February 2015 Journal Plus Magazine

JIM DEE | SHARON LOVEJOY | BONNIE KEY | THAD AND WENDY TUCK | GRACE POLETTI

JournalPLUS FEBRUARY 2015

MAGA ZINE OF THE CENTRAL COAST

FIREFIGHTERS FIGHTING LEUKEMIA

ANDY CARLIN WITH 2-YEAR-OLD, MAYSIE

805-543-2172

www.farrellsmyth.com

21 Santa Rosa Street #100 San Luis Obispo

805-904-6616 110 E. Branch Street Arroyo Grande

www.717marvista.com

www.3425Johnson.com

Larry D. Smyth

Jennifer Hamilton

Owner/Broker

Relocation Director

Nice home on the sunny side of town. Four Bedroom, Fireplace, two car garage in a convenient location. Homes in Linda Aiello-Madison this sub-division are in demand. $629,000 Broker-Associate

Quiet location....Nearby beach living and hiking trails. Awesome lighted observation deck overlooking the bay above the house access through the back yard. Two covered patios with skylights.

Spacious living room with brick fireplace and vaulted cedar ceiling.

Family room has wood burning stove. Home was Remodeled kitchen/ granite countertop, skylights and garden window. $575,000

Ken Arritt

Valerie Simpson

Broker-Associate

Twila Arritt

REALTOR®

www.414Westpoint.com

www.1123Coral.com

Broker-Associate

Simone Viola

REALTOR®

Cool Ocean View Unit - Panoramic Ocean Views from this spacious One Bedroom unit. Don’t miss this opportunity to live in the desirable Bay Cliff Village. $439,000

Nice Laguna Lake Three Bedroom. Well located away from traffic and close to shopping. $559,000

www.864Tarragon.com

Mary Rosenthal REALTOR®

Santa Maria

Carol Beard

Laura Pyzer

Pamela Bliss

Penny Parrish

REALTOR®

REALTOR®

Broker-Associate

Theresa Carroll

REALTOR®

Desirable Laurel Creek Community, Turn-key, mint condition, upscale 2009-built with two full master suites with multiple closets. Euro-style balconies, granite kitchen counters w/ upscale cabinetry & appliances.

Lovely carpet, inside laundry, convenient large pantry/storage area at garage level, fire sprinklers, intercom system, finished, well-lit attached 2-car garage. High-efficiency central heating & air. Community clubhouse, EZ commute to Cal Poly, downtown, dining & shopping. $380,000

Move in ready. Bring your furniture! Regular sale. Great for first time buyers or investment. You really need to see this great 4 bedroom home. Close to the freeway and shopping . Newer roof, water heater, kitchen faucet and garbage disposal. $279,900

REALTOR®

Jerry Collins REALTOR®

Deane Naylor REALTOR®

Paddy Doron REALTOR®

Patricia Garrison REALTOR®

Vicky Hall REALTOR®

David Hamilton REALTOR®

Linda Irigaray Broker-Associate

Annette Mullen REALTOR®

CONTENTS

Journal PLUS MAGAZINE OF THE CENTRAL COAST

The People, Community, and Business of Our Beautiful Central Coast ADDRESS

654 Osos Street San Luis Obispo California 93401

20

AG IN BLOOM

PHONE 805.546.0609 E-MAIL slojournal@fix.net WEBSITE www.slojournal.com

EDITOR & PUBLISHER Steve Owens ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Erin Mott GRAPHIC DESIGNER Dora Mountain COPY EDITOR Susan Stewart PHOTOGRAPHER Tom Meinhold DISTRIBUTION Jan Owens, Kyle Owens

12

18

JIM DEE

BONNIE KEY

ADVERTISING Steve Owens CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Susan Stewart, Natasha Dalton, Joseph Carotenuti, Dr. James Brescia, Sarah Hedger, Maggie Cox, Will Jones, Deborah Cash, Heather Young, Ruth Starr, Rebecca Leduc, Don Morris, Mike Robinson, Karen Harris, John Ashbaugh, Vicki Leon and Gail Pruitt.

Mail subscriptions are available at $20 per year. Back issues are $2 each. Inquires concerning advertising or other information made by writing to Steve Owens, JOURNAL PLUS MAGAZINE, 654 Osos Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401. You can call us at 546-0609, our fax line is 546-8827, and our e-mail is slojournal@fix.net. View the entire magazine on our website at www.slojournal.com JOURNAL PLUS MAGAZINE is a free monthly distributed to over 600 locations throughout the Central Coast and is also available online at slojournal.com Editorial submissions are welcome but are published at the discretion of the publisher. Submissions will be returned if accompanied by a stamped self addressed envelope. No material published in the magazine can be reproduced without written permission.

Opinions expressed in the byline articles are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the JOURNAL PLUS MAGAZINE. COVER PHOTO BY KHUE “KAREN” NGO

PEOPLE 10 12 14 16 18

GRACE POLETTI JIM DEE SHARON LOVEJOY THAD AND WENDY TUCK BONNIE KEY

HOME & OUTDOOR 20 22 24 26

ARROYO GRANDE IN BLOOM PROJECT SWEET DREAMS FOOD / AT THE MARKET SLO ART SCENE

COMMUNITY

28 30 31 32 34 36 41 42

FIREFIGHTERS CLIMB FOR LEUKEMIA GREATEST ATHLETES OF SLO GET FIT FAST—Mike Robinson HISTORY: A President Arrives VETERANS—CALL TO THE COLORS PALM STREET Councilman Ashbaugh OUR SCHOOLS—Dr. James Brescia COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD

BUSINESS

37 DOWNTOWN SLO What’s Happening 46 EYE ON BUSINESS

F E B R U A R Y

2015

Journal PLUS

COMING UP AT THE

PERFORMING ARTS CENTER LINDSEY STIRLING

THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES February 13-14 | 7:30 p.m.

February 03 | 7:30 p.m.

February 15 | 3:00 p.m.

Christopher Cohan Center

Pavilion

Presented by Cal Poly Arts

Presented by CP Gender Equity Center

MIND BOGGLING ROBERTA FLACK

February 14 | 8:00 p.m.

February 04 | 7:30 p.m.

Christopher Cohan Center

Christopher Cohan Center

Presented by Rotary Club of San Luis Obispo de Tolosa

Presented by Cal Poly Arts

CLASSICS IN THE COHAN: VOILA! VIOLA!

MET LIVE IN HD: IOLANTA & BLUEBEARD'S CASTLE February 15 | 2:00 p.m.

February 07 | 8:00 p.m.

Christopher Cohan Center

Christopher Cohan Center

Presented by Cal Poly Arts &

Presented by SLO Symphony

Opera SLO

THE SECOND CITY

ARAB MUSIC ENSEMBLE WINTER CONCERT

February 08 | 7:00 p.m.

February 21 | 8:00 p.m.

Christopher Cohan Center

Christopher Cohan Center

Presented by Cal Poly Arts

Presented by Cal Poly Music Department

THE OTHER SHORE MEMPHIS

February 26-28 & March 5-7 | 8:00 p.m.

February 09 | 7:30 p.m.

Alex & Faye Spanos Theatre

Christopher Cohan Center

Presented by Cal Poly Theatre & Dance Department

Presented by Cal Poly Arts

WIND BANDS' WINTER POPS CONCERT: STRIKE UP THE BAND SLO COUNTY HONOR BAND February 11 | 7:00 p.m.

Christopher Cohan Center

February 28 | 8:00 p.m.

Christopher Cohan Center Presented by Cal Poly Music Department

Presented by SLO County Bands WWW.PACSLO.ORG | 805-756-4TIX (4849)

From the publisher

L

ast year we profiled Templeton Firefighter, Brandon Wall, who participated in Seattle, Washington’s annual Scott Firefighter Stair Climb. The event raises funds to help cure Leukemia and Lymphoma. The story inspired other local firefighters to participate, and this year ten more SLO County Firefighters are joining Wall for the March event. Susan Stewart caught up with them during a practice session along with families fighting Leukemia and Lymphoma and writes a heartwarming story. Please support them if you can.

Spring into Spring with a smile!

NEW PATIENTS WELCOME!

Deborah Cash recently had the opportunity to interview Grace Poletti. The fifth-generation Swiss Italian family member has a wonderful story to tell. You’ll enjoy reading her story about life on the Central Coast.

The Palm Theatre’s Jim Dee is also profiled this month

by Will Jones. Jim’s love for film and his theatre makes it perfectly clear why he has had so much success over the years.

Plenty of other good stories and columns inside as well.

Enjoy the magazine,

REMEMBER, WE’VE MOVED!

11545 LOS OSOS VALLEY ROAD SUITE A • SAN LUIS OBISPO • PARKING AROUND THE BACK

CALL US AT 805-541-5800 TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT.

Steve Owens

A proud tradition of serving our community for over 30 years

SAN LUIS OBISPO – Two homes on one

lot!! SO close to Poly. This property is a gem. Both units are 2 bedrooms and 1 bath.

The rear unit does have a 2 car garage and a fenced yard. Front unit was recently updated with flooring and paint and back unit has been updated throughout. Great buy! $729,000 #3248

The SoHo District of SLO

ARROYO GRANDE – Welcome to Canyon Country! Beautiful Verde Canyon only minutes to SLO, Arroyo Grande and Pismo Beach. This 5 acre parcel has stunning oaks and an existing well, ready for your custom home to be constructed. Verde Canyon is very private with only a handful of home and ranches. Come take a drive and see for yourself. Local lender financing available to qualified buyer. $499,000 #3146

SAN LUIS OBISPO – This amazing piece of property

TEMPLETON – Wonderful well maintained 4 bedroom home in West Templeton.

Newer roof, spacious private yard, open living area, vaulted ceilings, and wonderful school district. This home is ready to move in! $447,500 #3255

is conveniently located in the Historic Railroad District of Old Town SLO. Bike Boulevard, train station, restaurants & cafes just steps away. This large 2 bedroom, 1 bath on a R-3 parcel has undergone an amazing transformation. Pella windows, beautiful hardwood floors, interior/exterior paint, roof, gutters, electrical & stained concrete patios. Backyard features a cabana and plenty of room for a garden. This is a must see to appreciate the detailed craftsmanship & the integration of quality building materials. This is simply one of the finest examples of City living in San Luis Obispo. $749,000 #3257

PASO ROBLES – Single level, bright and GORGEOUS!!! The seller has really set this one up... 3 bedroom, 2 bath with hardwood and tile floors throughout. This home shows like a model! Open floor plan with large kitchen, living area and formal dining. Great rear yard with covered patio and great views. Master is large with soak tub and spacious walk-in closet! $439,000 #3258

Baron Canyon Gated Community

GROVER BEACH – Le Sage Mobile Home

Park – This well maintained mobile home is just moments to the Pismo Beach Boardwalk, Pacific Ocean and adjacent to the Butterfly Preserve. Talk about location! Three bedrooms, 2 baths, laundry and large kitchen great for entertaining.

Peaceful neighborhood with a few mobiles used as Vacation Rentals. Skylights, low maintenance landscaping and easy living floorplan. $239,000 #3256

SAN LUIS OBISPO – Executive-style home with

incredible views from every room, surrounded by majestic oak trees! The spacious, well-designed floor plan is ideal with the master suite plus 2 bedrooms, office and laundry room all on the main level. A beautiful staircase leads downstairs to a fabulous, flexible space that can be used as an expansive guest quarters with a living room and kitchen, or a family entertainment area. The grounds include a multi-level, epay deck with a built in spa and seating.

Great location – just minutes from Avila Beach and downtown San Luis Obispo. $1,829,000 #3253

CAMBRIA – Contiguous lots totaling 7500 sq ft (approx). CCSD Water Position #414, topography survey, site plan and preliminary plans for a custom 3,467 sq ft 2-story home included!! Great views and great location!! $98,000 #3254

For more information on these and other Real Estate Group of SLO listings call us at

805.541.2888

962 Mill Street • San Luis Obispo, California 93401 • www.RealEstateGroup.com

FITNESS SUCCESS BEGINS HERE Services & Specializations Include: Personal Training • Boot Camps Weight Loss • Semi Private Training Injury Prevention • Stress Relief You will experience the following:

Mike Z. Robinson

Recognized by the IDEA Health & Fitness Association as one of the Top 3 Personal Trainers in the World

· Lose pounds and decrease body fat · Decreased inches in the midsection · Learn new exercises · 25% - 50% improvement in core, endurance/stamina, and strength · Tone and increase muscle definition · 100% gain in self confidence

Client Spotlight: Cindy Jones

“I have been working out at MZR Fitness for 5 years now. I love the boot camp workouts because I have the ability to have fun and get in a great workout at the same time. The classes are always challenging with motivating instructors who make fitness more enjoyable. I hate to miss a class!

No matter what your current fitness level is, MZR Fitness workouts will challenge you and if needed, be adapted to your fitness or physical condition. I found out a few years ago that I have an autoimmune disease and at the time, I thought my boot camp days might have been over. But luckily MZR Fitness has worked with me every step of the way and I now celebrate & focus on the things I can do instead of what I can’t do. Thanks MZR Fitness for helping me to continue to stay fit in all phases of life!”—Cindy Jones

February Special: Contact Us Today for One Free Month of Boot Camp (NEW CLIENTS ONLY) Sign Up For Our Award Winning Monthly Electronic Newsletter Jam Packed With Fitness Articles, Fitness Tips, Client Success Stories, Recipes, And Exclusive Offers At WWW.MZRFITNESS.COM

www.mzrfitness.com

(805) 543-9800

10

PEOPLE

amazing...

grace poletti

the nicest nearly-nonagenarian you’ll ever meet

By Deborah Cash

A

s the fifth of nine children born to Donald and Esther Silacci on May 24, 1925, Grace Silacci Poletti said being the middle child in the family was “why I was so neglected,” though her wry smile allowed that was only half-true. Not that life was easy for any of the members of the fifth-generation Swiss Italian family living near Villa Creek in Cayucos and raising dairy cattle back in the 1920s. “We all had to work hard every single day,” Grace recounted, adding that once the calves were fed and the chores were done, the kids would head off to the one-room Someo School where the majority of the 17 students were the Silaccis and the neighboring ranch’s kids.

Grace recalls such an existence had its challenges. When Grace was four years old, she and a group of children were playing in the barn, frolicking and jumping in the hay bales. All of a sudden, a cousin threw a pitchfork and, said Grace, “It went right through my right eye.”

Grace was taken by train to Children’s Hospital in San Francisco—“I went a whole day without seeing a doctor!”—where they stitched her eye closed and sent her home. In her typical upbeat fashion she said, “In a way it was good because I really got pampered!” Later in life, Grace was fitted with a prosthetic eye though the experience did not appear to dampen her spirits one bit. During high school at Coast Union, Grace was an adorable majorette (pictured), modestly describing herself as “clumsy as a horse,” and she enjoyed recalling the times—despite the grueling work schedule—her brothers would escort her and her sisters into town to dances. “We had to behave or they would tell on us,” she said, then chuckled, “but we didn’t always behave.”

Grace went to work immediately after high school explaining, “Not too many of us were able to go to college.” She started out at AT&T in Cambria as a switchboard operator. Working the night shift, she recalled, was

Grace with her family: Clockwise (L-R) Great grandson Tyler, Grandson Joey, Joey’s wife Brenda, great granddaughter Tessa, great grandson Hunter. Not pictured: great granddaughters Hailey and Hannah.

