Avila Beach Life • October 2023

Welcoming October’s Gentle Charm

Contributors

October’s Gentle Charm

October meets us with its gentle charm, ushering in the harmony of pumpkins, warm sweaters, and the festivities of trick or treating. It is a month where the scenic beauty of Avila is at its best, painting the landscapes in hues of gold and amber. During this time, locals relish the weather by flocking to the beach and participating in our events and farmers’ markets.

This October, we are thrilled for the return of the 3rd annual Avila Beach Children’s Fair! It is a day brimming with knowledge and enjoyment, providing an opportunity for children to immerse themselves in the world of entrepreneurship. The event will be hosted at the Avila Beach Community Center once again on Saturday, Oct. 14, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The fair has enjoyed immense success in its previous iterations, making it a highly awaited occasion in our community. It serves as a stage where children can conceptualize a brand, develop a product or service, orchestrate a marketing strategy, and interact with customers, all within a one-day marketplace scenario. With over 75+ booths, this year’s fair promises to be a melting pot of ingenuity and young vitality.

The gracious hosts, the McKiernan family, along with

the support from the Avila Beach Community Center— who graciously provide the venue—have a steadfast belief in nurturing the essence of principled entrepreneurship. They see entrepreneurs as the guiding lights and inspirations for the younger generation, encouraging them to embrace innovation, hard work, and ethical business conduct. This is an event that is not just promising but is anticipated to be splendid, a true must-attend. As we go into the cooler months, let us weave memories that resonate with spooky joy, familial bonds, and the serenity of the outdoors. Whether basking in the autumn sun or indulging in the rich array of activities, we hope your October is filled with enchantment and warmth.

“Empowering the next generation to weave their dreams into reality, igniting the sparks of innovation and ethical entrepreneurship in young, vibrant minds.”

—

Rick Cohen avila beach foundation

Greetings, fellow Avilones. Okay, I’ll go ahead and admit it. Now that summer is behind us, with the kids back in school and the number of visitors to our beach community subsiding, I am so delighted. It was such a pleasure to take my sister and niece to Front Street on that first Friday evening after the season end to Farmer’s Market. It was after dark and the setting was so quiet and serene. The waves were crashing, the seagulls were squawking, and there was hardly anyone around. I know it sounds selfish, but I kind of wish it was like this all year round.

You may recall that last month, I announced my looming retirement from the Avila Beach

Foundation News and Views

Community Foundation, which becomes effective at the end of this year. Quite a few of you readers emailed me offering kind words and well wishes. Some mentioned how much they would miss my monthly newsletter columns. Others I have run into at the Avila Bay Club or Avila Golf Resort also extended their congratulations. I am deeply touched by the sentiment and most appreciative. With only three newsletter columns left, counting this one, it will surely feel odd to not sit down at my computer each month trying to write something worthy of your time to read. One hundred seventy-seven times over a period of 15 years I have opened my column with “Greetings, fellow Avilones” and signed off with “See you at the beach.” Lots of fond memories. I have great confidence in my successor, Rick Rowe, who will take the helm beginning January 1, 2024 after spending the next three months acclimating him to the job.

Moving right along, I want to encourage you to attend the upcoming Avila Beach Children’s Business Fair, scheduled for October 14 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Avila Community Center. This the third year for this event, which was established and coordinated by Kristen

McKiernan as a way for students to become young entrepreneurs and earn some money. Each year the number of youth vendors has increased, as has the volume and quality of the goods they have created and sold. If you are interested in doing some early holiday shopping, you will surely find some interesting items for sale. The “Foundation” is pleased to be one of the event sponsors for the third consecutive year.

On a personal note, I want to offer a “shoutout” to SLO County Public Works Project Manager John Waddell. Earlier this summer, I noticed that there was an uneven and growing gap in the road connecting San Luis Bay Drive to the bridge that spans San Luis Creek near the Avila Beach Drive intersection. Driving over that spot was becoming a jarring experience needing some attention. So, I reached out to John who said he would add that to the long list of SLO County roads needing repair work following the rain and flooding that occurred earlier in the year. Likewise, I mentioned the many dangerous potholes present on Avila Beach Drive between Sycamore Mineral Springs and the freeway. I was pleased to see that County Public Works has indeed

repaired the bridge connection and done some patching of the potholes. Thanks, John, for being so responsive.

