Summer is upon us, and we’re eagerly gearing up for graduations, summer getaways, and kids’ camps. It’s the season of outdoor adventures and vibrant community gatherings. June marks the beginning of a season filled with cherished moments spent with loved ones, culminating in the excitement of the 4th of July celebrations and the renowned California Mid-State Fair!
Our sweet Mirac is graduating from sixth grade, and we’ve had the pleasure of him attending Children’s House Montessori. It’s been such a wonderful experience for both him and Max. They are growing so fast; it seems like I was following them around only yesterday as they were learning to walk. My heart is so full of how special they both are. I’m not the perfect parent or the ideal room mom, but I am perfect for them, and I have learned to give myself a lot of grace and forgiveness. They are the best part of both Nic and me.
Speaking of parenting, this month, we celebrate our dads. I truly believe the role of a father is the most important. Nic is truly one of the most remarkable men I know and such a wonderful father to our boys. He sets the tone for our home and family, demonstrating to our boys what strength and love truly mean. I am grateful for all that he does for our family, our team, and our community. This Father’s Day, we send love and appreciation to all the dads out there!
As we approach the summer solstice, we’re gearing up for the peak of daylight on June 20 at 1:50 p.m. This celestial event gives us extra hours of sunshine, making it the perfect time to enjoy life and soak in the beauty of Morro Bay.
Morro Bay is more than just a picturesque destination; it’s a thriving community—a tapestry woven with shared experiences, local flavors, and cherished traditions. As residents, we’re privileged to call this place home,
but with that privilege comes responsibility—to nurture, protect, and sustain the unique fabric of our town. Our responsibility extends beyond our community to our visitors as well. As tourists flock to our shores, drawn by the allure of sandy beaches, let’s take the opportunity to educate them about the importance of caring for our environment and respecting our local customs. We encourage them to pick up after themselves and to embrace the ethos of “leave no trace.” Let’s invite them to become not just visitors but stewards of our community, leaving it better than they found it.
We are grateful for all your support for our team and our family. We wish you a wonderful and safe start to your summer, filled with laughter, family BBQs, enjoyable community outings, and plenty of dancing!
We hope you enjoy this month’s issue of Morro Bay Life
Hayley & Nic Mattson
making communities better
The Morro Bay Chamber of Commerce is putting a spotlight on local businesses! Spotlight Businesses are nominated and selected by fellow business owners in Morro Bay as a standout business with exceptional ownership.
If you know of a business or non-profit that deserves a spotlight, please send your nomination to our Ambassador’s Committee for review by emailing Lynsey Hansen at lynsey@morrochamber.org.
Business spotlights recognize Chamber member businesses that provide a consistent, positive customer experience, are actively engaged in the community and demonstrate resilience during challenging times.
Please help us CONGRATULATE these businesses on their spotlight award by visiting their establishments, purchasing their products or services, and leaving good reviews online.
Find your shopping ideas by following us on Facebook, Instagram or morrochamber.org
For more information contact Lynsey Hansen
Membership Director at lynsey@morrochamber.org
(Equinor) “proposes to conduct geophysical, geotechnical sampling, and benthic [seabed] habitat surveys in state waters off of San Luis Obispo County from the coast to the three-mile state water boundary.
OBy NEIL FARRELL for Morro Bay Lifene of three offshore wind energy companies pulled a permit waiver application from consideration by the Coastal Commission and will instead apply for a full permit and review.
Atlas Wind, which is the LLC for the wind farm proposal by parent company, Equinor, had sought a “de minimis waiver” from the normal Coastal Development Permit process under the California Coastal Act.
With the staff in favor of the waiver and the commission slated to hear the matte at its May meetings, but with local opponents planning to oppose it, the company pulled it from consideration at the last minute.
“We look forward to immediately submitting our application for a Coastal Development Permit [CDP] and providing the CCC a further opportunity to review our plans under the CDP process,” Atlas Wind Fisheries Liaison Officer Elizabeth Ann Marchetti said.
The waiver was for the company’s underwater testing needed to survey the seafloor along the 60-mile route the project’s transmission cables would take to bring the power ashore from the so-called “Morro Bay Call Area,” a nearly 400-square mile patch of open ocean located 20-30 miles off the Coast of San Simeon.
That’s where the Federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) last year sold three 80,000-acre lease sites to three different companies to try and establish some 3 gigawatts of capacity using floating wind turbines.
The water in the call area is from 3,200-feet to 4,500-feet deep, according to Atlas Wind.
Atlas Wind has been given the go-ahead to conduct underwater testing at the call area, in federal waters out past 3 miles, and the Coastal Commission’s waiver would have covered that same scientific work in State waters — from the beach to 3 miles out.
The pulling of the waiver apparently isn’t affecting the outside work, which was given a final clearance in mid-April.
“Survey activities outside of state waters will continue as planned and authorized, upon full authorization by the CCC, the survey campaign in state waters will begin,” Marchetti said in a notice to mariners.
The CCC staff was all set to grant the waiver. “Based on the project plans and information provided in your permit application for the development described below,” reads an April 26 letter from the commission included in the May 10 agenda report. “The Executive Director of the Coastal Commission hereby waives the requirement for a Coastal Development Permit.”
The Commission’s report said Atlas Wind
The proposed geophysical surveys would identify seafloor features [e.g., substrate and sediment type, archeological and cultural resources, rocky reef and consolidated hard bottom habitat] using high resolution, low energy imaging/sensing equipment including multibeam sonar, sidescan sonar, and a subbottom profiler. None of this geophysical survey equipment would contact the seabed.”
Though it would seem the companies should by now have a good idea of what their projects will look like — where they would locate floating substations, and routes the transmission cables would take to bring the power ashore, there’s a lot left to decide.
“The mapping data from the geophysical survey would be used to identify preliminary submarine export cable routing options, locations of hard bottom habitat [rocky reefs] and other sensitive resources, and locations for geotechnical and benthic samples.”
Benthic refers to the myriad of sea creatures that burrow into the mud at the bottom, and include crustaceans, fish and mollusks, among other critters.
“Geotechnical and benthic sampling,” the report said, “would confirm the data interpretation of the geophysical survey mapping, provide information about sediment variability and stratigraphy, and provide samples for geoarchaeological analyses.”
Plainly put, the tests will survey the sea floor by sending down sound waves and map the contours with essentially echoes. The idea is to find rocky areas and reefs which are the good fish habitat areas. Rocks and reefs would also be hard to trench through for transmission cables.
The company apparently plans to take samples from the sea floor. “Atlas Wind,” the report said, “anticipates conducting a total of 26 vibracore or piston core samples; 12 cone penetration tests; two sediment grab samples; and six sediment plan view and profile images during their geotechnical and benthic sampling surveys.”
The vibracore machine collects core samples, 6 meters deep and 4 inches in diameter.
According to the CCC report, the piston core machine “would collect 3.3-inch diameter, 20-meter vertical sediment cores; the cone penetration test would involve extension of a 6-meter long rod through the sediment without collecting any sediment; the sediment grab would collect the top 2 to 4 inches of sediment from a 1 square foot area.”
All told the seafloor testing would remove some 5.5 cubic yards of sediment “during the combined geotechnical and benthic sampling surveys.”
Only 1,865 square feet of the seabed would be impacted, which is negligible when the potential cable route is over 60 miles long and up to 4 miles wide.
The report seems to indicate that Atlas Wind isn’t yet sure about their project, saying, “The
purpose of these surveys is to gather data and information along potential submarine export electric cable corridors between Atlas Wind’s offshore wind lease area and potential cable landfall locations in Morro Bay and the vicinity of Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, beyond Point Buchon.”
The ultimate route will have to tap dance around some protected areas, including the Point Buchon State Marine Reserve, which covers the area from just north of Morro Rock down past Point Buchon, pointing offshore at Diablo Canyon.
According to the California State Parks website, “An MPA is a type of managed area primarily set aside to protect or conserve marine life and habitats in marine or estuarine waters. California’s MPA Network consists of 124 areas with varying levels of protection, and 14 special closures, all designed to help safeguard the state’s marine ecosystems.
“Fishing and collecting are banned at marine reserves such as Point Buchon State Marine Reserve, providing this MPA with the highest level of protection. One goal for California’s MPAs was to strategically place them near each other to form an interconnected network that would help to preserve the flow of life between marine ecosystems.”
No fishing is allowed and “All take of living marine resources is prohibited,” according to the website.
When it finally does get the CCC’s permit for its tests, Atlas Wind plans to do the work in an approximately 4-mile-wide swath starting north of Morro Rock and extending northward. The call area is about 60 miles from Morro Bay.
The company plans a 1-mile swath northward of the northern boundary of the Point Buchon State Marine Reserve, and a mile-wide swath “that bends around the southern boundary of the Point Buchon State Marine Reserve.”
Atlas Wind has no plans to conduct the surveys within the State Marine Reserve or Marine Conservation Area. Each portion of the tests would only take a maximum of 48 days to complete and were being planned to happen from June 2024 to July 2025, according to the CCC report. That schedule now appears shot.
The commission had already determined that such surveys in federal waters were consistent with the Coastal Act and since they planned to use the same testing equipment for the state waters, the CCC Director would have OK’d it too.
The various pieces of equipment being proposed for the surveys have been checked out before.
