SLO LIFE Jun/JLY 2011

SLO LIFE 

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June/July 2011 

Meet Jay Asher 

Linnaea’s, writing & 13 reasons 

slo life magazine | 1

2 | slo life magazine


| publisher’s message 

I was nine years old the summer that future Hall of Fame centerfielder, Kirby Puckett, 

moved in across the street. 

No, I didn’t grow up in a wealthy, gated community next to big league baseball 

players. Our neighbors worked on terminally broken-down cars that sunk deep into 

the tall grass of their front lawns. They were good people, no doubt about it, and 

I loved them all. Plus they were always gracious about buying candy bars from me 

to support the local Little League. It wasn’t the happiest place on Earth, but it sure 

wasn’t the unhappiest either. 

The truth is, the only thing I really cared about back then was baseball. And that 

summer we didn’t miss a single Visalia Oaks game at Recreation Park. None of us did 

because we knew that Kirby was something special. 

Even as a third grader it was amazing to me, and it still is actually, that our neighbors 

had volunteered to host this rag-tag group of minor league ballplayers like they did. 

Every year, the Edwards Family would open up their home to a new group of guys. 

And, in case you were wondering, everyone was terrified of mama Edwards - she was 

as tough as nails - so there was never any trouble over there. No, ma’am. 

Now keep in mind that this was Single-A, the lowest rung of the minor leagues and these 

guys were still playing ball for the love of the game. In fact, just a few years earlier 

Kirby had been working on an assembly line at Ford Motors near his hometown 

Chicago. All the guys had big dreams, and most of them wouldn’t make it, except for 

Kirby. The very next season after that magical summer he was called up to the Minnesota Twins. And when news broke that “our” Kirby 

had made it to the Big Leagues it seemed like anything was possible… not only for him, but also for us. Everyone on Myrtle Avenue walked 

a little taller on the day after Kirby had a good game, which was often. 

So, when I heard recently that our own San Luis Blues had a similar family host program, I couldn’t wait to learn more [see page 40, “The 

Boys of Summer”]. Nothing brings back more great memories for me - and probably for many of you - than seeing nine young men trot 

out of the dugout together to take the field at the start of a new season. 

I would like to take this opportunity to say “thank you” to all of you for your support and encouragement during our first year in business. 

It’s hard to believe, but this issue marks our 1st Year Anniversary. And, most of all, to our advertisers, thank you for giving us a shot to 

prove ourselves in our rookie season - I can only hope that we have made you proud. 

Tom Franciskovich 

tom@slolifemagazine.com 


magazine 

4251 S. Higuera Street • Suite 800 • San luiS obiSpo, Ca 93401 

SloliFeMagaZine.CoM • (805) 553-8820 • (805) 456-1677 

CONTRIBUTIONS: 

Submit your story ideas, events, recipes 

and announcements by visiting us online at 

slolifemagazine.com 

Contributions chosen for publication may be edited 

for clarity and space limitations. 

ADVERTISING: 

If you would like to advertise, please contact Tom 

Franciskovich by phone at (805) 553-8820 or by email 

at tom@slolifemagazine.com. 

publiSHer 

Creative DireCtor 

Contributing 

DeSignerS 

Contributing 

WRITERS 

pHotograpHer 

Tom Franciskovich 

Sheryl Disher 

Trent Thibodeaux 

Casey Miller 

Jeanette Trompeter 

Joanna Flug-Entin 

Marisa Bloch 

Suzanne Lindell 

Danielle Dutro 

CIRCULATION, COVERAGE AND ADVERTISING 

RATES: 

Complete details regarding circulation, coverage and 

advertising rates, space, sizes and similar information 

are available to prospective advertisers. Please call or 

email for a media kit. Closing date is 30 days before 

date of issue. 

LETTERS TO THE PUBLISHER/EDITOR: 

4251 S. Higuera Street, Suite 800 

San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 

Letters chosen for publication may be edited for 

clarity and space limitations. 



magazine 

14 

Meet Your Neighbor: 

Jay Asher 

8 | Notes 

10 | Updates 

6 

Q & A: 

Dave Garth 

The Way We Live: 

18The Selna Home 

Caring , Competent 

Legal Representation 

Estate Planning & Trusts 

Probate & Conservatorships 

IRS Tax Controversies 

Personal Fiduciary Services 

Associated Litigation & Asset Protection 

12 | Places 

22 | Real Estate 

24 | Real Estate Panel 

26 | SLO LIFE Deals 

30 | No Place Like Home 

32 | To Your Health 

34 | After Hours 

36 | Small Business 

38 | Outdoors 

40 | Special Interest 

42 | Local Food by Local People 

44 | Community Calendar 

46 | Inspiration 

Jed D. Hazeltine 

LL.M. Taxation 

Attorney At Law 

“It has been a wonderful 

year with the birth of my 

first child. I understand 

now more than ever the 

importance of protecting 

the people and assets that 

matter most.” 

Currently serving San Luis Obispo County and Northern Santa Barbara County. 

778 Osos Street, Suite C 


805.439.2323 

www.coastfiduciarylaw.com 


| Q & A 

Dave Garth 

The changing of the guard in San Luis Obispo continues. First, it was Warren Baker at Cal Poly, next was Dave Romero at 

City Hall, now Dave Garth, who has led the SLO Chamber of Commerce for 38 years, steps down in July. Dave is definitely 

his own man and is often difficult to characterize, but one thing is for sure, he’s leaving at the top of his game... 

How’d you get your start in SLO? 

I first moved here to work as a 

news anchor at KSBY. I was young 

and brash. It was an exciting 

time to be a newsperson and 

eventually I got fired for being 

part of a group that tried to get 

a union started. I worked there 

for almost four years and the last 

year I was there my boss didn’t 

speak with me. That experience 

helped mature me in many ways. 

How in the world did you go 

from being fired for organizing a 

union to getting hired to lead the 

Chamber of Commerce? 

I needed a job and I saw an ad 

in the paper. I was pretty much 

willing to take anything. The 

Chamber was in dire shape at the 

time and had advertised the job 

for three months and no one had 

applied, so we were kind of in the 

same situation - we were both 

desperate. And I didn’t want to 

leave San Luis because I just felt 

like I was at home here. 

What was it like back then? 

My very first day on the job, there 

was only one other employee - 

we have 15 employees now - but 

back then it was just a part-time 

person and myself. She was the 

bookkeeper and everything else 

that I wasn’t, and she said, “I have 

good news and bad news… the 

good news is it’s payday.” And I 

thought, “Great - the first day on 

the job and it’s payday!” And then 

she said, “The bad news is there 

is no money to pay you, or me.” I 

was 26 years old and I had never 

managed anything and I thought 

to myself, “Is this really a job? 

What is this?” I just sat there 

in stunned silence for a while 

and then I asked her if this had 

happened before and she said, “Oh 

yeah, it happens all the time.” At 

the time the Chamber was on the 

ropes and nearly out of business. 

So, what’d you do? 

I asked her what my predecessor 

did when this happened and she 

said he went out and collected 

dues from the businesses that 

were late. And I thought, “Well, I 

don’t have a better idea,” so I spent 

the next week - my first week on 

the job - going down the roster 

of people who had not paid their 

dues, which was almost everybody. 

How were you received? 

I got an earful about all the things 

they hated about the Chamber 

and why they weren’t going to 

pay their dues. And I said, “Look, I 

don’t know how long I will be here, 

but I am going to try and make it 

so it’s not like this.” The Chamber 

then was a very small click. It was 

ultra conservative politically. It 

didn’t represent the members, and 

it didn’t represent the community, 

but I decided I would try to make a 

change if I could. 

The Chamber’s opposition to 

binding arbitration has become 

ugly at times and the Police and 

Firefighters Associations have 

accused you personally of not 

supporting them. Is there any 

truth to it? 

No. Not at all. In fact, I owe my 

life to a firefighter. When I was 

just two years old a firefighter 

saved my life. I wasn’t sleeping 

well and had a lot of congestion 

and my mother called the doctor, 

who told her to give me half of 

a Seconal, which is a powerful 

sedative, a sleeping pill basically, 

but she didn’t hear him quite right 

over the phone and gave me the 

whole Seconal. It suppressed my 

respiration to the point where I 

basically stopped breathing. So, 

they called the fire department 

and they came out and used a 

respirator and three separate 

times they put their equipment 

away and said, “Sorry – there’s 

nothing else we can do,” and then 

I would jerk or move and they 

would unpack the equipment and 

start all over again and finally one 

of them said, “The only way we 

are going to keep his airway open 

is if we try a tracheotomy - if we 

do a tracheotomy we may be able 

to save him.” This was 1948 and 

he did it with a pen knife. Here’s 

the scar [Garth unbuttons his 

collar to reveal a jagged two-inchlong 

scar]. 

Wow. 

It’s interesting because my father 

and mother and sister all had 

slightly different views of what 

happened. My sister was eight 

and it was incredibly traumatic 

for her to see my mother, who 

just went bonkers while my dad 

was doing mouth-to-mouth 

resuscitation on me. And my 

sister was just standing there 

taking it all in, horrified that her 

baby brother was apparently 

dying right in front of her and my 

parents were hysterical. My sister 

says it was the most traumatic 

experience of her life. 

Did you or your family ever see 

that firefighter again? 

My dad owned a grocery store 

and the firefighter would come in 

to ask how I was doing. My dad 

tried to give him some gratuity, or 

some free groceries or something 

and he never would take anything. 

He would just say “No, I’m just 

coming in here to see how 

he is doing.” And he did that 

apparently for quite a few years. 

He knew that he had saved a life 

and my parents did, too. 

Can you remember anything 

about the incident? 

The only memories I have are 

based on my sister, my father, 

and my mother telling the 

story over and over again. But, 

interestingly, about 15 years ago 

I was visiting the Rotary Club in 

Paso Robles and I sat next to a 

retired firefighter from L.A. and 

I told him the story and he said, 

“Well, you know, my first partner 

in the L.A. Fire Department was 

the guy who actually did that.” 

I was stunned and I said, “How 

do you know that?” And he said 

“Because he told that story over 

and over again just like your 

parents did.” SLO LIFE 



| NOTES 

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Call today and let us 

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8 | slo life magazine 

CHEERS TO VEGGIES 

Mrs. LaLanne read the article, “Drink Your 

Veggies!” She loved it and appreciates it much 

and knows that if Jack were here today, he 

would love it as well! 

