Coast news

Volume 13 •

Issue 28 •

YOUR COMMUNITY IN YOUR HANDS

March 23 - April 5, 2017

AVILA BEACH • SHELL BEACH • PISMO BEACH • GROVER BEACH • ARROYO GRANDE • HALCYON • OCEANO

See Inside and Online

City of Pismo Beach Public Works Director Ben Fine and his daughter Sierra help pound in gold nails as the official “groundbreaking” of the pier kicked off last week.

See story on page 8 Photo by www.PhotoByVivian

Apple Farm Doubles The Talent Page ?

Baseball Gets Goofy Page 34

Arroyo Grande to Greet New Public Works Director

Teirs for Fears, PG&E’s Latest Rate Increase

By Camas Frank

By Mark A. Diaz

he City of Arroyo Grande has appointed a new Public Works Director; Christopher Magdosku is set to take the reigns April 7.

Current Public Works Director Geoff English will step down May 1.

“I want to make sure everyone knows that I love it here. I love working with the people and City of Arroyo Grande,” said English, adding that he’s stepping aside for family medical reasons, “that have nothing to do with the job. Everyone has been tremendous with me for five years.”

Magdosku was actually recruited as part of the search for an engineer position, but City management thought he might be the right choice to succeed English.

outh County residents will likely see an increase in their energy bill while North County dwellers may see a reduction. Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and the California Energy Commission (CEC) have made changes, and are continuing to do so, to various aspects of customer billing. The latest alterations, implemented March 1 of this year, were the reduction of tiers from 3 to 2, the addition of a high usage surcharge, and a tier price adjustment.

In July 2015, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) voted on changes to residential rate structures. Due to the California energy crises is 2001, billing tiers were implemented to encourage energy conservation. However now that the crisis has passed, the CPUC states in their Residential Rate Reform memo that the old tier pricing was unfair and higher tier users were basically subsidizing lower tier user’s energy costs.

See Public Works Director, page 5

See Rate Increase, page 33

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March 23 - April 5, 2017 • Coast News

Simply Clear Marketing and Media Team

news

cc life

Bret Colhouer publisher bret@simplyclearmarketing.com

PG&E Scholarships...................................................3

Adventure Girl

Police Warn About Jury Duty Scam .........................3

Now and Then

Theresa-Marie Wilson executive editor t@simplyclearmarketing.com

Leashing Avila’s Dog Park Rumors ..........................4

Community Calendar

Neil Farrell managing editor The Bay News neil@simplyclearmarketing.com

Pismo Pier Closed for Renovation ...........................8

Art Talk

Save Camp AG Campaign Re-Launch .....................9

Framed

Camas Frank managing editor The Coast News frank@simplyclearmarketing.com

SLO BOS Backs Planners Denies Phillips 66 ..........10

Good to be King

Lopez Grads Cap Off Experience ..........................12

Nightwriters

Sports Snapshot .....................................................34

Talley Farms Recipe

Sports Shorts..........................................................35

Healthy Living

Mining for Musty Gold ...........................................36

Cal Poly Sports

Michael Elliott sports reporter sports@simplyclearmarketing.com Mark Diaz business reporter mark@simplyclearmarketing.com Michelle Johnson art director

Easter Happenings

Christy Serpa editorial design

Entertainment

Holly Tolvert administrative assistant

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Justin Stoner graphic marketing

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Karita Harrskog event and marketing assistant admin@simplyclearmarketing.com

The Arroyo Grande High School Eagles dive and swim teams will face off against Paso Robles on March 31 at home at 2:30. After the meet head over to the fields at 4:30 and watch the two schools play each other in softball.

Dinner and a Movie

Happy Birthday on March 29 to SLO County’s District 3 Supervisor Adam Hill. The Professor turned politician will be 51.

Jessica Micklus sales manager jessica@simplyclearmarketing.com Dana McGraw senior advertising executive dana@simplyclearmarketing.com

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Zorina Ricci coast news advertising executive z@simplyclearmarketing.com Carrie Vickerman bay news advertising executive carrie@simplyclearmarketing.com David Diaz digital marketing CONTRIBUTING WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Erin O’Donnell King Harris Judy Salamacca Michael Gunther Ray Ambler SLO Nightwriters Teri Bayus Vivian Krug

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business matters Bottom Line................................ 37 Biz Briefs .................................... 38 Financial Focus ........................... 40

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Please notify us if information is incorrect.

Featured Folks ........................... 42 Using Ecotourism to Engage ..... 43

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Avila Beach News

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Coast News • March 23 - April 5, 2017

Apply for STEM Scholarships

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acific Gas and Electric Co., is inviting high school and college students throughout Central and Northern California to apply for a “Better Together STEM Scholarship.” The program awards a total of $100,000 annually to local high school, community college and non-traditional students pursuing higher education in the engineering, computer science, cyber security and environmental sciences. Winners will receive $5,000 per year, renewable for up to four years.

Students need to be pursuing a degree in one of the “STEM” disciplines — electrical, mechanical, computer, industrial or environmental engineering; computer science or information systems; cyber security; or environmental sciences. Applicants

also must plan to enroll for full-time undergraduate study for the entire 2017-18 academic year and be pursuing their first, college degree at a California school that is in partnership with the PG&E program (see: pge.com/ educationprograms).

“PG&E is investing in promising students today because they will be the leaders, dreamers and innovators of tomorrow,” said Travis Kiyota, PG&E’s vice president of community relations and public affairs. “PG&E is proud to support them and help lay smooth path for them so they can achieve even greater things in their education and careers.”

The deadline to apply is March 31. Scholarship winners will be announced this summer. For more information and to apply, see: pge. com/educationprograms.

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Police Warn About Jury Duty Scam

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an Luis Obispo Police are warning the public of another phone scam going around pouncing on people’s fears of jury duty and besmirching the good name of the police.

According to Sgt. Chad Pfarr, “In recent months the Police Department has received several complaints involving a common telephone scam.

As part of this scam victims receive a call from a person portraying himself as law enforcement.

“The caller typically tells the victim they missed jury duty, received a citation and now have a warrant for their arrest or talk about a family member who has been arrested and needs bail money. Victims are then directed to pay associated fines using Pay Pal or Green Dot cards.”

There are several stinky aspects to this scam. Sgt. Pfarr pointed out that police departments and the courts “will never ask citizens to pay fines using this type of payment system nor will they seek payment over the phone.”

Anyone who gets a call like is encouraged to call their local police

department or the Sheriff’s Office, “before sending money or providing prepaid credit card numbers to anyone.”

Another malaise with this scam is that the police will not normally call if they have a bench warrant for someone’s arrest. If they contact you during a traffic stop or make some other contact, and you have a bench warrant, most times they will simply issue a notice to appear in court, where a judge will hear your story and issue any fines in person (or to a lawyer).

In some instances a person will be hauled to the hoosegow until they can see a judge. Either way, they won’t call on the telephone.

And raising bail is an arrested person’s burden, police won’t call to raise bail money for anyone incarcerated in County Jail.

Finally, the Sheriff’s Department is the court’s law enforcement agency not a City police department.

If readers have any information about this crime they are encouraged to call the SLOPD at 781-7312 or Crime Stoppers at (805) 549-STOP.

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News

March 23 - April 5, 2017 • Coast News

Leashing Avila’s Dog Park Rumors Story and photos by Mark A. Diaz

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he beaches under the jurisdiction of the San Luis Port Authority (SLPA) continue to be dog friendly, but there may be changes to where and when. Currently, dogs are free to roam off-leash at Old Port Beach, Fishman’s Beach, and Lighthouse Beach and before 10 a.m. and after 5 p.m. on Avila Beach.

Focus on the canine control began in June 2016 when the SLPA held a public safety workshop. The workshop focused on clarity and enforcement concerning different aspects of harbor management: parking, alcohol, glass, citations, and dogs on the beach to name a few. One of the results of the workshop was a call to review the district property ordinance pertaining to dogs.

The concern was that stipulations concerning canine beachgoers had the possibility of causing confusion.

“If you look at the ordinance, it may be, in some cases, hard to interpret,” said Andrea Lueker, SLPA harbor manager.

Since the workshop, the SLPA has received an increased number of complaints and concerns about dogs on the beach. The popularity of four-

legged friendly beaches has gained momentum, and, with the higher number of people, there is also a potential for an increased number of conflicts. In this case, conflicts generally mean aggressive dogs, mutt mitts (dog waste bags) not being properly disposed of, and the dereliction of duty by a few

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dog owners. In order to address different facets of managing the harbor, the SLPA utilizes several types of committees to vet issues and give recommendations to the board. The committees are solely advisory and have no power to change ordinances.

During a Property Committee meeting last January, the issue of dog related problems was brought forth in a memorandum by the SLPA. The memo directed the committee to discuss and give recommendations.

“What we shared at that meeting is that our push was to really figure out how to address the issues and still work with the dog owners,” said Lueker. “And really, to work with the dog owners on how do we change some of the behaviors that we are concerned about.”

The meeting also included different options to curb bad behavior the included a possible volunteer patrol and modifications to signage on the beaches.

A second meeting was held in February, and Lueker was pleased with the public participation.

“We took some more public comments and it was really all across the board positive,” said Lueker. “There were some people that wanted to maybe not have dogs (on the beaches) but for the most part, overwhelmingly, the comments we received were, ‘we want to keep dogs on the beach, how can we do it and how can it work a little bit better?’”

Currently, the SLPA is doing a sign inventory to determine if they are at ideal visibility locations and if they are predominantly clear about what is required of the public. It is also reviewing if the mutt mitt containers and trash receptacles are placed appropriately for maximize public use.

Lueker said that whenever a commission is involved, her goal is to give the public several opportunities to have their voice heard.

“Our point is to make sure that people are informed and that they have a chance to speak about how they feel and provide their input,” said Lueker. “The point being that the commission can make the best recommendation for the largest number of people.”

Lueker, a dog owner herself, utilizes and appreciates the dog beaches. In the past, she took her dog to Montana de Oro, but that is no longer an option due to canine restrictions.

“Slowly but surely, dogs have just not been allowed in more places. So, I think people are really excited that there is a place and they don’t want to lose that.

Probably the most important thing we do is have a dish of dog treats on our counter,” Lueker said laughing. “I love dogs, I’ve always had dogs.”

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News

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Big Brother Wins Big Award

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volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Luis Obispo County has won statewide recognition as, “California’s Big Brother of the Year.” Jacob Gersh of Paso Robles was nominated by his 13-year-old “Little Brother,” Arual of San Miguel. They were first matched in March of 2015.

Gersh was recognized “for the positive impact he’s had in Arual’s life, and in the community as a whole,” reads a news release from BBBS. After nearly 2 years of mentoring, “Arual is a model of academic and personal success. He is on track to achieve his long-term goals of becoming a chef and/or getting a degree in engineering.”

Gersh also supports families throughout SLO County by publicizing the program and recruiting volunteers.

He has participated in newspaper and TV news interviews, public service announcements and in-person presentations both with and without his “Little Brother.”

Gersh’s efforts help Big Brothers Big Sisters serve a record number of children since opening its doors in 1995.

This is the fourth year in a row that the local agency has earned a similar title, with three statewide “Big of the Year” titles from 2014-17. It also won the nationwide, “Agency of the Year” Award in 2016. In the photo are: Arual (no last name given) and Gersh playing Checkers

Public Works Director, from page 1

“I’ve had a long term personal goal to return to the Central Coast as a resident,” he said, adding that for the first year he will rent in the City by himself to allow his wife and stepdaughter to finish school. “I’ll go back and forth some, but I’ll be here during the week afterhours and I’ll be available to colleagues and the public a lot more often for the transition.”

As for English, he’ll still be staying in the area, and until his last day, he’s still working on projects he’d like to have completed.

“Fortunately, we have some really good people and Chris is an incredibly capable replacement,” said English, “he’ll pick up where I leave off.... I’m still running full steam ahead. I’m currently working on the infrastructure replacement report for council and our water supply status. I’m looking to finish some projects that are best for me to conclude rather than bring someone else up to speed.”

“It was a very unique experience to apply for one position and find a better prospect in the process,” said Magdosku. “The search and interview process began back in November and continued through till now. So it was long but done very well and I’ve met a lot of people that shared a lot of their experiences with me.”

He added that he was impressed with their commitment to finding the right fit for the transition as well as the City’s long-term needs.

Magdosku is currently the Assistant Public Works Director for the City of Whittier, in Southern California.

According to the resume he shared with the City Arroyo Grande, before 2006 he was the Project Manager/Civil Engineer for the City of Chino and a project engineer for a private geotechnical firm.

“I’ve been attending council meetings full time here for the last ten years as the Assistant Director—in some places they call that the deputy position— presenting reports and answering questions,” he said. “So that level of involvement won’t be new.”

With Whittier, he also serves as Deputy City Traffic Engineer and manages all traditional street services, electrical services, the city’s capital improvement program, street lighting, conditional use permits, and right of way management.

With all that hustle and bustle in the big city though he says, “I’m not your typical So-Cal guy. I try not to get caught up. The Central Coast is more real. And actually, going from 80,000 or 90,000 people to 15,000 won’t be much different in the day to day, just focused geographically,” he explained, “It won’t really be a culture shock. As I told the hiring panel, I’ve developed the desire to actually have the Arroyo Grande lifestyle.”

That includes a fondness for the town built up over the years and for Lopez Lake where the family vacations.

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March 23 - April 5, 2017 • Simply Clear Marketing & Media

Arroyo Grande • March 16: A female on the 400 block of Traffic Way was placed under arrest for battery, public intoxication and resisting arrest. That is going to be a hangover that lasts for months.

• March 14: Someone was found asleep behind the wheel and was showing symptoms of being under the influence of narcotics. Ol’ Sleepy (Stony? How about Dopey?) was placed under arrest for alleged possession of heroin and drug paraphernalia.

• March 11: Some dude was reportedly acting inappropriately toward female patrons at Ralph & Duane’s. The employees asked the lewd lothario to leave, but he refused and punched one of them in the face. A scuffle ensued and the bent fool exited the business with the help of multiple employees.

He was found to be too hammered to reasonably care for himself safely, and was taken to the County B&B, where he will be well taken care of.

• March 11: Some All Star was found to be allegedly lying about his identity, in possession of a controlled substance, driving trashed and stoned, and being under the influence of a controlled substances. Upon discerning the scofflaw’s true identity, he naturally had several outstanding warrants, too.

• March 8: CPS monitoring software identified a user on the BitTorrent Network in Pismo Beach, who was sharing child pornography on the Internet.

• March 5: Some unlucky soul with a prior felony conviction was contacted during a traffic stop. He was found to have a concealed, loaded handgun and was driving tippled.

Morro Bay • March 12: Police got a call at 6:44 p.m. from a woman on Elena who said a man was cursing and yelling at her, “causing her to feel harassed, anxious and fearful,” and she no doubt needs a safe space. No arrest was made. No word on whether she was a Millennial.

• March 12: A tree fell on a car in the 700 block of Napa. Police documented it for the lawsuit to follow.

• March 11: A citizen in the 300 block of Dunbar found out two credit cards were opened in his name without his permission and the thieves went on a $1,400 spending spree somewhere in Ohio.

• March 11: Police stopped a vehicle at 5:26 p.m. in the 700 block of Morro Bay Blvd., for “multiple traffic violations.”

She was also cited for no license, as she apparently never learned to drive either.

• March 10: It was quite a week for one

Police Blotter regular customer. She was contacted on March 3 at 5:39 a.m. in the 500 block of Atascadero Rd., and tossed to the nick for suspicion of being high on drugs. On March 8 at 4 a.m. in the 1000 block of Main she was again arrested for suspicion of being deep in her cups.

On March 10, police were called to an RV park by the Dunes in the 1700 block of Embarcadero when she was caught using the facilities “without paying for the services.” She was cited and released. At 2:47 p.m. the same gal, 32, was in the 500 block of Quintana and was arrested for suspicion of petty theft, possession of stolen property and illegal lodging. After apparently being released the next evening at 10, the busy lady was arrested in the 700 block of Quintana for suspicion of being high on drugs, for another ride on the Magical LE Carousel.

• March 9: Someone stole a bunch of underground cable stashed at the back of the power plant property by Pacific Wildlife Care.

• March 8: Someone stole a bike from the 700 block of Quintana. Police found it and returned it, and the caze is solved.

• March 8: Someone shoplifted a bottle of booze from a store in the 900 block of Main.

• March 7: Police responded at 5 p.m. to a motel in the 2800 block of Alder where a guest had checked out in his or her room.

• March 7: Police were notified of a young girl getting pornographic images via text messaging from an unknown pervert using an unfamiliar number.

• March 7: At 11:13 a.m. in the 700 block of MBB police arrested another spifficated belle of the ball.

• March 6: Someone in the 300 block of MBB had their garbage can stolen, in yet another example that people will steal anything.

• March 6: Police at the high school started a crime report regarding the sexual battery of a juvenile.

• March 5: Police responded at 6:43 p.m. to the 700 block of MBB for a reported attempted arson. Logs indicated a man allegedly poured lighter fluid all over his apartment floor “with the intent to light a fire.” He was taken to the County

• March 5: Police responded to the 2400 block of Main where they had some vandal on video surveillance breaking a window.

• March 5: At 4:46 a.m. police contacted a transient man, 25, camping where they can’t collect a tax. He was checked into the County B&B.

• March 1: Police contacted a probationer at 10:20 a.m. in the 2300 block of Nutmeg. He was arrested for a violation and of course resisting arrest and was referred for a mental health timeout.

• March 5: At 2:58 a.m. police contacted a disorderly woman, 24, at the police station on MBB. She was arrested for suspicion of being forshnicked.

• March 1: Police responded at 8:10 a.m. to the 900 block of Quintana for a disturbance. They arrested a transient couple for living on the edge.

• March 4: Police responded to Reno Court where two juveniles got into an argument over make up that escalated into a fight.

• Feb. 28: Police responded to a store in the 2600 block of Main and arrested a 52-year-old train wreck for attempted petty theft, attempted battery and of course being three sheets to the wind.

