JANICE MEHRING | JESSE ROBERTS | CALL TO THE COLORS | FRANK SANCHEZ
Journal FEBRUARY 2016
PLUS
MAGAZINE OF THE CENTRAL COAST
JANELLE YOUNGER
805-543-2172
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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
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FIRST WOMAN TO CONDUCT SLO SYMPHONY
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, Jim Parsons, Gary Story ADVERTISING Steve Owens CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Susan Stewart, Natasha Dalton, Joseph Carotenuti, Dr. James Brescia, Sarah Hedger, Maggie Cox, Will Jones, Deborah Cash, Heather Young, Don Morris, Rebecca LeDuc, Leslie Jones, Heather Hellman 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 PROVIDED BY JANELLE YOUNGER
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FRANK SANCHEZ
FRAN DUKEHART
PEOPLE 8 10 12 14 16
RABBI JANICE MEHRING JESSE ROBERTS FRANK SANCHEZ FRAN DUKEHART JANELLE YOUNGER
HOME & OUTDOOR
20 LANCE IUNKER – CAL POLY VET STUDY 22 WOMEN OF THE SLO SYMPHONY 24 FOOD / AT THE MARKET
COMMUNITY 26 28 30 32 34 41 42
SLO COUNTY ART SCENE CENTRAL COAST’S GREATEST COACHES CALL TO THE COLORS HISTORY: California in 1814 – part 1 OUR SCHOOLS – Dr. James Brescia CENTRAL COAST’S GREATEST ATHLETES COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD
BUSINESS
36 EYE ON BUSINESS 37 DOWNTOWN SLO What’s Happening
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COMING UP AT THE
PERFORMING ARTS CENTER CAMERON CARPENTER FORBES PIPE ORGAN RECITAL February 02 | 7:30 p.m. Christopher Cohan Center Presented by Cal Poly Arts
JEANNETTE WALLS: THE GLASS CASTLE February 21 | 3:00 p.m. Christopher Cohan Center
CLASSICS CONCERT III February 06 | 8:00 p.m.
Presented by Cal Poly Arts and the Foundation for San Luis Obispo County Libraries
Christopher Cohan Center Presented by San Luis Obispo Symphony
TIM MINCHIN February 24 | 7:30 p.m. Christopher Cohan Center Presented by Cal Poly Arts
LEANN RIMES ROTARY DE TOLOSA BENEFIT February 13 | 8:00 p.m. Christopher Cohan Center Presented by Rotary Club of SLO de Tolosa
THE CRUCIBLE February 25, 26, 27 | 8:00 p.m. March 03, 04, 05 | 8:00 p.m. Alex & Faye Spanos Theatre
CAL POLY JUST JAZZ CONCERT
Cal Poly Theatre & Dance Department
February 19 | 8:00 p.m. Christopher Cohan Center Presented by Cal Poly Music Department
CAL POLY CHOIRS’ WINTER CONCERT: ‘AMERICA … AMERICA’ February 27 | 8:00 p.m. Christopher Cohan Center
CAL POLY ARAB MUSIC ENSEMBLE WINTER CONCERT
Presented by Cal Poly Music Department
February 20 | 8:00 p.m. Christopher Cohan Center Presented by Cal Poly Music Department
WWW.PACSLO.ORG | 805-756-4TIX (4849)
From the publisher
L
aura Jackson, Musical Director of the Reno Philharmonic will be the SLO Symphony’s guest conductor on February 6th. She will be the first female to conduct the orchestra in its 62-year history. We thought this would be a good time to write about the upcoming concert and honor all the women of our Symphony. You’ll enjoy the story inside this issue. For more than a year Dr. Don Morris has been writing about the Central Coast’s greatest athletes and your response has been overwhelming. Several readers have asked Don to write about our coaches that helped lead these great athletes. This month he took a poll and features two coaches who received the most votes.
There is a great new program at Cal Poly that is helping our local Vets with PTSD, called Operation Headstrong. After recuperating from a serious injury in Iraq, Lance Iunker returned home and is leading this special project. Heather Young caught up with Lance and he tells us all about it.
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After putting our magazine on the web several years ago we regularly get e-mails from people reading it half way around the world. Recently Carolyn Elliott sent us this photo from Chile after she took her hard copy of the Journal on the trip. She stated, “I just returned from hiking Patagonia (Argentina and Chile) and decided to take my friend Will Jones along.” Plenty of good reading again this month no matter where you choose to read it. Enjoy,
MAGAZINE OF THE CENTRAL COAST
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Erin Mott Broker/Owner BRE# 01448769 ph: 805.234.1946 erin@mpsrealty.com
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rabbi Janice Mehring pursuing life’s dreams By Ruth Starr Mehring photos by Christine Sedley
W
e’ve all heard about the singing Nun, but what about the singing Rabbi? Performing for years in musical theaters, events, and other venues, music has been a strong force in the life of Central Coast resident Rabbi Janice Mehring. She gave up singing for fifteen years to concentrate on her career as a Physical Therapist. However, when her son William was born twenty years ago, she decided to sell her Physical Therapy practice and be a full time mom. While attending a college reunion in the late ’90s, she met up with an old friend who was a songwriter. The friend asked her to sing on a demo tape, which prompted her to resume her singing career. She quickly began to study voice again. Rabbi Janice deepened her love of music singing with the Cuesta Master Chorale. She also started singing at Congregation Beth David in the choir and doing solos on the High Holy Days. A feeling had come over her that something was very different about singing sacred music—something that connected her to Judaism. She decided that she wanted to become an ordained cantor, a Jewish clergy person who teaches and leads the community through music. She believed her gift was to sing. “The music is a conduit for blessings itself. I can feel an energy that happens when I sing,” she explains. She was accepted to cantorial school in 2005 at the Academy for Jewish Religion, California located in Los Angeles. Living in Atascadero Rabbi Janice commuted every week to L. A. for five years. She would get on a train Sunday mornings at 6:45 am and return Tuesdays at midnight. A cantor is ordained through a ceremony performed at
the Academy. After two years Rabbi Janice realized she wanted to do more than become a cantor. She decided to pursue becoming a rabbi in order to further share her Jewish knowledge. The rabbinic program also takes five years to become ordained. The school was founded by rabbis from various denominations. It has a trans-denominational approach that prepares Rabbis to encompass all the different movements within Judaism. Leaving her home in Los Osos and moving to Atascadero she heard about a synagogue that was in Paso Robles. Her affiliation with Congregation Ohr Tzafon, which means Northern Light, began around 2001. Checking it out, Rabbi Janice noticed there was no Rabbi but a group of lovely committed people who were concerned about educating their children. There was also very little music involved.
Canzona Singing group F E B R U A R Y
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Since Janice loved music and had been studying singing sacred music, she asked the congregates if she could sing for the High Holy Day Services. The people were
PEOPLE delighted to have her. Becoming more involved, she became a Hebrew school teacher and a board member. The congregation were all witnesses to her journey to the Rabbinate. It took five years for Rabbi Janice to get ordained from the school. It was a long involved journey. She is proud to be able to speak to all Jews on the path to wholeness and well-being. She has dedicated her rabbinate to being a welcoming inclusive voice to Jews of all denominations and the people they love, including members of the LGBT community. The Synagogue moved about eight years ago from Paso Robles to Atascadero. They bought a new, empty building and gradually made improvements. Most of the congregation is from the north county, but there are also members from San Luis Obispo and South County who enjoy being a part of Ohr Tzafon. She conducts classes in Judaism for people who want to learn about the religion and people who may be interested in converting.
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Rabbi Janice was born in Arizona moving to San Diego when she was nine. From the time she was eight until she reached eighteen, she studied classical piano. At UCLA she received her B.S. in Kinesiology and her Masters Degree in Physical Therapy at USC. Ultimately she built up and owned a Physical Therapy business. She worked at what was once General Hospital in SLO. Now for fun, Rabbi Janice sings with Canzona, a women’s group of approximately twenty-four women who sing all kinds of music and perform at various venues. Being an animal lover, Rabbi Janice volunteers at Woods Humane Society. She is on the board of an Interfaith group called People of Faith for Justice. The group works on civil rights, environmental justice, economic justice and non-violence. For more information the rabbi’s website is myrabbisings.com or CongregationOhrTzafon.org. For the women singers, it is canzonawom-en.org
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Point san luis lighthouse keepers new executive Director
jesse Roberts— lost and found at sea By Susan Stewart
J
esse Roberts knows a little something about survival. Swept out to sea while fishing near the multi-island country of Fiji, 17-year-old Roberts spent the night fighting to stay alive. Days later, he was presumed dead, and the Fiji Times printed the teenager’s obituary. But Roberts had washed up on a neighboring island, where he was nursed back to health by the natives who lived there. A week later, he was back at the island where he’d started, and two months after that, he was home with his family, and back to the land of the (officially) living.
“The kindness of the Fijian people had a really big impact,” he says today. “Their hospitality, musical qualities, and community living were strong influences on me. I’ve travelled back to Fiji many times; it holds a special place in my heart.”
(Roberts graduated from Mission Prep High School), he served as a diplomat with the U.S. State Department promoting peaceful relations in the Middle East region through the U.S. Cultural Affairs division.
But that life-changing event is not what makes Jesse Roberts such a perfect fit for the top job at the Point San Luis Lighthouse. With 16 years’ experience in non-profit management, grant-writing, and special event organizing, Roberts brings a valuable skill set to his job as Executive Director.
Along the way, Roberts married and has two children, now 13 and 11. He is also an artist whose work shows locally and out of state; and an award-wining documentary film-maker. As he casted about for a unique position that would bring him back to the Central Coast, the job at the San Luis Obispo Lighthouse felt right. “It’s a historic site on the coast in a beautiful area, it has a large volunteer base, and they’ve been doing events.” The Board agreed and Roberts was hired in October of 2015.
Beginning with a BA in Communications, Roberts’ first professional job was managing a transitional housing program for youth coming out of foster care and group homes. Next, he founded Rise Up International, a non-profit out of Bend, Oregon that seeks to “… build community through music and art,” says the website, “by hosting ongoing workshops, art and music classes in local schools, summer camps, and collaborative events.” And just before returning to the Central Coast
In just a few short (and very busy) months, Roberts has created a new and much more user-friendly website; has re-worked the marketing, special events, and wedding packages; and completed year-end grants and reports. Roberts said he is impressed by the number of hours his volunteers put in—between 600 and 700 hours every month. He is also gratified by the collaborative spirit and support he receives from the Port San Luis Harbor District, which owns the 30-acre site.
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For nearly 20 years, the station was vacant, vandalized, and neglected. In 1992, through the monumental efforts of a passionate few, the Port San Luis Harbor district acquired the 30-acre site from the federal government with a mandate to restore and open it to the public. In 1995, the second wave of Lighthouse Keepers was formed as a non-profit to do just that. Today—20 years and thousands of volunteer hours later—the gracious home has been completely restored and furnished with period pieces. The grounds and outbuildings have also been lovingly refurbished and now house the famous Fourth-Order Fresnel lamp, a gift store, and venues for weddings, workshops, and special events.
The original lighthouse lens
In fact, this month, the most romantic holiday of the year—Valentine’s Day—can be celebrated in the most romantic place in the county as The Point San Luis Light Station plays host to a host of lovers with “Love at The Lighthouse.” On February 14th, at 4 p.m., couples will be chauffeured from Avila Beach to the Lighthouse where they will be treated to a docent-led tour, a candlelit gourmet dinner, a long-stemmed rose, dessert, wine and live music. All for just $120. Call 1-800-838-3006 or email info@sanluislighthouse.org for more information or to make your reservation. “I love watching people come up to take pictures,” says Roberts, “hiking the Pecho Coast Trail, seeing the smiles and laughter of students who come with their school, and the satisfaction our volunteers get from being part of a such a great organization.”
The lighthouse kitchen The view from the lighthouse tower.
“I’ve been surprised by all the different people from the community who really care about the Lighthouse,” he said. Not least of which is his right-hand person, Program Manager Deb Foughty; and a 12-member board of directors headed by President John Lindsey. And yet, there are still far too many who aren’t aware of it. Built in response to a disaster off the coast near Port Harford in 1888 (the sinking of The Queen of the Pacific), The Point San Luis Light Station was completed in 1890. Two prairie-style Victorian homes were constructed to house the Lighthouse Keeper and his family; plus several out-buildings to house the foghorn, fuel, and supplies. The mighty Pacific caresses (or crashes) the shore on three sides of the rugged point, and a flank of velvety-green Italian cypress trees add majesty against an azure sky on the mostly sunny days. For more than 80 years, the station and its keepers guided ships safely into port, until 1974, when the U.S. Coast Guard shut it down and the last of the Keepers left the site.
