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Volume 9 • Issue 22 • April 16 - 29, 2015 YOUR COMMUNITY IN YOUR HANDS It was a big week for everyone pictured here, not only was the Cal Poly Veterans Center opened with a cast of local luminaries in attendance, it also marked one of the last appearances for Rep. Lois Capps before announcing her upcoming retirement. Photo by Jay Thompson with more info on page 9. Housing Inspection Law Set for May 5 Hearing City Looks to Plug-in to Clean Energy By Camas Frank By Camas Frank S an Luis Obispo plans to get serious about making sure rental housing is up to snuff on May 5 the city council could take the first step towards enacting a new rental housing inspection program. With several homeowner and neighborhood associations making their concern about the ratios of rental vs. owneroccupied homes a political issue during the last municipal election, and safety of housing stock identified as a city goal in the last budget, months of staff time have gone into setting up code enforcement mechanisms. In the 2010 census, 62 percent of SLO’s housing was identified as “rental property.” tolosapress.com By February of this year a consumer finance website had run the numbers using newer stats, upping the percentage to 63.3% of residents that rent rather than own their residences, “meaning it is 22.3 times cheaper to rent than buy here.” The publication, NerdWallet’s conclusion came counter to the preferences of existing homeowners and elected leaders, who’d like more permanent residents to move into town. The advice website named SLO No. 14 on its “Best Cities to Rent, Not Buy in Southern Water Cutbacks on Table Page 5 Bunny in The Park See Housing, page 11 Page 45 N early two years after activists at a SLO City Council meeting first broached the subject, the body passed a resolution to explore a “Community Choice” energy program. Commonly referred to as community choice aggregation or CCA, the concept is for municipal and county government programs to allow energy from multiple sources, i.e. dedicated wind or solar electricity providers, through the existing wires, for utility customers to choose from. It’s a concept all could, at least in principal, get behind, but community choice comes in many forms. The Morro Bay City Council passed a resolution stating interest in exploring such options in December 2013. San Luis Obispo isn’t as late to the game as it may seem though. Exploration of a CCA also appears in the August 2012 Climate Action Plan produced by the Community Development Department. The option was also discussed in a public meeting hosted by the Sierra Club in 2008 at which, then Councilwoman, now Mayor, Jan Marx and Councilman John Ashbaugh spoke with residents. On See Energy, page 43 2 • April 16 - 29, 2015 • SLO City News Bret Colhouer publisher bret@tolosapress.com Neil Farrell managing editor The Bay News neil@tolosapress.com Theresa-Marie Wilson managing editor The Coast News t@tolosapress.com Camas Frank section editor SLO City News frank@tolosapress.com Michael Elliott sports reporter sports@tolosapress.com Gareth Kelly business / lifestyle reporter gareth@tolosapress.com Michelle Johnson art director Christy Serpa editorial design Kathrene Tiffin copy editor Table of Contents Capps to Retire ..................................................... 3 Central Coast Life ...........................................13-22 Entrepreneur Summer Camp .................................. 4 Home and Garden Special Pullout ...................23-30 Water Rates and a Drought ................................... 5 Central Coast Life ...........................................31-40 Police Blotter ......................................................6-7 Follow That Bus ................................................... 38 Child Porn Arrest in SLO ........................................ 8 9-1-1 Vehicle Show.............................................. 38 Child Support Services No.1 .................................. 8 Race Coming to Town.......................................... 39 Cal Poly Opens Veterans Center ............................ 9 Sports Shorts ...................................................... 40 PG&E Employees Pack Care Packages ................. 10 Hoppinʼ Down the Bunny Trail ............................. 41 Womenʼs Shelter Expands Counseling Services ......12 Business Matters .............................................46-49 Baseball Camps this Summer ................................12 Biz Briefs ........................................................50-51 Jessica Padilla marketing coordinator admin@simplyclearmarketing.com ADVERTISING Jessica Micklus sales manager jessica@simplyclearmarketing.com Dana McGraw senior advertising executive dana@tolosapress.com Zorina Ricci coast news advertising executive z@tolosapress.com Carrie Vickerman bay news advertising executive carrie@tolosapress.com 100% listener/communitysupported shows from local residents All Sea RATED PG ts $8 Helen Mir Womanren, Ryan Reynolds in Gold 4:30PM -13 & 7PM Th rough Ap ril 23rd Dave Diaz internet, text & loyalty marketing CONTRIBUTING WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Teri Bayus Michael Gunther King Harris Vivian Krug Evanne Mingori Betsey Nash SLO Nightwriters Ray Ambler Ruth Anne Angus Amy Joseph Carrie Jaymes Erin O’Donnell Paul Winninghoff This is a publication of Tolosa Press, Inc., Copyright 2007–2013 all rights reserved. One free copy per person. Additional copies can be obtained at our offices 615 Clarion Court, #2, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93401. Tolosa Press makes every reasonable effort to ensure the accuracy of its contents. Please notify us if information is incorrect. phone (805) 543-6397 fax (805) 543-3698 615 Clarion Ct., #2, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 Your Local Theatre morrobaymovie.com 464 Morro Bay Blvd Call 772-2444 for times ! r a e Y e n O s e t a r b Cele BBQ & BANDS MARK THE ANNIVERSARY May 4th–Community Fundraiser Almond Smoked Ribs & Chicken from Tognazzini’s Dockside Pick up at the radio station between 4–6pm Pre-orders for pickups are being encouraged. No walk ups. Your meal is tax deductible and benefits community radio. Whole Chicken-$10 Rack of Ribs-$20 Call 805-242-6112 to pre-order now or online at http://EsteroBayRadio.com www.tolosapress.com food & wine, pharmacology, pets, business, council, recovery community, calendar, astrology, health & fitness, music, interviews Call 543-NEWS 805-772-1314 Business Office | 805-772-2037 Listener Line EsteroBayRadio.org SLO City News • April 16 - 29, 2015 News • 3 Capps to Retire; SB Mayor Jumps In By Neil Farrell C ongresswoman Lois Capps announced that she will retire after nearly a generation in office when her current term expires in 2016; and within hours, the Mayor of Santa Barbara announced that she is running for the still-warm seat. Capps has represented SLO and Santa Barbara counties in the 24th District since March 1998, taking over a seat from her late husband Walter Capps, who died after just a short time in office. Capps made the announcement in an online video that she will not seek another term in Congress. Capps said, “When my husband Walter was elected to Congress in 1996, he was guided by the principles of Thomas Jefferson — to restore the bond of trust between the people and their government. And in his short time in office, Walter did just that. “And after his death, I ran to continue that goal and to bring my own experiences in health care and our public schools. “And I’m proud of the work that we’ve done together here on the Central Coast - to improve education, to expand health care, to support businesses and our veterans, to protect the environment and agriculture. “And I have been so humbled and honored that you would trust me to be your Representative to Congress. “But now I believe it is time for me to return home back to the community and family that I love so much. And so I am announcing that this 114th Congress will be my last, and at the completion of this term I will retire. “It’s been a hard decision to make, for I have loved this job. I have loved serving alongside such remarkable staff, such outstanding community members, and wonderful colleagues in public service. “But life moves on. And in the meantime, I am very much looking forward to our final 22 months together in public office. There is a lot of work to do. And I promise you that I will serve with as much energy and enthusiasm and passion on my last day in office as I had on my first. “And I am so thankful to you for the opportunity I’ve had to represent you in Congress. And I will forever be grateful that you have allowed me to be your voice in our nation, and here on our Central Coast in California. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.” Within hours of Capps’ announcement to retire, Mayor Helene Schneider, a Democrat, formally entered the race to succeed her. A second term mayor, Schneider was first elected to Santa Barbara City Council in 2003 moving up to the Mayor’s seat in 2009. Her announcement rings a familiar bell. “I am running for Congress to get things done in Washington,” she said. “We need more common sense and fewer political stalemates. During my tenure as Mayor of the City of Santa Barbara, I have focused on working with a politically diverse City Council to find common ground on policies affecting our entire community, while steadfastly defending my core values of economic opportunity, environmental protection and prudent financial stewardship.” Her starting-gate platform sounds a lot like Capps’ stance on issues. “I plan to pursue an agenda that focuses on helping Californians reach their full potential by creating more good paying jobs, growing the middle class, advancing more progressive environmental protection policies, investing in our infrastructure and education, defending Medicare and Social Security, and ensuring equal pay for equal work for all Americans,” she said. In the last June Primary (2014), which is an open primary in California, Capps faced eight challengers, moving on to the November Election when she won a close election over Republican Chris Mitchum, later sued Capps for defamation over a campaign attack ad that she ran. Another of Capps’ opponents last June, Republican Justin Fareed, has said he will run again. State Assemblyman Katcho Achadjian said he is considering running, as well. NEW LISTINGS! Vintage Charmer in the Heights with views of Morro Rock. 2BD/1 and ¾ BA, detached garage, and large back yard. $599,000 1950’s Classic Beach Duplex. Great rental or beach get-a-way. Two studio units with high occupancy near restaurants, stores, and beach. $359,000 Want to know what your house is worth? Let me help you buy or sell your home today! Call Leslie! 528-2020 Leslie L. Lee, Broker, CRS, GRI Morro Bay Realty/San Luis Obispo Co. Properties/Western Heritage 805.528.2020/805.459.7670 License #01218232 4 • April 16 - 29, 2015 • SLO City News News Entrepreneur Summer Camp a Local First By Camas Frank S LO County youth in fifth-eighth grades will have the chance to learn some of what it takes to start a business and a few other life skills with a new summer camp this June. They’ll be learning a condensed version of the techniques taught in Cal Poly’s entrepreneurship program and fostered through the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship’s start-up incubator in Downtown SLO. Getting the 5-day summer program (June 15-19) off the ground was a senior project this quarter for three Cal Poly students, one graphic artist and two in the entrepreneurship concentration. While it’s not a literal summer camp, the days will be packed from 8:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. Prof. Jon York, co-founder of the CIE said that in the five years since they started teaching college students the nuts and bolts of working for themselves, the idea of getting younger students involved hasn’t been far behind. “A lot of it came from people who work with us, as their kids grew to an age where they’d be interested,” he said, noting that the whole point is to teach his students how to start projects that will be self-sustaining. Launch It! Will be SLO’s first annual entrepreneurial summer camp. Timo Arellano, finishing work on the camp as he prepares to graduate in June, said the idea appealed to him as the type of hands-on experience he appreciated when he was younger. He noted that CSU Fresno has actually been running a similar program since 1999 and one of the things he worked on was a licensing arrangement with them for the course. While there’s no need to reinvent the wheel if you don’t have to, (one of the lessons taught in Prof. York’s classroom no doubt) the students did alter the curriculum to fit more of Cal Poly’s learn-by-doing attitude for local youth. “There’s a lot more to it than just explaining how to start a business,” he said, referring to the entrepreneurship program as a whole. For the actual summer camp they plan on running the kids through the concept of creating and marketing their own product from scratch and using examples of common finance, pitch and development issues. They’ll also get to experience the Cal Poly campus, CIE’s downtown Hot House and be introduced to some real world business professionals and young entrepreneurs. Kaitlin Siemering weighed in on another important aspect of arranging the camp as a senior project, in addition to making sure the material they have to offer is worth the parents of 40 kids forking over $375 for tuition, they had to learn the in’s and out of navigating educational institutions from the other side of the desk. “Cal Poly’s Extended Education department helped us enormously,” she said, giving the university ample credit for taking the major hurdle of insurance and other regulatory obstacles off the table by folding the camp into their own programs. “It will be the quick and dirty version of an entrepreneurship class in five days, she said,” but it will fun for them to do the pitch fair at the end and for the parents to see what they come up with.” Information and registration particulars for the camp can be found online at: summer.calpoly.edu/kids/ launchit/index.html. Cal Poly Women Take Volleyball Championship C al Poly Women’s Volleyball Club B Team took the Division III National Championship April 12 for the second year in a row in a 22-25, 24-26, 15-6 win over the University of Arizona at the NCVF National Collegiate Club Volleyball Championships in Kansas City, MO. The team went undefeated all weekend with a 9-0 championship record. BEACH CLASSIC PRESENTS SUNDAY MAY 3 | SEAVENTURE BEACH HOTEL 11am - 3pm CLASSIC VW DISPLAY Vote for Favorites 12:30 - 5PM FREE CONCERT with Resination and Joe Koenig & The Homewreckers Food & Beverages on the Beach Featuring Firestone Walker Brews BRING A CHAIR & BLANKET | LOCATED AT THE BEACH HOUSE ON THE SAND AT THE SEAVENTURE BEACH HOTEL For more information call 805.773.4994 or visit SeaVenture.com 100 Ocean View Ave. Pismo Beach SLO City News • April 16 - 29, 2015 Community • 5 Water Rates and a Drought By Camas Frank O n March 31 the City of SLO’s utility department got approval to move $1 million out of its reserve fund to make up for “water sales revenue loss” in the 2014-15 fiscal year. As part of the measure the City Council voted unanimously to allow a delayed increase in charges for Tier 2 water users and to increase the base charge over three years. It’s a bit of a “sticky wicket” (a term referring to unpredictable playing conditions on a drying out field) for the folks responsible for supplying water to City residents. Always eager to encourage conservation in severe drought, the City has none-the– less relied on volume-based sales to pay for maintenance of the water infrastructure. In 2013 they foresaw this being an issue and got the Council to approve a new rate structure, instituting the 2-tier system now in use, as well as a $5 base fee for all users. That second tier was seen as a way to curb usage amongst the highest volume users but still allow reasonable access for the majority of residents in Tier 1 billing, although they did see a more than 10-percent increase between 2013 and 2014. What they asked for at the end of March was a to use the $1 million from the “rate stabilization fund” to keep Tier 1 rates level for now and to phase in a smaller increase in Tier 2 over the next two years. An increase in the base fee could take effect as soon as July. That was all “in the works” two days before California Gov. Jerry Brown threw a press conference on a snowless meadow in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, where there would normally have been skiers and snowboarders on five feet of pack. He unveiled an executive order mandating 25 percent reductions in consumer water use. Agriculture, which se? o Itchy N y ff Power! Eyes? Stu eed em uses up about 80 percent of the State’s water, is not impacted directly by the order. In any case, Utilities Services Manager, Ron Munds said, SLO is less impacted by the controversies than it might be. While the Central Valley is seeing an arms race of sorts to pump groundwater using approximately a fifth more from that source than a normal rainfall year, SLO only has one well. From it, he added, comes only two percent of the City’s total supply. “The executive order shocked all water agencies, “he said. “The statewide goal doesn’t necessarily boil down to a San Luis Obispo goal though.” On April 17, the State Water Resources Control Board is expected to release revised rules setting targets for each community, after taking into account comments from utility providers. SWRCB takes into account individual conservation measures already in effect and how local areas stack up against the state averages. By last week the number SLO was looking at a 20% target reduction, indeed lower than the 25% mandate, but not by much,. Munds cited the City’s experience in the 1990s as an example of hard times that prove instructive in managing the resources. Both, he said, in estimating the City’s surface water reserves, which are at a five-year supply, and in measuring how much residents are capable of cutting back. “We haven’t been able to predict sales numbers recently,” he said, noting that while the drought and City funding are separate issues, one affects the other in terms of running the system. “We went through this in the 1990s. There’s a predictable pattern, a bounce back in the revenue, but we’re very cautious about having the rate structure maintained to preserve stability.” Now Open! You n r energy use uce you d e r d Impr ality an ove your home's air qu 805-295-6069 www.surfsidedonuts.com Utility incentives exceeding $6,500 Low interest, unsecured loans W Upgrade Today! Website: emPowerSBC.org Phone: (805) 781-5982 Email: empower@co.slo.ca.us 40% OFF Frames with purchase of lenses, not to be combined with other offers, packages, discounts, or insurance. 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Open 6am-2pm Daily $OLLIVER3Ts0ISMO"EACH FREE home energy consultation Qualified contractors Featuring www.MichaelsOptical.com 6 • April 16 - 29, 2015 • Tolosa Press Arroyo Grande • April 4: A caller asked police to check the welfare of a female who hadn’t shown up for work after her ex told someone that he was going to kill her. • April 4: A caller reported that there was a problem with pornography at Paulding Middle School — teenaged boys, no doubt. • April 3: A caller on the 500 block of Carmella Drive reported a case of unsafe shooting after finding an arrow in her yard and a broken window. The neighbor was practicing archery with her daughter and was unaware of the bulls-eye he or she hit on the window. Morro Bay • April 5: Police responded to a family disturbance at 6:30 p.m. in the 500 block of Mimosa. A 46-yearold man was arrested for alleged reckless discharge of a firearm, and was then taken to the hospital for a self-inflicted gunshot wound and let’s hope his aim doesn’t improve any time soon. • April 5: At 11:45 p.m. police were sent to a domestic disturbance in the 900 block of Pacific. Two battleaxes had gotten into a catfight and of course once they were separated neither wanted to press charges or have medical treatment. One grabbed her stuff and took off, no doubt plotting her revenge all the way home. • April 4: A citizen in the 600 block of Avalon reported the theft of $3,000-$4,000 in cash, which sounds like a possible inside job. • April 3: Police responded at 2:14 p.m. to a disturbance in the 3200 block of Main. Logs indicated they arrested some hothead for allegedly causing damage to the apartment and ripping the cable lines out of the walls, as he no doubt couldn’t find something to watch on TV. The guy gave police a statement and left restoring the peace, well almost… Police were called back to the residence at 1:24 a.m. (April 4) and this time the 30-year-old crapulous fellow got hauled to the nick for being thick as a tick. • April 4: At 12:15 a.m. police were called to a disturbance at Bonita and Main where they arrested a 24-year-old model citizen for suspicion of being schwasted in public. • April 4: Rite Aid reported the theft of $1,112.8, no doubt consisting of two prescriptions and a fifth of tequila. Police Blotter • March 31: Police and paramedics were called at 8:30 a.m. to the 1000 block of Main St., where an elderly woman tripped on the sidewalk and landed in the hospital. A report was taken for the lawsuit sure to follow. • March 31: At 4:19 p.m. police responded to the 700 block of Quintana, where two parked cars jumped in front of a woman driver. and then hung up. • April 9: A dog that had bolted from a room at the Sea Crest Resort was reunited with its human. • April 7: A caller on the 700 block of White Oaks reported that “hooligans” threw garbage all over her driveway. Barbecue sauce and rotten food were tossed onto her car too. “Fire personnel were dispatched for an ocean rescue to help a guy in the water clinging to a pier piling. The guy made it to shore.” • March 31: At 4:17 p.m. police contacted a tipsy fellow in the 700 block of Harbor St., and took the 51-year-old rotter to the hoosegow. • March 31: Police responded at 5:37 p.m. to the 300 block of Nevis where a citizen had reportedly overdosed on heroin. The overhopped-up hype was taken to the hospital. Police reportedly found a backpack with “illegal narcotics and burglary tools,” which they held for “observation” in case the schmoe wants it back. And on April 1 at 6 p.m. police went to a disturbance in the 400 block of Nevis and arrested a boisterous boozer for suspicion of being deep in his cups. • March 30: Some scoundrel stole a kid’s bike from Del Mar Elementary School in the 500 block of Sequoia, no word on whether the kid locked it up like his parents told him to. • March 30: Police contacted a swizzle stick traipsing up the 700 block of Quintana at 12:21 p.m. The 52-year-old lady sot was tossed to the nick for suspicion of being welloiled. Pismo Beach • April 9: Someone with a flashlight was reported on the 100 block of Main at about 2:30 a.m. It turned out to be a can collector who had been advise about an hour earlier after going through a dumpster on the 2600 block of Shell Beach Road. • April 9: Some low-rent fellow tried to pay for an order at Denny’s with counterfeit $5 bills. • April 9: Police were unable to locate a suspicious man in his 40s reportedly watching children on Spyglass Drive. He was pointing at children, following them and talking to himself. • April 9: A woman called to report, “My brother’s been kidnapped!” • April 7: Fire personnel were dispatched for an ocean rescue to help a guy in the water clinging to a pier piling. The guy made it to shore. • April 7: A caller reported leaving a candle burning in her home when she left the house. Neighbors were contacted who said they would snuff out the problem. • April 6: Someone at Motel 6 reported getting a call from a man who whispered that something was going to happen at the motel. Before police left, two people were cited and released for some undisclosed crime. A third person wasn’t so lucky and was arrested for an outstanding warrant. • April 6: A caller on the 400 block of San Luis reported that his vehicle had been broken into. He called back about 15 minutes later to report that his other car was also broken into and the master criminal left a jacket behind. In other Robin “Reading glasses were stolen from Rite Aid. The thief probably couldnʼt see the price tag.” Hood news, a caller on the 300 block of Harbor View found a cell phone in his car that didn’t belong to him. A caller on the 300 block of Ocean said her car was broken into and a pair of sunglasses that didn’t belong to her had been left behind. • April 6: Reading glasses were stolen from Rite Aid. The thief probably couldn’t see the price tag. • April 6: A caller on the 700 block of Dolliver reported three juveniles smoking wacky-tobacky in front of his or her house. One stoner was cited and all parents were notified, which probably killed the buzz, man. • April 6: Police were unable to locate a man sitting by a car in front of the Cap Cod Motel at about 11:30 p.m. The caller was concerned that the guy was sitting out in the cold. • April 1: A caller was concerned that some kids on the side of 7-Eleven were selling weed. The little thugs were gone before police arrived. San Luis Obispo • April 8: Police were called to Osos and Monterey by County Mental Health officials who were taking a mental health patient to court for a hearing when he or she escaped. • April 8: At 8:35 a.m. police were called to Wheeler-Smith Mortuary on South Higuera for some guy getting drunk in what isn’t the most lively of party spots. The soaked fellow was cited, no doubt with a toe tag to come sometime soon. • April 8: Police responded at 1:20 p.m. to the 1000 block of Nipomo where some crazy fool was causing a ruckus at Ciopinot. • April 8: Police were called to the Kristin Apts., in the 600 block of Chorro for a complaint of a woman living in a black truck parked in their lot, which normally goes for about $1,000 a month. • April 8: Police were called to the high school at 1:25 p.m. where they were having a baseball tourney and some suspicious transients were hanging around. They were cited and released, possibly the first time that watching baseball was deemed loitering. • April 8: Police responded wikiwiki to the Creeky Tiki Bar in the 700 block of Higuera where some scarecrow was smoking the evil weed. The 32-year-old pothead had a warrant and was off to see the wizard. • April 8: At 2:23 p.m. someone reported a man loitering on a bench outside Ross on the Higuera Street side, and GASP! He was smoking a cigarette, a hanging offense here in San Loco. • April 8: A 2:51 p.m. police responded to the City/County Library at Palm and Osos where they found a most unusual bookmark — a baggie of marijuana — inside a returned book. • April 8: At 9:10 p.m. someone reported a man and woman yelling in the parking lot of Vons on Broad. The man was reportedly saying “Hit me.” The masochist and the girl were gone when police arrived. • April 8: Police got a 9-1-1 call at 10:24 p.m. from the Embassy Suites on Monterey. Logs indicated a sloshed woman with the munchies was on the line trying to order chicken tenders and no doubt fries, and a milkshake, oh, and a banana split… 1:20 p.m. someone reported a man screaming profanities at the bus stop by Ratliff Welding and Machine shop, 200 block of Higuera. • April 3: At 4:56 a.m. at the Travelodge on Monterey, someone reported a woman telling a man “stop touching me,” and the guy keeps touching her. “Someone at Motel 6 reported Police got the hands-off getting a call from a man who message across. • April 2: A guy called at 11:30 a.m. from Laurel and Augusta complaining of a skin problem, sometimes called the hee-bee geebies. whispered that something was going to happen at the motel. Before police left, two people were cited and released for some undisclosed crime. A third person wasnʼt so lucky and was arrested for an outstanding warrant.” • April 2: Someone called police from the Social Security Office on Higuera to report a black woman in a long coat causing a disturbance. Then at 11:55, a guy called police from the 200 block of Higuera to report road rage — a woman in a Nissan Versa followed him to his house. • April 2: Police were called at 3:28 p.m. to Crystal Springs Water on Rockview because there was a brown snake underneath the caller’s friend’s truck and the big baby was afraid to get into the vehicle. • April 2: At 12:46 p.m. a woman at Mitchell Park reported some creep threatened to kill her. He was apparently just some loudmouth. And speaking of blowhards, at • April 2: Someone in the 100 block of Orange was seeing red over 12 frat boys playing a drinking game in the front yard, well at least it wasn’t on the roof. • 7 Police Blotter Tolosa Press • April 16 - 29, 2015 ([FOXGHV 5DFN 8OWUD 5DFN 3HOP ,OCAL 45%3 3!4 s !