SLO LIFE Magazine Oct/Nov 2017

Q&A

Newly appointed City Manager DEREK JOHNSON discusses his vision for the future of America’s happiest place.

Music

THE NOACH TANGERAS BAND infuses Americana folk rock sound in their first full length album.

Storytellers’ Corner

New York Times bestselling author FRANZ WISNER explains the importance of editing and shares his best tips.

Insight

We discuss the implications of Cal Poly’s record-setting freshmen class and what it means to San Luis Obispo.

Outdoors

Exploring the driftwood scene of the Central Coast in its natural beauty, SHAWN TRACHT enjoys a blissful day with mindful intent.

Arts

While it’s not often that economics and arts are mentioned in the same sentence, BETTINA SWIGGER talks about how the two are linked locally.

Taste

Traveling the coast from Morro Bay to Pismo Beach JAIME LEWIS has just one thing in mind—finding the perfectly prepared burger.

Dwelling

Dubbed the Cal Poly Lofts, the renovated Blackstone-Sauer Building proves to be an inspiring space for students looking for a place to call home.

Real Estate

We share the year-to-date statistics of home sales for both the City and the County of San Luis Obispo.

On the Rise

Combining her love of dance and her passion for public speaking, San Luis Obispo high school senior GRETA CARLSON is sure to keep shining into the future.

Family

Looking for a family-friendly adventure, PADEN HUGHES takes a trip to the See Canyon Fruit Ranch and discovers the perfect way to spend a day.

Health

Always trying to find a healthier way to live and eat, we give intermittent fasting a whirl and share our results.

Kitchen

When the conversation turns to harvest, you know it must be fall and no dish better embodies the season than a curried pumpkin soup. Luckily for us, CHEF JESSIE RIVAS shares his favorite way to prepare a hot bowl.

Brew

Microbrews are back and the Central Coast is seeing a boom of brewers open and ready for business. Always in the know, BRANT MYERS stops into one of the newest spots to break onto the scene, 7 Sisters Brewing.

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 October and November.

Stick Shift

Every year, around this time, I get an overwhelming urge to gather firewood. The feeling bubbles up from somewhere way down deep inside my DNA; it’s primal.

The other day, I talked my kids into joining me for my annual pilgrimage. We piled into my truck, a 20-year-old Ford F150 with a manual transmission, and headed west where the woodpile waited. As we arrived, it was clear that we were first going to have to haul away a mound of trash in order to get to the fireplace-worthy stuff. The kids groaned with the realization that Dad’s request for “just two hours” of their time had doubled, at least, now that a trip to the Cold Canyon Landfill was also involved.

“Look,” I pointed out, “if we all work quickly this should only take a few minutes.” Surveying their faces in the same way a ship captain would have during an 18th-century Atlantic crossing, I realized the very real potential for mutiny, so I added, “Plus, you know, we are going to be driving right past the In-N-Out in A.G. on the way to the dump.” The mood changed instantly—it was 11am, and Double Doubles were now on the line. “Can we go there, Dad?” I swung the truck around, dropped the shifter into “R” and backed up. Twisting my body and craning my neck, I offered, “Yup—and if you guys work hard, I’ll buy you whatever you want.”

It was a gorgeous early fall day; the sun was casting longer shadows than it had just a month before. The mighty Pacific checked in for good measure with a gentle whisper. My door creaked and moaned as I reached in to click on the playlist I had cued up for the occasion and from the truck’s speakers Pearl Jam matched my kids’ frenetic pace. “Dad,” my youngest asked, “can we really get anything?” Without hesitation I answered back, “Anything.” In rapid succession, my daughter declared that she was going to order a vanilla milkshake, and my boys would be going for chocolate and strawberry. The work went by quickly; the whole time Eddie Vedder kept us company with his raw, tribal screams: spin, spin / spin the black circle…

With a full load, we folded ourselves back into the cab. Spirits were soaring in anticipation of oozing special sauce, Animal Style. My still-gloved right hand reached for the ignition and turned the key clockwise. Click, click, click. My heart sank as I realized that my obsession with 90’s grunge had drained the battery. We were stuck in the middle of nowhere and would not be going anywhere anytime soon. In-N-Out for dinner, maybe, but not lunch. The news hit hard; really hard. The workers were unhappy and would surely unionize as a result. I phoned everyone I knew to be within a five-mile radius of our location. No luck. As a last resort, I dialed AAA. Their annoyingly chirpy operator informed me that a tow truck would be by in the next two to three hours. It was then, in a wave of desperation, that it hit me: wait a minute, we have a stick shift!

“Everybody out,” I ordered; “I’ve got an idea.” I explained that if we could get the truck moving fast enough, I could put it in first gear, pop the clutch, and we could jump start the old Ford ourselves. They were in disbelief that something like that could actually work, but grasped onto the tiny glimmer of hope now dangled before them. I lined the kids up at the tailgate and demonstrated how I wanted them to push. Looking like a football coach, minus the whistle and clipboard, I said, “You’ve got to bend your knees and put your back into it, like this.” I gave it everything I had, barely budging the hulking two-ton amalgamation of Detroit-made steel. “We’re going to have to work together on this, doing it all at once, pushing as hard as we can. If we can just get it over this hump the rest is downhill.”

The first shove did nothing. Not a thing. With my shoulder now nested into the void of the open driver’s side door, I shouted out, “Push!” An inch was gained and the truck rocked back again. “Push!” This time two inches, and then a retreat. “Push!” Three inches, and back. “Push!” Four inches, and now a 4,000-pound ticking metronome. After a dozen or so successive tries, momentum took over and the tires exited the rut and began to roll downhill. I ran alongside as it gained speed and jumped in behind the wheel, tromped down the clutch, turned the ignition to “On,” shoved the stick out of neutral and into first, and then popped the clutch.

Vrrrrroooooooooooommm!!! The aging workhorse roared back to life. Glancing up at the rear-view mirror, I could see my kids running behind me as if they were a trio of offensive lineman trailing their speedy running back down the open field, knowing that it was their blocks that set him free for his glorious touchdown scamper. Pumping their fists, they high-fived, laughed, whooped and hollered. For good measure, I sped out into the nearby open field and spun a celebratory donut, gunning the engine and launching a plume of Central Coast topsoil heavenward—my version of an end zone dance.

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.

Live the SLO Life!

Tom Franciskovich

tom@slolifemagazine.com

SLOLIFE 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

Dawn Janke

Jaime Lewis

Brant Myers

Jessie Rivas

Shawn Tracht

Franz Wisner

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Blake Andrews

Patrick Patton

Vanessa Plakias

Beth Sargent

CONTRIBUTIONS

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NOTE

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CIRCULATION, COVERAGE AND ADVERTISING RATES

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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.

BEHIND the scenes

WITH MIKE DURIGHELLO

BY VANESSA PLAKIAS

Mike gave me a tour. The first stop was their keg storage, and then we went into this massive walk-in refrigerator.

Kombucha is everywhere! And, there is a process for everything from brewing and shipping all the way down to cleaning. Although it appeared to be so carefree and artsy, there was definitely business going on there.

All of their personalities seemed to mesh so well. They were a bunch of characters, finishing each other’s sentences, and just balancing each other out. It’s wonderful to be around, the energy is contagious. They had customers coming in and out the whole time I was there and the phone was ringing off the hook. It was a beehive of activity in that place. I wanted to get a shot of the four owners together, but it was hard to pull off because it was so busy. We had to sneak it in quickly.

Upstairs is their office, and I say “upstairs,” but it is more like “up ladder” because you have to scale this really steep ladder to get up there. I was so nervous climbing it, but they are all maniacs. They literally run face first down this thing.

They have guitars, punching bags, and they have a collection of hot sauce, because if you are late to work you have to take a shot of hot sauce; that’s the punishment for showing up late. They are definitely very playful, they keep it fun, and happy.

Take us with you!

DOLOMITES, ITALY

ALASKA

KUTUH, BALI, INDONESIA

JEFF, SUMMER, HUNTER, and MADI LONG, with KEN and JUDY RIENER, took a chopper ride to Meade Glacier during an Alaskan cruise.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

CORDELL, MARLEY, and AUDREY CONOVER

LAKE SUNAPEE, NEW HAMPSHIRE

PIPER went to Phil’s pre-school program and we loved the article about him. NORA hopes to be doing Junior Guards with him next summer. Thanks for a great local publication.

Our magazine traveled by Gondola up to the top of Heavenly Mountain.

— TAYLOR, GABRIELLE, MARTY, & BRYAN DAVIS

JUDY and WALT BREMER

ANDREW JONES and JULIE NURMINI enjoying the family temple on the Bukit. Selamat Hari Saraswati.

BURBANK, CALIFORNIA GRAND CANYON

IRELAND

SOUTH KOREA

COSTA RICA

AFRICA

Hello from El Tumbo de las Olas in Costa Rica. THE WOOLPERT FAMILY enjoying the pura vida lifestyle and the magical chaos of friends and family in the jungle!

Sisters MARGE GIST and JANET LAURSEN visiting their ancestral home.

After spending a year in SLO, we are now back to Ulsan, South Korea, with SLO Life. HYESUE and EUNSUE at Tongdosa in the southern part of Mt. Chiseosan near Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea.

SLO OAK LEAVES ROLLER HOCKEY MAKENA and KAILANI SWITHIN

THE SCIOCCHETTI FAMILY

Sponsors

San Simeon Lodge

Cambria Tourism Board

Robin’s Restaurant

CowParade SLO

Town of Harmony

Harmony Valley Creamery

Visitors Alliance of Cayucos / Shoreline Inn / Happy go Smile/ Negranti Construction Windows on the Water

Morro Bay Tourism Bureau / City of Morro Bay Gardens by Gabriel, Inc. Los Osos / Baywood

smart72

Avila Beach Golf Resort

Pismo Beach CVB

Nipomo Tourism Alliance / Trilogy at Monarch Dunes / Monarch Club / Monarch Dunes Golf Club

J.B. Dewar

Paso Robles Inn

CMSF Heritage Foundation

Parker Sanpei

Halter Ranch Vineyard Oso Libre Winery

Sextant Wines

J Dusi Winery

San Marcos Creek Vineyard

Ranchita Canyon Vineyard

Umpqua Bank

Castoro Cellars

Visit Atascadero / City of Atascadero / Debbie Arnold

Ancient Peaks Winery & Santa Margarita Adventures

Cal Poly - Creative Services

Cal Poly - CAFES

Cal Poly - Animal Science

As a community, you grabbed the bull by the horns and brought CowParade to town. As artists, you hooved it against deadline pressure, creating fun talking pieces. And as donors, you helped wrangle in over $250,000 for various charities. A year ago this month, 101 crazy cows descended on SLO County for a prolonged public grazing, leaving a herd of spectators with wide smiles and lasting memories. Thank you, everyone!

Artists

Cal Poly - Experience Industry Management

Cal Poly CAFES Class of 2020 Donor La Lomita Ranch

SLO Chamber

Modelo / Central Coast Distributing French Hospital / City of San Luis Obispo / ARTS Obispo

San Luis Obispo TBID Mission College Prep. Donor Man One Jr.

SLO Brew

California Mid-State Fair

RRM/Terre Verde Environmental Hotel SERRA

Daylight Home, Lighting & Patio

Peter Orradre Family French Hospital Cattaneo Bros.

