SLO LIFE Magazine Apr/May 2024

MODERN • CLASSIC • JEWELRY

“I’ve been coming here for a few years now and have always had a great experience.

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Ted R. Paso Robles, CA

The Santa Barbara Neuroscience Institute

Brain and Spinal Tumor Program

SPOTLIGHT ON THE NEWEST NEUROSURGEON AT COTTAGE

N. Nicole Moayeri, MD, FAANS

SPECIALIZING IN:

Brain & Spinal Tumor, Epilepsy Surgery

MEDICAL DEGREE: Stanford University Medical Center

RESIDENCY: Massachusetts

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ACADEMIC APPOINTMENT: Harvard Medical School

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For more information, please contact the Santa Barbara Neuroscience Institute’s Nurse Navigator at 805-450-8820.

NEUROSURGERY TEAM:

Thomas Jones, MD, Medical Director, SBNI

N. Nicole Moayeri,MD, Medical Director, Neurosurgical Oncology Program

Richard Chung, MD

Akinwunmi Oni-Orisan, MD

Costco

Hi, I’m Tom—and I’m an addict. Yes, that’s right, I’m addicted to Costco. I don’t know what it is about that place, but from the moment I step into the big box on LOVR, I am transfixed—spellbound. My prefrontal cortex takes flight in a euphoric haze and every synapse fires as the words “buy-buy-buy” rattle my ears and my pounding heart laps my veins with dopamine.

My wife, Sheryl, has learned to keep me on a short leash and insists on coming along for my Costco runs. When I reach for the oversized, orange commercial-grade cart, she insists I go for the regular, old shopping cart instead. And it goes downhill from there.

The stuff they put out at the front always greases the skids, just as intended. It’s the low-cost, seasonal, impulse-buy-sort-of-stuff. A weighted blanket? Ah, yes, I’ve heard about these! A sleeve of tennis balls? Okay, I don’t play, but you never know when you might need them! A two-pack of portable wireless speakers? You can never have too many of those! Selenium supplements? Yep, I think I read something about these somewhere once! A solar battery charger? Yes, definitely—let’s get two!

But, where I get myself into the most trouble is with the items advertising an “instant rebate,” especially when there is no limit. I don’t know how many times I have explained this to Sheryl, but it’s just like printing money. The other day, I stumbled onto a goldmine: A one-gallon tub of barbeque sauce came with a five-dollar rebate. Five dollars. And there was no limit, so I put twenty of them in my cart because, you know, twenty times five works out to a hundred bucks. I mean, I don’t really like barbecue sauce, but I do like money.

As we were strolling the vastness of concrete nirvana, I stopped to talk with the massage chair salesman. My wife just kept on walking. I, however, took a test drive. Things just went from good to great as I ratcheted up the firmness setting. Ahhh… With my eyes half-closed, I noticed that everyone was noticing me as they walked by. I guess it is a little strange to get a massage in Costco, but why not? When the session ended, I stood up and talked with the salesman. Turns out, the chair was only $4,999.99, “But, think of how much money—and time,” he emphasized, “you will save compared to paying a masseuse.” Yeah, that guy makes a great point, we wouldn’t even have to drive there either, to the massage place.

I found Sheryl in the produce section and breathlessly relayed everything I now knew about massage chairs. Recalling the sales pitch, I told her about all the money we’d save since we wouldn’t have to pay anyone to give us a massage. “You know,” she said, half paying attention as she dug around the bags of avocados, “we get massages, maybe once every couple of years.” “Exactly!” I nearly shouted with excitement, “Now we can get one whenever we want, multiple times a day—and, we wouldn’t even have to get in our car to go get the massage in the first place.” “Uh-huh,” she muttered, wheeling toward the cold storage.

Probably the best thing about Costco, at least according to my wife, is the generous return policy. It works out for me, too, because I get the thrill of buying something, but I also get a huge rush when I return it. The other day, I was running my Costco-purchased gas generator when it seized up and died. I loaded it on my truck and rolled up to the customer service counter. “When did you buy it?” they asked. “Oh, it wasn’t that long ago, a year at most.” The lady continued tapping into her computer until she announced, “Here it is, four-and-a-half years ago.” I blushed as she asked me if I would like my refund in cash.

With eight Benjamin Franklins doing cartwheels in my pocket, I felt like a high roller playing with house money. Yet, I was determined to simply replace my blown-up generator—but they had a pressure washer that was $200 off. And, in the next aisle over, I found a gun safe that was marked down $600. Just with those two purchases, I doubled my money. I know, pretty smart.

It took four strapping Costco guys to lift that safe into the back of my truck. When I got home, Sheryl took a long look at my quarter-ton cargo, shook her head, and laughed. “What are you doing?” she pleaded. “We don’t even have guns.” I thought to myself for a moment, then reassured her: “Don’t worry, Sweetie, we can get some guns—plus, this thing’s big enough to store the pressure washer.”

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

Live the SLO Life!

Tom Franciskovich tom@slolifemagazine.com

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Tom Franciskovich

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Sheryl Franciskovich

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Charlotte Alexander

Kayla Burke

Dan Fredman

Paden Hughes

Zara Khan

Jaime Lewis

Brant Myers

Anders Rosengreen

Brian Schwartz

Tim Townley

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Jaeden Barlett

Chase Bent

Emily DesJardins

Sybill Haley

Peter Heirendt

David Lalush

Addison Le Claire

Jess Lerner

Mark Nakamura

Zachary Scott

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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4251 S. Higuera Street, Suite 800 San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

Letters chosen for publication may be edited for

Nicole Pazdan, CSA,

DISNEYLAND

EASTON, EVAN, CAMILLE, OWEN, and WALKER SCHWAEGERLE

PING and SU TSAO STONEHENGE

FRANKLIN KIDS

KRISTEN and HAZEL MCKIERNAN with TYLER, BROOKLYN, and DALIA ALDRICH-SKINNER

JIM GERPHEIDE

MATAMATA, NEW ZEALAND

NEUSCHWANSTEIN CASTLE, GERMANY

TWELVE APOSTLES, VICTORIAN, AUSTRALIA

CAL POLY BASKETBALL GAME

JOE SHUBITOWSKI

WILIWILINUI RIDGE, OAHU, HAWAII

LYNX YOUTH BASKETBALL TEAM LENA, REAGAN, OLIVE, LOLA, MARY, and RIDLEY

KAREN PETERSEN

AYUTTHAYA, THAILAND

CRAIG GRAUGNARD and LYNETTE SANFORD

COCO BEACH, FLORIDA

ANITA, ROLAND JR., and PATIENCE SANTOS

ERIC HOLMEN and SARAH SINDERMAN

LARRY NEWLAND and DAVE KAY INA

BAYON TEMPLE, CAMBODIA

RON and JANNA DROBNY

LAURA HEIDEN

MONTANA

COSTA RICA

KENNY LEE and DIANE LEWIS

HSINCHU, TAIWAN

PARIS, FRANCE

PHINDA, SOUTH AFRICA

ULUN

CATHY LUCKET

JOEL and ISLA DAVIS

THOMAS PAYNE

MARIA LIN

1. CHARLOTTE ALEXANDER is an award-winning writer and editor with more than twenty years experience in nonprofit organizations, higher education, and media.

2. Portrait photographer JAEDEN BARLETT loves the beach, golfing, and going on adventures with friends. Follow her @jaedenb.photography.

3. CHASE BENT is a landscape, wildlife, and action sports photographer based in San Luis Obispo. Follow him @chasebphoto.

4. Central Coast local KAYLA BURKE loves surfing, hiking, climbing, and exploring SLO County’s must-do adventures. Follow her @surfergirlkaylaa.

5. EMILY DESJARDINS is an editorial photographer based out of her home town in San Luis Obispo County. Contact her at emilydesjardinsphotography@gmail.com.

6. DAN FREDMAN is a SLO native immersed in the wine realm. He prefers LPs to streaming, Mac to PC, Fender over Gibson, and has nothing against screwcaps.

7. PETER HEIRENDT is a marketing creative producer and the founder of Shadowlight photography. You can follow him on instagram @shadowlightfoto.

8. PADEN HUGHES is an author, professional coach and co-founder of Gymnazo and enjoys exploring the Central Coast.

9. In addition to being an interior designer, ZARA KHAN is also a shoe aficionado and horror movie enthusiast. To learn more follow her @zarakhan.interiordesign.

10. DAVID LALUSH is an architectural photographer here in San Luis Obispo.

11. JESS LERNER is a photographer based in SLO who loves the outdoors. You can check out her coastal photography at thebeachphoto.com.

