Morro Bay Life March 2016 by Weeklys

MARCH 2016

EVERYTHING MORRO BAY

Inside ... A Scottish roots revival 2 The power of massage 3 Library marks anniversary 4 New MBMA president 5 Senior ride program 6 Spaghetti fundraiser 6 Community Calendar 7

Photo by Ruth Ann Angus

Tom Hafer, President of the Morro Bay Commercial Fishermen’s Organization at his boat the Kathryn H.

Photos Contributed by the SLO Bottle Society

Bottles of all shapes, sizes and colors from 1850-1950 will be on display at the annual San Luis Obispo Bottle Society Antiques and Glass Bottle Show.

Antique glass on display March 18 & 19 By ALLYSON OKEN For Morro Bay Life

An old glass bottle drenched in mud becomes a treasured reminder of bygone eras for members of the San Luis Obispo Bottle Society. The club will be hosting its annual Antique Bottle Show Friday, March 18 from 3 to 7 p.m. and Saturday, March 19 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Veterans Memorial Building, 209 Surf St. in Morro Bay. Admission is free. Bret Heinemann, a long time member of SLO Bottle Society, said for the past few years SLO Bottle Society has partnered with Morro Bay Recreation to secure the Veterans Hall for the event,

Morro Bay landscape artist creates living sanctuaries

Proposed sanctuary worries local fishermen

By RUTH ANN ANGUS

Photos by Ruth Ann Angus

Landscape artist Gabriel Frank at Gardens by Gabriel in Morro Bay.

GARDENS BY GABRIEL

Of Morro Bay Life

For Morro Bay Life

e bears the name of an archangel and designs gardens that are heavenly. Gabriel Frank, and his crew of craftsmen, artists and designers, builds landscape environments that become living sanctuaries. His demonstration garden that encircles his home in Morro Bay is a testament to his life’s work. Frank grew up in Florida, and studied and graduated from the New York Botanical Garden School of Professional Horticulture. He knew he didn’t want to live in a big city after spending his time In New York. Although he already had his business established on the east coast, a suggestion from a friend had him traveling with him to California where he interned at a botanical garden in Mendocino. On advice from his grandparents he moved to the Central Coast. “I had caught the coastal bug,” he said, “and was interested in the desert plants in this semi-arid location.” Getting started here required some

Eclectic artwork and plantings at Frank’s garden.

ingenuity. “I was always a small business,” he said, “and I learned the value of a small space. Here I also had more time and money and so I made flyers and went door to door with them. That was how I got my first few leads.” Please turn to Page 8

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Photo by Allyson Oken/Morro Bay Life

Patrons peruse the products at last year’s Morro Bay Citywide Yard Sale.

Searching through the clutter can yield all manner of unassuming treasures at the 13th Annual Morro Bay Citywide Yard Sale. Hosted each year by nonprofit group Morro Bay Beautiful, the event will begin with a Friday preview at 8 a.m. April 1 and run through April 3 with most locations closing for the day at 2 p.m. Morro Bay Beautiful President Ann

Reisner said in a past interview that the event is all part of keeping Morro Bay clean and beautiful for generations to come. Reisner explained that this is achieved through the yard sale with Morro Bay Garbage Company picking up anything left over the next week. “This is all part of Morro Bay Beautiful’s vision to keep our community clean and looking good,” Reisner said. Please turn to Page 2

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Morro Bay Citywide Yard Sale returns April 1-3

Recently the proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary came before the Morro Bay City Council. They have not as yet decided in favor of supporting it. The proposed sanctuary would cover from Santa Rose Creek in San Simeon to Gaviota Creek in Santa Barbara County. Creation of a new marine sanctuary here would close the gap between the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. Conservation groups and environmentalists are eager for this to take place. Not so eager are the commercial fishermen who work out of Morro Bay. Tom Hafer, President of the Morro Bay Commercial Fishermen’s Organization, tells us why. Hafer feels that the proposed area is not a good fit for a national sanctuary. He cites the fact that along its waters is a nuclear power plant that discharges used ocean water back into that environment and this would likely be a violation in a sanctuary. A number of oil derricks now exist in these waters and while

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Bottles

Continued from page 1

which is well attend each year. The event offers displays of antiques and bottles, which are representative of daily life in the years 1850 through1950. Heinemann said originally bottles were found in warehouses, restaurants, and basements, stuck under houses, pre-1920 dumps and creek beds. “Some times we would even find them in old privy piles,” Heinemann said. “35 years ago the club members used to go out together to hunt for bottles, but today they are very hard to find on the West Coast, though there are still a lot on the east coast. Today many people just get them on E-Bay.” Specific types of bottles being displayed include milk, soda, ink, pre-prohibition beer, whiskey and wine. The show also includes insulators, pottery, small antique advertisements and oil lamps. Attendees will enjoy a rainbow of color with bottles ranging in shades of amber, green, blue, red, and clear. Heinemann said that there will be free appraisals for any bottles or glass and related small antiques that individuals would like to bring in. “A great feature of the event will be free appraisals,” he said. “At the event, the vendors committee of about 6 to 8 people will help to appraise the bottles so anyone can find out if they have treasure. There will be about 45 tables set up at the event with about 10 or 20 on the patio.” Heinemann thinks that the most interesting aspect of the event is seeing locally made bottles. At the event people can see a whiskey bottle that was used by the Goldtree Brothers in San Luis Obispo, Booth Drugstore bottles with the eagles insignia, Norton & Norton Drugstore bottles with a lion insignia and milk bottles from Challenge Harmony Valley Creamery Association, Garden Dairy, and old bottles from the San Luis Obispo Soda Works. “Much of the collection is over 100 years old and we form a sentimental attachment to what we find,” Heinemann said. “A lot of people like the 50 and 60 bottles because they reminisce about the soda shop they would go too or the medicine that mom used to give. It is really about making connections to our history for people and our club takes a lot of enjoyment in doing this.” SLO Bottle Society is part of the National Federation of Historic Bottle Clubs. To learn more about the organization, visit FOHBC. com. To contact event planners from the SLO Bottle Society’s Antique Bottle Show, call 543-7484.