- 0 /!+ 0!2+ ",6$ 0)3-/ "%!#( /3(#63 3HOPPING #ENTER Need Support for DEPRESSION? You’re Welcome Here... Loyalty Should Be Rewarded! Text the correct key word to 56955 or visit 805Loyal.com & receive AMAZING REWARDS from your favorite local brands! 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On Wednesday, April 1, SLOPD detectives served a search warrant at a residence in the 2800 block of Johnson Ave., Lt. John Bledsoe said in a news release. “The warrant authorized the search for evidence of child pornography.” During the search, detectives reportedly discovered several images and videos of suspected children under the age of 18 “engaged in various stages of sexual conduct.” These were allegedly found on the computer and other electronic devices belonging to Philippe Estines, 20 of SLO, Lt. Bledsoe said. Detectives allegedly found that Estines was also “involved in sharing and distributing some of the child pornography with other users on the Internet,” Lt. Bledsoe said. Estines was home at the time and was arrested for alleged possession and distribution of suspected child pornography. He was booked into County Jail with bail set at $35,000. It was the second child porn arrest made by SLOPD in the past few weeks. On March 11, another man, Christopher Daniel Kluck, 57 of SLO was arrested after another search, triggered by a tip from an Arroyo Grande Police officer who works with the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, was served in the 3900 block of Higuera St. Kluck reportedly had “tens of thousands of files and videos” allegedly containing child porn images stored on computers, hard drives and thumb drives, which SLOPD seized and was to search for any more suspected illegal images. Lt. Bledsoe said the two cases are unrelated and they had discovered enough suspect materials to charge Kluck. Child Support Services is No. 1 S an Luis O b i s p o County has been named the “top performing child support services agency in the state,” by the California Department of Child Support Services. The report was made to the state legislature and subsequently referenced by the county in a media release. As one could imagine, the folks in the local, social work trenches were pleased with the kudos. The State declared the San Luis Obispo County Department of Child Support Services its “No. 1 ranked county statewide on child support services performance goals during fiscal year 2014.” Not that it takes the shine off, but the department has been the top-ranked child support department in California for the last nine consecutive years. “We work to help strengthen families SUPPORT CLEAN AIR! SUNDAY APRIL 19 10 AM - 5 PM EL CHORRO REGIONAL PARK ALL AGES FREE ADMISSION Ride the Double Decker Bus from the SLO Downtown Transit Center at Osos & Palm St. every hour 10 am to 4 pm. Last bus returns at 4:30 pm Driving ? Carpool to Cuesta College. Park and ride the shuttle or walk to park Win Enter the Earth Day Drawing for Propane B-B-Q, Bicycle & other items. INFORMATION / TO VOLUNTEER: EARTHDAYSLO.ORG (805) 544-8529 Bring in this ad! 20% off Moroccan Oil Enjoy Pureology Nioxin Matrix -ON&RIPM\3ATPM\3UNPM 2OSS#63/3(#ENTERs0ISMO"EACHs/AK0ARK"LVD BEAUTY SECRETS With this coupon. Not valid with other offers or prior purchases. /FFEREXPIRES GUY BUDD & THE GYPSY SOULS RESINATION MAHEYLA & THE RITUAL Cal Poly raised. Cal Poly processed. CAL POLYS MEAT -P of Pismo Beach Salon & Beauty Store SAMBA LOCA The best quality meats at the best prices. 0ISMO"EACHs Est. 1990 CAPTAIN NASTY PERFECT BBQ excludes sale items 805.489.3373 MUSIC LINE UP MEAT THE BEGINNING OF THE Entire Purchase We carry ALL top brands! OPI Polish | Murad Skin Care in San Luis Obispo County,” Child Support Services Director Julie S. Paik said, “and this award just goes to show that the Department of Child Support Services staff is consistently efficient, hardworking and successful at what we do.” The ranking is out of out of 51 county child support enforcement agencies in the state and measures overall performance in five federal performance metrics, largely surrounding financial collection in paternity matters. “Our primary mission is to ensure the self-sufficiency of families in San Luis Obispo County,” Paik said, “and now that the economy is improving, our services are improving as well. About one-third to half of the children and single parents that we serve are currently on welfare. So if we collect child support for them, they can get USDA inspected. Vegetarian-fed, free of antibiotics and added hormones. Bldg 155 on Stenner Creek Rd. | SLO | 805-756-2114 | Open Thurs/ Fri, 12–5:30pm SLO City News • April 16 - 29, 2015 Community • 9 Cal Poly Opens Veterans Center Photos by Jay Thompson, Cal Poly C al Poly has reaffirmed its long commitment to military education with the April 2 opening of the “Veterans Success Center” on campus. The grand opening was celebrated with dignitaries Congressional Rep. Lois Capps (24th District) and 10th District Rep. Jeff Denham, a Cal Poly grad and veteran, among others on hand. The new center is in Rm. E4 of Bldg. No. 52. The center will provide additional services to a unique cohort of students. “We’re providing a 1-stop shop for our veterans and dependents at Cal Poly,” Everette Brooks, the Veterans Success Center coordinator, said, “helping them to be successful students and move on into their careers, The center is also an acknowledgement of Cal Poly’s rich military history, while at the same time helping as many veterans come to Cal Poly as possible.” Cal Poly’s new center will serve a growing number of vets and their dependents, including nearly 80 former active-duty veterans from the five branches of the military — Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy. Also attending was Patrick O’Rourke, director of Veterans Affairs Services at the California State University Chancellor’s Office, which has been urging all 23 campuses to dedicate space for veterans. “The CSU system remains a leader in higher education for student veteran best practices,” O’Rourke said. “In the coming year, our military forces will potentially experience the most severe drawdown, forcing thousands of Ì Ì G.I. Bill-eligible military out of military service. There is no better time to be ready to serve veterans than now.” At Cal Poly, returning vets typically range from transfer students in their early 20s to married graduate students in their mid-30s, he said. Dependents are traditional freshmen, right out of high school. The number of vets and their dependents is on the rise. In the school year ending in June 2013, 264 Cal Poly students received a Cal Vet fee waiver. That number increased to 296 in the 2013-14 academic year and to 305 this year, according to the University. The new center respects and honors veterans’ experience and service, while easing their transition into university life and providing support mechanisms that create a welcoming campus environment, Brooks said. Photos courtesy Cal Poly spokesman, Jay Thompson. Approximately 65% of people with hearing loss are below retirement age. Ì Approximately 1 in 5 Americans age 12 and older experiences hearing loss severe enough to hinder communication. Approximately 36,000,000 Americans have some degree of hearing loss, ranging from mild to severe. Hear the Spring Season Hearall allthe thesounds soundsofof the Fall Season ENJOY BETTER HEARING THIS SUMMER! The perfect time for a complimentary hearing screening is now. Fall is a wonderful time filled with the harmonious sounds of the great outdoors and social gatherings. January–March Special October Special March– December - May Special + FREE hearing screening* + FREE technology demonstration Call (805) 995-4826 today to take advantage of our FREE hearing screening offer! *Solely for the selection of proper hearing instrumentation and not a medical diagnosis. Call today for a FREE hearing screening and FREE 30-day trial. Come in today to try it on. 1052 Main Street, Suite B | Morro Bay, CA CALL TODAY (805) 995-4826 © 2014 Starkey. All Rights Reserved. 29512-14_10/14 10 • April 16 - 29, 2015 • SLO City News News PG&E Employees Pack Care Packages By Camas Frank Photos by Kristin Inman V olunteers with different divisions of Pacific Gas and Electric Co. on the Central Coast spent the Saturday before Easter putting their energy into care packages for active duty military at the home of Si Tenenberg, founder of “Troop Care Packs.” Tenenberg has been running the organization since the height of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. He expanded from his original goal in November 2006, providing items to soldiers serving in Afghanistan, to sending donated supplies to troops in 14 countries worldwide. Until the recent conflict in Yemen troops station in that country were on the list of recipients. Tenenberg notes that those serving away from the direct support of combat supply chains of go without more often. The pins on the map in his San Luis Obispo garage now include the Marines stationed at CITY OF MORRO BAY ADVISORY BOARD VACANCIES sea in two Carrier Battle Groups. Approximately 15 volunteers turned out to augment the weekly work of the organization, preparing unique packages for those that send letters as well depending on the season and region of deployment. To get in touch with Tenenberg or learn more about Troop Care Packs call 234-3101. "Moving business locations is an opportunity to re-brand and re-tool. We're thankful to have PRP for all our printed marketing needs. They are going to make this blank slate of a building come to life!" Michael & Paden Hughes Owners of Gymnazo Applications are currently being accepted to fill vacancies on the following Commissions and Advisory Boards: Citizens Oversight & Citizens Finance Committee (4), Tourism Business Improvement District Advisory Board (TBID) (3), Recreation and Parks Commission (2), as well as members at-large for the newly formed General Plan/ Local Coastal Program Advisory Committee (GPAC). The City is also seeking applications to appoint one (1) representative from a Morro Bay lodging establishment to the San Luis Obispo County Tourism Marketing District Board. Applications may be obtained for these positions at City Hall, 595 Harbor Street, or on-line at www.morro-bay.ca.us under the “Your Government” tab. If you have any questions, please call 772-6205 during normal business hours. The closing date for submitting applications has been extended to Friday, May 1, 2015 at 5:00pm. Interviews for all positions will be held on Monday, May 18 at 5:30pm. Applicants should be present at the interviews in order to be considered by the City Council. )BSCPS4USFFUt.PSSP#BZ$"t email info@ prpco.com 805.543.6844 call click www.prpco.com SLO City News • April 16 - 29, 2015 News Housing, from page 1 California” list. Being lumped in with Southern California, indeed only Los Angeles competes with SLO with such high disparity in rentals and ownership, isn’t the image projected for the Central Coast by the local Chamber of Commerce and various Tourism Business Improvement Districts. While the safety of rental units, and sending City workers to each of the City’s approximately 4,000 rental properties on a 3-year rotation, may not seem connected to those numbers, there is some thinking that what’s good for one will help the other. Upping safety standards and eliminating illegal multi-unit conversions, such as garage apartments and attic bedrooms, may even out the playing field in a lopsided market. City Councilman John Ashbaugh was one proponent of this view at the meeting that directed staff to flush out the details of the ordinance. During debate he expressed his belief that, rather than the $98 per year fee for inspection being a hindrance to affordability, it would even the playing field of landlords. The logic being that even if the new cost of doing business is passed onto tenants, the product sold will at least be of a baseline quality and prevent shortcuts to either increase profit or reduce cost. It is unknown what exact market effect the fees and knowledge that units will be inspected for building and safety code violations could be in an area where students are known to pay $700-$1,000 each, per room of a shared house. However, for the Community Development Department the goal is simple and the program well laid out with precedent from at least 25 other cities used as examples. “You could say it’s increasing standards, but what it is really bringing some units up to just a bare minimum,” Community Development Director Derek Johnson said, noting that inspectors would check for safety issues that shouldn’t exist to begin with. Speaking outside after giving a presentation to the San Luis Obispo Property and Business Owners Association, Johnson said that many people living in unsafe conditions are too fearful of losing their only accommodation to report to the City. The most well-known case of violations flying under the radar was at the Pine Creek condominiums leading to several residents’ hospitalization after sleeping near unvented gas The 26th Annual appliances. While that case involved an apartment block already subject to fire and safety inspections, Johnson said the case study of several homes, which Cal Poly purchased near campus, and invited the City to tour, revealed, “serialized misuse of uninhabitable spaces.” The landlords and property owners at the meeting were skeptical of the inspections targeting their properties and business practices, which they would also have to pay for, they asked some questions which many renters might have wondered about as well. For instance, what about the legitimacy of municipal employees entering units without a search warrant? After all, consent from the person living in a house is also an issue and while a landlord is entitled access to property under certain reasonable conditions, a college-aged individual might bristle at government agents coming into his or her room. A final draft of the ordinance is still being looked over by the City Attorney before presentation to the City Council, said Building and Safety Supervisor Rafael Cornejo. California law is pretty clear that its “OK,” he said, as long as the City isn’t there to go snooping for anything other than the building code on their check list. “The ‘What?’ and ‘How?’ of what we’re BUY 1 Breakfast or Lunch GET 1 FREE!! Entries Accepted April 1-July 15, 2015 This year’s theme: Transformation 3 categories Short Fiction Prose (1000 – 1200 words) Poetry (Up to 40 lines) Flash Fiction (Up to 500 words) Flash Fiction is a brand new category added this year! Short Fiction/Prose {$20 entry fee} 1st Place $1,000 2nd Place $500 3rd Place $100 Fees and Prizes Poetry {$20 entry fee} 1st Place $1,000 2nd Place $500 3rd Place $100 Flash Fiction {$15 entry fee} 1st Place $500 2nd Place $100 3rd Place $50 for more info visit: www.thegoldenquillawards.com Sponsored by SLO Nightwriters, the Premiere Writing Organization on California's Central Coast, In conjunction with the Central Coast Writers Conference and Cuesta College. Regular menu only, of equal or lesser value. With 2 beverage purchase. Dine in only. Not valid on senior meals or with other discount offers. s ’ l r i G The t an Restaur 7 Days a Week • 7am–2pm 1237 Grand Avenue, Arroyo Grande 805-473-1069 Curb to Curb Transit for Everyone Let Morro Bay Transit do the driving so you don’t have to. Monday–Friday 6:25am–6:45pm Saturday 8:25am–4:25pm Call 772-2744 between 8–10am to schedule a ride morro-bay.ca.us/transit 11 doing is all addressed in the draft we’d prepared before the last presentation,” he said. “We’ve just had to explain and what we’re doing now is streamlining the wording.” What about something like a pot plant growing in a house? Cornejo said the inspectors would be “ordered to ignore” such minutiae of people’s lives that does “not have to do with the purpose of the visit.” Besides that, just finding out which houses to include in a database for an inspection program has been a full time job, adding criminal law enforcement to the work not only be more than was asked of them but impractical as well. “We’re not here to judge your life,” Johnson said, “just to address immediate health and safety issues.” The database of more than 4,000 addresses inside the City Limits was amassed using business licenses filed for the rentals, frequent change of address forms, and utility bills along with some other tracking methods. Johnson said that for the sake of logistics, and putting together an accurate list, rental units with an owner living on the property as well, were dropped from the ordinance. “They [three full-time inspectors and a supervisor] will be out there working every day,” said Cornejo, “but you won’t see them except for once every three years.” Avenue •AArroyo Grande • 805-473-1069 OPENand 7 DAYS WEEK! 7am–2:30pm Morro Bay Transit Call-A-Ride • 12 • April 16 - 29, 2015 • SLO City News Community Women’s Shelter Expands Counseling Services T he Women’s Shelter Program of San Luis Obispo County is offering expanded counseling services for child trauma victims and adult victims of domestic violence in its San Luis Obispo and Grover Beach offices. Free weekly, scheduled counseling is offered. The services, “capitalize on the innate resiliency of each individual, fostering increased wellbeing and healthy social relationships.” Counseling services are now available in the evening as well as on Saturdays. “Our agency is extremely proud of our evidence-based, outcomes focused therapy program,” Marianne Kennedy said. “Over 95 percent of clients receiving counseling exhibit a significant increase in feelings of safety, self-esteem and self-sufficiency. We are excited to offer these free, expanded services to our local community.” To find out more about available counseling services, call the agency’s bilingual intake assessor at 473-6507. The Women’s Shelter Program has been providing services to the local community since 1979. Agency services include emergency shelter, transitional CAN’T MISS $0 DOWN VERIZON EDGEt Samsung Galaxy S6 & S6 Edge On Sale NOW! Tablets Just $10 monthly line access*** $6999* Compatible with Android, iOS & Windows Tablets & Smartphones Switch & Save! Get a Baseball Camps this Summer T DEVICES! Bluetooth Keyboard housing, child abuse treatment, counseling, case management, outreach/education and Latina services. For more information see: www.wspslo.org. $100 Bill Credit he San Luis Obispo Blues will host two youth baseball camps in San Luis Obispo County for kids ages 7-12 during its 2015 summer schedule. The first camp is set for June 23-25 at Sinsheimer Stadium, located at 900 Southwood Dr., in SLO. The second camp is June 30 to July 1 at Atascadero’s Paloma Creek Park, 11665 Camino Viejo. Both camps will run from 9 a.m. to noon daily. Cost is $160 dollars per camper and registration can be completed online at: www. bluesbaseballcamps.com/register.cfm. The camps give young athletes a chance to learn the fundamentals of the game from Blues Head Coach, Jamie Clark, assistant coaches Kyle Tognazzini and Logan Hostettler, as well as, some of their favorite Blues players. Children may register on the first day of camp, but pre-registration is suggested to ensure proper shirt sizes. It is recommended that camp participants wear baseball attire, including pants, a hat and appropriate footwear (sunscreen optional). The Blues will provide all basic equipment, but children are encouraged to bring their own gloves and bats. Campers get a Blues T-shirt, and a ticket to the July 24th home game that includes a post-game fireworks show. For more information, call 512-9996 or see: www.bluesbaseballcamps.com. When you bring your smartphone to Verizon** 16 Like us! Scan for a map of our local store locations p h o n e a n d w i r e l e s s. c o m San Luis Obispo SLO Downtown - 705 Higuera St @ Broadt SLO Broad Street - 2256 Broad St @ Southt *Select models. While supplies last. **New Verizon Edge smartphone activation and port-in req’d. Bill credit takes 2-3 billing cycles. Limited time offer. †3DUWLFLSDWLRQLQ9HUL]RQ(GJHSURJUDPEDVHGRQFUHGLWFKHFNGRZQIRUZHOOTXDOL¿HG customers. Some customers will be required to make down payment. Total down payment cannot exceed 50% of device’s full price. Subject to Customer and Edge Agreements and credit approval. Edge Up available after 30 days and 75% of original device paid. See store for details. ***Our Surcharges (incl. Fed. Univ. Svc. of 16.8% of interstate & int’l telecom charges (varies quarterly), 18¢ Regulatory & 88¢ Administrative/line/mo., & others by area) are in addition to monthly access & not taxes (details: 1-888-684-1888); gov’t taxes & our surcharges could add 6% - 42% to your bill. Activation/upgrade fee/line: Up to $40 IMPORTANT CONSUMER INFORMATION: Subject to Cust Agmt, Calling Plan, [rebate form] & credit approval. Up to $175 early termination fee/line ($350 for advanced devices) & $15/200MB after allowance & add’l charges for device capabilities. Unlimited calling for directly dialed, live calls between individuals. Coverage, varying by svc, not available everywhere; see vzw.com. Rebate debit card takes up to 6 wks & expires in 12 months. © 2015 Verizon Wireless. facebook.com/TolosaPress Tolosa Press • April 16 - 29, 2015 • 13 Nightwriters Finding the Elves - Again By Nancy Meyer W hen I was a little girl, my mother filled my head with stories of fairies and elves every night at bedtime. In the morning I lay in bed thinking about the magical forest world, while I listened to the elves rustling in the leaves under the big Elm tree by my window. On nights when the soft breeze blew through the pines, I could hear the fairies sing. “They sing when the wind blows,” mother said, “because that’s how fairy dust travels. And, without fairy dust they can’t fly.” “Tell me the story about little Clara,” I begged. “Do