Avila Beach Life • MARCH 2021

LOCAL NEWS ... BEACH VIEWS • MARCH 2021

AVILABEACHLIFENEWS.COM

Still in this Together

...one year later

SEE PAGE 4

THE BEACON ON THE BLUFF AND IT’S HISTORIC FRESNEL LENS SEE PAGE 5

BOOST YOUR MOOD THROUGH THE FOOD THAT YOU EAT SEE PAGE 6

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VINCE AND EMILY SHAY ARE THIS MONTH’S COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

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ALSO INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

2 | Avila Beach Life — March 2021

Through Print

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Hayley & Nicholas Mattson hayley@13starsmedia.com

LAYOUT DESIGN EDITOR Mike Michaud

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Ad Consultant Dana McGraw

Administrator

Cami Martin office@13starsmedia.com

CONTRIBUTORS Betty Hartig Dr. Cindy Maynard John Salisbury Mary Foppiano Rick Cohen

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Visit our website! avilabeachlifenews.com avila beach life is published monthly. all rights reserved , material may not be reprinted without written consent from the publisher . avila beach life made every effort to maintain the accuracy of information presented in this publication , but assumes no responsibility for errors , changes or omissions . avila beach life is a product of 13 stars media .

s we welcome Spring and start to look forward to warmer months ahead, we take a moment to reflect on where we were a year ago at this time. Less than fifteen days after we went to press with our March 2020 issue, the entire economy came to a screeching halt. All the wellmade plans that we had going into the year were no longer relevant. All that mattered was doing our part to “flatten the curve” and save precious lives.

Our business immediately suffered, as did many others, and we had to adjust and restructure. We evaluated what we needed to make it through six months and trudged forward the best we could. We are proud to look back and know that we made it through without missing one print date. Honestly, we didn’t know if we would make it even a month. But we did all because of the incredible support from our advertisers, even during this unprecedented time of change and uncertainty.

Our company made it through because of our loyal readers and subscribers, many of whom sent emails and letters to check in and offer support. We made it through because of our incredible team of dedicated professionals who shifted and adjusted as we navigated our way through the unknown.

We made it through because we were never alone, and for that, we will be forever grateful that we get to live in the best place on Earth.

Over the last year, we have shared that we have the best of humanity here in our communities, and we are touched by all the love we see our community members give to one another, even during the most challenging of times.

As we continue to walk through this pandemic, it is a good reminder to be gentle with one another. We may each see the world a little differently, but remember we are all in this together; because together, we are all so much more.

We hope you enjoy this month’s issue of Avila Beach Life.

Much love, N ic and Hayley Mattson, Publishers

Whenever you find yourself doubting how far you can go, just remember how far you have come. Remember everything you have faced, all the battles you have won, and all the fears you have overcome, and know you can do anything if you just don’t give up.

~ Unknown

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Avila Beach Life — March 2021 | 3 FOUNDATION NEWS AND VIEWS

Life Moves Forward Rick Cohen

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AVILA BEACH FOUNDATION

reetings, fellow Avilones. As we march into March, who knows what lies ahead?

We DO know that daylight savings arrives this year beginning Sunday, March 14th. We DON’T yet know to what degree Major League baseball is able to return to normal operations, nor do we have a firm grasp of how much longer it will take for all willing area residents to receive their Covid-19 vaccinations. Life trudges forward with little disruption for some of us and greater upheaval for others. Here in Avila Beach, much looks fine and dandy on the surface, but not quite as much if we dig a bit deeper.

Here at the Avila Beach Community Foundation, we continue to monitor the status of the agencies, programs, and projects we support with badly needed funding. As reported previously, our 2021 grantees were given the option to spend their grant funds in any ways deemed essential to continue operating or re-opening their organizations. Ordinarily, we mainly fund specific programs, services, or projects, but the past year has called for flexibility. When we sent this year’s grant award agreements, we asked recipient agencies to let us know how they intended to use their funds, and I want to share the following summary with you, which

lists agency name, grant amount, and intended use of funds: • Avila Beach Civic Association ($8,000): Community Center building maintenance, repairs, utilities, taxes, etc.