Crystal Springs Water Oasis Associates

UPS

Cole Chrysler, Jeep, Mazda Barnett Cox & Associates Left Coast Tees

O.H. Kruse Grain & Milling Got You Covered Farm Supply

The Allen Family Animal Care Clinic

KSBY-TV

The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County

La Lomita Ranch

True Myth Winery HWY 101 Communications

The Rossi Family Foundation Madonna Inn

Lin Mercer

Melody Rose Lara

Tish Rogers & Patrick Dennis Mary Clark-Camargo

Karen Floyd

Paso Robles Art Association

Carol Paulsen

Gayle Rappaport-Weiland David Nakayama Michelle Watson

Natallie Saia

Gregory & Jane Siracusa, Jeff Odell & Don Doubledee

Ted Emrick & Morro Bay High School Students

Maggie Ragatz

Dave & Kyle Doust

Douglas Turner

Wendy Hiller

John Cuevas

Douglas Turner Deprise Brescia

Donna May Jeffery

Karen Floyd

Nipomo High School

Brom P. Webb

Liberty Continuing High School

Ken & Rod Gouff, Christine Sedley

Lauren Goldenberg

Paso Robles Children’s Museum

Virginia Viera

Jack Foster

Brandy Maynard

Roberta Miller

The Passionate Hearts

Kerry Donlon-Bowen

Lin Mercer

Randy Gilman

Templeton High School

Jim Trask

Susan F. Schafer

Larry Kappen

Grizzly Youth Academy

Mission College Preparatory

San Luis Obispo High School

Cal Poly Creative Services Student Design Team

Annierose Seifert

Cal Poly Dairy Science Alumni

Deprise Brescia

Bouba Boumaiz

Garet Zook & Shae Somma

Missy Reitner & Neal Breton

Juliana Martinez

Shirley Hazlett

Douglas Turner MCP Art Students

Man One

Dylan

Jerry Scott

Carla Cary

Amy Mckay

Sharon Harris

Roberta Miller

Tisha Smith Robin Smith

Carla Cary & Christine Curtis

Lauren Goldenberg

Lois Keller

Gini Griffin

Dennis Bredow

Donna Mary-Brunet

Lin Mercer

Chloe Millhauser

Melisa Beveridge

Labri Ferreira

Carol Paulsen

Garet Zook & Shae Somma

Sara Lane

Debbie Gedayloo

The Children at Jack Ready

Imagination Park

Kelly Asuncion

Shelly Corwin

Leigh Rubin

cowparadeslo.com to read more about our amazing artists, sponsors, and charities.

ALASKA

SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO

I love your magazine and its whole SLO Town perspective (People Profiles, Food, Great SLO Homes). I have lived in the city of San Luis Obispo for the last 37 years (Class of ‘96 Cal Poly). I recently traveled to Guam and brought SLO Life with me for the long plane ride over. Always an excellent read! I am in the Army and work at Camp Roberts. I always give my current copy to visiting Soldiers for event ideas while they are in SLO County working or visiting. Please keep up the good work.

— BRIAN LAWSON

SWAKOPMUND, NAMIBIA

This is my cat, Meow. When we adopted her from Woods we noticed that she had a unique pattern on her fur. If you look carefully you can see “SLO” on her side. She is very friendly and we love her.

— MOLLY, AGE 11

DEAN and KATHY MEYER

GUAM

SLO CAT

RUSTY MARKS and KOLETTE RUSH

DENNIS and CHERYL FERNANDEZ on the stairs of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe, New Mexico on our 49th Anniversary.

KURT and SUSAN PACHECO in front of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela after walking the Camino de Santiago.

POPPI, ITALY

NORTH CAROLINA

PARIS, FRANCE

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE

JEROME, ARIZONA

Please send your photos and comments to info@slolifemagazine.com

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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).

THE MOORE FAMILY watched the sunset over the castle on a hill: the Castle of the Counts Guidi in Poppi, Italy.

KATHY MCCAREY, MARY VICKERS, and CAROL SANDERSON standing in front of the historic Mast General Store, circa 1883 in Valle Crucis.

JEAN and JOHN HYDUCHAK

DYLAN and EVAN AQUINO

AJ, ADDIE, and AVERY SCHUBERG

The number of days it took for the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office to ban the ‘torture chair’ following the revelation that Andrew Holland, a 36-year-old Atascadero resident, had been strapped to the restraint for 46 hours straight and died as a result of a blood clot that formed in his leg, which the coroner characterized as “natural causes.” Despite assurances from Sheriff Ian Parkinson that restraint chairs were no longer used at the jail, records showed that his office signed off on policies that included its continued use in March. Later, in July, the county awarded Holland’s family a $5 million settlement. The Holland family, who called on Parkinson to resign over the death and the “blatant cover-up” that followed, plans to donate the settlement to advocate for mentally ill people caught up in the criminal justice system. A similar case in Oklahoma, involving the death of a 58-year-old man who had been restrained to a similar chair, resulted in its sheriff and five others being arrested for second-degree manslaughter.

Will Stewart, a student at Sacramento State, who had been sipping a cup of coffee while waiting to interview for a paramedic internship, said after saving the life of a man who was choking at Coastal Peaks Coffee on South Higuera in San Luis Obispo. In case you were wondering, Stewart also nailed the interview and landed the internship.

“We are a victim of success.”

Cal Poly president on the massive increase in the size of the 2017 freshman class— estimated to be about 1,000 larger than planned—a 28% increase over last year. [see page 76 for more on this issue]

SLO County District Attorney Dan Dow complained on Facebook after reading an article in the Tribune that reported the fact that the FBI was investigating the Sheriff’s Office concerning its treatment of inmates at the County Jail—something that many residents suggested Dow himself should have been doing.

114°

Temperature in San Luis Obispo on September 2nd—the hottest day ever in its recorded history.

The number of years Cuesta College President Gil Stork will have been with the community college when he retires in June.

50One of the new rules adopted by the San Luis Coastal Unified School District in response to an anti-homosexual letter to the editor published in the school newspaper from former SLO High teacher, Michael Stack, who said, among other things, that “gays deserve to die.”

Arroyo Grande native, Jimmy Paulding, announced on his Facebook page his intention to run against Lynn Compton for the 4th District seat on the Board of Supervisors. Paulding is a lawyer who had been a registered Republican up until 2011 when he changed his party affiliation to Democrat.

74Number of years after World War II ended that the remains of Pfc. George Bernard Murray finally returned to his hometown of Oceano. Murray, a First Class Marine, was killed in a battle on a remote Pacific Island, and will be buried in a grave next to his mother, Edith, at the Arroyo Grande Cemetery.

An oft-repeated refrain heard from San Luis Obispo County protestors who showed up to express their outrage outside of Congressman Salud Carbajal’s Marsh Street office after Donald Trump announced his intentions to end DACA, an Obama-era policy that protects young people brought into the country illegally as children.

“Beware of misleading and sensational news headlines.”

“I saw him choking and did the Heimlich maneuver—two or three abdominal thrusts.”

“Hi Friends! BIG NEWS: I’m formally announcing my candidacy for the office of of SLO County Supervisor…”

“When acting in official capacities, faculty and staff are prohibited from endorsing, soliciting, encouraging or participating in religious expression or activities with students, on campus or at schoolsponsored events.”

“We’re not criminals!”

Around the County AUGUST

‘17

8/3

The official cause of death was released by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office claiming that the 20-year-old woman, Baylee Gatlin, who died at the Lighting in a Bottle music festival at Lake San Antonio had overdosed on LSD. But, the coroner, who reports to the sheriff, was immediately challenged as experts shared that it is extremely unlikely to ingest a fatal dosage of LSD. Gary Alan Walter, the Tulare-based coroner, who worked on a contract basis for the sheriff, has a checkered past, including receiving a DUI on the way to perform an autopsy, as well as issuing a series of controversial findings, including the case of Andrew Holland, the 36-year-old Atascadero man who was strapped to a plastic restraint chair for 46 hours at the County Jail. During his time working under Sheriff Ian Parkinson, the state has been attempting to suspend or revoke his medical license. Parkinson’s spokesman, Tony Cipolla, claimed that they “had been attempting to hire a full-time pathologist,” but noted that there were a shortage of candidates and “simply no alternatives.” A little more than a month later, the sheriff was able to hire Dr. Joye Carter, a triple-board-certified physician with more than 30 years of experience in forensic pathology.

8/7

After seven-and-a-half years as San Luis Obispo’s city manager, Katie Lichtig announced that she will be moving to Santa Monica to become its new chief operating officer. Prior to her role here, Lichtig was the assistant city manager of Beverly Hills and city manager of Malibu. Despite receiving praise from current council members, her tenure with the city was not without controversy: many in the community claimed her annual compensation—$321,021—was far too generous; and, earlier this year, after a $70,000 expenditure on an outside investigator, she was disciplined for her role in the “sexy firefighter video” aired at the SLO Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Dinner. Her departure leaves behind an anticipated $8.9 million dollar budget shortfall in four years due to rising pension costs and lower than forecasted tax revenues. The SLO City Council looked internally for her replacement and tapped Derek Johnson [see page 36] to become the new top administrator.

8/10

The San Luis Obispo Architecture Review Commission approved a plan submitted by developer Nick Tompkins for a three-story, 45-foot-tall mixed-use building at the corner of Monterey and Santa Rosa Streets. Previously, Tompkins had submitted a proposal for a 75-foot-tall structure that included a hotel and residential housing, but withdrew it after receiving mixed reviews. The approved project will include 21,198 square feet of office space, 2,985 square feet of retail space, and 2,195 square feet of restaurant space with no residential housing units. The amount of parking included—21 spaces—was half of what the city normally requires because Tompkins added bicycle parking as well as on-site showers and lockers for those who choose to bike to work.

8/16

Despite spirited opposition from the neighbors, the SLO City Council voted to move forward with plans for a bike pathway that would connect downtown to Foothill Boulevard. To make way for bike paths that are protected from traffic by planter beds, curbs, and posts, the city would remove parking on one side of Chorro Street and one or both sides of Broad Street. Currently, about 330 bicyclists traverse the corridor each day, but the city believes that number would increase substantially if a safer path is provided. Those who spoke during the public comment section were mostly divided on the plan, but the residents whose street parking would be disrupted were the most passionate in their arguments. The total cost of the project is expected to be around $280,000 and is slated for completion by 2019. Approximately 62% of the money will come from a state transportation fund.

8/29

Popular Cal Poly student, Kennedy Love, 22, a third-year landscape architecture major, was killed while riding his bike down Foothill Boulevard. Although he was wearing a helmet, had his bike lights turned on, and rode within the bike lane, he was hit by a 17-year-old girl from Los Osos who had been drinking. After she collided with Love, instead of stopping to help, she and her friend left him lying in traffic and fled the scene. She then abandoned her vehicle and called for a ride home. Police officers later found her car in a nearby neighborhood and traced it to her residence where she was apprehended. At the corner of Foothill and Ferrini, a “ghost bike,” a bicycle painted white, was locked to a street post, and flowers began accumulating as a memorial to the life of Love.

SEPTEMBER ‘17

9/1

More than 70% of San Luis Obispo residents voted “No” in a special election concerning a citizen initiative calling for the repeal of the Rental Housing Inspection Program and replacing it with a new “nondiscrimination in housing” policy, although the city council had already repealed the program in April. The authors of the initiative, former city councilman Dan Carpenter along with local attorneys Stew Jenkins and Dan Knight—together prodded the city council to spend $160,000 to hold the special election —pushed landlordfriendly Measure B-17, as it came to be known, despite objections from city officials who claimed it would have created loopholes that would have effectively undermined housing programs to assist the poor, minorities, and elderly.

9/6

The Downtown Concept Plan, first initiated in 2015, was ratified by the SLO City Council. The plan, drafted by a team of local designers led by Pierre Rademaker, outlines a blueprint for what downtown San Luis Obispo will look like in 25 years by addressing societal trends, such as shopping, living, and transportation habits. Key concepts include: drop-off zones on every block for ride sharing services, such as Uber; new parking structures; higher medium-density housing and smaller dwelling units; expansion and upgrades to the city’s arts and entertainment corridor; upgrades to Mission Plaza that include a splash pad; new shopping plazas and pedestrian and bike-friendly pathways; and more mixed-use developments with commercial space on the ground floor, and residential units above. Going forward, the implementation of the plan will depend on a variety of factors, such as funding, regulatory approvals, and prioritization.

9/12

In a move that many locals claim was long overdue, the County Board of Supervisors asked Parks and Recreation Director Nick Franco for a plan to clean up and manage the picturesque 55-acre clifftop property near Avila Beach known as Pirate’s Cove. The long-abandoned park, which boasts some of the most spectacular views in the world, has been overrun with refuse and has become a hotbed for illicit activity, frequently a problem spot for local law enforcement. While the request for a plan is widely viewed as a positive development by proponents, it is important to note that no money has yet been allocated. Once the plan is presented, the Board will be required to give their approval to financing the upgrades, which will likely include a restroom, garbage cans, signage, and a paved parking lot, as well as its ongoing operations.

