here - Tolosa Press
Transcription
here - Tolosa Press
Volume 28 • Issue 13 • December 17 - 30 , 2015 YOUR COMMUNITY IN YOUR HANDS LOS OSOS MORRO BAY CAYUCOS CAMBRIA Santa Claus rode with the Cal Fire Sta. 15 crew and their families Dec. 12 in the Chamber of Commerce’s 2015 Los Osos Christmas Parade. More photos on Page 41. Photo by Neil Farrell City Cleans Up Encampments By Neil Farrell S mall groups of homeless people lingered along The Embarcadero, their possessions piled on the sidewalk. A man rode a bike down the Harborwalk bike lane, trailing a second bike with him. Another man toted black trash bags stuffed with presumably his possessions, balanced precariously as he pedals away from the work crews. Such was the scene on the approach to the City of Morro Bay’s Dec. 10-11 mass cleanup of homeless encampments in both the sand dunes along the Harborwalk, and along Morro Creek, a short distance away. City Manager David Buckingham and Police Chief Amy Christey led a cadre of City workers, and reporters on a tramp through the creek and into woods growing at the rear of Lila Keiser Park. Two representatives of Dynegy, which owns most of the effected property, also tagged along. A large pile of stuff — bicycles, a wicker trunk, and miscellaneous other things — was piled alongside the fence bordering the Fishermen’s Gear Storage Yard. This is stuff the owner had gathered in advance of the cleanup. Another man, a well-known local fellow, was hurrying to try and salvage what he could. He shouted at the City work crew, because he thought he had until the next day (Dec. 11) to get his stuff out. Buckingham spoke to him, and the man, who will not be tolosapress.com Big Check for CCMMA Page 3 Christmas Parade Page 12 named for this story, rushed back and forth across the dry creek bed, into a thicket to grab more of his items. Asked how he was? He replied, “I’ll be OK. I’m a survivor.” He revealed that he’s been living in the creek for 12 years. Traversing well-worn paths meandering through the creek bed, several encampments appear, scattered amongst poison oak and trees that have been pruned to make clearings. On a rise above the creek, at the edge of the woods, another local man, who grew up in Morro Bay and raised a son here, was startled by the work crew but resigned to the fact that they were there to move him out. He had a tremendous amount of stuff including a 4-man tent with a mattress inside, a bedroom in the woods. Police officers and City workers combed through his somewhat meager belongings, helping him sort though it, identifying so-called personal possessions that he would keep, and what would be thrown into a roll-off garbage dumpster. It was the third dumpster put out by Dynegy in advance of the cleanup. The other two had already been filled and hauled away. The homeless folks have been doing some self-cleaning, too. “Hey Neil,” the man called out to this reporter. “Please don’t put my picture in the paper.” The City has been posting flyers for more than a month in advance of the cleanup, the first since 2010. Chief Christey said on Thursday that they had met no resistance and to her knowledge, no one had been ticketed. Some 20 City employees took part, along with 24 California Conservation Corps., members. Buckingham See Clean-Up, page 12 2 • Contents December 17 - 30, 2015 • Bay 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 Table of Big Donation for Maritime Museum ........................ 3 A Happy Holidays WIsh for Peace and Health.......11 Twas the Night Before Christmas ............................ 5 Central Coast Lifestyle ..................................... 13-18 Police Blotter ......................................................6-7 Holiday Guide ................................................19-30 Cayucos Christmas Open House ............................ 8 Central Coast Life ...........................................31-36 Cayucos Shooterʼs Aim Hits Top............................. 9 Dinner and a Movie ............................................ 36 MBHS Grads Among Top Frosh Runners ................. 9 Cambria Market Lights Up the Night .................... 37 Michelle Johnson art director Meathead Owners Donate $150,000 .................. 10 A Joyful Christmas on Safari ................................ 41 Christy Serpa editorial design Work Continues on Hwy 1 ....................................11 Business Matters .............................................42-47 Kathrene Tiffin copy editor Firefirghter Family Needs Help .............................11 Biz Briefs ............................................................ 47 Dana Shanahan administrative assistant Marisa DeArmas event and marketing assistant admin@simplyclearmarketing.com ADVERTISING Jessica Micklus sales manager jessica@simplyclearmarketing.com Dana McGraw senior advertising executive dana@tolosapress.com Zorina Ricã coast news advertising executive z@tolosapress.com Carrie Vickerman bay news advertising executive carrie@tolosapress.com David Diaz digital marketing CONTRIBUTING WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Teri Bayus Michael Gunther King Harris Vivian Krug Evanne Mingori Betsey Nash SLO Nightwriters Ray Ambler Erin O’Donnell Judy Salamacca David Buckingham Nancy Puder 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. Ends Sat 12 12/19 DEALS THROUGHOUT THE STORE $ 10 OFF $20 OR MORE *ONE COUPON PER CUSTOMER. NOT VALID ON GIFT CARDS, iPHONE, OR PRIOR PURCHASES. EXPIRES ON 12/31/15 phone (805) 543-6397 fax (805) 772-4625 615 Clarion Ct., #2, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 www.tolosapress.com Call 543-NEWS $ 50 OFF $250 OR MORE *ONE COUPON PER CUSTOMER. NOT VALID ON GIFT CARDS, iPHONE, OR PRIOR PURCHASES. EXPIRES ON 12/31/15 Next to Target · SLO Products you love | People you trust (805) 781-6227 macsuperstore.com Bay News • December 17 - 30, 2015 News • 3 Big Donation for Maritime Museum By Neil Farrell T here’s been more activity in the past couple of years than the previous 23 years he’s been working on it, said Larry Newland, president of the Central Coast Maritime Museum Association. And thanks to a big check from the Morro Bay Harbor Festival, that forward momentum can continue. Harbor Fest board members met with CCMMA members Dec. 5 at the Deep Sea Rescue Vehicle Avalon, which the Museum Association has on display in the Front Street parking lot, to swap stories, give updates on the progress and to accept a $10,000 donation. That money was culled from the 2015 Harbor Festival, which was held Oct. 3 on the Embarcadero. The festival had a new look, new location and new emphasis. Instead of relying on hundreds of volunteers representing numerous non profits, and then paying each a small amount in compensation, the festival used very few volunteers and focused its charitable giving on just one organization — the Maritime Museum. Out-going president John Solu said, “Thank you for all you do in this town,” summing up the feelings of the board. Newland explained that work on establishing a small, temporary museum is well underway with CCMMA now working to raise an estimated $30,000 to pay for a portable b u i l d i n g (about the size of a 2-car garage), to be erected in the City’s so-called Triangle lot at the end of Front Street. The City already moved and rebuilt the entrance to the gravel parking lot, which it acquired from Dynegy, and poured a couple of slabs. One will have the building on it and the other the Avalon, which will be set to rest on a specially made trailer. The CCMMA also is working on a steel cradle for the historic tugboat Alma, which has been painstakingly refurbished, painted and looks almost new, as she sits on a cradle in the Harbor Department’s storage yard NEW LISTING!!! NEW LISTING!!! Beautiful coastal retreat 2 blocks from the bay! Located in desirable Cuesta by the Sea, this bright and stylish home has been completely remodeled including an Ikea kitchen and bathroom, with designer finishes throughout. Situated on a spacious corner lot with a large workshop and room to expand. Close to kayaking, mountain biking, beaches, golf and more. Make the Central Coast lifestyle yours! Too new for photos! Duplex in beautiful Morro Bay Heights! 3 bed/1 bath upstairs 2 bed/1 bath downstairss 2 Car Garage $625,000 Want to know what your house is worth? Want to know what your house is worth? Let me help you buy or sell your home today! Let me help you buy or sell your home today! Call Leslie! 528-2020 awaiting her debut in public. The Alma played a key role in the rescue of the crew of the doomed oil tanker Montebello. That ship, which had just filled its tanks at Port San Luis and was motoring north to refineries in the Bay Area, was struck by torpedoes from a Japanese submarine on Dec. 23, 1941 and sank, just weeks after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in the first Japanese attack on the U.S. mainland. (See: www. cambriahistoricalsociety.com/history_ montebello for more on the incident.) It was donated to the Museum by the Sylvester Family, which operated it for decades as a tanker escort for Chevron’s Estero Marine Terminal, helping tankers into position to load oil. The Alma had pretty much been put out to pasture for many years, replaced by two much larger tugs, the Richard and Clive, in the final years of the terminal’s operations, which ceased in 1999. The Museum has the Avalon, the Alma and a Coast Guard rollover boat for static displays, as well as numerous other marine artifacts to display inside the new building. In the photo are members of the CCMMA’s board of directors and Harbor Festival Board members. Photo by Neil Farrell Leslie L. Lee, Broker, CRS, GRI Shoreline Properties 1316 2nd St., Baywood Park 805.528.2020/805.459.7670 License #01218232 Call Leslie! 528-2020 Leslie L. Lee, Broker, CRS, GRI Shoreline Properties 1316 2nd St., Baywood Park 805.528.2020/805.459.7670 License #01218232 Call the Broker with the SOLD signs! Another one SOLD by Nancy! Happy Holidays to my wonderful clients & friends! Delightful 3 bedroom home perfectly located close to beach, dunes, and park. This home and neighborhood has a wonderful country ambiance. Great kitchen & expansive countertop opens to ample dining area. Plenty of room for large table & chairs, buffet and bar stools. Room to park a boat in rear yard and plenty of parking. No HOA fees! Call Nancy Puder (805) 710-2415 Kelly Vandenheuvel Broker Associate; GRI CalBRE#01472453 I Can Sell Yours Too Call Me Today! www.centralcoastsales.com kellyv@centralcoastsales.com 805-471-1046 Happy Holidays! The end of the year brings no greater joy than the opportunity to express my gratitude to you — my clients and friends. May your holidays and New Year be filled with joy and laughter! SHERRY PECKHOON SIM Owner/Broker, REALTOR®, Sims & Company Real Estate Services CIPS, RSPS, SRES, E-PRO, GREEN, SFR, CHS, CDPE, IMSD Cal BRE # 01385503 SherrySim.com | 805-234-4315 ! o o o H H H Bay News • December 17 - 30, 2015 Twas the Night Before Christmas • 5 By Clement Clarke Moore T was the night before Christmas, when all through the house A wink of his eye and a twist of his head, So up to the house-top the coursers they flew, Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread. Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too. He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, and filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there. The children were nestled all snug in their beds, And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof h The prancing and pawing of each little hoof. He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, H and a away they all flew like the down of a thistle. While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads. And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap, And laying his finger aside of his nose, and giving a nod, up the chimney he rose! As I drew in my head, and was turning around, But Bu I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight, Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap. When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter. Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound. “Happy “Hap “H ap Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!” hiss He was dressed all in fur, from hi head to his foot, Away to the window I flew like a flash, Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash. The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot. A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back, Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below. When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack. But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer. His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry! With a little old driver, so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick. More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name! His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry! “Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! On, Cupid! On Donner and Blitzen! The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall! And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath. He had a broad face and a little round belly, Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!” As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow. That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly! He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself! Clement C Clem lem Clarke Moore (1779-1863), wrote the poem ‘Twas ‘T Twa wass the night before Christmas also called “A Visit from fr rom m St. S Nicholas” in 1822. Itt iiss n now the tradition in many American families to read the poem every Christmas Eve. The poem redefined the image of Christmas and Santa Claus. Prior to the poem, St. Nicholas, the patron saint of children, had never been associated with a sleigh or reindeers. Moore was a reticent man and it is believed that a family friend, Miss H. Butler, sent a copy of the poem to the New York Sentinel, which published the poem with the condition that the author would remain anonymous. The first publication date was Dec. 23, 1823 and it was an immediate success. It was not until 1844 that Clement Clarke Moore claimed ownership when the work was included in a book of his poetry. Clement Clarke Moore came from a prominent family and his father, Benjamin Moore, was the Bishop of New York who was famous for officiating at the inauguration of George Washington. The tradition of reading ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve is now a worldwide institution. When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky. 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Not valid with any other offer. Duplicated coupons will not be accepted. Coupon must be surrendered at time of purchase. Expires 12/31/15 7/(1#2ɥƘnjƏƕnjƏƕƥ 6 • December 17 - 30, 2015 • Tolosa Press Arroyo Grande • Dec. 7: A man and a woman on the 900 block of Rancho Parkway were arrested for narcotics possession and parole violation. The couple that gets arrested together stays together, just in different cells. • Dec. 7: An apparently really small bicycle was stolen out of an unlocked car on Ash Street. • Dec. 5: A utility trailer was stolen from a driveway on Via la Barranca. • Dec. 3: A surfboard and bag were stolen from the front of a house on Miller Way. Way to harsh a mellow. • Dec. 3: Credit cards were stolen from a purse that was in a trunk of a car on the 1200 block of James Way. The cards were used at several locations in SLO. • Dec. 3: Two people reportedly forced three storage units open on Camino Mercado and stole no doubt all the good stuff before taking off in a car. • Dec. 2: Someone with a warrant for parole violation reportedly stole things from Walmart. Morro Bay • Dec. 6: Someone reported some creep lurking about at 3 p.m. in the 700 block of Butte. Police contacted a 51-year-old fellow and logs indicated he was arrested for the unholy trinity — alleged possession of drugs, paraphernalia and being higher than Black Hill on dope. Oh, yeah, and indecent exposure too, because when you’re stoned and outdoors, the world’s your toilet. • Dec. 6: Police were called to a disturbance at 2:15 p.m. in the 900 block of Allesandro. They arrested a louse for suspicion of spousal abuse, false imprisonment, battery, and busting the phone, no doubt trying to prevent what happened next — he went to the gaol. • Dec. 6: A citizen in the 900 block of Pacific said his or her locked car was burgled. • Dec. 5: A woman in the 500 block of Kings told 9-1-1 emergency that on Dec. 5 sometime from 2-10 a.m. someone got into her unlocked VW Bug and stole $34 out of the driver’s side glove compartment, no doubt her emergency cash. • Dec. 5: People in the Heights Neighborhood near the golf course awoke to a string of car burglaries. Two cases were reported in the 400 block and one in the 300 block of Arcadia; two in the 300 block of Tulare; two more in the 300 block of Kings, a case of there be a fungus among us. All were unlocked with miscellaneous items stolen, and in one case the thief apparently Police Blotter dropped his booty nearby. Logs indicated they took fingerprints at one scene on Kings and await word from CSI. • Dec. 4: Police were called at 8:30 p.m. to Reno Court for a reported troublesome juvenile. A report was taken, and they’re in trouble now. • Dec. 4: Police responded to a disturbance at 3:55 p.m. in the 1900 block of Main. Some hacksaw was nailed for suspicion of being hammered in a tool shed and the screwdriver was hauled to the wood shed to sleep it off. • Dec. 4: A woman in the 400 block of Yerba Buena told police that some scoundrel used her identity to get a cell phone line and is no doubt running up the minutes as they run off their mouth. • Dec. 4: Someone reported a disturbance in the 400 block of South Bay and a 41-year-old woman was busted for suspicion of possessing and being UTI on drugs. She was checked into the county rescue mission. • Dec. 4: A man in the 400 block of Kern told police that between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. the night before, some moron smashed out the back window of his camper shell, no doubt the same fiendish thief at work the next night. • Dec. 3: Police responded at 12:12 p.m. to a disturbance in the 800 block of Piney Way. A 31-year-old gander was arrested for suspicion of being honked. He was tossed in a tank to thank. • Dec. 2: Police responded to a disturbance at 8:53 p.m. in the 900 block of Main. Logs indicated they arrested two schwasted dudes ages 24 and 32 and they shared a black and white cab to the hoosegow. • Dec. 2: Police impounded a trailer sitting in the 2900 block of Cedar supposedly for expired tags and being parked in the street obstructing traffic, but mainly because it pi**ed somebody off. • Dec. 2: Someone found a wallet down by the Rock and someone found an iPhone at Hwy 1 and Bay Boulevard. Logs indicated it was a spat between the caller and his 53-year-old girlfriend. Police separated the two lovebirds in opposite directions. • Dec. 1: At 7:37 p.m. a woman in the 500 block of Bernardo told police that some joker was getting in her pick up. The squirrel bolted before officers arrived. • Dec. 1: And in the loss-found department… Different citizens turned in a wallet, a car key, a cell phone, a passport, and a fishing knife and rug that was left in the launch ramp lot. But then some citizen in the 900 block of Marina reported a theft with undisclosed loss. And the topper was police impounding some scofflaw’s car that was parked too long in the 200 block of Olive. Pismo Beach • Dec. 10: A transient in front of California Fresh was yelling profanities at employees and then cast a spell on one of them. The would-be wizard was advised against trespassing. • Dec. 10: A caller on the 100 block of Terrace, who was possibly tipsy, was getting in and out of a car and wandering around an apartment complex. Meanwhile another person was changing clothes and attempting to get into a car. And, if that wasn’t suspicious enough, there was a SUV with its doors open and stuff was on the ground while a car alarm sounded somewhere in “A 2-4-year-old child was reportedly in a car alone for about 20 minutes on the 600 block of Dolliver. The mother of the year told police that it was for a shorter time.” the area. • Dec. 9: A 2-4-year-old child was reportedly in a car alone for about 20 minutes on the 600 block of Dolliver. The mother of the year told police that it was for a shorter time. “A citizen in the 700 block of Clearview • Dec. 9: Two underage reported some no doubt Angel of boys who appeared to be hammered swaddled health going door-to-door selling out of 7-Eleven on