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

13. BRANT MYERS is a the founder at slobiiig.com, a hospitality consulting firm, and Toddler Timber, where he makes wooden children’s toys.

14. MARK NAKAMURA is a wedding, event, family, architectural, commercial, and landscape photographer. Find him @nakamuraphoto and @ marknakamuraphoto.

15. ANDERS ROSENGREEN is a graphic designer and multimedia artist based in San Luis Obispo. Follow him @andersrosengreenart

16. BRIAN SCHWARTZ is the event director for the Central Coast Writers’ Conference and advocate for independent publishing. Connect at SelfPublish.org.

17. ZACHARY SCOTT is a photographer known for his humorous and highly stylized work featured in the New York Times Magazine, GQ, Time Magazine, Wired, and New York Magazine

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LOCAL

february 1

The SLO County Library Foundation donates a total of $119,525 to benefit children and adults who visit any of the County of SLO Public Libraries’ fourteen locations or make use of the county’s Library by Mail program. The majority of the funds, $65,525, goes to purchase books and other materials for lending to patrons, while the remainder will fund the 2024 Summer Reading Program, which encourages reading by children and adults at all levels. The donation is made possible in part through bequests from the estates of county residents Sarah Day and Barbara Baltimore.

february 7

Two tornadoes touch down in SLO County during a powerful storm system event on the Central Coast. The first hits Los Osos and continues eastward toward San Luis Obispo, dissipating near the intersection of Los Osos Valley Road and Foothill Boulevard. The second, weaker tornado touches down fifteen minutes later near Rockaway and 7th streets in Grover Beach, continuing eastward for about a mile. Both events include heavy rain, peak winds of 95 miles per hour, uprooted trees, and downed power lines. The National Weather Service says these are the strongest tornadoes to occur in SLO County since before 1950, with the last tornado occurring in Oceano in 2004.

february 10

For the first time in more than fifty years, community members from throughout SLO County gather to celebrate the Chinese New Year in downtown San Luis Obispo. A Lunar New Year block party on Palm Street features activity booths, cultural clubs, stage performances, music, martial arts displays, a tea ceremony, lion dances, food vendors, a film screening at the Palm Theatre, and a grand finale drone light show. The event also marks the 150th year for one of the last remaining original buildings in SLO’s Historic Chinatown, the Ah Louis store.

february 22

The City of San Luis Obispo announces the departure of City Manager Derek Johnson, who after serving for twelve years—first as Community Development Director, then for more than six years in his current role— is returning to his roots as CEO for the County of Marin, where he grew up. His last day with the city will be near the end of April. According to Mayor Erica Stewart, the city will work with staff to develop an interim plan as well as a strategy to fill the City Manager position long term. The position oversees a staff of more than 400 employees and a total budget of $240 million.

february 24

Hundreds of people and many heartfelt songs fill the San Luis Mission in Downtown SLO as Gary Lamprecht, musical director of the SLO Vocal Arts Ensemble for nearly fifty years, is honored with a memorial sing-along. The seventy-eight-year-old beloved choral director died February 21, leaving a lasting legacy of music for thousands of students and local performers. Lamprecht also taught music and choir at both SLO and Morro Bay high schools for decades, retiring in 2007, and some twenty-seven years ago he established the Central Coast Choral Festival, which is still going strong.

REVIEW

february 29

With plans to expand the services of two local hospitals, Adventist Health announces a $550 million agreement to purchase Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center in SLO and Twin Cities Community Hospital in Templeton from Tenet Healthcare, including related physician practices and imaging centers. The acquisition is expected to be completed this spring. Adventist Health currently operates twenty-six hospitals and more than 400 clinics in the United States, including several hospitals in California.

march 5

Citing “the unacceptable risk of a seismically induced severe accident” in keeping Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant operating in SLO County, three local groups file a request for a hearing with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Mothers for Peace, Environmental Working Group, and Friends of the Earth are asking that the NRC order the immediate closure of the facility, contending that plant owner PG&E has not acquired the proper environmental permits to continue operating. The groups are concerned that an earthquake could cause a catastrophic nuclear meltdown.

march 8

President Joe Biden signs federal funding bills that include $4.8 million for community projects in San Luis Obispo County. The funds will support public safety improvements, water storage in Pismo Beach, and the completion of a bike trail in Edna Valley. More than half of the funding will augment law enforcement technology, including the replacement of the SLO County Sheriff’s Office radio dispatch system (set to expire in September) and the purchase of license plate readers, public safety cameras, and in-car video recorders for Grover Beach Police Department patrol units.

march 13

The California Regional Investment Initiative of the California Jobs First program awards $14 million to Uplift, the Central Coast six-county coalition looking to build a sustainable economy in the area. The funding, known as the Catalyst Program, will help the coalition create strategic roadmaps and recommend investments. Uplift conducts research, meets with community members in small and large gatherings, and partners with Community Based Organizations to identify challenges faced by Central Coast residents.

march 13

The City of SLO, Cal Poly, and the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments unveil new on-demand bike lockers on Morro Street and the Cal Poly campus, giving commuters secure and convenient places to store their rides. The fully-enclosed lockers, available for a nominal fee of five cents per hour for up to twelve consecutive hours, help meet a growing demand for secure and convenient parking options, especially for cargo and eBikes. Funding for the lockers, which are operated by BikeLink, is provided by SLOCOG’s Community Betterments grant program. Cyclists can register for a BikeLink mobile account to have access to its entire network throughout California and neighboring states.

march 16

The San Luis Obispo Police Department receives calls beginning at 3:30 a.m. due to parties related to the St. Patrick’s Day holiday. As disturbances escalate, SLOPD issues citations for various infractions including noise violations, unruly gatherings, open container violations, public urination, and public intoxication. At approximately 6:00 a.m., SLOPD closes off streets surrounding Hathaway and Bond due to the large crowd. During the gathering, damage to several vehicles in the neighborhoods occured as well as at Cal Poly on-campus facilities. Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong issues an email stating, “I’m disappointed and disgusted as I write to you today about the behavior that some of our students and campus visitors displayed when they took part in early morning St. Patrick’s Day partying that caused significant damage to Muir Hall and several other University Housing facilities.”

100%

Cuesta College’s Registered Nursing graduating class of 2023, with a perfect pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination, makes Cuesta the top-ranked program within California and places it first among 2,219 Registered Nursing programs across the United States and its territories.

32,000

The number of jobs in aerospace, precision manufacturing, technology, and clean tech industries in SLO and Santa Barbara counties according to REACH, an economic action coalition that says the area is poised to grow an additional 6,250 jobs in those areas across the regional economy by 2027.

PIT

The 2024 Point-in-Time count took place on January 23 when 200 volunteers traversed SLO County by car and on foot to count and survey the local homeless population. Findings, due out the end of April, will help paint a clearer picture of how much federal funding the county can receive.

The amount—more than twenty percent greater than last year—that the City of SLO’s Buy Local Bonus program generated in just 30 days for local retailers. The City offered $25 gift cards from local businesses to shoppers as a reward for spending more than $100 during the 2023 holiday season.

$950,000 1 in 8

Only one in eight SLO County households can afford a median-priced home ($828,583) in the area, compared with one in five households throughout California and nearly one-half of households in the United States, according to the 2023 SLO County State of the Workforce report issued in February.

RED

A prestigious award from the National Science Foundation’s Revolutionizing Engineering Departments program is funding an innovative project to reimagine Cal Poly’s computer engineering department. It comes with $2 million to help transform the department into a model locally and nationally.

$9.5 Million

+19%

The increase in the number of passengers traveling through the SLO County Regional Airport last year compared with the previous year. The facility served more than 660,000 people in 2023, not only bringing the numbers back to prepandemic levels, but serving more travelers than ever before.

SurfSafeSLO

Heading to the beach? If you plan to surf, swim, or just walk the shore, check out this GIS application from SLO County Environmental Health Services to view a timely data dashboard showing the current beach water quality status for nineteen sites from San Simeon to Oceano.

The development of a new 25,000-squarefoot Student Success Center at Cal Poly will benefit from this multi-milliondollar gift from Associated Students, Inc. The facility will be named for Lynda and Stewart Resnick of The Wonderful Company, who have pledged the initial $20 million for its creation.

“Every day our staff come to campus and work alongside our university colleagues in support of more than 300 campus programs, initiatives, and institutes.”

Cody VanDorn, CEO of Cal Poly Partners, explaining the recently announced new name of the Cal Poly Corporation, which has served the university for more than eighty years by supporting faculty research and a Learn by Doing experience for students.

"feed my lambs..."

