SLO LIFE Apr/May 2014

LIFE 

SLOmagazine 

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THE WIND 

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PEEK 

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2 | SLO LIFE Magazine | Apr/may 2014

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| CONTENTS 

SLO LIFE 

magazine 

APRIL/MAY 2014 

30 

36 

72 

8 PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE 

10 ON THE COVER 

12 CONTRIBUTORS 

14 INFO 

16 IN BOX 

18 VIEW 

20 TIMELINE 

22 Q&A 

24 MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR 

30 ARTIST 

32 AFTER HOURS 

34 OUT AND ABOUT 

36 MUSIC 

38 ON THE RISE 

43 TASTE 

44 DWELLING 

52 CITY REAL ESTATE 

54 COUNTY REAL ESTATE 

56 WHAT’S HOT NOW 

58 SPECIAL FEATURE 

64 EXPLORE 

66 HEALTH 

72 KITCHEN 

74 HAPPENINGS 


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| PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE 

I am Speed 

My mom used to tell me, “Tommy, a good book can change your life.” 

Although a friend had recommended it to me a few years ago, I could not bring myself to read Born to 

Run. What little I knew of the story just did not capture my imagination—plus I was not a runner. But, 

that was about to change. 

When I finally did crack the book, I was intrigued by the premise of the story. The author, Christopher 

McDougall, a recreational runner plagued by injury, sets out to understand why his foot hurts. As an 

occasional jogger—two or three miles at a time, never more than a few times per month—I could feel 

his pain. For me, it wasn’t my foot, but my hips, which throbbed in agony after a twenty-minute trot. I 

reasoned that the Creator had designed my body for other purposes, stuff like sitting here at my desk 

writing publisher’s messages. 

I don’t remember when it happened exactly, but at some point I became locked-in, engaged in a virtual conversation with the 

author. I was deeply entranced, almost in a meditative state as I lost myself in the story. By the time I set down the 304-page 

paperback, my paradigm had shifted, and I found myself practicing my stride, barefoot at the park. I was astonished to learn 

that McDougall was right—I really was born to run. As I strode on the soft grass, I thought about the ancient Chumash 

who likely glided effortlessly in the same area thousands of years ago while tracking their prey. Although I felt like a majestic 

Native American warrior, judging from the sideways looks I was getting from parents, in reality I was just a weird, middleaged 

dude with elbows and kneecaps flailing all directions, slowly orbiting their kids who were busy on the play structure. 

It didn’t matter. For the first time in a long time, my hips felt great. I was so excited about my experience that, in the wake of 

my delusional runner’s high, I went online and signed up for the SLO Marathon. Then, I took a trip down to the shoe store 

where my gait was filmed and analyzed. I settled on some minimalistic sneakers that mimicked being barefoot. I asked the 

salesperson for some tips, and he suggested visualization. “Find a mantra,” he said. “Something you can repeat to yourself 

when you’re running out of steam.” I thought about this for a while, and the only thing I could come up with was Lightning 

McQueen from the Disney movie Cars. It probably came to mind because I have seen the film at least 800 times; half of 

those viewings came as my son, then two or three years old, fell asleep on my lap as we watched it together. In the opening 

scene, McQueen is having a dream. During the dream, he revs his throaty V8 engine violently and then declares, “I am speed.” 

Perfect. Shoes, check. Mantra, check. 

Now, more than halfway through my training schedule, I channel Lighting McQueen when I feel myself starting to fall 

from my already snail-like pace on the streets of San Luis Obispo. I am speed. With the SLO Marathon penned into my 

calendar on April 27th, I have recruited my younger sisters, both of them runners, to pace me during the 26.2-mile race. 

Since my 40th birthday is also in April, they have been teasing me, claiming they are going to “escort me over the hill.” 

There may be something to it, as my wife has observed “exercise is the new midlife crisis.” Our generation, she says, instead 

of buying sports cars and searching for trophy wives, appears to be more interested in testing their physical endurance. 

And she might be on to something. If I were turning 40 in 1984 instead of 2014, it’s possible that rather than training for 

a marathon, I would be cruising around blaring Billy Idol with the top down on a newly purchased Toyota Celica GT-S 

convertible. Luckily, it’s not 1984, and Christopher McDougall just changed my life. 

I would like to take this opportunity to say “thank you” to everyone who had a hand in creating this issue of SLO LIFE 

Magazine and most of all, to our advertisers and subscribers—we couldn’t do it without you. 

Live the SLO Life! 

Tom Franciskovich 

tom@slolifemagazine.com 


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| ON THE COVER 

BEHIND the scenes 

with Chris Bersbach 

e shot the cover image for this issue on 

a roll of white seamless paper, which is 

our go-to choice for a portrait that has 

clean space for our masthead and other 

copy and still looks great on the cover. I 

use seamless paper all the time because 

it’s light and affordable, but I’ve also been experimenting with 

other options for small, portable studio-like environments. This 

time, in addition to white paper, I set up my 4-foot plywood 

background in the wooded area by the creek near Terri’s studio 

for some additional images that would provide a nice contrast 

to our cover image. 

wanted an image that would put a “studio” look into a context 

WI 

where you wouldn’t usually expect to see that kind of polished 

shot, so we hung the square background on a couple light stands 

and put a small flash behind Terri to pop a little light onto the 

background. I used a second light on Terri’s face, just like we might 

do in a studio, and then worked with her to ham it up for the camera. 

10 | SLO LIFE Magazine | Apr/may 2014 

SLO LIFE


| CONTRIBUTORS 

Paden Hughes has lived in 

San Luis Obispo for almost ten 

years, starting off at Cal Poly 

and staying to build a career 

in small business ownership 

and consulting. It was the love 

of the landscape and scenery 

that kept her on the Central 

Coast, but now that she has 

been welcomed into the greater 

San Luis Obispo community, 

the sense of belonging makes 

this place her home. She 

strives to carve out time to 

be spontaneous and enjoy 

this beautiful area for all its 

adventures—and it’s a joy for 

her to share these experiences 

through SLO LIFE Magazine. 

Dawn Janke has been 

teaching writing to college 

students for more than 

ten years. A Chicago 

native, she’s been living 

the SLO Life since 2008. 

Janke directs the Writing 

& Rhetoric Center at Cal 

Poly State University and 

moonlights as a writer 

and editor for SLO LIFE 

Magazine. 

Jessie Rivas and his wife, Stacey, came from San 

Francisco where he attended California Culinary 

Academy and raised his family. He built his 

career working in restaurants, as a private caterer 

and on a food truck that was converted from an 

old school bus. He and his family moved to San 

Luis Obispo last year to start a business of their 

own, The Pairing Knife, a catering company and 

mobile food kitchen. He is passionate about food 

and loves sharing his knowledge with everyone 

he meets, including right here in the pages of 

SLO LIFE Magazine. 

Chris Bersbach has been a 

contributing photographer 

to SLO LIFE Magazine 

since 2012, focusing on 

photographing subjects 

for the regular Meet Your 

Neighbor story and for 

the cover of each issue. 

He specializes in editorial 

portrait photography, and 

his taste runs toward the 

anachronistic (especially 

when it comes to choosing 

cameras and neckwear). 

When he isn’t making 

photographs, Chris works as 

an environmental consultant 

and helps manage the local 

community bouldering gym 

and yoga studio. (He does 

not have a lot of free time.) 

Jeanette Trompeter was born 

in San Luis Obispo, but lived 

in Northern California before 

returning to the SLO Life to 

attend Cal Poly. She began at 

KSBY in San Luis Obispo while 

in college then took off to chase 

her career for a few years. In 2010 

she decided there really is no place 

like home and returned to KSBY 

to anchor the evening news. She 

does a weekly segment called “Out 

and About” and enjoys exploring 

the Central Coast as much today 

as she did as a student. She loves 

horses, our local wine country, and 

spending time around the water. 

You can follow her adventures on 

KSBY, jeanettetrompeter.com, 

through her social media sites, and 

here in SLO LIFE Magazine. 


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Have some comments or feedback 

about something you’ve read here? Or, 

do you have something on your mind 

that you think everyone should know 

about? Let us know! To have your letter 

to the editor considered for publication 

in the “In Box” section, please email it 

to info@slolifemagazine.com. Be sure 

to include your full name and city. And, 

it’s best to keep it to 250 words or less. 

Promote Your 

Business! 

Our advertisers get great results and 

we would like to tell you about it, but 

first we want to know about you and 

the objectives of your business. Call 

us at (805) 543-8600 to talk with our 

publisher, Tom, about different advertising 

programs—we have something for every 

sized budget. Or, you can log on to 

slolifemagazine.com/advertise and we can 

send you a complete media kit and loads 

of testimonials from happy advertisers. 

Tell Us 

Your Story! 

So many of the stories we publish come 

from our readers’ great leads. We are 

always looking for interesting homes to 

profile (see “Dwelling” on page 44), have 

a recipe that your friends and family love? 

Share it with us! To get an idea, check out 

“Kitchen” on page 72. Is there a band we 

should know about? Something we should 

investigate? Go to slolifemagazine.com 

and click “Share Your Story.” 

Subscribe! 

Ready to live the SLO Life all year 

long? It’s quick and easy! Just log on to 

slolifemagazine.com/subscribe. It’s just 

$24.95 for the year. And don’t forget 

to set your friends and family up with 

a subscription, too. It’s the gift that 

keeps on giving! 

4251 S. HIGUERA STREET, SUITE 800 

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA 93401 

SLOLIFEMAGAZINE.COM 

info@slolifemagazine.com 

(805) 543-8600 • (805) 456-1677 fax 

PUBLISHER 

Tom Franciskovich 

CREATIVE DIRECTOR 

Sheryl Disher 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

Jeanette Trompeter 

Paden Hughes 

Dawn Janke 

Jessie Rivas 

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS 

Chris Bersbach 

Cavan Hadley 

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) 543-8600 or by email at 

tom@slolifemagazine.com 

NOTE 

The opinions expressed within these 

pages do not necessarily reflect those 

of SLO LIFE Magazine. No part of this 

publication may be reproduced in whole 

or in part without the expressed written 

permission of the publisher. 

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 EDITOR 


4251 S. Higuera Street, Suite 800 

San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 

Letters chosen for publication may be 

edited for clarity and space limitations.

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San Luis Obispo 

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1 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MAREN BRAJKOVICH 

2 

3 4 

5 

| SLO LIFE IN BOX 

You said it... 

Recent Falls, Forgetting to take 

Medications?? Are you noticing 

changes in your loved one? 

Elder Placements guides you through 

the difficult decision making process. 

After our evaluation, we take you 

to tour the appropriate facility that 

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MOONSHINER 

COLLECTIVE 

FEB/MAR 2014 


WHAT’S HOT 

NOW 

DIABLO 

CANYON 

ON TOUR 

CAYUCOS 

REVEALED 

utopian dream 

COHOUSING 

MEET 

DAN “THE BAKER” 

BERKELAND 

WORLD TRAVELER 

BREAD MAKING 

DISRUPTION 

sing 

The Dan Berkeland interview 

just summarized all of the 

reasons I love living here!” 

- Sarah 

I knew Dan when we 

were writing code on 

our Commodore 64’s 

for a cool basketball 

game; never saw this 

coming…” 

- Jason Tenney 

>> Cohousing 

| DWELLING 

COHOUSING 

TIERRA NUEVA 

People call it a village, and we know everyone. 

My daughter knew everyone’s name by the time 

she was two, including all the cats and dogs, 

which is cool, you know?” 

Dear SLO LIFE, 

Great piece on Tierra Nueva Cohousing! We 

need thousands of these “villages” across the 

country. Best cure for the ills of modernity yet. 

- Sean Reilly 

A fascinating social experiment is taking place on a five-acre plot of land at the end of Halcyon Road 

in Oceano. With the ocean sparking in the distance, just beyond the dunes, 68 people are living 

together in a 27-unit complex that was built in 1999. Those people, ranging in ages from one-year-old 

to mid-eighties, have come together to live in a development known as “cohousing.” 

1. resident work day 2. neighbors visiting 3. feeding the community 

chickens 4. walkways everywhere, not a car in sight 5. village by design 

[ ] 

Nicole Pazdan, CSA 

Contact us today for FREE placement assistance. 

