March 2017 Journal Plus by SLO Journal

LEANN STANDISH | LOREN LEIDINGER-AVILA | CHARLOTTE MEADE | TIM CLEATH

JournalPLUS MARCH 2017

MAGAZINE OF THE CENTRAL COAST

WHALE WATCHING ON THE CENTRAL COAST

805-543-2172

805-904-6616

21 Santa Rosa St. #100, San Luis Obispo

110 E. Branch Street, Arroyo Grande

w w w.FA R R E LL S M Y T H .c om www.1275MontecitoRidge.com

Arroyo Grande Ranch Property

Spectacular Ocean & Panorama Views. Infinite custom quality estate on 5 acres in gated community of Montecito Ridge Estates between San Luis Obispo/Edna Valley and east Arroyo Grande. $1,799,000 Also avail. 8 lots ranging from 5 - 10 acres. Starting at $349,000

Ranch property conveniently located in an unincorporated neighborhood just south of the City of Arroyo Grande, near Highway 1 & Willow Road. 3 bedroom, 2 bath home on 2.1 acres. Additional features include crown moldings, laminated flooring, granite & tile countertops, brick-face fireplace with insert. Kitchen & Bathrooms have been updated. Horse Corral. $895,000

Panoramic Ocean View Lot

Welcome to Napa of the Central Coast

Build your custom dream home in Morro Bay and capture the sweeping panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean and coastline. This unique up slope lot backs up to fenced ranchland for privacy. Desirable neighborhood and street that dead ends. Make your dreams come true! $419,000

This is Wine Country!!! Submit your plans, get ready to build or update ownersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; previously approved plans for 24 unit, 27,000 sq. ft. building. All utilities, plus water and sewer to the site. Located in the prime area of Golden Hill Business Park. Easy access to major freeways and good visibility. The property is zoned Planned Industrial/Business Park per the City of Paso Robles. Zoning offers many possibilities such as, wineries, medical offices, mini-storage, restaurant. Great area for multiple tenant wine-tasting rooms. Check with city for specifics. Tract 2269. $625,000

In Escrow

Classic SLO home, Views, Great location, Beautifully maintained, Original owners. Lovely original oak hardwood floors, fireplace, Brand new remodeled kitchen. 3 bedroom, 1 bath plus a bonus large, fully enclosed patioroom with brand new carpet. Fenced yard, nicely landscaped. $649,000

Elegant Executive 4 bedroom 3 bath home located in the Via Arroyo neighborhood with expansive views of the city and mountain range. Located near Paso shopping, wineries, schools and restaurants!! Large nearly 2600 SQ feet, ready for any family or friend function you have! $573,000

CONTENTS

Journal PLUS MAGAZINE OF THE CENTRAL COAST

The People, Community, and Business of Our Beautiful Central Coast ADDRESS

654 Osos Street San Luis Obispo California 93401

LEANN STANDISH

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

EDITOR & PUBLISHER Steve Owens ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Erin Mott GRAPHIC DESIGNER Dora Mountain COPY EDITOR Susan Stewart PHOTOGRAPHER Tom Meinhold DISTRIBUTION Jan Owens, Kyle Owens, Jim Parsons, Gary Story ADVERTISING Steve Owens CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Susan Stewart, Joseph Carotenuti, Dr. James Brescia, Sarah Hedger, Maggie Cox, Dominic Tartaglia, Deborah Cash, Heather Young, Don Morris, Ruth Starr, Rebecca Juretic, Chuck Graham, Sherry Shahan, Jody Kocsis, Curtis Reinhardt and Andy Pease. Mail subscriptions are available at $20 per year. Back issues are $2 each. Inquires concerning advertising or other information made by writing to Steve Owens, JOURNAL PLUS MAGAZINE, 654 Osos Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401. You can call us at 546-0609, our fax line is 546-8827, and our e-mail is slojournal@fix.net. View the entire magazine on our website at www.slojournal.com JOURNAL PLUS MAGAZINE is a free monthly distributed to over 600 locations throughout the Central Coast and is also available online at slojournal.com Editorial submissions are welcome but are published at the discretion of the publisher. Submissions will be returned if accompanied by a stamped self addressed envelope. No material published in the magazine can be reproduced without written permission. Opinions expressed in the byline articles are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the JOURNAL PLUS MAGAZINE. COVER PHOTO PROVIDED BY CHUCK GRAHAM

TIM CLEATH

THE DANA ADOBE

PEOPLE 8 10 12 14 16

LEANN STANDISH TIM CLEATH LOREN LEIDINGER-AVILA CHARLOTTE MEADE BILL WORRELL IWMA Manager

HOME & OUTDOOR

18 20 22 24

WHALE WATCHING MURPHYS AND SLO CONNECTION WEEKEND GETAWAY - J.P. Getty Villa FOOD / AT THE MARKET

COMMUNITY 7 26 27 28 29 30 32 34 41 42

SLO LIBRARY BOOK SALE PASO ART SCENE SLO ART SCENE GREATEST ATHLETES – Casey Candaele SLO UNITED METHODIST ART SHOW HISTORY ON THE “HOOF” Nipomo HISTORY: William Goodwin Dana OUR SCHOOLS – Dr. James Brescia PALM STREET PERSPECTIVE – Andy Pease COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD

BUSINESS

36 EYE ON BUSINESS 37 DOWNTOWN SLO What’s Happening M A R C H

2017

Journal PLUS

March Hero Profile

2017

Children’s Bill of Rights #3: As the children and youth of San Luis Obispo County, may we each have the basics for our daily life—clothing, transportation, and supplies for school, outside interests and activities. MARCH’S HERO

Sandy Richardson PASSION Helping to ensure that no one goes without life’s basic necessities ONE WORD TO DESCRIBE SANDY Supportive NOMINATED BY Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County (CAPSLO)

Sandy Richardson is a champion for children, supporting their families in crisis situations by getting them financial help to cover essential needs. A retired teacher, Sandy is the Founder and President of SLO County Womenade, a non-profit network that donates items, time and money to provide basic necessities to Central Coast families. Womenade is supported by donations and is run solely by volunteers, including Sandy.

spirit and go-to nature endear her to the agencies from whom she gets referrals, including schools, medical professionals, and organizations like CAPSLO, Family Care Network, Martha’s Place Children’s Assessment Center, and People’s Self-Help Housing.

Womenade was born 14 years ago in Sandy’s home at a

Under Sandy’s leadership, Womenade has created a

potluck among friends, who locked arms with a vision to fill a critical need in our community. Since then, more than

valuable support system to help stabilize and strengthen families—and our community as a whole. Peers describe Sandy as forward thinking, innovative and caring. She always finds a way to make things happen when other help is not immediately available to families during times of need.

Sandy plays many roles. She coordinates need requests with donors and stores the items in her own home until they are delivered to families. Sandy’s collaborative

Thank you, Sandy Richardson. You are a true Hands-On Hero. Look for more on all of our Hands-On Heroes on COE-TV Channel 19!

Hands-On Heroes is a special recognition of dedicated individuals who believe in and support the Children’s Bill of Rights, an achievable vision that our children grow up with healthy minds, bodies and spirits that enable them to maximize their potential. This program is coordinated by First 5 San Luis Obispo County in collaboration with local organizations that make a difference in the lives of children in our community. To find out more about First 5 and the Children’s Bill of Rights, please visit first5slo.org.

Design: Verdin

$664,000 in Womenade funds have helped struggling families pay for dental and medical care, diapers, baby formula, furniture, rent, clothing and beyond. Just one example: when a family was forced to travel out of town for medical assistance, Sandy personally worked to get them a double stroller to ease the commute with their little ones.

From the publisher

A smile is the universal welcome. – MAX EASTMAN –

NEW PATIENTS WELCOME EVENING HOURS AVAILABLE

Ryan M. Ross, DDS

an and I love whale watching. It’s amazing how graceful they look in the water in spite of their massive size. We’ve watched them in Avila cove, at the Lighthouse, and viewed them up close in Hawaii. I even had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to watch one swim by me while snorkeling in Maui. When Chuck Graham took some great shots while kayaking in Pismo I couldn’t help but put one on this month’s cover. You’ll enjoy his story inside.

This month we feature four people that make a difference on the Central Coast, including the new Executive Director of the Foundation for the Performing Arts Center, Leann Standish. She gives us a peek at her plans for more people to have access to the PAC. We also feature groundwater specialist, Tim Cleath. He has helped people locally and worldwide in the quest for clean water. We finish up with the Chief Development Officer of the local Red Cross, Loren Leidinger-Avila and senior dog lover, Charlotte Meade. Plenty of good reading again this month. Enjoy the magazine.

Michael Roberts, DDS 11545 LOS OSOS VALLEY ROAD, SUITE A SAN LUIS OBISPO (805)541-5800

•

RYANROSSDDS.COM

Steve Owens

What’s new at the county libraries in march

COMMUNITY

slo library reopens, the annual book sale, more spanish materials and so much more... By Rebecca Juretic

arch brings a number of events and improvements associated with San Luis Obispo County Libraries. Here is a look at what’s coming:

A New, Improved SLO Library Will Reopen on March 4

The San Luis Obispo Library will reopen on Saturday, March 4 after a five-month closure. The community is invited to explore the modernized, expanded facility filled with new public spaces and amenities. New technology-friendly features include areas for patrons to charge mobile devices, self-checkout machines, and radio-frequency identification on all library materials to make checkout easier and faster. Library support services have moved to the first floor, dedicating 3,000 square feet of space on the third floor to adult nonfiction and reference materials. Also freeing up space for patron use is a new 13-bin automated material sorting system that has the capacity to sort 1,500 books per hour. The first floor of the library will feature a café style ambiance with new books, music, movies, and seating to encourage interactions among visitors. Two new group rooms furnished with digital displays and seating for six people will be available for public use. One group room will feature a “creative lab” equipped with advanced editing software such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Premiere, and recording equipment available for public use. The Library’s second floor will house the expanded children’s area with 500 extra square feet of space dedicated to story time, brain-play, and a craft lab for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) programming. “The updated design will hopefully make the space feel brighter, more inviting, and more open,” said SLO County Library Director Christopher Barnickel. A new family lounge in the children’s area will have convenient family restrooms and space for parents to meet and work while children are browsing the collection. A new 700 sq. ft. “teen space” will have movable furniture, gaming and project workspace to encourage meeting and interaction. Many maintenance projects have also been completed at the Library, half of which were funded by the City of San Luis Obispo.

San Luis Obispo Friends of the Library Book Sale, March 2-4 Early in March, the San Luis Obispo Veterans Memorial Building will be stocked with over 15,000 books and thousands of audio visual items. A line will form along the sidewalk, with book lovers toting bags, crates, sometimes suitcases. The Friends of the Library Annual Book Sale, now in its 38th year, is a highly-anticipated event for hundreds of book lovers around the county and beyond. It is an opportunity to pick up bargain-priced entertainment with books priced at $1 per inch and audio visual items,

including CDs, DVDs and vinyl LPs, at $1 each. The Book Sale is also a way to support the San Luis Obispo Library. In the past 37 years of the sale, over $300,000 has been raised for materials, programs and improvements, including the Library’s recent renovation. Dates and times for the Book Sale are as follows: Thursday, March 2nd, 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. (Members only, with memberships sold at the door). Friday, March 3rd, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Saturday, March 4th, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. This year offers the largest number of children’s books in the history of the sale. Especially numerous are the teen and young adult books. There is also an excellent selection of Special Price Books, which are rare or unusual titles of interest to the collector or specialist. A few of those rare titles are: • Nature Cure Explained (1950) by Alan Moyle, a book sought by collectors as a James Bond source, as well as an uncommon title in naturopathic medicine. • The Hand of the Potter (1918) by Theodore Dreiser, this copy having come from the personal library of Charles Coburn and contains the handsome bookplate of the Coburns. • Rare children’s books, and books on the subjects of history, automobiles, arts and entertainment. For more information on the Book Sale or the Friends of the San Luis Obispo Library, visit www.slofol.org.

More Spanish Language Materials on the Way County Libraries will have a greater selection of Spanish language books for children and adults this year, thanks to a $10,000 grant from the Foundation for San Luis Obispo County Public Libraries. The grant is made possible by a generous bequest to the Foundation by Ms. Barbara Baltimore. Margaret Kensinger-Klopfer, Youth Services Coordinator, said that the County Library’s Spanish language collections need to be refreshed, updated and expanded. “Given the County’s demographics, we want to use this grant to better meet the needs of our community,” said KensingerKlopfer. She noted that 21 percent of San Luis Obispo County’s residents are Latino and of those, 12 percent speak only Spanish in the home. Two-thirds of the funds will go toward children’s books, and the other one-third will be used to purchase adult fiction and non-fiction. The books will be distributed to all fifteen library branches. For more information on the Foundation, or to make a donation to one of its programs, go to www.slolibraryfoundation.org. M A R C H

2017

Journal PLUS

PEOPLE

meet the foundation for the performing art center’s new executive director,

Leann standish ...making the arts accessible By Susan Stewart

ince its triumphant opening in 1996, The San Luis Obispo Performing Arts Center has brought world-class musicians, dancers, comedians, and lecturers to its magnificent stage, enhancing the cultural life of our county in immeasurable ways. Formed a decade earlier, in 1986, The Foundation for the Performing Arts Center—in collaboration with its partners, Cal Poly and the City of SLO—was then and continues to be at the heart of this extraordinary center and all it brings to our community.

Now, more than two decades since the PAC’s completion, the Foundation is expanding its effort to make the Center more accessible to audiences and performers alike. And here to lead that effort is Leann Standish, the Foundation’s new Executive Director. Appointed in November of 2016, Standish comes to the position with more than 20 years’ experience working with major arts institutions, and a proven track record of success—the most recent being as Deputy Director of Perez Arts Museum Miami (PAMM). Standish’s love of the arts began long before her working life did. Born and raised in Indiana, the oldest of four children, she remembers an “idyllic” childhood. Her father was an auto company executive and her mother was a piano teacher. As a child, she saw hundreds of Broadway shows with her musical-loving mother—Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, Lion King, to name just a few—absorbing the magic of these famous performances like a sponge. Later, she would come to recognize how lucky she was to have had this exposure when for some people, the arts (both visual and performing) can be perceived as intimidating or off-putting.

photo by Nick Garcia

“Our role [at the Foundation] is to make the performing arts accessible and relevant,” she explains. “To market to those who’ve never been to a performance.” Two programs serve that effort well. The first is the School Matinee Program which allows students, teachers, and parents the chance to attend professional performing arts events at the PAC during the school day. Now in its 15th season, the program offers free admission and transportation for SLO County students to attend matinees adapted for school children of all ages as part of their school curriculum. This season’s offerings include such diverse shows as Opera SLO’s La Boheme, Jazz Reach, Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters, Breaking Through, SLO Symphony’s Children’s Concert, Story Pirates, and Sleeping Beauty. “We are hoping to reach another 8,000 kids this year,” said Standish. “It’s a wonderful way to introduce them to live performances and it teaches them how to attend these events.” The second is the Clifton Swanson PAC Community Access Fund, a grants program that supports local performing arts groups so they can perform at the PAC. It’s expensive to mount a show and many local groups have a tough time coming up with the money, no matter how talented they are. Now in its second year, some of the 2016-2017 grant recipients included SLO Youth Symphony, Orchestra Novo, Vocal Arts Ensemble, Festival Mozaic, and Civic Ballet of SLO. Last year, The Foundation gifted nearly $30,000 to these groups.

