Bay News December 15, 2016

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Volume 28

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Issue 39

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YOUR COMMUNITY IN YOUR HANDS

December 15 - 28, 2016

YourBayNews.com

See Inside and Online

This handsome lad was part of the 29th Annual Los Osos Christmas Parade on Dec. 10. More photos on Page 8. Photo by Neil Farrell

Save The Cow Bear Page 4

Dinner And A Movie Page 40

Patricide in Morro Bay

Wait is Over for ‘Those Who Wait’

By Neil Farrell

M

orro Bay Police are investigating an alleged case of patricide — the alleged murder of a father by his adult son, who is in custody. According to MBPD Cmdr. Jodie Cox, shortly after 6 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 9, police were notified by the Highway Patrol of a possible homicide at a home in Morro Bay. “CHP officers had contacted a 23-year-old male subject in the Avila Beach area,” Cmdr. Cox said in a news release, “who advised them he had injured a relative/ family member in Morro Bay. Subject was detained by CHP and later taken into custody by Morro Bay Police Department.” Officers responded to a residence in 400 Block of Napa Ave., to investigate and “discovered the body of a deceased male adult. Investigators were contacted and responded to the scene,” said Cmdr. Cox. The suspect has been identified as William Joel Schonberger, 23 of Morro Bay and police on Monday finally released the victim’s identity. He is William John Schonberger, 59 and the father of the suspect. See Homicide, page 3

By Neil Farrell

A

sizable crowd gathered on a chilly Saturday afternoon, and with the blue waters of the harbor entrance channel as a backdrop, local fishing families dedicated a major public sculpture, the first of its kind on the West Coast. Paying homage to the families of fishermen who stay behind as their husbands, sons, brothers, and fathers venture to sea, and to a way of life that has been and continues to be, a large part of fabric of Morro Bay’s very identity. The Central Coast Women for Fisheries, a non-profit group of fisher wives, toiled for nearly a decade, raising money in a myriad of ways and finally seeing the project through. Lori French, who emceed the event for CCWF, said the statue, “Those Who Wait,” was dedicated to “the families of all fishermen, Coast Guard and Harbor Patrol.” See Statue, page 11

Small Business Spotlight facebook.com/yourbaynews

YourBayNews.com

C O N T E N T S Simply Clear Marketing and Media Team Bret Colhouer publisher bret@simplyclearmarketing.com Neil Farrell managing editor The Bay News neil@simplyclearmarketing.com Theresa-Marie Wilson managing editor The Coast News t@simplyclearmarketing.com Camas Frank section editor SLO City News frank@simplyclearmarketing.com Michael Elliott sports reporter sports@simplyclearmarketing.com Mark Diaz business reporter mark@simplyclearmarketing.com

news

cc life

Drive Started to Save the Cow Bear .......................4

Adventure Girl............................ 13

Retiring from a Dirty Job .........................................5

Health & Wellness ...................... 14

Police Blotter.........................................................6-7 Super Hero Christmas Parade .................................8

Jessica Micklus sales manager jessica@simplyclearmarketing.com

Now and Then ............................ 20

New Deputy Chief at County Fire .........................41

Good to be King ........................ 21

Lamenting the Death of A Hero, A Friend ............42

Nightwriters ............................... 22

Obituary .................................................................43 County Clerk Certifies Election .............................43 Poly Profs Work on Census Program .....................45

holiday guide

Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus ......................28

The Annual Cayucos Polar Bear Dip is set for noon, Sunday, Jan. 1 at the Cayucos Pier

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ho ut O

ut

Ben Schutzer David Buckingham Erin O’Donnell King Harris Judy Salamacca Michael Gunther Nancy Puder Ray Ambler SLO Nightwriters Teri Bayus Vivian Krug

Call 543-NEWS

Eat, Play, Shop ........................... 36

Dinner and a Movie .................... 40

Jam Iconz plays the weekly, Beer at the Pier Concert, at 5 p.m. Monday, Dec. 19 at La Palapa Restaurant, 1346 2nd St., Baywood Park. Free admission Get tickets now for the Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival’s nature outings. See: morrobaybirdfestival.org

5 business matters Biz Briefs ...............................46-47 Morro Bay Chamber News ........ 48 Bottom Line................................ 49 Featured Folks ........................... 50 Car Cadets ................................. 51

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This is a publication of SCMM., Copyright 2007–2016 all rights reserved. One free copy per person. Additional copies can be obtained at our offices 615 Clarion Court, #2, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93401. Tolosa Press makes every reasonable effort to ensure the accuracy of its contents. Please notify us if information is incorrect.

www.YourBayNews.com

Home & Garden ....................34-35

Last Minute Holiday Gift Tips ...........................26-27

Carrie Vickerman bay news advertising executive carrie@simplyclearmarketing.com

phone (805) 543-6397 fax (805) 772-4625 615 Clarion Ct., #2, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

Art Talk ....................................... 32

Infuse Your Holiday Traditions ...............................24

Zorina Ricci coast news advertising executive z@simplyclearmarketing.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS

Framed ....................................... 31

Entertainment .......................37-39

Dana McGraw senior advertising executive dana@simplyclearmarketing.com

David Diaz digital marketing

Modern Senior ........................... 17

I Do Solemnly Swear ..............................................41

Stephanie Hansen administrative assistant

ADVERTISING

Surf’s Shop ................................. 16

Community Calendar ............18-19

Christy Serpa editorial design

Karita Harrskog event and marketing assistant admin@simplyclearmarketing.com

Sports Shorts.............................. 15

Capps Bids Adieu on House Floor.........................12

Michelle Johnson art director

Justin Stoner graphic marketing

December 15 - 28, 2016 • Bay News

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Bay News • December 15 - 28, 2016

News Homicide, from page 1

“Suspect was interviewed by investigators and provided information connecting him to the death of the victim,â€? said Cmdr. Cox. “Preliminary investigation reveals the weapon to be a large blade style weapon.â€? Cmdr. Cox added that the suspected weapon had been recovered and their initial investigation indicates the suspect acted alone. The SLO County Sheri’s crime scene detectives, and investigators with the District Attorney’s OďŹƒce are assisting MBPD in the case. The 400 block of Napa is located in the Heights Neighborhood, at the southern end of town and the crime scene is near Napa and Olive. Though reporters were being kept far away from the crime scene, an oďŹƒcer on scene conďŹ rmed that the incident occurred at an A-frame style, blue house. Crime scene tape was strung across the driveway, and a crime scene headquarters was set up in the middle of the street under a pop-up canopy. Cmdr. Cox asks that anyone with information on this

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incident to call the Morro Bay Police Department (805) 772-6225 or Crime Stoppers at (805) 549-7867. Refer to Case No. 16001525. The victim has been identiďŹ ed as 59 year-old William John Schonberger of Morro Bay. An autopsy is scheduled for later this week. The Investigation is ongoing and anyone with additional information is asked to contact the Morro Bay Police Department (805) 772-6225, Det. Gene Stuart, and reference case number #16001525.

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December 15 - 28, 2016 • Bay News

News

Drive Started to Save the Cow Bear By Neil Farrell

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he’s a one-of-a-kind creation — half cow and half grizzly bear — but in all ways she’s a symbol for Baywood Park/Los Osos and the community is being asked to help keep the “Cow Bearâ€? where she belongs. Celebrate Los Osos, a non-proďŹ t, beautiďŹ cation group, is raising money now to stave o having “Udderly Osos,â€? as she was named, auctioned away in the spring. The sculpture is on public display next to the Second Street Pier. The Cow Bear is the creation of father-son artists, Dave and Kyle Doust, who each took a half of the white ďŹ berglass cow and completely remade the sculpture, turning it from a horned cow on four legs to a standing, half bear-half cow, paddling a stand-up paddleboard. It has the face and front paws of a bear (Los Osos’ mascot) and the lower half of a cow. Part of the countywide Cow Parade SLO public art project and fundraiser, the Cow Bear “will be sold to the highest bidder and moved to...well, somewhere else!â€? reads a notice put out by Celebrate Los Osos’ Pandora NashKarner. “What community or winery or shopping center or car dealership has a historical reason to own a wiggly piece of public art that includes diary farming,

ranching, grizzly bears, monarch butteries, Golden poppies and stands on a paddleboard next to the bay?â€? NashKarner asked. “No one but us!â€? Celebrate Los Osos has various levels of support for donations from $5 to $1,000, and donors will have their names placed on a dedication plaque when purchase of the sculpture is ďŹ nalized and she becomes a permanent part of Baywood Park. It’s unknown how much the Cow Bear might fetch at auction on May 6, as it is one of 101 cow sculptures done for the fundraiser but was the most unique of the lot. The Cow Parade beneďŹ ts three main charities — Land Conservancy of SLO County, Arts Obispo, and the Mid State Fair Heritage Foundation — with individual cows also beneďŹ tting a number of great causes. In past Cow Parades, monies raised with the sales have varied, with the highest being $150,000 for a single cow done at the Cow Parade in Austin,

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Texas. Mail tax-deductible donations to: Celebrate Los Osos, 350 Mitchell Dr., Los Osos, CA 93402, or see: https://www.gofundme. com/save-our-cowbear-from-auction to donate online. Of course Udderly Osos also has a Facebook Page, see: www.facebook. com/Cow-Bear-Udderly-Osos-

1211293845613584/?fref=ts. Readers are also being asked to take pictures with the sculpture and post them to Facebook and other social media to raise awareness of the fund drive and to build up support for the sculpture.

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Bay News • December 15 - 28, 2016

News

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Retiring From a Dirty Job By Neil Farrell

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ombined they have more than 70 years experience with the City of Morro Bay, doing a dirty job that no one really appreciates, until something goes wrong. And at the end of this month, the Morro BayCayucos Sewer Treatment Plant crew will lose four veteran employees, the collections maintenance crew another one, in the continuing shake up of City staff with early retirement. Leaving are George Helms with 10 years at the plant; David Bierman with seven (plus many years as the City’s lead mechanic); Les Girvin with 25 (30 years total); and plant supervisor, Bruce Keogh, who’s got 21 years in and has been in charge since 1997. Mike Mobley is leaving the collections crew. The Bay News sat down with Keogh and Girvin to reflect on their many years protecting the environment and dealing with wastewater of literally millions of residents and visitors. Over the years they’ve done a lot of public outreach, Keogh explained. “But I’ve come to the conclusion that everybody blames us” for things like bad odors. “All we do is collect people’s wastewater and treat it. It’s a social responsibility to make sure you put the right thing down your drain. The plant was designed to treat waste, not chemicals.” Girvin, a colorful and multi-talented individual, said, “I’ve been here half my life and I would not have wanted to work anywhere else. Thirty years went fast.” But 30 years is also long enough, he added. Treating wastes is one of those jobs that does itself most of the time, until something goes wrong, then the sh*t can hit the fan. “We’re really babysitters,” Girvin said. “When the baby cries, something’s happened, and we go take care of it.” “It’s definitely alive, kind of like a living animal,” Keogh said. “It has its mood swings.” But when she’s running smoothly, there isn’t much to do. Girvin said he appreciated those down times, used them to study and learn about the plant, and yet have the flexibility to go surfing in the afternoon. That comes with the territory of being on call 24/7. Asked about the downside to the job, Girvin pointed to a bad day, when it’s storming out and an alarm goes off at 3 a.m. “We’re here 356 days a year,” he said. “You’re on the weekend schedules for 13 weeks at a time. When I first came here [1991] you worked weekends until somebody left. But that gave me time to read and learn about the facility. It’s not just pipes and tanks.” He said that

he was the eighth employee hired at the plant and now they’re up to 35. For Keogh, the downside is politics. “We live in the black and white — you’re either in compliance or out of compliance. If you don’t meet the permits, you get fined and people react to that.” He added that they will go to the Regional Water Board with technical solutions and “The politics roll over it. The political process is not always fun. It’s entertaining but not fun.” The plant is a maze of underground pipes, connecting the various components, which their replacements will have to learn about, even as they prepare for the eventual move to a new, and very different treatment plant. Indeed, the City Council was to approve this past Tuesday, new job descriptions and salary schedules for these openings for which some interviews have already been held. Keogh’s replacement, John Gunderlock, a long-time veteran of the plant, is the new supervisor and chief plant operator, and Keogh said the plant operates under his State operators license. “John has a great handle on the process,” Keogh assured. Though there are some things he’ll have to learn, such as some of the reporting that must be done to the State. “I’ll help him out,” Keogh said. “I don’t want to see him fail.” The City plans a shake up in the structure of the wastewater division. Now, collections and treatment are separate crews, though both work under Bruce. The goal is a “OneWater Division,” he explained. A new utilities division manager position will oversee storm water, drinking water, and wastewater, he said. “The City has a lot of training to do in the interim,” said Keogh. “The new crew will have to have one foot in this plant with the other in the future. That step is going to be a tough one.” Public Works Director, Rob Livick, acknowledged the loss of the veteran employees and said, “From the leadership that Bruce Keogh provides to keep all of the plates of wastewater spinning, to the detailed supervision and dedicated operational expertise Les Girvin brings to the table. George Helms, Dave Bierman and Mike Mobley possess mechanical and operational skills that have kept the 62-year-old treatment plant and collections system operating efficiently and safely. All of the retiring staff will be missed and their combined experience is invaluable will be difficult to replicate.” Retiring, continued page 12

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December 15 - 28, 2016 • Simply Clear Marketing & Media

Police Blotter Arroyo Grande Dec. 11: A woman on Brighten Avenue threatened to harm her sister dearest. Dec. 9: A man was at the RTA bus stop No. 21 had a current “trespass advisement” that bars him from even being at the stop. He was arrested and released upon signing a solemn promise to appear. Proving that you can’t teach an old fool new tricks, the mule was back again the next day and the next, to what must be a fantastic bus stop. Dec. 8: Some guy got all touchyfeely with himself at the movie theater and was busted for alleged indecent exposure. Dec. 7: There was insufficient evidence to support a neighbor’s complaint about children on Halcyon being exposed to the evil weed. Dec. 4: Some female jumbo Jack stole an unattended purse from a seat at Jack In The Box.

Morro Bay • Dec. 4: Police stopped a suspicious vehicle out at the suspect hour of 11:33 p.m. in the 700 block of Quintana. The 33-year-old woman driver was DMV’d for a suspended license. • Dec. 4: At 10 p.m. police contacted a transient man in the 500 block of Morro Bay Blvd. The 59-year-old urban camper was cited for illegal camping, as the great outdoors gets slammed shut. • Dec. 4: At 3:15 p.m. a 34-year-old scofflaw saw the error in her ways and turned herself in at the police station for a bench warrant. She was cited and released, apparently not worth the gas to drive to jail. At the exact same time in the 300 block of Embarcadero, police arrested a car for registration expired over 6 months.

drivers, as the fishing was good this day. • Dec. 3: Police got a report of a disturbance at 8:26 a.m. at Lila Keiser Park, where some transient was runnin’ amok. A 52-year-old fellow was arrested for suspicion of illegal camping, the disturbance apparently forgiven. • Dec. 3: Someone left his or her bicycle at the bottom of the Centennial Staircase and police are ridin’ it around now. • Dec. 3: A 63-year-old harbor chick was arrested for suspicion of goin’ on a toot and blastin’ her foghorn at 1:22 a.m. in the 300 block of Embarcadero. • Dec. 3: Police documented that a hooligan boy “left home against instructions and returned home,” an apparent case of Huh? • Dec. 2: Police stopped a suspicious vehicle at 10:19 a.m. at Quintana and Kennedy Way for some no doubt trumped up code violation. The driver, 52, had a suspended license and she was cite-released; her car got 30 days. Then at 11:14 a.m. in the same general vicinity, came another red lights howdy for expired registration. Naturally, this dude’s license was also suspended because of a previous DUI. He was cited and released and his car was arrested, too. • Dec. 1: Police responded at 3:52 p.m. to South Bay and State Park Roads for a single-vehicle crash. A 72-year-old sizzled gent was suspected of a DUI crash, also called a butt-toast badda-bingo. • Dec. 1: Police responded at 9:40 a.m. to a disturbance in the 500 block of San Joaquin. A 53-year-old hothead was nicked for disturbing the peace. • Dec. 1: Police contacted a suspicious subject at 2:39 a.m. at Harbor and Morro. The fellow, 24, was popped for allegedly being hopped on drugs and went to County detox.

“A sloshed person attempting to get on the bus at the Outlet Center was taken to the hospital where no doubt a blood test was performed.”

• Dec. 3: Police did a little busy work today, making five traffic stops from 11:15 a.m. to 11:13 p.m. and documenting no other activities in logs. Five cars were impounded for parking violations or expired registration or no CDL for the

• Nov. 30: A disturbance was reported at 4:20 p.m. in the 800 block of Embarcadero. Un borracho, 37, was tossed to the nick for being sozzled and having an open container in a

vehicle. • Nov. 30: Someone stole something at some address in the 500 block of Elena. • Nov. 30: Someone found undisclosed personal property on

the beach and turned it in to police, as finder’s keeper’s falls further out of PC. • Nov. 30: A citizen in the 2700 block of Main reported identity theft and now we have no idea who they are. • Nov. 29: Police contacted a suspicious man at 9 p.m. in the 700 block of Quintana. The yokel, 34, was tossed to the hounds for suspicion of being UTI, and having paraphernalia, his stash no doubt gone up in smoke. • Nov. 29: Police responded at 7:51 p.m. to a larceny report in the 1700 block of Main, where someone’s Kindle Fire Tablet had been deleted. Logs said the suspected thief was identified and a crime report sent to the D.A. • Nov. 28: Police contacted a woman at 4:30 p.m. at Albertsons on Quintana. She had two OC warrants and was cite-released under the catch-n-release job security program. • Nov. 29: Police contacted a suspicious woman at 8:50 a.m. in the 700 block of Harbor. The boozy floozy, 43, was arrested for suspicion of UTI, also called a waken-bake.