(805) 546-8777 

elderplacementprofessionals.com 


>> Cal Poly Housing 


Many of us would appreciate more coverage 

about the poor placement of a new Cal Poly 

dorm in our neighborhood. Thanks for your 

attention. We beg for protection from the City 

as students congregate outside our bedroom 

windows shouting the F-word. My 5 & 7 year-old 

grandsons jerked awake every time that happened 

last week. The Happiest Place on Earth is pushing 

us to leave the homes that hold our family 

memories. SLO is turning into Isla Vista right 

before our eyes. If you think our neighborhoods 

are exaggerating the issue of hordes of students 

roaming our streets drunk, think again. Why 

would Dr. Armstrong add 1,500 freshmen to this 

scene into our neighborhoods, clustering under 

our bedroom windows? This is a thoughtful plan? 

An execution of Cal Poly’s Good Neighbor Policy? 

- Claudia Andersen 

>> Thanks for contacting us, Claudia. We 

receive a lot of letters like yours concerning 

Cal Poly student housing and have decided to 

follow-up with another story on the matter. 

Please turn to page 58 and read all about it.

Wish You Were Here! 

>> Diablo Canyon Tour 


I just finished reading the article written by Tom Franciskovich. This well written article covered all 

the questions I have been pondering since I moved to SLO. I still have concerns about the seismic 

activity around the plant. No one can control Mother Nature’s force and no one knows what will 

really happen if an earthquake strikes. We most definitely learned that from Fukushima. 

I have one more thing to say... Go Mothers for Peace, keep watching. 

- Ellyn Houghton 


Having worked at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for 31 years, I can tell you that the 

Mothers for Peace gave Tom Franciskovich incorrect information when they said the NRC is “85% 

funded by the industry.” Every year, Congress gives the NRC its funds from the US Treasury. The 

NRC bills utilities for 85% of those funds, but the utilities send those funds to the US Treasury for 

Congress to do with as it sees fit. So, saying “Now, you don’t bite the hand that feeds you, right?” 

appears to be intentionally misleading by the Mothers for Peace. They have been interfacing with 

the NRC for over 40 years and know that information they supplied about funding is incorrect. 

- Lawrence Mark Padovan 

>> Editor’s Note: the area of land that PG&E owns at Diablo Canyon is actually 12,820 acres. 

The 750 acres that were cited in the article referred to just the space the power plant occupies. 

>> Go To The Light 


I loved Renee Besta’s photo of Mission 

San Miguel. I spent many years as the 

Project Manager reopening and restoring 

this mission and Renee is right... Folks 

having been drawn to it over the years, 

and if those walls could talk, what they’d 

share. We actually discovered an old 

bullet lodged in the wall where someone, 

obviously, shot off a gun inside! Each 

mission is unique and has its own story 

to tell, thanks for reminding me what a 

jewel they are. 

- John Fowler 

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Please send your comments to info@slolifemagazine.com 

Follow SLO LIFE on Facebook: Visit facebook.com/slolifemagazine 

Visit us online at slolifemagazine.com 

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 authentication purposes). 

I A N S A U D E 

JEWELRY & LIFESTYLE 

ON THE CORNER OF OSOS & MONTEREY ST. 

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| VIEW 

RETURNING HOME 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CAVAN HADLEY 

As a real estate photographer based in Morro Bay, Cavan Hadley 

is often found hanging halfway out of a helicopter shooting a 

variety of different properties, including the occasional mega yacht 

anchored away in some exotic international mooring. But, last 

December his travel schedule slowed down just enough for him to 

charter a flight and have some fun in his own backyard. 

The whirlybird circled Morro Rock several times as Hadley 

snapped away with a fast shutter speed on his Canon 6D, which 

was fitted with a 16-35mm wide-angle lens. He was not sure 

what he had captured until he sat down at his computer to view 

the photos the next day. Staring back at him on his screen was 

the image you see here, an unusual perspective of the most iconic 

landmark on the Central Coast. 

Much has been said and written of the “Gibraltar of the Pacific,” 

but to Hadley, who had been a sailor for 24 years, it is a safe haven 

and the only harbor between Santa Barbara and Monterey. “If 

you ever find yourself lost out there,” Hadley points toward the 

horizon, “or caught in a gale [heavy storm], Morro Rock is the first 

thing that will turn up on a radar and the first thing you will see 

through the fog on your way back home.” SLO LIFE 



| TIMELINE 

The three iconic 450-foot Morro Bay 

smokestacks constructed in the 1950’s 

were officially shut down. At its peak 

production the facility served nearly 

one million customers on the Central 

Coast and in the Central Valley while 

burning 500,000 gallons of oil per day. 

In the wake of the closure, Dynegy, the 

plant’s Houston-based owner, applied 

with the Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission to create an offshore wave 

farm. Officials at Dynegy estimate 

that it would create 650 megawatts of 

electricity and would provide the City 

of Morro Bay with an estimated $1 

million in annual revenue. 

A group of Nipomo Mesa residents banned together 

to sue the County and the State Park Off-Highway 

Motor Vehicle Recreation Division, operator of the 

Oceano Dunes. Citing research indicating that the 

off-road vehicles at the Dunes are creating unhealthy 

living conditions on the Mesa, the frustrated residents’ 

lawsuit claims that the “protection of public health” 

has been disregarded. 

Lady Gaga shot a music video at Hearst Castle, which prompted 

the suspension of Nicholas Franco, the State Parks executive who 

oversees the castle. Two weeks later Franco was reinstated and 

the record was set straight: Gaga donated $250,000 to the Hearst 

Castle Preservation Fund; reimbursed all costs, including the 

castle’s $22,100 special fee; underwrote a $25,000 water supply 

study; and, most importantly of all, in light of the drought, no 

water was wasted in the process. Gaga and her crew dropped in at 

the Cambria Ale House when shooting ended to celebrate. 

After a five-year struggle to 

reaffirm its good standing with 

the Accreditation Commission for 

Community and Junior Colleges, 

Cuesta College President Gil Stork 

announced that the college is no 

longer in sanctions. The next round 

of self-evaluation is due to the 

commission in June, and Stork stated 

that the college already has “2,000 

pieces of evidence to support the 

2014 evaluation.” Cuesta College 

also launched a website to make the 

evaluation process “more open and 

transparent to the community.” 

Amid strong opposition from its 

neighbors, the San Luis Coastal Unified 

School District chose to abandon its 

plans to build an 88-unit residential 

complex on Johnson Avenue. However, 

the district vowed to press on with plans 

to build a smaller development on the 

4.4-acre hillside property as way to 

resupply its cash-strapped general fund. 

february 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 


The City of San Luis Obispo was told by a state 

administrative law judge to restore binding arbitration as a 

means to negotiate wages and benefits for its police and fire 

unions. The overturn of Measure B, which 73% of voters 

supported in August, 2011, came as result of a claim filed 

by the San Luis Obispo Police Officers Association in 

October of that same year. Following the announcement, the 

city council voted unanimously to appeal the judge’s ruling 

setting up an unprecedented legal battle. 

The Cal Poly men’s basketball team completed a magical run 

to cap their season and earn the school’s first ever birth at the 

NCAA Tournament. In an improbable three-night stretch the 

team played as underdogs yet continued to win. With time 

running out, Mustang freshman point guard, Ridge Shipley, 

stopped at the top of the key for a jumper that rattled around 

the rim before falling to secure a dramatic one-point victory 

over Cal State Northridge and a trip to The Big Dance in 

Dayton, Ohio for a chance to compete for a national title. 

After winning the first round, the Mustangs were eliminated 

from contention by Wichita State in St. Louis. 

The Board of Supervisors officially declared the County 

to be in a state of drought emergency. The US Drought 

Monitor classified SLO County with its most severe 

designation, describing it as experiencing an “exceptional” 

drought. Against this backdrop, the County gave a green 

light for exemptions to its planting moratorium allowing 

21 vineyards to plant an additional 1,500 acres in the 

North County, which will use water from the Paso Robles 

groundwater basin as its irrigation source. 

By a 5-0 vote, the Oceano Community Services District (OCSD) 

board of directors terminated its general manager, Lonnie Curtis, who 

was just five months into his tenure at the trouble-plagued agency. It is 

the third consecutive GM to have been fired at OCSD, but at least the 

board was able to cut the cord before being required to kick in $63,000 

in severance pay. Curtis, who was recruited from the Los Angeles area 

for the $126,000 per year job, reportedly “flipped off ” a bystander as he 

drove out of the parking lot in his SUV for the last time. 


march 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 


| Q&A 

Willing to Serve 

After eight years as Deputy District Attorney, Dan Dow is seeking a promotion. In 

what is shaping up to be a close race in the June election for the office, Dow and 

his colleague Tim Covello will square off to replace District Attorney Gerald Shea, 

a 16-year veteran of the 95-person SLO County department. 

So, Dan, how did you get your start? I joined the 

Army and they said, “We need linguists right now 

and we think based on your scores you’d be good at 

learning languages. We want you to be an Intelligence 

Cryptological Linguist and we’re going to teach you a 

foreign language.” So, after getting my security clearance 

stuff done, they sent me to the Defense Language 

Institute in Monterey. They said, “We’re going to assign 

you a Category 4 language,” which happened to be 

Korean. I was there for a year. It was studying eight 

hours a day. The language is fascinating, but I never, as 

a youngster, would have said, “Hey, I want to go learn 

Korean.” I just wasn’t exposed to it. But because of the 

Army, it opened up a whole new set of life experiences 

and it was very rewarding. 

What do you remember about your time in Korea? 

I grew up in Maine—Korea was like Maine, probably 

even colder though—quite a bit colder, but an absolutely 

beautiful country. The elderly people, particularly way 

out in the villages where they still remember the Korean 

War, would treat you so well being an American soldier. 

I remember one time when we broke down in the 

middle of an extremely cold winter night. The trailer 

that we were pulling behind our truck had the wheels 

lock up; they were literally frozen shut. So, we found 

a discarded tin can on the side of the road and filled 

it with diesel fuel. Our idea was to light it on fire and 

place it underneath the axle, thinking it might warm 

it up enough to unfreeze so we could then start to 

roll again. It took forever, but we finally got it lit. My 

partner then stood up quickly and slipped on some ice 

and the flaming diesel fuel went flying out of his hand 

and landed in the rice paddy next to the road. So we’re 

jumping around in the field trying to stamp it out when 

this elderly woman—it must have been about 3 o’clock 

in the morning at this point—comes out of this little 

house wearing only a nightgown; it was probably 15 or 

20 degrees below zero. She brought us a hot pot of coffee 

and proceeded to thank us for our service. Here we were 

practically setting her crop on fire and she’s making us 

coffee and thanking us. 

When were you first exposed to the criminal justice 

system? I was 32 and in my second year of law school 

when I received a 24-hour notice that I was being 

deployed again. They told me initially that I was going to 

Iraq; but the Army said, “No, we’re actually going to send 

you to Kosovo.” I was on a human intelligence team. We 

were responsible for finding war criminals, looking out 

for people that had been previously identified and had 

never been brought to justice. So we were looking for 

them, actively going out into the communities, talking 

with the Serbian population, talking with the Albanian 

population, developing friendships and relationships, 

and all the while, hopefully, collecting good information 

so that we could find the bad guys, the people who had 

committed the war atrocities. We were also looking for 

other crime that was tangentially related to that, like 

the smuggling of weapons into the country. We would 

be gathering intelligence so that we could track and, 

hopefully, find these people, while also doing our best to 

maintain the peace between the Kosovar Albanians and 

the Serbian populations that lived there. 

In the DA’s office you have developed a reputation 

for your work on sexual assault and domestic violence 

prosecutions. Why focus on these areas? 

These are very, very serious and important cases; and I 

find them rewarding because they’re challenging. But, 

I also know that you can’t make anything better for the 

victims, so you do everything you can to vindicate what 

happened and support the family, support the victims 

that are there, help ease the burden that they have, and 

make sure that their rights are protected; and make sure 

that the process goes forward and you achieve a just 

outcome. And a lot of prosecutors don’t really care for 

those cases because they’re complicated. And when I 

say complicated, it’s because they have so many different 

competing dynamics. If you think about it, a victim of 

an intimate partner crime is often so emotionally tied 

to the perpetrator that they have a hard time separating 

themselves from the abuser. You’re dealing with people at 

a very critical time of need in their lives. 