foot. nutrition books. Olʼ Rafael gave ʻem the slip.” • Dec. 9: A woman was passed out behind the wheel of a car at a gas Yerba Buena, both were turned in pump at Chevron. She was tired not to police. The day before, someone under the influence. in the 500 block of Monterey had • Dec. 8: A possible municipal code his or her bike stolen. violation was reported north of • Dec. 1: A disturbance erupted the pier where some wood rat was at 8:44 p.m. at Napa and Morro sleeping in a tent under a fallen tree. No one was in the tent, so did the tree make any noise when it fell? • Dec. 8: A woman near California Fresh reportedly approached a caller and said she was having an asthma attack and needed a ride to Motel 6. Police were unable to locate her. • Dec. 8: A woman checked in for three nights at Cottage Inn by the Sea and paid with a credit card. She later extended her stay by one night but reportedly failed to pay for that part. • Dec. 8: A female was busted after she stole items from Calire’s in the Outlet Center and had made her way to another store likely with the hopes of stealing more. • Dec. 8: A man reported that while he was busy at the police department picking up property, someone was busy stealing stuff off his bicycle parked outside the stationhouse. • Dec. 8: Extra patrols were requested in the evening hours on 2600 block of Solano after beer bottles and cans were strewn all over the walkway. • Dec. 8: Police were unable to locate a woman at an ATM on the 200 block of Pomeroy who was reportedly acting odd and carrying a huge wad of cash. • Dec. 4: Someone cut a lock off a freezer at Pismo Coast Village and stole food. San Luis Obispo • Dec. 11: Police were called at 4:49 a.m. from the 700 block of Marsh because a black Mazda was parked with the engine running and the interior lights on. No report, it being more nuisance than crime. • Dec. 11: A red Ford Escape couldn’t escape getting towed at 3:44 a.m. out of the Stenner Glen apartments. • Dec. 11: A suspicious vehicle was reported in a hit-n-split at 3 a.m. in the 1200 block of Phillips. Logs indicated it was a white sedan with an Asian man driving. A 31-yearold man whose name has a lot of vowels was nicked for suspicion of breaking Rule No. 1 — don’t drive on a toot. • Dec. 11: At 2:37 a.m. someone at Motel 6 on Calle Joaquin reported a woman SCREAMING!!! in the room one floor up. • Dec. 11: At 2:30 a.m. someone at SLO Brew reported a transient rag picker digging through the garbage and laying it out, no doubt to see what treasures lay within. • Dec. 11: A citizen called at 12:14 a.m. from the 3100 block of Estelita and said a man was standing outside the apartment and from the looks of Tolosa Press • December 17 - 30, 2015 • 7 Madelyn’s Ap pparel pa r el him is fuzzed-up. Homeless Daycare Center. Logs • Dec. 10: There was a loud party indicated the woman who called in the 100 block of Stenner. Police said a man yelled at her and called were called at 11:42 and again her names, no doubt — BLEEP! at 11:44 p.m. A “Don’t make me BLEEPing BLEEP-BLEEP!!! come out here again!” warning was given. “Someone reported some creep There was another lurking about at 3 p.m. in the 700 loud party complaint at block of Butte. Police contacted a 11:16 in the first block 51-year-old fellow and logs indicated of Rafael. No violation he was arrested for the unholy that time. And at 10:38, trinity — alleged possession of drugs, in the 2100 block of paraphernalia and being higher Santa Ynez, another than Black Hill on dope. Oh, yeah, party had the neighbors and indecent exposure too, because poopin’ themselves when youʼre stoned and outdoors, with a bunch of revelers the worldʼs your toilet.” on a balcony. They too got a stern talking to. • Dec. 10: Someone reported a smash-n-dash at 8 p.m. • Dec. 10: A woman called at 2:49 at the Murray Street Station Apts. p.m. asking police to go to an • Dec. 10: At 7:43 p.m., someone apartment complex in the 500 block reported a drunk or stoned loiterer of Ramona to check the welfare of going in and out of the CVS store on her apparently not-too-close friend, Madonna, no doubt waiting for a as she didn’t know what apartment prescription. she lives in. • Dec. 10: A citizen called 9-1-1 at • Dec. 10: Someone in the 2900 7:10 p.m. from a parking garage in block of Higuera called at 12:48 the 800 block of Palm and said a p.m. asking police to check the woman just left driving erratically. welfare of a barefoot transient old Cha Cha Muldowney got away. In man who was using a wooden pallet an unrelated call, a woman stalled for a redneck ladder. her black Honda Civic in the turn • Dec. 10: Police were called at lane on Madonna at LOVR. 12:30 p.m. to the 800 block of • Dec. 11: Someone called at 6:38 Higuera because a dog had been left p.m. from Heritage Oaks Bank in the rain tied up to a bench for 40 in the 3300 block of Higuera to minutes outside Victoria’s Secret, report suspicious trolls under a though surely there must be worse bridge behind the bank on Prado. places to get tide up. The bad owner No arrests. At 6:18, someone in returned. the 900 block of Foothill reported a transient mole passed out under • Dec. 10: Police were called at 11 a.m. to the 300 block of Santa Rosa the building at Charlie’s Place. because some transient joker was • Dec. 11: Someone reported a aggressively panhandling at Jack heinous crime at 5:38 p.m. at Palm in the Box. The weasel left before and Osos — some degenerate was he got popped. At 10:43 a.m. in the smoking! — a hanging offense in 12300 block of LOVR, someone San Loony. reported a transient man snoozin’ • Dec. 10: Police were called at 5:34 on a mattress in a breezeway next p.m. to the Laurel and Orcutt bus to Quality Tinting. stop because some person wrapped • Dec. 10: Someone in the 400 block in a blanket was hogging the entire of Buena Vista left his or her car bus bench, in this week’s example unlocked and of course some jackal of why we need SWAT. boosted it. Police put out the BOL • Dec. 10: A citizen in the 700 block on the wire. of Clearview reported some no • Dec. 10: Some scoundrel smashed doubt Angel of health going door- the passenger side window of a to-door selling nutrition books. Ol’ vehicle at Devaul and Tonini and Rafael gave ‘em the slip. stole whatever was handy. An • Dec. 10: At 3:24 p.m. someone at unlocked car parked behind Sears Higuera and Granada complained was burgled too, which begs the question — about an RV parked Is it better to blocking the bike the car lane and in a red “A man reported that while leave unlocked if zone. It was wisely he was busy at the police they’re going moved before police department picking up to smash and arrived. property, someone was grab? • Dec. 10: A busy stealing stuff off his disturbance was bicycle parked outside the reported at 3:08 stationhouse.” p.m. at the Prado ALWAYS STYLISH... ALWAYS AFFORDABLE... Add sparkle to your wardrobe for a New Year’s Eve celebration! 805.473.8001 Madelyn’s has 30% Savings for all party apparel Tues-Sat: 10:30 am-5:30 pm 893 Oak Park Blvd., Pismo Beach CVS Shopping Center Never miss an issue! Now it’s easier than ever to get the paper delivered straight to your inbox! Read us & sign-up online to catch the latest news! tolosapress.com COLD BEER HOT SHAVE It’s time for a hot shave! Hot Towel Hot Lather, Straight Razor Neck & Face Shave Walk-Ins Welcome or Visit us online for a full list of services & convenient booking MODERN HAIRCUTS FOR MEN & WOmen www.clippersbarber.com | 805-783-CUTS (2887) | 1351 Monterey, SLO 8 • December 17 - 30, 2015 • Bay News Community Cayucos Christmas Open House Photos by Neil Farrell H undreds of people came out Saturday, Dec. 12 for the Annual Cayucos Christmas Open House, with many businesses open late and offering free goodies, coffee, soup and more. The Hillbillies Band led carolers with a decorated covered wagon as a backdrop. Two horse drawn wagons rode folks around town and the Morro Bay trolley gave free tours as well. The Rotary Club set up a wondrous little Santa House and folks lined up to get a photo with their little ones in Santa’s lap, Mrs. Claus sitting by his side. Businesses got into the spirit with some great light displays, of note the Sea Shanty, Shoreline Inn and Seaside Motel, among numerous others. Eligible for a 30% Federal Tax Credit Receive an average of $850 with federal tax credit eligiblity Chet’s Tubular Skylights TLCT Ponds and More L C aylor & ogan ervenka, owners Wish you a joyous holiday season! New Skylight & Sun Tunnel Installation Replace & Repair Existing Skylights Pond Cleaning Water Plants Koi Reptiles Monthly Pond & Fountain Service Velux Skylights – Engineered Not to Leak No Matter How Severe the Weather 10% OFF Pond Cleaning 800.824.3877 805.528.1801 Licensed Roofing Contractor # 448726 Offer expires 2/29/16 207 Higuera Street San Luis Obispo 805.543.2210 Bay News • December 17 - 30, 2015 Community • 9 Cayucos Shooter’s Aim Hits Top By Neil Farrell A Cayucos man has doubled down on a high finish in a World Championship s h o o t i n g competition, going from a third-place finish back in October to winning a title in November. T r e n t o n Mitsuoka, 34, was the overall winner in the Rimfire Rifle Open Division contest at the World Shooting Championships, a.k.a. The Steel Challenge, held at the Hogue Pistol Range off Hwy 1 between Cuesta College and Morro Bay. The range is next to the San Luis Sportsmen’s shooting range. Mitsuoka said he finished first in the rifle Open Division, fifth in the Rimfire Pistol Division and seventh in the Iron Sight Revolver shoot. A relative newcomer to the sport of quick shooting, Mitsuoka, had taken third overall and second in the Open Division at the 2015 National Shooting Sports Foundation’s Rimfire Challenge World Championships, held Oct. 10-11 in Fort Smith, Ark. Rimfire refers to .22-cal. rifles and pistols, which like with larger caliber competitions, used soft lead bullets to avoid ricochets. With seven targets, the objective is to hit all the targets firing as quickly as you can. Mitsuoka is a videographer by trade, and a semi-professional shooter, he told The Bay News. He’s a former martial artist, and grew up competing in judo, where he earned the rank of second degree black belt and won multiple junior and youth national titles. Seems that competitive spirit followed him into competitive shooting. “I started competitive shooting about 3-years ago,” he told The Bay News. “I grew up doing judo and trained a lot. I found that shooting guns is just like doing judo, requiring all the same skills. Hand-eye coordination, hand dexterity, and fast reflexes are required for both sports.” Mitsuoka is sponsored by Apex Tactical Specialties, Inc., Hogue, Inc., Allchin Gun Parts, and recently joined Tactical Solutions, he said. You could say that he’s now caught the competition bug in his new chosen sport. “I can’t wait until next season!” he said. “I’m making plans to travel to events all over the U.S. and hopefully overseas next year.” Taking second in Rimfire Division at the November worlds was Kurt Grimes and third was John Allchin. The overall champion was Max Michel according to the WSSC website (see: www.worldspeedshoot.com/2015wssc), setting a world record in the process and earning the official title of “Steel Master.” Michel won the Open and Production Divisions, setting the record in the Production Division. He also took top honors in the Rimfire Pistol Division, setting a new world record in the process. Top woman shooter was Jessie Duff who won the ladies open and limited divisions and the Rimfire pistol shoot. The World Championships return to the Hogue range next Aug. 25-27. Spectators are welcome and advised to wear eye and hearing protection. '$+1.'*#,!!"'' !+,-*&, !+,*& .!&-! Where Grand meets the sand &)-!,"#$#,#!+,''%%' ,! -(,'(!'($! LIVE MUSIC FRIDAY iV°Ê£nÌ ÊUÊ5:30-8:30pm MANNY ENGLISH '& /*# / (%$'+! !!*#&!(!#$+ *#!((!,#0!*+ ,-* /-& / (%$'+! !!*#&!(!#$+ SATURDAY iV°ÊÓÈÌ ÊUÊ5:30-8:30pm JOHN CONNELLY 20% OFF Sale Hurry! Sale Ends Soon! Exp. 12/24/15 MBHS Grads Among Top Frosh Runners LARGEST SELECTION of A pair of Morro Bay High grads made a big splash this season at college, with one being named “Freshman of the Year,” in the Great South Athletic Conference. Natalie Marquart and Shannon McClish, both freshmen at U.C. Santa Cruz recently capped off a great regular season in the NCAA Div. III GSAC, according to a news release from the conference. Marquart showed steady improvement all year and was named to conference’s “Freshman of the Year” and both she and McClish were named to the 2015 GASC All-Freshman Team. Their Banana Slug teammate, Cailtlin Devlin of Elk Grove, Calif., was named “Runner of the Year.” Marquart drew special recognition in the conference’s news release, saying that she, “is expected to add needed depth this championship season and be a top performer in the future for the Slugs. Her lifetime best performance at Bronco Invitational with a 6k time of 23:57 puts her on pace to be one of the best runners the Slugs have ever had.” Founded in 1999, the GSAC was formed by a group of Div. III schools from the Southeast that had similar academic and athletic interests, according to the GSAC website. YogaWear on the COAST!!! 917 Rancho Pkwy. Arroyo Grande (805) 481-0100 lubellaclothing.com next to Trader Joe’s NEW ARRIVALS DAILY HARD TAIL PRISM KAREN KANE many more!!! 10 • December 17 - 30, 2015 • Bay News Community Meathead Owners Donate $150,000 A local businessman and his family have made a large donation to the French Hospital Medical Center Foundation, the organization announced last week. The Steed Family, owners of SLO’s Meathead Movers, donated $150,000 to the Foundation to support the Copeland Health Education Pavilion at French Hospital in SLO. In recognition, French’s Executive Board Room in its Pavilion will be named in their honor. Aaron, Erin and Evan Steed, said they were impressed by the technology available in the Pavilion and the commitment to advanced education and research to benefit the community. The 3-story, 18,000 square foot Pavilion was just recently opened, and includes two classrooms, boardroom, Idea Incubator Lab and two advanced learning facilities: The Institute for Health Education and Research (in partnership with Cal Poly), and the James R. Flanagan Simulation Learning Center. GIVE BETTER THIS SEA SON GET UP TO $150 OFF TABLETSt Accessory Gifts! $1999 starting at just Every aspect of the pavilion is outfitted with state-of-the-art technology and features to “advance health care education for our community and staff,” reads a news release on the donation. “We believe it is important to invest in health care resources that will continue to enhance our community’s health and wellness,” Aaron Steed, company CEO said. “We are honored to be a part of the transformation occurring at French Hospital with this new innovative facility.” Erin Steed is a Foundation board member and co-chair of the Annual Celebration of Caring Gala. “On behalf of French Hospital,” French President and CEO Alan Iftiniuk said, “we are pleased to accept this very generous donation and greatly appreciate the support and friendship of the Steed Family and Meathead Movers.” The Pavilion was built after two large donations, totaling multimillions, were made by Jim and Sandy Copeland, and Tom and Pam Copeland. To learn more about the Copeland Health Education Pavilion, or to donate, call the Foundation at 542.6496, or see: www.supportfrenchhospital.org. Lights Contest Winners Upgrade & Save! Get $100 Back! When you upgrade to select Android devices* Wearables! 5 Just $ /monthtt GPS location tracking Call & text capable Free $25 gift card & waived activation fee** 16 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 Los Osos 1240 Los Osos Valley Road (#FIJOE3BMQIT t †2-year agreement required. Select models including Apple, Samsung, LG and Verizon tablets. Mail-in-rebate applies, may take 4-6 weeks. Expires 12/27/15. *New or upgrade smartphone device payment activation required. Select Android devices. Credit applied as a bill credit (applied within 2-3 billing cycles). Expires 12/27/15. **2-year agreement required. Gift card with Gizmo Pal2 or Gizmo Gadget only, to select retailers, issued by mail. Waived activation fee on Gizmo Pal2 or Gizmo Gadget only. While supplies last. Expires 12/31/15. ††Our Surcharges incl. Fed. Univ. Svc. of 16.7% of interstate & int’l telecom charges (varies quarterly), 21¢ Regulatory & 95¢ Administrative/line/mo., & others by area) are not taxes (details: 1-888-684-1888); gov’t taxes & our surcharges could add 6% - 44% to your bill. Activation/upgrade fee/line: Up to $40 IMPORTANT CONSUMER INFORMATION: Subject to VZW Agmts, Calling Plan, rebate form & credit approval. Up to $350 early termination fee; Data overage is $15/GB & add’l charges for device capabilities. Coverage, varying by svc, not available everywhere; see vzw.com. Limited time offer. Rebate debit card takes up to 6 wks & expires in 12 mos. Max 10 lines © 2015 Verizon Wireless. W inners of Morro Bay Beautiful’s Annual Christmas Lights Contest have been announced, and readers are encouraged to tour the city and check them out. Unfortunately, because of our publication schedule, The Bay News was unable to publish them in the final issue before Christmas (everyone is supposed to take them down after Christmas, right?). We will however, post photos of the winners on the Tolosa Press website, see: www.tolosapress.com. Winners were: Best Animation: 1st, 467 LaJolla St.; 2nd 2283 Emerald Ct. Judge’s Choice: 467 LaJolla St. Children’s Delight: 1st, 1265 Morro Ave.; 2nd, 2040 Bayview Ave. Best Use of Lights: 1st, 409 Rennel; 2nd, 2894 Alder Ave. Best Commercial Display: Fabulous Finds, 739 Napa Ave. Best Traditional/Religious: 1st, 498 Piney Way; 2nd, 2960 Ironwood Ave.; and Honorable Mention: 2975 and 2985 Elm Ave. (several homes have the Grinch theme on this street). Bay News • December 17 - 30, 2015 Community • 11 Work Continues on Hwy 1 P lanning to travel up Hwy 1 through Bug Sur over the holidays? Caltrans is giving a heads-up on two major construction jobs on the scenic highway. The Elephant Trunk retaining wall project, located along the SLO and Monterey County line, continues with daytime work from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. There is a one-way traversing stoplight to regulate traffic that operates day and night. Expect a 15-minute delay going through the construction zone. John Madonna Const., of SLO is the contractor for the $9.5 million job, which is being done to shore-up the roadway in an area subject to major landslides. Of note, all businesses along the route will be open. The project is expected to be finished in winter 201617. And the Cow Cliffs viaduct bridge project, located near Lucia south of the Big Creek Bridge and running to the Dolan Creek Bridge, is also continuing with daytime work, and a traffic signal light has been erected there too. The contractor, RGW Construction Inc., of Livermore, may have to shut down traffic while they move equipment in and out of the job site, Caltrans said. This project is $3.9 million and will add to the scenic bridges along Hwy 1. This job is approximately 18 miles south of Big Sur proper. Because work schedules are subject to weather, Caltrans will have advanced notifications for motorists, residents A Happy Holidays Wish for Peace and Health Firefighter Family Needs Help A local firefighting family is facing some mounting medical-related expenses as both their young children battle severe health problems, and the community is being asked to help out. Cal Fire Firefighter, Misty Blake and her U.S. Forest Service Firefighter husband, Jeremy Blake, who live in Atascadero, have two young children “are facing difficult medical conditions that will require extra patience, planning and parental resolve – and the public is encouraged to stand by their fellow neighbor during the challenging days ahead,” reads a news release from the Fire Family Foundation, a nonprofit group that helps firefighters and the families. Annie Blake, 4, was recently diagnosed with leukemia and has begun a 2-½ year treatment process, consisting of chemotherapy and steroids, which she has not responded well to. The treatment has disrupted her colon leaving her unable to eat or drink anything. Annie is being treated by doctors in Santa Barbara, where it’s a 250-mile round trip for every visit. Benjamin Blake, Annie’s younger brother, recently had surgery for “a common birth defect for young developing boys,” and is being treated in Palo Alto, a 370-mile round trip. Keeping up with the appointments and treatment will be extremely tough for the children’s parents, who expect to miss about 4 months of work