• Avila Beach Jr. Lifeguards Program ($5,000): General equipment purchases, scholarships, transportation.

• Bellevue-Santa Fe Charter School ($3,000): Offset operational costs due to Pandemic response, such as increased health/safety measures, instructional technology oversight/ repair/replacement.

• Cancer Well-Fit ($4,000): Continue/expand wellness program for cancer survivors in our community.

• Central Coast Aquarium ($5,000): Provide vital upgrade and maintenance of exhibits housing sea-life creatures.

• KCBX Public Radio ($1,800): Maintenance of transmitter that serves Avila Beach and South County.

• Pt. San Luis Lighthouse Keepers ($4,300): Facility maintenance and operations.

• Noor Foundation of SLO ($3,700): Clinical operations expenses such as medical supplies, outsourced diagnostics, and medical staff.

• Operation Surf ($2,000): General expenses for the week-long program held in Avila Beach that serves wounded military veterans.

• Peoples’ Self-Help Housing ($2,000): Supportive housing services for residents of Lachen Tara Apartments in Avila Beach.

• Port San Luis Mutts Mitts Project ($5,000): Purchase of dog waste bags and dispenser upkeep supplies.

• Surfrider Foundation ($1,000): Purchase of laboratory supplies for the Blue Water Task Force program for sampling water flowing into San Luis Creek and Avila Beach.

• Avila Beach Life Publication ($4,000): For monthly mail delivery of this local print news publication to residents and businesses in Avila Beach and Avila Valley.

• SLO County Regional Transit Authority ($3,700): For seasonal operation of the free Avila Beach Trolley.

• PathPoint($10,000): For seasonal removal

of sand transference and debris that collects along the beach boardwalk, planters, and gutters on both sides of the Avila Promenade.

Moving along, I am pleased to announce the winner of our drawing among those who correctly completed the Bob Jones Trail Walking Quiz. Congratulations to Suzanne T. in San Luis Bay Estates, who chose a gift card from Blue Moon Over Avila as her prize. And I want to thank SLBE resident Rich N., who responded to my request last month seeking news of good deeds, actions, or activities noticed during pandemic times.

He wrote: “We often see small groups of people picking up trash on the beach in the early morning. I’m guessing these are Avilones who think it important to keep the beaches clean, as do we. In a few short months, we’ve encountered wildlife needing assistance (one-legged seagull, dead sea lion, a pelican unable to fly, a distressed deer in Indian Hills, and a limping great blue heron on the golf course). Knowing who to call has been challenging and not always successful, but in terms of shout-outs, the people at Pacific Wildlife Care have been the most responsive and caring to deal with. Several evenings I’ve seen groups of Junior Lifeguards trainers on the beach.

I’ve marveled at the exuberance, energy, and pure joy many of these young people bring to their task of training kids not much younger than them.”

Thank you for sharing, Rich!

I will continue to make space available in my column for community “shout-outs” like those above. In these challenging times, it’s even more important to recognize exemplary or heartwarming efforts. If you have any to share, I ask that you please email them to avilafoundation@ gmail.com.

That’s it for now, fellow Avilones. See you at the beach!

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4 | Avila Beach Life — March 2021 A VIEW FROM THE BEACH

I Love My Dogs So Much!

Mary Foppiano

Avila Beach Civic Association

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i All – I know that most of you know how much I love dogs. I have been enjoying a new website that keeps coming up on my phone under News Break. It is ilovemydogsomuch.tv. I get at least three or four alerts a day that show how kind and caring people can be to a dog in distress.

Some are wandering in a field or down a well caked with mud or abandoned by a family along a roadway. These animals don’t understand why their “family” left and when they will be coming back. In the end, these stories are heartwarming, no matter how sad they start. As we all continue to suffer from shelter-at-home requirements, seeing these stories and the sweet faces of the dogs really help bring a smile to my face…and I am sure to others.