M A R C H

2017

Journal PLUS

PEOPLE Kids entering the PAC

A full house of fun!

“Not many cities can boast this,” said Standish, referring to this generous effort to support and advocate for our local performing arts groups.

tant to listen to how things are done here. … We’re a little less f lashy.”

“Leann’s background in fundraising, community leadership and strategic planning will bring significant momentum to our efforts as we continue to work towards sustaining both the PAC itself and the community access programs we support,” said Board President John Rolph.

Counting herself lucky to have already met many of the leaders of our community, those who have changed the landscape in important ways, Standish said she has been impressed by all of them. “They will be an important part of our new thrust,” she said. “We can really make a difference if we push up our sleeves and go to work.”

Joking that her father once told her (while Standish was a starving student) she was “uniquely qualified to ask for money,” Standish has lived up to that talent, adding a number of other formidable skills along the way. Chief among these might be her adaptability and willingness to work hard. “Coming from Miami, I’ve learned that each communit y has its own st yle of communication,” she explained. “It’s impor-

You can help. For more information about the Foundation for the Performing Arts Center or to donate time or money, visit fpac.org or call Leann Standish at 805.541.5401. “Leann brings a great deal of warmth and collaborative spirit,” said Search Committee Chair, Maryellen Simkins. “I can’t wait for our community to meet her.”

M A R C H

2017

Journal PLUS

PEOPLE

tim cleath

water, water, everywhere ...in the life of Tim cleath, that is. By Deborah Cash

ydrogeologist/Engineering Geologist Tim Cleath knows a thing or two about one of our most precious—and after a multi-year drought, hand-wringing— resources. In a recent interview, we stood on the deck of his Laguna Lake home where the newly-risen lake lapped at the boards below our feet as we reminisced about the cycles of weather patterns of the last 40 years—and for which most of that time Cleath has provided consulting groundwater services to the Central Coast.

Many can recall when, in the late ’60s and ’70s, and then again in the early ’80s and ’90s, rainfall levels reached record highs in the county. These typically followed periods of dry years where lawns went brown, creeks dried up and we were reminded that we do, after all, live in an arid, desert-like climate. In a grander scheme of things, though, lies the need for the skills of a hydrogeologist to analyze, study, organize and communicate how water is managed, distributed, conserved and ultimately made available to us all through these highs and lows. “All basins need to be managed so people don’t run out of water,” Cleath said. He has worked with both landowners and public agencies to improve and manage water supply sources and evaluate impacts resulting from groundwater uses. In 2002, Cleath’s firm, Cleath & Associates (now Cleath-Harris Geologists), co-authored the Paso Robles Groundwater study. This past year his firm analyzed groundwater recharge potential using recycled water in the Arroyo Grande-TriCities Mesa. He’s especially busy assisting landowners whose wells have gone dry. In his teens, Cleath lived in San Luis Obispo where his father, Robert, taught at Cal Poly and his mom, Virginia, was a teacher at Harloe Elementary School in Arroyo Grande. The family, including Tim and three siblings, lived in a house on Laguna Lake; today Tim and his family still live in the remodeled house that overlooks the water.

After Cleath graduated from San Luis Obispo High School in 1970, he began his collegiate studies at Wheaton College and completed his bachelor’s degree at Fresno State majoring in geology. Following his graduation, his dad recommended that his son take a “vision trip” to gain insight and perspective in deciding his future. “I assisted a medical missionary in northern Thailand,” he said. “I came to see that water was very important there, especially to the tribes in the hills. They had a difficult time getting water to where they lived.” Upon returning to the U.S., Cleath completed a Master of Science degree in Geology at Cal State Los Angeles in 1978 with a thesis on “Groundwater in the San Luis Obispo area.” During his time in Southern California, he met his wife to be, Allie, and started working at James M. Montgomery, Consulting Engineers, Inc. where he was a senior hydrogeologist. Cleath returned to SLO in 1984 and started a business addressing the area’s hydrologic needs. “A normal phone call would be like one we recently got from a gentleman who was considering purchasing a ranch and wanted to find out if there was water on the property.”

Bobby, Allie, Tim, Amy and Timmy at the Cleath home on Laguna Lake. M A R C H

2017

Journal PLUS

“My thought was if I had my own business, I could take time off to do other things that interested me such as becoming involved in Lifewater International.” Cleath has volunteered with the faith-based non-profit since 1987 and travelled to more than two dozen international assign-

PEOPLE

activities. A fan and star of local opera, Cleath’s strong, deep voice (“inherited from my father!”) resonates occasionally from local stage productions with OperaSLO and Central Coast Gilbert and Sullivan. It’s of great pride to Cleath that his son Bobby and Bobby’s fiancé, Kezia, have also performed with him and share his love of music and performance arts. Cleath attributes his love of the limelight and his self-confidence to his father who taught speech and debate but also guided the family to a life of faith, understanding and open mindedness. “My father always wanted to be involved and learn about issues of the day,” he said. “He attended theological seminary, was an ordained minister and, as an editor for Christianity Today, wrote under the byline ‘Eutychus and his Kin.’” Tim and his son Bobby, in Mikado

ments for the organization as well as projects for Rotary International, Crosslink International, Safe Water International Ministry, Grace Church, El Morro Nazarene Church in Los Osos and First Baptist Church of San Luis Obispo. Typically, Cleath’s work focused on finding and developing sources of water that were clean. “The communities often obtained water from contaminated surface water,” he explained. “People were walking miles to get water from area springs. I was the front-end person, figuring out the best ways to provide communities with closer sources of safe drinking water such as drilling wells.” In one instance, Cleath said he travelled to Uzbekistan with 18 health professionals—doctors, medical people, etc. “They went to the hospitals; I went to the fields.” Cleath visited an area along the ancient Silk Road near the Aral Sea where many hand-dug wells were poorly constructed and water-borne disease was common. “I met with a drilling enterprise that was hoping to drill wells and provide safe water to this area of nearly two million people.” Initially, Cleath thought such an operation might be cost-prohibitive but because labor costs were so cheap, they were able to install 500 wells, a real success story. While Cleath remains submerged in his water-related work, service and water-surrounded home, he does find time for non-H2O

The senior Cleath toted his family around to “unusual places” said Cleath. “We visited a hobo village in Santa Barbara, skirted the riottorn areas and witnessed the civil rights and Vietnam War protests when we lived in Washington, D.C., traveled behind the “Iron Curtain” in Europe and crossed the U.S. several times.” During his tenure at Cal Poly, his father authored many magazine articles, locally served as the stated supply pastor at churches in Cambria and Templeton, and built several houses and apartment buildings in San Luis Obispo County and in Florida.” Like his dad, now deceased, Cleath also cares deeply for his community—both at-large and in his immediate neighborhood. A Rotary de Tolosa member since 1985, he’s been to Brazil, Romania, Nicaragua, Thailand and India on humanitarian expeditions. Even more extraordinary, Cleath and his wife Allie and their family host a weekly evening meal for seniors, singles, international guests and friends—who often invite their friends. “We prepare a meal for 40 – 50 every Monday. People show up and help make the meal and then we eat and have great conversations.” The tradition started when the Cleath’s children, Amy (married to John), Stephen, Lisa and Bobby were young and friends with the neighbor kids. “We all got to know each other,” Cleath said. “Then one neighbor became ill and died and we invited her husband over for dinner; with time we invited several other widowers from our neighborhood and church.” Laughing, Cleath added, “We figured we should invite some ladies too and the lively banter started!” Now, the gathering is multigenerational and all ages, including grandson Timmy, enjoy the event. “My life is about being part of the community and being involved in people’s lives and helping them,” Cleath said. With the recent rains recharging the aquifers and people’s spirits, Cleath is also feeling uplifted about two operas he’s preparing for: The Pirates of Penzance at Cal Poly in April and The Gondoliers at Cuesta in June, from which is sung, “Live to love and love to live–You will ripen at your ease. Growing on the sunny side–Fate has nothing more to give.”

We are working on the April issue NOW!

Journal PLUS MAGAZINE OF THE CENTRAL COAST The Cleath clan: (L-R) Kezia, Bobby, Lisa, Stephen, Virginia, Tim, Allie, Amy, Timmy and John.

slojournal.com for Advertising Information M A R C H

2017

Journal PLUS

PEOPLE

LOREN LEiDINGERAVILA

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AND COUNTING: THE SLO RED CROSS By Ruth Starr

ounded by the Sinsheimer family in San Luis Obispo in the late 1880s, the local chapter of the Red Cross is about to celebrate 100 years as a national chapter. In 1917 it was officially recognized by the national organization.

Loren Leidinger-Avila is the Chief Development Officer of the Central California Region of the Red Cross. The main office for this area is in San Luis Obispo. Originally from the Chicago area, Loren has been working with non-profits for more than twenty years. She lived in the Bay Area in the â&#x20AC;&#x2122;90s, then moved back to Chicago, was married and had three children, Jakob and James, 13-year-old twins, and Mikaela 11. It was during a visit to an uncle in Morro Bay that Loren first contemplated moving back to California with the idea to raise her children in this area. As good fortune would have it, the local Red Cross chapter offered her an opportunity that allowed her to come in as Executive Director for

INC

STAL WORK CONSTRUCTION + DESIGN

LIC 948012 | PO BOX 391 SAN LUIS OBISPO CA 93406 805.542.0033 WWW.STALWORK.COM MAIL@STALWORK.COM

COMMERCIAL + RESIDENTIAL LANDSCAPES + MAINTENANCE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

M A R C H

2017

Journal PLUS

PEOPLE

ing screens so people could sift through the rubble to find valuables, and cleanup kits. She further adds that in the event of a home fire where the people can’t go back into their home, the Red Cross provides funds for lodging in a motel, gives the family a credit card for food, medicines, and clothing. Volunteer nurses will not only help anyone who needs medical attention, they will call in and get prescriptions replaced and free replacement of eye glasses. After a fire, the firemen leave but they call the Red Cross who then come out and help with whatever is necessary to assist the former occupants of the house. When Loren has some spare time, she likes to go hiking and camping and watch her kids play various sports. She is an avid reader and enjoys learning about food and nutrition. Her two dogs, a German Shepherd lab mix named London and a lab pit bull mix named Penny round out the family.

San Luis Obispo and the Santa Barbara Chapters. She has been Regional Supervisor for two years. In the SLO area, the region consists of ten counties, which covers a large area. Loren graduated from the University of Illinois. Soon after, she began her first job working in logistics. For four years she worked at the Chrysler Corporation in the field of logistics. She discovered that it was a male dominated profession where she was one of very few female supervisors in that industry. She had the ability to close down plants if she found that they were not performing well. As time went on, Loren realized that she needed to do something else with her life. Logistics, it turned out, was not her dream job. She decided to return to school at Northeastern University in Chicago to get a Secondary Education degree so she could teach. During this time she began working for CARE International Relief and Developments Organization. It set the wheels in motion for her as she learned about non-profit organizations. Opportunities began arising in CARE. She eventually moved to San Francisco to take on an administrative role. The move was the catalyst for her launch into a non-profit career. She worked for CARE for eleven years. Learning how to fund-raise, she was a field coordinator for advocacy work. While still living in Chicago, she was educating congressmen on international develop-

ment issues. After working with CARE, she transitioned to working exclusively with non-profit organizations.

Loren encourages residents to mark the date March 11, 2017, when the Red Cross has their annual preparedness expo at the Madonna Inn. They will be giving out preparedness kits at the event.

Her next position was as Vice President of Development with the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. It was after this job that Loren returned to what she calls “beautiful California” to begin working with the Red Cross. Preparing people and helping them in their worst hour is at the core of the Red Cross. The Red Cross helped soldiers during the 1st World War by knitting socks, rolling bandages, and writing letters for servicemen. When asked what a disaster might look like, she said that she was deployed for Hurricane Isaac in Louisiana in August 2012. She was a front line shelter worker providing food, shelter, and comfort. It was a huge shelter and community center where they helped numerous children to get transported every day to school by bus. It was the last shelter to close. Volunteers make up 98% of the Red Cross work force. During that crisis there were probably twenty volunteers a day to help. Some provided nursing care, while others went out in Emergency Response vehicles to help feed people who were still in their homes. Loren explains that the Red Cross is very active in the greater San Luis Obispo area. Last summer during the Chimney Fire, between Paso Robles and Lake Nacimiento, the Red Cross opened one shelter and provided 92 overnight stays and 1300 meals and snacks. They distributed shovels, cases of water, sift-

805 Aerovista #103, San Luis Obispo

M A R C H

2017

Journal PLUS

PEOPLE

charlotte meade senior dog days By Ruth Starr

harlotte Meade never had a dog until she was forty years old. While living in Hoboken, New Jersey, she went alone to the Jersey City Dog Shelter to adopt a dog for a friend. When she saw a dog named Patches, a beagle who only had one eye, she felt an energy between them. She immediately knew she would adopt that dog for herself. Over the years, Charlotte gave numerous stuffed toys to Patches. Ironically, the one-eyed dog removed one eye from each of the stuffed animals, leaving the other intact. She still has all the one eyed stuffed animals as a fond remembrance. Following 9/11, Charlotte started a Bed and Breakfast. However, it became a problem when she began taking in too many dogs—most of them from dog pounds in the Catskill Mountains in New York. She decided to quit the Bed and Breakfast business and moved from New York to New Preston, Connecticut where she had the idea of starting a dog rescue program in her house. To begin, she went to a nearby dog shelter planning to rescue three dogs. She promised the staff that she would be back in a few days. Upon returning she was told that the

OUR CUSTOMERS SAVED

$2.8 MILLION IN 2016

three dogs had been euthanized. Furious and disheartened, she went to the Police Station to file a complaint. In time Charlotte was able to change that dog shelter system to further protect the animals. She wanted to know if this was the norm for all shelters. That was when she learned the ugly truth about pet over population. That was also the beginning of rescuing kill-shelter dogs. She became absolutely passionate about rescuing these dogs. Even the best of dogs tend to bark. The noise of an animal rescue operation did not fit her neighborhood. It was then that she decided to move from Connecticut to the West Coast. Charlotte eventually found her way to Creston in 2012 where she now has seven acres in “the boonies” where dog barking doesn’t bother anyone. Her shelter has turned into a sanctuary with her main focus on unwanted senior

Join the club. Go solar. Start saving. Call now for your free solar quote.

S MART E N E RGY. WORKING HARDER.

(805) 466-5595 LOCAL • SINCE 1975 • CSLB# 391670

www.solarponics.com M A R C H

2017

Journal PLUS

PEOPLE dogs. Most of the dogs have been rescued from shelters that Charlotte calls “the worst offenders.” It is still shocking to her to find how many dogs need rescuing here. Because the dogs are old and some of them sick, the shelters deem them “not adoptable.” She speaks to individuals and groups as often as she can about the importance of spaying and neutering animals. Teaching people how to care for their aging dogs, she advocates heartily for good dental care.

and comfy in this environment, she feels they are always better off in a home when possible. All of the dogs have been spayed or neutered and can be adopted. She makes sure potential adopters understand the challenges that come with senior pets. The Meade Canine Rescue always has a need for food, treats, bedding, fencing, cleaning supplies, office supplies, and any help people can give. Visitors are welcome to come and meet and greet the animals when in the area. Every year in June, Meade Canine sponsors a dog walk as a fundraiser. Check them out at www.meadecaninerescue.org, call 805-239-4004 or email: 4dots@att.net.

