July 2015 Journal Plus Magazine

BEN POLANDO | GLEANSLO | HEINZ HUEBNER | JERRY & BEV PRAVER | JUSTSERVE

Journal JULY 2015

PLUS

MAGA ZINE OF THE CENTRAL COAST

THE CENTRAL COAST

RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL LORD MAYOR–MICHAEL TEUBNER

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.1275MontecitoRidge.com

www.1778Alrita.com

Tuscan Mediterranean Estate with 5 acres. Gated Community located between San Luis Obispo and Arroyo Grande. Over 5500 square feet + triple garage with over 1000 square feet. Master Suite is privately located on entry level. If you have been seeking an exquisite estate home, please stop by or call for a private showing. $1,875,000

High on the hill above street level on a private drive, this property enjoys beautiful, unobstructed views of the hills above, the city below, and the coastal range to the west. On nearly an acre this well-cared for one-owner home features 3 bedrooms, 1 3/4 baths, two decks, fireplace, newer double-pane windows, solar hot water heating, large two-car garage w/ storage and space for both RV and boat parking. $1,049,000

www.717MarVista.com

Quiet location, Nearby beach living, hiking trails, Sea Pines Golf Course, tennis courts, Los Osos Community Park, Montana de Oro State Park. Awesome lighted observation deck overlooking the bay. Spacious living room with brick fireplace and vaulted cedar ceiling. This 3bd/2ba home was remodeled with kitchen granite countertop, skylights and garden window.

Fenced backyard has plenty of room for outdoor entertaining and gardening. $549,000

www.1723Bilbao.com

Upscale Tuscan inspired townhome in the gated community of La Ventana near Marian Medical Center. This 2104 sq. ft., 3 bedroom plus loft/extra room, 2.5 bath attached townhome features a spacious living room with fireplace and separate large dining room, Kitchen is open and spacious. The private backyard is perfect for entertaining! $389,000

www.1123Coral.com

Nice Laguna Lake Three bedroom, Two bath home. Fireplace in living room with a two car garage and a nice sized backyard.

Well located away from traffic and close to shopping. $524,000

www.4603Cherry.com

Excellent Orcutt location just down the street from shopping, restaurants and Patterson Elementary School. 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms all on spacious quarter acre lot. New carpet, new interior paint, new dual pane windows, newer forced air heater and water heater. Backyard has raised garden area and 2 tool sheds. This home is ready for new owners! $345,000

Thank you to all of our vendors: Central Coast Brewing, Adelaida Cellars, Cal Poly Chocolates, Old San Luis BBQ, Bang the Drum Brewery, Fattoush & Downtown Boba, Rebel Coast Winery, See Canyon Hard Cider, Firestone Walker Brewery, Foremost Wine Company and Tooth & Nail Winery, Cass Wines, We Olive, Petra, Cottonwood Canyon, Spikes, Barrelhouse Brewing, Splash, Castoro, Broken Earth Winery.

Thank you to Rio Salinas & Louie Ortega!

The most successful Flavor of SLO ever, thanks to Rotaract | SLO !

This event allows United Way of SLO County to improve the education, income, and health of our community. Live United!

Call 805-541-1234 or go to unitewayslo.org for more information.

Thank you to our sponsors:

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

14

BEV AND JERRY PRAVER

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

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

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BEN POLANDO

HEINZ HUEBNER

ADVERTISING Steve Owens CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Susan Stewart, Natasha Dalton, Joseph Carotenuti, Dr. James Brescia, Sarah Hedger, Maggie Cox, Will Jones, Deborah Cash, Heather Young, Don Morris, Susan Pyburn, Ruth Starr, Chuck Graham, Jeffrey Geiger, Shash Irving, Rebecca Juretic and John Ashbaugh.

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

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

PEOPLE 8 10 12 14

BEN POLANDO DAVID BRODIE HEINZ HUEBNER JERRY AND BEV PRAVER

HOME & OUTDOOR 16 18 20 22 24

GLEANSLO RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL BIG SUR PADDLING JUSTSERVE FOOD / AT THE MARKET

COMMUNITY

26 28 30 31 32 34 36 42

SLO COUNTY ART SCENE HISTORY: KENNEDY VISITS VANDENBERG GREATEST ATHLETES OF SLO SLO LIBRARY MIOSSI GRANT HISTORY: Myron Angel OUR SCHOOLS—Dr. James Brescia PALM STREET—Councilman Ashbaugh COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD

BUSINESS

37 DOWNTOWN SLO What’s Happening 41 MORTGAGE FACTS AND FICTION 46 EYE ON BUSINESS

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COMING UP AT THE

PERFORMING ARTS CENTER PETER PAN THE MUSICAL JULY 10 & 18 | 7:00 p.m.

JULY 11, 12, 18 & 19 | 2:00 p.m.

CHRISTOPHER COHAN CENTER Presented by Kelrik Productions

Based on J.M. Barrie's classic tale and featuring an unforgettable score by Morris "Moose" Charlap and Jule Styne with lyrics by Carolyn Leigh and Betty Comden and Adolph Green, Peter Pan is one of the most beloved and frequently performed family favorites of all time.

This high-flying TONY Award-winning musical has been performed around the world and delighted audiences for 60 years.

AN EVENING WITH JAKE SHIMABUKURO AUGUST 15 | 8:00 p.m.

CHRISTOPHER COHAN CENTER

Presented by Cal Poly Arts and Otter Productions, Inc.

In his young career, ukulele wizard Jake Shimabukuro has redefined the instrument, been declared a musical “hero” by Rolling Stone Magazine, won accolades from the wide-ranging likes of Eddie Vedder, Perez Hilton and Dr. Sanjay Gupta, wowed audiences on TV (“Jimmy Kimmel Live” and “Conan”), earned comparisons to Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis, and even played in front of the Queen of England.

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

From the publisher

Sunny smiles are coming your way!

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

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

T

his month’s issue is filled with good things that people are doing on the Central Coast. We begin on the next page with the Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Committee giving out sixteen scholarships. For 47 years this committee quietly generates funds with no administrative costs and gives out scholarships each year to those in need.

July offers several great events for you to enjoy. One of our favorites is the Renaissance Festival. Rick Smith has been organizing the festival for many years. Our cover story profiles Rick and this event inside.

Our people profiles include Ben Polando and his quest to help the disadvantaged, Heinz Huebner’s efforts in building mobile cabins for the homeless, Town Criers, Jerry and Bev Praver’s upcoming competition in Central Otago, New Zealand and so much more.

Enjoy the magazine.

Steve Owens

COMMUNITY

giving back

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winners of the martin luther king, jr scholarships

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he Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) High School Memorial Scholarship Committee, now in its 47th year, held its award ceremony last month. This year fifteen $1100 scholarships and one $1300 scholarship were awarded (13 of the 16 winners pictured). The funds generated come from an annual chicken BBQ in San Luis Obispo each Super Bowl Sunday (Put Sunday, February 7th on your calendar now and help support this special program). The students fill out an application for the potential scholarship and committee members interview the finalists. It’s MLK President, Mary Matakovich with amazing what Directors Award winner, Patricia Gordon. these students

MLK President, Mary Matakovich with President’s Award winner, Jane Taylor.

have accomplished at such an early age. There is no doubt that the future of this community is in good hands.

The guest speaker was MLK Boardmember, Patricia Gordon. Gordon told the audience her life story and how she grew up in poverty and it was higher education that changed her life. She received her doctorate degree at USC. Gordon started and finished her motivating speech with the theme of “keep moving forward.”

Scholarship winners included: Fatima Alamilla, Andrea Albarran, Diana Barajas, Celeste Marie Maxwell Brown, Malea Detwiler, Dinora Escalera, Jesus (Manny) Garcia, Cory Holt, Sophia Hurtado, Taylor Pilg, Giovanni Reyna, Parsit Sae Tae, Ricardo Sabinop, Monica Martinez Santana, Miles Searby, and Yazmin Virgin.

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY

Let our family take care of your family.

The MLK Committee also gave out three recognition awards. Patricia Gordon (pictured left with MLK President, Mary Matakovich) received the Director’s Award for her continued support of the program. Steve Owens/Journal Plus Magazine received the Community Service Award, and Jane Taylor (pictured above) received the President’s Award for supporting the Scholarship Program in the schools.

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PEOPLE

ben polando

creating an exceptional space for exceptional people

By Heather Young

B

en Polando first got involved with people who are developmentally and physically disabled when he was an undergrad at Cal Poly in the 1970s. Now in his early 60s, he’s created Atypical Place at Trabia Farms west of Paso Robles, not far from Highway 46 West, right in the heart of wine country.

Polando grew up in the Sunnyvale area, his grandparents immigrated from Sicily when his mother was a child.

At 18, after graduating from Peterson High School in Sunnyvale in 1972, he started his education at Cal Poly. He got his bachelor’s degree in recreation administration in 1976 and his master’s degree in recreation therapy in 1977. In 1987, he completed his PhD in metaphysics from the American Institute of Holistic Health.

“The reason I got that was it was a great education,” Polando said.

As an undergrad, he was asked if he would do a newspaper drive for children with cognitive disabilities. He said yes and went to San Luis Obispo High School to collect newspapers. He was then asked to be the director of the Special Olympics in SLO in 1974.

“I’ve been a sponsor of the Special Olympics for 41 years,” he said.

As director in 1974, he went to his wrestling buddy—being on the wrestling team at Cal Poly—and asked the team to donate any wrestling medals they did not want.

“It was a track and field Special Olympics, but they all got a wrestling medal,” Polando said.

At Cal Poly, he also served as the executive director of the Earth Day celebration in the mid-1970s. The event was run by students from the recreation department.

After he finished his master’s degree, he got a job as executive director for California Committee for Youth Activities. It was while traveling around the state fundraising to create more events for children and jobs for youth that Polando met Dave Henderson in an airport.

“We talked about we wanted to do [with our lives],” Polando said. “I wanted to do more hardcore business.” A couple of

Ben with his wife, Liz and therapy horse, Kachina.

months later he got a call from Henderson. “He made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

He traveled around the world starting up companies for Henderson’s company, but after a while he decided it was time to quit.

After he started up a division in Taiwan, he did consulting before starting his own company at the age of 29 in the early ’80s. He designed packaging for delicate disks that would allow them to be shipped in smaller packaging that was cheaper, while getting the disks to their destinations intact.

He got that packaging patented and then got more packaging he designed patented. He also designs packaging for medical equipment—very expensive machines. He has had many large companies as clients over the years, including NASA and IBM. He is still president of Integrated Packing and Crating Services, Inc. and Innovated Packaging Company, Inc. in the Bay Area.

“I’ve been down here a lot. They don’t even know who I am at work,” Polando said with a laugh.

Several years ago, he purchased property in Paso Robles. He wasn’t sure at the time what he’d do with the property, though he did know he’d create Atypical Place, which is a place for children and adults with cognitive disabilities.

He said he got the bright idea to grow grapes on the property to raise money for Atypical Garden. While he can get funding from the government, he does not want to rely on those because they can be taken away in a blink of an eye. All proceeds from Trabia Farms goes to Atypical Place. Polando is working toward having a program—possibly through the Department of Rehabilitation, which works with school districts—to give adults 18 to 22 with cognitive disabilities vocational work on the farm.

Ben with family and friends.

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“[Sometimes] I ask myself, why am I doing this? Am I crazy?” Polando said. “[I do this because] this makes me feel complete. This is fun. I can think of nothing better to do than this—being with exceptional people. I can feel the love being surrounded by these kids with so much love.”

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Trabia Farms Earth Day Celebration group of staff, volunteers, students, teachers and their families

Polando said he used to sit on the property with his friend and mentor Sam Boyd, who died a couple years ago, and talk about what Atypical Place would look like.

Atypical Place includes a sensory garden and exploratorium, which includes a Tuscan-style playhouse that is accessible to children with physical disabilities, including those in wheelchairs; an Italian-style arch; Columnar Basalts; harmony pit; and a whale wall that will include a whale skeleton that looks like it’s part of a dig.

“Bringing people together” is what Polando said Atypical Place is about. Polando named his olive farm after the city in Sicily where his mother was born—Trabia. “It’s an exceptional place for exceptional people,” Polando said.

For more on Trabia Farms and Atypical Place, go to www.trabiafarmsinc.com.

“We wanted to make the exploratorium a geo-history of the area,” said Polando. His wife, Liz Burton, has a PhD in geology.

“The idea of the exploratorium is learn, play, and sensory development,” Burton added.

The exploratorium, Burton said, has been in the works for many years. Polando and Burton learned what should be included by talking to the parents.

“The idea is for special people to have a place to call their own,” Burton said.

The garden includes a gazebo, grassy area, picnic tables and a rainbow garden. The harvests from the garden have gone to GleanSLO, which is part of the Food Bank Coalition of San Luis Obispo County, and to the families that visit the farm.

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“We’re trying to capture both: the local geology—and Sicily,” Burton said. “They’ll learn geology: touch it, play on it.”

Another offering at the farm will be equestrian therapy for both those with and without cognitive disabilities. That therapy will be under the direction of Hans van Randwijk and Janine Asante.

This Program is funded by California utility ratepayers and administered by Southern California Gas Company, Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric Company under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission.

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PEOPLE

david brodie

“architecture has been a vehicle for doing so many different things.”

By Susan Pyburn When a Zimbabwe newspaper invited children to enter a writing competition, David submitted six poems and six essays. He won, of course.

