SLO LIFE Magazine Dec/Jan 2021

LIFE SLO REAL ESTATE

BY THE NUMB

SEASONAL FAVORITES

NOW HEAR THIS

BREWING UP SPIRITS

FAMILY OUTING

BEHIND THE SCENES

HAPPENINGS DEC/JAN 2021 SLOLIFEMAGAZINE.COM

magazine LOCAL ARTIST

HEALTH TRENDS N THE

RISE EWS IEFS TAKING IN THE VIEW

MEET SIDNEY COLLIN

RESTORING HOPE & ESS B U IL D IN G A B U S IN DEC/JAN 2021

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Consistently Quality Products Since 1947 Print | Mail | Apparel | Design | Web | Promo

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805.543.6844 | 2226 Beebee Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 | www.prpco.com

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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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Emergency care is just a call away.

Tele-ER Visits with Local Doctors Our emergency services team sees more than 57,000 patients a year. That experience allows us to quickly evaluate patients and determine the best treatment options. We’re here 24 hours a day to answer your call.

1. Call 805-546-7990. Talk with a nurse or emergency team member about your health concern.

2. Book your Tele-ER appointment with a local ER doctor. It’s helpful if you have a thermometer nearby.

3. Get your smartphone, tablet or computer ready. That’s it! Don’t delay your care.

For a Tele-ER visit, just call 805-546-7990 For life-threatening emergencies, go to the nearest hospital or call 911.

TenetHealthCentralCoast.com/Telehealth DEC/JAN 2021

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TEN OVER is on a mission to amplify local voices working to better our community.

To this end, we are donating the following ad space to local nonprofit organizations in need.

Together, we can leave the world better than we found it.

T E N O V E RS T UD IO. C OM

All it takes is one person to change a child’s life.

Rudy volunteers with purpose...

Rudy is a local San Luis Obispo resident and a proud CASA volunteer. He has served his community for over six years with one purpose; to be the caring adult in the life of an abused or neglected child, no matter what.

The invisible children of San Luis Obispo County need your help during this unprecedented holiday season. You can make a lasting impact for a child facing abuse or neglect by becoming a CASA volunteer or by making a donation.

Help us reach more children during this uncertain time and support our mission, just as Rudy has done.

Together we can change a child’s story. www.slocasa.org

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

Cal Poly College of Architecture and Environmental Design students worked to design a structure to house exhibits and collections for the Wine History Project, an organization that educates the public about the history of San Luis Obispo County’s wine industry. The pavilion will initially be placed at Saucelito Canyon Winery in the Edna Valley and later displayed at other locations throughout the county.

See more Learn by Doing stories at AD DESIGN BY CAL POLY STUDENT LAUREN WENSTAD (FOURTH-YEAR GRAPHIC COMMUNICATION MAJOR)

GIVING.CALPOLY.EDU DEC/JAN 2021

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CONTENTS 24 Briefs 26 View 28 Q&A

12 PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE

14 Info 16 Sneak Peek 18 In Box 22 Timeline 8

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NOW HEAR THIS

Volume 11 Number 6 Dec/Jan 2021

32 MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR

Love your legs again!

Before & After actual patients

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Dr. Ken Stevens

805.540.3333 DEC/JAN 2021

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| CONTENTS

60 Real Estate 64 Discover 68 Health

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78 WINE NOTES

TASTE

42 ARTIST

44 Family 46 On the Rise 48 Dwelling 10

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82 Happenings

exceptional landscape design + build contractors 805.574.0777 www.sagelandscapes.net @sagelandscapes DEC/JAN 2021

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| PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE

Bad Hop My mom always said to me, “Tommy, a good book can change your life.”

Last night, I finished one that surprised me, “Shoe Dog” by Phil Knight. He’s the guy who founded Nike.

His memoir was exceptionally well-written, considering it was authored by a former captain of industry.

In his Acknowledgments, he thanked among others, his fellow students at the writing classes he had taken over the years he was penning his manuscript. Although the book was fascinating, I was most intrigued by that revelation.

As an eighty-two-year-old multibillionaire, Knight could have simply hired a ghost writer or just sat on a beach somewhere and sipped a Mai Tai (his favorite drink). Instead, he told his story. And he did it using his own words.

After publishing SLO LIFE Magazine for a decade now, that’s the thing I love most: Listening to people tell their story in their own words. It’s how they tell it that I’m interested in most. And it never gets old.

When I sit down to an interview, I always start with some variation of the same question: “Tell me, where are you from?” A few minutes in, the voice recorder sitting on the table between us seems to melt away and I am drawn into the story as if I’m a kid back in the Tulare County Library reading about astronauts and quarterbacks.

But while I was turning the pages of “Shoe Dog,” my mind was not in Beaverton, Oregon, where Nike is headquartered, but right here in San Luis Obispo. Knight unfurled a white-knuckled tale familiar to all entrepreneurs, one filled with unending leaps of faith into the darkness of uncertainty. He ended his memoir by heaping praise on the one thing he identified as the most important component of his outsized success: Luck.

Again, I was taken aback by his refreshingly honest appraisal. And while he certainly did everything possible to bend the odds into his favor, there were many times early on where Nike could have very easily gone belly-up. Except the ball took a good bounce.

This has been a year made up almost entirely of bad hops and unlucky breaks. Many of us are hobbling to the finish line on the way toward completing a race we’d like to forget.

But don’t do that—don’t forget.

Although we have not been dealt a hand stacked with the best cards, we are still holding cards. Which means we’re still in the game. Our stories continue to unfold.

And I know this to be true because in the thousands of interviews I have conducted throughout my career, no one ever talks about their successes except as a “The End.” The stories we tell one another and ourselves—our stories—are the amalgamation of adversity and setbacks and bad breaks. Smooth sailing does not make for very interesting reading. I’m willing to bet that when we look back someday, we will all surely have a lengthy chapter in our memoirs devoted to this most peculiar/frustrating/maddening/terrifying [insert your own adjective here] year.

As he reflects back on his life, closing in on “The End,” Phil Knight confirms this observation when he reveals his one, final wish. It’s not to buy another building or a yacht, but to go back and do it all again—the heartbreak, the stress, the uncertainty. No money and deeply in debt, not knowing whether his fledgling shoe company would make it to end of the month—that’s when he was happiest.

Interesting.

Mom was right about books.

I wish you and yours a happy and healthy holiday season, and a prosperous New Year. Thank you to everyone who had a hand in producing this issue of SLO LIFE Magazine. And, most of all, thank you to our advertisers and subscribers—we couldn’t do it without you.

Live the SLO Life!

Tom Franciskovich tom@slolifemagazine.com 12

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p.s. If you’d like to read more visit me at tomfranciskovich.com | DEC/JAN 2021

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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

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CREATIVE DIRECTOR Sheryl Franciskovich CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Charlotte Alexander Jeff Al-Mashat Chuck Graham Lauren Harvey Paden Hughes Zara Khan Jaime Lewis Andria McGhee Joe Payne CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Hutomo Abrianto Justin Aikin Javier Buenavista Rob DeGraff David Lalush Katie Luna Mark Nakamura Vanessa Plakias Amanda Vick 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.

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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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“They’re Amazing to Work With”

“American Riviera Bank gave us one of our first loans, and they’ve just been amazing. They give me the best rates, and they’re amazing to work with. I feel like I’m partnered almost with a family here to help me grow my business.”

— Tomas Medeiros, Jr., California Mobile Kitchens

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| SNEAK PEEK

O N TH E COVE R

behind the scenes W I T H S ID NE Y CO LLIN

BY VANESSA PLAKIAS

is she ha d a first pho ne conversat ion I ask ed Sid ne y on our aña de Oro is ont “M d, im mediately sai e Sh t. spo ing hik e orit wh ere I fav that I thi nk about it, it’s my ha ppy pla ce. An d now pa ny’s na me, De Oro De vices.” com got the ins piratio n for my

She reminded me of the people in Northern Italy during my travels. When I mentioned it, she laughed and said, “Oh, my dad’s from Canada. You know, nothing like that.” I said, “Oh, maybe you’re part French.” And she said, “Well, I do speak French fluently.” I’m like, she’s a Renaissance Wonder Woman.

We had so much fun. I mean she’s just vivacious and a stunning young lady. She seems like a very disciplined person, too.

She makes a great engineer, but she had to come to those crossroads and make some big decisions, because you can see she’s a natural born ballerina. And also very bright.

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A couple of deer came down a trail to take a better look at her. And I said, “Hold still, Sidney.”

SLO LIFE

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| IN BOX

Take us with you!

Hey, SLO LIFE readers: Send us your photos the next time you’re relaxing in town or traveling far and away with your copy of the magazine. Email us at info@slolifemagazine.com

GRAND TETON MOUNTAINS, WYOMING

CABO SAN LUCAS

LAURA and CORY HEIDEN

YOSEMITE

LOREN EYLER

STAYCATION

BETSY ASMUS During the pandemic my husband and I made a camping adventure video to share with family and friends. You couldn’t tell until the big reveal at the end of the video that our campsite was actually in our home’s dining room.

JOSE LUIS and CAROLE FLORES 18

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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: $1,065,000

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Chris Engelskirger

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Owner/Broker

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Jed Damschroder Kellye Grayson Owner/REALTOR®

REALTOR®

2076 HAYS ST, SLO offered at: $1,275,000

Doug Cutler

Krissy Bellisario

Sacha Steel

Mukta Naran

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| IN BOX

SLO LIFE travels!

SEA OF CORTEZ

YOSEMITE

SALLY and JIM BROOKS-SCHULKE DR. MICHAEL CLAYTON and EDDIE ABATE

ROUTE 66, WINSLOW, ARIZONA YOSEMITE

DOMINICA and OLIVIA

ROBERT and BETSY WILSON

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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Happy Happy to to be be

Holiday Holiday ..

court streEt

Monterey street

Downtown Centre

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| TIMELINE

Around the County 10/4

California hits a “fearsome milestone” according to state fire officials: four million acres burned in deadly wildfires this year, a new record for the number of acres burned in a single year. The figure includes some 125,000 acres of the Los Padres National Forest north of San Luis Obispo County, which ignited August 18 and grew to become the Dolan Fire in Monterey County. Nacimiento-Fergusson Road remains closed to public and residential traffic from Highway 1 to the Fort Hunter Liggett base boundary line. Although most of the flames are out, the Dolan Fire remains at ninety-eight percent containment because the remaining acreage sits in steep, rugged terrain that is difficult to control with a fire line.

