April 2015 Journal Plus Magazine

JOHN CU T T ER | LINDA SCO T T | M A RSH A BOLYA N AT Z | SURFRIDER FOUNDATION | FL AVOR OF S L O

JournalPLUS APRIL 2015

MAGA ZINE OF THE CENTRAL COAST

SLO COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS

DR. JAMES BRESCIA

805-543-2172

www.farrellsmyth.com

21 Santa Rosa Street #100 San Luis Obispo

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

www.680LilacDrive.com

www.1778Alrita.com

Larry D. Smyth

Jennifer Hamilton

Owner/Broker

Relocation Director

High on the hill–this three bedroom 2 bath offers spectacular views of the Hills and City. Located on 3/4 of an acre on a private Linda Aiello-Madison drive. Sale also includes additional adjacent vacant building lot. Lot Broker-Associate currently has avocado and other fruit trees. The home includes two decks, fireplace, extra parking suitable for RV or boat. $1,099,000

Excellent floor plan offers options for many lifestyle situations. Single level living on Street level, with downstairs Suite and 2 car garage. Wonderful neighborhood with friendly neighbors! Super warm & comfortable, open & easy flowing floor plan. Must see to truly appreciate! $639,000

Ken Arritt

Valerie Simpson

Broker-Associate

Twila Arritt

REALTOR®

www.960BakersfieldSt.com

www.3425Johnson.com

Broker-Associate

Simone Viola

REALTOR®

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

Make this Pismo Heights single level home your forever home!

Original 3 bedroom has been converted to a 2 bedroom creating a Master Suite w/ Walk In closet & organizers, nice sitting area & office space, private patio w/ fountain. Open Kitchen, Dining and Living room make entertaining easy! Large 2 car garage, w/ peak of the ocean! $589,900

www.1123Coral.com

www.414Westpoint.com

Mary Rosenthal REALTOR®

Carol Beard

Laura Pyzer

Pamela Bliss

Penny Parrish

REALTOR®

REALTOR®

Broker-Associate

REALTOR®

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

Cool Ocean View Unit - Panoramic Ocean Views from this spacious One Bedroom unit. Don’t miss this opportunity to live in the desirable Bay Cliff Village. $429,000

Theresa Carroll

Deane Naylor

REALTOR®

Jerry Collins REALTOR®

REALTOR®

Paddy Doron REALTOR®

Patricia Garrison REALTOR®

Vicky Hall REALTOR®

David Hamilton REALTOR®

Linda Irigaray Broker-Associate

Annette Mullen REALTOR®

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

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I can truthfully say that MZR Fitness is unlike any other gym that I’ve ever been apart of. MZR Fitness is not only for the body but also for the mind. For the benefit of MZR Fitness clients there are daily quotes, words of wisdom, and motivating thoughts posted on the walls to help us get into the right mindset each day.

Now, I am in no way an early riser. But every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday you can find me working out at MZR Fitness in the 6am fitness boot camp program! At 68 yrs. old, there are some things that are a bit harder for me to do in class. But I rarely miss out on anything because I am always given a level appropriate modification for me to try. Getting stronger and staying that way is important to me for my overall health and I plan to accomplish that at MZR Fitness.

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(805) 543-9800

CONTENTS

Journal PLUS MAGAZINE OF THE CENTRAL COAST

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

654 Osos Street San Luis Obispo California 93401

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SURFRIDER FOUNDATION

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

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

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JOHN CUTTER

MARSHA BOLYANATZ

ADVERTISING Steve Owens CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Susan Stewart, Natasha Dalton, Joseph Carotenuti, Dr. James Brescia, Sarah Hedger, Maggie Cox, Will Jones, Deborah Cash, Heather Young, Ruth Starr, Gordon Fuglie, Don Morris, Mike Robinson, Leslie Jones, Ray Cauwet, Rebecca LeDuc, Gail Pruitt, and Dan Rivoire.

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

Opinions expressed in the byline articles are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the JOURNAL PLUS MAGAZINE. COVER PHOTO BY TOM MEINHOLD

PEOPLE 8 10 12 14 16

DR. JAMES BRESCIA SLO LIBRARIANS JOHN CUTTER LINDA SCOTT MARSHA BOLYANATZ

HOME & OUTDOOR 18 20 22 24 26

SURFRIDER FOUNDATION TRAVEL: THE LONDON BRIDGE THE FLAVOR OF SLO FOOD / AT THE MARKET SLO COUNTY ART SCENE

COMMUNITY

28 29 30 31 32 34 36 41 42

STUTTGART CHOIR COMES BACK TO SLO VETERANS COLUMN GREATEST ATHLETES OF SLO GET FIT FAST—Mike Robinson HISTORY: A President Arrives, part 3 SLO MUSEUM OF ART PHOTO EXHIBIT PALM STREET Councilman, Dan Rivoire OUR SCHOOLS—Dr. James Brescia COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD

BUSINESS

37 DOWNTOWN SLO What’s Happening 46 EYE ON BUSINESS

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COMING UP AT THE

PERFORMING ARTS CENTER MAMMA MIA! April 06 | 7:30 p.m.

Christopher Cohan Center Presented by Cal Poly Arts

ADONIS PUENTES & THE VOICE OF CUBA ORCHESTRA April 17 | 8:00 p.m.

Alex & Faye Spanos Theatre

ST. LAWRENCE STRING QUARTET

Presented by Cal Poly Arts

April 09 | 7:30 p.m.

Alex & Faye Spanos Theatre Presented by Cal Poly Arts

THE BOBS April 18 | 8:00 p.m.

‘THE MERRY WIDOW’

Alex & Faye Spanos Theatre Presented by Cal Poly Arts

April 10 & 11 | 7:30 p.m.

Alex & Faye Spanos Theatre Presented by Cal Poly Music Department & Opera San Luis Obispo

AN AFTERNOON WITH IRA GLASS

CAL POLY ALL-STATE FESTIVAL CONCERT April 19 | 2:30 p.m.

Christopher Cohan Center Presented by Cal Poly Music Department

April 12 | 3:00 p.m.

Christopher Cohan Center Presented by Cal Poly Arts

COUNTYWIDE MOCK ROCK & TALENT BLAST April 19 | 5:30 p.m.

AN EVENING WITH MAX BROOKS April 14 | 7:00 p.m.

Presented by San Luis Obispo County Friday Night Live Partnership

Alex & Faye Spanos Theatre Presented by SLO County Libraries

PAUL TAYLOR DANCE COMPANY April 25 | 8:00 p.m.

LILA DOWNS April 14 | 7:30 p.m.

Christopher Cohan Center Presented by Cal Poly Music Department

Alex & Faye Spanos Theatre Presented by SLO County Libraries

GARY BEARD / RYAN ANTHONY April 26 | 3:00 p.m.

CAL POLY OPEN HOUSE CONCERT April 17 | 8:00 p.m.

Christopher Cohan Center Presented by Cal Poly Arts

Christopher Cohan Center Presented by Cal Poly Music Department

WWW.PACSLO.ORG | 805-756-4TIX (4849)

From the publisher

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his month’s issue is filled with stories on people that make a difference on the Central Coast. We start off with the new SLO County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. James Brescia. I recently spent some time with Dr. Brescia and he is the perfect fit for this “high energy” job. Next we profile three county librarians and get their perspective on the status of today’s libraries. There are also three other profiles inside on people helping others.

Spring into Spring with a smile!

NEW PATIENTS WELCOME!

In our Home and Outdoor section we feature the Surfrider Foundation and their quest to keep our oceans and beaches forever clean. We also write about the combined efforts of the Rotaract Club and United Way in planning the upcoming 7th Annual Flavor of SLO. SLO High School’s sister school in Stuttgart, Germany is coming to the Central Coast to sing, Don Morris gives us two more of our Greatest Athletes, and Gail Pruitt lets us know what’s happening with our local Veterans.

Plenty of good reading again this month.

Enjoy the magazine,

REMEMBER, WE’VE MOVED!

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

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

Steve Owens

SAN LUIS OBISPO SYMPHONY YOUR SYMPHONY WELCOMES BACK

JEFFREY KAHANE FOR THE S EA SO N FIN A LE

T HE MAG I C O F MOZ A RT

MAY 2, 2015 - 8 PM

C h r i s t o ph e r Co han C en ter , San L u i s Ob i sp o Prokofiev: Lieutenant KijĂŠ Revueltas: Janitzio Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 20 in d minor, K.466 Mr. Kahane will conduct the Concerto from the Keyboard Equally at home at the piano or on the podium, Jeffrey Kahane has established an international reputation as a truly versatile artist, recognized by audiences around the world for his finesse and style.

This concert is sponsored by Clifford Chapman & Gene Shidler, Sheila Tiber-Crane, and Dick Morse & Mike Lyons in Loving Memory of Clifford Chapman

For Tickets Visit www.slosymphony.org or call the PAC Box Office at (805) 756-4849 SEASON SPONSORS:

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san luis obispo county superintendent of schools

Dr. James Joseph Brescia

By Susan Stewart

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hen Dr. James Joseph Brescia took the podium at the Oxford Education Research Symposium last year, he was properly awed by the revered hall he stood in, and by those who had come before him: Margaret Thatcher, Winston Churchill, Mother Teresa, and so many more. Representing the U.S., Dr. Brescia was one among dozens of other attendees from all over the world, convened to present and to hear leading edge research and findings in his chosen field. His topic? Organizational Optimization: Promoting Positive Organizational Adaptation with Shared Decision making, Self-Reflection, and Public Relations.

“It was a phenomenal experience,” said Dr. Brescia of the four-day event.

It’s pronounced Brusha (like the country Russia, with a B in front).

Or, when in Italy, “Breysh’-ia!” he says, with an exaggerated Italian accent and a grin in his voice. James Joseph is the oldest of three children born to a Bay Area engineer, Clemente Brescia, and a human resources director, Carlota Santa Cruz. He and his two sisters, Deprise and April, grew up mostly with their father. Their parents divorced when James was in third grade.

“So my childhood was both typical and not so typical,” he explained.

Typical, in that there was Little League and bowling and other happy elements; not so typical, in that living with one parent, especially a father, was not a common occurrence in those days.

Out of high school, Brescia enrolled in college with an eye toward earning his PhD in Psychology; he wanted to become a therapist.

One of his internships was working in a group home for troubled boys and he discovered early on, “I don’t want to do this!” What now? he wondered. With family members tugging at him to become an engineer like his father, or a priest as his grandmother wished, Brescia turned to the wisdom of a Marianist monk, Brother Jerome.

“He had dedicated his life to teaching mathematics,” Brescia explained, “and he encouraged me to work in the math lab at my high school and to tutor other students. … He had a way of responding to my questions with another question designed to make me think.”

The Brescia family: James, Carolyn, Natalie and Danielle

When he was contemplating what to do with his life, Brescia had a phone conversation with Brother Jerome. “What should I do?” he asked. To which his friend replied with a question: “Why do you think you continued to volunteer at the math lab long after your required elective time period ended?” Brescia told him it was because he enjoyed helping others, and that as a tutor his own passion for learning had grown. “I think you have your answer,” said Brother Jerome.

Brescia would go on to earn his B.A. from UC San Diego, two M.A.s, one from Cal State Dominguez Hills and one from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and his doctorate in Education from UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly. Additional graduate studies led to three teaching credentials in Math, English, and Multiple Subjects, as well as two more in Administrative Services and Cross-cultural, Language, and Academic Development.

His work includes dozens of publications, reports, and presentations on topics ranging from migrant education to the use of novel videography in teacher evaluation. The latter is a concept Brescia has used to evaluate teacher effectiveness, but from the student’s point of view.

Using web cams mounted on baseball caps, it’s possible to see the teacher from a student’s perspective to answer questions like, “What is John paying attention to today?” A wide angle camera at the back

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And that was challenging.

The entire Brescia family at Danielle’s graduation

of the classroom captures movement, without the sound, to observe teacher proximity to students, and the like.

Brescia’s work experience covers a broad range of experiences, from his first assignment at an all-Black community in San Diego to his second assignment at an allLatino community in Watsonville, and then to the multi-cultural city of Paso Robles.

Teaching has been fun, exhilarating, challenging. Along the way, Brescia has taught in vastly different situations, giving him a depth of understanding that staying in one place, teaching one subject or grade could never do. For example, for several summers he taught physics and “rocketry” to middle school students, building model rockets and shooting them off in designated fields with film crews in attendance. Now that was fun.

For many years he taught the children of migrant workers—those who work in the farming and timber industries or at fisheries James with his sisters Deprise and April

“Their parents would be learning English and citizenship in one room,” he said, “while I would have their kids in another.” At one time, Brescia oversaw this program at 12 sites, developing individual programs for each child.

Brescia has been a math teacher at the elementary, middle, and high school levels and has served as math department chair; he has been a bilingual newcomer teacher; has served as summer administrator at all three levels; and was development director, elementary and middle school principal, and chief business officer for St. Rose School in Paso Robles. It is a diverse and robust résumé. In the years just preceding his acceptance of the top job in our county, Brescia served as Interim Superintendent at Paso Robles Public Schools; Superintendent at Cayucos Elementary School District; Multiple Subject Coordinator at Cal Poly’s School of Education; and as both Clinical and Adjunct Faculty at three universities.

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When it came time for James and Carolyn to purchase a home and start a family, they chose Paso Robles. Brescia’s grandfather had worked in San Ardo after World War II, and spoke often about the city. And on their frequent trips from San Diego to the Bay Area, Paso Robles was a favorite lunch time stop. Carolyn was offered a position at Twin Cities hospital, and Brescia was offered positions with Paso Robles, Atascadero, and San Luis school districts. “We wanted to live in the community where we worked,” he said.

“It’s a tremendous privilege to be serving the educational profession in this position,” said Dr. Brescia. “I believe [teaching] is a calling and must be approached with respect, dignity, dedication, and accountability.”

As he readied himself to address his audience at the Oxford Symposium last year, Brescia felt both awed and grateful. Grateful that a monk by the name of Brother Jerome had helped him discover his calling. Quoting Ben Franklin often, Brother Jerome imparted another valuable mantra—one that guides Dr. Brescia to this day: “Tell me, and I forget. Teach me, and I remember. Involve me, and I learn.”