Thanks and remember, “Anything in Life is 

Possible, if YOU Make it Happen!” 

Healthfully, 

Claire 

Morro Bay 

Dear Claire, 

Thank you very much for your note - it made 

our day! Please pass along to Mrs. LaLanne 

our best wishes and let her know that, while 

we have “fallen off the wagon” with our green 

juicing, we are committed to starting up again 

as soon as this magazine goes off to press! It is 

remarkable how much better we all felt when 

we started our day off with a glass of freshly 

squeezed vegetable juice. Jack was really on to 

something with this and we are grateful that 

he inspired us to give it a try! 


REWRITING HISTORY 

Congratulations on your new publication. I 

hope it will be very successful for you. 

Regarding the article about my great 

grandfather, John Pinckney Andrews, in your 

last issue, I believe that the writer from the 

History Center got some of the facts wrong. 

The accompanying information demonstrates 

that the article contained material errors. 

It is my wish that you will make known the 

misstatements in your next issue. I am not 

faulting your publication in any way. 

Thank you for affording me the opportunity to 

communicate with you. 

Sincerely, 

M. Richard Andrews 

San Luis Obispo 

Dear Mr. Andrews, 

Thank you for contacting us. We very much 

appreciate your comments and apologize 

to you and your family for any unintended 

misrepresentation of your great-grandfather’s 

story, which clearly makes up an important 

part of San Luis Obispo’s history. And, in 

fairness to the writer, local history is a very 

difficult thing to accurately report as there 

is not a lot of information to draw from 

and it makes for a difficult fact-checking 

proposition. With that said, we are committed 

to responsible journalism and we do wish we 

would have been able to interview you prior 

to publishing the article. We hope that by 

reprinting your letter for our readers we will 

have provided balance to our version of your 

great-grandfather’s history. 

The following is the attachment included in Mr. 

Andrew’s correspondence, unedited and in its 

entirety: 

1. He did not move out West circa 1857 with 

his family. He came to Northern California 

as a single man. After his arrival in San Luis 

Obispo he returned to Northern California 

where he married Tennessee Amanda Cheney 

on January 1, 1860 in Lake County, California. 

They then moved to San Luis Obispo County. 

2. With respect to the divorce, whether or not 

it was “a scandalous event in itself” and “was 

the talk of the town” I do not know. Perhaps 

the society editor of the local paper at the 

time had evidence thereof, but I do not as it 

was before my arrival which occurred many 

years later. 

3. While the article states that, “To this 

day, opinions differ among local historians 

regarding J.P. Andrews,” I will say that during 

his time life was not easy and men worked 

hard to become successful AND to raise 

a family. Perhaps that could account for 

absences from the hearth. He and Aunt Tennie 

(not “Tinnie” as it is spelled in the article) 

certainly must have spent some time together 

as thirteen children provide evidence of their 

matrimonial union. 

4. The photo showing Mrs. Andrews with one 

of their children circa 1900-1909 is, I believe, 

impossible in as much as the youngest child, 

Jerome Pleasant Andrews, was born October 

28, 1886. Tennessee Amanda passed away on 

November 22, 1900. 

BUSINESS SCHOOLED 

The recent article in the magazine in the “Let’s 

Talk Business” column regarding advice to the 

seller in establishing a value for the business is 

good, but what should be considered as well 

are the following factors: 

1. Seller: Why sell? How to establish value? 

2. Buyer: Why a particular business? What 

experience does the potential buyer have for 

the business? (Iacocca once was asked to head 

up an airline. He said he was in the automobile 

business, and that’s what he knew.) 

Given a willing seller and an interested buyer, next: 

3. Valuing a business: There are usually four factors 

of value and the specific value of each needs to 

be determined and agreed to by both parties: 

Real property: That is, buildings and grounds 

including property permanently fixed to the 

buildings and/or grounds. 

Personal property: Non-fixed such as tables, 

equipment, vehicles, any items of value to be 

considered as part of the transaction. 

Inventory: That which the business sells.

Goodwill: A touchy subject. The seller will 

usually place a greater value on this than the 

buyer. In attempting to establish “goodwill” 

it is helpful to consider past experiences 

and therefore potential future sales. Any 

future sales must consider the historical and 

projected market (i.e., sales customers.) 

As noted in the above referenced article, 

financing the sale and related purchase of a 

business can be tricky. The buyer will have 

to provide collateral especially if a loan will 

be involved. Contrary to the comment in this 

article, SBA does not, with a few exceptions, 

make loans, but they guarantee loans through 

banks. Perhaps an ideal situation might be 

when the seller is prepared to “carry paper” 

after receiving a reasonable down payment. 

Another example of a win-win situation 

might be when the buyer offers the seller 

a continued income from sales, often as a 

percentage of those sales. 

There are many factors to consider, so 

sound business advice is necessary. SCORE, 

which is an affiliate of the Small Business 

Administration, offers free, no cost workshops 

and face-to-face counseling. The local chapter 

has 35 members, mostly retired business 

executives who offer their experiences to new 

and existing businesses. Their local phone 

number is 805-547-0779. 

James Murphy 

Professor Emeritus, Cal Poly College of 

Business and an active SCORE volunteer 

20 QUESTIONS 

I just wanted to say that I picked up your 

magazine for the first time a few days ago and 

I just wanted to let you know that I enjoyed 

it. I’m assuming that it’s a very new magazine 

because I’ve never seen it before? And with 

that said, I was just trying to figure out the 

flow of it and the direction for upcoming 

issues. Is there a theme that you plan on 

following throughout the year? How often 

do you come out? Not to compare you to 

the other magazines, but will you have any 

annual highlights such as the New Times “Top 

Businesses” or the “Top 20 under 40” from the 

Tribune? Those are just some of my favorites 

and I know a lot of people look forward to 

them. Other than those questions, I think that 

overall your magazine is great! 

Stephanie Briggs 

Dear Stephanie, 

Thank you for your kind words. First, to answer 

your questions: We are celebrating our 1st 

Year Anniversary with this issue, so, yes, we 

are still a relatively new magazine and with 

each issue we expand our circulation a little bit 

more. We just started mailing the publication 

with the last issue. There is no set theme per 

se, but we are committed to celebrating the 

stories of people who make the “SLO Life” 

great for all of us. We launched last year as a 

quarterly, but, starting with this issue, we are 

now a bi-monthly so you will be finding us in 

your mailbox every other month. In terms of 

you suggestions for adding lists, we think it is 

a great one, and something we have talked a 

lot about but we hope to do it differently than 

the others. We would love to hear more from 

you and encourage you to go to our website 

at slolifemagazine.com and also join the daily 

conversation that takes place on our Facebook 

page, which is facebook.com/slolifemagazine 


NEW ORDER 

Just ordered my first SLO Life Magazine 

subscription...Can’t wait for it to arrive! 

Kristin McCutcheon 

Long Beach, CA 

Dear Kristin, 

Thanks very much for subscribing! 


3 easy ways to join the conversation 

notes@slolifemagazine.com 

facebook.com/slolifemagazine 

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slolifemagazine.com/feedback 

Letters may be edited for content and clarity. To be considered for publication your letter must 

include your name, city, state, phone number or email address (for confirmation purposes). 

169 Granada Drive, Suite 3, SLO 

544-PEDS (7337) 


| Updates 

Tearing down the ¼ mile track in 5.34 seconds 

KYLe RIZZOLI (After Hours, Spring 2011) set his 

personal best record by hitting 271 miles per 

hour at the Pomona Winter Nationals. He has 

also cracked the Top 30 ranking nationally for 

racing the Rizzoli ’69 Camaro. 

relax 

Both life and business continue to bloom for 

KaRa WOOd (Meet Your Neighbor, Spring 2011) 

as she begins to ponder expansion possibilities 

for her microgreens business. 

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“They’ve worn me down,” was how daN de VaUL 

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fighting on. He is now awaiting word on a court date 

where he will be formally sentenced once again. 

ASHLEE LEONARDO (Start Up, Spring 2011) 

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We are happy to hear that HILda sKVaGeRsON 

(How I Found My Way Here, Summer 2010) is 

graduating from SLO High School and will be 

attending the University of California, Santa Cruz 

in the fall. Go, Slugs! 

SLO LIFE

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We were looking for ways to build up our membership 

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so we analyzed our options and decided to run an ad 

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including bringing on a new member who has made 

a big difference for us. We are quite pleased with the 

results – it works! 

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SAGE Ecological Landscapes & Nursery 

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| Places 

Under Construction 

Poly canyon 

Adjacent to the main campus, a portion of Poly Canyon encompasses a nine-acre outdoor experimental construction 

laboratory. For more than four decades it has been the host site of several structures designed and built mostly by 

students of the College of Architecture and Environmental Design. This panoramic photo was taken two years ago 

by Tyler Brigham, who asked his girlfriend to pose under the “Tensile Structure,” which was completed in October 

of 2002 as the senior project of three Cal Poly students. This photo is actually a compilation of six different shots 

that were taken as Brigham panned the landscape, holding the camera by hand. Afterward he spliced them together 

on his computer. Although the scene was originally captured in color, Brigham converted them to black and white: 

“Sometimes color photos give you too much information - I like to simplify things and go with black and white.” SLO LIFE 


Do you have an amazing photo? Go to slolifemagazine.com to share it. 


| Meet your neighbor 

Meet Jay Asher 

In this installment of our “Meet Your Neighbor” series, SLO LIFE Magazine sits down for an afternoon with 

New York Times bestselling author, Jay Asher. His book, 13 Reasons Why, has been a runaway hit with 

teens all over the world. It has been published in 31 different countries to-date and Universal Pictures is 

adapting the story for the big screen in a movie starring Selena Gomez. Jay lives in San Luis Obispo with his 

wife, JoanMarie, a songwriter, and their new baby, Isaiah. Here is his story... 

Let’s start from the beginning, Jay… how did you end up in SLo? 

