SLO LIFE Magazine Aug/Sep 2020

LIFE SLO magazine

CENTRAL COAS FOOD & WINE

TAKING IN THE VIEW

READY, SET SUMMER

SEASONAL FAVORITES BEHIND THE

HEALTH TRENDS NEWS BRIEFS

SCENES

FAMILY

LOCAL TIMELINE NOW HEAR THIS

SAN LUIS OBISPO ART AND MUSIC REWING

ON THE RISE

EET M SUPERFOODS INVESTIGATIO SPANISH BEACH BUNGALOW AUG/SEP 2020 SLOLIFEMAGAZINE.COM

MEET THE MAKERS

ERICA BALTODANO

Y CIVIL RESPONSIBILIT & H A V IN G IT A L L AUG/SEP 2020

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MORE THAN JUST INK ON PAPER Design | Print | Mail | Appare| Web | Promo

2226 Beebee St, San Luis Obispo, CA | 805.543.6844 | prpco.com

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M O D E R N • C L A S S I C • J E W E L R Y

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G A R D E N

S T R E E T

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L U I S

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W W W . B A X T E R M O E R M A N . C O M

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We’re here for you now and always.

We know how important essential travel is to our community. SLO Transit has taken extra precautions in implementing enhanced cleaning methods and maintaining a rigorous cleaning schedule to keep buses clean and sanitized. We’re here for you now with essential travel and we’re here for you as our community is supporting one another on the road to recovery.

For more information on individual routes and schedules, please visit our website at slotransit.org, download the SLO Transit app, or call Transit Dispatch at (805) 541-2877.

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GENERAL BUILDING CONTRACTORS . LANDSCAPE CONTRACTORS

8 0 5 . 7 0 4 . 75 5 9

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License 731695 |

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Pictured left to right: Sarah Kelly, CNM; Eric Colton, MD; Angela Halusic, MD; Christine Lopopolo, MD, FACOG; Christina Pyo, MD; Heidi Sungurlu, DO; Ginger Cochran, MS, RND, CPE, CDE; and Michelle Longa Karpin, CNM, NP

The time is always now for women’s health Our physicians and staff are dedicated to providing high standards of comprehensive medical care for women. To meet the growing needs of the Central Coast community, we expanded our OB/GYN team to include a registered dietitian, certified midwife and nurse practitioner.

TELEHEALTH APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE With a telehealth appointment you can meet with one of our trusted providers safely from the comfort of your home.

All you need is a phone, tablet or computer.

Telehealth appointments include: • Birth control/medication followup • Family planning consults • Menopausal symptoms • Gestational diabetes • PCOS consults • Mood changes /depression

35 Casa Street, Suite 220 | San Luis Obispo, CA

Call today to schedule an appointment 805-595-1808 or visit fcpp-slowomenshealth.com AUG/SEP 2020

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CONTENTS 22 Briefs 24 View 26 Q&A

12 PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE

14 Info 16 Sneak Peek 18 In Box 20 Timeline 8

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NOW HEAR THIS

Volume 11 Number 4 Aug/Sep 2020

30 MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR

Love your legs again!

Before & After actual patients

Bringing Quality Heart and Vascular Care to the Central Coast since 2008 Nationally recognized single physician practice Offering consultative cardiology, vein care, and wound care Linked with Concierge Choice, one of the nation’s leaders in patient care

w w w. p r e m i e r h e a r t a n d v e i n c a r e . c o m

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Dr. Ken Stevens

805.540.3333 AUG/SEP 2020

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| CONTENTS

60 Real Estate

76 Wine Notes

64 Health

70 TASTE

40 ARTIST

42 Family 44 On the Rise 46 Dwelling 10

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80 BREW

exceptional landscape design + build contractors 805.574.0777 www.sagelandscapes.net @sagelandscapes AUG/SEP 2020

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| PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE

Real Job Recently, my daughter, Geneva, turned seventeen. She also got her first real job bussing tables.

I was around Geneva’s age when someone other than a family member or neighbor employed me. The Union 76 gas station, which used to stand proud at the corner of Highway 198 and South County Center Drive in Visalia, California, needed a gas jockey. They took one look at me and decided to roll the dice. For $4.25 per hour, I was charged with pampering every vehicle that showed up at their full-service pumps. After a few days on the job, I was like Pavlov’s salivating dogs. The distinctive ding-ding of the car rolling in would send me running with a squeegee in one hand, a tire gauge in the other.

Once, after fussing with extra care over a car, I walked around the raised hood with a dipstick in-hand and mentioned something to the driver about the oil being a little low. “And if you look closely,” I said while leaning forward and twisting it in the sunlight, “it’s a bit darker and clumpier than it should be.” After I topped off the small block V8 with 5W-30, the driver reached out through her window with two crisp one-dollar bills.

Receiving my first tip changed everything. I realized my earnings that hour just increased by a whopping 50 percent. What if I got more tips? It became a competition with myself. Every time I heard that ding-ding, I emerged from the garage with a smile so wide it illuminated the “Tom” patch emblazoned on my grease-stained shirt. After a series of “yes, ma’ams”—it was the ma’ams who did the majority of the tipping—I pumped the gas, checked the tire pressure, washed the windows, and polished the dust off the fenders. It was the oil check that brought in the big bucks. I practiced just how to hold my face; my eyebrows raised with concern. “You see here, ma’am, it’s a bit darker and clumpier than it should be. For your safety and the longevity of your beautiful car, I recommend adding a half-quart of our Union 76 Piston Protector.” Without fail, a pair of George Washingtons would appear.

When Geneva came home after her first shift, I quizzed her about the experience. “Dad,” she said as she reached into her pocket, “check this out—I got a tip!” I heard the ding-ding of the full-service pumps ring in my ears. That five-dollar bill represented a world of possibility to a seventeen-year-old kid, the same way it did to me back in the day. The road to freedom and self-determination, as it turns out, is paved with gratuities. She rolled her eyes as I suggested how she hold her face for maximum profits.

Every day, I watch my daughter walk out to her little Volkswagen Beetle—I can see from here that the left-rear tire needs a little air—before her shift.

In each of those days, I have noticed her posture continually improve, one day after the next. Straight and tall and purposeful—the magic of a real job, its powers compounded by the power of the tip.

But it’s not about the money. If we were living in some prehistoric period, landing the first real job is the evolutionary equivalent of felling a woolly mammoth for the first time. It’s a big deal. A rite of passage. It was only yesterday that she was falling asleep next to me as I read Good Night Moon or my personal favorite, It’s Not Easy Being a Bunny. Now, here she is, off in the world by herself, just like P.J. Funnybunny.

My son, Donovan, now fifteen-and-a-half, has taken note. He has been begging my wife and me to work. We remind him that he already picks up some odd jobs here and there with family and friends. “No,” he says, “I want a real job.” With his driver’s license hanging in the balance, just six months away if he plays his cards right, we tell him that he can start pounding the pavement then. He is busy perfecting his resume now. I am listed as a work reference next to “Publication Technician, SLO LIFE Magazine, 2010 to current.” The many hours of his childhood he has spent stuffing subscription cards into magazines should count for something, right?

In my primal brain, I’m saying, “It’s too dangerous for him to go off and hunt alone.” The truth is more complicated: I can only handle one kid taking flight at a time—it’s not easy being a bunny.

Thank you to everyone who has had a hand in producing this issue of SLO LIFE Magazine and, most of all, to our advertisers and subscribers— we couldn’t do it without you.

Live the SLO Life!

Tom Franciskovich tom@slolifemagazine.com

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T I L E S H O W R O O M & N AT U R A L S T O N E S L A B YA R D C U S T O M C O U N T E R O P FA B R I C AT I O N & I N S TA L L AT I O N SHOWROOM HOURS MON-FRI 10-5, SAT 10-3 SLMARBLE.COM, 5452 ENDA RD

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LIFE SLO magazine

4251 S. HIGUERA STREET, SUITE 800, SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA SLOLIFEMAGAZINE.COM info@slolifemagazine.com (805) 543-8600 • (805) 456-1677 fax PUBLISHER Tom Franciskovich

Elder Placements realizes the IMPORTANCE of listening to the client, in order to find the appropriate:

Independent Living Assisted Living Alzheimer’s & Dementia Care Homes Let their experienced Certified Senior Advisors take you on a tour to find the Retirement Home or Community that fits your loved ones Medical, Financial and Social needs, at NO Cost to you.

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Sheryl Franciskovich CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Libbie Agran Charlotte Alexander Jeff Al-Mashat Lauren Harvey Paden Hughes Zara Khan Jaime Lewis Brant Myers Joe Payne CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS George Cox Alexandre Debieve Georgia DeLotz Elliot Johnson Samuel Kriesel Tawnya Malia Mark Nakamura Vanessa Plakias Joaquin Romero CONTRIBUTIONS Have some comments or feedback about something you’ve read here?

Or, do you have something on your mind that you think everyone should know about? Submit your story ideas, events, recipes, and announcements by visiting us online at slolifemagazine.com and clicking “Share Your Story” or emailing us at info@slolifemagazine.com. Be sure to include your full name and city for verification purposes. Contributions chosen for publication may be edited for clarity and space limitations.

ADVERTISING If you would like to advertise, please contact Tom Franciskovich by phone at (805) 543-8600 or by email at tom@slolifemagazine.com or visit us online at slolifemagazine.com/advertise and we will send you a complete media kit along with testimonials from happy advertisers.

Nicole Pazdan, CSA,

SUBSCRIPTIONS Ready to live the SLO Life all year long? It’s quick and easy! Just log on to slolifemagazine.com/subscribe. It’s just $24.95 for the year. And don’t forget to set your friends and family up with a subscription, too. It’s the gift that keeps on giving!

NOTE The opinions expressed within these pages do not necessarily reflect those of SLO LIFE Magazine. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written permission of the publisher.

Contact us today for FREE placement assistance.

CIRCULATION, COVERAGE, AND ADVERTISING RATES Complete details regarding circulation, coverage, and advertising rates, space, sizes and similar information are available to prospective advertisers. Please call or email for a media kit. Closing date is 30 days before date of issue.

(805) 546-8777

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR info@slolifemagazine.com 4251 S. Higuera Street, Suite 800 San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

elderplacementprofessionals.com

Letters chosen for publication may be edited for clarity and space limitations.

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Moving Forward, Together.

“Instant action set American Riviera Bank apart! They were right on top of all of the SBA requirements; I wouldn’t be getting through this without them.”

— Kellie Avila, Owner at Avila Traffic Safety What does True Community Banking mean? It means working together to find solutions under even the most trying of circumstances. It means we care about your employees as if they were our own.

COMMERCI AL LOANS | COMMERCI AL LINES OF CR EDIT | COMMERCI AL R EAL ESTATE LENDING

Preferred SBA Lender

AmericanRivieraBank.com • 805.965.5942 Paso Robles • San Luis Obispo • Goleta • Santa Barbara • Montecito AUG/SEP 2020

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| SNEAK PEEK

O N TH E COVE R

behind the scenes W I T H E RICA BALTO DANO

BY VANESSA PLAKIAS

We met at the gazebo in Mitchell Park. The spot is so special to Erica, for many reasons. It’s where she delivered the keynote address at the First Annual Women’s March.