For those of you who have, over the years, inquired about the rusted and cordoned off stairway at the south/west end of Avila Beach, there MAY be some good news. At the September 11 Avila Valley Advisory Council meeting, Port San Luis Harbor District Manager Suzy Watkins reported that an engineering study will be conducted as a first step toward replacing the old stairway. Suzy did caution, however, that there are presently no funds available to build the new stairway, but the engineering study is a beginning. It sure would be nice to see direct access to that end of the beach return — a sentiment shared by many.

The September 15 deadline to submit grant applications to be considered for funding in 2024 has passed. The “Foundation” is now proceeding with the process to select grantees, which will be finalized when our Trustees meet in November. I look forward to letting you know about the issuing of grants in the December news column. That’s it for now, fellow Avilones. See you at the beach!

Trudenomics

As I wrote in my last note, the stock market tenor has changed over the past 3 months, with lots of up and down action as investors are wondering if the huge interest rate increases by the Fed are ever going to make a difference or whether the “artificial intelligence” boom will save the day.

I call our current economy “Trudenomics,” the philosophy of which is to spend as much as you can, as fast as you can, for as long as you can. It represents, by the two presidents (Trump and Biden), the largest fiscal (government) spending spree in the history of the world. In 2019, total federal spending was about $4.5 trillion. The last 3 years it has averaged about $6.5 trillion with cumulative deficits of a “lotta” trillions.* A few short years ago, the yearly interest paid on the national debt was in the $400 billion range. Now it is in the $1 trillion range** and rising and surpasses defense as the largest non-entitlement expenditure. It really is crazy that we used to fight about $300 or $400 billion dollar deficits and now hardly anyone in the two major political parties is willing to tackle the current madness of $1.5+ trillion deficits. Imagine you took out the ol’ credit card and used it to buy TVs for every room in your house, world vacations for the whole family, 2 cars, and a partridge in a pear tree. Your family would love you. Your neighbors would be envious. Jobs would be plentiful. Your GDP would skyrocket. However, your interest payments would as well, causing you to have a re-bound shock on the other end. I believe it was Herb Stein who said, “if something can’t go on forever, it won’t.” My five favorite economic words are “there is no free lunch.” It is my belief, the excesses of the past 3 years will be paid by reductions in the years ahead. Anything less would, in my opinion, require us to believe in fairies.

While it’s challenging to predict the stock markets, did you know one can link gains on a 1 to 1 basis to the major stock price indexes while reducing one’s risks substantially.*^ To learn more, please visit our website, come to our Roundtable dinner, and/or call for a 15 minute no obligation, no fee discussion.

Please join me and a special guest on Oct 25th, 4:30-6:15pm at Ventana Grill for an excellent dinner and beverage on us while we discuss current stock/ bond/real estate markets and avoiding taxes. Questions and comments welcome. Some possible topics:

• The new paradigm of high interest rates

• Simple rules and ideas to reduce stock market risk

• Critical questions to ask one’s advisor

• Ideas to reduce taxes and avoid taxation when selling rentals

• How I invest my and my clients’ money now.

Reservations are Required. Will be a conversation, not a seminar. Private event exclusive to 8 guests.

By MARY FOPPIANO For Avila

Life

A View From the Beach

Have you ever looked forward to something and then be disappointed? With all of the hype, I couldn’t wait to see the new “Barbie” movie. It was fun and very pink, but definitely not what I had expected. However, probably the real reason I wanted to see it is that I have my own Barbie Doll — one that is named for me. When I left working in Los Angeles to move to the Central Coast, my friends gave me a great going away party. One of the presents that I received still means so much to me because it was specially made for me. I am attaching a picture so that you can see why I love it. The “Venice Barbie — Mary Richert (my name before I married Jimmy Foppiano) Collection” actually has the same hairstyle and dress that I had at the time. When I look at my Barbie, I remember all of my friends and how Venice was a unique experience, just like my Barbie!