Charlotte begins her day with feeding up to 50 dogs, medicating if necessary and cleaning up after them. The house is filled with dog beds and couches where the dogs can lie around, as well as a huge area outside that is fenced in for them to exercise, play, and wander. She has a number of caring volunteers who help her in addition to a board of directors, as her canine rescue is a non-profit organization. Meade Canine Rescue is committed to restoring the dignity and respect due to senior and special needs dogs lucky enough to land at the ranch in Creston. One of her most cherished stories concerns a German Shepherd named Kitt, who was turned over to her severely depressed, not eating and with the possibility of being euthanized. With the loving care of Charlotte and her volunteers he began to put on weight and began acting more engaged. Then she received a call from the Hartford Dog Pound that they had an Alpine Goat that needed to be saved. Billy, the goat, was brought to Meade Rescue. There was an immediate bonding between Kitt the dog and Billy the goat. Kitt spends his time herding the goat. They are inseparable. They have their own kennel where the two of them cuddle to sleep at night. Amongst all these dogs and the goat is one cat named Petey. Petey loves all the dogs and they feel the same way about him. Meade Canine Rescue provides medical care, nutrition, exercise and shelter for these unwanted dogs. The ranch in rural San Luis Obispo County offers a safe haven where 4-legged friends can spend the rest of their lives in comfort. While Charlotte knows the dogs are happy

M A R C H

2017

Journal PLUS

PEOPLE

industrial Waste Management Association Manager

Bill Worrell

continuing to find ways to divert waste from landfills By Heather Young

he county of San Luis Obispo has been charged with diverting 75 percent of waste from landfills and 50 percent of organic waste. Currently, the county is at 65 percent of all waste diverted from the landfills.

That diversion has happened in a variety of ways with the county facilitating programs that redirect waste for proper destruction or to be recycled. The process of diverting waste began in the early ’90s after a bill was passed in 1989 that required that 50 percent of waste be diverted by 2000. Because of that bill, curbside recycling began in the county in the early 1990s and curbside green waste in the late ’90s. “We’re expanding all the programs to cover all the businesses,” IWMA Manager Bill Worrell said. A couple of newer programs include household and business hazardous waste and residential food waste. Those programs are helping to divert waste from the landfills, and keep things that shouldn’t be in the trash in the first place, such as hazardous waste.

What is considered hazardous waste? • Single-use batteries • Button batteries • Rechargeable batteries • Compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) • Fluorescent tubes • Mercury-added thermostats • Paints • Sharps and needles • Medications

What do you do with them? They can be taken to any retail store that sells them. The retailers will take them during regular business hours for free recycling. For a complete list of businesses that will take hazardous waste, go to San Luis Obispo County Integrated Waste Management Authority’s website, www.iwma.com. “Don’t throw batteries away,” Worrell said, adding that the recycling program gets a million batteries a year. The batteries are then sent to a facility that melts them down for reuse.

We are working on the April issue NOW!

Journal PLUS MAGAZINE OF THE CENTRAL COAST

slojournal.com for Advertising Information M A R C H

2017

Journal PLUS

In SLO County, 400,000 straws are used every day, but, he said, only 80 percent of the people who are given straws want them. Pharmacies taking unwanted medications is new as of a couple of years ago. Before that, only police stations were allowed to take them. “We really want people to get pharmaceuticals out of their house and not into their toilets or garbage,” Worrell said. Worrell said the county has had six centers that accept hazardous waste for free—the only limits being those set by law, which limits

PEOPLE it. Worrell said the yard should be finished in about a year. When it is completed, the food waste will go there and then will be converted into power, which could power about 4,000 to 5,000 homes. The food waste is made into power when it is goes through an anaerobic digestion process, which makes methane gases that can then be burned to make power. Another new campaign IWMA is launching is that restaurant servers will only give out straws when requested, similar to customers needing to ask for water versus automatically getting it.

the hazardous waste transported in a vehicle to 15 gallons or 125 pounds—since the early 2000s. There is no limit, however, to how many trips per day a person can make to the centers.

“Straws are not recyclable,” Worrell said, adding that they are compostable. In SLO County, 400,000 straws are used every day, but, he said, only 80 percent of the people who are given straws want them. The county department has a large variety of programs and resources, which are accessible on its website. Worrell said that with a staff of three in the office, they couldn’t handle all of the calls and questions residents have, so a good deal of time and effort was put into making the website complete.

Help when you make the most important financial decisions of your life.

Centers that accept household hazardous waste in SLO County: • Chicago Grade Landfill, Templeton, Saturdays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. • Cold Canyon Landfill, SLO, Fridays and Saturdays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. • Heritage Ranch Community Services District, Paso Robles, Fridays noon to 2 p.m. • Morro Bay Household Hazardous Waste Facility, Morro Bay, Saturday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Bill Mott

MORTGAGE ADVISOR

• Nipomo Household Hazardous Waste Facility, Nipomo, Saturdays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

bmott@opesadvisors.com (805) 250-2405

• Paso Robles Landfill, Paso Robles, Saturdays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

DRE 01359516 | NMLS 341086

For food waste, IWMA encouraged the county’s waste pickup companies to give their residential customers small food waste recepticles for their kitchen counters. That food waste can then be dumped into the green waste containers, which diverts food waste from the trash can.

PREFERRED LENDER FOR:

“Last August, people got little containers for food waste,” Worrell said. Currently, all county residents, except those who live in Atascadero, participate in the program. Right now, he said, the food waste is being sent to Santa Maria to be composted. In December, ground was broken on a new Waste Connections yard next to the SLO County Airport. The yard will be owned and operated by a Swiss company that is building

TRILLIUM

OpesAdvisors.com Opes Advisors is licensed by the CA Bureau of Real Estate 01458652, Oregon ML-4902, Washington CL-1178435 and NMLS 235584. Equal Opportunity Lender. Opes Advisors is a registered investment advisor with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). © 2014 Opes Advisors, Inc. All rights reserved.

M A R C H

2017

Journal PLUS

HOME/OUTDOOR

whaling away with vince shay Whale watching on the central coast By Chuck Graham

t was a real toss-up for who was more animated: the five hungry humpback whales lunge-feeding off Pismo Beach, or Central California photographer and veteran kayak guide Vince Shay shooting them from his kayak. That was really saying something though, considering that Shay is about 5’6”, 165 pounds, and just 50 feet away were several hundred tons of ravenous Cetacea.

To be honest I couldn’t help but get caught up in the feeding frenzy of massive humpbacks, and hundreds of harbor porpoises, bellowing California sea lions, puppy-faced harbor seals and raucous seabirds circling around us. It was intoxicating while watching and photographing from the seat of a kayak a colossal bait ball of fish being pursued by a good chunk of the local food chain. M A R C H

2017

Journal PLUS

HOME/OUTDOOR

Pelican case with a lens cloth always at the ready, but Shay is confident the humpbacks know where he is. “I truly believe these animals are intelligent enough to know exactly where a boat or a kayaker is,” he said. That’s not to say Shay hasn’t had his fair share of close encounters. He’s had humpbacks so close he could touch and smell them. He recalled one memorable encounter where a school of anchovies rose just beneath his boat. He had only a few seconds to put his gear away.

“They’re coming back around again,” hollered an ebullient Shay. “It will go quiet and then they always come back. You just have to show some patience.” Shay would certainly know. He and wife Emily have owned Avila Beach Paddlesports since 2010, and the humpbacks first arrived in 2012, but went on hiatus for two years before returning in greater numbers in 2015 and ’16, splitting time between Avila and Pismo Beach. A long-time photographer, Shay surprisingly didn’t take a shot of the four humpbacks that fed only 50 feet from the Avila Pier in 2012. He did however during the summer of 2015 when 17 humpbacks fed just 50 yards from shore with Shay spending many long hours photographing from his kayak. Shay thought of using a motor boat to get his shots as others were doing, but he opted

for more intimate encounters from a kayak. Keeping the Marine Mammal Protection Act in check, Shay doesn’t pursue the humpbacks because he doesn’t want to alter their behavior, so he sits and waits letting the marine mammals approach him if they choose. Shay studies the wildlife and their tendencies when a bait ball gathers. It was a strategy he was already familiar with leading beginners on kayak tours on sit-on-top kayaks along the Central Coast frequented by harbor seals, sea lions, southern sea otters and dolphins just north of the Avila Pier. “I look for signs,” continued Shay, who is also an excellent standup paddler. “It’s all about the bait and the birds for me. I stay in one central location and hope to get lucky.” Shay works with a Canon 7D Mark I and Mark II and the flexibility of the Canon 100 – 400mm zoom lens. It is risky business though every time he pulls his gear out of his

“I drew my feet in and my lens,” said Shay. “I got ready for impact for I knew the whale was going to lunge-feed really close to me. It did! I could have touched it! It wasn’t as violent as it seems. The feeding is relatively gentle creating a vortex of water down and not out.” The day I spent with Shay we paddled over a mile offshore from Shell Beach, spending about 5 hours on glassy waters photographing five humpbacks off the Pismo Beach Pier. We counted multiple spouts, plumes of ocean mist wafting skyward. We watched for the dark, rippling water signifying the growing bait ball, while various seabirds like Heermann’s gulls and black-vented shearwaters swarmed all around us. At times the whales pushed the bait ball around us in a big loop with the rest of the food chain in hot pursuit. Then, without warning the lunge-feeding commenced in unison with several humpbacks exploding out of the water simultaneously. All I could hear was our shutters going off and then it was silent again and the ocean was calm.

·HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY·

Let our family take care of your family.

JUST LIKE HOME

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

Country Oaks C A R E CENTER

WWW.COUNTRYOAKSCARECENTER.COM | 805.922.6657 | 830 EAST CHAPEL STREET, SANTA MARIA M A R C H

2017

Journal PLUS

HOME/OUTDOOR

slo & calaveras county

several connections with the two counties By Marilyn Darnell

he brand new country called California energized R. E. Jack to reconnoiter all he could purchasing a horse, saddle, and a Colt six shooter for the adventure. Inspired by his letters of June 1864 from the Sierra Nevada Mountains just months after he migrated to California I set out to see them for myself. On June 3rd 22-year-old Jack wrote from Murphys that he was “passing directly through the mining regions” that today are rich with that history. The centerpiece of Murphys’ Main Street is the Old Sperry Hotel of 1855 named after J.L. Sperry of Sperry Flour (today’s General Mills). Murphys Historic Hotel’s register is a who’s who of the renowned, such as Mark Twain from Pike County Missouri, George Bancroft from Sacramento, and Wm. R. Hearst from San Francisco. I wondered why these people came to Murphys. Was it mining? Amazingly, the area has woven its earliest days of the 1850s and 1860s by preserving its buildings, artifacts and stories with museums, plaques and providing fine food and wineries with nature as its backdrop. The Old Timers Museum in Murphys revealed that George Hearst had his Sheep Ranch Mine a short distance from the museum that is the city’s oldest stone building built by Peter L. Traver in 1856. Iron shutters, doors and thresholds from the east coast helped fireproof it, as well as Murphys Historic Hotel. Murphys is the “Queen of the Sierra.” The city has a connection to San Luis Obispo County through one Patrick W. Murphy who was the grandson of Martin Murphy and Mary Foley. Murphys was named for Patrick’s uncles, John and Daniel Murphy.

M A R C H

2017

Journal PLUS

Martin and about 25 family members traversed the land from Missouri California. Earl Schmidt wrote in his Who Were the Murphys – California’s Irish First Family, “The Martin Murphy family carried a major role in the settlement and development of California” and “They were the largest family group in the first emigrant party to succeed in bringing wagons over the Sierra – 1844” and “Were first to ‘Strick It Rich!’ in Gold – during 1848-49.” Martin Murphy Jr. gained title of the Santa Margarita Rancho in 1861 and went on to gain La Asuncion and the Atascadero Ranchos. His son, Patrick, moved to San Luis Obispo County, safekeeping his father’s ranches, totaling some 70,000 acres. Patrick was successful himself, serving in the State Assembly, as well as a California senator. He was involved in banking and civic concerns, but was appreciated for his barbecues and rodeos, for he loved the “old California rancho life.” Angel’s Camp Museum and Carriage House document the area’s history in numerous ways; a Wells Fargo box that carried gold to San Francisco, frog-carrying baskets and a hog oiler can be found. Angel’s Camp is where Mark Twain wrote the Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County and is where all things to do with frogs, even a walk of fame for the champion jumpers, can be found. Continuing in his letter of June 3rd, R. E. Jack told of passing “one old sluice” in Copperopolis. The city boomed during every war from

HOME/OUTDOOR

the Civil War to WWI supplying most of the copper ore to make the casings for ammunition. In 1945 the Keystone Mine opened briefly and has been permanently closed since. The armory was the training center for Copperopolis Union Guard 3rd Brigade during the Civil War, and the Old Corner Saloon, established 1862, and the Union Copper Mine were here. A trip to Calaveras County Archives in San Andreas provided “A letter from William Johns to Amsa ‘Cap’ Ferguson, about purchasing the Sheep Ranch Mine. Ferguson sold the mine three years later [c.1870] to George Hearst and his associates for $108,000” and some of the oldest maps of the county are found in the Archives, including a copy of Holts 1839.

and artifacts. I learned that the Colt six shooter would have cost R. E. Jack about $4. Now out of print, Loren Nicholson’s Rails Across the Ranchos teams with info about some of these men if you can find a copy. The letters of Mr. Jack are inspiring in many ways. You can read all of them in Anything but Dull – The personal letters of R. E. Jack: His legacy from Maine to California 1856 – 1869 by Marilyn L. Darnell.