“I believe that the children who sit in our classrooms today are our future. They will determine what type of world we inherit as the stewardship for humanity passes from our hands to theirs,” said Brescia of the position he has been filling since January of this year. “Schools and educators have a daunting mission to insure that our future is one of promise and hope.”

Married to Carolyn, a labor and delivery nurse, for 27 years, Dr. Brescia has two daughters, Danielle Marie and Natalie Rose. Danielle is a UC San Diego graduate working in human resources. Natalie is entering her second year at UC Santa Cruz in art. The Brescias love to travel, especially to Italy, where there are deep ancestral roots.

Despite his French, Italian, and Spanish heritage, Brescia did not grow up in a bilingual house. It wasn’t popular in those days to cultivate a second language. Today, however, “We have a better understanding of the power of language, an awareness of the value and importance of developing a second language.”

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PEOPLE

check it out, literally:

regional librarians celebrate success

during national library week

By Deborah Cash

Joe Laurenzi, Kay Rader and Rosalyn Pierini

“Back in the ’70s, someone made a comment that I wouldn’t have a job in 10 years,” said Kay Rader, sharing a notuncommon sentiment that with the advent of the digital age, the demise of libraries was certainly at hand. “They couldn’t have been further from the truth,” she laughed. “We’re busier than we’ve ever been—primarily because libraries aren’t just about books.” Rader, one of three county Regional Librarians and manager of the SLO library, explained that the resurgence of interest in libraries is social, academic and economic as well as important for the community. “We matter,” she said. “We make a difference.”

April 12 – 18 is National Library Week and SLO County Regional Librarians Kay Rader, Joe Laurenzi and Rosalyn Pierini are geared up with events, activities and data celebrating libraries and proving that the digital age, technology and sociology—and basically, the need for human contact—aren’t mutually exclusive; the local library, in fact, is where they all come together. Between the three SLO county districts the trio oversees—a geographic area about two-thirds the size of the state of Connecticut—15 county libraries are open for business and serving their communities. All three Regional Librarians work directly under Chris Barnickel, SLO County Director of Libraries.

While each Regional Librarian deals with his/her own set of demographics, challenges and budgets, they all relate closely on trends, programs and policies to deliver a quality experience for their patrons. “We all want to do something for our communities,” said Laurenzi, manager of the Atascadero Library who also oversees operations at Santa Margarita, Simmler, Creston, Shandon and San Miguel libraries. “From concerts to children’s programs to computer A P R I L

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Kay Rader

services, we look for many ways to meet the needs of our visitors beyond checking out books.” A recent example of collaboration between all the branches was Women’s History Month where most every location held a relevant and interesting display, program or presentation exhibiting the contributions of American female heroes that helped make the world a better place.

Pierini, manager of the Arroyo Grande library who also oversees operations at Nipomo, Oceano and Shell Beach locations, explained that each of the three Librarians serves as a resource person for the branches they supervise, whether by attending Friends of the Library meetings, advocating for their districts at the county level or assisting in developing programs for their assigned libraries. “We want a blend that is system wide and county wide but with each branch customizing to meet its community’s needs,” Pierini said. “We see it as a positive synthesis.”

Rader, whose region (in addition to SLO) also includes Los Osos, Morro Bay, Cayucos and Cambria facilities added, “We also create partnerships with clubs, veterans groups and cultural organizations to give each library a unique place in its community.”

Libraries also serve as gathering places for the local citizenry. “Sometimes we’ll get 60 – 80 people at a library event, whether for a holiday like Cinco de Mayo, an artist reception or even an opera,” said Laurenzi. Throughout April, for example, Poetry Month activities will bring crowds to all the branches including a presentation by current and past Poet Laureates on April 26 at the SLO Library.

And while the “open arms” approach certainly appeals to those who enjoy the camaraderie of a communal gathering place, those in the know—Rader, Laurenzi and Pierini—also understand the significance of offering state

Rosalyn Pierini

of the art technological opportunities for those needing online access to post resumés, search for employment opportunities, conduct research or simply browse. Says Rader, “Having Wi-Fi is so important. People can move around, bring their own computers. We are bridging the digital divide for those who need to fill out job applications, tax forms or can’t afford the Internet.” Added Pierini, “This takes infrastructure and we provide it.” She continued, “Our customers are wonderful—they are the ones who keep us up to date on what’s going on and make recommendations; we definitely want to stay in tune with their needs.”

Further technological offerings include, says Rader, “docents, computer volunteers, ematerials, e-books, audiobooks and classes—all free of charge.” She said the library is constantly updating its technology and resources, as are many facilities across the country. Pierini agreed, “Many beautiful new libraries are being built and old ones are being refurbished, such as the Carnegie buildings. The profession has been flexible, open minded, and embraces new concepts, especially for youth services.” Rader said, “Some libraries even have coffee shops and meeting rooms for book clubs and story times.”

But wait! In the end, books themselves really DO matter. “We still have a fabulous print collection,” said Pierini, “and as well, we have a voracious readership; for those who have an appetite for print, that really matters.” Rader said whether the genre is science fiction, history, art, children’s books, you name it, “We (collectively) have a wonderful selection.”

Regarding rumors that the future of libraries is bleak, Laurenzi pointed out, “People who’ve worked in libraries are fascinated to see how it’s evolved.” Added Rader: “What I’ve watched is a profession that has changed and kept up with public needs. And I—and my cohorts—are still working!”

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Joe Laurenzi

Fun Facts about our regional librarians Kay Rader obtained her BA in English Literature and Master of Library Science (MLS) from the University of Maryland. She has worked in special, public and academic libraries in Europe, Africa, and around the U.S., and as Director of the American Library in Paris. “I was attracted to this profession because I can be involved with a variety of intellectual endeavors and subject areas.

Working with like-minded colleagues and patrons has been a wonderful experience!”

Rosalyn Pierini earned a Bachelor’s Degree in English from UC Santa Cruz and her MLS from San Jose State University. During that time, she worked in a bookstore and discovered she had an interest in a career in social work. “I didn’t like charging people for books!” she said and found that as a librarian she’s able her to meld her love of literature, knowledge, education and working with people.

Joe Laurenzi’s first degree was in history and he learned quickly that in practical terms, it didn’t open a lot of doors. “I came across the opportunity to be a librarian and I liked it, I always liked libraries.” He earned his MLS at the University of Buffalo in New York and worked as a school librarian before moving to California. He enjoys the public library system and the intellectual contact of his job.

“I’ve found my niche,” he said.

National Library Week: First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April. It is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation’s libraries and librarians and to promote library use and support. All types of libraries —school, public, academic and special—participate.

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PEOPLE

john cutter

central coast concerned mountain bikers

By Will Jones

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had not met John Cutter before arriving at his house in early February to interview him for this article.

However, we quickly connected when we discovered that both of our fathers were World War II Navy veterans who went on to have long careers as fireman, my father in Philadelphia and his in Los Angeles, where John grew up. So it was easy for me to understand what his father’s tone of voice must have sounded like when he told John, a few months after he graduated from Arcadia High School in 1975, “Either go to school or start paying rent.”

John had spent the summer working just enough hours in a graphic arts studio so he could afford to go backpacking, but his father’s ultimatum forced him to make some decisions. “Two days before the semester started I went to Pasadena City College and enrolled in a silk screening class because I was graphically oriented and learning how to make money sign painting.”

A friend of John’s moved to San Luis Obispo to attend Cal Poly and was renting out rooms in a house his parents bought, so John moved here in the fall of 1976. One of his first jobs was making signs for a local record store, Cheap Thrills. “I made signs, road my bike and started cutting my teeth on designing and making backpacks,” which turned out to be John’s career path.

In 1977 John moved to Seattle to try to get his business going, but returned to San Luis Obispo in 1981. “I met my wife, Christie, who was just graduating from Cal Poly. We had many mutual friends and almost met before I moved to Seattle, but it didn’t happen until she visited with a friend on a spring break trip.” His Los Angeles friends questioned why he would want to live in SLO. “They’d wonder why I’d live in a place where there was nothing going on, and I described the attraction of being able to get on my bike, ride past one or two stop signs and see cows,” John said with a laugh.

Over the years John designed mountaineering backpacks and tents for industry giants like Mountain Hardware and North Face, but had always been interested in bicycles. “In high school I was all things bicycles and backpacks, including a fifty mile Sierra trip with the Boy Scouts. If we have some sort of pre-programmed vocation, designing and building backpacks and bicycles is what I do.”

In 1983 John’s father-in-law gave him a set of welding tanks for Christmas. “My dad and brother gave me a welding torch and Christie bought me ten sets of bicycle tubing. I started out doing bike repairs at Spirit Cycle Works on Foothill, and then started building frames, which is what I did for a number of years before returning to mountaineering equipment and designing bicycle apparel. I enjoyed working with athletes and creating event specific equipment. I got to meet a lot of really interesting people.”

Central Coast Concerned Mountain Bikers (CCCMB) started in 1987 and John became active with the group in 1990. “They already had a relationship with Montana de Oro State Park based on giving mountain bikers a voice and having a place at the table in maintaining access to the park and in giving something back.” A pattern of trail work and maintenance had already been established by the time John came along, and he gravitated toward being a crew leader and directing volunteers to specific tasks. “Of course I also really like the process of designing and building new trails. There’s a lot of different skill sets involved in what we do.”

In the early days, a dozen or so workers would show up for trail work, but now, with a membership of around 200, big events draw over 150 volunteers and small events between two and three dozen, which includes members of other groups. “I love to see us partnering with others

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homes, quickly get on a trail system and go for hours, and those opportunities are only going to increase.

Current projects include continued work on the Froom Creek Trail in the Irish Hills area and the Pismo Preserve. Challenges include recruiting new volunteers and building new leadership in CCCMB to continue the work of the founders and the elders in the group. John is confident that the natural beauty of the area, and the appreciation local residents have for it, will keep the organization healthy for a long time to come.

I asked what trail users can do to promote safety on the popular multiuse trails, and he responded with these tips: • Cyclists should regulate speed so they can safely stop within the distance of trail that is visible ahead of them; signal to oncoming users that you intend to yield the trail to them • All users should verbally communicate when overtaking and passing other users so as not to surprise or startle them who have a common interest in trails. We realize the value of building a trail for multiuse, not strictly for mountain biking. In the end it means more trails for everyone: hikers, bikers, equestrians, trail runners. We’re fortunate in this county that we all get along and work together for the common interest. It’s not like that everywhere in the country. We have people on our board who are more hikers than mountain bikers.”

According to John, “We’re in a really exciting time from a trail standpoint. We have so many trails opening up in the city, county, state parks and National Forest. We’ll have a list of trails to build until we can’t pick up another tool.” As it is right now, locals can leave their

• All users should avoid wearing headphones which make it impossible to hear verbal signals “When I take visitors to Montana de Oro for the first time, I see its beauty all over again, or I ride up to the top of Hazard Peak, especially in the winter in the late afternoon light and it’s just magical. I feel so fortunate to be there.” Nature brings out the poet in everyone, and as I listened to John speak, I knew that I had met yet another inspired custodian of the extraordinary Central Coast way of life.

To learn more about CCCMB and its projects, go to www.cccmb.org.

Your heart doesn’t beat just for you.

Trust your award-winning heart hospital.

Your heart doesn’t beat just for you. So don’t wait to see if you’re at risk for heart disease. Dignity Health’s French Hospital Medical Center is a five-star recipient for treatment of heart attacks and heart failure by Healthgrades . Find out if you’re at risk today by taking our free cardiac risk assessment at dignityhealth.org/centralcoast and connect with our expert cardiac team.

1911 Johnson Avenue, San Luis Obispo, CA

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Linda scott

“Life’s a Journey, and even its detours are worth taking”

By Natasha Dalton

A

Ukrainian, standing by the side of the road with his thumb up, is, most likely, complimenting you on your car—and not trying to hitch a ride. Russians use an even number of flowers only to express grief; and in Bulgaria, quickly moving one’s head from left to right is a sign of agreement, instead of denial, as it is here.

For a traveler who wants to understand people in another country, knowing local customs and beliefs is almost as important as speaking the language. Both need time and effort to acquire. Even Linda Scott, an expert on the subject of cultural identity, admits to inadvertently breaking a few social norms during her travels abroad. As a foreigner, one just has to hope that the natives would see your blunders as lack of awareness rather than an inexcusable offense.

“I was very lucky that I was taken care of by well-meaning strangers who interpreted my foreignness, my customary stammer, the high pitch of my voice when I’m nervous, and my name (‘Linda’ is what husbands call their wives—like ‘honey’) as complete helplessness, and steered me through challenging encounters, like the bank or signing a lease,” Scott says, describing her experiences in Peru, where she did field work for an MA in Social Sciences at the University of Chicago.

To a quiet girl from Santa Maria, who earned her BA at the University of Idaho in Boise, Peru was literally a whole new—and exciting— world. Culture shock?—Yes. But Linda and her husband Patrick (who

Linda Scott photo by Sasha Dalton

worked in Peru, mapping archeological sites of the Jequetepeque Valley) found the country to be beautiful, and its people—“warm, caring, frank and incredibly hard-working.”

“People were just as curious about me as I was about them,” Linda discovered. There’re three categories of foreigners where the Scotts lived: archeologists, surfers and missionaries. No one there had ever met a cultural anthropologist, and Linda found that being an object of curiosity was actually helping her.

Originally, she planned to study the impact of old American cartoons on Peruvian kids. In the past several decades Americans’ take on the tropes in these cartoons has changed dramatically, and we now view some of their concepts as insensitive, unfair and even downright offensive. But how are they perceived abroad?

It’s an interesting question for a student of cultural interactions—but as it turned out, for Peruvians it was a non-starter. “While they were wearing Hello Kitty or Bugs Bunny shirts, nobody was watching the cartoons regularly or with particular interest,” Linda discovered.

“Children there don’t sit in front of TV. They help their families.”

In 2004, when the Scotts had just arrived in Pacasmayo, Peru, the country was reeling after the Fujishock—reforms enacted by president Fujimoto (who later became the first elected head of state impeached, tried and convicted for corruption and human rights violations, and sentenced to 25 years in prison).

