May 2015 Journal Plus by SLO Journal

ROBERT STONE | ADAM STOWE | WOMEN OF DISTINCTION | LISA FR ASER | VANESSA GILLIAM

JournalPLUS MAY 2015

MAGA ZINE OF THE CENTRAL COAST

CIRQUE DREAMS

805-543-2172

805-904-6616

21 Santa Rosa St. #100, San Luis Obispo

110 E. Branch Street, Arroyo Grande

w w w.FA R R E LL S M Y T H.c om www.1778Alrita.com

www.960BakersfieldSt.com

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 drive. Sale also includes additional adjacent vacant building lot. Lot currently has avocado and other fruit trees.The home includes two decks, fireplace, extra parking suitable for RV or boat. $1,099,000

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! $579,000

www.414Westpoint.com

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

www.1350countryhillrd.com

Beautifully maintained 3 bedroom, 2 bath home in a highly sought after Orcutt neighborhood with easy access to the 101 freeway, close to town but still enjoy almost 1/4 acre lot and a calm country feel. Home boasts a formal dining room, living room, family room with pellet stove insert, eat-in breakfast nook, and a spacious yard with RV parking with plenty of space for all your toys. $399,000

SAN LUIS OBISPO

www.365CNorthChorro.com

End unit with fantastic views of Bishop’s Peak and Madonna with SW exposure! Very light and bright with gleaming hickory floors on the main level. Two master suites on the upper level with laundry for stacking washer/dryer. Covered patio off kitchen/dining area for enjoying the sunshine & views. Oversized 1 car garage with high ceilings to add more shelving for great storage. $350,000

Well located in the Foothill area just a block from the Highland entrance to Cal Poly. Two Bedroom 1.5 baths with fireplace, storage patio and covered carport with two spaces. Exterior just painted, looks great. $349,000

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

ROBERT STONE

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

ADAM STOWE

VANESSA GILLIAM

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, Don Morris, Karen Harris, Sherry Shahan, Jamie Reith, Lauren Milbourne, Gail Pruitt, and Jan Marx. 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.

PEOPLE 7 8 10 12 14 16

MCADAMS FAMILY DONATION ROBERT STONE LISA FRASER ADAM STOWE DON YOUNG VANESSA GILLIAM

HOME & OUTDOOR 18 20 22 24

BEE ALLIANCE SANTA BARBARA SURF MUSEUM CIRQUE DREAMS

COMMUNITY

26 27 30 31 32 34 36 42

JIM HARPER’S HIKING FUNDRAISER LUDWICK FAMILY REUNION GREATEST ATHLETES OF SLO WOMEN OF DISTINCTION HISTORY: A President Visits OUR SCHOOLS—Dr. James Brescia PALM STREET—SLO Mayor, Jan Marx COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD

BUSINESS

37 DOWNTOWN SLO What’s Happening 46 EYE ON BUSINESS

FOOD / AT THE MARKET

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COMING UP AT THE

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

PERFORMING ARTS CENTER CLASSICS IN THE COHAN V: THE MAGIC OF MOZART May 02 | 8:00 p.m.

CAL POLY SPRING DANCE CONCERT May 20-22 | 8:00 p.m. Alex & Faye Spanos Theatre Presented by Cal Poly Theatre & Dance

Christopher Cohan Center Presented by SLO Symphony

NATALIE MACMASTER / DONNELL LEAHY May 03 | 7:00 p.m. Christopher Cohan Center Presented by Cal Poly Arts

LOMS/MBHS SPRING CHOIR CONCERT May 21 | 7:00 p.m. Christopher Cohan Center Presented by LOMS & MBHS

SPIKE HEELS

ARAB MUSIC ENSEMBLE SPRING CONCERT

May 07-09 & 14-16 | 8:00 p.m.

May 23 | 8:00 p.m.

Alex & Faye Spanos Theatre

Presented by Cal Poly Theatre & Dance

Presented by Cal Poly Music Department

YOUTH SYMPHONY FINALE CONCERT May 10 | 4:00 p.m. Christopher Cohan Center Presented by SLO Youth Symphony

JANE SMILEY: THE EDUCATION OF A WRITER May 27 | 7:00 p.m. Alex & Faye Spanos Theatre Presented by SLO County Libraries

THE PIANO GUYS

WHOSE LIVE ANYWAY?

May 13 | 7:30 p.m.

May 28 | 7:30 p.m.

Christopher Cohan Center

Presented by Cal Poly Arts

THE ASSAD BROTHERS

DISNEY SPECTACULAR!

May 14 | 7:30 p.m.

May 30 | 7:00 p.m.

Christopher Cohan Center

Presented by Cal Poly Arts

Presented by Atascadero High School

CUESTA MASTER CHORALE: VERDI'S "REQUIEM"

UNIVERSITY JAZZ BANDS' JAZZ NIGHT CONCERT

May 16 | 8:00 p.m. Christopher Cohan Center Presented by Cuesta Master Chorale

May 30 | 8:00 p.m. Christopher Cohan Center Presented by Cal Poly Music Department

MET LIVE IN HD: CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA & PAGLIACCI

INFUSION

May 17 | 2:00 p.m.

Alex & Faye Spanos Theatre

Christopher Cohan Center

Presented by The Civic Ballet of SLO & Academy of Dance

Presented by Cal Poly Arts & Opera SLO

BOZ SCAGGS May 19 | 7:30 p.m. Christopher Cohan Center Presented by Cal Poly Arts

May 31 | 6:00 p.m.

From the publisher

W Smile, summer is almost here! COME SEE US AT OUR NEW OFFICE.

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

Madonna Road

El Tigre PARKING

Los Osos Valley Road

e all like pleasant surprises and I received a big one last month. Nine years ago I received a note from one of our young entrepreneur advertisers stating that he was closing his business and was unable to pay his bill. He explained that he was just graduating from Cal Poly, married and a baby on the way and moving back to the Sacramento area. He asked me to please forgive the past-due balance. I wrote him back stating that I would zero out the balance, wished him well and stated “one day when you are rich and famous, surprise me and pay the balance.” Obviously I never gave it a second thought until I opened my mail one day last month to find the original letter I had written and a note stating that he had kept my letter these nine years and it was time to pay his debt. Enclosed was a check paying off the balance in full. What a class act ... and a pleasant surprise.

This month’s issue is filled with other good things people are doing on the Central Coast. We begin with the exceptional McAdams family donation to the Foundation for the Performing Arts Center on the next page. Finally, a hearty congratulations to Sheriff Ian Parkinson, Under Sheriff Tim Olivas and Chief Deputy Rob Reid. The three men received the California Commendation Medal from National Guard Major General, David Baldwin for their dedication of service and cooperation with the National Guard. Enjoy the magazine,

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

Steve Owens

PEOPLE

giving back

mcadams family gives big To The foundation for the performing arts

he Foundation for the Performing Arts Center has received a $450,000 commitment to its Encore endowment campaign. The generous legacy gift comes from longtime Foundation supporter, and member Brendan “Ben” McAdams and his wife Kathryn “Pat” McAdams of San Luis Obispo. Ben McAdams chairs the campaign which will secure permanent community access to the arts.

Foundation Executive Director, Heather Cochrane, said, “The McAdams’ recent gift comes after two decades of continued support for the Foundation. They are founders and part of the visionary group that brought the Center to life. Ben and Pat are truly champions for access to the arts in San Luis Obispo.” The Foundation for the Performing Arts Center is the private sector source of funding for the Center. Each year hundreds of generous individuals and local businesses make contributions to the Foundation to keep the Performing Arts Center thriving, well-equipped, and affordable for local arts groups and the tens of thousands of patrons who enjoy performances each year. Commenting on the family’s nearly half-million dollar legacy contribution McAdams noted, “The PAC reaches more lives and touches more people in our community than any other venue. We want to give back to that very community that has provided us with lifelong opportunities. By making a legacy gift to the Foundation, we can help ensure a future of great art experiences for generations to come.”

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY

Foundation Board President, Clifton Swanson added, “Ben and Pat were amongst the earliest supporters and promoters of the Performing Arts Center. Ben’s enthusiasm, for which he is noted, continues to this day as he chairs the Encore campaign. Their most recent significant gift has brought us ever closer to our goal.”

Let our family take care of your family.

JUST LIKE HOME

The Foundation for the Performing Arts Center was established in 1986 to support its partners, the City of San Luis Obispo and Cal Poly State University, by raising private funds for the construction and operation of the Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo, which opened its doors in 1996.

The Encore endowment campaign will expand the Foundation’s current endowment to over $5 million by raising $2.5 million in cash gifts, and $1.25 million in deferred gifts by September 30, 2015. For more information on the Foundation or the Encore endowment campaign, visit www.fpacslo.org/encore, or call 805-541-5401.

Celebrating National Nursing Home Week May 10-16, 2015

Let our family take care of your family.

JUST LIKE HOME

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

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

Country Oaks C A R E CEN T ER

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Local hiking guru and author

robert stone MAKING A LIVING HIKING By Heather Young

obert Stone’s previous career was selling real estate. Now he hikes and then writes about it.

“It began as a hobby,” Stone said. “The sales took off like crazy so I decided to go into Yellowstone and do one.” His sales continued to rise, so “the light bulb went off that I could make a living writing hiking books.”

That was in 1991. He’s been hiking and writing day hike books ever since. Stone is the author of SLO Day Hikes, and many other day hike books featuring trails across the west, primarily in California, Montana, Wyoming and Arizona. His first book was a local trail guide when he was living full time in Red Lodge, Montana. “It was just a local guide because people didn’t know where to hike,” Stone said, who now has written more than 30 day hike books, 20 of those still active as he has let some of them go out of print. After he started writing the books full time, he decided that “wintering in the snow didn’t sound like a good idea,” so he started spending half the year—the coldest half—in San Luis Obispo County. That started in 1996. During the winter, he works on writing his books, in the summers he does his research. When he hikes for the books, he takes notes as he goes along, though he relies a lot on his good memory. Most of his hikes that he does for his books are done solo, or with a dog, because he’s found that if he hikes with friends, he tends “to visit and realize I’m not doing the concentrated work I should be.” In which case, he revisits the trail another time on his own. Stone is meticulous on his descriptions of each trail because “people are relying on my directions and descriptions to get them through the trail. I want to be sure it’s clear and precise so that you’re not confused.” His descriptions of the trail, he said, are extremely comprehensive and include information such as trail distance, difficulty, approximate length of hike, elevation gain, exposure and whether dogs are allowed. Once he’s completed his research, he sits down to write each trail description, which spans two to four pages, detailing the

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trail, its geography, how to get to the trailhead and information one needs or wants to know while on the hike. There is also a map for each trail. After writing about each trail, he spends time proofing each one. “Once I’m done proofing, I feel I live the trails,” Stone said. “I know every one of [the trails]. My head is like a big computer.” Part of what he aims to do is to show the interconnectedness of the geography, of the trails. He said he’s always updating his trail descriptions. Additionally, he said one of the things he highlights in his books is finding neighborhood “gems” that people wouldn’t know existed unless they lived there. One hidden gem he gives as an example is Ontario Ridge Trail, which straddles the ridge that separates Avila Beach from Shell Beach and looks down in both directions. “It’s awesome,” he said.

PEOPLE

plicable to a mother hiking with her young child as well as to the hardcore hikers who want to climb peaks. “Some people want level strolls, some people like to [push] themselves,” Stone said, adding that none of the trails he includes in his books are backpacking trails. “Mine are geared toward going out for the day. My main goal is to get people on the trails, and [then] back in their cars, safely and easily.” Though Stone is an experienced hiker, having done it for many years, he said he doesn’t gear it toward what he can do, but instead thinks about what the average person can do, so anyone reading his books shouldn’t feel that it’s only for experienced hikers. He paces the hikes in the book at two miles an hour, which he said is a pretty decent pace, but that for many it will take longer than what it says in the books, and for some it will take less time. “There are so many good hikes here,” Stone said about his favor local trail. “They evoke different emotions. It’s always fun to get on the ocean bluffs. ... Montana de Oro is spectacular.” He add-

ed that he loves hiking any trail around San Simeon. His goal is to make day hiking accessible to everyone, so he tailors his books to be ap-

The author recently released the third edition of Day Hikes Around San Luis Obispo, which includes 156 hikes. For more information on all of Stone’s day hike books, go to www.dayhikebooks.com.

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lisa fraser

inspired to make a difference for children and families By Deborah Cash

hen that little voice inside calls and awakens your passion, there is no avoiding what comes next. For Lisa Fraser, who spent a week in General Hospital while her newborn baby girl was being treated for complications, what she saw while she was there broke her heart, opened her eyes and inspired her to heed a call to become an advocate for the youngest underdogs in the community: abused and neglected children. Fraser is the Executive Director of the Center for Family Strengthening (formerly SLOCAP, San Luis Obispo Child Abuse Prevention Council), a position she’s held since 2001. Over time, she’s spearheaded the growth of the agency and the development of nine internal programs, all designed to prevent and stop the cycle of child abuse, strengthen families and offer opportunities for health and emotional care for families and children in need. While Fraser is dedicated to her career path and was happy to be interviewed for the sake of promoting this valuable resource in the community, she is quite modest about herself and her role; fortunately many others in the community feel the work she has done should be acknowledged and celebrated, among them a close staffer who shared, “Lisa’s had an incalculably positive impact on local children and families; she’s been an inspiring leader, has fostered many collaborations with public and non profit agencies and is one of the community’s preeminent instructors regarding mandated child abuse reporting. Lisa always goes above and beyond.” Fraser said that, in the mid 1980s, during her infant daughter’s hospital stay and her own ‘round the clock presence there, she witnessed babies being abandoned or recovering from being born to mothers with substance addiction. “I got to see them every day for a week,” she said. “While it was gut-wrenching, it resonated with me and stuck with me.”