“I was a shy youngster. Going off to boarding school made me more independent. I recommend it because you don’t get pampered. I became the adventurous one. Many of my peers who stayed at home never left.”

His mother encouraged him to take tap dancing which made him very popular with girls at local schools. Three years of piano lessons left an impression that has “stayed with me to this day,” he says.

Further studies in geography, math, and art led to interests in film, travel and theatre.

Growing up partially fluent in an African language, David learned Afrikaans in boarding school which helped him with Flemish. French and Italian came later through travel and academic postings. “Music and language should be emphasized (above all),” he insists, saying the data shows the benefits.

B

efore the first plate hits the table, David Brodie is likely to inquire of his youthful server, “Where do you come from?” It’s a question he often asks of young people waiting tables in downtown cafes.

When they respond with “San Luis Obispo,” he expands in his deep, resonant British accent. “Do you want to be 60 and still doing the same thing?” he implores. “You’ve got to be more adventurous! Start doing something!” And he often returns to check on their progress.

“It is much too comfortable (here), much too beautiful, and too accessible ... characteristics (which) diminish a need for developing drive in young people.”

After more than 40 years teaching architecture and city planning, David remains an educator, often giving on-the-spot lectures. A strong advocate of moving on in life, meeting him now is to be enchanted by so many stories that it’s hard to know where to begin. Starting with the present and looking back, I find a warm, witty and devoted former professor of architecture and city planning, a multi-lingual raconteur, an international bon-vivant, and an informal mentor to many.

Born in Capetown, South Africa, he lived in Zambia with his family from ages 3 to 10, then traveled 1,000 miles to Zimbabwe to attend boarding school. Early on he was fascinated by colors and words. As a boy, David loved arranging and rearranging them.

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At 17, he was accepted by the University of Capetown. He soon fell in with an art crowd due to his love of dance and music and the fact that the art department was on his way up the hill to the school of architecture. The university crowned a promontory called Table Mountain that looked out over the city. Late at night after his studies, he would walk down the hill and socialize with artists and musicians. A girlfriend had a house that became a hangout for their group. On many occasions, late night soirees included internationally renowned actors.

By the ’60s David had joined an architectural firm in London. When he found himself at odds with some of the design ideas of his colleagues, he decided to get a Masters degree so as to be on firmer footing when advocating his position. He sent inquiries to seven of the top graduate programs in the United States. UC Berkeley promptly responded with an offer to consider his application even though the deadline had already passed. As he did not have his Capetown transcripts he simply copied his degree, enclosed a sketch, and sent it off. They immediately accepted him with the proviso that he arrive

by September 15. On the day of his departure he picked up his visa on the way to the airport and barely made the flight. When told his bag was too heavy to carry on the plane he stooped down on the floor and tossed out items of clothing.

After completing his Masters degree, David was broke. It was the sixties and, like many others, David was sporting a beard. After failing to find employment, a colleague confided that his beard could be a problem. He was flabbergasted, but he recalls people yelling and accusing him of being a “commie” or a “hippie.” When offered a teaching position at UC Berkeley, he quickly accepted the post.

After several years, he joined the Planning Department in Oakland while continuing to look for other opportunities. When a Fresno interview resulted in an offer to start up their Planning Department, he accepted (with ambivalence). But it was not to be. While passing

PEOPLE through San Luis Obispo he remembered a man he met at a conference who had urged him to stop by if he ever visited SLO. He did.

The man was the chair of the Cal Poly Planning Department and immediately offered him a job, saying that he would take care of the previous commitment to Fresno.

As David tells the story, the chairman was very eager. “‘We’d like to see you in three weeks.’”

Among many students mentored over the years, David recalls a beach boy from Southern California. The boy showed promise so David took him on, notwithstanding his beach boy air.

“How would like you like to study (architecture) in France for the summer?” he asked.

“I can’t afford it,” said the boy.

“I fell for the San Luis disease. It’s lovely and comfortable and you never want to leave.”

David contacted the school, arranged a stipend and a fire was lit. The young man was pronounced the best student in the school and offered an all-expense paid year in Paris for further studies. The former beach boy went on to Princeton. He and his wife have established a practice and teach and lecture around the country.

“Architecture has been a vehicle for doing (so many) different things,” he reflects. “ I believe very strongly in not limiting one’s interests ... seeing how complementary interests, when combined, produce connections leading to different definitions of careers. I digested the best of every one of these exposures ... with the hope that I can pass that on to future generations.”

These days, you might find David strolling downtown, chatting with shopkeepers, visiting restaurants and speaking at City Council meetings on planning issues. Unless he is in Paris, Milan, Venice or London. David Brodie’s life is a world class journey that continues to evolve. At the close of our visit his last words arrive like dessert, “The more energy you use, the more energy you generate.”

“‘But I’ve no place to live,’” David replied.

“All you need to do is drive into town and we’ll take you to your housing.” And it was all arranged, down to linens and flatware.

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Historic Downtown SLO Building A (Building For Sale Only—Not Business)

Great Investment Opportunity located Downtown San Luis Obispo. This iconic building is an approximately 5923 sqft. brick building that was retrofitted. It was built around 1925 and is on city’s list of contributing historic buildings.

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857 MONTEREY ST, SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA | www.HavenSLO.com/857-Monterey-St

Lynn Cooper

Steve Ingels

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heinz huebner building cabins on wheels

By Ruth Starr

A

s you drive around your neighborhood, you may notice a tiny home on wheels. With much enthusiasm, Heinz Huebner, 80, talks about how he came to build a model “tiny home” that could be used to house the homeless. Heinz left his hometown of Berlin, Germany at the age of 21 after graduating technical school with a speciality in Automotive Engineering. In order to obtain a certificate of qualification he endured three years of schooling with internships, including studies in basic engineering, marketing, and employment and labor laws.

Arriving in the United States he chose Fort Wayne, Indiana where he was invited to stay with friends. Soon after, Volkswagen gave him a job in service management. While in Indiana, Heinz was drafted into the army. He spent most of his time in Germany where he was assigned to a motor pool that took personnel to a variety of places.

After his discharge from the Army he went back to Fort Wayne and worked there for a few different companies. He got involved with a company to do research for a new plant that was supposed to open in Monterey, Mexico. This was a new adventure for Heinz where he would have to learn the Spanish language. He moved to Mexico, lived with a Mexican family and went to the university in Mexico City for six months to learn the language. He said he learned more from living with the family than all the schooling. He realized he had the funds and the time, and thought the perfect thing to do would be to travel all over South America for fun and education.

In 1963 Heinz came to California. Because he loved skiing, he went to Lake Tahoe where he worked as a ski patrol and ski instructor. From that experience in 1972 he went to Utah for two years where he was a consultant in developing a ski area. He eventually landed back in Lake Tahoe where he continued working as ski instructor.

Since that area was seasonal, Heinz spent the summer working for a construction business to learn how to build homes. Not wasting much time, he started a construction business in Lake Tahoe building European chalets. He heard people talking about how nice it would be to have a chalet. He decided that this was the route he would go. Heinz was the only one constructing the chalets and he did very well with them.

In 1972 Heinz was married and had a daughter Jessica, who currently lives in San Diego. The marriage dissolved after twelve years. In 1989 he closed shop in Lake Tahoe and moved to the Central Coast of California.

He is currently married to his wife Judy, and they live happily J U L Y

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in San Luis Obispo with their dog Sammy, a Cocker Spaniel and Havanese mix.

Becky Jorgeson, President of Hope’s Village of SLO was looking for volunteers to help homeless people. Heinz saw her ad in the paper and went to a meeting of people interested in working with this organization. He offered his skills in construction.

The County and the City do allow temporary structures but they have to be under 120 square feet to be built without a permit. Little buildings like that can be put in a backyard or anywhere, but no one is allowed to sleep in them. However, if the structure is built on a trailer chassis, it is then licensed as a travel trailer and people can use them for sleeping. To save money the Volunteers look for old trailers, take the top off and use the trailer chassis. All are eight feet wide and built the length of the trailer.

Becky asked Heinz to build the first model of a tiny home. He mostly built it by himself. Some of the lumber was donated and some was purchased. They bought $3000 worth of new and used materials going to peoples’ self help re-store where they got all the windows and other items very reasonably. Heinz said there wasn’t enough money for all the materials so he bought some of it himself, as well as contributed all of his labor for this project.

Huebner hard at work on one of his cabins.

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Inside the Cabin on Wheels.

He had to find a place to build it and store the materials. There was a home with a piece of land in Santa Margarita where the owners allowed Heinz to store the materials and build the model tiny home.

The person that helped Heinz the most was a retired dentist, Joe Perez, from Cambria. He donated a substantial amount of money and physical help.

The vision shared by Heinz, Becky, and the other volunteers is to have a site that operates like a campground where there will be a main common house where people can cook, use restroom facilities, shower, do their laundry, and have a meeting room. The tiny homes would be set up all around the common house. The largest problem

The finished Cabin on Wheels.

has been getting the land to do this. Heinz is very eager to get to work on more of the tiny homes. In the meantime, he creatively uses re-cycled materials to make planters, and other objects for yards that he hopes to sell at events to raise money for this project, aptly named Hope’s Village of SLO.

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1020 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 – www.ernstlawgroup.com – (805) 541-0300 J U L Y

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“oyez, oyez, oyez”

Jerry and Bev Praver

local town criers to compete in central otago, New Zealand “Oyez, Oyez, Oyez,” the call for attention used by town criers for nearly a thousand years, can still be heard throughout the land. On September 19, 2000, Shirley Bianchi, then County Supervisor representing District Two, read a resolution in chambers recognizing Jerry and Bev Praver as the official town criers of the county. For the past fifteen years they have been seen plying their trade at a wide variety of venues throughout the county and the world.

As long as there has been news to share, there have been messengers to deliver it. The job of town crier can be traced back to 1066 A.D. when news of the Norman invasion of Britain by William the Conqueror was passed from town to town by individuals specifically employed to call out the King’s proclamation.

Literacy among the majority of the populace was low well into the late 19th century and books and newspapers were generally accessible only to a small percentage of the English population. Proclamations, edicts, laws and news may well have been written on paper, but they were usually passed on to the general public by the town crier—the first (talking) newspaper.

Oyez, Oyez, Oyez (roughly translated as “hark” or “listen”) became a familiar call in town squares, markets and public meeting places all over Britain, a summons for the people of the town to gather and listen to news of plague, victories in far off lands, royal births, and executions.

The town crier would read a proclamation, usually at the door of the local inn, then nail it to the doorpost of the inn. Some of the results of this tradition have been the naming of newspapers as “The Post” and the expressions “posting a notice,” the “post office” and “posting a message” on the Facebook or Twitter.

With the coming of modern communications such as radio, television and the internet and the nearly 100 percent literacy rate among the population, one might think that town criers would have become ex-

tinct. But today there are about four hundred town criers worldwide and about forty in the United States. Town criers are now in great demand for civic ceremonies, charity functions, tourism events and commercial ventures, where their colorful costumes, imposing presence and historical significance are greatly valued. They also attend crying competitions both regional and worldwide.

Town crier competitions (also called tournaments) occur several times a year in various locations throughout the world. They can be quite small and informal, attracting only a handful of criers usually from nearby locations. On the other hand, they are sometimes very large. World competitions have had more than 150 criers participate.

Generally, any crier who is a member of a town crier guild is free to participate in any competition but some have geographical restrictions such as the North American Town Crier Competition which is restricted to criers from America or Canada and some have a limited number of criers who are selected from applicants by a committee.

Each participating crier is required to deliver from one to three cries on specific topics chosen by the host crier. Typical topics include a hometown cry in which the crier attempts to persuade listeners to visit the location they represent, a commercial cry which sings the praises of a local business which has helped to sponsor the competition, or a historical cry dealing with the history of the area where the competition is held. The number of words in each cry must be within a specified range, customarily 100 to 125 words.

Criers are judged on accuracy, clarity, deportment, cry content and sustained volume. Usually there are at least three judges who are local officials (such as the mayor) or other prominent citizens. In major competitions, judges are seated 60 meters (about 200 feet) away from the criers so loudness and good diction are very important.

Town Criers and their escorts pose for a photo at a competition in Holland, Michigan in 2009.

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In competitions, however, they are required to cry separately, competing against each other as well as the other criers. Most of the time Jerry has scored higher than Bev. In 2005 Jerry won the competition in La Connor, Washington and finished third in Anacortes. He also finished second in Anacortes in 2004 and third in Holland, Michigan in 2009. In the last North American Town Crier Competition in 2011, however, Bev made history by finishing second (by one point!) to a Canadian and she was named Best American Town Crier. This was the first time an American has ever finished in the top three in this competition and the first time a woman has ever finished in the top three or been named Best American Town Crier. Jerry came in fourth in this competition and was named the second best American Town Crier.

When town criers get together they are nearly always competing with one another but they are a very friendly group and most of the time is spent socializing. Experienced criers are always willing to advise or help novices and all criers know that judging is highly variable and subjective and, with a little luck, anyone can win a competition.

The Pravers have attended many of these competitions in the United States, Canada and England. At the end of September 2015, a World Town Crier Tournament will be held in Central Otago on the South Island of New Zealand. Bev and Jerry Praver will be attending this tournament and will compete against twenty-five of the best town criers in the world from Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand, America and Wales. The tournament is timed to coincide with the fiftyninth annual Alexandra Blossom Festival, the longest running festival in New Zealand.