10/5

Top leaders from academia, commercial agencies, and government— including California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis—gather to begin a four-day virtual symposium hosted by Cal Poly’s California Cybersecurity Institute to discuss the latest strategies protecting U.S. commercial and government space assets from cyber adversaries.

Recognizing that cyberattacks are now a national priority, Kounalakis says California plays a unique role in America’s space and cybersecurity future. Stressing the need to develop a 21st century workforce to support the nation’s increasing private and public space resources, Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong promotes the university’s curriculum devoted to preparing students to be day one-ready cyber experts.

10/24

The California Highway Patrol and the SLO County Opioid Coalition celebrate “National Drug Take Back Day” by collecting hundreds of pounds of medications during a four-hour drive-thru event. The annual event isn’t the only way to dispose of household over-the-counter and prescription medications, including pills, ointments, and lotions. County residents also may access the free drug disposal program offered at most pharmacies. Visit the Hazardous Waste section on the Integrated Waste Management Authority website, iwma.com, for more information.

10/30

After a seven-month hiatus, California State Parks opens the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area to day-use walking, biking, and street-legal vehicles, with a reminder that visitors should maintain proper physical distance, avoid crowds, wear face coverings, and limit groups to immediate household members. Under COVID-19 safety guidelines, entry is limited to 1,000 vehicles a day. If unsafe conditions develop, access once again may be restricted. Plans call for re-opening the Dunes to off-highway vehicles and overnight camping in a second phase, and finally in a third phase to day-use and camping in accordance with local health orders. Dates for when the Dunes will move into the last two phases have yet to be announced.

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11/3

San Luis Obispo Mayor Heidi Harmon wins re-election, garnering more than half of the nearly 25,000 votes cast. The City’s Measure G sales tax increase passes, continuing the existing one-half percent local sales tax and increasing the total rate to one-and-one-half percent until ended by voters. The City expects the tax will generate more than $21,000,000 in annual revenue that can be used for any purpose approved by the City Council.

11/5

The California Office of Traffic Safety awards $76,000 to the County Behavioral Health Department for a year-long program helping to prevent local youth traffic-related injuries and deaths. The funding is earmarked for public awareness and provides opportunities for young people to actively engage their peers, family members, and community in projects to reduce underage drinking and issues resulting from that behavior. Driving remains the most dangerous activity for teens, as crashes are the leading cause of death for fifteen- to eighteen-year-olds.

11/10

SLO County Supervisors review a staff report projecting a $12,000,000 to $22,000,000 budget shortfall in the County’s next budget cycle.

The 2021-22 Financial Forecast reflects the continuing impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the local economy according to County Administrator Wade Horton. Expenses are growing at expected rates, but revenue is shrinking. The forecast is one of the first steps in developing the budget that begins on July 1, 2021. It helps identify the future fiscal capacity of the General Fund and helps the Board establish its priorities, budget goals, and strategies for balancing the budget.

11/12

College faculty and students, community members, and even his fellow trustees, urge Cuesta College Board of Trustees President Pete Sysak to step down during a special Board meeting called because of controversial posts he previously shared on social media. After Sysak’s refusal to resign, the Board forms an ad hoc committee to investigate further and to present findings at its December meeting, when Board members may consider censuring Sysak, who was elected to the Board in 2014.

11/16

Following an uptick in COVID-19 cases, Governor Newsom announces that San Luis Obispo will join forty other counties and 94% of Californians in the most restrictive Purple Tier. Several business sectors are restricted to offering outdoor-only operations or further reduced capacity for indoor operations as they head into the winter months.

Newsom also calls for greater face mask requirements and a mandated curfew. As of this date, thirty-four county residents with underlying health conditions have died with COVID-19. SLO LIFE

IT’S TIME TO THINK DIFFERENTLY

LIVE BETTER. LEAVE A LEGACY.

William Henry Crew III, CA Insurance License #0B17626 is a Registered Representative with and securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial, member FINRA/SIPC. Financial Planning offered through Crew Wealth Management, a registered investment advisor and separate entity of LPL Financial.

DEC/JAN 2021

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| BRIEFS

“Next thing I know, I’m underwater...

It happened so fast.”

Julia McSorley, safely back on land November 2 after a humpback whale surfaced underneath the kayak that she and a companion, Liz Cottriel, were paddling off the coast of Avila Beach.

Their vessel was overturned, but the two escaped without injury. The video made national news.

49 The number of fires in the past ten months along the Bob Jones Trail and the adjacent San Luis Creek attributed to unsafe, unhealthy campsites. Multiple factors, including the fires and flooding, recently prompted the City of San Luis Obispo in partnership with homeless service providers to begin cleaning up the area, connecting unsheltered people with local services and support.

“Runtime” Computer science isn’t just for super geniuses according to author, illustrator, and recent Cal Poly graduate Jasmine Patel, who wrote this forty-four-page hardcover children’s book to introduce young readers to some of the fun and creative elements of computer science. It was recently published

by Puzzle Piece Publishing and is available on Amazon.

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$70,000 The amount a local couple received in October from the City of San Luis Obispo as settlement of a lawsuit filed over a 2019 incident in which a City police officer shot and killed Bubbs, their pit bull-boxer mix who charged at officers responding to a false-alarm burglary call at the couple’s home.

“He just flew a plane on his 100th birthday.

He’s a living legend.”

Kurtis Moyer, describing his grandfather and former WWII pilot Harry Moyer who, on October 30, likely broke a world record for being the oldest licensed pilot to complete a solo flight. The elder Moyer, who has been flying for more than threequarters of a century, took off from the SLO County Regional Airport in his 1963 Mooney for a fifteen-minute flight.

LBM The Adult Services Department of SLO County Public Libraries offers a free Library By Mail (LBM) service for homebound seniors age sixty and over. The Library will ship books (including large print formats), audiobooks, and more via the U.S. Postal Service in special heavyduty bags with the postage paid both ways.

More information at slolibrary.org.

“He was a true pioneer and shared a wealth of history, passion, and stewardship.”

Cuesta College President Dr. Jill Stearns on the September 27 death at age 98 of Dr. Frank R. Martinez, the college’s second president. Hired in 1964 as the founding vice president, Martinez developed the college’s first curriculum, hired its first faculty, and negotiated the purchase of the land for the SLO campus. He retired in 1988 after serving eleven years as president.

Perch A startup created by a Cal Poly alumnus, two students, and three professors (with help from the SLO Fire Department) that uses a system of devices mounted on power lines to collect data that can detect wildfires and predict fire risks in California.

“I am honored to be in this position and to be a part of this great and experienced crew.”

Victor J. Glover, a Navy commander and test pilot who joined the astronaut corps in 2013, as he prepared to be launched into space November 15 aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. The Cal Poly alumnus is the first Black astronaut to be living aboard the International Space Station as part of its extended crew. SLO LIFE

OUR

WISHING A VIBRANT HOLIDAY SEASON

,

OVERFLOWING LOVE WITH

A NEW HOME

CLIENTS, FAMILIES, FRIENDS

AND A NEW YEAR FILLED WITH JOY PEACE AND PROSPERITY.

WE

,

,

WELCOMED OVER 500

BUYERS & SELLERS INTO THE HAVEN FAMILY IN 2020.

IN THE

SPIRIT OF THE HOLIDAYS

,

THANK YOU FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF REPRESENTING YOU.

BHGREHAVEN.COM

DEC/JAN 2021

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| VIEW

HIDDEN GEM

BY MARK NAKAMURA

I

f you are looking to get away and relax or reflect, I recommend some of the beaches along the North Coast, from north of Cambria to Ragged Point and beyond the county line. Known for the rugged coastline and seaside hiking trails, this region offers views you won’t soon forget.

Following the twists and turns of Highway 1, you will discover several turnouts nestled between where the Santa Lucia Mountains meet the Pacific Ocean that have access to the coast very few people know about or use. Most of the beaches are deserted or are occupied only by a fisherman or some locals.

Consider the advice of Robert Frost:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

In the shot you see here, taken at a beach located just south of Ragged Point, I used my 16-35mm f2.8 wide-angle zoom lens on the 16mm side.

The wide-angle zoom lens exaggerates the distance between foreground and background.

Try some of the less traveled beaches. It’ll make all the difference. SLO LIFE

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MARK NAKAMURA, pursues his passion in landscape photography as well as capturing the joys of weddings, families, events, and sports around the Central Coast. Find him on Instagram @nakamuraphoto

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| Q&A

CHANGEMAKER We visited recently with JOHN KLEVINS, a social worker employed by the Transitions-Mental Health Association, who spends his days working directly with San Luis Obispo’s homeless population as part of an innovative partnership with SLOPD’s Community Action Team. To date, he has helped more than one hundred local homeless seek treatment, reeducate, and reunite with their families. He spoke to us while walking through a local creek. Here is some of what he had to say…

Where are you from, John? All right. So, let’s see, I was raised in Southern California, Costa Mesa. And I went to USC undergraduate for business. I was in real estate finance at the beginning of my career. There was certainly money to be made, and I had some good positions, leadership roles, and this and that. But, fast forward a number of years, and I was telling myself, “Okay, you’ve got to do something that kind of feeds your soul a little more than just the sheer fact of making money.” Not that making money is bad. I just felt that maybe there was more in life.

Was there something precipitating these thoughts?

At the time, my wife’s mom was going through Alzheimer’s. She had just been diagnosed, and it was pretty rough on the family. That kind of inspired me to help elderly folks. I started volunteering. Then, I went and got a master’s in gerontology, which is the study of old folks. I was in that line of work, senior care, for about a decade and really enjoyed it. We were living up in Seattle and we started our own nonprofit.

It was called LEAF, Legacy of Elder Advancement Foundation. We did a lot of work for the elders of Seattle; we had a lot of different programs to help them.