Last year, more than 9,000 visitors toured the Lighthouse. Roberts hopes to increase that number in the coming year, while he increases awareness of the landmark site both locally and nationally as a must-see destination. “At the same time, we need to be mindful of how delicate the Lighthouse is,” Roberts added. Plans are in the works for indigenous plant restoration and continued preservation work. “It would be great to have more families and college-aged students involved,” he said. As a carefree teenaged surfer, Jesse Roberts couldn’t have known the significance his swept-to-sea ordeal would one day carry. But isn’t it possible that at the heart of his desire to head our modern-day Lighthouse Keepers lies the certainty that without guidance (whether from Fijian natives or from a beacon of light), we’d all be lost at sea? Come visit the Point San Luis Lighthouse. Experience the beauty, the history, the “at-the-edge-ofthe-world” feeling that can only be felt in person. You can host a party or a wedding on site. F E B R U A R Y
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frank sanchez
Performer, provider, philanthropist... “Nothing seemed Impossible” By Deborah Cash
H
ard to imagine the soft spoken, gentlemanly elegant and calm demeanored Frank Sanchez was once dubbed a “Triple Threat” in the entertainment profession that shaped his life since boyhood.
Sanchez, now in his mid-80s, is still debonair, graceful and dignified; his persona epitomizes those Technicolor celebrities from an era where tuxedos, manners and smooth moves were de rigueur à la Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly and Rock Hudson. And while those legends have since departed, Sanchez remains quite active and resides among us on the Central Coast in the Atascadero home where he and his family lived for more than five decades. His three-fold ability to act, dance and direct eventually led to appearances in television, theatre, big screen and print. But his adventure in the entertainment industry was born not because he had stars in his eyes but rather due to his heritage and environment starting at a very early age. Born Jose Francisco Sanchez in Los Angles in 1928, he arrived as the ninth of 11 children to parents Francisco and Escolastica who had migrated from Mexico to that city in 1916. Sanchez’s family later moved to Ventura County and then to the Fresno area where his father leased a 40-acre vineyard ranch. “I worked with mules,” he said, but noted he wasn’t all that great at the job since he had a tendency to yank out grapevines with the
Frank in 1950.
plow. Sanchez recalled at that point in his life, he attended segregated schools and did not speak any English. Those days, it was not uncommon to find enclaves of ethnic communities around the country that more or less “kept to their own.” Sanchez’ community supported private schooling of their heritage traditions; after regular day classes, he’d attend a Spanish school to learn Mexican history, celebrations, traditions and Folkloric dances.
Beginning Again
W E S I N G S O N G S O F I N S P I R AT I O N , H O P E A N D R E N E WA L Sunday, March 6, 2016 · 3 p.m. Mission San Luis Obispo Featuring Brillante String Quartet CRICKET HANDLER & JILL ANDERSON Artistic Directors
$25 advance · $30 at the door · $10 student brownpapertickets.com A portion of each ticket price will go to 40Prado to aid the homeless.
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He was (his field-hand failures notwithstanding) the only one in his family to graduate from high school where he enjoyed acclaim as an artist for the yearbook and realized he had a natural inclination for artistic endeavors, in keeping with his family’s interest in the performing arts. “My family was very musical,” he said. “A lot of singing and guitar playing—one brother played the saxophone with an orchestra, another played guitar and sang with a trio on the radio and in night clubs. My father loved to dance and often held dance parties at our home.” Sanchez said he often partnered with his talented sister Lola during such occasions. Though his passion was music and dance, said he never had anyone encourage him to pursue the arts as a living. “I knew I had to get a job and so I applied at a bank. Everything about that profession came easy to me.” Sanchez also attended college and enrolled in accounting and “every real estate class I could find,” he said. In 1950, Sanchez was drafted into the Army during the Korean Conflict for basic training at Camp Roberts where he was assigned to
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The Sanchez family: Steven, Mara, Mary, Frank, Doriana and Dana.
finance duty. Later, while stationed at the Presidio in the Bay Area, Sanchez said he answered an ad for dance instructors. “After my daytime Army duty,” he said, “I would rush to the dance studio and train as an instructor in all forms of ballroom dance. I taught there every night until my discharge.” Once back home, he continued to teach classes and, he says, “I never stopped.” Married by then to his sweetheart Mary, Sanchez moved to Atascadero under the wings of “friends who adopted me” to work as manager at Atascadero Guarantee Savings and Loan and also served on the company’s Board of Directors and as Executive Vice President. In 1978, he switched careers and became a realtor until his retirement in 2012. Through all the years of his professional life, he continued to teach and perform in the dance and entertainment industry. “I’ve always had two careers,” he said happily. He noted that his banking and real estate jobs gave him opportunities to meet and interact with people, which he very much enjoyed. They also provided an entrée into expanding his love for arts and theatre locally.
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“I joined the Atascadero Lion’s Club and they were in the process of selecting a fundraising project. I mentioned that I had performed professionally and had directed several musical revues and offered my help.” He directed their first show in 1961 and says he “discovered Sanchez and recent scholarship recipients, a lot of talent in the Hector Gutierrez and Kobe Westcom. North County.” By 1965, he and a group of performers formed the Pioneer Players, a community theatre group that produced Broadway musicals. In 1972, he was awarded Atascadero’s Citizen of the Month award. “That was before it became ‘of the Year,’” he laughed. These experiences enabled him to take his passion to the next level after a Hollywood agent saw Sanchez dance and gave him her card. “Call me!” she said. He signed with her and worked in films, television, commercials and print ads for years afterward. More recently, Sanchez became involved with a local fundraiser, Friends of Atascadero Library’s “Dancing With Our Stars.” As artistic director and choreographer, Sanchez has launched the event into the stratosphere with two nights of sold-out audiences looking forward to a magical evening of celebrity star dancers paired with their professional partners dancing their hearts out under Sanchez’s tireless direction. This year’s event is slated for Friday and Saturday, March 18 and 19 at the Atascadero Lake Pavilion. Sanchez and his beautiful wife of 55 years, Mary, who sadly passed away more than four years ago, raised four children: Doriana, Dana, Mara and Steven. Grandchildren are Mikaela, Mia and James Francisco. His pride and his love for his family are evident in his home—filled with family photos and mementos—and his stories. He notes that “The musical genes continue as my oldest daughter, Emmy-nominee Doriana, has been in the entertainment industry for more than 30 years.” A former dancer in movies and now a director and choreographer, Doriana has directed tours for Cher, Frankie Valli, Peter Gabriel and many others. Daughter Dana worked in film and television wardrobe for 10 years, often filming abroad. Mara’s daughter, Mikaela, is presently pursuing a career in dance and has performed the world over including Las Vegas, Russia and Japan. Another source of immense pride for Sanchez is the establishment of a scholarship for young male dancers, the Mercer-Sanchez Scholarship Program, honoring Bud Mercer (of the highly talented Vaudeville performers the Mercer brothers, Jim and Bud) and Sanchez. The program, founded by Molly Comin, Class Act dance instructor and choreographer in Paso Robles, was established to help fund careers in dance and the performing arts for young boys with a passion for performing while emphasizing the importance of character, hard work, love of family and community.
Frank and his dance partner perform
As with so many success stories, what goes around comes around. Sanchez, never missing a beat, says he is gratified to know that a new crop of “triple threats” may continue to enjoy the rewards and successes that a life pursuing the performing arts can deliver. “I discovered early on if I applied myself, I learned quickly. Nothing seemed impossible.” F E B R U A R Y
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Fran Dukehart mindful for seniors By Ruth Starr
D
rop and give me Zen. What does that mean? Give me Zen is to drop regrets, drop limiting beliefs, drop resentments, drop doubts, drop worries because these actions create tension and stress in the body and mind. It’s taking time to sit still and follow five simple actions such as: Breathe + Relax + Watch + Feel + Allow, gives sense to the meaning of Zen. The success of Yoga does not lie in the ability to perform postures, but in how it positively changes the way we live our life and our relationships. Zen is mindfulness. It could look like people are just lifting their arms and legs, but what Fran Dukehart teaches is the relationship of the breath to the movement. Letting breath lead a person’s movement creates a sensation that a person is staying in mindfulness. Some might call it “being in the zone.” Those five simple actions were the most important instructions she ever learned. Fran has been involved in Mindfulness Training for 50 years. It began because she experienced high anxiety and felt that she couldn’t stay focused with lots of thoughts coming at once. A friend suggested that it would be good for her to take a Hatha Yoga and a Tai Chi class. Those classes helped her to slow down and breathe deeper and remain calm and clear. It also made her hungry for more so she looked for other ways to cultivate this project. She began to take Hatha Yoga in 1970 which led later to take up Tai Chi in 1988. Over the years Fran has facilitated and participated in nearly 100 retreats to learn to live holistically, and mindfully. She discovered that it puts people in balance both physically and mentally. The expression, “you are what you eat,” became an important part of Fran’s life. Her body would be agitated and off balance when she ate in an erratic, mindless manner. When she was not eating food that was nutritional, her body would react and her emotions would go out of control. Her actions had caring friends ask how
Traditional Funeral Services Memorial Services
much she ate and how much she slept the previous night, causing her to realize that her eating habits were horrible and producing jumpy behavior. In the mindfulness retreats, it was required that she go to sleep early and get up when the sun comes up. Next was to do a meditation practice and have a nutritional meal free of all stimulants such as coffee. Then came the physical practice. Fran learned to build strength and tone in her body endurance. The breathing practices that followed were miraculous for her, bringing clarity of mind and calmness of spirit. The leaders who ran the retreats prompted the people there in self reflection and self care. Self care is health care. These retreats, Fran felt, taught her to save her health and give up the destructive tendencies that she had at the time. It also led her into teaching this practice to others.
Located next to San Luis Cemetery
Before being involved in Zen and Yoga there was another part of her life that was an exciting time. During the mid seventies she had a chance to tour the country with a dance company that was part of the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus. The dance was called aerial ballet. Some of the other dances were similar to the Rockettes in New York musical theater. The job also included riding elephants. While she was with the circus she lived on a train with 300 other performers and support staff.
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Fran loved so many aspects of the theater. She studied mime with Marcel Marceau. Living in San Francisco during the late ’70s
2890 S. Higuera, San Luis Obispo
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Bay and wanted to be closer to his family, they moved to San Luis Obispo. Their wedding took place at the Monday Club in SLO. They have three children, Claire, Chris, and Elliott. Steve is a painting contractor who specializes in restoring Victorian houses. He also builds and rides old-school Harley Davidson motorcycles as his zen meditation. A class was offered at Cuesta College with Fran teaching Seniors to do exercise in a chair that they called Chair Yoga. Cuesta received funding to keep seniors healthy. The class began in 2008 in 3-4 locations. It was a success until the funding stopped. Enjoying this type of teaching, and wishing to continue, Fran set up private classes and worked at private studios that were set up for Yoga. She also teaches an artist in residency program where she teaches movement in high schools, colleges, universities, senior resident homes, prisons and boys schools. and early ’80s, she was involved in many theater companies, TV shows and film work. She met Steve, her husband during this time. Since Steve grew up in Morro
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2016
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PEOPLE
Janelle Younger artist, dj and musician By Will Jones I went to the river but the river was dry I fell to my knees and I looked to the sky I looked to the sky and the spring rain fell I saw the water from a deeper well At a New Year’s Eve party at the Grange Hall, Janelle Younger performed a joyous, spirited version of Deeper Well, a song written by David Olney and made famous by Emmylou Harris. As the lyrics suggest, it is a song that combines experience, faith and redemption. Given the arc of her life from her early years in the Midwest to her inspiring present in San Luis Obispo, it is the perfect song for Janelle. According to her page on Art Shop, Janelle’s chosen medium, bricolage, is “an artistic technique where a new creation spontaneously evolves from an array of materials available in one’s environment.” Janelle scours the county, and beyond, for objects she assembles into unique sculptures made with objects from junk shops, thrift stores, abandoned houses, barns, anywhere the detritus of life can be found. In reusing the articles, she revitalizes them and reminds us of the beauty of utilitarian objects. But, like her art, Janelle is far from one dimensional. Born in New Jersey, Janelle grew up in Hinsdale, Illinois, about twenty miles from Chicago. “My parents let me read anything I wanted to. There was always a lot of music and art in the household. Both of my parents were wonderful musicians, as are my two older sisters, Jennifer and Beverly.” In high school Janelle played the cello and the viola, but her career choices were eclectic. “From about the second grade on, I wanted to be an archaeologist, a truck driver, a hairdresser or a radio disc jockey. For the longest time I was leaning toward truck driver,” Janelle said with a bemused smile. Janelle had a hard time fitting in in high school, but her school had its own radio station, and one of her most valuable papers is the radio operator’s license she wrote in for so she could go on the air. “It was the early ’80s. I was playing David Bowie, XTC, a lot of punk and New Wave.” Janelle also listened to Chicago stations, a time in her life
when she describes herself as being “a second rate juvenile delinquent. My big sister, Beverly, asked me what I wanted to do and I said I really wanted to be on the radio. With her assistance I enrolled at Columbia College, a liberal arts college in Chicago, to study radio broadcasting.” Janelle interned at a variety of stations, including Shadow Traffic on the 94th floor of the John Hancock building, a franchise that did metropolitan traffic reports, which led to a job she held for eleven years. Ironically, Janelle suffered from serious shyness and stage fright, which she overcame by taking acting classes. “I learned the ‘act as if’ lesson. You can do anything if you act as if you can. The more I act as if I can, the more I actually believe I can.”
