Author: KEYT

Tracy Lehr

VENTURA, Calif. (KEYT) The debate over opening or keeping Main Street closed in Ventura heated up during a marathon meeting on Tuesday night.

Out of nearly 80 speakers, only one public speaker spoke in favor of the city reopening Main Street to cars.

At least 74 urged the city council to vote to keep it open to human beings and the community including Ventura resident and State Assemblymember Steve Bennett.

 “My stance is we should definitely keep it, the potential if we really work is for this to be bringing us to a whole other level,” said Bennett.

People shook their hands in the air as a way of quietly clapping.

The city named the closure, that began during the pandemic Main Street Moves.

There is a giant photo op heart at the heart of it by the intersection of Main and California below city hall.

After a hours of public comments and debate the council voted 6-1 to maintain the street closure and provide feedback on the Draft Vision Plan.

The people who stayed for the duration of the meeting erupted in applause.

Community members also saw renderings for the first time of what the closure could look like.

The RRM Design Group is behind those plans.

Councilmember Jim Duran was the only no vote and walked out after the vote to take a break.

Duran shared concerns about the lawsuits and threat of lawsuits that may take months to play out. He had hoped to see it reopen by November 3.

Deputy Mayor Doug Halter and Councilmember Liz Campos were the first to rave about Main Street Moves and the people who turned out to voice their support.

The Ventura City Council Meeting was moved to the Ventura College Wright Event Center due to construction in their council chambers.

The space allowed more people to watch the meeting.

The issue had been the last item on the council agenda but it was moved up due to the public interest.

Supporters of Main Street Moves took part in a Street Fair on Sunday and urged people to attend.

Happy Place Eatery provided plenty of pizza outside on the lawn where the overflow watched the meeting on a laptop.

Ventura is facing lawsuits over the closure from two groups including one called Open Main Street.

They want to be compensated for losses that they believe are linked to the closure.

Other business owners told the council they benefit from the closure.

Aaron Duncan, who owns Fluid State on the corner of Fir and Main, said business has been booming.

“And we have seen the influence of Main Street Moves has had on our business, our business is up considerably since 2019.”

Sky Sunner, who owns Happy Place Eatery got emotional each time he spoke about the closure.

“I have a business right down on Main Street called Happy Place Eatery and we are in full support of Main Street Moves of what is has done to our community as a local I love it, as a family man I love it, my son loves it wife loves it,” said Sunner.

He said it makes everyone in his family happy and customers happy.

Some people believe the debate pits businesses owners against property owners who consider land more valuable when located on open streets.

But Mark Hartley, who has invested and improved a number of properties downtown for decades seemed to have a change of heart.

“They are gathering together and they are making a statement and so I am really hoping that the city, if they will keep this closed, will put in the investment to make it better, make it safe, make it more beautiful,” said Hartley.

It could be like the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, Colorado.

A number of speakers mentioned similarities to Santa Barbara’s closure that is now permanent.

They recommended the city follow Santa Barbara’s plan when it comes to providing ways for people who need better access to get around.

Unlike Santa Barbara, the six blocks of Main Street Moves do not allow members of the public to ride bikes through the area.

Councilmembers asked the staff to continue to help the Majestic Ventura Theater’s with parking because the closure barricades block the concert venue’s ten space lot.

The staff also told the council that a new Oak Street parking structure will provide 391 spots.

The council directed staff to wait on requiring new and improved parklets until the lawsuit are resolved.

For more information visit https://cityofventura.ca.gov

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Tracy Lehr

OXNARD, Calif. (KEYT) – Oxnard firefighters came to the rescue when a broken fire hydrant created a geyser.

It happened late Tuesday morning on Harbor Boulevard near The Colony neighborhood and Costa De Oro.

People working and living nearby could see the water shooting up into the air.

It had just started flooding the street when an engine from Oxnard Fire Station 6 arrived.

Firefighers quickly used a giant hydrant wrench to stop the hydrant water from flowing.

It is not clear how the hydrant got knocked into the street.

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Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT). – Santa Barbara High School was well represented in the newest inductees into the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table Hall of Fame.

