Central Coast Journal • March 2022

locals

SLO COUNTY DETECTIVE JT CAMP

champions

SLO BOYS CROSS COUNTRY TEAM

taste

ST. PATTY’S DAY REMEMBRANCE & RECIPES

M A RCH 2 02 2 Prsrt Std US Postage PAID Permit 19 13Stars Paso Robles CA ECRWSS

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Dora Cary

Paso Robles resident and small business owner shares her journey from Romania to America

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STATE CHAMPS

SLO CROSS COUNTRY

By Will Jones

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ON THE COVER

BEHIND THE IRON CURTAIN A JOURNEY TO AMERICA

By Camille DeVaul

24

CALIFORNIA ADVENTURES PALM SPRINGS

By Pam Price

Something Worth Reading 8

Community 10

Behind the Badge | Lisa Marrs

Arts & Education 12

Studios on the Park | Anne Ladden

13

SLO Arts Council | Directory of Artist

14

SLO County of Education | Practicing Kindness

Lifestyle, finance & Health 15

16

Publisher’s Letter

Finance | 4 Ways to Create a Family Legacy

6 | MARCH 2022

Health & Wellness |

Out & About

Change your habits, change your life

26

New York Times Crossword Puzzle

27

Calendar of Events

29

Photo of the Month

Locals 17

SLO County Detective | JT Camp

Taste of Slo 22

North County Farmers Market | Provide Local and Fresh Food

Last Word 30

Case Against Boeing | 737 Max Airplane

Everyday 23

Taste with History | St. Patty’s Day

Adventure 25

Ants In My Pants | San Joaquin kit fox pups

On the Cover

Dora Cary. Photo by Rick Evans Central Coast Journal

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Something Worth Reading

FROM THE PUBLISHER “Pay attention to the things you are naturally drawn to.

They are often connected to your path, passion and purpose in life. Have courage to follow them.”

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publisher, editor-in-chief hayley mattson

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office administrator

arch welcomes Spring and all the beauty that comes with it.

Sunshine-filled days, warmth, and once again, the time change; be sure to turn your clocks forward on Sunday, March 13.

cami martin

office@13starsmedia.com

powered by 13 stars media contributing writers

Spring Equinox is celebrated this year on March 20. On that day, we will officially be halfway between winter and summer, with balance between the day and night.

Spring reminds us to stay grateful for the rebirth of life that begins to awaken out of hibernation and how blessed we are to live on the Central Coast.

March marks our fourth-month of publishing the Central Coast Journal. Over the last few months, we have made some adjustments to the layout and design and now finding our stride. We are looking to bring back a few popular columns over the next few months and are deeply grateful for all the support.

This month, our cover story is Paso Robles resident Dora Cary; she shares with us “Behind the Iron Curtain: A Journey from the Socialist Republic of Romania to America” (page 21). We also feature SLO County Detective, JT Camp, who celebrated 25-Years with the county shares with us his passion to fight against Human Trafficking in our county (page 17).

We also celebrate the San Luis Obispo High School Boys Cross Country Team and their coaches, Adam Basch and Nancy Steinmaus, who won State Championship in November for only the second time in school history (page 18).

Each month we are honored to tell the incredible stories of your neighbors and friends. If you have a story that needs to be shared, please be sure to email it to us at publisher@centralcoastjournal.com.

We hope you enjoy this month’s issue of Central Coast Journal.

Stay blessed,

jimy tallal sarah ambrose karyn blaney james brescia, ed.d. barbie butz chuck graham

will jones dr. cindy maynard ian parkinson pam price sarah santana

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Community

BEHIND THE BADGE:

SLO County Sheriff’s Office

by Ian Parkinson, SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY SHERIFF

LEISA MARRS ONE OF MANY WHO WORK OUT OF THE SPOTLIGHT

F

rom time to time in this column, I like to highlight some of the amazing people who work in the Sheriff ’s Office. It’s not always the Patrol Deputies who get all the attention. With 450 people here at the Sheriff ’s Office, there are some who work out of the spotlight.

And I would like to introduce you to one right now.

Leisa Marrs is one of the legal clerks here at the Sheriff ’s Office in our Records and Warrants division. A legal clerk is a person who handles specialized clerical work for the courts, criminal justice system, and law enforcement agencies like ours. Those legal clerks in our Records and Warrants division have a wide range of duties, like entering and processing warrants into local, state, and national databases. Last year, that unit processed more than 30,000 of those warrants. Additionally, they are responsible for processing extraditions, fingerprinting, as well as processing records for criminal discovery, subpoenas, records requests, business permits and conceal carry permits. They do a lot.

When Leisa first started at the Sheriff ’s Office, she did not have the title of legal clerk. Instead, it was called “Intermediate Typist Clerk.”

Not an especially flattering or descriptive title. Things have changed a little bit since that time. The one thing that hasn’t changed is what Leisa wanted to do when she was growing up in Atascadero, and that was to be involved in law enforcement. She always had that desire because when she was growing up, all of her friend’s dads were Deputies.

10 | MARCH 2022

Marrs and other legal clerks in the Records and Warrants division processed more than 30,000 warrants for the Sheriff’s Office last year.

During her time at the Sheriff ’s Office Leisa has split most of her time between our Records and Warrants division and being a legal clerk at our North Station in Templeton. One of Leisa’s favorite memories happened a few years ago when a man contacted her at the office. He told her the story that he had a relationship with a woman years ago and as a result they had a daughter together. But the woman left him and had taken the baby with her. The man never was able to find his daughter. The man gave Leisa his information and she took it from there. Leisa was able to make contact with the daughter.

The father and daughter were able to reunite. Both dad and daughter were so grateful to Leisa they came into the office where Leisa worked, brought her roses, and thanked her.

It was a happy ending.

So why am I telling you all this?

Well , because recently Leisa celebrated her 41st year of working at the Sheriff ’s Office. She began here in 1981 when she was just 18. That’s her photo taken on her very first day. George Whiting was Sheriff at the time, and there have been three Sheriffs, including myself, since that time. Leisa says she “loves” her job and the people she works with, but she does plan to retire in the next couple years. For now, she’ll remain the longest-tenured employee working at the Sheriff ’s Office. Oh, and did I mention Leisa also happens to be one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. Just one of the many quality people we have working at the Sheriff ’s Office. So, congratulations Leisa! We look forward to seeing you around the Sheriff ’s Office for a few more years! 

Marrs, shown here in 1992, always wanted to be involved in law enforcement when she was growing up in Atascadero.

Leisa Marrs is shown on her very first day with the Sheriff’s Office as an 18-year-old in 1981.

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arts, history & Education

PASO ART SCENE

Anne Laddon Printmaker

Painter in Pastels & Oils and founder of Paso’s Studios on the Park

BY SARAH AMBROSE

Executive Director of Studios on the Park

A

nne Laddon arrived in Washington, D.C., in the mid-1970s with a degree in Art History, graduate studies at UCLA and UC Berkeley, and experience working in graphic design. She became one of the founding artists of The Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, Virginia, where she had a printmaking studio. From 1972 to 1984, she created over 100 hand-pulled serigraphs. Her style was bright, bold, and hard edge. She exhibited at Art Expo in New York, San Francisco, and across Europe in Frankfurt, Germany, and Copenhagen, Denmark.

Washington, D.C., to Paso? She met Jim Irving of Paso Robles on a whitewater rafting trip on the Colorado River…and “that was that!”

(Irving’s family were longtime Adelaide ranchers raising Black Angus cattle). Soon Anne was weaving her serigraph and poster business into a life on a Paso ranch while raising two children.

They are displayed in her studio and on her website. (anneladdon.com). Old cameras, jukeboxes, and pop images in bright primary colors are back in style!

In the early 1990s, Laddon was ready to return to creating art—changing mediums, however, as she began studying oil in Arizona and New Mexico. By the mid-’90s, she was hooked on “plein air painting,” which she continues today.

Laddon has recently designed and taught several online painting classes to adult students through Studios on the Park, and in Fall 2021, she taught architectural drawing on location at Atascadero City Hall to sixth-graders from a nearby middle school.

One of the most noticeable aspects of Anne’s paintings is that they are bold, brightly colored, and energized. She works in pastel and oil, creating studies on location. Her objective is to gather information that can be useful when she creates studio paintings.

Her passion for plein air, for creating landscape paintings in oil and pastel inspired by our beautiful area continues to fill Laddon’s studio — recent camping/painting trips have included Santa Barbara, Ojai, Pinnacles, as well as our beautiful coastline.

“When I work outdoors with pastels or oils, I paint as quickly and efficiently as I can because of the changing conditions,” she says. “The pastels give me the freedom to make gestured marks that are spontaneous, exciting, immediate, and filled with color. When I look out at a scene, an animal, or a group of people, I see shapes first, the magic of colors and light second, and the details last.”

Giving Back to the Community She Loves

In 2007 Anne Laddon founded Studios on the Park, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing a creative, educational, and transformational experience to enhance understanding and appreciation of the visual arts.