Bev and Jerry Praver have been married to each other for fifty-five years and they have been singing and playing folk music almost from the beginning. In 1987, Jerry resigned from his job as an engineer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena and they moved to Cambria, becoming full time musicians.

For the next 16 years they presented American folk music programs in schools throughout the southwest.

For the past fifteen years the Pravers have been seen reading their original and unique proclamations at many events, both public and private, including birthdays, weddings, retirements, dedications of public facilities, establishment openings, parades and more.

When they are crying, they wear uniforms modeled on American men’s and women’s fashions of the late 1700s created for them by a professional costume maker from the Los Angeles legitimate theaters.

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Jerry using his best “Oyez” at a competition in Washington in 2011.

As a rule, Bev and Jerry present a cry together. They are one of only three married couples in the world in which both partners are criers and there is only one other couple who cry together. The Pravers are the only criers married to each other in America.

Like most town criers, Bev and Jerry Praver do the job principally because they enjoy keeping an ancient tradition alive, and consider it an honor and a privilege to serve their town and community.

More information about town criers and about Bev and Jerry Praver can be found at www.bevjerry.com.

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Bev receiving the trophy for Best American Crier at a competition in Washington in 2011.

1035 Peach Street, San Luis Obispo | 543-9377 | www.plasticsurgeryslo.com J U L Y

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Gleanslo

Volunteers rescue nature’s bounty for the slo food bank

By Ruth Starr Photos by Carolyn Eicher

W

hen you live in a climate such as in San Luis Obispo, there are typically fruit trees filled to excess wherever you look. Much of that fruit goes unpicked and unused. About February 2001, a grassroots movement began all over the county to “glean” the fruit from under-used backyard gardens and distribute it to our local SLO Food Bank for those in need. GleanSLO rescues nature’s bounty through a team of well-coordinated volunteers who pick such produce as avocados, blueberries, blackberries, apples and lettuce, among others. They began harvesting from backyards and rapidly grew into collecting from farms and farmers markets. As the fruit and vegetables continue to grow, so has the non-profit organization: GleanSLO now has approximately 600 volunteers in the program.

Many of the volunteers are retired regulars who enjoy staying involved. Other volunteers are Cal Poly and high school students who take pride in serving the needs of those who struggle. The Food Bank distributes what is left over to farmers to feed to their animals. There

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is enough food gleaned for everyone in SLO County to eat seven pounds of produce a day with very little of it left to go to the farmers for their animals.

The Food Bank serves about 44,000 people each year and forty percent are youth under the age of 18. There are two major warehouses; one in Oceano and one in Paso Robles.

Some of the recipients of the Food Bank are: after school programs, Prado Day Center, Senior Nutrition, and Salvation Army, in addition to taking it to various places where there is open distribution. Senior citizens are the second largest group served.

Jeanine Lacore is the Program Coordinator of GleanSLO and Susan Singley is the program manager. Jeanine lived in Kansas, MO where she graduated from the University of Kansas with a major in Women’s Studies. Later she became involved and interested in farming with a special interest in food service.

Moving to San Luis Obispo, Jeanine was looking for a way to get involved with the community and meet like minded people. Her cousin Stephanie Buresh, who is a campus minister at Mission College Prep, told her about the GleanSLO program. Stephanie had been working with one of the parents who is a farmer and wanted to get the high school students out to pick the remainder of the crops. Jeanine grew up knowing about volunteering from her mom. Her mom, who is very religious, made it part of her life to serve others through rescue missions and other charities.

For Jeanine, it is an opportunity to share what she has with others who are less fortunate. Part of the GleanSLO program is to have

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a school food drive. The staff works with elementary and middle school students. The idea is for those students to learn how to be of service. They go around their neighborhoods and bring the food to the school where it is then distributed.

GleanSLO has a modest office in SLO, but many meetings are conducted on farms and backyards. The volunteers haul around a lot of food, ladders, and brochures to hand out. Some of the motivation is for people to learn how to be involved and help those less fortunate.

Jeanine says that it is giving what you have, whether it is some fruit or veggies in your car or a bag of dog food to a homeless person with a dog.

Jeanine is moving on to a new adventure in her life to travel around the country.

The job of Program Coordinator is going to Josh Ayers who will succeed Jeanine and learn the trade from her before she leaves.

GleanSLO also has a steering committee that has helped the longevity of this program as they offer direction and feel passionate about what they are doing. To get involved or for any other information, log onto wwwGleanSLO.org.

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Rick Smith and

the central coast renaissance festival

By Susan Stewart Photos by Wil Mandac

E

ver wish you could magically step through the screen, into the time and place of your favorite movie, so you could become a part of it all? So you could taste and smell and feel the things you can only hear and see on the screen? Well, Rick Smith knows this feeling well, and he’s spent a big chunk of his lifetime … actually doing it!

As Advertising Coordinator and now Entertainment Director at the Central Coast Renaissance Festival for more than three decades, Smith’s job is to create the Rick Smith magic, mayhem, mystery, and mischief (not to mention the art, theater, food, music and sport) of Great Britain’s Elizabethan era (1585 – 1602) in a real life Sherwood Forest right here in present-day San Luis Obispo.

Described at www.renfaire.com as “partly craft fair, partly historical reenactment, partly performance art,” the international phenomenon called Ren Faire or simply “Faire” attracts attendees that range from first-time curiosity seekers and families looking for a fun outing, to fully obsessed Faire Folk who spend a king’s ransom on custom-made costumes, become expert speakers of Elizabethan English, and follow the best of the Faires from coast to coast. Think Dead Heads (fanatical Grateful Dead fans). Most fall somewhere in between, however, and today’s Faire has become a summer favorite for anyone looking for a chance to get away from it all.

Smith—who is the son of famous Florida novelist, Patrick D. Smith— was born in Jackson, Mississippi, and spent much of his childhood moving around, being the “new guy” and trying to fit in. He grew up in the ’60s and was deeply influenced by that decade’s music. He played rhythm guitar and organ for his high school rock band, The Mind Gardens, and traveled around Europe with his friends after graduation. In 1968, his mother dragged a reluctant Rick to see Franco Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet.

“I expected to be bored silly by Shakespeare but I was gobsmacked,” said Smith. “I didn’t understand the dialogue very well, but I thought it was so beautiful. … I’m sure that movie had something to do with my getting so involved with the Renaissance Festival.”

Smith earned a B.A. in Fine Art Photography at University of Central Florida and began a long and successful career in media. “I spent J U L Y

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Thena MacArthur as Queen Elizabeth

most of my career as head of a media production department at Cal Poly; [then]started my own video and media production company [Panorama Studios] 15 years ago,” he said.

Thirty-one years ago, Smith and a handful of other Faire enthusiasts founded the Central Coast Renaissance Festival and held the first event at Corbett Canyon winery. The following year, the Festival moved to El Chorro Regional Park where it stayed for 27 years. This year marks its third at Laguna Lake Park where organizers build a village over 6 acres complete with an Enchanted Forest to transport visitors to the time of knights and knaves, pirates and princesses.

“What makes this faire unique is our Central Coast location,” said Smith. “We get well over 500 costumed participants,” said Smith, “and most of them live elsewhere. … Entertainers are practically begging to get in. In fact, they are so good I couldn’t refuse them, so we built a third stage.”

Among the dozens of acts available all day every day for the price of admission ($18) are: a comedic juggling act called Out of Kontrol; The Merry Wives of Windsor, a slightly bawdy bunch of funny and talented women singers; Madrigali, a chorus of mesmerizing street singers; Barleycorn Country Dancers; a Pirate Parrot show; wandering Celtic bands and singers; storytellers; magicians; falconry; jousting, and the amazing talents of 12-year-old Alexis Rosinsky.

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One of the “Ale Wives”

Jousting

“She gives a flat-out amazing delivery of Shakespeare,” said Smith. Rosinsky brings to life such beloved Shakespearean characters as Ophelia, Portia, and Lady Macbeth. “You just have to see her to believe her. This girl is going places!”

wares to buy, visit www.ccrenfaire.com. You can buy your tickets there as well. $18 for adults, $12 for seniors and ages 6-15, and under age 6 FREE. 2-day adult passes are still $25 (saving $11 off individual ticket prices.)

Guilds and craftsmen of all sorts—from stained glass to leather goods; from spinning to puppeteering—teach, entertain, and purvey across the countryside. Costumed attendees and performers alike stroll the grounds, including The Queen and her Court, the Constables of the Shire, and Finch the Fairy.

Sponsored by local nonprofit, History Revisited, the Central Coast Renaissance Festival might very well be the most concentrated venue for music, crafts, comedy, and theater in the county. As the only remaining member of the founding organizers, Rick Smith still enjoys his significant role with the festival. He strives to bring fresh new acts in every year.

For a complete roster of things to do, food to eat—fire-roasted turkey leg, anyone?—and

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Rydell Downward as the Earl of Leicester

ing Romeo and Juliet. Every year, he gets to step through the screen and be a part of it all … at Faire. He invites you to join him.

Saturday, Sunday July 18th & 19th. 10 am – 6pm (5pm on Sunday) Parking is $8 per car at Madonna Meadows with a free shuttle service to the Faire grounds.

“To me, the festival is the canvas and the entertainment is the paintbrush,” he explains.

“I’ve never been as excited as I am this year. It is diverse, eclectic, and absolutely top quality.”

Despite a dramatic career shift that takes him back to his native Florida frequently, Smith does not talk about leaving the Central Coast Renaissance Festival any time soon.

Two years ago, he put together a one-man multi-media show about his famous father’s books, presenting it all over Florida. “If you’d told me I’d be doing this a few years ago,” he admits, “I would not have believed you.”

Lucrezia Vivaldi as Lady Lincoln

But suspension of disbelief is what Faire is all about. It’s a mystical thing—half history, half fantasy—that is essential to the power of great entertainment. Rick Smith got smitten early on when he fell in love with Olivia Hussey (and the words Will Shakespeare gave her to say) in a darkened theater watchJ U L Y

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the big south

paddling along the big sur coast

By Chuck Graham Will and I helped Patrick get off the beach as he made it between the big rocks and the cove. Will insisted he had it, so I let him go. But he got caught in no man’s land in a steep trough. He came unglued from his board and some gear and his paddle got away from him. I ran down gear and we regrouped for his second attempt. This time I helped him and he made it no problem as the two standup paddlers waited outside for me in poor visibility and stormy seas.

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aunching a kayak full of gear in tumultuous seas can be an arduous task. If a total yard sale ensues, it can doom a paddling trip before it gets off the beach.

However, we were on Day 2 of a 3-day paddling excursion along the Big Sur Coast, and so far so good. I was paddling with two standup paddlers, both former U.S. National Rowing Team members. I met Patrick O’hea and Will Miller on Santa Cruz Island a year ago. We ended up meeting on the Salton Sea and paddling California’s largest lake. This time they were looking for something in the open ocean, and we were all curious about the coast of Big Sur. That second morning though our launch looked easier than it was.

McWay Falls is arguably the nicest beach in the most scenic pocket of the Big Sur Coast. The ever-present waterfall always draws daily onlookers. A wooden path just below Hwy 1 overlooks the falls spilling onto the pristine beach. To actually get to the base of the falls you have to paddle there.

We arrived there at sunset after launching from Andrew Molera State Beach. Roughly 14 miles south we tucked into the cove at McWay Falls on a rising swell and a full tide. The beach was steep where thick waves exploded across the entire cove. It felt good to walk around listening to the falls and the cove turned magical when the sun dipped below dark clouds lighting up the scenic cove.

Rain was due the next day. I was hoping it wouldn’t arrive until after we emerged from our tents, ate and had packed our gear away.

That’s exactly what happened and with the steady rain came rock fall cascading towards us. It was time to get off the beach and paddle on.

The tide was pushing in and the swell pulsed creating some reverberation off the rocks. It made for some tricky launching. The waves approached out of deep water and then exploded on the beach. It made the waves much thicker with water rushing up the beach, bouncing off the rocks and a small wall of whitewater rolling back out to slam into the next oncoming wave. Timing was everything because if the launch was mistimed you could find yourself actually paddling downhill into a gritty trough and a 6-foot wave stacking up to greet you.

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It was my turn and I waited, but not long enough. I thought I had it and then I didn’t. I got caught in a downhill trough steaming toward a thick wall of water. I leaned into it, but it was hopeless. I was riding the wave helplessly and backwards. My stern hit the sand and I cart-wheeled out of my kayak. The side of my head scraped along the bottom as I came up. A total yard sale ensued. Fortunately my paddle didn’t snap. I dove after my dry bag full of my camera gear, and then ran down my kayak that was moving quickly for another thumping and the next wave. I lost my hat, then found it in the rocks. A water bottle was gone.

My next attempt went much smoother and without incident. On two gulps of water and 22 miles further south we were now searching desperately for a safe place to land just before it got dark. The swell was cranking, a solid 8-foot with waves colliding off massive sea stacks and

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submerged rocks. Sand Dollar State Beach wasn’t a likely place to land.

It’s a broad cove that’s a swell magnet. It’s never flat, but a half mile off shore I found a window on the south end of the cove. There was a big rip tide funneling between craggy rock outcroppings and sneaky submerged rocks. Thick 6-to-8-foot waves were cresting on my right as I approached, but then they backed off once they converged with the rip.

Every now and then a bigger wave would obliterate the rip.

