28 Kandra’s Colorful World.

Bead queen Kandra Norsigian has been a beader for decades and a year ago brought her expertise, energy and enthusiasm for beading to Solvang and opened one of the best new shops in Solvang ever— Kandra’s Beads.

30 Bernice Dotz, Straight Shooter.

While still in high school Bernice learned archery using a wooden bow and arrows. Sixty some years later when she was 84-years of age she picked up a modern-day bow, and in a short time was winning tournaments.

36 Cover Story – The Writing Life:

At Home, Abroad, At Speed Poet, novelist, former corporate executive, and former race car driver Dan Gerber has found both inspiration and refuge in the Valley, where he and his wife, Debbie, have lived since 1998.

44 A Special Friendship Remembered

Dr. Barney Van Valin, who grew up in the Santa Ynez Valley as the son of the Valley’s only surgeon, became friends with Michael Jackson in 2001. His new book describes a Michael Jackson that fans and media never knew.

53 Business Profile – People Helping People Thrift Store.

This place is a win-win-win proposition: bargain hunters and budget-shoppers are thrilled, essential social services get funded, and those who want to donate know they’ve found the right place.

Business Profile

69 Health & Beauty

58 four-legged friends

53 tHrift & Consignment

62 CeleBrations

49 santa ynez Valley Homes

94 Happenings

It is featured under past issues in the digital Edition.

Summer 2012 Contents

Cover: Eric and Samantha Coghlan with their children Ozzy and Cash, at home in Happy Canyon. Photo by Mike Messikep

The original house was built around 1890, reportedly to serve as overflow quarters for lodgers at Mattei’s. Michelle Bone and her husband, Richard Smalldon, bought the house as a distressed property that had sat with the roof open to the weather for four years.

If old houses could talk, they might tell of family dinners, lonely spells, or maybe the pleasures of a fresh coat of paint. Inanimate, yet imbued with the spirit of those who have lived in them, these grande dames grace local neighborhoods with their rich histories and vintage architecture.
Founded in the late 19th century, Los Olivos boasts its share of venerable homes, among them a two-story farmhouse that stands at the end of a sleepy cul-de-sac just south of town. Built around 1890, this modest dwelling has seen good times and bad, yet remains a precious reminder of early life in the Santa Ynez Valley.
Since its purchase by Michelle Bone and her husband, Richard Smalldon, in 2007, the house has enjoyed a renaissance of form and function. Rescued from decay and resurrected as a spacious family home, it testifies to both the vision of its builders and the determination of its current caretakers.
“We wanted to promote the legacy of the house,” Michelle says of the structural makeover the couple completed in 2009. “We wanted to fix the layout, but keep the same footprint; make it functional and cozy, but keep the original style.
“As we approached the project,” she continues, her auburn hair framing her face, “we saw ourselves as stewards. We wanted to do the right thing with this property in the time that we’re lucky enough to be here.”
Often referred to as the Ethel and Robert Stevens home or simply “the ranch,” the house reportedly was built to serve as overflow quarters for lodgers booked at Felix Mattei’s Central Hotel. As evidence, Richard and Michelle cite the odd configuration of ghostly walls they discovered while remodeling the house.
“It was originally one-story, with five tiny bedrooms,” says Richard, whose father sold antiques and passed along to his son a reverence for history. “On the flooring we could see the marks of the walls. When we broke into the ceilings, there was wallpaper that extended up another three feet, so it had eleven-foot ceilings, which we kept.

Young Patricia Stevens swinging in the early 1940s when her parents, Ethel and Robert Stevens, owned the property.

“We’re preserving the history,” he adds. “I love antiques and I think our connection with the past is important.”
While the location’s early history remains vague, it is known that Ethel and Robert Stevens, along with their two daughters, Patricia and Barbara, occupied the house from 1945 to 1967. In 2007, Michelle and Richard sat down with Patricia and Ethel, then 90, to learn all they could about the property.
“Ethel was so excited that someone cared,” Michelle says, her cornflower blue eyes alight with enthusiasm. “She remembered that they planted locust trees along the driveway, and across the street was a barn for shelling walnuts from their orchard.
“Patricia said none of the trees were large, so there wasn’t a ton of shade,” she continues. “There were no lawns, either, so it was terribly hot and dusty.”
As teenagers in the 1950s, Patricia and her sister would watch their classmates walk by on the path from what was then Valley Farm School (now Dunn School) to Montanaro’s Los Olivos Market, still standing in a field to the west. The path crossed their property and served as a social hub for the girls, who would sit on their fence and flirt with the boys.
Shortly after moving in, the family planted 28 acres of English walnut trees grafted onto black walnut rootstock, creating an orchard that stretched from Santa Ynez Street north to Los Olivos. The orchard thrived until tree trimmers brought in equipment tainted with a blight that destroyed productivity and forced the family’s ouster from the local walnut co-op.
The Stevens sold the property to a man named Hanley, who sold it to George Burtness, who then subdivided the spread into three-acre parcels, before selling the house to a horsewoman named Bobbi Hawkins.
“Over time those lots were cut down into smaller sizes,” Michelle says, “and Los Olivos became neighborhoods. And that happened because the walnuts were no longer viable for market.
“The walnut orchard holds historic importance for Los Olivos,” she continues. “When English walnuts die, often the roots grow into the huge black walnut trees that you see around the neighborhood. As the housing developments happened, people pulled some trees out, but most of the orchard still exists.”
With a row of walnut trees shading its northern face, the couple’s house features the wraparound porch, wood siding, and generous windows of the California cottage style typical of many older homes. Bordered by a white picket fence, the yard comprises two acres bristling with mature pepper, walnut, and olive trees, some 100 years old.
An iconic hay barn, built in 1997 from salvaged wood, stands just west of the house and vegetable garden, while a towering windmill near the small fruit orchard confirms the rural pedigree of the property. Coyotes can be heard yodeling at night, deer often nibble the roses, and a pair of barn owls have made a permanent home in an ancient oak tree, all a convenient four blocks from town.
Richard, maintenance manager at Santa Barbara’s Ty Warner Sea Center, and Michelle, a busy school librarian with a penchant for community service, bought the house as a distressed property, a stalled remodel that had sat with the roof open to the weather for four years. Michelle had lived across the street for more than a decade and watched with dismay as the house and grounds deteriorated into a neighborhood eyesore.

The Bone-Smalldon home in 2011. We wanted to promote the legacy of the original house, Michelle Bone said.

“It was a disaster when we got it, totally hodgepodge,” Michelle admits. “The original part was built on the dirt, the new part had a slab foundation, and although the wood was nailed together, the foundation was not held together in any way.”
To remedy the unstable condition wrought by various add-ons—so many that the property never qualified for landmark status—Richard and Michelle were obliged to take the house down to its foundations.
“We could have started from scratch,” Michelle says, “but there was enough character in the way the house fit into the neighborhood, that we wanted to keep it.
“We dropped a wall at a time,” she explains, “until only one original beam frame was left. Then we took out the floor joists, poured the foundation, and raised the walls again.”
During deconstructing, the couple realized the house needed everything: new wiring, plumbing, the works, and they were amazed by the single-wall construction that distinguished the original portion.
“The walls were one-inch thick redwood planks,” Richard remembers. “No two-by-four framing, just slab planks. Over the years, people had added thin insulation, but it was a real discovery to learn that’s how they did it then.”
With architect Alex Pujo drawing up plans based on historic photos and Richard acting as operations manager, Michelle gathered interior design suggestions from her father, William Bone, a successful real estate developer. Among his career accomplishments, William built the exquisite house at Sycamore Valley Ranch, where Michelle grew up during the decades before it became known as Neverland Ranch.

“Rather than doing more hodgepodge, he was able to take it up a notch and help us build a house to last for another hundred years,” Richard smiles.
“And give it the professional custom home touch,” Michelle interjects. “As a family, we redesigned the floor plan two or three times, until everything was where we wanted it to be.”
Before finalizing the design, the couple consulted with Ethel Stevens about how the property functioned, asking where the family had parked, which path they took to the garden, and the route for carrying in groceries.
“That helped us understand how people have used this property for a hundred years,” Michelle says. “We want people to come in the same front door, have the same views, and see the same trees.
“We didn’t want to bulldoze anything,” she adds, “because the mature landscaping is part of what the property offers to the neighborhood.”
The low-slung porches mirror the original ones and the magnificent front door was crafted from the old Douglas fir floor joists. The interior flooring of black walnut pays tribute to the Stevens’ orchard, while the stairs, complete with a series of landings, offer perfect observation points for the couple’s sons, Jonathan, 14, and Beckett, 3.
In the kitchen, an island stove and period-appropriate soapstone counters complement custom cabinetry by neighbor and professional woodworker Matt Leonard. Windows abound, and everywhere filtered sunlight carries the watery green of fluttering leaves.
A finger painting station stands in one corner of the living room, leaving plenty of room for sofa, chairs, and seasonal train sets. On one wall hangs a painting of Michelle, along with her brother and sister, posing with their late mother.
“It was under my mother’s bed for twenty years,” Michelle said wistfully, “and to hang it was a really special moment. I felt like it carried my family history forward, and this house was ready to receive it.”
Upstairs are two bedrooms and Michelle’s office, which doubles as a television room and craft area for the boys. Downstairs, opposite the kitchen and dining area, Richard’s office opens onto the entry hall, and down the hall, Beckett’s room occupies the original corner of the residence.
“That room has one of the warmest, happiest feelings in the house,” Michelle beams. “You can just feel it. And the swing in the tree outside? You get that timeless feeling that kids are doing the same thing they’ve been doing forever.
“Sometimes when we’re drinking iced tea or sitting down to dinner,” she says, “I just feel that this is right. This is the way it’s always been and this is the best of life. I feel like, whether it’s the spirits or energy of this property, they’re really happy with what we’ve done.”

Viking Garden server Crystal Rocha with one of the restaurant’s most popular dishes, the Sausage Platter. Served with potato pancakes, red cabbage, sauerkraut, and a choice of five different European sausages.