Sunday School is a place to learn about God's ever-present Love.

Give your child a spiritual foundation for life.

SUNDAYS 10-11:00 AM SUNDAYS 10-11:00 AM SUNDAYS 10-11:00 AM

FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST, SCIENTIST CHURCH OF CHRIST, FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST, SCIENTIST 1326 GARDEN STREET, SLO 1326 GARDEN STREET, SLO 1326 GARDEN STREET, SLO

ChristianScienceSlo.org

TIMING IS EVERYTHING

Understanding the best time of day for taking photos often means the difference between a shot that falls flat and one that pops. The golden and blue hours are those magical times before, during, and after sunrise and sunset when the natural light can enhance photos.

In the minutes after sunrise and again before sunset, the golden hour, the sun sits low in the sky casting soft light and long shadows creating warm tones. And those minutes before sunrise and after sunset, when the sky takes on a saturated deep shade, the blue hour, the sun rests below the horizon still emitting just enough light to cast a lovely glow in which shadows disappear and cool tones are cast across the sky. Each of these stages lasts somewhere around thirty beautiful minutes and can be used to capture amazing landscape shots.

When taking photos during these phases, I rely on my headlamp to guide the way on the trailhead as I’m hiking in the dark to the top of the various mountains surrounding the Central Coast.

Shooting during blue hour means I arrive around an hour before sunset at my destination, giving me plenty of time to set up my tripod and dial in my camera settings—usually manual focus (to infinity), manual shutter speed (usually a slow shutter speed such as twenty seconds), manual aperture (around f8 for maximum sharpness), and an ISO of around 100, sometimes ISO 400 if I need more light on the camera sensor.

The photograph seen here was taken in the early morning, about forty-five minutes before sunrise on High School Hill (also know as Reservoir Canyon Trail, Fireman’s Hill, and The Tower). The trailhead is located at the end of Lizzie Street, off Johnson Avenue in San Luis Obispo.

On this particular morning, I approached the trailhead at 4:15 and made my way to the top just before 5:00 for a 6:00 a.m. sunrise. Even though it was foggy in San Luis Obispo, I was motivated to get out and hike above the cloud inversion. Glancing down on the town from the peak, I could see the lights of the community glowing through the fog during the blue hour. I composed the photograph and took several shots, changing the exposure time and the composition.

The next time you awake to a foggy morning, get moving and hike one of our peaks and shoot down on the sea of clouds. I never regret it. It’s like the Harvard Business School professor Theodore Levitt once said, “Kodak sells film, but they don’t advertise film; they advertise memories.”

BY MARK NAKAMURA SLO LIFE

ryan gruss

At the eighteen-month mark of his tenure, we caught up with the Managing Director of the Performing Arts Center, RYAN GRUSS. Here are a few highlights from our conversation . . .

So, Ryan, where are you from originally?

I was born and raised in Southern California, Santa Clarita. I come from a very tight-knit family. Ten of us lived together on the same property: my parents, my grandparents, an uncle, two cousins, and my sisters. I went to Azusa Pacific University, just east of Pasadena, and met my wife there my freshman year, and we’ve been together ever since. She’s from Arroyo Grande. That’s what eventually led us back here. When I was at Azusa Pacific, I worked in events on campus. And, so, when I graduated, I worked in that role as an Assistant General Manager of that facility for about four years, and also in the ticket office where I gained full venue management experience. We always talked about moving back to the Central Coast, and in 2013, I was lucky to be hired at the Performing Arts Center.

How did you get into this line of work?

I have a passion for live events, and all the fun that goes into them, but also have a passion for working on a college campus. That’s all I’ve really ever known. I love seeing people have the experience, whether it be their first time here or the excitement that comes from seeing something they’ve never seen before. Being able to live vicariously through them never gets old. It’s funny because people assume I did theatre as a kid, but it was pretty much the opposite. I have no musical ability whatsoever. My mom was a music teacher in elementary schools, so I’ve always had an appreciation for people who are very musical, including many of my family members, but I was definitely the outlier.

So did she let you give up music?

No, no—my mom forced me into choir and forced me into playing an instrument because she wanted me to have that experience, but I think it became pretty

clear that my strengths were elsewhere. I played team sports—football, basketball, and baseball—growing up, but I also had the opportunity to see how hard my mom worked for music, and how she worked with seven schools every single year. I was able to learn from her work ethic and learn from her passion for music, which I feel has allowed me to really appreciate the efforts and the talents that so many in our community have. While I don’t have those talents myself, I still can appreciate them and hopefully provide the best opportunity to showcase them here at the Performing Arts Center.

What do people most misunderstand about the PAC?

I’d say there are two misconceptions. First is just the amount of people it takes to operate year-round. We’re close to three hundred when you count all the volunteers, the parttime staff, the student staff, and the full-time staff. And the second, is that we operate all year round. We’re always doing something, whether it be for a university event, a ticketed event, or building maintenance. We have about three weeks in the summer that we generally try to block off from having any type of event. But those three weeks are our opportunity to paint the stage, prepare all the lights, and prepare everything for when we’re really busy in the fall, the winter, and the spring.

What stands out to you about the pac?

Our people. I am so proud that we have a team that will do anything. There’s nothing our team won’t do to make the Performing Arts Center better, Cal Poly better, the community better. We have a team of really caring individuals who just want the best for the people that are utilizing this space. And do an honor for the people who have been here before us. The PAC means so much to our community.

Honeyboys

Many great bands have been formed in the annals of a college campus, where like-minded individuals gather to bond and grow together over shared creative interests. San Luis Obispo-based band Honeyboys’ story is no different. Many of the members had performed in jazzbased projects together prior to meeting in a Cal Poly production program called MPU [Music Production Union] and forming their current lineup. Honeyboys consists of Ari Eisenberg as lead vocalist, Reese Gardner on guitar, David Aghajanyan on drums, Grady Gallagher on keyboard, and Nathan Stanley on saxophone.

“The band formed through a number of connections made through the Cal Poly jazz department, MPU, and orientation,” Gardner explained. Several of the band’s current members began cultivating a love of music from a very young age, and this passion carried through into their college years. “I have been playing for sixteen years,” said Eisenberg, “The band has been playing since the end of 2019, so almost four-and-a-half years.”

Honeyboys get their name from their smooth and sweet play style. “I came up with it after jamming with Reese in my home studio,” Eisenberg explained. “His play style was so drippy and oozed with emotion, so the name just popped into my head.” The band describes their sound as being fairly genre-bending, but sticking within the main themes of, “Indie psychedelic funk rock with R&B influences,” as described by Gallagher.

The group made their start playing house shows in the San Luis Obispo area, primarily for crowds of fellow Cal Poly students. As their experience and fan base grew, however, they began playing shows in more prestigious San Luis Obispo-based venues. “SLO Brew Rock is probably my favorite venue to perform at,” stated Eisenberg, while Gardner listed The Fremont as a personal favorite. Even after performing at larger and more respected venues, the band maintains a consensus that house shows contain some of their favorite ‘vibes.’ “I always love playing house shows,” explained Aghajanyan, “It gives an opportunity to get close with the crowd and build a connection through the music.”

BY ANDERS ROSENGREEN PHOTOGRAPHY BY ADDISON LE CLAIRE

There is no denying that the setting has a direct influence on the content and style of the art. Honeyboys feel that the sunny scenery of the Central Coast has had a major effect on forming their distinct and unique sound. “If the weather wasn’t so nice, we’d probably be making more emo/dark/grunge music like people from Seattle,” Eisenberg stated. “A lot of our music is very reminiscent of beach days and good vibes in the sun.” This description of their sound rings true in the group’s latest four song EP, entitled “Find My Way To You,” which released in 2023. One of the songs, called “Come On Over,” describes a hazy beach day with a love interest. The title track of the EP is more of a love ballad with a twang of heartbreak as Eisenberg sings about finding his way back to a former love.

The Central Coast music scene has been flourishing for decades, and as more and more groups and solo acts form, the opportunities for growth in the scene multiply exponentially. “It’s thriving and growing in real-time,” stated Eisenberg. “I feel like because of the pandemic, many people were able to focus on art and hone in on their musical skills.” The intimacy of the Central Coast means that there is much more room for collaboration between artists and groups. “I love how the scene is so close with each other,” Gallagher explained. “Everyone has either played with each other in other bands or has played shows together, it’s very supportive.” This collaborative spirit also fosters an environment of friendship and togetherness that draws many musicians into the scene. “I’ve gotten to meet a lot of really cool people through the SLO music scene and develop long-lasting friendships,” said Stanley.