9/14

Over the objections of Air Pollution Control District officer Larry Allen, who noted, “After six years, the temporary controls put in place for the emergency permit process have not been effective really at all,” the Coastal Commission approved a new five-year dust mitigation plan for the Oceano Dunes, which includes more of the same efforts used in the past: wind fencing, vegetation, and hay bales. Meanwhile, Nipomo Mesa residents claim that they are forced to breathe some of the worst air in the country and continue to suffer maladies ranging from asthma to lung cancer and are encouraged to remain indoors on many days.

9/19

SLO City Council unanimously approved the development known as Avila Ranch, off of Buckley Road near the airport on the south end of town. The neighborhood, thought to break ground in two years, will include 720 new homes of varying sizes, a 15,000-square-foot commercial center, as well as maintaining about 35% of its land as open space. The developer, Andy Mangano, will be responsible for the $7 million extension of Buckley Road, which will connect it to South Higuera. Homes in the new subdivision will range in price from $200,000 to $750,000 with most of them in the $350,000 to $650,000 range, in today’s dollars. Although marketed as a “workforce housing project,” just 67 of the 720 homes fall under the city’s inclusionary housing program and only 25 fit the technical definition of “workforce housing,” which is designated for those making between 120 and 160 percent of the median income locally.

PHOTOGRAPHY

“Photography, for me—it just means everything,” Beth Sargent says, reflecting on her craft. “It’s really, really important in my life. You know, you hear people say these big, dramatic things like, ‘It’s my soul’s purpose,’ but, it really is to that level for me.”

Sargent marks the genesis of her obsession when she was just a kid, 11 or 12 years old. “I remember stealing my parents’ Kodak Brownie camera when I was in the sixth grade.” But, it was 2008 when the doors swung wide open, and the proverbial horse left the barn. That was the year she bought her first digital single lens reflex (SLR), a Canon. Sargent had been watching the digital product improve for years, but it was close to a decade ago that she remembers it surpassing the old film-based equipment, in terms of both versatility and quality. “I never thought about film again,” she marvels.

With her trusty 7D Mark II always at her side, the Nipomo resident sees the world as though she were watching it through her camera’s viewfinder. Everything, every moment, is a still image waiting to be captured, whether it is a carefully planned outing or a bit of serendipity, chancing upon an unfolding landscape, or an encounter with one of her favorite subjects, a bird of prey, hawks and eagles. Catching news of a big storm on the horizon, however, is when Sargent’s soul begins to vibrate at a higher frequency. And, it was one particular deluge back in 2010 that she still clearly recalls to this day. There was no doubt in her mind where she and a couple of her shutterbug friends would be the second the dark clouds began to drift off and the sun turned in for the evening: the Oceano Dunes.

The composition you see here is actually an amalgamation of three images shot in rapid succession in a process called High Dynamic Range, or HDR. Sargent and her companions trudged the soggy sand for about a mile from the entrance and waited patiently for the drops to stop falling. She wanted to see what the rain would do to the dunes, figuring it would leave behind artwork similar to the smooth frosting you sometimes see on wedding cakes. There was a brief moment when it all came together. The skies parted, the sun descended, the sand held its shape, and Sargent snapped away. Of the park, one of her favorite Central Coast subjects, the photographer says, “The Oceano Dunes themselves, they’re, and I really don’t know how to say this—they’re otherworldly.”

You know, you hear people say these big, dramatic things like, ‘It’s my soul’s purpose,’ but, it really is to that level for me.

OTHERWORLDLY

BY BETH SARGENT

METAMORPHOSIS

Newly appointed San Luis Obispo City Manager DEREK JOHNSON, stopped by the office for a wide-ranging conversation that spanned everything from how he met his wife (she worked at his favorite Isla Vista coffee shop) to his passion for surfing (if there is an exotic international break somewhere, chances are he’s surfed it) to his two young daughters and his twenty-year yoga practice. Here are some of the highlights from our conversation…

We always like to start from the beginning, Derek. Where are you from? I was born and raised in Novato, California. It was a working-class part of Marin County. Lots of police officers, firemen. A lot of people commuted in to San Francisco. That was back when getting to the city took 20 minutes and crossing the Golden Gate Bridge cost just 25 cents. My family ended up there because both of my grandparents were in the military; my grandfather was a colonel in the Air Force and my grandmother was a major in the Army. Much of the Pacific operations [during World War II] were based there in the Bay Area, so after the war that’s where they settled; bought a house. I grew up in the same house my mom grew up in. Novato, when I was growing up, in a lot of ways reminds me of San Luis Obispo now. People knew each other; strong family and community values.

And, what about college? I went to school at UCSB, my degree is in environmental science. When I graduated in the early 90’s there weren’t many jobs available because we were in the middle of a recession, so I stuck around and worked on a grant with one of my professors to build vernal pools. I did a habitat restoration project for the Isla Vista Recreation & Parks District, and one thing led to another and a few years later at the ripe age of 25, I became the general manager of the district. I ended up staying there for about ten years. Isla Vista [I.V.] is interesting because it’s an unincorporated area, the only elected government they have for I.V. is the Rec & Park District, so our slogan was “More than just parks.” We did parks and recreation programs; we cleaned trash off the streets; we worked with the county and the university on redevelopment projects; we did a lot of stuff that was outside the role of a traditional parks and recreation district.

Tell us about your famous neighbor in I.V., the singer-songwriter Jack Johnson. He lived next door and his band would come over to practice in his garage. The band was called Soil, and it was just loud, obnoxious music. My bedroom faced the garage where they practiced, sometimes late into the night. So, I’d get out of bed and go over and pound on the door. So, I’d pound on the door—bam, bam, bam— and I’d yell, “Guys, shut up! Jack, keep it down, man! I’m trying to sleep!” He’d eventually open the door and say, “Oh, sorry about that, Derek—we’ll unplug the amp.” You know, it was just a typical I.V. band; lots of noise, lots of dissonance. They weren’t that awesome. But later, after Jack’s first album came out, which was mellow, acoustic, I teased him about it,

telling him that part of his success was because of me yelling at them at all hours of the night. [laughter]

You’re really into cycling. What have you learned from the sport? You know, that’s an interesting question. I think about the peloton a lot. The peloton is a group of cyclists working together in a pack, sharing the load. In that setting, you learn a lot about peoples’ behaviors and how they operate, how they think. So, riding in Santa Barbara I always felt like everyone was flashy and wanted to show off. They’d try to ride away from you and be macho. In Santa Cruz, where we lived for a few years, the peloton was sort of disorganized; people didn’t work that well together, it was kind of a free-for-all. I noticed that the first time I rode here that people were working together, willing to share. I’d show up in Santa Barbara or Santa Cruz for the first time and I’d get the “Spandex stare down,” but here everyone was like, “Hey! How’s it going? You’re new to town? Awesome, come ride with us!” That was the first time I realized that this is a pretty cool place. People are willing to share the work, they’re communicative, they’re friendly, they’re welcoming.

Let’s close by talking about the city’s pension problem. How’d it come to be? After going through the recession, our investment fund with CalPERS has gone from 100% funded down to where it is now in the 60% range. We’re talking about one of the largest pension funds in the world. It moves slowly. There is no way they can invest their way out of this math problem. On top of that, you have changing demographics. A few years ago, the city had 1.7 employees for every retiree. In five to seven years, we are only going to have 0.6 employees paying into this thing for every retiree. So, it comes down to demographics and the loss of CalPERS’ investment. Don’t forget, though, we’ve got another big challenge on the horizon, which is navigating through the planned closure of Diablo Canyon, and making sure that we have a solid economic base as this region loses 1,500 head of household jobs. I also want to make sure we are meeting our climate action goals of having a carbon-neutral city. And, beyond that, it is important to me that we are maintaining a city where people still know each other, even through the planned growth and development. I want to make sure that whatever metamorphosis the community undergoes, people still have a connection to each other, and to this place.

monsters at bay by hearing what they have to say.

KING OF KOMBUCHA

PHOTOGRAPHY BY VANESSA PLAKIAS

A little more than four years ago, MIKE DURIGHELLO sold his first keg of kombucha, which had been brewed in a San Luis Obispo garage that doubled as his bedroom. Today, he has grown the business, along with his three partners, to the point where it is poised to take over the top spot as California’s largest on-tap kombucha maker. His company, Whalebird Kombucha, and its unique culture, is as innovative and eclectic as the product it sells. Here is his story…

Alright, Mike—let’s take it from the top. Where are you from originally? Yeah. Okay, so I was born in San Francisco and raised in Marin County. I spent a lot of my time outside, just kind of around the neighborhood; there was a lot of open space. So, that

occupied me a lot. I was a runner and a swimmer primarily growing up. Those are the two things that I did pretty regularly. So, swimming and running and then a lot of hanging out with friends outdoors. We did things like paintballing and building forts. I played water polo in high school. I was basically very active from a young age and was really into endurance activities. I like to stay moving.

How’d you do in school? I was an average student. I was into sports, but health and wellness wasn’t really on my radar. My parents weren’t hippies; they worked, and we were on the standard American diet, basically; meat and potatoes, a lot of conventional foods. Carbs were in; fats were out. Veggies were there, but maybe just 10% of the meal. Then I ended up going away to school in Santa Cruz, UCSC.

Go, Slugs! [Laughter] Originally, I wanted to be a marine biologist, I pursued that for a while. I got into diving to really explore the water and go deep and

see it up close. Then I started working in a lab and that was when I realized that it wasn’t for me. I was spending all my time weighing out these little creatures, dehydrating them, identifying them. It was just very tedious work. I was like, “Geez, this is boring!” I wanted to be out, working with my hands like the old Cal Poly motto, “Learn by doing.” Anyway, I graduated in 2009 and went to work on a coffee farm in Costa Rica, in this little town called Agua Buena.

That is a different track, for sure. What exactly did you do there? I taught English. Then I stayed down for another three months and continued to teach while also picking coffee beans. That was a really great experience. Before then I had no idea what a coffee plant even looked like. And I got to see the whole process from planting to caretaking, to harvesting, to all of the processing that goes behind removing the coffee bean from the fruit; and then the drying process, and eventually the roasting, and the packaging process. It’s backbreaking work; more power to those guys, I don’t think I could do it day in and day out. You know, I was only doing it for a few months,

picking coffee. You’re putting it in these giant “canastas” or baskets that you have around your neck. And, in that basket you’re carrying something like 15 or 20 pounds of fruit. And it takes you about an hour to pick that much. And you’re getting paid by the basket, something around 450 or 500 colones, which is about a dollar. I was making around $1.50 an hour.

How did you end up here on the Central Coast? My friend was living here, going to school at Poly. So, I came down here and started working a restaurant job. I was working 16-hour days bussing tables at Spy Glass Restaurant for the breakfast and lunch shift, then at Custom House in Avila Beach for the evening shift. At the time, I was living in a house with five girls; my room was the garage, which I had to myself. I liked working in restaurants because I was tired of being in the classroom, tired of all that theoretical stuff, academia and book learning, which I’m not really very good at; but I did get myself fired from a couple of places for, you know, insubordination and eating on the job, things like that; things I deserved to be fired for. [laughter]

How long did you do the restaurant thing? I worked in restaurants for around three years or so, making my way up to a server, which was a little upgrade, when my friend says, “Hey, we should start a business together.” We started looking at doing a little juicing company that we figured we would set up as a booth at Farmers’ Market. So, I’d work late in the restaurants—by now I was doing some bartending, too— and then I’d get up early the next day and start looking into the juicing business. What was the overhead? How much is a commercial grade juicer? What’s the shelf life of this stuff? How do you keep it fresh? We learned that you needed to consume the juice within an hour [of juicing] to get the maximum benefits from the live active enzymes. We started seeing a lot of roadblocks and began brainstorming other ideas; that’s when I remembered kombucha from my college days around ten years earlier.

Talk about that. My friend Carson, who’s a phenomenal surfer, took me out surfing one day. And after we got out of the water, he let me try some of his kombucha. I remember that I couldn’t pronounce it right. I asked him, “Hey, what are you drinking there?” Naturally, I was really interested because this guy is an amazing surfer and I wanted to do whatever he was doing. So, he’s drinking this weird tonic that I had never heard of and I tell him that I wanted to learn more about this stuff, “kam-bu-cella,” I just couldn’t pronounce it for the longest time. It was just so foreign-sounding to me. What? “Kam-boo-chee.” But, I tried it and I hated it. It was absolutely horrible. It was sort of apple cider-y, very tart, it had this funky fermented flavor to it; just terrible. It kind of reminded me a little bit of the first time I had beer, when I snuck a sip of my dad’s beer when I was younger. I remember saying the same thing at the time: “This is absolutely horrible—how can anybody drink this stuff?”