But, your work in this area was interrupted a few years 

back, correct? Yes, if somebody is in the National Guard 

or the Reserves, and they get called up, you’re subject 

to a Federal Order. So, in 2010 I had orders from the 

President of the United States that said, “Captain Daniel 

Dow, you’re being ordered and called to active duty and 

you have to drop everything else you’re doing and go off 

to war.” It was a tough year for my family. My daughter, 

Chloe, was five years old, and my son, Jed, was 

three. We did a lot of Skype, and I missed them like 

crazy. My wife was 100% supportive, and has been 

for the 21 years we’ve been married. It was definitely 

an experience. You know, I wouldn’t necessarily say 

anybody wants to go off to war, but when you’ve been 

trained to do what you do and you know that your 

comrades, your brothers and sisters at arms, are overseas 

doing what they’re doing, you feel like that’s where you 

can contribute the most. So I’m glad, in that context, 

that I had the opportunity to serve. I’m eligible to retire 

from the Army in June, so no more deployments for 

me. My commitment is here to this office. SLO LIFE 


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| MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR 

Getting 

Sm(art) 

As Executive Director of the Child Development 

Resource Center of the Central Coast, Terri 

Kurczewski (pronounced ker-chess-key), has led 

the organization to open the Sm(art) Studio in San 

Luis Obispo, a creative space which encourages 

community members to express themselves 

through art by using recycled materials. She is a 

passionate advocate of Central Coast children and 

their families. Here is her story… 

Okay, Terri, how did you end up on the Central Coast? 

I’m from San Diego originally, and this is like a super boring 

story, but I had a really good record for getting into car 

accidents—actually many of them are not my fault. And finally, 

the last one I had, totaled the car. So I’m sitting with my parents 

at dinner and they said, “Well, we don’t know what’s going to 

happen now.” And I said, “I just need to move some place where 

I don’t need a car.” We narrowed it down to either San Luis or 

San Francisco. And I was like, “Please, San Francisco,” but I 

ended up here for a couple of years, taking the bus to Cuesta. 

I got a job working at the SLO Chamber Visitor Center and I 

tried to really be acquainted with the community. I learned so 

much about how the relationships of the business community, 

tourism, and just how everything kind of works together. Then 

I got married and moved to the Bay Area seeking fame and 

fortune in grad school and all those things. 

So, what happened? 

I thought to myself, “Oh yeah. I’m going to be an academic and 

get my PhD and be super fancy.” One of my professors said, “I 

think you’d really like teaching. I think helping people is actually 

your want in this world, and your desire.” And she said, “Let me 

put you in touch with one of my friends who is a teacher in the 

East Bay.” And so I did that and I started applying. I applied 

at a charter school right out of college where you don’t need a 

credential right away, or at least you didn’t at that time. I really 


wasn’t one of those people who grew up saying, “I love children,” 

but I felt that if all children could read then we would equal 

the playing field. That would be some kind of equity and justice 

work that I could do for the greater community. 

How did it go? 

I’m from a very religious family who said, “We’re all equal and 

God loves everybody and everything’s fine and just be nice 

to people and they’ll be nice to you.” I mean, I say “Hi” to 

everybody, but people in the inner city were calling me names. 

And it was very eye-opening to me that people hated me for 

who I was. I really had no idea about injustice. So, I thought, 

instead of just handing out turkey sandwiches at Christmas, 

I could actually work to change the system. But, now I’m old 

and tired. [laughter] I think changing one family, inspiring a 

child, and mentoring the next generation of Poly kids that are 

going to change the system, that’s more my role now. I used to 

look up to the people that were like superintendents of schools 

back then, you know, those really high achieving types. Now I 

think the system’s way more broken; that’s why people are still 

experiencing such multi-generational poverty and racism. They 

are just stuck in these institutions that don’t work and I’m like, 

“Wow, I would love to stop this.” But, I know I can’t do that on 

my own. So why don’t I work in my small way and do what I can 

to help? You know, pay it forward to maybe the next group of 

people who may be able to do something about it. 

“ 

Smiling is the way 

the soul says hello. 

” 

JAROD KINTZ 

...the system’s way more broken; that’s 

why people are still experiencing 

such multi-generational poverty and 

racism. They are just stuck in these 

institutions that don’t work and I’m like, 

“Wow, I would 

love to stop this.” 

But, I know I can’t do that on my 

own. So why don’t I work in my small 

way and do what I can to help? 

FAMILY, COSMETIC, AND IMPLANT DENTISTRY 

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Is religion still a big part of your life? 

My stepdad was a Catholic deacon, but no. My daughter’s really 

Catholic now. I pick her up from school and she’ll say, “Let’s go 

see the beautiful church.” I’ll say, “Right on. Let’s go do it.” And 

I get that. I was very, very Catholic when I was a little girl, you 

know, because that’s what I saw. So I get her impulse to feed 

her spirit in that way, so I say, “Okay, yeah. Let’s support it.” 

We watched Jesus and the Leper on YouTube together the other 

day. But, again, that’s my philosophy as a parent and her dad’s, 

too. We’re going to give her a broad spectrum of choices. We’re 

going to let her know what’s safe within those choices and if she 

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wants to be Catholic then we totally support her and we will 

do everything to do that, as long as it’s meeting her needs. I’m 

actually Buddhist, but my daughter goes to Mission so don’t 

tell anybody. 

Why not? Aren’t Catholics cool with Buddhists? 

[laughter] Oh totally! Buddhism is more of a meditation. When 

you’re dedicated to your meditation practice it completely 

transforms your life, absolutely. And there is something called 

the Sangha, which is a religious community. So you come 

together and group-meditate, and there are several of those 

in San Luis. Then they barbecue and stuff afterward. It’s not 

like being Catholic because Catholics love to party, which is 

awesome. But Buddhists, we don’t party that much—just some 

tea drinking. It’s also more of a philosophy as much as it is a 

religion. So I feel totally comfortable being both and going to 

church and understanding those things. 

1. Sm(art) Studio 

2. “Things Aren’t Always 

What They Seem” by Teri 

Peterson 

3. Sm(art) Studio supplies 

4. “Leisurely Sail Through 

Loch Ness” by Rebecca 

Martin 

5. “Inheritance” by Terri 

Kurczewski 

6. “Fashion Landscape” 

by Terri Kurczewski 

“Wow, this is what I’ve been looking 

for my whole life.” This idea of just 

being calm and 

still, and being 

grateful, and 

being thoughtful 

as a centering 

philosophy. 

I think it’s so essential to who I am. 

1 

4 

How did you become a Buddhist in the first place? 

I loved this boy who was a hippie-vegetarian-Buddhist-surferguy. 

And I thought, “Oh, that’s kind of weird.” And so then I 

started studying it more and went, “Wow, this is what I’ve been 

looking for my whole life.” This idea of just being calm and 

still, and being grateful, and being thoughtful as a centering 

philosophy. I think it’s so essential to who I am. I studied 

religion in school. And I said, “Oh yeah, I want to be a big, great 

religion academic,” and my family said, “No.” But then I realized 

what I liked about it was the sociological aspects of it, like the 

concept of being a good Christian, for example. So I continued 

to study Buddhism and thought, “Oh this is my way.” My mom 

is a go-to-church-every-morning-kind-of-lady. That’s her way. 

She finds such a, like, euphoria from being in that space that I 

5 


don’t have, but I totally respect that we all like different kinds of 

ice cream and that’s the kind I like, you know? It works for me. 

2 

3 

Okay, let’s talk about the Sm(art) Studio. 

So I realized I can make a small but significant impact in this 

world where I’m helping support people and creating within 

themselves the idea of being self-sustainable and making 

stuff, beautiful things. And these are things you can’t buy. And 

nothing on a screen can really enhance your life and make you 

feel successful or happy. And I know personal relationships do 

that too, but I just think art has a way bigger reach. It can have 

such a big influence to the positivity of people’s lives and their 

relationships and it’s something I think as a Americans we’re 

not brought up to appreciate. Not the way that they are in other 

countries, for sure. And so that’s why I love this studio project, 

because it’s like, “Oh everybody’s leaving happier than they were 

coming in.” And by opening the studio up to the community in a 

larger way, it allows me to also make an impact in something that 

was not what I originally set out to do. I’ve never been an artist, 

and had never picked up a glue gun until I opened the studio. 

Let’s get this straight. You’re not an artist, but you started an 

art studio? 

We’ve all become so process-driven in our lives. Doing this leads 

to that. Art is not that way. It’s an expression. Anyone can do it. 

So much of the time we are so logical and focused on what we’re 

supposed to do. And art, wow, it’s… it’s the opposite of all those 

things. I won’t lie that some nights—like we have one night each 

month called “ladies night” where a little wine really helps relieve 

some of the anxiety they may feel to “do it right,” but that’s not 

what it’s about. The ladies who come in and engage in those 

activities often at first feel pressure to make it beautiful, but 

absolutely it’s about the expression. It’s especially powerful when 

kids and parents work together, and that dynamic is something 

that has to be overcome. It’s like, “Bobby, but you have to do 

it this way,” and I’m like, “You know, they’ll never grow as an 

artist unless they make mistakes.” And it’s kind of cool because 

all those parenting things they teach you and all the things you 

learn in school about human development, they’re so applicable 

in art. You can’t learn unless you make mistakes—you can’t do it 

until you try over and over again. 

We’ve all become so process-driven 

in our lives. Doing this leads to that. 

Art is not that way. 

It’s an expression. Anyone can do it. 

6 

What sort of things have you tried and failed at? 

I was in roller derby. I did that for a while until I realized, 

“Oh actually, this is scary.” [laughter] I write a horrible blog. 

My daughter, Vera, and I paint at home, and I’m pretty bad 

at that. We play card games. I like going to Art After Dark. 

My favorite thing is to travel. So every year I save money to 

go somewhere. I like hitting the pavement at six a.m. and 

>> 


coming home at two in the morning, just taking in every 

minute. Yeah. Like ten museums and a jazz show. I’m a 

people watcher, and the world’s an interesting place and I 

love being in the middle of a city in some other country; and 

being invisible; and just having a cup of tea and watching 

people walk by; and just wondering what their lives are 

like. People are so fascinating and what I’ve learned after 

all these years of travel and all these years of working with 

people who don’t come from my background or have not 

experienced my privilege, we actually are more alike than 

different. And remembering and being grateful for all those 

ways that we are so similar, even though we might live across 

the world from each other. 

After spending the day helping kids find success, how do you 

help your daughter find her way through life? 

We try to make time to just paint together or play cards. 

Working amongst the therapists in our organization has helped 

me speak a different language in a way. I’m always checking in 

on how she is doing and trying to be my best parent. And what 

I have noticed is that the conversations happen so much more 

naturally over a game of cards like, “Oh yeah, so I’m having these 

thoughts about school.” Or, “I was worried when you said you 

needed to talk to me.” Those kind of things, so I’m having those 

simple times where we’re doing activities; but also being able to 

spend some good times and having those important mom and 

daughter conversations. 

...that’s important for me as a mom. It’s showing her that 

you’ve got to do everything you can 

to be happy and to be a good part of 

this community. To be caring and 

respectful of all people because 

we’re all interrelated. But also that 

it takes a lot of work, 

because it’s really easy to be happy when the only thing you’re worrying 

about is how many afterschool activities you’re going to do. 

And what about your daughter, can you tell us about her? 

She’s seven and in the first grade. And so, luckily for me, 

she has basically grown up in a school. So if I need to be at 

work and I bring her along, she is completely comfortable. 

It’s like a second home to her. You know, she’s really a 

part of what I do and that’s important for me as a mom. 

It’s showing her that you’ve got to do everything you can 

to be happy and to be a good part of this community. To 

be caring and respectful of all people because we’re all 

interrelated. But also that it takes a lot of work, because 

it’s really easy to be happy when the only thing you’re 

worrying about is how many afterschool activities you’re 

going to do. What I want to do is show her, “No, I’m happy 

because I work really hard to make sure that my needs are 

met and that I’m helping other people which makes me 

happy.” She’s seen that her entire life because I was a school 

principal when she was just a year old. So, for her, it’s been 

that way the whole time. 


What are you like to work with? 