• The Avila Beach Civic Association is hosting our annual Fall Spaghetti Dinner/ Bingo Night on Friday, October 20, from 6 to 8 p.m. The dinner will consist of delicious spaghetti and meatballs with meat sauce or marinara sauce, salad, bread, and dessert. Popcorn is served during bingo and beer and wine are available for sale.

Tickets are $10/person and $5 for kids 6 and under. If you are interested in getting involved with this event or any other upcoming events, please contact me at avilabeachcc@gmail.com or (805) 627-1997.

Our other events coming up this year are:

• Annual Membership Campaign | beginning October 1

• Annual Meeting/Potluck | Friday, December 8, from 6 to 8 p.m.

• Santa’s Doggie Parade | Saturday, December 9, registration/check-in 10 to 11 a.m./ parade at 11 a.m.

With the increase in COVID, I want to remind you that the San Luis Obispo Public Health Department gave us 100 COVID-19 test kits for distribution to members of our community. If you are interested in picking up any of these test kits, please let me know so you can pick them up in our office. Finally, as a continuation of my last column on kind acts, I would like to thank Linda Almaguer for cleaning up around the Avila Beach sign that welcomes people at the corner of San Miguel Street/Avila Beach Drive. This is a big job and others could really help. Thanks, and stay safe.

Community Spotlight

Tom Sparks was born in Lindsay and grew up in Porterville. Tom met his wife Marilyn in the sixth grade at a Girl Scouts’ dance and they started dating in junior high school. When they were 17 years old and seniors in high school, they married on December 30, 70 years ago. I asked Tom how they have been able to remain together for so many years and he said that they have always been very compatible, cooperative, respectful, and understanding that somethings are not always 50/50. They love to hike, ride their bikes, and doing things together.

Tom received Bachelor’s degrees in Nuclear Physics and Business Administration from the University of California at Berkeley. Marilyn also graduated from the University of California at Berkeley and was a physical education teacher who never complained about moving all over the country due to Tom’s jobs. They have three sons and four grandchildren who live around the state.

Following graduation, Tom was employed with General Electric where he held positions in engineering and operations management. He was responsible for construction and startup of General Electric’s nuclear fuel manufacturing plant at Wilmington, NC. In 1970, Tom joined Southern California

Edison Company in Los Angeles where he was District Manager and held management positions in fuel supply, customer service, finance, and system development departments. He was responsible for purchasing Edison’s oil, gas, coal, and nuclear fuel requirements. In 1984, Tom accepted a position with Unocal’s Geothermal Divi-

sion in Los Angeles where he was Manager of Government and Utility Affairs.

Tom and Marilyn retired and moved to Three Rivers on the Kaweah River. There, he was President of the Three Rivers Community Services District Board for 12 years and worked with the federal government to increase the height of the dam at the

Kaweah River terminus. He worked closely with the Tulare County Supervisors and Mayors to straighten out problems and to create a nonprofit Foundation in Three Rivers. Tom assisted in seeking voters’ approval of a ½ cent sales tax increase that generated $25 million annual funds for road and bike path improvements in Tulare County. These funds were used for things such as fixing the highways and potholes, building bike paths, and hosting town hall meetings. Tom was also a Representative A — Large for the Tulare County Association of Governments for ten years.

Tom was involved with the Unocal oil spill in Avila Beach in the Geothermal Division and retired from Unocal as a consultant in 2002. Tom and Marilyn purchased a town house in Pelican Point and a timeshare at the San Luis Bay Inn during their time in Avila Beach. They moved to Avila Beach because of the mild climate, small community feel, friendly people, beautiful surroundings, Bob Jones Trail and other walking trails, and access to the beach.

Tom has been a speaker on nuclear power plants at our Avila Valley Advisory Council meetings, works with the Pelican Point Homeowners Association, is the Secretary of the Avila Beach Civic Association, and they both volunteer to maintain the Bob Jones Trail. We are very fortunate to have Tom and Marilyn in our community who always want to give back.

FURRY SPOTLIGHT

Giselle and Chloe are the Pet of the Month!