I moved to San Luis the summer before eighth grade, just before I turned 

13. My parents wanted to get out of L.A., but they didn’t want to be 

too far away because we still have a lot of family there. At the time, my 

parents had never been to San Luis, but they had heard good things 

about and it and my dad had an opportunity to transfer to the Post 

Office here. So, the four of us - my parents, my younger brother and me 

- decided to drive up here on a whim one day to check it out. As it turned 

out, it was the same weekend as Poly Royal, and all of the hotels were 

booked and we didn’t have a place to stay. So, we parked over where 

Scolari’s is now, I think it was a Safeway then, and all of us slept together 

in the car that night. Within a few months we moved up here. 

That’s can be a difficult time of life to make such a big change. How did 

you handle it? 

It was a tricky age, but I made some good friends here really quickly. I 

remember driving up to San Luis in our U-Haul, and I was a totally shy kid 

back in Arcadia, but I thought to myself, nobody in this new town knows 

who I am, so if I go to school the first day acting really confident then 

people will treat me that way and I can make my own reputation and my 

personality could be whatever I wanted it to be. It didn’t quite work out 

that way because, despite my best efforts, I was still really shy. 

And what about high school? 

I went to SLO High - Class of ’93 - and the experience was pretty normal 

really, which surprises a lot of people considering the subject matter of 

my book [teen suicide]. It wasn’t traumatic, I mean I wouldn’t want to go 

back to it, but it wasn’t bad. I was really into music and was involved in 

some rock bands, but I wasn’t into sports. I was on the newspaper staff 

for a year. I wasn’t totally into school, but I didn’t mind it. People usually 

think I’m going to say, “Oh, it was horrible!” 

How was your experience with the school newspaper? 

Honestly, I wasn’t a good journalist, so they stuck me doing music 

reviews. And I had to review the Vanilla Ice album. I gave him a good 

review and became the laughing stock of the school because it just 

wasn’t cool to publicly admit that you liked Vanilla Ice, even though 

most of us couldn’t get that “ding-ding-ding-da-da-ding-ding” out of 

our heads at the time. So, one day the newspaper advisor pulled all of 

the staff together to read an anonymous letter to the editor. It basically 

said, “Based on Jay’s review, I decided to be open-minded and I bought 

the Vanilla Ice album and listened to it and liked it and Jay was right, it 

was really good.” It was signed, “Sincerely, a new Ice fan.” Our adviser 

went on to lecture all of us young reporters about how, when you write 

something, it has the power to shape opinions… but, what she didn’t 

know was that I wrote that letter to the editor! Nobody ever found out 

it was me – I must have been sitting in the class blushing – but I always 

share that story when I speak whether it’s with other writers, or schools. 

Wow, I wonder what Vanilla Ice would have thought of that story? 

It’s funny that you ask because recently I was in Michigan speaking at a 

writer’s conference and Vanilla Ice happened to be performing in town 

that night. I couldn’t go to the concert because I had an early flight the 

next morning. But when I was in the airport I ran into him and asked 

him to take a picture with me and told him that I had written a positive 


review of his CD back in high school… but I didn’t tell him the rest of the 

story. He was actually really nice, an extremely nice guy. 

What happened after you graduated from high school? 

I wanted to do some sort of writing, but I enrolled at Cuesta College 

thinking that I would become an elementary school teacher. My first 

semester there I took a class called Children’s Literature Appreciation, 

which was basically how to use children’s books in classrooms and it was 

in that class, for my final project, when I wrote my first two book texts. 

And so, even though I didn’t go into college wanting to do children’s 

writing, the second I did it, I sent the manuscripts off to New York. They 

never sold, but one of them generated some interest. That’s when I really 

started to focus on children’s books. 

What next? 

I ended up transferring to Cal Poly where I dropped out midway through 

my senior year to really focus on my writing, thinking it was right around 

the corner… but it was still a few years away from happening [laughter]. 

I decided teaching was not for me and at the same time, even though 

none of my books had sold, I won some writing contests and was getting 

some confirmation that maybe I can do this. So soon after that my wife 

and I got married and I started getting jobs at libraries and bookstores 

and I just decided, “Okay, this is what I am going to do, I’m just going 

to stick with writing until I make it.” From the point where I first took 

that children’s literature class to the time I sold my first book, it took me 

twelve years. 

continued on page 16

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| Meet your neighbor What was it like when you were writing 13 Reasons Why? 

During that time I had several jobs. I was working at the SLO Public Library and I had a job at the 

bookstore in the Pismo Outlets. I also got a job at Barnes & Noble. I stayed at the library for five 

years. Generally I would go to Linnaea’s Cafe usually right after work, after five, and then stay there 

for as long as my inspiration lasted. Sometimes until they closed and other times I would go there 

and get a couple of sentences down and that was it. I always sat at the table at the back, next to 

the garden window. And that is actually where Clay [one of the main characters] sits in the book 

when he listens to the tapes. 

About those tapes, your book has a pretty unusual format with a dual narration… one of them 

coming from a set of cassette tapes. What inspired the concept? 

Of all places, the idea came to me in King Tut’s Tomb at the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas. I went on 

a self-guided walking tour there with a Walkman and a cassette tape. I’ve always been drawn to 

books with unique formats and I kept the audiotour idea in the back of my mind for years. I wanted 

to write funny books for young kids, and that’s what I still like to do, but the format just didn’t work 

for that genre. 

“ 

I just decided, 

okay, this is what 

I am going to do, 

I’m just going to 

stick with writing 

until I make it. 

” 

Of all subjects, what compelled you to take on suicide? 

One of the main reasons for the book was that a close relative of mine had attempted suicide. But, 

the main thing for most readers is that it’s not just about suicide, but a larger, hopeful message in 

general. As Hannah [one of the main characters] says in the book, “You don’t know what is going 

on with anyone’s life but your own.” So when you treat someone a certain way, you can’t be in 

control of how they take it. It’s not that we need to be walking on eggshells all the time, we just 

need to be aware. It’s a very basic, simple idea but sometimes approaching it in a different way 

makes it stand out to people in a way they can understand. One of the things that made being an 

adult, or growing up in general, easiest, was just being able to let go. And it’s something you have 

to learn to do. You have to make a conscious decision to not let things bother you. And, there was 

no way as a teen that I would have been able to do that. So, one of the things I had to do when I 

wrote the book was to speak specifically from the teen point of view. 

We were wondering how in the world were you able to get into the head of teenage girl? 

Mostly by talking to my wife and female friends… asking them what high school was like for 

them. They talked a lot about how rumors and gossip affected them during that time. Those 

conversations definitely changed where my book was going as I was brainstorming it. It was clear 

that rumors and gossip were so much bigger for them than they were for me and my guy friends. It 

was actually fascinating. And when I’m speaking at schools and I share this part of my story, I look 

out at the audience and I see the girls all nodding their heads in agreement. 

When reading the book it becomes clear that so many of the settings are local. 

The book is basically set in San Luis, even though I don’t give the name of the town. I changed the 

name of the Fremont [Theater] to the Crestmont, Monet’s Café is actually Linnaea’s. And it’s fun, 

because I’ve heard from some teens around town who try to figure out some of the other spots. 

Like, they think Blue Spot Liquor is Manuel’s Liquor and they all pick up on the details from SLO 

High, like the trophy case at the entryway and the steps out front. 

top Jay and JoanMarie sandboarding in Peru 

MiddLe Jay reading to Isaiah 

bottoM spreading the word about the book 

Do you ever just sit back and say, “Man, this is so cool!”? 

Actually, the most meaningful thing for me is when I hear about a parent and child reading the 

book together. Usually it begins with a concern over, “Why is my child reading this?” So the 

parent will read it too. And, sometimes they will contact me afterward to tell me that the book 

really opened the door to having some amazing discussions with their child. They realize the 

conversation should have taken place a long time ago, but it is so hard to talk about. And I’ve 

heard from some psychologists who actually use the book in their practices with teens. I think it’s 

so much easier to have these conversations through the discussion of fictional characters. It’s a 

strange feeling to have written a book that helps with those discussions. I mean, it’s amazing and 

it’s an honor… but it’s weird. 

It has to be incredibly rewarding to hear from people that are affected by your book. 

I love going to high schools to talk about the book – for me, that’s the best part of being a writer. 

And that was a complete shock for me because I used to have major stage fright. I just thought that 

would be hell for me, but from the very first time I did it, I absolutely loved it. I love speaking to 

teens. Even though the book itself is very serious, I try to put together an entertaining presentation 

and I usually share some of the rejection letters that 13 Reasons Why received - which is always a 

surprise to them. And I share some different letters I have received from teens to show them that 

there are sometimes different ways to interpret the same book. And, best of all, when I speak I get 

to hear from teens and talk with them face to face and I learn so much from them. A lot of schools 

now make the book mandatory reading, so it reaches a lot of people. I think that will expand quite 

a bit when it goes into paperback this summer. 


On to the big news… your book just got picked up by Universal Pictures to do a movie. Teen star 

Selena Gomez will be playing the part of Hannah, the lead role in the story. Your thoughts? 

I’m really lucky as an author to be able to be as involved as I am in the movie development. Selena 

actually contacted me to talk about the book. She had been looking for some role to take her from 

being a Disney star to a serious actor, and she felt that this was the one. I met with her and her 

mom and learned that their vision for the movie matched exactly what I hoped it would be. 

How are you feeling about the whole experience? It has to be a bit surreal. 

It’s been fun. I’ve gone down there [to Universal Pictures] for meetings where everybody’s sitting 

in a room and it’s weird because they are discussing this book that I wrote and talking about it as a 

movie. And it’s just so weird. 

What advice can you offer an aspiring writer? 

The best advice is to get into a critique group with other writers. They don’t have to write the same 

stuff that you write. There’s a difference between writing just because you like writing and writing 

to try to get published. I think it’s important to have someone read your work and then tell you 

honestly what they thought of it. And you have to train yourself to not defend your work and say 

things like, “What I meant by this was this or that” you have to let the writing speak for itself. My 

writing improved so much even after I left [the critique group] because, even afterward, I can still 

hear some of those group members in my head as I write now. Also, one of the main tips I give 

is don’t ever go with your first idea, whether it’s a solution for a scene or a direction for the plot 

because, usually, your first idea is the first idea anybody would have had, so it’s probably not the 

most creative – it’s just the most obvious. 

Above Jay with Vanilla Ice 

beLoW Selena Gomez and Jay 

What’s next for you? 

