Portland), and “Images of Guanwu” rounding out the California premieres.  All these films will be screened in Stacy Hall, at St. Mark’s in the Valley, 2901 Nojoqui Avenue in Los Olivos from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.  Film Guide Here

Get your tickets now for the in-person festival because, of special note, the newly added venue the Cindy Bronfman Leadership Center on the campus at Dunn School, is where NTFF has set an additional screening of the BBC’s fantastic “Antarctica.” from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 16.

They cannot show it virtually and wanted to give everyone a chance to see this important film about the Antarctic, only discovered 200 years ago. Find out why saving the coldest, darkest place on earth is really important for our planet’s future. The food chain is in full view here, from plankton to whales. A total WOW of a film with those incredible up-close and personal shots of wildlife the BBC filmmakers are always able to capture.

Stick around for the credits, you’ll witness some filmmakers in the tight spots.  This screening will be shown with “Korovadu,” filmmakers take you to Patagonia’s unpredictable terrain and explores our fragile relationship with nature.  “Light of the Night,” from Slovakia, is about the importance of dark skies.

Director Matej Pok in his director’s statement expounded on how the light at night negatively affects the lives of plants and animals and astronomers but also each of us, although we are not yet aware of it. NTFF invited members of  WeWatch to this screening. After the film, they’ll discuss how they’ve made a difference for the exquisite dark skies, here in SYV.  Free parking on Dunn campus, adjacent to the student center. Signs will lead you to the building from Hwy 154.  

Tickets are on sale NOW HERE. If you can’t make the in-person screenings, they’ve got you covered.  Enjoy ALL of the films virtually in the convenience of your own home from Sunday, Oct. 17 to 31 go to https://NatureTrackFilmFestival.org    

Live & Online $100; Online Pass only $75.   

At NatureTrack our mission is to inspire students to embrace our natural world with respect and wonder, encouraging them to be stewards of our natural resources; and to prepare school-aged students with the attitudes, leadership skills and habits for lifelong learning. The NatureTrack Film Festival expands upon our core mission by “igniting passion for nature through film.” NatureTrack invites filmmakers from around the world to share their adventures, stories, and documentaries with enthusiastic audiences. Located in Los Olivos, in the heart of Santa Barbara County we invite you to discover a film festival supporting the next generation of environmental stewards.

NatureTrack is a 501(c)3 non-profit that provides cost-free outdoor field trips for Santa Barbara County school-aged children, utilizing local trails and beaches throughout the county. Funds raised in the film festival support the year-round expenses for NatureTrack. 

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A psychotic break from his talented, driven and successful newlywed wife, Giulia, came completely unexpectedly for Mark Lukach. 

The trials that ensued as the whole family navigated her psychiatric treatment were easily the most traumatic experiences of their lives, and they taught Lukach valuable lessons about love, support, crisis and self-care.

They’re lessons that Lukach is bringing to Dunn School in Los Olivos to share with the Central Coast Community at his free talk at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 30.

The Dunn Association, an organization comprised of parent volunteers of the boarding and day school, are bringing Lukach, the International Bestselling author and educator, to Dunn’s Cindy Bronfman Leadership Center to help put the COVID-19 pandemic into perspective through his unique lens. 

“When my wife was first hospitalized,” Lukach said, “I had to learn through trial and error how to take care of myself, so I could take care of my partner. Now, in 2021, we experience a global trauma in COVID, and I want to share that what I learned about being a caregiver was the exact skillset I needed to tap into as I confronted COVID.

“This won’t be the only trauma of our lives. The best thing to do is be prepared and learn how to take care of ourselves.”

Said Dunn Head of School Kalyan Balaven: “It’s a special opportunity for the Central Coast to have an author and person of Mark’s caliber and talent here to share his experiences and relate to our own. His compassion, honesty, and coping tools are exactly what we need right now.” 

