Staff Report

The Santa Barbara County Water Agency is pleased to announce the opening of applications for the 23rd Annual WaterWise High School Video Contest. Every year, students compete to create entertaining and informational 30-second videos that convey the importance of water use efficiency in Santa Barbara County. The contest theme, “Be Water Wise in Your Garden,” was selected to highlight the ongoing importance of sustainable outdoor water use, especially in light of the drought in Santa Barbara County.

The contest meets several California State Department of Education content standards, including implementing world languages. 

“We are pleased to continue this long-standing program and excited to see the amazing videos created by our local high school students,” County Water Agency Manager Matt Young said. 

Up to six videos, three English and three Spanish, may be submitted per school. The winning videos will receive prizes and may have their videos aired on local TV and at movie theaters.

While the County Water Agency and water providers arrange for monetary prizes to the winning schools, local private sector sponsors provide awards for the students:

• First Place (English): $500 provided by Carollo Engineers.
• First Place (Spanish): $500 provided by La Buena 105.1 FM.
• Second Place: $250 provided by Geosyntec.
• Third Place: $150 provided by Ewing Irrigation.
• People’s Choice Award (voted by the public on the WaterWiseSB YouTube Channel): $500 provided by Dudek.

To be eligible to win prizes, student participants must submit their videos and complete the application packet online by 11:59 p.m. Friday, March 4, 2022. The student winners will be publicly announced in May 2022.

To learn more and to apply for the contest, visit WaterWiseSB.org/HSVC.

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The Santa Barbara Zoo announces plans to safely reopen its doors to the Santa Barbara community on Saturday, January 30, 2021.  After being closed to guests since December 7, the Zoo will reopen to the general public once again by online reservation only. 

Guests will get to meet some of the Zoo’s newest residents who arrived at the Zoo since they last visited, including Penelope and Calabaza, the white-faced saki monkeys; two baby flamingos; fireback pheasants, and a glimpse into the construction of the new Australian Walkabout exhibit. 

Following guidelines set by the State and County, the Zoo will continue the implementation of a number of safety enhancements and modifications to protect the health and safety of all guests, staff, and animals. In order to properly manage the number of guests in the park, online reservations will be required for both paid guests and Zoo members. Guests can use the online reservation system to book a timed entry slot prior to visiting the Zoo. A complete guide to the new safety enhancements and modifications can be found on the Zoo’s website. 

The Santa Barbara Zoo looks forward to making this a fun and safe experience for all guests, staff, and animals! For more information, visit the Zoo’s website.

The Zoo is also still accepting registrations for Spring and Summer Zoo Camp! Spring Zoo Camp is March 22 – 26, and Summer Zoo Camp is June 7–August 13 and is for children ages 3–12. In addition to its traditional camp, the Zoo is offering several specialty options including Junior Zookeeper Camp, Backyard Biologist Camp and Camp in a Box. See the Zoo Camp webpage for more information and to register: https://www.sbzoo.org/learn/zoo-camp/. 

About The Santa Barbara Zoo
The Santa Barbara Zoo is open daily from 9 am for members and 9:30 am for general admission until 5 pm; general admission is $19.95 for adults, $14.95 for children 2-12, and free for children under 2. Parking is $11. The Santa Barbara Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).  AZA zoos are dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great visitor experience, and a better future for all living things. With its more than 200 accredited members, AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation and is the public’s link to helping animals in their native habitats. Visit www.sbzoo.org. 

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Arts Outreach would have otherwise been having the best year of its 40-year existence, celebrating with many gatherings and fundraisers, including an ’80s theme prom planned for last May.
“Clearly none of that happened,” said Sandie Mullin, executive director of Arts Outreach.

“The Real Men Cookbook” is a collection of recipes from this well-loved event for Arts Outreach.
Photo contributed

“There are so many people that grew up in the valley that never even knew that Arts Outreach touched their lives in some form or another,” Mullin said.

Mullin said the start of 2020 was great and they were looking forward to celebrating their many years of hosting art programs with alumni and their supporters. Then COVID-19 happened and like the rest of the world, everything came to a standstill.

“We suspended all our programs because like everyone else, we didn’t know much about this illness and wanted to protect our kids and our volunteers,” Mullin said.

Arts Outreach shifted from celebrating to surviving.

“Most of the grants that we typically get have either been suspended or the funding shifted to health and human services, which is totally understandable,” Mullin said. “Thankfully our landlord has been incredible with us and we have been able to keep the lights on.”

Mullin said before she was an Arts Outreach employee, she was an Arts Outreach parent. All three of her children have benefitted from the many programs that Arts Outreach provides, and they still help her on many projects and programs.

Arts Outreach began in 1980 with five volunteer artists as an arts-in-schools program, placing artists in the classrooms to teach and perform.
Photo contirbuted

Mullin said that the Real Men Cook event ended up becoming the group’s largest fundraiser for the year and last year was their most profitable event yet by raising more than $45,000. The event featured more than 50 amateur male chefs creating fantastic dishes combined with beverages from 35 premier local vintners and brewers, live music and a fantastic auction.

“Real Men Cook became the highlight of the year fundraising wise, and we had so many great local amateaur and professional chefs participate and bring some fantastic recipes,” Mullin said.

Any chef could prepare 200 to 250 tablespoon-sized tastes (or teams could prepare 350 to 400) of their creations in one of several categories including appetizers; chili or stew; entrees of fish, fowl, meat or vegetarian; side dishes; and desserts.

Since Arts Outreach were unable to host an actual event this year, Mullin said her volunteers worked tirelessly, compiling all the recipes and photos from throughout the years and decided to release a cookbook.

“I know this isn’t the same as the actual event, but I have been wanting to do this for some time, rather than send out a newsletter,” she said. “It also gives us a chance to honor some of these guys who were so involved and passed away.”