And, she said, “Parks are democratic public spaces, serving as places where anyone, regardless of income or position, can meet, discuss, demonstrate, and publicize their causes.”

e fro m the a rin g is the mo on ph as Th e ne ckl a ce she ’s we a tri p she on ut bo a d rne she lea da y she wa s bo rn, wh ich . ory the Griff ith Ob servat ha d ta ke n he r kid s to

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Her family met us right after we started. She talked about how she loves being a mom. It’s an important part of who she is.

She loves to read; at the time we met she was reading Supreme Inequality. There are some really heavy days for our community right now—books can be a good way to decompress and gather more ideas moving forward. SLO LIFE

Emergencies can’t wait.

We’re ready for you with Tele-ER Visits, Online Check-In or Walk-In options.

In an emergency, there’s no reason to delay your care. We go above a variety of choices to make it convenient and comfortable for you: Walk-ins welcome at Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center and Twin Cities Community Hospital Check-in online at TenetHealthCentralCoast.com to reserve a time that is convenient for you to come into the ER Call 805-546-7990 to make a virtual ER appointment with a local physician without leaving home

For more information, visit TenetHealthCentralCoast.com For life-threatening emergencies, call 911.

AUG/SEP 2020

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| IN BOX

Take us with you!

JUST MARRIED

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK

MATT, KIM, and CJ WORMLEY

STAYCATION LINDSEY MILSTEAD and NICK BUTIER

SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK

ILA HAMILTON

HUME LAKE

DAVE, SYLVIA, JACE, TYCE, STEVE, and STACY GOMES

JANA and CHERYL

Please send your photos and comments to info@slolifemagazine.com Visit us online at slolifemagazine.com Letters may be edited for content and clarity.

To be considered for publication your letter should include your name, address, phone number, or email address (for authentication purposes).

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B E C AU S E YO U D E S E RV E T H E V E RY B E ST C E N T R A L C OAST R E A L E S TAT E R E P R E S E N TAT I O N .

133 PINO SOLO CT, NIPOMO offered at: $1,025,000

Chris Engelskirger

Amy Daane

Owner/Broker

Owner/REALTOR®

1331 PACIFIC ST, SLO offered at: $998,000

Jed Damschroder Kellye Grayson Owner/REALTOR®

REALTOR®

1311 FERNWOOD DR, SLO offered at: $699,000

Doug Cutler

Krissy Bellisario

Sacha Steel

Mukta Naran

Yatin Naran

Stacie Kenny

Alex Wilkerson

REALTOR®

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PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

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IN-HOUSE MARKETING

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T H E AV E N U E S LO. C O M

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| TIMELINE

Around the County 6/1

Downtown SLO announces its 2020 Beautification Awards honoring businesses making physical and/or aesthetic improvements. Top honors include the Mayor’s Award, given this year to the Gateway to Downtown—1085 Higuera Redevelopment project at the corner of Santa Rosa and Higuera streets. From a record number of eligible projects, made possible because of the uptick in new downtown businesses in 2019, the organization’s Cultural Arts Committee also singled out Hotel San Luis Obispo with the Chairperson’s Award, and the City of SLO Promotional Coordinating Committee with the CEO’s Surprise and Delight Award for its cultural icon flags and parking kiosks.

6/10

6/18

The nomination period for the November 3 General Election in San Luis Obispo County opens for anyone interested in running for office.

Seats are open in all of the county’s school, community service, and special districts, as well as all cities. A complete listing of the contests on the ballot, as well as qualifications and important dates, can be found at SLOVote.com.

The City of San Luis Obispo kicks off its “Open SLO” program, opening downtown streets and plazas for outdoor dining on specific dates and at specific times in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Designed to expand the use of city streets and other public spaces to support physical distancing, it allows the temporary use of the city right-of-way, including sidewalks, parking spaces, and streets for expansion of outdoor dining, retail displays, and casual strolling.

Temporarily suspending enforcement of private parking requirements, the city also allows businesses to expand their footprints, including table service, within private parking lots. Updates and guidelines for public health and safety are posted at OpenSLO.org.

6/30

The last day of the 2019 rain year makes it official: the most recent rainfall season (which runs July 1 to June 30) produced much less rain for San Luis Obispo than the previous year.

According to PG&E Meteorologist John Lindsey, the 2018 rainfall season that ended June 30, 2019, produced 29.48 inches of rain in the City of San Luis Obispo, or 132 percent of normal.

In comparison, the 2019 season produced only 15.88 inches for the city, coming in at just 71 percent of average. What will the 2020 rain year bring? Lindsey says many of the forecast models are venturing into La Niña territory, which typically produces lower-than-average winter rainfall. |

SLO LIFE MAGAZINE

7/9

For the first time ever, a Titan Arum, also known as a corpse flower because it smells like rotting flesh, blooms at Cal Poly, attracting hundreds of visitors over the two days the bloom lasts, as well as thousands of viewers via livestream. The plant, which grows from a large underground stem, sends up one leaf a year. After ten years or so, instead of making a leaf, the plant sends up a huge maroon funnel with tiny flowers on a large spike. Cal Poly students have been growing the Amorphophallus titanium, nicknamed “Musty,” for several years, and this is the plant’s first flower.

A unique sailplane with ninety-three-foot wings designed by Cal Poly aerospace engineering professor Paulo Iscold breaks three national soaring records in Nevada. The glider, named Nixus (“pushing forward” in Latin), soars without the benefit of engine power. It has attracted considerable attention from aviation media because of its innovative wings that are controlled through a fly-by-wire computer system.

What’s next? Iscold and his two pilots, with the support of his Cal Poly students helping out on research, are eyeing the longest distance covered by a sailplane. The record is 1,864 miles.

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7/8

The California Coastal Commission and officials with the California Department of State Parks at the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area announce an agreement to keep the area closed to vehicles and to camping through the end of September, in order to protect western snowy plovers and California least terns. State Parks has agreed to cease activities that could disrupt nesting as well. Nearly half of the active snowy plover nests in the Oceano Dunes this spring were outside of fenced protected areas.

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7/13 7/16

San Luis Obispo Coastal Unified School District announces it will begin the 2020-21 school year on August 24 in distance learning mode through the winter break, with daily attendance online required for all students Monday through Friday. The district plans to coordinate with the cities of Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo, as well as the YMCA and other nonprofit organizations, to provide options for families and staff who require childcare. Lucia Mar Unified School District had already announced plans to require distance learning at the start of the school year for all South County students.

7/25

A virtual workshop on the Community Plan for Avila, an integral part of SLO County’s General Plan that will guide land use decisions in the region for the next twenty years, provides residents an opportunity to comment on the future of coastal resources and tourism in Avila. The workshop is part of “Envision Avila,” a community engagement process. The plan, when completed in 2021, will provide the basis for local government decision making and ground rules to guide development. SLO LIFE

LEARN BY DOING WAS BORN HERE CAL POLY AND LEARN BY DOING HAVE BEEN RESIDENTS OF THE CENTRAL COAST SINCE 1901.

Cal Poly engineering students work on a CubeSat in PolySat, the student-run campus research lab. Pioneered at Cal Poly, this small satellite technology has been used with a NASA project to Mars and The Planetary Society’s LightSail 2, where Cal Poly and San Luis Obispo served as the mission control site for the orbiter’s solar sail deployment. LightSail 2 is an international endeavor with collaborators from over 20 countries and with supporters from over 100 countries donating to the $7 million project.

AD DESIGN BY CAL POLY STUDENT LAUREN WENSTAD (FOURTH-YEAR GRAPHIC COMMUNICATION MAJOR) PHOTOGRAPH BY BRITTANY APP

See more Learn by Doing stories at

GIVING.CALPOLY.EDU AUG/SEP 2020

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| BRIEFS

REACH 2030 An action plan designed within ten years to meet the economic needs of the Central Coast with the proposed creation of 15,000 new jobs in aerospace, agritech, technology, and renewable energy. With more than 200 partners, the economic impact organization REACH (formerly the Hourglass Project) aims to create a better landscape for future residents with improved housing and job markets.

23 The number of polling locations in SLO County for the 2020 Primary Election come November, down sixty-nine percent from the usual seventy-four locations, according to County Clerk-Recorder Tommy Gong.

Only 400 poll workers will staff polling centers that typically host up to 1,000. The number of days polls will be open, however, are increasing to four, beginning on Saturday through Election Day Tuesday. More than 177,000 registered voters in the county will receive mail-in ballots at least twenty-nine days before November 3.

Stuff the Bus It’s back-to-school time again, and due to the pandemic and social distancing guidelines, United Way of San Luis Obispo’s twelfth annual school supply drive has gone virtual. More than ever, local students and teachers are in need of supplies to begin the year successfully. You can help by visiting UnitedWaySLO.org/stuffthebus.

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MC3 The Multi-Craft Core Curriculum apprenticeship readiness program restarted in July by the Tri-Counties Building & Construction Trades Council. The eight-week pre-apprenticeship, taught with a combination of live online instruction and hands-on training, helps SLO County residents enter new career paths as carpenters, electricians, plumbers, sheet metal workers, and more, acting as an onramp to head-of-household pay and benefits.

“Be bold.

Be you.”

The new tagline for the Gala Pride & Diversity Center in San Luis Obispo, which in turn is the new name of GALA, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance of the Central Coast.

Since its founding in 1997, GALA has shifted to become more inclusive, providing resources to all within the LGBTQ+ community, and the rebranding better serves its mission to provide a safe place promoting wellbeing and resources.

$1.7 million The cost of two electric transit buses to replace two of the city’s oldest dieselpowered buses that are at the end of their useful life. The SLO City Council unanimously approved the purchase, as the transition to electric-powered buses aligns with the city’s Climate Action Goals and California’s Innovative Clean Transit regulations mandating all public transit systems be zero emission by 2040.

A majority of the cost will be paid by grant funding. Electric buses have a lower operational cost and do not produce greenhouse gases that have a negative impact on the environment.

“Live theatre’s powerful storytelling connects people in ways that open the mind, nourish the soul, and illuminate our shared humanity.”

SLO REP’s belief statement as articulated

by Managing Artistic Director Kevin Harris in a recent edition of “The Intermission Show,” a local twice-a-week YouTube sensation connecting the SLO REP audience even though the pandemic has kept the physical curtain from going up. Addressing the Black Lives Matter movement and anti-racism in live theatre, Harris and his board of directors recognize they have a tremendous amount of work to do to live up to this vision, but are inviting the public to explore it with them.

34% The number of local businesses that have adopted alternative ways to sell and deliver products since the pandemic began, according to a regional impact survey conducted by a Central Coast Chamber of Commerce coalition in June and July. Nearly 32 percent of businesses responding have changed the products and services they offer as well. It’s no surprise, revenue/cashflow remains the number one challenge documented in the survey by a large margin. SLO LIFE

EXPLORE OUR

3 D V I R T U AL T O U R S

SAN LUIS OBISPO

PhotographyByJayCWinter.hd.pics/369-Montrose-Drive

This beautiful, single-level home is located on a picturesque block overlooking the City, Bishop Peak and Cerro San Luis in the coveted Ferrini Heights neighborhood of San Luis Obispo. The property features an open kitchen/living room which shares a dual sided fireplace with the large family room. The fabulous master suite is oversized with a walk-in closet, updated bathroom and there is a bonus room which is currently being used as a home office. With entertaining in mind, the kitchen has ample storage and counter space with a breakfast bar.