I’m constantly saying dorky things, like “Joan of Art” or that I’m 

having an “Art Attack” or something equally silly. I love a good 

pun, but I love a bad pun even better. I’m really clumsy and am 

always bumping into things and people. Oh, and I’m notorious 

for misspelling emails to my disadvantage. Just the other day I 

sent off an email to one of our funders that said, “I hope your 

week has not been too busty,” instead of “busy.” [laughter] But, 

honestly, there have been times when I’m like, “Oh, maybe I 

should just go back to being a minion and let other people be the 

boss.” I just think the most important thing is that I completely 

believe in the work that we’re doing. So no matter what, it’s not 

about me. I happen to be good at what I do. That’s my talent in 

the whole scheme of things, but, actually, I have a really amazing 

staff that does really amazing work and so however I can support 

them on the backend, that’s what I feel like my role is. And I just 

want the people in this community to have positive experiences 

with their families and at school; that’s what I’m all about. SLO LIFE

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| ARTIST 

375words 

with Laura Rittenhouse 

I like a modern style. Clean lines. Simple. Less is more. 

More minimalist. It fits my aesthetic. I don’t believe in 

staining wood. I like to just use what is there naturally. 

I don’t like exposed, fancy joinery. I prefer to keep 

everything hidden. I’m not into the woodworkery-sortof-thing 

where it’s all about showing off the joinery. 

It’s more about the design for me than that kind of stuff. 

When I was a kid 

I used to take the 

hammer and saw out 

into the backyard to 

make things. I went 

to a wood furniture 

program in art school 

and ended up working 

for a woman there 

in San Francisco 

who made very fine 

English-style furniture, 

very ornate with lots 

of carvings. Around 

that time, I remember 

going to a restaurant 

where they had solid 

wood tables that were 

all banged up. There 

was something about 

them that really made 

an impression on me. 

It changed my mind 

about furniture design 

and how it should be 

able to show off its 

wear and let the wood 

speak for itself. 

I also sell smaller items on Etsy, things that are kind of fun. My mailboxes have been really popular and have 

been paying the bills lately. I also have some ceramics on the site, and an art piece. I’ve made four or five cribs 

now. They each take about 120 hours to make. I built an armoire, which took over 140 hours. Tables are usually 

about 50 hours—a week or so—they’re much easier to build. 

I don’t do anything 

crazy with power tools. 

Some people do crazy stuff. 

I feel comfortable using the 

machines. The table saw is 

probably the most dangerous. 

I have a huge bandsaw. I’m 

grateful for having that, it’s 

really nice. Keeping the dust 

down is the hard part. 

Creating something tangible 

is definitely the way I think, 

and the way I see things; I 

mean, I cannot draw. If you 

say you’re an artist people 

automatically think you can 

draw, but it’s the actual threedimensional 

things that I can 

put together. That’s my thing. 

It’s nice to stand back and see 

what something looks like 

after it’s done. Sometimes it’s 

more than what you expected, 

and sometimes it’s not. 

” 



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| AFTER HOURS 

WHEN THE WORKDAY IS OVER 

Surfing the Wind 

As a boy growing up in Seattle, 

Michael Wolfe wanted a sailboat. 

He loved to sit on the shore of 

the Puget Sound and watch the 

beautiful vessels gracefully and 

quietly skim across the top of the emerald water. 

But those boats were expensive, and way out of 

the budget. So, he found a more affordable option: 

windsurfing. 

When he was twelve years old, his parents told 

him that a job was forcing the family to pack up 

and move to a little town in California called San 

Luis Obispo. It was not long after his family had 

settled before Wolfe began searching around, 

asking about windsurfing in the area. He was 

told to go find someone named Richard Crowe 

at Lopez Lake. The first two or three sessions 

were rough for Wolfe, as he struggled mightily 

against an unpredictable wind. After seeing the 

enthusiasm of the young windsurfer, Crowe 

approached him and offered some advice, and 

gave him his phone number, which the tight-knit 

windsurfing community at Lopez Lake considers 

a rite of passage. 

Today, during his workday, Wolfe owns and 

operates a computer and networking consultancy 

he calls Good Electrons. He likes to joke that 

he is “non-denominational” since he works on 

both Macs and PC’s. But, from May through 

September, when the conditions are right, and the 

wind is blowing just so, he can be found out at 

Lopez Lake along with around twenty other hardcore 

windsurfing enthusiasts from the Central 

Coast. “There is even an architect out there who 

works out of his RV next to the lake waiting for 

the wind, which is so fickle,” shares Wolfe. “It can 

be blowing just right at 10am or at 3pm. You just 

have to be ready for it.” SLO LIFE 

[ ] 

CATCHING AIR Michael Wolfe during a recent trip 

to Rio Vista on the Sacramento River Delta 



| OUT AND ABOUT 

CENTRAL COAST 

View from Above 

Ever feel like you’re being buried? By work, by obligations, by your own thoughts? You know what can help? 

Rising above it all. And I mean that in a literal sense. Because getting up, up, and away from it all can make quite a difference. 

BY JEANETTE TROMPETER, KSBY NEWS 

There’s a certain magic that 

happens by simply getting 

out in nature at sunrise. 

Add a big beautiful balloon 

to the mix, the soft light 

of early morning, and well... it takes you to a 

whole new level. 

John Warren loves sharing the beauty of the 

Paso Robles landscape from a vantage point 

few ever experience. A pilot for more than 40 

years, he took his first balloon ride a decade 

or so ago and was hooked. Now he owns Let’s 

Go Ballooning and shares the experience with 

people like John Riley and Tera Yeo, who came 

down from Folsom to get up, up, and away for 

Riley’s birthday. “He’s hard to buy gifts for, so 

I figured an experience is better than a gift,” 

said Yeo. Fortunately, I got to tag along on their 

birthday adventure. “Alright, I’m going to warm 

this up slowly and we’re going to go for a ride,” 

says Warren as he starts heating the air already 

fanned into the balloon. 

As a bit of a recovering adrenaline junkie, I’ve 


done my share of airborne adventures, but this 

is unlike any of them. It is as peaceful as it gets 

because we are floating more than flying as we 

rise above the ground below. “All we control 

is altitude,” says Warren as we float over trees, 

down near vineyards, and up high over it all 

for a nice panoramic view of the Paso Robles 

landscape. “The lateral movement all depends 

on what direction the breezes are coming 

from,” he adds. 

Direction is determined largely by Mother 

Nature. We simply catch a ride on the wind 

currents by rising or drifting and descending 

into those that are heading the direction we 

want to go. It’s like catching a wave of wind. 

“The control we have is infinite,” explains Warren. 

“If the movement’s not there, you can literally just 

sit in the top of a tree. You know we’ve picked 

walnuts out of the top of a tree before, and that’s 

pretty wild if you think about it.” 

There’s an amazing calm to the experience. The 

only sounds come from the occasional flames 

that keep us airborne and those from the 

waking world below. “The fact there’s no breeze, 

no sense of motion, and you can get so close 

to everything, and you can hear everything,” 

Warren reflects on the magic of ballooning. 

“You know the idea—you can hear the birds 

chirping or the frogs croaking...” If the wind 

is right, you can even get close enough to see 

where the sounds are coming from. We never 

saw them, but we kept hearing the coyotes that 

clearly saw and heard us every time Warren 

fired up the flames to keep us airborne. 

Warren flies primarily around the Templeton 

Gap and is up almost daily when the weather 

is right. But every day is different, he says, 

depending on the way the winds are moving, 

where the sun is rising, and how the scenery’s 

changing. One thing remains certain: it is 

always spectacular when you can rise above and 

simply go with the flow. SLO LIFE 

Jeanette Trompeter, KSBY News anchor and 

reporter, hosts the “Out and About with JT” 

series every Tuesday evening at 6pm.

GAS 

REG 

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PLUS 

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O M G 10 

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Ride 

slorta.org 805-541-2228 


| MUSIC 

NOW HEAR THIS 

Getting Dirty 

BY DAWN JANKE 

After American Dirt released their debut 

album, Heavy Thought and Riddle, on Twang 

N Bang Records in July 2013, UK-based 

Mudkiss Online Fanzine posted that “the 

bands’ name is really appropriate, as you get 

the feeling they produce a sound which is very 

much from the American heartland rather 

than the shiny, artificial, Hollywood US of A 

image that [us Europeans] so often get force 

fed.” Funny—American Dirt may not be part 

of the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, but 

they are born and raised California boys who 

reside just three hours north of LA, right here 

in San Luis Obispo County. 

Lead vocalist Dave Wilson grew up in 

Atascadero and formed the band several years 

ago; bassist Brian Sonniksen, a King City native 

who has lived in SLO County since 1998, 

paired up with him a year later. The band has 

seen a few other members since its inception, 

but the most recent iteration includes another 

A-town resident, lead guitarist Jon Bartel, who 

joined in 2011. Bartel says about the band’s 

name, “Yeah, I remember someone commenting 

that American Dirt is probably the perfect name 

for whatever it is we are doing.” 

Mark Folkrod, who was born in LA but is a 

long-time San Luis Obispo resident and who 

also plays with local band the Dead Volts, began 

as the “summer drummer” of 2013 after Dirt had 

already released Heavy Thought, but as Wilson 

says, “The second we started playing with Mark 

we knew we wanted him in the band.” Bartel 

adds, “Our music has changed since Mark 

joined the band; he is a part of the song-writing 

process—not just the guy behind the kit.” 

Dirt’s sound has what ninebullets.net music 

blogger RomeoSidVicious calls “rough edges 

in the all the right places with some pretty 

amazing melodies hanging out where you’d 

least expect them.” So, American Dirt is solid 

and soon begins recording its second album. 

Wilson says, “We learned a lot from our first 

record, and I’m really excited for this next 

one.” He continues, “I think our attitude is 

‘Wow, if you liked that, then wait until you hear 


this.’” Folkrod adds, “We invested in recording 

equipment with the Dead Volts and we’ve got 

plenty of material.” Bartel quips, “We’re gonna 

take our time.” 

Taking their time includes what Sonniksen 

jokingly refers to as an upcoming “Old Men 

with Responsibilities Tour” up and down the 

state. He says, “We’re continuing to do what 

we have been doing. We’ve made great friends 

in Sacramento and Santa Barbara, and we just 

like playing with the musicians we’ve met.” But 

all these guys have day jobs and families, so 

their tour will consist of extended weekends. 

Folkrod jumps in to question, “But what else 

are we gonna do?” Wilson explains, “Some 

guys wear football jerseys. We wear band 

t-shirts. We just get to go on the field for a 

little while now and then.” 

As they continue to play the alt country field, 

the band is pretty happy with the connections 

they are making across the states. Upon the 

album’s release, Twang N Bang Records 

label head Patrick Hayes sent Heavy Thought 

and Riddle to well-known music blogs and 

podcasts, and word about American Dirt has 

spread. Stagger Lee out of Georgia played 

the band on his “Working Class Radio” show, 

which is broadcast by Silent Storm Radio; 

rockymountainradio.net added a few songs 

from Heavy Thought to its 24-7 Hootenanny 

playlist; and the W.B. Walker’s Old Soul Radio 

Show podcast recently featured Dirt’s music 

alongside alt country favorite, Son Volt. Wilson 

is humbled by the accolades: “Wow, people I’ve 

never met like what we do. It’s not just friends 

who feel obligated.” 

Indeed, their fan-base is not made up only of 

friends who feel obligated to support them. 

But perhaps what’s even cooler is the way in 

which American Dirt gives back and supports 

the SLO County community; they’ve played a 

number of benefits and other fundraisers. Bartel 

says, “We get invited mostly because we’ve 

been in the area and know people.” “We’ve all 

been in different bands at different times,” adds 

Folkrod, “so someone will call and ask us to play 

a gig.” The community is “such a cool thing to 

be a part of,” says Wilson. 

Bartel continues by observing that community 

is pretty much how they approach everything: 

“We perform mostly at our friends’ places—and 

it’s not like we play there to help them out. We 

prefer it.” American Dirt jams regularly at Molly 

Pitcher Brewing Company and Camozzi’s in 

Atascadero, The Libertine Pub in Morro Bay, 

and SLO’s Frog ‘n Peach Pub. “It’s definitely 

communal,” says Wilson. Bartel adds, “It’s a 

testament to the Central Coast that there’s a lot 

of pockets of places to play music. It’s cool to 

live in a place where you have such a range.” 