Business Profile —This Solvang restaurant offers a menu of wholesome dishes from around the world.
On a world map, Denmark and Mexico are thousands of miles apart. At Viking Garden Restaurant in Solvang, however, one is right next to the other. Flaeskesteg shares the menu with fajitas, medisterpolse meets enchiladas, and pickled herring sits on the table with chips and salsa.
And that’s just the beginning. The menu is a veritable United Nations with dishes such as Polish kielbasa, Swiss bratwurst, German knockwurst, Swedish meatballs, and spicy Sicilian sausage. And, of course, there’s all-American fare, including burgers, top sirloin, hot dogs, hot and cold sandwiches, and chicken-fried steak.
Viking Garden Restaurant also features the widest selection of beers in town, with 17 on tap. Among them are Carlsberg from Denmark, Stella from Belgium, Kronenbourg 1664 from France, Guinness Stout from Ireland, and from local breweries, Firestone Reserve and Firestone Double Barrel Ale, and Danish Red Lager from Figueroa Mountain Brewery. Also representing the United States are Samuel Adams, Fat Tire, Blue Moon, Pyramid Hefeweizen, Sierra Nevada, Budweiser, and Bud Light.
According to co-owner Oly Alvarez, the restaurant space where Viking Garden Restaurant is located has a long and storied history in Solvang. It is located in Jensen’s Copenhagen Square on Alisal Road, in one of the town’s first commercial buildings.
Now Viking Garden is part of a Latin company which is based in San Antonio, Texas, and owned by the three Alvarez brothers, who also have two other restaurants in San Antonio.
“We all started working as waiters and cooks in the late 1990s here at the Viking Garden,” says Oly Alvarez. “We always enjoyed working here and we fell in love with the business and dreamed of one day owning it.”
When they heard then-owner Jack Weston was selling the restaurant, they immediately showed an interest in buying the business, and a few months later the Viking Garden was owned by the Alvarez brothers.
“We kept all the original recipes from previous owners,” Oly notes. “For example, the frikadeller meatball, thin pancakes, sweet-and-sour red cabbage, potato pancakes, and aebleskivers are made with their recipes.”
Under the new owners, the restaurant’s decor has been considerably brightened, while retaining its Old World feel. The patio furniture has been freshly painted in a new color scheme, and indoor diners will appreciate the upgraded table setups. Those long familiar with the remarkable container garden that lines the bricked entryway will be happy to see that it is as spectacular as ever.
The restaurant has both an indoor dining room and an outdoor patio, as well as a catering service, and the brothers are just about to open a wine-tasting area that will feature local and imported wines. “The wines will be on the menu and also available for tasting,” Oly Alvarez said. “And with the new section we’ll be able to do private events.”
The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

INFO: Viking Garden Restaurant is located at 446-C Alisal Road. 805.688.1250

Special Section

Vineyards/Wineries

A wedding set on a picturesque vineyard became popular with movies like Sideways, putting the Valley on the map as not only a top wine destination, but a wedding one too. Vineyards come in all shapes and sizes, making it easy to accommodate a variety of wedding party sizes.
Firestone Vineyard sits on 500 acres of estate vineyards that spread throughout the hills and valleys. This original Santa Barbara County estate winery was voted one of The Knot’s Best Wedding Locations for the past three years. It provides multiple settings for a ceremony and reception, such as the lavender-accented terrace, the vineyard mesa overlooking the valley, an intimate courtyard left open for star-gazing, the tasting room (complete with Spanish tile floors and high redwood beam ceilings), and the barrel room—a cozy interior space perfect for a large dinner, reception, or even an indoor wedding.
To accommodate a smaller party, opt for Lincourt Winery, a quaint yet beautiful vineyard set amidst the foothills of the Valley.  This property features a charming 1926 Sear’s Craftsman Kit House surrounded by enchanting flower gardens and a backdrop of vineyards. Say “I do” on the terrace, which overlooks the Alamo Pintado Vineyard and sits amid a blossoming garden. Dance the night away in the rustic barrel room that was once used as a barn for dairy cattle and now houses French oak barrels and antique chandeliers.

Ranches

Hidden inland, along the Gaviota Coast, lies 13,000 acres of an historic California ranch made for a breathtaking wedding. Rancho San Julian is one of the last Spanish-Mexican land grants that has remained in the family and is now established as an agricultural preserve. With thick oak forests, roaming cattle, and vast pastures there are endless locations for a ceremony, reception and cocktail hour.
For a resort-style ranch opt for The Alisal Guest Ranch, set on 10,000 acres of privately owned land in Solvang. At one time Clark Gable and Lady Sylvia Ashley exchanged vows here, and since then it has become a destination wedding location. Filled with activities such as golf, horseback riding, and fishing in a 100-acre spring fed lake, this will be an experience to never forget.
Relax among the western romance of Zaca Creek Ranch. With over 1600 acres to choose from, exchange vows on top of grassy hills, in oaky canyons,or in an open pasture—the possibilities are endless. Bring a little Old World into the union of a new one at this well -preserved property filled with native plants, low-lying creek beds, and free-roaming beef cattle. For some outdoor entertainment, this location offers hayrides, camping, and a toasty fire pit.

Beaches & Parks

It’s only a short scenic drive away and it’s sure to take your breath away. Among the mountains yet right at sea, lies the breathtaking Jalama Beach. After a worthwhile forty-minute drive from the Valley, choose among 23.5 acres of private county beach and park for that serene nuptial spot and reception.
Amid the wilderness of the Valley and flanked by the San Rafael Mountains is the beautiful Cachuma Lake. This county park is the perfect spot for an outdoor wedding and accommodates small and large groups. New to the park are yurts and cabins, providing easy accommodations for traveling guests. Make reservations now, as the park fills up quickly!
“Around the corner” from the Valley is the perfect mountains-meet-sea destination. Choose to get married on the beach, in the oak tree-filled canyon, or on a private hilltop over looking the ocean—either way it’s all available in one perfect location. El Capitan Canyon provides other amenities including a luxury campground, tented lodging for an indoor reception, and a few newer additions: the luxurious safari cabin and a convenient catering service that creates its menu using the Canyon’s own organic garden.

INFO: Contact info for those mentioned in this article:

Firestone Vineyard, 805-686-1256 ext. 4,
www.firestonewine.com
Lincourt Winery, 805-686-1256 ext. 4,
www.lincourtwines.com
Alisal Guest Ranch, 805-686-7613,
www.alisal.com
Rancho San Julian, 805-736-3097,
www.ranchosanjulian.com
Zaca Creek Ranch info@zacacreekranch.com
www.zacacreekranch.com
Jalama Beach, 805-568-2465
www.countyofsb.org
Cachuma Lake, 805-568-2465
www.countyofsb.org
El Capitan Canyon, 866-352-2729
www.elcapitancanyon.com

Los Olivos Grocery has morphed from the sleepy country store it was decades ago into a food lover’s paradise.

BUSINESS PROFILE
In some ways, Los Olivos Grocery Store is a bit of a misnomer. Far from being the typical market, the shop on West Highway 154 is stocked with a dizzying variety of gourmet foods.
“We have things that aren’t available anywhere else,” said Z Darghali, one of the four partners who took ownership of the shop in July 2010. Darghali, and partners Mitch and Mike Samaan and Issac Kahlil, have more than tripled the inventory, expanding the offerings in practically all food categories.
“We carry 80 cheeses at a time, but have access to 250, and we rotate them,” Darghali said. “We have cheeses you can’t find anywhere else locally, like Rouge et Noir.” Foodies have extolled the triple crème brie as “the cheese that beat the French.”
Other expanded offerings include pastas— Marella, De Cecco, and Cella, among others—17 local olive oils, coffees from around the world, and bread from Solvang Bakery.
“We’ve more than tripled our inventory,” said Darghali. “What we carry is based on what our customers want. Every week there are several new products, and if they’re popular, they become staples.”
As much as possible, the Los Olivos Grocery Store features local products, including wines from Valley vintners; locally brewed beers, such as Figueroa Mountain; and produce from area farms.
“We like to support local farmers, and we take whatever they have, even if it’s duplicate. If we have extra of anything, we can use it in the deli,” Darghali continued. “We also offer a wider variety of produce.”
Added Saaman, “We carry as much of that as we can because it’s the way we all support one another so everyone prospers. It creates a strong relationship with the Valley and with our customers.”
Saaman and Darghali, who came to the Santa Ynez Valley in 2003 and 2007, respectively, couldn’t imagine operating the grocery store anywhere but in the Valley. All four partners have run stores in other parts of the country (Darghali came to California from Michigan) and appreciate the friendliness and sense of community they have found here.
“It’s completely different from any other place,” said Saaman. “It’s very family-oriented, where everyone knows everyone. I can’t walk down the street in Santa Ynez and not say hello to almost everyone I see—including children. We want the store to have that cozy, family feel. Not like a franchise.”
Darghali concurs. He has traveled around the state, and describes the Santa Ynez Valley as “the most beautiful place in California.”
While Los Olivos Grocery Store carries gourmet and high-end items, the owners are quick to point out that their clientele covers a wide range of food-loving tastes.
“We want to give the customer the choice, “said Saaman. “We carry good quality mayonnaise, for example, and also high-end. We have good quality pasta, and we also have gourmet Italian pasta. We want to be able to provide the best quality products for those who desire them.”
At Los Olivos Grocery Store, you can run in for a quart of milk and a loaf of bread, Saaman noted, but the bread will likely come from Solvang Bakery. “It’s that kind of place.”
The owners are doing something right, because their customers—many of whom aren’t even local—provide a lot of repeat business. “Quite a few people have walked in wondering what the place is, and now they’ve become regulars,” said Darghali. “They go out of their way to stop in because there are a lot of things they find here that they can’t find anywhere else.”
As the inventory has expanded, so have the bakery, deli, and even the store’s hours of operation. The bakery features more pastries than before, as well as the offerings of a few additional independent bakers. In the deli, the breakfast and lunch menus have grown by more than half a dozen items each.
According to Samaan, plans are in the works to expand and renovate the store itself, nearly doubling its size. He also envisions a park adjacent to the property—complete with vine-covered arbors, fruit trees, and tables and chairs. “It will be a place where families can come and grab something to eat and just relax,” he said.

INFO: Los Olivos Grocery is located at 2621 West Highway 154, only a mile from downtown Los Olivos. 805-688-5115. Hours 5 am to 10 pm daily. losolivos@ymail.com

Ten years ago Santa Ynez Valley High graduate Jose Villa left Brooks Institute of Photography with a B.A. in Fine Arts and Portraiture. He hit the ground running and never looked back. Today he’s known as one of the top photographers in the world.