But we got to a point where Seattle wasn’t working for us—just too cold and gray. Honestly, we were missing the sun. San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay were places that I’d always visited with my family, so I had good memories of this area. We decided to make the move.

What did you do when you came into town? I became interested in social work, because I wanted to have direct contact with people. So, at the ripe old age of 55, I went back to school. My wife said, “Hey, do you want to retire?” And I said, “I’m just not the retiring type.” I can’t sit still long enough to do that. So, I went back and got my master’s in social work. I went through that program and did a couple of internships.

One at Atascadero State Hospital, and the other at the psychiatric health facility here in town, PHF; it’s where people are taken if they’re put on a 5150 hold.

Then, somewhere along the line, I saw this job pop up working with the police department. The idea of working in and around the police department appealed to me right away. I’ve got a lot of respect for law enforcement and thought, well, that might be a good fit.

How’s your caseload? So, I would say your typical social worker has between twenty-five and thirty clients. I have 855 right now. There are people who are advocates for the homeless who say negative things 28

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about what we’re doing out here at these cleanups, but we come through weeks in advance, like we’re doing today, to offer help. But, the advocates have been pretty vocal about it. But, it’s like, well, I’m here every day working with the homeless.

Where are you? I haven’t seen you out here lately, except when the cameras show up. And, so, to me, what we do, our goal is to provide services and solutions.

That’s why I describe myself as a solutions-based social worker; and that’s a perspective that’s taught in school. The question is: What can we do to make change? By the time people come in contact with me, it means they’re in crisis.

It means things aren’t working out very well.

There’s a problem and so we have to get to the core of that problem.

What have you learned in your two years doing this job? Human beings don’t like change. So, in the case of these cleanups, for example, like the one we did over at Bob Jones trail recently, we took fifty tons of trash out of the creek. Fifty tons. Now, I’m also an environmentalist, an outdoorsman, and I don’t like to see our open spaces just completely thrashed. So, I think there has to be some boundaries set. If you talk to people who are more conservative, their opinion is that the homeless are all drug addicts and thieves and we should just get rid of them. Then, on the other side, people on the liberal end of the spectrum will say that homeless people have halos over their heads and should be a protected class. I don’t think either one of those points of view are correct. Remember, these are people who are making a lot of choices to end up where they are; many of those choices they are making are not working out very well. That’s my job, to help them see that. To show them there’s a different way.

A better way. So, yes, we absolutely need to continue to set boundaries and enforce them, but at the same time, we also need to help people create change in their lives. Ultimately, my biggest thing, and what I try to do, is provide hope. I try to show people that they can have a different life, a different trajectory. I’m here to help people overcome their challenges—mental illness, substance abuse, whatever it is—so they can see that homelessness should not be considered a destination, but a place you pass through on the way toward something better. SLO LIFE

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| NOW HEAR THIS

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SOUL SEARCHING

BY JOE PAYNE

IMAGES COURTESY OF CHRIS BELAND

I

t’s often said that musical aptitude and talent “runs in the family.” And for Central Coast native and singersongwriter Chris Beland, that is certainly the case, although he didn’t know how much so until well into his adult life.

Growing up in Santa Maria in the 90s, Beland received his first guitar as a gift from his grandfather, who lived in a trailer next to his childhood home. “He played in a country band, and I just remember him giving me this little guitar and saying, ‘This will help you with all your problems in life,’” Beland shares. “And I remember picking it up and he would play and I would be fake playing along with him.”

His grandfather passed away when he was ten years old, before Beland learned his C, F, and G chords to really play along. His mother gifted him a box of grandpa’s cassette tapes, which included hours of recordings of his grandpa playing the outlaw country songs he loved.

named Harmony and Jude. They all live together on the Arroyo Grande/ Nipomo Mesa. SLO Locals might recognize his daughter Harmony from the numerous performances they’ve done together, or because she received a New Times Music Award last year. Beland and his daughter also write songs together, which he explains is a “pretty profound thing that we have together.”

Though you could comfortably characterize Beland’s style as “indie folk,” that’s hardly a complete picture. Much of Beland’s music belies a quiet pain and struggle for closeness, for family, for home, told in stories of self-discovery. Though he’s inspired by artists like Andrew Bird and Damien Jurardo, his persistent use of acoustic guitar reveals the guiding hand of his grandfather, but also somebody else.

“Some of them were hard to hear,” Beland said. “He would just hit record and leave the recorder in the corner of the room, practicing with his band.”

It wasn’t until well into his adult life that Beland learned that his stepfather and half-siblings were just that, and that his mother had long kept a secret. She had spent the night with the lead guitar player for Ricky Nelson’s band after a concert in Santa Maria during the late ‘70s.

After a DNA test and a Google search, they found out his father, John Beland, was still alive, and wasn’t on the plane crash that killed Ricky Nelson and his band in 1985.

Following in grandpa’s footsteps, whose generation cherished country as rebel music, Beland joined his first punk band as a drummer in junior high. The band, Milk Bone, performed the first song Beland had ever written. He stayed in the punk scene and by high school he became the lead singer in another band.

“When I met my dad, everything made sense to me, like why music was such a driving force,” he said. “He’s 73 now, and we met for the first time and hung out and he recorded an album with me.”

Every music genre is unique, but there are some characteristics that seem to hold universal no matter the style, time, or place. There was infatuation and romance, of course, but there was also experimentation with substances, which all too often leads to abuse and addiction.

It’s been a long road for Beland to arrive where he is today—recovery from loss, addiction, fleeing and returning to the Central Coast, and reuniting with family while starting one of his own. And you can hear it all in his songs, with his clear and emotive voice accompanied by a crisp acoustic guitar.

“I was supposed to graduate in ‘97, … but I kind of got crazy, dropped out, met this girl,” Beland reveals. “She ended up getting pregnant by me, and I was only fifteen years old, a freshman. Her dad gave me an ultimatum, and he said, ‘You can either be in my daughter’s life, and be a good dad, and marry her and take care of her, or you need to disappear.’ So, we got married and emancipated.”

That all seems like another life, Beland explained. He’s been remarried for seventeen years now, and has two children with his wife Annie,

“I think the musical community here is very scattered compared to other places, but it’s still home to me,” he said. “It’s my natural habitat. The oak trees, the ocean, it feels safe, it feels like home to me.” SLO LIFE DEC/JAN 2021

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JOE PAYNE is a journalist, as well as a lifelong musician and music teacher, who writes about the arts on the Central Coast.

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| MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR

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DANCING TO A DIFFERENT BEAT PHOTOGRAPHY BY VANESSA PLAKIAS

Five years ago, SIDNEY COLLIN was presented with an intriguing challenge: Build something to help a local veteran regain his mobility. One of her professors at Cal Poly announced that a man named Jack, a San Luis Obispo resident and longtime sufferer of the debilitating disease known as Parkinson’s, called the university to ask if there was anyone willing to take a flight on his idea. Collin raised her hand and one thing led to another. Today, she operates a fledgling medical device company known as De Oro Devices and its first product called NexStride is allowing people to do something many dismissed as an impossibility—walk again. Here is her story…

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O

kay, Sidney, let’s talk about where you’re from. I grew up in Berkeley, California.

I have two sisters, one is about a year older than me, and the other is almost eight years younger than me. Our house was in the hills, fairly secluded.

It wasn’t really a neighborhood. We were kind of in the forest, and spent a lot of time going on walks, going on hikes. I make it sound like we were off the grid, but we absolutely weren’t. I could walk down to a café, or a go to breakfast or whatever it is that I needed to do. We definitely weren’t out in the middle of nowhere. I’ve always liked to be outside, so I definitely spent a lot of time hiking, biking, rollerblading, camping. My dad used to take us camping every summer. I loved that. I grew up thinking that my dad just loved camping, but I asked him about it recently because I tried to get him to go on a camping trip with me a few years ago and he was like, “I never really liked camping. I just needed to entertain you guys.”

And what about school? I went to a French American school for elementary school and learned French at the same time as I learned English, so I’m able to speak French fluently now. But I was always a math nerd. I always loved math and logic and was very analytical as a kid, I would say. Still am. I danced ballet for ten years with the San Francisco Ballet. It was a really big part of my life for a very long time. It was to the point where I needed to decide either that I was going to pursue being a professional dancer and be homeschooled, or if not, I needed to focus on school. I decided I wanted to be an engineer. As much as I loved dance, it wasn’t the career path I wanted to follow. At the time ,I was dancing two or three hours, every single day, and when I was sixteen, I just stopped.

The thing about ballet is that it’s very structured. It’s very competitive. Just

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the whole dance world, especially with the San Francisco Ballet, because they’re very traditional. It’s hard to explain, really, because ballet is such a...

What do I call it? A sport? I guess it’s not really a sport. It’s very steeped in tradition, which isn’t a bad thing, but it means that things have to be a certain way. You have to conform.

So, how did you end up here? I came to SLO to study biomedical engineering at Cal Poly. I think one of the things that I noticed the most is that I feel really lucky to have been able to take advantage of was how project based everything is. Cal Poly’s motto, as everybody knows, is “Learn By Doing,” and they really do stick to that motto. And I loved how many opportunities there were for me to engage in projects outside of my classes, as well as part of my classes. I’m a very hands-on person.

I want to get in and build something and use the technology that we’re learning about in some relevant way, in some applicable way to the world.

And that was something I was able to do at Cal Poly that I don’t feel like other people had elsewhere. You know, my sister studied biology at UC Santa Barbara and she was stuck in these 500-person lectures five hours a day, and I was in these classes with thirty people where we were building things and working together, creating things. I felt really lucky to have that experience.

Let’s talk about your company, De Oro Devices. Sure. So, one of my professors introduced me to Jack, a local veteran here in SLO who suffers from Parkinson’s disease. Jack is the person that I originally built this device for; he reached out to Cal Poly, specifically to the biomedical engineering program at Cal Poly, asking for help in building this device to help him overcome freezing of gait. So, that’s how this whole thing >>

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started. It was just a side project for me, and I worked with an advisor at Cal Poly, and a Master’s student at the time, while we built this product for Jack. I had absolutely no intention of starting the company at that point. It was really just a project for me to be able to use my engineering skills so that I could help somebody improve their quality of life.

