Year In Review, December 29 - January 11, 2017

Page 1

2016

Year In Review

December 29 - January 11, 2017

YOUR COMMUNITY IN YOUR HANDS

C O N T E N T S 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 Michelle Johnson art director Christy Serpa editorial design Stephanie Hansen administrative assistant Justin Stoner graphic marketing Karita Harrskog event and marketing assistant admin@simplyclearmarketing.com ADVERTISING Jessica Micklus sales manager jessica@simplyclearmarketing.com Dana McGraw senior advertising executive dana@simplyclearmarketing.com Zorina Ricci coast news advertising executive z@simplyclearmarketing.com Carrie Vickerman bay news advertising executive carrie@simplyclearmarketing.com David Diaz digital marketing CONTRIBUTING WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Ben Schutzer David Buckingham Erin O’Donnell King Harris Judy Salamacca Michael Gunther Nancy Puder Ray Ambler SLO Nightwriters Teri Bayus Vivian Krug 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.

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Year In Review

2016

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A Year of Starts, Stops and Finishes By Neil Farrell

T

he Bay News takes a look back at the big, tragic, interesting and funny stories run in 2016. It was a year that saw Los Osos breathe a sigh of relief at having finally completed a community sewer project (almost); and Morro Bay making strides, after several stumbles, towards settling its own sewer issue, in the face of a huge rise in cost estimates. In Cayucos, residents saw the closure of a major piece of their heritage, of their very community when the County shuttered the Vet’s Hall indefinitely, after discovering major structural issues. Here now, are highlights from 2016, as we reported in the pages of Your Hometown Community Newspaper. — Neil Farrell

January

The Los Osos Community Services District began 2016 searching for a leader after G.M. Kathy Kivley agreed

to a leave at the end of January amidst a cloud of controversy. CSD attorney, Michael Seitz, told the board that the District had reached a settlement agreement with Kivley, who was hired in October 2013, and had been under fire almost from the get-go by critics of the CSD. By the end of the year, the CSD had gone through one more interim manager before hiring Renee Osborne for the full time job. Jan. 2 marked the official opening of the Morro Bay Bike Park, an off road, X Games style set of three tracks in the 1500 block of Main Street. Police Department support services manager, Bonnie Johnson, came up with the idea about 3-years ago. Johnson, and a group of volunteers from Central Coast Mountain Bikers and the community, helped steer the project through. And the kids love it. Los Osos residents were reassured that their drinking water was safe after a warning was issued in early

January that tests showed a high level of a cancer-causing heavy metal. The Community Services District on Jan. 11 sent out a warning notice to its roughly 2,750 customers alerting them that tests done in December on a well in Baywood Park showed “hexavalent chromium” or chromium 6 levels slightly above the maximum limits for safe drinking water. A Northern California man was arrested in Hawaii after he allegedly committed a string of burglaries aimed at ATMs and then said “Aloha” to the mainland. The suspect, Tyrone Brennen, 30 of Antioch, Calif., was tracked down in Hawaii after Sheriff’s detectives allegedly linked him to six burglaries in SLO County and at least eight in Northern California over a 7-week stretch last November and December. Included in the spree were two ATM burglaries inside Morro Bay businesses. All the cases were linked by a spot-on similar modus operandi.

A prank call to a local fast food restaurant triggered a response that led apparently panicked workers to shatter all the windows and doors in what has to be one of the worst cases ever of getting “punked.” At about 11 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30 employees at Burger King, 781 Quintana Rd., reportedly received a call from someone purporting to be from the Fire Department, warning of a natural gas leak. The caller instructed the manager to break all the windows to let the gas escape, according to a news release. When police and firefighters arrived, every window in the dining room had been shattered, and both sets of glass doors destroyed when the night manager rammed his car into them. It was one of numerous similar pranks pulled on fast food restaurants across the nation. The manager of course, lost his job.

Year In Review February

A Los Osos home on Woodland Drive was destroyed in a suspicious fire on Feb. 8, and the home’s owner was arrested and later convicted of setting fire to his own home and resisting arrest. The man, Mark Hannah, 47, had been the subject of a “check the welfare” request by family members earlier that same day, as they were concerned about his mental state. Sheriff’s deputies stopped his vehicle in Cayucos earlier, spoke to him and then released him. Hours later, the house went up in flames, and Hannah was reportedly inside when the blaze started. With the environmental world looking on, a split California Coastal Commission fired its executive director, Charles Lester, despite a huge crowd of supporters turned out to urge that he be retained. An estimated more than 600 people converged on Morro Bay from communities up and down the California Coast Wednesday, Feb. 10 packing the Community Center to

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2016

Bay News • December 29, 2016 - January 11, 2017

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The Cayucos Fire District held a series of community meetings to discuss the fire department’s future and more specifically, a June vote on increasing the local fire tax to save it from dissolution. Measure C-16, which would have greatly increased the annual assessments on private property, was soundly defeated by 63% to 37%, in the June Primary, and as the year ended, the fire department still faced a moment of truth on whether or not and how-to continue with the fire district. A Morro Bay police officer was cleared of wrong doing in an officer-involved shooting of a burglary suspect, the District Attorney said. District Attorney Dan Dow’s office was in charge of the investigation into the Oct. 30, 2015 shooting in the leg of a transient man by Sr. Ofc. Dale Cullum, while resisting arrest for an earlier commercial burglary. The suspect, Alec Bryan Stephenson, 20, was wounded and has since recovered. He was charged with assaulting an officer, resisting arrest and burglary.

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The Cayucos Sanitary District unanimously chose a property on Toro Creek Road as its preferred site for a new sewer treatment plant, with a back-up site down Old Creek Road, in case the first doesn’t pan out. With its usual consensus the CSD voted 4-0 (one member was absent due to an injury) for the Toro Creek site (estimated cost, $24.8 million) out of three, including a property up Cayucos Creek Road ($40.3M) and another off Old Creek Road (near Willow Creek, at $30.9M), which came in second.

A former Cayucos Fire Department volunteer captain was found guilty of multiple charges of rape of a minor, human trafficking, and other sex crimes and in August, was sentenced to 147 years in prison. Oscar Higueros, Jr., 40, originally from Los Osos, was convicted of “human trafficking of a minor by using force or fear and guilty of 24 additional crimes that include forcible rape, sodomy, and oral copulation against the same under age victim,” reads a news release from the District Attorney’s Office. Another man, Richard Brooks of San Francisco, was convicted of similar charges in the case and was sentenced to 61 years in prison. continued, page 6

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2016

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December 29, 2016 - January 11, 2017 • Bay News

Year In Review

but the occupancy rate actually dropped slightly, after five years of steady growth under the Tourism Bureau. A day more than 36-years in the making, and one that many people probably thought they’d never see, finally arrived, as the first Los Osos homeowners began hooking up to the community sewer system bright and early Monday, March 28. And local businessman Robert Shipe, who lives in the 500 block of Highland Dr., was the first one to complete the work.

State and Federal Governments collect gas taxes. “Our funding has simply collapsed,” he added. SLOCOG placed the item on November’s ballot. But Measure J failed to get the needed 2/3rds approval, losing by less than 1 percent.

May

San Luis Obispo County residents would be asked to raise the local sales taxes by one half percent at November’s General Election, as a countywide agency scrambled to find money to pay for street maintenance. Ron DiCarli, the executive director of the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments or

A proposal to rebuild the lease site at Off the Hook Restaurant was tossed back by the City Council, in favor of putting the lease site out for new bids on redevelopment. It’s a lease site that saw upheavals in 2016, with the property being foreclosed on and ownership of the lease changing hands. It became the third time the lease site, which is set to expire in March 2018, has been put out for bids. And months later the City Council considered a fresh proposal

SLOCOG, told a Chamber business forum, “Revenues from gas taxes are dropping,” DiCarli said. “We have higher fuel efficiency vehicles, lower gas prices and electric cars.” Both the

to rebuild this site and the Libertine Pub next door, with a massive 30room motel/restaurant complex being proposed, but that too was met with opposition.

If you collect recyclable cans and bottles for cash redemption, the choices for where to redeem them became fewer and farther between, after a recycling company closed two centers in Morro Bay and one in Los Osos, the local fallout from a statewide problem — mandates and fees to induce recycling, and fewer and fewer places to redeem those monies. And by the end of the year, there was still no relief in sight. According to Bill Worrell, executive director of the Integrated Waste Management Authority, rePlanet closed some 191 of its recycling centers on Jan. 31 mostly in Northern California, laying off 278 employees. The abrupt closures were because the State agency that subsidizes them, CalRecycle, “reduced the amount of payment and that, along with lower market prices for the recyclables, caused the sites to close.”

April

Morro Bay’s tourism marketing efforts stood at a crossroads in 2016, as the Tourism Business Improvement District members met for their annual stakeholders meeting to review marketing plans for the coming year. This as the City was poised to take the marketing responsibilities inhouse, dissolve the non-profit Tourism Bureau, and take over promoting the city, which occurred in summer.

Though there were some indications that the hoteliers might not go along, in the end, they all agreed to allow the City takeover. Tax figures released in the fall showed bed tax receipts increasing — due mainly to higher room charges —

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Year In Review

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2016

Bay News • December 29, 2016 - January 11, 2017

6WRS LQ DQG VHH WKH EHDXWLIXO VHOHFWLRQ RI Ă€QH jewelry and other merchandise. Morro Bay Jewelers also specializes in repairs and custom work. “It’s an incompatible land use — period,â€? said Morro Bay resident and professional land use planner, Tina Metzger, who was among the leaders of a groups of residents determined to stop the City of Morro Bay from building a new wastewater treatment facility on the Hwy 41 Righetti Ranch site. Metzger said she and her neighbors “are not obstructionists. It’s just the wrong site. These are people’s homes and we’ve lost sleep over this. People are under stress. It’s really obstructed their lives.â€? The residents prevailed and the City Council eventually chose a site at the north end of South Bay Blvd., as the new preferred site and pressed onward with a facilities master plan (a draft of which was released in November) and environmental impact report (due in Fall 2017). It might be brand new but the Los Osos sewer collection system already hit its ďŹ rst hiccup, after someone dumped loads of raw septage into the lines causing problems at some of the lift stations. John Waddell, the County’s project manager, conďŹ rmed

the illegal dumping in an email dated April 18. “Yes, we found some septage from septic tanks in the collection system last week,â€? Waddell said. “This is not allowed and all the contractors know this. We had to hire our own pumper to clean out the lift stations.â€? Waddell said they are pumping out lift stations a couple of times a week. There were some 99 contractors vetted by the County for the project, which should be completed in March 2017. Faced with a slew of angry property owners, the Morro Bay City Council eased o the gas with some active code enforcement issues, at least until the City can get a handle on updating its municipal codes. The issue arose after the City hired two part-time code enforcement oďŹƒcers at the end of 2015 and began stepped-up, proactive code enforcement in addition to responding to complaints ďŹ led by residents. After issuing some 17 notices of violation to property owners just in the Harbor Tract — the neighborhood o Radcli Street — the reaction of the public was swift and negative. continued, page 8

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2016

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December 29, 2016 - January 11, 2017 • Bay News

Year In Review

The worst fears of Cayucans came to pass, as the County shuttered the historic Vet’s Hall indefinitely. The word came down May 4, before a meeting of the Cayucos Citizens Advisory Council. A structural analysis of the building concluded that the circa1870s one-time shipping warehouse is not structurally sound and thus unsafe. “The roof is barely being held up right now,” said Dep. Public Works Director Dave Flynn. “The walls or roof could collapse if a strong wind blows in the wrong direction or if a moderate earthquake hits. We don’t want to close the Cayucos Veterans Hall, but we have no choice. Public safety is our top priority.” The Vet’s Hall remains closed as the County contemplates what to do.

Molnar, Marjoe Delacruz, Andrew Stafford and June Janzen made their college choices official in front of their parents, families, fellow students and school staff and coaches. The City of Morro Bay looked at killing more than two birds with a single project when it considered plans to move forward on a new Coast Guard headquarters and a new Harbor Office. Harbor Director Eric Endersby endeavored to work out a memorandum of understanding or MOU with the federal agency on this newest version of a project. Asked last week for an update, Endersby said, “Last time I inquired, Nov. 10, the answer was, essentially, ‘Your request was sent to those who have an idea on what is happening with the plan.’ “Before that, in late summer, the answer was, ‘Stand by, we’ve had several changes of command and the new people that are responsible have not yet been briefed and taken it up.’ In other words, stand by to stand by.”

