SLO LIFE Aug/Sep 2017

LIFE 

SLOmagazine 

ON THE 

RISE 

BY THE 

NUMBERS 

NOW 

HEAR 

THIS 

SEASO 

BREW 

slolifemagazine.com 

AUG/SEP 2017 

LEADERSHIP 

SAN LUIS OBISPO 

HEALTH TREND 

CENTRAL COAST 

EVENTS 

TASTE 

VEGETARIAN 

CUSTOM 

DWELLING 

MEET 

DANA O’BRIEN 

INSPIRED DESIGN 

& SACRED SPACES 

AUG/SEP 2017 | SLO LIFE MAGAZINE | 1

2 | SLO LIFE MAGAZINE | AUG/SEP 2017





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SLO LIFE 

magazine 

CONTENTS 

Volume 

8 

Number 4 

Aug/Sep 2017 

38 

DANA O’BRIEN 

Inspired by her creativity, we 

sat down with this local 

entrepreneur to hear her story. 

14 

16 

18 

20 

Publisher’s Message 

Info 

On the Cover 

In Box 

10 | SLO LIFE MAGAZINE | AUG/SEP 2017 

30 

34 

Timeline 

We look back at the most recent newsworthy events from 

around the Central Coast over the past two months. 

View 

Harvest has never looked the same. Photographer 

BLAKE ANDREWS exposes the dreaded reaper.


| CONTENTS 

36 

48 

Q&A 

Born and raised in San Luis Obispo, City 

Council Member AARON GOMEZ discusses 

things to come. 

Music 

With an undertone of angst and their 

garage band style, SHOOT THE MARINAR 

hits the local live music scene. 

68 

74 

76 

Health 

Can a supplement really help with everything from 

allergies to joint pain? We tried incorporating MSM into 

our daily routine and found some pretty interesting results. 

Storytellers’ Corner 

We all have a story to tell, and with help from New York 

Times bestselling author FRANZ WISNER, discovering 

your voice might not be as hard as you think. 

Profile 

In partnership with Leadership San Luis Obispo, we are 

proud to introduce you to Class 26. 

84 

Taste 

With meatless Monday in mind, JAIME LEWIS explores 

the Central Coast restaurant scene. Who knew 

vegetables could taste so good? 

50 

Dwelling 

TERRY and ANNIE HERRICK, open the 

doors to their cape cod style home. 

56 

60 

64 

66 

Architecture 

In partnership with the American Institute 

of Architects, we present two top-ranking 

projects along the Central Coast designed 

by local architects. 

Real Estate 

We share the year-to-date statistics of 

home sales for both the city and the county 

of San Luis Obispo. 

On the Rise 

Whether he’s on the field for baseball, on 

the court for basketball, or at the computer 

coding and drafting, WILL COMPTON is 

bound for success. 

Explore 

With winter rains filling our lakes and an 

abundance of sunshine filling the sky, 

PADEN HUGHES heads north to enjoy 

Lake Nacimiento. 


92 

94 

96 

Kitchen 

Piled high with savory goodness, crostini makes the 

perfect appetizer and CHEF JESSIE RIVAS divulges his 

favorite way to top these tasty bites. 

Brew 

Nothing says summer quite like an ice cold beer and 

BRANT MYERS eagerly shares this season’s top picks. 

Happenings 

Looking for something to do? We’ve got you covered. 

Check out the calendar to discover the best events 

around the Central Coast in August and September.


| PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE 

Throughout most of my life, the phrase “dog days of summer” has queued up a very specific image. 

With heat waves visibly rising from the cotton fields off in the distance, there was nothing quite like the sort 

of unique summer hibernation that took place throughout the San Joaquin Valley during this time of the year. 

The curtains were drawn, the swamp cooler was working double time, the Little League season had ended, 

Y-camp was over, and families settled in for the long stretch that spanned the end of structured activities to 

the beginning of the new school year. 

Apparently, the dog days was a term coined by the ancient Greeks, who noted a unique constellation that 

made its appearance each year around this time, toward the end of summer: a grouping of stars that looked 

something like a dog chasing a rabbit. Growing up in the Valley, we just always figured it was named after the 

dogs who gingerly danced across the scorching asphalt (by the way, you really can fry an egg on that stuff— 

I’ve seen it done), their tongues nearly touching the ground as they panted their way through the atmospheric 

pressure cooker. 

Around here, the dog days have taken on a different meaning altogether. The weather is perfect and the 

streets are not yet swollen with U-Haul trucks returning for the fall quarter. But, just like back in the day, the 

activities have run out and the phrase every parent dreads—“I’m bored”—starts to pop up here and there. And, anytime someone gets bored, it’s a pretty 

sure bet that a fight will be breaking out soon, because there is no better, faster cure for boredom than squabbling with your siblings. 

For the most part, my boys, who are eight and twelve years old—we call them “The Brothers”—are great kids, who get along famously. But, again, those 

dog days. We’re navigating no man’s land right now where the days are as long as the structure is short. That is a formula for boredom, and as we have 

already covered here: boredom leads to dust-ups. 

The other day, my wife sent me an email with a subject line that read: “Brothers Arguing.” I opened it and read her note, “I think I found the solution.” I 

clicked the link she included and was taken to a video on YouTube with the title, “Brother & Sister Slow Dance Punishment.” Intrigued, I hit “Play.” On 

the screen, I saw two young kids rocking back and forth to the rhythm of some horrible, sappy 80’s R&B love song. Hand in hand, fingers interlocked, 

they were both wedged tightly into a single extra-large t-shirt. Their expressions of despondency, I imagined, would not have been any different had 

they just been told that an asteroid was on its way to wipe out civilization as we know it. With the kids swaying in the foreground, you could hear their 

mother barking in the background, “Every time y’all argue, this is what y’all are going to do. I’m going to make y’all wear the shirt, make y’all hold 

hands, and y’all going to slow dance.” 

When I got home that night, we played the clip for The Brothers, who were astounded that a parent could be so twisted, so deranged to dream up a 

punishment that was this cruel and unusual. My wife then rifled through my dresser drawers in search of my largest t-shirt. She pulled out one that said 

“The New York Times,” with a tagline that enticed, “Expect the World.” Now, we have always told the kids that we have high expectations of them, but 

this was taking it to an entirely new level. Very carefully and neatly my wife folded the shirt and wrapped it over the back of a dining table chair, proudly 

displayed for all to see. It was as if the shirt had taken on a life of its own, watching the kids and taking notes in the same way that Santa’s obnoxious 

little helper, the Elf on the Shelf, does in December. 

I would like to nominate that YouTube lady for a Nobel Peace Prize, and would further encourage the slow dance punishment implemented with all 

people, not just kids. Let’s take this thing worldwide. In our case, boredom-based bickering has been eradicated completely, and all it took was one 

33-second video. In fact, things have gotten so quiet and peaceful around the house that we have been secretly rooting for a fight to break out. My 

fourteen-year-old daughter frequently asks, “Have The Brothers done the dance yet?” And, my wife and I admitted to each other recently that we are 

both harboring a weird sort of giddiness, an excited anticipation for the unique style of justice we have coiled up and ready to serve. Or, maybe it’s just 

the boredom that goes along with the dog days. 