you want the story about the night she couldn’t fly?” “Yes, tell it again. Please!” “It was a windless night and Duncan and Evelyn, the garden elves, heard Clara crying. Nickers the Naughty Cat had pushed her into the well! Duncan and Evelyn fished her out and helped her to dry her wings. The fairy dust was gone and when she tried to fly she fell to the ground with a little thump. Evelyn ran to find Clara’s parents while Duncan stood guard to keep Nickers from having Clara for dinner.” “I know!” I jumped in eagerly. “Her parents came and flew her up to the top of a tall pine tree and called to the wind for help.” Then my mother would sing the most beautiful otherworldly melody and the wind blew and little Clara cloud fly again. Having been raised by a mother who believed in forest spirits and talked with birds that sat on her out-stretched arm, it wasn’t easy to let the fanciful world of my childhood give way to the balancing act of adulthood. However, as time passed, thoughts of fairies and elves slipped into the recesses of my memory and I happily accepted a more scientific view of the world. That was of course, until I had a child of my own. It’s not that science isn’t exciting. Photosynthesis, pollination, and plant reproduction are pretty good stories, even for children. But, when you’re in the woods with a five year old and you see a circle of toadstools, do you launch into a lecture on fungi growth patterns or do you whisper, “That’s a fairy ring where the fairies come to dance in the moonlight.” That was long ago and my little woodland princess grew up like all children do and I went back to enjoying the amazing wonders of nature. Now, I live next to the Elfin Forest on Morro Bay and I have yet to see an elf. I keep my eyes open on my daily walks, just in case one pops up. In the meantime, I listen to quail rustling in the bushes and enjoy the chattering of the birds, wishing I could speak their language. There is something magical about that little ancient forest though, and the other day an amazing thing happened as I strolled on the boardwalk. I saw a little boy, about six years old, squatting down poking at something on the path. I stopped to see what held his interest. Definitely coyote scat, I thought. He looked up at me with a twinkle in his eye and asked, “Do you see this?” “Yes,” I said. “What do you think it is?” “Elf poop,” he said emphatically. His mother’s worried glance begged me not to crush his spirit and I gave her a reassuring smile. “I think you’re right. It looks like elf poop to me,” I replied. “Have you heard them scurrying in the bushes?” “Oh yes,” he said. “All the time.” Nancy Meyers is a member of SLO NightWriters, the premier writing organization on the Central Coast of California. She writes short stories and flash fiction. Nancy loves being in nature and has taken up wildlife photography as a retirement hobby. Photo credit: Dennis Eamon Young 14 • April 16 - 29, 2015 • Tolosa Press Good to be King Stan Freberg — The Prince of Parody Good to be King By King Harris I was very sorry to hear about the passing the other day of satirist, Stan Freberg, even though he and other celebrities and music makers in the 1950s, like Steve Allen, Mitch Miller and Frank Sinatra, vehemently disliked rock ‘n’ roll (Sinatra calling it music written by ‘cretinous goons’) which was my favorite fad back in the day. But Freberg, who was a voice actor, a puppeteer, a comedian, a satirist, author, radio personality, and genius ad man, was clever enough to parody rock ‘n’ roll in a style like no one else. No one escaped his wit, not the “Nabob of Sob,” Johnny Ray “Try,” or the Chords’ “Sh-Boom,” The Platters’ “The Great Pretender,” Elvis Presley’s “Heartbreak Hotel,” Lonnie Donegan’s “The Rock Island Line,” Harry Belafonte’s “Banana Boat Song,” Lawrence Welk, Jack Web in “Dragnet,” or the TV comedy, “The Honeymooners,” plus practically anything else. Here are lyrics from “Saint George and the Dragonet: Narrator: “The legend you are about to hear is true. Only the needle should be changed to protect the record.” St. George: “This is the countryside. My name is St. George. I’m a knight. “Saturday, July 10, 8:05 p.m. I was working out of the castle on the nightwatch when a call came in from the Chief. A dragon had been devouring maidens. “Homicide. My job — slay him.” St. George: “You call me, Chief?” Chief: “Yes, the dragon again, devouring maidens. The King’s daughter may be next!” St. George: “Mmm-hmm. You got a lead?” Chief: “Oh, nothing much to go on. Say, did you take that .45 automatic into the lab to have them check on it?” St. George: “Yeah. You were right.” Chief: “I was right.” St. George: “Yeah. It was a gun. 8:22 p.m. I talked to one of the maidens who had almost been devoured. St. George: “Could I talk to you, Ma’am?” Maiden: “Who are you?” St. George: “I’m St. George, Ma’am. Homicide, ma’am. Want to ask you a few questions, ma’am. I understand you were almost devoured by the dragon, ma’am. Is that right? Dragon?” Maiden: “It was terrible. He breathed fire on me. He burned me already.” St. George: “How can I be sure of that, Ma’am?” Maiden: “Believe me, I got it straight from the dragon’s mouth.” Freberg was at his best when he made fun of the Top 10 tunes of the day, like this take-off of “Day-o, the Banana Boat Song:” “ Day-o, day-o. Daylight come and me wan go home. Day, he say…” (Man, I`m gonna have to ask you not to shout like that.) “Well…” (It`s like right in my ear) “It goes with the song.” (Yeah, but don`t holler in my ear, man!) “Well, it`s authentic Calypso.” (Yeah, but try standing next to me, man.) “Well, the shout go with the bongo drum.” (Not my bongo drums, man. I mean, 62$. Camp 6XPPHU2XWGRRU$GYHQWXUHVIRU.LGV 6 HU .G (DUO\ LRQ D U W W WK 5HJLV SULO ! $ H U R I H E move away.) “Well, I don`t see why.” (No, no, no, stand over next to the guitar, man) “He sent me over here.” (Yeah, well, then sing soft, man. You know, I mean like, wow!) “Ok. Day...!” (It`s too loud, man.) “Day… (That`s better.) “Me say day, me say day, me say day, me say day. “Me say day-o, daylight come and me wan go home…” (Yeah, man!) “Work all night on a drink of rum. Daylight come and me wan go home. “Stack banana ‘til the morning come. “Daylight come and me wan go home.” “Lift six foot, seven foot…” (Hold it, man) eight foot bunch!” (Hold it, man) “Daylight come and (Too loud, man) me wan go home.” (Too loud) “Lift six foot, seven foot (Hold it, man.) eight foot bunch!” (Hold it, man.) “Daylight come and me wan go home.” (My ears, man, like my ears!) “Day…” (No, hold it, man) “Me say day-o” (It`s too shrill, man! It`s too piercing) “Well, I don`t see why.” (No, it`s too piercing, man. It`s too piercing) “Well, I got to do the shout.” (No, man, it`s too piercing. Like I don`t dig loud noises) “Well, you ruined the whole (Piercing) record is what you did.” (Yeah, well, tough. I`ll take my bongos and go, man. Cause the whole is like bugging me, anyhow.) “Yeah, well, wait a minute. I won`t shout.” (No, man. Like I didn`t wanna make this gig in the first place) “Oh, no, wait a minute. I`ll be soft.” (Yeah, well, then back off from me, man. It`s too piercing) “Okay, how`s this? Day-o…” (Too loud, man.) “Okay, day-o” (Too loud, man I can still hear you. Would you mind leaving the room?) “Okay” *footsteps leaving* “Day, me say day-o (Crazy) *footsteps entering* “Daylight come and me wan go home… *footsteps leaving* “Day, me say day-o…” *footsteps entering* “Daylight come and me wan go home. “A beautiful bunch of ripe banana. Daylight come and me wan go home. “Hide the deadly black tarantula. Daylight come and me wan go home.” (No, man, don`t sing about spiders. I mean, like I don`t dig spiders.) “Well, that`s how the song goes. It goes hide the deadly black tarantula. Daylight come and me wan go home…” (Is that it, can I leave now?) “Not yet, we got a big finish.” *footsteps leaving* “Me say day, me say day, me say day, me say day, me say day-o” *knocking* “Hey, I locked myself out.” (Crazy) *window breaks* “I come through the window (Yeah) “Daylight come and me wan go home…” The ironic thing is that whenever Freberg poked fun of these songs, their sales went up. DAVID and KAREN present Pismo & Shell Beach Session 1: June 15-19s3ESSIONJune 22-26 9:00am – 4:00pm (Daycare available from 7:30-9:00am & 4:00-5:30pm) For kids entering 1st to 6th grade! $225 per child, $250 after April 30th %HDFK'D\Ƈ+LNLQJƇ1DWXUH6WXG\Ƈ$UWV&UDIWV $UFKHU\Ƈ*DUGHQLQJƇ&DPSILUH1LJKW More info & registration available at www.ranchoelchorro.org or call 805-782-7336 RANCHO EL CHORRO OUTDOOR SCHOOL Where Kids & Nature Meet San Luis Obispo County Office of Education 0ENNINGTION#REEK2Ds3AN,UIS/BISPO www.davidandkarenpresent.com David Skinner Cell: 805-459-8798 david@davidandkarenpresent.com Karen Skinner Cell: 805-550-9001 karen@davidandkarenpresent.com CalBRE #00552094 CalBRE #01873847 763 Shell Beach Road, Shell Beach, CA 93449 Tolosa Press • April 16 - 29, 2015 • 15 PHQWLRQ The “G” Shop JHW2II Guerillas Lend a Hand at the Zoo Then & Now By Judy Salamacha, photos provided by GGC member, Amaya Toke T a y l o r Newton ‘”heard it through the grapevine” that his Morro Baybased Guerrilla Gardening Club was needed to spruce up the grounds at Zoo to You in Paso Robles, which has plans to implement more public entertaining. When Newton met Curator, Kasey House, they witnessed a serendipitous kinship that destined their organizations to work together. Twenty years ago, David Jackson, an internationally known and respected exotic animal trainer and zoological manager, created Zoo to You to provide a permanent, loving home for displaced, abused, abandoned and permanently injured wild animals. His vision included training “animal ambassadors” to travel to schools, nonprofits, private events and national television to inspire respect for all wildlife and their habitat. Zoo to You opened with two buildings housing a parrot, snake, hawk, potbellied pig and a monkey. After the animals are surrendered, confiscated or dropped off because their owners purchased them illegally or gave them up when they realized they would act like wild animals, they are trained to travel with their caregivers and education specialists. “David believes experiencing the animals firsthand builds a lasting memory,” House said. “We’re always asked where the public can see more of them. As our animals age and can’t travel, we still want people to be their enrichment. It made sense to create more programs to allow people at the zoo.” In 2015, the burgeoning zoo has an aviary and enclosures for over 300 birds, reptiles, a camel, monkeys, bear, lemurs, porcupines, and a variety of cats, including a Bengal tiger. The 40acre ranch, located at 2445 Adobe Rd., is habitat for a vineyard, Zoo to You, the WHAR Wolf Rescue (see: www.whar. org; WHAR specializes in rescuing wolf-dog hybrids and is also a very cool place), and TheraBee Honey. About 10 years ago, Newton started building his vision for the Guerrilla Gardening Club, a non-profit education program that inspires young, streetwise men and women over age 15 to learn about plants, biology, and East Coast Flavor on the West Coast community through a learn-by-doing process. “A gardener understands the value and rewards that come with helping others and caring for our world,” philosophized Newton. “Our members have fallen down in life and we try to teach them how to get up again and survive every challenge.” Volunteers provide labor, planting, maintenance, and composting at homes and public properties plus zero-waste recycling management at festivals and events. In exchange, members qualify for housing, sustenance, education and employment opportunities. A commendable example of the club’s work is Morro Bay’s St. Timothy’s Catholic Church’s serene gardens. GGC has also developed a nursery open to the public on the church grounds. Since 2012, GGC has contracted with 15-30 groups a year, offering, “strike teams for all those jobs volunteers don’t do during events.” The work completed at Zoo to You was a volunteered community project. A Cal Poly graduate, Newton said, “I’m a biologist. I build eco-systems by planting sustainable vegetation that beautifies gardens and facilities. We spent two days at the zoo. First our kids did general clean-up and then we concentrated on making one area — the aviary — look rehabilitated.” House knows Zoo to You is a work in progress to make the facility more attractive for events and public visiting. They are looking for grants and fund raising to pay for the needed improvements. Newton realized his group would 805.543.6700 %URDG6WƇ6/2 *LDQW*ULQGHU6/2FRP thrive doing more planting and maintenance at the zoo. “I’d love to start a Guerrilla Gardening Club in Paso Robles,” he said, “and find a landscape sponsor to help us take care of the zoo. Our kids had never seen animals like the Bengal tiger or the monkeys up close. They totally got it — these animals needed them. I’ve never seen them work so hard so long.” Zoo to You currently opens to the public Saturdays from 3-4 p.m. A $10 donation is requested to help fund future projects like an event center. Private parties and meetings can be held onsite. A variety of fundraisers are held throughout the year. For example, April 25 from 2-6 p.m. is “Get Buzzed with the Beasts” featuring craft beers, wineries, and honey, while visiting with the “animal ambassadors.” (Details at: www.zootoyou.com.) “Everybody, every living thing has value,” Newton said. “We’re not here to change society, but to get through life by making one’s space livable.” Judy Salamacha’s column is special to Tolosa Press. Reach her at: judysalamacha@gmail.com or call (805) 801-1422. James A. Forester, DDS Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry Healthy smiles, happy kids! UÊ-«iV>â}ÊÊÀÕÌiÊEÊÃÌ>ÌivÌ i>ÀÌÊ `iÌ>ÊV>ÀiÊvÀÊV `ÀiÊ>}iÃÊä£n UÊ*ÀÛ`}Ê«iÀÃ>âi`ÊV>ÀiÊEÊ>ÌÌiÌÊ ÌÊi>V ÊV `½ÃÊii`à UÊ>iÃÊ°ÊÀiÃÌiÀ]Ê-ÊÃÊÌ iÊÞÊ L>À`ViÀÌwi`Ê«i`>ÌÀVÊ`iÌÃÌÊ «À>VÌV}ÊÊ-" UÊ ÛiiÌÞÊV>Ìi`ÊÊ-"ÊÊ >vÀ>ÊÛ`]ÊÕÃÌÊvvÊ} Ü>ÞÊ£ä£ UÊ iVÊÕÌÊÕÀÊÀiÛiÜÃÊiÊ>`ÊÊ Ì iÊ >ÃÌ>Ê*i`>ÌÀVÊiÌÃÌÀÞÊv>Þt Because every child should love going to the dentist! ÈÓäÊ >vÀ>ÊÛ`]Ê-ÕÌiÊ ->ÊÕÃÊ"LëÊUÊ(805) 592-2020 ÜÜÜ°V>ÃÌ>«i`>ÌÀV`iÌÃÌÀÞ°iÌ 16 • April 16 - 29, 2015 • Tolosa Press Community Calendar Cuesta College’s Harold J. Miossi Art Gallery is hosting the annual student juried art show, with an opening reception set for 4-7 p.m. Friday, April 17. Awards will be presented at 6 p.m. Free. The exhibition will run Mondays-Fridays, noon-4 p.m. through May 22. Cal Poly assistant professor of drawing, Sara Frantz, judged the submissions in ceramics, digital art, drawing, graphic design, mixed media, artist books, painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture. For more information call Bea Anderson at 5463936. ••• The Annual Morro Bay AAUW Garden Tour is set for noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 26. Visit, tour and discover the hidden treasures in gardens in Morro Bay, Cayucos and Los Osos. Tickets are $10 for the self-guiding tour. Tickets may be purchased at Volumes of Pleasure Bookstore in Los Osos, Coalesce Bookstore in Morro Bay, Sage Nursery in Los Osos, and Farm Supply in San Luis Obispo, Arroyo Grande, and Paso Robles. Proceeds benefit AAUW’s community projects. For more information see: morrobayaauw.org or call (805) 7484731. ••• Mission College Prep Drama Club presents: Willy Wonka Jr. on April 24, 25, 26 and May 1, 2, 3. Tickets are $7 and $10. The school is located at 682 Palm Street in San Luis Obispo. ••• The Estero Bay Republican Women’s Federated is holding a special evening meeting set for 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 23 at the Outlook restaurant, located in the Morro Ba Golf Course clubhouse. Normally, the group is discussing politics but this meeting is purely social, with a chance for all interested men and women to share wine, appetizers and conversation on current events. Cost is $13 a person and reservations must be made by April 13. Call Gayle at 772-2841 or 903-3851. ••• Join the 5 Cities Swim School, police department, and fire department for a barbecue and a day full of water safety and kids swimming from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, April 18. The little squirts (3 months to 3 years) will perform skills such as swimming underwater, going through hoops, and floating on their backs. This event is open to the public to watch and then swim from 2-3. The school is located at 425 Traffic Way in Arroyo Grande. They offer swimming lessons for ages 3 months to adults in a 90-degree indoor pool. Drowning is the leading cause of death of children 5-under and the 5 Cities Swim School wants to end that. They are raising money for scholarships for local families who cannot afford swim lessons. For more information, call the swim school at 481-6399. ••• The Literacy Council of San Luis Obispo County will hold Volunteer Tutor Training from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 25 and Saturday, May 2 at the San Luis Obispo County Library, 995 Palm St., San Luis Obispo. They need tutors countywide, but most Dorothy L. Espelage, a National expert on bullying and harassment will give a free speech crucially in North and South Counties. To volunteer, visit www.sloliteracy.org. Cost is $25 For additional information, call 805-541-4219. ••• Black Lake Golf Course on the Nipomo Mesa is hosting its firstever free summer concert featuring country music artist, J.D. Hardy, in a night to honor military veterans from 5-8 p.m. Sunday, May 24. The outdoor show features Chef Andy Nelson’s barbecue tri-tip and more barbecue favorites, and a full service bar. Bring lawn chairs to sit on, no outside food or beverages allowed. Kids and dogs on a leash welcomed. They will have reserved seating for veterans, call (805) 343-1214 Ext. 400 to reserve a table. All WWII and Korean War vets will be able to sign up for an upcoming “Honor flight” to Washington, D.C. to tour the various war memorials and other Capitol sights. Blacklake Golf Resort is at 1490 Golf Course Ln., Nipomo. Call : 805.343.1214 or see: www.blacklake.com for more information. ••• Cayucos Friends of the Library will host Edward Jones Cayucos financial advisor, Scot McManus, in a free talk on investment basics set for 4 p.m. Monday, April 20 at the Cayucos Library, 310 “B” St. Call 9953312 for more information. Then at 2 p.m. Monday, April 27 Robert Brown of Rabobank will talk about basic banking and answer questions. ••• The Central Coast Watercolor Society’s next meeting is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 28 at the United Methodist Church (Wesley Building), 1515 Fredericks St., SLO. Jerry Smith will have a slide show of paintings entered into CCWS’ Aquarius 2015 exhibition. Free and open to the public. ••• The Clark Center for the Performing Arts will again hold an authentic Kentucky Derby Party at the Edward’s Barn in Nipomo at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 2. The afternoon will include Sweet Tea, Southern style appetizers and desserts, a no-host bar including Mint Juleps along with beer and wine, a Hat Contest, yard games and of course, Horse Racing! Place wagers for prizes on not only the Kentucky Derby but also live stick horse races. Tickets are $60 each and available at www.clarkcenter. org. Derby attire is optional. All proceeds benefit the Clark Center. ••• All women are invited to a “Skirt Party,” an old fashioned dress-up house party and sale, sponsored by iLOVEmySkirt.com, set for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 18 at 1801 Thelma Dr., off Prefumo Canyon Road, in San Luis Obispo. There will be over 100 silk “Sari” skirts from India in different lengths and colors to play dress up with. All young ladies and women are welcome and no purchase is necessary. Saris range in price from under-$20 to mostly around $20. No two are alike. They will have more fashions at the party to check out, including beaded summer bags, and beaded skirts. Lots of raffle prizes too. They will take a local check, credit cards and cash. Call Charmaine Picard at (805) 610-5822 for information. ••• The Fifth Annual Morro Bay Emergency Vehicle Show is set for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 18 in Downtown Morro Bay. Hosted by Neighborhood Watch and the City, the event will take over the core of Downtown — Main Street and Morro Bay Boulevard — with vintage police and fire department vehicles, military vehicles, modern emergency vehicles from the Sheriff’s and Cal Fire departments, harbor patrol PWC’s, displays and a lot more. Free admission. For more information see: www.mbpd.info. ••• The National Estuary Program is hosting a poetry contest starting April 22 and kids and adults are able to enter. Part of the NEP’s 20th Anniversary, the Morro Bay Estuary Poetry Contest — A National Treasure in Words program, is asking kids and adults to write and enter free verse poems using the estuary ads the theme. Haikus — 3-line poems consisting of 17 syllables in a 5/7/5 pattern — will be accepted in the Estuarine Seventeen category, and free verse poems of no more than 45 lines will be accepted in the Free Flowing category. Writers may submit up to three poems total. Entries will be accepted by email from April 22 to May 15. One adult (age 18-older) and one youth (age 12-17) winner will be chosen in each category. A celebratory reading featuring the winners and runner ups will be held at Coalesce Bookstore, 845 Main St., Morro Bay, at 7 p.m. Friday, June 19. Before entering, read the complete guidelines at: www.mbnep. org. The judging panel includes poets and writers, Youssef Alaoui, Rob Seitz, Kevin Patrick Sullivan, and Rachel Pass. The NEP Office is upstairs at Marina Square, 601 Embarcadero, Ste. 11, Morro BayCall (805) 772-3834 or see: www.mbnep.org. ••• Cal Poly natural resources and environmental sciences lecturer, David Yun, will present a free talk, “Historic San Luis Obispo Shared Through GIS,” from 11 a.m. to noon Thursday, April 30 in the Kennedy Library, Rm. 111C. According to Yun, who is also San Luis Obispo’s geographic information services supervisor, much historical information exists solely as paper documents, making the information difficult to access and use. He will discuss how the scanning of historic maps and documents using GIS tools has provided new ways to visualize and connect to information from the past. Yun will demonstrate online mapping and Web apps to find and view historic buildings, chart the growth over the decades, and compare side-by-side maps of SLO today with more than 100 years ago. Hosted by Cal Poly’s Data Studio. See: www.libguides.calpoly.edu/ datastudio for more information. ••• Cuesta College is offering two summer school sessions and more course sections than in years past, the school announced. Cuesta’s 6-week summer semester is from June 15 through July 23. Also beginning June 15 is the college’s 8-week summer program, ending Aug. 6. Classes are now posted at Cuesta’s Class Finder. Priority registration begins April 20 and general registration April 29. Students can register online at www.cuesta.edu/student/getstarted/ register. Summer has more than 300 course sections for students to choose from, with classes at the SLO, Paso Robles and Arroyo Grande campuses. Day and evening courses available, plus online classes. Courses are $46 a unit. Cuesta is closed on Fridays during the summer semester. For more information see: www.cuesta.edu and click on “Summer Starts,” or call (805) 546-3140. ••• The 13th Annual California Sculptors Symposium exhibition and art sale is set for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 2 at Cambria’s Camp Ocean Pines. Check out and perhaps purchase works of art by the Symposium students, and attending art teachers, done over the run of the event, April 26-May 3. There’ll be a barbecue lunch for $15 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event includes some fun things like an artists’ swap meet, drawing and sculpting classes, an art auction, and the Sculpture by the Sea sale. See: www. californiasculptorssymposium.org or call (805) 927-0254 for more information. Camp Ocean Pines is at 1473 Randall Dr., Cambria. ••• The Morro Bay Friends of the Library’s Quarterly Book Sales are coming back with the completion of the library remodel project. The first sale is set for Saturday, May 16 at the Community Center, 1001 Kennedy Way. A pre-sale for Friends members starts at 9 a.m. with the public sale from 10-1 p.m. A bag sale is from 1-2 p.m. Bring a paper grocery bag and stuff it for just $3. They have great books of all types, in most every subject including children’s books, quilting and other crafts, history and literature, cars and current events, inspirational and birding books. Prices start at just 50-cents. Books are grouped by subject for easy browsing. ••• Hungry school kids will again have a chance for a free lunch during summer vacation, after SESLOC FCU agreed to once again team up with the Food Bank Coalition in the “Lovin’ Lunchbox Program,” the company Tolosa Press • April 16 - 29, 2015 • 17 Community Calendar announced last week. SESLOC will be raising money to support the program that “steps in to help by providing children with breakfast, lunch and snacks over summer break,” reads a news release from SESLOC. During April, SESLOC members can donate money at any branch and SESLOC will match the first $2,500 in total donations. Last year, SESLOC and its members donated nearly $10,000, bring its 3-year total to more than $26,000. This year donations will also go toward the Food Bank’s new “Children’s Farmers’ Market” program at several Central Coast middle schools, where kids shop for fresh produce with “Food Bank dollars.” For more information about SESLOC, see: www.sesloc.org. ••• A national expert on bullying and harassment will give a free speech entitled, “Bully Prevention: Promoting Healthy Behaviors and Positive School Climate” from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, April 30 at Cal Poly’s Chumash Auditorium. Dorothy L. Espelage, a professor of educational psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, will discuss the pervasiveness of bullying and harassment in the U.S., exploring why such a culture has continued to grow and offering insights on what leads to bullying behaviors on university campuses. In addition, Espelage will outline her efforts to develop programs that reduce bullying and create safe spaces for children. The talk is free and open to the public. Espelage has authored more than 120 peer-reviewed articles and 25 book chapters on bullying. She is the associate editor of the Journal of Counseling Psychology and co-director of the National Partnership to End Interpersonal Violence. Her work has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institute of Justice. Espelage is one of 14 Edward William Gutgsell and Jane Marr Gutgsell endowed professors at the University of Illinois, and she is a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award in Prevention Science from the American Psychological Association. ••• New works by local autistic artists celebrating “World Autism Awareness Day” will be on display at Seven Sisters Gallery, 601 Embarcadero, Ste. 8 in Morro Bay now through June 9. The show features local artist Kylie Swan, and Jason Cantu. The goal of the international “Art of Autism” movement is to bring public attention to the diversity, unique gifts, and extraordinary talent of the autistic population. ••• In honor of California Native %!