Once again it was about timing. We all came together and paddled furiously to shore. I looked over my shoulder once, saw nothing and stroked hard for a small swath of sand. The three of us just stood there

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and said nothing. It felt good to be on our feet. It was a perfect fall day, warm and inviting. We found a raised plateau of warm cobble. We spread out any wet gear and basked in the last rays of the day before diving into our tents. Who knew what the next day would bring?

Unfortunately, the surf was bigger. Our rip was still there, but occasionally a wave would obliterate it. One mistake in the rip and standups, kayaks and gear would kiss the rocks. We called the trip and portaged our gear up the steep stairs to Hwy 1, where logic came into play: the Big Sur Coast isn’t going anywhere, save it for another day.

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justserve

Where serving the community brings joy—and more

By Deborah Cash project was part of a larger “Helping Hands” event in April that rallied over 300 volunteers and 1,270+ collective hours across four cities and 11 project sites—in a single morning.

“Common projects include schools, parks and public areas providing landscape, painting and maintenance,” MJ said. Particularly in the case of schools, she noted, “Severely limited budgets make it difficult to do this kind of work without help.” At Del Mar Elementary in Morro Bay, volunteers installed a retaining wall to keep dirt and mud from sliding across the outside patio. Georgia Brown Elementary in Paso Robles got a garden and field makeover and new paint for their playground and stage.

MJ Johnson

“It’s like a modified ‘Craig’s List’ for volunteer community service; we match up volunteers with opportunities to help others—particularly those who are unable to help themselves.” MJ Johnson, (pictured above) local Media Specialist for philanthropic organization JustServe, talked recently about the program’s efforts locally and how the underlying premise of “love thy neighbor as thyself ” delivers results—and rewards—to both recipients and those wanting to pitch in.

JustServe is a national organization that, according to its website justserve.org, matches faith, nonprofit, community and governmental organizations with people who want to make a difference. Sponsored and hosted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, JustServe’s aim is to make the whole process of caring for others easy and readily accessible.

An example of one of its projects is a recent Day of Service at Atascadero Lake Park in May where 71 volunteers of all ages gathered to freshen up the appearance of this heavily-landscaped facility. They went to work repairing fences, weeding, scrubbing picnic tables, removing trash and installing decorative retaining wall planters around outbuildings. In all, volunteers contributed more than 280 hours of their time making the park a nicer place. The J U L Y

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Coming together to serve isn’t new. JustServe grew from the roots of Mormon Helping Hands where the name was first used in 1992 during cleanup of Hurricane Andrew in south Florida. MHH expanded nationwide and over the years turned into JustServe.

Now, the local chapter hosts several annual events and also partners with a number of other nonprofits (such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, Special Olympics, Senior Nutrition) and schools on a year-round basis to promote recurring or specialty projects.

“It’s beautiful when people realize that coming together has such an immediate impact,” MJ said. “The locations or products look amazing when they’re done and friendships between those serving frequently develop.”

To heighten awareness of JustServe in SLO county an annual luncheon is held to gather local leaders of community, church and civic groups. There, various projects and needs are discussed to plan how the community can be best helped that year.

Eric Kasper, who is currently serving as council chair for the SLO JustServe Committee, said “We hope that individuals and families will catch the joy of service and the satisfaction of helping others.” Sometimes, he says, a group

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needing volunteers will be interested in the program but will ask, “What’s the catch?”

“There is no catch!” He explains, “We simply want to bring the community together, make a difference, and remove any barriers within the community in a united effort.”

Where JustServe departs from the typical nonprofit model is that it’s not a fundraising organization. Expenses are minimal, considering that volunteers contribute all labor and through collaboration with other groups, there are virtually no material costs. But still, they are highly effective and lauded for their measureable contributions. Sally Ames, SLO Coastal School District, shared that she was so happy with the amount of work the group accomplished for the Preschool and Adult School.

“They gave our staff a much-needed boost.

We’ve had several years of budget cuts, and our playground and program materials really needed attention. The volunteers inspired and energized us. What a difference a day makes!”

Not only are people willing to volunteer, MJ says, they are sometimes compelled. One lady showed up to an event in a leg brace, having recently undergone foot surgery. When asked why she didn’t stay home, she replied, “Just because I’m hurt doesn’t mean I can’t help!”

MJ herself is a one-person wonder as she supports the committee in coordinating events, writing press releases, maintaining social media presence and promoting activities. “In church one day the leaders asked if I would be the media specialist.” She said while she didn’t necessarily have the background for the project she knew she’d have help learning, adding, “God qualifies whom he calls, he doesn’t call the qualified.” With a professional background in theatre, MJ is a perfect fit for JustServe’s public face. She is comfortable talking with people and media; she’s outgoing, engaging and natural. She said her “hidden identity” is her current profession as a stage technician and special effects artist—both areas in which she’s called on peers to lend their unique tal-

HOME/OUTDOOR all her combined endeavors—she also works as a sign language interpreter—she shrugs off how overwhelming it all could be. “Time is like a balloon; whatever time you have you will fill it up. But life is most rewarding when you choose to make others happy.”

Want to Serve? Need Service?

View projects listed in the area or post your service needs by visiting JustServe.org

Guidelines for Service Projects: • The best service opportunities are collab-

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orative, working side by side with others • Humanitarian service opportunities should assist the poor and those in need of a helping hand • Community Service opportunities should enhance the quality of life in the community • JustServe projects should not directly involve volunteers in fundraising, have a political focus or be profit-oriented

Isabella helping out on one of the JustServe projects.

ents to volunteerism. “There are so many ways to serve,” she said, “A photographer is just as valuable as a gardener.”

MJ and her husband Eric moved to SLO in 2011. “We were meant to be here,” she said, “This is the happiest I’ve ever been.” She said being able to focus on hobbies she loves and working with people, particularly in the church, has been wonderfully gratifying. With

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at the market

Caesar Salad with summer vegetables

By Sarah Hedger

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uly is the height of Summer here on the Central Coast and we are so lucky to have the abundance of goodness grown right here in our backyard. Summer brings all things delicious in the berry family from blackberries and raspberries to olallieberries and blueberries. Apricots, peaches, nectarines, are all options as well as the melons coming into season. It is as if we are only supposed to eat fresh-ness during this time of year! July also brings into season the amazing tomatoes, as well as eggplant, peppers, and summer squash. So much to choose from!

This month’s recipe, Caesar Salad with Summer Vegetables, is a great base recipe to have around as you can add your own favorite bits and pieces as the seasons progress. It is, not in the least, a traditional Caesar Salad recipe! I’ve made it quite traditional in the past, yet lately I end up adding more and more vegetables, as well as a protein element such as grilled steak or poached eggs, and it is a perfect meal in one. The dressing makes enough to keep on hand for a week or so, making it really convenient to throw together another salad down the road, at a

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moment’s notice. I like to add special-treat ingredients such as slivered sun-dried tomatoes or artichoke hearts. You can really take it any direction you please. I am not a huge crouton fan so usually omit and use toasted pine nuts instead, or will grate the pecorino cheese onto a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes and it creates a lovely, lacy sheet of cheese that you can break apart into cheese shards, which looks as good as it tastes! You might notice the dressing recipe doesn’t have anchovies because I like the option of adding them with the toppings at the end, otherwise they can sometimes be a bit overpowering on all the other (more delicate) ingredients. There is also a fair amount of lemon in this salad, being in the dressing as well as on the final salad, because I like the freshness that lemons bring to the table. While it is often tempting to purchase dressings, already made, I suggest taking it into your own hands to make your own. It is so rewarding and tastes exponentially better than anything you can buy in the store. Purchased dressings usually have added ingredients that aren’t nutrient-giving (or good for you) in the least. Often you’ll

caesar salad with summer vegetables makes enough for 2 good-sized salads For the Caesar Dressing (makes enough to keep a supply on hand):

1 free range egg yolk 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 T apple cider vinegar 1 tsp worcestshire sauce

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½ tsp sea salt ½ tsp mustard or dried mustard 1 cup olive oil (or ½ avocado oil and ½ olive oil) Fresh ground pepper to taste For the Salad: 1 head of fresh romaine lettuce (you can cut it in half and grill it if you want to go exotic)

Juice of a lemon

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Juice of a lemon

Your favorite vegetables such as steamed broccoli, roasted potatoes, nicoise olives, sun dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, grilled green onions, avocado, slivered red onions.

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find sugars added as well as hydrogenated oils and enough salt to make one’s feet swell up to unrecognizable portions by the next morning.

Not charming! When you make your own, you can add all the good stuff, such as the awesome health-promoting garlic, as well as choosing your own oils to use such as avocado and olive oil. I never realized until traveling to other countries, how much we Americans are fat-phobic, even for the “good” fats such as avocado and olive oils, as well as nuts, and eggs. It’s as if it’s hardwired into us that they will make us fat and aren’t good for us, when in all actuality, our bodies (and brains) require it to function at its optimum. With that, make some dressing, and enjoy this salad to its fullest—enjoying that beautiful Summer sunshine!

In preparation for the choir’s tour of Italy & France in July!

Protein element such as grilled grass-fed steak or chicken, poached eggs, anchovies, or crisp some prosciutto (or pancetta) in the oven, grilled shrimp

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The Vocal Arts Ensemble presents

Kick off to Tour S IS

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Pecorino Romano cheese, grated or shaved on top

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(805) 541-6797 WWW.VOCALARTS.ORG

Sponsored by Craig S. Darnell, CFP®, Vice-President

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The repertoire for these shows ranges between historic European classics, American spirituals and beloved choral pieces.

Toasted pine nuts

Place the yolk, garlic, vinegar, juice of half the lemon, salt, and mustard in a bowl or blender or large jar for an immersion blender. Beat until thoroughly incorporated then slowly (very slowly- as in drizzle) begin to add the olive oil. The mixture will begin to thicken almost to the point of looking like mayonnaise. Once all the olive oil is added, add in the remaining lemon juice to loosen it back out to the consistency of a dressing. Taste, and season w/ salt and pepper.

When ready to eat, place the makings of your salad in a large bowl or platter. If individual servings, place the makings on serving plates, in layers, then drizzling the dressing over.

Layer the protein element on top with the cheese and serve.

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COMMUNITY

SLO Art Scene

“He Comes at Night” by Eric Spencer

3 spencers exhibition at studios on the park

By Lorraine Young

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ometimes the apple does fall far from the tree—and keeps rolling, and rolling. A new exhibition at Studios on the Park in Paso Robles demonstrates this truth with a father & sons trifecta of artistic divergence and diversity in one family.

The exhibition of works by Studios artist Harold Spencer and his two youngest sons, Eric and Mark, showcases an array of mediums, styles and subjects, ranging from large land and seascapes, mythic and comic sculptural assemblages to anthropomorphic masks and fantastical collages and sketchbook images.

3 SPENCERS runs from July 2nd-26th, with an opening reception on Saturday, July 11th, from 6-9p.m. The opening reception will

feature live music by Green to White and wine tasting by Ranchita Canyon Vineyard.

Studios on the Park is located at 1130 Pine Street in downtown Paso Robles.

As part of the month long exhibition, the public will have an opportunity to observe the artists working in a variety of mediums in a live “Improv Art Studio” located off the main Atrium Gallery. “We don’t have a plan—we don’t want a plan,” says Eric of the improv space. “We will gather sculptural materials to assemble, tack large sheets of canvas and paper to the walls—spread them out on the floor—and see what happens.”

Harold Spencer, or “Spence,” a resident artist at Studios on the Park, and a retired art history professor and studio art teacher, has been showing professionally since 1941.

Many of Spence’s most arresting images emerge from land and seascapes he encountered during WWII as a young officer in the Merchant Marine. His painting “Suid Afrika,” for example, utilizes images of Cape Town’s Table Mountain which he first sketched as a 21-year-old cadet midshipman aboard an American freighter bound for Suez.

That was 1942. Seventy-three years later, at 94, Spence continues to paint and draw almost every day.

805 Aerovista #103, San Luis Obispo

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Eric Spencer, a professional illustrator, graphic artist, and architectural designer showcases a very different aesthetic in a series of fantastical and whimsical collages and sketchbook images. These two-dimensional works in turn create a dramatic contrast with his mysterious Riverpeople sculptures—figural assemblages that combine stone, copper, beads, fiber and fallen branches.

Of the Riverpeople Eric says, “…I guess I always have an eye out for them. When I walk along riverbanks my path is always enriched with human branch forms and river stones that suggest both opportunities and solutions.” Eric is currently an adjunct art faculty member at Quinebaug Valley Community College in Connecticut.

“Suid Afrika” by Harold Spencer

COMMUNITY “The Happy Cyclops” by Mark Spencer

ceramic and other elements. His work is characterized by visual puns and allusions, sometimes in combination with text.

“I want to capture authentic expressions, gestures, motion and mood—the moment,” says Mark, adding, ”When I think of myself as an artist I think of a whirligig spinning out in many different directions at the same time.”

He credits a “somewhat jaundiced take on human nature and the human condition, tempered with a sense of the absurd” for much of his art as well as his survival as a high school English teacher for the past 35 years.

The youngest of the 3 SPENCERS, Mark, a self-taught ceramic and mixed media sculptor, is equally a study in contrasts.

Mark‘s works consist of masks, heads, and assemblage figures; figural life drawings; and etchings. Mark’s assemblage pieces combine branches pruned into human and animal form, often in combination with

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The 3 SPENCERS exhibition at Studios on the Park is perhaps best described by Harold Spencer: “When at work in the studio I am constantly reminded of a statement by the American artist Albert Pinkham Ryder— ‘Have you ever seen an inchworm crawl up a leaf or a twig, and then clinging to the very end, revolve in the air, feeling for something to reach? That’s like me. I am trying to find something out there beyond the place where I have a footing.’”