Contributed photos

Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing a creative, educational, and transformational experience to enhance understanding and appreciation of the visual arts. Since opening to the public in 2009, Studios on the Park has hosted hundreds of free art classes, art exhibitions, and with the City of Paso Robles eight art festivals.

After a lifetime in the arts, Laddon considers her work to be the most exciting and gratifying. Now, 15 years after founding Studios on the Park, she shows no sign of slowing down and is back at the easel creating and sharing.

By 2007, Anne began dreaming of creating a community art center in Paso Robles. She recalled the wonderful experiences as a founding artist in one in Alexandria. In love with Paso and the downtown park, she wanted to share the creative process while showing local artwork.

She was able to convince the owner of an auto I think of painting as the act of putting togeth- parts store on the downtown square to agree to a er a wonderful big puzzle by organizing shapes long-term lease. With persistence and conviction, and colors.” she rounded up a small group of friends and said, “Let’s start a nonprofit!”

Visit Anne Laddon at Studios on the Park, In 2020, Anne got busy and uncovered carefullocated at 1130 Pine Street in Paso Robles, or ly stored away editions of her Vintage Serigraphs.

In 2007 Laddon founded Studios on the Park, online at anneladdon.com.  12 | MARCH 2022

Central Coast Journal

Arts, history & Education

SLO ARTS COUNCIL

SLO County Arts Council launches digital directory of local artists

by Karyn Blaney

I

t’s an exciting time at the SLO County Arts Council! We are happy to announce the launch of our digital directory of local artists that will serve as a hub for all types of artists throughout the county. In addition to artists we have historically represented, such as painters, sculptors, and glassworkers, we hope to expand our reach to include photographers, poets, writers, musicians, dancers, and others in the broader performance arts. Recognizing the huge influence of agriculture in the county, we hope to include artisanal bakers, winemakers, and those in the culinary arts as well. Directory use is made easy by allowing users to search by name, city, or media.

“We envision community members using the directory to find local artists. A winery tasting room manager, for instance, could find someone to play music or an artist to display pieces on-site for a monthly rotation,” commented Katy McGrath, Council Board Vice President. “We hope it can become the go-to resource connecting local artists to businesses, private collectors, venues, and the community at large.”

as learning how to photograph artwork effectively, leveraging (or starting/growing) your social media following, and writing grant applications.

We will also support our membership, making sure they are informed about upcoming grant opportunities and ensuring equitable representation through diversity and inclusion advocacy.

Registration is now open for new memberships.

You can sign up for the directory at artsobispo. org/membership-signup You can search the directory at members.artsobispo.org Upcoming Events: Art at the Botanical Garden

Art in the Garden is an art show and sale that coincides with the SLO Botanical Garden’s semi-annual plant sale. Local artists will show and sell their nature-themed art at this event, which takes place on March 25, 26, and 27. Contact There are two registration options to accom- the Garden at (805) 541-1400 if you have any modate artists of all income levels. Members who questions. pay the $60 annual registration fee will be issued a directory page where they can showcase up to SLOMA five artwork images, links to their social channels The San Luis Obispo Museum of Art is and two videos, a small bio, and direct contact pleased to present a solo exhibition of prolific information. It will give artists without their own contemporary artist Faig Ahmed. From his stuwebsite a URL to use for self-promotion. A sec- dio in Baku, Azerbaijan, Ahmed creates textile ond free option allows artists to have their name works that transcend and transform the history and creative discipline displayed. of carpet making in the region.

“During this COVID-era, artists have had to Exhibition: Feb 12- May 15 become more creative with their online-networks.

The Membership Directory will offer increased Art and About exposure for local artists of all experience levels Art and About is a self-guided art walk that and disciplines,” said Jordan Chesnut, SLOCAC gives the community an opportunity to experiPrograms Manager. ence visual, literary, and performing art in galleries and other venues each month throughout Beyond the obvious benefit of providing ac- the county. cess to their portfolio online, members will also SLO: First Friday 5–8 p.m., receive help connecting with other artists and to buyers/bookers/display or performance venues, Paso Robles: First Saturday 5–9 p.m., periodic member spotlights and features, and quarterly development workshops focusing on Los Osos: Second Saturday 1–4 p.m., helping artists display, promote, and sell their Morro Bay: Fourth Saturday 1–4 p.m.  work. These workshops will include topics such CentralCoastJournal.com

Artist Colleen Gnos of San Luis Obispo

Artist Kevin Berne of Los Osos

Artist Susan Kounanis of San Luis Obispo MARCH 2022 | 13

arts, history Community & Education

The Benefits of Practicing Kindness

by James J. Brescia, Ed.D., COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS

E

ducational agencies across the county participated in the “The Great Kindness Challenge” earlier this year. The week was filled with proactive and positive Social Emotional Learning (SEL) activities focused on improving school climate and increasing student engagement.

One of the questions asked during the week was, “What can we adults learn from our youth’s actions during the challenge?” This month’s article summarizes my review of some research literature on the benefits of practicing kindness and how it will help move us forward as one community.

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”

- Aesop

Throughout the pandemic, I stressed that a focus on flexibility, patience, and kindness is a tangible example of how adults practice behaviors that promote SEL. Research teaches us that kindness benefits the person practicing the kindness and the recipient. Harvard Business School researchers examined happiness in 136 countries and documented that altruistic people reported higher satisfaction levels. The data indicated a positive feedback loop between kindness and joy.

Researchers found that “people, in general, feel happier when asked to remember a time when they benefited someone else — even happier than when they remembered benefiting themselves.”

Another study conducted at the University of British Columbia ob-

14 | MARCH 2022

served a group of people with high levels of anxiety who performed multiple acts of kindness each week. After two months, the participants demonstrated improved mood, increased relationship satisfaction, and decreased social avoidance. Psychology Today researcher Christine Carter, Ph.D., noted that “people who volunteer tend to experience (report) fewer aches and pains.” Perhaps this is because they are busy or because altruistic behavior mitigates daily challenges.

Unfortunately, today’s fast-paced society often keeps us so busy trying to keep up that we forget to take a moment and be present for others.

Recently I was so busy looking down at my phone and checking messages that I nearly walked into a young mother pushing a stroller and struggling to open the shop door. Each day opportunities to practice kindness abound when we take time to notice.

Research links six positive health outcomes to the practice of kindness, including increased happiness, improved energy, reductions in anxiety, lower blood pressure, reduced reports of pain, and healthy longevity.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) postulated that, as a strength, kindness has three components: (a) the motivation to be kind to others; (b) the recognition of kindness in others; and (c) the enactment of kind behavior in one’s daily life. Study results showed that: (a) Happy people scored higher on their motivation to perform and their recognition and enactment of kind behaviors. (b) Happy people have more happy memories in daily life in terms of quantity and quality. (c) Subjective happiness was increased simply by counting one’s acts of kindness for one week. (d) Happy people became more kind and grateful through the counting kind-

nesses intervention. Additional NIH reports supported the importance of kindness in producing subjective happiness.

The same NIH study suggests that motivational and cognitive processes in daily life may create differences between happy and less happy people. The differences may be responsible for some of the consequences of happiness. The research results indicated that happy people might become even happier, kinder, and more grateful following intervention relative to less happy people. Watkins (2004) showed that people who score higher on trait measures of gratitude experience greater subjective well-being and more intense positive effects (happiness, vitality, and hope) as well as fewer adverse effects (depression, resentment, and envy).

Additional NIH research suggests that, like gratitude, kindness is an essential human strength that influences subjective well-being. Kindness contributes to good social relationships and may be adaptive. The NIH results further suggest that a reciprocal relationship may exist between kindness and happiness, as shown for gratitude and joy in studies conducted by (Emmons & McCullough, 2003).

Educators across our county, state, nation, and the world have expressed the challenges experienced over the past two years. Working to restore our communities with kindness is central to the healing process.

Many thanks to those of you in the community for examining the benefits of practicing kindness. Your dedication to those we serve is greatly appreciated and makes a difference in today’s world. It is an honor to serve as your County Superintendent of Schools. 

Central Coast Journal

arts, history & Education

4 Ways to Create a Meaningful Family Legacy

by Sarah Santana

legacy planning that goes beyond finances can help us live with intention.

F

amily lends us a strong sense of identity.

So it makes sense that traditional legacy planning focuses on this area of our life and the financial resources we want to leave to our loved ones. However, the best legacy plans also focus on the here and now—how you have structured your life to make it clear to your family what your values are. The life lessons you have communicated to them. The traditions that will live on for generation after generation.

Here are four ideas to help you live your legacy—starting right now.

1. Find work-life balance

The struggle is real. Even wildly successful people – Garth Brooks, for example – have expressed regret about choosing work over spending time with their families. Brooks took a 14-year break from his music career to raise his children, telling People, “I knew their sweet faces and their dispositions. But I didn’t know who they were.” In the book “The Top Five Regrets of the Dying,” this regret occupies the number two spot.