A Scottish roots revival Old Blind Dogs coming to Castoro Cellars March 12

By ALLYSON OKEN Of Morro Bay Life

A piper, three-part harmonies sung in Gaelic and lyrics that tell tales of desperate fishwives and Erne’s shore — sharing the very heart of Scottish roots revival music is Old Blind Dogs. In a concert presented by SLOFolks, the band will be coming all the way from Scotland to grace the stage at Castoro Cellar stage for the first time on Sunday, March 12 at 7:30 p.m. Old Blind Dogs is Aaron Jones on vocals, bouzouki, guitar and electric bass; Ali Hutton on the bagpipes, whistles and guitar; and Donald Hay on drums and percussion. American fiddle player Jenna Moynihan will also join the band in place of regular band member Jonny Hardie. Jones said that Old Blind Dogs have been at the forefront of the Scottish roots revival since the early 1990s and are known for taking traditional songs in less traditional directions with rock ‘n’ roll inspired instrumentation. The Dogs, as Jones calls the band, have been going for 24 years and were one of the early bands to start experimenting and pushing the boundaries of traditional Scottish music. “One of our big things is to be respectful to the tradition, but try and make it a little bit more accessible to perhaps people who would not necessarily be into the really traditional Scottish music,” Jones said. Jones noted that Celtic music is popular all over the world because it is a celebration of life. “People like to feel something when they listen to music and this traditional music achieves that and more by getting people up for a boogie,” he said Old Blind Dogs tend to go with more traditional music, digging through dusty shelves of poetry and musical compendiums, many written more than 100 years ago. Jones said that the band has written their own original tunes and melodies, but feel very lucky to have a huge untapped resource of traditional songs to draw from.

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Photo courtesy of Old Blind Dogs

Scottish roots band Old Blind Dogs will take the stage at Castoro Cellars March 12.

“Really hundreds of years worth of songs and melodies that were written down and recorded provide that golden chalice for us is to find songs that have never been recorded from those dusty old books,” he said. “Even though the songs are a couple of hundred years old, they all contain themes that we can relate to. We have a very dark, bloody history so out of a lot of adversity you tend to find great songs.” Jones said The Dogs play songs about love, loss and more, but they also have a reputation for body counts in their songs. He said some of the old battle songs usually tell the story of somebody who “gets it.” Old Blind Dogs are working on a new album that is still in production, but their last record, 2010’s “Wherever Yet May Be,” is a really good balance of songs, tunes and melodies, Jones

said. He said that the cover art is something that people have been taking about since the album came out. “On the cover we are dressed in period costumes,” he said. “It may seem that we are all from the same period in time, but we are all individuals from pieces of music in the album. So the cover is a reflection of the time periods that the songs were written in. We hope to see this music inspire dance. We really like to see people get up and have a boogie!” Tickets for the show are $20 per person and proceeds will support nonprofit organization SLOFolks in addition to helping pay for the band. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. and doors open at 6:30 p.m. for pre-event winetasting. For more information about SLOFolks, visit slofolks.org. Listen to Old Blind Dogs at oldblinddogs.co.uk.

Continued from page 1

“This event really brings the entire community together to clear out all those things we have been holding onto and sell them for a great price. Each year we make sure that the yard sale coincides with ‘Clean Up Week,’ part of Morro Bay Garbage Company’s plan to keep big objects off the streets. It is a really great partnership.” Morro Bay Garbage Company will pick up 12 extra bags of trash for free and any electronics or large items weighing more than 75 pounds for only $10 each. For large item pick-up, call 528-7430. People can also

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donate their leftover sale items to the charity of their choice. Each year the Citywide Yard Sale grows. With more than 100 sales listed on the map and about 200 more that can be found by traveling through participating neighborhoods and businesses, this is the place to find just about anything for cash in pocket. Before the event, Reisner recommends that everyone stop by Brenda Sue’s Consignment at 248 Morro Bay Blvd. to pick up a map. The store will serve as the

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yard sale headquarters and opens at 7 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. The store will also be hosting its own sale for patrons to enjoy. Most every Morro Bay consignment shop, resale location, antique shop and thrift store location will be participating as well. “You never know what you will find and for those seeking something special 97.3 F.M. The Rock will be on the air ready to help people find what they are looking for,” Reisner said. People can call into The Rock at 772-2037 and ask that they find them any number of things that could be for sale out at the City Wide Yard Sale. According to Reisner last year her husband was looking for a generator and The Rock found her one in less than 20 minutes. Not only is this a great way to find something for the home, garden or outdoor activities for next to nothing, but also this event supports Morro Bay Beautiful. Help keep the streets clean, the murals freshly painted and the gardens alive by supporting MBB and attending the yard sale. “You never know what types of treasures you will find and it is a blast to go hunting,” Reisner said. “People may even find that doll they had when they were little or the tea set the grandma used to have, it’s just wonderful!” For the hundreds who attend each year there are a few things to keep in mind. Don’t park in front of fire hydrants, don’t park in peoples’ driveways and please remember not to park in front of mailboxes. To learn more or to register as a yard sale location, visit morrobaybeautiful.org.