I’m on contract with Penguin Publishing to write three more books. My next book, The Future 

of Us, will be out in November, and is not nearly as heavy as 13 Reasons Why. It’s more of a fun 

book, but it still deals with, I would say, complications in every day human relationships. You 

know, misinterpreting things. Basically, there are two things that will tie all my books together - 

complicated relationships and suspense. I turned The Future of Us into my agent the day my wife 

went into labor and it was a real big relief to be done with it at that time. 

Congratulations on your new book, the movie, and the new baby. Now, go get some sleep! 

Thank you – that’s good advice! 

Know someone we should meet? Go to slolifemagazine.com to introduce us. 


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| The Way We Live 

The Selna home 

The expression “going full circle” has special meaning for the Selna family. Local building contactor, Tim Selna, 

originally purchased the Tudor-style home as an investment property in 1985 – at the time it functioned as 

a group home for children. After graduating from Cal Poly with a degree in Construction Management, Tim 

moved to the Bay Area to find steady work. In the meantime, the group home moved on to a different location. 

Tim convinced his then girlfriend, Pam, to move in and become the “property manager” of the home which had 

become housing to an assortment of college students. She agreed and moved herself into a small room upstairs 

and became responsible for collecting rent from the other tenants. The couple laughs at the memory and 

debates about whether or not she had received a discount on the rent for her efforts. What is not in dispute, 

however, is the fact that Pam spends much of her time in that same room today, where she has set up an office 

to handle the administrative aspects of their contracting business. 


as 

Today the couple along with their two children, Jen, 16, and Max, 14, 

regard their decision to leave the Bay Area and return to San Luis 

Obispo as the best one they have ever made, although they attribute 

it to a lot of dumb luck. “If you look at a graph showing real estate 

peaking, we sold our home up there at the very tip top,” recalls Tim 

with a look of disbelief, “and I sold my business within three months 

of that time, too. The timing worked out incredibly well, and it wasn’t 

for any type of foresight. It just worked out that way.” 

Looking to make a “lifestyle change” by leaving the Bay Area, the 

Selnas moved back to the house on Augusta Street with plans to 

remodel. As the building plans started to come together, it became 

clear that the family of four would have to find somewhere to live 

as the house underwent its massive transformation. “I found this 

funky 1973 trailer on Craigslist for sale in Pismo for $1,500. I ran out 

and picked it up, towed it back and said, ‘Okay, this is going to be our 

home for the next year,” explains Tim. “It was pretty tight quarters, 

something like 7’ x 19’, but the whole experience really brought us 

together as a family.” 

The Selnas then channeled all of their creative energy on the home, 

which they claim was “a culmination of everything they had done 

in past design-build projects.” And, it’s clear from the details that 

include the five programmable, thermostatically controlled fireplaces 

that provide heat and ambiance to the home, that no detail was 

overlooked. “We moved the stairwell from one side of the house to the 

other,” Tim says while pointing to the space that was gained. “But, we 

did all of that while still preserving the original character of the home, 

which did present some significant challenges, particularly on the 

second floor, where we had to deal with the extreme pitch of the roof.” 

While the 3,300 square foot home includes rooftop photovoltaic 

solar panels, which supply a majority of their electricity (they are 

able to provide power back to the grid during peak use periods), 

there are also many personal touches. The tile and stonework reflects 

the couple’s attention to detail as does the warm and inviting interior 

décor. But, perhaps, the most intriguing feature of the home is the 

fiber optics light show in the barrel ceiling of the hallway leading 

into the master bedroom. The unbelievably intricate display is 

designed to mimic the night sky with over four hundred stars and 

ten recognizable constellations, and when it’s dark it is difficut to tell 

that you are not outside gazing upward. Observes Tim, “When you 

give it enough time to enjoy the design you can come up with some 

amazing things.” 

left aFTeR the Selna Home gets a major facelift and, along 

with the new landscaping, gains some serious curb appeal 

as 

below BeFORe the house was “all roof” 

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| The Way We Live 

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| real estate 

Market timing 

Is it really possible to “buy low and sell high” these days? 

We’ve done some digging and have been able to get answers. 

In the short-term the answer is “No – probably not.” In the long-term, the answer is “Yes – absolutely.” 

up to be an outstanding summer for real estate sales. But, it begs the 

question: can we make money in real estate, buying at current prices and 

then selling higher? 

The reality, as we have learned, is that the real estate market currently 

is highly efficient, meaning that buyers and sellers have regained a good 

understanding of what property is worth which it makes it really difficult 

to buy something that is significantly undervalued, or overvalued for that 

matter. Therefore, the price you pay for a property is probably pretty close 

to what it is worth, which makes it unlikely to immediately resell it for a 

quick profit. But, in the long-term things begin to change. 

Over the last one hundred years, through good times and bad, expansions 

and recessions, real estate has been a phenomenal investment returning 

a significant percentage above inflation consistently. Despite this longterm 

trend, local real estate experts insist that it is nearly impossible to 

time the market in the short-term, although there appears to be some 

reasonably predictable factors that occur each year [see “Ask the Experts” 

on page 24] that cause peaks and valleys along the way. 

Although the Central Coast remains a highly desirable place to live 

(I mean, come on, SLO is the “Happiest Place on Earth”… why wouldn’t 

you want to live here!?) and we all know that, but what about the real 

estate market. The recent numbers tell us that our market remains active 

and vibrant [see “the numbers at a glance” below] when compared to 

other areas. And local real estate professions report that this is shaping 

The best strategy, as we continue to find, is to buy a home (or investment 

property) that you intend to keep for a minimum of at least three to 

five years or more and let the market run its course. Since there are so 

many factors that shape the market at any one time, there is no way to 

reliably predict where it is going. But, the long-term here on the Central 

Coast continues to be on an upward trajectory even when including the 

boom and busts, bubbles and bursts, real estate continues to be a great 

investment – just don’t plan on buying and selling for a quick profit and, if 

it does happen, chalk it up to good luck. SLO LIFE 

the numbers at a glance 

Comparing the last four months to the same period last year (01/01/10 - 04/30/10 vs. 01/01/11 - 04/30/11) 

Home Price 

$100,000 - $500,000 

2010 2011 +/- • 

Home Price 

$500,001 - $1,000,000 

2010 2011 +/- 

Home Price 

$1,000,001+ 

• 

2010 2011 +/- 

1. Total Homes Sold 

30 31 3.33% 

17 33 94.12% 

7 7 0.00% 

2. Average Asking Price 

• 

3. Average Selling Price 

$434,507 $428,799 - 1.32% 

$415,400 $404,569 - 2.61% 

4. Sales Price as a % of Asking Price 96.61% 94.34% - 2.27% 

$725,729 $645,751 - 11.02% $1,625,286 $1,722,714 5.99% 

$684,566 $626,985 - 8.41% 

• 

94.33% 97.09% 2.76% 

$1,435,429 $1,424,000 - 0.79% 

88.32% 82.67% - 5.65% 

5. Average # of Days on the Market 

93 120 29.03% 

105 116 10.48% 

163 296 81.59% 


• 

SOURCE: San Luis Obispo Association of Realtors

Our approach to real estate is about 

much more than property… it’s about people. 

The Payne Team 

Magnificent Ferrini Heights home backing up to Bishop’s Peak open 

space. Spacious living areas are accented by vaulted open beam ceilings, 

clerestory windows & archway transitions. Gourmet kitchen features granite 

countertops, center island, eating bar & stainless steel appliances. Luxurious 

master suite and large living room w/ fireplace. Lush landscaping, back slate 

patio & gazebo. Offered at $1,175,000 by Gavin Payne. www.191Anacapa.com 

Private Retreat. Approximately 30 acres in Edna Valley with private reservoir 

& seasonal creek bordered by a dramatic, rocky bluff. Architecturally 

appealing home with open floor plan and stunning views from most rooms. 

Master suite and 2 generously sized bedrooms, basement suitable for 

wine cellar and a large finished workshop with potential for guest room or 

separate office. Price reduced to $1,275,000 by Denise Silva-Topham 

Privacy Meets Proximity. Gorgeous home near downtown San Luis 

Obispo on a very-private, large flag lot. Kitchen, dining room and living 

room blend seamlessly together. Oak floors, open beam ceiling, and an 

abundance of light provide a tranquil glow. Landscaped half acre lot backs 

up to year-round creek and provides views of Madonna Mountain. Price 

Reduced to $1,075,000. Jed Damschroder. www.178Broad.com 

Fantastic Home on Cul-de-Sac. This remodeled 3,200 sq. ft. residence 

has 4 bedrooms, each with their own bath, making this a wonderful 

family home. The private walkway to the front door has a calming water 

feature and gardens. Cherry hardwood floors, grand fireplace in living 

room, separate formal dining room, and wonderful family room. Offered 

at $719,000 by Gavin Payne. www.1736LeeAnnCt.com 

SOLD 

Well Maintained and Elegant 4 bedroom, 3 bath home with approx. 

1750 sq. ft. plus sunroom that provides spectacular views of signature 

San Luis Obispo peaks from the spacious master suite. Fantastic location 

at the end of a cul-de-sac just blocks from Laguna Hills Park, close to 

Laguna Middle School and Laguna Lake Municipal Golf Course. Offered 

at $689,000 by Gavin Payne. www.1735Jalisco.com 

Jed Damschroder 

805-550-7960 

The Payne Team 

Denise Silva Topham 

805-801-7389 

Gavin Payne 

805-550-3918 

Three Bedroom Mediterranean Home with panoramic views of 

the city and hills beyond. Formal dining room, family room, and office 

provide the homeowner with spacious living areas. This property stands 

apart in the development with large lawn area, rear patio, and upper 

level deck with phenomenal views. Offered at $699,000 by Gavin Payne. 

www.488Bluerock.com 

To view these listings and more visit www.HomesofSLO.com 

Adam Quaglino 

805-748-3995 

962 Mill Street 

San Luis Obispo, California 93401 


| REaL ESTaTE 

ask The Experts 

Is it true that seasonality exists in the real estate market? 

And, if so, what’s in store for the Central Coast this summer? 