As I mentioned last month, I am still hoping to host our 4th of July Doggie Parade on the Promenade after our annual Pancake Breakfast at the Avila Beach Community Center. I will certainly keep you all informed but, since we are inundated with pandemic updates daily, I think we will all find out what level we are at and, therefore, when we can open the Center and move forward with our new normal.

Until then, stay safe and enjoy life on the Central Coast.

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

Emily & Vincent Shay

By MARY FOPPIANO for Avila Beach Life

V

incent Shay is from San Luis Obispo and Emily Shay is from Los Osos. They now live in San Luis Bay Estates with their multi-terrier dog Frankie who loves to dig at the beach, hike, and paddleboard. In 2010, they started Avila Beach Paddlesports in the Port San Luis Harbor area and specialized in kayak and standup paddleboard tours, lessons, and rentals. In 2020, they expanded, adding the Mermaid Market to their already established Paddlesport company, where they sell local photography, gifts, coffee, and many other retail items.

Vince and Emily founded their company because of their love of paddling, surfing, education, and being on the ocean.

Emily has been a surfer for most of her life, as well as a passionate educator who is currently teaching at the Grizzly Youth Academy. Her love for wildlife is second to none, and she is always ready to help a hurt bird or animal. Vince said that she is really the glue that holds their companies together and the brains behind the operations.

Vince is not only a surfer but an accomplished paddler who was on the United States Surf Kayak Team from 20012005 and considered to be one of the best paddlers in the world from 2001-2015. In 2003, he designed some of the best kayaks, which are still sold and used in all parts of the world. In

M

OZZIE

addition, he is an award-winning photographer, some of which are well-known on the Central Coast for capturing images of local sea otters and humpback whales.

Avila Beach Paddlesports is going into its 12th season, for which they are very excited. A new program that they are working on is called the ‘Coastal Wildlife Docent ProgramAvila Beach.’ They will be training volunteers to educate the public on the water via kayak or SUP about the local wildlife as well as proper viewing guidelines when paddling in the water at Avila Beach. They believe this program will be a great addition to their successful rental program at Avila Beach Paddlesports and is a real community effort.

They have worked very hard to create a family-friendly, fun, and safe atmosphere at both of their companies and are very proud of what they have accomplished. Vince and Emily are just two local Central Coast people who started their company from nothing with only eight kayaks and five paddleboards to become one of the largest, most successful paddlesport companies on the Central Coast. They were able to do this because of their passion for what they were doing as well as the support of the Harbor Commissioners, Harbor Staff, and our local community in addition to the awesome team members they employ every year. Vince and Emily consider themselves to be pretty private, but they truly love our community. For more information, check out their websites: AvilaBeachPaddlesports.com or VincentShayPhotography.com.

FURRY SPOTLIGHT

is our Pet of the Month

ary and Ed Trejo adopted their 80 pounds of love in November 2019 from the Animal Compassion Team (ACT). The ACT is a non-profit organization that rescues animals on death row at the SPCA. Ozzie lived with Mary and Ed in Clovis, CA, for three months prior to their move to “paradise on earth,” Indian Hill in the San Luis Bay Estates.

Ozzie loves his life here and is spoiled with walking to Avila Beach every morning. Seriously, they have only missed three morning beach walks due to inclement weather. He enjoys frolicking in the estuary

water but does not like to surf the waves. He has fun chasing other dogs but only ones smaller than he is. He especially likes greeting friends on the beach who have hugs or treats for him.

At home, he misses grass but relaxes on their deck, where he usually naps. He loves his walks around the neighborhood and to the community parks. His favorite activity is eating…no surprise…and prefers people food to dog food. They love his sloppy tongue, his smile, his golden eyes, his “monkey talking,” and his big heart.

Julie is their “tortie” cat, which means she

By MARY FOPPIANO

has an attitude…surprise again…but is very sweet. She is nine years old, so no longer an active kitten. However, she still likes to “play” with lizards around their house. Mostly, she loves taking her cat naps on their deck in the sun, just like Ozzie.