Four of the seven individuals receiving this high honor are Santa Barbara High School graduates.

Amber Melgoza: Basketball, Santa Barbara High School Class of 2016, University of Washington, Professional basketball in Europe.

Dons career scoring leader with more than 2,700 points. She led the Dons to a CIF-SS 3AA title. First Team All-Pac 12 at Washington and left school as 8th leading scorer in program history with over 1,700 points. Melgoza has played professionally in Italy, France, Spain and Malta.

Mike Fryer: Football, Santa Barbara High School Class of 1970, SBCC, UCLA. All-Channel League defensive back for the Dons. Still holds single-season record at SBCC for interceptions with 11 in 1971. Starting punter for UCLA in 1973.

Mark Basham: Tennis, Santa Barbara High School Class of 1981, UCLA, professional tennis player. CIF-SS doubles champion in 1979, won National Amateur singles title in 1981. Played on two national championship teams at UCLA (1982, 1984).All-American in 1984 singles and doubles.

He went on to be the head coach for Westmont College men’s tennis for 14 years and was the conference coach of the year four times.

Bill Oliphant, Baseball coach, Santa Barbara High School Class of 1964. He coached Dons baseball from 1985-2017 at the junior varsity and frosh levels. Freshman field at Santa Barbara Junior High is named ‘Oliphant Field’ since 2014.

Oliphant also officiated football, basketball and baseball from 1976-2006 as a member of the Channel Coast Officials Association.

Two inductees are Bishop Diego High School graduates and the other one is from Carpinteria High School.

Michelle Romero, Soccer, Bishop Diego High School Class of 1996, Westmont College. She was a two-time SB Athletic Round Table Girls Soccer Player of the Year. Member of the Westmont NAIA National Championship team in 1999.

Mark Patton, Writer Santa Barbara News-Press, Noozhawk, Bishop Diego High School Class of 1972, SBCC, USC. Followed in his dad’s(Phil Patton) footsteps and wrote sports for 45 years at the SBNP where he was the sports editor from 1994-2003. Currently writes weekly columns for Noozhawk.

Larissa Godkin Feramisco, Track & Field, Carpinteria High School Class of 1996, University of Redlands. She was CIF-SS champion in discuss in 1994 and 1996. SB Athletic Round Table Track & Field Athlete of the Year in 1996.

Godkin Feramisco was the 1998 NCAA Division 3 national champion in the hammer throw. She earned All-American honors in the hammer in both 1998 and 1999.

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Dave Alley

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – A newly upgraded Santa Maria Tanker Base is now able to provide an even greater response during times of emergencies.

The tanker base is operated by the U.S. Forest Service and is located on southern edge of the Santa Maria Airport, housed within the Central Coast Jet Center.

The base serves as an important station for firefighting aerial operations for incidents that take place, not just on the Central Coast or the around California, but throughout the Western United States.

On Tuesday, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to celebrate the opening of a brand new operations center.

Relocated from the first floor of the building to the second floor, the new center will improve overall operations at the base.

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Andrew Gillies

WASHINGTON D.C. (KEYT) – On Tuesday, members of California’s congressional delegation submitted a letter to the Secretary of the Interior and Principal Deputy Director of the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement regarding its claims about restarting oil production in Santa Barbara County.

Congressional members specifically asked what role the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) played in promoting potentially misleading statements from Sable Offshore or unreleased information regarding the restart of oil production at the Santa Ynez Unit.

In May of this year, Sable Offshore publicly stated that it had restarted oil production at six wells on Platform Harmony which lies off the Santa Barbara coastline and intended to resume the sale of oil by July of 2025.

The announcement came almost exactly ten years after the 2015 Refugion Oil Spill from a ruptured pipeline still being used for transportation of crude oil from offshore platforms which impacted 150 miles of California coastline and destroyed thousands of acres of shoreline habitats.