“Everywhere in this county there is a different 

vibe,” says Wilson, “and it’s so gorgeous.” He 

continues, “We get to be so in touch with 

things; we’re surrounded by nature… How 

lucky are we? North, south, east, and west— 

the Central Coast is amazing.” I think that 

Mudkiss music reviewer nailed it with these 

guys: as the band discusses life on the Central 

Coast, it’s clear they’re organically rooted in 

Americana rather than a genetically modified 

version of musicianship some believe comes 

out of Hollywood. 

One thing the band members celebrate about 

the local music scene is that there is so much 

happening in different ways, in different genres. 

Wilson explains, “To have as much variation as 

we have in this small of a space is incredible,” 

and Bartel adds, “There is just so much good 

music coming out of this county.” Sonniksen 

sums it up: “We get to do the thing we like to 

do and live in a place where we like to be.” 

When asked what song on Heavy Thought 

and Riddle defines their sound, the members 

of American Dirt unanimously reply that 

with its mid-tempo country moments and its 

rock-n-roll outro “Leave My Mark” is most 

representative of their range as a band. A little 

punk bang and a little country twang—sounds 

like SLO Life to me, and these boys are livin’ it. 


See American Dirt live here: 

April 19 at BooBoo Records in San Luis Obispo 

May 17 at the Libertine Pub in Morro Bay 

May 23 at Caravan Lounge in San Jose 

May 24 at Old Ironsides in Sacramento 

May 25 at Thee Parkside in San Francisco 

Stream their album at americandirtmusic.com 

DAVE & 

BASSIST BRIAN 

SONNIKSEN 

REDS BAR 

LEAD SINGER 

DAVE WILSON 

LEAD GUITARITS 

JON BARTEL 

DAVE & JON (FOREGROUND) 

PERFORMING WITH DRUMMER MARK 

FOLKROD IN SACRAMENTO LAST YEAR 


| ON THE RISE 

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT 

Sophie Whittle 

A sixteen-year-old Arroyo Grande High School junior 

and the youngest of two children, Sophie Whittle is 

an athlete at heart. 

What do you like to do for fun? Other than my interest in tennis, I enjoy playing 

beach volleyball, listening to music, and spending time with my friends and family. 

What is noteworthy about you? I am a three-year league MVP and I was featured 

on KSBY News in a segment called “Legend in the Making.” In 2012 our AGHS 

girls’ team fell in the finals of the CIF Southern Section, but in 2013 we won the 

CIF Southern Section title for the first time in girls tennis history at our school. 

How do you spend your time outside of school? I am involved in teaching younger 

junior tennis clinics, and working out at the gym or with my athletic trainer. 

What is your favorite memory of all time? Winning CIF as a team this past year 

was incredible—playing with such an amazing group of hard-working, motivated 

girls and being able to have the opportunities we’ve been able to have because of 

our Coach, Lori Hollister. 

What career do you see yourself in someday? My dream is to become a 

professional tennis player. I would also enjoy being a physical therapist because 

I really like being around athletes, and I would want to help them heal from 

their injuries. 

How would you describe yourself ? I am a very competitive, caring, and social 

person. I love meeting new people and helping others when they need it. I am a 

very positive person and I live each day to the fullest and really enjoy life. 

Who or what has influenced you the most? My mom has been a huge influence 

for me throughout my life. She has always supported me through everything I have 

wanted to do. She takes me to tournaments every weekend in Los Angeles and has 

always been there for me when I’ve needed her. 

What is it that you look forward to most? I am looking forward to college because 

I am excited to meet new people, challenge myself academically and also with my 

tennis game. 

If you could go back in history and meet anyone, who would it be? I would want 

to meet my great grandfather who lost both of his legs and one of his arms in a 

train accident and continued living his life to the fullest and enjoyed every day as if 

it were his last. 

What schools are you considering for college? I am keeping an open mind about 

where I could see myself for the next four years in college, but ideally I would love 

to stay in California or on the West Coast because the weather is unbeatable. 


Know a student on the rise? 

Introduce us at slolifemagazine.com/share 




i d e s h a r e ' s 

B i k e t o W o r k D a y 

MAY 16, 2014 

sponsored by 

SLO CO 

APCD 



SLO LIFE TASTE | 

CENTRAL COAST 

1 

DINING 

DELIGHTS 

3 

1. In 2009 Justin Brody began to study wine 

with the Court of Master Sommeliers gaining 

his certified sommelier credentials in 2010. 

While maintaining multiple wine lists, Brody’s 

goal is to keep both restaurants’ wine programs 

approachable, balanced and unique. Luna Red 

and Novo each offer Wine Spectator awardwinning 

wine lists focusing on both local and 

international wines. 

Luna Red 

1023 Chorro Street, San Luis Obispo 

(805) 540-5243 // lunaredslo.com 

Novo Restaurant and Lounge 

726 Higuera Street, San Luis Obispo 

(805) 543-3986 // novorestaurant.com 

2 

2. Wild Horse’s 2012 Chardonnay has delicious 

aromas of lemon and a hint of pineapple. 

Flavors of green apple and vanilla unfold on 

the palate with a crisp refreshing finish. Small 

lots of Verdelho and Malvasia contribute bright 

acidity and heightened aromatics to the blend. 

$16 // Wild Horse Winery & Vineyards 

1437 Wild Horse Winery Court, Templeton 

(805) 788-6300 // wildhorsewinery.com 

3. If you’re ready for fresh local fare it’s time to 

sign up with SLO Veg for your weekly or biweekly 

deliveries of fruits and vegetables from 

local farms accompanied by seasonal recipes. 

$27.82 - $40.66 // SLO Veg 

(805) 709-2780 // sloveg.com 

4. Partake in an explosion of unique Indian 

flavors at Shalimar. Their lunchtime buffet 

constantly rotates with both traditional 

mainstays and seasonal specialties. Best of all, 

fresh naan is baked daily in the restaurant’s 

wood-fired tandoori oven, usually just minutes 

before serving. 

$9.99 // Shalimar Indian Restaurant 

2115 Broad Street, San Luis Obispo 

(805) 781-0766 // shalimarslo.com 


4 


| DWELLING 

FINDING HOME 

Wilson West 

E 

ach year, just before Thanksgiving, Bob and 

Betsy Wilson could be found hustling their 

way through the Minneapolis-Saint Paul 

International Airport rushing to catch a flight 

bound for LAX where family would be waiting. 

After spending a few of days catching up with 

their Southern California-based relatives, the 

couple would rent a car and head for the Bay 

Area to visit another set of family. It was during 

one of those trips that the big pink sign at the 

Madonna Inn beckoned the weary travellers to 

stop in and stay for the night. “We ended up 

going into downtown San Luis,” remembers 

Bob Wilson, “and we caught a movie. It was 


It was a beautiful night, and as we came out of the 

theatre and just walked around. We looked at each 

other and said, ‘Wow, we love this place.’ 

” 

a beautiful night, and as we came out of the 

theatre and just walked around. We looked at 

each other and said, ‘Wow, we love this place.’” 

The visit left such a lasting impression on the 

cardiologist and his wife, a retired nurse, that 

the couple began formulating a plan to plant 

roots on the Central Coast in order to be close 

to family, strategically making their home the 

halfway point for everyone to the north and 

south. During their Thanksgiving trip in 2001, 

they made an uncharacteristically rash decision 

to buy their home in the hills of Arroyo Grande. 

“It just felt right,” explains Bob Wilson, “There’s 

just something about this place that has a 

Midwestern vibe to it. The people are so friendly 

and kind. Everyone is so down-to-earth here.” 

As the Wilson’s deplaned in Minneapolis at the 

end of their visit, they had learned that their 

offer was accepted, and the house in Arroyo 

Grande was in escrow. >> 


[ ] 

The innovative design built into the hillside required 

extensive foundational work, including the addition of 

concrete pilings that extended nearly 25 feet below 

ground level. 

With their heads spinning at what had just 

transpired, the Minnesotans began putting 

together a plan for the property. First and 

foremost, it had to accommodate their 

family. And, in order to do that, it was going 

to require a remodel and an addition. The 

Wilsons became frequent flyers and spent 


nearly all of their free time at the property. 

Their friends joked with them that they were 

at the California home so often that it had 

become “Wilson West.” The vision for the 

family compound began gaining steam when 

the couple enlisted the help of San Luis 

Obispo-based architect Jim Duffy. There 

were going to be some significant challenges 

Duffy informed the couple, as building into a 

California hillside is never a simple matter. Yet, 

they pressed on, and the plan took shape with 

what is described as a “circle on a box” design. 

The circle being the addition and the box being 

the existing structure. >>

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] 

[Creative hardscaping expands the 

living area to the outdoors, and the 

pizza oven doubles as a second kitchen 

where the family often congregates for 

evening meals. Liberal use of colorful 

stained glass is found throughout the 

home, both inside and out. 

After a while, Wilson West had taken on 

a life of its own, and the couple found 

themselves investing more and more time 

at the property, mostly in the granny flat 

to avoid the construction mess. Before 

long, local landscape architect, Christopher 

Manning, was spending his time sketching 


out increasingly elaborate plans. As the 

project expanded, more help was needed. 

Semmes & Co. Builders of Atascadero 

were tapped to do the construction and 

Selna Construction of San Luis Obispo 

was chosen for the hardscaping. “And the 

entire team, everyone, all of the contractors 

working together were just phenomenal,” 

gushes Bob Wilson. 

When it was all said and done, the home had 

grown to nearly 5,000 square feet, including 

six bedrooms and four bathrooms, enough to 

house all of the Wilsons comfortably under >>


[Delightful creative touches, such as the 

translucent tiles which are lined with silver, 

copper, and gold, inspired the Wilsons during 

a trip to Paris. ] 

one roof. And, as their grandchildren run 

in and out of the home, racing around the 

quarter-mile track that circles the two-anda-quarter 

acre property, the couple marvels 

at how they are able to leave the doors and 

windows open all day. “We couldn’t do that 


in Minnesota,” explains Betsy Wilson. “It 

would either be too hot or too cold, and 

there are bugs everywhere.” Despite its many 

modern conveniences, the home has no air 

conditioning due to its strategic window 

placement that creates optimum airflow plus 

the small grove of oak trees provides plenty of 

shade to keep it cool. “We’ve only needed A/C, 

maybe once or twice for a few hours anyway.” 

And, in a decidedly no-nonsense Midwestern 

fashion she remarks, “There’s no point in 

adding something we didn’t need.” SLO LIFE

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Hours : Monday - Saturday 10-6pm 


| SLO CITY REAL ESTATE 

by the numbers 

laguna 

lake 

tank 

farm 

cal poly 

area 

country 

club 

down 

town 

foothill 

blvd 

johnson 

ave 

Total Homes Sold 

Average Asking Price 

Average Selling Price 

Sales Price as a % of Asking Price 

Average # of Days on the Market 































*Comparing 1/1/13 - 3/20/13 to 1/1/14 - 3/20/14 

2013 

11 

580,091 

575,818 

99.55 

101 

2013 

2 

737,000 

732,250 

99.23 

12 

2013 

4 

524,250 

510,000 

97.07 

18 

2013 

5 

869,000 

859,600 

98.70 

109 

2013 

5 

633,190 

619,600 

98.08 

76 

2013 

4 

616,725 

597,825 

97.35 

90 

2013 

7 

587,414 

581,946 

99.44 

22 

2014 

7 

733,843 

712,428 

96.85 

83 


6 

738,133 

723,166 

98.16 

48 


12 

659,158 

647,125 

98.30 

49 


2 

1,060,000 

1,012,500 

96.02 

206 


4 

838,750 

813,250 

97.31 

62 


10 

639,260 

621,905 

97.15 

43 


6 

685,167 

651,083 

95.26 

114 

+/- 

45.45% 

26.50% 

23.72% 

-2.70% 

-17.82% 

+/- 

200.00% 

0.15% 

-1.24% 

-1.07% 

300.00% 

+/- 

200.00% 

25.73% 

26.89% 

1.23% 

172.22% 

+/- 

-60.00% 

21.98% 

17.79% 

-2.68% 

88.99% 

+/- 

-20.00% 

32.46% 

31.25% 

-0.77% 

-18.42% 

+/- 

150.00% 

3.65% 

4.03% 

-0.20% 

-52.22% 

+/- 

-14.29% 

16.64% 

11.88% 

-4.18% 

418.18% 

SOURCE: San Luis Obispo Association of REALTORS 

® 



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| SLO COUNTY REAL ESTATE 

by the numbers 

Helping you with 

your Real Estate 

needs here on 

the Central Coast 

with knowledge, 

experience 

& integrity! 