Morro Bay Life - March 2016 - 3

What massage can do for you Morro Bay therapist helps patients deal with the stress of daily life By RUTH ANN ANGUS Of Morro Bay Life

Most of us when we are in pain will resort to taking some pain relieving medication. Some people have found that a session with their friendly massage therapist does the trick, the benefit being relief without drugs. There are a lot of reasons why pain is part of our lives. Sometimes it begins with an accident. Other times it might just be the stress of daily life. Massage may offer an answer. Massage therapist SanDee Winn says most often people come to her because they are in some kind of pain. “But it’s been my experience that it isn’t just physical pain,” she said. “I see a lot of mental and emotional pain that manifests itself as physical pain.” Winn has discovered a book called “Mind Over Back Pain” by Doctor John Sarno. In it Sarno describes what he calls “tension myositis syndrome.” Sarno found many patients who had been through back surgery coming back after time with the exact pain complaint they had prior to surgery. He feels there has to be another reason for this and explores how our minds play a big part in how we feel physically. Trauma or stress can cause our unconscious system to impede circulation to parts of the body. When these are affected no nutrients are going in and no toxins are coming out. This can cause pain in muscles, nerves, tendons and ligaments. “The level of stress and information coming at us daily is close to a million times more than what our ancestors went through,” Winn said. “Early man dealt with attacks from predatory animals and went into a flight or fight mode. They either lived through it or died. After an attack they would shake. Even animals do this to cope with attacks. When we are, say, in a car accident, we start to shake. But what do people say to us, ‘you’re okay, you’re okay’ and they interrupt that process.” We seem to be always in a fight or flight stage because of all the information thrown at us and the stress is causes. Winn has had people come in after a car accident with their bodies twisted as they were at the time of the accident. When she has tried to turn their bodies back to a normal position, they have twisted back. “That twist had become that person’s normal,” she said. “Your body adjusts to the pain and that becomes your normal.” Winn also feels that touch is very important to us and that we don’t get enough of it. “Touch is very powerful,” she said. “We need nurturing healthy touch.” With her clients sometimes she finds that just anticipating touch makes them feel better. “I put my hands on their backs and they take a deep breath and exhale and I can feel the tension leaving,” she said. Massage lowers blood pressure, helps

Photo by Ruth Ann Angus

SanDee Winn in her massage room at her new location in Morro Bay.

with sleep, releases endorphins that help with pain and causes serotonin levels to go up. It teaches us how to relax. There are trigger points that a massage therapist pays attention to, such as areas in the rear buttock where the sciatic nerve goes through. “When I release these spots,” Winn says, “people go aaahhh!” Massage can help with muscle tone as it softens it and also helps people who have circulation problems such as diabetic people who often have issues with their feet. Winn has worked on many people prior to them having joint replacement surgery. “During surgery the muscles around the joint are moved back,” she says, “and if they are tight it is difficult for the surgeon to move them back in place.” Massage also helps with lymph circulation. Breast cancer patients often have problems after having lymph nodes removed. “There are manipulations called dry brushing,” Winn says, “to help move the lymph to avoid lymphedema, a swelling that can occur.” She has studied the technique is going to start offering dry brushing.

Winn believes that it is important to have a certain atmosphere available for her clients. She utilizes aroma therapy and has soft music playing in the room with dimmer lights. She also scheduled a halfhour between appointments. “I do this in order to give the person coming in some time for talk with me,” she says. “It is often more about conversation as well as physical and emotional comfort that a person is looking for. It’s all about

somebody taking care of them.” Thanks to an extensive business background, Winn also does business consulting. Periodically she holds basic classes on how a business can effectively use social media, build a data base and e-mail list. SanDee Winn Massage is located at 365 Quintana Rd., Suite F-2, in Morro Bay. She can be reached at 423-0659 or see her website at sandeewinn.com .

4 - Morro Bay Life - March 2016

Library marks one year since renovation By RUTH ANN ANGUS Of Morro Bay Life

March marks one full year that the Morro Bay Library has been in operation with its new renovation. “It’s been a wonderful year,” said Jackie Kinsey, Librarian and Branch Manager. “It’s not just a nice new coat of paint. Everything is really new and that is a rarity to happen for a library.” In spite of the fact that the size of the building was not altered, the size of what is able to be done inside has changed dramatically. There is more space for books, the children have their own section, and there is a space for library programs. Along with those things, Friends of the Library has its own “Book Store” on the premises where people can come in and purchase books for extremely low prices, like one dollar for many. Customers can pay at the checkout counter or in the honesty box on site. “We have better furniture, more reading spaces, a teen section, and better lighting,” Kinsey said. “The interior of the building is used to its ultimate best.” San Luis Obispo County leases the building from the City of Morro Bay and that includes the surrounding land. However, the library is responsible for everything else such as maintenance, utilities, equipment, and staffing. Friends of the Library support the library through fundraising and volunteer efforts. Citizens of Morro Bay really use their library too. Of the 15 libraries in the county system, Morro Bay ranks fourth in usage. The shelf containing books specially requested by library card holders is full and active. People come in to use the computers and staff is on hand to assist them in