“SOC [Sable Offshore] is proud to have safely and responsibly achieved first production at the Santa Ynez Unit,” stated Jim Flores, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sable Offshore in May. “The impressive well tests from Platform Harmony confirm the prolific nature of the Santa Ynez Unit reservoir after being dormant for ten years. SOC is excited about our development plan and prospects for the future. This milestone achievement is a result of a tremendous amount of effort from all of Sable’s employees, contractors, Board of Directors, stakeholders, and suppliers. We are very grateful for the cooperation and partnership from our local community and regulatory bodies as we seek to provide energy security to the State of California.”

Platform Harmony courtesy of the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.

In response, the California State Lands Commission warned the Houston-based company that its claims may have violated state regulations as well as the language found within the Commission’s leases with Sable Offshore.

“Sable was required to communicate with [California State Lands] Commission staff before initiating any oil flow through the offshore pipeline, even in this limited capacity,” noted the May 23 letter. “Any attempt to restart commercial operations at the SYU without final regulatory approvals may place the company in violation of its lease terms and jeopardize the status of Sable’s holdover lease.”

According to the state regulatory body, plans to restart production and the results of hydrotesting required by the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement were not relayed to the State Lands Commission, a requirement within leases 7163 and 4977 and something the Commission warned Sable Offshore about in a letter on May 9, just days before Sable’s announcement about restarting oil production at Platform Harmony.

“Before resuming oil pipeline operations, Lessee shall conduct oil emulsion pipeline inspections and adhere to reporting requirements, as described below,” stated Amended State Lands Commission Lease number 7163. “All inspections must strictly comply with the regulatory and industry best practices in place at the time of inspection, to facilitate a reliable assessment of the structural integrity of the pipeline and ensure compliance with prevailing environmental safety standards. Fulfilling each requirement is a mandatory prerequisite for restarting operations, as is Lessor’s receipt and approval of all testing results.”

Despite those warnings, on July 25, the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement issued a statement celebrating the restart of oil production stating, “This is a significant achievement for the Interior Department and aligns with the Administration’s Energy Dominance initiative, as it successfully resumed production in just five months. With production now underway at Sable’s Platform Harmony, the Interior’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) continues to work with Sable to bring additional production online. Preproduction inspections for Platform Heritage are set to begin soon and will mark the second SYU platform to come online, targeting an October 2025 timeframe.”

“BSEE’s statements are confusing at best and deceptive at worst,” noted Tuesday’s letter from congressional leaders. “It is unclear whether the Trump administration bought into the company’s inaccurate statements or whether BSEE’s July 25 statement references different information entirely. BSEE’s July 25 statement also calls into question whether the Bureau had received accurate information from the company when the Bureau decided to issue 10 approvals for well modification permits for Sable in July.”

California Lt. Governor Kounalakis, who chairs the Commission concluded the May 23 letter warning, “The willful disregard for the directives of regulatory agencies does not engender trust or confidence in Sable’s willingness to serve as a responsible partner, and could weigh significantly into considerations on the future assignment of the SYU leases from Exxon to Sable…no new offshore oil and gas pipeline leases will be considered, including leases 7163 and 4997, which will expire on January 31, 2029 and December 31, 2028, respectively.”

According to Tuesday’s letter, Sable Offshore is facing class action lawsuits alleging that it had mislead investors in its May announcement about restarting production as well as various lawsuits alleging violations of the California Coastal Act that are still working their way through the courts system.

“Sable has consistently ignored California law, as confirmed by the court’s decision today [May, 28, 2025] to halt work on this aging oil pipeline in Santa Barbara,” said a spokesperson on behalf of the California Coastal Commission. “This fly-by-night oil company has repeatedly abused the public’s trust, racking up millions of dollars in fines and causing environmental damage along the treasured Gaviota Coast.”

In February of 2024, ExxonMobil sold existing infrastructure to produce oil in Santa Barbara County which included 114 wells, three offshore platforms, and an onshore oil and gas processing facility at Las Flores Canyon collectively called the Santa Ynez Unit to Sable Offshore.

The image below, from an informational slide in an investor presentation by Sable Offshore courtesy of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, shows all of the assets purchased by the Houston-based company from ExxonMobil in February of 2024, collectively referred to as the Santa Ynez Unit.