The reforms drastically reduced the size and role of the government, relaxed the private sector’s price control and removed restrictions on imports and foreign investments. As a result, unemployment skyrocketed, and, according to NASDAQ, an estimated 80% of the economy moved underground.

“A wheelbarrow became a family store, a grill—a neighborhood restaurant, and older children—daycare providers for working families,” Scott says, describing the ways society was coping with the new reality. Shocked by these developments, Scott documented them in her MA paper, focused on the rise of the informal economy.

“The black markets—I prefer the term informal market—emerged out of necessity,” Scott explains. “They’re organized and efficient, and allow those outside of the legal economy to make a living.”

Linda with a group of kids outside the Mercado Central of Chiclayo. Photo by Matthew Blowers A P R I L

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Scott noticed that men and women play distinctly different roles in this new economy. “Men often engage in risky transactions, requir-

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The menace turned out to be an old homeless woman, who, as annoyed by the music as the rest of the neighbors, just wanted to show them all her displeasure. When Linda began scolding the noise-maker, a local vigilante interfered. He begged Linda to go home and ignore the homeless lady who was nothing more than just a little old crazy woman.

The vigilante, Linda soon figured out, wasn’t a Rambo—just a night watchman; and the old crazy lady wasn’t crazy at all—she was just homeless and frustrated. “I was profoundly sad to realize that to be without social ties was considered crazy in Pacasmayo,” Linda says about this episode.

Linda’s vendor, Idalia, in her shop.

ing large investments and lots of exposure to strangers and tourists.

Women engage in long hours of vending everyday products for microscopic profit. Many times their profit is just the trimmings of vegetables that they take home to feed domestic animals, or the portions of rice and beans for their families,” Scott explains.

“And yet women’s transactions have permanence and a central importance to the stability of family life,” Scott observes: it’s usually women who pay for children’s school supplies, food and clothing, and maintain social connections. “In a society that has virtually no official safety net, this arrangement becomes a kind of social security,” Scott explains.

The marketplace is built around the relationship between vendors and housewives, where housewives are expected to shop with their vendors, whom vendors, in return, reward by saving some desirable items or giving them some of the produce for free.

“I saw vendors offering their produce to destitute clients with no expectation of repayment,” Scott says. “I was so impressed by the tenderness and practicality of connections formed in the market: people know they depend on their trading partners.”

Just how strong the marketplace bonds were Scott learned when she saw her own vendors on the doorsteps of her home, checking on her while she was sick. “I found this experience very moving and reassuring,” she says.

Besides the gender roles, the marketplace helped her get a glimpse at the social positioning of different groups. After children brought the Scotts a piece of Peruvian fruit pacay, the couple went to look for more at the market, and was surprised by the effort it took them to locate it. “It looks like a shoe but it’s delicious,” Linda says. But when she finally found the fruit—at the indigenous section of the market—vendors tried to talk her out of buying it. “Don’t you want these bananas instead?” they asked.

The truth of the matter was that, while children and indigenous people eat pakay, it’s considered to be too common by other social groups— and by asking for it at the market, Linda was breaking a social taboo.

Another valuable insight into cultural attitudes was given to Linda right outside of her house. The Scotts lived across the street from a music hall, and its loud music often kept them up at night. One particular night was especially trying: the concert ended at 2:30 a.m., and it happened to be on the morning when the couple had to be up at 5 a.m. for a meeting with officials from Lima. It’s understandable then that the ear-piercing whistling, that began outside at 3:30 a.m. and lasted a whole hour, got Linda out of bed and into the street in search of the troublemaker.

Today, teaching anthropology at Cuesta and Allan Hancock gives Linda Scott the opportunity to discuss her travel experiences with her students. “I love telling stories and I love hearing stories,” she says.

“That’s how we learn. Anthropology can be a dull subject—not because people are dull, but because we do a lot of teaching about the times and places that are distant,” Scott says. “When I tell stories, they transport students to these distant places, and they begin to realize that what makes my stories hilarious, has nothing to do with the weirdness of the place, and everything to do with some cultural incompetence.”

“People come to college for a variety of reasons: some want a degree, others want to find themselves—and I honor all these reasons,” Scott says. “Life is a journey with many detours, and meeting people and learning new things makes it exciting.”

Explaining why she and her husband chose teaching over academia, Scott says: “We’ve always wanted to help people come out of their little boxes and understand others, see what they’re doing, make sense of it.” And that’s a goal certainly worth pursuing.

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marsha bolyanatz helping to create jobs for women over 40

By Ruth Starr

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n August of 2010 Marsha Bolyanatz was laid off from her job. She had been working for nine years at UPS TeleServices. Her job title was Technical Support Agent. The realization that there was no job was scary. Living in Grover Beach where there were few job opportunities and finding it was the same all over San Luis Obispo County at that time made life difficult. She was an older woman looking for work.

Marsha started looking for work before the layoff and registered with One Stop which is a government support agency. One Stop offers free access to the Internet, long distance phone calls, photocopying, and workshops with counselors. She registered in both the Five Cities office and the Grover beach office. It was not the best of times from July 2010 to October 2010, as she continued looking. A little relief came from obtaining a few temporary positions by using the facilities at the One Stop office. In September of 2010, United Staffing Associates jump started her into a job with Savor the Central Coast. United Staffing has a strong foundation serving communities of the Central Coast of California and beyond with temp jobs. Savor the Central Coast is an annual event that takes place in Santa Margarita every fall. It is a festival of wine and food. Different restaurants bring in their foods for sampling. There is entertainment and presentations by well known chefs and dinners with the winemakers and chefs. This was the first year and was being sponsored by Sunset Magazine. Marsha did food set up and expediting the plates of food to be sure they were set up in a gourmet fashion. Cooking and wine knowledge have always been a hobby of hers.

Working in the food industry was the kind of work Marsha enjoyed. She applied for a job at Advantage Sales and Marketing as an event specialist. This is an international company that does business in the USA and Canada. They hired her over the phone and in November of 2010, she was giving demonstrations in neighborhood grocery stores with food Marsha in the Achievement House kitchen at Laguna Golf Course.

sampling. She spent the next couple of years doing food demonstrations at Albertson’s Grocery up and down the coast of California.

In January 2013 the state of California legislators passed a law that enabled grocery stores to apply for liquor licenses. By getting the liquor licenses they could allow customers to sample liquor with an appropriate legal ID. Here was another opportunity for Marsha as she became certified as a wine pourer. She continued working in this field for Von’s and up and down the coast for Albertson’s. During the time she was doing the wine sampling, she met lots of people, especially women over 40 who had lost their jobs.

The job at Albertson’s was part time, so she continued to go to the One Stop to look for full time employment. At the center she also met numerous women over 40 who had been outsourced from a job. Most of these women lost their jobs because the jobs were sent overseas for cheap labor. These women had come from careers of 10-15 years with the companies they worked for. Some of the professions that represent the people who lost their jobs due to relocation, burn out, and outsourcing are clinical psychologists, bookkeepers, teachers, software technicians, office managers, health care workers, engineers, and marketers.

Marsha, seeing possibilities for these women she was meeting, suggested to the people at One Stop that the women coming there needed a support group. The group would help women over 40 to be able to talk about their frustrations, have a networking group and share job lists and connections to enhance the finding of jobs. She wrote a proposal to begin a group called Women Initiating Networking (WIN). She was turned down initially because One Stop said they couldn’t afford the group. Marsha then said she would do it for free which of course they agreed to. She started the workshops in June of 2011 where over 50 women attended and 42 of them have found jobs. She has also found that 50% of the women coming to the WIN Group have faced the challenges of age discrimination when applying and interviewing for jobs.

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at the Achievement House Restaurant at the Airport in San Luis Obispo as a job coach. In July of 2013 she began working three days a week at the 11th Hole Grill at Laguna Lake Golf Course. Marsha now continues working for Albertson’s in addition to Achievement House. She is very pleased with both jobs and enthusiastically states that the employers have been great. She is a happy woman.

friendships. She has found that this group has enriched her life with new friendships and opportunities. WIN meets Wednesday nights three times a month in the community room at Rabobank in Grover Beach. WIN has special focus on job hunting techniques utilizing opportunities through the “hidden job market, bartering skills exchange, sharing job leads, friends, guest speakers and door prizes.”

Continuing to lead the WIN groups, Marsha finds that it helps with motivation, confidence, and helps people develop and create

Any woman over 40 who would like more information should call Marsha at 748-2841. Marsha Bolyanatz has proven to be a real WINner in life!

PING TSAO MD COSMETIC & PLASTIC SURGERY In the spring of 2013 one of the WIN members suggested that Marsha apply at Achievement House. Achievement House is categorized as a Vocational Training Agency. It was established in 1957 and incorporated in California. It employs a staff of approximately 50 to 99. She was hired and began working

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catching the wave with slo County’s

surfrider foundation

By Leslie Jones

Surfrider paddle event

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t’s a crystal clear spring day, the shimmering Pacific Ocean is beckoning and wildlife is teeming up and down the coastline. As captivating as it looks, is all truly well here in our corner of paradise?

Fortunately, there are groups of volunteers out at Montana de Oro and Pismo Beach collecting trash today, water quality is being tested throughout the county and someone is at yet another city council meeting advocating on behalf of the environmental impacts of a newly proposed project. While our local Surfrider Foundation chapter is working diligently on many issues simultaneously, and is seemingly everywhere these days, there is still so much to accomplish.

“Our chapter thrives because of the efforts of members, activists, and donors who firmly value the protection of San Luis Obispo County’s ocean, waves, and beaches. In our county, we are all Surfrider volunteers doing what we can, when we can, for the preservation and access to the beaches we love,” explains Brad Snook, volunteer coordinator for the San Luis Obispo chapter.

Each year, Surfrider Foundation identifies priority campaigns to focus their work on to ensure that they achieve important on-the-ground protection of our oceans, waves and beaches. Three focus areas for 2015 include: Clean Water, Ocean Protection, and the Rise Above Plastics campaign.

Rise Above Plastics is working hard to reduce the impacts of plastics in the marine environment by raising awareness about the dangers of plastic pollution while advocating for a reduction of single-use plastics and recycling. Plastic doesn’t biodegrade it photodegrades, breaking down into smaller and smaller pieces that never go away.

“The Earth works by building up and breaking down. A tree flowers, fruit falls and returns nutrients back to the earth as it decomposes A P R I L

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into the soil. Huge companies are creating materials that take thousands of years to break down and rapid consumption has caused these materials to pile up in the ocean and landfills,” explains Sarah Bellum, Rise Above Plastics program coordinator for the San Luis Obispo chapter.

“One way to combat these synthetic materials from overtaking your community is to ban them through policy change. An example of a material that needs to be banned is #6 polystyrene, also known as “styrofoam.” It is not recycled in San Luis Obispo County and is filling up the ocean and landfill at an ever increasing rate,” she adds.

Another area being focused on is the increased implementation of Ocean Friendly Gardens (OFG) which revives our watersheds and oceans by applying CPR—Conservation, Permeability and Retention—to our landscapes and hardscapes. This is achieved by capturing rainwater, allowing for greater infiltration and biological filtration of

HOME/OUTDOOR monitors both marine and fresh waters to help protect people’s health while they enjoy SLO County’s beautiful beaches,” explains Niel Dilworth, local Blue Water Task Force program coordinator.

“Our chapter’s BWTF program serves our communities by alerting citizens and officials about coastal water quality problems and by working together with them to find and implement solutions,” he adds.

Volunteers manning the display table at a Beach Clean-up event

water in the soil, and using climate adapted or native plants that require less water and no chemical fertilizers or pesticides that contribute to toxic runoff.

“Urban runoff from gardens and hard surfaces is the number one source of ocean pollution. For the past three years our chapter has been spreading a message of hope and empowering local residents to be a part of the solution by installing Ocean Friendly Gardens at their homes. Together, we can make a difference one garden at a time,” explains Rob Nieto, program coordinator for our local chapter’s Ocean Friendly Gardens campaign. “We have focused our efforts locally on education and hands-on activities by offering garden tours, workshops and speaking to the public about how they can transform their outdoor spaces,” he adds.

“It’s difficult to measure the impact we’re making, but there’s no doubt that the biological diversity and beauty present in an Ocean Friendly Garden and the visible act of slowing the flow of water off of our landscapes (especially during our persistent drought), are things that really resonate with people. The more people that we inspire to make a change, the closer we’ll be to changing the paradigm of what our home gardens should be,” Rob adds.

One way Surfrider is able to measure the impacts of toxic urban runoff is through its Blue Water Task Force (BWTF), a water quality monitoring and clean water advocacy program staffed by volunteers. Local volunteers collect weekly samples from thirteen ocean and creek sites between the Toro Creek and Pismo Creek. The samples are tested for Enterococcus bacteria (human waste related) at their laboratory located in the Central Coast Aquarium in Avila Beach.

The Surfrider Foundation USA is a U.S. 501(c) (3) grassroots non-profit environmental organization that works to protect and preserve the world’s oceans, waves, and beaches. Headquartered in San Clemente, CA, there are 80 chapters located along the

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US East, West, Gulf of Mexico, Hawaiian, and Puerto Rico coasts and worldwide with over 50,000 members.

So, what can you do to help support your local Surfrider Foundation chapter?

Become a member, head out to one of the area’s beach clean ups, volunteer to help test water quality or learn more about how to grow an Ocean Friendly Garden. Head to www.slo.surfrider.org to learn about our local chapter and the many ways that you can get involved (and changes you can easily make) in order to keep our corner of paradise clean, environmentally sound, and surf friendly for generations to come.

