16 H Santa Ynez Valley Star H www.santaynezvalleystar.com H May 15-June 4, 2018
County offers help with composting, recycling Staff Report
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he Santa Barbara County Public Works Department is urging local residents to save money and improve the environment by taking advantage of programs for composting and green-waste recycling. The county’s Backyard Composting Program offers free workshops in cooperation with Solvang, Santa Barbara and Goleta to teach people how to turn their food scraps into fertilizer. “Food scraps and yard waste in the landfill is one of our largest generators of methane gas. When you compost leftover food scraps and plant materials in your own backyard, you divert organics from landfills and create a nutrient-rich soil amendment that is great for your garden,” Compost Program Specialist Sam Dickinson said. Dates of upcoming workshops are available at www.LessIsMore.org/Workshops. The county also sells composting bins at wholesale prices at the Santa Ynez Valley Recycling and Transfer Station, 4004 Foxen Canyon Road in Los Olivos; the South Coast Recycling and Transfer Station at 4430 Calle Real in Santa Barbara; and the North County Public Works Building at 620 W. Foster Road in Orcutt. When residents use green-waste bins that
RD File The county’s Backyard Composting Program offers free workshops to teach people how to turn their food scraps into fertilizer.
are picked up at the curb, they “help complete the organics loop,” county officials said. The loop continues when the material are is and chipped into mulch, which is then distributed to local residents and farmers. Residents can get “load your own” mulch for free at the Santa Ynez and South Coast recycling and transfer stations. “The main benefit of mulching is water conservation and nutrient input. Returning this mulch to the soil completes the organics loop, with many positive impacts for any garden,” Mulch Program Coordinator Joey Costa said. For details, visit www.LessIsMore.org/ Mulch or call 805-681-4981 on the South Coast or 805-686-5084 in the North County. For more information about the Backyard Composting Program, visit www.LessIs More.org/Compost or call 805-882-3618.
Photo contributed Chief René Martinez, third from left, receives $82,000 in funding for this year’s charitable work from the Vikings Endowment Committee.
Vikings buy van, donate $25,000 this spring Staff report
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pring has been a busy season for the Vikings of Solvang, who held a record-setting blood drive and donated nearly $25,000 to help qualified residents and nonprofit organizations meet medically related needs in Santa Barbara County. A major donation was $17,000 for the Buellton Senior Center to buy a van that was urgently needed to drive its members to medical appointments. The club also set a Vikings record in March with a blood drive that collected
123 units of blood with the help of United Blood Services. The Vikings have hosted two blood drives per year for decades. The group’s philanthropy is made possible by interest from its endowment fund, which this year generated $82,000 for charitable work. The fund has been created over the years by donations from individual Vikings and members of the community, and it is invested and managed by Viking volunteers. In March, 17 Vikings created and served a Danish feast, led by Bent Olsen and Ron VIKINGS CONTINUED ON PAGE 25
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An Evening of Wine, Food & Music at the Pence Vineyards & Winery 1909 West Hwy 246, Buellton, California 93427 Fiesta attire encouraged. Ranch footwear suggested. $125. Member $150. Non-Member RSVP by May 18, 2018 Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum 805.688.7889 www.santaynezmuseum.org