• March 4: At 3 p.m. police responded to a disturbance in the 700 block of MBB. A 40-year-old loudmouth was arrested for allegedly using “offensive language in public to provoke a physical response,” a.k.a. them’s fightin’ words.

He was taken to the cooler to chill.

• March 3: Police took a report of a City employee of the Community Development Department who “has been receiving ongoing, harassing phone calls” from no doubt another satisfied customer. In an unrelated case, at 12:30 a.m. the 4th, police roused and arrested a transient man, 40, camping out behind City Hall.

When they returned at 2:44 a.m. they found presumably the same guy’s undisclosed property stashed behind an enclosure at City Hall.

• March 3: Police stopped a guy riding a bicycle at 10:40 a.m. at Main and Hwy 41. Logs indicated the guy allegedly “threatened to shoot the officer with the officer’s gun,” no doubt an empty threat, but nevertheless, the dingus was arrested for suspicion of “threatening an officer while in the performance of his duties,” i.e. fighting the war on anti-social behavior and reckless bike riding.

• March 3: Police at the high school arrested some honor student for allegedly assaulting his or her parent.

• March 3: Someone left a black, rolling, duffle bag with a pair of men’s boots inside at the station house.

• March 2: Police responded to the 900 block of Embarcadero where a 32-yearold man was being detained on a citizen’s arrest for suspicion of having sticky fingers.

“Police responded to a store in the 2600 block of Main and arrested a 52-year-old train wreck for attempted petty theft, attempted battery and of course being three sheets to the wind.” lockup with a most appropriate request for a mental health evaluation.

700 block of Embarcadero reported being harassed.

• March 1: Police found an illegal campsite in the Dunes in the 1300 block of Embarcadero, for this they need a drone?

• March 1: At 12:13 p.m. a woman in the 2800 block of Main fell, hitting her head, and landing in the hospital via ambulance.

• March 1: Some tormented soul in the

• Feb. 28: A dude in the 900 block of Pacific reported his surfboard was stolen out of his basement, which sounds like an inside job.

• Feb. 27: Police found another transient campsite in the trees at the high school, but apparently no Dunites were in residence.

Pismo Beach • March 14: A car at North Beach Campground that appeared to be parked for a while had a dog, a wallet, and a meth pipe inside it.

• March 14: A refrigerator was left for several days in front of a home on the 900 block of Longview, as the war on blight continues its struggles.

• March 14: About $600 worth of shirts were stolen from the Tommy Hilfiger Store in the Outlet Center. Not long after, $400 worth of clothing was reported stolen from Ralph Loren.

• March 14: Some dude, who had been drinking, tried to steal sandals from Pancho’s Surf Shop. When employees tried to stop him, things got physical.

The father of the thief paid for the shoes.

• March 14: Someone on the pier reported a suspicious man who was possibly under the influence and brandishing a knife. Another train wreck was bleeding from the mouth.

One arrest was made for drunk in public, which explains a lot.

• March 14: It was a case of misplaced blame on the 2600 of Solano. A caller reported that a neighbor was harassing him saying that she was associated with law enforcement and that he was a criminal. It turned out that his “record” was a actually rumor started by some gossiper. Stay tuned for the next episode of As the Beach Turns…

• March 14: Some bar reject was sitting in front of California Fresh drinking a beer. Reportedly he was told to knock it off and became argumentative.

• March 13: Someone at the Cliff’s

Simply Clear Marketing & Media • March 23 - April 5, 2017

reported that a woman, possibly on Price, was screaming. It turns out that she had gotten into a loud argument with someone on the phone and was waiting for a ride, which will no doubt be fun.

• March 13: A lawnmower was stolen from OSH. One green thumb was busted.

• March 13: A woman gave $4,000 to someone she met online so that he could fly out to the area. He didn’t show up and she got a call saying that he was in jail.

• March 17: Police were called at 1:36 a.m. to a disturbing couple that was kicked out of the Library and was apparently chewing it up in Bubblegum Alley. They’d blown the place before police arrived.

“Some dude was reportedly acting inappropriately toward female patrons at Ralph & Duaneʼs. The employees asked the lewd lothario to leave, but he refused and punched one of them in the face.

A scuffle ensued and the bent fool exited the business with the help of multiple employees. He was found to be too hammered to reasonably care for himself safely, and was taken to the County B&B, where he will be well taken care of.”

• March 12: A caller reported a man was down the cliff near the Sea Crest Resort. The caller did not know how he got there or if he needed help. When police tried to get him to safety, he reportedly became combative and appeared disoriented. Cal Fire was called to the scene to perform a cliff rescue but the guy wanted nothing to do with it and didn’t try to get off the rocks.

When a Cal Fire firefighter got in the water and made contact with him, the guy ran away and continued to be uncooperative. Harbor patrol said that they would monitor him.

• March 12: Two people were reportedly smoking weed just north of the pier. As it turns out, they were smoking a cigar, which is still not legal on the beach.

San Luis Obispo • March 17: Police were called at 4 a.m. to the 400 block of Marsh for two urban miners wearing headlamps prospecting through the donation bin at a thrift store.

• March 17: Police stopped a suspicious vehicle at 2:30 a.m. on Monterey. The driver, 21, was busted outside Splash Café and Bakery for being toasted.

• March 17: At 1:14 a.m., someone in the 1100 block of Madonna sang, “Someone’s knockin’ on the door, Somebody’s ringin’ the bell, Do me a favor, Call the police, Don’t let ‘em in, Oooh-yeah, yeah…”

• March 17: Police were called around midnight to the 1500 block of Calle Joaquin where some disturbing fellow, full of the blarney, was singin’ in the parkin’ lot of Margie’s Diner, irritatin’ the fine folks at the Hampton Inn. • March 16: Police were called at 10:54 p.m. to the 600 block of Morro to run off a transient, alleged loiterer camping between two buildings. At 10:50, a woman in the 1300 block of Foothill reported walking past a suspicious man sitting in a parked truck with the interior light on some 20 minutes ago.

Police couldn’t find the guy, as after a half hour, he no doubt turned off the light.

• March 16: At 9:23 p.m. someone in the 3500 block of Higuera reported a man drove his car over the roadway median

s +ARATE

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and blew out his tires in front of Zoey’s Consignment Shop, a case of maybe the guy ought to consign his car.

• March 16: Police got a call at 9:20 p.m. from a woman in the 1700 block of Osos asking for a welfare check of the area around the Kamma Kamma Gamma Sorority House. Only two officers responded, spent a half hour there, and of course there was no report.

• March 16: Police got a report at 10:56 p.m. in the 800 block of Higuera of a guy having trouble parallel parking his vehicle, almost hitting two cars outside Victoria’s Secret, the pitfalls of no doubt having just one hand on the wheel.

• March 16: Police were called at 8:35 p.m. to the 600 block of Marsh where some lunatic was yelling and cursing about “GENOCIDE!!!” outside the 7-Eleven.

•

7

example of why we need SWAT.

• March 16: Police were called at 6:42 p.m. to the 500 block of Dana for a trespasser. Some apparently illiterate transient man jumped over a fence posted “Do Not Enter,” as apparently the world is yours when you live outdoors. At 6 p.m. an irate car owner in the 1100 block of Madonna said a guy just whizzed on his car tire and front end, as the world’s apparently your toilet too.

• March 16: Someone reported a traffic hazard in the 300 block of Santa Barbara, a red plastic gas can and chainsaw were left in the street by Taco Bell.

• March 16: Police responded at 8 p.m. to Vons on Broad after some guy tried to steal a shopping cart full of booze.

They got the cart back but the brazen hooch thief escaped.

• March 16: At 3:17 p.m. a citizen reported a guy laying in a planter in the 1200 block of Monterey and not moving but the caller thought he wasn’t dead, dead drunk maybe, but breathing. At 3:21, another panicky citizen reported driving past a car on Montalban and Santa Rosa with a guy lying underneath and they thought the car had fallen on him.

• March: 16: A citizen reported seeing several 20-gallon jugs filled with an unknown liquid in the bushes on the Bowden Ranch, 50 yards past Sitting Rocks, wherever the heck that is.

• March 16: At 3:04 p.m. someone in the 1300 block of Phillips complained about a guy “pounding on a forge” for the past 2 hours. The apparent blacksmith wasn’t being too loud.

• March 16: Some snitch reported seeing three guys smokin’ the evil weed in an alley on Funston, something everyone should get used to fast.

• March 16: Police were called at 12:11 p.m. to the 1000 block of Nipomo for a belligerent fellow playing guitar and panhandling outside the Children’s Museum, no doubt quite the exhibit too. He was advised to take the show on the road.

• March 16: A citizen complained at 6:59 p.m. about some transient man blocking the sidewalk with his meager belongings in a shopping cart at Morro and Walnut. He’d shuffled off before they arrived. In an unrelated case but a minute later someone asked police to check the welfare of a suspicious guy standing on the sidewalk of the Santa Rosa Street overpass talking to himself.

He too apparently talked himself into leaving before police arrived.

• March 16: Police and fire were called at 8:45 a.m. to the 1400 block of Descanso for an oven fire. The gourmet put the fire out himself.

• March 16: Some scoundrel smashed a car window parked in the 600 block of Henderson.

• March 16: Some dingus didn’t put the barricades for Farmer’s Market up right and cars were slipping through at Garden and Marsh, in this week’s

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•

News

March 23 - April 5, 2017 • Coast News

Pismo Pier Closed for Renovation Story and Photos by Camas Frank

T

he $8.78 million renovation of the Pismo Beach Pier kicked off March 14 with a groundbreaking of sorts led by Pismo Beach Mayor Ed Waage.

Since there was no ground to break in the literal sense, on the first diamond deck of the pier, they instead hammered golden nails through, what Waage pointed out, was a much more robust lumber beam purchased for the makeover.

A version of the iconic structure has existed in the city since 1881, but the current structure has only been in constant service since a reconstruction in 1986. The remodel will update and repair parts of structure that still has some elements dating to 1924 Pismo Beach City Manager Jim Lewis said the choice had been to either close the public access seasonally and cease vehicle traffic of any kind, or find the funds for an upgrade.

“Our pier, while heavily used, is tired and damaged,” Lewis said, “The sections that are 93-years-old are certainly showing their age. Had we not moved forward with this project today our pier would continue to deteriorate and be closed during almost any storm event, during any period of high swell, and we would be unable to use it for events.”

To show the enormity of the project Lewis got some stats from the engineers.

The pier consists of: 382 timber piles, 115 steel piles, a 60,100 sq.ft. deck with 2,840 ft. of guard railing, a cantilevered fishing deck and four diamond pedestrian decks, along with utility and trunk lines, some of which normally support the bait shack and an information kiosk.

Waage was clear on the community and civic desire to see the pier reborn, as well where the money will come from.

“This pier has been the focal point of our beautiful beach for decades,” he said. “It is the icon for our city....the pier beckons visitors from around the world for a vacation here. Those visitors are the economic engine for this city and that’s why we have the funds available to rehab this pier.”

While crews started work almost immediately at the seawall, a few people came out for a walk in the fog.

Most, the locals at least, had been tipped off by the staging yard and signage describing the project in recent weeks, but that was not the case a few days previously when the sun brought visitors from further afield.

Tourists from as far as London and a little closer to home, Bakersfield, strolled the promenade environment and few paid any attention to the gapping fenced off hole in the railing where the bait shack had recently been removed.

“Oh, I thought I saw something about it being closed but they’re doing that, when?,” asked one traveler. “Well it’s beautiful, but I can see why.”

Sections of the pier will be reopened in sequence, with the entire length closed at first for the entrance ramp and first diamond hoped to be complete by the popular Fourth of July weekend.

The second diamond would be deemed safe sometime in winter 2017 the next in fall 2018 and the final phase in spring 2019.

photo by www.PhotoByVivian.com

News

Coast News • March 23 - April 5, 2017

•

9

Save Camp AG Campaign Re-launch Story and Photos by Camas Frank

C

amp Arroyo Grande has been around since before the City itself, and now a non-profit group with a five-decade relationship to the property is hoping to keep things going for a few decades more.

The 132-year-old Methodist Camp property, it’s 29 acres, historic 12-sided tabernacle and breathtaking views overlooking the Village of Arroyo Grande and the valley below was placed for sale last year by the CaliforniaPacific Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church (Cal-Pac).

A buyer was lined up in December, with the believed purchase price, although unconfirmed as the buyer was never publically disclosed, to be $3.2 million out of an asking price that had been quoted as high as $4 million. That sale fell through sometime after the first of the year.

At least, that was the story as gathered

by Kenneth Miles, executive director of Camp Fire Central Coast California, an organization that has used the site for decades.

“It’s still zoned for public use,” Miles explained. “The City has made a public commitment to that, which means it couldn’t all go to housing, which would be more valuable, but can be a school or church or residential drug recovery center.”

From what he, and other community members who’ve organized under the

social media banner ‘Save Camp Arroyo Grande’ understand, the immediate neighbors of the camp weren’t happy with the buyer’s plans for such a recovery center.

Now that the deal has fallen through, Miles added, “We’re regenerating an effort to save it. We’re starting a petition drive at the Arroyo Grande Farmers’ Market and gathering several hundred names.”

Meanwhile, Arroyo Grande’s Interim City Manager Bob McFall has told local media that, yes, the City is aware that the sales was off and we’re looking at their options with Cal-Pac. There’s a complicated negotiating

history between the two entities, as the City Council had been seen to be on the verge of ratifying an agreement with Cal-Pac to save the tabernacle and other public interests on the site when the sale was announced instead.

However, this will still be the first year that Camp Fire, and other groups that traditionally leased the space from Cal-Pac will have to find another spot.

Camp Fire is a secular nonprofit that locally focuses on youth in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.

For the past 50 years they’ve leased the Camp Arroyo Grande property turning it into Camp Tacanneko for a weeklong day camp for K-11th graders.

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Upon notice of the sale they made arrangement to hold this year’s event at the old Boy Scout Camp near Lake Lopez.

“Whether we start a new nonprofit or network somehow...maybe an investor will come forward or several organizations can pool resources....

Our hope was that the City would buy it and then a nonprofit could manage it,” said Miles. “But we didn’t have time to explore that before. Now we’re looking at it with fresh eyes.”

Other possibilities to keep the Camp in use by Central Coast locals include a possible legal approach concerning the nature of the property’s trust as managed by Cal-Pac. The Save Camp Arroyo Grande cadre are encouraging members of the Methodist faith who may have standing with Cal-Pac to contact Camp Fire’s office line at 773-5126.

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•

March 23 - April 5, 2017 • Coast News

Community

SLO BOS Backs Planners Denies Phillips 66 Story and Photos By Camas Frank

T

he San Luis O b i s p o C o u n t y P l a n n i n g Commission held eight hearings last year to consider the application

by Phillips 66 to build a rail depot for up to 150 tanker car trains through the county each year.

On March 13 and 14 this year the SLO Board of Supervisors was called upon for an appeal hearing of the Planning C o m m i s s i o n ’s 3-2 denial of that plan, and many of the same local residents, anti-oil protestors and elected officials from the rail corridor North and South, including Los Angeles, Sacramento, Davis, Berkeley, Oakland, and San Jose came out to repeat their concerns.

This time the BOS voted 3-1, to uphold their Planning Commission’s decision.

The San Luis Obispo County Planning

Commission held eight hearings last year to consider the application by Phillips 66 to build a rail depot for up to 150 tanker car trains through the county each year.

On March 13 and 14 this year the SLO Board of Supervisors was called upon for an appeal hearing of the Planning Commission’s 3-2 denial of that plan, and many of the same local residents, anti-oil protestors and elected officials

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from the rail corridor North and South, including Los Angeles, Sacramento, Davis, Berkeley, Oakland, and San Jose came out to repeat their concerns.

This time the BOS voted 3-1, to uphold their Planning Commission’s decision.

District 1 Supervisor John Peschong, who normally would be chairing the meeting, recused himself, as the Phillips 66 Co. was a client of his before the November 2016 election. Anti-Phillips

66 protestors, gathering for a rally at noon on March 13, therefore focused their attention and public comments on the women remaining on the Board, District 5 Supervisor Debbie Arnold, whose district includes the treacherous Cuesta Pass, and Supervisor Lynn Compton of District 4 where the project would be located.

The strategy to convince one of the more conservative elements of the

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normally “party line” voting Board to peel off and join District 2 and 3 Supervisors Bruce Gibson and Adam Hill paid off with the addition of Sup. Compton to form a majority.

While Compton said she disagreed with the onerous process, and timing of the Planning Commission’s 2016 decision, she backed them because to do otherwise, she said, “would be a vote against the interests” of her own constituents.

Neighbors of the project site have been organized in opposition under the banner Mesa Refinery Watch Group for the last three years.

Coast News • March 23 - April 5, 2017

That group was repeatedly thanked for their efforts at the March 13 rally, and march on sidewalks through the City of SLO Downtown, by speakers including City of SLO Mayor Heidi Harmon and District 24 Congressional Rep. Salud Carbajal.

“Your leaders have the chance to do the right thing this week,” said Rep. Carbajal in front of a crowd of 100 gathered on the lawn of San Luis Obispo Superior Court Annex, “to stop this oil development in it’s tracks – if you’ll pardon the pun.”

Harmon, who spoke at the last rally in 2016 as an activist and organizer and

addressed them this time as mayor, added, “Look at what’s possible. Anyone here holding a sign could be in City Hall, or the Governor’s Mansion or even soon the White House. The time to move to clean energy is now.”

Her remarks rang true for at least one other speaker. Rep. Carbajal appeared as guest at the Feb 2016 rally as a candidate as well.

Official endorsers of the rally s included: the Sierra Club Santa Lucia Chapter, ECOSLO, California Nurses Association, the Center for Biological Diversity, the SLO Surfrider Foundation, Stand.earth, Protect Price Canyon, SLO

•

Clean Energy, SLO350.org, and the SLO County Democratic Party.

As of press time Phillips 66 had not released a statement indicating whether they would cancel further crude-by-rail plans. They do have the option to appeal to the California Coastal Commission or even sue the County.

