April 2011 Journal Plus Magazine

JUL I A OGDE N | CHIL DR E N’ S CHOIR | D AV ID Y UDO V IN | T R E V OR GOME S

Journal PLUS APRIL 2011

MAGAZINE OF THE CENTRAL COAST

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Serving the entire SLO County since 1978 Twila Arritt Broker-Associate

805-543-2172 www.farrellsmyth.com

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Nicely upgraded, 2 bed, 2 bath. Replacement windows, new from door, new fireplace hearth w/ energy efficient gas insert, new kitchen counters and appliances and a cozy back yard patio. Neat as a pin in Los Verdes Park 1. $309,000

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Turn key condition. Lovely 3 bedroom, 2 bath with versatile floor plan, two fireplaces, family room/office. Beautiful landscaping and courtyard w/ water feature. $519,000

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Theresa Carroll REALTOR®

Patricia Garrison REALTOR®

Annette Mullen REALTOR®

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Lovely single-level Country Club Estates. 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath home located on the 16th Tee, with beautiful mountain and golf course views.

Charming, gated community. $929,000

Great 3 bedroom home w/ additional two - 1 bedroom units. Main house has been redone to reflect the period of the home. Hardwood floors wood sash arched windows. A real doll house. Each unit has washer/dryer hookups, on site parking. $785,500

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Mary Rosenthal REALTOR®

Janet Shaner REALTOR®

Vicky Hall REALTOR® Classic 1960’s Four-Plex half a block from the Highland entrance to Cal Poly. All two bedroom, one bath units, with large bedrooms and on-site laundry. Lower units have back doors to patio area and upper units have private decks. $849,000 Jennifer Hamilton Relocation Director

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Pride of Ownership! 3 Br house, plus 3- 1991 Built Townhome style loft units. Private fenced yards, Indiv. HW heaters & laundry for each unit. Well maintained with low owner expenses.

Turn Key! This is a good one! $989,000

21 Santa Rosa Street, Suite 100, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405 Conveniently located in the heart of San Luis Obispo.

Our office is open 7 days a week.

Larry D. Smyth Broker

I

n this era of corporate crime and personal greed, who can you trust with your financial future?

An ethical local firm with a 50-year track record

How lucky we were twenty years ago when Al helped us with our first tax sheltered annuity. Little did we know that the good advice that Al gave us then would be crucial in buying our first home. Since that time Al has given us excellent financial counsel: helping us provide financial security for our family with a life insurance policy, teaching us how to lower our tax liability, alerting us when we would benefit from refinancing our home, and setting us on the course to a stable retirement portfolio.

Al does his business the old fashion way. He takes time to get to know you, your family, and your particular financial needs. He never pressures, and he is excellent at explaining options. You can pick up the phone and ask him a question, or visit him to discuss any concerns. He is very honest, and he develops the long-term relationship with his customers. As we head toward our retirement we feel very secure knowing we have such a knowledgeable, ethical, and smart friend as Al Moriarty to help us with our big financial decisions. He is the best!

Dave Forrest Teacher, James Logan High School Union City, CA

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"Integrity, as in nature, will always be supreme"

efore you make another major financial decision, call for a no-obligation appointment to evaluate your resources and goals.

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(You won’t be asked to make any investments then, since solid financial planning requires research.) Ask about upcoming FREE seminars.

MORIARTY ENTERPRISES Financial Services since 1954

P.O. Box 970, Grover Beach, CA 93483

Phone: (866) 546-1366 Lic. No. 0144566

Al Moriarty Financial Advisor

CONTENTS

18 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

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 Keith Malcomson

CENTRAL COAST CHILDREN’S CHOIR

10

12

ARTIST BILL RASEY

TREVOR GOMES

ADVERTISING Jan Owens, Kristen Hathaway CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Susan Stewart, Natasha Dalton, Hilary Grant, Joseph Carotenuti, Dr. Julian Crocker, Sarah Hedger, Maggie Cox, Deborah Cash, Anthony Pannone, Ruth Starr, Patti Taylor, John Ashbaugh, Lori Lawson, Bob Huttle, Gordon Fuglie and Phyllis Benson 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 distributed monthly free by mail to all single family households of San Luis Obispo and is available free at over 600 locations throughout the county.

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 Catharine Krupp

PEOPLE 8 10 12 14

JULIA OGDEN BILL RASEY TREVOR GOMES DAVID YUDOVIN

HOME & OUTDOOR 16 18 20 22 24

AFRICAN ADVENTURE CENTRAL COAST CHILDREN’S CHOIR MONDAY CLUB’S 11TH HOME TOUR HOME DESIGN DISTRICT FOOD / AT THE MARKET

COMMUNITY

26 28 30 32 34 36 46

SLO ART SCENE HUTTLE UP – Catching up with Erik Austin OUR SCHOOLS Dr. Julian Crocker HISTORY: SLO’s First Charter HOSPICE CORNER / SUDOKU PUZZLE PALM STREET – SLO Vice-Mayor Ashbaugh ALMANAC – The Month of April

BUSINESS

37 DOWNTOWN SLO What’s Happening 41 EYE ON BUSINESS 42 THE BULLETIN BOARD

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From the publisher

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ast month San Luis Obispo icon, Linnaea Philips called and gave me an update on what she has been up to since she sold her café. Linnaea and friend, Katie Krupp have been travelling the world. While on their trips they find time to help others. They recently returned from Tanzania where they did some teaching at a local school. Susan Stewart caught up with them and we enjoyed the story and photos so much we made it this month’s cover feature.

In our people profile section we feature a painter, a horseshoer, a long-distance swimmer and the Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity. Each individual has a unique story. You will enjoy all four of them.

Bob Huttle writes about one of his former San Luis High School students, Erik Austin, whose passion for acting and theatre started at an early age and continues today. Erik is coordinating another show from his company Kelrik Productions, housed at the Unity Church here in San Luis Obispo .

Finally we feature the Central Coast Children’s Choir.

The group consists of children throughout the Central Coast and is presenting a concert this month that you won’t want to miss.

Enjoy the magazine,

Steve Owens

PEOPLE

Julia Ogden: Making dreams come true with habitat for humanity

By Hilary Grant

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n spite of a challenging economy, the American Dream of owning a home is alive and well for a handful of lucky SLO County families.

Indeed, even with their incomes well below the area median, as well as an inability to obtain home loans through traditional lenders, they’re still on track to move into brand new houses within the next few years.

That’s because all of these husbands, wives and children will be living in simple and affordable houses they’ll have built themselves – with lots of support from Habitat for Humanity for San Luis Obispo County.

An affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, the Central Coast office, also known as HFHSLOCO, is part of the global Christian housing ministry originally conceived in 1976.

To date, the non-profit has built more than 350,000 houses, sheltering nearly 2 million people, in more than 3,000 communities around the world.

The local organization started in 1996, and from 2006 to 2010, completed a dozen homes in North and South Counties, and another in Cambria. Two new homes, both in San Luis Obispo, will be ready for occupancy this spring.

Land has also been purchased in Arroyo Grande for seven new houses, and funding is pending for property in Paso Robles and another location in San Luis Obispo.

New Executive Director and CEO Julia Ogden is head of the local office. “I truly, truly wanted to work for Habitat,” says Ogden, a seasoned veteran of working for community non-profits, including most recently, in the post of Executive Director for the Piedras Blancas Light Station Association in San Simeon.

“This is my dream job,” she adds. “I’ve always felt that I was meant to work, or lead, a Habitat office. And now, here I am!”

moving in, the families pay a monthly low-cost mortgage to Habitat, with that money then used to build more houses.

The homes are modest, usually three bedrooms and one bathroom, and generally cost around $120,000 to $140,000 to complete.

Ogden explains that she was already familiar with the organization because of years spent in community service in Arizona.

“I saw, and was inspired, by the work done by Habitat in that state,” says Ogden. “I saw how much the homes supported and enhanced the lives of the families selected to purchase a Habitat home.

“I also saw how effective and empowering the Habitat paradigm of providing a hand up, and not a hand out, was for these families.”

Those thoughts are not just Ogden’s opinions.

In fact, according to the HFHSLOCO web site, research studies show many benefits of owning a home – including improved safety and

Located in San Luis Obispo on Tank Farm Road, the Central Coast affiliate has two full-time employees, nine part-time workers, and an impressive volunteer list of about 1,500 persons. Habitat here also operates two large ReStores, building materials thrift stores that recycle new and used construction materials otherwise destined for landfills.

Expenses are modest, with an annual operating budget of about $400,000.

Habitat homes are never given away.

Built with donations of money and materials, all new homeowners must contribute 500 hours of sweat labor during construction. After A P R I L

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Habitat for Humanity homes building on Phillips Lane, SLO

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An early photo of Julia with her daughter

security for homeowner families and their neighborhoods, and improved health for homeowners and their children.

Additionally, children who live in their own homes are more likely to finish high school, enroll in college and have reduced behavioral problems.

housing, we’ll help to strengthen and build our communities with BWK.”

These days, Ogden has her hands full with Habitat business.

Ogden says she can’t remember a time when she didn’t feel a responsibility for the world around her.

In addition to acting as primary liaison between Habitat’s Board of Directors and other committees, she’s also in charge of management oversight of the ReStore operations; oversight of building efforts; responsibility for fundraising, and working with the public relations and marketing end of the organization.

Born and raised in Pueblo, Colorado, by mom Julie, a college secretary, and dad Keith, a dentist, Ogden has an undergraduate degree in Math and History from the University of Southern Colorado. A move to Washington, D.C. came next, where Ogden received her Master’s of Art degree from Georgetown University and a law degree from George Washington University.

“I’m a voracious reader, so my mentors have included Abraham Lincoln, Gandhi, Jesus and Eleanor Roosevelt,” says Ogden.

“Their thoughts, their work, their experience and their values have been strongly influential in the decisions I have made about my life’s path.”

Ogden says she was brought on board to bring the Central Coast affiliate “to the next level.”

After school, Ogden took her first job as an editor for an international law journal published by the Food and Drug Law Institute (FDLI). A 62-year-old non-profit that provides education and training on food and drug laws, Ogden was a FDLI employee for a dozen years, ending her tenure there as vice president.

What that means, Ogden says, is the ability and experience to keep the affiliate focused on its already steady, upward swing.

Along the way, Ogden had an opportunity to interface with members of Congress and the Food and Drug Administration.

“We’ve grown significantly since 1996,” she explains. “We’re no longer that small, start-up non-profit. The board that hired me wanted to ensure that our operations, committees and funding were reviewed and changed so we could continue our work effectively and efficiently.”

One of Ogden’s most rewarding jobs prior to Habitat was as Executive Director of the non-profit Arizona Saves, which offers free services promoting financial education throughout that state.

For those interested in the bottom line, home ownership provides independence from subsidized support for future generations.

Ogden is especially excited about a new campaign set to launch this summer called Brush with Kindness.

Called BWK for short, Habitat will select several dozen low-income families who already own their homes, but are having trouble keeping up with the costs of maintaining them. The program is already up and running under several other Habitat affiliates around the country.

“Using volunteer teams, we’ll be doing minor repairs, and other refurbishing of these homes, such as painting, building fences, landscaping and minor carpentry tasks,” says Ogden.

“So, over the next few years, we’ll not only be providing simple, decent and affordable

“As soon as I began working for HFHSLOCO, people started coming up to me in grocery stores, in the library and in coffee shops,” she says. “They told me how much they supported what we did, and asked how they could help. So many people really ‘get’ what we are about.

“I go to bed each night knowing I am making a difference, knowing I am helping people know that they matter. What could possibly be better?”

Find out more about Habitat for Humanity for San Luis Obispo County, including information about the fundraiser Hike for Habitat on April 30, at hfhsloco.org, or call (805) 782-0687.

“It was a huge effort supported by so many,” says Ogden. “It truly helped low-income individuals, and families, learn to manage their money responsibly and save for a car, a college education, and a home – sort of a precursor to my work with Habitat.”

Ogden relocated to the Central Coast because of family.

“My daughter Angela, and my two grandchildren, Clio and Max, came here three years before I did,” she says. “Each time I came to visit them, I realized how beautiful this area is and how much I am a ‘water person’ as opposed to a ‘desert person.’

“Arizona is absolutely beautiful, but my heart and soul are much more peaceful and content when I live next to the ocean.”

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artist bill rasey ...another way to paint

By Susan Stewart

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ill Rasey has a thing for pirates … and flowers. The original paintings that crowd the walls of his rural Arroyo Grande home are mostly vivid florals, pastel landscapes, rosey sunsets, and potted daisies. But there are two portraits of men, one young and one old, who are unmistakably pirates, complete with corncob pipe and a glass of rum. Perhaps they are reflections of the painter (minus the stealing, of course!), a courageous man with a mischievous sense of humor and a rogueish determination to never give up the ship.

Since 2006, these are all qualities that serve Bill Rasey well. That was the year he was diagnosed with A.L.S., sometimes known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, a progressive neurodegenerative condition that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. As motor neurons die—sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly—the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost, causing muscle weakness, atrophy, and the loss of much of the body’s normal functioning.

A.L.S. does not, however, affect the mind nor the senses of sight, smell, hearing, and taste.

Rasey started painting 30 years ago, starting

with oils and often using wood as a canvas.

He began taking private lessons and in very short order, he was selling his work. His sister owned an antique store where she displayed some of his paintings and when one of them—a mother and child portrait—was stolen, his faith in his talent was bolstered.

“If someone liked it enough to steal it, it must be pretty good,” he thought.