If this resonates with you, consider ways to free up some quality time for your loved ones. Long commute? Maybe it’s time to move or try a bit of telecommuting. Weekends spent on chores?

Try hiring a house cleaner or have groceries de-

livered. Research shows that spending money on time-saving services predicts greater happiness because it forces people to manage their time better. Also, being mindful about how you spend your time can set an example for others.

says Barry Baines, author of “Ethical Wills: Putting Your Values on Paper.” This document can also add context to your legal will, potentially preventing conflict among heirs, which lawyers and advisors say is a growing problem. Disputes over inheritance are happening “way more in 2. Plan for the unexpected the last few years than in the decades before,” About 48% of U.S. adults don’t have life in- Bernard Krooks, an estate lawyer in New York, surance, according to a 2021 study conducted in told Kiplinger. part by the trade group LIMRA. This and other conventional estate planning concerns are part 4. Express your feelings and of living your legacy; knowing your preparation values sets a precedent for your loved ones.

This is another area that can trigger regret if neglected. You can do this with words: “I love An estate plan is also your opportunity to make you” or “I’m proud of you.” Or you can do it with a deliberate choice about the future, rather than your resources, setting aside money for education settling for whatever may come. For example, in a 529 plan or making family memories in a you can use it as a learning tool for money man- vacation home. Most parents say saving for colagement, structuring a trust that specifies exactly lege is particularly important, but a 2018 survey how an inheritance should be used, whether for from Student Loan Hero reveals that 44 percent retirement, education, or some other purpose. wish they had saved more.

When you create such a plan, it allows your voice—and your values—to be heard.

Live life with intention, not regrets. Your advisor can help you create a living legacy that 3. Communicate your vision with prioritizes caring for and guiding the people you an ethical will love and honors what matters most to you. Now Think of this as a family love letter, passing and in the decades to come. on your personal lessons and your vision for the family’s future – either shared now or as part of Raymond James and its advisors do not offer your memorial. “Putting together an ethical will tax or legal advice. You should discuss any tax or early on helps you live life with more intention,” legal matters with the appropriate professional. 

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MARCH 2022 | 15

Lifestyle, Finance & Health

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Change Your Habits, Change Your Life

by Dr. Cindy Maynard

U

sually, when we think about health and wellness, we think about diet, exercise, or weight control. Although attention to these areas is important to have a healthy lifestyle, wellness involves much more. Wellness is a holistic term that means incorporating many aspects of health and making choices which help us live a robust, happy, and fulfilled life. These dimensions include physical and emotional wellbeing, engaging the mind, and nurturing the spirit to defend against the process of aging to promote longevity. Therefore, making health and lifestyle changes could mean focusing on ways to achieve better mental or emotional health, improving social or environmental factors, changing diet and exercise, or even self-care.

One of the more popular models of wellness was developed by Dr. Bill Hettier of the National Wellness Institute. The model refers to the Six Dimensions of Wellness.

The Institute states that by addressing all six categories, we can build on a holistic sense of wellness and fulfillment.

The six dimensions involve physical, social, intellectual, spiritual, emotional, and occupational aspects to maximize health.

You can see the interconnectedness of each dimension and how they all contribute to helping us lead a more holistic, healthier life.

16 | MARCH 2022

• Physical Dimension: involves nutritional tionnaire is a tool that can help jumpstart intake, daily activity of some kind, and healthy change and help you maximize your getting adequate rest personal wellness program. You can quickly see where your strengths and weaknesses lie.

• Social Dimension: Maintaining friend- Then decide to focus on one or two areas ships and intimate relations and contrib- you want to change. For example, it could uting to the environment or community be making more social connections, taking a class, or eating better. (PS new habits typ• Intellectual Dimension: Being engaged ically take two months to form). Don’t worry and curious about life, having interests, about doing it perfectly. Life is all about being a life-long learner experimenting, taking two steps forward, one back. Positive change is a fluctuating, • Spiritual Dimension: Finding purpose or dynamic process. But there is no greatmeaning in life beyond the physical, ap- er motivator than realizing that you have preciating that we are part of the greater changed a behavior to a more positive one. whole which is cosmic or divine in nature Because when you’ve changed your habits for the better, you’ve changed your life for • Emotional Dimension: Managing emo- the better. tions in a healthy way, maintaining positivity or enthusiasm about your life The key to a healthy life is engaging fully in life—emotionally, physically, and intellec• Occupational Dimension: Engaging in tually. Applying a holistic approach to our work that is consistent with your values, lives can help us achieve our full potential to contributing your unique skills and gifts live a more positive, authentic, and fulfilling in a way that is meaningful and satisfying life which ultimately helps move and power our society forward.

Making healthy lifestyle changes isn’t easy, but it’s not impossible either. Before Cindy Maynard, Ph.D., RD, is a health you decide on an area(s) you might want psychologist, a registered dietitian, and a nato change or work on, I usually suggest to tionally published health and f itness writer. my clients to take the American Board of She is passionate about promoting health and Integrative Holistic Medicine (ABIHM) wellness. You can contact her at drcindymayHolistic Health Questionnaire. This ques- nard@live.com  Central Coast Journal

Locals

SLO COUNTY DETECTIVE’S 25-YEAR CAREER MARKED BY EFFORTS AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Major Crime Fighter

by Camille DeVaul

I

n January, San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow honored Senior Investigator JT Camp for over 25 years with the county. Through his quarter of a century in law enforcement, JT has worked with the SLO Probation Department, the Sheriff ’s Office and played a key role in developing the county’s Human Trafficking Task Force.

Oscar Higueros Jr., a former Cayucos firefighter, was sentenced to 182 years in prison in 2016. Richard Scott Brooks of San Francisco was sentenced to over 60 years—both for terrible human trafficking crimes.

It was that case that inspired the county to launch the Human Trafficking Task Force in 2018. The new task force consisted of one inJT began his career in law enforcement in 1996 vestigator from the sheriff ’s department and one with the County’s probation department. He was more from the district attorney’s office, JT. focused on the Southern part of SLO County, working with the juvenile hall. Then in 2000, JT JT says prior to the task force being created, the started his career with the sheriff ’s department, county had a mostly reactive approach to human still based in the south county, including areas trafficking. This is the first proactive approach to like Oceano. During those first few years with solving human trafficking in SLO County and the department, JT was your typical patrol officer, is internally funded. but he soon worked his way into the Bureau of Investigations, working the major crimes division.

“I think we knew certainly human trafficking was present on the Central Coast,” JT says of “I do think that anyone that is in the law what he has learned since launching the task enforcement business is really in it for noble force. “I think what we learned was the extent reasons,” said JT. “I think at the heart of it that to how much there was much greater.” the vast majority of the people that get into law enforcement do want to serve their community The task force focuses on disrupting the counand do want to help people.” ty’s trafficking market. JT explains that human trafficking markets vary depending on their loWhen you ask JT which case stands out to him cation. In SLO County, the market is primarily most throughout his career, he can’t pick one. In- based online and within social media. JT and his stead, it was the entire year of 2010 that stood out team focus on a holistic approach to tackling the to him. That year started and ended with brutal industry by educating the community and busihomicides, with several others in between—one nesses like hotels who are most likely to witness it. of the busiest years the county has seen.

“There is a huge gap. People either didn’t know He has seen a lot through his career. If he could what to look for, or they misidentified it or maybe give the public advice based on those years, he didn’t know what to do with it. So we put an emsays, “Common sense goes a long way in terms phasis on wrapping people’s heads around ‘yeah, of knowing that there is good and bad out there; it is here’ and what it actually looks like. Not so being aware of your surroundings.” much what TV says it looks like,” commented JT.

San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow honored JT Camp for his 25 years of service..

Contributed photo

of work and those sort of cases can be all-consuming.”

But no matter how difficult his job can be, JT would do it all over again if he had the chance: “Sometimes I feel that way [choose another career] but overall the reward for speaking up for those who don’t have a voice, advocating for victims trying to do the right thing and help others, the pay off on that part of it has been so much better than even the bad days—if I could do it all over again, would I do it all over again? I would say absolutely yes.”

Then in 2012, JT was hired on as an investigator with the District Attorney’s office, where he remains today. But JT hasn’t left the Sheriff ’s Office entirely. Instead, he is assigned to the sheriff ’s Special Operations Unit, meaning JT is loaned to the Sheriff ’s Office for major crimes.

He continues, “It can be a hard job, and it can be a depressing thing where you only see the worst in most situations, but at the heart of it, I think it is a noble calling, and we need people to keep stepping up that are willing to serve their He notes that many people see human traf- community and willing to help people where they ficking through the lens of films like “Taken” or can and really to go and advocate for the people “Pretty Woman.” While he says kidnappings who don’t have voices.” are entirely possible, human trafficking in SLO County is most likely to happen over the internet For more information on the San Luis Obispo and through methods like grooming.

County Human Trafficking Task Force, visit:

Today most people associate JT with the county’s Human Trafficking Task Force. His first big human trafficking case came in 2014. It took investigators two years, start to finish, to close the case—and it brought some hefty sentences for the criminals.