However, the San Luis Obispo Superior Court recently ruled against the company’s effort to outmaneuver the Planning Commission process on legal grounds ahead of the Board of Supervisors hearings.

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DATE, 2017 • Coast News

News

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I

f there’s one thing the majority of adults block out of their minds on a daily basis, it’s how hard it was to be a teenager.

Bodies may change in unflattering ways after 30 but nothing compares to the gauntlet of hormones, emotion, easily misunderstood social cues, and sheer terror that preludes suddenly being thrust into responsibility, and for many, self reliance, for the first time.

For three years now staff at Lopez Continuation High School in Arroyo Grande have been, if not taking the edge off that transition, at least giving students the tools to cope with life after high school. Through their Capstone program the traditional march towards graduation is augmented with a focus on actual life skills and the beginning of an exploration of careers.

The program, scheduled out for a twoyear span, but sometimes compressed for students who transfer into the school with a deadline looming, has significantly increased graduation rates, said Principal Jennifer Bowen.

On March 9 students came into a classroom one by one to face a panel of their teachers, and community members who volunteer their time, to hear the student’s presentations on what they’d learned.

The presentations cover both personal developments during the program, what the students found beneficial, and reports on time with mentors in their fields of choice.

McKenna Biven, a 17-year-old senior, said her time at Lopez had been “a complete 180 [degrees]” from what she’d experienced at the New Tech School, also in the Lucia Mar School District.

Biven is graduating early, plans to be the first of her family to graduate college and wants to get a real estate license.

The opportunity afforded her to shadow a business owner and realtor, something she found immensely rewarding, even though, she said, it takes people a moment to get why she’s interested.

“Honestly, it’s because I’ve always loved to look at houses and fantasize about what it would be like to live there,” a point of interest in drawing her to the field she noted, but not an unrealistic motivation. “My mentor told me about the classes to get a license, that you don’t have to got to a university but can take courses online. I got to sit in on client interviews and I learned about the constant meetings [to learn about new laws or homes entering the market].”

Capstone has students do extensive self-assessment writing essays on aspects of their plans and addressing their goals; it also provides lessons on managing finances.

Whereas other high schools may gloss over balancing a checking account, Lopez and Capstone include lessons on mock car loans and insurance paperwork.

That extends to the real world right away. In fact, as the school’s internal web portal reminds students they “cannot graduate without completing their field experience and no one can begin field experience without turning in liability paperwork.”

School counselor Bernie Dominguez said that he’d been working with students at Lopez since 2001, and the Capstone program was showing marked results since they entered into a development process four years ago.

“Community views on Lopez haven’t always been positive,” he explained, remarking on the sometime stigma that continuation schools like Lopez or Pacific Beach in San Luis Obispo sometimes face. “But, it is hard to argue with success and smaller classes. We’ve had parents that initially came in, you know, kind of sneering saying, ‘Oh my kid doesn’t belong here’ but when they walk in and see what we offer it become, ‘Actually that’s just what he needs.’”

Lopez serves the Five Cities area, with approximately 135 sophomores, juniors and seniors of which 60 were scheduled to go through the Capstone program this year.

• • • •

Inside:

Now and Then Good to be King Community Calendar Adventure Girl

• • • •

Art Talk Modern Senior Good Dogma Sports Shorts

• • • •

Framed Nightwriters Entertainment Dinner and a Movie

Central Coast Life

•

March 23 - April 5, 2017

A Brown Girl Walked into a Tanning Salon, You Won’t Believe What Happened Next!

Story and photos by Courtney Haile

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t was a typically d r a b weekday around 11:30 in the morning, and I was ripe for solicitation.

A clean-cut young man strolled into my office offering a promotion for new clients on spa services at Planet Beach Tanning and Spa. All I heard was 90% off.

Normally short with a salesperson, my interest was piqued and my eye contact established. My office mates became uncharacteristically quiet, typing away at their keyboards as he went in for the kill.

I tuned out as he detailed the treatments . . . sauna, facial, calories burned, soft skin for a month . . . “We used to focus only on tanning but now we’re offering spa services,� he said. I responded loudly, expecting a laugh from the room “Well, I definitely I don’t need tanning, so I am glad you’re expanding�.

Complete silence enveloped the space, and I had mere seconds to agree and pay. Sold! I grabbed my gold sequined wallet and shelled out the 56 bucks for over $300 worth of self-care.

The day came for the first two treatments at Planet Beach Tanning and Spa, located in the Foothill Plaza in SLO, which is currently under construction (I imagine this somewhat inspired the deal).

The Infrared Sauna Detox offers “detoxification that is 7 to 10 times greater than a conventional sauna,� while the Lumiere facial uses light therapy to minimize fine lines and wrinkles while killing bacteria (from the brochure). The lovely young gal at the front desk suggested I have the facial first as the sauna is a hard act to follow.

She escorted me to a massage chair tricked out with a white, hood like contraption. I had no idea what was in store; but with my safety goggles and $4 vitamin

C serum I was equipped for the 20-minute service. I was assured that I would adjust to the super bright light and once that hood came down, even with my eyes closed I saw bright orange.

As the massage chair squeezed my shoulders I grew slightly concerned but tried to relax.

The light looked but didn’t feel scorching.

I imagined being sun kissed by the warmth at best, although I did visit the scenario of the chair squeezing and trapping me as the light grew hotter and brighter. I was happy when another nice lady helped me out to prepare me for the Infrared Sauna Detox. “Would you like to purchase the $4 sauna-suit? You will really sweat and you will feel it – like puddles�. Sold! I stepped into the large human shaped plastic and forced hand holes for selfie taking before opting for the 30-minute detox program in the small private sauna. Relaxing music and funky lights intensified my trip to sweatville and about ten minutes in, those puddles formed. What can I say? It was hot. I wasn’t sure how to return to the outside world. I stepped out; a wet mess swathed in plastic. The air conditioning felt heavenly and after I toweled off my toxins I truly felt clean and refreshed.

On my way out I purchased a diet coke for re-tox, and I am pretty sure the waiting patrons took one look at me and were wowed by the tanning beds.

If you have tanning needs, or just want a cleansing sweat without the exercise, then I’ll see you at Planet Beach!

Courtney Haile is a writer and fitness instructor living in San Luis Obispo.

March 23 - April 5, 2017

• Central Coast Life

New Book A Love Story With Injured Wildlife Then & Now

By Judy Salamacha

F

rom her heart and “For my Dean,� “Life Ashore with Human Parents,� a new book

by Morro Bay’s Bertha Tyler, is at heart a love story.

On April 9 from 1-3 p.m.

Coalesce Book Store and Quota Club of Morro Bay are inviting the public to meet the author, as she shares a few stories about her early days operating the Morro Bay Aquarium and Gift Shop.

Dean and Bertha Tyler enjoyed 46 years as partners in marriage and business.

They co-owned and operated the rehabilitation center, aquarium and gift shop at 595 Embarcadero since 1965 — some 17 years before the Marine Mammal Protection Act was implemented in 1972.

Each year approximately 200,000 visitors from all over the world learned about Central Coast marine life while being entertained by the barks and antics of the rehabbing seals and sea lions — some ultimately becoming permanent residents.

In 2015, Bertha turned over the day-to-day operations to their grandson, John Alcorn.

She wanted time to write the story about the early days, when she and Dean learned “on-the-job� how they would care for marine mammals in crisis. “They loved me,� she recalled. “Even when I had to use a feeding tube, they would trust me.�

With more than 125 pictures, Bertha writes how many became part of the Tyler Family and curious “citizens� along Morro Bay’s waterfront.

In the book’s introduction, Bertha explains why at 92 she wanted to tell her story. “It has been a long time coming.

At 90, I retired and was inspired to write a book about the good times I had with the animals Dean and I took care of.

“I married into this and I say this as I had my own business feeding customers at the Chat ‘N Chew Restaurant in Morro Bay from 1965-1973. I soon learned about feeding raw fish to seals and otters. “Also, I worked in the gift shop as the manager-owner. When I retired to write this book, Dean’s health declined and I became his caregiver. Dean passed in 2015 and in 2016, I decided to go forth with my plans to write about some of the experiences and good times I enjoyed while rehabilitating sea lions, harbor seals, and sea otters. I also had sad times when the animal would die

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and mixed feelings when they were released.�

Originally from Canada, Dean came to Morro Bay in 1949 to help his brother Phil fish from a boat named Shmoo.

When his brother stopped fishing to attend Cal Poly, Dean remained a fisherman.

He would bring live specimens to the newly built aquarium, befriending the owner. “The aquarium business was not producing enough money, so the owner offered it to Dean,� explained Bertha. “Dean thought it over and soon decided to buy it as it would be a good job in his senior years.� They met at the Chat ‘N Chew and after a brief courtship, married in 1969.

Dean taught Bertha to love the seals and otters they rescued. They accepted all that needed help. Most of the rescues became temporary wards until they were healthy enough to be released back into the bay or ocean.

The book tells the tale of Jimbo, a harbor seal rescue that Bertha helped to release and Buddy’s search for the aquarium after his release and subsequent hop-aboard Morro Bay’s harbor cruise paddle wheeler, the Tiger’s Folly II. Occasionally, there were good reasons their rescues became permanent adoptees. Told in her own words, the book recalls Bertha’s gender debate

with Dean about Sammy (Samantha?), the sea lion.

Suzy the sea otter had “sticky,� fishfood flippers and loved to wander unannounced into the Hofbrau Restaurant. The book recounts how Bertha forgave Suzy, the sea otter, for biting her finger.

One otter came to them in a bucket as a baby and was named “Birdie� after Dean’s mother. The rescues became Dean and Bertha’s first children — forevermore an extension of their family of five human children and ultimately 54 grandchildren and greatgrandchildren.

In 2006, the Morro Bay Chamber of Commerce named Dean and Bertha Tyler “Morro Bay Living Treasures.�

Always an advocate for the fishing industry and small businesses of Morro Bay, Dean served on the Morro Bay Harbor Advisory Board.

Bertha loved to bowl and generated thousands of dollars by creating an Annual Bowl-a-Thon to benefit Quota Club’s support of Camp Hapitok.

She continues to “love working with her church family� and Estero Bay Republican Women Federated.

Bill Charlesworth of Central Coast Press, designed and published Bertha’s book. Copies can be reserved by calling the Morro Bay Aquarium at (805) 772-7647. The cost is $10. The books will also be available after April 9 at Carla’s Country Kitchen Gift Shop, and Coalesce in Morro Bay and Volumes of Pleasure Book Shoppe in Los Osos.

Freelance writer, columnist and author, Judy Salamacha’s Then & Now column is a regular feature of Simply Clear Marketing & Media. Contact her at: judysalamacha@gmail.com or (805) 801-1422 with story ideas.

Central Coast Life

•

March 23 - April 5, 2017

Community Calendar

A free “Information Only� seminar on Cochlear Implant Technology will be held Saturday, March 25 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Cuesta College, Building 5400, Room 5401.

Lunch included. If you have a hearing loss, come hear two audiologists explain how you may benefit from CI & what the process entails. A Q&A will follow. If you are a CI wearer, come share your success story! More info, email kpimente@cuesta.edu. •••

The Lioness Club of Cayucos’ Second Annual Pulled Pork Dinner, a fundraiser benefiting the Club’s trade scholarships and other Lioness Club of Cayucos projects, is set for 4:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 27 at the Cayucos Vet’s Hall. Tickets are $10 for adults, and $6 for children under-10. Get tickets in advance from any Lioness or better yet, by calling Teresa Higdon at (805) 400-4990.

Tickets will also be available at the door. Homemade desserts will be for sale too. ••• Morro Bay Art Association will exhibit the artworks of the later-David Jonas (1926-2014) from March 23May 1. An opening reception is set for 2-4 p.m. Sunday, March 26 at the Art Center Morro Bay Gallery, 835 Main St. Free and open to the public. “David Jonas, A Retrospectiveâ€? will display Jonas’ vibrant oil and watercolor paintings that evoke the dazzling glow of sunlight. Jonas was an artist for Disney Studios working on animated and live-action films. He also worked with Steven Spielberg and Francis

Morro Bay Art Association will exhibit the artworks of the later-David Jonas (1926-2014) from March 23-May 1 Phippen Museum in Prescott, Ariz.

His film production work hangs in the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco. ••• The Mid-Coast Veterans Alliance, servicing veterans needs in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties, is holding a benefit barbecue from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 25 at the Veterans Memorial Hall, 501 S. Pine St., Santa Maria to raise money for veterans in the community. Cost is $10 a plate for tri-tip plus raffles, a 50/50 raffle, and guest speakers.

Tickets can be purchased by calling Fernando Guzman at 925-2372. Make

••• The San Luis Obispo Museum of Art and Central Coast Photographic Society will present, “New Visions: California Juried Photography Exhibition,â€? from April 7 through May 2 at the Museum, 1010 Broad St., in Mission Plaza. This exhibition will pay tribute to “the compelling imaginations and technical

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followed a 1-night member art show.

Members are asked to bring one matted or framed painting and a main dish, salad or dessert to share. Paintings will be juried by attendees, and prizes will be awarded. Prospective members are invited to attend.

photographers from across California.

Only 49 photographs were chosen for the show. Also, SLOMA’s Film Series will show, “La Quete D’inspiration/ The Quest For Inspiration� at 7 p.m.

Monday, April 17. The film was born of numerous solitary wanderings through autumnal forests by landscape photographer, Alexandre Deschaumes.

For more information, see: SLOMA. org. •••

The San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden has some upcoming special events. The events will be held at the Botanical Garden, 3450 Dairy Creek Rd., in El Chorro Regional Park, across

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Franchise opportunities available. Call 866-669-8549

checks out to: MCVA, PO Box 5654, Santa Maria CA 93456. ••• The March meeting of the Central Coast Watercolor Society is set for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 28 at the San Luis Obispo United Methodist Church, 1515 Fredericks St. A social hour and potluck supper is at 6:30 p.m.

skills of photographers today,� reads a news release. Ruta Saliklis, SLOMA’s director of exhibitions will give a members-only curator’s talk at 5 p.m.

Friday, April 7, followed by a public reception and awards ceremony with the artists from 6–9 p.m. in conjunction with Art After Dark. Exhibit juror and nature photographer extraordinaire, George Lepp, selected the best photos from 164 images submitted by 64

Hwy 1 from Cuesta College, unless otherwise indicated. See: slobg.org for more details and to sign up for the events. • Spring Plant Sale fundraiser is set for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 25. Get expert advice and find great deals on beautiful plants. Prices will vary and all plant sales are free of sales tax.

••• Los Osos Library is hosting several free public events at the library, 2075 Palisades Ave., and sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Events are free unless otherwise noted. Call 528-1862 for more information.

The library’s therapy dog, Berkeley, will be on hand to listen to kids read at 3-4 p.m. Wednesdays. Share stories with Berkeley. Free.

Family Movie is set for 2 p.m.

Saturday, April 1. They supply free popcorn and a G or PG-rated movie.

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People Helping People of Los Osos is holding its Annual Yard Sale fundraiser Friday-Saturday, April 7-8 at the South Bay Community Center, 2180 Palisades Ave. Hours are noon to 4 p.m. Friday, and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. There will be lots of collectables, household, tools, furniture and more — too much to put it all out on Friday, so be sure to check back Saturday so you don’t miss out on bargains.

One show only!

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Painter, Laurel Sherrie’s artworks will be on display April 3-May 1 at Coldwell Banker Realty, 1234 Monterey St., Ste. 110 in San Luis Obispo. Called, “Petite Plein Air Gems,” Sherrie’s miniature landscapes (6-inches by 8”) are painted on location around SLO County. There’s a free reception to meet Sherrie from 6-9 p.m. Friday, April 7, during Art After Dark with petite snacks served. See: www.laurelsherrie. com for information on the artist.

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Signups are being taken now for the 9th Annual Paso Robles Dog Jog, set for 10 a.m. Saturday, April 1 at Vina Robles Winery, a benefit for the Sherwood Dog Park. Early registration is $25 until March 30, and then it goes up to $30. Entry includes a 2K or 4K jog or walk (dogs included), commemorative dog bandana, goody bag, finisher’s medal, a voucher for lunch and Vina Robles wine tasting and event glass for 21-older participants only. Additional lunch or wine tasting will be available for purchase. To register online, see: www.parks4pups. org or call (805) 239-9326. The event will take place rain or shine.

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“Experience small ensembles and the entire 50-person choir performing lighthearted parodies, silly songs and some timeless favorites, plus a very special appearance

by The Bald Spots!”

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The Gallery at Marina Square and National Estuary Program will host a free public open house during the April Embarcadero Art Walk, set for 5-8 p.m. Friday, April 14 upstairs at Marina Square, 601 Embarcadero, Morro Bay. Meet with many artists and catch a special Art & Science Reception on the state of the bay with the NEP, which has a nature center in Marina Square. There will be refreshments and live music.

The San Luis Obispo Museum of Art will exhibit, “Six Squared,” an exhibition of traditional print media by the Central Coast Printmakers in the McMeen Gallery from April 7 through May 28. There will be an opening reception for the exhibition from 6-9 p.m. Friday, April 7 in conjunction with Art After Dark. Artists produced three, 6-inch by 6-inch hand-pulled prints in cohesive images related by color, printmaking method, and/or subject matter. This is a nice exhibit on the art of printmaking. The San Luis Obispo Museum of Art is at 1010 Broad St., on the west end of Mission Plaza. Free admission; donations are appreciated.

For more information, see: SLOMA. org.

ONCERT C S L O

SIN

•••

APRIL

Call 528-1862 for title.

During National Library Week, April 10-15, all SLO County Libraries will waive up to $1 of late fines for each nonperishable food item you bring in. All food will be donated to the Food Bank Coalition of SLO County. However, Food For Fines does not apply to fees for lost or damaged library materials.

CAL A RT

• Bay-friendly gardening seminar is set for 1-2 p.m. Saturday, April 8.

Master gardeners will share tips for sustainable gardening practices that help protect the health of bays and oceans. Cost is $5 garden members, and $10 non-members. No reservations needed.