“Police were alerted at 1 p.m. to a suspicious subject at Meadow and Funston where a man was following a female mailman, delivering on foot. • Nov. 28: Police took a theft report at an antique store in the 500 block of Atascadero Rd. No word on what was taken but it was probably old anyway. • Nov. 28: Police responded to a disturbance at 10 a.m. in the 400 block of Hillview. Logs indicated a juvenile cur was arrested for suspicion of domestic violence.

car and the company located the bonehead. • Dec. 5: A sloshed person attempting to get on the bus at the Outlet Center was taken to the hospital where no doubt a blood test was performed. • Dec. 5: A caller on the 200 block of Christine reported that some Grinch tried to steal her Christmas decorations from the front yard. • Dec. 5: A caller at the Outlet Center reported seeing a woman back out of a parking space and hit a pedestrian. She then reportedly got out of the car and yelled at the “victim” before taking off. Police tracked down the driver who had a warrant. As the story goes, it turns out that the “victim” slapped the woman’s car when she thought she was going to stop and knocked herself off balance and fell down, so it was not a smash-n-dash. • Dec. 5: A car window on the 1600 block of Price Street was broken and a purse was stolen. • Dec. 4: A caller on the 400 block of San Luis reported hearing a man’s voice and a woman yelling for help. The caller later heard them running possibly to nearby apartments. When police caught up with them, they said it was only an argument. • Dec. 3: A citizen at the police station complained that a neighbor has “industrial strength” wind chimes and she can’t get any sleep. Police no doubt said it’d blow over. • Dec. 1: Three people did a chewn-screw at Denny’s on a $61.25 bill. • Dec. 1: Extra patrols were requested at Motel 6 concerning a woman opening car doors. One guest reported that pocket change was stolen from her car. • Dec. 1: A guy wearing a cowboy hat and riding a bike reportedly stole a package off a front porch on the 300 block of Oceanview. • Dec. 1: Frozen dinners were stolen from California Fresh. The female thief was spied on surveillance camera.

Pismo Beach • Dec. 6: A caller on the 100 block of Cuyama reported that his son, who lives downstairs, was screaming and throwing things. It turns out he had his music blaring, a case of “I know it’s only rock ‘n’ roll, but I like it…” • Dec. 6: A car in the valet parking lot at The Cliff’s had been running for 3 hours. The car was not registered to anyone at the resort. It was a rental

San Luis Obispo • Dec. 8: At 6:50 a.m. a guest in Rm. 113 said his car was burgled at the Courtyard Marriott on Calle Joaquin, as some scoundrel exerts the tourist tax. • Dec. 8: A citizen called at 6 a.m. from the 1500 block of Froom Ranch Rd., and said some creepy

Simply Clear Marketing & Media • December 15 - 28, 2016

transient carrying bags was standing by the ATM at Heritage Oaks Bank, but he’d withdrawn before police arrived. • Dec. 8: At 5 a.m. a citizen in the 11400 block of LOVR complained about a car parked in the old SESLOC building blaring an audio book over the stereo.

“A caller at the Outlet Center reported seeing a woman back out of a parking space and hit a pedestrian. She then reportedly got out of the car and yelled at the “victimâ€? before taking off. Police tracked down the driver who had a warrant. As the story goes, it turns out that the “victimâ€? slapped the womanĘźs car when she thought she was going to stop and knocked herself off balance and fell down, so it was not a smash-n-dash.â€?

• Dec. 8: At 3:04 a.m. SLOPD was asked to go to French Hospital to help another agency with a troublesome little booger. At 3:13, a mentally deranged fellow at Sierra Vista Hospital asked police to take him to French.

Dog Yoga.

• Dec. 8: Police were called at 2:30 a.m. by an irate citizen in the 2000 block of McCollum who said there’d been a loud suction pump running for the past 2 hours, which really sucks.

• Dec. 7: A citizen in the 1300 block of Galleon reported a disturbance, a man and woman having a row on the sidewalk outside his or her

• Dec. 8: A citizen on Alta Drive called at 12:51 a.m. to report a suspicious red sedan parked in front of his or her house. Police investigated and eventually arrested three young men in the car for suspicion of arson, having allegedly just torched the computer lab at SLO High School. • Dec. 7: At 11:46 p.m. a citizen in the 1500 block of Madonna complained about a yelling woman, apparently haranguing her poor suffering son. • Dec. 7: Police were alerted to suspicious circumstances at 10:51 p.m. in the 100 block of South St., where two roommates’ relationship was apparently headed south. • Dec. 7: Police got a 9-1-1 hang-up call at 10:46 p.m. from Sierra Vista Hospital. Logs indicated a patient said he or she was being drugged, an apparent case of “Duh, it’s a hospital.â€? • Dec. 7: Police were called at 10:23 p.m. to the 600 block of Higuera for a disturbance. A 20-something zigzagged fellow was refusing to leave Kreuzberg Coffee Shop. He’d made like a tree before police arrived. • Dec. 7: Police documented five cases where graffidiots left their marks. • Dec. 7: At 8:10 p.m. police got a report of an assault at the Mustang Village student housing asylum. • Dec. 7 A theft was reported in the 1200 block of Archer leaving a frown on someone’s face at Smiling

• Dec. 7: The homeless were restless at 7 p.m. at a Chevron station by the homeless shelter on Orcutt. Cooler heads prevailed without arrest.

home. Naturally, the Bickersons were gone when police arrived. • Dec. 7: Police were called at 4:48 p.m. to a clothing store in the 700 block of Higuera after some creep started peeking into the dressing rooms. He was gone when officers arrived to teach him some manners. • Dec. 7: Police were called at 4:46 p.m. to San Luis BBQ in the 600 block of Higuera where 15 transient hooligans were smoking weed and generally misbehaving. The boors were gone when police arrived to run them off. • Dec. 7: Pol clld @ 4:30 to susp circs in 1300 blk Osos @ McDaniel Shorthand Reporters. • Dec. 7: Police were called at 4:22 p.m. to a disturbance in the 600 block of Marsh where some blitzed bonehead was laying in the bushes boozin’ and hollering at people passing by.

805.473.8001

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• Dec. 7: Police responded to the 1000 block of Murray and ticketed a black Cadillac SUV that was parked in a handicapped space. In another hanging offense, someone left a blue shopping cart at Tonini and Devaul. • Dec. 7: Police were alerted at 1 p.m. to a suspicious subject at Meadow and Funston where a man was following a female mailman, delivering on foot. • Dec. 7: A disturbance was reported at 12:47 p.m. in the 1300 block of Madonna. A man said some ruffian at Burger King took a swing at him, no doubt because he couldn’t have it his way. • Dec. 7: Police were asked to check the welfare of someone at Bed, Bath & Beyond on Madonna and logs indicated they called in paramedics for a man with a cut up face.

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December 15 - 28, 2016 • Bay News

Community Super Hero Christmas Parade Photos by Neil Farrell

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ith the theme of “Super Hero Christmas,” the 29th Annual Los Osos Christmas Parade was held despite gloomy skies and light rain in the early morning. The parade had a few glitches, like an RTA bus running barricades and rolling through the middle of the parade route, and firefighters having to rush off, sirens blaring, on an emergency call. Still the rain held off and the crowd turned out for a fine event.

Bay News • December 15 - 28, 2016

News

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City Manager Seeking New Job By Neil Farrell

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orro Bay’s city manager is a finalist for a new job in a Montana ski resort town, the Bay News has learned. A Dec. 7 online newspaper story (see: Daily Inter Lake.com), out of Whitefish, Mont., reports City Manager, David Buckingham, as one of five finalists for the Whitefish city manager’s job. Whitefish City Manager, Chuck Stearns, is slated to retire at the end of the year. It’s a position that is apparently proving hard to fill. “Four finalists were identified in mid-August,” according to the article, “but for various reasons none of the finalists were able to commit to taking the job.” Buckingham is listed as a finalist along with “Adam Hammatt, village administrator for village of Kimberly, Wis.; Evelyn Racette, former town manager of PinetopLakeside, Ariz.; William Vajda, former city manager of Marquette, Mich.; and Matthew Vincent, chief executive officer for Butte-Silver Bow City-County [Mont.].” A special search committee is supposed to conduct “in-person interviews” on Dec. 16, with the Whitefish City Council meeting in “executive” session (closed session) either the 16th or Dec. 19 to choose “a top candidate.” Presumably a job offer would be made after that to one of the five, unless all are rejected or all turn down the offer again. Buckingham confirmed that he applied for the job, explaining that the recent election had several candidates opposed to his leadership. “During the recent campaign,” he said in an email exchange, “with three candidates running on a ‘get rid of the City Manager’ platform, it would have been irresponsible of me as a husband and father not to consider alternatives and take appropriate preparatory actions, such as applying for this fantastic opportunity in beautiful, wonderful Whitefish. “While those candidates were not elected, as a man of integrity I determined it appropriate to let the process move forward.” The Bay News emailed each of the new Council members seeking comments for this story. Councilman Robert Davis said, “I want to work with David for the next four years. I believe that he has the character, temperament and vision that we need for our city to continue moving forward.” Buckingham came to Morro Bay in August 2014, having just retired as a colonel from a 27-year career

in the U.S. Army. Though he’d held command positions, Morro Bay was his first job in civilian government. Does the Whitefish application mean he’s unhappy in Morro Bay? “I am very, very happy serving and leading in Morro Bay,” he said. “My family and I love the Central Coast and, as I’ve said to various groups over the past year-plus, I would be quite happy serving in Morro Bay for 5, 10, perhaps 15 years.” Buckingham has a wife and five children. There’s a lot going for Whitefish, which sits along a lake at the northern edge of the Rocky Mountains. Buckingham said the family had never been to Whitefish, but that they love the mountains, as they love the beach. Whitefish, Mont., “is a thriving ski and golf resort and family community nestled next to beautiful Whitefish Lake and located 25 miles from Glacier National Park,” reads the flyer for the city manager’s job. “This position is an outstanding opportunity for a person with a lively work ethic, talented manager and leader who understands all aspects of municipal government. Must be honest, hard-working, and approachable by citizens, staff and Council while assisting in establishing an atmosphere of trust, mutual respect and cooperation.” According to the job flyer, Whitefish has just, 7,000 full time residents (Morro Bay has about 10,400); Whitefish’s fiscal year 2017 city budget tops $48.6 million (Morro Bay’s is closer to $30M). The City’s “capital budget” is at $17.3 million with property tax supported funds of $12.3 million. The town also has 99.6 full time equivalent employees, comparable to the size of Morro Bay’s work force. Whitefish operates under the “Council-Manager Home Rule Charter” form of government, which

differs from Morro Bay in that we are not a charter city (San Luis Obispo is one). The governing body is comprised of a mayor and six, “city councilors” (Morro Bay has a mayor and four council members). Asked specifically whether he would take the job if offered, Buckingham replied, “The job interview and selection process is quite sensitive and I don’t think it is appropriate for me to comment further except to reiterate that I am very happy serving and leading in Morro Bay.” He added, “I am thankful for the City staff team we have built to serve our community, and proud of what they have accomplished over the past two years. Building a financially, socially and environmentally sustainable community in a way that serves all the facets of a diverse population is not easy, but it is a rewarding and important public service and I am thankful to be part of the effort in Morro Bay.” Buckingham’s tenure has been rocky at times, coming into a city divided over a sewer treatment plant project, still reeling from the firing of the previous manager and city attorney, and looking at sluggish revenues vs. rising costs, in particular, costs to maintain streets. Though he’s clashed several times with residents and business owners — in particular over a controversial parklet on Main Street, supporting aggressive tactics used by a company auditing business licenses, and rejection by residents of efforts at “active code enforcement” — he has been successful in carrying out many goals and objectives set down by the City Council. However, the City stands at a staffing crossroads of sorts, with the largest changes coming to its sewer treatment plant crew. Morro Bay currently also has an interim police chief (and is looking for a full-time one), a new finance director (replacing the retired Susan Slayton), and new deputy city manager, as well as possibly seeking to fill a new position, eventually to supervise a combined sewer collections and treatment plant crew. Interviews to fill the sewer plant openings have been held, however, currently on the City website it only has posted job openings for a police officer, basketball referees, and reserve firefighters. More than a dozen long-time employees are leaving, most because of an early retirement buyout program offered earlier this year by the City Council.

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December 15 - 28, 2016 • Bay News

Business

Celebrating 75 Years With an Expansion By Neil Farrell

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shave, a haircut and a beer, that’s what men like. And a Morro Bay historic barbershop recently celebrated its 75th Anniversary, coinciding with the opening of its third location, this one in San Luis Obispo. Mike’s Barbershop, owned since 2012 by Jon “Barber Jonâ€? Elliott, celebrated the 75th Anniversary of its opening on Dec. 3, with a Chamber of Commerce mixer and party next door at the Pizza Port. With a large turnout, suds and pizza, people were treated with a barbershop quartet performance and giveaways. Barber Jon announced that night the impending opening of a third shop, Mike’s Barbershop SLO, after Tiny Mike’s Barbershop opened a couple of years ago on North Main at LaJolla Street. It’s the second expansion of a business that goes back to an infamous date and the start of World War II for the U.S. Mike’s SLO is located at 1033 Chorro St., in the building that houses the new BarrelHouse Speakeasy Taproom, which is located downstairs. Mike’s Barber Shop ďŹ rst opened on Dec. 6, 1941. “On this day in 1941, 75-years ago,â€? said Barber Jon, “Mike’s Barber Shop opened it’s doors in Morro

Bay, the day before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Now, on this historic day, we are opening our SLO location.� The original barbershop was opened by Lindell Johnson, in a tiny box of a building near the corner of Main Street

and Morro Bay Blvd., in the middle of Downtown Morro Bay. Johnson owned and worked the shop until he sold it in 1967 to one of his long-time employees, Mike Dominguez. Dominguez operated it until he

retired in May 2012, selling to Barber Jon, who has kept the traditions going and yet brought the operations into the 21st Century with things like recycling hair clippings. On opening day in SLO, Barber Jon himself was in the shop cutting hair along with his other barbers at Mike’s and Tiny Mike’s Barbershop. Tiny Mike’s opened in a barbershop/hair salon space that itself dates back to the 1950s. In SLO, Mike’s oers men’s and boy’s haircuts for all ages. They also plan to be open at night, mirroring the hours of the new speakeasy, Tuesdays-Wednesdays, 3-10 p.m.; Thursdays-Fridays, 3 p.m. to midnight; and Saturdays, 1 p.m. to midnight. “We will be open into the night for the people who get o work late and want to come have a beer and get a haircut or a straight razor shave,â€? said Barber Jon. Mike’s Barber Shop SLO, like the two Morro Bay shops, has the feel of an old fashioned barbershop, decorated with 1920s-era barber chairs, barber poles and barber antiques. See the website at: mikesbarbershop. com for more on the history of the business and its oerings.

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Bay News • December 15 - 28, 2016

News Statue, from page 1

French explained that the idea was cooked up about 9-years ago at a CCWF meeting. Someone said, “Wouldn’t it be great to have a life-sized sculpture near the entrance depicting a family watching their loved ones as they head out to sea; waving them o for a safe journey and welcoming them home upon their safe return?â€? French, the wife of a commercial crabber, added, “This is a regular routine for many of us. For myself, I can’t let my family leave without this. I don’t care if it’s 3 a.m. I have to see them o.â€? A sculpture similar in theme has long been standing in Gloucester, Mass., and French called Morro Bay’s a sister to that iconic artwork. This is the only sculpture on the West Coast dedicated to the families of ďŹ shers. The sculpture, with a wife-mother waving towards the harbor mouth, a toddler girl tugging at her coat tails and pointing and a small boy with a ďŹ shing pole, “carrying on the ďŹ shing tradition.â€? Three CCWF members — Susan Maharry, Marlyse Battistella and Cathe Moore — were chosen to spearhead the project. The trio of bronzes was created by world famous sculptor, Elizabeth MacQueen, who French said understood and showed enthusiasm for the project from their ďŹ rst meeting. “Elizabeth did not disappoint,â€? French said. Models for the three pieces were: Alysia Moreno (the mother), Zeke Brown (son) and Olivia Moreno (daughter), friends of Moore, French said. “And so this family stood near the harbor entrance on a blustery day, while Elizabeth took photos, rearranged clothing, hair, arm positions‌took more photos, measured heights and widths of bodies and limbs.â€? They used a variety of fundraising events, from rummage sales, raing o a handmade quilt, ďŹ sh fries, and selling lots of albacore enchiladas (coming up again in February). St. Peter’s-by-theSea Church hosted two ďŹ sh fries, grants were written, and the project became the focus of support during Morro Bay’s 2014 year-long celebration of its 50th Anniversary of Incorporation (1964). French said the Joint Cable Fisheries Liaison Committee granted monies to the project, too. They held silent

auctions, sold miniatures of the sculptures (also created by MacQueen), sold avocados stued with albacore at the Avocado & Margarita Festival, and the Rotary Club hosted a ďŹ sh fry as well. “The fundraising was endless,â€? French said, “absolutely endless and exhausting.â€? She thanked Cathy Novak for helping shepherd the project through the City and Coastal Commission approvals and former Recreation and Parks Director,

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Joe Woods, whom she called “our go-to guy from day one. His many wonderful ideas and enthusiasm for our project was much appreciated. The word, ‘No’ was not an option for Joe.â€? The project was donated to or supported with fundraising events and got numerous donations of time, eort, equipment and more. The sale of dedication plaques attached to the sculpture’s base, “is what ďŹ nally got us to the ďŹ nish line,â€? French said. MacQueen, said she started working on the piece while in Thailand using a foundry in the middle of rice paddies. The two children bronzes were done in Thailand and MacQueen said she worked on the mother in the studio of a late friend and artist in Colorado. She delivered the sculptures to Morro

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Bay more than a year ago and they were installed earlier this year, and initially covered with a big tarp. But the tarp got whipped in the wind, bending the boy’s ďŹ shing pole. The harbor patrol alerted the CCWF when strong winds ripped the tarp and exposed the ďŹ gures. It was removed but the boy’s ďŹ shing pole was bent. It was eventually broken o by vandals. But at the dedication, the pole had been repaired and the sculpture made whole again. Morro Bay commercial ďŹ sherman, Rob Seitz, read two poems that he composed for the occasion. Seitz recently won a ďŹ shermen’s poetry competition. French said the individual pieces have names and represent local ďŹ shing families. “Our Mom, ‘Marie’ honors the Silva, Cefalu and Maharry Families. “ Our daughter is ‘Rita Michele’ in honor of the Gartrell/Rowley Family. “And our son, ‘Joseph Albert David’ — JAD for short — this was a diďŹƒcult name for personal reasons, is in honor of the Giannini, French and Kubiak Families. Please love our families as much as we do.â€? She summed up the entire project. “In closing, what we ďŹ shing families want, is for this beautiful public art piece to speak for us. To represent us. Strong, capable, women, who for the most part, raise their children alone for many months out of the year. “We are survivors, with a deep appreciation and respect for the hard work that our loved ones put themselves through to provide for their families.â€? French said the CCWF would now turn attention toward a new project, an emergency support fund for ďŹ shermen and their families. During last year’s months-long closure of the Dungeness crab season, they began a relief fund to help the eected families, donating gift certiďŹ cates for basics like groceries. That, she said, showed them there is really a need, when things outside a ďŹ sherman’s control — like the domoic acid scare that ruined last year’s crab season — go wrong and they struggle to make ends meet. She noted that they’ve helped two ďŹ shermen, one who was injured when his arm was caught in a winch, and another who seriously injured his back while at sea. See: www.ccwf.org for more information on the group and its programs.