Gavin Payne 

The Real Estate Group of San Luis Obispo 

Yes, it is true that things are busier during 

the summer months and a big reason for 

that is daylight savings, actually. Buyers, 

who are usually tied up with work until at 

least 5 o’clock, are able to see homes in the 

light of day, which, as simple as it sounds, 

makes a big difference. Here locally, we are 

not as affected as much by the weather, 

such as you would be in an especially cold 

or snowy climate, but the warmer weather 

here on the Central Coast does impact open 

house attendance. A rainy day, for example, 

will invariably lead to fewer open house 

attendees than a bright, sunny day. The early 

months of this year have been exceptionally 

strong, which I attribute to buyers and sellers 

becoming emotionally adjusted to the new 

realities of the market and gained a much 

better understanding of values. The last two 

years were different, of course, as it took 

that amount of time to work through the 

adjustment, but so far this year has really 

been astonishing. 

Inspired Habitats 


Specializing in 

Home & Office Organization 

Feng Shui 

Interior Decorating 

Home Staging 

Karen Strombotne 

805.439.0270 

inspiredhabitats.net 


If you were to look at a chart of real 

estate activity, you would see almost a 

perfect bell shaped curve that peaks in 

June and July with the slowest months 

starting around November and ending 

sometime around February. During the 

summer months families are trying to 

get settled in before the new school 

year and the weather is typically the 

best, although we have relatively mild, 

temperate weather year round. Last year 

was a bit of an anomaly as the American 

Recovery and Reinvestment Act created 

tax credits that expired just prior to 

the normally busy summer months, 

which created an incentive for buyers 

to act quickly. This also created a bit of 

a vacuum after the fact as so many of 

those transactions were sped up to meet 

the deadline. So far this year it looks like 

things have normalized and we are back 

to the traditional bump that we have 

become accustomed to seeing now. 

Have a real estate question? Go to slolifemagazine.com to get an answer. 

Wes Burk 

Patterson Realty 

SLO LIFE

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award-winning San Luis Obispo architect, thom brajkovich, Garden 

Green Condos are now available for pre-sale. One unit is pre-sold, 

and only two units remain available for the discriminating buyer; or 

both units can be seamlessly combined together. 

The Features: italianesque exteriors with triple pane windows and 

concrete window surrounds, private garages, private elevators, 

extensive interior millwork, concrete floors with optional radiant 

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! 

| Slo life dealS 

SLO LIFE dEaLS 

Experience something new. Get a great deal. 

Our participating businesses want you to check them out and 

they are offering a compelling reason to do it with a deal you 

can’t refuse! So, go ahead and experience something new and 

support a local business while you’re at it. 


I ntroducing...

Slo life dealS | 

How it works… 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

Shop the pages that follow 

Find the deal you like 

Go to slolifemagazine.com/deals 

Purchase your voucher 

Print it out and take it in to be redeemed 

Repeat steps 1 – 5 

! 

Attention smart phone users – you can snap a picture of the 

QR Code which will take you to the deal page where you can 

purchase your voucher. Take your phone into the participating 

business and show them the unique voucher code on your 

screen. No need to print anything! 

Tip: 

You can get the inside track and learn about new deals first - before they sellout - 

by liking us on Facebook… 


| Slo life dealS 

Rev 

755 alphonso Street, San luis obispo 

805.264.4531 

revslo.com 

Rev is offering two personal training sessions ($150 value) for just $50! 

Check out this full service gym offering personal training sessions and 

classes in zumba, kick boxing, cardio hip hop, spin, pilates, tnt, piyo, 

bootcamp, power walking, jump & pump, and jolt. 

You do not have to be a member to use this SLO LIFE DEAL. There are no 

start-up, cancellation, or hidden fees. So come get ready for summer and 

tone it up at Rev SLO! If you would like to continue with your personal 

trainer, Rev is offering additional discounted sessions (see website for details). 

go to slolifemagazine.com/deals and click “buy now” 

$150 value for $50 

two personal training sessions for $50 

San luis obispo Blues Baseball 

805.512.9996 

bluesbaseball.com 

The Blues are offering 10 admission tickets ($50 value) for only $25. 

Hey batter, batter! Join the fun at Sinsheimer Stadium all summer long with 

this sweet package of tickets to ten home games. Take your family, share 

them with friends, and support the hometown team! 



50% off admission tickets 

The oak Pit Barbeque Company 

564 Highway 1, arroyo Grande 

805.473.0441 

oakpitbbqco.com 

The Oak Pit BBQ Company is offering a $20 voucher for $10 (50% off). 

Serving specially selected tri-tip, beef ribs and chicken cooked over an 

open wood pit. The tri-tip is BBQed to perfection, sliced, and served on a 

soft french roll with either salsa or special BBQ sauce. Their beef ribs are 

a favorite, if you think you have had ribs...think again! Those babies are 

cooked to perfection so be prepared, the ribs are succulent, rich and beyond 

compare. The chicken is juicy and BBQ’d just enough to keep it moist and 

irresistible. And the special seasoning makes it impossible to resist. 



50% off restaurant voucher 


Slo life dealS | 

danielle dutro Photography 

619.933.4818 

danielledutro.com 

Danielle Dutro Photography, as seen in SLO LIFE Magazine, is offering a 

sitting fee ($200 value) for just $50. A discounted print package is available 

as well, see website for details. 

Need senior portraits? Updated family photos? Product shots for your 

business? Headshots for your portfolio? Well then, this is the deal for you! 

Be sure to go online to get the scoop. 



photo session sitting fee for $50 

Crushed Grape 

319 Madonna Road, San luis obispo 

805.544.4449 

crushedgrape.com 

Crushed Grape is offering a $20 voucher for $10 (50% off). 

You will find some amazing homemade gifts, farmer’s market produce, and 

local award winning wines at Crushed Grape. Known for their local San 

Luis Obispo County baskets, they also ship daily all across the country, and 

deliver throughout the county. Go to our website for details on this deal. 



50% off store voucher 

Tropical Chocolate Company 

1127 Broad Street 

805.540.7077 

tropicalchocolateco.com 

Husband and wife chocolatiers, Roger and Pamela Marshall, have recently 

relocated their Tropical Chocolate Company downtown and would love 

for you to come in. So, they are offering a free regular Tropical Chocolate 

Premium Bar with the purchase of a small San Luis Obispo Chocolates box, 

which has been inspired by the many small farmers, growers and vintners 

of our area. By choosing locally grown products that means fresh, more 

flavorful ingredients and a healthy local economy. Each artisan chocolate 

is handcrafted in small batches and exquisitely decorated with personal 

attention by the Marshalls. A perfect gift or a treat for yourself! 



buy one box of chocolates, get a bar free 


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Wine Tasting, Fine Art Gallery, Gifts 

Vineyard Trolley Tours, Special Events 

| No Place like home 

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Schoolhouse Rock Concert Series 

June 26th - August 21st 

Every Sunday 1:00pm - 4:00pm 

Free Music 

Wine & Lunch for purchase 

No outside food or alcohol, please 

Bring the family! 

6985 Ontario Road, san luis obispo 

Schoolhouse in Avila Valley 

on the frontage road to hwy. 101 

805-595-9463 salisburyvineyards.com 

It’s one of the oldest watering holes on the 

Central Coast. And, many people who have lived 

in this area have a story tied to the Merrimaker 

in Los Osos. Built originally in the 20’s it was 

called “Boots and Spurs.” Old-timers will tell 

you it was also a hitching post for horses and 

motorcycles - and it wasn’t all that out of the 

ordinary for a patron to ride one or the other 

inside to wet his whistle. 

It’s been the Merrimaker since 1963. And 

it’s been a gathering place for neighbors and 

friends since then as well. “So, how many 

people at the bar do you know right now?” I 

ask bartender Sam Wayne at the peak of happy 

hour when the place is packed. “All of them,” 

she answers in a split second. “No, wait. I’m 

sorry, there’s two I don’t know.” 

It’s been nicknamed the “Marriage Breaker” 

and the “Baby Maker,” and if you look up the 

definition of “dive bar” on Wikipedia.org, a 

picture of Merrimaker pops up on the screen. 

It’s an association that draws mixed reviews 

from regulars. “It’s more like ‘Cheers’ than a 

dive bar,” says Juli Hubbard. “I consider this 

my family. Everyone knows your name.” Her 

boyfriend chimes in: “Many times you’ll walk 

in and see your grandmother here. So I think a 

family bar would be more [accurate] than a dive 

bar.” 

It is true that it’s a gem of many generations. 

The walls tell the stories of people having 

fun in a series of picture collages. The photos 

prove that the only thing that has changed in 

the Merrimaker are the hairstyles, clothes and 

cast of characters, all sitting in the same seats 

as their generational counterparts. Well, that, 

and the absence of ashtrays on the bar and 

cigarettes in the hands of patrons. 

Cribbage is big at the Merrimaker and there’s 

a tournament once a month. Wayne learned 

the game from an 86-year old regular. “There’s 

never a time when you can’t come in here and 

strike up a game with someone aged 21 to 89,” 

she says. 

They also have bands and karaoke on weekends. 

It’s a place where people share the ritual they 

call winding down... where the conversation 

flows as freely as the cold beer on tap. You 

definitely won’t have any trouble stirring up a 

conversation, although you may have a little 

difficulty getting a word in edgewise. 

“The community that comes in here, they’re 

family,” observes Wayne. “One of our customers 

had cancer last year, so our Christmas 

fundraiser went to him and his family this year. 

Even right now we’ve got a jar for one of our 

patrons who had surgery a couple of weeks ago. 

She’s going through tough times. Everyone at 

the bar puts money in for her. And we take care 

of it.” 

Whether or not the Merrimaker should be 

the poster child for the definition of a dive bar 

remains up for debate. But if it is truly a dive 

bar, the Merrimaker is also a place that you’ll 

find all kinds of reminders that there’s No Place 

Like Home. SLO LIFE 

Jeanette Trompeter, KSBY News anchor and reporter, 

hosts the “No Place Like Home” series every Thursday 

evening at 6pm. 


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| to Your HealtH 

Manage Stress with Quiet 

It has been said that stress is a “silent killer” and there is no shortage 

of it in modern life, even here on the laid-back Central Coast. 

So, how do you alleviate, or at least manage, your stress? 

In a word: meditate. 

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” 

While it may conjure images of cross-legged 

mystical gurus, meditation can be used by all 

of us to maximize health and create a more 

balanced existence. And, there are many 

differnt meditation techniques - an internet 

search on the word “meditate” yields 72 

million results - however, it need not be 

complicated. Most of the techniques focus on 

being still, clearing your mind, and controlling 

your breath. The idea of meditation is to slow 

things down and be still, which has the positive 

med·i·tate 

verb \ˈme-də-ˌtāt\ 

1 : to engage in contemplation or reflection 

2 : to engage in mental exercise (as 

concentration on one’s breathing or 

repetition of a mantra) for the purpose 

of reaching a heightened level of spiritual 

awareness 

health benefit of reducing stress and all of the 

physiological processes that go with it. 