It was none other than the Big Trees that drew sightseers, even R. E. Jack and myself. Strolling with purpose through the North Grove of Calaveras Big Tree State Park the heavens sent a drizzle while I navigated the last remains of icy snow on the path. I gazed upon the Mother of the Forest. I climbed the stairs to dance upon Discovery Stump, as young R. E. Jack admitted to when he wrote his brother “it being a big thing for I had a dance there.” Near the end of the loop is Pioneer’s Cabin Tree that goes through to complete the loop of these giant trees. To say they are big seems an understatement. I can’t wait to visit the South Grove! Capture the 1860s at Columbia State Historic Park. In 1945 the State of California froze this community of numerous buildings

M A R C H

2017

Journal PLUS

HOME/OUTDOOR

weekend getaway

the getty villa By Sherry Shahan “The beauty one can find in art is one of the pitifully few real and lasting products of human endeavor.” — J. Paul Getty

Back in the day we called it the Getty. There was only one museum with that moniker so everyone knew what we meant. Then in 1997, another campus opened, the Getty Center in Los Angeles. While the two may seem worlds apart in architectural style and artistic content they share a commonality, J. Paul Getty. Most of us are familiar with the industrialist’s background—wildcat oilman, writer of books (two were published by Playboy Press), father of five sons, husband to five marriages—who amassed billions back when being a billionaire was a nearly singular achievement. Though Getty once quipped, “If you can count your money, you don’t have a billion dollars.” Getty’s first antiquity purchase came near the end of the Great Depression when “you could get better deals.” Unfortunately, the auction item was later discovered to be a top-notch forgery. Still, his interest in age-old worlds of the Mediterranean continued. In 1945, he purchased a home on 64-acres in Pacific Palisades, where he surrounded himself with his growing collection: Greek and Roman antiquities, 18th-century furniture, and European paintings. As Getty said, “There’s no glory in being remembered as old money bags.” Perhaps that’s why he began opening his home to the public—to share his passion with people who may not have the opportunity to get up close and personal with world-renowned art. In 1968, he initiated plans for a Roman-style museum modeled on Villa dei Papiri, a lavish country house on the slopes of Mt. Vesuvius,

The Getty Villa Collection

The Getty Villa garden M A R C H

2017

Journal PLUS

HOME/OUTDOOR We wandered on our own, through 7,000 years of ancient art, from the end of the Stone Age to the fall of the Roman Empire— marble-walled galleries and intricate floor mosaics, bronze athletes and monsters, vases engraved with mythical half-animals. We ducked into the Family Forum, a room where kids hunched over high-gloss vases decorating them with black Marks-a-Lots. A docent explained the method of shaping clay pots by hand and firing them in a kiln. Kids left eager to explore bona fide vases in the upstairs’ gallery while docents wiped their creations clean for the next crew. J.P. Getty

destroyed in the cataclysmic eruption of AD 79. To that end, Getty hired Norman Neuerburg, an expert in historic architecture. The Getty Villa opened in 1974. We finished our al fresco breakfast at The Ambrose Hotel (www.ambrosehotel.com) in Santa Monica, chosen not only because it’s less than 10 miles from the Getty Villa—but also because it has that laid-back vibe we expect from a boutique beach hotel. We even braved their old-style bikes to pedal the 22mile path along the shoreline. Afterward we drove north up Pacific Coast Highway (PCH to locals), turning into the Getty porte-cochere for our “timed” reservation. Until I saw the 12-minute documentary in the museum theater, I didn’t realize Getty spoke five languages and was an avid surfer.

Realizing the importance of gardens in ancient life, we opted for a 40-minute garden tour, listening as our guide shared anecdotes about the cultural and mythological connection between plants and people. She pointed to a bay laurel tree, saying, “It’s a symbol of protection—the reason why Romans are often depicted wearing a crown of leaves.” It was believed to shield them from lightning during thunderstorms. The terms “poet laureate” and “Nobel laureate” come from the practice of bestowing a laurel garland for a notable deed. Long beds of herbs and spices—thyme, oregano, lavender, rosemary—reminded me of drought tolerant yards around SLO County. The 45-minute architecture tour is offered several times a day, beginning at 10:15 am. Check the online Events Calendar for the Collection Highlights Tour (overview of major works) and Curator’s and Conservator’s Gallery Talk (behind-the-scenes perspective of current exhibitions). The museum is more intimate than its sprawling

younger sister in Los Angeles and therefore easy to navigate in 2 or 3 hours. Like many museums, collections outgrow the buildings and facilities become outdated. The Villa closed for almost 10 years (from 1997 to 2006) for a $275 million makeover—things like a grand new entry to the museum itself, including an amphitheater, library, gift shop, café, and more. The second floor was completely revamped with windows and skylights to allow natural light to filter in and illuminate the upper galleries. J. Paul Getty lived at his 400-year-old country mansion near London well into retirement, where he became increasingly reclusive. He died in 1976 at the age of 83. Sadly, he never saw his seaside villa come to fruition, though he’s buried on the property. Some 400,000 people stroll through the Getty Villa each year. Many wonder, as Getty hoped they would, what it might be like to live as a Roman 2,000 years ago. Sharing art and antiquities became the through-line of his life. “Money is like manure,” Getty said. “You have to spread it around or it smells.”

Make an advance reservation through the museum website: www.getty.edu/visit/ Or phone: (310) 440-7300. 17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades. Garden and gallery hours: Wednesday—Monday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. While admission is free, a timed ticket is required for admission. There’s a $15 fee per car for parking.

PING TSAO MD PLASTIC SURGERY

Thank you San Luis Obispo for your trust and friendship. I will be retiring from surgery in March and transitioning to nonsurgical cosmetic care. continuing artful fillers with restylane silk for wrinkles and sculptr a for sags The Getty Villa Garden Tour

Location to be announced | 543-9377 | www.plasticsurgeryslo.net M A R C H

2017

Journal PLUS

HOME/OUTDOOR

at the market

Strawberry banana smoothie bowl

By Sarah Hedger

arch is the tip of Spring here on the Central Coast, which is a beautiful thing! Ingredients at the market become more vibrant as the first season strawberries are available, as well as some late season citrus. Vegetable options on offer include everything from avocados to beets, carrots, spring greens, as well as asparagus, which is always a welcome sight! That said, lettuces are great in Spring as they are fresh and the cool weather keeps them from bolting. New season potatoes are also great to find as the small ones are delicate and super tender and easy to cook. Thus, lots of options for the first salads of the year!

This month’s recipe is an easy one as it only involves a blender (or immersion blender) and can be made in less than a few minutes. It is for a Strawberry Banana Smoothie Bowl, which can work for any time of the day. Smoothie bowls are a bit of a new trend being of-

M A R C H

2017

Journal PLUS

fered in the world of food and are great as they are thicker than the standard smoothie, thus usually require being eaten with a spoon, which minimizes the ice cream headache symptoms from drinking a smoothie too quick. This smoothie bowl is a great, fresh option to start the day, but can also be enjoyed for a light lunch or snack as well. It is a bit of a complete meal, being that it contains a good balance of macronutrients, being carbohydrates, proteins, healthy fats and fiber. Many smoothies contain a ridiculous amount of sugar which are often hidden because of titles such as “no added sugars,” “no refined sugar added,” however some will still have more calories

strawberry banana coconut smoothie bowl Makes enough for 2 smoothies For the smoothie: 2 T chia seeds ½ - 1 cup water, depending on preferred thickness 1 cup coconut cream 1 cup fresh organic strawberries (or raspberries or blueberries during Summer) 1 frozen banana, broke into 1 inch pieces 1-2 scoops no sugar protein powder of your choice *Sweeter option: 1 tsp manuka honey Handful of ice cubes

For the topping: Fresh or freeze dried strawberries and sugars than a piece of cake! What does this mean or why is this possibly not a good thing? Well, you have a smoothie, then your body goes into a bit of shock because of the sugars consumed, resulting in a sugar spike that can leave one hungrier, grumpier, and generally not feeling great, all in less than 30 minutes! This smoothie is different in that the carbs and natural sugars are minimal from the strawberries and banana. The chia seeds provide healthy fats (in the form of Omega 3’s), protein, and fiber. The coconut cream provides MCT’s (medium chain triglycerides) which recent research has been proving are beneficial to many things including our cognitive abilities, as well as immune system, gut health, and metabolism. Our bodies actually need saturated fat and coconut cream is a great source. When buying coconut cream, look for an organic brand with only coconut and water as the ingredients (no preservatives or thickeners are needed for the good stuff). I always add a little protein powder to smoothies because protein, similar to fat, helps tell our brains that we are full and we don’t need to continue eating. I use a protein powder that has a little stevia in it for sweetness as it is another place where hidden sugars can hide. Bananas are great so keep a bag full of frozen pieces in the freezer as a little go a long ways in smoothies. Aside from adding great flavor, they really add to the creaminess of the smoothie. Last but not least, the first season strawberries make this smoothie bowl! Look for little strawberries as they are usually more flavorful than large, and organic ones are a must. If you ever want to be convinced to eat organic, Google the pesticides and their side effects used on the majority of strawberries. You will never go back! That said, make up this smoothie for yourself and a friend and enjoy the taste of Spring and all things fresh. Enjoy!!

Pinch of your favorite granola or muesli or chopped macadamia nuts or coconut chips

Place all ingredients in blender and blend on high until light and fluffy. Because this smoothie is thicker, you may have to stop it a couple times and stir. When done, pour into large mugs with desired toppings. Eat with a spoon and feel good!!

COMMUNITY Paso robles art scene

the bead weaver By Debra Jurey

love bead weaving which uses a variety of stitches to create jewelry with tiny glass beads. Seed beads are about 4mm or less in diameter and are mostly made in Japan, France, India and the Czech Republic. There is a vast array of different colors to choose from. Their appearance may be affected by the type of surface treatment applied and used to create a certain look or style. They might be silver lined, opaque, translucent, metallic, matte, luster, semi matte and so on. This allows for an abundance of creativity. As an art student going to Cal State Northridge back in the 1970s, my focus was in ceramics and fiber arts. I’ve always loved working with my hands and both fiber and clay allowed me to do just that. Graduating with a BA in art I realized the definition of “starving artist” and ended up back in school where I obtained a multiple subject teaching credential. This eventually led to working as a library assistant in the Los Angeles public library system, and when my husband and I moved from the Los Angeles area to San Luis Obispo in the 1990s I became branch manager for 18 years at the Santa Margarita Library. During this time my love for the arts had to take a backseat while I worked for a living. Then one day about 16 years ago I saw a tiny beaded amulet displayed in a jewelry supply store. “I want to make that!” I told myself, and within the next couple years I sought out and took bead-weaving classes

from renowned teachers in the field. Before long I had managed to create my first peyote stitch bag, and from that point on continued to take classes, leading me to create multidimensional jewelry pieces. Soon I was making small bags, and also beaded ropes, flowers, leaves, bugs, incorporating them into 3d pins, bracelets, earrings, and necklaces. I was hooked, and as I learned more about the mechanics of the different beads and stitches like right angle weave, I found some combinations created a wonderful organic and fabric-like feel and texture. Other stitches such as the herringbone stitch felt like snakeskin. With all the versatility, the many colors and different sizes to choose from the art of bead weaving became my passion. As my projects take shape I must consider certain elements. What do I want to create and why? Does it have significance in culture today, or does it involve something from the past? And there is the bead itself. Color plays a very big role in my work and tends to set the tone. It’s a powerful communicator of emotional states. I am mostly influenced by color, followed by patterns, shapes, and perfection of the natural world. I love to work outside and spend hours, sometimes all day, working on a piece that begins to evolve as I stay focused. Some pieces take a few days, some weeks, and some months. Once I lose my focus or am interrupted, I need to stop working to keep from sewing a bead in the wrong place or picking up the wrong size or color. I am energized by the natural surroundings, thoughts, colors, lighting, and sound I see and hear as I work. Once I’m in the zone, that energy I feel, think, and breathe becomes embedded in my pieces. I remember listening to a classic book written in the late 1800s, and as I beaded a piece of leather for a bracelet I discovered I was instinctually beading curly vines and scrolls that were found in architecture, furniture and clothing from the time period of the classic. Often I rely on my instincts and intuition when working on a piece. Rarely do I draw up a design before beginning a project. Native American silver and beadwork also influences me. It is inspired by natural

M A R C H

2017

Journal PLUS

surroundings, displayed by the patterns and skill incorporated in their work. I am often told that my work has a vintage 1920s quality to it. I am drawn to the clothing, architecture, and jewelry designs, along with opaque greens and pinks, bugs and insects, leaves and scroll-like patterns in clothing, furniture, buildings, and other things from that era. So ultimately, there are many areas of influence that make up each one of my pieces. And finally in the end when I finish a piece, I realize I must let go of this friend I’ve spent hours, days, or months with. My greatest joy comes from seeing my work expressed in the joy and excitement on the faces of those wearing my jewelry. I have sold my work mostly in shops and galleries throughout the county of San Luis Obispo and I’ve spent years selling in the Open Studios Art Tour, ARTSFEST in Paso Robles, holiday shows, boutiques, art shows with other artists, and juried shows. I’ve been an Associate Artist for six years and my jewelry has found a happy home and can be purchased at Studios on the Park, in Paso Robles.

Slo art scene

COMMUNITY

closure

a sculptural memoir by Leslie Hannon By Jody Kocsis

n collaboration with the Central Coast Sculptors Group, San Luis Obispo Museum of Art presents Closure by Leslie Hannon from March 3 – April 2, 2017 in the McMeen Gallery. Leslie Hannon’s sculpture and assemblages invite closer inspection into drawers, through windows, and around miniature rooms. This sculptural narrative represents Hannon’s journey from businessperson to artist; she created symbolic objects to mentally, physically, and spiritually retire the fabrication machines, office supplies, design materials, and tools that had encompassed her life’s work for 20 years. As a fabric trim manufacturer, Hannon’s world had consisted of file drawers stuffed with invoices, purchase orders, and sample books from yarn vendors. In one sculpture titled “The Child,” an armoire is packed with the objects of Hannon’s trade; in the center, her selfportrait rests on a clipboard, gazing at a gold tassel resting in realistically sculpted hands. “Machine” is

another beautifully crafted metal sculpture reminiscent of the antique machines Hannon used to weave textile trims. It is crafted from components appropriated from those manufacturing machines, objects found in Hannon’s studio, or her husband’s workshop. Instead of fabric, drawings of machines from the Leslie Hannon Trim studio descend gracefully to the basket below, marking a sense of completion. A public opening of the exhibition will take place on Friday, March 3 from 6–9 PM, in conjunction with Art After Dark. Hannon will also give an ARTalk and exhibition tour at SLOMA. SLOMA ARTalks are free and open to the public. The San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, dedicated to the education, presentation and preservation of the visual arts on the Central Coast, is located at 1010 Broad Street, on the west end of Mission Plaza. Free admission, donations appreciated. For more info visit SLOMA.org.