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December 15 - 28, 2016 • Bay News

News

Capps Bids Adieu on House Floor By Neil Farrell

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entral Coast Congresswoman Lois Capps is capping off her tenure in the House of Representatives, giving her final speech on the House floor on Wednesday, Dec. 7, her Washington D.C. office announced. Capps “reflected on her time in office and thanked her constituents, staff, and colleagues for their support over the years,” Nicole Silverman, Capps’ press secretary said. Capps has represented the Central Coast — SLO and Santa Barbara counties, plus a slice of Ventura County — since March 1998, when she was appointed to fill out the term of her husband, first-year Congressman Walter Capps. Mr. Capps died of a heart attack while in office and Mrs. Capps had little time before being challenged for the seat in the 1998 election cycle. When she started, she represented the 23rd District and now, after the boundaries were redrawn a couple of years ago, it’s the 24th Congressional District. The newest boundary cut out a previous district that stretched from Bakersfield in Kern County to the North County and parts of the North Coast of SLO County (the former 22nd District),

putting the coastal counties entirely into the 24th District. In her career, Capps served as a senior member of the Energy and Commerce, and the Natural Resources Committees. She has been a champion for improving the health care system and protecting the environment. She has also been a founder, co-

chair, or a member of numerous Congressional caucuses, “focusing on public health, conservation, and LGBT rights,” said Silverman. “Prior to her Congressional tenure, Capps spent her career as a nurse and in our local schools, while raising her family in Santa Barbara.” Capps will be succeeded by Congressman-elect, Salud Carbajal, who bested Republican Justin Fareed in the November Election. Carbajal will be sworn in on Jan. 3. Capps over the years has faced off against a slew of Republican challengers, defeating in order: Tom Bordonaro (1998), Mike Stoker (2000), Beth Rogers (2002), Don Regan (2004), Victor Tognazzini (2006), Matt Kokkonen (2008), Tom Watson (2010), Abel Maldonado (2012), and Chris Mitchum (2014). A video of Capps’ final speech is posted online at: www.youtube. com/watch?v=tadjRBQZgoc. See: http://capps.house.gov/aboutme/full-biography for a list of her accomplishments in Congress.

Retiring, from page 5 He added, “That being said, I believe we have a great leadership team to move the Division forward to a new OneWater future, including our Water Supervisor, Jamie James, and Wastewater Systems Supervisor, John Gunderlock, and look forward to selecting a Utilities Manager to round out this City team.” Despite the City and Cayucos Sanitary District keeping tight reins on what is spent, they’ve been able to keep her in good shape, and have no worries that it won’t last another 5-6 years. But Girvin said there are some costly components, like pumps, that will have to be rebuilt. “Nothing is cheap when it comes to wastewater,” said Keogh. As to the future, Keogh said he is going to take ski trips, wind surf. “I’m going to have fun.” Girvin plans to do more surfing, visit friends and relatives, and wants to take part in next year’s Surfboard Art Festival. He’s going to compete with the mayor. He flashes a sly smile, “I want mine to be put on display in City Hall.”

Simply Clear Marketing & Media • December 15 -28, 2016

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Adventure Girl Meeting My Ohana By Courtney Haile, Photos by Mandy O’ Connell

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ave you ever longed to wake at an ungodly hour, just to get your butt handed to you by the salty Pacific while an aggressive acquaintance yells, Get your sh%t together, [insert name]? Pale Kai Outrigger is the stuff of local legend; and the folks at the non-profit canoe club in Avila Beach have been paddling, racing, and playing for twenty years. My friend Diana assured I’d find friendly faces and little to no yelling at Pale Kai Outrigger’s demo day in Morro Bay. She introduced me to membership coordinator Mandy and I arranged to meet the group at 8:30 on a Saturday for my first go at outrigger canoeing. I arrived, signed waivers, as I am apt to, then sat on a bench and raised my arm while a veteran crew member named Kristin fit me for a paddle. What followed was the scary speech my mother warned me about -- what to do if the canoe turns upside down. On demo days, the folks at Pale Kai don’t intentionally flip the boat, but it can always happen so they prepared us for the worst. I appeared calm, focused on each time they underscored the rarity of this actually happening on the calm bay. I remembered one thing: never lean to the right. In our canoe were two vets, a couple folks who’d paddled a few times, and two brand spankin’ newbies. While still ashore, the experiences ones demonstrated paddling technique, and I joined with mine facing the wrong direction. Oops. As I climbed into seat four, it registered that this was my first team adventure where one right tilt

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could dunk the whole crew. Would I pull my weight? The veterans coached, giving commands from seats one and six. In

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seat four, my job was to emulate seat two and I focused on plunging and pulling my oar in rhythm. Hyper aware of my positioning, I took feedback about inserting the paddle vertically with my bottom hand low. The expert in seat six had a nice view of my form, which made coaching and corrections easy. We rowed for about 30 minutes before heading back, and upon our return, I got in the groove. I felt at peace as we rowed in

unison on gorgeous Morro Bay, while my competitive side wanted to beat the other boats, we started later. I felt my core working the entire time and had to control my breath a couple times as my heart rate rose. Close to shore, the gentleman in seat three inquired about how far we’d paddled and we were informed that we basically did a good warm up. I cannot imagine paddling in the ocean with waves, or under pressure to row faster than another boat. These folks are indeed hardcore and seem to have a lot of fun being so. The teamwork clearly builds trust and camaraderie that one can’t find solo. Curious? Check them out at www.palekai.com.

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December 15 -28, 2016 • Simply Clear Marketing & Media

Wellness Why Do My Shoe Orthotics Feel Uncomfortable? By Michele S Jang, PT

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hen the feet are fitted for orthotics, the goal is for the foot to be positioned more ideally. So if the orthotics help the foot to be in a better position, why do they often feel so darn uncomfortable to wear? There are many factors that contribute to comfort while utilizing an orthotic or shoe insert. Here are some common reasons for discomfort. Your foot has to adjust to being forced into a different position. The joints and ligaments themselves, even how the muscles function, may be altered over long- term abnormal positioning. Joints may be stiff and more rigid making adaptations demanded by the orthotics quite uncomfortable. Before being fitted for orthotics especially custom made ones, I recommend having the joints of your foot and ankle mobilized. Muscles may also be tighter which can contribute to

abnormal tensions in your foot. These also should be stretched out adequately. Another important factor is that shoes come in a variety of shapes and can serve different purposes. Furthermore, orthotics, whether over-the-counter or custom, don’t work in shoes lacking back of heel support as orthotics will simply slide backwards out of the shoe. Heel height plays a factor as well. Our foot mechanics change from being in a flat position to rising up more onto our toes such as wearing heels. Most orthotics, however, do not account for and adapt to changes in shoe heel height. Some shoes are made for special purposes. “Stability� type shoes generally have additional support built into the shoe, which provides posting to the heel to address

excessive pronation, i.e flat feet. Placing an orthotic in a “stability� shoe may provide more support than your foot needs leading to discomfort. The same is true for shoes built to rock your weight forward. I personally have 3 different pairs of orthotics I wear with a variety of shoes. One pair of orthotics is made for my dance shoes, another pair for my work shoes and a third pair to go in my running and hiking shoes. The shaping of the shoe may fit one orthotic and not another. Many aspects of a shoe allow an orthotic to work ideally. These include having a wide enough toe box, the ability to tighten the midfoot portion of the shoe and material firm enough to control your heel. Figuring out the right orthotic for the right shoe can be challenging but is well worth the effort to get it

right. Your feet will thank you. As with most things, you must build up your tolerance to wearing them. If you need guidance, we’re happy to help! Michele S Jang, PT is a physical therapist who likes to look outside the box. She has been a physical therapist for over 22 years and has extensive training in manual therapy or the use of hands to help rehabilitate the body. Michele has taught both in the United States and abroad. Her clinic, Spirit Winds, offers Free Consults on Tuesday afternoons. Spirit Winds is staffed by a team of therapists who offer an array of expertise on exercise, fall prevention, foot and shoe assessments, body mechanics and proper breathing technique to increase awareness and healing. For information, call 805 543-5100 or go to info@spiritwindstherapy. com.

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Two Great Locations! Week 1 ..........Dec. 26th-30th .............. (M-F) ........... Atascadero Bible Church ...........Atascadero Week 2 ..........Jan. 2nd-6th ................. (M-F) ........... Santa Rosa Park ........................SLO Super FUNdamentals .... (Ages 6-14) ....(9 to noon) Little Skillsbuilders........ (Ages 4-6) ......(9:30 to 11am) Go to our website for more information and to register online.

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Simply Clear Marketing & Media • December 15 -28, 2016

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Sports Shorts By Michael Elliott

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arr ShowI suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later, the sheen being temporarily removed from the polished play of Oakland Raider quarterback Derek Carr. Thursday night’s primetime encounter at frigid Arrowhead Stadium against the hated Kansas City Chiefs, where Oakland was repelled in a 21-13 loss, is actually about the only dent to date in Carr’s showing this year. The third-year player out of Fresno State has deftly guided the “Raidahs� to the top of the heap in the AFC and Oakland is a sound bet to make the NFL playoffs. Carr was the victim of numerous dropped balls by his seemingly reliable corps of receivers in Kansas City. Be it the cold weather or suffocating defensive coverage by the Chiefs, those pass-catchers performed below par on that particular night and led to Carr’s less than stellar stats. While Carr has good command of the Oakland offense I’ve always thought that his penchant for throwing the “small ball� has put a strain on his learning curve, as too many times he has thrown flares to receivers out of the backfield and too many quick slants just across the line of scrimmage. Defenses recognize these tendencies and are gearing up to defend Carr’s style. Case in point was the Kansas City game. Methinks he needs to put more air under the ball in order to keep the defenses off balance. While still driving this Carr story, years ago my wife and I attended a high school football game between the Bakersfield Christian Eagles and my alma mater, the Avenal Buccaneers, in Bakersfield. This was a very smallschools meeting and one Derek Carr was quarterbacking Bakersfield Christian. The Eagles had about 60 players suited up for the game and the Bucs dressed approximately eighteen. Bakersfield Christian scored two touchdowns in the first two minutes of the ballgame. It was abundantly clear from the get go that Avenal was woefully over-matched. After that second TD Bako Christo elects to execute an onside kick, of which they recovered. That bush move has always been stuck in my craw. The Eagles went on to bludgeon the Buccaneers something like 66-6, or thereabouts. Carr had a monster game and is now vying for NFL MVP. Derek, where was your “small ball� that night dude?

and has primarily done sideline reporting at the collegiate level, be it basketball, football or any of the other various arrays of sporting events. Holly was diagnosed with cancer earlier in the year and had a tumor removed from her chest. When her doctor asked her what she would like to do as a form of rehabilitation she answered “Work!� So as soon as Holly was able the 50-year-old was back on the sidelines in front of the cameras, interviewing and updating. It was shocking to see Holly without her flowing blond hair as she had elected to shear it all off as she underwent chemo sessions. It’s quite inspiring to see her bring that indomitable spirit into the living rooms as she fights to get the upper hand on the disease. Curiosity got this cat so I googled Neil Diamond’s song “Holly Holy� and found that it too has an inspirational message. Bless you Holly at this holy time of year.

Holly HolyWhile recently watching a women’s college basketball game I was struck by the appearance of ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe. Rowe has been with ESPN since 1998

Send your New Year’s resolutions to Michael at sportsshorts8@gmail. com. He desperately needs to invoke some.

That Game- Yeah, that basketball game I referred to just north of these words just happened to be between women’s teams from Notre Dame and Connecticut, numbers one and two in the nation, not respectively but depending on which poll you follow. I tell ya, ain’t no basketball coach better in the nation at the collegiate level than Connecticut’s Geno Auriemma! After losing three All-Americans to graduation from last year’s national championship team the Lady Huskies were expected to have a down year and top-flight programs such as Notre Dame and Baylor were champing at their bits with hopes of finally overtaking the women’s collegiate landscape. As ESPN’s college football game-day announcer Lee Corso would say “Not so fast my friends!� Auriemma has apparently reloaded as UConn whipped up on The Fighting Irish 72-61 on the road in front of a hostile crowd and extended their current winning streak to, count ‘em, eighty-three big ones. Auriemma’s dominant tenure at Connecticut is just as impressive as was John wooden’s remarkable run at UCLA back in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s. For the uninitiated that’s the 1900’s not the 1800’s. Geno does have his detractors, but he is undeniably the king of kings in all of college basketball. And Finally- Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good year!

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December 15 -28, 2016 • Simply Clear Marketing & Media

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3:56 4:51 5:52 7:02 8:24 9:53 11:13 (12:16 --12:01 12:42 1:19 1:55

2.1 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.5 2.3 1.8 1.3) --1.9 1.9 2.3 2.3

5:20 6:09 6:59 7:50 8:42 9:35 10:27 11:17 1:05 1:46 1:46 2:54 3:26

-1.5 -1.2 -0.7 -0.2 0.3 0.8 1.3 1.6 0.9 0.5 0.5 -0.2 -0.4

10:04 12:04 12:59 1:56 2:54 3:49 4:39 5:23 6:02 6:36 6:36 7:38 8:08

6.6 4.3 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.8 5.0 5.2 5.3 5.3 5.6 5.7

--(10:52 (11:43 12:40 1:45 3:04 4:33 5:56 7:05 8:00 8:00 9:25 10:01

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Simply Clear Marketing & Media • December 15 -28, 2016

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Not Only the Lonely

W

elcome to the December edition of Aging and Still Engaging, provided by the SLO County Commission on Aging (SLOCOA). The text for this month’s column was provided by Traci Mello of Wilshire Community Services and Mike Bossenberry of SLO Hotline, who both spoke at a recent SLOCOA meeting about some of the emotional issues faced by many seniors and others in our area. Traci Mello stated that the experience of aging is different for every person. Some experience aging as a positive and natural progression through life. Others struggle with the idea of aging and the physical, emotional, and mental changes that can sometimes accompany this process. There are many factors that contribute to the way people age and their attitudes about the later years of life. When talking about ways to avoid sadness, loneliness or depression while aging, one of the most significant factors is consistent access to socialization opportunities and a sense of being connected to others. There are things that individuals can do to reduce the risks associated with loneliness and sadness. One of the most significant is to maintain a diverse support circle that includes family, friends, community, and other social groups. Humans are social beings who thrive on connection and personal engagement. As people age, the importance of being connected becomes even more critical. Those who stay active and involved in the community through volunteering tend to report higher satisfaction with their aging process. It is also important to stay open to experiencing new things and not letting preconceived ideas prevent access to services that may provide critical support and enjoyment. Check out the local Senior Center, join a walking group, attend community events, etc! For more information about opportunities to get involved, call Traci Mello at Wilshire Community Services (805) 547-7025, ext. 15. Wilshire Community Services is a service provided by Wilshire Health and Community Services, a not for profit, public benefit organization.

Mike Bossenberry informed us that SLO Hotline is San Luis Obispo County’s emotional and mental health support, resource referral and suicide prevention phone line, available free of charge 24 hours every day for anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Its confidential telephone services are also available to answer nonemergency calls from anyone

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marvistadental.com seeking emotional or mental health support or referrals. SLO Hotline is also a valuable resource in the community, supporting the work of local government and mental health service agencies, and relieving call volume for the local 911 service. Additionally, SLO Hotline will direct callers with other needs to 211, the resource phone number available for all other community information and referral matters. In addition to providing these services, SLO Hotline strives to reduce stigma, educate and inform the community about mental illness – what it is and is not. Its mission is to “assist our friends and neighbors by preventing suicide and encouraging mental health recovery and wellness in the community”. SLO Hotline is a program of Transitions-Mental Health Association, a community-based nonprofit that fulfills a vision “To build and maintain a healthy, vital community by providing suicide prevention, stigma reduction and mental health support services.” To reach SLO Hotline, call 805-7830607 or 1-800-783-0607. San Luis Obispo County Commission on Aging invites the public to join them at the Veteran’s Hall on Grand Ave. in San Luis Obispo on Friday, January 20, 2017 from 10a.m. – Noon. Our presenters that day will be from Senior Legal Services and CAPSLO Senior Services For more information about the Commission on Aging, visit www.slocounty.ca.gov/coa. htm, or call 235-5779.

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December 15 -28, 2016 • Simply Clear Marketing & Media

Community Calendar Paso Robles Youth Arts Foundation is holding its first ever “Holiday Party Art & Craft Fair� from 2-5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17 at the Foundation’s Berg Auditorium, 3201 Spring St., Paso Robles. Everyone is welcome to experience holiday cheer and performances by PRYAF’s students, while finishing last minute shopping for handmade gifts from local vendors. The Holiday Party Art & Craft Fair will feature fine arts & crafts

(JWF IFS UIF DMPTFU PG IFS ESFBNT GPS $ISJTUNBT vendors, hot chocolate and goodies, photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, and the student showcase. Free admission. ••• The Pismo Beach/5-Cities Rotary Club presents its Fourth Annual Christmas Movie, “Going My Way,â€? at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 17 at the Fair Oaks Theatre. Bring a nonperishable food item for admission, with doors opening at 10:30 a.m. The film won 10 Academy Awards and was the highest-grossing picture of 1944. Based on a story by Leo McCarey, the film is about a young priest taking over a parish that was previously run by a very established veteran. Have your photo taken with Santa and his elves. All donations of food and toys go to St. Patrick’s outreach programs.