“All the geophysical equipment proposed for use in this project are classified as having de minimis impacts on marine animals in a recent U.S. Geological Survey review and classification of active marine acoustic sources and their impacts,” the Commission Director’s report said.
The report also claims that the sound levels used for these surveys don’t harm the sea life.
“Although they may generate elevated sound
levels [i.e., high decibel], the sound frequencies produced by the multibeam sonar and sidescan sonar [greater than 200 kHz] are beyond the hearing range of marine mammals, sea turtles, and fish and are therefore not expected to result in injury or behavioral changes in these organisms,” it said, going on to say the sub-bottom profiler “produces sound with frequencies [2-16 kHz in the hearing range of marine mammals, but outside the hearing range of sea turtles and the majority of fish species.”
The company plans to use “autonomous underwater vehicles” or AUVs with the surveys, sending them down nearly to the bottom to run their sound tests.
“AUV survey activities, can be conducted 40 meters or less above the seafloor, as compared to near the sea surface when operating shipboard or towed equipment,” the report said.
Sending the AUVs down cuts the water column considerably and should also help protect any sea creatures near the surface.
In any event, the plan is to keep a watch out for marine mammals — in particular whales — passing nearby.
“Extra precautions would be employed to prevent exposure of marine mammals to potentially disturbing audible frequencies and the equipment will be turned off immediately if any Endangered Species Act-listed whales come within 500 meters of the sound source. Additionally, shutdown would occur if a non-ESAlisted marine mammal species or a sea turtle is observed within 100 meters of the sound source,” the report said.
In any event, the State Lands Commission, which owns all underwater areas in the state, is OK with it.
“All the proposed geophysical survey equipment is low-energy and high resolution and is authorized under the California State Lands Commission’ Offshore Geophysical Survey Permit Program’ [OGPP],” the report said. “OGPP-approved survey equipment and methods have undergone extensive research and vetting for environmental impacts in coastal waters.”
The company will also have to monitor the waters around the big survey vessel (250-360 feet long), which is expected to be used for the majority of the testing. A smaller, nearshore boat (30 feet long) would conduct much of the surveying of state waters.
That big boat will be using the port of San Francisco to resupply and exchange crews, according to the Commission Director’s report. But the smaller one could come into the Morro Bay Harbor, and would use existing port facilities, like the T-piers.
The big vessel will also have to keep a watch out for fishermen.
“The survey vessel will take reasonable measures to avoid interfering with fishing,” the Commission Director’s report said. “If it is feasible to move to a different part of the survey area the vessel will do so as a preferred avoidance measure.”
Cayucos Station 11 was completed in November 2023, and took over a year to build
By NEIL FARRELL for Morro Bay LifeCal Fire dedicated its new seasonal fire station just in time to put it to good use, while the old station gets a facelift.
Toni Davis, fire prevention specialist and public information officer for Cal Fire, said Cayucos Station 11 was completed in November 2023, and took over a year to build.
The new station replaces an old seasonal station at 108 Chaney Ave., in Southern Cayucos. The new station has quick and easy access to Highway 1.
It sports a double-engine apparatus bay, workshops, offices, and sleeping quarters, all located in a spot with a million-dollar view of the Pacific.
According to the County Fire website: “Station 11 is one of the most unique fire stations in the State of California, with breathtaking panoramic views
of the Pacific Ocean. The on-duty crew is responsible for a unique and varying response area, including cliffs in Montaña de Oro State Park, ocean rescues from Morro Bay to Cambria, vehicle accidents, fires, and medical and hazardous materials incidents.
The Cayucos fire station is ideally located for emergencies along this popular stretch of Highway 1, ensuring both citizens an visitors safety enjoy the area. Cayucos fire station is staffed 24 hours a day with a minimum of one fire captain and two firefighters. During peak fire season staffing, Cayucos Station is a seasonally staffed fire station.”
Cal Fire contracted Klassen Corporation to build the $10 million station. According to the company’s website, Klassen “was selected to provide general construction services for the new Cal Fire Fire Station in Cayucos. The project consisted of a two-bay apparatus building, barracks, and mess hall, combination building, storage building, and trash enclosure.”
See klassencorp.com/projects/cayucos-fire-station for photos of the new station.
So while seasonal firefighters will mostly man the new station, for now, the Down-
town fire crew from Station 16 has moved in.
That’s because the county is doing a major remodel of the old station on Cayucos Drive that was established in the 1930s and was the single-station home of the old Cayucos Fire Department.
That stand-alone, “volunteer” fire department was disbanded several years ago in favor of entering into a contract with Cal Fire/County Fire after a property tax hike designed to increase funding for the department was rejected by voters.
Cal Fire is the state’s fire department. SLO County contracts with Cal Fire to man and operate dozens of fire stations in many of the unincorporated areas of the county (some towns like Cambria and Templeton, have their own fire departments paid for through property taxes, while others like Los Osos and Cayucos contract it out).
Normally, contracts for fire service are a good deal for a city or county, as a contract with a department as big as Cal Fire means any staffing problems that might have plagued the old department don’t happen with the vast manpower of Cal
Fire. Indeed, firefighters from any Cal Fire/County Fire station could find themselves temporarily at another station to cover things like vacations or manpower shortages. The equipment, such as fire engines or rescue squads, are likewise dealt with.
Cayucos Fire’s failure at the ballot box left little choice for the fire district’s governing board, and Cayucos was brought under the County Fire umbrella at no additional costs to residents. The existing tax measures for the fire department continue to be collected and put towards the contract, with the County covering any shortfalls using other considerable taxes paid by Cayucos’ property owners.
The fire department moved out of the old Downtown station on April 22.
“The move will allow SLO County Public Works to perform structural and cosmetic upgrades to the front of the apparatus bay,” Davis said. “Station 16 fire personnel will conduct business as usual.”
The changes will somewhat
alter the look of what is an historic building in town.
According to Davis, “The improvements are intended to remove the center column between the two apparatus doors and create one taller [from existing opening of 10 feet tall to 12 feet tall] and from two, 12-foot-wide doors to one, new, 24-foot, 6-inch wide door.”
The county has to remodel the apparatus bay to accommodate a new fire engine that was recently ordered, Davis said. She added that the remodeling work should be done by sometime in July. Meanwhile, the crew will work out of the new Station 11.
It’s the second remodel job the county has done on the old fire station, as it was first extensively remodeled with the change over to Cal Fire to put in sleeping quarters for the crew.
The remodel work is expected to take eight to nine weeks, Davis said. There’s another feature of the old station that will change — its iconic fire bell won’t be coming back.
“The bell will be reinstalled at its original location at the Cayucos Vets Hall,” Davis said.
The new opening will allow the station to receive the recently ordered New Engine 16. The current scope of work is expected to take eight to nine weeks to complete and should be done by mid-July 2024.
In other Cayucos fire news, the department teamed up with law enforcement agencies to do a series of active shooter drills.
Also, the Cayucos crews participated in “active shooter drills” with law enforcement agencies, using Cayucos Elementary School as the scene of the drills. Drills were held May 4, 11, and 12.
“This drill is in place to train on tactical EMS skills,” Davis said, “and interagency training with law enforcement. The topics will help continue education for potential active shooter incidents.”
Agencies that participated were Cal Fire, Morro Bay Fire Department, San Luis Ambulance Co., SLO County Sheriff, and California State Parks Rangers.
In 1996, Steve Mathieu and others initiated Morro Bay’s open meeting broadcast
By NEIL FARRELL for Morro Bay LifeThe City of Morro Bay was the pioneer for live broadcasting City Council meetings on cable TV, and now nearly 30 years later is seeking to upgrade its audio-visual equipment and capabilities.
On May 13, the city issued a “Request for Qualifications” or RFQ, the first step in finding a contractor for specialty services, such as the AV systems at the Vet’s Hall.
According to the RFQ, Public Works Director Greg Kwolek said they were looking for a company for “Audio/Visual System Design Evaluation Services,” in order “to develop and evaluate conceptual design alternatives for [the] city’s Veteran’s Hall audio/visual system and building upgrades.”
The Brown Act is the state’s open meetings law that makes sure the public’s business is done in public, with strict guidelines on public noticing and access to the meetings.
Channel 20 is the original home of Morro Bay’s open meeting broadcasts. Back around 1996, AGP Video founder Steve Mathieu and others brought to Morro Bay City Council’s attention the notion that Charter Cable had an obligation to provide so-called “PEG Access” (Public Educational and Government Access) programming on some of its hundreds of channels.
Mathieu, having gotten the council’s permission, came to the next meeting armed with a video camera and tripod. He videotaped the proceedings and, with the cooperation of the local Charter Cable manager, got them aired on Channel 20, becoming the first local agency in SLO County to broadcast its meetings on TV.
From there, AGP Video was born, and a new age of government transparency was born and quickly spread across SLO County, to the county supervisors and eventually several state agencies, too.
For the first time, agencies like the State Fish & Game Commission and Coastal Commission had their meetings broadcast statewide.
This design work will be used by the City Council to “decide on the nature of the audio/visual system upgrades and necessary associated building improvements.” The city is looking for someone with experience doing such evaluations and upgrade work “in other municipalities, special districts, and school districts.”
