SLO LIFE Magazine DecJan 2018-2019

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Contact our Publisher, Tom Franciskovich, to receive your copy (805) 543-8600 tom@slolifemagazine.com

SLOLIFE magazine

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LIFE SLO magazine

CONTENTS

Volume 9 Number 6 Dec/Jan 2019

42 KANNYN JANUARY

We stopped downtown for a visit with this shopkeeper to gain insight into our local economy and the business owners who drive it.

Publisher’s Message

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On the Cover

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Timeline

We take a look at local events from the past two months.

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View

It was a misty day in Cayucos with families wandering along its sandy shores when PAMELA LINK captured this picture-perfect moment.

In Box

SLO LIFE MAGAZINE

Briefs

Check out the latest news highlight reel.

Info

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| CONTENTS

Q&A

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64

With election season behind her, ERICA A. STEWART is ready to jump in with both feet as the newly elected San Luis Obispo City Councilmember.

Real Estate

Look no further for insight into the local housing market as we share the year-to-date statistics of home sales for both the City and the County of San Luis Obispo.

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Health

It seems there is always a new superfood making headlines and Sea-Buckthorn, with benefits ranging from heart health to weight loss, is making its way to the top of the list.

Now Hear This

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Self-taught musician BRENNETH STEVENS is a popular regular on the Central Coast music scene, who has played with over a dozen well-known bands.

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Family

Looking for a unique way to tour San Luis Obispo, PADEN HUGHES explores downtown in fun-filled fashion.

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Dwelling

With the San Luis Obispo city housing crunch now in a state of crisis, MAYOR HEIDI HARMON and GRACE SWANSON open their home to share a possible solution.

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Taste

Piping hot crust and cheesy toppings send JAIME LEWIS out on the town to slice up some the Central Coast’s favorite spots for pizza.

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K itchen

Just in time for the holidays, CHEF JESSIE RIVAS shares his traditional pork chop recipe served with apples and onions.

On the Rise

With an interest in philosophy and arts, San Luis Obispo High School senior ALEC WEST is making his way toward a successful future.

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Wine Notes

Nothing beats a glass of bubbles and ANDRIA MCGHEE discovers the Central Coast wine region has plenty of sparkling options to enjoy.

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Brew

Ready to savor a cold pint at the neighborhood bar, BRANT MYERS dives into the local craft beer scene and celebrates the industry’s growth.

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Happenings Looking for something to do? We’ve got you covered.

Check out the calendar to discover the best events around the Central Coast in December and January.

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| PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE

Alpha Probe Similar to most red-blooded American kids of my generation, it used to be a yearlong enterprise as I wrote one draft after another seeking perfection in my letter to Santa. If I could ask in just the right way using just the right words, I knew that he would squeeze down our chimney with everything on my list.

One year, I must have been around 9 years old, the same age my son, Harrison, is now, J. C. Penney mailed out a supplement to their annual catalog just ahead of the holidays. It used to be that the only thing my sisters and I had to guide us toward a successful Christmas was that old catalog, which was filled with everything from underwear to jumper cables. Now, we had it all at our fingertips—toys and dolls—in one simple, concise publication. Brilliance.

As I sat at the kitchen table waiting for my oatmeal to cool, I flipped open the dog-eared supplement yet again. Although I had already committed it to memory, I found comfort in the predictability of its pages.

There, toward the front of the publication was a two-page spread from the toy company Fisher-Price. They were advertising one of their perennial best sellers, a small, plastic version of the space shuttle complete with three buttons, which made three distinct sounds: “roaring rockets,” “space signals,” and “danger alert.”

My mom leaned in over my shoulder to dust my breakfast with wheat germ—she was convinced that stuff would keep us healthy through the flu season—and took note of the pages I was studying. “What do you think of that thing, Tommy?” she inquired. I shrugged my shoulders with indifference as I was getting to the age when anything made by Fisher-Price was not considered cool. Plus, I just could not get behind the name of the spacecraft: Alpha Probe. I mean, what exactly was it probing? And what was an alpha, anyway? If you are going to go into space, you should at least have a great name, like the Millennium Falcon. But I already had one of those; Santa hand-delivered it to me the year before and Han Solo and I spent the previous twelve months exploring our solar system. I was on to bigger and better things. This year, my letter requested a Honda ATV, a three-wheeler. As I said, I was going big.

For the past twelve months, I continuously took measure of my naughty/nice ratio. I watched it in the same way a day trader tracks a stock bouncing around on his computer screen. Despite my parents’ repeated attempts to shake me from my dream by pointing out the many dangers posed by 9-year-olds piloting three-wheelers, I was convinced that Santa and his watchful elves would side with me. When the morning of the main event arrived, I slipped out from under my electric blanket and found my two younger sisters huddled in the hallway. Together, we walked toward the tree.

Tension gripped us as the finality of the moment had set in. This is what we had been working toward all year.

Craning my neck around the corner, I anticipated my Honda ATV radiating back with a bright red bow taped to the gas tank. Instead, I spied a black, star-flecked box with the words “Alpha Probe” emblazoned across the front. My heart sunk as I began wrestling with the five stages of grief: Denial (this cannot be happening to me); Anger (what a load of b.s.!); Bargaining (I wonder if he would consider a trade?); Depression (it’s so horrible), and, finally, Acceptance.

My devastation was so thorough, so complete that I never bothered to send off another letter to the North Pole ever again, which did come with a bright side: I no longer needed to worry about being naughty or nice—I had been nice all year long and the only thing it netted me was an Alpha Probe.

I’m not sure when it happened exactly, but I think it was after my grandparents arrived along with many carloads of cousins and aunties and uncles in tow. Mom always let us kids sample a taste of the raspberry Christmas cordial she had been brewing since July as we gathered around the wagon train of tables assembled for the occasion—our normal kitchen table, which was connected to one of Grandpa’s fold-out tables, which was pushed into the Ping-Pong table—and said grace, one of three times we did so during the year. With my left hand holding Grandma’s right and my right hand in my uncle Dave’s huge left, I peeked through my mostly closed eyes to see everyone hand-in-hand, heads bowed, standing over more food than we could eat in a week. In that moment, I understood Christmas.

Now, I proudly display that old Alpha Probe in my office, sometimes pressing the buttons, sending “space signals” toward the North Pole. It serves as a constant reminder for what is important—and what is not. Although I really wanted that three-wheeler, Santa knew exactly what it was that I needed.

I would like to take this opportunity to say “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. And to you and your family, my best wishes for a happy holiday season and a healthy and prosperous 2019.

Live the SLO Life!

Get the story within the story by going to GrowWithTom.com and subscribing to Tom’s Bombs to receive the next installment.

Tom Franciskovich tom@slolifemagazine.com 14

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

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LIFE SLO magazine

4251 S. HIGUERA STREET, SUITE 800, SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA SLOLIFEMAGAZINE.COM info@slolifemagazine.com (805) 543-8600 • (805) 456-1677 fax PUBLISHER Tom Franciskovich CREATIVE DIRECTOR Sheryl Disher CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Paden Hughes Jaime Lewis Andria McGhee Brant Myers Jessie Rivas Shawn Strong CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Celeste Goyer Clovis IV Kaur Kristjan Pamela Link Vanessa Plakias 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.

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.

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

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR info@slolifemagazine.com 4251 S. Higuera Street, Suite 800 San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 Letters chosen for publication may be edited for clarity and space limitations.

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| ON THE COVER

A S NE A K P E E K

BEHIND the scenes WITH KANNYN JANUARY

BY VANESSA PLAKIAS

nnyn’s sweet was greeted by Ka I , ed riv ar I n he W or and had She opened the do sales gir l, Delaney.

“Oh, what ’s ry crown. I asked, this big sil ver, glitte rthday!” bi rd e said, “It ’s my 23 that for?” And sh

A representative for one of the non-profits that Kannyn recently raised money for, Degrees of Skill, stopped by to have her sign one of those huge, enormous, oversized checks, you know, like the kind they give people who win the lottery.

Kannyn said, “It’s not just what you see, it’s what you’re doing.” She talked about the human experience that goes along with helping people.

She told the story of when a little girl came in the other day to find a dress for her bat mitzvah, and then a woman dropped by for some new clothes after losing weight. She talked about how it is all the same thing, helping people feel better about themselves.

There were tourists with backpacks and cameras walking by, but it seemed that every other person knew her and would stop to say, “Hello.” One person after another would yell out, “Kannyn!” SLO LIFE 18

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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 MOUNT HUTT, NEW ZEALAND

PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII

HUNTER, JEREMY, ANDREW, PATRICK, and JOSH

TRAMORE, IRELAND

CHELSEA and ANTHONY

LEH PALACE, HIMALAYAS

RANDY and PAT HOSEGOOD MARTIN 20

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SALLY and CAROL

SOUTH SAWYER GLACIER, ALASKA

CINDY and PAT HILL

DUBROVNIK, CROATIA

ATHENS, GREECE

GARY and DARLENE TROWER

BARCELONA, SPAIN

DEAN and SUSIE

WINDSOR CASTLE, ENGLAND

JAN MARX in front of 4Gats (Cats) Barcelona, the site of Picasso’s first public exhibition.

DANUBE RIVER

ED and BARBARA DAWSON

PATTI and JERRY HEMPENIUS DEC/JAN 2019

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| IN BOX

You showed us!

BRYCE CANYON, UTAH

MARRAKECH, MOROCCO

CINDY JOHNSON, AXEL JOHNSON, and DAVID FORSTER

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA

JOHN and JOSIE GRADY

LARRY, JAN CARSEL, GLORIA ROSE, FRANCIE, LIZ, NAT SANTOS, MARY WOOD, and NANCY WALTER

CAMBODIA

CAPE SPEAR, NEWFOUNDLAND, CANADA

SHERIDAN GOVERS and JUDY MAY

We’re standing on the most eastern point of North America where we saw the first sunrise on the continent!

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ANN and STEVE HANSEN

LE MONT-SAINT-MICHEL, FRANCE

STEVE and JENNY MATHIS

COSTA RICA

STEPHANIE STACKHOUSE and MEMBERS OF SLO YOGA CENTER

ÉVORA UNIVERSITY, PORTUGAL

ROS MCQUADE and MARYLOU GOODEN

Thinking of Peggy who inspires us to carpe diem.

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| IN BOX

SLO LIFE travels!

SAMARKAND, UZBEKISTAN

MARILYN KINSEY

Cutting mulberry bark to make silk paper in Koni Gil village near Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

BEQUIA, ST. VINCENT, GRENADINES

TERRY and STEPHANIE CONNER (right), celebrating their 51st Wedding Anniversary, were joined on a Carribbean Cruise to Bequia, St. Vincent, Grenadines by newlyweds ROBERTA and DAVE WARD.

OKINAWA, JAPAN BANDON, OREGON

DENNY and SYBIL WHEELER PAULA FARRAR and NANCY KUNDE 24

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At Washed Ashore inside the replica of a whale skeleton made from plastic bottles picked up from the beaches.

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Trekking with you!

BALLYCARBERY CASTLE, IRELAND

BANGKOK, THAILAND

JOHN and FREDENE MAULHARDT RICHARD and CAROL MORTENSEN

RIO MONTEZUMA, COSTA RICA

NINA HANSEN relaxing with SLO LIFE after hiking to the top of one of the falls.

In the iconic lobby of the Mandarin Oriental on the Chao Phraya River, on our way to Bhutan.