With multiple songs at over 500,000 streams, Honeyboys is growing rapidly, and with that growth comes the prospect of emerging projects. New releases from the group in 2024 will see a departure from their classic ‘beachy’ sound as they experiment in new genres. “We recently had the opportunity to record three new songs in Long Beach at Jazzcats Studios with Johnny Bell,” Eisenberg shared. “‘I Don’t Mind’ brings us back in time with emo alt-rock vibes and juvenile undertones.” The group takes on a more ‘cyber-punk screamo’ wavelength with another one of their new songs, called “You Never Know Until You Know And Then You Know.” Of the recent recordings, Eisenberg said, “It is an entirely new era for the band which we are stoked to share with the world.” SLO LIFE

pro file

At just twenty-four years old, the unthinkable happened. Within months, both of her parents passed away, leaving the family business on the precipice. That’s when KATELYN KANEY got to work. Those were dark days. But with a quiet determination and a grit that belies an easy smile and a carefree country style, the sun eventually came out again. Today, as a busy CEO with a pair of twin nine-year-old boys in tow, the San Luis Obispo native has Cattaneo Bros. humming along with her two other downtown retail operations, The Mercantile and The Hat Bar. Here is her story . . .

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ZACHARY SCOTT

OOkay, Katelyn, let’s take it from the top. Where are you from?

I’m from SLO. Born at General Hospital. I’ve only left for about a year, and once for a summer internship; other than that, I’ve lived here. So, there are six of us in all: Mom, Dad, an older sister, me, a younger brother, and a younger sister. When we were growing up, we were all into sports and 4-H. I went to Montessori school here, then Mission through eighth grade, then SLO High. I feel like we were a normal family. We always felt very loved and taken care of, but not in a spoiled way. Looking back now, as a mom myself, I don’t know how my parents did it, getting us everywhere we needed to go, and running a business. But you do. You make it work.

How did your parents end up in San Luis in the first place?

They grew up in Colton, which is down in San Bernadino. They were high school sweethearts, and they came here to go to school at Cal Poly. Then, my dad started a meat distribution business as part of his senior project. One of his accounts was a small, local sausage and beef jerky maker. It was a family operation founded in 1947 called Cattaneo Bros. One thing led to another and my dad ended up buying their business. And, my mom, she had a gift shop in Downtown SLO when I was growing up. It was called A Bushel and A Peck. At some point, after she had a second store, it became too much to manage and my dad needed help, so she joined him at Cattaneo.

Is that when you became involved also?

What came next?

My mom’s cancer recurred in her brain, so I dropped everything over in the Valley, moved home, and worked side-by-side with my dad and helped take care of my mom. Then, in November of that year, 2007, my dad was diagnosed with cancer, leukemia. He went into the hospital right away and was there the entire month of December. My older sister came back from Colorado to be with him, while I ran the business. My mom stayed home because she was still fighting her battle. My dad was able to come home in January and he passed in February. We couldn’t process what had just happened. We were doing our best to keep this company alive. All of us kids were so young, just trying to figure it out. And then the night that my dad passed away, my mom collapsed in the bathroom and ended up back in the hospital. It was like she died when my dad died. She made it for a few more months before she passed.

Wow.

Yeah, it was a lot. Looking back on it over the years, I have started to understand more and more of how much it was, how heavy it was, but also just how much wonderful life we had together. After that experience, you see things differently, you live differently. But, at the time, it was devastating. And, we had two businesses to run. My dad had a meat distribution business and Cattaneo. I can remember sitting in our living room and saying, “What are we going to do?” I knew we couldn’t let them go under, but I was like, “How are we going to keep them going?” We had to figure out how to move forward. My brother, who came down from college at St. Mary’s to help, was really wanting to go back to school, he was a film major, so we decided to close the distribution business—actually, we kept a lot of it, but merged it into Cattaneo—so he could go work in film.

Yes, us kids, we grew up in it. It was our summer job, or holiday job. I always wanted to be a part of it in some way, but then later in high school, I said, “Eh, I want to be more in fashion, or maybe event planning.” During my senior year, my mom was diagnosed with cancer. I had been applying to go away to college but wanted to stay close to her, so I ended up going to Cal Poly. I dabbled in just about everything: ag business, viticulture, meat science, event planning, all sorts of stuff. But, really, by the end of that, I started to realize that I wanted to do more with Cattaneo, to be a part of it. So, for my senior project, as my mom went into remission, I put together a plan to expand the family business. I moved to the Central Valley and drove up and down a stretch from Bakersfield to Woodland; got in and out of my car cold calling businesses—gas stations, convenience stores, you name it. I did that for a year and developed over thirty new accounts. That was a vital part of my growth and really helped me understand the business in a much deeper way. >>

Is your brother still in the film business?

He was, but he, unfortunately, he passed away in 2019. He had colorectal cancer. It wasn’t hereditary or anything, it was just . . . I don’t know, I’ve learned so much about all this, too much, since my mom got sick the first time. And I’ve taken a hard look at nutrition, especially, and stress, and sleep. Before my mom was diagnosed, I barely knew the word cancer. I was just in so much denial at that point, and with my dad, too. But now, being older, I feel that we’ve got to do something, we’ve got to figure this thing out. I remember seeing my parents go through some very, very stressful times in their life and them losing a sense of taking care of themselves. It’s probably the biggest lesson I learned during that period. To manage the stress of running a business, the money, raising four kids, and just juggling everything, life. It’s a lot, but I know it played a big role, stress. It’s tragic, but there are so many blessings that have come from it. So many lessons that I want to put to good use, to make a difference.

What’s the biggest lesson?

I would say this: I know that life is going to go on with me or without me. And I don’t want it to go on without me. I want to take care of myself, to be there for my boys. I want to live the best life I can. And it goes by so fast. So fast. And that’s why it’s so important to me that we sell the best quality, healthiest product possible. Our jerky doesn’t sit on a shelf for a long time. It can’t, because it doesn’t have all these fillers in it and preservatives that our competitors do.

That’s why we’re seeing more inroads with athletes, people who care a lot about what they put into their bodies, especially at the collegiate level—football and basketball—buying our jerky. And, for me, I want to get our jerky into school lunches, and snacks. I’d love to make that change more than anything else, because there’s just so much sugar, so many sweets and processed foods that we’re putting into our kids. We don’t need that. They don’t need that. Our kids deserve better. >>

“I had a

with

but more importantly about

He's very knowledgeable about the

and the market. I felt like I was in good hands from beginning to end--you won't nd a nicer, more professional person. Highly recommended.”

- Mark McCormick, San Luis Obispo

How’s business going these days?

It’s good. We continue to grow nationally. Selling online helps us go directly to the customer, which is important, again, because we don’t have a long shelf life, so that will continue to drive our growth.

Over the past few years, we’ve made some inroads into the rodeo industry, so we’re doing more with that, sponsoring athletes because those guys are always on the road, and they eat jerky all the time. We’re always working at getting into more retail locations, too, some cool boutique-y stuff, like wineries, breweries, gift shops, and hotels. Recently, we acquired a jerky company out of Texas. That’s been great because they have a lot of the same values we do, and they work very closely with 4-H and FFA organizations for fundraising

in agriculture, which is important to us as a company. It’s our foundation, so we’ve been able to expand upon that, as well.

And, on top of all this, you also have a couple of retail stores in Downtown SLO? Yes, that’s right. In 2013, I opened The Mercantile in the same location where my mom had A Bushel and A Peck. We sell all sorts of unique gift items and, of course, Cattaneo jerky. And then, most recently, last April, I opened The Hat Bar. I don’t know, I just love hats. And I remember my mom always loving hats, too, so it’s a connection to her in a sense also. Looking back, I think one of the things I lacked when I was getting started in business was confidence. It was there, just not enough of it. I think it’s probably something >>

that comes with maturity, but also with self-worth and love, and just getting to a point of not caring what other people think. And as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that. So, I think if people can overcome that fear, the fear of what could happen, or what can go wrong, and just go for it, the sooner the better, because once you embrace that, you can then develop that confidence, and strength, and be proud of yourself for how far you’ve come. Don’t wait. Go for it.

What do you think your dad would say about all of this?

Well, my dad always told me, “Keep your head down. Don’t worry about what the competition is doing. Just focus on you.” And I’ve always run the company in that way. I’m not worried about what

anybody else is doing. I might look at something else and say, “That’s cool, or interesting.” But I’m never like, “Oh, we should be doing that.” We’ve stayed true to who we are, and we grow at the pace we can grow and do what’s best for us and not let that outside noise come back and affect us because it’s easy to let that have an impact on you. And it can be negative. He always said, “The best thing you can do for yourself is build a strong brand because they’re never going to be able to come after you if you invest all your time and energy into creating this brand that cannot be duplicated.” So, once I heard that, I was like, “That’s going to be my mission. I’m going to stay true to who we are and what I’m passionate about—and keep going forward.”