F E B R U A R Y

2015

Journal PLUS

a bit slow. But she had the thrill of connecting calls from an upset Marion Davies who’d occasionally have an alcohol-laced tiff with teetotaler boyfriend William Randolph Hearst and would ring up for Steve Zagar’s local taxi service to take her home to LA. “We weren’t supposed to listen in on the conversations,” she said, “but we eavesdropped anyway,” joking that pretty much no one is still alive from those days to care. “Hearst would then get on the phone to beg Davies to come back and Zagar would go get her,” she laughed. Pretty high drama for that neck of the woods back then!

Grace is one of those people who, in the telling of their fascinating life story, often reveals much more than their history. As she talks, one gets that her sense of humor is only exceeded by her love of people, doing things for others and enjoying life. At nearly 90, she lives entirely and sufficiently on her own and still drives. She is involved with many community, church and neighborhood activities. She also loves sharing her

Chief Amy Christey and Grace Poletti after Grace received her 50th anniversary badge.

PEOPLE

11

her daughter Shirley and granddaughter Jayme to cancer and providing care for her grandson and great grandchildren over time.

Besides playing the accordion—which she says she doesn’t do anymore because ‘that thing is so darned heavy!’—and the organ, she loves to sew, cook, garden and decorate. She holds open houses for people to gather and assembles caroling groups during the holidays. “We have a wonderful town,” she says of Morro Bay, “We really care about each other here.”

remarkable and historical local past—continuing with how she met her husband.

After the phone company stint, Grace worked at Riley’s in SLO while still helping out on her family’s ranch. “A couple miles over,” she said, “lived the Poletti’s, and son Bill would often come over to give me a hand with my chores.”

Their marriage in 1949 lasted until Bill’s death in 2003 and they had one daughter, Shirley.

Together they took over the operation of the Poletti Ranch. Bill was sworn in as a reserve sheriff’s deputy, customary for ranchers at that time who needed to take immediate action against poachers and trespassers.

After retiring from ranching, Grace and Bill moved to “the little cabin on the hill” in Morro Bay and Grace lives there still. Grace immersed herself in the local community, particularly helping out the local police department where she noticed the property surrounding the facility had weeds “two feet high.” For five years she kept up their yard and to her delight was named “Mom” of the department and continues to help by bringing goodies and clothing, helping at community events, sewing aprons for the Neighborhood Watch BBQ, organizing dinners and more. For eight years, she ran the command post at the Morro Bay Harbor Festival and furnished breakfast for 90 people each day.

She was named Community Treasure in 2003 and Citizen of the Year by the Morro Bay Chamber of Commerce in 2004.

For all her recognition, which she values deeply, she really is not about herself at all.

She has a great love for helping anyone and organizing activities where people can come together and have a good time. She is also compassionate beyond measure, having lost

“I’m slowing down now,” she says, though even up against specimens much younger, she’s still a dynamo. That, in spite of the fact that four years ago, she suffered a kitchen accident resulting in second degree burns to her upper body. Though she recovered miraculously with hardly a visible trace, she realizes that she may need to scale back. “The police chief told me I probably shouldn’t be driving,” she said. “I told him in five more years I’ll run him over then I’ll give it up!” she kidded.

Grace and Bill on their wedding day, 1949.

Bill’s sheriff’s badge prominently among the multitude of decorations.

Reminiscing briefly she said that she was glad to have lived the ranching life but she doesn’t know how people make it in that industry today. “There are no more dairies now,” she said. “All our milk went to the Harmony Valley Creamery.” In true Grace fashion she chided, “Now it’s a mortuary. I will take one last trip there but I won’t be milking a cow!”

What really strikes one about Grace IS her grace. She speaks from the heart and soul and is quick to smile and call you sweetie.

“It’s better than being a crabby old lady,” she said when complimented on her disposition.

“I don’t take advantage of anyone,” she said and in fact, er! evidence of such emPow d e in her home was e n You a pile of snacks by the door waiting for r energy uce you the neighborhood nd red a e l b Make mforta children who would your home more co be coming by after school and a “care package” full to the brim and ready to be mailed to her great grandson, someUtility incentives up to $6,500 thing she does twice Low interest, unsecured loans a month.

FREE home energy site visit A tour of her home Qualified contractors revealed a lifetime’s worth of treasures Upgrade Today! belonging to her parents, things she’s Visit: emPowerSBC.org collected over the Call: (805) 781-5982 years and many photographs; her pride and joy is an oversized panorama of her with the entire Morro Bay police This Program is funded by California utility ratepayers and administered force. She displays

by Southern California Gas Company and Pacific Gas & Electric her honorary badge under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission. along with husband

d?!

Weari a Beanie to Be ng

F E B R U A R Y

2015

Journal PLUS

12

PEOPLE

The Palm TheatRE’s

jim dee

do what you love, be the boss

By Will Jones

G

iacomo Ricardo De Pasquale, born in Sicily in 1909, entered the United States through Ellis Island in 1918, became a music teacher with a studio at Carnegie Hall, and eventually turned to real estate and insurance sales. Along the way he changed his name to James Richard Dee, married and started a family, which, after stops in Hackensack, Las Vegas and Las Cruces and Southern California, settled in San Luis Obispo in 1965. When advising his son, James Jr., about a career he said, “Do what you love, be the boss.”

How fortunate for movie fans that Jim Dee, owner of the Palm Theatre, followed his father’s advice. Starting with Cinema Zoo in the mid-70s, then with The Rainbow theatre in 1979, and now, for over twenty-five years, with the Palm Theatre, Jim has done what he loves, been his own boss, and brought thousands of hours of entertainment, education, pleasure and joy to countless movie goers. If there were a top ten list of families and their businesses that help make the Central Coast such a great place to live, Jim, his wife Patty, and their daughters Nicole and Tina would definitely be on it.

Fourteen when his family arrived here, Jim attended San Luis Obispo Senior High and Cal Poly, where he majored in journalism and broad-

casting, hoping for a career in radio. “I spent most of my Cal Poly time at KCPR, but when I realized I’d probably have to move to Los Angeles or San Francisco to find work, I started considering other options. I still love radio as a medium. I’ve hosted a music show on KCBX for twenty years, and for ten years Bob Whiteford and I hosted Take Two, a popular show about movies. The show was streamed so we had fans all over the world.”

Jim remembers his grandmother taking him to the movies in Pearl River, New York, when he was young. He loved monster and vampire movies like The Horror of Dracula, but also remembers when movies changed for him. “You see a film like Blow Up or 2001 Space Odyssey and you experience that moment that takes your breath away and excites your curiosity, even if you don’t know exactly what’s going on.

The old Obispo Theater showed great films like The Graduate and Bergman’s Cries and Whispers which I hated but still made me think, mostly about the depressed lives of the Nordic people,” Jim said with a laugh.

In 1973 Jim and graphic artist Paul Karlen, who owns Turn to Nature in downtown SLO, started showing films “under the banner of The San Luis Obispo Zoopraxographical Film Society, or Cinema Zoo at various locations around San Luis Obispo. The lengthy term refers to the Zoopraxographical Hall in Chicago, supposedly the world’s first moving image theater in 1893,” according to the Palm Theatre website. Admission was seventy-five cents. Later in the ’70s Jim and F E B R U A R Y

2015

Journal PLUS

PEOPLE Patty were involved in the Savannah Dinner Theater and when that failed they used the space on Osos Street to start the singlescreen, one-hundred-and-sixty seat Rainbow Theatre in July 1979.

“We started out showing 16mm films, the bare bones, and then graduated to 35mm.

The Rainbow became very popular. We sometimes had two double features a week, like The Maltese Falcon and Chinatown.

It was pre-video times and we were quite successful. Film fans would come to see a Woody Allen triple feature, which would never happen today. The tough part was having only one screen. If we made a bad booking decision, we had to live with it until we could change films.”

In a nostalgic moment, Jim talked about the “quantum change” that occurred when videos became available. “In the old days, movies existed here, in your memory,” Jim said, pointing to his head. “A film was part of your personal history and experience. With videos, you could own the film, hold it in the palm of your hand and watch it as many times as you wanted to, rewind and watch favorite parts. It was a plus and a minus, but something was lost, the romance of going to the theater, buying popcorn and sharing the experience with a larger audience.”

Jim and Patty, who has also taught music for San Luis Coastal and currently teaches steel drum classes at Cuesta, opened the twoscreen Palm Theatre in 1988, but the cost of remodeling the building on Palm Street and a slow-down in business forced them to close

The Rainbow a year later. “The town didn’t embrace the Palm the way I thought it would,” Jim said, “so the first few years were rough. Fortunately, I had an option to buy the building, so I did everything I could to make that happen. I don’t think we would be here if I hadn’t bought the property and become my own landlord.”

13

A photo and story several years ago in The Tribune on Jim Dee’s goal with the Palm Theatre.

A third screen was added in 1993, and in 2004 the installation of ninety-eight solar panels made the Palm the first solar powered theater in the United States. The power generated goes into the grid and is credited back at billing time, all of which helps Jim get through the slow times in the late summer and early fall. “With all the competition from high definition television and videos, payper-view, streaming … unless we get a freak hit, like Chef this summer, Mondays through Thursdays can be rough.”

One of Jim’s biggest concerns is about future audiences. We talked about the predominance of what we called the “gray haired audience,” like me that attends the Palm, and the distinct lack of a younger audience, so much so that Jim no longer has 9:15 showings as he did in the past. “We used to pack viewings with college students, but it’s the same all over the country for independent theaters. Youth are attending the blockbusters at the multiplexes but not the smaller, alternative, out-of-themain-stream films. I hope the pendulum swings back the other way.” And where else can customers buy popcorn for $1 and not have to listen to advertisements before the movie starts?

Film Festival. To this day I don’t know what the hook is that gets people into the theatre, but my hope is that they’ll keep coming.

Films are important. They can be basic entertainment or, hopefully, they can make you feel something emotional, something you’ve never felt before, or take you to a place you’ve never been. That’s the experience we want to share at the Palm Theatre.”

A family story: From Sicily to San Luis Obispo, musician to cinema impresario, Carnegie Hall to the Palm Theatre. Sounds like a good idea for a movie, don’t you think?

The most recent challenge has been the shift to digital technology. Each new projector costs seventy-thousand dollars. So the theatre that has, over the years, brought huge audience favorites like Shirley Valentine, Juno, Amelie, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Fahrenheit 911 and The March of the Penguins to San Luis Obispo, is ready to continue providing excellent films to its loyal followers now and in the future.

An old Marilyn poster in the Theatre.

“We succeed because, in addition to giving you what you can’t get at home, we stay involved with the community through benefits, special screenings, the SLO International F E B R U A R Y

2015

Journal PLUS

14

PEOPLE

Author

sharon lovejoy local history comes alive for black history month

By Vicki León

A Jacket art copyright 2014 Meagan Bennett.

Permission by Delacorte Press 2014.

s we celebrate Black History month this February, our own county has produced an insightful new book on the topic, aimed at younger readers and an eyeopening read for adults as well. The book in question is written by Sharon Lovejoy, a local author and illustrator long known nationally for her stellar lineup of nonfiction books on gardening and nature. She and her husband Jeff Prostovich live in the city of San Luis Obispo, but residents of our county may also remember the Heart’s Ease Herb Shop & Gardens that Lovejoy owned and operated for 15 years in Cambria.

During that period, Lovejoy also played a key role in helping the historical society purchase what is now the Cambria Historical Museum. Her lifelong fascination with history is part of the motivation that drove her to write a debut novel, a real change of pace from her prior works.

Lovejoy’s book focuses on slavery and the workings of the famous Underground Railroad that stretched more than 700 miles from the southern states into Canada. Called Running Out of Night, the novel published by Random House is set in rural Virginia in 1858, at that time a slave-owning state. The story follows the collision of two preteen girls, one black, one white—both of them “enslaved” and seeking freedom in different ways, and the surprising lessons they learn on their odyssey.

The book opens in crisis, as a runaway slave named Zenobia seeks refuge from the armed slavers hot on her trail. In desperation, she tries to hide on the rundown property of a white family. There she encounters an abused, motherless 12-year-old, who happens to be alone because her father and brothers have gone to help the slavers hunt down black runaways.

At first unwilling to help, the girl (later nicknamed “Lark” by Zenobia for her ability to imitate birds) decides to join forces with the runaway.

Kept at home and denied schooling by her father, Lark has educated herself by gaining an encyclopedic knowledge of the natural world.

As the two girls struggle to elude slavers and find safe havens in the wilderness, Lark uses the moon, the stars, and the alarm calls of birds as skillfully as a GPS app. When injuries occur and bad luck strikes, she draws on her herbal skills to locate plants to heal wounds—and to outsmart the bad guys. Her ingenuity lends the book authenticity and interest, making it more than a tale of two runaways.

Other aspects of the story line also keep it fresh: the portrayal of the Quakers and their role as “conductors” on the Underground Railroad; F E B R U A R Y

2015

Journal PLUS

Sharon Lovejoy photo by Florence Karlin

the other fleeing slaves the girls meet and come to care about; and an unblinking look at the cruelties and disappointments that the runaways encounter.

The author lets her characters, black and white, Quaker and nonQuaker, communicate in the everyday language they once spoke. This is tricky territory for writers but Lovejoy pulls it off. She captures the languid musicality of the long-ago South, with its quirky sayings and its grammatical whimsy.

Among her ancestors, this busy author is proud to point to a number of Quakers who pioneered the land in Virginia and Pennsylvania during the 1700s. They homesteaded Loudon County in northern Virginia, just 35 miles from Washington, D.C., and the scene of much military action during the Civil War. Although Quakers abhorred violence and believed in pacifism, her family did attend abolitionist meetings. Furthermore, her greatgrandfather Edwin Baker and great-uncle Aaron Baker joined the Union Army and fought in the Civil War. Some of Sharon Lovejoy’s most prized possessions are letters and other memorabilia, including one document that dates to the Battle of Gettysburg, that her elder cousin, Margaret Macdonald, and her grandmother, Abigail Harlan Baker Lovejoy, bestowed on her decades ago.

After the Civil War, some of Lovejoy’s ancestors traveled west to join Quaker communities in Pasadena, California. It was there that Sharon spent the first seven years of her life, soaking up the Quaker speech patterns around her, and learning the joy of nature and wilderness ways from her Quaker grandmother, herself a botanist and an educator.

As the reader can imagine, Lovejoy carried out a copious amount of onsite research in Virginia for this book. During her many visits to the state, she

PEOPLE for me when I read them, filled with not only life, but also deaths of friends and family who fought in the Civil War. Sometimes, as I copied letters stained with blood, I would see my tears mix with the ink in my journal entries. I sobbed as I read how my greatuncle Aaron Baker had only a few days left to serve in the army when he was shot to death at Spotsylvania Courthouse. He was carried off the battlefield by his brother Edwin and three other friends, who buried him in a nearby field.”

15

“This is what I want for children [who read my book]; I want their minds and hearts to open wide to the fabric of our history. To learn how [racial] hatred can be transmitted like a virus, but can be cured with knowledge and love.”

Sharon Lovejoy’s book, Running Out of Night, received from the International Reading Association a “Best Books 2014” award. Her books are available at local bookstores, libraries, and online as well. Her website, blog, and other materials can be accessed at www.sharonlovejoy.com.