As her own young children entered primary school, Fraser, then a stay-at-home mom, immersed herself in her children’s educational well-being and was instrumental in starting the PTA in their district. “I wanted to be engaged,” she said, particularly in establishing an after-school program at the site. “Now it’s a standard approach,” she said of campuses providing care and activities for students whose parents need care for their children between the end of the school day and the end of their own workday. But that was another eye opener. She observed, across districts, that even with after school programs, she saw children “technically abandoned.” She noted, “It didn’t make any difference if the kids came from affluent or have-not backgrounds,” she said. “There are a lot of families in turmoil out there.” Her involvement with the PTA and the after school program—along with her memory of those babies she’d anguished over years before— led her to the Child Abuse Prevention Council where they were looking for a leader. “It was a great fit,” Fraser said, “I was connecting with a group of people who wanted a strong advocate for solid programs and broad community education. I was ready to take it on.” And take it on, she did. Working long hours, Fraser found her stride and grew the program that now includes nine solid resource

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PEOPLE A source of pride for Fraser is that there is absolutely no judgment involved. “We want to strengthen families,” Fraser said. “That’s it. We do it without ever saying, ‘You’re bad.’” She cited an example where a mother of a newborn called CFS program “Parent Connection” in tears afraid that she was not able to care for her baby. The Parent Coach, Michele Gordon, normalized the challenges of being a new parent and connected the new mom with someone who could help her on a daily, one-on-one basis. The mom continues to check in with the Parent Coach and has joined a parent support group in her community. Strengthening Center’s new logo

programs, an engaged Board of Directors, a staff of three, a cadre of volunteers and success stories of a magnitude that can’t be quantified. “We know the success rate is high for those coming out of programs,” Fraser said. But beyond that, the impact on the community, schools and families—whether it’s keeping teens out of trouble (and possibly jail), counseling parents who have limited parenting skills or finding resources for those in need—is huge.

It doesn’t have to be that extreme either, said Fraser. “Sometimes parents just need a ‘tune up’ to deal with the changes in their children’s development. We can help with that, too.” Parent Connection offers parenting skills classes and coaching services with expert parent educators. By the way, all of the services of CFS are no charge to participants, paid for by funding through the Mental Health Service Act, grants and donations. “We are fee-free,” said Fraser, “We want there to be no obstacles to those who need help.”

While CFS is a large part of Fraser’s life, she says she also knows she has to have boundaries and attend to her own life. She and husband of 31 years, Larry, live in San Luis. They are parents of Brooke, a local restaurant manager (she was the baby mentioned earlier) and Dylan, who works for the Food Bank. Fraser says she enjoys tennis and travelling to the East Coast to visit family. She admits there was a time she considered leaving the area—prior to having her family and starting her life’s work—due to the difficulties of finding a good paying job out of college. With a degree in health care and a teaching credential, Fraser taught in Santa Maria for a while and then took a series of “any job I could find” to stay in the area she loves. “I am so grateful I listened to my inner self and stayed here,” she said. And so are the many children, families and residents of this community whose lives are better because she listened—not once but twice!—to that voice she’s so good at hearing. Visit cfsslo.org for information on programs and opportunities to support.

Even champions need a champion. Ask us about our cancer Nurse Navigators. They’ll guide you through every step of treatment, from paperwork to scheduling to the emotions that come with a diagnosis. So you can focus on healing and continuing to live life to the fullest. To learn more, call 866.687.7321.

Arroyo Grande Community Hospital

French Hospital Medical Center

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PEOPLE Adam and daughter Quinzi

Adam stowe

General manager san luis blues By Will Jones

n the back of Adam Stowe’s business card is a quote from the legendary baseball film, “Bull Durham.” Veteran minor league catcher Crash Davis, played by Kevin Costner, instructs pitching phenom, Ebby Calvin ‘Nuke’ LaLoosh, after he has just surrendered a mammoth home run: “You just got lesson number one: Don’t think. You can only hurt the ball club.” Fortunately for the San Luis Obispo Blues, a member of the California Collegiate League, one of the top three summer collegiate baseball leagues in the country, Adam has done a lot of thinking in his role as general manager, and everyone has benefited: the team, the many Cal Poly interns who assist Adam, and the community, both paying customers and the organizations the Blues reach out to during the season. In 2010, Adam’s first year at the helm, attendance was 9065. In 2014 it was 30188, more than twice the combined home attendance for all the other teams in the league. Even Crash Davis couldn’t argue with the thinking behind those numbers. Adam grew up in Los Osos, graduated from Morro Bay High School in 1991 and from Cal Poly with a degree in business and marketing. He left the area to do marketing work, returned as a hotel special event coordinator, and then worked as the director of marketing for Ultrex Business Products for four years, a copier and technology company based in San Luis Obispo. “I actually created the Ultrex Ox, the mechanical ox on the centerfield fence at Sinsheimer Stadium, a replica of the Durham Bull’s mascot. That was fifteen years ago,” Adam said with a smile.

“We decided to stick it out. Lauren finished her degree in cognitive neuroscience and now has three speech therapy offices, the Speech Therapy Group, on the Central Coast. I worked first as an unpaid volunteer intern for the University of New Orleans Athletic Department and then, within four months, I became the Director of Marketing and Fundraising for their athletic foundation.”

He would soon meet and marry his wife Lauren, who wanted to go back to school to get her Ph.D. at Tulane University. They moved to New Orleans and bought a house one week before Hurricane Katrina hit the city, and spent the next six months flying back and forth between San Luis Obispo and New Orleans to fix their home, which had been damaged by the storm and then robbed of all its surviving contents.

The biggest challenge was getting people to attend events in a devastated neighborhood. “There was a two to three mile radius of houses that were not occupied. Facilities were damaged, athletes transferred, it was a brutal time for the entire city and the university was no exception. Asking for help from other universities for examples, suggestions and promotional ideas was the biggest lesson I learned. Everyone was helpful and in the end we were successful.”

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A full house at Sinsheimer Park

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Adam’s experience rebuilding the University of New Orleans athletic program helped prepare him for his next challenge. The Blues had been through five owners in three years, not without controversy, when Adam assumed the role of general manager. “Jim Galusha from Silverado Stages was trying to revive the Blues the right way, but there were no interns and no staff. Jim and his wife were trying to do everything. I thought that it had potential but would take a lot of work. I started building up the internship program. The first year I had six, this year I have twenty-six.”

Adam, Lauren and daughter Quinzi

Adam and Lauren returned to San Luis Obispo in November 2009, and their daughter, Quinzi, was born in January. The Blues and Ultrex combined two part time positions to make it possible for their return, although Adam is now full time with the Blues. “I decided that I would never forgive myself if I only put half my heart into the Blues and they failed, so I had to give it a full time shot to see if I could make it work. I love sports and I love putting on shows and entertaining people.” It is probably unfair to compare a struggling baseball team with a storm ravaged city, but

Recently, the Stowe family, Adam and Lauren, and Adam’s parents, bought the Blues from the Galushas. They own one hundred percent of the company, the SLO Baseball Alliance, that runs the Blues games, and they also own the trademark. “What it boils down to is that we paid a lot of money to inherit a lot of debt. It’s encouraging that we have turned a profit for the last two years, but we’re far from out of the woods financially. So much depends on factors like the number of home games, concession sales and sponsorship.” The Blues attract players from all over the country. As one of the best summer leagues in America, college coaches actually contact the team to place their players, roughly thirty-five per year, who live with local families during the season. The history of the Blues goes all the way back to 1946 when Sandy Leguina started a team of World War II veterans. Many well-known major leaguers, like Jim Lonborg, Mel Queen, Chuck Estrada and Brian Fuentes have been on the roster. “Our prospects are good for this year,” Adam said. “In addition to having a winning season, we hope to expand the success of our California Collegiate League West Coast Tournament, held here in San Luis Obispo, and also to include more local ball players. This year we have four Cal Poly players on the roster.” Adam’s five-year-plan for the Blues is to pay off the team’s debt, expand to include a north county team, and continue its three-part mission of providing affordable family entertainment, expanding its internship program, and giving back to the community, which includes inviting local schools and nonprofits to attend games for free. “Our family loves baseball, loves the Blues and loves being part of and giving back to this amazing community. The team has a bright future and we want to help make it happen.”

Bluebelle the Mascot entertains the fans

The 2015 season opens with a home game at Sinsheimer Stadium against the San Francisco Seals on May 22nd. To quote Ernie

Saxman staredown

Banks, the best player ever for the Chicago Cubs, Adam’s favorite team, “Let’s play two!” For more information about the Blues, go to www.bluesbaseball.com.

Pastrami Reuben or

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

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don young Guitar builder By Ruth Starr

“C’mon son,” Don Young’s father said to him. “We’ll go to the music store and trade the trumpet you don’t like for a guitar.” Don was 11 years old at the time. His family always had music in the house. His Mom, who came from a musical family, played the piano. While his Dad enjoyed listening to records that ranged from classical music to country-western, guitar music was always Don’s favorite. He would hop on his bike, ride to the library and get records he could listen to at home. He took lessons on the guitar but was discouraged with the lessons. At age fourteen he put his guitar down and didn’t play for two years. Browsing around in a hippy music shop, he heard a record playing with a performer named Black Ace on the guitar. Ordering the record for $2.25, he couldn’t wait for it to arrive. Black Ace played a lap steel guitar, which has the strings raised up. Instead of playing by pressing down with fingers of left hand to make chords, the left hand uses a steel slide bar that slides along the strings. The right hand either uses a pick or fingers to play the melody or chords.

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PEOPLE One of the brothers passed away in the ’70s and the oldest brother died in the ’80s. Don was asked to run the company. By this time he was in his 30s and oversaw all the production. The Dopyera’s sister ended up owning the company and asked Don to take it over as Plant Supervisor. In 1985 she decided to retire and sold the company to Chester Lezak, who had been the former CPA of the brothers. Don continued to work for Mr. Lezak.

Hawaiian guitars also have the strings raised up and are played with a steel bar. This style came into this country in 1915 in the Pan Pacific Exhibition, when the lap steel guitars emerged from the Hawaiian steel guitar. Don, at eighteen, was a bit of a Bohemian guy, mostly interested in music. He was wandering here and there, unsure what to do, when his parents invited him to come live with them for a while in Long Beach, California and go back to school. However, school just wasn’t of interest to him—he lasted only three days and found a place to stay in an industrial district in Long Beach that made guitars. In 1971 Don began working for the owners of the Dobro Guitar Company. Two brothers named Dopyera started the company called National Guitars in 1926. In 1929 they expanded calling it the Dobro Guitar Co. Dobro guitars were all Lap Steel guitars with the strings raised up, made out of wood and metal. During World War 2, they ceased making guitars as they had things to do for the war effort. In 1946 the Dopyeras started making the Dobro’s again continuing on a small scale. They built them by hand calling them Resophonic guitars. The brothers hired him when he was still a teen. Don was fired a few times, once for insubordination, but each time he was rehired. He worked for the Dobro Co. four different times. During one of the times when he wasn’t working for Dobro he ventured to make some acoustic guitars, but it was a failed effort.

Even though they did not get along very well, Don worked with Lezak until 1988. However, Don had a vision of new opportunities and left Dobro to start the new National Guitar Co. He began with eight thousand dollars in a garage in Long Beach, California. His best friend, McGregor Gaines, became his partner. They built seven guitars and took them to the NAMM (National Association of Music Merchandise) show. They were all constructed from wood with metal resonators—the round piece of metal that fits on top of the guitar and has a cone inside to produce a certain sound. Those guitars were the beginning of the National Lap Steel guitars. The show yielded them orders for fifty guitars. What a surprise!

In 2008 Don’s partner, McGregor, decided to retire, prompting Don to purchase his partner’s half of the business. A young man named Eric began to work at the company at age 16. After working for a number of years, Don took Eric on as a partner. Don decided to retire in 2014 and sold his half of the company to Eric. There are currently 20 to 30 employees working at National today. Don found people with no prior knowledge of building guitars, but they were crafts people and eager to learn to be skilled in guitar making. All National guitars are hand made. Walking away from the guitar business was hard for Don. He decided to open a small string shop in Los Osos, where he presently lives. He has vintage string instruments of all kinds and plans soon to have a repair shop in the back. He also wants to build a few guitars on his own in the future. After all these years, Don knows what it takes to build a guitar.

Don told McGregor they better get to work. They continued in Long Beach for the next eight months in the garage knowing it would soon prove too small a space. Loving the Central Coast of California, they migrated to San Luis Obispo and leased a small industrial unit. Business continued growing along with hiring more employees. “My twenty-eight years in SLO has been a wonderful ride—selling nationally and internationally the now famous National Guitars,” says Don.