Mary Cook and Lori Noble as 1st Vicepresident. Noble will also speak on the history of the National Federation of Republican Women. Lunch is $22. The Republican Women’s Club promotes a Republican political platform. For membership information call Joanne Tobias at 772-3874 or e-mail to: joannetbs@gmail.com. •••

the county’s homeless and provides a hot home-cooked dinner on Christmas. For a $25 donation, readers can make sure homeless folks get a winter care package that includes a brand new sleeping bag, hooded sweatshirts, winter jackets, socks, underwear and toiletries, items, “that will make a tremendous difference in helping someone through our cold, wet winters,� the agency said in a news

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••• The Estero Bay Republican Women’s Federated, whose members encompass Los Osos, Morro Bay and Cayucos, will have its next monthly luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 15 at the Sea Pines Golf Resort in Los Osos. For reservations call Gayle at 772-2841. This month will see the installation of Club President,

••• Coalesce Bookstore, 845 Main St., will host an evening of candlelight caroling, from 7-9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 16 at the Coalesce Chapel. Free. Hot mulled cider, teas and treats will be served. All are welcome to join them in

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United Way of San Luis Obispo County is asking for donations for its Coats for Christmas Day Program and the free Christmas dinner it provides for the less fortunate in SLO County. Now in its 19th year, the program puts together winter care packages for

release. Donations to the Coats for Christmas Day can be made by going to the United Way of SLO County website, at: www. unitedwayslo.org. Or checks can be mailed to: PO Box 14309, San Luis Obispo, CA 93406. Write “Coats for

song and welcome the Yule Season. ••• Morro Bay Art Center is hosting its “Annual Winter Faire & Juried Craft Show,â€? now through Friday, Dec. 23 and featuring a collection of exceptional paintings, photography and fine crafts, spanning a variety of artistic mediums from traditional to contemporary. Crafts include fiber art, wood, glass, jewelry and more. Art Center Morro Bay is at 835 Main St. Open daily, noon4 p.m. (Photo is “Kilpatrick House,â€? a watercolor by John Goodell). ••• The Gallery at the Network will present, “Farewell & Holiday Gift Show,â€? through the end of December. One-of-a-kind, hand-crafted items made of glass, fiber, wood and ceramic, jewelry, glass and gemstones, paintings, prints, trivets and cards. This show will mark a farewell, as the owners of the gallery have said they will be closing their doors soon.

••• Art Central SLO, 1329 Monterey St., will present “Storiesâ€? an exhibit for storytellers and story lovers from Jan. 5 through Feb. 27. There’s an opening reception set for 6-8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 6. Free and open to the public. The show holds visual interpretations of familiar stories and some you might not know.

Christmas Day� on the memo line. For more information on the program call Sheri Eibschutz at (805) 594-1999.

••• Want to be an apprentice Ninjaneer at LEGO Camp? Kids 5 -7 will learn the way Spinjitzu, built the Fire Temple, race skull trucks and encounter the mighty dragon by building with LEGOs with an experienced, instructor. For more advanced Ninjaneering, kids 8-12, get a chance to tame the Ice Dragon, motorize your blade cycle, design the Dark Fortress and hone your Spinjitzu battle skills. In this advanced LEGO camp, where kids learn the concepts in physics, engineering and architecture while exploring the fantasy world of Ninjago. Classes for kids 5-7 are Monday-Friday, Dec. 19-22 from 9 a.m. to noon. Classes for kids 8-12 will are Monday-Friday, Dec. 19 to 22 from 1-4 p.m. Cost is $128 per child. Classes held at the Elm Street Community Center in Arroyo Grande. To register, see: www.arroyogrande.org, Arroyo Grande Recreation Services, or call (805) 473-5474.

Nominations are being taken now for the Ingrid Reti Literary Award, this year for essay writing. Sponsored by ARTS Obispo, and the Reti Family, and the contest is open to all SLO County residents 18-older. There is $1,000 in prize money available to the top finishers. Information and guidelines for applying are posted online at: artsobispo.org/ingrid-reti-literaryaward, click on the “Documents & Links� button, or by emailing Lori Lerian at: programs@artsobispo.org, or call (805) 544-9251. Applications are

Simply Clear Marketing & Media • December 15 -28, 2016

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more information, see: www.facebook. com/newlifeptg. ••• Morro Bay Art Association is seeking submissions for its “For the Birdsâ€? art show, featuring “bird-relatedâ€? artworks coinciding with the Winter Bird Festival in January. Submissions will be taken in at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 10 at the Morro Bay Art Center Gallery, 835 Main St. Entry fee is $5 per piece for MBAA members and $10 per for non-members. The show runs Jan. 12Feb. 6 with an opening reception set for 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 15.

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The A.G. Recreation Services Department is offering a holiday cookie baking and decorating class for children interested in baking or enjoy cooking. Kids from 5-13 will mix and bake two different types of holiday cookies, and decorate cookies with frosting, sprinkles and candy. And they’ll take home a platter of cookies after class. The class will be hosted by a licensed child care staffer. Class is from 1-3:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18 at the Arroyo Grande Women’s Club. Cost is $25 per child. Space is limited. To register, see: www.arroyogrande.org or call 473-5472. also available at ARTS Obispo Office, 1123 Mill St. SLO. The deadline is Friday, Jan. 20 and the winner(s) will be announced in March. •••

St. Benedict’s Church in Los Osos has a couple of special Christmas events coming up and the community is invited to attend regardless of denomination or religious beliefs. At 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17 is a Christmas carol concert featuring the St. Benedict Singers. The program will include familiar carols arranged for choir, as well as lesser-known pieces from a range of composers and several sing-a-longs. St. Bene’s will also hold a Blue Christmas service from 5-6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18 for people who are struggling this holiday season due to loss or sadness, financial difficulties or other troubles. St. Benedict’s is at 2220 Snowy Egret Ln., across LOVR from the Los Osos Memorial Cemetery. •••

Encaustic artist, Flo Bartell, is showing her unusual art at the SLO Museum of Art’s McMeen Gallery, 1010 Broad St., SLO now through Jan. 29. Now in her 70s, Bartell’s exhibit, entitled, “Bloodlines,� examines what advancing age means in her life and art. Bartell’s works add sculptural, 3-D objects like wire mesh armatures, plaster gauze, fabric, and organic matter. Admission to the SLO Museum of Art is by donations. See: www. SLOMA.org for more on the museum.

••• The next SWAP Nature Walk in the Elfin Forest set for 9:30-10:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 17. Los Osos history writer, Lynette Tornatzky, will talk about the Chumash, the Mexican land grants in the Los Osos Valley, plus the various owners of El Moro and their various failed plans. Meet at the north end of 15th Street off of Santa Ysabel in Los Osos. Wear comfortable shoes, long sleeves and pants to avoid poison oak and mosquitoes. Park avoiding driveways and mailboxes and leave pets at home. The easy paced walk will last an hour. For more information call 528-0392. Free. ••• The Arroyo Grande Library is offering Children’s Storytimes throughout January. Storytimes are Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. Themes include Wheels on Jan. 4, Owls on Jan. 5, Bedtime on Jan. 11, Rain on Jan. 12, Health Kids on Jan. 18, Snow on Jan. 19, Cats on Jan. 25 and Snowmen on Jan. 26. Storytimes for toddlers are Tuesdays at 4:30 p.m. on January 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31. ••• New Life Painting is looking for volunteers to help with the restoration of Fairgrove Elementary School in Grover Beach on Monday, Dec. 19. As a part of the 10th Annual Paint It Forward event, New Life Painting is providing $5,000 worth of free painting services to help beautify restored buildings. For

The Children’s Resource Network is hosting a series of free toy giveaways in South County for Christmas. Santa Claus will bring the “traveling children’s closet,â€? filled with toys for youngsters with developmental disabilities at special day classrooms: 8-8:45 a.m. Friday, Dec. 16 at Nipomo High School; 9-10:45 a.m. Dec. 16 at Oceano Education Center; and from 11-11:45 a.m. the 16th at Arroyo Grande High School. Santa Claus will also be visiting the Pediatric Closet at Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria. The Children’s resource network is still collecting toy donations and needs volunteer help with wrapping paper, tape, ribbons and more. See: www.ChildrensResourceNetwork.org or call (805) 709-8673 if you can help. ••• Los Osos Library has some special events in December, sponsored by the friends of the Library. Los Osos Library 2075 Palisades Ave, 528-1862. Events are free unless otherwise noted.

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The Pacific Horizon Chorus will perform at 4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 15. Enjoy apple cider and cookies. Adults are invited to a book discussion group from 6-8:30 p.m. the third Thursday of the month (Dec. 15). On Wednesday, Dec. 21 at 3 p.m. is Kids’ Crafts day, as school-age children make ‘n’ take a craft.

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There will be extra movie screenings during the school vacation with PGrated films screened at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 27 and Thursday, Dec. 29. Free popcorn provided. The library will hold a “Noon Year’s Eve� party to welcome in the New Year for those who can’t stay up to midnight from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31. Free refreshments and makeyour-own noisemakers provided.

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December 15 -28, 2016 • Simply Clear Marketing & Media

Then & Now Caring is a Most Precious Gift By Judy Salamacha

D

uring the Christmas season, I wish everyone health, happiness, and safe travels, plus peace and prosperity in 2017. Nevertheless, the holidays can be as stressful as they are joyful. Routines are exchanged for a flurry of activities that include gifting and gorging. It is also the most likely time of the year for extended family and forever friends to make time for each other. I suggest we pause the chaos to take a closer look at how our loved ones are doing, including our parents who typically say they are «Just fine.» Kasey Watson is the owner/operator of Garden House of Morro Bay, an awardwinning home for seniors, including those with Alzheimer’s and dementias. «By the time a family investigates bringing their loved one to Garden House,» she explains, «they are usually in crisis. We have to help the caregiver or family member as much as the resident who needs our fulltime care.” By having discussions before a crisis demands immediate action, she concluded, families would become better managers of whatever happens. And with decisions mutually agreed upon, resources can be investigated in advance to implement plans as needed.

Watson cited an example of a husband insistent on taking care of his wife. For better or worse was their vow and although an admiral effort, both failed to thrive. When he passed away, the adult children found Garden House. With an extended team of caregivers to help provide monitored nutrition, medications, socialization and regular sleep patterns, their mother re-gained physical and cognitive strength. Quality of life could have been better for both of them if action had been taken sooner. “Everyone at every age and circumstance has a purpose,” said Watson. “Our goal at Garden House is to provide quality of life for families, as we manage our residents’ predictable decline. I hope someday we recognize aging is a process of living and dementias are diseases. We wouldn’t ignore finding the best treatment for a broken hip or cancer diagnosis.” Thus, the greatest gift within a multigenerational family spending the holidays together might be a non-intrusive assessment of changes in our loved ones and a discussion of a future plan to deal with the inevitable toll age could exact. It could mean discovering that our loved ones really are purposefully engaged and «Doing just fine.” But on the other hand, there might be red flags that need to be

addressed with a more immediate action plan, before a crisis develops. Watson recommends the Alzheimer’s Association (see: www.alz.org) to discover information and nearby resources regarding aging and its potential issues and opportunities. Who hasn’t laughed over our own stresscaused confusions and forgetfulness, which can happen at any age? But rather than toss the behaviors off as simply the normal aging process, look more carefully. “Seniors living away from family learn to hide issues,” Watson said. “Is one partner answering for the other? Do they still engage in family activities and enjoy the grandchildren? Or are they spending more time at home alone — retreating and uninterested?” She added that the red flag-list includes questions like: Granny was always stylish but is she now neglecting her appearance? Does Papa seem angry or make inappropriate or unfiltered comments? Are they taking more medications, but don’t know what for? Does Papa need to follow a sequence to accomplish simple tasks then get frustrated? Must he start over or abandon the task? Is Granny’s sweet tooth a new eating habit? Are there unexplained dents in the car?

Do you see unusual bruises or wounds, yet they can’t tell you how they got there? Watson suggests positive actions that will have long-term benefits. “Mom has spent her whole life cooking and cleaning. Why not gift her a housekeeper simply for the deep cleaning?” Watson said. “Maybe Papa could use a helpmate to clean the garage or weed the garden. There are legitimate people out there to help with tasks like paying bills, shopping or driving to appointments. “We are raised to be independent, but introducing help into the home before there’s a crisis makes it easier to accept later, if or when they really need help.” The greatest gifts don’t always come neatly wrapped in holiday gift bags. Caring enough to pay attention and have that conversation about the quality of our lives as we age might be the ultimate gift we’ll prize long after 2016 moves us to the next phase of our lives. Freelance writer, columnist and author, Judy Salamacha’s Then & Now column is a regular feature of Simply Clear Marketing & Media. Contact her at: judysalamacha@gmail.com or (805) 8011422 with story ideas.

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Simply Clear Marketing & Media • December 15 -28, 2016

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Good To Be King A Family Reunited, What A Gift That Is By King Harris

L

ast year at about this time, with the holidays ringing in my ears, and a desire to rejoin my estranged family of many years, I decided to embark on a journey to mend fences. While my trek isn’t over yet, it looks as though at this point it will have been well worth the effort. My immediate family includes my older sister Ann, younger brother James, and step sister Lynne. Our parents and step parents are all diseased, but they left behind the scar of a contentious divorce, one that divided the family and provided an atmosphere of mistrust, misunderstanding and miscommunication. But those days are long gone, and today it no longer matters where to put the blame or where to stuff the resentment. We are all getting older, and time is running short for the opportunity for us to reunite and connect with each other. So last year, when my long standing news radio gig at KVEC abruptly came

to a halt, I knew I would have some time to not only heal myself but to reconcile the relationships with my family. With my somewhat erratic lifestyle threatening my health, I figured I’d

better change my ways and alter my outlook. With support of my wife, Sara, and my brother James, whom I talk to but never see because he lives in

Massachusetts, I eventually contacted my sister Ann, who has been living in Greece (I don’t know why) for the past several years. After seven years of silence between us, we started communicating by way of the Internet (phone calls to Greece are exorbitant), and little by little, we started to fill in the blanks. James took advantage of the situation, and wrote to various cousins, nieces, and nephews whom I hadn’t heard from in years. The response was overwhelming and positive, and reminded us all how important the family can be. The best news of all, is that I just learned Ann is traveling to San Francisco for her 75th birthday and the holidays, which means we will meet up soon. Lynne, who lives nearby, hopefully will be there, along with other family members. There’s a lot to catch up on, and I’m eagerly looking forward to it. Just think, a year ago I had no family, but I got mine back. What a gift.

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December 15 -28, 2016 • Simply Clear Marketing & Media

Nightwriters Twelve Days & Almost A Year: A Christmas Letter By Cynthia Replogle

D

ear friends, Happy Holidays! Wow, it has been a year for the record books for us. First was the big move in January. Our place in the city felt too snug after my T.L. got creative with last year’s Christmas gifts, and then there was that unfortunate business with the zoning board. (Nosey neighbors are

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so tiresome, am I right?!) We found a lovely place in the country, with a huge house (the servant’s quarters have their own entrance), a big red barn (birds in the loft, cows below), a pond (great for swimming), and best of all, room to roam! I can’t say the move went off without a hitch (now I know how a general

coordinating troop movements feels, ha ha!) but after 11 billion U-haul trips we all got over to the new place. The Pear Tree was the hardest thing to move. The Partridge simply refused to budge out of it. We tried tempting her with her favorite weeds and even dandelions to no avail, but then my T.L. had the bright idea to ask one of the Lords to

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leap up and grab her. Success! Enough about January! We’re almost through the year now and settled in. Well, there are still a few boxes to unpack, I admit. Maybe more than a few. My T.L. is doing his part, but really you can’t blame us for being a bit behind, can you? I mean, just try to imagine how much time it takes every single day to manage a staff of 50 and care for eight cows and 23 birds. Which reminds me, does anyone need eggs? We’ve got eggs out the wazoo. The Geese are popping them out like it’s their job, and the French Hens try to keep up with half the staff. My T.L.’s been making eggs for breakfast for the last 360+ days, bless his heart, but pancakes (blueberry, not pear) would be nice once in a while. So please drop by anytime for a carton or 10 of delicious farm-fresh eggs. And a basket of pears. Our Summer Solstice party was really something. Drummers drumming, Pipers piping, Lords a-leaping and you should’ve seen those Ladies dancing under the Pear Tree! It was just like the old times at Christmas, only much, much warmer. The Calling Birds and Turtle Doves flew around and fanned everyone with their wings, which helped a bit, but after perhaps a little too much mead, most of us went for a refreshing dip in the pond. The Swans didn’t take kindly to the night-time intrusion, and I’ll never forget the sight of a dripping Piper being chased from the water by a squawking Swan! I had a bit of a scare in October when one of my Gold Rings slipped down the drain in the west wing’s third floor powder room sink. I have four rings just like it, but they’re all precious because my T.L. gave them to me, you know? Happily one of our Maids used to be a plumber, and she got it out of there in a jiffy. Yay! Well, those are a few highlights from this year. When you come by for eggs and pears, maybe you’ll let me bend your ear. If it’s after Christmas, I can tell you what my T.L. got me this time! So far I see only one medium-sized box with my name on it under the tree. I’m hoping it’s a pair of noise-cancelling headphones. Cheers from us all!

Cynthia Replogle, a freelance writer and patent agent, moved to the Central Coast for love earlier this year. She writes articles for online publications, i n c l u d i n g GrindTV, Mpora Action Sports, and Drift Surfing. Cynthia volunteers with Surfrider, and is writing a young adult fantasy novel about merfolk and selkies. She is a member of SLO Night Writers, for writers at all levels in all genres. Find them online at slonightwriters.org.

Holiday Guide Inside:

Infuse Your Holiday Traditions ............................24 Last Minute Holiday Gift Tips ......................... 26-27 Holiday Recipe ................................................... 27 Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus ....................28

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December 15 -28, 2016 • Holiday Guide

Infuse Your Holiday Traditions with a Touch of Sweetness

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s the holidays approach, you’re probably starting to think about ways to make the season a little bit sweeter for friends and family. After all, it’s the perfect time of year to indulge your sweet tooth. Here are some fun, festive and tasty ideas to sweeten your holiday traditions and make them unforgettable, from the holiday experts at See’s Candies. Candy Bar Dedicate a section of your holiday party buffet to sweet treats, chocolates, candy and hot chocolate. Don’t forget to have small goodie bags available so guests can take some of the sweetness home with them. Stocking Stuffers While you will most likely purchase personalized gifts for each member of your family, you can also amp up their stockings with candy full of holiday cheer. One delicious seasonal choice is See’s Candies North Pole Delights Gift Box, which includes milk chocolate balls, molasses chips and rich dark chocolate.