PING TSAO MD COSMETIC & PLASTIC SURGERY

Harriet Tubman

interviewed locals and even worked as a substitute teacher, which let her eavesdrop and learn more of the rich superstitions and colorful idioms of the area. Like any good writer, Sharon admits, “Listening is one of my passions.”

What does the author hope readers will take away from her book?

“As a kid, I was guilty of snoozing through many history classes. Was it me? Or the way we were taught? I know that rote memorization of dates and events never worked for me.

But tell me a story, and my mind and heart opened wide,” she says.

“Those amazing letters from my long-ago family,” she continues. “History came alive

WHEN CONSIDERING COSMETIC OR RECONSTRUCTIVE PLASTIC SURGERY, YOU WANT THE SKILL OF AN EXPERIENCED SURGEON. DR. TSAO HAS MORE THAN 40 YEARS OF SURGICAL TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE. HE AND HIS STAFF ARE DEDICATED TO THE RIGHT PROCEDURE FOR EACH UNIQUE INDIVIDUAL. THIS TAKES COMMUNICATION, CONSULTATION, DISCRETION, WARMTH, AND LEADERSHIP. PING TSAO IS UNIQUELY QUALIFIED TO PERFORM YOUR COSMETIC OR RECONSTRUCTIVE PROCEDURE.

DR. TSAO SPECIALIZES IN: BREAST AUGMENTATION - BREAST IMPLANT REVISION BREAST LIFT - BREAST REDUCTION - FACE LIFTS LIPOSUCTION -TUMMY TUCK - MOMMY-MAKE OVER CHILD COSMETIC CORRECTIONS

35 YEARS IN YOUR COMMUNITY, BOARD CERTIFIED, PRIOR-CHAIRMAN OF FRENCH HOSPITAL, PRIOR-CHIEF OF STAFF OF FRENCH HOSPITAL, PRIOR-PRESIDENT OF THE SLO COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY.

Monument to the Underground Railroad in Canada.

1035 Peach Street, San Luis Obispo | 543-9377 | www.plasticsurgeryslo.com F E B R U A R Y

2015

Journal PLUS

16

PEOPLE

the tucks

“in life, you learn as you go”

By Natasha Dalton

U

sing internet platforms, such as House Exchange, to find a place to stay on vacations, differs from the traditional rental’s booking in more than one way. But the major benefit is that the house you end up with comes free of charge.

Free housing at a destination of your choice, anywhere, any time—it’s an idea that appeals to many. Staying in a real neighborhood, instead of a hotel strip off a busy freeway, is also an obvious plus; checking out hiking spots, tucked-away shops and cafes, popular among locals, lets you explore the area in a more intimate and fun way.

But who in this day and age—with constant media reminders of the con-men lurking on the internet in search of innocent victims—would let total strangers into their homes?

“Trusting people,” that’s who, says Thad Tuck from Paso Robles. And as quick research shows, there’re millions of those trusting people all over the world, for whom talking to people and learning about their culture is at least as important as traveling to see the sights. They are the ones who prefer homestay, and won’t have it any other way.

Thad and Wendy Tuck

In Europe, the internet communities, built around the idea of ‘meaningful travel,’ have years ago moved from ‘fringe’ to mainstream, and are rapidly gaining popularity in the US as well.

The Tucks insist that the ‘system works,’ and that random people they meet on the internet don’t ‘just show up’ on their doorsteps uninvited.

As is often the case, the trend started with young people, but now spread to include vacationers, retirees and even professionals, especially seasonal workers and touring artists. Many end up joining a number of the internet-based travel communities because each offers a slightly different model and caters to different interest groups.

The sites offer their members ample information about potential destinations, as well as listings of the available houses and their owners’ profiles. There’re also photos and reviews, left by previous visitors, that help you get a better feel for a particular person.

House Exchange, for example, connects households, interested in swapping homes for a weekend or a longer vacation, while Couchsurfers, help travelers to find a bed for a night or two without any explicit expectation for immediate reciprocation of the favor.

Thad Tuck and his wife Wendy are members of both of these communities. They joined Couchsurfers about three years ago, after one of their daughter’s trip to Latin America where she stayed with a local family.

It may be a matter of sheer luck, but the Tucks, who by now have had dozens of guests through the Couchsurfers program, “never had a bad experience.”

“All the travelers we’ve met are really nice people,” Wendy Tuck says.

“Usually they come in and just join the family. They help with dinner, they clean after themselves. We love this opportunity to meet different people.”

Nor do the Tucks worry about entrusting their possessions to their guests, when both of them go to work. “Our guests treat our house better than they probably treat their own,” Wendy says.

“We know that these people don’t want our tchotchkes,” Thad adds.

“They’re here to see the world and make new friends. And if there’s an accident, well, it’s not a big deal. After years of working on this house we know how to fix about anything.”

Interestingly enough, the Tucks themselves used their on-line contacts only a handful of times. The trip they particularly enjoyed was to Aqua Dulce—a tiny town up in Vasquez Rocks (popular among the Hollywood and music industries), to which the Tucks got through a House Exchange program.

Beautiful backyard

F E B R U A R Y

2015

Journal PLUS

“My family always had horses, but I haven’t done any riding in a long time,” Wendy says. So she and Thad spent a lovely weekend riding horses on a ranch owned by the family, who at the very same time celebrated their daughter’s birthday at the Tuck’s house in Paso Robles. “It worked out great,” Thad recalls. “We like to see how different people live.”

PEOPLE

Thad and Wendy Tuck in Humbolt

17

But what the two enjoy the most is sharing their own house with others. Whether it’s a book club meeting, a Christmas party or a visit from a fellow Couchsurfer, the couple always seems to have time for a glass of good wine and a friendly conversation.

of the piece. Having these imperfections, only means that our furniture has been a part of an experience, a part of our life.”

“We have many friends, and we love to party: the more, the merrier,” Wendy says. “We throw at least four big parties a year, with no less than 75-100 people attending.”

“Decorating has always been my passion,” Wendy admits. “I like to keep things fresh and always move stuff around. My sister and I still exchange furniture once in a while. When people come over they think that some things are new. They are not, they’ve just been moved from another room, or into another position.”

The numbers aren’t surprising. One of the recent houseguest’s, Stacey Shokri from Chino Hills, California, captured the essence of the couple’s hospitality perfectly when she said that the Tucks treat you “better than family.”

With Wendy’s baking, and Thad’s legendary cooking, a stay at their house often turns into an unforgettable experience.

As a child, Thad dreamed of becoming a chef, and although he ended up becoming a biochemist, with years, his passion for cooking only grew stronger—as two perfectly appointed kitchens: one in the house, and the other one outdoors, attest.

As a proof, Wendy points to a faint mark on the dining room cabinet—a result of a small Christmas day fire, when some of the ornaments, left too close to candles, suddenly ignited and melted onto the cabinet and the nearby counter. “We cleaned it up,” Wendy says with a shrug. “There’s a mark there, but to me, it’s not such a big deal. And I like that piece: it’s one of the last pieces that my dad finished.”

Wendy’s parents, both British citizens, had done many different things in their life, including moving the whole family between continents when Wendy was still a child. For a while they were dealing in antiques, which instilled their love of old wood and fabrics in their children.

Wendy describes her marriage as ‘a big team,’ where she is the designer, and Thad is the production part that makes things happen.

Thad is a jack-of-all-trades. “He knows how to do all kinds of things,” Wendy says of her husband. “He could always fix things—he learned it from his dad—but it was a nice surprise for me to find out that he could find a way to make absolutely everything I wanted.”

With these talents, it was only a matter of time for the couple to realize that the brand-new house they first bought was too boring for them. They wanted a challenge. That’s when they found a Victorian house that needed attention.

“When we bought this house 25 years ago, it was a mess,” Thad recalls. “We’re still working on it—and we learn as we go.”

Work, family, friends and all this remodeling don’t leave much time HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY

The fancy kitchen equipment is about the only obvious nod to modern times in an otherwise traditionally laid-out Victorian house, decorated with timeless antiques.

for anything else, but whenever the two get a chance, they like to get away from it all, and spend time close to nature.

Let our family take care of your family.

Moving with her family from country to country taught Wendy how to make friends and to adjust. But it also made her appreciate having a home base.

JUST LIKE HOME

The house, with its period furnishings and carefully selected knickknacks, is a prime candidate for the cover of Sunset magazine, but the Tucks aren’t treating it as a history museum at all.

Most objects in their house aren’t perfect—and it’s a deliberate choice. “I just think that it’s ok to have some little dings and fixes on our stuff,” Wendy says. “These things don’t take away from the beauty

Sometime in the future, after retirement, the Tucks will probably visit friends they made through the Internet. But for now, the two prefer to unwind on their backpacking trips to Utah, Colorado or the Sequoias— their favorite destinations; with no people around, just the mountains.

·HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY·

Let our family take care of your family.

JUST LIKE HOME

Rehabilitation Therapy · Medicare, Medical, HMOs Short Term Rehabilitation · Long Term Care

805.922.6657 www.CountryOaksCareCenter.com 830 East Chapel Street, Santa Maria

Country Oaks C A R E CEN T ER

F E B R U A R Y

2015

Journal PLUS

18

PEOPLE

Bonnie kee

an advocate for those in need

By Ruth Starr

I

f you are a teen in the San Luis Obispo area and someone in your family is murdered, you will be given an advocate from the District Attorney’s office. That person could well be Bonnie Kee. As a child, Bonnie came from a loving home where an emphasis was placed on service to others and compassion. Her family was religious and going to church was an important part of their lives. As she grew into adulthood, she continued to be a caring and compassionate woman. Her family now consists of two sisters who live in San Diego.

At the present time being a very active woman is still at the core of her lifestyle. She enjoys singing in a few different church choirs and volunteering for youth programs. One of the programs is a youth drama group that teaches kids good values in life. The kids will act out scenes of various types and then there will be options on how good values can be applied to the situation just portrayed. She also works with elderly people who, most of the time, just need someone to talk to.

During the week, in her full time work, she is an advocate for crime victims for the County District Attorney’s office in San Luis Obispo.

Before moving to SLO, she was a probation officer in Orange County from 1972 to 1987 supervising adults who had committed misdemeanors and/or felonies. For Bonnie it was a satisfying job, where she felt more like she was doing social work and helping people to avoid going back to jail. Now, she states, the probation officers have to wear uniforms and carry guns and that does not appeal to her.

When she moved to San Luis Obispo there were no positions available in the probation field. Bonnie needed to change her interest in what kind of job she would now be looking for. An opportunity to work with crime victims instead of perpetrators came up and she was happy to begin this kind of work. Being assigned by the D.A.’s office, she works with victims from Juvenile Court. She deals with the victims all the way from having their bikes stolen to juveniles who have had a murder in the family. In the crime of murder, she would deal with the victim’s family.

For the last six years she has used her vacation time to go on international trips to the UK, Thailand (for a conference on trafficking of women), Africa three times, Zambia two times and Sierra Leone before the Ebola virus happened. She has also been to Costa Rica and Turks & Caicos in the Caribbean where she worked with Haitian refugees. In Sierra Leone, the crisis now is horrible since Ebola made so many of the people living there sick, thousands dying Sunglasses and a toothbrush goodie of the disease. She said bag for a child of a Haitian Refugee. that if the people don’t

F E B R U A R Y

2015

Journal PLUS

PEOPLE

A lesson on toothbrushing.

19

Free toothbrushes for all.

die of Ebola, they die of starvation as they are unable to get supplies. No one wants to go near Sierra Leone for fear of catching Ebola.

ate every year and California Baptist has become a University. It has a liberal arts focus with a basis in the Christian faith.

Many of the overseas trips have been to countries bringing a humanitarian outreach to aid the native people. Traveling to these countries, can include bringing food, medical clinics and dental clinics. The Hollister/ Solomon Dental practice in SLO has contributed six dozen toothbrushes and six dozen tubes of tooth paste to these clinics. This is all packed in Bonnie’s luggage when she travels to these countries. Teaching the children how to use toothpaste and not to eat it was an unexpected chore as the children had never seen or had toothpaste in the past.

When Bonnie has a little spare time, she enjoys riding her bike on the Bob Jones Trail where she feels very safe. She also has two kitties. She adopted one from SLO Animal Services and then a friend told her about a feral kitty that needed a home. When she brought the feral cat home, there was a lot of hissing, meows, and general discontent between the cats. Bonnie was patient and her friend who knew about feral cats helped her. Then Bonnie’s original cat began to exhibit more friendly behavior and helped to tame the feral cat. Now the two cats are best friends.

In the Caribbean, the group Bonnie was with refurbished a basketball court that was in the center of the poor Shanty Town where the Haitian refugees live. Providing them with some recreation is vital as they have so little. Haiti was devastated in 2010 by an earthquake with a catastrophic magnitude of 7.0. This earthquake left many people living in “tent cities” in the most deplorable conditions.

If cats can work out their differences, Bonnie is sure that people can work out their differences and advocate for one another.

There are organizations where people can sponsor children for a certain donation each month. Bonnie sponsors a nine-year-old girl in a remote village in a tiny little West African country called Togo. She has always been concerned about poor people all over the world because caring for others is paramount to who she is. During the years, Bonnie has developed a concern for people in disadvantaged countries.

She grew up in Riverside, CA, and also lived later in Orange County for fifteen years. Having friends in SLO and visiting often was the impetus for moving to this area. She graduated with a Liberal Arts degree from California Baptist College in Riverside. Bonnie’s graduation class had only 124 students; now there are thousands who gradu-

REIS FAMILY M O RT U A R I E S

& C R E M AT O RY

Over 55 Years of Service to SLO County by the founder and family.

Funeral & Cremation Services Pre-Funding with Cost Guaranteed Veterans Discounts / Military Honors 4 Locations: SLO, Cayucos, Cambria and Arroyo Grande

805-544-7400 W W W. R E I S FA M I LY M O RT U A RY. N E T Bonnie’s award winning photo of a family of elephants drinking in the Zambezi River.

FD 949 CR 128 FD 880 FD 1800

F E B R U A R Y

2015

Journal PLUS

20

HOME/OUTDOOR

arroyo grande

A community in bloom

By Karen Harris

O

ne could say that a community embraces a feeling of partnership with others as a result of sharing mutual attitudes, interests, and goals.

The city of Arroyo Grande has found a catalyst to initiate this sense of camaraderie.

Arroyo Grande In Bloom, a non-profit organization dedicated to the beautification of the city, does so much more than plant flowers.

“It helps to unify the community through pride and participation,” states Bob Lund, Project Coordinator. “We have 140 volunteers that partake in a community garden, maintaining parks, tidiness, and heritage.”

Bob Lund, who owned and operated a gift and wine store in the Village for 18 years with his wife, Margareta, has been involved in community improvement for more than 20 years. He was president and then became executive director of the Village Improvement Association. With city cutbacks due to the recession in 2008, the city joined the nationwide organization, America In Bloom, to maintain and assist the city’s beautification projects through volunteerism. As chairman of Arroyo Grande In Bloom, he received the Community Champion Award in 2010.

Arroyo Grande has been receiving awards through the national organization for several years. In October, 2014, at the America In Bloom symposium in Philadelphia, Arroyo

The volunteers making Arroyo Grande beautiful.