447 words with Emily Luchetta

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PETER HEIRENDT

I feel very lucky to have grown up where I did. My childhood was full of time spent outdoors—camping, fishing, hiking, swimming in the ocean, and skiing. I lost my dad at four years old and got a stepdad and younger sisters a few years later. It was a lot to navigate as a little one, but I felt fortunate for the new opportunity to be an older sister, and for the strong support of my mom throughout my life. I have always resourced my creativity as a safe space to go. When the world around me felt unpredictable, I went inward drawing, painting, or reading books. I was incredibly imaginative as a child. I think I still am.

I attended Cal Poly and studied elementary education, with minors in Studio Art and Spanish, which I put to work as a Waldorf preschool teacher every day. I feel honored to work with children. They have so much to teach us about presence, simple pleasures, and unconditional love—which are all things my art practice aims to be centered around. I am inspired by the way they see the world, and it reminds me of why I began creating in the first place.

My grandma taught me to knit a basic stitch, and I grew up going to art classes as a child with Bonnie Johnson, an amazing local art teacher. I learned some of my more technical drawing and painting skills over the years working with her. My crochet and knitting training were very minimal. I think the way that I taught myself what to do from the ground up is part of what makes my pieces so unique. The whole process from start to finish is my own because I’m making it up as I go. It’s really intuitive.

My goal is for my focus to be staying present to right here right now. I do my best work when I remind myself I am an organism, and tune into what is present in my own body and my natural environment. I think sometimes we forget that. Just like a snowflake, no two of us are alike. We are the only organisms on Earth that use clothing not only to protect ourselves, but to express ourselves. The fashion industry is big, messy, confusing, and moves way too fast. It’s expensive and bad for the Earth to try to keep up with what other people are telling you to wear. I am focused on creating things that are one-of-a-kind, and timeless—just like you and me. Nature is bright and colorful and irregular. No two things are quite alike, and we don’t expect them to be.

Thank you to our generous sponsors

Wine hosted by

For The Time Being

On Friday, March 22 members and community leaders gathered to celebrate the premiere of Adam Parker Smith’s exhibition For The Time Being at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art. Guests were invited to reflect on our contemporary existence and celebrate the present moment through Pop Art.

Guests toasted the exhibition, cheered for its generous sponsors, and enjoyed wines hosted by Justin Winery.

Adam Parker Smith engages the history of Pop Art, one that integrates imagery from popular culture and commercial, mass-produced objects. Parker Smith takes these objects — pool floats, sleeping bags, synthetic balloons, even spaghetti — and uses them to visually reference ancient objects symbolizing the passing of time.

For The Time Being is open through July 7, 2024. SLOMA is open Thursday through Monday, 11 AM to 5 PM. Free admission. Visit sloma.org for public events calendar.

Photos courtesy of App’s Photography.

from ‘Me’ to ‘We’

BY BRIAN SCHWARTZ

Raised in a family of seventeen kids in Granada Hills, Michael Gunther understands the difference between me and we. After completing his Master’s degree in Psychology from the Georgia School of Professional Psychology, he and his husband were eager to make their way back to the Golden State.

Owner of Collaboration Business Consulting, Gunther explains, “We assist proactive leaders to create breakthrough performance and high-growth businesses.” With eleven years of writing for numerous local papers under his belt, he decided to transfer that knowledge to a book with the hope of sharing his insight with a broader audience and making a greater impact.

“Me to We: The Shift Every Business Leader Must Make for Lasting Success” is Gunther’s first penned book. Gunther explains that when writing “Me to We” he had an overarching intention. “I wanted to share my own journey as a business owner but more importantly, share the elements that I think are required to create a profitable, sustainable business based on over twenty-five years as a business consultant.”

He reveals that a mindset shift is essential to move beyond me to a company of we. Gunther has a long history in the local community, playing a pivotal role with numerous Central Coast based companies, including MindBody and Hathway.

At times, the advice in “Me to We” contradicts the popular credo of what we read in the media, which highlights the allure of entrepreneurship and the pursuit of massive success. Citing real-life examples, Gunther reveals that the hero image we have of the “renegade founder” is an illusion. One that leads many astray by pursuing the next moonshot. What actually runs our economy isn’t sexy, it’s boring. So, what do really great leaders do? They turn boring into sexy. They embrace the process of what Gunther refers to as the “A-List Checklist.”

The business owner turned writer admits, it was a laborious process for the first book. “I outlined all the ideas that I then transitioned into an outline of the book. Then, I spent a day or two vetting out each chapter on whiteboards. I would create a draft chapter while also researching stories and data to support my thoughts.” Once he finalized a chapter, he recruited friends for the editing process, which led to another round of revisions and a finalized title for the content. And for each chapter, he would start the process all over again.

“But since completing it, I am finding the next books are easier and quicker to develop.” And he already has three more books in the queue. “Succession: transitioning your business,” “Collaborative Leadership: 7 Core Areas of Breaking or Building Trust with Your Team,” and a biography focused on his mother, Marianne, and her storied experience of raising seventeen kids.

If you’d like to learn more about Michael Gunther, visit collaboration-llc.com or you can find him on Linkedin, and on Instagram @collaboration_llc. SLO LIFE

Midweek mixer

BY KAYLA BURKE

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHASE BENT

Craving a midweek escape in San Luis Obispo County?

Nestled in the picturesque seaside Avila Valley, this hidden gem has you covered. Avila Bay Athletic Club, normally a members-only club, opens its doors every Wednesday night to the public and throws festive outdoor parties.

Swap your work clothes for a Hawaiian shirt and enjoy locally sourced wines and craft beers on tap. Talented

musicians play exceptional live music each week, both new and returning fan favorites. Lounge beneath the palms by a fire pit and sample from a selection of creative hors d’oeuvres and small bites. The free popcorn is the icing on the cake.

“The food is phenomenal,” exclaims Event Coordinator, Elizabeth Sewell. “The carne

TIP!

Stay updated on Wednesday night event cancellations due to inclement weather and discover the week’s featured live music by visiting the Avila Bay Club’s website abac.caclubs.com

asada fries and baked pretzel sticks are just amazing.” The shoestring fries are loaded with tender carne asada, smothered in cheese, and topped with ranch beans, cilantro, onions, red salsa, and sour cream.

The live music from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. is undoubtedly a highlight of the Wednesday Night Deck Parties. Talented musicians travel to the club each week to serenade guests with an exciting mix of genres from classic rock to blues to contemporary hits.

The fun evening feels like a mini vacation. Getting together with friends and family in a calming yet vibrant atmosphere adds

some excitement to the midweek hustle. The music eases your mind to escape any workplace stressors. This is one of those local fun favorites that helps foster community connection as you soak in stories from seasoned residents or make memories with your children.

Escaping the midweek frenzy and bathed in the glow of the nearly full moon, my boyfriend and I discovered instant tranquility amidst the club’s abundant offerings. Our evening commenced with the soulful tunes of Grammy Award winner Solomon King, blending classic rock with blues, while plush outdoor furnishings and a crackling fire pit provided warmth and comfort.

During our evening, we crossed paths with Sandy Smith and her husband, twentyyear residents of Avila and longstanding club members. Reminiscing about their time with the club since its inception, they declared Avila Bay Club their unequivocal favorite among the five they’ve frequented over the years. The sense of community and memories to be made at the club are invaluable. I grew up on the Central Coast and have very special memories of coming here when I was young with my family and friends, spending our days playing tennis and swimming in the pool.

Whether you’re a local or a longtime resident interested in experiencing the club you can expect a warm welcome and family-friendly environment. From casual conversations and storytelling by the pool to spontaneous dance parties on the deck, you will discover an evening of midweek escape filled with entertainment and connection. SLO LIFE

Jeremy Boudreau STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SYBILL HALEY

With two Golden Tiger awards under his belt, along with Academic Excellence all four years of his time at San Luis Obispo High School, this eighteen-year-old senior is ready for a bright future.

What extra-curricular activities are you involved in? I’m a member of the Honors Wind Ensemble and Honors Jazz Band. The Honors Wind Ensemble is an audition-only, high-level band. We play classical and modern pieces, and even songs from pop culture. The Honors Jazz Band is similar in the way that it requires an audition, but it differs because it is an after-school sixth period class that requires a high level of effort and dedication. Both of these are super rewarding experiences that will turn a good musician into a great one. I really can’t give enough praise to Mrs. Jeskey—she does a great job of fostering a community in which growing musicians are able to lift each other up.