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DRIVE-THRU BBQ DINNER

The Kiwanis BBQ Crew

Friday, May 8, 2015 SLO Veterans Building on Grand Ave, SLO Tickets: $50 or $70 with wine Each dinner feeds up to six people and includes: BBQ Choice grade beef Tri-Tip, Beans, Salsa, Salad & SLO Sourdough garlic bread All packaged in a beautiful re-usable tote bag

For ticket information contact: Lynn Cooper: 805 544-9242 Give the cook the night off, pick up a mouth-watering BBQ dinner and help support the Kiwanis programs that benefit the youth of SLO! 3 past scholarship winners

“Ocean water pollution can pose serious health risks. Our Blue Water Task Force A P R I L

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a Tale of a bridge

the london bridge

By Ray Cauwet

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ost people have heard of the London Bridge, especially as it’s depicted in the children’s nursery rhyme, “The London Bridge is falling down.” As it turned out, the London Bridge had been falling down for many years and now it isn’t even located in London. It’s in Arizona.

There have been bridges crossing the Thames River since Roman times. The first one was built in 43 A.D. It was constructed of wood, but had to be rebuilt several times since the river kept sweeping it away. After the Romans, Londoners built a new one out of new timber. This bridge, however, also had to be rebuilt, again and again, due to fires and storm damage.

The first stone bridge was constructed in 1206. It was quite a sight with its 20 Gothic arches. Unfortunately, it was poorly constructed and required frequent repairs. Even so, it lasted 600 years. One of the more grisly periods in the bridge’s history was between 1305 and 1660, when it was customary to display the severed heads of traitors on the structure. This practice was finally stopped

by King Charles II in 1660.

In 1722, congestion on the bridge was becoming a large problem. The London mayor ordered all traffic coming into the city to

drive on the west side of the bridge and traffic leaving the city to use the east side. This was the origin of people driving on the left side of road. I’ve always wondered about that practice. By the end of the 18th century, the old bridge had become decrepit and needed to be replaced.

In 1821, a new bridge was built using granite. It had five arches, was 46 feet wide and 928 feet in length. Sadly, as time passed, the new bridge began sinking into the soft bottom of the Thames River. By 1924, the east side of the bridge was four inches lower than the west side. It had not been designed to withstand the impact of 20th century automotive traffic. Plus, it was experiencing 50,000 pedestrians crossing it daily.

In 1967, the London Common Council decided to build a modern concrete bridge and sell the old one. The following year, they put it on the market.

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In the early 1960’s, Robert McCulloch, owner of McCulloch Chain Saws, decided to escape Los Angeles and move his business to Lake Havasu City. There wasn’t much to Lake Havasu at that time, just his business. He expanded his company to build gas outboard engines and added staff. He next purchased 16,630 acres of shoreline. His dream for the city included light industry, a resort and commercial services.

In 1968, he heard the London Bridge was for sale. This was an “ah-ha” moment for him. He envisioned the bridge would become the linchpin to draw people to his city. He submitted his bid of $2,400,000 and it was accepted.

He did have a little problem, though. How do you disassemble 10,276 granite blocks in London and reassemble them thousands of miles away in Arizona? Masons in London came up with the idea of numbering the blocks so they could be reassembled.

The blocks then began a 5,400-mile trip by barge from England through the Panama Canal to Long Beach, and by truck to Lake Havasu.

Meanwhile in Havasu, sand mounts were built to form the bridge’s five arches. These would serve as guides when placing the

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The “new” London Bridge is a study in contrasts of the old and the new. It was shipped from the “old country” to the new world. It also has a history spanning centuries and now has a new home in a city barely in its infancy.

Besides the bridge, Lake Havasu City offers opportunities for boating, water sports, fishing, biking, hiking, golf, off highway riding, swimming and bird watching. In addition, there are 22 working lighthouses along the 75-mile-long lake. These are 1/3 scale replicas of famous U.S. lighthouses.

An ornate wrought iron gate from the Witley Court in Worchester, England frames the entrance.

blocks. The bridge took only two years to complete because it was built on land, compared to one built over water.

For more information about the bridge and the city, call 800-2428278 or visit GoLakeHavasu.com.

Old-timers say the bridge was “quite a sight” going up. Long-time Resident John Keading said, “Who would expect to find a bridge on dry land. It was crazy.”

On Oct 10, 1971, the bridge was dedicated by McCulloch and Sir Peter Stuad, the Lord Mayor of London.

McCulloch’s dream for the bridge was to draw people to the city and it has worked. Currently, it is one of Arizona’s biggest tourist attractions, with more than 100,000 visitors yearly.

A Gargoyle from London welcomes tourists to the Welcome Center.

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ROTARACT PARTNERS WITH UNITED WAY

FLAVOR OF SLO

By Heather Young

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oung professionals from Rotaract in San Luis Obispo haven taken over organizing the annual Flavor of SLO event that raises funds for the United Way of San Luis Obispo County. The 7th annual event will be held on Sunday, May 3 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Jack House and Gardens, 536 Marsh St. in downtown San Luis Obispo.

“We are already seeing an increase of sponsors [for Flavor of SLO] to support Rotaract,” McKinley said.

“In the past we did it in partnerships with interns from Cal Poly,” United Way of SLO County Resource Development Direction Leslie McKinley said; however, she said that each year there was some angst not knowing who the interns would be. As a member of Rotary, McKinley thought to partner with Rotaract, a community service-based organization that is open to young professionals 19 to 30 years of age and is sponsored by the local Rotary club. “[This] way we’ll have some consistency, but we’ll still have the benefit of working with young professionals.”

With Rotaract taking over organization of the fundraiser in partnership with United Way, Stringham said there are a few changes in place for the coming event. One being a celebrity cookbook that includes a recipe, photo and paragraph about how that recipe is special to that person and his or her family.

Because Rotaract is open to those as young as 18, McKinley said there could still be Cal Poly students involved in the event, as well as those just starting their careers but planning to remain in the community. McKinley said that because the members are rooted in the community, they may be involved in more than just one year of the event.

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“It’s all local CEOs, local officials—everyone that is highly regarded in the community,” Stringham said, adding that the cookbooks will be available for sale at the event and that future celebrity recipes will be added to the binder.

Another change is that instead of getting a T-shirt, aprons will be given to attendees.

Tickets purchased in advance are $45 for general admission and $35 for students or $50 for everyone at the door. All attendees must be 21 or older. Attendees will get the opportunity to taste local food, beer and wine from more than 30 vendors.

Stringham said there are only 325 tickets available for the event, adding that in past years the event has sold out before the day of the event.

She said attendees can expect “plenty of libations. It’s a good event for a good cause.”

McKinley said the annual event nets about $10,000 each year, one of the organization’s biggest fundraisers of the year, although CEO Rick London said the nonprofit’s October fundraiser, “Boogie on the Bluff” is giving Flavor of SLO a “run for its money.”

To purchase tickets, go to www.flavorofslo.com.

About United Way of San Luis Obispo County United Way is worldwide organization that began in SLO County in 1958.

750 Price Street, Pismo Beach 773-1922 A P R I L

“We’re really proud of the partnership,” Rotaract Club of San Luis Obispo President Madelyn Stringham said. “It’s really cohesive and makes so much sense.”

“Our focus is on education, income and health,” London said. “We want our youth achieving their potential, families financially

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stable and everybody healthy. We endeavor to remind people to live more compassionately, think more preventatively and act more responsibly. That means going upstream and paying more attention to root causes, before our communities become overwhelmed with treating the symptoms of those unattended root causes. Big savings from this approach.”

To help encourage that way of thinking, London said the nonprofit has programs such as Imagination Library and Ready Plus, which “inspire a love of reading and improve reading literacy,” he said. The organization presents a program, Money Talks, to SLO, Paso Robles and Nipomo high school seniors to “enhance their financial literacy” before

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they graduate. It brings Compassionate Communications into the local schools and jails “to help people to become communication literate—socially and emotionally—thereby reducing stress and improving one’s immune system.”

“While our focus on education, income and health endeavors to strengthen our communities, we also do this through our United Way of San Luis Obispo County Youth Board, our Community Impact Fund grants, which application for 2015-16 was just released, and by managing 2-1-1 SLO County and volunteerslo.org,” London said.

For more information about the organization, go to www.unitedwayslo.org.

About Rotaract Club of San Luis Obispo The community-based service organization is open to Central Coast young professionals between the ages of 18 and 30 and is part of Rotary International. There are 7,000 Rotaract clubs in more than 160 countries that are started at the local, grassroots level by young professionals and students. It is sponsored by the local Rotary club.

Stringham said the SLO Rotaract has 30 members right now and visitors are welcome to attend its meeting. The SLO group meets the first and third Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. at Glenn Burdette, 1150 Palm St. in SLO. To find out more about the organization, go to www.rotaractslo.org.

Spectacular view property. Elegant and warm, this home features an open floor plan that takes advantage of wonderful views and its location adjacent to the open space of Terrace Hill. The living, dining room and kitchen, master bedroom and den or 4th bedroom are on the main level. Upstairs are two bedrooms, a bath and library. The home has two wood burning fireplaces, extensive hardwood floors, solid fir, French and garden doors.

Kitchen has walk-in pantry and separate 750 bottle wine room. Solar and three car garage. Asking $1,225,000

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

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at the market

Roast carrots with Ras el Hanout, Currants, yogurt and Cilantro

By Sarah Hedger

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pril is an amazing month of abundance on the Central Coast! Spring has sprung with fresh strawberries, carrots, beets, asparagus ... so many delicious options to choose from. Fresh herbs are usually best in Spring, as well as wild herbs to forage (use gloves with nettle!).

But at farmers’ market, spring onions, and young greens offer lots of ways to incorporate fresh flavors into our meals.

Carrots are the topic of the month as their flavor directly reflects the quality of the soil they are grown in. High quality, dark soil, produces delicious carrots. That said, good carrots are memorable and quite a treat indeed! They also pack a punch in the

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nutrient department with high levels of Beta Carotene (which our bodies convert to Vitamin A), Vitamin C, and fiber. (The link to good eyesight was a rumor started by the Royal British Air Force during World War II, who claimed their pilots had good eyesight due to their consumption of carrots when it was actually a new radar system they wanted to keep secret.)

That said, I have found the best carrots to not be the biggest, but smaller, with dark orange color, and healthy tops. The tops can be used in salads, in pesto, or as in this month’s recipe, Roast Carrots with Ras el Hanout, Currants, Yogurt, and Cilantro, as a fresh green topping to the dish. Ras el Hanout may

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throw you off as I had not heard of it until recently. It is an African spice mix that translates as “top of the shelf,” meaning the best the shop has on offer, thus there are a lot of variations! I included the one I’ve been using most below in the recipe, which takes only a few minutes (and highly recommended!), or you can purchase it. Making your own spice blends takes flavors to a whole new level as the whole spices are first toasted, then

roast carrots with ras el hanout, currants, yogurt and cilantro Serves 4 For the carrots: 1 bunch of the best organic carrots you can find, preferably with the tops still on 2 T olive oil 1 T Ras el Hanout (or garam masala or a good mild curry powder) 1 tsp sea salt ½ cup currants ½ cup good quality sherry (or chardonnay vinegar) 1 cup cilantro leaves, picked through and removed from stems For the Yogurt sauce: 1 T olive oil ½ cup natural (unsweetened) sheep yogurt 1 T lemon juice Pinch of sea salt and pepper For the Ras el Hanout: 3 T cumin seeds 2 T coriander seeds ½ tsp cardamom seeds 1 T ground cinnamon 1 tsp black pepper 1 tsp ground turmeric Place currants in small bowl and cover with vinegar. ground, resulting in a highly aromatic (and flavorful) spice combo that can move tastebuds to new happy places. Cooking the carrots hot, and relatively quick, makes them perfectly crisp on the outside, while just being cooked through on the inside. The seasoned yogurt adds a cool, creamy element to the dish, while maintaining its lightness. I have gotten partially addicted to good quality vinegars lately, and the chardonnay vinegar in this recipe is no exception. Having a good vinegar around makes nearly everything taste better—from vinaigrette to marinades. It’s amazing how one ingredient alone can go from pungent on the scale to delicious. While good vinegars may be more expensive, a little goes a long way and one can almost rationalize it being good value. That said, this recipe goes together easily and can be enjoyed as a side dish, or as a light main dish. Enjoy and Happy Spring!

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Place all ingredients for Ras el Hanout in small fry pan over medium heat. Toast for a couple minutes, until aromatic, gently stirring. Remove from heat and grind in mortar and pestle (or coffee grinder). Store in air tight spice container.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the carrot tops a good inch above where the carrot forms. (Save a few of the carrot top leaves to garnish). Toss carrots in olive oil, with salt and Ras el Hanout, and place on baking sheet in oven for 30 mins, shaking occasionally. Gently probe a larger carrot and if just soft through, remove from oven.

Stir yogurt sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. When ready to eat, drain currants, place carrots on each serving plate, top with currants, small dollops of yogurt sauce, and top with fresh cilantro and carrot top leaves. Enjoy!

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HOME/OUTDOOR

slo county art scene Christina McPhee: Terrains in trauma

By Gordon Fuglie

L

ast year I received an email via my art historian/curator website. It was from Christina McPhee, coincidentally, an Atascadero artist across town from me. She was not on my radar, and is apparently unknown to the entire SLO County progressive art community. After viewing her website and visiting her studio, I discovered a multidisciplinary contemporary artist laboring on the frontiers of digital art—still and video, performance, as well as gestural abstract drawing and painting. (She is also an accomplished pianist.) McPhee draws on varied disciplines for inspiration, including literature, music, cinema and science. As a writer she enjoins literary theory, diarist

impulses and technological data to produce an eclectic prose style to address her work, which frequently treats environmental themes. This wide-ranging approach has placed her on the international avant-garde art circuit. McPhee exhibits nationally and abroad—with projects displayed in Paris, Cologne, Berlin, London, Moscow and Bucharest.

McPhee was born in Los Angeles; and her family moved to the Midwest while she was a child. Enrolling in college, she earned the BFA (1976, Painting and Printmaking) at the Kansas City Art Institute and moved east to study painting for her MFA at Boston University in 1979. Returning to Kansas City, she taught art while exhibiting her studio work regionally and beyond. In 2000 McPhee was a guest artist at Cal Poly; she re-located to Atascadero the following year. The artist shares a house overlooking an oak-studded canyon that was designed by her husband, Terry Hargrave, professor of architecture, emeritus, Cal Poly.

Christina McPhee photo by Daniel Trese

ness. She drew on his innovative use of flashbacks, or re-sequencing, to create a nonlinear storyline.