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PEOPLE

VANESSA GILLIAM

RESCUING AND REHABILITATING HORSES By Ruth Starr

anessa Gilliam, 32, is passionate about rescuing animals with a primary, but not limited to, focus on horses. This operation is conducted on a two acre parcel in Atascadero. Entering her home, visitors are greeted enthusiastically by four dogs and two cats. Proceeding to the back area of the property, you behold a variety of animals, such as chickens, ducks, sheep, horses, goats, a llama named Mya, a couple of ponies, and a pot belly pig named Oprah. Animals in care at Second Wind Rescue, Inc. have come from a variety of places including the Fresno SPCA, Animal Regulation Services in SLO, and private individuals with unfortunate circumstances. She also has 8 horses and 3 llamas happily living in Paso Robles that are fostered by like-minded animal lovers with adequate land and facilities. Her childhood didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t allow the access to life on a farm, but it has always been a passion of hers. Since her family didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t live on acreage when Vanessa was a child, she obtained everything she could from pet stores that included rodents, reptiles, fish, and birds. During her growing up years in Northern California, she was notorious for bringing home strays besides the pet store group. Along with bringing home animals, Vanessa put her heart into the sport of volleyball. Her parents wanted her to continue to play volleyball as they had doubts about her desire to become engrossed with horses and other animal rescues. Vanessa became an accomplished volleyball player who competed internationally and was a top ranked collegiate volleyball player. She was awarded a full scholarship and graduated from Cal Poly with a Business Administration degree. A recurrent thought is that

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PEOPLE the ranch in style today. Back in 2013, Dexter developed bladder stones with the initial prognosis for euthanasia or a $3200 surgery with unguaranteed results. Again, this tenacious Terrier was able to overcome illness and insurmountable odds even without going through the surgery. He is a happy pup who runs around the acreage digging holes, hunting rodents, and doesn’t know he is limited by his previous ailments.

some day she can go back and get another degree in Animal Science with a focus in Equine studies. Her heart was elsewhere after college. After graduation from Cal Poly in 2006, she began rescuing horses. Over the years, Vanessa has rescued a variety of animals with issues that needed rehabilitation, understanding, love and specific care. Eight years ago, Vanessa went to Animal Services in SLO to return some foster kittens when the Animal Service truck came in with a small stray dog. She was standing in the hall and the dog, a terrier mix named Dexter, escaped from his kennel and came running to her. It was love at first sight. Dexter’s disposition, character, and attitude was a great match. When he was 6 years old, he incurred a back injury that paralyzed his hind legs creating a lack of feeling in his back toes. The first vet who treated him gave Dexter a 10% chance of recovering. He was obviously depressed and ready to give up on life, but Vanessa wasn’t going to give up on him that easily. She took him regularly for acupuncture, massaged on his toes daily, made him a cart for his hind legs for mobility, plus took him to swim therapy. He beat the exceptional odds and gets around

In 2008 Vanessa had the opportunity to purchase three young, unbroken horses. The goal was to train them and then sell them. But it turned into so much more. During this time, she had jobs in the wine industry as a tasting room attendant. While working the winery jobs, she met an attorney who helped her get a non-profit status so she could operate a business of rescuing and rehabilitating horses. She took her business to the next level to enable donors to claim a tax write-off and get more public exposure. After being a backyard rescuer she was ready for the next step. She began the business of Second Wind Rescue, Inc. having the title of President, CFO, Secretary/Treasurer and CEO. Second Wind Rescue, Inc. has been rehabilitating neglected and unwanted animals since March of 2008. Vanessa has rescued 62 horses even though it has only been a part time venture with her. She currently has fifteen horses and has had a very high success rate of rehoming them to forever homes.

ing, and costs of proper animal care help bring awareness to the general public. Right now Vanessa is cleaning houses and waiting tables to see that the animals have food to eat. Fortunately she has a roommate, Suzanne Pacheco, a dedicated animal lover who helps out with the myriad of things that need to be taken care of with the animals and ranch. Suzanne helps fix things and takes care of the animals if Vanessa leaves town. She is very happy being a part of the animal welfare. Vanessa’s parents still live in northern California, who now support her rescuing endeavors, and she has a sister, Luna (Natalie), who is a Naturalist for outdoor education and happily assists with ranch maintenance when visiting. The family is very supportive of what Vanessa is doing with the animals. Taking care of the horses and other animals is very costly so there is always a need for more donations. The first annual fundraiser for Second Wind Rescue, Inc. is May 17, 2015. Vanessa is organizing this event called the Rescue Roundup Races where people can participate with their own horses and some of the Second Wind Rescue animals. For more information on the fundraiser or to see a video of some of her rescues, go to her site: SecondWindRescue.org.

To her credit, she has paired and rehomed 43 horses over the last seven years, fortunately only 4 have been lost due to illnesses out of her control. What a fantastic achievement! This is her main aim—adopting out the horses to people where she knows they will have a good home. Getting to see these animals go to a perfect match is really fulfilling. She does it for the wonderful feeling she gets when the match is made. Horses are very expensive to keep and she finds adopters through word of mouth, online equine sites, and through some of her friends. Besides the rescuing, rehabilitating, and training of these animals in need, she also provides education and tours to people who want to get involved with her cause. The purpose for the existence of Second Wind Rescue, Inc. is to help eliminate suffering by promoting the welfare of animals and providing an adoption program for unwanted or poorly maintained horses (and sometimes other domestic animals) who have been rehabilitated through Second Wind’s program. Part of educating the public about related issues such as neglect, irresponsible breed-

805 Aerovista #103, San Luis Obispo

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a buzz about bees

the bee alliance By Karen Harris

newly formed group in our area, the Central Coast Beekeepers Alliance, is abuzz with anticipation for a community of beekeeping hobbyists. “We are excited with what’s happening with our group” says Rob Kimmell, co-founder of the organization. The CCBA’s Mission Statement is “To foster the health and well-being of honeybees by supporting best beekeeping practices through networking, education and raising public awareness.” Rob started beekeeping about five years ago. He considers himself a “beginning hobbyist” with 50 fruit trees on his property in Santa Margarita and a production of 70 pounds of honey last spring. He saw a need to come together with other beekeepers to share information and network. Another co-founder of the CCBA, Anna Rempel, has two hives in Paso Robles. She has lost one hive every winter due to the nature of the practice. She started beekeeping three years ago and says “There has not been much honey the last two years. It has been difficult with the drought.” The group’s 80 members consist of hobbyists, enthusiasts, and “wanna bee” beekeepers. The Central Coast Beekeepers Alliance

was recently recognized at a monthly science presentation, Science After Dark, at the Luis Wine Bar. John Chesnut was the speaker for the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) organization that hosts these monthly science presentations at different venues in downtown San Luis Obispo. John’s topic in January was Bees & Agriculture. John, a botanist and beekeeper since the ’80s, spoke of the history, importance, and nature of these flying insects. During his slideshow, a 27-million-year-old fossil was displayed which looked almost identical to the modern day bee. A beehive patented in 1852 is very similar to the ones presently being used. Humans have been interacting with this species since the Neolithic Period. “We are dependent on honey and native bees for our cornucopia of fruit,” explains John. They need a variety of pollen. “Diversity is the key word in stabilizing this species.” These pollinators play a vital role in our food chain. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, they pollinate 80 percent of our flowering crops, which constitute one-third of everything we eat. Bees have been transported to the local area by the truckload from colder regions such as the Midwest. Many end up on our central coast for the winter. “Most of these hives are owned primarily by commercial migratory beekeepers and will be moved at the end of January to the California Central Valley for the 6-week almond pollination event,” explains Rob. Should we be concerned about the survival of bees? The USDA re-

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“Foraging bees are non-aggressive toward humans, whereas bees in an established colony with combs, a brood nest, and honey/ pollen stores may be very defensive of the immediate area around the hive,” says Rob. Know the difference between a honeybee and a yellow jacket. Yellow jackets can be aggressive toward humans. A swarm is when several thousand bees will leave the mother hive at once with the queen in search of a new home. The sight of thousands of bees swirling and clustering might look scary, but the bees are actually fairly docile and non-aggressive during the swarming phase. John Chesnut and Rob Kimmell at the 1st Annual Paso Robles Golden Oak Honey Festival.

ports “The total number of managed honey bee colonies has decreased from 5 million in the 1940s to only 2.5 million today. At the same time, the call for hives to provide pollination services has continued to increase.” According to John Chesnut, there are multiple stressors on bees. Pesticides, parasites such as the Varroa Mite, and mono-floral agriculture all contribute. Both Rob and Anna share a common goal in educating the community. “We can all help the bee population by creating bee sanctuaries and pollinator friendly gardens,” says Rob. There are numerous plants that encourage our pollinators such as California poppy, sages, yarrow, ceanothus, and California buckwheat to name a few. Bees need lots of readily available water during hot weather to cool the inside of the hive. “Provide water where there is no pedestrian traffic,” says Anna. Fountains, ponds or tubs with plants, or just a saucer with dirt and water support them. “Bees need a place to land otherwise they will drown.”

“Swarms should not be frightening to anyone,” explains John. “They are too fat and happy to sting.” If you happen to encounter a swarm of bees or an unwanted hive, contact a local beekeeper or contact the CCBA first before eliminating the hive. Hives can remain in wooded areas sometimes found on hiking trails. John sees our local hobbyists crafting beekeeping with specialty honeys as the niche

Bee Alliance Display

to the future. “Imagine pairing honey with wines due to its floral influence.” “I’m looking for ways that honor the bee’s nature,” states Anna. We can all bring new awareness to these positive contributors as we support their natural community and future. Contact the Central Coast Beekeepers Alliance through Facebook, Meetup, or Centralcoastbeekeepers.wordpress.com

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Rob, John and Anna at the STEM Presentation

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quick escape:

Santa Barbara surf Musuem By Sherry Shahan

t doesn’t matter if you recall who played Gidget in the iconic film (Sandra Dee) or the hoopla over St. Christopher Medals in the 1960s (patron saint of surfers). The Santa Barbara Surf Museum comes with its own erudite curator, laid-back and breezy Jim O’Mahoney. Jim established the Museum in 1992 in the downstairs section of a 10,000-square-foot industrial building. The historic site processed olive oil in the early 1900s.

He greets visitors in a faded flannel. “O’Mahoney’s my name—surfing’s my game.” Not only has Jim been a lifelong collector of cool surf-related stuff, but he’s stoked to share the coolness of every surfboard, surf movie poster (from “Cat on a Hot Foam Board” to “Have Board Will Travel”), ukulele, skateboard, etc. People go crazy over the guitar inlaid with abalone and paua shells. Even the immense man-eating clamshells receive their due. “These clams are the largest bivalve mollusks in the world,” he says. “It’s also one of the most endangered clam species.” Jim was born in Long Beach, California the day after the A-bomb was dropped. “Guess that makes me a real baby boomer.” His early memories are all beach-related. Fair-skinned, he was usually, “burnt to a crisp.” Like lots of kids growing up in the early fifties, Jim slapped together one of those skate-car contraptions. Basically it was a wooden box on top of steel wheels. Later he concocted a skateboard by nailing a roller skate to a two-by-four. Hop on and kick-off down any a deathdefying slope. That was back when skateboarding in public spaces didn’t carry a fine.

In 1974, Jim published the Handbook of Skateboard Tricks with Russ Howell. The following year he came out with Skateboard magazine. Before that he had Hang Glider magazine. “I got tired of breaking my legs,” he says. It’s worth an hour or so just to hang out with someone who’s done so many interesting things: ski instructor, Indian reservation trader, photographer of rock band legends, Ronald McDonald skateboarder in commercials, stunt movie double, and other stuff that often included a liability waiver. Jim was seven when he and a friend found a home-away-from-home at Alamitos Bay, Long Beach. The older surfers, who took leisurely breaks across the street at a snack bar, let the boys use their paddleboards. “Those clunkers were like boats,” Jim says with a wistful smile. “You just pushed into a wave, stood up, and surfed. I remember shouting, ‘Look! I can surf!’” Probably the most famous surfboard in the collection is from one of the most revered war movies ever produced, Apocalypse Now. The board is signed by Reynolds “Renny” Yater, considered the first true commercial surfboard builders of the 1950s and part of a wave of creative geniuses that put surfing on the map.

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Jim O’Mahoney in his 1962 Corvette in front of the Surf Museum.

The Honolulu Surfing Museum was the brainchild of singer, songwriter Jimmy Buffet, who enlisted Jim O’Mahoney’s assistance. Parts of the Santa Barbara collection—mostly Hawaiian surfing and historical artifacts—were shipped across the Pacific. “Now they’re home where they belong,” O’Mahoney says. Jim points out Santa Barbara’s first commissioned surfboard (1917), a slab of shaved redwood with a handle. Also prominent is the board from Gidget. Academy-award winner Sally Field starred in the TV version, 1965-66. She happens to be Jim’s stepsister. A glass case holds the St. Christopher Medal Elvis Presley wore in Jail House Rock and the initial-style ukulele played by Marilyn Monroe in the 1959 classic Some Like it Hot. The Fender prototype guitar in the shape of a teardrop surfboard was two years in the making. The matching case is in-your-face aircraft aluminum. Those traveling to Santa Barbara by Amtrak have an easy, two-block walk to the museum. The closest place to stay, Hotel Indigo, stands just beyond the station’s parking lot. Designated a satellite of the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara, it features annually rotating exhibits. Impressively, it holds the title No. 2 America’s Best Art Hotel by USA Today. Local artist talks are open to the public, not just hotel guests. (Hotel Indigo, 117 State St. (805) 966-6586. www. indigosantabarbara.com.) Make time to go next door to Jim’s new creation, simply called Museum. In the same building it’s primarily devoted to Santa Barbara memorabilia and houses everything from a sleek pair of beaver skin shoes belonging to Frank Sinatra to the pith helmet Gary Cooper wore in the 1935 Lives of Bengal Lancer. The charred book from the altar the day Elizabeth Taylor married Larry Fortesky at Neverland Ranch is definite curiosity. As the story goes, Michael Jackson set it on fire because he was jealous that his “mother figure” had found a new guy. O’Mahoney parks his 1962 Corvette convertible in front the Surf Museum every Sunday, 16 ½ Helena St., from noon to 5 pm. Entry is free. Private and school groups can arrange special tours. Simply call ahead: (805) 962-9048. Or email: cowyboystar7@verizon.net. Visit: www.sbsurfingmuseum.com.