A piece of Younger’s art
Younger on stage F E B R U A R Y
2016
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a heart and wings: if your heart is open, you can fly, you can do anything.”
years now. They really support the worklife balance I need, the time to travel, do art, music and radio.” Janelle’s diverse professional experience, along with her personal growth in recovery, allowed her latent creativity to blossom. “I always had an eye for color and arrangement, a joy in finding weird, old bits of useless stuff that I could combine in ways that made me happy. It goes back to my interest in archaeology. I love things that show the way they’ve aged, that make you wonder who used them and where they came from. Each piece I create is a shrine of sorts and usually includes
Encouraged by her partner, metal artist Brian Bennett, and other local artists, Janelle started sharing her work publicly in 2010. “My first experience was the Tiber Canyon Art Fair. I was astonished when everything sold. After that I started having solo shows and showing at other fairs. Now I can’t keep up with the demand. My work is visible on Art Shop, but I don’t have time for promotion or to create my own website.” A three minute video of Janelle talking about her work is also available on the Art Shop website.
Help when you make the most important financial decisions of your life. A piece of Younger’s art
For a long time she compensated for her lack of confidence by using alcohol and, at times, drugs. “They gave me the feeling that I belonged as a member of the human race. I’ve been in recovery for many years, and now what I’m learning is to act my way into being a healthy, grown up member of society. It’s the hardest but most rewarding lesson I’ve learned.” By the late ’90s Janelle’s career took her to Los Angeles and then San Francisco. A long distance relationship brought her to the Central Coast, where she quickly realized she wouldn’t be able to make the kind of living in radio that she did in urban areas. She worked for a couple of internet companies but eventually returned to radio at KOTR in Cambria as a morning DJ, promoter, and marketing director for New Frontiers, which partnered with KOTR.
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When the station was bought out and moved to Santa Cruz, Janelle became the back stage manager of the Live Oak Music Festival, which she did for thirteen years, and a DJ at KCBX, all volunteer work. She currently hosts the Broken Spoke Folk Show on Saturday afternoons. “At the time I pieced together a variety of jobs to make a living so I could stay here. It’s a great place to live.” Full time work came when Janelle was hired by Advantage Answering Plus, a local, family owned, national answering service. “It’s a great company and I love what I do. It was a big transition because I had to give up on the idea that ‘I have a radio career.’” I’ve been there almost ten
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PEOPLE Whether it’s working on her art, playing mandolin and singing, DJ’ing on KCBX, or mountain biking and hiking on the beautiful Central Coast, Janelle epitomizes a popular local philosophy: learn by doing. “I don’t understand boredom.” It’s not hard to find Janelle Younger. If your eyes and ears are open, you’ll find her just about everywhere.
Bricolage is an artistic technique where a new creation spontaneously evolves from an array of materials available in one’s environment. In cultural studies, bricolage describes how artifacts become memes of identity for people, sometimes as a form of protest. Janelle Younger’s bricolage and assemblage uses the articles closest at hand—the detritus and debris of everyday American life—to create new works of art. Since childhood, she’s been prone to arranging nearby objects in order of size and color. With no formal art training, her desire to create took flight when she began Younger with Live Oak Festival art collecting and arranging found objects until the meaning emerged for her. By appropriating objects from her Looking to the future, Janelle describes herself as “at the teetering own culture and her own childhood, Janelle has created a new cultural point. I’m fifty-one, beginning to feel a transition in my life, and I’m identity for herself, that of artist. tremendously excited about it. I see my later years as being the most The items used in her artwork come from a variety of sources: abanexciting and fulfilling ever. As Carl Jung writes about, there will be doned houses, thrift stores, and swap meets. Each piece serves as a less time spent ‘making my way’ and more time for artistic, personal meditation on the abundance of “stuff” in our daily lives, and on the and spiritual growth.” unique shapes of the miscellaneous knicknacks that fill our households: trivets, spatulas, napkin holders, hardware, bicycle sprockets. A winged heart is a prevalent theme in the artist’s work, an image common to many cultures. To the Sufi, the symbol means that the heart responsive to the light of God is liberated; it is given wings. Originally from the Chicago area, Janelle has made San Luis Obispo her home since the mid-90s. She’s a long-time supporter of many local community organizations, including the Live Oak Music Festival and KCBX-FM, where she has been a volunteer disc jockey for many years. She currently hosts the Broken Spoke Folk Show on Saturday afternoons on KCBX.
Live Oak Festival team F E B R U A R Y
2016
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h t i w g n i n e An ev
c i t s u o c A l a i c e p S Performance
Saturday February 13 8 pm live at the
Performing Arts Center purchase tickets at the Cal poly box office, online at pacslo.org or charge by phone at (805)756-4849
Presented by the Rotary Club of San Luis Obispo de Tolosa
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HOME/OUTDOOR
lance iunker
seeking to bring alternative ptsd therapy to veterans By Heather Young
L
ance Iunker is a veteran who served in Iraq for only a few months before he was severely injured. He returned home to San Luis Obispo after 10 months in a military hospital in Georgia. His battle with post traumatic stress disorder eventually led to his current veterans project with the Institute for Advanced Technology and Public Policy at Cal Poly. The Institute’s Operation Headstrong project is led by Iunker, who began working for the Institute in early 2015, just months after he graduated from Cal Poly with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. Born and raised in San Luis Obispo, Iunker enlisted in the Army’s delayed entry program before he graduated from SLO High School in 2006. He immediately went to boot camp after graduation and was sent to Iraq with the United States Army Reconnaissance Surveillance Target Acquisition Unit in January 2007, as an airborne infantryman. He was seriously wounded in an incident on September 10, 2007. An incident that left seven dead and 11, including Iunker, severely injured. He returned to SLO in July 2008 and married his sweetheart, Laurie, in 2010. Laurie is a second-grade teacher at Guadalupe Elementary School.
Lance and Laurie
Just after his marriage to Laurie, he joined Operation Open Home, a program started by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s administration. The program’s goal is to bridge the gap between veterans and the services that help them. He was led to that program after he applied for the G.I. Bill and was denied because he was told he hadn’t completed his full term of service—he was wounded in an incident that occurred in combat, but was not considered a combat-related accident. Operation Welcome Home Project assisted him in filling out the needed paperwork. “Unbeknownst to me, I was one of the first through the project,” Iunker said. “I was one of the first success stories.” He was then asked by Schwarzenegger to give a speech on his experience in the military and in the project on the U.S.S. Midway in San Diego in June 2010. In his speech he told about the incident that wounded him—his unit had gone after 17 high-value targets and captured them. On the way back to base, the soldier driving the vehicle lost control, went through a guardrail and went off a 50-foot overpass. Iunker shattered three vertebrae in his back, some bones in his chest, had lung contusions, broken bones in his face and one ear was completely removed. A plastic surgeon visiting Baghdad was able to put his ear back together, Iunker said, and it took 70 staples to put his head back together. “Only by God’s grace I survived,” he said. “I had to learn to walk again.” Operation Welcome Home also helped him find a job—training soldiers. He continues to work for that company—formerly SRI International and now called Ravenswood Solutions—two months out of the year. “I love it,” he said. “It worked amazingly while I was using the G.I. Bill.”
Lance Iunker and his new friend, Ali. F E B R U A R Y
2016
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He started a student veteran organization on Cal Poly and spoke about veteran suicide and its prevention while he was at Cal Poly. He’s
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is basically a headset that pairs with an Apple device. The headset assesses the veteran’s neurologic status and then gives him or her a protocol for training. Then the patient spends 20 minutes retraining his or her brain with a digital game that rewards the brain for producing lower brain waves. “When you’re in combat, your brain gets stuck in the ‘new normal’ of bad things happening,” Iunker said. “This is to redefine the ‘normal.’ The most important thing of recovery of PTSD is sleep, so if you’re unable to sleep … you’re unable to [get better]. … It at least helps sleep. If we’re able to improve sleep, it’s at least half the battle.”
Neurofeedback therapy device.
“Only by God’s grace I survived,” he said. “I had to learn to walk again.” spoken many times over the year about his military service, how he was wounded and what happened after. He graduated from Cal Poly in December 2014 and started working for the institute in February 2015. There he started Operation Headstrong, the mission of which is to “find effective and viable alternative or non-traditional methods to help veterans conquer the multitude of challenges they face when returning home from combat.” “Though my physical wounds were healing, my psychological injuries were just starting. I spent years having nightmares, flashbacks, and battled insomnia,” Iunker said. After trying traditional methods of treatments, which he said often included pills of some sort, he found a neurofeedback therapy trial. “[It] significantly reduced my symptoms of PTSD and allowed me to get off many of the medications I was on,” Iunker said. “I started sleeping better and my nightmares and flashbacks went away.”
Iunker said that it took him a lot training sessions. “[I] didn’t notice a lot of improvement until 40 or 50 sessions.” He had been having a lot of flashbacks—seeing, feeling, hearing and smelling an explosion while doing day-to-day activities. “[The neurofeedback therapy] really helped ease those,” he said. The therapy helps get the brain back into a meditative state, Iunker said. It is recommended that the training sessions be done at least three times a week up to six times a week. Right now Iunker is working to raise $30,000 to fund the local case study. He said at least a quarter of the funds have been raised so far. Once the project has the money, the case study will begin. For more information on the project or to donate, go to www. operationheadstrong.com. During one the speeches he gave, Paso Robles resident Dale Zeulner heard Iunker speak at Band of Brothers at First Baptist Church in Paso Robles. During that speech, Iunker said that since the Army considered it a “non-combat-related” accident, none of the soldiers involved in it received Purple Hearts. Zeulner was given a Purple Heart by a wife of a man who earned it. Since that time, Zeulner said he was looking for a soldier who deserved it. When he heard Iunker speak, he knew he was the one to get the Purple Heart. On Veterans Day, Iunker spoke and then was presented the Purple Heart by Zeulner, who is now 91 years of age.
He said some of the challenges veterans face are un- and underemployment, insomnia, flashbacks and nightmares, mental illness, alcohol and substance abuse, homelessness, increased divorce rates and dependence on prescription medication. “Every day 22 veterans die by suicide, which has led to 24 times as many deaths by suicide than combat deaths since 1999. It is obvious the current methods of treatment are not working,” Iunker said. So he’s taken what worked for him—neurofeedback therapy—and is working toward making that a reality for other veterans. First, he’s raising money to fund a local case study for 20 to 30 veterans who have PTSD. If that is successful, a larger scale case will be conducted for veterans around the country. Eventually, he’d like to make the neurofeedback devices available to all veterans who suffer from PTSD. Operation Headstrong partnered with SenseLabs in Atascadero because it developed a new mobile device. When Iunker underwent the neurofeedback therapy, he drove over the Grade from SLO to Templeton four times a week to get the training sessions. The device
91-year-old, Dale Zeulner giving his Purple Heart to Lance Iunker. F E B R U A R Y
2016
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HOME/OUTDOOR
play like a girl...
slo symphony hosts its first female conductor By Heather Hellman
I
n 1993, a small, sleeper movie, “The Sandlot,” became famous for a scene where a nerdy catcher, backed up by his rag tag team, trades insults back-and-forth with a polished rich kid and his immaculately uniformed team until they get to the ultimate insults of insults, “You play like a girl!” Little did this movie know that it would start a cultural movement, starting with a Nike commercial with the Women’s US Soccer team, that would take this insult and turn it into an anthem, the compliments of compliments, that has spurred girls for the last 23 years to strive for and earn respect, recognition, and accolades for just being who they are, strong women who achieve at the highest level.