M A R C H

2017

Journal PLUS

COMMUNITY

greatest athletes on the central coast casey todd candaele By Dr. Don Morris

Editor’s note: “Who are the Greatest Athletes in the history of the Central Coast?” So far the following athletes have been featured: Ed Brown, Stephanie Brown Trafton, Chuck Liddell, Loren Roberts, Steve Patterson, Gene Rambo, Robin Ventura, Jordan Hasay, Chuck Estrada, Mike Larrabee, Ron Capps, Jamie Martin, Rusty Kuntz, Randall Cunningham, Jim Lonborg, Kami Craig, John Rudometkin, Ivan Huff, Chelsea Johnson, Michael Louis Bratz, Frank Minini, Scott McClain, Mel Queen, Napoleon Kaufmann, Katie Hicks, Mark Brunell, Gene Romero, Kenny Heitz, Thornton Starr Lee, Pat Rusco, Rusty Blair, the Lee Family, Dan Conners, John Iribarren, Jeff Powers, The Mott Family and Dr. Paul Spangler. Please send nominations to Dr. Morris at dmmorris@calpoly.edu. As a by-product of Dr. Don M. Morris’ column for the Journal Plus Magazine, “The Greatest Athletes in the History of the Central Coast,” several readers have suggested professional baseball player Casey Todd Candaele of Lompoc High School.

casey todd candaele Casey Todd Candaele was born in Lompoc California and attended Lompoc H.S. He was a 5’ 9”, 165-pound switch hitter who played from 1986 to 1997 for the Montreal Expos, Houston Astros and the Cleveland Indians. Candaele was known as a versatile utility player who could play many infield and outfield positions. His mother, Helen Callaghan St. Aubin played for the All-American Girls professional Baseball League and Casey and his mother represent the only mother/ son combination to have both played professional baseball. Candaele attended the University of Arizona where he played collegiate baseball for the Wildcats and was a part of the 1980 College World Series champion team. He was signed by the Montreal Expos on August 15, 1982 as an amateur free agent. M A R C H

2017

Journal PLUS

Candaele made his major league debut for the Expos on June 5, 1986, He finished the 1986 season with 24 hits in 104 at-bats for a batting average of .231. During his first full year in the major leagues, Candaele batted .272 with one home run and 23 RBI’s in 138 games. He struck out just 28 times in 495 plate appearances. He played second base, shortstop, all three outfield positions, and first base. He came in fourth in balloting for the 1987 Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award. Candaele played the first half of the 1988 season with the Expos, batting .172 in 38 games, with 20 hits in 116 at bats. He played in 60 games for the Indianapolis Indians in 1988, batting .264 in 60 games. The Expos traded Candaele on July 23, 1988, to the Houston Astros. With the Astros that season, he played in 21 games, with 5 hits in 31 at bats yielding a .161 batting average. He played in 130 games for the Astros in 1990, hitting for a .286 average with 3 home runs. He played the entire 1991 season with the Astros, finishing the season with an average of .262, and having career highs with 151 games played and 4 home runs to go along with 7 triples, which placed him ninth in the National league in that category. In 1993, he was granted free agency by the Astros, and he was signed on November 24 by the Cincinnati Reds. He was released by the Reds and signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers who released him and then he was picked up as a free agent by the Cleveland Indians. His last major league season was in 1997, which he finished with a .308 average in 14 games. His final game was on July 13, 1997, against the Minnesota Twins, in which Candaele came in the game in the seventh inning. The Seattle mariners hired Candaele as their First Base coach during the 2015-16 offseason. Houston Astros Hall of Fame announcer called Candaele the “Mighty Mite” for his aggressive play despite his diminutive size. Casey’s brother is filmmaker Kelly Candaele, whose PBS documentary led to the creation of the 1992 film “A League of Their Own.” Todd’s mother Helen Callaghan was one of the best players in the league’s history and won a batting title while collecting a .257 batting average and 354 stolen bases in her 388-game career over five seasons.

COMMUNITY

slo united methodist church’s

10th annual beacon art show

month-long show and events launch the church’s 150th anniversary celebration By Curtis Reinhardt

he SLO United Methodist Church began the Beacon Art Show (BAS) as an event during the dedication of its rebuilt church building in 2008. This annual monthlong exhibit’s name reflects church’s bell tower as a beacon to the community. The 2017 show entitled “Windows to the Soul” is the first event of several during the year celebrating the congregation’s 150th Anniversary Celebration. This year’s show will also feature a special exhibit of historical photographs capturing some of the history of the Methodist Church in San Luis Obispo. This year’s juried exhibit again received a significant response from Central Coast artists. Over the decade the number of applications has grown. In 2016, 74 artists submitted 157 pieces for consideration. After the jurying process, 69 pieces of 2 and 3 dimensional art were selected for BAS 9. Jurors for this spring’s BAS 10 are returning founder Joseph Timmons; Nixson Borah, North SLO County Artist and Professor Emeritus, Fullerton College; Kathy Friend, artist and educator; and SLO UMC Pastor Rick Uhls. SLO UMC celebrates the divine spark of creativity by hosting the exhibit and selecting one piece each year for the Purchase Award which is added to the church’s growing collection of original art. Pieces in the permanent collection range from paintings, sculpture, and photography to fiber art. Included in the collection are Jean Neas’ watercolor, “Save Women – Educate Girls;” Diana Bittleston’s watercolor, “Volunteers,” responding to cleanup efforts after Katrina; James Marx’s photo, “Let There Be Light;” and a fabric stole “Canticle of Brother Sun” by MaryLu Weaver Meagher. All of the church’s past Purchase Award pieces will be on display during the BAS 10. This year, the Beacon Art Show celebrates its 10th annual event along with the SLO United Methodist Church’s 150th year. “Windows to the Soul” will begin with an opening reception during Art After Dark, Friday evening, March 3, 6 – 9 pm and continues open to the public Thursdays through Sundays, 11 am – 4 pm from March 4 – April 2. The month-long show takes place throughout the Church building which is located at 1515 Fredericks St. in SLO. There is no charge to view the show and parking is plentiful around the church.

Special events scheduled in conjunction with BAS 10: Opening Reception: Art After Dark, Friday evening, March 3, 6 – 9 pm Poetry Workshop, “Stained Glass,” Saturday, March 11, 10am (writing workshop led by Glenna Luschei) Poetry Reading, “Stained Glass,” Sunday, March 19, 2pm (Glenna Luschei and other poets read their original poems) Boomerang Concert, Saturday, March 25, 2pm (pop music band on the patio) Bel Canto Ringers Concert, Sunday, March 26, 3pm (the congregation’s traditional bell choir)

Mary Lu Weaver Meagher with her fabric stole “Canticle of Brother Sun”

Celebrating in honor of the 150th year, the committee members have assembled a special exhibit of historical photographs that capture some of the colorful history of the Methodist Church in San Luis Obispo. This exhibit will debut during Beacon Art Show 10 and then remain on display throughout the year. The first pastor, Rev. A. B. Spooner (of Spooner Cove fame in Montana de Oro) was appointed to the Methodist Episcopal Church in September of 1867. The first church, built at the corner of Marsh and Higuera in 1869, was deemed to be too far from the main downtown and had to be moved 5 years later to a closer location on Garden Street. Over the intervening 150 years, no fewer than 51 pastors have served the congregation. Through their dedication and the faithful participation of thousands of parishioners our church has brought a vibrant ministry to the San Luis Obispo area, positively impacting the lives of many people in the congregation, our community and the world beyond. The church, now called the United Methodist Church, is currently served by Rev. Rick Uhls. Complete Beacon Art Show and 150th Year Celebration information is now available at www.sloumc.com or by calling 805-543-7580.

10th Annual Beacon Art Show SLO United Methodist Church March 4 - April 2 Thur - Sun, 11am – 4pm Art After Dark Opening Reception Fri March 3, 6-9pm 70 Pieces of Original Art plus the Church’s Permanent Collection Also See The SLO UMC's 150th Celebration Historical Photo Exhibit Special Music and Poetry Events Every Weekend

1515 Fredericks St. - Free Parking and Admission sloumc.com - 805-543-7580 M A R C H

"Let There Be Light” 2016 Purchase Award Photograph by James Marx

2017

Journal PLUS

COMMUNITY

HISTORY ON THE HOOF DAY TRIPS INTO THE PAST

nipomo By Joe Carotenuti

magination is a child of History. While the parents hopefully provide the facts and data, it is the youngster who points to the reality of the involved characters and artifacts. Imagination’s curiosity often leads to questions and any visit anywhere will be enriched by the answers. So, there have been plenty of opportunities for questions during our day trips over the last several months into the past in north county. We’ve been able to enjoy the small hamlet of Santa Margarita with its nearby asistencia, one of the oldest rock structures in the state; visit an early twentieth century military camp and planned community in Atascadero; walk through a community center reminiscent of the Midwest (Templeton); and enjoy premier collections from the past in two Paso Robles sites. What about south county? We’ve seen Lompoc is much more than a mission town or neighbor to both a federal prison or air force base. Let’s stay in the area and visit the home of a pioneer family. Your imagination will work overtime. Let’s start. Still tucked away in the splendid surrounding valley, the home invites today’s harried life to ease off the gas pedal and truly smell the roses that enrich our lives. We can thank a Boston trader and his legacy of family for leaving the memories. His name is William Goodwin Dana (see page 32), a remarkable man who cared for his loved ones and, thus, ensured their future continued after his term of life was over. First, you’ll need to find the Dana (pronounced Dan-ah) Adobe so look for a relative’s name as you exit the freeway at Tefft Avenue.

The Dana Adobe Rancho painting. M A R C H

2017

Journal PLUS

The Dana Adobe

Worthy of his own story, Henry Amos Tefft was Dana’s son-in-law, a representative to the California Constitution Convention (1849), and the first county judge who died much too young at 28 when his boat capsized attempting to come ashore at Avila. Now, turn to the west off the freeway and then a right one block away on Oakglen Avenue. Be alert, the Dana Adobe sign is small! It’s the start of a one mile time tunnel as you find the past engulfing the scenery with an historic gem at the end. Dana’s arrival in Nipomo is a classic tale of the times as men coming to the California coast to trade decided to stay. While not an easy task, Dana set his future in a foreign land but one he relished and enjoyed along with the challenges. What better way to express permanence than by building a home for his wife and their many children. Completed in 1839, the house was constructed of adobe bricks made by Chumash laborers whom Dana hired for the task. A burgeoning family (they had 21 children and over 80 grandchildren) led to the home’s expansion including adding a second story attic. The family grew amid the pioneer years as both the weary traveler and marauding thieves found their way to the area ruled by Mexico. How, your imagination asks, did the parents and children born between 1829 and 1855 even fit into the house? Simply calculating the amount of food needed on a daily basis must have been a daunting task. Nor was life always kind. Birth was a precarious event and only 13 children reached their majority. The twelfth, five-year-old Adelina Eliza, is buried in Mission San Luis Obispo. Their mother, Maria Josefa Carrillo (1812-1883) survived her husband but the repeated heartbreak as children died cast a somber hue over all their lives. There is much grief within these walls as well as the routines and celebrations of life. One wonders where any guest (and there were many) would sleep? You’ll enter through the back door and thanks to generations of generous efforts, neatly arranged rooms and informative displays welcome you. Period furniture, images of family members, bits and pieces found during restoration, adobe samples, and engaging docents require you to linger, to wonder, and to cherish the conveniences you find at home. Nonetheless, no amount of effort has preserved the voices of the people who lived within the walls. It is the visitor’s responsibility to hear them.

A Retirement F COMMUNITY 31

The bedroom

Even though the prospect of m future, you owe it to yourself to carefree living in your own home

You Don’t Have to Move

A splendid addition to your trip has nothing to do with the residence. It is the view of a small fraction of the original 37,000 plus acre rancho found outside the home’s front entrance. Yet, your imagination will detail the life of those who lived off the land, the sweat of their brow and the rigors of commerce. The land provided plenty of room for children to grow into responsible adulthoods including benefitting from what today is considered home teaching including their faith. Located along the El Camino Real, the adobe was an informal inn where travelers could refresh both man and beast, enjoy a meal or two and even take some money along for the rest of the trip. A stage stop along the grueling trip through the future state brought many strangers to the home. These stops must have been a delight as both traveler and residents exchanged conversations. Today, the dedication and heroism of many to preserve this historical treasure will be augmented by a Cultural Center under construction with its own agenda of honoring the past and celebrating the present. The Dana Adobe Nipomo Amigos (www.danaadobe.org) is your first stop before leaving home. These are the heroes who assist the staff in serving both the past and the present. They enthusiastically welcome new members.

Feel Sa

It’s a fact of life that as we get older, Pristine some day-to-day tasks become too licensed much to handle on our own. That All of ou doesn’t mean you have to move away are caref from the comfort of your home. and pass Pristine Home Services is a local backgro company that helps San Luis Obispo and dru County residents avoid the high cost The living roomwhen so of moving to a retirement facility. in your h

A courtesy for any visit is a contribution to help maintain and promote our cultural heritage.

“She he person Know All a spotof to our visit? services Please let uscan knowbe as History on the Hoof conprovided She sho tinues to visit and honor the legacies of the past. daily, weekly, or on an as-needed basis. very re Contact: jacarotenuti@gmail.com You pay for only the services you need dows!” and we provide those services at a price “They t you can afford. what I YARDConvenient MAINTENANCE · HANDYMAN SERVICES · PERSONAL CARE exactly One-call Service reason Our personal care services include to a fri shopping,Services daily errands, meal preparaHome Specialist tion, transportation and non-medical Before From handyman services to plumbing and preparing meals. There is no task care. Our housekeeping services keep could a too large or too small for Pristine Home Services. All of our services can your kitchen and the rest of your home be provided daily, weekly, or on an as-needed basis. You pay for only the and sta spotless. eventhose do services windows and services you need andWe we provide at a price you can afford. to read laundry. Our yard maintenance crews “Wha and beyond my know how “Pristine to takegoes careabove of your favorite abou I can live in the comfort rose bushesexpectations and keepsothe grass neatly of my home.” mowed. Our–Jay handyman services are “Four Baker provided by specialists in plumbing, servi electrical work, painting, repairs and anyo Serving All of San Luis Obispo County safety rail installation. We inv CALL FOR RATES now so two FR

Enjoy Affordable Living

(80 We Bring Assisted Living Home You Whatever you need...give us atocall

805-543-4663 www.pristinehomeservices.net 710 FIERO LANE, UNIT 16 SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA 93401 M A R C H

2017

Journal PLUS

COMMUNITY

history

william goodwin dana By Joe Carotenuti

ften, California history buffs rely on clumps of information about the Golden State. Usually, it starts with the gold rush which, of course, is well into the state’s history. The next clump might be the so-called Mission Era which stops with the area becoming a “Department” of the Mexican nation. Next, those who wander into the “Rancho Period” between Mexican and American rule are often distracted by the depiction of the great “dons” and the often-stereotyped lifestyle of the wealthier Californios.

Therefore, having some local personalities who actually lived in the period—from the end of the Mexican War of Independence (1821) to statehood (1850)—allows for greater insights into “hacienda” life. Fortunately, these few settlers, born elsewhere, staked their futures in a foreign land and left an impressive legacy for the future. Certainly, among this small group, the name William Goodwin Dana (pronounced Dan-ah) deserves recognition and serves as the prototype of a non-Hispanic in California during the quarter century of Mexican government and beyond. Why such a change in lifestyle, and what were the results? Here’s the story. As with other notable ante-America California pioneers, Dana made his way to the west via the seas. Born in Boston in 1797, an orphan by age 9, by 1815, he was in China attending to his uncle’s trading business and within ten years, the captain of his own ship. The trade route from China to the Sandwich Islands (Hawai’i) and the coast led to a store in Santa Barbara. The rigors of the sea along with the allure of open waters would eventually wan and he remained ashore by 1825. Having plans to remain and prosper, he would in swift succession change not only his homeland but his name and religion as well as gain a spouse. Dana was a citizen of the world defined by his trade routes. He was free to decide his future and he chose the central coast.

Nipomo Maria Josefa M A R C H

2017

Journal PLUS

When Guillermo Dana applied for naturalization, he also wanted to marry Maria Josefa (“una hija del pais” a native daughter) of the prominent Carrillo family. To do so required permission of the governor, Jose Echeandia, who was not a fan of Americans. The process took months as he needed to first become a citizen of Mexico. His future wife was one of five daughters of Don Carlos Antonio Carrillo. Each has a fascinating tale of marriage delightfully captured by Loren

COMMUNITY

seemed almost voiceless in the state government. The “cow county” so named as it supplied much of the food to the northern gold rush area had little defense against the criminals and marauders. In the 1850s, law enforcement was an individual responsibility leading to the formation of a Vigilance Committee in 1858. Dana’s eldest son, William, signed as a charter member. Another son, Juan Franco, describes his active participation in The Blond Ranchero.

The Dana Adobe

After his service to the county, Dana became progressively ill. Juan Franco reports in his last years, the man used to the open sea and land became paralyzed and finally helpless and had to be a “bystander” in the events which were taking place until his death on February 12, 1858.