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 $1,199,000

Johnny Hough Owner / Broker

(805) 801-5063

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

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two women offer slo artists an aerial neverland

cirque dreams By Jamie Reith

na Monday evening in a cavernous warehouse building tucked into an area of industrial obscurity in San Luis Obispo, a huge metal door heaves and screeches open revealing a wildly surreal scene: Kids and adults in leggings and leotards climb, flip and swing through the air on brightly colored strands of fabric, bending and free-falling to the beat of a blaring tune. On the ground, a teacher in a lifeguard-red shirt peers up, calling out directions for a skill called “Tinkerbell” to a student whose shirt spells out one of the studio’s main philosophies: “Think Happy Thoughts.” It’s an apt allusion to Peter Pan, because here at Suspended Motion, people learn to fly, forget about their worries and reconnect with their unfettered, unabashed inner child. Here, dangling from ropes to the left, swinging on a giant metal orb to the right, or cartwheeling through the room, magic is constantly in the air. Co-owners Liz Stevenson and Gigi Penton

The fantastical world of Suspended Motion exists thanks to the work and passion of co-owners Gigi Penton and Liz Stevenson who dreamed of creating a space where people could come to thrive, achieve incredible feats and be themselves, regardless of their athletic or artistic background. Today, their Cirque de Soleil-style dream has come to life beyond their wildest expectations, celebrating its fifth anniversary this year. Due in part to the growing popularity of circus arts, close to 50 students of all ages join them throughout the week, honing their skills on the silks and other apparatuses. The art requires the strength of a rock climber to shimmy up a 25-foot-high strip of slippery fabric using only hand and foot grip; the coordination and flexibility of a gymnast to carry out complicated, contortionist feats; the poise of a ballerina to execute dizzying choreography to the beat of a song without showing the strain of athletic effort; and the courage and confidence of a skydiver to perch high above audiences and plummet toward the hard ground below, over and over again. M A Y

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There is nothing traditional or mainstream about this hobby. It’s extreme. It’s different. And for Penton and Stevenson, that’s the point. Penton recalls that when she was a kid, all of the traditional dance troupes seemed to cater to the families that could pay for the expensive costumes and classes, or made room only for the most talented dancers. So, when she and Stevenson opened Suspended Motion, their aim was to make an uncommon art accessible to all who were interested. “Anyone can try this,” Penton says. “It isn’t elitist.” Among the students and performers are people like Nikki Pesce. When she came to Suspended Motion four years ago, she was a quiet, shy tween. Now 17 and a teacher and performer for the studio, Pesce has come out of her shell. She somehow combines the youthful spirit of a child at play as well as the poise and physical prowess of an accomplished professional performer. A similar story unfolds for Ryanne Howard who remembers discovering Suspended Motion in high school as an alternative to group sports which held no interest for her. Now a master teacher and one of the show-stopping stars of Eventyr, the studio’s annual aerial ballet at the Clark Center, Howard says she has seen her confidence and self-image go through the roof, made close friends with her aerial “family” and become a better person and performer in the few years since she stumbled upon the studio. Pesce and Howard are extremely talented but theirs are just two of the many inspiring stories to arise from Suspended Motion’s roots. Some past students have even gone on to join professional troupes and traveling circuses. But, all who cross the threshold into this world of gravity-

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Penton is undeterred. Reflecting back on the past five years, and on that magical moment she witnesses every day when a new student “flies” for the first time, she says, “Whatever you dream can come true.”

This is due not only to the skilled instruction, but also to the performance practice. “When you’re able to perform, you gain so much more knowledge,” Penton says. For this reason—and as a result of their maxed out class sizes—they are currently on the hunt for a bigger space in San Luis Obispo where they could expand their circus arts curriculum and also build out a studio theatre.

Think happy thoughts for them as you watch more than thirty local aerialists bring the magic of human flight to the Clark Center stage in Eventyr: Ivy’s Magical Adventure, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on June 6, 2015. Tickets are available at www. SuspendedMotion.net.

“Finding the right space is the biggest obstacle,” she says, explaining that they need the right height and ceiling construction. So far, their search has been fruitless, but

NOTIFIED HOW WILL I BE

defying arts are changed by the experience. Within a month, students begin to gain elevation and mastery, breaking down their own barriers and becoming inspired performers.

In an EmErgEncy?

■ Knowing the ways you may be notified in

System could be used as a supplement or

an emergency is a key step to being prepared when a disaster strikes. In San Luis Obispo County, officials

backup. Although land-line telephones are automatically included in the system, Voice over IP and

will utilize different public alert and notification systems based on the type and severity of

cellular telephones need to be registered with the Reverse 911 system. These systems can be

the emergency. Some of the options available include the Early Warning System sirens, the Emergency Alert System (EAS), and Reverse 911. ■ Should an

used for any local emergency. ■ Following notification of an emergency, it is important to stay tuned to local radio and television stations to receive current information about any actions you may need to take.

emergency occur at Diablo Canyon, the siren system and the EAS would be the primary method of public alert and notification. These systems provide rapid and consistent information throughout the Emergency Planning Zone. The Reverse 911

■ To register for Reverse 911 or for more information on how you can be kept informed of local emergencies, please visit: www.slocounty.ca.gov/oes or call (805) 781-5011.

OUR PUBLIC ALERT AND NOTIFICATION SYSTEMS MAY BE USED FOR ANY LOCAL EMERGENCY

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at the market double chocolate cookies with avocado By Sarah Hedger

ay on the Central Coast is a good time of year! There are heaps of options available at the local markets—almost too many to choose from, which is not a bad problem to have in the least. This month we can find first season cucumbers, spinach, squash, avocados, as well as fresh figs, strawberries and rhubarb (a beautiful combo). Green peas are available as well as spring herbs and a variety of lettuces, which hit their peak just before it begins to warm up for Summer. This month’s recipe, Double Chocolate Cookies with Avocado, takes avocados a new direction. I recently had one of the best (no joke!) cookies when I visited a cafe which was making their own version with white chocolate and macademia nuts. The magic happened when the lady working told me they had been made with all the butter being replaced with (what some may argue as the healthier option), the mighty avocado. Living in our area it is easy to take advantage and forget the great benefit as avocados seem to be available nearly year round, yet in some places further away, avocados can reach $3/ each, if they are available at all. Thus, we are very lucky! Avocados

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are a delicious way to get “healthy” fats into our diet. It seems in our society there is still such a fear that any fat is bad fat, will make us fat, etc. How did we get on this (albeit inaccurate) path? Why is it some of the healthiest people in the world, are consumers of large amounts of healthy fats? Avocados are special because, aside from having more potassium than bananas, as well as folate, they contain nearly 70% of monounsaturated fat, in the form of oleic acid (similar to olive oil). Thus the fat in avocado is usually claimed to be healthy and labeled as a “good” fat. Recent studies have shown it to increase healthy cholelesterol while decreasing the “bad” cholesterol. Avocados also have healthy amounts of Vitamins C, K, as well as a range of B vitamins. On top of all that, avocados pack a punch of fiber as well, with 75% of their fiber being insoluble, and the remaining being soluble. Recent studies of the health benefits of avocado are suggesting that the fats in avocados aid in making the vitamins and nutrients in other foods to be more easily absorbed. Thus, avocados are a good thing! This month’s recipe is a simple treat. It is an enlightened version as it has the traditional butter component replaced with an equal amount of

double chocolate chunk cookies with avocado (Yes!) makes 24 cookies

avocado. While it is a bit naughty still as it contains sugar and the usual cookie suspects, it does have dark chocolate, while being gluten-free and grain free, which some are finding to be beneficial in their diets. So give them a go and try the avocado substitute. Don’t be surprised when they are one of the best tasting cookies you’ve had in a while. And, regardless of how much ‘healthier’ they are, remember they are still a treat and consuming 10 of them will possibly result in a (preventable) sugar high, and little positive effect in your cholesterol levels. You can however, be quite grateful that we have some of the best tasting (and readily available) avocados in the world. True story. Enjoy!

Itchy E ? Stufy Nose? wer! yes ed emPo e n u o Y our duce y Imp and re y t i rove y l a u our home's air q

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1 ripe avocado, blended or mashed to a very smooth pulp ⅓ cup brown sugar 2 eggs 3 ounces (about a ½ cup) dark (70%+) chocolate, melted 1 tsp vanilla paste or essence ½ cup cocoa ½ cup tapioca starch ½ tsp baking soda ½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp sea salt

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1 cup (roughly 6 ounces) good quality dark, milk, or white chocolate (or any combination of the 3), chopped into small chunks Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with baking paper. Place avocado puree, brown sugar, eggs, melted chocolate, and vanilla in bowl. Whisk until thoroughly incorporated. Sift in cocoa, tapioca starch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, mixing well to combine. Fold in chocolate chunks. Chill for 10 minutes or until mixture is cohesive enough to scoop. Scoop into tablespoon-size mounds onto baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until slightly firm (they don’t get all the way firm as there is so much chocolate), and the bottoms are slightly brown. Remove from oven and let sit on tray for 5 minutes. Remove and cool on racks or on plate to be eaten. Enjoy!

COMMUNITY

One man’s commitment to walk the pacific crest trail charitable efforts to benefit operation walk Usa

ust last year, actress Reese Witherspoon brought to life in the movie “Wild,” the autobiographical story of Cheryl Strayed, a young woman who challenged herself to walk the Pacific Crest Trail and regain a sense of self and purpose. When Jim Harper, a resident of San Luis Obispo started having left hip pain in 1998 after years of intense exercise, little could he have known then that the musculoskeletal challenges he experienced would lead to a hip replacement in 2010 and his own Pacific Crest Trail commitment this spring and summer. On April 28th Jim began to walk the entire 2,600 miles of the trail which extends from Mexico to Canada via California, Oregon, and Washington. He will celebrate his renewed health and help raise money for Operation Walk USA, a nonprofit organization that each holiday season provides free hip and knee replacement surgeries for those who can’t afford them. He had learned about the organization after his own surgery and developed an immediate interest and commitment to it.

“The more pledges I collect, the greater the inspiration to keep going, he says. “Knowing that every mile I walk will help someone realize the possibility of a new hip or knee is a powerful incentive.” Jim “the Hip Hiker” Harper had a hip replacement in 2010 and celebrated his 60th birthday in 2013 by climbing to the top of Yosemite National Park’s Half Dome. Recognizing that millions of Americans suffer from debilitating joint deterioration, and that a large number of those individuals can’t afford insurance and must continue to live with chronic pain, Harper is determined to raise money for Operation Walk USA by generating pledges per mile for joint replacements. The money will be designated to the Patient Care Fund that the leadership of Operation Walk USA established last year. Operation Walk USA, entering its 6th year this December, has already helped nearly 600 patients regain mobility and quality of life. Arthritic disease is the most common cause of disability in the U.S., affecting approximately 46 million Americans, or more than 21 percent of the adult population. The debilitating pain of end-stage hip or knee degenerative disease often makes working, or completing even the simplest of daily tasks, excruciatingly painful or impossible. While hip and knee replacement surgeries are among the most common and successful of all orthopedic surgeries, many individuals who desperately need new joints to minimize pain and restore life quality do not receive them because of financial or other constraints. The annual Operation Walk USA program is held during the entire first week of December, allowing for greater hospital, surgeon and medical staff participation. It provides all aspects of treatment—surgery, hospitalization, and pre-and post-operative care—at no cost to participating patients who may not qualify for government health coverage, have insurance or afford surgery on their own. “There is no better gift, than helping someone regain mobility and quality of life,” said New Albany, Ohio orthopedic surgeon

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Adolph V. Lombardi, Jr., MD, president of Operation Walk USA. “Jim’s personal story, his understanding of what so many others experience and his commitment to creating a program that will benefit those in need, make him a true ambassador of our program. We hope others will be excited to champion his efforts.” Operation Walk USA began in 2010 following the tremendous success of Operation Walk, an international volunteer medical service organization that provides treatment for patients with arthritis and joint conditions in developing countries. To date, more than 6,500 patients have received new knees and hips through the international Operation Walk, and nearly 600 patients through Operation Walk USA, held in the month of December, 2010 through 2014. Since 2010, Operation Walk USA knee and hip replacement surgeries and related care are valued at more than $15.5 million. For more information or to make a donation go to http://www.hike4hips.com/

The Ludwick family reunion

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From Ten sleep to mill street ...a slo family saga By Susan Stewart

n early March of 1935, a depression-weary family of eight sold or gave away all of its furniture, loaded up its remaining belongings in a Pierce-Arrow automobile, and left its home in Ten Sleep, Wyoming for the hope and promise of sunny California. In the late afternoon of March 22nd, Ed Ludwick pulled up in front of Maude and Charles Jorgeson’s modest house in San Luis Obispo—utterly unannounced—and knocked on the door. Ed’s wife Bessie, five of their children (the sixth would join them a few months later), and two sweet dogs hung in a tired clump behind him. “Well!” said Maude (sister of Bessie), “I guess we’ll have to put more water in the stew.” Fast-forward 80 years. In the late afternoon of March 22nd, 2015, 94-year-old Lillian Hansen (one of the five children from Ten Sleep) took the microphone and addressed a crowd of her more than 160 relatives to deliver a speech that would be the heart-stirring highlight of a two-day family reunion. Hosted by Art Ludwick, son of Edward Jr. (another of the Ten Sleep five), The Ludwick-Jones Reunion brought together the offspring of Bessie (Jones) and Edward Ludwick, perhaps for the last time. “It was a bitter-sweet experience,” said Lynne (Ludwick) Higgins, grand-daughter of Ed and Bessie. “The event was to celebrate the 80year anniversary of our family’s arrival in San Luis Obispo, but it felt like the end of an era.” “I am the last of the Ten Sleepers,” Lillian began, giving a brief history of her maternal British roots and the events that led her grandmother to leave her husband and cross the Atlantic with her four children, one of whom was Bessie. They would eventually settle in Basin, Wyoming, where Bessie worked in a hotel and met Edward. They married and eventually settled in Ten Sleep, a tiny town at the base of the Big Horn Mountains named by Native Americans for its location, ten “sleeps” or nights away from Fort Laramie. It was Lillian’s memories of life in Ten Sleep that so riveted and moved her audience.