Okay, then why isn’t that the end of the story? Well, what happened was that I noticed this weird sort of elevated sense of clarity and mental energy later that day. I realized that I felt really good, super clear-headed. So, I tried it again later, this time it was a mangoinfused flavor, which tasted really good. I immediately went out and bought three or four more bottles of the stuff. It was making me feel great, and I had this laser focus when I was studying. I could go for three or four hours in the library without a break, and without food. It wasn’t long before I was drinking three bottles a day, and at $5 a pop I was spending $15 per day on my kombucha habit. That was not sustainable, so I started experimenting with it and really paying attention to how I was feeling and realized that I only really needed one to maintain optimum energy levels and curtail my appetite. It wasn’t like coffee where you spike then crash mid-afternoon. I found >>

design + construction

that I could go all day with consistent energy and amazing mental clarity on just one $5 bottle of kombucha.

So, fast-forward ten years, you started thinking about doing it as a business? Yes, that’s right. The ingredients are pretty basic. There’s relatively low overhead. It’s got a long shelf life. If we don’t sell it right away, it can last for months at a time. And that’s due to its low acidity as well as the robust culture inside the bottle. It doesn’t allow for other things to encroach and grow, like mold and things like that. So, I started diving in and really looking into it. I didn’t know how to make it and around January, it was January 2012, Molly, this girl that I had worked with at Café Roma had just returned from Spain where she was studying wine and viticulture. So, over an acaí bowl at Sally Loo’s I was telling her about kombucha and she’s like, “You know, I’ve been wanting to do that, too. And I know how to make it.” I said, “Great—let’s do it!”

A business is born. We were making it in my garage and being just ridiculous—using water from my garden hose—we had no idea what we were doing. We were just flying by the seat of our pants, making it up as we went along. We had no concept of temperature control and how much to start your batch with in terms of how much starter culture

to use and when to add the flavoring. Do we add the flavoring before fermentation? Do we add the flavoring after fermentation? What do we flavor it with? Are we flavoring with juices? Are we dry steeping things? Through a lot of trial and error we learned how to do it, and along the way we developed our own unique product. We use dried and steeped ingredients in our kombucha instead of juice. So in one of our best sellers, for example, there’s no juicing at all. It’s hibiscus, rose hips, blackcurrants, dried blackcurrants, dried raisins, Jasmine green tea, and we start with the base of black tea. That’s how all of our kombucha is made; we start with the base of black tea, organic cane sugar. We essentially make a sweet tea that is fermented. We have our kombucha culture—just wild yeast in bacteria. It ferments for 30 days. And then those dry-steeped ingredients are added to the final product for about 24 hours. And during that time that it’s steeping, it’s chilling, and it’s carbonating, and then we transfer it straight to a keg so that it can be served on tap.

Tell us about your first sale. We started selling our kombucha in the spring of 2013—at first we called ourselves Komplete Kombucha— downtown [San Luis Obispo] at Bliss Café. It was our ginger sarsaparilla flavor. You know, we weren’t even going to do it—sell the kombucha, that

is; we just weren’t confident in our product. I remember walking into the café and the owner, David, was there. He said, “Mike, where’s the kombucha? We need it. I’ve been telling everyone about it and they’re starting to ask about it.” I told him, “We’re just not ready.” Basically, the honest answer was that we were not at all confident in our product. I’ll never forget it; David put his arm around me and said, “Mike, you are never going to have a perfect product. It’s never going to be perfect. I put out stuff all the time that I know that I still need to work on; you need to take that leap of faith, put it out there; some people may not like it, but they know you are small; they’re going to love that there is a small kombucha maker here in town; they will support you, give you feedback and make it better.” I said, “Alright, I’ll bring you a keg tomorrow.”

So, what happened? Almost immediately they started selling out of the stuff. We were running out of kombucha left and right. Our understanding of customer service was so poor. I was delivering kegs on my bicycle. And we had no clue when it came to production. We had no idea how much kombucha we were supposed to make. Our timelines were fuzzy at best. We knew generally how long it would take. And, without proper temperature regulation in our fermentation chamber, we would get product that’s twenty days to make when it was hot outside. And if the temperature dropped, and we didn’t have a heating element in

there keeping that constant temperature, it might take, you know, thirty days; or, if it was really cold out, it could take forty days.

How did that go over with Bliss? Even though they were running out all the time, sometimes they’d go for a week at a time without kombucha, they were stoked. Their customers loved the product and they were giving us the feedback we needed. They’d tell us, “People are wanting more ginger and less sarsaparilla; or more carbonation or less,” or whatever the case was. So, after spending about four months or so tweaking the recipe and dialing in our production processes, we picked up our second client, Kreuzberg Coffee, which was ironic because it was one of the places I got fired from.

Oh, boy… Yeah, and I didn’t fare much better this time around, at least at first. We continued to have problems with production and keeping a steady supply. They’d run out of kombucha and get mad at us when we couldn’t deliver; and we’d apologize. All along the way we kept getting better at what were doing. But, there was a turning point in our understanding of delivering on time and having specific delivery schedules. That wasn’t until several years later. Up until that point we had done well just sort of winging it. We had expanded into the Yoga Centre, Roxanne’s Café, we were in MindBody, where I worked for a short time,

too, just to keep the bills paid. We were seeing really good growth, but we really didn’t understand the value of delivering on time; it was more like, “We’ll get to it when we get to it.” We just really didn’t get it—until we started working with High Street Deli.

Details, please. They taught me, in particular, a very valuable lesson. We were giving them very vague delivery windows. And they told us once before that they wanted us to give them next-day deliveries, or at least be very concrete with when we would be delivering to them. They’d call up and place the order and say they needed kombucha for the weekend, or tomorrow, or next Tuesday, or whatever it was; and they already had the conversation with us a couple of times before. They said, “Hey, we need you guys to be more prompt.” Anyway, they had placed an order a few days prior when I get a text message from the manager there. We had just missed another delivery. The text read, “We’re done. Come pick up your stuff.”

Ouch. Me, being a naïve business owner, I just got really mad. I went over there and I yelled. I said basically, that they were in the wrong and that we had told them that we’d get it to them as fast as we could. But, again, I didn’t give them a specific day and time that I was going to do it. They’re used to working with distributors that are prompt and provide excellent customer service, which is what they need to run their business effectively. So, I went in there and gave them a piece of my mind and was in the wrong, 100%. I took my kegs out of there. I ended up apologizing to them later. I think they realized at the time that I was just

a young start-up and didn’t know what I was doing. Ever since then we are very deliberate with customers, telling them exactly when—what day, what time—we will be delivering. It was a very, very valuable learning experience and I’m glad that it happened early on. I’m really thankful to Doobie, the owner over there, and Eric, for being who they are. I love their sandwiches to this day, even though they don’t serve Whalebird Kombucha there. I’m so grateful to those guys.

So, what’s next for the company? We’ve finally got our [stuff] together and have gone from a little start-up in my garage to a commissary kitchen and then to our own commercial space where we are now. We’ve grown to the point—adding 40 new accounts very quickly—that we bought the space next door to increase our production, which is nice because we have plenty of room to continue to grow. We’re as far south as Los Angeles now and we’re looking to expand into Northern California. We want to be the top on-tap kombucha in California. That is a goal of ours, but we’re not going to grow faster than our means allow. We’re not interested in working 24/7. We want to make the appropriate hires, bringing in the right people, and keep the company to ourselves. I’m not interested in selling a part of the company to an outside investor because I don’t want us to lose what we’ve created; I don’t want to give up a 10% interest, for example, and have someone come in that has influence on what we are doing and how we are doing it. At the end of the day, the first goal, the most important goal, is that we’re all happy. I want to have a really good time, and enjoy the ride. And I want to continue moving forward, doing it our way.

left to right Dustin Oswald, Jacob Pritzlaff, Mike Durighello, Lee Wilkerson

THE NOACH TANGERAS BAND

Local singer-songwriter Noach Tangeras stopped her car on the shoulder of the PCH to write the single “Big Sur.” She describes it, “As I was driving, I was hearing the beginning of the lyrics in my head, and I had to stop and write them down.” “Big Sur” won first in the country-Americanafolk category at the 2016 New Times Music Awards, the second award for Tangeras, whose other original song, “Walkin’ Out Your Door,” placed third in the R&B/Blues category in 2015.

BY DAWN JANKE PHOTOGRAPHY BY PATRICK PATTON

Songs seem to come to Tangeras sporadically: “I might be in the kitchen, or anywhere, really, and I’ll hear lyrics and melodies in my head. I feel it coming on for whatever reason, and I just write. “Big Sur” captured a fleeting moment in the great outdoors, and other songs might be inspired by poets

like Shakespeare or Walt Whitman. Even a bad day at work can make it into one of Tangeras’ songs: “When I have a bad day, I write it out.”

Originally from the small, cornfield-splattered town of New Haven, Indiana, Tangeras started playing the flute in grade school and was raised amidst a musical family—her dad performed in a Norwegian blues band and her mom sang in the choir and played guitar. During her college years at the University of Maine, Tangeras started taking guitar lessons. “Learning how to play guitar enabled me to write my own music,” she explains. “I had always loved literature and poetry, but not until I learned the guitar did I put the two together.”

Tangeras has been performing as a singer-songwriter for the past twelve years, whether in coffeehouses near the University of Maine or at bars in Alaska during her summers as an outdoor recreation and whale-watching guide. She played, too, during her winter ski seasons in Colorado. Clearly, Tangeras is filled with wanderlust and takes her music with her where she goes.

When Tangeras landed in Morro Bay in 2011, she did so to work as a fisheries observer, but after three years, she realized it was time for her to pursue a music career full-time. Since 2014, Tangeras has been building her business as a musician. She sends venue-booking agents links to her music, secures performances throughout the county, and is taking her time to build a profile. She explains, “It was hard starting out; I have had to work hard to establish a name for myself. There are like 365 bands in this county, and everyone wants to know: What makes you special?”

There’s clearly a lot that makes Tangeras and her band special. As she explains it, “I think the band has a distinctive sound because of the harmonies I have with fellow vocalist and keyboardist Rachel Santa Cruz.” Santa Cruz is a seasoned musician in her own right, having performed for years with her dad, local musician Bobby Santa Cruz. Tangeras continues, “A lot of fans mention how well we sound together, and I really like singing with Rachel because her voice is incredible.”

The band, which formed about two years ago, also includes Adam McAlexander on electric guitar and Jeremy Lemen on cajón drum and bass guitar. “The four of us have played around town for years now—we would show up at the same open mic nights and sit in on each others’ sets. We eventually made a serious band out of it,” says Tangeras. She adds, “Adam performs really nice Led Zeppelin-style lines and Jeremy can come up with some innovative stuff on the cajón; plus, he’s a really talented bass player.”

While their current live line-up doesn’t include the bass guitar, Tangeras says that the band is working on a set with a drum kit instead of the cajón; “And in those instances Jeremy will play bass,” she says. Specifically, the band is preparing the drum kit and bass sound for their opening set at the Whiskey a Go Go in December: “We’re opening for Missing Persons and are changing things up.” Whether Lemen is on cajón or bass, the soul of the band remains.

Tangeras describes the band’s sound as Americana with influences of rock, country, folk, and blues. “People always say I sound like Janis Joplin, and she’s definitely one of my main influences,” she says. “I also like Credence Clearwater Revival, Dolly Parton, Grace Slick, and Patsy Cline.” Tangeras’ musical tastes may vary, but her favorite song to sing is a Joplinesque rendition of Kris Kristofferson’s iconic “Bobby McGee.” She says, “I just love Janis, and that song really resonates with me—the vocal style and the soul behind it.”

The Noach Tangeras Band is currently recording its first full-length album at The Sauce Pot studio in San Luis Obispo and intends first to release a six-track EP,

possibly by the end of the year or early in 2018. The album will include the previously recorded, awardwinning tracks “Big Sur” and “Walkin’ Out Your Door” along with new, original songs featuring a diverse, more upbeat sound and a rock influence.