More than 100 Los Osos residents and government officials turned out April 22 for a ribbon-cutting

On June 20 a landmark agreement between environmentalists, unions and PG&E set in motion the eventual closure of Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, with Unit 1 reactor being retired in 2024 and Unit 2 in 2025, coinciding with the expiration of their licenses to operate. PG&E initially offered to pay $36 million to the County and San Luis Coastal Unified School District, to make up for the lost tax revenues when the plant closes. Naturally, that brought protests from cities, the County and SLCUSD. Months later, a new monetary amount was agreed upon by the parties, doubling the money PG&E would pay out. The State Public Utilities Commission has not yet voted on whether to approve the agreement, which would cause ratepayers to pick up the tab. and dedication ceremony to commemorate the completion of a $183 million community sewer and water reclamation project. Dist. 2 County Supervisor Bruce Gibson, who is the fifth supervisor to work on the issue, emceed the event, which included speeches by Congresswoman Lois Capps, U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary, Lillian Salerno, former County Public Works Director, Paavo Ogren, and the County’s Project Manager, John Waddell. Capps, who is retiring this year after 18 years in Congress, “has been a tireless advocate for a lot of causes,” Gibson said. “Through her help we have this facility that you see now.” “I have personally looked forward to this day for a long time,” Capps said.

June

The San Luis Coastal School District broke ground on a new pool facility at Morro Bay High, a long-anticipated event for both the community and the student athletes in the aquatic sports programs. District Superintendent Dr. Eric Prater told the assembled students, community members, dignitaries,

parents and school staff that this was, “A long time coming. We heard from the Morro Bay and Los Osos communities 6-years ago about the need for a pool.” He called getting a new pool built “a long shot” without the approval in November 2014 of Measure D, a $177 million bond measure that will pay for major upgrades and new facilities at Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo high schools. With painstakingly delicate effort, the Central Coast Maritime Museum Association successfully lifted, cradled and transported the tugboat, Alma, from its dry storage in the Harbor Department’s yard by Morro Creek to its new home on display on The Embarcadero. There she became part of the new arrangement of boats for the CCMMA’s future museum complex that includes the Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle, Avalon, a Coast Guard Surf Rescue Rollover Boat, and sometime in the future, the Monterey-style fishing boat, Spindrift. A fund-raising effort done in conjunction with the visit of a brand new tall ship, the San Salvador, raised enough money to install the

July

Museum’s first home, a 20 by 20 foot portable, which should be installed in 2017. The City of Morro Bay held public workshops in its ongoing efforts to update the general plan and local coastal program and to develop a Downtown-Waterfront plan, too. The City said these new documents would look ahead to 2040 and shape what the city wants to become. Initial concept drawings for rebuilding the Centennial Stairway and Giant Chessboard Park were met with lukewarm enthusiasm by the public and the City Council. Four Morro Bay High School student athletes signed letters of intent to play sports in college and the schools they chose were diverse. Seniors, Fallon

A cost-cutting measure approved by the Morro Bay City Council is apparently working well, perhaps a little too well, as the City received a host of early retirement requests, coupled with a number of other city employees leaving for new jobs or other reasons. At least 16 out of the 94 City employees were set to leave by the end of the year or had already left, some 17% of the workforce. It was an unprecedented exodus but one that wasn’t necessarily scandalous. People have their varying reasons for leaving, but for the majority, it appears they were getting out while the getting was good. There were again no fireworks on 4th of July in Morro Bay but that doesn’t mean the holiday was entirely without a red, white and blue spectacle. Artist Chris Stavros of Morro Bay recreated a June 9 art exhibition wherein he used purple lights to create the ‘Morro Bay Stacks Art Light Installation Project.’ On July 3-4 he did it again to celebrate the 240th Independence Day with a more patriotic color palette. continued, page 10

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Year In Review

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Morro Bay Police Department lost its K-9 Unit, after the department’s K-9 officer left for a job with the Cal Poly Police Department along with the police dog. Ofc. Stephanie Pippan and Xello, left Morro Bay for the state university employment at the end of June. She’s at least the fourth MBPD officer to do likewise and was the fourth current officer to leave the department over the past few months, along with Sgt. Derek Porter, Cmdr. Bryan Millard and Chief Amy Christey. The City sold Xello to Cal Poly for some $1,500 and the K-9 car for $7,500, with an additional $720 collected in taxes. A City-owned vacant property was finally sold. The approximately 1-acre vacant parcel at San Jacinto Street and Coral Avenue was given to the City by the original developers of the Cloisters, Keyoto-Natalie Corp., back in the 1990s, with the intentions that a new fire station be built there. Over time that plan was abandoned and the property put up for sale. It was for sale for about 10 years until July 12, when the City finally sold it to an outof-the-area developer, Jeff Mayer, for $799,000. Local realtor, Frankie Ciano of Ciano Real Estate, Inc., in Morro Bay was the agent on the deal. It’s been hanging over the heads of the local police for years and in August, the City Council asked the community whether they should contract out policing services with the County Sheriff and disband the MBPD. The Vet’s Hall was packed and residents made it clear they did not want to give up their police

department, putting the issue at rest for the foreseeable future. Los Osos finally got a women’s clothing store when Julie Phillips and husband Jim Lynch opened, Juls Comfy Closet, an affordable boutique clothing store at 1062 Los Osos Valley Rd., in the Miner’s Hardware Shopping Center. It was part of resurgence for that center, as Starbucks, and Zacster’s Hobby Shop, and The Grocery Outlet opened in the shopping center. Morro Bay capped the number of vacation rentals they would allow, for at least the next couple of years, when the general plan update now underway will presumably offer up a complete new ordinance. The City Council voted 4-0 with Councilman John Headding stepping down, to set a limit of 250 vacation rentals scattered throughout the city, extending a 45-day temporary moratorium approved at the end of June (Ordinance No. 604).

August

“This is an important event for our city,” said Morro Bay City Manager David Buckingham, on the occasion of swearing in an interim police chief. Interim Chief, Larry Todd, became just the 10th police chief — counting both interims and full timers — in MBPD’s 51-year history. Efforts to find a permanent replacement got underway in the late fall with the City Council agreeing to hire a headhunter firm.

Morro Bay’s City Council elections saw three people — Betty Winholtz, Tina Metzger and Mayor Jamie Irons — vie for the Mayor’s job and three — Robert Davis, Richard Sadowski, and Marlys McPherson — for two open council seats. In the end, Irons, McPherson and Davis won and were seated in early December. County Sheriff’s and Morro Bay Police investigators worked to piece together the circumstances surrounding an Aug. 22 murder-suicide on Greenwood Avenue that was discovered almost by chance. According to Sgt. Rick Catlett at 2:30 a.m. an officer on patrol was checking out a suspicious vehicle report when he noticed the front door of a home sitting wide open, which the officer decided was “unusual” circumstances. Sgt. Catlett on Tuesday identified the victim as Angelica Ramos, 36, and the alleged suspect as Brian Keith Tuck, 47. Sgt. Catlett would not say how the victim and suspect died. Tragically, there was an innocent witness. “Officers also located a 4-year-old child who was unharmed in the residence,” Sgt. Catlett said. “The child was initially cared for by County Child Welfare Services and has subsequently been released to the custody of family members.”

September

A controversial Cayucos motel project came up for consideration again before the Coastal Commission, and this time the staff recommended it be approved. Under appeal since 2009, the Cayucos Del Mar project is proposed for a commercial property at the corner of Old Creek Road and Ocean Boulevard just off Hwy 1. The applicant, Franco DeCicco of Morro Bay, proposes to subdivide four parcels into five and build a 4-unit residential multi-family condominium project and an 18-room hotel with underground hotel parking, landscaping, drainage and other improvements, according to a Coastal Commission staff report, available online at: www.coastal.ca.gov/mtgcurr. html. The hearing was postponed.

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CITY OF MORRO BAY ADVISORY BOARD VACANCIES Applications are currently being accepted to fill current vacancies on the following Commissions and Advisory Boards: Public Works Advisory Board (1), Citizens Oversight & Finance Committee (2), Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) Advisory Board (2), and Citizens Transportation Advisory Committee (1). Applications for these positions may be obtained at City Hall, 595 Harbor Street, or on-line at www.morrobayca.gov under the “Your Government” tab. If you have any questions, please call 772-6205 during normal business hours. The closing date for submitting applications is Friday, January 20, 2017 at 5:00pm. Interviews are tentatively planned to take place the week of January 23, 2017. Applicants should be present at the interviews in order to be considered by the City Council.

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2016

12

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December 29, 2016 - January 11, 2017 • Bay News

Year In Review

A survey commissioned by the City of Morro Bay showed overwhelming support for the natural environment but sub-par scores for some of the City Government’s delivery of some services. The State Parks Department reopened Hearst Castle to tours after it was shut down for more than a week

over fears from the Chimney wildfire. The iconic castle and vital tourist attraction was reopened to normal tour schedules on Monday, Aug. 29. It was closed on Aug. 20. The fire started Aug. 13 at Chimney Rock and Running Deer Roads, south of Lake Nacimiento, and scorched more than 46,300 acres before final containment on Sept. 6. In the final tally, 49 residences and 21

other structures were destroyed, and eight others damaged. No deaths were reported and the cause has not been determined, or at least released by Cal Fire. The search for missing Cal Poly co-ed, Kristen Smart, who vanished in 1996, heated up when the Sheriff’s Office and FBI conducted a methodical excavation on the Cal Poly Campus, as well as several other undisclosed locations in the

county. SLO County Sheriff, Ian Parkinson said on Sept. 6, that their 20year investigation into Smart’s disappearance, “has led us back here, where it first began on the Campus of Cal Poly.” By the end of the year, the Sheriff’s Office had still not announced

the findings from the search.

October

The replica Spanish Galleon, San Salvador, glided quietly out of the foggy gloom announcing her arrival in Morro Bay Harbor with cannon fire and greeted by a flotilla of boats — from kayaks and paddle boards, to a dragon boat, sailboats, power boats and the Coast Guard, with a water canon salute from the Harbor Patrol. There were also three, handmade, tule reed boats fashioned by the local Salinan Tribe, whose ancestors inhabited the area in 1542, when the original San Salvador explored the California Coast. A group of young people, dressed in traditional Salinan garb, paddled out from Coleman Beach to greet her. The boat was docked at the South T-pier Sept. 29-Oct. 10 where more than 10,000 people took dockside tours. The visit was a fundraiser for the Central Coast Maritime Museum Association. Morro Bay High School was saddened by the death of beloved member of their extended family, assistant football coach, mentor and Grizzly Academy leader, James Atchison, who died Oct. 8 of complications from a recent surgery on his neck. He was 47-years old and left behind a wife, Elizabeth,

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Year In Review

13

2016

Bay News • December 29, 2016 - January 11, 2017

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son Niko, 20, and daughter Evelyn, 16 an MBHS student, and a host of friends, i n c l u d i n g the countless young people, Sgt. Atchison inuenced and touched during a 12-year tenure at the Grizzly Academy.

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Sgt. Jody Cox became Cmdr. Cox after he was promoted by Interim Police Chief Larry Todd, ďŹ lling the department’s No. 2 spot after the departure of former Cmdr. Bryan Millard, who became Cuesta’s police chief in July. Several dozen people applied for the job, Chief Todd said. Top-5 ďŹ nalists included Cox and two other MBPD oďŹƒcers, and two other “strong candidates from the region.â€?

November

Of the more than 100 artistic cows now on display across San Luis Obispo County, the “Cowbear,â€? aectionately named, “Udderly Osa,â€? literally stood above the others. Father-son artistic team, Dave and Kyle Doust, took on the

Endless Possibilities challenge put to them by a committee of folks in Los Osos, from the Town’s Tourism Board and Celebrate Los Osos, and literally ran with it. The Cowbear is on display on Second Street down by the pier and by December, a movement was launched to raise money to purchase the Cowbear, which is slated to be auctioned o for charity next spring. Morro Bay’s City Council Election turned up an interesting factoid regarding the City’s legal bills since the former in-house attorney was let go at the end of 2013, and the City Council contracted out for legal services the following April.

