“September is like a gentle hug from nature, wrapping us in a golden pause between summer’s laughter and winter’s whisper. It’s a month where each sunset promises a cozy tomorrow.”
Beach...there is something uniquely invigorating about this time of year that fills the air with anticipation and a sense of renewal. As the heat of summer gradually ebbs away, September serves as an enchanting interlude—a seasonal symphony of sorts—before winter takes center stage. It’s as if nature understands that we need time to adapt, offering a gentle, golden period where both warmth and chill coexist in harmonious balance.
September in Avila
and surfers in the water.
September invites us to prepare for what lies ahead. Whether it’s pulling out our cherished collection of scarves, or stocking up on logs for the fireplace, there’s a communal feeling of nesting. Farmers Markets bustle with people looking for butternut squash and apples, staple ingredients for hearty meals that celebrate the season’s harvest.
You will still see paddle boarders and kayakers taking advantage of the lingering summer warmth, but you will also notice hints of auburn and orange tinting the leaves of the trees that line the streets and waterfront. The sunsets, always spectacular, seem to be showing off just a bit more as if competing with the emerging autumn foliage.
This is the time when our community begins to swap shorts and tanks to cozy sweaters. Our local cafes roll out autumn-inspired menus, tempting us with pumpkin-spiced lattes and warm apple ciders. These seasonal treats become a daily ritual, sipped slowly while enjoying the view of boats
Yes, Avila Beach in September is a tender blend of nostalgia and expectation. It gives us room to breathe, to adapt, to appreciate the beauty of transformation—in nature and in ourselves. So, here’s to enjoying this transitional month to the fullest: Let’s wrap ourselves in warm layers, savor aromatic lattes, and engage in cozy evenings with loved ones. Autumn, we’re ready for you. We hope you enjoy this issue of Avila Beach Life.
Greetings, fellow Avilones. I know, I know. Last month I told you that I would likely NOT be able to submit a column in time for the September issue of the Avila Beach Life newspaper because of my pending vacation. But, lo and behold, I managed to carve out some time before heading to Alaska. Of course, doing so several weeks in advance of the publication due date meant that the news would be rather dated when it comes to Avila happenings. So, I decided to set aside the local news update with an announcement a little closer to home. Are you curious? Do I have your attention? Then read on.
Earlier this summer, I informed the Foundation Board of Trustees of my plan to retire
as executive director at the end of 2023. This will conclude 15 years of service in my role, and I have enjoyed every bit of it! However, having turned 72 years of age this summer, I decided it was time to pass the baton to someone new who could bring into the equation the type of fresh ideas and enthusiasm that I did in 2009. I can look back and feel gratitude and pride in what the Foundation has accomplished during my turn at the helm. Over these past 15 years, I have been fortunate to work with so many wonderful board members and a few talented staff associates. All have contributed to, and been extremely supportive of, my efforts, ideas, and leadership. This afforded me a lot of freedom to be creative in our agency’s quest to enhance life in Avila Beach.
Looking back on my life, the past 15 years mark the final chapter of what has been a nearly 50-year career in the nonprofit sector. My gosh, where did the time go? It all began the summer of 1973 when I was asked to be a substitute tennis instructor at the Mid Valley YMCA in Van Nuys, California. That stint led to further assignments with the “Y,” then to a career track as a YMCA professional. In 1982, I took my experience to the YMCA in Newport Beach and further honed
my management skills by heading several departments involving youth and families. In 1985, I bid farewell to the YMCA after being hired by the American Red Cross of the San Fernando Valley, where I learned some new valuable skills in communications and fundraising.
Fast forward to 1989, when my wife and I decided to leave the madness of Southern California and set up stakes in Los Osos after having visited the Central Coast the previous year in search of a better quality of life. After a brief stint working part-time for the Cuesta College Foundation, I was hired in 1991 by HOTLINE of San Luis Obispo County in my first job as an executive director. While I certainly had experience heading departments and supervising staff and volunteers, I had not before been responsible for an entire organization. That first year was a challenge, but everything came together nicely and resulted in a seven-year term with HOTLINE that ended in 1998 after I was hired to be the first executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of SLO County. What a terrific experience that was! Wonderful staff, dedicated board of directors and volunteers, and no shortage of donors.