The 3 SPENCERS takes you there and beyond.

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history

President kennedy’s visit to vandenberg air force base

By Jeffrey E. Geiger

O

n March 23, 1962 at precisely 4:08 in the afternoon, President John F. Kennedy and his entourage arrived at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, aboard the presidential aircraft. As the President stepped from the aircraft and paused for a moment, spectators behind a barrier of military police cheered. A polished Air Force honor guard snapped to attention and the Fifteenth Air Force band from March AFB greeted the President with a rousing rendition of “Hail to the Chief” and the “National Anthem.”

With Kennedy were Secretary of Defense, Roberts S. McNamara; Director of Defense Research and Engineering at the Department of Defense, Harold Brown; the Commander in Chief of the Strategic Air Command, Gen. Thomas S. Power; and the President’s Press Secretary, Pierre Salinger with some fifty members of the White House Press Corps. Maj. Gen. Joseph J. Preston, commander of the 1st Strategic Aerospace Division, greeted them at Vandenberg.

The President arrived from Berkeley, California, where earlier in the day he received an honorary degree from the University of California, and gave the Charter Day address commemorating the anniversary of its founding.

At Vandenberg, Gen. Power guided the presidential party on a tour of the base’s missile facilities. The highlight of the visit came about thirty minutes after the President arrived when he witnessed the launch of an Atlas missile.

The tour got underway with Kennedy examining an Atlas D, ThorAgena, Titan I, and Minuteman I missile display lined up along the

President Kennedy receiving a Minuteman Badge.

runway. He then entered the black Lincoln limousine with its clear bubble top that took him to the 576A missile complex on north base. From this observation point overlooking a valley, President Kennedy watched and smiled with exuberance as the 75-foot-high Atlas 134D lifted off from Complex 576B-2 and soared into the clear blue skies over Vandenberg. A Strategic Air Command missile combat crew from the 389th Strategic Missile Wing, Warren AFB, Wyoming, launched the vehicle nicknamed “Curry Comb I” at 4:39 p.m. The missile traveled down the Pacific Missile Range and successfully delivered a Mark 3 reentry vehicle 4,386 nautical miles to a target in the Eniwetok Atoll.

All three pads at Complex 576B were fitted with missiles for the presidential visit. Raised from horizontal storage to a vertical firing position and placed in a ready state, they projected a spectacular tableau of strength and national pride. The terminal countdown for Atlas 134D was halted after the missile was fully loaded with propellant to allow the final two minutes of the countdown to be timed with the arrival of the presidential party at the viewing site. Since the Atlas had a spotty success record, Air Force leadership was leaving nothing to chance. The additional two missiles at 576B served as available backups if the first missile had failed. Both of these missiles had also been counted down to near terminal count.

After the successful launch the President’s tour continued past shiny silver Atlas F missiles at Complex 576D, to a Minuteman control center where the President descended into the underground facility.

While in the Minuteman area, Kennedy also inspected a Minuteman silo, and the transport-erector that was used to place a Minuteman missile in its silo. The next stop on the tour was a Titan I launch control center. After a short briefing about the weapon system and the control center, a Vandenberg Titan crew conducted a simulated countdown and two Titan missiles were elevated to the surface from their underground silos so the President could better view them.

Touring a Minuteman Silo.

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Avoid the High Cost of M A Retirement COMMUNITY Facil 29

the end of the decade. Sadly, bullets fired Kennedy had entered the presidency in by an assassin in Dallas took the president’s January 1961, eager to put the United States Even though the prospect of moving m life before he could share in the achieveahead of the Soviet Union in the space race. future, you owe it to yourself to learn h ment of that goal in the Apollo Program He said, “No nation which expects to be carefree living Neil in your own became homethe for man when astronaut Armstrong the leader of other nations can expect to first human to walk on the lunar surface in stay behind in this race for space.” On May July 1969.

5, 1961, America launched its first manned suborbital space flight with Alan Shepard Adapted from Camp Cooke and Vandenberg at the controls of his Mercury capsule. A It’s similar a fact toofthelife we getBase, older, Pristine is fully Air Force 1941-1966 by Jeffrey E. Geiger modified Atlas missile onethat as with permission from McFarland & Comwitnessed by the president boosted the capsome day-to-day tasks become too licensed and insu pany. Copies of the book are available from sule into space. Later that month, Kennedy much to handle on our That All of our the own. author at the discount price of $36.95 at worke announced the goal of placing a man on the doesn’t mean you have to move away are carefully scre campcookeandvandenbergbook@gmail.com moon and returning him safely to Earth by

You Don’t Have to Move

President Kennedy observing a launch.

The presidential convoy drove to the control center at Complex 576B where Atlas 134D had been launched. Kennedy congratulated the crew and spoke briefly with each member. Its commander, Maj. Clifford W. Simonson, presented a missile badge to the President and escorted him into the control center for a briefing about the launch.

Returning to the flight line, Kennedy viewed aerospace exhibits set up in the aircraft hangar. Among these artifacts were missile models and missile components, including a reentry vehicle and the Discoverer XIV data capsule that returned the first space images of the Soviet Union in August 1960.

Discoverer was the cover name for Corona, which was America’s first space reconnaissance program. Intelligence data collected from these missions debunked the myth of a “Missile Gap” with the Soviet Union.

At the end of his tour the President returned to his aircraft which took off at 6:53 p.m. for Palm Springs, California, where he spent the weekend at Bing Crosby’s home. Code named “Project Sky Rocket” by the Air Force, this was the only presidential visit to Vandenberg AFB. Inspecting the exhibits

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COMMUNITY the greatest athletes on the central coast

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By Dr. Don Morris Editor’s note: The reader response to the question “Who are the Greatest Athletes in the history of the Central Coast?” has been overwhelming. More than 100 nominations have been received from readers from Ventura to Salinas and almost all the High Schools and various sports were represented. (Many of the nominations were about central coast men and women athletes that have gone on to compete professionally in sports like Olympic events, football, baseball, track and field, golf, boxing, ultimate fighting, tennis, kick boxing, basketball, rodeo, race-car drivers, etc).So far the following athletes have been featured: Ed Brown, Stephanie Brown Trafton, Chuck Liddell, Loren Roberts, Steve Patterson, Gene Rambo, Robin Ventura, Jordan Hasay, Chuck Estrada and Mike Larrabee. Please send nominations to Dr. Morris at dmmorris@calpoly.edu.

Correction from last month’s column: Although Professional Baseball Player Chuck Estrada was born in San Luis Obispo he attended and graduated from Atascadero High School. He also did not play for the Braves. I apologize to the many fans that have phoned and written to me about this error regarding the local High School he attended.

ron capps

R

on Capps is a world renowned National Hot Rod Association Funny Car racer.

Ron was nominated by 80-year-old Ralph Bush of auto racing fame and several other local auto racing fans.

Ron is entering his 21st season as a National Hot Rod Association Funny Car driver and proudly wears the colors of NAPA Auto Parts for the eighth year. (Napa Auto Parts is a nationally known corporation that sponsors race drivers). Ron closed the 2014 year with 43 National Hot Rod Association event titles including his first and only one while driving a top Fuel Dragster. He is one of only 14 drivers in NHRA history to have won in both of drag racing’s premier categories. Ron has raced cars all over the world including The Sydney Drag-way in Australia.

Capps is currently leading on points in the National Hot Rod Association.

jamie martin

S

everal Arroyo Grande football aficionados nominated Jamie Martin who attended Arroyo Grande High School. In 1987 he led his Arroyo Grande football team to the California Interscholastic Federation Championship. Jamie then went on to stardom as the quarterback for the Weber State Wildcats and was named first team All-American and was awarded the Walter Payton Award that is given annually to the top Division 1-AA player in the nation.

In 1993, as a free agent, Jamie was signed by the Los Angeles Rams and spent four seasons with the RAM franchise. During his pro football career Martin’s NFL career completion percentage was 65.6 % as he played for the Amsterdam Admirals of the NFL Europe, the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Cleveland Browns, the New York Jets, the New Orleans Saints and his final games were with the San Francisco 49ers. Here is a quote from Martin when he was playing in the NFL. “Our starting quarterback, Mark Brunell, went down in a game against the Lions, and I came in and we won and clinched the division,” Martin said. “My contract was up at the end of that year, and everything was falling into place.

During Ron’s car racing career he has won 43 event titles in Top Fuel and Funny Car racing. Ron was born in San Luis Obispo and graduated from San Luis Obispo High School where he lettered three years in football as a slot back and wide receiver and four years as a Greco Roman and free style wrestler. Ron is a 5th generation member of his San Luis Obispo family.

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“It was gonna be awesome. I made my first start in our next game, and we were playing the Tennessee Titans. We’re up and it’s close to halftime, and we’re running the two-minute drill and I’m running out of bounds to stop the clock when a guy hit me and tore my ACL—and I was done for the year.

“But that’s sports,” he said philosophically. “You deal with situations like that year in, year out. It teaches you to learn how to overcome obstacles.”

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Giving back

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SLO Library benefits from Miossi Grant

By Rebecca Juretic Photos by Lanny Hernandez

Robert Maja at work on his Mural.

cated in the library atrium, it is a multicultural scene that “brings out a sense of community on a global scale,” said the artist. Dedicated in June of 2013, the mural won a beautification award from the City of San Luis Obispo.

B

ecause of one man’s foresight and generosity, community members have new ways to delve into the wonders of science, the beauty of the performing arts—and, of course, the simple pleasures of reading.

New programs at the San Luis Obispo Library were made possible by the far-reaching vision of Harold J. Miossi, which has been brought to fruition through his charitable trust.

Miossi was a local rancher, philanthropist and former County Inheritance Tax Appraiser. He spent his time, efforts and resources striving to enrich our community. Among his many achievements was acting as the driving force behind the creation of the Santa Lucia Wilderness Area.

Even after his passing in 2006, the Miossi Charitable Trust continues to touch lives locally. Its intent was to bring about positive change in six areas: animal-related causes, education, environment, the Catholic Church, fine arts and youth development.

Over the past five years, over $47,000 from the trust has supported the San Luis Obispo Library and the San Luis Obispo Friends of the Library, touching on several of those key areas.

Most recently, the Friends of the San Luis Obispo Library was awarded a grant of almost $18,000 to support performing arts education. It was used to present “Arts Live at the Library,” a program that provided opportunities for young people to learn about performing arts by means of live performances and use of the library’s resources. It also funded the Performing Arts Literacy (PAL) Program, designed to encourage learning about the performing arts. For all programs,

Mural by Robert Maja

the library made a special effort to include members of low income families, disadvantaged children and children with disabilities.

The grant enabled the library to enhance its collections of performing arts resources, which now include musical instruments for demonstration and hands-on learning. It also funded a series of six programs, which were free and open to the public, including very popular performances by the Ashley Brown Puppets and the Boxtales Theatre Company.

The mural isn’t the only visual reminder of all that Harold Miossi’s vision and generosity has accomplished at the San Luis Obispo Library.

According to Margaret Kensinger-Klopfer, “it can be seen throughout the library- children trying to create a brick structure in the children’s room, teens reading in their lounge area, adults gazing in awe at the vibrant artwork in the atrium, and families exchanging science experiment kits. The unique partnership of the San Luis Obispo Library with the Trust has had the power to transform the library into a place where young people learn about the world around them through live performances and enhanced resources.”

In honor of Miossi’s love of animals and the environment, the library presented an “Animals Alive at the Library” program last year.

Approximately 1,200 children attended a variety of science programs at the library. Science books and movies purchased through funds from the Trust have been borrowed thousands of times.

In recent years, the Miossi Charitable Trust has also funded a new teen section, an interactive play area in the children’s section, circulating science experiment kits, and science literacy incentive programs for families.

One of the most colorful and vibrant manifestations of the grant is a mural, created by artist Robert Maja, and co-sponsored by the SLO Public Art Department. LoJ U L Y

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history

myron angel part 1

By Joe Carotenuti

I

t is not long before even the most casual inquirer about local history bumps into the History of San Luis Obispo County. Published in 1883, the 400-page collection does more than detail local events and personages, but places the rural county and community of the same name within the broader context of the state and nation. Often harrowing to follow, Myron Angel was a professional by the time he presented his last (almost) major work.

Yet, who was this man to take the time and energy to detail a relatively isolated spot on the American map? It was not his first compilation of western history or his last. Indeed, Angel deserves a closer look even though an autobiographical sketch is included in a section entitled “Journalism” and more biographical information is presented in the latest edition (1994) by the county’s premier collector of history, Louisiana Clayton Dart.

Myron Angel was meant to write. It simply was what his life was about, his calling, his contribution to both his times, and even more importantly, to today. His writing was not meant to be imaginary of little import. There was too much to relate of importance to his diverse audiences to create fiction. He maintained lengthy and detailed notes and statistics, especially about mines and mining, but also was sure to include those of importance in their times. Yet his journey through time was not an easy path of developing talent and then pursuing it through the vagaries of life. In many ways, the last person who wanted him to write was himself. As his saga unfolded, he seemed determined to avoid what he clearly (at least to those looking in from the outside) was called to do. At best, Angel was a reluctant historian.

Here’s the story.