Violin Virtuoso, Caroline Goulding F E B R U A R Y
2016
The San Luis Obispo Symphony has succeeded, in no small part, because of many women who have played, staffed and contributed financially to the organization since 1954. These local women, too numerous to name them all, have held the positions of Concert Master, Principal Instrumentalist, Board President/Member, Executive Director, Marketing Director and Orchestra Manager to name a few. The only position not covered by
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a woman; Conductor. That finally changes on Saturday, February 6th when guest conductor Laura Jackson, Musical Director of the Reno Philharmonic, directs the Symphony at the Performing Arts Center. Joined by featured soloist, violin virtuoso Caroline Goulding, it’s a first-time all female line-up.
Laura Jackson Ms. Jackson (pictured) is a Tour de Force. Trained as a violinist, Jackson received her undergraduate degree at Indiana University where she studied both violin and conducting before moving to Boston in 1990 to freelance as a violinist and teach at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. She won her first conducting position in 1992 with the Nashua Chamber Orchestra and served as music director there until 1998. In 2005, she earned her doctorate in orchestral conducting from the University of Michigan. She spent summers at the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Tanglewood Music Center in 2002 and 2003. As the Seiji Ozawa Conducting Fellow at Tanglewood, she conducted numerous concerts featuring both traditional and contemporary repertoire. In addition to concerts with the Reno Philharmonic, Ms. Jackson guest conducts nationally and internationally. In May 2013 she became the first-ever American to lead the Algerian National Orchestra; other recent engagements include L’Orchestre de Bretagne in France and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra. In North America, she has performed with the symphonies of Alabama, Atlanta, Baltimore, Berkeley, Detroit, Phoenix, San Antonio, Toledo, Toronto, Windsor, and Winnipeg, among others. Jackson has in front of her the passionate and dedicated musicians that make up the San Luis Obispo Symphony. Many of the
HOME/OUTDOOR men (we love you gentlemen, but this is a female-focused thing) and women have been in the orchestra for years, playing for the pure love of the music and bringing exceptional performances to our community. Most women in the current orchestra have full-time occupations, yet they dedicate as many hours to the Symphony as their jobs. Some notable women, although they are all notable and deserving of high praise, have dedicated decades to leading the Symphony and there are many others that will do so into the future.
Pam Dassanko – Co-Concert Master
Pam Dassanko has served as sole Concert Master for the Symphony from 1987 to 1996 and has shared the duties with Paul Severtson since 1996/97 season. She has studied most recently with Oliver Steiner at the Eastman School of Music. She is a 1974 A.F. of M. Congress of Strings Scholarship winner. Dassanko has played with the Riverside and Redlands Symphonies, various chamber ensembles and the Festival Mozaic Orchestra for 26 years. She is a practicing dentist in San Luis Obispo.
Lisa Nauful – Principal Bassoon Until recently, Lisa Nauful served as the Asst. Executive Director, Marketing Director and Artist Representative for the Symphony. Nauful was a member of the Dallas Ballet and Opera Orchestras for several seasons before moving to California. She studied at the Eastman School of Music, receiving a Bachelor of Music. Nauful earned a Master of Music from Southern Methodist University. She then continued her postgraduate study in Vienna, Austria. Lisa is the bassoon instructor at Cal Poly and works in marketing at the university.
Women of the San Luis Obispo Symphony
Thorp-Clauson, Nan Hamilton, Tracy Sparks, Barbara Hunter-Spencer, Hilary Clark and Kristin Righetti BASS: Lara Lehmer, Co-Principal FLUTE: Alice McGonigal, Principal. Bonnie Richan and Nancy Smee OBOE/ENGLISH HORN: Jessica Hoffman, Principal and Heidi Butterfield, Principal CLARINET: Caroline Tobin, Principal and Shannon McNeely BASSOON: Lisa Nauful, Principal FRENCH HORN: Jennifer Galvan, Principal, Larisa Vredevoe and Jane Swanson KEYBOARD: Susan Azaret Davies, Principal HARP: Marcia Dickstein, Principal and Jillian Kisigari-Gai “You play like a girl!” Yes, indeed and darn proud of it. Please visit the SLO Symphony (www.slosymphony.org) website and read about the amazing women principals who help lead the orchestra. Read about the men too! And join us February 6th for an exciting, girl power evening.
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Nancy Nagano – Principal Cello/ Youth Symphony Conductor Nancy Nagano was born and raised in Morro Bay, California. She began her musical studies at a young age with Wachtang “Botso” Korisheli and was a member of the fledgling San Luis Obispo County Youth Symphony 30 years ago. She finished her musical studies in cello performance at the Musikhochschule in Freiburg, Germany. She has performed solo and chamber music throughout Europe and Japan. She is currently the conductor of the San Luis Obispo Youth Symphony and owns a travel agency in Morro Bay.
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VIOLIN I: Pam Dassenko, Co-Concertmaster, Sharon Holland, Margaret Berrio, Pamela Sheffler – Strings in Schools Teacher, Michele Meyers, Carol Kersten – Youth Symphony Conductor, Mi Young Shin – Symphony Music Education Director, Brynn Albanese, Eva Warner and Ginette Reitz – Strings in Schools Teacher VIOLIN II: Emily Lanzone, Principal, Tanya Streder, Sonya Lanzen-Castellanos, Patricia Shields, Valarie Koos, Ingrid Kovacs – Strings in Schools Teacher, Lisa Davidson, Barbara Blanke and Sally Dalke
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2016
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HOME/OUTDOOR
at the market homemade Whole egg mayo and broccoli salad By Sarah Hedger
8th ANNUAL
CULINARY CARNIVAL MARDI GRAS STYLE Save the Date
February 6, 2016 5:30 - 8:30 pm New Location!
SLO Vets’ Hall 801 Grand Avenue, SLO Sit-down Dinner · Line Dancing Wine Table · Live Auction Tickets $75 SLOculinarycarnival.com A fundraiser for the Prado Day Center, helping the homeless of San Luis Obispo County since 1997
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2016
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ebruary brings sometimes the colder temperatures to the Central Coast which actually leads to some great produce tasting even better. The brassicaceae (cruciferous) family—being broccoli, cauliflower, mustards, cress, and radishes tend to get sweeter in the colder temperatures, which makes them taste even better in Winter. Other produce in the markets now in season, include the citrus family, being lemons, oranges, tangerines, and grapefruit to name a few. Dark leafy greens such as kale and chard, are also at their prime this time of year, making it easy to add nourishing green-ness to our diet. Apples are also good and continue to get sweeter and sweeter as their season progresses, sometimes leaving pockets of sugar around the core. Lots of goodness to choose from! This month’s recipe is a bit of a combination, resulting in 2 recipes, Homemade Whole Egg Mayo and Broccoli Salad with Sunflower Seeds and Currants. I often think it is better to be able to do simple dishes/recipes in the kitchen, and do them well. I’ll be honest in saying of all things to make, mayonnaise has been my all-time Achilles heel. Probably directly reflecting my impatience at times when I think something shouldn’t really take as long as it actually does. That said, there is a little bit of magic that happens when you make mayonnaise as the oil gets emulsified and, counter-intuitively, the mixture thickens as more liquid is added. Mmmm..let me rephrase. If you are doing it correct, the mixture thickens as more liquid is added. If you are impatient and keep looking for a short cut thinking, similar to brushing your teeth, it will be over quicker the faster you go, it’s not really going to work and it will turn out looking like a glamorized, creamy dressing. Which, isn’t the worst thing in the world, but nothing like fresh, silky, creamy, thick, homemade mayonnaise. And, the whole egg concept is something I embrace as most mayo recipes call for just using the yolk but that seems quite wasteful still. This recipe was adapted from a useful little (Paleo) cookbook, called Well Fed 2, and it turns out perfect. The best luck I’ve had is when I manage to distract myself while slowly drizzling in the olive oil, until I hear the sound of the blade change, reflecting a perfect, thick mayonnaise has transpired. Using entirely olive oil in mayonnaise results in really good quality fats, in the form of monounsaturated fats, antioxidants, including Vitamin E. Thus, there are no empty calories, just a good, nutrient dense, condiment, good for a variety of uses. The broccoli salad is simple and goes together easily. It can easily be made vegetarian or with the added bacon, is the perfect, light meal. Broccoli this time of year is at its prime really, resulting in tender and sweet broccoli. Another good advantage of broccoli is that it stores well in the refrigerator, becoming almost a staple in Winter. Thus, there is this amazing superfood heavy hitter at your fingertips all Winter. Broccoli is high in antioxidants,
Broccoli salad with sunflower seeds and currants For the Homemade Whole Egg Olive Oil Mayo: 1 egg (the best one you can find!) 2 T lemon juice 1 + ¼ cups olive oil (the lightest tasting the better, i.e. not extra virgin) ½ tsp mustard ½ tsp flaky sea salt
magnesium, zinc, foliate, and Vitamin C just to name a few. The result is a delicious, nutritious salad that can be enjoyed anytime really, as well as storing well. Enjoy!
All ingredients must be at room temperature to make this work. In a blender or food processor or with a strong wrist and whisk, place the egg and lemon juice together. Add ¼ cup of the oil, mustard, and salt to the egg and lemon juice and blend until combined. This is the important part that requires patience (i.e. a few minutes of your time to watch an amazing emulsification happen, i.e. liquid become solid). Slowly drizzle the remaining 1 cup of oil in VERY slowly. If you’re doing it right, the mixture will actually get thicker as you add the oil. Once all the oil is added, taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed (more lemon juice here is good as well). Place in container and store in fridge for a couple weeks tops. For the Broccoli Salad with Sunflower Seeds & Currants ½ red onion, finely sliced ½ cup currants
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¼ cup good quality champagne vinegar (or apple cider vinegar) 1 large head of broccoli, finely chopped into <½ cm pieces ½ cup sunflower seeds, toasted in a dry skillet until golden ½ cup homemade mayo 1 cup peas (thawed frozen peas work great) *Optional – 1 cup of free-range bacon bits, cooked till nice and crispy Place red onion and currants in bowl and pour vinegar over. Let sit for 5-10 mins. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Taste for seasoning, adding a pinch of salt if needed (less salt will be needed if using the bacon bits). Salad keeps well for a day or two but crispy bacon bits may loose a little crunch.
February 7, 2016
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SLO art Scene
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SLo museum of art presents
Aquarius 2016 By Rebecca LeDuc
T
he San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, in conjunction with the Central Coast Watercolor Society, presents Aquarius 2016, a Pacific regional exhibition of the best in watercolor. The paintings will be on view at the Museum from February 5 through March 27, 2016.
“SLOMA is happy to see the Aquarius exhibition return to the Museum. It is always a big crowd favorite,” says Museum Executive Director, Karen Kile. The primary purpose of the exhibition is to recognize and encourage water media painting in addition to further stimulating the collection of original works of art. All artists now residing in California, Oregon, and Washington were eligible for entry.
tralia, and his art tends to reflect this interest. “Beyond the landscape, to spend time at the Tate or the back rooms of the National Gallery of Dublin, to sit in front of Rembrandt’s Night Watch, to marvel at the David or the Mona Lisa is a magical piece of serendipity.” A reception and opportunity to meet the juror and artists will take place on Friday, February 5, 2016 from 6–9 pm in conjunction with Art After Dark. 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 from Labor Day through Thanksgiving and January 1st through July 4th. Free admission, donations appreciated. For more info visit SLOMA.org.
This year’s juror, Chris Van Winkle, is a California scene painter. He has taught art for the past 30 years at Citrus College in Los Angeles in addition to jurying the annual shows of Watercolor West and the Watercolor Societies of Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona. He splits his time evenly between his studio in Morro Bay and various plein air locations. His passion for travel has led him and his students to Russia, France, Spain, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, Canada and Aus-
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greatest coaches on the central coast By Dr. Don Morris Editor’s note: As a by-product of Dr. Don Morris’ column for the Journal Plus Magazine “The Greatest Athletes in the History of the Central Coast” several readers have suggested names of the “Greatest Coaches in the History of the Central Coast” and have included Coaches such as 1) Coach Frank Holt SLO H.S. (H.S. Track named after him) 2)Doug Hitchen the longtime Principal and the first member of the Eagle Athletic Foundation AGHS Athletic Hall of Fame: 3) Coach Bud Ewing (The gym at Atascadero High School is named for him) 4) Coach Brian Waterbury San Luis Obispo H.S. 5) Coach Larry Lee of San Luis Obispo H.S., Cuesta College, Cal Poly and 6) Coach Rusty Blair Cuesta College Basketball. The two Coaches who have received the most votes so far were Coach John Madden, who played football for Cal Poly and was the head Football Coach at Hancock College and Coach Cary Nerelli of Morro Bay H.S. and Hancock College. A brief biography of each is below.