Freezing of gait? Yes, it’s called freezing of gait. It’s one of the most common symptoms of Parkinson’s, but also one of the most debilitating.

It’s medically defined as a sudden onset of immobility, but Jack will explain it as feeling like his feet are glued to the floor, stuck in a box of cement. So, all of a sudden, no matter how hard he tries, he can’t pick up his foot, even take one step. And the reason that this happens is that there’s a disconnect between the brain and the body that makes it so that when your brain is sending a signal to initiate movement, that signal just doesn’t get to the motor neurons that are activating your muscles. So somewhere in the pathway, where the signal is being sent from your brain to start walking, that signal gets lost and it doesn’t get to motor neurons that activate your legs to actually initiate the walking. So, you’re frozen in place, basically.

And how long had Jack been dealing with this problem? A long time, something like fifteen or twenty years. But he had been using these visual and auditory cues with his physical therapist and it helped him a lot, 36

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tremendously. Having these cues helped him overcome freezing of gait and actually walk. But it occurred to him that there had to be a way to make these visual and auditory cues portable, so he came to us with an idea. It wasn’t just, “Hey, I have this problem. Can you help me?” He came to us with, “This is my idea of a solution, can you help me build it?” So, that’s what we did. We [built a device and] loaded it with all his favorite songs on it. I’ll never forget the day we had him test it. I had been working on this thing for three months but had never really seen how effective it could be. It was remarkable to see him go from not being able to walk, not being able to pick up his foot, to all of a sudden being able to activate this device and be able to walk across his living room floor. I had never seen him do that before.

How exactly did it work? That’s what I wanted to know, too, so I started to look into the research behind why these visual and auditory cues are effective. I didn’t really believe that a green laser line and a metronome was going to make that much of a difference for him. But as I dove into the research, I found over fifty peer reviewed articles showing the efficacy of these exact visual and auditory cues that had been published already, so I began to understand why this works. Essentially, there’s a very specific neural pathway that’s been damaged by the disease, or somehow disconnected, that causes freezing of gait. If you can change the neural pathway that’s being activated in order to initiate that walking, then you >>

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can get somebody to be able to walk again, because there’s nothing wrong with the muscles. It’s not a weakness issue; there’s nothing actually wrong with the body. So, if you can change the intention behind the movement, then you change the neural pathways that are being activated, and you allow someone to overcome freezing of gait. So, the idea behind it is by adding that goal, you change how somebody thinks about the movement.

You change the intention behind the movement and that changes the neural pathways that are being activated in order to initiate that movement. In a way, it’s like dancing.

How so? Well, there’s a visual cue that we created, a green laser line.

You visualize yourself stepping over that line. And just by adding that goal, you change the way that person thinks about the movement and you allow them to overcome freezing of gait. And the same thing with the metronome, you try step to the beat of the metronome. And by setting that intention, you change the neural pathways that are being activated in order to initiate that movement. So, as Jack began using the device on a daily basis, I continued trying to improve it for him— trying to make it smaller or trying to make it more effective, trying to make it rechargeable, adding all these features for him, specifically. At some point, he invited me to a support group just to show off this new technology that was super helpful for him. And at that support group, I remember meeting fifteen or twenty other people who all came up to me, one by one, after the meeting and they all said some variation of the same thing: “Hi, my name is so-and-so. I also experience freezing of gait. When can I get one of these devices?” And I remember thinking, “Oh, crap. Where am I going to get the funding to make more of these?”

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What did you do? I remember being so frustrated and thinking that it was so ridiculous that something so simple and so well known to be effective didn’t already exist in the world. I sort of had this anxiety about it thinking if I don’t make them no one’s going to, so I need to make it happen. I talked to the Master’s student I was working with at the time about starting a company, but he was leaving to finish his PhD and wasn’t interested. So, I applied to Innovation Quest at Cal Poly and to the Accelerator program. And really the goal of that, I didn’t have a vision for a company, I just had a vision for getting this one product out to a few more people. But the Accelerator is the thing that changed that. But, to apply to the Accelerator, I needed a business partner. So, I did a few presentations at a few different MBA classes, entrepreneurship classes at Cal Poly, looking for a partner to do the Accelerator program with me. And I ended up meeting my co-founder, William, in an MBA class at Cal Poly.

Tell us about that first meeting. I love the way that William tells the story when people ask him how he got involved. He remembers me going up at the beginning of his MBA class, drawing random figures on the board, trying to explain neural pathways, and all of the stuff; like, not understanding at all what I was saying. But, somehow, I convinced him to come meet with me afterwards. He saw something, some kind of potential, so he got on board. The company itself was founded a little bit over two years ago now. De Oro Devices is the name and, yes, in case you were wondering, it was inspired by Montaña de Oro. And NexStride is the name of our product. It took a year and half to get the green light to get approval to start selling it, which is a very short timeline when you look at how long it usually takes to get to a medical device to market. >>

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We officially started selling in April, focused really on California. And right now, we’re selling in five countries worldwide: the U.S., Denmark, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, and we’re talking to a few other distributors and other places in the E.U. right now.

What does the future hold for De Oro Devices? In the long term, we have expansions into a few different areas. So, there’s geographic expansion, there’s disease state expansion, and then there’s expansion of our products, of what we offer. Right now, we only have one device, the NexStride. We have a few other products in the pipeline that we plan on bringing out all along the lines of increasing mobility and quality of life for people that need it. And then the expansion into different disease states because it turns out that these visual and auditory cues are helpful in not only helping with mobility in Parkinson’s disease, but also in cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, and stroke rehabilitation. There are so many applications to visual and auditory cues that we can move into, once we figure out the best way to expand into those different disease states.

How many employees do you have? Currently, we have five employees, but we have a lot more long-term contractors that we work with, some local, some not. For example, our whole engineering team is on contract; our whole marketing team is on contract. So overall, on a regular basis, we work with about thirty people. We have an office at the Annex. It’s another building that’s owned by the CIE, the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Cal Poly, but they separated their space into the HotHouse and the Annex. It’s in the Pacific Coast Center. The main thing that we’re focused on right now is creating awareness about NexStride to the people who need it. We want people to know there’s a solution for freezing of gait. The challenge is finding out how to do that in an effective and efficient way. I’m not a salesperson. I’m not a businessperson, and my goal is not to push this on anybody who doesn’t need it, but to show people that if there is an opportunity that this device can help them walk, that we want to make it as easy as possible for them to try it.

How is it operating a medical device business here on the Central Coast?

Well, I never thought that I would stay in SLO after school, honestly. That thought never really crossed my mind, but I absolutely love living here.

And I could not be more appreciative of San Luis Obispo. I spend a lot of time outside. I think there’s the perfect combination of all of this outdoor space that you can experience, but there’s also downtown. There’s lots of cute hip bars and restaurants and whatnot that you can check out. There also is actually a really great community of entrepreneurs here in SLO. Having that community here has been a really big help. I think the CIE does a really great job and the SBDC, the Small Business Development Center, does a really great job of bringing all of the small business owners and entrepreneurs together to be able to learn from each other and have a community of people that you can go to and ask questions, and even just spend time with people that can actually relate to what you’re doing.

If you had to use just one word to summarize your journey in entrepreneurship so far, what would it be? Rewarding. I’d say that it’s been very rewarding. I have a personal relationship with a lot of our customers.

About a month after the first thirty NexStrides were sold and shipped out, I called every single one of those customers and asked them a series of questions: “How do you like the device? How’s it working? Do you have any feedback for us? What can we change? How can we make this device better for you?” And I heard overwhelming stories from people about how it’s changed their lives. I’m not the person that grew up thinking I’m going to start a company one day and I’m going to make a lot of money and I’m going to rule the world. That wasn’t me. I’m just a research nerd who wanted to help people and this was a way that I could do it. I had an entire academic career planned out. I was going to go on to get my PhD in computational neuroscience, but I stopped for a few months to build one thing for one guy and accidentally started a company in the process. SLO LIFE 40

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| ARTIST

PROFILE

Robert Chapman

BY JEFF AL-MASHAT

W

hen you look at the lines of the 1953 Corvette, it can be difficult to see its relationship to its 2021 incarnation.

But looking at the progression from year to year, over time, it becomes clear how the evolution occurred.

The same phenomenon can be observed in the artwork of Robert Chapman. Chapman’s work is the perfect encapsulation of the concept of discipline. More plainly said, each piece of art builds upon what was discovered in everything that came before it. Some elements of today’s piece echo yesterday’s, and that same thread will be evident in tomorrow’s work.

Chapman himself, currently more prolific than ever, embodies this progression in action. His earlier landscapes painted in oils, with a painter’s traditional tools, have shifted over time into abstract color fields, and then again into the current computer-generated creations that Chapman describes as “alien and familiar at the same time.”

Chapman produces those Z-prints, as he calls them, with his desktop PC, a mouse, and an older version of Paintshop Pro. “There is a decorative note in the Z-prints, but they are more demanding than traditional abstract painting,” says Chapman. “I approach these the same as I would a landscape painting, but there is more surrealism to draw people in.”

Chapman describes his creative process as starting with intuition and building from there to create realistic compositions: “I believe our minds look for something recognizable to connect with.”

Discussing how he made the leap from paints and palette knives to the computer, he notes, “Initially, I went kicking and screaming.”

Ultimately, though, one of the things that he likes most about this current process is its low carbon footprint.

The pieces are rich with vibrant colors, active lines and fantastical shapes. The depth and sophistication of the atmosphere within the Z-prints make these works JEFF AL-MASHAT is a writer and visual artist with spectacularly intriguing. It an MFA in painting from is as if Chapman is creating Georgia State University. He lives in Grover Beach. new worlds every time he sits down at the computer. SLO LIFE 42

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| FAMILY

I

Pismo Preserve

BY PADEN HUGHES

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB DEGRAFF

will never forget the first time I set foot on the sacred, magical grounds known as the Pismo Preserve.

It felt so restorative to stand atop the coastal range and gaze out over a landscape that spanned from the Oceano Dunes to the Avila Pier for one incredible ocean panorama. To breathe in the fresh sea breeze was worth pausing to enjoy, at least for a moment before chasing my fifteen-month-old down the trail again.