(! !)#8;/978< +"# %$!"/(%(#/ $%!#,/ # $"$1 !( %#"##!!$ $/=%$8$%$$!%$/ #!$$! ($/(+# $"!#%&! /8>$ ) 34/# 34/(,34 )!(&! ($(/ *,2$#/,!$($(/ #%!#,!(#/!! %#, !$## $&%#$' "#)#$ %&! . ($,,89/978<<0:7" $,#,,=/978< !&! ) % !&')) !(## 597;==;8;7 Plant Week, butterfly enthusiast Pat Brown will lead a nature walk through the Elfin Forest of Los Osos — from the point of view of a butterfly. She’ll lead to hangouts of Variable Checkerspot, Moro Blue, Swallowtails, Hairstreak and other butterflies that live in the Elfin Forest. Bring magnifying glass and close-focus binoculars. Meet at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, April 18 at the end of 15th Street off Santa Ysabel (16th for wheelchairs). Wear comfortable shoes, long sleeves and pants to avoid poison oak and mosquitoes. Park carefully, avoiding driveways and mailboxes. No pets. For more information call 528-0392. The 4th Annual Youth Activity Fair will be held at the South County Regional Center at 800 W. Branch St. in Arroyo Grande on April 26 from 1-4 p.m. Youth oriented program vendors will be available with demonstrations, activities and to take sign-ups for programs for summer and the next school year. These will include a wide range of activities from swimming to golf to scouting to tutoring. One stop shopping for your children’s activities! This event is co-hosted by the Arroyo Grande Recreation Department and admission is free. For additional information, call Chris Hagerty at 7090966. Cuesta College’s Harold J. Miossi Art Gallery is hosting the annual student juried art show MERITAGE ASSET MANAGEMENT GROUP LONG TERM CARE SEMINAR Please join Kevin and Andrea Klipfel, of Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network to discuss how properly structured Life Insurance can provide for both Death and Long Term Care needs. Presentation by Debbie Harris, SVP of Capitas Financial Hors D’oeuvres to be served. Please RSVP Today! 805-226-4118 The need is real - It’s estimated that 70% of the people over age 65 will require some period of ongoing assistance or supervision, due to physical or cognitive impairments The cost is high - The national average cost for one year in a nursing home exceeds $85,0002 1.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care Information, accessed February 1, 2013 2. John Hancock 2011 Cost of Care Survey, conducted by LifePlans, Inc. MORRO BAY Thursday, April 30th from 12:00p.m.-2:30p.m. Morro Bay Golf Course Banquet Room 201 State Park Rd., Morro Bay, CA 93442 PASO ROBLES Thursday, April 30th from 5:30p.m.-7:30 p.m. ?MTT[.IZOW)L^Q[WZ[7NÅKM 104 Gateway Center Drive, Suite A Paso Robles, CA 93446 This Seminar is sponsored and financially supported by AIG SunAmerica Financial Group. This event is educational in nature- no specific products will be discussed. Investment products and services are offered through Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC (WFAFN), a member FINRA/SIPC, A registered broker dealer and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo and Company. WFAFN uses the trade name Wells Fargo Advisors. Meritage Asset Management Group is a separate entity from WFAFN. 18 • April 16 - 29, 2015 • Tolosa Press Framed California Cows Photo and story by www. PhotoByVivian.com A re California Cows really happy? Up until recent years yes, but, unfortunately, that is changing because of the drought that is forcing ranchers to move or sell-off cattle as green pastures turn brown and creeks and wells run dry. San Luis Obispo County once home to mild winters and plenty of green fields for cattle to graze has been in a severe drought since 2013. “Any amount of rain is considered a blessing for this ranch,” said local rancher Connie Grieb Willems. “2013 was one of the driest years in our local history. The drought on the Central Coast has made a big impact on our life and family. With no affordable food for the cattle and no grass on the hills we sold and shipped off cattle and only kept a few cattle back to gamble that there would be rain this year.” Willems said the article “Drought and Grazing” by Royce Lasen, UC Cooperative Extension, states, “in 1862 there was a severe drought that lasted three years and wreaked havoc on the state and the cattle industry. Half the cattle in California died and many cattlemen were forced out of business forever changing the way the ranching industry worked in California. Since 1869 there has been a drought year approximately every 17 years.” Recent rains have turned the hills green, but the county and state are still in desperate need of more rain to THRIFT STORE Now Open !-ARSH3TREETs$OWNTOWN3,/ { { %HWKHƞUVWWRFKHFNRXWWKH QHZHVWWKULIWVWRUHLQWRZQ Sunday, may 3rd Jack house & gardens $ONATEYOURGENTLYUSEDCLOTHING HOUSEHOLDITEMSFURNITUREJEWELRY 3TORE(OURS4UESn3ATsAMnPM $ONATION(OURS4UESn3ATsAMnPM !LLDONATIONSSUPPORT/PERATION3CHOOL"ELL® &ORMOREINFORMATIONCALLORVISIT WWWASLOCOUNTYORG Thank You to OUr Sponsors increase ground water supplies. There are predictions for rain in the coming months, but will it be enough to save the cattle in San Luis Obispo County? Tolosa Press • April 16 - 29, 2015 • 19 Coastal Culture Lives well lived Story by Gareth Kelly, Photos courtesy of Sky Bergman W hat’s that saying? Youth is wasted on the young? Perhaps 100 years ago that was once the case, but as we, as a society, grow older and older we are seeing more and more “old” people living full lives. One such lady is Evelyn Ricciuti a Floridian of Italian heritage who is 102 years young and is the grandmother of local Cal Poly photography and videography professor Sky Bergman. “I would often go to Florida to visit my grandmother,” said Bergman. “When I went out for her 99th birthday, I watched her working out in the gym and cooking in the kitchen and realized I needed to film her. She is not only an inspiration to me but was the inspiration behind this film.” The film Bergman refers to has become her labor of love. Lives Well Lived is a full-length documentary about 40 inspiring characters all over the age of 75 and also features a photography exhibition (currently being shown at the Cal Poly library) as well as an online component of stories, interviews and photos. “I didn’t go into this to make a movie,” said Bergman. “I filmed my grandma and turned it into a brief short and it won an award. I started to interview more people and realized this was becoming a film. I sent out a call to action in an email for people to nominate people for the project, and, now, I feel like I have 40 new grandparents. I came up with a list of 25 questions and set about interviewing my subjects.” With hours and hours of footage and taking up the most of the past two years Bergman hopes to have the film finished by the end of the summer, just in time to start entering film festivals and hopefully get into Sundance. Having touch us all. “I’m often asked what’s their secret? To be honest, not one person I interviewed told me it was diet and exercise,” Bergman said. “What they all have in common though is a sense of purpose, whatever it is, their passion, their desire to never stop learning shown a 35-minute preview of the film at the Palm Theatre in SLO Bergman realizes her film and the stories within every day of their lives. They all have that along with their sense of community. Even those that live alone are still connected to their communities and to people and, of course, they all have a sense of humor and a glass is always half full mentality. I could tell they were often happy someone was taking the time to listen to their stories. I mean just for myself I was able to include my GET HELP 805-772-2088 Open Saturdays! We accept most insurance Call today: 805-772-2088 580 Harbor Street, Morro Bay, CA 93442 www.morrobaychiropractic.com own father and ask him about his own mortality, not as his daughter but as the filmmaker.” Featuring many central coast locals such as Morro Bay music teacher Botso Korisheli, 92, Bob Sinsheimer, 94 and Marion Wolff, 84 Bergman has managed to capture the tales and the life force within these and all the interviewees in a way that speaks to us all. “When asked about young people and being young themselves most of the interviewees wished they had enjoyed the moment more, contributed more and asked their parents more questions,” said Bergman. “They believe time is more valuable than money and wish we were all more tolerant of others and not worry about what others think to live every moment of every day. As for the real secret to their old age, dumb luck is the oft response.” Although the film itself is almost finished, the project is not. Bergman hopes many more people of age will join the discussion and add their voices to the narrative of this beautiful story on the website www.lives-well-lived. com. For more information and to keep up to date on the films release and screenings, visit the website. Gareth feels he is getting older day by day. What do you do locally to keep the grim reaper at bay? Email your stories to gareth@tolosapress.com A reverse mortgage could help you live more comfortably. #ALLTODAYTOLEARNMOREABOUTTHIS GOVERNMENTINSUREDPROGRAMFOR ACCESSINGYOURHOMESEQUITY Bob Gayle Reverse Mortgage Consultant 805/772-3658 .-,3,ICENSEs#!"2%"ROKER,ICENSE Borrower must maintain property as primary residence and remain current on property taxes and insurance. Reverse Mortgage Professionals is an Aegean Financial Company, CA BRE #1478751, NMLS #157935 20 • April 16 - 29, 2015 • Tolosa Press Through Their Eyes By Susan K. Boyd H So, how can we change the way we view others? Maybe, we need to resist thinking of people as obstacles in our day or as time wasters. The toddler and the seasoned life traveler, both, esteem the people they love. Their relationships are believed to be invaluable. They look forward to seeing friends and family. They just, somehow, know it is going to be a great time together! Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could see one another through ow do we look at the world and those in it? While we rush from one project to another, do we forget to see people? Projects can, quickly, become more important than people, because of our perpetual busyness. If we want to learn how to slow down, and enjoy others, all we have to do is watch the very young and the very old. Toddlers, for example, see grandparents walking toward them and they don’t see anything else. The children run, not walk, with their arms up in the air, and their eyes fixed on the faces of the people they love. The little ones want to show grandma or grandpa their room or a picture they just drew. They don’t see wrinkled faces and slow bodies. They see people who want to spend time with them and share their world for a little while. The elderly, on the other hand, have been where we are, living a schedule of lists, calendars and deadlines. But as their pace is slowing down and their world is getting smaller, they enjoy, and appreciate, relationships on a deeper We’re Your LARGE DIAMOND Specialists... We Buy GOLD and DIAMONDS... We Do EVERYTHING JEWELRY.... We Also Carry PREMIUM CANES... level. They look at family and friends as precious and rare gifts. Days are longer but life is shorter. They see what we may not recogize; each moment experienced with a loved one can become a snapshot logged in the memory. The memory may fade, but the warm feeling of the relationship stays in the mind’s eye and is like a buried treasure in the heart. SHEAR DESIGN Susan K. Boyd is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in private practice in SLO. She can be reached for counseling at (805) 7829800 or by email at sbcare@aol.com. Also see susankboydmft.com LOCAL AUTHOR DEBUTS Hair Salon & Day Spa pa The Book on UÊ>V>ÃÊUÊ>iÕ«ÊEÊÃÌÀÕVÌÊ UÊ7>Ý}ÊUÊÞi>à ÊUÊÞiLÀÜÊ/Ì} } UÊÀ>â>ÊÜÕÌÃÊUÊÀ>Ê"VV>ÃÃÊ ÃÃÊÊÊÊ How to Handle Them Without Becoming One of Them Show your skin some s e love! vee!e UÊ*ÕÀvÞ}Ê i>ÃiÀÊ UÊ,i`iÃÃÊ iÕÌÀiâiÀÊÊ UÊ°°°Ê /,,1*/,Ê UÊià ³iviÃiÊ UÊ ÊiÀÕVÊ Call 805.773.5379 or Stop In! Also now in stock!!! Bullies: Practical strategies to handle bullies in school, home and the workplace. ÓÈÈxÊ- iÊi>V Ê,`°Ê ]Ê-«Þ}>ÃÃÊ6>}iÊUÊ- iÊi>V Morro Bay 5 Annual TH So You Can Walk in STYLE. their eyes? Emergency Vehicle Show Saturday, April 18th, 2015 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Main St. & Morro Bay Blvd. Purchase the book locally at Coalesce Bookstore, Morro Bay and Parable Bookstore or online at: Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com Info on bullies or for cou counseling contact: Susan K. Boyd MS, MFT Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist 805-782-9800 IT’S NOT CHIC TO PAY MORE!–J.P. 805.473.1360 857 Oak Park Blvd, Pismo Beach Code 3 Cruise at 6 p.m. Friday April 17th susankboydmft.com Tolosa Press • April 16 - 29, 2015 • 21 Wellness Wellness Through Writing By Michele S Jang, PT A re you familiar with the expression “get something off your chest”? Holding our thoughts and feelings inside can wreak havoc in our lives and can actually negatively affect our health. Sometimes friends and family are not available to talk to. We have, however an access to an easy, affordable tool that can create positive and measurable changes in our physical and mental health: writing! Recent studies have shown that writing can improve mood disorders and immune function, decrease stress levels and reduce doctor visits. The connection between our mental wellbeing and physical health has long been evaluated. But, how does this work? Improved health outcomes appear to result from the interpretation of our experiences and understanding our emotions, resulting in less emotional and physical distress. New evidence suggest that writing more specifically about the perceived benefits of traumatic experiences can reap even greater benefits. Here are some tips to get your started journaling to better health: Your thoughts should be private, so be sure to store your journal in a 28th Annual protected location. What you write about matters. Evaluating emotional experiences is superior to writing about superficial topics. Aim for 15-20 minutes most days of the week. Write quickly without regard for spelling and punctuation. Re-read your thoughts at a later date. It’s amazing what insights or lessons have been learned. If you would like to further explore the benefits of journaling and learn more about how to incorporate writing into your healthy lifestyle, please RSVP to attend our free educational evening on Tuesday, April 7th at 6:15 featuring Devin Wallace speaking on “Writing Through the Storm”. Michele S Jang, PT is a physical therapist who likes to look outside the box. She has been a physical therapist for over 20 years and has extensive training in manual therapy or the use of hands to help rehabilitate the body. Michele has been an instructor both in the United States and abroad. She offers Free Consults on Tuesday afternoons. Michele also has a team of therapists at Spirit Winds who offer an array of expertise on exercise, fall prevention, foot and shoe assessments, body mechanics and proper breathing technique to increase awareness and healing. Contact us at 805 543-5100 or info@ spiritwindstherapy.com to RSVP for our upcoming educational evening or to reach Michele. Benefiting: Health & Prevention Division of Community Action Partnership A Epicurean Delights fternoon of When: Sunday, June 7th 11:30am to 3:30pm Where: The Chapman Estate on the bluffs in Shell Beach Tickets $100 Tickets available: Crushed Grape San Luis Obispo Chambers of Commerce In: • Arroyo Grande & Grover Beach • San Luis Obispo • Pismo Beach Whiplash injuries Sinus and tension headaches Post-concussion syndrome Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ) Vertigo and labrynthitis Fibromyalgia Chronic pain and fatigue Sports performance Balance enhancement http://aed.capslo.org Guests need to shuttle from Shell Beach Elementary School or Pismo Beach City Hall photo b y: sloco astpix.c om AWARD WINNING FOOD, WINE AND BEER LIVE MUSIC • SILENT AUCTION Event Sponsors: Joan Gellert Sargen (805) 776 3002 LAUREN PREWITT, D.O., INC. traditional osteopathy 1495 Palm Street, SLO | www.drlaurenprewitt.com Jay & Carol Devore david gaddis cfp®, aams® !&# !" Herbs & Honey $$$!# % 22 • April 16 - 29, 2015 • Tolosa Press Cal Poly Baseball Player Profile Casey Bloomquist P itcher, Colin Cowherd Jim Rome Dan Patrick Scott Van Pelt Mike & Mike AMERICA’S BEST SPORTS TALK LINEUP 6-3, 185, Junior. Eighteen wins in his first two seasons at Cal Poly and three more this year during a three-game stretch in which he beat pac-12 powers Oregon State and USC along with perennial Big West champion Cal State Fullerton. He is Cal Poly’s Friday night starter after a sophomore season as the Sunday starter. Was named preseason first-team National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and second-team Louisville Slugger Collegiate Baseball Newspaper All-American prior to the 2015 season. 2014: In 14 starts and pair of relief appearances, compiled 12-2 record and 1.56 ERA as a sophomore en route to numerous postseason honors ... secondteam All-Big West, first-team Baseball America All-American, first-team National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, second-team Collegiate Baseball Newspaper All-American and second-team Rawlings All-West Region ... struck out 74 batters and walked only 20 in 98 innings ... won his first nine starts before suffering loss at Long Beach State on April 27 ... notched first complete game with 3-0 shutout (three hits, eight strikeouts) against Cal State Fullerton ... career-high 10 strikeouts against Wagner and matched that figure in 1-0 win over UC Santa Barbara ... was within one strike of shutting out Seattle before an error and RBI double chased him ... allowed one unearned run in eight innings against UC Davis ... pitched 7 2/3 scoreless innings against UC Santa Barbara ... allowed just one earned run and seven hits in eight innings of 2-1 loss to Pepperdine in NCAA Regional ... earned save against Northern Illinois ... finished No. 5 in nation with his 12 victories and No. 24 with his 1.56 ERA ... 7-1 with 1.38 ERA in home games and 7-1 with 1.46 ERA in Big West contests ... shared team’s Mike Krukow Outstanding Pitcher Award with Matt Imhof ... did not play summer ball. 2013: Finished stellar freshman campaign with 6-2 record and 5.02 ERA after becoming team’s midweek starter in second half of season ... was moved into the weekend rotation as the Sunday starter in final two weeks of regular season after earning five wins, two against Bakersfield ... made six starts ... struck out 39 batters in 52 innings ... pitched into the seventh inning five times, but couldn’t reach the eighth until his first weekend start May 19 against Cal State Northridge when he allowed two runs and six hits in 7.1 innings for the victory ... careerhigh eight strikeouts against Santa Clara on April 16 ... first collegiate win was at Bakersfield on April 9 when he gave up two runs and two hits in six-plus innings with three walks and five strikeouts ... allowed one run and seven hits in 6.2 innings for win at Cal on April 23 ... did not allow a walk over four consecutive starts (22 innings) before walking first Pacific batter of game May 25 ... allowed just one home run in 52 innings ... 5-0 in night games and 3-0 in home games ... pitched for Corvallis Knights in West Coast Collegiate Baseball League over the summer, compiling 4-0 record and 3.45 ERA in seven starts with 24 strikeouts in 41 2/3 innings ... earned All-WCCBL honorable mention praise. High School: Compiled 6-4 record and 1.26 ERA as a senior under head coach Tom McCormack at Bakersfield Christian High School … 80 strikeouts in 61 innings pitched … struck out 12 in game vs. Highland and 10 against Tehachapi … one complete game, a three-hitter in 2-0 loss to Kerman in finals of CIF-Central Section Division IV playoffs … opponents hit .177 … a .489 hitter with 43 runs scored, 27 RBI, 12 doubles, three triples and three home runs … 14 multiple-hit games, including three four-hit contests … .598 on-base percentage and .789 slugging percentage … stole six of seven bases and committed three errors in 141 chances for .979 fielding percentage … led Eagles to 23-7 record and first-place finish in South Sequoia League … co-MVP of South Sequoia League … hit .490 during his junior season, collecting 15 doubles, six triples and four home runs … drove in 42 runs and stole nine bases, leading Eagles to 24-8 overall record, secondplace finish in the South Sequoia League and the CIF-Central Section Division IV championship … in 85 2/3 innings on the mound, was 9-3 with a 1.96 ERA, striking out 110 batters … when not on the mound, played shortstop and first base … posted a .586 on-base percentage and .888 slugging percentage en route to All-South Sequoia League pitcher and All-Area utility player honors … named to the NCSAA All-American first team, AllAmerican Far West Super Region team, ESPN Cal-Hi all-state small schools team and all-state underclassmen second team … as a sophomore, hit .481 with 13 doubles, eight triples, five home runs and 45 RBI (7-4, 4.38 ERA on the mound) en route to NCSAA All-American second team, All-American Far West Super Region team and All-Area second team honors … named rookie of the year and All-Area honorable mention as a freshman when he hit .522 (6-2, 4.4 ERA on the mound) … visited Cal State Fullerton, Pepperdine, UC Irvine and UCLA before choosing Cal Poly because of its “great campus and it feels like home. The coaches are the best and I feel they can help me develop to the next level.” Home and garden everything you need to know to get your home ready for summer Home and garden 24 • April 16 - 29, 2015 • Tolosa Press Special Publication Growing A Vegetable Garden In A Drought Home and garden W hat if you could grow your own food despite the current drought? Luscious, healthy, green, pesticide-free food available right outside your back door. What if a system was available to allow you grow vertically, in a small contained space without soil and just a few gallons of water a week; growing a variety of greens, herbs, squashes, beans, peppers, tomatoes and more. Imagine a system where your produce, fed by nutrients and water and aerated continually could grow faster than a traditional garden. Such a system isn’t just in the realm of the imagination anymore. It is available commercially and it’s rapidly changing the way many of us garden. It’s called aeroponics; a step beyond hydroponic. In hydroponic gardening, plants live in water and systems are put together by doit-yourselfers who typically make them of PVC pipe. Until now, if you weren’t oriented that way, you planted a traditional garden or nothing. But thanks to the innovation of Tim Blank, who formerly By: Leslie Kasanoff DC ran The Land (futuristic growing) exhibit at Epcot Center in Disneyworld, aeroponic gardening is now available in a ready-made kit. In aeroponics, your roots live in a moist environment in the air with water & nutrient being ‘rained’ down on them. Because of the continual exposure to Oxygen, the plants grow 30-50% faster than in a traditional garden. This means that the lettuce I planted as seedlings 2 weeks ago will be ready for me to start eating in less than 2 more weeks. My system is even made from high quality food-grade plastic; not PVC pipe. With mandatory water restrictions