Nicholson in Carrillo’s Defiant Daughters. While a work of fiction, there is a solid underlying base of authenticity. A new name, religion, wife and homeland, Guillermo G. Dana now petitioned for some land. The result was an enormous 37,000acre grant called by the natives ne-po-mah (foot of the hills). It was one of the largest such grants bestowed on any petitioner. Until his death 20 years later, Don Guillermo typifies the graciousness of the times as well as business acumen that led to his being one of the very wealthiest men of the county. Conveniently located along the main coastal route between the north and south, the Dana home was a major mail stop as well as one of hospitality for any traveler. Having 21 children, he and Josefa began a local dynasty whose members still populate the central coast. Their home is a county treasure and legacy to us all (see pages 30). A visit to the restored casa easily fuels the imagination of life in the pioneer area. Dana was an enterprising man who maintained a busy life seeking to use the property and its cattle to provide an income for his large family and workers. He even constructed his own ship to continue the trading business. In the first recorded assessment rolls for the county, he is listed as one of the three wealthiest men. His popularity and reputation spread beyond his rancho. In 1849, preparing for statehood, he was elected as the area’s

senator for the counties of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara. Myron Angel in the classic History of San Luis Obispo County (1883) comments while Dana received more votes, the influential Jose de la Guerra from Santa Barbara represented the counties. The following year, he built the first commercial structure in San Luis Obispo. Dana’s “Casa Grande” will have its own article but suffice to note here, it was used for county business until the first county building was built in 1873. Throughout his time in California, Dana had assumed various civic responsibilities. Indeed, he was elected in 1850 as the County Treasurer and two years later to the first County Board of Supervisors. He was unable to be seated as he was still the County Treasurer.

In the well-researched To Discourage Me Is No Easy Matter, Joseph L. Dana provides a succinct summary of the local legend. “In his six decades, Dana had gone from being an orphan to an adventurer to a fledgling settler to a respected public servant and businessman…a man of consequences.” History owes him its gratitude. Contact: jacarotenuti@gmail.com

As California transitioned between Mexican and American rule—punctuated by the calamity and contentiousness of the Gold Rush—the county M A R C H

2017

Journal PLUS

COMMUNITY

our schools

the abduction from the seraglio, salt, light and education By James J. Brescia, Ed.D. County Superintendent of Schools “To achieve great things, two things are needed: A plan, and not quite enough TIME.” —Leonard Bernstein My wife Carolyn and I were fortunate to attend Mozart’s “The Abduction from the Seraglio” at the LA Opera recently. Some people may recall the somewhat famous line from Amadeus where the Emperor, Joseph II offered the suggestion, “Too many notes. Just cut a few and it will be perfect.” What Mozart put on the stage for the Emperor was something new and unknown. The German writer, statesman, and poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said the Abduction “knocked everything else sideways.” In this crazy story about two men rescuing their lovers from a Pasha’s harem, Mozart blends high comedy with touching tragedy signaling a new maturity for the composer. It is important to note that this opera was written during a time of tension and discontent. One might even

say that this opera, first presented in Vienna in 1782, was written for our times, too. The production presents an intriguing model of how through music we can better understand certain types of anger, we can explore the reconciliation of cultural difference harmoniously and we can move forward as a society. Educational organizations, especially all of our schools, are important social institutions that establish a goal of social equality and a common knowledge base among all students. Those we serve should experience a flexible curriculum that can meet the needs of an everchanging society. Our schools have a goal of instilling common traits and knowledge in each student to allow them to develop as positive functional members of our society. Some may argue that this belief can create issues in society. However, when we work together to overcome difference and inequity through a shared education, we grow stronger as a community. You might ask, “How does education affect society?” Stanford researcher John Meyer details the dominant view that schools process individuals, and are organized networks of socializing experiences which prepare individuals for citizenship. Our students leave the primary and secondary education system for many different paths, such as the workplace, university, community college, trade school, the military, and dozens of other paths. We have a fundamental responsibility to provide the best preparation possible for all of our students in an ever-changing society. Decades of research define this responsibility as containing three general propositions making up a fairly simple, yet challenging model. Proposition One details that schooled persons are socialized to expanded levels of knowledge; and competence and expanded levels of modern values or orientation. We must become life-long learners, our schools must be institutions of learning for the entire community, and our employees must commit to life-long learning as well. Proposition Two describes early socialization to higher levels of knowledge, competence and modern values or orientations that create higher levels of adult status and competence. We must support our early education programs and services to our families while acknowledging the entire community responsibility for an educated populous. Proposition Three depicts the number of skilled adults expanding the complexity and wealth of our society and social institutions. Individuals who are provided a quality education, positive socialization experiences and opportunities to work with diverse groups will become more productive and more compassionate members of our society. Education is one of our most important social institutions, affecting cultural behavior, economic development, and our democracy. The day after the opera performance we attended church services at the LA Cathedral where the Archbishop’s homily challenged the parishioners to be salt and light for others. These were powerful metaphors that started me thinking about the opera, education, and my personal responsibilities to those I serve in San Luis Obispo

M A R C H

2017

Journal PLUS

COMMUNITY

County and beyond. Salt is a preservative that works when it penetrates into food. Salt also becomes useless when contaminated by other chemical substances. I visualized education as salt to overcome ignorance and intolerance, and to preserve the society our founders envisioned. Programs such as our Special Education, Court and Community School, Preschool, Outdoor Education, Career and Technical Education, and Arts Education all serve to penetrate our society in a positive manner.

MARCH CROSSWORD SOLUTIONS ON PAGE 43

Similarly, light penetrates the darkness, and when we equip individuals with the ability to become life-long learners, we grow stronger as a society and are less likely to repeat the mistakes of the past. It is my pledge to the citizens of San Luis Obispo County that my office will continue to promote student success by supporting the work of local school districts, delivering specialized student services, and providing countywide leadership and advocacy for the needs of all children. References Available Upon Request “Neither a lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination nor both together go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius.” —Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

STATEPOINT CROSSWORD THEME: FAMOUS INVENTIONS ACROSS

1. The Mamas & the ____ 6. Clingy plant 9. Half of Brangelina 13. Poem at a funeral 14. 2nd largest bird in the world 15. Palm grease 16. Abraham’s original name 17. *Columbia introduced the 33 1/3 ___ record 18. Painting support 19. *Originally known as safety cushion assembly 21. *Penny Farthing, e.g. 23. G in music 24. Damp and musty 25. Teacher org. 28. Locus, pl. 30. Opposite of cantata 35. Tiny leftovers 37. Jimmy Kimmel, e.g.

39. Fat cat in the Orient 40. *You can do this from afar with a telescope 41. Certain saxes 43. Org. headquartered in Brussels 44. Not Doric nor Corinthian 46. Novice 47. Ponzi scheme, e.g. 48. “____ ____! This is the police!” 50. Trunk extension 52. Priestly garb 53. Sound of a bell 55. Deadeye’s forte 57. *Aid for the blind 61. Inquirers 64. Soup dispenser 65. ____ of war 67. Homeric epic 69. Like Tower of Pisa 70. North American country 71. Incessantly 72. Risky business, pl. 73. p in mph

74. Coastal feature Down 1. “The Princess and the ____” fairy tale 2. “Fantastic Four” actress 3. ____wig or ____winkle 4. Petri dish jellies 5. It can be a mark, sign or word 6. Cause of Titanic’s demise 7. Strike caller 8. Cuban dance 9. Donkey cry 10. Reduced Instruction Set Computer 11. Cain’s unfortunate brother 12. Mark for omission 15. Call with a wave 20. Hello in 50th state 22. Deporting agency 24. Make moonshine, e.g. 25. *Jonas Salk’s conquest 26. Group of apes 27. Do penitence 29. *Early gun maker 31. Grannies

32. Manila hemp 33. Bottom line 34. *Manhattan Project invention 36. Largest organ of human body 38. Reality TV’s Spelling 42. Technical term for human bodies 45. Veal serving 49. Neighbor of Ger. 51. *Clothing named after a site of A-bomb testing 54. Reduce pressure 56. Cantaloupe, e.g. 57. Spill the beans 58. Relative speed of change 59. Miners’ passage 60. Misfortunes 61. #4 Down, sing. 62. Cambodian currency 63. Not loony 66. Put into service 68. *Nobel Prize-winning insecticidal, now banned

M A R C H

2017

Journal PLUS

COMMUNITY

eye on business march 9 housing summit looking for big ideas By Maggie Cox, Barnett Cox & Associates

’ve lived in San Luis Obispo for 33 years, and I hope my love of our community is readily apparent. My husband, Dave, and I raised our two daughters here, grateful for them to grow up in such a special place. We were proud when our SLO High grads headed out in the mid 2000’s to distant colleges, and on to careers that have included stops in the SF Bay Area, Seattle and Washington DC. It was a jolt to recently advise our planning-to-move-back-to-California daughter that San Luis Obispo was not a good choice. We envy our friends and colleagues whose young adult children have located here. We relish the idea of our children living closer, and we know there are excellent employment opportunities for them (including at our own firm). But we worry that the local housing situation makes it difficult for young adults to get on a solid financial path. Housing in San Luis Obispo is unavailable and costly. There just aren’t enough places to live. Are there better options in nearby communities? Yes, but when an employee has to live miles away in order to find and afford

a home (to rent or buy), we are adding to the 30,000 commuters coming into our city every day, and asking employees to expend dollars and time commuting to work. Our challenges are not unique to the Central Coast. The entire state of California has a housing supply problem. Things are out of whack. The problem manifests itself differently in different areas of the state. Here on the Central Coast, the housing challenge is having a real impact on our ability to attract and keep good employees. Wages and salaries can’t keep pace with the increasing cost of housing, leading much of our intellectual capital to transfer to more affordable places—or not locate here in the first place. Virtually every business person I talk with has the same lament: it is very difficult (and time consuming and costly) to find great employees. That’s not good for a community. We have a problem, and it appears to come from good intentions that don’t quite play out. We want to keep our community’s character. We prize the environment. Sustainability. Economic vitality. We hate traffic and we don’t want to be like a big city.

POWER TO GET THE JOB DONE

CA License # 274276

M A R C H

2017

Journal PLUS

ThomaElectric.com (805) 543-3850

While our regulations may be cumbersome and imperfect, they also result in a sense of place and quality of development that has improved our community for decades. But maybe in our well founded zeal to protect our town, we’ve created a stranglehold that’s put us in jeopardy, because, let’s face it, there is significant traffic congestion along with other undesired consequences of our not building houses. What can we do? The Economic Vitality Corporation of SLO County, the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce and the Home Builders Association of the Central Coast are stepping up to help get a conversation started. The three organizations are co-sponsoring a Housing Summit on March 9 from 1-6 p.m. at the Embassy Suites in San Luis Obispo. The summit is open to the public. The goal of the program is to bring the community together to face our challenge head on and collectively explore actions that we can take throughout our region to ease this very real crisis and preserve the vibrancy of our community for years to come. Making a dent in the housing crisis, whether locally or statewide, is a difficult, complex challenge. But the problem is real. Carol Galant, a professor of affordable housing at UC Berkeley and a former Obama Administration housing official said it well. “It’s break-glass time here in California. We have got to be bold about the ideas to fix this problem.” I’m hoping the March 9 housing summit can inspire bold local ideas and lead us on a path to real solutions. We have solid policies and good intentions in place. What we need is action, instead of endless rounds of debate and fights that only delay solutions and add costs. Our businesses’ survival depends on it and our children deserve it. For more info or to register go to https://slochamber.org/event/slocounty-housing-summit/

Downtown

Around

The Magazine of Downtown San Luis Obispo

March 2017

Inside: Downtown Perspec t ive Mee t O ur Ne west Team Member Mee t O ur Inter ns

D o w n t o w n

P e r s p e c t i v e

“A

his month I am happy to be back with another great interview with a local up-and-coming Downtowner. Whitney Chaney is the daughter of Central Coast Surfboards’ owner Mike Chaney and after making a name for herself at the Sundance Film Festival she is back home and stepping into a leadership role in the family business. On a wet and dreary morning in February we sat down to talk about growing up in a family-owned shop, her homecoming and the future of retail as seen from a millennial “tween.” Whitney can relate to millennials but doesn’t personally identify as one.

fter graduating I felt obligated to do something in that world.” Looking at her career options she knew she had opportunities in Los Angeles but didn’t want to work to live, so she immediately ruled out LA. Eventually she found a place working at film festivals and landed what would turn into a four-year gig at Sundance Film Festival where her first two years were spent as a volunteer coordinating more than 2,000 other volunteers, and then another two years employed Dominic Tartaglia, by the festival managing the volunteer program. Executive Director While working in Utah she met her boyfriend who also happened to be from the Central Coast and after asked Whitney about what it was like growing up in a discussing their futures they decided that they wanted to surf shop and she shared an initial answer that is to be be back home near their families. People often asked her expected but then took it a bit deeper. When Whitney was where she was from and when she told them SLO they were a little grom she got to go into the shop and be a kid but always curious about why she ever left. So Whitney and her “if we were behind the counter we were working.” Tagging boyfriend came back to SLO. merchandise, stocking shelves and other administrative jobs

were common chores for her and her brother but beyond that she wasn’t really involved. She was mostly focused on academics and retail was not really a part of her horizon. Whitney had her sights on other paths for her future and after high school she moved to Santa Barbara and eventually graduated with a degree in film studies from UCSB.

hile looking for a full time career here Whitney worked at Central Coast Surfboards helping her dad with administrative duties and soon realized that she enjoys the work. Particularly, she likes working with the young 20-year-olds who are the next generation of the shop. “Being a part of the family business just fell into place.” Now she spends her time working with her employees to teach them about customer service and provide a special experience

On the Cover: A few shoppers taking advantage of the break between storms to visit their favorite shops and eateries on Court Street during one of the wettest seasons in recent memory. Photo by Mukta Naran

THIS IS NO ORDINARY FARMERS’ MARKET.

JOIN US ON HIGUERA STREET (BETWEEN OSOS & NIPOMO STREETs)

Downtown SLO Farmers’ Market EVERY THURSDAY 6-9PM DOWNTOWNSLO.COM

D o w n t o w n

P e r s p e c t i v e

for their customers. As she sees it, the shop was started by 20-year-olds 41 years ago and that youthful culture is still important to their brand. When I asked her how her dad felt about handing off responsibilities to her at the shop she let me know that her dad didn’t start the business thinking that he would be passing the business off to his kids but he is an incredibly proud man. Mike is proud of the shop and its achievements and proud of being a part of the community. So naturally he is proud to have her stepping into a leadership role; she jokes that it affords him more time to play golf. What parent wouldn’t be proud of their child stepping into a similar situation?

are hosting like beach clean-ups and movies. Whitney claims that in the last six months a lot of changes are taking place in the shop. “When you come in things likely won’t be where they used to be.” Not only have things changed locations in the shop but the brands are getting some new additions.

he surf shop takes a lot of care in selecting products they believe create value to the customer as opposed to products that are simply popular or happen to be great deals. Employees are expected to be experts on their community and experts on the products they carry so when a customer comes in, they don’t have to use Google to look up the details of the product. Whitney explained to me that in an era where every retailer is competing with the Internet their greatest strength is providing knowledge about products with a memorable experience which is something that the internet just cannot achieve in the same way. That little tactical advantage is what she views as the future of brick and mortar retail. From our interview I would expect that Central Coast Surfboards will be in our Downtown for many years to come.