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2016

14

•

December 29, 2016 - January 11, 2017 • Bay News

Year In Review

A document obtained by The Bay News showed that since going with a contract attorney ďŹ rm in April 2014 through July 2016, the attorney’s fees had totaled some $942,400 — an average of some $33,800 a month over 27 months. Ol’ McDonald might feel right at home at Morro Bay High’s student farm. The recent start of the school year marked the second year of what started out as a classroom exercise but is now turning into a business venture — egg farming. The City of Morro Bay ďŹ lled three vacancies in its management employees, and one of the new hires, recreation supervisor Kirk Carmichael, was a familiar face to long-time residents having worked at the City recreation department from 1992-97. The new Deputy City Manager is Bay Area native, Ikani Taumoepeau, who replaced Sam Taylor, who left in June for a job in Idaho after just a year in Morro Bay. And the new ďŹ nance director is Craig Schmollinger, who replaced the retiring Susan Slayton. A new historical look at Los Osos and Baywood Park by Lynette Tornatzky of Los Osos was released in time for the holidays. “Images of America, Los Osos/Baywood Park,â€? takes a historic look at the Los Osos and Baywood Park communities, as they started out separated but over the years grew

together and created a quirky, rebellious, o the beaten path community.

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December

Morro Bay will again welcome the professional cycling world to town, after it signed on to host the ďŹ nish of one stage of the 12th Annual Amgen Tour of California, set to hopscotch for some 600 miles across the Golden State SundaySaturday, May 14-20, 2017. Stage 3 of the race on Tuesday, May 16 will start in Pismo Beach and ďŹ nish in Morro Bay.

It’s been nearly a decade in the making but on Saturday, Dec. 3 the Central Coast Women for Fisheries oďŹƒcially unveiled its public sculpture, “Those Who Wait.â€? And it’s not a moment too soon for the public, which has been waiting for this since the three bronze sculptures — a mom, little girl, and boy — were installed on April 29 on a large concrete pedestal overlooking the harbor mouth near Target Rock.

The aisles ďŹ lled immediately at the newly opened Grocery Outlet Store in Los Osos, and as the Chamber of Commerce cut the welcoming ribbon, the cash registers were already singing. Duane and Malia Cross are the new owners of the local chain store. “We own the business,â€? Duane Cross said during the hectic Nov. 10 oďŹƒcial opening. “It’s a partnership with the corporation, more unique than a franchise.â€? Grocery Outlet has been around since 1946, he explained. They practice, “opportunistic buyingâ€? of their wares, which they get at a discount and pass along to customers “at a discounted price.â€? The new store ďŹ lls a vacancy

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that opened up in 2015, when Haggen’s bought out Vons, opened briey and then closed abruptly. Estimates for Morro Bay’s proposed new sewer treatment and water reclamation plant jumped to $133.1 million to $134.8 million overall, the City revealed with the release of a “Facilities Master Plan,â€? written by consultants, Black & Veatch. The FMP narrows down the possible technologies for the sewage treatment portion of a 2-phased project, to a sequencing batch reactor or a membrane batch reactor. Both are expensive, energyintensive technologies, but B&V said each produces high quality euent that would help further the City’s goal of recycling the wastewater. Work

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The San Luis Coastal UniďŹ ed School District marched full steam ahead with its ambitious building program, starting on some of the bigger projects at Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo High Schools that were approved under 2014’s Measure D, a $177 million bond vote. As construction of a new swimming and diving pool at MBHS continues, the Board approved on Nov. 1 an Annex and 12-classroom building at SLOHS (estimated at $7.6 million); the remodel of the J-wing of classrooms at MBHS ($4.7M); and a new Student Services Building at MBHS ($4M). Dec. 6 was the anticipated showdown between Fresno-area developers and a spunky group of Morro Bay residents over plans to demolish a former Navy jet fuel tank farm in North Morro

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Year In Review Bay. That’s when the City Planning Commission was supposed to again hear the application to demolish three steel tanks — two 5.5 million gallon fuel tanks and one 110,000-gallon ďŹ rewater tank — from the approximately 10acre property at 3300 Panorama Dr., in North Morro Bay. But due to an undisclosed noticing problem by the City planning sta, the oďŹƒcial hearing was pushed back to January 3. Morro Bay’s city manager was a ďŹ nalist for a new job in a Montana ski resort town, a development that took the City Council by surprise. In a Dec. 7 online newspaper story (see: Daily Inter Lake.com), out of WhiteďŹ sh, Mont., City Manager, David Buckingham, was reported as one of ďŹ ve ďŹ nalists for the WhiteďŹ sh city manager’s job. Buckingham said the rancor of the recent election prompted him to apply for the WhiteďŹ sh job. “During the recent campaign, 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 WhiteďŹ sh. While those candidates were not elected, as a man of integrity I determined it appropriate to let the process move forward.â€? To update,

15

2016

Bay News • December 29, 2016 - January 11, 2017

Buckingham said on Dec. 27, that he was not leaving Morro Bay. “I am very happy to report, for a number of reasons, that I do not intend to leave Morro Bay anytime soon,� he said.

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Morro 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 notiďŹ ed by the Highway Patrol of a possible homicide at a home in Morro Bay. The suspect was identiďŹ ed as William Joel Schonberger, 23 of Morro Bay and the victim was William John Schonberger, 59 and the father of the suspect. The younger Schonberger stands accused of murder and police conďŹ rmed that the weapon was a machete. Central Coast Congresswoman Lois Capps capped o her tenure in the House of Representatives, giving her ďŹ nal speech on the House oor on Wednesday, Dec. 7, her Washington D.C. oďŹƒce announced. 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 ďŹ ll out the term of her husband, ďŹ rstyear Congressman Walter Capps. New Congressman, Salud Carbajal, will take the oath of oďŹƒce Jan. 3.

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YOUR COMMUNITY IN YOUR HANDS

T

he Coast News looks back at 2016, a year with water supply issues at the forefront, community involvement at the foundation, and plenty of environmental and social concerns spattered about. It is through the tremendous efforts of the people who live and work in our little coastal paradise, that we all thrive, succeed and give gratitude. The following are highlights from the Five Cities as we bid ado to another year gone in the blink of an eye. Until next year–Theresa-Marie Wilson

January City leaders and residents were not all aboard with train cars that were being stored within city limits since September of 2015. The line of about 100 empty train cars stretched along the tracks from Oceano and into Pismo Beach along Highway 1. The railcars

were an eyesore that could impact the economics of the city as well as become a safety issue, according to city officials. Customers of the Arroyo Grande Starbucks would soon buy a cup of coffee to perk themselves up in the morning and an alcoholic beverage later in the day to wind down. The city’s Planning Commission recommended that the city council approve a permit to sell beer and wine at the Starbucks located at 924 W. Branch St in what is commonly know as the Wal-Mart center. Typically dogs don’t frequent libraries, but what better way to spend an afternoon than reading a good book with a friendly canine by your side? Children were able to just that during the Grover Beach Community Library’s new Reading 2 Rover program. The program is part of their Caring Canines group. All dogs are certified team

members and must pass a challenging obedience and temperament evaluation prior to being accepted into the program. One of the niceties of living in a small community are the bonds that form between people from all walks of life who share the common goal of giving back. In that spirit, Coast News sat down with the three folks, Effie McDermott, from Pismo Beach; Sean Schuur, from Arroyo Grande; and Bruce Van Vort, from Grover Beach each awarded the 2015 Citizen of the Year from their respective chambers of commerce. It was a gathering that began with the shaking of hands and ended with hugs all around. The Arroyo Grande City Council voted in favor of a ban on the cultivation and dispensing of medical marijuana within city limits. Councilmember Tim Brown dissented and Mayor Jim Hill

was absent. “As it was said publicly, prohibition doesn’t work, and this is not going to work,” Brown said. “This is going to drive all this stuff underground. I don’t think it is going to do what’s intended… It boggles my mind that we think somehow prohibition is going to make easier on enforcement or anything else.” The long awaited rain finally came to the Central Coast, and the Five Cities Fire Authority looked at how prepared the area was for expected El Nino storms that could cause significant flooding and other damage. Mutual aid agreements were arranged should resources such as equipment and sand be needed from agencies outside the area. Those include CALWARN, a statewide water agency network for utility companies, as well as the statewide public works mutual agreement.

•

Year In Review February

The Food Bank Coalition of San Luis Obispo County is expecting to feed 50,000 people in need this year and has outgrown the functionality of the two facilities it currently operates out of. Plans began to consolidate operations into one building in San Luis Obispo. The non-profit moved into the public phase of their capital campaign-Nourish Our Future--to raise funds for the new facility that came with a $3.8 million price tag. Polystyrene, commonly know as Styrofoam, could soon be a thing of the past in Arroyo Grande. The city council voted in favor of the ban. The ban prohibits the use and sale of expanded polystyrene, or foam, food or drink containers. Exemptions to these regulations are allowed for foods prepared outside the city and trays for raw meat, fish and other raw food. Midway through the 2015-2017-budget process, the Pismo Beach City Council received a progress report on goals that had been set in January of last year. “Substantial progress has been made,” City Manager Jim Lewis told the council. The city made strides with the completion of

17

2016

Coast News • December 29, 2016 - January 11, 2017

put on by the Arroyo Grande Police Department and hosted by the Arroyo Grande & Grover Beach Chamber of Commerce. “The absolute worst thing you can do is nothing,” School resource officer Philip Dollman, who developed the training to prepare teachers in the Lucia Mar Unified School District, told the sold out crowd. Margaret Haak or Arroyo Grande celebrated her 100th birthday. “It feels wonderful,” she said. “There have been so many changes. I remember when radio first cam out,” Margaret said. “My dad had the drugstores, and he bought the first radio in town. You had to sort of put it together, so you could listen to it. You had to have headphones on, lean over and hope you could hear something. We had to take turns listening to it.”

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The public was invited to participate in plans to update the City of Arroyo Grande’s Housing Element section of the General Plan, which includes opening emergency homeless shelters and transitional housing for those in need as required by the Housing Accountability Act. The update also included information on special housing needs and constraints, existing housing stock conditions, future housing needs, an inventory of local,

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the recycled water study, prepared a parking study, but admittedly needed to do more work on circulation and move forward with downtown revitalization efforts. In keeping with fiscal year 2016 goals, the Grover Beach City Council voted to move forward with plans to hire a consultant to update the city’s Economic Development Strategy. The current strategy was adopted in 2008. An increase in armed attacks in schools, on businesses and at public arenas in recent years has brought about a change in safety precautions with new focus on how to respond during violent encounters. More than 80 people attended the Active-Shooter Training for Businesses luncheon

state and federal housing and financing programs among other things. A standing room only crowd at the Grover Beach City Council chambers filled with dignitaries from across the county, members of the public and city staff gathered to say farewell to City Manager Bob Perrault. Accolades, a lot of laughter, even more hugs, and a few tears were all part of the sendoff ceremony honoring Perrault after his nearly ten years of service in with the city. “When Bob was hired, staff moral was low and we were going through some transitional times at city hall,” said Mayor John Shoals. “He came in and he stabilized that.” continued, page 18

2016

18

•

December 29, 2016 - January 11, 2017 • Coast News

Year In Review Electric car owners have a place to go high voltage in Arroyo Grande. The first city owned electric vehicle charging stations was installed in the Village in the Le Point Street parking lot. “More and more people are driving hybrids or electric cars,” said Associate Planner Kelly Heffernon. “It all has to do with saving money for people and for reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. We have our climate action plan that calls out to do things such as this—putting in more EV charging stations and help out alternate fuel vehicles.”

April College and Cal Poly, has more than a decade of experience in the nonprofit field. For 13 years she was the Director of Volunteers and Outreach for the county Women’s Shelter Program and was part of the Intimate Partner Violence Prevention Coalition.