What do you like to do for fun? I really like to play board games. When a friend introduced me to a game called Catan, it opened my eyes to a whole new world. I started playing popular titles like Ticket to Ride and eventually moved up to niche games such as Root and Twilight Imperium IV. To relax, I like to read and print 3D pieces and figurines for board games, movies, or videogames and paint them. It’s a hobby that lets me unwind and focus on the present.

What is one of your favorite memories? I grew up in Quebec, Canada. When I was about five or six years old, my parents built a huge snow fort for my siblings and me before we woke up. I remember feeling pure excitement as I raced to put on my snowsuit. The fort was equipped with stairs, a slide, and even a little area to hang out. I appreciate and love my parents for how much effort they put into giving me a great childhood.

If you could go back in history and meet anyone, who would it be? I would want to meet Nikola Tesla. His work was genius and I respect the fact that he tried to make the world a better place. It’s a shame that he wasn’t credited for most of his work until long after his death. I would want to tell him how much good he contributed to the world; by building the foundations of electrical currents and radio wave transmissions, Nikola Tesla essentially created the modern world we know.

Do you have a career path in mind? I plan on pursuing a four-year degree in computer science, and then maybe acquiring a higher-level education in the field of artificial intelligence. AI is a super interesting concept to me, and I believe it could be used to drastically change the world for the better. My goal is to make AI more widely available as an open-source tool that anyone can use. I don’t believe that AI will replace many jobs, but rather that it will ease difficult work and make people’s lives easier.

What are your plans for college? I am committed to McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. SLO LIFE

This two-year-old pup was connected with her caretaker, Leann Standish, through Woods Human Society. The story goes that Standish entered a room full of sibling puppies when Sophie climbed into her lap and nuzzled right in. They’ve been inseparble since, spending most of their days greeting visitors at San Luis Obispo Museam of Art. SLO LIFE

Email us at info@slolifemagazine.com

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAEDEN BARLETT

Home Coming

BY ZARA KHAN

BY DAVID LALUSH

PHOTOGRAPHY

AAfter living life on the Central Coast, it’s hard not to dream about making your way back. Matthew Wood, a Cal Poly alumnus who ventured into the solar industry, and his wife, Allison, were able to start their family in San Luis Obispo, but ultimately their careers took them to the Bay Area. While living in SLO, they rented their home and when the chance to purchase it came along, they jumped at the opportunity. They loved city life and were so grateful they had the time to live it, but it wasn’t long before they were craving the relaxed pace of the SLO Life that better fit their lifestyle.

While living in the Bay Area, their home in San Luis Obispo served as a rental property. When they started playing with the idea of returning to the Central Coast, they realized that they would need to make some renovation to the home to fit their family needs. The Woods knew every nook and cranny of the house and that insight would prove to be invaluable when planning the makeover. This familiarity became the cornerstone of their extensive remodel, allowing them to identify areas that could be reimagined to better suit their lifestyle. >>

The Woods knew a good team was going to be critical. This wasn’t their area of expertise, and it was a big project to tackle. They decided to approach the task in phases and hired Holland and Knapp, which they share, is the best decision they could have made. According to the Woods, Zachary Knapp and his team had seamless communication throughout the project and they appreciated his level of transparency, guidance, and the talented team they curated.

In the center of their living space, there was a massive fireplace that spanned the first and second floor, but more importantly, was a structural element. They tried to reimagine the space with the fireplace in its current location, but no matter how they positioned it, the feature felt like it closed off the space. When they realized the fireplace needed to go, the Woods enlisted the help of Bryan Ridley from Bracket Architecture to guide them in navigating the significant structural changes.

The second major alteration was the strategic flip of the staircase orientation leading downstairs. A portion of the lower level was buried in a hillside, and they needed to excavate >>

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to gain living space and enough clearance for the staircase. The stairs had been built with walls on either side, which made it feel tight and dark. They took the walls down and replaced them with a beautiful metal stair railing, making the staircase feel so much more open, and with the expansion, you are greeted by an inviting living space downstairs. The staircase is a universal favorite of everyone involved in the project. Dustin Jones of Holland and Knapp was meticulous with the details. Jones wrapped and grain-matched the steel stair treads on all six sides in white oak. He worked closely with Jeff Thies of Thiessen Metal Works, who fabricated the steel stair railing.

The other universal favorite is Matthew’s home office. Jurgen Bubert with Holland and Knapp integrated key hidden features. The wall behind Matthew’s desk has a hidden cabinet within the accent vertical slat wall. He also built Mathew’s custom desk and to hide the cords, Bubert made one end of the desk legs hollow and ran the cords up through it.

For interior finishes, the Woods tackled most tasks independently but sought the expertise of Rye Interiors for more permanent decisions. The meticulous detail in every installation >>

showcases the talent of all the subcontractors.

Cesar Ramirez installed the tile and Van Patten Hardwoods custom-milled and installed the white oak flooring throughout the home. In the primary shower, there was a skylight right in the center of the ceiling. They decided to use LED tape lighting and light the perimeter of the skylight, which creates a beautiful glow. They also added accent lighting in the primary closet which compliments the warmth of the wood built-ins.

The Woods offer valuable advice to those considering a similar project. They emphasize the importance of choosing a contractor you like both professionally and personally, highlighting the role of trust in the success of a project. Living in the space before remodeling proved instrumental in understanding their true needs and preferences. Knapp reminds aspiring remodelers to take their time during the planning and design phase. It’s crucial to ensure the project is heading in the right direction, allowing for the thorough exploration of important details and fostering a collaborative team dynamic. The Woods’ residence is not just a house, it’s a testament to the transformative power of vision, collaboration, and ingenuity. SLO LIFE

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COUNTY WIDE

STATISTICS

AVERAGE PRICE PER SQUARE FOOT

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BLUE SPACE

BY PADEN HUGHES

The call of the ocean is very much a real thing. Did you know that spending time near water has a calming effect on your brain? It’s true.

Numerous studies have revealed the profound impact that water views have on our mental and emotional well-being. Even just taking a quick drive to any of our incredible beaches and spending a few minutes of respite immersing ourselves in the sight of water can trigger a cascade of positive neurological responses, immediately improving our mood and overall sense of well-being.

Researchers have found that simply walking near water for as little as twenty minutes can have significant benefits. It can reduce stress levels, promote relaxation, and even lower blood pressure and heart rate. It’s as if the mere presence of water has a calming effect on our bodies and minds, helping us to feel more grounded and at peace.

This environmnet, known as “blue space,” highlights the unique therapeutic properties of naturally occuring water. Whether it’s the tranquil ripples of a pond, the rhythmic crashing of ocean waves, or the gentle babbling of a stream, water has a remarkable ability to soothe our senses and nourish our souls.

As residents of San Luis Obispo, we are fortunate to have easy access to the rejuvenating power of water. Whether it’s a stroll along the sandy shores of Pismo

>>

Beach, a scenic drive along the iconic Highway 1, or a peaceful moment spent gazing out at Morro Rock, we have countless opportunities to immerse ourselves in the beauty of the ocean.

So, let us celebrate the gift of water that surrounds us— the endless expanse that invites us to pause, breathe, and reconnect with ourselves and the world around us. As we bask in the soothing embrace of the ocean’s blue abyss, may we find solace, inspiration, and a renewed sense of wonder in the simple act of gazing at water.

In a fast-paced world filled with distractions and demands, let us not forget to nurture our souls with the restorative power of nature’s most precious resource. For in the gentle lapping of the waves and the endless horizon that stretches before us, we find a source of strength, serenity, and boundless beauty. SLO LIFE

Plan on taking a dip and want to know more? Visit the SurfSafeSLO website at slocounty.ca.gov/surfsafeslo.aspx for current beach water quality status, countywide beach water sampling locations, as well as links to sampling results, and press releases. Or call the Beach Water Quality Status Hotline at (805) 788-3411.

Experience San Luis Obispo with SLO Transit, your ticket to affordable and convenient travel within the city. SLO Transit provides bus service to students, residents, visitors and more who need access to iconic and popular SLO locations. For route and schedule information, visit us at www.slotransit.org or call Transit dispatch at (805) 541-2877.