I would like to take this opportunity to say “thank you” to everyone who has had a hand in producing this issue of SLO LIFE Magazine and, most of all, 

to our advertisers and subscribers—we couldn’t do it without you. 

Live the SLO Life! 

Dog Days 

Tom Franciskovich 

tom@slolifemagazine.com 


TILE SHOWROOM & NATURAL STONE SLAB YARD 

CUSTOM COUNTEROP FABRICATION & INSTALLATION 

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magazine 

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SLOLIFEMAGAZINE.COM 

info@slolifemagazine.com 

(805) 543-8600 • (805) 456-1677 fax 

PUBLISHER 

Tom Franciskovich 

CREATIVE DIRECTOR 

Sheryl Disher 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

Paden Hughes 

Dawn Janke 

Jaime Lewis 

Brant Myers 

Jessie Rivas 

Franz Wisner 

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS 

Blake Andrews 

Isaiah Rodriguez 

Doug Kalagian, 

Caitlin Mae Rich 

Vanessa Plakias 

Trevor Povah 

CONTRIBUTIONS 

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? Submit your story ideas, events, recipes, and announcements 

by visiting us online at slolifemagazine.com and click “Share Your Story” or 

email us at info@slolifemagazine.com. Be sure to include your full name and 

city for verification purposes. Contributions chosen for publication may be 

edited for clarity and space limitations. 

ADVERTISING 

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at (805) 543-8600 or by email at tom@slolifemagazine.com or visit us 

online at slolifemagazine.com/advertise and we will send you a complete 

media kit along with testimonials from happy advertisers. 

SUBSCRIPTIONS 

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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 

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Complete details regarding circulation, coverage and advertising rates, 

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advertisers. Please call or email for a media kit. Closing date is 30 days 

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4251 S. Higuera Street, Suite 800 


Letters chosen for publication may be edited for clarity and space limitations. 


181 TANK FARM ROAD . SUITE 140 . SAN LUIS OBISPO . CA . 805-543-7600 


| ON THE COVER 

A SNEAK PEEK 

BEHIND the scenes 

WITH DANA O’BRIEN 

BY VANESSA PLAKIAS 

We decided to do an early evening shoot at the Tallow 

Works in San Luis, which is at the end of Prado Road 

where her business is located. I wanted to get some light 

through the chandeliers hanging in her shop, and was 

hoping to catch that magic hour, that dreamy time of day. 

They were listening to some familiar-sounding music in the shop, and I started 

having good, fuzzy, warm feelings, and I said, “Let me guess, this is the Gypsy 

Kings, right?” And, they said, “Yeah, you’re right!” My parents used to play their 

music during the same time of day, during the really pretty, misty, early evening, 

so it just felt right. I asked Dana for her favorite artist while she was working 

and she said, “Jack Johnson.” So, that’s some good company, The Gypsy Kings 

and Jack Johnson. 


Dana’s husband, Sean, is just so 

I spotted a beautiful stainedglass 

window and Dana 

gosh-darned in love with her. 

When we were doing the shoot, 

told me that a woman had 

Dana was actually stung by a 

commissioned her to make 

bee. Sean rushed over, super 

a shed for her using the 

hero-style, pulled out the stinger 

window, which had belonged 

and literally sucked the venom out 

to the woman’s mother, who 

of her hand and spit it out. And, 

had recently passed away. 

as it turns out, he’s allergic to bees! 

Dana talked a lot about 

I asked how long they have been 

the healing properties of 

married and Dana said, “Thirty 

the sheds, and how people 

years; and it’s just been effortless. 

found peace in the spaces 

Of course, we’ve had trouble in our 

she was building. She 

lives, obstacles and hurdles, but 

designed it so the daughter 

our marriage has been effortless.” 

could sit in the shed and 

You don’t hear that a lot, and they 

the sun would shine on her 

talked about being so grateful for 

through the stained-glass 

it, because they see that it is not 

window. Just beautiful, in so 

that way for a lot of people. many ways. SLO LIFE


| IN BOX 

Take us with you! 

Hey, SLO LIFE readers: Send us your photos the next time you’re relaxing in town or traveling 

far and away with your copy of the magazine. Email us at info@slolifemagazine.com 

BOSTON LIBRARY 

KAUAI, HAWAII 

JENNI NORRIS and JOY BECKER 

LINCOLN MEMORIAL 

Celebrating our 20-year anniversary with a family 

vacation in Kauai on the North Shore overlooking the 

Hanalei Valley with our SLO LIFE Magazine! 

— THE ALLEN FAMILY 

MATT, MELISSA, SASHA, SAM, and HENRY 

CINQUE TERRE, ITALY 

SLO Classical Academy on a Summer American 

History and Politics Trip. We toured Washington D.C., 

Philadelphia, and New York City. We were happy to 

take SLO LIFE with us! 

APOSENTILLO, NICARAGUA 

CLAY and HUDSON ROBBINS 

BRAD HILL and MARISA ALEXANDER enjoying the 

Italian Riviera coastline. 


BABY 

FRIENDLY 

Designated 2017–2022 

The Sierra Vista Birth Center has long been known for its quality care of newborns and their 

mothers. But now, it has received the prestigious “Baby-Friendly” designation from Baby-Friendly 

USA ® . The recognition means the entire birth center team provides an “optimal level of care” for 

breastfeeding mothers and their babies by offering resources, support and the skills needed to 

successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding. 

World Breastfeeding Week August 1-7 

Breastfeeding Support Group 

A comprehensive support group for the encouragement of a 

successful & rewarding breastfeeding experience. 

Every Thursday 11am – 12pm 

1010 Murray Ave., San Luis Obispo, 2nd Floor Physical Therapy Gym 

No registration required, drop-ins welcome. 

SierraVistaBirthCenter.com 

Tour our Birth Center: (844) 367-0828 


| IN BOX 

TRUJILLO, PERU 

PARIS, FRANCE 

We toured Chan Chan, one of the largest pre- 

Columbian adobe ruins, in Trujillo, Peru. Seen with 

the school children who wanted their picture taken. 

— SHIRLEY SELKIRK and NANCY REID 

CANCUN, MEXICO 

TESSA ROOS 

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY 

Avila Beach Jr. Guards, MADDIE and NICOLE 

(with younger sister LILLY) taking their coach, 

PHIL TORIELLO, for a swim. 

LAHAINA, MAUI 

Aloha from DAVID, TERYN, SARAH, KERI, PATI, 

and TERRY in Lahaina, Maui! 

JAN MARX at the Muhammed Ali Museum. 


Concrete, done better 


| IN BOX 

STONEHENGE, WILTSHIRE, ENGLAND 

VENICE, ITALY 

NOA JOHNSON 

HAWAII 

JENA and 

HANNAH NAMES 

BAHAMAS 

The Garcia family hanging loose in Kauai and Oahu. 

— GABE, AJ, KAYA, and MARINA 

QUEEN’S BATH, NORTH SHORE, KAUAI 

AVA WALSH 

ROY and PRUDY LOVTANG in the Bahamas 

with granddaughter, KATE and daughter, 

KARI LOVTANG STEWART. 


HOME TO EDNA VALLEY’S MOST 

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| IN BOX 

You showed us... 

BALI, INDONESIA TAVARUA ISLAND, FIJI 

THANK YOU! 

Help when you make the most important 

financial decisions of your life. 