The RFQ has a 4 p.m. June 6 deadline for submittals and the plan is to evaluate the applications and have the City Council award a contract sometime in September or October, with the work being completed within 56 days after the go-ahead is given by the city.
The city is looking for some specific things, including manual vs. automatic microphones and video cameras; number and placement locations of cameras; wireless vs. wired microphones and cameras; video streaming on online platforms; dais voting controls, video feed, and microphone placement options; location of monitors for the general public and city staff; and, Channel 20 capability.
That last one refers to the connection for broadcast over Charter Cable Ch. 20, the government access channel used by Morro Bay to broadcast all of the Brown Act meetings — public meetings of government boards and commissions.
Locally, residents no longer had to go to the Vet’s Hall to monitor what their City Council was doing, but could do so from home, provided they had Charter Cable service.
And while the Congress has long had CSPAN to broadcast its floor votes and committee hearings, AGP Video launched slo-span.org, with live links to various City Council broadcasts and county supervisors, and an archive of past meetings.
Now, nearly 30 years after that first meeting was recorded using a camcorder on a tripod, the advent of live streaming over the Internet has changed the viewing choices, which have expanded online and into a format that anyone anywhere in the world can tune in to check on what the local government is up to.
Of note, the RFQ for the new sound and video system at the Vet’s Hall did not give an estimate of what this design contract should cost.
That’s not unusual for a contract for specialty services, like audio-visual expertise. The cost is expected to be negotiated by the staff and the company, before a contract is brought to the City Council for approval.
City appoints Emily Conrad as the new finance director
City Manager Yvonne Kimball announced the appointment of Emily Conrad as the city’s new finance director, effective April 27. As the finance director, Conrad oversees budgeting, utility billing, accounts payable, Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) collection, revenue programs, payroll, financial forecasting, investment, and IT functions. The finance director reports directly to the city manager, serves as a member of the city’s executive team as well as the staff liaison to the Citizens Finance Advisory Committee (CFAC). Formerly known as the administrative service director/assistant city manager, this position was reclassed as finance director in March, reflecting the vital role finance plays in the city’s operation.
Conrad has served as the acting finance director since March, during which time she led her team to achieve a clean financial audit for the city, initiated the second year of a TOT audit, participated in labor negotiations, and prepared for the FY 24/25 Budget development. Conrad brings with her 18 years of experience in government finance and a genuine passion for public service in this community. Her career with the City of Morro Bay began in September 2021 when she was hired as the finance manager under the former administrative services director/assistant city manager.
In this capacity, Conrad successfully oversaw the essential financial functions, completed annual financial reports, special fund audits and annual reports, and federal audits. She has played a crucial role in enhancing the city’s investment portfolio, resulting in the highest interest earnings the city has yet achieved. Additionally, during the winter of 2022-2023, Conrad also served as the acting administrative services director/assistant city manager. She is known for her strong work ethic, commitment to excellence, and collaborative leadership style.
“We are delighted to see Emily transition into her new role,” expressed City Manager Yvonne Kimball. “Her profound grasp of city’s finance, proven leadership abilities, and steadfast dedication to our community make her an ideal fit. I am confident that Emily will help elevate overall team effectiveness and drive customer satisfaction.”
Prior to her tenure in Morro Bay, Conrad dedicated 15 years to Cuesta College, where she held various roles across accounting divisions, specializing in governmental accounting, budgeting, and grant administration. Conrad holds a bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
“I am very excited to take on this role of finance director for the City of Morro Bay,” said Conrad.
Conrad is a California native. Her connection to Morro Bay traces back to her teenage years, which initially drew her to San Luis Obispo County for college and eventually paved the way for a fulfilling career. Outside of work, Conrad finds joy in spending time with her family. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and reading.
The County Public Works Department will temporarily close Toro Creek Road, approximately 1/4 mile east of the intersection with Highway 1 during working hours from June 4 through June 7.
The bridge on Toro Creek Road at Toro Creek will be closed to all vehicular use from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
This bridge is among 137 federal highway bridges in San Luis Obispo County for which Caltrans provides inspection and recommendation of repairs. A recent inspection found potential structural deficiencies, which require repairs to the bridge.
The bridge will be open outside of the 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. working hours during the repair work.
The Gallery at Marina Square will be featuring three artists in its exhibits from June 1-29.
A reception atrium party will be held on Saturday, June 8, from 3 to 5 p.m.
Upper Gallery Featured Artist: Cathy Russ, photographer
Cathy Russ, a streetscape and landscape photographer based in Morro Bay, brings over 30 years of global exploration to her work. Her photographs, known for their unique and extraordinary captures, reflect a profound passion for the outdoors. Her distinctive style, marked by patience and a keen eye for the unusual, has garnered a wide audience. Russ’ work is celebrated in various media, including calendars, books, canvas, metal, and print.
Craft Featured Artist: Kristina Albion, fiber and leather crafts
Kristina Albion creates a diverse range of art, from bags and wearable art to home decor, utilizing materials such as cloth, fiber, stone, leather, and paint. Her creations, like the vibrant cross-body bags and painted stones, exhibit her remarkable skill and attention to detail, bringing tranquility and beauty to any setting.
Lower Gallery Featured Artist: Debbie Gedayloo, needle felting
Debbie Gedayloo is a self-taught fiber artist specializing in wool, augmented with other fibers. Using both wet felting and needle felting techniques, she crafts realistic and playful pieces. Debbie’s needle felting allows her to sculpt 3-D forms, blending her interest in engineering and natural shapes. She finds joy in the tactile nature of the fibers and the creative process, which she loves to share with others.
The Gallery at Marina Square is located at 601 Embarcadero, Suite 10, Morro Bay. Gallery Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Los Osos Water Recycling Facility earns statewide honor with 2023 Small Plant of the Year award
The Los Osos Water Recycling Facility (LOWRF) was recently named 2023 Small Plant of the Year by the California Water Environment Association (CWEA) for the facility’s accomplishments in compliance, innovative practices, cost effectiveness, and superior plant performance. The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors recognized the achieve -
ment at its meeting on Tuesday, May 21.
LOWRF was recognized in the small category, which includes facilities with a capacity of less than 5 million gallons per day (mgd).
Chief Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator Sean Loveridge credited the honor to the blend of diversity in skill and level of experience staff brings to the table.
“The facility offers staff exposure to every aspect of maintenance, water quality compliance, engineering, safety, finance, and environmental restoration needed for the wastewater collection, treatment, disposal, and recycled water distribution systems that support the Los Osos community. It makes for a well-rounded team,” he said.
In January, CWEA awarded the LOWRF the 2023 Tri-Counties Plant of the Year award, making it eligible for the statewide competition. Previously the facility also won the Tri-Counties title in 2021. Judges visited the facility in February as part of the statewide judging to evaluate the wastewater facility in the areas of safety, pre-treatment, laboratory, operations, maintenance, and management.
CWEA notified Public Works staff in April of the statewide win.
“The plant is in the hands of a very talented team, who took a new facility and continuously improved, to the point where they are being recognized as the best run facility in California,” Director of Public Works John Diodati said.
The county built the Los Osos Water Recycling Facility with a capacity of 1.2 mgd and has operated the system since 2016 to collect, treat, dispose, and recycle wastewater for residents and businesses in Los Osos. The facility supports the sustainability of the Los Osos Groundwater Basin through recharge and recycled water systems that are used to mitigate nitrate and seawater intrusion issues.
CWEA is a statewide not-for-profit technical and educational organization, founded in 1928, that trains, empowers, and advocates for wastewater professionals and agencies.
School threat at Los Osos Middle School linked to teen in Arizona
The Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit has identified the suspect behind a threat made against Los Osos Middle School. On May 22, a staff member at the middle school received the threat on their personal cellphone at approximately 2:50 p.m. In response, the school was placed on lockdown, and students were evacuated under a heavy law enforcement presence as a precaution, since school dismissal was scheduled for 2:55 p.m.
Further investigation by detectives determined that the threat was not credible. The call was traced to Peoria, Arizona, where it was found to be made by a 13-year-old teen. This individual has a history of making similar threats to schools across the country. Law enforcement authorities in Arizona are now investigating the incident.
The Sheriff’s Office has since cleared both the interior and the grounds of the school. The
incident remains under investigation, and no further information is available at this time.
SLO Chamber of Commerce receives Cal Chamber 2024 Advocacy Champion Award
The San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce has received a 2024 Advocacy Champion Award from the California Chamber of Commerce. This is the second year the award has been given to recognize chambers for excellence in business advocacy.
“We spend countless hours each week immersed in information gathering, sharing, and discussing issues impacting our members and region as a whole,” said Jim Dantona, president/CEO of the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce. “We are honored to be recognized for our advocacy efforts in such an impactful way.”
Advocacy Champions published vote records of their state legislators on key business issues, joined coalition efforts to let state elected officials know about community sentiment on issues of interest to members, voiced the local chamber’s position at legislative policy committee hearings and met with state elected officials on important policy issues.
“Communities look to their local chambers to be problem solvers for the community,” said Nick Ortiz, CalChamber vice president of local chamber relations. “The Advocacy Champion chambers stepped up to the plate in a big way.”
Seven people arrested in multi-agency operation targeting child sexual predators in San Luis Obispo
The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office, and Office of the Attorney General announced May 21 the arrests of seven suspects as part of a three-day, multi-agency operation that targeted human traffickers and child sexual predators.