Photo by Ruth Ann Angus

The Friends of the Library Book Store at Morro Bay Library.

learning how the library system is set up and how to use the service safely. No information is kept on the library server. Everything is dumped each night. A person can also bring their own computer to the library and sit comfortably and work accessing the Internet if needed. Books can also be down loaded to a person’s computer, mobile device, or Kindle using a library card. On Thursday mornings from 8:30 to 10:00 A.M. Diana Hammerlund offers a class to help people with the process of

downloading e-books. Book collections are selected by various committees such as adult, children, teen, and audio/visual. “The committees look at subjects that are popular in certain areas and take into account current events. The Friends contribute to the mix with monies that go into a special account to help fill in the gaps for books that might not be ordered by committees. These are called Express Books and are indicated with a green tag on the bottom. “When an Express book is returned to the Morro

Bay library it stays for six months as Express and thereafter is put on the regular shelf,” Kinsey explained. “At that point it could be requested by another library in the system.” Audio/Visual materials float in the system and don’t have a home base. Something taken out in Morro Bay could be returned to another library. “These things get sorted out equally to libraries based on circulation statistics,” Kinsey said, “and this gives the system information as to what is popular in a given location.

Mysteries are hot here.” A variety of programs, many of which are funded by Friends of the Library, are held in the program room and each quarter of the year has a new theme. January through March is “Discover Your Community.” March will celebrate Women’s History Month, the County and Cuesta College Book of the Year, and the 4th Annual Peeps Diorama Contest. For the Peeps contest adults and children are encouraged to create a diorama based on a book they’ve read or a poem they like or some original writing. Categories are children 12 and Under, Teens, and Adults 18 and up. Entries will be taken in at the library from March 1st through the 19th and judging occurs March 21st through 25th. Prizes will be awarded on March 26th. Other ongoing programs are the Tuesday children’s Storytime at 10:30 A.M., Wednesday Book discussion at 10:00 A.M., Paws to Read on Wednesday at 3:00 P.M. where children get to read their favorite book to a participating canine. On two Fridays there is a Wellness Group meeting from 10:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. and one Saturday a month the North Coast Writers meet from 10:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. and there is an Art Therapy Workshop from 1:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M. The schedule for all programs and events can be found on the county library web site at www.slolibrary.org . Kinsey is thrilled that the Friends of the Library Book Sale is returning to the Morro Bay Library site starting March 5th and will be an all day event. “We are grateful and want to thank the volunteers of the Friends of the Library for their continued support of the Morro Bay Library,” Kinsey said, “We couldn’t do this without them.”

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Morro Bay Life - March 2016 - 5

Susan Stewart named new MBMA president By RUTH ANN ANGUS Of Morro Bay Life

Susan Stewart, owner of Beads By The Bay, is the new President of the Morro Bay Merchant’s Association. This organization has members primarily from the downtown area. “While what we call ‘Old Town’ — meaning a block or two of Main Street and much of Morro Bay Boulevard — is thought of as downtown,” Stewart said, “I actually think of it as including businesses between Quintana Road and Market Street. It’s the area where locals shop.” Members of the Association work towards encouraging a robust business climate within the city to benefit the entire community. “We recognize that the Embarcadero is the prime tourist attraction,” Stewart said, “but shops and businesses in the downtown core have much to offer the Morro Bay locals as well as visitors.” Catering to tourists is only one of the functions of many of the stores in town. There are also many businesses that are here for residents. The Merchant’s Association primarily represents retail and restaurant owners, although they welcome other businesses and nonprofit groups. The Merchant’s Association puts on two street fairs every year, one on the Sunday after Thanksgiving Day and another in August. The street fairs this year will be coordinated by board member Jon Wordsworth and run by Neil Farrell, Editor of the Bay News. They raise money for the MBMA and draw people to the downtown area. It is also a great opportunity for local businesses to have a booth in the street and introduce their products and their store. MBMA has been holding these Fairs for 42 years! The money raised is primarily used to supplement cooperative advertising for members, and when possible, contributions are made to local non-profits as needs arise.

Photo by Ruth Ann Angus

New MBMA president Susan Stewart stands in front of her business Beads on the Bay.

