While not technically a resident of the Santa Ynez Valley, this week’s guest was introduced to me by a listener who does live here and the stories my guest tells are closely connected to our way of life.  Russ Collins, a 90-year-old retired boat captain, has two interesting stories to tell about our beloved Santa Barbara coastline.  In January 1969, Collins was working as a boat captain ferrying crew members and supplies, when Platform A blew up, spilling 100,000 barrels of crude oil into the channel in what was at the time, the worst oil spill in history.  The aftermath of that spill and its catastrophic effect on marine life, later led to the creation of the US Environmental Protection Agency, the California Coastal Commission, and the passage of CEQA, California Environmental Quality Act. Collins tells his first-person account of that cleanup effort. 
And, over two decades later, Collins captained the Vaquero II, a beautiful wooden 65 foot cattle boat, that ferried 100 head of cattle each trip between Port Hueneme and Santa Rosa island.  We reminisce about his time working alongside cowboys for Vail & Vickers, the owners of the island.  Photographs of the Vaquero II and Santa Rosa island may be found on the website.
Aly's Restaurant is featured in Small Business Spotlight.