Grande won an Outstanding Achievement Award in Landscaped Areas and a Special Mention for Community Involvement.

Community members are able to volunteer in a wide variety of projects. The floral display department is instrumental in planting flowers in baskets throughout the Village including the Bridge Street and Swinging Bridges, window boxes, carpet bedding, and flower beds. AGIB helped to establish the Sweet Pea as their city’s official flower.

Other departments include Turf and Groundcover Management, Landscape, and Urban Forestry. Landscape Design encourages the use of drought tolerant plants while Urban Forestry is responsible for planting more than 290 trees in the area.

Participants can also support the Tidiness program with litter removal, weed control, and maintenance of benches and light posts.

The team believes “It is clear that the responsibility for a tidy city falls upon all citizens,

One of the newer projects at Hoosegow Park.

F E B R U A R Y

2015

Journal PLUS

Soto Sports Complex corner

property owners, merchants, tenants, municipal government employees and visitors.”

Overall, AGIB promotes sustainable development concerned with environmental issues such as waste reduction, recycling initiatives, water source, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), and environmentally friendly transportation.

Garden projects are part of the outreach program. The Community Garden located at the Elm Street Park off of Ash Street offers tenants an opportunity to grow flowers and vegetables in a 15’ by 15’ plot.

The Fire Resistive Demonstration Garden located at the Arroyo Grande Fire Station on Traffic Way was completed in 2010. Funded by the San Luis Obispo County Fire Council, the garden shows residents how to make their yards and landscape fire-resistant by using low-fuel type plants like sage, lavender, ice plant, thyme, and carpet bulge.

Two small Victory Gardens are located within the Historic Village and include veg-

HOME/OUTDOOR

21

“We want our volunteers to feel free to work as much or as little as they are able.”

“We are endeavoring to get other cities to participate in the Bloom program. We are currently mentoring Morro Bay and Nipomo,” says Bob. Morro Bay also participated in the symposium and received a Special Mention in Landscaped Areas.

A Mural at Roberts Restaurant

“Each person, individually, is responsible for their carbon footprint and creating a better future for their children and grandchildren,” says Bob. “It is our vision that every community would be In Bloom.”

etables as well as fennel, sage, and lavender. The gardens are located behind Ruby’s House on Mason St. next door to Heritage House and behind Paulding House on Crown Hill.

The Farm at Arroyo Grande Care Center builds on engaging all residents to give back to the city. An affiliation of AGIB, patients run their own farm while harvesting, weeding, and watering for mixed income families.

Additional collaborations include supporting The South County Historical Society and the newly organized Arroyo Grande Public Arts.

Funding and donations are achieved through fund raisers, raffles, and a working relationship with the local nurseries. Many organizations provide sponsorships throughout the community including the Arroyo Grande Village Improvement Association and the City of Arroyo Grande.

Most projects take place on Saturdays where any effort is appreciated and include all parts of Arroyo Grande, not just the Village.

Flower pots along Bridge Street

F E B R U A R Y

2015

Journal PLUS

22

HOME/OUTDOOR

irene Kilstrom’s

Project Sweet dreams

By Heather Young

I

rene Kilstrom of Avila Beach started Project Sweet Dreams in 2004 in Omaha after she and her husband, Chuck, toured a local shelter.

“That’s when my eyes became open that homeless people weren’t just middle-aged men—they were families and children,” Kilstrom said. “It broke my heart.”

Some of the children—with their families—were turned away from the shelter simply because there was not enough room for everyone. It was that that sparked Kilstrom’s creativity. She decided that if they didn’t have a bed the children should at least have a place to lay their heads. So she found some small travel pillows she was able to order directly from the manufacturer and then made pillow cases for them.

“I made the pillow cases, someone else made the blankets,” said Kilstrom, who retired from her career as a nurse before they moved to California.

That sewing happened throughout the year, then in the fall Kilstrom invited friends, co-workers and neighbors to a tea. Each guest was requested to bring a stuff animal. They then selected a blanket and a pillow to go with the animal and then wrapped them with a ribbon.

Kilstrom said it’s amazing how things work out and that while she does not coordinate fabric with those that make the fleece blankets or with what animals are brought, the animals are able to be paired with coordinating fabrics. She said that because she enjoys making the pillow cases, that is one part she’ll always do. The first year she did it in Omaha, she had 37 bundles, now there are more than 200 going out to schools, social services and other organizations that work with children who may be in need.

F E B R U A R Y

2015

Journal PLUS

The Kilstroms moved to Avila Beach from Omaha in March 2010 because Chuck got work in California. He works in the power generation industry doing sales. Because his work spans the state, Kilstrom said they needed to find a place to live centrally, but she really wanted to be back by the ocean, having grown up in San Diego.

Her first year in Avila Beach, Kilstrom said she didn’t do Project Sweet Dreams locally because she was still getting her bearings and getting to know people.

“The first year I didn’t know anyone, now I know so many people,” she said.

Kilstrom’s stepdaughter and granddaughter have kept it going in Omaha, doing 287 bundles this year. Her other stepdaughter started doing the project in Denver and a friend is doing it in Las Vegas.

Kilstrom has two step-daughters, two sons and six grandchildren.

“It makes me feel wonderful that they wanted to continue it,” Kilstrom said. “It just feels good. It really does. It’s a feel-good project.”

While Kilstrom makes the pillow cases throughout the year, local

HOME/OUTDOOR

“What I used to do was go ask bakeries and grocery stores [to donate baked items] but now my friends bake,” Kilstrom said.

nonprofits and groups, even businesses, get together to make the blankets. She said those groups will often supply the material and then get together to assemble the blankets.

foster care system, she appreciates what the advocates do.

“It’s turned into a blanket-making workshop,” Kilstrom said.

Project Sweet Dreams also now puts together baby bundles. Ruth Steiner crochets baby blankets and Kilstrom found little baby stuffed animals to tie with them. Both sets of bundles include a pillow, a blanket and a friend.

This year, she said Central Coast Helping Hands made 97 blankets as an example of community support for the project.

Additionally, she has received support from local churches, Arroyo Grande Girls varsity tennis team and the Pismo Beach Police Department.

The bundles then go to groups such as CASA, the Pismo Beach Police Department, Women’s Shelter of San Luis Obispo, Lucia Mar School District’s Families in Transitions program, Maxine Lewis shelter and others. What groups do is let Kilstrom know how many they want and she will either have them delivered or they will pick them up from her.

CASA has a special place in Kilstrom’s heart because she was a foster child. While there was no CASA when she was in the

“I love what they do,” Kilstrom said.

“I thought of a pillow, then I thought when you see a child in crisis that always has a friend,” Kilstrom said. “The blankets just came because we lived in a real cold area.

When kids can get a better night’s sleep ... they can do better in their classrooms.”

The tea is a free drop-in event to attendees held the Saturday before Thanksgiving. For the past two years the tea has been at the Shell Beach Veterans Hall. The attendees arrive with their stuffed animals in hand, find a blanket and a pillow to pair with it and then wrap it all up with a ribbon. They then have time to socialize and partake in tea and snacks donated by local people, businesses and organizations.

23

Businesses such as Albertsons and Walmart have given Project Sweet Dreams donations to purchase items for the pillow cases and the tea.

Throughout the year Kilstrom purchases ribbon, flannel and the makings for 30 blankets as they go on sale.

“I have fun with it,” Kilstrom said. “It’s my retirement. I know what I’m doing. I’m lucky to have found it. It’s a win-win basically.”

Kilstrom doesn’t expect or want the project to get much bigger, but supports anyone would who like to take on the project in their own area, wherever that may be.

F E B R U A R Y

2015

Journal PLUS

24

HOME/OUTDOOR

at the market raw chocolate Fudge

By Sarah Hedger

A

lready on month two as 2015 zips along, delivering an abundance of winter produce to us at our local markets. While some places in the world are in the dead of winter, we are lucky to have so much life, in the form of bountiful seasonal produce, available right here on our doorstep. February continues to bring veg options in the form of dark greens, broccoli (and all the brassicacea), while carrots, parsnips, and cauliflower continue to be available. In the fruit department, the citrus family provides heaps of options from pomelos and mandarins, to the many varieties of oranges. Looking at what is available, there is little question we are meant to consume whole foods containing Vitamin C this time of year as they are nearly all heavy hitters in that department!

F E B R U A R Y

2015

This month’s recipe, Raw Chocolate Fudge, is a small diversion to what is seasonally available (unless we want to count the orange in the recipe)! That said, it is an ode to all things delicious and chocolate (and mildly nutritious) for the lovely month of February. Instead of using animal-based fats, it uses plant-based fats with the likes of cashews and coconut oil.

The sugar in the recipe comes from natural sources, being dates and a little maple syrup in the frosting, which keep it less sweet on the taste buds—chocolicious is the result! I had someone ask recently the difference between cacao and cocoa which led me to a little research as I did not know the simple answer.

Cacao is the natural, raw, and “purest” form of chocolate, resulting in what many claim for it to be one of the highest containing sources of

Journal PLUS

antioxidants and magnesium, hence the title “superfood” it is frequently given. Cacao powder contains more fiber than cocoa powder since it is less processed than cocoa powder, thus the more “whole food” version. Cocoa is the processed version thus more refined, resulting in fewer nutrients than cacao. It still contains antioxidants, but fewer than cacao.

This recipe is a good one to keep in your repertoire as it comes together quickly, with no baking required. All you need is a good food processor or immersion blender, to make it in one pot/container. Dates are a good ingredient to have on hand, as an alternative to using refined/white sugars in cooking. With a long history, dating back thousands of years to the Middle East, they are a delicious ingredient utilized all over the world for their unique

raw chocolate fudge For the Fudge: 1 ½ cups dates (preferably Medjool) 1 cup cashews 1 cup unsweetened dried coconut ⅓ cup raw cacao powder (or good quality cocoa powder) Pinch of sea salt ½ tsp cinnamon 1 tsp vanilla paste Zest of 1 orange Juice of 2 oranges 2 T extra virgin coconut oil *Optional- 1T cacao nibs and/or ½ cup of your favorite dark chocolate For the Chocolate Frosting: ½ cup coconut oil 1 tsp vanilla flavor and sweetness. Aside from natural sugars, dates are a great source of potassium and fiber. The orange in this recipe not only provides an under-lying fresh flavor, but also some Vitamin C that is surely good in Winter months. There has been recent research regarding cinnamon and its health benefits which is worth looking into. Something that we’ve added for generations to baking turns out to be incredibly good for us as well, which is always a good thing!

Enjoy the bars and enjoy your February. For the romantics, enjoy the love in your life and for the less romantics, enjoy the chocolate. Happy fudge-making!

Traditional Funeral Services Memorial Services

2890 S. Higuera, San Luis Obispo Located next to San Luis Cemetery

543-6871 FD 374

Cremation Care

¼ cup maple syrup ¼ cup cacao (or cocoa) powder Coat a 9 inch baking dish with a thin layer of coconut oil (your hands work great for this). Soak dates in warm water for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, blend cashews, coconut, cacao powder, salt, cinnamon, vanilla, zest, (and if you are using the optional nibs and/or dark chocolate) in a food processor until smooth.

Add juice of oranges, drained dates, and coconut oil. Blitz well, until nice and smooth. Pour into prepared dish and chill while making frosting.

Melt coconut oil, vanilla, maple syrup, and cocoa together. Whisk until smooth. Pour over fudge and chill for a couple hours until chilled and firm.

Makes 20 Small fudge squares Find this recipe and more seasonal inspiration at http://www. seasonalalchemist.com

26

HOME/OUTDOOR

slo county art scene

Slo Musuem of art presents the art of Chet and Leon Amyx and Elizabeth Tolley and George Gibson

By Rebecca Leduc exposed Chet to the medium of watercolor on outdoor fishing and camping trips. He encouraged his son, however, to delay art studies until college. It was at Hartnell College, where his father was a pioneering member of the art department, that he began formal instruction in watercolor, drawing and design.

Leon’s emphasis on composition, proportion and dynamic symmetry, highly influenced by Paul Cézanne and John Marin, still inform Chet’s work today. After a near 30-year tenure as Cuesta College’s first art teacher, Chet has spent the last 20 years devoted to his art, which has shifted from two-dimensional to threedimensional, from abstraction to photorealism.

Of his father’s influence as mentor, Chet states, “As administrator of my father’s estate, I have many of his works in my studio. I look at and study different pieces every day, so in a way, he is still mentoring me. Yet I also continue to go my own way as he wisely counseled me to do at the beginning of my art career.”

Libby Tolley, On a Winter’s Eve

I

n a new exhibition, the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art takes a look at the unique and transformative relationship between artists and their mentors. On view until March 15th, Artists and Their Mentors, juxtaposes an impressive collection of work from two local, active artists and their beloved and celebrated mentors: Chet Amyx, of Morro Bay, and his father, Leon Amyx, and Elizabeth Tolley, of

F E B R U A R Y

2015

Cayucos, and her most influential advisor, George Gibson.

Chet Amyx’s introduction to art goes back to his earliest memories. He was a constant witness to his father Leon Amyx’s prolific painting practice and to the piles of framed paintings stacked all over the house. Leon, known for his scene paintings of the California landscape (in particular of the Salinas Valley),

Journal PLUS

Elizabeth Tolley is a longtime student of painting, crediting her mentors with her professional and personal development. Under the wing of her most influential mentor, George Gibson, Ms. Tolley developed a fierce love of painting and has created an impressive landscape painting career, gaining entry into the prestigious California Art Club, Oil Painters of America and National Watercolor Society.

George Gibson, a Scotsman, was one of the great scene painters of his time. In 2000, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Watercolor Society to which he

HOME/OUTDOOR

27

Jean Gibson-Gorrindo of Los Osos, was a student at Cal Poly and then later married and started a family here. At her encouragement, her parents relocated from Los Angeles to Los Osos. Mr. Gibson fully embraced the quieter, more rural lifestyle, seizing the opportunity to paint the landscape.

Ms. Tolley and Mr. Gibson would often paint side by side, and she sites his personal philosophy as a key source of inspiration.

When she asked him for the key to staying fresh and in love with painting, he told her, “The secret is having a complete dedication to painting—not for creating masterpieces or winning awards, but just for the love of painting and the desire to paint.”

A public reception with the artists will take place on Friday, February 6 from 6–9pm in conjunction with Art After Dark.

Chet Amyx, Fishermen on Rocks

was awarded membership in 1947. As head of the scenic department at MGM Studios for 35 years, he created the sets for movies

including The Wizard of Oz and An American in Paris. In the mid 1970s, Mr. Gibson began to visit the Central Coast when his daughter,

The San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, dedicated to the education, presentation and preservation of the visual arts on the Central Coast, is located at 1010 Broad Street, on the west end of Mission Plaza. Hours are 11am – 5pm daily. Closed Tuesdays through July 4.

Free admission, donations appreciated. For more info visit SLOMA.org.

F E B R U A R Y

2015

Journal PLUS

28

COMMUNITY

local firefighters

The Firefighters team in full gear with the team of kids fighting leukemia and lymphoma.

join the effort to climb. conquer. cure.

By Susan Stewart Photos by Khue “Karen” Ngo

O

kay pals o’ mine, let’s strap on 60 lbs. of gear, climb 69 floors (that’s 1,311 steps) to a height of 788 vertical feet—as fast as we can! Sound like fun? You game?