So, how do you do it? 

Step 1 Create the time and space to meditate. 

This means turning off your computer, your 

smart phone, and all other electronic devices. 

Ideally, you can find a quiet place in nature, but 

an office setting can work fine, too. Turn off the 

fluorescent lights if you can. 

Step 2 Find a comfortable seated position. Try 

level ground, on the top of a pillow or at the 

edge of a chair. Your posture should be straight 

and upright. Don’t slouch over and do not 

worry about mimicking the lotus position. 

recommended viewing: 

Step 3 Relax and try to focus on nothing. 

This is a difficult concept to understand. It 

will be nearly impossible to avoid having 

random thoughts, but, when you do, try not 

to engage with them. The best way to do that 

is to “observe your thoughts” almost as if you 

are a third party and do not judge yourself or 

whatever comes into your mind. 

Step 4 Take deep, measured breaths in 

through your nose and exhale through your 

mouth. If you are to focus your 

mind on anything, focus it on 

your breathing. Try to move your 

diaphragm up and down, drawing 

your breath through you stomach. 

Step 5 Chant some sort of 

monosyllabic expression, like 

“ohhhhhm” over and over again. 

[This didn’t feel very natural for 

us, so we just stuck with Steps 

1 – 4, which seemed to give us 

great results.] But, many of the 

instructions we encountered did 

encourage this step, and we’re not 

sure why – perhaps we did not 

give it enough of a chance. 

Most forms of meditation encourage a session 

lasting anywhere from five to 30 minutes in 

length, however, there are some practices that 

may go for hours and even days at a time. We 

felt that five minutes was about all that we 

could handle before losing our focus (or lack 

of it or “mindfulness” as they say) before we 

would return to our normal, hectic modern 

lives. But, even with just five minutes once a 

day, we did notice a substantial reduction in 

our stress. 

Don’t let finding the perfect location stop 

you. These techniqes can even be done while 

standing in line at the grocery store. Just 

breathe deeply and quiet your mind. 


Go to youtube.com and type in “how to meditate” 

in the search field for instructional videos. We will 

also offer a link to a few of them on our website at 

slolifemagazine.com

Let every breath bring you back to Centre 

TWO LOCATIONS WITH OVER 70 

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Teaching over 8 different styles of yogafrom 

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Now offering CHILD CARE and KIDS YOGA! 

Check out our website at yogacentre.com for class 

schedules and information on our monthly workshops. 

Call either studio today for a free consultation with a 

Yoga Advisor, and to get started with your yoga journey. 

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| AFTER HOURS 

Tim Stapf 

Tim Stapf, owner of Central Coast Flooring, started playing roller hockey 18 years ago when he was 31. It was coaching his son’s hockey 

team in Orange County that led him to “fall in love with the sport.” In 2001 Stapf says he learned about “these guys in Morro Bay that 

play a tough brand of hockey.” Those guys are known as the Del Mar Boys. They play for about three hours on Sunday mornings - no 

referees, full contact, and only a few time outs to rest. According to Stapf, the camaraderie and competitiveness is like no other sport. 

“I don’t know how many years I have left before it’s time for me to hang up my skates. But once you play the sport, you become hooked 

for life.” SLO LIFE 



| Small buSinESS 

old juan’s Cantina 

adam, Eva, and john vErdin 

Old Juan’s Cantina 

If determination, ingenuity, and hard work are the underpinnings of “The American Dream,” 

then the life of John Verdin could be held up as a prime example of what makes our country 

and our community great. The iconic restaurant he built along with his family and longtime 

employees - Old Juan’s Cantina in Oceano - is poised to celebrate its 35th anniversary this 

fall. Today, the second generation of Verdins continue to honor their father’s traditions and 

teachings while also evolving with the times as they build on his legacy. 

“My grandparents came here from Mexico, so my dad was second-generation. He got his start 

in the restaurant business at the Boys Restaurant in Santa Maria as a dishwasher,” reflects Eva 

Verdin, General Manager at Old Juan’s Cantina. “He had an incredible work ethic and often 

told us that, ‘doing the right thing usually does not mean doing the easy thing.’” Her brother 

and co-owner, Adam Verdin, who also works as a commercial pilot, chimes in, “Dad was always 

focused on putting out a consistently great meal, but he also understood that the sensibilities 

and tastes of people do change, and he had a willingness to adapt.” 

John Verdin, who passed away a little more than a year ago, had the foresight to begin a 

succession plan with his children, who grew up in the restaurant, long before he became 

ill. Eva smiles as she recalls, “My parents kept a crib in the kitchen, and they would push it 

up against the dishwasher so the whirring and humming would help me fall asleep. To this 

day, I cannot get to sleep without some type of background noise.” Her brother, Adam, who, 

because of the restaurant’s proximity to the Oceano Airport was also inspired as a young boy 

to learn to fly, thinks back, “We used to come home from school and do our homework in one 

of the booths in the bar. We still have customers to this day that remember seeing us studying 

in there from years ago.” 

Today, the focus remains on “great food and great customer service” according to the brother 

and sister team, but there are also hints of the new generation’s influence. Recently added 

to the menu are three new types of margaritas (jalepeno, fresca, and cucumber) as well as 

an innovative appetizer called “cactus sticks,” which are small strips of cactus that have been 

breaded, deep fried and paired with a mild, cream-based dipping sauce that the family has 

developed over “many years of trial and error.” They explain that the dish was inspired by their 

grandmother, who had cherished her cactus garden. 

Along with a passion for great food, John Verdin also shared with his children a good sense for 

business and insisted that they understand their costs at all times. He spent hours meticulously 

recording his thoughts and recipes along with their corresponding costs on 3” x 5” index 

cards, which now serve as daily reminders of their father. And, as the duo works to install a 

sophisticated new computer system that will better allow them to track their food costs, Eva 

is astonished to learn just how precise her father’s accounting actually was. “It is absolutely 

ridiculous how accurate he was with those cards. When we compare his notes to what the 

computer comes up with, it is either the same number or it’s within a penny.” 




| ouTDoors 

Five hikes in Five Days 

1Froom Creek/mariposa Trail 

irish hills, san luis obispo 

The City recently expanded this open space and it is spectacular! 

On your way up you will be treated to views of the big box roofs 

at Costco, which has solar panels (way to go, Costco!) and Home 

Depot, which doesn’t (come on guys, it’s not like you can’t afford 

it!) and now Target (…Target, we’re watching you!). But, don’t let 

the new development fool you, as you’re in for treat as you ascend 

through some really nice tree groves and seasonal streams. Once 

you get to the top of ridge some amazing views await. 

DisTanCe 4 miles 

Time 2 hours 

elevaTion Gain 700 feet 

Coon Creek/raTTlesnake FlaTs 

monTana De oro, los osos 

2 

An amazingly beautiful walk in an incredibly unique area, we do not have enough 

superlatives to describe this hike, which is one of our most favorite in the area. Rugged 

cliffs, sandy beaches, and a huge variety of wild flowers and vegetation grace the trail. 

This walk is especially nice on a hot day as the consistently cool onshore breeze makes 

for a pleasant stroll. Alternatively, it can get cold out there so we recommend layers. 


Time 2 hours 


3 

Cerro alTo peak 

Los Padres NatioNaL Forrest, Hwy 41 - Morro Bay/atascadero 

The best view on the Central Coast, hands down. That’s why we recommend it, even 

though it is a bit of a trek for most people, plus it’s a bummer to have to pay $5 to park… 

but, it’s worth it! And, you should do it at least once. There are forests on this walk that 

will remind you of the Sierra Nevadas as well a variety of flora and fauna, but most of all 

this hike is about the view. So, plan to go on a clear, warm day and you will not be sorry. 

Tip You can add the East Fork/AT&T Cable Road loop for a longer hike along the beautiful 

East Fork Creek (we include it as an option on our printable map on slolifemagazine.com). 


Time 2.5 hours 

elevaTion Gain 1,650 feet 


4 

Cerro Cabrillo peak 

morro bay sTaTe park 

This peak is part of the chain of volcanic plugs 

or morros (aka “The Nine Sisters”) that are 

unique to our area which stretch from Morro 

Rock to Islay Hill in San Luis Obispo. Cerro 

Cabrillo can be found abutting the Morro 

estuary Natural Preserve. Unusually shaped 

in the form of a saddle with dual peaks at 850 

and 911 feet respectively, this hike is a mustdo. 

Atop the peak you can take in sweeping 

panoramic vistas from the coastline to the 

Santa Lucia Mountains. 


Time 2 hours 


Hiking 

Backpacking 

Climbing 

5 

reservoir Canyon naTural reserve 

san luis obispo 

This peaceful walk will lead you through a 487-acre reserve at the foot of the Cuesta 

Grade. As the walk starts you can hear traffic from nearby Highway 101, but with each 

step into the forest the sound fades away. The first part of the hike follows a stream 

at the bottom of the canyon, but rises quickly if you attempt to summit the grade [go 

online to download the SLO LIFE trail guide for more information]. About two-thirds 

of the way to the top you will find the whimsical group of metal sculptures (theories 

abound about how they got there: the top hypothesis are space aliens, artists, billy 

goats or Cal Poly Students). When there, be sure to treat yourself to a swing from one 

of the majestic Eucalyptus trees. You will feel as if you are on top of the word! 

Camping 

Travel 

Car Racks 


Time 2 hours 


Download your free SLO LIFE Trail Guide! 

It includes maps, directions, and additional information for these trails. 

Go to slolifemagazine.com and click on this icon: 

Click. Print. Hike. 