Tuesday’s letter concluded with a series of questions including what role the federal regulator played in efforts to restart oil production at the Santa Ynez Unit including the basis for its claims of already underway oil production and if the federal agency encouraged the company to disregard state-based regulators.

“The press release [issued by Sable Offshore on May 19] appears to mischaracterize the nature of recent activities, causing significant public confusion and raising questions regarding Sable’s intentions,” read the State Lands Commission’s letter issued days after the announcement. “[State Lands] Commission staff has informed me [Lt. Governor of California and Chair of the California State Lands Commission Eleni Kounalakis] that the limited volume oil flows are the result of well-testing procedures required by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement prior to restart. These activities do not constitute a resumption of commercial production or a full restart of the SYU [Santa Ynez Unit]. Characterizing testing activities as a restart of operations is not only misleading but also highly inappropriate – particularly given that Sable has not obtained the necessary regulatory approvals to fully resume operations at SYU.”

In response to Your News Channel’s inquiries to the U.S. Department of Interior, Senior Public Affairs Specialist Elizabeth Peace with the Office of Secretary of the Interior shared, “While we do not comment on congressional correspondence through the media, the Department of the Interior takes all correspondence from Congress seriously and carefully reviews each matter.”

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John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – The annual Coastal Cleanup Day – Saturday September 20th – will not only spruce up beaches, but also provide data that is used for legislation in Sacramento.

Volunteers are signing up through groups including Explore Ecology in Santa Barbara.

Cleanup efforts can be done by an individual or with a team.

Jill Cloutier with Explore Ecology said when the items are gathered up, “that gets reported to the state  and is used to shape policy, like the smoking on public beaches ban and the plastic bag ban. ” Plastic bags are no longer on the top ten list. ‘Plastic pieces, cigarette butts,  foam and then take out containers so plastic is very prevalent.”

The area for the Santa Barbara cleanup teams will be from the Rincon to Jalama Beach.

They will also fan out to parks and creeks that have an impact on waterways to the ocean.

Tons of trash is picked up annually. In 2024 Santa Barbara area volunteers came back in with 5,299 pounds of trash and covered 87 miles.

At Leadbetter Beach Tuesday, some members of the public said, they’ve made a commitment to pack out what they pack in or clean up around their area. “We make it a point to take only pictures and leave only foot prints.    I will tell you what I am grateful for all the trash cans, they are  usually emptied and well maintained it makes it easy,” said Jeff Wietes.

It is part of the lifestyle for many people these days. Barry Fay said, “I always recycle stuff. I do all the good Santa Barbara things. I don’t think it has been that much worse, maybe a little, but not terrible it’s way better than other places because Santa Barbara has a way of dealing with things. “.

A UC Santa Barbara environmental sciences student is on board with Explore Ecology and comes here with an environmental focus from her Bay area home. Celeste DeLucchi said, “it’s been awesome  to  be able to  come from a place that cares so much about the environment and come here to a place  that also cares about the environment and makes sure our  oceans are protected and clean. “

You can sign up through Explore Ecology for clean up teams on Coastal Clean Up Day from the Rincon to Jalama Beach. There will also be other active sites throughout the tri counties if that is where you will be Saturday.

Each site will have a coordinator and equipment for your cleanup work. You can also be part of a raffle when you return with your trash haul. At one site a special treasure chest will hidden and have a grand prize inside for the person who finds it.

Santa Barbara County Coastal Cleanup Day is coordinated by Explore Ecology and the County of Santa Barbara Resource Recovery and Waste Management Division, with support from the cities of Santa Barbara, Goleta, and Solvang. 

Explore Ecology says it is an environmental education nonprofit located in Santa Barbara, California. We work with over 35,000 children a year with a focus on Watershed Education, School Gardens, Waste Reduction, and Creative Exploration. 

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Jarrod Zinn

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors formalized their action steps in response to increased immigration enforcement under the Trump administration.

In a 4 to 0 vote at Tuesday’s meeting, with one abstention coming from supervisor Bob Nelson, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors formalized their action plans for protecting immigrant communities.