The Ludwicks in Ten Sleep, 1934: Vern, Guy, Lillian, Edith, Arthur, and their father, Edward C. Ludwick.

Ludwick-Jones Reunion hosts, Arthur and Sarah Ludwick

For the six Ludwick children, the pre-Depression years were a time of toy cars made from cardboard, and slingshots made from wood scraps and old inner tubes; of elaborate forts and “cities” built in empty lots where the weeds grew five feet tall. Of pattern books and paper dolls; of rabbit-hunting, searching for arrowheads, and homemade dandelion wine. Summers were filled with the juicy treat of cantaloupes, cowboys on cattle drives, and the 4th of July! There were sack races, pig chases, and greased pole-climbing with prizes topping 50 cents. There were swimming holes called “foaming waters” and swimsuits made from old sweaters turned upside down. Broken bones

The Ludwicks in California – Back row , L-R Lillian, Vern, Arthur, Guy, Edward, Edith. Front Row: Edward C. Ludwick, Beverly Ludwick, Bessie Jones Ludwick, 1940. M A Y

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The Reunion invitation

and other injuries were treated by the town doctor, who was really just a big-hearted nurse named Alice, owner of the town’s only soda fountain (and pharmacy). It was a time of root cellars where winter vegetables and house-canned goods were stored; of the Mentholatum® cure for the common cold; of big blocks of ice cut from the frozen Ten Sleep River and buried in sawdust for later use. “The ice lasted nearly all summer and was used by the drugstore, soda fountain, numerous saloons, and the citizens of Ten Sleep,” Lillian recalled. There was a little white church “just like the kind you see on a Hallmark card,” and a wonderful school with its own weekly paper, the Ten Sleep Pioneer. And the amazing Miss Nelson, who taught them reading, writing, arithmetic, agriculture, art, even dramatics. One year, she directed a full blown production of Madame Butterfly. “The play was a big success and we learned a lot about opera and a little about Japan at an early age,” said Lillian. But it was the five tough years following the onset of the Great Depression that were the hardest to describe. Ed Ludwick had supported his family as a talented, sought-after car mechanic but now, “No one could pay in cash so our meals were often whatever he received as payment: chickens and such, if he received anything,” said Lillian. As the Depression wore on, with no end in sight, Bessie recalled that her sister Maude had moved out West and was doing just fine. In the early 1920s, a dearth of employment opportunities drove Charles and Maude to follow the work to California, first to Oroville to pick fruit, and later to San Luis Obispo. Charles found work painting our courthouse and Maude became famous for the lemon meringue pies she sold to the Whistle Stop Café near the train station. Two more Joneses—Maude’s other sister Gladys Jones and her brother Roy Jones— had also made their way West. They worked, married, and raised their families in San Luis Obispo County. Two of their children would eventually become postmasters; one in San Luis and one in Los Osos. So Ed and Bessie made the decision that would alter the course of their lives forever.

eryone had to “earn his keep.” Eldest son Vern (who had stayed behind in Ten Sleep) soon joined his brothers and sisters in SLO and Lillian told of leaving Aunt Maude’s and finding their own home on Mill Street. The boys worked on ranches, in auto garages, and at the Golden State Creamery. The girls cleaned houses and ushered at the Obispo Theater. In 1937, another child, Beverly, was born to Ed and Bessie. With hard work, perseverance, and a generous The Jones family: Gladys Jones Verity, Roy Jones, helping of humor, Maude Jones Jorgeson, Bessie Jones Ludwick. the Ludwick children grew and prospered. They married and had families of their own—many of them Cal Poly grads who went on to become generous contributors to the growth of our community. They are teachers and preachers, doctors and lawyers, CEOs and soccer moms, artists and architects, ranchers and researchers, businessmen and board members—who have never forgotten their roots. One of the Ten Sleep sibs, Edward Jr. (he was not known as Junior; the designation here is to distinguish him from his father Ed) married a woman named Inga and had three children. The eldest of these is Art Ludwick, owner of a major American corporation and host for the family reunion that took place in March at the Santa Margarita Ranch. During the war, many a Ludwick recalls dancing the night away in the USO Building at the corner of Mill and Santa Rosa Streets. It was fitting that, 60 years later, a Ludwick would be the chief contributor to the refurbishing of that historic landmark. According to a press release dated November of 2003, “… the three children of Edward and Inga Ludwick with a leading gift from eldest son Arthur J. Ludwick and his wife, Sarah Ludwick, generously provided funding for the City of San Luis Obispo to remodel the City Recreation Center, formerly the USO Building. … The 12,000-square-foot building was renamed the Edward G. and Inga E. Ludwick Community Center.”

“Our family life changed completely upon arrival to California,” Lillian continued. Four of the five Ludwick children were now teenagers and ev-

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The Ludwicks that are Cal Poly Grads

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Luis Obispo Railroad Museum, where the first day’s reunion festivities were held. There can be no doubt that the coming of the railroad to San Luis Obispo connected the isolated city to the rest of the state, the nation, and the world. The newly opened museum made a perfect venue for the reunion that connected so many Ludwicks (many for the first time), now scattered across the miles.

Lillian Ludwick Hansen, the last of the Ten Sleepers, in her 70s.

“Our whole intent with this process was to recognize the roots of a family that came to the City of San Luis Obispo in the Depression era and was welcomed by an open and hospitable community,” said Art. Art’s nonprofit, The Ludwick Family Foundation, is also a major supporter of the San

But the Ludwick legacy is about much more than buildings and museums. To a person, all who were interviewed spoke about the importance of family, the value of roots, and the intangible qualities that make ordinary families extraordinary—qualities brought to life during Lillian’s 20-minute talk of life in Ten Sleep and later in SLO. Honest, funny, and poignant, Lillian warned her rapt audience: “Remember, there are three kinds of memory—good, bad, and convenient!” “The Ludwicks came to San Luis Obispo with a car, a few dollars, and eight mouths to feed,” said Art. “With slim opportunity for economic survival, the family planted its roots deep in San Luis Obispo’s fertile soil, and after 80 years, the branches of our family tree have produced healthy, productive members of society.”

Big supporters of the SLO Railroad Museum.

“The legacy of those seven siblings,” said Lynne Ludwick Higgins, “is to live life with integrity, honesty, laughter and joy, to keep a sense of humor, to put family first, and to remember that if it doesn’t matter in a hundred years, then it doesn’t matter.”

KIWANIS CLUB OF SAN LUIS OBISPO de TOLOSA’s

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

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the greatest jordan hasay 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. So far the following athletes have been featured: Ed Brown, Stephanie Brown Trafton, Chuck Liddell, Loren Roberts, Steve Patterson and Gene Rambo. Please send nominations to Dr. Morris at dmmorris@calpoly.edu.

robin ventura

rofessional Baseball player Robin (Mark) Ventura went to Righetti High School and was nominated for the honor of being considered for the greatest athletes in the history of the central coast by LTC Tim Vincent, Director of Grizzly Youth Academy, Cal Poly Head Football Coach Tim Walsh and San Luis Obispo resident Richard Andrews. Robin Ventura was a major league baseball player and is currently the Manager of the Chicago White Sox.

Ventura was a 3-time All-American at Oklahoma State University and had an NCAA record 58-game hitting streak. (His hitting streak remains the Division I record). In 1988 he earned a spot on the gold medal-winning Olympic baseball team. He is known as one of the best third baseman in the history of college and professional baseball. During his professional baseball career he was on two All-Star teams and won six golden glove awards. He played on four major league teams. On July 4, 2006, Ventura was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame as a member of its inaugural class.

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ordan Melissa Hasay was nominated by Dr. Bernie Troy and “Tiger Bill” Cotnam.

Jordan Hasay grew up in Arroyo Grande and attended Mission College Prep Catholic High School. She was unanimously selected 2008 Girls High School Athlete of the Year by the voting panel at Track and Field News. She became only the ninth high school athlete ever (and third woman) to grace the cover of Track and Field News magazine. She also gained her nickname of “The Little Pony” due to her long, flowing, mane-like ponytail. As a 15-year-old Hasay ran the fastest ever by a sophomore and received a silver medal in her first international championships. She ran in the 1500 meters at the 5th World Youth Championships in Ostrava, Czech Republic. Hasay was selected by Track and Field News magazine as both the best high school miler and two-miler in her Junior year at Mission Prep. At the 2008 CIF California State Meet, Hasay won her third consecutive 3200 state title and she successfully defended her national junior 1500m title. Hasay broke the national high school record for 1500m in a semifinal heat at Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon. Her time of 4:14.50 bested the previous mark. Hasay was named 2013 Track & Field Scholar Athlete of the Year and finished her University of Oregon tenure as a 16 time AllAmerican. In 2013, upon completion of her time at the University of Oregon, Hasay signed with Nike, Inc. Last year her 10km time is the 5th fastest in Photo from spokeo.com the world. Hasay later ran a personal best 1500 metres at a meet in Glasgow, Scotland. At her youthful age, Central Coast track afectados are hoping that Hasay will make the United States Olympic team in 2016 and compete and win in the Rio De Janeiro, Brazil Olympics.

Cuesta College and the SLO Community Foundation’s

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women of distinction By Lauren Milbourne

uesta College and the Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County’s Women’s Legacy Fund recently announced the recipients of the 38th Women of Distinction awards. The awards honor four women from throughout the Central Coast for their professional and civic contributions. The honorees were nominated by their peers and chosen by a selection committee. The ceremony and awards returned in 2014 with their original purpose—to celebrate Women’s History Month and recognize the contribution that women have made in the areas of volunteering in the community, their profession and in philanthropy.

Community & Public Service Award, Volunteer: Grenda Ernst Grenda Ernst maintained a distinguished career at the Atascadero State Hospital from 1976-2003. She held a number of progressively responsible positions and retired as clinical administrator in 2003. During her career, Ernst was active in the Forensic Mental Health Association and the California Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. She served as president of Friends of the Atascadero Library for eight years, helping to raise more than one million dollars to build a new Atascadero Library, which opened in 2014. She has also served as co-president of the American Association of University Women–Atascadero Branch, member of the Atascadero State Hospital Advisory Board, Loaves and Fishes gleaner, Senior Nutrition Program meal deliverer, and Atascadero Centennial Committee member. Ernst has received various awards, including the National Association of Social Workers Social Worker of the Year Award and Administrator of the Year Award.

Community & Public Service, Professional: Jill Bolster-White Jill Bolster-White has 25 years of experience in non-profit organizations, serving as executive director of Transitions Mental Health Association (TMHA) since 1992. She oversaw the merger between SLO Transitions and the Mental Health Association that resulted in TMHA, the community-based mental health services agency in SLO. In her position, Bolster-White is responsible for the management and development of a budget in excess of $9M, supervision and training of approximately 250 employees, administration of business and contracts, marketing and more. Under BolsterWhite’s leadership, TMHA launched SLOtheStigma, a mental health awareness, education and stigma reduction campaign specific to the residents of SLO County. Bolster-White has served in a wide variety of community activities and organizations within the health and human services field, including current member and past chair of the Sierra Vista Hospital Governing Board, agency relations chair of United Way of SLO, chapter representative for the American Horticulture Therapy Association, and member of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. She obtained her bachelors degree from Cal Poly and masters in nonprofit administration from the University of San Francisco.

Progress for Women Award: Lisa Ray Lisa Ray is the founder and CEO of the Children’s Resource Network (CRN) of the Central Coast, which provides free clothing, school supplies and resources to children and teens in need. Ray started the charitable non-profit organization in 2009 after collecting gently-used clothing and new school supplies for a single mom who could not afford them for her two children. Ray began by operating out of her home and recruiting volunteers to help collect and disperse donations. Since then, the CRN has helped more than 22,000 children and operates of seven locations throughout the Central Coast. As her nominator states, “what started as a simple gesture to help one family quickly turned into full-fledged grassroots efforts which now serves two counties.” Ray has been received Congressional, Senate, Assembly and SLO County recognitions.