In a town known as Milfordville at the time, Angel was born on December 1, 1827 in Otsego County, New York. In later years, he wrote he was a descendent “of the first Puritan pilgrims” and the community an “unsidewalked, disorderly village.” His father, William, was a prominent resident and was the first supervisor of the newly incorporated community with the new name of Oneonta in 1830. There was an early introduction to print as the youngster

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helped his father inaugurate a local newspaper. Under his parent’s tutelage, Myron was exposed to the use of the press and the pen.

While recessed for many years, the experience became a major asset to him.

Left motherless at age eight, by 15 Myron was an orphan. Fortunately, there were sufficient funds for him to receive a “fine education” at local schools and at the nearby Hartwick Seminary. Who knows if the young man was considering a religious calling at this first Lutheran seminary in America?

Probably not as in 1846, the 18-year-old was admitted into West Point. It must have been an invigorating time as his classmates included future Civil War generals Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson, George B. McClellan, and George E. Pickett who were then a year away from graduation. Within two years, however, Angel resigned in June having been found deficient in both French and mathematics.

If the military was not to be a choice, then possibly the newly found gold fields of California would provide a livelihood.

By stage, train, stream boat and mud-wagon, Myron joined his older brother, Eugene, in Peoria, Illinois to start the trek west in the spring of 1849. Eugene was a recent member of the bar but was anxious to strike it rich in the most-often illusory gold fields of the west. Joining the newly formed Peoria Pioneers, the brothers braved an arduous journey until October. It was a common practice for a group to band together when attempting to cross the vast, unknown reaches of the nation. Angel relates the perilous journey west, one filled with hardships and duplicity.

Impatient and undoubtedly bored by the delays, the two left the wagon train in the southwest and continued on their own.

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became scarce. Myron followed his cousins into El Dorado—the California county, not the riches. Oscar and Joseph Fairchild were sons of Myron’s maternal uncle, David. Of David’s nine children, seven were printers.

The two brothers had Myron edit their new newspaper, the Placerville Semi-Weekly founded in February of 1859. While he finally found writing could support him, Angel’s heart wasn’t in the new opportunity and he left to look after the sinkhole investment in San Juan.

In the meanwhile, the silver bonanza known as the Comstock Lode had shifted the frenzy for mineral wealth to Nevada (not yet a state). Eugene headed for Carson City and land speculation. It proved to be a disastrous—and fatal—decision.

Determined to “strike it rich,” life dramatically changed for the Angels in the spring of 1860.

Contact: jacarotenuti@gmail.com

NORTH SAN JUAN, 1858.

In mid-November, after a grueling trip of “severe fatigue” recalled Angel, they arrived “ragged and famished” in San Diego. The original party finally arrived in Mariposa County to the north the following spring.

By then, the penniless brothers were in a chaotic San Francisco, only to find employment “unattainable.” Fortunately, Angel had books to sell to sustain them through the winter. In a remarkable episode of good fortune, his trunk—abandoned along the trail—was found and returned to him in San Francisco thanks to a Lt. Cave J. Coutts who made it clear the courtesy was to a fellow West Point cadet.

Books literally saved the Angels who were then able to pan for gold on the Feather River. “Poor success” was how the younger Angel characterized his first encounter with the elusive el dorado.

Undaunted, the brothers are next noted as settling into ranch life at Angel’s Slough near the Sacramento River but hadn’t forgotten their quest. In 1856, after investing in a mining claim near the gold rush town of North San Juan, California, a group of investors “expended and lost” $40,000 attempting to bore a tunnel into possible gold veins over the next three years.

“A little kindness goes a long way.”

- Dr. Margaret Greenough Meet Dr. Margaret Greenough, one of Dignity Health’s newest doctors at our French Health Center located in San Luis Obispo. Not only is she an expert in family medicine, but she’s also taught us a thing or two about kindness.

We are happy she’s part of our family.

Dr. Greenough is available for consultation.

To schedule an appointment, please call 805.597.6715.

French Health Center 1941 Johnson Avenue, Suite 301 San Luis Obispo, 93401

Hello humankindness

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Finally, the plans to become wealthy from the golden West needed adjusting as funds J U L Y

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our schools

THE UNTAPPED POWER OF SUMMER

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

pecially pronounced during the summer months when children “Learning is more effective when it is an active rather than a with economic opportunities continue to learn or hold steady in passive process...” reading and language skills and their economically challenged peers —Euripides struggle to maintain the same skills. The summer learning loss beThe future of society depends on success in fostering the healthy tween income groups was replicated in a Baltimore study (Entwisle, intellectual development and curiosity of the next generation. The Alexander & Olson, 1997) consisting of nearly 800 students from students who fill our classrooms today will become the citizens, across the school district. leaders, workers, and parents of tomorrow. If we invest wisely in these young people who our greatest assets, the next generation will When we consider seasonal learning research, the question of what happens during the summer months becomes relevant. Adpay that back through a lifetime of productivity and responsible ditionally, the conversation about “failure” to measure up to excitizenship. If we fail to invest in building a strong foundation, we pectations takes on a different tone. These findings are sobering put our future prosperity and national security at risk. A question in light of the challenges faced by individuals living in poverty all Americans should ponder is how we shape a generation of solid, and the schools that serve these families. Some of the concerns decent, well-rounded young people who will support their families, include high rates of chronic health problems, poor nutrition, strengthen their communities, and uphold the democratic values of language barriers, racism, safety concerns, lack of supervision, our civil society. lack of health care and substandard housing. So how do we adResearch conducted during the last decade in the neurosciences dress some of the issues we can tackle as a local community of has pointed toward powerful new ways of understanding what our concerned citizens? children require to achieve optimum learning and development.

Cognitive, emotional, and social capabilities are strongly connected One approach would be to extend the school year, which may make sense especially because children attend school fewer days in the to events throughout one’s life both during the school year and United States than in many other industrialized countries. Howduring school breaks such as summer recess. The building blocks of learning provide a strong foundation for cognitive abilities through- ever, extending the school year is not without a very large financial hurdle. Perhaps we explore adding summer sessions back to our out life. Together these experiences are the bricks and mortar that school calendars. Traditional schools may be only one portion of comprise the foundation of human development. In other words, the solution. Perhaps we expand library summer reading programs, learning is not just an academic activity that is confined to the local summer camps, community-based summer youth programs or school year classroom. It is part of a complex and ongoing developsummer foundation supported arts programs. mental process, even during the summer.

Research from the last century (White, 1906) pointed out a strikingly similar set of conclusions that children of all socioeconomic groups can learn at similar rates. At least when it comes to basics during the school year if proper interventions are in place. Where differences occur is outside of the school day. Inequities are es-

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Reading is a foundational skill for later learning. According to the National Reading Panel, increasing the time that children spend reading has a direct positive benefit on improving literacy skills in fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The San Luis Obispo County Library has summer reading programs throughout the

COMMUNITY

county. Cuesta College offers the Institute of Reading Development for both children and adults. The Foundation for San Luis Obispo County Public Libraries also has information about our county-wide Summer Reading Program.

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The YMCA of San Luis Obispo County offers summer programs throughout the county at various locations and costs. The Rancho El Chorro Outdoor School offers the Summer Outdoor Adventures for Kids (SOAK) camp that includes nature study, hiking, arts & crafts, archery, gardening and outdoor educational experiences. There are several youth and teen summer art camps throughout the county connected with local art museums and galleries such as the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art and Studios on the Park in Paso Robles. Together we can invest in our future by supporting organizations that help all of our children achieve their full potential.

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”

—Mahatma Gandhi

© StatePoint Media

STATEPOINT CROSSWORD THEME: 4TH OF JULY ACROSS 1. Cursor control 6. Director’s cry 9. Yellow rides 13. “A Doll’s House” playwright 14. Put into service 15. Alluring maiden 16. Thorny stems 17. Ewe’s mate 18. “Bravo! Bravo!”, e.g.

19. *First state added after 13 colonies 21. *July 4th Main Street tradition 23. Famous T-Rex 24. ____ list 25. U.K. broadcaster 28. Suggestive look 30. Nada 34. Building extensions at right angle to main building 36. Two of a kind 38. “No way, ____ ____”

40. “____ but don’t touch” 41. For cruising in style 43. Silly talk or writing, British 44. *Britain in the Revolutionary War 46. *State representative 47. Web ____ 48. Type of flask 50. Hodgepodge 52. Akira Kurosawa’s 1985 drama 53. Fly like an eagle 55. Club alternative 57. *”The Star-Spangled Banner” 60. *Type of holiday 64. Architectural projection 65. School group 67. Intoxicating 68. Disreputable woman 69. “____ My People Go” 70. Perfume obtained from flowers 71. Fail to mention 72. Compass reading 73. Unifying idea

DOWN 1. Ballistic missile, acr.

2. Symphony member 3. CCCP 4. Looks like 5. Imbue with soul 6. Curtis, to friends 7. *July birthday celebrant 8. Pace of music 9. Kind of cola 10. “____ Lang Syne” 11. Highlands hillside 12. Dog command 15. Highly addictive narcotic 20. Clingy one 22. Wood-shaping tool 24. John Deere product 25. *Liberty ____ 26. Type A, e.g.

27. Intimate 29. Unfledged hawk 31. Auctioneer’s quantities 32. Vienna Boys’ group 33. Popular foliage plant

35. Place at an angle 37. Indian lentil staple 39. *”____ in the course of human events...”

42. Cherokee or Hopi, e.g.

45. In a foolhardy manner 49. Wade’s opponent 51. One tritely familiar 54. Copious 56. *Washington had wooden ones?

57. Famous boxing promoter 58. Inconclusive 59. Reason to cram 60. Fatalist’s future 61. ____ of interest 62. Sandler or Arkin 63. Greek muse’s strings 64. Exclamation of surprise 66. *Number of amendments in The Bill of Rights

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palm street perspective San Luis Obispo’s last presidential visit; Let’s erect a statue in his honor

By SLO City Councilman, John Ashbaugh

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hen I’m not working as a Councilmember, I can usually be found reading about—or teaching—US History at Hancock College.

That interest led me recently to pen an article about Theodore Roosevelt in the latest edition of La Vista, the newly-resuscitated annual review of local history from the History Center of San Luis Obispo County.

What’s the connection of Teddy Roosevelt to San Luis Obispo? When he visited and spoke here in 1903, Roosevelt was the second President to appear in this city; the first was his predecessor, William McKinley, in 1901.

It may surprise you to learn that these were the only times our City has ever hosted an American President.

When Teddy arrived, San Luis Obispo was just beginning to take the shape that we possess today: Construction had just commenced on California Polytechnic State College—an event that Roosevelt mentioned at the very beginning of his remarks here. The railroad had arrived a scant nine years earlier, and the city was just putting down our first layer of macadam on Monterey Street.

Teddy’s “Roosevelt Special,” six opulentlyappointed railway cars, arrived at 5:30 in the afternoon on Saturday, May 9, 1903. A crowd estimated at half the county’s population of 20,000 greeted the train at the Southern Pacific Station, some coming from as far as 100 miles away. The stop in SLO was at about the midpoint of his “Great Loop” rail tour that covered 14,000 miles, 25 states, and over 250 speeches.

His journey had already taken him to Yellowstone National Park to camp out with famed naturalist John Burroughs. In fact, Roosevelt would take time on this tour to visit with several Western naturalists who knew Roosevelt not so much as President, but in his own right as a renowned observer and passionate advocate for birds, wildlife, and nature.

After a rousing greeting from the crowd assembled at the SP Station in SLO, the President traveled in a six-car motorcade to J U L Y

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the Mission, where local dignitaries gave him a tour. From there, his entourage puttered by car again to a special speaker’s platform that had been built on a sandy open lot known as the “Murphy block,” bounded by Osos and Santa Rosa, Pismo and Buchon Streets—now Mitchell Park.

Roosevelt spoke for fifteen minutes, enthralling the crowd of 10,000—many of whom have arrived using “special excursion tickets” on the SPRR just to see and hear the President.

Such was the drawing power of America’s “strenuous” young President, the hero of San Juan Hill, triumphantly traveling the breadth of the continent and apparently enjoying every minute of it.

In San Luis Obispo, Roosevelt said he was “glad to learn that the State of California is erecting here the Polytechnic Institute for giving all the scientific training in the arts of farm life. More and more our people have waked to the fact that farming is not only a practical, but a scientific pursuit, and that there should be the same chance for the tiller of the soil to make his a learned profession that there is in any other business.”

Roosevelt’s famed sentiment for conservation stands out in these robust lines from his Mitchell Park speech in 1903: “...the legislation of the country must … promote the interests of the man who has come on the soil to stay and to rear his children to take his place after him. We have passed the stage as a nation when we can afford to tolerate the man whose aim it is merely to skin the soil and go on; to skin the country, to take off the timber, to exhaust it, and go on; our aim must be by laws promotive of irrigation; by laws securing the wise use in perpetuity of the forests, by laws shaped in every way, to promote the permanent interests of the country.

Our aim must be to hand over our country to our children in better shape, not in worse shape, than we ourselves got it.”

Roosevelt’s train left San Luis Obispo as promptly as it had arrived at 6:30 pm. He would spend the night at the Hotel Del Monte on the Monterey Peninsula, then on

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Roosevelt in Santa Barbara, May 9, 1903 – Photo Courtesy of Cal Poly Library Special Collections

to Santa Cruz and Santa Clara Counties. The rest of Roosevelt’s journey would proceed to leave a mark on the landscape of the American imagination, including his famous 3-day campout with John Muir in Yosemite.