Being in law enforcement within divisions like slocounty.ca.gov/Departments/District-Atmajor crimes and human trafficking is no easy torney/Victim-Witness-Assistance-Center/ task. JT says, “You have to get good at compart- Human-Trafficking.aspx mentalizing but then also having some sort of healthy outlets—the important part is trying to And for the National Human Trafficking maintain that healthy balance because that sort Hotline, visit humantraffickinghotline.org 

CentralCoastJournal.com

MARCH 2022 | 17

Locals

COACHES ADAM BASCH AND NANCY STEINMAUS

San Luis Obispo Boys Cross Country Team Wins State Title

by Will Jones

I

n November 2021, for only the second time in school history, the San Luis Obispo High School Cross Country Team won the State Championship, Division II, at Woodward Park in Clovis. The team then went on to win the Nike Cross Regionals, a first in school history.

Junior Milo Skapinsky led the team, followed closely by senior captain Lewis Westwood.

Senior Luke Holland, juniors Quinn White, and Luke Reiss, and sophomore Weston Greenelsh provided valuable points throughout the year, with all of the runners improving their times as the year progressed.

PrepCalTrack named San Luis Obispo the Team of the Year, and writer Rich Gonzales marveled at the team’s come-from-behind ability in every important race, including the State Finals and the Nike Cross Regionals. “There are no superstars here, just a balanced lineup where every athlete chips in and is instrumental in contributing to the team’s championship success.” The architects of the team’s success are Co-Head Coaches Adam Basch and Nancy Steinmaus.

Adam, 42, grew up in Sylvania, Ohio, in what he described as “a fairly typical suburban setting, playing youth sports, having a paper route, raking grass, shoveling snow as the seasons progressed.” He started running cross country in middle school. In high school, “We had a powerhouse high school program coached by Ross Dye, an Ohio Hall of Fame coach.”

Following high school, Adam went to Beloit College in Wisconsin and played intramural sports while studying philosophy and creative writing, and then to Ohio University to earn a teaching credential. He started teaching special education at a high school in Southeastern Ohio, 2005-2007. While there, he helped out with the In 2021, San Luis Obispo High cross country won the State Championship for the first time in history. cross country team. Adam met his wife, Jenni, in graduate school, Contributed photos and they married in 2005. writing and publishing a variety of non-fiction and fiction works.

She is also a paid speaker for special needs groups. Their son Rowan They moved to San Luis Obispo when Jenni was accepted at was born in 2008, and their daughter, Skye, in 2010.

Cal Poly for graduate school, drawn by warmer weather, a different culture, and the quality of the Counseling Psych program. Adam Adam started coaching cross country in 2008 under legendary started teaching special education at SLOHS in October of 2007 head coach Steve Boaz. “I was his assistant until 2017, learning his when a position unexpectedly became available. Jenni is currently program along the way. I took over as head coach in 2018 when he 18 | MARCH 2022

Central Coast Journal

retired. From Steve, I learned the importance of having a plan for every kid, from their first day of freshman year until they graduated.

He had a plan for the whole year, including the track season and summer. It was a monolithic system. He was extremely fair with kids always had time for them individually. He kept times for every athlete in every race in order to track their progress.”

The 2019 team was very good, but, according to Adam, they didn’t have their best day at the State meet, finishing out of the top ten. Then COVID disrupted everything.

Track season lasted two meets. “In the summer, team meetings were on Zoom to coach them on getting in their runs on their own.

There were no races in the fall of 2020, but there were dual meets in February of 2021.

For the record, the boys did win the league Nancy, 58, grew up in Carmichael, Califor- championship for the 2020 season, which nia, and graduated from San Juan del Campo was actually the spring of 2021.”

High School. She started running in seventh grade, continued in high school, and ran varThe 2021 track season went well, with sity cross country and track at UC Davis for regular meets and a league championship, four years, a three-time All American. Nancy but no State meet. “Then we were back on coached JV cross country at Davis while in a regular summer of cross country training graduate school. and a fall competitive season. We knew we had a good team. Four of our runners broke After Davis, Nancy taught and coached ten minutes in the 3200 in track, and they full time at Mira Costa College, at first had a good summer of training. They won coaching women’s cross country and track everything locally and finished 9th in the and eventually also coaching the men’s teams. Championship race at the Clovis Invitational, During ten years at Mira Costa, she raced although we were the first Division II team as a professional duathlete (running and to finish.” cycling) all over the world. She retired as a pro in 1999 but continued to compete for Favored to win the Central Section Chama long time. pionship, the team finished second. “They ran really well, several of them having their best Nancy teaches kinesiology at Cuesta Col- times, but Sanger had a great day and beat lege, and her husband, Scott, is the head of us. It was a devastating loss, but it worked the Crop Science and Horticulture depart- out in the long run. It helped us stay hungry ment at Cal Poly. They have two daughters, for State, almost the best thing that could Tasha, 18, and Alexi, 20, who runs cross have happened.” country for Chico State and qualified for Nationals in 2021.

Back at Woodward Park in Clovis for the State Championship, the top five runners For two seasons, 2017-19, Nancy was the passed 100 opponents in the last mile to win assistant cross country coach at SLOHS, but the championship by seven points. “It was she and Adam have been co-head coaches like being at the top of the mountain. Calfor both the girls’ and the boys’ cross coun- ifornia is so competitive. And the way they try teams the last two seasons. “Adam was a did it was perfect teamwork. In the last mile, big proponent, and it works really well. We Milo moved up 23 places, Luke 18, Lewis 9, work great as a team. Having two genders Quinn 7, and Weston 43.” coaching the program, each working with both programs, provides a different kind of role modeling and dynamic. Adam has years of experience with the program. I have an exercise physiology background. It’s been helpful in refining a successful training program that has worked for many years.”

Adam said building a championship team, “goes all the way back to Steve’s teams and traditions. Each group educates the next group about the right way to train, from the superstars to the solid middle pack runners.

Everyone contributes. When alumni are in town, they train with the team. It’s a culture of high expectations, of getting to State even when we were in the insanely competitive Southern Section up until 2018.”

CentralCoastJournal.com

Nancy agreed with Adam. “There were no stars on this team, but they were all really good runners. I told them when they were getting their awards at State that they were ‘all in all season and went all out when it mattered.’ We practiced different skills in different races, funneling the season toward the championships. They were able to take on laser beam focus when it mattered most.

It showed at the State meet. At the end of the first mile, we were in 12th place, 5th after the 2nd mile and 1st at the end.”

Adam remains humble about the experience. “I don’t have the pedigree that some of the other coaches have, but I feel like Nancy, and I earned us some credibility. We don’t have to spend as much energy convincing athletes that what we’re saying is right.

Winning is great, but developing the kids is most rewarding, and doing it for the school.

To meet the new group, get them fired up and take it as far as we can go.”

I asked Adam why a student should choose cross country. “Everybody competes.

You get a lot of freedom. Running is natural to us. As children, our bodies want to run. There can be a rediscovery of that, a joy when you’re out there running through space.”

Nancy added, “In cross country, all can succeed. Improving is the hallmark no matter where you start or finish. It helps to develop a person, not just focus on a win and loss record. It also helps to develop a healthy lifestyle, not just for the sport but for life.”

With five of the top seven runners returning for the 2022 season, there are high hopes for another trip to State finals, where, who knows, maybe “all in and all out” will bring home another title. 

San Luis Obispo High School coaches and runners recieve the state title trophy at Woodward Park in Clovis. Contributed photo MARCH 2022 | 19

On the Cover

BEHIND THE IRON CURTAIN:

A Journey from Socialist Republic of Romania to America

by Camille Devaul

D

ora Cary was five years old when she realized something wrong with her country. That same day, her father told her about America and its promise of freedom.

Today, Dora owns a successful quilting shop in Downtown Paso Robles on Railroad Street. She has a beautiful family and lives a happy life. But growing up in Timisoara, Romania, Dora’s life was not always so full of color and freedom.

THE RISE OF SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF ROMANIA (RSR) From the 1940s to the early 1990s, Romania was the Socialist Republic of Romania (RSR)—a Marxist-Leninist one-party communist state. According to Dora, it took only 10 percent of the country’s population to take over and start their decades-long regime.

Dora’s father was only two years old when the new socialist regime took over in 1946. For decades, the country, like most of Europe at the time, struggled to fight communist and socialist regimes. In 1903, Dora’s great-great-grandparents left their three children to find work in America. After seven years, they were able to come back home to Romania, buy land and build a beautiful home.

It may have taken decades, but eventually, the new RSR regime took everything Dora’s family had worked so hard to get. It didn’t happen overnight, and it wasn’t everything at once.

Dora says the first thing the new RSR regime confiscated was gold. At the time, Romanian women wore their family value on a gold coin necklace. Romanians held their wealth in these gold coins and land. Both were among the first to be taken from the people. Next, they took the people’s guns and animals.

Without their horses, Dora’s grandparents could no longer farm their land, causing them to lose their land. Along with farmland being taken from the Romanian people, the new government (RSR) took control of all the factories.