Grace N. Mitchell Lifetime Achievement: Elizabeth “Biz” Steinberg Elizabeth “Biz” Steinberg is the CEO of the Community Action Partnership of SLO County, Inc. (CAPSLO), a community action agency serving low-income community members since 1965. As CEO, Steinberg is responsible for implementing the mission of the organization, which is to eliminate the causes of poverty by empowering low-income individuals and families to achieve self-sufficiency through a wide variety of community-based collaborations and programs. With more than 1,000 employees, and an annual budget of approximately $60M, CAPSLO serves more than 40,000 low-income individuals annually in 11 counties. Steinberg joined CAPSLO in 1978 and became CEO in 1984. Steinberg taught early childhood education at Cuesta College for 27 years before retiring in 2013. Steinberg is known for her advocacy of low-income children and families, and participates on numerous local, state and national boards, including Community Health Centers, Sierra Vista, SLO Housing Authority, Children’s Service Network, National Migrant & Seasonal Head Start Board and the National Community Action Partnership Board. She has received numerous awards, including Woman of the Year from the Commission on the Status of Women, Leadership in Excellence from the CA Association of Non-Profits and Outstanding Leadership on Behalf of Children & Families from the SLO County Children’s Services Network. For more information on the event or about the Community Foundation, please visit www.cfsloco.org or call (805) 543-2323. For more information about Cuesta College, please visit www.cuesta.edu or call (805) 546-3100. M A Y

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history

when a president visits Part 4 By Joe Carotenuti

hen local businessman W. W. Goodrich sent a letter to the White House encouraging the president to stop during his nationwide tour, it was undoubtedly more a hope than an expectation. After all, commented the newspaper, San Luis Obispo was not exactly “on the map.” Yet, two months later, the rambunctious President Roosevelt paid a visit. Here’s the story. “No reception. No handshaking,” was emphasized in the prescribed itinerary from the White House for T.R.’s brief local stop. City officials were warned to keep crowds at bay during the visit. Along the dozens of stops on the California leg of the nationwide presidential tour, there was to be no disturbance to the carefully arranged 66 day tour. Precautions were wise as in 1912 an attempted assassination was thwarted when a bullet to T.R.’s chest was stopped by his metal eyeglass case and a thick speech in his breast pocket. Afterwards, the intrepid Rough Rider announced he would not deliver a lengthy speech and went on for 90 minutes. Fortunately, an enthusiastic crowd locally just wanted to see and hear him. After a short visit to the Mission, the President described by Anne Morrison as having a “clean, manly, fearless life” was ready to greet the community. Calling California “the West of the West,” Roosevelt was no stranger to the vast expanses of America. There were few locals who knew of his anguish when his wife died two days after giving birth to their daughter and earlier on the same day—in the same house—his mother also had died. Who knew that the grief stricken man had left politics to stake his future on a ranch in North Dakota, refreshing both his body and soul and recrafting his life? In an extraordinary transformation from a privileged politician of the east to a rugged cowboy of the west, there emerged a dynamic, committed Roosevelt who advised his followers: “Believe you can and you are halfway there.”

Roosevelt visiting the Panama Canal Project. M A Y

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The Roosevelt family in 1903

He was sure to compliment local agriculture noting the “largest pumpkin” came from here. There is a yearly reminder in the Mission Plaza that they still do. Noting the newly founded Cal Poly, the Harvard graduate reminded everyone that “farming is not only a practical, but a scientific pursuit.” At times, he undoubtedly wondered if had known more, his ranching days would have been more successful. Having embraced the land, he extolled “the earth tiller, the soil tiller, the man of the farms, the man of the ranches… stands as the one citizen indispensable to the entire community.” Farming fed—and still feeds—America. Many of these same men of the farms laid down their plows to take up arms in the Civil War. Attending as an honor guard, the President acknowledged the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) as those who proved true in “the hour of the nation’s agony…their practice preaches louder than any words of mine could.” The crowd agreed in robust applause. No stranger to combat, he formed his own company. Colonel Roosevelt—a title he treasured all his life—experienced war as he actively led his men in the bloody battle of San Juan Hill. A frequent theme on his many stops, T. R. reiterated his pleasure at noting the prosperity of the Golden State. While “material prosperity” was

This is what the Mission looked like when the President came to visit.

A Retirement COMMUNITY Facil 33

recounted in The River of Doubt byof Candice and reelection in 1904. He would come to Even though the prospect moving m Millard took its toll for years. When he deeply regret promising the public he would future, you owe it to yourself to learn h passed away in his sleep a few years later in not run for reelection in 1908. The personal living your own 1919 at his homein (Sagamore Hill), home one no- for man and political ramifications of that decision are carefree table reflection was that Death was wise not aptly recorded by Doris Kearns Goodwin in The to visit while he was awake. If so, T.R. would Bully Pulpit. In a life crammed with accomhave entered into yet another battle. plishments besides politics, Roosevelt’s would include the Nobel Prize in 1906, the American jacarotenuti@gmail.com It’s a fact life that asContact: we get older, Pristine is fully construction of the Panama Canal,of and an autobiography in 1913 some and a toyday-to-day named after him. tasksAmong become too licensed and insu the many biographies, The Rise handle on our own. That All Morris of our worker T.R. was not a manmuch to wasteto time. In addition of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund to his political ventures, a nearmean fatal safari chronicles his life until the presidency. doesn’t you have to move away are carefully scre

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

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congratulated, it was a “better thing to bring up children.” He was impressed by the schools and sent a “special greeting to the future, to the children, to those who are to be the men and women of the next generation; and upon whom it will depend whether this country goes forward or not.” An essential message, he reiterated: “I like the way…you are training the children to citizenship of the future.” Lauding the wage-earner and the home-maker, the President shared his vision of the future in “what will count for most is the average character of the individual citizen…that is what counts in the long run in making a nation.” In a speech of about ten minutes, personal integrity resonates from the “wise use in perpetuity of the forests” to attention to “the interests that go to make up the higher life of the nation.” Legislation must favor conservation and those who come “on the soil to stay” and rear their children to continue caring for the land. There was to be no tolerance for those who would merely “skin” the country of its resources and move on. During his presidency, Roosevelt will sign extensive legislation creating national parks, forests and sanctuaries for wildlife. In a speech punctuated by frequent applause and cheers, the Chief Executive ended that a sound mind and body, but especially character are essential. For him, the “elements of decency, of courage, and of common sense” are vital traits for all. With that, he boarded his six car train as the band played “America” and rode into destiny. T. R.’s future included a popular presidency

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our schools

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

“The one size fits all approach of standardized testing is convenient but lazy.” —James Dyson California is faced with shifting expectations in schools as our system works to create a culture of student readiness for the 21st century. American College Testing (ACT) is encouraging states like California that are implementing new educational standards and assessments aligned with college and career readiness to communicate clearly with the public about test scores. Educators need to explain how the new expectations for students differ from the expectations made by previous state standards and assessments. When the shifts to college and career readiness standards occur, there is typically

a change in proficiency levels because of the new testing rigor. Student performance categories associated with each score range on the test (e.g., advanced, proficient, basic, below basic) becomes more challenging with a more rigorous test. As a consequence, fewer students will likely achieve the advanced and proficient levels previously reported for the older testing instruments.

readiness is a wonderful first step, but incomplete and counterproductive if we do not honestly communicate about these changes. It is my hope that this article will help to familiarize the public with the shift to higher standards. We need to prepare students, parents, and schools for a change in proficiency rates that almost always accompanies a shift to higher expectations.

Deciding whether to adjust proficiency levels to reflect higher expectations and how to communicate performance results aligned to these higher expectations to students, parents, and schools are critical decisions the California State Board of Education must address. Changing the content of an assessment to reflect college and career

Recent research conducted by the California County Superintendents Educational Service Association (CCSESA) and the ACT underscored the importance of this kind of public outreach. Kentucky and New York reset their proficiency levels to reflect the alignment of their new state assessments with college and career readiness standards. Meanwhile, the District of Columbia retained its previous proficiency levels to maintain continuity with test results from prior years. Each met with a different response from the public, and California is now faced with a similar situation. CCSESA and ACT recommend that we communicate two main points. 1) The expectation of what students must know and be able to do on state assessments has become more rigorous, and 2) student ability is not suddenly dropping with these new tests. These proficiency scores do not reflect a drop in performance, but rather a raising of standards to reflect college and career readiness in the 21st century. Basically, the new tests are different from the old tests.

Partnership for the Children of San Luis Obispo County with Gold Sponsors

Sunset present the 9th Annual

barbecue

To benefit Tolosa Children’s Dental Center, a nonprofit office providing care for thousands of underserved children in SLO County since 2003

Saturday

June 6th, 5pm

San Luis Obispo Country Club, 255 Country Club Dr., SLO Beer & Wine Tasting Dunbar Brewing Co., Enfold Wines, St. Hilaire Vineyards, Tolosa Winery No Host ‘Cash Only’ Bar also available Appetizers & Barbecue Dinner (includes wine on table) prepared by Chef Troy Tolbert Live Music & Dancing featuring “Unfinished Business” - 60’s Rock-n-Roll Band Auctions: Chance • Live • Dessert Attire: Your best Island Chic; Grass Skirts optional. No denim jeans, please.

TICKET DONATION

$100 per person • $800 table for 8 Order online at www.tolosachildrensdental.org or call 805-801-5433 Mail PO Box 15259, San Luis Obispo, CA 93406 Partnership for the Children of San Luis Obispo County dba Tolosa Children’s Dental Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, Fed. Tax ID 77-0346861

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We should consider the historical proficiency rates from the state’s Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) alongside anticipated proficiency rates for the Smarter Balanced Assessments this year. Similar shifts occurred in the states that have already implemented a more rigorous testing instrument. In a recent interview with The Sacramento Bee, California State Board of Education President, Michael Kirst explained his belief that any proficiency rate decline would be the result of higher expectations as well as weaknesses in the state’s implementation of the new standards. He feels that may take until 2019 for success of the new rigorous state standards to be fully realized by California students.

COMMUNITY

Our revised standards have a broad reach and are designed to prepare students for college and career readiness globally. We have raised the bar for our students in terms of more rigorous state standards and a more comprehensive assessment system. These new tests are more challenging, less familiar than previous tests, and will result in a change in scores. It is critical that an honest and open discussion continue about these revised state standards and the additional expectations included in our state testing. Every challenge also contains the opportunity to stretch and grow. We should also keep in mind the change SAT implemented in 2005. For 53 years, the SAT remained virtually unchanged. It had two sections—math and reading—both scored on a scale of 200 to 800. The math section tested Arithmetic, Algebra I, Geometry, and Data Analysis with three types of questions— multiple choice, student-produced response (“grid-ins”), and quantitative comparison. The reading section contained analogies, sentence completions (fill-in-the-blanks), and reading passages. A perfect score was a 1600, with the average score around 1050. Today a perfect score is 2400 and the average is around 1520, a dramatic change in expectations and assessment. John F. Kennedy was quoted regarding change. “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.”

STATEPOINT CROSSWORD THEME: GARDENING ACROSS 1. Like something fit for a king 6. ___ Testament 9. *Some cities turn abandoned ones into gardens 13. Savory taste sensation 14. 7 15. Wassailing composition 16. Hundred Acre Wood creator 17. “___ show time!” 18. Bizet creation 19. *Type of garden bed 21. *Comes from certain refuse 23. *Plant need 24. Deal with it 25. Greenwich time 28. Not final or absolute 30. Mourner’s emotion 35. Lyric: “____, born is the King of Israel!” 37. Low-____ diet

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39. Lacking guile 40. Orbison’s “____ the Lonely” 41. Asci, sing. 43. ____ gin 44. Silk fabric with wavy pattern 46. Loser’s reaction 47. Kept together 48. Protective embankment 50. Wading bird 52. Old operating system 53. Birthday ____ 55. Last word of a story 57. *Begonias and zinnias, e.g. 61. *Small shovel 64. Brag 65. Williams sister’s return 67. Was rebroadcasted 69. George or Jennifer 70. Follow ems 71. Exclude 72. Barely got by 73. *Nutrient-dense ___soil 74. Winter driving hazard

DOWN 1. Cuba Libre ingredient 2. Arab ruler 3. Apple variety 4. Embryo sacs 5. A dead body that ____ __ state 6. “Metamorphoses” poet 7. English course 8. Studio 54 genre 9. Member of nomadic Scandinavian people 10. Black and white treat 11. High rocky hills 12. *Some use fences of it around their gardens 15. Chop-chop 20. Writer _____ Jong 22. Activities, as in military 24. Type of court 25. *Garden ornament 26. Spanish monkeys 27. Denoting the final end or purpose 29. Back talk 31. *Develops after touching poison ivy M A Y

32. Ticked off 33. Convex molding 34. *Unwanted plants 36. “Musical” constellation 38. *Tulip starter 42. Bode Miller, e.g. 45. Cheap substitution 49. Afghan monetary unit 51. Saws logs 54. Florida Key, e.g. 56. Persistently complain about 57. “Willing and ____” 58. Barnes & Noble reader 59. Back of neck 60. Second-hand 61. Recipe description 62. PA city and lake 63. Use a ladle 66. Lennon’s partner 68. *Protector from birds