REGION 

Arroyo Grande 

Atascadero 

NUMBER OF 

HOMES SOLD 

2013 

57 

68 


49 

61 

AVERAGE DAYS ON 

MARKET 

2013 

83 

84 


77 

69 

MEDIAN SELLING 

PRICE 

2013 

473,000 

364,250 


520,000 

451,000 

Michelle Braunschweig 

Broker Associate 

Lic #01736789 

Avila Beach 

Cambria/San Simeon 

3 

23 

6 

20 

10 

103 

38 

67 

745,000 

465,000 

780,000 

577,500 

805.801.1734 

michelle@realestategroup.com 

Cayucos 

Creston 

9 

0 

13 

0 

124 

n/a 

96 

n/a 

495,000 

n/a 

900,000 

n/a 

Office Lic #01320707 

Grover Beach 

27 

17 

81 

79 

349,000 

360,000 

ZOEY’S 

HOME CONSIGNMENTS 

Los Osos 

Morro Bay 

28 

24 

20 

25 

72 

58 

48 

99 

327,500 

385,000 

381,000 

475,000 

LIGHTING | FURNITURE | ART | RUGS 

PATIO & GARDEN | JEWELRY | EBAY SERVICES 

Nipomo 

39 

47 

111 

72 

459,000 

475,900 

Where you never know 

what you might find! 

Oceano 

Pismo Beach 

10 

30 

9 

18 

71 

103 

81 

73 

327,000 

590,000 

381,000 

637,500 

Paso (Inside City Limits) 

78 

61 

50 

56 

320,000 

365,500 

Paso (North 46 - East 101) 

13 

15 

61 

62 

225,000 

320,000 

Paso (North 46 - West 101) 

19 

12 

127 

139 

251,900 

259,950 

Paso (South 46 - East 101) 

20 

7 

79 

95 

430,000 

330,000 


49 

62 

82 

71 

589,000 

647,708 

3566 S. HIGUERA STREET 

SAN LUIS OBISPO 

805.596.0288 

www.zoeyshomeconsignments.com 

Monday-Saturday 10am-6pm 

Sunday 11- 4 


Santa Margarita 

Templeton 

Countywide 

5 

15 

517 

2 

18 

462 

*Comparing 1/1/13 - 3/20/13 to 1/1/14 -3/20/14 

52 60 299,900 468,750 

58 111 490,000 501,250 

80 74 405,000 475,000 

SOURCE: San Luis Obispo Association of REALTORS ® 


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| SLO LIFE WHAT’S HOT NOW 

INSPIRE 

your style! 

KEEP TIME 

Each of Paul Ocepek’s creations are 

loaded with personality and made in the 

USA. These funky timekeepers can stand 

on a tabletop or shelf, or hang on a wall 

in the kitchen, bedroom or family room. 

$45 // Hands Gallery 

777 Higuera Street // San Luis Obispo 

(805) 543-1921 // handsgallery.com 

ONE-TWO-THREE KICK 

The cocktail garnishes have jumped out of the bowl and into 

the conga line. “Happy Hour” is one of a series of fruit with 

personality from Cambria sculptor Thad Markham. Dimensions 

are 10 x 4 x 4 inches. Each is signed and numbered by the artist. 

$195 - $295 // Fiona Bleu Gallery // 900 Embarcadero, Morro Bay 

(805) 772-0541 // fionableugallery.com 

GET VINTAGE 

Handmade individual letters, numbers and words, ranging in sizes from 9 to 36 inches. 

Available in colorful recycled oil drum metal or solid tin. Each will patina naturally and 

become more beautiful with time. Design your own phrase, spell the name of a loved 

one or just post your love for the beach. 

$20 - $135 // San Luis Traditions // 748 Marsh Street, San Luis Obispo 

(805) 541-8500 // sanluistraditions.com 

BRACE YOURSELF 

Slipping into spring, Turn to Nature has a 

fantastic collection of bracelets from around the 

world. Color-up with bangles from Thailand, 

Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Columbia, Guatemala, 

Peru, India, and Nepal. Using exotic materials, 

these embellishments represent traditional 

craft legacies and recognize free trade practices. 

Additional styles and colors available. 

$1 - $28 // Turn To Nature 

786 Higuera Street, San Luis Obispo 

(805) 540-3395 // turntonature.com 

CARVE YOUR WAY INTO STYLE 

Antique wood and intricately carved detail combine in this cabinet to 

inspire old world authenticity. For almost two decades Luna Rustica has 

imported directly from this renowned builder in Puebla, Mexico. Stocking 

a full assortment of hand-hewn designs that would make a distinctive 

impact in any home. 

$1,995 // Luna Rustica // 2959 Broad Street, San Luis Obispo 

(805) 546-8505 // lunarustica.com 


INPIRE YOUR STYLE 

Botanica drop earrings are the perfect way to express your love 

of nature. These delicate and colorful earrings are handcrafted 

using recycled 18K yellow or 18K white gold. Shown here 

with natural Mediterranean coral and rare Sleeping Beauty 

turquoise, with or without diamonds. 

$625 - $850 // Baxter Moerman Jewelry // 1118 Morro Street 

San Luis Obispo // (805) 801-9117 // baxtermoerman.com 

SLIP IT ON 

Seavees, based out of Santa Barbara, designed the 

Baja Slip On in tribute to the early surf adventurers 

and is inspired by the simple, utilitarian nature of 

beachside footwear of the era. 

$88 // Jules D. // 672 Higuera Street, San Luis Obispo 

(805) 781-0722 // jules-d.com 

BLOCK IT OUT 

Color blocking and the return to structure and tailoring are hot topics in fashion, and 

rising-star handbag designer Joanna Maxham channels the zeitgeist with her newest 

collection. With quality Italian leather construction and convenience features like a 

secure luggage lock closure and adjustable strap, it’s no wonder her bags are popping 

up on “Best of ” lists and on TV in shows like “Girls” and “The Good Wife.” 

$525 // Ian Saude // 1003 Osos Street, San Luis Obispo 

(805) 784-0967 // iansaude.com 

LIVE STRONG 

Vimmia is derived from the Latin 

word vim meaning “life force.” To 

live with vim is to vow to live every 

day feeling healthy, confident, and 

present in your body and in yourself. 

Vimmia active wear is designed to 

provide you with the style, quality, 

fit and performance that gives you 

the motivation to look and feel your 

best no matter where life takes you— 

from daily life to the quietude of the 

yoga mat, track, gym, barre studio, 

or wherever you go to create balance 

and reconnect with yourself. 

$160 // Assets // 853 Monterey Street 

San Luis Obispo // (805) 781-0119 

sloassets.com 

WRAP IT UP 

Find a variety of prints 

in silk scarves that are 

a must-have accent and 

collectible piece. Vibrant 

prints and color-rich hues 

adorn light-as-air silk. 

Beautiful and functional, 

each piece is finished 

with tassels to provide 

dimension and a hint of 

weight to keep the scarf in 

place while it’s being worn. 

$89 // Apropos 

1022 Morro Street, SLO 

840 11th Street, Paso Robles 

(805) 784-0664 

shopapropos.com 

SNUGGLE IN 

When it comes to finding the right attire for your little bundle of joy, what 

could be better than bamboo? Silky soft, organically grown and irresistibly cute, 

bamboo is the first choice for the up-and-coming generation. Stop in and be 

amazed by our sumptuous selection of natural fiber clothing for children and 

adults. Bamboo Romper available in assorted colors. 

$38.95 // Bambu Batu // 1023 Broad Street, San Luis Obispo 

(805) 788-0806 // bambubatu.com SLO LIFE 


| SPECIAL FEATURE 

WHAT WE HAVE HERE 

is a failure to communicate 

BY TOM FRANCISKOVICH 

Like many San Luis Obispo 

residents, I felt a huge 

amount of pride for Cal 

Poly’s historic appearance 

in the NCCA basketball 

tournament last month. As 

I was driving to a meeting on the day of their 

game against Wichita State, I tuned into 

AM radio to catch part of the action. The 

first half had just ended with the top-ranked 


Shockers up 32-13 over the Mustangs, 

and the broadcaster filled the airtime by 

interviewing Cal Poly athletic director Don 

Oberhelman. The broadcaster was amused 

by how the national sports media had such 

limited knowledge and understanding about 

the university—many had never heard of 

it, or confused it with Cal Poly Pomona— 

so he asked the athletic director about it. 

Oberhelman then said, “We want to take 

San Luis Obispo out of Cal Poly. Our name 

is not Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, it’s just 

Cal Poly… Cal Poly Pomona is Cal Poly 

Pomona… but we’re just Cal Poly, and that’s 

what we want to be known as.” My feelings 

of goodwill for the basketball team rattled 

out of the rim like the Mustangs’ jump shots 

that day. “How in the world do you take San 

Luis Obispo out of Cal Poly?” I thought to 

myself as I turned off the radio… >>

770 Capitolio Way . San Luis Obispo . 805 549 0100 


Cal Poly 

Current enrollment: 19,721 

Proposed enrollment: 24,721 

Current students living 

on-campus: 7,223 

Proposed additional 

on-campus housing: 1,400 

Current students living 

off-campus: 12,498 

Proposed students living 

off-campus: 16,098 

Current 4-year 

graduation rate: 31% 

(source: California Polytechnic 

State University) 


Owner-occupied housing 

units: 7,547 (39%) 

Renter-occupied housing 

(including apartments) 

units: 11,646 (61%) 

Rental vacancy rate: 5.7% 

In so many ways the relationship over the 

years between Cal Poly and the City of San 

Luis Obispo has been symbiotic. Imagine for 

a moment one without the other. Cal Poly, 

without the support and charm of its host city 

would be unable to recruit students. That is 

why CSU Dominguez Hills, for example, is 

not overflowing with applications from hopeful 

high school seniors won over by the magic of its 

location. Now, consider for a moment San Luis 

Obispo without Cal Poly. Without the white 

collar, head of household jobs it provides and 

without the discretionary spending its students 

bring, instead of the “Happiest Place on Earth,” 

the destiny of San Luis Obispo could very well 

have been a type of Bakersfield-by-the-Sea. The 

fact is that each one needs the other, desperately. 

Yet, despite a lot of rhetoric from leadership 

on both sides, there is not a formal, on-going 

process for the left hand to talk with the 

right. And both, to a large extent, do not fully 

appreciate what one does for the other; instead 

it is as if each woke up on third base believing it 

had just hit a triple. 

flair to an otherwise uneventful conference, 

the residents of San Luis Obispo took the 

news about the same way as the Ukrainians 

living in Crimea did after Putin made his 

recent annexation announcement. The fact 

is that the city is completely maxed out in 

its ability to house Cal Poly’s students offcampus. 

So, to increase that number by 25% 

without any credible plan, and without any 

meaningful discussion with the community, the 

announcement appeared to come out of left 

field and did not go over well. 

Up to the point of the declaration, Cal Poly 

had been basking in the glow of goodwill from 

the community who applauded its decision, 

which was made public in May of last year, 

to build 1,400 additional on-campus housing 

units. Although not a solution to the problem, it 

seemed to be a step in the right direction. Yet by 

the end of the summer, the community learned 

that Cal Poly had admitted its largest freshman 

class in its history—a 28% growth from the year 

before. So, it did not take an engineering degree 

Net off-campus available 

housing units: 664 

(source: 2010 United States 

Census) 

Net number of additional 

students who will require 

off-campus housing with 

the proposed enrollment 

increase and on-campus 

housing expansion: 2,936 

AND BOTH, TO A LARGE EXTENT, DO NOT FULLY 

APPRECIATE WHAT ONE DOES FOR THE OTHER; 

INSTEAD IT IS AS IF EACH 

WOKE UP ON THIRD BASE 

BELIEVING IT HAD JUST 

HIT A TRIPLE. 

What are your thoughts 

on this issue? 