Shortly after the tragedy McPhee began a number of visits to the La Conchita community. She extensively photographed the site, using video and audio, capturing the sounds of tides, the traffic on the 101 Freeway, and her encounters with residents. The artist was particularly interested in the improvised shrines that people erected around the disaster area. McPhee processed her digital photographs through software that permitted a layering of diverse images in a single

The scope of McPhee’s artistic is work is broad. In one instance she will produce watercolor landscape drawings, and at another, she will collaborate with climate scientists to utilize electronic data, transposing it into multi-field images as digital prints.

A fascination with plate tectonics led McPhee to produce two important bodies of work responding to the movement of land beneath and on the earth’s surface.

Both were based on Central Coast geological conditions.

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The first, La Conchita Mon Amour, was McPhee’s series of photomontages and ink brush drawings based upon a massive and fatal landslide from a bluff above a small beach side community between Ventura and Carpinteria in 2005. The La Conchita bluff collapse buried ten people and destroyed thirty homes. McPhee’s title for her series addressing this catastrophe gives a nod to Alain Resnais’s 1959 film, Hiroshima Mon Amour, about memory and forgetful-

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Debris

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ing with the alkaline flat’s quicksand base and proximity to the state’s most active fault.

La Conchita Mon Amour

composition, the imposition of luminous “slashes” of color, and the deployment of blurred areas—“fields of phantom effects.” Think of mosaic art, only more spontaneous.

Accompanying the photo-montages were a series of gestural ink and graphite drawings—“predictive movement studies”—titled Debris Flows. The drawings appear as vertical cascades of mark clusters, a kind of memorial seismic calligraphy for the trauma that befell La Conchita.

Geological trauma informs another body of work: Carrizo Topologies. McPhee became fascinated with the 2003 San Simeon Earthquake that caused two fatalities and extensive damage in Paso Robles and San Miguel. This in turn prompted numerous visits to the windswept Carrizo Plains, Soda Lake, and the “grand-daddy” of California earthquakes, the San Andreas Fault. Exploring this de-populated area, the artist was fascinated to discover abandoned street grids where once hopeful settlers eventually wearied of cop-

Researching her project, McPhee studied geomorphic maps of post-tremor surface activity and seismic graphs. She made notations, field drawings, digital photographs and “performance videos” of the basin. Evoking the bygone residential settlement, McPhee formatted her largest works—photomontages—as verticals, or door shapes. These then invite the viewer’s “entry” to a multi-faceted realm of stacked and segmented imagery that combines photographic views of the plain, deserted ruins, motion wave patterns and “aftershock clouds.” Inventively, the artist superimposed a pattern of black and white piano keys to provide high contrast and stabilize the jumpy seismic graphs. This novel idea also suggests the percussive character (musical scales) of the daily jerking of the opposing Pacific and North American plates around Parkfield, just over the county line.

McPhee’s past repertoire also includes the ambitious Carbon Song Cycle, a multimedia collaborative chamber work by composer Pamela Z (2013). The piece was scored for voice, electronics, bassoon, viola, cello, percussion, and multi-channel video—combining texts, melodic motifs, images derived from scientific data, and narratives of environmental balance and imbalance. This and similarly motivated projects testify to an artist with a simultaneously expansive and integrative vision. The Central Coast art community is blessed to have an artist of this caliber in our midst.

For more information on Christina McPhee, see www.christinamcphee.net, https://vimeo.com/christinamcphee and her “Shed Project” on youtube.

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COMMUNITY

putting out the “Willkommen” Mat

slo High school welcomes german choir sister schools sing

By Jackie Parker

F

rom May 13th to 18th seventy young German singers and musicians will visit their counterparts at San Luis Obispo High School for 5 days of rehearsal, concerts and fun together.

The community is invited to attend their combined concert at the PAC on Sunday, May 17 at 7:30 p.m.

It began in 1948. The unlikely friendship between former sworn enemies bloomed into a romance of more than 60 years. Throw in the fact that there were language and cultural barriers, and a continent and ocean to cross ... well, it is a story of true love.

It all started with an idea. A committee of San Luis Obispo High School students (the German School Committee or GSC) reached out to a possible sister school in war-torn Stuttgart, Germany. The first gesture of sending letters, soap, and candy to the boys of Eberhard-Ludwigs Gymnasium (Ebelu High School) developed into a two-way student exchange in 1954. When Ebelu began to admit girls, the exchange included them. It has operated continuously for 61 years!

bond has been music. Ebelu has a strong devotion to orchestral and choral music. San Luis Obispo High School also has a long tradition of teaching and celebrating music.

On a visit to Stuttgart, former long-time SLOHS Choir Director Gary Lamprecht formed a friendship with Ebelu conductor Peter Bachofer. Gary invited the Ebelu Choir to visit SLOHS. That first visit in 1998 has been followed by numerous visits back and forth. Most recently, SLOHS Choir visited Stuttgart in 2011 to sing at the 325th Ebelu Anniversary Celebration.

Now Director Meagan Glimpse leads the SLOHS Choir and she is eager to continue the tradition of musical exchange. Seventy German students will arrive May 13 and enjoy homestays with American students and other hospitable families. The public is invited to attend the joint concert at the PAC on the evening of May 17 (7:30 p.m.), or perhaps catch the students rehearsing at the Mission between 4 and 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 13.

Lisa Petersen, current GSC exchange student, with Conner Allen, selected to represent SLOHS and GSC in Stuttgart for the 2015/16 school year.

Meanwhile, Lisa Petersen from Ebelu enjoys living with the Mark and Cara Nakamura family in SLO and spending time with host sister Mauria. Lisa looks forward to welcoming her Ebelu friends to SLO and joining them in all the joint choir activities. Conner Allen has been selected to represent SLOHS at Ebelu for school year 2015-16. Both Lisa and Conner will be singing with the choirs with great enthusiasm.

month if you notice young Germans HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY This exploring downtown, please give them a big

Let our family take care of your family.

smile and say, “Welcome to SLO.” They have already heard that San Luis Obispo is the happiest city in North America. Soon they will find out that we are also a community of friendly music lovers!

JUST LIKE HOME

Of the many benefits of the exchange—language learning, cultural exchange, travel and new family relationships—one important

Currently, SLOHS Junior Ceara Eisworth is on her one-year exchange in Stuttgart. She now speaks German fluently and loves living with her generous German host family.

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JUST LIKE HOME

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2015

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call to the colors

the central coast Veterans Memorial Museum

Telling the stories of Military veterans so that all generations may fully understand the costs of peace and the realities of war

By Gail Pruitt

M

any believe that your Central Coast Veterans Memorial Museum receives funding support from the County of San Luis Obispo or other entities. It does not. Some even believe that we charge admission to visit your museum.

We do not. We operate solely on small grants, individual donations, Museum memberships and sponsorships, and fundraising events.

Special events are one-time events like the Tri-tip Sandwich Extravaganza that will take place April 17, 2015 (see information below). The sandwiches will be available between 4pm and 6:30pm at the rear parking lot by the entrance to the Museum.

The sandwiches will be available by preevent purchase of tickets which cost $10 each.

The Museum has two types of fundraising events: ongoing events and special events.

Ongoing fundraisers include The Wall of Honor memorial plaques and the soon-toopen Gift Shop.

Tickets for the Tri-Tip Extravaganza fundraiser go on sale April 1st and they can be purchased at the Museum Wednesday through Saturday, 10am to 3pm or by mail by remitting $10 per sandwich to the Central

Coast Veterans Memorial Museum, 801 Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo 93401.

Mail requests must be received no later than April 10th to guarantee your receipt of your ticket(s) by April 17th. You can call the Museum Tuesday through Saturday between 10am and 3pm for more information.

Funds raised during this event will be used to support Museum operations and the preparation costs associated with developing new exhibits. The fundraiser is a way for everyone to actively participate in making sure that your Museum continues to serve all veterans and citizens of San Luis Obispo.

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COMMUNITY

the greatest athletes on the central coast

By Dr. Don Morris

Editor’s note: Among San Luis Obispo athletes, coaches, and fans, a debate has raged over who are the greatest athletes in the history of San Luis Obispo County. For years—in coffee shops, bars, gyms, and fitness centers—seething arguments persist.

Now finally, to clear the air, Pismo Beach resident Dr. Don Morris will identify once and for all “The Greatest Athletes in Central Coast History” right here in this column. Reader nominations are welcome and will be used to develop the final list. Some nominations have already been received and will be written up in future columns. Please send nominations to Dr. Morris at dmmorris@calpoly.edu.

Steve patterson

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rofessional Basketball Player Steve Patterson competed for Santa Maria High School, UCLA, and professionally for the Chicago Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

He was the men’s head basketball coach at Santa Rosa Jr. College and then became the Head Coach at Arizona State where he coached the Sun Devils to a 48-56 record.

Steve Patterson was nominated by Hancock College’s Women’s Head Basketball Coach Cary Nerelli and many times by his fans from Santa Maria and UCLA and from the fans of his five seasons when he played professional basketball for the Chicago Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

When Steve played basketball at Santa Maria H.S., in his senior season, he averaged 34 points per game and was named All-American and was the CIF Southern Section Player of the Year. He led his team to the CIF championship.

Although he played professional basketball, perhaps his greatest fame was when he played under the legendary Coach John Wooden at UCLA and was a center with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Steve was the starting UCLA center in the seasons between Kareem and Bill Walton and in 1969-70 he was joined in the starting lineup by four other future NBA players, forwards Sidney Wicks, Curtis Rowe, and Guards Henry Bibby and John Valley.

Patterson saved his best for the final game of his college career with a personal-best 29 points in a 68-62 win over Villanova in the 1971 NCAA championship game. In Steve’s Junior and Senior years (1970 and 1971) at UCLA he was the 6’9” and 225 lbs. starting center for the Bruins. During that time UCLA won both NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament Championships. At UCLA Steve was honA P R I L

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ored with the J.D. Morgan Memorial Award presented by the “Bruin Hoopsters” for the outstanding “team player” award. He was an active member of Campus Crusade for Christ and started a ministry on campus.

Patterson entered the 1971 NBA Draft and was the first selection of the second round by the expansion Cleveland Cavaliers and he signed with the Cavaliers. He showed ability as an inside defender and rebounder, but also battled knee problems. He played five years in Cleveland.

During the 1975-76 season he was traded to the Chicago Bulls and after the NBA, he played one year professionally in Italy. Patterson then went into coaching, becoming the men’s head basketball coach at Santa Rosa Jr. College and then became head coach at Arizona State from 1985 through 1989. He coached the Sun Devils to a 48-56 record.

Patterson spent the last years of his life organizing youth and community sports programs in Arizona. Steve died of lung cancer at age 56.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation established the Steve Patterson Award for Excellence in Sports Philanthropy because Steve Patterson believed in and practiced the use of the power of sports philanthropy to make a difference.

gene rambo

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ENE RAMBO — professional Rodeo Champion in bareback rider, saddle bronc rider, bull rider and all four timed events (steer wrestler, team roper, tiedown roper and steer roper).

Gene Rambo was nominated by several local rodeo experts as one of the “Greatest Athletes in the history of the Central Coast.”

Many connoisseurs and specialist in the sport of rodeo consider Gene Rambo the most versatile cowboy ever. Gene was born in San Miguel, Calif., in 1929, and attended the local High School.

Rambo competed in all three “roughstock” events (bareback riding, saddle bronc riding and bull riding) and all four timed events (steer wrestling, team roping, tie-down roping and steer roping). He won consistently in all seven events for more than a decade. He ranked among rodeo’s top money winners three consecutive years (1948-50). In 1948, Rambo won tie-down roping and bareback riding and finished second in steer wrestling at Cheyenne Frontier Days. That fall, he captured first in bareback riding, second in steer wrestling, third in saddle bronc riding and fourth in tie-down roping at Grand National Rodeo in San Francisco’s Cow Palace. One of Rambo’s personal career highlights was winning tie-down roping and saddle bronc riding at Forth Worth in 1950. Rambo served as the team roping director on the PRCA Board of Directors from 1962-65. Gene Rambo was inducted into the Rodeo Hall of Fame in 1989. Rambo was born in 1929 and died Feb. 2, 1988 in Parkfield, Calif.

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31

Get Fit Fast

34 lessons in 34 years

By Mike Z. Robinson

Hi Everyone. Happy April!

15) Be a winner

April is always my favorite month because it’s my springtime and it’s also my birth month where I turn a year older (and hopefully a year wiser). This month on the 12th, I turned 34 years old!

16) Have LOTS of mentors who you can trust

It’s funny because I can remember when I was kid and thinking that my parents were so incredibly old when they were in their 30s. And now, here I am facing the same scenario with my 10-year-old daughter (Mia) who thinks that being 34 years old is equivalent to me growing up when dinosaurs were around.

18) Be honest with everyone especially yourself

Earlier this month, I was talking with my daughter Mia and I told her I’m turning 34 years old yet I feel the best I’ve ever felt in my life (mentally, physically, financially, emotionally, spiritually, happiness, etc.). She interrupted me and asked me what has been the BEST lesson I’ve learned in my life?

21) Stay humble (no matter what)

I paused for a minute, went to grab some paper and a pen, and told her I’d make a list: “34 Lessons in 34 Years.”

And now, I’m going to share with you the same list that I shared with her right here below: 1) Always stay young at heart 2) Give your best everyday 3) Always keep your word 4) Avoid negative people, situations, and things 5) Stay in touch & connected with those who love you 6) Don’t try to change people 7) Don’t let people change you 8) Ignore criticism & ignorance in the world 9) Sky is the limit 10) Believe in yourself (even when nobody else does) 11) Don’t procrastinate—get things done 12) Sometimes certain things are left better unsaid 13) Learn about money early in your life 14) Don’t let people take advantage of you

17) You can’t please everyone

19) Communication is key 20) Learn how to dance

22) It’s ok to ask for help 23) Pay attention to everything 24) Re-charge your mental battery often 25) Don’t make excuses EVER 26) Make the best out of any situation 27) Master your craft 28) Love genuinely 29) Never get down on yourself for making a mistake 30) Take lots of chances and control your own destiny 31) Surround yourself with great people & happy things 32) Take care of yourself, your mind, and your body 33) Always put family first 34) Be happy Obviously, this list can go on and on and could easily be titled, “34 Million Things In 34 Years” but I’ll keep my list at 34!