“That was the beginning of the end because no one takes of a business better than the owner,” said Dora.

(Top) Dora and her friend serving in the military during college. (Right) Dora waiting for her red bandana of the communist children to become a “pioneer.” (Left) Dora’s grandmother who lost the family land and home at the start of the communist takeover. Contributed Photos 20 | MARCH

She also notes that people in agriculture felt the harmful effects of the RSR before those living in the city. But in an effort to gain control of the entire country of Romania, the RSR began pitting social classes against each other. The RSR deemed everyone wealthy as evil, and intellects were people who thought for themselves—also not allowed in the new regime. Along with intellects and the wealthy, anyone with aristocratic ties was condemned. Dora’s mother’s side had some aristocratic ties, which the family did everything Central Coast Journal

they could to hide from the RSR.

were bigger than her fist! Dora couldn’t believe it get to a point in life where you need to survive, and stole two apples to take home and show her and you do what you need to do to survive.

Soon, everything was centralized by the RSR family. None of them had seen anything like it. That’s what we did.” government. Factories produced one “brand” of everything. Everyone, except the elite, received The RSR told the Romanians their education THE FALL OF SOCIALISM the same of everything—no matter how little would be free. However, Dora and her classthey had, it was the same. mates would have to take tough exams (first By the 1980s, Dora says, her country reached in eighth grade) to move forward with their its peak misery. There was no food to be found education. So, in the end, not everyone had the in the grocery stores. The young and healthy THE PEAK OF MISERY same education rights. became malnourished and weak. And the people When Dora was five years old, her kinderwere over it. garten teachers told her class to bring a toy to When Dora was in second grade, the students school the next day. At the time, the government were given a red bandana of the communist “People were reaching their point of no more. deemed toys were non-essential and hard to children and became a “pioneer.” Later on, it There is a point in everybody where you cannot come by. Dora and her sister had one doll to was mandatory for students to become a part take it anymore, and your life does not matter play with at home. So that was the doll they of the communist youth organization and later anymore. You are going to take those shackles brought to class. a member of the communist party. off.”

Dora’s teacher let the students play with their toys during class. But soon, the fun was over.

Dora recounts what her teacher told them, “Well kids, nothing that you own belongs to you. Everything belongs to the State. So everybody put your toys here [in the box], and we will decide who plays with what toys and when.”

“By five [years old], we knew that you don’t go against the State,” adds Dora.

That day, Dora’s father picked her and her sister up from school, tears still in their eyes from losing the only toy they had. He sat the girls down at home, furious. But that was the day he told Dora about America, “He told us about America. He was talking about America like the Promise Land. And that was when I realized that something is wrong in the Country and America is the hope.”

Dora became an American citizen in 2008.

The Romanian Revolution against the RSR started in Dora’s city of Timisoara on December 15, 1989.

In Dora’s city, internal police went to arrest a Priest. While walking home, Dora saw around 40 people gathered at the Priest’s home protesting. By that night, there were hundreds of people in the streets. Dora described it as a vibration in the air, a vibration of hope that something was happening. People marched through the streets banging pipes on poles yelling, “Down with communism!”

Dora joined another protest the following day in the plaza. That afternoon, police began to shoot into the crowd, but their protests started a ripple effect followed by the rest of Romania. By the end of their revolution, thousands of people Dora explains, “Even though Romania was were killed. a socialist country, the party was communist, Dora’s father knew about America through and the aim was to transform the country into By the end of December, the RSR, which his one lifeline to the outside world—a wire tied a fully communist one.” ruled over Romania for over 40 years, had fallen. to a radiator, picking up static of two radio stations, Radio Free Europe and Voice of America.

Sometimes, Dora and her classmates would Dora and her family were able to start their think about running to another country. Al- lives and make their own choices, which was In school, Dora was taught what she would though other communist territories surrounded entirely new to them. Dora went on to get a delater understand was propaganda. She was told them, a known path through Yugoslavia would gree in mechanical engineering and later studied Americans ate rats on the subways and were take them to freedom. During Dora’s high marketing and design in a free economy. In the killed in their driveways. Even at home, their school years, two boys from her class took that late 90s, she met an American man who later news and tv were censored, always showing chance—and didn’t make it. became her husband, and in 2001, they moved programs with their dictator. to the United States.

The boys were brought back to Dora’s school, After school, Dora’s father would ask his battered and unrecognizable. They were never Growing up in such a controlling dictatorship, daughters what they learned at school. He would seen or heard from again, and that cured Dora Dora had to learn how to live in freedom. She then take the time to tell his girls the truth, “I of ever thinking she could run from her country. says she never wanted to talk about her old life in loved that he was such a hands-on parent where Romania, she didn’t think anyone would believe he made sure what we learned was accurate. And When she was 19 years old, Dora was arrested her, but in recent years she changed her mind. how he knew was just through that line that the for singing Christmas carols in another city with She began to tell her daughter her stories and, radio was throwing to us. it was a survival line.” friends. There was no law against singing carols over time, began to tell others too. in her own city, but they didn’t know that here On the weekends, if factories or farms were it was illegal. So Dora and her friends spent Dora now successfully runs her quilt shop in behind on their work, the students would be sent Christmas Eve in jail.

Downtown Paso Robles, Orange Dot Quilts— to make up work. Once, Dora recalls working the name inspired by her life in Romania, “We on an apple farm one weekend. The apple her “That’s how we grew up, this constant heavy- would all watch the sunset, and I learned to family would see in the store wasn’t much larger weight behind your head that anything you can love orange. It was exactly the opposite of our than an apricot. But these apples at the farm do, you can get in trouble,” said Dora. “But you gray lives.”  CentralCoastJournal.com

MARCH 2022 | 21

Taste of slo

AGRICULTURE:

North County Farmers Markets

by Camille DeVaul

T

here was a time when everyone grew four local markets every week, year-round, their own food. Everyone had a gar- even throughout the pandemic since 1985. den, a flock of chickens, dairy cows and goats, and maybe a few hogs. You only “I believe that one of the best places to supate what you grew or raised yourself. port locals is your little farmers’ markets in each little town,” says Robyn Gable, manager of the Then came the grocery store. People became North County Farmers Market Association, used to the convenience of running to the “You can get fresh produce, it lasts longer, and store to grab what they needed for dinner it’s fresher. The people, a lot of times, pick it that night. Soon, many of us lost the art of fresh that morning to sell.” garden and husbandry.

Most importantly, eating locally means supBut there are those out there who keep the porting local families and your local economy. tradition of growing their food alive. They grow for themselves, and they grow for you, “You’re also going to be supporting so many the consumer. families. Not only the farmer’s families but sometimes they hire people to sell for them, Throughout North County and the Cen- so at this market today, you’re supporting maybe tral Coast, we are privileged to eat fresh and 13 families, maybe more. All you have to do is local food every day. Locally grown means buy eggs over here and get some bread over the product was grown and harvested within there and some fresh produce here and there,” 100 miles of your city. Local farmers provide Gable said. various produce, fruits, olive oils, meat, honey, and almost anything you can think of.

Shopping at farmers’ markets ensures you will be eating seasonally. Seasonal produce has One of the best places to purchase from lo- been harvested at prime ripeness, creating nucal farmers is by shopping at farmers’ markets. trient-dense produce.

There are four farmers’ markets each week in North County.

When shopping at farmers’ markets, consumers can build a relationship with the farmer. Meet The North County Farmers’ Market As- them face to face and ask about their practices, sociation (NCFMA) brings the community their history, why they love farming their crop.

LOCAL FARMS:

Atascadero

• Rocky Canyon Farms • Farmer Frank’s Mushrooms • Foss Farm

Templeton • • • • •

Magnolia Produce and Flowers Homestead Olive Ranch Templeton Valley Farms Outlaw Valley Ranch Templeton Hills Beef

Paso Robles (and surrounding) • • • • •

Matthew’s Honey Hernandez Larsen Family Farm Mt. Olive Organic Farm Fair Hills Apple Farm Beewench Farms

22 | MARCH

• • • •

The Groves on 41 Loo Loo Farms J&R Meats Twisselman Ranch Beef

South County • • • • • • • •

Bear Creek Ranch Los Osos Organic Farm De La Cruz Farm Mauro Perez California Bee Company Farmermaid Flowers Cirone Farms Dragon Spring Farm

Many restaurants take advantage and use local ingredients for specials on their menu.

The majority of the food vendors at farmers’ markets use produce from the market as well.

Alicia Denchasy, an owner of A-Town Humble Pies, says, “90 percent of all our products are all through what we can get through the farmers market.”

When asked why Denchasy chooses to source her ingredients locally, the answer was simple, “It just seems like the right thing to do. I mean, that’s what they are here for.

For us, it was great just because we want to support each other. This is our community—we’ve met all these people and learned about what they have, learned how we can use it in our product, and then we’re also educating our other consumers about the different kinds of fruits and vegetables that are out there.”