• Earth Day, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday, April 22. This is the 27th Annual SLO County Earth Day Festival and will feature a fun, outdoor event with live music, an eco-marketplace, good food and great exhibits. Free admission, though there is a day use fee entering the County Park.

• Central Coast Life

VO

March 23 - April 5, 2017

www.pacslo.org • 805-756-4tix (4849) Bette Kulp

ENROLL NOW to shine onstage at the

Performing Arts Center in our annual Studio Showcase!

CAN’T STOP THE FEELIN’

••• Get your tickets now! The Avila Beach Civic Association and the San Luis Yacht Club are holding their annual Easter Festival for all of the children in the area on Saturday, April 8, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Avila Beach Community Center, 191 San Miguel Street. There will be snacks for all and the children will be able to color eggs, make an Easter bag at the craft table, and hunt for Easter eggs around the Community Center. There will also be a Bounce House sponsored

by Joan Gellert-Sargen. For more info and if you want to get involved, call 805-627-1997 or email avilabeachcc@ gmail.com. Join us for a fun familyoriented free event.

••• Cayucos Art Association is holding a Members-Only Art Sale in “The Tent,” a canvas canopy tent installed behind the Cayucos Vet’s Hall as the temporary home for events that normally take place inside the Vet’s Hall, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 2. Admission is free to the public and artworks will be for sale. The Art Association, a staple in the community since its founding in 1989.

Dance, theater, voice, music — all ages, all levels.

Performances on June 24, 2017 at 1pm & 6pm

Dance • Music • Theater • Voice coastaldanceandmusicacademy.com

1030 Huston Street, Suite C | Grover Beach | 805.489.5678

Central Coast Life

•

March 23 - April 5, 2017

Who and What is Philip Carey?

By Jayne Behman

O

utsider Art and Outsider Artists are terms that refer to works of art created by artistes that are outside of the mainstream art world or art institutions. In many cases, these artists do not have formal art training. They, in many cases, are people with mental issues and/or physical challenges. The images usually illustrate elaborate fantasy worlds, extreme mental states, and unconventional ideas. There is a large population of art collectors that look to acquire Outsider Art. Frida Kahlo is not considered an Outsider Artist. Yet, her paintings describe her political beliefs, physical battles, and love relationships. She executes her paintings in a naïve style.

A self-declared Outsider Artist who utilizes trash to make his art is Morro Bay’s Phillip Carey. A 70 year artveteran, he began his creative passion in kindergarten but grew up wanting to be the world’s greatest opera singer.

When he tired of this youthful dream, he enrolled at Long Beach State University in its graphic design department.

Because of the praise from his exhibit design class professor, Phillip decided that creating mini environments was his calling. He graduated with dual major degrees in exhibit design and graphic design. This higher education experience allowed Carey to learn how to

use and manipulate countless materials that he would put and work together to form self-contained durable mini environments. During his career as an installation artist he worked for science & industry museums, state parks, and historical societies throughout the United States. He completed more

than 2500 environmental design projects.

Enjoying retirement was short lived when Phil was diagnosed with kidney failure with his “life” dependent on dialysis three times a week, three hours per visit. He passed the time making “postal” art. Using one clipboard, nonfading ballpoint black ink pens, archival prima colored pencils, and blank white envelopes, he completed more than 450 different images. In addition, he saved his bandages, cotton swabs, and numerous other items from his medical procedure.

Art in My Veins, a piece he exhibited in 2015 at The American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, was his life sized self portrait. He incorporated his medical trash into the piece to personalize it. It depicts his pain and suffering, literally.

Trashing my Art, Arting my Trash is the title for Phillip’s current project. It will be a large multi layer installation that will incorporate trash he collected on his US cross-country road trip. Using stuff that others might throw away to make art may sound uninteresting or contrived. But, under the fingers of this great exhibit design master,

“stuff “ is manipulated to become a masterpiece. In its construction, Phil is using pieces of corrugated packaging, brochures, menus, chocolate wrappers, newspapers, road signs, tires, maps, and so much more. The completed project, which I would guess at completion to be 15 feet long by 8 feet high, will be installed at Kellogg Community College’s DeVries Gallery, Battle Creek, Michigan (September 22 through October 27, 2016).

Philip Carey labels himself as an Outsider Artist, and his works Outsider Art. I disagree. To me, he’s simply a master artist without a category. He processes his world, his way. I am lucky that he let me in his front door.

See the art of Phillip Carey on his website www.strageartofphilipcarey. com.

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NORTH COAST

GALLERIES

Amphora Gallery 4070 Burton Dr. Cambria 805-927-8273 Arthur Van Rhyn Studio Cambria 805-927-5576 Artists Garden 316 Grove St. Los Osos 805-528-1068

By The Bay Gallery 895 Embarcadero Morro Bay 805-772-5563 bythebaygallery.com Bronze, Silver & Gold Gallery 4044 Burton Dr. Cambria 805-927-5421 bsgcambria.com Cayucos Art Association & Cayucos Art Gallery 10 Cayucos Dr. Cayucos 805-995-2049 cayucosart.org Dexter Smith Art Studio 5945 Ebtrada Ave. Cayucos artistdextersmith.com Focus On Nature Photo Gallery 601 Embarcadero Morro Bay 805-772-4972 gallery.focus-on-nature.com Forever Stoked 1164 Quintana Rd. Morro Bay 805-771-9095 foreverstoked.com Full Moon Pottery StudioGallery 345 Harbor St. Morro Bay 805-772-2890 fullmoonmb.com

Maggie’s Meticulous Mat & Frame Shop 2280 Sunset Dr. Los Osos 805-772-4700 The Frame Shop 2131 10th St. Ste A Los Osos 805-543-1743

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Harmony Cayucos Atascadero

Morro Bay

Wild Fowl 2415 Juniper Ave. Morro Bay 805-772-5811

SAN LUIS OBISPO A Muse Gallery 845 Higuera St. San Luis Obispo 805-439-3000 amuseslo.com Amnesia 787 Higuera St. San Luis Obispo 805-543-4323 Art After Dark 1123 Mill St. San Luis Obispo 805-544-9251 artobispo.org

Harmony Glassworks 2180 Old Creamery Rd. Harmony 805-927-4248 harmonyglassworks.com

Art Central 1329 Monterey St. San Luis Obispo 805-747-4200 artcentralartsupply.com

John Ramos Gallery 407 Morro Bay Blvd.

Morro Bay 805-772-2890 johnramos.com

Arts Coun cil San Luis Obispo County 570 Higuera St. San Luis Obispo 805-544-9251 sloartscouncil.org Arts & Images 1553 La Cita Ct. San Luis Obispo 805-595-9463 Frame Works

Santa Margarita

1 Santa Margarita Lake

Los Osos

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Seven Sisters Gallery 601 Embarcadero Morro Bay 805-772-2504 stores. sevensistersgalleryca. com

Under The Sea 833 Embarcadero Morro Bay 805-772-4872

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Native Spirit Gallery 333 Bernardo Ave. Morro Bay 805-772-2571 morrobay.org/nativespirit-gallery

Sun Fire Gallery 2991 Ocean Blvd.

Cayucos 805-900-5232 sunfirearts.com

41

Templeton

Morro Bay Art Association 835 Main St. Morro Bay 805-771-2504 artcentermorrobay.com

Gallery At Marina Square 601 Embarcadero Morro Bay 805-772-4972 galleryatmarinasquare.com

Lady Spencer 148 N Ocean Ave. Cayucos 805-995-3771 ladyspencer.com

Cambria

Grover Beach Arroyo Grande

1

San Luis Obispo 805-542-9000 sloart.com Gene Francis Gallery 1120 Garden St. San Luis Obispo 805-545-7902 genefrancis.net Hands Gallery 777 Higuera St. San Luis Obispo 805-543-1921 handsgallery.com Hillsborough Galleries of SLO 793 Higuera St. San Luis Obispo 805-544-4670 Just Looking Gallery 746 Higuera St. San Luis Obispo 805-541-6663 justlookinggallery.com Peregrine Art Glass 1330 Southwood Dr Apt 5, San Luis Obispo 805-441-4422 peregrineartglass.com San Luis Obispo Museum of Art 1010 Broad St. San Luis Obispo 805-543-8562 sloma.org Spirits of Africa Gallery 570 Higuera St. Ste 150, San Luis Obispo 877-688-0156 spiritsofafricagallery.com Stampluis Studios Blackbird 1036 Chorro St. San Luis Obispo 805-541-5197 Steynberg Gallery 1531 Monterey St. San Luis Obispo

steynberggallery.com

SOUTH COUNTY 551 Art Gallery 551 W. Grand Ave Grover Beach 805-489-3318

&$6+ 3+2726

5 Cities Gallery 126 E Branch St. Arroyo Grande 805-264-5572 Beltran Art 102 E Branch St. Arroyo Grande 805-264-5572

&$6+ 3+2726

Excellent Center For Art & Culture 1101 W Grand Ave. Grover Beach 805-481-7577 Harbor Lights Gallery 580 Cypress St. Pismo Beach 805-773-8057 iWordArt Pismo Beach 805-574-9197 Seaside Gallery 580 Cypress St. Pismo Beach 805-295-6386 theseasidegallery.com Thomas Kinkade Gallery 500 Cypress St. Pismo Beach 805-773-9424 kinkadecentralcoast.com Under The Sea Gallery 324 Front, Avila Beach 805-627-1488 Village Framing 121 W Branch St. Arroyo Grande 805-489-3587

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Central Coast Life

•

March 23 - April 5, 2017

Spring Is Here Framed Photo and Story by www.PhotoByVivian.com

T

he mule deer is named for its large ears, which are more like those of a mule than of deer. Often mistaken for white tailed deer, the main difference is their ears and the tail of the mule deer has a black tip.

The mule deer love our oak forests and with our recent record rains the hills are lush and green with plenty of food for the deer who eat primarily grass, scrub oak, elderberry, ragweed, and several other plants that are now plentiful. They will even eat wild mushrooms.

They make their beds in soft grass below the trees and try to stay within a mile of a water source. Males generally forage alone while the fawns usually stay close to the doe.

To see more mushroom photos, visit www.

PhotoByVivan.com

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Morro Bay BEAUTIFUL’S Annual Citywide 2017

Yard Sale Weekend

FRI - SAT - SUN

March 31, April 1st - 2nd Fri 2pm-5pm Sat & Sun 8am-2pm

Schedule

SATURDAY (6:30a.m.-2:00p.m.) Carla’s Country Kitchen: 213 Beach Have a great breakfast

FRIDAY (2:00p.m. - 5:00p.m.)

Preview Day! Sellers are encouraged to display items for sale for buyers to preview.

Some sellers are open!

FREE CONCERT! 4 Top Bands!

Silent • Beer • Food Auction Wine Trucks

6PM FRIDAY, MAR 31 Morro Bay Vets Hall Surf St. • 805-772-1314

View bands at EsteroBayRadio.org Annual fundraiser for The Rock 97.3!

(7:00a.m.) Get your map and FREE COFFEE at our headquarters: Brenda Sue’s Consignment: 248 Morro Bay Blvd.

(8:00a.m.-2:00p.m.) Shop til you drop

MORRO

SUNDAY Close out sales....make an offer!!

Morro Bay Appliance

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Serving SLO County for over 35 years!

Serving the Central Coast for over 40 Years www.SLOsale.com

Sales – New & Reconditioned Service & Repairs On All Major Brands Freezers • Refrigerators • Washers • Dryers • Ranges • Microwaves Dishwashers • Cooktops • Wall Ovens • Hoods Serving Los Osos, Morro Bay, Cayucos, Cambria & San Simeon Since 1971

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805-235-8423

Broker Associate CA DRE # 00897132

Broker Associate CA DRE # 00757689

FRI - SAT - SUN March 31 & April 1st & 2nd 8am–2pm

Yard Sale

Treasure Map Citywide 2017

ATM Rabobank 251 Harbor St

Morro Bay street info: Island streets and Tree streets in N. Morro are alphabetical

Map Includes Featured Sales Only 996 Allesandro St.

vintage, furniture, art, clothing, books

FRI-SAT-SUN

190 Anchor St.

SAT-SUN

tools, dvds, sm furniture

265 Anchor St.

FRI-SAT-SUN

934 Anchor St.

SAT-SUN

furniture, clothes, shoes printer, cloths, sm items

438 Arbutus Ave. SAT-SUN merc outboard, grumman canoe, cobra kayak, cages 345 Arcadia Ave. 500-G8 Atascadero Rd.

FRI-SAT-SUN

FRI-SAT-SUN handcrafted wood crosses & signs, antique jars

660 Avalon St.

248 Barlow Lane

SAT

FRI-SAT-SUN 2 cribs, baby items, furniture, books, décor

2026 Bayview

FRI-SAT-SUN

425 Bonita St.

120 Bradley Ave.

FRI-SAT-SUN

dishes, furniture, tools

antique furniture, tables

226 Bradley Ave.

711 Butte

SAT-SUN

SAT

sport cards, jewelry, books, bar stools, tools

735 Cabrillo Pl.

1020 Carmel St.

2860 Cedar Ave.

FRI-SAT FRI-SAT

FRI-SAT-SUN SAT

PACIFIC COAST PEREGRINE WATCH 765 Center Ct.

FRI-SAT-SUN yarn, camera & lens, household, clothing

459 Chorro Creek Rd.

ranch & household goods, clothing, tools, coins

SAT

1295 Clarabelle Dr.

1304 Clarabelle Dr.

1355 Clarabelle Dr.

A special thanks to the Morro Bay Chamber of Commerce for all their wonderful help and the City of Morro Bay for their financial support…

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Yard Sale Headquar ters “Brenda Sue’s Consignment” 248 Morro Bay Blvd.

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Marks the spot for each Yard Sale

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The Morro Bay Police Dept asks that you PARK LEGALLY: PLEASE DON’T BLOCK MAILBOXES FIRE HYDRANTS OR DRIVEWAYS...

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BOLD Listings = larger sales

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Organizing Committee: Morro Bay BEAUTIFUL President Ann Reisner, Promotion by Brenda Sue Steward, helping with everything person Lorna Buis, sign maker Ron Reisner and emergency helper Juliana Epperly.

shop fan, Wyco concrete vibrator

FRI-SAT-SUN FRI-SAT-SUN FRI-SAT-SUN

1363 Clarabelle Dr. SAT-SUN repurposed lamps and tables & other

537 Dawson St. FRI-SAT-SUN railroad, pottery, stereo, repurpose, no junk

343 Dunes St. SAT 8 family yard sale and bake sale

2432 Elm Ave. FRI-SAT clothes, shoes, toys, furniture

2435 Elm Ave. SAT-SUN

2501 Elm Ave. FRI-SAT-SUN Fishing, tools, nautical, household misc

2226 Emerald Circle FRI-SAT-SUN

2235 Emerald Circle FRI-SAT-SUN tools, auto parts, household, books

2261 Emerald Circle FRI-SAT-SUN bed, kitchen island, desk etc

2264 Emerald Circle FRI-SAT-SUN garden, household, furniture, good stuff

485 Estero Ave. SAT-SUN

340 Fairview Ave. SAT 2468 Greenwood FRI-SAT-SUN

2685 Greenwood FRI-SAT all kinds of collectibles and furniture

ESTERO BAY REPUBLICAN WOMEN FED

2920 Greenwood SAT small furnishings/tools/bake sale

590 Harbor St. SAT eyeware, elecronics, household items, furniture

2255 Hemlock Ave.

SAT

vintage lockers, front counter

2520 Hemlock Ave. FRI-SAT-SUN liberty falls minatures & trains,plants & much more

398 Hill St. SAT-SUN

moving sale EVERYTHING must go

2040 Ironwood desk, ottomen

2930 Ironwood

SAT SAT

stove, cd’s, books,artwork

974 Las Tunas 976 Las Tunas

981 Las Tunas

986 Las Tunas 1001 Las Tunas

Multi family - Lots of good stuff

1175 Las Tunas

guy stuff, girl stuff, vintage everything

SAT-SUN SAT-SUN SAT-SUN FRI-SAT-SUN FRI-SAT SAT-SUN

MONTESSORI PARENTS NETWORK

3081/2 Main St. FRI-SAT-SUN rest equip, 16’ alum canoe, comm meat slicer

kids stuff, household items, books

388 Main St. FRI-SAT-SUN arts, tools, toys, jewelry, books, décor items

360 Island St. SAT

410 Java St. FRI-SAT-SUN air plant and succulent arrangements

2275 Juniper Ave. SAT exercise equipment, electronics

2590 Juniper Ave. SAT vintage fire extinquisher, UFCMMA training ctr

2591 Juniper Ave. SAT-SUN

2730 Juniper SAT-SUN household, kids, antiques, books, cloths, furniture

205 Kern SAT-SUN antiques, tools, interesting collectables

477 Kern SAT-SUN office chairs, truck shell

635 Kern SAT-SUN

740 B Kern FRI-SAT-SUN womens plus, sterling silver, household decor

385 Kings Ave

2636 Koa Ave

411 La Jolla St.

sea glass jewelry, arts & crafts,photo art

SAT-SUN FRI-SAT FRI-SAT

MORRO BAY ART ASSOC. 835 Main St.

original art work and art supplies

SAT

RUSTIC DIAMOND

545 Mimosa St.

verything in the house for sale

FRI-SAT-SUN

550 Mimosa St. SAT-SUN

150 Mindoro St. FRI-SAT-SUN

404 Monterey Ave. FRI-SAT-SUN

425 Monterey Ave. FRI-SAT 480 Monterey Ave. SAT

995 Monterey Ave. FRI-SAT-SUN lighting products, bulbs, toys, clothes, tools

436 Morro Ave. FRI-SAT-SUN furniture, housewares, linens

1165 Morro Ave. FRI-SAT-SUN appliances, jewelry, dishes, baskets, pillows, vacuum

1180 Morro Ave. SAT-SUN estate sale 70 yrs of collectibles & marine

JENNIFER’S UNIQUE BOUTIQUE

1190 Main St. FRI-SAT-SUN repurposed furniture, and lighting, local art on wood

1199 Main St. FRI-SAT furniture

231 Morro Bay Blvd.

FRI-SAT-SUN Vintage, store displays, pictures, cloths, books

305 Marina St. FRI-SAT coffee table, antique barber’s chair, male manequin

GRANDMA’S YOGURT & WAFFLE SHOP

MARINA STREET INN

916 Marina St. baby furniture,décor

1164 Market Ave. dining chairs, kitchen goods

907 Mesa St.

BRENDA SUE’S CONSIGNMENT

248 Morro Bay Blvd.

FRI-SAT-SUN Headquaters, Free Coffee,Maps & SALE

307 Morro Bay Blvd.

FRI-SAT-SUN FRI-SAT-SUN FREE 2oz. topping w/8oz. yogurt or almond milk

SAT-SUN

SEASHELLS AND SAWDUST

315 Morro Bay Blvd.

FRI-SAT-SUN home décor & furniture

SAT BEADS BY THE BAY 333 Morro Bay Blvd.