Come Together

The heart of downtown SLO’s Corazón Cafe is good as gold

BY JAIME LEWIS PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESS LERNER

“Who doesn’t like alliteration?” asks Sara McGrath, who owns Corazón Cafe along with her husband Pedro Arias Lopez and Chef Crescencio (“Chencho”) Hernandez Villar. She joins me at a two-top dressed in a red tablecloth embroidered with blue and pink flowers. The cafe vibrates with color, not just on the tablecloths but on the walls, in the artwork—even the food. “That was my early thought for our tagline. We called it Corazón Cafe, and I added comunidad, comida, cultura. The food is Chencho’s focus, and the drinks are Pedro’s focus. But it’s the community and culture parts that impassion me and make me excited.”

Anyone who’s visited the buzzy eatery on Higuera Street knows what McGrath is talking about: Corazón Cafe is not your average Central Coast Mexican restaurant. For example, you won’t find a single taco on the menu. What you will find, however, is a selection of breakfast and lunch dishes (“It’s sort of a brunch menu right now,” says Villar), accompanied by a list of cafe drinks inspired by the flavors of Southern Mexico. The best-selling sips include a sweet Mazapan latte made with peanuts, and the Tascalatte made with roasted maize, piloncillo (a

sweetener similar to brown sugar) and annatto seeds. Their flavor profiles differ, but they share a common origin story: both drinks are specialties from Chiapas, the state in which Lopez grew up.

I’m not an expert on the regional drinks of Mexico, but of the many, many menus I’ve read on the Central Coast, I don’t recall seeing either of these items anywhere else. Similarly, the cuisine at Corazón Cafe occupies its own niche in the local food scene, with dishes that have roots in Southern Mexico and touches from elsewhere in the world. The Dobladitas de Maiz are a great example of this, with their spiced veggies inside corn tortillas, topped with Yucatan Chicken Mole sauce and crispy mozzarella and cheddar.

I take a bite of the dobladitas—a multi-layered dish rich with umami and spice that’s somewhat similar to enchiladas—and ask Villar if mozzarella is common in Mexican cuisine. >>

left to right Pedro Arias Lopez, Sara McGrath, and Chef Crescencio Hernandez Villar

“Not in Mexican food,” he says, “but I like it because it’s salty.” If anyone knows cheese, it’s Villar, who grew up in the state of Guerrero with both a mother and sister who make and sell queso fresco. He mentions that his mother visited San Luis Obispo recently, and made tamales that developed quite a following among the Corazón Cafe clientele.

“I told her, ‘I’m jealous,’” he says.

Lopez laughs. “Yeah, we thought about having a competition between them.”

Lopez’s warmth and sense of humor will be well-known to SLO residents who dined at the now-closed Big Sky Cafe, where he worked his way up through the ranks over the course of a decade. Lopez and Villar met there—the former in the front of house, the latter in the kitchen—and developed a friendship. Villar eventually moved on to become indispensable as a cook at Novo. Both men have a natural gift for hospitality, as well as the support of farmto-table pioneers Charles Myers who founded Big Sky in 1994, and Robin Covey who founded Novo in 2003. In fact, Myers helped Villar tighten up the menu at Corazón Cafe before opening.

“We’re blessed,” Villar says. “We have so many good people around us, good support whenever we need help. We knock on doors and they open. When we don’t know what to do,

we can go to people we know or,” he looks down at his phone, “. . . or we go to the smartphone for a starting place, for ideas.”

“Siri is my mentor,” says Lopez with a grin. But, back to McGrath. As an artist and public servant with a day job as a service coordinator for school-age children with disabilities (and an affinity for alliteration), her partnership with Villar and Lopez started with an interest in hosting a creative, inclusive community. She brings a spirit of togetherness to the space, whether as a gallery for the work of underrepresented artists (and a stop along the Art After Dark trail each month), as a study center for Cal Poly’s Latinx Cultural Association on Sundays, or as a hub for charitable donations to organizations like Mujeres de Accion, whose mission is to educate, empower, and lead the local Latino community.

I listen to the lively Latin guitar coming through the speakers, sip my Tascalatte and alternate between greedy bites of warm chilaquiles and piquant posole—all three menu items I highly recommend for their depths of nuanced flavor. They remind me of the three people behind this heart-filled operation, each uniquely gifted to contribute to the comunidad, comida, cultura of Downtown San Luis Obispo. SLO LIFE

Hidden Gem

BY BRANT MYERS PHOTOGRAPHY BY EMILY DESJARDINS

When I mention speakeasy what comes to mind? Atacadero-based Spent Grain Brewing is a speakeasy, but it’s probably not what you think. I walk around the large building twice and am checking doors to see how to get in. Nothing budges and I’m a little early to sneak through the businesses on the exterior. Not quite an alley but more of a well-lit corridor behind an Italian restaurant and under a condo development, there is no front door or even a window. How do you get in? Well, you text the owner and he

comes and gets you. True to the speakeasy theme, I’m greeted by a large, gruff, bearded man who opens the door for me. Luckily, it’s Chris Chambers, the owner and brewer of Spent Grain.

Getting sherpaed by Chambers is a useful experience, like half maître d’ and half secret service agent, he takes you past a myriad of white doors and opens one seemingly at random. This is the one. Two steps through the door and I’m in his 300-square-foot brewery and tap room. Yesterday was a brew day, and I could have followed my nose like Toucan Sam to find the place, but once inside you’re hit with aromas of dank hops while the room is a sterile white peppered with colorful rainbow pops of the brewery’s prismatic logo and collected breweriana.

I sit at one of the four barstools and immediately recognize another patron from another brewery from another time. Chambers is no slouch to the local brewing scene. Most may recall the long run of Dunbar Brewing in Santa Margarita, and the older drinkers may have had his beer from his brewery conjoining Ancient Peaks Winery, or even decades ago in Los Osos. He’s not only a veteran of the craft beer scene with his own brewery, but he’s also a military veteran himself as attested by the small nods to his service and the proudly displayed challenge coins on the tap tower.

Chambers not only served in the armed forces, but he prides himself on helping the local beer community whenever he can. Many stainless-steel tanks have been hoisted with him at the helm of the forklift. Always ready to lend a hand to a fellow >>

Chris Chambers, Owner

brewer he has had an impact on many of the beers you’ve consumed throughout the county and beyond. Currently, his reach is through the local brewing guilds and connections he makes at the annual conferences, culminating in the form of collaborations with area brewers (invited to come spend the day with him creating a unique beer he has Topa Topa Brewing from Santa Barbara and Tarantula Hill Brewing out of Thousand Oaks slated to travel North for a brew day). His onebarrel brew system churns out a whopping two kegs (thirty-one gallons), so these offerings are extremely limited and can go as fast as they’re made.

Being small has its advantages. Working his connections in the industry, Chambers can get hops not available to most, or even available at all, connecting directly with growers and piggybacking onto hop contracts to get a pinch of the bigger order. While he can brew with five pounds of fresh experimental hops, a larger operation like Firestone can drop that much on the ground without an impact; because of this, he’s able to create beer profiles that are not found anywhere else. He can also organize guest brewers to come to play with him on his smallscale operation, oftentimes hosting the Pink Boots Society, an organization of women brewers, to make a brew specifically for their non-profit. He is focused on the beer community, bringing together what can often be a fractious industry through collaboration and connections.

After sampling his broad selection of beers, I ponder aloud what it would be like to live above his brewery, hearkening back to the

olden days of Public Houses. Chambers lights up and informs me that he’s been told tenants have renewed their leases just for the perk of being able to walk down a flight of stairs and into a cold beer. Personally, that’s a liability for this libation lover. I walk through the flight of beers ranging from a Robust Porter to an Extra Pale Ale, and the hilariously named Strata Da Da Da IPA then I exit the building and enter the crisp night air for a walk around the Sunken Gardens. The good beers and good company have me feeling like it was time well Spent. Next time you brave the grade take a moment to stop for a pint and a chat with Chris Chambers at Spent Grain Brewing. Just remember the secret knock is just a text message away. So, raise a pint with me and say “Cheers” to this hidden gem. SLO LIFE on tap

!Spent Grain Brewing

6300 El Camino Real . Suite C . Atascadero (805) 464-7172

Open 3-8 Daily

I normally reserve dark beers for autumnal weather, but Robust Porters are an increasingly difficult style to find on draft anymore. Chambers is known for British styles, so I recommend trying his Sunset Porter. Heavy roast notes make this more unctuous than a brown ale, and more biting than a stout. Coffee lovers rejoice as this is the nighttime equivalent of your cuppa Joe. An ode to his first brewery on Sunset Drive in Los Osos, it clocks in at a reasonable 5.25% abv.