They added language to county policy to now prohibit face coverings and to require officer identification, budgeted 340 thousand dollars to provide legal and mental help to impacted youth in immigrant communities, and will take legal actions such as joining the ACLU’s lawsuits against ICE.

“It’s one of those difficult items that I’m not sure either side wants to fix,” said supervisor Steve Lavagnino at Tuesday’s meeting. “But I’m glad that we are on the record is pushing for something that makes sense.”

Board chair Laura Capps says federal law enforcement also has not provided any information on who has been detained, their immigration status, or where they are being held.

“We’ve asked ice for a list of those who’ve been detained,” says board chair Laura Capps. “We have not received that list. That seems like basic information that should be provided to another government agency. I invited ICE to speak to our board of Supervisors hearing they’ve ignored me I’ll make another invitation. We stand with our immigrant communities.”

The board agreed to ask the county sheriff to provide presentations about detentions after the fact, simply for more information and transparency.

While supervisor Nelson was in support of many elements of the resolution, he felt there were other elements he could not support as he said they were overpoliticized.

“Under different circumstances I might be able to get there, under these I can’t,” said Nelson at the meeting. “So having things in here that I can support and some things that I can’t support, I’m just going to abstain on this one.”

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Mike Klan

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT). – Elina Stump claimed the Phil Womble Ethics in Sports Award for Santa Barbara High School.

The honor is given out to just one junior at each area high school throughout the year.

Stump is a track and field star for the Dons who carries a 4.78 GPA.

She is also a leader on campus and plays flag football for the Dons.

The Female Athlete of the Week honor goes to San Marcos High School senior volleyball standout Charlotte Hastings.

Hastings led the Royals to a pair of wins including a five-set thriller against rival Santa Barbara where she had 19 kills.

San Marcos senior running back Cole Dominguez is the Male Athlete of the Week.

He rushed for 205 yards with four touchdowns in a 47-41 overtime loss to Buena.

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Dave Alley

ORCUTT, Calif. (KEYT) – A pair of quarterbacks won top honors at today’s Northern Santa Barbara County Athletic Round Table.

During the weekly luncheon at Giavanni’s Pizza in Orcutt, the athlete of the week awards went to Lompoc’s Tara Terrones and Kruz Balbona of Orcutt Academy.

The award was the fourth overall for Terrones in her standout athletic career with the Braves, where she stars in multiple sports.

With her mother Claudia Terrones, who is also the Lompoc athletic director on hand, Terrones claimed the honors after helping lead the Braves to a record of 4-0 at their own Surf and Turf Classic tournament over the weekend.

During the four games, the senior quarterback passed for eight touchdowns and ran for three more.

“It’s an amazing feeling to earn this award,” said Terrones. “I love my team. I know that they all have my back and I have theirs and we work together really well, and everything I do, I do it with a passion, and I try to stay positive as much as I can.”

For Balbona, who is a sophomore, the weekly award he earned on Monday from the Round Table was the first in his young high school career.

On Saturday, Balbona played a big role in the Spartans 62-38 win over Coast Union, throwing for 300 yards and five touchdowns.

The victory was the third for Orcutt Academy this season, keeping their perfect record intact.

“It’s actually pretty important to me,” said Balbona. “It’s my first game starting. So, you know, I think it’s a pretty big achievement for me. I like getting out there. I’m always practicing, always trying to figure out a way that I can improve myself and get better. I also have my parents pushing me, so that just makes it even ten times better.”

Other athletes on hand during the one-hour luncheon included those from football, flag football, cross country and water polo.

The Northern Santa Barbara County Athletic Round Table will meet again next Monday, Sept. 22 at Giavanni’s Pizza,and will include athletes from football, flag football and golf.

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News Channel 3-12

Below is a press release from The Solvang Danish Days Foundation regarding the announcement of the 2025 Danish Grand Marshals, Brenda and Mark Anderson

SOLVANG, Calif. – The Solvang Danish Days Foundation is pleased to announce the 2025 Solvang Danish Days Grand Marshals, Brenda and Mark Anderson. The Andersons will preside over this year’s Danish Days weekend, Friday through Sunday, September 19 through 21.