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December 15 -28, 2016 • Holiday Guide

Last Minute Holiday Gift Tips E

veryone needs to find great holiday gifts in a pinch from time to time. But just because you’re shopping last minute doesn’t mean these gifts shouldn’t be thoughtful.

Here are a few tips to make sure that presents purchased in the 11th hour are appreciated and enjoyed. Strike the Right Mood There is good news. You don’t need to break the bank on a day-long shopping excursion in order to find great items. Consider simple gifts that create that special feeling of home, such as American Home by Yankee Candle. The line features candles with holiday fragrances -- such as Fresh Balsam Fir and Holiday Apple Wreath -- for under $20 and are great for holiday entertaining. Jars, tumblers, tea lights and wax cubes all make warm, thoughtful gifts and are available at the grocery stores, drug stores and big box stores you visit every day, so you can conveniently do your holiday shopping during a busy time of year. Visit YCamericanhome.com to learn more. Sign Them Up A subscription service is a gift that keeps on giving all year long. In this regard, you can think beyond magazine subscriptions these days. “Sub-

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Holiday Guide • December 15 - 28, 2016 •

scription boxes,” which offer great products on a monthly basis, are an on-trend and fun gift that can be purchased in an instant. Themes for boxes are as eclectic as your gift recipients themselves and include books, socks, healthful snacks and beauty products. Go Gift Cards Crunched for time? Not exactly sure what a friend or family member wants or needs? Opt for a gift card that you can easily email or print out and put into a card. Many third-party gift card aggregators exist online, where you can quickly dash to a website and complete your transaction. Large online retailers also offer online gift cards to help you find a present fast -- no matter his or her personal sense of style or interests.

Wrap Smart Having extra materials for quick gift wrapping just makes sense all year long, but particularly during the holidays. Stay organized with a designated gift wrapping station throughout the season that features greeting cards, tape, scissors, ribbon, wrapping paper, gift bags, and tags. Gift bags and a bit of tissue paper can make a last minute gift go from flat to festive in moments, so stock up on these items in a variety of sizes so you are always ready to wrap. Don’t get stressed about last minute gifting this holiday season. Being prepared can help ensure you put smiles on the faces of everyone on your list. (StatePoint)

This makes a beautifully festive holiday dish and takes only minutes to prepare. The results are both stunning and delish!

2 ripe fuyu persimmons 4 ounces Burrata cheese (can substitute buffalo milk mozzarella) 3 tablespoons toasted pistachio nuts, roughly chopped 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon peach balsamic vinegar (or aged balsamic vinegar) Finishing salt (such as sea salt)

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Directions With a small, sharp knife, trim the calyx (stem piece) from the persimmon and discard it. Slice the persimmon into very thin disks. (I use a mandolin to get even-thin slices) Tile the persimmons on a serving plate and place the Burrata in the middle. Scatter the pomegranate seeds around the plate and drizzle the persimmons with half of the olive oil and the balsamic vinegar. Add a pinch of some good quality finishing salt. Chill until ready to serve. Just before eating, cut the Burrata in half, scatter the toasted pistachio nuts, drizzle with the remaining olive oil and serve.

Kathleen Snyder is a food caterer, educator and blogger currently partnering with Talley Farms Fresh Harvest CSA providing recipes showcasing their produce. She is a San Luis Obispo County Yelp Elite reviewer and also writes reviews on Delish-Dish.com for restaurants all over the world. www.delish-dish.com

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December 15 -28, 2016 • Holiday Guide

Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus From the New York Sun, 1897

W

e take pleasure in answering thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of The Sun: I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, “If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.” Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus? — Virginia O’Hanlon

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Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a sceptical age. They do not believe except what they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The external light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished. Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world. You tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world, which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding. No Santa Claus? Thank God he lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!! Francis P. Church’s editorial, “Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus” was an immediate sensation, and became one of the most famous editorials ever written. It first appeared in The New York Sun in 1897, and was reprinted annually until 1949 when the paper went out of business. Thirty-six years after her letter was printed, Virginia O’Hanlon recalled the events that prompted her letter: “Quite naturally I believed in Santa Claus, for he had never disappointed me. But when less fortunate little boys and girls said there wasn’t any Santa Claus, I was filled with doubts. I asked my father, and he was a little evasive on the subject. “It was a habit in our family that whenever any doubts came up as to how to pronounce a word or some question of historical fact was in doubt, we wrote to the Question and Answer column in The Sun. Father would always say, ‘If you see it in The Sun, it’s so,’ and that settled the matter. “’Well, I’m just going to write The Sun and find out the real truth,’ I said to father. “He said, ‘Go ahead, Virginia. I’m sure The Sun will give you the right answer, as it always does.’” Her letter found its way into the hands of a veteran editor, Francis P. Church. Son of a Baptist minister, Church had covered the Civil War for The New York Times and worked at The New York Sun for 20 years. Church had for his personal motto, “Endeavour to clear your mind of can’t.” When controversial subjects — especially those dealing with theology — had to be tackled on the editorial page, the assignment was usually given to Church. He held a little girl’s letter on a most controversial matter, and had to answer it. “Is there a Santa Claus?” the childish scrawl in the letter asked. At once, Church knew that there was no avoiding the question. He must answer, and he must answer truthfully. And so he turned to his desk, and he began his reply, which was to become one of the most memorable editorials in newspaper history. Church married shortly after the editorial appeared and he died in April, 1906, leaving no children. Virginia O’Hanlon went on to graduate from Hunter College at age 21 with a bachelor’s degree in art. The following year she received her master’s from Columbia, and in 1912 she began teaching in the New York City school system, later becoming a principal. After 47 years, she retired as an educator. Throughout her life she received a steady stream of mail about her Santa Claus letter, and to each reply she attached an attractive printed copy of Church’s editorial. Virginia O’Hanlon Douglas died on May 13, 1971, at age of 81 in a nursing home in Valatie, N.Y.

BAYSIDE CAFE is a

wonderful find if you are looking for fresh food and something off the beaten track where the “Locals” love to eat while looking over the Back Bay. A restaurant with a casual dinning experience, great home cooked food from the farm and the sea. Homemade desserts are a must try. Open 7 days a week for lunch featuring fish and chips, soups, salads, sandwiches and some Mexican items. Try our dinners served Thursday through Sunday featuring fresh seafood items as well as tri tip, hamburgers, pastas and more…Dog friendly heated patio too! Hours: MTW 11-5pm, Thur&Sat 11-8:30pm, Fri&Sat 11-9pm. Located in the Morro Bay Marina directly across the road from Morro Bay State Park Campground at #10 State Park Road in Morro Bay! 805-772-1465 Baysidecafe.com

DEL’S PIZZERIA & Italian Restaurant has been serving classic comfort cuisine on the Central Coast since 1973. Family owned and operated and a must stop dining institution! Our sizzling sauces are slow roasted for hours with the finest ingredients. Try our famous New York style pizza, calzones, bodacious bread rolls, our legendary Lasagna, Fettucini Alfredo or Spaghetti and Meat Balls. Vegetarian and gluten free options available. Four craft beers on tap, ten local wines by the glass, and an award winning, modestly priced bottle list. Our historic location just off the 101 freeway features a redwood bar with two screens, romantic ocean view tables for two, and larger seating areas that are perfect for families and large groups. Open for dine in, take out and delivery from 4pm to close Monday-Friday, and for both lunch and dinner from noon to 10 pm on weekends. We are located at 401 Shell Beach Road, Shell Beach, CA. 93449. Give us a call at 805.773.4438

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LOLO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT Great Mexican food, served in a warm and friendly atmosphere at a reasonable price. Reservations and credit cards gladly accepted. Daily drink and food specials and patio dining. Brunch, lunch, and dinner served 7 days a week 10:00 to 9:00 pm. Located at 2848 N. Main St., Morro Bay • (805) 772-5686

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has been delighting customers for 18 years. Located on Morro Bay’s Embarcadero, we offer a vast selection of casual but stylish clothing, shoes, handbags, accessories, soaps, candles and many wonderful gift items. Poppy is the “go to” shop for locals of the central coast and visitors from far and near. Wed love to meet you, so come on down and experience shopping at it’s “funnest”! Open everyday 10-6 pm. 911 Embarcadero, Morro Bay 805/771-9750

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Simply Clear Marketing & Media • December 15 -28, 2016

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Framed Christmas Ornaments Photo and story by www.PhotoByVivian.com

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lthough there is much dispute t about when the first Christmas a ornaments appeared, it is y thought that the tradition began in the 7th century in Germany by monks. The first ornaments were primarily food. Apples, nuts, and shaped cookies were d the most common. Around the mid 1800s glass ornaments were introduced in Lauscha, an area of Germany close y to Dresden known for its glass blowing. They made bottles, windowpanes, marbles and eyes for stuffed animals t and then began blowing ornaments d in the shapes of fruits and nuts and shaped cookies. Soon they added brightly colored ornaments in the shapes of animals, hearts and stars. The y ornaments became so popular, entire families were working in the Christmas ornament industry. In the late 1800s American companies began importing German glass ornaments and by the turn of the century it had become a d giant industry with ornaments being d made in many European countries. d

World War I halted the importation from Europe, but Christmas ornaments had become so important to Americans a new industry emerged in the states. Today, Christmas ornaments are

manufactured year round, in thousands of colors, shapes and designs, in a multi-billion dollar industry across the globe. They have become collectibles that are handed down through the

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generations and cherished by all ages. Happy Holidays to you and yours and may your days be merry and bright.

)DOO 9ROXQWHHU 7UDLQLQJ Winter 2017 Volunteer Training +RVSLFH 6/2 &RXQW\ Hospice SLO County Call for Volunteers!

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No specific skill is needed, no professional background is required, a compassionate heart, a little time and a willingness to have your life changed is what is essential in a Hospice SLO County volunteer. This year do something great for your community and yourself, connect with and through us. In-Home Volunteers help provide companionship, respite care, transportation, emotional support, practical assistance and comfort to individuals who are coping with a life-limiting illness. Other requirements are open-mindedness, a healthy perspective on grief and loss and sensitivity to others. Commitment is up to 4 hours per week for six months.

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To Register call our offices at 805-544-2266 or email Erica Garcia: ericagarcia@hospiceslo.org

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Beads by the Bay and Garden Shop The ONLY Bead & Garden Shop on the Central Coast! OPEN EVERY DAY!

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December 15 -28, 2016 • Simply Clear Marketing & Media

Art Talk

Left Field—Extraordinary Art and Exotic Greens By Jayne Behman

F

rom entry to exit, Left Field is unlike any other commercial space. Once inside you can’t resist the urge to Facebook your location, Snapchat with at least one unique item, and tweet a phrase or two. What drew me to visit Left Field was the intriguing title of its then current art exhibition (How High?). This showcase offered art works by many different artists in various media, styles, and sizes. The works were displayed according to the height of each artist’s outstretched arm to the middle finger. This unusual way of exhibiting the Art offered a remarkable visual experience. Who else but Nick Wilkenson, owner, would dare outof-the-box exhibitions? Nick Wilkenson is a San Diego State University BFA graduate in painting and printmaking with a focus on abstract works. His personal resume lists group shows at Fluorescent Gallery in Knoxville,

TN., Fort Works Art in Fort Worth, TX, and The Woskob Family Gallery at Penn St. University, PA. He understands the importance of a dedicated gallery space to budding and seasoned artists. Nick’s quest to bring his vision to reality needed the right space. This did not happen overnight. “I had been looking for a location to open a nursery in SLO for sometime,� he said. The indoor/outdoor feeling of this commercial floor plan is what drew his attention. But, using the rear area as an art gallery was an after thought. Divided into 2 parts, Left Field’s front space is electrifying. It is packed with exotic plants, all sorts of unusual items that you need to purchase, and weird foam sculptures. I resisted acquiring a 5-foot white porcelain sculpture of Mau Tse Tung sporting his famous salute but purchased a vintage Art Boart book that has a pink cover with black lettering.

Dedicated art gallery space is rare. Once Nick decided that the rear “storage� room would become just that, he committed to showcasing contemporary art not normally seen on the Central Coast. The exhibitions rotate every 2 months and the art is primarily painting and sculpture imported from larger urban markets like New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. “This work brings a fresh feel to our community,� Nick said. “It is interesting, relevant, and underrepresented here.� This is the genre of art that Nick is personally interested in and the reason that makes you want to return. The current showcase, December 9 through January 2017, features New York artists, Kyle Breitenbach and Matthew Fisher. Stylistically these two artists are very different. They connect in their ability to bring a strong narrative into their work. The titles hint at

the underlying stories. The work is simple, fresh, but elusive. Visit Left Field located at 1242 Monterey Street, above Santa Rosa. This is the place to purchase one-ofa-kind gifts for this holiday season, and any time. When you are there, send me a photo tweet (https:// twitter.com/psjayne) or post it on Facebook. WHAZ UP N ART 2017 will offer insight into our county’s art scene next year. Email me your events/ exhibition as they relate to visual art: psjayne@ mac.com.

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Simply Clear Marketing & Media • December 15 -28, 2016

NORTH COAST

GALLERIES

Amphora Gallery 4070 Burton Dr. Cambria 805-927-8273 Arthur Van Rhyn Studio Cambria 805-927-5576 Artists Garden 316 Grove St. Los Osos 805-528-1068 By The Bay Gallery 895 Embarcadero Morro Bay 805-772-5563 bythebaygallery.com Bronze, Silver & Gold Gallery 4044 Burton Dr. Cambria 805-927-5421 bsgcambria.com Cayucos Art Association & Cayucos Art Gallery 10 Cayucos Dr. Cayucos 805-995-2049 cayucosart.org Dexter Smith Art Studio 5945 Ebtrada Ave. Cayucos artistdextersmith.com Focus On Nature Photo Gallery 601 Embarcadero Morro Bay 805-772-4972 gallery.focus-on-nature.com Forever Stoked 1164 Quintana Rd. Morro Bay 805-771-9095 foreverstoked.com Full Moon Pottery StudioGallery 345 Harbor St. Morro Bay 805-772-2890 fullmoonmb.com

Maggie’s Meticulous Mat & Frame Shop 2280 Sunset Dr. Los Osos 805-772-4700 The Frame Shop 2131 10th St. Ste A Los Osos 805-543-1743

Atascadero

Wild Fowl 2415 Juniper Ave. Morro Bay 805-772-5811

SAN LUIS OBISPO A Muse Gallery 845 Higuera St. San Luis Obispo 805-439-3000 amuseslo.com Amnesia 787 Higuera St. San Luis Obispo 805-543-4323 Art After Dark 1123 Mill St. San Luis Obispo 805-544-9251 artobispo.org

Harmony Glassworks 2180 Old Creamery Rd. Harmony 805-927-4248 harmonyglassworks.com

Art Central 1329 Monterey St. San Luis Obispo 805-747-4200 artcentralartsupply.com

John Ramos Gallery 407 Morro Bay Blvd. Morro Bay 805-772-2890 johnramos.com

Arts Council San Luis Obispo County 570 Higuera St. San Luis Obispo 805-544-9251 sloartscouncil.org Arts & Images 1553 La Cita Ct. San Luis Obispo 805-595-9463 Frame Works 339 Marsh St.

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41 Morro Bay

Santa Margarita

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Santa Margarita Lake

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San Luis Obispo

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Seven Sisters Gallery 601 Embarcadero Morro Bay 805-772-2504 stores. sevensistersgalleryca. com

Under The Sea 833 Embarcadero Morro Bay 805-772-4872

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Cayucos

Native Spirit Gallery 333 Bernardo Ave. Morro Bay 805-772-2571 morrobay.org/nativespirit-gallery

Sun Fire Gallery 2991 Ocean Blvd. Cayucos 805-900-5232 sunfirearts.com

Experience Holistic Physical Therapy

Templeton

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Harmony

Morro Bay Art Association 835 Main St. Morro Bay 805-771-2504 artcentermorrobay.com

Gallery At Marina Square 601 Embarcadero Morro Bay 805-772-4972 galleryatmarinasquare.com

Lady Spencer 148 N Ocean Ave. Cayucos 805-995-3771 ladyspencer.com

Cambria

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Grover Beach

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San Luis Obispo 805-542-9000 sloart.com Gene Francis Gallery 1120 Garden St. San Luis Obispo 805-545-7902 genefrancis.net Hands Gallery 777 Higuera St. San Luis Obispo 805-543-1921 handsgallery.com Hillsborough Galleries of SLO 793 Higuera St. San Luis Obispo 805-544-4670 Just Looking Gallery 746 Higuera St. San Luis Obispo 805-541-6663 justlookinggallery.com Peregrine Art Glass 1330 Southwood Dr Apt 5, San Luis Obispo 805-441-4422 peregrineartglass.com San Luis Obispo Museum of Art 1010 Broad St. San Luis Obispo 805-543-8562 sloma.org Spirits of Africa Gallery 570 Higuera St. Ste 150, San Luis Obispo 877-688-0156 spiritsofafricagallery.com Stampluis Studios Blackbird 1036 Chorro St. San Luis Obispo 805-541-5197 Steynberg Gallery 1531 Monterey St. San Luis Obispo 805-547-0278

Arroyo Grande

steynberggallery.com

SOUTH COUNTY 551 Art Gallery 551 W. Grand Ave Grover Beach 805-489-3318 5 Cities Gallery 126 E Branch St. Arroyo Grande 805-264-5572 Beltran Art 102 E Branch St. Arroyo Grande 805-264-5572

FREE CONSULT TUESDAYS Call to make your appointment now

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www.spiritwindstherapy.com 1422 Monterey St. at California San Luis Obispo, 93401 Major Insurance Accepted

Excellent Center For Art & Culture 1101 W Grand Ave. Grover Beach 805-481-7577 Harbor Lights Gallery 580 Cypress St. Pismo Beach 805-773-8057 iWordArt Pismo Beach 805-574-9197 Seaside Gallery 580 Cypress St. Pismo Beach 805-295-6386 theseasidegallery.com Thomas Kinkade Gallery 500 Cypress St. Pismo Beach 805-773-9424 kinkadecentralcoast.com Under The Sea Gallery 324 Front, Avila Beach 805-627-1488 Village Framing 121 W Branch St. Arroyo Grande 805-489-3587

Michele i h l S S. JJang Physical Therapist/Owner 21 Years Experience

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December 15 -28, 2016 • Simply Clear Marketing & Media

Fun and Practical Holiday Gifts for Gardeners of All Levels Enjoy the Results

T

he holiday season is a great opportunity to give those with green thumbs the tools they need to support their hobby.