Rasey married his wife, Joy, in 1958. “We were in love for years before we got together,” said Joy. “I had the hots for you even back then,” Rasey agrees. They raised four children (they now have 10 grandchildren) and after a long and successful sales career, mostly in Orange County, the Raseys began looking for relief from the fast pace and crowded city life of southern California.

They found it in a wooded grove of rural Arroyo Grande where they bought a house 15 years ago. Rasey was the original owner of Mid-State RV in Arroyo Grande, and opened a restaurant called the Rusty Pig. The couple had always loved camping and the outdoor life, so this setting made them feel like they were permanently on vacation.

The diagnosis hit hard, but Rasey has never felt sorry for himself. He took up his painting in earnest and when he lost control of his arm muscles, he learned how to paint with his teeth.

“He mastered that in about a day,” Joy recalls.

“I was bored out my gourd,” the incorrigible jokester rhymes. Painting gave him something creative to do as the disease took more and more of his mobility. He couldn’t wait to get out of bed every day and start painting.

A support group at French Hospital Medical Center meets every third Saturday of the month and the couple attends as often as they can. “They told us we’d have to plan for what was down the road,” said Joy. “But we couldn’t do it. We pretend that everything’s ok. We’re in denial.”

That method seems to work for the Raseys.

Six years after the diagnosis, Rasey is now in a wheelchair. His limbs are nearly useless and he even has trouble holding his head up due to weakening neck muscles. But his spirit—and his sense of humor—are still very

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much intact. And he continues to paint, nearly every day. He and Joy are on the lookout for an easel he can manipulate himself and they are now in the process of major house renovations that will help Rasey to get around better.

Looking at Rasey’s paintings both before and after the diagnosis (some painted by hand, others by mouth), the difference is only in the finer details. For his more recent pieces, Rasey has chosen a palette of golden pinks, warm yellows, luscious lavenders, and glowing oranges. The piece he was working on the day of this interview, however, was a

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Highly sought after neighborhood in San Luis Obispo. Single level four bedroom homes are hard to find, especially with a pool. Newly landscaped front and back yards, refinished hard-wood floors, new interior and exterior paint, hallway bath remodeled, new fridge and cook top, new pool motor. Sunken living room with fireplace and a private entry courtyard. Go to www.680rancho.com for more details.

Asking $669,000.

heavy-browed pirate in a bright red coat. “It’s hard to mix the colors by mouth,” he admits.

Last year, Rasey’s grand-daughter assembled a dozen of his best paintings and created a calendar they hope will be picked up by the National A.L.S. Association. With little time for marketing efforts, Rasey’s family is looking for someone who might take on the responsibility for making and selling this extraordinary calendar.

“I want to show people who have A.L.S. that it’s important to have something creative to do,” said Rasey. He hopes his story will inspire others, and while he may still have more painting to do, one need look no further than Bill Rasey for inspiration of the most remarkable kind.

Several support groups meet throughout San Luis Obispo County every month. One is held at every third Saturday from 2:00-3:30 pm at the French Hospital Medical Center Auditorium, 1911 Johnson Ave., in San Luis Obispo. Call 455-8342 for more information.

If you consider yourself a lover of modern architecture, high end design, seamless construction or state of the art electronics then you must see this marvel. It is simply unlike any other house in the City of San Luis Obispo. Perfect location with the ideal climate. Very private. See the web-site for additional photos and more information.

Asking $1,250,000. www.2191santaynezave.com

Remodeled unit just a short distance to downtown San Luis Obispo. Modern kitchen features stainless steel appliances, stainless steel counter-tops, new cabinets, new wood flooring, new carpet, front & rear patios, landscaping, second floor balcony, indoor laundry, good storage.

Washer, dryer, refrigerator are all included in price. $305,000. www.2250kingtcourt.com

Johnny Hough Owner / Broker

(805) 801-5063

johnny@realestategroup.com 962 Mill Street, SLO See more listings at www.realestategroup.com

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PEOPLE father. “I remember how physically tough and tired I was after, like the first workout of the season. You know, your back is achy and your legs are shaky, like after doing power squats,” he says. “And it took forever because I didn’t want to mess up.”

Havana’s Horseshoer

Trevor Gomes

By Anthony Pannone

At home Gomes has the support from fiancé, Lindsey Fielder, who worries for her man’s safety. She recalls numerous instances when he has returned home with bite marks and bruises.

Gomes himself says once he was kicked twice before he even knew what happened.

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t’s 7:00 a.m. in Paso Robles, California. Smoking-in-Havana stands alertly in the distance, waiting with her ears pricked high. Morning fog hovers just above the grass and dew dots the brown earth. Like a statue, Havana watches the commotion.

Trevor Gomes, holding a plastic coffee mug and dressed in a faded Carhartt jacket, greets me with a firm handshake. “Good morning,” he says, as a black and white Jack Russell Terrier named Chase skitters by. Pecking bits of gravel, two Rhode Island Reds wander between. “You can catch one if you want,” he says.

Gomes epitomizes ruggedness, yet he keeps the look of a young boy—short sandy blond hair, warm blue eyes, and an honest smile. Yet his hands are bruised and his clothes tattered.

The rising sun scares away the fog. A silver Chevy truck backs up to a set of horse stables under a blue tin roof under which an open side-hatch reveals a gamut of metal tools and a plethora of steel horseshoes.

Horseshoing requires mental and physical strength. For 4,000 years farriers have struck their anvils in the equine world.

Amid bangs and clangs Gomes sets up shop, placing a green hoof stand and trivet supporting a black anvil next to a mound of tightly coiled ropes. Around his waist he secures a heavy canvas apron. In a holster he places a small, curved blade with a wooden handle. “It’s a hoof knife,” he says. His boots are dirty, worn, and his countenance amiable. He carries a sense of pride as he talks about his dad and grandpa.

The family moved to the Central Coast twenty years ago, Gomes says. He grew up in the racehorse industry and remembers watching his dad shoe horses. “It was like the babysitter,” he says, describing his wonder years while grabbing a rope and walking towards Havana. Gomes’ dad grew up in Chowchilla, a small rural town in California’s Central Valley, where together A P R I L

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Trevor Gomes picking the perfect shoe

he and his dad broke race horses.

Despite his heritage, Gomes’ road to farriery wasn’t always mapped out.

Before carrying on the family tradition, Gomes gave a go at college life. While studying business administration at Cuesta College, he shod part-time for his dad. For Gomes, life in the academic world was short.

“Working outdoors and around animals lured me from the classroom,” he says. Now a full-time farrier, Gomes says he enjoys traveling all over San Luis Obispo County playing foot doctor.

“I love being in different places all the time and I meet a lot of interesting people,” says Gomes while sharpening his hoof knife.

On occasion he and his dad still work side by side.

Gomes continues talking as he leads Havana past an old tractor on a patch of dirt between the stalls. “My grandpa still shoes, yeah—but he’s 79, so it takes him four days because he shoes one foot a day,” he says, laughing to himself.

He brushes off Havana’s rear two hooves and gently runs his hand down her right leg, then grabs her hoof and places it between his thighs. With the tip of the hoof knife, he removes packed dirt and checks for damage to the wall, bars and frog. Then he straightens the folded-over nail tips (called clinches) with a hammer. He cuts off the clinches and removes the worn shoe using pulloffs, a tool that clamps onto and separates the shoe from the hoof.

The work is quick but precise.

Gomes’ first shoeing experience came when he was eighteen. The horse belonged to his

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But the change in Gomes’ sociability has evened the score between man and horse, making a farriery a palatable lifestyle. Lindsey says Gomes used to feel uncomfortable around people. “Trevor had to learn to deal with customers and it has helped him as a person, especially around our friends,” she says. “He’s more vocal, and when I listen to him, it’s cool to hear what he has to say.”

While home-life for Gomes benefits from life as a farrier, nevertheless the work remains dangerous. Despite the rigors faced by these hardened tradesmen, farriers dig deep and root their craft in quality.

That’s why farriers need a perfect blend of years of experience mixed with hands-on practice—because without an accurate eye and a consistent hand they can debilitate a horse.

Pete Agalos, an animal science lecturer at California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo, specializes in equine form and function. He says horseshoing is a “necessary evil.”

“Nothing about shoeing a horse is anatomically correct,” Agalos says. “We ask the horse to do things that it is not supposed to do.” He maintains that an un-shod hoof is designed to endure natural wear and tear that equals out the angles between the lower parts of the leg and the ground, creating the body’s correct form and function; this is known as a horse’s hoof-to-ground ratio. Interestingly, a horse’s hoof is designed to absorb concussion and expands upon impact. Agalos says a horseshoe limits the intended functionality of the foot by restricting expansion and subsequently puts the horse at risk for structural inefficiency. And inconsistent angles caused by improper shoeing can lead to lameness, which further lead to problems for both the horse and its farrier.

Gomes resumes and attempts to ease Havana’s anxiety. He lets out gentle, lowpitched, “whoas” and “heys” as he moves

PEOPLE loosen the shoe and put the horse in danger.

The first work of the day is done; Havana’s shoe exchange lasts 45 minutes. She is led back the way she came. Gomes says some days are longer, some days shorter—either way, a full day’s work leaves him exhausted.

Eating breakfast greens, Havana basks as the sun burns away the remaining fog. Gomes packs up his tools and washes his hands.

Then he takes five on a hay bale. We talk about music and he says he is at “both ends

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of the spectrum,” listening to everything from rap to country. He loves to snowboard and wakeboards to stay in shape. Next to the stables a Malibu Wakesetter V ride rests still, as if it senses a winter freeze. A wakeboard leans nearby, waiting. As he fiddles with a rusty horseshoe, between sips of hour-old coffee, Gomes calls for Chase.

Havana keeping a close eye on Gomes

around her hind end, circumspectly. Dust swirls upwards and envelopes the pair. He pauses with each unexpected, but anticipated headshake, leg-shift or hoof-scuffle.

“This horse is feisty,” he says.

Once the hooves are clean they are prepped.

Gomes uses nippers—which look like big nail clippers—to trim around the hoof wall.

The thickness of the clip depends on how much time has passed since the last shoeing.

Next, looking like a manicurist buffing fingernails, he uses a rasp and shapes each hoof.

To correct Havana’s foot-to-ground ratio, he measures a 55-degree angle with a foot gauge. Then he shapes a horseshoe, pounding out minor corrections on an anvil with a shoe-hammer. He eyes the fit then seats it with tapered nails specifically casted for farriery—the tapered point ensures a clean exit from the hoof wall. The protruding tips are folded over to prevent any snags, which could

A perfect fit A P R I L

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PEOPLE from the beginning. “It was like a spiritual draw,” he admits. He says that every time he puts his head in the water he experiences a different level of consciousness.

David yudovin World Class Swimmer

By Ruth Starr

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ongtime Cambria resident David Yudovin joined The West Los Angeles Beverly Hills YMCA swim team when he was only six years old. No one that young had ever been on the team until David showed his exceptional qualities in swimming. It was also the first time that anyone in his family showed interest in swimming.

David is still awed by the way he had a natural draw to the water right

You can now read the Journal Plus online.

Go to www.slojournal.com and take a look.

Easier access for our readers and more exposure for our advertisers.

Tell your friends and family who no longer live in the area.

CURT RANKIN | THE BROOKS FAMILY | ART AT THE OCTAGON BARN | VETS MUSEUM

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THREE GENERATIONS AT QUAGLINO FLOORING | RICHARD YACO | MICHAEL FAWCETT

Journal PLUS MARCH 2009

APRIL 2009

MAGAZINE OF THE CENTRAL COAST

MAGAZINE OF THE CENTRAL COAST

WILDLIFE

David attended Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ, where much of his time was spent learning how to swim long distances.

After graduation he moved back to California where he decided on a goal: to swim the Catalina Channel. This is from Catalina Island to Palos Verdes. After much training and professional guidance for the twentymile swim, he was successful. From that point on it became a love affair.

He went on to swim that channel four times.

His passion for swimming continued for 35 years, taking him all over the world. A few other distance swims included: The English Channel, New Zealand, Tahiti, and Japan.

If he was not successful the first time swimming a channel, he would go back and repeat it until he did.

DANA NELSON | SUZANNE LEEDALE | MASTER GARDENERS | FATHER JUNIPERO SERRA

Journal PLUS AUGUST 2009

MAGAZINE OF THE CENTRAL COAST

SLO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

CENTRAL COAST

When he was young he spent every moment possible in the water. Luckily, his neighbor had a pool and they allowed him to swim laps.

In addition to swimming, his love of water soon included surfing. It was in the surf near Los Angeles that David developed a love for the ocean. By the time he reached high school, he had become a competitive swimmer.

A NEW TRAIL IN OUR FUTURE AVILA TO MONTANA DE ORO

INSIDE

& Downtown OHome UTDOOR CENTRAL COAST

At only 27 years old, David’s heart stopped beating during a marathon swim near Ventura. Yet, in spite of having suffered a heart attack, he fought his way back to health and went on to rack up a list of conquests, which include becoming the first and only person to swim from Santa Cruz Island to the California coast in 1983, and the English Channel in 1996.

Around

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David Yudovin is in the Swimmer’s Hall of Fame in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Although David maintained a sense of composure, the swims still frightened him as well. Indonesia was the scariest because it also involved being in a very strange place.

Along with his wife, Beth, and coach, he assimilated into a community on West Java.