I would LOVE to hear some of the lessons you have learned in your life so please feel free to reach out and connect with me about some of your favorites. I can’t wait to hear them!

Create a great day EVERY DAY and I will see you around town on the beautiful streets of San Luis Obispo!

Mike Z. Robinson owns and operates MZR Fitness Personal Training Studio in SLO. Contact him at mike@mzrfitness.com A P R I L

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history

when a president visits Part 3

By Joe Carotenuti

T

here were still vivid memories of the first presidential visit to the small community on May 10, 1901 followed by incredulity as William McKinley was assassinated just four months later. Now, another president was coming to visit for an hour. Did anyone suspect another assassin would almost be successful nine years later? With the specter of potential violence fresh in everyone’s mind, planning was much more rigorous for not only a different president but a different man.

There are those whose life’s color is predominately gray. Seemingly wandering from day to day with little enthusiasm or vibrancy, they leave behind a monotone image of a life lived, but not necessarily well-spent. Such was not the case when this president with his remarkable career stopped in San Luis Obispo. The presidency seemed inevitable to capture the multiple talents of an anything but mundane or ordinary Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. The man’s formal White House portrait depicts a man of “presence” and determination. To that end, he knew his voice and his pen were his best allies coupled with inordinate amounts of energy and enterprise. Yet, he was an astute politician whose life had indeed been cast into the most somber of tones and propelled into the brightest of hues.

That he would share his celebrated and often controversial existence with an emerging municipality in the distant land called California was indeed cause for another civic extravaganza, although muted by time and circumstances.

Here’s the story.

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Advised in early spring of the president’s plan to stop in the county seat between 7 and 8 pm on May 9, 1903, the planning to the “minutest detail” included an escort of twelve mounted men of the Grand Army of the Republic. Upon arrival, the president, his secretary, and a few local officials were to go to the first carriage followed by other dignitaries including his physician. The expected crowd was to be kept back behind a roped barricade. Undoubtedly, the fear of assassination, the presence of “special officers” who required

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President Roosevelt leading a parade.

the “freest entrance and exit” from their carriage was a prudent plan as many remembered four presidents in 38 years (of the elected 10) had ended their presidency at the hands of villains. Indeed, this president was the first to receive full-time Secret Service protection.

The time spent traveling was prescribed to a parade down Osos Street, crossing a few blocks on Monterey to the Mission, and returning to today’s Mitchell Park.

Annie Morrison, a mainstay for local historians with her Pioneers of San Luis Obispo County and Environs (1917) vividly recalled the day years later.

Describing herself as “a little middle-aged country school teacher ‘from the hills,’” she eagerly awaited the president’s arrival with her four students after having traveled into the city from thirty miles away. Everyone had been warned to keep the streets clear and so she waited near the train station in “a sort of tenseness” amid a silent crowd. “Not a single Hurrah,” she recalled, came from the spectators. It was as if any noise or movement was feared as “some act of violence.” Nonetheless, she couldn’t contain herself: “I felt as if our president were (sic) being mortally insulted and with no idea but to honor our chief I sprang onto the curb, threw up my right arm and yelled—plain yelled—“Hurrah for Roosevelt! Three cheers for Roosevelt.”

A Retirement Facil COMMUNITY 33

Immediately, others joined in as the President rose, “swept off his silk hat, showed off his teeth in one big smile and facing me bowed low and waved his hand.”

A lifelong memory for Annie and, undoubtedly, her youngsters as well as onlookers, the honor became ingrained in civic lore.

Recalling the cramped venue for President McKinley’s speech, a stage was constructed for the president’s greeting with no one allowed within 100 feet of the speaker except “ladies and their escorts.” There was to be “no reception, no presentation, and no handshaking.” The President was to be seen and heard only. Crowds were to be kept away.

Just who was this first president to receive the Nobel Peace Prize (1906) whose presence invigorated the small community?

A sickly child, Roosevelt was born in 1858 into a wealthy New York family. A severe case of asthma would cause him to gasp desperately for breath as others could offer no relief. The youngster learned an early life lesson that endurance is necessary for survival.

When he found physical exertion minimized his seizures, he vigorously embraced all sorts of physical challenges including rowing, wrestling and boxing. He even invited sparring partners into the White House for exercise and once a severe blow to his left eye caused the retina to detach. His blindness was a well-guarded secret. The 50-year-old Chief Executive wrote in his autobiography, “Accordingly I thought it better to acknowledge that I had become an elderly man and would have to stop boxing. I then took up jiujitsu for a few years.”

An early interest in zoology led to the rudiments of taxidermy and as a youth, the enterprising Teddy (he loathed the name) mounted his own displays in his home. Graduating from Harvard College magna cum laude, his interest and expertise in nature was already firmly established. Indeed, one of the highlights of this visit was a three day wilderness trip with John Muir through Yosemite National Park. Diverse in interests, and a prodigious reader and writer, his first published book was The Naval War of 1812 (1882).

With the death of his predecessor in September of 1901, his reputation was widely acclaimed from his leadership of the “cowboy regiment” in their famous charge up San Juan Hill in Cuba during the Spanish-American War, service in the New York Assembly, a crusading police commissioner of New York City and then

thoughwanted the prospect moving m the residents to assure theofChief Governor of the same state until he resignedEven Executive his decision to do more than to become McKinley’s running mate. The future, you owe it to yourself to learn h speak from the rear platform of the train youngest man to become president (at 42 living in your was worth his efforts.

Theown younghome warriorfor man until the election of President Kennedy 60 carefree and politician had, indeed, taken a lengthy years later), the decision was made to visit life’s journey to this municipality of about 25 states. This was not simply to see the 3000 residents. sights as Roosevelt was not reticent to appear in public. In California alone, in about It’s aover fact50of life that asAswe older,of carriagesPristine the get procession passed, ev-is fully two weeks, he delivered speeches “in onetoo big stampede”licensed headed for the and remarks. some day-to-day taskseryone become and insu Mitchell “block.” much todecorated handle on our own. That All of our worke Traveling along a few streets Contact: jacarotenuti@gmail.com with flags, bunting, greens and flowers, doesn’t mean you have to move away are carefully scre • •

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

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COMMUNITY

slo museum of art exhibit

about morro Rock: 100 views

By Rebecca LeDuc

the Republican convention, civil rights demonstrations, and the launch of the Beatles’ 1964 tour. Over 900 photographs taken that summer were re-discovered in 2009 and featured in an exhibition at San Francisco’s de Young Museum in 2012.

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rthur Tress, a worldrenowned photographer based in Cambria, has been photographing Morro Rock two to three times a day since 2009. From 20,000 black and white photographs, San Luis Obispo Museum of Art curator, Ruta Saliklis, has selected 100 images for an exhibit entitled About Morro Rock: 100 Views, which will be at the Museum until May 10th.

Arthur Tress grew up in Brooklyn and began photographing circus freaks and dilapidated buildings around Coney Island by the age of 12. He later studied at Bard College before moving to Paris for film school in the early 1960s. Mr. Tress spent the spring and summer of 1964 in San Francisco, documenting

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During a stint in Kyoto, Japan in the mid1960s, Mr. Tress purchased a 3-volume copy of Katsushika Hokusai’s 100 Views of Mt. Fuji. Thirty years later, after moving from New York City to Cambria, he unearthed the old edition and was inspired by this area’s own magnetic monolith, Morro Rock. Several years ago, at the age of 70 (coincidentally, the same age as Hokusai when he embarked on his Mt. Fuji project), Mr. Tress began to photograph the rock with his Hasselblad camera on Kodak Tri-X film. Turning his camera 45 degrees before making an exposure, he obtains an unusual diamond format, “changing the photographic border from one of containment and framing to one of dynamic cutting and asymmetrical segments.”

Several times a day, Mr. Tress circumambulates the rock, both up close and from afar, in order to view the monolith from different angles, perspectives, and landscapes. He is fascinated, he says, that after 5 years, there is always something new to shoot and that the same places seem different. His goal is not to capture Morro Rock, per se, but rather to show the microcosm of life that springs up around it. There is a “social

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ecology,” he says, of restaurants, fisherman, tourists, surfers, motel workers, high school playing fields, retirement and vacation homes, plants and animals, festivals and celebrations and much more that surround and face the rock, drawn to it as if by some spiritual magnetism.

Mr. Tress is always seeking to innovate and to push his own envelope as a photographer.

Known primarily for his staged, surrealistic photography, he was looking to try his hand at something different. “As I get older ...

I float between staged and documentary photography often in the same project. For the newest one, About Morro Rock: 100 Views, I am usually doing a kind of traditional photo reportage that relies on chance juxtapositions, but sometimes I bring props or include my own hand or feet in the photo.

It really is about having a neurological matrix of the mind or an idea inside oneself which projects itself out onto the external world; and the world somehow conforms synchronistically to that idea or by accident to what you originally desired. The subject out there—if it really ever exists in the first place—becomes a kind of visual reflection or mediation of your own interior mental state.

How you get to it is inconsequential.”

COMMUNITY

Arthur Tress’s work is part of numerous world-class collections around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art; the Metropolitan Museum of Art; the Whitney Museum; the International Museum of Photography and Film, George Eastman House; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; the Centre Georges Pompidou; and the Bibliothèque nationale de France.

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APRIL CROSSWORD SOLUTIONS ON PAGE 43

A public viewing for the opening of the exhibition will take place on Friday, March 6 from 6–9 pm in conjunction with Art After Dark.

For more info visit SLOMA.org.

© StatePoint Media

STATEPOINT CROSSWORD THEME: SPRING IN THE AIR ACROSS 1. Hawaiian island 6. ___ opener 9. Actress ____ Perlman 13. Olympian Jesse _____ 14. Fertility clinic stock 15. None of these good ones go unpunished?

16. Blood line 17. Grazing area 18. Expression of pirate’s displeasure 19. *Vacation destination 21. *Blooming tree 23. *Before it becomes one, corn is planted in spring 24. Computer solicitation 25. Communications org.

28. *Greek goddess of spring 30. Recipients of funds or benefits 35. Diving bird

37. Kuwaiti, e.g.

39. Mother-of-pearl 40. Fairy tale opener 41. Overthrow by argument 43. Bygone days 44. Jasmine and Basmati 46. Extinct bird 47. Musher’s transport 48. Like lemon 50. Inquires 52. Driver’s license and passports, e.g.

53. Cooking fat 55. To this day 57. *Resurrection celebration 60. *”Spring _______, fall back” 64. Jamaican national fruit 65. Don’t waste 67. New World bird 68. A peddler who shouts to advertise 69. Lay down 70. Willow twig 71. Barrels or casks 72. Thrown in the Boston harbor

73. *Flower holder, often becomes visible in spring DOWN 1. Baker’s unit 2. Military no-show 3. Agrippina’s slayer 4. Cavern 5. Old Testament prophet 6. Soft drink 7. “___ Maria” 8. Civil rights org.

9. Back of military formation 10. German mister 11. Avant-garde 12. *___ Wednesday 15. Demigod 20. Doom and gloom 22. Consumed or experienced 24. Seaworthy vessel 25. *Roman goddess of spring 26. Like a cone 27. Spherical bacteria

29. Ill-____ or unrefined 31. Thumbs-down votes 32. Food safety threat 33. Made a mistake 34. *Most need water 36. Financial aid criterion 38. *Signs of the season 42. Ginza locale 45. Kim to Kourtney, e.g.

49. Stage signal 51. Servomechanisms, for short 54. Do like Vesuvius 56. Unforeseen development 57. Shade of beige 58. Analogous 59. Gets the picture 60. Greek salad ingredient 61. Prima donna’s song 62. Fishing rod attachment 63. Mr. Uncool 64. College readiness assessment 66. Johnny Cash’s “A Boy Named ___”

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COMMUNITY

palm street perspective

Discourse and Democracy

By Councilman, Dan Rivoire

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t is a tremendous honor to have been elected to serve on the City Council in San Luis Obispo. I am incredibly thankful, blushing at first, now just tearing up. Because being elected and actually serving are two very different things. Serving is the real challenge of the two; it means preparing, listening, and making decisions.

Many serious decisions have been made by the Council throughout the last three months. We approved or denied, and, in every single case, struggled confronting the reality that our votes necessarily affect the lives of local residents. That struggle encompasses the magnificence of the democratic process. It is undoubtedly the worst part of the job and the best part of representative government. At the end of the day, I guess I like the struggle. I think it is important, even though it hurts.

In other words, democracy is successful when we respectfully engage in tough discourse because it forces decision makers to prepare

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and listen. San Luis Obispo residents do an incredible job engaging around the issues. You make the council struggle and in turn make the community great. It is an honor to serve here because local residents step up to hash arguments out productively.

I believe further emphasizing productive public engagement is the biggest opportunity we face as a community moving forward. Right now, for example, despite our strong attempts to solve problems related to homelessness or neighborhood wellness, healthy outcomes still evades us. We risk engaging certain problems in an unproductive antagonistic manner. Meanwhile, we know that there are major demographics missing from the conversation, absent from our workshops, study sessions, public comment, and advisory bodies. I am not completely sure how we can increase engagement, but I do believe that doing so will help us propose better solutions to our deepest problems and simultaneously prepare for new success.

The city goals setting process was the most prominent recent example of successful engagement. Our community pushed from every angle, our council struggled through healthy dialogue and reached consensus. So, for the next two years, we will place special emphasis on addressing community driven goals like open space preservation, housing, active transportation, Laguna Lake, neighborhood wellness, downtown, and fiscal responsibility. We should be proud of our goals and each of us needs to engage in thinking of how we can accomplish them. I am excited. I look forward to hearing from you all.

