ARCHITECTURE LANDSCAPE INTERIORS MEDIA
TEN OVER STUDIO is beyond grateful to live and work in our small town with big community vibes. Thank you, Father Matt and the Nativity of our Lady Parish, for your vision and partnership in the beautiful design of a place so many call home.
6/21 Manuel the Band & JINEANNE CODERRE
Sponsored by Quesadilla Gorilla
6/28 The Mother Corn Shuckers & MISS LEO
Sponsored by Eureka!
7/5 Resination & KENNY TAYLOR
Sponsored by Woodstock’s Pizza
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7/19 The Molly Ringwald Project & EMILY SMITH
Sponsored by Guaranteed Rate
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8/2 Rose’s Pawn Shop & NATALIE HASKINS
Sponsored by Ronca & Associates, a Law Corp
8/9 Ghost\Monster & NOACH TANGERAS
Sponsored by Astound Business Solutions
8/16 Damon Castillo Band & MELODY KLEMIN
Sponsored by Novo Restaurant & Lounge
8/23 Brass Mash & KENTUCKY MONK
Sponsored by Megan’s Organic Market
8/30 Josh Rosenblum Band & DULCIE TAYLOR DUO
Sponsored by Luna Red Restaurant & Bar
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The other day, I was awakened very early in the morning by a car idling on the street in front of our house. It had one of those raspy, throaty modified exhaust systems. I opened the curtain to find a mid-nineties Honda with blacked-out windows, sporty, racecar-like rims, and a rear spoiler. I rubbed my eyes, smiled, and shook my head, as I was transported back in time.
Our son, Donovan, loved the movie “Robots.” On countless evenings, he would curl up with us on the couch, watching in rapt fascination as the animated characters received their various “upgrades.” Dumpy, used-up machines were transformed into gleamy, state-of-the-art robots with their modifications, as the antagonist beckoned: “Why be you, when you can be new?”
Whenever my wife or I would drive Donovan to school, or to practice, or anywhere, it always came with an education. Not us lecturing him, but the other way around. “Oh, look, over there,” he’d call out, “that’s a Supra! It’s the first car to have electronic fuel injection!” I would strain to catch a glimpse, not sure what I was trying to see. Then he would carry on about the various Toyota engine sizes, something about “2.6 versus 3.0,” I don’t know.
One day, when Donovan was twelve years old, I took him to Cal Poly. It was summertime and the campus was empty. I pulled our 1978 Mercedes into the middle of an empty, sprawling parking lot and said, “Okay, kid, let’s teach you how to drive.” His eyes stretched wide in disbelief as we switched seats. I told him to turn the key, and he shot me a nervous glance, asking, “Are you sure it’s okay to be doing this?” I will never forget his smile when the engine clattered to life.
We drove around that parking lot for at least an hour. As Donovan became comfortable behind the wheel, he began encouraging me to make some “mods” to the family wagon. I explained that I already had. The car, which we called “Veggiematic,” was modified to run on waste vegetable oil instead of diesel. He told me that I ought to consider adding nitrous oxide, as well.
If the rest of the world marks time with a “B.C.” and an “A.D.,” Donovan would do the same, but with his sixteenth birthday dividing the two between “Before Car” and “After Driving.” He had his first car ready to go from Day One, a museum-quality ’05 Subaru Legacy. It had been owned by just one person, a fastidious middle-aged woman, who changed the oil once every 1,000 miles and kept every receipt to prove it.
It was not even a week into the new A.D. epoch when Donovan asked if he could pull his car into our garage to change the oil himself. I’ve never seen such mechanical artistry and intensity at work. It was equal parts space exploration, brain surgery, jazz band improvisation, and religious ceremony. He took “Learn by Doing” to the next level.
After gaining some confidence with the weekly oil changes, we started hearing talk about upgrades. “Robots,” I chuckled, shaking my head, wondering if I had permanently lost my spot in our garage to the Subaru. But that poor car didn’t last long. To this day, I don’t understand how it was possible to blow up the engine, but he did it. It didn’t matter to Donovan—he drove that car really hard—he never liked the fact that it was an automatic transmission.
A few days later, he dug deep into his savings to buy the car he really wanted, an ’08 Mazda RX8—manual transmission. Whenever he drove off, you could hear it for at least a mile—it crackled like a thunderbolt every time he throttled then shifted. He loved that more than anything else: Vroom, vroom, pop-pop-pop! That car spent untold hours with the hood open in the garage. It was the “mod” mobile, and it would have continued to have been upgraded, but Donovan enlisted in the Navy and shipped out last summer, a month after his high school graduation. Following boot camp, he was sent to Nuclear School in South Carolina where he talked his roommate into driving to Georgia, so he could pick up his newest project, a ’95 Nissan 240SX. When he relayed the story over the phone, I started singing, a modification of my own, changing up the old Charlie Daniels song: Donovan went down to Georgia / He was looking to make a deal . . .
I was snapped back into present time when the Honda parked in front of our house roared to life—pop, pop, pop! I pulled the curtain back a little further to watch the taillights trail off into the unknown, and I whispered to myself, “I hope he comes back.”
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
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Letters chosen for publication
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1. CHARLOTTE ALEXANDER is an award-winning writer and editor with more than twenty years experience in nonprofit organizations, higher education, and media.
2. Portrait photographer JAEDEN BARLETT loves the beach, golfing, and going on adventures with friends. Follow her @jaedenb.photography.
3. CHASE BENT is a landscape, wildlife, and action sports photographer based in San Luis Obispo. Follow him @chasebphoto.
4. Central Coast local KAYLA BURKE loves surfing, hiking, climbing, and exploring SLO County’s must-do adventures. Follow her @surfergirlkaylaa.
5. EMILY DESJARDINS is an editorial photographer based out of her home town in San Luis Obispo County. Follow her on Instagram @emanatemoments.
6. DAN FREDMAN is a SLO native immersed in the wine realm. He prefers LPs to streaming, Mac to PC, Fender over Gibson, and has nothing against screwcaps.
7. PETER HEIRENDT is a marketing creative producer and the founder of Shadowlight photography. You can follow him on instagram @shadowlightfoto.
8. PADEN HUGHES is an author, professional coach and co-founder of Gymnazo and enjoys exploring the Central Coast.
9. DAVID LALUSH is an architectural photographer here in San Luis Obispo.
10. DANA LOSSING is an interior designer at SLO based Ten Over Studio with a passion for dancing, yoga-ing, thrift-shopping, and adventuring with her family locally and beyond.
11. JAIME LEWIS writes about food, drink, and the good life from her home in San Luis Obispo. Find her on Instagram and Twitter @jaimeclewis.
12. BRANT MYERS is a the founder at slobiiig.com, a hospitality consulting firm, and Toddler Timber, where he makes wooden children’s toys.
13. MARK NAKAMURA is a wedding, event, family, architectural, commercial, and landscape photographer. Find him @nakamuraphoto and @marknakamuraphoto.
14. ANDERS ROSENGREEN is a graphic designer and multimedia artist based in San Luis Obispo. Follow him @andersrosengreenart.
15. BRIAN SCHWARTZ is the event director for the Central Coast Writers’ Conference and advocate for independent publishing. Connect at SelfPublish.org.
16. ZACHARY SCOTT is a photographer known for his humorous and highly stylized work featured in the New York Times Magazine, GQ, Time Magazine, Wired, and New York Magazine
17. MARIAH VANDENBERG has a background in neuroscience and is an active photographer, artist, musician, and outdoor enthusiast.
“Musical theatre “Musical theatre PPERFECTION! ERFECTION!””
June 7-30
Two SLO County hospitals revise their names to reflect a change in ownership: Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center in SLO becomes Adventist Health Sierra Vista and Twin Cities Community Hospital in Templeton becomes Adventist Health Twin Cities. Tenet Healthcare sold the two facilities to Adventist Health in March for $550 million. The new owner, headquartered in Roseville, has more than 38,000 employees at 440 sites in California, Oregon, and Hawaii. CEO Kerry L. Heinrich says that Adventist Health leadership will consult with local administrators, medical staff, nursing leadership, and more to discuss the needs of Sierra Vista and Twin Cities and the communities they serve.