to care for them, especially little Annie. The Foundation is asking for donations to help the family with these travel expenses and the huge deductibles from their insurance carriers. “We are happy to support the Blake family in their time of need,” says Fire Family Foundation’s Executive Director, Robin McCarthy. “We ask the local Central California community of Atascadero, San Luis Obispo and surrounding areas to help support their neighbors with a donation to the fund we have created especially for the Blake Family. One hundred percent of donations will go directly to the Blakes as they face this difficult time in their lives.” All donations to Fire Family Foundation are tax-deductible. To make a donation to the Blake Family, see: www.FireFamilyFoundation.com. Fire Family Foundation is a nonprofit founded by Firefighters First Credit Union The Foundation offers immediate assistance to firefighters and their families, fire victims, fire departments, and charities. By coming together as a “fire family,” the organization said, assistance can be provided to those impacted by fire. TRANSIT 4 EVERYONE Let Morro Bay Transit do the driving so you don’t have to. D 4 SCHEDULE: Monday-Friday 6:25am - 6:45pm Saturday 8:25am - 4:25pm more information: morro-bay.ca.us/transit All Sea $ ts 8 RATED PG-13 S t By Senator Bill Monning D uring the holiday season it is easy to become overwhelmed with errands and tasks that are inherently linked to this time of year, such as shopping for gifts, baking, and visiting family and friends. However, it is important to remember that there are members in our community who do not have the means to purchase gifts for their children, who struggle to put food on the table even though they work full-time, or may not have a home for the holidays. It is my holiday wish that during this holiday season people slow down and remember those who are less fortunate than themselves, as well as try to give of themselves to others. Generosity does not need to be monetary. Spending time with those you value and love is one of the most important gifts you can give. The act of giving yourself is a meaningful and powerful experience and simple acts of kindness can warm the heart more than any gifts. My family and I volunteer locally year round and I encourage you to volunteer during this holiday season. The joy that it brings us is incredibly rewarding and a powerful reminder of the holiday spirit. I wish you and those you love a peaceful and happy holiday season and a healthy and fulfilling 2016. State Sen. Bill Monning represents the 17th Senate District that includes all of San Luis Obispo County. Happy Holidays PROTECT your largest investment this summer! PARKING?...DON’T NEED IT! GASOLINE?...DON’T NEED IT! Morro Bay Transit Fixed Route and businesses through a traffic hotline, electronic message signs and email updates. See the Dist. 5 website at: www.dot.ca.gov/dist05 for updates on these and other road conditions in the area. Readers can also call the tollfree hotline from Cambria to Carmel at: (888) 836-0866 for updates. Everyone is reminded to slow down in construction zones and fines are doubled in those aeas. Harris on Ford , Carrie Christm ar Wars: T Fisher 3:45 & 7aPs Day 7PM onhlye Force Aw M akens Sunday M atinee 12 :45 UÊ,iÃ`iÌ>ÊÉÊ iÀV> UÊÝÌiÀÀÊÉÊÌiÀÀ UÊ*ÜiÀÊ7>à }ÊÛ>>Li Your Local Theatre morrobaymovie.com 464 Morro Bay Blvd Call 772-2444 for times (805) 448-9662 12 • December 17 - 30, 2015 • Bay News News Clean-Up, from page 1 said they spent about $13,000 on the cleanup. Dynegy put up $10,000. Buckingham explained that they were focused on cleaning out rubbish the City is concerned might wash down to the beach and the ocean with winter rains. Buckingham and Christey were the first ones to go into any camps, he said, attempting to connect them with social workers. He held a “City directive,” which he said outlined the way they would go about the task and justifying the City’s confiscation of personal property. They marked with caution tape what they considered personal property, Buckingham said, to set aside and separate what is clearly trash. Then a “personal property team” of City workers bagged those items and marked them with the person’s name or the location of the camp. Those items were taken to the City maintenance yard and stored. Buckingham said people must go to the Police Department and be escorted to the yard to retrieve their stuff. In 90 days, it will all be thrown away. Once the personal property was removed, Buckingham said the CCCs bagged up the rest as trash. Buckingham said they appreciated the self-cleaning that was done and acknowledged there are no dumpsters put out anywhere that the homeless could use. “There are none here permanently,” he said. “We don’t want to encourage camping.” As for where these folks are supposed to go, if what happened after the 2010 cleanup is repeated, most will move right back into the Morro Creek woods and the sand dunes — a population of survivors, starting over. Tolosa Press • December 17 - 30, 2015 • 13 Good to be King Unifying Support for the Christmas Unity Teletho By King Harris O f all the events I’ve experienced in my career as a news journalist, none will ever quite compare to that of helping to create and participating in a seasonal event televised by KEYT-TV in Santa Barbara that became known as the “Christmas Unity Telethon.” Its stage was both inside the studio and outside on the patio, high up on a mesa referred to as “TV Hill” overlooking the city. With music provided by local school choirs to popular musicians and singers far and wide, persuaded by those who already lived in the area, it blossomed into an incredible 12-hour community celebration of seasonal spirit and Yuletide cheer, underscored by the cause to contribute to a multitude of less fortunate who otherwise might not experience any kind of Christmas whatsoever. It was a bold undertaking. I don’t to this day know specifically whose idea it was, but it had its seeds in one charitable woman named, Barbara Tellefsen, who for many years had been collecting toys, clothing, and food at her tiny, Christmas Unity store downtown. What if, she suggested in the Fall of 1987 to Sandy Benton, my more-than-receptive station manager, we could get all the various non-profit agencies like Food Bank, Salvation Army, Toys for Tots, and others to come together under one umbrella called “Christmas Unity” and work as one organization to ensure that gifts would be distributed more equally and efficiently? And what if KEYT could provide some valuable airtime like a telethon to raise funds for the cause? Good ideas on both counts, ones that would come into fruition when Montecito resident and super songster, Kenny Loggins, entered the picture. He suggested, in his quiet unassuming manner, that he could gather a whole bunch of musicians like himself who would perform for the event, free of charge, thereby ensuring a strong and wide audience. Who could turn down such a generous offer? So while Loggins set out to contact his playmates, including former partner Jim Messina, and then-KEYT Production Manager, Don Katich, corralled a crew for the monumental task of producing the program, Benton, Tellefsen, and I went out to encourage and convince all the independent and territorial non-profits to join the unity collective. There were of course a few egos that had to be converted. One in particular, rather stubborn and understandably so, was an old, gruff, and feisty retired Marine Corps officer, who had been in charge of the local Toys for Tots drive since the Stone Age. He wasn’t about to give up his cherished annual role as the agency’s Santa Claus. He dug his heels in like the Japanese he fought on Iwo Jima. As news director, it became my mission to present this unusual and novel idea of cooperation and unity to him, and, as expected, it wasn’t received too well, not initially anyway. All the other agencies fell in line without much hesitation. Our goal soon having for the most part been achieved, it was decided that all food, toys, and clothing gathered by all the nonprofits would be delivered and housed at Tellefsen’s tiny Unity headquarters, located under the Victoria Theater. That was where the less fortunate folks throughout the community who qualified would enter her mini-warehouse to select items for their families and would leave with their dignity intact. It was this very special part of the process that caught the attention of other actors, celebrities, and stars who lived in the area, and who would over the years very much desire to be a part of the annual fundraiser. It was decided that an early weekend in December would be prime time for a live televised event broadcast on Channel 3, starting in the afternoon and wailing its way into the late evening. KEYT’s news anchors and reporters, side-by-side with local luminaries, would provide the pitch for money and present the various musical performances sprinkled throughout the merry marathon. The studio was transformed into what may as well have been someone’s giant living room, decked to the halls with a glowing fireplace right next to a huge decorated Douglas fir tree, with hundreds of colorful poinsettias interspersed among the brightly wrapped presents in all shapes and sizes. Any space left over was dedicated to a phone bank, manned by tireless volunteers who collected pledges from the thousands of callers who phoned in to donate. The patio deck outside was also spruced up as a backdrop for all the singers who came to perform their holiday harmonies. Cameras were provided for the Hollywood hosts entrenched in the Unity Shoppe, and for our roving reporters traveling the streets in the live van capturing the spirit and generosity of people all over town. It was a highly spirited scene, and quite a magical time. Loggins, who said he would just make an appearance, got so into the evening, he confiscated my microphone and wouldn’t give it back for the rest of the night. I had to grab a stand-by to interview Santa Claus, who I recognized and saluted as soon as I saw him — that old Toys for Tots Marine had decided to join the party. The first KEYT Christmas Unity Telethon in December of 1987 was so successful that — I’m proud to say — many more would follow over the years. I am blessed as well for being a part of its inception. It truly was a holy night, but silent, it was not. Take the first step toward getting the radiant smile you deserve with Invisalign® clear aligners, for adults and teens. Call today to learn about Invisalign® & for a free smile assessment. $100 Off for First time callers about Invisilign® . marvistadental.com 1205 4th Street / Los Osos / 528-1695 14 • December 17 - 30, 2015 • Tolosa Press Then and Now Pondering Good Fortune on the Central Coast By Judy Salamacha ‘T is still the season for merriment and blessings during the final days of 2015. I hope you had the chance to experience the Cambria Christmas Market, the Needs ‘N Wishes fundraiser, or a musical production that filled your heart with cheer. And yet I’m in the mood for a bit of reflection because all too soon, 2016 will rush in and consume us. My gut says it will be a year of change in many areas, so indulge me as I look back and ponder my good fortune living and writing about the people and happenings around the Central Coast. Forgive me if I fail to mention someone or something important in my musing. Since about 2004, I’ve been asking the question “What brought you here or why have you stayed here?” The reasons are varied but whether someone returned, relocated, or retired, the concept of reinvention for self-fulfillment was usually part of the story. They discovered they only had to offer to help to unleash suppressed or underutilized talents. They realized making a difference in an organization or bettering their community means renewing their lives as well. The Central Coast lifestyle allows us to play our music, develop a maritime, railroad or community historical museum, create art, share dramatic talents, write a book, nurture a garden or open a business. One woman said that a rainbow hovering over Morro Rock inspired her to move to live her passion. More specifically, I wrote how leaders energized organizations like Morro Bay Beautiful, Port San Luis Lighthouse, Morro Bay In Bloom, People Helping People or the Cayucos Land Conservancy. Tireless people like Arley Robinson and Shirley Lyon, Red Davis and Joan Solu, and members of Celebrate Los Osos are regularly the heart, soul and push behind whatever they get involved in. Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions & Lioness clubs, Estero Bay Women or Quota Club, AAUW, Newcomers, RAMS, historical societies, Friends of Libraries groups, Chambers of Commerce, etc… collectively and collaboratively made things happen. While businesses might come and go, many survive like Coalesce and Volumes of Pleasure books stores. Some were smart enough to invest in the coffee craze like Top Dog Coffee or bring wine tasting bayside like Morro Bay Wine Sellers or STAX Wine Bar. I’ve written about those who strive to solve problems in unique ways, like the Guerilla Gardeners. Some stories were about writers like Tom Wilmer, Sue McGinty and Anne Perry. Many inspired like educators, Marlene Peter and California Teacher of the Year, Diana Barnhart. Our youth spend quality education downtime at Camp Hapitok, Kid’s Camp, Project Surf Camp and Junior Lifeguards. I’ve met people who teach belly dancing, tap dancing, ballet and square dancing. Many created events to honor our military like the Lost at Sea Memorial on the Cayucos Pier or continued or launched a community festival like the Cayucos Sea Glass Festival, Los Osos Oktoberfest or the Morro Bay Classic Car Show. There have been unforgettable people, like Pastor Doug, who taught us to smile as he laughed out loud offering nibbles at Spencer’s Market and Dan Reddell, who maintained dignity throughout his battle with ALS, Hershel Parker, who spent a lifetime writing about Herman Melville or Tracy Neil Shewchuk, who survived stage 4 cancer. So what’s next? I have no idea and I’m comfortable with the exploration, however, if wishing would make it so in 2016, I wish for world peace. I wish political leaders would actually talk to each other, resolving issues instead of poking at another’s character or background. I wish they would be inspired by their constituents to do the right thing, listening even to the one’s who didn’t vote for them. I hope voters will show respect for those who win the elections, even while working harder to get their candidate elected the next time around. I hope (meteorologists) John Lindsey and Dave Hovde are surprised by more rain than they’ve predicted, but in spurts not deluges. Although it was a fulfilling year for MICHELLE HAMILTON experts in WATER WISE me, I hope we can shut the door on 2015 and move forward, building on what was good rather than dwelling on what didn’t happen. There is still time for innovation to do more and make it right. I wish our communities would “circle the wagons” and make insightful decisions, because it is, indeed, only by working together that we will find success. Many stories have yet to be written, maybe by me, but for sure by my fellow writers and journalists. I sincerely thank Bret and Lani Colhouer and the staff at Tolosa Press for enduring — even expanding — so unique stories about the Central Coast will still be published. Finally, and most of all, I hope we seek and find joy and fulfillment each day of 2016. New Year’s Resolution: Just say, “Yes, I’ll help make a difference,” and something will happen. Judy Salamacha is the co-author of “Colonel Baker’s Field: An American Pioneer Story” (Bear State Books, 2nd Edition November 2015) and a former publisher of The Bay News. Email her at: judysalamacha@gmail.com or call (805) 801-1422. Her Then & Now column is a regular feature of Tolosa Press. ACUPUNCTURE U MASSAGE U HERBAL MEDICINE L.Ac. gardening & living spaces UÊ>VÉ iVÊ*> UÊ/i`Ìà UÊ*UÊi>`>V iÃÊEÊ -ÌÀiÃà UÊviÀÌÌÞ UÊ/L>VVÊ i«i`iVi UÊÃ> UÊ>LÀÊ`ÕVÌ UÊiÀ}ià UÊÊ-V>ÌV> '(6,*1&216758&7,21 5(129$7,21,55,*$7,21 /,*+7,1*0$,17(1$1&( >ÊÌ`>ÞÊvÀÊÊ >Ê>««ÌiÌ 805.543.8688 (805)544-5296 $//6($6216/$1'6&$3,1*&20 SLO Wellness CenterÊUÊ1428 Phillips Lane #300ÊUÊSan Luis ObispoÊUÊSLOLAC.com Tolosa Press • December 17 - 30, 2015 • 15 fuel your adventure Sports Shorts By Michael Elliott I rish Enigma- Lads and lasses, top o’ tha mornin’ to ya. Irishman Conor McGregor wants you all to know that he has arrived... in grandiose style, mind ya! McGregor just happens to be the new face of the Ultimate Fighting Championships as he quickly dispensed of #2 pound-for-pound UFC foe Jose Aldo in a minuscule thirteen, count ‘em, thirteen seconds during their 145 lb. featherweight championship bout in Las Vegas. Mouthy, yet supremely confident, McGregor backed up his prefight rhetoric with a devastating left hand one-punch which felled Aldo, the slight underdog going into the match. The horde of Irishmen and Irishwomen who flocked to the MGM Grand for the contest are a testament to McGregor’s pied piper appeal. What his victory has done is potentially set up the grandest UFC card in its short history, as plans are currently being discussed to put Conor McGregor on display once more during the summer of 2016 in Vegas via either a rematch with Aldo or a bout with now #1 challenger Frankie Edgar or a move up in weight in order to attempt garnering another weight-class belt. But hold your shamrocks my little Leprechauns! Big Mac ain’t going to be the biggest draw on that fight card. There just happens to be a little matter of retribution on the mind of the “old” face of the UFC. “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey has a score to settle with Albuquerque’s Holly Holm. Speaking of faces, Holm rearranged Rousey’s in a stunning upset recently in Australia. The 18-1, count it, underdog unleashed her supreme boxing skills in tattooing Rousey’s mug repeatedly and then floored the undefeated UFC champ with a wicked leg kick behind the right ear to drop Ronda like a nun’s bad habit! Can you imagine the groundswell of support among UFC enthusiasts as this card manifests itself over the course of the next few months? It shall be a winwin for all as Las Vegas shall be aglow in Irish orange, white and green ($$$$$) and the gender-bending rematch shall be the talk of the town. Prepare thyself. For Reals- They are. The NFL’s Carolina Panthers. Just past the threequarters-post of the regular season, Carolina has clinched their division and sports the sport’s only unblemished record, sitting at 13-0. The Panthers have scored more points than any other team. They are tied with two others in third place for allowing the least amount of points in the league. The revitalization of running back Jonathan Stewart has been key. In my mind they boast the offensive and defensive Players-Of-The-Year in quarterback Cam Newton and middle linebacker Luke Kuechly, respectively. Speaking of Newton, have you ever been to a speaking engagement where the keynote speaker is rambling on, purveying power points to the audience and, um, chewing gum? Me either. It’s quite perplexing to see Cam barking signals and changing plays at the line of scrimmage and chomping gum at the same time. It’s true! And interestingly his gum is colored powder blue to match the Panther’s uniforms. I mean, what if the gum becomes entangled with his mouthpiece? Or he swallows it mid-bark? But far be it for me to question Cam’s approach. Seems he’s doing okay as his team sits atop the perch of the lofty NFL. Perhaps other QB’s ought to look into this phenomenon. Leastwise chew on it for awhile. Quick Quips- MLB’s Chicago Cubbies are hording up free agents like donuts in a cop’s car with the acquisitions of pitcher John Lackey, second baseman Ben Zobrist and outfielder Jason Heyward. The NBA’s San Antonio Spurs are just giddy about being relegated as an afterthought as all of the newspaper ink has been focused on the Golden State Warriors. Deservedly, and predictably, tennis great Serena Williams is Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson Of The Year. Basketball coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans just continues to amaze, under the radar, as he has positioned his squad at the top of the national polls. Big Ben has the Pittsburgh Steelers primed for a playoff run in the AFC. Somewhat shockingly #1 free agent Zack Geinke signed within his former employer’s (Dodgers) division as the Arizona Diamondbacks are attempting to buy their way back into contention. Here’s hoping your stockings are stuffed with love, and Merry Christmas to one and all! Michael hopes for peace on earth at