HALLIE AMBRIZ 

DAVID GIBSON with SLO LIFE 

Magazine on Tavarua Island in 

Fiji. Some of the best surfing 

in the world at Cloudbreak. 

OAXACA, MEXICO 

CABO SAN LUCAS 

Ben Lerner 

Mortgage Advisor 

NMLS 395723 

805.441.9486 

blerner@opesadvisors.com 

1212 Marsh St., Suite 1 


opesadvisors.com 

© 2017 Opes Advisors, A Division of Flagstar Bank 

Member FDIC | Equal Housing Lender 


THE OLSENS love Oaxaca. 

Here we are in front of Santo 

Domingo Church where we 

were married 18 years ago. This 

June was the 20th anniversary 

of when we met near this site! 

With SLO LIFE Magazine at the 

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| IN BOX 

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Taking a little of the SLO Life 

with us on a trip of a lifetime with 

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organized by KIM CONTI, DAN 

DEGROOT, and PAM ZWEIFEL to 

Jordon and Israel. 

TERCEIRA, PORTUGAL 

Beautiful Denali National Park 

and Preserve in ALASKA has 

6 million acres of Beauty. 

— VIRGINIA ESTIN ROHDE 

and RANGER BILL 

ROME, ITALY 

Nicole Pazdan, CSA, 

THE TEJADA FAMILY enjoying the 

village of Biscoitos on the Azores 

Island of Terceira in Portugal. 

We just returned from a dreamcome-true 

honeymoon. We 

faithfully carried around our 

SLO LIFE Magazine until we 

reached Trevi Fountain in Rome. 

We made our three wishes and 

tossed our coins in the fountain. 

— MARY and TOM MEES 

Contact us today for FREE placement assistance. 

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Please send your photos and 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 should 

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

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| TIMELINE 

Around the County 

JUNE ‘17 

6/13 

SLO Symphony announced that its 18-month search finally ended when it 

was revealed that the organization had selected Andrew Sewell as its new 

music director. Sewell, 53, will split time between the Central Coast and 

Madison, Wisconsin where he has served as music director of the Wisconsin 

Chamber Orchestra for the past 17 years. Hailing from New Zealand, 

Sewell is the first foreign-born conductor to lead the SLO Symphony. He 

beat out four other finalists for the appointment and received unanimous 

support from the ten-person search committee. 

6/1 

Construction began at 40 Prado, a state-of-the-art homeless 

center in San Luis Obispo that is expected to open in April of 

next year. The center will replace the aging Prado Day Center 

as well as the Maxine Lewis Night Shelter. Funds raised for the 

project topped $5 million and came from a variety of sources. 

In addition to an outpouring of support from local donors, 

the Homeless Foundation raised $2.65 million; Community 

Action Partnership brought in $700,000; the state, county, city 

governments kicked in another $950,000; and $700,000 came 

from a private construction grant. 

6/22 

Chase Hanson, 26, of Morro Bay was found guilty on 9 of 10 counts related to 

his elaborate cocaine trafficking operation, which stemmed from his arrest in 

August, 2015. The two-week trial featured more than half a dozen witnesses, 

wiretapping, aerial surveillance, and even Hanson’s grandfather, who reluctantly 

testified against the defendant. In addition to the cache of weapons presented 

as physical evidence, the District Attorney’s Office also revealed a 20-ton 

hydraulic press that was used to process the cocaine. The trial demonstrated the 

existence of a vast network that spanned from local street-level dealers all the 

way to higher-ups in Mexican drug cartels. 

6/5 

A jury at San Luis Obispo’s Superior Court found 86-year-old 

Atascadero resident Edith “Edie” Knight guilty of 

electioneering within 100 feet of a polling place. She 

received a $500 fine for the misdemeanor, which many of 

her supporters characterized as being politically motivated. 

Knight, an elected member of the Republican Central 

Committee, was videoed during the last election calling 

through a list of registered voters from her cell phone in the 

lobby of the Atascadero Elks Lodge in an effort to support 

County Supervisor Debbie Arnold. The District Attorney’s 

Office had offered to dismiss the charges had Knight agreed 

to admit guilt and apologize, but she declined. 

6/23 

Thirty seconds after going live with online ticket sales, the Garth Brooks 

concert at the California Mid-State Fair in Paso Robles sold out. It was the 

fastest-selling show in the fair’s history. All 14,875 of the tickets to see Brooks 

and his wife, Trisha Yearwood, were gone before most fans were able to click 

“Purchase” on their computer screens. Amid complaints that scalpers had 

gotten into the action, the country western star decided to play a second show. 

Those tickets, too, sold out less than 30 seconds after their release. 


JULY ‘17 

7/11 

Reports surfaced that the police-trained dog who had mauled two 

Grover Beach residents in December, killing one, had aggressively 

chased the mailman earlier that day. The owner of the dog, 25-yearold 

Alex Geiger, had been employed by the Grover Beach Police 

Department for four months before resigning in February, and is now 

on trial facing two felony counts: failure to maintain control of a deadly 

animal and involuntary manslaughter. David Fear, who died in the 

attack, was attempting to shield his neighbor, Betty Long, then 85 years 

old. The 64-year-old Fear was hailed by his neighbors and his family as 

a hero, who have showed up in the subsequent court proceedings with 

t-shirts emblazoned with his face. 

7/3 

The San Luis Obispo City Council officially declared that the 

drought has ended and that emergency conservation measures no 

longer applied. While local reservoirs were replenished by the winter 

rains—Salinas Reservoir rose to 97% capacity, Whale Rock touched 

79%, and Nacimiento rose to 76%—a significant increase in demand 

looms as the council eyes the calendar when it will have to weigh in 

on two new sprawling neighborhoods on the south end of town. 

7/8 

7/18 

A controversial plan to cut down several large oak trees on the SLO With a unanimous vote, the San Luis Obispo City Council 

High Campus to make way for Measure D construction after a brief approved developer Gary Grossman’s bid to build the project he 

protest by the neighbors commenced earlier in the day following a 

calls “San Luis Ranch.” The new 580-home neighborhood will go 

statement from administration declaring that they “did not have a 

in at the 131-acre site long known as the Dalidio Ranch, which sits 

timeline for their removal.” One resident, John Salisbury, a farmer 

on county land. The city plans to first annex the property before 

who lives next door, had climbed into the tree to protest. When he 

construction commences. In the wake of this hearing, the council 

heard the chainsaws at 7:15am the next day, he sat down at the base will be reviewing the application of developer Andy Mangano, 

of one of the oaks to read a book and impede their efforts. As part of who is proposing a 720-home project near the airport that he 

their upgrade to facilities, San Luis Coastal Unified has insisted that has named “Avila Ranch.” While supporters of the suburbanstyle 

neighborhoods applaud the prospect of the new “ranches,” 

it will plant a new tree for each one that it removes as part of its $177 

million bond effort. opponents cite concerns about traffic, water, and congestion. SLO LIFE 




| VIEW 

ETHEREAL 

HARVEST 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BLAKE ANDREWS 

Inspiration can come in the most unexpected ways. For Blake 

Andrews, it came in the form of a McDonald’s Monopoly game 

promotion. The native San Luis Obispan was just a kid when he 

scratched the gummy, gray messiness off of the Sunday newspaper 

insert. Hoping for Park Place, he instead realized that he had just 

won a camera. He mailed in his winning card and waited patiently 

for his prize to arrive. 