Sparing you the boring details, I left BBBS after three years to help with two new start-
ups, then returned to BBBS for another three years as their ED when the agency once again called upon me to help right the ship. My journey took yet another turn when, just as was l retiring from BBBS at the end of 2008, the opportunity to become executive director of the Avila Beach Community Foundation surfaced. Gladly, I was hired at the beginning of 2009, and you know the rest of the story, which brings me to the big news of the day. The next four months will be spent working side-by-side with the person chosen to be my successor as he transitions into the role. I am delighted to introduce you to Rick Rowe who, as of Jan. 1, 2024 will be the Foundation’s new executive director. Rick, you may recall, was on the Foundation Board of Directors from 2013-2017 — the last of those two years as board president. He also served on the boards of the Avila Beach Community Services District, Avila Valley Advisory Council, and Avila Beach Civic Association. Rick recently retired from teaching school, which followed his first career in the technology industry. He possesses terrific workplace and people skills that should serve him well in this new capacity, and I know you will offer Rick a warm welcome. That’s it for now, fellow Avilones. See you at the beach!
Up until a few weeks ago (I’m writing this on 08.23.23), for many a moon, the stock market had been gliding as smoothly as the proverbial “baby’s behind,” with nary a 1% move up or down since 06.02.2023. A measure of volatility, the “VIX,” declined hugely during this time*^, signaling that investors were complacent, believing the worst was behind, and, to quote a good, now passed, friend of mine, “it’s only blue skies” ahead. That changed on Aug 2nd when the market tumbled about 1.5%.
The rhetoric amongst the soothsayers is we are going to have a “soft” landing and Jay Powell, chief prognosticator of the Federal Reserve, stated at his last update they don’t expect a recession now.* That’s reassuring knowing how often the Federal Reserve and the stock market media are correct in their predictions. The last 3 “real” recessions and significant stock market declines in 1990, late 2000, and 2008 all featured articles from the Wall Street Journal within weeks or a few months of the recessions/declines proclaiming, “...enough strength to avoid recession,” “...soft landing of slower growth and stable prices,” and “...suggested a rebound from recent stagnation.”^
So far, in my opinion, stocks have been kept afloat due to “stealth” stimulus from the federal government, including the 16% increase in social security checks the past 2 years^^, and the fact corporations refinanced at historically low rates 2 and 3 years ago and haven’t been affected much by the much higher lending rates...yet^*^. The question is, what happens when these things change?
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 and/or call for a 15 minute no obligation, no fee discussion.
*^ Source: Yahoo Finance; *https://www.businessinsider.com/will-there-be-a-recession-federal-reserve-no-longer-predicts-2023-7?op=1
^Source: Kantro Research; **B of A Global Research; ^^www.zerohedge.com (stealth stimulus); ^*^ Goldman Sachs
*^Buffered accounts may provide up to 20% protection from index declines while also allowing for 100% participation in the index chosen. Please refer to a product prospectus for specific information on costs, crediting methods, current rates, limitations, and buffer protections.
Please join me and a special guest on Sept 13th, 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.
Investing
Here is a picture of two of our 4th of July Doggie Parade entrants, 8-month-old Sheltie siblings Mia and Brodie. These puppies were purchased from a southern California breeder who did not know that San Luis Obispo, home of Mia’s owner Cori Kochler, is next to Avila Beach, where Brodie’s owner Nancy Moore now lives! Imagine the surprise all around when the puppies coincidentally showed up for their first class at One Thousand Hills Pet Resort and recognized each other. Many playdates later, both puppies and owners are so grateful for this bit of serendipity!
Idon’t know if you see “Nextdoor — what’s on your mind, neighbor?” notices, but I am happy to say that someone recently asked people to mention kindness events in their lives. Unfortunately, over the past few years, many of the postings were about problems or complaints, so this was really inspiring … and on that note, I would like to share my past few weeks.
At the end of July, my husband and I went to Ohio to visit my son Chris and his family. The day after we returned, we both came down with COVID even though we have been vaccinated/boosted. I just didn’t realize what a helpless feeling it was with both of us sick, but I feel very fortunate to have wonderful neighbors. One of my friends brought us chicken soup, fruit, and
medication; another picked up our mail each day; and another brought/picked up things that needed to be handled during the week, including taking our two furry little guys out. You don’t realize how empty your refrigerator can be after being on vacation and then getting sick upon return. I really want to thank my wonderful friends for taking such good care of all of us.