The operation took place May 15 to 17, and targeted adults seeking to sexually exploit children and victims of sex trafficking by using undercover agents and detectives posing as minors on various social media platforms and websites commonly used by predators.
The suspects are facing felony charges such as contact of a minor with the intent of sex, attempted lewd act with a child, and sending harmful content with the intent to seduce a minor. All seven suspects were arrested and booked into the San Luis Obispo County Jail on the previously mentioned charges. The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office will be conducting the prosecutions. It is important to note that criminal charges must be proven in a court of law by proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
If you or someone you know is being forced to engage in any activity and cannot leave, you can call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 to access help and services. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 9-1-1. Additional information and resources to support survivors of human trafficking is available here oag.ca.gov/news/ press-releases/during-national-human-trafficking-prevention-month-attorney-general-:bonta-shares
Board approved authorization of a budget adjustment of $12,383,000 from internal loans for 2023 storm repair
By CHRISTIANNA MARKS AND CAMILLE DEVAUL for Morro Bay LifeSAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY — On Tuesday, May 21, the County of San Luis Obispo Board of Supervisors unanimously approved $7.66 million across three funding sources for affordable housing and homelessness response efforts.
“The County of San Luis Obispo is committed to sustaining our homelessness response efforts while also pursuing new, evidence-based opportunities to prevent and end homelessness,” said Administrative Services Manager for the Homeless Services Division George Solis. “By supporting both immediate needs and long-term solutions, we aim to create a more stable and supportive environment for all residents of San Luis Obispo County.”
The Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA) fund for Pismo Beach aims to support individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness by addressing housing-related needs. Allocated by the California Department of Housing and Community Development and managed by the County of San Luis Obispo, $414,190 in PLHA funds were distributed as follows: $363,750 to 5Cities Homeless Coalition for their Emergency Shelter Program and $50,439 for their Rapid Re-Housing and Homeless Prevention Program.
The Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention (HHAP) Program funds efforts to prevent and end homelessness, administered by the California Interagency Council on Homelessness and the County of San Luis Obispo. The $4,652,793 in HHAP funds were allocated as follows: $1,237,137 to 5Cities Homeless Coalition for their Emergency Shelter Program, $615,655 for the Countywide Transitional-Age Youth Program, $1,400,000 to Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo for the Prado Homeless Services Center, $1,200,000 to Housing Authority of San Luis Obispo for North County Permanent Supportive and Shelter Services, $100,000 to People’s Self-Help Housing for the Calle Joaquin Homekey Project, and $100,000 to Restorative Partners, Inc. for The Path Forward Project. Additionally, $2,600,000 in Senate Bill 1090 funds were committed
to People’s Self-Help Housing for the Calle Joaquin Homekey Project, supporting affordable housing in response to the decommissioning of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant.
Additional details on these grant allocations and future funding opportunities may be found on the County of San Luis Obispo’s website at slocounty.gov/HomelessServicesGrants.
Also approved during the May 21 meeting was the Welcome Home Village (WHV) Project, consisting of 46 permanent supportive residential housing units and 34 interim supportive housing residential units located at the corner of Johnson and Bishop Street in the City of San Luis Obispo (SLO). The project is meant to reduce homelessness along the Bob Jones Trail encampment in SLO and will have the ability to house 80 individuals.
Supervisor Dawn Ortiz Legg recused herself from the site due to living in close proximity to the project site.
Many residents spoke out against for the project’s location but some were still in favor of the project in its entirety.
Due to funding requirements, the project can only be located at County owned locations near the Bob Jones Trail. The chosen location at the corner of Bishop and Johnson was deemed ideal to the County due to its adjacency to the San Luis Obispo County Health Agency Campus
“I won’t be supporting this project today,” said Supervisor Debbie Arnold. “I understand the need for this.”
She expressed that the project is being rushed and the proposed area is already too dense.
The Welcome Home Village Project was approved with a 3-1 vote, with Supervisor Arnold dissenting.
During their meeting on Tuesday, May 14, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors held a hearing regarding public testimonies and protests towards renewing the San Luis Obispo County Tourism Business Improvement District (CBID).
“What is a business improvement district? It is a district created to provide revenue that benefits a specific group. In our case, it is motels, hotels, beds and breakfasts, vacation rentals, and homestays,” said Tessa Cornejo from the Administrative Offices.
The CBID was formed under the Parking and Business Improvement Law of 1989. All bids are subject to Prop 218, and a vote is needed to get the assessment. The formations and renewals of the bids are subject to written protests from businesses. The CBID was formed in
May 2009, with the first assessment being held in July of that same year. In 2024, the CBID has 1,488 lodging businesses within the district:
• 64 hotels/motels
• 34 bed and breakfasts
• 1,277 vacation rentals
• 113 homestays
Since 2010, approximately 662 programs and projects have been funded through the CBID for a total of $12.3 million. In 2023, 45 projects were funded for a total of $1.8 million.
Later in the meeting, Public Works addressed the Board of Supervisors with a bi-annual updated report on road maintenance and the status of their response efforts following the winter 2023 storms.
“Before we jump into 2023, though, I wanted to do a quick review of 2024 since it was pretty wet out there, even up until recently,” said Transportation Division Manager Joshua Roberts.
During his presentation, Roberts showed these stats in the 202324 report:
• Roads are back open
Return to routine maintenance on roads
No major impacts from the 2024 storms
• No increase in cash flow needs
• Only 166 of 879 repair sites remaining
• Work is expected to last into 2027
• All damage sites are uploaded to FEMA
The Public Works teams were about to complete all of their debris removal and emergency opening work within the short FEMA timeline and were able to be eligible for reimbursement.
Total gross cost that the county is projected to spend on repairs created by the 2023 storms is $55 million.
“Last year, your board approved a $12 million cash infusion in addition to about $5.2 million that was spent for the road fund towards those recovery efforts. This year, and again as part of this item, we’re going to need to start drawing down on those internal loans,” said the supervising engineer on the project.
Staff recommendations aside from the receive and file also included the authorization of a budget adjustment request to increase appropriations in Fund Center – 24502 Roads Maintenance, for storm repair projects, in the amount of $12,383,000 from internal loans as detailed in the approved 2023 funding plan, by 4/5 vote. Both parts of the item passed unanimously.
my next Undersheriff to have a long runway and be around for a long time,” said Sheriff Parkinson. “I focused on a replacement that would add stability.”
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office has announced the upcoming promotion of Commander Chad Nicholson to the position of Undersheriff. This promotion follows the announcement of Undersheriff Jim Voge’s retirement, set for this summer.
In a press release from the sheriff’s office, they stated, “Undersheriff Voge, who has been a pivotal figure in the Sheriff’s Office, will be greatly missed by his colleagues and the community.”
Undersheriff Voge has served as the third Undersheriff since Sheriff Ian Parkinson took office in 2011. Reflecting on his tenure, Sheriff Parkinson said, “All my Undersheriffs have done an amazing job. Undersheriffs Basti and Olivas both did outstanding work for me and the Sheriff’s Office. Undersheriff Voge holds a special place with me because he was the first person I hired after I assumed office. He started the Professional Standards Unit and implemented many policies and procedures that have benefited all of us. He has mentored many people along the way, and he will be missed by many, including me.”
During his tenure, Undersheriff Voge spearheaded numerous initiatives, including the modernization of our Professional Standards Unit, enhancing accountability and efficiency within the department. His efforts in policy development and mentorship have left a lasting legacy that continues to benefit our deputies and the community.
After careful consideration of many candidates, Sheriff Parkinson has chosen Commander Chad Nicholson as the next Undersheriff, with the promotion taking effect in August. “I decided that I want
Commander Chad Nicholson is a sixth-generation resident of San Luis Obispo County, with his family first settling in the area in the late 1800s near San Simeon. He is a graduate of Morro Bay High School and obtained a bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly State University. Nicholson attended the Alan Hancock Law Enforcement Academy in 2011, where he graduated as valedictorian of his class and was subsequently hired by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office. As a Deputy Sheriff, Nicholson worked as a patrol deputy at all substations in the county and worked inside the Superior Court as a bailiff.
Upon being promoted to Senior Deputy, Nicholson served as a field training officer tasked with training new hire deputies on patrol. In 2015, Nicholson was assigned to the Detective Division as a Major Crimes Detective.
In 2017, Nicholson was promoted to the rank of Sergeant. He worked as a patrol watch commander and patrol supervisor before being selected to supervise the Sheriff’s Major Crimes and Special Victims units within the Detective Division. During Nicholson’s tenure as Detective Sergeant, he supervised the Kristin Smart case to its conclusion, which included the arrest and successful prosecution of Paul Flores. Nicholson also supervised and managed numerous officer-involved shooting investigations and major critical incidents within San Luis Obispo County.
In 2021, Nicholson was promoted to the rank of Commander and assigned to the Professional Standards Unit, where he conducted all administrative investigations for the Sheriff’s Office and oversaw the department’s training program for both patrol and custody personnel.
In 2023, Nicholson was assigned back to the Detective Division,
this time as the Division Commander, where he oversaw all investigative units within the division. These units include the Major Crimes Unit, Special Victims Unit, Gang Task Force, Narcotics Unit, Coroners Unit, Cannabis Compliance Team, Crime Lab, and Cyber Lab. Nicholson has been an operator, supervisor, and commander of the department’s Special Enforcement Detail (SED).