Eating locally is easy to do, and the benefits are twofold, it helps your health and community at the same time.

Visit northcountyfarmersmarkets.com for more information on North County Farmers Markets. See below for market locations and hours.

FARMERS MARKET FOOD VENDORS AND RESTAURANTS USING LOCAL INGREDIENTS:

Paso Robles: • • • • • • • • • •

Ben’s Custom Meat Cutting Negranti Creamery Jeffry’s Wine Country BBQ TASTE! Alchemist Garden Thomas Hill Organics McPhee’s Canteen Red Scooter Deli Odyssey World Cafe Firestone Walker

Templeton: • • • •

BellaVia Pier 46 Seafood Market Charter Oak Style Meats JC’s Kitchen

• Jacks Bar and Grill • Kitchenette

Atascadero: • • • • • • • •

A-Town Humble Pies Garcia’s Tamales LaDonna’s Colony Market & Deli Nautical Cowboy Nogi Sushi Restaurant Street Side Ale House Guest House Grill

South County & other: • • • • • •

Farmers Market Inspired Soup Vintage Cheese Company Breaking Bread Bakery Good Tides Organic Bistro Old Port Fish Stepladder Creamery Central Coast Journal

Taste of slo

TASTE WITH HISTORY:

St. Patty’s Day Remembrance & Celebration

by Barbie Butz

Coconut Lime Ice Cream Dairy Free and a Lovely Shade of Green

Ingredients • 1 13.5 ounces BPAfree can coconut milk, chilled overnight • 2 limes, zested and juiced, divided • 2 large avocados, peeled and pitted • 2/3 cup pure maple syrup • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

I

O

pen chilled can of coconut milk and remove cream (cream will have separated from water). Reserve liquid for another use. To a blender, add coconut cream, one-half of lime zest, all of lime juice, and remaining ingredients and blend on high, scraping down sides, until well incorporated and smooth. Transfer mixture to a 9x5-inch loaf pan and garnish with remaining lime zest. Cover tightly with a lid or eco-friendly beeswax wrap. Freeze for 4 to 5 hours, or overnight. Before serving, let rest on the counter for 5 to 10 minutes.

Don’t forget to end your celebration with an Irish Blessing such as this.

May you always have work for your hands to do.

May your pockets hold always a coin or two.

May the sun shine bright on your windowpane.

May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain.

May the hand of a friend always be near you.

And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

Cheers!

’ve read several versions of the history of St. Patrick, and this one seems to come close in accuracy.

Saint Patrick was born in Britain around the year 380 and raised in a Christian family. He was not named Patrick, but some think his name was Maewyn.

While still a young boy, he was kidnapped and brought to Ireland, where he was made a slave, forced to herd sheep. He prayed to God to help him return to his family, and after six years, he escaped.

After his return, he lived quietly—thought and prayed and realized what he wanted to do. He wanted to return to Ireland to teach the people about God. He studied religion in France, and in 432, the head of the Catholic Church, the Pope, named him Patricius, the Latin name for Patrick.

He became a priest and then a bishop. He sailed back to Ireland and began preaching. He built churches and schools all over the country.

The people loved his kind ways and trusted him.

He spent the rest of his life caring for the Irish people.

People honor Patrick on March 17 because he died on that date in the year 461. Later, the Catholic Church made him a saint...St. Patrick.

CentralCoastJournal.com

The first time St. Patrick’s Day was celebrated in the United States was in 1737 in Boston. Each year the Irish and many other people gather to celebrate St. Patrick and his good work on behalf of the Irish people.

People celebrate in many ways. For instance, they dress in green to honor an ancient Irish custom. Hundreds of years ago, the Irish burned branches with green leaves during the month of March and spread the ashes in fields to make them fertile and green. To wear green is to honor Ireland, the Emerald Isle.

To celebrate the day, people give gifts of shamrocks, wear green clothing, give greeting cards, bake green cakes, cookies, and goodies to share, prepare meals of corned beef and cabbage, dance an Irish jig, and even drink green beer!

In many places, there are St. Patrick’s Day parades where pipers and fiddlers play Irish tunes. Everyone is dressed in green, of course.

For many people, it is a day for worship and for celebration, and if you’re not Irish, you can still feel a wee bit Irish!

In honor of St. Patrick, the following recipe is “green” and will make a nice ending to your Irish menu on March 17. It is also dairy-free for those of you who need that feature.  MARCH 2022 | 23

ADVENTURES

CALIFORNIA ADVENTURES:

Desert Drama Captures Palm Springs Visitors

Hiking in the Carrizo Canyon Ecological Reserve near Palm Desert.

The trail is open only a few months each year, from Oct. 1 – Dec. 31.

Photo by Arthur Lechtman

by pamela price

C

alifornia deserts evoke diverse images for different people. To some travelers, this scenic oasis suggested glittering resort cities, dramatic skies, midcentury architecture, and the verdant greens of impressive Palm Springs golf courses. You may have to blink when you catch a glimpse of a world-class hockey rink currently under construction on Interstate 10 as you drive through Indio. This is the last place you would expect a sport that thrives on ice, sharing space with countless palm trees and chic swimming pools.

Mingle this menu with more tennis courts than you can count and a landscape framed by towering mountain ridges, a magical menu of clever public art, and restaurants with menus reflecting global cuisine. Amidst this majestic desert, montage is family-friendly sites from The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert (livingdesert.org) to Sunnylands Center & Gardens in Rancho Mirage (sunnylands. org), where you can explore with a guide the Annenberg’s 200-acre historic winter home, crowned by their 25,000 sq. ft residence, a mid-century modern masterpiece of architecture. Reservations are required for the home tour. The 9-acre art garden is open to the public, free of charge.

has a focus on self-expression and creativity and an ideal family experience.

Make time for El Paseo, yet another oasis for art collectors, art galleries, designer boutiques, spa and beauty salons, and chic restaurants, such as Wilma Frieda’s Cafe and the first for this travel writer, a PeruvianColumbian Cuisine restaurant, Mi Cultura at 44795 San Pablo Ave. Drive slowly along El Paseo, a 7-block drive between Highway 74 and Portola Avenue, which is known as “the undisputed style center of the desert.” A median in the middle of this fashionable street defines Gardens on El Paseo, where public art is installed in outdoor gallery style. Lining both sides of the street are boutiques displaying Turkishinspired carpets, handbags, and other accessories one of a kind gifts.

When the desert sun gets out of control, check out The Body Deli, where cosmetic chefs transform desert dates and other healthy edibles into skincare products.

While your in the neighborhood, visit the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument, the views are spectacular, and the mountain scenery is spellbinding.

On your way in or out of town, take time out to visit the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, which opened in 1963. Today it is A hop, skip and jump away is recognized as the world’s largest the popular Children’s Discovery rotating Tram Car. It’s a ten-minute, Museum of the Desert cdmod. smooth ride to their Mountain org), where hands on-exhibits for Station, located at 8,516 ft. Each children and their families prevail. tram can carry 80 passengers along the stunning cliffs of Chino Canyon.

Exhibits cover health, art, culture, It’s a spellbinding experience you math, and engineering. You can even won’t want to miss. build your own race car, experience a lie detector, or join a weekend For information, workshop. This 6.5-acre Museum visitgreaterpalmsprings.com.  24 | MARCH

Central Coast Journal

Adventures

WILDLIFE:

Ants In My Pants

by Chuck Graham

I

t was nearly dark when I arrived on a lonely dirt road within the Carrizo Plain. I pulled off behind a cluster of saltbush, grabbed my binoculars, and scanned the immediate region in fading light.

grew hotter, nary a kit fox revealed itself.

I packed up and moved on, enjoying the antics of antelope ground squirrels into the early afternoon.

By late afternoon I returned, the heat of the day on the wane. The father and one pup were out, moving between dens maybe 150 feet from each other. Once they dove into a den, I ran out with my camera gear and set up between each den. A couple A week earlier, I discovered this den site hours drifted by with only the ears of the while looking for antelope ground squirrels, pups rising above the openings of the two aplenty on the last of California’s sweeping, prominent den sites. semiarid grasslands. Keen to come back, I made the drive fresh off the Island Packer When I was sure the foxes were down ferry following five days of guiding kayak below, I decided to move to the den with trips at the Channel Islands NP, the Gold- the father and one pup. After repositioning en State’s biodiversity ever-present from myself with both dens in my immediate islands to coastal chaparral and forest to view, I settled in and waited. An hour later, the last of California’s grassland habitat. the father emerged first. Unbeknownst to me at the time, I had parked myself next Methodically, quietly I laid out my sleep- to a red ant hill. Suddenly, while holding ing bag in the back of my truck and had the shutter down while photographing the arranged all my camera gear, so it was ready kit fox, I endured multiple simultaneous to go at 4:30 a.m., a crescent moon allowing bites on both my legs while having to do so just enough light to ditch my headlamp without flinching and holding my camera so not to blow my cover with the foxes. and lens as steady as I could.