The Pismo Preserve has become my personal favorite local hike. In exactly five minutes from the parking lot, the natural beauty and impossible vistas begin to unfold.

When I first heard about the Land Conservancy’s ambitious $12 million effort to preserve 880 acres (one third of which are off limits to people in order to support local wildlife populations) of the rolling hillside overlooking Shell Beach, I was as giddy as a kid on Christmas morning. I couldn’t wait to get out onto the trails and bring my family along to share the joy.

It turns out, the Pismo Preserve is a gift to us all.

The first time we hiked the preserve, it became apparent that it was unlike any of the other trails locally. It simply has some of the most spectacular views in the county—if not the country.

As a business owner and mom, getting outside is more than just a win in a day, it’s become more critical to our mental health. It’s amazing what sunshine on your face and fresh ocean breezes can 44

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do to turn a mood in a better direction. It’s nature’s medicine. You can go from exhausted and depleted to energized and playful in the span of a few minutes. Open spaces are so important to protect and I’m deeply grateful for all the locals who fought, fundraised, and carved intricate trails out of the hillsides so families like mine can escape into the natural environment whenever we want.

My favorite part of the eleven miles of trails are the picnic benches at the top of most of the trail loops.

It makes a great family outing or romantic sunset date night.

The Pismo Preserve is open daily from dawn to dusk. The parking is ample and bathrooms at the trailheads are clean and certainly a welcome sight when you have kids with you.

The preserve welcomes a diverse range of outdoor activities such as horseback riding, mountain biking, trail running, and, of course, hiking.

If you haven’t had a chance to check it out, I recommend scheduling at least two hours to explore the trails. Don’t forget to bring some food along for a scenic picnic.

Gifts are given to bring joy, and it’s clear the Land Conservancy knew what it was doing with this one.

Getting There: The Pismo Preserve is located off exit 191B from US Highway 101 in Pismo Beach. The entrance and parking lot are located on the east side of the freeway at the very southern end of Mattie Road. SLO LIFE

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

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| ON THE RISE

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Emory Campbell Honered with the Mayor’s Award for community service, as well as the Black and Gold Most Oustanding Athlete for his contribution to the swim team, this San Luis Obispo High School senior is ready to take flight.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATIE LUNA

What extra-curricular activities are you involved in? I enjoy swimming with Puma Aquatics and with the high school team. I also have been learning to play drums, which fortunately is still possible with weekly virtual meetings, and I also have a seasonal job that I really enjoy.

What do you like to do for fun? I spend a lot of my free time outside with my friends and family, especially at the beach. I have a lot of fun surfing, bodysurfing, and paddling in Morro Bay and Avila Beach. If I’m not at the beach, I also love to ride my mountain bike.

What has been going on with you lately? Right now, I am busy applying to colleges for next fall. I also am excited to be swimming with the boys team at the new SLO High School pool and recently I have been training with the hope to one day paddle from Catalina Island to Manhattan Beach in the Catalina Classic paddleboard race.

Do you have a career in mind? I haven’t decided on a career path yet, but I tend to be interested in the life sciences and I’m looking forward to exploring my options more in college. I really admire people who are able to have a meaningful and positive impact on the lives of others through science and technology.

What should people know about you? I would want people to know that they can count on me to follow through with my commitments to them.

Where do you see yourself in ten years? I would like to be right back in San Luis Obispo. There is so much opportunity to have fun here and I love the sense of community.

What has influenced you? I have been greatly influenced by my swim coaches at SLO High School and with the Puma Swim team. They provided me with great examples of leadership, commitment, and have taught me first how to be a good teammate and second to pursue my goals tenaciously. They have contributed significantly to my growth as a person.

Is there anything people don’t know about you? I love to make apple pie and it is also my number one choice for breakfast.

What schools are you considering for college? I am applying to several public California universities as well as a few out of state schools. I would love to be at a university that has a strong science program and is near the coast. SLO LIFE

Know a student On the Rise?

Introduce us at slolifemagazine.com/share

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| DWELLING

HOME 48

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COMING

BY ZARA KHAN

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID LALUSH

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I

f you had the opportunity to remodel the house you grew up in, what changes would you make? Which details would you preserve, and which would you kick to the curb? These are the decisions Kate Christensen found herself facing when she was presented with the unique opportunity to perform an extensive remodel on the home she grew up in. Raised on the Central Coast and part of the last graduating class at the original Bellevue-Santa Fe Charter School, Christensen left the area to attend San Francisco State where she received a degree in Education—both her parents were teachers on the Central Coast. Not long after, she found herself on the East Coast where she spent thirty-five years in Annapolis, Maryland.

When she made the decision to return home, knowing the remodel would be taking place while she remained on the East >>

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In addition to being an interior designer, ZARA KHAN is also a shoe aficionado and horror movie enthusiast.

| DEC/JAN 2021

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Coast, Christensen understood there would be design challenges to work through and assembled a team she could trust. Roger Grizzle of Grizzle Construction had completed a remodel for one of her friends and came highly recommended. It was important to Christensen that she remain an active part of the design process and the home was handled with care. After meeting Grizzle, she knew the search was over. Grizzle’s thoughtful demeanor, attention to detail, and eye for design confirmed he was the contractor for the job.

The two main driving forces behind the project were creating a net zero home and integrating the old home with the new. Net zero homes are more complicated than they sound and involve more than just adding solar panels.

When building a net zero home every detail needs to be accounted for from the start—the insulation plays a large role and components like windows, appliances, and lighting need to be taken into consideration.

Studio 2G Architects is a local firm founded by two Cal Poly Alumni Heidi Gibson and Laura Gough. Studio 2G >>

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is dedicated to integrating sustainability in all of their designs. They strive to create net zero spaces in every project and come as close as they can within the given parameters.

The firm emphasizes the importance of Integrated Project Delivery—assembling the team early on to ensure all aspects are considered and the project has synergy throughout. Gibson was the lead architect on the project and was eager to collaborate with Grizzle Construction.

As the team approached the project, they realized the location would impact the design. Nestled in the hills of See Canyon, the home is wrapped with three-hundredand-sixty-degree views. They knew immediately that the ceiling heights and insulation throughout the home needed to be significantly updated to meet today’s building codes and create a net zero home. They decided to repurpose the pine walls and ceiling and incorporate them into the fireplace cladding, feature walls, windowsills throughout the home, as well as the exterior deck. I was amazed that they were able to grain match the wood in every corner and hidden compartment. The home is a post and beam structure, and if you look closely you will not find >>

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OVERLOOKING EVERYTHING. NOTHING OVERLOOKED.

Ladera at Righetti Models Now Open!

Pricing starts from the low $1 millions.

Shown,The Islay, Plan 2

Ladera at Righetti offers five 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 and feature three and four bedrooms, and two and one-half to four and one-half baths.

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.

Ladera

Call or go online to book a personal appointment.

(805) 774-3038 www.righettiladera.com Information Center open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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

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any exposed hardware on the beams or trim around the windows. It also surprised me to learn that the home does not have any heating or air conditioning and is powered by only twelve solar panels.

Christensen stayed active in her role throughout the project. When she came into town for progress visits, she was able to stay on the property and really understand how the house would feel at different times of the day. She didn’t just oversee the project during her visits but was part of the effort in whatever capacity she could be—even installing all the light fixtures herself. She felt strongly about having a pellet stove in the living room and was open to the idea presented by Gibson of modernizing it by adding a steel box around it. This was often the approach, taking a traditional or original design detail and adding a modern twist.

As with any remodel, hurdles will present themselves and the Christiansen home was no exception. My two favorite hurdles that turned into design features are the front door and gutter down spouts. The team had a difficult time finding a front door that was three and half feet wide and >>

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eight feet tall. Since they couldn’t compromise on the design aesthetic, Grizzle crafted it himself. Next, with the sleek modern concept, traditional gutters felt like they would be an eyesore and rain chains just wouldn’t be the right design choice. So instead, they custom designed down spouts that split at the end, creating a water feature when it rains.

With the project complete Christensen often finds herself in disbelief that this is the same home she grew up in, and loves discovering the pieces of her childhood integrated into her everyday life. When asked, she admitted it is hard to narrow down her favorite design detail, but after some thought she decided it was how the rock on the hillside that sits outside her bathroom’s window lights up at night reflecting the moonlight—a reminder of how DAVID LALUSH is an much thought went into every architectural photographer here in San Luis Obispo. detail of the home and how fortunate she is to live on the Central Coast. SLO LIFE

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BY THE NUMBERS

RE AL ESTATE

| SLO CITY

laguna lake

2019 Total Homes Sold 59 Average Asking Price $767,730 Average Selling Price $756,072 Sales Price as a % of Asking Price 98.48% Average # of Days on the Market 31

2020 55 $761,480 $757,481 99.47% 37

+/-6.78% -0.81% 0.19% 0.99% 19.35%

tank farm

2019 28 Total Homes Sold $801,734 Average Asking Price $791,429 Average Selling Price Sales Price as a % of Asking Price 98.71% 28 Average # of Days on the Market

2020 32 $815,989 $810,676 99.35% 43

+/14.29% 1.78% 2.43% 99.10% 53.57%

cal poly area

2019 Total Homes Sold 20 Average Asking Price $1,061,295 Average Selling Price $1,022,744 Sales Price as a % of Asking Price 96.37% Average # of Days on the Market 36

2020 22 $1,025,127 $1,012,000 98.72% 18

+/10.00% -3.41% -1.05% 2.35% -50.00%

country club

2019 Total Homes Sold 24 Average Asking Price $1,410,854 Average Selling Price $1,456,958 Sales Price as a % of Asking Price 103.27% Average # of Days on the Market 75

2020 17 $1,199,823 $1,148,453 95.72% 33

+/-29.17% -14.96% -21.17% -7.55% -56.00%

down town

2019 Total Homes Sold 61 Average Asking Price $826,303 Average Selling Price $807,517 Sales Price as a % of Asking Price 97.73% Average # of Days on the Market 42

2020 56 $949,866 $927,340 97.63% 46

+/-8.20% 14.95% 14.84% -0.10% 9.52%

foothill blvd

2019 Total Homes Sold 40 Average Asking Price $951,438 Average Selling Price $902,026 Sales Price as a % of Asking Price 94.81% Average # of Days on the Market 46

2020 36 $888,115 $887,931 99.98% 28

+/-10.00% -6.66% -1.56% 5.17% -39.13%

johnson ave

2019 Total Homes Sold 51 Average Asking Price $826,473 Average Selling Price $805,774 Sales Price as a % of Asking Price 97.50% Average # of Days on the Market 33

2020 57 $1,047,928 $1,018,198 97.16% 40

+/11.76% 26.80% 26.36% -0.34% 21.21%

*Comparing 01/01/19 - 11/15/19 to 01/01/20 - 11/15/20

®

SOURCE: San Luis Obispo Association of REALTORS

SLO LIFE

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Thank you for another amazing year!