DENISE SILVA TOPHAM, REALTOR®,

LIC. #01333775

805.801.7389

CAMBRIA

SAN LUIS OBISPO

MORRO BAY

RECENT PRICE IMPROVEMENT! Featuring two homes, this R2 property is approximately 7,169 square feet and has curb appeal that is charming and inviting. The 1,351 square foot 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom main house features a remodeled kitchen, open floor plan living room with lots of potential and ample windows allowing for maximum light.

3 bedroom, 2 bath gem which sits on a huge 7k sf lot on the "Top Of The World." This 1347 sf home, has 5 decks which look out to the ocean, and into the mountains. A conservation easement across the street protects the open space from ever being built on. The living room has a splendid gas fireplace, as well as the dining room, allowing for an impressive view and interaction as you cook.

Built in 1980, this 2 bedroom 2 bath, 1206 sf cottage is nestled in an amazing, friendly neighborhood, with a fantastic park around the corner. The front room holds a large fireplace, and the kitchen has pristine floating wood laminate floors. With a roomy garage, and large oversized closet in the master bedroom, this home is a perfect way to enjoy the splendor of coastal living.

Website: www.1828Johnson.com

Website: www.1541Stuart.com

Website: www.420JavaSt.com

TERRY GILLESPIE

AMY KASTNING

AMY KASTNING

REALTOR®, LIC. #01815083

805.459.2022

REALTOR®, LIC. #02071645

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Haven Properties 441 Marsh Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 805 Main Street, Morro Bay, CA 93442 1401 Park Street, Suite C, Paso Robles, CA 93446

805.440.6212

REALTOR®, LIC. #02071645

805.440.6212

BHGREHAVEN.COM 805.592.2050 AUG/SEP 2020

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| VIEW

Stacking Up

BY MARK NAKAMURA

I

have always been a landscape photographer at heart. Finding that unique view sometimes means hiking to a destination or backpacking to a secluded spot. My favorite times of day are sunrises and sunsets, which means waking up early—sometimes as early as three o’clock—or staying late, even after the sun sets for the blue hour, that special moment of twilight.

No matter where I travel, my favorite places are right here on the Central Coast.

Only recently did I discover TV Tower Road, located on the west side of Highway 101 at the top of the Grade. As you travel from San Luis Obispo north on Highway 101, turn left (west) at the apex of the Grade. Drive on a paved road for a half-mile before it turns into a dirt road, full of ruts and potholes. Not to worry, you can navigate the rough terrain without a four-wheel drive vehicle.

From this road, you pass several lookout points where you can view back into San Luis Obispo and into the valley which Highway 1 traverses.

On a clear day, you will be able to see Morro Rock and the three smokestacks. From the highway it’s only 1.3 miles to a parking area where you can catch a view the valley below and the City of San Luis Obispo.

This photograph was taken at one of the pullouts along TV Tower Road, before you reach the TV Towers, with one of my favorite lenses, a Sony 100-400mm zoom lens. This allows me to compress the scene and make the mountains look stacked one upon the other. I shot this photograph at f16, which makes the sun look like a star—called a sunburst—about an hour before sunset. Enjoy the view. SLO LIFE

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MARK NAKAMURA, retired school teacher, continues to pursue his passion in landscape photography as well as capturing the joys of weddings, families, events, and sports around the Central Coast.

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| Q&A

BLUEGRASS STATE OF MIND

We sat down for a wide-ranging conversation with BRENT BURCHETT, Executive Director of the SLO County Farm Bureau, who, in addition to providing a long list of recommended sipping bourbons, provided an interesting perspective on the local ag scene. Here are some highlights…

Okay, Brent, let’s talk about where you got your start.

Well, if you can’t tell from my accent, I’m not a California native. I moved here from Kentucky last year. Now, I wouldn’t have come here without a good reason. I miss Kentucky a lot, but my fiancé is from San Luis Obispo County, the Carizzo Plains. Her family’s ranched there for six or seven generations; they’ve been here a long time. I was a farm kid too. We raised corn, soybeans, and tobacco. There’s not any tobacco here, so my crop knowledge has been pretty useless. Basically, there’s nothing you can’t grow here. Let’s see, what else? I have one older brother. He’s still in Kentucky. I played football growing up. I did speech team. I was on the debate team.

Did storytelling; that was kind of my favorite thing to do.

We tell a lot of old-timey stories. It’s a Southern thing to do, get out and tell tall tales and storytelling.

Let’s talk about stories. Yeah, so there were these competitions. You basically get a script and memorize it. I remember one that was an old Southern tale. It was actually adapted from a play called “Wiley and the Hairy Man” about these kids who caught catfish using dynamite back in the World War II era. Those explosions accidentally alerted the local militia, and all these local rednecks came out and chased them down the road. That was fun. But mostly we worked. I’d never been to a beach until late in high school. I went with some friends. It was really weird because when I came here, I was like, “Oh, the beach is going to be awesome.”

I ran into the ocean and I didn’t realize that it was quite a bit colder than it is in the Gulf of Mexico. But, like I said, we mostly worked as kids. That’s what you’re expected to do as a farm kid to help your family. We all had little side businesses. I sold sweet corn; that was one of the fun things we did in the summertime.

What do you miss about Kentucky?

Oh, for one, there’s this stuff that falls from the sky.

They call it rain. I miss hearing rainfall. The weather’s awesome in SLO, but there’s something about having four full seasons. I also miss Southern hospitality. I miss fried chicken. Put that on the list. Ya’ll don’t have any good fried chicken here in SLO County. I miss horse racing, and basketball. Basketball’s not a big thing here, but in Kentucky, whether you’re ten years old or a hundred, you know exactly who’s playing for the Kentucky Wildcats. And you know who’s being recruited for next year. It’s kind of like a religion, almost.

I miss the Big Blue Nation, the UK basketball. They had to cancel the season this year, which was just crazy.

I couldn’t believe that. They canceled the Derby too, 26

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so I don’t know what the hell the people doing this year. No basketball, no bourbon tours, no Kentucky basketball, no horse race. That’s just nuts think about.

What did you know about the Central Coast before moving here?

I had been to SLO County maybe two or three times before we made the move. There was an opening here at the Farm Bureau. It’s a member advocacy organization, so our members are farmers and ranchers. We’re not government entity. We are a private nonprofit that advocates for farmers’ and ranchers’ freedom to farm. That means, basically, I’m going to County Board of Supervisors meetings, to Planning Commission meetings, to the Regional Water board, some other state entities, and interacting with our congressional delegation to make sure that our elected officials know what’s going on here in agriculture; that they appreciate that we’re a big part of the economy. I’ve found that a lot of people don’t realize that last year SLO County agriculture exceeded $1 billion in crop and livestock sales for the first time. It’s a huge industry. To put it in context, the entire state of Kentucky comes in at about $5 billion. So just this one county is nearly a fifth of all of Kentucky. That’s pretty awesome.

are and to

a

What does the future hold for farming in our county? We have a Young Farmers & Ranchers program that the Farm Bureau operates. It’s a mixture of young professionals, but mostly it’s Cal Poly and Cuesta kids. They’re just so fired up for agriculture.

It’s neat to see what the next generation is going to do because there’s not many new farmers coming up in the pipeline. It makes you wonder what American agriculture will look like twenty years from now. It’s kind of scary. I think some of them get frustrated. It’s a little different here. In Kentucky, being a farmer is like being a teacher or a doctor or a nurse—somebody that’s really valued by the community. In California, I think farmers are sometimes viewed with suspicion.

People wonder if they’re polluting or doing something that’s not right. People in Kentucky think California is another country, so when I told everybody I was dating a California girl, they said, “What in the world?” SLO LIFE

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| NOW HEAR THIS

ESSENTIAL

T

he soft rumble of the surf is audible along the Cambria neighborhood street, punctuated by the high-flying melody line sung by an unmistakable violin string.

Brynn Albanese, who many locals will recognize from her group Cafe Musique and her participation in the SLO Symphony, holds her bow high like a magic wand between strokes. Sunlight sparkles off her electric violin, amped by a simple PA system, as she serenades the street with tango, Scottish folk music, and of course, gypsy-jazz. Her audience lines the street, sitting in lawn chairs at socially distanced intervals. The neighborhood is out to take in the show from their front yards, including a few sipping drinks and enjoying the music from their balconies.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, local musicians of all stripes have taken a huge hit as venues have closed indefinitely. Albanese was no different and decided to live stream videos via Facebook for performances. But then she came upon a novel idea—outdoor neighborhood shows, dubbed “quarantine concerts.” “It was basically out of fear,” she laughed. “My entrepreneurial instincts kicked in and I was like, ‘You know what? I can make people happy and make a little income by doing these concerts.’”

A San Luis Obispo local who calls Cambria her home as well, Albanese has performed outside of long-term care facilities as well as in the front yards of locals. She plays by request and requires someone to host her and her equipment, but only asks for donations. Whoever hosts is asked to spread the word around the neighborhood.

Megg Mcnamee booked her for a Monday mid-June concert on her driveway. She hadn’t heard of Albanese until a few weeks prior, but posted fliers and emailed her neighbors to let them know of the show. “My neighbors up the road had a concert about six weeks ago, and I was driving out and heard it, and thought, ‘Oh my God!’ So, I stopped and listened,” Mcnamee shares. “Very popular, very well-received. Good thing to do, and what a great way to start the week.”

For the uninitiated, Albanese is a profoundly talented violinist with a commanding presence. Well-educated and with a cosmopolitan vibe, she takes her audience on a veritable world tour with her bow and some backing tracks funneled through the PA. One moment you’re in a Venitian gondola, and the next, it’s an Appalachian hoedown.

When the crisis began, the fear and overwhelming nature of the prospects for live music was daunting, Albanese said. After some creative brainstorming, she invested in the necessary equipment. “Something like this is actually very easy.

It was socially distanced, there’s hand sanitizer, there’s everything that you need to have the concert; you just have to find the right place for it,” she explains.

“I think that coming up with innovative ways to have musicians come to your neighborhood or come to your house or something like that is the way to go.”

Albanese believes that musicians and those hoping to support them should think creatively and try to organize their own concerts. She has several more “quarantine concerts” planned, but she is also continuing her Cambria Concerts Unplugged series, where she will live stream from the historic Old Santa Rosa Chapel. Anyone interested can reach out to Albanese via her website, brynnalbanese.com. SLO LIFE 28

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JOE PAYNE is a journalist, as well as a lifelong musician and music teacher, who loves writing about the arts on the Central Coast, especially music, as well as science, history, nature, and social issues.

SOUND

BY JOE PAYNE

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| MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR

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GREATER GOOD PHOTOGRAPHY BY VANESSA PLAKIAS

On the eve of her ten-year anniversary as a San Luis Obispo resident, attorney ERICA BALTODANO has spent her entire adult life advocating for the expansion of civil rights and social justice. In addition to leading her employment law practice, she is the board president of the SLO Legal Assistance Foundation, she sits on the San Luis Coastal Education Foundation, teaches Constitutional Law at the San Luis Obispo College of Law, and serves as the Civil Service Commissioner for District 3. On top of that long list, she is a mother of two boys and the wife of a superior court judge. Here is her story…

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et’s start from the beginning, Erica.