It was a fishing village and once the natives realized he had the potential to succeed at this goal which had never been done before, they stepped in and provided boats, and support groups and local expertise. It was a twenty-two mile swim against tidal currents, whirlpools, huge jellyfish, poisonous sea snakes and crocodiles. It took him ten hours and he was the first to ever do that swim.

PEOPLE Beth is from Oklahoma and had never been on the ocean until she met David.

Over the years she learned how to not be seasick and fell into the different slots he needed to help his swimming.

She watches out for his safety and navigation as she accompanies him David and Beth Yudovin in a boat while he is swimming. At times she has had to learn different languages where they are so they can communicate with the people in foreign places.

They own a power boat that is harbored in San Pedro. It is David’s training boat. They love to sail the ocean and have their own sailboat.

They will be sailing to Hawaii for the fifth time next summer. Both David and Beth live life to the fullest.

Before moving to Cambria, where they have lived for twenty-four years, they had a seafood distribution business In Los Angeles for 25 years. When they moved to Cambria, David and Beth turned the business over to trusted managers and it continued to flourish. Five years ago they sold the company to the employees and retired.

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Family and Cosmetic Dentistry

Happy Spring!

Refresh Your Smile with Lisa Van Mouwerik & Lisa Mills

Both Beth and David are very committed to doing volunteer work as well. After retiring they decided to get involved with Cambria Community Bus for Seniors program. They pick seniors up at their homes and take them anywhere they want to go and it is all free. On Tuesdays, people are taken to San Luis Obispo. They need to call in advance for this trip as it fills up quickly. Most of the people either go shopping or to Doctor appointments.

Meals on Wheels is another volunteer project they participate in.

They are on call 24-7 at the fire station as volunteers for the North Coast Rescue Team. The fire station has two rescue boats and David has a van filled with rescue equipment. During lunch hour at the Senior Center, you may find David playing one of his several guitars to entertain.

Some time ago, he learned the basics of public speaking and now uses that skill to speak, mostly for fundraising activities. The main topic in his speeches include his exciting swims. His audiences are always enraptured.

Splitting their time between Cambria and on a boat at Catalina Island, David continues to follow his natural instincts, and swim.

To learn more about David, visit his website at: www. davidyudovinchannelswimmer.com.

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the fierceness of life; the gentleness of people

...two Former slo librarians discover Africa

By Susan Stewart

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est known to Westerners for its ivory, exotic animals, Jane Goodall, and the early explorers Stanley and Livingston, the African country of Tanzania may also be the site of human origin. “Rich evidence of the area’s prehistory includes fossil remains of humanity’s earliest ancestors,” reads a line from the Participant Handbook given to Linnaea Philips and Catharine (Katie) Krupp prior to their fiveweek adventure in Africa during the fall of last year. Tanzania is also home to Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak on the continent; and Lake Victoria, the second largest fresh water lake in the world. How did these two septuagenarians—whose careers include a combined 45 years spent in the quiet stacks of our county’s libraries—find themselves in such a challenging and fascinating spot?

“We’ve been traveling together for years,” said Philips, who owned and operated Linnaea’s Café for 25 years. “At first we were just tourists, but we wanted to find something useful to do while traveling.”

“After seeing the overwhelming poverty in so many places,” added Krupp, “I realized how lucky we are to be living here, and that it was my responsibility to be of help in any way I could.”

So they started with India. Four years ago, an Internet search led them to Cross-Cultural Solutions, a nonprofit company whose mission is “to operate volunteer programs around the world in partnership with sustainable community initiatives, bringing people together to work side-by-side while sharing perspectives, and fostering cultural understanding.” The women were assigned to Dharamsala, a city in northern India set against the Himalayan mountains. They taught English to school children for three weeks and then saw more of the country.

This time, they wanted to serve in Africa, and Cross-Cultural Solutions had opportunities in Bagamoyo, a village located on the Indian Ocean, just north of the country’s capital, Dar es Salaam. Bagamoyo is the former capital of the country and was once the center of the slave trade. There is a small museum there where one can see archival photos, documents, and relics from the Arabian slave trade.

Through careful evaluation of personal skills and interests, Cross-Cultural Solutions matches the assignment best suited to each volunteer. Periods of commitment vary from several weeks to one or two years. Some care for infants and children, some teach, some work in healthcare, and others work with people affected by HIV/AIDS—an epidemic still taking a huge and tragic toll on African populations. Krupp and Philips were assigned to teach English to pre-schoolers.

“The government in Tanzania wants fouryear-olds to attend school and learn English,” Krupp explained, “to prepare them for regular school where they will shift to all-English by the third grade.” The school’s regular classroom teachers had been called away for a few weeks to assist with the country’s election, so their help was needed.

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Children travel unaccompanied by adults to attend bare-bones classrooms where 40 to 160 students are crowded into badly lit spaces with just a few benches and even fewer tables. Philips knew by the fourth day that

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she was ill-suited for this task. “I decided to bring flash cards with me one day, because I knew no Swahili and they knew little English. They tipped over tables and fought over the cards … Katie stuck it out [see cover photo!], but I couldn’t control the chaos.”

The volunteer leader, Zeke Kundy, tapped into Philips’ artistic background and re-assigned her. Soon she was immersed in an artistic enclave where local artists, mostly young men, gathered each day to paint and display their work. “What would you like to learn?” she asked them. While their paintings were beautiful, they were all painted in the traditional Tinga Tinga style: exotic animals

A typical classroom at KLPT School

Tanzanian Family and their home made of Fern

Baking bread

Katie drinking the local Banana Beer

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and speculated that part of the reason might be their deep religious convictions. About half are Muslim and half are Christian; these two faiths do not appear to be at odds in that part of the world.

Both women came by their desire to be of service naturally. Katie Krupp grew up in the national parks of New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona as her father worked for the Park Service. She says her parents influenced her values, but she got the strongest messages about the value of service from the United Methodist and UU Fellowship churches of SLO. “I volunteered a lot at the Women’s Shelter and the Homeless Shelter in SLO and decided to combine travel with service.”

The local Market

and Masai warriors on a dotted background with big flowers. And they were displayed on home-made easels with little regard for potential buyers. Philips saw a need for a broader variety of styles and better marketing. Within days, she had created “Cobblestone Way,” a walkway and courtyard for tourists, with comfortable chairs and a newly painted storage shed and wall where the art was hung with more care.

She also approached the Westin Hotel to discuss ideas for displaying the art there, and at other area hotels.

“There’s a kind of lethargy there,” said Philips. “They needed to come to a place of knowing their work was valuable.” Philips thought that if she could instill some excitement and new ideas, they could accomplish remarkable things. But she admits she struggled hard with that, wondering if she “should” be bringing Western marketing concepts to this unaffected population. “Everyone is so unattached to themselves; there are no egos,” she said.

Linnaea Philips grew up with her father’s left-leaning politics and her mother’s reverence for education. She became a teacher herself and went to work at the Village Children’s Center in Los Osos where she taught for ten years. Philips has also been a textile designer, a clothes manufacturer, and a gallery owner. She became Cuesta College’s reference librarian in 1979, where she stayed for 18 years. She was also instrumental in creating the many Mission Plaza events held each year.

In 1984, she opened Linnaea’s Café, an iconic bohemian-style coffee house and a haven for artists of every stripe – from poets to painters.

“Travel and adventure change my eyes and thoughts,” said Philips.

“But it’s a kind of gluttony as well. You never see and feel enough; so doing some service seems a more valuable way to do both.”

Well into their seventies, Philips and Krupp positively glow in the telling of their adventures and in cultivating the importance of travel in others. “Don’t be a victim of inertia,” says Philips. “You can do this!”

Education Advocate

In temperatures typically in the 80s and 90s, the women walked to work each day from their modest accommodations, passing local women cooking breakfast on simple outdoor stoves. One day, one of them invited Linnaea (the invitation was wordless, conveyed with her eyes and gestures) to try what she was cooking, a kind of corn batter shaped into little balls and fried, then turned with sticks.

“All the cooking is done over an outdoor fire,” said Krupp. “So even the greens – there are lots of greens – taste kind of smoky.” Krupp said she noticed a poisonous weed called “nightshade” in one of the host family’s gardens and she was tempted to pull it up. Oh no, she was told, don’t do that! Apparently, this variety is edible. They ate it and survived.

When their assignments were up, Krupp and Philips joined a cultural tourism program called Safari Makers for a week-long expedition in Mulala Village, a typical rural enclave of subsistence farmers raising coffee, bananas, produce and livestock. Having already seen the exotic animals many Westerners travel to Africa for, the women wanted to have a more intimate look at the lives and livelihoods of coastal Tanzanians. Their excursion took them to Mama Anna’s cooperative cheese-making and honey production enterprise in Mulala, and into the banana farms where 37 varieties of bananas are grown. One by-product is banana beer. In Mamba Marangu, they saw views of Mount Kilimanjaro and the Masai plains, several indigenous dance performances, and local beekeeping practices.

“I was impressed by how happy and friendly and welcoming the people are,” said Krupp. She said she envies their positive attitude

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central coast children’s choir an interview with sarah rogers

By Natasha Dalton / Photos courtesy of CCCC

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he Central Coast Children’s Choir (CCCC), founded in 1994 by Laurie Peterson with just 15 kids, has grown into a well-respected and sought-after music group. Its singers have represented California in National and Western States Division honor choirs for 8 years running.

What do you get out of being a part of the CCCC?

We’ve experienced tremendous growth over the last several years: we’ve doubled in size since 2006, when we had 52 singers. Today, we have 110 students, with programs in both San Luis Obispo and the North County.

I get the private joy of watching my daughter blossom. I personally cannot carry a tune, so it’s wonderful that someone in our family can! Additionally, I love the music. Last spring, the concert choir sang a song that my mother used to sing as a lullaby to me each night. I’d forgotten the song, so their beautiful rendition of it caught me off guard. It’s called “Turn Around.” Their performance was not just lovely; it restored for me a special memory of my own mother’s gift of music to me. I think that music can have a powerful effect on people, and to me, there’s nothing more beautiful than the sound of children singing.

How did you first learn about this Choir?

Who can participate in the CCCC?

Recently I had an opportunity to talk to Sarah Rogers – an English teacher and one of the members of the CCCC’s Board of Directors.

I asked her about the CCCC and its plans for the future, and here’s what she said:

So, what is the size of today’s Choir?

I became aware of the Choir in 2008, when my daughter was invited by a friend to the North County Debut Choir’s Bring-A-Friend Day. At only five years old, my daughter Paige was quite shy. It was the shock of my life when after twenty minutes around the Choir Director, she was singing solos in front of children she had never met before. I loved the way Mrs. Olson turned singing into a game.

Each child hid around the room, and Mrs. Olson, with her lovely voice, sang a cute little “Where is So-and-so” song, to which each child would pop out of hiding and sing back, “I am So-and-so, and here I am.” My daughter has loved being part of the North County Debut Choir ever since. While she is still shy at times, she loves performing and singing, and she has the confidence now to do it in front of people.

Why did you join the Board of Directors?

I’m cautious about how I spend my time, so this was a big decision for me. As a full-time teacher and the mother of two young children, I’ve prioritized what is important to our family. I guess the bottom line is that the Central Coast Children’s Choir is just a wonderful organization. I fell in love with the choir for what it did for my own daughter long before I ever stepped foot into the concert hall... but then, once I heard what our Concert Choir and Ave singers could do, I realized that the magic wasn’t limited to the little debut choir I loved. Our artistic director Beth Klemm has a vision, and she brings music theory and top-notch education to children and young adults all over the county. As a teacher, I love working with young people, and when I was invited to join the board, I loved the idea that I’d be a small part of something so important.... especially because organizations like CCCC have never been so vital. With all of the cutbacks facing music programs at our county schools, wouldn’t it be great to expand access to quality arts and music education programs for the children and teenagers in our county? Who could say no to that?!

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The CCCC has kids of all ages. Generally, kids can join the Debut Choir around the same time they begin reading. For most kids, that means 1st grade. We have juniors and seniors in high school who have been singing with us for years. The general age range is 6-18.

For the Debut Choir there’s no audition process. Just sign up and sing!

At the other end of the spectrum, the Advanced Vocal Ensemble (Ave) – with singers ranging in age from 8th through 12th grades – is definitely an auditioned choir.

What are the CCCC’s achievements that you feel especially proud of?

In March of 2011 six singers sang in the National Honors Choir in Chicago. We are very, very proud of them! Members of our choir have sung with Opera SLO and the Pacific Repertory Opera in La Boheme, Carmen, Hansel & Gretel, and Tosca.

In June of 2009, Concert Choir was invited to perform at the Sing-AMile-High Festival in Denver, Colorado.

Finally, we’ve sung with the San Luis Obispo Youth Symphony and the Cal Poly choirs.

Tell us a little bit about the other Choir Directors.

Anne Quinn and I joined the CCCC Board recently.

Another new member on the Board is Cassandra Tarantino. She is the North County Apprentice Choir Director. She began a choral program on the Cuesta North County Campus and teaches voice and flute for Cuesta College.

Beth Klemm has worked with the CCCC for 15 years. Her daughters, Rachel and Aubrey, also sing with her. She is the artistic director – and the heart – of CCCC. She is the Premiere and Apprentice Choir

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Director. Besides, she’s the Choral Director at the Atascadero Fine Arts Academy. Additionally, she is the Children’s Choir Repertoire & Standards Chair for the state of California.

Melody Svennungsen is the Director of the Advanced Vocal Ensemble and the Concert Choir. Melody has appeared as a soloist for the Cuesta Master Chorale, Cuesta Chamber Choir, Sing-Along Messiah, San Luis Obispo Vocal Arts Ensemble, and the Cal Poly University Singers and Polyphonics.