sportsshorts8@gmail.com. Not This Time El Niño Stand up to unpredictable weather and unforeseen outages with the most trusted name in residential standby power. If the power goes out, your Generac standby generator goes on – automatically – protecting you and your home 24/7. Generac backs you up with a full line of affordable models and the largest sizes and support network in the country. Mother Nature will just have to get used to disappointment. Battery rental program (off-grid) starts at $49.95/mo. Backup generators (on-grid & off-grid) sangha energy 805-545-7818 sanghaenergy.org Distributed power, water & waste Best Local Coffee Roaster Thank you, SLO! Available At: Select Area Hotels 'PPE-FTTt"MCFSUTPOT 3BMQITt70/4 Central Coast Coffee Roasting Company, Inc. 1172 Los Olivos Ave · Los Osos 805-528-7317 · sloroasted.com 16 • December 17 - 30, 2015 • Tolosa Press Community Calendar Los Osos Friends of the Library, 2075 Palisades, has a couple of upcoming free events. Call 528-1862 for more information. All adults are invited to attend a book discussion group from 6:30-8 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month. “Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?” by Roz Chast and “The Art of Stillness” by Pico Iyer are the books for Dec. 17. Family Movie Night (Rated PG) is at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19. Free popcorn, call for movie title. ••• St. Benedict’s Church in Los Osos is looking for volunteers to stock, sort or cashier at its Abundance Shop thrift store. Experience with handling cash and donations for non-profits is preferred. Shifts range from a minimum 3 hours a week and a committed day/timeframe, Tuesdays-Saturdays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Contact Shop Manager, Francis Rivinius, for an appointment at the Abundance Shop, 2190 9th St. ••• Lifelong Learners of the Central Coast, a local non-profit organization that presents various classes held in different venues throughout the year, has some upcoming classes with registration being taken now. Most courses cost $5 each session for members or $10 each for non-members. December’s classes include: “The Latin Roots of American History,” Thursday, Dec. 17 from 10 a.m. to noon at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in SLO; and “Exploring Social Networking,” Wednesday, Dec. 16 from 10 am to noon at KCBX in SLO. Register through Brown Paper Tickets or go to: lifelearnerscc.org for more information and membership. ••• Organizers of Cal Poly’s Tournament of Roses Parade float are looking for volunteers to help decorate the 2016 entry during the parade’s annual “Deco Week,” Dec. 2630 in Pasadena. It’s a unique opportunity to work with student float builders, university alumni and community members to create a piece of art that will be on display to the whole world on New Year’s Day. Hundreds of volunteers will be needed every day. Floats are decorated at the Brookside Pavilion, near the Rose Bowl Stadium and all ages of volunteers are welcome. Cal Poly’s entry, named “Sweet Shenanigans,” is the only studentmade float among 44 entries that will roll down Colorado Boulevard on New Year’s Day. It’s the 68th consecutive year that the two campuses — in SLO and Pomona — have teamed up to design and build a float. The float will be covered with some 400,000 flowers — roses, Gerbera daisies and chrysanthemums, plus seeds, tree bark, seaweed and crushed nutshells — all of which must be applied by hand. Volunteers can sign up online at: www.eventbrite.com/e/calpoly-rose-float-decorations-week-1227registration-18804604077. The team is suggesting a $1 donation per person to participate in the decorating process. ••• The Central Coast Toys for Tots holiday toy drive, which has collected and distributed more than 200,000 toys to needy children over the last 15 years, again has its donation barrels set up throughout SLO County. Led by Sgt. James L. Pickens, donations of new, unwrapped toys are being sought for the drive. If readers want to donate some money to the cause or if they know of a needy child, call Sgt. Pickens at (805) 704-8112. ••• A local charity that supports battered women has put together a holiday needs list and is asking the community to generously give to those going through troubled times the victims of intimate partner violence and sexual assault, and their families. “The Holiday Needs List” and a “Giving Tree” can be accessed by calling the RISE office at (805) 226-5400 or by visiting the Paso Robles office at 1030 Vine St. Cash donations are also welcomed and all are tax-deductible. See: www.RISEslo.org for information on the organization and its programs. ••• Grandma’s Frozen Yogurt and Waffle Shop, 307 Morro Bay Blvd., in Morro Bay (corner of Main Street and Morro Bay Boulevard), is wrapping up the Third Annual Community Needs Collection Drive, benefiting a pair of Womenade projects for local school kids. The clothing drive benefits Morro Bay High’s Pirates Chest and Los Osos Middle School’s Backpack Program, and happens from 2-4:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19 during the weekly Farmer’s Market. There will be live music, fun activities for the whole family and a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus. Hoodies, jeans, jackets, T-shirts, new socks and other new or nearly-new clothes are needed for the high school kids. For LOMS, they need mac & cheese packages, peanut butter in a plastic jar, canned beans, spaghetti sauce, canned tuna and chicken, individual applesauce containers, individual packets of oatmeal, and raisins, dried fruit, and nuts in small packages. Collection barrels will be at Grandma’s to accept donations. ••• The Cal Fire/SLO County Firefighters Benevolent Association is hosting its 25th Annual Operation Santa Claus Toy Drive, in conjunction with KSBY TV’s Season of Hope, at county fire stations through Dec. 18. The toy drive provides toys to kids who are under the care and protection of SLO County’s Child Welfare Services. The non-profit volunteer program has helped over 6,100 children throughout SLO County since 1990. Residents and local businesses are encouraged to contribute toys, gifts or money that will be used to buy needed items. Donations can be dropped off at any Cal Fire/County fire station and Tolosa Press • December 17 - 30, 2015 the Morro Bay Fire Department. Gifts must be new and unwrapped for proper identification and distribution and people are urged to make donations as soon as possible to help with distribution before Christmas. See: www.calfireslo.org for s information and for drop-off locations. f ••• y The Arroyo Grande Recreation e Services Department is sponsoring s a Holiday Decorating Contest for g businesses and residences throughout l the City. Businesses will be judged on e Dec. 16 and residences will be judged the evening of Dec. 17. Ribbons for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd will be awarded for Most Festive, w Best Use of Lighting, Most Spirited, l Best Holiday Display, Most Creative, e Most Traditional (residences only), and Best Window Painting (businesses d only). A Best Overall ribbon and sign e will be awarded to one business and one residence. Anyone interested in entering l the contest should contact the Rec Dept. t at 473-5474. ••• To welcome the holiday season, y the Grover Beach Community n Library will sponsor a special n children’s reading event at 11 a.m. n Saturday, Dec. 19 at the library, 240 N y 9th St., Grover Beach. Library volunteers y will read to the children and Santa Claus r will be there for photos with the children. s Children of all ages are welcome to t participate in this free event. 0 ••• e e It’s that time of year once again for the r 13th Annual Toy Drive to benefit d local families in need. The toys do f not need to be new, but should be in d good condition. They will accept new toys, as well as non-perishable holiday food items. The goal is to brighten the lives of at least 150 qualified families this year. Donations are accepted Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Friday, Dec. 18. They can also be picked them up by appointment. Drop off toys and food items at Re/Max Del Oro Realty’s two locations, 857 Santa Rosa St. (on the corner of Mill and Santa Rosa), in SLO. Or at the Arroyo Grande office, 214 E. Branch St., in the Village. For more information or assistance, call Randy Steiger at (805) 781-8101. ••• The City Church and six others in Nipomo will be hosting a benefit Community Candlelight Service from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20 at Nipomo High School’s Olympic Hall, benefitting the Nipomo Food Basket and the Nipomo High School Boosters Club. The event is free and open to the public. Bring non-perishable food items to donate to the Food Basket. Last year’s event raised some $4,000 and 600 pounds of food. ••• After four solid years of dry winters, the ocean phenomenon, El Niño, has returned and is being predicted to make this a hard, wet winter indeed. In the interest of public service and safety, Caltrans and the Highway Patrol have produced an online video with tips on how to be safe on the roadways. The “Be Storm Ready” public service announcement is posted online at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTBIBU umQTk&feature=youtu.be. ••• SWAP will hold its monthly nature walk in the Elfin Forest of Los Osos at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 19. The walk • 17 features naturalist Al Normandin, talking about “Plants, Lichens and Mushrooms,” found throughout the Elfin Forest. Park at the north end of 15th Street (16th for wheelchairs) off Santa Ysabel Avenue in Los Osos. Wear comfortable shoes, long sleeves and pants to avoid poison oak. Park avoiding driveways and mailboxes, and leave pets at home. For more information call (805) 528-0392. Walk last 1-1/2 to 2 hours on the Elfin Forest boardwalk. ••• Ballet Theatre San Luis Obispo’s presents The Magic Toy Shop (La Boutique Fantasque) with The Skaters (Les Patineurs) on Dec. 19 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Dec. 20 at 2 p.m. at the BTSLO BlackBox Theatre, 3566 S. Higuera St. #207 in San Luis Obispo. Tickets are $21 for adults and $13 for children under 12. They can be purchased online at www.bt-slo.org or by phone at 4401439. The Magic Toyshop (La Boutique Fantasque) headlines Ballet Theatre San Luis Obispo’s holiday performance is the sweet story of a toymaker’s wonderful creations. Unknown to the toymaker, the dolls have a secret life apart from the daily, shopping customers. When several dolls are purchased, the group rallies to stop the separation. La Boutique Fantasque is set to the beautiful score by Ottorino Respighi based on piano pieces by Gioachino Rossini. Choreography is by BT-SLO Artistic Director Theresa Slobodnik and features a cast of 19 dancers. Costume design is by Nancy Hopkins; set design by John Slobodnik. Slobodnik will present her ballet The Skaters (Les Patineurs) set to Giacomo Meyerbeer’s festive, thumping score. An ice skating rink on Christmas Eve reflects scenes of the season. A Holiday Gala will follow the Saturday evening performance (no host desserts, beverages) The intimate theatrical setting of BT-SLO’s BlackBox Theatre and duration of the program is family friendly. Seating is limited. Get your tickets early. Construction Services 805-574-3155 ••• We Do All The “Honey Do’s” Hospice of SLO County, will hold the following free grief support groups: 1304 Pacific St. Caregiver Support Group- Alternate Fridays, 2:30 p.m. - 4 p.m. (beginning April 24) General Grief Support - Tuesdays, 6 p.m. - 7:30 pm Pet Loss Support - second and fourth Monday, 5:30 pm – 7 p.m. (resumes January 25, 2016) Spouse/Partner Loss Support Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Suicide Bereavement Support - (for those left behind) last Wednesday of the month, 5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. Wellness Support Group- Tuesdays, 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. (preregistration is required) 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 Zoey’s Home consignments furniture | art | lighting Paso Robles: 517 13th St. Bereaved Parents Group – Tuesdays, 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm General Grief Support - Wednesdays, 5 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Suicide Bereavement Group - (for those left behind) Fourth Wednesday of the month, 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm Pismo Beach: New Life Church, 990 James Way General Grief Support - Tuesdays, 10:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. (Room 14) Spouse/Partner Loss Support Thursdays, 5 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. (Room 16) Pre-registration is not required unless noted. outdoor furniture Where You Never Know What You Might Find! Designs by: Nicole’s Neat Nook Taking Consignments Daily eBay Services Available OPEN TUESDAY–SATURDAY 10–6 Furniture & Decor by Zoey’s Nicole’s Neat Nook Nicole Moore 970-310-8476 facebook.com/zoeyshomeconsignments 805 596 0288 3583 S. HIGUERA ST. SLO zoeys_slo@yahoo.com ZOE YSHOMECONSIGNMENTS.COM 18 -'( %&# )* .) #('. “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.” –Barbara, SLO • December 17 - 30, 2015 • Tolosa Press Make Healthy Enjoyable at the Downtown SLO Farmer’s Market ith holidays upon us and limited daylight hours, it is easy to let our healthy habits slip away as we cozy up inside. It can help to have a little extra encouragement to get outside and break up that routine. One enticing excuse we can rely on throughout this season is the Downtown SLO Farmer’s Market. Not only will you work in your exercise strolling down the street, dancing to the live tunes, and perhaps incorporating a workout to and from Downtown, you can also be inspired by the healthy foods that are at the core of the market. We are so fortunate to live here on W may put in as much as 20 hours of work to bring us a special selection from their farm. For all of the farmers who come to the Downtown SLO Farmer’s Market, their hard work is evident just walking by the farm stands on Higuera Street. Though the aroma of BBQ may steal one of your senses, the natural beauty of winter squash, beets, carrots, chards, and sweet potatoes can easily capture your eyes and make for wonderful ingredients for a warm winter soup. For those of us still clinging to our sweet tooth from the holidays, farmers such as Gary Billington offer sweets that feel like dessert without the Central Coast where our dedicated farmers show up for the Downtown SLO Farmer’s Market to bring us vast amounts of fresh produce throughout the year. It is no secret that farming requires a truly committed work ethic, especially to make it through the cooler months. According to an interview with Avila & Sons Farm, a common workday begins at 5:00 am and continues long into the evening until 8:00 pm. On days of Farmer’s Markets, the owner Dave Avila reported that they the guilt and even provide healthy benefits to boot. Medjool and Deglet Noor are just two of the varieties of dates Gary brings and a couple of his specialties include date-nut rolls and date pieces rolled in oat flour. Right alongside our farmers are our food vendors and restaurants that incorporate many of these ingredients on their menus. Be reminded of the many ways healthy food can taste so delicious by visiting vendors such as Bliss Cafe, which operates a booth in front of their Downtown restaurant. They offer comforting entrees such as their delicious vegan curry or Stromboli’s and both are sure to warm you up from the inside out. Another healthy option with a global flare is brought to the market by Novo, which is owned and operated at the heart of Downtown. Novo prides itself on a passion for pulling inspiration from locally grown produce as it changes with the seasons, while bringing flavors from around the world. ##*&$".&+( ''& %*$%*%&, $$$" !#$"#! % &%*(.**# &(% %+ ) )'& !&(%)+(%'* #% # .) #(' )*,%( ()-'( % Where Businesses Grow Join us every Thursday at 12pm, at Whole Foods in SLO! Exchange leads and develop relationships with other growing businesses in SLO County. Like us on Facebook CAL 2560 04/14 Though many of us rely on the New Year to bring inspiration to be healthier, remember that the Downtown SLO Farmer’s Market is here for you year round. There is no better way to maintain healthy habits than to find a way to enjoy them. The uplifting atmosphere of the market can be that link to a healthier lifestyle any time of the year. Holiday Guide Santa’s Eyes ......................... Santa Visiting Hours ........... Holiday without the Hassle Yes, Virginia .................... Create New Traditions .... 20 22 25 26 29 photo by www.PhotobyVivian.com 20 ❆ December 17 - 30, 2015 ❆ HOLIDAY GUIDE Santa’s Eyes by Leanne Phillips M isty was seventeen before she ever sat on Santa’s lap. Surprising considering she’d elevated him to rock star status early on, pasting pictures of him on her bedroom walls where other young girls displayed the Backstreet Boys. She lit up whenever she saw him in books or on television. But when our parents took her to the mall to see him at the age of six, she shrank against my mother’s legs, wailing and keening like an old Irish woman at a wake. This didn’t stop my parents from trying each year, always with the same result. I dreaded our annual pilgrimage to the mall with the mortification most twelve-year-old boys reserve for public displays of affection. Perched high on magnificent thrones, the mall Santas’ eyes were obscured by luxurious eyebrows, crimson velvet caps with snow white trim, and fancy, gold-rimmed spectacles. Still, as each Santa’s eyes lit upon the flattened, misshapen features of my sister’s face, the discomfort, and even revulsion, were visible. On Misty’s seventeenth Christmas, my father heard about a man who played Santa for the neighborhood kids in his front yard. Maybe, he said, this would be different. I was not convinced, but my parents insisted we go. I prepared myself for the inevitable. We drove the few blocks to Santa’s house, a dingy affair badly in need of paint and a good gardener. Santa hadn’t invested much in his charade. His costume was dime-store variety, made of cheap, worn, orange-red flannel. A pillow was conspicuously pushed up under his jacket, held in place with a rope belt. He was otherwise quite skinny. A matted beard was affixed to his face with an elastic band. His matching hat was too small for his head and sat perched atop it like a bird’s nest. He looked nothing like Santa Claus to me, yet there he sat, in a threadbare lawn chair, in the middle of his threadbare lawn, joyfully passing out candy canes. My embarrassment over the tantrum my sister was about to throw in this seemingly nice enough man’s front yard was compounded by the fact that, despite her childlike mental capacity, my sister was physically an adult. But my parents led her from the car and up the sidewalk to see Santa as proudly as someone would any six-year-old child. I trailed behind. We got in line, and to my astonishment, my sister’s eyes lit up when she spotted this Santa imposter seated on a rickety folding chair. When it was her turn, Misty marched up to him without hesitation. Santa’s face betrayed no surprise when my 5’6” sister clambered up onto his lap. She regaled him for twenty minutes, unloading a list of Christmas wishes she’d apparently been storing up her whole life. Santa listened patiently, smiling and nodding, occasionally laughing raucously, his eyes literally twinkling. Unshielded by glasses or synthetic eyebrows or a big, plush cap, all I saw in his gaze was warmth and acceptance. Afterward, Misty led the way back to our car pleased as punch, clutching her candy cane, as if Christmas was finally underway. Our family visited the neighborhood Santa each year after that, until we lost Misty to a respiratory infection at the age of twenty-six. I never really understood the way my sister’s mind worked, or didn’t work. But her intuition, like her heart, was true. Something told her this Santa was the real thing. I didn’t get it then, when I was twelve. But now I see that the genuineness of that lawn chair Santa’s own heart shone in his eyes. Leanne Phillips is a writer, a paralegal and the owner of a small publishing company. She volunteers as a certified sexual assault and intimate partner crisis counselor for RISE and is a member of the SLO NightWriters board of directors. She lives in San Luis Obispo and has three children and three grandchildren. Leanne is a member of SLO NightWriters, for writers at all levels in all genres. Find them online at slonightwriters.org Italian Specialties: Tarallis Italian cookies Biscotti Morning Glory Bread Italian Bakery, Retail & Wholesale Only Italian Bakery in SLO County! open 7 days a week 7am-5pm 805-927-1501 We also sell to local motels 1602 Main St Cambria Retirement Sale *(7<285+2/,'$<*,)76 :HKDYHDYDVWVWRFNRIMHZHOU\JLIWVIRVVLOVDQGVWRQHV 2ZQHU5RQ:LOVRQKDV3DUNLQVRQVGLVHDVHDQGLVQRORQJHUDEOHWRFUHDWHWKH EHDXWLIXOREMHFWVRIMHZHOU\DQGVWRQH$SRUWLRQRIWKHSURFHHGVZLOOEHJLYHQWR the National Parkinson’s FoundationWRKHOSIXQGUHVHDUFK WK6WUHHWf/RV2VRVffLVDEHOODMHZHOHUVFRP HOLIDAY GUIDE ❆ December 17 - 30, 2015 ❆ the original garden street jeweler 21 est. 1974 Need a special gift for a special someone? Any time is a good time for giving. Shop December 1st-24th… Receive a $100 Gift Certif icate visit store for details. Large Selection of Wedding Rings Custom Design & Repair Premium Canes Collection 1114 & 1118 garden street We Buy GOLD & DIAMONDS downtown san luis obispo Hours: Tue - Fri 10AM - 6PM, Sat 10AM - 5PM 805.543.8186 805.473.1360 857 Oak Park Blvd, Pismo Beach (located in the Ross shopping center) 22 ❆ December 17 - 30, 2015 ❆ HOLIDAY GUIDE Christmas in the Village Unique Shopping & Dining · Antiques · Historic Landmarks · Free Parking Santa During the month of December, enjoy fairyland of lights throughout the Village every night. Santa will be in the Village from Friday November 27th to Christmas; 3 to 5:30 on Wednesday and Friday and 12 to 4 on Saturday and Sunday. Bring the Warmth of the Season to your Kitchen E CREAM” Wonderland It’s an “IC OPEN LATE Experience Experience the the Giant Giant Ice Cream Waterfall! Waterfall! We are the most unique Kitchen Gourmet Store on the Central Coast. Taste Fun Fun and and Inventive Inventive Ice Cream Flavors! Flavors! 