Mary and Ed rescued Julie literally off the street on a 110-degree afternoon. She was too small to be away from her mother, but they nursed her to health and raised her to become the cuddly fluff ball she is today.

Both Ozzie and Julie sleep with them IN bed every night…but they wouldn’t have it any other way!

NEXT MONTH’S ‘PET OF THE MONTH’ Please send me your pictures and a short paragraph about your pet to avilabeachcc@gmail.com. Thanks, and introduce us to your furry friend next month!

Avila Beach Life — March 2021 | 5 POINT SAN LUIS LIGHT STATION

The Beacon on the Bluff Kathy Mastako For Avila Beach Life

W

hen the fourth-order Fresnel lens purchased for Point San Luis was installed in 1890, it alternated between red and white flashes every half-minute. The color was produced by ruby glass screens attached to every other one of the lens’s ten flash panels.

The light had been a long time coming.

As far back as 1880—perhaps even before— shipping companies had been clamoring for a light, either on Whaler’s Island or on the mainland. Agents for the Pacific Coast Steamship Company petitioned Congress in 1881, arguing that a light would not only benefit vessels entering San Luis Bay but also ships passing up and down the coast. The steamship company pointed to the unfortunate absence of any light between Piedras Blancas and Point Conception, “leaving a space of about forty miles which is not illuminated by the rays of either of these lights.” The company even went so far as to install its own private light and employ a man to tend it. How long this arrangement lasted is unknown.

At about the same time the steamship company was writing to Congress, the Queen of the Pacific was being built in Philadelphia: “There is now on the stocks and nearly completed at the yard of Cramp and Sons…a splendid iron steamship for the Pacific Coast Steamship Company, for service on the [Pacific] coast…she will be the strongest and finest specimen of marine architecture under the American flag…”

—San Luis Obispo Tribune, November 12, 1881 In 1882, while waiting to see if Congress would appropriate funds for a navigation aid for San Luis Bay, the lighthouse board considered whether Whaler’s Island or the mainland would be a more suitable site. Discussion also started about what type of light would be best. An 1880 lighthouse board report had recommended a third-order lens with a fixed white flash. In 1884, however, the twelfth district lighthouse engineer had other thoughts and wrote to the board’s chairman: As the steamers passing are always bound into the Port Harford roadstead, and as the coast both north and south is free from outlying dangers, the light does not need to be visible from any considerable distance, and I am now of the opinion that a fourth-order [lens] would suffice. As Piedras Blancas to the north is fixed white varied by white flashes, and Point Conception to the south is flashing white every thirty seconds, it would seem desirable to introduce red at San Luis as a better distinction.

The engineer noted that the lighthouse board’s supply depot on Yerba Buena Island, Ca. had a fourth-order revolving lens in stock: …sent out here as a temporary substitute for Point Conception during the changes at that station. It is arranged for flashes at intervals of thirty seconds; by making each alternative one red, the requirement of the new station would seem to be fulfilled, and an important saving effected.

Absent any money to establish a light, the lighthouse board nevertheless continued to discuss its location, going back and forth about whether Whaler’s Island or “San Luis head” would be the better site and whether it would be better to put a fog signal on the island and a light on the mainland. The federal government, by executive action, had acquired Whal-

er’s Island and planned to purchase thirty acres on the mainland from John Harford.

In 1887, the matter was settled. The lighthouse board determined both a fog signal and a light should be placed on the mainland.

Congress appropriated fifty thousand dollars for the project. The board agreed the light should flash red and white alternately at thirty-second intervals. The twelfth district lighthouse inspector told the board, once again, “a fourth-order lens and revolving apparatus flashing white every thirty seconds is now stored in the depot at Yerba Buena and could be inexpensively modified here to serve the purpose.”

However, before the lighthouse board decided to give the go-ahead to build a light station, a near-catastrophe occurred. On April

to the bottom in about twenty feet of water.

Some two hundred and forty passengers were aboard, and all reached shore in safety. During the voyage, the ocean was unusually smooth, which accounts for the happy termination of the affair. Had a rough sea prevailed, it is quite probable there would have been considerable loss of life.