For Tangeras, the dream fulfilled is one in which she is touring the world performing her songs. As she puts it, “I quit my job and am focused on taking my music career as far as it will go.” Her main goal for now is to get her music out to as many listeners as possible. “I know I don’t have control over how fans will feel about my music,” she says, “but I’m putting my consciousness into my songs and hoping I trigger a feeling. Then I know my music is doing its job.”

DAWN JANKE, Director, University Writing & Rhetoric Center Cal Poly, keeps her pulse on the Central Coast music scene.

LOFT LIVING

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BLAKE ANDREWS

ast year, 36 local students moved into the newly renovated Blackstone-Sauer Building at the corner of Chorro and Monterey in downtown San Luis Obispo, a space dubbed the Cal Poly Lofts.

The Lofts, made up of studios, 1-bedroom, and 2-bedroom configurations, range in rent from $900 to $2,000 per month and are designed for entrepreneurially minded students who would benefit from its close proximity to the SLO Hothouse.

The Hothouse, which serves as a business “incubator” providing services and support to fledgling start-ups, is operated by Cal Poly’s Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship. It had recently relocated from its original location at 955 Morro Street to where it is now, above Ross Dress for Less at 872 Higuera Street.

Copeland Properties owns the space and developed the hip, urban-style residences, which it has leased to Cal Poly for a base

rent of $412,000 per year. Cal Poly then manages and operates the property as its only student housing off-campus. The rent generated by the students falls about $100,000 short of covering the total cost of the apartments, so the university subsidizes the difference.

Each space is fully furnished and includes a complete kitchen, air conditioning, a private courtyard with bike racks, and a community laundry area. The renovation, completed as part of Copeland Properties’ Chinatown projects, sits atop the lululemon athletica store on Monterey Street, across from the Mission, giving students a unique view of the Mission Plaza, the creek, and its surroundings. New hardwood flooring is found throughout, as is tasteful use of classic tiling. The spaces are functional, yet imaginative and it is not hard to envision being inspired to create “the next great thing” while living there, which, of course, is the whole idea. >>

Creating more of what you want for your home!

The spaces are functional, yet imaginative and it is not hard to envision being inspired to create “the next great thing” while living there, which, of course, is the whole idea.

SLO

BLAKE ANDREWS is a native to San Luis Obispo and owner of SLOtography.

Total Number of Homes Sold City of San Luis Obispo (2008 - 2017)

SOURCE: San Luis Obispo Association of REALTORS®

ESTATE BY THE NUMBERS

REAL

laguna lake

Total Homes Sold Average Asking Price Average Selling Price Sales Price as a % of Asking Price Average # of Days on the Market

2016 49 $651,671 $643,946 98.81% 37

tank farm

Total Homes Sold Average Asking Price Average Selling Price Sales Price as a % of Asking Price Average # of Days on the Market

2016 29 $739,448 $732,852 99.11% 41

cal poly area

Total Homes Sold Average Asking Price Average Selling Price Sales Price as a % of Asking Price Average # of Days on the Market

2016 23 $760,378 $750,237 98.67% 19

2017 45 $691,184 $681,838 98.64% 23

+/-8.16% 6.06% 5.88% -0.17% -37.84%

2017 19 $801,094 $793,574 99.06% 23

+/-34.48% 8.34% 8.29% -0.05% -43.90%

2017 23 $808,604 $797,043 98.57% 30

+/0.00% 6.34% 6.24% -0.10% 57.89%

country club

Total Homes Sold Average Asking Price Average Selling Price Sales Price as a % of Asking Price Average # of Days on the Market

2016 16 $1,316,500 $1,262,281 95.88% 65

down town

Total Homes Sold Average Asking Price Average Selling Price Sales Price as a % of Asking Price Average # of Days on the Market

2016 64 $676,074 $669,692 99.05% 32

foothill blvd

johnson

ave *Comparing 01/01/16

Total Homes Sold Average Asking Price Average Selling Price Sales Price as a % of Asking Price Average # of Days on the Market

2016 34 $799,424 $784,059 98.08% 40

2017 12 $1,182,317 $1,132,779 95.81% 57

+/-25.00% -10.19% -10.26% -0.07% -12.31%

2017 63 $694,703 $686,978 98.88% 48

+/-1.56% 2.76% 2.58% -0.17% 50.00%

2017 34 $718,061 $707,055 98.47% 27

+/0.00% -10.18% -9.82% 0.39% -32.50%

2017 39 $769,397 $768,551 99.89% 33 - 09/21/16 to

01/01/17

+/-18.75% -2.05% -0.31% 1.75% -28.26% -

SOURCE: San Luis Obispo Association of REALTORS®

BY

MEDIAN

2017 $764,235 $547,740 $1,063,333 $689,012 $1,052,354 $794,182 $518,625 $590,639 $692,600 $632,575 $448,444 $1,079,526 $481,704 $472,253 $496,566 $663,082 $760,536 $405,933 $741,762 $641,771

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Greta Carlson

seventeen-year-old

Luis Obispo High

What recognition have you received? At SLOHS I have received three Golden Tigers and have been on multiple honor rolls for maintaining a high GPA. In my freshman year I became involved in FFA (Future Farmers of America) and since then have been a state finalist multiple times in public speaking competitions. I was awarded 4th in state for Creed Recitation Competition in 2015, 4th in state for an agriscience project based on food waste in 2016 and 2nd in state for an agricultural issues project on recreational cannabis in the ag industry in 2017. Most recently, I have been named State Champion for Prepared Public Speaking for my speech on food waste and will be travelling to Indianapolis this fall for the national competition.

What sort of extra-curricular activities do you participate in? I am involved in FFA, Harvard Model Congress, Link Crew, and the Superintendent’s Student Senate through SLOHS. However, I dedicate most of my time to FFA and am involved in public speaking competitions, fundraising committees, and leadership positions within the program. Outside of SLOHS, I am a member of the Civic Ballet of San Luis Obispo as well as the San Luis Jazz Dancers.

Who has influenced you the most? My mom has, hands down, been one of the greatest influences in my life. She continually supports my decisions, ambitions and crazy schedule, while managing a life of her own. Beside that, my mom always has a different perspective on life and everything that accompanies it, which, in turn, has allowed me to see the world in a variety of ways.

What is your favorite memory of all time? By far, my favorite memory was when I was cast as the lead role of Clara at age eleven in the Civic Ballet of San Luis Obispo’s Nutcracker. The entire audition was a bit of a blur, but I vividly remember standing in front of my director, Drew Silvaggio, and him pointing to my friend, Madison Price and I, announcing our roles as Clara. It was surreal. There were a lot of tears, hugs, and smiles right after that.

What else is going on with you lately? Besides managing my senior year, I am focusing on researching more into food waste, sustainable agriculture, and consumer education to prep for Nationals. As I have discovered inspiring movements and campaigns that have made impacts on thousands, I decided it is time for me to contribute to a solution. Recently, I have launched an Instagram account (Eat It, Don’t Waste It) to raise awareness about food waste, highlight successful reduction campaigns, and encourage everyone to be conscious of the issue. I am excited to see where this project goes in the next little bit.

What is something most people don’t know about you? I have been a travel fanatic my entire life, for sure. When I was nine years old I travelled to Australia by myself to visit family and at fifteen I spent five weeks in Boston for a dance program. As a family, we have travelled to nine countries total (some multiple times) and I have truly fallen in love with exploring new cultures, cuisines, and traditions. I definitely want to pack up my bags and spontaneously move to somewhere in Europe for a few years.

What schools are you considering for college? Cal Poly, UC Davis, UC Santa Cruz, UC Santa Barbara, Colorado State, Western Washington, Oregon State, among others.

Know a student On the Rise? Introduce us at slolifemagazine.com/share

This

San

School senior is looking forward to a bright future and is ready to pack her bags for the next great adventure.

SEE CANYON FRUIT RANCH

Life is at its sweetest and most innocent, perhaps, when viewed through new eyes. I have heard some variation of this statement in the past, but I never really understood it until becoming a mother. My husband and I love nothing more than watching our seven-monthold daughter’s focused gaze intensify when she tries a new flavor for the first time. She loves fruit, so we thought about how we could incorporate some tasting into a family outing. I started asking around for recommendations locally, and one name kept coming up again and again: See Canyon Fruit Ranch.

BY PADEN HUGHES

Ready to explore?

From San Luis Obispo: head south on Highway 101 and exit San Luis Bay Drive. Turn right onto San Luis Bay Drive and then turn right on See Canyon Road. Continue approximately 1.5 miles, passing Kelsey See Canyon Vineyards, the See Canyon Fruit Ranch will be on your right.

estled into a little sunny patch within See Canyon, which lies between San Luis Obispo and Avila Beach as the crow flies, we had visited the impossibly quaint apple farm once before for a wedding, but up to this point it had not occurred to us that it was also the perfect spot for a familyfriendly adventure. That all changed very quickly.

We passed through the rustic front gate and felt transported to a bygone era. Our visit began by exploring the manicured grounds: perusing the farm stand, taking in the romantic orchards, and lingering among the serenely landscaped gardens. Every vantage point offered impossible views, from the “love tractor” to the weatherworn gazebo, with the whole scene embraced by the surrounding hillsides blanketed with coast live oaks. The natural beauty engulfed us in a hard-to-explain way that felt both calming and restorative to body, mind, and soul.

We were greeted cheerfully by owner Susie Kenny, a fifth-generation San Luis Obispo native. Also known as “Mama Kenny,” this warm, friendly mother of eight is the very embodiment of hospitality and nurturing care. She and her husband, Paul, have been running the Fruit Ranch for 20 years, and she’s prone to declaring that she has been “blessed in order to be a blessing.” The Kennys were introduced to the area in 1976 when they were married in the canyon. They went on to raise their eight children at the 21-acre ranch—originally founded in 1894—where their grandkids are now often seen scurrying about. The love and attention to detail put into the Fruit Ranch over the years is obvious at every turn. In addition to the heirloom variety apples, which are mostly dry-farmed, the venue is also used for weddings and community events.

With such passionate leaders at the helm, it wasn’t surprising to learn the ranch hosts over 29 local school field trips each year designed to make farming come to life for children. Mama Kenny is a natural teacher and shares her knowledge of apples and the bees that accompany them, guiding school children on a role-playing adventure she calls “hive life.” We loved the homegrown honey and were thrilled to learn that it takes 556 bees flying 35,890 miles to create just one pound of honey—understanding all of the effort involved made it taste that much sweeter.

The pride taken in their little farming operation was evident when interacting with their mostly Cal Poly student-workers in the farm stand, who guided us through a tasting of the fresh, seasonal varieties and cheerfully sliced samples of the day’s harvest. Organizing the tasting from tart to sweet, we quickly settled on our favorites: Honeycrisp and Golden Delicious. We were also blown away by the pear we sampled—it was our daughter’s clear winner.

The day of our visit was sunny and warm with a gentle breeze from nearby Avila Beach, and we spent most of our time there taking in the quiet

solitude offered by the recently trimmed lawn, lazing around munching on our freshly picked apples—the whole thing was therapeutic, to say the least.

See Canyon Fruit Ranch offers apple tasting, apple cider, honey, picnic lawns, and the added benefit of being technology-free by default as there is no cell phone reception. This, in part, adds to the experience where people, human connection, and nature are prioritized. We highly recommend this spot for families looking for a respite, a little getaway, and to enjoy the countryside during our local apple season. For us, our only regret was that we did not bring a picnic lunch and stay a bit longer.

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

Intermittent Fasting

We recently heard from a friend here on the Central Coast who has claimed to be getting great results from something she calls “intermittent fasting,” or IF, so we thought we’d look into it. As it turns out, IF is trending, particularly among the Paleo community—those who adhere to a low-carb, relatively high-fat diet in an effort to approximate the way it has been thought that humans ate thousands of years ago. The only problem is that oftentimes our ancestors didn’t eat at all.