The quality was not much to write home about, one small step 

above something you would find in a Happy Meal, but it was his. 

Soon, he was pestering his mom for film and almost as quickly he 

was talking her into dropping it off for development. Those early 

shots were something you would expect to see from a little kid. 

Blurry pictures of neighborhood animals, that sort of thing, but 

there was something about it that fascinated the young Andrews. 

“I had a blast,” he recalls. “That was the beginning of the addiction, 

and I just kept getting better cameras.” 

When it came time to go off to college, Andrews figured he was 

due to buckle down and get himself going on a serious career track. 

Before long, he became a civil engineer, all along the way snapping 

photos as a means for an occasional “creative outlet.” His day job 

continued along at a predictable pace until 2008 rolled around and 

the economy’s “invisible hand” removed him from his 9-to-5 living 

and left him questioning just about everything. When it became 

clear that nobody was going to be hiring anytime soon, Andrews 

started thinking seriously about making his hobby his vocation. The 

first item on his to-do list under the heading “Start New Business,” 

was to secure a domain name for himself online. Dismayed to 

find that another Blake Andrews, this one an adult film star, had 

already locked up the name, he went with Plan B, which was a 

combination of two of his favorite things, SLO and photography, 

or “SLOtography.” One job led to another, although he admits now, 

“I never really thought that it was a reality that one could make a 

living doing it, especially in San Luis Obispo,” and before long the 

upstart photographer had more work than he could handle. 

But, as busy as things became, he has always continued to return 

to his hobbyist roots, and he still does. There is one spot he visits 

often, a farm just outside of the city limits that he calls his “escape,” 

and admits “may possibly involve a little bit of trespassing.” It was 

early one morning, with the fog rolling in, or rolling out—he can’t 

remember which—that Andrews headed out to continue “chasing 

light” as he describes his photographic obsession. The old, bucketof-rust 

harvester sat in the foreground, as it always had, while he 

snapped away, preferring to find something like the farm equipment 

to put a beautiful landscape into context. It was later, when he 

returned home after flicking on his computer that he realized what 

he had captured earlier that day. After messing around a bit with the 

color profiles, he remembers back to this shot now, “I tend to like 

photos that are oozing and dripping with saturation—it gives them 

an almost surreal quality, ethereal.” SLO LIFE 



| Q&A 

Future Facing 

Newly minted San Luis Obispo City Councilman AARON GOMEZ stopped by 

the office the other day for a wide-ranging conversation that touched on a 

variety of subjects spanning jewelry-making to environmental policy, tattoo 

sleeves to Buddhist philosophies. Here is what he had to say… 

Aaron, let’s start with a little background. 

Okay, sure. I was born and raised here in San 

Luis Obispo. My family, on my mom’s side, 

goes back four or five generations here in 

SLO County. After high school, I went to 

Cuesta for a bit, then pursued a wakeboarding 

career, which took me to Texas, Oklahoma, 

and Colorado. Then, after a few years, I blew 

out my knee and came back here and got 

into woodworking. So, I pursued a career in 

furniture building, which eventually led me 

back into the family business, which is jewelry. 

I mean, I was born and raised around my dad’s 

jewelry store downtown and furniture building 

is fairly similar as far as craftsmanship goes, 

so I ended up going to an art school up in San 

Francisco to literally just study jewelry making. 

That got me into the family business and I 

have been there ever since. 

You probably have more tattoos than the 

average city councilmember… Yes, that’s 

true. [laughter] I got my first tattoo when I 

was 16. My brother got one when he turned 

18, so I wanted one, too. That first one, a 

friend of mine did that one. He wasn’t very 

skilled at the time—he’s gotten far better 

since—but it was early on for him, so it’s 

pretty scarred. It’s a Native American artstyle 

fish. I found it in one of my mom’s 

books, and I altered parts of it. I can’t say that 

it was very well thought-out. It’s not like I 

have this great connection to that particular 

tribe or anything; I just thought it looked 

cool. I’ve been getting tattooed ever since 

that time. They all kind of tell a story from 

different points of my life. This one over 

here that says, “In Memory of Lindsay,” well, 

pretty much my whole left arm is dedicated 

to her. 

Can you share that story? So, I was 19 

and I went to work as a counselor at a 

wakeboarding school back in Texas. Lindsay 

was my girlfriend, but it was kind of a secret 

relationship because her brother ran the 

camp, so we didn’t want to appear to be 

unprofessional or disrespectful. Everyone loved 

her and all of us were super close. Anyway, it 

was a day off and I was away from camp, but a 

bunch of the counselors took the opportunity 

to go wakeboarding together. Lindsay was 

sitting on the back ski step near the boat’s 

exhaust. She apparently inhaled a lot of carbon 

monoxide and passed out and fell into the 

water. Someone heard it happen and everyone 

jumped in the water frantically looking for 

her. Because it was so murky it took them 45 

minutes. By then it was too late. 

Wow, how did you handle it? I went through 

grief. I went through that survivor’s guilt. I 

went through a ton of different aspects— 

depression. And then there was the flip side of 

it. I started looking at life in a different way. 

I started looking to Buddhist philosophies 

and Eastern philosophies and different things 

to help reconcile those feelings of loss; and I 

really started pondering the meaning of life 

at that point. That all led down the path of 

becoming a vegetarian, and compelled me to 

get really involved with environmental issues. 

That whole thing, the grieving process, and 

all that followed, was one of those pinnacle 

experiences that basically made me who I am 

today. It made me not want to take life for 

granted as I had done previously. And, also I 

think when you’re young you don’t understand 

the responsibility that you have to create your 

own life versus just letting things come along. 

How does that manifest now in your role 

in city government? You have to start 

with awareness; you have to start with the 

conversation. I think that’s the one thing that 

I do enjoy about being on the council, because 

it does give me a broader audience that I 

would not have otherwise. That allows for 

more conversations and the more conversations 

we have, the more of these topics come up. 

And, I’m often pleasantly surprised by how 

often these topics, these bigger questions, do 

come up, actually, especially with younger 

generations. No matter what sort of craziness 

happens to be going on around the country, 

around the world, locally we have the 

opportunity to ask ourselves: Where do we 

want to be in the future? Because it’s going to 

be our children and our children’s children that 

have to deal with what we’re leaving. SLO LIFE 


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| MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR 

SACRED SPACE 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY VANESSA PLAKIAS 

After dutifully clocking in every day for twenty-three-and-a-half years at the County 

Assessor’s Office, DANA O’BRIEN was on the homestretch, mere months away from 

receiving her pension when a most unexpected thing happened: she quit. Her side hustle— 

building spaces for women, also called “she-sheds”—was taking off and she could think of 

nothing else. Today, her business, A Place to Grow, is leading the transformation of a sleepy 

industrial corner at the end of Prado Road in San Luis Obispo known as the Tallow Works. 

Here is her story… 



Okay, Dana, let’s start from the beginning. Where 

are you from? I was born in the Antelope Valley, 

Lancaster, California; the high desert. I have an 

identical twin sister and two older sisters, five 

and four years older than us. My dad worked for 

Pepsi-Cola, a good Teamster, worked hard to support the family. We lived a simple 

life, nothing extravagant by any means. Grew up there, but I always knew that I 

wanted to leave; it was hot there. I ended up going to Santa Barbara City College. 