upon us, it’s likely that many have given up on the idea of growing their own food. But that need not be the case. This closed system recirculates and recycles the water so it uses just a fraction of what a conventional garden would allowing you to grow much of your own food using just a few gallons of water per week. Outside my kitchen window, my Tower Garden grows about 5 different varieties of lettuce along with Swiss chard, chili peppers, herbs, kale, bok choy and more. A second Tower Garden will soon have green beans, tomatoes, zucchini and more; virtually every vegetable my family of 4 will eat all summer. Over the winter, I had a continuous supply of fresh kale, Swiss chard, broccoli and so much arugula I was giving much of it away Eligible for a CENTRAL COAST 30% NEW TECH Federal Tax Credit Receive an average of $850 with federal tax credit eligiblity HIGH SCHOOL All Clean CLEANING RESIDENTIAL VACATION COMMERCIAL MOVE-OUTS (805) 234-2491 Chet’s Tubular Skylights New Skylight & Sun Tunnel Installation Replace & Repair Existing Skylights We Make a Commitment Velux Skylights – Engineered Not to Leak No Matter How Severe the Weather to the success of the learning community. To that end, we are committed to: 800.824.3877 805.528.1801 Licensed Roofing Contractor # 448726 Respect, Professionalism, Collaboration, Community, Integrity, Resolution, Inquiry, and Student-Centeredness Zoey’s Home consignments SERVICE Professional Cleaning Attention to detail with a personal touch weekly. The best thing about the Tower Garden is how adaptable it is for busy families and career people. It can be put together and planted in an hour or less with a just little forethought (like buying the seedlings you’ll use). Put it in the sun, fill it with water, add the nutrient solu- INVESTING IN YOUR HOME AND YOUR COMMUNITY furniture | art | lighting | fine rugs outdoor furniture | jewelry Taking Consignments Daily eBay Services Available OPEN TUESDAY–SATURDAY 10–6 Complete Painting Services 805 596 0288 CSL #744357 3566 S. HIGUERA ST. SLO 544-4195 489-3195 www.spectrumpainting.biz zoeys_slo@yahoo.com Where Wher Wh eree Yo er You u Never Neve Ne ver ve r Kn Know ow What W h at You Y ou uM Might ig ight g ht F Find! ind! in d!! WWW.ZOE YSHOMECONSIGNMENTS.COM Like us on Facebook Home and garden tion, turn the power on the pump (a low voltage aquarium pump) and you’ve started. With no weeding & little trouble with pests, just check the water level & add nutrients about once a week (takes about 5 minutes). In about 3-4 weeks you can start picking & eating. When I first planted my Tower Garden, I traveled out of state for 10 days leaving just 3 days after my Tower Garden was planted. With no watering or maintenance in the interim, instead of coming home to a dead garden (like I would have with a traditional garden) I came home to plants that had tripled in size and started picking lettuce for salads just a couple days later. My Tower Garden, continuously self-fed, was fine. Now, when I want a salad, I go out to the Tower Garden & pick what I need while my other food is cooking. No need to pick the entire plant; just what I need for tonight. The net effect is that I also get more produce per plant. I may pick off the same few heads of lettuce for 2-3 months until they start to bolt & go to seed. Then I’ll pull them out & replace with new seedlings. For those who want to learn more, please join me for a Tower Garden Demo Event in the Community room at Whole Foods on Tuesday April 21 at 6:30pm. The program will run about 60-90 minutes and you’ll be able to see this amazing technology and sample the food from it. Leslie Kasanoff DC is a chiropractor and Tower Garden enthusiast. She sees chiropractic patients at Community Health Centers in San Luis Obispo and is an independent nutrition educator with the Juice Plus Company (who distributes the Tower Garden). For chiropractic care, she can be reached at CHC at 805-269-1566. For Juice Plus+ and Tower Garden information you can reach her at 805-235-2712. You can also get additional information at http://drLeslie.TowerGarden. com, http://drleslie.juiceplus.com, http://Drleslie.transform30.com or http://facebook.com/drleslie. Tolosa Press Special Publication • April 16 - 29, 2015 • BUY MORE, SAVE MORE SAVE UP TO $500 ON SHEDS & UP TO $2,000 ON GARAGES AT THE INSPIRED HOME EXPOS MAY 2ND & 3RD 10 am - 5 pm Saturday | 10 am - 4 pm Sunday THE MADONNA EXPO CENTER 100 Madonna Rd. | San Luis Obispo, CA | 93401 We are open in Paso Robles, serving the Central Coast (805) 400-6129 | 2985 Theatre Dr. | Paso Robles, CA | 93446 QUOTA INTERNATIONAL OF MORRO BAY would like to thank all who attended and participated in our recent PASSPORT TO PARIS FASHION SHOW at WINDOWS ON THE WATER in MORRO BAY. This could be the air you breathe in your home: SPECIAL THANKS TO Kathy Oppel, Owner of THE PLACE in Cambria; Anastacia Terris, Manager of TANGO in Morro Bay; all the beautiful models; Paul Merkle, Manager & Neil Smith, Chef at WINDOWS ON THE WATER RESTAURANT; Gari Cave, commentator; Raven Scott of VALLEY TILE & STONE and MARIA O’REILLY for the gift card donations. SPONSORS DONORS Central Coast Auto Center A French Touch Parisian Gary Owens Light Station Skincare Salon Giovanni’s Fish Market Raven Scott Abri Waterfront Restaurant Grill Hut Revive MD - Dr. Shaban Aloha Shirt Shop Gulliver’s Travels Ruth Long Alvah Davis & Kathy Todd Habor Floral Studio Sage Eco-Gardens Anderson Inn Hairlines Salon & Nursery ASAP Harbor Hut Salon Ceron Babylonian Soap Company Hofbrau Salon V Blacklake Golf Resort Isabella Jewelry Sandprints Photography Blue & Gold Fleet Jan Maas Seven Sisters Gallery Blue Sky Café Kitty’s Kitchen Squeaks, Chirps & Bubbles Brittany App & App La Casita Restaurant Stax Wine Bar Photography La Parisienne French Bakery Stephanie Tiffin California State Parks Laurie Viselli Tango Cambria Pines RealtyLinda Murray Teri Simmons Kim Mason, Broker Los Angeles Lakers The Frame Shop Chablis Cruise Los Osos Fitness The Galley Seafood Charm Kaiser Marshall Gardens Grill & Bar C. Wambolt, R. McCallum Mary Kay Cosmetics The Green Groomer & D. Guttry Massage Works The Place Cook Well Chris Lawing The Right Touch Massage Creative Me Time Morro Nails & Spa Tiffany Smart O.D. Disneyland Mustang Computers Top Nails Dockside Native Herbs & Honey USL, Inc Dragon Bay Gifts Nichols Pizza-N-Grill Village Center Dry Cleaners Dutchman’s Seafood House Orchids of Los Osos Visions of Nature Ed Trujillo Painting Contractor Patti James Volumes of Pleasure Ellen Jewett, Artist Perfect Pedicure and Wee Shack Falconridge Designs More… West End Bar and Grill Fitness Works Piedras Blancas Windows on the Water Ed Trujillo Painting Contractor Farmer’s Kites, Surreys & More Gulliver’s Travel Morro Bay Aquarium, Inc. Nancy Bartlett Rabobank, Morro Bay Village Center Dry Cleaners Having your ducts cleaned will reduce the amount of invading particulates such as dust, drywall, mold and other materials that are hazardous to your health. Call today for an estimate and breathe healthy, clean air! 25 26 • April 16 - 29, 2015 • Tolosa Press Special Publication Best Raised Vegetable Bed Mix in SLO County! “From Farm to You!” 2130 Blue Heron View, Los Osos (805) 528-SOIL (7645) www.sanluissoilsandsodfarm.com Locally Farmed Sod Since 1975 Installation Available License #310173 .POEBZUISPVHI'SJEBZUPt4BUVSEBZUP Town Center Transforming Shopping Into An Experience Tolosa Press Special Publication • Home and garden H ave you decided to sell your house this spring? If so, you have a lot to do to get ready. Curb appeal is the first order of business. If you never get prospective buyers in the door because the exterior is unsightly, all is lost! Trim, paint, repair and plant. Make them anxious to see the inside! On the inside, pack up and clear out everything that is a reflection of your interests and personality. When prospective buyers come through, we want them to see the ‘good bones’ of the house, not your collections. This is critically important! Repaint, in a nice warm but neutral tone (taupes and sands are good), any walls that are brightly colored or act as an accent wall. White woodwork provides a nice contrast and looks clean and crisp. Create a ‘focal point’ in each room when possible. For instance, show off a fireplace with cleaning, fresh paint or a new mantel. Create a conversation area with a few pieces of furniture focused on the fireplace. If your room is large enough, set your furniture arrangement away from the walls. This makes the room look large and more spacious. Keep it simple. Bedrooms also need ‘focal points’, usually provided by the bed and headboard. Adjust paint as needed. Take out unnec- April 16 - 29, 2015 • Sell Your House This Spring! essary furniture to make the room look large and spacious. Simple, elegant bed linens and window coverings will suffice. The smaller the house, the more important some details become. Storage is one of these details. Well designed storage makes even a small house look like it will hold everything. When thought has been spent on storage and organization, it gives a place, not only a sense of order but, a sense of calm and serenity. An important impression for a buyer! Guest room closets should provide mostly double hanging for pants and shirts and shelves for folded clothing and shoes. If the guest bedroom is too small for dressers, put a few drawers in the closet for underwear and pajamas. A hamper is a nice convenience. The master closet is such a huge selling feature when well done! You’ll need a small amount of long hang (dresses, long skirts, rain coats, robes) combined with plenty of double hang for all those separates. Shelves for folded clothing and shoes, perhaps a few drawers and a hamper should round it out. If your woodwork is white, do the closet system in white and match the drawer fronts to your door style. If you have a third bedroom, consider a simple home office with a wall bed. This provides great additional guest space and a quiet place for paperwork, hobbies or sewing. The added guest space makes the anticipation of the holidays a pleasurable experience, not a dreaded one! Who wouldn’t want a home like this!? Don’t forget the garage! Put down a clean epoxy floor (gets rid of those ugly oil stains!) and some attractive storage cabinets for all the overflow! Wait till you see the expression on the faces of the men who look at this garage! Every mans dream! You can estimate approximately $100 per lineal foot for the bare bones of storage systems. Add $150 for each drawer you include and any other accessories. It’s not a great expense, as home improvements go, but it packs a wallop when a buyer sees that it’s already done and ready to move into. Be ready to move quickly as your home will sell fast with these amenities! Sharon Brown, ASID, NCIDQ, is a certified professional Interior Designer and Space Planner. She designs storage solutions for Tailored Living . Call for a complimentary appointment at 4628133 or email at: slo@tailoredliving.com Visit on FaceBook and at their website: www.tailoredliving.com/sanluisobispo WARDROBE, SHOWER AND PET DOORS Clean out the CHAOS 4"-&4r /&8 3&$0/%*5*0/&% 4&37*$& r "-- ."+03 #3"/%4 .BJO 4USFFU r .PSSP #BZ $" NPSSPCBZBQQMJBODF!ZBIPPDPN GARAGES s CLOSETS s HOME OFFICES s PANTRIES s MURPHY BEDS $BMM UP TDIFEVMF ZPVS TFSWJDF DBMM PS ESZFS WFOU DMFBOJOH MOBILE SERVICE $250 FREE ACCESSORIES ORDERS OF $2500 OR MORE Call 805.462.8133 or visit TailoredLiving.com/SanLuisObispo Franchise opportunities available. Call 866-669-8549 27 28 • April 16 - 29, 2015 • Tolosa Press Special Publication inspired expo HOME & GARDEN MAY 2 & 3 / SAT 10-5 SUN 10-4 FREE WORKSHOPS SATURDAY 12:00 pm Idler’s Mom & Apple Pie Contest Finals 1:45 pm DIY Succulent Container Gardening Claudette Rettig with Garden Enhancements 2:30 pm How You Can Invest in Art & Why You Should! Tom B. Burgher, Seaside Gallery 3:15 pm Straw Bale 101: The Basics of Building Houses with Straw with David Arkin 4:00 pm A Meal in 30 Minutes Cooking Demonstration with Lauren Persall of Dream Dinners SUNDAY 12:00 pm Retrofit Your Yard for the Drought Q&A Panel from CLCA (California Landscaping Contractors Association) 12:45 pm Personalize the Interior Design of Your Home with Fine Art! Brenda Allison, Professional Designer & Artist 1:30 pm Storing Fruits and Veggies to Make Them Last the Longest! with Andrea Chavez, Talley Farms Fresh Harvest 2:15 pm Hand-Lettering Workshop with Sadie A Design Alex Madonna Expo Center in SLO Free Admission & Parking 805-772-4600 slohomeimprovement.com Home and garden Give Your Landscaping A No-Maintenance Makeover L ow- and no-maintenance features top the list when making over outdoor living spaces because less time maintaining means more time enjoying. Low-maintenance landscaping outranks native plantings, water features and food/vegetable gardens according to the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) 2014 Residential Landscape Architecture Trends survey. Landscape professionals love to share their secrets and show off their craft when redesigning outdoor spaces for low or no maintenance. Armed with know-how and using sweat equity, doit-yourselfers also can employ tips that professionals use for a no-maintenance landscape makeover. Landscaping with hardscapes Landscape professionals use retaining wall systems for a variety of landscaping solutions. Segmental retaining walls are commonly used to transition elevations, shore up slopes along foundations and define spaces such as creating planters, tree rings and other features. “Hardscape products like retaining walls and pavers are important tools for both landscapers and do-it-yourselfers in creating low-maintenance landscapes,” says Scott Arnold, manager of Villa Landscapes in St. Paul, Minnesota. “With just the standard VERSALOK retaining wall unit, you can easily create seat walls, curved couches, columns and other features.” Retaining wall systems combined with concrete pavers can be used to create beautiful raised patios, replacing high-maintenance wooden decks, says Arnold. In addition to being as cost effective as a wooden deck, a raised patio offers several advantages. “A deck railing can be replaced with wrought iron fencing or a low seat wall so the view is unobstructed,” Arnold says. “Raised patios also look great with a contrasting paver course or rock barrier for potted plants, and steps to the ground can be created with retaining wall units.” Tolosa Press Special Publication • -'( %&# )* .) #('. Retaining wall units and interlocking concrete pavers come in a variety of colors, shapes and textures to complement any landscape design and are often used to create design continuity in outdoor spaces. Tree rings can be coordinated or color-contrasted with raised patios, retaining walls and other hardscapes. Permeable pavers are an environmentally sound and low-maintenance solution where impervious surface limits, storm water management, water quality and water conservation are issues. “Permeable pavers are a best practice for storm water management and quality issues because they prevent runoff and let rain water infiltrate in place naturally,” says Burt Plett, product manager of Willow Creek Paving Stones. “Permeable pavers reduce the need for irrigation in drought-prone areas, unlike poured concrete or asphalt.” It’s best to consult a landscape professional who is experienced in installing permeable paving systems so that they work properly and consistently, Plett says. “My hand and neck pain has decreased considerably. The exercises in therapy and practiced at home are helping me improve my posture and body mechanics. ‘Hands-on’ therapy and low level lasers are very helpful.” Maintenance-free outdoor accessories Selecting maintenance-free outdoor furniture and accessories is an easy way to make over a space. Outdoor furniture made of recycled HDPE like Comfort Craft requires no storage or maintenance other than cleanup with soap and water. Unlike wood, Comfort Craft furniture won’t chip, splint, crack or rot and never needs painting. Hardscape kits - containing everything needed to create a fireplace, firepit, water feature or grill island - are some of the most popular low-maintenance landscaping products, Arnold says. “Using easy-to-install kits like those from Willow Creek Paving Stones, homeowners and contractors alike can create beautiful features such as grill islands, bar islands, fire pits and fireplaces that are long-lasting and lowmaintenance,” Arnold says. –Barbara, SLO ##*&$".&+( ''& %*$%*%&, $$$" !#$"#! % &%*(.**# &(% %+ ) )'& !&(%)+(%'* #% # .) #(' )*,%( ()-'( % Construction Services 805-574-3155 We Do All The “Honey Do’s” All Household Repairs Providing Professional Handyman Services (FOFSBMt1MVNCJOHt&MFDUSJDBM $POUSBDUPS Free Estimates Licensed and Fully Insured: Contractors License No. 306732 %MAILARNIE NCCNNETsWWW(ANDYMANSERVICESARNIECOM Residential and Commercial Services April 16 - 29, 2015 • 29 Tolosa Press • April 16 - 29, 2015 • 31 Making Music with Gene Baler The Goddess of Groove By Mad Royal A nytime I’ve talked to Gene Baker, he’s had an aura of being calm and excited at the same time, kind of a restrained expectation of good things to come, tied up with a deep satisfaction in what he’s doing at the moment. He may be known as Mean Gene, and he may even look a little mean (not really, but let him have his illusions), but he’s a pretty cool guy. Raised in the suburbs of Detroit, Gene grew up messing around on the family’s Hammond organ. His two older sisters influenced his taste in music, as well as he dad, who took him to see and Elvis tribute band, Elvis Wade. “We asked them to play Polk Salad Annie, and were impressed when they did,” Gene said. He also listened to the Beatles, Alice Cooper, David Bowie, Black Sabbath, the Beach Boys, Aerosmith, and Led Zeppelin. When he was seven, he got his first guitar, purchased at Kmart. “I really didn’t know what to do with it,” he said. “I didn’t know you were supposed to press the strings down on the bars on the frets, I used to press on the dots.” That changed four years later when the new next-door neighbor started teaching group guitar lessons at the local ice rink. “We’d learn on chord a week, songs like ‘Kumbaya’ and ‘Michael Row the Boat Ashore.’” Later he took lessons from a fellow named “Fuzz,” who he found through his little brother’s hockey team. Fuzz was a big KISS fan, so Gene mostly learned KISS songs on his Flying V electric guitar, and thought he was pretty cool. In seventh grade woodshop, Gene started his other passion: building guitars. “They weren’t very good,” he said. Still, once his other projects were done, his teachers let him work on guitars all he wanted, sometimes staying after hours, even to the point where the junior high teacher let him use the shop when he attended a high school that did not have a wood shop. When Gene was in eighth grade, he joined his first band, Cuss, otherwise made up of high school students. They would perform at hall parties, house parties, and local talent shows. By his teenage years, his parents were going through divorce, and he attended two different junior highs and four different senior highs, due to his mom moving around. The last high school was Reghetti in Orcutt when the family moved to California. Gene would spend about three hours a day on guitars, either making them or playing them in jazz band, or studying with Jerry Coelho. He was in a band for two years called Silent Scream that played at the Righetti Greek Theater and outdoors at Hancock College. After high school, Gene attended the Guitar Institute of Technology, where his teacher Jerry Coelho had been as one of its original students. From there, in 1986, Gene did a stint in Huntsville, Alabama, selling guitar gear and teaching music. He returned to the Central Coast in 1987 to accept a job at Ernie Ball, which only lasted four months, due to his car often breaking down and making him late for work. He then partnered with Eric Zoellner to form Mean Gene Guitars, where they repaired the instruments, and started in manufacture. They had a retail shop near the Nipomo Swap Meet, with rehearsal halls for rent to bands. On the music side, when Gene was 21, his band “Mad Hatter” did a six-week tour of Alaska, during which they performed six hours a day, six days a week, with Sundays off. Another band was Full Tilt. He worked two years as a press operator at Blakesley Printing, and then went on a tour of guitar-related businesses in Los Angeles, ad accepted a job at the Gibson Custom Shop in North Hollywood, where touring musician such as Ringo’s All-Star Band and the Eagles would drop their gear off for repair before hitting the road. That job lasted about three years, until Gibson started shutting down its satellite shops. By then, Gene was getting married, so he took a job at Fender Guitars in Corona, and was there for 7 years, starting as an apprentice. After six months, he was working for Robin Ford on his signature series, and eventually achieved status as a Master Builder, making one-of-a-kind custom guitars. In 1999, Gene and his wife moved back to the Central Coast, where he opened Baker Guitars in Santa Maria. His band, the Wallshakers, opened in Ventura on three occasions for three different bands: Thin Lizzie, Blue Oyster Cult, and Robin Trower. In 2002, Gene started the band Mean Gene and the Portable Johns, who were regulars at Harry’s Nightclub and Beach Bar in Pismo Beach. The band was so named because it had Johnny Punches, John Dittman, and John Lockheart. In 2000, Baker Guitar closed, and Gene returned to Ernie Ball for a year, then he started Fine Tune Instruments, and started manufacturing his B3 guitars. Eventually, in 2006, there was only one John in his band, so the group became MGB, or Mean Gene Band, as it remains to this day. Current members are Gene Baker, Johnny Punches, Brian Monzel, and Kelly Atwell. The band plays true rock music, such as AC/DC, Billy Idol, Montrose, Def Leppard, and Ted Nugent. In 2009, Gene partnered with the Premier Builders Guild, and continues to make his B3 guitars. One of Gene’s latest projects is a new band, Rebel 66, which has the same members as MGB, but concentrates on originals. The music is described as “metal meets rock,” with the instruments being metal driven, while the vocals are more rock. The band will be performing in the second slot on the first day of the Redwood Run in northern California, sharing the bill with Blue Oyster Cult, Night Ranger, Warrant, and Gamma. The festival is June 12 and 13. His other latest project is “Mean Gene Presents,” a series of concerts featuring both touring and local bands that perform original music. The series is at Mongo’s Saloon in Grover Beach on the last Saturday of each month. This month’s concert is the Kenny Taylor Band and Bear Market Riot, on April 25, starting at 9pm. There is a $5 cover. MGB has cut down from a peak of 135 shows a year, to about one show a month, so Gene and his bandmates can concentrate on their original projects. In my mind, Gene’s always been an original, a man who builds beautiful guitars, and is not afraid to follow his dreams. I think we’ll find, in years to come, that he’s a musical force to be reckoned with. I think it’s going to be sooner than you think, too. WHERE THE PARTY NEVER ENDS! THU 4/16 9PM1:00 JAWZ KARAOKE FRI 4/17 9PM1:30 MGB SAT 4/18 3:00PM -7:30 9:00PM -1:30 SUN 4/19 3:00PM -7:30 FRI-$5 COVER COPY CATS SOUTH 65 SAT-$5 COVER MON 4/20 9:00PM -1:30 7:30PM -11:30 ROCK SOLID LEGENDS LEGENDS TUE 7:30PM STEVE TRACY 4/21 -11:30 WED 7:30PM 4/22 -11:30 STEVE TRACY THU 4/23 9PM1:00 JAWZ KARAOKE FRI 4/24 9PM1:30 LITTLE GEORGE BAND FRI-$5 COVER SAT 4/25 3:00PM -7:30 SUN 4/26 3:00PM -7:30 9:00PM -1:30 MID LIFE CRISIS LITTLE GEORGE BAND SAT-$5 COVER 9:00PM -1:30 TOMMY LEE & THE PORTIGEES SHAMELESS MON 7:30PM 4/27 -11:30 SHAMELESS TUE 7:30PM INDIAN VALLEY 4/28 -11:30 BAND WED 7:30PM INDIAN VALLEY 4/29 -11:30 BAND THU 4/30 9PM1:00 JAWZ KARAOKE Now Serving SEXTANT WINES on Tap (805) 773-1010 690 Cypress St., Pismo Beach www.harryspismobeach.com Open 10am-2am Daily APRIL 29 G THROU H MAY 3, 2015 Wednesday April 29 Saturday May 2 Feature Film: Attractive Distractions 6:30pm | $10 admission price Celebrate the Harvest with GleanSLO | Featuring Cass Winery 5pm | $85 admission price | limited seating HISTORIC FREMONT THEATRE, SLO SYCAMORE MINERAL SPRINGS RESORT Thursday April 30 Sunday May 3 9am check-in | 11am tee time | $100 admission Men, Women, Challenged Athlete & Winemaker & Brew Master Heats 7am – 3pm | $30 entry fee BIG WAVES ON THE BIG SCREEN CENTRAL COAST VETERAN’S GOLF CLASSIC DAIRY CREEK GOLF COURSE, SLO STILL FROTHY’S LONGBOARD SURF CLASSIC PISMO BEACH PIER Friday May 1 RABOBANK’S BARREL TO BARREL Outstanding Central Coast Wines & Microbrews Local Restaurants | Travel & Lifestyle Auction Live music by Girls + Boys 5 – 8pm | $59 pre-sale | $65 at the door THE CLIFFS RESORT WINEMAKERS DINNER 805 BEACH CLASSIC Classic VW Display | Vote for Favorites | 11am – 3:30pm Free Concert, BBQ & Beverages on the Beach | 12noon – 5pm Featuring Firestone Walker brews Live music by Resination ON THE SAND AT THE SEAVENTURE BEACH HOTEL WINEWAVESANDBEYOND.COM Tolosa Press • April 16 - 29, 2015 • 33 Special Event 6Th Annual Wine, Waves & Beyond Central Coast Longboard Surf Classic W ine, Waves & Beyond is a classic surf and wine and food event that celebrates the best of San Luis Obispo County on April 29-May 3, 