Recently named one of the decade’s top 30 inspirational photographers by Photo District News magazine, Jose Villa documents weddings with the flair of an editorial photographer. His unorthodox approach, coupled with an artistic eye and commitment to shooting exclusively on film, yield photographs radiant with detail and the frisson of unguarded moments captured.
Villa shoots 40 or more weddings a year, many of them destination events that take him around the world. From Solvang to Singapore, he photographs his subjects with natural light and a minimum of posing.
“I only shoot what feels right to me,” Villa says. “My clients respond to that, and maybe because I shoot film, they see an emotional impact.
“I want my clients to get a box full of proofs and lay them out and look at them,” he explains, his words tumbling out in a high-energy cascade. “I want them to keep those images for the rest of their lives, share them with family and friends. I love that.”
Villa, 31, was five when he arrived in the Santa Ynez Valley after traveling with his family from central Mexico. He still remembers his first glimpse of Flag-Is-Up Farms, where his father would work as maintenance manager and the family would make their home.
“It was green, beautiful, gorgeous,” he laughs, “and it was bright. Maybe because I was in a car all night long.”
Even as a teenager, Villa treasured the rural peace of the Valley and the proximity of his parents and four siblings.
“As young as I was, I loved it,” he says. “I knew this was where I wanted to live. Partly, my decision to be a wedding and portrait photographer was based on that.”
Villa discovered photography in high school when he took an elective that he hoped would provide a break from his college prep classes.
“Basically, I wanted an hour to goof off,” he smiles, “but I ended up falling in love with it. Near the end of the year, the teacher, Mr. Burton, said, ‘You might want to consider Brooks Institute of Photography. I’ll take you there.’ And he did. He’s a great guy.”
Despite his parents’ misgivings about the practicality of a career in photography, Villa attended Brooks, where he quickly realized he needed to forge his own style.
“I knew how to take really good pictures,” he says. “Brooks trains you to do that. But I felt like I had my creative thing and I didn’t want to do what everybody else was doing.
“Brooks trains the best photographers in the world,” he continues, “so the mentality is that you’re too good to shoot weddings. You need to shoot fashion, commercial, editorial work for magazines, but that means I can’t live in Solvang.”
While in school, Villa worked full time at the Solvang Rite-Aid as a stocker, pharmacy technician, and film/photo guy.
“I had some clients who would come in and I didn’t want them to know I worked there,” he laughs, “so I would hide, sometimes in the freezer. I got caught a couple of times.”
Before graduating, Villa interned with a San Francisco-based photographer who worked for top fashion magazines, such as Marie Claire and Harper’s Bazaar. During his internship, Villa confirmed his aversion to the complex staging required for commercial photography, the fleeting nature of the finished product, and the hectic pace of big city life.
“I wanted to have my own clients, my own studio in the Valley, and use natural light,” Villa admits. “Make it as simple as possible. I wanted to photograph real moments, real people in their environment, and have them value those photographs for years.”
Villa graduated from Brooks in 2002 with a B.A. in Fine Art and Portraiture, but not before winning first place in a national photography contest held in New York City and open only to senior photography school students. Once out of school, he began refining his skills by photographing children, subjects he found to be delightfully nonjudgmental and not the least bit worried about looking fat. As he let them run freely, he developed quick reflexes for snapping spontaneous shots.
Villa opened a studio in Solvang, while continuing to supplement his income at Rite-Aid. He shot his first wedding in 2003, charged $400 and lost money, but enjoyed the gig and resulting photos so much that soon he was handling 25 weddings a year.
By 2004, Villa had purchased a house, quit his side job, and begun speaking annually at the Wedding and Portrait Photographers International convention, where he champions the pleasures and advantages of shooting with film. He speaks under the aegis of Fujifilm, whose principals praise his images for conveying “fresh perspective” and “unexpected joy.”
In 2008, American Photo Magazine named Villa one of the top ten wedding photographers in the world, while Rangefinder magazine has celebrated him as  among “the hottest young photographers in today’s wedding industry.”
Two years ago, Random House contracted with Villa to produce Fine Art Wedding Photography: “How to Capture Images with Style for the Modern Bride”, an inspirational book for both photographers and blushing brides. Villa managed to complete the book on time despite a full schedule of weddings and the popular photography workshops he offers several times a year.
Dazzled by his unique portfolio, the editors of the major bridal magazines–including Martha Stewart Weddings, Grace Ormonde Wedding Style, Elegant Bride and Pacific Rim Weddings- now come to Villa, not only to publish his destination wedding photographs, but to hire him for commercial jobs as well.
“I’m taking lifestyle photos for magazines,” he says with delight, “but instead of having a huge production team, I’m shooting on location, with two assistants, a model, and natural light.
“If I can continue to take beautiful pictures,” he adds, “that’s all I ever wanted to do.”

INFO: Learn more about Jose Villa on his website which also links into his popular blog: www.josevilla.com

Jordan, 23, in his Los Alamos garage with the 1928 Ford he’s building, a project backed by Dupli-Color an automative paint supplier. In the background is a 1947 Harley-Davidson Knucklehead he’s restoring

Valley native Jordan Graham, known internationally for his custom hot rods,
was named an “enfant prodige” by Hot Rod Magazine at the age of 19.

The fingertip disappeared in an instant, sliced away on a metal sheer, severed and“pouring blood.” He fainted while being rushed to the hospital.
It happened on the day before the final shoot in Santa Ynez, the end of three months of nearly nonstop work to finish a 1928 Ford Model A hot rod for his first starring role on television. He was 19.
When the camera crew arrived the next day, there he was, right hand and index finger bandaged up in surgical tape, star slightly woozy, still wearing his hospital wrist band.
But the show must go on. And he did.
Jordan Graham completes what he starts.
“Hey, we had to finish the show,” Jordan, now 23, recalls.
He was paid nothing. Zero. For three months of 10- to -16 hour days, rusty roadster to bright new pearl white hot rod, all on videotape, wounded driver at the wheel.
What’s it like to be 19 and the star of his own 30 minute feature show titled “Nineteen-28,” one that can still be seen on cable TV’s SPEED channel?
“It was easy. You just talk. It’s like talking to a bunch of my buddies,” he says. “You keep talking and they cut out what they don’t want. It’s just easy.
“Besides, I got a lot of work out of that job.”
He has had roles on six other shows and left an impression with the gods of television.
“Jordan is quite a unique talent,” said Dennis Zerull, an L.A.-based producer-director with Hot Rod TV who worked with Jordan on the 2007-08 project “Nineteen-28.”
“Very few young guys his age understand hot rods the way he does. And he is always very positive.’’
Like the fingertip, that car is gone. He sold it for $25,000 to a doctor in Las Vegas.
Despite the fact that he still gets emails from fans from as far away as Italy and strangers will stop him to look at his missing fingertip, the unsentimental artist has moved on.
“I don’t drink. I don’t smoke. I just have always been preoccupied with hot rods and bikes,” Jordan said. “This is my drug of choice. This is my focus.’’
Today, Jordan is hard at work in his Los Alamos garage building another hot rod, a 1928 Ford to be attached to a 1932 frame. It is a project backed by Dupli-Color, an automotive paint supplier, that will be unveiled at October’s Specialty Equipment Marketing Association show in Las Vegas.
At the same time he is restoring a 1947 Harley-Davidson Knucklehead motorcycle for a customer in Florida. Old bikes are easier to find than 1930s cars and quicker to turn around.
…And working at the Santa Ynez Airport, doing everything from fueling planes to changing oil to renting cars.
…And raising a family with wife Kati and daughter Harley, who will celebrate her first birthday in March. She has already been to three car shows and two bikes shows.
Both mother and dad grew up in the Santa Ynez Valley and went to local schools. Kati Lynn is a stylist at the Secret Garden Salon in Solvang. Kati calls her husband “an old soul in a young body.”
“He has a passion for old cars and bikes, and I love that he loves it. Every man, every person, needs an outlet,” she said. It’s one she shares.
“It’s a way for us to bond. He makes sure he always includes me and Harley.”
Jordan says his passion is inherited from his father, Ballard resident Bill Graham, a master mechanic and former race-car driver, who graduated from Santa Ynez High School class of 1976. That was the same year as Kati’s father, Chris Paola, who lives in Solvang.
“That’s where I got it, obviously,” Jordan said. “My dad can fix anything, from airplanes to mining equipment. I’ve seen him fix stuff that no one else can fix. He even took apart Kati’s hair dryer and fixed it. I owe everything to him.”
Before he was old enough to have a driver license, Jordan was working on his first car, a 1968 Mustang his father gave him to practice on. He had been hanging out with older car guys, listening to stories, pouring through scrapbooks and car magazines, trading labor for learning.
Bartered yard work earned him his first hot rod. It was a “rusty, tired, stuck-in-the-dirt Model A five-window coupe,” lost treasure rusting away in the two-acre backyard of a widow in Solvang. He weed-whacked her lot in exchange for the hulk. He was 15.
“I couldn’t believe she just gave me a Model A. I wish I could do some more yard work for that again,” he said.
A year later he was driving his bright turquoise hot rod to high school, looking very much like time warp from the 1950s. After he put 20,000 miles on the odometer, he sold the car for $19,000 to a retired lawyer from Sacramento who still drives it.
Along the way, Jordan has taught himself how to weld—doing more challenging tungsten gas arc welding—and how to drop axles. He slowly heats 80-year-old forged car axles to 850 degrees and gently bends each end down. This lowers the hot rod’s profile and reduces wind drag. He charges $200 to $250 each.
His workshop is an antique adventure, featuring old tools from the 1940s and ’50s. Call it honoring a tradition.
“With a lot of the older generation going away fast, I wanted to carry it on for them,” said Jordan. “I’ve taken their advice over the years and did what I’ve done to impress them.”
One of those is Jack Chard, a Buellton resident who got his first taste for cars in 1944 at age 6.
“Jordan is a natural,” said Jack, who is now 73. He freely shares tips with Jordan, who was termed an “enfant prodige” by Hot Rod Magazine.
“There are natural ballplayers and there are natural car guys. He’s a creator, like a man painting a picture. “It’s amazing, his ideas parallel guys my age.”
True to the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s purity of American hot rod culture, Jordan believes in scouring Valley ranches, backyards, barns, and garages for old cars and parts. He calls it “hawking.” As much as possible you scrounge for what most see as junk, fabricating and restoring the old rather than buying shiny aftermarket replacements.
“People are always saying that California is all tapped out, that all the good old stuff has been picked over and taken,” he said. “No, not yet. Right now, just here in the Valley, I know where there are 60 old cars sitting in barns or on ranches.
“To me it’s like finding gold. I get so pumped up that I can’t sleep at night when I hear about something. Imagine a rusty old car getting somebody so excited, but it does. I start shaking.”

INFO: Jordan Graham email: dropaxel@yahoo.com

The hole on the side of the banana slug’s head is called a respiratory pore. It’s a breathing hole that leads to their one lung. Slugs also absorb oxygen through their moist skin.

Last year’s rainy winter proved to be an exciting time for mushrooms. Instead of wildflowers, mushrooms became my passion. Armed with a few books, I set out to identify the different kinds of mushrooms and took numerous pictures. I soon found that Sunset Valley in Davy Brown was an excellent place to find mushrooms—very large mushrooms!—under oak tree litter and along the streams.
Another excellent spot was on my neighbor’s property a few miles away, near Bierbent Creek. To my amazement, while searching for mushrooms, I discovered a bright yellow banana slug munching on a mushroom!
In doing research I have since learned that mushrooms are the banana slug’s favorite food. I think they are particular as to the type of mushroom they eat. Just as people have learned to be selective while harvesting mushrooms to eat, I believe the slug has learned this skill too.
From the photo below you can see that the banana slug has two pairs of tentacles. The larger, upper pair called “eyestalks” can detect light or movement; the second smaller set can detect chemicals. These tentacles can be retracted to avoid damage, just as the slug can stretch its body to a length of nine inches to cover distance and shrink itself  down to three inches long while eating or for protection. When a slug is stretched out and moving, it is easy to see, but when shrunk to their minimum size they blend in with leaves and seem to disappear before your eyes.
A banana slug lives in slime. It excretes a slime which allows respiration to partially occur on its skin. Slug slime attracts mates. Slime also provides locomotion for the slug and is an anesthetic which deters predators. Slime also keeps the slug from drying out, as it doesn’t have a shell to protect it.
Banana slugs are herbivores, or decomposers. They eat leaves, dead plant material, and animal droppings, which are recycled into soil humus that is rich in nitrogen. In this way slugs are an important aspect of the ecosystem.
In hot and dry or very cold weather, banana slugs secrete a protective layer of mucus, insulate themselves with a layer of soil and leaves, and remain inactive until the environment is hospitable again.
So after the next rain, take an early morning walk down Davy Brown Trail. You just may see a banana slug crossing the trail.
Exercise is great, but when out in nature take in your surroundings while you walk. It’s easy to discover something new and interesting.