Where are you from? I was born in Burbank, California, and I was raised in the San Fernando Valley. I had a really wonderful, unique upbringing. I’m the oldest of three girls. My dad was born in Nogales, Arizona, which is right on the border of Arizona and Mexico.

His parents, my grandparents, were from Mexico, and when the border was initially erected in that area, the residents of Nogales—at the time it was Nogales, Mexico—were asked, “Do you want to be American citizens, or do you want to remain Mexican citizens?” They elected to be American. And, so the border was literally constructed right through the middle of town, and to this day, you have a Nogales, Mexico and a Nogales, Arizona. My dad grew up in Nogales, Arizona. He was one of ten children. He went to Tucson for high school and to Los Angeles for college.

How did your parents meet? My mom was living in Los Angeles. She was actually born in London, England. Her side of the family is Jewish.

When she was very young, her parents felt like London was so devastated by the war and it was not a great place to raise their two children, so they left. First, they went to Toronto, and then to Brooklyn before they finally settled in the Los Angeles area. But she ended up meeting my dad and they fell in love. So, I grew up in a very blended household, which included both big and small family experiences. We had Mexican, American, Catholic, and Jewish influences. It was a wonderful way to grow up.

What were you like as a kid? I was really into the Girl Scouts. By the time I was in high school, I was on the San Fernando Valley Girl Scout Council. It was operated by a board of directors, and they always reserved two seats for girl members. I was advised to join that board, and it was my first introduction to the nonprofit sector from a behind the scenes perspective. It was a wonderful experience for me, and I continued to do that even in college. I went to UCLA and studied sociology with a minor in public policy. I was always very interested in the intersection of race, class, gender, and other social stratification systems. But also, policy and the law. Through my time at UCLA, I was continuing to explore those interests, and ultimately decided that I wanted to go to law school.

Tell us about that. I had a very dear roommate; we were randomly assigned to each other and became great friends. We both had decided to go to law school. During our junior year, she died very tragically of a brain aneurism. That set me back. It was a lot to process. I ended up taking a year off after graduation to work for a prestigious law firm that handles appeals. I worked closely with an attorney who was blind. I was essentially her assistant. Whenever she needed to conduct legal research, we would walk down to the law library, she’d explain to me what she was looking for, and I would find the books and read out loud to her. She would record it and then draft her brief and prepare for oral arguments. It was a tremendous education for me. Since it was appellate law, I was learning the progression of the lawsuit.

And where did you go to law school? It was UC Berkeley. And it was an interesting time to be there. It was certainly post-Prop 209, so the demographics of the school were not incredibly diverse. There were only a handful of students of color. And there was a sense that those of us of color had to sort of work together to support each other; and to help recruitment, and help with retention of other students in order to ensure

diversity in the law school, because it was so evident to us, and it was certainly to me, that the benefit of diversity expands the learning for everyone, right?

I was reluctant to get involved with the student organizations because I was so focused on getting my education. But there was another student there, who is now my husband, who encouraged me to become more engaged. So, I ended up becoming a founding member of the Center for Social Justice, which was a new organization that we started.

We put together an incredible judicial panel, which included Justice Sotomayor, before she was appointed to the Supreme Court.

So, what came next? I began an internship at one of the country’s oldest public interest law firms called The Center for Law in the Public Interest. I had the opportunity to work on what went on to become a couple of historic cases in California. One of them on behalf of foster children who were not receiving the health and mental health services they were entitled to receive under state law. And the other, which really changed the methodology of serving children in the foster care system. During my time there, I learned the impact of litigation as a mechanism for changing society for the greater good. In those cases, it meant changing the foster care system, and changing the way that education resources are distributed throughout the state of California for the benefit of all school children.

What else did you work on there? We also started developing innovative ways of looking at parks and open space and other public resources like that through the lens of civil rights and through the lens of public health. It’s called the urban park movement. And so, this was a new way of achieving environmental justice. We sort of flipped it around.

Instead of looking at environmental justice in terms of the communities of color and low-income communities having more than their fair share of environmental degradation, we were looking at ensuring, or trying to figure out ways to ensure, that they would have a fair share of environmental benefits. It was a different way of looking at it.

And you took on another very important job: becoming a mom. Yes, that’s right. It was around this time that we had our first son. We had our second son a few years later. I was fortunate to be working in an environment where I was able to keep my foot in the door and continue working on a project by project basis so that I could be home almost full-time. It was really important for me when my kids were young to do that. To this day, when I speak with young women or college students and they ask me, “Is it really possible? Can you have it all? Can you be a lawyer and be a mom?” I say, “Yes. It absolutely is possible to have it all, but not necessarily all at the same time.”

And so, you do have to think about your priorities >> AUG/SEP 2020

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and what do you want to prioritize at this time. And just because you’re prioritizing something family at this time, doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t pick up your career and prioritize that at another time.

Okay, so how did you end up here? We had our eye on the Central Coast for a while. We had spent wonderful weekends meeting up with family and friends here. My husband’s family was all in the Bay Area, and my family was in the Los Angeles area. So, it was always sort of a nice middle ground meeting point for us. And, by then, we really were looking for a smaller town. Our oldest was about to start kindergarten, and it just seemed like the right time. We spent about a year doing our due diligence and relocated here in January of 2011. We opened our law practice, focusing on employment law on behalf of employees. The firm grew quickly. It was something that worked well in terms of the needs of our family. It was still very important for us to have one of us as involved and available for them throughout the day if possible. My working hours always revolved around their schedule, and of course, the older they got and the more hours they spent in school, the more hours I was able to work. It was a nice balance.

What do you like most about the work you do now? Education has always been such a key component of the work that I’ve done. When I was practicing in Los Angeles, one of my favorite things to do was to speak with students; and I continued to do that once we got here, especially sharing stories from the urban park movement in Los Angeles.

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It’s something that most children can really relate to. And so, that was something that I really enjoyed and prioritized. But, I was eager to get back into my work with nonprofit organizations. My ability to serve as a board member, or otherwise be helpful with local nonprofits here, was just limited by the number of hours in the day and the fact that I had young children. But as the kids got older, I did join the board of the San Luis Obispo Legal Assistance Foundation and served on school-related boards locally. It was nice to get back to my roots in legal services in the context of being a board member.

When you look back on your career, what stands out? One of the highlights of my professional and personal life was when I got a phone call from one of the early organizers and founders of the Women’s March in San Luis Obispo asking if I would consider delivering the keynote address at the first march to take place in January 2017. At first, my reaction was, “Why do you want me to do this?” But the more I thought about it, I really felt like it made sense for me to do it. I had spent my career working in the area of social justice, and I had been writing a series of essays called “Mommy Esquire,” merging the law with lessons in parenting that had been published in the local SLO Bar Association bulletin. And, so, I had been exploring so many of the issues either personally or professionally that really came to surface during this time.

Seems like the perfect fit. The organizer told me she expected around 300 people to show up, but, and as you know, there was a crowd of 10,000 >>

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that first year. I felt a tremendous sense of responsibility to express the emotions and the fears and the frustration of all those women and their allies standing in the audience. But I also felt the tremendous sense of honor to be able to do it, to speak from the perspective of being a woman of color who’s come from a Mexican American and immigrant Jewish background, whose husband was an immigrant and was a refugee to this country. Raising two boys, being a business owner, working for a decade on civil rights and environmental justice issues, and then having a worker’s rights focused social justice law firm. It all came together in that moment, and it’s just a moment I’ll never forget.

And you’re balancing this with a spouse who also has a busy work life.

That’s right, and things changed significantly when my husband was appointed by the governor in late 2017 as a superior court judge. At that time, I recognized that it was time to slow down the law practice and kind of made the firm smaller. I took over the firm as president, and really allowed myself the flexibility to continue to work with individuals in our community that have issues with their employer, whether it be discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, to make sure that they are getting the legal services that they need. I also became a member of the board of directors of San Luis Coastal Education Foundation, as well as taking on a role as faculty at San Luis Obispo College of Law teaching constitutional law. So, I was adjusting to all these new roles as my husband was adjusting to his. Just as we were starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel with so much change, his election came up. He had been 36

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appointed to fill a position of a judge who had been nearing the end of his six-year term, so he had to be elected in order to keep his job. So, I spent several months of that following year, 2018, running his judicial campaign, which he won successfully and continues to serve.

Let’s switch gears and talk about the current Black Lives Matter movement. What’s your take? Why do you think it finally got some real traction? Social media and smartphones have changed the dynamics, much the way that the Voting Rights Act of 1965 passed shortly after the violence against protesters on the Selma March. Once those images made their way to TV screens, public opinion started to change. Smartphones have had a similar impact in terms of the experience of policing in the United States from the perspective of systemic racism and anti-Blackness that is just insidious in our culture and in our society. It has shone a light on that. But I also think the pandemic has played a role. It has had a disproportionate impact on people of color and low-income people. We see the disparities in healthcare access; the disparities in work-related issues and all of those sorts of things. And, so, I think that on one hand, people have had the opportunity to maybe do a little bit more reflection as they shelter at home. Maybe it’s given us a chance to recognize how essential the workers of our society are, and how so much of it is disproportionately shouldered by immigrants or people of color, lowincome folks in our community, and how the disparities between those who have the privilege of being able to work from home, and those who didn’t have that privilege.>>

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So, maybe people are seeing things differently? I think there was a little bit of an opportunity to recognize those disparities in ways that maybe were not recognizable before. I also think the pandemic, although it’s had a different impact on certain groups, it has impacted all of us to the degree that all of our freedoms have been a little bit stifled. We can’t move around and get around as freely as we want to in order to ensure the public health of our communities. And so, we’ve all been forced to alter our lives and be somewhat limited on our access right now. Those things came together when we saw the video of Mr. Floyd’s murder by the police officer. I think that there was a sense of understanding and compassion that maybe had not been evident widely, and it’s causing folks who haven’t been living or learning these issues for a lifetime to start thinking differently, and to start recognizing the small and large ways that we have a long way to go to ensure equal treatment and equality within this country.

Please expand on that, if you would. If you think of discrimination on a spectrum, you have anti-Black racism on one end and white privilege on the other with every other sort of variation in the middle: people of color, indigenous people, different sexual preferences, you name it, all of us are on that continuum somewhere. It is both important and necessary, and a component of the bigger picture for us to recognize the Black Lives Matter movement as a Black movement. It’s important because we absolutely need to acknowledge anti-Black racism. But it’s also part 38

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of a bigger movement in the sense that if you are classified somehow as “other,” you are also going to fall on that spectrum. So, the movement can incorporate all of that “otherness” because there’s a sense that there’s a shared history there, and, although the individual experiences are different, it’s very much the commonality of “otherness.” It may be an accumulation of microaggressions, or a lack of total acceptance, or of being denied the benefits or opportunity.

How does it feel to have this conversation? I’m actually a really introverted, quiet, shy person, and so in spite of all of these roles that I’ve taken on that have a very public space in the community, it’s not natural for me. It’s something I have to work on, work towards, and I still work on being comfortable with. It took me a while to overcome and to find my voice. You can’t be an advocate for justice without sometimes having to be vocal. I mean, to be honest, having this conversation with you also feels very uncomfortable. But I’m glad we’re talking. Democracy is not a spectator sport. It’s something that takes time, and effort, and engagement.