TOLEDO, SPAIN

RICHARD and LAURA VORIE in Toledo, Spain Home to Marzipan (who knew?!), Manchego cheese, and a magnificent Cathedral. In fact, so many churches, it earned the sobriquet “Holy Toledo!”

Please send your photos and comments to info@slolifemagazine.com Follow SLO LIFE on Facebook: Visit facebook.com/slolifemagazine 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, city, state, phone number or email address (for authentication purposes).

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| BRIEFS

“I love that SLO still has a video store. Great place, friendly and helpful employees.”

A Yelp review from a year ago commenting on Crossroads Video in San Luis Obispo, the city’s last video rental store, which announced its closure after 25 years in business.

727 The number of pounds the pumpkin grown by Bill Quirk of Goleta weighed in at the 13th Annual Great Pumpkin and Scarecrow Contest held in San Luis Obispo’s Mission Plaza, which worked out to almost $1 per pound as Quirk took home an equally giant $750 check.

“This won’t be subtle.”

Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX, commenting on Twitter about the sonic boom expected from the launch at Vandenberg Air Force Base to put the SAOCOM-1A satellite into orbit. The mission made history in that it included the first-ever landing of a returning rocket on California soil.

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“We pray, God, that your wisdom and favor will be on our president, President Trump.”

Thom O’Leary, pastor at Mountain Brook Church in San Luis Obispo, who delivered a prayer with Donald Trump looking on for the Future Farmers of America (FFA) convention where O’Leary’s son, Luke, was elected as the FFA’s national president.

174 The number of years combined that two Higuera Street jewelry stores had been in business when they announced their closures. Kevin Main Jewelers had been operating for 45 years, while Marshalls Jewelers had been a mainstay in downtown San Luis Obispo for 129 years.

“I’m a finance major. I was just looking at the numbers and playing the probability game.”

Dallan Borboa, a 23-year-old Cal Poly graduate and San Luis Obispo resident, who described his recent experience as a contestant on “Wheel of Fortune,” a show he grew up watching alongside his great-grandparents in their Fresno living room.

$425,000 The asking price for the eccentric property at 881 Hillcrest Drive in Cambria, which is also known as “Nitt Witt Ridge,” and the “anti-Hearst Castle.” An outgoing voice recording at the home welcomes callers to the “world famous Nitt Witt Ridge, California State Landmark 939, one of the most trashiest places on Earth.”

$70,000 The potential cost to SLO County if it is to hold a special election to correct the mistake by the County Clerk-Recorder’s Office with a clerical error on the recent ballot concerning the race for the Los Osos Community Services Board of Directors. The seat should have been voted upon for a four-year term, instead of two years, to which Clerk-Recorder Tommy Gong accepted “full responsibly” for the misclassification.

“For the sake of all living things, let’s see to it that far more of our planet is protected by the people, for the people and for all time.”

The last sentence of a recent Op-Ed in The New York Times penned by Hansjörg Wyss, the billionaire owner of Halter Ranch Vinyard in Paso Robles, who pledged a $1 billion donation to help conservation efforts around the world.

17 The number of days that 26-year-old prisoner David Gray Hall was on the run after escaping from the California Men’s Colony in a state-owned van. The fugitive, who had been serving a five-year sentence for second-degree robbery, was found in a southwest Los Angeles park. SLO LIFE

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| TIMELINE

Around the County OCTOBER ’18 10/2

All American Pipeline, a Texasbased oil company, moved forward with a proposed project to reopen its delivery pipeline—including 37 miles through San Luis Obispo County—after it was found guilty of several criminal counts in connection to a pipeline break that caused the oil spill near Refugio State Beach in 2015. That spill, which released 142,800 gallons of heavy crude oil onto the Gaviota coastline in Santa Barbara County, was the result of a corroded onshore pipe estimated to be nearly 30 years old. The proposed new pipeline calls for a smaller 12 to 16-inch pipe to replace the old 24 to 30-inch pipe and will be outfitted with up to 49 shutoff valves to mitigate the impact of any future spills.

10/3

A new non-profit, City Farm SLO, officially opened its farm stand at 1221 Calle Joaquin to sell veggies to locals on Wednesday afternoons from 3 to 6 p.m. The produce, grown by tenant farmers and students from Pacific Beach Continuation High School, is used in school lunches for San Luis Coastal Unified School District’s cafeteria meals. Currently, the list includes carrots, corn, beets, beans, squash, as well as organic turmeric and ginger. Under the supervision of five growers—Teresa Lees, Corey Richmond, Josh Carmichael, Javier Magana, and Michael Huggins, City Farm SLO is situated on a 19-acre parcel within the city’s Calle Joaquin Agricultural Preserve and is operating with a 20-year lease.

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10/15

The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County announced that it is inching its way toward completion of the project known as the Pismo Preserve, but that it is still $3 million off its goal. In order to open the 880-acre swath of coastal hillside land to the public, a series of construction projects require completion, including a parking lot and entry road. Those improvements are budgeted for $4.2 million, and with only $1.2 million of it secured so far, The Land Conservancy began appealing to the public for help in raising the additional funds. The project, initially forecasted to open in 2015, has been plagued by a series of delays arising from unforeseen circumstances, such as the discovery of a Chumash burial site in the area where the parking lot was designated to sit.

10/16

The contract with the Economic Vitality Corporation (EVC) of San Luis Obispo to study the financial impact of Diablo Canyon’s closure was terminated by the board of supervisors, who claimed that certain milestones within the agreement had not been met. Although the county claimed that fundraising for the study had fallen short of the $120,000 required for the first phase of the project, EVC Executive Director Mike Manchak said that was false, and that his organization had raised $253,000 to-date. A previous study completed by Cal Poly in 2013 found that closing Diablo Canyon would result in the loss of 1,500 head-of-household jobs and have approximately a $1 billion annual impact countywide. The plant is on track to wind down its operations in 2025.

10/17

A motion was filed in SLO County Superior Court against District Attorney Dan Dow by defense attorney Ilan Funke-Bilu on behalf of his client, Herbert Connor, a 72-year-old Cambria resident, who was accused of assaulting a 67-year-old Cambria woman with the intent to rape her. The defense argued that Dow’s decision to personally prosecute the case—an extremely rare occurrence, which has not happened since 1996—amounted to political grandstanding and pandering to county voters just ahead of the DA race in June. Judge Barry LaBarbera, who coincidentally was the DA in 1996 that took on the prosecution of convicted murderer, Michael Whisenhunt, later ruled in favor of Dow.

NOVEMBER ’18 11/4

The City of San Luis Obispo made permits available for night hikes up Cerro San Luis in a controversial new pilot program.

Normally open from dawn to dusk, the iconic morro will stay open for up to 65 individual hikers and mountain bikers until 8:30 p.m. when it closes. In a closely watched vote, city council members were split on the decision 3-2 in January with Andy Pease and Carlyn Christianson dissenting. Opponents argued that the nighttime activity would be disruptive and stressful to nocturnal animals inhabiting the areas near the trail, while those in favor reasoned that many people who came home after work would still have the opportunity to hike mid-week.

Currently, only Cerro San Luis is part of the city’s night hiking pilot program.

11/6

Record turnout was noted in SLO County for the midterm election. In San Luis Obispo, Mayor Heidi Harmon was reelected to a second term, and incumbent city councilmember Carlyn Christianson was given another four years, and newcomer Erica A. Stewart was elected to her first term. In Arroyo Grande, voters selected a new mayor, choosing Caren Ray over incumbent Jim Hill and two new members were put on the council, Jimmy Paulding and Keith Storton. Paso Robles elected Maria Elena Garcia, its first woman to sit on their city council in 34 years. Measure G, known as the fracking ban, was defeated handily 56% to 44% and the attempt to repeal the state’s gas tax known as Prop 6 was defeated locally.

11/7

News surfaced indicating that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) will begin investigating medical and mental health care of inmates at the county jail following untimely deaths of those in custody, as well as violations of their civil rights, particularly those who are mentally and physically ill. The recently launched DOJ investigation will run concurrently to the FBI investigation, which is ongoing. Lawsuits at the jail continue to mount and are in addition to the $5 million awarded to the Holland family, which filed suit for wrongful death on behalf of their son, Andrew Holland, who died last year after being strapped to a restraint chair for 46 hours straight.

11/8

In the aftermath of the midterm election, it was determined that Big Oil— Chevron, Shell, and ExxonMobil—which came out against Measure G, otherwise known as the fracking ban, had spent $8 million to sink the effort, while those who supported it spent just $240,000 (with half of that amount in the form of donated professional services). In the end, the continual onslaught of advertisements bearing what the No on Measure G campaign described as “trusted messengers”—credible locals—ranging from a barbershop owner to a retired teacher, who recited the same talking points over and over again across the Central Coast making claims such as, “Measure G will result in the shutdown of existing energy production,” an assertion that was false.

11/15

SLOPD Chief of Police Deanna Cantrell announced at a news conference that her department had partnered with Transitions Mental Health to bring on board a full-time mental health clinician to embed with the Community Action Team, which is the unit tasked with servicing the city’s homeless population. The initiative was two years in the making and was finalized with a grant by the board of supervisors, which sponsored the $60,000 per year position that will be filled by John Klevins, who was most recently employed at the Atascadero State Hospital as part of its psychiatric unit. SLO LIFE DEC/JAN 2019

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www.BHGREHAVEN.com | SLO LIFE MAGAZINE | 33

DEC/JAN 2019

| VIEW

CAYUCOS

Pamela Link vowed to herself that it would be the last Alaskan winter.

By 2009, she had squirreled away just enough for a little motorhome of her own, which she then immediately pointed south down the Alcan Highway toward the lower forty-eight.

She made it as far as Morro Bay. That’s where she fell in love.

As a photographer, the drama created by the fog-enshrouded rock was too much to resist. After finding a cozy garage-top apartment for rent, she placed a “for sale” sign on the RV. Then she stopped in at the Gallery at Marina Square. The answer was “Yes,” as in “Yes, we would love to sell your photos.”

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Such is the life of Pamela Link, who is guided by feeling and emotion more than any particular strategy or master plan. And this sort of going-with-the-flow always seems to work out, like that time in the early 1970s when she happened upon the iconic landscape photographer, Ansel Adams.

“He was beside the road underneath his little drape taking a picture,” is how Link remembers the encounter. “I was with a group of photography students from Ventura College, and he invited us back to his studio for the afternoon.” The experience marked a period of rapid growth in the development of her art. Not more than a handful of years earlier, at the age of 13, Link’s father passed down his old Kodak 35. The clunky metal

MIST PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAMELA LINK

knobs and buttons clicked and twisted in her eager hands. It just felt right. Familiar.

Each camera from that point on was treated in the same nurturing manner of a ship captain looking after his vessel. And, similarly, her cameras are female. One such contraption, Martha, had a long spell as Link’s favorite, but she was run aground after a bottle of water balancing precariously on the back seat of her car toppled. Vowing to correct her clumsiness, the new Nikon D7000 was christened “Lady Grace,” as in graceful. Grace and Link had a good run together, including one morning on the beach in Cayucos that may have caused Ansel Adams himself to reconsider his commitment to the Yosemite Valley.

The weather report that morning called for trouble. Storms were brewing out at sea and the waves would be pounding the rocks sprouting from the sandy floor. Best of all, the winds would be blowing onshore. This combination, Link knew, meant just one thing: Mist. First scanning the scene from the pier as she faced south, the photographer began walking, snapping shots every few feet. For a while, before the storm touched down on the beachcombers, Cayucos was enveloped by some other time and place—a different dimension.