Half the fun of gardening is reaping the benefits of one’s labor. Help gardeners turn their harvest into something delicious. An herb chopper makes a great stocking stuffer. To speed up herb preparation and help gardeners avoid bruising the leaves they worked so hard to grow, look for one with multiple rounded blades.

Here are a few thoughtful gift ideas to make the holidays brighter for the gardeners you love.

Handy Items Every gardener needs top-notch tools to make regular tasks more comfortable and convenient. For example, pruning is no fun with shears that are rusted or hard to handle. To upgrade your gift recipient’s gardening tool box, look for a rust-resistant stainless steel blade and a no-slip rubber grip. For safety, the shears should be able to lock into place when not in use.

Gifts that Keep on Giving When there’s a chill in the air, consider focusing your attention on gardening gifts that can be used indoors. One unique gift for a gardener of any level is an indoor garden kit, such as those from the Miracle-Gro AeroGarden line of gardens.

Hydroponic gardens like the AeroGarden grow fresh herbs, vegetables, and flowers in water, not soil. And they actually grow five times faster than soil gardens. Automated LED lights and reminders to add water make growing fun for seasoned gardeners and easy for even those with no gardening experience.

Well-suited for a kitchen countertop -- this is a safe, healthy and easy way to grow fresh herbs and vegetables year-round. To learn more visit AeroGarden.com.

Another great gift for herb and vegetable gardeners is a salad dressing maker that has pre-marked settings for oil, vinegar and herbs, which can take the guess work out of meal preparation during busy week nights. With a few creative ideas, it’s easy to make a gardener smile this holiday season.(StatePoint)

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Family-Friendly Tips to Transform Your Home this Season ner Imp uce your e gy use! d e r d n rove y a our home's comfort Upgrade today with the County's emPower program:

Utility incentives exceeding $6,500 Low interest, unsecured loans FREE home energy site visit Qualified contractors Visit: emPowerSBC.org Call: (805) 781-5625

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ransition your interior dÊcor when temperatures drop -- it’s a great time to tap into your creativity and make a statement. Here are some ideas -- big and small -- to freshen up your home this season.

Play with Colors When the weather is cool, think rich colors like plum, navy and amber. Bringing in a unique color palette will inspire you to make other changes as well, from painting a fireplace to adding an accent wall to incorporating a tile backsplash.

Make-Over a Room Make your home cozier by installing a soft, but durable carpet. Just remember to consider your household dynamics when making a selection. “Those with pets or children will want to keep in mind that spills and stains can be a common occurrence and select a family-friendly carpet,� says Jennifer Bertrand, Designer for Flooring America and Flooring Canada. Make life easier with material designed to release pet hair and reduce pet stains. For example, the Stainmaster PetProtect Carpet and Cushion system is designed with pets in mind and is extremely durable to withstand the activity of a busy family with pets. More information can be found at FlooringAmerica.com.

Pillows

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.

Have fun turning vintage wool blankets into pillows. Or if you just want to purchase items, seek out plaid patterns or materials that are full of textures and heavier weights. If you have pets, be wary of knit pillows, as animal hair can get stuck in the material. Look for tight weave fabric to fit into your lifestyle.

Capture Some Art Update your framed photos around the house. If you have children, let them get creative and contribute to the overall design. Give them the phone or tablet and let them capture what the season means to them: nature, family, friends or whatever!

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December 15 -28, 2016 • Simply Clear Marketing & Media

Entertainment

Local favorites, CafĂŠ Musique will perform “unpluggedâ€? concerts at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 7 and 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 8 at the Pewter Plough Playhouse in Cambria. Tickets are $25 and available online at: http://bpt.me/2723442 or call (805) 748-3569. On tap will be a rousing night of gypsy, tango, swing, folk and wild classical music. The Playhouse is located at 824 Main St., in Cambria’s West Village. See: www.cafemusique.org for more on the band.

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L.A.-based IndieAmericana rock band, The Sounds of Ghosts, will play the Last Stage West on Hwy 41 between Morro Bay and Atascadero, from 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14. No cover charge (the LSW is a killer BBQ restaurant, so plan to have dinner there to support the musicians and the small business). The Sound of Ghosts is husband and wife, James Orbison (bass, vocals) and Anna Orbison (vocals, ukulele), and Ernesto Rivas (guitar), with Jon Sarna on drums. Joining them for this tour are Christian Robinson on trumpet and Phoebe Silva on fiddle and mandolin. They pay a mix of folk, bluegrass, country, blues and rock music, and the band

has created a completely unique and eclectic sound that’s been described as “gypsy folk-rock magic.� For samples of their music, see: www.reverbnation. com/thesoundofghosts or https://soundcloud.com/ thesoundofghosts, and you can stream their debut album, “Come Home,� at: https://open.spotify.com/ artist/5Ql16hdD2cehtpe5R3Qjl7

The San Luis Obispo Master Chorale, formerly called the Cuesta Master Chorale, is staging its Second Annual Handel’s Messiah Sing-Along at 8 p.m. Friday Dec. 16 at the Performing Arts Center at Cal Poly. Tickets are $10 a person and available at the PAC Box Office, Mondays–Saturdays, noon to 6 p.m. Call (805) 756-4849 or order online at: www.calpolyarts.org. Artistic Director, Thomas Davies, will conduct the SLO Master Chorale and the audience during choral sections of Handel’s famous oratorio.

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Simply Clear Marketing & Media • December 15 -28, 2016

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Entertainment The Arroyo Grande Rotary Club presents its 9th Annual Christmas and Holiday SingAlong at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18. Tickets are $12 adults, $6 for children and students and special family pricing of three-five family members for $30 and available at the Clark Center Box Office, call 489-9444 or see: www.clarkcenter. org. Net proceeds donated to the music and arts programs of various regional schools and performance groups. Entitled, “The Real Meaning of Christmas,” the story follows two phone obsessed teenagers as they go on a treasure hunt to help out an elderly neighbor and discover the true meaning of Christmas. The Clark Center is decked out with 10 beautiful trees and two wreaths for The Festival of Trees! Each tree and wreath is decorated by sponsors with ornaments and gift certificates worth at least $200 and will be raffled off in benefit of the Clark Center. To enter, purchase a raffle ticket and place it in the box in front of the trees and wreaths you would like to win. Deadline to enter

see: www.clarkcenter.org or call (805) 489-9444. Pismo Beach’s Basin Street Regulars will host two worldclass big bands in concert at 11 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 18 at the Pismo Vet’s Hall, 780 Bello St. The day starts at 11 a.m. with a jam session. The Royal Garden Swing Orchestra will play two sets, from 1-2:15 p.m. and from 3:20-4:30. The other band, The Gipsy All Stars, will start at around 2:15. There will be a holiday buffet potluck and champagne. Bring a dish to share (salad, desert or appetizer) or throw $5 into the kitty. The In Time Trio will perform Christmas music at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18 at the SLO Museum of Art, 1010 Broad St., SLO. Tickets are $20 a person and available online at: www.sloma.org or call 543-8562. The Trio is singers Rebecca Robinson, Judy Philbin, and Kit Johnson performing a variety of music from the Andrews Sisters to the Pointer Sisters. Refreshments and a chance to meet the performers follow the hour-long show.

is Sunday, Dec. 18 and drawing will be held Monday, Dec. 19. Tickets are

$1 each, six for $5 and 25 for $20. For tickets and more information,

The 9-piece Royal Garden Swing Orchestra is made up of professional musicians from the SLO County area and is celebrating its 29th year performing the swinging sounds of the Big Band Era. The Gipsy All Stars plays Gypsy jazz for dancers on the Central Coast. With younger

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December 15 -28, 2016 • Simply Clear Marketing & Media

Entertainment L.A.-based Indie-Americana rock band, The Sounds of Ghosts, will play the Last Stage West on Hwy 41 between Morro Bay and Atascadero, from 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14. No cover charge (the LSW is a killer BBQ restaurant, so plan to have dinner there to support the musicians and the small business). The Sound of Ghosts is husband and wife, James Orbison (bass, vocals) and Anna Orbison (vocals, ukulele), and Ernesto Rivas (guitar), with Jon Sarna on drums. Joining them for this tour are Christian Robinson on trumpet and Phoebe Silva on fiddle and mandolin. They pay a mix of folk, bluegrass, country, blues and rock music, and the band has created a completely unique and eclectic sound that’s been described as “gypsy folk-rock magic.” For samples of their music, see: www.reverbnation. com/thesoundofghosts or https://soundcloud.com/ thesoundofghosts, and you can stream their debut album, “Come Home,” at: https://open.spotify.com/ artist/5Ql16hdD2cehtpe5R3Qjl7

musicians specializing in the music of Django Reinhardt, the famous Belgian-born French guitarist and composer, the Gipsy All Stars are: Laurel Mitchell (vocals), Allan Dick (violin), James Gallardo (upright Bass), Ben Arthur and Toan Chau (guitars).

Little Black Train and Friends will play a benefit New Year’s Eve show for the Red Barn Community Concert Series, set for 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31, at the Red Barn, located in the South Bay Community Park, corner of LOVR and Palisades Avenue. Cost is a voluntary donation at the door and

WINTER REGISTRATION

there’s a potluck supper starting at 5 p.m. Bring a dish to share, place settings and BYOB. Little Black Train is Kenny Blackwell (mandolin and guitar), John Weed (fiddle), and Stuart Mason (guitar, banjo, and mandola) playing Depressionera gospel and blues to Appalachian and Celtic dance tunes. The band

will be joined on stage by other local musicians to support the monthly Red Barn Concert Series, which has been hosting great musicians at affordable prices, in an atmosphere of old-time community gatherings with the potluck for 10 years.

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Simply Clear Marketing & Media • December 15 -28, 2016

Concert pianist and Cal Poly Music Department Chairman, W. Terrence Spiller, will give a benefit recital at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 13, in the Spanos Theatre on campus. Tickets are $14 general public and $9 students. Proceeds benefit the Music Department Scholarship Fund. Tickets available at the Performing Arts Center Box Office from noon to 6 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays. Order by phone at 756-4849. Spiller’s program includes a pair of traditional, Austrian, masterworks: Mozart’s “Sonata in D Major, K. 311,” and Schubert’s “Impromptus, Op. 90,” Gottschalk’s “Souvenir of Puerto Rico,” Debussy’s, “Images, Book I,” and Balakirev’s “Islamey.”

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active military, and children. For more information and to purchase tickets call the Melodrama Box Office at (805) 489-2499, or see: www.americanmelodrama.com. The annual production features the timeless classic, A Christmas Carol, Snow White and the Four Dwarves, and ends with a rousing vaudeville revue.

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The Clark Center Association presents “DRUMline Live!” at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 16 at the Clark Center in Arroyo Grande. Tickets are $45 to $75 and on sale now. Call (805) 4899444 or visit the Clark Center Box Office. Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with the musical team behind hit movies like “Drumline” and “Drumline: A New Beat,” with the intense musical rollercoaster of a historically black college and university halftime show. DRUMLine Live! is a synchronized, musical showcase of the legendary HBCU experience.

The SLO Little Theatre presents “A Christmas Story” and “The Santaland Diaries” playing through Friday, Dec. 23. Performances are at 7 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, with matinee shows on and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. The Santaland Diaries plays at 9:30 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays through Dec. 17. Tickets range from $15 to $35 at the SLO Little Theatre, 888 Morro St., SLO (next to City Hall). For tickets and more information, call (805) 7862440 or see: www. slolittletheatre.org. A Christmas Story is based on the 1983 motion picture, which follows 9-year-old Ralphie Parker on his quest for a Red Ryder BB gun. The Santaland Diaries is a 1-man show based on the true chronicles of David Sedaris’s Little Black Train and Friends will play a experiences as benefit New Year’s Eve show for the Red Barn Crumpet the Elf in Community Concert Series, set for 6 p.m. a Macy’s Santaland Saturday, Dec. 31, at the Red Barn, located in display. the South Bay Community Park, corner of LOVR The Great A m e r i c a n Melodrama in Oceano is featuring, “The Holiday Extravaganza,” playing now through Dec. 31. Tickets are $22 and $25, with discounts for seniors, students,

WHERE THE PARTY NEVER ENDS!

and Palisades Avenue. Cost is a voluntary donation at the door and there’s a potluck supper starting at 5 p.m. Bring a dish to share, place settings and BYOB. Little Black Train is Kenny Blackwell (mandolin and guitar), John Weed (fiddle), and Stuart Mason (guitar, banjo, and mandola) playing Depression-era gospel and blues to Appalachian and Celtic dance tunes. The band will be joined on stage by other local musicians to support the monthly Red Barn Concert Series, which has been hosting great musicians at affordable prices, in an atmosphere of old-time community gatherings with the potluck for 10 years.

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December 15 -28, 2016 • Simply Clear Marketing & Media

Dinner & A Movie Counting Down 2016’s Top Eateries By Teri Bayus

A

s the earth completes its full rotation around the sun, many people reflect back on memories that stood out. Fine dining can be an event for all to remember, as well as the people you shared these meals with, the wines paired and the laughter shared. And 2016 was an epic year for food connoisseurs, with new restaurants exploding onto the scene, and established eateries hitting their perfect stride. Here are my Top-11, fine dining picks for 2016 with slants of what made them standout. 11. Fish Gaucho. This gentle giant in Paso Robles is recognized for its stellar staff and wonderful heritage coming together in the kitchen to make Fish Gaucho a delightful Mexican food eatery. The food is torn from the pages of the chef’s family history, and is prepared with the best of ingredients. The tequila bar and savvy bartenders blend to make an unadulterated cocktail experience. It is an impeccable eatery with the spice of Mexican cuisine. Located at 1244 Park St., in Paso Robles. 10. Thomas Hill Organic Kitchen. A new addition to Downtown SLO is this amazingly beautiful restaurant that prides itself on an innovative, seasonal menu that reflects the abundance of fresh and organic foods, grown on the Central

Coast. Special care is taken to ensure that the menu delivers bold flavors and innovative seasonal offerings. Located at 858 Monterey St., SLO 9. Mason Grill. This newest addition to the Village of Arroyo Grande is a sit by the fireplace and warm your soul Heaven. Keeping the popular dishes like lobster corn dogs and adding steaks and big salads, I am most impressed with the appetizers. The ahi tartar, Brussels and 1650 Degree Shishito all were magical enough to satisfy a full meal. The steaks and burgers all come with accouterments that enhance and highlight. Located at 307 East Branch St., in A.G. 8. The Burton House and Grill. This white-tablecloth fine dinning is the newest addition to Nipomo. The owner and executive chef are veterans and culinary masterminds. A meal starts with a cheese platter and then the menu spins and satisfies. Grilled Caesar salad, French onion soup and braised short ribs were some of my favorites, but it will serve you to eat through the entire menu. Located at 151 West Dana St., Ste. 100, Nipomo. 7. Giuseppe’s Cuisine Rustica. A titan in our small area, Giuseppe’s has risen out of the ashes to grace Downtown SLO with fine food and atmosphere. Honoring the bones of the building and offering the best of Italian cuisine seems second nature

to their patriarch, who at the helm is offering some of the best food in San Luis Obispo. I like everything on the menu, but went crazy for the sand dabs. Located at 849 Monterey St., SLO. 6. Ember. Brian and Harmony Collins are still hitting home runs with the best farm to table cuisine served by an attentive and knowledgeable staff. This is the perfect restaurant to impress guests or to take a date. The wine list is perfection and the changing menu with the seasons ensures a diverse and delicious meal every time. Located at 1200 E Grand Ave., A.G. 5. Mistura. Peruvian cuisine to impress and titillate your taste buds, and made by one of the most prolific chefs on the planet. It is not your usual faire and that is what makes each meal there epic and unforgettable. From the unusual, like beef heart to a simple, purple potato, every dish is a symphony in your mouth. This is an impeccable choice for the adventurous diner. Located at 700 Clubhouse Dr., Paso Robles. 4. Rosa’s. When the chef is the owner and a passionate Italian, only impeccable foodstuffs come out of his kitchen. This masterpiece of a restaurant is flawlessness in staff, menu and taste. The tuna Capriccio is the most immaculate dish constructed, but even complicated offerings like Cioppino and lamb will astound and

amaze. Rosa’s is located at 491 Price St., Pismo Beach. 3. Villa Creek. Now headed by executive chef, Maegan Loring, this Paso institution is turning heads and satisfying discerning diners. Octopus, short ribs, scallops, and skirt steak were all done with the perfection that only this chef offers. She is the maestro that puts gourmet into this symphony. Located at 1144 Pine St., Paso Robles. 2. Cracked Crab. An institution and one treat that everyone should afford themselves. It is the best of everything — highest quality seafood, service, atmosphere and fun. It should be at least a required event once a year to treat yourself to Alaskan king crab. Meanwhile, if you want a meal to electrify, this is the place. Located at 751 Price St., Pismo Beach. 1. The Spoon Trade. There is no better chef than Jacob Town. He is brilliant, passionate, creative, kind and wise. His wife, (who runs the front of the house with partner Patrick), is even better. TST is the perfect convergence of elegant, comfort food served by a caring staff. I eat here often and I am always beyond impressed. From tri tip Tartar to chicken and waffles to steak, every morsel is Heaven in your mouth. And they have the best Sunday brunch in the area. Located at 295 W. Grand Ave., Grover Beach.

‘Arrival’ A Cerebral, Entertaining Film By Teri Bayus

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rrival is a cerebral film, but that doesn’t mean that the film isn’t intense, or thoroughly interesting and entertaining. While there may not always be something exciting happening on the screen, there is something to think about in what you are being shown. Louise Banks (Amy Adams) is a linguistics Professor. She appears to be living alone leading a quiet life, devoted to her profession and teaching. The arrival of a number of spaceships and extraterrestrial beings leads her to become the leading consultant for the U.S. Government, in an attempt to communicate with the alien visitors. Banks discovers their enigmatic language — based on circular rings — and learns an unexpected truth about time and her own life. Something that is always a challenge for this particular genre is the creativity, as there can be endless possibilities but also that danger of becoming so unbelievable it becomes ridiculous or possibly annoying.

The Arrival is a believable story and has a deeper meaning than just

the usual alien encounters with an unknown purpose.