Think about it: for millions of years, when our forbears were hunting and gathering, if we didn’t make

the kill, spear the fish, gather the nuts, or find the berries, we just went without. A surprising series of metabolic pathways kick in when our bellies rumble. Ketosis, which literally means “fat burning” becomes the norm and our bodies, which expend around half of their energy digesting food, are able to focus on healing by discarding dead and worn-out cells through a process called autophagy, or “self-eating.” The benefits that come with ketosis and autophagy can accrue from an IF program where the period one eats is reduced down to an eight-hour window, for instance, which may mean skipping breakfast or eating an early dinner. One example, is swallowing your last bite of dinner at 8 p.m. and not eating again until the next day at 12 noon.

The question of when to eat is as important as what to eat, according to advocates of IF. The preeminent guru of the movement, Jason Fung, MD, wrote what is considered the go-to read on the subject, a book called “The Complete Guide to Fasting.” His work outlines three different approaches, including intermittent, alternate-day, and extended fasting, and goes into great detail about each one, supplying lots of research along the way. If you are interested in giving fasting a try, first make sure you are in good health, and please see your doctor if you have any questions or concerns. Beyond that, the most important thing to know is this: if at any point you do not feel well, eat! Beyond this simple rule, there appears to be a lot of myths and misinformation concerning fasting, so we will address the main ones here, which have been adapted and condensed from Dr. Fung’s book. >>

Want to learn more?

Check out “The Complete Guide to Fasting” by Jason Fung, MD. This text is often considered the bible of fasting.

Myth No. 1

YOUR BODY WILL GO INTO “STARVATION MODE”

The idea that metabolism slows down in response to fasting—not eating anything at all—has been proven untrue in multiple studies; however, and somewhat counterintuitively, experiments testing daily caloric reduction have been shown to reduce metabolism dramatically. For example, several studies demonstrate a 25% to 30% lower basal metabolic rate (BMR) when subjects’ caloric intake was shifted from 2,500 to 1,500 per day. Scientists are unclear as to why this happens, although some surmise that it evolved with early humans during periods of famine. In other words, when we didn’t eat at all, we needed more energy to go out and find food; therefore, our metabolism kicks in to keep us going.

Myth No. 3

IT CAUSES LOW BLOOD SUGAR

If you fast longer than about 36 hours, you deplete your glycogen—sugar stored in your muscles—and the liver takes over and begins a process called gluconeogenesis, which involves taking fat and converting a part of it into glucose, or sugar. Additionally, humans are unique in the animal kingdom for their brains’ ability to run on ketones—fat fuel—as well as glucose. Again, a look back at our ancestry may provide some clues: imagine if we became blubbering idiots after 36 hours without food? It was our intellect that allowed our species to climb to the top of the food chain; otherwise we’d be answering to lions and tigers, oh my. >>

BURN MUSCLE Myth No. 2

YOU

While it is true that your body will eventually turn to protein oxidation, or burning its muscle for fuel, this only happens as a last resort. The human body has massive amounts of energy storage in the form of fat and many of us can go a month or more before the body runs out of fuel and starts looking around for other things to burn, like muscle and connective tissue. The longest known fast lasted 382 days, when a twenty-seven-yearold Scottish man, who weighed in at 456 pounds, under the supervision of his doctor dropped down to 180 pounds while maintaining his muscle mass. In fact, many of those studied during their intermittent fasts actually showed an increase in muscle mass because the body increases its production of growth hormone—in some cases by 50%—during periods when no food is consumed.

Myth No. 4

THE BODY OF

NUTRIENTS

There is no evidence of this during an IF protocol; however, it is advisable for anyone embarking on a longer fast to supplement with a daily vitamin. Many practitioners suggest that a pinch of Himalayan pink salt in a glass of water takes care of many of these issues (including any dizziness that may occur). The Scottish fellow who fasted for over a year straight did with just water and a daily multivitamin. Of course, for obvious reasons, pregnant women and children should not fast, which goes along with the traditions of the world that do practice fasting, such as during the Muslim holiday of Ramadan.

It’s true that fasting is a lost art that runs counter to our three-square-meals-a-day culture, but there are too many benefits to ignore, such as: improved mental clarity, lost weight, lower blood glucose, better insulin sensitivity, increased energy, and decreased inflammation. Throughout history fasting was used as a cure for sicknesses and disease. Ancient Greek philosophers used fasting as way to think more deeply. And, American icon Mark Twain, a practitioner of fasting, once wrote, “A little starvation can really do more for the average sick man than can the best medicines and the best doctors.”

EDITING

HOW TO MAKE THE CUT

BY FRANZ WISNER

Isaw the framed document at Franklin D. Roosevelt’s home in Hyde Park, New York. The red pencil edits caught my eye.

“Yesterday, December 7, 1941, a date which will live in world history, the United States of America was simultaneously and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan,” read the typed draft speech.

But Roosevelt had crossed out a few words and added several others to create a new sentence: “Yesterday, December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy, the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” With a few strokes of his pencil, FDR made an average sentence iconic.

Editing is the underrated and often overlooked partner to a successful writing effort. It’s the John Oates of Hall & Oates. We are all guilty of not giving our writing the same editing attention we afford our initial words. I can’t go for that.

So, fight the tendency to treat editing as an afterthought. Your writing is your baby. You should shower it with care at every stage.

The following are a few simple editing tips to whip your writing into shape, whether you’re penning a novel, or a speech, a short story, or a magazine column.

First, it’s important for writers to broaden their definition of editing, to see it as more than basic proofreading. Editing can be just as rewarding (and time consuming) as the writing itself. Look at filmmakers. They spend as much time in the editing room as they do on set. Many of them prefer this part of the process. It’s where they can turn individual performances into a collective work of art.

Editing is where you can shape your words and sentences into something memorable and moving. See it as a puzzle. You have all the pieces. How can you best assemble them?

In many ways, editing is the art of listening to yourself. It’s calling B.S. when necessary, or prodding your mind to dig deeper when your story demands it.

For longer works, consider hiring a professional editor. Relatives and close friends don’t count. Most will be diplomatic, not wanting to jeopardize a friendship. Your mom will love anything you send her. Your writing doesn’t need diplomacy. It needs an honest eye.

I cringed the first time I worked with a professional editor. She took a blow torch to my manuscript. I stashed the copy in a drawer for several days and pouted. Then I pulled it out and began to examine the edits one by one. They made sense. A realization hit me. “This woman is making me seem much smarter than I am!” I’ve enjoyed working with editors ever since.

If you’re editing your own work, avoid editing while you write. Writing is tough enough as it is. You don’t want to do anything to stifle your creativity. Let the words and ideas flow as best you can. Get that first draft down on paper, no matter how awful you think it may be. You can make it less awful later on.

This begins with setting aside sufficient time for editing. I prefer mornings, when my mind is clear. As Ernest Hemingway advised, “Write drunk, edit sober.” Pick an optimal time during the day, turn off your cell phone, and give your writing the editing care and focus it deserves.

The first edit I conduct is a simple, structural one. Does my writing have a logical beginning, middle, and end? Do I grab a reader’s attention at the get-go, make him want to read on, then lead him to a satisfying conclusion? If not, is there a way to add pieces, cut superfluous sections, or reorder the parts to improve the whole?

Next, I edit for flow. I go on a hunt for anything that can bog down my writing, including:

• Hard-to-follow story arcs;

• Excessive background or description;

• Long, clunky sentences;

• Passive sentences;

• Or sentences with similar structures;

• Words I wouldn’t use in everyday conversations;

• Corporate jargon;

• Clichés and generalities;

• Lack of emotion (notice how quickly we read through conflicts);

• Too many tangents or too lengthy ones;

• Repetition and redundancies;

• Weak transitions

I also scour the pages for instances where I hit the reader with summaries instead of action. “Show don’t tell” is a mantra you will hear ad nauseam in any writing class. That’s because the advice is essential.

Finally, I undertake a series of pinpoint edits for targeted changes. With the help of a computer, these revisions can be completed in short order.

For example, I do an adverb check, auto-searching for all words that end in “ly.” Most can be eliminated. I do a passive verbs edit where I search for all the sentences that contain words like “is,” “was,” and “were.” Strengthen those wimps wherever possible.

I also keep a list of banned words. These include stinkers like “actually,” “really,” and “very” as well as words I use far too much, including “narrative” and “spot-on” of late. A quick document search helps me absolve my literary sins and a handy thesaurus pulls me out of my word rut.

“Editing is easy,” a fellow writer advised me long ago: “Just take everything you write, cut the boring stuff, keep the rest.” SLO LIFE

FRANZ WISNER is the founder of The Bestsellers Group, which provides brands and individuals with storytelling assistance from bestselling authors.

BOILING THE FROG

As Cal Poly welcomes the largest freshman class in its history, many permanent residents are left wondering: How many more students can San Luis Obispo handle?

BY TOM FRANCISKOVICH

There is a classic parable concerning a frog and a pot of water. It goes something like this: if you toss a frog into a boiling pot it will immediately leap out, but if you place a

frog into a pan of lukewarm tap water and slowly crank up the heat, incrementally over time, it will obediently linger until the water bubbles over into a boil and it turns belly-up, dead. The lesson, of course, is that the frog hangs around in the ever-increasing heat because it never feels enough discomfort at any one time to do much about it— until it’s too late.

Many longtime residents on San Luis Obispo’s north side did feel the temperature click up from “medium” to “high” this fall as Cal Poly’s

this year is welcoming its largest freshman class—ever. As a result of a slip-up in its admissions office related to the elimination of an early decision admissions program, Cal Poly, rather than rescind those acceptances, elected to double-up students on campus. So, for example, a fourperson dormitory suite has been reconfigured to house eight.

The same mathematical error plagued UC Santa Cruz two years ago, but its hands were tied by a lawsuit filed by a local activist group known as CLUE (Coalition for Limiting University Expansion) as well as the City and County of Santa Cruz. The result of that litigation, which was eventually settled out of court ten years ago, was that UCSC had to cap their enrollment and house many more of its students on campus. As heartbreaking as it was to would-be freshmen, UC Santa Cruz was forced to send out letters saying basically, “We’re sorry, but we screwed up.” And, they did so because they were compelled by the settlement to prioritize the health and wellbeing of their host city over the feelings of recent high school graduates.

Much has been made of Cal Poly’s new 1,475-bed freshman dormitory known as Housing South, or its new Chumash moniker, yakʔityutyu; but, with the continual incremental enrollment increases, the complex, which is due to open next year, has already been more than filled in the time it has taken to build it. Long held up by the university as an example of moving toward its

San Luis Obispo’s ratio today is one Cal Poly student for every two permanent residents

freshman class increased in size by 28% over last year, nearly 1,000 more students than planned. Further exacerbating frustrations is the university’s new policy prohibiting freshman from bringing their vehicles with them to campus—while a commendable and worthwhile goal according to many—it is not working out very well in practice, as residents in the vicinity of the college see a swell of cars beyond the normal level wedged into their neighborhoods. Traffic throughout city streets, as a result, appears to be much heavier this year, too. But, it’s hard to tell from one year to the next because, like the frog, it’s just another in a long series of incremental changes.

Despite its verbal commitment to a “steady state enrollment over the next few years,” the university

stated goal of housing 65% of its students on campus by 2035, it appears that next year when it opens, the percentage of students living on campus may actually dip below 30%. Last year, the rate of students housed on campus dropped from 37% to 34% and, while the hard data will not be known for sure until later this month, it appears that this year somewhere around seven out of every ten Cal Poly students will require housing somewhere off-campus. In other words, despite the continually reassuring rhetoric, we’re heading in the wrong direction.

Every year, although there was a slight dip last year, enrollment goes up; at least that has been the trend when the admissions numbers are averaged over a period of time. Although grumbles are heard throughout the community, like the frog, the pain so far has not been felt acutely enough to actually do anything about it. In 2006, a group of residents in Santa Cruz who comprised its CLUE organization decided that enough was enough. UCSC was growing too fast and the student-to-permanent-resident ratio was out of whack; it had just surpassed one student for every four permanent residents—by comparison, San Luis Obispo’s ratio today is one Cal Poly student for every two permanent residents—and their city council was reluctant to do anything to upset the university. Because UCSC, nicknamed “the city on the hill,” like Cal Poly, is essentially a sovereign entity with its own jurisdiction, its own zip code, CLUE got busy

raising funds (total cost, all-in, ranged from $25,000 to $50,000), hired a lawyer and served the chancellor papers.