It’s been 112 years since “Teddy’s” visit, and the people of San Luis Obispo haven’t witnessed such a spectacle in all that time. Sadly, this city has not been visited by a President since Teddy’s hour with us in 1903! Perhaps San Luis Obispo will again host a Presidential visit… but let’s consider something that recognizes this most recent visit.

I propose that we erect a statue of our most recent Presidential visitor, and I suggest that it be placed in Mitchell Park. It would be a fitting tribute to this clarion-clear messenger—and to his message of conservation. On the pedestal, we should engrave some of the words of his speech—especially that paragraph quoted above.

There’s only one other statue of Teddy Roosevelt on the entire West Coast of the country, and it’s an equestrian pose of the “Rough Rider” of 1898 in Portland. Teddy’s visit deserves better than that.

Downtown

Around

The Magazine of Downtown San Luis Obispo

July 2015

Inside: W hat ’s U p Downtown B usiness Spo tlights

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the idea it became clear that this would be a fun strong sense of community is an integral way to bring community members together and component to building and maintaining to get to know our neighbors. The use of the hash a vibrant Downtown that is loved by all of its tag prefix came about as a way for volunteers to users. If measuring that sense of community is share their pride in a clean Downtown and spread any indicator as to how much Downtown SLO the word to their friends with social media, selfies is loved, last month proved our community welcome! is head over heels for their Downtown neighborhood. On June 6th the San Luis Obispo ith the help of The Home Depot, SLO Downtown Association organized the first annual Dominic Tartaglia, Garbage and Jamba Juice, the San Luis #DowntownProud cleanup day with nearly 100 Executive Director Obispo Downtown volunteers gearing up with work gloves and Association was able scrub brushes and taking to the streets for a combined to coordinate donated cleaning 270 hours. The time that they dedicated to cleaning supplies, a 6-yard dumpster and Downtown was nothing short of amazing and much free smoothies for volunteers. appreciated by business owners and guests.

When volunteers showed up on the morning of the event they found an he idea for doing a community supported cleanup day organized grid overlay of the nearly developed organically at a Design Committee meeting one million square-feet Downtown as a way to tackle the tough chore of keeping up with the area and an assignment with other demands of a highly trafficked city core. Business owners volunteers from various walks of life. were sitting in the meeting talking about the various There were children and retirees, chores that they observed needed attention when one of Downtown residents Downtown business owners and the committee members brought up the idea of creating Karen & Lee Bren lend a hand during public officials and even local a celebration of a clean Downtown as a fun solution to #DowntownProud Photo residents present and they all had the this challenge. Once the committee started talking about

by Mukta Naran

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On the Cover: Shop owner Josh Haring (The Mountain Air) and son Jack stop working just long enough to pose for a cover worthy photo during last months #DowntownProud. Photo by Mukta Naran

2015 presents free live music fridays 5-8 pm downtown SLo’s mission plaza

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same goal to do whatever was asked of them to keep our district shining.

The strong sense of community pride was proven as volunteers polished filthy trashcans, scraped gum off of sidewalks and picked up cartons of old cigarette butts in just three hours time. Trust me, it takes a lot of commitment to stick your hands in one of those trashcans to wipe down the funk that builds up in there.

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a highlighted moment in our life.

Generally speaking, most of those ducklips and selfiesticks are a proud moment that just so happen to fall into the neighborhood that, in our office, we call #DowntownSLO.

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o as people ask me if we plan to do another cleanup day I respond, #Downtown Proud inaugural crew pose for a quick “Absolutely!” The enthusiasm that photo before getting hard to work beautifying the community and the businesses Downtown. Photo by Mukta Naran have for a clean, safe and inviting Downtown has encouraged me to look at what we can s I watched the volunteers descend on the tasks in do differently next time to make an even bigger impact. front of them I wondered what it was that compelled The beauty of this being the first annual cleanup day is them to give up a Saturday morning to clean up a mess that we have plenty of room to improve and just as much that wasn’t theirs. It wasn’t until the end of the day that room for more pairs of willing hands.

If you are interested I realized the answer to that question. They showed up in helping out with the next #DowntownProud, please because they identify Downtown as their sense of place. email me (dominic@downtownslo.com) and I will be These buildings and sidewalks are the backdrop to the happy to add you to our list of community supporters. story of their lives and it only makes sense that they would The next cleanup date is uncertain at this point, but in the want a picturesque backdrop so they can be proud to meantime there are ongoing things we can all do to help. share what is happening in their lives with their friends.

Feel free to pick up a piece of garbage off the street and The hash tag just happened to be the ironic symbol for snap a shot of yourself tossing it into the trashcan with a the importance of this effort on just one morning. When #DowntownProud, just remember to hash tag responsibly. we post an image to Instagram or Facebook with the We don’t want to be responsible for an unfortunate #DowntownProud following it, we are telling a story of selfiestick accident.

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Prevent Water Waste SLO DOWN YOUR WATER USAGE For more information as well as water conservation tips and tricks, visit slowater.org

D o w n t o w n

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Hair Haven

Brittany Tenhaeff, Owner 525 Marsh Street (805) 752-1208 HairHavenSLO.com Facebook.com/hairhavenslo Instagram: hairhavenslo

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et pampered at Downtown SLO’s new salon, Hair Haven! This new locally owned salon is operated by cosmetologist Brittany Tenhaeff and is located at 525 Marsh Street. This corner location differs from its predecessor, Hush, in Atascadero in the décor department. While Hush has a color scheme of brown, black and teal, Tenhaeff wanted a fresh, clean look for Hair Haven. The shabby chic inspired 750 square foot space is decorated in mostly white with glass chandeliers hanging from the ceilings. Old vanities and mirrors that Tenhaeff repainted white serve as stations for each stylist, to give the area a more homey feel.

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ethnic to elderly, including treatments for men and boys.

No customer is ever turned down.

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n addition to hair styling, Hair Haven offers salon staples such as nails, Brittany Tenhaeff (right) with mother makeup and waxing DeeNae Melland-Park (left). services, as well as more unique flairs like spray tanning, eyelash extensions and ear piercing. If you’re ever in need of a night out with the girls, the salon offers a Ladies Night Out party where guests get pampered by stylists while relaxing with friends.

Also available is the Princess Party package for little girls, with stylists treating young girls as royalty by giving them princess makeovers. No matter what the service, Tenhaeff describes the salon as “all around fun; somewhere to relax and get beautiful!”

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Sirens Sea Glass Gallery

spirit of a childhood whimsy.”

air Haven is open Tuesday through Sunday from ow, after 11 years of experience, Tenhaeff decided to 10 AM – 5 PM. To learn more visitwww.hairhavenslo. expand to Downtown SLO to become a part of the com or find them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. mix. Being located across the street from Jack House and Gardens gives the new business a chance to target more

By Caitlin Lima weddings and events. The salon caters to all needs, from

Julie Bunce, Artist & Owner 964 Chorro Street #2 (808) 757-1065 www.SirensSeaGlass.com

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he first location of Sirens Sea Glass Gallery was on Maui where Julie collected iscover new treasures at Sirens Sea Glass Gallery! most of the sea glass This new self-run gallery is owned and operated by collection she has artist Julie Bunce and is located at 964 Chorro #2. Julie today. The sea glass Julie Bunce creates beautiful mosaics and jewelry from unaltered pure Julie works with is sea glass wrapped in fine metals.

100-300 years old and each piece is “uniquely its own.” ulie worked in the broadcasting industry for many years There is a story and a history behind each piece of glass.

When it came to choosing a new location, Julie said she and creating her visual art was simply a hobby at that just happened across the space and that “it picked itself.” time. She entered art shows and competitions where she won several awards and soon gained exposure. That ecause Sirens Sea Glass Gallery is a working exposure landed her a sponsored workspace for her artist's studio and retail store, hours are seasonal. to continue making her art full time and that was the Julie encourages you to refer to her website www. beginning of her career as a professional artist. sirensseaglass.com or call direct at (808) 757-1065 for irens Sea Glass Gallery got its name because Julie loves current hours of operation. Appointments are available and encouraged for optimal viewing of window mosaics in the Greek Myth of the sirens (mermaids) calling to natural light.

Persephone and sea glass is considered in many cultures

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to be mermaid’s tears. Julie herself feels that she embodies By Vanessa Martinez the spirit of a mermaid and she decided to “foster the

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

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mortgage facts and fiction unraveling the myths of the mortgage maze

By Roxanne Carr

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lease excuse my absence from the Journal Plus the last few months. Things have been pleasantly hectic in the mortgage financing area, and I just could not fit it all into my schedule. I am a great fan of this publication and hope you are able to enjoy it often.

Let’s talk about solar panels this time and the mortgage financing rules which relate to them. We have seen an increase in potential homebuyers or current homeowners wishing to obtain mortgages with properties that have owned or leased solar systems. It seems that solar is becoming increasingly more popular as it becomes more affordable, while many of us are also thinking about the environment and keeping our energy costs down. However, often the seller or the buyer in a transaction will be unaware of the rules we must face in financing homes with solar panels. As a recent headline in the LA Times (kenharney@earthlink.net 3/29/2015) declared, “Panels Can Foil A Home Sale,” and this can certainly be true.

I will start with conventional financing and the rules set forth by the largest entity in the secondary market, Fannie Mae (FNMA). It has issued very particular guidelines with regard to our financing of homes with solar panels. If the solar system is owned by the seller and not leased, there is no complication and the transaction will be handled no differently than any other loan. Value can be given to the solar panels if the appraiser feels the market supports that value.

There are several other items in the lease or power purchase agreement that must be reviewed by the lender, but to highlight the more critical portions: • in the event of foreclosure, either the lender may terminate the lease/ agreement and require the third-party to remove the equipment; or • the lender must have the right to become the beneficiary of the lease/agreement without charge; or • the lender has the right, but not the obligation, to enter into a new lease/agreement with the third party under terms no less favorable than the prior owner, and • any lease/agreement must also be assignable to any subsequent purchaser after the foreclosure.

Now, as to FHA guidelines—one outstanding difference from FNMA is that the solar lease payment does not have to be included in the proposed borrower’s qualifying obligations.

FHA is similar to FNMA in that if the system is owned by the seller, the value consideration will be handled the same way. If it is leased, FHA guidelines are somewhat unclear and are in development, but we have found there are many kinds of solar agreements and the very differences make it difficult to set rules. To date, FHA has posted responses such as:

• the appraiser cannot give the system any value;

• A home that operates with a leased energy system or power purchase agreement may be eligible for FHA-insured financing, but only when such agreements are free of restrictions that prevent the borrower from freely transferring the property.

• the proposed borrower must qualify with the lease payment—not so for a power purchase agreement if the payment goes entirely to pay for the energy, but any portion not going toward the purchase of the energy must be included in the qualifying ratio (the same holds true for VA loans);

• Such agreements cannot cause an ownership transfer by the borrower to be void or voidable by a third party, be subject to the consent of a third party or have limits on the amount of sales proceeds a borrower can retain (as due to a lien or due-on-sale clause, for example).

• the property must still be connected to the traditional electrical utilities; and

This is just a highlight of a few of the FHA rules with regard to solar that we have encountered. Each agreement must be carefully analyzed by the lender and often requires further consultation with FHA personnel.

If the solar system has been leased by the seller or owned by a third party in a power purchase agreement, there are several requirements:

• any title liens placed on the property by the solar company must be subordinated to the new mortgage lien.

Additionally, the owner of the solar panels must have general liability insurance in place that will cover damage to the mortgaged property caused by any faulty installation, malfunction or any manufacturing defect. The owner of the panels cannot be named as loss payee or named insured on the property owner’s hazard insurance policy (thereby putting it ahead of the lender in the event of any property damage). The borrower’s homeowner insurance policy must not exclude coverage for any tort (wrongful act) liability the borrower may have under the terms of the contract with the owner of the solar panels and may not exclude coverage for losses to the premises by reason of the presence of the solar equipment.

Conclusions? Be aware of the potential complexities that can occur when you lease, rather than buy, solar panels. Talk with your mortgage professional about possible complications that can be avoided; it is always wise to know the rules.

Copyright © 2015 Roxanne Carr Roxanne Carr is division president of The Mortgage House, Inc. She has over 35 years’ experience in the mortgage banking industry.

Your e-mailed questions are welcomed through her website at: www. themortgagehouse.com or call her at 1-800-644-4030. This article is a forum to explore real estate principles. It is not intended to provide tax, legal, insurance or investment advice and should not be relied upon for any of these purposes.