Dr. Thomas Davies, Boys Choir Director, has been a faculty member at Cal Poly since the fall of 1983. As Director of Choral Activities and Vocal Studies, he conducts three choirs and teaches several courses.

He is the Musical Director and the Conductor of the Cuesta Master Chorale, a 100-member ensemble that performs major works for chorus and orchestra.

Anne Olson, North County Debut Director, has led choruses at several Atascadero schools and directed various children’s church choirs around the county. Anne pioneered the first North County Debut Choir in 2006 with a group of seven students. On a personal note, I can tell you honestly that Anne is one of the best teachers any child could ever have. She is gentle, creative, talented, and fun – an amazing human being that I’m so grateful to have in my daughter’s life.

to inspire the artist within each child through the power of music.’

That’s our mission.

I’m very excited about The Sound of Music Sing-Along. It is such a fun event, and I hope you will join us!

To learn more about the CCCC, or about the Sound of Music SingAlong, go to www.CentralCoastChildrensChoir.org or call 541-5323.

Lastly, Paula Womble is the Debut Choir Director. She began working with CCCC as an accompanist in the fall of 2008. She recently graduated with a music degree from Cal Poly.

It’s a rather impressive list. Do you get any feedback from those who grew up singing in the Choir?

Yes! Beth Klemm just shared with the Board a wonderful letter she received from an alum who credits her musical success to her time in CCCC.

When can we see the CCCC in the near future?

On Wednesday, April 6th. It will be The Sound of Music Sing-Along, which will take place at the Fremont Theater.

All of the movie’s songs are subtitled. This event is always a ton of fun; even many audience members come dressed in costumes. We’ve had groups of nuns show up; school children who come in curtain costumes, and even groups of people who dress up as “favorite things,” like raindrops on roses and bright copper kettles. We host a 50-50 raffle and a costume contest, and the proceeds benefit the CCCC – ‘an organization devoted to creating choral excellence, instilling values of self-discipline and commitment and building lasting friendships. Our goal is A P R I L

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monday club’s eleventh annual architectural tour

A rare tour of the Masonic Temple is scheduled

By Patti Taylor

T

he Monday Club’s Eleventh Annual Architectural Tour is going to be historically exciting this year! It will cover miles of “tracks from the past” – traveling from the creation of the Masonic Temple in the 1860s to the railroad work force housing building era that lasted through the 1920s. It will be an exciting and informative tour offering architectural delights, living history personalities at select sites and, as always, the collective historical information about each site will be available.

The public is invited to attend and learn a little about each site, such as: Did you know there were two Masonic Lodges built in San Luis Obispo? Yes, there were two and the second Lodge built will be one of the seven sites to be historically and architecturally featured on the tour. Following is an excerpt from the History of the Masonic Lodge compiled by Robert Bettencourt (Living Past Master of Lodge 209): On May 16, 1861, a Masonic Lodge was first formed in our county: “San Luis Obispo Lodge No. 148.” Brother Romualdo Pacheco, who would later serve as the 12th Governor of California, was an officer along with his friend and charter member of the Lodge, Brother Walter Murray, who would, among his many accomplishments, establish the San Luis Obispo Tribune in 1869. These remarkable men would also both be among the area’s first Judges. Due to the drought of 1862-1864 and the hardships of the frontier, a little more than a decade after California had attained statehood, the first Lodge had to surrender its charter. Sadly, all official records of San Luis Obispo Lodge No. 148 would later be lost in the San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906.

The need for another Lodge became clear in May of 1870 when Masons converged from distant Lodges and met in San Luis Obispo for the funeral of Brother Alexander Murray (Walter Murray’s younger brother).

Those Masons took the necessary steps needed to reestablish a MaGovernor Romualdo Pacheco sonic Lodge in San Luis Obispo and the result was King David’s Lodge No. 209 (Charter is dated October 13, 1870).

Captain Cass in his Knight Templar uniform A P R I L

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Also to be featured on the tour will be a few examples of the historic work force housing that was built

by Harry Lyman along Upham Street in the Railroad District.

Housing was needed at the turn-ofthe-century for the 400+ railroad employees and their families.

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Lyman’s granddaughter, Jeudi, will be a special welcoming docent in one of the houses her grandfather built in 1912.

The tour begins and ends at the Monday Club on Sunday, May 1st.

Ride-On vans will be available to shuttle guests to each site or you may drive to each site. Free parking is available behind the clubhouse.

The tour is open to the public from 1-5 pm. Tickets are $20 per person and available from any club member, the Chamber of Commerce or at the door on date of event. The Monday Club, at 1815 Monterey Street is a historical building designed by world famous architect, Julia Morgan, in the early 1930s and it will also be open for refreshments and touring.

The Monday Club members of today continue the club’s civic mission of promoting the social, cultural and educational quality of the San Luis Obispo community. All (100%) of the proceeds from the Architectural Tour fund the club’s Tri-Awards Scholarship Program which annually awards six monetary scholarships to graduating local high school graduating seniors.

The Lyman House is also on tour

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Spring Clean Your Home’s Exterior

By Statepoint Media

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hen spring cleaning your home, it’s easy to focus on interior closets and drawers and forget the first thing any visitor will see – your home’s exterior. But outdoor surfaces and fixtures need your attention, too.

“Outdoor furniture can collect grime and rust during winter,” says Alison Gutterman, President of Jelmar, manufacturer of CLR cleaning products. “It’s important you clean them annually with an effective yet safe cleaner that won’t harm your lawn or garden.”

Make sure your spring cleaning includes these outdoor dirt-magnets:

Siding and Windows Even if you’re not putting a fresh coat of paint on your house this year, it’s important you clean any facade or siding that’s prone to grime. Use a power washer and start at the highest point to avoid washing dirt down onto clean areas.

Pressure washers also make window cleaning easier. But be careful using them on wooden areas such as decks and window frames.

The force of the spray often damages the surface of porous materials like wood.

Outdoor Furniture Whether you conscientiously stored your patio furniture for the winter, or left it

Cleaning your gutters regularly will prevent roof damage.

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When choosing cleaning products, make sure they’re biodegradable so they won’t harm your plants or lawn. Then rinse the furniture and the grass with your hose after cleaning.

You should also choose a cleaning product that’s safe for furniture, such as CLR Outdoor Furniture Cleaner, which can be used on plastic, wicker, wood, wrought iron, canvas and other outdoor materials.

Also look for UV protectants to keep your furniture from fading in bright sun.

Gutters Clean gutters prevent flooding and roof damage. The best way to check if your gutters need cleaning is to look up at the outside rim of the top of the gutter.

If there is discoloration, there likely is buildup in the gutter making it difficult for water to flow.

When cleaning gutters by hand, you can create a “gutter scoop” by cutting the bottom half off a plastic gallon jug with a box knife. Then, after removing any

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at the market

NEW POTATO SALAD WITH SPRING HERBS

By Sarah Hedger

T

he month of April reflects Spring and abundance, and a bountifulness in the garden when a lot of deliciousness comes into season. It’s also the beginning of when a lot of Summer deliciousness can be planted. Few things taste better than when you have to walk less than 10 yards to pick up some of the freshest fruits and vegetables around. As much as I love shopping to collect ingredients because I love to cook, I have found what beats the drive to the market is a walk to our backyard.

I know it might be a bit nostalgic for some, but it still floors me the beautiful (and wonderful-tasting) items Mother Nature can produce.

Gardening brings a feeling of self-sufficiency, and the results taste exponentially better than anything you can buy at the store. The happy compromise, if we want to call it that, is visiting one of our amazing local farmers’ markets because generally speaking, the food is local and hasn’t traveled the ridiculous thousands of miles most supermarket produce has traveled.

Farmers’ markets are also a good place to be inspired, not only by what to cook, but also by what is proven to grow in your area. I

am continually impressed by folks who grow without the use of chemicals. It seems a logical thing to do…to grow naturally, where the absence of chemicals on produce means we aren’t personally consuming them or contaminating our environment or worrying about them showing up in our tap water decades later. The farmers who have gone through the certification process and paid the state’s hefty fee can advertise their produce as “organic.” However there are also farmers who grow organically but can’t label it as such because they haven’t gone through the bureaucratic process. I seek these farmers out at farmers’ markets because they are doing it right, regardless of how it is “labeled” and I want to support them and their efforts. Thus, the soapbox has concluded and the bottom line is to get out and find the organically grown strawberries (they taste better), the spring herbs, the delicious spring asparagus, and all the other wonderful Spring produce Mother Nature delivers every year.

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In the theme of Spring, the recipe this month is a variation of a fond childhood memory: my dad’s potato salad. While I am pretty confident his recipe uses a fair amount of mayonnaise that gives it its loveliness, this potato salad uses plain yogurt as it provides an element of creaminess while some nourishment at the same time. The salad is also more of a salad in nature and contains almost as much fresh spring herbs as it does potatoes (not really but you get the picture). Aside from being able to use spring new potatoes, there are heaps of spring herbs that can be used in this salad. If you don’t have any growing, use this as motivation to get them growing as the starter plants at the local nursery don’t cost that much more than buying the cut, fresh herbs at the market. Obviously you can use the plants for months (if not years) while watching them grow. It’s the gift that keeps on giving!

NEW POTATO SALAD WITH SPRING HERBS For the SALAD: 2 lbs. new potatoes, washed but not peeled 2 T. olive oil 1 T. lemon zest 2 T. fresh squeezed lemon juice or 2 T. apple cider vinegar ½ cup plain whole yogurt (sheep yogurt or kefir work as well) 1 tsp. sea salt ¼ tsp. ground white pepper or freshly ground pepper 1 good size bunch of parsley (yielding about 1 cup), finely minced 1 small bunch of spring onions or chives (yielding about ½ cup), finely chopped 1 small handful of fresh dill (yielding about ¼ cup), finely minced 1 small handful of fresh basil (yielding about ¼ cup), finely minced *Optional: ½ cup fresh sorrel, finely chopped *Optional: 4 free range eggs, soft or hard boiled to your preference, then quartered Place potatoes in pot and cover with a couple inches of water.

Salt water with 1 T. sea salt and bring to boil. Simmer for 20-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain and return to pot.

Whisk together olive oil, lemon zest and juice, yogurt, salt, and pepper in small bowl and pour over warm potatoes with parsley, chives, dill, basil, sorrel, and if including hard boiled eggs, those as well. Mix thoroughly, slightly mashing potatoes and other ingredients. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to your liking. Flavors will continue to develop so it will taste even better the next day.

Don’t be surprised if someone is tempted to eat this salad for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. *Feel free to email me at sarahhedger@gmail.com if you have any food-related questions.

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COMMUNITY

SLO county art scene cowboy culture

By Gordon Fuglie

F

or fifty years, Contemporary Western Art has been one of the most persistent, consistent, and successful American art movements. On the surface a seeming anachronism, its artists have fenced it off from the larger art world. Like a territorial sheriff, they police its style and content. Moreover, collectors of the genre are a demanding bunch, watchful of its practitioners’ accuracy in depicting Western subjects.

Insiders trace the origins of Contemporary Western Art to its “founding fathers,” Charles (“Charlie”) Russell (1864-1926) and Frederic Remington (1861-1909) whose careers soared as the Old West declined.

The genre was corralled into an organization in the 1960s when three horsemen artists formed the Cowboy Artists of America (CAA). Inevitable feuding produced a rival, the Western Artists Association. Then there were “outlaws” to reckon with, such as the combative fabulist Harry Jackson, known for his unorthodox colored bronzes of “noble savage” Indians and equestrian works of legendary cowboy actor John Wayne.

Locally, in the Templeton horse country of northern SLO County, more traditional cowboy art is practiced by Jim Stuckenberg.

A draughtsman in the style of Remington, Stuckenberg’s strongest works are his tabletop bronzes of steer ropers, bronco riders, mountain men and Indian warriors on their ponies. In addition to his Western Art career,

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he is also a horse trainer and racer, and loves various equestrian pursuits, occasionally portraying them in his art. Among cowboy artists, Stuckenberg really knows horses.

If cowboy art is something of a subculture, it is by no means insignificant. Its devotees tend to be conservative – indifferent to Modern Art, but at the higher levels of Western Art collecting, they put their money where their mouth is. It is not uncommon to see fresh-off-the-easel works by masters like Howard Terpening fetch prices near a million dollars at Western Art exhibitions and auctions. The California rancher Ronald Reagan (formerly state governor and US President) had a hankering for it, and among the artists he admired was Jim Stuckenberg.

He acquired his first Stuckenberg, a painting, in 1969. During the 2011 Reagan centennial, the artist exhibited a number of works at the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley.

As an art historian, I’m convinced that Contemporary Western Art originates in 19th century French Romanticism, especially the work of Antoine-Louis Barye (1796-1875), the foremost animal sculptor of his age. This was confirmed when I saw the spectacular Barye retrospective at Baltimore’s Walters Art Museum in 2007. The emotionality, dynamic action and acute naturalism of Barye are also present in Stuckenberg’s bronzes. There is a line of influence that runs from Barye to current cowboy art, starting with acquisitions

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COMMUNITY of his work by Americans touring France and influences on American artists studying there, the subsequent absorption of his style by Remington, passed on through generations of cowboy artists like Stuckenberg.