SAT SLO-4-PUPS DOG PARK plants, beads, clothes, household 915 Mesa St. FRI-SAT-SUN

all good things from whimsical to practical 404 Napa Ave. SAT-SUN

clothes (kids & adults), toys, electronics 953 Mesa St. FRI-SAT-SUN antique cameras, furniture, disney collect

420 Napa Ave. SAT

499 Norwich FRI-SAT-SUN surf gear, toys, vintage, watches, jewelry, furniture

2390 Nutmeg Ave. FRI-SAT-SUN model airplanes, gardening, kitchen, crafts

542 Olive St SAT-SUN outdoor stuff

560 Olive St SAT 385 Orton St SAT

941 Pacific St. SAT-SUN potted plants, furniture, books

963 1/2 Pacific St. FRI-SAT-SUN all proceeds go to “”Helping Veterans In Need

261 Palm Ave. SAT-SUN camp chairs, hula hoop, rawhide lamp shade,refrig

479 Panay St. FRI-SAT-SUN

225 Piney Way FRI-SAT-SUN 3 families, lg sale, love seat, cloths, linens, appliances

474 Piney Way FRI-SAT-SUN refrig, books, clothes, video games, tapes, pots, linens

1320 Prescott Dr. SAT-SUN furniture and sons cleaning out their storage

448 Radcliff St. SAT adult & big kid clothes, housewares, décor

439 Rennell St. SAT-SUN 766 Ridgeway St. FRI-SAT-SUN

3007 Sandalwood Ave. FRI-SAT-SUN furniture, housewares, linens

350 Shasta SAT tools, tools, tools, household goodies, furniture, dishes

524 B Shasta FRI-SAT-SUN collectibles, household, clothes, electrons

art, chairs, household goods

498 Sicily St.

vintage items plus much more

SAT

765 Sierra Ct. FRI-SAT-SUN Joe Montana stuff, antique mahogany desk

INN AT MORRO BAY 60 State Park Rd.

dishware, misc decorations

SAT-SUN

MARITIME MUSEUM OF MB

60 State Park Rd. SAT-SUN Maritime/Boating-related & Beachy Decor

1900 Sunset Ave. FRI-SAT 246 Surf St. SAT

2140 Sunset Ave. SAT-SUN oak table, chairs, kayak, christmas misc

233 #24 Surf St. FRI-SAT-SUN

361 Trinidad St. FRI-SAT

429 Tulare St. FRI-SAT Multi family -Lots of good stuff

190 Verdon FRI-SAT-SUN furniture, new kithen aid, maytag, antiques

1107 West Ave. SAT-SUN clothes, dishes, sm items, books & misc

1172 West Ave. SAT Tools-Honduras Mahogany-baker rack-XX waders

175 Whidbey St. FRI coins, jewelry, LPs, tools, outdoor gear, antiques

498 Yerba Buena FRI-SAT-SUN multi family, succulent and cactus in pots

409 Zanzibar FRI-SAT-SUN

585 Zanzibar SAT

Morro Bay Thrift Stores

M B Blvd: 730 Achievement House 410 Castaways 655 Foxy’s Thrift 231 Jennifers Unique Boutique 257 Revolve 480 St Timothy’s Fabulous Finds 655 Second Treasures 400 Threads Main St: 859 Guerilla Gardening Club 875 Karma Sunshine Qunintana: 335 The Good Flea

After Yard Sale APRIL 10 -14

RECYCLE and reduce landfill Morro Bay Garbage Co.’s Clean Up Week follows each Yard Sale weekend, they will pick up 12 extra bags of trash for FREE and any electronics or large items over 75 pounds or larger than 4 X 4 for only $10 each.

You must call to schedule the pickup of large items

528-7430

Central Coast Life

•

March 23 - April 5, 2017

A Simple Spring Cleaning Checklist

I

t’s the time of year to roll up your sleeves and do some spring cleaning.

Experts point out that it’s helpful to streamline the tools you use to do the job and the tasks you seek to accomplish.

cleanser’s nozzle to spray and generously cover the can. Wipe or brush any areas that have any residue. Rinse thoroughly with clean water.

• Showers, tubs and tile: Use your cleaning agent at full strength and generously spray surfaces directly. Allow it to penetrate the soap scum for up to two minutes. Do not allow to dry. Wipe away with a coarse sponge or cloth. Rinse thoroughly with clean water.

“An all-purpose cleaner and a tough degreasing agent can be used in so many areas of the home,” says Jeff Devlin, a licensed contractor who’s appeared on several home improvement television shows. Devlin’s first tip: look to reduce the number of products in your cleaning arsenal. “Along with high-quality sprays and cloths, I use one all-purpose cleaner that also contains degreasing ingredients.”

• Toilets: Let’s face it. This isn’t anyone’s favorite job but it has to be done. Turn that nozzle to spray and generously spray the outside of the toilet. Wipe clean with a paper towel, then give a quick rinse.

Devlin, along with Mean Green and its line of heavy-duty, all-purpose cleaners offer these different strategies for critical areas of your home.

• Stove and range hoods: While you should be cleaning these areas regularly after food preparation, take this opportunity to conduct a more thorough cleaning. Spray cleaner directly on the mess for up to two minutes. Wipe clean with a sponge or cloth.

Then rinse thoroughly with clean water.

• Sinks and countertops: Sinks and countertops can be a trap for food, grease, grime and soap scum. Generously spray non-porous surfaces with your cleaner then rinse with clean water.

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• Stove exhaust filter: The grease buildup that collects on the stove’s exhaust filter can be a tough nut to crack. In a sink basin, mix 8 ounces of a concentrated multisurface cleaner and 1 gallon of hot water and submerge the filter. Place the filter in a sink or dishpan and pour in concentrated cleaner to cover. Allow the filter to soak for 30 minutes. Drain the dishpan and rinse thoroughly with hot water.

• Floors: Give your floors a mopping.

Mix 4 ounces of cleaning solution with 1 gallon of warm water. Apply with mop or sponge.

• Garbage cans and diaper pails: Bags often leak nastiness into the bottom of the garbage can, which can easily be missed when quickly replacing the bag. Turn your

• Patio: For patios, outdoor furniture, concrete, vinyl fences and siding, use the same cleaner outdoors: simply spray, then wipe clean with a cloth or sponge and rinse surfaces with clean water. While you’re at it, consider removing grease and grime from tools, engine parts, tires, sports gear and lawn equipment.

For efficiency, consider cleaning solutions that don’t require pre-cleaning, such as Mean Green Super Strength Cleaner & Degreaser, the strongest all-purpose cleaner available. More tips for getting your spring to-dos completed can be found at meangreendegreaser.com.

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March 23 - April 5, 2017

• Central Coast Life

Hail Hail to the Father of Rock ‘n’ Roll Good to be King

By King Harris

I

met the legendary Chuck Berry three times in my rock ‘n’ roll life. All three occasions were at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco in the mid to late ‘60s after his performances with pick-up bands, which never were anywhere near the caliber of his studio band in Chicago.

But I didn’t care. It was worth experiencing his showmanship and reliving his Gibson guitar twang along with his incredible lyrics. I got to thank him in person for all the memories right after his shows when he scooted over to the bar to collect his payments. Chuck was a teenager’s dream but also an astute businessman.

He didn’t go for too much monkey business: “Workin’ in the fillin’ station, too many tasks Wipe the windows, check the tires, check the oil, dollar gas Uh-uh, too much monkey business, too much monkey business I don’t want your botheration, go away, leave me be Too much monkey business for me.”

No other songwriter could come up with a word like “botheration,” or for that matter, “motivatin:” “Maybelline, why can’t you be true Oh Maybelline, why can’t you be true You’ve started back doin’ the things you used to do As I was motivatin’ over the hill I saw Maybelline in a Coup de Ville A Cadillac a rollin’ on the open road Nothin’ will outrun my V8 Ford The Cadillac doin’ about ninety-five Bumper to bumper, rollin’ side by side Maybelline why can’t you be true Oh Maybelline, why can’t you be true You’ve started back doin’ the things you used to do.”

Maybelline was Chuck’s first hit in 1955. It was originally a country western tune called “Ida Red.” But you’d never know it, not after Chuck added his rhythm and blues guitar to the mix. Most of his fans thought he was white. Far from it: “Way back in history three thousand years In fact ever since the world began There’s been a whole lot of good women sheddin’ tears For a brown-eyed handsome man It’s a lot of trouble was brown-eyed handsome man.”

Chuck even wrote a song about himself: “Deep down in Louisiana close to New Orleans, Way back up in the woods among the evergreens There stood a log cabin made of earth and wood,

Where lived a country boy named Johnny B. Goode Who never ever learned to read or write so well, But he could play a guitar just like a ringin’ a bell.

Go, Go Johnny, go, go, go, Johnny B. Goode…

His mother told him, “Someday you will be a man, And you will be the leader of a big ol’ band.

Many people coming from miles around To hear you play your music when the sun go down.

Maybe someday your name will be in lights Saying ‘Johnny B. Goode tonight’.”

Chuck Berry was the pioneer of rock ‘n’ roll. He influenced every band from the Rolling Stones to the Beatles, even the Beach Boys. Need proof?

“I’m gonna write a little letter, gonna mail it to my local DJ It’s a rockin’ rhythm record I want my jockey to play Roll Over Beethoven, I gotta hear it again today You know, my temperature’s risin’ and the jukebox blows a fuse My heart’s beatin’ rhythm and my soul keeps on singin’ the blues Roll over Beethoven and tell Tchaikovsky the news.”

Or: “Just let me hear some of that Rock And Roll Music, Any old way you choose it; It’s got a back beat, you can’t lose it, Any old time you use it.

It’s gotta be Rock And Roll Music, If you want to dance with me, If you want to dance with me.

I’ve got no kick against modern jazz, Unless they try to play it too darn fast; And change the beauty of the melody, Until they sounded like a symphony, That’s why I go for that Rock And Roll Music…”

Elvis may have been the heartthrob of the ‘50s, but Chuck Berry was the master.

No matter what part of the country you came from, it was easy to relate: “They’re really rockin’ in Boston in Pittsburgh, Pa. Deep in the heart of Texas and round the ‘Frisco Bay, all over St. Louis and down in New Orleans. All the cats wanna dance with Sweet Little Sixteen. Sweet Little Sixteen she’s just got to have about half a million famed autographs. Her wallet filled with pictures she gets them one by one. Becomes so excited watch her, look at her run. All the cats wanna dance with Sweet Little Sixteen.”

Chuck Berry died at the age of 90 on March 18, 2017. I am thankful for seeing him perform his famous duck walk at the Fillmore, and watching him pick up his well-deserved pay. I told him he should get more. He really was Johnnie B. Goode.

WŝƐŵŽ ĞĂĐŚ ŚĂŵďĞƌ ŽĨ ŽŵŵĞƌĐĞ ƉƌĞƐĞŶƚƐ

Holland & the Heart of Europe Explorer featuring Amsterdam, Bruges & 7 Nights at One Hotel 9 Days

November 1, 2017

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Inclusions ͻZŽƵŶĚƚƌŝƉ ŝƌĨĂƌĞ &ƌŽŵ >ŽƐ ŶŐĞůĞƐ ;> yͿ ͻ/Ŷƚ͛ů ŝƌ ĞƉĂƌƚƵƌĞ dĂdžĞƐͬ&ƵĞů ^ƵƌĐŚĂƌŐĞƐ ͻϭϬ DĞĂůƐ͗ ϳ Ͳ ƌĞĂŬĨĂƐƚƐ Θ ϯ Ͳ ŝŶŶĞƌƐ ͻWƌŽĨĞƐƐŝŽŶĂů dŽƵƌ ŝƌĞĐƚŽƌ ͻDŽƚŽƌĐŽĂĐŚ dƌĂŶƐƉŽƌƚĂƟŽŶ ͻ ĚŵŝƐƐŝŽŶƐ ƉĞƌ /ƟŶĞƌĂƌLJ ͻ ŽŵƉƌĞŚĞŶƐŝǀĞ ^ŝŐŚƚƐĞĞŝŶŐ ͻ ĂŐŐĂŐĞ ,ĂŶĚůŝŶŐ

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Rotary Club of San Luis Obispo presents

FAMILY FUN EVENT! TO RAISE MONEY FOR LOCAL SCHOLARSHIPS!

spaghetti western sATURDAY • maRCH 25th • 5•30 - 8•00pm Vet’s Hall • 801 Grand Ave • San Luis Obispo

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25 ADULTS

KIDS UNDER 12 EAT FREE!

CAFEROMAPASTA & TOP SIRLOIN BBQ Sweet Shoppe

KIDS CARNIVAL GAMES DOOR PRIZES • CAKE WALK WESTERN MOVIES SILENT AUCTION

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8 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 cup white wine 1 bay leaf juice from ½ lime ½ tablespoon kosher salt 2 ounces thin rice vermicelli ½ cup carrots, thin julienne ½ cup red bell pepper, thin julienne ½ cup cucumber (peeled & seeded), thin julienne 4 purple radishes, thin julienne 1 tablespoon rice vinegar 1 teaspoon soy sauce 18-24 mint leaves 1/3 cup cilantro leaves 16 leaves baby red lettuce or romaine 8 large round rice paper wrappers

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CELEBRATE

Women In Business APRIL 2017

Recognize local women who make a difference, Notable Women in our Community, or a Valuable Member of your Team in our Annual Women in Business Section!

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March 23 - April 5, 2017

By Ruth Starr

S

1180 PIKE LANE SUITE 3 Oceano, CA 93445

•

The Train Trip

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Central Coast Life

itting at the railway station awaiting the next train, I notice there are not many people around. My life is in turmoil, divorced a few months ago, and not knowing what is going to happen next.

First time being all alone. I begin to daydream another life for myself…

At the next stop, there is a guy waiting for me. He is smartly dressed in cowboy boots, Levis, flannel shirt, gray- streaked hair, and he has a small, neat beard. I know this man is meant for me. I see us on a ranch with a few head of cattle, goats, chickens, milk cow, dogs, and mouser cats. I am in my late thirties, so I still have time for a few children. Our sprawling house will have plenty of room for the kids with a space of my own where I can pursue my writing and other hobbies.

His name is Mitch. I am so in love with him. I will do all the things I couldn’t manage in my former marriage. Learn how to cook, manage the money, keep a clean home, and help take care of the animals and, there will be a lot of loving.

Glancing at the seat next to me, I notice a piece of paper with some writing on it. What could this be? I look around, but no one is near that seat.

I’m compelled to pick up the paper and read the message with a phone number: “Text me at this number; I’ll be waiting for you.”

My dream is so enticing, I get back into it. Mitch and I are taking a vacation to Europe. We are ecstatic on the plane, making plans for places to visit.

Can’t get the message out of my mind, wondering what would happen if I text that number. My life has to change.

I take my phone out of my bag and, knowing it is risky, I send a text to the number. Sweat is dripping down my face. What will I say? “It’s me, Barb. I’m getting off at the next station,” I text.

Doesn’t make sense, but I’m doing it.

“I’ll be waiting for you,” states the responding message.

This is crazy. I made this whole thing up and now I’m going to have to face it.

It’s getting weird. Maybe early dementia is in my brain. That’s why Tom left me.

No, he said I never cooked one decent meal. But I was going to learn.

The train is in the station. I need to get on board. Panic. Hard to breathe.

Do I look okay? I don’t remember what

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clothes I put on this morning. Could my Mitch be waiting for me at the next stop? I can just keep riding and go somewhere else.

“All aboard, all aboard,” the conductor cries.

I force myself onto the train, find an empty seat. What am I doing?

Fortunately the train is slow- moving so I have some time before the next stop.

I allow myself to work on my dream a little longer. Time is passing when the conductor calls, “Santa Barbara! All off for Santa Barbara.” Looking out the door, I see a man on the platform most likely waiting for someone.

I get off the train and walk toward him. He has a big smile, pulls me to him in a hug, and says, “Hi, Barb, I’ve been waiting for you.”

“Is your name Mitch?”

Ruth Starr has lived in SLO for 20 years near both of her children.

She is an ardent storyteller, loves dogs, and has had many stories about people in this area published locally over the years. Ruth is a member of SLO Nightwriters, for writers at all levels in all genres. Find them online at slonightwriters.org.

805-900-6000 435 First St . Avila Beach www.7svr.com

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March 23 - April 5, 2017

• Central Coast Life

Cal Poly Player Profile Michael Sanderson

M

i c h a e l Sanderson is expected to be Cal Poly’s starting third baseman in his final season as a Mustang. As of March 9, Sanderson has played in all 69 games since coming to Cal Poly and has started all 69 at third base.

In 2017, he has started all 12 games and is hitting .262 through March 9 with three doubles, one triple and three RBI. His two sacrifice bunts leads the team.

Sanderson started all 57 games in 2016, at third base, as a junior in his first season at Cal Poly. He was a .296 hitter with 12 doubles and one triple en route to second-team All-Big West Conference honors.