March The Boys & Girls Club of South San Luis Obispo County in Oceano named Beth Raub the new executive director. Raub, an alumnus of both Cuesta

For now it is still a dirt lot, but soon it will be the newest lodgingretail combo venture in Pismo Beach. Groundbreaking for the Inn at the Pier project took place at 601 Cypress Street on the 1.2acre dirt lot that was formerly used as overfill parking. The Inn at the Pier will feature 104 guest rooms, 1,500 square-feet of meeting and event space, a roof-top bar, swimming pool, fitness center, lobby bar, retail shops, an upscale restaurant with indoor/ outdoor dining, and an underground parking garage. Facing changing technology, the

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Pismo Beach City Council approved a total of $239,000 to purchase updated 911 consoles that would allow dispatch, radio and telephone to connect at the police department. The current system was built on proprietary hardware in 1998 and was last upgraded in 2006. “It is absolutely essential that we have our public safety available and top-notch,” said Mayor Shelly Higginbotham. The Five Cities Fire Authority presented a mid-year report to the Grover Beach City Council detailing an outlook on where the department is what the future holds. The Joint Powers Agreement that united Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach and Oceano into the FCFA is five-years-old. FCFA Chief Steve Lieberman said equipment aging and staffing levels are constrained. He said the department would have to step up its game in order to recruit and retain reserve firefighters.

The City of Arroyo Grande honored two businesses and one nonprofit for their work in the community-New Life Painting for it’s Paint is Forward program, Sprinkler Kings for conducting more than 150 residential and commercial irrigation surveys and numerous water-saving retrofits, and the San Luis Obispo County Child Care Planning Council for its Annual Children’s Day in the Plaza. The homeless population increased countywide and individual jurisdictions were asked to look at what they could do to alleviate the problem. The Homeless Services Oversight Council of San Luis Obispo gave a housing diversity presentation to the Arroyo Grande City Council. “As you all know, we have a housing crisis in this county,” said HSOC committee member Jerry Rio. “More than 1500 people sleep in their cars, on the street, or in the bushes every night.”

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Year In Review

19

2016

Coast News • December 29, 2016 - January 11, 2017

the community that we do everything that we possibly can to make it easier for people to dispose of those types of items in a safe and sane matter,” said Mayor Jim Hill. The Pismo Beach City Council considered providing more money to support a Cal Poly study of the mollusk population that once brought thousands of tourists to the area, but has been missing from local shores for quite sometime. In the 1940s, on some days an estimated 5,000 people would flock to the area to dig for the Pismo Clam thus driving a huge economic force, but according to Dr. Lisa Needles of the Cal Poly Center for Coastal Marine Sciences, the last legalsized clam, 4.5 inches, in the area was taken in 1993. Local history was made and certainly talked about during a reunion of Pismo Beach mayors representing four decades of city leadership. Five former mayors-John Brown, Marian Mellow, Mary Ann Reiss, Bill Richardson, and Tim Bittner-- and the current mayor, Shelly Higginbotham, met at the Chapman Estate in Shell Beach to share stories from their time in office, catch up with old friends, and discuss the current state of the city they served.

The City of Arroyo Grande considered joining the county Integrated Waste Management Board in sending a letter to the state in favor of continuing the prescription drug take-back program that started locally in September of 2015. “I think it is to the advantage of

National Arbor Day is right around the corner and cities and organizations will take time to celebrate trees, which just might be one of the biggest providers that nature has given us. The nonprofit Tree Guild of Arroyo Grande is a driving force behind urban forest efforts within the city. The organization was formed in 2005 by current City Councilwoman Kristen Barneich and her father, Chuck Fellow, and has planted 339 trees to date throughout the city.

continued, page 20

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2016

•

December 29, 2016 - January 11, 2017 • Coast News

Year In Review

May The Arroyo Grande City Council voted to approve a proposal asking San Luis Obispo County residents to vote yay or nay at the November’s General Election to fork over one half percent more in sales tax. SLOCOG wants to raise the sales tax by to pay for street maintenance. If the so-called selfhelp status is approved, the city could receive more than $7,800,000 for local project funding over a nine-year period. The tax did not pass. The Nipomo Library brought back the long gone card catalogue system traditionally used to locate shelf placement of books in the library—a practice that has been largely replaced

by computers. The card cabinet still sprouts interest, but in a completely different form of enrichment. Pulling out the drawers reveals seeds for planting. Working with the SLO Seed Exchange, the San Luis Obispo County Library began a pilot seed library program that will provide a place for green thumbs to share seeds and experience, to learn about seed saving, and to become better gardeners. Ongoing concerns from different sides of the homeless population were discussed during a special Grover Beach City Council meeting held at the Ramona Garden Park Community Center. This was the second forum held with the intent to foster “open dialogue� between people on various sides of the issue. “I do want to amplify that we have tried to do this in a compassionate

manner,� said Mayor John Shoals. “We understand that these are short-term solutions. We know that this is a social issue that is bigger than Grover Beach.� The three candidates vying for the 3rd District seat on the San Luis Obispo Board of Supervisors participated in a public forum at the South County Regional Center in Arroyo Grande. Candidates Dan Carpenter and Debbie Peterson and incumbent Adam Hill fielded questions submitted by the audience during the event hosted by the Arroyo Grande-Grover Beach Chamber of Commerce. The candidates spoke to a crowd of about 100 and had one minute to answer questions on

MICHELLE HAMILTON

ACUPUNCTURE

some hot button issues ranging from the affordable housing crisis to Diablo Canyon Power Plant. A new non-profit in the county encouraged shared living spaces, particularly among seniors, to open up a cramped housing market. HomeShare SLO, a program that connects people with an extra room to rent with those in need of living accommodations, started operations in March. More than 10,000 County and 439 Grover Beach seniors live alone. Non-family households are increasing with 36% of the homes in Grover Beach falling into that category. continued, page 22

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December 29, 2016 - January 11, 2017 • Coast News

Year In Review

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priorities, including economic development, sustainability, and downtown improvements.

June Social media was flooded with the story of Jared Springer, an Arroyo Grande High School senior who was told he couldn’t attend his prom because of medical absences. Jared got his prom thanks in part to Brighten A Corner Ministry in San Luis Obispo that hosted the event open to upper classmen from San Luis Obispo to Nipomo. The City of Grover Beach welcomed a new top administrator. Matthew Bronson was officially brought on board as city manager. He replaces interim city manager Jim Copsey. Bronson served as the Assistant City Manager for the City of San Mateo since 2010. During his tenure there he worked with the city council, city manager, and city departments to oversee the implementation of key

The Arroyo Grande City Council voted 3-2 in favor of a policy change that would ensure all council members and ranking city officials are included in correspondences that go out regarding city business. The policy also covers communications relating to legislative communications, speaking engagements, and media relations. In part the resolution says, “Because the Council functions as a body, it is important that members identify whether they are expressing the city’s official position or their personal view when communicating with the public.” The community said goodbye to the Times Press- Recorder when the 129-year-old paper shut down. In a letter to subscribers, current owners, Lee Enterprises, announced that the

paper was closing due to a decrease in advertising revenue combined with an increase in costs. “It was a surprise,” said Dick Blankenburg, a soft-spoken, humble man, whose family owned and operated the paper from 1959 to 1998. “It still bothers me some nights, but I tell myself we had good years at it. I hate to see this institution die off. We had some good times.” The Arroyo Grande City Council meeting went to the dogs, well one dog—K-9 officer Gregor was honored in a retirement ceremony that saw the chambers overflowed with community members who cheered and applauded the dogs service. Gregor, a German Shepard, served the police department for the past six years. The four-legged officer had apprehended more than twenty suspects, recovered numerous amounts of narcotics and has assisted law enforcement agencies in both San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counting including the FBI and the United States Secret Service. What was once a stairway to nowhere could soon be a focal point on a trail that would allow locals and tourist alike to walk along a bluff top area of Pismo Beach that until now was only a dream 10 years in the making. Martin Resorts’ comprehensive plan to not only restore the historic spiral “Staircase to Nowhere” but also provide additional protection for the fragile bluffs and extend the California Coastal Trail by an additional mile was approved by the city. A team of four fifth grade girls at the Harloe Elementary School, who called themselves The Oven Masters, earned first place honors in their division in the

•

Year In Review National DuPont Challenge. The team made a solar oven out of newspaper, tinfoil, a pie pan and a pizza box that could be used to cook a myriad of things, but in this case made delectable s’mores. Grover Beach Police hoped that an incentive program would bring a larger selection of applicants to fill vacancies within the department. The city council unanimously backed plans for the program. “We are competing with 12 other agencies in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties for police officers right now,� said Chief John Peters. “It is tough competition. Just like the fire department, we are seeing fewer and fewer applicants and qualified applicants. The pickings are slim.�

23

2016

Coast News • December 29, 2016 - January 11, 2017

2015. The long-awaited historical park honoring the city’s founder, John Price opened to the public after the completion of the latest round of improvements. City dignitaries, Friends of Price House (FOPH) volunteers and community members attended ribboncutting ceremonies for the seven-acre Price Historical Park located at 100 Rancho Pismo Drive in Pismo Beach.

July The information superhighway is about to get a lot faster in Grover Beach. High-speed fiber optic Internet technology could soon make Grover Beach a hub for broadband communications on the west coast.

A measure asking voters countywide to approve a half-cent sales tax increase was one step closer to appearing on the November ballot. The Pismo Beach City Council voted to allow residents to decide the fate of the proposal. The San Luis Obispo Council of Governments or SLOCOG wants to raise the sales tax countywide to pay for street maintenance. If the so-called self-help status is approved, Pismo could receive more than more than $4,200,000 for project funding over a nine-year period. Construction began at the future site of a much-needed medical facility in Oceano. The state-of-the-art, 13,263 sq. ft., Community Health Centers’ campus is expected to open in the spring of 2017. The new campus will have 11 exam rooms, seven dental operatory spaces, and offer primary care, immediate care, family dentistry, mental health treatment, health education and pharmacy service. At the will of the Arroyo Grande City Council, City Manager Diane Thomson was place on paid administrative leave. In a press release, Mayor Jim Hill said, “The city council’s decision to place City Manager Thompson on paid administrative leave was unanimous.� Thompson started the city in August of

Utilizing the trans-Pacific fiber optic cable would provide a valuable asset to the communities connected to the fiber at speeds and capacities typically found only in major cities. The City of Grover Beach began working on a large number of streets related to the voter approved Street Rehabilitation Program that will result in up to $48 million of street repairs over the next 15- to 20-year period. The city’s contractor, CalPortland, began paving work on 17 city blocks or just over 1.2 miles as part of the first phase. While most kids spend their summers hanging out with friends, going to camp or loafing around playing video games, some children deal with the daily struggle of dealing with hunger. For that last six years, the Food Bank Coalition of San Luis Obispo County offers free programs that feed children over the summer. The organization collaborated with community partners to host 29 daily summer meal sites, 20 Children’s Farmers Markets, and 40 Breakfast Bag distributions sites throughout the county. continued, page 24

2016

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December 29, 2016 - January 11, 2017 • Coast News

Year In Review

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Greater Pismo Beach and the Arroyo Grande Rotary clubs that donated 300 backpacks with notebooks, folders, pencils, scissors, glue sticks, markers and paper to fill it with. As summer break came to an end, many kids are trying to squeeze in as much time away from the academics arena as possible. Things, however, were a little different down a worn road that ends just short of the Arroyo Grande Creek at the Central Coast Salmon Enhancement building where a group of young girls joyfully packed learning into a five-day science camp. The STEAM for Girls camp engages participants in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and design, and mathematics) education.

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The Grover Beach City Council unanimously voted to move ahead with a ballot measure asking voters whether or not to place a tax on the sale of marijuana. The levy would include medical cannabis and, quite possibly, recreational pot use should California voters approve legalize it in the November election. With tourists and locals filling the streets and businesses of the downtown core of Pismo Beach, to and outsider it might already seem like the quintessential beach town, but for years city leaders have a different vision. The city entered into an agreement with RRM Design Group for consulting

services to complete the first phase of revamping the downtown which would reconfigure and landscape the Pier Plaza parking lot to add parking spaces and beautify the area as well as demolish existing restrooms and installing new ones in a new location on the south side of the parking lot.