“Our focus this year is going to be on offering a variety of cooperative advertising opportunities,” Stewart said. “There is also a need for businesses to share information among themselves and for members to be

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aware of political actions that may affect business. As a group, we can offer a unified voice at a policy-making level.” “One thing we want to assure people about is that the Merchant’s Association

is not trying to replace the Chamber,” she said. “It is a different type of organization.” “We have had fabulous promotional efforts given by the Tourism Bureau, the TBID, and the hotel community,” Stewart said. “We recognize that by their structure they have to be promoting Morro Bay as a destination. MBMA tries to help individual businesses maximize their marketing dollars. We can all benefit by pulling together.” Discussions of establishing other (nonlodging industry) Business Improvement Districts has been in the wind off and on and Stewart said she can see potential benefits in BIDs. However, businesses would have to agree to an assessment or extra fees to accomplish this. “All the businesses would have to take part, not just restaurant and retail stores,” she said. “I have seen models where the City matches funds contributed by business owners. I don’t personally like the idea of adding additional taxes to our sales receipts.” A Downtown BID could assist with monies for improving the “product” and appearance of the area, possibly including street decorations, tree trimming, benches for walkers to rest upon, decorative crosswalks, parking and more. It might be one way for the downtown core to establish a consistent “look” of its own. Stewart hopes to grow the membership of the Merchant’s Association. Dues are only $45 per year. Monthly meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month at Carla’s Country Kitchen at 8:00 A.M. and last an hour. All businesses are welcome, and it’s a great time to share information and ideas. The 2016 Board of Directors of the Merchant’s Association consists of: Susan Stewart, President Penny Harrington, Vice President Bill Peirce, Treasurer Robert Davis, Secretary Jon Wordsworth, Street Fair Director

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6 - Morro Bay Life - March 2016

Spaghetti fundraiser Senior ride program up and running to support EBCF By ALLYSON OKEN

By RUTH ANN ANGUS

Of Morro Bay Life

The 27th Annual Dixon’s Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser is set for Friday March 18 from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the Morro Bay Community Center. Morro Bay Recreation Services will host the event in conjunction with nonprofit Estero Bay Community Foundation (formerly Morro Bay Community Foundation) as a fundraiser for their organization. Each year the event hosts a poster art contest and selects from more than 100 entries by children in transitional kindergarten through fifth grade. This year third grader Danny Cordes was the poster contest winner and his art will be on display with many others at the event. The Dixon’s Spaghetti Dinner is a fundraiser for the EBCF, which is dedicated to raising funds to help children participate in recreational programs and activities that would not otherwise be able to do so because of financial limitations. According to Morro Bay Recreation Supervisor Heather Salyer-Frith, last year EBCF raised more than $36,000, all of which went to children residing in the Estero Bay community. “Over 50 volunteers from throughout the community will be serving a “home style” spaghetti dinner that includes salad, bread, and a yummy dessert all for only $10 per person (children 5 to 14 years old only $5, and children under 5 are FREE),”Sayler-Frith wrote in a press release. “This event is a long time standing community event that raised a little over $3,000 last year.

Photo Contributed Heather Salyer-Frith

Each year the fundraiser event hosts a poster art contest and selects from more than 100 entries from children in transitional kindergarten through fifth grades. This year third-grader Danny Cordes was the poster contest winner and his art will be on display with many others at the event.

We hope to reach our goal this year of $5,000 which would mean serving over 500 dinners.” For those interested in volunteering this year, give the Morro Bay Recreation Services Office a call at 772-6278. Tickets are available for purchase at the Morro Bay Recreation Services Office, located at1001 Kennedy Way, second floor and the Morro Bay Senior Center. Anyone can also purchase tickets at the door on the evening of the event. For more information about this event and others, visit morro-bay.ca.us.

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The Morro Bay Lions Club teamed up with the City of Morro Bay and Morro Bay Senior Citizens Incorporated Oct. 1, 2015 to explore a senior’s transit service, that officially opened operations last month. Chuck Stoll, president of nonprofit organization Senior Citizens Inc., said that the MBSCI would be managing the new senior ride program, supplying a call reservation center, volunteer drivers and two vans to transport seniors around town and beyond. “After years of mulling over the logistics of starting a senior ride program and with the help of City Council, in particular City Councilmen Noah Smukler, Senior Citizens Inc. has been granted the funds and purchased two vans, phones and more to facilitate this program,” Stoll said. “We are open for service now and will make medical and doctor trips a priority over other transit requests. As of now folks that need a ride must be able to get in and out of the vehicle, as we do not have wheelchair access set up. These rides are free, though we do request donations of any amount to keep the project funded. We are currently funded through this year thanks to a City grant for transit.” The schedule will allow for patrons to schedule pick-ups and drop-offs Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. by calling the reservation hotline 48 hours in advance of the day transportation is required. The reservation line is open from 9 a.m. to noon and can be reached by calling 225-1960. When scheduling a ride, people are required to provide the following information: pick-up date and time, full name, a contact phone number, pick-up address, destination address, the purpose of the trip, destination appointment time and the return pick-up time. Stoll said that once a reservation is made a volunteer would call to confirm any reservation within 24 hours. Other rules for riding include: no eating, drinking or smoking is allowed in the vehicle excluding water and no dogs are allowed except certified

Allyson Oken/Morro Bay Life

Seniors in Morro Bay now have a more convenient option for transportation to important appointments and events.

service animals. Stoll said there are also plans to host rides that would allow people to attend special events and do fun, everyday things like going to the hair dresser, grocery shopping, going to the movies and more. “Our vans will travel all over the county as needed and will offer trips to fun events like going to listen to the San Luis Symphony practice for free,” Stoll said. “We want to help people in our community get out and enjoy life after they have lost the ability to drive themselves and hope to increase our membership through the program.” As Stoll said, this project is funded by a grant that has been appropriated by the City Council for the purpose of addressing a need for a senior ride program in the amount of $35,000. Originally Morro Bay had a dial-a-ride program for seniors, but when the economy took a dive in 2008 they had to close the program. Just as the previous program, Morro Bay Senior Transportation will need donations to stay afloat and as part of the Morro Bay Senior Citizens Inc. nonprofit any donation is tax deductible. Stoll said SCI is working on creating a website for Morro Bay Senior Transportation that will be up and running in March. To show support for this program or to find out more, call the Morro Bay Senior Center at 772-4421.