By MARY FOPPIANO

Giselle is a Japanese Chin/ Pekinese cross and has been with her pet mom Glenna Edmondson, since her puppyhood in 2008. She will be 15 this month and is slowing down, but she still plays and especially enjoys going out on the green behind their house. Chloe, all Chihuahua as far as Glenna knows,

has had at least three owners. She came to her permanently about four years ago when her son could not care for her anymore. She is about 13 and loves her toys, especially her little squirrel, which she will carry in her mouth whenever she is nervous. Both girls are very sweet and enjoying their best lives in Avila Beach!

Mary Foppiano

Avila Beach Civic Association

Beach

Tom and Marilyn Sparks met in sixth grade in their hometown of Porterville and have been married for 70 years.

Photo courtesy of the Sparks

Unveil the Halloween Spirit

Enchanting Spooky Specter

Truffles and Frightful Halloween Cake Pops

By Hayley Mattson

Halloween is a time for creepy crafts, fanciful costumes, and, above all, deliciously spooky treats! This year, enchant your friends and family with devilishly delightful Spooky Specter Truffles and Frightful Halloween Cake Pops. The truffles, a concoction of white chocolate, heavy cream, butter, and crushed Oreo cookies, are adorned with edible candy eyes and optional plastic spider rings for a ghoulish touch. Rolling them in cocoa powder and sprinkles complete their ghostly appearance. Meanwhile, the Halloween Cake Pops are a healthy, almond flour-based treat with the hearty flavors of pumpkin and dark chocolate, brought to life with natural food coloring for that eerie Halloween look. These treats are not just delectable but also double as spooky décor, sure to spread the Halloween vibe around!

Spooky Specter Truffles: A Ghoulishly Decadent Treat

• 2 cups (12 oz) White Chocolate Chips

• 1 cup Heavy Cream

• 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter

• ½ cup Crushed Oreo Cookies (check for ones without dyes)

• ¼ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

• Edible Candy Eyes

• ½ cup Orange and Black Sprinkles (check for ones without dyes)

• Plastic Spider Rings (optional)

Instructions:

Prepare the Ganache:

Place white chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl.

Heat heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it starts to simmer.

Pour the hot cream over the white chocolate chips, allowing them to melt. Leave it for about 2 minutes, then stir until smooth.

Mix in the butter until fully incorporated and the mixture is glossy.

Mix in the Cookies:

Crush the Oreo cookies into fine crumbs using a food processor or placing them in a ziplock bag and crushing them with a rolling pin.

Fold the crushed cookies into the chocolate mixture until well combined.

Chill:

Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or until the ganache is firm enough to shape.

Shape the Truffles:

Once the mixture is set, use a melon baller or a small ice cream scoop to portion out the truffles.

Roll each portion between your hands to form a smooth ball.

Decorate:

Roll each truffle in cocoa powder, colored sprinkles, or both, until well coated.

Place candy eyes on each truffle to give them a spooky specter look. Optionally, you can add a plastic spider ring on top for an extra creepy touch.

Chill Again:

Place the decorated truffles in the refrigerator for another 30 minutes to firm up before serving.

Serve & Enjoy:

Arrange your Spooky Specter Truffles on a serving platter. Enjoy the enchanting combination of creamy, crunchy, and chocolaty in every bite, sending shivers of delight down your spine!

Halloween Cake Pops

Ingredients

• 2 cups almond flour

• 1 cup pumpkin puree (unsweetened)

• 1/4 cup honey or pure maple syrup

• 2 large eggs

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (at least 70% cocoa)

• 24 lollipop sticks

• Optional: Natural food coloring (orange, green, and black)

• Instructions

Preheat Oven & Prepare Pan

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 9x9 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an over hang on two opposite sides (to lift out the cake later).

Mix Wet Ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, honey or maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla extract until well combined.

Combine Dry Ingredients

In a separate bowl, mix together almond flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.

Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients

Gradually add the dry ingre dients to the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined.

Bake

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, spreading it evenly. Bake for about 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center

comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack.