San LuiS ObiSpO 

667 Marsh Street 

805.543.1676 

Mon Sat 10-6 

Thurs 10-8 Sun 11-4 

FREE parking 

SanTa baRbaRa 

14 State Street 

805.962.0049 

Mon Sat 10-6 

Sun 11-5 

FREE parking 

mountainairsports.com 


| special interest 

the Boys of summer and their families 

by joanna FLUG-EnTIn 

The front door swung open easily and jon and Leslie Goetz eagerly 

greeted me. We stepped inside and the stories flowed about their 

unusual summer houseguest. before we were able to make it to their 

couch it was clear that they cared deeply for the San Luis blues 

shortstop and spoke about him with the same pride one may display 

when discussing a son or daughter who is away at 

college. The Goetz’s are just one of many local 

families who host the blues players during their 

summer season in San Luis obispo. Without them, 

the team could not function. 

jon and Leslie finish each other’s sentences – as only 

a husband and wife can - as they excitedly share 

their experience with the blues organization. but 

what captured my imagination is jon’s perspective 

on the game. “baseball is a slower game, more of a 

thinking person’s game - more of a cerebral game. 

It’s nice to see the players at this age transition 

from physical to thinking.” With no time restraints 

or game clock, the players rely on intellect and 

strategy. Leslie is more succinct, “a blues game is 

just fun. you have the announcers going, and 

raffles going. It’s just a lot of fun.” 

and she does make a good point. anyone who has been to a blues game 

will likely agree that there is something uniquely american, uniquely San 

Luis obispo about the experience. Perhaps it is the incredible teamwork 

that builds in just a few short months. or families faithfully opening 

their doors and sharing their lives with a total stranger. For many, it’s the 

familiarity of watching these college ballplayers take the field, proudly 

GoETz FaMILy WITH Ryan aGUayo 

wearing the same uniforms that have been passed along from those 

before them. of course, who can forget the amtrak train ambling along 

behind the outfield fence in the distance. 

Each year a new group of players descends on San Luis obispo from all 

corners of the country. With wooden bats in-hand and 

a rigorous game schedule ahead, these young athletes 

are given a unique opportunity that will forever shape 

their lives as they forge a bond with their new families, 

their teammates, and their host city. 

Ryan aguayo, a student at new Mexico State, spent 

the past three summers as a member of the Goetz 

household. He has been playing baseball since he 

was five years old. With competition and success on 

the forefront of his mind, the blues have given him 

a little piece of his childhood passion back. “We had 

the opportunity to coach kids at a summer camp in 

SLo. being with them and watching them play and 

laugh reminded me why I still play ball today.” 

baseball has played an important role in aguayo’s 

life, but since he is under the average size of a ball 

player, he has had to work hard to find an edge in his 

game. “you need to be tall, you need to be fast, and you need to have 

power—and I’m none of those.” For aguayo each game means playing 

not just for himself but also for the entire team. aguayo’s voice swells 

with pride as he sketches out his most memorable games with the 

blues. He will graduate this summer and is anxiously awaiting news from 

the Major League draft where he is considered a long shot. If he goes 

left BlUeBelle the 

Blue’s mascot has fun 

with a young fan 

center tiMeless (left 

to right) Mike Kindel, 

Kansas State and Cory 

Ginther, UNLV carry 

on the tradition 

far right BlUes Fans 

enjoying a day at 

Sinsheimer Stadium 

above right sWeet 

VictOrY the Blues 

congratulate one 

another after a big 

win at home 


undrafted, he hopes to return again this year to the blues, not as a player, 

but as a coach. 

If aguayo does end up making the transition from player to coach this 

year, he can count on learning the craft from someone who is widely 

regarded as one of the best around. by all accounts, Coach Chal Fanning 

works the boys hard and expects them to be a cohesive unit very quickly. 

With only 59 days to play 52 games there is little time to spare. but 

Fanning knows that coming to play summer ball is not just about the 

games, not just about being on the field everyday - there is something 

bigger than hitting a baseball. He sees possibility in their youth and finds 

promise in them as individuals. “The most rewarding thing for me is to 

see a player grow. Watch them move down a developmental path and 

grow from boys to men.” 

The tradition of navy blue and gold is not new. officially the team was 

established in 1946, but a black and white framed picture hanging 

prominently on the office wall of jim Galusha, proud blues owner, 

provides evidence of its existence in the early 1900’s. Says Galusha, 

“When you come to the blues as a college player you can count on three 

things: you are going to have great coaches, a fun time, and you’re going 

to walk away with friendships that last forever.” 

The blues are in the California Collegiate League, which allows some of 

the top college players in the nation to keep their skills sharp during their 

summer offseason. The league is highly regarded by Major League scouts 

- it is not uncommon to spot one at a game - and a significant percentage 

of the players will be drafted after graduating from their respective 

schools. The league will give the boys a taste for what it’s like to play in 

the minors, which generally are made up of three different class levels of 

“farm leagues” that feed into the Major Leagues. and, like minor league 

baseball, crowd participation and interaction is just as much a part of the 

experience as the game itself. between each inning the blues provide 

entertainment and the atmosphere becomes carnival-like as young 

fans are invited down to the field for such games as the “dizzy bat race” 

and the “foot loose frenzy.” The blues players can be seen taking turns 

supervising the children’s extra-curricular activities, as well as raking and 

preparing the infield between innings. 

The intergenerational camaraderie among the people involved in making 

the San Luis blues a success reminds us why baseball is such a rich 

tradition in america. and the young men taking the field this season 

bring new life and new meaning to the game while inspiring the next 

generation of players who are still trying to run in a straight line during 

the “dizzy bat race.” but, for the host families, this common bond, 

this passion for the game that exists in so many of us, means giving 

a dreamer, a kid who is just passing through San Luis obispo for the 

season, a place to call home and an opportunity to grow. but, it could 

be said that the boys of summer are doing the same for them. Susie Gill, 

who will be going on her third year as a host mom, becomes suddenly 

animated as she explains the impact the players have had on her during 

that time. “It’s so much fun, and it puts a lot of energy back into my life 

because all my kids are grown up and so it’s just me and the dogs the rest 

of the year.” SLO LIFE 


Mineral SpringS 

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creating memorable moments one event at a time... 

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with friends 

| LocaL food by LocaL peopLe 

for the Love of food By SUZANNE LINDELL 

From as far back as I can 

remember, I have always 

loved to eat. Half of my 

family is from the South 

and half of my family is 

from Europe, so I had a 

lot of different styles of 

cooking in my family, which 

I think taught me variety 

and style. Since I was little, 

I was always in the kitchen with my mom. I 

constantly wanted to learn and experiment with 

different flavors. I loved my Easy-Bake Oven and 

was always trying to make food for people, but 

trust me, my creations weren’t always the most 

tasty. 

Surprisingly, I used to be a really picky eater, 

but something obviously changed later in my 

life. When I was in college my roommate’s and I 

would host dinner parties to give me a reason to 

cook. I loved seeing people’s reaction to my food, 

and in college people really appreciated a homecooked 

meal. 

Since graduating I have been exploring life 

through food. I love to travel and learn about 

buttermiLk SconeS 

Modified from Tartine 

Makes Approximately 12 Scones 

the places I’m visiting through my palate. It 

has always been a passion of mine to gather 

people together around food. There is no better 

ingredient in my cooking than love. 

Scones are my all-time favorite things to make. 

I host Scone Sunday at the Sanitarium on Osos 

Street every week, where people have the option 

between 4-6 different types of my homemade 

scones. Cooking is just fun for me. Breakfast 

is my favorite meal to make, but I also love to 

bake. I currently bake for Linnaea’s Café in SLO. 

I love living in San Luis Obispo, because we are 

fortunate to have an abundance of fresh local 

produce and wine to choose from which makes 

for great food. 

There was a time where I thought I might have 

wanted to be a full-time chef, but after trying 

it out, I realized that when I got home at night 

I didn’t want to cook anymore, which was a 

travesty to me. At this moment in time I am 

starting to look into health coaching. The food 

choices people make have more of an effect on 

them than I think they realize. I want to teach 

people about good food for their bodies, and 

help inspire them to live a healthy lifestyle. 

4 1/2 cups all purpose flour 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

3/4 teaspoon baking soda 

1/2 cup granulated sugar 

1 1/4 teaspoon salt 

1 cup + 1 tablespoon very cold, unsalted butter 

1 1/2 cup buttermilk 

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest 

3/4 cup dried apricots, chopped 

1 1/2 tablespoon whole cumin seeds 


with elegance 

Event space accommodating 10-100 people. 

New Chef Pandee Pearson is introducing 

a new innovative banquet and dining menu. 

| Private Events | Reunions| 

| Garden Ceremonies | Intimate Receptions | 

| Celebrations | Business Meetings | 

| Wedding & Baby Showers | 

595-7302 | sycamoresprings.com 

1215 Avila Beach Drive 



photos provided by Mike Larson Photography 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet (or two!) with parchment paper. 

2. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a large bowl or a food processor. 

3. Cut chilled butter into smaller cubes (about 1/2”) and cut into dry ingredients with pastry knife, or 

pulse in processor until the butter is in pea-sized lumps and transfer into a bowl. 

4. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and add buttermilk all at once, along with lemon zest 

and cumin seeds. 

5. Using a flat wooden spoon or rubber spatula to blend, mix and press together, for about 4 strokes 

continue mixing and pressing together. Add the chopped apricot pieces and repeat about 4 stokes to 

combine evenly. 

6. Turn out onto a floured surface, and knead gently, pressing the dough together until it comes forms 

a ball. 

7. Form the dough into a log, 1” high by 4” wide, and 16-18” long, or create a round disk that’s 

approximately 1 1/2” high. Brush the top with a bit of buttermilk. Using a sharp knife or pastry paddle, 

cut dough into 12 triangles. 

8. Bake for 18 minutes and then check them. The tops should be just beginning to turn golden. Serve 

warm and enjoy! 

Note - I serve scones with a variety of toppings and sauces. A favorite is about 3/4 cup Light Daisy 

Sour Cream, 2 tablespoons of honey, a bit of lemon zest, and freshly chopped basil, marjoram, thyme, 

or any other herb that compliments your scone flavor!