Whitney Chaney hen I asked Whitney about whether there is a difference in their visions for the shop she acknowledges that her dad is a wealth of knowledge and with 40+ years of experience she looks to him for advice, but when it comes to social media, that is something she is an expert on. The father-daughter team is shaping up to be a formidable retail duo as they combine traditional customer service principles and contemporary marketing and community engagement. The shop still stresses the customer relationships they have always fostered but they are making o learn more about their shop, deals and events you can a shift to leveraging their social media channels on Facebook follow CCSurf on Instagram or Central Coast Surfboards and Instagram to engage with their customers. Their posts on Facebook. To hear the full interview we have the regularly feature the brands they carry and the events they recording on our website at www.DowntownSLO.com.

Now enjoy the Journal Plus on both desktops. Easier access for our readers & more exposure for our advertisers. Now online at

www.slojournal.com

Journal PLUS MAGAZINE OF THE CENTRAL COAST

For Advertising Information Call 546-0609

www.slojournal.com · 654 Osos Street · San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

M e e t

O u r

N e w e s t

T e a m

oya Dixion originally hails from Chicago, but is thrilled to make beautiful San Luis Obispo her new home. She went to Occidental College in Los Angeles (B.A., Psychology) followed by the Illinois Institute of Art, Chicago (B.A., Interior Design). Her interest in downtown revitalization and advocacy was born while studying abroad in Paris, and she subsequently presented research at international conferences in Turkey, Germany, and Sweden. Zoya also spent four years working on

M e e t

O u r

Zoya Dixion, Digital Marketing Coordinator

downtown advocacy for the DowntownABQ MainStreet Initiative in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She enjoys spending time in the sun (with appropriate sun protection!) with her husband Andy, daughter Rosie, and mini poodle Sandwich, and running, exploring hiking trails, drinking good beer and eating good food! She is excited to join the team at the San Luis Obispo Downtown Association as the Digital Marketing Coordinator.

I n t e r n s

LO Downtown Association would like to introduce our winter quarter interns. First, meet Joel Ingrassia, a senior at Cal Poly who will be graduating this June with a degree in City and Regional Planning. Joel is excited to bring his knowledge of urban development and event coordination to the team as well as gain valuable knowledge about the work being done by this office and in San Luis Obispo as a whole.

rowing up in Southern California and moving to the Central Coast for college, his interest towards event planning began long Joel Ingrassia before his offer to join the team. Having worked for numerous music production companies in the past, putting on events both locally and all around California, Joel’s goal once graduating is to use the knowledge he has acquired to continue working in this field and make the most of as many opportunities as he can.

J N

oel is beyond grateful to be given this position and looks forward to meeting and working with all of you!

icole Scalone has also joined our team of interns this quarter. She is extremely excited to contribute to the growth of the community and create strong, helpful connections at The Market. From her past experiences with community service, work, and her education, she plans to meet her main goal of increasing awareness throughout SLO to show what the local businesses have to offer.

M e m b e r

Nicole Scalone

icole grew up in the rainy city of Seattle, home of the famous fish throwing Farmers Market, and is currently studying Business with a concentration in Marketing at Cal Poly. In her spare time, she enjoys any outdoor activity, specifically hiking, and taking pictures of the amazing rolling hills of SLO. She also likes to explore new restaurants and coffee shops wherever she goes.

he loves the unique and close community San Luis Obispo has to offer. Nicole is eager to work with a remarkable group of people and ready to see what the future has in store!

astly, meet our intern Stevie Elzinga! She is excited to become more active in the amazing San Luis Obispo community she is proud to call home. Stevie hopes to help continue the lively events in SLO, such as the Downtown SLO Farmers’ Market, which contribute to its legacy as The Happiest City in America.

rowing up in Long Beach, California, Stevie developed an appreciation and love for art, music, culture and new adventures. She is a third year Communications major Stevie Elzinga with a Photography minor at Cal Poly. She enjoys capturing photos of people in the small moments of their lives as well as the beautiful landscape the city of SLO has to offer. In her free time, Stevie enjoys cooking, painting with watercolors and finding new ways to explore the outdoors. In the past she has worked in customer service because she loves talking to and building relationships with people. Stevie is beyond excited for the opportunity to be involved in the SLO community events and can’t wait get to know you!

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

COMMUNITY

palm street perspective water security

By SLO Councilwoman Andy Pease

s a new member on the San Luis Obispo City Council, this is my first column for the Palm Street Perspective. I thought I would kick this off with one of my favorite topics and a critical one for our city: water security.

As I write, the Salinas Dam at Santa Margarita Lake has just “spilled,” or reached over 100% capacity, for the first time in more than 7 years. Nacimiento is at 85% capacity and Whale Rock is passing the 60% mark, with more rain coming. There is a collective sigh of relief as we recognize the drought is not over but that the significant rainfall this year goes a long way for our near term water security. But rest assured, as a City we are still hard at work planning for long-term water security. Our weather has become less predictable, trending toward hotter and drier, and it just makes sense to be good stewards of water as a precious, and costly, resource. I’d like to highlight two main strategies for long-term water security: The “One Water” approach and strategic On-Site Conservation.

One Water The One Water movement is an approach to water use and infrastructure that places value on all water whether rainwater, watershed or ‘“waste” water. Water is highly valued no matter its source, and we need to shift our paradigm to support our own water-use cycle: use, then re-use, re-use and re-use! In the old paradigm, waste water, whether from showers, toilets, laundry or industry, is routed to a sewage treatment plant, cleaned up, then diverted into rivers or oceans. Big strides came with the use of recycled municipal water, routed through pipe that is colored purple to differentiate that water as non-potable. In San Luis Obispo, purple pipe brings some 200 acre-ft per year of recycled water to irrigate parks, sports fields and private landscaping. Still, building a whole new infrastructure of purple pipe is expensive, and the system is limited in its reach. The One Water approach asks, why bother with ‘“2nd class” water? The waste water is already treated to tertiary standards, so if we add one round of “polishing” through sand filtration or mechanical means the water can be treated and used as potable. Voila! No need for new piping, just a “new” source of water. San Diego has already completed a Water Purification Demonstration Project and is implementing the system on a large scale. The SLO Water Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF) project is on track to treat waste water using the One Water approach.

On-site Conservation A second major strategy is targeted conservation, home by home, business by business. As a green building architect, I work with many clients wanting to reduce their water use, and there are some effective strategies that make a difference. Rather than a blanket “20% reduction,” I think we need to recognize, and thank, those who are already using very little water, then look to those who use a lot of water and help them figure out ways to reduce. Here are my top five strategies: 5. Shower head. $20 - $180. Going from a 3.5 gpm shower head to a 1.5 gpm saves 16 gallons of water for a typical 8-minute shower. An easy shut-off button for shampooing or shaving is helpful, especially in homes with teenagers like ours! 4. Laundry-to-landscape. $200 - $1,000. Route your laundry water to your landscape. For a retrofit, best to route to a few lucky trees. Depending on your washer, saves 15 – 35 gallons per load. 3. Low-water appliances. $500 - $1200. An old top-load washer used 35-45 gallons per load but new ones use less than 20, saving about 20 gallons per load. A new dishwasher could save 5 – 10 gallons per load. 2. Lose the grass. $1,000 - $8,000+. This summer we finally converted our front lawn to drought tolerant native plants, with the added benefit of routing our roof downspout to a “rain garden” to put rainwater back into the aquifer. 1. Know your water use. Log on to the City bill payment website and review your water usage. In 2010, my household used 100 units of water, which is 748,000 gallons (a unit is 748 gallons). With 4 people in our household, that came out to 51 gallons per day per person. The City residential use average in 2016 was 49 gallons per day per person, so not bad, but I am happy to report that our collective strategies have paid off and we’re now down to 34! If you’re already a super-star, relax a bit and water those roses; if you’re on the high end, figure out what are the high-impact strategies you can implement, at home and at work.

M A R C H

2017

Journal PLUS

THE BULLETIN BOARD

unitarians donate to bb/bs

A Little Sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters spoke at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of SLO County and congregation members donated $1,767 to support Big Brothers Big Sisters programs. Anna Boyd-Bucy, the organization’s Executive Director said “We are grateful to Unitarian Universalist Fellowship for helping us fulfill our mission to provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever.” In the attached photo from left, Big Brothers Big Sisters executive director Anna Boyd-Bucy receives a check from Andy Pease from the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. Each month the UU Fellowship donates their 2nd Sunday collection to a local organization to assist in their outreach to those in need. For more information on volunteering or contributing to Big Brothers Big Sisters, call 805-781-3226, or log onto www.slobigs.org.

mb art association presents david jonas

Morro Bay Art Association is proud to present the intensely moving retrospective art exhibit of David Jonas (1926 - 2014). There is no mistaking the life force conveyed by this award winning artist from Los Osos, California. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Ca., David attended UCLA, Art Center College of Design and Jepson Art Institute. After working as an illustrator in New York, he joined Walt Disney Studios in LA, focusing on animation and live action films. David also worked for Steven Spielberg and Francis Ford Coppola. In 1989, Jonas retired from Disney to teach art at California Art Institute in Thousand Oaks and to pursue fine art. In 1999, David moved to Los Osos, California with his wife, Susan who also worked 35 years in the Animation business as an ink and paint artist. “David Jonas, A Retrospective” will be on display from March 23 through May 1, 2017. The opening reception will be March 26, 2pm - 4pm. This event is free and open to the public. WHERE: Art Center Morro Bay, 835 Main St, Morro Bay, CA 93442. For more information call 772-2504 or go to www.artcentermorrobay.org

actor josh brolin to be honored at film festival The SLO International Film Festival will honor Academy Award® nominee Josh Brolin with the prestigious King Vidor Award for Excellence in Filmmaking at its 23rd Annual SLO Film Fest this month. Named for film director, producer, screenwriter, and part time SLO County resident King Vidor, the King Vidor Award is presented as an annual tribute to a talented filmmaker, actor or film artist in recognition of his or her exceptional artistic contributions to the motion picture industry. Fellow actor and former King Vidor Award recipient, Jeff Bridges, plans to present the award to his friend and colleague at the event taking place at the historic Fremont Theatre in Downtown SLO on Saturday, March 18 at 7pm. Go to www.slofilmfest.org for the complete festival schedule and film lineup.

transitions (tmha) receives ccfc grant

Transitions-Mental Health Association (TMHA) has received $2,500 from Central Coast Funds for Children (CCFC). For the third year in a row, teens from TMHA’s SLO County Youth Treatment Program (YTP) will have the opportunity to enter an Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy (EFP) program, operated by Gina Sears. EFP is an experiential treatment approach involving several aspects of horsemanship. The youth’s exposure to equine therapy has proved to be enormously successful and contributed greatly to the youth’s rehabilitation. The results of the collaboration between YTP and EFP were overwhelmingly positive. YTP Program Therapist Anna Yeackle observed “with this collateral therapy, the kids who participated met their treatment goals much sooner.” This outcome prompted TMHA to pursue renewed grant funding from CCFC so YTP clients could continue their participation.

D ressing Windows in San Luis Obispo for over 39 Years

Alan “Himself” M A R C H

alan’s draperies 544-9405 alansdrapery@gmail.com 2017

Journal PLUS

252 Higuera Street San Luis Obispo (805) 541-TIRE

slo selects keith aggson as deputy fire chief

Fire Chief Garret Olson is pleased to announce Keith Aggson has been selected as Deputy Fire Chief following Jeff Gater’s retirement. Gater served the City of SLO for 30 years. Aggson has been the Battalion Fire Chief for the City of Paso Robles since May 2015 and comes to the City with 28 years of experience in the Fire service. Before serving the City of Paso Robles, Aggson served the communities of Atascadero as Fire Captain Paramedic and Templeton, where he served as Interim Fire Chief. Aggson is a member of the County Type III all hazards emergency response team, is a Qualified Strike Team Leader and Division Group Supervisor, the former president of the Cal Chiefs Southern Section Training Officers. He is a past member of FIRESCOPE Safety Sub Committee, the SLO County Hazardous Materials Incident Team. Aggson is also an active member of the Paso Robles Rotary Club.

St. Patrick’s church – st. patrick’s day dinner

The 21st Annual St. Patrick’s Day dinner of corned beef and cabbage, with all the trimmings and dessert, will be held on 18 March 2017, from 4 - 7 PM in the church hall, 501 Fair Oaks Avenue, Arroyo Grande. Dinner tickets are $10. Tickets go on sale beginning February 25th between Masses on the weekends , in the church office during business hours or at the hall on March 18th. For more information call Grace Ramsay at 458-1512.

THE BULLETIN BOARD

large donations to jack’s helping hand

Jack’s Helping Hand, a local organization created to help families of children with cancer and special needs, received two significant donations to help families in big ways and make major progress in building the Jack Ready Imagination Park in 2017. Local couple Sammy and Michael Pineau gave $100,000 to be used by the nonprofit where most needed. Additionally, the Robert H. Janssen Foundation fulfilled the second part of its two-year commitment to donate to the Jack Ready Imagination Park. They gave an initial donation of $50,000 in 2016 and now a second donation of $50,000. Half of this donation is being put toward park development and the other half toward an endowment for the park. All donations to Jack’s Helping Hand go directly towards helping children with cancer and special needs in our community. To learn about the organization and how you can become involved through fundraising or donations, visit jackshelpinghand.org. To learn more about the Jack Ready Imagination Park, visit jackshelpinghand.org/park.

free senior health care screening

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

Antique bottle show

An Antique Bottle Show is scheduled for March 17 & 18, at the Morro Bay Veterans Memorial Building 209 Surf Street. The show hours will be Friday 3pm to 7 pm and Saturday 9am to 2 pm. Admission is free. The show is hosted by the SLO Bottle Society. Please bring any items in for a free appraisal. For more information call 543-7484 or by e-mail sanluisobispobottlesociety@gmail.com

C rossword S O L U T I O N S

M A R C H

2017

Journal PLUS

THE BULLETIN BOARD

serving our country

“We Build, We Fight” has been the motto of the U. S. Navy’s Construction Force, known as the “Seabees,” for the past 75 years. Santa Maria, California native and Santa Maria High School graduate, Petty Officer 1st Class Sherwin Lagua, builds and fights around the world as a member of a naval construction battalion center located in Port Hueneme, California. Lagua works as a hospital corpsman in the Navy. “My responsibilities include tracking the battalion’s medical readiness and conducting a wide variety of corpsman training,” said Lagua.

help our local veterans

The VA clinic in San Luis is asking for volunteers to serve our Veterans as shuttle drivers. To help pay tribute and express your appreciation for their service, learn about volunteering at your local VA clinic. For more information contact your local VA volunteer representative Mr. Larry Foster at 805-354-6004 or send an email to Lawrence.Foster@va.gov

libraries receive $10,000 grant

The Foundation for SLO County Public Libraries is pleased to announce the award of a Barbara Baltimore Grant in the amount of $10,000 to the County Public Libraries for the purchase of Spanish language books for children and adults. According to Margaret Kensinger-Klopfer, Youth Services Coordinator, the County Library’s Spanish language collections need to be refreshed, updated and expanded. “Given the County’s demographics,” says KensingerKlopfer, “we want to use this grant to better meet the needs of our community.” 21% of SLO County’s residents are Latino and of those 12% speak only Spanish in the home, reports Kensinger-Klopfer. Two-thirds of the funds will go toward children’s books and the other one-third will be used to purchase adult fiction and nonfiction. The books will be distributed to all fifteen library branches. For more information on the Foundation, or to make a donation to one of its programs, go to www.slolibraryfoundation.org.