Lukach’s work has been published in the New York Times, The Atlantic, Pacific Standard, Wired and other publications. He has also shared his story at The Moth Main Stage and at TEDx. He is currently the Ninth Grade Dean at The Athenian School, where he also teaches history. He lives with his wife Giulia, and their two children in the San Francisco Bay Area.  

My Lovely Wife In The Psych Ward is the product of 5 years of Lukach writing the story of how mental illness redefined his young marriage to Giulia and ultimately affirmed the power of love. Copies of the book will be available for purchase, and the talk will include a question-and-answer period as well as a meet and greet with the author. 

————

About Dunn School: Dunn is a boarding and day school (grades 6-12) nestled in the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley of Santa Barbara County, Calif. Founded in 1957 from its campus in Los Olivos, Dunn has remained true to its mission of providing whole student education for more than 60 years through its unwavering set of core values: Emotional Wellness, Physical Readiness, Intellectual Growth, Social Responsibility and Moral Courage.

The post Bestselling Author Coming For Free Event At Dunn School appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

Caltrans District 5 will be presenting the conceptual bridge rail design and the interpretive display concepts for the Alamo Pintado Pedestrian Bridge replacement during a virtual public meeting that will take place on Monday, September 13 from 6 to 7 pm.

This project will include removal and replacement of the Alamo Pintado Creek Pedestrian Bridge. It will also include removing the retaining wall next to the bridge, placement of rock slope protection, as well as minor grading and embankment restoration.

No in-person public meeting will be held due to COVID-19, but a virtual public meeting will take place on Monday, September 13 from 6-7 pm.  Details on this meeting can be found online at the Caltrans District 5 website at:

For traffic updates on other state highways on the Central Coast motorists can call Caltrans District 5 Public Affairs at (805) 549-3318 or visit the District 5 website 

at: http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist05/road_information.htm  

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Imagine yourself off the coast of Africa with hippos, in the swamps of Florida, discovering hidden parts of Rio de Janeiro, or in an Octopus Garden in the Monterey Bay, or seeing the pristine waters of Bristol Bay in Alaska. These are just some of the locations featured in the fourth annual NatureTrack Film Festival (NTFF).

NTFF aims to ignite a passion for nature through film. Filmmakers who care deeply about the earth have created cinema connecting people to places worldwide, inspiring viewers to care about the natural world, and to get outdoors. The film line-up for the one-day, in-person portion of the 2021 NTFF is now on the website.

This year NTFF will run concurrently with Los Olivos’ annual Day in the Country Festival on Oct. 16. The in-person screenings that day will be 9 a.m.-11 p.m. in Stacy Hall at St. Marks in the Valley in Los Olivos. In addition there will be a virtual festival that runs Oct. 17-31. Tickets at $10 per program block and passes at $100 and $75 go on sale Sept. 1.

“We’ve committed to having the film festival in October to coincide with Day in the Country for future years,” said Sue Eisaguirre, founder of NatureTrack and NTFF.  “It’s a perfect way to partner with the idyllic rural location and gives film festival enthusiasts a chance to experience more than just film. They’ll enjoy the best that small towns can offer, and then some, like world-class wines.

“While the 2021 NatureTrack pop up Film Festival will be one day only this year, we are already planning the expanded 2022 NatureTrack Film Festival to celebrate our 5th season of presenting international nature cinema,” she said. “Still, we also decided future festival will always be a hybrid festival, so those who cannot travel to Los Olivos can enjoy the incredible nature cinema we offer.”

Festival directors did not decide to do the in-person festival until late June once COVID-19 restrictions were lifted. With such a late decision, they were concerned they may not get enough films submitted, but with only a two-week window open for submissions, they received more than 800 films.

More than 70 films from 14 countries were chosen for this year’s event, with 30 of those being shown in-person on Oct. 16 at Stacy Hall, and the rest presented virtually. Most of the in-person films will also be available virtually.

As a bonus, the virtual festival will feature a number of the past three years of NTFF award-winning films. The festival showcases long and short film submissions in live and animated form in Adventure, Animation, Biography, Conservation, Kids Connecting with Nature, Scenic, Student, and a special category called Outdoors & Out of Bounds.

