LOCAL

 

Buellton protects walkers

Buellton cited six drivers for failing to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians during a one-and-a-half hour sting operation Sept. 10.

Buellton is cracking down on motorists who fail to yield to pedestrians trying to cross Highway 246. 

In the sting operation, police used a plainclothes deputy to walk across a crosswalk on the state highway. Uniformed motorcycle deputies then watched for motorists who did not yield the right-of-way and cited the six.

“That is a disturbing number of potential tragedies that could have occurred in a very short period of time,” said Sheriff’s Lieutenant Julie McCammon, Buellton’s Police Chief.  “We will have more of these operations in the future.”  This was the sixth such operation in Buellton since August 2007.

State Highway 246, which runs through the city, is a major commuter artery.  Residents tell police they are afraid to cross the highway because drivers do not yield to pedestrians. 

The City of Buellton contracts with the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department for police services.

 

Buellton surveys obtainable

The first of several surveys to obtain feedback from the community on the Public Visioning Process for the City of Buellton is now available online at the city’s website: cityofbuellton.com under News/Notices.

Results of the survey will be used to help guide upcoming public workshops.

 

Inn hosts ‘real life’ couple

Georgia residents LaTrice Haseman and her husband, Army Chief Warrant Officer Robert “Dan” Haseman, enjoyed an all expense-paid Dream Honeymoon at the Santa Ynez Inn Sept. 7–10.

The couple was chosen in a nationwide contest sponsored by the Lifetime TV show “Army Wives” to receive the prize in recognition of their personal sacrifices. The pair had to settle for a brief wedding ceremony in between Dan’s two deployments to Iraq (the first lasting 12 months, the second 15 months, with another to Afghanistan probable later this year).

“We are thrilled to have been chosen as Lifetime TV’s Dream Honeymoon hotel and Santa Ynez Valley as the destination,” said Santa Ynez Inn owner Douglas Ziegler.

Other area vendors that donated their goods and services  to make the Santa Ynez Inn Dream Honeymoon special included Chef’s Touch; Decadence Fine Cakes & Confections; Kenneth Volk Vineyards; LBPS Events; Linda Chaja Photography; Renae’s Bouquets; RSVP/Rani Hoover; and Serenity Skin Spa & Make-up.

 

Nashville comes to Solvang

The fifth annual Nashville Nights, a fundraiser for the Solvang Friendship House, is scheduled for Oct. 3. The night, a benefit concert featuring local and Nashville singer-songwriters, will feature music, stories, food, and a live and silent auction.

Founded in 1978 by Dr. Lou Netzer, Solvang Friendship House is a licensed senior residential care facility serving the Santa Ynez Valley. Dedicated to providing a safe, warm and supportive home for 36 seniors, Solvang Friendship House serves a those in need of assisted living  and Alzheimer’s and dementia care. It is the only facility in the Santa Ynez Valley that provides dementia care.

Call (805) 688.8748 for ticket information. Visit nashvillenights.org for more information.

 

Benefit for wild horses

Return to Freedom Wild Horse Sanctuary will host the 2009 Annual Spirit of the Horse Outdoor Festival & Benefit 1 to 6 p.m. Sept. 26 at the Bella Vista Ranch and Polo Club, 2800 Via Real in Caprinteria.

Return to Freedom currently provides a safe haven to more than 200 wild horses and burros. It became the first sanctuary to rescue entire family bands. In the wild, horses live in tightly bonded family bands and herd groups. By allowing the public to experience wild horses in their natural social groups, the group hopes to build an appreciation for wildlife communities.

Committed to conserving the most threatened genetic strains among America’s wild horses, Return to Freedom oversees a rare breed conservation program.

Tickets to the event cost $60 for adults, $45 for youth. To purchase them or for more information, visit returntofreedom.org or call (805) 737-9246.