Since Remington, Contemporary Western Art has been driven by the continuous exploitation of prescribed heroic frontier types, such as the bronco rider. Stuckenberg has done a number of these, in part, because of their artistic challenge – portraying a man and horse in midair, and also because the “bronco buster” is an icon of the danger and mastery we attribute to cowboy life. I imagine the occasion to break an untamed horse was quite a thrill, a test of one’s masculine expertise. True to the tradition, Stuckenberg captures that violent ballet, the moment when the bronco heaves forward to throw off his rider who must find his grip and balance before the horse thrusts again.

Herding cattle across the high plains under a wide sky is another reassuring Western image in American culture. It evokes freedom, simplicity and natural beauty. But we tend to forget that rounding up and driving cattle took place in extreme weather and was dusty, lonely and boring. In portraying the cattle drive, Stuckenberg distills it to the dramatic relationship of man, horse and steer – in essence, the protagonist and his antagonist. Bolting from the herd, a determined steer is headed off by a “cow puncher” who rides his muscled horse hard into the longhorn’s flank. Like an Eadweard Muybridge stopmotion photograph, the horse is suspended mid-gallop, a charged moment esteemed by Western Art aficionados, and first exploited by Remington. (This illusion is achieved via the fusing of the equestrian figure with the grounded steer. Stuckenberg’s The Cowpuncher is composed of multiple component castings soldered together.)

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Long eschewing the “originality” we expect of other art forms, Contemporary Western Art abides as a medium for the development and perpetuation of the culturally sustaining history, myth and legend of the Old West. For cowboy artists like Jim Stuckenberg, this practice defines his vocation, and it is enough.

To learn more about the art of Jim Stuckenberg, visit www.jimstuckenberg.com, or Bronzeworks, Joplin, MO: www.lifesizebronze.com. A basic introduction to Western-themed art is found in The West of the Imagination (2nd edition) by William H. and William N. Goetzmann, also a notable PBS television series.

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COMMUNITY

Huttle up the peter pan man

By Bob Huttle

THE PETER PAN MAN

sister and I were buckled into the ship we magically moved forward; a window blew open and we flew through it as the excited, pre-recorded voice of Peter implored “c’mon everybody, here we gooooo...”

There is a “thank you” you can give life, If you live life all the way.

Pull the stops out Hold the roof down Tune the grand up Strike the band up Hallelujah It’s today! (from the musical “Mame”) I visited Disneyland for the first time in 1958 when I was nine. For a kid in those days, the Magic Kingdom was the Holy Grail. I was transfixed as I entered the main gate and there, at the end of Main Street, was Sleeping Beauty’s castle. Beyond lay the lands of Walt’s imagination. I’m sure I might have levitated as I raced from attraction to attraction. I remember one ride that especially captivated me: Peter Pan and the flying pirate ships. I had read James Barrie’s book, seen the musical “Peter Pan” on TV with Mary Martin, and watched the animated film so I already knew the story. After my

Shrimp or Chicken Fettucine Dinner $12.95 3 BBQ Beef Rib Dinner $11.95

So what does this have to do with anything?

Well, I’ve come to realize that a modern day Peter Pan exists right here in San Luis Obispo, and he’s working his magic on any given weekend. I’m proud to say that some years ago he was actually in my theater class at San Luis Obispo High School and there were times when I’m sure he sprinkled some of Tinkerbell’s glittering dust on those of us lucky enough to be around him. Today, he’s Erik Austin, enthusiastic director, performer, producer and co-founder of Kelrik Productions, SLO’s resident children’s theater company housed in Unity Church. Kelrik was actually formed in 1988 out of a childhood collaboration between Erik and his sister Kelley, who both grew up not far from Chicago and who, as kids, performed shows in the basement of their home, charging 2 cents admission. Erik’s parents took Erik and Kelley to Chicago to see classical musicals like “Cats” and, of course, “Peter Pan” and after that Erik was (Captain) hooked; he had found his calling.

When I recently met Erik for a chat, I knew I was re-connecting with someone totally committed to his passion: the theater. His mission is to provide young people with high

Erik Austin

quality, innovative, participatory theater arts, education, and training. He hires theater professionals and artists to work with young performers, helping them develop skills and broaden their horizons. It’s clear that Erik values this type of entertainment far more than video games, ipods, and computer distractions. “It’s important for children to be exposed to live theater. Being on stage helps them gain confidence. New shows like Glee have renewed young peoples’ interest in songs and musical theater. Musicals make people happy and we need this in our world today.

Optimism is the key word in musical theater.”

To assure that audiences leave the theater singing a happy song and eager to return, Erik usually chooses his season of shows to emphasize positive, upbeat messages (though he has been known to throw in a more mature eye-opener like “Rent” from time to time just to keep everyone guessing). He also wants to challenge, motivate, enlighten, and captivate his audiences, young and old alike.

“It’s important that we introduce young people to, and foster their appreciation of

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Erik today

Erik and Ali Owens Hough acting at SLO High School in the early 1990s

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organization, which makes life easier for Erik as he coordinates all aspects of this successful venture. As part of Erik’s commitment to the community, “Kelrik Cares” was formed two years ago. This program is similar to “Broadway Cares” in New York City and focuses on different organizations in need. Kelrik has or will donate money to local groups like Woods Humane Society, Big Brothers, Big Sisters, CASA, GALA, Kids Cancer Research Foundation, and The Prado Day Care Center.

Erik told me “the talent in our area is first rate. In fact, some of my casts have been better than those I worked with in L.A.” (Note: In 2000, when Erik lived in Los Angeles and Kelrik was located there, his theater was voted “Best Children’s Theater in L.A. by L.A. Parents magazine. Those who have seen a Kelrik show have no trouble believing this accolade).

Erik on set at Unity Church

live theater, and above all, to entertain them. Theater is the medium in which performers and audience members connect.”

Keeping Kelrik Productions up and running is no walk in the park on a Sunday with George (inside reference, theater trivia buffs!). Unity Church has been instrumental in helping Erik achieve his vision. The church, led by Leona Evans, pastor, longtime performer and lover of musical theater, rents Erik the space he needs, including rehearsal areas and an auditorium with stage. Erik’s expertise in stage design and set building creates his wondrous worlds. Before Unity, Erik’s shows were performed at the Montessori schools in SLO and Atascadero, at Teach School, Meadow Park, and in the SLO Library Community Room. Three years ago Kelrik Productions became a non-profit

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Auditions for shows are open to all, no experience necessary. As for the future, Erik admits “I dream about someday finding or building my own facility. I’d love to stay in SLO. Any major sponsors are always invited to contact me.”

SLO’s own “Peter Pan” has grown up now, but he has never lost his childlike excitement and wonder. Sister Kelley reinforces his ongoing dream by arriving from San Diego for most opening nights. I’d like to think the echo of Disneyland’s Peter Pan ride – “c’mon everybody, here we go” – is the mantra that keeps Erik flying. I highly suggest you attend a performance, hop aboard, buckle in, and take off.

For information about Kelrik shows and Kelrik Cares check out kelrikproductions.com. The new show, “Pinkalicious,” runs weekends, April 2-17. “Aladdin” and “Beauty and the Beast” are upcoming.

Bob can be reached at rhuttle@charter.net. He welcomes all reviews.

He sometimes dreams of Peter Pan, lost in his own Never Never Land.

Rizzoli’s Automotive is my mechanic. zol i’s !

s Rizz Than ks,

Kevin and Kathi Main know that, if they take care of their car, their car will take care of them. That’s why they always drive back to Rizzoli’s Automotive.

Now offeRiNg: All Makes – 30k, 60k & 90k Services, Check Engine Light Diagnosis, BMW Inspections, MBZ A&B Services, Lexus and Audi Services.

Rizzoli’s customers Kevin & Kathi Main visiting the Avenue of the Giants, in the Humboldt Redwoods.

Two Convenient Locations: 2584 Victoria Ave. San Luis obispo 805.541.1082

1149 W. Tama Lane Santa Maria 805.922.7742

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RizzolisAutomotive.com

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COMMUNITY

Our Schools: friday night live turns 20

By Dr. Julian Crocker, County Superintendent of Schools

T

his is the 20th year that the premier program in San Luis Obispo County assisting teens to avoid alcohol and drug use has been in place. Deaths from automobile accidents are the number one cause of death among teens and many of these fatal accidents are due to drivers using alcohol or other drugs while driving. Since its founding in 1991, Friday Night Live has helped hundreds of young people in our county avoid the use of alcohol and other drugs. The primary goal is to reduce youth drug and alcohol use, while building partnerships for positive youth development. We often read about the risky behavior of teens but we rarely hear about programs that are working to prevent these behaviors and to promote healthy and safe relationships and lifestyles for our county’s youth. Friday Night Live is just such a program.

Beginnings In 1991, an Advisory Committee was launched in our county to explore the implementation of a Friday Night Live program modeled after successful experiences in other counties and facilitated by the

State Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs. The first programs in our county were at San Luis Obispo High School and Atascadero High School, with four other high schools following soon. In 1998, Friday Night Live Kids was started in the Lucia Mar Unified School District to focus on youth in fourth through sixth grades to complement programs in the middle and high schools.

By 2004, Friday Night Live had grown to 30 chapters in our county.

Currently, there are Friday Night Live chapters in 12 middle schools, 7 high schools and at Cal Poly. The goal has continued to be partnering with young people to provide rich opportunities and support so that they will be less likely to engage in risky behaviors. By avoiding problem behaviors, young people enhance their chance of school success and will be more likely to continue their education after high school or become employed full time.

Friday Night Live Chapters Young people get involved with Friday Night Live by joining a chapter at their school. Chapter members plan and participate in social action campaigns, community service events, as well as social activities with their peers. The purpose of all chapter activities and events is to give youth the opportunity to become engaged with their school and community through positive and safe alternatives to the use of alcohol and drugs. Another benefit of participating in Friday Night Live chapters is the opportunity to build individual skills such as communication, resilience, organization, and leadership.

Some examples of the activities that chapters are involved with include: • Store Surveys & Makeovers – Students work with local stores to make their advertisements of alcohol less appealing to youth, and merchants sign a pledge not to sell alcohol to minors.

• Parent Committed – Students provide outreach to parents and encourage them to sign a pledge not to provide alcohol to youth.

• Every 15 Minutes – Students stage a mock DUI crash on campus and Emergency Medical Services respond as if it was a real crash. A debriefing is held with students the next day.

YOUR COMFORT IS OUR FIRST CONCERN Dr. Colleran and his staff are well aware that many people still

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The mentoring project pairs high school students with students in the middle school who could benefit from a positive role model.

Mentors meet with their younger partners once a week throughout the year and follow a program of life skills, decision-making and drug and alcohol prevention. The mentoring program also focuses on traffic safety which is very helpful for young prospective drivers.

under a warm blanket and listen to music. As a caring and considerate dentist, Dr. Colleran can make Don’t let fear and anxiety get in the way of your dental health.

1250 Peach Street, Suite E San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 (805) 543-0814

FIRST 15 PATIENTS TO RESPOND GET A FREE CONSULT A P R I L

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• 24-Hour Relay Challenge – Teams of 10 students and 2 coaches run or walk one mile around a high school track for a 24-hour period. While the relay is happening, there is a giant community campout where participants have a chance to meet others who believe in a healthy lifestyle.

• Laser Dentistry – No Shots or Drills!

During your visit, you can snuggle

any dental procedure comfortable.

• Mock Rock – A 20-year tradition in the county that engages talented high school students in a half talent, half lip sync concert at the PAC at Cal Poly.

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Happy 20th birthday to our county’s Friday Night Live and thanks for all you do to help our youth live healthy and positive lives.

Learn more at www.slofnl.com.

A proud tradition of serving our community for over 26 years

Custom home with panoramic views. Features 5 bedrooms, 4 baths and office/den with fireplace. Family room with hardwood floors, fireplace and access to deck and backyard.

The front landscape was professionally designed and installed. This fabulous home has it all - unblockable views, room for everybody and great location. $789,000 #2726

Exquisitely remodeled single-level 3-bedroom, 2-bath home with travertine and Hickory hardwood floors throughout. Custom plantation shutters open up to views of the Irish Hills, and intricately landscaped yards surround this beautiful home. Crown molding outlines every room, including a kitchen with granite countertops, and a cozy outdoor patio makes for a perfect place to watch the sunset. $699,000 #2787

90 Registered Organic Farming Acres Set amongst beautiful rolling hills but only a mile from the quaint village of Cambria.

Diverse micro-climates perfect for growing a variety of fruits and vegetables. The definition of green living. This property is truly one of a kind. 3-bedroom, 2-bath home constructed using all green materials, including strawbale construction and fitted with solar making it completely off the grid. 1-bedroom guest home above the barn located to maintain privacy. $2,595,000 #2803

Highly sought after neighborhood in San Luis Obispo. Single level four bedroom homes are hard to find, especially with a pool. Newly landscaped front and back yards, refinished hard-wood floors, new interior and exterior paint, hallway bath remodeled, new fridge and cook top, new pool motor. Sunken living room with fireplace and a private entry courtyard. $669,000 #2812

Well maintained and elegant 4 bedroom, 3 bath home with approx. 1750 sf plus 230 sq. ft. sunroom that provides spectacular views of Cerro San Luis, Bishop’s Peak, Chumash Peak and Cerro Romauldo from the spacious master suite. Fantastic location at the end of a cul-desac is just blocks from Laguna Hills Park, close to Laguna Middle School and Laguna Lake Municipal Golf Course. $689,000 #2815

Home on13th Fairway Timeless design from this contemporary home in Leimert. Hand crafted wood and glass accents throughout this custom masterpiece make this home one to remember! The generous layout features 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms on over 3 levels. Master bedroom is entirely dedicated to the bottom floor with its own private deck and majestic views. A pleasure to view! $750,000 #2794

Beautifully remodeled home in San Luis Country Club Estates. This is an amazing price for this 5 bdrm/4 bath home featuring a dramatic 2-story entry and Turkish travertine floors. The gourmet kitchen has been updated with Carrera marble kitchen counters and new appliances. Both the formal living room and family room offer fireplaces and views of the surrounding hills. The outside living area is professionally landscaped with a European rose garden and meandering paths. $1,095,000 #2717

Rare single level end unit in Villa Rosa - a beautifully maintained development. This home has attractive 18 x 18 tile floors in the main living area and carpet in the bedrooms. The open floor plan and high ceilings give this home great ambiance. The spacious back patio with fountain has plenty of room for entertaining. $350,000 #2814

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

805.541.2888

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

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COMMUNITY State Constitution (Article XI). As such, the “new” city would have more autonomy over municipal affairs than being a “general rule” community regulated by Sacramento.

history

San Luis Obispo’s

First Charter

By Joseph A. Carotenuti

Enough was enough!