WiLd rice SaLad 

Serves 3 Entrees or 5-6 Side Portions 

HuevoS rancHeroS 

Serves 4 

polenta (1 1/2 cups polenta, 4 3/4 cups 

water, 2 teaspoons butter, 2 teaspoons salt) 

1/2 cup sour cream or cream cheese 

2 cups pepper jack cheese 

2 teaspoons olive oil 

2 cloves garlic, diced 

red onion, chopped 

1 can soaked/rinsed black beans 

juice of one orange 

fresh marjoram 

fresh cilantro 

tomatoes, chopped 

avocado, sliced 

4 eggs 

2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar 

salt and pepper to taste 

2 cups wild rice mixture 

2 cups vegetable or chicken stock 

1 cup feta cheese crumbles 

2 cups arugula greens 

1 cup sliced grapes 

3/4 cup dried cranberries 

1/2 cup sunflower seeds, pine nuts, or toasted 

pumpkin seeds 

1 cup marinated artichoke hearts 

1 cup roasted asparagus, chopped 

4 tablespoons fresh marjoram or thyme, chopped 

4 tablespoons really yummy olive oil 

juice of 1 lemon 

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 

1 tablespoon fresh cracked pepper 

1. Cook the rice as directed in 2 cups water, and 2 cups broth. When rice is tender, transfer to a metal 

bowl and toss, allowing heat to escape so it can cool for a bit. Rice can cool to chilled or your preference. 

2. While the rice cooks, chop and prepare the other ingredients. 

3. To roast the asparagus, heat oven to 400 degrees. Chop spears into 1 1/2” to 2” pieces, place on 

a cooking sheet, and drizzle with olive oil, a bit of lemon, salt and pepper and sprinkle with half of the 

chopped herbs. Cook for about 5 minutes and check, shifting the sheet to allow the spears to roll, then 

cook for another 5 minutes or so - asparagus should be tender but retain a slight crunch. For the last 

2 minutes, shift the oven to broil and get a little crisping to the surface. Remove from oven and set aside. 

4. While rice cools, drain artichoke hearts and set aside, crumble feta, slice or quarter grapes and 

gather the seeds and dried fruit. 

5. Add all ingredients except the greens - toss together and combine. Next, add greens, drizzle with 

olive oil and lemon juice, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss until just combined. Serve and enjoy. 

This is great as a leftover dish, a Thanksgiving side, or even breakfast with a poached egg! 

Note - Here are some other flavor options to consider: chopped apples or pears, sweet orange slices, 

pomegranate seeds, blanched broccoli, dried apricots, cherries, spinach greens, mustard greens, 

olives, sun dried tomatoes, pecans, chick peas, sautéed chicken sausage, meat balls… 

Get creative and let the season, our local farmer’s market, and even color inspire your palate! 

1. Begin with Enrico’s Easy Polenta Preparation (from the Golden Pheasant polenta package). Preheat 

oven to 350 degrees and place all ingredients in a buttered 8-9” baking dish. Stir with fork until 

combined. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes. 

2. Prepare water bath for poaching the eggs: boil 4 cups of water and white vinegar. Peel and dice 

garlic, chop red onion, and drain black beans. Pick cilantro leaves, dice tomato and marjoram. 

3. After 40 minutes remove polenta from oven and stir in sour cream or cream cheese and 1 cup 

pepper jack cheese, blending well with a fork. Return to oven for 10-15 minutes. 

4. Heat olive oil (and a bit of butter if you like) in skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and sautee until 

sizzling and translucent. Reduce heat slightly and add beans, garlic and marjoram. Stirring, squeeze half the 

orange juice into the pan and allow it to slowly heat through and reduce. Season with salt and pepper. 

5. To poach the eggs, crack each one and drop it into the water bath, allowing the white to swirl up to 

make a pocket for the yolk. The vinegar will help hold the egg together. 

6. While eggs cook, slice avocado. Remove polenta from the oven and give it a stir to combine. 

7. Scoop polenta into a pile, top with bean/onion mixture and a few tomatoes. Using a slotted spoon, 

scoop eggs (one at a time), drain, and carefully place on top. Top with pepper jack, sour cream, cilantro, 

and avacado. Add a pinch of salt, cracked pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil if you like. SLO LIFE 

Have a recipe to share? Go to slolifemagazine.com to tell us about it. 

Central Coast 

Farmers’ Harvest 

• Fresh Picked & Locally Grown 

Pesticide Free Produce 

• Direct Delivery to Your Home 

or Business 

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Delivery Option 

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Eat Healthy, Eat Local 

Serving 

• San Luis Obispo • Avila • 

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www.sloveg.com 

805.709.2780 


| community calendar 

Presenting the best 

in professional 

entertainment at the 

Performing Arts Center! 

WWW.CALPOLYARTS.ORG 

Wine, Waves and Beyond 

June 2nd – 5th 

San luis obispo county 

winewavesandbeyond.com 

This classic surf and wine event celebrates the best of San Luis Obispo County. Combining the 

fun, laid-back atmosphere of our wine country and unique surf culture, come out and enjoy four 

days of unforgettable events evoking the magic of wine and waves. All proceeds go to support the 

Association of Amputee Surfers (AmpSurf). 

roll out the Barrels 

June 23rd – 26th 

San luis obispo 

slowine.com 

Start the summer off with a bang. The 21st annual Roll 

Out The Barrels events begin with Barrels in Mission Plaza 

on Thursday where SLO Vintner’s will partner with local 

chefs to go side-by-side and pair up the perfect culinary 

bites with the perfect sampling of wines while enjoying 

live music by Red Skunk. On Friday Night enjoy Winemaker 

Dinners & Social Events. And journey through a self-guided 

tour Saturday & Sunday with your Passport to SLO Vintner 

Wine Country. 

California International Choral Festival 

June 24th – 26th 

christopher cohan Performing arts center 

californiachoral.org 


Enjoy energetic and accomplished singers who come to San Luis Obispo from every 

corner of the world competing for coveted awards. Choirs from Uganda, Indonesia, 

The Republic of Congo, Ukraine and California bring with them a remarkable 

diversity, not only in their home of origin, but also in their style, language, musical 

dynamics and interpretation.

Festival Mozaic 

July 14th – 24th 

california central coast 

festivalmozaic.com 

Explore the influence pop culture has 

had on classical music throughout 

the ages. Encompassing a surprising 

array of composers from the 17th 

century to today, the 2011 Summer 

Festival presents works inspired by 

fairy tales, legends, plays and literary 

works, the jazz age, the art world 

and even rock and roll. 

SPECIALIZING IN: 

Gymnastics 

ages 8 mo - 18 yrs 

Cheerleading 

Acrobatic Gymnastics 

Tumble & Trampoline 

ages 4 - 18 yrs 

Dance 

ages 3 and up 

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Life • LTC • Di • AnnuiTies 

Renaissance Festival 

July 16th – 17th 

el chorro regional Park 

ccrenfaire.com 

The 27th Annual Central Coast Renaissance Festival proves to be San Luis Obispo 

County’s most unique festival, where over 800 costumed participants converge to 

create Donneybrooke, an English Renaissance village, brilliantly decorated for your 

ultimate summer fantasy entertainment. 

Protect 

the ones 

YouLove 

805.423.2187 

www.AmandaBarnesInsurance.com 

Mid State Fair 

July 20th – 31st 

Paso robles event center 

midstatefair.com 

“Mountains of Fun” is the theme for 2011. Live music, 

rodeos, bull riding, prize farm animals, arts & crafts 

displays, live entertainment, carnival rides, monster trucks, 

wine tasting, food and much more at this hugely popular 

event. Performances include Steve Miller Band, Sugarland, 

Maroon 5 & Train, Selena Gomez & The Scene, Jason 

Aldean, Kid Rock, Lady Antebellum and Chicago. 

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| inspiration 

ampsurf 

Imagine that you are told you will never be able to walk on your own two feet again. 

Now imagine being told you can surf. 

We recently had the opportunity to get to know some of the people behind the Association of Amputee Surfers. Also known as AmpSurf, it is a 

non-profit organization made up of amputees, veterans and friends and family of the disabled here on the Central Coast. We were inspired by their 

stories and wanted to share them with you. But, we’ll let them speak for themselves... 

Dana Cummings 

age 40 

Hometown Livermore Falls, ME 

BoarD Dimensions 8’6” 

BoarD type Armstrong 

surf spot Pismo Beach Pier 

moniCa Denatly 

age 28 

Hometown Morro Bay, CA 


BoarD type Santa Cruz Strive 

surf spot 24th Street, Morro Bay 

nate smiDs 

age 26 

Hometown Chatam, Ontario 


BoarD type Golven 

surf spot Willow Creek, Big Sur 

Courtney Dawn 

age 23 

Hometown Manteca, CA 

BoarD Dimensions 12’ 

BoarD type stand-up paddle board 

surf spot Pismo Beach 

“I lost my leg not my life.” 

9 years ago in August, 2002, 

AmpSurf founder Dana Cummings’ 

leg was amputated due to injuries 

sustained in an automobile 

accident. Cummings learned to 

surf in January 2003, only four 

months after his amputation. In 

August 2003 Cummings competed 

in his first surfing competition 

and took 4th place, receiving his 

first trophy. He now competes 

in surfing, wakeboarding, 

water-skiing, rock climbing, 

snowboarding and soccer – all 

sports he did not participate in 

prior to his amputation. 

“My life is based around how the 

waves are that day and when 

I’m going to go out. It’s totally 

changed my life.” 

For Monican DeNatly, walking with 

prosthetics has become second 

nature. She was born missing the 

fibula bones in both of her legs. 

Her parents decided it would be 

best to amputate her legs below 

her knees when she was three 

years old. Growing up in Canada, 

surfing was the last thing DeNatly 

thought she would be doing. Now 

DeNatly is in the ocean three to 

four times per week and checks 

the surf report every day. 

“I might have a few different 

limitations, but even the average 

able person has limitations in 

different ways.” 

Before the snowboarding accident 

that forced Nate Smids to have 

his leg amputated six years ago, 

he was active in several sports. 

Instead of allowing his “luck” 

(as he calls it) to hinder him, he 

has adapted his daily routine to 

accommodate his prosthetic leg. 

“I always have people coming 

up to me saying, ‘You’re doing 

something I can’t even do with two 

legs and you’re doing it with one.” 

Three years ago Courtney Dawn 

was not sure what was wrong 

with her leg and neither were 

her doctors. After years of 

misdiagnosis, Dawn was told 

she had osteogenic sarcoma, a 

malignant bone cancer. After the 

subsequent chemotherapy and 

limb-salvage surgery, Dawn was 

given two options: let the cancer 

spread or have her leg amputated. 

A year and a half ago Dawn chose 

the latter and never looked back.

SLO LIFE Jun/JLY 2011

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