—San Francisco Bulletin, April 30, 1888.

The sinking of the Queen seemed to fasttrack, putting a fog signal and light at Point San Luis. The following month, the government acquired title to Harford’s thirty acres.

The twelfth district engineer began drawing up plans. In 1899, the engineer solicited bids to build the light station and awarded the contract to George Kenney of Santa Barbara.

A close-up view of the fourth order Fresnel lens shows the multiple prisms. The chariot wheels underneath the lens allowed it to revolve. Photo courtesy of Bob Mihelic

Board member and docent Ed Taintor, in his Keeper’s uniform, explaining the operation of the fourth order Fresnel lens to tour guests.

Photo courtesy of Bob Mihelic

This poster explains how the Fresnel lens works. It has ten flash panels, each with a “bull’s eye” lens in the center. In 1890, a ruby glass screen attached to every other flash panel allowed the lens to emit both red and white flashes. Photo courtesy of Bob Mihelic

At first a kerosene lamp inside the Fresnel lens was first used. When electricity came to Point San Luis in 1935, a 500-watt lamp with two clear incandescent bulbs replaced the kerosene lamp. There were always two bulbs, in case one burned out. Photo courtesy of David Husted

30, 1888, at 8 a.m., the Queen of the Pacific groped her way into Port Harford, having sprung a leak: Before dawn, the steamer listed so badly that it was difficult to walk the decks, and when the port was reached, the railing on the upper deck was submerged, and when within about thirty yards of the wharf, the steamer settled

The Point San Luis fourth order Fresnel lens, which is now displayed in the station’s fog signal building, was made in France in 1878.

Photo courtesy of Bob Mihelic

In November 1899, the lighthouse board asked the engineer in charge of the supply depot on Staten Island, N.Y., to fit up a fourth-order lens in its inventory with ruby glass panels to make it flash both red and white. Perhaps the lens once in stock at Yerba Buena Island had been deployed somewhere else. The lens at Staten Island was made by Sautter Lemonnier

in France in 1878 and was numbered 325. Its various pieces—lens, clock, flash panels, pedestal, service table, lamps, and fitments—were contained in five cases, numbered 991 through 995. The cases were shipped from New York to San Francisco, then to Point San Luis.

On June 3, 1890, the lighthouse board issued a Notice to Mariners: Notice is hereby given that, on or about June 30, 1890, a light of the fourth order, showing red and white flashes alternately, with intervals of thirty seconds between flashes, will be exhibited from the structure recently erected at San Luis Obispo.

Almost from the start, there was concern about how far out to sea the red flashes could be seen. The red glass was too dense and not the proper shade. The suggested remedy, to insert panels of clearer red glass like the panels in use at Point Sur, could not be achieved. Better quality red glass could not be found.

Finally, in 1912—twenty-two years after the light was first lit—the Bureau of Lighthouses approved changing the “characteristic,” or flash pattern, of the light by removing the red glass screens. About September 10, 1912, its characteristic was changed to flashing white only, every twenty seconds.

In November 1915, Point San Luis Keeper William Smith traveled to San Francisco to take charge of the lighthouse exhibit at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition for three weeks.

Keepers chosen to staff the lighthouse exhibit were selected by the Pacific Coast’s lighthouse district inspectors as a reward for faithful service. The keeper’s job was to care for and explain the equipment on display.

Smith returned to Point San Luis in early December. On December 2, 1915, the acting commissioner of lighthouses wrote to the third district inspector in charge of the Staten Island supply depot, suggesting the eighteenth (formerly twelfth) district inspector could use the modern fourth-order lens in the lighthouse exhibit if it was not intended for use after the Exposition ended. The eighteenth district inspector wanted it for Point San Luis “where a stronger light is required.”

Perhaps Smith had the ear of the eighteenth district inspector while he was tending the lighthouse exhibit and pressed his case for needing a better lens, suggesting that Point San Luis should be given the modern lens after the Exposition was over.