We couldn’t have done it without our incredible community.

Don’t wait for the ball to drop! Reach out to us today to get started.

Donna Lewis

Dylan Morrow

Eileen Mackenzie

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: (805) 212-5204 C: (831) 566-9908 eileen.mackenzie@rate.com

Joe Hutson

Ken Neate

Luana Gerardis

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

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

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

Maggie Koepsell VP of Mortgage Lending

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

Rate.com/SanLuisObispo Rate.com/SanLuisoObispo 1065 Higuera St., 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.

Donna Lewis NMLS #245945; CA - CA-DOC245945 | Dylan Morrow NMLS #1461481; CA - CA-DBO1461481 | Eileen Mackenzie NMLS #282909 | Joe Hutson NMLS #447536; CA - CADOC447536| Ken Neate NMLS ID #373607; CA - CA-DBO373607 | Luana Gerardis NMLS #1324563; CA - CA-DBO1324563 | Maggie Koepsell NMLS #704130; CA - CA-DBO704130 | Guaranteed Rate, Inc.; NMLS #2611; For licensing information visit nmlsconsumeraccess.org. • CA: Licensed by the Department of Business Oversight under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act

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Thank you for your support this past year.

The San Luis Obispo Noor Foundation receives $50 for every loan that I close – over $20,000 year-to-date. slonoorfoundation.org

Together, we take care of our neighbors.

| SLO COUNTY

REAL ESTATE

BY THE NUMBERS

REGION

(805) 441-9486

AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET

MEDIAN SELLING PRICE

2019

2020

2019

2020

2019

2020

Arroyo Grande

290

266

55

56

$808,356

$841,917

Atascadero

332

340

41

39

$583,381

$608,170

Avila Beach

19

25

96

82

$1,453,496 $1,404,277

Cambria/San Simeon

129

136

67

78

$926,507

Cayucos

50

53

127

134

$1,244,278 $1,171,054

Creston

7

10

93

210

Grover Beach

108

127

54

41

$555,715

$592,231

Los Osos

153

133

42

31

$668,020

$777,574

Morro Bay

120

121

65

60

$749,541

$742,951

Nipomo

275

228

59

51

$668,330

$743,826

Oceano

50

56

67

74

$520,596

$604,697

Pismo Beach

119

127

80

53

$1,169,131

$1,041,627

Paso (Inside City Limits)

342

335

45

34

$526,422

$559,566

Paso (North 46 - East 101)

51

51

63

44

$561,104

$598,098

Paso (North 46 - West 101)

107

98

74

93

$705,313

$636,661

Paso (South 46 - East 101)

45

56

64

58

$596,731

$614,710

San Luis Obispo

335

330

45

46

$907,167

$953,188

Santa Margarita

29

18

93

124

$510,017

$613,522

Templeton

99

135

72

70

$813,759

$873,366

2571

2538

57

53

$723,672

$753,656

Contact me today to learn more.

Ben Lerner

NUMBER OF HOMES SOLD

$855,210

$935,357 $8,989,000

**

Senior Loan Advisor NMLS 395723 blerner@flagstarretail.com 1212 Marsh St., Suite 1 San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 The The The power power power of of the of the the ™ ™ ™ Human Human Human Interest Interest Interest Rate.

Rate.

Rate.

Equal Housing Lender | Member FDIC ** Top 200 Mortgage Originator | Mortgage Executive Magazine

Not a commitment to lend. Programs available only to qualified borrowers. Subject to credit approval and underwriting terms and conditions. Programs subject 62 | SLO LIFE MAGAZINE | DEC/JAN 2021 to change without notice. Some restrictions may apply.

Countywide

*Comparing 01/01/19 - 11/15/19 to 01/01/20 - 11/15/20

SOURCE: San Luis Obispo Association of REALTORS

®

SLO LIFE

TIMELESS DESIGN FOR A CHANGING WORLD

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Contractor | Residential | Commercial LIC 772045

805-544-4457

DEC/JAN 2021

nkbuildersinc.com

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| DISCOVER

in plain sight

BY CHUCK GRAHAM

C

oncealed within a throng of Canadian milkvetch, green ephedra, and swaying grasses, I observed an active den of San Joaquin kit foxes—six pups jostling amongst themselves as one of the parents stood watch over its rambunctious family.

The kit foxes were surrounded by their prey. California ground squirrels and endangered antelope ground squirrels were readily available near the den site. They hovered around their own burrows keeping a watchful eye on the kit foxes. Ironically, the rodents’ alarm calls also alerted the kit foxes of potential threats. Prey and predator working in unison.

During the evening, giant kangaroo rats took their nocturnal turn. Sitting in my tent, I heard them communicating with each other by drumming their kangaroo-like feet on the ground, burrow to burrow, this sliver of grassland habitat working the way it’s supposed to, twenty years after the Carrizo Plain became a National Monument.

The last of California’s historic grasslands nestled in the southern region of the San Joaquin Valley, fifty miles east of San Luis Obispo turns twenty in January 2021. The Plain

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is an example of a thriving ecosystem that’s home to more endangered species than anywhere else within the Golden State; a diatom of what once extended 450 miles north encompassing the entire California Valley.

Twenty years has seen continual growth for native flora and fauna alike on the Carrizo Plain. However, there is plenty of room to expound on this growth to recapture more remnants of these grasslands by extending habitat beyond the National Monument, while increasing wildlife corridors and revegetating these surrounding lands.

RETURN OF THE GRASSLANDS For decades, the Carrizo Plain was cropland and ranches of various ilk. As these ranchlands waned and non-native animals removed, parts of the Carrizo Plain healed on its own.

Other regions have required a helping hand. The Nature Conservancy (TNC) started buying land back from ranch owners in the 1980s. Eventually the Carrizo Plain came under control of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). And although many public lands are under fire for their natural resources, the Carrizo Plain remains protected.

Under watchful eyes such as nonprofits like Friends of the Carrizo Plain (FCP), the cleanup of ranchlands, especially fence removal, has enabled wildlife to roam freely.

“I am generally pleased,” said Dr. David Chipping, president of the FCP, referring to the overall restoration of the Carrizo Plain. “Although the recovery of former cropland has been slower than original expectations due to destruction of the original soil profiles.”

Soil destruction on the Carrizo Plain is an example of something that dates back to the great Dust Bowl era that inflicted the West in the early 1900s. However, with the return of the grasslands, one of the smallest, but most important creatures on the Carrizo Plain and beyond is putting in the hard work to reverse lasting damage.

Ecologically speaking, the giant kangaroo rat is small but mighty, increasing biodiversity on the Carrizo Plain.

Biologists say: as the giant kangaroo rat goes, so goes the rest of the Carrizo Plain.

The giant kangaroo rat is virtually responsible for everything improving from the ground up on the Carrizo Plain as they have come to be known as the eco-engineers of the grasslands. They regenerate soils providing quality habitat for native plants. Their burrows provide denning habitat for a wide host of grassland wildlife. Vacant giant kangaroo rat burrows are adopted and modified by American badgers, kit foxes, burrowing owls, antelope ground squirrels, and more.

Following wet winters, giant kangaroo rat populations spike and the long-tailed, almond-shaped eyed, big-footed rodents are a source of food for hawks, falcons, owls, canids, snakes, and weasels. Giant kangaroo rats cover the gamut of ecological stability, and the Carrizo Plain is their last bastion of habitat for this integral species.

“The return of giant kangaroo rats seems to be the cure,” continued Dr. Chipping. “They recast the microtopography and microhabitats suitable for native plant preoccupation.”

THAT WAS THEN This remnant of grassland habitat once encompassed the entire San Joaquin Valley, from the 246,812 acres that makes up the Carrizo Plain north for 270 miles between the Eastern Sierra and the Coast Ranges.

The Carrizo Plain represents the least impacted region of the San Joaquin Valley. Located at its most southern region, the entire valley once teemed with massive herds of tule elk, California’s only native elk, and fleet-footed pronghorn antelope, the fastest land mammal in North America. The Carrizo Plain now represents what once was.

However, there is hope for expansion beyond the Carrizo Plain. Since 2013, the nonprofit Carrizo Plain Conservancy (CPC) has been buying up old ranch lands and restoring them with native vegetation and clearing fences to create important wildlife corridors.

“This is our main purpose,” said Neil Havlik, president of the CPC. “It is a great feeling for all of us to have things like this happen.”

Once surrounding lands are acquired the CPC restores freshwater springs, plants trees and shrubs, then fencing those new plantings to keep herbivores (both native and domestic) out until established. >> DEC/JAN 2021

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WANT TO KNOW MORE? Check out the photo book “Carrizo Plain Where The Mountains Meet The Grasslands” by Chuck Graham commemorating the twenty-year anniversary.

“We are all looking forward to a larger scale effort to “reshrub” the Plain,” continued Havlik. “We want to restore the open shrublands that we believe covered much of the Plain before clearing for agriculture and which still can be found in places which have not been so cleared. This will significantly improve habitat for wildlife by diversifying the habitat and making better cover for nesting birds and young herbivores such as pronghorn. This is the long-term goal, and I believe it can be realized, although it will take time.”

GRASSLAND OBSERVATIONS I admit, to experience the natural wonders of the Carrizo Plain, it does take some patience and a pair of binoculars. Virtually all its inhabitants blend in with their surroundings. A maze of game trails zig zag across the grasslands and hillsides of the Caliente and Temblor Mountain ranges. Evidence is everywhere suggesting an abundance of wildlife.