It’s tackles how we, the human race, might deal with an unexplored situation like this and begs to question humanity as a whole, hoping that our stupidity does not get the better of us. There’s so much more to the plot than what any trailer suggested. As far-reaching and mind-bending as the ideas are as to why the aliens are here, there is a focus on the personal lives and relationships of characters. There is a larger sense of size and scale beyond us, the framing often showing the characters as small and the spaceship and aliens as large in scope and size. Later in the film, however, the characters are often framed in the foreground, with the spaceship out of focus in the background, depicting their own lives as constantly their main focus rather than the bigger picture. I liked that no matter what, our personal experiences and relationships define us. This is a great movie to see with friends and then discuss for hours after.

Bay News • December 15 - 28, 2016

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‘I Do Solemnly Swear‌’

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orro Bay’s new City Council was sworn in Monday night. From left: Robert Davis, Marlys McPherson and Mayor Jamie Irons take the Oath of OďŹƒce administered by City Clerk Dana Swanson (at right). A story and more photos from the ceremony will be posted online at: yourbaynews.com. Photo By Neil Farrell

Prices Are Born Here And Raised Elsewhere

New Deputy Chief at County Fire

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he San Luis Obispo County Fire Department has a new deputy chief, choosing to ďŹ ll a vacant position as the No. 2 man in the department from within. Former Assistant Chief, Eric Cleveland, was promoted into the Deputy Chief’s position taking over for the retired Deputy Chief, Steve Reeder, who worked for Cal Fire for some 32 years. Cal Fire is under contract with SLO County and acts as the county ďŹ re department, as well as managing the Pismo Beach Fire Department and Los Osos’ South Bay Fire. Cleveland was excited to get the promotion. “I was born and raised in San Luis Obispo County, so it’s exciting to work my way up to Deputy Chief, especially since I started as a volunteer ďŹ reďŹ ghter back in the ‘80s,â€? he said. “I look forward to helping shape the department with Chief [Scott] Jalbert, while also protecting and serving the citizens of San Luis Obispo County.â€? In his new job, Cleveland will oversee North County operations, including

eet and the airbase in Paso Robles, and will supervise the people overseeing operations in South County, at Cuesta Camp and at Ventura Camp. Cleveland began his career as a volunteer ďŹ reďŹ ghter in SLO County in the late 1980s, according to Cal Fire, and became a seasonal ďŹ reďŹ ghter in 1989. He was promoted to permanent ďŹ re apparatus engineer at the Airport Station in 1997. He has worked his way up over the past 20 years and was promoted to ďŹ re captain at Los Robles Camp in 2001, battalion chief of support services in 2005, and assistant chief for administration in 2012. Cal Fire maintains 10 “Incident Command Teamsâ€? to manage large complex incidents and for eight years, Cleveland served in a variety of roles on Incident Management Team 10. Those roles included Cost Unit leader, deputy Finance Section chief, and liaison trainee. Cleveland lives in Atascadero with his wife Shari, and their two children Teagan, 12, and Taj, 9.

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December 15 - 28, 2016 • Bay News

Opinion

Lamenting the Death of A Hero, A Friend Listen Up! By Neil Farrell

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n one of those dreaded moments, I opened The Tribune Nov. 14, and glanced at a headline at the bottom of an inside page: “Stanislaus County Deputy ‘Executed’ Near Hughson…” “Ah crap,” I thought, “not another cop killed by some maniac.” Then I saw the photo… It was Dennis Wallace, whom I knew as “Randy” when I lived in Modesto in the early 1980s. Randy was an old friend, brother to Renee, whom I was going with at the time. He was a kid, probably 19 (shoot, I was only 21), and I helped him get a steady job at Welder’s Supply Service, where I was working at the time. We played softball on the company team, and I lived in their family home (after his parents had moved to the mountains) for the better part of a year. Randy… Dear God, let it be a mistake. But it wasn’t. The dimples in his smiling cheeks were the giveaway. No matter what life throws at you, no matter how many pounds time packs on you, dimples never go away. It was Randy; someone I’d known, drank beers and broke bread with, and celebrated birthdays and holidays with, too. It’s a rare occasion that a nationwide story hits home in a tiny town like Morro Bay. Rarer still that as a reporter, one has a connection to it, and practically unheard of to also have a family member, not only be a friend, but living here too. Renee Watson (nee: Wallace), and her husband Don, are assistant managers at Bay Pines RV Park, having moved to Morro Bay full time just a few years ago. Don is a retired Modesto police officer. She and I were vey close before I moved to the Central Coast in 1985 to return to college, and Randy, Renee, their brothers and sisters were among a host of friends I haven’t seen much if at all since ‘85. When Renee called me at the office I was, for once, at a loss for words beyond, “I’m so terribly sorry…” After thinking about it for a couple of days, I went to see if she was willing to talk about what happened. “There have been so many different tributes to Randy,” she says. “It’s just been phenomenal.” Among the tributes was a speech before the House of Representatives by Congressman Jeff Denham (who represents Hughson); a tribute before an Oakland Raiders Game with Randy’s face splashed across the big screen (witnessed by David Wallace, Randy’s brother who happened to be in the stands); and Matt Overton, a player with the Indianapolis Colts, who wore a special pair of cleats in a game with Randy’s name on them. The Wallace Family has felt the sting of loss before. In 1985, Dennis Wallace, Renee and Randy’s father and a career CHP officer, died in a single car crash late at night after working a double shift. He’s believed to have fallen asleep at the wheel. His death was a hard blow. “When my dad died,” Renee says, “that was really tough. The first couple of years, it’s numbing; the patriarch of the family was gone. The boys [Randy and David] waited before getting into law

In stories and Facebook posts, his former charges, the children and young adults of Hughson, expressed love for him, as they came to see him as much more than a police officer. Renee says he and Mercedes have 34 nieces, nephews and grand nieces and nephews on her side of the family. He became a father figure to the younger ones. Everyone called him “Tio,” Spanish for “uncle,” Renee says. That makes perfect sense to me, as Randy always had a special way with kids. His 20-year career was marred when he’d injured his shoulder in the line of duty, Renee recalls, and had rotator cuff surgery. “The [County’s] risk managers tried to get rid of him,” she says. Randy sued the County

enforcement. David was 25 and Randy was 27.” Randy started out as a reserve with the Hughson PD and caught on full time with the County Sheriff after Hughson contracted for police services, she says. He was eventually assigned to Hughson, becoming their DARE officer and intricately involved in the local community through coaching and refereeing youth sports.

to keep his job. The department tried to give him a desk job, but he fought back, claiming that he was fit to return to full duty. He even went so far as to challenge the County Sheriff to a foot race to prove his fitness, according to a news report, which sounds just like something Randy would do. While the County won initially, Randy appealed and won. The County appealed

that ruling but the State Supreme Court refused to hear the case, essentially handing Randy the win. Now comes the fight over back pay, which was pegged at nearly $500,000, a fight that was still being waged when he was killed and now falls to his widow to see through. “He was 2-1/2 years off work with no income while he fought for his job,” Renee says. The last time the Wallaces — Debbie, Renee, Corrie, Randy and David — were all together was at their mother, Nannette’s, 80th birthday party in September. “You could see the stress [from the lawsuit] was gone. He was being himself.” And in perhaps a twist of cruel irony, Renee says, that her brother, who was 53 when he died, was almost done with police work. “He was going to retire next March,” she says. Like similar distressing cases from around the country, the why of her brother’s death is hard to fathom. “It’s so horrible that someone would do something like that,” she says of David Machado, the man accused of her brother’s murder. “All he had to do was walk in a different direction. They would have towed the car and looked for who stole it later. He changed our world big time.” Dep. Wallace was called out early Sunday, Nov. 13, to check on a suspicious van parked at the Fox Grove Recreation and Fishing Access, a popular spot on the Tuolumne River outside Hughson. According to news reports from the Modesto Bee, Randy “requested a backup officer after dispatchers alerted him that the vehicle was stolen. When the second deputy arrived, he discovered Deputy Wallace suffering two gunshot wounds to the head. It was quickly determined that he was shot in the head at point-blank range.” It was the County Sheriff who called it an “execution.” Machado, 37 of Keyes, a rural crossroads outside Turlock, had a felony warrant for his arrest on a 2014 firearms charge. He was on the lam when he and Randy’s paths crossed out by the river. The hunt for the killer heated up quickly, after a report of a car jacking in Keyes. An alert was sent out for that vehicle with a description of the suspect, who was heavily tattooed. He turned up 4 hours later in the Tulare County town of Lindsay, some 150 miles south on Hwy 99. Machado allegedly tried to rob a woman at a convenience store and steal her car but she fought him. Lindsay police caught up to Machado, as he tried to run away. By then, Stanislaus County’s alert on Randy’s murder had been sent out and Machado was quickly identified and detained. Machado is apparently some piece of work. He initially wanted to represent himself, and then tried to plead guilty, but his court-appointed lawyer entered a “Not guilty” plea, and Renee says the lawyer wants Machado examined for mental competency. continued, page 43

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Obituary Kathleen Ann Carter

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athleen Ann Carter of Morro Bay was born on Feb. 20, 1954 in Reno, Nevada and died Dec. 1 in Morro Bay. She grew up in Bakersfield and attended Stine School, Thompson Jr. High, and West High School, where she played clarinet in the marching band. Kathy also enjoyed playing piano. Her college years were spent at San Diego State University, and Cal State Bakersfield where she received her teaching credential. She taught at Blair Special Education Learning Center, McKinley Elementary School, in the Anchorage Alaska School District, and Sierra Middle School. Kathy was bigger than life and exuded happiness everywhere she went. Her smile and laughter was contagious. An adventurer, welder, teacher, loving daughter, everyone’s favorite sister, and a friend to everyone she encountered. She was an amazing athlete, loved water

skiing, camping, traveling in her RV, riding her motorcycle, and above all, she loved kayaking. Kathy spent most of her time in Morro

Bay the past 10 years and became a fulltime resident the past four years. She always considered Morro Bay her home. She is survived by her parents, William and Jean Carter, her five siblings, Rick Carter, Dave Carter, Karen Carter Rae, Sandy Carter Fisher, and Susie Carter Lampe, 14 nieces and nephews, and 14 grand nieces and nephews. Kathy’s strength and passion for life was a source of inspiration and hope to hundreds of people. She is now in the arms of the Lord. Donations to Along Comes Hope, in lieu of flowers, will give hope and comfort to children battling cancer. Donations can be mailed to: 3940-7 Broad St., Ste. 344, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 or made online at: www.AlongComesHope.com. A Celebration of Life Gathering will be held at Morro Bay Golf Club, 201 State Park Rd., Morro Bay, at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17.

County Clerk Certifies Election he 2016 Presidential Election is in the books in San Luis Obispo County after the County Clerk announced the final, record-setting tally on Dec. 2 and certified the results. “This election set many records for the County of San Luis Obispo,” County Clerk-Recorder Tommy Gong said in a news release, “an unprecedented number of registered voters — 168,257 [shattering the previous record of 162,459 in 2004]; the highest number of voters participating at 139,685 ballots cast; a record-setting number of vote-by-mail ballots sent to voters at 121,467, combined with the most vote-by-mail ballots returned to the Election Office — 99,638.” And while some lament the phenomenon of apathy with many elections, that was not the case this time around in SLO County, which nearly

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matched the record turnout. “The voter turnout for San Luis Obispo was 83.02%,” Gong said, “short of the county record at 83.14% in 2008, with 161,256 registered voters at the time. But the turnout is once again higher than the statewide turnout.” Across the Golden State, turnout stands at 73.7%, still extremely good numbers for California, which is notorious for low, voter turnouts and increasing apathy. Gong predicted the statewide turnout will continue to climb, as other counties complete their vote counting. “As in the past elections,” he said, “those voters choosing to vote by mail outnumbered those who went to the polls on Election Day.” He added that 98,691 people voted by mail (70.65% of the voters), which was “the highest number of VBM ballots cast

during a General Election, while 40,994 voted at the polls (29.35% of the voters).” As for individual races, with the exception of SLO Mayor and the Cambria CSD races, none of the results from Election Night tallies changed. Gong, whose office regularly receives questions as to why a vote on Nov. 8 took until Dec. 2 to finalize, explained the vote counting methods his office uses. “The official canvass procedures include counting all vote-by-mail and provisional ballots turned in at the polls, balancing the number of voters who signed the precinct rosters to the number of ballots cast and completing a 1-percent manual tally to ensure the voting machines counted correctly,” Gong said. To see the final results, go online at: www.slovote.com.

from, page 42

uneasy these days, as it seems hardly a day goes by without news of another officer being gunned down in cold blood.

Renee says, sitting in the front row with the family. At the funeral, the Bee reported that numerous folks called Randy a hero, including his brother. MPD Det. David Wallace was quoted as saying that while his brother didn’t know a thing about soccer, “he saw its positive impact on youths and helped found a soccer league, serving as its president.” “He cannot be remembered simply by how he died,” the Bee quoted David saying. “He would want us to smile and to laugh through our tears.” For Renee, who has also recently suffered the death of her adult daughter, Jamie (she was 2 when I knew her), the enormity of her brother’s death hit her during the funeral. “The thing that really got to me,” she says, “was when they did the ‘End of Watch’ [a traditional send off for police and firefighters]. That was probably my first really defining moment — having that called out.”

Randy’s death prompted a reaction from lawmakers. State Assemblyman, Jay Obernolte (R-Hesperia), introduced Assembly Bill 2, a law meant to protect peace officers and their immediate families under the California hate crime statute. AB-2 would add 1-3 years onto a prison sentence if a criminal specifically targets a peace officer. In a news release, Assemblyman Obernolte says, “Our police officers put their lives on the line every day and it’s deeply disturbing when they are intentionally targeted because of their profession. Given the outbreak of the recent attacks against police officers, this law is necessary to send a message to these criminals that their reprehensible behavior will not be tolerated.” So Randy’s murder at the hands of an apparent career criminal touches home in earnest for this reporter, but anyone with a conscience has to be feeling a little

The Officer Down Memorial Page (see: www.odmp.org) says that November 2016 had the most line-of-duty deaths or LODDs in 2016. “Twenty one law enforcement officers from across the country died in the line of duty in November 2016, bringing the year-to-date total to 133, up 13% from last year at this time,” according to the website. Of the 21, 12 died as a result of gunfire. “Gunfire deaths in 2016, at 60 already, are overall up 67% from 2015.” So while crime stats for the civilian population continue to decline, violence against police officers skyrockets. The Bee reported that among the 4,000plus at Randy’s funeral were countless uniformed officers wearing badges from every corner of California and as far away as New York. Gov. Jerry Brown attended,

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Bay News • December 15 - 28, 2016

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Poly Profs Work on Census Program

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wo Cal Poly professors are among academics nationwide who provided content for an updated K-12 classroom curriculum on statistics through the U.S. Census Bureau. Last September, the Census Bureau unveiled its newly updated “Statistics in Schools Program” for K-12 teachers and students. “The program offers free, classroom-ready geography, history/social studies, math and sociology activities and resources that incorporate current and historical data to help students understand real-world applications of statistics,” the Census Bureau said in a news release. The Poly profs who took part were Roxy Peck, a professor emerita of statistics, and statistics professor, Beth Chance. Peck and Chance also both contributed to the middle and high school math activities. “The Census Bureau is proud to have worked with educators from across the nation on activities that will help increase the statistical

literacy of America’s youth,” said Nancy Potok, Census Bureau deputy director and chief operating officer. “Understanding the value behind the numbers that measure our changing society will help leaders of tomorrow learn how to make data-driven decisions that shape communities for generations to come.” Launched for the 2000 Census, the education program was designed to help students better understand the importance of the census count. The program was revamped to meet changing classroom needs for a “data-driven world.” “It provides teachers with searchable activities, organized by grade and school subject, to develop students’ statistical literacy and data analysis skills,” according to the Census Bureau. “The program also includes tools that allow students to search for and analyze data to support what they are learning in the classroom.” Prof. Peck added, “These activities provide teachers with opportunities

to teach statistical concepts and data analysis skills to students in various subjects, not just math. The need for statistically literate citizens continues to grow as we become a more data-driven society.” The curriculum was also developed in conjunction with people who homeschool their children. “Prior to expanding the program,” Shannon Tucker, director for media relations, said, “the Census Bureau conducted research with parents who homeschool their children to find out what they need most and how to produce resources that they can use. “What’s nice about this program is that it’s not a full curriculum so it allows teachers [and home school parents] to pick and choose activities to supplement their existing lesson plans. For that reason, it appeals to a wide variety of educators because it’s so flexible.” For more information about Statistics in Schools, see: www. census.gov/schools.

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December 15 - 28, 2016 • Simply Clear Marketing & Media

Biz Briefs

Charitable Giving, New Manager at Hunt Farms Compiled by Mark Diaz

The SLO Chamber celebrated member, Mindbody, Inc.’s new building located at 2811 Airpark Dr., in Santa Maria The SLO Chamber celebrated member, Mindbody, Inc.’s new building located at 2811 Airpark Dr., in Santa Maria with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Mindbody emerged from a simple idea: “small business owners deserve the time to do what they love.” From its first iteration, Mindbody software has turned that vision into the technology that links tens of thousands of health, wellness, and beauty professionals to the millions of clients they serve, according to the company website. For more information, see: mindbodyonline.com.

The SLO Chamber celebrated the grand opening of Biddle Ranch Vineyard’s tasting room with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Founded in 2013, Biddle Ranch Vineyards is known for its careful selection and preservation of their grapes in conjunction with their Old World style of wine making. From these foundations, they infuse the essence of Edna Valley to create a fleet of wines that are truly their own, according to their website. Readers can find their new tasting room at 2060 Biddle Ranch Rd., SLO. For more information, see: biddleranch.com.

The Hind Foundation recently awarded a $2,500 grant to The Civic Ballet of San Luis Obispo. The money will be used towards the costs of a live orchestra to accompany The Civic Ballet’s 39th annual production of The Nutcracker. “It is grants like this that help us to enhance our Nutcracker production with live music,” said Artistic Director, Drew Silvaggio. “The addition of the Opera San Luis Obispo Orchestra has really enhanced the Nutcracker experience for our audience.” For more information, see:

The SLO Chamber celebrated the grand opening of Biddle Ranch Vineyard’s tasting room with a ribbon cutting ceremony

www.civicballetofslo.org or call 5444363. The SLO Chamber celebrated new member, Tolosa Winery, with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Tolosa Winery offers a barrel tasting flight of its Single Vineyard wines and flagship, Primera. “We are especially proud of our new Single Vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines, as well as our new flagship Pinot Noir, Primera,” Tolosa Winery said in a press release. Tolosa Winery is located at 4910 Edna Rd., SLO. For more information, see: tolosawinery.com.