August

Just before heading back to school, kindergarten through sixth grade students, who were members of the Boys and Girls Club of South San Luis Obispo County in Oceano, received a helping hand from the Kiwanis of

After about four years of a legal tangle between the Regional Water Quality Control Board and the South San Luis Obispo County Sanitation District a settlement was reached for a fine for a sewage spill in 2010. After negotiations, it was agreed that about $550,000 of the fine would go to the State of California Cleanup and Abatement account and an equal amount of funds would go to local and regional environmental or compliance projects. In case you missed it, the legal age to smoke tobacco products in California shot up three years with Gov. Jerry Brown’s signing of the statewide “Tobacco 21 Law” that went into effect in June. The Grover Beach City Council

•

Year In Review voted to amend the city’s municipal code to reflect new legislation. The law changed the minimum age of tobacco users from 18 to 21 and modified the definition of a tobacco product to include electronic cigarettes (or “e- cigarettes”) and devices. The sixth proposed public art piece in four years was on track for display in the City of Arroyo Grande. The sculpture, created by Nell Banister Scruggs and titled Rehearsal, depicts two dancers rehearsing their performance. It will be placed in front of the Clark Center. Four armed robberies were reported in the South County, but the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office said it was “too soon to tell” if they were related. The incidents took place at the Spyglass Inn in Shell Beach, at am/pm in Arroyo Grande, at Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort in Avila Beach, and at the Nipomo Smoke store.

September

A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the DANA Cultural Center/Nature Education Center. The 130-acre park rests on a portion of the 37,888-acre rancho granted to Nipomo’s founder Captain William Goodwin Dana in 1837 by the Mexican government. He began building his main house on the hill in 1839 where it sits today.

A police officer shot a man wielding a knife during an attempted carjacking in Arroyo Grande. Officers responded to a report of an armed carjacking in progress at the am/pm market on Grand Avenue. The suspect allegedly attempted to rob an elderly victim at knifepoint and carjack another victim, also by knifepoint. AGPD veteran Sgt. Shane Day shot and wounded the suspect, Christopher William Allen, who reportedly displayed a knife in a threatening manner and charged toward Day.

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2016

Coast News • December 29, 2016 - January 11, 2017

Unexpected costs and construction requirements caused a delay by almost two years in The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo’s goal to open the Pismo Preserve to the public. The design and environmental clearance process revealed unanticipated requirements, thus raising the cost of the project and increasing the time required to complete it. In addition, offers for in-kind services to help with the construction had not yet come to fruition. Hopefuls vying for seats on the Arroyo Grande City Council weighed in on the issues during a candidate forum held at the South County Regional Center. Mayoral candidates included incumbent Jim Hill and Richard Waller. Five candidates hoping to garner enough votes for the open council seats included incumbent Kristen Barneich, Ken Sage, Caren Ray, LeAnn Akins, and John F. Mack. Highlights of topics discussed were the water shortage and a possible building moratorium. Familiar faces made up the candidates for Grover Beach City Council during a public forum. Up for the office of mayor include incumbent John P. Shoals and Ronald “Ron” Arnoldsen. Three candidates faced off for two seats on the council including incumbent Jeff Lee along with former mayor Debbie Peterson. All responded to questions ranging from their leadership abilities to water supplies. Nearly 1200 volunteers did their part to help keep beaches and waterways clear of debris that often ends up in the ocean. As part of the 32nd annual International Coastal Cleanup Day organized by the Ocean Conservancy, volunteers collected trash from 30 areawide locations. The Environmental Center of San Luis Obispo hosted the event that hauled in 5,445 pounds of trash (about 1,000 pounds more than last year) and an additional 1,067 pounds of recyclable materials. continued, page 26

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2016

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December 29, 2016 - January 11, 2017 • Coast News

Year In Review

November

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Proving they like to have a little fun too, the Arroyo Grande City Council approved 3-0 the purchase and installation of a proposed play structure at Heritage Square Park—the first in the Village area. Riley Betita, a civic-minded youth who is an Arroyo Grande resident and a Boy Scout with Troop 413, approached staff with a project idea to design and install a play structure. Large Selection of Wedding Rings

Friends of Five Cities Fire Authority introduced themselves to the community by giving Clifford Clark the honorary title of Fire Chief for his generous donation of $5,000 to the new organization. The purpose of the new group is to maintain a non-profit organization that is dedicated to raising

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Candidates hoping to win a seat on the Pismo Beach City Council squared off during a public forum. Running for the office of mayor are current councilman Ed Waage and Sandra Nielsen. Incumbent Erik Howell, Tom Brooks Burgher II, Marcia Guthrie, and Brian Craig Kreowski are up for two available seats on the council. The sixyear drought and water supplies were on the list of issues discussed. The County of San Luis Obispo Public Health Department confirmed a case of Zika infection in a county resident. The individual contracted the Zika virus during travel to a region of Mexico that is experiencing ongoing local transmission of the virus and developed symptoms within five days of returning home. Public health officials said the case isn’t a cause for alarm but caution should be taken. There is something about a marching band that lifts the spirits of both the musicians and the audience. The sound, the skill, the pageantry all combine to make an experience enjoyed by young and old. The Pismo Beach Marching Band

Review, event showcasing the efforts of middle and high school marching bands, which has been a part of Pismo Beach for 37 years is in jeopardy of shutting down due to increasing costs. The Chamber of Commerce, which co-sponsors the event with the city, a crowd-funding page online to raise the $6,500 to offset the cost of judges’ stipends and accommodations. Thus far, only 4% has been raised. Although the students in the Advanced Placement Government class at Arroyo Grande High School are not yet old enough to vote, they are active in the world of politics. About 100 people turned out for a mayoral forum put on by a group of about 25 students in Dr. Tracy Lloyd’s class. The event was moderated by Assemblyman Katcho Achadjian and featured the two City of Arroyo Grande mayoral candidates incumbent Jim Hill and newcomer Richard Waller.

funds for equipment and training through grant donations, to support and promote fire services for Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach and Oceano communities.

The Grover Beach City Hall Council Chambers had quite a crowd for a Friday when the Five Cities Fire Authority firefighters, staff, friends and family gathered for a ceremonial meeting full of laughter and a few tears. Two new members of the FCFA team were sworn in during a badge pinning ceremony while another one said goodbye. Battalion Chief Dave Pargee and reserve firefighter Jacob Joyner joined the crew while reserve firefighter Daniel Stocks was honored upon his retirement.

The recent rain was a drop in the bucket compared to what is needed, and it won’t impact the Arroyo Grande City Council’s decision to call for a further

•

Year In Review reduction in water use. Last week the council voted on consent agenda to revise Stage 1 water regulations increasing mandatory conservation for dedicated irrigation meters from 25% to 50%.

About 50 community members gathered last weekend to help clean up the Arroyo Grande Cemetery that has deteriorated due to budget issues, an infestation of gophers, and the long running drought. The cemetery located at 895 El Camino Real, which spans a little more than 20 acres and is home to 15,000 graves, has come under criticism for brown lawns, piles of dirt and tire tracks on grave stones. k While much of America was glued to the television or Internet tracking the presidential race, local government elections resulted in some familiar faces returning to office along with a few newcomers ready to take their turn at the dais. In Arroyo Grande voters kept Jim Hill in the office of mayor. Councilwoman Kristen Barneich held on to her seat and former county supervisor Caren Ray secured the second seat. In Grover Beach Mayor John Shoals and Councilman Jeff Lee were re-elected and Debbie Peterson returned to the council. Pismo Beach voted in Councilman Ed Waage as mayor and re-elected Councilman Erik Howell as well as welcomed newcomer Marcia Guthrie. Adam Hill was reelected to the County Board of Supervisors 3rd District. The local sales tax increase was defeated and Grover Beach citizens approved the Cannabis Tax. The Pismo Beach City Council took steps to move forward with advertising bids for construction work on the pier following the results of a 2015 inspection. The project would be broken into four different components and the city would determine what all

27

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2016

Coast News • December 29, 2016 - January 11, 2017

they can afford after bids are received. For more than three decades volunteers and businesses from all over San Luis Obispo County have come together the day before Thanksgiving to prepare a feast for free meals during the Pismo Beach Police Officers Association (PBPOA) hosts Annual Thanksgiving Dinner, and this year the tradition continued.

December One of the busiest intersections in the Five Cities will be fully open once again following a vote by the Arroyo Grande City Council. The Brisco/Halcyon interchange on and off ramps will be accessible to drivers after being blocked during a test closure dating back to September of 2015.

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A emergency coastal development permit that was given the green light almost a year to the date ago will move forward in Pismo Beach. The city council passed approval via consent agenda for a contract to repair bluff erosion along Price Street just south of Dinosaur Caves Park.

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YOUR COMMUNITY IN YOUR HANDS

SLOCityNews.com

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s is customary over here at the SLO City News, we spent the last few days of 2016 secluded in a bungalow with a hot drink examining the year that’s gone before. The important stories covered range from the absurd to the sublime, and while it’s tempting to judge a year based on recent memory, there was a heck of a lot that was overshadowed by a showy finish. And as it turns out the City of SLO still has much to be thankful for, mostly resting on the shoulders of an engaged and active citizenry with an involved business community. Presented here are 12 months of stories that formed the themes we saw play out, occurrences of the bizarre, and hopefully an interesting record of life on the Central Coast.

January The Sub, an iconic curio shop or “cultural gift store” specializing in music and memorabilia on Higuera

Street was gutted in a Dec. 26 fire that took more than 6-hours to extinguish. Owner Richard Ferris reportedly maintained into the New Year that he thought the shop could have been saved if firefighters had taken a different approach. That’s an argument SLO Fire Chief Garret Olson declined to have publically, saying that, “He [Ferris] had every right to be upset about a lot of things that day. We try to handle that interaction with as much compassion and grace as possible.” The building’s remains were handed back over to Ferris’ custody and in 2017 the place still sits fenced off, gutted and empty.

also been a lightening strike that caused the Tank Farm oil field fire, some 90 years before. “You don’t expect lightening strikes at an airport,” he said, “Our affected equipment wasn’t designed for it.” While there was some fizzling in the control tower wall, field equipment was replaced within the week and they were back in business.

Vice Mayor, Dan Carpenter, SLO City Councilmember, Dan Rivoire, and SLO County Supervisors, Adam Hill and Debbie Arnold. “We don’t have land use jurisdiction but through CEQA [the California Environmental Quality Act], we have the ability to identify and mitigate negative impacts,” said SLO City’s Community Development Director, Michael Codron.

Actor turned troubadour, Jeff Bridges, and his partner in crime, fellow Santa Barbaran, Chris Pelonis, entertained a sold-out crowd on Jan. 16 at the historic Fremont Theater.

February

They say that lightning doesn’t strike twice in the same place, but folks at the SLO County Regional Airport have come to know better, after the airport was hit by lightning three times in one day. SLO County’s Director of Airports, Kevin Bumen, said he had been surprised at the three lightening strikes that took the airport out of commission during a fierce thunderstorm Jan. 6. That was until he realized that it had

The Cal Poly administration announced that it was, “considering the possibility of a proposed publicprivate partnership to build a workforce housing complex.” The proposed project would be built near the northeast intersection of Grand Avenue and Slack Street. Plans started for 420 housing units on a 10-acre parcel already in the Campus Master Plan with positive statements coming from then-SLO City

Officials of the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, the lead agency overseeing the investigation of groundwater contamination in the Buckley Road Area, said they were “surprised” by a Feb. 1 SLO County press release. Dated three days before a public information meeting on the topic held at the Water Board office, the release gave information about the meeting but also all but ruled out the County

•

Year In Review

29

Airport as the source of trichloroethene or TCE in area groundwater. SLO County Director of Airports, Kevin Bumen, said in the statement, “We’re very concerned about water contamination near the airport and are trying to uncover the source. But we do not believe that the airport is the source of contamination.� That surprised the Water Board since the technical side of the investigation was only just beginning. Heading into 2017 the precise source remains a mystery.

Nipomo Mesa. Only about half of the nearly 400 people who signed up to speak in front of the Commission were able to do so over the two days. The commission carried on with the issue for months amidst repeated protests until finally rejecting the project later in 2016. It’s since been appealed to County supervisors.

The crown jewel of the agency that runs the City’s bus network, SLO Transit’s $844,000 double-decker bus, was put out out of action for 8 months in 2016.

Ten years after it was first conceived, the City of San Luis Obispo’s Skate Park hosted three days of celebration for it’s first anniversary. The skate park, located in Santa Rosa Park, drew close to 1,000 people to its inaugural event in 2015, so the City spread out the festivities a bit in 2016, with food trucks, a DJ and games. A blood drive with United Blood Services of California was also part of the event. For those wondering, they used needles, cookies and a behind the scenes screening for Zika virus, and did not go searching for scraped knees. While organizers prided themselves on safety regulations being strictly implemented at the park, including use of helmets, knee and elbow pads, eagle eyed readers noticed that the young man pictured on the cover of the SLO City News, performing tricks, had none of those precautions in place.