Why on earth would anyone do something that crazy, that strenuous, that off-the-wall? Well, why do people rock-climb to death-defying heights; or bungi-jump to death-defying depths; or any of the other extreme sports? Heck if I know! But 10 local firefighters can tell you exactly why: They’re doing it to “Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life for patients and families.” [mission statement for LLS, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society].

On March 8, 2015, SLO County Firefighter Andy Carlin and his team of 10 local firefighters will join their nearly 2000 fellow firefighters meeting in Seattle to climb the Columbia Center Tower during the 2015 Scott Firefighter Stairclimb. This event last year raised close to $2 million to fight these blood cancers in the effort to “Climb, Conquer, and Cure”—the event’s motto. This year, planners hope to exceed that goal.

Carlin and his team of 10 have been practicing for this strenuous event for months. They’ve also met with local families who are struggling with a blood cancer and who will benefit directly from the efforts of these brave (and super-fit!) men and women. These participants are members of a unique group of “Paid Call Firefighters” (PCFs) who supplement SLO Cal Fire stations and scattered city departments by making themselves available to respond when needed to support Cal Fire/San Luis Obispo County Fire Department’s mission.

(There are 21 such stations in our county). Carlin and his fellow PCFs are members of PCF Company 12, which is assigned to, trains with, and responds with Cal Fire personnel at Station 12.

The Firefighters along with families who are fighting leukemia and lymphoma.

F E B R U A R Y

2015

Journal PLUS

“We are very pleased and honored to raise both awareness and funds to help conquer and cure leukemia and lymphoma,” said Carlin.

Toward that end, the team is scheduling several events between now and the March 8th climb so that the community can meet the team and its local “adopted” families affected by leukemia and lymphoma.

The community can also learn more about the climb, see training demonstrations, and be offered a chance to make donations toward the team’s fundraising goal.

San Luis Obispo events scheduled so far include: Tuesday, February 10th at Kennedy Club Fitness from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Friday, February 13th at Pappy McGregor’s Restaurant from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm when “International Childhood Cancer Day” will be recognized.

For more events, updates and postings (including team news from the Stairclimb itself), please visit the team’s website at www.slofire12.org, and its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SLOCountyFireCo12.

Both sites also provide information about ways to donate.

Several local families joined Carlin and his team aboard their fire engine at December’s downtown holiday parade. Recently, they also got together to see what the training is like and to share their stories. As they climb, each firefighter on Team Company 12 will carry a paper list with their gear of the names of those still struggling with their disease … “To remind us why we are climbing,” Carlin added.

COMMUNITY

29

birthday, Eliana began a 2 ½-year course of chemotherapy that caused her great suffering and dominated Nunley family life during that time. “The daily reality of treatment is indescribable,” said her mother. “Chemotherapy runs and ruins the lives of the whole family for the duration of treatment … every effort and dollar made towards better treatments and drugs is a blessing.”

Great strides have been made, with survival rates for the kind of leukemia Eliana had increasing from 4% to nearly 100%! But there is much more work to be done, especially in the treatment of lymphoma, where progress has been less dramatic.

“We are personally touched and grateful on the deepest level that people such as these wonderful firefighters care so much,” Nunley added.

The Firefighters team that will participate in Seattle’s Climb to Cure Cancer. Pictured L-R Andy Carlin (Team Captain), Andrew Abercromby, Nathan Haydon, Thomas Scott, Nick Phillips, Eric Shalhoob (Cal Fire Battalion Chief) and Dillon Campbell. Not pictured: Lucas Coleman, Jimmy Harris and Patrick Larsen.

Founded in 1949, the LLS (Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) has seen huge progress made in the care and treatment of patients with blood cancers. Survival rates for many have doubled, tripled, even quadrupled! “Yet more than 1 million Americans are currently battling a blood cancer, the #3 cause of cancer death. … Every four minutes someone is diagnosed with a blood cancer, and every ten minutes someone dies.” (from the Climb Conquer Cure website) “This is not so much about a bunch of firefighters climbing Seattle’s Columbia Tower [the second-tallest building west of the Mississippi],” said Carlin, “as it is about raising awareness to support the LLS in the effort to help our neighbors, those who live right here in the county.”

The Scott Firefighter Stairclimb has been going on since 1992, and involves rigorous training, strategic planning, and enormous generosity on the part of the individuals participating. Make no mistake about it: this is a competition of the most demanding kind, participants racing against both their fellow competitors and themselves (previous best times) while also being required to show up with at least $300 (or more) in donations raised by the day of the event.

“It means the world to us that these dedicated and caring firefighters have taken on our cause,” said Danya Nunley, mother of leukemia survivor Eliana Nunley (age 11). Before she’d reached her second

Why do they do it?

PCF Nick Phillips said, “One day, I aspire to look back on our accomplishments as firefighters and have the ability to say that, together, … we helped change the world on a larger scale by contributing to the discovery of a cure for cancer.”

“The most inspiring part for me is seeing how patients and their families, in the toughest of circumstances, are able to fight so strongly against leukemia and lymphoma,” said PCF Andrew Abercromby. “It has helped me keep perspective on what’s important in my life, and what it really means to fight for something.”

Just a month after her second birthday, Maysie Ames was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. She has responded well to treatment and has a little more than a year left of chemo. “Her diagnosis was a shock and left us feeling despair,” writes her mother Shauna Ames. “I don’t know why the firefighters from Company 12 chose to support the LLS, … but making Maysie feel special and getting to meet them and play with the fire engine brightened her day. … They help us see the good in humanity and that keeps our glass half full.”

Eddie and Erika Cota are the parents of a son, Mateo, who is surviving blood cancer. “Sometimes when you are on a journey like ours, you feel alone,” said Eddie Cota. “The firefighters of Company 12 have shown us that we are not walking it alone. … When you see tears well up in the eyes of the men, you know they share in your pain. They’ve shown us that there are not just good people, but great people with big hearts at every turn. … When we almost lost our son, we learned to love him more. So each time we have struggles, we know we’ll get through it and come out different, better.”

Why do they do it? Because for Andy Carlin and his team of ten, fighting fires is not all they do. Next month in Seattle, and throughout the year in SLO County, they will also be fighting for the lives of kids like Eliana, Maysie, and Mateo. “It’s a year-round ordeal for them,” said Carlin, “so we will not abandon them once the climb is over.”

Team Captain Andy Carlin can be reached by e-mail at: info@slocofire12.org, by phone at 805-801-0367, or send donations and comments to him via the Team’s Post Office Box 1006, San Luis Obispo, CA 93406.

Climbing stairs practice session in full gear.

The Team wishes to express its special thanks to their “adopted” families and all of their donors and supporters, including Kennedy Club Fitness, Pappy McGregor’s Restaurant, and San Luis Print and Copy.

F E B R U A R Y

2015

Journal PLUS

30

COMMUNITY

the greatest athletes on the central coast

By Dr. Don Morris

Editor’s note: Among San Luis Obispo local athletes, coaches and fans a debate has raged over who are the greatest athletes in the history of San Luis Obispo County.

For several years in San Luis Obispo County, coffee shops, bars and fitness centers this debate has seethed. To clear up this debate Pismo Beach resident, Dr. Don Morris will identify “THE GREATEST ATHLETES IN THE HISTORY ON THE CENTRAL COAST.” (Reader nominations are welcome and will be used to develop the final list). Some nominations have already been suggested, and will be written up in more detail in future columns.

Please send your nominations to Dr. Don Morris at dmmorris@calpoly.edu.

Stephanie brown TRAFTON Olympic track and field Champion Stephanie Brown Trafton of Arroyo Grande High School.

Trafton was nominated several times by SLO Journal readers for consideration as the greatest athlete in Central California State history. Stephanie Brown Trafton won the women’s discus throwing Olympic Gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

She competed in the discus and shot put at Arroyo Grande High School, and was the CIF California State Meet High School champion in shot put in 1996. After placing second in 1997, she recaptured the California shot put title in 1998. At the same meet, she added the California discus title to her resume. As of 2008, her 181.25-foot

F E B R U A R Y

2015

Journal PLUS

(55.25 m) throw to secure victory remains one of the 10 best American high school discus throws in history. Trafton then went on to win the United States’ first track and field gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Her gold medal was more broadly notable for being the first American gold medal in the discus throw event for 76 years. She threw her best mark on her first attempt at the Olympic Games. She garnered the sports top honor when she received the Jesse Owens Award as the top female athlete of the year. She now works as a volunteer Director of Operations for Sacramento State Track and Field.

chuck Liddell Ultimate Fighting Champion Charles David “Chuck” Liddell from San Marcos High School in Santa Barbara was also nominated by SLO Journal readers for consideration as the Greatest Athlete in Central California State history. “Chuck” is a retired American Mixed Martial Artist and former Ultimate Fighting Champion of the Light Heavyweight Division. He was an expert in Kempo, Koei-Kan karate, kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as well as a grappling background when he wrestled for Cal Poly State University.

Liddell holds the record with the most knockouts in UFC history and has had 23 fights in the UFC and is widely credited for bringing mixed martial arts into the mainstream of American sports and entertainment. On July 10, 2009, he was inducted into the Ultimate Fighting Hall of Fame.

The Tattoo seen on his scalp reads “Koei-Kan.” Liddell was a four-year starter on the football team at San Marcos High School in Santa Barbara and also excelled at wrestling. He is third-generation Irish and his maternal great-grandparents were from Ireland. He became a Division I wrestler at Cal Poly and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business/Accounting in 1995. He holds the amateur Kickboxing record of 20 wins and 2 losses, with 16 of his wins coming by way of a knockout. Liddell made his UFC debut in 1998 in Mobile, Alabama with a decision victory. In his next bout, he faced the legendary Brazilian fighter, Jose “Pele” Landi-Johns, at an IVC event in Sao Paulo, Brazil, which was bare-knuckle. Despite being a heavy underdog in his opponent’s home country, Liddell dominated and won via decision. Liddell was also the first UFC fighter to fight in “Pride” where he represented the organization against a fellow kick-boxer and knocked him out cold.

Get Fit Fast

COMMUNITY

31

5 BEST EXERCISES SO YOU CAN SKI INJURY FREE

By Mike Z. Robinson Hi Everyone—Happy February aka Ski Season!

You’ve been waiting for ski season for months. Now it’s finally time to get out the snow pants, dust off the ski equipment, make reservations at your favorite resort, and hit the slopes! You’ve done all the exercise prep workouts to make sure you don’t come home in a cast …

Wait. What’s that? You haven’t been exercising regularly? Let alone preparing for the demands of the season and the vigorousness of the sport? Oh no! Well, don’t despair. It’s not too late to get your legs and your core in good enough shape that you’ll reduce the risk of hurting yourself. Here’s my one caveat: Start ASAP and religiously practice the following 5 exercises (you can do these at home) before you head for the slopes. They’ll help you avoid injury.

(PLEASE REMEMBER: As always, it is highly recommended that you consult with your physician before starting any exercise program including the one listed below)

right knee does not extend past your toes and keep your left leg relatively straight. Push off through your right foot to return to the start to complete one.

So there you go, 5 low impact no equipment exercises that you can do from home to help you thrive this ski season injury free.

Start today, have fun, and you can thank me later ... I’ll see you on the slopes!

Mike Robinson owns and operates MZR Fitness Studio in SLO. He can be contacted at mike@mzrfitness.com

Perform 2 – 3 Sets of 15 Reps for each exercise: 1) Skater Strides—Start in the standing position on your left leg with your right leg in the air and leap out to the right; as the right foot lands your left leg will swing & land right behind it. After that, quickly do the same thing leading out to your left. Then begin the sequence of going back and forth.

2) Single Leg Squats—Start in the standing position on one leg.

Keep your shoulders relaxed. Lower your hips by slowly bending your knee. Continue until your front thigh is parallel to the ground. Make sure you don’t bend too much—your front knee should not be bent so much that it goes past your toes. Return to the starting position by pressing up through your front foot. Pay extra attention to your glutes (butt) at this point. If it is too difficult for you to balance on one leg, then you can use a chair or table to help you with your stability.

3) Squat Jumps—Start with your feet shoulder width apart. Squat down so your thighs are parallel to the floor while engaging your core, then jump high in the air. When you land, try to do so as softly as possible, which requires control. If the jumping is too much for you, then you can modify it by doing regular squats and work your way up from there.

4) Standing Reverse Lifts—Stand up as straight as possible. Keep your shoulders back and your hands resting at your sides. Take a big step backwards with your left foot. You should now be standing with your feet apart. Lower your hips to the floor until your front (right) knee forms a 90-degree angle. Push yourself up. Most of the strength should come from your front (right) foot. Return your back (left) foot to the starting position. Repeat the exercise. This time, do it with your right leg back. Switch sides for each rep.

5) Side Lunges—Start in the standing upright position and stand with your feet & knees together. Take a large step with your right foot to the right side and lunge toward the floor. Make sure your F E B R U A R Y

2015

Journal PLUS

32

COMMUNITY

history

when a president visits Part 1

By Joe Carotenuti “Never in its history has San Luis been thronged with such a crowd as was present last night,” exclaimed the Tribune, “but never before in its history has our city received a president.”

Being a slight part of the 10,000 mile presidential journey across America, the community “for an hour at least” would be the “seat of government.” For in that hour, the full import of American democracy as embodied by its president would leave a memorable impression on the municipality. The acclaimed leader of the last hurrah of the nation’s manifest destiny as witnessed by the recently concluded Spanish American War (1898) would actually find time to stop and greet both city and county residents in the small town. Rather than rumbling through the community as was dictated by most of his California itinerary, President William McKinley was going to pay a visit. It was a heady acknowledgement that San Luis Obispo— finally—was more than an insignificant hamlet between the northern and southern regions of the Golden State.

It was indeed a moment in the community for historic firsts. One, not only was the President coming but he was arriving by train. Amazingly, when plans originated for this Grand Tour of America, it’s doubtful anyone in Washington, D. C. knew the rails didn’t connect for any tour—grand or otherwise—around America.

Indeed, while McKinley was not the first sitting President to visit the

Frank Sandercock on his horse prepared the arrangements for President McKinley’s arrival.

F E B R U A R Y

2015

Journal PLUS

President McKinley’s train in San Luis Obispo

west coast (two others had done so), he was the first to stop, briefly, at the County seat. For the President, this was not merely a vacation around America or part of a campaign pledge. Immensely popular, he was the first to envision bringing his political agenda directly to the American people. The journey to the White House and to San Luis Obispo had begun more than 30 years ago.

Here’s the story.

William McKinley had a near perfect background to become President of the United States. Having served in the Civil War, the 24-year-old combat tested veteran began studying for the bar upon his discharge as a brevet major in 1865. It was not until his friend Rutherford B. Hayes was nominated for governor of Ohio a few years later that McKinley began a political career that eventually found him following his Union army friend into the governorship, the White House, and California.

In 1869, having been admitted to the bar two years previously, McKinley’s first elected office was as district attorney but he was narrowly defeated in his reelection bid two years later. Nonetheless, having won a high profile case defending coal miners (pro bono) in a dispute with strikebreakers, he was a prominent choice for election to his first term in the House of Representatives in 1879. Victory literally had a price as his income was reduced by about half as much as what he earned in his law practice. Undaunted by the reversal of income, McKinley’s popularity led to four years as governor of Ohio beginning in 1892.

The President’s honor guard in front of the Ramona Hotel.