Now in their second year, Fresco Valley Cafe owners Aric Christopher, left, and Matt Raab located in Solvang because of its sense of community. Matt grew up in the Valley. Freshly prepared food, served in a warm atmosphere by friendly and efficient staff, make Fresco a popular destination.

“Mark and Jill Brouillard—the founders of Fresco—are friends of ours,” Matt explained, “and this was a really good opportunity for us.”
The pair began scouting locations from Ventura to Los Angeles, but couldn’t find the right place for the kind of restaurant environment they wanted to create. “We looked all over,” Aric recalled. “We looked in Montecito, and then in the Ventura area. But nothing had the feel of Fresco. This is a very family- style restaurant.”
Matt, who grew up in both Santa Barbara and the Valley, knew the area well, and he and Aric decided to check out possibilities here. It didn’t take them long to realize they’d found their place.
“The Valley offers a sense of community, and the location itself has its own charm,” Matt noted. “It has a very homey feel.” That makes sense, given that the physical structure—fully remodeled down to the studs—was originally constructed in the 1960s as a residence. The restaurant’s dining room was the original home’s outdoor patio, and the surrounding bungalows were once apartments.
The space has had a few reincarnations between then and now, however, including a nearly 25-year run as Manny’s Mexican Restaurant, which Matt often frequented when he was a kid.
“When we went up to the Valley, we realized right off the bat how all the businesses are interested in working together and being cohesive with each other,” Matt continued, referring to the aforementioned sense of community.
“You can walk in and meet the business owner, not just a manager,”
Echoing his business partner’s sentiment, Aric added, “Everyone’s willing to help each other. We talk to other local restaurant owners all the time. No one’s in competition per se. Everyone’s there to help each other and get people out to the Valley.”
Another huge benefit to opening their restaurant in the Valley is simply Fresco’s name recognition. “There are so many people that commute to Santa Barbara and frequent the restaurants in Five Points and Goleta, and have been asking Jill and Mark to open a Fresco in the Valley,” said Matt.

The Italian Stuffed Pepper, above, is one of numerous daily specials. An Anaheim pepper stuffed with ground beef, onions, and Fresco’s three-cheese mix, and roasted in marinara sauce, is served with roasted-red-pepper risotto and sautéed vegetables

At Fresco Valley Café, the menu is identical to that at the other Fresco locations. The specials differ from day to day, but the basic offerings are the same. “If you have a favorite at the restaurant in Santa Barbara or Goleta, you can come to the Valley and find the exact same thing, made from the exact same recipe,” Matt continued. “Mark and Jill are adamant about keeping the recipes identical and consistent.”
The warm welcome Fresco Valley Café has received is a testament to everyone’s success. “People are ecstatic to have the option up here,” said Matt. “Solvang hasn’t really been known for its food. And now, with the addition of some really good restaurants, it’s becoming more of a dining destination.”
With the restaurant having found its niche, Aric and Matt have begun to develop the catering side of Fresco Valley Café. “That was one of our original ideas in opening in the Valley,” said Matt. “We definitely saw a void in that market. We knew how fast the wineries are growing—there are so many producing really fantastic wines.”
Matt and Aric have forged relationships with wineries and wine tour companies, and in these associations they have found a great market for Fresco’s boxed lunches, which are perfect for people spending a day on a wine tour or at a winery for a private tasting. The lunches come complete with a sandwich, salad, bottle of water, dessert, and silverware. They even include a Wet-Nap and a breath mint.
“I grew up in a family that appreciated wine, and it’s always been a part of my life,” said Aric. “It’s exciting for us to be here during this development of the wine movement in the Valley.”
The pair work on an almost weekly basis with the Bridlewood, Sanford, and Zaca Mesa wineries. “And we’re building relationships with the others,” Aric continued. “It’s working out really, really well.”
INFO: Fresco Valley Cafe is open Thur-Sat for lunch and full-service dinner 11 am- 9 pm; lunch only Mon-Wed. 11 am – 4 pm; Sunday for brunch and lunch, 9 am – 4 pm. They are at 442 Atterdag Road, Solvang, 805.688.8857. www.frescosb.com.
Entire restaurant is available to groups at special pricing Wed-Sun after 4:30 pm.(Prices start at $500, includes food).

Jaime Dietenhofer introduced the special black ale made in honor of the company’s first anniversary. “It was a costly beer to make,” he said. The unsual ale was created by A.J. Stoll, their gifted brewmaster.

PROFILE— 60 cases of a specially brewed gold label black ale was made to honor the occasion.

The bet that father and son owners Jaime and Jim Dietenhofer made when opening Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company a year ago has paid off.
A few months ago they added three 30-barrel stainless-steel tanks, tripling the capacity they opened with less than a year ago. “We’ve just ordered another three 30-barrel tanks,” Jaime said, just keeping up with the phenomenal public appetite for their handcrafted microbrew. He figures they’ll be adding another five of the giant tanks in 2012.
The year-old Buellton brewing company’s beers have won a total of four gold metals, one silver, one bronze, and one-best-of-show, which is an astonishing accomplishment for a fledgling brewing company. The Dietenhofers believe the key to their success has been their motto to keep quality in the forefront.
“To us what’s most important is quality,” says Jaime. “If profit were the goal, we could turn ale in two weeks, rather than six weeks.”
As further evidence of their commitment to quality, Jaime said their company self-distributes their beers.
“By self-distributing we can monitor how our beers are stored and keep control of how the beer’s served through the help of our tech support. ”
“We don’t flash-pasturize our beers,” he said. This is why their beers need to be stored cold at all times. “Pasturizing would kill the flavor our amazing brewmaster manages to come up with. He’s truly an artisian.”
“We need to deliver the beer more frequently than a flash-pasturized beer would be so we keep our distribution area fairly local, from Ventura to San Luis Obispo.”
“This is the most fun business to be in, it has such a community feel to it.”

• Great nutrition
• Regular checkups at the vet
• Plenty of exercise
• Grateful appreciation

Nutrition is the most important factor. It is the foundation to a healthy and happy pet. With the proper balance of protein, vitamins, minerals, and supplements, we can be assured they will be a stable and interactive part of the household and family for many years.
There are some great diets on the market that fulfill all these needs. Choose a diet that is not too high in protein; our furry family members need only moderate levels of protein as they age.
High levels of antioxidants like vitamin E, vitamin C, and beta-carotene can improve vaccine effectiveness, skin health, and cellular integrity.
Glucosamine and chondroitin are important in joint functioning; these two act together as an amazing combo that will allow pets to maintain an active lifestyle. Attention to all of these dietary aspects will help slow the aging process.
Build a relationship with your veterinarian, and make checkups annual health marker. Your pet’s doctor will create a complete game plan including vaccines, blood work, and other recommended procedures to maintain your pet’s health in its golden years. Vaccines will protect pets from many diseases and harmful pathogens they may encounter on a daily basis. Blood work will give a comprehensive look at internal functions. Pet insurance can be a great way to help provide these services for your pet. There are many options available; explore these resources online or through your veterinary clinic.
Like us humans, our pets need exercise, too. Daily walks, runs on the beach, or a fun game of fetch in the back yard are great ways to keep Odie healthy.
Garfield has to stay in shape, too. Cats are much harder to keep active as they get older, but we do have a few tricks! A laser pointer or a few toys full of catnip can provide a good workout for our feline friends, as can a sturdy piece of cat furniture to climb on.
As Odie and Garfield get older, it can get harder to keep them active, but they gain energy with activity and your efforts to keep them active will bring rewards. Exercise in conjunction with glucosamine and chondroitin supplements for their joints is a great recipe for maintaining your pet’s fitness.
Our pets give us unconditional love and support. For that we have so much to be thankful for. Enjoy the golden years of your pet. Know that they are there for us and we are there for them. It is easy to forget what they have to offer and how much they truly do contribute to our lives.
Let 2012 be a year that we cherish our pets, young and old, to the fullest!

Often described as more Danish than Denmark, Solvang retains the flavor of its founders’ culture a full century after its inception. Graceful windmills, Old World architecture, and the aromatic drift of Danish foods— from meaty frikadeller to fresh pastries—serves as a reminder of the town’s origins and enduring character.
While other California towns have lost the orange and walnut groves that once distinguished them, Solvang still boasts an abundance of active farms and ranches. In fact, the sunny fields that first caught the eyes of the incoming Danes back in 1911 still embrace the village on all sides.
Solvang’s Danish character remains distinct, in part, because in 1947 second- and-third-generation Danish-Americans began using 19th century Denmark as a template for downtown construction. Today, Solvang constitutes something of a time capsule, because even in much of Denmark itself that model has given way to more modern styles.
Located along a rural highway bounded by the ocean in the west and mountains in the east, Solvang remains relatively insulated from the corrosive clamor of the outside world. The quiet tree-lined streets evoke an earlier time, the young people willingly engage in community life, and the town’s heart beats with vibrant activity and a spirit of volunteerism.
These traditional qualities reflect the values and accomplishments of Solvang’s earliest Danes, hardworking immigrants who cherished family life and civic involvement. Folk traditions informed their activities—from music and dancing to learning and worship—and remain at the core of local life.
Pioneers with names like Nielsen, Jensen, Rasmussen, and Skytt built such a solid foundation—and in such a beautiful spot—that 100 years later, the population still includes many of their descendants. Danish surnames pepper local directories, lending a sense of continuity that’s often missing from contemporary communities.
A thread of shared history connects Solvang’s longtime residents, who carry on with the same dedication as those pioneers who donated land for the first Lutheran church, helped to repair the Mission bell tower for their Catholic neighbors, or prepared meals for the workers who built the town.

Rodney Nielsen with daughter, Natalya, and son, Andrew, during Danish Days 2002.