SLO Transit Manager, Gamaliel Anguiano, said the 14-foot high vehicle has been sent to a special facility in Las Vegas for retrofit after 2 feet were sheered off its top in a Jan. 25 accident attributed to, “pure human error.� Anguiano said he didn’t know how much the repairs would cost but that First Transit Inc., the City’s contractor for “bus service solutions� was responsible for the work under its insurance policy. The SLO County Planning Commission received feedback from as many members of the public as they could accommodate regarding a Phillips 66 Co. plan to receive crude oil via a new rail spur to its refinery on the

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2016

SLO City News • December 29, 2016 - January 11, 2017

March

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December 29, 2016 - January 11, 2017 • SLO City News

Year In Review

While past party nominees publically bickered with the then current Republican Party presidential frontrunner on a national stage, a more “progressive” minded audience in SLO settled in to hear some alternatives to the dominant economic model.

Dr. Richard Wolff, professor emeritus of the University of Massachusetts, Hampshire College stopped at SLO’s Ludwick Community Center for a 2-hour talk. The third in a series of lectures hosted by SLO Speaks, the local organizers teamed up with Wolff’s nonprofit organization, Democracy at Work, to illustrate alternatives to capitalist ownership models. His supporters may not have proven willing to give up capitalism but an energized base may have played a role in the close mayoral race that emerged in November. With a slim majority of City Council support, San Luis Obispo started to take a deeper look at the legal and operational issues that might come of a “democracy voucher system,” i.e. public campaign financing. With Mayor Jan Marx and Councilwoman Carlyn Christianson dissenting, the Council voted 3-2 on March 15 to have the

City Attorney’s office keep working on the details of what the proposed public financing option for municipal elections would mean in the 2018 election. Assistant City Attorney, Jon Ansolabehere, narrated a presentation on the bare framework of an ordinance that was brought to the Council in August 2015 by congressional candidate, William Ostrander, and his nonprofit democracy advocacy group, Citizens Congress. Then-Councilman Dan Carpenter took the unorthodox step of asking for a re-vote to kill the plan, less than 2 weeks later, as his conservative supporters in the County Board of Supervisors race voiced concerns. Locals who had gotten used to avoiding the Los Osos Valley Road intersection at South Higuera Street breathed a sigh of relief in March. Traffic over the interchange had already started to ease as workers finished on the newly minted 4-lane bridge in early March, but a ribbon cutting ceremony March 29 wrapped things up. Well almost, said the City’s project manager, Kyle Rowland, some shiny new decorative rails waited to be installed later in the year. At $24.5 million, the project was not only the largest “capital improvement” in the City’s history; it even came in under budget.

April San Luis Obispo’s Sports Authority store was among 140 nationwide sold or closed by the chain. Clearance racks went up ranging from 10 to 30-percent off, as part of a Chapter 11 bankruptcy plan. The chain is headquartered in Colorado but is owned by Leonard Green & Partners, a Los Angeles-based private equity firm. They cited $1.1 billion in debt and “failure to keep up with consumer trends.” The closures made up nearly a third of their locations with California, Texas and Florida hardest hit. Some 19 affected stores were in California. While permanent workers lost their jobs at the store, ironically, locals were hired on through Easter to boost staffing for the sale. The South Chorro Street Neighborhood was smack in the middle of a 6-month experiment to test the effectiveness of traffic circles — not roundabouts — in three Chorro Street intersections. A City announcement said that 66-percent of residents surveyed supported the idea of traffic circles as opposed to other “calming” devices commonly employed. The circles differ from the more commonly understood roundabouts, as they are not designed to ease transit from all four directions but slow it down in two. Transportation planner Jennifer Rice added that residents were given the option of speed “humps” and bulb-outs as well but the circles were

more popular. The speed limit on the residential stretch is continues to be 25 mph but average speeds are closer to 33 mph. In case anyone missed the end of the April 5 SLO City Council meeting — which wasn’t hard as the main hearing item of the night wasn’t addressed until well after many folks’ bedtime — the body gave the OK for a new Los Osos Valley Road (LOVR) Area Specific Plan. Some supporters of the project had toddled off before the requisite public comment period following staff presentations. However, developer John Madonna was given the tentative go-ahead to proceed with an annexation and building plan for 111 acres off LOVR, near Home Depot. Bob Richmond of Villagio Senior Living was listed as co-applicant. The facility would offer independent and assisted living, as well as nursing, to allow residents to stay in the same home indefinitely. Tiger Fest, an “Open Air” Open House, at the San Luis Obispo High School was held the evening of April 14 for parents, community members and local eighth graders. Each department of the school hosted a booth and the art studios; science labs and workshops were opened for tours. A stage area highlighted student guitarists; the SLOHS band and choir singers while the school’s clubs took over the lawn in front of the administration building for various displays. The SLO district’s recently passed $177 million capital improvement bond was slated for use to execute campus improvements. Among the labs toured were the school computer science classroom, unbeknownst at the time to be it’s last public showing before being destroyed in an arson fire in December.

May In a rare unanimous decision against taskforce recommendations, the SLO City Council opted not to pursue a new program that would have mandated registration of beer kegs sold in the City. The suggestion to enact such a program was presented in 2015 in the “Neighborhood Wellness Community Civility Report,” as one of the recommendations from a community taskforce subcommittee. Neighborhood Outreach Manager, Christine Wallace, recommended against the program in her staff report. The State of California is already one of 29 states that requires some type of registration through its Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. The Federal Aviation Administration started to enact new rules in 2016 for civilian drone operators; an effort to get everyone who’s bought the flying contraptions to treat their responsibilities as a pilot seriously.

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Year In Review

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SLO City News • December 29, 2016 - January 11, 2017

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But a group of academics and military administrators set their sights higher during a gathering at Cal Poly. The Annual CubeSat Conference was held April 20-22 in SLO where the miniature satellites were discussed along with their impact on public access to low earth orbit in the coming decades. CubeSats are small satellites built in units of 4 inches. More than 400 have been sent into space since Cal Poly and Stanford developed the standards in 1999, explained Jay Thompson, a spokesman with the University’s College of Engineering. With the smartphone boom, the technology keeps packing more ability into the small container. For the first time in a generation, the local Congressional seat was wide open, and nine candidates started off in the running for California’s 24th Congressional District, which spans Northern Ventura County and all of Santa Barbara and SLO Counties. The eight men and one woman running to replace Congresswoman Lois Capps were a mix of political leanings — four declared Democrats, three Republicans and two with no stated political party. The Top-2 finishers in the June 7 Primary Election went on

to run in November’s General Election with the eventual winner then-Santa Barbara County Supervisor, Democrat Salud Carbajal, against Donald Trump supporter, Republican Justin Fareed.

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December 29, 2016 - January 11, 2017 • SLO City News

Year In Review On June 20 a landmark agreement between seven very different organizations was signed planning an end of the Atomic Era in the world’s sixth largest economy by 2025. Representatives for Pacific Gas & Electric Co., said they would no longer seek to renew operating licenses for its two nuclear reactors at Diablo Canyon Power Plant and will phase out energy production by the end of their current

June A water main break directly under Higuera Street during the Downtown Thursday Farmers’ Market on June 2, busted through asphalt near the corner with Nipomo Street. With reports coming in just as the market got set up, containment and mop up started at 10 p.m. Usual food service on that end of the market moved to the sidewalks making for an interesting summer spectacle...actual water in the streets in drought stricken California.

Historic Dallidet Adobe and Gardens in SLO, building a brand new stage and canopy for weddings and public events. Construction was finished shortly before a ribbon cutting ceremony on June 20. Based on a design by Chuck Crotser of the Cal Poly Architecture Department, and a former History Center president, the stage fits the Adobe’s motif with redwood beams that will age in place before vines eventually fill in the lattice. Former SLO Mayor, Dave Romero, was in attendance along with thenMayor Jan Marx and City Manager, Katie Lichtig.

license. As proposed, Unit 2 at Diablo Canyon will be the State of California’s last civilian nuclear reactor, operating for a year after the shutdown of Unit 1 in 2024. The stage was set for legal challenges and negotiations between affected public agencies, the utility and signatories that would last almost through the end of the year.

July Local activist, and surprisingly soon-to-be Mayor, Heidi Harmon, led a protest march starting at SLO’s Mitchell Park on July 9, against proposed development of a Phillips 66 oil train line on the Nipomo Mesa. With the state and national primaries out of the way, it was also time to get serious about SLO’s municipal election. Two new candidates, Aaron Gomez, Downtown business owner, and Mila Vujovich-La Barre, a local middle school teacher, filed papers to run for SLO’s two open City Council seats, which brought the total for the moment to five for Council, with Mayor Jan Marx unopposed at the time. Already in the running for Council were Brett Strickland, Michael Clark, and Andy Pease. San Luis Obispo County’s Civil Grand Jury issued two reports examining the procedures for the County’s issuance of minor use permits and at bail procedures out at the

Members of the Rotary Club of San Luis Obispo got their hands dirty alongside Cal Poly construction management students over at the

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2016

SLO City News • December 29, 2016 - January 11, 2017

the route connects into Alaska Airline’s network. “Seattle is their main hub,� Bumen explained, “They have 130 connections across their entire network and about 25 that couldn’t have been reached with any other stop.�

August

County slammer. Predictably, the recommendation that police officers and Sherriff’s deputies across SLO County should be well versed in requesting higher bail amounts for people arrested on suspicion of serious crimes, drew the most public attention. The scrutiny and recommendations in the grand jury report, “Keeping Suspects in Custody: When is Scheduled Bail not Enough?� stemmed from a 2015 case involving an undocumented immigrant arrested in North County on suspicion of felony child abuse — a hot

topic in an election year. Officials concerned with economic development in SLO County were rewarded for years of effort to get a route to Portland, Ore., from the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport. At the end of June, they announced that they’ve gone the extra mile, literally, by securing a non-stop flight to Seattle, Wash., to start in April 2017. For those looking to book a trip on Priceline, the new flight will be run by Alaska Airlines with non-stop service

between San Luis Obispo (SBP) and Seattle (SEA). Although it’s one of the longest trips to leave the airport, the flight clocks in at a manageable 2 hours and 35 minutes, enough time to watch a movie and do a little typing without jet lag. Airport Director, Kevin Bumen, allowed that the route acquisition was something of a coup for the organization if not a major victory. In addition to allowing local travelers a straight shot to the Pacific Northwest,

Exactly two years after folks were left standing in the middle of Laguna Lake taking panorama shots from the bottom of a dust bowl, the lake was beautiful again, but the issues around history of neglect and sediment buildup took awhile to be addressed. The City of SLO’s Natural Resource Manager, Bob Hill, led a public meeting Aug. 4 to hear what staff has come up with regarding the Laguna Lake Dredging and Sediment Management Project. Assistant City Manager, Derek Johnson, and members of the hired consultant team from MNS Engineering, gave a brief rundown and former SLO Mayor, Dave Romero, also got involved, with his history of the area going back to the mid-1950s.

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December 29, 2016 - January 11, 2017 • SLO City News

Year In Review Aug. 26 heard a crash and boom that wasn’t part of the performance. One of the City’s pride and joy ficus trees split in two, blocking Monterey Street at the corner of Chorro. Employees from Moondoggies Beach Club board shop who witnessed the event through the their street side picture windows, said a large pickup truck narrowly avoided the “strike zone.” No injuries or property damage were reported. The rest of the tree wasn’t so lucky, being pulped and replaced with a sapling by October. Sheriff’s Narcotics Detectives cut down a marijuana grow on the east side of Hwy 101 approximately halfway up the Cuesta Grade, removing thousands of plants being grown by a suspected Mexican gang. According

Throw your corncobs and eggshells in a closed container with some other offal and you’ve got the start of soil for the next generation of crops. Of course in a city, not everyone can mulch his or her, usually nonexistent, garden with kitchen debris. Most of that material, not to mention perfectly edible but expired packaged food, is sloshed into a plastic garbage bag and sent to a landfill. No longer in the City of SLO however, as the Integrated Waste Management Authority passed out kitchen counter compost bins to collect that material for transport in their normal green waste bins for anaerobic composting. Donald Hedrick, the eccentric and widely recognized SLO Downtown figure who’s run for office in every local election for the past decade, had his streak broken and was not on the ballot in November. Hedrick was in usual form at the Aug. 16 meeting of the SLO City Council, taking the public speaking opportunity to decry fluoridation of drinking water and aluminum nanoparticles that he alleges are in aviation condensation trails. But he failed to get enough signatures verified to place him once again, in the running for Mayor, and he wasn’t happy about it. We’re sure he’ll check not to submit his own signature twice in 2018. The City of SLO also officially welcomed a new City Clerk just in time for council candidate nomination papers to be processed Aug. 17. Carrie Gallagher, formerly of Arcadia and Glendale, Calif., — both in the Los Angeles area — was introduced by City Manager, Katie Lichtig. Gallagher was on hand through certification of the election results and swearings-in later in the year.