In 1985 he was named the Sports Personality of the Year by the American Sportscasters Association and he has won the Emmy for Sports Broadcasting six times. John was lead football analyst and commentator for Monday Night Football for several years before retiring from broadcasting to spend more time with his family. Madden worked as a color analyst for all four major networks: CBS (1979–1993), FOX (1994–2001), ABC (2002–2005), and NBC (2006–2008). He told Michael Silver of Sports Illustrated, “It’s fun, and it is my life and my passion and my recreation—it’s everything.” He is also widely known for the long-running Madden NFL video game series he has endorsed since 1988.
Coach John Madden
Coach Cary Nerelli
Coach John Earl Madden was born April 10, 1936 and played football at Cal Poly in 1957 and 1958. (He also played baseball in 1958). As a football player at Cal Poly, Madden was an All-Conference lineman. Madden was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 21st round. (His one season as a professional player ended when he suffered a knee injury at training camp in 1959).
Coach Cary Nerelli has established himself as one of the most legendary high school coaches on the Central Coast. Nerelli was rewarded for his decades of dedication when he was inducted into the California Interscholastic Federation (C.I.F.) Southern Section’s Hall of Fame. Coach Nerelli said, “It’s a bit over-whelming! Being inducted into the Southern Section Hall of Fame is an honor that reflects the efforts of so many people. From the very beginning, I’ve been incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by people who understand the core values that are learned and reinforced through participation in athletics. Supportive administrators and parents, dedicated assistant coaches, and most of all, athletes who were/are committed to achieving personal and team goals have made my career as a head coach intensely rewarding. But without the support from my wife (Kathie) and two daughters (Katie and Carla), who were willing to share their husband/dad with other people’s kids, none of this would have been
Madden then went on to become one of the most successful NFL coaches of all time. In 11 years as head coach of the Oakland Raiders, Madden compiled a regular-season record of 103 wins and 32 losses and seven ties. He was the first coach in the NFL history to win 100 games in his first 10 years with one team. Over the course of his coaching career with the Raiders, he posted a record of 103-32-7, with a 750 winning percentage. He guided the Raiders to seven Western Division Titles and a victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI. F E B R U A R Y
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first C.I.F. Cross Country title in 1982 and first girl’s basketball championship in 1991.
remotely possible. “I am a little overwhelmed,” said Nerelli. “I realize how big of an honor this is. But I have to share it with all of my assistant coaches, as well as my wife, Kathie, and two daughters.”
Nearly 30 of Nerelli’s athletes have moved on to play at four-year universities.
“The recognition validates the thousands of hours we put into preparing our athletes not only to succeed in sports, but also in life. Sports is the way I have chosen to help people mature and make a difference in the world.” Kim Ensing, the athletic director at Hancock, said “What makes coach Nerelli so successful is that he doesn’t coach with his ego, he coaches with his heart. This is a great testament to recognize someone who has been mentoring young athletes for his entire life. We are lucky to have him at Hancock.” Nerelli spent more than 40 years as a cross country, track and girl’s basketball head coach at Morro Bay High School. He ranks 23rd all-time in girl’s basketball state history with 456 career wins. He led the Pirates basketball team to five league titles, three C.I.F. Championships and four runner-up finishes in C.I.F. He also guided the boy’s and girl’s
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cross country teams to 33 league titles and seven C.I.F. Championships combined. Nerelli’s coaching philosophy is centered on the “Four Cs” of character, competitiveness, chemistry and commitment.
“The best part of coaching, and something that I will always treasure, is in developing relationships that change over time with athletes. It begins as a coach/athlete relationship and matures into a friend/peer relationship as the athletes leave our program and begin to make their way through life. The vast majority of our kids have gone on to have very successful lives and I enjoy staying in touch with them thru social media. Several have gone on to become assistant coaches in our programs and then on to find success their own right. Just this past November, David Jackson, who was our lead assistant coach prior to my retiring from the XC program at MBHS, led his boys team to the Division IV State Championship!!!” Nerelli said, “Every coach has a shred of doubt that he or she is not doing enough. Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is an indicator that we did things the right way.”
Nerelli’s Morro Bay team’s won the school’s
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call to the colors
The Central Coast Veterans Memorial Museum (founded 2002) Telling the stories of military veterans so that all generations may more fully understand the costs of peace and the realities of war. By Gail Pruitt
Beginning a New Year at the Museum by Harry Hoover, Museum Director & Curator I want to thank Museum members and our community for responding to our request for artifacts. Your generosity has greatly helped us tell veterans’ stories and to honor all veterans, past and present. Some recent donations included weapons from World War I through the current conflicts, including knives, bayonets, and photographs from those periods. We are also grateful for donations that made it possible to purchase additional mannequins to display uniforms. One item we still need for an upcoming display is a current Kevlar helmet in any size and in any condition. If you have artifacts you would like to donate, docents are on duty in the Museum to received them from Wednesday through Saturday from 10am to 3pm. The docent will fill out a donation form listing the article(s) you donate and you will receive a copy for your records. If you have background information about the items to help tell their story, the docents will also record it for you. The more information you can give us about the individual who used the items, for example, or how or where they were used will help us tell a much fuller story when the item goes onto the Museum display floor. If you are interested in making a monetary donation to the Museum you can forward a check to the Central Coast Veterans Memorial Museum Treasurer at 801 Grand Avenue, SLO 93401. This year we are also eager to increase the number of veterans’ stories we record for the Library of Congress Veterans History Project (VHP). To date we have recorded the stories of more than 375 veterans. In 2015, the Museum received generous grants from three San Luis Obispo County Supervisors which have helped us expand that program and provided us the opportunity to share veterans’ stories with our visitors. F E B R U A R Y
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Happy New Year to all our Benefactors, Sponsors, Members and Visitors! by Jack B. Jones, COL., USA (Ret.), President of the Museum Board of Directors As I reflect on 2015 I can only say that this has been a very productive and rewarding year for the Central Coast Veterans Memorial Museum. It has been a year of progress in many positive ways and worthy of reflection. Your Veterans Museum has had a broad cross section of visitors from local patrons to international visitors with the number of visits exceeding previous years. The number of group and VIP tours is up with groups such as the Marine Corps League, school groups, senior groups and various clubs visiting. We were very pleased to have the opportunity to host individual tours for San Luis Obispo County Supervisors Lynn Compton and Adam Hill and Debbie Arnold. They are very supportive of the Museum and spent time talking with the staff and volunteers as they toured each area of the Museum. We had visits from Capt. Bruce Cowee, USAF (Fmr) author of several significant books about the war in Vietnam and we were pleased to have been honored by a visit from San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson, to name but a few. This has also been a banner year for contributions with very generous contributions from Mr. Richard Cowles and from the Patriotic Education Foundation of the Military Order of World Wars, Lt. Don Allen, Chair. Their contributions will go a long way to improve displays and add a new interactive display honoring those who have been awarded the Medal of Honor. The staff of the Museum has logged hundreds of voluntary service hours to prepare, repair and create displays for our visitors viewing and educational experience and the docents have contributed more than 3,000 hours operating the Museum and providing informative tours to our visitors.
COMMUNITY The Museum Wish List for 2016 We Need More Volunteers & More Contributions
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First Marine Division’s Bodfish Chapter Visits the Museum Several months back, the Museum was honored to have a visit from the First Marine Division, Bodfish Chapter’s association of past presidents. The group of fifteen former Marines and two current Marine sergeant majors from Twenty Nine Palms spent most of a day enjoying themselves and admiring our exhibits.
1. Docent to provide tours through the museum for visitors and to be available to answer questions. 2. Assistant to the Veterans History Project helping to process interviews and prepare recordings. 3. Marketing specialist to develop our marketing strategies and follow through with community contacts, website, etc. 4. Floating volunteer who is willing to move around to different areas of the museum assisting where most needed. Might work with the curator, or with the librarian, or with the marketer, for example. 5. Assistant to the archivist to researching the history of various donated items including uniforms, documents, maps, photographs, field equipment etc. The Museum needs to raise donations to fund the yearly operating budget. (Museum does not receive any yearly city or county funding). Volunteers are needed as: 1. Community Outreach Specialist to visit businesses throughout San Luis Obispo to encourage their participation in the Museum Supporters Program.
For more than thirty years, the Bodfish Chapter met at John Loomis’s Tar Springs Ranch in rural Arroyo Grande. John Loomis, a World War II Marine who served on Guadalcanal, opened his ranch to his former buddies and their families for a week of camaraderie and remembering. Sometimes as many as three hundred current, former, and retired Marines would gather at the ranch during Presidents’ Week in February. However, after John’s passing in 2006, those great campouts ended. Nevertheless, the Bodfish Chapter returns to the Central Coast each year to assist the Loomis family with Fort Hope at Tar Springs Ranch. Fort Hope’s mission is to encourage children and give them an experience in the great outdoors, with a taste of oldfashioned fun. For example, there is a yearly construction camp, a five-day long camp for teens from 14 to 18 years old, which teaches construction skills, teamwork, responsibility, diligence and character. During the week, the teens build a 10-foot by 12-foot building, from constructing its foundation to adding framing, siding, roofing, and painting. Those who are interesting in helping the Bodfish in this worthy project should visit their website or email to info@forthope.org
2. Membership Development to development closer connections between our members and the Museum, plan special events for members, membership development. • All volunteers receive initial training and additional training throughout the year. • Schedules are very flexible.
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• You do not have to be a veteran to volunteer. Just have an interest in working in the Museum helping to support the various activities.
Let our family take care of your family.
JUST LIKE HOME
If you are interested in participating in the day-to-day life of the Museum and have particular skills and interests not mentioned above please do give us a call and let’s talk about how we can utilize your particular expertise.
·HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY·
Let our family take care of your family.
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history
california in 1814 part 1
By Joe Carotenuti
T
he July and August 2013 issues of Journal Plus provided a unique insight into San Luis Obispo in 1814 by the padres in residence when they responded to 35 preguntas (questions) asked by the administration in Spain. Once compiled from the various missions, the answers were never returned to the sender. Given the political turmoil at the time as Mexico fought for independence from Spain, mail service was almost nonexistent. Thus, the manuscript languished in the Mission Santa Barbara Archives until 1976. In celebration of the Nation’s Bicentennial, the noted scholar, Maynard Geiger, O. F. M., translated the questions and respuestas (responses) for a now rare volume As the Padres Saw Them. Replete with an excellent introduction by noted anthropologist, Clement W. Meigham, the volume is the “only body of direct observation” available for study of the indigenous tribes…many now gone. In the 2013 publication, the local padres’ responses were selected for a brief review. Yet, the missions did not exist as separate, independent units. Each had more similarities than differences while each served different native communities. By 1814, accounting for the years of operation beginning in 1769 in San Diego to 1804 (Santa Inez), As the Padres Saw Them provides invaluable discernments as to the population’s practices, beliefs, and attitudes. As an added historical bonus, many contemporary beliefs and practices are related
against a background of pre-mission years. The responses represent only 18 Missions. The 36 padre signatories also represent an array of enthusiasm and experience for what must have been a burdensome task using quill pens, sparse ink and limited illumination if done at night. Of necessity, answers are brief with many containing revealing information in few words. Those with longer tenures had greater familiarity with their neophytes’ backgrounds while the more recent arrivals provide less of the natives’ history. With little support from anyone, there are hints the dutiful padres were more than displeased with the administrative trivia. Little were they aware of the true import of their efforts as to history! We’ll meet a few of these intrepid Franciscan friars in future articles. While not meant to be an exhaustive or comprehensive narrative, selected questions and relevant answers will be profiled in an occasional series as California in 1814 is remembered by those who were here. Here’s the story. While the stated intent of the questions was to assist the administration from Spain, the first question reveals the lack of knowledge by the authorities as it asks for the number of “castes” at each site. San Diego’s answer best summarized the answers specifying there were two: “neophytes and the military” of the nearby presidio. At the time, three missions in addition to San Diego: Carmel,
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Maynard J. Geiger, OFM
Clement W.