The third district inspector replied right away, stating that the new lens had been purchased specifically for the Exposition, and there was no requisition the supply depot had received that would require its use elsewhere. “If the Bureau does not desire to keep the exhibit intact, this office sees no objection to the lens, clock, and pedestal being used by the 18th inspector.”

The offer, however, was not without strings.

The eighteenth district inspector could have the apparatus, but he would have to pay for it.

This apparently was a deal-breaker. Point San Luis never got the Exposition lens; the original fourth-order lens, the one manufactured in France in 1878, remained in the lighthouse tower.

The lens flashed its welcoming beam from 1890 until 1974 when an automated beacon was installed on the lighthouse grounds. In 1976, the lens was moved for safekeeping to the museum in San Luis Obispo’s historic Carnegie library. In 1999, it was moved again, this time to the nearby San Luis Obispo city-county library.

Finally, in 2010, it was returned to Point San Luis and installed in a special room inside the fog signal building, where docents explain its history and operation to guests taking lighthouse tours.

Those interested in viewing the lens can do so as part of a docent-led virtual tour. Public tours run Wednesdays at 2 p.m. (my805ix.com); private tours can be arranged (sanluislighthouse@gmail.com).

6 | Avila Beach Life — March 2021 COMMUNITY NEWS

The Eagle Has Landed

By BETTY HARTIG For Avila Beach Life

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The bald eagle, seen above flying by San Luis Creek in Avila, is an opportunistic feeder which subsists mainly on fish. It swoops down and snatches from the water with its talons. It builds the largest nest of any North American bird and covers a range from Canada to Northern Mexico.

Photo courtesy of Victoria Morrow

vila Beach has been hosting a well-respected visitor. You can catch a glimpse of the guest by walking the Bob Jones Pathway. While strolling, pay close attention to where the San Luis Creek and the seawater meet. The estuary seems to be the favorite hangout. A big clue that the majestic lodger is nearby is serene quietness. Binoculars might be helpful, but not necessary. Are you curious about the out-of-towner?

A magnificent bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) has been in the area since late November.

There is a good chance that it is migrating from the northwest and spending the winter on the Central Coast.

The best time to view the mighty aviator is during the early morning or late afternoon. Eagles are a rare sight but have ventured into this region previously. Most likely, this fine specimen has been here to feast on the fish found in the estuary. Fish are the main diet of an eagle. An abundant supply of striped mullet is clearly visible from the golf course bridge.

A fresh mullet makes a tasty meal. Sushi!

Hundreds of migratory bald eagles select California as their wintering location, usually arriving during the fall and early winter.

They normally remain until February, or occasionally April. It would be interesting to know where Avila’s visitor arrived from; perhaps it is a nearby non-migratory bird or a migratory distant traveler scoping out warmer winter climates like “snowbirds” do.

Observing the bald eagle in Avila is an awesome experience. It is a bonus feature to see such a distinguished bird of prey. The bald

eagle is easily identified by its distinctive white head and tail. They are far from being bald, but the white-feathered head greatly contrasts with their dark brown body; hence the word “bald” was adopted as an appropriate name.

The adult raptor’s wingspan is about 8 feet. They weigh approximately 8 to 14 pounds and require a good food base. Their powerful talons have an incredible grip and can easily carry 3 to 4 pounds. Eagles have been known to snatch a fish from a rival osprey while in midair.

Nothing like being the boss or, more likely, a pirate! They also eat waterfowl, shorebirds, small mammals, and carrion. Bald eagles are visual hunters, using a strategically positioned perch or soaring high above to locate prey before swooping down to strike with stunning accuracy. Like most raptors, the female is larger than the male. Young eagles are predominantly brown and acquire their adult feathers at 4 or 5 years of age.

The bald eagle has been the national emblem of the United States since 1782. The regal bird’s national status was in competition with the wild turkey. It is hard to imagine a turkey adorning the top of a flagpole or placed on the Presidential Seal. If Benjamin Franklin had prevailed, our country’s emblem may have been the wild turkey.