“Everybody cares about everybody here in the Valley and looks out for them,” declares Rodney Nielsen, whose great-grandfather Marcus owned Nielsen’s Market in 1914. “I think that’s what really makes Solvang special. It’s the community itself, the people.
“It’s an amazing place to grow up,” he continues. “Everybody is so generous and genuinely concerned about their neighbors. You can see it when somebody gets sick and everybody rallies around.”
According to Rodney, his son, Andrew, 10, delights in the simple acts of walking or riding his bike to school, and then heading to the river to play.
“I know for myself growing up here, it’s such a wonderful rural setting,” says Rodney, manager of Nielsen’s Market. “I think Andrew’s enjoying the same kinds of things I did.”
Agreeing with his father, Andrew admits, “I like that it’s a little town and almost everyone knows each other. There’s not much drama going around.
“I want to stay here,” he adds. “I’m fifth generation, so I want to keep it here.”
Andrew’s cousin, Christiana, also 10, praises the weather and appreciates the fact that Solvang is a peaceful place where her friends live close by and she can ride her bike into town. She plans to remain in the area and continue to celebrate her Danish heritage.
“We have all these cool traditions,” Christiana says. “Like, we make special foods, and at Christmas we put an almond in rice porridge, and whoever finds the almond gets a little prize. Last year we got a gift card, but a couple of times we’ve gotten little dolls.”
Christiana’s mother, Betina Nielsen Heron, is Rodney’s sister. As a young adult, she left the Valley for several years but soon felt the urge to return.

Gabrielle Heron, left, Betrina Nielsen Heron, Christiana Heron, Paul Heron and Angelique Heron.

“I just love my small community,” Betina says. “My brother and parents are here, and I thought raising a family here would be safer than most places. We’re such a transient society that most families are scattered, and it’s neat to have deep roots.”
Like most longtime residents, Betina’s family takes part in Danish Days, an annual celebration that’s part reunion, part ethnic street fair, and also a lively tourist attraction. Organized by local Danes and held the third weekend in September, it offers a true representation of the Danish spirit of fun, including folk dances, live music, and a float-filled parade, all serving to preserve venerable Danish customs.
“For me, Danish Days is important because it makes our cultural heritage come alive,” says Betina. “We get to see all the Danes and remember what’s important and unique about the founding of our town.”
Everyone turns out for Danish Days, but none with greater thunder than Ken Andersen and his family, descendants of the Roths, who came to Solvang in 1911, and the Christen V. Nielsens, who arrived in 1917. For the parades they create floats with dazzling elements, including Viking ships, windmills, booming music, and once a waterslide in the form of a giant clog.
“Each year we try to do something people don’t expect,” reveals Ken, manager of Nielsen Building Materials, founded by his grandfather, Christen V. Nielsen, in 1932. “It’s such a rush to get the crowd excited to see what’s coming around the corner. And if you make it fun for the kids, they can’t wait to get back and do it again next year.
“I’ve been part of Danish Days since I was born, literally,” he laughs, “and my kids have been part of it since they were born. I don’t think they’ve ever seen a parade, because they’ve always been in it!
“It’s important to know where you came from, your heritage,” he adds. “It makes you part of the family, part of a community.”

Allie Andersen, Ken Andersen, Donna Beehler, and Andy Andersen with the family, “Vikings in the Vineyard” parade entry.

Ken’s daughter, Emma, 15, who experienced her first Danish Days parade while still a baby, describes her earliest memories of the festival.
“Everybody would be dancing,” she remembers. “I’d dance with my grandpa and dad, and that was really special. And in the mornings, I would help cook aebleskivers with my aunt. It was fun!”
“Everyone enjoys Danish Days,” she says. “It means everything to me and I love being part of it.”
Emma’s aunt, Donna Andersen Beehler, who owns The Home Connection in Solvang, recalls the rigors of Danish Days when she was a child. Not only did she clap and turn with the Danish family folk dancers, she also performed gymnastics to the regimented beat of instructor Viggo Tarnow’s piccolo and then joined the parade with the Solvang marching band.
“That’s how we grew up,” she smiles, “and it’s really an honor to see these kids follow in our footsteps. It’s so fun to see their faces when they’re performing. They’ve got a lot of pride.
“Danish Days isn’t only important for the town,” she declares, “but for local families, and the tradition that it teaches the younger kids. It’s been such a part of our family for so many years.”

Bruce Pedersen and his 5-year-old daughter Stephanie at Solvang Elementary School where Stephanie attends kindergarten. She is the third generation in her family to attend Solvang School. Bruce has been a teacher at Solvang Upper School for 17 years. Stephanie’s mother Jennifer Pedersen also teaches at Solvang School.

Like all local Danish children, Russell Beehler, Donna’s 16-year-old son, has grown up with an intimate knowledge of his roots.
“My whole life has been based on Danish heritage,” Russell says, “and I’m really glad to be part of it. It means something special to be Danish, to know that this is where you came from. It’s like full family history.
“After college,” he adds, “I plan on living in the Valley, helping to take over the Danish traditions and keep things going.”
A third-generation resident of Solvang, Bruce Pedersen has taught math at Solvang School for 17 years. During that time, he has noticed that many of his students may ache to move away, but once they get a little older, they realize what a wonderful place it is to raise a family.
“It’s a small, tight-knit community,” Bruce says. “There are a lot of second, third, and fourth generation Valley people who still have parents and perhaps grandparents here, so it’s home.”
During a stint in the army, Bruce visited Denmark, where he found the people to be more outgoing and hospitable than anywhere else in Europe. Happy to return to Solvang, he discovered that his Danish roots gave him a special bond with the region and inspired him to get involved with the Danish Days organizing committee.
Bruce’s daughter, five-year-old Stephanie, already has her own Danish outfit to wear in the Danish Days children’s parade. As for the simple, small town pleasures of Solvang, she likes to eat Napoleon hats fresh from the bakery and ride the horse-drawn trolley.
Once a year, when Solvang hosts Danish Days, anyone can be Danish, at least for a day or two.     Locals don colorful costumes and dance in the streets, while tempting aromas fill the air, bringing to life the heritage that lies at the heart of this rare gem of a town.
“I think everybody likes to know their past,” muses Rodney Nielsen, “and I’m proud of my Danish history. It’s something I’ve always known, growing up in Solvang and being Danish. It’s who I am.”

From left, Mark Herthel with product-development team members Chase Millhollen, Erin Kelly, and Gary Hall, with Jessie Condit, marketing. Hall competed in the 1996, 2000, and 2004 Olympics and won ten Olympic medals (5 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze). He has used Platinum Performance since 2000 and recently joined the Platinum Performance staff. He now lives in Solvang.

The supplements came to market in 1997, just as Mark Herthel, the doctor’s older son and co-founder of Platinum Performance, finished his second year at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Studying agricultural business and nutrition, his skills meshed with the needs of the burgeoning business.
“My father developed the horse products for our practice at Alamo Pintado,” Mark explains, “but we actually had quite a few locals using the products themselves. So, within a year, we developed a human-equivalent.”
Impressed by the improvement in her horse’s health, one particular client started taking the supplements during her cancer treatments.
“She’s the one who sat my father down and told him how well she was doing,” Mark remembers. “That’s what spurred us to develop a human equivalent. It happened pretty quick.
“In my freshman year, in the dorms,” he laughs, “I had the first prototypes of the human equivalent formula and we would eat it. It was in white coffee bags and we were giving it away to get feedback.”
Mark’s mother, Sue, came up with the name Platinum Performance—as a kind of step up from gold—to describe the dazzling improvements they were seeing among their equine patients. She continues to work at the clinic, alongside her husband, and now her younger son, Troy, who recently joined the staff after completing his veterinary internship.
Although Mark was employed at the clinic as a youngster, doing tasks as varied as helping with surgeries to mowing the lawn, he always found the commerce side of things more compelling.
“In fifth grade I had my first business,” he remembers. “We’d pick apples and sell them in the park in Los Olivos, and I had a tiny roadside stand. I grew up in the veterinary practice, but I always wanted to be more of a businessman.”
While in college, Mark met his future wife, Erika, a nutrition major who has been part of Platinum Performance since the beginning. In the early days, the couple traveled across the country promoting the products.
“It was fantastic!” Mark declares. “We were gone every other weekend, and between the veterinary and human sides, we were at the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and the American Association of Diabetes Educators one week, and then we’d be at a veterinary conference or horse show the next.”
Research for Platinum Performance products takes place at universities across the country, including UC Davis, Colorado State University, and Michigan State. In 2011, the company introduced two new equine products: one promoting gastric health and the other a pro-biotic digestive aid.

The new facility was designed to incorporate expansive windows and spread natural light throughout the administrative offices.

Equine clients have ranged from Kentucky Derby and Dubai World Cup winners to Olympic jumpers. Two-legged athletes who use the products formulated for people include several Olympic swimmers, among them Gary Hall, Jr., who won gold in Athens in 2004.
As president of Platinum Performance, Mark reveals the launch of a new program for human clients that will help to personalize service.
“It’s a new concept and we’re very excited about it,” he says. “We recommend different products based on individual need, so it’s the right program for the individual. It’s pretty cool.
“Our approach is fewer products,” he continues. “We’re focused on quality results and making the right recommendations.”
With nearly 50 employees, Platinum Performance recently moved into a new, larger facility in Buellton, where the Herthels manufacture all of the products. In front of the building, located near Firestone Brewery, is the company’s retail store.
“We’re known for having really good service,” Mark says. “Our retail area is staffed by our Platinum Advisors, who are our service team, and they’re really helpful for answering questions.”
A member of a global group called the Young Presidents Organization, Mark regularly meets with fellow entrepreneurs to kick around ideas.
“It’s a real cool thing that I love to do,” he says. “A couple of my buddies have businesses, and we get together monthly. It’s kind of a personal forum-type deal, where we share experiences and talk about business ideas.
“I’m constantly getting challenged by my friends to look at doing things a different way,” he smiles, “but I really enjoy it, because it’s all about improvement.”
When not tending to Platinum Performance affairs, Mark serves as president of the Los Olivos Business Organization board, which stages local events, such as the annual Quick Draw.
“We’re trying to make sure art stays alive in Los Olivos,” he says, “and the event raises money that goes to support the promotion of art.”
He is also on the board of the Los Olivos School Foundation, which recently implemented a $200,000 technical upgrade that included re-vamping the school’s computer lab.
His daughter may be only three years old, but Mark acknowledges the importance of strengthening education and helping to improve his small town.
“It all starts at the local level,” he says, “and we’re definitely involved in the community. It’s key, so we’re happy to volunteer and do what we can.”
An avid bicycle rider, Mark grew up in the Santa Ynez Valley and always knew he wanted to stay. Fortunately, with the advent of Platinum Performance, his future was secure.
“All through school,” he says, “I just always loved it, the people, the natural beauty. Now, we’ve got a lot of great friends—some of them grew up here—and we all have kids together.
“It’s really an amazing community to raise children in,” he adds. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

INFO: Platinum Performance is located at 90 Thomas Rd., Buellton. The retail store is open Mon. through Fri., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information or to purchase products, call 688-1731 or visit PlatinumPerformance.com.

PHOTOS: best boardroomphoto.jpg
From left, Mark Herthel with product-development team members Chase Millhollen, Erin Kelly, and Gary Hall, with Jessie Condit, marketing.
Hall competed in the 1996, 2000, and 2004 Olympics and won ten Olympic medals (5 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze). He has used Platinum Performance since 2000 and recently joined the Platinum Performance staff. He now lives in Solvang.

upstairs pp nice.jpg
The new facility was designed to incorporate expansive windows and spread natural light throughout the administrative offices.