Another woman wrote about her neighbor who takes out and returns trash cans each week and fixed a broken gate. I know that there are many other helpful neighbors in our community, and look forward to hearing more from all of you about these acts of kindness.
One final mention of a kindness event will be on Friday, Sept. 22, at 10 a.m. Because the
residents at The Villages of San Luis Obispo were disappointed that they didn’t get to see our 4th of July Doggie Parade, we will be putting on a Doggie Parade for them with all of their puppies. If you would like to get involved and help out with this fun event, please let me know.
As I mentioned last month, I will update you on details in the coming months and hope that you will contact me if you would like to get involved with:
• Spaghetti Dinner/Bingo Night — Friday, Oct. 20, from 6 to 8 p.m.
• Annual Meeting/Potluck — Friday, Dec. 8, from 6 to 8 p.m.
• Santa’s Doggie Parade — Saturday, Dec. 9, registration/check-in from 10 to 11 a.m./ parade at 11 a.m.
Recently, Joann Vonnormann emailed me regarding Betty Woody, whom she doesn’t even know, and what a lovely legacy Betty is leaving for Avila Beach. Joann said that she was told that many years ago, Betty “adopted” the little plot of land at the south end of the beach and called it Labor of Love, Betty’s Garden.
Now that Betty is in her late 90s, community members, as well as visitors, have been pitching in to help maintain Betty’s wonderful garden project by weeding; watering; planting grasses, succulents, and flowers; and adding rock artwork, plant identification labels, feathers, and other whimsical art items.
PathPoint’s sweeping crew is keeping it litter-free and the seating wall sand free.
Not only does it enhance this lovely corner of Avila, but Betty has inspired others to volunteer and contribute to the community, one of the things that keeps Avila Beach as a unique, quintessential little beach town. People seem to be curious and think that maintaining Betty’s Garden is a nice legacy with which our community is involved and makes it so special. If you are downtown and have a little spare time, feel free to pull weeds, water the plants, or add your own personal touches to Betty’s Garden.
Another of Betty’s most visible accomplishments is the painted rocks around town. Besides beautifying our walkways, these rocks tell a story about Avila.
Betty has been picking up trash on the beach and around town, pulling weeds, gardening the flower beds, and sweeping the sidewalks for many years. By giving of her time and energy to family, friends, and community, Betty is a force of nature and never seems to stop and smell the roses that she planted because there is always something else that needs to be done … and fortunately, because of her passion and dedication, others are now helping to keep Avila beautiful!
Mary Foppiano Avila Beach Civic Association
For Avila Beach Life
(Left photo) A lizard is spotted near one of the painted rocks placed around town by Betty Woody. (Right photo) Local artists create ‘street’ art expressing the joy of owning a bike.
Avila Beach’s Betty Woody is leaving a legacy with Betty’s Garden at the south end of the beach.
Cameron, 6, and Charlotte, 5, Johnson enjoy their daily ice cream next to Betty’s Garden in Avila Beach. Contributed Photos
FURRY SPOTLIGHT
The fog comes on little cat feet. It sits looking over harbor and city on silent haunches and then moves on
May gray … June gloom … no sky July … Fogust. It’s an all-toocommon lament by those who live near our beaches. Although the “Avila bubble” tends to keep the summer fog away while other beaches are fogged in, Avilones enjoying the sun often see a wall of fog out in San Luis Bay.
In 1879, The Light House Board recommended an “automatic signal buoy” be established off Point San Luis “in view of the prevalence of fog in this locality, and the extreme danger to vessels navigating the bay.”
In January 1880, Congressman Romualdo Pacheco introduced a bill appropriating funds for constructing such a buoy, and in March 1880, the tender ship Manzanita dropped the buoy off about a mile out from Whaler’s Point. The San Luis Obispo Tribune reported:
The sound produced is similar to the commingling of the soft accents of a Jersey bull and the harmonious braying of a jackass … The buoy will be of great assistance to masters-of-vessels during the fogs which prevail through the summer and will lessen the dangers of an entrance to the harbor in thick weather.