Fortunately, the eagle was chosen as the symbol.

Non-migratory nesting pairs of bald eagles are found throughout San Luis Obispo County. There are nesting sites at Lopez Lake, Santa Margarita Lake, and Santa Margarita Ranch, as well as the Pozo area.

Bald eagles have a lengthy life, despite being close to extinction, typically living in the wild 20-30 years. This impressive bird has made an extraordinary comeback thanks to restrictions on contaminants, enforcement of protective laws, and management programs designed to improve its reproductive success and survival.

The bald eagle was removed from the Fish and Wildlife Service list of threatened and endangered species in 2007, but it remains endangered in California. The bird is still protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. These laws prohibit killing, selling, or harming eagles, their nests, or eggs. The bald eagle is also classified as a fully protected bird under California law.

As responsible Californians and Avilones, it is wise to keep our coastal environment natural, free from adverse impacts on habitat, such as housing, pesticides, power lines, and other human disturbances, to ensure the continued health of this awe-inspiring bird. The eagle would be a welcomed Avila Beach permanent resident.

WELL-BEING

Boost Your Mood Through Food

By DR. CINDY MAYNARD For Avila Beach Life

D

o you look for the nearest pillow to lay down your head after lunch? Or do you need coffee and a candy bar to power you through the afternoon? Next time you’re feeling strained or drained, work with your brain.

And watch your mood and energy level change.

KNOW THY BRAIN

This four-pound tissue regulates every process in the body, from mood to motivation, cognitive functioning, or even what your energy level is. The last few decades have seen an explosion of research on the connection between food, mood, and brainpower.

Here’s a simplified version: Brain cells need neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) to communicate. We have hundreds of neurotransmitters, but the four main ones are serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, and acetylcholine.

Your ability to learn new tasks or how quickly you think in a crisis depends on the level of brain neurotransmitters.

What you eat in the morning can have a powerful effect on your energy level, how well you focus or even cope with stress.

The good news is you can manipulate the level of neurotransmitters just by tweaking your diet.

TRY CARBOHYDRATES TO FEEL CALM

Serotonin can be described as the calming chemical of the brain producing feelings of peace and well-being. Low levels have been implicated in poor performance, depression, or addictions.

Eating a meal containing a lot of carbo-

hydrates (without protein and on an empty stomach), like whole grains, pasta, potatoes, tortillas, or even refined sugars, can make you feel relaxed or sleepy by increasing serotonin in the brain.

As you move into the evening and want to stress down, shift from protein foods to calming carbohydrates. An evening snack of crackers, popcorn, or dry cereal may help you get a better night’s sleep.

Although refined sugars work, complex carbohydrates are better because they contain vitamins and fiber.

THINK CHOLINE, ESSENTIAL FATS, AND FOLATE TO IMPROVE MEMORY

Choline is a nutrient that serves as a precursor to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and plays a role in memory and cognitive development. Sources of choline include eggs, sardines, and soybeans.

Essential fatty acids play a role in brain development and mental well-being.

Sources of smart fats include olive oil or fish oils in salmon, cod, and mackerel and fish oil supplements Foliate (a B-vitamin) has also been THINK PROTEIN TO BE ALERT, AROUSED shown a key player in the role of depresDopamine and norepinephrine could sion and memory. Along with green leafy be called the wake-up brain chemicals. As vegetables, folate is also found in whole dopamine levels rise, the brain becomes grains, fruits, and legumes. more alert. Thus, dopamine aids in learnTHE GOOD MOOD DIET ing new tasks and problem-solving. Low To get the best mileage out of your body, levels of dopamine can make it difficult to feed your brain. Eat complex carbohyexperience pleasure or even care about life and have been associated with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

Meals high in protein will increase mental alertness by increasing the amino acid tyrosine, which makes dopamine and norepinephrine. If you are mentally stressed or need to focus, eat some protein (such as cottage cheese, tuna, or turkey) to enhance your creative and mental ability.

While these recommendations won’t finish the exam for you or cure mental disorders, protein may give the extra boost you need.