Business Profile

—Man (and woman, of course) does not live by bread alone, as the saying goes, and Patti Wicks takes those words seriously. She is the Patti behind Pattibakes, a Valley bakery known for its spectacular cakes and cupcakes— and muffins, and tarts, and coffee cakes, and cinnamon rolls and cookies and pies and bread and bagels, all of which are baked fresh every morning.
Wicks, who moved to the Santa Ynez Valley with her husband, Lynn, some 20 years ago, began her baking business in her own kitchen, preparing cakes and other baked goods for a local coffee shop. Her sweets began to sell like, well, hotcakes, and soon Wicks and her team were baking up more goods than her home kitchen could accommodate. So she set up shop in an industrial kitchen on Highway 246 in Buellton.
Pattibakes is most famous for its cakes —carrot, chocolate, lemon, marble, mellow yellow, and raspberry—that range in size from a six-inch round to a two-layer half-sheet. But the array of pastries on any given day includes much more. Wicks offers 11 different kinds of muffins, 6 different tarts, 5 different coffee cakes, 9 different kinds of cookies, and 10 different pies, including pumpkin. The pumpkin is seasonal, and with the holidays just around the corner, Wicks will be baking a lot of those.
Breakfast and lunch are served on an outdoor patio adjacent to the kitchen, where the aroma of just-out-of-the-oven baked goods fills the air and whets the appetite. Breakfast fare ranges from breads, scones, iced cinnamon rolls, and muffins to homemade granola with yogurt, oatmeal, panini with scrambled eggs, ham, cheddar cheese, and diced tomatoes, quiche, and homemade bagels with cream cheese and fresh fruit.
The lunch menu features a variety of cold and grilled sandwiches and panini, soups, salads, and quiche.
Sandwiches are prepared on Wicks’s homemade bread—sun-dried tomato, Italian herb, whole wheat, olive, and jalapeño cheddar—with chicken, turkey, and pork tenderloin she roasts herself. Salads are made with local, organic greens.
Pattibakes also offers event catering and special orders for birthdays, weddings, baby and bridal showers, and corporate functions.

INFO: Pattibakes is open weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.,  and Saturday, from 7 a.m. to noon. It is located behind Burger King at 240 E. Highway 246, #109. 805.686.9582

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Julie and Matt Leonard with their children, Neva (4) and Charlie (18 months), at home in Los Olivos

Business Profile Purveyors of Fine Woodworking

When Matt Leonard founded his general construction company nearly a decade ago, he brainstormed a name that would describe the services he offered. Wisely, he selected Leonard Custom Works, Purveyors of Fine Woodworking, an ideal choice for a business that provides everything from basic framing to elegant furniture.
Leonard Custom Works (LCW) handles a wide range of projects, including new home construction, additions, remodels, finish/trim carpentry, and one-of-a-kind cabinetry. Leonard and his crew can design interior elements—such as cabinets and free-standing furniture—and produce custom doors that double as works of art.
“Ninety-nine percent of what we do is custom,” Leonard says. “Whatever you need, if it’s made out of wood, we can build it. From inlaid bar tops and cabinetry, to bow-front cabinets, to your standard Shaker style.
“I like to think everything we do is our specialty, even rough framing,” he continues. “We frame like finish carpenters, because we know what it’s going to look like once the drywall and paint are up. We make sure it’ll look really nice, straight, and clean.”
Splitting his job sites evenly between Santa Barbara and the Santa Ynez Valley, Leonard takes great joy in his work and shares his enthusiasm with customers.
“We see clients in their homes and under stress, because we’ve got their houses torn up,” he says. “So we try to make people feel like this is an adventure, this is going to be fun. It’s got to be fun. If it’s work, why would we want to do it?
“We really enjoy what we do,” he adds, “and the people we work for. My greatest satisfaction is the smiles on our clients’ faces when they say, ‘We love our home!’”
Relying on a small core of full-time employees, as well as carefully selected subcontractors, Leonard delivers top quality results with a personal touch.
“We’re customer oriented and we cater to the needs of the client,” Leonard admits. “I don’t like to overlap jobs, so we don’t try to jam six or seven jobs into a month.
“I feel clients hire me to build what they want,” he says, “and if I’m doing that for multiple clients at one time, they’re not going to get the attention I think they deserve.”
For homeowners tackling the design stage of a project, Leonard gladly offers suggestions and provides examples of his work.
“We have a working shop,” he explains, “and we typically have pieces in there that are either being fabricated or are ready to be sent out for finishing. When clients call and want to see our work they’ll either stop by the shop or, a lot of times, we give them names and addresses of previous clients.”
Leonard’s clients reward him with warm reviews and an abiding willingness to open their homes to others considering LCW for their home improvement projects.
One such project took place at the Bone-Smalldon home in Los Olivos, where Leonard designed, built, and installed custom cabinetry, vanities, and a new staircase. Linking past and present, Leonard repurposed the original floor joists: Douglas fir from the 1880s now lives on as the house’s welcoming front door.
“We went through the home and customized it for them,” Leonard says. “One vanity we built has a pull-out step so their young son can get up and wash his face, brush his teeth.
“Another piece is a Honduran mahogany vanity with raised panels, many different moldings, and a large tower in the center for linens,” he continues. “It was really fun to build. It’s got a beaded front, furniture feet, and is a very nice piece of furniture.”
The five-acre property supports a number of black walnut trees, so Leonard suggested wide-planked walnut flooring to help create an interior that reflects what he calls “that Santa Ynez Valley feel.”
Born and raised in Santa Barbara, Leonard, 37, began working in construction as a laborer at the age of 16. For four years he learned the fundamentals of his trade by fixing houses, and then took a job with a local contractor who specialized in home additions and remodels.
From there Leonard moved into doing finish carpentry with a Santa Barbara company known for its craftsmanship, where he polished his skills and developed a lifelong passion for working with wood.
“My perfect work day is just hanging out in my shop,” Leonard laughs. “To come in and build a cabinet or door or even just sit on the lathe and turn a bowl is probably the most relaxing thing I can do.”
Drawn to the sunshine and rural serenity of the region, Leonard and his wife, Julie, moved to the Santa Ynez Valley in 2003, confident that the vibrant community would provide an ideal environment in which to raise their two children.
“It’s really nice to find this little niche,” Leonard says. “It’s like what the neighborhoods used to be like when I grew up and had a paper route, and played outside until dinner time. The sense of community is really big for us.
“My fun,” he adds, “is coming home at night and playing with my children in the back yard. I love being at home, I love being at work. I love it all!”.
INFO: Leonard Custom Works is located at 84 Industrial Way, Ste. A, Buellton. For more information visit leonardcustomworks.com or call 729-6402.

An adult turkey vulture, with it’s bald, purplish red head, is easily identified in the wild.

The California Turkey Vulture

Returning home one evening I noticed a dead pine tree with several large black “lumps.” As I drove closer, I realized the “lumps” were actually several roosting turkey vultures. I thought they’d make an interesting photo, so as soon as I got home I grabbed my camera and drove right back to the tree. Even more of the big birds had settled while others circled in the air overhead.
I’ve never seen a turkey vulture roost in a tree before, let alone such a large group mingling together so I decided to do a little research on this common bird of prey.
At first glance the turkey vulture may seem like an uninteresting carrion eater, and that’s where it’s usually seen—feasting on a dead animal along the roadside. Another spotting place is the sky, where they can be seen soaring high, riding the thermals during the heat of the day, its keen eyesight and excellent sense of smell searching out rotting carcasses, often several miles away.
One of our largest local birds, the turkey vulture is typically 25 to 32 inches long and has a wingspan of up to six feet. Most weigh between five and six pounds. But this is where their similarities to other large birds of prey ends.
The most noticeable difference between a turkey vulture and a hawk or eagle is the bird’s striking purplish red head. Instead of being covered with feathers, a turkey vulture’s head is bald, a feature that allows the bird to keep “clean” while poking through a carcass. The bird’s plumage is primarily dark brown and is very similar to our wild turkey, which it is named after.
They have weak, chicken-like feet good for running or hopping on the ground but not for grasping things. The turkey vulture has a thin, hooked beak and it takes them some time to tear apart and breakdown a carcass. Lastly, they don’t have a voice box, which means you will never hear them screeching from above like our hawks and owls. You’ll only see its quiet shadow in the sky above.
Turkey vulture breeding season begins in March and continues into June. It takes 38 to 41 days for two eggs to hatch; the chicks are ready to fly after 70 to 80 days. However, the young lads and lasses I spotted that day hadn’t been out of the nest very long because turkey vultures don’t leave their family units until the fall—after they’ve mastered the skill of thermal riding and locating food.

There isn’t much Fred Emerson doesn’t know about birds, plants, geology, and natural history. A popular local naturalist, Emerson’s entertaining birdwatching hikes attract an enthusiastic following.