Saddled with municipal spending benefiting political favorites, unnecessary staff, taxation without consultation with the electorate…San Luis Obispo needed a municipal overhaul – the year: 1908.

The plan was not simply to pass a few new ordinances and some vague resolutions but create a new charter…a municipal constitution…ensuring the community was not enslaved by state generated laws or the whims of local governance.

Here’s the story.

As one of the oldest settlements in California, San Luis Obispo had several official municipal changes. First declared a town by the State

Benjamin Brooks: Longtime Editor of the Tribune

Legislature on February 19, 1856, two additional incorporations (1858 and 1867) finally resulted in legislation declaring a City of San Luis Obispo on May 1, 1876. While the new City was of the “sixth class” (less than 3,000 in population) with limited ability to generate revenue, there was a growth in both population and prosperity. When ready to move into a city of the fifth class (5000 residents), some citizens began a movement to incorporate again as a Charter City as permitted in the

Led by the Chamber of Commerce, on February 20, 1906, a resolution was passed by the City Council calling for the election of “freeholders” – a commission – to frame the charter. Rather than depend on printed ballots provided by “several factions” for freeholders, those present at a community meeting cast secret handwritten votes. Commented the newspaper, those chosen had “no axe to grind” in a vote “marked by justice and righteousness.” The committee brought together some of the most involved and noteworthy citizens of the community including: • Benjamin Brooks: author and longtime editor of the Tribune; • Warren M. John: a political force behind the establishment of Cal Poly; • William Mallagh: an attorney and judge whose family dated from the earliest history of the area; • Frank C. Mitchell: a successful contractor who donated the land for the park bearing his name;

It’s About ExpErIEncE. It’s About pErsonAl sErvIcE. It’s About thE clIEnt.

L to R: Cary Adler, Dave Belmont, & Kevin Dye

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protEctIng our clIEnts’ futurE drEAms AgAInst tomorrow’s uncErtAIntIEs. Cary Adler, Dave Belmont and Kevin Dye work hard to support their clients and community. Years of experience means that they can put together the coverage you need and the service to back it up. If you are evaluating your business insurance needs, call Adler Belmont Dye and let them put their experience to work for you.

At Adler Belmont dye It’s About the ClIent.

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COMMUNITY • William Sandercock: who began a “transfer” company in the early days of the “town” that still operates in the city; • Louis F. Sinsheimer: his father and mother, A. Z. and Nellie, are the ancestors for the local family. Louis became the longest serving of 20 City mayors (1919-1939).

With their election on March 9, the fifteen men – the only requirement was five years as a voter – had 90 days to deliberate and produce a charter for the Council’s consideration.

Never reticent about their opinions, both the Morning Tribune and citizens were sure to declare their beliefs. A reader who signed as “Brakeman” highlighted the benefits of a new charter and admonished: improvements needed to be made “west of Monterey Street” rather than solely on “favored locations.” Those elected needed to “not laugh and grin at us” as if they were “masters rather than servants” who now performed their duties in a “spirit of favoritism.” “Fear and favor,” he concluded, “seem to be the guiding principals of the present system.” In an article full of municipal fervor, the newspaper emphasized the freeholders’ deliberations would send the City “further along on the highway of progress and prosperity.” Having grown by nearly 60% in ten years, the expectation was the community would change in both form and substance with the promise of a “splendid future.” Typically, there never was unanimity, as some complained to those elected to develop the charter.

The deliberations of the committee are recorded in a slim Freeholders Minute Book preserved in the City’s vault beginning on May 2 and concluding on July 6 and include a variety of related notes, invoices, and assorted ephemera. Besides civic issues, the charter proposal also included

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the board of education elected at the same time as city politicians.

The completed document addressed elections, salaries, officers, municipal services, taxation, claims, contracts, streets, sewers, and bridges among major topics.

The proposed charter was presented to the City Council three days later and an election was called for Saturday, December 22. The day before the election, the Chamber published a letter to the voters promoting the benefits of the charter and arguing against one objection in most any election: taxes. They hoped to prove that the charter would not raise taxes…but there was no promise of lowering them either. It was to be a momentous vote for the city.

The electorate rejected the proposed charter. It seems the various community factions were not pleased with the men chosen to write the charter. “Very little interest (was) taken in the measure,” commented the press. Of the 1381 registered voters about 40% cast ballots. Of 567 votes cast, a decisive majority (367) cast negative ballots.

To date, no copy of this first charter has been discovered. While ordered printed, it probably was in a booklet form rather than in the pages of the newspaper. A preserved Table of Contents can only surmise its contents.

A copy of a charter – requiring more investigation – may be in the Cal Poly Special Collection of the Louis Sinsheimer papers.

While unable to convince the electorate of the need for the charter in 1907, its defeat did not dissuade its proponents. Four years later, another Freeholders election was held and another charter submitted to the voters. The saga of the second attempt will follow next month when we acknowledge our Charter Centennial.

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COMMUNITY

hospice corner when should you call hospice?

By Laurie Lackland, RN, BSN

“We wish we had called you sooner...” Every so often, I hear this comment from a family member whose loved one has died while receiving hospice care from Hospice Partners, and it always makes me sad. Unfortunately, hospice is an often-misunderstood service, and these misconceptions can delay the specialized end-of-life care that allow individuals a means to achieve what they need most: freedom from pain; emotional and spiritual support; and, the ability to control the direction of their own care.

For example, many people mistakenly think one can only receive hospice care if they are in their very last days of life. Others confuse choosing to receive hospice care with giving up hope. In reality, hospice care is a life-affirming service that supports individuals and their families in the last six months or more of a terminal illness.

The earlier that Hospice Partners can be involved in establishing that support, the greater the benefits. Data from the National Hospice and

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Palliative Care Organization show that patients who receive hospice care live an average of 29 days longer than those without hospice.

Receiving a terminal diagnosis can be overwhelming for a patient and their family. When patients are told by their physicians, “There is nothing more we can do for you,” Hospice Partners will tell you “There is a lot we can do for you.” We have specially trained hospice nurses who work with our physician Medical Directors (we have four) and your physician to bring pain and other distressing symptoms under control. We have medical social workers to help provide emotional support and connect families with community resources.

Hospice Spiritual Counselors are available to help sort through the big questions that often accompany matters of life and death. Our Hospice home health aides assist with the patient’s personal needs, including personal care such as bathing, dressing, etc. Registered dieticians provide expertise regarding food and fluids. We even have specially trained Hospice musicians who provide an atmosphere of peace and facilitate sharing of memories. In addition, we also have trained volunteers who provide companionship, caregiver relief and emotional support for patients and their families. And, after the death of the hospice patient, our bereavement staff provides grief and bereavement counseling to family members and friends for at least thirteen months. Everyone at Hospice Partners works together as a team to improve the patient’s quality of life, preserve choice, and uphold dignity. Each family is unique, and it takes time to develop these supportive relationships. Again, the earlier Hospice Partners is called, the stronger the network of support.

Hospice care is always patient- and family-centered. Our goal is to support the patient’s goals and honor their autonomy. There is a

COMMUNITY certain “fear of the unknown� when it comes to the end of life, and this can feel like loss of control. The Hospice Partners team works to help the patient and family regain a sense of control over those things that can be controlled. We are available to facilitate communication among everyone involved in the patient’s care so that everyone knows and respects the patient’s wishes. Sometimes it takes time to develop trust, but it results in a calming sense of peace knowing you have a supportive team on your side.

So, when is the right time to call hospice, and who can make that call?

The physician ultimately determines whether a patient has a life expectancy of six months, but Hospice Partners can be consulted at any time. The patient or a family member can make the initial call to us.

We are available to meet one-on-one with families to explain our services and will work with your physician to determine if hospice care is appropriate. And remember, hospice care services can be revoked at any time if a patient wants to resume curative treatments, or for any reason. Some people actually improve under hospice care to the point where their prognosis is extended and they “graduate� off hospice.

At Hospice Partners, our motto is “Dying happens on the last day, every other day is about living.� Patients and families need not walk alone through the last months of their journey. We are available to help enhance quality of life and provide much needed support every step of the way.

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COMMUNITY

Palm Street Perspective

“great spirit” statue is a tribute to original americans

By SLO City Vice-Mayor, John Ashbaugh

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y now, you’ve probably noticed the 12-foot bronze statue of a Native American standing proudly with upraised arms, next to SLO Creek near the corner of Prado Road and South Higuera Street.

Let me put one rumor to rest right away: No, I am not the model that the sculptor used for this magnificent statue. There might be some confusion stemming from my role as the Indian Chief in the YMCA “Village People” ensemble in Phyllis Madonna’s 24th Annual Musical Revue last month. If you were lucky enough to see that show (and simply could not avert your eyes), I’m sure you would note the resemblance – NOT! The real story of the statue is much more interesting. It has a name, “Oh Great Spirit.” On March 12, I joined our Mayor and fellow Councilmembers, Parks Commissioners and staff, and over 100 San Luis Obispo artists and supporters of the arts to dedicate “Great Spirit” as our latest public art project for the City.

Six years in the planning, this sculpture is a wonderful gift to our community by the family of world-renowned artist Nell Bannister Scruggs of Thousand Oaks, Teri Ernst and her husband Don of San Luis Obispo, and Sharon McDaniel of Arroyo Grande.

The sculptor describes her work as “honoring the sensitive connections between people, plants, medicine and health the Native Americans first discovered.” Beyond that, however, “Great Spirit” is a monument to the dedicated spirit of giving and community that makes San Luis Obispo such a remarkable community.

City policy requires that any gift of this magnitude be reviewed by a public art jury, which unanimously approved the project in March, 2009. The site was carefully chosen in consultation with all parties, including local representatives of the Chumash people, who assisted in its dedication last month.

“Great Spirit” stands on a 1.8-acre property that was donated to the City by Rob and Elise (“Peaches”) Olson, Randy Ramsey, and Lizbeth Gladwill in 2004. Part of the SLO Creek Open Space that will ultimately provide a greenway from Marsh Street to Los Osos Valley Road, this site will also include a planned extension of the Bob Jones Bike Trail – how soon, we can’t say. When the bikeway is built, I hope that the bridge that will span the creek will also include more public art featuring Native American themes.

I urge you to view this towering figure up close to admire its craftsmanship, and let it evoke the depth of feeling that the artist has instilled into it. Although this Native American is not meant to depict a member of any particular tribe, he summons up an instinct that is universal. In his eyes and in his stance, you can sense devotion, prayer, A P R I L

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supplication, humility, gratitude, and pride – but above all, as Nell Scruggs has told us, he gives us a sense of connection.

The statue was made possible by a sense of connection that the artist and her family have felt with our community. It is that spirit that led David Buettner, author of the recent book Thrive: Finding Happiness…, to devote an entire chapter to San Luis Obispo. Buettner notes that SLO county is home to more than 1,100 nonprofit organizations, and more than 64,000 of our 260,000 residents volunteer for these causes.

According to Barry VanderKelen of the San Luis Obispo Community Foundation, our community ranks relatively well in per-capita charitable donations. SLO County ranks 17th in the state, behind Santa Barbara County but ahead of both Monterey and Kern Counties.

Still, we could do more. “Oh Great Spirit” stands near the epicenter of one on-going human services program and its soon-to-launched companion cause: It lies midway between the Prado Day Center that serves our large population of homeless and hungry, and the vacant site on South Higuera where we hope to combine the Prado Center with the Maxine Lewis Homeless Shelter into a new Homeless Services Center. The Community Action Partnership of SLO County has just embarked on a capital campaign to raise the funds required for this badly-needed facility.

There are so many great causes; and charitable contributions faltered along with the national economy over the last two years. In the spirit of “Oh Great Spirit,” I call upon everyone in this community to show our gratitude for the opportunities that are given to us, and the privilege that we share in living here. Give generously to the cause of your choice, whether it’s the arts, the environment, the homeless, children’s services… Or consider the Community Foundation. They’ll direct your gift to a great cause.

Then take a moment to enjoy the work of Nell Scruggs and the gifts of the Don and Teri Ernst, Sharon McDaniel, the Olsons, Randy Ramsey and Liz Gladwill. Let’s all extend our thanks to them, and to you too for your next charitable gift.

Downtown

Around

The Magazine of Downtown San Luis Obispo

Inside:

W h a t ’s U p New Business News

April 2011

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handing out the winners’ certificates. Starting in early January, the committee members, including Ochylski, Landy Fike, Pam and Bob Seeley, Lynn Hessler, Jackie Crane, Karen Kile, Julie Towery, Bruce Fraser and Brent Vanderhoof, met to begin the task of reviewing the criteria, looking at all the nominees—literally, visiting the sites—and choosing the finest examples in each category.