Wine Enthusiast Magazine named Firestone Walker Brewing Company its “Brewery of The Year” as part of its 17th Annual Wine Star Awards. According to the magazine, Wine Star Award winners “are noted for their groundbreaking vision coupled with the courage to take risks and the skill to succeed.” This year marks Firestone Walker’s 20th Anniversary. Brothers-in-law, Adam Firestone and David Walker founded the brewery on the family vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley in 1996. The brewery later moved to the Paso Robles wine country. “The Central Coast wine country has always been a part of our DNA,” said Firestone.

Mother’s Tavern’s “Table 48” program raised $2,304 for Hospice SLO County’s “Pet Peace of Mind Program.” The program assures those facing lifelimiting illnesses the continued support of their pets. All Hospice SLO County services are provided at no charge and are supported through direct donations and fundraising events. Table 48 is a table at Mother’s Tavern

specifically designated for supporting local charities. A local non-profit organization is selected every month as the beneficiary of all revenues from that table. Table 48 is marked with a red tablecloth, and guests reserve it knowing that the proceeds from their meal will be donated to a worthy cause.

Golden State Water Co., recently partnered with Assemblymen Katcho Achadjian and Das Williams to donate and distribute turkeys to communitybased organizations , the company announced. “We appreciate this partnership with elected officials and community leaders, and are proud of the impact the Operation Gobble Program has had in our communities,” said Ronald Moore, the project leader for GSW’s Operation Gobble. Golden State Water has done Operation Gobble since 1990 and this year distributed more than 8,400 turkeys in the more than 76 communities in 10 counties where it operates a water system. Over the 26 years, the program has donated more than 224,000 turkeys to charitable organizations in partnership with State Legislators.

Dignity Health has launched, Augmedix, powered by Google Glass within its physician health center system, the company announced. Pacific Central Coast Health Centers includes Arroyo Grande Community Hospital, French Hospital Medical Center in SLO, and Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria. Participating physicians wear Google Glass when meeting with their patients. A scribe securely sees and hears what the doctor experiences in real time. This allows the scribe to document the exam

in the patient’s medical records, giving the physician more time to focus on the patient and not on their computer. For more information, see: DignityHealth. org/PHC.

Pacific Gas and Electric Co., officials are continuing to deliver more than $14,000 in special aid grants to area non-profit organizations in recognition of its support and response during the recent Chimney Fire in Northern SLO County. The grants are being awarded to help support their efforts and defray costs the organizations might have incurred while responding to the massive fire that destroyed 49 homes and 21 other structures, while blackening more than 46,000 acres to the south and southwest of Nacimiento Lake. “PG&E is pleased to offer these grants to area non-profit organizations and their members who deserve recognition and our thanks,” said Pat Mullen, director of PG&E’s Los Padres Division.

Pacific Eye has donated a total of $10,000 to local, non-profit organizations as a result of its 5th Annual Pacific Eye Gives Back Challenge. Central Coast community members cast votes online and in Pacific Eye’s offices with the Top3 organizations getting the largest donations. Along Comes Hope secured the $5,000 first-place donation in the contest. The organization helps families of children with cancer. RISE was second and received a $2,250 donation. RISE is dedicated to serving victims of domestic violence and sexual assault and their loved ones. Peoples’ SelfHelp Housing took third and received a $1,000 donation. PSHH works to provide affordable housing and support

The SLO Chamber celebrated new member, Tolosa Winery, with a ribbon cutting ceremony

programs leading to self-sufficiency for special needs groups on the Central Coast.

Golden State Water Co., announced new, secure, online and mobile bill payment options for its customers through “KUBRA EZ-PAY.” Additionally, customers now have the option of paying their water bills with cash at retail establishments throughout California through the company’s Retail Cash Program. Golden State Water customers may continue paying their water bills by mail or in-person at any Golden State Water office location. For a complete list of payment options, customers are encouraged to see: www.gswater.com/ payment-options or call GSW’s 24hour Customer Service Center at (800) 999-4033.

lead the clinical direction of CenCal Health. We couldn’t be happier,” said Bob Freeman, CEO of CenCal Health. “I greatly enjoyed my time at the Public Health Department, and sincerely appreciate the support of department employees, county administration, and the Board of Supervisors. However, it’s time for me to embark on a new challenge,” said Dr. Wada.

Talley Farms Fresh Harvest has hired Marcus Hunt, of Hunt Family Farms, as its new production manager. Hunt will oversee 30-40 acres and a production crew of seven, full time people. Hunt replaces Adam Stevens. Marcus comes to the company with lots of growing experience, especially with berries. Fresh Harvest plans to grow raspberries and blackberries, and hopes to be selling them in two years, according to the company’s website.

The Transportation Research Board has named Caltrans Director, Malcolm Dougherty, as the chair of its Executive Committee, effective Jan. 12. On Nov. 29, Dougherty became the vice chairman of the TRB’s Executive Committee. His nomination was approved by Dr. Marcia McNutt, president of the National Academy of Sciences and chairwoman of the National Research Council. The TRB is a division of the National Research Council of the United States, which k serves as an independent adviser to the President, Congress and federal agencies “on scientific and technical questions of national importance.”

Charm Berry of SLO won a 2017 Honda Accord LX from Kennedy Club Fitness and Sunset Honda in SLO. Berry had the “winning key” that started the car and drove off with the car, which came from Sunset Honda. The vehicle was the grand prize in a contest that ran from Oct. 1 through Nov. 30.Berry was one of 41 contestants that were each given a key that could open the door and start the motor part of the 35th Anniversary Celebration for Kennedy Club Fitness. Club members from all of Kennedy’s locations earned entries when they joined, renewed or referred new members during the contest.

Dr. Takashi Wada, director of the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department, is joining CenCal Health as deputy chief medical officer. Dr. Wada will join Dr. Darryl Leong, from Care First Health Plan in Los Angeles, serving as chief medical officer for CenCal Health. “Dr. Leong and Dr. Wada will create an excellent team to

Send business-related news to: mark@simplyclearmarketing.com for inclusion in Business Briefs and Simply Clear Marketing & Media’s expanded business coverage.

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December 15 - 28, 2016 • Bay News

Chamber News The Way Forward

A

prosperous Morro Bay economy is built upon the foundation of a strong, connected community of people. I’m honored to have the opportunity to again serve as Board Chair in 2017 for the Morro Bay Chamber of Commerce. As Chair, I believe the Chamber’s most important objective next year is in mobilizing all local leaders to further a more collaborative and interconnected business community. In 2016, the Morro Bay Chamber has been working overtime to transform this organization into the strong, steady, and active one our city deserves. Our new membership is growing again for the first time in several years – we had 25 new members join in November! Our three trained Visitor Center staff have informed and referred over 8K visitors. We hosted six mixers (that brought out over 75 people each), five ribbon cutting ceremonies, and four Business Forums. Our Spring Business Walk Survey gathered important data from over 166 business owners in the Downtown and Embarcadero to inform planning and advocacy. We also helped steward the important AMGEN Tour of California, organized a candidate’s

forum for the election, and hosted our annual Installation Dinner, Membership Summit, and 3rd Annual Halloween Trick-or-Treat. This year, we broke all records by bringing more than $1M in tourism money to the area with the 10th Annual Avocado & Margarita Festival. To celebrate our local growers, we launched a sold out, highend food and wine event, Taste of the Grove, which drew 175 affluent visitors to the area. This year we have proved that the Morro Bay Chamber is best when it serves as a catalyst, connector and consensus-builder. When both new and established business minds are focused on improving business retention and expansion, entrepreneurial development, and tourist and retiree attraction, we all benefit. In 2017, our key aim will continue to be the identification of local assets, the cultivation of strong business leaders, and facilitating informed and solution seeking civic dialogue. Leadership is not confined to a few elected officials; we are all capable of mobilizing the many important segments of the business community to create the future –the

Morro Bay Chamber is again ready and able to lead. Let YOUR Chamber know, anytime, how we can work together to navigate the way forward.

Sincerely, Cyndee Edwards 2017 Chair of the Board of Directors

Nominate a Living Treasure

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orro Bay Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations for its annual Citizen of the Year and Living Treasure Awards that will be announced at the Annual Chamber Installation Dinner at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20 at the Community Center. For each category, submit a name and reason(s) for nominating the person. Previous recipients are not eligible. For Citizen of the Year, the person should be: “A Morro Bay resident who has provided selfless service to the community as a volunteer.” For Living Treasure, the person nominated should have “A body of work and service provided to Morro

Bay by lifestyle over a lifetime.” Deadline for nominations is Dec. 15 and the Chamber Board will select the winners. Submit nominees to Juliana Morse, via email at: juliana@morrochamber. org, by fax to 772-6038 or turn in nominations in person at the Chamber office, corner of Harbor and Piney Way, or mail to: Morro Bay Chamber of Commerce, 695 Harbor St., Morro Bay CA 93442. Tickets to the installation dinner are on Eventbrite.com for $65 per person, $500 for a table for eight (offer good ‘til Dec. 15) and sponsorships starting at $650. For information email to: info@morrochamber.org.

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Simply Clear Marketing & Media • December 15 - 28, 2016

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Sensing a Shift of Kindness in The Air Bottom Line By Michael Gunther

O

ver the past 6 months, I’ve been traveling back and forth to the East Coast on business, and on my most recent trip I noticed something different. Whether I was in the airports or New York City or Philadelphia, it seemed that people were friendlier than they were on my other trips. From the elevators to the streets, people were really polite. In fact, I wrote about the lack of manners I experienced back in August, when I questioned my own perspective. So, this recent observation has me perplexed. Was it that I changed my perspective? Was it because it is the holiday season? I continued to ponder this anomaly and surmised that maybe something else was happening. Could it be because of the negative rhetoric of the political season, the increase in hate-focused

harassment, the angry protests around the country that maybe has people realizing that we are all in this together and should be more polite to others? I do not have a Pollyanna view on this realization, but I for one, am just tired of the negativity and hostility. I wonder if others are feeling as I have over the past few months, given the posts and images on social media suggesting we unite as a country? This doesn’t mean that I’m not challenged by what has transpired, but it’s nice to see positive actions result. Imagine if more people said hello to strangers on the street, opened doors for others as they enter a building, or said good morning to those on the elevator. Could you imagine if people said ‘excuse me’ if they bumped into you or said ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ more often? Perhaps we could exhibit kindness to others, as we teach our children to do. In times of crisis, we typically see our communities and country come together to address the challenges we face. This is what makes us strong as individuals and a society. It is during

periods of adversity that people derive hope for a better future. This is when we see the strengths of kindness, respect and decorum become front and center in our lives. This recent travel experience made me appreciate that, at the end of the day, most people want the same things. They want to live a purposeful and meaningful life. They want to feel loved and cared about while having the ability to create the lives they want to live. People would prefer to be treated fairly and with respect as well. Is this really too much to ask for? Bottom Line I grasp the fact that I can’t control the actions of others, but I certainly can control mine. I can choose to be kind to the individuals I encounter in my daily life. I can choose not to respond even if they are not thoughtful to me. So maybe, just maybe, we are slowly turning a corner of strength, as individuals and communities. In this season of joy and merriment, I would like to believe that there is hope for a

better future between the individual’s in our country. A guy can dream.

This is another article in a series on Michael Gunther’s entrepreneurial story and how being raised in a large family and his belief in creating a growth company with a work-to-live mentality has influenced his career. To read the previous articles in this series, visit his blog at: www.Collaboration-llc. com. Michael Gunther is Founder and President of Collaboration, LLC, a team of highly-skilled business professionals who are dedicated to assisting proactive business owners to build profitable, sustainable businesses through results-oriented education and consulting services. Learn more at www.Collaboration-llc.com. Bottom Line is a regular feature of Simply Clear Marketing & Media.

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December 15 - 28, 2016 • Simply Clear Marketing & Media

Featured Folks

Shock and Anger Give Way to Joy and Community at Flanders By Camas Frank

S

o far the Grinch or grinches that tried to steal Christmas for the locally beloved Flanders Bicycle shop have gotten away with a lot. On Dec. 6, thieves broke into the storerooms of the shop’s Santa Barbara Avenue warehouse and made off with two customer bicycles in for repairs, expensive laptops used for the business, a favorite guitar belonging to store owner Shawn Hafley, and cash while performing property destruction as they went. What they couldn’t take - and frankly it could be giving to much credit to assume they tried – were the holiday spirit, nor the community spirit and bonds of friendship that Hafley, his family, and the store’s workers had garnered through the years. Within a day local DJ Manuel

Barba set up an $8,000 Go Fund Me page, “Friends of Flanders” to help, explaining, “If you know Shawn Hafley and have ever visited Flanders Bicycle, then you know first hand how important these two are to our beautiful home of SLO. Shawn Hafley is loved by many as someone who is committed to the idea of making this community stronger through his love of music, art, and biking.” By the following weekend folks had pledged $6,094 towards the goal. In the same timeframe Hayley Cain a SLO-based freelance writer focusing on the finer points of travel, food and local art pulled together a “Lovefest for Flanders” using Facebook to organize a Saturday benefit concert featuring live acts Shawn Clark and the Family Band and Mike Cross with Witchita Truckers, along with a Silent

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auction for items and good donated by local shops and artists. Sally Loo’s Wholesome Cafe from just down the street donated snacks for the event and hot dogs were BBQed up on sale for lunch. “What it was, was many talented people working together,” said Cain. “I know a lot of talented people that could be brought together by asking. Everyone had something to give.” She joked with Darci Hafley that it was, “SLO’s version of a Little Drummer Boy story.” Asked to say a few words at the microphone between bands Hafley didn’t have many aside from reflections of gratitude and appreciation, but he was a little choked up while standing back and surveying the tables of gifts up for silent auction and talking about his involvement with the standing under canopies on the misty Saturday afternoon. “It’s been such a whirlwind since Wednesday,” said Shawn Hafley. “I’m overwhelmed right now. I’m a very private person.... I’m generous and I give a lot to others where I can. So it’s very different to be on the other side.”

The relative size of Flanders, with five people including Hafley and only one full time employee, means the margins between a good year and hard times is razor-thin. And 2016 was not on track to be a good year before the break in. “We’re so small it did hurt us a lot,” said Hafley, noting the worst part was that the thieves targeted customized bikes belonging to his customers, as well wreaking havoc that he had to pay out of pocket to repair. “A $10,000 hit might not be as large to a company like Art’s [Cyclery] but the timing for us couldn’t have been worse.” Customer support and engagement with every level of the cycling community is, after all, why they’ve got a five-star Yelp rating and a huge part of what brought out support, noted employee Scott Larson. “The roll-up window right into the work area is perfect. People can always come and ask something or [talk shop],” he said. “Ask anyone from the [homeless] who ride everywhere in town to the [wealthy] hobbyist, they all come by because they know we’re here for them.” “Shawn and the crew at Flanders have touched everyone’s lives in this community, added Cain. “There’s no way his friends and neighbors were going to let [burglars] steal Christmas.”

Flanders is still open normal hours Monday – Friday, 10:00 a.m.- 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at 1951 Santa Barbara Ave. in SLO. Call them at 439-2900

Simply Clear Marketing & Media • December 15 - 28, 2016

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51

Feature

Car Cadets Takes Selling Your Car to New Level By Mark Diaz

I

magine trying to sell a home without a real estate agent. It can be done, and people do it, but it’s a hassle. It takes a lot of time, energy and patience. Now imagine selling a car and all the time, energy and patience it takes. People sell and buy cars all the time without any representation and without integral knowledge of how the car business actually works. You probably have even done it yourself. But what if you had an automotive agent that could go through hassle negotiating or finding just the right car for you? It was this idea that lead Bobby Barajas and Kyle Smith to start their business, Car Cadets Inc. “It’s really exciting when you buy a car,� Barajas said. “The process it takes, though, is what people hate. We’re a real estate agent, but for cars.� Car Cadets is carving out a niche in the automotive market on the Central Coast. Just like a real estate agent, Barajas and Smith find the vehicle you are looking for or find a buyer for your vehicle. “This market doesn’t really exist,� Barajas said. “There are brokers out there who will find your car and there are businesses out there who can sell

more in the year and a half that I was in that dealership than I have ever learned anything in my whole life. It was an awesome eye opener.� Eventually, Barajas grew tired of working at the dealership and the job’s lack of upward momentum. “The dealership is a grind. Always. From the first day of the month to the last day of the month, it’s literally thinking about nothing but closing car deals,� he said. Smith, who graduated from Cal State Fullerton with a business management degree, had a lot of experience facilitating automotive Bobby Barajas of Car Cadets transactions for friends and families. your car, but there is not someone out Barajas and Smith brainstormed there who can do both and have you about business ideas when it finally do absolutely nothing. (We) make you struck them. “How could we find a more money and save you a heck of a problem in the car business and how do lot of time.� we solve it? It was simple. People hate After Barajas graduated from Cal buying and selling cars,� Barajas said. State Long Beach he got a job at a Santa For the trade-in aspect of the business, Maria dealership selling cars. “It was a Car Cadets never owns the car. What tremendous experience,� Barajas said. they do is facilitate finding a buyer for “Nothing against college, but I learned your vehicle on an agreed upon price.

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If the car is sold at a higher price then Car Cadets receives the difference. The company does more than simply find a buyer. “We clean it. We take pictures. “We take videos. We list it on sites. We take phone calls. We do the leg work,� Barajas said. Car Cadets also will find the car you want. A father wanted to purchase a DeLorean for his son who is an avid Back to the Future fan. Smith ended up flying to Florida to test drive a car that was in the buyer’s price range and had it shipped to a Central Coast dealership to finish the transaction. Car Cadets maintains a broker, wholesale and a dealer license. Among other things, these licenses allow them to interact with dealerships on a business to business basis, as well as, give them access to auctions. Barajas and Smith are currently working on acquiring their retail license that allows them to buy the car from the customer and in turn sell to another customer. “We’re going to be able to bring a product to your house at any time and you will be able to do the paperwork straight through me. In a sense, we are bringing the dealership to your house.� For more information, check out their website at http://carcadetsinc.com

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