Santa Barbara, and San Francisco had nearby soldiers who to varying degrees depended on the mission for survival. Typically, at each settlement there would also be stationed as reported by San Luis Rey “five soldiers and a corporal with their families” who were also the responsibility of the padres for physical and spiritual needs. San Juan Capistrano introduced the oft-used term gente de razon which for the Spanish were non-natives. San Carlos editorialized (a common addition—fortunately—to responses) that the community was composed of seven tribes who had been at war with each other but had come “to recognize the advantages of peace.” Possibly more interesting to the routine responses was the class consciousness prevalent at the time. Padre Senan at Santa Barbara described the men of the nearby presidio as “not all as genuine Spaniards either European or American (in) origin.” However, all considered themselves Spaniards to which the padre declared was an “affront.” San Luis Obispo was more specific declaring the population contained “six men who are mulattos or mestizos, the off-spring of a mulatto and Indian.”
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Natives at the Mission
would eventually develop a native vocabulary especially for teaching the catechism. These Even though of moving m efforts are somethe of theprospect earliest recorded words for different tribes. future, you owe it to yourself to learn h
carefree living in your own home for man Next time, the padres respond to a simple question as to what food was available in the mission settlements. While the earliest years of the missions produced near starvation for all, none suffered for lack of food as told in 1814.
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Closely related to the first question was one requesting information on the origins of the neophytes with a special request to note Negroes. Again, a similar answer was the various communities had no knowledge of ancestral origins. San Gabriel theorized the natives were descendants from the “migration of the ancient Mexicans” who remained behind or simply were too ill to continue. “That this was so can possibly be inferred from the weak and delicate constitutions of the majority.” San Buenaventura echoed the same “conjecture” as “we may say that they came from Asia.” Furthermore, there were no “Negroes whatever either born or foreigner.” San Jose reiterated the collective response except the natives believed they were descended from “one man and one woman.” Language became another interest to the Spanish administrators. This was always an issue as the pioneer padres were challenged to learn how to communicate with their early mission settlers but found a wide variety of dialects among the indigenous. Even legendary Friar Junipero Serra expressed frustration at not being able to converse. Santa Cruz noted with “surprise” that nearby villages were unable to understand one another. The earliest communication depended on visual clues until both the padres and neophytes developed a common vocabulary. Efforts were noted to teach Spanish especially to the younger population. There are some remnants of the vocabulary developed from the earliest missionary efforts and an Appendix A in the book elaborates on native terms. San Carlos’ response even provides the same sentence in the two predominant dialects. By 1814, most all responses indicate the natives still speaking their own languages – “fifteen different kinds” at San Luis Obispo, four at Mission San Miguel, with San Antonio providing geographic locations for two “distinct languages.” Efforts to teach Spanish resulted in improved communication “although not perfectly.” The early padres
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our schools
education is democratic social justice in action By James J. Brescia, Ed.D. County Superintendent of Schools
“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” —Benjamin Franklin Reflecting on my first year of service as your county superintendent, my joy in service to the community is foremost in thought. Erin Gruwell, the teacher, featured in the film Freedom Writers says, “Education is such a noble profession, it is a wonderful way to serve.” Ms. Gruwell shares my passion for our field. Teaching is emotionally satisfying, intellectually stimulating, and filled with youthful energy on a daily basis. When I entered the profession, I could not have imagined how fulfilling a calling teaching would become. Teachers help to sculpt future generations into socially productive intellectuals that contribute to our democracy in a positive manner.
Education is central to our democracy. In countries with low levels of education, dictatorships are more common because the dictator controls the knowledge and holds the power. In a democracy, the people share the power with the government. Research on the relationship between democracy and education holds the following hypotheses; education increases the benefits of political activity because it increases human capital, education lowers the cost of political activity because the citizens are better able to make decisions, and democracies are more likely to survive if the population is better educated (Glasere et. al, 2005). Even India, which is an exception to the rule because of low education levels, maintains a democracy with a strong, well-educated parliament. Early U.S. settlers promoted education because of their Christian religious beliefs. A rudimentary education was considered necessary to read and understand the Bible. This basic education also served work and business pursuits as our country grew. The government passed laws that required schooling, and colleges were constructed. Many of the colleges were initially religious in nature but later became secular as pursuits in science; agriculture, technologies, art, literature, history and other fields emerged. Taxes were the primary source of funding for these early educational institutions, and the practice continues today as part of our public infrastructure. From the very beginning of our Republic, a well-educated citizenry was thought to be essential to protect liberty and to promote the general welfare of the people (Provenzo, 2008). Before the establishment of our Constitution, the Land Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 included responsibilities of the nation for an education system. The federal government has long considered education a national concern. Education has been encouraged and financially supported from
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the Northwest Ordinance in 1785 to the present. Section 8 of Article 1 of the US Constitution granted Congress the power to lay and collect taxes to provide for the general welfare of the United States. This “general welfare” clause is where the federal government assumes the power to initiate educational activity. In addition to providing educational activities at the federal level, there is joint participation in the federal government and the states for educational matters (LWV, 2015). Congress granted more than 77 million acres of the public domain as an endowment for the support of public schools through tracts ceded to the states in the first century of our nation. Congress passed an act in 1841 that granted 500,000 acres to eight states and later increased land grants to 19 states. The federal government also granted money as distributions of surplus federal revenue and war reparations to the states to use for educational purposes in the 1800s. In 1791, the 10th Amendment stated, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it so the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” Education was not mentioned as one of those federal powers and to this day remains a function of the States. The 14th Amendment guaranteed rights to all citizens by stating, “all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens in the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty or property, without due process of law; nor deny any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the law.” Though the 14th Amendment did not specifically address education, it has been used to foster educational change for many years (Heartland, 2015).
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American thought and practice link education and democracy as social justice. Education has played an important role in shaping our democracy since the founding of our country. How we imagine, script, and enact educational opportunities will determine the type of democracy we maintain. Our democracy emphasizes broad and active involvement in civic life that goes beyond dutiful voting in periodic elections. Education of our entire citizenry is needed to ground our populace in democratic values (especially equality and social justice) and to inform about central institutional structures and processes. So I celebrate as your county superintendent this wonderful profession and the many dedicated individuals that serve our modern democracy.
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FEBRUARY CROSSWORD SOLUTIONS ON PAGE 43
“We always hear about the rights of democracy, but the major responsibility of it is participation.” —Wynton Marsalis References Available Upon Request
© StatePoint Media
STATEPOINT CROSSWORD THEME: HOLLYWOOD LEGENDS ACROSS 1. Buzz off 6. Dunce 9. Back of the neck 13. Big Dipper shape 14. Rejuvenating spot 15. Succeed 16. Helped 17. Waikiki garb 18. *Like characters played by Lon Chaney 19. *Marx brother 21. *Famously played title role in “Cleopatra” 23. *1950s teen idol, ___ Hunter 24. Not that 25. Thrilla in Manila boxer 28. Friendly jab on Facebook 30. Set aside as inferior 35. Marijuana user’s hookah 37. Stole material 39. Cowboy sport
40. Christmas season 41. Boston hockey player 43. Petri dish filler 44. Holiday activity? 46. Caffeine tree 47. Egg holder 48. *1979 Sean Connery and Natalie Wood clunker 50. Newton, e.g. 52. “____ no evil,...” 53. Spew profanities 55. Roman road 57. *Scarlett O’Hara or Blanche DuBois 60. *Katharine or Audrey 64. Asian chew 65. Springsteen’s “Born in the ____” 67. Make baby food? 68. Mountain ridge 69. #37 Across, e.g. 70. English county 71. Training spots 72. ATM extra 73. Doled out cards
DOWN 1. Smeltery refuse 2. Age of Aquarius flick 3. Edible root of taro plants 4. Alaska native 5. Train station porter’s head gear 6. Northern European capital 7. *Kong, e.g. 8. Country singer ____ Hill 9. Season to be jolly 10. 1970s hairdo 11. *Laurel and Hardy or Abbott and Costello 12. Old-fashioned “before” 15. Old Faithful 20. Edward Teller’s creation 22. Lung necessity 24. Lacking substance 25. Deep cavity 26. Jeweler’s glass 27. Coastal feature 29. *”Spartacus” star 31. *”Mommie Dearest”
32. Ruler sides, e.g. 33. This and desist 34. Type of dessert 36. *”An American in Paris” 38. Potter’s oven 42. Lacking guile 45. Easily handled 49. Poe’s “The Murders in the ___ Morgue” 51. Left gratuity 54. Pinch in the nose 56. Bullying, e.g. 57. Extremely 58. Any thing 59. Docs for dachshunds 60. Aesop’s race competitor 61. Celestial bear 62. *Where all Hollywood legends’ work winds up 63. Sales clerk’s call 64. Paper or plastic? 66. Seek damages
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eye on business SLO’s Citizen of the YeaR JOHN SPATAFORE WALKS THE (VERY QUIET) TALK
I
John Spatafore was announced as 2015 Citizen of the Year by 2014 winner, former SLO Mayor Dave Romero. Photo courtesy Dean Sullivan, Sullivan Studios.
By Maggie Cox, Barnett Cox & Associates
met John Spatafore in 1986 when we worked together on a Cal Poly Arts fundraiser. My husband Dave and I had been invited by our friend Sharon Young to get involved with the event and get to know its co-chairs, John and Deb Spatafore. “You’re going to like him,” Sharon said about John. “He’s the kind of person who gets right down on the floor and plays with kids.” We all had young children and Sharon’s comment was high praise that John was the real deal: a person who jumped in, got involved and was totally committed to what he did. She was right on all fronts. I did like the guy. Our families became close friends and in the thirty years that have followed I’ve seen those same John Spatafore attributes play out again and again. John was named 2015 Citizen of the Year by the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce at its annual dinner a few weeks ago. His list of community contributions is a long and impressive one, and speaks of a passion for youth and education, for the arts, and most recently, for addressing some of the pressing needs of the homeless in our community. What’s amazing about John is his quiet,
gentle way that masks dogged determination and never-take-no for an answer tenacity. He grew up in a small town in Utah, where his dad worked long hard hours running a modest restaurant. John visited San Francisco as a teen and was smitten with The City. After high school graduation he returned to attend USF, where he met his future wife, Deb. Deb was a Mission High grad who, with five siblings and parents Bill and Winnie Boyce, had moved to SLO after her dad’s career with the army led to an ROTC post at Cal Poly. SLO became home. It wasn’t long after John completed law school and passed the Bar exam that he and Deb moved to SLO. The couple jumped into a life of community involvement, activity and family in addition to their own career positions in law and education. They were ready volunteers and enthusiastic supports of dozens of local efforts, all the while raising their two now-adult daughters, Dorothy and Gina. Some of our community’s most prized accomplishments were realized with John’s help. He was a founder of the youth sports
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group whose work produced the Damon Garcia Sports fields. He’s helped the Performing Arts Center, Cal Poly Arts and ArtsObispo. John gave years of service as president and a trustee for San Luis Coastal Unified School District board of trustees, was a member of the California School Board Association and spent hundreds of hours on the San Luis Coastal Superintendent’s budget task force that guided the district through devastating funding cuts. He chaired the parent booster organization at SLO High and was key to successful fundraising that helped the group underwrite student activities. For the last five years, John has volunteered to lead the daunting effort to address local homelessness. This passion first took hold when John, then a school board member, learned that one in ten of our local children came to school after spending the night in a car or tent. He moved into action, meeting with community leaders, joining the Friends of Prado board and stepping up to chair the Community Action Partnership’s Homeless Services Campaign. Controversy and challenges that followed did not deter John. He persisted in his belief that a solution could be found, and travelled at his own expense to meet with out-of-state property representatives who might be able to help. In 2014 that John accomplished the nearimpossible, successfully leading an effort that created the new Homeless Foundation of San Luis Obispo County. His creativity and persistence brought together SLOCOG, RTA and CAPSLO to secure funding for the purchase of 40 Prado Road for a homeless services center. With John’s leadership, the private sector has followed, and fundraising efforts have the group within $1 million of its needed $5.4 million budget—all in just over a year. A new homeless services center is finally within reach. John is well known for the gentle, respectful way he leads to resolution. He believes in the power of collaboration and his newest honor is testament to what can be accomplished when people work together.