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he SLO Downtown Association held its Annual Beautification Awards in March, honoring more than two-dozen businesses for their efforts in making Downtown, well, beautiful. From major retrofit/ remodel undertakings to even the smallest physical upgrades, projects of all sizes and scopes earned kudos and recognition for investment, elbow grease and enthusiasm during the 2010 calendar year.

he Beautification Awards program was established o who are the winners and what do they 24 years ago with Downtown businessman have to say about their awards?

Deborah Cash, CMSM, Executive Director Marshall Ochylski presiding as chair and emcee everly Horn Maytag, owner of the Clara Motz for the ceremony honoring the award recipients.

Sauer Building, located at 779 – 787 Higuera St., Much like other popular ‘envelope please’ functions, this walked away with the coveted Mayor’s award. Following up awards’ event has nominees showing up at the membership with Maytag, I was happily surprised to learn that not only was breakfast, held at MoTav in Downtown SLO, hoping she very proud of the honor and recognition but she also has to garner the top prizes which are announced during a a close connection to the property that’s been in her family slideshow presentation and festive gathering of their peers. for more than a century and which, over the past two years, his year, awards were offered in several categories has been under seismic retrofit construction that was messy, culminating with the Executive Director’s award (mine!), disruptive, trying and costly. “My great grandmother, Clara The Chairmans’ Award (Ochylski’s) and the distinguished M. Sauer, purchased the parcel as her own separate property,” Mayor’s Award, this year presented by Jan Marx.

Maytag said, which apparently was quite progressive for a woman to do in those days. “There was a house on the he Downtown Association’s Design Committee oversees property,” Maytag said, “and she had it moved to a corner the entire award process from selecting the nominees to

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On the Cover: Novel Experience owner Jim Hill greets customers visiting his newly renovated and remodeled Downtown bookstore. Hill,

who's operated Novel Experience for 20 years, said he's happy with the restoration effort that includes features such as faux cast iron details hinting of the industrial age, steel canopy brackets, cast stone bulkheads, custom wooden doors, interior and exterior period lighting as well as expanding the original tin ceilings, restoring exposed brick and transom windows.

Hill received a Beautification Award from the Downtown Association as did the property owner Beverly Horn Maytag. Read more about these and other award winners in this issue. Photo by Deborah Cash.

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lot on Chorro and Marsh. Later, Sauer built a commercial building on the Higuera Street property. (As for the house, it was ultimately demolished for a bank parking lot.) Time, and life, went by and eventually Maytag ended up as the sole owner of the property that was on the City’s list of unreinforced masonry buildings, meaning a retrofit would be required.

“We’d been contemplating renovation for at least 10 years,” Maytag said, knowing what the future held. Once the timeline for compliance was moved up, Maytag decided there was “no time like the present. So in the fall of 2009, we started the work with the help of architects Andrew Merriam and then Jeff Bague, who made it happen.”

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aytag said that she’d always had a “vision of a historic renovation” for the property. Having grown up in the area, she said she spent many days in her grandmother’s Downtown home and the local shops, including the old Sauer market and bakery which she said she remembered from her childhood as being “old, abandoned and creepy!”

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ventures. “Even as a child, I’ve had an appreciation of people who have small businesses. I appreciate that these people have vision, have a dream and are living that.” Ultimately, only one business had to relocate temporarily but she said it was hard on everyone. Now, she says everyone seems to be happy and she’s proud of the final product.

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he story continues, including ‘finds’ during the project such as earthquake damage from the ’30s and evidence from a fire a few decades past. But, she said, “It was quite a joy to see all the great old ‘bones’ underneath what had been covered up over time.”

Currently living in San Francisco, Maytag visited the project weekly.

“I do not want to be an absentee landlord,” she said. “I really do care.”

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tenant of the project and owner of Novel Experience, Jim Hill said that he was happy but surprised to get an award. “I thought it was great, but it was really because of the project,” he said. Hill said he thinks the Awards are a great e couldn’t find a picture of way to acknowledge the efforts of Mayor's Award Winner: the original building, so I Downtown business owners. And, Clara Motz Sauer Building went to work with what I knew I he added, “It gives people another liked and had a lot of fun looking at period buildings.” She reason to come Downtown and see what it’s all about.” said, “We wanted it as organic as possible with local cross town in the Soda Water Works, business owner inspiration.” Moreover, Maytag said a huge concern for Patricia Kaspian says she’s thrilled with her award. “I am her was not displacing her tenants, all local mom and pop Continued next page extremely honored

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eaut y is in the eye of the beholder, yes. And so is self-esteem.

The darkened tooth that drives o n e i n d iv id u a l Dr. Dassenko crazy may matter little to another. You may have a space between your front teeth that, rather than distract from your appearance, is rather engaging.

A go o d cosmet ic dent a l practice considers your selfimage, as you see it. Fine cosmetic dentistry is not so much about creating “per fection,” but minimizing the defects that interfere with your personal success. Defects that may prevent a smile from coming naturally.

So dialogue between you and your dentist is key. You’ll carefully explain what you see that needs shoring up. And the dentist, after

consultation, translates that need into a realistic result.

And the translation can be breath-taking. New whitening techniques can brighten teeth visibly in a very short amount of time. A bond here, a bond there, reshapes a chipped tooth in a single visit. Porcelain veneers are a newer option for contouring front teeth.

O u r pract ice bel ieves i n consu lt at ion a nd eva luat ion before we begin. We get “inside your head” as far as we can to determine what treatment is best for you. We’re here to answer your questions—give us a call.

Pamela Dassenko, DDS practices cosmetic and family dentistry at: 1250 Peach Street, Suite G San Luis Obispo CA (805) 549-8483 www.DrDassenko.com

A Paid Health Commentary

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Beautification Awards continued from previous page especially by the kind words and seeing my business up on the screens at the breakfast!” she said. “I love being Downtown. I am French and my products are French and I wanted to create a little Parisian getaway.” Kaspian said she feels the awards are “very encouraging to businesses and show appreciation of their efforts.” As for her award? “I’m broadcasting it everywhere,” she said. “It’s in my front lobby but also on facebook and wherever I can show it!”

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little girl,” she said, “I’ve been hearing that Downtown is not going to survive.” She said that really makes her laugh. “I am thrilled to be part of this exciting, beautiful and vibrant Downtown. It’s very dynamic.” And that’s from someone who really put her money where her heart is…around Downtown.

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or additional testimonials and a photo gallery of winners, visit www.DowntownSLO.com

2010 Beautification Award Winners

Mayor’s Award: Clara n a side street that’s becoming Motz Sauer Building known for being a little arts-y Chairman’s Award: SLO and quaint, Neal Breton runs his County Bicycle Coalition business, San Luis Art Supply. “Overall, I am excited to see some younger Executive Director’s Award: BoxArt members of the business community Community Art: San Luis Art be recognized with the awards,” Supply, Kreuzberg, CA Breton said. “It seems like there’s a lot of young people bringing their Tenant Improvements: businesses into Downtown and it’s Mama’s Meatball, SLO Brewing Community Art Award Winner: flattering to be recognized along San Luis Art Supply ~ Mural Co., Pithy Little Wine Co., Muzio’s with the older, more established Grocery and Deli, EcoBambino, members.” Breton said while from the outside looking Ian Saude Gallery, HepKat Clothing and Beauty Parlor in, his 1116 Morro Street business appears to be ‘on the Façade Improvements: Cloud Star Corporation fringe,’ he’s actually very community minded and interested Signage/Awnings: Beverly’s Fabric and in what’s going on. His award? “Pinned up in the shop Crafts, Dr. Cain’s Comics and Games but I’ve taken it out and about, showing it around.”

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hese are but a few examples of award winners’ reactions to being honored. All the entries have interesting stories that involve a lot of thought, decision-making, planning, effort, and in most cases—a fair amount of money. This desire to invest in themselves and in Downtown is certainly remarkable and we are grateful to be able to offer the small gesture of appreciation represented by the awards. As we said ‘goodbye,’ Maytag offered a humorous observation: “Ever since I was a

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areas of both countries we see strong connections and similarities George and Kay Kartsioukas, Owners in their cuisines. The noble donkey 1131 Broad Street of course, serves both countries (805) 788-0898 honorably and loyally as a beast of burden, a companion and as A Wild Donkey has been spotted at 1131 a means of transportation. But Broad Street in Downtown San Luis Obispo. somewhere in a sun-drenched Who is this magnificent creature, Mexican village or on a whiteand what is he doing in town? washed and azure blue Greek Please allow us to introduce ourselves and Island, donkeys may dream of explain what The Wild Donkey is all about. their Wild Donkey ancestors who roamed the earth over 3000BC We are George and Kay Kartsioukas, and still live free today in regions of Africa and Asia. Or and we have been in the restaurant business all of our lives. maybe they are dreaming of The Wild Donkey Cafe's tender We originated and operated Bambino's Restaurant near San calamari, sweet and savory stuffed poblano chile peppers, fresh Francisco's Haight Ashbury for 18 years, and we have been involved in the San Luis Obispo area through friends and family and hearty burritos or traditional Chicago Gyros, refreshing Greek and Mexican beer, unique and amazing local wines, for longer than that. We moved here four years ago, and after rich and creamy moussaka, crispy fresh Greek village salad, retrofitting, restoring and remodeling a beautiful cozy brick juicy tender chicken, lamb or vegetarian shish kabob, or and wood beamed building at 1131 Broad Street, we filled delicious apple green chile pie and honey seeped baklava. the interior with original family artwork and weavings along with hand cut crystal chandeliers. Then we developed our Come visit us for lunch or dinner seven days a week from 11am unique menu using the freshest of local ingredients to enhance to 9pm so we may welcome you to The Wild Donkey Cafe. our favorite Greek and Mexican creations. Because of our Enjoy the ride. backgrounds we have long been passionate about both the

By Kay Kartsioukas Mexican and Greek culture, and in the villages and coastal

Wild Donkey Cafe

BUSINESS

eye oN business signs of fast moving times

By Maggie Cox, Barnett Cox & Associates

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was at Cal Poly several times recently and I was struck by how quickly the campus changes – and how those changes reflect what’s going on in business. The speed of change, the shift to meet new consumer demands and the role of technology are all vividly illustrated.

I was tagging along with the folks from Idler’s Appliances, who were meeting with a group of business students. The class focused on social media’s application to marketing, and the students were doing a class project applying their knowledge to Idler’s.

Every seat in the classroom had a computer workstation. That was a big shift unto itself, but it was the number of students using their personal iPads to manage the work that was something to see. In the space of just a few years we’d gone from library-only computers needing to be reserved, to classrooms stocked with individual computers, to students trotting laptops and now on to iPads.

After the class Don Idler shared a bit of trivia that added to the contrast of “then and now.” He said that while he was talking to the group in a classroom at the Orfalea College of Business, he was struck with a realization. He checked it out that evening with his sister and between the two of them came to the same conclusion – the business building stands on (or near) the site his family lived more than 50 years ago. His dad was a returning veteran going to school on the GI Bill, and the campus had allocated a living area for these students and their families, who lived in trailers in what was affectionately referred to as “trailer town.”

Fast forward to today. I was curious about other signs of change— things that had morphed in just the last few years. I set out to do some simple observing. Poly Canyon Village is the latest thing in student housing and it is something to see. Built to LEED gold environmental sustainability standards. Apartment-like housing units, a parking structure around the perimeter. Pedestrian friendly. A “village center” boasting a Peet’s Coffee, Einstein Bagels and a Village Market along with an ATM machine. There’s an onsite swimming pool and a sandy volleyball court. Even the bike racks are interesting – bikes are suspended vertically and the tires are off the ground. Poly Canyon village tucks into the hillside on a gorgeous spot and truly offers a new approach to student housing.

Onward on my trek – I took a peek at the football field and thought about the improvements to the stadium. Sky boxes. A large scoreboard with video capabilities and jumbotron bells and whistles.

To the PAC – a fabulous place that shows no age, yet continues to change. Today on top of stage performances, visitors can enjoy live feeds of the Metropolitan Opera and other programming made possible by, yep, new technology.

I went by the site of the old Building 52, aka the “Spider Building.”

This massive construction project has such impact on campus circu-

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lation that it has its own communication support and a fun campaign dubbed “Area 52” that includes a mobile web site to help keep campus visitors on the right track.

And while I didn’t really check out classrooms in agriculture or science, math, architecture or engineering, I can imagine how education proceeds in those facilities. I do know a bit about what journalism, graphic design and graphic communication students are learning and how it’s accomplished. Regardless of the subject matter, it’s all quite simply amazing. And it’s very encouraging for businesses relying on an educated new generation to help steer the future path.

REAL PATIENTS REAL STORIES They just aren’t the words you ever expect to hear. “You have prostate cancer.” Most men are shell shocked. I know the feeling.

But I survived and today, I give back by volunteering at French Hospital’s Hearst Cancer Resource Center.

The Man-to-Man group I help facilitate is one of many free resources available at the Center to cancer patients and their loved ones. The support group is important because we hear others tell their story, hear the decisions they made and why, and listen as they share in a relaxed and open way. I am a husband, father, grandfather, combat veteran, a retired commercial pilot, and cancer survivor … and I hope to help you too.

— Richard Hathcock, cancer survivor

A place for information, support and peace of mind.