I was working groceries, at Vons, so I transferred there. I spent two or three years 

there getting my Associate’s Degree, and they had an agreement with Cal Poly at 

that time where you could transfer. So, I came here and got a degree in business and 

accounting. My twin sister came along with me; we always have to be together. I 

met my husband, Sean, at Cal Poly and I had my son while we were still in school. 

So, how did the two of you meet? In June of ‘86 we both moved to San Luis 

Obispo County. Sean came here from the East Coast with his family. His mom 

actually grew up here and she wanted to come back to be near her parents, who 

were in Paso Robles. I came here to go to school. One year later, June of ‘87, we 

met at The Graduate, of all places, through a mutual friend. Sean had a bunch of 

dental work done that day and his cheek was swollen like a chipmunk. Anyway, 

we talked for a bit and he asked me to dance. He said, “I just 

had my wisdom tooth pulled, so I can only slow dance.” Yeah, 

right—pretty smooth! [laughter] I thought, “Okay, whatever.” We 

hit it off, had fun. Talked a lot. I never gave my phone number 

out at bars, but at some point I had mentioned that I worked 

at the Williams Brothers grocery store, so a couple of days later 

he shows up in my line to buy a pack of gum. I invited him out 

with a bunch of my friends that night, and we had so much fun. 

We laughed and had a great time dancing. Nine months later we 

were married. Then we had our son six months later—you can do 

the math. [laughter] 

Something’s not adding up here… He actually proposed three 

weeks before we had any inkling that we were pregnant. We 

were still at Cal Poly. So, there were times that I’d have my baby, 

our son, with me on my hip at the library. I was 23, I believe, at 

the time, a senior in my last year. I was definitely the only one 

in the Business Department toting a baby around campus. He 

worked construction and I worked at the grocery store; somehow 

we figured it out. That was back when tuition was a lot less and 


ent was so much less. It was doable then. Now it’s just ridiculous. 

Anyway, I applied for a job at the County Assessor’s office. I spent 

twenty-three-and-a-half years working there in property tax. While I 

was there, I got my real estate broker’s license. I couldn’t use it because 

it would have been a conflict of interest while I was working there, but 

it was something I had always wanted to do. It was a personal goal of 

mine. Well, Sean comes from a family of six kids, Irish-Catholic. So, his 

brother was in the process of wanting to move here from Arizona, he 

and his partner. They called me one day and said, “Dana, we found this 

house that we are interested in. Would you mind looking at it with us?” 

So, I met them over there. A Cal Poly Architecture graduate had bought 

the home and fixed it up; all energy-efficient doors and windows. He 

had taken the old wood sash windows and built a greenhouse out of 

them in his backyard. I walked around back and saw what he had done 

and said, “You have to buy this place—just to get that greenhouse!” I 

literally fell in love with it; it was an instantaneous love for me. 

Did they take your advice? Yes, they bought the house. And six 

months later they called Sean and said, “Hey, we want to put in a hot 

tub, and if you come out and pour a concrete pad, we want to give 

Dana the greenhouse for her 40th birthday.” He went over, cut it apart, 

wall by wall, laid it on a trailer, brought it into our yard, lifted the 

walls into place, bam-bam-bam, put it all together again. I looked at 

it and said, “We could do that for other people!” So, literally, for the 

next eight years I sat at my desk toiling as a government auditor and I 

could not get that thought out of my head, or my heart. I’d go to work, 

come home with a headache, and go out to my little garden shed and 

just go, “Ahhhh…” The stress would just fall away. I kept thinking to 

myself, “I know that we can do this as a business, build these sheds.” 

So, finally at 48 years old I did it. I still worked full-time, my husband 

and I did this on nights and weekends after the kids were grown. I 

always say that we were born in a barn because we started in my twin 

sister’s barn and just started building the sheds one at a time. So, a year 

later, at 49, I told my husband, “I can’t keep doing this government 

job. I’m wilting on the vine.” We just tightened our belts and took that 

leap of faith. Everyone I worked with thought I was insane. I was one 

year away from being able to retire. But, I just couldn’t do it another 

minute. I had to follow my passion. 

Wow, that was gutsy. Let’s talk some more about your childhood years. 

Okay, I remember I had a class in junior high school where they had us 

build a model of a home. That’s where I learned that studs are 16 inches 

on center and how bracing works, and I learned a lot of stuff about 

building and I liked it; but, I didn’t really do anything with it beyond 

that. I’ve always had a love of real estate, for whatever reason, because 

there’s finance, the numbers part of it, because I’m a numbers person. 

I’ve always worked hard because I didn’t come from a lot of money. I 

shined shoes, collected aluminum cans, babysat, cleaned houses, packed 

Tupperware, I mean, you name it. From 16 on, I had a job. I put myself 

through college. So, I’ve always had this, definitely a work ethic, if you 

will. I’ve always had a desire to succeed. Being my own boss, I love 

that. And I love managing people. I didn’t like it so much when I was 

working for the government because I wasn’t in charge of hiring people 

so much, but now my crew is amazing. They make it easy. Really, it’s just 

working with people and understanding that we’re all different. We all 

have different strengths and different opportunities for growth. Now, I 

love being an entrepreneur and we keep coming up with new ideas. 

Such as? Right now, we’re working on a shipping model where we 

would put everything together, all the components, into a kit and ship 

it off for people to assemble themselves. I talked to the guy over at the 

hot tub place and asked him if we could have his pallets, which he was 

happy to give me because he would have thrown them away otherwise. 

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package all of the shed components along with the instructions and ship 

them pretty much anywhere. We’ve tested it with forklifts putting it onto 

a truck. We’re 80% of the way there, we just need to get the engineering 

signed off and stamped. I’d say we’re about 60% of the way there with the 

completion of the instructions that will go along with the package. That’s 

been our whole idea from the beginning, to build these as kits. Maybe 

have some pre-fab walls here, we’re not quite there yet because we don’t 

have the space to store them, but we’re moving in that direction. We can 

also custom design, too, and palletize it and ship it out. I mean, when you 

think about it, that will allow us to ship these sheds all over the world. As 

long as it can be put on that pallet and lifted onto a truck with a forklift, it 

can go anywhere. 

Let’s get back to when you got started. Tell us about that first year in 

business. Once we moved over here, I have a friend whose husband is a 

contractor and he helped me get my systems and processes in place. At 

first it was just me, but now I’ve got three full-time guys, and another 

two or three part-time employees, a marketing assistant; I had to hire 

her to keep up with the design work. A lot of this comes from the whole 

she-shed phenomenon. When I started my business in 2012, The Wall 

Street Journal put out an article with a headline that read: “Backyard 

Greenhouses: The New Woman Cave.” When I saw that, I said, “Yes!” I 

just felt like it was finally our time, women’s time, to have a space. Women 

were saying, “Hey, it’s our turn!” But, along the way, I realized that we 

are doing more than just building sheds. We’re building these sacred 

spaces that help people grow or heal, whether they are a creative space 

as an art studio—we do a lot of art studios—or meditative retreat, or to 

grow plants, which is also, I think, another form of meditation and stress 

relief. And, so, it just started building, the momentum; I just started really 

listening to my clients and they were the ones that told me what they 

wanted these spaces for. Each one is unique because of the reclaimed 

products we use and I often bring the clients in on the design process. 