Near the dens, there was little or no vegetation to conceal myself. I needed to get out Then the dad ran off to its other den 75 there before the family of kit foxes warmed yards to the north. Once he greeted his oththemselves during the rising sun. er pup, I quickly stood and stripped-down, ridding myself of an army of angry ants.

At 4 a.m., I was up scanning, and the fox Tiny welts dotted my exposed legs while I pups were already playing, but just briefly. ridded myself of the fire ants. Afterward, As soon as they dove back into their den, I scooped up my gear and picked a better I grabbed my gear, and quietly as I could, spot, the other pup still down below. ran out onto the alkali loam. I picked a spot behind some low-growing shrubs and Maybe it heard me while I furioushuddled in the mid 30-degree temps. ly swiped at those menacing ants on my thighs, its curiosity getting the better of it.

As first light dashed the Caliente Moun- Its ears were a dead giveaway, though, as tains in pink and orange hues to the west, they crested the steep mound of dirt surI scanned repeatedly across my immediate rounding the den, the largest of any fox spehorizon. Nothing stirred. As I lowered my cies in North America. However, the pup binoculars and the morning sun warmed was onto me, revealing nothing more than my back and shoulders, I found a kit fox those large ears that can hear a giant kanstaring back at me. It was the female, and garoo rat drumming its feet deep inside its she was only 15 feet away from me. Other burrow. Just as the discomfort from those than doing a 360-degree spin, she remained welts on my legs subsided, like a periscope, calm. After I fired off a few frames, she those kit fox ears slowly descended back gradually returned to her subterranean lair. down into its den, not to be seen again until after the sun went down and shadows had Four more hours drifted by, and as it swept across the Carrizo Plain.  About 100 yards to the east, I saw two rambunctious San Joaquin kit fox pups garnering attention from their doting dad near the base of the barren Panorama Hills.

CentralCoastJournal.com

San Joaquin kit fox pups garnering attention from their doting dad and playing.

Photos by Chuck Graham

MARCH 2022 | 25

Crossword

MARCH PUZZLE Edited by Will Shortz

The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 “No. 0118” For Release Tuesday, February 22, 2022

No. 0118

(Solutions on page 28)

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26 | MARCH

Central Coast Journal

Stay up on all the events and happenings in San Luis Obispo County!

MARCH

DUE TO COVID-19 ALL EVENTS ARE TENTATIVE AND DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. PLEASE CALL AHEAD OR CHECK ONLINE FOR MORE DETAILS.

MAR. 10

SUBMIT UPCOMING EVENTS TO: office@13starsmedia.com

MAR. 12

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS 4TH ANNUAL SPEAK OUT EVENT

MAR. 13

SEA GLASS ART DECO JEWELRY

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS

MONDAY CLUB IN SAN LUIS OBISPO 1815 MONTEREY ST

MORRO BAY ART ASSOCIATION 835 MAIN ST, MORRO BAY, CA

CUESTA COLLEGE, ROMAULDO RD

TIME: 6:00 p DETAILS: This event gives business owners the opportunity to speak with local government officials about their needs as a business community.

Tickets are $10.00 and can be purchased at www.eventbrite.com

TIME: 10:00 a - 12:00 p DETAILS: Learn how to make holes in sea glass and basic jewelry making skills to create a beautiful jewelry set. For more info visit artcentermorrobay.org

DETAILS: Daylight saving begins, so make sure to set your clocks forward an hour. “Spring Forward”

MAR. 12 - 13

MAR. 13

MAR. 13

SPARTAN EVENT WEEKEND

MOSAICS FOR BEGINNERS

CAL POLY: IT’S MAGIC

5995 W POZO RD SANTA MARGARITA

MORRO BAY ART ASSOCIATION 835 MAIN ST, MORRO BAY, CA

HAROLD J. MIOSSI CULTURAL AND PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, SAN LUIS OBISPO

TIME: 9:00 a - 1:00 p DETAILS: Learn the mosaic basics to create a one of a kind heart project.

Make sure you preregister. For more info visit artcentermorrobay.org

TIME: 3:00 p - 5:00 p DETAILS: It’s Magic! has been delighting magic enthusiasts of all ages for more than five decades.Tickets are on sale and can range from $19 - $54. The performers are internationally recognized award-winners, direct from the worlds exotic showroom, as well as Hollywood’s famous Magic Castle. For more info visit pacslo.org

DETAILS: Classic trail running, no obstacles, many distances - from Spartan Trail 50K, Half Marathon and 10K. Trail races are held in some of the most picturesque, natural environments. To register for races and more info visit race.spartan.com

MAR. 17

MAR. 26 - 27

ST. PATRICK’S DAY DETAILS: Wearing Green on St. Patrick’s Day is a tradition that was popularized by irish immigrants, who believed that wearing green made them invisible to leprechauns, who are said to pinch anyone they see

TUESDAYS

WEDNESDAYS

APR. 3

SPRING PLANT SALE & ART IN THE GARDEN

CANCER SUPPORT TOUR OF PASO BIKE RIDE

SAN LUIS BOTANICAL GARDEN, 3450 DAIRY CREEK RD

DETAILS: 26 and 50-mile routes through Paso’s beautiful wine country.Form a team and fundraise together! Prizes awarded for the top three fundraisers! Help to raise $80,000 to support local Cancer patients and their families! For more info visit cscslo.org

TIME: 10 a - 5 p DETAILS: Select from native and drought tolerant plants for sale and meet talented local artists featuring jewelry, glass, paintings, ceramics, sculptures and more. For more info visit slobg.org

THURSDAYS

FRIDAYS

PASO SAN LUIS ATASCADERO OBISPO ROBLES 11TH & SPRING STREET SUNKEN GARDENS HIGUERA ST.

MORRO BAY MAIN STREET

AVILA BEACH PROMENADE

TIME: 9:00 - 11:30 a

TIME: 2:00 - 4:30 p

TIME: 4:00 - 8:00 p

TIME: 3:00 - 6:00 p

TIME: 6:00 P - 8:30 p

SATURDAYS

SAT. / WED.

ARROYO TEMPLETON GRANDE 6TH & CROCKER SAT. = A.G. VILLAGE TIME: 9:00 a - 12:30 p WED. = SMART & FINAL TIME: 12:00 - 2:00 p (Sat.) TIM: 8:30 - 11:00 a (Wed.)

CentralCoastJournal.com

MARCH 2022 | 27

20 21 24 Collect, as profit 25 “___ dreaming?”

1 Reposition an 24 icon, maybe 26 WNW’s opposite 27 Beach 28 Community 29 2 Crowd’s sound COUNTY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO San Obispo Chamber Avila 27 Luis Principle of of All meetings below meet at the Commerce Services District. complementary County Government Center, Board of 3 Sub Phone: 805-781-2670 Phone: 33 805-595-2664 34 Supervisors Chambers, 1055 Monterey duality 895 Monterey St. 100 San Luis Street Avila St, 4 Room D170, Sanit Luis Obispo.

“Check out for San Obispo, CA 93401 Beach, 28 Luis Some people •Subdivision Review Board • first 39 CA 93424 yourself!”

Visit: slochamber.org Mailing address is: bow to it Monday, 9 a.m.

PO Box 309, Avila Beach CA Board of Supervisors • first and 5 Key inspiration?

43 29 Some protest Cambria Chamber of 93424 third Tuesday, 9 a.m. handouts Commerce Visit: avilabeachcsd.org 6 You, in hymns Parks & Recreation Commission 46 47 48 Phone 805-927-3624 • fourth Tuesday, 6 p.m.

30 Did some 7 Grande of “The Open Monday through Friday 9 Point San Luis Harbor District Airport Land Use Commission • Voice,” to fans to 5 crunches at Phone: 51 805-595-5400 52 53 54 third Wednesday, 1:30 p.m. lunch?

Please call first on weekends.

3950 Avila Beach Drive Air8Pollution and Control Board • Alamo offering 767 Streetx P.O. fourth Wednesday of every odd 31Main Mass 57Box 249 58 Cambria, California 93428in Avila Beach, CA 93424 numbered with some 9 Kindmonth, of fragrant acceleration, Visit: info@cambriachamber.org exceptions. oil in9 a.m. some Asian physics 62 63 Local cuisines Agency Formation Cayucos Chamber Los Osos / Baywood Park 32 Area nearof Commission • third Thursday, 9 66 67 Commerce of Commerce TriBeCa in N.Y.C. Chamber a.m.

10 Genre with a Hall Phone: 805-995-1200 Phone: 805528-4884 Planning second of Commission Fame in •Ohio 33 Gets comfortable 781 Mailing Address: 69Los Osos Valley Road, Los 70 and fourth Thursday, 9 a.m. with PO Box 106 Osos, CA 93402 11 Daisy variety805County Phone Directory: Cayucos, CA 93430 Mailing: P.O. Box 6282, Los also called a 781-5000 34 Chewy Easter Visit: cayucoschamber.com Osos, CA 93412 *Visitmarguerite slocounty.ca.gov for PUZZLE BY ORI BRIAN treat Visit: lobpchamber.org virtual & up to date meeting info.