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COMMUNITY

palm street perspective

Proactive steps to incidents By SLO Mayor, Jan Marx

Dear Friends and Neighbors, Two months after the infamous St. Fratty’s Day unruly “party” made headlines around the world, you may well be tired of hearing about 3,000 students first conspiring to get intoxicated at 4:00 A.M. on a Saturday morning and invade a residential neighborhood, then loading so many students onto a roof that it collapsed under their weight. If yes, please bear with me, because how our community deals with the aftermath is crucial to its future. It is important to the City, Cal Poly, and the students themselves, that this incident not be relegated to “old news.” The University, City administration and police are conducting follow-up investigations and taking proactive steps regarding this kind of incident. We cannot merely shrug our shoulders, saying “Oh well, it’s a college town and every few years big crowds of drunken students ‘party’ in the neighborhoods.” Those responsible must be held accountable. The culture must be turned around. These mob invasions are not parties. They are assaults upon City residents and the quality of life in the neighborhoods. They tarnish the reputation of the University. They make Cal Poly students, especially members of fraternities and sororities, look boorish and irresponsible. It is chilling that, in the days leading up to March 7, students participated in a well-orchestrated pact of silence. Detailed instructions— about what to wear, what to drink, when to wake up, where and when to go—were widely disseminated via social media. It is revealing that not one of those 3,000 participants, or others who knew about the event, alerted the city authorities about the time and scale of the event ahead of time. This left the police and firefighters understaffed to deal with the early morning mob scene. Had the crowd not been shocked by the roof collapse, the “party” could have easily turned into another drunken riot like those in years past. When only a few officers are

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tasked with trying to control a large, drunken crowd in a residential neighborhood, there is great risk that people could get hurt. It was only by sheer luck in this case that no one was seriously injured. This is the third such massive, alcohol fueled neighborhood invasion in recent history. The Poly Royal “party” on Hathway Street—complete with neighborhood property damage, fire setting, attacks upon police and fire fighters and liquor store looting—resulted in President Warren Baker’s cancellation of Poly Royal. The Mardi Gras riot at Foothill and California resulted in extensive property damage in the neighborhood and cost the City about half a million dollars. As a result, Mayor Dave Romero cancelled the event, announcing “Mardi Gras is over.” Now, it’s time for St. Fratty’s Day to become a thing of the past. This raises the question, who has the ability and responsibility to cancel St. Fratty’s Day and any other such destructive, irresponsible “parties” in residential neighborhoods? The University? The City? Since Cal Poly students organized this event, it seems to me that it is their turn. They must rise to the occasion and take action to change the local culture that promotes this kind of conduct. The fact that they were capable of organizing the St Fratty’s day incident proves that they are capable of organizing to eliminate it. The good news is that two Greek groups, the Cal Poly Interfraternity Council and the Cal Poly Panhellenic Council, have apologized to the City and the Cal Poly community on behalf of the student body. It is significant that Cal Poly President Jeffery Armstrong also apologized to City residents at a City Council meeting and at a Chamber of Commerce meeting. Furthermore, the Neighborhood Civility Working Group—comprised of student leaders from Cal Poly and Cuesta College, as well as administrators and police from both institutions, residents and City staff— has been doing research and working together for nearly two years to propose a coordinated strategy to deal with these town gown issues. This proposal will be unveiled at the May 19th City Council meeting. I hope readers of this column will attend and contribute their ideas. Ours is not the only college town struggling with these issues, but we are one of the very few taking a strategic, proactive approach. In fact, the Neighborhood Civility Working Group has been selected to present a workshop on their strategy at the International Town-Gown Conference in Washington DC in early June. If there is any community that can creatively and collaboratively address these difficult issues, it is San Luis Obispo! All the Best, Mayor Jan Marx

Downtown

Around

The Magazine of Downtown San Luis Obispo

Inside:

W hat â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s U p Mee t O ur Inter ns

May 2015

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Downtown SLO Farmers’ Market and in case it ay is here and it is going to be a busy is not apparent we are bringing a lot of diversity month for us Downtown. The month kicks with each of those events. Mother’s Day Flower off with Art After Dark the first night of May Giveaway is for the moms and Law Enforcement to set the pace for a big run of events in the Night is for the kids while Public Works Night is coming weeks. Downtown is looking forward all about public infrastructure and Downtown to our signature events including Mother’s Day Brown’s Birthday Party is just for fun. With a Flower Giveaway, Law Enforcement Night, community that is filled with so many different Public Works Night and our beloved Downtown types of residents and guests we strive to Brown’s Birthday! We are also excited to Dominic Tartaglia, Executive Director appeal to all of your tastes for a good time. be rolling out with our Science Technology Engineering Arts and Mathematics section of peaking of tastes, May is certain to tickle your taste Downtown SLO Farmers’ Market, STEAM Alley on buds with a variety of great produce of all different Garden Street. Another new addition to the market is colors, shapes and sizes and not to mention the large the continuation of our Fresh Picked Concert Series selection of different local restaurants selling mouth on our Harvest Stage at the East end of the market. watering food on the street. Often times people ask me Don’t forget that this year on May 16 there will be what sets our market apart from all other markets and the second annual SLO Jazz Festival in Mission Plaza for me that answer is simple. We have diversity across just one weekend before Memorial Day weekend. the board. We offer diverse prepared food selections

ike I mentioned, it will be a big month for Downtown events and we are excited to be bringing the community a lot of options and diversity for things to do here, at home, without needing to travel far to have a good time with your family and friends. Our signature events are all centered on our world famous

from many different cultures from across the world as well as a wide variety of deserts and goodies like éclairs and cookies and to top it off we ensure that there is always a solid selection of in-season produce. We are proud to say that we not only offer a special farmers’ market but we also create an event around

On the Cover: Market mascot Downtown Brown models one of our new children's tee shirts, "Locally Grown." Photo by: Mukta Naran

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it that incorporates fresh produce into a lifestyle. In my family we always talk about the concept that food is love and that every meal should start from fresh ingredients and be enjoyed with good company; that is exactly what I see when I look at our market each week. Fresh local flavors, meals prepared with love and lots of happy people enjoying one another’s company.

nother element that we try to incorporate Downtown on a consistent basis is free entertainment. Arts Obispo helps as each month fires off with Art After Dark and the opportunity for people to visit over 30 different locations with as many different artists’ work on display. Having that kind of participation with the local arts community is a real asset to our Downtown and even spreads into a daily stroll through our main streets. There are many installments of local art on the streets, on walls and hidden along our creek that speak to the desire of our community to have a colorful culture. To that point we try to do our part by adding live music to our events, whether it be at our holiday events, our Concerts in the Plaza Series during the summer, our Farmers’ Market side streets or our brand new Fresh Picked Concert Series at Farmers’. All of those events provide free music for crowds of all ages

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and tastes and we ensure that our artists are local so that if you hear them live once, you can hear them again and again if you so choose. The Fresh Picked Concert Series is a new addition to our musical lineup as a desire to expand the musical offerings to the East end of our market and has come out of a special relationship with a great friend of the Downtown, The San Luis Obispo Collection. In our discussion with their representative we found a great opportunity to bring the community a concert series that completely embodies our market ethic, “Discover. Local. Flavor.” The bands that we are featuring on the Harvest Stage at Union Bank are bands that you may or may not have already discovered but they are local and let me tell you, every one of them has flavor. If you don’t believe me, I encourage you to come down to our next concert on May 7th and take a listen to Ragged Jubilee and their “garage blues” sound. I'm sure you're going to like them as much as we do!

o the next time you have guests in town and you tell them about the Downtown SLO Farmers’ Market and they ask you why it’s so special, you can just smile and tell them, “Diversity. Let’s go take a look and taste the difference.” I look forward to bringing you all more diversity in the coming months and

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Continued from previous page years but this month we’ll just start with our interactive STEAM Alley and some fun booths for kids and adults who still want to be kids, to discover and learn through

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interactive play. Come visit our new section on Garden Street on Thursday nights and see for yourself, we are all about giving you the chance to discover local flavor.

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he SLO Downtown Association welcomes our Spring 2015 interns, Vanessa Martinez, Kayla Ryan, and Caitlin Lima. They are all Cal Poly students and as interns this quarter, they will gain experience from our organization by working on our Farmers’ Market Law Enforcement Night, Mother's Day Flower Giveaway, Downtown Brown's Birthday and much, much more!

home in San Luis Obispo.

ayla feels fortunate to be working for the SLO Downtown Association, and looks forward to building and fostering relationships that she hopes will continue into years anessa Martinez is a fourth to come with local community members and organizations year Recreation, Parks, while also gaining professional and Tourism Administration work experience in marketing student at Cal Poly and is eager to learn the logistics and and event planning. She Kayla Ryan intricate details of what it takes hopes to help maintain and to successfully implement San increase the vibrancy of Downtown, and is especially Luis Obispo’s Farmers’ Market excited to meet all of the prospective students who and the special events that are will be visiting Farmers’ Market on Thursday nights featured throughout the quarter. this spring. Upon graduation, Kayla hopes to pursue a career in Sports Marketing or Sports Finance, and s a San Diego native, would love to travel the world while doing so! she enjoys the quaint Vanessa Martinez astly, we’d like to introduce appeal that San Luis you to Caitlin Lima. Obispo has to offer and loves to take her friends She is a senior at Cal Poly and family to eat and shop at the local businesses and will graduate this June Downtown when they come to visit. She has gained with a degree in Journalism a myriad of abilities from her education, work, and with a concentration in volunteer experiences that she hopes to utilize with Public Relations. Although the Downtown Association, including customer Caitlin is new to the San service skills and a familiarity with special events. Luis Obispo Downtown fter she graduates in June, Vanessa plans to Association, the Downtown travel in Europe and would like to pursue a area is a very familiar place; career in the special events, hospitality, and/or both of her parents grew tourism industries. In her spare time she loves to Caitlin Lima up in San Luis Obispo, with travel throughout California, be outdoors, and spend relatives living here throughout her entire life. Caitlin time with her friends and family (and dogs!). is especially excited to help with Thursday Night anessa is incredibly excited to collaborate with the Farmers’ Market and to learn more about the area amazing people that work with or contribute to where many of her childhood memories come from. the San Luis Obispo Downtown Association and to be n her spare time, Caitlin loves watching food a part of the legacy it is leaving on this beautiful city. and cooking shows, as well as anything about ext, meet our intern Kayla Ryan. She is a first home remodeling or real estate. She also enjoys year student at Cal Poly with an intended major sports, specifically baseball and football; she in Business Administration; minor in Spanish. Born tries to go to as many games a season as she can. and raised in Orange County, California, Kayla loves Down the road, working in a field that deals with to be outside and in nature, and enjoys spending any of these interests is a goal for Caitlin. her free time running, hiking, and exploring her new

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For more information on Downtown Association events, programs and activities, or to sign up for our weekly Deliver-E newsletter, visit www.DowntownSLO.com

THE BULLETIN BOARD

slo poetry out loud winner 3rd in state

SLO County’s Poetry Out Loud representative, Ethan McSwain, was chosen as California’s second-runner up in the State Poetry Out Loud recitation contest held March 16, 2015 in Sacramento. Ethan is a senior from SLO High and was selected as the county winner from a field of eight school champions. For the State Competition, Ethan recited “They Feed They Lion” by Philip Levine, “Novel” by Arthur Rimbaud and “Under the Vulture-Tree” by David Bottoms. Additional information on the Poetry Out Loud Competition can be found on the California Arts Council’s website, www.cac.ca.gov.

Mid-State Fair “2-fer tuesday” season passes The California Mid-State Fair is pleased to announce that once again, Season Passes will be offered through our “2-Fer Tuesday” promotion. During the month of May—on each Tuesday only, and between 9am and 4pm—Season Passes to the Fair will be sold as follows: Two (2) Adult Season Passes will be sold for $50 and two (2) Child’s Season Passes will be sold for $20. Season passes allow for entry into the 2015 Fair each of the twelve days. The Season Passes can be purchased at either the Fair box office, at 2198 Riverside Avenue in Paso Robles, or by phone by calling 1-800-909-FAIR. The 2015 California Mid-State Fair runs July 22 through August 2. This year’s theme is “Puttin’ On The Gritz!”

Afternoon of epicurean delights

Cowboy up and join the San Luis Obispo Rotary Club at their annual Spaghetti-Western fundraiser, May 9, 2015. Enjoy Cafe Roma pasta, top sirloin bbq, western movies, games for children, and a silent auction. All proceeds benefit local charities and scholarships for local high school and college students. The event is at the Ludwick Center, 864 Santa Rosa St., San Luis Obispo. Take-out food is available from 4-5:30 PM; dine in from 5:30-8 PM. $25 adults, $5 children (age 2 – 12), children under 2 are FREE. Tickets are available at www.slorotary. org or by calling 805-439-2000.