That’s got to be an important focus going into the coming election, and I’m hoping the movement we’re seeing with people who may not have been politically engaged ever before this moment, are starting to recognize that it’s important to be engaged; it’s important sometimes to take to the streets and let your voice be heard. It’s also important to know your history, to educate yourself, and to vote. SLO LIFE

䰀漀挀愀氀 䔀琀栀椀挀愀氀 䨀攀眀攀氀爀礀 匀椀渀挀攀 ㄀㤀㜀㐀

匀瀀攀挀椀愀氀椀稀椀渀最 䤀渀

䌀甀猀琀漀洀 䌀爀攀愀琀椀漀渀 ☀ 䄀渀琀椀焀甀攀 刀攀猀琀漀爀愀琀椀漀渀 ㄀㄀㄀㐀 ☀ ㄀㄀㄀㠀 䜀愀爀搀攀渀 匀琀⸀ 䐀漀眀渀琀漀眀渀 匀䰀伀 㠀 㔀⸀㔀㐀㌀⸀㠀㄀㠀㘀 ⴀ 眀眀眀⸀䜀愀爀搀攀渀匀琀爀攀攀琀䜀漀氀搀猀洀椀琀栀猀⸀挀漀洀

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| ARTIST

PROFILE

Glynis Chaffin-Tinglof

BY JEFF AL-MASHAT

T

here is a maze-like quality in Glynis Chaffin-Tinglof ’s paintings, one that draws the viewer in and makes them want to follow the lines to see where they are going. The work captures the eye and doesn’t easily let go. Once you have entered these paintings, there is a chaotic feeling, but also somewhat addictive. The chaos is balanced with enough structure to entice you to remain and attempt to figure out what kind of story is being told. The story is about her life experiences and appreciation for the organized messiness of the world around us. She says, “I am drawn to the process of creating order out of chaos.”

Her current series, entitled 5 Lines, starts with five distinctly placed marks on the canvas. “From there,” she says, “everything I do is a direct reaction to what I see on the surface.” The paintings read as a series of well-conceived decisions that result from what occurred on the canvas earlier in the process.

It is clear that a great deal of movement goes into making these paintings. Calligraphic shapes, marks of overlapping colors, and complex areas of negative space emerge during her painting process that results in motion coming across to be enjoyed in the final piece.

There is a resonance with the middle of Jackson Pollock’s career after he moved away from his Thomas Hart Benton western-styled pieces, but before he arrived at the drip paintings for which he is best known. Some of Pollock’s most interesting art came during the time he was on his own exploratory journey, guided by the teachings of thinkers like Carl Jung. His incorporation of calligraphy, numerals, and mystical shapes created the framework for his repetitive gestures and the motion that resulted on the canvas.

These qualities of motion and cacophony tamed by composition are consistent themes that run through Chaffin-Tinglof ’s prolific body of work. Her paintings can be seen locally at downtown San Luis Obispo’s EDNA Gallery. SLO LIFE 40

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JEFF AL-MASHAT is a writer and visual artist with an MFA in painting from Georgia State University. He lives in Grover Beach.

| AUG/SEP 2020

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| FAMILY

Escape to the Drive-In

I

BY PADEN HUGHES

f I could turn back time / If I could find a way…

I would take you to Sunset Drive-In. For a date night, for a family outing, or for a gathering of friends. If we didn’t drive a pick-up truck with its bed full of pillows and sleeping bags, we’d settle for lawn chairs, blankets, and hot drinks instead. But without a doubt, we’d have to wait in line for the buttered popcorn.

snacks, and the overall experience. It was so fun to see things through their eyes and watch them relive their childhood memories. Simply put, they were gleeful.

Then, there was the time we showed up to take in a sci-fi movie starring Tom Cruise, was it Oblivion or Edge of Tomorrow? Turns out, he’s made a lot of movies cast alongside aliens. For some reason, the car didn’t have a radio. We tried and failed to listen through our For parents of toddlers, it almost doesn’t matter what’s cell phones and ended up instead attempting to read playing on the big screen, the experience is curated in a lips, while stealthily inching our chairs closer and closer way that the movie, at times, feels like the backdrop to to the car parked beside us, catching every third or so the evening. In fact, you might just want to sit back and word. I’ve never appreciated nonverbal communication embrace the crazy side of parenthood and enjoy the the same way, thanks to the drive-in. real “show” sitting right next to you with the endless questions, laughter, and spills. Not to be out done, of Without a doubt, one of the most nostalgic and unique course, by the squirming around that happens in your experiences San Luis Obispo has to offer for after lap before the little one passes out and drools down dark is the Sunset Drive-In. For $10 per adult, you get your arm. When it comes to young families visiting the entry to both movies on the line up. With Hollywood drive-in, the movie itself almost doesn’t matter. It’s just holding off on new releases for the foreseeable future, a part of the experience. one perk is that the drive-in is showing a lot of classics—for me, that honestly takes it to the next level.

I’ve lived in San Luis Obispo since 2004 when I first came on the scene as a freshman at Cal Poly. In the last sixteen years (man, that went fast), I’ve made some Local Tip: amazing memories at Sunset Drive-In. To see the latest showings, I remember a night I was on a date watching a movie from the back of a pick-up truck with my then college boyfriend. Kevin Costner was starring as the Coast Guard’s top rescue swimmer in The Guardian, when out of nowhere it started to rain—not a drizzle, but a torrential downpour. And you know what? It just made the experience so much more amazing. We got under a tarp and watched the rest of the show fighting the water, feeling aligned with the actors in the movie.

On my college graduation weekend, I took my parents to the drive-in, and they were blown away by the vintage ads, the concession stand offering classic 42

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check out the Sunset Drive-In Facebook page or Fandango.

Bring cash and extra blankets, double check the start time (it can change based on the time of sunset), support the concession stand—it’s how they generate the bulk of the necessary income to support their operating costs—and come regularly so we can keep this local gem up and running. SLO LIFE

PADEN HUGHES is co-owner of Gymnazo and enjoys exploring the Central Coast.

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| ON THE RISE

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Quinn Brussel This San Luis Obispo High School senior has received recognition for his performance in Harvard Model Congress, has been awarded a Golden Tiger, and holds varsity letters in Cross Country.

What extracurricular activities are you involved in? I run cross country and track. I am the President of the Young Democrats Club and an officer for Harvard Model Congress. I have also spent some time lobbying the school board for climate action.

What do you like to do for fun? I spend a lot of time playing guitar. I have a new band that plays the Grateful Dead and other jam music and jazz. I also love skiing, backpacking, hiking, and running.

What is important to you outside of high school? The fixing of the American government, politics, and the climate are very important to me.

What is going on with you now? I’m currently enjoying the endless expanse of time that is quarantine. I’ve started building up for cross country, and I’ve been getting in a lot of guitar practice.

What is your favorite memory of all time? My favorite memory is more a collection of memories from my cross country team’s running camp over the years. Each summer we go to Sequoia National Park for a week and do some running. I basically just get to spend a week doing all of my favorite things with my friends.

If you won $1 million, what would you do with it? I’d give it to someone where they actually need the money. I think that the main issue in this country is wealth inequality, and that there isn’t enough effort by the well-off citizens to help those living in poverty.

If you could go back in history and meet anyone, who would it be? I don’t know if I’d want to meet him, but I’d love to go back to 1989 to see Jerry Garcia with the Grateful Dead in their best touring year (in my opinion).

What do you dislike the most? Injustice towards those who have less resources to help themselves. This takes the form of systematic racism, wealth injustice, and many others.

What is something that not many know about you? A small percentage of the people I know are aware than I am a violinist.

What do you look forward to? I am looking forward to what changes I will encounter in the coming years. Looking back, I was a different person five years ago than I am now. I am excited to know what another five can do.

What career do you see yourself in someday? Right now I think I’m going to go into academia and becoming a professor. I like the idea of doing research and teaching for a living.

What schools are you considering for college? I am applying to the UCs, Cal Poly, Stanford, and a handful of schools in the east.

What else should we know? The running shorts are for comfort, not fashion. SLO LIFE

Know a student On the Rise?

Introduce us at slolifemagazine.com/share 44

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REVERSE MORTGAGES Extra Income . Tax Free Cash Out . No Payments Medical Needs . Retirement Planning Enhanced Lifestyle . Federally Insured All Types of Owner Occupied Properties

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WE ARRANGE REVERSE MORTGAGES

531 MARSH STREET . SUITE A SAN LUIS OBISPO . CA 93401 P 805.594.1050 F 805.594.0626 NMLS# 345506, 269870

© MMXX Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. All Rights Reserved. Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated. Sotheby’s International Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered (or unregistered) service marks licensed to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC.

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| DWELLING

CONTINUITY

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OF COMFORT

BY ZARA KHAN

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELLIOT JOHNSON

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S

panish and Modern are two concepts that are not typically considered “sister styles.”

But, when Shell Beach residents, Scott Newton and his wife Jill, were entrusted with building a home for his parents, they knew it would require some blending of old and new. >>

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LIFE IN THE SLO LANE STARTS HERE

Ladera

Ladera at Righetti Now Selling!

Pricing starts from the low $1 millions.

The first release of spectacular homes at Ladera at Righetti offers three different home layouts, each designed to take full advantage of the site’s gorgeous hillside topography.

Homes range from approximately 2,600 square feet to nearly 3,000 square feet, features three and four bedrooms, and two and one-half to fourand one-half baths.

To visit, take Tank Farm Road in San Luis Obispo to Righetti Ranch Road and follow the signs. Or please feel free to contact us and we’d be happy to schedule a personal appointment to discuss San Luis Obispo’s most attractive new home neighborhood.

Information Center open Thursday through Monday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Call for a personal appointment (highly recommended).

(805) 774-3038 www.righettiladera.com All prices, plans, terms and offers are effective date of publication are subject to availability and may change without notice. Housing is open to all without regard to race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin. Depictions of homes are artist conceptions. Hardscape and landscape may vary and are not included in the purchase price. Square footage shown is only an estimate and actual square footage may differ. Please consult our sales team for additional information. Sales by CADO Real Estate Group DRE # 01525182 Construction by Ambient Management Service LP Lic. #1014645 AUG/SEP 2020

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Newton’s primary goal was to ensure his parents would be comfortable in their new home and, most importantly, it would feel like home. He started to zero in on the details of their current Spanish house they appreciated most, so he could translate those elements into a modern twist to achieve a sense of familiarity. He planned to incorporate some of the same characteristics they had grown to love, such as a wood ceiling and wood baseboards, but he used Cedar with a clear coat rather than the traditional, dark Spanish hue. He also replicated specific details such as solid core doors throughout the home, so the new space felt and functioned in a familiar way. From his experience on previous projects, Newton had a preference for using natural materials. He believes they keep a space from >>

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looking dated or trendy since those materials always look as they should—natural.

With a background in construction, the Newtons decided to approach the project as an owner-builder. With the vision in place, they needed to assemble a team to help execute it.

Newton worked closely with architect Loch Soderquist of KOA Architects, a firm based in Hawaii, which has completed projects on the Central Coast, as well. Soderquist proved invaluable when it came to the placement and orientation of the house on the lot to maximize views.

The Newtons then enlisted kitchen and bath designer, Jan Kepler of Kepler Design Group in San Luis Obispo, to design and oversee all >>

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the cabinetry in the home. Newton embraced the idea of contemporary walnut cabinetry in a dark stain that would contrast with the lighter stone floor and cedar plank ceilings.