Morro Bay Life - March 2016 - 7

ONGOING EVENTS

FARMERS MARKET The Morro Bay weekly Saturday farmers market is open to the public beginning at 3 to 6 p.m. There will be all kinds of wonderful artisan wares and produce for purchase. The event is located in downtown Morro Bay at Main and Harbor Street. For more information, or to become a vendor call 772-4467.

FARMERS MARKET 2 The Morro Bay weekly Thursday farmers market is open to the public beginning at 3 to 5 p.m. There will be all kinds of wonderful artisan wares and produce for purchase. The event is located at Spencer’s Market, located at 2650 Main Street in Morro Bay. For more information, or to become a vendor call 772-8103.

LIVE MUSIC THURSDAYS AT STAX Come listen to cool music at STAX with a glass of wine and tasty treats from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, to book a band and see what is happening for the month of events visit, staxwine.com or e-mail staxwine@yahoo.com.

SATURDAY SCIENTISTS Come to the Morro Bay Museum of Natural History in Morro Bay to learn about science and microscopes in these hands on up close looks at everyday objects. Hosted the 3rd Saturday of the month at 2 p.m. It is family oriented and if people come especially to do the program, there is no charge for entry. The Museum is located at 20 State Park Road in Morro Bay and is open Monday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 772-2694 or visit ccspa.info/ morrobay.

BEGINNING BELLY DANCE CLASSES Morro Bay Bellydance troupe Benat Serat invites you to join them and learn original dances sets to current music as well as traditional Middle Eastern rhythms at Beginning Belly dance classes, Tuesdays at 7 p.m. through the Morro Bay Community Center located at 1000 Kennedy Way in Morro Bay. The cost to attend is $20 per month and $15 per month to Morro Bay residence and to drop in the cost is $7 and $5 to residence of Morro Bay. To learn more about Benat Serat visit benatserat.wordpress.com.

MORRO BAY EMBARCADERO ART WALK On the second Friday of every month from 5 to 8 p.m. Art Galleries and Shops located in the Marina Square Complex on the waterfront side of the Embarcadero. Spend an enjoyable evening along the waterfront free! Converse with many talented local artists about their fine art, jewelry, crafts and more! Have a work of art, signed by the artist! Listen to local guitarist, Mike Swanberg. Enjoy refreshments provided by participating galleries and shops. Marina Square Complex, 601 Embarcadero, Morro Bay, CA 93442 contact Marina Square Complex 772-1068.

MORRO BAY ART CENTER OIL PAINTING CLASS Jason Mayr’s ongoing classes meet each Monday from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. for the cost of $30 per session. Open to the public. For more information or to register e-mail Jason at jkmayr@aol.com. To learn more about Art Center classes and more visit, artcentermorrobay.com.

MORRO BAY ART CENTER GOUACHE & ACRYLIC CLASS Diana Manseau classes meet on Fridays from 12:30 – 3:30 p.m. The cost per class is $25. Some materials are available for student use. Students are welcome to drop in. For more info call Diana at: 772-2102. To learn more about Art Center classes and more visit, artcentermorrobay.com.

TAROT TUESDAYS Calling all Empresses, Magicians, Lovers, and Seekers on the first and third Tuesdays of the month from 2:00-4:00 p.m. for the cost of $20. A fun afternoon of interactive tarot play! Relax with

Communit y Calendar a cup of tea. Bring your favorite deck. Enhance your intuitive reading skills, learn new spreads, practice reading with each other. For more information, visit rubydragon.info.

ANGEL HEALING CIRCLE On the second and fourth Wednesday, from 6 8:30 p.m. for the cost of $20 each to enjoy class with Mary Hiestand, ATP Feb. 10 and 24. The Angel Healing Circle at Ruby Dragon is a peaceful time designed to help you relax, meditate, and connect to your Angels. For more information, visit rubydragon.info.

WRITERS GROUP Every Thursday from 6:00-8:30 p.m. for the cost of $200 per month (pro-rated depending on when you join) limited to 6 people in the classroom with Tobey Crockett, PhD. Hosted Feb. 4, 11, 18, and 25. The weekly sessions establish a commitment to steady production and provide invaluable feedback to facilitate your rapid progress through whatever fiction, non-fiction, memoir, long form or short story projects you have chosen to develop. For more information, visit rubydragon. info.

SATURDAY, MARCH 5 Otter Rock Live Music

The Locals are playing at Morro Bays’ Otter Rock Cafe from 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Otter Rock Cafe offers tasty cuisine, libation and an open dance floor to get your groove on with one of many live bands that make this a hip spot and pit stop on their tours. For more information, visit otterrockcafe.com.