It did not take long, though, for the buoy to stop working, which caused the steamer Santa Cruz to strike a rock in July 1880, as she was approaching Port Harford through the fog. While the steamship experienced no serious damage as the vessel was moving slowly, a government ship was sent to investigate.
According to the Trib, it was discovered that someone had tampered with the buoy. Although it could not be proven, rumor had it that men at the whaling station had put the buoy out of order because “the whistle frightened off the whales.”
In August 1880, the whistling buoy was damaged again, and this time a reward of $500 was offered for the “arrest and conviction of the person or persons guilty of” inflicting the damage. The reward was left unclaimed.
Despite periodic sabotage, the whistling buoy continued in use, causing one government official to complain to the Treasury Department in 1884 that “the only guide to vessels entering [San Luis] bay is the automatic buoy, laying about one mile south of the reef, and a small light, on the point of the mainland, erected and maintained by and
at the expense of the steamship company … Steamers have to lay off for hours, frequently, before they can enter safely in foggy weather.”
At some point, the Pacific Coast Steamship Company placed a small cannon alongside its private light for use when dense fog made it dangerous for the company’s vessels to approach the harbor and fired at intervals to give ships’ captains an idea of their whereabouts.
On Aug. 10, 1890, a 10-inch steam whistle sounding like a ship’s horn replaced both cannon and whistling buoy. Part of the Point San Luis light station, it sounded fivesecond blasts at intervals of 35 seconds during foggy weather. Coal was needed to produce the whistle’s steam. The tender ship delivered many tons to Point San Luis each year, the keepers hauling it up the hill from the station’s wharf to the coal shed beside the horn house in a horse-drawn cart.
In 1915, Point San Luis’s steam whistle was replaced by an air siren, powered by compressed air using a gasoline-powered air compressor. Its new blast pattern was a foursecond blast at intervals of 40 seconds. The equipment was a “hand-me-down” from the Point Reyes light station, which was upgraded to an air diaphone.
Twenty years later, in 1935, a diaphone replaced the air siren. Keeper John Robert “Bob” Moorefield told the Tribune the new foghorn could be heard seven-and-a-half miles against a strong wind. The horn sounded whenever visibility was less than five miles. A whistle from a passing boat also served as a signal to start the horn.
Moorefield’s stepdaughter Lucy described her feelings about the transition from air siren to diaphone in a letter she wrote to the late Madalene Farris in 1987:
All of us loved our old mellow foghorn and were bitterly upset when the new diaphone was set up. It was angled so that the Keeper’s quarters got the full blast. When that thing started at two am or so it would blast you out of bed and rattle the house so knickknacks would gradually move to the edge of a surface and fall off.
When Coast Guardsman George Homenko arrived at Point San Luis in April 1969, the horn Lucy wrote about had been decommissioned. A pair of new horns, now on display in the horn house, had been installed six months earlier.
Homenko recalled:
The horn dominated a lot of the work at the lighthouse. It was dominate, overpowering, and frustrating. When the fog was in, the light was, for the most part, totally ineffective for navigation. In the fog, all mariners had was the horn.
When I came to the light, the new horns had just been installed. The old diaphone was still on the roof of the horn house. Some of the people stationed at the light told me stories of just how loud the diaphone was. I was told they would go out in the morning
and pick up dead seagulls that had happened to fly in front of it when it went off. How it literally rattled the houses to the core. How it shook you to the core!
You had to learn a whole new speech pattern, because it was impossible to be heard if the horn was sounding. You spoke for 24 seconds, stopped speaking just before the horn sounded for two seconds, then got in one or two words and stopped again for two more seconds. Then the cycle repeated. I remember this was particularly frustrating if you were in a heated discussion with someone or if the horn had been on for several days.
Sleeping was another thing that could take weeks or months for a newcomer to master. When the fog came in at night, I can still remember the horn waking me up many times, muttering a curse, and pulling a pillow over my head and trying to return to sleep. These remembrances were with the new horns on display inside the horn house. I can only imagine what it must have been like with the diaphone.
I know that when we stopped using the diaphone the Coast Guard got many complaints. Fishermen complained that the new horns could not be heard as far out as the old two-tone diaphone. And let me tell you the new horns were plenty loud.