SLO County Supervisors formally declare the results of the March 5, 2024 Presidential Primary Election. A total of 92,526 ballots—that’s more than fifty percent of registered voters—were cast, a significantly higher percentage than the statewide average of thirty-four percent. The overwhelming majority of ballots (87,232) were delivered by mail or dropped off in person before or on election day. The results show Heather Moreno joining the Board as District 5 County Supervisor, replacing Debbie Arnold, in January 2025. County Clerk-Recorder Elaina Cano reminds citizens that “your vote is your voice,” and recommends those who plan to vote in the November General Election visit the resources available at slovote.com.
Graham Knaus, CEO of the California State Association of Counties (CSAC), presents one of only fourteen 2023 CSAC Challenge Awards to SLO County and its University of California Cooperative Extension at a Board of Supervisors meeting. The annual award program honors best practices in county government, and the Extension was chosen for being one of the most innovative in California when it comes to delivering nutritious food to struggling families in the community. The program has increased the visibility of farmers’ markets around the county and made the markets accessible to those who might otherwise not have had the opportunity to purchase a variety of fresh produce.
San Luis Obispo County’s newspaper of record, The Tribune, transitions to a 24/7 digital product, cutting back its print editions to just two days a week: Wednesdays and Sundays. Citing the ongoing digital transition of the news industry as SLO County residents increasingly access information from phones, tablets, and computers, editor Joe Tarica says that in order for the newspaper to survive it must change with the times. The paper, which switched to mail delivery instead of local carriers in 2023, has been serving the community continuously for more than 150 years, dating back to 1869.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upholds the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s decision to allow Diablo Canyon to operate past the expiration of its licenses in 2024 and 2025. The ruling comes after three anti-nuclear groups sued the agency in 2023 arguing that it should have held public hearings and completed safety and environmental reviews of the plant before allowing PG&E to keep it running. The court’s decision keeps the plant open while the NRC reviews PG&E’s application to renew the nuclear power plant’s operating license, saying the anti-nuclear groups did not present enough evidence to prove continued operation of the plant would harm the public or the environment.
The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County marks its fortieth anniversary, and celebrates in style by completing a 27,512-acre conservation easement on the Camatta Ranch in eastern SLO County that will protect the property in perpetuity. Many entities cooperated in preserving such a large portion of land: the Morrison family, the Wildlife Conservation Board, the Department of Conservation, The Nature Conservancy, the State Coastal Conservancy, and members of the community.
The Committee to Recall Supervisor Bruce Gibson misses its deadline to file a petition with the County Clerk-Recorder, effectively bringing its recall effort to an end. Gibson, who was elected to his seat in 2006, defeated Atascadero resident Bruce Jones for his District 2 seat by thirteen votes in 2022. The Committee launched this recall effort last November. County Clerk-Recorder Elaine Cano says that twenty percent (7,375) of registered voters in the old District 2 would have needed to sign the petition to schedule a recall election. The Committee opposes Gibson’s support for settling a lawsuit that selected a new district map, and for repealing a planting ordinance further limiting irrigation in the overdrawn Paso Robles Groundwater Basin, among other issues.
The SLO County Homeless Services Division announces an encouraging trend in addressing local homelessness. In January, the County conducted a Pointin-Time Count that showed that on one single night, 1,171 individuals (797 unsheltered and 374 sheltered for that night) were experiencing homelessness. That figure is down almost twenty percent from two years ago, decreasing from the approximately 1,450 people counted in each of the 2019 and 2022 surveys (the count is conducted every two years). Data collected from the 797 unsheltered individuals in 2024 reveal that eighty-eight percent have lived in the county for at least one year, forty-two percent have been homeless for five years or longer, and seventy-two percent identify as male.
The SLO City Council listens to community input, and during a special public meeting decides to ease previously approved parking regulations downtown. Beginning July 8, hourly parking rates will be reduced twenty-five to thirty-three percent, but subsidized parking in downtown structures—first hour free and free Sunday parking—will be eliminated to ensure the parking program is sustainable. Monthly parking structure permits will decrease in price from $85 to $45 per month, and on-street parking time limits will expand from two to three hours in the downtown core.
Members of the Cuesta Colleg e Class of 2024 ranging in age from 16 to 74 receive a total of 1,543 degrees during the institution’s fifty-ninth commencement ceremony on the San Luis Obispo campus. Among this year’s graduating class of 1,172 students—many of whom are recognized as first generation—640 represent local SLO County high schools with 438 of them having received a Promise Scholarship that provided two fee-free years at Cuesta. Among the graduates, 400 earned a grade point average of 3.5 or higher, with seventeen achieving a perfect 4.0.
#2
Cal Poly’s robotics club placed second at the VEX U collegiate world robotics competition in Dallas during April. In their first appearance at the championships—against 112 teams from around the world—the Gear Slingers battled their way to the finals, losing only to powerhouse Purdue.
1,200 ft.
The length of the ADA-accessible boardwalk on Cambria’s 430-acre Fiscalini Ranch Preserve that will close a loop between two existing trails that wind along bluff-top and coastal prairie. The project, completing a one-anda-half-mile trail, is estimated to cost $800,000 and be open by fall.
$15.6 million
The deficit facing SLO County’s $741 million general fund budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year, resulting from the loss of one-time funding, increasing staff costs, and slow-growing tax revenue. Supervisors will likely cut department budgets and use reserves to make up the difference at its June 5 meeting.
45%
Uplift Central Coast Coalition research indicates nearly half of Central Coast residents belong to families whose income does not cover basic needs. A high cost of living and lack of affordable healthcare and childcare contribute to this statistic, which the coalition says can be lowered by creating more quality jobs.
Want to know what goes on in the kitchen of your favorite local restaurant? Check out the food facility inspection results the County’s Environmental Health department provides on its website, along with all locations of permitted retail food facilities in the region.
1875
That’s the year Newton Short built a swinging bridge across Arroyo Grande Creek. In May, the City of Arroyo Grande began extensive restoration of the historic bridge, the only one of its kind in California, in order to preserve its charm and safety for future generations. The project will be completed this fall.
The Citizens Transportation Advisory Committee reviews regional plans, studies, and funding proposals on transit services and roadways, making recommendations to the SLO Council of Governments. Two atlarge positions are now open on the CTAC, with more info available from SLOCOG.
“People from all over the world can come enjoy this incredible vista.”
SLO County Supervisor Dawn OrtizLegg helped cut the ribbon when the County Parks Department completed construction in May on long-awaited improvements to Cave Landing, the Pirate’s Cove parking lot in Avila Beach. The area is sacred to the yakʔitʸutʸu Northern Chumash Tribe.
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The number of homeless people served since August 2021 at the Oklahoma Parking Site, the overnight parking program located off Highway One that the County of San Luis Obispo officially closed May 6. More than sixty-five of the residents moved to safe and stable housing during that time.
San Luis Obispo created a program in 2010 to cover sixty-five public utility boxes with original artwork, intended to add to the city’s vitality and attractiveness while deterring graffiti and adding curb appeal. This year the city plans to add twenty more utility boxes to its roster of public art.
When was the last time you experienced a drive-in movie? There are only 300 drive-ins left in the United States, sixteen of which are in California, down from a high of more than 4,000 in the late 1950s. With one of those lone bright shining stars located right in our own backyard—Sunset Drive-In.
A lot has changed since the golden age including the days of hanging that clunky metal speaker to your car window. Now, just tune in to 100.7 FM on your radio for audio, which has an added bonus for those who like to narrate the movie experience, you’ll have no worries of snide looks from your neighbor or the dreaded “Shhh!”
And since we’re all planning on lounging in the car, or maybe a lawn chair if you’re so inclined, there’s no need to get dressed up. Pajamas and blankets are a common theme and welcome.
No babysitter, no problem. Bring the kids—and the dog, for that matter. Feel free to play catch in the parking lot before the featured movie starts or break out a deck of cards. What better way to spend a summer evening than waiting for the sky to turn dark enough for the movie to flicker to life?
In photographing the Sunset Drive-In, I arrived in the evening before the gates opened and set my camera’s shutter speed for several seconds on a tripod to get the light trails of the cars entering the theater.
Sunset Drive-In operates seven days a week with gates opening at 7:30pm. Admission and the snack bar accept cash only—an ATM is available onsite. General admission is $12, kids under twelve are $5, and toddlers under four are free. The Super Sunday Swap meet happens every week barring inclimate weather. Visit sunsetdriveinslo.com for more information and the movie schedule.