There are 27 binoculared people walking along a path—chattering, rattling and clattering—seemingly sure to scare the locals. Suddenly, as if on cue, a pair of small creatures takes wing from a nearby live oak and fly toward the people, landing nearly at the feet of the crowd and striking a pose.
About five inches long, they are pale gray birds with black faces and bright yellow highlights in the breast, wings, and rump. Witness, please, a pair of seldom-seen Lawrenceʼs goldfinches, materializing as if on the payroll.
“Seeing them really gets the heart rate up,” says one of the group, long-time birder Jeff Hanson. “Thatʼs quite a rare bird, only found in a few places in Santa Barbara County.”
All in a morningʼs work when in the company of the Birdman of Santa Ynez Valley, aka Dr. Fred Emerson.
It is a sunny Saturday and Fred is leading his flock on a two-mile bird-watching hike sponsored by the Wildling Art Museum.
They travel up a sandy track called Hog Canyon, part of the 600-acre Rancho San Carlos de Jonata off Ballard Canyon Road. The oak-laden land is owned by Erik Gregersen, whose grandfather Jens and two others bought 8,882 acres of land in 1911 for the Danish American Colony community and founded Solvang. The grounds havenʼt changed much and Gregersen and the resident birds seem to like it that way.
In addition to the Lawrenceʼs goldfinches, the group will see a phainopepla—an eight-inch glossy black bird with a ragged crest and red eyes—plus black-and-rust-colored spotted towhees, California towhees, black phoebes, a dark-eyed junco, lark sparrows, red-tailed hawks, turkey vultures, western scrub jays, house finches, violet-green swallows, and acorn woodpeckers. Several others, such as the northern flicker and a Bewickʼs wren, will be heard if not seen. All this is noted, reported, and shared during a three-hour jaunt through the oaks with Fred effortlessly doing riffs on all things birds.
His formula is simple: “Go to habitats attractive to birds, areas supplying food, water, and cover.”
To these ends his trips include parks like Cachuma Lake, Nojoqui Falls, and Lake Los Carneros; the bulrushes along the Santa Ynez River; Los Olivos to see the Central Coastʼs unique yellow-billed magpies; and onto various private lands.
“He is extensively knowledgable and very engaging,” says Ingrid Olsson, a Goleta resident who has been on five Emerson-led expeditions.
“And when you sign up with his trips, you often get into out-of-the-way places no one else does.”
During lulls when the birds may be backstage or not cooperating, Fred will do commentary on the plants, natural history, geology, and human history. On this day, he even worked in King Johnʼs signing of the Magna Carta in 1215, which set the stage for public ownership of wildlife. Until then it had been exclusively a royal privilege.
While walking, his group was introduced to a rare Palmerʼs oak, a shrub-like oak that has nearly vanished in nature, known to exist in only three locations in Santa Barbara County. One of his themes is that everything is connected.
“To talk about wildlife is to talk about nearly everything else too,” he wrote in a report from 1968. Rare bird, plant, or just the usual suspects, his goal is to inspire concern for the environment while giving his parties “a pleasant experience in the out of doors.”
Sponsoring groups include the Wildling Museum, UCSB Sedgwick Reserve, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Santa Barbara Botanical Garden, and Santa Barbara City College Adult Education. Prices are generally $15 for a single trip, and more for several weeks of classes.
Fred, who lives in Solvang, grew up in Wellsville, New York. The mother of his best friend in high school was an ornithologist trained at Cornell University, and it was through this association that he got his first taste of birding. He set out to learn all he could. After earning a biology degree from Alfred University, Fred got a PhD in wildlife biology from Cornell—where he met wife, Nancy.
After a postdoctoral fellowship in marine biology at the University of Miami, he worked for several years in wildlife management in the southeast for the Tennessee Valley Authority. In mid-career, intrigued by by what he calls “the interface of ecology and public health,” Fred decided to become a physician and got a degree in medicine from Vanderbilt University, then completed an internal medicine residency at the University of Colorado.
He spent the next 20 years teaching and practicing emergency medicine in Denver and Santa Barbara. He moved to Solvang 11 years ago, partly for the beauty and partly for its proximity to the UCSB Sedgwick Reserve.
He combines professional work and volunteering to share his love of birding and natural history. “You donʼt want to destroy a good hobby by working too much,” he says.
His non-feathered fans keep coming back for more. Birder Hanson has been on one hundred Emerson trips!
“He has inspired me many times over,” he said. “There are a lot of smart people out there, but how it is delivered is what makes Fred so special. He is a true teacher.”
Does the teacher have a favorite bird? He squirms, first saying he likes them all. But when pressed, he admits a fondness for the sora, a rail that hangs out in local freshwater marshes. “It reminds me of home and of those days when we were first birding,” he said, his eyes elsewhere.
There are 914 species of birds in North America and Fred says there are 486 to be found in our area. To him they are indicators of the whole world around us.
“When the California towhee stops showing up in your yard, it is long past time to be concerned about what is happening in our environment,” said the birdman.

Dr. Haws explains how plaque forms on teeth to his daughter Tessa (8) and son Keller (10).

Business Profile
Buellton dentist Adam Haws, DDS, recalls watching his father, Karl, working at his dental practice in Santa Barbara. “He always came home happy. In fact, after 55 years he still practices two days a week. I don’t think he’ll ever retire,” says Haws. Voted the “Best Dentist in the Santa Ynez Valley” in 2009, 2010, and 2011, Haws seems on track to achieve similar career satisfaction.
After working as an associate dentist for two other fine Valley dentists, Ken Nash, DDS, and Art Kaslow, DDS, Haws opened his own practice in 2008.
“I knew Buellton needed a community-oriented dental practice, and I wanted to offer the best technology to my patients and make them comfortable during the experience,” Haws said.
Located in the new Vintage Walk development on the Avenue of the Flags in Buellton, the entire office is paperless. Even arriving patients sign in on a computer; all records and x-rays are computerized and can be viewed in any room.
The practice, which accepts most insurance plans, has recently purchased adjoining office space. In addition to offering a full range of family dentistry services, including Invisalign clear braces and teeth whitening, patient services will now expand to include a panoramic x-ray with 3D capabilities. Patients can even ease anxiety by watching a movie while dental work is being done!
“My wife, Camene, and I have always had a vision for our office that includes but also goes beyond using the latest dental technology. We strive to put all patients on a path toward a lifetime of oral health and, in particular, we want to ensure that the children within the community receive appropriate and adequate dental care. This is important to us,” he says.
“Paying it forward,” Haws provides elementary school dental screenings and education as well as free kindergarten dental health screenings.
“I look for any abnormalities such as abscesses, cavities, or infections. I also look for malocclusions, which are cross bites or where the jaw is not in proper relationship. This can keep kids from chewing properly and can cause headaches,” Haws said.
He also created “The Santa Ynez Valley Dental Makeover Program,” a free contest that chooses two applicants a year and “helps them get their smiles back.”
Susie Durbiano won a dental makeover and says she once again has the smile she had in her high school yearbook. A secretary at Solvang Elementary School, Durbiano says, “Smiling is a big part of my life. Now I can meet and greet the children with a big smile and not feel bad. This has made such an impact on my life!”
“I don’t ask for anything except to take a before and after picture,” Haws says.
Adam Haws was born and raised in Santa Barbara. Spending two years in Japan as a Mormon missionary gave him a global awareness (“I am even fluent in Japanese,” he says), but after studying international business in college, he decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and returned to Santa Barbara to complete his dental degree.
He and Camene, originally from Ogden, Utah, have four young children: Keller (10), Tessa (8), Cooper (4), and Ainsley (17 months).
Camene says, “I love living in the Valley because it’s so family oriented. It’s a great place to raise our children. There are so many other families here with the same values that I don’t have to worry about our kids.” Their family life undoubtedly explains their dedication to the dental health of the Valley’s school children.
“To us, dentistry is more than just treating teeth. It’s about making people smile!”

INFO: For more information, contact the office at 688-9546 or log onto www.adamhawsdds.com.   Dr. Haws Family Dentistry is located at 593 Avenue of The Flags, Suite 101, Buellton.

In addition to their careers and raising their children, Richard and June Christensen have devoted their lives to bettering life in the Santa Ynez Valley in many, many ways.

COVER STORY  Richard and June Christensen

The lucky individuals who live in the Santa Ynez Valley share a profound kinship with the land and a strong bond with their community. From the Danes who founded Solvang in 1911 to locals helping a neighbor in need, the people of the Valley have always taken care of each other.
Dick and June Christensen, area residents for more than fifty years, believe that good citizenship requires participation, a credo that has guided their lives. Founders of the Solvang-based accounting firm Christensen & Drake LLP and longtime community volunteers, the couple has been instrumental in improving local schools, medical care, and judicial efficiency, as well as preserving the region’s rich history.
June has lent her expertise to causes as varied as the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Child Support, Domestic Violence Program for Santa Barbara County, Friends of Hearst Castle, and Solvang Lutheran Home. She was also Mayor of Solvang.
In 1984, the California Farm Bureau voted her Person of the Year, and in 2009 the Santa Ynez Valley News and Santa Ynez Valley Foundation named her Woman of the Year. In June’s home office, thank-you certificates and commemorative plaques blanketing the walls testify to her energy and involvement.
Over the years, Dick built their business into one of the largest accounting firms in the Tri-county area, all while vigorously engaged in community life. He has sat on the boards of the Solvang School District, People Helping People, Dunn School, and Friends of the Library, among others.
“There’s a pureness to this Valley,” Dick says, “that makes people very generous. Almost everybody we know contributes in their own way. Some with money, some with work, intellect, or good feelings.
“It’s part of what this Valley is all about,” he adds, “and it’s an amazing thing.”
June lays credit for this collective participation at the feet of the region’s Danish settlers, who came from a tradition of inheritance that often left all but the eldest child fending for themselves.
“I think they knew that you need to make your own way,” she says, stroking MacGregor, the couple’s black Labrador/bull mastiff mix, “and when you’ve got something good, you take care of it.”
To honor the legacy of those settlers, Dick Christensen partnered with Martha Brandt-Erichsen, an artist who came to Solvang in 1946 with her husband, a Danish sculptor. Together they created the Elverhoj Museum, and in 1988, five years after Martha’s death, the Danish-style home she and her husband lovingly built was dedicated as a showplace for Solvang’s Danish culture and history.
“Of all the things I have done, I’m most proud of the Elverhoj,” declares Dick. “Martha was a dear friend and I used to stop and have a little schnapps with her. One evening we talked about how good the Valley had been to us and the concept of giving back. I thought, ‘let’s make a museum’ and she loved the idea!”
Putting his accounting skills to work, Dick helped set up a legal framework to ensure the future of the museum.
“The Elverjoy is a cultural treasure,” Dick says, “and a lot of people worked hard to contribute to its success. It’s financially secure, has an active board, and it’s got a marvelous collection and great art exhibits, which June helped organize.”
June, who moved to the Valley as a high school freshman in 1951 when her father began felling trees for the Bradbury Dam project, quickly developed an affinity for local history. During one of her first jobs, a stint at the Santa Ynez Valley News, she helped create a special edition for Santa Inés Mission’s 150th anniversary.
“I’ve always been a history buff,” June explains, the dark ruffles of her blouse and fair, chin-length hair framing her face, “so they had me interview the old-timers and write their stories. I learned the history of each business to include in the ads, and I did features about homes in the Valley.”
In 1961, this immersion in Valley lore led the Christensens to join with fellow preservationists to set up the Santa Ynez Valley Historical Society and Museum. They chose the old Bum Steer Restaurant in Santa Ynez for the site of the museum.
“The group got the money together to buy it,” Dick remembers. “We got an attorney to draw up the corporation papers, and I got the charitable status work done. Again, it was just a lot of people coming together.”
Having arrived in Solvang in 1942, Dick witnessed some of the colorful history that informs the character of the Valley. Among his favorite figures of yore is Charlie the Chinaman, who operated a shoe repair business in an alley off First Street.
Dick’s father, a Danish immigrant who learned the cobbler’s trade while recovering from a tubercular kidney, was unable to return to his damp job at Knudsen’s Creamery and so went to work for Charlie.
“The shop was on skids,” Dick remembers, “no foundation, so you could pull it around. Charlie was a neat guy. He would go to the river and catch big turtles and make soup. It stunk up the place, but it tasted good.”
Dick’s father bought Charlie’s business in 1946, brought in new inventory, and the beloved Solvang Shoe Store was born. The two men remained friends, even after Charlie moved to Sacramento and promptly purchased an entire city block.
“The way Charlie made all his money,” Dick reveals, his eyes twinkling behind wire frame glasses, “was gambling. He was a big card player. This isn’t written up much, but in Solvang was a little eating/drinking place with a billiard room in back. Behind a curtain was the card room.
“Solvang was a gambling center,” he declares. “All the gamblers came through. They’d go to Oxnard, Solvang, Guadalupe, Pismo, right up the coast.
“That’s how my grandfather made his living, too,” he adds. “He worked on a few farms, did a few things, but he was a gambler.”