SUNDAY, MARCH 6

Come out to Coalesce Bookstore, 845 Main Street at 7 p.m. to welcome Old Blind Dogs a SLO Folks production, all for the cost of $20 per person. To reserve a ticket call Coalesce Books at 772-2880 or visit slofolks.org. Saturday, March 12 Otter Rock Live Music Funk The Mighty is playing at Morro Bays’ Otter Rock Cafe from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Otter Rock Cafe offers tasty cuisine, libation and an open dance floor to get your groove on with one of many live bands that make this a hip spot and pit stop on their tours. For more information, visit otterrockcafe.com.

THURSDAY, MARCH 10

aoken@atascaderonews.com

includes lunch and program located at Morro Bay Presbyterian Church, 485 Piney Way. First time guests are free and for reservations contact Rita by calling 534-1739 or emailing morrobaywc@ gmail.com.

Concert at Coalesce Bookstore

Morro bay women’s connection luncheon To be included in the Community Calendar please contact Allyson Oken at

March

From noon to 1:30 p.m. enjoy learning from Ron Rasmussen, who will talk about the treasure of our own Elfin Forest. Inspirational speaker Barbara Leone will tell us how she answered the Million Dollar Question wrong but then found the right answer to life. All for the cost of $5 that

SATURDAY, MARCH 19 Otter Rock Live Music

The Jill Knight Band are playing at Morro Bays’ Otter Rock Cafe from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Otter Rock Cafe offers tasty cuisine, libation and an open dance floor to get your groove on with one of many live bands that make this a hip spot and pit stop on their tours. For more information, visit otterrockcafe.com.

SATURDAY, MARCH 20

Saturday Scientists: The Ins and Outs of Leaves

At 2 p.m. in the Museum of Natural History auditorium enjoy looking at leaves through dissecting microscope is definitely a different experience! Attendees will learn about the types and parts of leaves and then be able to look at them through the microscopes after training in their use. This is a family event, but most suitable for ages 7 and up patrons under 17 and CCSPA members are free to attend and for all others the cost is $3.

The story of St. Patrick’s Day

arch 17 brings out the Irish in folks, even some who are not in any way Irish. It is the day those of us who share in that lineage wear our green, although obstinate individuals who have ancestry from Northern Ireland will don orange just to be ornery. But with all the rowdy beer drinking in the pubs and the singing of Irish ballads it is forgotten that the day commemorates the life of Ireland’s patron saint – Patrick. Saint Patrick is one of the most popular figures in Ireland but possibly not Irish. He was born in Britain to wealthy parents during the time the Romans occupied the country around 387 AD and it is believed his name was Maewyn Succat. Patrick’s parents weren’t necessarily religious although his father was a Christian deacon. At the age of 16 during a raid on his family’s estate, he was captured, enslaved, and sent to Ireland where he tended sheep for six years. There he learned the Irish language. During this captivity he turned to religion becoming a devout Christian. Patrick escaped from captivity after having a dream where a voice told him to leave Ireland. He walked over 200 miles and eventually made his way back to Britain. There he experienced another dream wherein an angel spoke to him telling him to return to Ireland as a missionary. Patrick began religious training lasting more than 15 years, was ordained a priest and sent to the Christians already living in Ireland. Patrick used a method for Christian conversions that incorporated traditional Irish rituals rather than trying to get the people to abandon their native Irish beliefs. In order to have the people venerate the cross he superimposed the sun, a native Irish symbol, onto the cross creating what is now called the Celtic Cross. Use of the symbol was more natural for the Irish who had been practicing a more nature based pagan religion. Another teaching method Patrick used entailed the Irish shamrock, a three leafed plant. This he used to illustrate the concept of the trinity – three persons in one God. In pagan Ireland three was an important number and the people had many triple deities. This may have helped Patrick in utilizing the shamrock when preaching about Christianity. There is no information that the shamrock was sacred to pagan Irish. However, to this day the shamrock is the symbol of Saint Patrick’s Day. There are many myths about Saint Patrick, and not the least of them is that he is a saint. While he is beloved by the Irish people and in their eyes, a saint, it is said the Pope never canonized him. Of the many legends about Saint Patrick there is the one stating that he banished all the snakes from Ireland. There were no snakes in Ireland during his lifetime since reptiles like snakes had been eliminated by the earlier ice age that encompassed Ireland as well as Iceland, Greenland, Antarctica and New Zealand. Interestingly enough, no serpents have made their way across the waters from Scotland to repopulate Ireland with snakes. Patrick built more than 300 churches in Ireland and converted over 100,000 Irish for more than 40 years. He wrote of his love for God in his memoir The Confession. On March 17, 461 AD he died at Saul, where he had built his first church. — Ruth Ann Angus

8 - Morro Bay Life - March 2016

Gardens

Sanctuary

Continued from page 1

Work did start to come to him and his business remained small for about three years. Then a job designing and constructing a garden in downtown San Luis Obispo came his way. It was for an historical home on Chorro and after that his business took off. He hired five people and last year added a second team of four. “I have 10 employees now,” he said, “and three designers.” Frank’s wife, Maggie, is also involved with the business. Basically, Frank is the idea guy and his designers draft the plan. The gardens are not just places with plantings, but are imbued with artistic elements such as unique metal garden sculpture, large driftwood pieces, large and small boulders and other types of hardscape giving the garden elevation. While Frank does what a customer wants, his thrust is to use drought tolerant native plants. Since this part of the coast enjoys a Mediterranean climate, plants usually consist of a variety of succulents and California native plants requiring low maintenance and that fit into a site’s particular micro-climate. One thing he will not do is plant a grass lawn. Customers who desire this are referred to another landscaper. Other plants Frank recommends for this area are organic vegetables, proteas, and fruiting plants, such as Meyer lemons, figs, pomegranates or persimmons. There are two types of grasses he uses called no mow sedges. One grows to about 18 inches high but can be walked on, which keeps it lower, and the other is very low to the ground. Both types only need mowing twice a year and require half the amount of water as a regular lawn.