Join the conversation 

by emailing us at 


Nothing illustrates this point more than Cal 

Poly’s 2013 Fall Conference when President 

Jeffrey Armstrong announced that he intended 

to add another 5,000 students to an already 

overcrowded campus [refer to “Bursting at 

the Seams” Oct/Nov 2013 for a primer on the 

subject]. While it created some buzz within the 

administration, and certainly added dramatic 

to realize that those 1,400 spots, to be opened 

in 2018, were already spoken for, which does 

not account for the other 5,000 souls. All told, 

within a few short years, the problem, the 

community learned, was about to become much 

worse, as somewhere between 2,600 and 3,600 

additional students would require off-campus 

housing. Simple supply and demand in a town >> 


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already at maximum capacity in its rental market 

begs the question: where are we going to put 

these kids? 

And, beyond that, how will adding all of these 

extra students off-campus affect the very 

character of our community? [Full disclosure: I 

am writing this article from my home, which is 

two-and-half miles from campus in the City of 

San Luis Obispo. As I type these words on my 

laptop, I can see a group of Cal Poly students— 

my new neighbors—walking around on their 

roof, drinking beer and throwing oranges at 

each other.] City councilman Dan Carpenter 

has answered that question by asserting the 

addition of more students “will denigrate our 

neighborhoods and quality of life.” So, it appears 

that we have arrived at a point where collectively 

we should decide what exactly “quality of life” 

means. Does it mean having the ability to enjoy 

peace and quiet, or does it mean having the 

ability to hang out on your roof drinking beer 

with your roommates while thumping some 

tunes and chucking perfectly good citrus? It’s a 

fair question. And it deserves an honest answer. 

and have complained vigorously that the plans 

were not given due process for community 

review. The university did hold three public 

forums, but many dismissed the sessions as 

“sales pitches” and not a legitimate opportunity 

to discuss concerns. Despite the negative 

feedback from the community, up to this point, 

Cal Poly has continued to forge ahead with its 

plans to build at the Grand Avenue entrance. 

The college cited being able to “add the greatest 

number of additional students onto campus at 

the lowest cost” and that it will “keep first-year 

residences clustered in one area.” 

Sometimes the answers to really big problems 

are so simple you cannot see them. Cal Poly is 

one of the largest landowners in the State of 

California. With 9,678 acres at its disposal, why 

antagonize long-time city residents by turning 

a parking lot adjacent to a neighborhood 

into student housing? Why not take a look 

at the vast swaths of land now used mostly 

for agriculture near the Highland Drive 

entrance? Cal Poly could repurpose that area for 

residences and then, if needed, it could relocate 

cash-poor public institutions. A company like 

American Campus Communities (ACC) is a 

publicly-traded real estate investment trust that 

does this sort of thing for a living. The concept 

is simple: Cal Poly would lease their land to 

ACC for a reasonable, yet below market rent; 

ACC would then bear the cost of constructing 

the on-campus housing; ACC then owns and 

manages the properties for a period of 30 years, 

during which time it collects the rents; at the 

end of 30 years Cal Poly buys the property for 

a buck. It’s a win for Cal Poly, a win for the 

community, and a win for ACC. In a relatively 

short period, the housing crisis could be 

eliminated as 5,000 – 10,000 housing units go 

up on campus. 

It’s time to get serious about this issue because 

we all have a lot to lose, yet so much to possibly 

gain. It’s not enough to add 1,400 units 

four years into the future, doing it the oldfashioned 

way by floating a bond and owning 

the property, while at the same time adding 

students far beyond its capacity to house them. 

It’s time to set up some sort of formal ongoing 

IT’S TIME TO FINALLY RECOGNIZE AND FULLY EMBRACE 

THE FACT THAT THE FUTURES OF 

CAL POLY AND SAN LUIS OBISPO ARE 

INEXTRICABLY LINKED. 

ONE ENTITY CANNOT BE TRULY GREAT UNLESS THE OTHER ONE IS ALSO. 

If San Luis Obispo is to become Isla Vista, 

the de facto village for students at UC Santa 

Barbara, as many long-time residents now fear 

is happening, then that should be part of the 

discussion. Is it possible to designate a zone or 

a neighborhood within the city exclusively for 

student housing? Community members living 

near the proposed 1,400-unit student housing 

development claim that it is already underway, 

its agricultural land elsewhere within the 

university’s boundaries. That would open up 

space at a reduced cost, and it would be the 

perfect spot for a massive on-campus publicprivate 

housing project. 

The idea of a public-private partnership 

is not unprecedented, and the concept is 

well-established, especially with land-rich, 

program, or forum, or commission to ensure 

that all of the voices are heard and smart, wellconsidered 

policy is advanced. It’s time to finally 

recognize and fully embrace the fact that the 

futures of Cal Poly and San Luis Obispo are 

inextricably linked. One entity cannot be truly 

great unless the other one is also. And, as much 

as you may try, it is not possible to take San Luis 

Obispo out of Cal Poly. SLO LIFE 


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| EXPLORE 

Hitting the Bullseye 

BY PADEN HUGHES 


Although Robin 

Hood has been 

on the scene since 

most American 

childrens’ Disney movie watching 

days, Katniss Everdeen has only just 

joined the legacy of heroes who rely 

on their archery skills. Some attribute 

the box office success of The Hunger 

Games trilogy to archery’s recent rise 

in popularity. I’ll be the first to admit, 

there is something nostalgic and 

empowering about using a bow and 

arrow to hit that yellow bullseye. 

A couple months ago, my husband 

and I stumbled upon a free archery 

clinic out of town and our inner 

warriors were unleashed for a 

few treasured hours. I’ve honestly 

never been more proud of hitting a 

bullseye or target than I have with a 

bow and arrow. 

We ventured to find a place in San 

Luis Obispo where we could continue 

to refine our recently acquired skills. 

If for no other reason than to prove it 

wasn’t beginner’s luck. 

We found archery through the San 

Luis Obispo Sportsmens’ Association 

(SLOSA), commonly known as the 

“shooting range” off Highway 1 as 

you make your way to Morro Bay. 

You may miss it as you drive by, but 

there is a designated archery range to 

the left of the shooting range. 

This facility provides long-range 

and short-range targets, as well as 

some traditional bullseye targets and 

some with life-sized rubber animal 

targets. We were encouraged by the 

prices. It was only $5 for members 

(including equipment rentals) or $7 

for non-members. 

We were given compound bows and 

arrows and met the instructor of 

the course for a quick rundown of 

technique and safety tips. From there 

the course was open to us to roam to 

targets and practice our aim. Archery 

is a fun but technical sport, from the 

strength it takes to pull back the bow, 

to the finesse of making each motion 

fluid, and the precision of the aim. It 

truly is a unique experience and we 

enjoyed ourselves immensely. If you 

are looking for an inexpensive, active 

excursion, SLOSA’s archery range is 

a must-do adventure. SLO LIFE 

SLOSA has recently opened 

a second course for archery 

that is a walking range with 

14 targets. It’s open the 3rd 

Sunday of the month at 9am. 

The main range is open 9am- 

2pm Tuesday, Saturday and 

Sunday and also from 3pm to 

dusk on Thursday and Friday. 

DIRECTIONS 

Driving on Highway 1 

North from San Luis 

Obispo, pass Camp San 

Luis (California National 

Guard base) and Cuesta 

College. Look for the 

white wooden fence on 

the right (northeast) and 

turn onto Gilardi Road. 

The driveway splits 

immediately to the right 

and left. Turn left to 

reach the archery range 

and drive until you come 

to the last parking lot. 

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2014 | SLO LIFE Magazine | 65

| HEALTH 

JUMP INTO 

Spring Cleaning 

Not to worry, we’re not going to tell you to set aside several days for 

scrubbing the baseboards. Instead, we’ve listed a few essentials to help you 

kick your healthy habits up a notch with nary a mop in sight. 

MAKE A PLAN 

It is easier to stay on track with exercise if you have a precise routine 

like, ”I’m going to run Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8am,” than 

it will be if you have an open-ended idea, such as, “I’m going to run 

three days a week.” 

RELEASE TENSION 

Resolve to finally manage your stress this spring. If you can’t spare 

a block of time every day to meditate, squeeze in a few minutes 

each hour to experience the same benefits, says Heidi Hanna, PhD, 

author of The Sharp Solution: A Brain-Based Approach for Optimal 

Performance. Sit in a comfortable position and close your eyes. 

Focus on pulling the air down into your belly. Breathe in for a 

count of five, hold the breath for a moment, and then slowly release. 

Continue for three to five minutes. 

ALLERGY-PROOF YOUR HOME 

Okay, so this one is cleaning-related—but it’s definitely worth it. 

You can help put the kibosh on spring allergies by washing all linens 

and blankets. Why? According to the American College of Allergy 

Asthma and Immunology, the greatest number of dust mites live in 

the bedroom. 

EAT IN-SEASON, 

LOCAL PRODUCE 

Seasonal produce offers more 

flavor as well as price savings, 

says Keri Gans, RD, a New 

York-based nutritionist and 

author of The Small Change 

Diet. Local produce supports 

farmers and also spares the 

environment by eliminating 

long-distance delivery systems. 

And spring is the perfect 

time to take advantage of the 

Central Coast’s bounty. 


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DITCH YOUR PLATTER-SIZED PLATES 

“Most of us make a habit of filling our plates and finishing what’s 

on them,” says Lisa Young, PhD, RD, author of The Portion Teller 

Plan. But since the 1970’s, dinner plates have grown 25 percent, 

to 12 inches or more in diameter. Eat off a plate about two inches 

smaller and you’ll serve yourself 22 percent fewer calories per meal, 

which can mean a two-pound weight loss in one month, says Brian 

Wansink, PhD, director of Cornell University’s Food and Brand Lab 

and the author of Mindless Eating. 

TAKE IN THE VIEW 

Stress management studies show that a view of nature—whether it’s a 

panoramic vista or a simple household plant—can lower blood pressure 

by 11 percent and boost feelings of contentment. Try opening the shades 

if you have a garden view; if not, display forest and beach pictures—they 

have a similar effect. Or scatter potted plants throughout your home. 

QUIT NIBBLING YOUR NAILS 

No matter how frequently you wash your hands, let’s face it, you can’t 

park yourself in front of a sink or use hand sanitizer 24-7. That’s where 

the avoid-unnecessarily-touching-your-face rule comes in. “Rubbing 

your eyes or biting your cuticles can increase viral transmission,” 

says Allison Aiello, PhD, associate professor of epidemiology at the 

University of Michigan School of Public Health. You’re basically 

inviting germs to infect you by giving them a more direct route to 

enter your body. 

CRACK A WINDOW 

Opening windows when it’s freezing outside sounds, well, cold (and 

costly). But sealing a house too tightly doesn’t allow the entry of new 

oxygen or the escape of the carbon dioxide that you exhale. As a result, 

your body doesn’t get the amount of oxygen it needs, and you end up 

feeling tired and lethargic, explains Matthew Waletzke, a certified 

building biology consultant. “Oxygen levels can be especially low in 

a sealed bedroom after a night’s sleep,” he adds. Open your bedroom 

windows for five to ten minutes after you wake up and again before 

you climb into bed at night; this is enough time to let carbon dioxide 

out and oxygen in without chilling the rest of your house. 


Why you should care about clean air. 

The average adult breathes over 

3,000 gallons of air every day. - EPA 

Our local air quality changes 

like the weather, and affects 

how you live and breathe. 

It primarily affects the lungs, 

heart and respiratory system. 

Pollution affects us all... 

YOU CAN HELP 

CLEAN OUR AIR 

Protect your health each day by 

planning your activities accordingly. 

See the full infographic at SLOCleanAir.org 


SMARTEN UP YOUR TV TIME 

You know that zoning out on the couch every night watching reality TV isn’t doing your body any 

favors... but sometimes a girl needs her TV. The solution? Sneak in some brain-boosting options. 

Try watching shows that stimulate thoughtful conversation—like PBS, the Discovery Channel, or 

ones that focus on hobbies you find interesting. 