860Higuera HigueraSt. St.Downtown DowntownSLO SLO Ice Cream Wonderland 860 Go Gourmet & Tea Shop 127 E. Branch St–Village of Arroyo Grande verenagogourmet@gmail.com Special Things Enjoy Doc’s Model Model Train Train circling circling the the Lab! Lab! Featuring loose tea leaf organic tea bar & everything tea. Verena’s Ice Cream Watch being being made made in in Doc’s Doc’s Lab! Lab! Join us on Facebook-Verena’s Go Gourmet Follow on Instagram: Verenagogourmet Nostalgic Ice Cream Parlors 805-474-4068 114 W. W.Branch Branch St. Village Village of 114 of Arroyo Arroyo Grande Grande 168 Old Orcutt Orcutt 168 W. W.Clark Clark Ave. Old ALL WEATHER WEAR for Special Babies UNIQUE FEMININE CLOTHING FOR WOMEN JUST LIKE YOU! NEW LINE JUST ARRIVED “In the Village” 121 E. Branch St. Arroyo Grande 805-574-1727 &#SBODI4USFFUt"SSPZP(SBOEFt 1022 Morro St. San Luis Obispo 805-784-0664 840 11th St., #103 Paso Robles 805-239-8282 www.shopapropos.com HOLIDAY GUIDE ❆ December 17 - 30, 2015 ❆ 23 Christmas AT THE SEAVENTURE FIRST COURSE &&&% !#*% ('(!"%)&' &&#"%-&(%& ENTREE #%'%#(&!#$ !#" %! #&'##'' &#''# Sunday, December 20th 4:00 PM ~ Clark Center DESSERT BUFFET ,$!+ ( '&+&("% "Twelve Days of Christmas" With the participation of local performers including: "* )&!# Village Carolers directed by Judith Dunlore Grande Ringers Celebration Chorus Arroyo Grande High School Band SLO Ballet Theater Greek Dancers of St. Andrews Studio of Performing Arts In Time Trio Vibraphonist - Brad Lusk Don’t Miss NEW YEAR’S EVE / NEW YORK STYLE $%# "! C Co al V u d N consignment (save as much as 50% with advance purchase of up to 5 tickets. "%$# "" Available NOW through the Clark Center Call 805 489-9444 or online at www.clarkcenter.org $"$# '$#"" ( " $"(&# ' #$"!$ $ ($%" ($"$# % %"#$’# %# TICKETS: Net proceeds eed from the show go to m music and arts programs of our local al schools. sc 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 ! Introduces Fabric Shade Cleaning Services t a y t r a p s ’ t Le Just in time for the Holidays! /VUL`JVTI :PSOV\L[[L® 3\TPUL[[L® Let the Spyglass Inn Restaurant take care of your friends and co-workers in style for your next holiday party! Situated ated on the bluffs in Pismo Beach, our ocean view restaurant can accommodate groups from 15 to to 60 60 guests...while guests while pproviding roviding PDJQLÀFHQWYLHZVRI WKH3DFLÀF2FHDQ 7PYV\L[[L® =PNUL[[L® 9VTHU:OHKLZ +YHWLYPLZ 3PJ (805) 548-0110 www.onesourcehs.com Located behind Trader Joe’s in San Luis Obispo Open on Holiday’s! Call 805.773.1222 to make your Christmas & New Years reservations today. LIVE MUSIC from Boomerang 9pm-Midnight on New Years Eve! 6S\JODVV'U6KHOO%HDFK6S\*ODVV,QQ5HVWDXUDQWFRP HOLIDAY GUIDE ❆ December 17 - 30, 2015 ❆ 25 Holiday Treats Without the Hassle I t’s never too early to learn new holiday recipes to make the entertaining season easier. With only a few ingredients, you can quickly create drinks, dips and desserts, leaving you more time to socialize with family and friends at your next soiree. As the evening winds down, offer a spin on the typical cup of coffee and serve pumpkin lattes. Blend canned pumpkin, white chocolate chips and spices with freshly brewed coffee. Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg for the perfect holiday touch. Holiday Cheer(s) Deck the Table with Dips Greeting company with a beverage at the door is a sure sign of great hosting. Easily create batches of signature drinks in a high-powered blender for everyone to enjoy. Memorable holiday parties start with a toast before dinner, so why not surprise guests with a sparkling champagne smoothie? Blend your favorite fruit and yogurt flavors with chilled champagne for a fun twist on a special occasion drink. Use a blender that is powerful and versatile enough for group entertaining, such as the Vitamix Professional Series 500. Its 64-ounce container is ideal for mixing large batches. The blender also has pre-programmed settings for smoothies, hot soups and frozen desserts, so you can press a button, finish your party prepping and have your sparkling champagne smoothies ready in no time. Whether you want to serve a few light snacks instead of an entire meal or ramp up to a main course, dips are an easy way to keep guests full and happy. They require little prep work and can be stored in the fridge while you’re waiting for friends and family to arrive. Change up an everyday cheese and crackers or veggie platter by making a traditional cheese fondue as a centerpiece. Blend Gruyere and Emmental cheese with dry white wine and seasoning to create a scrumptious appetizer. Need dipping ideas? Try cubed country French bread or grilled asparagus spears, broccoli and cauliflower. For a spicy twist, make a chipotle cheese fondue. Just add chipotle chilies and cilantro, and pair with tortilla chips. Create a salty and sweet variety by adding a chocolate hazelnut spread to the appetizer table -- blend raw hazelnuts, cocoa powder and vanilla extract. Delectable Desserts The holidays can be a low-stress dessert season, as you can make large batches of cookies ahead of time. Amp up almond cookies or snickerdoodles with a vegan cinnamon glaze by blending tofu, soy milk and cinnamon in a high performance blender, such as Vitamix. If you want to try something new and give guests options, combine two favorite holiday treats into one with an eggnog cheesecake. Whip up a smooth and creamy cheesecake batter in your blender in minutes. ‘Tis the season to have the best of both worlds in the kitchen and around the table. Keep your guests -- and yourself -- happy with simple recipes, and leave time to enjoy the next holiday gettogether. (StatePoint) The perfect Morro Bay ATASCADERO 8300 El Camino Real SLO 719 Higuera PASO ROBLES 643 Spring St. 805.466.5770 805.543.5770 805.238.5770 DON’T FORGET! Your family’s HSA and insurance benefits run out at year’s end! Take advantage of them before they expire. gift, stocking stuffer, last minute Must Have! Ask about our VIP PLAN 6 Months Same as Cash through Care Credit www.MichaelsOptical.com Mi h New Year’s Resolutions? tIBOEDSBGUFEUJODUVSFT tIFSCBMIFBMJOHTBMWFT tTPZDBOEMFT tTQJDZTQSJU[FST tBJSGSFTIFOFST tCBTUBCVHCBMN tBSPNBUIFSBQZSPMMPOT tTVQSFNFDSÒNFT tTBWPSZTBVDFT tCBUITBMUT tNBUFSOJUZQSPEVDUT This year make resolutions for the God of creation who has given us so much, by resolving to attend church. Sundays starting January 3rd 10 am: Sunday School & 11 am: Worship Service Morro Shores Inn, 290 Atascadero Rd., Morro Bay Hope to see you there! $2.00 SXUFKDVH OFF of grinder or salad East Coast Flavor { (set of two) Original design by Phyllis Dorn, Made of sturdy Zinc West Coast SO THEN, FAITH COMETH BY HEARING, AND HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD. — ROM. 10:17 Lighthouse Baptist Church LICENSE PLATE HOLDERS ONLY $20 on the Available at : 805.543.6700 Available for purchase at: The Secret Garden (Downtown SLO), The Halcyon Store (AG), Harmony House Yoga, (PB), and Essence Massage with Lisa Brand, (See Canyon Avila Beach) The Original Morro Bay Beautiful %URDG6WƇ6/2 *LDQW*ULQGHU6/2FRP Hinson Tires 839 Quintana Rd Morro Bay Aquarium 595 Embarcadero Rd 26 ❆ December 17 - 30, 2015 ❆ HOLIDAY GUIDE Look radiant for the Yes, Virginia, There New Year! is a Santa Claus Buy one syringe of Juvederm or Radiesse, receive 2nd syringe for 30% OFF s3OFTENlNELINES s2ESTOREVOLUME s,OOKMOREYOUTHFULINSTANTLY /URSKINCAREPRODUCTSMAKE GREATSTOCKINGSTUFFERS 'IFTCARDSAVAILABLE Sorina Carabeth, MD 805-540-5085 Ageless in SLOs!EROVISTA0LACE3UITEs3AN,UIS/BISPO Local Quality Fresh Seafood Contemporary Affordable Dining Delightful Bay View Setting Morro Bay’s Local Favorite Fine Selection of Saki, Beer & Wine 772-1048 833 Embarcadero, Morro Bay “Dog Friendly Patio & Beautiful Sunset Dining” ‘Tis the Season for HOLIDAY BALLET BALLET THEATRE SAN LUIS OBISPO ÖÙÝÄãÝ The Magic Toy Shop La Boutique Fantasque & The Skaters Les Patineurs 3 PERFORMANCES Sat Dec 19, 3 & 7pm Sun Dec 20, 2pm $21 Adults $13 Children under 12 HOLIDAY GALA Following Sat 7 pm Performance No Host Desserts, Beverages BT-SLO BlackBox Theatre 3566 S. Higuera #207 San Luis Obispo Tickets online at www.BT-SLO.org or call 805.440.1439 Seating is Limited From the New York Sun, 1897 W e take pleasure in answering thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of The Sun: I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, “If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.” Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus? — Virginia O’Hanlon Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a sceptical age. They do not believe except what they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The external light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished. Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world. You tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world, which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding. No Santa Claus? Thank God he lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!! Francis P. Church’s editorial, “Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus” was an immediate sensation, and became one of the most famous editorials ever written. It first appeared in The New York Sun in 1897, and was reprinted annually until 1949 when the paper went out of business. Thirty-six years after her letter was printed, Virginia O’Hanlon recalled the events that prompted her letter: “Quite naturally I believed in Santa Claus, for he had never disappointed me. But when less fortunate little boys and girls said there wasn’t any Santa Claus, I was filled with doubts. I asked my father, and he was a little evasive on the subject. “It was a habit in our family that whenever any doubts came up as to how to pronounce a word or some question of historical fact was in doubt, we wrote to the Question and Answer column in The Sun. Father would always say, ‘If you see it in The Sun, it’s so,’ and that settled the matter. “’Well, I’m just going to write The Sun and find out the real truth,’ I said to father. “He said, ‘Go ahead, Virginia. I’m sure The Sun will give you the right answer, as it always does.’” Her letter found its way into the hands of a veteran editor, Francis P. Church. Son of a Baptist minister, Church had covered the Civil War for The New York Times and worked at The New York Sun for 20 years. Church had for his personal motto, “Endeavour to clear your mind of can’t.” When controversial subjects — especially those dealing with theology — had to be tackled on the editorial page, the assignment was usually given to Church. He held a little girl’s letter on a most controversial matter, and had to answer it. “Is there a Santa Claus?” the childish scrawl in the letter asked. At once, Church knew that there was no avoiding the question. He must answer, and he must answer truthfully. And so he turned to his desk, and he began his reply, which was to become one of the most memorable editorials in newspaper history. Church married shortly after the editorial appeared and he died in April, 1906, leaving no children. Virginia O’Hanlon went on to graduate from Hunter College at age 21 with a bachelor’s degree in art. The following year she received her master’s from Columbia, and in 1912 she began teaching in the New York City school system, later becoming a principal. After 47 years, she retired as an educator. Throughout her life she received a steady stream of mail about her Santa Claus letter, and to each reply she attached an attractive printed copy of Church’s editorial. Virginia O’Hanlon Douglas died on May 13, 1971, at age of 81 in a nursing home in Valatie, N.Y. WELCOME YOUR GUESTS IN Style . HAVE A HAPPIER HOLIDAY! ENJOY A Free Upgrade AS OUR GIFT TO YOU. 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Bring in this ad for a FREE mattress protector with purchase of mattress. NEW Paso Robles location coming soon! 381 Quintana Rd | Morro Bay | 805.225.1733 HOLIDAY GUIDE ❆ December 17 - 30, 2015 ❆ 29 Create New Traditions Using Technology This Holiday Season T he winter months come with many gifts to wrap and unwrap, parties to plan, family-style meals to whip up -- the list goes on. Now more than ever, technology can help us get creative with how to make time with family more meaningful, and then help us capture all the fun so the memories last far longer than just a moment. Here’s how to get started. Make Things to Share Interactive computers such as Sprout by HP are recreating what it means to make things by merging the physical and digital worlds. Sprout is what HP calls an Immersive Computer; it comes with a touch screen, touch mat, overhead projector, HD camera and 3D scanner. With Sprout, you can grab holidayinspired items -- like holiday wreaths or jingle bells -- and easily scan them into the device. There are several different free apps available that can help you create, learn, interact and share. Do-It-Yourself Decorating If you’re in the mood to get crafty with the family, you can make non-traditional items such as garlands out of leftover sprinkles from holiday baking. JoJotastic.com blogger, Joanna Hawley, doesn’t throw away leftover ingredients; instead she recycles them for a decorating project. Take her lead by throwing some sprinkles on the touch mat to scan, print and cut the images into your favorite shape. Then, tie each piece to ribbon and voila, festive garlands to hang on the wall for any holiday party! Beat Holiday Boredom Spending time at home can be a nostalgic, cheerful experience. But between baking pumpkin muffins and holiday shopping, there are bound to be stretches of free time -- especially for the kids. Borrow a few tips from LunchboxDad.com blogger, Beau Coffron, who uses creative holiday boredom busters to keep the kids busy! Like Beau and his family, you can explore apps like Crayola DJ to brighten up a chilly winter day. The kids will love interacting with the projected turnstiles on the touch mat to show off their musical skills. Direct a Family Video Give the traditional family video a new twist by recording quirky moments and piecing them together on apps like Video Capture. Lunchbox Dad likes the eye-catching DreamWorks Story Producer app that lets you create and direct your own How to Train Your Dragon animated film. You can even choose the Y L O P L CA S MEAT Text MEAT to 56955 to join our VIP CLUB! difficulty level. Try challenging the family to see who can get the fastest time! Don’t Forget To Share When used imaginatively, technology can unite the family to inspire new, meaningful traditions. Celebrate your creations on social media by sharing the hashtag #GoMakeThings and see what others have created with family this holiday season! (StatePoint) MEAT THE BEGINNING OF THE PERFECT BBQ STEAKS, CHOPS, SAUSAGE, SMOKED MEATS & MANY OTHER INNOVATIVE CUTS! Carefully aged, Cal Poly processed USDA inspected. VISIT OUR ON-CAMPUS MEAT MARKET – Open Th-Fri 12-5:30 & Sat 10-2pm Turn on Stenner Creek Rd. Off of Hwy 1 at the end of the road in Bldg 155 Town Center Transforming Shopping Into An Experience Santa is coming to town… "# "&&%""%")!&# !" $ /3"* /1"( 2"", !(#!$"&#"" 1*4' Picture Packages Start at Only $15 5//*350.+03. + + 3 Tolosa Press • December 17 - 30, 2015 • 31 Sangha Energy Offers Solutions Through the Weather A s 2015 draws to a close California’s drought is giving way to an expected “hard El Nino.” Of course that’s a welcome respite for the Central Coast’s ranchers and any of a number of municipal water systems that rely on surface water, but there’s a hard reality to winter weather. In normal years the same electric grid that strains in summer under the draw of millions of air-conditioning units also bears a heavy load as temperatures drop and the switches are flipped on electric heaters and furnaces. The same water that is needed so badly back in the lakes and river systems is going to wreak havoc getting there. Mudslides, road wipeouts and trees toppling in the wind and a home in the suburbs is just as vulnerable to having the copper wires that tie it to civilization cut as is a mountain cabin. Industry studies estimate around 47 percent of utility outages are the result of strong storms. In short, for utility companies and their field workers it’s the hardest time of the year to keep your home tied to their grid. Fortunately, there are other options. Sangha Energy, a local company founded with the explicit intent of giving homeowners and companies true energy independence wants to help. In fact, with a special beneficial corporation status under California law, they’re uniquely qualified to offer alternative energy systems that match a client’s need rather than padding a sales invoice. For the last three years the majority of Sangha’s business has come from off-grid living, designing the complex integrated systems for a single residence. Even though it’s a lofty ambition for some to live entirely independently that’s not all or even most of what Sangha is all about. Company founder Tod duBois explains that the word Sangha, meaning community in Sanskrit, perfectly sums up what they’re selling, “community energy.” That can mean a lot of things, but to start it’s about providing the energy to keep your family or small business going. Partnering with local electricians, and the industrial scale generator manufacturer Generac, duBois is offering a simple but oft overlooked solution. Automatic standby generators, paired with your own in-home micro-grid are designed to protect from power failure and restore power within seconds of an outage. “You can’t heat a home on battery backups,” duBois notes, “And until recently, utility grade power was considered too expensive on a backup system.” With the series of generator options available, assessing individual needs can be tricky, but that’s part of what Sangha will help with. The systems are not the type of thing you pick up at Home Depot. Generac produces eight series of heavyduty generator, from the kind of small unit that will keep a refrigerator and lights going in a cabin to the kind of units that sits in hospital basement and could keep a commercial operation running on their own. The most popular, the Guardian series, comes in several sizes, features a quiet enclosure to keep from bothering the neighbors and can switch between natural gas and LP fuel in a few seconds, without the need for any tools. Depending on the model prices hover in the $2,500 -$4500 range. For more in-depth information, go online to sanghaenergy.org/generators and follow the “Email and Expert” link to discuss your needs. Checkout their other services and solutions offered by Sangha Energy or call 805-545-7818. 