It’s really fun. 

What was the next big milestone for you? So, two years later, the tenant 

next door, Don Seawater, who owned the lumber mill, came to me and 

said, “Okay, I’m ready to retire. You should buy my business.” I didn’t really 

give it any serious thought, but I casually mentioned it to Sean. He didn’t 

say much about it, then a few days later he said to me, “I can’t get it out of 

my mind.” He has said for years that he’s wanted to do a business together. 

He said, “We could do our businesses together; it would be amazing.” 

So, I’m like, “Uhhhh...” It was one thing for me to take my leap of faith >> 


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” 

It’s Our Turn 

HELPING VETERANS WHO HELPED US 

“Empathy and compassion—that was the 

feeling I felt when I first walked into the 

CAPSLO office.” 

War veteran Justen Wiggins was living in a group 

home when CAPSLO’s Supportive Services for Veteran 

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U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Funded Program 


ecause we still had his paycheck, but now to do it again for a second 

time with zero safety net, I just thought, “How are we going to do this?” 

But, we just kept thinking about it and talking about it. Somehow it was 

just meant to be. Don came back to us again and said, “I just really want 

you guys to have this.” And, so we did. Sean quit his job—he had been a 

software engineer for the past 24 years—and we were all-in. 

So, they are two totally separate businesses that happen to be next to 

one another? That’s correct, but they’re very complimentary businesses, 

both sustainably-minded. Urban forested lumber is incredibly sustainablyminded 

because it is a form of carbon sequestering. You are taking these 

trees that have fallen down around the county—we had a lot of stormdowned 

trees this last winter because of all the rain we had—instead of 

them getting chipped up or burned, which releases their carbon into the 

atmosphere, when you mill them into a tangible product the carbon is 

trapped, contained in there. Sean likes to joke that I’m his best customer, 

but also the most demanding. We get really creative with reclaimed 

materials. I mean, the stuff is amazing; and half the time they get thrown 

out. It’s a fun challenge to figure out how to repurpose this stuff, like 

turning old doors sideways and laying them flat to create a bar top or work 

bench. We use wine barrels in all sorts of different ways. 

Did you guys ever dream that this would become your reality? It’s 

interesting, because what Sean and I did in what I call our prior lives, the 

first half if we live to one hundred, brought us to a point where we can 

really grow these businesses. He’s got that engineering background and 

the construction experience and I’ve got the finance and accounting, so we 

bring these unique skills together to what I call a boutique construction 

company, which is what I have, and he has a boutique lumber mill, small 

scale. But, the main thing is that we wanted to do something more 

meaningful, and connect with people in a more meaningful way. And, 

we do—each and every day. It’s amazing. I mean, before I met with you 

today, I had a meeting with some clients who were heading out of town 

on vacation and I don’t even have a complete design and quote for them 

and they said, “Here, let me write you a check.” They believe in what we 

do, they want what we do. It’s meaningful. It’s meaningful to them, that 

connection. It’s about the relationships. It’s not about the business side 

of it. That’s the hardest part of it, we work so closely with our clients and 

once we complete the project and install their shed, I feel like, “Ah, I’m 

going to miss them.” 

Tell us more about the she-sheds. I don’t know, I just feel that there is a 

good energy to them because they are being good stewards of the earth, 

because the materials that go into them are being kept out of landfills 

and given a new life. It’s just like if any of us were given a new life. I really 

don’t know what it is, but people walk into them and you can see their >> 


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eyes get big. It’s different, it’s unusual, it’s artistic. I believe it’s the energy 

that is brought to it, that goes into it. They’re sacred spaces, they really are. 

I had a client, her husband had passed away, and for years they had been 

saving materials. He was going to build her a teahouse. I went out to her 

house and looked at what she had, there was some lumber, and old door, 

some pieces of copper; I gathered it together and we built the structure. 

She sent me a text that night, the first night after we installed it, and said 

that she was out there and she felt—I have goose bumps thinking about 

it—she felt her husband’s energy, his spirit, and she just started crying, and 

she was able to really just kind of release and just feel his presence. 

Wow. There’s something about them, I don’t know what it is. They’re 

healing spaces for sure. I can’t quite explain it, but we hear these sorts 

of stories from clients all the time. With me, I remember one day in 

particular, I had a bad day at work and Sean and I just started bickering, 

so I stomped outside to my shed, still had on my suit and heels, and I 

started breathing in the potting soil, nipping the deadheads off flowers 

and stuff. I was out there about ten minutes then I came back in. He 

said, “Were you in your greenhouse?” I said, “Yeah.” He said, “What were 

you doing?” I said, “Well, it was either go in there or rip your head off!” 

We both laughed so hard and the argument was over. I don’t know what 

it is. They’re places to de-stress and relax. When I’m out there, I’m not 

thinking, “Oh, change the laundry load.” Or, do this or do that. It’s just 

kind of in a peaceful place. 

So, what does the future hold? You know, Sean and I have a vision—we 

want to build small home communities. Not necessarily tiny homes on 

trailers, but small footprints, 400, or 800, or 1,200 square feet. We want 

to build these communities so they each have their own garden plot. 

They may be smaller homes, but they have this garden area where they 

can go. We want them to be as sustainable as possible, and include solar, 

maybe a greywater system. We want to build them as low-to-no-VOC 

[volatile organic compound] as possible. Keep them natural, keep the 

chemical load down. We’re so over exposed to chemicals in this world; 

it’s terrible. That’s another thing we’re passionate about: organic farming 

and gardening. So, I’d like to incorporate that element, as well. They will 

have a community room and a common space area. I could see where 

they could be done as a do-it-yourself kit where the homeowner could 

potentially build their own house themselves. I have a client locally who 

has some acreage who is very interested in the concept, and Sean has a 

client who is interested, too, so we’ll see. There’s the whole affordable 

housing issue here, where we don’t have affordable housing. This might 

be a way to do that. It’s just: How much would it cost to build? And 

the way we build is not as cost-effective as the large lumber mills who 

have economies of scale and our lumber is not rated Doug Fir, but we’d 

probably still frame the basic structure with that and then use our urban 

forested lumber, basically fallen trees from around town, for siding and 

stuff like that. So, we’d still have a sustainable part to it. We’ll see. I just 

go with the flow—whatever the universe says. SLO LIFE 


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| NOW HEAR THIS 


SHOOT THE MARINER 

Local quartet Shoot the Mariner once performed live atop Cuesta Ridge under a canopy in a giant rainstorm. 

As frontman Daryl Dingman describes it, “The concert was extremely dangerous, but great fun.” 

BY DAWN JANKE 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ISAIAH RODRIGUEZ, DOUG KALAGIAN, CAITLIN MAE RICH 

ot all Shoot the 

Mariner shows teeter 

on the edge of safety, 

but by all accounts 

they are fun. And, 

they’re loud. In fact, 

when the band hosted 

their album release 

party at Sally Loo’s 

Wholesome Cafe in 

NSeptember of 2015, 

local police officers showed up because of the noise. 

“They let us finish one more song and then shut us 

down,” says guitarist Liam Hedriana. 

Hedriana met bassist Matt Hahn in a music theory 

class at Cal Poly in 2011, and shortly thereafter the 

two became roommates and started playing music 

together. Hahn says in those days their “sound was 

always mellow, like coffee shop indie pop music.” 

