LOCAL

 

Parade and barbecue

An old-fashioned Fourth of July Parade will be presented by the Solvang Breakfast Rotary Club begins at 11 a.m. July 4 in downtown Solvang starting at Old Mission Santa Ines, 1760 Mission Drive. The parade will travel west on Mission Drive to Fourth Street; continue south on Fourth Street, then east on Copenhagen Drive, south on Alisal Road and east on Molle Way back to the Mission.

At noon, after the parade, enjoy barbecued hot dogs and hamburgers with all the fixings at Solvang Park, at Mission Drive and First Street. For more information contact Mark at (805) 686-9376

 

Then the fireworks

On July 4 starting at 1 p.m., the Santa Ynez Valley Rotary Club invites families to come enjoy games, entertainment and food on the lawn of Old Mission Santa Ines, 1760 Mission Drive. Fireworks start at around 9 p.m.

Admission fee at the gate is $5 for adults and children age 5 years and under free. Tickets for the Fireworks Spectacular will be available at several locations throughout the valley up to and including the day of the event. Further information is also available from John Patterson, the club president, at jppatt@verizon.net.

 

Farmers Market in L.O.

The Los Olivos Business Organization (LOBO) announced a “Grown in the Santa Ynez Valley” Farmers Market in downtown Los Olivos, on Saturday mornings, 8 a.m. to noon starting July 11.

“Los Olivos is a friendly, small town with a great sense and feel of community,” said Mark Herthel, president of LOBO. “We want to offer valley residents a place where they can connect with each other and meet our local family farmers.”

LOBO members say the market will help support local businesses and will exclusively feature items grown in the valley. It will be smaller and more intimate than many markets, fitting the quaint character of Los Olivos.”

The local certified organic farmers include Roots Farms, Finley Farms, Global Gardens, Marcie’s Pies, Claremont Lavender Farm and Fair Hill Farms to name a few. Fresh, in-season fruits, vegetables, flowers and products made from fruits and vegetables grown on local farms will be offered.

A small percentage of the produce sales will go to LOBO to help fund street cleaning and public restroom facilities. For more information on the market, call (805) 315-1292.

 

Adopt-A-Vine

A new program allows people to adopt a grapevine as a way to donate to the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County. Bella Cavalli Farms in Solvang created the Adopt-A-Vine program to support the Foodbank by sending along a percentage of the adoption fee, and donating 5 percent of its gross sales.

The ranch, which provides horse rehabilitation and training primarily for reining, dressage, jumping and English disciplines, also has 10 acres of wine grapes.

“We feel it is a fun way for people to help out the Foodbank, which distributes food to the needy throughout Santa Barbara County,” said Jeff Lockwood, co-owner of Bella Cavalli Farms with his wife, Joanne.

“Briefly, a donor to the Foodbank can pay an adoption fee to Bella Cavalli, a portion of which goes directly to the Foodbank, and then the donor will receive an adoption certificate defining exactly which vine they have chosen, a bottle (or 3 for larger donations) of wine, an invitation to the annual harvest festival, and for some who wish, a riding lesson.”

The goal is to raise $300,000, which the Foodbank will then turn into $2.1 million in buying power because of its relationships with fruit and vegetable growers and food vendors.

The three-year adoption also includes two additional bottles of wine, evening out at one per year, and one horseback riding lesson.

Visit www.bellacavallifarms.com for ore information on the Adopt-A-Vine program.

 

Journal welcomes writer

The Santa Ynez Valley Journal has hired Jim Luksic as a reporter. Luksic will cover education and sports for the newspaper. Trading one valley for another, Luksic is moving to Santa Ynez from Simi Valley. Please join the staff of the paper in welcoming Luksic to the area.

 

Other Journal news

In an acknowledgment of the Journal’s connection to the pulse of the community it serves, the paper was contacted by national and Los Angeles news outlets for comment on an idea put forward by some of Michael Jackson’s fans that Neverland, Jackson’s former residence outside Los Olivos, be turned into a Graceland-style memorial and tourist attraction.

The Journal’s managing editor, Barbara Lanz-Mateo, was interviewed on camera by KCAL of Los Angeles, CNN and ABC News on June 29 and 30. She was asked by reporters what residents might think of Jackson’s former 2,800-acre ranch being turned into a museum honoring the late performer. Her answer? “Never going to happen,” she said.

 

COUNTY

 

Tevis runs for SB council

Justin Tevis, a 26-year-old inventory manager who was raised in the Santa Ynez Valley, is running for Santa Barbara City Council. He is one of a dozen candidates vying for three available council seats.

According to the candidate’s MySpace page, which appears to be the candidate’s official website, he was forced to throw his hat into the ring because of the economic crisis.

“The handling of the current economic crisis by our government on all levels has been the final straw to break Mr. Tevis’ back,” the site says.

On his Facebook account, Tevis lists his political affiliation as “Freedom Fighter.”

Tevis’ Santa Ynez Valley friends have been circulating emails asking for donations to his campaign. If you want to donate, you can do so at http://s1.webstarts.com/tevis4council, a site that defines “Freedom Fighters” principles.

 

County government online

The County of Santa Barbara has launched a revamped online legislative research center, to make it easier for citizens, press and elected officials to see the county’s agendas, minutes and agenda item details.

The new site provides the indexing of meeting video with specific agenda items for instant access to video on an item of interest.

To check out county government, visit www.countyofsb.org. To search for legislation, visit http://santabarbara.legistar.com.

 

Bureau to give away truck

A 2009 Ford Ranger pickup will be given away — if enough tickets are sold — at a fundraiser sponsored by the Santa Barbara County Farm Bureau and its Growing Agricultural Awareness Through Education Foundation.

The winner of the pickup will be announced Oct. 3 at the Celebrate Harvest dinner. The winner need not be present.

All taxes, except any income taxes assessed on the prize, and fees will be paid as part of the prize.

A ticket for the drawing is available in exchange for a $100 tax-deductible donation.

Four hundred tickets are available, but if 300 or fewer tickets are sold, the winner will receive 50 percent of the proceeds.

For tickets, send a check to the Santa Barbara County Farm Bureau, P.O. Box 1846, Buellton, Calif., 93427, or call (805) 688-7479.

 

County issues health alert

The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department has identified eight confirmed cases of pertussis in the South Santa Barbara County Community in the last month. Individuals range in age from 1 month to 49 years, with five in the adolescent to teen years.

Whooping cough — known medically as pertussis — is a highly contagious respiratory tract infection spread by coughing and sneezing. Although it initially resembles an ordinary cold, whooping cough may eventually turn more serious, particularly in infants, and it is most contagious before the coughing starts. After 1-2 weeks, the symptoms may progress to a stage characterized by bursts of numerous rapid coughs (paroxysms) that can result in vomiting and exhaustion. A final recovery stage with coughing may last weeks or months. Infants are at the highest risk as they can experience apnea, pneumonia, seizures and even death.

Residents are urged to see their medical providers if they or their children exhibit the symptoms of pertussis.