Kepler designed with Plato Woodwork custom cabinetry, which she carries in her showroom.

The flat panel, grain, and color were used throughout the kitchen, great room, linen, and bathrooms to enhance the flow and continuity of design from room to room. In the kitchen, Kepler incorporated floating shelves to open up the space and allow the glass tiles to shine. The dark stained walnut is the perfect foundation for the white quartz countertops and waterfall counter on the island. Kepler loved designing the focal point thirteen-feet wide and nine-feet tall walnut entertainment and display cabinetry and shelving that had to >>

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fit seamlessly into a niche in the great room.

The base cabinets for the unit are done in a wave motif called “surf ” in walnut to add texture and dimension to such a large space.

Universal design was another driving force for all decisions. Newton wanted his parents to be able to enjoy the home and not have to worry.

All the showers are curbless or “barrier-free,” and the flooring is slip-resistant. Charles Quinn at Quinn Home and PJ Fitzgerald at Pacific Coast Kitchen & Bath helped Newton select fixtures and tile for each room to fit their desired aesthetic as well as serve the function they required. Throughout the home, they placed Walker Zanger’s Pearl River Limestone tile flooring with radiant heating below. Quinn challenged Newton to consider tile options >>

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ARCH ITECTURE LANDS CA P E INT E R IORS M E DIA

WE BEFORE ME

Architect Aisling Burke enjoying a job well done with our clients

from Transitions-Mental Health Association and the Housing Authority

Bishop Street Studios is a great example of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.

An amazing group of people came together on this unique project to resurrect an architectural landmark and provide much needed housing for an underserved population in our community.

The team embraced our ‘we before me’ value, fostering strong relationships while building a legacy project for the community.

T E N O V E R S T U D I O.C O M

of San Luis Obispo.

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they might not have before but would give the interior the same remarkable detail as the architecture and bones of the home.

Home automation continues to be a trend to watch in the design world. Newton decided to incorporate a few elements that would add value and simplify his parents’ everyday life. All the light fixtures in the home are automated, as are the window coverings for ease of control. The outdoor infrared heaters are placed on timers so that no one will have to think twice about remembering to turn them off, and they can focus on enjoying the company of their friends In addition to being an interior designer, ZARA KHAN and family. For many is also a shoe aficionado and horror movie enthusiast. years to come. SLO LIFE

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INC

STAL WORK CONSTRUCTION + DESIGN

LIC 948012 | PO BOX 391 SAN LUIS OBISPO CA 93406 805.542.0033 WWW.STALWORK.COM

MAIL@STALWORK.COM

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Custom lighting fixtures proudly made by hand right here on the Central Coast.

HANS DUUS BLACKSMITH INC

2976 INDUSTRIAL PARKWAY . SANTA MARIA . 805-570-0019 HANSDUUS@GMAIL.COM . HANSDUUSBLACKSMITH.COM AUG/SEP 2020

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BY THE NUMBERS

REAL ESTATE

| SLO CITY

laguna lake

2019 Total Homes Sold 38 Average Asking Price $782,534 Average Selling Price $773,418 Sales Price as a % of Asking Price 98.84% Average # of Days on the Market 24

2020 30 $782,523 $778,436 99.48% 45

+/-21.05% 0.00% 0.65% 0.64% 87.50%

tank farm

2019 16 Total Homes Sold $793,790 Average Asking Price $787,688 Average Selling Price Sales Price as a % of Asking Price 99.99% 20 Average # of Days on the Market

2020 20 $790,045 $783,971 99.99% 47

+/25.00% -0.47% -0.47% 99.10% 135.00%

cal poly area

2019 Total Homes Sold 16 Average Asking Price $1,054,806 Average Selling Price $1,018,805 Sales Price as a % of Asking Price 96.59% Average # of Days on the Market 32

2020 13 $1,276,902 $1,013,000 79.33% 13

+/-18.75% 21.06% -0.57% -17.26% -59.38%

country club

2019 Total Homes Sold 17 Average Asking Price $1,547,429 Average Selling Price $1,492,647 Sales Price as a % of Asking Price 96.46% Average # of Days on the Market 104

2020 9 $1,132,222 $1,090,800 96.34% 33

+/-47.06% -26.83% -26.92% -0.12% -68.27%

down town

2019 Total Homes Sold 42 Average Asking Price $794,205 Average Selling Price $777,787 Sales Price as a % of Asking Price 97.93% Average # of Days on the Market 42

2020 31 $952,581 $925,378 97.14% 31

+/-26.19% 19.94% 18.98% -0.79% -26.19%

foothill blvd

2019 Total Homes Sold 26 Average Asking Price $927,750 Average Selling Price $876,631 Sales Price as a % of Asking Price 94.49% Average # of Days on the Market 34

2020 20 $844,670 $839,975 99.44% 45

+/-23.08% -8.95% -4.18% 4.95% 32.35%

johnson ave

2019 Total Homes Sold 36 Average Asking Price $818,986 Average Selling Price $800,250 Sales Price as a % of Asking Price 97.71% Average # of Days on the Market 27

2020 29 $1,029,910 $1,006,065 97.68% 49

+/-19.44% 25.75% 25.72% -0.03% 81.48%

*Comparing 01/01/19 - 07/22/19 to 01/01/20 - 07/22/20

®

SOURCE: San Luis Obispo Association of REALTORS

SLO LIFE

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Fear of Missing Out on Your Dream Home FOMO-OYDH [foh-moo-eed-hh] | noun, slang I. A feeling of anxiety or insecurity over the possibility of missing out on your dream home “If I don’t take advantage of the housing market and get pre-approved for a home today, I’ll get a bad case of FOMOOYDH.”

No one wants their dream home to fall through their fingers. This summer, shop for your new home the smart way by getting pre-approved with Guaranteed Rate.

By getting pre-approved you’ll gain the benefits of: • Sellers knowing you’re ready to buy • Knowing your budget from day one • Having a head start in the mortgage process

Let’s keep the conversation going. Contact us today.

Donna Lewis

Dylan Morrow

Joe Hutson

O: (805) 335-8743 C: (805) 235-0463 donna.lewis@rate.com

O: (805) 335-8738 C: (805) 550-9742 dylan.morrow@rate.com

O: (831) 205-1582 C: (831) 212-4138 joe.hutson@rate.com

Ken Neate

Luana Gerardis

Maggie Koepsell

O: (805) 706-8074 C: (925) 963-1015 ken.neate@rate.com

O: (805) 329-4087 C: (707) 227-9582 luana.gerardis@rate.com

O: (805) 335-8742 C: (805) 674-6653 maggie.koepsell@rate.com

Branch Manager& VP of Mortgage Lending

VP of Mortgage Lending

VP of Mortgage Lending

VP of Mortgage Lending

VP of Mortgage Lending

VP of Mortgage Lending

Rate.com/Offices/CASanLuisObispo1065 | 1065 Higuera Street, Suite 100, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 Applicant subject to credit and underwriting approval. Not all applicants will be approved for financing. Receipt of application does not represent an approval for financing or interest rate guarantee. Restrictions may apply, contact Guaranteed Rate for current rates and for more information.

Guaranteed Rate is not affiliated with SLO Food Bank. Donations received are collected directly by SLO Food Bank and not GUARANTEED RATE. Donna Lewis NMLS ID #245945; CA - CA-DOC245945 | Dylan Morrow NMLS ID #1461481; CA - CA-DBO1461481 | Maggie Koepsell NMLS ID #704130; CA - CA-DBO704130 | Luana Gerardis NMLS ID #1324563; CA - CA-DBO1324563 | Joe Hutson NMLS ID #447536; CA - CA-DOC447536 | Ken Neate NMLS ID #373607; CA - CA-DBO373607 | GR NMLS ID #2611 (Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System www.nmlsconsumeraccess. org) • CA - Licensed by the Department of Business Oversight, Division of Corporations under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act Lic #4130699

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| SLO COUNTY

We’d like to thank eligible First Responders* by offering a $1,000 lender credit to finance your home.

Contact me today to learn more.

Ben Lerner

(805) 441-9486

**

Senior Loan Advisor NMLS 395723 blerner@flagstarretail.com 1212 Marsh St., Suite 1 San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

REAL ESTATE

BY THE NUMBERS

REGION

NUMBER OF HOMES SOLD

AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET

MEDIAN SELLING PRICE

2019

2020

2019

2020

2019

2020

Arroyo Grande

184

155

50

58

$818,863

$819,221

Atascadero

202

172

40

42

$580,406 $590,490

Avila Beach

15

15

37

103

$1,158,111 $1,459,006

Cambria/San Simeon

79

79

66

66

$810,324

Cayucos

24

27

114

138

$882,167 $1,223,900

Creston

5

3

91

191

$991,000 $1,047,000

Grover Beach

66

67

56

46

$542,289

$581,844

Los Osos

89

62

37

33

$629,770

$691,952

Morro Bay

77

64

79

81

$737,837

$690,021

Nipomo

165

108

62

49

$657,861

$700,593

Oceano

32

32

63

81

$531,484

$556,532

Pismo Beach

73

62

83

68

$1,160,376 $1,007,430

Paso (Inside City Limits)

226

174

48

41

$542,185

$535,139

Paso (North 46 - East 101)

30

27

71

51

$495,297

$667,596

Paso (North 46 - West 101)

75

55

70

95

$644,898

$616,636

Paso (South 46 - East 101)

35

27

69

81

$558,196

$661,130

San Luis Obispo

219

184

40

44

$899,313

$923,989

Santa Margarita

16

11

110

108

$548,156

$531,855

Templeton

68

61

76

80

$775,512

$841,020

1,612

1,323

56

57

$706,271

$725,432

$871,964

** Top 200 Mortgage Originator | Mortgage Executive Magazine © 2020 Flagstar Bank

flagstarretail.com

Est. 1987

Equal Housing Lender

Member FDIC

*First Responder occupations include police officers, EMTs, firefighters and rescuers—occupations that may require a responder to perform first aid, secure a crime scene or detain suspects. $1,000.00 closing cost offer. The borrower is responsible for all other closing costs and prepaid expenses. This offer is for qualifying loans only, cannot be used to reduce any other fees, and cannot be combined with any other mortgage fee reduction offer. Mortgage application date must be on or before 12/31/2020. Offer terms and conditions are subject to change without notice. Offer is non-transferable. Programs subject to change without notice. All borrowers are subject to credit approval, underwriting approval, 62 terms | SLO MAGAZINE | AUG/SEP and lender and LIFE conditions.

Some restrictions may apply. 2020

Countywide

*Comparing 01/01/19 - 07/22/19 to 01/01/20 - 07/22/20

SOURCE: San Luis Obispo Association of REALTORS

®

SLO LIFE

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| HEALTH

super foods Debunking the saga of superfoods as a symbol of health.

BY LAUREN HARVEY

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lastered across supplements, juice blends, and health websites, superfood appears to be the new standard of healthy living. Its growing prominence, and the near-superhuman capabilities it claims to ensure, make a superfood diet seem essential for anyone desiring to live a more healthful life. Even personally, I noticed an uncontrollable draw to products boasting of superfood capabilities, often choosing these products over ones that lacked the flashy labeling.

| AUG/SEP 2020

Superfood emerged as a ubiquitous term I have seen applied to blueberries, salmon, and leafy greens alike. As a result, unfamiliar foods like moringa and reishi mushroom seem somehow inherently familiar. In these instances, I found myself, in some instinctual way, trusting of the positive benefits of foods that were otherwise a total mystery. With this paradox in mind, I began an inquiry into the history of superfoods, searching for a definition that would illuminate the elusive exclusivity of the term and perhaps, provide some insight into the actual benefits behind its super claims. >>

LAUREN HARVEY is a creative writer fueled by a love of cooking, adventure, and naps in the sun.