For example, if you are a morning person, you should stick to primarily carbohydrates in the morning until mid-day, then start to add proteins at lunch to keep from fading.

Night owls need to get their protein-induced energy surge early on and switch to carbohydrates in the afternoon to help them wind down.

drates for essential nutrients and energy, protein for building blocks, and essential fats for good brain functioning. A good guide is the USDA’s Food Guide Pyramid (choosemyplate.gov). If followed, the Pyramid supplies you with the major macro-and micronutrients for optimal health.

It’s all about brain chemistry, and you can change it by the foods you eat. Most importantly, don’t forget to live, love, and laugh. These emotions make good-feeling neurotransmitters better than anything else going.

Cindy Maynard, Ph.D., RD, is a health psychologist, a registered dietitian, and a nationally published health and f itness writer. She is passionate about promoting health and wellness. You can contact her at drcindymaynard@live.com

Avila Beach Life — March 2021 | 7

“Farming is a profession of Hope!” ~ Brian Brett, Canadian Poet and Author

2020 Wine Crush Report Results Show How Challenging the Year Really was for Winemakers are finding markets for their winegrapes.

Restaurants will be opened soon, hopefully, with customers buying wine with their meals, large increases of on-line purchasing as a result of the shutdowns will still be utilized, tasting rooms open, winery contracts with good prices will cover the unsold grapes, a stiff 25 percent tariff on wine imports from Europe, and with enough water (questionable with another potential drought) and labor available it could John Salisbury be a good year for the industry. contributor The 2020 Wine Crush Report just came out, and here are some of the results to back up ast year, 2020, among all the other how bad it was last year. The total crush was problems in the country, was also a down 14 percent, with red winegrapes down mess for the wine business. Coming 16 percent. White winegrapes were down 10 into the year with a big surplus of wine already percent, raisins down 30.5 percent, and table in the tanks, record warm weather, fires, smoke grapes down 29 percent. Chardonnay still is tainted berries, growers without contracts, the largest percentage of winegrapes picked winery tasting rooms shut down, grapes not at 15.2 percent, Cabernet Sauvignon at 14.1 picked, and a low tons/acre crop with low prices percent, raisins at less than 3 percent for the made it a miserable time to be in the business. first time, and table grapes were a record low The wine surplus came about from the of 1.2 percent of the total crush. previous years with new bearing acres, large The Central Coast had a brutal year. It was tonnages per acre, and slow sales growth with the lightest crop in six years, with the total all the new competing products on the market winegrape value decreased by nearly 80,000 like craft beers, distilleries, seltzers, etc. tons and 19 percent down from the five-year The one big benefit with the bad year is that average. This resulted from a lighter crop, lower much of the surplus wine on the market has district prices, and the oversupplied market. been bought up, emptying tanks, and growers Pinot Noir, suffering from loss sales with the

L

closing of restaurants, faced a 19 percent lower price, and tonnage was down a whopping 37 percent.

The Central Valley had the largest share of the crush with only an average of $314/ton, but they make it up with many more tons per acre produced compared with Napa’s average price of $4,577 per ton and down 20.7 percent. Sonoma and Marin counties received the second-highest prices at $2,417 per ton, down 15.1 percent - what a difference a few miles and a separate valley make.

The overall average price for Chardonnay was $827, down 9.3 percent, Cab average price was $1,230 per ton down 30.5 percent, Zinfandel

was $519/ton down 11 percent, while French Colombard, San Joaquin Valley’s “Jug White Wine” and a surprising third-largest varietal in the state at 8.7 percent, was up 4.2 percent at $287/ton I guess because many buyers were short of cash increasing demand. The overall average price for all varieties that got picked was $675/ton, down 16.8 percent from 2019.

I apologize for all the numbers, but it gives you a real idea of what the growers and wineries faced last year, but there is hope for a better year ahead. So, please support your local wineries, pack the tasting rooms, enjoy the wine festivities, and drink your share of the fabulous Central Coast wines.

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8 | Avila Beach Life — March 2021

Central Coast

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