Dingman entered the mix two years later and 

demanded that they start a new band. He explains, “I 

was very excited about the sound we were generating.” 

At that time, the band wore wigs and played house 

shows with Dan Harrington and Dingman switching 

back and forth between drums and lead vocals. 

Harrington moved to Seattle in the summer of 2014, 

and Hedriana took off to Guatemala. For a minute, 

the guys thought the band was done. 

Cue current drummer Dan Potts. Potts began his first 

year at Cal Poly that fall. He explains, “I was in five 

different bands simultaneously during high school, 

and I met [college radio station] KCPR people, so 

I applied for a DJ position as soon as I started at 

Poly. Daryl trained me at the station, and I started 

rehearsing with the band five weeks later.” 

With Potts on drums, Dingman made a permanent 

move to front Shoot the Mariner, and the band 

focused on songwriting. In May of 2015, they recorded 

the six-song “Undergrounds” at San Luis Obispo’s 

Speak Studios with Eric Mattson from the local hip 

hop/funk band Wordsauce, and since then they have 

released three additional recordings, one of which was 

captured on an iPhone. 

Shoot the Mariner has been performing around San 

Luis Obispo for almost three years now and describes it 

as a great music town. Hedriana says, “Only a handful of 

places exist where you can still do the DIY music thing, 

and SLO is one of them. The scene is small and tightknit, and it’s a wonderful 

place to grow into your sound.” Dingman adds, “SLO has this homey vibe that 

reminds me of the Midwest, and the music that we play is notorious for having 

come out of that region—very polite places that generate aggressive sounds.” 

When Shoot the Mariner performed at the Lost State Records Showcase at 

Frog and Peach in February of 2016, their sound caught the ear of Central Coast 

musician Patrick Hayes, who the band credits for their success. Hedriana says, 

“We’re a dark horse type of band, and for a while it seemed like we didn’t get 

invited to gigs because we’re on the punkier side of things, but after hearing us 

perform, Pat reviewed us for [the music website] ninebullets.net. It was the first 

time anyone wrote anything about us, and it felt really good.” 

Hedriana now resides in the Bay Area, and the band finds creative ways to make 

it work. “We can’t really practice, but our chemistry makes up for the limitations 

resultant of the distance,” says Hedriana. “Every time I come to SLO, we try to 

hammer out new ideas.” Hahn adds, “Dingman writes a skeleton of a song and 

teaches it to Dan and me, and then Liam chimes in and puts his stamp on it 

when he gets to town.” 

On the heels of their second California tour, Shoot the Mariner’s current focus 

is on recording another album. Hedriana says, “We learned a lot on tour: played 

empty rooms, found out what works and what doesn’t work.” Hahn adds, “Our 

plan for the rest of the year is to write more songs and compile what we can. 

Then, we’re going back into the studio in December to record a full-length 

album.” “We’re aiming for an album release next year,” Potts finishes the thought. 

Hedriana says most recently, the band’s songs have somewhat shifted into “prog” 

territory—“progressive in that the songs are more linear and less formulaic.” 

He adds, “Daryl’s voice has the growl of [Modest Mouse’s] Isaac Brock, and 

the instrumentation is all over the map.” Dingman continues, “The idea behind 

our songwriting is that the songs will feed themselves. The more linear and 

egalitarian they are, the better they sound.” 

Like the lyrical ballad to which their band name alludes, Shoot the Mariner’s 

linear sound weaves together personal experience and dramatic narrative. “A 

lot of our songs are like a grand human quest,” says 

Dingman. For him, the band’s sound is representative 

of the existential angst Coleridge conveys in “The 

Rime of the Ancient Mariner.” 

In the poem, a mariner is cursed after senselessly 

shooting an albatross and finds peace only after 

telling his tale. Dingman, Hedriana, Hahn, and Potts 

see the mariner as symbolizing all of us. Dingman 

explains, “The mariner is a traveler who does what 

humans are supposed to do—believe in themselves, 

forge forward, defy all odds, and sail to the ends of the 

earth. Shooting the mariner would be tragic, but that’s 

exactly what occurs within the trappings of society: the 

most innate parts of our beings risk annihilation, and 

we’ve got to work against that.” SLO LIFE 

DAWN JANKE, Director, 

University Writing & Rhetoric 

Center Cal Poly, keeps her 

pulse on the Central Coast 

music scene. 


| DWELLING 

SHELL BEACH 


+ CAPE COD 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TREVOR POVAH 



Not long after his forty-fifth 

birthday, Terry Herrick had 

a disconcerting thought—he 

may be digging his own 

grave. His employer, which 

manufactured plastic pipe 

valves and fittings, was asking him to hire a 

steady stream of young, fresh-out-of-school 

eager beavers. To Herrick, who wasn’t getting 

any younger, it dawned on him that one slip 

up, “getting sideways,” as he put it, with upper 

management would have been the end of the line. 

It just did not seem like a fair trade-off, especially 

when he thought about it while inching along 

with a half-million other idling commuters in Los 

Angeles morning traffic. So, he did something 

about it. 

Franchising seemed like an interesting idea, so he 

started calling around. The people at Jack in the 

Box seemed like nice folks and were willing to 

roll the dice on a newbie restaurateur, so it wasn’t 

long before Herrick was flipping burgers at his 

very own location in Agoura Hills. Over time, 

he got the hang of things and decided to acquire 

another restaurant, then another, then another. He 

just kept going and going. After 34 years in the 

business, Herrick owned seven Jack in the Box’s— 

or do you say that “Jacks in the Box?”—plus, along 

with a partner, another 58 restaurants. 

As time passed, Terry brought his son into the 

family business, teaching him the ropes and 

helping him cut his teeth as a manager at the 

various locations. After the 14-year mentorship, 

father was bought out by son, and it was time to 

slow things down. In 2008, along with his wife, 

Annie, the couple headed north to plant roots in 

Shell Beach. They found a great little house that 

was just nine blocks from the water and the pair 

moved in permanently a year later. Things were 

great, so quiet and nearly traffic-free, but they did 

wish they had set up shop a little closer to the 

water than they had. One day they passed by a 

little falling down bungalow not quite a half block 

from the ocean cliffs when they turned to each 

other and said, “Let’s do it.” >> 


That old house was razed and the lot was flattened 

in preparation for what they expected to be their 

forever home, an open, airy, welcoming Cape Codstyle 

house, just as Annie had been dreaming about 

for years. So, with the vision in mind, the couple 

called Mark Sullivan Fine Custom Homes, who then 

referred him to Arroyo Grande-based architect David 

Einung. With the team in place, they got to work 

in turning the vision into reality. The whole process, 

as the Herricks report, was remarkably “smooth and 

drama-free.” 

Perhaps the most peculiar aspect of the home is the 

fact that it has two separate master suites: a “His” and 

a “Hers.” Because, as Herrick explains matter-of-factly, 

“Well, you just sleep better that way.” The ground floor 

suite belongs to Annie, and the upstairs version goes 

to Terry. Someday, if needed, an elevator stands at the 

ready. But, as of now, 80-year-old Terry, who loves to 

golf, and his 76-year-old wife show no signs of slowing 

down any time soon, especially since moving into their 

new place a little more than a year ago. 