He knocked in 33 runs, second most on the team. He had 15 multiple-hit games, including four-hit game against San Francisco, and eight multiple-RBI contests, knocking in three in that San Francisco game with a double and triple. Sanderson had an eight-game hitting streak in early April. He walked 29 times for an on-base percentage of .381. He went 7-for-13 with three RBI in UC Riverside series. Sanderson hit .309 against right-handers and .314 in night games. He did not play summer ball.

Sanderson attended Feather River Community and was a .337 hitter as a freshman and .344 as a sophomore.

In the two seasons combined hit he 24 doubles, three triples, a pair of home runs and knocked in 62 runs, including 38 as a sophomore. Twice, Sanderson earned All-Golden Valley Conference honors and led Golden Eagles to a pair of Golden Valley Conference titles.

In High School Sanderson was a .408

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hitter in three varsity seasons under head coach Ron Souza at Pleasant Valley High School in Chico. He hit .472 as a senior with four doubles, three triples, a pair of home runs and 23 RBI with just four strikeouts in 88 plate appearances. He was first-team AllEastern League and first-team All-CIFNorthern Section honors at third base.

Sanderson helped the Vikings to 22-8 record, second-place Eastern League finish and a spot in the semifinal round of the CIF-Northern Section Division I playoffs. Sanderson hit .389 as a junior with nine doubles, two home runs and 22 RBI. Sanderson is the son of Scott Sanderson and Olga Wilkinson. His father is a San Luis Obispo High School graduate and played football at Utah.

His grandfather Jim Sanderson was Cal Poly head football coach from 1982-87.

He has one brother, James. Sanderson was born December 27, 1994, in Chico, Calif. and is majoring in sociology.

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Central Coast Life

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March 23 - April 5, 2017

Books Make Great Easter Gifts for Kids FISH FRY FRIDAYS Every Friday Night

New England Clam Chowder Cup $4 - Bowl $8 • Mixed Greens -$6 Hazelnuts and Dried Cherries, Cucumber, Tomato, & Balsamic Vinaigrette Soup -$6 Butternut squash bisque with cinnamon-spice cream Buffalo Style or Sweet & Sour Honey Mustard Chicken Wings -$7 (Served with Picked Vegetables and Blue Cheese OR Ranch Dressing) Crispy Artichokes-$7 with Lemon-caper Aioli Beer Battered Fish & Chips -$15 Beer battered Alaskan Cod w/Fries, House Made Cole Slaw & tartar sauce Grilled chicken breast $18 Garlic mashers, vegetables, tomato coulis, garlic bread Carrot cake $6 Homemade Ice Cream Sandwich with Mixed Berry Compote - $6 Additional Menu Items Available Menu & pricing subject to change.

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illing Easter baskets for the kids? Think beyond the typical sweets and treats and consider including books as

well.

“All kids love books, even if they’re too little to read. For babies and toddlers, choose kid-sized books full of bright photos that they will love looking at again and again.

There’s so much research showing how important reading is for a child’s development. You can build on it by making the experience fun for parents and their children,” says Rachel Barry, vice president of marketing and publicity at DK, a publisher of adult and children’s books.

This Easter, consider seasonal selections.

these

Fun at the Farm Cushioned, bumpy and shiny pages encourage sensory development, language skills and early reading skills. As part of DK’s Touch and Feel Series, “Really Feely: Farm” introduces babies and toddlers to a favorite pre-school subject: farm animals, including fluffy ducklings, woolly sheep, and a bristly pig.

Learning Adventure Help build your baby’s identification and language skills.

In “100 First Words,” photography and labels introduce primary concepts like shapes, colors and animals, and encourage pointing,

naming, and talking.

Favorite Animals A classic board book, “Baby Touch & Feel: Animals,” helps children develop their knowledge of animals while increasing the use of their senses. Babies will meet puppies, kittens, penguins and other animals throughout the pages of this book that features photographs and touch-and-feel textures.

Pop-Up Surprises For children who love farm animals, consider an interactive book featuring flaps, touch-andfeel textures and incredible popout surprises. Promoting memory, imagination and parent-and-child interaction, “Pop-Up Peekaboo: Farm” enhances the reading experience.

Feel the Love Celebrate love and promote sensory development and early language skills with this USA Today Bestseller, “Baby Touch & Feel: I Love You,” which features soft bunnies, fuzzy teddy bears, sparkly hearts and more. More kids’ books for Easter can be found at PenguinRandomHouse.com.

To make sure your Easter baskets include gifts that can be enjoyed beyond the holiday, include books that will become young readers’ alltime favorites. (StatePoint)

Entertainment

March 23 - April 5, 2017

Pianist Mimi Blais returns to the Central Coast for a house concert set for 7-9:30 p.m. Thursday, March 23 in the Los Osos home of Carol and Stanley Stern. Cost is a $20 donation at the door (make checks payable to Mimi Blais). Call the Sterns at 528-6557 or email to: Sstern3126@AOL.com for reservations. Trained as a classical pianist, Blais has performed across the U.S., Europe and Canada playing a mix of Ragtime, jazz, folk, blues and classical. Her performances have been called masterful, energetic, poetic, witty and romantic, eliciting comparisons with the late great Victor Borge.

The Basin Street Regulars present Hot Swingin’ Jazz featuring the Midnight Rose Jazz Band and the Cabrillo High School Jazz Band at the Pismo Vet’s Building from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 26. Jam session starts at 11 a.m. (bring your instrument and join in). Food, drinks, and dance floor available. Vet’s Building 780 Bello Street, Pismo 93449. For more information call 805-481-7840 or go to www.pismojazz.com, or email pismojazz2015@gmail.com.

Traveling singer-songwriter, Jim Scott, brings his “Gather the Spirit,” inspirational concert to build, mend and heal our community to SLO’s Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at 7 p.m. Friday, March 31. Tickets are $10 general and $5 students and available online at: uuslo.org or at the door. The UUF is located at 2201 Lawton Ave. Call (805) 439-0188.

Folk music artists will gather to celebrate one of their own when local ensembles perform the music of Los Osos’ Sidney Willson Young from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, March 26 at Coalesce Bookstore Chapel, 845 Main St., Morro Bay. The show features members of The Belles, Three Sheets to the Wind, and the Coffee Horze and will be joined by special guests, Steve Watt of the Thunder Canyon String Band, Elita Chaffin of Dovetail, Judi Brown of the Gillie Wheesels, and Bob Liepman of Bob & Wendy, and Shadowlands.

United Way of SLO County has a couple of evening parties featuring Grammy Award winner Louie Ortega and Leslie McKinley and set for March 26 and April 9 in South County. Louie & Leslie will play from 2-5 p.m. Sunday March, 26 at Fin’s Seafood Restaurant, 25 W Grand Ave., in Grover Beach.

Tickets are $50 a person with food by Fin’s and wines by Opolo. There will also be a silent auction. From 5-8 p.m.

Sunday, April 9 they will perform a “rooftop soiree,” under the stars and a full moon on the roof deck at Sea Crest Ocean Front Hotel, 2241 Price St., Pismo Beach. Fin’s will also cater

this event. Tickets are also $50 and available online at: www.unitedwayslo. org/partieswithapurpose.

The Basin Street Regulars’ next “Hot Swingin’ Jazz Show” is set for 1-4:30 p.m. Sunday, March 26 at the Pismo Beach Vet’s Hall, 780 Bello St. The Midnight Rose Band headlines with special guests the Cabrillo High School Jazz Band and the regular pickers and players of Basin Street Regulars. Cost at the door is $5 kids, and $10 others, or see: www.pismojazz.com. The 19-piece Cabrillo HS Band is making its fifth straight annual performance with BSR in Pismo Beach and will play between sets of Midnight Rose. The Cabrillo kids have been rehearsing every morning before school for the past 3 months and have their big Spring Concert scheduled for May 20. For more information call (805) 481-7840 or see: www.pismojazz.com.

Singer-songwriter Amber Cross returns to the Red Barn Community Concert Series, at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 1, at the Red Barn, located in the South Bay Community Park, corner of LOVR and Palisades Avenue. Cost is $20 at the door and there’s a potluck supper starting at 5 p.m. Bring a dish to share, place settings and BYOB. Cross returns for a “soft release” of her newest album, “Savage On The Downhill.” Cross’ music has been described as “raw, powerful, old-time mountain vocal alchemy rarely heard west of the Rockies,” by the San Francisco Folk Music Society.

Cross will play selections from her new release and favorites from her first album, “You Can Come In.” She will be accompanied by Gary Arcemont and James Moore, playing fiddle, mandolin, harmonica, guitar, banjo and standup bass. See: www.ambercrossmusic. com for more on Cross’ music. Photo courtesy Barry Goyette

Multi-Grammy Award winner, trumpeter, Chris Botti, will play the Performing Arts Center at Cal Poly at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 5. Tickets range from $45 - $85 and available at the PAC Box Office, Mondays– Saturdays, noon to 6 p.m. Call (805) 756-4849 or order online at: www. calpolyarts.org. For over two decades, Botti has amassed a spectacular variety of honors, and become the nation’s largest-selling instrumental jazz artist.

Botti’s mesmerizing performances with a stunning array of legends such as Sting, Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Yo-Yo Ma, Frank Sinatra, Paul Simon and Andrea Bocelli have cemented his place as one of the most brilliant and inspiring forces of the contemporary music scene.

Paso Robles Youth Arts Foundation is hosting a shrimp boil and barbecue fundraiser set for 4-7 p.m. Saturday, April 8, at the historic

• Central Coast Life

Rolling Hills Ranch in San Miguel.

Located at 7275 Cross Canyons Rd., the Rolling Hills Ranch is a bucolic setting in a charming 130-year-old barn and vineyard setting. Tickets are $65 per person or $500 for a table of eight, and are available at Brown Paper Tickets, see: http://shrimpboil2017.bpt.me, or call (805) 238-5825 Ext. 15. Reserve tickets before by April 1. Enjoy a New Orleans-style feast of Cajun shrimp boil, sausage, steak, sourdough bread, salad and dessert. One complementary drink, with beer and wine available for purchase. The event includes a live auction, raffle, and student performances, with proceeds benefiting the Arts Foundation’s free Visual & Performing Arts Program, which serves 400 students per quarter in 50 classes a week in art, music, voice, dance, theatre, video production, creative writing, and more. See: www.pryaf.org. for more on the Foundation.

Acclaimed Nashville singersongwriter, Sarah Darling, will perform at 7 p.m. Friday, March 24 at Eberle Winery, 3810 Hwy 46, Paso Robles. Darling recently released a critically-acclaimed third album, Dream Country, available for streaming via Soundcloud or Spotify. Her previous albums garnered a half-million downloads worldwide and her top hit, Home to Me, lead to performances on Conan O’Brien, Fox & Friends, and opening gigs for artists like Carrie Underwood and Kacey Musgraves.

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Cal Poly’s Student Opera Theatre presents Gilbert and Sullivan’s, hilarious operetta, “The Pirates of Penzance,” at 7:30 p.m.

Friday and Saturday, April 7-8, in the Spanos Theatre at Cal Poly. Tickets are $14 for the public and $9 for students.

Pricing includes all fees and parking.

Get tickets at the PAC Box Office from noon-6 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays.

Order by phone at 756-4849.

Student Opera Theatre director and music faculty member, Jacalyn Kreitzer, said the operetta was, “a sublime and hilarious marriage of clever verse and beautiful music.” Stars are: Chris Wall as Frederick; Corey Hable as the Major-General; Joshua Mueller and Chris Tusan as the conquering Pirate Kings; Liam Daley as Samuel; Hannah Littier and Samantha Foulk play the coy Mabel; Kelsey Ishimatsu-Jacobson and Lauren Hartog sing the woes of the aging Ruth; and Gabriela Crolla, Jill Gibson, Molly Gooch and Jennifer Jang in the roles of Edith, Isabel and Kate, the Major-General’s confused daughters. The performance is being dedicated to Poly Choral Director, Thomas Davies, who plans to retire at the end of the school year.

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Central Coast Life

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March 23 - April 5, 2017

Apple Farm — A Fine Dining Destination Spot Dinner & A Movie

By Teri Bayus

A

n innovative trend by restaurants is having multitalented chefs on board and promoting them and their culinary skills.

I witnessed a brilliant execution of this at the hands of those vivid owners of The Apple Farm in San Luis Obispo.

The genius lies in two superbly talented chefs who are as diverse as their culinary offerings are wonderful.

Chefs Steven Smeets and Willette Vey are creating a gastronomic destination spot at The Apple Farm, with some amazing dining experiences including winemaker dinners and a pastry case so filled with deliciousness, no one can pass by.

Ladies first, so let’s start with Executive Pastry Chef, Willete Vey (Willie for short). A member of the staff at The Apple Farm for over 15 years, she is known as the pie princess, the cookie queen, and the maker of “the best darn biscuits in the world.” She has created hundreds of delectable and beautiful wedding cakes, won multiple contests with innovative recipes, and wowed pastry cravers.

Her pies, cakes, muffins, cookies, and more are on display and for sale every day at The Apple Farm, but she lends her talents to the winemaker’s dinners.

I, (actually, my husband the “Cookie Monster”) first discovered her years ago when she made a stout cake for a culinary competition. The Chocolate Dream Stout Cake is a daring combination of an Oatmeal Stout beer and cocoa, layered with an amazing coco-cream filling. Gary has declared

this the best chocolate in the world, so sweet Chef Willie made it for his birthday last week and he ate the entire cake.

The Apple Farm has in its bakery the best morning concoction in the known universe — Willie’s biscuits.

These are delicate pastry dough rolled with cinnamon, sugar, cayenne pepper, cheddar cheese and a ribbon of bacon twisted throughout, and then a hint of Rosemary. I dare you to each just one!

We also love the coffee cake muffins, key lime pie, cheesecakes, apple tarts, and éclairs. Gary spends most of the month of December stalking her gingerbread cookies.

Executive Chef Steven Smeets’ personal style has a strong emphasis on Mediterranean cuisine, with accents on fresh herbs, seafood, pasta, garlic, tomatoes, fresh vegetables, and a variety of fresh seasonal food items that range from the exotic to the everyday good ol’ down-home cooking.

We had the fried chicken with a

twist. The chicken was pounded flat and then rolled around prosciutto and Gruyere cheese, dipped in eggs and battered, fried and cut like a log. It was served with mashed potatoes and fresh vegetables and was the table hit.

Originally interested in gastronomy, Chef Smeets’ cooking style has evolved into using local, sustainable produce and meats served simply and beautifully, while staying true to their natural flavors — how a farmer would cook if he or she were a chef.

This passion and dedication earned him a culinary scholarship to the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco.

Chef Smeets has also been conjuring up winemaker dinners. Each month the backyard garden features a local boutique winery and a 7-course “farm-

to-table” dinner, all paired with the winery’s finest vintages.

As the dinners focus around the wine, the chefs have the task of not only figuring out what dish would highlight which wine, but how to incorporate this dinner around their local vegetables and seasonal eating philosophy.

The winemaker dinner schedule is Friday, May 26, featuring Villa San-Juliette Winery of San Miguel; Friday, June 30 with a special brew master dinner featuring Central Coast Brewing; and Friday, July 28 featuring the spectacular, Daou Vineyards of Paso Robles.

Dinner starts at 6 p.m. Seats available for $75 a person plus tax and gratuity. You can call (805) 5442040 to reserve your seat at any of the upcoming dinners.

At one pairing they offered up Meyer lemon ricotta raviolis with asparagus, spring peas, cherry tomatoes, California olive oil, and sprouting basil.

Another standout dish was the braised short rib, made with the Cabernet, and smoked carrot purée along with other delectable offerings.

These fantastic chefs are serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner at The Apple Farm, a diner’s destination paradise. Apple Farm is located at 2015 Monterey St., in San Luis Obispo; they are open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Beauty and the Beast — Dazzling Visually, Musically, and Emotionally

By Teri Bayus

T

heaters were made for the movies such as “Beauty and The Beast,” as it must be seen and experienced on the huge screen.

With a production price tag of $160 million, this is the most expensive musical ever made. But it is the story telling that is the winner here, even with a known plot.

With all the additional background stories, character developments, and new songs, it was perfect for me. Those additions made Belle and Beast’s love story even more believable.

Emma Watson was a huge fan of the original, Beauty and The Beast. She released that she would be playing the role of Belle before it even went on record. She told her fans that her “6-year-old self is on the ceiling — heart bursting.”

In this film, Belle is the inventor, instead of Maurice. The reason behind this is because Watson wanted Belle to get her own backstory, about why she is treated differently by the villagers.

Even still, the movie highlight is the glamor. Belle’s ballroom gown required 3,000 feet of thread and over

12,000 designer hours to complete. It was accentuated with 2,160 Swarovski crystals. This is every girl’s princess dream.

As a live-action remake of the much loved, classic, animated film, Beauty and the Beast lives up to the hype. Most of the songs from the animated version

are in the film and sound quite similar to those in the animated film. All this makes viewers nostalgic for the old film.

The acting is what one would expect from such a huge cast. — Luke Evans as Gaston and Josh Gad as LeFou, are especially spectacular, as they add humor to their already well-developed characters.

The songs and the music are prodigious, and live up to Disney standards. The cinematography is also pronounced, with long sweeping shots during the musical sequences.

The shots of the setting and of the castle are amazing.

No description can do justice to the

amazing design and the spectacular use of CGI. I was worried about what the Beast and the objects in the castle might look like in a live-action movie, but Disney outdid itself, which is easy to do with amazing imagination and an unlimited budget.

The new characters add diversity as well as humor. As a princess movie with a lot of clichés in it, it’s awesome to see some variety.

Alan Menken is a living miracle.

He does things with a musical score and songs that defy emotions. The new songs are brilliant, especially Beast’s song of pain over losing Belle.

This movie dazzled me visually, musically, and emotionally. Go see it on the big screen.

News Rate Increase, from page 1 “Because of the implementation of the rate freeze in accordance with Assembly Bill (AB) 1X, users in the lower tiers pay significantly below the cost of electricity service, while users in the higher tiers pay significantly above cost,� according to the memo.