12 Constellation 35 Plains tribe 49 First Morro Bay Chamber of Pismo Beachvegetable Chamber of 58 known as the 36 Bright color in Commerce Commerce grown in space Whale 695 Harbor St Phone: 805-773-4382 the garden 50 Lead-in to 59 Morro Bay, CA 93442 Visit: pismochamber.com 37 Spoken a culinary Phone: 805-772-4467 649 Dolliver St CROSSWORD SOLUTION ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE Visit: morrochamber.org Beach, CA 93449 38 Italy’s Mount ___ Pismoattribution 51 Combine, O H S O M I S T A C H Y 39 Things taken in as versatile class 60 F O W L L A K E T R E E SUBMIT UPCOMING EVENTS TO: wardrobe pieces 40 Mess up T W O I N K M I N I M U M S office@13starsmedia.com 61 N O N E M U M S L I M 41 Issa of “Insecure” 52 “Veni” 53 Strobe light gas T I N I L L P R A C T I C E 42 Pleasantly concise I C E F L O E E C O N A S 54 Miracle-___ GET EYES ON YOUR AD 62 C E D E A I M E L E N A 43 JoyfulMORE giddiness 55 Medieval 63 U M M A C H I N E adventure tale 44 DC Comics antiheroine a.k.a. 56 Add fuel to A S I D E S O D A T T A Promote business Selinayour Kyle P O W E T S N E W S I E S throughout 57 Beats easily 64 B E A T T O T H E A W R A P 45 Talk show visitor San Luis Obispo County.

46 Loud chewing, S X S W T A U I T E M for someat $275/month!

Online subscriptions: Today Starting T H E D O C T O R I S O U T puzzles, nytimes.com/cros counterpart R A R E K C U P K U S H 47 Id’sMENTION THIS AD AND GET 10% OFF YOUR 1/8 PAGE AD FOR 12 MONTHS A D E N S H I M S T A Y 48 Most faithful Read about and comment (805) 466-2585 • centralcoastjournal.com

CLUES

Events

13 Leslie ___, Amy Poehler’s role on “Parks and Recreation” San Obispo Regional 14Luis Chocolate-andTransit Authority caramel candy Phone: 805-781-4472 15Cross Number of A 179 Street, Suite Brontë San Luis Obispo, sisters CA 93401 Visit: or slorta.org Karamazov brothers 16Luis Ones with a Office San Obispo County lot of pull in of Education agriculture?

Phone: 805-543-7732 3350 Education Drive for 17 Major crop San Luis Obispo, CA 93405 Visit: Russia slocoe.org and Canada 18 Checks held by Clerk-Recorder Santa? San Luis Obispo Office 19 Actor Jared Phone: 805-781-5080 Monday-Friday, 8:00wasn’t AM - 5:00 20 One who PM, excluding holidays due to arrive, 1055 Monterey Street Suite D120 informally San Obispo, CAtreats 93408 21Luis Fountain 22 Count 23 Poppin’, as a party

Calendar

Government and Business

MARCH

28 | MARCH

Central Coast Journal

PHOTO OF THE MONTH Photo by Rick Evans, City of Atascadero Tamale Festival Dancers

To submit your Photo of the Month, send a high resolution (300 dpi) jpeg photo by email to editor@centralcoastjournal.com, along with where in SLO County the photo was taken and the photographer’s name.

CentralCoastJournal.com CentralCoastJournal.com

MARCH 2022 | 29 MARCH 2022 | 29

Last Word

A Special to Central Coast Journal

DOWNFALL:

The Case Against Boeing AND THE

Families of crash victims stand together in the film “Downfall: The Case against Boeing,” courtesy of Sundance Institute/ Netflix

737 MAX AIRPLANE

by Jimy Tallal

I

n October 2018, a Boeing 737 MAX jet owned by Lion Air crashed into the sea minutes after takeoff from Jakarta, killing all 189 people on board. Four months later, another 737 MAX, operated by Ethiopian Airlines, crashed minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa, killing all 157 people on board. Investigators later found that malfunctioning automatic flight controls caused the planes to nosedive, and recent changes to the system had been deliberately deleted from pilot training manuals.

“Downfall: The Case against Boeing,” the new documentary directed by Malibu local Rory Kennedy, is a blistering investigation into how these horrific crashes never would have happened if the company hadn’t prioritized profit over safety in the process of bringing the new Boeing 737 MAX to market.

In a phone interview, Kennedy’s passion for this project comes across front and center.

“This documentary was my idea,” she confirmed. “I followed this story after the first crash, and then after the second crash, I thought, ‘this just isn’t something that happens in modern aviation.’ I thought it was worth looking into and investigating. What did Boeing know, and when did they know it?”

The film’s story is told by people with firsthand knowledge of the events—family members, journalists, members of Congress, aviation experts, and Boeing whistleblowers. Boeing management declined to be interviewed but provided some responses in writing, Kennedy explained. Most of the film was shot during the pandemic, and many of the interviews were conducted remotely.

The investigation offers damning evidence of lies, negligence, and cover-ups by Boeing. In

early reviews that came out a day after “Downfall” premiered at the online-only Sundance Film Festival on January 21, one reviewer wrote, “This is a must-see documentary which is conventional to a fault, but about as solid an indictment of corporate greed as could be wished for…a highly uncomfortable mirror on modern society’s mores.”

The trouble all seemed to start when, after 30 years of safely and successfully manufacturing commercial airplanes sold around the world, Boeing merged with McDonnell-Douglas in 1996. The previous corporate culture of dogged commitment to safety began to change following that merger.

Airbus, a European aircraft manufacturer, competes with Boeing for aircraft contracts.

Boeing felt pressured to design a new plane quickly, so their new 737 MAX was simply a retrofit 1967 plane model with more efficient engines, even though some aerodynamic issues remained.

In August 2011, Boeing announced the creation of the 737 MAX and also introduced a flight control software dubbed MCAS that would automatically push the plane’s nose down in certain circumstances. That system was problematic, and Boeing knew it.

“As far back as 2013, there was evidence that Boeing was trying to hide the MCAS system from pilots, airlines, and the FAA,” Kennedy said, “and not alert them to the fact that it was on the plane.“ The reason, which came out later, is that the MCAS system would have required additional worldwide pilot training at great expense to the company.

“They made a concerted effort, it seems, to save money,” Kennedy commented.

In 2016, an internal memo from Boeing documented the MCAS system problem: if the plane stalled, and if a problematic sensor was broken, and the pilot didn’t react within four to 10 seconds to turn off several systems, the plane would crash. They got the FAA to delete MCAS from the 737 MAX training manual. The plane was certified for commercial flight, and in 2018, Boeing reported $101 billion in revenue.

Then the crashes happened within five months of each other. After the first crash, Boeing didn’t raise any red flags or call for additional simulator training, Kennedy related.

Instead, they tried to shift blame to the pilot and insisted the planes were safe to fly. And the FAA listened to them—until the second crash.

But also between crashes, “there was a report released saying these planes were likely to crash at least 15 times in their lifetime,” Kennedy continued. “There’s a real sense Boeing valued profit over human life.”

After the second crash, all 737 MAX planes were grounded for 20 months, and a Congressional investigation determined Boeing was at fault, along with lax FAA oversight.

When asked if the 737 MAX should’ve been allowed to fly again, Kennedy said, “I wouldn’t get on a 737 MAX right now. I have ongoing concerns about the plane. There are a number of problems that are still outstanding that they have not addressed. Some items got grandfathered in. It’s questionable how much internal work Boeing has done to prioritize safety.”

Rory Kennedy is an Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker with over 30 highly acclaimed films to her credit, including “Last Days in Vietnam,” “Ethel,” and “Take Every Wave: The Life of Laird Hamilton.” 

DIRECTORY TO OUR ADVERTISERS • YOUR CENTRAL COAST JOURNAL IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE FOLLOWING: Alan’s Draperies...................................... 11 Avila Ranch............................................... 4 Ekmanian Tax & Accounting.................... 11

Farrell Smyth............................................ 2 First 5 San Luis Obispo County.................. 3 Frederick Law Firm, a law corp................ 11

Reverse Mortgage Specialist................... 11 Robert Hall Winery................................... 5 SLO County Office of Education................. 7

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Support the Journal and get delivered directly to thousands of addresses in SLO County and dropped at hundreds of local locations • email sales@13starsmedia.com or call 805-546-0609 30 | MARCH

Central Coast Journal

14TH ANNUAL

SAVE THE DATE

Sunday, April 3 2022

REGISTER TODAY FOR THE 14TH ANNUAL TOUR OF PASO RIDE RIDERS OF ALL SKILL LEVELS, THEIR CHOICE OF TWO ROUTES – PASO ROBLES WINE COUNTRY NINER

FROM BEGINNERS TO ADVANCED, HAVE 50 AND 26 MILES – THROUGH THE SCENIC REGION, ALL STARTING AND ENDING AT WINE ESTATES. BENEFITING:

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