32 • December 17 - 30, 2015 • Tolosa Press Framed I Believe in Santa Claus By REO Speedwagon, Photo By PhotoByVivian.com Me and a friend in the neighborhood, Playing in the snow He swears there’s no Santa, His big brother told him so Well that night I asked my Daddy: “Is it true what that boy told me?” And he said, “Son I’ll tell you what I know.” I believe that anything is possible I believe in miracles In the angels keeping watch In innocence that is never lost I believe in Santa Claus We’re counting down to Christmas morning, The children all aglow I wish they’d stay young forever, Oh oh But one day they’ll wonder why Santa’s reindeer fly And when they do I’ll tell them what I know I believe that anything is possible I believe in miracles In the angles keeping watch In innocence that is never lost I believe in Santa Claus 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 LEARN TO DANCE Exceptional & Inspired Dance Instruction $SFBUJWF%BODFr#BMMFUrѮ FBUSJDBM.PEFSO+B[[ TheresaSlobodnik, Slobodnik,Ballet Ballet Director Theresa XXX#54-0PSH r4)JHVFSB4USFFU4VJUFr4-0 Tolosa Press • December 17 - 30, 2015 • 33 Bending Life Through Colored Glass By Terry Sanville S ome people start at Point A and take what seems like a direct path to Point B. But for American men in the 1960s, the Vietnam War coupled with the draft made finding one’s path all that more challenging. Such was the case with San Luis Obispo glass artist Richard Mortensen. Richard grew up in Whittier, California. His father died when he was just two and his mother worked full time to raise him and his two brothers. After graduating from high school in 1964, his life took many twists and turns. He: Enjoyed the heck out of art classes in junior college; Joined the Marine Corps Reserves during the Vietnam War but happily was never activated; Studied biology at Long Beach State and earned a B.S. degree; Married Carol, an oil, acrylic and watercolor artist and teacher of art and science; Joined the Peace Corps along with Carol and spent two years teaching at jungle schools in Belize; Attended graduate school at Oregon State University, Corvallis, and studied entomology; Worked for the U.S. Forest Service developing biological controls for insect pests; Worked for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management doing background security checks for prospective federal employees; Worked for the National Nuclear Security Agency at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory; Retired to San Luis Obispo in 2007 after working for the feds for 37 years – wow! Somehow in the multiple folds of Richard’s life, art happened. While working in eastern Washington State, he began playing with stained glass. In the San Francisco Bay Area, Carol taught a class in “fused glass.” Richard fell in love with this medium. He’s been producing both high art and whimsical glass pieces since the early 1990s. Richard’s process begins when he “discovers” a design for a particular piece. As he works with the different types of glass, the materials suggest a design that comes together in sometimes-unexpected ways. Celebrate friends and family this holiday season by giving and receiving... “I finished a piece made with black glass with white and gray areas,” he said. “A woman said she especially liked the three nudes she saw in the design. Now, whenever I look at the piece all I see are nudes.” He then uses cutters and diamond saws to cut the colored glass into pieces and fit them together on a flat plane – like a close-fitting jigsaw puzzle. “I bleed a lot when I’m producing my pieces,” Richard joked. The flat plane is placed in a kiln, slowly heated to over 1,400 degrees then gradually cooled. This process “fuses” the glass pieces into a smooth flat plate. The plate is then placed over a stainless steel or ceramic mold and slowly fired to more than 1,000 degrees. The flat plate “slumps” into the mold to form the desired shape. Richard’s work is influenced by the art he saw while exploring Central and South America. His plates, platters, bowls and other vessels use highcolor or dark moody glass in striking combinations to create one-of-a-kind works. “I never do the exact same thing twice,” he said adding that he produces fun pieces for the Halloween and Christmas holidays. “People seem to like these, and they sell well.” To see Richard’s work, check out https://sites.google.com/site/ moricaglass/ or visit The Gallery at the Network in downtown SLO or Studios on the Park in Paso Robles. For more information, contact Richard at r.morten@sbcglobal.net. For every $50 purchased in Gift Certificates, you receive a $10 Gift Certificate for yourself. ($50 = $10 for YOU!) Nestled in Los Osos, Celia’s Garden Cafe is a locals favorite getaway for breakfast & lunch. It’s on your way to Montana de Oro & is open daily form 7:30-2:30. Featuring breakfast all day, fresh squeezed local orange juice, homemade hash, homemade apricot jam & salsa. A variety of extremely popular eggs benedict. Friendly service, a dog friendly patio & a neighboring nursery. 1188 Los Osos Valley Road Los Osos (next to Sage) 805-528-5711 OPEN DAILY 7AM Sunday-Thursday ‘til 9pm Friday-Saturday ‘til 10pm In the K-Mart Center Arroyo Grande Open Daily 7:30–2:30 481-FISH (3474) Dog Friendly Patio Credit Cards Acceptedt#SFBLGBTU"MM%BZ 8JOFBOE#FFStChildren’s MenutDesserts Check out our menu at: www.quarterdeckseafood.com COMING UP AT THE 34 • December 17 - 30, 2015 • Tolosa Press PAC Entertainment (Sousaphone), Paul Trent (percussion), Rebecca McKinley (trombone, vocals), Gary Arcemont (banjo, vocals), Alisa Bredensteiner (guitar, vocals), Geoffrey Land (trumpet, vocals) and Del Gomes (clarinet). See: www.facebook.com/ ragbonesaintsfor more on the band. This show is made possible through the generous support and assistance of the entire Red Barn Community (aka Children of the Barn) and with support from KCBX Public Radio and Live Oak Music Festival. HANDEL’S MESSIAH: A SING-ALONG HOLIDAY TREAT DECEMBER 19 | 8:00 PM FORBES PIPE ORGAN HOLIDAY SING-ALONG DECEMBER 20 | 3:00 PM NEW YEAR’S EVE POPS DECEMBER 31 | 7:30 PM TWITTER.COM/THEPACINSLO FACEBOOK.COM/PACSANLUISOBISPO WWW.PACSLO.ORG | 805-756-4849 LOCAL AUTHOR DEBUTS The Book on Bullies: How to Handle Them Without Becoming One of Them Practical strategies to handle bullies in school, home and the workplace. 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 susankboydmft.com The SLO Winds will hold its Annual Holiday Concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20 at the Cuesta The San Luis College Performing Arts Center. Obispo Symphony’s New Year’s Eve POPS concert is set Sunday, Jan. 10, is a day of for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 31 at the cinematic celebration at the Performing Arts Center at Cal Poly. Palm Theater. In the morning, two Tickets start at $20 per person and engaging short documentaries: “The can be purchased online at: www. Yellow Stars of Tolerance,” and the slosymphony.org and at: www.pacslo. Academy Award winning “The Lady in org or by calling the PAC Box Office Number 6” will be screened, followed at (805) 756-4849. Guest conductor by a Q&A with the directors. In the is Maestro Lawrence Loh, currently adjacent theater, is a special screening music director of the Symphoria of the classic children’s animated Orchestra of Syracuse N.Y., and artistic movie, “An American Tale,” free for director and principal conductor of the children under-12. Syracuse Opera. Loh guest conducts In the afternoon, is the short film, orchestras around the world including “Banana Bread,” followed by the hottest the Pittsburgh Symphony and Youth fi lm on the international festival circuit, Symphony and the Dallas Symphony, among others. The show will be the British film, “Dough” featuring emceed by KSBY TV news anchor Dan veteran actor, Jonathan Pryce. After Shadwell and feature symphonic gems, each screening will be a Q&A with the jazz standards, movie music, sultry filmmakers. tangos, and more by composers George A customized dinner at Luna Red Gershwin, Duke Ellington, Richard follows before the documentary, Rogers, John Williams and more. “When Comedy Went to School” about Renowned pianist, Orion Weiss, will the history and contributions of Jewish perform Grieg’s “Piano Concerto” and comedians. Café Musique will play its special brand Screenings always sell out, so of wild classical music. The special buy your tickets early. Sponsorship concert will close at 9 p.m. with the packages that include tickets to the all Times Square Ball Drop. the events are still available. For tickets The 6th Annual San Luis Obispo Jewish Film Festival, is set for Jan. 9 and 10 featuring award winning narrative and documentary films, and intimate conversations with the filmmakers. Saturday night, Jan. 9 is a welcome reception with the filmmakers at Luna Red Restaurant Downtown followed by a ceremony for a Lifetime Achievement Award to distinguished actor, director and writer of film and television Saul Rubinek at the Palm Theater. Rubinek has more than 150 film credits to his name. His 30-year career includes performances in “Unforgiven,” “Nixon,” “I Love Trouble,” “True Romance,” “And the Band Played On,” and “Hiroshima.” and more information, see: www.jccslo. com. New Orleans style jazz band, Rag Bone Saints, will play the next Red Barn Concert in Los Osos, Saturday, Jan. 2. Cost is $15 at the door. Doors open at 4:30 and there’s a potluck supper at 5 with a potluck band. Brings a dish to share, place settings and BYOB. Show starts at 6. Based in SLO, the Rag Bone Saints celebrates the traditional jazz common to the streets, bars and back alleys of New Orleans. Along with Mardi Gras standards and New Orleans classics, the band also plays obscure jazz and blues tunes from the 1920s and ‘30s. The band is comprised of Will Newey Famed actor, Hal Holbrook, will bring his one-man show, “Mark Twain Tonight!” to the Performing Arts Center at Cal Poly, at 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 9. Tickets range from $36.80-$66 and available at the PAC Box Office, Mondays–Saturdays, noon to 6 p.m. Call (805) 756-4849 or order online at: www.calpolyarts.org. A Tony Award winning performance, Holbrook, 90, is marking the 61st consecutive year that he has brought Twain back to life on stage. The show was developed in a Greenwich Village nightclub in 1956, was on the Ed Sullivan show, and then opened off-Broadway in 1959. Sponsored by Clayhouse Wines, Coast 101.3 FM, Matrix Mobile Television, and The Tribune. The SLO Winds will hold its Annual Holiday Concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20 at the Cuesta College Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $10 for students and $20 general admission and available online at: www.cpactickets.cuesta.edu or call 546-3198. You’ll hear Samuel Hazo’s “Rest” which was composed around “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen;” “A Hanukkah Festival,” a medley of three traditional Hanukkah songs; Alfred Reed’s “Russian Christmas Music” and more. Jennifer Martin, David Rackley, and Anthony Yi conduct. Pianist and Cal Poly Music Department Chairman, W. Terrence Spiller, will give a benefit recital at 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 8, in the Spanos Theatre at Cal Poly. Tickets are $9 for students and $12 for general public and available at the PAC Box Office, Mondays–Saturdays, noon to 6 p.m. Call (805) 756-4849 or order online at: www.calpolyarts.org. Spiller’s program will start with two sonatas by Beethoven: the Sonata in F Major, Op. 10 No. 2, and the Sonata in D major, Op. 28, “The Pastorale,” plus Francis Poulenc’s “Les Soirées de Nazelles” and five préludes from Sergei Rachmaninov’s Préludes Op. 23 and Op. 32. The concert is sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts and Music Department. For more information, call the Music Department at 756-2406. 2016 BLACKLAKE CLUB CARD Membership Program $20 OFF For the month of December A ceremony for a Lifetime Achievement Award to distinguished actor, director and writer, Saul Rubinek Los Osos party band, Back Bay Betty will play a New Year’s Eve show from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. at Morro Bay’s The Siren (formerly The Fuel Dock), corner of Main and Harbor Streets. For more on the band, including a free download of a new song, see: www.backbaybetty.com. Songwriters At Play presents Jeffrey Pine Thursday, Dec. 17 at The Shell Café, 1351 Price St., Pismo Beach. Pine is a veteran of more than three decades of live performance, song craftsmanship, recording and entertaining. He has acquired a well-deserved reputation as one of America’s premier solo artists with a rich vocal tenor and overall sound often compared to Sting, John Mayer, Cat Stevens, James Taylor, and Gordon Lightfoot. The free show (tips) is for all ages and starts at 6:30 p.m. with guest performers. For more information, see: www.songwritersatplay.com. Call 7738300. The Arroyo Grande Rotary Club will host its 8th Annual Christmas and Holiday Concert and Sing-Along at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20 at Arroyo Grande’s Clark Center. This year’s show is the “Twelve Days of Christmas!” The program will highlight many of the 12 elements of the classic Christmas song with special performances by guest artists: Village Carolers of Studio Sing, Sing, Sing directed by Judith Dunlore; the Arroyo Grande High School Band directed by Bill Benson; and many more. Dancers from the St. Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Church; the Grande Bell Ringers from the Arroyo Grande United Methodist Church directed by Leonard Lutz, among others. Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for children/students and are available from the Clark Center Box Office, call 489-9444 or go online at: www.clarkcenter.org. Cost is $119 per year Option B: $159/yr. Includes 2016 SCGA Membership Ê Ê Ê WHERE THE PARTY NEVER ENDS! THU 9PM- JAWZ 12/17 1:00 KARAOKE FRI 9PM12/18 1:30 SOUL SAUCE FRI-$5 COVER SAT 3:00PM MID LIFE CRISIS -7:30 9:00PM 12/19 -1:30 SOUL SAUCE SAT-$5 COVER MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS SUN 12/20 Discounted green fees & cart fees Discounts on all merchandise 6 complimentary rounds MON 7:30PM M JUAN MARQUEZ 12/21 -11:30 UÊ£Ê`ÕÀ}ÊÌ iÊÜii`>ÞÊ UÊ£Ê`ÕÀ}ÊÜiii`Ê UÊÎÊ`ÕÀ}ÊÌÜ} ÌÊ UÊ£Ê`ÕÀ}ÊÞÕÀÊLÀÌ `>ÞÊÌ Receive a punch card good for 5 large buckets of range balls Eligibility to participate in our monthly club tournaments Club Card Member Pricing Weekdays À Walking 18 Holes 18 Holes Senior (55+) Twilight 9 Holes Super Twilight $28 $25 $20 $16 $14 Riding $42 $39 $30 $26 $24 Weekdends ->Ì]Ê-Õ]ÊEÊ`>Þà 18 Holes 18 Holes Senior (55+) Twilight 9 Holes Super Twilight $34 $28 $22 $18 $16 $48 $42 $32 $28 $26 ÀÃÌÊÌiiÊÌiÊÃÊ>ÌÊÇ>Ê/Ü} ÌÊEÊ-Õ«iÀÊ/Ü} ÌÊÌiÃÊ Û>ÀÞÊÜÌ ÊÃi>ðÊ9ÕÊV>ÊV>ÊnäxÎ{Σӣ{ÊiÝÌ°Ê£ÊÊ ÌÊLÊ>ÊÌiiÊÌiÊÀÊ}iÌÊÀiÊvÀ>Ì]ÊÀÊLÊ iÊ>ÌÊL>V>i°VÊ 3:00PM -7:30 9:00PM -1:30 FOOTBALL JUAN MARQUEZ TUE 7:30PM INDIAN VALLEY 12/22 2 -11:30 WED 7:30PM INDIAN VALLEY 12/23 3 -11:30 THU 12/24 CLOSING 6PM FRI 12/25 CLOSED SAT 3:00PM THREE FOR ALL -7:30 12/26 9:00PM COPY KATZ -1:30 SAT-$5 COVER SUN 3:00PM FOOTBALL -7:30 9:00PM 12/27 -1:30 LIVE MUSIC MON 7:30PM LIVE MUSIC 12/28 8 -11:30 TUE 7:30PM 12/29 9 -11:30 6250 WED 7:30PM 6250 12/30 0 -11:30 THU 9:00PM MGB 12/31 1 –1:00 Now Serving SEXTANT WINES on Tap 1490 GOLF COURSE LN., NIPOMO 805-343-1214 BLACKLAKE.COM (805) 773-1010 690 Cypress St., Pismo Beach www.harryspismobeach.com Open 10am-2am Daily 36 • December 17 - 30, 2015 • Tolosa Press Dinner & A Movie Woodstone A Great Marketplace-Deli-Store-Restaurant By Teri Bayus A s the holiday approaches and we are consumed with endless to-do lists, I long to spend time outside, walking in our sun drenched December. I linger on these walks, looking for marketplaces. Village shops of old that provide traveling luminaries with a nice meal to inspire their strolls. These near extinct creatures have all but disappeared. But in Avila Beach, on the top of the Bob Jones Trail is a Mecca called, Woodstone Marketplace. This bastion of all things scrumptious is a favorite of the seaside dwellers of Avila and is now on my list of favorite picnic places. We dined with our friends who swore the food was superb at this marketplacedeli-store-restaurant and they were correct. The owner, Cheryl Peterman, greeted us warmly at the counter. She explained the menu, nightly specials and deli style meals. The location along the popular Bob Jones Trail makes this a perfect stop to pick up your meal and then jog or walk to the lapping waves of Avila Beach. My first trip I ordered the Woodstone house salad that featured a bed of mixed greens topped with caramelized nuts, dried cranberries, avocado, and gorgonzola cheese, drizzled with a raspberry vinaigrette dressing. My friend had the tri-tip dinner plate with succulent shredded tritip, brown rice, veggies and rolls. It was a huge plate of meat and goodies. We all shared the cashew pear salad with crisp chopped Romaine lettuce, diced pears, dried cranberries, roasted cashews and shredded Fontina cheese and finished with a burgundy poppy seed dressing. The salads were all crisp and delectable. Gary started with the coconut crème cake and was kind enough to share a taste with the rest of us. Then he had the Woodstone’s turkey cranberry sandwich with fresh sliced turkey breast, cranberry relish, cheddar cheese, greens, and tomato with mayonnaise, served on a fresh baked ciabatta roll. I ordered the pesto chicken pizza with a cracker crust all enveloped with a creamy garlic sauce, homemade pesto chicken, sun dried tomatoes, caramelized onions, and then finished with pine nuts, fresh basil and Parmesan cheese. It was a pizza accomplishment. We came back for breakfast and encountered our waitress’s sunny-sideup personality. Gary had the village breakfast wrap with scrambled eggs, black bean salsa, Ortega chilies, black olives, a cheddar-jack cheese blend, and mango chicken sausage in a flour tortilla. It was topped with sour cream and homemade salsa. I opted for the Teni’s Breakfast Sandwich, which was two eggs, sliced tomatoes, caramelized onion, avocado and pepper jack cheese stacked on toasted sourdough. With the accouterments of the perfect coffee, I was in Heaven. We bought a bottle of Pinot Grigio to take with us along with imported cheese, crackers, olives, and a chocolate brownie to the beach for an afternoon of reading, riding waves and relaxing. This will now be my first stop on the way to Avila Beach. Just a step off the beaten path, Woodstone Marketplace is the perfect spot for a delicious meal in a peaceful creek side atmosphere. Located off San Luis Bay Drive in Avila Beach, they offer an eclectic combination of deli, country market, coffee and espresso bar, and wine shop. Woodstone Marketplace is located at 6675 Bay Laurel Pl., Avila Beach; call them at (805) 595-1018. Pixar’s ‘The Good Dinosaur’ Stinks By Teri Bayus B e warned this is going to be a rant, a negative rant. I have never before been so angry at a motion picture. I have been scared, saddened, thrilled, tickled, terrified and horrified, but never spitting mad at a movie and the studio that made it. The object of my disgust? “The Good Dinosaur,” produced by Pixar. These are the same folks that gave us “Up,” “Toy Story,” “Wall-E” and many other wonderful family pictures that melted our hearts, taught lessons and were safely viewed by anyone in the family. I do admit that the death storyline that pops up often is a bit off-putting, but death is a real part of life. Before, it was handled gently for the young and sensitive viewers. Not so with the currant piece of crappy celluloid, The Good Dinosaur. I have been taking my grandkids to the movies since they were babies. I usually research the film first to make sure it is appropriate for their viewing. I never checked on a Pixar movie, especially an animated one about a dinosaur. I trusted them. I was very wrong. This movie was so offensive that I swear it was done intentionally. It started with the short. Those cute and sometimes better, 5-minute movies that start each film. They usually are brilliant and funny. This one is called “Sanjay’s Super Team,” directed by Sanjay Patel. It follows the daydream of a young Indian boy, bored with his father’s religious meditation, who imagines Hindu gods as superheroes. This seems like a nice metaphor, but it was frightening. Three-headed monsters battle Gods and a barrage of scary fight scenes and images. My 5-year-old grandson asked to leave 2 minutes into it. I was sure it would get better or at least funny, but it didn’t and failed to inspire or even enlighten. His other grandparents were with us, and sandwiched between him, we shared furtive glances. This film commits the cardinal sin of failure with both of its primary audiences — parents and children. It features a dinosaur named, Arlo (voiced by Raymond Ochoa), and his pet human, Spot (Jack Bright). The pair, separated from their families, travel together on the familiar adventure to find their way home. But this one is riddled with frightening images. We all found it too scary due to