Last spring, I was hired to be a wildlife guide for a film crew working on a two-part documentary about California wildlife. They direct messaged me while I was partially concealed in the brush photographing a kit fox den. They asked if I could help with their project and I obliged.

Now all I had to do was find everything, and somehow, I 66

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managed to locate the dens of kit foxes, badgers, burrowing owls, giant kangaroo rats, antelope ground squirrels, and where to locate blunt-nosed leopard lizards. I located nests of ravens, songbirds, barn owls, and great horned owls. It was an enjoyable five weeks and my time observing animal behavior increased my knowledge of all the species I encountered.

One late afternoon while working out in the field with the film crew, one of them revealed the results from their FLIR camera, a locater of thermal imaging seeking heat out on the grasslands at night.

I was blown away by what they had captured two nights before. Pointing the locater out into the Panorama Hills, the imagery revealed an array of wildlife. Within a short distance, kit foxes and badgers foraged, coyotes marauded, burrowing owls chased insects, and giant kangaroo rats drummed overturned soil.

It was a unique perspective of the grasslands at night. What was remarkable was how close all the species were to each other, almost as if they were not concerned with each other’s presence. It was a small sample of what the entire San Joaquin Valley once looked like, the Carrizo Plain being a reminder of what once was but also of what can be expanded upon over the next twenty years. SLO LIFE

Freelance writer and photographer CHUCK GRAHAM, views the Carrizo Plain as a second home. Find him on Instagram @chuckgrahamphoto

Forge a Natural Connection

www.GardensbyGabriel.com lic.# 887028 805-215-0511

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| HEALTH

Making Room How much of a strain can clutter and disorganization put on our mental health?

BY LAUREN HARVEY

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clean and organized home is what many of us prefer to show our guests, quickly concealing the obligatory messes of everyday life before their arrival. But what if your home was, by default, clean and organized? Besides boosting confidence when an unexpected guest arrives, a tidy space may provide a slew of other positive neurological and psychological benefits. On the flip side, we’ll explore some of the darker hindrances you may not know are perpetuated by a home in disarray.

| DEC/JAN 2021

Libby Sander, Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior of Bond University, states that, “Our physical environments significantly influence our cognition, emotions and subsequent behaviors, including our relationship with others.”

Therefore, how organized, or disorganized, our home is can impact not only our own mental health, but our relationships with whom we share our homes with as well.

How exactly can an organized home impact our mental health? Let’s dig in. >>

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

Sustainable Materials

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Interior Designers

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COMMERCIAL | RESIDENTIAL | ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN INTERIORS | LANDSCAPE + MAINTENANCE DEC/JAN 2021

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THE CONS OF CLUTTER

WAYS TO GET ORGANIZED

You know that feeling, when you’re rushing out the door to get to work on time, or drop the kids off at school and you can’t find your keys? It’s a panicinducing, irritating situation. Moments like this exemplify what living in a consistently cluttered space is like: disorienting, distracting, and stressful.

No need to wait for spring-cleaning to tidy up and organize your space. Kick the New Year off right by dedicating some time to de-cluttering. Doing so may provide some of the psychological benefits of living and working in a neat space.

As Erin Doland, of Princeton’s Neuroscience Institute states, “When your environment is disorganized or cluttered, it limits the brain’s ability to focus and process information, [which] affects decision-making, attention, and memory retrieval.” Doland goes on to simplify the neuroscience behind a cluttered space, “Overall, a messy environment triggers a stress response in the brain.” That is the essence of what we feel in that moment we are frantically searching for keys in drawers, cabinets, on desks; quite simply, stressed.

Professional organizers agree, the best way to get organized is to start small. Beginning in a designated area narrows focus and encourages completion of the project. Adrian Egolf of the Clean Slate Living Company, suggests a basic three-step method to tackle any cluttered space: “Cull, Sort, and Match.”

Egolf goes on to explain, “First, get rid of anything you don’t need, use or want . . . second, sort through what you have left, putting [similar] things together.” Egolf reinforces the notion of starting small, “Use cull, sort, and match on one shelf in your closet, or one drawer in your kitchen and see where it takes you.”

A 2009 study published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin focused on how homeowners descriptions of their homes related to daily patterns of mood and cortisol. Cortisol is the stress hormone in the brain, which helps in triggering your “fight or flight” response. This study showed home environments perceived as stressful correlated with “flatter dinural slopes of cortisol, a profile associated with adverse health outcomes, and increased depressed mood.” Those with self-described restorative homes experienced the opposite, “steeper cortisol slopes . . . and decreased depressed mood.”

Dr. Eva Selhub, M.D, points out further negative impacts clutter can have on our mental and physical well-being when it comes to our relationships with others: “For couples, clutter can create tension and conflict.” Not only does clutter increase stress and the possibility of depressed mood in our own lives, but also it can have a lasting negative impact on the relationships with the people closest to us. Dr. Selhub goes on to state, “Disorganization can lead to shame and embarrassment . . . creating a physical and emotional boundary around you that prevents you from letting people in.” Not only can clutter pile up around you physically, but it can provide the ideal habitat for creating emotional walls.

Considering all the negative mental and physical affects clutter has on our brains, we can also hypothesize the positive affects by looking toward opposites. If a cluttered environment induces stress, an organized environment would encourage relaxation. A disorganized space creates tension, escalates conflict, and builds emotional walls, while a clean and tidy space promotes confidence, emotional wellbeing, and openness. That sounds like the life we want to be living!

So how do we get there? First, we must take the initial steps to get organized.

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Susan McQuillan, MS, RDN, suggests a firm method of decision-making during the process of tidying up, “When you’re organizing . . . decide what to do with each [item] before moving on to another. Have separate bags on hand for trash and charity donation, placing each item in the appropriate bag.” Making decisions about whether to keep or get rid of items can feel paralyzing and may be one of the reasons our things accumulate in the first place. McQuillan’s method encourages organizers to face those decisions and make them, a process that can be easier with practice.

Professional organizer, author, and Netflix star Marie Kondo is internationally recognized for her KonMari method. Pick up an item and ask yourself if it “sparks joy.” If yes, keep it. If no, thank the item for serving you in your life and let it go. Kondo’s method provides space in the organization game for sentimental items, ones that, though may serve no functional purpose, still “spark joy” in your heart. Here, living a tidy life is not just about having an organized space for essential items, but about being selective with what items you give space to in your home. The KonMari method emphasizes joy above all, shaping the home into an environment that brings out the best in you.

So how do we get there? First, we must take the initial steps to get organized. >>

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No matter how diligent your organization, the messes of everyday life will inevitably creep in.

However, with an efficiently organized space that best fits your lifestyle and every day needs, clean up should, in theory, become more accessible, less stressful, and therefore, more likely to happen. When everything has a place, tidying up simply becomes an act of returning items to their rightful homes, instead of a scramble to make a home for everything in the moment.

Adrian Egolf of the Clean Slate Living Company suggests a simple daily rule to maintain organization, “If you can do it in sixty seconds or less, do it now.”

“Our physical space, and the objects that fill it, give us, and others, a sense of who we are, what we value, and what we have accomplished,” Dr. Sally Augustin, PhD, environmental psychologist explains. Maintaining organization throughout a home and workspace is vital to our sense of self, a centering act of our own identity. So, too, Dr. Augustin notes, “Too much clutter can signal a lack of control and confuse that sense of identity.” While it’s vital to keep our spaces personal, to display our own unique items and collections, it’s also important for our mental wellbeing to keep that space clean and organized, however fits best for us.

FINAL WORD Clutter and disorganization have been scientifically linked to increased stress, depressed mood, and conflict in relationships. Using some organizational skills suggested by experts is a great way to embrace the calm, confidence, and joyful benefits perpetuated by a clean and tidy home environment. SLO LIFE

PEACE. COMFORT. HEALING. Join our On-line Church Services at ChristianScience.com Sunday Services Listen live on Sundays at 10 am or join audio replay available within 30–60 minutes after the service ends until Friday.

Wednesday Testimony Participate in a weekly testimony meeting with people around the world on Wednesday at 2 pm.

Hear others share insights, experiences, and healings they’ve had through their prayer and practice of Christian Science.

For inspiration in the form of audio casts or links, talks and personal testimonials go to Prayerthatheals.org

First Church of Christ, Scientist 1326 Garden Street, San Luis Obispo 805-543-5853 DEC/JAN 2021

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| TASTE

Dining with Curiosity STUCK IN A CULINARY RUT? NUDGE OUTSIDE YOUR ROUTINE WITH A FEW NEW DISHES FROM THESE SLO COUNTY EATERIES.

BY JAIME LEWIS

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f you’ve lived in SLO County for any length of time, you’ve noticed how casual most of our eateries are. We love our tri-tip, burgers, pizza, sandwiches, and tacos. If supply responds to demand, by all indications, we demand street food and comfort food here. We also demand inexpensive food, probably owing to our significant student population.

For my part, I am an equal opportunity eater; I do not discriminate. There is a time and a place for those tried-and-true dishes we all love. But there is also a time and a place for new flavors, and I want to encourage you to put your brewpub food aside for just one night to try something deliciously different.

The truth is, we live in one of the most abundantly diverse agricultural areas in the world; it would be a shame to miss out on the breadth of flavors available locally.

Give your local chef a chance to wow you, or at the JAIME LEWIS writes about very least, surprise food, drink, and the good you. Switch it up; life from her home in San Luis Obispo. Find her on your palate will Instagram/Twitter @jaimeclewis. thank you.

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REFRESH, REGROUP, REIMAGINE Since its doors opened in 2016, Flour House has been the domain of pizza napoletana, wood-fired in a magnificent Stefano Ferrara oven. But Chef Alberto Russo has other culinary pursuits, too. “During the COVID restaurant lockdown, I got creative,” he says. “I got interested in playing with other dishes to offer.”

One of those is Flour House’s new Strawberry Gazpacho with stracciatella, micro-arugula and toasted almonds. Gazpacho is a cold, tomato-based soup with origins in Spain, but Russo switched the dish up with strawberries, cucumbers, bell peppers, and red wine vinegar. The result is a subtly sweet base for a scoop of decadent stracciatella (the cream inside burrata), fresh micro-arugula and crunchy almonds. You won’t find anything else quite like it in SLO County right now.