If there were ever an occasion for black and white photography, this was it. “I’m mesmerized by the mist,” Link shares. “And the graduated effect you get when everything becomes more muted in the distance— it’s just one of those mood things.” SLO LIFE DEC/JAN 2019

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| Q&A

BE THE CHANGE Newly elected San Luis Obispo City Councilmember ERICA A. STEWART drove over to our office in her little electric car, which she proudly noted her family bought used at a great price, to talk about her life and career. By day, she is employed by Cal Poly as their Associate Director of Personnel and Marketing for Campus Health and Wellbeing. But, afterhours, she now—for the first time in San Luis Obispo’s 247-year history—is the first African-American to take a seat on its city council. Here is some of what she had to say…

Let’s start by talking about where you’re from originally, Erica. Sure. Pretty much, I’m from Sonoma County. I was born in Oakland, but lived in Santa Rosa for most of my life. My mom was a single mom and she moved us there when I was in the second grade. Being one of a few half African-American people in that community was a little bit challenging.

She took my sister and me there to keep us as safe as possible and to get us into good schools. When we got to Santa Rosa, we lived in an area called Rincon Valley, which was very much like Los Ranchos here.

People had a lot of money and we didn’t. It was a great area to grow up. It was beautiful. It was safe. It was a wonderful climate. But, if you didn’t have the right money, you definitely weren’t in the right group. So, I just tried to lay as low as possible because I already kind of stuck out and was pretty shy. I was smart, but not honors level smart, so I was in that weird middle place always trying to find out where I belonged. I ended up doing theatre in junior high. Found my little group and just hung out with them. One of my friends from that time describes us as the “Island of the Misfit Toys.” [laughter] And what about college? Weren’t you the student body president? When I went off to college, I expected to do the same thing, but someone grabbed me by the hand and said, “Let’s go meet everyone in the residence hall right now.” Everyone was so different and nothing followed me from high school.

I was no longer the person who was defined by not having money and not being popular. I could be whoever I wanted to be at that point. I was able to blossom as my own self. I’ll never forget the first time I came back home and saw a bunch of my old high school classmates somewhere and people were like, “What happened to you? You used to be so quiet and shy and now you’re president of your dorm? What?”

I just kept getting involved and signing myself up for different things and finally ended up getting elected as the president of the ASI [student body].

Okay, what came next for you? I got married in ’97 and we were in the San Rafael area, then the Sunnyvale area, then we came here because I thought I had a job at Cal Poly, then they had a big hiring freeze, but we decided to go ahead and move anyway.

My husband already had a job set up, so we did it.

Then, a couple years later, we moved down to L.A. to work with a dot com start-up, but that didn’t work out, so we came back again. I got a job working at 36

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the courthouse as an H.R. analyst. We used to go over to get coffee and scones and whatnot across the street. So, I started talking to the owner and we just kind of went from there. He was looking for someone to bake the coffee shop goods and I was looking to get involved with that sort of thing at some point in time and make a little money on the side. It started off slow, I did it just part-time, but at some point I jumped in all the way. I did it for about three years full-time and probably five years total.

Tell us about the bakery. It was called Erica’s Baked Delights; it was a wholesale bakery. I sold to coffee shops, restaurants, and caterers. I made wedding cakes, too. We were living in Los Osos at the time and I had to be there at 4:30 in the morning and would sometimes work until 10:30 at night. We all know that it can be tough to raise kids here and have a family because jobs aren’t always easy to come by.

So, to grow as a young family can be a real challenge.

But, you do what you have to do. Sometimes you work two jobs, or whatever it takes. We have two boys, one is 19 and the other is 14, and two weeks after our youngest was born, my husband was laid off from his job. At that point we both had to start looking for something a little more stable. The bakery was a great experience. It taught me so much and it was profitable, but it just wasn’t enough to support the whole family.

Why run for city council? I just felt that it was time. You’ve heard that statement, “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” numerous times.

There is nothing new about it. But, I was listening to Obama’s farewell speech and he said, “If you don’t like something, you have to change it.” I was talking to a friend of mine and I was telling her that I wanted to do something to change things, but I didn’t know what and she said, “Have you heard of Emerge California?” Basically, they prepare women to run for office; it’s a candidate training. I looked into it, but I never wanted to be a politician, so had no desire to join. Out of curiosity, I flipped through the application and I realized that it was something I could do to make a difference. So, I went forward with it and did the program. As I got into it, I really started to get excited. Not just being a candidate, because that was not the appealing part, but I want to do the work—I want to make a difference. SLO LIFE

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| NOW HEAR THIS

THE MAN BEHIND THE MUSIC

BY SHAWN STRONG PHOTOGRAPHY BY CLOVIS IV

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T

here is a renaissance happening in San Luis Obispo County. Small businesses, breweries, and start-ups seem to pop up daily, with a surprising number of these going on to establish themselves within one of the oldest cities in California.

In a similar fashion, SLO has become an incubator for up-andcoming artists and musicians. With a seemingly endless number of unique venues and an ever-growing audience base to win over, the local scene is alive and well. Within this vibrant community, there is a tight-knit collection of musical groups and musicians that stand out, having long ago demonstrated their ability and staying power.

Moving further into this group, there is one local talent whose name can be found in line-ups spanning the entirety of SLO County and as far away as Nashville and the Pacific Northwest. A man who hails from the unassuming north county countryside, he can only be described as a modern-day polymath.

Brenneth Stevens, who is a Cal-Poly graduate, is just as comfortable behind a lab bench as he is behind the multitude of string instruments he has spent his life mastering—playing for the enjoyment of everyday music lovers and purists alike. Candle, Jade Jackson, Creston Line, Dead Volts, Turkey Buzzards, Cody St. James, Matt Woods, Joe Koenig, Tipsy Gypsies, Shawn Clark Family Band, Hilary and Kate, Ragged Jubilee, Ryan Delmore, Chris Beland, Arthur Watership, all artists who have enlisted the undeniable abilities of Stevens, who has graced the stages of an equally impressive number of events such as the recent Jackalope Fest, Live Oak Music Festival, Whalerock Music and Arts Festival, Wanderfest, and Side of the Mountain Fest, not to mention the countless gigs at local bars and wineries that dot the Central Coast.

Stevens’ upbringing was a colorful one, with a mother and twin sister who both are accomplished painters and photographers. And, after a childhood focused on skating and sports, an old, dusty guitar that had laid unattended in a spare room for years grabbed his attention. In the years following, teenage Stevens went on to tackle the piano, guitar, mandolin, banjo, and most recently, pedal steel—a singularly unique and remarkably difficult instrument.

Entirely self-taught, Stevens began playing in bands as young as 12 years old, eventually moving from performing impromptu shows for friends’ birthday parties to taking gigs with artists such as Kevin

Coons and new age country band Candle at the age of 16.

Throughout high school and college, the budding musician continued gigging locally and abroad, as well as finding work as a session musician in recording studios throughout California. Somehow, Stevens was also simultaneously maintaining a strenuous university course load, which eventually culminated in a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry.

Ever cool and collected, the musician/scientist continued to fulfill both rolls after school, working in laboratories all the way from Paso Robles to Stanford whenever he wasn’t busy traveling for his art. In considering these achievements, the words of Bernard Williams come to mind: “Talent is a flame. Genius is a fire.” And in 26 years, Brenneth Stevens has managed to embody this idea, stoking a creative intelligence that glows brighter with every passing day.

As far as future plans, Stevens is no less ambitious now than he was in the past. But having spent the last few years on a nearly non-stop schedule, he’s come to value balance more than ever. Subsequently, he has pulled back ever so slightly in his musical pursuits, a space to be filled with even more arduous activities. As a current masters student at Stanford University, and research assistant at an established biotechnology company, he hopes to pursue further research projects and ultimately a Ph.D. in either biochemical engineering or neurochemistry. This endeavor would be daunting on its own without taking into account the continued gigging and recording, which Stevens insists will always be a presence in his life no matter where his other pursuits take him—ideally, spaced out with a little more time for reading, backpacking, and living.

Despite having his sights set on brighter pastures, Stevens and I ended our discussion with a commitment. Regardless of where his passions place him in the future, there will always be a connection to this long stretch of coastline that formed his talents—a fire that continues to burn, and one that casts a warm glow from here to wherever the artist finds himself. And while his absence would be a loss for the city, his gifts would shine as an example of the extraordinary life he’s made and a perfect representation of the unbounded pool of possibilities that is San Luis Obispo. If you have the opportunity, make the effort to see one of the many incredible artists that Stevens works with, and witness a true, local virtuoso at work. SLO LIFE DEC/JAN 2019

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Los Angeles born, SLO County raised, SHAWN STRONG’s passion for the local music scene and artists that have created it, fuels his writing and drives his commitment to living the SLO LIFE.

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| ON THE RISE

S TU DENT SPOTLIG HT

Alec West Seventeen-year-old San Luis Obispo High School senior ALEC WEST is ready to chart his own course into an exciting future.

What sort of extracurricular activities are you involved in? I help teach Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to kids at a studio in Los Osos called Team Moreira Los Osos. I play guitar in my spare time. I currently am working on playing several jazz songs from the 50s and 60s by greats like Charlie Parker, as well as more contemporary songs by bands like Radiohead and artists like Stevie Ray Vaughan. I’ve started performing a little at small venues. I also am involved in the REACH Club at SLO High.

What recognition have you received? I won a Golden Tiger in math, another in honors English, and I received a third in AP US History.

What are your interests? I love movies, especially from the periods of 1920 to 1940.

I find so much charm and happiness in movies like “ The Philadelphia Story” or “The Trouble With Harry” that many contemporary films don’t quite give me.

What’s going on with you now? I’ve recently taken up climbing and have been working on applications to several colleges.

What career do you see yourself in someday? It’s hard to completely know what I want to do. I like reading, writing, philosophy, music, and film so it’s really a matter of how many of those interests I can synthesize into one dream job.

What has influenced you? I think my parents have always had the greatest influence on my life. It has been their support and encouragement that has helped foster my interests and always put me in a good head space.

What is something that most people don’t know about you? I suppose something many don’t know about me is how much I enjoy spending time teaching children at the Jiu Jitsu studio. It can be difficult at times to help keep the class under control, but the amount of genuine happiness and energy that they possess always keeps me coming back.

What sort of things do you look forward to most? I look forward to the moment when I discover something new and interesting to learn about, whether it’s a guitar technique or a new way of analyzing a piece of art. It fills me with genuine excitement.

If you could go back in history and meet anyone, who would it be? I’d love to meet someone like Cary Grant, just because he’s always so entertaining in his movies.

He was definitely a big part of my childhood experience. Also, director Fritz Lang because he has an interesting backstory, having directed films in post-WWI Germany before fleeing the country when it fell to fascism. He had an almost 50-year career.