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DE-CLUTTER YOUR MEDICINE CABINET 

First off, medicine should be stored in a cool, dry cabinet, not in the bathroom, says David Small, 

RPH, pharmacy manager for Nantucket Cottage Hospital in Massachusetts. The expiration date 

is your best guidline for the potency of a medicine, but if you’re unsure, toss it if it smells bad or 

looks off-color. “Aspirin smells like vinegar when it gets old,” says Small. SLO LIFE 


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magazine 


| SLO LIFE KITCHEN 

Thai Pulled Pork Tacos 

No one makes a street taco quite like the one Jessie Rivas serves from his food truck, The Pairing 

Knife. A recent transplant to the Central Coast by way of San Francisco, Rivas is known for his 

unique twist on culinary favorites—and the Asian fusion influence that comes through in this dish is 

proof positive of his culinary creativity. 


CENTRAL COAST FARMERS’ HARVESTS 

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5 to 7 pounds pork butt 

sea salt and freshly ground pepper 

1-16 ounce can coconut milk 

¼ cup red curry paste 

1 tablespoon fish sauce 

2 tablespoons minced ginger 

4 tablespoons peanut butter 

salt and pepper to taste 

Pork: 

Rub pork butt with cracked pepper and 

salt and place in a large roasting pan. 

Smoke the pork over white oak for 4 to 

5 hours until tender. Drain the fat from 

the pan and shred the pork with a fork 

and tongs. 

Sauce: 

In a saucepan add coconut milk, curry 

paste, ginger and fish sauce. Simmer 

for 10 minutes on a rolling boil. Add 

peanut butter and use a whisk to 

dissolve it thoroughly. Season sauce 

with salt and pepper. 

Assembly: 

Pour sauce a little at a time over pork and 

mix with tongs until desired juiciness. 

Serve pork on warmed corn tortillas and 

top with shredded cabbage, scallions and 

sliced chili peppers. SLO LIFE 

SERVING 

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| HAPPENINGS 

Business as Usual 

Close your eyes and picture the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word, “Business.” 

Okay, open your eyes. Chances are you envisioned things like cash registers, factories, “Open” signs, 

spreadsheets, and hard hats. For some, the vision goes only as far as the bottom line. But others are 

finding that a business can be a vehicle for much more, including some great events… 

[ ] 

The 5th Annual Wine, Waves, & Beyond will take place between April 30th 

and May 4th. Events include a screening of a surf movie; wine, beer, and food 

tastings; a classic VW car show; and a surf contest. 100% of the proceeds 

benefit AmpSurf. Visit winewavesandbeyond.com for more information. 

The meeting suddenly 

became a lot more 

interesting when the 

question shifted from, 

“How can we fill more 

rooms?” to “How can 

we do more good?” 

Charles Crellin, the 

General Manager at 

the Boutique Hotel 

Collection, cannot remember who it was exactly 

that posed the question, but he recalls that the 

room went quiet. Crellin, who bears a vague 

resemblance to a younger version of Ralph 

Lauren, describes a shift in creativity. “You 

could see the wheels turning, and then everyone 

started talking at once,” he recalls. The idea 


struck a chord with his staff. Doing something 

for someone else seemed like the right thing to 

do, and the energy and buzz in the conference 

room confirmed the hunch. 

It was not long before the whiteboard was filled 

with ideas as Crellin challenged his staff to 

combine two seemingly opposed ideas: increase 

occupancy at their various hotel properties 

while also supporting a charitable cause. 

Concepts were bandied about, but one seemed 

to stick. “How about doing an event?” someone 

suggested. “Yes, what about something to do 

with wine?” another chimed in. A third thought 

surfing ought to be included. Then someone 

spoke up and relayed how he had been inspired 

by the story of Dana Cummings, the local 

Army Veteran who had lost his legs and later 

started an organization called the Association of 

Amputee Surfers, or AmpSurf. 

To-date, Wine, Waves, & Beyond has raised 

approximately $70,000 for AmpSurf, vital funds 

for the organization whose mission it is to 

rehabilitate amputee veterans by teaching them 

to surf. Randy Miller, director of operations for 

AmpSurf states flatly, “We couldn’t do what 

we do without the Boutique Hotel Group and 

their event.” And, by the way, Wine, Waves, & 

Beyond fills the rooms at the hotels, which is 

proof that it is possible to do well by doing good. 

>>


[ ] 

The 30th Annual Idler’s 

Mom & Apple Pie Contest 

will begin on April 12th. The 

finals will take place on May 

3rd at the SLO Home Expo 

held at the Madonna Expo 

Center in San Luis Obispo. 

Visit idlers.net for more 

information about entering 

or attending the contest. 

] 

[above Don Idler, 

president of 

Idler’s Appliances, 

congratulates 

Marie Atkins for 

winning the 2013 

competion. 

T 

SLO 

hirty years ago, Central 

Coast ad man Tom 

Jones, founder of TJA 

Advertising, had an 

unorthodox suggestion 

for his client, Idler’s 

Appliances: start a pie 

baking contest. Said 

Jones, “One of the best 

things in life was mom 

and her apple pie.” The year was 1984 and six 

bakers entered the fledgling event. “Today we 

receive dozens of entries and interest continues 


to grow,” observes Don Idler, president of 

Idler’s Appliances. 

This year Idler’s will celebrate its 60th year in 

business by sponsoring the 30th Annual Mom 

& Apple Pie Contest. The celebration continues 

to fit neatly within the company’s longtime 

foundational values: Central Coast families, 

the home, bringing people together, and “the 

best things in life” (which was a radio jingle the 

company had used in the mid-eighties). And, 

perhaps no single person embodies the warm 

goodness of the event more than Marie Atkins. 

After participating in the bake-off for the past 

19 years, Atkins finally took home the grand 

prize. With each contest Atkins carefully handselects 

the Granny Smith apples that go into 

the pies and painstakingly follows the same 

steps to concoct her secret crust recipe. When 

the elements come together perfectly, as they 

did last year, she is able to deliver a fresh-fromthe-oven 

slice of pie to each of the judges. 

“When I do that, they are warm when the 

judges taste them,” Atkins leans in to confide, 

“and I think that helped me win.” LIFE

print • apparel • creative • mail • web 

Peter 

and 

the 

Wolf 

Gilbert Reed’s 

SanLuisObispo Theresa Slobodnik 

Artistic Director 

August 

Bournonville’s 

(pas de deux) 

Flower Festival 

at Genzano 

Timeless 

Storytelling 

Through 

Dance 

at the 

Photos by Marilyn Mather 

Rodeo 

Theresa Slobodnik’s 

Tickets at The School of Ballet Theatre SLO 

850 E. Foothill Blvd, SLO (440-1439) 

Online at ClarkCenter.org 

or BT-SLO.org 

May 3 · 7pm 

May 4 · 3 pm 

(plus Clark Center fee) 

$25 adult $20 student|senior|children 

SAN LUIS OBISPO SYMPHONY MICHAEL NOWAK, MUSIC DIRECTOR 

CLASSICS IN THE COHAN 

MAY 3, 2014 · 8 PM 

CHRISTOPHER COHAN CENTER, SAN LUIS OBISPO 

Jennifer Frautschi, Violin 

STRAVINSKY / Petroushka 

BEETHOVEN / Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61 

CONCERT SPONSORS 

Clifford W. Chapman & Gene A. Shidler 

Silas & Jimmie Brewer 

For tickets pacslo.org or call 805.756.4849 


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Monday - Saturday 10am-6pm • Sunday 11am-4pm 

1351 Monterey Street . San Luis Obispo 

(805)783-2887 . clippersbarber.com 

| HAPPENINGS 

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APRIL 

PROOF 

Catherine is a troubled young woman who has spent 

years caring for her brilliant but unstable father, a 

famous mathematician. On the eve of her twentyfifth 

birthday, she must deal with her own volatile 

emotions with the arrival of her estranged sister, 

Claire, and the attentions of Hal, a former student of 

her father’s. A burgeoning romance and the discovery 

of a mysterious notebook draw Catherine into the 

most difficult problem of all: How much of her 

father’s madness—or genius—will she inherit? 

April 4 – 27 // slolittletheatre.org 

PISMO BEACH KITEXPO 

This event begins with a 

Winemaker’s Dinner and 

includes stand up paddle board 

and kiteboard demonstrations 

as well as a Hawaiian-style 

barbeque along with clinics, 

lessons and With a Kite 

documentary screening. 

April 11 – 13 

xtremebigair.com/kitexpo 

THE CRUCIBLE 

A theatrical dance retelling of the 1953 story by 

playwright Arthur Miller which is a dramatized 

and partially fictionalized story of the Salem 

witch trials that took place in the Province of 

Massachusetts Bay during 1692 and 1693. 

April 5 – 6 // pacslo.org 

SHALIMAR 

INDIAN RESTAURANT 

Lunch Buffet 

Mon - Sat 11:30am - 3:00pm $9.99 

Monday Dinner Buffet 

5:00pm - 10:00pm $10.99 

Sunday Brunch 

$10.99 

2115 Broad Street, SLO 

805.781.0766 | shalimarslo.com 


WOMEN FULLY CLOTHED 

Exploring mother/daughter relationships, 

boardroom banter, craft shows and more. 

These women charm their audiences with 

uproariously relatable sketches and razorsharp 

songs, all masterfully crafted with 

heart and soul. 

April 14 // pacslo.org 

Photo by Erick Wand 

ARCHITECTURAL TOUR 

The Monday Club tour features five 

San Luis Obispo adobes and includes 

mission-era food samplings, a local 

art show by San Luis Obispo Painters 

of the Environment, music, and dance 

entertainment. 

April 27 // themondayclubslo.org

MAY 

TRAVEL BACK THROUGH TIME 

Stravinsky’s second ballet tells the 

story of a mischievous puppet named 

Petroushka, a character of Russian folk 

puppetry known at least since the 17th 

Century. Stravinsky tells of the madcap 

adventures, death and ghostly return 

of Petroushka through lively solos by 

trumpets, woodwinds, and the strings. 

May 3 // pacslo.org 

SHOW BOAT 

Come aboard for a sweeping journey 

into the lives, loves and losses of three 

generations of the show folk that 

work on the “Cotton Blossom,” one 

of the many riverboats on the mighty 

Mississippi River. 

May 10 – 11 // pacslo.org 

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RUN OR DYE 

The world’s most colorful 5K, is headed 

to El Chorro Regional Park. Bring all 

your friends and run a color-blasted 

5K, where you get showered in safe, 

eco-friendly, plant-based cornstarch dye 

every kilometer. Then enjoy the Dye 

Festival afterward, where you can Tie- 

Dye the Sky (not to mention all your 

friends) in this ultimate celebration of 

life, friendship, fitness, and fun. 

May 3 // runordye.com 

A CHORUS LINE 

A stunning musical-verite about 

a chorus audition for a Broadway 

musical. It tells of the achingly poignant 

ambitions of professional Broadway 

“gypsies” to land a job in the show, 

and is a powerful metaphor for all 

human aspiration. A brilliantly complex 

fusion of dance, song and compellingly 

authentic drama, A Chorus Line is “one 

singular sensation…” 

May 16 - June 15 // slolittletheatre.org 

PRESENTING THE BEST 

VARIETY OF PROFESSIONAL 

ENTERTAINMENT 

AT THE PAC ! 

CALPOLYARTS.ORG 

Pismo Beach, Shell Beach, Avila Beach 

Morro Bay, Cayucos, Cambria, and Big Sur 

Call us for details & photos! 

805-900-6000 

www.7svr.com 

INFUSION 

The Academy of Dance proudly presents 

an exciting evening of jazz, lyrical and 

contemporary dance. Suitable for dance 

lovers of all ages. 

June 1 // pacslo.org 

Business Portraits :: Product :: Headshots 

Commercial :: Editorial 

805.448.2841 

www.christopherbersbach.com 


HAVEN PROPERTIES 

A PAYNE INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION 

ANNOUNCES 

Our new downtown HAVEN PROPERTIES GALLERY LOCATION offers the many visitors 

and residents of San Luis Obispo County a window into life and real estate, and an 

opportunity for you to share your home for sale in a whole new way. 

Visit us during our Grand Opening in April and enjoy our exclusive exhibit of fine art 

by local artist Robert Reynolds. 

EXCLUSIVE AFFILIATION 

Main Office: 1212 Marsh Street, Suite 1 | Gallery Location: 1039 Chorro Street 

San Luis Obispo, California 93401 

805.592.2050 | inquiries@havenslo.com 

HavenSLO.com

SLO LIFE Apr/May 2014

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