Recently, we sat down to a wide-ranging conversation with STACY SALAME, who stopped by the office to walk us through her journey from Teacher of the Year in a low-income elementary school in Texas to her new role as Executive Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters here in San Luis Obispo County. Here are a few of the highlights . . .
So, Stacy, where did you get your start?
I was born here in California, a small town in the Valley called Exeter, which is where my mom was from. She came from a family of migrant farm workers. Sometimes people are confused by our last name. It’s Lebanese, pronounced “suh-lah-meh.” Apparently, way back in our lineage, I think it was my greatgreat-grandfather who immigrated to Mexico. There’s actually a very large population of Lebanese folks in Mexico. I’ve heard it’s the largest outside of Lebanon. When my sister and I were little, our parents moved the family to Texas, which is where my dad was from. We grew up in Northeast Tarrant County, the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
What were you like as a kid?
I was pretty quiet and shy. I was curious. I liked to read. I was very much into makebelieve. My sister was a social butterfly, but I was more of a loner. And I think that my friends now would be surprised to hear that because I’m pretty social these days, but when I was younger I was very much an introverted kid. We grew up in a lower-income area and the schools that I went to were mostly all Hispanic kids, like myself. But then I went to a big public high school that was a lot more diverse and I felt really swallowed up by it. It was a big transition from a tiny little school to a big school and, so, I didn’t come out of my shell until college. I went to SMU [Southern Methodist University] in Dallas. And there, I just really jumped into college life. I got involved and became an orientation leader for incoming freshmen.
How were you able to come out of your shell?
I think I just kind of connected with people who had similar interests and I started to realize that I have my own voice in the world and that I can have my own perspective and that I could offer value to incoming students through orientation. I think that role was really helpful because it put me in an area where I needed to lead. That would normally make me uncomfortable, but I was able to do
it, I realized, because I was doing it in service of other people. I was able to help people transition to college who were coming in as freshmen by helping them overcome their uncertainties, their insecurities, their fears—the same thing I faced as part of growing up and
My parents definitely wanted me to be the next generation to do better than they did. And they’ve gone on to do really well themselves, better than their parents. But they always had that mindset that I’m going to take this a step further. And, so, I’ve always had that sense of needing to achieve, to do the right thing. When it came time to choose a major, I turned to business because that was a big thing at SMU. Immediately after graduating, I got a corporate job. I didn’t select my degree thinking about what aligned with my skill set, that wasn’t a thing for me. It was about how to get ahead, how to advance. And don’t get me wrong, I learned a lot and found that I do love some aspects of business, but it’s definitely not where my personal strengths lie, and not where
Teaching. I taught elementary school for eight years. I was at a really tough school in one of the most dangerous parts of Dallas. That first year was just so hard, but it was a period of growth for me. After that, I went back and got a master’s degree in education. I love working with kids. I love being able to encourage them to see their own strengths because I think it’s so easy for us to see, even as adults, to see other people and be so impressed with them while underplaying our own strengths because they come so easily to us that we tend to undervalue them a bit. Kids do that all the time. They often don’t have awareness of their uniqueness, their own gifts. So, for me, being able to teach and inspire and help kids see that life’s not a competition, but, instead we’re all just trying to better ourselves and grow from where we’re at in this moment.
A randomly generated group may not always be the best way to meet people with similar interests. On rare occasions, however, it can be the start of something special.
Earthship formed when two of its members met through a group at Cal Poly, who later went on to meet the rest of the band through a project called .wav zine. This collaboration is a student-run music and arts magazine, showcasing the talents of many on campus creatives. Earthship consists of Caitlyn Shank on vocals, Spencer Grant on guitar, Eli Diaz on bass, and Loz Gibson on drums. “We all jammed and it was great,” Gibson said of the band’s forming. The group lists acts like Dry Cleaning and The Velvet Underground, among others, as influences on their sound. “I would categorize it as psychedelic indie,” Gibson explained. These sounds are definitely apparent when listening to their 2023 EP, “Do Fish Cry?” The group’s song “Doggus Boggus,” has been the breakaway hit from this record so far.
Earthship has been playing together for about two years now, and in that time the band has graduated from house shows to playing at well-respected local venues. “The Siren in Morro Bay was very cool and had a real professional sound system and lighting situation,” shared Gibson. “One of my favorite venues and shows.” While their fanbase has grown enough to facilitate these larger venues, the group remains loyal to their house show roots. San Luis Obispo is a great place to find shows of all sizes, as new bands are forming all the time with each year’s fresh crop of Cal Poly students eager to share their talent and create a lasting Central Coast legacy. This is one of the reasons the group meeting through .wav zine was so serendipitous—they independently joined this group, not knowing each other, and formed a close-knit friendship and musical act.
The amount of music lovers in the area also keeps these venues and traditions alive. “Everyone is very nice and people just wanna hear music,” Gibson said. Diaz went
on to explain the do-it-yourself music scene of San Luis Obispo. The D.I.Y. attitude has become prevalent across all creative outlets, as artists gain more and more access to tools previously reserved for the richest and most successful in their craft, such as plug-ins for different instruments or entire orchestras that can now be played with a laptop or MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) drum machine. These tools then allow budding musicians to learn habits and styles they previously would not have easy access to. This do-ityourself spirit produces some of the most honest and pure artistic creations. When listening to Earthship’s music, it is easy to see that this self-motivating attitude has infused its way into their style. This group is yet another band that refuses to fit the mold, and continues to pave their own way.
Cal Poly brings together people from all over the country to San Luis Obispo, creating a diverse melting pot of musical influences. While none of the members of Earthship grew up in SLO, they have all formed such a foundation of friends, it’s become a place they feel at home. Knowing this, it’s easy to wonder whether or not the Central Coast has had its own influence on the Earthship sound. “The green hills for sure. With the flowers everywhere and when the sun hits it just right and they glow—inspiring,” Gibson explained. These scenic influences are readily apparent when listening to the group’s fuzzy and beachy discography. “Oh definitely,” Diaz went on to share, “we sound green.”
San Luis Obispo has had a solid music scene for quite a while, and this has undoubtedly aided in Earthship’s success. Of the local scene, Diaz joked, “It needs more cowbell.” While this is just a reference to the classic Saturday Night Live skit, it’s true that the band is looking to shake things up and add their sound to the evergrowing list of talented musical acts on the Central Coast. As Earthship continues to thrive in the SLO area, they are receiving more opportunities to grow as a band. The group played the Shabang music festival in May, among the likes of largely successful artists like Thundercat and Peach Pit. This type of performance opportunity may help rocket the band forward and bring them commercial success. Earthship has begun making a name for itself on the Central Coast, playing consistently at local venues, but this is only the beginning for them as they continue to gain notoriety. SLO LIFE
If the kids who picked on him only knew who—or what—he would become. Someday they would gather around the television to watch—green with envy—as his alter ego, the mild-mannered Dr. Banner uttered those famous words: “Don’t make me angry, you wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.” Moments later, the superhero transformation was underway, and LOU FERRIGNO became known to the world as The Incredible Hulk. Today, the Pismo Beach resident, a two-time Mr. Universe, remains a formidable presence on the Central Coast standing at six-foot-five and weighing in at over three-hundred pounds. Here is his story . . .
OOkay, Lou, let’s talk about where you’re from originally. I’m from New York—Brooklyn. I’m Italian, Italian American. My grandparents came from the Amalfi Coast. I have a younger brother, two years younger, and a sister, ten years younger. My dad was a lieutenant with NYPD. I had a stay-at-home mom, an old-fashioned type of mother, kind of quiet, but I’ve always emulated my father because he had a nice physique and I wanted to be a police officer like him. When I was very small, three or four years old, I lost most of my hearing, about 85%, probably from an infection and fever. My dad always resented that about me and would say, “If you had your hearing, you’d be this, or you’d be able to do that.” I never liked the word “if.”
What were you like as a kid?
Very isolated, very introverted. I had a severe speech impediment and wore this old, clunky hearing aid, basically a box strapped to my chest with wires and buttons sticking out of my ears. Kids would sometimes punch me in the chest to be mean, trying to break my hearing aid. They called me “Deaf-Mute” and “Deaf Louie.” I was bullied a lot because I was considered a freak. And I was small and couldn’t defend myself. When I would go home and tell my father what happened, I would get another beating from him, as he’d yell, “You have to fight for yourself!” I became obsessed with comic books—Superman, and The Hulk—I became obsessed with strength and power. I wanted it for myself.