In the 1980s, The Coast Guard’s insistence on maintaining a fog signal at Point San Luis almost nixed the plan to restore the light station and open it to visitors. Dennis Johansen, who was on the Port San Luis Harbor Commission at the time, remembered: One day I got a call from a man at the EPA. He said he had been assigned the task of signing off on the transfer of the light station to the Harbor District and that his agency took that responsibility seriously since Federal law prohibited the government from transferring property that might present a hazard to the public in the future. He said, “let me read a list of potential hazards to you and you can tell me if any of them exists.” We were nearing the end of his list when he asked if there were any horns, whistles, or anything else that might hurt a potential visitor’s hearing. I told him the Coast Guard had installed a horn to alert ships during times of dense fog. I knew the horn had been in place for at least 50 years but had no idea of its intensity. In fact, the Coast Guard had surrounded the ocean side of the horn house with seven-foot-high chain-link fencing to keep people away from the area in front of the horn when it was sounding. On the fence was a menacing-looking sign that promised “immediate and irreversible hearing damage” to anyone being in that area when the horn was active.
The guy from the EPA said, “that will never do. Get hold of the Coast Guard and have them move the horn to a different location far away from people or get rid of it
completely.” I told him that I would try. He responded that the horn was a “deal killer.”
After a few days of thought, I called the Coast Guard Commandant in Monterey. He responded that “moving or silencing the horn was out of the question, and besides, it was an active aid to navigation and clearly beyond his pay grade to deal with.”
Approximately two years passed with absolutely no resolution to the horn noise and no progress in the transfer because of it. One afternoon, one of the Harbor employees called me to tell me a Coast Guard crew had visited the lighthouse the previous day and had completely removed the horn. No advance warning and no explanation other than the “horn was obsolete and the Coast Guard felt, in light of the fact that virtually every boater had GPS navigation on-board, that the cost of upkeep was unwarranted.”
In fact, that did not happen. The Coast Guard must have had second thoughts. Instead of removing it, they relocated it down by the water, away from visitors. But in 2014, the foghorn was removed at last due to continuous malfunctioning — turning on during clear days and not sounding at all when it was foggy.
Author’s note: “The Lighthouse at Point San Luis,” published by the United States Lighthouse Society, is now available on Amazon and at pointsanluislighthouse. org. All proceeds benefit the United States Lighthouse Society and the Point San Luis Light Station, two nonprofits dedicated to preserving lighthouse history.
Author’s note: “The Lighthouse at Point San Luis,” published by the United States Lighthouse Society, is now available on Amazon and at pointsanluislighthouse.org. All proceeds benefit the United States Lighthouse Society and the Point San Luis Light Station,
two nonprofits dedicated to preserving lighthouse history.
kathy mastako
Board Of Directors
Point San Luis Lighthouse Keeper
The foghorns in this circa 1968 photo are now on display in the horn house at Point San Luis. Only one set of foghorns sounded at a time. The other set was a backup. They ran on air and were powered by outside electricity or a generator. The R2D2-shaped horn was another backup. It could run on batteries. Photo by Bob Gray, courtesy of Wendy Hagan.
Sea otters are one of the smallest and cutest sea mammals that inhabit the ocean. Southern sea otters are native to the north Pacific Ocean and can be found along California’s Central Coast. In Avila Beach, otters can be best spotted in the vicinity of Port San Luis.
These furry charming creatures appear comfortable while floating on their backs on the surface of the water as if they have no care in the world, frequently diving down to find food close to the shoreline. Take note of the otter’s eating implement, usually a rock, tucked away in an armpit where they have a loose patch of skin to store both food and tools. Otters masterfully place a hard-shelled meal on their chest and pound it open using their handy instrument, which is unique — few mammal species use tools. A sea otter’s diet includes sea urchins, crabs, mussels, clams, and snails. All that fare is cracked open while floating. The average adult sea otter must eat 20-30 percent of its body mass in food each day to meet energy requirements. Consequently, conserving energy is critical. Uninterrupted rest is an important part of healthy well-being for otters. It is no wonder they are most often seen buoyantly drifting on the ocean water.