Form Cake Pops

Once cooled, lift the cake out of the pan using the parchment paper overhang. Crumble the cake into a large bowl. Roll the cake crumbs into small, tight balls (around 1 inch in diameter).

Melt Chocolate

Place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Melt them in the microwave in 20-second increments, stirring in between, until smooth.

If desired, divide melted chocolate into separate bowls and mix in natural food coloring to get different colors.

Assemble Cake Pops

Insert a lollipop stick

Dip each cake pop into the melted chocolate until fully coated. Place on parchment paper and let them harden.

Decorate

Using colored chocolate or healthy, natural colored writing gels, create spooky faces, or Halloween-related designs on the cake pops once the chocolate coating is set.

Serve & Enjoy!

Once the decoration is set, the Halloween Cake Pops are ready to be served.

Notes

For extra protein, consider adding a scoop of your favorite protein powder to the batter. If you do, you might need to adjust the amount of pumpkin puree to keep the batter from being too dry. Store any leftover cake pops in an

By MARY FOPPIANO

October Halloween spirits are in the air. It is time for spooky stories, jack-o’-lantern carving and preparing eerie costume attire. There is plenty of excitement as children, as well as adults, take part in jovial fall activities. A favorite family event is heading to the Avila Barn to search for the perfect pumpkin. Youngsters have fun running through the fields checking out all the different gourd sizes and shapes. Let the autumn festivities begin.

Do witches, goblins, or ghosts exist in Avila Beach? No, but we certainly have bats in our quaint beach town. There are two diverse types of residing bats. One being the creepy winged creature that comes out at dusk and stays active during the darkness of the night. These ghastly flying mammals are far from attractive. It is no wonder they are associated with Halloween. When a bat and a human come in proximity, a scream may quickly follow. Both the bat’s appearance and fear produce a frightening reaction. Horror stories featuring vampires contribute to our uneasiness. It is safe to say that people in general do not like bats. However, bats do have good qualities, such as helping control the insect population. They are insectivorous consequently, beneficial to local agriculture by eating up to 3,000 flying bugs in a night. Annoying mosquitoes are a favorite dining item. It certainly can be an outdoor nuisance when these pests are buzzing. Their unforgiving

Bat life in Avila

bites cause humans to itch and scratch. Those bites can drive you crazy! Having bats eliminate mosquitoes is a good thing. Surprisingly, bats play an important part in pollination. They pollinate plants, such as the agave. What an interesting combi nation, bats, and tequila! Bats are also key pollinators for bananas, avocadoes, and mangoes.

California’s Central Coast region has 19 species of bats. Interestingly, bats are the only flying mammals. Their anatomy is rather unique. A bat’s hair less leathery wings are an extension of a hand. Four fingers and a thumb are in the thin, yet efficient wings. An unusual char acteristic of a bat is hanging upside down. Dangling inverted allows a quick take off. They simply drop, open their wings and are instantly airborne. The suspended creatures are intelligent and inquisitive. Remarkably, bats emit high-frequency sound waves to navigate and hunt.

Contrary to belief, bats are not blind. They use sound to see the environment around them despite good vision. Bats send out ultrasonic waves from their mouths or noses, which bounce off their surroundings back to their ears. Scientists studying how bats use echolocation have helped develop navigational aids for the blind.

Let us move on to a marine wingless bat resident that makes its home in Avila. The bat sea star, which has five stubby

nating arm feature are eye spots located at the end of each appendage that feature the ability to detect light. On the underside of the sea bat is a mouth and tube feet, which allow the star to move around, cling to a surface, and capture prey. Those feet are distinctively equipped with sensors that can smell and locate food. Bat stars have not one, but two stomachs that can extend outside their mouth. Diges -

SHERIFF

tive enzymes are used to begin breaking down a meal and eventually place it back in the body to complete the process. Simply fascinating! Bat sea stars can be a rainbow of colors: orange, red, yellow, blue, pink, green, and others can have a pattern. The bat stars are usually found on sandy or rocky bottoms. Nourishment is based on the sea floor and sea stars are open to eating whatever is encountered. Bat sea stars thrive in kelp forests, which are plentiful along the

Although it is tempting to touch or pick up a starfish, people must refrain. That action can cause suffocation. Starfish absorb oxygen from water through channels in their outer body. Touching disrupts that process. Another reason not to touch a sea star is oil on human skin can cause harm. A bat star is a scavenger playing a vital role in the ecosystem by cleaning up dead animals and algae from the ocean bottom. Enjoy responsible viewing, look, do not touch. They are one of the important sea life animals located in our ocean. Take time to appreciate Avila’s incredible bat population. Happy Halloween!