What schools are you considering for college? I am currently looking at Reed College, Santa Clara, Cal Poly, UCSB, and UCSC, as possible options. SLO LIFE

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| MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR

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BRICK & MORTAR Now in her 15th year at the helm of Ambiance, a women’s clothing boutique headquartered in the heart of downtown San Luis Obispo, KANNYN JANUARY knows what it means to be a brick-and-mortar retailer living in a digital world. She bought the then struggling business as a 22-year-old Cal Poly senior and has expanded its operations to include four locations. With two young boys, a husband, and 40-plus employees on any given day, she sat down with us to talk about the hopes and dreams and struggles and realities that go along with being a downtown merchant. Here is her story…

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et’s start from the beginning, Kannyn, where are you from? Well, I was born in Hesperia, and then I moved to Lancaster, and then I moved to California City, which most people think is a truck stop on the way to Vegas. My parents were divorced, so I went to live with my dad for a few years when I was in high school. I played basketball. Growing up in the desert, we had a pool, because everybody did. We lived outdoors a lot, even though it was 108 degrees in the summer. We rode motorcycles and we rode horses, so that kept us pretty busy. You ended up in your car a lot, too, because we didn’t even have a grocery store in town. There was one stoplight when I was a kid. I think there’s a couple more now. There was a lot of military with the Air Force base nearby.

What did your parents do for a living? They were both in the mortgage business, and they worked a lot. I have four half-sisters, a stepsister, and three stepbrothers. But, they were all much older than me, so they were already out of the house when I was growing up. I spent a lot of time alone and was home a lot when I was younger, and probably watched way too much television. It was my babysitter growing up. I also played a lot of Legos. I thought I wanted to grow up to become a lawyer, then it was a doctor. I was always trying to prove myself and ended up being a straight-A student, Valedictorian. For college, I applied to just two schools: San Francisco State and Cal Poly. I remember racing up to Mojave at 11:15 at night to the UPS hub to hand them my applications at the deadline. I had to pound on the doors because they had already closed. If that guy did not open up, I probably would not have ended up in San Luis Obispo.

What did you do once you were here? I majored in biochemistry at Cal Poly and worked as a receptionist at a local law firm, which is when I knew for sure that I did not want to be an attorney. One day, I walked into a boutique downtown and one of the girls working there told me I should apply for a sales associate position that had opened up. So, I did.

And, since my mom always told me that anything worth doing is worth doing well, I’d stay late, I would cover shifts, and always go the extra mile.

I worked with a super, great bunch of girls and we all became really good friends and spent a lot of time together, even outside of work. It felt like a family. I loved my job. Then, I got promoted to assistant manager and I started helping with the buying. I have always been really good at math, so I also took on the bookkeeping. The business was really a mess, though, and I was always trying to mitigate problems with the vendors who were frustrated that they weren’t getting paid. The owner’s solution to every problem was to buy more inventory and, as things spiraled downward, she quit coming to the store. In the middle of all this, I became the manager and it started getting really bad. We were pulling cash from the till to cover bounced paychecks for the employees.

Ouch… Finally, the owner had a full meltdown and said she was done, didn’t want to do it anymore. And I said, “Well, why don’t I buy it from you?” I was still a student, 22 years old at the time. I thought that I could do it for a couple of years, take my MCATs and sell the store to make the money to pay for medical school. I remember calling my dad and saying, “I want to get an SBA loan; I want to do this.” I think I paid her $110,000 for the store, but I didn’t know how to negotiate, so all that I got was an old computer system and some cheap hangers and racks. I basically bought her out of debt, so that I could continue business with some of the vendors. I started remodeling the store before the loan came through, so I

financed the construction with my credit cards and my student loans. My mom would come visit and she would take me to Costco and buy me hot dogs, and beans, and tortillas. I lived off that for a very long time.

Okay, when exactly was this happening? So, this was back in 2004 and the previous year Ambiance did $1 million in sales. In my first year as the owner, I did $220,000. I learned the hard way that you should never buy a business then change everything to make it your own, which I did. We painted the store gray and said, “Oh, let’s make it more Euro,” so we brought in all this modern Danish merchandise. After that hard lesson, I painted the walls pink and made it more feminine and we climbed back up to $550,000 in sales that next year. We were all doing high-fives. And somewhere around that time, my husband and I had a baby. So, although we weren’t losing money anymore at this point, we still were not making any either. I called my dad and cried a lot, then I fired everyone and ran the store by myself. I had two friends that would help me do stuff with the clothes, but I had no employees. It was a tough time, but I committed myself to watching five minutes of “The Secret” each morning before going to work. I know it sounds cheesy, but on my way there, I would tell myself over and over, “I just gotta make this work.” My husband, Colby, was still in school at the time at Cal Poly and was working nights at Big Sky. I worked with all my vendors and called the utility companies to ask them, “What’s the very least I can pay this month and still keep the lights on?”

How did you turn the corner? We slowly dug our way out. I cut my inventory way back, while still maintaining whatever volume we were doing at the time, something like $40,000 per month back then. But it was a massive amount of work. I steamed all the clothes, tagged all the merchandise, did the sales and service. Then, when Colby went to work he would drop off our son, Hayden, and he would be with me for three or four hours in the store. He would just run around with me. He had a little playpen, but he liked to crawl around and then, when he could walk, I’d chase him around the racks. He loved to take the garment roll and unroll it and slide on it. We spent a lot of time together at that point out of necessity. It was challenging, but I kept reminding myself that we’re not living in poverty somewhere in India. My child is healthy. I’m healthy. My husband is healthy. We have a roof over our heads. We can put food on the table. Really, life is great. I just kept saying that out loud until I believed it.

And it became true.

When did things really start to click? It was one day when a girl was shopping in my store. She was just super charismatic. She could have started a cult, if she wanted to. Beautiful. And super positive. I asked her if she was looking for a job and she said she was actually going to be moving to town in a couple of months. When she came on board, she and I worked together and we nearly doubled the business that year doing almost $900,000 in sales, which was a huge jump. It was a challenge just to buy enough merchandise for the racks. She ended up leaving for New York and then marrying someone from Montecito. When she settled back in that area, she ran my Montecito store for a while but has since moved on. That is the number one challenge: finding great employees. It’s just so hard to hire right now.

Why is that? I don’t know where everybody is. I don’t know if people are just not needing to work, or if there are too many businesses in the area hiring that the remaining pool is very, very shallow; but it’s crazy. I have never had that issue here in SLO. In Mill Valley, yes, where people are making a half-million dollars working at Google, but not here in SLO. >> DEC/JAN 2019

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This is something new. In the last five years, I have had so many no-shows for interviews. They’ll send their resume over and then we’ll set up a time to meet and they don’t even bother to show up. It used to be that you had to dress up, pound the pavement going from one business to the next, ask if they were hiring and fill out an application, then sit down for an interview. Now, they just fill out a form online and press a button. There’s no commitment and very little effort. We’re losing something with all this convenience. It drives me crazy.

Other than hiring, what are the other challenges? Right now, it’s foot traffic. You’ve got to have great employees for when people come into the store, but first they have to come into the store. If they are not coming in, it does not matter how great your employees are. And, of course, the Internet has always been a big competitor for those of us in brick-andmortar businesses. It used to be that the holidays were always retail’s busiest time of the year, to the point where people would save that money and it would get them through the next six months of business. It’s not that way anymore. Christmas is not our busiest time. It’s because people have slowly started shopping more online. I think downtown SLO, specifically, I think the parking situation is becoming a nightmare. Did you hear what they started doing? They’re putting in new machines that are taking a picture of your license plate each hour. So, after two hours, even if you put money in the meter, you will still be ticketed. It’s a $50 46

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ticket. It’s a huge cash grab for the city. There’s been really no mention of it in the news. I’ve had several customers come in pretty pissed. They’re like, “This is why I don’t go downtown anymore.” We saw that the summer months this year were soft in terms of foot traffic, and there was a big drop off last month for the first time in a long time.

Okay, so what is the formula for success in retail? You need to work on hitting your goals, and having growth. You need to know what your break even is, because there’s a break even number for every business. You need to understand your costs, your overhead. And in retail, it comes down to inventory. Too much inventory and your cash is tied up and you’re in trouble, too little and you are missing your opportunity for additional sales. You’ve got to turn that inventory over at least six times a year. The challenge for us is that we have to buy eight or nine months in advance, so you have to forecast what the fashions will be and what the economy will be like into the future. But, none of that matters if, like I said before, you don’t also have great employees and strong foot traffic. And, of course, there is scale. You can always scale it out by adding more stores.

What does the future hold for you? I never thought I would do this forever, but then I got better at doing it. Then I opened a second store, then a third, and a fourth. I don’t think there will be a fifth, but you never know. I mean, I’m an entrepreneur, and if the right opportunity presented >>

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itself it would be really hard to walk away. Ultimately, though, I started doing this because of the people I worked with, then it became about helping women look good and feel better about themselves. But, I do feel like we’re over-consuming as a country, as a whole. It’s a moral dilemma for me in many ways. I’m here asking myself, “How do we sell more units and at higher average dollar sales?” At the same time I worry about being part of an unhealthy culture that puts so much emphasis on consumer spending. I certainly don’t think that materialism is the answer, but I also see how much of a difference a beautiful new outfit can make for someone who just lost 20 pounds or beat cancer or got a promotion. It can be very empowering for women, and that’s really what drives me more than anything else.

And, how about outside of business? As I get older, I think more and more that I just want to be with my family; bake cookies and help with the school carnival and coach basketball and not have to worry about getting sued by a disgruntled employee. At the same time, I want to be 48

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able to pay for my kids to go to college. And I want for us to take a family vacation. Again, it comes back to quality employees, which is something that I worry about, quite frankly. What you are getting with applicants today is not even what you would have gotten ten or even five years ago. I don’t know what happened with this generation of kids, but they just do not have the work ethic and they don’t have the ability to solve problems on their own. I mean, I have had employees that don’t even know how to address an envelope, that don’t know how to clean a bathroom, or how to sweep or mop. I feel like their parents have certainly meant well, but have done a tremendous disservice. That’s why I won’t let my own kids have smart phones. I read an article in The New York Times that talked about all these high-powered Silicon Valley executives who don’t allow their kids near any of these electronics they are creating. So, why should I? It must drive my kids’ teachers crazy, but I always insist they get actual books for their homework, not computer assignments. I’ve seen too much downside that has come with all things digital. I feel like they are distracting us from what is important, and stimulating us like a drug. >>

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What about you—don’t you ever go online? I do actually, I go on YouTube and watch fly-fishing instructional videos. [laughter] I grew up around horses and wide-open spaces and I sometimes daydream about selling it all and buying a ranch in Montana, maybe opening a little coffee shop there. I don’t think I would ever do it, but I need to figure out how to reduce my stress level right now. If I were a pot of water I would be boiling constantly. I think I need to just go learn to fly-fish; it just looks so Zen. The other thing that helps is playing Nerf gun wars with my boys.

Sometimes that will be the best 20 minutes of my day. I’ll laugh, and let go. I won’t think about anything else. Other than that, I’m always working.

Whether it is working at being a better mom, or a better business owner, or a better wife, it’s difficult to do all three at the same time. Someone once asked me, “Do any of them suffer?” I had to think about it for a 50

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minute, because it was a tough question, and I said, “Yes, but never at the same time.” It’s a hard thing for me to admit because I put a lot of pressure on myself, but it is true.

What else are you thinking about these days? No matter what, I really focus on staying positive. I tell my kids all the time, “What we think about we bring about.” I think my gift is that I like to learn. I can see other people’s talents, and I just want to learn from them. I think that a lot of business owners struggle with that. Instead, they struggle by themselves trying to carry the entire load on their own shoulders. I’m always telling people, “Tell me what you know.” I want to learn from everyone’s mistakes and successes. I believe that’s why we’re all here, to support each other. We die in isolation. We really do need community. SLO LIFE

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| FAMILY

ROLL ON DOWNTOWN

I

BY PADEN HUGHES ’m busy. You’re busy. We’re all busy.