September Revelers who showed up a little early to the weekly Concerts in the Plaza on

to Sheriff’s Spokesman, Tony Cipolla, on Aug. 25, “Detectives discovered 5,880 marijuana plants on private land bordering national forest land near a tributary of San Luis Creek. Investigators say evidence at the scene indicates this was part of a Mexican National cultivation operation.” Amongst the weed, investigators found lots of trash and chemicals, too. “This type of operation,” Cipolla said, “besides being illegal, produces many environmental hazards and generates large amounts of trash.” Environmental Health Services were brought on site to determine the extent of the damage. The City of SLO joined up with five other incorporated cities on the Central Coast to make sure they all got a fair deal

in the closure of Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant. Aside from SLO the Cities of Arroyo Grande, Atascadero, Morro Bay, Paso Robles, and Pismo Beach combined with representation by 30some council members, six mayors and city managers and their staff, in the loop. SLO City Manager Katie Lichtig and City Attorney Christine Dietrick spoke for the group. “The Coalition of Cities took this strong and historic action to protect the health and safety of our residents, support the economic vitality of our communities in the aftermath of the plant’s closure and defend the quality of life in our communities.” said Lichtig in an initial press statement. With much ado about the Kristen Smart case being rekindled by specially trained human remains detection dogs ahead of students’ return to campus, the Cal Poly Police Department welcomed some more traditional canines into its ranks. German shepherds, Xello and Brisan, joined the force, announced Brenda Trobaugh, Cal Poly’s deputy chief of police. Specialty trained pups — not to mention handler courses for their human partners — don’t come cheap. In 2016-17 fundraising efforts are ongoing to help support the K-9 program. September was National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. With that in mind, the California Men’s Colony Suicide Prevention Awareness Week kicked off Sept. 12, and culminated on the 16th, with a walkathon in support of the national effort. It was a time set aside for national, state and local mental health agencies to get the word out about resources available to those thinking about taking their own lives. Efforts at CMC gained attention from State bosses and were successful enough to anticipate a repeat next year.

October The City/County Library closed most of its building to visitors on Oct. 1. Assistant Director of Libraries, Chase McMunn, promised all three floors would reopen to the public, with the first floor featuring new automation, in January 2017. Slow Money SLO, a locally-based offshoot of the nation-wide nonprofit, Slow Money, brought the founder and chairman of the Slow Money Institute, Woody Tasch to SLO on Oct. 6. The author of Inquiries into the Nature of Slow Money: Investing as if Food, Farms, and Fertility Mattered, Tasch has popularized a form of local investing in businesses that add value to the supply chain. In 2015, the SLO Natural Foods Co-op was among the first businesses to pay off its peer-topeer loan. “We’ve been a working nonprofit in the community for four years,” explained Jeff Wade, director of the

•

Year In Review SLO branch. “The idea, simply, is to take money out of Wall Street and to use it directly with local investment in food and farming.” Opponents of SLO’s Rental Inspection Program made good on threats to sue after inspectors visited more than 500 homes. The program was voted in 3-2 with Councilmen Dan Carpenter and Dan Rivoire dissenting. On Oct. 13, City Attorney Christine Dietrick said she came back from lunch to find the City had been served with a suit from the SLO Property and Business Owners Association (SLOPBOA). Also listed as plaintiffs were one-time SLO mayoral candidate, Steve Barasch and former Congressional candidate, Matt Kokkonen, along with their respective family trusts. At virtually the same time that Dietrick was first reading the details of the complaint, Barasch was across town presenting his case to members at as SLOPBOA luncheon. SLO Noor Foundation opened its doors 5-years ago to serve underinsured and uninsured residents on the Central Coast. On Oct. 9, Noor’s annual fundraising reception paid founder, Dr. Ahmad Nooristani, special recognition with an award crafted by a local artist and a presentation from a member of Congresswoman Lois Capps’ staff. Attendees, including a SLO City Council member and a council candidate — paid $50 a plate to attend the event, which supports the over $15 million in free medical services provided to locals since 2011.

November Municipal officials, including City Manager, Katie Lichtig, Cal Poly staffers including University President Jeff Armstrong, and local elected officials joined property developer, Jim Copeland, for a ribbon cutting Oct. 21. They were there to open Cal Poly Lofts, “a residential community for junior and senior-level Cal Poly students who have an entrepreneurial perspective,” in the newly renovated Blackstone-Sauer Building at the intersection of Monterey and Chorro Streets, directly across from Mission Plaza. The development in the heart of SLO’s Downtown includes apartments for 35 students in collaboration with the adjacent SLO HotHouse just down Monterey Street. However, said Cal Poly spokesman, Jay Thompson, the idea of forming offcampus housing units for students with similar interest areas is not a new one and the units are not directly tied to the university’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which has been heavily promoted by the City. If there’s one thing residents of San Luis Obispo know how to argue about, it’s land use and housing policy. That was especially true 2-years previous, when residents got together to weigh-in on a revamping of SLO’s Land Use and

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SLO City News • December 29, 2016 - January 11, 2017

Circulation Element, but it continued through 2016, as long-dormant projects roared back to life. After the years-long process, City Council members had hoped their meeting would no longer push towards 11 p.m., but on Oct. 18, their decision to allow a 4-story mixeduse project on Foothill Boulevard set old arguments going again and challenged political alliances. The infill development, on three parcels of currently fenced off commercial-zoned property was given dispensation for a 40-percent parking reduction, with the use of mechanical parking lifts, along with a height exception of 8 feet, from the normal 35 to 43 feet that was classed as an “affordable housing incentive.” After years of fundraising, as well as shoring up political capital, not to mention the deal to actually find a suitable site, construction was slated for a new regional Homeless Services Center. The groundbreaking was held Nov. 6 at 40 Prado Rd. Construction on the $5.4 million project — designed to include 100 beds for home- less individuals and families — is set to start in January 2017 and last throughout the year. As with the current Prado Day Center and Maxine Lewis Memorial Shelter, 40 Prado will be operated by the Community Action Partnership of SLO County (CAPSLO). Timing of the groundbreaking came as CAPSLO celebrated its 50th Anniversary. The Senior Nutrition Program, an organization founded in 1965 and incorporated as a nonprofit in 1991, was given a 21st Century facelift in the 2016 Verdin 24-Hour Give Rebrand. The nonprofit was singled out for a total rebrand from the local PR agency after being nominated and selected in an Internet vote. Starting off 2017 with its new moniker, “Meals That Connect” the organization still serves daily nutritious lunches to seniors in 10 community centers around the county. Eleven local artists worked on 10 street corner utility boxes scattered around town from Nov. 7-20. They had to submit plans to the Box Art Program for review and selection, but there was still a degree of spontaneity in their process. Back in August the City of SLO announced an expansion of its Public Art Program with newly approved murals to cover utility boxes around town. Originally, they had intended to have the set aside funds go to repainting the designs that have been a fixture of the Downtown core for the last three years, but members of the public, and the artists themselves, weren’t pleased with that idea. Melissa Mudgett, public art program manager, said that far from having older works removed, several of the boxes commissioned for painting in this round are repairs to older designs that were detrimentally modified with new junction box additions. continued, page 36

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December 29, 2016 - January 11, 2017 • SLO City News

Year In Review

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December

Speaking of all that swearing in; in case anyone missed the actual local election results SLO got a new Mayor, Heidi Harmon. The “Lady in Red� was a last minute entry into the race and pulled off the upset by just 47 votes. New Councilman, Aaron Gomez and Councilwoman, Andy Pease, took office with larger margins of victory.

A tentative agreement announced on Nov. 28 was designed to ease the tension over the planned closure of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in 2025. The Coalition of Cities, the County itself, and San Luis Coastal Unified School District (SLCUSD) reached an agreement with PG&E for a significant increase over the $49.5 million originally proposed to defray the economic impacts of the plant’s closure. According to the County, which served as lead agency in negotiations, “under the first part of the agreement between PG&E, the County and SLCUSD, a $75 million Essential Services Mitigation Fund will be created to offset the potential negative impacts to essential services provided to the community by the SLCUSD and the County.� The long decrepit former Sunny Acres children’s home and sanitarium that dominates a hillside overlooking Johnson Avenue, will finally be allowed a transformation into Bishop Street Studios. Plans of Transitions Mental Health Association’s to turn

the superstructure of the old brick building into part of a housing complex for the nonprofit’s mentally ill clients, hit an unexpected bump when area resident Ray Righetti appealed the Architectural Review Commission’s September approval. That was resolved Nov. 15 during the last regular meeting

of the current City Council before new members were sworn in Dec. 9. Only two members of the public got up to speak against the project, but the positive comments and discussion period went on for hours. The Council was unanimous, with 4-0 with then Councilman Dan Carpenter on vacation

The year topped off with a little post-election introduction to the personal politics of “Alt-right.� The uproar started early over a scheduled Jan. 31, 2017, Cal Poly speaking engagement by Milo Yiannopoulos, hosted by the Cal Poly Republicans student club. The technology editor at The Breitbart News website, Yiannopoulos comes under fire for targeting members of the LGBT community at venues where he speaks, as well as repeated misogynistic and xenophobic statements.

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Good To Be King

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Year In Review

37

2016

December 29, 2016 - January 11, 2017

Weathering the Holidays By King Harris

I

don’t know about your Christmas celebrations, but I hope they were as inspiring and joyful as mine. There was a time in my life when I used to shake and shudder at the thought of getting together with certain members of the family during the holiday season, you know, the outspoken, well-oiled uncle or the born-again stepmother proselytizing in tongues. Those days of angst and expectations are long gone, I am pleased to report, as are the months and years of miscommunication and indifference. Today my immediate family, aside from my wife Sara, include my older sister Ann, who lives in Greece; my younger brother James, who, with his wife Shadow, live in Massachusetts where they spawned two children now adults; and my stepsister Lynn married to Bruce and living in Northern California. All, except James, I haven’t seen or talked to in years, a situation I suppose I could blame on distance, but in this hectic day and age of technology, that wouldn’t stand up in any court. So this year we all decided to put away any and all baggage, and meet up with one another on Ann’s 75th birthday a week ago Wednesday at a Thai Restaurant in Mill Valley, Calif. Ann flew over from Greece, James couldn’t make it which made him extremely envious (as he is prone to get whenever he missed a family occasion, especially this one), but Lynne did arrive, along with several

cousins from my father’s side of the brood, and Ann’s daughter Elizabeth. The Thai diner, much to the delight of birthday girl Ann who adores Oriental food but can’t ever find it in Greece but still hasn’t forgotten how to order, which was of great benefit, or else we all would still be there today trying to figure out what to eat. We didn’t have a lot of time, but all of us recognized each other and made strong connections catching up after a lengthy passage of time. It really was a marvelous reunion, with nary a resentment, as might be expected in some family gettogethers; simply complete abandon and acceptance. Following good-byes and well wishes, that night we celebrated the Yuletide with Sara’s side of the family at her father’s house in nearby Larkspur. This event was made special by the appearance of Sara’s younger brother Art, who had been somewhat estranged from his father Bill for the past two years, so their meeting took on a significant turn for the positive. As usual, Bill’s wife Susan, who is also an accomplished gourmand, provided the holiday feast, which was consumed rather quickly by other members of the family including son Sean and his partner Lenora, and Susan’s sister Karen. But it was more than gratifying to see Art and his father together again. Since my sister Ann was spending more than a week in Northern California, I had the opportunity

of spending time with her the next day. We had a terrific time, talking about our childhood in the countryside, our parents and their ensuing divorce, which caused a tremendous rift and other negative consequences, and our lives after that. Considering what all of us went through, not just in my family but in Sara’s as well, I can look back and realize that we all turned out reasonably well. Now that I’m getting older, I have begun to understand how important families really are, especially for the support they can offer, even if they live in another country of the world. I asked Ann why she chose to live in Greece of all places? “I toured the area several years ago, and did like Portugal a lot, but for some reason I just ended up in Greece. You must come over. It’s beautiful. You can swim where I do in the summer,� she said, pointing her finger at a picture of the Mediterranean shoreline. I just might do it, and bring her some Chinese food. Sara and I headed home that Friday, where it rained all the way down, from Larkspur to Arroyo Grande. As I saw the wiper blades attacking the windshield, I thought about how cleansing it was. And how we managed at the same to conquer the stormy weather of our past.