A Retirement Facil COMMUNITY

Maintaining a strong political profile outside of his home state, while still Governor, he was the Republican Party’s candidate to run against an already American legend, William Jennings Bryan. While popular votes were close, McKinley garnered 61% of the electoral votes.

The Spanish-American War—the battle cry “Remember the Maine” still echoing through the American conscience—assured an even larger margin of votes against the same opponent in the national election of 1900.

Soon after his second inauguration, the 25th president decided to take his primary agenda, the breakup of the pervasive trusts, directly to the voters. During his campaign for office, he had confined himself to receiving supporters from the front porch of his home in Canton, Ohio (except on Sundays).

However, as president, he wanted to meet his constituency. After all, after the recent conflict, he was now the leader of a world power!

In many ways, McKinley was forming some of the protocols of the modern presidency.

When the local officials were notified of the presidential visit in early April, the railroad from the south had just begun linking passenger and freight service with the rails from the north. In a seemingly endless saga, from 1894 when the first locomotive pulled into the station in San Luis Obispo to 1901, the “Gap” in the rails toward Santa Barbara provides a tale of rumors and activity culminating in the connection of the central coast to the rest of America by the iron ribbon of progress.

Wilmer Tognazzini has provided the local newspaper’s reporting of the progress in his worthy One Hundred Years Ago “Closing the Gap” volume. The intensity of the reporting is unparalleled in the community’s first half century of governance. Officially, the rail connection was completed on the last day of 1900 with regular service being inaugurated in late March. When McKinley and his entourage boarded their train in Washington, D.C. on April 29, they would be the most famous rail visitors to the community… “one of the first fruits” of the huge step in the community’s link to the rest of America.

The rail completion assured the community of a stop around the United States and the President’s visit underscored its importance to the Chief Executive. Personal and civic pride must have been unparalleled in the municipality’s history.

Contrary to great expectations by the community, when the final schedule was present-

33

the prospect ofstop. moving m Maythough 14 in San Francisco listing every ed to the local planning committee, the entire Even The railyou officials emphasized the President’s event was confined to one hour. True, the visit future, owe it to yourself to learn h Special had the “absolute right of track over was much too short but rather than expresscarefree living in your own home for man all trains” which were required to clear the ing disappointment, the planners were even tracks thirty minutes before the arrival of more attentive to assuring a grand welcome the august travelers. for the distinguished guests. Undoubtedly, for McKinley, it was another stop in a long series It can only be imagined the anticipation and of stops as he greeted America.

It’s a fact of life that asexhilaration we get older, Pristine is fully as the crowd heard the arriving The President had asome demanding schedule and of the locomotive bringing the Presiday-to-day taskswhistle become too licensed and insu punctuality was expected. Southern Pacific dent to the city. much to handle on our own.

That All of our worke had printed a timetable covering Friday, May 10 from Santa Barbara endingmean on Tuesday doesn’t you have to move away are carefully scre Contact: jacarotenuti@gmail.com

You Don’t Have to Move

Feel Safe and

from the comfort of your home. and pass a crimi • Pristine Home Services is aHousekeeping local background che Personal Care that helps San Luis Obispo and drug test, gi • Yard company • Handyman Maintenance County residents avoid the high cost when someone f Servingof moving All oftoSan Luis Obispo County a retirement facility. in your home.

•

“She helps me w Enjoy Affordable Living personal care. S Home Services Specialist

All of our services can be provided She should be c daily, weekly, or on an as-needed basis. very reasonable From housekeeping You to handyman services and plumbing to preparing meals.

There is no task too large or pay for only the services you need R. Watso dows!” too small for Pristineand Homewe Services.

All of our services can be provided daily, weekly, or on an as-needed provide those services at a price basis. You pay for only the services you need and we provide those services at a price you can“They afford. took the you can afford. what I wanted.

Pristine Home Services made it possible exactlyforwhat I a Convenient One-call us to stayService comfortable and independent reasonable. I w in our home.

When Mary was diagnosed Our personal care services include a friend. with cancer, is no longer ato threat, the ” C. shopping, daily errands, mealwhich preparapeople at Pristine became a very important tion, transportation part andofnon-medical Before you ma our team. They were trustworthy, care. Our housekeeping services keep reliable and always stood by ourcould side. Weaffect yo our relationship their staff.

your kitchen and thetruly restenjoy of your home withand standard o

-Don and Mary Smith spotless. We even do windows and to read these t laundry.

Our yard maintenance crews Before you make any decisions that could affect your future happiness and standard of living, take every s “What know how to take care of your favorite the time to read these two FREE reports: about living i rose bushes and keep the grass neatly “What every senior needs to know about living in a retirement facility.” mowed. Our handyman services are “Four critical “Four critical questions to ask a service provider...before you let anyone work in or near your home.” provided by specialists in plumbing, service provid We invite you to call Pristine rightwork, now so that we can sendrepairs you these two FREE reports by mail. electrical painting, and anyone work safety rail installation.

Call for rateS We invite you t now so that w two FREE repo

(805) 54 Ca

We Bring Assisted Living Home You Whatever you need...give us atocall 805-543-4663 www.pristinehomeservices.net 710 FIERO LANE, UNIT 16 SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA 93401

H O U S E K E E P I N G · YA R D M A I N T E N A N C E · H A N D Y M A N S E R V I C E S · P E R S O N A L C A R E F E B R U A R Y

2015

Journal PLUS

34

COMMUNITY

Call to the colors

a very busy veterans day at the museum

By Gail Pruitt

A sampling of letters to veterans written by students in Mrs. Angel’s kindergarten class at St. Patrick’s School in Arroyo Grande and delivered to the Museum on Veterans Day

The Central Coast Veterans Memorial Museum Telling the stories of military veterans so that all generations may more fully understand the costs of peace and the realities of war.

Center: Jack B. Jones, COL, USA (Ret.) discussing the Museum mission, exhibits with visitors.

F E B R U A R Y

2015

Don Mueller (in blue), Museum docent, talks with visitors in front of World War I exhibit.

Journal PLUS

L-R Vince Tibbles, Museum docent; Harry Hoover, Museum curator and director; Cooper Lock, Museum docent; June Lee, visitor; Sandra McGregor, Museum secretary and librarian; Jack B. Jones, COL, USA (Ret.), President of the Museum board of directors.

L—R Jenna, youngest Museum docent with Sarah Twisselman, Museum marketing specialist. Jenna’s dad (not pictured) is also a Museum docent.

COMMUNITY

35

FEBRUARY CROSSWORD SOLUTIONS ON PAGE 43

Museum staff at luncheon honoring WWII veterans hosted by General Hoyt S. Vandenberg Chapter of the Military Order of the World Wars. L—R Jack B. Jones, COL, USA (Ret.), President, Museum board of directors; Sandra McGregor, Museum secretary and librarian; Albert Findley, WWII veteran and Museum docent. © StatePoint Media

STATEPOINT CROSSWORD THEME: ANCIENT MYTHS ACROSS 1. Greek letter and ancient symbol of death 6. First prime number 9. ____ of March 13. Curvaceous, as in a woman 14. Common furniture wood 15. “_____ and beyond” 16. September stone 17. E in BCE 18. Downy duck 19. *Remus’ twin 21. *The first woman, Greek mythology 23. *Chinese zodiac animal 24. Engage 25. Adherent of Taoism 28. Additionally 30. Central vein of a leaf 35. *Viracocha worshipper 37. Smidge or scintilla 39. *Roman goddess of the hunt

40. South American monkey 41. Lowest Hindu caste 43. Give the cold shoulder 44. Improve or rectify 46. Theater section 47. At this point 48. *Hegemone and Chloris were ______ deities 50. Clinton’s #2 52. Moray, e.g.

53. “The ____ have it” 55. Foe of illegal aliens 57. “With a rumbly in his tumbly, but not even a _______ of honey...”

61. *Half man, half horse 65. Leisurely walk 66. *Pandora’s box was actually this 68. High wave caused by tidal flow 69. “Home Improvement” star 70. Exclamation of surprise 71. Tapestry 72. Not to be confused with “want” 73. Small dog’s bark 74. Doled out, as in cards

DOWN 1. Kind of ski lift 2. Designer Boss 3. Test 4. Add 5. Female aviation pioneer 6. Little piggies?

7. *The Trojan ___ 8. Giraffe’s cousin 9. In the same place, when citing a reference 10. Popular symbol of extinction 11. ____ after 12. Plural of serum 15. *An epic by Virgil 20. a.k.a. tangelos 22. *Greek mythology tells that humans originally had four of this 24. Ballpark staples 25. *Cronus or Oceanus 26. True inner self 27. The kids in “Eight is Enough,” e.g.

29. *Psyche, Greek godess of the ____ 31. DIRECTV competitor

32. Hindu queen 33. Habituate 34. Confusion of voices 36. Hokkaido native 38. *Jason’s vessel 42. Eagle’s home 45. *To be slayed by a knight 49. *On Cyclops’ forehead 51. *Group of nine deities in Egyptian mythology 54. Relish 56. Don’t take one’s eyes off 57. Bridge, e.g.

58. Stag 59. A small island 60. Act 61. Weather may affect its yield 62. City of Taj Mahal 63. Caspian basin river 64. One R in R&R 67. “Bingo!”

F E B R U A R Y

2015

Journal PLUS

COMMUNITY

36

palm street perspective The city’s new “homestay” ordinance: the evolution of compromise

By SLO City Vice Mayor, John Ashbaugh

A

t our first meeting of the New Year, the City Council adopted a new ordinance to allow owner-occupied “homestays.”

Prior to this action, the City had prohibited ALL “short-term” rentals (less than 30 days) in the City, and in fact a 2006 ordinance lumped all such rentals under the term “vacation rental.” About two years ago, however, the City began receiving complaints from residents that their neighbors were making use of such web sites as Air BnB, VRBO.com, or other Internet sites to advertise such prohibited rentals in SLO. In response, City staff began enforcement efforts and issued notices and (in a few cases) citations to operators of illegal vacation rentals.

At about the same time, however, the City also began receiving appeals from many operators of such short-term rentals, citing the advantages of vacation rentals to property owners and their guests, and suggesting that complaints of neighborhood disruption were exaggerated. These advocates asked that the City amend the Zoning Code and allow such uses.

On November 12, 2013, the Council opened up City Hall to both sides: A study session enabled us to take a “big picture” look at the issue, with a presentation by City staff, followed by testimony from the public. In all, twenty-six people spoke to the issue, with those supporting a more lenient policy outnumbering opponents by a 4:1 ratio.

Those who opposed any change to the prohibition included Residents for Quality Neighborhoods (RQN), who have consistently advocated for “neighborhood wellness.” RQN expressed legitimate fears about our residential character being overwhelmed by vacation rentals.

There is, in fact, good reason to fear such a transformation:” Entire neighborhoods in cities such as New York, San Francisco, and Paris have been flooded with vacation rentals advertised on Air BnB—most of them with no owner-occupant, many owned instead by absentee landlords who reap big profits from the rental income even while bidding up the prices of homes and apartments and ignoring complaints of party noise, traffic, drug and alcohol use, and other disruptions to formerly-peaceful neighborhoods.

In fact, one doesn’t need to go that far to understand the impacts of a proliferation of vacation rentals: A short drive to Cayucos, Avila Beach, or even Los Osos will reveal neighborhoods where homeowners have vacated their units and now rent them out for quick-and-easy profit. Even more homes are being purchased by investors, often from out of the County, who care even less about the remaining homeowners and long-term tenants who continue to live there.

What followed from the November, 2013 Council study session was a direction to staff to temporarily suspend the enforcement of the vacation rental prohibition, but create an ordinance permitting owner-occupied “homestays.” The Council also directed staff to begin issuing business licenses to homestays, while also collecting the Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT). Over this past year, the City issued 36 business licenses, and collected about $31,000 in TOT; it was never F E B R U A R Y

2015

Journal PLUS

expected that such revenue would be substantial. Only two noiserelated complaints were received from such “homestays.”

Meanwhile, staff also got busy fashioning a compromise with extensive outreach to the public including meetings with representatives of homestay owners (SLO Hosts), as well as the Realtors Association, Residents for Quality Neighborhoods, Neighborhood Wellness Group, Tourism Business Improvement District Board, and Chamber of Commerce. In all, staff met with over 100 community members. The Planning Commission devoted an entire evening to the proposal in early October.

City staff also looked for other cities in California, and throughout the country, that had established regulations on vacation rentals and/ or “homestays.” In the end, however, staff were unable to locate any standalone ordinance for owner-occupied homestay rentals. Once again, the City of SLO is plowing “new ground” with this ordinance.

The result of this “Evolution of Compromise” came to a head at the Council meeting on January 6, 2015, as we passed a new “Homestay” ordinance with only one dissenting vote. Homestays are defined as owner-occupied homes rented less than 30 days to four or fewer adults. Homeowners who operate these “homestays” are expected to serve as welcoming and ON-SITE hosts for visitors who prefer these arrangements to conventional lodging.

For some homeowners, the additional income from a homestay is the only way they’re able to remain in their home. The City needs to reinforce our diminishing stock of owner-occupied homes in San Luis Obispo: With 62% of our housing stock used as rentals, SLO has the one of the lowest rates of owner-occupancy of any city in the State… a trend that has been accelerating over the last thirty-five years.

At the same meeting, the Council restored the earlier prohibition on “vacation rentals,” i.e. homes rented out by absentee owners on a shortterm basis with no “host” present. Anyone who operates or advertises a “vacation rental” in residential neighborhoods will be warned of a violation, and if they persist, the City will shut them down and assess fines.

I know that many people continue to oppose this new ordinance, because there is still a risk that homestays to “morph” into vacation rentals. We’ll take another look at the ordinance in late 2016 and if that is a problem, we’ll correct it. Meanwhile, I want to thank our staff, my colleagues, and this community for achieving this important milestone. It’s a great way to begin the New Year!

Downtown

Around

The Magazine of Downtown San Luis Obispo

I nside:

February 2015

W hat ’s U p Mee t T he Downtown Ambassadors

W h a t ’ s

U p

A r o u n d

I

D o w n t o w n

?

are trying to navigate the complex system in place to hear many different names and phrases used to receive aid. describe the more noticeable members of our Downtown population—“homeless and “transient” he segment of the homeless population that most among them. Oftentimes I take pause when I hear the people see and take issue with is the transient names, not because of the people being described population we see Downtown on a daily basis. Some but due to the context in which the names are used. of these individuals aggressively panhandle for funds, In light of several recent events and the resulting some have large scary dogs, some use intimidating concern of business owners and fear expressed by ways of approaching shoppers, and others are would-be shoppers, I feel compelled to clarify a few downright obnoxious. What if I told you that not all key points about this demographic. I would also like Dominic Tartaglia, of them are classified as homeless, but they want you Executive Director to address how we, as an organization, are working to to think so? Some are making a subsistence living resolve associated issues. from the sympathy of people walking by who give them a few bucks or a hamburger. Others choose to be homeless and live efore I can explain our attempts to help alleviate a nomadic lifestyle, following good weather and sympathetic concerns I want to address the fact that these two names communities. The problem with being a sympathetic represent two very different types of individual. First there is community is that while we might feel like we are helping the homeless population as a whole, which includes many someone who is down on his/her luck, often we are actually different types of people with many different issues and perpetrating a bigger problem for the transient individual and reasons for being homeless. Some wish to be housed, some for the community. We are enabling that person to stay on the choose not to be housed, and some have a lifestyle that does streets and we are encouraging antisocial behavior. Needless not allow for them to have housing whether it be mental to say, there’s a big difference between the transient and the illness, anti-social behavior or substance abuse issues. Within homeless populations. the larger group I would further clarify that the folks who are looking for ways to be off of the streets and in a “normal” o why is the clarification so important? Without the lifestyle are the individuals who are in a sense, invisible. By clarification between homelessness and transiency many looking at them you would not be able to tell that they are people put them into the same basket. Too often that homeless. They have jobs, are caring for family members or

T

B

S

On the Cover: One of the seven colorful donation stations strategically placed around Downtown to offer the public an opportunity to "Make Change Count" as part of the Directed Giving Program. Photo by Mukta Naran

Come see the World Series Championship Trophies!