Mullin brought up the memory of Pete Fohl, who was known for his inventive and tasty entries at the event and passed away in 2017.

“Along with his wonderful table decorations, most of all he was known for his smile,” she said.

With the loss of this large event, Mullin said that other than the cookbook, the program has been working on alternative virtual events, and virtual programs for schools that will hopefully make up some of their shortfall.

“We just want people to know that Arts Outreach will continue,” she said. And for just $2, the group can give a child art for a day. For $250, it will ‘adopt’ a classroom for six weeks.

Those interested in donating or purchasing a book for $30 can call Arts Outreach at 688-9533 or visit www.artsoutreach.com.

Kangaroo Kurry

By Mike Brown and Nick Di Croce, 2005

Picture yourself in the Australian Outback at night, a case of Fosters in the Rover, 2,000-watt headlights up front, chasing bouncy kangaroos who stop like “kangaroos in headlights” when you spot them. They will box with you until you wrestle them to the ground — and all the time you are thinking about how good they will taste in your mouth-watering slow cooked curry recipe. Here it is:

Ingredients
A small handful of cardamon seeds
2 broken cinnamon sticks
6 black peppercorns
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1/4 cup of vegetable or olive oil
2 small yellow onions, finely chopped
6 minced garlic cloves
small piece of fresh ginger, minced
2 green Serrano chilis, seeded and minced
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
2 ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 pounds kangaroo meat (or any other American meat!) cut into serving pieces
Chopped cilantro for garnish

Instructions
Combine the first five ingredients in a mortar or coffee grinder and grind to a fine powder. Head in a large saute pan over medium heat and add the oil. Add the onions and saute, stirring frequently for 10-15 minutes or until browned. Add the garlic, ginger and chilis and stir for 2 minutes. Add the ground spice mixture, tumeric, cayenne, and salt for 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes until some of the liquid has evaporated.

Arrange the meat in the slow cooker. Transfer most of the onion mixture to a blender and puree until almost smooth. Pour the pureed vegetables and the reserved sauteed vegetables over the meat in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours until the meat is to your liking. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with cilantro.

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publisher@santaynezvalleystar.com

Photo by Mercedes Diaz

The teachers and staff of Buellton Union School District paraded through the various neighborhoods on Monday, April 13, to honk and wave at their students they miss during the COVID-19 situation. (See our slideshow below)

“It was heart-warming to see all of the families showing support. I was moved by the homemade signs saying that they missed their teachers too. I am grateful to work in such a caring community,” said Andrea Babcock, first grade teacher. 

Governor Newsom announced April 1, his expectation that all school districts and charter school classrooms in California will continue with distance learning and other essential supports through the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. Local school officials and educators are trying to embrace this new idea of distance learning in this unprecedented situation. 

“Teachers inspire the smallest hearts to grow big enough to change the world, and these teachers did just that! Thank you so much for the drive by. That meant so much to all of us! We miss you all,” said parent Jenn Matsukas.

Photo by Mercedes Diaz

The parade was organized by teacher Heather McPherson and roughly 35 vehicles drove around Buellton, assisted by local law enforcement officers.  

“My children were so happy to see their wonderful teachers pass by today! I got very emotional, though, grieving the sweet moments they’re missing out on in these last few months of Kindergarten and first grade,” added parent Allison Firey. 

Districts throughout Santa Barbara County are also continuing to provide meals for youth while maintaining social distancing. Santa Barbara County’s schools are committed to ensuring students have the resources and services they need to continue their learning and engagement despite the closure of our school facilities. 

The Santa Barbara County Education Office (SBCEO) will continue to work with the California Department of Education and school partners on important topics including grades, credits, and graduation requirements.  Specific questions should be directed to the respective school districts.

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Children of all ages will cook up an assortment of healthy snacks, both imaginary and real, this Sunday, Nov. 13, at the Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum’s launch event for its farm-to-table exhibit, the Moxie Café, and the third year of Kohl’s free Nutrition Expedition.

This free, family-friendly event, which runs from noon to 4 p.m. at the museum, is designed to teach families about good nutrition in a fun and engaging way. It will feature a bilingual cooking lesson by Dignity Health educators, a kids’ farmers market with free produce from the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County, and samples from Moxie Café while supplies last.

A major gift from Jay and Anne Hardy of Hardy Diagnostics and Dan Blough Construction, the Moxie Café exhibit is a child-size version of the real café located at 1317 McCoy Lane in Santa Maria.

“At the Moxie, we are all about healthy eating and maintain the belief that nutritious food can actually taste good,” Jay Hardy said. “When we were asked to be involved with the Discovery Museum, we jumped at the chance, since this would be our opportunity to expand our influence for healthy eating far beyond just McCoy Lane.”

Little ones who play in the exhibit get to make and sell meals to customers and learn about good nutrition through sensory-driven displays, including “Smell a Rainbow” and “Eat a Rainbow.”

“When it comes to good eating habits, you can’t start at too young of an age. We are very thankful for the good folks at the museum who supported us in this vision,” Hardy said. “There is so much to be done to help the kids in our community. The museum is becoming more and more effective at being a positive influence in the lives of the little ones that we care so much about.”

Sponsored by Dignity Health Marian Regional Medical Center and Kohl’s Cares, Nutrition Expedition is a free, bilingual program offered the second Sunday of every month from 2 to 4 p.m. through June 2017. Families who attend the program make easy, healthy snacks together and get a free cook book to take home with them.

The Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum is located at 705 S. McClelland St. in Santa Maria. We are open Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Visit us on Facebook to get up-to-date information on special events like this one, weekly programs, exhibits and daily tips on fun things to do with your kids!

For more information, call (805) 928-8414 or visit www.smvdiscoverymuseum.org.

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