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caballeros de san luis obispo 2015 ride

The Caballeros de San Luis Obispo held its annual ride over the Memorial Day weekend. This year’s ride was held on the Kester Family’s Bear Valley Ranch in Parkfield. President Ron Bass presided over the event. More than 275 riders participated in this special event. Lower photo left to right, Caballeros board member Larry Shupnick, this year’s all around cowboy, Rob Olson, saddle winner, John Hunter and Caballero President, Ron Bass. Photos by Roger Larson.

league of women voters honor 10 for 50 years of service

The League of Women Voters of SLO County recently honored ten local members for 50 years of service to the League. They are (pictured upper, left to right) Arlene Chandler, Jan Clucas, Dotty Conner, GlennaDeane Dovey, Margery Johnson, and Adele Stern of San Luis Obispo, Joy Gault of Los Osos, Emily Penfield of Cambria, and Barbara Weymann and Sharon Winslow of Atascadero. Ms. Clucas, Ms. Conner, and Ms. Winslow are founding members of the League of Women Voters of San Luis Obispo County, established in 1962. They are past presidents of the League as are Ms. Dovey, Ms. Stern, and Ms. Penfield. The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government, works to increase understanding of public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. For more information on the League of Women Voters contact the League at (805) 782-4040 or by email at info@lwvslo.org or go to the website at www.lwvslo.org.

atascadero chamber presents tuesdays in the park bbq’s

Tuesdays-in-the Park weekly community BBQ are being served every Tuesday evening from 5-7 p.m., at the scenic Atascadero Lakeside Park through August 25th. The delicious barbecue dinner will be served by the Atascadero Elks Lodge. In addition, the Atascadero Community Band will liven up the event each week with a performance of upbeat music, including patriotic tunes, from 7-8 p.m., rounding out an evening of family fun. This year Tuesdays-in-the Park has reached a milestone celebration honoring their 20-year anniversary. Each week the event benefits various local non-profits, service clubs and community organizations in Atascadero, with sixteen well-deserving participants this year. Tickets: Adults 12 & over - $12; Seniors 60 & over - $10; Children 11 & under, $6. Includes a choice of chicken or beef, salad and a drink. Take-out is available. For more information, call 805-466-2044.

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claire hasleTt to represent california in children’s congress

Eleven-year-old Claire Haslett of Baywood-Los Osos has been selected

by JDRF to join 160 other children from around the country in Washington, D.C., to remind their members of Congress of the vital need to continue supporting research that aims to reduce the burden they all share of living with type 1 diabetes (T1D), until a cure becomes available.

These children—ages 4 to 17, and representing all 50 states, will visit the nation’s capital as delegates to JDRF 2015 Children’s Congress, to be held from July 13-15. Joining them will be six international delegates traveling from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Israel, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. These international delegates will partner with U.S. delegates to convey a clear message to the federal government that T1D is a global problem that requires a global effort. “I am excited to be a part of JDRF’s 2015 Children’s Congress. This is an incredible experience and I am so happy that I was selected from more than 1,500 applicants to have a voice for type 1 diabetes,” said Claire. “This is really amazing to join other kids and go to Capitol Hill, meet with my state senators and members of Congress. I feel so proud in making such a difference for all people with type 1 diabetes.”

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said Rosalyn Pierini, South County Regional Librarian for the library system. “We hope families will take advantage of this wonderful cultural and educational opportunity.” Children ages 2–10 who register for their first library card at any of the fifteen SLO County Library branches will receive a pass to visit the SLO Children’s Museum. The San Luis Obispo Children’s Museum inspires learning through play for children ages 2–10, and is located at 1010 Nipomo St. in downtown San Luis Obispo. Visit www.slocm.org for open hours, program information and more.

miossi Grant to transitions mental health

Transitions-Mental Health Association (TMHA) has received a grant in the amount of $10,500 from the Harold J. Miossi Charitable Trust for the continued operation and expansion of their Growing Grounds Farm Seed Bank. A Seed Bank is a collection of locally cultivated seeds that are stored and categorized by species and locality. The most essential reason to create a Seed Bank is biodiversity. “To put it simply, we don’t want to lose any plants that may prove valuable in the future,” explained Craig Wilson, Program Manager of Growing Grounds Farm in San Luis Obispo. Now in its second year of collection and sales, the Seed Bank concept is showing great promise. For more information, visit www.T-MHA.org.

B of A donates $16,000 to Cuesta College

Free passes to young readers

Local children registering for their first library card will also receive a free child’s admission to the San Luis Obispo Children’s Museum (SLOCM). More than 800 passes are expected to be distributed during the duration of the twelve month program. “The San Luis Obispo County Library is pleased to partner with the San Luis Obispo Children’s Museum on this exciting community initiative,”

C rossword S O L U T I O N S

The Cuesta College Foundation recently received a $16,000 donation from the Bank of America Foundation. The funds will be split to support different areas of the college. A total of $8,500 will support the Cuesta Fund, which provides immediate financial support for unmet priority needs in classrooms, lecture halls and labs. The $7,500 remainder is earmarked for the CASE Fund, providing temporary financial assistance to students who are unable to meet immediate, essential expenses because of hardship related to an emergency situation. The funding will provide for up to 15-25 emergency grants.

NEWCOMER OR NEW HOMEOWNER? Get your free welcome packet!

Liz Hiatt Owner centralcoastwelcome@gmail.com

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

Call your greeter or go to centralcoastwelcome.com SLO / Avila / 5 Cities: Jan Rouse 458-2394 or 209-405-1111 Morro Bay / Cayucos / Los Osos / Cambria: Annie Clapp 878-8876 • North County: Sandy Hexberg 235-1529 •

A FREE SERVICE TO NEWCOMERS

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dana book club

french hospital’s named top 100 celebration

new general manager at s. lombardi

French Hospital Medical Center recently celebrated being named a top 100 Hospital in the nation again this year. The medical center celebrated by hosting a community BBQ. The festivities also included a short program and official ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of the newly reconstructed front entrance and healing garden. This has been an outstanding year for French Hospital Medical Center.

Along with the designation of being once again named a Top 100 Hospital in the Nation, this acknowledgment comes on the heels of 17 recent Healthgrades awards, including the Patient Safety Excellence Award.

The DANA Cultural Center invites the community to join its book club! The book club reads historic literature based on California in the 1800s. Club meetings are every third Monday of the month at 11 a.m. at the Dana Adobe. We hope to see you at the next book club meeting! The DANA Cultural Center inspires curiosity about life through time on the Central Coast while exploring how our community came to be and how we can make it a better place. We encourage the community to build connections between history, nature, and each other. Located at 671 S. Oakglen Ave. in Nipomo, Rancho Nipomo Dana Adobe is open to visitors Saturdays 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and other days/times by appointment.

Lombardi & Associates Marketing Agency has named Whitney Meyer as its General Manager, responsible for the agency’s finances, operations and employee development.

Meyer joined the SLA team in 2010 and is a graduate of UCLA, where she earned a degree in Economics and worked in the university’s athletics marketing department as well as for the US Olympic Committee’s marketing division.

free senior healthcare screening

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

St. Barnabus thrift donates to hospice slo

Every month, St. Barnabus Thrift Shop, a volunteer run organization in Arroyo Grande, donates 20% of the shop’s gross sales to a local, charitable organization. Last month, Hospice of San Luis Obispo was honored to receive a check for $1363 from this generous organization.

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carter named DIRECTOR OF marketing at macsuperstore

Veteran marketer D.C. Carter has been named Director of Marketing for the MacSuperstore chain. Carter began work at the position this week. The announcement was made by MacSuperstore owner Shane Williams. Director of Marketing is a new position at the company, as MacSuperstore’s recent growth has made it necessary to have someone at the director level who can oversee community outreach, advertising and marketing efforts. MacSuperstore had long been a 2-location company before doubling in size over the past two years with the addition of stores in Santa Barbara and Monterey. Carter brings more than 25 years of media and marketing experience.

THE BULLETIN BOARD jody belsher film honored

After seeing many young people affected by the use of today’s marijuana, including a family member, Jody began researching why they are experiencing such negative effects. While on the set of one of her new music videos, Jody realized she could film a documentary to explain why this is happening. She began at Harvard interviewing the world’s leading researchers on marijuana and the teenage brain. Her film: The Other Side of Cannabis: Negative Effect of Marijuana on Our Youth, (72 min.) is an indepth look from the viewpoint of professionals as well as marijuana users. She travelled across the country and also France where she interviewed doctors, professors, mental health workers, among others, as well as those with addiction to marijuana—some in sobriety, others not. The documentary won first place as Best Feature Documentary at the recent Sunset Los Angeles Film Festival, is nominated in four categories at the St. Tropez/Nice Film Festival and will be screened in October at the Reel Recovery Festival in Los Angeles.

Jody, a local graphic artist and singer/songwriter, produced, directed and edited the film. The trailer can be seen online www.oscdoc.com.

seaman evan gowdy on select crew

A 2010 Morro Bay High School graduate and Morro Bay native is part of a select crew, protecting and defending America aboard the U.S. Navy’s nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Texas. Seaman Evan Gowdy is a sonar technician aboard Texas, one of the Virginia-class submarines based at the Navy base in

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Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Texas, commissioned in Newport News, Virginia in 2006, is longer than a football field at 377 feet and can sail under the waves at more than 30 mph. Because of the demanding nature of service aboard submarines, sailors like Gowdy are accepted only after rigorous testing and observation that can last several months. The crews have to be highly motivated, and adapt quickly to changing conditions.

hal sweasey honored by big brothers/sisters

Big Brothers Big Sisters of SLO County Board Member and donor, Hal Sweasey is the only person in the history of SLO County to have reached the milestone of funding 100 years of mentoring for local disadvantaged youth. Hal Sweasey has personally donated over $100,000 to support the youth mentoring organization. At the agency’s recent Shareholder’s Reception, Big Brothers Big Sisters program participants surprised Hal with flowers, a trophy and a home-made medallion in the presence of donors, agency staff, Board Members, program participants and representatives from our state and local government. Hal has served on the local Big Sisters Big Brothers Board of Directors since 1998, twice as president. Big Brothers Big Sisters Executive Director, Anna Boyd-Bucy said “This program would hardly resemble the strong community resource that it is today without Hal’s hard work and dedication.” Featured from left to right: Little Brother Kevin, Hal Sweasey, Little Sister Yasmin and Little Brother Anthony.

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J U L Y

2015

Journal PLUS

46

COMMUNITY

eye on business

mid-year boost for business thinking

By Maggie Cox, Barnett Cox & Associates

T

he recent Central Coast Business Symposium® was an afternoon where everything came together and attendees got a big dose of good thinking. Four terrific speakers sparked spirited conversation and thought provoking ideas among the 400+ business and community leaders in attendance. The symposium, the brainchild of host Andre, Morris & buttery, began seven years ago as a means of celebrating the longtime law firm’s 60th anniversary. The event took hold and continues today with the support of seven additional sponsor businesses.

Each year the committee for the Symposium seeks presenters who can meet a tough set of criteria. Symposium presenters must address topics that have direct relevance to business owners and managers in SLO and Santa Barbara Counties, have a connection to the Central Coast…and be excellent speakers.

The objective of the event is to have attendees leave feeling informed and buoyed by ideas and energy. All three presentations at the 2015 event hit the nail on the head.

Conan Nolan, Central Coast native and accomplished journalist, led the afternoon with a presentation on the changing face of news coverage. For the last 25 years Conan has been a political reporter for KNBC, where he is also the host of the weekly political

program, “News Conference.” His remarks centered on the shift away from traditional news media consumption and into social media channels, where virtually anyone with a phone is an on-the-scene reporter.

The primary takeaway from Conan’s presentation: content still matters. Even in the face of blog overload and a 24-7 news cycle, consumers want quality information. Conan believes the news sources that will succeed are those that insist on excellence and doing the job better than others. The lesson for business is that we are managers of our own messaging and the same rules apply.

The afternoon moved from media to a lively discussion of what cities can do to foster economic development. Former city managers Ken Hampian (SLO) and Tim Ness (Santa Maria) joined Conan Nolan as moderator to share their perspectives on the realities of city finance. With decades of municipal service behind them, the now retired city execs talked about how California’s tax structure pushes cities to court sales tax generators like big box stores and auto dealers. The pair commented on the pressure between quality of life demands and the need to pay for services like police and fire protection, parks and streets.

Ken and Tim poked good-natured fun at each other’s city while showing deep passion for the

communities they led. The lesson from this session: California cannot compete with other states that give away land and offer sweeping incentives to attract business. And until California’s state and municipal governments can find a better way to distribute tax revenues, the pressure on cities will not change. In a stirring closing comment, Ken urged the audience to get involved in their communities and be part of the process, and push to reverse the current trend of polarized thinking and behaviors that are undermining local government.

Blake Irving, CEO of GoDaddy (the world’s largest provider of web domain and other services) closed the event with a rousing presentation on how GoDaddy is repositioning itself as a working partner to small business. The SLO resident and tech pioneer has a resume that includes senior positions with Xerox, Yahoo and Microsoft, assumed the top spot at GoDaddy in 2014. He entertained and inspired the audience and showed GoDaddy’s transition by sharing TV commercials GoDaddy has used—and now retired—in its marketing efforts.

GoDaddy received international attention when, just days before the Superbowl, it pulled a puppy-based commercial intended to run in the sports broadcast after receiving complaints from animal rights interests.

Blake showed the original commercial and explained its intention and tongue-in-cheek humor that went awry with some viewers.

He said that 42,000 negative comments on social media in just a period of hours helped him decide action had to be taken, and the spot was pulled.

The lightning fast decision to address concerns created a PR hail storm—a happy one— for GoDaddy. It showed that a large company can (must) still be nimble in today’s world.

The GoDaddy example is one of how grounded decision making and swift management of a crisis produced a winning outcome for a company – a company that went public just three weeks later (and with tremendous success).

The event was a fast three hours on a Monday afternoon, and a program that delivered insight and inspiration and optimism. This was a perfect mid-year boost for business thinking and a reminder that there’s still plenty of time to make things happen on 2015.

A quick note of thanks to program sponsors who joined AMB in producing the event: Thoma Electric, Heritage Oaks Bank, Glenn Burdette, Morris & Garritano Insurance, BCA, Presqu’ile Winery and CRS. Andre, Morris & Buttery has posted a pod cast of the symposium speaker presentations at www.amblaw.com.

J U L Y

2015

Journal PLUS

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