intense, graphic scenes. The film moves from one scary scene to the next. From a horrible storm and a badly injured, limping Arlo, to Arlo’s father being drowned in the river. Then Arlo in another storm, falling down a hill and passing out in the water, to him falling off a cliff, then running out of food, and being attacked and hunted. There’s a hallucination scene, conversations about wanting the crocodile drowned in a pool of his own blood. Those with a fear of thunder and lightning may end up wailing through the movie. Even the family is horrendous. Arlo’s father seems to be more interested in Arlo murdering a child, his sibling’s evil bullies. Every other character they meet seems to be either racist (some deep South accented dinosaurs portrayed as dumb hicks) or the T- Rexes that gallop along rounding up bison with accents straight out of John Wayne movies. It is completely relentless in its desire to move from one to another cliffhanger. At the end of the movie, Arlo finds his way home and inexplicably pushes the human boy onto a random human family that, moments before, rejected. He makes his way home and is allowed to leave his footprint on a wall, which he wasn’t allowed to do earlier because his family viewed him as a giant clumsy wimp who wouldn’t kill a human. I do not trust Pixar any more. I cannot find one good reason this story — an animated dinosaur movie — would have scarier elements than Jurassic Park (which the grandkids saw and were not afraid). It seems their newest foray into the emotional spectrum is to terrify children without a good story behind it. Shame on you Pixar. Teri Bayus can be scene on her culinary television show, “Taste Buds” at: www.centralcoastnow.tv or on Charter Cable Ch. 10. Her novel “Consumed, An Erotic Culinary Tale,” is available on Amazon and iTunes. Dinner and a Movie is a regular feature of Tolosa Press. Bay News • December 17 - 30, 2015 Community • 37 Cambria Market Lights Up the Night Photos by Erin O’Donnell T he 4th Annual Cambria Christmas Market has one more chance for folks to get out and enjoy the wondrous lighting displays at the Cambria Pines Lodge, 2905 Burton Dr. Patterned after Germany’s Christmas markets the event features nightly entertainment, vendors, food, fun for all and of course some dazzling light displays. Admission is $3-$10 depending on the night with kids 5-under free. The final market is set for Dec. 16-23. See: http:// cambriachristmasmarket.com for information. Parking is designated at Coast Union High School and shuttle buses will ferry you back and forth. BECAUSE OF YOU LAUREN PREWITT D.O., F.A.C.O.O.G. Gynecology & Traditional Osteopathy Now Accepting New Patients... Including Children! More local children are inspired to love reading. SORINA RATCHFORD, DDS General & Cosmetic Dentistry Our community is becoming more financially stable. The physical and mental health of our community is improving. New Services Crowns & Bridges Extractions Periodontal Surgery Implants Invisalign® Root Canals Dentures When you gave to United Way of San Luis Obispo County in 2015, connected people with basics resources like food and shelter through the 2-1-1 program. NOW ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS! Accepting most major Health Insurances 1223 Higuera St, Suite 203, SLO TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION TODAY CALL 805.541.1234 OR VISIT WWW.UNITEDWAYSLO.ORG Morro Bay 805.776.3002 FAMILY DENTISTRY www.drlaurenprewitt.com 747 Bernardo Ave, Morro Bay | (805) 772-8585 | ratchforddds@gmail.com 38 • December 17 - 30, 2015 • Bay News News Weathering El Niño — How are SLO County’s Piers? By Neil Farrell and Teresa Marie-Wilson I n 1983, a severe El Niño winter took a heavy toll on San Luis Obispo County’s ocean piers, partially collapsing the Pismo Pier; completely destroying an oil pier in Estero Bay (which was never rebuilt); and likely starting the decline of the Cayucos Pier. With meteorologists predicting another strong El Niño winter, what kind of shape are SLO County’s historic and beloved piers in? Tolosa Press sought out the answers for the Pismo, Avila, Harford, Cayucos and San Simeon piers. Here’s what we found out. Avila Pier The Avila Pier, built in 1908, while not exactly in imminent danger of collapse, it is in serious trouble. After an extensive survey last summer by Morro Bay’s Shoreline Engineering, it was closed to the public in July. Andrea Lueker, interim director of the Port San Luis Harbor District, said the pier, “Needs extensive repairs.” The harbor commissioners are discussing what such a fix would entail, including whether to shorten the 1,685-foot wooden structure, as well as how to pay for it. The current rough estimate is based on the costs to repair the Cayucos Pier, essentially $3.5 million to replace 200 piles vs. 700 piles at Avila, which would cost $12.5 million. And there is a huge potential hazard with Avila. There is still residual oil beneath the pier under the seafloor, remnants of the Unocal oil spill that closed Avila in 1998 and led to the razzing of the entire waterfront. The concern is that pile driving could release that oil. They’ve already brought Unocal into the matter. “That’s the other part of this, the oil,” Lueker said. “There are certain precautions that we will have to take.” Lueker said commissioners are working on a plan for how to proceed, which will include Avila Pier developing a scope of work and asking the public about paying for it. PSL District encompasses basically the entire South County, so costs would be spread over a large area. Faced with a similar situation, Cayucos residents rallied support and raised a ton of San Simeon Pier money to bolster the County’s efforts to secure grant funding. PSL Directors have hired a public relations firm to “gauge the public’s interest and support,” said Lueker. “It’s a great model what Cayucos did. As with the Cayucos Pier, everybody’s got an Avila Pier story. That’s where I met my husband in 1988.” Need Support for DEPRESSION? You’re Welcome Here... The Harford Pier has undergone a patchwork of repairs and with the opening of a new restaurant due at the end of this month, has but one section of the 1,320-foot wooden structure to be repaired. But that section lies underneath the Olde Port Inn. “It’s more protected by the breakwater,” Lueker explained, so it doesn’t bear the brunt of most Pacific storms, which tend to come from the north out of Alaska. San Luis Bay actually faces south. “There are a few areas that in 4 to 6 years will need to be addressed,” she added. Another pier in Avila is the former Unocal oil pier, which the company donated to Cal Poly in 2001 and is now a marine research lab. But it is made of steel and not open to the public. Pismo Pier Harford Pier The Harford Pier, first built in 1873 and perhaps the most commercially used pier in SLO County, has been pretty well maintained over the years and today is in pretty decent shape, said Lueker, whose duties include oversight of that pier, too. Of the public piers in SLO County, the Pismo Pier sustained the most damage in the ’83 El Niño, partially collapsing in huge waves. A 2014 assessment revealed some problems and the Pismo Pier is scheduled for a $3 million project next year that will replace the middle section. “The full scope of the project hasn’t been defined yet,” said Pismo Public Works Director, Ben Fine. “It will be pilings and deck boards, railings. I don’t want to say it will be a reconstruction of the pier, but we are going to basically rebuild a section of the pier.” The pier was originally constructed in 1924, and was rebuilt after the 1983 winter. The 1,250-foot wooden pier varies in width from about 32 to more than 182 feet, and includes cantilevered Never miss an issue! Now it’s easier than ever to get the paper delivered straight to your inbox! Monday at 6 pm St. Stephens Church in SLO Read us & sign-up online to catch the latest news! Call Tyler Szablowski at 540-4111 tolosapress.com Bay News • December 17 - 30, 2015 News fishing decks, four diamond pop outs, and one tapered section. Fine said the pier is a big draw for tourists and locals alike. An electronic counter tracks people who walk onto the pier. In 2014, more than 800,000 people used the pier. As for El Niño preparations, Fine said the City is as prepared as it can be. “How do you predict that?” Fine asked. “We do monitor the pier during large events? We get weather updates from NOAA [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration], PG&E and Diablo Canyon. We get swell predictions and we go out and monitor the pier and make sure it is safe for people to be on it. If it is not safe, we close it.” The pier was actually closed just last week during an extremely high tide and storm surge. The last pier inspection was in 2009 and was followed by a 2010 maintenance/repair project with some decking replaced, railing gusset strengthened, new piles installed, shimming of other pilings and replacing additional decking and railing. Cayucos Pier Of all the oceanic piers in SLO County, the Cayucos Pier is by far in the best shape to weather El Niño. The Pier, which was first constructed in 1872, recently underwent a complete rebuild and is essentially brand new. The County, with considerable help Cayucos Pier from the community, and using state, federal and County sources of funding, spent an overall $3.4 million on a multiyear effort to refurbish the historic pier. The winter of ’83 was perhaps the start of the pier’s rapid decline, to the point where, having lost so many pilings, it had to close to the public in July 2013. Shoreline Engineering dove the pier, documenting all that needed to be repaired and Associated Pacific Constructors in Morro Bay did the work, which took more than a year and was completed and reopened with a gala reception and ribbon-cutting ceremony Oct. 31 attended by about 350 people. Citizen volunteers formed “Save Cayucos Pier” a non-profit organization, and a movement was started that 30 Days for $30 -FU&RVJMJCSJVN'JUOFTTGPS8PNFO HJWFZPVBIFBETUBSUPOZPVSSFTPMVUJPOT spurred on a tremendous outpouring of support. In a little more than 2 years, the group raised more than $750,000. Some of that was deposited with the SLO County Community Foundation for a future maintenance fund. San Simeon Pier The first pier in San Simeon was built in 1852 as part of a growing whaling port. A second wharf was built in 1864 but destroyed in a storm. The new owner of the property, Sen. George Hearst, William Randolph’s daddy, built a 1,000-foot pier in 1878. In 1957, the current pier was built by the State Parks Department, and was severely damaged in a 1969 storm. That led to a repair project and extension of the pier by 300 feet. The current pier is 850 feet long and just 12-feet wide. It sits within William Randolph Hearst State Park and is solely a pedestrian pier. Dan Falat, the new district superintendent for State Parks’ Coast District, said via email, “According to staff, it appears the last inspection/ repairs were completed between 1998 and 2002. We are currently working on putting together a new contract for an updated survey, but we do not have a timeframe at this point.” The pier, which like the Harford Pier has a point of land to protect it from storms, would appear to be in pretty good shape. “Currently there are no known problems that I have been advised of since my arrival,” Falat said, “but we do monitor it during storms in case a closure needs to occur for any reason.” Happy Holidays from the Lolo’s family! at The Gathering Place 3rd Annual COMMUNITY NEEDS COLLECTION DRIVE SINCE 1985 December 19th, 2-4pm LIVE MUSIC by Adi Mahan & HOLIDAY CRAFTS Benefits the following Womenade Projects: Morro Bay High School Pirate’s Closet MEXICAN RESTAURANT Hoodies | Jeans | Jackets | New Socks T-shirts | etc. PARTY TRAYS AVAILABLE! Los Osos Middle School’s Backpack Program 0DUJDULWDV%HHU:LQH 6RXSV6DODGV3DVWDV 'DLO\6SHFLDOV 'RJ)ULHQGO\3DWLR Tuesday Specials: 4 Taquitos for $5! ³DGGULFHEHDQVIRU Macaroni & Cheese | Canned beans Peanut Butter in a plastic jar Spaghetti sauce | Canned tuna & chicken Drop off items at Grandma’s! Our holiday Belgian Waffle Boat is warm raspberries, Grandma’s Gooey Honey Granola, marshmallow sauce and a dab of your favorite frozen yogurt. )LUH5RDVWHG9HJHWDEOH6RXS ³VPOUJ * Some restrictions apply, not valid with any other pass or discount Change your look... DIBOHFZPVSMJGF t#SPBE4U4-0t.BSJHPME$FOUFS XXXFRDMVCTDPN 39 Pismo Pier No Contract! Month to Month options available Personal Training EQ Boot Camp EQ Barre Zumba Body Pump Body Attack Body Combat Body Flow Cycling Classes Prenatal Fitness Mom & Me Workouts And So Much More... • 2848 N. Main St, Morro Bay 772-5686 %UHDNIDVW/XQFK'LQQHU DPWRSP'D\VD:HHN$OO,WHPV $YDLODEOHWR*R Like us on 307 Morro Bay Blvd, Morro Bay (805) 704-YUMM (9866) Frozen Yogurt & Sorbet with Live Culture & Probiotics | Old-Fashioned Waffle Specialties George G Ross CPA PFS CFP MAXIMIZE your tax savings and MINIMIZE your red flags Your Financial Safe Harbor® TAX PREPARATION & FINANCIAL SERVICES There are hundreds of different transactions that can dramatically affect your tax return. Being proactive and well informed can help reduce your tax liability. TAX & ACCOUNTING SERVICES | WEALTH MANAGEMENT | TAX PLANNING QUICKBOOKS | RETIREMENT PLANNING | BOOKKEEPING George G. Ross CPA PFS CFP® Call today to make an appointment (805) 772-2808 Securities offered through H.D. Vest Investment Services, Member SIPC CA Insurance No. 0C69294 GeorgeRossCPA.com /CKP5VTGGVŔ/QTTQ$C[ TOURIST FRIENDLY! A Brighter Home Starts with… Innovation in DayLighting SAMEE DAYY INSTALL TALL TA LLAT ATTION OFFFFEER A R SAVE $300 ON 3* OFFFFSST STs OFF FF NDD s OFFF F RD RRD ($$100 1000 of off an any ad addi diiti diti tion onnaall uni nit) t)) *AAllll uni *A units ts must bbee iinsta sta st talled at same vissitit. Not ot vali validd w withh ooth ther herr off offer ers or ers o prior or pur purrcchas assees. s. s. LICENSE #555106 BONDED EXT EX EXT X END XTE DED THRO R UGH GH H AU AUG UG 2015 015 :DWWVRI FREE LIGHT FOR LIFE LQ+RXU Find us on: 805-286-5987 s s s s Bathroom Fan Option Nighttime Light Insert Dimmer Control Designer Fixtures FREE IN HOME CONSULTATION 805.682.5939 WWW.TUBULARGEORGE.COM Bay News • December 17 - 30, 2015 Community • 41 A Joyful Christmas on Safari Photos by Neil Farrell H undreds of people turned out Saturday, Dec. 12 for the Annual Los Osos Christmas Parade, Los Osos Valley Road from Fairchild Way to Palisades Avenue. With the theme “Christmas on Safari,” some 34 entries entered the parade including horse riders and caballeros, local daycare centers, businesses, a skateboarding club, the 4-H, Baywood Elementary School and more. The winners were: Best on Foot — Friends of the Los Osos Library; Best Musical Entry — Morro Bay High’s cheerleaders; Best of Theme — Los Osos 4-H; Judges Favorite — BP General Engineering; Best Animals — the Los Chorros de Aguacalliente; and Best on Wheels — the Rotary Club of Los Osos. Once again Gary Freiberg did emcee duties with much cheer, high spirits and holiday joy. The sponsors were the Chamber off Commerce and a host off local businesses. The parade was followed by the Annual Need ‘n Wishes fundraiser at the Community Center benefitting the Homeless Shelter in SLO. Join us for Christmas Eve Worship Services WARDROBE, SHOWER AND PET DOORS Prices Are Born Here And Raised Elsewhere Everyone is Welcome SLO-Stangs Mustang Club Dedicated to the preservation, restoration, showing & sharing of all Mustangs ever built Candlelight Carol Service of HOLY COMMUNION 5:30 pm–8:00 pm -ONTHLY-EETINGSs0ICNICS Rides & Caravans to Mustang Events #AMARADERIEs&AMILIES#HILDREN%NCOURAGED &AMILY/RIENTED Sunday Morning Worship: 10:00 am MOBILE SERVICE Mustang Lover on your list? Give a gift of Membership! Contact us today for more information! Visit slo-stangs.org 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 CALVARY LUTHERAN CHURCH Pastor Jim Berg 772-8457 MorroBayLutherans@sbcglobal.net 480 Monterey Ave., Morro Bay, CA MorroBayLutherans.org 42 • December 17 - 30, 2015 • Tolosa Press Balancing Act — Employee’s vs. Company’s Needs Only Human By Betsey Nash, SPHR, SHRM-SCP T he field of Human Resources is often defined as the liaison between employees and management. But what does that really mean? While studying for my national certification exams, I was advised that when trying to answer any question I was unsure about, just ask myself: “What meets the needs of the company without screwing the employee.” Or was it the other way around? Employees overwhelming think we’re “not fair” or that we’re “management’s pawn.” Employers think we care too much about the employees. Only 21% of respondents in a 2015 survey thought HR supports everyone. Ouch! It is a balancing act, and employment law attorney, Karen Gabler, articulated it well at a recent meeting of the HR Association of the Central Coast. She explained that employers want to know how what we’re proposing is best for the business? What will save the budget/ make money? How will it benefit the customers? They don’t want to hear what will make the employees happy. We must be meticulous in forming our responses or proposals to answer their objections and needs. It is a sales job, but that’s not a bad thing. Ever since we’ve been calling it HR instead of Personnel, we’ve known that taking care of the employee is in a business’ best interest; that a happy employee is a productive employee; and that investing in good training pays off dividends. But like with any sell job, you describe the features and benefits that match the needs of the customer. I sort of eased into HR in the early 1980s while in management at Cuesta Title. It was a matter of being recognized for my strengths, and my job being modified to capitalize on them. So I did more hiring and coaching. Then I completed the management certificate coursework offered by Cal Bringing Back Radio to the Community. Poly’s Extended Education Program, and the equivalent from Cuesta’s Institute for Professional Development. More management courses have followed through the years. I run my own business, so I understand the business perspective. And yet, when attorney Gabler reminded us to “think like management,” I realized that I could still be doing a better job at this. I called it a balancing act, but it’s more like speaking two languages: reassure employees that they matter and then present the case for every employee-centric proposal, that it will improve the business. Employees apparently think we have no sense of urgency, don’t listen, and are not fair! And we don’t keep their secrets. I get really defensive when I hear this. Once I’ve calmed down I realize it’s my job to make sure an employee feels heard, and has realistic expectations about what can be done. Especially if I can’t divulge their secret! Oops, defensive again. Once I have done something, I need to be sure they know about it. Unless, of course, that would be unfair to someone else. So how does “Only Human” bring 2015 to a close? By paraphrasing Gandhi’s famous quote: “Whatever you do may not be appreciated, but it is very important that you do it.” Lucky thing we’re not in this business to please people. Betsey Nash, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, often turns to Gandhi for inspiration; being the change, even in an HR department. One of her favorites is Gandhi’s original quote: “Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it.” She is the owner of NASH HR SERVICES, and can be reached at: betsey@ nashhrservices.com. Only Human is a regular feature of the Tolosa Press. s+ARATE s%SCRIMA s4AI#HI We’re hiring PART TIME Business Development Leads Build Your Resume Flexible Schedule Fun Environment Great Pay Morro Bay Transit Call-A-Ride Curb to Curb Transit for Everyone 100% listener/community-supported shows from local residents No Experience Get your Bay News updates with reporter Neil Farrell on Thursdays at 4:30pm! Needed food & wine, pharmacology, pets, business, council, recovery community, calendar, astrology, health & fitness, music, interviews 805-772-1314 Business Office | 805-772-2037 Listener Line EsteroBayRadio.org Call today to set up an interview 805.250.8175 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 Join the Masterminds team! SMSMASTERMINDS.COM morro-bay.ca.us/transit Tolosa Press • December 17 - 30, 2015 43 The Business of Politics Bottom Line By Michael Gunther d o g g u y g e • A s we enter another election year, it feels like elections occur back to back. I understand how the election cycle is now a major revenue generator for media outlets, campaign staff, commentators, etc. Yet it seems that the campaigning strategies are becoming