During his tenure with the Sheriff’s Office, Nicholson has been involved in numerous major projects. One notable achievement was proactively seeking federal grant funding to purchase body-worn cameras for all patrol personnel. Nicholson strongly believed in the need for body-worn cameras to aid in transparency, best evidence, and criminal prosecution.
In addition to his extensive law enforcement experience, Commander Nicholson has made contributions to community engagement. He is the President of the Sheriff’s Rodeo and was instrumental in developing the event, which has become a beloved tradition in the community.
“I am honored and excited to take on the role of Undersheriff,” said Commander Nicholson. “I look forward to continuing the great work of Undersheriff Voge, who has been a huge mentor in my law enforcement career. I look forward to furthering our commitment to professionalism, transparency, community engagement, and excellence in law enforcement. I would like to thank Sheriff Parkinson for the opportunity to serve as his Undersheriff. He is an outstanding leader and truly cares about his staff and all constituents of this great county.”
“Commander Nicholson will be a great addition to the executive team. Please join me in welcoming the new Undersheriff this summer,” said Sheriff Parkinson. “We are confident that his leadership will strengthen our department and enhance our service to the community.”
If you are like me, you have come to accept that interest rates won’t be dropping to pre-pandemic levels anytime soon. The seasoned agents in my office concur and state that most of their clients have come to the same conclusion. Still, they are in constant communication with their clients to ensure a dialogue that provides value when they are ready to make a real estate move. Though disconcerting, keep in mind interest rates are variable and there is hope that they will go down. If you are looking to make a real estate move, notwithstanding the rates, let’s look at inventory. Inventory is another one of the key puzzle pieces within a real estate market that can help or hinder a move. For San Luis Obispo County, the California Association of Realtors has tracked active inventory from 2018 through 2024. The Inventory Report is meant to provide its REALTOR® members, or their clients, with a trend, as well as a current snapshot of the inventory of homes available for sale in their local area of business in the state of California. Reports are updated with last month’s
data by the third week of the current month. Please see car.org/marketdata/interactive/inventory. By the end of the 1st quarter of 2024, we continue to see a positive growth in inventory for most of San Luis Obispo County, with a couple of cities in the negative. Countywide, we are above what the state growth percentages indicate. Looking at our North County cities, Atascadero is showing an impressive 66.7 percent year-to-year growth, Paso Robles is at 36.5 percent, and Templeton recorded a 25 percent growth — all of which are above the statewide growth indicators.
If you are a numbers fan, the interpretation is the tricky part and the graph, talking about percentage growth. The actual numbers for sale show Paso Robles with a March inventory of 71 homes, Atascadero with 30, and Templeton with 20. The economics of it all are the same — you can’t buy what isn’t on the market.
The majority of the homes listed for sale in Atascadero were between $500,000 and $1,199,000, with the median price at $922,000. That is a wide price range and again, interpreting the numbers is important. Atascadero properties vary greatly from the size of the home to the acreage of the property, which can account for the large price span of homes available on the market. There are very few planned development communities in Atascadero, so homes are more unique and generally on larger parcels of land compared to the other towns in North SLO County. Paso Robles shows the bulk of the 71 in the same $500,000-to$1,199,000 price range with some outliers in the lower $300,000-to-$500,000 range. Paso Robles
also has some higher-priced homes on the other end of the range as well. The median price of Paso Robles is $950,000. Paso Robles has always had a very diverse range of homes due to the area that is included when talking about Paso Robles homes. There are many planned developments, homes on the outskirts of town on larger lots, and homes out at Lake Nacimiento that are included in the Paso Robles numbers and attribute to the wide price range found.
With most of the inventory above $750,000, Templeton’s actual numbers are lower compared to Atascadero and Paso Robles but are above the
fewer homes available, it creates a higher demand. So, what does this mean for the first-time homebuyer? Or for the repeat buyer? Well, it’s a bit of a good-news-and-not-so-good-news situation. The good news is that our inventory on the Central Coast continues to grow. The number of homes coming on the market means there are more choices for potential home buyers to choose from. The not-so-good news: If you need a loan to purchase your next home (let’s be honest, most of us do), then the interest rate is going to be on the higher side. But home ownership is a long-term goal which means you’ll have the opportunity in
eterans were welcomed home on Wednesday, May 15, at the Santa Maria Airport after they took their “Tour of Honor” in Washington, D.C., courtesy of Honor Flight Central Coast (Honor Flight). Over 80 veterans made this trip to the Nation’s Capital, most of which had served during the Korean and Vietnam wars.
Honor Flight Chairman Bear McGill told Morro Bay Life, “Our [Honor Flight’s] goal is to find as many veterans as we can and give them a free trip back to Washington D.C. so they can see the memorials that were built in their honor.”
Honor Flight Central Coast of California is a nonprofit dedicated to honoring our nation’s veterans by taking them to Washington D.C., to visit and reflect at their memorials. The nonprofit places a focus on providing this opportunity to veterans of World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The trips are typically arranged at no cost to the veterans, with funding provided through donations and sponsorships.
“Tours of Honor” are made twice a year from the Central Coast, one in the Spring and another in the Fall. Lately, trips have been filled with Korean and Vietnam veterans who did not receive the same happy welcome home as their predecessors did. On this trip, a record number of women veterans made the trip back to D.C. Five women with over 50 years of collective service were able to visit the Vietnam Women’s Memorial which is dedicated to the nurses and women of the United States who served in the Vietnam War.
In the 10 years of Honor Flights existence on the Central Coast, they have taken over 660 veter-
ans from Salinas all the way down to the Ventura and Camarillo area.
McGill said during this trip, their veterans received a warm welcome from others visiting the memorial sites, “Our veterans got the true recognition from a lot of people ... thanking them for serving our country — it was an incredible trip.”
McGill has received a lot of positive feedback from the veterans who attended the trip, many of whom might have been hesitant at first to go.
“I tell them it’s our pleasure to give you this trip because you guys deserve it and you guys deserve the recognition and the homecoming that you’ve never gotten,” he said.
One veteran in particular recalled his time in Vietnam during their visit at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall. One night this particular veteran was on patrol and was pulled off last minute by another man in his unit — that man ended up dying that same night. This veteran with Honor
Flight found his unit on the wall and the name of the man who relieved him from patrol that night.
“This veteran had carried that with him all these years until we took him on an Honor Flight,” explained McGill. “He said that he’s always wondered what this gentleman’s life would’ve been like had he not removed him.”
Atascadero Police Officer Tim Perkins was able to serve as a guardian on the Honor Flight, accompanying one of the veterans.
In a social media post, the Atascadero Police Department said, “It’s moments like these that remind us of the incredible dedication and compassion of our team. Thank you, Officer Perkins, for your selflessness and commitment to honoring our veterans. Your service both on and off duty truly makes a difference.”
Four veterans who reside at the Creston Village Senior Living were able to make this Spring trip to Washington D.C. with Honor Flight. They
served in various branches and served during various conflicts and now boast an average age of 86.
The residents who were able to attend were James “Jim” Sims (U.S. Air Force, 1951 to 1955), Troy Waddle (U.S. Air Force, 1962 to 1966), George Cobb (U.S. Army, 1958 to 1962), and Michele Reed (U.S. Navy, 1975 to 1981).
Of the four residents going, two have never seen the sights of our great nation’s capital. Sims was one of those individuals.
When asked if he had been to D.C., he thoughtfully replied that he had been to “other cities on the East Coast, but I’ve never been to Washington. It is exciting to see the monuments to our nation.”
Sims was one of four veterans from across the country chosen to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Sims said he felt the weight and reverence of this honor, sharing that doing such a thing was beyond his wildest imagination of what he thought he would be doing at 95 years old.
Life Enrichment Director Julie Tacker championed for these veterans to join the Honor Flight.
“I’m extremely thrilled to see these four amazing individuals be recognized and be able to go on this trip,” she said. “Creston Village has more veterans than any other senior living community I have worked with previously, and we are committed to sharing their stories and honoring their sacrifices.”
Honor Flight is a nonprofit organization that relies on community contributions to help bring these veterans to their memorials. It is run entirely by volunteer efforts. They will be making their next trip in September.
McGill shared something the learned on their recent Honor Flight: “One thing I think the public needs to know, and I just learned this from some of the Vietnam veterans is, don’t walk up to the veteran and say thank you for your service because a lot of these guys were drafted ... so what they appreciate is that if you say thank you for serving this country and welcome home.”
To learn more about Honor Flight, visit honorflightccc.org
The units include the following amenities:
ESTAMOS ALQUILANDO EN NUESTRO NUEVO COMPLEJO PARA PERSONAS MAYORES DE (62 años y mayores) en Atascadero, CALIFORNIA GRAND MANOR APARTMENTS
El Camino Real Atascadero, Ca
En la misma comunidad de California Manor Apartments en 10165 El Camino Real | Atascadero,
93422 OFRECEMOS ESTUDIOS, APARTAMENTOS DE 1 Y 2 DORMITORIOS EN ALQUILER. Estas son unidades alcanzables para personas de bajos ingresos y están disponibles por orden de llegada. Se aplica límites de ingresos. ¡Llame a nuestro número de teléfono de arrendamiento para agregar su nombre a la lista hoy!