San Luis Obispo’s Best Kept Secret Power Carts Senior Discount (55) • 10 Play C ards • Tournaments Welcome • •

Tee Times on our website: lagunalakegolfcourse.org or call 805-781-7309

11175 Los Osos Valley Road, SLO M A R C H

2017

Journal PLUS

new LEADER FOR BIKE SLO COUNTY

Bike SLO County’s Board of Directors has selected Mike Bennett to take over Executive Director responsibilities from Interim Executive Director and Board of Directors Treasurer Tyler Wertenbruch. Bennett, a Templeton resident, graduated from Cal Poly in 1989, having been an active member of the Cal Poly Wheelmen and Velo Club San Luis throughout the four years he spent in SLO. He subsequently spent 24 years as an officer and aviator in the United States Marine Corps and several years as a professional bike mechanic. He is looking forward to employing his leadership and cycling experience while representing the interests of the County cycling community. Bike SLO County is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the quality of life in SLO County through bicycle advocacy, education and inspiration. For more information about the work of Bike SLO County, please visit bikeslocounty.org or Facebook at facebook.com/BikeSLOCounty.

mortgage house seeks help for its donations

The Mortgage House, Inc., in SLO and Northern Santa Barbara County for the last 21 years, established a Community Fund beginning with a $20,000 contribution to celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2015. It continues to grow the Fund with additional support from every loan it closes as a thank-you to the community it serves. In 2016, The Mortgage House presented its first donation of $1,000 to the 40Prado Homeless Foundation of SLO County. It is now considering its second recipient and would appreciate input from the community. The charitable intention of The Mortgage House fund is: “To support residents of SLO and Northern Santa Barbara County with affordable housing opportunities and/or educational support related to housing.” Any donations must be made through a NonProfit 501c3 entity and used for the purpose approved by the TMH advisory committee. Forms for suggested recipients may be obtained from Roxanne Carr or Mary Trudeau at The Mortgage House – roxanne@themortgagehouse.com or mary@themortgagehouse.com.

THE BULLETIN BOARD JACKIE GREENE TO HEADLINE LIVE OAK MUSIC FEST

Jackie Greene, a multi-instrumentalist known for his lead guitar work, soothing vocals, and literature-inspired lyrics, will headline the Friday night lineup at this year’s Live Oak Music Festival, a 3-day celebration of concerts, camping, crafts and food set in the beautiful Santa Ynez Mountains. The annual event, held over Father’s Day weekend (June 16-18), showcases musicians performing a variety of genres, including folk, blues, roots rock, Americana and more. This year, performers include former professional boxer-turned-songsmith Paul Thorn (Southern roots rock, country, Americana and blues), Sam Outlaw (SoCal country) Live Oak emcee Joe Craven with his trio Joe Craven & The Sometimers (Americana) and local favorites Moonshiner Collective (indie rock, folk, Americana quartet) and Tipsy Gypsies (jazz, blues and pop). All Live Oak Music Festival proceeds benefit KCBX Public Radio. Ticket prices range from $25 (child day ticket) to $130 (adult full festival/3day pass). Camping is included with the 3-day pass. Parking fees are additional. Ticket information for the 2017 Live Oak Music Festival, entertainment line-up, and complete festival details are available at liveoakfest.org.

symphony of the vines upcoming concert

Symphony of the Vines will present an Off the Vines concert featuring cellist Hilary Clark and pianist Dmitriy Cogan on Sunday, March 5, at 4pm at the Atascadero Methodist Church. The concert will feature some of the greatest music composed for cello and piano including sonatas by Beethoven, Brahms, and Franck. Single tickets: $30 adult, $27 senior, $15 student. For more information call 2350687 or go to www.symphonyofthevines.org

French Hospital PARTNERS WITH MISSION SCHOOL

Recently students, staff, parents, and FHMC representatives enjoyed an assembly at Old Mission Elementary, where students shared the creative and inspiring posters and get-well-soon cards that they had created for patients at FHMC. The posters will be displayed as artwork along the hospital walls, and the cards will be distributed to patients during their stay. The Great Kindness Challenge was created by the nonprofit group Kids for Peace to promote anti-bullying and foster a culture of kindness. The challenge, is one school week devoted to performing as many acts of kindness as possible from the 50-item checklist.

slo baseball raises $4,500 for bb/bs

SLO Baseball Alliance Foundation donated $1,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters from their recent Pitch and Putt Mini Golf Fundraiser bringing their 4-year total to $4,500. Sunset Honda hosted the event. Eighteen businesses sponsored and built mini golf holes. The SLO Baseball Alliance Foundation and Cal Poly’s Delta Sigma Pi volunteered. In the photo above from left, Big Brothers Big Sisters development director Patty Carpenter receives a donation from SLO Baseball Alliance Foundation’s Al Stanford, Bill Saylor, Dan Marple, Chris Raymer, and Adam Stowe.

We are working on the April issue NOW!

Journal PLUS MAGAZINE OF THE CENTRAL COAST

slojournal.com for Advertising Information M A R C H

2017

Journal PLUS

THE BULLETIN BOARD

cal Poly greek life raises $500,000 for nonprofits

Cal Poly’s Greek organizations worked together in 2016 to raise nearly $500,000 for numerous nonprofit organizations. The Interfraternity Council (IFC) organizations raised more than $200,000 for the Military Heroes Campaign, the V Foundation for Cancer Research, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and other local and national nonprofit agencies. Tau Kappa Epsilon donated $128,350 to their St. Jude philanthropy. In addition, the Panhellenic Council (PHA) and United Sorority and Fraternity Council (USFC) each raised more than $100,000 for the Make-A-Wish foundation and the Arthritis Foundation, among other charities. Chi Omega, a Panhellenic chapter with a 10-year presence at Cal Poly, raised $45,000 in one night for Make-A-Wish through its “Chi O Casino” philanthropy event. Alpha Omicron Pi raised $30,000 with its citywide Arthritis Walk. Proceeds went to Make-A-Wish, to benefit children with life-threatening illnesses, and the Arthritis Foundation. All three Greek councils, which together comprise nearly 20 percent of Cal Poly’s student body, collectively volunteered more than 35,000 hours of community service last year. According to independentsector.org, the value of these volunteer hours equate to roughly $1 million.

cal poly choirs perform conductor’s choice

The Cal Poly Choirs will perform favorite works of Thomas Davies, the university’s retiring director of choral activities and vocal studies, for the Winter Concert at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 4, in the Performing Arts Center’s Christopher Cohan Center. Titled “Conductor’s Choice,” the concert—a spin down memory lane of the choirs’ choral library—will feature PolyPhonics and the University Singers. The choirs will be accompanied by Susan Azaret Davies and Paul Woodring. PolyPhonics’ program will include “Cry Out and Shout” by Knut Nystedt, “Trois Chansons” (“Three Songs”) by Claude Debussy, “O Tod, wie bitter bist du” (“Oh, Death, How Bitter You Are”) by Max Reger, and other favorites by Randall Thompson and Norman Dello Joio. The University Singers will sing Gabriel Faure’s “Cantique de Jean Racine” (“Hymn of Jean Racine”), selections from “Songs of Innocence” by Earl George; and works for men’s and women’s choruses, including some barbershop. Davies’ final on-campus concert with the Cal Poly Choirs will be on June 11. Tickets are $12 and $14 for the public and $9 and $12 for students. Event parking is sponsored by the PAC. Tickets are sold at the Cal Poly Ticket Office between noon and 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. To order by phone, call 805-SLO-4TIX (805-756-4849).

camp fire helps middle school students

Camp Fire Central Coast of California is the recipient of a New York Life Foundation grant for local programs that will benefit middle school youth on the Central Coast. Camp Fire Central Coast of California is one of ten chosen across the country. “We are honored to be selected by Camp Fire National Headquarters to participate in this groundbreaking program,” says Ken Miles. The initiative is the cornerstone of a new three-year investment of $1,250,000 from the New York Life Foundation. Camp Fire councils will provide advanced youth development programs that focus on “Thriving from Middle School to High School.” “New York Life Foundation’s investment will help our council expand middle school programming and improve data collection to better track youth success in Camp Fire programs,” said Ken. “Local programs for middle schoolers include InterACTION which helps youth make healthy choices and learn how to best communicate with peers and adults—and Teens In Action which focuses on service-learning and connects participants with local non-profits while tapping in to each young person’s strengths and interests in building their own community service project. M A R C H

2017

Journal PLUS

local pg&E employees will donate $847,000

PG&E employees located at Diablo Canyon Power Plant and in SLO and Santa Barbara counties will donate approximately $847,000 to local nonprofits and schools in 2017. In total, PG&E employees across the service territory will donate more than $8 million. Through PG&E’s Campaign for the Community program, employees and retirees can designate donation recipients and contribute amounts of their choosing through payroll deductions or one-time donations. PG&E then provides matching funding. Since 2000, PG&E employees and retirees have raised nearly $80 million through the program, benefiting local schools and non-profit organizations in communities where PG&E employees live and work in Northern and Central California. These contributions are in addition to the millions of dollars that PG&E donates annually throughout its service area and on top of the countless number of hours employees spend doing volunteer work. Contributions will be distributed throughout 2017 to thousands of schools and nonprofit organizations.

THE BULLETIN BOARD spaghetti dinner for youth sports scholarships

St. Patrick’s Day takes on an Italian flair this year when Dixon’s Spaghetti Dinner returns for its 28th year. Over the years, proceeds from the event have provided thousands of dollars in scholarships so children from low-income families can participate in Estero Bayarea sports and recreation activities at a reduced cost. This year’s dinner is from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 17, at the Morro Bay Recreation Center, 1001 Kennedy Way. Tickets are $12 for adults and $7 for ages 12 and younger. The menu includes spaghetti, salad, garlic bread, non-alcoholic drinks and dessert. Wine and beer will be offered for an additional charge. There will also be cake walks and raffle prizes for adults and children. The dinner is named in honor of the late Dixon Hafley, a former Morro Bay recreation and parks commissioner, who was a major supporter of youth sports and recreation in the community. Tickets can be purchased at the City of Morro Bay Recreation Services office, at the Morro Bay Senior Center or at the door. This longstanding community tradition is presented by the Community Foundation of Estero Bay, Morro Bay Senior Citizens Inc., Morro Bay Recreation & Parks Commission and City of Morro Bay Recreation Services. For information, call Recreation Services at 772-6278.

services including employee benefits, commercial insurance and personal insurance. CEO Brendan Morris looks forward to the opportunity in Santa Maria, sharing “An additional location will improve our client’s experience through added convenience while also allowing us to be more visible and connected to the communities in which we work and live.” Morris continued, “This location provides the opportunity to improve work-life balance for employees and expands the candidate pool needed to recruit new talent and support our continued growth.” For more information go to http://www.morrisgarritano.com

botanical garden plant sale

The Semi-Annual Plant Sale Fundraiser at SLO Botanical Garden will be held on Saturday, March 25, 10am-1pm at San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden, 3450 Dairy Creek Rd. It’s time for our semi-annual plant sale, and we want to help you find the perfect plant for your yard! Get expert advice and find great deals on beautiful plants. Info at slobg. org/sale. Prices vary; all plants will be tax-free. For more information call 541-1400 x 303

Opes advisors repeats as top county lender

Real Estate Market Reports named Opes Advisors as SLO County’s leading purchase lender for 2016. The company handled a total of 282 home purchases and 201 refinances last year, placing it in the top spot among local lenders for the second consecutive year. The Real Estate Market Reports are compiled and aggregated from public sources by a number of data providers. Mortgage and home loan data is typically recorded in each county and publicly available through a county recorder’s office. “It’s an honor to be recognized for helping more families purchase a home in San Luis Obispo County than any other lender for the second straight year,” said Ron Penir, Regional Manager of the Central Coast for Opes Advisors (pictured). “We’re especially appreciative of our clients and professional real estate associates here in San Luis Obispo County for trusting us with their financing needs. Becoming a homeowner is one of the greatest thrills in life and we are proud to help so many who live here achieve their personal aspirations of owning their own home.”

Morris and Garritano open 2nd office in santa maria

Morris & Garritano Insurance is opening a second full-service office. Located at 2721 Santa Maria Way in Santa Maria, the new office and staff will be dedicated to serving Northern Santa Barbara County individuals and businesses. For 132 years, Morris & Garritano Insurance has been committed to providing clients with a positive personal and professional experience. The new location will serve as an extension and companion to Morris & Garritano’s home office in SLO by offering comprehensive client

local Books – Equality

Paul Alan Fahey compiled and edited a collection of 25 personal essays from well known authors stating their view on the question – what do you think about when you think of equality? Some of the authors include: Christopher Bram, Dennis Palumbo, Anne Perry, David Congalton, Susan Reynolds and Catherine Ryan Hyde. Michael Bronsky states, “A carnival of intellectual provocation. Moving and inspiring, these are essays that move us forward to imagine endless possibilities.” The book can be purchased at vineleavespress.com, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and all other online book outlets. It’s $14.99 and the ebook is $2.99.

hats for hope gifts $10,000 to cancer patients

SLO & Santa Barbara County cancer patients going through treatment received one of four $2500 gifts from Hats for Hope. Hope’s purpose of instilling hope and lifting the spirits of those battling cancer on the Central Coast. “Hats for Hope” volunteers have been raising funds to help cancer patients on the Central Coast since 2001. For more information or to give a donation go to www.hatsforhope. com or call 805-489-4161 M A R C H

2017

Journal PLUS

For the second year in a row, we helped more people purchase a home than any other lender in San Luis Obispo County.*

2015

2016

TOP LENDER

Let us help you ﬁnance that dream home in 2017. Call us today!

Kevin Cunningham Mortgage Advisor NMLS 633249

805.458.5178

Sarah Sweeny Mortgage Advisor NMLS 1107446

805.250.2406

Ben Lerner

Mortgage Advisor NMLS 395723

805.441.9486

Rick Kirk

Mortgage Advisor NMLS 375012

805.459.4101

* Source: Real Estate Market Reports (REM). December 2016. 2017 Lender Activity Report San Luis Obispo County.

Keep IT Local Co m

m u n it

ss ine us

Job s

Bill Mott

Landon Spitler

805.234.5081

805.471.0243

Mortgage Advisor NMLS 341086

Mortgage Advisor NMLS 633244

Ron Penir

Tim Robinson

805.709.3426

805.250.2404

Regional Director NMLS 325495

Mortgage Advisor NMLS 343856

Help when you make the most important ﬁnancial decisions of your life.

1212 Marsh Street, Suite 1 | San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 | 805.250.2400 | opesadvisors.com Opes Advisors is licensed by the CA Department of Business Oversight under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act, License #4150089, CA Bureau of Real Estate 01458652, loans will be made pursuant to the Residential Mortgage Lending Act, CO Registration Regulated by the Division of Real Estate, Idaho MBL8530, Montana Mortgage Lender License #235584, Oregon ML4902, Washington CL1178435, Wyoming #2667 and NMLS 235584. Equal Housing Opportunity Lender. Opes Advisors is a registered investment advisor with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). © 2017 Opes Advisors, Inc. All rights reserved.