In Pursuit of passion

BY DAN FREDMAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY EMILY DESJARDINS

They say that being in the right place at the right time is a route to success, but combine that with abundant curiosity and imaginative lucidity, add a willingness to take a risk to an altruistic streak and an intense love of family, and you’re pretty much describing John Couch. The proprietor of Couch Family Wines has only lived in San Luis Obispo for four years but has become a local.

“Both sides of my family came from Italy,” shares Couch. “My dad died in an accident when I was six, so my mother moved to Riverside, California.” She eventually remarried leading to another move abroad, this time to France. “I didn’t drink wine then, but I was sent to the store to buy it,” jokes Couch.

When it came time for college, the Golden State called to him. “I’d gotten interested in computers. I fell in love with programming and wanted to dive deeper into it, but the only school offering an undergrad degree at that time was UC Berkeley.”

These were the early days of computer science—Couch was one of the first fifty people to receive a Computer Science degree at Cal, followed by a master’s degree. A year-and-a-half into his PhD work, he’d become intrigued by solving the conundrums of human/computer interface and error recovery, but his advisor thought that they were dead ends career-wise and wouldn’t sponsor his research. Instead of becoming Dr. Couch, he took a job at Hewlett-Packard where his mentor introduced him to a local kid who seemed pretty bright and was interested in solving the same interface problems. That kid was Steve Jobs. Couch’s motto has since been: Stick to your passion.

A few years later, Couch became Apple’s fifty-fourth employee. He worked with the software department in addition to his job as Director of New Products. He ran the introduction of the Apple Lisa computer (predecessor of the MacIntosh) and was spending most of his time on the road. He was extremely successful by any measure, but he confesses, “At two a.m. one night, I was looking out at the lights of NYC and feeling that I should have been more euphoric about everything. There was pride, but little excitement, and I couldn’t justify sixty to eighty-hour weeks when I had enough money and would rather be home with my kids.”

He was thirty-six when he first retired and moved his family to his vacation beach house in Del Mar. “I enrolled my children in a highly recommended Christian school called the Santa Fe Christian Academy, only to find out that they were dealing with problems in the curriculum and administration. They asked for my input on improving the situation, and after writing a business plan, I joined the board and spent ten years as a volunteer, running the operation and turning it into one of the top schools in the state. I learned a lot about how we learn, about how we’re educated, and that’s been a keystone to my passions ever since.”

It was at this point that Couch returned to the business world, working first for Mayfield with the title of “Executive in Residence” where he’d do startup troubleshooting for the venture capital firm, eventually shifting over to run DoubleTwist a pioneering firm in the bioinformatics field best known for their involvement in the Human Genome Project. After five years, Jobs called and convinced him to return to Apple as the head of the education department. He developed teaching programs using iPads and iPods, building the division into a $10 billion business over the next decade.

John Couch Owner

In the meantime, Couch had purchased property below Mount Eden Vineyard in Santa Cruz. “We planted Cabernet Sauvignon and I really enjoyed having a vineyard so close to my work in Silicon Valley.” But he was gearing up to retire, again. Of his four children, one of his sons had married a Cal Poly alumna and decided to stay in SLO. “My other kids had also moved to the area, and it made sense for me to be here too. With seventeen grandchildren, it’s important to be nearby.” So, Couch sold his Santa Cruz property and bought Bressi Ranch in San Luis Obispo. He shares, “I’ve been to eighty plus countries and could live wherever I’d want to, but SLO is my home. I love this area.”

“I moved here around the time my mother passed away and I wanted to honor her. I donated to the French Hospital to build the Mary Lou Couch Meditation Room and Inspirational Garden, and that got me thinking that if you’re going to move to SLO, you need to become part of the community instead of just coming here to retire. I also wanted my grandkids to learn the importance of giving back to a community.” Since then, his philanthropic involvement has included Cal Poly and the Performing Arts Center, Active Church, Jack’s Helping Hands, SLO FilmFest, and SLO Repertory Theater, among others. When Couch purchased a chemical analysis machine for the Cal Poly viticulture, it got him thinking, “There are around a thousand wineries in Central California—how can I leverage research at the school to benefit my neighbors? I used what I learned at Apple: to think different, to think ahead, to think big.”

With that in mind, Couch made a suggestion to Cal Poly for a wine research institute. He shares, “Part of this vision is to help the local wine industry come up with grape varieties that will thrive in this environment. In my vineyard in Santa Cruz I grew Cabernet Sauvignon, but here in the cooler temperatures of San Luis Obispo, I’m planting Italian varieties. Sagrantino, Nebbiolo and Verdicchio for now, and we’ll see where we go from there based on the research we’re conducting at Cal Poly. We have three acres planted now, with another six possible for the future.” SLO LIFE

*Couch Family Wines Tasting Room

1010 Higuera Street . San Luis Obispo couchfamilywines.com

They are presently featuring a tasting flight of four vintages of the Eden Estate Cabernet Sauvignon for $35, and another flight including the Logic Chardonnay and the Woz Chardonnay (named after friend, colleague, and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak), the Jewel Pinot Noir (made in conjunction with the singer) and the Logic rosé. The flight is a bargain at $30.

Naomi Killough Tasting Room Manager

left to right

John Couch, Lindsey Harn, Kelly Richardson, and Stacy Sullivan

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Culture & Events

Mulberry

On display at San Luis Obispo Museam of Art, local photographer and video producer, Barry Goyette, shares a collection of images rooted in the same location: a mulberry tree located in the City of SLO. Together, artist and subject walked a tightrope in creating portraits that look familiar, yet are infused with their own complex narrative and meaning, driven by the subjects’ stories. Through June 3 / sloma.org

understanding, education, and inclusion throughout SLO County—from SLO’s popular Fremont and Palm theatres to the wine country of Paso Robles and the seaside town of Morro Bay—play host to works from local, national, and international filmmakers. April 25-30 / slofilmfest.org

Jewel

Four-time Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, actress, author, and mental health advocate, Jewel, will perform at the Performing Arts Center following the grand opening of the new Trust Automation Plaza. The enhancement to the PAC Plaza was made possible by the incredible generosity of Cal Poly alumni Ty and Trudie Safreno. Couch Family Wines is the presenting sponsor.

April 6 / pacslo.org

SHABANG

Set among the rolling hills of Dairy Creek Golf Course, the tenth year of music, arts, and camping festival features four stages of performances, sixty artists, camping packages, art installations, and pop-ups from renowned wineries, breweries, and local food vendors. It’s the perfect grassroots West Coast weekender. May 3-4 / shabangslo.com

WINE4PAWS

Helping homeless pets, one glass at a time, this special weekend brings more than eighty SLO County wine, cider, and olive oil producers together to donate ten percent of their sales for two days to Woods Humane Society. No ticket or pre-registration required; just download a free map and head out to sip and savor; you can even participate by ordering online or by phone.

April 20-21 / wine4paws.com

2024 BUILDER GAMES

Who will carry home this year’s title of Builder Games Champion? Cheer on local teams building playhouses for children, as they race against the clock and face fun challenges. Enjoy gourmet food, fine wine, craft beer, and live music, with all funds raised benefiting the programs and services of People’s Self Help Housing.

April 27 / pshhc.org

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TAMALE FESTIVAL

The City of Atascadero brings you delicious traditional, gourmet, and sweet tamales from local restaurants and from other eateries across California. The eighth annual event features live music, food and beverage vendors, tamale judging and eating contests, margaritas (among a host of other adult beverages), a pet costume competition, and of course some fantastic photo opportunities.

May 4 / atascaderotamalefest.com

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Opera San Luis Obispo celebrates Mother’s Day weekend with the entire family in a grand production perfect for all ages: Disney’s musical version of Beauty and the Beast. A nationally acclaimed leading cast is accompanied by the full OperaSLO Grand Orchestra with sweeping sets and costumes, ballet, and chorus. Be there as Belle draws the cold-hearted Beast out of his isolation with love and music.

May 11-12 / operaslo.org

MR. BURNS

Cal Poly Theatre & Dance presents this 2012 “post-electric play” by Anne Washburn with a score composed by Michael Friedman. Set after a worldwide disaster, six survivors begin recounting episodes of pre-apocalyptic popular culture, including the TV show The Simpsons. With time, their stories morph into a travelling theatre show, with characters and plot ultimately changing into epic tales.

May 9-18 / theatredance.calpoly.edu

ART IN THE PARK

More than one hundred booths representing independent artists and craftspeople make for what many call the finest display of handmade art and crafts presented in SLO County. The outdoor setting in beautiful Morro Bay is perfect for strolling and appreciating fine workmanship, with a wide variety of food and drink also available along with hundreds of free parking spaces within three blocks of Morro Bay Park.

May 25-27 / morrobayartinthepark.com

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