Rainwater capture systems and grey water capture are both recommended by Frank and are services he offers. He also recommends and can install French drains that let rainwater drainage flow deeply into the ground encouraging plants to reach down with their roots to access moisture. Morro Bay and Los Osos both have soils that are sandy. “The soil in Morro Bay is dune beach sand,” he explained, “and you can grow ornamentals in sand. Los Osos has sand that is oily and water runs off of it instead of seeping down. In any case soil must be amended with organic materials.” “We’re fortunate here to have this climate,” he said. “We can grow the same plants that grow in other Mediterranean climates, such as Spain, South Africa, Australia, and coastal Chile. Our only difference is we have a longer dry season.” Frank thinks of gardens as art pieces. He is pleased that after finishing his demonstration garden at his home in Morro Bay Heights, many people passing by requested work from him. “The thought of working with our neighbors and improving our immediate area was exciting,” he said, “and I enjoy walking Cody, our English Pointer, by them to check on their growth and chatting with the owners. There’s a great sense of pride working in our own village and helping individuals create the outdoor atmosphere they’ve always dreamed of. I’d like to extend a thank-you to all our neighbors who have invited us to participate in the renovation of their yards.” For more information visit gardensbygabriel.com .

VISIT OUR JUICE BAR Organic and Natural Foods Nutritional Supplements Natural Body Care Products 415 Morro Bay Blvd, Morro Bay, CA 93442 • (805) 772-7873 sunshinehealthfoods-shinecafe.com

Ruby Dragon Rocks, Classes, Readings & Energy Healing

CRYSTAL WISDOM SEMINAR

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Join us for a full weekend seminar with eight introductory courses on various aspects of crystal wisdom and how to work with crystals. You will learn methods of working with crystals to enhance your well being and expand your conscious awareness as well as receive knowledge on a variety of topics relating to the use of crystals. Come and experience what they will share with you!

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Continued from page 1

they are grandfathered in, they too might be subject to fines for certain of their operations. Proponents for the sanctuary state that one of the primary reasons they desire sanctuary protection is to safeguard that no more oil exploration or drilling would be allowed to take place. “There already is a ban on anymore oil sites,” Hafer said. “That act was passed in 1976. So we don’t need further protection.” Hafer feels the only reason the federal government would consider establishing this sanctuary is to protect it from commercial fishing. “It’s a land grab,” he said, “and when they say they won’t make any more fishing regulations, that’s a bunch of BS.” Basically Hafer feels that establishment of another national marine sanctuary is just a money grab on the part of the federal government. “Dredging the harbor will cost more money,” he said. “Anything we do in a marine protected area is going to have to go through the federal government red tape and they will always want their share. They say it is going to bring in all that money here, but where is it going to come from? From fines.” When previous Marine Protective Areas were being proposed Hafer was a member of the 25-person committee studying this. “I sat on that committee that was deciding where the marine protective areas should go on this coastline,” he said, “and MPAs were decided and have been in place for seven years now. Ones like the section off Big Creek and Point Lobos have been there for about 40 years. Everyone thinks these are little areas. These are not little areas and we already have plenty of protection with all these regulations.” Hafer also said that commercial fishermen were in favor of the Monterey National Marine Sanctuary because they believed what the proponents said to them about there being no new regulations once the sanctuary was in place. However, he states that there have been new regulations.

Now fishermen are no longer on board for anymore sanctuaries. “I can’t say that the sanctuaries have made the rules in this,” he explained, “but their voice is the loudest.” As to protection of Chumash heritage sites, Hafer feels the federal government and the Sierra Club is only using that as an excuse for establishing another sanctuary and making it sound good. He cites the fact that there are Chumash sites in ocean waters in many areas and fishermen have been fishing over them for years without disturbing anything. Conservationists say there are less fish in our oceans. Hafer says the only way they have been able to quantify numbers of fish is through regulations and prior to regulations, they had no idea. “How do you count fish?” he said. “The so called decline is measured in the way they count.” Hafer has more than 40 years in the fishing industry and when asked if he sees less fish, he says no. “The decline came into play when quotas were established,” he said. “They cut us way down. For instance, we were getting 2000 to 3000 pounds of Cabazon a month and they cut us to 500 pounds for two months. That is going to show a big decline on a chart. They called it a cautionary measure.” “Everything has changed,” Hafer said, “and we’ve done the changes. We’re doing hook and line. We’ve stopped trawling. We don’t use gill nets. We’re doing sustainable fishing. There already is enough protection. The fish are protected, the sea otters are protected, the whales are protected, and the sea lions are protected. Do we really want a national marine sanctuary here so that the government is involved with all of our business? We’ve got all these other sanctuaries. They’ve got to leave some areas open. We can’t fish any less. People can’t make a living.” To learn more about the Morro Bay Commercial Fishermen’s Organization, go to www.mbfco.com .