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#1

SUPER ORIGINS

The first recorded use of the term superfood was in association with, of all foods, bananas. According to an article published by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, this first instance dated back to “the early 20th century around World War I … [when] The United Fruit Company initiated an enthusiastic advertising campaign to promote its major import of bananas.” The initial marketing strategy focused on the “practicality of bananas in a daily diet, being cheap [and] nutritious.”

However, the popularity of the term superfood grew only “after being endorsed in medical journals.” Therefore, while research later backed claims of nutritional value, marketing, not medicine, is credited with creating the term “super.”

This marketing origin story foreshadows the fate of many superfoods today. The term has gained traction and trust among consumers, while the scientific studies backing the claims come almost as an afterthought.

Instead of presenting the marketed foods with proven claims at the forefront, the term seems to be freely used in place of accredited research.

In this respect, the definition of a superfood becomes paramount, inextricable from its assertion to be an essential aspect of healthy living.

#2

DEFINING AMBIGUITY

Defining a superfood may be easier said than done. An article published by the European Food Information Council (EUFIC) states, “there is no official or legal definition of a superfood.” When asked to put forth a medical definition of superfoods, MD Melissa Stöppler writes, the term is, “non-medical … popularized in the media to refer to foods that have health-promoting properties … [or that] may have an unusually high content of antioxidants, vitamins, or other nutrients.” As Dr. Stöppler emphasizes, “it is important to

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note that there is no accepted medical definition of a superfood.” With no guidelines in place, then, the label can be freely applied to product packaging and used in marketing campaigns without the requirement to prove that the food is, indeed, super.

Seeking a concise definition from a dictionary has its range of variances as well. The Oxford English dictionary defines a superfood as “a nutrient-rich food considered to be especially beneficial for health and well-being.” Whereas the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as “a super nutrient-dense food, loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber and/ or phytonutrients.” The amalgamation of these definitions, as suggested by the EUFIC article, is that superfoods are “foods—especially fruits and vegetables—whose nutrient content confers a health benefit above that of other foods.” This definition is broad, wide-ranging, and undoubtedly inclusive to foods that don’t boast of super capabilities.

The term itself does not influence the nutritional aptitude of any food, whether or not it carries the label.

#3

A WORTHY CAUSE

If superfood is an unregulated marketing term used to play up the nutritional value of certain foods, is it worth seeking them out? The short answer is a resounding yes, with an important qualification. Best summarized by a CNET Health and Wellness article, “[superfoods] are not magic substances, but foods that are especially healthy for you, and there are dozens of them.” A statement from the EUFIC supports this sentiment, the distinction between the label and the science behind the food, “indeed, the science in this area [of superfoods] has demonstrated that certain components of food and drinks may be particularly good for you.” The inference, therefore, is that while the term superfood may be a generic indicator of health benefits, and the foods promoted as such do often provide valuable nutrients, even if not as “magical” as marketers claim. >>

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outdoor spin

#4

CHOOSE YOUR SUPER

When seeking out nutritionally beneficial foods, there may be certain components that provide a guideline for quality. The Mayo Clinic suggests a list of four criteria for healthy foods to meet, recommending the food meet at least three. The first two point to nutritional benefits, “good or excellent source of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients” and “high in phytonutrients and antioxidant compounds such as Vitamin A and E and beta-carotene.” Both of these criteria harken back to the definitions explored earlier and confirm the presumption that superfoods provide high-quality nutritional value to consumers.

The third criterion in the Mayo Clinic checklist presents a commonly problematic area for superfoods. It states the food should “help reduce the risk of heart disease and other health conditions.” To be most accurate, such claims require meticulous research over a period of time. Instead, superfood claims to reduce the risk of disease are often based on an isolated component of the superfood previously linked to potential risk reduction or a comparable health benefit.

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For example, almonds, typically considered a superfood, contain monounsaturated fat, which, as the Mayo Clinic states, “[is] a healthier type of fat that may lower blood cholesterol levels.” Since these nutritional components are present in a range of foods, this should not be considered a true distinction between a superfood and another food with similar benefits; unless linked explicitly with the superfood in question. Ultimately, it’s up to consumers to decide whether to derive nutritional benefits from a certain superfood or another dietary source.

The final criterion in the list is short and straightforward: “readily available.” In the age of online shopping, this criterion becomes easily attainable for most, if not all, superfoods. The Mayo Clinic’s criteria for healthy foods provide a blueprint for assessing the beneficial quality of superfoods. And perhaps, in a more general sense, it encourages consumers to make their own distinctions between foods possessing superior health benefits, whether or not that food bears the illustrious superfood label.

#5

BEYOND THE LABEL

In the wake of superfood dominance in the current health market, it’s vital to consider other potentially undervalued foods. By doing so, we find that foods not labeled as ‘super’ also contain super nutrients. As noted by the EUFIC, “carrots, apples, and onions, for example, are packed with health-promoting nutrients such as beta-carotene, fiber, and the flavonoid quercetin.” Though notably less glamorous than superfoods such as açaí or moringa, fruits and vegetables often considered humble kitchen staples provide their own blend of nutritional compounds that help promote a healthy mind and body.

These foods easily meet the Mayo Clinic’s fourth health food criterion, “readily available,” perhaps more so than lauded superfood heroes. Considering the other criteria put forth by the Mayo Clinic, all three pass the health food test. At the end of the day, as it turns out, a particular food does not have to be trending on social media in order to be a powerful contributor to our overall health, instead, we can simply add more natural, unprocessed foods to our diets.

FINAL WORD Superfood is a non-medical, freely used label with origins in marketing. On the whole, superfoods are simply foods with superb nutritional value. Consider incorporating them into a whole food diet for potential health benefits. Consult with a doctor or nutritionist before making major diet changes for a personalized plan most effective for you. SLO LIFE

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| TASTE

Waffles A RECIPE FOR RESOLVE

BY JAIME LEWIS

A

waffle is one of the very rare foods whose name can be used as a verb. “To waffle” is to fail to make up one’s mind. It is a sin not of commission but of omission.

I recently suffered from a bout of waffling. The opportunity to raise my voice stood before me, one of those uncomfortable grown-up moments in which character and community hang in the balance. Incidentally, I ate waffles for this column as I considered my options. I like to think those tasty breakfasts gave me resolve.

We’ve all had the chance to take a stand lately. Will we or won’t we be strong enough to admit our part in the problem? Will we or won’t we commit to listening? Will we or won’t we be open to change?

For all my vacillating, I eventually chose to speak. When I did, the words tasted sweet as maple syrup and melted butter on my tongue.

It’s precisely because waffles are so good that I am hereby redefining 70

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the verb “to waffle.” No longer will it represent a state of passivity or weakness. From now on, it will signify the determination to live differently.

From now on, when someone “waffles,” it means they’re measuring their motives and drinking deeply the nectar of divine humility. Because the satisfaction of eating a really good waffle only begins to imitate the satisfaction of earning one’s own self-respect.

I tasted three different waffles across San Luis Obispo County, each of them a delicious specimen of the dish. I hope you’ll taste them for yourself. And, more importantly, I hope you will waffle, early and often. >>

JAIME LEWIS writes about food, drink, and the good life from her home in San Luis Obispo. Find her on Instagram/Twitter @jaimeclewis.

HIDDEN KITCHEN CAYUCOS This bright, beachy cafe recently opened in the space previously occupied by Skipper’s. While waffles aren’t the only dish on the menu, they’re certainly the highlight.

Hidden Kitchen serves sweet and savory options, all of them sourced organic and gluten-free. The main ingredient? Blue corn.

“I took a trip to Mexico and stayed in an AirBnB by the Blue Corn Mama Cafe,” says Amanecer Eizner, who coowns Hidden Kitchen with Amira Albonni. “I had a blue corn waffle there, and got it into my mind to recreate it in gluten-free form back home.” She tried fifteen different recipe variations, and the winner is the waffle on Hidden Kitchen’s menu today.

I tried one sweet and one savory. The aptly named “Weirdos Waffle” is topped with fried banana, peanut butter, maple syrup, and bacon ends. The “San Luis Sunrise” has eggs, avocado, bacon ends, and HK sauce, a creamy, savory alternative to syrup. Each is a wild and wonderful flavor adventure, a pleasingly complex bomb of textures and tastes. Just be sure to come hungry, as these waffles are enormous and filling. >>

Tawnya Malia Photography AUG/SEP 2020

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FARMHOUSE CORNER MARKET SAN LUIS OBISPO As Chef Will Torres closes the steaming waffle maker, I smell the tang of sourdough.

“I tried a lot of different recipes,” he says. “I really wanted something specific, like the flavor and texture of a really good piece of toast.” This led him to try a blend of rice and wheat flours, as well as yeast, in a batter that ferments overnight.

“The rice flour makes it more crunchy,” he says. “When we tried it, we knew this was the one.”

It’s the Farmhouse waffle’s crackling exterior that really sets it apart from others. Loaded with peach preserves, red and white raspberries, pecan granola, a massive ball of salted butter, and bourbon-aged maple syrup, it’s more dessert than breakfast.

Eaten amid the colorful, buoyant decor of this new restaurant, it appeals to all five senses.

Pro tip: if you like the Farmhouse waffle, pick up a bag of Anson Mills rice flour in the Farmhouse Market, located adjacent to the restaurant. Take it home and try your hand at making this perfectly crispy waffle yourself. >>

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LOUISA’S PLACE SAN LUIS OBISPO Anyone who’s lived in SLO but hasn’t visited Louisa’s Place hasn’t fully integrated, in my opinion. This pint-sized luncheonette has been serving diner dishes since 1976, and is locally beloved for its authenticity.

“We make Belgian waffles,” says Aubrey Pyle, who purchased Louisa’s from the previous owners after having worked there for many years. She tells me that the thickness, size, and leavening are what make them Belgian-style.

Pyle shares that her batter is made fresh daily, and guests can choose between a classic waffle or one with either bacon or pecans baked in. I opt for the pecan waffle (which tastes like butter pecan ice cream), served with warm syrup, whipped butter and a dusting of powdered sugar. Its lack of fussiness, down to the speckled stoneware plate it’s served on, make this the stuff of classic waffle legends. I eat half and pack the remaining into a to-go box for my kids. After all, they need an education in waffling too. SLO LIFE

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| WINE NOTES

Historic Pairings

BY LIBBIE AGRAN

T

he British Journal of Psychology recently reported on the connection between wine and music. According to the article, there is a link between what you hear and what you taste. Listening to music may stimulate the part of your brain where taste and aroma are processed. And independent research in the wine industry indicates that hearing music can influence your perception of characteristics such as acidity, fruitiness, and astringency of the wine you are drinking.

On the Central Coast, there is another powerful connection between music and wine, as many local musicians have become legendary winemakers during the last two hundred years.

The music we celebrate in the Central Coast may be as old as the Mission grape variety, Listan Prieto, planted by the Spanish Franciscans two centuries ago.