Downtown

Around

The Magazine of Downtown San Luis Obispo

Inside:

April 2015

W hat ’s U p Downtown B usiness Spo tlight B eaut i f icat ion Award W inners

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many residents and guests share similar experiences. like to think of Downtown as the living room of Some of those experiences are much more dramatic San Luis Obispo and our Downtown Association and have led to life changing decisions. SLO City Fire is the host. As a host we want our living room to be Chief Garret Olson recalls a dramatic story about inviting and fun so that people leave with memories being at the market with his wife considering a move of a great experience. It is certainly necessary for us to SLO. After laying eyes on the market, they both to advocate for clean streets, a strong mix of retail and knew that this is where they wanted to call home. hospitality, public safety and the overall promotion of “The Market was our tipping point,” says Olson when our little district—but we also believe in putting on asked about it. some of the best ongoing events in San Luis Obispo County. Playing host to these events often means that isiting this special event may have been a tipping Dominic Tartaglia, our staff gets to seek out local musicians and artists, Executive Director point for the Olson family, but it's also the local businesses, non-profits, kids groups, public catalyst for a thriving social activity and economic agencies and members of the public to participate in events as driver for the community each Thursday. The Downtown SLO small as Pumpkins on Parade in October all the way up to our Farmers’ Market offers many different flavors and interactions Downtown SLO Farmers’ Market that happens every Thursday that at first glance may look odd grouped together. However, Night from 6–9PM. Sure it is hard work but it is absolutely once the event kicks off at 6 o’clock it becomes very evident worth it when we hear from people that they cannot wait to that the variety at the market is one of its most charming come back to visit us. characteristics. Market goers pick their way through the booths at their own pace and have the freedom to choose which ones he Downtown SLO Farmers’ Market is one of our flagship they stop at which makes their experience unique to them events. It is a classic experience for many people who have based on their personal taste and interests and with so much heard about the open air street fair featuring local music, local diversity, the combinations are endless. One week you can flavors and local vendors which all blend together to create an grab a rib while you make your way down to buy your veggies experience that appeals to all of your senses. Just writing about for the weekend and finish with a cookie and the next week the market recalls the smell of our barbeque and food vendors you may start with clam chowder and end with a churro, not and the familiar sound of walking past Richie Begin playing his to mention a totally different variety of veggies. That being guitar while quite literally bumping into a friend and sharing said, the market is so much more than food. a warm conversation. There is no doubt in my mind that I am not alone in my recollection of a typical night at the market;

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On the Cover: A little cutie visited Downtown Bunny during our Bunny Trail Downtown event in April 2014. Photo by: Mukta Naran

Celebrate Local April 9th Kick-off Celebration Join us as we announce exciting new additions to the SLO Downtown Farmers’ Market and celebrate with the launch of our Fresh Picked Concert Series.

6:00 P KICK-OFF CEREMONY & GIVEAWAYS @ the Market Stand (corner of Chorro and Higuera)

6:30 P

SAN LUIS OBISPO COLLECTION PRESENTS:

DAMON CASTILLO

@ the Harvest Stage (Union Bank parking lot) Headlining the Fresh Picked Concert Series

DISCOVER

LOCAL

FLAVOR

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arket goers can come and be entertained for three hours and never spend a dime. While driving to the market will generally start your evening in a parking garage and could cost you up to $1.50 for three hours of parking (first hour is free), riding your bike to the market you can save that money by using the free SLO County Bicycle Coalition Bike Valet.

After checking your bike in, you can visit upwards of 50-100 vendors and booths and find live entertainment on nearly every corner of the market. Entertainers include juggling acts, club events, musicians of all genres and our special promotional events like our upcoming Bunny Trail Downtown.

Again, the combinations are endless and the entertainment is ever changing.

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s previously mentioned, if you come to the Downtown SLO Farmers’ Market on April 2nd you can watch local kids follow the Bunny Trail to get free candy and other fun goodies at local shops before a quick visit with the Downtown Bunny. This has become a tradition for many children and an experience that I hope families will remember for many years to come. While that is an example of one of our long-standing traditions, I am really excited to say that we are currently developing even more free experiences for market attendees.

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n the works at this time is a plan for a “S.T.E.A.M. Alley” taken from the popular concept of Science Technology Engineering Art and Mathematics. Our goal is to have a section of the market every week that engages people with hands on displays and encourages playful minds to learn about everything from how solar energy works to fun things for children to play with and build. If you have an idea for an

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interactive STEAM booth, please don’t hesitate to let us know.

We are open to a variety of ideas because ultimately we want this section of the market to be a fun, new event and it's just a part of a few new additions to the market. Additions including a souped up Downtown SLO Farmers’ Market information booth, the ability to search for vendors on a web based map and search bar, and some fun, new market merchandise are all coming your way.

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n April 9th we are kicking off some of those additions with a special event—the all-new Fresh Picked Concert Series. With the help of the San Luis Obispo Collection, the San Luis Obispo Downtown Association will host a monthly concert series featuring local artists playing on stage in the Union Bank parking lot through September. To lead off the Fresh Picked Concert Series we are lucky to have the Damon Castillo Band perform for us after a brief unveiling ceremony of our information booth at 6PM. Please keep your eyes open for more details and deals unique to our celebration of the market. This will certainly be a very special evening for us and we welcome you to join us and experience it for yourself, as this will be a market to remember.

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n another note, I would like to offer congratulations to the 2015-2017 Board of Directors of the San Luis Obispo Downtown Association, which was announced last month.

Among our new additions to the Board we welcome Aaron Gomez (Owner: The Gold Concept), Doug Shaw (Owner: The Sanctuary Tobacco Shop), John Spatafore (Owner: John Spatafore, Attorney at Law) and Therese Cron (Leasing/

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

COMMERCIAL + RESIDENTIAL LANDSCAPES + MAINTENANCE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

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Continued from previous page Marketing/Property Manager: Copeland Properties). I would also like to welcome back our re-elected members Josh Haring (Owner: The Mountain Air), our 2015-2016 Board President Gary Stevenson (President: Peak Property Management, Inc., The Wineman, Wineman GrillHaus) and our reappointed Past President Marshall Ochylski (Owner: Ochylski Law Firm).

These seven members join our existing board comprised of

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Joanne Currie (Owner: Splash Cafe Seafood & Grill San Luis Obispo), Carl Dudley (VP / Senior Relationship Manager Pacific Western Bank), Jules DuRocher (Owner: Jules D.), Landy Fike (Retail Media Specialist: The Tribune), Kannyn January (Owner: Ambiance Boutique SLO), Amy Kardel (Owner: Clever Ducks), Erica Stewart (COO United Way of SLO County) and Kimberly Walker (Owner: Granada Hotel and Bistro). Congratulations to all of you new and returning Board Members; it is going to be a great year Around Downtown!

B u s i n e s s

Julie Messer, MFT

697 Higuera Street, Suite #D www.JulieMesser.com juliemessermft@gmail.com (805) 508-8193

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hether you are struggling with relationships, family concerns, or just not feeling like your normal self, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Julie Messer would like to help you get back on track. Julie feels, "To be part of my client’s journey not only to heal themselves from their wounds, but also to work towards coming from a place where they can live wholeheartedly is a great honor for me."

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ulie attended Pacifica Graduate Institute in Carpinteria and graduated with a M.A. in Counseling Psychology with an Emphasis in Depth Psychology in 2011. As part of her traineeship, she worked at The North County Women's Shelter and Resource Center (now known as RISE). Julie worked in the community counseling center, the shelters and at Santa Rosa Elementary School in Atascadero providing therapy to groups and individuals with men, women and children affected by

B e a u t i f i c a t i o n The SLO Downtown Association recently awarded honors to two-dozen businesses at its 26th Annual Beautification Awards Breakfast. The awards are given to those businesses that made physical or aesthetic improvements toward keeping Downtown beautiful in the 2014 calendar year. Beautification Award Committee members Michele Gordon, Jackie Crane, Karen Kile, Bruce Fraser, Dominic Tartaglia, and Brent Vanderhoof assisted chair Marshall Ochylski in jurying the candidates and categorizing the awards, the winners are as follows: Tenant Improvements: Service, Remodel: Merit Yoga Centre SLO, 672 Higuera Street, Suite 200 Tenant Improvements: Service, Remodel: Excellence Heritage Oaks Bank, 1144 Morro Street Tenant Improvements: Hospitality, Remodel: Merit Doc Burnstein’s Ice Cream Lab, 860 Higuera Street Tenant Improvements: New: Merit Scout Coffee Co., 1130 Garden Street, Suite 100 Couch Potato, 595 Marsh Street Tenant Improvements: New: Excellence Foremost Wine Co., 570 Higuera Street, Suite 105 Tenant Improvements: Exterior: Excellence Snyder Building, 774 Marsh Street Signage/Awning Downtown Boba, 1133 Garden Street, Suite A The Naked Fish, 857 Higuera Street Wineman GrillHaus, 851 Higuera Street

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intimate partner violence.

She then became a certified Domestic Violence Counselor as well as a certified Sexual Assault Counselor. She also worked as a staff therapist at The Central Coast Treatment Center in San Luis Obispo where she gained experience working with eating, exercise and body image disorders. January of this year Julie has transitioned and opened her own private practice.

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ulie's office is located at 697 Higuera Street, Suite #D in the heart of Downtown SLO. While her office may be in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Downtown, it is nestled in an office building upstairs and back from the street that's calm and has a private feel. It is also cozy and peaceful with comfy seating, pillows, soft blankets, and warm décor. Julie is available by appointment Monday through Friday.

by Mukta Naran

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Spike’s Pub, 570 Higuera Street San Luis Obispo County Offices Directional Kiosk, 1050 Monterey Street Cal Poly Alumni Banners ~ Commencement, Around Downtown Historic District Street Signs, Around Downtown Merchandising: Hair Haven, 525 Marsh Street Celadon House, 766 Higuera Street H & G Boutique, 778 Higuera Street, Suite E Haven Properties ~ Gallery Location, 1039 Chorro Street Maintenance: Growing Grounds Downtown, 956 Chorro Street Community Art: SLO County Library Mural ~ Movimiento Mundial, 995 Palm Street Court Street~Mural, West side of 1075 Court Street Building Executive Director’s Award: Make Change Count Donation Meters, Around Downtown Chairman’s Award: The Gold Concept, 740 Higuera Street Mayor’s Award: Johnson Building (pictured right), 1041 Chorro Street

COMMUNITY

our schools

teaching, pay it forward

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

“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” ~Aristotle Imagine that your child, grandchild, niece or nephew is about to enter kindergarten at their local elementary school. This child is set to enroll in the classroom of an excellent teacher with a sterling track record and years of positive parent and administrative reviews. This educator has such a successful track record that dozens of students come back to visit their former classroom with positive memories and stories every year. From the time that kindergarten roundup ends, and registration closes, this phenomenal teacher decides to retire and is now traveling the country. What should you do? Do you panic, call the school principal, storm a trustee meeting or simply hold your breath and hope for the best?

According to a study conducted by Harvard University and Columbia University, researchers determined that highly effective teachers create great value for their students while students are in school and beyond. This latest study should elevate the issue on the national agenda because it not only underscores the importance of a quality education but also illuminates how we might improve schools. So the answer to our original question is to recruit the best teachers possible to serve in this noble profession. Stanford University reported in the 2011 Economics of Education Review that hundreds of research studies have focused on the importance of teachers for student achievement. A key finding is that teachers are very important; no other measured aspect of schools is nearly as important in determining student achievement as the quality of their teacher. The general findings of the research on teacher importance come from the fact that the average gains in learning in classrooms, even classrooms within the same school, are very different. Some teachers year after year produce bigger gains in student learning than other teachers. The magnitude of the differences is truly large, with some teachers producing large gains in achievement in an academic year while others with equivalent students produce only limited gains. Rigorous recruitment and retention practices, professional development, and institutional support for teachers result in positive gains for students.

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who are called to teach, they view their profession as a true vocation.

Quality teachers view themselves more as a mentor, guide or facilitator than simply an employee completing a task for a paycheck.

This year, Teacher Appreciation Week is May 4th – May 8th and National Teacher Day falls on Tuesday, May 5, 2015. People in the United States started celebrating National Teacher Day in 1953 when Eleanor Roosevelt persuaded Congress to set aside a day to recognize educators. Some references cite the advocacy of a Wisconsin teacher, and other references credit the efforts of a teacher in Arkansas for first working to establish a teacher appreciation day.

One of these teachers is thought to have written to Eleanor Roosevelt, urging her to take up the cause.

It didn’t become a nationally recognized day until March 7, 1980, after the National Education Association (NEA) along with its Kansas and Indiana state affiliates and the Dodge City, Kansas, local chapter lobbied Congress.

People continued to celebrate the day in March until 1984, when the National Parent Teacher Association designated the first full week of May as Teacher Appreciation Week. The following year, the NEA voted to make the Tuesday of that week National Teacher Day. The NEA describes National Teacher Day as “a day of honoring teachers and recognizing the lasting contributions they make to our lives.”

Students and parents typically show their appreciation for teachers by writing thank-you cards and sharing small treats and gifts. I encourage each of you reading this article to take some time over the next few months to thank our teachers for the wonderful service they provide our nation.

Teaching is a challenging job with many opportunities and frustrations. The rewards of teaching are numerous and can have a lasting positive impact on future generations. Ask a veteran educator why they teach, and you will hear about the incredible joy of seeing the difference their presence makes as students gain new insights. On a daily basis, teachers mold the future through impacting their students’ views and understanding. Educators can foster creativity, develop character, and provide students a lens in which to view the world and lead productive lives. Many educators are attracted to teaching due to a sense of service and because they want to make a clear, tangible difference in the lives of others. Some people consider work a means to an end. Other people work for a paycheck in order to live their lives and view work simply as a necessary daily task. However for many A P R I L

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7th annual wine-4-paws

Join us on April 25th-26th as we raise funds for Woods Humane Society! Choose from over 60 Central Coast wineries and enjoy our beautiful wine region while supporting a great cause.