The timing of the suit was key, as it came during the finalization of UCSC’s Long Range Development Plan creation, coincidentally, at about the same stage where Cal Poly is now with its Master Plan. Legally, the suit challenged the university on three issues: housing, traffic, and water. At first, according to CLUE members, although individual Santa Cruz City Council members were reluctant to get behind the lawsuit as they each had their own relationships with university administrators to protect, they finally got caught up with the “silent majority” of local residents who saw the logic of limiting campus growth as UCSC and its bottomless appetite for more students was eroding quality of life around town. Traffic had gotten out of hand, the housing market was untenable, and serious water questions were unanswered. Over time, both the City and the County of Santa Cruz joined the lawsuit, which was finally settled out of court with the help of a mediator. The net result: UCSC’s enrollment was capped at 19,500 students. And, two-thirds of them were required to be housed on-campus.

CLUE members who were involved in the lawsuit share that the settlement was not a panacea, not a silver bullet, but what it did do is bring some certainty, some clarity, and provide a framework for the City of Santa Cruz to begin to plan a way out of its own housing crisis. In other words, the city’s single largest demand factor into its local housing market, overnight, went from an unknown to a known quantity. It was the equivalent of a business shifting its biggest input cost from a variable to a fixed expense. Of course, Santa Cruz, much like San Luis Obispo, remains a desirable tourist and retirement location, but people moving in for those reasons are much fewer and easier to predict. That sort of demand is more manageable than someone at the university saying, “Oops, I just added 1,000 more people to town—my bad.”

a “b”)—shouldn’t Cal Poly be required to take more responsibility right now? Shouldn’t our city council be holding the university’s feet to the fire when it comes to infrastructure, traffic, emergency services, housing?

Asking these sorts of questions, ironically, or any sort of question concerning Cal Poly, one runs the risk of being labeled “anti-student.” The two things, however, are not mutually exclusive. Is it really in the best interests of students to shoehorn four of them into a dorm room made for two? Isn’t it hypocritical to enroll students knowing that there are not enough faculty members to provide the classes they will need to actually graduate in four years? Isn’t it unfair to send them out into a hyper-competitive off-campus rental market in their second year where they will stand in line with a hundred of their classmates at a rental open house, and can expect to pay $1,000 a month for a place to sleep in a shared bedroom?

This autumn feels different than any other in recent history. The city’s infrastructure has been stretched to a tipping point; already maxed out, nearly 1,000

To its credit, Cal Poly has bent over backward for its massive incoming freshman class this year; and the people working valiantly in its housing office should be commended. But—and this is a very big “but,” and a question that no one seems to be asking—what happens to those students next year? The university has a policy of requiring freshman to live on campus during their first year, but next year they are on their own. They will need to go out into town and find themselves a place to live. Let’s do the math together: assuming an average of five students per house… 1,000 students divided by five… that’s 200 homes. In other words, we are talking about nearly half of the housing units in the newly approved San Luis Ranch development. And, because there are 1,000 more students than had been anticipated, how likely do you think it is that those kids will get the classes that they need to actually graduate in four years? Cal Poly does not have a good track record in this area; a recently completed state audit found that its administration grew by a whopping 50% between 2007/2008 and 2015/2016, with an increase to teaching staff in the single digits. It simply does not have the educational resources to get students graduated on time as it is, so how will a 28% increase in its freshmen population make that situation better?

Meanwhile, the City of San Luis Obispo continues to push for new housing developments in search of a solution for its housing crisis—at the same time largely turning a blind eye to the single largest source of demand—Cal Poly. City council members, for some reason, are reluctant to look beyond developers' slick marketing brochures when it comes to this issue. The truth is, San Luis Obispo already has all of the workforce housing it needs. The only problem is that instead of it being rented to teachers and cops, it is rented to Cal Poly students. The real question—the only question—is: Why is housing Cal Poly’s ever-growing student population the city’s problem? Especially considering some of the Category 5 headwinds in the forecast—an expected $8.9 million budget shortfall to the city’s budget in four short years, plus Diablo’s closing up shop and taking 1,500 head-of-household jobs with it, leaving an annual economic impact locally of about $1 billion (that’s billion

souls have been added overnight. Traffic is worse than it has ever been, local reservoirs have more demands on them than ever, and housing is at a breaking point. Instead of holding the university accountable, however, the city’s response again and again, is to continue to soak in the nice, cozy pot of warm water. There is no doubt about the fact that the futures of Cal Poly and San Luis Obispo are inextricably linked—they always have been. For all intents and purposes, the two institutions are married. There is a reason that starry-eyed high school juniors race home to fill out their Cal Poly admissions applications after attending Farmers’ Market on Higuera Street. The same does not happen following a visit to CSU Dominguez Hills. And, it is not implausible that San Luis Obispo without Cal Poly would be known as “Bakersfieldby-the-Sea.” But, for a marriage to work, there has to be a natural give-and-take. For too long the city has played the role of the permissive spouse, willing to continually turn a blind eye to its partner’s transgressions, letting just a little more slip by each time. At some point, someone has to take a clear-eyed look at the little bubbles forming and ask the question: “Is it getting hot in here, or is it just me?”

with

The truth is, San Luis Obispo already has all of the workforce housing it needs. The only problem is that instead of it being rented to teachers and cops, it is rented to Cal Poly students.

California Driftwood Dream

Meditative, calm, and wondrous, and as cool as a California summer day. Thoughtless, timeless, and yet, an expression of pure architecture that combined rugged design with precision mathematics. A day, lost on a beach somewhere with endless possibilities, and yet, no priorities—that was our day building a driftwood hut.

BY SHAWN TRACHT

After meandering aimlessly up Highway One, my daughter and I stumbled upon a stretch of coastline that was riddled with large, beautiful strands of driftwood branches. With no plans, no cares, and work left a hundred miles away, nothing was the goal, nothing except time to focus on my daughter, time to let go, time to be a kid again, time to create something, or nothing... whichever came first.

The walk down the long beach consisted of holding hands with my six-year-old, making funny faces, and skipping over sticks and seaweed like only a first-grader could. That’s what made her smile, that’s what made me a kid without a care. It was giggles and laughs with a little girl who wants to be just like dad, yet wants dad to be just like her. It was, “Dad, let’s race!” And, “Don’t let the water touch your feet!”

Before you knew it, we were all the way down the beach at a cove that was protected from the northwest winds, beaming with sunshine, and covered with driftwood that would become the building blocks of our daydream. Daddy and daughter, builders of a future home together, right on the water... a California driftwood dream.

And isn’t that the point of it all, living in the dream, while dreaming, yet truly grasping reality in these timeless moments?

My daughter looked at me and asked where to begin. “Dad, which pieces of wood should we get first?”

After a soothing sigh, another deep breath, and a gaze out at the open ocean, I spoke mindlessly from the heart, “It all starts with a good base, Darling. Have patience to build slowly and with a purpose for something that will last. Choose wisely, and be in no rush to move into the future too fast. The goal

is the journey. Being done just means you’re done, but the journey is what we long for. The building is the best part. It’s the experience we dreamed about, not just the finished product. So let’s breathe, take our time, look up at the ocean, laugh, and wander... wander through wood and possibilities of our dream hut we’ll build together.”

And so we hopped around our little world there, on that beach, lost in the moment, meditating in patience, examining each driftwood log—which would become our solid beam structures to build our beachside manor?

And of course, in soft reflection, the epiphany swept me up, the building of our driftwood hut was more a lesson in life than it was about building a structure on some beach. It was more a lesson about friendship and the tools to find a good companion someday than it was about building a hut out of driftwood. It was about building a home, not just building a house.

SHAWN TRACHT is an educator who lives every day with a passion for helping others, and plays as many sports as possible in the moments in between.

Norse mythology tells a story of the first humans, Ask and Embla, who were created from two pieces of driftwood, one ash and one elm, by the god Odin and his brothers, Vili and Vé.

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THE BUSINESS OF ART

How Creative Nonprofits Drive the Economy in SLO County

BY BETTINA SWIGGER

To live the SLO Life is to experience a daily embarrassment of riches. The fresh fruits and vegetables, the weather, the small town friendly attitudes, and the scenic vistas imbue this area with a quality of life

that cannot be measured by traditional metrics. The same is true for the arts and culture community here, with our whimsical public art, stately performing arts centers, hundreds of visual artists, active live music scene, and a reputation as a cherished destination for internationally-acclaimed musicians and artists.

But all of those attributes can be difficult to measure. Sure, the arts make us feel good, but it is close to impossible to quantify something that is so subjective. It’s not like you can put a dollar value on the warm fuzzies and spiritual enrichment that come from experiencing the arts. Until now.

It turns out that it is possible to measure the impact of the arts, at least as they relate to our local economy. And in San Luis Obispo, that number is a whopping $27.7 million each year.

According to a recent national study by Americans for the Arts, arts spending—$13.7 million by nonprofit arts and cultural organizations and an additional $14 million in event-related spending by their audiences—supports 916 full-time equivalent jobs, generates $16.8 million in household income to local residents, and delivers $2.8 million in local and state government revenue.

The study was a collaborative effort involving 28 participating nonprofit organizations, dozens of volunteers, and audience surveys of more than 900 individuals. The study, called Arts & Economic Prosperity, is the fifth iteration of a nationwide effort coordinated by Americans for the Arts. This is the first time the San Luis Obispo County arts community has participated, and the results show that the arts mean business.

“Having real dollars behind us is a game-changer,” reflects Arts Obispo Executive Director Angela Tahti. “Arts jobs are jobs and this study proves it. The many people behind the arts productions—the artists, the staff, the volunteers, and the donors, are so creative and inventive. They vote, pay taxes, and make our community more vital. Now we’ve got metrics to go along with countless stories of art’s goodness. The national study also demonstrates that when we invest more, we get more.”

For years, those of us who work in the arts, support the arts, and are passionate about living in communities where arts opportunities are abundant, have been aware of the intrinsic value of the arts. But the results of this study send a strong signal that when we support the arts, we not only enhance

our quality of life, but we also invest in San Luis Obispo County’s economic well-being.

Now, more than ever before, the arts are not a frill. Rather, they provide both cultural and economic benefits along with real jobs for real people, whether they are residents or visitors to the region.

The arts enhance community and neighborhood development; attract new businesses and young professionals; draw tourism dollars; and create an environment that entices skilled, educated workers and builds a robust 21st-century workforce.

It is fiscally sound policy to invest in the local arts infrastructure. Nonprofit arts organizations are proud members of the business community, employing people locally, purchasing goods and services within the community, and are deeply involved in the marketing and promotion of their respective cities.

Furthermore, the arts drive tourism and retain local dollars. The survey results show that tourists who come to SLO County to attend arts and cultural events stay longer than non-arts tourists (an average of three or more days) and spend an average of $67.48 in the local economy per day, not counting the price of admission to their events. And the arts keep dollars in our local economy as well, encouraging residents to participate in local arts events and spend their discretionary dollars locally, instead of traveling to other areas for entertainment.

This survey is just the beginning of what I hope will be an ongoing conversation about how to support a robust and thriving arts community. Now is an important time to talk about how we can collectively advocate for more cultural resources, whether that means additional municipal sources of funding, private foundations, corporate philanthropy, or enhanced coverage in the press. The arts mean business, and this is a business that shows no signs of slowing down.

BETTINA SWIGGER is Executive Director of Festival Mozaic, co-host of the weekly public radio program KCBX In Concert, and a lifelong arts advocate.

Burgers

BY JAIME LEWIS

Bring up the subject of burgers and it seems everybody’s a critic. Whether they’re talking about the meat, seasoning, size, condiments, bun, toppings, price, service, ambiance or all-around approach, even the meekest of Central Coast residents will brazenly hold forth about local offerings of this quintessential American dish.

I have no interest in being a food critic. To me, food is a source of pleasure and nourishment, a gateway into the soul of a culture and the people who prepare it. I’m much less interested in going into deep analysis or pitting burger-à-burger than in hearing a good story of risk and redemption.

Fortunately, our local burger joints are much more than the sum of their beef and buns. The four restaurants I profile here each sell outrageously flavorful burgers, but they also proffer plenty of warmth, authenticity and heart, too. And that’s something no quantity of Yelp! stars can capture.