Essentially, homes living in temperate climates tend to use less energy to regulate temperatures, as opposed to homes in volatile climates. In turn, SLO South County residents can expect increases in their bills, while North County residents are likely to get a slight break.

Mark Mesesan, PG&E’s communications principal, wrote in an email, “It is important to note that PG&E does not make more money when customers use more electricity. We are paid for providing energy that is safe and reliable while supporting California’s clean energy goals. All of our rates are subject to review and approval by the California Public Utilities Commission.�

It may be confusing, but customers are not really paying for electricity and gas, they are paying for the infrastructure and the process that provides the energy. PG&E, like the majority of utility companies, produces a profit by reinvesting in infrastructure, but according to a recent Los Angeles Time article there has been a growing argument that California has a “glut of power.� The law of supply and demand basically dictates if something is common, then it is cheap. Currently,

Coast News • March 23 - April 5, 2017

Californian has a massive excess of energy, but residents are still paying higher rates than the national average, even though on average the energy consumption has dropped.

Electricity Local, an online statistical energy use resource, states that despite California ranking 48 in the nation for electricity consumption, the state pays 29.12% more in rates than the national average, though these numbers do not necessarily reflect the latest rate increase. “PG&E customers’ bills are below the national average [for use] due in part to our weather, energy efficiency programs working so well and the proliferation of solar,� said Mesesan. “Yet we understand any change in bills for customers can be challenging and we are here to help.

PG&E has a number of programs and tools to help our customer take control of their energy use and monthly bills.�

A large portion that is driving the continual building of arguably unneeded facilities is a tax break incentive called accelerated depreciation which allows companies to defer taxes until a later date. Executive Director of the Institute of Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), Matt Gardner said, “Accelerated depreciation just means that you get to postpone paying taxes, not that you won’t have to pay them eventually, but what you see with companies that make a lot of capital investments, PG&E is I guess pretty clearly in that camp, is that you defer so much each year that even over the long run you are basically paying nothing or close to it.�

A report published by Citizens for

•

33

Tax Justice, a non-profit public interest research and advocacy organization, claims that PG&E had negative tax rates. Gardner who participated in the study said, “PG&E sticks out primarily, because they were the only company out of the 258 that managed to pay zero incurred federal income taxes in all eight years that we looked at.�

In response Mesesan said, “Accelerated depreciation was included in Congressionally-approved tax policy changes designed to stimulate the economy after the 2008 recession, and encourage capital-intensive businesses such as PG&E to resume capital investment. PG&E and others have used the incentive for the reason it was passed by Congress, using the tax savings to help fund billions of dollars in infrastructure investments and create jobs. While accelerating depreciation creates near-term tax savings, it means the depreciation is not available later, so companies would pay more in future taxes.�

PG&E is well known in the Central Coast area for its philanthropic work, “We still are finalizing our 2016 figures, and we will share them when we have them,� said Mesesan. “In 2015, however, PG&E made charitable donations of nearly $900,000 to nearly 900 nonprofit agencies, including schools, located in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties. These donations are shareholder and employee-funded, plus, our people volunteered thousands of hours of personal time in 2015, like every year, in support of community programs, projects and events.�

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•

Sports

March 23 - April 5, 2017 • Coast News

Sports Snapshot Five Cities Youth Baseball Ready to Play Photos by RAPhotos.com

P

layers and coaches in the Five Cities Youth Baseball League loosened up by getting a little goofy during team photos. Babe Ruth is looking down with pride on our boys and girls of summer.

Sports

Coast News • March 23 - April 5, 2017

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35

Sports Shorts

By Michael Eliott

T

his N That- A veritable Mount Rushmore of collegiate head basketball coaches have now become wallflowers at the “Big Dance” as their teams failed to advance past the second round of the NCAA basketball tournament. Iconic Duke headmaster Mike Krzyzewski, twotime Michigan State NCAA champ Tom Izzo, defending championship coach Jay Wright of Villanova and double-dipper Rick Patino (Kentucky 1996 & Louisville 2013) are now benched for the remainder of this year’s tournament.

Hey hockeyheads, a dogged fight for the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference is currently playing out with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins jockeying for the division title and overall top seed heading into the playoffs. The Jackets are the new boys on the block, the Caps have been the most consistent team all year long and the defending champion Pens have perhaps the best player in all of hockey, Sidney Crosby, on the ice. Going to be very interesting.

So, 50-year-old rookie pro golfer

Steve Stricker cards an event-low 63 on Saturday to take a three-shot lead going into the final round of his Champions (Senior) Tour debut. Strick’s tooling along with visions of the Tuscon Conquistadores title dancing in his head when fifty-eight-year-old journeyman Tom Lehman sneaks up from behind on Sunday to snatch away the victory by one stroke. Stricken!

Potty Train- My, have you happened to notice the proliferation of the use of the F-word by the young collegians competing in the basketball tourney? On numerous occasions one could see the word being mouthed by several players. Seemed like after fouls the foul word presented itself faster than Faye Dunaway blurted out “La La Land” at the Academy Awards.

Is it just me or do you agree that “eff-word” conveys a more subtle meaning than the aforementioned version? And here I was of the opinion that our coming-of-age Millennials were eschewing vulgar language,

alcohol, drugs and their parents due to the I-phone phenomenon. With two Mills of my own I can vouch for this cultural shift. It’s all good.

It looked like Faye stopped by the Hollywood Wax Museum on her way to the awards show for touch-up as she was nearly unrecognizable to this fan of hers.

Fast And Furious- The Michigan Wolverines are the feel-good story of the tournament to date as they survived an aborted takeoff on the runway, took the Big ten tournament by storm and have advanced on to the Sweet Sixteen.

That World Baseball Classic (WBC) is a distraction and possible detriment as players risk their health for the upcoming Major League Baseball season to play in a tournament with no real significance.

Why do women professional golfers not take their caps off at round’s end to acknowledge their playing partners, as do the men on tour? (Must be a hair

thing!)

And who said #9 seed Roger Federer was getting long in the tooth as he took down fellow Swede Stanislaus Wawrinka (#3) at Indian Wells this past weekend in straight sets?

Those man-buns being sported by several NCAA hoopsters are a relatively new look and seems as if they once had conehead ‘dos then whacked them down several inches.

Is Nascar’s Joey Logano getting a little bit big for his britches?

Don’t look now Left Coast football fanatics but the New England Patriots have made a plethora of positive offseason moves, which portends another Super Bowl championship waits in the wings.

Expect UCLA freshman Lonzo Ball’s father LaVar to get increasingly louder and more irritating as the Bruins hopefully trudge their way to the Final Four.

Michael’s gonna go bury a three at the local park right now. Feel free to throw out a challenge at sportsshorts8@gmail.com.

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Opinion

March 23 - April 5, 2017 • Coast News

Mining for Musty Gold

By Robert C. Cuddy

This monthĘźs nugget: “Hiroshimaâ€? by John Hersey.

Hersey’s ground-breaking book ends this way. “He got up at six every morning and took an hour’s walk with his small woolly dog, Chiko. He was slowing down a bit. His memory, like the world’s, was getting spotty.�

Hersey wrote this about Kiyoshi Tanimoto, seventy-something, 40 years after the United States used, for the first time in human history, an atomic bomb.

Tanimoto survived the blast, although tens of thousands of others did not.

To write “Hiroshima,� Hersey, reporting for the New Yorker magazine in 1946, entered the Japanese city a year after the bomb exploded to describe the impact. He singled out Tanimoto and five others and told the story of the bomb by telling their stories. He went back 40 years later and updated their histories.

The key phrase in the sentence above is “like the world’s.� Even in 1986 the

world’s memory of the atomic bomb was spotty. Today it is almost nonexistent.

exploded. Some or all of them were expecting an air raid.

historians, who still are wrangling over those questions.

That needs to change, because for the first time in the 72 years since Hiroshima and Nagasaki (where the U.S. dropped another such bomb) there is a realistic chance that the weapon will be used again.

The new weapon terrified and baffled them. All reported a blinding white light accompanied by a force literally unknown to mankind. It later takes them weeks to learn about the new bomb.

No, Hersey says, here’s the situation: You want to use a weapon like this? OK, here are the consequences. Draw your own conclusions.

The leader of the most powerful nation in the history of the planet is volatile, erratic, and unstable, and is advised by America-first war-mongers and war profiteers. Should they decide to use the now-much-more-powerful weapons, there is nothing to stop them.

Hersey takes us through the day, and the days to come: the bomb, its immediate effect and the fireball that followed, the reactions and attempts to cope. These are tales of heroism, agony, despair, frustration: one small example: there was virtually no medical help available because the attack had killed most doctors and nurses.

We need to understand what that means, for those who would be targeted, as well as for us and our national - for lack of a more precise word - soul.

Reading Hersey’s book could help.

It is a stunning testament to man’s foolhardiness and arrogance, but also a superb example of good, responsible reporting.

Hersey introduces us to his six protagonists – a young, female factory worker, a minister, a German priest, two doctors, and a widowed seamstress with three children – just before the bomb

There is not much hope in these pages, but there is the will to survive, as well as an implicit warning.

The great strength of Hersey’s reporting is that it is just that – reporting. He takes a matter-of-fact tone and, by design, keeps himself out of the narrative. He leaves politics out as well – he doesn’t get into whether the bomb should have been dropped or not, whether it ultimately saved lives or ended the war. He leaves that to

I would recommend that all of us, starting in grade school, read this book and draw our conclusions. To me there is only one observation possible: This weapon must never again be used and a curse be upon us for having created it.

But that’s just me.

Every school child should read “Hiroshima� and add a couple of books that have come out since: “Black Rain�

by Masuji Ibuse and “Hiroshima� by Ronald Takaki.

Award- winning journalist Bob Cuddy is retired and living in Arroyo Grande. He writes “Mining for Musty Gold� monthly as a tribute to used bookstores from Nan’s in Grover Beach to Brattle Books in Boston.

They are everywhere, he says, and all contain hidden gems. This week’s gold mine: JLM, 852 Main St., Cambria.

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Simply Clear Marketing & Media • March 23 - April 5, 2017

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37

How Much Time Are You Spending with Your Team?

Bottom Line

By Michael Gunther

I

’m always intrigued to hear leaders complain about their team’s lack of functioning, while at the same time the team complains about a lack of guidance or coaching from their manager.

This cycle of dissatisfaction creates frustration for everyone and, interestingly enough, could be solved if the leaders stepped back and realized that they should not spend the majority of their time on tasks.

Instead, the majority of their time should be spent on coaching, developing and supporting their team.

I’m sure you’ve heard these common excuses that leaders give for not spending time with their teams: • “It is hectic and I’m putting out fires because my team isn’t stepping up to the plate.”

• “It is easier for me to perform the tasks than to take time to delegate to a team member.”

• “I am too busy doing my job that I don’t have time to coach my team.”

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• “I wish my team would take on more responsibility, because I feel like every decision falls back on me.”

I imagine this list could go on and on. Yet, a leader’s job is to focus on developing their team’s growth. It is quite the quandary that seems to be a never-ending cycle.

The reality is that the higher your leadership role, the less tasks and technical functions you should perform.

I believe this is one of the hardest transitions for leaders to make because most leaders are in their position because they are doers.

The connection between the tasks they complete and their success is ingrained in their brains; as they take on more responsibility, they also end up taking on more tasks. However, the definition of a good leader isn’t how well they can get tasks done, but how much can they get done through others.

Leaders should evaluate if they are spending enough time with their people to teach, coach, empower and measure them in achieving outcomes. In fact, leaders logically understand this concept. I discovered that implementing

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new behaviors seems to be the more challenging part of the equation. It goes against what they learned on how to be successful as a “doer.”

The other area I typically uncover is that leaders don’t know how to effectively delegate or coach individuals.

In addition, they have had little training or education on actually being a strong relationship-builder with their team.

Without these skills, leaders will frequently revert back to their own behaviors and take back tasks and duties from their team.

Bottom Line Your job as a leader is to accomplish your goals through the assistance of others. Being a strong mentor, coach, trainer and facilitator are basic requirements of a good leader. If you find yourself overwhelmed with a “to do” list but don’t “trust” your team to take on those responsibilities, take a hard look at yourself in the mirror.

Assess if you need to adjust your style and behaviors to become more of a delegator and facilitator of success, rather than the keeper of the tasks.

You might be surprised at your team’s willingness to support you and take on additional responsibilities. You’ll find your time and effort will now focus on actually performing the role you should be doing.

This is another article in a series on Michael Gunther’s entrepreneurial story and how being raised in a large family and his belief in creating a growth company with a work-to-live mentality has influenced his career. To read the previous articles in this series, visit his blog at: www.Collaborationllc.com.

Michael Gunther is Founder and President of Collaboration, LLC, a team of highly-skilled business professionals who are dedicated to assisting proactive business owners to build profitable, sustainable businesses through results-oriented education and consulting services. Learn more at www.Collaboration-llc.com. Bottom Lie is a regular feature of Simply Clear Marketing & Media.

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March 23 - April 5, 2017 • Simply Clear Marketing & Media

Biz Briefs

Taxpayer Hero, Big Donations Made, and SLO Adds a Flight Compiled by Mark Diaz

French Hospital Medical Center (FHMC) received a transformational gift of $5.5 million from Peter and Mary Beth Oppenheime.

The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) announced this week that it will partner with Cal Poly to host the 2017 California Cyber Innovation Challenge in June.

The Central Coast Taxpayers’ Association gave its 2017 Hero of the Taxpayer Award to KPRL 1230 AM’s Kevin Will at a Feb. 26 reception. CCTA President, former Congresswoman Andrea Seastrand said Will was recognized “for providing critical in-depth news on KPRL for the ‘forgotten taxpayer’ re-taxes, fees and regulations.” Seastrand said, “His efforts further highlighted the local hot issues of the day, such as the Paso Robles groundwater basin district proposal and the SLO County Measure J, half-percent transportation sales tax. Will is a proponent of fewer taxes, fees and regulations and a supporter of Proposition 13.”

As part of California’s continued leadership in cybersecurity and workforce development, The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) announced this week that it will partner with Cal Poly to host the 2017 California Cyber Innovation Challenge on June 24 and 25.

The statewide competition will feature 16 teams of high school students competing at the new California Cyber Training Complex (CCTC) in SLO. In the coming months, teams of high school students from across California will compete in timed cybersecurity challenges designed to replicate the various threats that cybersecurity professionals face, including attacks on critical infrastructure and attempted breaches of consumer data on connected devices. The winners of designated regional cybersecurity competitions will earn automatic entry to the statewide tournament in San Luis Obispo. To attend the free California Cyber Innovation Challenge, register: http://bit.ly/2nesKWw. High schools interested in joining the competition can email gobiz.innovation@gov.ca.gov to learn more about the qualifying process.

The San Luis Obispo County Community Foundation received a $100,000 donation from Sammy Pineau to support the Foundation’s grant making and educational support of non-profit

organizations across the county. Pineau said, “We are all fortunate to have The Community Foundation in our county to assist so many of us who are interested in making our local giving have an impact.”

Last year, The Community Foundation awarded more than $2 million in grants and scholarships with more than 80% of grant funding remaining locally in SLO County. For more information on The Community Foundation’s grants program, see: www.cfsloco.org or contact Len Smolburd at (805) 543-2323.

French Hospital Medical Center (FHMC) received a transformational gift of $5.5 million from Peter and Mary Beth Oppenheimer. This donation, which is the largest gift in the history of the hospital, supports the expansion and modernization of emergency services for San Luis Obispo County. With this donation, the FHMC will launch a project to build a new emergency department.

As the sole public benefactors and in recognition of their generosity, the new emergency department will be named the Oppenheimer Family Center for Emergency Medicine at French Hospital Medical Center. The total cost of both project phases is estimated to cost $13,000,000. The ground breaking for the first phase is expected to occur in spring 2018.

On March 1, SLO Natural Foods Co-op, located at 2494 Victoria Ave., in SLO, announced a repricing strategy.

Prices for many groceries, refrigerated items, body care and household items have been permanently reduced and starting April 5, co-op deals, sales flyers are being published every 2 weeks.

Purchasing from local food and farm suppliers is a top priority for The Coop and local ownership benefits the local economy. You do not have to be a member to shop at SLO Natural Foods and sale prices are available to everyone.

For more information, see: www.

SLONaturalFoods.coop

Low-interest federal disaster loans in the San Luis Obispo area are now available “to certain private nonprofit organizations in California” after President Trump’s federal disaster declaration as a result of “the severe winter storms, flooding and mudslides that occurred Jan. 3-12, 2017,” said officials with the Small Business Administration (SBA). These loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that cannot be paid because of the disaster’s impact, said SBA. Economic injury assistance is available regardless of whether the nonprofit suffered any property damage. SBA can loan up to $2 million (up to 2.5% interest) “to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business assets.” The deadline to apply is April 17 for property damages, and Nov. 17 for economic injuries.

Contact acting Chief Tamara Scott of the Proclamation and Recovery Planning Division at the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, by calling (916) 845-8245 or emailing to: tamara. scott@caloes.ca.gov for information about applications.

Hospice of San Luis Obispo County is starting a new program entitled, “Care Management Services.”

The free program is designed to give caretakers a break from their emotional and financial burdens caring for elderly and ailing relatives with dementia.

According to a news release from the Arthur N. Rupe Foundation, “The program provides in-home assessments, care planning, and coordination of free and low-cost community resources, and is designed to support elders who have too many assets to qualify for Medicaid but who can’t afford the high cost of assisted living or in-home care.” For information about this and other Hospice programs, see: HospiceSLO.org or call Bayles at (805) 544-2266.

The Food Bank Coalition received $3,000 from the Central Coast Funds for Children (CCFC). The Food Bank has expanded a program that provided more than 190,000 meals to children in 2016. The CCFC is a local nonprofit

established to benefit children in need of special assistance. The CCFC has raised and granted over $1.4 million since its founding in 1994.