“It’s right between a soup and a salad,” Russo says. “It can start a meal, or it can be the whole meal.” Taken with a glass of crisp vermentino from the wine list, it offers a refreshing and delicious getaway from the same-old-same-old. >>

DOWN TO THE ROOT At Brasserie SLO downtown, Executive Chef Kenny Seliger brings a vegetable you’re probably not too familiar with to the table.

“Celery root is one thing I always try to filter into my fall and winter menus,” says Seliger, holding the durable vegetable in his hand, similar to a turnip or potato, but with a subtle celery flavor. Seliger learned about using celery root from a chef he worked with at the Breslin in New York City.

“The purveyors couldn’t get rid of it,” he says. “That’s why we started getting creative with it in the kitchen.”

For the Oro King Salmon dish on Brasserie SLO’s menu, he wanted to incorporate a charred note to complement the restaurant’s wood-fired oven. He chose to char celery root, then blend it with cream for a sauce. The expertlycooked salmon sits on a bed of buttermilk polenta and bright green kale pesto, with the celery root sauce drizzled over all. The puree is surprisingly bright and smoky while remaining rich and creamy—a perfect foil for the brininess of the salmon. >> DEC/JAN 2021

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UNDERRATED INGREDIENT Chef Julien Asseo spent years working in Parisian bistros before bringing his French sensibility back to the U.S. When he and his wife Courtney opened Les Petites Canailles in Paso Robles last year, he noticed that a common French ingredient was conspicuously absent from Central Coast menus.“Leeks aren’t really popular in American cuisine,” he says. “They’re not your typical household ingredient.”

Asseo put Leeks Vinaigrette on his first menu, and it’s stayed there since. A classic brasserie dish, it’s composed of fully cooked leeks that are pan-seared for color, then served with a warm herb vinaigrette over the top, plus pine nuts and esplette pepper. The flavors are bright, herbaceous, nutty, and unbelievably sweet. “It’s a very straightforward peasant dish,” Asseo says. “I wanted to highlight an underrated ingredient that doesn’t typically stand on its own. People have been really intrigued by it; it’s a best-seller for sure.” SLO LIFE

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE “Peoples’ tastes are changing in some ways,” says Chef Kenny Seliger, acknowledging the public’s desire for more vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. The dishes profiled here are all plant-forward and gluten-free, and the gazpacho and leeks are vegan, too. If you follow an alternative diet—or if you don’t—you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the concentrated flavors and variety of textures presented in each of these compositions.

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| WINE NOTES

lean on me

BY ANDRIA MCGHEE

I

f there’s one thing a winemaker understands, it’s the value of an expert.

Learning from those around us helps us grow as people. Winemakers take this ethos to elevate their craft on the Central Coast.

to consider slight changes when making wine or to observe what’s happening in the field.

Over the past year, you may have had a chance to slow down to appreciate a truly special glass of wine. That glass has been brought to you by a winemaker and their journey of experience, often influenced by mentorships. According to Merriam-Webster, “We use the word mentor for anyone who is a positive, guiding influence in another (usually younger) person’s life.” When it comes to winemaking, mentors pride themselves in creating something unique to their taste and vision and share that experience and insight with someone just as passionate.

When you look at the crowded shelves in a grocery store, it may be tough to find a wine made in such a delicate and thoughtful way. To our delight, the Edna Valley and Paso Robles wine regions have been influenced by winemakers who have harnessed the idea of mentoring. It has led to the production of some of the top wines worldwide. >>

Though books are necessary to learn these skills, the hours spent with a master teaches the subtle tweaks and the personal flair that is reflected in the bottle.

These mentors have influenced many notable wines by guiding new winemakers

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ANDRIA MCGHEE received her advanced degree in wines and spirits from WSET in London and enjoys travel, food, wine, and exercise as a means to enjoy those around her.

3076 Duncane Lane . San Luis Obispo 805 549 0100

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Deovlet Wines // Pinot Noir, La Encantada 2017 // $55

Arianna // Torrontes 2019 // $25

Ryan Deovlet is a winemaker with a warm smile and a firm handshake. He runs his business with his head, heart, and tenacity. He started school with ambitions to be a lawyer. He knew law school would be all encompassing, so he decided to take a small break. With his love of travel and surf, he found himself in New Zealand and Australia. He worked on some farms to make ends meet, including a vineyard where the world of viticulture was revealed to him.

Our parents can be our mentors, too. Arianna Spoto helped her grandfather in his cellar when she was young. Her grandfather moved to Davis, caught the winemaking bug, and made wine for fun. His son saw a good wine and encouraged him to become a bonded winery in Napa. Spoto just soaked it all in by living among winemakers.

It was there that he met a winemaker named David Leslie who gave him a book that moved his path in life in one fell swoop.

That book, “The Heartbreak Grape,” by Marq De Villiers tells the journey of a winemaker as he apprentices in France. No doubt Deovlet felt the same spark. He started reading, listening, taking notes, and found his mission. Through many other mentorships abroad and right here on the Central Coast, he found that he wanted to grow great wine, not just make it. He wanted to get better, not bigger.

He ended up as a triple threat. With book knowledge, apprenticeship, and drive, Deovlet started the 2008 vintage with fantastic Pinot Noir grapes from a coveted site in the Santa Rita Hills. He kept a close eye on all steps of the process. Grace Kegel, assistant winemaker, joined Deovlet after graduating from Cal Poly and is now an apprentice. He humbly notes that they learn from one another.

The wine is something special—the crisp whites, differing pinots, and dark reds will make every palette happy. Stop in at their tasting room to see for yourself.

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Did she decide at that point to be a winemaker? No, not yet. Only when her grandfather gave her a little nudge in the wine and viticulture direction her first year at Cal Poly did she realize she loved it. She showed up to class, surrounded by farmers in boots and flannels, walked out to the field and knew this would be her life. That little nudge from Grandpa was all she needed.

After school, Spoto looked for work that took her around the world, guided by mentors during every stop along the way. Argentina took her heart. The people, the experiences, the food all paired well with the Torrontes (white grape) and Malbec (red grape) wine she had there.

While working back in California, she discovered a wine made of Torrontes and had to find those grapes to make some of her own. With the guidance of her father and grandfather, her first wine was born in 2018 in the same cellar where she started out as a child.

The 2019 Torrontes reminds me of green apple dipped is Swiss fondue. You can find it here in San Luis Obispo at SLO Provisions on Monterey, and at Wine Sneak on Broad near the airport.

To learn is to take what works best for us and leave behind what doesn’t. Mentoring and learning throughout a wine career harnesses this art. I hope you give these a try and take a minute to enjoy the legacy of collaboration. SLO LIFE

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| HAPPENINGS

Culture & Events

POINT SAN LUIS LIGHTHOUSE TOUR Join a live docent via Zoom on any Wednesday in December for an interactive, hour-long, virtual tour of the Avila Beach lighthouse. Travel back in time to 1890, delve into the light station’s history, explore the grounds, wander through the keeper’s dwelling, climb to the top of the lighthouse tower, step inside the fog signal building, and admire the stunning fourth-order Fresnel lens.

Every Wednesday in December pointsanluislighthouse.org HOLIDAY MAGIC AT THE ZOO Experience the magic of the holiday season at the Charles Paddock Zoo in Atascadero.

Zookeepers step in as Santa’s elves to prepare gifts for the animals, including red pandas, monkeys, meerkats, parrots, a Malayan Tiger, a variety of reptiles, and many more. Santa will be there for the whole family, too.

December 19 // charlespaddockzoo.org

ART IN THE GARDEN This free, unique fundraiser and art show, running Thursdays through Sundays until December 27 at the San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden, displays and sells fine art by local artists. Sales of handmade items for home and garden, one-of-a-kind jewelry, and unique hostess gifts benefit the Garden.

Now until December 27 // slobg.org 82

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OPEN STUDIOS ART TOUR One of the largest art tours in the country, the annual ARTS Obispo Open Studios Art Tour showcases some 200 artists who participate by opening their studios for visitors. Art in a variety of media and styles—from abstract and representational painting to wood, glass, metal, and ceramic—is displayed and sold by artists directly. This year art lovers connect with artists by viewing their work online, then book appointments directly with the artists for limited oneon-one studio tours.

Now until December 31 // artsobispo.org

SLOPE AT STUDIOS ON THE PARK San Luis Outdoor Painters for the Environment (SLOPE) offers up stunning originals and prints at Studios on the Park in Paso Robles through the end of the year. The region’s top landscape artists use their art to raise awareness, funding, and education for the Central Coast’s treasured open spaces, ranches, farmland, and wildlife. A portion of the proceeds benefit the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo.

Now until December 31 // slope-painters.com FALL JURIED EXHIBIT Tom Gould’s acrylic, “Evening Shore,” is the first-place winner in this year’s Fall Juried Exhibit being held in the Cambria Center for the Arts’ virtual gallery online. The exhibit was juried by Elizabeth “Libby” Tolley, an American painter known for her plein air and studio paintings of rural and coastal California. Many of the exhibit’s entries are available for sale.

Now until January 3 //cambriaarts.org

WINTERFAIRE & CRAFT SHOW Art Center Morro Bay presents its annual juried craft show featuring some of the finest work on the Central Coast.

Offering a collection of exceptional paintings, photography, and fine crafts, this free holiday event spans a variety of artistic mediums from the traditional to the contemporary in fiber, wood, glass, sculpture, pottery, jewelry, and more.

Now until January 4 // artcentermorrobay.org HALCYON PSYCHIC WEEKEND Visit the Halcyon Store & Post Office, known as a gathering place for those who seek enlightenment, to consult amazing and varied intuitive readers who offer readings by appointment.

Techniques are offered to provide guidance in the areas of love, travel, relationships, finances, and loved ones who have passed.

January 2-3 //halcyonstore.com

FLOWER POWER This exhibit demonstrates the flexibility of floral images to convey both timely and timeless themes. The flowers offer symbolic and healing values, as well as ways of thinking about a wide range of topics—the natural environment in which we live, the communities we build, and the commodities we buy.

January 7 – March 8 // artcentermorrobay.org

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