An afternoon of the 28th annual Epicurean Delights will be held on Sunday, June 7th, from 11:30 to 3:30 at the historic Chapman House by the Sea in Shell Beach. This estate is one of the most spectacular locations in SLO County. You are invited to stroll through the stunning gardens, enjoy panoramic ocean views, or sit poolside and listen to great music, all while tasting over fifty of SLO County’s most renowned and award winning restaurants, caterers, wineries, breweries, and confectioners, who give of their food and drink, as well as their time to benefit AED. Guests will enjoy a variety of live music in two different venues, and can participate in our very popular silent auction with items featuring local art and photography, hand-crafted jewelry, premium and reserve wines, get-away weekends, gift baskets, and much, much more. Last year Health and Prevention provided services to over 11,000 individuals, services for under-served families, women, men, and youth throughout our county. Tickets for Afternoon of Epicurean Delights are $100 and may be purchased by credit card directly from the Community Action Partnership Health & Prevention office: phone 805.544.2498. As in past years, there will be a shuttle service from Shell Beach Elementary School for your parking convenience.

morro bay estuary poetry contest

new History book of slo and sB winemaking

Rotary spaghetti western fundraiser

To celebrate the Morro Bay National Estuary Program’s 20th anniversary, a Morro Bay Estuary Poetry Contest—A National Treasure in Words will be presented by asking kids and adults to write haikus and free verse poems using the Morro Bay Estuary as a theme. Writers may submit up to three poems in total. Entries will be accepted by email until May 15th. Winners will receive a prize basket and certificate, and their selected poems will be published. A celebratory reading featuring the winners and runners-up will be held at Coalesce Bookstore on Friday, June 19. Before entering the contest, poets should read our complete guidelines at www.mbnep.org.

The first time Bill made wine, he was buck naked…” So begins The Mad Crush, the improbable but true story about the making of one great wine and the souls who paved its way over a period of 115 years—including nude grape stompers, a freethinking village potter, a California surfing legend, a reclusive winemaker, the winemaker’s ex-wife’s one-legged boyfriend, and a mysterious dead coyote. Along the way, The Mad Crush unearths

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a trove of serendipitous stories, all of them somehow pointing the way to a century-old vineyard that cuts an unlikely path through the history of winemaking in SLO and Santa Barbara counties. The Mad Crush starts when Bill Greenough, owner of Saucelito Canyon Vineyard in the Arroyo Grande Valley, recruits author Christopher Weir to work the 1995 “crush”—the seasonal push to process the harvested grapes. The Mad Crush is not just an exploration of winemaking, but also a question of destiny. Available on Amazon, Amazon Kindle and other select booksellers. www.TheMadCrush.com

THE BULLETIN BOARD

10-year-old raises funds for big Bro/Sisters

new book by catherine ryan hyde

Catherine Ryan Hyde, bestselling author of “Pay It Forward” and founder of the Pay It Forward Foundation, is releasing her 27th novel, Worthy (Lake Union Publishing, June 2, 2015). Worthy tells the story of Virginia, a small-town waitress who is infatuated with one of her regular customers Aaron, a widower with a young son named Buddy. When Aaron asks Virginia on a date, she is ecstatic, but on the night of their first kiss, tragedy strikes, crushing their dreams of a future together. Nineteen years later, Virginia’s dog goes missing and a young shy man finds the dog and returns the pet to her. Before long, Virginia and the man discover a shared connection from their pasts that will change their lives forever.

Poetry book signing and celebration

Come celebrate Marriage and Other Leaps of Faith, Penciled In, 2015, a new book by Jeanie Greensfelder, at Steynberg Gallery on Sunday, May 17th between 3-5 with a reading at 4pm. The book is also available locally at the Museum of Art.

C rossword S O L U T I O N S

Most 10-year-olds want the latest toys, games and clothes, but Graciela Vance asked instead that friends and family help others, less fortunate than her. In lieu of gifts, Graciela asked that partygoers make donations to Big Brothers Big Sisters and help provide mentors to kids primarily from low-income, single parent homes. For her 10th Birthday, Graciela presented a check for $280.60, two bicycles and a basketball to Big Brothers Big Sisters staff. “I am honored and humbled by this young person who thinks of others first. Her donation will reap long-term benefits for another child in her neighborhood, as well as our community as a whole,” said Anna Boyd-Bucy, executive director for the organization. Pictured from left to right stand mother Heidi Vance with her children Liliana, Lucas and Graciela as they present their gifts to Big Brothers Big Sisters.

2 empower seminars - learn how to save energy

emPower staff and local qualified contractors involved in the emPower program will be holding free dinner workshops to offer advice on how to improve your home’s energy efficiency, comfort and indoor air quality while lowering energy bills. You will also learn about available utility incentives that can exceed $6,500 and low-interest, unsecured financing that starts at 5.9%, making replacing old or broken furnaces, ducts, windows and insulation more affordable. Both events are free and open to the public. Cambria Workshop and Dinner. Date: Tuesday, May 5th, 2015. Time: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Location: Coast Union High School, 2950 Santa Rosa Creek Road, Cambria, CA 93428. Cayucos Workshop and Dinner. Date: Thursday, May 7th, 2015. Time: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Location: Cayucos Elementary School, 301 Cayucos Drive, Cayucos, CA 93430. For more information, contact emPower San Luis Obispo County at 805-781-5625 or empower@co.slo.ca.us

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THE BULLETIN BOARD

humankind presents 5th annual fashion show

HumanKind Fair Trade is presenting their 5th Annual Eco Fashion Show on Friday, May 29 at the Odd Fellows Hall in SLO. The Eco Fashion Show was created to increase awareness about environmentally friendly and socially responsible fashion. It will feature clothing from HumanKind Fair Trade as well as other local retail clothing stores which include clothes made from recycled and sustainable materials, vintage and re-purposed items, and locally produced clothing. Tickets ($15 presale and $20 at the door) are available at HumanKind Fair Trade which is located at 982 Monterey Street. More information at www. humankindslo.org.

seattle stair climb for leukemia finishers

17th annual parkfield bluegrass festival

On May 7-10th, in the picturesque hamlet of Parkfield, the Bluegrass Music Society of the Central Coast (BMSCC) proudly presents the 17th Annual Parkfield Bluegrass Festival. Bluegrass music fans take over this small country village once a year for four days of concerts, workshops, children’s activities, camping and round the clock music jams! Attendees are welcome to come for the weekend with their RVs or tents. Single day admissions are also available and the Festival is a great day-trip outing from almost anywhere. For more details, please refer to the Parkfield Bluegrass Festival’s website at www.parkfieldbluegrass.org/ Tickets are also available by mail. Call 805-994-0929 with questions. Check out the Festival on Facebook as well. For BMSCC information see www. bmscc.org. We’ll see you at Parkfield!

SLO tansitions receives ccfc grant

Transitions-Mental Health Association (TMHA) has received $2,500 from Central Coast Funds for Children (CCFC). Teens from TMHA’s San Luis Obispo County Youth Treatment Program (YTP) have the opportunity to enter an Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy (EFP) program, operated by Gina Sears, licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. EFP is an experiential treatment approach involving several aspects of horsemanship. The youth’s exposure to equine therapy has proved to be enormously successful and contributed greatly to the youth’s rehabilitation. The results of the collaboration between YTP and EFP were overwhelmingly positive. YTP Program Therapist Anna Yeakle observed “with this collateral therapy, the kids who participated met their treatment goals much sooner.” This outcome prompted TMHA to pursue grant funding from CCFC which could allow additional YTP clients to participate.

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Towering over the skyline of Seattle, Washington, the Columbia Center is the second tallest building west of the Mississippi River. However, on March 8, it also became a beacon of hope, courage, and commitment as the site welcomed seven firefighters from Templeton in an expression of human kindness to others. The 24th Annual CLIMB.CONQUER.CURE fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society challenged each to climb to the top–up 788 vertical feet with 69 stories and 1311 steps. The men were fully geared including air tanks. All participants raised funds for the Society and paid their own travel and rooming expenses for the chance to help others. Over the years, tens of millions of dollars have been raised as the participants combine strength and spirit to those afflicted. Over 1700 men and women from 26 states and five countries joined together in solidarity to finding a cure for the dreaded affliction. Wall, the team’s captain, was the sole representative of the department in last year’s climb and continues his efforts to encourage other local firefighters to join in next year’s event. He may be contacted at bwall@templetoncsd.org

THE BULLETIN BOARD erica best accepted to ballet program

The Mortgage house expands to atascadero

Atascadero High School freshman Erica Best of Creston has been accepted to the summer intensive ballet program at The Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia, PA. For 50 years, the school, dedicated to classical ballet, has trained up dancers now represented in major dance companies throughout the U.S. and abroad. The center is directed by former members of American Ballet Theatre, Borjan and Stephanie Spassoff. Best dances at Ballet Theatre San Luis Obispo and has appeared in the company’s performances of “Robin Hood,” “La Boutique Fantasque” and “Les Patineurs.” To fund the program, including tuition, room, board and transportation across the country, the family has established a fundraiser that incorporates Erica’s additional skills in visual arts and traditional fiber arts in thank you gifts to donors. For more information about the fundraiser, or to make a contribution, visit http://www.gofundme.com/DanceCampForE.

Buoyed by continued growth in the local real estate market, The Mortgage House has added a new office in Atascadero. The regional mortgage banker’s new location at 7340 Morro Road joins The Mortgage House’s offices in San Luis Obispo and Santa Maria in serving clients throughout the tri-counties. Senior Vice President and Division President Roxanne Carr said that The Mortgage House, celebrating its 20th year serving the Central Coast this June, does a great deal of business in the North County and wanted a centralized location to support clients. All decisions are made locally. For more information, visit TheMortgageHouse.com.

slo downtown assoc directors announced

heart to heart Real Estate gives back

The SLO Downtown Association is pleased to announce its 201517 Board of Directors. 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/Marketing/ Property Manager: Copeland Properties). We also welcome back our re-elected members: 2015-2016 Board President Gary Stevenson (President: Peak Property Management, Inc., The Wineman, Wineman GrillHaus), Past Vice President Josh Haring (Owner: The Mountain Air) and our reappointed Past President Marshall Ochylski (Owner: Ochylski Law Firm).

new arts obispo executive director

Angela Juliano Tahti has been named Executive Director of the County Arts Council (ARTS Obispo). Tahti will come to SLO from Placer County, where she served as Executive Director of Placer Arts from 1997-2014. She has two decades of leadership in the nonprofit arts sector. Tahti was selected through a rigorous interview process involving ARTS Obispo’s Board of Directors, committee members and community stakeholders. She was selected unanimously because of her demonstrated ability to build coalitions and consensus, manage projects, lead communications and serve as a passionate advocate for all of the arts. Mark McConnell and Liz Lee Marziello, owners of Heart to Heart Real Estate presented a check for $7,496.25 to the Boys & Girls Club of North SLO County recently. Jorge Avila, Sr. & an anonymous party of Paso Robles designated the Boys & Girls Club of North SLO County as the beneficiary through their association with Heart to Heart Real Estate. The Boys & Girls Club of North SLO County will apply the funds to the expansion of the Boys & Girls Club summer camp and after-school program in Atascadero. The Club plans to increase their summer camp availability from 40 spots to 75 spots and implement an after-school program for the 2015-2016 academic year.

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11175 Los Osos Valley Road, SLO

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M A Y

2015

Journal PLUS

COMMUNITY

eye on business

glenn burdette anniversary showcases secrets to success By Maggie Cox, Barnett Cox & Associates

2013 brought a fresh new look and a round of leading edge technology that seamlessly connects the SLO office with Glenn Burdette additional locations in Paso Robles and Santa Maria. Glenn Burdette today employs more than 50 people in its three offices and offers a full range of tax and audit services.

hen Assemblyman Katcho Achadjian stopped by the San Luis Obispo offices of Glenn Burdette on Friday, April 10, the visit marked more than just another crazy day close to the April 15 tax deadline. It was also a day celebrating the 50th anniversary of the venerable certified public accounting firm, and it included activities that tell a great story of how a 50 year old manages to stay

young. Glenn Burdette knows a thing or two about keeping one foot rooted in tradition and one leaping ahead into the future. Tradition begins with a quick look back. The firm was founded by Fred Glenn on March 15, 1965, in a small office on Marsh Street in San Luis Obispo. Fast forward to 1985 and a move to the present headquarters location at 1150 Palm Street. A sweeping remodel in

As for the future: it arrived 13 years ago when Glenn Burdette became the first California CPA firm to create an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). An ESOP offers employees ownership interest and the opportunity to directly benefit from company success. The pioneering move to an ESOP warranted Glenn Burdette a front cover and special coverage in a leading trade magazine in 2002, and did more than generate publicity. Firm Principal Dan O’Hare says the ESOP structure continues to drive innovation and teamwork and is an attractive benefit for recruits. The Glenn Burdette team is using its 50th anniversary to showcase the firm’s penchant for excellence-packaged-in-fun, a move that helps attract new legions of young professionals. An anniversary scholarship for local high school students offers a $15,000 pool of funds and challenges applicants to best identify 50 reasons why “being an accountant is awesome.” Nothing button down about it. The proclamation presented by Assemblyman Achadjian was accompanied by a logo cake, a lunch celebration, and a quick group photo. Not your standard fare for the final days before tax deadline. The celebration culminated in a late afternoon gathering in the company conference room (some joining remotely) to watch the debut of “The Bean Bag Series,” a group of humorous videos created to capture the unique spirit of GB. The videos, launched on YouTube on April 15 (no other date would do), pounce on everything from cubicle etiquette to chickens at a holiday party. The takeaway: Glenn Burdette shows that success doesn’t mean serious business all the time, and the firm has a half century marker to prove it. Happy Anniversary.

M A Y

2015

Journal PLUS

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