Otters lack blubber and must rely on dense fur and elevated metabolism to stay warm. Sea otters have anywhere between 500,000
to 1 million hair follicles per square inch of body surface. That thick coat keeps their body temperature warm and the chilly water away from their skin. An otter pup is exceptionally fluffy, allowing it to always stay afloat until it sports adult hair. The large, woolly faced otter has a steady job of grooming and conditioning its fur, thus keeping it in tiptop shape. The tightly matted hair that is closest to its body stays almost dry. This soft, thick pelt nearly caused their extinction from hunting that occurred during the fur trade of the 1700s and 1800s. Due to plummeting numbers of sea otters in 1911 hunting was smartly prohibited. However, that was not the end of menaces to the sea otter population. Risk posed by oil spills prompted the sea otters to be listed as a threatened species in 1973. Contamination of their fur by oil substances can destroy its insulating properties and can lead to death. Most Avila Beach and San Luis Obispo County residents are familiar with the Unocal spill of August 1992 that caused a large release of approximately 600 barrels of crude oil. That discharge eventually entered the Pacific Ocean, affecting marine life, including the sea otter. This major oil spill was the largest single threat to the long-term recovery of sea otters in Southern California.
From the Avila Beach oil spill, the Southern Sea Otter Restoration Plan was developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Department of Fish and Game Office of Spill Prevention and Response. Sea otters are dutifully protected under the
Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, and California State Law. Overall, these legislative acts have led to a slow increase in population. Currently, the sea otters’ biggest natural predator in California is the white shark.
Sea otters are highly beneficial for the entire ecosystem. They play a key role in holding the biosphere together. For example, sea otters eat sea urchins. Sea urchins eat kelp. Therefore, otters help control the sea urchin population. Kelp forests are a critical habitat for various animals. Because otters eat urchins there is more kelp; without otters there would be less kelp. Otters also play a role in keeping seagrass beds in balance. Seagrass is a nursery habitat for numerous species. It also provides shoreline protection and carbon storage.
Resting otters are typically in groups called rafts. Cleverly, sea otters wrap themselves in
seaweed to keep them in place and prevent drifting away. The seaweed serves as a helpful anchor. Sea otters have interesting talents, such as the ability to stay submerged for more than 5 minutes at a time. The sea otter can clumsily walk on land but is able to live solely in the ocean. An otter can also catch fish with its forepaws. An interesting fact is that sea otters are a member of the weasel family.
Sea otters are immensely popular with locals and tourists, easily attested by the abundance of plush stuffed otters for purchase found in about every beach town store. Otters are to be respected. To minimize sea otter disturbance, maintain a safe distance, never feed them, and keep pets away. Responsibly enjoy viewing these, at one time nearly extinct, cuddly looking marine mammals while visiting the California coast. They are a pure joy to watch.
Remember those scenes in the movie “Toy Story” when Sheriff Woody lets loose with one of his catchphrases like “There’s a snake in my boots” or “Reach for the sky!” Well, the one I like the most is, “You’re my favorite deputy.” That’s because, on September 9, everybody gets to be my favorite deputy. That’s right, Sheriff’s Family Day is back for another year.
The Sheriff’s Advisory Foundation has sponsored Sheriff’s Family Day at the Madonna Inn Meadows in San Luis Obispo every year since 1996. After being canceled in 2020 and 2021 because of COVID, the Sheriff’s Advisory Foundation brought it back last year. And the reception was wonderful. Big crowds showed up. I feel like people were ready to be outside, enjoy each other’s company, and just get back to our normal Central Coast way of life.
If you’ve never been to Sheriff’s Family Day, let me give you some background. It began in 1996 under then-Sheriff Ed Williams. It was a collaboration between Sheriff Williams
and members of the nonprofit public benefit organization Sheriff’s Advisory Council (now called the Sheriff’s Advisory Foundation). At that time, it was called Sheriff’s Family Day at the Ranch. And while the name has been shortened, there is still plenty for the whole family to enjoy. And best of all, it’s free. We like free.
There’s something for everyone at Sheriff’s Family Day. There are all kinds of displays and demonstrations like the Sheriff’s Posse, Search and Rescue, and the Sheriff’s SWAT vehicle. You can check out emergency response helicopters, along with demonstrations featuring the Jaws of Life, Bomb Task Force, and of course, everyone’s favorite, the Sheriff’s K9s. And we have a special emcee this year, newly retired Sheriff’s Sgt. Jeff Nichols.