2015 in Pismo Beach, Avila Beach, and San Luis Obispo. Combining the fun, laid-back atmosphere of our wine country and unique surf culture, guests enjoy five days of unforgettable events evoking the magic of wine and waves. These events take place at numerous scenic venues throughout the county. Events includes a Surf Movie Night, Central Coast Veterans Classic Golf Tournament, Rabobank’s Barrel to Barrel, Winemakers Dinner, Central Coast Longboard Surf Contest, and the 805 Classic BBQ featuring the Firestone Walker Brewing Company, a Vintage VW Display, and Concert. We are proud to announce proceeds from the 2015 from Wine, Waves & Beyond will be donated to GleanSLO. Over the last five years, WW&B has raised $100,000 for local non-profit organizations. SCHEDULE Wednesday, April 29, 5:30pm at the historic Fremont Theater in San Luis Obispo, kicks-off this five-day event with Surf Movie Night. Doors open at 5:30, featured films will start at 6:30. Tickets are $10, and beer and wine will be available for purchase. Thursday, April 30, 9:00am at Dairy Creek Golf Course in San Luis Obispo is the Central Coast Veterans Golf Classic at Dairy Creek Golf Course presented by the Association of Amputee Surfers (AmpSurf). Invitees include Veterans, Active Military, Local Firefighters, Law Enforcement personnel and members of the community. Fundraising proceeds benefit our wounded warriors, active military, disabled veterans and others with disabilities through the efforts of the Association of Amputee. Tickets are available for purchase at AmpSurf.org. Friday May 1, 2015, 5-8pm at the Cliffs Resort in Pismo Beach, is Rabobank’s Barrel to Barrel grand tasting event. Held on the ocean front lawn of Pismo Beach’s premier classic resort, guests will enjoy tastings from over 35 visiting wineries and breweries, cuisine samplings from the best local restaurants, live music a fabulous “wine and lifestyle” silent auction, and a breathtaking panoramic ocean view. Tickets are $59 for pre- purchase, $65 at the door. Saturday, May 2, 2015, 5-9 pm, Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort in Avila Beach, hosts the annual Winemakers Dinner: Celebrating the Harvest with GleanSLO. Guests will enjoy a selection of locally harvested wines to pair with an outstanding fivecourse, gourmet meal created by our culinary team lead by ChefWangard. This year’s chef auction returns with the opportunity to bid on custom meals prepared for you and three guests by SLO county’s finest chefs. Featured wineries include; Cass Winery. Tickets are $85. Sunday, May 3, 2015, 7:00am in Pismo Beach at the Pier, the 5thAnnual Longboard Surf Contest begins with both men and women’s heats, a Challenged Athletes division, and once again, the highly anticipated local Winemakers/Brew Masters heat. Additionally, on May 3, 11 am -5 pm, in Pismo Beach at the SeaVenture Resort, just a few sandy steps away from the surf contest, you’ll find the Vintage VW Display and the 805 Classic—featuring a savory Central Coast BBQ, a festive Beer Garden featuring the brews of local favorite Firestone Walker Brewing Company, and a live concert on the beach in front of the SeaVenture Resort Beach Hotel and Restaurant. Join in the festivities and be a part of the Central Coast’s premier lifestyle event. For a complete listing of events and more information, please visit www.winewavesandbeyond.com. Media inquiries, please contact Charles Crellin at ccrellin@bhcresorts.com, or at 805.234.5163. Now celebrating its sixth season, Wine, Waves & Beyond has become a signature Central Coast event. Guests attend from throughout California and the West, as well, of course, from San Luis Obispo County. www. winewavesandbeyond.com. Contact Amanda Gill at 805.556.3306, amanda@cliffsresort.com. 34 • April 16 - 29, 2015 • Tolosa Press EAT central coast visitor’s guide BLISS WHOLE FOOD CAFE, SMOOTHIE & JUICE BAR is located in the heart of downtown SLO with a creekside patio facing the historic SLO Mission. Serving delicious, energizing & empowering foods ranging from sandwiches, burritos, tacos, bowls, salads, live desserts, smoothies, juices and much more! Sourcing local & organic ingredients to give you the best quality & flavors. 778 Higuera St. SLO, Ca. 93401 www.blisscafeslo.com <http://www.blisscafeslo.com (805) 547-0108 DEL’S FAMOUS PIZZERIA & ITALIAN RESTAURANT Are you in the mood for some hearty Italian food? DIVINE THAI CUISINE Enjoy the Exotic flavor and spice of Thailand and South East Asia. The finest authentic Thai Cuisine: Pad Thai Noodles, Spicy Eggplant with Shrimp, Homemade Thai Dumplings, Charbroiled BBQ Chicken and much more. Family oriented atmosphere too. We cook with our hearts and delicious, authentic meals are the result. 501 W. Grand Ave. Grover Beach, CA (805) 481-3663 Open Daily www. angelicfood.com Hours: Lunch: 11am-3pm Dinner: 4:30-9pm LOLO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT Great Mexican food, served in a warm and friendly atmosphere at a reasonable price. Reservations and credit cards gladly accepted. Daily drink and food specials and patio dining. Brunch, lunch, and dinner served 7 days a week 10:00 to 9:00 pm. Located at 2848 N. Main St., Morro Bay • (805) 772-5686 OFF THE HOOK New seafood grill and sushi bar on the Embarcadero offers modern and traditional seafood dishes at reasonable prices. Magnificent rock and Bay views from every seat in the house. An amazing dining experience in a beautiful setting. Open Tues-Thurs 12-8, Fri-Sat 11:30-9, Sun 11:30-8. 833 Embarcadero, Morro Bay • (805) 7721048 www.offthehookmb.com SPLASH CAFE has been a favorite destination in Pismo Beach since 1989, specifically for our award-winning clam chowder served in a freshly baked bread bowl. Our customers drive from miles away to come to our cafes for our fresh clam chowder. No wonder we serve more than 30,000 gallons of clam chowder per year! We also have two San Luis Obispo locations - the bakery on Monterey & California features artisan breads, pastries & desserts with a larger selection of salads & specialty sandwiches, and our downtown location next to Barnes & Nobles features daily fresh fish specials and specialty wraps. All three locations serve our signature Clam Chowder in the bread bowl & Fish & Chips. ROCK KAYAK CO. offers safe, natural, and healthy adventure on the water; where you can rent your own kayak and adventure alone with family or with friends. With our rentals we offer free lessons with first time customers. We can also assist you in purchasing a kayak or any equipment we sale. We’re passionate about the sea and really look forward to making your next kayak outing one you won’t forget! 845 Embarcadero St, Morro Bay • (805)772-2906 • www.rockkayak.com THE SEWING CAFE Located in the awesome Pismo Beach Shopping Center and offers a unique experience. Sewing and Seamstress Classes, a variety of amazing machines to work on or buy, some even offer embroidery applications. There’s an array of fine fabrics and supplies and have a great staff to assist you as well. They also offer a seminars on health & good eating habits. A variety cooking lessons are done in the well appointed “Cooking Cafe”.. Here you can see the chef create healthy and easy to make meals, book ahead a cooking date for your family and friends or even for date night!. The Sewing Cafe is located at: 541 #C-2, 5 Cities Drive, Pismo Beach, CA 93449 (805) 295-6585 More info Facebook/Sewing Cafe THE SAN LUIS OBISPO CHILDREN’S MUSEUM provides a unique place for children and families to explore, discover and learn through hands-on exhibits and programs. Three floors and an outside playscape are jam packed with exhibits for children ages 1-10. Fun, educational programs and activities are scheduled throughout each week. Visit slocm.org for prices, hours, directions and program schedules. Imagination welcome! YOGA CENTER OF MORRO BAY Don’t miss your yoga practice just because you’re on vacation. With daily classes and $10 drop ins, our variety of experienced, certified teachers will give you a memorable experience at an affordable price. We welcome all levels and abilities. YCMB~Your Yoga Studio Away from Home! Conveniently located at 1000 MainSt. within walking distance of most MB hotels. (805) 268-2668 • www.yogacentermb.com VISITSLO.COM Directory of locals favorite ways to experience the place they love. Learn where to stay, what to see and do. You can purchase the official SLO Chamber of Commerce Visitors Guide through visitslo.com or log on view the picturesque area. Uppe rC ru st SLO.ccom ZORRO’S CAFE & CANTINA Is located in shell beach and has been a local favorite for over 10 years. Awarded people’s choice for best clam chowder 2012, 2013 and 2014 and recently voted best restaurant 2015 at the taste of pismo. Dog friendly patio and an excellent happy hour everyday from 4:00-6:00pm. Serving traditional american and mexican breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. When you think of zorro’s cafe & cantina you will think of great food, good times, and excellent service with a comfortable and warm atmosphere. Call for Reservations (805) 878-4283. share skateboarding’s history and culture with all ages of skateboarders. See the complete history of skateboarding from the early 1930’s to present day. Over 200 skateboards from all eras with rotating exhibits from extensive private collections. Open Daily, 10 A.M. to about 5 P.M. Morro Bay Skateboard Museum 601 Embarcadero (Marina Square) Morro Bay 805-610-3565 Highway 101 on the Central Coast of California. 401 Shell Beach Road, Shell Beach, CA 93449 (805) 773-4438 www.delspizzeria.com Special Occasion. BEACH BUTLERZ is here to make your beach experience unforgettable! Beach Butlerz will set up your space and provide you with all you need to enjoy your time at the beach. From beach loungers, umbrellas, tables or logs and a bonfire to volleyball nets, and more! Call today to enjoy an unforgettable beach experience! THE MORRO BAY SKATEBOARD MUSEUM opened in July of 2012. Our mission is to You are invited to Del’s Pizzeria, where you smell the home baked bread when you arrive. Feel the warm and cozy ambience, reminiscent of an old Italian farmhouse, as you dine here. Since 1973 we have been hand crafting our world famous pizzas and pastas and serving our loyal patrons with warm personalized service is a top priority at Del’s. Come enjoy our award winning wine list, tasty cuisine and enjoy our spectacular ocean sunsets. Call for take-out & local delivery. Located in Shell Beach, Del’s is right off Make every day a PLAY Now Serving SEXTANT WINES on Tap Live Music Nightly WHERE THE PARTY NEVER ENDS! (805) 542-0400 Mon–Thurs: 11–9; Fri–Sat:11–9:30; Sun: 11:30–9 11560 Los Osos Valley Rd. at the Laguna Village Center (805) 773-1010 690 69 Cypress St., Pismo Beach www.harryspismobeach.com Open 10am-2am Daily Tolosa Press • April 16 - 29, 2015 SHOP • 35 ALOHA SHIRT SHOP An island paradise of items for men, women and kids. All the best brands: Tommy Bahama, Reyn Spooner, Tori Richard, Kahala, Paradise Found, Go Barefoot, Rum Reggae, Jams World, Iolani and Bamboo Cay. Sizes XS- 7XL including big and tall. Over 12,000 shirts in stock. Can’t visit us in person? Visit our website at www.AlohaShirtShop.com. 458 Morro Bay Blvd., Morro Bay • (805) 772-2480 LADY SPENCER For creative, unusual and unexpected treasures, Lady Spencer Galleria and Distinctive Gifs is your destination. You will find American made items, Fire & Light hand poured glass tableware, sea glass art and jewelry, ceramics, soy candles, and garden items. 148 N Ocean Ave Cayucos, CA 93430 (805) 995-3771 the best place to find San Luis Obispo souvenirs and “Life is Good” attire for the entire family. From clothing, postcards, Pillow Pets & beautiful Garden décor. The shop is filled with gift items made in the USA and by local artisans. Military receive 10% off everyday! Text the word SLOGOOD to 56955 to join their Rewards program and receive exclusive rewards! 3,/ good showers, birthdays, special occasions or just because...Beautiful, clothes and quality toys. It’s fun to browse and chat with the owner as she wraps the gifts and they’re very accommodating! 119 E Branch St. Arroyo Grande, CA 93420 805-473-9186 garden & gifts RALPH & DUANE’S Fun In The Sun! 2014 Summer Series!!! Sunday, September 28- MGB. Music from 2-6 and BBQ Served: 4ish. Thereafter every Thursday-Sat our DJ’s hookin’ you up with Dance Music/Hip Hop & Daily Drink Specials. Every Sunday 2-6 come enjoy our Live Music and Santa Maria BBQ on the patio. Wi-fi available. 108 W. Branch St. Arroyo Grande, CA (805) 481.2871 www.RalphandDuanes.com gifts, retro toys & candy await you at The Chocolate Sheep! Across from the swinging pedestrian bridge & free range roosters we make sea salt caramels, peanut butter bark, creamy fudge and carry Arroyo Grande’s own Rooster Eggs. Come play in the village & treat yourself to something sweet! --Check out our The Chocolate Sheep FB page for deals-- Mention this and receive free chocolate nibbles! 201 E. Branch St. Arroyo Grande, CA (805) 591-0166 EST. 1974 Garden Street Goldsmiths Modern, Vintage, and Custom Jewelry In-House Jewelry Repairs, Watch Repairs & Battery Replacement 1114 & 1118 Garden St. in downtown San Luis Obispo sWWW'ARDEN3TREET'OLDSMITHSCOM SPRING! N L &O F EW DOC BURNSTEIN’S ICE CREAM LAB Experience our new “Ice Cream Wonderland” located in downtown San Luis Obispo. Enjoy the fun and wacky flavors made in Doc’s lab, while watching the train travel through tunnels, around the giant ice cream waterfall, and through the wall of flavors. Enjoy our Nostalgic Ice Cream Parlors in The Village of Arroyo Grande and Old Orcutt. Watch award winning ice creams made on-site, follow the model trains into tunnels and over bridges. Enjoy the live performance of the “Ice Cream Lab Show” in Arroyo Grande, Wednesday evenings at 7:00 pm, where the audience helps create a unique flavor. Each parlor is truly a one-of-a-kind Ice Cream experience! For fundraisers, birthday parties and catering visit www.docburnsteins.com. 114 W. Branch St. Arroyo Grande 860 Higuera Street, San Luis Obispo (805) 4744068 THE CHOCOLATE SHEEP Gourmet chocolate, travel games, WHIZ KIDS toy store has been serving San Luis Obispo and it’s surrounding cities as Professional Toy Consultants for over 25 years. We carry high quality toys, books and activities for children that encourage creativity and skill building. We also carry many more items online, so come on in, give us a call or visit our website and let us help you choose the perfect gift for the child on your list! 3979 S. Higuera St, San Luis Obispo, next to Trader Joe’s (805) 547-1733 • www.whizkidsslo. com - Facebook.com/whizkidsslo century downtown village. You’ll find an array of antique & specialty shops plus fine dining nestled within the scenic atmosphere of historic buildings and natural beauty. The Village is a true picture of Americana on the Central Coast. Stop by the Visitors Center upon your arrival at 214 East Branch St., Arroyo Grande BUTTONS & BOWS-CHILDREN’S CLOTHING STORE Great quality gifts for baby SMOOBAGE, which means “something that you really love” is a delightful store that will peak your senses as you search for the perfect item or gift. You will find Artistic pieces from a variety of local artists as well as a quaint store that houses a paradise of colorful palettes & textures. From leather goods to jewelry, greeting cards & a children’s section there are treasures abundant. 591 Embarcadero, Morro Bay. (805) 459-5751. Text SMOOBAGE to 56955 to Join & receive 10% OFF your next purchase! SLO GOOD GARDEN & GIFTS is THE VILLAGE OF ARROYO GRANDE, the Central Coast’s unique turn-of-the- INES LD AVORITES ARRIVING DAILY NOWN OPE “In the Village” 121 E. Branch St. Arroyo Grande 805-574-1727 1022 Morro St. San Luis Obispo 805-784-0664 UNIQUE FEMININE CLOTHING FOR WOMEN JUST LIKE YOU! www.shopapropos.com 840 11th St., Ste. 103 Paso Robles 805-239-8282 full bar | 12 beers on tap family-friendly menu 200 E. Branch Street, Arroyo Grande www.roostercreektavern.com 805.489.2509 open daily from 11:30 – 10:00 36 • April 16 - 29, 2015 • Tolosa Press Entertainment Roots Reggae Band Rising Son Ascends Photo and story by Carrie Jaymes N ot all bands offer widely diverse musicianship while still filling a special niche with their music. Rising Son, a roots reggae group out of Ventura, California, has that distinction. Rising Son launched their fist album project in 2006 and has since risen to fame through highly charged live shows that provide their audiences and themselves a signature experience as well as more album projects. Live or recorded, they continue to offer music that resonates with their growing fan base, which ranges in age from kids on up. “I’ve noticed that it appeals to every age group. I’ve seen kids liking it to elderly people liking it,” said drummer Ezra Brooks Robinson. The debut album, Take Root, contained a dozen songs including anthemic acoustical collections and next generation funk. Themes woven in the project reached a broad range of music lovers. In 2007 they recorded the widely received song, “Worldwide Love” and in the fall of 2014 they released Forward, a 7 track EP. “Ethiopian Sonrize,” one of the tracks off this EP, shines through as an anthem with touching lyrics combined with beautiful harmonies and their outstanding musicianship. “Ethiopian Sonrize” was written to encourage the downtrodden people of this world,” said singer songwriter Levi Williams. “It is directed toward Ethiopians who have seen a degradation of their culture and have struggled through a harsh regime and propaganda to discredit Haile Selassie and the monarchy that reigned for 2,000 years. It is to remind them of their royal roots and culture and of their indomitable spirit. It can also be applied to any person in this world that is going through struggles because we all originated from Ethiopia where the most ancient hominid fossils were found—our common ancestor ancient civilization. The place where we all come from.” The band includes Williams on vocals and guitar, Teknique on guitar, K.C. Easterling on bass, Filiblunt on keys, Robinson on drums and Doc Smith on percussion. The band members have shared the stage with the likes of Steel Pulse, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Pato Banton, Bob Marley’s reggae/hip hop musician son Ky-mani Marley, Alpha Blondy and the late Mikey Dread. They have also loaned their musical strengths to projects with Bad Brains, The Divine Crime, Ska Daddyz, and have been featured on other recorded and live projects. Including a track Williams recorded in 2008 with Pato Banton titled “Heal This World,” on Banton’s Destination Paradise album. Rising Son is hitting the festival scene, nightclub venues and other locales spreading their positive energy and letting their uplifting music ring through the air. The band is also working on a fulllength album they plan to release this year. Be a part of the live experience and catch Rising Son on Friday, April 24 from 9 p.m. to midnight at Rancho Nipomo Gold Rush Cantina. There is a $5 cover charge at the door. The premier performing arts academy on the central coast. SUMMER CAMPS &CPEGŔ#EVŔ5KPIŔ2NC[CP+PUVTWOGPV (FU:063CPEZ4QSJOH#SFBL4VNNFS SFBEZJOUIFOFYU March 16-April 10 April 27th - May 22 and June 1 - June 26 4 week training camp 5 days a week (Mon-Fri) at 5:30am Open to non-members Early Registration: April 1–May 15… Limited Enrollment! Vis i it i us o liinne fo on f r detaili s & Reg egistr t ationn &CPEGŔ/WUKEŔ6JGCVGTŔ8QKEG www.coastaldanceandmusicacademy.com/Summer_Camps 1030 Huston Street, Suite C | Grover Beach | 805.489.5678 Change Ch h your llook... k * Some restrictions apply, not valid with any other pass or discount DIBOHFZPVSMJGF t#SPBE4U4-0t.BSJHPME$FOUFS XXXFRDMVCTDPN Tolosa Press • April 16 - 29, 2015 A cappella mavericks, The Bobs, will play Cal Poly’s Spanos Theater at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 18. Student and adult tickets are $30.40 to $38 and available in advance at the PAC Box Office, Mondays-Saturdays, noon-6 p.m. Call (805) 756-4849 or online at: www. calpolyarts.org. The Seattle Times said The Bobs were, “a musical equivalent of a Gary Larsen drawing,” using only their voices and body percussion to fill a room with an orchestra of harmonious sounds. Hailed as the premier “band without instruments,” The Bobs have left an indelible mark on vocal music, expertly skewering standards and establishing their own hilarious norms. Sponsored by Tom and Susan Stenovec and The Apple Farm Inn. The Bobs, will play Cal Poly’s Spanos Theater Spring Into Summer, a new concert series hosted by Songwriters At Play, at Sculpterra Winery in Paso Robles from 6-8 p.m. every third Saturday of the month, AprilSeptember. Advance tickets are available now at Sculpterra for $15 per person, $10 wine club members and $20/$15 at the door. Wine sold by the bottle or glass; cheese plates and other food will be available for purchase. Longtime Central Coast favorite Jill Knight will headline the first concert on Saturday, April 18. Special guest Chi McClean will open the show at 6. Knight’s soulful sound delivers a Southern texture blending Americana, blues and weaving in a little R&B. Knight has toured with India Arie, Shawn Colvin, David Wilcox, John Prine, The Doobie Brothers, and many others. Sculpterra Winery is at 5015 Linne Rd., Paso Robles. Call (805) 226-8881. Future Spring Into Summer Concerts include Julian Temple, Darius Degher (May 16), The Lady Crooners, The Better Halves (June 20), Damon Castillo, Nicole Stromsoe (July 18), Little Black Train (Aug. 15), and The Salty Suites, Kristen Black (Sept. 19). Acclaimed Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter, Boz Skaggs, will play the Performing Arts Center at Cal Poly at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 19 and advanced tickets are on sale now at the PAC Box Office. Indie music recording artist, Kristen Ford, is playing a free concert at 6 p.m. Sunday, April 26 at Last Stage West, 315050 Morro Rd., (Hwy 41 half way between Atascadero and Morro Bay). Ford is on a “never-ending tour” promoting her new release, “Tighten It Up” which is available Spring Into Summer, a new concert series hosted online at: www. by Songwriters At Play, at Sculpterra Winery kristenfordmusic. com. This is a free, all ages show with Call (805) 756-4849 or order on line at: www.pacslo.org. Skaggs, who got his start the artist playing for tips and selling with the Steve Miller Band, went solo in CDs. A Massachusetts native, Ford’s 1975 and struck platinum with his debut one-woman-band performance includes album, “Silk Degrees” that had hits with guitars, percussion, and a variety of “Lowdown,” which won the Grammy for looping effects pedals, to create a unique Best R&B Song, “Lido Shuffle,” “What musical experience that’s different Can I Say” and “We’re All Alone.” Skaggs every night. Her music fuses indie, folk, is touring in support of a new album, “A country, and blues with a healthy dose of Fool to Care,” slated to be released March rock ‘n’ roll. 31. The show is a co-production of Otter Productions, Inc., and Cal Poly Arts. PARKING?...DON’T NEED IT! GASOLINE?...DON’T NEED IT! Strawberry Wheat Dirty Reapin’ Blonde Fear the Reaper–AMBER Oblivion–IPA Apocalyptic–DIPA Double Damn Morro Bay Transit Fixed Route TRANSIT –CHOCOLATE LAVENDER STOUT Sabotage Wood-Fired Pizza Daily Live Music Every Friday Night ™ 3 www.manrockbrewing.com w ww.m ma Fo Follow Fo us @ F Fa Facebook.Com/ManRock.Brewing.Co EVERYONE Let Morro Bay Transit do the driving so you don’t have to. D M-Th 4–10pm | F 3pm–Midnight Sa 1–10pm | Su 9:30am–9:30pm NFL Package 1750 7 El Camino Real 750 Suite u A, Grover Beach uite 805.270.3089 0 05.270.3089 4 4 SCHEDULE: Monday-Friday 6:25am - 6:45pm Saturday 8:25am - 4:25pm more information: morro-bay.ca.us/transit • 37 38 • April 16 - 29, 2015 • Tolosa Press Entertainment The First Annual SLO Multicultural Music & Dance Showcase will be held Friday, April 17 at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday, April 18 at 3:30 p.m. at the San Luis Obispo Grange Hall on Broad Street. The two shows feature music and dance from across around the world, including Ghana, Congo, Guinea, Mali, Hawaii, the Middle East, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, U.S. hip-hop and Indonesia. Tickets are $20 advanced and $25 at the door for each show. See: bigbigslo. com/showcase or call (805) 975-9663 for ticket information. advance at the PAC Box Office MondaysSaturdays, noon to 6 p.m. Call 756-4849 or order online at: www.calpolyarts. org. The Paul Taylor Dance Company a dynamic contemporary dance program showcasing an extraordinary range of emotions and vitality, as well as including as a good dose of wicked humor. The pieces performed will be Syzygy, Beloved Renegade and Piazzolla Caldera. Sponsored by Barbara Bell, Jay & Carol Devore, Dr. Moon Ja Minn & Paul Suhr. Supported also in part by grant funding from Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) World-renowned choreographer, Paul Taylor, will bring his dance company to the Performing Arts Center at Cal Poly at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 25. Student and adult tickets range from $24 to $50 and may be purchased in The aerial artists at Suspended Motion Aerial Arts are working on their annual showcase in June and will have a special sneak-preview performance of their Cirque-Style