Solvang Danish Days celebrates 88 returns in 2025, and Brenda Anderson’s family has been involved in the event since its 1936 beginnings, when the first Solvang Danish Days festival emerged in honor of the village’s 25th anniversary.

Brenda and Mark Anderson both have Scandinavian roots. Brenda’s great-grandfather on her grandmother’s side, Niels Peter Nielsen, known to Brenda as “Bedstefar,” was born in Fyn, Denmark. He emigrated to the United States in the late 1890s, settling in Iowa, where he met and married Brenda’s “Bedstemor” (great-grandmother), Marie Kristene Grau, in 1906. Grau’s parents were also from Denmark, as were Brenda’s great-grandparents on her grandfather’s side, who moved to the U.S. from the Jutland region of Denmark.

Grau and Nielsen moved to Askov, Minnesota, where they purchased property to start a farm. Upon their arrival in Askov, Brenda’s Bedstefar noticed there were many mailboxes with the last name “Nielsen,” so they decided to add “Nedegaard” to their surname. Together, the couple raised ten children, six daughters and four sons. All were baptized in Askov, and belonged to the Askov Lutheran Church. It was important to Brenda’s Bedstemor that all of the children learn the Danish language and Danish traditions.

In the late 1920s, seven of the children began migrating to Solvang due to its strong Danish community, all in search of work. Ivo (Martin) Jacobsen, Mabel (Hans) Petersen (Brenda’s grandparents), Irene (Aage) Madsen, Margaret (Sigurd) Lunde, Jack (Arla) Nedegaard, Lucille (Vic) Wulff, and Cora (Leland) Vandecar. Each and every one of them spent years participating in Danish Days, either setting up the festival, baking or serving Aebleskiver.

Once in California, Brenda’s grandmother, Mabel Nedegaard (Petersen), met and married her grandfather, Hans Petersen, in 1935, and together, they ran the local laundromat in “downtown” Solvang – just left of the current novelty shop located at 1604 Copenhagen Drive. In 1936, Brenda’s father, Howard Petersen, was born in Solvang. Howard Petersen graduated from Grand View College and returned to Solvang, where he met and married Brenda’s mother, Linda Petersen, who had moved to Solvang from Luck, Wisconsin, after graduating high school.

Brenda’s father was stationed at Air Force Bases in Fairbanks, Alaska, and Great Falls, Montana, and upon completing his military duties, he returned to Solvang to work as a mechanic until 1962, when he and his wife opened their own (Shell) gas station, formerly located on the corner of Mission Drive and Atterdag Road, where the Fredensborg Square commercial building stands today. Brenda’s father served in Solvang’s Volunteer Fire Department for 13 years before becoming Fire Chief, a title he held for 25 years.

Mark’s parents, Arlin and Lorraine Anderson, met and married in Minot, North Dakota. Mark was the oldest of seven children who were born in North Dakota and moved to Santa Maria, California, in 1964, eventually settling in Los Olivos in 1975. Mark’s Scandinavian roots stretch back to his great-grandparents on both his father’s and mother’s sides, who migrated from Norway.

Brenda’s first Solvang Danish Days experience was at the age of five, when her parents enrolled her in Viggo Tarnow’s gymnastics class. His classes performed every Danish Days on both Saturday and Sunday, and Brenda participated in this until her freshman year of high school. Brenda and her family also folk-danced with the Solvang Danish Family Folk Dancers, led by Andrew and Thora Mae Andersen, from the late 1960s until 1979.

In 1978, Brenda was chosen to be Danish Maid, of which she mused, “It was such an honor, and has turned out to be one of the highlights of my life.”

After high school, Mark, along with his best friend, Glen Jacobsen, started to participate in Danish Days by picking up and delivering the picnic tables that line Copenhagen Drive for the weekend’s Aebleskiver Breakfasts. The duo moved on to co-produce the Danish Days breakfasts for many years, making memories along the sugar-dusted way. Mark continued to help with setting up and breaking down the Breakfast infrastructure, and currently helps in the Breakfasts’ baking area.