In addition, there are free T-shirts, hot dogs, junior sheriff badge stickers, coloring books, and bike raffle tickets for all children up to age 12. And as I like to remind people, we will have two sheriffs there that day, yours truly, along with my famous movie pardner Sheriff Woody from “Toy Story.” And have I mentioned it’s all free?
This is a great opportunity to meet the men and women who are sworn to protect and serve. It allows the public to see we are your neighbors and friends, and we all want the same thing: a safe and secure community. It’s an opportunity to get a sneak peek behind the badge to see how we do what we do.
As always, this event is hosted by the Sheriff’s Advisory Foundation. Let me tell you about the good work this worthwhile organization does for the community. Quite simply, it is a local nonprofit that provides additional funding and support to the Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agencies in San Luis Obispo County. They do great work by providing additional funding for programs like our K9 Unit and buying much needed equipment for law enforcement.
You may be asking yourself, this sounds like a great event, when is it happening?
Well, mark your calendar. This year’s Sheriff’s Family Day is Saturday, September 9, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Madonna Inn Meadows in San Luis Obispo. Another question you may have, is there a cost to attend?
Nope. As I may have mentioned, the whole thing is free. Hope to see you there.
“A POLITICIAN NEEDS THE ABILITY TO FORETELL WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN TODAY, NEXT WEEK, NEXT MONTH, AND NEXT YEAR. AND TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO EXPLAIN AFTERWARD WHY IT DIDN’T HAPPEN” - WINSTON CHURCHILL
Well, another slam dunk green technology has hit the skids. Kevin Van Trump, in his “From My Perspective” blog, reports on vertical farming, which I wrote about in a previous article. This form of farming was going to change farming’s future with high-tech indoor farm practices. Instead, the massive amounts of expensive electricity needed and the high cost of delivered leafy vegetables have doomed the efforts. Profits and market share, even with over $4 billion in funding (much of it your money0, market share and profits aren’t there, resulting in several bankruptcies.
The big player, AppHarvest, who was the leader in the industry, recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and is loaded with debt. Its specialty was beefsteak tomatoes, which the company started selling to Kroger, Walmart, and others a couple of years ago. Elon Musk’s brother’s “Smart Farm” announced they are laying off workers and shutting down most of its locations. They are closing shop in Ohio, Kentucky, and Wisconsin, and earlier this year
closed their original vertical farm in Brooklyn. I could probably come up with a joke about farming in Brooklyn, but it wouldn’t be kind.
The big problem, as predicted by fellow farmers, was the cost of building and operating these large indoor farms and expecting a profit as compared to traditional farming practices, which can use massive scales of land and inexpensive good old sun to heat and grow plants. One of these vertical farms, let us say a small one at 10,000 square feet (a little under a quarter of an acre) could cost over 100 million in just building costs. Then, the constant energy costs comprise between 50 percent and 70 percent of the cost of the veggies. Sure, some solar panels could help, but you would need nine acres of solar to supply electricity to a one-acre vertical farm. Say you have a really big one the size of a skyscraper in New York City — you would need a solar farm as large as the rest of Manhattan flattened out according to the USDA.
Vertical farms need to turn out crops like leafy greens and herbs with short growing seasons from seeds to harvest. A Cornell study shows that in indoor projects in New York or Chicago, lettuce was twice as expensive as the lettuce in our county and Santa Maria grown outdoors, including the 3,000 miles of transportation across the country. As for being climate-friendly, these vertical farms are not when matched up with traditional farming. Even with indoor recirculating hydroponic water used for growing the crop at 10 percent of what would be used outside, the amount of fossil fuels used for one pound of lettuce produces 8 pounds of CO2. Compare that to the CO2 at only a half-pound of lettuce traditionally grown 1,000 miles away, again with transportation included.
Vertical farmers play up that they can produce up to 390 times as many vegetables as outdoor farmers per acre. But lettuce and other
leafy greens are only grown on 0.2 percent of the global land, so not so much offsetting on land use — don’t forget the 9 to 1 acres needed for solar. Fruit and vegetables as a whole take up only 3 percent of ag land with two-thirds used to graze livestock, with the remaining land for major crops like corn, soybeans, rice, oilseed crops, and grain. Vertical farms would never be able to feed a global population, but some places like the Middle East might work because their extreme heat is too hot for traditional farming, plus their consumers already pay top dollar for greens imported from farming countries.