Downtown
Around
The Magazine of Downtown San Luis Obispo
February 2016
Inside: W hat â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s U p Dow nt ow n B u s i n e ss Spo t li g ht Mee t O ur Far mers' Marke t Vendors
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well but also to address the various issues that t’s election time for the San Luis Obispo may arise over the next two years. Downtown Association this month. While on the national front the fur is flying and ith 14 Directors on our Board, I have candidates are on their soapboxes flapping witnessed amazing collaborative efforts their arms and pointing fingers at one another, to address issues ranging from filthy news racks that is not the case Downtown. Our candidates to a new look and feel of our Downtown SLO are all running on a similar platform, their Farmers’ Market. Trying to get 14 people to love for Downtown SLO. You won’t see come to a consensus on just about anything is Dominic Tartaglia, any mud slinging here because the ballot Executive Director a difficult endeavor if they don’t share a similar is chock full of the most professional shop vision and passion. In the case of the folks that owners, restaurateurs and professionals in America. our membership gets to vote on this month we have Professionals that don’t let party lines get in the way of a slate of candidates that are visionary and passionate getting things done and really embody what democracy about the neighborhood where they have set down is all about. roots for their businesses. Just opening a business in Downtown shows a tremendous commitment to the he best thing about local politics is the absence community as well as an investment. Running for the of the traditional bipartisan system; it creates an Board of Directors is a good way for them to ensure opportunity for the best possible candidates to appear their investments are successful. on the ballot regardless of their party preference. In the case of the Downtown Association, we will select six his month when Downtown Association members outstanding candidates to represent our organization get their ballot I hope that they take the time to and work together to not only keep Downtown running look it over and vote for the candidate that best
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On the Cover: Thanks to a little help from Mother Nature, "Hey, Diddle-Diddle," along with the rest of SLO's public art, is getting a much needed cleaning from one of early 2016 El Niño rain events. Photo by Dominic Tartaglia
THIS IS NO ORDINARY FARMERS’ MARKET.
JOIN US ON HIGUERA STREET (BETWEEN OSOS & NIPOMO STREETs)
Downtown SLO Farmers’ Market EVERY THURSDAY 6-9PM DOWNTOWNSLO.COM
805 Aerovista #103, San Luis Obispo
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represents their vision. I know that many of you reading this are asking, “What if I am not a member? I want to be involved with helping my Downtown too.” Great question. While you cannot sign up to be a member and you cannot vote on the board elections you can talk to business owners of your favorite Downtown shops. If there is something that you are passionate about that you know a particular candidate represents, talk about it and encourage members to vote.
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calendar to see when they meet. We always welcome guests to observe our meetings. If you are interested in joining the committee you can always call or email our office and we will be glad to guide you through the simple process.
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his process of electing new directors and adding new people to committees is what keeps our Downtown flourishing and gives it the flair that attracts continued national s for getting involved, the attention. Downtowns like ours Downtown Association has are what makes America great, five committees that you can not flippant campaign platforms serve on as a non-member. The or divided parties. It is the committees include: Design collaborative spirit and hard Committee, Economic Activities work of community leaders that Our 2015/16 Board of Directors pause for a photo after Committee, Parking and embodies everything that the their all-day Board Retreat. Photo by Mukta Naran Access Committee, Promotions forefathers of America stood for Committee and the Downtown SLO Farmers’ Market and fought to preserve. I see those traits personified in Committee. To learn more about what the committees our current board and am sure that the next board will are involved with you can visit our website and read be no different. As a community we are fortunate to about them and while you are there, check out the have such individuals representing us.
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Downtown Business Spotlight and I’ll do their nails for their wedding,” said Yessie. “It’s nice to be able to build a relationship like that with my clients.”
Posh Couture
Yessie Oliva, Owner 774 Marsh Street, Suite 120 (805) 903-2365 poshcoutureslo@gmail.com
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f you are looking for a nail experience unlike any other, then book with Yessie Oliva at Posh Couture. Located on 774 Marsh Street since March 2015, her chic and welcoming workspace provides an environment where you can relax, talk about anything, and be provided with great service.
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osh Couture’s name comes from the idea that everything is tailored to the customer’s needs. Yessie enjoys doing hair and styling, but really focuses on nails. She specializes in acrylics, gel manicures, pedicures and is known for her nail art bling, charms, and 3D art.
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essie makes sure that all of her clients feel comfortable and considers them family. She wants everyone to have a good experience. “My workspace is private and welcoming. All of my clients are like family to me, they’ll start out in college, they’ll get engaged
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essie is ranked one of the top ten nail artists in the world and is always up to date with nail trends, and participating in competitions. She gained interest in nails when she studied abroad in Japan after high school where she noticed their nail trends.
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heir nails had crazy art, like bows hanging from their nails and when I came back I wanted to get something like that done to my nails but no one could do it, so I decided to go to beauty school and learn all about doing nails,” said Yessie.
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essie sets aside enough time so you don’t feel rushed by walk-ins like you might at other salons. She’s very sweet and you will have an enjoyable experience getting your nails done. Book with Yessie at Posh Couture to get your nails done anyway you want with someone who is very knowledgeable in her field. By: Rachel Furtado
Meet Our Downtown SLO Farmers' Market Vendor of the Month Mo has expanded his dream to three locations across California where individuals can enjoy the greatest recipes for beans, pork ribs, onion rings and much much more.
Mo's Smokehouse BBQ 1005 Monterey Street (805) 544-6193 www.SmokinMosBBQ.com
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he Downtown SLO Farmers' Market experience isn't complete without some savory BBQ and a fan favorite has always been Mo's. The creation of Mo's BBQ's distinctive hickory smoked flavors began with an exploration of the United States "Barbecue Belt."
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ith the dream and goal to build the finest barbecue restaurant in the West, Mo set out to the South to study over 80 different barbecue restaurants. He learned different techniques, got some advice and a lot of inspiration to develop the recipes that are featured in their restaurant today.
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o find Mo's Smokehouse BBQ at our Downtown SLO Farmers' Market, please use our online interactive Market Map at downtownslo.com/farmers-market/meet-our-vendors/.
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nd as always, you will be able to find farmfresh produce and goods, a huge assortment of delicious cuisine and kid-favorites like face painting, balloon animals, bounce house and Downtown SLO’s furry friend, Downtown Brown. Downtown SLO Farmers’ Market is the Central Coast’s best Thursday evening activity to Discover Local Flavor.
For more information on Downtown Association events, programs and activities, or to sign up for our Deliver-E newsletter, visit www.DowntownSLO.com
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the greatest athletes on the central coast By Dr. Don Morris
Editor’s note: The reader response to the question “Who are the Greatest Athletes in the history of the Central Coast?” has been overwhelming. More than 100 nominations have been received from readers from Ventura to Salinas and almost all the high schools and various sports were represented. (Many of the nominations were about central coast men and women athletes who have gone on to compete professionally in sports like Olympic events, football, baseball, track and field, golf, boxing, ultimate fighting, tennis, kick boxing, basketball, rodeo, race-car drivers, etc). So far the following athletes have been featured: Ed Brown, Stephanie Brown Trafton, Chuck Liddell, Loren Roberts, Steve Patterson, Gene Rambo, Robin Ventura, Jordan Hasay, Chuck Estrada, Mike Larrabee, Ron Capps, Jamie Martin, Rusty Kuntz, Randall Cunningham, Jim Lonborg, Kami Craig, John Rudometkin, Ivan Huff, Chelsea Johnson, Michael Louis Bratz, Frank Minini, Scott McClain, Mel Queen and Mark Brunell. Please send nominations to Dr. Morris at dmmorris@calpoly.edu.
Napoleon Kaufman
Football Player Napoleon “Nip” Kaufman attended Lompoc High School and according to the Lompoc Record Newspaper “Napoleon Kaufman, is the most prominent football player ever produced in the Lompoc Valley.” He was considered as one of the greatest high school running backs in California prep history and he was also an exceptional track athlete. As a junior, Kaufman was the CIF California State Champion in both 100 (10.57) and 200 meters (21.15). He was also named to the USA Today first team All-American team. In his high school career, he rushed for 5,151 yards and 86 TDs. Kaufman was named to the Southern Section All-CIF and All-State first team, and averaged a remarkable 70 yards on kickoff returns. He was also selected as the Cal Hi Sports’ California high school football player of the year. Kaufman chose to go to the University of Washington. At the University of Washington, he rushed for 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons and was named to the All-Pac-10 team three years running and as a second team All-American. He is now a member of the University of Washington Hall of Fame. Kaufman was Drafted by the Oakland raiders in the 1st round (18th
overall) where he played ball for the entirety of his 6-year NFL career. He amassing 4,792 yards rushing on 4.90 yards per carry. One of Kaufman’s best games was when he rushed for 227 yards, leading the Raiders to an upset of the undefeated Denver Broncos (the eventual Super Bowl champions that year). He set the franchise mark for rushing yards in a single game and Kaufman’s record still stands. Kaufman retired at the end of the 2000 NFL season to pursue a career as a Christian minister. Kaufman is currently an ordained minister and head football coach at Bishop O’Dowd high school in Oakland, California.
Katie Hicks Water Polo player Katie Hicks graduated from San Luis Obispo High School and was a four-sport star earning 12 varsity letters (four water polo, three swimming, three volleyball and two softball). Katie earned 11 allconference honors in the four sports. In water polo she was a four-year all-conference selection from the Northern League and a four-year AllCIF Division II selection. She was the winner of first-team honors her last two seasons. Katie was also the team’s MVP all four years and was named an honorable mention All-American her junior season in swimming and was a volleyball All-CIF selection her senior season. In college Katie competed at Loyola Marymount University and was two-time NCAA Water Polo All American at LMU…2003 All NCAA Tournament team…Four-time water polo all conference…Four-time water polo all conference academic and is a former member of the US National Water Polo Team. She set nine new LMU swimming records and won 2006 Conference in the 100 freestyle. Katie was Nominated by Water Polo Coach/Instructor Chris Lund and by Peter J. Schuler, Water Polo Coach/Instructor Cuesta College F E B R U A R Y
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local books–clearview, A metaphysical mystery
Retired Hospice of SLO County Director, Donna Kean, has had her first novel published, Clearview–A Metaphysical Mystery. An avid dreamcatcher for over thirty years, the concept came through a dream and stalked her until she completed it. In a remote mountain community, five members of an unconventional dream group uncover historic past lives as they experience love and loss and must unite to face cataclysmic earth changes. Their dreams take them back to the world of the Mayas, the Epidauras dream temple in Greece, the Transcendentalists of New England, and Clearview’s local Kinekwa Native American community through time. Local artist, Marcy Adams created the cover. Copies are available through Barnes & Noble, Coalesce Bookstore, amazon.com and all major E-book sites.
Navy band names local sailor of the year
A U.S. Navy Sailor from Atascadero, assigned to Navy Band Southwest in San Diego, was recently selected as the band’s Junior Sailor of the Year for fiscal year 2015. Musician Second Class Brian Parmann, an Atascadero native and graduate of Atascadero High School, joined the Navy as a trumpet player in March of 2003. In addition to performing in the band’s marching and ceremonial groups, MU2 Parmann is also part of the brass band, wind ensemble, and is the Supply Petty Officer for Navy Band Southwest. For more information visit http://www.cnic. navy.mil/regions/cnrsw/about/navy_band.html
genealogy quest—how to grow your family tree Outdoor painters visual celebration
The SLO County Genealogical Society is sponsoring their 30th all-day seminar on Saturday, March 5, from 8am-4pm, at the Odd Fellows Hall, 520 Dana Street, in SLO. Nationally known speaker, J. Mark Lowe (pictured), will be presenting topics of how to find authentic records online, how to find land transactions, how to extract marriage records and why you need to check for divorce records. Professional genealogist, Cafi Cohen’s presentation, “Genealogy Jump Start,” will help beginners. She will demonstrate how to get the most out of Ancestry and Family Search. A fee is charged for registration. For more information and registration: http://slocgs. org or 805-466-3997.
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.