Flavor Factory

“We make everything ourselves,” says Dawnelle Pollard, who owns and operates Flavor Factory in Morro Bay with her husband, Adam, and children, Riley and Camille. “We grind our own beef fresh every day, and make our own pickles, soups, and desserts.”

The brains behind another Morro Bay institution, Taco Temple, Adam and Dawnelle sold that restaurant in 2015 and set out to create a series of seriously delectable burgers. Many of the same touches remain from Temple days, though, including surf art, classic rock on the stereo, and a commitment to fresh, fresh, fresh.

When Dawnelle brings out a Crispy Green Chile Burger ($12) for me to try, the sight of it piled high and oozing with cheese makes the red-blooded American inside me giddy. Dawnelle explains that they roast anaheim chiles, bread them in crushed saltines, stuff them with cheddar and fry them to top a glorious burger on an Edna’s Bakery pretzel bun. I dig in and feel the crisp snap of chiles, the eggy chew of the bun, the crumble of the meat, which is a blend of chuck, brisket and bacon (yes, bacon). Right out of the gate, the Central Coast’s got serious burger game.

JAIME LEWIS is a world traveler, and food writer, who lives in San Luis Obispo.

SLO County doesn’t mess around when it comes to America’s National Dish, but what makes a burger great? More than meets the eye, it turns out.

Beach Burger

Just a block away from the beach in Oceano, five-year-old Beach Burger is situated on Pier Avenue, where trucks, toy-haulers and RVs line up to cruise the dunes. The brightly-lit restaurant has a vacation vibe, reminding me just how lucky we are to live where others come to play.

Owned by the same family that owns Laguna Grill in SLO, Beach Burger’s claim to fame is its cheese-stuffed patties, all of which are ground and formed in-house. “The cheese inside makes a big difference, adds a lot of flavor,” says manager Emily Del Toro, noting that, yes, another slice of cheese is also slapped on top of the burger as it’s assembled.

I order the Mushroom-Avocado Burger ($9) and, at first bite, taste the parsley, garlic, onion powder and steak sauce mixed into the patty. I also feel the crispy surface of the Edna’s Dutch crunch bun, complementing the creamy avocado and slick, garlicky sauteed mushrooms. And those juices: they dribble to my elbow. By the end, I’ve eaten just half my burger and used seven napkins. Noted.

Brooks Burgers

“This is slow,” says owner Luke Brooks, gesturing to the packed dining room at Brooks Burgers, just north of the Pismo Beach Outlets. “It’s been an amazing year.”

I ask him about the sign outside that says Brooks Burgers was established in 1968; he shares that his grandpa had a burger joint near Fresno, and his family still owns a cattle and meat plant in the Central Valley. Here’s where Brooks’ specialty lies: in control over each burger from pasture to plate. “We’re able to get a better-quality burger patty at an affordable price,” he says of the blend of grain and grass-fed beef used at the restaurant.

Indeed, the price is right at Brooks’ Burgers, where $8 gets you a Huevos Rancheros Burger like mine, a pink patty topped with scratch-made piquant chile verde, a fried egg, and a drizzle of Tapatio, all encased in a shellacked brioche bun (also from Edna’s Bakery).

When I ask Brooks what sets his burger apart, he points to the quality of the patty, the custombaked buns, and a third factor: love. “There is a connection between love and food,” he says. “It’s not something mundane. It’s an important ingredient and it’s often overlooked.”

Bruce is the best! Of course, Bruce knows the local real estate market, but it is his honesty, professionalism and attention to detail that sets him apart. Bruce is a calming influence during an often stressful time. I have used Bruce for several transactions in recent years as both a buyer and a seller. I have always been able to count on him to navigate the steps of each transaction and get my deals promptly & successfully closed while ensuring that all parties were completely satisfied throughout the process.

- Tom Sherman

The icon of Sylvester’s is a smiling cartoon burger with a wild look in its eye and sauce falling haphazardly out of its bun.

“Our whole thing is ‘Big, Hot ‘N Juicy!’” says owner Brian Englund of the brand’s unforgettable tagline. “The sauce is what we’re known for.” It’s such a force to reckon with, in fact, that Englund contracts with Edna’s Bakery (do you see a theme?) to bake an extra-absorbent bun, and offers a designated “wash station” on the patio.

To illustrate the popularity of Sylvester’s three locations—the original Los Osos spot, Atascadero and Oceano—Englund says he sold a total of 130,000 pounds of beef in 2016. I visit the original for the true burger shack vibe, with colorful old booths and faded customer photos papering the walls.

Manager Adele Ventimiglio brings out my Hana Burger ($9.25 for 1/3 lb), topped with fat pineapple rings, teriyaki glaze, bacon, and a slathering of Sylvester’s sauce. I attempt to eat ladylike bites while talking with Englund and we both start laughing; sauce is on my nose, my chin, and pooling in the palms of my hands. After eating just one-third of the rich, delicious treat, I tally my spent napkins: 15, for the win. SLO LIFE

Sylvester’s Burgers

PUMPKIN SOUP

Silky smooth and wonderfully warm, a steaming bowl of this comforting soup on an autumn day, with its subtle curry flavor, lets the season’s squash take the starring role.

BY CHEF JESSIE RIVAS

2

butter 2 Tbs olive oil 2 yellow onions diced

tsp minced garlic 1 tsp ground ginger 1

sugar pumpkin peeled and diced 1 ½ 1b butternut squash peeled and diced

seeds (salted)

In an 8 quart stockpot heat the butter and oil on a medium flame. When butter and oil start to sizzle add the onions, ginger and garlic. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the pumpkin and butternut squash and sauté for 4-5 minutes until light golden brown. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the pumpkin and butternut squash is tender. Add the curry paste, half & half, and the coconut milk.

Purée the soup, in batches until smooth. Return the soup to the stockpot. Heat to desired temperature and season with salt and pepper. Top your servings with the roasted pumpkin seeds.

SLO LIFE

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

SPOTLIGHT: 7 SISTERS BREWING

BY BRANT MYERS

Stepping into the newly opened 7 Sisters Brewing, you’re immediately greeted by a massive and vibrant mural depicting the namesake mountains of San Luis Obispo’s dearest mountain range covering an entire wall from floor to ceiling. Look close enough and you’ll find a pink square denoting Madonna Inn to the East and you can follow the winding gray line of Highways 101 and 1 leading all the way to the most iconic of the Sisters, Morro Rock, and the three gray blocks of the stacks to the West.

This latest brewery to open up, just off of Tank Farm and behind Trader Joe’s market, is the dream of brewer/founder Steve Van Middlesworth. Looking down the barrel of his 30th year with the U.S. Air Force, Van Middlesworth is going to realize his 25-year passion of homebrewing the way many others have—by sharing years of experience with the masses. As we sit down to talk about the mindset of a brewer, he describes his craft as “science, art, and magic” combining the rigors of biology and chemistry with creative recipes and the sacred dance of yeast and grain sugars to make delicious beer. As a career environmental engineer, Van Middlesworth is also very proud of his work toward sustainability in the brewing process. Utilizing a one-container brewing technique he can drastically reduce the operation’s footprint with his low-water-use system and low-energy tankless heaters. A versatile four-barrel brew house allows him enough capacity to make a portfolio of beers to be enjoyed continuously in addition to one-offs that follow seasonality or just his whim on that particular brew day.

Paying homage to the county that Van Middlesworth calls home along with Emily Taylor, the self-proclaimed “Director of Look and Feel,” whose love of spices and herbs hide nuanced hints of the bounty SLO offers in both their brews and their food. One beer they previewed before opening was the Bishop Peak Blonde with sage and lemon officially hitting thirsty lips at the 8th Annual Brews and Bites in the Mission Plaza earlier in September. What really hit the spot as temperatures soared into the high triple digits still holds true during their soft opening just a couple of weeks later. Already a quaffable beer to begin with, the subtle hints of earthy sage and zesty lemon make this a brew to enjoy any day of the week. As the temperatures drop and the sunsets get earlier, keep an eye out for their darker offerings

such as browns and stouts. The spicy Chili Brown is out now and I recommend ordering some hearty cheeses to accompany the heat.

Subdued Belgian yeast strains can be found in their Table Beer and Hollister Peak Belgian with pink peppercorns. The former, a very easy drinking small beer clocking in at 4% alcohol content for those who like their suds on the lighter side, and the latter, an approachable Belgianstyle beer akin to a Single with fruity esters coming from the classic yeast strains and a subtle heat of the pink peppercorns. Fun fact: they are not actually peppers but closely related to the cashew and mango trees, thus giving them less of a pepper bite and more of a chili and fruit flavor. They were also fermented in Central and South American chicha, a type of fermented “beer.” The more you know! Also on draught was their Morro Rock Kölsch with cucumber and lime. One of my favorite styles, this twist saw a big nose of cucumber up front and then the lime coming through more as the beer warmed up. It’s always so fun to see how a beer can change even with just a few degrees difference.

Come hungry because their locally sourced food offerings from artisans such as Central Coast Creamery for cheese, House of Bread for their baked goods, and Spice of Life for extra kick, all go through the kitchen

and directly out to your table. Grilled cheese sandwiches are the cornerstone of the menu, even offering one on a skewer in your michelada. The charcuterie plate, large enough to be shared with friends, comes replete with more meat, cheese, nuts, and fresh bread than is fit for a meal. However, my favorite has to be Taylor’s house-pickled vegetables or pink pickled eggs. Chat up 7 Sisters’ passionate general manager, Cameron Pelissier, for recommendations on beer and food pairings as you discover San Luis Obispo’s newest hot spot. As Van Middlesworth says, beer is an “experience enhancer” so grab some friends, soak up a cozy evening on their patio and make an experience of your own.

BRANT MYERS is owner of Hop On Beer Tours, a concierge service for craft beer enthusiasts along the Central Coast.

Brewed in San Luis Obispo, California Since 1988.

OCTOBER

RABBIT HOLE

Becca and Howie Corbett have everything a family could want, until a life-shattering accident turns their world upside down and leaves the couple drifting perilously apart. Rabbit Hole charts their bittersweet search for comfort in the darkest of places and for a path that will lead them back into the light of day.

October 6 – 22 // slorep.org

CITY TO THE SEA

The City to the Sea half marathon course is a point-to-point race that starts in downtown San Luis Obispo. The course winds through the city, takes runners along scenic backroads, and ends alongside the Pacific Ocean in the coastal community of Pismo Beach benefitting Cuesta College athletes.

October 8 // citytothesea.org

Japan’s red sun rises in San Luis Obispo with a new Grand Opera production of Giacomo Puccini’s masterpiece, Madama Butterfly. Enjoy a pre-opera talk one hour before curtain at each performance.

October 14 - 15 // pacslo.org

FESTIVAL MOZAIC

Internationally

SCARE FARM

Each year the San Luis Obispo Future Farmers of America host a community-wide event to promote agriculture awareness and Halloween fun for locals.

October 21 // sanluisobispoffa.org

MADAMA BUTTERFLY

HARVEST ON THE COAST

Take in the transcendent sights, scents, and flavors of this signature season through a rambunctious extravaganza of local food and wine. The weekend includes a winemaker’s dinner, the Grand Tasting and Wine Auction, and winery open houses.

November 3 – 5 // slowine.com

MORRO BAY TRIATHLON

Swim the bay, ride historic Highway 1, and run on the hard-packed sand, the beach, boardwalk, dirt roads, and paved roads. Come out to Coleman Park and enjoy some of the finest multi-sport terrain on the West Coast.

November 5 // morrobaytri.com

TANGO BUENOS AIRES

The acclaimed company of 25 dancers and musicians will perform an experiential journey into the culture and spirit of Argentina as part of their successful international tour. Free pre-show lecture begins at 6 p.m.

November 14 // pacslo.org

NATIONAL PHILANTHROPY DAY LUNCHEON

Join the Association of Fundraising Professionals, San Luis Obispo Chapter, as they honor their philanthropists and volunteers with Tim Bennett, retired President of Harpo Productions, as keynote speaker and Scott Daniels as emcee. November 16 // afpsloco.afpnet.org

SANTA’S HOUSE IN MISSION PLAZA

Santa Claus has come to Downtown San Luis Obispo. Visit jolly Saint Nick at Santa’s House in Mission Plaza and have your photo taken with him.

November 24 - December 24 // downtownslo.com