All at no charge.

1941 Johnson Avenue, Suite 201 San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 (805) 542-6234 FrenchMedicalCenter.org A P R I L

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Thomas Wilmer’s latest book Real Estate

Lynn R. Cooper Broker Associate Seniors Real Estate Specialist

Office: 805-543-7727 Fax: 805-543-7838 Cell: 805-235-0493 Home: 805-544-0673

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Over 35 Years Experience Specializing in: Advertising Business Management Human Resources P.O. Box13728 San Luis Obispo, CA 93406

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Local writer, Thomas Wilmer, recently completed the book The Wine Seeker’s Guide To Livermore Valley. It’s the first exclusive guide to this little-known region.

The book starts out with several pages on the history of the region and informs us on how the Chardonnay grape was first brought to this area and since has become California’s favorite wine. The guide also gives you bio’s of most of the wineries in the area, including: maps, hours, contact information, recommendations on restaurants, and where to stay. The book is a must for those looking to take a weekend getaway or just want to learn about this relatively unknown area that produces some of our best wines. Priced at $18.95, the guide can be ordered through any local bookstore, or online at Amazon, Borders, etc.

slo county band spring concert The SLO County Band will perform its Annual Spring Concert, Sunday afternoon, April 10th, at 3 p.m. at the First Methodist Church, 275 N. Halcyon, Arroyo Grande. The program theme is “American Music and Composers” and will include the work of Stephen Foster, Richard Rogers and Alfred Reed. There is no admission charge but free-will donations will be accepted. For more information call 543-5691 or go to website slocountyband.org. The band is celebrating its 137th year.

free senior health screening

QUALITY AUTO REPAIR 805-543-3180 www.wronas.com

John Kimball

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“Specializing in Honesty and Integrity”

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Free Senior Health Screening for seniors (50+) 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 diabetes. Take-home screening test kits for colo-rectal cancer available for $5. Nutritional counseling and referrals as needed. Please call 788-0827 for dates.

A dog’s day Come and join the Santa Lucia Open Dog Obedience Group (SLODOG) and enjoy a day of celebration for you and your dog.

Admission is free and a fun way to turn a regular walk with your dog into a socially interactive day for you, your dog, and your family. A Dog’s Day will take place on Sunday April 10, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Santa Rosa Park in SLO. Bring your dog on a leash and participate in loads of fun activities. Main events include demonstrations of Canine Musical Freestyle (dancing with your dog), Nose Work, Flyball and a 4-H Dog Show. You can get some exercise by trying Agility, running Flyball or walking a Rally-Obedience course. There will be pet supply & gift vendors, informational booths and food booths. For all those well behaved dogs there will be AKC certified Canine Good Citizen (CGC) testing. Call Karyn (805) 772-8008, for information. For general information, email Cindy at cdecker@calpoly.edu or call (805) 462-9822. Visit our website at www.slodog.com.

opera SLO presents the barber of seville Opera San Luis Obispo (formerly Pacific Repertory Opera) presents The Barber of Seville, Rossini’s fabulous masterpiece featuring great singing and comedy with madcap chases and disguises. Figaro, a “jack of all trades” succeeds in bringing Count Almaviva and Rosina together for a happy wedding conclusion. This opera features familiar music and comedic antics, beloved by many and even parodied by Bugs Bunny in the “Rabbit of Seville!”

Presented with a full orchestra, costumes and sets, the opera is sung in the original Italian with projected supertitle translations of the words as they are sung. The Barber of Seville appears at the Performing Arts Center in SLO on Friday, April 1 at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, April 3 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are on-sale now through the PAC website at www.pacslo.org. Students are half price with valid ID. For more information, please contact the Opera office at (805) 541-5369 or visit www.operaslo.org

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Los Osos/Morro Bay/Cayucos/Cambria: Aloma Davis: 235-1131

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morro bay AAuw 25th annual garden tour “Silver Celebration by the Sea” is the theme of the Morro Bay Branch of the American Association of University Women’s 25th annual garden tour to be held on Sunday, May 1, from noon to 5. Six unique gardens in Cayucos, Morro Bay and Los Osos will be featured in the self-guided tour. One $10 ticket is good for visiting all gardens. The proceeds from ticket sales are used to support local educational and community based programs. Tickets may be purchased at all Miner’s Hardware stores, Farm Supply SLO, Volumes of Pleasure Bookstore in Los Osos, Coalesce Bookstore in Morro Bay, and any AAUW member of the Morro Bay Branch. For more information, morrobayaauw.org or call 805-235-5779.

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mindy Chubon wins national recipe contest HowaRd J. NiCHolsoN, Mai, sRa, GRi, sREs BRokER/owNER

40 Years of Comprehensive Real Estate Experience •

Cal Poly Graduate • R.E. Broker • Real Estate Appraiser • Appraisal Institute Member • CA Licensed General Building Contractor

THE aGENT YoU sHoUld HaVE woRkiNG FoR YoU Call: (805) 440-4835 e-mail: hnicholson@charter.net

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

Sharing a family favorite that makes the whole family happy, Atascadero resident Mindy Chubon recently took home top honors in a national recipe contest sponsored by Dream Dinners.

Out of hundreds of entries, Chubon’s “Penne with Chicken and Peanut Sauce” recipe wowed the judges to win the “pasta” category. In addition to receiving a $500 Dream Dinners gift certificate for her creation, Chubon’s winning recipe now also appears on the March 2011 menu in more than 100 Dream Dinners (Dreamdinners.com) stores across the United States. Chubon’s recipe stood out for its delicious flavors and fast preparation. In just under 20 minutes, guests can enjoy a full meal with pasta, mixed vegetables and chicken complemented by a velvety peanut sauce. “This recipe has been one of my family’s favorites for years because it makes both my picky eaters happy,” said Chubon.

8th annual miracle miles for kids The Family Care Network’s 8th annual Miracle Miles for Kids 10K Walk/Run, benefitting foster and high-needs children and families, will take place on May 7th. The 10K (6.2 miles) race course runs along the water’s edge from Morro Rock to the Cayucos Pier. When participants cross the finish line, they will be treated to a post-race party with live music, lunch, a diverse vendor fair, children’s activities and an award ceremony. The online registration fee is $30 if registered by April 7th, $45 from April 8th to May 5th and $50 on race day. Children under the age of 14 can register for $15 throughout the registration period. The registration fee includes lunch, a goody bag and commemorative t-shirt. The race begins at 8:30 a.m. and the post-race celebration runs from 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Register at www.FCNI.org.

united Way youth board awards three grants Gary A. Sage License No. 0E02096 100 Cross Street, Suite 203 San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 gsage@dibu.com

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

Dressing Windows in San Luis Obispo for over 35 Years

alan’s draperies 544-9405

Alan “Himself” A P R I L

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The United Way of SLO County Youth Board has awarded three $1,000 grants to local youth projects. The grants were awarded to: Melinda Marchiano, for her Literacy and Advocacy Youth Challenge, inspiring peers through her book, “Grace: A Child’s Intimate journey Through Cancer and Recovery.” Atascadero High School Robotics Team, to help design and build a robot to participate in FIRST Robotics competitions. Chalk Mountain Garden Group, a gardening club from Successful Launch at Cuesta College, who have turned their service into work experience while generating income for youth involved. For more information about United Way of SLO County, the Youth Board program, or the Youth Grant program, email youthboard@unitedwayslo.org, or call (805) 541-1234.

Ccfc pancake breakfast fundraiser Central Coast Funds for Children is pleased to partner with Applebee’s Restaurant for a Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser, Saturday April 30th from 8 am to 10 am, 305 Madonna Road, SLO. Tickets are $7.00 each and may be purchased from any CCFC member or at the door. Call Marge Cooper for tickets or any further information 544-0673.

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vocal arts ensembles – “the world in bloom” The award-winning SLO Vocal Arts Ensemble presents “The World in Bloom,” a concert of remembrance and hope. This celebration of spring will feature performances on Saturday, April 9th, 8:00 PM at the Mission de Tolosa and on Sunday April 10th, 3:00 PM at the Community Presbyterian Church in Cambria. The concert features music of composers from around the world. Tickets for both performances can be purchased directly from the VAE website at www. vocalarts.org or by calling 541-6797. Prices range from $15-30 and student and senior discount tickets are available.

hind grant to estrella warbirds museum Estrella Warbirds Museum is delighted to announce that The Hind Foundation of SLO has awarded a grant of $243,563 for building the expansion of the museum. The expansion, to be known as The Hind Pavilion will showcase many exhibits the museum currently cannot display due to lack of space. The Estrella Warbirds Museum is dedicated to the restoration and preservation of military aircraft and memorabilia and to those who flew and worked on them. The approach however, is not to glorify conflict but rather to make a future generation aware of the fact that our way of life does not come without sacrifice. Please visit our website at: www.ewarbirds.org

tip-a-cop fundraiser for special olympics A Tip-A-Cop fundraiser dinner is scheduled at the Morro Bay Community Center on Friday, April 8th, from 5-7 pm. Morro Bay Police Department officers and Special Olympics are sponsoring the event.

The dinner will include a raffle and is guaranteed to be a fun filled evening. The BBQ tri-tip/chicken dinner is $20 for adults and $5 for children. To purchase tickets call 544-6444.

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Hospice Unit opens The new Hospice Partners Inpatient Care Unit officially opened its doors last month at Mission View Center in San Luis Obispo. A 32-bed, 4500-square-foot wing was transformed into the inpatient care unit providing five spacious private rooms and two semi-private rooms. The Inpatient Unit also has a number of features to create a home-like atmosphere.

Enhancement, Inc. “Road to wellness” Event Enhancement’s 10th Annual Spring Dinner Fundraiser, Road to Wellness will be honoring Drs. Edwin & Howard Hayashi for their dedication and extraordinary work in serving our community over the years. The event will be on Saturday, April 30th at Edna Valley Vineyard from 6-10 p.m. Guests will enjoy an exciting and elegant evening including a gourmet dinner created by renowned Chef Evan Treadwell of the Lido at the Dolphin Bay Resort, Live Music, a Silent Wine Auction, Silent Auction, and a fantastic Live Auction. The evening festivities will be emceed by Wendy Thies. Tickets are $150 each or $1,000 for a table of 8. Space is limited to only 150 guests, so call (805) 771-8640 to reserve your tickets or table today!

5th Annual Walk for Parkinson’s Give “hope” by attending our 5th annual “Walk for Parkinson’s” on April 30th, hosted by The Pismo Beach Shell Café and The Central Coast Parkinson’s Support Group. The Parkinson Alliance is a national non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds to find the cause and cure for PD. They match dollar for dollar raised for research. At this time, one million suffer with the disease and 50,000-60,000 new cases each year are being diagnosed. Walk Registration begins at 9 am, at The Shell Cafe, 1351 Price St., Pismo Beach. A 4 mile walk begins at 9:30 am, and the 1.5 mile walk begins at 10 am. Light snacks and refreshments will be served. Business sponsorships are still available thru April 22nd. Please call Marie at 474-0712 or Carl at 544-1342, or e-mail ccparkinsonswalk@gmail.com for more information.

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

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

11175 Los Osos Valley Road, SLO A P R I L

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COMMUNITY bicycles roll out on April streets. Biking events include the Sea Otter Classic, Mulholland Challenge, and Wildflower Century.

April Almanac

cyclists cruise on mountain bikes, racers, recumbents, and

By Phyllis Benson

writer ernest hemingway said, “It is by riding a bicycle that

tandems exploring California byways.

“Life is like a ten-speed bicycle: Most of us have gears we never use.”

---Charles M. Schulz

April Fool’s day is here, just in time for Mother Nature to spring a late storm prank on veggie-planting gardeners.

April is national garden month. The local garden club hosts a weed-out, a neighborhood weekend to rip out weeds and pick up winter debris.

150 years: The Civil War began April 12, 1861, with Confederate forces firing shots on Union forces at Fort Sumter.

california, on the verge of splitting into two states, remained a Union state in the Civil War. State forts were staffed against rumored Confederate invasions.

you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them.”

Fun: Why can’t a bicycle stand on its own? Because it is two-tired. runners crowd bicyclists aside for the 115th Boston Marathon. This year the 27,000 entrants include wheelchair and handcycle divisions.

coach sam mussabini said, “Only think of two things – the gun and the tape. When you hear the one, just run like hell until you break the other.”

tax day is april 18th robert half said, “People try to live within their income so

they can afford to pay taxes to a government that can’t live within its income.”

earth day is April 22.

this year the California Cadet Corps gathers at Los Alamitos

for its 100-year celebration. Founded April 5, 1911, the high school organization has trained over one million youngsters.

April checks out national library week. Visit your

Actor w.c. fields said, “Remember, a dead fish can float downstream, but it takes a live one to swim upstream.”

April is for golfers. Golf course designer Pete Dye said an

library, read a book, check out a movie or go net surfing.

ardent golfer would play Mount Everest if somebody put a flagstick on top.

As lady bird johnson said, “Perhaps no place in any

April holds Administrative Professionals Day, traditionally a day to

community is so totally democratic as the town library. The only entrance requirement is interest.”

April birthdays include John Madden, Ann-Margret, Pete Rose, and Kate Hudson.

player pete rose said, “I’d walk through hell in a gasoline suit to play baseball.”

honor secretaries.

Office Note: My boss frequently gets lost in thought. That’s because it’s unfamiliar territory.

April brings spring antics. Birds nest, cats stalk, and dogs dig

out fresh daisies. Bring out the lawn chairs and patio hammock for the show.

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