A hard but necessary conversation

By IAN PARKINSON San Luis Obispo County Sheriff

Fair warning. What I’m going to talk to you about this month is not easy to discuss. I even hesitated if I should write about it. But I feel it’s best to raise awareness about this issue. And that is the issue of child sexual abuse.

Before we begin, I want to give you some facts. It is difficult to measure sexual violence because it so often goes unreported. But according to data from the National Crime Victimization Survey conducted by the Justice Department as well as studies from the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), we can get an idea of how prevalent this issue is becoming in the U.S. It’s estimated that one in nine girls and one in 20 boys under the age of 18 experience sexual abuse or assault. Besides

the actual physical harm done to the child, there is a heavy emotional toll as well. Stats show child sexual abuse victims are four times more likely to develop symptoms of drug abuse, four times more likely to experience PTSD as adults, and three times more likely to experience major depression as adults.

Here’s one more stat. Among the cases of child sexual abuse reported to law enforcement, 93 percent are acquaintances or family members of the victim.

That last stat brings me to a recent case we had at the Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff’s Office was able to locate a suspected child molester who had been on the run for the past two years. This case actually began in 2021 when we obtained an arrest warrant for David Paul Wilson on multiple charges of child molestation. Detectives with the Sheriff’s Special Victims Unit began their investigation when they received a report

of a sexual assault of a juvenile. During the course of the investigation, additional juvenile victims were identified and contacted. It’s believed the abuse happened during the span of several years. Wilson fled the area before the arrest warrant was issued and he was unable to be located. Referring to the 93 percent stat I mentioned earlier, it’s believed the suspect in this case is someone who repeatedly found relationships with single mothers in order to prey on their children. Wilson was facing multiple charges of sexual acts with a child under the age of 10, aggravated sexual assault of a minor, and lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14.

Fast-forward two years, Detectives got the break they were looking for and were alerted that Wilson was living in the Helena, Montana area. Various details about the subject were obtained which confirmed the subject was Wilson. Days later, Wilson

was taken into custody by the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office. Two weeks after that, he was brought back to San Luis Obispo County to answer to his charges.

This case highlights the great work the detectives in our Special Victim’s Unit (SVU) do day in and day out with a very demanding caseload. They are responsible for investigating crimes involving all forms of sexual assault against minors and adults within the unincorporated parts of the county. The unit also investigates child abuse, child pornography, and child exploitation. The Special Victims Unit handles an average of over 200 cases per year.

I know this hasn’t been an easy read, but hopefully, it brought attention to this topic. And I hope it will raise awareness about what’s being done to hold those accountable and help those affected. Because the survivors of child sexual abuse need all the hope we can give them.

For Avila Beach Life

The bat sea star, which has five stubby arms with thick webbing between each arm that gives a bat like appearance, makes it home in Avila. Contributed Photos

John Salisbury contributor

“WEEDS ARE A FLOWER TOO, ONCE YOU GET TO KNOW THEM.”

- A.A. MILNE (WINNIE-THE- POOH)

Did you know that you might have been on an airplane (one of 450,000 last year) partially powered by weeds? Yusuf Khan, in the Wall Street Journal, reports that weed seeds, high in oil, are being developed to be the source of sustainable aviation fuel. Most biofuels come from corn or soybeans. But the demand for food globally, corn and soybeans are needed to feed people and animal meal feed, but not so much for jets.