Busy doing the same stuff over and over again.

That’s why sometimes you just have to shake it up a bit. Turn things upside down. Inside out.

And do it differently. Play.

Enter Big SLO Bike.

Let me back up for a minute and put the emphasis on “big,” because I am about to share the story of a really big bike. Really big. As in 15-people big. And that, in a nutshell, is what Big SLO Bike is, a super humongous bike riding around downtown San Luis Obispo. You may have spotted it already and wondered, “What is that?”

While it looks more like a tiny school bus without an engine and without side panels, plus everyone faces in toward one another, the passengers actually power the vehicle by peddling along. At the front, behind a steering wheel is a driver, who also serves as the tour guide depending on where you want to go and what you want to do. Currently, the company offers three different options: microbreweries, wine and bites, and something they call just cruisin’. Each one of them lasts for about two-and-half-hours. And, for me, it was exactly the twoand-a-half hours that I needed.

After some quick instructions, which essentially boiled down to something like, “Hold on, pedal, have fun,” we found ourselves gliding into a parking spot in front of the Barrelhouse Brewing Speakeasy on Chorro Street. After passing by the barber chair at street level, we headed downstairs for a pint of IPA, which hit the spot after the short burst of activity on the big bike. Many of us in our group talked about the unique perspective offered by pedaling around downtown. None of us had ever seen Higuera quite the same way, and I doubt we will again— at least until our next time out with Big SLO Bike.

Brought to life by the local trio of Wes Zimmerman, Johnny May, and Jay Winter, their new business is as unique as it is invigorating. There is just something about pushing those pedals in unison that brings everyone

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together. And what they are doing, even if it is on a very small scale, should be commended—our carbon footprint that night was microscopic. It inspired some of us in my group to think about how we could expand upon it, perhaps reaching for our own bicycles more often than we do now. And that’s where things usually start, with a conversation.

The next stop was Libertine. On the way there, I was struck by the number of people walking along the sidewalks who stopped to watch us sail through—28 pistons pumping as one, propelling us forward. With each turn of the crank, I felt a little more stress release.

Another frosty pint and we hopped back on the bus and pedaled our way down Higuera toward Old San Luis BBQ Co. for dinner. Tri-tip sandwiches are quintessential SLO, and these did not disappoint the hungry crowd.

Although my daughter is too young right now, too little to reach the pedals, I would absolutely recommend Big SLO Bike as a family outing. And since there are 14 seats on the bus, it would mean either a very large family or perhaps a small family reunion in some cases, and most likely some combination of family and friends. But, the thing I love about it is that it fits all shapes and sizes, all ages and abilities. There is nothing to it. Just as the tour guide instructed, you really just hold on, pedal, and have fun. As long as you can reach the pedals, it only requires a very minimal level of fitness to join in.

An 8-year-old could very comfortably sit next to an 80-year old, granddaughter and grandfather, and have a blast enjoying downtown San Luis Obispo together; slowing down and seeing things—and one another— PADEN HUGHES is co-owner of Gymnazo in a whole new light. and enjoys exploring the Central Coast.

Which is the entire point of Big SLO Bike. SLO LIFE

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(805) 546-8777 elderplacementprofessionals.com DEC/JAN 2019

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| DWELLING

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Living

with Grace Did a tiny San Luis Obispo non-profit find an answer to the housing crisis?

BY TOM FRANCISKOVICH PHOTOGRAPHY BY CELESTE GOYER

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T

he unmistakable smell of marijuana guides me to the mayor’s front door.

As I make my way through the stone path leading up to the courtyard gate, I quickly pass by the lending library first and then three dozen or so assorted garden ornaments ranging from placards inscribed with New Age affirmations to various forms of Catholic iconography.

I was running a few minutes late to the interview, and with the camera bouncing on my hip, I leaned over the fence to spy Heidi Harmon sitting there with her omnipresent red rose clipped to her blouse flanked on her left by an older woman whom I did not recognize. She had the most magnificent head of white hair I have seen in my life so far. Seated on either side of the chair waiting for me were two executives from the non-profit HomeShare SLO, which is attempting to solve San Luis Obispo’s housing crisis one room at a time.

After saying, “Hello,” I clicked my voice recorder to the “On” position. Harmon, who was then embroiled in a bitter re-election

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campaign, was drained. The race was taking a toll. I could sense the tension rising along with the pacing of her speech when I asked her about how things were going. That’s when Grace grabbed her hand. And, for the hour we visited, she did not let go.

Grace Swanson, who is 89 years old, rents a room to Harmon in the Laguna Lake Mobile Home Estates, which is just off of Los Osos Valley Road on the north end of town. The term “mobile home” is a bit of a misnomer in this case, because it feels more like a well kept mountain cabin retreat than it does something with wheels attached to it. It would look perfectly natural had it sat somewhere on the slopes overlooking Big Sur, which, as it turns out, makes perfect sense.

Although one of six children who lived through the Great Depression, Swanson soon found herself married to a successful businessman and living in a 27-room mansion in Pennsylvania. One day, as she tells the story, she looked around the empty expanse and said to herself, “Is this all that there is?” One thing led to another and she ended up at the Esalen Institute teaching yoga on the cliffs above the mighty Pacific. There she met Bob Swanson, an athlete visiting from San Luis Obispo. After first living in a hollowed-out tree trunk, the couple made their way back to the Central Coast where they began remaking the doublewide into >>

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something that felt more appropriate for 1960s-era nature-loving hippies.

Life became a series of experimentation.

Vegetarianism. Veganism. Fasting (Swanson once fasted for 42 days, an experience she recalls as “pure rapture”). Sun gazing (she describes it as “my food and my medicine”). Mountain running. And, of course, marijuana.

Harmon is quick to cite the new city statutes as it pertains to personal cultivation of marijuana plants, “You can legally grow up six plants on your own property.” And, Swanson interjects noting that she would tear out her allotment immediately if it put the mayor in any sort of political jeopardy. And, most of the time, you would not know the difference, but on that afternoon the breeze was wafting through just as they were reaching full bloom.

The shift in Harmon’s demeanor and her posture were visible after her housemate clasped her hand. The subject was housing and the mayor was describing the rancor over the two new massive housing projects planned for the south end of town known as San Luis Ranch and Avila Ranch. “We need to do that,” she said as if on the campaign stump, “but there is also this way, too.” By “this way” she was referring to how she and Swanson are doing it: home sharing.

The concept is as simple as it is innovative.

Someone, generally an older resident, lives in a home with an extra room or two. Another person, often younger and with a lower income, needs a place to live. You put them together and—presto!— that is where the magic happens.

When Stephanie Teaford worked at Cal Poly as a Community Liaison, this concept became a no-brainer. Her eyes were opened to the power of this combination and she could not let the idea go, which is why she joined the team at HomeShare SLO. Their mission is simple: Find more people like Heidi and Grace and put them together. Building massive new, sprawling suburban neighborhoods is the old way of doing business. Home sharing is the >>

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new way. Except it’s not new—they have been doing this in Europe for generations, particularly when it comes to university students, which makes it all the more intriguing in a college town such as San Luis Obispo. Teaford leans forward in her seat as she ticks off the many problems her agency solves, primarily that it “helps people stay in their homes as they age while bringing in extra income, as well.”

But, it may be the intangible effects where the previously referred to magic comes in to play.

Although the organization pairs candidates and available rooms—they refer to the parties as “seekers” and “providers,” respectively—through an extensive vetting and training process, complete with an exit plan and mediation in the event things do not work out, it is those everyday human interactions where the magic is found. Harmon describes coming home late feeling bruised and bloodied after a particularly contentious city council meeting to find a note from her housemate, which read: “I love you and adore you.

Have a great day, Grace.”

It was not long after Harmon started her first term as mayor that she received a perplexing voicemail message. She reckoned that it was the voice of an older woman, and she was amazed to learn that she slept outdoors, under the stars. The caller complained that the jets flying overhead were polluting the environment, and could you please do something in your position as mayor to put an end to it? Harmon hung up, shook her head, and asked herself, “Am I also in charge of the air traffic over the city?” Those first few months at city hall were akin to drinking water from a fire hose, and it would not have surprised her had she been responsible for those airliners, too. She called the woman back and the two had a pleasant conversation, but, in the end, the mayor only wields so much power and her jurisdiction, she explained, did not include the stratosphere.

That woman, who she then affectionately referred to as “Jet Lady,” was Swanson. And she still sleeps outside across the yard from her half-dozen marijuana plants. A year or so later, after that first phone call, by chance, Harmon bumped into Jet Lady at a gathering hosted by Linnaea Phillips, >>

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who previously owned Linnaea’s Café on Garden Street in downtown San Luis Obispo. Those gatherings have become legendary among the older, local intellectual set, who refer to them as Linnaea’s Salons. It was at one of those salons that the mayor found herself under the spell of Jet Lady, and the two began forming the beginnings of a bond which appears to deepen with each day.

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And the bond, as it turns out, runs both ways. Harmon talks of her adventures in fasting, “She got me to do it for three days, nothing but water. Usually, I only fast for about 15 minutes.” And Swanson describes her newfound fascination with the political process.

“I’m not a politician, but I’m learning something that is really essential from Heidi. I just think that she is so courageous to do this work.” That last comment lingers in the air for a long pause before I ask one final question of the pair, the seeker and the provider, “What is the best part about doing a home share?” Without hesitation, Swanson offers the answer: “We take care of each other.” SLO LIFE

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BY THE NUMBERS

REAL ESTATE

| SLO CITY

laguna lake

2017 Total Homes Sold 56 Average Asking Price $700,977 Average Selling Price $691,977 Sales Price as a % of Asking Price 98.72% Average # of Days on the Market 28

2018 51 $850,955 $837,179 98.38% 36

+/-8.93% 21.40% 20.98% -0.34% 28.57%

tank farm

2017 21 Total Homes Sold $810,942 Average Asking Price $802,233 Average Selling Price Sales Price as a % of Asking Price 98.93% 23 Average # of Days on the Market

2018 19 $883,516 $875,590 99.34% 40

+/-9.52% 8.95% 9.14% 0.41% 73.91%

cal poly area

2017 Total Homes Sold 28 Average Asking Price $793,596 Average Selling Price $784,964 Sales Price as a % of Asking Price 98.91% Average # of Days on the Market 29

2018 31 $1,033,591 $996,653 96.43% 31

+/10.71% 30.24% 26.97% -2.48% 6.90%

country club

2017 Total Homes Sold 13 Average Asking Price $1,259,466 Average Selling Price $1,213,719 Sales Price as a % of Asking Price 96.37% Average # of Days on the Market 53

2018 18 $1,224,938 $1,181,888 96.49% 79

+/38.46% -2.74% -2.62% 0.12% 49.06%

down town

2017 Total Homes Sold 75 Average Asking Price $763,982 Average Selling Price $759,129 Sales Price as a % of Asking Price 99.36% Average # of Days on the Market 45

2018 45 $903,642 $893,827 98.91% 54

+/-40.00% 18.28% 17.74% -0.45% 20.00%

foothill blvd

2017 Total Homes Sold 46 Average Asking Price $770,223 Average Selling Price $756,495 Sales Price as a % of Asking Price 98.22% Average # of Days on the Market 27