show set for 7 p.m. Friday-Saturday April 24-25. The performance is at the troupe’s SLO studio, located at 207 Suburban Rd. (off South Higuera). Advance tickets are $15 general admission, $10 students, youth and seniors, and kids 3-under free. Complimentary refreshments will be available, and BYOW (bring your own wine) Paul Taylor, will bring his dance company to the is encouraged. Performing Arts Center The presentation will feature Suspended Motion among others. Accompaniment by Janis performers as they climb, fly, free- Johnson and Matthew Evans, with Jumi fall, contort, and dance on aerial silks, Kim directing. ropes, poles, lyra, and other cirque-style apparatuses. Suspended Motion’s annual feature-length aerial ballet performance Celebrate Los Osos is hosting a of Grimm Eventyr’s: Ivy’s Magical Adventure, at 2 and 7 p.m. June 6 at the benefit house concert to raise money Clark Center in Arroyo Grande. For more for future community projects at 2 p.m. information about Suspended Motion, Sunday, May 17. Tickets are $25 a person see: www.SuspendedMotion.net, or www. and available online at: www.bigbigslo. com/inga. The show will feature vocalist facebook.com/suspendedmotionslo. Inga Swearingen and guitarist Guy Budd performing a combination of blues, folk, soulful jazz and original tunes. Guitarist, Dorian Michael, will also perform. The concert will be held in the private gardens on the estate of Bill and Monica Lee in Los Osos. Details, a map, parking directions are available with tickets. Seating is limited. Newgrass folk fusion quintet, Susie Glaze & the HiLonesome Band, will perform the next Red Barn Community The First Annual SLO Multicultural Music & Dance Music Series in Showcase will be held at the San Luis Obispo Los Osos, taking Grange Hall the stage at 6 p.m. Saturday, May 2. Cost is $15 at the Cuesta College’s Spring Gala door and there’s a potluck supper at 5. Concert featuring students from Bring a dish to share, place settings and the music department is set for 4 BYOB. The band plays an eclectic blend p.m. Saturday, April 24 in the Cuesta of mountain folk and exciting new grassy Performing Arts Center on the Hwy and Celtic-inspired originals, fronted by 1 campus. Tickets are $12 general Glaze’s remarkable voice, the band will admission, $7 for students, seniors, be celebrating the release of its new CD, and Jazz Fed members. Reserve tickets “Not That Kind of Girl.” The Red Barn by calling (805) 546-3198 or online at: is located in the South Bay Community www.cpactickets.cuesta.edu. Parking park, on palisades Avenue. Doors open is free. The show will feature Jessanne at 4:30 p.m. See: www.susieglaze.com for Bulquerin, Griselda Cardenas, Max more on the band. Eagle, Sam Fierro, Rainey Forzetting, Christopher Kamas, and Sierra Simmons Celebrity Golf Tournament & Dinner Friday, May 29, 2015 Avila Beach Golf Resort Registration/Check-In - 8:00 AM Shotgun Start - 10:00 AM Register as a Threesome at $200 per golfer ($600 total) Price covers tee fee, lunch, and two dinner tickets for each golfer. Each Threesome will be joined by a celebrity golfer. Celebrities include San Diego Charger and NFL Pro Bowler, Anthony Miller; Pittsburgh Steeler and NFL Pro Bowler, Mike Merriweather; Olympic Gold Medalist and LA Ram, Ron Brown; LA Raider, Mervyn Fernandez; LA Ram, Leroy Irvin; New England Patriot, Sam “Bam” Cunningham; and San Francisco 49er, Eric Heitmann. Also playing in the tournament is “one of Hollywood’s most iconic character actors,” Burton Gilliam. Contests include a Hole-in-One, Long Ball and Closest to the Pin Challenge Social and Silent Auction at 4:00 PM at the Alex Madonna Expo Center Dinner at 5:30 PM Guest Speaker—Steve Miller, CEO of the Andre Agassi Foundation for Education Individual tickets for the Social, Silent Auction and Dinner available at $50 per person To register a threesome or purchase dinner tickets: visit our website at http://opcoy.org or call (805) 592-2990 Proceeds will help Op C.O.Y. (Operation Coaching Our Youth), a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, private foundation, open a residential camp for at-risk adolescent males. 40 • April 16 - 29, 2015 • Tolosa Press Dinner & A Movie A Comforting Grilled Cheese Hallelujah Moment By Teri Bayus C omfort food produces a physical happiness that affects our physiology. Studies have turned up evidence that the comfort foods we crave are actually artifacts from our pasts. We all have memories of happier times, and by eating foods that remind us of those times, we symbolically consume that past happiness. Nothing is more comforting than a grilled cheese sandwich — that little bastion of love your Mom prepared, cut the crust off, and sliced into triangles. Now as a grown up, I crave these jewels of cheese and bread grilled to perfection when I am sick or down. Enter my “Hallelujah” moment, when a food truck roared past the Tolosa Press headquarters with the name, “Grilled Cheese Incident.” Even more joyful, I found that the chef is one of my favorites, Mike McGourty. Mike had worked for years at the Cracked Crab, turning me on to some amazing seafood concoctions. He left the pot and leapt into the pan opening and operating the Grilled Cheese Incident with his lovely bride, Annie Lynch, helping out and running the register when needed. Mike made five different sandwiches for me to try, each a sample of the simple and delicious creativity of the perfect sando. He first explained that the secret to the perfect grilled cheese sandwich is the bread. His is baked daily from Brian’s Bread and he has French, Sourdough, and Caraway rye. It is sliced thin, but dense enough to hold the creamy insides intact. My editor had been talking about The Hangover, which had started my lusting after this food truck and was not disappointed about this ridiculously good mixture. Cheddar and Muenster cheese with shredded potatoes, roasted poblano chilies with bacon jam and a fried egg was the elements. Ecstasy was how I described the taste. On to “The Incident.” This one has sharp cheddar and gouda cheese with slow cooked pulled pork, caramelized onions with his own unique barbecue sauce served on Brian’s Sourdough bread. The savoriness of the pork and the tartness of the cheeses made me want to try some more. Next was the Quintessential California with Havarti and Jack cheese, smoked applewood bacon, sliced tomato and avocado on a cracked wheat bread. It held up to its name representing the most perfect example of quality. We moved on to the Tavern Popper, a twist on the popular jalapeño poppers that you’d find in most bar food menus. This one was served on French bread with melted-to-perfection Jack and cream cheese laced with fire-roasted jalapeños. It was dipped into a sweet chili Mae Ploy sauce that brought the sweet and hot flavors exploding. My last one was most unusual, and my favorite. The Dragon has English mustard and ale and sharp cheddar with smoked applewood bacon, balsamic onion jam, and sliced apples. Sweet, hot, cold and savory. It was an impeccable sandwich. You can build your own using any of the above items and Mike is there making or supervising every plate. They also serve Basil tomato soup, chips, soda and water. You can find where they will be parked on their Facebook page or this schedule: Monday’s at Bang The Drum, Thursday at Central Coast Brewing, Friday at Tapit and Saturday and Sunday at local wine and lifestyle special events. As Mike likes to say, “Stay cheesy my friends.” The Grilled Cheese Incident is San Luis Obispo County’s newest food truck featuring gourmet grilled cheese on local artisan bread. Look for them on the road or follow them on Facebook for specific times, places and specials at: www.facebook.com/pages/TheGrilled-Cheese-Incident. Fast and Furiously Fabulous By Teri Bayus T he Fast and Furious franchise has raced into theaters once again and I was glad. These films are my guilty pleasure and I’ve loved every one. It is the seventh film in this massive franchise that only gets better with each new segment. In the fifth and sixth installments, Toretto (Vin Diesel), Brian (Paul Walker), Tej (Ludacirs), and Roman (Tyrese Gibson) had finally found financial stability and cleared their names to return home. The character of Agent Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) helped reinvigorate the franchise and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) was brought back from the dead. Mia (Jordan Brewster) and Brian were enjoying their newfound family life, but as we found out at the end of the sixth film, the evil Deckard (Jason Statham) is set on avenging his brother’s death. Their seemingly peaceful life is interrupted as the team begins to be hunted down by this dangerous British criminal. Enter a secret government official known as Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell) offering them a deal to take down Deckard. There’s a Somali mercenary (Djimon Hounsou), Ramsey, a hacker (Nathalie Emmanuel), and a bunch of material filling in for some fantastic action and driving sequences. The adventure travels across the globe with flying cars, droids exploding in the Middle East, the elegant buildings in Abu Dhabi, and the City of Los Angeles. I absolutely recommend you watch this film. Yes, its cheesy, but the film knows it. The action set pieces are properly shot with little quick cuts and do not induce headaches. The humor in these films is a lot more organic and not at the expense of stupid racist gags. The female leads while attractive, are not sexually objectified. Diesel and Walker are the perfect compliments to each other, the classic muscle head and the tech-savvy friend, both striving together to find common ground. Then when you begin to build in their supporting cast, you can’t doubt the prowess of the writers. The dysfunctional nature of the first few movies turned into an incredibly complex story line, filled with plot holes that continued to be filled as the movies continued. J a m e s W a n directed this Fast and Furious film. Wan is well known in the horror genre for directing classics likes Saw, Insidious, and The Conjuring. Even though doing an action movie on this scale is far away from where he normally directs, Wan does a great job. I found my self saying, “Holy smokes!” more than once. This film has more action scenes than probably any other film in the franchise. After the tragic death of Paul Walker before the film completed filming, production was shut down and the film was reworked in order to deal with this lose. The film deals with his death perfectly, not killing him off, and giving him one heck of tribute. Body doubles, stunt doubles, and CGI were used to complete the film following Walker’s death. His brothers, Caleb Walker and Cody Walker, were among the stunt doubles, and also provided voice over. This is a popcorn movie at its best. Teri Bayus can be reached at: livewell@teribayus.com or follow my writing and ramblings at: www. teribayus.com. Bayus also hosts Taste Buds, a moving picture rendition of her reviews shown on Charter Ch. 10. Dinner and a Movie is a regular feature of Tolosa Press. SLO City News • April 16 - 29, 2015 News Don’t Get Bit Photos by Erin O’Donnell P hotographer Erin O’Donnell had a grand time checking out a rattlesnake training course for pups held March 23 in the Laguna Lake Park dog park. While her little pomeranian-mix Ginger stayed home for the event, O’Donnell reports that a little terrior named “Smooter” did exactly what he was supposed to by the time he saw the third the snake. Namely — a wide pass around it. “I asked the guy handling the snakes how he got the hoods on [the snakes],” she said. “‘Very carefully’ was his answer.” The handler uses three snakes for each training event, keeping them for a year. Reportedly it’s a pretty cushy life for the reptiles. “They drink bottled water and get a big fat mouse every two weeks. Then they are bummed when they get released into the wild and have to fend for themselves,” she narrates, “They start with the dog smelling a real snake, then shock it in the neck.” The dogs gradually learn to associate the scent of shed snakeskins and the telltale rattle with unpleasantness as well. The final test, which Smooter aced after some prodding, is to run by a live snake, “without even wanting to check it out.” The training is done by Ma & Paw Kennel Canine Training Services, serving SLO and Santa Barbara counties, call 523-3432 for information. • 41 42 • April 16 - 29, 2015 • SLO City News Community Follow That Bus! There’s an App for That By Camas Frank H old your horses Google. The “Pac Man” feature of Google Maps may be drawing some excitement and digital traffic to maps of the Cal Poly Campus or landmarks around world, but utility still wins out in the real world. Before accurate route and geographic information was so taken for granted that we started playing games with it, there was a serious need for a little assistance in getting from points A to B. Not very surprising then that one of the first uses for smart phones was to follow the trend of dashmounted GPS devices and start offering up advice on getting across town. But, what about all the poor souls without a car or with tired legs? Until 2010 that group of SLO locals waited at bus stops and wondered if their ride was about to arrive or had already passed. That was the year that four Cal Poly students put together a senior project that found mass appeal, a bus tracker app for the iPhone. It was a simple concept at first, pairing SLO Transit’s route schedules with the map data from GPS transponders on the busses. It also was among the first known uses of raw information from the City to create a usable product. That concept later gained recognition as one of the tenants in the City’s drive for “Open Government.” Last week the City entered into an agreement with Bishop Peak Technology, the now much more successful start-up company that came out of that senior project. John Osumi, CEO of Bishop Peak, explained that, while yes, the original app has grown by leaps and bounds in functionality, what the now team of nine has been up to in 5 years is much more complicated. The City calls its new products, “a back-end/administrative website with useful management tools for transit organizations” and, “these tools allow for scheduled route changes, push notifications, alerts, customizations, and other system diagnostic tools.” Osumi is a little more detailoriented. “We’re now integrated into the buses systems,” he explained. “The software allows us to actually reduce the City’s operational expenses by collecting fuel economy numbers from the source.” He means literally, information from the transmissions of each bus, moment to moment, inside the gearbox and from the speedometer. That’s 3.5 terabytes of data being processed every hour by Bishop Peak Tech. It’s not all from SLO Transit and it’s not all local. The company makes its money working with other cities, as well as a contract with Apple for its transit system at its corporate campus. Osumi clarified that Apple uses a version of their software, not necessarily run from SLO. Ironically enough, Bishop Peak’s cloud storage and processing is primarily done through Microsoft with Google’s Cloud as a back up. While its a nice little niche to have a product for mass transit that can be adapted all over the world, Osumi sees the work they’re doing as a jumping-off point. “The power of data is to turn what you’re seeing into actionable knowledge.” The real goal, he said, is to expand the ability into other “smart city” systems, i.e. computerized parking meters or traffic light systems. After all, in the big picture, “autonomous [self driving] vehicles are going to need all of this to work.” In the meantime, though the SLO community stands to benefit from their work. Since the inception of that senior project, the exchange of information and expertise has flowed between the City’s transit and technical folks and the former students. “We’re offering all of our services to SLO at cost,” Osumi said, “but we are a for-profit company. We provided everything for free as long as we could though. We just really love the City we started in. It’s a small town and we can be here to help now.” For his part, SLO Transit Manager, Gamaliel Anguiano, released a statement that the arrangement exemplifies, “what can be achieved with private/public partnerships. The features their application offers are vital to our riders and significantly supplement our CAD/AVL system for improved operational management.” Back to that tracker app that still helps us get from points A to B; as SLO Transit reports increased ridership, downloads of the app have gone up by 30 percent in the last 10 months, he said, and it’s been downloaded over 30,000 times. “Ever since Gamaliel Anguiano came to SLO he’s been leading the charge,” sad Osumi. “He has a fantastic, long-term, progressive vision of where industry is headed and he’s actually doing it. It’s wonderful.” 9-1-1 Vehicle Show, April 18 T he Fifth Annual Morro Bay Emergency Vehicle Show is set for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 18 in Downtown Morro Bay. Hosted by Neighborhood Watch and the City, the event will take over the core of Downtown — Main Street and Morro Bay Boulevard — with vintage police and fire department vehicles, military vehicles, modern emergency vehicles from the Sheriff’s and Cal Fire departments, harbor patrol PWC’s, displays and a lot more. Free admission. For more information see: www. mbpd.info. SLO City News • April 16 - 29, 2015 Community • 43 Race Coming to Town, April 26 R eady for the SLO Marathon? Whether you plan to run, to watch or want to avoid the whole thing, the San Luis Obispo Marathon, Half Marathon and 5K is set for April 26. The City of SLO has come up with its detailed list of street closures, which will be in effect from 3 a.m. to 2 p.m. along 26.2 miles of courses. The entire course will be closed to vehicles, with the exception of marathon staff and emergency vehicles. Residents on the course, with “proof of identification” and “special needs citizens” may be allowed in when runners are not present. A City press release notes that, in the Downtown streets of San Luis Obispo, “No Parking” signs will be posted and cars will be towed if left on the streets at closure time. The Marsh Street onramp to Highway 101 and portions of Edna Valley are on the list, as well. A detailed overall course map and zone maps is posted online at: www. SLOMarathon.com. In addition the usual event at this year’s fourth annual race, organizers announced San Luis Obispo runner, Stan Rosenfield, as their Hall of Fame inductee. “Rosenfield has been running since his teens and has completed more than 1,200 races, in addition to officiating at several hundred more. In his day, Rosenfield broke 3 hours in the marathon, at that time the qualifying standard for the storied Boston Marathon. Best known as ‘the heart and soul’ of the San Luis Obispo Distance Club, which he co-founded with Brian Waterbury in 1973,” reads the citation. Rosenfield, 67, is still a frequent user of SLO’s trail network with his dog in close procession. Part of the reasons behind this local Hall of Fame induction is his ongoing effort to “knit together” area runners with his publication of the SLO Distance Club newsletter and encyclopedic knowledge of running stats. The induction ceremony will be part of the awards ceremony at 10 a.m. at the Madonna Inn. FIND YOUR WAY WITH THE NEW FRENCH APP French Hospital Medical Center is pleased to announce the launch of the first hospital way-finding mobile application in San Luis Obispo County, FrenchWay Energy, from page 1 both occasions it was a discussion of California Assembly Bill 117, which authorized the new entities. Spearheaded in example by larger cities like San Francisco (Sonoma and Marin Counties started their programs even earlier) a CCA will commonly allow customers to pay a little bit more for a mix of energy sources different from that of the established company. In this case that’s Pacific Gas and Electric Co., which along with the rest of the state’s providers is under a 20 percent clean energy mandate. Earlier this year Gov. Jerry Brown outlined his administration’s desire to increase that number to 50 percent. That intervention could mean that renewable energy from all sources becomes more competitive on the open market, something Marx supported in her remarks at a recent council meeting, hoping that costs could actually drop in comparison to current PG&E rate projections. If the city partners with other municipalities or the County to get a CCA off the ground, PG&E says it would work with the new entity to deliver the power through existing wires. The City Council’s action to explore CCA did not come with any dollar figure attached, as that would come later, depending on the response to the seven letters of interest they’re sending to the other incorporated cities in the County and the County government itself. Members of SLO Clean Energy, the citizen group which spurred the Council to action, were understandably pleased with the outcome, but mindful that this is still a first step. “Now that the resolution passed, we will be working with the community, the council and others to develop a roadmap for community choice (let us know if you would like to help with this),” reads its first newsletter released after the vote. The FrenchWay app is available for free on both iPhone and Android devices. Dignity Health DOWNLOAD IT TODAY BY SCANNING THE QR CODE OR VISITING THE WEBSITE FOR YOUR RESPECTIVE DEVICE. Android bit.ly/dh-android iPhone bit.ly/dh-ios This new app is critically designed to help patients, employees, physicians, volunteers, and the community better navigate through our hospital facilities and connect to a network of information via one-click wifi access. Instant directions from a patient’s home to the hospital Navigational tools including an indoor GPS to guide patients within our building Information on French Hospital physicians and department services Find one of our expert physicians Connection to the Patient Portal to check appointments and medical history Other app features include: 4 4 4 Up-to-date news feed Event and promotion alerts Construction and modernization updates This new app along with the recently installed touch screen information kiosks located throughout French Hospital will simplify visits for guests and patients by providing them with immediate information and directions. 1911 Johnson Avenue San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 805.543.5353 www.frenchmedicalcenter.org 44 • April 16 - 29, 2015 • SLO City News Sports Sports Shorts By Michael Elliott M 5JNFGPS/FX$POTUSVDUJPO PSB3FNPEFM 5JNFUP3FQMBDF5JSFE-FBLZ )BSEUP0QFO0ME8JOEPXT asterful- There’s a new sheriff in town on the PGA golf tour and his name is Jordan. Indeed, Michael Jordan just pulled off the greatest feat of his illustrious career by capturing golf’s… Did I get one over on you, oh gullible one? Sorry ‘bout that. Just clamoring for your attention. Jordan Spieth is the newlycrowned Masters Champion as he went wire to wire for his first major championship. Spieth’s four-stroke victory over Phil Mickelson and Justin Rose was a veritable walk in the park as Jordan paraded his way around the hallowed grounds of Augusta National in a record-tying 270 strokes for four rounds of play. That computed to an astonishing 18 under par to match Tiger Woods for a record for the ages. Time and again Spieth came up with the shots necessary to fend off his closest competitors as he calculated his approach shots, lagged putts magnificently and drained the inside-8-footers on a consistent basis. Nobody really caught fire on Sunday in an attempt to run the leader down. Both Mickelson and Rose played admirably, but their nondescript final rounds of 69 and 70, respectively, failed to put any heat on Spieth as he remained a cool 3 strokes ahead throughout. He just refused to be reeled in. It was quite interesting to notice the constant verbal exchange between Jordan and his caddie Michael Greller. Golf is typically a loner’s game and golfers usually carry their pent-up emotions inside themselves for the duration of the round, unless you are Tiger Woods (more on him later). It served Speith well that he and Greller have a solid line of communication and trust in one another. It appeared that any time he made a poor shot or missed an important putt he would It’s Time to Call Us. 