Wow, Lou, that’s awful.
No, no, no—that’s not how I see it at all. If I haven’t had this hearing situation, I wouldn’t be what I am today. It made me very fierce, a warrior. It’s amazing because God took something from me to give me something else. That’s why in life, everybody’s handicapped emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Everyone. All of us. Nobody’s perfect, but the best thing you can do is maximize your personal power and be the best you can be with the gifts you have. Now, ironically, as most people lose hearing when they get older, I’m actually gaining hearing. Two-anda-half years ago, I received my first cochlear implant in my left ear, which is now close to normal. I will have my right ear done soon, too.
When did things start to change?
It was when I came across a magazine, a muscle magazine.
The guys in there looked like superheroes. I wanted to be like them. But I didn’t have any money, so I made my own weights with an old broomstick and some pails that I filled with concrete. Then I made my own bench. I loved it. Lifting became my passion. Then, just before turning nineteen, I joined a gym. I walked in and said, “Ah— this is home.” I saw some bodybuilders walking around and thought, “Oh my God, I saw this guy in a magazine. Look at the size of his thigh. Look at that bicep.” I just wanted to be like that. I wanted to walk around and have people look at me. I wanted to be recognized. I wanted to be someone.
What was the next step?
Well, the next year, I competed in my first competition called the Open New Jersey Hercules Competition. I came in twenty-third place. I’ll never forget stepping on stage for the first time, flashbulbs going off as I was posing. Even though I really couldn’t compete with those guys, I felt like I was doing something right. I was on the right track. So, afterward, I told myself, “I’m never going to come in less than twenty-third place again.” But there was no money in it, so my father sent me to Columbus, Ohio because he knew someone there who I could apprentice with as a sheet metal worker. I did that for four years. I didn’t like it, but during that time, I kept lifting. Always lifting. It’s probably the most difficult sport in the world because you have to diet, you have to train, you have to tan. No social life, you’ve got to eat right. Weigh your food. Count your calories.
Why put yourself through that?
Honestly, I love pushing myself beyond the pain barrier. I love pain. I love taking my body, how it’s built, and then changing the muscles, changing the shape, the definition. Losing weight, gaining weight, and building strength. I used to bench 560 pounds. I was in the first World’s Strongest Man competition. I won two events. But for me, I’ve always loved competing with myself. I have to be the best I can be. I love maximizing personal power, being successful. And that’s because of the positivity. I’m very positive. I’ve always had challenges in my life, but if you knock me down, I will get up again. And I was just determined to make it.
When did things start to click?
When I was in Columbus, there was another body builder living there at the same time. I was always competing with him—Arnold Schwarzenegger. We began training together and became friends. I joined him in the film, “Pumping Iron.” That was really the breakout moment. Things took off from there. I was having success in competitions, but still not enough to support myself. So, my father told me I could make money playing football and sent me to try out for the New York Jets. I had never played football before, but I went out there to give it a shot. They tried to make me a linebacker.
It didn’t work out there, but after that, the Toronto Argonauts were interested in bringing me on their team and invited me to play in a scrimmage. I was there playing, but the whole time thinking to myself, “What am I doing here?” I said to the coach, “I don’t like hitting people. My father kind of pushed me to play football because of the money.” He said, “Get out of here. Go back to bodybuilding.”
How did your dad take the news?
Not well. I went back to Brooklyn and my father said, “Get out of my house, you’re a loser!” So, I left. I went to California to train for the Mr. Olympia competition. I slept on the beach the first few nights because I didn’t have any money. But I said to myself, “I don’t
want to go back home. I’m going to find a way to stay here.” Then, I ran into Joe Weider. He’s the one that published Muscle Builder Magazine . He gave me a small contract, so I could stay in California, like he did for Arnold. He gave me $200 a week, and he leased a car for me, so that I could drive around and do exhibitions and do a few articles for his magazine as I was training for the Mr. Universe competition, which I won twice. Then, I was favored to win Mr. Olympia, but six weeks before the competition, I heard about this new pilot they were making for a TV show called “The Incredible Hulk.” I knew that nobody could play The Hulk better than me, so I took a big gamble—the biggest gamble of my life—and gave up the competition, so that I could go to the audition. >>
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What was it like when the show first aired?
When it hit the air, everything changed—everything. I couldn’t walk down the street anymore without someone recognizing me. It became such an astronomical hit. Every country in the world embraced The Hulk. I’ve done many shows and movies since then, but it doesn’t matter because everyone still identifies me as The Hulk, which is great. I love it. But I also love training, and I continued to do it while I was acting. Then, I started training others. Over the years, I trained Michael Jackson, Chuck Norris, Mickey Rourke—lots of actors and Hollywood people—lawyers, doctors, so many people. Eventually, I had a facility in Santa Monica and people came from all over the world to train with me. The whole time, though, I was also acting in various movies and television shows.
And you returned to body building competitions at some point, correct?
Yes, when I turned forty, I said, “I feel I have unfinished business. I want to compete again.” So, I announced my comeback. I hold the longest retirement record, fifteen years, to retire then come back to competition. People told me, “You’ve got to be crazy to do it.” I had to develop a hunger to compete again at that level. And I did. But, also, I have always admired law enforcement—police officers—so after that, I went through the police academy. I’m a certified deputy sheriff, not honorary. It’s the real deal. I went through the academy, certified by law. People are always throwing stones at cops, saying they’re being brutal. I mean, they should put the uniform on and see what it’s like. It’s a tough situation. But growing up with a father, who was a lieutenant, I admire >>
that about him. I’m a big admirer of law enforcement. I worked with the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department, but now I’m in the reserves. I put in about twenty hours a month on average.
We never heard about how you made your way to the Central Coast.
Well, it was a long time ago, about forty-something years when my in-laws were renting a house here. I came here to visit them and immediately fell in love with the area and bought a second home here. We kept two houses for a long time and commuted back and forth to L.A., but eventually made the decision to move here permanently. I’ve been around the world four times, and I think this is the best place in
the world to live. It’s peaceful. I’m very happy here. And I love wine, the wine country, I love trying new wine. Not the expensive stuff, but something strong—strong and bold.
What’s your advice for living a life that is both strong and bold?
You have to develop a passion that’s unstoppable. You have to dig deep, find it inside of you, that drive. You can’t be afraid to take risks. And you can’t take no for an answer. Because for everything you will ever want to achieve, people will tell you no. They’ll always tell you no. You can’t accept it. You can’t take no for an answer. People told me no. Everybody did. They said I couldn’t do it. And I’ve done it. SLO LIFE
I attended Michigan State University, which was a big disappointment to me. I expected more out of the classes. I became alienated from school and embraced the ethos of the time: sex, drugs, and rock and roll. The Kent State shootings occurred during my freshman year, which pushed me far to the left politically. My ambition at the time was more oriented toward being a writer, while art remained a hobby. The writing never really took off, but I have subsequently written six books over the years. After three years at MSU, I attended the University of Manchester in England for a year. I dropped out for a year, but then completed my degree at MSU, earning a B.A. in History. During the year I was out of school, I spent the winter in Jamaica. Meeting Joanie, a charming American girl there, changed my life. She was a watercolor painter, and she gave me her watercolor equipment when I shipped off on a cargo ship around the Caribbean. As a personal challenge, I painted a watercolor at every island we stopped at, ten islands in all, to Trinidad and back. Getting in the habit of painting every day has stuck with me ever since.
A big turning point in my life was moving to Europe when I was twenty-nine. I lived a year in London and survived by sketching shops in the street and selling them to the owners. I also swapped drawings for books at bookshops, which furthered my addictive book collecting. Henry Miller was a big inspiration to me at this time and when I read about a bicycle tour he took with his wife in France, I proposed to do the same with my Dutch girlfriend at the time. We started off from her home in Arnhem, but after a week on the road broke up. I continued to ride my old bike alone for the next three months, from Holland through Belgium, and all across France, while I taught myself French word by word. I lived in the South of France outside of Sollies-Ville in a little stone cabin with my French girlfriend for some time while I wrote my first novel, “The Blue Cabin.” We moved to Paris where I remained for the next five years. Then, I moved to San Sebastian, Spain for a year. I returned to the South of France for two more years and then moved back to the United States.