2018 38 $892,397 $878,261 98.42% 29

+/-17.39% 15.86% 16.10% 0.20% 7.41%

johnson ave

2017 Total Homes Sold 46 Average Asking Price $780,270 Average Selling Price $776,033 Sales Price as a % of Asking Price 99.46% Average # of Days on the Market 32

2018 53 $884,187 $867,789 98.15% 45

+/15.22% 13.32% 11.82% -1.31% 40.63%

*Comparing 01/01/17 - 11/20/17 to 01/01/18 - 11/20/18

®

SOURCE: San Luis Obispo Association of REALTORS

SLO LIFE

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DEC/JAN 2019 | SLO LIFE MAGAZINE | 65

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REGION

NUM B E R OF H OM E S S OLD

A VE R A GE DA Y S ON M A R K E T

MEDIAN SELLING PRICE

2017

2018

2017

2018

Arroyo Grande

290

286

58

50

$782,542 $764,369

Atascadero

362

321

55

47

$556,648 $573,611

Avila Beach

15

14

79

73

$1,064,667 $1,211,691

Cambria/San Simeon

141

148

83

76

Cayucos

54

48

114

86

$1,089,833 $1,091,115

Creston

13

10

71

153

$787,000 $949,100

Grover Beach

151

119

43

44

$523,150 $534,509

Los Osos

118

147

35

37

$614,737 $650,300

Morro Bay

132

132

61

62

$688,047 $737,531

Nipomo

233

267

60

51

$632,327 $674,884

Oceano

46

43

52

50

$448,413

Pismo Beach

132

131

55

79

$1,060,773 $975,314

Paso (Inside City Limits)

413

357

42

35

$484,536 $499,626

Paso (North 46 - East 101)

44

54

49

48

$489,906 $509,770

Paso (North 46 - West 101)

85

102

98

92

Paso (South 46 - East 101)

53

50

71

59

$698,495 $702,730

San Luis Obispo

315

294

34

43

$791,921 $933,953

Santa Margarita

16

15

33

95

$412,988 $424,600

104

108

67

79

$714,771

2,656

2,518

54

53

Templeton Countywide

*Comparing 01/01/17 - 11/20/17 to 01/01/18 - 11/20/18

2017

$710,141

$515,143

2018

$754,678

$511,098

$691,213

$819,052

$649,892 $698,084

SOURCE: San Luis Obispo Association of REALTORS

®

SLO LIFE

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Jason Vork DRE 01031282 805-440-4593 DEC/JAN 2019

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SPONSORED

GARDEN STREET is nestled in the HEART of San Luis Obispo—a beautiful

historic street recently reimagined and redesigned. Only locally owned businesses line our beautiful street, a unique detail. We invite you to spend a little time strolling our relaxing new street and see what our Garden Street businesses can offer you and yours this holiday season!

FANTASTICO!!!

Argentinian designer, Rocio G, created this amazing handbag with its western/southwestern vibe. Individually handcrafted, no two are alike. Only the finest leathers and select materials as well as hand stitching are used when creating these amazing works of art. Rocio G can be purchased in Montecito or if you’re lucky, this one at Finders Keepers!

This one of the many fabulous treasures that can be found at Finders Keepers. Boots, cashmeres and the latest designer jeans are just a few of the things you can look forward to in this luxury, ever changing, consignment boutique.

VEGAN DESSERTS AT LINNAEA’S CAFE

Contact for Pricing // Finders Keepers Consignment Boutique 1124 Garden Street, San Luis Obispo (805) 545-9879 // slofinderskeepers@gmail.com

All it takes is a phone call to place an order for crowdpleasing holiday desserts. Pies, cakes and cupcakes are all available in classic, vegan and gluten free options.

Prices Vary // Linnaea’s Cafe 1110 Garden Street, San Luis Obispo (805) 541-5888 // linnaeas.com

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T - The Heart of Downtown San Luis Obispo

SPONSORED

CLEAN LINES AND REFRESHING DESIGNS

Baxter Moerman is a boutique manufacturer of handcrafted fine jewelry. Offering a full showroom of refreshing creations made with recycled gold and platinum, created one-by-one in our Garden Street studio. Modern classic jewelry. Made fresh daily.

Prices Vary // Baxter Moerman // 1128 Garden Street, San Luis Obispo (805) 801-9117 // baxtermoerman.com

RELAXATION & REJUVENATION AT SPA SERRA

Introducing Michele Mignone, a Central Coast native excited about her return to SLO County to join the Hotel Serra team as Spa Manager. Michele’s passion for creating relaxing and rejuvenating experiences will be more than fulfilled with the opening of SLO’s first Downtown luxury spa. Drawing inspiration from the vast kelp forests, the Quiet Room at the 4,000-square-foot Spa Serra features mesmerizing, semi-transparent bubbling walls.

More info can be found at HotelSerra.com Hotel Serra Coming 2019 1125 Garden Street, San Luis Obispo hotelserra.com

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Don’t forget those with curly hair on your naughty and nice list! Salon62 with its DevaCurl-trained stylists is the place for the place curly ringlets.

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G A R D E N S T R E E T - T h e H e a r t o f D o w n t o w n SDEC/JAN a n L 2019 u i s | OSLO b iLIFE s pMAGAZINE o

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SPONSORED

COME ONE! COME ALL!

Hotel Serra has just begun accepting bookings for Fall 2019!

Visit HotelSerra.com to book your stay in one of our luxurious rooms and be one of the first to experience this long-awaited oasis on the most charming street in the heart of Downtown SLO. Hotel Serra Coming 2019 1125 Garden Street, San Luis Obispo hotelserra.com

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Gem collectors love the refreshing cool color of the Tanzanian Merelani Mint Garnet. Don’t forget to ask about its “party trick.” We’ll show you how to make it blush! Prices vary depending on piece.

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Expect classical favorites like our Osso Bucco Milanese and rotating Italian varietals by the glass to ward off the chill.

Not ready to let summer go just quite yet? We understand!

And will have our Roasted Vegetariana Pizza waiting for you, regardless of the forecast. Holiday booking available for parties! Please call ahead for hours and details.

Prices vary // La Locanda 1137 Garden Street, San Luis Obispo (805) 548-1750 // lalocandaslo.com

T - The Heart of Downtown San Luis Obispo

SPONSORED

FROM TRADITIONAL TO CONTEMPORARY Marshalls Jewelers has been proud to present the very best in Fine Jewelry to San Luis Obispo since 1889. This Holiday Season we will have the largest selection in our history. Be sure to stop by and find that perfect something for someone special!

Contact for Pricing Marshalls Jewelers 751 Higuera Street San Luis Obispo (805) 543-3431 marshalls1889.com

LET THERE BE LIGHT

San Luis Traditions has two very unique lamps in stock that will guarantee your holiday to be merry and bright: Santa Barbara Lamp, which has a blue and white pattern of that is Spanish inspired and gives any room a worldly and well-traveled impression. It’s just perfect for the Central Coast. And, there’s the Steampunk Lamp, which is part of their Gun Metal Collection and makes a statement by combining interior design and steam punk fantasy. Each work of art embraces dark and light finishes, mixed with a whimsical shape—an excellent industrial accent for your home.

Inquire for pricing // San Luis Traditions 748 Marsh Street, San Luis Obispo (805) 541-8500 // sanluistradtions.com

JOURNEY FOR THE SENSES

Fromagerie Sophie is a European-inspired cheese shop with a fabulous selection of cheese from all over the world; as well as artisanal charcuterie, pâtés, and specialty accoutrement. The little shop on Garden Street takes great pleasure in helping people discover the unexpectedly complex and wondrous world of cheese, as visitors are transported on a sensory journey all within their four walls.

Prices vary // Fromagerie Sophie 1129 Garden Street, San Luis Obispo (805) 503-0805 // fromageriesophie.com

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SeaBuck thorn

The Ancient Berry for Health and Beauty

| HEALTH

B

y now, we are used to it—desensitized. One by one, we learn of the new miracle cure, the gotta-have-it thing growing in some exotic rainforest somewhere, the fruit or berry or nut or grain that they—whomever “they” happen to be—tell us we must be eating now. Everything from açaí berries to wheatgrass to almonds to sardines has taken a turn as a superfood. And, as it turns out, they were right— they are all super. Nature has a way of being perfect. It does not require someone in a white lab coat looking through the viewfinder of a microscope to tell us so. All around us, particularly in the cornucopia that is the Central Coast, we are surrounded by superfoods. It’s only when we mess with it, process it, interject some sort of industrial technique that it loses its “super-ness.”

Many thousands of years ago, those living in the shadows of the mighty Himalayas learned something about a humble little berry growing in bushes at 12,000 feet that seemed impervious to the altitude and the unrelenting pounding of the weather. First recorded in the Tibetan book of healing arts called “Sibu Yi Dian,” going back 13 centuries from now, that little berry, known as Sea-Buckthorn, consumed one-third of

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its pages. Hailed for its medicinal uses, and revered as a holy fruit, it was thought to rejuvenate and restore those who were nurtured by its oil.

Through the march of time, Sea-Buckthorn made its way to the Ancient Greeks, whose legendary soldiers took the berries to sustain themselves in combat and to more quickly recover from their wounds. Later, none other than Genghis Khan himself force-fed his massive fleet of warhorses by mixing the oil into their hay. Those animals became immortalized in the annals of history for their stamina and “brilliant luster.” Soon, the newly conquered populations framing the Caspian Sea were introduced to the “miracle berries” that had been consumed with great enthusiasm by the visiting marauders. It was not long before women living in the sun-drenched region noted, not only the undeniable health benefits, but also a few unexpected side effects.>>

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#2 THE FORGOTTEN FATTY ACID: OMEGA 7 We have been told about Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids, but did you know there is an Omega 7, too?

Actually, it may surprise you to know that there are 11 essential fatty acids in all. And, just why do we use that word “essential” when referring to this family of compounds? There are two reasons: We’ve got to have them and our bodies do not produce them—they have to come from somewhere else. We know now that Omega 6s are everywhere in our modern diet, coming mostly from grains. Omega 3s are a little harder to come by, which is why so many of us take fish oil supplements. Omega 7s, also known as Palmitoleic Acid, are rarer still, but it is found in abundance in, you guessed it, Sea-Buckthorn.

#3 YOUR HEART WILL THANK YOU

#1 IT’S ALL ABOUT INFLAMMATION It is becoming more and more clear that most diseases come as a result of high inflammation. So, it would seem logical that if you can find a way to reduce inflammation, you will also reduce the incidence of disease. Sea-Buckthorn is brilliant at doing just that.

Calming the body’s immune response, in other words, inflammation, is top of the list for the little miracle berry, but it is not entirely clear as to why that is the case. With a total of 190 known compounds, it may be that it is the combination of them working together more so than any single ingredient that we always seem to be searching for in an effort to isolate and manufacture into a pill.

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Again, it’s that Palmitoleic Acid, or Omega 7, that steps up to do its thing for our blood vessels and heart, and all those things working together—ba bump, ba bump—day in and day out keep us going. Two results, in particular, have been documented by people supplementing with Sea-Buckthorn: 1) a reduction in so-called “bad cholesterol” and 2) an overall improvement of vessel quality, meaning they become more smooth and supple. Both things, of course, lead to a more efficient system, which allows the heart to not have to work nearly as hard because it is not having to push all that blood through a network of vessels resisting it with every beat.