You can help our four-legged friends by visiting ANY of the participating wineries during that weekend and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Woods. Wine-4-Paws is an annual weekend benefitting the homeless animals in our area who await their “forever home,” enabling Woods to continue to provide a high level of care to their guests and assist other local shelters. No advance tickets needed! Print your free map/passport off the website, or grab one at any participating winery during the event. Get your passport stamped when you help generate a donation and you’ll be entered in our raffle! Visit www.wine4paws. com for more info.

bocce courts available for play at emerson park

There is an opportunity to learn how to play this ancient sport. It was a sport of Egyptians 5200 years ago. They played with stones on a dirt court. Later, bocce was introduced to the Romans and became an aristocratic game during the rein of Augustus. Learn to play this classic Italian game or sharpen your skills for free. Bocce is played every Thursday, 12pm at Emerson Park. Why not add some fun to your lunch hour? Experienced players are available to teach you at no cost to you. Sponsored by the City of San Luis Obispo, Parks and Recreation Department. Telephone 781-7300 or visit slocity.org/ parksandrecreation.

noor clinics 2nd annual fundraiser

Fashion Show, Raffle, Silent Auction, Finger Foods & FULL NoHost Bar. Guest Models: Noor Founder Dr. Nooristani, Supervisor Adam Hill, KSBY’s Dave Hovde and SLO County Firemen!

Saturday May 2nd, Adults $30 (@ Door $35) Child $20 (@ Door $25). Doors open 1 pm, Show Starts 1:30 pm. Stay and Dance the Night Away with Irene Cathaway Rhythm and Blues Band. This band packs the house with fans from Los Angeles to north of SLO County who are up on their feet dancing from their roots-based, soulful sound. 7-10pm (doors open at 6) FULL no-host bar; $30 price includes appetizers from Giancarlo’s 5 star Restaurant. Call 781-2630 for more information.

AAuw morro bay garden tour

The annual Morro Bay AAUW Garden Tour will be Sunday April 26, noon to 5pm. Discover the “Hidden Treasures” in gardens in Morro Bay, Cayucos and Los Osos, Tickets are $10 for the self-guiding tour. Tickets may be purchased after April 1st at Volumes of Pleasure Bookstore in Los Osos, Coalesce Bookstore in Morro Bay, Sage Nursery in Los Osos, and Farm Supply in San Luis Obispo, Arroyo Grande, and Paso Robles plus any AAUW member of the Morro Bay Branch. Proceeds benefit community projects. For more information, morrobayaauw.org or call 805-748-4731

chevron supports big brothers/sisters

Chevron increased their support for Big Brothers Big Sisters, awarding a grant of $4,000 to support the agency’s one-to-one mentoring programs throughout the county. Anna Boyd-Bucy, Executive Director for Big Brothers Big Sisters said “A nationwide study conducted for Big Brothers Big Sisters by Harris Interactive finds that adults who were involved as children in our program are better educated, wealthier, and report stronger relationships with their spouses, children and friends. We are delighted that Chevron is willing to help make that possible.” For more information on volunteering or contributing to Big Brothers Big Sisters, call 7813226, or log onto www.slobigs.org.

new exhibit at slo history center

The History Center of SLO County, in collaboration with the Hearst Corporation, will open a new exhibit about the extraordinary life and philanthropy of Phoebe Apperson Hearst in April 2015.

Wife of Senator George and mother of W. R., Phoebe Hearst transcended the accepted roles of Victorian womanhood and made a lasting impact on the social and cultural well-being of America by championing education, women’s advancement, arts and architecture, and natural and historical preservation. Phoebe Apperson Hearst: California’s Grande Dame will use rarely seen photographs and objects from the Hearst Corporation, Cal Poly Special Collections & Archives, California Historical Society, the Bancroft Library, the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology, and the History Center’s collection to show Phoebe Hearst’s life, work, and connections to San Luis Obispo County. Quotations from the era and excerpts from Phoebe’s own letters and writings will caption the exhibit, offering a glimpse into the way Phoebe was viewed in her own time, as well as the deep personal values that inspired her. For more information go to http://historycenterslo.org

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Alan “Himself” A P R I L

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

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festival mozaic announces 2015 poster artist

Since its beginnings in 1971, FESTIVAL MOZAIC transforms the Central Coast of California into a hotbed of classical music culture each summer. The Festival works with local visual artists to help send that message. Paso Robles artist Anne Laddon has created an original pastel work, “Mission Mosaic” featuring illustrations of Festival Mozaic Music Director Scot Yoo leading the Orchestra at Mission San Miguel. This image will adorn all 2015 Festival Mozaic publicity, including the season brochure and summer festival souvenir program, all of which celebrate and promote the 45th Anniversary of the Festival. Information and tickets for this year’s festival may be ordered online at www.festivalmozaic.com or by calling (805) 781-3009 / (877) 881-8899.

help our local veterans

The VA clinic in San Luis is asking for volunteers to serve our Veterans as shuttle drivers. To help pay tribute and express your appreciation for their service, learn about volunteering at your local VA clinic. For more information contact your local VA volunteer representative Mr. Larry Foster at 805-354-6004 or send an email to Lawrence.Foster@va.gov

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new casa volunteer advocates

Juvenile Court Judge Linda Hurst recently swore in 5 new CASA volunteer advocates and mentors who will be assigned to an abused, neglected or abandoned child or sibling group or to a youth transitioning to adulthood in San Luis Obispo County. CASA provided the new volunteers with 30 hours of initial training; each volunteer completed a thorough screening and background check.

Volunteers are recruited from all areas of San Luis Obispo County.

For more information, visit www.slocasa.org. Photo, left to right: Salina Real, Diane Aubuchon, Judge Linda Hurst, Noreen Martin, Stacy Mitchell, and Michael Murphy.

dignity health hospice seeking volunteers

Dignity Health Hospice is seeking volunteers from throughout the Central Coast to help in our mission to provide compassionate and supportive end-of-life care to patients and their loved ones.

Dignity Health Hospice is a team of health care professionals who work together to care for and support patients and their families with a life-limiting illness. This care is provided where the patient resides, and aims to help the patient maintain the highest quality of life possible. Volunteers are needed in Lompoc, Santa Maria, Arroyo Grande, San Luis, and the Atascadero area. Some of these opportunities include socialization, music enjoyment, arts and crafts, massage therapy, and pet therapy. Volunteers are also sought to simply sit with and be a compassionate presence for the patients and their loved ones. Hospice volunteer training is provided, and is flexible to accommodate different schedules. For more information on volunteering with Dignity Health Hospice, please call: 739.3830 ext. 2061.

Gary A. Sage License No. 0E02096 100 Cross Street, Suite 203 San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 gsage@dibu.com A P R I L

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

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20th annual concerts in the plaza

The San Luis Obispo Downtown Association proudly announces the 2015 Concerts in the Plaza band lineup. 2015 marks the 20th Anniversary of the most popular free concert series on the Central Coast. From more than 80 applicants (a record!), 14 of the area’s greatest musical groups were selected to play for the upcoming annual concert season that kicks off Friday, June 12 and runs every Friday through September 11. All concerts are free to the public and run weekly from 5–8pm.

2015 Band Lineup: June 12 Lakes // Indie Rock June 19 Young Dubliners // Celtic Rock June 26 Próxima Parada // Folk/Blues July 3

Joe Koenig & The Homewreckers // Texas Soul

July 10

Damon Castillo // Rock/Soul

July 17

The JD Project // Cali Roots Rock

July 24

Louie and the Lovers // Tex-Mex/Rock

July 31

The Kicks // Roots Reggae

August 7 The Sam Sharp Band // Rock/Blues August 14 Cuesta Ridge // Americana August 21 Resination // Reggae August 28 The Truth About Seafood // Rock September 4 The Mother Corn Shuckers // Bluegrass September 11 Big Daddy’s Blues Band // Jazz/Blues

audubon bird walk at slo botanical garden

Saturday, April 11, 9-11am. Meet at the Garden’s purple entrance bridge for a walk through gentle terrain while learning how to identify resident and migrating birds. You’re bound to see dozens of different species. Bring binoculars, or borrow some from our birders! Walk is $5 for Garden members/ $10 for public.

More info at slobg.org/bird

A P R I L

2015

Journal PLUS

unitarians donate to “get on the Bus” program

The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of San Luis Obispo County donates their second Sunday offering each month to a local nonprofit serving the SLO community. In the past four years they have given away over $27,000 to worthy causes. They recently collected $1,053 for the non-profit “Get On The Bus.” This CA non-profit reunites children with their incarcerated parents.

The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship joins the SLO County Community in funding 9 buses of children to visit their fathers at California Men’s Colony on May 30, 2015. For more information go to www.getonthebus.us. In the photo: left to right: Rev. Rod Richards, minister; Susan Olson, Get On The Bus Regional Coordinator of the Central Coast; Judy Hornaday, Community Outreach Offering Director.

ccgga 14th annual open house

The Central Coast Greenhouse Growers Association (CCGGA) will hold its 14th Annual Open House on Saturday, April 18th from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. CCGGA member nurseries throughout Nipomo and Arroyo Grande will open their doors to the general public in efforts to raise money for their scholarship fund. Many growers will offer nursery tours of their facilities, in addition to their highly anticipated local plant and flower sales. This is an opportunity for the public to visit with growers and learn firsthand, how to care for the outstanding plant and flower products that these nurseries are selling. Each participating nursery proudly donates a portion of that day’s sales to the CCGGA Scholarship Fund, which is made available to Horticulture students and CCGGA grower members’ children. Rabobank is this year’s event sponsor. For more information about this event, please call 800 961-8901 or visit www.ccgga.com

THE BULLETIN BOARD

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yarns at the mission yarn bombs for casa

2015 community foundation board of directors

Nurse practitioners/physician assistants donate

The Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County is pleased to announce its Board of Directors for 2015. Steve McCarty, Owner of Stafford McCarty Commercial Real Estate, is the Foundation’s new President. Mary Verdin, Owner of Verdin Marketing is Vice President. Bill Raver of Morro Bay will continue as Treasurer, and Jim Glinn, owner of San Luis Sports Therapy is the new Secretary.

The Community Foundation has supported our county with grants totaling more than $26 million. The Foundation’s assets under management have grown to more than $47 million, and provide support to all aspects of our community in perpetuity. For more information or to donate to any fund, visit The Community Foundation’s website or call 543-2323.

Yarns at the Adobe in San Luis Obispo, has donated $150 to CASA of San Luis Obispo County.

The Mama Bears knitting group, which meets weekly at the yarn shop, knitted 30 feet for the tree yarn bombing in front of the store to benefit CASA at $5 per foot. Pictured left to right: Anne Gough, owner of Yarns at the Adobe, CASA board member Gary Kaiser and CASA volunteer and Mama Bears’ member Diane Denman. Anne presents the check to Gary Kaiser; yarn bombing on tree visible at top of photo.

Transitions-Mental Health Association (TMHA) has received a $500 donation from the Central Coast Nurse Practitioners & Physician Assistants (CCNPPA). For over 38 years, CCNPPA, has served and supported its members and community groups in providing accessible, high quality healthcare. As the oldest professional organization of advanced clinical practitioners in the State, CCNPPA has been providing scholarships, charitable contributions and free health screenings and education for the community at local health fairs and running events. CCNPPA provides opportunities for education, professional growth, development and networking to its members.

free senior health care screening

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

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

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

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

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A P R I L

2015

Journal PLUS

46

COMMUNITY

eye on business Recovery Still a work in progress

By Maggie Cox, Barnett Cox & Associates

I

was recently talking with a colleague about the recession and I was struck by the fact that the worst of it arrived more than five years ago. That’s a long time. While by many measures recovery is well under way and we are on the mend, it’s still difficult to feel all-out confident.

The economic downturn slammed into the Central Coast and left businesses, especially small businesses, reeling. Many were unable to survive.

The crash of the housing market started a wave of destruction that cut a wide swath through many businesses and fundamentally changed the way we all operate.

Lean staffs, cautious hiring, frantic cost controlling and curtailed budgets have become the new normal. It seems everyone is working harder than before, but also working happily because value is being rebuilt and optimism is returning. That forward motion sure beats the helpless feeling we battled a few years ago when no amount of work or slashed spending could stop the destruction.

I got a big dose of positive thinking recently at a “Builders Breakfast” program produced by the Homebuilders Association of the

Central Coast. After being decimated by the recession, losing members as business slid away, the association is once again in a healthy place, and the breakfast event was a bellwether of local market improvement. A sellout crowd of building and development industry leaders gathered together at 7 a.m. to talk about the local market. Attendees included home builders, engineers and planners and government officials. The breakfast included a spotlight from a new member and the announcement that a stucco specialty company that had been lost to the downturn was now back. All good signs.

Stephen Peck of Mangano Homes offered an update on Serra Meadows, the first master planned community being built in San Luis Obispo in 15 years. The first phase is sold out; new homes are well underway for Phase II and demand remains high.

SLO County Long Range Planner Brian Pedrotti spoke about the County’s efforts to support workforce housing. Longtime industry professional Dan Lloyd, who is a board member of the National Association of Homebuilders, shared a recently released study that shows the impacts fees have on the overall price of housing.

The discussion that followed was lively and informative. There were comments voiced about government delays in processing applications and plans; the problem of uncertain timelines and protracted environmental review processes that add to costs that in turn drive up the price of homes. Dan talked about the holding power of large national homebuilders who can better withstand financial battering, versus smaller local builders who cannot survive years-long processes while waiting for the go ahead to proceed.

The conversation was civil, reasonable and polite, and it was couched in a spirit of collaboration and problem solving. It also flagged some key issues: the crisis of the recession may be largely over, but we are far from being on solid ground. Our housing market drives much of our economic stability. And right now, our housing market is just not stable. We have a shortage of workforce housing; by some accounts an inadequate amount of land zoned for housing, a cumbersome approval process and a staggering load of fees that account for almost 40 percent of the cost of a housing unit.

My point is this: if you are a reader who has been in the market for a long time, owns a home and loves the community, you may feel that all is mostly well. It isn’t. We have an entire generation that is struggling to find its way to the same opportunities we had.

Housing is expensive and difficult to find.

There are plans in place to help fix that, and it’s incumbent on all of us to keep pushing to make it happen.

Because without a healthy housing market, economic recovery cannot succeed. Developing affordable housing is not just the right thing to do, it’s an economic necessity.

We’ve come too far to let success slip away.

Let’s keep the recession behind us, once and for all.

A P R I L

2015

Journal PLUS

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