Other green technologies are also having problems with profitability and survival. The tout-up of Proterra, the electric bus manufacturer, by the president, that they would “end up owning the future” has met the fate of its predecessor’s Solyndra debacle, a “sure winner in the solar energy industry,” with bankruptcy even after getting much of the $6.5 billion in grants for electric buses. There is also A123
SEPTEMBER 1
CONCERTS IN THE PLAZA
MISSION PLAZA, DOWNTOWN SLO
5-8pm
Enjoy the music from bluegrass/jam band, The Mother Corn Shuckers with Dulcie Taylor.
SEPTEMBER 1
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
SEPTEMBER 2
4-8pm
San Luis Obispo Symphony’s Popsby-the-Sea returns on Sep 2 at Avila Beach Golf Resort. Gates open 2:45 p.m. with music at 4 p.m. A mix of patriotic classics, local singer and song writer Damon Castillo will also perform. Familyfriendly event, free parking.
SEPTEMBER 3
SUMMER CONCERT SERIES
HERITAGE SQUARE PARK, ARROYO GRANDE
1-3pm
Enjoy the music of Ras Danny - this free outdoor event offers a lively atmosphere, delicious food, beer, wine, and toetapping music. Don’t forget to bring your chairs, blanket, and sunscreen for outdoor listening.
SEPTEMBER 9, 23
LIGHTHOUSE CONCERT SERIES
POINT SAN LUIS LIGHTHOUSE
LIGHTHOUSE ROAD SAN LUIS OBISPO
2-5:30pm
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. September 9 is B & the Hive and September 23 is Mother Corn Shuckers.
SEPTEMBER 10
SUMMER CONCERT SERIES
HERITAGE SQUARE PARK, ARROYO GRANDE
1-3pm
Enjoy the music of The Vintage Renegades - this free outdoor event offers a lively atmosphere, delicious food, beer, wine, and toe-tapping music. Don’t forget to bring your chairs, blanket, and sunscreen for outdoor listening.
Systems, a battery manufacturer, that was doled out millions as a supplier to electric bus manufacturers, and has also failed. Several East Coast and European offshore wind farms have canceled going into production because of soaring development costs and questions of profitability, and the worry of high economic impact on ratepayers and coastal tourism. Hopefully, the same fate will befall the massive wind farm undertaking just off our shore.
These failures mean that government subsidies alone do not guarantee business success, plus can lead investors down a rabbit hole, nor should the losses of these pie-inthe-sky schemes be borne by the taxpayers. The so-called “Inflation Reduction Act” is misnamed, on purpose, because it is really a green energy bill that is a government-driven investment in which many of these failed technologies, in the light of day with thorough research and common sense cost analysis and forecasting, would have never been built.
SEPTEMBER 17
SUMMER CONCERT SERIES
HERITAGE SQUARE PARK, ARROYO GRANDE
1-3pm
Enjoy the music of Dirty Cello - this free outdoor event offers a lively atmosphere, delicious food, beer, wine, and toetapping music. Don’t forget to bring your chairs, blanket, and sunscreen for outdoor listening.
SEPTEMBER 23-24
ALTA MUSIC FESTIVAL
AVILA BEACH GOLF RESORT
1-5pm
Join us for two days of incredible music, delicious food, and of course good vibes as we rage to this incredible lineup in beautiful Avila Beach.
SEPTEMBER 23
SLO COUNTY CREEKS TO COAST CLEANUP
VARIOUS LOCATIONS
9am-12pm
Join ECOSLO and partners all across SLO County in taking care of our beaches, creeks, waterways, and parks. Register to view the cleanups sites available and then be confirmed for that location. For more information, visit ecoslo.org/ creeks-to-coast.
ATASCADERO
WEDNESDAYS 3-5PM
BAYWOOD / LOS OSOS
MONDAYS 2-4:30 PM
PASO ROBLES
TUESDAYS 9:30-12:00AM
TEMPLETON
SATURDAYS 9-12:30PM
John Salisbury contributor