Brenda’s and Mark’s sons, Jonathan and Justin, “always looked forward to Danish Days.” The children’s experiences began when they were big enough to put milk on the tables for breakfast, and now they both help with the set-up and tear-down of the festival’s booths, stages, and breakfast equipment. During the Breakfast hours, Jonathan is on quality control and delivery of Aebleskiver from the pans to the distribution tables, while Justin helps with logistics, so supplies and equipment get from one place to another when needed. Brenda’s brother, Kevin Petersen, has spent the last 43 years making sure the event’s bakers and cooks stay hydrated. Her brother-in-law, Peter Bandel, oversees the refrigeration van and delivers products when and where needed.

Brenda’s nieces, Kayla (2021 Danish Maid) and Krystal, help bake, and in recent years her daughter-in-law, Caitlin, and Caitlin’s mother, Susan, have also joined as part of the baking crew.

Brenda added, “It’s been a family tradition and a family holiday we hope continues for many years to come.”

After graduating from Allan Hancock College, Brenda briefly worked for a local CPA firm, then joined her family’s business, Petersen’s Service & Towing, until the business was sold in 2003. She has since been working in property management for RPL Management, based in Buellton.

Mark has recently retired, after working in the construction industry for 40 years. The couple now enjoys camping trips, getting together with family and friends, and watching their grandkids.

Brenda’s and Mark’s sons, Jonathan (wife Caitlin, and children Tatum and Olive), is an Engineer with Santa Barbara County Fire Department, and Justin (wife Maria, and daughter Keira), works for a private family in Montecito.

“It was truly an honor and such a rewarding experience to serve on the Danish Days Foundation Board alongside my father, Howard Petersen, as a founding member, and eventually, as a co-chair with Max Hanberg,” said 2025 Danish Days Grand Marshal, Brenda Anderson. “During my 27 years on the Board, I had the pleasure of assisting in the selection of each of the Danish Maids. This also included arranging for their dresses to be made and taking them around to the local Danish organizations to introduce them, talk about their Danish lineage in Solvang, their duties as Danish Maid, as well as selling ‘Win a Trip to Denmark’ tickets to help support the Foundation.”

Parading through Solvang with the 2025 Danish Days Grand Marshals will be the 2025 Danish Maid, Addie Madrid, the Solvang Village Band atop the Carlsberg Beer Wagon, a bevy of floats, equestrians, Village Dancers and more. The Danish Days Parade line-up starts at 1:30 PM on Saturday, September 20, on First Street near Molle Way. The parade begins by turning east on Copenhagen Drive, then north on Alisal Road, west on Mission Drive, south on Atterdag Road, east on Copenhagen, south on Second Street, and finishes through Molle Way (running behind Solvang Festival Theater) back to First Street. Participation in the Solvang Danish Days Parade is free and Parade applications are available at www.solvangdanishdays.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DDS-Parade-app-2025.pdf.

Brenda continued, “We are forever grateful to have this honor of representing the Foundation as the Grand Marshals for 2025. We realize how important it is to stay committed so that Danish Days continues for many years to come. To the board and all of the hardworking volunteers, a huge THANK YOU! MANGE TAK!”

The preliminary 2025 Solvang Danish Days event weekend schedule is available on-line, at www.solvangdanishdays.org. Aebleskiver Breakfast tickets are available for advance, on-line purchase, here: https://solvang-danish-days-2025.eventbrite.com.

More information about Solvang Danish Days, including the event’s history and complete contact information, is also available at www.solvangdanishdays.org. Solvang Danish Days is on Facebook and Instagram at facebook.com/SolvangDanishDays and @DanishDays.

Solvang Danish Days 2025 is sponsored in part by the City of Solvang, Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, Visit the Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture, County of Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Bowl, Rio Vista Chevrolet, Danish Folk Costumes, Montecito Bank & Trust, Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital, CoastHills Credit Union, Mechanics Bank, the Red Viking Restaurant and Olsen’s Danish Village Bakery, Sun Coast Rentals, Waste Management, and Nielsen Building Materials. Additional sponsors will be announced during the event weekend.

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