View the 2010, 2012, and 2014 trophies on display.

Photo opportunities available.

Contact the SLO Downtown Association at 541-0286 www.sfgiants.com/trophytour

Thursday, March 5 5pm—7pm Thursday Night Farmers’ Market 669 Higuera St, at Davidson’s Furniture

805 Aerovista #103, San Luis Obispo

W h a t ’ s

U p

A r o u n d

basket carries a negative connotation and I want to stop that. In fact, our local homeless service providers, the police department and other concerned citizens all want to stop the generalization of a very complex demographic because it is, quite frankly, an issue that is extremely complex. The solution requires great compassion, determination and a little bit of tough love. So how do we plan to help the people seeking assistance and humanely deter transient related intimidation and crime?

T

he efforts to work toward solutions have many different levels of involvement from the San Luis Obispo Downtown Association and a large number of other stakeholders. The foremost thing we are doing is talking with interested parties.

While talking may not seem like an action item that will solve anything at first look, it is in fact how we have been able to start making headway toward actionable items. Discussions with other groups resulted in the Downtown Security program, which today has transformed into our Ambassador Program.

It also formed the Directed Giving Committee, provided direction for our relationship with SLO PD and local business owners, our involvement with the Homeless Advisory Council and the Homeless Foundation of San Luis Obispo County and our ongoing involvement with the Friends of Prado. All of these groups exercise compassion in attempts to help the most vulnerable people while encouraging behavior that is conducive to being a part of a safe and healthy community.

O

ur Downtown Ambassador Program is a direct result of the relationship we have with the City and SLO PD in

D o w n t o w n

?

which our Ambassadors no longer serve as a security force but as the middle man between would-be criminals and the Police, in addition to our friendly liaisons to the community.

Not only do Ambassadors observe problem activities and report them to the police, they are the carrot before the stick to move troublesome individuals along. Often they simply need to inform transients that it is time to move on to generate a positive resolution. If that does not resolve issues they let the police address the matter. They also are responsible for checking in with member business to hear reports of many non-transient related concerns and relay them to Downtown Association staff for further actions. Ambassadors are one of our greatest assets in terms of their adaptability to resolve a wide range of issues including aggressive panhandling.

W

e also have the Directed Giving Committee, a collaboration between SLO PD, City Administration, United Way and Downtown Association to encourage people to stop giving handouts on the street and to turn their donations toward crucial services to help those members of the homeless population who need it most. By supporting our Make Change Count meters and not giving handouts on the street our hope is that we will discourage aggressive panhandling and the message will be clear that our community does not condone antisocial behavior. The change from those meters goes directly to a service provider that utilizes those funds for sobriety based programs for families and individuals trying to get back on their feet and under a reliable roof. To date

Continued on next page

INC

STAL WORK CONSTRUCTION + DESIGN

LIC 948012 | PO BOX 391 SAN LUIS OBISPO CA 93406 805.542.0033 WWW.STALWORK.COM MAIL@STALWORK.COM

COMMERCIAL + RESIDENTIAL LANDSCAPES + MAINTENANCE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

W h a t ’ s

U p

A r o u n d

D o w n t o w n

?

center at 40 Prado Lane. The Foundation is paramount to helping the population of individuals who rely on the services currently $8,500 has been delivered to Prado Day Center. Additionally, our provided by the County, Maxine Lewis and Prado Day Center. association takes donations at our semi-annual breakfasts and The Foundation aims to build a center that will house all of those passes 100% of those funds to Prado, which is generally around services under one roof for eligible individuals who want to get $1,000 for the year. When you give at the meter you are helping off the streets. It is important to note that we are not providing us to give a hand up, not a hand out. services to individuals who are not committed to improving ur strategy is to be a part of the solution and our their lives. It may be hard to say that because an individual is participation on the Homeless Advisory Council (HAC) and not sober they cannot use the center, but the fact of the matter Homeless Foundation for SLO County (HFSLOC) is critical in is that they make other individuals feel unsafe or uncomfortable helping to put more people into housing. The HAC is a group of the same way that they make shoppers and business owners the county’s homeless service providers and stakeholders that uncomfortable Downtown. meets monthly to discuss the progress of a myriad of programs he bottom line here is that the Downtown Association is dedicated solely to homeless issues ranging from providing extremely involved with the process to help stop aggressive medical and mental evaluations to placing the most delicate panhandling and alleviate homelessness in the community, but individuals into homes. Within that there is a community/ we do not have the silver bullet. I do not even think that a silver Downtown sub-committee that focuses predominantly on the bullet exists. If you wish to be a part of the solution I welcome Downtown transient population and how each stakeholder is you to volunteer your time at a shelter, to make a donation at one making progress on specific individuals or areas. Again, SLO PD of our Make Change Count Meters or to reach out to our office is involved with this group via the officers of the Community for more information on how you can help. By making donations Action Team, often referred to as the CAT team. When we talk to services or volunteering your time, you are giving a hand about issues the focus is solution based and compassionately up instead of a handout. That hand up may be the difference driven with the hope being that even our most troublesome between chronic homelessness and a home. Please join us individuals can eventually get into a program that will help them in discouraging antisocial behavior and encouraging positive make positive decisions for their future. solutions to alleviate chronic homelessness. he HFSLOC is the funding and organizational body that is behind the future development of the new homeless service

Continued from previous page

O

T

T

Meet Our Newest Downtown Ambassadors

O

ur Downtown Ambassadors work together with SLO Police Department in making sure the Downtown area is safe.

The team also welcomes tourists to the area, communicates with business owners and staff, and keeps our streets clean.

Downtown Ambassadors are dressed in brightly colored red shirts with the “Downtown Ambassador” logo on it.

F

irst, we’d like to introduce you to Courtney Caldwell. She grew up in Encinitas in southern California and moved to San Luis Obispo in 2010 to attend Cal Poly.

Courtney will graduate this March with a degree in Environmental Management and Protection. She is excited to join the team of Downtown Ambassadors because she adores Downtown SLO and wants to make it even better than it already is. She adds, “I’m excited to help enforce the ‘No Tobacco’ Courtney Caldwell ordinance in Downtown because no one likes second hand smoke or cigarette butts littered on the ground. I’m proud of our city for outlawing smoking in public places, and I want to do my part to make sure our air and walkways stay clean.”

C

ourtney is also a leader in Intervarsity Christian Fellowship on campus. When she’s not working or studying, Courtney enjoys swimming in the ocean, hiking, dancing, and going on adventures with friends.

A

nother new member of the Downtown Ambassador team is Matt Avila. He may look familiar to you because Matt is

currently an assistant at our Farmers’ Market on Thursday nights. He says he has learned so much about Downtown SLO and SLO in general from working at Farmers’ Market.

So when the opportunity arose to become an ambassador, he felt, “It would allow me not only to learn more about the town, but also allow me an outlet to showcase my SLO pride and meet more of the people of this great area.”

I

n addition, Matt is working on Matt Avila attaining his Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics with a concentration in teaching and a minor in Child Development. He also volunteers for Stanislaus County 4-H’s summer camp and is involved with SLO Cru, a Christian ministry for college students from both Cuesta and Cal Poly.

A

side from work and school, Matt enjoys watching and playing sports, particularly football. Another favorite for Matt is nature. He says, “I think the sound of waves crashing against the shore is one of the most calming and awesome sounds on Earth, and for that reason I could walk on the beach all day. I am interested in hiking and have yet to take a backpacking trip, but it is on my bucket list.”

I

f you see either Matt or Courtney patrolling around as our Downtown Ambassadors, be sure to stop and say "hello" and help us welcome them into our neighborhood.

COMMUNITY

our schools

career and technical education— A major piece of the educational puzzle

By James J. Brescia, Ed.D. County Superintendent of Schools

T

his past December I was fortunate to be invited to present some of my current educational research at a symposium hosted by Oxford University in the United Kingdom (U.K.). During one particular research presentation, I was reminded of how similar our educational challenges are both internationally and domestically.

The presenters, who were from the U.K., were addressing an audience from America, Europe, Asia and Africa on the importance of Career and Technical Education (CTE) in secondary schools.

Just a month prior to the Oxford symposium, I attended a local conference hosted by the California Department of Education, on yes, you guessed it, the importance of CTE for California schools.

My serendipitous attendance at both presentations served to strengthen the commitment to our recent county-wide efforts in securing newly awarded CTE grant funding for local schools throughout our county.

Education throughout the United States, and apparently other parts of the globe, is experiencing some very interesting and challenging times. While we here in America continue to navigate our way through federal and state mandates that impact our classrooms, our leaders look for pieces to the educational puzzle. Ask a puzzle master, and you will be advised that instead of taking a wild stab at the puzzle, see if you can identify a good strategy that will lead to an acceptable solution. Similar to the puzzle master’s advice, I agree with our international and domestic colleagues that CTE is a key piece of the educational quest for student success. As we face an ever-changing world, it is important to explore avenues that present multiple paths for student success. CTE curriculum strives to pair academics and high-level workplace skills necessary for the 21st century. Students, administrators, teachers, business members, community leaders and even politicians have endorsed CTE programs across the country for the following reasons:

• CTE related jobs are in high demand.

• CTE preparation can meet individual and community workplace needs.

• CTE programs have been shown to reduce drop-out rates in research and practice.

• CTE classes serve to increase student engagement in both CORE and CTE classes.

• CTE curriculum has been shown to increase student achievement during and after school.

• Additionally, CTE has the potential to maintain a cutting edge of preparing students for “college and career readiness.”

According to research conducted by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, the U.S. will need at least 4.7 million employees with postsecondary certificates by 2018. CTE programs have the potential to prepare and provide individuals for these positions. The Gates Foundation & Hudson Institute recently reported that a person with an associate degree or a postsecondary technical certificate on average earns $5,000 - $15,000 per year more than a person with just a high school diploma. The National Research Center for CTE, as well as local educators, report that CTE students are taught to develop skills in problem-solving, project completion, research, mathematics, college applications, work-place communication, and time management. Additionally, data indicate that the integration of CTE courses within the academic course load minimized the risk of many students dropping out of school. Finally, business roundtable groups, researchers and educators across the globe have noted the potential of CTE. CTE has the power to equip students with CORE academic skills, and the ability to apply those skills to concrete situations in order to complete daily activities and function in today’s workplace.

I would like to conclude with an excerpt taken from the recent Congressional CTE Caucus hosted by U.S. Senator Rob Port-

41

man (R-Ohio), along with Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Co-Chairs of the Senate CTE Caucus. “CTE fits very well with what so many of us are trying to do here in the Congress, which is to put in place, policies that actually create more opportunities for our young people….

Let’s take the steps necessary to raise awareness about this great opportunity out there.” U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) introduced bipartisan legislation designed to prepare students for 21st century jobs. The Educating Tomorrow’s Workforce Act of 2014, authored by Portman and U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-Virginia), raises the quality of Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in schools across the country. The bill amended the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act and provided additional funding to ensure students have access to the highest quality CTE programs.

The San Luis Obispo County Office of Education, Cuesta College, along with every school district and charter school in our county, have joined together to participate in this newly authorized CTE funding to best serve the students of our county. As we continue to provide additional opportunities for our students in CTE, I encourage you to learn more about this wonderful opportunity benefitting our community.

Pastrami Reuben or

Check out our Daily Lunch & Philly Steak Sandwich Dinner Specials including: Served with fries and slaw • Chimichangas $8.50 Check outMahi ourTacos Daily • Mahi Lunch and Dinner • Chicken Enchiladas Specials Casual Atmosphere Serious Food Casual Atmosphere –- Serious Food OPEN 11:30 M-F

Lunch & Dinner 7 days a week Breakfast served Sat. & Sun. 9:00 Full Bar · Nightly Specials Owners — Scott & Dana Milstead

750 Price Street, Pismo Beach 773-1922 F E B R U A R Y

2015

Journal PLUS

THE BULLETIN BOARD

42

“ARTrageous” after school classes

Encourage your kids to spring into art with an ARTrageous After School Art Class at the SLO Museum of Art and its satellite locations at Ocean View Elementary in Arroyo Grande and San Gabriel Elementary in Atascadero. Fourweek sessions begin in February and run through the beginning of May 2015. From painting and collage to masks and Chinese brush painting, the Museum offers a broad range of classes for children ages 5 to 12 years old. Students are exposed to basic techniques, multicultural art forms, and a highly creative approach. The curriculum of classes is often tied to current Museum exhibitions, lending to in-gallery exploration. All classes are taught by professional teaching artists.

More information can be found on at www.sloma.org or by calling the Museum directly at (805) 543-8562.

$1000 Scholarship winner for 1-minute video

Austin-based SaaS software provider ProjectManager.com announced the winner of their “Give me $1000 in 1 minute” video scholarship contest. Alyssa Parr, an architecture student, is the official winner of the $1000 award in which entrants produced a one-minute video answering the statement: “A great project manager is someone who…”

Entrants posted their videos to Instagram with the hashtag #pmscholarship. (See her winning video).

Originally from Maryland, Ms. Parr currently attends Cal Poly where she is pursuing a degree in Architecture. She is also serving as CoProject Manager of the Cal Poly Solar Decathlon, a US Department of Energy collegiate competition where global teams compete to design and build a net-zero energy efficient home. Ms. Parr credits this experience as central to her personal and professional goals.

vons foundation gives to big Brothers/sisters

Big Brothers Big Sisters of SLO County received a $2,500 grant from the Vons Foundation and its employees to support the agency’s youth mentoring programs and associated group activities.

literacy council volunteer training

Time and date: 10:00 am - 3:30pm, Saturday January 31st and Saturday February 7th. Our need for tutors is countywide, most crucially in North and South Counties. To volunteer, please visit our website www.sloliteracy.org for more information. Location: San Luis Obispo County Library, 995 Palm St., San Luis Obispo, 93401. Cost: $25. For more information call 541-4219.

tax forms at paso library

If you are looking for a particular tax form, chances are the Paso Robles City Library can help. The Library is one of the few places to offer both federal and state tax forms. We also carry instruction booklets for the most common forms, and Reference Desk staff can assist with accessing and printing forms from websites. They may have a small supply of the most common forms already printed out for you to purchase. Copies of tax forms (as with all copies) are only 20 cents per page, so bring in your list of forms needed to get your copies today. As in prior years, the Library and the Senior Center will partner with AARP Tax Aide to provide free tax assistance. Call the Library, 237-3870.

cuesta scholarships application open

The application for Cuesta College scholarships, including the Promise, is currently open. The deadline to apply for the college’s general scholarships is March 2, 2015; the deadline to apply for the Promise is August 3, 2015. The Cuesta College scholarship application is online and can be found here: https://cuesta.academicworks. com/users/sign_in. The Cuesta Scholarship program is open to all incoming and continuing Cuesta College students with a GPA above 2.0. The program rewards and assists students who have demonstrated academic excellence, leadership skills, and success in making progress toward a degree or certificate at Cuesta College. Last year, more than 400 scholarships were awarded through this program, each one with different donor criteria and different award amounts.