When I moved back to the States, I was accompanied by my Spanish girlfriend, Paca. We were married a year later and were blessed with two wonderful daughters. We settled in Petoskey, Michigan, but split our time equally with Santa Fe, New Mexico. After seven years of this constant back and forth, we settled in San Luis Obispo to stay. We have continued to travel to Europe nearly every year, maintaining our friendships and relations there. My older daughter, Claudia, now lives in Bilbao, Spain.
For Leigh Rubin nearly every day begins the same, a ritual he’s followed seven days a week for over thirty years. It begins with a blank slate. There is only one thing he has to do today, and it could take him ten minutes or ten hours. Every day, hundreds of newspapers around the world depend on Rubin to deliver a cartoon for their publication. Rubin has a responsibility—it’s on him and other cartoonists like him to provide a little comic relief to offset the often less funny headlines. It’s creativity with a deadline.
To make a full-time career out of your creative endeavor requires hustle, persistence, and an abundance of unwavering determination. For Rubin, it began in the early 1980s when he published a book of musical notes called “Notable Quotes.” It became the spark that led to a daily cartoon for his local newspaper, The Antelope Valley Press. The comic strip Rubes was first published on November 1st, 1984. While still working full-time, Rubin started to send out queries and cold-call newspaper editors. Rejections became the norm, but all it took was
one yes to keep the fire burning. Committed to selfsyndication, it was through personal hard-work and determination that Rubin expanded the reach of Rubes to several other newspapers. Eventually, he was able to land a leading global agency, Creators Syndicate, to sell his work around the world. Rubes has been featured in films, books, newspapers, and advertising. While he’s taken on freelance work now and then, his commitment to Rubes is unwavering.
“I’ve always been an entrepreneur at heart, constantly looking for ways to create and connect. I learned the importance of hustle and persistence in the early days of my career, and those principles have stayed with me.”
What is Rubin’s recipe for everlasting creativity? It’s a combination of imagination, curiosity, persistence, collaboration, and discipline. It’s the topic of his latest book, “Think Like a Cartoonist: A Celebration of Humor and Creativity.” An anthology of essays from Rubin’s closest colleagues along with his personal advice to other creatives, it’s a peek into his creative process. Rubin’s personal life is a testament to his belief in the transformative power of creativity. He credits his pursuits for bringing him joy and fulfillment, while also empowering him to connect with others and make a meaningful contribution to the world. Rather than view challenges as something to avoid, his experience is that setbacks become the source of innovation.
Rubin believes that creativity is the most significant force in life. He views creativity as essential to personal fulfillment and societal progress—allowing us to solve problems, connect with others, and express ourselves in unique ways.
Even after over thirty years, Rubin’s enthusiasm for his work is obvious. He has managed to sustain a passion that gives him a reason to get out of bed. Besides, he only has one thing to do today.
You can learn more at rubescartoons.com and check out his latest Rubes on Instagram @ RubesCartoons. Later this year, Rubin will be participating in the 40th annual Central Coast Writers’ Conference on October 5th.
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Nestled in the foothills of the Santa Lucia coastal range, Lake Nacimiento offers the perfect escape from the blazing heat of summer. Encompassing over five thousand surface acres and surrounded by mountains, forests, waterfalls, and abundant wildlife, the lake will captivate you with panoramic views.
(similar to a pontoon, but with three tubes instead of two) and ski boats. During my recent visit, I experienced the comfort and style of a brand-new Sweetwater Tritoon named “Lady of the Lake,” complete with a sun top, Bluetooth stereo, electric drink cooler, and plush seating for twelve. Every boat has its own unique name. Some of the others that caught my eye were “Baby Got Bass,” “Fishin’ Impossible,” “The Codfather,” and “New Kid on the Dock.”
voyage. With an on-water gas dock and general store, you and your party can stay fueled, hydrated, and content throughout the day. And if you already have a boat, the resort has a well-maintained launch facility, ample trailer parking, and rental slips.
Just a brief twenty-minute journey from Paso Robles, Lake Nacimiento Resort has everything you need for a seamless and unforgettable day on the water with friends or family. Don’t have a boat? No worries. The resort boasts a fleet of top-of-the-line watercraft available for daily rental, ranging from pleasure crafts to luxurious tritoons >>
Whether you’re a novice boater or a seasoned captain, the boats are userfriendly, and the hospitable marina staff will guide you through everything you need to know to ensure a safe and enjoyable
Described as “a haven for watersports enthusiasts,” Lake Nacimiento’s glassy waters promise excitement for visitors and locals alike. From water skiing and wakeboarding to kneeboarding, wake surfing, tubing, and jet skiing, there is no shortage of adrenaline-pumping activities to enjoy. For those seeking a more relaxing experience, kayaks and paddleboards are available for rent, while
the renowned “feisty fighters,” White Bass, eagerly await the challenge of your hook and line.
Arriving at the resort with my photographer, Chase Bent, we were warmly welcomed by General Manager Layla Decker, a SLO county local, who has been with the resort for two decades. Check-in was a breeze; after signing some liability forms, we were escorted down the dock, where we received a thorough orientation to the boat’s controls, safety features, and amenities. Equipped with a map of the lake, shaped like a dragon, we embarked on our adventure.
Whether you opt for a full-day excursion or a half-day jaunt, the marina staff ensures that you are well-informed of your return time and best navigation practices before sending you off. As we ventured onto the lake, the scenery unfolded like something from a postcard. I enjoyed spotting cows grazing along the shoreline while exploring on a paddle board I brought onboard.
After catching some rays, we couldn’t resist taking a refreshing dip. Surprisingly, the water was just the right temperature, averaging 72 degrees and nearing 80 in late summer. Reflecting on the day, I discovered a newfound appreciation for lake life. Despite growing up near the ocean and spending countless hours surfing in Morro
Bay, I never realized how much fun a day on the lake could be. I’m already looking forward to returning with more friends for another memorable experience.
Next time, I plan to extend my stay at Lake Nacimiento Resort overnight. There are 350 campsites available, as well as cabins that accommodate groups of four to ten people, many with stunning lake views. However, if this piques your interest, make sure to book in advance, as they often sell out well before the summer sun breaks through the clouds. The resort also offers an array of amenities, including volleyball and basketball courts, a newly renovated pool, and a lively tiki bar. Plus, two food trucks—Grind and Grub, serving breakfast delights and specialty coffee, and Buenos Diaz!, cooking up fresh Mexican fare—are set to debut just in time for the summer season.
Laughter echoing around the campfire, lively conversations filling the air, and the gentle chirping of birds will bring out your inner child at Lake Nacimiento. This place epitomizes the essence of summertime joy. It leaves you longing for more, and you may just find yourself returning time and time again.
Experience San Luis Obispo with SLO Transit, your ticket to affordable and convenient travel within the city. SLO Transit provides bus service to students, residents, visitors and more who need access to iconic and popular SLO locations. For route and schedule information, visit us at www.slotransit.org or call Transit dispatch at (805) 541-2877. Your transportation
National Honor Society Scholar and Division I CIF Girls Tennis Champion at San Luis Obispo High School, this graduating senior is ready for the future.
What extra-curricular activities are you involved in? Tennis has always been a huge part of my life, and one of the most significant aspects of my high school experience. Throughout my four years on the SLOHS team I’ve improved as both a player and an individual, as well as made valuable friendships with my teammates. For the first time in SLO High history, our team won the Division I title. Our team unity and dedication is what ultimately pushed us to win the title, and it was such an amazing feeling to achieve what we’ve been working so hard to achieve. This season we also raised over $3,000 and donated it to the American Cancer Society to fund research and support current cancer patients. One of our matches was dedicated to those who we’ve lost to cancer, those who are currently battling, and survivors. We had such a successful season on so many levels, and the opportunity to play for something bigger than ourselves.
What do you like to do for fun? I enjoy spending my time hiking, rock climbing, skiing, and exploring new places. I’ve also taught myself how to play guitar over the years and love learning and playing my favorite songs. Along with music, I make jewelry and enjoy expressing my creativity through crafting. I love experiencing new things and meeting new people. I want to spend my life experiencing as much as possible and working to make a difference in the world.