The NatureTrack Film Festival welcomes sponsor inquiries and individuals who wish to support the NTFF. Contact Sue Eisaguirre sue@naturetrack.org for information on sponsor or donor opportunities.

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Event co-chairs Karen Johnson and Peter Wright invite the community to the 2021 Santa Ynez Valley Summer Classic from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on August 28, outdoors on the beautiful, shaded grounds of St. Mark’s Church, located at 2901 Nojoqui Avenue in Los Olivos. 

Funds raised at this annual event support and expand community service projects benefitting the Santa Ynez Valley and the larger Santa Barbara County region. The Summer Classic will include top-flight local wines, ales, and ciders, and a stellar meal created by Chef Jake O. Francis and the Valley Piggery team. This year’s wine sponsors include Fiddlehead Cellars, Stars and Dust, and Fess Parker.  

Accompanied by live music from the band CINCOPATE, the silent auction starts at 5:30 p.m. It includes beautiful finds from top area merchants, art, recreation, food, and wine, representing our finest vintners and vineyards. One special package, “Women Who Crush,” combines the talents of our creative women vintners. Art and art classes by Chris Chapman and John Iwerks offer the talents of highly regarded and sought-after regional artists. 

Noted auctioneer Ken Hollister will wield the gavel for the live auction that includes outstanding wines, art, estate jewelry, and unique experiences, including “Ken Brown’s University of Zaca Mesa” a magnificent salute in multiple magnums to famed vintner, the late Jim Clendenen. These wines were donated by those in his close circle, including Au Bon Climat, Lindquist Family Wines, Ken Brown Wines, Ojai Valley Wines, and others. Live auction bidders will also have a chance to secure seats at the first-ever “Community Kitchen Cabaret” combining the work of gifted area chefs and talented singers in a one-of-a-kind, not-to-be-missed culinary and entertainment extravaganza in the autumn. Also, a successful live bidder will be able to invite 20 guests on a coastal sightseeing trip on the largest motor yacht in Santa Barbara Harbor, the 90-foot Torqua, while enjoying hors d’oeuvres and fine wines.

Reservations are required and may be made by visiting https://smitv.info/summerclassic or by calling 805-325-9280. The suggested donation is $100 per person (down from $150 in previous years), but everyone can choose a reservation donation of any amount that will work for them. The idea is to enable all friends and neighbors to come together for this exceptional evening of caring for our Santa Ynez Valley community in these uncertain times. Support from the Summer Classic enables significant and expanding community work, including:

• The Santa Ynez Valley Community Kitchen – a food hub for addressing food insecurity through teaching and training, food recovery, supporting microeconomic culinary projects, and charitable feeding on and offsite in collaboration with area organizations and individuals.
• Open Doors – our program offering meeting space on a no-fee basis for over 100 non-profit and community-based organizations annually.
• Serving as a Welcome Center, open all day every day for local residents, workers, and visitors with clean, open restrooms, an available Wi-Fi network, labyrinth, shaded courtyard, and other amenities (like ice water on hot days and treats and water for dogs) (this service continued every day during the pandemic).
• St. Mark’s professional preschool which offered an entire school year of in-person early childhood education in 2020-2021 and is preparing for the 2021-22 school year with generous scholarship assistance.
• The 41^st Santa Ynez Valley Concert Series bringing world-class professional musicians to our community. St. Mark’s serves as a concert and arts venue for area music studios, artists, and arts education.

Regardless of attendance, donations to this community service work can also be made at http://smitv.info/servesyv or by texting SERVESYV to 44321.

The Santa Ynez Valley Summer Classic is coordinated by volunteer leaders including Peter Wright, Karen Johnson, Kathryn Wrench, Kate O’Neill, Lisa Witt, Peter and Gabi Robbins, and Bill Hurbaugh, with help from Leslie Zuller, Silvia Lucatero, and many community members.  

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