more outrageous in order to rally “the R core” constituents and obtain higher s ratings and media exposure. r As political conversations have s become so challenging, I started to s think about leaders in the workplace. In a work environment, none of these politicians would survive, and yet we a are electing these individuals to lead our country and us. This got me thinking, “Should we expect all politicians from all parties to operate more like you are expected to within a work environment?” Strong leaders value diversity of thought, backgrounds, experiences, genders, etc. One could never exclude or demonize an individual based on race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, to name a few. Individuals with opposing views wouldn’t be allowed to just make up facts; create stories that are not based on reality and tear down one another just to win the argument. It is illegal for vendors to bribe individuals within organizations to persuade people to purchase a product or service, and yet we let individuals bribe our politicians with unlimited contributions. A leader wouldn’t survive in the workplace if they were not willing to work with others within the organization to solve problems. The leaders of the organization wouldn’t be allowed to provide an amazing retirement and benefits plan to themselves and then, in turn, offer nothing to their employees. A business wouldn’t survive if there were never any compromises on how to approach new solutions and generate new opportunities. Maybe it is about changing the method and style of conversation from our politicians. Are the conversations authentic? Is transparency present? Is the conversation purposeful? Is it based on trying to solve an issue or just rally the troops? Is the conversation impactful? Will it actually move the solution forward or just create more clutter or distraction? If a business ran the same way we allow our politicians to, those businesses would truly struggle to become sustainable. These businesses would be faced with lawsuits, turnover, lost market share and blasted on social media. Yet, we allow our politicians to run rampant. Bottom Line As business leaders, we should expect more from our politicians, not just support them because they have our same beliefs. I believe we should support them because they can bring Dining Retail Text In To Receive Amazing Rewards From Your Favorite Brands Listed Below! Text The Key Word To 56955 Or Visit 805Loyal.Com Old San Luis BBQ Text BBQ Fattoush Text FATTOUSH The Pita Pit Text PITA CC Surfboards Text CCS Willow Market Text WILLOW Clippers Barbershop Text CLIPPERS The Pita Pit Text PITA Tea Berry Text TEABERRY Bliss Cafe Text BLISSCAFE Apropos Women’s Boutique Text APROPOS The Graduate Text GRADUATE The Giant Grinder Shop Text GIANT Rustic Mug Text RUSTIC Juice Do It Text JUICE Pluto’s Text PLUTOS BECOME A CUSTOMER OF 805 LOYAL 805loyal.com people together with many beliefs and create collaborative conversations that get results. I think our nation, our businesses would be better for it. This is another article in Michael Gunther’s series about his journey as a Collaborative Leader™. His entrepreneurial story focuses on building solid teams by improving engagement, developing leadership skills and growing businesses to reach their potential. To read previous articles, visit his blog at: www. Collaboration-LLC.com. At the core of every engaged team within successful and impactful organizations is collaborative leadership. Collaboration Business Consulting is a team of highly skilled business professionals who are dedicated to assisting proactive individuals develop themselves as collaborative leaders. This inspiring team is led by Founder and President, Michael Gunther. Bottom Line is a regular feature of Tolosa Press. Services 44 • December 17 - 30, 2015 • Bay News Protecting Public Health, Property and People A View From Harbor Street By David Buckingham W hat do 30 hypodermic needles, 200-plus cubic yards of garbage, a 40-foot shipping container and 60 people have in common? Those are some of the stats from the City’s cleanup of Morro Creek and the adjacent dunes. Following a long outreach process that included significant social services support, the City conducted a thoughtful and extensive cleanup of the creek in areas some homeless folks frequently camp. The primary purpose of the activity was protection of public health and the environment. Much of the garbage in the creek presented a growing public health danger. With El Niño rains expected to cause high flows in Morro Creek this winter, we wanted to ensure none of that refuse washed across Morro Beach and into the ocean. While our focus was on removing trash, we also wanted to protect the personal property of folks who have camped in the creek and dunes and take care to help connect them with crucial services. Here’s an update on what we did: First, the City put together a comprehensive plan for the cleanup. The plan included all City departments and partnerships with other organizations including the California Conservation Corps and Dynegy. Since much of the illegal camping, and thus much of the trash, was on private property owned by Dynegy, its permission and support was crucial. Dynegy contributed $10,000 — a substantial percentage of the total cost — toward the cleanup. For 30 days, our Police Department conducted a methodical noticing of the planned cleanup areas. That included visiting the entire cleanup zone on a regular basis, and every day for the last 10 days, to ensure the homeless camping there were aware of the planned cleanup. Notices were left at every campsite and every trash pile. Social workers accompanied our police officers during that noticing to help connect the homeless with help. For example, a homeless veteran was connected with the special social services available for former members of the military. The cleanup occurred last Thursday and Friday and involved 60 City employees and members of the CCC. The first group through the dunes and up the creek, were Police Chief Amy Christey and myself the City Manager. Following our City directive, we methodically and meticulously identified and tagged every item, such as tents and sleeping bags, backpacks and handbags, and books, eyeglasses and photographs that 0ROVIDING!LLOF9OUR3ERVICE2EPAIR.EEDS -ANY-AKES-ODELS -AINTENANCE"RAKES4IRES!# SUNSET SERVICE CENTER 805-462-8199 %L#AMINO2EALs!TASCADEROs-ONDAYn&RIDAYAMPM may be personal property of apparent value. That identification process was documented on videotape to ensure accountability. Next came the property collection crew, who collected, bagged, and tagged the previously identified property, documenting the precise location it came from and when available, by the name of the likely owner. Our police volunteers transported that property to the City Public Works yard where the Police Department property team logged it into storage in a special shipping container obtained for that purpose. The property will be retained at no cost for a minimum of 90 days. Anyone looking for personal property they left in the creek or dunes may visit the police station during regular business hours to make arrangements to identify and recover their property. The Police Department, supported by employees from the Maintenance Division and the Harbor Department, did a great job handling that personal property with appropriate accountability and care. Finally, the trash removal crew went in. Confident all personal property had been safely secured, the remaining trash was removed. Guided by City maintenance employees, the CCCs provided the primary labor for that unwelcome job. Using trash bags and trash pickers for small items — from empty food containers to needles — and also handling large items, such as soiled mattresses and broken furniture, trash was removed to six large dumpsters brought in for the job. More than 200 cubic yards of trash was removed from the creek and dunes. When you have the opportunity, consider saying thanks to a City employee - especially Police Officers, our Maintenance Division workers and Harbor employees - for their work. This cleanup clearly fell in the “other duties as assigned” section of our employees’ job descriptions, and they did a complex and dirty job with the utmost compassion and professionalism. The purpose of this activity was primarily to protect public health and the environment and that was accomplished. The City will continue to work with appropriate regional agencies, and volunteer groups, to address all aspects of the complex challenge of homelessness with compassion for people and protection of our residents and environment. As always, I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this issue. Send me an email at: dbuckingham@morrobayca.gov. David Buckingham is the city manager of Morro Bay. His “A View From Harbor Street” column is a regular feature of The Bay News. Send Letters to the Editor to: neil@tolosapress.com. Tolosa Press • December 17 - 30, 2015 • 45 Advantage Answers to Santa By Camas Frank F or the ninth year running, San Luis Obispo based Advantage Answering Plus, is offering kiddos, and anyone else who calls, a direct line to the North Pole for Christmas. Well it’s more of a direct line to his recorded message on a computer server in SLO, with a promise that your list and good wishes will be relayed to him with absolute clarity. Parents can even get an audio file of the call emailed to them for posterity. It’s a good thing that Advantage is stepping up to the plate because with all the anti-distracted-driving laws on the books we don’t want Santa picking up his cell as North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) is tracking him this year. And, said Marty Imes, Advantage’s director of vision and culture, that’s pretty much what the company is all about, making sure that a busy client doesn’t have to turn away callers while they’re otherwise occupied. Whether you’re calling a doctor, lawyer, small business operator or even Santa Claus, Imes said the goal of the company culture is to brighten people’s day, especially in an era when technology and instant access has taken out the human element of communication. The company has grown from a small family business founded in the back of a local dance studio in 1992 with three computers and a couple of employees and has grown with the times to keep up with modern tech. They now have a rotating cast of 700800 client companies and a more stable 30-40 employees in their small family business. The package of services they’re offering Santa pro-bono is the kind of client plan that usually runs about $35 per month, like a cell phone plan, although it would be a little hard to handle if the elves at Advantage were picking up the phones themselves as well the was they do for companies. In 2014 kids left more than 200 messages for Santa, mostly local, since it is a number inside the 805 area code. By the way, it wasn’t a worry 60 years ago, when the Air Force started issuing updates on St. Nick’s trip, that the Man-in-Red would pick up his phone while flying, but interestingly enough the Pentagon did get involved because of a misplaced phone call. In 1955 a Sears Roebuck ad run Colorado Springs, Colo. newspaper invited kids to contact Santa on a local phone number, but due to a typo, the dreaded red-phone at Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Operations Center started ringing instead. That wasn’t a legacy the folks at Advantage were aware of when they started the local tradition, Debbie Imes, Advantage’s director of business success, told the Tolosa Press, SLO City News last year. Of course she also maintained that Santa himself started the tradition by asking them to fill in for some of his call center elves. Whether it was Debbie Imes’ idea or Santa’s, the effect has been for the workers at Advantage to receive back a lot of the warmth and cheer, by hearing the messages, which they try to give callers to all of their client companies in the day. In a perfect world maybe the calls to Santa could be entirely private, but some work still has to be done for parents and guardians to get a copy of the messages back from Advantage’s records and it helps to know what might have been in the message and when it came in. Of course, for a company that has about 30 highly trained receptionists bridging the gap between information on their screens and the person at the other end of the phone all day, it’s easier than it sounds to do the matching. To call Santa’s Hotline dial (805) 546-1121 and email santa@.advantageplus.com (the dash is important) to get a copy of the recording. For information about all their other services go online to: www.advantage-plus.com. Just for good measure, we’ve triple checked the number for typos. 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 DAVID and KAREN present Pismo & Shell Beach !! # 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 !# """ Ì Ì 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 Winter Season Hearall allthe thesounds soundsofof the Fall Season ENJOY ENJOY BETTER BETTER HEARING HEARINGTHIS THISSUMMER! WINTER! The perfect time for aa complimentary complimentary hearing hearing screening screening is now. Winter wonderfultime timefilled filledwith withthe theharmonious harmonious is now. Fall isisaawonderful sounds of the great outdoors and social gatherings. sounds of the great outdoors and social gatherings. January–March Special October December Special Dec. ––March 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. CALL TODAY (805) 995-4826 © 2014 Starkey. All Rights Reserved. 29512-14_10/14 1052 Main Street, Suite B | Morro Bay, CA +DSS\+ROLGD\VDQG7KDQN<RX%RDUGRI'LUHFWRUV +DSS\+ROLGD\VDQG7KDQN<RX%RDUGRI'LUHFWRUV Mike & Mike AMERICA’S BEST Jim Rome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an Patrick Scott Van Pelt SPORTS TALK LINEUP Tolosa Press • December 17 - 30, 2015 • 47 Biz Briefs The SLO Downtown Association announced the winners of its annual Holiday Window Decorating Contest. Some 24 businesses competed this year, decorating their storefront windows with creative and inspiring designs. Hoping to gain customers’ attention, businesses go all out for the competition. The Downtown Association Design Committee hosts with judges giving honors for first-third place, as well as Best in Theme, with this year’s theme being, “There’s No Place Like SLO.” The contest is also held online to include a People’s Choice Award. First was Bluebird Salon; second Jules D; third Eco Bambino; and Best Theme was Humankind Fair Trade. The People’s Choice Award went to the Assistance League Thrift Store. 1st Place: Bluebird Salon 2nd Place: Jules D 3rd Place: Eco Bambino Best in Theme: HumanKind Fair Trade Window Dressing Awards; Kitchen Seminars; Realtors Donate Compiled by Camas Frank San Luis Kitchen Co., will be hosting monthly Free Kitchen Design Seminars in 2016, the company announced. The seminars are held the second Saturday of the month from 10:30 a.m. to noon at the showroom, 3598 Broad St, SLO. A free gourmet brunch follows each presentation. Upcoming topics include: How to survive a kitchen remodel, Jan. 9; Kitchen remodeling 101, Feb. 13; and Make your kitchen wish list, March 12. Seating is limited so RSVP to 5417117. For more information see: www. sanluiskitchen.com Peoples’ Self-Help Housing (PSHH) announced the election of its newest board member, Shelly Higginbotham. Higginbotham is currently serving her third term as mayor of Pismo Beach, is president of the Five Cities Homeless Coalition and has also served on the Women’s Legacy Fund’s grant committee for the San Luis Obispo County Community Foundation. She was named board member emeritus for the Child Development Resource Center. “The leadership at Peoples’ Self-Help Housing is thrilled to have Shelly Higginbotham on its Board with her tremendous experiences and expertise,” said PSHH Board Chairman, David Gustafson. “Her commitment to addressing homelessness and serving families and individuals in need along the Central Coast is inspiring and a great match for PSHH.” With nearly 1,200 self-help homes completed and over 1,600 rental units developed, PSHH is the largest affordable housing developer on the Central Coast, with offices in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara. For more information see: www.pshhc.org. The San Luis Obispo Tourism Business Improvement District has launched a redesigned website along with a series of video’s showcasing San Luis Obispo’s outdoor, culinary, family and cultural assets. The redesigned SanLuisObispoVacations. com is a “guide to what to do, where to stay and what’s going on in San Luis Obispo.” “This redesigned site is a wonderful resource for visitors interested in San Luis Obispo,” said Nipool Patel, co-owner of the Lamplighter Inn and chairman of the SLO TBID board of directors. “This redesign shows off all of the things that we love about San Luis Obispo from the photos and video to the locals recommendations on the ShareSLO blog.” Videos feature an original song written and performed by San Luis Obispo locals Dan Curcio, Ryan House, Daniel Cimo and Vince Cimo of Moonshiner Collective. The Central Coast Realtors 6th Annual Benefit Golf Tournament raised over $9,000 Eureka! Burger in Downtown SLO is introducing festive cocktails and New Year’s Day specials. Their emphasis is on the new “decadent” Gingerbread Man Old Fashioned cocktail. They can be made at home with some Old Overholt Rye Whiskey, gingerbread syrup, BroVo Spirits Douglas Fir Liqueur, and chocolate and herbal bitters, but it’s a better option to let their bartenders do it while customers relax. On Jan. 1, Eureka! is offering $5 mimosas and Bloody Marys all day in addition to their craft beers and cocktail selection . The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors has voted to make the HERO Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program available to local residents. HERO PACE financing enables homeowners to make energyand water-efficiency improvements and pay for them over time through their property tax bills. Interest may be tax-deductible, and homeowners may see immediate savings on utility bills. Applications for HERO will be taken early next year. SLO County joins Monterey, Fresno, and Kern counties, which have all launched the program, as well as Kings County, which approved HERO in October. “This home efficiency program will benefit our county and our region,” said County Supervisor Debbie Arnold. “Participating homeowners will save on utility bills and make their homes more comfortable; local contractors can staff-up to meet the demand, and the environment benefits through reduced greenhouse gas emissions and increased water conservation.” HERO staffs a hotline to respond to homeowner queries: 800-720-HERO. French Hospital Medical Center announced the purchase of two new and technologically advanced GE SenoClaire 3-D Breast Tomosynthesis mammographyimaging machines. The new mammography machine has been installed at French Hospital’s outpatient imaging center, San Luis Diagnostic Center, and is currently being installed at French Hospital. The San Luis Diagnostic Center began breast tomosynthesis scans on Nov. 9. The new machines “are due to the generosity of community donors whose donations totaled $210,000 to the French Hospital Foundation.” The process is a three-dimensional imaging technology that uses a low-dose, short, X-ray sweep around the compressed tissue. The SenoClaire detector touts high quality digital imagery at low radiation doses. Individuals interested in supporting French Hospital’s programs, and services can contact the Foundation at 542 -6496 or see: SupportFrenchHospital.org The Central Coast Realtors 6th Annual Benefit Golf Tournament raised over $9,000 at the San Luis Obispo Country Club with more than 145 participants. The Realtors Charitable Foundation takes applications from organizations and chooses three to award funds raised from the Golf Tournament. This year’s recipients, who were each awarded more than $2,375 include the Food Bank Coalition of San Luis Obispo County, Family Care Network and Escuela del Rio. “The golf tournament is always a big success” said Robin Foreman, president of the Foundation. Event organizer Mary Trudeau added, “It was truly an honor to chair this year’s Annual Golf Tournament to raise funds for three very worthy charities.” Send business briefs for consideration to: reporter@tolosapress.com. NEATW ION! LOC 3165 B Broad St, Ste 118 San Luis Obispo 93401 PH: 805.544.4500 slo@marcelashomestore.com 214 W. Main St. Visalia 93291 PH: 559.622.0987 info@marcelashomestore.com
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