What is one of your favorite memories? Traveling to Greece with my family last year. We visited Athens, which was one of my favorite cities I’ve been to. All the ancient architecture was so cool to explore, especially The Acropolis. After visiting Athens, we drove up to northern Greece, which was filled with beautiful mountainous landscapes and small villages. My favorite part of the trip was seeing Meteora, the coolest rock formations with monasteries built on top of them thousands of feet above the ground.
Do you have a career path in mind? My life goal is to make a tangible difference in the medical field through advancing cancer treatments that will eventually save lives. I’m interested in delving into cancer treatment research and studying different immunotherapies and CAR T-Cell therapy and working to develop innovative methods to battle the disease. Broadening the treatment options available to patients and improving current treatments will both improve and save lives. My love for science is also a driving force for my desire to pursue a career in medicine.
What are your plans for college? I will most likely stay in state for college and study biology. My top choices at the moment are UCLA, UCSD, and UCSB. SLO LIFE
BBuying a home on the Central Coast can feel like an insurmountable challenge, especially for a young family like Joel and Sarah Conn. And, when the only affordable option comes with pink carpets (even around the toilets), peeling wallpaper on the ceilings, and a lingering odor of neglect, it’s far from the picturesque homes we see on Instagram and HGTV.
So, what’s a design-loving, first-time homebuyer to do? Allow Joel and his family to inspire you with their journey.
Joel and his wife Sarah are co-owners of the Pismo Beach Veterinary Clinic. Before establishing their business on the Central Coast, they lived in Davis, where they attended vet school. During a visit to Joel’s parents in Pismo Heights in 2009, they stumbled upon a fixerupper a few houses away (yes, the one with pink carpets around the toilets), made an offer, and swiftly became homeowners.
You might argue that buying a home was easier in 2009, and I won’t challenge that. However, it’s what they accomplished over the last fifteen years that I hope will inspire you and broaden your perspective on home improvements. >>
Instead of trying to tackle everything at once, which can be financially daunting and discouraging, they phased their home improvements with the phases of their lives.
The Conns began by setting intentions for their dream home: playful, unconventional, sustainable, and efficient with modern amenities. With these guiding principles, they broke down their to-do list into manageable phases.
Their first priority was necessity-driven: demolishing the old carpet and painting the subfloor, ceiling beams, and walls a crisp white. A fresh coat of paint can work wonders without breaking the bank. They lived in this state for the first year, which proved to be perfectly fine.
During that time, they observed how they utilized the space and identified improvements that would have the most significant impact. It takes patience to study routines, realizing opportunities and current pinch points. Conversely, when we remodel a space before living in it, we’re forced to make rushed decisions and end up with neutral finishes and generic layouts that prioritize resale value over the homeowner’s needs. >>
Remodeling the dark galley kitchen was their next project. Still on a tight budget, they carried out most of the work themselves. They removed two sliding doors that were flanking the kitchen to open it up and connect it with the adjacent living spaces. They collaborated with local Tile Co. Distributors and utilized Ikea cabinetry to execute the project affordably. Joel also installed sustainable bamboo plank flooring throughout the home.
As their business expanded, they could enlist experts and professionals for their improvements. In 2013, they worked with Micah Smith Architecture to design a primary suite and guest space addition.
Smith’s proposal for a two-story tower with a butterfly roof to maximize light and capture ocean views became a striking feature of the home, clad in evolving Cor-ten steel. They continued the modern, industrial style in the primary bathroom, using materials again from Tile Co. Distributors. They also installed a climbing wall in their primary bedroom as a functional way to access the storage ledge above—so fun and inventive. Aligning with their sustainability goals, they integrated solar panels and rain catchments. >>
With a growing family and a desire for expanded outdoor living space, Joel, and his son repurposed materials from the 2013 addition to build an epic, two-story playhouse with suspension bridges. They collaborated with Ferreira Inc. and Monarch Windows to add stacking doors off the dining area, enhancing connectivity to the outdoors. They added swings and upgraded the covered porch, which is now used as much as the interior living space.
The backyard stands out as one of the most impressive and unique spaces, evolving over time with input from various consultants. It’s an unconventional and bespoke space featuring a turf-covered slide with a splash pad, an in-ground trampoline, an outdoor sauna, and a custom stainless steel hot tub crafted by a local company specializing in winery equipment. Naturally, adults play out there just as much as the kids do.
What the Conns demonstrate is that obstacles can serve as parameters that lead to opportunities. Don’t design your home solely for resale value; instead, let it evolve over time with intentionality, embracing the uncertainties and messiness of the process. Life changes, opportunities arise and fade, and your home will continue to grow and adapt with you through the different phases of your life.
872 Higuera St.
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
619-523-8485
hgwarchitecture.com
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Makena, Maui Residence
AVERAGE PRICE PER SQUARE FOOT
ACTIVE LISTINGS
AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET
THIRTY
626 UP FROM 588 LAST YEAR
$527 UP FROM $467 LAST YEAR MEDIAN % OF ASKING PRICE
1,391 UP FROM 1,338 LAST YEAR
Nine UP FROM 38 LAST YEAR PROPERTIES SOLD
99.9% UP FROM 99.3% LAST YEAR
MEDIAN SELLING PRICE
$775,000 UP FROM $724,250 LAST YEAR
2023 $1,101,519 $824,212 $1,852,167 $1,219,818 $1,528,714 $932,351 $823,493 $964,626 $1,101,551 $1,148,328 $825,350 $1,398,843 $656,878 $726,955 $1,185,991 $1,379,700 $1,211,945 $1,047,333 $1,219,034 $1,000,254 2024 $1,170,897 $830,220 $1,789,833 $1,091,454 $1,725,676 $1,437,436 $836,446 $909,557 $1,073,505 $1,044,621 $754,462 $1,929,323 $791,927 $911,783 $856,445 $840,800 $1,254,935 $771,833 $1,195,421 $1,007,877 AVERAGE SELLING PRICE
In today’s fast-paced world, the rise of loneliness and isolation is becoming a trend and is taking a toll on our mental, physical, and emotional well-being. Studies have shown that an increasing number of adults are reporting a sense of isolation and lack of social connection—a phenomenon that can have profound effects on our health and happiness.
Women, in particular, often find themselves grappling with feelings of loneliness and isolation, especially as they juggle the demands of work and motherhood. I know this personally. The most isolating time for me was building a business with children in tow. Knee deep in the familybuilding phase, trade-offs are made. And for me, and many women, the trade-off easiest to let fall away was building a network of support from other women.
In many other cultures, women and communities are cultivated with sacredness. The concept of parenting in a vacuum is relatively new in the timeline of humanity. And some may argue it’s not natural. But, in America, we often experience an insular family unit, cut off from extended family, while mothers are logging full-time hours in the workforce, trying to expand their careers, and still maintaining excellence and happiness in caring for their family,
spouse, and children. The pressure to excel in both spheres can leave many women feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, and unsupported. This unwavering, you-can-do-it-all mentality has, frankly, left us feeling exhausted and alone. In a society that glorifies busyness and independence, the importance of community and connection is often overlooked.
However, humans are hard-wired for connection. Many find community by joining gyms, volunteer organizations, or a wine club to rub shoulders with like-minded people. Others struggle to make time for themselves unless it’s tied to networking or creating business connections. But, what if you could do both?
There is a local group dedicated to helping women connect and support one another in both life and business. That group is the brainchild of Tyler Skinner, founder of Women Making Waves. While much of what
her organization does is focused on female empowerment in the workplace, she also hosts a string of fun experiences designed to foster a sense of community and belonging. Recognizing the unique challenges faced by women, Skinner and her team have made it their mission to create opportunities to come together, support one another, and celebrate their collective strength.
“Women Making Waves is more than just a network; it’s a place where women can find belonging and healing in the company of like-minded individuals who are on similar journeys and who are seeking support and who deserve to be seen,” explains Skinner.
One of the hallmark events of the organization is their Pause & Play series, where women gather to pause the hustle and bustle of daily life and engage in activities that nourish their minds, bodies, and spirits. These events often shine a spotlight on female-owned businesses, providing a platform for women to showcase their talents and support one another’s endeavors. Experiences range from a wreath-making event to a breathwork seminar by the beach, from a women’s hike to a chocolate-making class.