 

Supporting wounded veterans

Comedian and radio and talk show personality Dennis Miller will emcee a dinner in honor of wounded veterans and their supporters participating in the Oct. 4 – 10 in the Ride2Recovery fundraising ride for severely wounded veterans.

The dinner is provided by the American Legion Post 160 and VFW Post 7139 and the Santa Ynez Elks Lodge 2640.

In Ride2Recovery, veterans and their supporters will pedal 450 miles in seven days, from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Police will escort them. In California, the ride starts at the San Francisco Department of Veterans Affairs and will finish at the West Los Angeles VA with a concert featuring veterans and their families.

The veterans participating in the Ride2Recovery include paraplegics and double-amputees, people with fractured skulls and gun-shot limbs and some who were burned beyond recognition.

The Solvang dinner is scheduled for 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 8 at the Solvang Veterans Memorial Building, 1745 Mission Dr. Tickets for the dinner are $25 if purchased in advance and $30 at the door. All proceeds go to rehabilitation items for wounded veterans’ recovery.

Organizers of the dinner are seeking donations to defray the cost of providing approximately 160 complimentary dinners to the veterans participating in Ride2Recovery. They also plan to have a silent auction to raise additional funds.

If you can make a cash donation or have something for the silent auction, or if you would like tickets to the dinner, contact: Jim Banakus at (805) 714-9630, or by email to MBA4Jim2@aol.com. Cash contributions should be made by check payable to Fitness Challenge Foundation - Ride2Recovery and mailed to Ride2Recovery, c/o Jim Banakus, P.O. Box 470, Solvang, CA 93464.

 

Arts program for after school

Arts Outreach Fall After School Arts program is now accepting applications. Four separate six-week classes, beginning Oct. 5, for students in grades K-5 are being offered at the Buellton Recreation Center and the SYV Grange in Los Olivos.

All workshops will meet for six sessions and have a class fee of $60. Scholarships are available. Class sizes are limited to 15 students and early enrollment is recommended.

For more information or to register for classes, call Arts Outreach at (805) 688-9533 or email sandie@artsoutreach.com.   

 

Helping your neighbor

The Marriott in Buellton has joined with the United Way to collect donations for the Neighbor to Neighbor program. The United Way is asking residents to donate formula, diapers and baby wipes.

“These items are desperately needed and will be collected through Oct. 31, to support those in need during this difficult economy,” the United Way stated in a press release. Other drop-off locations are Care Net, two Starbucks stores (1419 South Broadway in JCPenney Center, and 2580 South Broadway in the FoodCo. Center), and Church for Life at 3010 Skyway Dr. in Santa MariaFor more information on donations, contact the Northern Santa Barbara County United Way, at 922-0329 Extension 102.

 

COUNTY

 

Local band at West Beach

The Sunshine Brothers will play twice at Santa Barbara’s upcoming West Beach Music Festival at 3 p.m. Friday and 5:20 p.m.

The Santa Barbara-Santa Ynez Valley based band will rock the beach with its soulful reggae-infused sound. One band member, Bear Erickson, is a graduate of Santa Ynez Valley Union High School.

Tickets are available through the festival website at westbeachfestival.com or at the Arlington Theater Box Office.

 

Landscaper heads to prison

A Santa Maria man who posed as a landscaper while bilking victims out of thousands of dollars is headed to prison for up to eight years.

Gilbert Lee Martinez, 40, pled no contest in a Santa Maria courtroom Sept. 8 to several counts of felony theft and one count of felony residential burglary which results in one strike.

Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s detectives arrested Martinez on July 9 after authorities in Arcadia, Calif., detained him for trying to cash a forged check. Sheriff’s detectives had linked Martinez to several cases in Santa Barbara County where he took money up front for tree trimming jobs that he never performed.

The Sheriff’s Department reminds citizens that contractors, by law, are not allowed to accept more than 10 percent up front before doing any work. Also, make sure the contractor is licensed and sufficiently insured. If not, the resident may be liable for any Workers’ Compensation claims.