Happy New Year Welcome to Arroyo Grande Mr J. Vince Perrine of Eternity Telecommunications & (SBOE "WF 4UF i"w t "SSPZP (SBOEF $" t

TM

2016

38

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December 29, 2016 - January 11, 2017

Year In Review

Dinner & A Movie

Popping a Cork for 2016’s Top Movies By Teri Bayus

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rom the dark corners of the theater, you hear my wine bottle pop, as the cork releases. I am here with all the teenagers in the area; every Friday night watching the newest movies. Soda won’t do (plus it’s bad for you), so I smuggle in wine and a note pad. As a popcorn reporter for the past 13 years, this has been the most interesting year for movies. Kids, dystopian, drama, comedy, it is all over the place. What stands out for me are the films that make you think and discuss them for hours afterwards, even the animated ones. These are my 11 favorite films for 2016.

10. The Jungle book The Jungle Book is a live-action/CGI fantasy film that retells the story of Mowgli, an orphaned human boy who, guided by his animal guardians, sets out on a journey of self-discovery while evading the threatening tiger, Shere Khan.

11. The Suicide Squad A dark tale from the depths of comic book villains, takes us on the antagonist’s journey. The idea of the script is wonderful: let’s give the bad guys a chance and the writing execution is fantastic. The characters are deep, with good backstories and it’s easy to start liking them. The plot is an interesting twistassemble a team of the world’s most dangerous, incarcerated super villains, provide them with the most powerful arsenal at the government’s disposal, and send them off on a mission to defeat an enigmatic, insuperable entity. However, once they realize they weren’t picked to succeed but chosen for their patent culpability when they inevitably fail, things get interesting. Will Smith and Margot Robbie’s characters fill the screen with their amazing acting and portrayals of these quirky villains. Similar to Sin City it’s very meta in its approach. It plays up the comic book aesthetic and for me this worked well. It’s quite dark with splashes of bright color that reinforces the Sin City vibe and it looks amazing. The chemistry between the characters is delightful, as well as the development between their relationships which was electric and funny.

Like its 1967 older brother, it takes the characteristic of the animals and brings along lightness with songs. Director, John Favreau’s Jungle Book is a marvel. With a Spielberg-like sense of magical awe and reverent fear, it’s a children’s epic that not only stands-up to its legacy, but also surpasses it. Giant snakeskins, intense animal battles, and daring escapes from ape kingdoms give the film a scope beyond the animated musical, all while keeping intact its persistent joy. Funny, jaw dropping, thrilling, grand, and fun, it’s an all-cylinders-go cinematic experience on every level. The story of a young man-cub raised by wolves and living amongst the animals of the jungle hasn’t changed much, down to the talking beasts. I think Rudyard Kipling would be pleased.

9. Rogue One - A Star Wars Story A brilliant, stand alone movie in the Star Wars saga, my brain spent the first half of the movie trying to place it on the Star Wars timetable. Once I stopped that, I loved the fully flushed and wonderful characters. This is a war movie, and there are no warm, little bears running through the forest. It was story telling at its finest with a few crumbs from the franchise. It possesses an interesting mix of exciting, heroic and tragic characters. Director Gareth Edwards and team are careful not to take anything away from the iconic 1977 classic Star Wars and successfully add to it. With immense firepower, Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso, goes about finding her father in a sea of defectors, rebels and insurgents, including Saw Gerrera (Forest Whittaker). This is fan fiction at its finest and one might enjoy it more if you’d read the comic book first, but it was fantastic once you dropped your Star Wars shields. Although the film evokes well-known visual elements, it is far removed from the style of the seven episodes of the central story. It brings us a narrative comparable to Saving Private Ryan. Moving away from the adventurous and cool tone of its predecessors, the film immerses us in a militarized and ruthless universe, which shows even more than the original trilogy, the coldness of the iron fist of the Empire and the battle for survival of the rebellion. The story was interesting, the acting

was better than any in the franchise, the music was distinctive, the effects both practical and digital were flawless, the tone was on spot, and the little fan service was put in elegantly.

8. Finding Dory I’m glad to say that despite being a sequel, Finding Dory is a solid, visually striking and thoroughly entertaining feature. Dory (voiced by Ellen DeGeneres) returns as the Blue Tang with the heart of gold and a memory of, well, a fish. Using the characteristics of the under the sea life (octopus camouflage and smartness, seals on the rock dreaming of being on the rock), the writers did well to further awareness of marine life, using it for plot points. My favorite part was the original and humorous gag involving a touch pool where fingers becomes exploding landmines and the fish all experience waves of PTSD from the roaming little hands. It made it twice as fun for locals as the aquarium was based in Morro Bay. Andrew Stanton and Angus MacLane who led the team of amazing animators, direct Finding Dory. All of the colors magnificently stand out from the overall bland backgrounds, and make the film look astounding. Finding Dory made me laugh, giggle, cry and laugh some more. Its humor is in the characters, but the heart of the story sets it apart to reach and not traumatize kids and be fun for adults.

7. Zootopia Zootopia is a movie everyone can enjoy. It may be Disney’s most colorful film to date, but it also has the classic Disney moral message for viewers of all ages and backgrounds. Zootopia takes place in a world where there are no humans and animals do everything as

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Year In Review

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December 29, 2016 - January 11, 2017

as the ideas are as to why the aliens are here, there is always 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. if they are humans. They have houses, police forces, and access to our type of transportation. More than anything, it’s worth seeing for its fun characters and inspiring message. The voice talent is as good as it has been for Disney in a long time as Jason Bateman, Ginnifer Goodwin, Idris Elba, Jenny Slate, and J.K. Simmons, all do a wonderful job bringing these characters to life. You will get attached to Hopps and her unlikely fox friend, Nick Wilde, as they go on a journey to uncover a conspiracy that is plaguing Zootopia. Which brings up another brilliant aspect of this film, its meticulous plot. Zootopia is one of the cleverest Disney films to come out in recent memory. Its constant nods to pop culture including famous films like The Godfather or TV shows like Breaking Bad give the parents more than enough reason to take their kids to the theater. There are plenty of jokes that will fly over kid’s heads and the humor never gets too silly. It’s a great balance that makes an animated kid film prodigious, and Zootopia is a respectable example of that.

6. Captain America The Civil War I was not thrilled about seeing my favorite superhero’s fight among themselves in the newest addition, Captain America: Civil War. Thankfully it was handled correctly where neither side is right or wrong. Like a good marriage, they disagree on how things should be done, but ultimately respect each other. The introduction of new superheroes minimized the “breakup” drama and when they battled each other, it was an eye candy experience more than a battle. The script is tight, theatrical and funny, leaving the strong personalities to drive the drama. Civil War has the same appeal of the X-men sagas with so many superheroes in the film; us comic book geeks could NOT go see it. But thankfully it was a film both veracious and spectacular. It’s hard to say which was cooler, watching the spark happening between the Scarlet Which and the Vision, Captain America driving a VW Bug, seeing the origin of the Black Panther,

or watching Tony Stark having a heart to heart with Peter Parker. For me it was definitely the latter, because I though that Spider-Man’s appearance in the film would be overkill. You could not help but clap when he comes on the screen and the dialog between Aunt May and Stark was perfection. Directors, Anthony and Joe Russo, made a masterpiece. I audibly swooned many times with the fantastic shots and script. This is the longest of Marvel Movies, but I loved every second.

5. The Lobster This movie gets the “weirdest award,” but darn, it stuck with me. A love story set in a dystopian near future where single people are arrested and transferred to a creepy hotel. There they are obliged to find a matching mate in 45 days. If they fail, they are transformed into an animal and released into the woods. Colin Farrell really hits the mark with this role, displaying awkward machismo and fragile humility in equal measure. His comedic timing is matched only by his supporting cast that includes John C. Reilly, Ashley Jensen, and Olivia Coleman. Rachel Weisz is also spot-on as the shortsighted woman. The Lobster has just about everything you’d want from a film. It’s unpredictable, it’s offbeat, and it’s laugh-out-loud funny. But it’s most impressive feature is the subtext, it manages to reflect how odd our own modern-day social pressures are. How loneliness is feared, how individuality loses out to the mainstream system, and how relationships have to be deemed “legitimate” by some higher order. There’s plenty to talk about with this film.

4. Hell or High Water This is a slow burn of a gritty lullaby about brothers desperate and unhinged in difficult times. It is not a fun movie. Chris Pine and Ben Foster play brothers and partners in crime, in the thick of a statewide bank robbing spree, which gets progressively more dangerous, all to save a piece of property from the big banks threatening to foreclose. They’re not evil men, they’re not even

bad men because Sheridan’s script doesn’t allow such stark delineation. They are men forced to make decisions, just like any other. Yet in times like these, one’s decisions are often of an extreme nature, out of self preservation or desire to protect one’s family. Still, this film is a cut above most of the mindless Hollywood film fare. The filmmakers were clearly attempting to weave a social commentary about the callous nature of home foreclosures and the same general mood of discontent.

3. LaLa Land The last time I felt like this in a cinema, I was 16-years old and I was watching Star Wars. I never imagined, I would ever find that feeling again in a theater — that sense of being transported to another world. The opening sequence took my breath away and I never got it back. Not even at the end, which left my head spinning. It is a beautiful film with soul, wit, charm, style and love. It is simply outrageous, bold and fantastical. The film explores the idea of “What if?” and tackles the idea of a working Hollywood versus a Hollywood where the idea of art is paramount. La La Land focuses on the idea of money vs. art, and shows that nobel aspects of creativity are often ignored to focus on the monetary aspects of the industry, while leaving behind the very art that drove them in the first place. The movie is very much paced in the realm of Hollywood where the cadence of the film is action packed with all the fervor of a young person entering Hollywood for the first time, yet as Mia and Sebastian learn the inter-workings of Hollywood, the film slows down to reflect the realities that are faced when having to juggle income and art. Brilliant.

2. Arrival Arrival 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. As far reaching and mind-bending

1. Deadpool From the opening title sequence it is clear that we are in for a ride with a film that will take a poke at itself and everything else in pop culture. The opening credits were done Deadpoolstyle with the person’s personality description instead of name. The first thing I noticed, was how inventive the storytelling was. The film throws you into the action from the first moment and then it goes back and forth in brilliant and unexpected ways to slowly unspool the story of this insane, but oddly charming antihero. Flashbacks and fast-forwards can be annoying, but when done right, they can help render a simple story fresh and exciting. And that’s exactly how Deadpool felt to me right from the start: like a fresh (if somewhat dirty) jolt of energy. Deadpool is a raunchy, excessively violent, superhero; based on the Marvel Comics character. The film stars Ryan Reynolds who plays a mercenary, named Wade Wilson. Reynolds owns every second that he’s on screen. You can tell he loves the character. Deadpool is a wise cracking, all attention on him kind of crusader with eye grabbing displays of action, talent and charisma. He doesn’t try to be your everyday superhero and you need to love him for that. He manages to use any means necessary to take down his foes with creative and and sometimes questionable techniques. The humor is crude, vulgar, and sophomoric (think Family Guy or Superbad), and it’s hilarious. All of the superhero pokes and fourth wall jokes were splendid. The red suited, antihero provides a sprinkle of something a little different on a giant Marvel ice cream. All in all this was a perfect movie in tone and execution. I have now watched it four times and loved it every time. Teri Bayus is the Host of Taste Buds, shown on Charter Cable Ch. 10 and on Central Coast Now TV. Teri’s culinary erotic book, “Consumed,” is available at: www.amazon.com/ConsumedTeri-Bayus-ebook/dp/B016DW85PA. Dinner and a Movie is a regular feature of Simply Clear Marketing & Media.

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