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It is akin to the old adage that getting it all out relieves pressure and you are free to move forward because whilst chasing around a little white ball with a stick for 4-plus hours, one is the loneliest number. Dig it Three Dog Night fan. Back to Tiger. Woods most certainly wears his emotions right out on his sleeves. He is trying to make somewhat of a comeback from physical and personal roadblocks and actually performed very well at this Masters. As one of the commentators stated, “Tiger looks like the old Tiger instead of just looking old!” For a guy trying to reshape his image it was disappointing to see him take a step backwards from his reparations as he was caught on the television microphone uttering a few choice words that the viewing audience, especially the youngsters, need not to have heard. Sure, most golfers have spewed forth a profane word here and there while teeing it up, but on this regal of a stage, Woods should have the class and dignity to keep it inside as he still holds sway and influences the masses. Watching the Masters golf tournament is a splendid thing for golfing enthusiasts. It’s ultra-cool that rarely are commercials played during telecasts. The elegance of the course is second-to-none, as is the fluid delivery by CBS’s legendary Jim Nance and the rest of the commentators who seem to know precisely when to and when not to chime in. It is comforting to see that the once-staid membership of the exclusive country club has loosened its grip and now accepts, women members and sponsors kid’s events on days leading up to the professional competition. And so, the 21 year-old newly minted champion rides off into the sunset towards his next event with badge attached, having corralled his competition. Cue it up Glenn Frey, Don Henley and mates. Most assuredly there is a “New Kid In Town.” Linda Hansen & Stephanie Buentiempo 805-481-1500 940 Ramona Ave, Suite D | Grover Beach Responses? Submittals? Please contact Michael at sportshorts8@ gmail.com. SLO City News • April 16 - 29, 2015 Community • 45 Hoppin’ Down the Bunny Trail… Photos by Erin O’Donnell T he City of San Luis Obispo’s Annual Easter Egg Hunt on April 4 moved from it’s old home at the Jack House to Mitchell Park this year. The grass is being replenished and replaced at the Jack House, and the gazebo and open fields at Mitchell Park were more suitably green for the hunt and coloring event. Three age groups of local children participated, however those with a sweet tooth had to look elsewhere, as the government Easter Bunnies didn’t pack candy inside the eggs. Happy Birthday from Graciela M ost 10-year olds want the latest toys, games and clothes for their birthdays, but Graciela Vance of Paso Robles instead asked friends and family to help others less fortunate than her. In lieu of gifts, Graciela asked that party-goers make donations to Big Brothers Big Sisters and help provide mentors to kids primarily from lowincome, single parent homes. For her 10th birthday, Graciela presented a check for $280.60, two bicycles and a basketball to Big Brothers Big Sisters staff. ‘I am honored and humbled by this young person who thinks of others first,’ Anna BoydBucy, BBBS executive director, said. ‘Her donation will reap longterm benefits for another child in her neighborhood, as well as our community as a whole.” In the photo from left to right are: mother Heidi Vance, Liliana, Lucas and Graciela Vance. Submitted photo. 46 • April 16 - 29, 2015 • Tolosa Press The Seven P’s of Sustainable Entrepreneurship Bottom Line By Michael Gunther T wenty years ago this month, I started my business in Atlanta, Georgia (I always have to put Georgia because my friends the Johnsons always get mixed up as to which Atlanta I am referring to) and have been plugging along evolving and changing over the last two decades. In reflection, I have identified lessons learned as an entrepreneur and a leader, that have allowed me to continue thriving both personally and professionally even after two decades of consulting — what I call the Seven P’s of sustainable entrepreneurship. 1. Purpose. My drive and motivation has always been to be of service and to assist individuals in achieving their goals. Over the years, I found myself getting diverted from my mission due to potential opportunities or challenges that were presented to me as a business owner. Having a clearly defined purpose or mission has become more important as I have grown my businesses to ensure I stay the course, which provides both intrinsic and extrinsic satisfaction. 2. People. They are the most critical component of any business — whether it is employees, customers or suppliers. Therefore, being relationship centered and truly caring about those you interact with only allows you to grow as a leader and achieve the goals you desire. It is not enough to have great people on a team. It is more critical you know how to lead and manage a team to optimize their strengths and abilities, which inspires them to want to help you accomplish whatever tasks are at hand. 3. Perception. You may feel you have all the answers or understand what is really happening with your organization, but you probably don’t truly know. There is immense value is obtaining an outside perspective from mentors, c o a c h e s , customers and employees. Don’t be afraid of receiving f e e d b a c k . A p p r o a c h feedback as one of the greatest gifts you can provide yourself to grow as a leader. 4. Persistence. Owning a business can be overwhelming and it can often feel lonely at the top. You may even question your own abilities or approaches as recessions, slumps, or marketplace challenges engulf your best-laid plans. Believe in yourself and in your team. Trust you can, as a group, get through any issue that presents itself by being creatively disciplined and adapting to any situation that comes your way. Don’t lose faith in the process or yourself. 5. Perseverance. You cannot rest on your laurels. You must constantly be striving to challenge the way you are doing business to ensure your relevance in the marketplace as well as to your customers. Become a relentless learner and never stop developing your knowledge or skills, otherwise you will eventually become extinct. 6. Profit. At the end of the day, you must be able to create a profitable entity. If not, your purpose, efforts and goals become meaningless. Become outcome focused not just with your internal metrics of performance, but also with the financial well being of your organization. The lack of consistent profit growth is a symptom of other issues within the organization and must be addressed feverishly as the leader. 7. Playfulness. Have fun with your business. You are going to spend more hours on your business than you do with most other adventures in your life. You have to make sure you are enjoying the journey, even with the ups and downs, along the way and capturing all the amazing moments and stories that you have experienced. Bottom Line I am so fortunate to have the opportunity to do what I love and create a business that impacts people’s lives and organizations in amazing ways. It hasn’t always been easy (there have been times when I wanted to give myself a two weeks notice), but I could not imagine a greater privilege than to have the opportunity to live your dream everyday through influencing others to achieve their dreams and potential, alongside an amazing team. It just doesn’t get any better than that. Here’s to the next 20! This is another article in a series on Michael Gunther’s entrepreneurial story and how being raised in a large family and his belief in creating a growth company with a work-to-live mentality has influenced his career. To read the previous articles in this series, visit his blog at: www.Collaborationllc.com. Michael Gunther is founder and president of Collaboration LLC, a team of highly skilled business professionals who are dedicated to assisting proactive business owners to build profitable, sustainable businesses through results-oriented education and consulting services. Learn more at: www.Collaboration-llc.com. Bottom Line is a regular feature of Tolosa Press. Tolosa Press • April 16 - 29, 2015 • 47 Upcoming HR Rules Blipping on the Radar Only Human By Betsey Nash, SPHR W hen hiring or promoting a department head at Home Depot, I was careful to explain that their salary was based on an expectation of their putting in about 55 hours a week. This wasn’t a 40-hour-a-week job and they were paid accordingly. Not long after I left, the company settled a class action lawsuit brought by assistant managers and department heads who claimed, and from my experience rightly so, that they were spending more of those hours on regular employee tasks than on management duties. They said that if they were throwing freight they should get overtime pay, too. In California, a manager has to spend more than 50% of their time on managing, not counting inventory, helping customers with routine requests, or cashiering, in order to be classified as exempt. The upshot of the case was that some management employees were reclassified as “non-exempt,” and thereafter were eligible for overtime and breaks. I am sure the company had to pay a fortune in penalties and back pay for missed overtime and breaks. Now the classification criteria established by the Fair Labor Standards Act is about to be changed, and the result will undoubtedly be more exempt employees reclassified and qualifying for overtime. The feds are expected to adopt California’s standard of 51% on the “duties” test and to raise the salary threshold. The salary threshold is the cut-off beyond which white-collar workers are no longer eligible for overtime. It is currently $23,600 (or $11.37 an hour for full time), which sounds low in San Francisco and New York, but makes sense in cities where the standard of living is not as high. It is rare to find a manager, especially in retail or hospitality, who is not spending time doing regular duties. So put it on your radar — audit your employees’ duties and pay now so you are not caught by surprise in the fall, when the new standards (not yet known) are expected to go into effect. Guidance is coming soon for “wellness programs.” Employee wellness programs have long been recognized as contributing to job satisfaction, as well as reducing medical and health insurance costs for the employer. The Affordable Care Act established maximum levels for employee incentives and tobacco cessation programs as high as 30%–50% of the cost of health care coverage, which is quite a testimony to their effectiveness. But they must be voluntary. The EEOC has recently filed lawsuits Dining against companies that imposed financial penalties on employees who did not participate. If they didn’t offer a reasonable alternative or waiver, penalties could be discriminatory against a disabled employee. And there’s a privacy concern, as well. Employers must have procedures in place to safeguard private medical information even as they measure weight, blood pressure and other wellness metrics in order to track and award improvement. Yes, it’s complicated, but there are best practices tips out there to help you. Google the non-profit “Employee Retail Services Text In To Receive Amazing Rewards From Your Favorite Local Brands Listed Below! Text The RED Key Word To 56955 Or Visit 805Loyal.Com Old San Luis BBQ BBQ The Sports Forum SPORTS Tea Berry TEABERRY Fattoush FATTOUSH Thai Thalay THAI Bliss Cafe BLISSCAFE Willow Market WILLOW SLO Good Garden & Gifts SLOGOOD The Pita Pit PITA Apropos Women’s Boutique APROPOS Clippers Barbershop CLIPPERS Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory ROCKY The Graduate GRADUATE Juice Do It JUICE CC Surfboards CCS Rustic Mug RUSTIC SLOCO Pasty SLOCO Pluto’s PLUTOS The Giant Grinder Shop GIANT BECOME A CUSTOMER OF 805 LOYAL Tanner’s Cove TANNERS visit 805loyal.com and click on “advertise with us” Benefit Research Institute” or the “National Business Group on Health.” And watch for rules from the EEOC that should help clarify the interaction between the ADA and wellness program incentives. Betsey Nash, SPHR, is a certified senior professional in human resources, sits on the county Civil Service Commission, and is past president of the Human Resources Association of the Central Coast. She can be reached at: bnash@strasbauch. com. Only Human is a regular feature of the Tolosa Press. 48 • April 16 - 29, 2015 • Tolosa Press 5 Tips to Improve Your Home For Less Than $500 On The Market By Nancy Puder Spruce Up The Entry You may not be able to afford a new door but you can give the one you have a fresh coat of paint, update the outside light fixture to something fresh, buy a new doormat and even put out a new pot of flowers all for under $500. S pending a lot of money to improve your home is not always feasible. Homeowners often find a challenge to put money aside for that anticipated remodel because «life» continually gets in the way. Here are some things, however, that will make your home more lovely and also help you to possibly save more towards the big remodel you hope to do someday. Paint Your Interior Walls One of my favorite sayings is that paint is worth $10 in the can and $1000 on the wall. Nothing changes the overall look of a room more than a fresh coat of paint. If you do the work yourself, you may even be able to upgrade your baseboards and add crown molding and stay within your budget. Enhance Your Curb Appeal Start at the curb and pull weeds in the driveway, clean up flower beds and trim bushes. You can do all of this and replace that old worn out mailbox all for under $500. Lighting Fixtures Nothing shouts old and boring like old light fixtures. You can find affordable and attractive light fixtures at many stores nowadays. If this project exceeds your budget of $500, consider changing out the light shades on some you can’t do the big remodel now. My hope is that some of these tips will help you to fall in love with your home again or at least allow you to enjoy it more this year. As always, call or text me with any specific questions you may have. of your table lamps for a fresh new look. Bathroom Upgrade For well under $200, you can install a new toilet that may save you thousands of gallons of water over time. With the money left over, you can upgrade the lighting fixture, storage cabinet and/or mirror. My advice is don’t give up because Nancy Puder is a real estate broker with Nancy Puder & Associates, the premier real estate boutique company in Arroyo Grande, Calif. Nancy Puder is one of the largest listing brokers on the Central Coast. Readers are welcome to call or text Nancy (805)710-2415 with specific questions about their property anytime. To access other real estate articles written by Nancy Puder, see: www.nancypuderassociates. com or email to: nancy@nancypuder. com Tolosa Press • April 16 - 29, 2015 • 49 From Trash to Tree Story by Gareth Kelly Photos courtesy of Alex Henige A s a San Diego native studying landscape architecture at Cal Poly, Alex Henige has spent many hours on the freeway travelling between the two places. Like many of us he noticed all the trash that is strewn along vehicle arteries crossing towns and cities. One day an idea popped into his head. “I was driving back home to San Diego, looking at all the trash when it hit me,” Henige said. “What if the trash could actually seed the land? What if the all this packaging contained seeds and could bio degrade and instead of trash, flowers popped up.” Upon returning to Cal Poly, Henige talked to a professor about taking a class in packaging. “The professor was really excited that someone from the landscape architect world was interested in packaging,” said Henige. “I took the class and learned all about packaging, how things are manufactured and how long things take to break down. It was really interesting. I decided to use my idea for my senior project.” He found a company in San Diego that could supply the paper he needed to make environmentally friendly cups. A paper that confirms to ASTM D6400 that breaks down within 180 days. He also found about 20 different California native species of seeds to put in the paper. Throw in a little beeswax to coat the inside, and his first prototype was made. “I started doing more research, looking at making reforestation areas and looking at what species of plants needed bringing back,” said Henige. “I realized in order to get real manufacturing, I needed to featured in Forbes.com, CNET the Today Show and even got over 350,000 views on a blogging site called boredpanda. com, oh and now I’m in SLO City News!” Not content with simply throwing trash away this young, bright-eyed surfer dude is hoping to change the way all communities use and reuse their waste. Henige hopes to have the final coffee cup product complete by the end of this September and is hoping to be in the SLO Hot House accelerator program. He also has other ideas he isn’t yet ready to share. Armed with youth, conviction in his beliefs and with a noble ideology, this young man hopes to change the world one coffee cup at a time. To find out more about this impressive millennial and his cup see: www.planttrash.com gauge real interest from the public so I started a kick-starter campaign. My goal was $10,000, but the response was huge, I got $21,000. I can now use this money to get access to manufacturers and also do a little marketing. The response to the product has been amazing. I’ve been As we turn into more a dust bowl what water saving ideas or stories do you have? Gareth would love to hear about them at: gareth@tolosapress.com Is your drinking getting in the way? Why not give Alcoholics Anonymous a try? For meeting times and locations or for more information, in San Luis Obispo County call (805) 541-3211 Toll Free (855) 541-3288 www.sloaa.org Love You the music w we play, You’re really going to love our morning news! m 50 • April 16 - 29, 2015 • Tolosa Press Prices Are Born Here And Raised Elsewhere A New COO, Zoo Passes Test and Fitness Guru Honored Business News and Announcements Compiled by Camas Frank San Luis Obispo County is celebrating National County Government Month in April with several public activities, including tours at SLO County Regional Airport and a volunteer workday to clean up areas around Lopez Lake Recreation Area. The theme for this year’s National County Government Month focuses primarily on transportation and infrastructure as, “the building blocks for a safe, healthy, livable, prosperous and well-governed community.” See: www.slocounty. ca.gov for details. The largest inventory on the Central Coast! Locally owned and operated for over 20 years. The big yellow building across from Smart & Final. 252 Higuera St, San Luis Obispo Call Us: 544-9259 or 541-8473 The 5 Cities Swim School was recently honored with a Chamber of Commerce Business Beautification Award Now Accepting New Patients... The SLO Chamber welcomed new member, the Grocery Outlet, with a ribbon cutting ceremony last month. Grocery Outlet is a national bargain chain with the newest branch at 1314 Madonna Road in the Laguna Village Shopping Center. The store is owned and operated by Ryan and Trust Your Honda to the People Who Know Honda Best. Including Children! SORINA RATCHFORD, DDS General & Cosmetic Dentistry New Services Crowns & Bridges Extractions Periodontal Surgery Implants Invisalign® Root Canals Dentures Morro Bay FAMILY DENTISTRY 747 Bernardo Ave, Morro Bay | (805) 772-8585 | ratchforddds@gmail.com Is your “CHECK ENGINE LIGHT” on? Come in for a FREE BASIC INSPECTION UÊ,ÕÊÃV>ÊÌÊÌiÃÌ UÊ,iÌÀiÛiÊ`>}ÃÌVÊV`i UÊ,i«ÀÌÊ`V>Ìi`ÊÀi«>ÀÃÊÀÊvÕÀÌ iÀÊ`>}ÃÌVÊii`à We sell tires! We honor all Honda and Acura coupons Factory trained technicians Free local shuttle service Serving the SLO area since 1977 One coupon per customer. One per visit. Valid only at Sunset Honda. Please present coupon at time of write-up. Cannot be combined with any other coupon or discount. Expires 01/31/15. 805-544-9500 12250 Los Osos Valley Road San Luis Obispo www.sunsethonda.com Sales: Mon-Fri 7:30am-5:30pm Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 11am-4pm Service & Parts: Mon-Fri 7am-8pm Sat 8am-4pm FOR OUR NORTH COUNTY FRIENDS: Visit our Sunset Service Center, 4850 El Camino Real, Atascadero. Open Mon-Fri 8:00am-5:00pm. Please call for an appointment: 805-462-8199. N O W O P E N S A T U R D AY S 8 : 0 0 A M - 4 : 0 0 P M I N S L O ! Tolosa Press • April 16 - 29, 2015 on advising and supporting divisional operations in each of the six PathPoint divisions. Morris & Garritano has been named “2014 Brokerage Firm of the Year for the Greater Los Angeles Area,” including San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura The 5 Cities Swim School was recently honored counties, by Anthem Marielle DeFazio has been with a Chamber of Commerce Business Blue Cross, Large hired as PathPoint’s fi rst Chief Beautification Award Group Division. Operations Officer Morris & Garritano’s innovative benefit The International Shannon Parrish, who relocated to strategies and multi-year solutions Symposium SLO from Washington. The store Chardonnay were commended by Anthem sells refrigerated and frozen foods, kicks off at the end of May Blue Cross for working to provide fresh produce, meat, organics, in Pismo Beach. Featuring top employers with creative solutions to dry groceries, beer and wine, global Chardonnay winemakers, minimize the transitional effects of household, and health and beauty the event will be held May 28-30 complying with the new healthcare at The Dolphin Bay Resort & Spa products. and The Cliffs Resort. A sampling provisions of the Affordable Care of panel discussions includes a Act. “With healthcare reform,” Employee Benefits Manager, Celia Mike Z. Robinson, founder Hanzell Vineyards and Mount Eden Silacci, said, “we’ve been working so Vineyards retrospective tasting of San Luis Obispo-based hard to ensure that our clients are Personal Training Studio, MZR moderated by Fred Dame, and “To getting the best possible solution, Fitness has again been selected Oak Or Not To Oak? Exploring so to receive this recognition lets by the IDEA Fitness Committee as Chardonnay as the Chameleon us know that all our hard work is being one of the “Top 3 Personal of Vitis Vinifera,” moderated paying off.” Morris & Garritano is Trainers in the World.” He’s had the by Brian McClintic. Additional one of just five brokers in the state distinction for three of the last four events include a vintners’ wine that have been working hand-inyears. The IDEA Health & Fitness tech symposium, artisan sausage hand with Anthem to introduce a Association is the world’s largest for and Chardonnay pairings, a new product line over the past six fitness and wellness professionals sommelier Chardonnay challenge, months. Founded in 1885, Morris & with over 250,000 members. “This two grand tastings and La Paulée Garritano is a full-service insurance Top 3 award recognizes individuals Dinner and Awards Ceremony. To agency focusing on business whose outstanding leadership learn about and for tickets, see: insurance, workers compensation, inspires staff and influences both thechardonnaysymposium.com. employee benefits, personal lines, active and under active people surety and life insurance. See: www. to commit to a healthy lifestyle morrisgarritano.com for more on Marielle DeFazio has been through successful, creative and the firm. diverse fitness programming,” hired as PathPoint’s first Chief said Robinson. “The IDEA Health Operations Officer. Founded in & Fitness Awards are considered Santa Barbara in 1964, PathPoint to be the fitness industry’s highest p r o v i d e s form of recognition and have been support services presented annually since 1985. So that empower with it’s a really big deal in our field to people be recognized as a Top 3 finalist and d i s a b i l i t i e s , again. I’m just excited and humbled e c o n o m i c by this opportunity to be included disadvantages, mental with such a prominent group of and illness to live fitness professionals.” and work as valued The 5 Cities Swim School m e m b e r s their was recently honored with of communities. a Chamber of Commerce Business Beautification Award P a t h P o i n t San for new landscaping surrounding serves Obispo, the center. Notable but not pictured Luis are colorful fish designed and made Santa Barbara, by a French artist hanging above Ventura, Kern the pool. In the photo left to right and Los Angeles are: Mary Giambalvo, Adriana counties. As the Pitchford, David Aldana, Nan nonprofit’s first COO, DeFazio Fowler, and Linda Osty. will concentrate • 51 The Association of Zoos & Aquariums announced that the Charles Paddock Zoo in Atascadero was granted accreditation by AZA’s Independent Accreditation Commission. “Only zoos and aquariums that meet the highest standards are accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums,” said AZA President and CEO, Jim Maddy. “The community should take great pride in knowing that the Charles Paddock Zoo is a proven leader in the care and conservation of wildlife, and in inspiring people to take action to protect the natural world.” To be accredited, the zoo underwent a thorough review to ensure it has and will continue to meet ever-rising standards, which include animal care, veterinary programs, conservation, education, and safety. AZA requires zoos and aquariums to successfully complete this rigorous accreditation process every five years. The accreditation process includes a detailed application and a meticulous on-site inspection by a team of trained zoo and aquarium professionals. The inspecting team observes all aspects of the institution’s operation, including animal care, keeper training, safety for visitors, staff and animals, educational programs, conservation efforts, veterinary programs, financial stability, risk management, visitor services, and other areas. To learn more, see: www.aza.org. Send business briefs for consideration to: reporter@ tolosapress.com. Capture Life on the Coast No Matter Where You Live... FABRICS: Irish White Herringbone: Cream white cable pattern Block Island Sand: Heavy-gauge, washed ecru linen pattern Heron Grey Honeycomb: Pale grey linen texture, contrasting honeycomb embroidery COASTAL-INSPIRED FINISHES Saltbox White: Clean, pure white. 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