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#4 REGENERATION AND REJUVENATION

ATTENTION

While the Ancient Greeks were drinking the oil to recover from their latest battle, their wives were sneaking swigs of the magic elixir themselves. In both cases, the properties of SeaBuckthorn were allowing cells to restore and rebuild. Not only were the bruises disappearing more quickly, so, too, were the little wrinkles and sun-damaged skin. Hair, just like the manes on Genghis Khan’s warhorses, became more lustrous as fingernails were elongated and strengthened. In addition to drinking the oil, it did not take long before it was discovered that slathering it directly onto the skin healed sunburns more quickly and also served as an effective moisturizer.

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LESS WEIGHT, MORE ENERGY In the same way that Sea-Buckthorn has been shown to improve the internal walls of the blood vessels, it is also known to rebuild and repair the lining of the small intestine. Increasingly, health researchers are zeroing in on the importance of a healthy gut, and anything we can do to improve this area would be considered a good thing. But wait, there’s more! Omega 7 signals the body to stop storing fat and clinical studies show that this essential fatty acid, so often deficient in modern humans, helps restore insulin sensitivity and restore and regulate the hormonal imbalances that lead to metabolic syndrome. SLO LIFE

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| TASTE

SLICE, SLICE, BABY Pizza in SLO County runs the gamut of styles, but one thing’s for certain: we take our pies pretty seriously here.

T

BY JAIME LEWIS

Actually, I’ve found that pizza is always personal. Ask anyone about their pizza preferences, and they’ll talk your ear off: thin crust, deep dish, foldability, pineapple (yes or no?), toppings... and don’t even get them started on pizza’s relationship to ranch dressing.

(e.g. Del’s Pizzeria in Pismo Beach, Marv’s in Paso Robles), and some of them new and crushing it (e.g. Flour House in SLO, which I’ve already covered in this column before, and Grover Beach Sourdough deep-dish pizza out of Grover Beach, which is made only for popup pizza nights).

In my research for this column, I visited three restaurants with a stake in the pizza game: Woodstock’s in San Luis Obispo, Tin Canteen in Paso Robles, and Klondike Pizza in Arroyo Grande.

And, yes, that means I missed several extremely good pizzerias, some of them foundational to the Central Coast’s pizza story

My goal here is never to provide an exhaustive list of our local culinary resources but, instead, to offer three examples of different styles of cuisine. And I’ve certainly found different styles in these three pizzerias, no matter how you slice it. >>

he comedian Aparna Nancherla once Tweeted: “Any pizza can be a personal one if you cry while you eat it.”

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

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THE HANGOUT Remember The Peach Pit from Beverly Hills 90210?

The Peach Pit is to Beverly Hills as Woodstock’s Pizza is to SLO: the consummate student hangout, as much a purveyor of tasty pies as it is of nostalgia. Just mention it to a Cal Poly alum and watch his or her eyes mist over.

What makes Woodstock’s so popular? “We think we make pretty good pizza,” said President and Co-Owner Jeff Ambrose. Indeed, Woodstock’s excels at pizza with a chewy, pillowy crust, tangy-sweet sauce and a wealth of toppings. But with its recent extension into an adjoining space called The Backyard, the downtown SLO icon is also a group- and family-friendly spot to celebrate, hang, and play, too, with multiple beers on tap and a newly expanded menu of flavor combinations.

As for flavors, classic choices like Hawaiian and veggie pizza are served alongside new options like All ‘Choked Up (garlic sauce, spinach, mozzarella, roasted garlic, artichoke hearts, parmesan, and bacon) and Kickin’ Carnitas (chipotle sauce, carnitas, bacon, red onions, and cilantro)—a style Ambrose is into lately, saying, “If you’ve eaten pizza as long as I have, you like something different sometimes.” >>

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smart, eclectic, art to live on

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111 South Street San Luis Obispo (805) 543-9900 slogreengoods.com DEC/JAN 2019

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THE ITALIAN VACATION Though the name doesn’t suggest it, Paso Robles’ new Tin Canteen serves legit Italian cuisine prepared by chef Michele Gargani, including pizzas fired in a double-chamber oven shipped from Naples, pizza’s spiritual home.

“With an Italian chef, we wanted to play to his strengths,” says owner, Bill Hales, a longtime restaurateur through his company, ASH Management. “Michele is driving the concept, so we gave him the tools he needs.”

The Acunto Napoli oven is a veritable showpiece, cooking pies in a matter of mere minutes, crusts bubbling, puffed and pleasantly charred. The rest of the restaurant’s surfaces gleam, reminiscent of Italy, while concrete touches honor Tin City’s industrial aesthetic. Broad accordion doors blur the line between indoor and outdoor dining.

I share lunch on the patio with my friend Brian Terrizzi, whose ETTO pasta shop sits next door and whose Italian-style winery sits across the street—a veritable Little Italy inside Tin City.

We dine on Four Cheese pizza, rich with a white sauce and crispy, herbaceous sage, and the Calabrese, with chili spread, mozzarella, and spicy sausage. The flavors of each sing atop that toothsome, blistered crust. I vow to Terrizzi to make a point of visiting Tin City much, much more often. >>

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THE YUKON ORIGINAL My first job in high school was waiting tables at Klondike Pizza; the fact that I return says something about the uniqueness of their business and of their product.

Owners Mike and Pam Dennis lived in Anchorage, Alaska for a time in the 1980s. “We were there five years until the economy collapsed,” says Pam. “We needed a new plan. And we needed a plan that didn’t involve snow.”

With her background in graphic communications and Mike’s expertise in opening restaurants, the Dennises moved to the village of Arroyo Grande to open a pizza cafe. The concept? Jovial, quirky, and family- and community-friendly—a concept that hasn’t changed for 30 years. The walls and ceiling are covered with mementos from Alaska, including hockey jerseys, posters, and snow shoes. Colored lights hang in every corner, while checked tablecloths cover picnic tables. An arcade beeps at one end of the restaurant, and a player piano plunks at the other. Best of all: shells from complimentary peanuts carpet the floor.

Unlike most pizzas, a Klondike pie boasts sauce, cheese, and toppings all the way to the edge, with a kiss of cheddar to finish. “We wanted a nice and thick crust,” says Pam, “not like a cracker crust. And we wanted a sauce that’s just the perfect amount of sweet.”

When I order, I opt for the Klondike signature pizza with garlic-herb sauce, onions, peppers, and real reindeer sausage, sourced from (where else?) Alaska. When the pie is ready, someone in the kitchen honks a bicycle horn to alert wait staff that an order’s up, a sound that rockets me backward 25 years. The pie arrives, and it brings me back, too, with oozing cheese, spicy sausage, and a thick, yeasty crust.

“I never wanted to be trendy,” Pam says. “It’s impossible to keep up!

All I ever wanted was a friendly place that wouldn’t change.” I’m so grateful it didn’t. SLO LIFE

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Healing Happens FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST, SCIENTISTS, SLO, INVITES YOU TO JOIN OUR SERVICES. At our Wednesday evening services, you will hear testimonies of healing and ideas shared on how Christian Science is applied to every challenge in the daily lives of our members. The laws of harmony and health revealed in the Bible apply today.

You will be inspired. Healing through prayer is possible.

Wednesday Testimony Meeting 7:00 p.m.

Sunday Church Services 10:00 a.m.

1326 Garden Street, SLO prayerthatheals.org

christianscience.org

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| KITCHEN

PORK CHOPS Pork chops are a family dinner staple, and for good reason.

They’re fast, budget-friendly, and best of all, nobody but nobody complains about pork chops for dinner. Serve with roasted apples and watch the forks fly.

BY CHEF JESSIE RIVAS

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!

JESSIE’S TIP: Deglaze the pan with beer, wine, or cider. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to infuse those flavors. For a holiday season dish, add 3/4 cup fresh whole cranberries with the apples.

The tartness of the cranberries goes well with the sweetness of the apples and onions.

PORK CHOPS 6 bone-in thick pork loin or shoulder chops 2 Tbs vegetable oil 2 Tbs chopped rosemary 2 Tbs chopped thyme 2 tsp garlic powder 2 tsp salt 1 Tbs course ground pepper 1 large yellow onion (sliced in half circles) 4 Tbs butter 1 cup beer (may substitute white wine or cider) 3-4 apples sliced 2 Tbs brown sugar salt and pepper to taste Season pork chops with rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, salt, and ground pepper. In preheated 12-inch fry pan, add enough oil to coat bottom of pan. Sear pork chops on both sides until golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add onions and butter to the pan and sweat onions for 3-4 minutes on high heat. Stir in beer and apples and bring to a simmer. Layer pork chops on top of onion mixture and set in 400° pre-heated oven for 15 minutes.

JESSIE RIVAS is the owner and chef of The Pairing Knife food truck which serves the Central Coast.

Remove pan from oven and remove pork chops from pan. Add brown sugar to apples and onions and stir until dissolved. If sauce is too watery, cook on medium heat to reduce and thicken.

Serve pork chops with onion and apples. SLO LIFE

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| WINE NOTES

Break out the Bubbly While Champagne has rigid rules and a formal feel, the Central Coast is making its own way along this sparkling path. Quite new to the scene relative to other parts of the world, San Luis Obispo County sparkling winemakers are inspiring fans with their pure grit, attention to detail, and audacity.

BY ANDRIA MCGHEE

TRADITION BY HAND

Jack Creek Cellars // 2013 Estate Cuvée // $60 Sparkling wine is made mostly in cooler climates where Pinot Noir and/or Chardonnay grapes thrive. Though this winery is in Paso Robles, its special far west location is one of the coolest climates in North County. I was drawn to the winery because they bottle their sparkling wine by hand, in their cellars—no small feat.

Jack Creek uses the traditional Champagne Method. In Champagne, wine is aged in barrels, bottled, and fermented for about a year-and-a-half. For the second fermentation, yeast is added, the bottle is topped with beer caps, and rests for two to five years. Long aging like this is rarely seen in California. Finally, the yeast is released by freezing the neck, a tiny bit of sugar is added, and the bottle is corked.

It then becomes Champagne (or sparkling wine if made elsewhere in the world). It’s a long time to wait, but the reward is delicious.

The California version smells slightly like nuts, freshly toasted bread, and nectarines. The mix of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes help the flavor explode with red apple, light lemon, and brioche. Its smooth bubbles have just the right crispness for a nice celebration. I would drink this to celebrate an anniversary or special time with friends. >>

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

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REFLECTION OF EDNA Biddle Ranch // NV Extra Brut (non-vintage) // $50 This local Edna Valley winery embodies the vibe of the Central Coast. It has been well-plotted and maintained. The wine reflects the same attention. Its high quality grapes are grown almost entirely in eye sight of the tasting room. Tender care is given to harvesting and winemaking. The Champagne Method is used, bottled in a facility off site, where only 150 cases are made. It’s something special for visitors for who enjoy sparkling wine.

I enjoy this wine, made of purely Chardonnay, as a drink to start my taste buds’ engines. Its light mouth feel and crisp taste are like biting into a perfectly tart green apple. It also has a hint of lemon and reminds you of toast being made in a room nearby, which is typical with sparkling wine.

Sparkling wine labels can get tricky in regard to sweetness.

“Doux” will mean really sweet, “Dry” or “Sec” will mean sweet or dryer than doux (tricky!), while “Brut” is the least sweet of them all. No sweetness here. It was really dry, which in sparkling land, is called Extra Brut.