Mama Ganache of Mama Ganache Artisan Chocolates, located at 1445 Monterey St., SLO, is looking for artists to fill the chocolate shop with cats during April and May. Sculpture, drawings, paintings, photos, cards, jewelry of “anything cat” are welcome. She is also looking for an artist to do line drawings in chalk on the walls, around furniture, doors and windows in exchange for appreciation, exposure, and of course chocolate. Meow.

The San Luis Obispo County Open Studios Art Tour is asking artists to apply now through May 15 for the opportunity to showcase their art and demonstrate their process to visitors.

The Art Tour takes place annually over two weekends in October. This year the tour falls on Oct. 14-15 and 21-22, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. New this year, applicants also have the option to participate in a Spring Open Studios Art Tour weekend, set for May 5-6, 2018. A mobile-friendly map is featured for this bonus event. For more information, see: http://artsobispo.org/open-studios-arttour-participants

The SLO Downtown Association awarded honors to over two-dozen businesses at its 28th Annual Beautification Awards held March 1. The awards were given to businesses that made physical or aesthetic improvements toward keeping Downtown beautiful in the 2016 calendar year. New this year, top award winners were also presented with physical awards created by the Cal Poly Alpha Rho Chi professional architecture fraternity, Daedalus Chapter. Students involved were architecture students Regan Dyer, Ben Johnson, Jackson Sheridan, and Zack Moore. Awards were created using reclaimed scrap materials and laser cutting, designed to evoke the materials and process of construction in Downtown SLO. A full list of award winners is posted online at: www.DowntownSLO.com.

SLO Natural Foods Co-op announced a repricing strategy.

For more information, email to: brent@ downtownslo.com or call (805) 5410286.

Bank of the Sierra announced it has completed the relocation of its Paso Robles branch to 1207 Spring Street.

Adjacent to the park downtown, the new location on the corner of 12th and Spring Street is in a building previously occupied

by Union Bank. Kevin McPhaill, President and CEO of Bank of the Sierra, expressed his enthusiasm for the relocation. “We’ve been planning this important relocation since our acquisition of Coast National Bank last year. It’s our goal to continue improving Bank of the Sierra’s reach, visibility and convenience in our Coastal markets. We anticipate this new location will make it even easier to bank with us in Paso Robles.” The full service location officially opened its doors for business on March 6, with a grand opening, ribbon cutting and customer appreciation week to be scheduled later this year.

The Udsen Family, owners of Castoro Cellars, have been issued a “cease and desist demand” by the Woodstock Music and Art Fair, claiming trademark infringement against Castoro’s popular Beaverstock Music and Arts Festival. “We have put this festival on for four years, and it gets better and bigger every time, so we were of course disappointed when we received the letter from Woodstock’s attorney,” said Beaverstock guru, Luke Udsen. “But changing the name won’t change what we’re doing — and I’m actually kind of proud that we were making enough noise for Woodstock to notice!” Beaverstock has grown considerably over its first four A years, topping 4,000 attendees in 2016.

The Udsen Family will continue to give a portion of event proceeds to a local charitable organization; total donated over the first four years exceeds $50,000.

An official new name for the festival will be announced later this month. In the interim, the 2017 event will be referred to as “the event formerly known as Beaverstock.”

Cal Poly announced that Scott Dawson, former dean of the Orfalea College of Business, will return to the position effective June 1.“We are pleased that Scott will return as part of our leadership team and that the Orfalea College of Business’ students, faculty and staff will once again benefit from his visionary leadership and commitment to Learn by Doing,” said Cal Poly President Jeffrey D. Armstrong. Dawson led the Orfalea College of Business from August 2014 until November 2016, when he stepped down after the loss of his wife, Bridget, in a bicycling accident in July.

He returned to Portland, Ore., to be near

family and friends. Dawson first joined the College of Business after nearly 30 years at Portland State University’s School of Business. He served multiple roles as a marketing professor and associate dean, eventually becoming dean in 2000.

Dawson earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Oregon. He holds a master’s degree in business administration and a doctorate from the University of Arizona.

In an effort to help local migrant farmworker families, Whole Foods Market on Los Osos Valley Road in San Luis Obispo donated 5% of its net sales on March 8 to the Migrant & Seasonal Head Start Program. The program, recently named a Program of Excellence by the National Head Start Association Quality Initiative, has provided quality childcare, early education and support services to migrant farmworker families since it began in 1981. Operated by Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County (CAPSLO), the program promotes school readiness through educational, emotional, nutritional, social and other services. All families in the program live below or near the federally established poverty line.

Port San Luis Harbor Manager Andrea Lueker has hired Matthew A. Ashton as chief of the District’s Harbor Patrol Department, following a highly competitive recruitment, extensive interview process, and contract approval by the Board of Harbor Commissioners at its Feb. 28 meeting. Ashton began his new capacity as Chief Harbor Patrol Officer on March 1. Ashton is passionate about serving the public as the Harbor District’s next Harbor Patrol Chief. “When I was 15 or 16,” he said in a news release, “the City of Costa Mesa presented me with a ‘Meritorious Service Award’ for coming to the aid of my elderly neighbor who was in distress. At that point I knew I wanted to pursue a career in public service.”

The San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport announced that United Airlines will begin non-stop service from San Luis Obispo (SBP) to Denver (DEN) on June 8, making the Mile-High City the second destination this year added to the airport’s route map, and marking a major milestone for the community. Denver will be the third, nonstop destination offered locally by United Airlines, along with Los Angeles and San Francisco; and will connect passengers to over 120 domestic locations and nearly a dozen international destinations. Flights to Denver will add a fifth destination by three airlines for a total of 13 flights daily and one additional seasonal flight from San Luis Obispo.

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March 23 - April 5, 2017 • Simply Clear Marketing & Media

Financial Focus

Women Must Act to Overcome Financial Challenges

I

nternational Women’s Day, observed on March 8, celebrates the social, cultural and political achievements of women. Yet, women continue to face many challenges.

For one thing, women still encounter gender-specific obstacles to their important financial goals, such as a comfortable retirement. If you’re a woman, what can you do to get past these barriers?

First of all, you need to recognize them. Here are a few to consider: • Longer life spans – A 65-year-old woman is expected to live, on average, another 20.5 years, compared to 17.9 years for a 65-year-old man, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. That’s another 2½ years of life – and 2½ years more of expenses.

• Lower incomes – Women working full time in the United States typically are paid 80% of what men earn, according to Census Bureau data.

• More time away from the workforce – Men work an average of 38 years, compared to just 29 for women, according to the Pew Research Center and the Social Security Administration.

The gap is largely due to women taking time off to care for young children and elderly parents. Women who work substantially fewer years than men will miss out on hundreds of thousands of dollars in earnings and many years of contributions to 401(k)s or other retirement plans.

These statistics certainly are sobering – but they don’t mean you are powerless to improve your financial security. In fact, you can do quite a lot, including the following: • Boost your retirement plan contributions – Put in as much as you can afford to your 401(k) or other employer-sponsored plan, and increase your contributions whenever you get a raise. And even if you have a 401(k), you may still be eligible to contribute to an IRA. • Invest for growth – Some studies have shown that women may invest less aggressively than men. If you invest mostly in conservative vehicles, you may run the risk of falling short of your financial goals. To achieve these goals, you’ll need a reasonable amount of growth potential in your portfolio.

• Extend your working life – If you like your job, you may want to consider sticking with it a couple of years past when you initially thought you’d retire.

You’ll be able to add to your retirement accounts, and the extra years of work may help you increase your Social Security benefits. These payments are based on an average of your highest 35 years of earnings, so if you have a zero in some of these years, it will pull the average down. Consequently, your extra years of work may help erase those zeros. But even if you have a long, unbroken work record, your extended career can help you in regard to Social Security, because the extra money may mean you can afford to delay collecting benefits – and the longer you wait past 62, the bigger your checks will be – at least until you turn 70, when they “max out.”

You’ll help yourself by becoming familiar with the special issues women face in meeting their long-term goals. As you know, women have met challenges successfully for a long time.

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This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

Sarah Ketchum is a Central Coast local, she earned her bachelor’s degree in Business from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo.

She holds a Series 7, a Series 66 and a Life Insurance License. At the age of 18 she found herself homeless, working 3 jobs and putting herself through college. Her intrinsic desire to learn about investments was a passion from a very young age. Sarah has been serving investors for 17 years and has clients in 12 different states.

She is a board member of The Morro Bay Community Foundation and a Morro Bay Rotarian. Sarah currently is a Financial Advisor for Edward Jones Investments in Morro Bay. Her proudest accomplishments though are her 2 children, Noah & Bella.

Simply Clear Marketing & Media • March 23 - April 5, 2017

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41

Fresh Food is a Recipe for Success

By Mark A. Diaz

I

n a recent Gallup poll, San Luis Obispo County ranked number 7 for “Communities in Overall d Well Being,” this may be due to the d fact that SLO County has a couple of the top rated hamburger shacks in the nation. A February article t

by Business Insider, titled “The 50 c Best Burger Joints in America,” recently rated Sylvester’s Burgers d in Atascadero as 48, and Wee f Shack in Morro Bay as 36 for the nation’s 50 best places to grab a juicy national tradition. Granted, it was not an official poll, though the online publication does boast of an average of 70 million views a month.

Brian Englund, owner of Sylverster’s located at 6455 El Camino in Atascadero, does not put much stock in the polls. He says it d is still nice to get some recognition, r but it’s nothing new. Englund said, “We’ve had the Food Network and other bigger national type places come in and we almost shooed them off in a way. We don’t really care like most people about that.”

What Englund does care about is the SLO community and his employees. “We just won best burger in North County…but we don’t do it for that, we do it for our local community,” Englund said.

“The people that come in regularly and think of us as their hometown spot to take their kids to, to hang out with a friend that’s … that’s why we do it all for, not the awards that comes with it.” Englund also said that part of the businesses’ success can be attributed to the dedication to help his employees grow.

Englund welcomes locals to contact the business if they are interested in fundraising. And the restaurant does put its money where its mouth is; Englund estimates that the three Sylvester’s in the county

Sylvester’s burger

Wee Shack burger

have raised “at least $100,000” for local charities in the last year.

One way the stores raise funds is with their “give to get” cards. The cards are worth any burger on their menu, fries and a drink. A portion of the card’s proceeds is donated to a local participating charity.

When Englund opened the Atascadero and Oceano stores he wanted to keep the feel of the

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original Los Osos burger s h a c k .

Sylvester’s uses fresh ingredients such as locally made bread and farm fresh produce and never uses frozen meat, but its most important ingredient is that their food is made with love. Englund said, “We have about 90 some employees and each one I can say that I genuinely like and they kind of spread that love themselves.

It’s not a fake greeting at the door, it’s really real.”

To help spread the love, the Sylvester’s will gift you a free burger on your birthday.

The second burger joint to score in the top 50 was the Wee Shack at 1698 Main St, Morro Bay, coming in at rating 37 out of 50. Owned and operated by the local Ngo family, the Wee Shack’s name is phonetic, named after brother Huy (pronounced Wee).

Started in 2011, the Shack was the only burger place at its time to offer all fresh food. They only use

daily made buns and the vegetables are delivered twice a day, every day. Wayne Ngo, the oldest of three brothers, said that there is no reall secret to making a good hamburger. “Burgers are very basic food,” said Wayne, “and I think as long as you stick to the basics and keep everything simple and as fresh as you can, it’s amazing how it comes out.” Wayne conceded that there might be a little secret to their great tasting burgers.

Wayne added, “We have our own sauces, so they are recipes that we developed and came up with a lot of trial and error.” The youngest brother Hoai (pronounced Why) was instrumental in developing the Shack Sauce. An investment banker by trade, Hoai decided to enroll in culinary institute during a slow point in the industry. The three brothers Wayne, Huy and Hoai (Huy is the second of three and will happily to tell you about the woes of being the middle child) sat down and tested and experimented until they found a culinary combination worthy of the name Shack Sauce.

Like all local places, those ‘in the know’ can get a little more bang for their buck. The Shack once featured the Hondo; a John Wayne styled burger with extra cheese, bacon and bun that customers can still request even though it is not listed on menu.

And if someone wants to order their fresh cut french fries with some Shack Sauce and grilled onions, “Sure, no problem,” said Wayne.

The Ngo family also strives to give back to their hometown. “Whenever we can, we will help with fundraisers, or gift certificates for door prices and that kind of stuff,” said Wayne.

In an effort to help fund the Morro Bay bike park, the Wee Shack held a fundraising dinner.

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March 23 - April 5, 2017 • Simply Clear Marketing & Media

Featured Folks

Homegrown Candies Prepare for Debut Story and Photos by Camas Frank

F

or three decades the Central Coast has had our own version of Willy Wonka.

Although the confections and flavors dreamed up by Larry Peterman for the Hotlix candy store in Pismo Beach are considerably more “down to Earth” than those of his fictional counterparts, his unique products are sold around the world.

Until the recent closure of the Pismo Beach Pier for renovations, visitors strolling up Pomeroy Avenue after a walk on the attraction will have had their attention drawn up and to the left by the store’s iconic ruby red lipstick kiss of a logo. It’s what are in the display cases under the street side awning that sometimes prompts shrieks or giggles.

Insects and bugs coming in flavors like “Original Cricket” or grubs and scorpions dipped in milk chocolate or confectionery are just a hint of what awaits inside.

In the 1980s Peterman started with hard candies, and the creepy crawlies were almost an afterthought. The first was the inclusion of an earthworm in a tequila flavored sucker, others that have become staples in the line include ants, grubs, scorpions and crickets incased in an “amber” of flavored sugar.

And, while they’ve never stopped

cooking up new flavors, not all of them insect related, a milestone is coming up.

Hotlix is planning a new product launch to return to the roots with a new earthworm candy to be unveiled at the Sweets & Snacks Expo held from May 23 to the May 25 at the McCormick Place in Chicago.

“The expo is one of the largest around anywhere,” said Kaleen Hamrick, who’s recently returned to the business after growing up with summer jobs behind the counter.

“That’s our main show, we go every year and see all of our customers from all over. It’s great.”

Although he’s been thinking about it for years, Peterman was still tinkering with the final formula for the “real life gummy worms” until they were ready to start full-scale production. He even carried some batch samples with him on his way out for a slice of pizza.

“Now there are subtle flavors in there... can you taste the earthiness?,” he asked after handing one to a local reporter in a chance meeting.

“He’s been doing that as long as I can remember,” said Hamrick, about her great uncle, “Always tinkering and it was always fun.”

Indeed the little green string tasted quite a bit like a sour apple candy, sweet

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but sugar free as it would get sticky in packaging otherwise, and was dyed with food coloring for effect. The candy bore little resemblance to its origin. However the flavors were as complex as his process for creating them.

Hotlix plans to have production at full capacity by the Expo, which means there’s a special building in Grover Beach right now full of writhing worms destined to be cleaned, turned into jerky, candied and sold in packages of six all over the world.

“Our slogan for the package says

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‘Sweet, Sour and Earthy’ and ‘Not Just for the Birds,’” Hamrick explains, noting that the art style for the package will be similar to the fun cartoonish creatures on their chocolate covered and ant candies, but featuring a little boy in a tug of war with a bird over one of the candies.

“No, I’m not an entomologist, but this has certainly turned me into an entomophage,” said Peterman. “That’s what you call someone who eats bugs.”

Information on all of their products, and eventually the worms, can be found online at: hotlix.com/candy.

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Simply Clear Marketing & Media • March 23 - April 5, 2017

•

43

Using Ecotourism to Engage Customers

By Mark A. Diaz

I

n the age of convenience, customer satisfaction may no longer be enough to ensure return business.

Companies are seeing a growing need to engage their clientele in order to produce a deeper emotional connection that, in turn, results in the invaluable commodity of customer loyalty.

Highway 1 Discovery Route and the unincorporated San Luis Obispo County Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) have created and maintained the award winning Stewardship Travel Program (STP) in an attempt to merge sustainability, environmentalism and customer engagement.

Established in 2013, STP involves businesses from Ragged Point to as far South as Nipomo and offers 70 activities to engage tourists and locals alike. Activities range from aiding in the restoration of trails in Montaña de Oro, volunteer to work at the Nipomo Native Garden, or pick up debris at the Cayucos or Avila beaches. Not all the activities involve labor, for instance, there are hikes, tours and museums on the list and even a wine tasting event.

However, each activity is designed to highlight the beauty and uniqueness of the Central Coast with hopes that visitors will establish that elusive deeper connection.

Katie Sturtevant, co-director of STP, has seen an increase of return customers since the conception of the program.

“It’s been working really well for us. It gets them to them to connect, care and gives them a way to give back to the area, which we have found, makes them want to come back,” said Sturtevant.

“They are just more deeply connected to the area that they are traveling to.”

Not only does customer engagement show an increase in future spending, trends indicate Millennials are more inclined to actively search out destinations that are environmental responsible and offer opportunities in land preservation and rehabilitation.

“We’re finding that more and more travelers want to spend more money

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on an area that they know is being preserved and that they can be a hand in preserving,” Sturtevant said.

The Avila Beach Tourism Alliance (ABTA) has recently revamped one of its contributions to ecotourism. The Avila Beach Cleanup Kit and Appreciation Tote Bag has received a new look with signage that will be posted around the beach town to promote the activity.

Award winning graphic artist Reilly Newman was employed to create the new look.

The ABTA invites “active visitors” to use a kit to pick up 10 pieces of trash and post a picture of their accomplishment on a social website (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) with #VistiAvilaBeach in order to receive an exclusive T-shirt

and to be entered into a monthly drawing.

“You would not believe how many people jump at the opportunity to pick up trash,” said Chris King, general manager of the Avila Beach Inn. “It’s pretty amazing.”

The Avila program is unique in that it not has the potential to build engagement, but with the requirement of digital posting, it gives the activity an extra boost to grow organically.

ABTA kits contain gloves, a collection bag and a marine debris checklist. The kits are currently available at Central Coast Aquarium, Avila Village Inn, Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort, and San Luis Bay Inn upon request.

The Discovery Route recently received the Visit California Poppy Award under the award’s “Commitment to Community” category.

For more information, visit; www.

Highway1DiscoveryRoute.com or www. visitavilabeach.com

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