“This is my dream.” Chef Sophia Zekria has said these words four times within a half hour of our first meeting, but I can tell she doesn’t do so lightly. The dream in this case is her new pop-up restaurant, Kor Kitchen, based out of the Kitchen Terminal on Allene Way by the SLO Regional Airport.
A native of Afghanistan, Zekria moved to San Luis Obispo just two years ago, after the fall of her home country to the Taliban. She had been living in Kabul with her husband Abdullah and their two-year-old daughter when U.S. armed forces left and the Taliban took over in 2021. Leading up to the collapse, Abdullah had risked his life as an interpreter for the U.S. government. As they attempted to make a decision about their future together, Abdullah told Zekria, “If you want to stay in Afghanistan, we will always be hiding.”
“For one week, we were sleeping on the floor to get into the airport because we had no other choice,” Zekria says, recalling her last hours in Afghanistan. “My daughter and I were sleeping there and heard firing all night and day. There were thousands and thousands of people and we couldn’t move.” She says that half of Abdullah’s face was sunburned from laying silently in one place under the sun for so long.
In secret, they boarded a private charter plane bound for a refugee camp in Abu Dhabi. Seven months in the camp later, Zekria and Abdullah departed for America, carrying only their daughter and one backpack.
“We didn’t have anybody,” she says. “I just put it in God’s hands. I was very emotional leaving my home country, but I said, ‘This is okay, I just want a peaceful place for my daughter.’”
Her prayers were answered. Within a month, the Zekria family found itself in San Luis Obispo, thanks to the organization SLO 4 Home, which helps Afghan refugees move and establish their lives here. Volunteers met them at the airport, hosted them for weeks, secured permanent living arrangements, helped them get driver’s licenses, employment, and education. SLO 4 Home was even able to bring Zekria’s parents and sister from Afghanistan to live with them.
“When we came here, we were scared that society wouldn’t accept us because we grew up in Afghanistan in a war,” she
says. “But they accepted us, as people who are new, and guided us at every step.”
One of those steps felt particularly personal: Zekria loved to cook and dreamed of starting her own restaurant featuring the flavors of Afghanistan.
“I wanted to show the hospitality of my country. I started out asking everyone, ‘Here, eat this, eat this,’” she laughs. “I’m very lucky to grow up in that culture. It’s beautiful—beautiful people, beautiful hearts.”
Enough people tasted her cuisine to know she was onto something, so they started requesting catering. With time, she gained the support of the Cal Poly CIE Small Business Development Center and started selling pre-packaged items on Harvestly, a local food and ingredient delivery service. Soon, she moved into the Kitchen Terminal, a commissary kitchen that allows chefs to serve customers on set days of the week. Zekria took the Saturday lunch slot in February, and has been feeding hungry San Luis Obispo eaters regularly since. >>
For my visit, Zekria and her sister Negina serve a menu for Eid al Fitr, the feast that celebrates the end of Ramadan, a month of fasting in the Muslim faith. The special menu includes mantu, traditional Afghan steamed dumplings filled with ground beef, onions and spices, served with a yogurt-tomato sauce, as well as a dish of creamy lentils and sella rice called daal chalaw and a colorful salad made with local lettuces. As I sit down to take in all the colors, textures and aromas, Zekria pours me a cup of green tea with rose petals from a statuesque electric samovar tea kettle. The dumplings manage to be both light and meaty, with delicate spices, and the daal chalaw is pure comfort food, perfect for a chilly day. Zekria mentions that everything on her menu is organic —“Organic was all I knew in Afghanistan,” she shares—and that the menu changes weekly. To me, that just means I’ll need to come back regularly to discover my new favorite dish.
I ask Zekria if owning a business like this would have been possible in Afghanistan now, though I suspect I already know the answer. According to a report from the Council on Foreign Relations, the Taliban have banned women from nearly every part of public life, from getting an education and working to leaving the house without a male chaperone. I ask her anyway.
“Never, never, never,” she says, shaking her head. She describes how, as a young woman, she was prevented from playing basketball even though she had Olympic aspirations, how she had to fight tooth and nail to attend and graduate from the American University of Afghanistan, just because she was born a woman.
“And now with the Taliban?” she says. “There was no hope for me. I don’t know how I would survive if I was back home.”
As she talks, I eat spoonfuls of Zekria’s Afghan rice pudding, studded with cardamom and nuts and perfumed with rose water. The aroma is so riotously sensual, in such stark opposition to the descriptions of stifling laws and religious extremism I’ve heard about on the news. It occurs to me suddenly that Kor Kitchen might exist for such a purpose: to quietly and deliciously change the narrative about Afghanistan.
“That’s why I decided to do this,” Zekria says, as if reading my mind. “I want someday for someone from Afghanistan to see me doing this, and to be proud.” SLO LIFE
Walking into a local hotel and cozying up to the bar, my wife and I find ourselves looking around and checking out the other couples. With hushed tones, we’ll ponder who they are and what they’re like. Are they travelers finding a place to stop while cruising down the coast or are they a smitten pair of vacationing newlyweds? The few bars we have in SLO belong to hotels and, it just feels a bit odd to hang around one if you’re not a guest.
This leaves us in a bit of a dry spell, looking for a place to wet our lips. I’m talking about a flat-out watering hole. This side of the 101 has one grocery store per household but a distinct lack of space to pull up a stool and ponder life, have a laugh with a friend, or enjoy a casual date night. This town is five miles wide, so why should I have to walk halfway through it to find the first bar? Well, you might be able to see where this is going, because I got some good news recently.
For someone who complains about traveling a couple of miles, you can understand that grabbing a beer in Paso
Robles is nearly unthinkable, but thanks to the work of Ryan Bonner I will soon be able to enjoy sitting at a bar in my own neighborhood. The rumor mill has been grinding for a while about what will go into the new commercial space in the recently developed San Luis Ranch, directly across from Laguna Lake. When the whispers became roars, I connected with Bonner to set the record straight. As the Founder of Paso Robles Brewing Company (PRBC), he would be able to tell me more about this brewery slated to open in our beverage desert.
We both went into our interview excited. Me for the prospect of another brewery, and him for the opportunity to expand his business into a new area. Bonner and I connected on another level, both being transplants from the L.A. entertainment industry where he drew a wonderful correlation as I was digging into who he is and how he came into the brewing world, when he explained that he “wrote, directed, and produced” the Paso brewery. He also had second-hand experience in the bar scene growing up in Wisconsin where his father owned a bar providing him with wise words on his new venture to create a “watering hole for the locals; build them a home.” Bonner’s philosophy extends beyond the bar into his dedication to creating a team to run the joint focusing on four points: Beer, Food, Service, and Ambiance. >>
Bonner delves deeper into those four points as I probe for details on what to expect when the SLO location opens. I lament the nearly predictable style of reclaimed barn wood and tin roofing for walls that have dominated the space for over a decade, but he assures me that they have a more “posh” concept in mind based on a Victorian Rail Station. The food is pub-elevated with your standard expectations, but also Cubanos, fried cheese curds (did I mention he was from Wisconsin), and a falafel sandwich for the vegetarians or filet mignon bites for the carnivores. Am I missing something? Oh yeah, beer.
Despite having a brewery only twenty miles away, they will have a dedicated brew system at the SLO location. A ten-barrel setup means fresh, local beer brewed at the source, and that’s not just a good thing, it’s a necessity. You see, PRBC doesn’t put their beer into kegs. The only way to move their beer is from a tap to a glass to your mouth. They utilize a style not seen often outside of Europe called Tank Beers. Without getting too far into the weeds, this means that the beer their pouring out of their fancy Czech LUKR faucets comes straight from the brewing equipment into your pint glass. No transference, no oxidation, no chance of contamination. They even have oversized pint glasses so that fancy faucet goes into your beer, under a protective layer of a foam head to ensure that the first time those suds hit your tongue they have never been exposed to air. This. Is. Cool.
Paso Robles Brewing Company’s new SLO location will hopefully open later this year inside an open-air plaza similar to a model we see at the Public Market, but Bonner says it will have a large, shared space that will act as “a great place for the community to gather, for the locals to drink and dine.” Hey, that’s me. So next time you’re thirsty, come over to my house. We’ll have a lovely stroll over to where we can raise foamy imperial pints to Bonner and his team while we cheer “Na zdraví” to PRBC SLO! SLO
She didn’t set out to change the wine world, but Croma Vera proprietor Mindy Oliver’s passion for Iberian grape varieties is taking a big step toward the future of the Central Coast wine world.