Several weed plants are being reviewed because they are not edible grains, so they don’t compete as a food source. Field pennycress from the mustard and cabbage family has no future as food and is considered a weed pest. However, it has a very high oil content that is 50 percent higher than soybeans. This weed has been going through 10 years of study and tight breeding and genesplicing, yes — one of those “terrible Frankenfood GMO products,” which I will debunk another time, as a source of oil for renewable diesel and aviation fuel.

GRAPEVINE From

weeds to wings: How ‘unlikely’ plants could power the future of aviation

“Are we going to be using soybean oil and our soybean meal for the fuel market vs. the food and meal feed markets?” The beauty of pennycress, now known as CoverCress, and others is that they fit into an offseason cover crop for farmers in their rotation cycles, and not competing for fertile farmland with other crops needed to feed the world. It is one of three non-food cover crops that the USDA is funding. The others are Camelina by Global Clean Energy and Nuseed Carianta.

The “Big Boys” — major oil companies are getting in the act. BP has bought Nuseed Carianta, and Bayer has a 65 percent stake in CoverCress with the rest owned by Chevron and agriculture trading house, Bunge. Exxon Mobil has a multiyear deal with Global Clean Energy to buy Camelina renewable diesel. Carinata is being tested by southern farmers in Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, plus Argentina — not big corn and soybean growing areas. It is crushed in Europe for biofuel. Farmers are naturally skeptical by design, and to get in their minds around planting weeds is alright when they spend a lifetime trying to keep weeds out of their fields, even though GMO designed and the seeds produced are sterile, can be a stretch. Moreover, new crop hypes like this pop up now and then, and many turn out to be busts. However, I think this sounds like a good one, especially because it is an offseason cover crop, great for the soil, will stabilize the ground during storms, plus provides

OCTOBER

See the variety of more that 400 artistic scarecrows throughout Cambria and up to San Simeon during the whole month of October.

OCTOBER 6

BIG DITCH MARKET

CAR CORAL, THE VILLAGE OF ARROYO

GRANDE

Held in the Car Coral (parking lot between Old Village Grill & Sports DugOut), explore 30-35 vendor booths, 2-3 food booths, and find handmade art, vintage treasures, and delicious food trucks. For more information, visit bigditchmarket.com

OCTOBER 14

Calendar of Events

These Saturday afternoon concerts are limited and will sell out, so make your purchase early to secure your spot.

Food, wine and beer available for sale.

The historic site will be open for touring.

Gift shop will be open. And you’ll see our docents in period attire on site for lighthouse storytelling. Chairs will be provided. October 14 is MiniNova.

OCTOBER 14

CAMBRIA HARVEST FESTIVAL

CAMBRIA HISTORICAL MUSEUM

2252 CENTER ST. 11am-4pm

The Harvest Festival includes exhibits of scarecrows in history, art and literature.

Local artists and vendors will also be on site.

Fine artists and crafters open their studios to showcase their art and their process. For information, visit slocountyarts.org/osat.

OCTOBER 21-22

77TH ANNUAL PISMO BEACH CLAM FESTIVAL PISMO BEACH Daily A community tradition since 1946, the 77th annual Pismo Beach Clam Festival, attracts generations of families and visitors from all around, who look forward to spending two days overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Pismo Beach.

OCTOBER 27-29

Sunday, October 29: 12-4pm

Children of all ages and adults are invited to enjoy unlimited bounce-nplay, carnival games for candy and toy prizes, food vendors, the haunted maze, a costume contest and a pumpkin decorating contest, and more! To enter the pumpkin decorating contest participants should bring decorated pumpkins from home.

OCTOBER 28

PUMPKINS IN THE PARK DINOSAURS CAVE PARK, PISMO BEACH 10-1pm Join the family-friendly Pumpkins in the Park celebration at Dinosaur Caves Park from 10am-1pm. Enjoy pumpkin decorating, games, crafts, bounce houses, a costume contest, and food.

ATASCADERO

WEDNESDAYS 3-5PM

BAYWOOD / LOS OSOS MONDAYS 2-4:30 PM PASO ROBLES

LIGHTHOUSE

HALLOWEEN CARNIVAL AND

Several weed plants are being reviewed because they are not edible grains, but they are being looked at as a potential fuel source. Contributed Photo