An early Santa Barbara County map in the Christensen reading room. A 1969 photo of three well-known local Alisal Ranch cowboys reads “to Dick Christensen, our favorite bookkeeper”.

As a child, Dick did his share of farm chores, including milking cows, delivering milk, and even raising pigs in a willow patch on Alisal Road for college money. After helping to deliver a calf that sent him sprawling in a puddle of muck, he decided to forgo farming.
In fair weather he’d fish in the river and on snow days, make a beeline for the nearby mountains. Nearly everyone in town drove a pick-up truck, and wealth was measured by grain storage and cattle herds.
“Growing up here, wow, was I fortunate,” Dick marvels. “I spent a lot of time in the river, learned to swim there, drank my first beer there. It was famous because of the steelhead that ran here. We never had fishing licenses, no one could afford them.”
Local children built makeshift rafts to see how far down the river they could go without hitting a tangle of barbed wire. Equally daring were the young couples, among them Dick and June, who rendezvoused beside the swirling water.
“There were some boy-girl dates that went on down there,” Dick admits with a grin. “There was a red bridge that went over the river and to kiss a girl under that bridge was pretty special.
“The Valley was a safe place,” he adds. “If you got in trouble the police would take care of you. Or take you home.”
Dick learned the cobbler’s trade in his parents’ shoe store and remains proud of the scars on his hands. As a young man, however, he focused on numbers – not shoes – and with June and him both working seven days a week, attended college and became a Certified Public Accountant.
“I’m really pleased I became a CPA,” Dick says, “because I had a wonderful career and got to do lots of fun stuff. I had clients who were big tomato ranchers, hay operators, cattle ranchers, and who had Arabian horses. Each industry that came along, I got to be involved in.”
Beyond the work, Dick treasures the friendships he formed with his clients, many of whom he regards as family. He recently consulted with the grandson of his first client, who was calling, in part, on behalf of the client’s great granddaughter, forging another link in the Valley network.
“One of the things I believe has made it possible for us to do some of the things we’ve done,” Dick says, “is we’ve had wonderful mentors.”
June adds, “If it wasn’t for Arden and Flossie Jensen, I don’t think Dick would have made it through college,” referring to the future superior court judge and his wife. The Solvang couple employed both Christensens during Dick’s school years and always sent them home with baskets of food.
“The greatest reward of being in business,” Dick remarks, “is when you can touch somebody’s life and make a difference through this mentoring process. And I’ve gotten to do that several times.”
Dick reveals that he and June agreed to tell their story because “it’s really not about us, it’s about our community and our two children, David and Diane. It’s about telling our grandchildren what our heritage is all about.”
Musing about life and his longtime home, Dick adds, “I’ve concluded that the Valley is a sanctuary. People gravitate towards it, and those who stay here take care of it.”
June’s theory about the magic of the Valley and the character of its people reflects the no-nonsense nature of her Finnish-Swedish heritage.
“Everyday I see people I’ve known all my life,” she says, her blue eyes alight in the afternoon glow. “It’s really special.
“Seeing some of these people,” she adds, “you get to relive and rethink your whole life. Living in the Valley keeps you humble.

The wine wall offers customers the opportunity to sample any of the wines made at adjoining Terravant Wine Company.

Business Profile

At the end of Industrial Way in Buellton lies a restaurant that is, well, not the least bit industrial. Connected—quite literally—to Terravant Wine Company, Avant Tapas and Wine is more aptly described as a gastronomical work of art that pays homage to all the homegrown food and drink the Santa Ynez Valley has to offer.
According to Joe Padilla, who oversees operations at Avant, the restaurant was created to showcase the wines that are produced in Terravant.
“The winemakers were asking about tasting options,” Padilla explained. “The nature of a custom-crush facility like ours is that it’s all small wineries that are making wines here. A lot of them don’t—and won’t—have space for tasting rooms of their own.”
From that seed of an idea, Avant grew into what it is today. Upstairs, it is a restaurant attached to a winery; downstairs, it is a wine shop.
“In our wines by the glass in the restaurant, I support any of our customers, whether they’re a custom-crush client, do their bottling here, or use our labs or warehouse with us,” Padilla said. “They just have to have some relationship to Terravant in order to make it on the wine wall.”
In the wine shop, Padilla supports any local winery. Terravant is a member of the Santa Rita Hills Winegrowing Alliance and every other month invites other wineries from the alliance to do wine tastings at Avant.
“When we do one of those events, I buy a case of whatever wine is being poured upstairs, and it’s available for sale. And that’s how the wine shop gets developed, and why there’s a huge Santa Rita representation,” he noted.
Avant Tapas & Wine opened in the fall of 2009, and while it hasn’t changed much aesthetically—the windows on one side still look out onto Terravant’s facility and on the other offer sweeping views of the Santa Ynez Mountains—the menu is nothing akin to what it was then.
Originally, all the food was catered; now however, with the arrival of chef Brooke Stockwell—who, along with Padilla came on board in January—the menu features dishes prepared fresh in Avant’s kitchen with ingredients that travel only within Santa Barbara County.
“Ninety-five percent, if not more, of our produce is grown locally,” Padilla said. “All our beef, lamb, and pork come from within 20 miles of us. We get spot prawns and fresh fish out of Santa Barbara. Our chickens are local, and we now have a source where we’ll be getting local duck.”
In determining the menu, choosing wines, and even bringing in artists to paint murals on the chalkboard wall, Padilla seeks to showcase everything the Central Coast has to offer. “Everything we do is with the goal of being local-centric,” he said. “That’s the mantra we follow.”
Localization also plays into Avant’s special events and even the nonprofit organizations the restaurant chooses to support. Padilla works with People Helping People and PCPA Theater, among others. He also supports the local farmers’ market by having a different farmer come in on the first and third Thursday of every month and working that evening’s menu around the produce they bring. “And we have a wine paired with the food,” he said. “We try to do something different, so it’s more about an entire food experience coming here than it is just drinking wine.”
Avant is different from traditional California tasting rooms, and that’s no accident, according to Padilla. At Avant, visitors taste and drink wines in virtually the same place they are made. “It’s interesting to be able to take people outside and show them exactly where the wine was made. And they’re sitting in the mountains where the grapes are grown. And that doesn’t happen in many places.”
“We provide a unique experience,” Padilla noted. “There’s nothing like us on the Central Coast, from San Francisco to Santa Barbara.

INFO: Avant Tapas and Wine is located at 35 Industrial Way, Buellton, and is open Thurs-Sun 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Fri-Sat 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Live music Fri-Sat nights 6-9 p.m. For information, call 805-686-4742 or log on to avantwines.com

Patient education is important to Dr. King. Here, using a 3-D model of the eye, he explains the process of cataract surgery. Connie Cody Photo.

Not everyone is fortunate to know his or her career path at the ripe old age of 17. But when Doug King put on his first pair of eye glasses, looked out the window, and discovered he could see individual leaves on the trees outside, he decided then and there that he wanted to bring the same experience to others.
“I didn’t even know I had a problem,” King recalled. “But when I put them on and could see so clearly, it was a huge moment. It impacted me tremendously.”
Now King and his wife, Kristin, own Family Eye Care, a full-service optometry office in Solvang. Doug King is the doctor of optometry, and Kristin King manages the front office.
King has been in practice for over 10 years, providing services that include eye exams, eyeglasses, and contact lens fittings. He also has expertise in managing and treating glaucoma, macular degeneration, and other eye conditions.
King, who grew up in Goleta, got his training at the Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, Tennessee. He honed his skills as an optometrist in the Navy, having been stationed at the New London Submarine Base Hospital in Groton, Connecticut. After a three-year stint with the military, he opened a private practice a short distance away, in Old Saybrook.
“Going through the Navy was a great experience for me because I had the opportunity to work with other ophthalmologists and optometrists,” he said. “I learned a lot working there. In the military, there’s a diverse population, so you see a lot of different things.”
In addition to his regular practice, King also has served as an adjunct clinical instructor at the New England College of Optometry.
While King and his wife enjoyed their time in Connecticut, they had a hankering to return to the west coast. “I have extended family here, and my wife has family here. We wanted to be close to them,” he said. His grandparents, he noted, had lived in the Valley at one time and he often came up from Goleta to visit them.
“We always wanted to come back to the Santa Barbara area, and when the opportunity presented itself, we jumped at it.”
That opportunity came last year Robert France, O.D., decided he was ready to retire, and King bought his practice. “We actually like the Santa Ynez Valley more than Goleta,” King said. “It’s a little slower-paced, and people tend to know each other. We’re quickly seeing people we recognize around town and saying hello, and we really like that.” He added that the schools have done a great job assimilating the King children—ages 16, 12, and 9—into local schools.
Since starting to practice in the Valley, King has mostly been doing eye exams, but also treating ocular disease. “We see a lot of corneal abrasions, scrapes on the eye,” he noted. “We’re also detecting a lot of glaucoma. Really, there’s a little bit of everything.”
King has added some new equipment to the practice, including an autorefractor, which provides an objective measurement of a patient’s refractive error by measuring how light is changed as it enters his or her eyes, and an retinal scanner that allows him to study the unique patterns of a patient’s retina.
Among the contemporary brands and styles in the Family Eye Care showroom are Cover Girl, Cole Haan, Pro Design, Izod, Lightec, Ellen Tracy, Dana Buchman, Ray-Ban, Tommy Bahama, Ocean Pacific, BCBG Max Azaria, and Jessica McClintock.
King treats patients of all ages, from babies to adults, and eye exams are as much about evaluating eye health as they are about checking vision. “A lot of the practice is education. After an exam I sit down and tell people what’s going on with their eyes and how to achieve the best vision possible,” King said.

INFO: Family Eye Care Optometry Center and Dr. Doug King, O.D. may be reached at 805.688.6612. They are  located at 2030 Viborg Road, Ste. They are located at 2030 Viborg Road, Ste.105, Solvang

Besides making your pet miserable with itching and scratching, fleas and ticks can cause health problems.

Flea and tick season is upon us! These tiny little creatures Mother Nature created can cause a tremendous amount of problems for both our pets and the people that live with them. In today’s society dogs and cats are members of the family and reside closely with us in our homes, sometimes even as close as in our beds.
One little bite can lead to hundreds and then a whole world of trouble. Fleas and ticks can carry many infectious diseases and parasites of their own. These can include bacterial infections, allergies and even the transmission of tapeworms and roundworms. These not only will affect our pets but potentially our families as well.
Prevention is the key to stopping these unwanted pests. There are many methods to eliminating these tiny parasites. The most effective and affordable methods are topical flea and tick treatments. These are normally applied every three to four weeks on a regular basis, depending on the pet and the environment they reside in.
As beautiful as the Santa Ynez Valley is for us and our four- legged companions, so is it for these tiny trouble makers. Our Valley is the perfect natural environment for fleas and ticks. Warm sunny days, a dry heat, and the occasional damp evening make for a great home for some of Mother Nature’s greatest parasites. Be sure to keep up with your flea and tick treatments.
Happy pets and happy hunting in the 2011 flea and tick season!