In 2014, nearly $262,000 in scholarship funds was distributed to 279 students. On average, recipients received $582. For more information on the Cuesta Scholarship program, go to: http://www.cuesta.edu/ student/aboutmoney/finaid/types_of_aid/Scholarship_institutional_ source.html. The Promise Scholarship program is open to all recent SLO County high school graduates, including those who receive their GED or are home-schooled, who attend Cuesta College immediately following their completion of high school.

INDUSTRIAL • COMMERCIAL • RESIDENTIAL

D ressing Windows in San Luis Obispo for over 39 Years

Alan “Himself” F E B R U A R Y

alan’s draperies 544-9405 alansdrapery@gmail.com 2015

Journal PLUS

We have your breaker or fuse – Hundreds in stock!

Reasonable Rates!

Senior discounts!

One hour emergency service!

License #673180

San Luis Obispo 541-3036

Appliance circuits • Troubleshooting • Service upgrades • Rewiring • Smoke detectors • 220 volt circuits • Computer circuits

Santa Maria 928-4949

Santa Barbara 963-2066

THE BULLETIN BOARD

43

fundraiser for scouting programs in San Luis Obispo County. The Good Scout Award is presented to an outstanding community leader who exemplifies the ideals of the Scout Oath and Law. The Boy Scouts say they selected Iftiniuk to receive the award because he is an exceptional local businessman and leader who makes time to volunteer in the community and generously supports local organizations including the Los Padres Council, Boy Scouts of America.

phillips 66 donates $30,000 to rail museum

rams install new officers

The 150 members of the SLO Retired Active Men (RAMS) Organization recently installed new officers for 2015. The RAM organization exists to foster social interaction among retired men and to stimulate interest in subjects by providing expert speakers at monthly meetings. For more information on the SLO Chapter of the Retire Active Men please phone Don Morris at 773-1672. Pictured (left to right): Secretary Steve Lumm, Treasurer Bill Fieldhouse, President Roger Malkus, Outgoing President Hank Campbell, and Vice President Robert Lever.

Iftiniuk honored by boy scouts

FHMC President/CEO Alan Iftiniuk was recognized with the Good Scout Award by the Boy Scouts of America, Los Padres Council. He was honored at the Los Padres Council’s 2014 Major Member Dinner on Dec. 3 at the Embassy Suites in San Luis Obispo. The annual dinner is an important

Last month, volunteers from the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum hosted a short ceremony to receive a $30,000 contribution from Phillips 66 refinery officials. The museum was recently notified that its grant request to the Phillips 66 Corporation had been accepted and was being fully funded to the $30,000 amount. The funds are earmarked to help complete the museum’s ambitious model railroad room, a scale model depiction of the rail industry in SLO as it looked in the early part of the 20th century. Scale model trains wind their way through Central Coast towns with local landmarks and topography captured in painstaking detail. The balance of the funds will support the museum’s educational exhibit showcasing the relationship between the oil industry and the railroad in SLO County.

C rossword S O L U T I O N S

NEW TO TOWN?

Get your free welcome packet!

It includes maps, civic info, coupons from cafes, groceries, wineries, auto hardware, garden, medical, dental, etc.

Liz Hiatt Owner

Call your greeter or go to centralcoastwelcome.com •

centralcoastwelcome@gmail.com

A FREE SERVICE TO NEWCOMERS

•

SLO / Avila / Los Osos / Morro Bay / Cayucos / Cambria / South County: Annie Clapp 878-8876 North County: Sandy Hexberg 235-1529

Gary A. Sage License No. 0E02096 100 Cross Street, Suite 203 San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 gsage@dibu.com F E B R U A R Y

2015

(805) 593-1400 (805) 593-1401 fax (805) 593-1413 direct (805) 235-1043 cell Journal PLUS

44

THE BULLETIN BOARD pete sysak sworn as cuesta board trustee

Seaweed portraits by josie iselin at art museum

From the monochrome knotweed and bladderwrack of the Maine coast to the more spectacular bull kelp, sea grapes, and nori of California, seaweed is a secret treasure of largely unseen forms.

A nexus where art, the natural world, and science converge, Intertidal Heroes is a poetic and compelling tribute by artist, Josie Iselin, to undersea life and the wonder and mystery it evokes. This stunning exhibition of seaweed portraits will be on view at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art through March 1st. Produced on a flatbed scanner, Josie Iselin’s vibrant portraits of ocean flora reveal the exquisite color and extraordinary forms of more than 200 specimens gathered from tidal pools along the California and Maine coasts. Ms. Iselin brings the traditional pressed seaweed specimen—invaluable to scientists and beloved by collectors— into a contemporary format, unveiling an often overlooked but fundamental aspect of ocean life that has great value for human health and well-being. For more info visit SLOMA.org.

county hires new parks and rec director

The County of SLO has appointed Nick Franco as the new Parks and Recreation Department Director after an exhaustive recruitment process. Franco is currently the superintendent of San Luis Coast California State Parks and will begin his new role at the County on February 2. “The Board is proud to have someone with Mr. Franco’s experience and expertise on staff to lead our Parks and Recreation Department,” said Frank Mecham, Chairman of the County Board of Supervisors. “He is experienced, innovative and high performing, and we’re confident that his skills will only enhance the County’s leadership team.” In his new role, Franco will manage a department with a $10.5 million budget and approximately 55 full-time employees.

F E B R U A R Y

2015

Journal PLUS

The Cuesta College Board of Trustees swore in Pete Sysak (pictured left with Cuesta President, Gil Stork) last month as the District 4 representative. Sysak was elected to the Board in the November general election. He replaces Charlotte Alexander and will serve a four-year term representing the city of Arroyo Grande and the unincorporated communities of Oceano and Nipomo.

Sysak served as the Police Chief and Director of Public Safety at Cuesta College for 17 years (1991-2007), past president of the Cuesta College Management Senate, and past chairman of the SLO County Criminal Justice Administrators. He has been a resident of the south county of SLO since 1977 and today is the owner of J&P Avocados in Arroyo Grande.

twin cities hospital stroke center certified

The Joint Commission, in conjunction with The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, recently recognized Twin Cities Community Hospital with Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers. The achievement signifies Twin Cities Community Hospital’s dedication to fostering better outcomes for stroke patients by meeting critical elements of performance. In order to qualify, Twin Cities underwent a rigorous on-site review following a year-long effort to meet Primary Stroke Center standards. A Joint Commission expert reviewed the hospital’s compliance with the requirements for The Joint Commission’s Disease-Specific Care Certification program as well as primary stroke center requirements, such as collecting Joint Commission core measure data and using it for performance improvement activities.

botanical garden grant from ccfc

It is with much appreciation that the San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden received a generous grant of $2,000 from Central Coast Funds for Children (CCFC). The CCFC grant will directly fund outdoor science and arts based children’s education programs by providing class materials and scholarships for at-risk and low income children, effectively doubling the number of scholarships.

The Garden offers to the summer Adventure Camp and Garden Fresh Cooking Classes.

THE BULLETIN BOARD slo wine country support family care network

The SLO Wine Country Association has presented the Family Care Network with monies raised at its “Harvest on the Coast Grand Tasting and Wine Auction.” A check for $7,955 was presented

by SLO Wine Country’s Executive Director Heather Muran and board members Nancy Greenough of Saucelito Canyon Vineyard, and JeanPierre Wolff of Wolff Vineyards. The check was received by Family Care Network Executive Director Jim Roberts and board members Shay Peck, Evan Wride, Brian Tietje and Cameron Ingalls.

45

New additions for festival mozaic staff & board

Festival Mozaic is pleased to announce the appointment of new Operations/Personnel Manager David George to its staff and the election of three new members to its board of directors. Joining the diverse group of civic leaders who form the board of this nonprofit arts organization are Jano Kray, Jo Anne Miller and Michael Poyntz. Other directors are: Steve Bland, President; Warren Jensen, Treasurer; Mike Ritter, Secretary; Jeri Corgill, John Frey, John Gilbert, Gail Kammermeyer, Marti Jorgensen Lindholm, Anne Marr, Don Maruska, Juliane McAdam, Susan Branche Poteet, Dennis Schneider, and Bern Singsen. Tickets are on sale now for Festival Mozaic’s WinterMezzo February Series. The Festival’s 45th Anniversary Summer Festival will take place July 16-26. For more information, visit www.FestivalMozaic.com.

teach school 5th graders donate to casa

alpha receives donation from ccfc

ALPHA Pregnancy and Parenting Support has received a generous grant donation of $3,500 from Central Coast Funds for Children to provide convertible infant car seats and child safety training and support for hundreds of Central Coast families. ALPHA’s car seat program includes car seat use and safety education and installation of the car seats for free to eligible ALPHA clients countywide. For more information about ALPHA, please visit www.sloalpha.org.

free senior health care screening

Screening for adults and seniors is available throughout San Luis Obispo County. Free services include: screening for high blood pressure, weight and pulse. Finger prick screening tests for: high cholesterol, anemia and blood sugar. Counseling and referrals as needed. Please call 544-2484 ext. 1 for dates, times and locations.

CASA of SLO County has received a donation of $1,365 from the students of Erin Serafin’s fifth grade class at Teach Elementary School.

The funds were raised via a learn by doing project in which the students created products to benefit CASA. The children worked in teams to produce items to sell in the school’s mini-mall. Among the creative items they produced were decorated water bottles, lava lamps, stress balls, key chains, and origami wallets. Photo: Ms. Serafin and her 5th graders with CASA Executive Director Teresa Tardiff (far right)

San Luis Obispo’s Best Kept Secret Power Carts Senior Discount (55) • 10 Play C ards • Tournaments Welcome • •

252 Higuera Street San Luis Obispo (805) 541-TIRE

Tee Times on our website: lagunalakegolfcourse.org or call 805-781-7309

11175 Los Osos Valley Road, SLO

A reverse mortgage could help you relieve debt.

Call today to learn more about this government-insured program for accessing your home’s equity.

Bob Gayle Reverse Mortgage Consultant 805/772-3658

NMLS License 582948 CA BRE Broker License 466813

Borrower must maintain property as primary residence and remain current on property taxes and insurance.

Reverse Mortgage Professionals is an Aegean Financial Company, CA BRE #1478751, NMLS #157935

F E B R U A R Y

2015

Journal PLUS

46

COMMUNITY

eye on business It’s the law

By Maggie Cox, Barnett Cox & Associates

I

t’s already February and some of those great New Year’s resolutions to stay ahead of the game may already be showing signs of falling behind. It’s no wonder, what with all we have to do planning budgets and projecting sales, upgrading software, purging files and everything else that goes with running a business in lean and technology-reliant times —and that’s just the infrastructure piece.

Some days it’s hard to feel forward motion.

accrues sick leave. And on the topic of policy manuals: seriously, if you employ anybody, you have to have a policy manual.

And in the throes of it all, come some new items for our “to do” lists, courtesy of last year’s busy Sacramento legislators. I asked longtime local attorney and HR legal expert Kathy Eppright of Andre, Morris and Buttery to weigh in on new laws and legal changes in California that impact the personnel side of business. She has some sound advice for keeping out of trouble.

Review your wage and hour practices. For the last few years, California has significantly enhanced its wage protection laws, and this year is no exception. A few examples:

Make sure you—and your policy manual—are clear on what’s required by new laws on sick leave. California has become the first state in the nation to require employers, regardless of size, to offer paid sick leave. With the new law, effective July 1, any employee who has worked for you for at least 30 days now

Get educated on California’s anti-discrimination laws. These continue to expand to include new protected classes. Interns, volunteers and undocumented workers with driver’s licenses are now protected under California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). Too many details to review here.

AB1897 imposes new penalties on employers who use labor contractors. If you rely on a contractor to provide some or all of your workers, and the contractor is unable to pay the workers or fails to carry workers compensation, you who hired the contractor may now be legally responsible for the amounts due (and penalties.)

There are new laws protecting minimum wage earners and minors who are hired unlawfully.

Break a rule and it could cost you. Learn the law.

Kathy notes what she calls a “sleeper” problem going into effect in 2015 (and sparked by the new minimum wage law that went into effect last July). This one is a doozy.

Many employers increased hourly employee wages to meet the new minimum wage, but did not consider the impact an increase in minimum wage has on exempt employees.

There is a threshold minimum salary requirement for all exempt (non salaried) staff—equal to two times the minimum wage. This means that if you have employees who are classified as exempt, they must be receiving a fixed salary of at least $37,440 a year ($3,120 a month). If you have not increased your exempt employees’ salaries to meet this requirement, these employees are not actually exempt from overtime. And the last thing you want is a challenge for unpaid overtime.

Training your manager to understand and uphold new laws is more important than ever.

Even if you’ve provided manager training in the past, do it again. New laws equal new rules. For example, who knew your manager should not be talking to your unpaid college student intern about weekend party activities, even if the intern starts the conversation?

And lastly, when undertaking sexual harassment prevention training, emphasize the need for managers to maintain a professional demeanor, even when stressed or upset. California passed a new law that requires sexual harassment training to include a section on prevention of “abusive conduct.” Making sure your managers stay calm and professional at all times will go a long way to keeping your company out of hot water.

The preceding information covers Kathy’s thoughts on just a few of the new laws affecting employers. There are plenty more regulations. And even when we try to do things the right way, it’s very easy to make a mistake. I’ll end this column by adding a tip of my own: make sure you have a good HR attorney.

F E B R U A R Y

2015

Journal PLUS

Presented by Rotary Club of San Luis Obispo de Tolosa

A Magical Valentine’s Day Variety Show 8:00 pm

Saturday, February 14th

Performing Arts Center, SLO

Starrin g ANDY GROS S With FRE D AN DE R SO N

For Tickets (805) 756-4849 pacslo.org

Coast& County Brokers

David Fuentes & Cathy Francis

Discover the value we can create in your life by partnering with your Maguire Investments financial advisor

Carol Abeloe

John-Paul F. Stornetta

E. Chad Silva

Summer Eatmon

Leon Lopez

FINANCIAL ADVISOR FINANCIAL ADVISOR FINANCIAL ADVISOR FINANCIAL ADVISOR FINANCIAL ADVISOR

We draw upon over a half-century of service and over 110 years of combined experience, striving to tailor investment portfolios suitable to each client’s needs.

Kerry Scheidt STAFF

Darlene Chavez

We are always accepting new clients and look forward to meeting with you soon to discuss your situation or develop a personal investment strategy for you.

STAFF

1862 South Broadway, Suite 100, Santa Maria, California 93456 tel: 805-922-6901 · toll-free: 800-244-4183 · fax: 805-922-4055 Stephen P. Maguire PRESIDENT

www.MaguireInvest.com

Securities offered through JHS Capital Advisors, Member FINRA/SIPC. Maguire Investments and JHS Capital Advisors are not affiliated.