Las unidades incluyen las siguientes comodidades:
Holistically easing pain and discomfort at the hands of Andrea Sherrill
By BLAKE ASHLEY FRINO-GERL for Morro Bay LifeAndrea Sherrill started her career in the medical field as a certified nurse and soon realized after 10 years she wanted to pursue helping others in a more holistic approach. Studying to become a board and California state approved massage therapist in 1996 at Touch Therapy Institute, Andrea was able to encompass both her knowledge in the medical field to an all-inclusive medical massage practice. Andrea first started her massage practice while living in the San Fernando Valley, and when she moved to the Central Coast in 2013, she took a hiatus to do nursing and further her education in the healing arts.
Andrea was inspired to build up a clientele on the Central Coast, and opened Peace of Mind Medical Massage therapy in her hometown of Atascadero in 2022, and soon after added a second location in Morro Bay. Andrea says that having two locations has given her the freedom to help serve the Central Coast on a larger scale.
“Both Peace of Mind locations are integrative medical massage centers with the main focus of providing Therapeutic medical massage and Ayurvedic treatments,” Andrea says. “Treating structural and pain disorders through anatomical and physiological studies
while offering a safe and healing environment.”
She supports clients in their “healing process, offering holistic solutions, which targets your needs through a variety of therapeutic techniques for requisite health and wellness.”
People often ask her what the difference is between medical and traditional massage. She clarifies that “medical massage therapy is a planned-out treatment with a specific goal in mind to help promote healing to the mind, body, and spirit.”
One of Andrea’s clients said “her background as a health practitioner really allows her to tailor her technique to the individual with positive
results.” Adding that “she employs deep tissue work, aromatherapy, hot stones, and a multitude of techniques in a gracious manner, giving you a rejuvenating and relaxing experience in a class atmosphere.”
Her focus on healing is from Ayurvedic massage therapy, which unlocks the potential of inner wisdom, with the potential to promote health and healing. “It transforms one’s life by aligning one’s thoughts and feelings with their highest self and unlocks stagnant energy from the inside out,” Andrea affirms.
Some of the services Peace of Mind provides are 60-, 75-, 90-minute therapeutic massages, pregnancy massage, Shirodhara scalp massage, facial facelift, sound massage, Infrared-sauna, and couples massage.
For more information, visit peaceofmindmassage.org, or call Andrea directly at (818) 625-7490.
People ask her if insurance covers massage therapy. Andrea explains, “Massage is covered by many insurance companies if you acquire a Rx with a diagnosis for massage therapy from your physician.” She will go over what she can do to prepare an invoice of her services, so the client can get reimbursed from their insurance company.
JAMES BRESCIA, ED.D. COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT
“Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” — Voltaire
One of the most positive aspects of serving as county superintendent of schools is working with and acknowledging exemplary educational employees across San Luis Obispo County. Last month, schools across California celebrated the caring and devoted individuals who serve in our schools. For many children, some of the first sparks of joy they encoun-
ter at school are from dedicated, caring, and service-minded school employees. The kind words of encouragement from a custodian, driver, assistant, teacher, or administrator can make a tremendous difference.
During my time as a student at UC San Diego, I had the opportunity to work nights as a custodian. This experience not only taught me the value of hard work and service to the community, but also instilled in me a deep appreciation for those maintaining our public agencies. Later, as I embarked on my journey in teacher education in the 1980s, my curiosities and passions led me to another classified position as a computer lab assistant in a new, cutting-edge endeavor in schools: the computer lab.
As the county superintendent, I bring invaluable experience from these roles to my daily work with educational agencies in San Luis Obispo County and throughout the state. It’s crucial to remember that school support staff are not just a part of our schools, but the
backbone of our educational system. Their contributions are instrumental in the success of our students, schools, and communities.
School classified staff are often bright spots in a student’s day. I remember this as a student at Bracher Elementary School in Santa Clara, where students were allowed to assist with the lunch services and interact with the support staff that served lunch. This activity was something different that I enjoyed and looked forward to when it was my turn to work the lunch room. Support staff members can build caring, warm relationships with students different from those formed with teachers. You can read stories of these adults playing vital roles in the village surrounding and nurturing our students. That is part of why the California Center on Teaching Careers launched a campaign this year to recruit more school classified staff. The center, a statewide agency headquartered in Tulare County dedicated to tackling California’s shortage of educa-
tors, called it “Be Their Joy” — a reference to the smiles these individuals can bring daily to our kids’ faces.
While the smiles on our students’ faces are heartwarming, it’s important to recognize that our schools need more than just joy. They need to function smoothly so that our students can learn and taxpayer investments (schools) are maintained. Across the country, there are documented negative consequences of not having enough classified school staff to support our schools. San Luis Obispo County has also experienced a shortage of classroom and non-classroom employees. The national bus driver shortage, for instance, caused some schools in Kentucky to shut down. This is a pressing issue that demands our attention and action. Schools cannot function without classified staff, and our students, families, staff, and the community cannot afford schools that are not running smoothly.
The workload given to public school educators continues to swell because of
the increasing demands on our public agencies. Unsurprisingly, many are burning out and leaving the classroom. When a school doesn’t have enough classified staff, that work is often distributed among the school’s teachers — adding hefty (and important) work to an already-full plate. If we want to tackle the California educator shortage, one part of the solution is to ensure every school is staffed appropriately with classified employees.
After serving in various classified staff roles, I became a classroom educator, a program specialist, a school principal, a college instructor, and a district superintendent before being elected as San Luis Obispo county superintendent of schools. I feel fortunate to have served our schools in classified and certificated positions. We should celebrate the positive power that all of our educational employees have with the most important people in our schools: our students. It is an honor to serve as your county superintendent of schools.
The story of the Sheriff’s Office has a natural beginning. It started when San Luis Obispo County began in 1850. Every year, a new chapter is written. For many of those years, the public did not have a comprehensive understanding of all the functions of the Sheriff’s Office. I tried to change that when I was elected sheriff. I have always tried to be as open and transparent as
possible with the public. To me, that’s democracy in action and is essential to a functioning, responsive government. I want you to know what the Sheriff’s Office is doing and, maybe more importantly, why we are doing it. As a result, we’ve improved the ways we get important information to you. Recently, we totally redesigned our website to offer more information and services. Our new features include a whole section on FAQs, otherwise known as Frequently Asked Questions, on topics like our jail, coroner’s office, records and warrants, and our civil division. Another new feature is a whole page of the website dedicated to employment opportunities at the Sheriff’s Office. It’s titled Join Our Team, and it highlights all the different aspects of working here. We have also updated several features on the site. For one, we’ve made the search function so much easier to use to find items of interest on our website. We’ve
also made the website ADA-compliant for those with disabilities. And we’ve also made the website available in English and Spanish.
One of the features you’ll find on our website is our annual report. We’ve been providing an annual report for the last 13 years. First in hard copy and then later we transitioned to putting the annual report on our website. Our newest edition was recently released. It provides a glimpse into what happened in our county and the Sheriff’s Office last year.
It is chock-full of information. But you won’t find a boring recitation of facts and figures. It’s one that’s easy to read with graphics and photos that help tell the story of the Sheriff’s Office. You’ll find narratives on the different units of the Sheriff’s Office, like our detective division, crime lab, bomb task force, K-9 unit, marine enforcement unit, gang task force, and many more. Additionally, we showcase
our volunteer units like aero squadron, search and rescue, dive team, and volunteer patrol. Here are some fast facts for you courtesy of our annual report. We serve more than 120,000 people spread out over 3,300 square miles. Last year alone, we handled almost 130,000 calls for service. With our staff of 170 sheriff’s deputies, 156 correctional deputies, and 134 professional personnel, we ended up making 1,777 arrests, wrote more than 9,000 reports, seized more than 12 pounds of Fentanyl, conducted more than 300 coroner death investigations, and had just over 8,000 inmates booked into county jail.
But I don’t need to tell you that. All you have to do is go to our website at slosheriff.org and click on About Us and then choose annual report in the drop-down menu. Each of our units, divisions, and teams have a different mission. But together they tell the whole story of the Sheriff’s Office.
At Peace of Mind Medical Massage Therapy owner Andrea Sherrill supports clients in their “healing process, offering holistic solutions, which targets your needs through a variety of therapeutic techniques for requisite health and wellness.” Photos courtesy Peace of Mind MassageThe show ran for three packed performances
By CHRISTIANNA MARKS for Morro Bay LifeSAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY — Opera San Luis Obispo returned to the Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo (PAC SLO) stage with Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast.” The performances played a run of three shows over Mother’s Day weekend on Saturday, May 11, at 2 and 7 p.m. and Sunday, May 12, at 2 p.m. This is just the second time in the opera company’s 40-year history that they have sold enough tickets to add a third show to their run.
“We had decided on a date. If we had sold [a certain] amount of tickets by that date, which was like a month out, we would add a show,” stated Stage Director Zach Johnson. “About a month out, we sold maybe 85 percent of our tickets or 90 percent of our tickets for the matinees. It just made sense to add the third show.”
Morro Bay Life was invited to join an audience filled with kids and adults who were excited to see OperaSLO’s take on a Disney classic come to life. Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” has seen three iterations in the past, including the original animated 1991 classic, the 1994 Broadway musical (which continues to tour on and off), and the 2017 live-action film. And what a time was had by everyone in the audience as we all watched a new version unfold before our eyes.