Catholics still sing hymns and prayers in the Spanish Chapels at local Missions once surrounded by prolific vineyards in San Luis Obispo, the Edna Valley, and San Miguel.

When Mexico revolted against the Spanish and won their independence in 1822, they acquired ranchos and vineyards. Famous for their fiestas and musical

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celebrations, the Mexicans contributed the traditional folk guitar to our musical genre on the Central Coast.

Various ethnic groups settled in SLO County after California became a state in 1850; they planted grape varieties here that originated in Croatia, France, Spain, and Germany. They also brought their pianos around Cape Horn and a variety of instruments to make music after a hard day’s work.

These winemakers composed music, and organized bands to perform at local concerts, LIBBIE AGRAN is the picnics, and civic events.

William and Barbara Ernst, the first of seven generations still farming on Union Road in Paso Robles, planted over twenty-five >>

Director of the Wine History of San Luis Obispo, dedicated to collecting, preserving, and presenting the intriguing local wine history.

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Ignace Paderewski

grape varieties in the 1880s making award-winning wines, including Champagne and Sparkling Tokay. Their son, Will Ernst, loved music so much he practiced his violin while he ran the plow team, standing on the harrow with the horse’s reins around his shoulders. At age twelve, he organized the Creston Band featuring a dozen brass instruments. They played events all over the county. Ernst was later appointed City Band Director in Paso Robles. He went on to become a composer in New York City where he opened The Saxophone Conservatory and trained hundreds of musicians and performed at Carnegie Hall.

Famous Polish composer and pianist Ignace Paderewski came to Paso Robles in 1914 for the healing waters of the local hot springs.

His doctor convinced him to purchase Rancho San Ignacio, where he planted 35,000 Zinfandel cuttings in the 1920s. His grapes were crushed and fermented at the famous York Brothers Winery in Templeton. Paderewski’s wines were the first to win a gold medal after Prohibition at the 1934 California State Fair.

The York family vineyards and winery, established in 1882, hold a special place in local wine history as the oldest family-owned wine business, operating for 88 years. The third-generation owner, Wilfrid “Bill” York, was an accomplished winemaker and musician. After graduating from UC Berkeley, York moved to San Francisco, joined the Wells Fargo Orchestra as a violinist, and taught at the San Francisco Conservatory. When his father’s health failed in the 1940s, he returned to York Mountain but never abandoned his music. He continued playing the piano and the violin as he made his awardwinning Zinfandel.

When York decided to retire and sell the winery on the Central Coast, he shared his plans with Max Goldman, renowned winemaker and classical pianist. Goldman and his wife had just retired in Malibu after almost forty years in the wine industry. York shared three generations of his family’s history, including the relationship with Paderewski and his 1934 Gold Medal Zinfandel. Goldman told Bill that he played classical piano from childhood, and his signature piece was Menuet a L’Antique by Ignacio J. Paderewski. It was fate—the winery changed hands.

The entire Goldman family worked together to make York Mountain Winery a resounding success. They restored the historic buildings and replanted the vineyards with new varieties. Their tasting room won the first awards in the county. The Goldman family combined 78

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Norm Goss with instructor

winemaking with musical philanthropy supporting KCBX, the Mozart Festival, and The Paderewski Festival.

Stanley Hoffman, the first to plant Pinot Noir in the county and win an International Gold Medal for his wines, is remembered for two other historic events. He built the first modern winery (1972-1975) in the Post Prohibition Era, and hosted the first philanthropic fundraiser at a winery in support of the Mozart Festival (now Festival Mozaic), currently celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Dave Caparone, a trombonist, and his son Marc, a trumpeter, are well-known jazz musicians, often playing at the annual Jubilee by the Sea Festival in Pismo Beach. Dave made wine history planting and producing their noble Italian varietals: Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, and Aglianico in the 1980s and was the first to produce all three varietals successfully in the United States. Both father and son continue to make music and wine at their winery in Paso Robles.

Niels Udsen decided to pair his Castoro Cellars wines with music by hosting a monthly concert series at his Tasting Room in Templeton. He started the tradition in 1995 with the help of SLOFolks, a local folk music society. Twenty-five years later, all genres of music are still enjoyed. County residents enjoy the Lazy Local series, while other fans come from hundreds of miles around to attend the annual Whale Rock Music and Arts Festival.

Bimmer Udsen plays the piano and son Luke sings while playing guitar and harmonica.

Norman Goss was the first to plant vineyards in the Edna Valley. He was a famed cellist, who played with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

He also became a restaurateur, providing gourmet food and wines at The Stuffed Shirt in Orange County.

Winemaker duo Jean Pierre Wolff, a harmonicist, and son Clint Wolff, a guitarist, have been making wine and music in the Edna Valley for over four decades. Besides performing at the Wolff Vineyards tasting room during event weekends, they have been known to jam with a band of winemakers called The Crush Tones, along with winemaker Steve Autry from Autry Cellars, whose bass treble adorns the labels of his wines. You can catch Autry jamming with his band, the Local Vocals.

So, this all begs the question: What music are you pairing with your favorite wine tonight? SLO LIFE

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| BREW

A REAL HUMDINGER

BY BRANT MYERS

I

recently had the opportunity to sit down and talk with one of the founders and brewers at the newly opened Humdinger Brewing, Lee Samways. Unfortunately, he was distracted as he brewed beer while we spoke by phone. It was very inconvenient for me. All that background noise really disturbed the relaxing quietude I was enjoying whilst lying prone in my recliner.

Luckily, I’ve known Samways for many years, and the conversation came easy. After some idle chit-chat, we got down to the nitty-gritty.

Firstly, when I say newly opened, their grand opening was postponed this March, which makes it tricky to nail down their start date, kind of like having an anniversary with someone you’re dating. However, they have been in operation at their location in the Village of Arroyo Grande since this spring and have been cranking out delicious beer from day one. I’ll get to those in a bit. Still, it’s important to know that Samways has been brewing for many years both as a homebrewer and in collaboration with local breweries, most notably SLO’s Central Coast Brewing, where you can occasionally find his Pro-Am offerings on tap. The other half of the equation, co-owner and brewer, Justin Amy was a fellow member of the South County Home Brewers 80

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Club, where they both connected and began to dream. As a matter of fact, it was Amy’s idle hands that started him brewing in the downtime afforded to him while working the administrative side of a family business from the convenience of home. Like many things in life, brewing is a hurry-up-andwait proposition with furious work followed by the long wait for ingredients to boil or yeast to propagate.

While talking to Samways, I wanted to ask the question burning a hole inside me all year: “What’s with the name?” It turns out that it came naturally during a breakout session between him and Amy. While brainstorming ideas, they would create a list of possible names and start winnowing it down with yays or nays, until the list got smaller. One such response to a name was that it was “a real humdinger,” and inspiration hit. Digging deeper, Samways explained the etymology of the word itself to me, which also answered the second burning question I had about their logo—a battleship shooting beers out of its cannons. Hummer, as in a powerful engine. And dinger, as in a powerful hit. The boys hit it out of the park with bold beers and tasty offerings from day one. Said battleship was nearly a challenge to their graphic designer, Scott Greci of Guru Designs. He incorporated brewing equipment on the deck of the ship after reviewing rough drafts sketches on bar napkins. I’m starting to think the saying “get the creative juices flowing” is a direct nod to drinking and thinking. I know it works for me. >>

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Speaking of which, let’s talk about their beers. I was fortunate enough to try four of their styles: two portfolio beers to showcase their daily offerings, one beer to highlight their creative side, and one more because I really like the style and just wanted to drink it. The foundational beers were their Fog Crusher NEIPA (hazy IPA) and the pilsener Ships Ahoy, Krispy Boy. The New England-style IPA was true to its roots and packed a fruity hop aroma balanced with a mild bitterness that we expect. It’s easy to see why this is one of their most popular beers. It combines the love Californians have for hop-forward beers with the drinkability of a softer mouthfeel and tropical aroma of its East coast counterparts. The pilsener was crisp with just a hint of malty backbone, which is what I want with my craft lager—a little extra oomph to differentiate it from the more mass-produced macro brews of the same style. The extraordinarily intricate and nuanced artwork of the can sealed the deal. And, in the interest of education, a “crispy boy” is industry slang for a highly quaffable brew.

I next tried the Piston Honda, a rice lager, straight from the 32-ounce crowler can. I’ve had a few beers of this style before and appreciate the rice adjunct as a way to give a dry and crisp finish to a beer that can often become cloyingly sweet.

Humdinger’s example was no exception, and I think it paired very well with the warm sand under my towel and the sun’s rays on my face. A fantastic summer beer, but it can be enjoyed just as readily on a ski slope as on a riding mower. There might be plans to do a canning run on this one as well. I will throw money at it, so I sure hope so. Speaking of summer, their seasonal offering of Blueberry Dinger-weisse was a home run. It’s a kettle-soured (not to be confused with a wild ale containing souring microbes) Berlinerweisse with a proprietary lactose blend, a milk sugar, that has been infused with over one hundred pounds of fresh blueberries. I remarked how fresh the blueberry flavors came through, as I’ve had my share of “flavored” beer and knew it wasn’t scent in a bottle, and even had my reservations about it coming from a more respectable purée. It turns out that Lee and Amy traveled a few miles over the hill in Arroyo Grande to a blueberry farm where they spent most of a day hand-picking all of the fruit themselves and then returned to their restaurant kitchen where the chefs processed the fruit and readied it for the brew.

It was a harmony of sweet, lightly tart, and incredibly refreshing. If you don’t have a chance to get your hands on one, they have plans to do raspberries in the late summer and keep a rotation going on this farm-to-table brew year-round.

Naturally, Humdinger offers other beer styles. When asked what will be releasing around the time of this hitting your mailboxes, Samways pointed to their exciting collaboration with their roots at the South County Home Brewers Club. A mutually brewed Kentucky Common will be hitting taps in August, which is an excellent time of year for this type of beer reminiscent of the beginning of fall. This steam-style beer can be closely described by comparing it to an original Anchor Steam with a light flavor or summer mixed with a malt profile more related to autumnal offerings. They are also offering another Hazy IPA Quality Time, an easy-drinking porter Browndo, and their strawberry blonde Shevulf. Plenty of options for everyone.

I casually mentioned their kitchen somewhere back there, but according to some locals, it’s the best food in The Village. Samways waxes poetically, yet humbly, about their elevated pub fare. Sure they have the standard burgers and fries, but you might also catch a compressed watermelon salad, or handmade pasta, or even an authentic Bánh mì Vietnamese sandwich. He touts his Head Chef Spencer Johnston and Chef de Cuisine Nick DeShon as the masterminds behind the kitchen. He affords them full reign over the menu, allowing them the creativity to use seasonal ingredients and cater to their customers’ tastes, much as the brewhouse does the same for the drinkers. Food and beers are available for dine-in or curbside pickup if you are on the run. They also use Cafe Runner, another local company, to deliver food directly to you, explaining that their consistency and speed results in hot food fast.

Whether you get to enjoy this new establishment in BRANT MYERS is a beer industry veteran and person or from the convenience of home, check out the founder of SLO BIIIG, a newest kid on the block and remember that drinking local hospitality consulting firm. is supporting local so shove off from life and yell “Ships, ahoy!” as you crack open that Krispy Boy. SLO LIFE 82

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