San Luis Outdoor Painters for the Environment (S.L.O.P.E.) is proud to announce a very special exhibit celebrating Montaña de Oro’s 50-year Anniversary with a tribute show & sale of inspired paintings dedicated to the park’s enduring beauty during the month of February. There will be 30+ original paintings in various mediums and limited edition Fine Art prints by this very talented group of artists! A portion of art sales will benefit Central Coast State Parks Association
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and Montaña de Oro State Park. Please Enjoy This Tribute Exhibit at: Morro Bay State Park’s Museum of Natural History, 20 State Park Road, Morro Bay, CA 93442. Open Daily 10am-5pm. For more information call 805.772.2694 or go to www.ccspa.info/morrobay
bbbs celebrates 2000 matches in slo county
Our local Big Brothers Big Sisters affiliate celebrated its 2000th mentor match when they introduced Domenick Burrell (age 6) to his new Big Brother, Robert Mariani (age 40), last month. Domenick’s mom requested a mentor who is “successful in his career and life” and who can “help guide Domenick to choose a good path.” Robert, a Cal Poly grad, Elks Lodge member and broker with Diamond Realty in San Luis Obispo has very limited experience working with youth but is “excited about helping out and giving back.” Together, Domenick and Robert look forward to exploring outdoor activities in the Little Brother’s home town of Atascadero and building a relationship based on their shared interest in sports.
new officers for slo score
SLO SCORE, the SLO County Chapter of SCORE, has announced its officer team for 2016. Bob Kerwin will serve as the chairman. His wife, Carol Kerwin, has been named the vice chair. Both come from engineering careers and co-owned a printing company for 13 years. Scott Hillis will serve as the secretary and has more than three
C rossword S O L U T I O N S
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decades of professional experience in inventory control and facilities management. Bob Azevedo was named the treasurer, thanks to his three decades in accounting and business management. The nonprofit is celebrating 32 years of mentoring small businesses on the Central Coast. SLO SCORE counselors are business owners and executives, both retired and actively working, who share real world expertise on a long list of topics that includes financing, accounting, marketing and human resources. For more information about SLO SCORE, visit SanLuisObispo.score.org or call (805) 547-0779.
easy way to recycle your batteries
The County Public Works Department’s Resource Recovery & Waste Management Division would like to remind the public that in most communities across the County, recycling batteries can be done without leaving your house. For those living in the unincorporated area of the County or in the cities of Buellton, Goleta, and Santa Barbara, simply follow the steps: Place the batteries in a zip-top plastic bag, Put the bag on top of (not inside) your recycling container on your normally scheduled recycling collection day, For rechargeable batteries (which are made of different material), please tape the ends of each battery with clear tape so that the battery poles are not exposed. Remember, for any questions related to recycling batteries or any other item, please use the County’s best recycling resource, LessIsMore.org. For more information about recycling batteries, please call 882-3602 or visit the County recycling website’s dedicated page on this program at www.lessismore.org/batteries.
local teens receive presidential service award
Two local teenagers, cousins Sarah (pictured left with Bridget Ready) and Nick Attala (pictured above with JHH boardmembers), donated more than 81 hours of service to Jack’s Helping Hand (JHH) to help children with cancer and special needs in our community. Sarah received the Gold Presidential Volunteer Service Award for donating more than 100 hours of service and Nick received the Bronze Presidential Volunteer Service Award for donating more than 100 hours of service to nonprofit organizations in SLO County. Both attend SLO High School. The President’s Volunteer Service Award recognizes U.S. citizens that have achieved a certain number of hours of service over a 12-month period or cumulative hours over the course of a lifetime. For more information on Jack’s Helping Hand and volunteer opportunities please visit, jackshelpinghand.org.
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new casa volunteer advocates and mentors
Juvenile Court Judge Linda Hurst recently swore in six new CASA volunteer advocates and mentors who will be assigned to an abused, neglected or abandoned child or sibling group or to a young adult previously in foster care in SLO County. CASA conducted complete background checks on all volunteers and provided the initial training. Pictured, left to right: Sandy Mihal, Carol Montgomery, Joyce Bray, Carol Preston, Judge Linda Hurst, Jennifer Fuentes, Deanna Taylor. For more information, visit www.slocasa.org.
atascadero accepting band applications
The City of Atascadero is now accepting band applications for the Saturday in the Park Summer 2016 Concert Series. Applications are available at the Colony Park Community Center, located at 5599 Traffic Way in Atascadero, and on the City’s website at www.atascadero.org. An application can also be received by contacting Jennifer Fanning by phone at 470-3426 or by email at jfanning@atascadero.org. All applications must be returned by no later than Friday, February 12, 2016 at 5pm. Late applications will not be accepted. The 2016 Saturday in the Park Summer Concert Series will be held nearly every Saturday evening throughout the summer, beginning on June 18th, with an Evening of Jazz and ending on August 13th, 2016. All concerts are held at the Atascadero Lake Park Bandstand from 6:30-8:30 pm and are free for the entire community to attend. Each band selected for the series is paid a one-time stipend of $250 on the evening of their respective concert.
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transitions receives grant from ccfc
Transitions-Mental Health Association (TMHA) has received $2,500 from Central Coast Funds for Children (CCFC). For the second year in a row, teens from TMHA’s SLO County Youth Treatment Program (YTP) will have the opportunity to enter an Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy (EFP) program, operated by Gina Sears, licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. EFP is an experiential treatment approach involving several aspects of horsemanship. The youth’s exposure to equine therapy has proved to be enormously successful and contributed greatly to the youth’s rehabilitation. The results of the collaboration between YTP and EFP were overwhelmingly positive. YTP Program Therapist Anna Yeackle observed “with this collateral therapy, the kids who participated met their treatment goals much sooner.” This outcome prompted TMHA to pursue renewed grant funding from CCFC so YTP clients could continue their participation.
michael bell named coo at sierra vista
Michael Bell has been named Chief Operating Officer at Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center. He succeeds Ike Mmeje who was promoted to Chief Executive Officer at Doctors Hospital of Manteca. In his new role Bell is responsible for oversight of the hospital’s daily operations and ancillary departments such as pathology, radiology, pharmacy and plant operations at the largest hospital and second largest private employer in San Luis Obispo. He will play an integral role as well in the hospital’s clinical outcomes, patient, physician and employee satisfaction, and financial success. Most recently Bell was Associate Administrator, Hospital Operations at Kern Medical Center in Bakersfield.
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Bank of America recently presented Peoples’ Self-Help Housing (PSHH) with a $10,000 check in recognition of the award winning nonprofit’s 45th Anniversary. Founded in SLO in 1970, Peoples’ Self-Help Housing has expanded to Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, with nearly 1,200 self-help homes completed and over 1,600 rental units developed. PSHH continues to strive to fulfill its mission to provide affordable housing and programs leading to self-sufficiency for low-income families, seniors, veterans, and other special needs groups. For more, visit http:// www.pshhc.org/
cuesta scholarships open for application
Hundreds of scholarships available for Cuesta College’s 20162017 academic year are open for application, including the Cuesta Promise. The deadline to apply for Cuesta College’s general scholarships is March 2, 2016; the priority deadline to apply for the Promise Scholarship is also March 2, 2016. Students can apply for the Promise Scholarship up until August 1, 2016; however, they will no longer be eligible for the 2016-2017 general scholarships after March 2.
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local trustee elected ca school board president
San Luis Coastal Unified School District (SLCUSD) Board Trustee Chris Ungar has been elected by his peers to serve as president of the California School Board Association (CSBA), which represents more than 6 million students and 5,000 school board members in the state. “During the annual California School Boards Association Conference in San Diego in early December, our own Chris Ungar was elected President for 2016,” said SLCUSD Superintendent Dr. Eric Prater. “This is quite an honor, especially given the size of California and the number of school districts throughout the state.” Ungar’s 29-year career in education includes volunteer time on the CSBA Board of Directors since 2007, where he represented Monterey, San Benito, San Luis, and Santa Cruz Counties.
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love slo community service day
Love SLO is a new community-wide day of service to be held in SLO as part of the national Love Our Cities movement. This spring, the San Luis community will come together to celebrate their hometown and work alongside one another to benefit organizations throughout the city. This year’s day of service will be held on Saturday, March 19th. Love SLO’s first ever communitywide day of service will kick off with a morning gathering in Mission Plaza for an inspirational rally before volunteers and project leaders disperse to designated service locations to complete projects that will impact the community in various ways. Projects will run from 9am – 12:30pm. Those interested in participating in Love SLO are asked to visit www.loveslo.com to register to volunteer for specific service projects in early 2016.
help our local veterans
The VA clinic in San Luis is asking for volunteers to serve our Veterans as shuttle drivers. To help pay tribute and express your appreciation for their service, learn about volunteering at your local VA clinic. For more information contact your local VA volunteer representative Mr. Larry Foster at 805-354-6004 or send an email to Lawrence.Foster@va.gov
pg&E donates $35,000 to sheriff’s task force
Sheriff Ian Parkinson recently announced PG&E’s major donation to the SLO County Sheriff ’s Task Force on Public Safety. PG&E is donating $35,000 to the Task Force with the goal of making San Luis County the “Most Prepared County in Disaster Preparedness and Response in the Country.” “Our motto at the Sheriff ’s Office is ‘Lead the Way’ and that’s what we’re doing with the Public Safety Task Force by making us better prepared to respond to any emergency,” said Sheriff Parkinson. “With PG&E’s generous donation we are able to be a leader when it comes to preparing for any emergency that may come our way.”
slo museum of art receives grant
The SLO Museum of Art has been awarded a major grant from The James Irvine Foundation that will support the Museum’s new initiative to connect with underserved groups and promote their engagement in the arts. The $112,000 award will fund the Museum’s two-year pilot project to engage Latino adults living in People’s Self Help Housing affordable rental units to encounter and explore the wide range of visual art in SLO and Santa Barbara counties. The project will empower Latino participants to create visual representations of their individual and collective life stories. The Museum will facilitate displaying the resident artists’ visual and virtual artwork to the broader community through exhibits in both nontraditional and traditional places— expanding awareness of and promoting empathy for the local Latino experience. SLOMA is located at 1010 Broad Street. Museum hours are Wednesday through Monday, 11am to 5pm. Admission is free. Donations are welcome. The Museum is closed Tuesdays and major holidays, except during the summer months when the Museum is open every day. For more information call 805-543-8562 or go to SLOMA.ORG
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Puma Aquatic team donates to hearst cancer center The French Hospital Medical Center (FHMC) Foundation recently received yet another generous donation from the PUMA Aquatic Team to support the Hearst Cancer Resource Center (HCRC) at FHMC. The swim club raised $11,200 for the HCRC during their eighth annual swim meet at Arroyo Grande High School. The meet raised money through local sponsorships, entry fees, a silent auction, and the concession stand. This recent donation brings PUMA’s eight year total contribution to the HCRC to $80,200.
botanical garden presentations
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for young artists and audiences, contributing to the cultural development of the community. The grant will underwrite needbased tuition scholarships for students participating in the Little Theatre’s extensive education program which includes summer and spring break theatre camps, after-school theatre classes in the spring and fall, and two production classes which offer students the opportunity to participate in professionally-directed full length theatrical productions.
transitions mental health receives $150,000 grant
French Gardens Aesthetic Presentation at SLO Botanical Garden Join us for an inspiring presentation with Garden educator Ken Levine that will explore the beauty of two inf luential and historic French gardens on Saturday, February 13 from 1pm to 2pm. Join us for a free docent-lead tour of the Garden at 2pm. More info at slobg.org/french.
Edible & Medicinal Plants of the Central Coast Enjoy a presentation on the many useful plants of SLO County with herbalist Tellur Fenner, owner of the Blue Winds Botanical Medicine Clinic, on Friday, February 26 at 6pm. Workshops on Sat & Sun February 27 & 28 will be hands-on experience and full of harvesting and herbal product crafting. Info and registration at slobg.org/useful-plants.
community foundation gives scholarships to the slo little theatre
The SLO Little Theatre has received a generous $2,500 grant to fund tuition scholarships for students participating in its Academy of Creative Theatre (ACT) educational programs throughout the 2015-2016 Season. The grant was provided by The Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County, funded by the Holser Educational Fund for the Performing Arts. An endowed fund, this grant-making program supports performing arts education
Transitions-Mental Health Association (TMHA) was awarded a $150,000 grant from the California Wellness Foundation to launch TMHA CORPS, a new 3-year pilot program. TMHA CORPS (Career Opportunities in Recovery and Preventive Services) combines multiple elements of existing TMHA services to create a pipeline that will outreach to and recruit consumers and family members, provide them with training and field experience, and ultimately match them with professional opportunities in the Public Mental Health System. In each of the three upcoming years TMHA will hold a six-month “semester” for 10-15 participants which will include career counseling, multiple mental health trainings, field internships within different TMHA programs, and job coaching and development designed to lead to professional placements both within TMHA and at other nonprofits and agencies along the Central Coast.
Free cal poly concert at the mission
Several of Cal Poly’s finest student music ensembles will perform traditional and contemporary chamber music at 8pm, Friday, Feb. 5, in the Old Mission Church in SLO. “A Night at the Mission” will feature performances by a string quartet, saxophone quartet, clarinet ensemble, trumpet ensemble, brass choir, brass quintet and woodwind quintet. This annual event has long been a favorite of student performers and audiences alike. This year the concert is free. It is open to the public; no tickets or advanced reservations are required. The concert is sponsored by the Cal Poly College of Liberal Arts, Music Department, and Instructionally Related Activities program. For more information, call the Music Department at 805-756-2406.
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