You may also notice NV on this bottle. NV stands for non-vintage, which will include wines from multiple years mixed for exact flavor. Sometimes a year is on a label whose wine will include grapes harvested from that year. This NV is a nice blend of 2015 and 2016—a little Biddle bringing a lot of quality.

A FRESH LOOK AT AN OLD STYLE Sinor-LaVallee // Pet Nat // $26

Mike Sinor, a student, turned wine lover, turned winemaker, worked like mad to learn from local experts. Now he’s able to play with some ideas of his own from a vineyard patched in fog on the rolling hills of Avila.

When he learned of an ancient method of making wine called Method Ancestral, he was intrigued by its challenge. This method, used before the process of making Champagne was even invented, is hard to control because yeast and sugar is added to the wine barrel, then the wine is bottled, capped, and is left to ferment. There is no changing it at that point, so the initial mix is important.

Sinor’s pet project is called Pet Nat, which is short for pétillant (pādi ‘yän) naturel. Added bonus: it’s a less labor-intensive process because there is no second fermentation, which results in a less pricey product.

The result is approachable and fun. I want to drink this with my friends.

The crisp 2017 Pet Nat is made only of Pinot Noir grapes. It tastes like peaches and strawberries. It’s similar to a rosé, except creamy. You can smell the fermentation and see a slight cloudiness of yeast in the bottle.

This adds to the flavor. When you go to open it, there are no corks in sight. Just a bottle opener to get the cap off, please! It reminds me of the bottles laying down in the caves of Champagne. It’s a brilliant way to have a bright, crisp sparkling wine without the fuss of the second stage of fermentation. It is clear that Sinor has done well in finding a recipe that highlights the grapes grown each year. Now, we can crack one open at a barbecue without the pangs of financial regret. SLO LIFE 90

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| BREW

PUBLIC HOUSE

BY BRANT MYERS

A

s we prepare to wrap up yet another year, it would be apt to reflect on things to come, or as they say, figure out what’s brewing. In our last article, we talked about the oldest breweries in the county and how they have changed locations, hands, and strategies over the past three decades, but let’s speculate what the future may hold for our local burgeoning craft beer scene.

The past five years has seen a new brewery or taproom open on average every four months. Four months! That’s an amazing growth for a county that has less than 300,000 people living in it with only two-thirds of them being of drinking age. When I started in the industry, I was a huge proponent of a European 92

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model that saw a local brewery (or at least a public house) within walking distance of every home in a neighborhood. A place where one could go that was a home away from home, where you didn’t need to invite friends because they were likely already there. I’m happy to say that it is nearly a reality, even if it may take a bike or a rideshare car to get there and back safely. My anecdotal evidence from visiting these watering holes is that it is indeed in full effect. I know who I am likely to bump into at any given spot, and seeing a friend or acquaintance at another brewery always causes a moment of confusion, like seeing your married friend on a date.

How dare they cheat on their local tasting room! So, how did we go from a strong desire to explore every brewery and their entire line-up of beers just a few years ago, to settling into our local spots where we know what’s on tap and celebrate a chair that has our name on it?

At the beginning of our own Central Coast craft beer scene explosion, it was wildly exciting to hear rumors of a new brewery starting up then the anticipation and murmurings all leading up to the grand opening. Drinking a cold beer that you’ve >>

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never tasted before was a truly joyous moment of celebration.

What would they bring to your palette? Could they knock your socks off right away or did they need to learn their recipes and grow a little bit more? Would they bottle, can, or distribute so you could share with your friends? I mean, the excitement was extremely palpable and the buzz was tremendous. However, with all things new, the enthusiasm wanes and the novelty drops slightly with each announcement.

Today, we are spoiled with options of not just our local breweries and their ever-expanding lineup, but even local distributors have been overloading us with amazing beers from San Diego to Denmark as our exploration and cravings expand outside our region. Hunting out these local, specialty, or rare beers, used to see me driving direct to the brewery or poking around the coolers in remote liquor stores. Now you can go to a corner gas station and again be spoiled with choices. Gas stations with a good craft beer selection! Additionally, most beer drinkers are starting to find their palette groove and can identify beer styles they like or dislike, or even just a particular go-to beer that they know they can grab without wasting too much time wandering the expansive aisles of new selections and obscure labels.

Combining these two factors of saturation and availability begs the question: Where does the beer scene go from here?

Insiders are telling me of a plateau in sales, or even a decline.

That’s to be expected with any industry that has year after year of double digit growth, but it’s not as worrying as some would say.

I interpret the analysis as a maturation of the market. We can’t be kids forever, so at some point we’ll settle down and get into a groove. Not what brewery owners want to hear. So, what are they doing about it? Well, this is where it gets interesting, as business strategies expand beyond making and selling beers. Follow any brewery on Facebook and you’ll start to see a trend of a brewery being more than a beer manufacturer. They are becoming social hot spots, cultural beacons for the arts, and even stewards of the community. Bang the Drum sees so many musical acts that it’s hard to keep up, 7 Sisters Brewing hosts guest speakers for informative talks about environmental issues, and Libertine Brewing sponsors beach cleanup days and surf contests, just to name a few examples. And if you haven’t heard of Boga yet, what are you doing with your life?!

So, is this jumping the shark and grabbing market share? It’s hard to remember sometimes that making beers is still a business in the end, but what I see is an evolution of the public house, my utopian dream of everyone walking to a brewery. A public living room of sorts that you can go to relax with friends and make new ones, an outdoor office for casual business meetings, or just a place to play some board games where you don’t have to clean the house after your guests leave. Tasting rooms are no longer bars to drink in, but places where communities gather to support each other culturally and creatively. So, let’s rethink what a BRANT MYERS is a 13-year brewery was and start to form ideas veteran of the Central Coast for what they should be—somewhere craft beer industry who enjoys sharing his passion to raise a glass with friends and toast with anyone who doesn’t to this wonderful place we live. Three put an orange in their hefeweiezen. beers for San Luis Obispo! SLO LIFE 94

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| HAPPENINGS

ZA EXTRAVAGAN THE HOLIDAY l Coast is complete ra nt Ce e th on No holiday season ganza at the e Holiday Extrava without seeing Th al production elodrama. The annu Great American M as Carol,” a tm ris classic “A Ch ss ele tim e th s re featu udeville revue fairy tale, and a va hilarious fractured y of the season. , dance, and comed featuring the song , The Holiday ce en naught y or ni W hether you’ve be wish list. ay lid ho rfect for any Extravaganza is pe canmelodrama.com cember 31 // ameri November 15 – De

A CHRISTMAS STORY Jean Shepherd’s memoir of growing up in the midwest in the 1940s follows 9-year-old Ralphie Parker in his quest to get a genuine Red Ryder B.B. gun under the tree for Christmas. Ralphie pleads his case before his mother, his teacher, and even Santa Claus himself, at Higbee’s Department Store. The consistent response: “You’ll shoot your eye out!”

Bring the whole family to “A Christmas Story” for a heartwarming, funny, nostalgic holiday treat!

November 30 – December 23 slorep.org

DECEMBER

43RD ANNUAL HOLIDAY PARADE A Very Vintage Holiday theme graces the downtown parade.

Stephen Patrick and Todd LeMay will serve as Parade Marshals and lead the parade procession beginning at Chorro and Palm and ending on Higuera and Nipomo.

December 7 // downtownslo.com

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THE NUTCRACKER It’s Christmas Eve and Clara is about to have the night of her dreams. Marvel at the magic and wonder of this spectacular, professional production brought to you by the Civic Ballet and accompanied by the Opera San Luis Obispo orchestra and the MBHS Women’s Choir.

December 8 - 9 // pacslo.org

Dr. Arnie Horwitz

SANTA LAND DIARIES For four shows only, Kevin Harris will star in a remarkable one-man show based on the true chronicles of David Sedaris’ experiences as Crumpet the Elf in Macy’s Santaland display. This cult classic riffs on a few of Sedaris’ truly odd encounters with his fellow man during the height of the holiday crunch. David Sedaris is a well-known NPR humorist and a best-selling author. His tongue-in-cheek style will bring just the right amount of salty to the sweetness of the holiday season.

December 8 - 15 // slorep.org

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HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS

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slorep.org

AN IRISH CHRISTMAS Take a journey through Christmas in Ireland with superb dancing, singing and Irish traditional music celebrating the international spirit of the holiday season. An Irish Christmas features an award-winning cast of Irish dancers led by Caterina Coyne (principal dancer Riverdance), Tyler Schwartz (world champion dancer), and Connor Reider (principal dancer Celtic Fyre, St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland, The Chieftains), as well as members of the Kerry Dance Troupe. They are joined by The Kerry Voice Squad and the Kerry Traditional Orchestra in a memorable night that sparkles with the charm and magic that only this festive time of year can bring.

December 15 // clarkcenter.org

YOU AND ME AND CHRISTMAS Winner of two Grammys, three ACMs, a CMA, 12 Billboard Music Awards, and one American Music Award, LeAnn Rimes brings her “You and Me and Christmas” tour to the PAC this December. Don’t miss this evening of joy-filled holiday classics, soulful favorites, and greatest hits.

December 18 // pacslo.org

JAN 11 THROUGH

JAN 20

An ACT young performers’ production designed for families with children.

SENIOR DISCOUNT . Mon & Tues 10 to 2 . $15

NEW YEAR’S EVE 2018 Michael Nowak and Orchestra Novo celebrate New Year’s Eve 2018 in grand style with daring aerial arts and rich musical delights. Featuring jazz chanteuse Inga Swearingen, local songwriter Damon Castillo, saxophonist Dave Becker, and pianist Terry Spiller, the evening opens with aerial silk acrobatics from Levity Academy.

December 31 // pacslo.org

1351 Monterey Street . San Luis Obispo (805)783-2887 . clippersbarber.com

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POLAR BEAR DIP Kick off the New Year by jumping into the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean off Cayucos as part of the 39th Annual Carlin Soulé Memorial Polar Bear Dip. Most participants wear swimsuits or come in costume, but be warned, wetsuits are frowned upon. The festivities begin at 9:30 a.m. with the Polar Bear Dip at noon.

January 1 // cayucoschamber.com

RESTAURANT MONTH Visitors and locals alike can experience the region’s locallyinspired cuisine throughout January as participating restaurants offer various special menus and promotions, most featuring a three-course prix fixe menu.

Reservations recommended. Prices and offers vary by restaurant. Dine out during this delicious month celebrating some of the finest cuisine on the Central Coast.

January 2 - 31 visitsanluisobispocounty.com

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LA CUESTA RANCH TRAIL RUN The race will take place at the gorgeous La Cuesta Ranch, just outside of San Luis Obispo on Loomis Road backing up to Poly Canyon and West Cuesta Ridge. The start/finish area will be staged at the historic ranch barn. This event features dirt trails and ranch roads with fantastic views of the West Cuesta Ridge.

January 5 // ultrasignup.com

JANUARY PRIDE AND PREJUDICE One of the most universally beloved and admired English novels, “Pride and Prejudice” was penned as popular entertainment. But the consummate artistry of Jane Austen transformed this effervescent tale of rural romance into a witty, shrewdly observed satire of English country life in the 1800s.

January 11 - 20 // slorep.org

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HAVEN PROPERTIES

To learn more about our Distinctive Collection listings visit www.havenslo.com/distinctive Serving San Luis Obispo & Santa Barbara Counties

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