While working as a graphic designer and creative director for an influential web marketing firm, Oliver and husband Chris Steins got into home winemaking. “It was a great creative outlet,” she shares. “We started out making Tempranillo and that fueled my interest in Iberian grape varieties Garnacha, Albariño, and of course, Tempranillo. I’d been thinking about creating a real winery but there was always a good reason not to make the move; kids, work, whatever. When a longtime friend became ill, we spoke often and towards the end, we were talking about wine and he flat-out said to me: ‘Don’t waste any more time.’ And I took his words to heart.”
Collaborating with winemaker Jeremy Leffert of Tooth & Nail Winery, Oliver has refined her focus on Iberian grape varieties. All of the grapes they use come from vineyards on the Central Coast, primarily from the cool SLO Coast AVA, but with additional fruit from Paso Robles and Santa Barbara county vineyards. “We’re all about keeping the wines fresh and delicious, letting the varietal character and vintage differences sing out over the winemaking techniques. This maximizes the vineyard’s impact on the way the finished wines express themselves.”
Oliver was introduced to wine in middle school while working at the Cheese Store of Beverly Hills. She says she learned “through osmosis” (the only option when you’re not old enough to drink) and early on made the important connection between how the origin of a given cheese or wine results in a unique sensory experience. The Eurocentric focus of the wine selection at The Cheese Store took her out of the California-based wine mindset and she continued her vinous exploration while studying art at UC Santa Cruz, eventually moving on to her career in graphic design and marketing.
Croma Vera has had several tasting rooms since its founding. “We make only about 200 cases of wine each year,” explains Oliver. “Most of it goes to the members of our wine club, but we’ve always worked with a few retailers, wine bars, and restaurants to keep our name out there. Opening the tasting room at Duncan Alley was the right call.”
While closed during the 2020 shutdown, Croma Vera changed their web platform, and time was invested into learning about online sales. Oliver has now put herself front and center as the face of the Croma Vera tasting room, and despite her discomfort as being the spokesperson, she says, “A website only goes so far. I’m not an outgoing person, but I love wine and I love talking to people. I push myself to talk more, and I’ve got to be the face of the winery. We’re really happy with this location—there are a lot of people checking out all of the tasting options in the complex and it’s been a steady upward trajectory for us since opening.”
Croma Vera Wines
3183 Duncan Road . Suite D . San Luis Obispo cromavera.com open Thursday - Sunday
2021 Croma Vera Albariño // $30
I don’t have anything against Chardonnay, but if one were to pick a “most likely to succeed” grape variety for the Central Coast, it’d be Albariño, and Croma Vera’s is an extraordinary example to get your feet wet, so to speak. Aged partially in stainless steel (for crispness and cut) and in neutral oak barrels (for the depth and complexity), it’s a thrilling wine. As wine writer Fredric Koeppel put it, “A lovely texture that flows on the palate like powdered money—it has that aura of expensive sensuality.” And, at $30, it’s not that expensive.
2018 Croma Vera Revalacéon // $49
Revelations tend to pop up at the best times— the Croma Vera website references Rosa Parks, Beethoven, Gandhi, and Monet. Those are some pretty lofty benchmarks to place a bottle of wine, but Oliver makes a case for Revelacéon’s elevation with the idea that “revelation is the crack in the dam that leads to creative and spiritual breakthroughs.” This is a wine for Cabernet lovers who like that grape’s power but also appreciate complexity and food-friendliness. Built around Tempranillo, Revelacéon adds Petite Sirah, Grenache, and Cabernet Sauvignon to the blend, bringing along elements of blackberries, mocha, and a little balsamic with enough acidity and tannins to keep it all together alongside a tri-tip. This is electrifying wine that serves as a harbinger of the Central Coast’s potential to come up with great tasting wines inspired by Spain, Bordeaux, and the New World.
Duncan Alley opened late in 2023 in San Luis Obispo’s lower Broad Street neighborhood. Situated in a resurrected industrial complex, it’s a one-stop destination for just about any sort of craft beverage you might want to explore.
In addition to Croma Vera’s tasting room, the complex houses El Lugar Wines and Rhôndonée Wines, Ancient Owl Brewery, Shindig Cider, PBS Creative (a workspace featuring coffee from the people behind Kreuzberg California and Kraken), along with yoga and Pilates studios. Free parking, too. Are you thirsty yet? SLO LIFE
An exhibit funded by the National Endowment for the Arts featuring multidisciplinary artist April Banks comes to the SLO Museum of Art. The exhibition, including film, mixed media, ritual, and sculpture, returns to and proceeds from ancient knowledge and harmony with nature. Banks evokes imagination, daydreaming, and wonder in a metaphor for a geography of freedom. Through July 29 / sloma.org
Manuel the Band—a rock/pop/jam group hailing from Long Beach—and Central Coast R&B/pop/jazz singer/songwriter Jineanne Coderre open Downtown SLO’s twelve-week concert series on offer every Friday night in Mission Plaza this summer. Free to the public, the series is family-friendly with dancing highly encouraged.
June 21 / downtownslo.com
SLO REP closes its season with a story of friendship and revenge in the Roladex era. Based on the hit motion picture and with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton, the stage show is outrageous, thought provoking, and even a little romantic. Pushed to the boiling point, three female coworkers concoct a plan to get even with their boss and take control of the company that had always kept them down.
June 7-30 / slorep.org
The Cal Poly Symphony and Cal Poly Choirs embark on a performance tour in June, visiting Paris, Bayeux, Normandy, the Loire Valley, Versailles, Tours, and other French destinations. They preview their tour repertoire for the community in a combined concert at the SLO PAC that features selections from American and Canadian composers in addition to French composers Fauré and Saint-Saêns.
June 8 / music.calpoly.edu
Progressive bluegrass band Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway and Americana singersongwriter John Craigie headline this year’s musical extravaganza when the annual event returns to El Chorro Regional Park in SLO on Father’s Day weekend. Beyond the hottest music anywhere, the vibrant fest offers local cuisine and beverages, talent shows, art, games, jamming workshops, and more. June 14-16 / liveoakfest.org
Tour, taste, and learn while savoring summer on the San Luis Obispo County Farm Trail. Local family farms swing open their gates to ticket-holding guests who set their own pace discovering how food is grown and products are made right here in SLO. Your self-guided adventure also takes you to picnic spots and pop-up markets while introducing you to beekeeping, olive oil making, farming, and ranching.
June 21-23 / farmsteaded.com
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The “biggest little fair anywhere” promises the best-ever concerts, food, contests, auctions, livestock shows, and carnival. Music headliners include Miranda Lambert, Jelly Roll, and Nickelback. There’s something for everyone in Paso Robles this summer, including special days set aside for seniors, kids, farmers, and members of the armed forces. And don’t miss the barn dance and tractor parade.
July 17-28 / midstatefair.com
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Take a captivating trip back in time during the Central Coast Renaissance Festival at Laguna Lake Park in SLO. Enjoy the refinement of Elizabethan dancing, puppetry, and magic on four stages throughout an artfully recreated English village. Experience the fervor of swordplay and battle scenes. Watch living history, hilarious comedy acts, and riotous stage plays. Be sure to bring the kids on Sunday for “Pirate Day.” July 20-21 / ccrenfaire.com
Over ten days this summer, Festival Mozaic features twenty-one events throughout SLO County, from free midday mini-concerts to exploratory lecture-recitals to a climactic orchestral concert. Marquee soloists and artists from the nation’s finest orchestras join music director Scott Yoo in a lineup that includes Baroque works, chamber pieces, world premieres, jazz, and Americana. July 18-27 / festivalmozaic.org
Elton John’s greatest hits—and his fabulous costumes—come to the SLO Performing Arts Center when his number one tribute band takes the stage for one unparalleled night performing “Bennie and the Jets,” “Tiny Dancer,” “Rocket Man,” “Candle in the Wind,” “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” “I’m Still Standing,” “Crocodile Rock,” “Your Song,” and more.
July 28 / pacslo.org
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