4 | Avila Beach Life — AUGUST 2022
Making Communities Better Through Print™
A View From the Beach
Mary Foppiano
Avila Beach Civic Association
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i All – Talk about a hard way to live by the beach… this past month, our home had to be tented for termites. I had to do this twice when I lived in Redondo Beach, and it wasn’t that bad compared to this time in Avila Beach. You never know how much you have accumulated until you have to go through your refrigerator, freezers, cupboards, medicine cabinets, and anything else that you ingest or your dogs chew on…and, of course, you always miss some things like gum, tea bags, salt shakers, etc., no matter how careful you think you are. Then you need to find a place to stay with two active dogs
and come home two days later to undo what you just packed. It was like moving into a new home by the time you go through all the crates you backed. The one saving grace was wonderful next-door neighbors who let you move everything into their garage and freezer. Should you need to embark on this endeavor, I would be happy to go over the dos and don’ts and how to make it fun. After all, what could be more fun than finding boxes in the back of your pantry that expired in 2015! What a wonderful way to kick off this year’s 4th of July holiday is with our annual Pancake Breakfast and Doggie Parade. The breakfast was thoroughly enjoyed by community members and visitors, especially the fresh strawberries donated by Okui’s Strawberry Stand. Volunteers for the festivities were Raul Cavazos, Sylvia Remmenga, Mary Matakovich, John Janowicz, Allie Thornton, Ethan Ferral, Sandy Smith, Tory Killian, Alan Reed, Mike Hoffman, Tom Payne, Gary and Aaron Hamel, Sandy and Deborah Keller, Vicki Book, Cindy Baker Kobliska, and Cheryl
Best in Show: Anna and Grace O’Malley with Peanut and Poppy with Leo DeLuca. Contributed Photo
Stepaniak. Following the breakfast, was our family fun Doggie Parade that had 124 entrants, our largest parade to date. Our wonderful judges were Steve Kobliska, Vicki Johnson, Aimee Crispen, dog groomer extraordinaire, and Kat Yeung, Cuesta Emeritus yoga teacher at the Community Center. Petco Arroyo Grande once again donated yummy dog treat bags to all our puppies. Our Grand Marshall was Officer Stephanie Pipan and her partner,
Zeus, from Cal Poly. The winners of our Costume Contest were: • Best Costume: Michelle Smith with Scarlett and Paisley • Best Dog/Owner Look Alike: Henri Ramberg with Sally • Best Holiday Look: Lucy and Amelia Vohra with Winnie • Funniest Costume: Stephanie Baird with Mack • Best in Show: Anna and Grace O’Malley with Peanut and Poppy with Leo DeLuca The winner of the terrific doggie
treat basket donated by Karen Blue was Susan Cane with Enzo and Trixie. Additional doggie treats were donated in memory of Willie Chambers. Upcoming events include our annual Avila Apple Festival, which will be held on Saturday, Sept. 24, from 3-5 p.m. in our Avila Beach Community Center Healing Garden. There will be wine and beer, and cider tastings, small bites, entertainment, and a silent auction. If you want to purchase your tickets, donate a silent auction item, or just get involved in our fundraiser to support the Community Center and our programs, contact us at (805) 627-1997, avilabeachcc@ gmail.com, or avilabeachcc.com. Another fun event is the Family Movie Night Under the Stars at the Central Coast Aquarium on Saturday, Aug. 6, with doors opening at 7:45 p.m. Tickets are $7/adult and $5/child 12 and under. They have a concession stand on site and suggest you bring low-back chairs and blankets. For more information, contact them at (805) 457-5357 or centralcoastaquarium.com.
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
Patrica Martin By MARY FOPPIANO For Avila Beach Life
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atricia Martin grew up in downtown San Luis Obispo and raised her children in the Squire Canyon area of Avila Beach for almost 20 years. She is an artist with an MFA in Fiber Art. She teaches weaving in her private studio (website: patriciamartinartis. com). She taught art/fiber skills to elementary school-age children from kindergarten through middle school and to adults. As a frequent walker on our beach, the I Must Be a Mermaid Community Project 2022 speaks to her concerns about keeping the beauty of our coastline and marine life free of plastics for all who enjoy our beach, including her new grandchild. Each year, 11 million pieces of plastic make their way into our oceans. Avila Beach and the I Must Be a Mermaid Community Project 2022 showcases and removes some of the plastic children’s toys left behind on our beach each week through the project. Starting the week before Memorial Day and ending the week of Labor Day, mermaid purses are filled with broken plastic children’s toys that have been discarded on the beach. Mermaid purses are a nickname for a swell shark egg sack, but as a mermaid’s purse, they start the conversation about how what we leave behind affects the ocean and our beaches through conversation
and community actions. Each week at Avila Beach Farmers Market (Fridays from 4 to 8 p.m.), the community is invited to make a mermaid purse by embellishing a small jute bag, walk along the beach, fill the purse, and hang it on the grid at the corner of San Francisco and the promenade (no fee). Participants have the choice of displaying the mermaid purse or taking their mermaid purse to talk to others in their community. With parental approval, a photograph of the maker and mermaid purse can be posted on Instagram, using #I.must. be.a.mermaid_avilabeach. I Must Be a Mermaid Community Project emphasizes “material ecology” and how what we use at the beach affects our oceans. A “zine” exchange about mermaids, oceans, plastics, and Avila Beach in comic book style is also planned. The first exchange will be July 1 (August 5, September 2) during Avila Beach Farmers Market. Anyone of any age, with any drawing ability, may participate in the exchange, and it is free. You draw, color, and/
or design an 8-page comic book, make 10 copies of it, and bring it with you. There is a template available, or you can make your own. At the exchange, you will meet with others who draw, design, and want to tell a story about mermaids, oceans, plastic, and Avila Beach and trade these original “zines.” The last element of I Must Be a Mermaid Community Project is the creation of a sculpture from the children’s toys collected through this project. The design and size of the sculpture will depend on the volume of material collected as well as the color and type of toys available to be used. It will, however, reflect
FURRY SPOTLIGHT
Jake is the Pet of the Month!
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By MARY FOPPIANO
ake joined Larry and Cindy Jett, his forever family, about four months ago. They had the good fortune and blessing of finding Jake at the Monterey Bay Lab Rescue, who were tremendously helpful in helping them find their dog. He is a smart, delightful, playful, protective, all-boy adolescent and a perfect match for their family! Jake is a lab of many gifts, but retrieving is not one of them. If they throw a ball and ask Jake to “Get It!” he will gaze at them with his soulful eyes as if to say, “What’s in it for me?” Little fetching results, but his personality is a great substitute. He loves to travel and has accompanied them to the Grand Canyon, Sedona, and Zion National Park. More adventures are ahead for their great companion as he has beautifully assimilated into their family. They are heartily grateful for this robust, zestfully sweet chocolate lab named Jake!
NEXT MONTH’S PET OF THE MONTH
Please send your pictures and a short paragraph about your pet to avilabeachcc@gmail.com Thanks, and introduce us to your furry friend next month!
how Avila Beach is in the forefront of stewardship of our oceans. I Must Be a Mermaid Community Project will be an initial point along our California beaches for the recognition and appreciation of our environment. The project opens conversations for future programs benefiting both wildlife and our coastline. I Must Be a Mermaid Community Project is a program to promote public awareness of our beach and the ocean through a community Participation art installation. This project is made possible with a grant from the Avila Beach Community Foundation with, a generous donation the Rossi Foundation and Mike and Shirley Ritter. Contact Patricia Martin for more information at: patwovenm@ gmail.com, (805)441-8257, or #i.must. be.a.mermaid_avilabeach.