“It’s a little bit of a stretch for an opera company to do [Disney’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’] or for this opera company to do, but I’m glad that I pitched it,” added Johnson, who had the original idea to perform the show. “I’m glad that people were receptive to it, and I think that we found a nice blend of a lot of the opera foundation [mixed]
with a 1990 musical.”
The show was a gorgeous feast for the ears and eyes, with top-notch lighting design and beautiful sets. Maestro Brian Asher Alhadeff conducted the OperaSLO Grand Orchestra with a calculated precision that kept things familiar but added a unique and slightly darker hue to the musical production. The musicianship as a whole, from Alhadeff to the musicians in the orchestra, beautifully highlighted the vocal talents on stage. Johnson deftly directed his high-caliber cast in a collaborative way that brought out the best in the actors on stage and made it feel like they had all been working together much longer than they had been.
But it wasn’t everyone’s first time starring in their role on the PAC SLO stage. Hilary Maiberger, who played Belle, performed the title role in the national tour on the same stage in March 2012. In fact, she played Belle for two years nationally before launching Disney’s first international tour of any of their shows and taking Belle worldwide for a year. Maiberger’s Belle felt like she had slipped right out of the TV screen and onto the stage while also being uniquely hers.
“I’m just really excited to jump back into a role that changed my life,” Maiberger said. “About 12 years ago is when I played the role, and I have around 750 performances under my belt of this
particular role. It’s been so incredibly exciting to revisit it, and it feels fresh and new, even though this role is so deep in my bones. It’s got a new breath of fresh air, and I’ve worked really, really hard to make sure that it has evolved since I last did it.”
She added that wanting to share being Belle on stage with her niece and nephews, who were too young or not born yet when she was on tour before, was one of her main reasons for diving back into playing the Disney princess.
Grant Garry stepped into his dream role of the Beast with a humanity and a quiet dignity (mixed with a bit of self-loathing and anger) that drew the audience right in. His vocals shone, and his chemistry with Maiberger made you root for them from early on.
“I just love the journey that I can go on and take the audience with me,” Garry said. “To go from this really dark and angry side, sort of angry at the world, angry at myself, and then to find a love that can change your heart and having that sort of character arch is really, really fun to play. I don’t care what I, Grant, am feeling on stage, per se. I care what the audience is feeling, so if I can make them feel something, then I’m doing my job.”
Eric McConnell hopped on a plane and flew himself and his ringing baritone out from Denver, Colorado, to join the cast as everyone’s favorite playboy turned villain, Gaston.
“This is my Disney villain debut. I keep saying that to people,” he said. “I’m a child of the ‘90s, so I grew up watching the ‘90s Disney movies over and over again on VHS. The villains are the best characters in most Disney movies, but especially those movies from ‘Beauty and the Beast’ to ‘Tarzan.’ It’s always been a dream of mine to be a Disney villain, and we made it.”
OperaSLO will return to PAC SLO on Saturday, Oct. 19, and Sunday, Oct. 20, at 2 p.m. for their version of George Bizet’s Carmen.
The entire cast of OperaSLO’s “Beauty and the Beast” on the PAC SLO stage. Photo by Len Wood
Five local chefs compete for the title, kicking off the 41st annual Paso Wine Fest
By MIRA HONEYCUTT for Morro Bay LifePASO ROBLES — As a kick-off to the 41st annual Paso Wine Fest, celebrity chef Tyler Florence turned up the heat and brought his live-fire cookout challenge for five Paso chefs selected by his team in collaboration with Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance (PRWCA).
Swirls of smoke filled the grounds as Paso chefs went rib-to-rib vying for the local title of “Masters of Fire” at the Paso Robles Event Center on Friday, the night before the wine festival’s Grand Tasting on May 18.
“I think I’m having the barbecue dream of my life,” said author, chef and restaurateur Florence on stage, greeting a crowd of some 350 foodies. The Friday cookout which was a rollout for his “Masters of Fire Experience,” was filmed by a Food Network crew as a pilot for the potential “Master of Fire” TV series.
“We’re super excited for the wine fest,” exclaimed Joel Peterson, executive director of PRWCA. Florence and his team approached PRWCA just a few months before the fest on their collaboration, according to Peterson.
“We’ve been working with them (PRWCA) for four months and they’ve been great,” said Florence before announcing Paso’s Master of Fire.
While all five dishes were impressive, ranging from beef and pork to salmon and rabbit, it was Spencer Johnson’s St. Louis-style pork rib that received the maximum votes from the crowd. The executive chef at Daou Vineyards walked away with the title of Paso Robles Master of Fire and a $5,000 prize. He will go on to compete in the national challenge in Dallas.
Spencer’s pork rib, which spent four hours on oak and almond wood, was served atop caviar ranch dressing alongside Mighty Cap mushrooms; this dish also won the chefs’ votes from competing colleagues. Jeffry Wiesinger, of Jeffry’s Wine Country BBQ, won the judges’ prize.
Other chefs included Justin Hall of The Hatch Rotisserie and Bar; Justin Munson, executive chef of Oak & Vine; and Saree Musick, pastry chef at The Restaurant at JUSTIN.
While the five local creations were outstanding, it was Florence who delivered the “wow” factor for his
slow-cooked Angus beef short rib (an oxymoron for this dinosaur size-rib) alongside black truffle potato salad and green peppercorn salsa verde.
Florence handed out the dramatic plates to a long line of eager diners as his grilling team got busy slicing and plating. I learned that one thousand pounds of beef was harvested from 33 grass-fed cows; the meat smoked for nine hours and rested in a warm-over for eight.
The “Masters of Fire Experience” tour is a partnership between Florence and Williams Sonoma to support Florence’s new book “American Grill,” which was released during the fest weekend. Florence was on hand for book signings on Friday and Saturday events.
The four-day celebration from May 16-19 began with winemaker dinners around town and ended with open-house events at various wineries.
But it’s the Saturday Grand Tasting, the marquee event, that draws a large number of visitors and locals. This year the event drew over 2,700 attendees (including vendors, winemakers and volunteers). An astonishing number of 100-plus wineries were joined by a handful of distillery and craft beer producers.
The festival is a cornucopia of Paso’s range of wines, especially Paso’s signature bold red blends and scintillating white blends. With 60 different grape varieties grown here, the blending possibilities are endless.
Call it “Paso-bility” — the availability of fruit and creativity of local winemakers who have access to this spice box of varieties. So you have a no-holdsbarred blends that go beyond the marriage of Rhónes and Bordeaux, welcoming the addition of unusual varieties to the mix.
The festival’s wine and food experience began in the VIP lounge, an added attraction this year for early admittance ticket holders who were welcomed with a portfolio of wines from the CAB Collective and Rhône Rangers and cocktails from the Paso Robles Distillery Trail organization.
In addition to the majority of wineries set up in the five large tents, the activation lounge scene was in full swing with over 20 wineries that offered over-the-top signature experiences.
Each year, wineries up the ante in creativity, and this year Daou’s Secret Garden was exceptional. Visitors lined up to enter the enchanting maze that offered a different wine at each turn ending up with
the flagship Soul of a Lion Bordeaux blend. At the Frontier enclave, a taste of Austin Hope’s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon came by way of a mysterious hand that slid out from a grassy wall upon ringing the attached bell. Others in this picnic-themed area included wines from Eberle, CASS, Calcareous, Chronic Cellars, My Favorite Neighbor, and bold reds from McPrice Myers and Hard Working Wines.
Over at JUSTIN, Michelin-starred chef Rachel Haggstrom served gazpacho flecked with Cabernet Franc vinegar and Paris Valley Road gave a Gallic spin with pot-au-chocolate. Its sister winery, Sextant, was anchored by a nautical couple who offered their Rosé funneled from an ice block. As is always the case, there was way too much wine and too little time. Winding up at JUSTIN’s lounge, I struck up a conversation with a couple from Phoenix. It was their second visit to the festival. Once again, they were taken by the sheer number of wineries this year and admitted to visiting about a dozen wine tables. Paso’s diversity and generosity were much too overwhelming.
Read the full version of this story on pasoroblespress.com
New organization is a collaborative nonprofit between San Luis Obispo International Film Festival and the Palm
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY — The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival (SLOIFF) is joining forces with the Palm Theatre to establish the SLO Film Center. A collaborative venture, it will showcase new releases, expand the program of independent and retrospective titles, and offer the venue for cultural events such as live music, comedy, and educational endeavors. The center will focus on a year-round slate of programming with daily screenings, events, and special guests, while continuing to be the hub of the annual SLO International Film Festival.
Located in the heart of San Luis Obispo’s cultural arts district, the SLO Film Center will be operated as a nonprofit. The center will not only strengthen film’s role as a vibrant contributor to the region’s arts community but will also operate as a shared space to engage broader, diverse audiences.
“We believe that this investment will not only enrich the lives of those in our community, but also serve as a lasting legacy for generations to come,” said SLOIFF Executive Director Skye McLennan. “The SLO Film Center is poised to create an unparalleled space where filmmakers, film enthusiasts, general arts supporters, and community members alike can come together to celebrate the magic of storytelling.”
Both the Palm Theatre and the SLO Film Festival have long played key roles in the region. Jim and Patty Dee opened the Palm Theatre in 1988 with two screens, then added a third in 1993, drawing patrons from the entire Central Coast. In 2004, it was the first movie theater in the nation to become solar-powered.
“From the humble beginnings of a local film club called the Cinema Zoo (1973-1979), to the Rainbow Theatre (1979-1989), and the Palm Theatre (1988-present), it has been a pleasure and a wonderful journey presenting great cinema, both foreign and domestic, to San Luis Obispo County,” the Dees said. “We are excited to pass the baton to the capable hands of SLOIFF. The creation of the San Luis Obispo Film Center will continue the tradition of unique, adventurous, and just plain entertaining programming as an integral part of
SLOIFF is leasing the theater from owners Jim and Patty Dee, who are retiring, and will build on the beloved Palm’s legacy of offering independent and classic films.
the heart and soul of downtown San Luis Obispo.”
The Film Festival traces its roots to 1993, founded by local attorney Mary A. Harris. Thanks to a special grant from the city of San Luis Obispo and Jim Dee’s involvement, the festival launched with a focus on classic and restored films. Within a few years, it began the George Sidney Independent Film Competition, inviting both long- and short-form narrative, and documentary, filmmakers from around the world to submit their work.
“Having access to a nonprofit film center opens up incredible opportunities for the local commu-
nity to engage with artists, actors, filmmakers, and poets who are local or passing through our wonderful community,” said actor Josh Brolin, who’s on the SLO Film Festival Advisory Board. “I enthusiastically support the collaborative efforts of the Film Festival Board and the Palm to bring this to life.”
The SLO Film Center will officially launch in July 2024 with no disruption to current programming at the Palm Theatre. For more information about the film center, visit slofilmfest.org/ slo-film-center/.
Wine lovers enjoy their drinks at the 41st Paso Wine Fest, which took place May 16-19. The event included a Grand Tasting on May 18, as well as a “Masters of Fire” cooking competition for the foodies in the crowd. Photo Courtesy of PRWCA and Acacia Productions The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival (SLOIFF) is joining forces with the Palm Theatre to establish the SLO Film Center. Photo by Daniel KulaguzTHROUGH JUNE 30
POETICS PRINTS EXHIBITION
STUDIOS ON THE PARK, 1130 PINE STREET, PASO ROBLES
In partnership with the Central Coast Printmakers, printmakers intertwine poems to inspire their artworks. For information, visit studiosonthepark.org/events/ poetic-prints.
THROUGH JUNE 22
PISMO BEACH CLASSIC CAR SHOW
PISMO PIER AND PLAZA, DOWNTOWN
PISMO BEACH
9am-9pm
This family friendly event features live music, vendors, a charity cruise, award ceremony and of course classic cars throughout downtown. For more information, visit theclassicatpismobeach.com/ event-info.
JUNE 1-2
ANNUAL SAN LUIS
OBISPO GREEK FESTIVAL
MADONNA EXPO CENTER
Saturday 11am-7pm, Sunday 11am-5pm
The free two-day festival is where you can feast on authentic Greek cuisine, enjoy traditional dancing, listen to Greek music and learn about the Greek culture. For more information, visit greekfestivalslo. com.
JUNE 1-3 AND EVERY MONDAYFRIDAY UNTIL FALL
LAVENDER U-PICK
HAMBLY FARMS, 1390 GRANA PLACE, SAN MIGUEL
10am-4pm
For $15 per person (children under 12 are free with adult) you can visit the farm and pick enough lavender to make one bouquet. After harvesting your lavender, find a cozy spot in one of our picnic areas to relax and unwind or visit the farm
animals or farm store. For more information, visit hamblyfarms.com/ visit-the-farm/#u-pick.
JUNE 2
LIGHTHOUSE 5K FUN RUN
OYSTER RIDGE EVENT VENUE
5991 W POZO ROAD, SANTA MARGARITA 8am
The 10th Annual Lighthouse 5K Benefit Fun Run and Family Fun Day is kicking off! This year’s scenic site? The gently rolling hills and tidy trails of Ancient Peaks Margarita Vineyards. Start at the stunning Oyster Ridge Event Center and wind your way around the vines of this beautiful venue. Ideal for runners trying to set a quick trail time, or for wandering walkers taking in the views.
BREWS AND BREKKY
PASO ROBLES, FIRESTONE WALKER TAPROOM
1400 RAMADA DR, PASO ROBLES 9am-3pm
As per tradition, they will be hosting a brunch in their taproom before you hit the road after the Firestone Walker Beer Fest. Anticipate Chef Specials and a warm welcome from their crew.
JUNE 7, 14, 21 AND 28
LEARN PICKLEBALL CLINIC
1350 MAIN STREET, CAMBRIA 9-10am
New Players’ Clinic with instructor every Friday at 11am. Come out and learn the game and get some great pointers on how to play and learn the rules of Pickleball. For more information, visit cambriapickleball. net/documents.
JUNE 8
SHELL BEACH LIBRARY
75TH ANNIVERSARY
230 LEEWARD AVE, PISMO BEACH 1-4pm
The non-profit ‘Friends of Shell Beach Library’ is hosting a fundraiser to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of “The Little Library that Could!” Dress up as your favorite book character and partake in old fashioned carnival games for the whole family.
JUNE 16
FATHER’S DAY
JUNE 13, 20, 27
CONCERTS IN THE PARK CITY PARK, DOWNTOWN PASO ROBLES
6-8pm
Enjoy listening to live music under the evening sky. June 13: JD Project (rock, country), June 20: Dulcie Taylor (rockin’ Americana roots), and June 27: Monte Mills & the Lucky Horseshoe Band (country, rock n’ roll).
JUNE 15 AND 20
SATURDAYS IN THE PARK CONCERTS SERIES
ATASCADERO LAKE PARK
6:30-8:30pm
Sit and dance by the lake listening to live music by various artists. June 15 - Rock Odyssey and June 29 - Cinders Blues Band.
JUNE 21/28
FRIDAY CONCERTS IN THE PLAZA
MISSION PLAZA, DOWNTOWN SAN LUIS OBISPO
5-8pm
Bring chairs or a blanket and enjoy the largest free concert series on the central coast in a dance- and family-friendly setting. June 21 - Mauel the Band and Jineanne Coderre. June 28 - The Mother Corn Shuckers and Miss Leo.
JUNE 23 AND EVERY 4TH SATURDAY CLASSIC MOVIES
THE SQUIBB HOUSE, 4063 BURTON DR, CAMBRIA 7-9pm
Enjoy and evening of watching a classic movie presented by the Cambria Chamber of Commerce. Register at 805.909.9183 or tfern1972@gmail.com.
JUNE 22
ATASCADERO LAKESIDE WINE FESTIVAL
ATASCADERO LAKE
The Atascadero Lakeside Wine Fest is a premier event showcasing wineries from the Central Coast that includes nearly 250 wines from over 60 wineries. In addition, breweries, food purveyors, commercial vendors, and art exhibitors will be spaciously displayed under the majestic oaks at the relaxed and sun-kissed lakeside location.
JUNE 28 AND EVERY 4TH FRIDAY
SHHHH, WE’RE READING BOOKCLUB
MONARCH BOOKS, 201 E. BRANCH STREET, ARROYO GRANDE 7pm
On every fourth Friday of the month bring your own book (or purchase one from the store) and your own seat (limited chairs available). Quiet time starts at 7:15, which gives readers an opportunity to take the time to read. From 8:15-8:45 you can mingle and shop. For more information, visit monarchbooks805.com/book-clubs/ shhhh-we-re-reading-bookclub.
JUNE 29
ANNUAL MORRO BAY MARINE SWAP MEET
1210 EMBARCADERO
8am-1pm
Hosted by Friends of the Morro Bay Harbor Department, Morro Bay Maritime Museum, and Morro Bay Youth Sailing Foundation, the
free event will bring a treasure trove of marine and nautical items, including boats, watercraft, marine supplies, boatbuilding tools, equipment, marine hardware, fishing gear, scuba and dive equipment, surfboards, surfingrelated items, marine art, and collectibles to purchase.
JULY 4
JULY 4 IN CAYUCOS
FRONT STREET AND CAYUCOS BEACH 10am
Join us for the 4th of July celebrations in Cayucos! Activities include a sand sculpture contest, parade, BBQ, and fireworks. Visit cayucoschamber.com/july4th for more information
JULY 4 IN PASO
BARNEY SCHWARTZ PARK, 2970 UNION ROAD, PASO ROBLES 2–10 p.m.
The City of Paso Robles, along with Travel Paso, is offering a familyfriendly event throughout the day and culminating with a fireworks show at night.
FOURTH OF JULY PARADE
DOWNTOWN TEMPLETON
7am-3pm
Details: Start the day with the Pancake Breakfast at 7am, and then grab a seat for the hometown parade at 10am
BLUEGRASS FREEDOM FESTIVAL
ATASCADERO LAKE PARK, ATASCADERO
2–8 p.m.
Presented by Colony Days and the Printery Foundation, the 4th of July Bluegrass Freedom Festival will offer music, boating, bounce houses, games and more. There will be food, bear and wine available for purchase. For information, visit atascaderofourthofjuly.com.