Views abound from just about every vantage point. 

The home was designed with one priority: Shell 

Beach sunsets. The decks, balconies, and windows 

are all placed in such a way to take in the nightly 

show as the big orange 

ball of fire dunks itself far 

off into the Pacific. The 

ambient light becomes 

softer and the palette 

overhead looks like 

something Van Gogh 

would have been proud 

to call his own. It took 

a whole lot of Jumbo 

Jacks to get to this point, 

but to Terry and Annie 

Herrick, taking in those 

sunsets make it all feel 

worthwhile. SLO LIFE 

TREVOR POVAH is an 

architectural photographer 

here on the Central Coast. 


More of what you want for your home! 


| ARCHITECTURE 

DESIGN 

+ 

BUILD 

In this ongoing feature, SLO LIFE Magazine is proud to partner with the American 

Institute of Architects California Central Coast to unveil its current project winners and highlight 

our local design and engineering talent. Each month, the organization reviews submissions 

and selects the top Central Coast projects. Below are two recent installments to this series. 

August Project Recognition 

Diablo Residence, San Luis Obispo 

Architect Andrew Goodwin Designs 

Structural Engineer MKSE 

Energy Consultant In Balance Green Consulting 

Civil Engineer Roberts Engineering 

Contractor KGM Construction 

Photographer Ron Bez Photography 

The Diablo Residence is a recently completed 3-bedroom, 2-bath home sitting 

on about an acre of land in the Emerald Hills Estates just outside of the City 

of San Luis Obispo. Designed to reflect the owner’s love of modern homes and 

craftsman furnishings, this 3,000-square-foot home boast an open floor plan and 

gorgeous views of the Irish Hills Natural Reserve. The constant communication 

between the occupants of the home and nature through sliding glass doors and 

strategically placed picture windows really makes this home a contemporary gem. 

The owners of the Diablo Residence spent many years of their marriage living 

abroad in Europe. They approached architect Andrew Goodwin expressing that 

their home not only had to have the clean and simple lines of the homes they 

had in Europe, but also had to be a new canvas for the many pieces of furniture 

and lighting fixtures they had collected over the years. “Century-old chairs had 

to sit in peaceful agreement with contemporary lighting fixtures of the past 

decade without the home feeling like a museum,” commented Goodwin on how 

important planning for their interior was from the beginning. 

Among the artwork, furniture, and fixtures also resides a very sustainable 

home. The client desired their home to perform well from an energy efficiency 

standpoint. The Diablo Residence was designed to implement solar electric, 

solar thermal, radiant floor heating, and passive cooling techniques. The home 

is oriented to capture the sun from the south, and also to deflect the strong Los 

Osos Valley winds to create a calm courtyard off the living room. Large north 

facing clerestory windows bring in soft natural light, and are also operable to 

vent the living spaces during warm days. The hope is that the owners of the 

Diablo Residence could take the home off the grid in the future if the need or 

opportunity should arise. 



September Project Recognition 

SLO Brew Lofts 

Architect garcia architecture + design 

Interiors Celadon House 

Builder Robbins Reed 

Perched above the iconic SLO Brew Restaurant 

and Brew Pub in San Luis Obispo, SLO 

Brew Lofts are part of the newest mixed-use 

redevelopment efforts in the city’s urban center. 

Located within the historic Carissa Building, 

these beautiful lofts are designed with a modern 

urban aesthetic, as well as a sense of comfort 

and sophistication. With incredible views of the 

surrounding hills and picturesque San Luis Obispo 

Creek, these units offer their residents and guests 

immediate access to dozens of restaurants, shops, 

and galleries, providing a secluded residential 

experience while still being in the middle of all the 

downtown action. 

About the AIA CCC 

The American Institute 

of Architects has been 

the leading professional 

membership association 

for licensed architects, 

emerging professionals, 

and allied partners since 

1957. The local California 

Central Coast division 

works in collaboration 

with SLO LIFE Magazine 

to showcase its monthly 

award-winning projects 

demonstrating notable 

concepts that have 

been constructed after 

being designed by local 

architects. SLO LIFE 


“ 

Monica King of San Luis Realty helped us sell our old home and buy a new one both 

within 30 days! She’s a true professional and a joy a deal with. We couldn’t have done 

it without her. Having bought many homes, we’ve never had a better experience. 

” 

Jim McConaghy and Michelle Gaudette 

The team at SAN LUIS OBISPO REALTY makes dreams come true! 

SAN LUIS OBISPO REALTY 

805-544-9161 

WWW.SANLUISOBISPO-HOMES.COM 

441 MARSH STREET, SAN LUIS OBISPO 


| 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 































2016 

37 

$678,040 

$668,874 

98.65% 

33 

2016 

24 

$730,804 

$725,154 

99.23% 

42 

2016 

20 

$747,945 

$740,673 

99.03% 

17 

2016 

13 

$1,327,231 

$1,281,269 

96.07% 

73 

2016 

41 

$707,500 

$697,495 

98.59% 

27 

2016 

20 

$747,535 

$734,800 

98.51% 

37 

2016 

38 

$772,022 

$757,489 

98.61% 

49 

2017 

35 

$703,123 

$691,649 

98.37% 

24 


14 

$780,699 

$773,493 

99.08% 

23 


23 

$754,261 

$742,887 

98.49% 

36 


7 

$1,097,414 

$1,066,350 

98.07% 

48 


49 

$718,869 

$710,901 

98.89% 

54 


29 

$739,983 

$728,205 

98.57% 

26 


39 

$745,297 

$747,322 

98.90% 

29 

+/- 

-5.41% 

3.70% 

3.40% 

-0.28% 

-27.27% 

+/- 

-41.67% 

6.83% 

6.67% 

-0.15% 

-45.24% 

+/- 

15.00% 

0.84% 

0.30% 

-0.54% 

111.76% 

+/- 

-46.15% 

-17.32% 

-16.77% 

2.00% 

-34.25% 

+/- 

19.51% 

1.61% 

1.92% 

0.30% 

100.00% 

+/- 

45.00% 

-1.01% 

-0.90% 

0.06% 

-29.73% 

+/- 

2.63% 

-3.46% 

-1.34% 

0.29% 

-40.82% 

*Comparing 01/01/16 - 07/20/16 to 01/01/17 - 07/20/17 

SOURCE: San Luis Obispo Association of REALTORS ® 




Treat Yourself for 2017! 

| SLO COUNTY 

REAL ESTATE 

REGION 

BY THE NUMBERS 

NUMBER OF 

HOMES SOLD 

AVERAGE DAYS 

ON MARKET 

MEDIAN SELLING 

PRICE 

2016 


2016 


2016 


Arroyo Grande 

183 

159 

48 

61 

$664,546 

$762,874 

Atascadero 

177 

220 

47 

59 

$486,426 

$539,676 

Wine Closet Conversion! 

Avila Beach 

12 

7 

114 

118 

$1,103,125 

$1,039,143 

Convert your unused storage space 

into your private wine collection. 

Cambria/San Simeon 

88 

80 

112 

82 

$684,752 

$668,456 

Cayucos 

19 

31 

105 

108 

$1,121,553 

$1,141,258 

Creston 

5 

9 

130 

104 

$1,036,200 

$850,111 

Grover Beach 

93 

106 

36 

46 

$481,678 

$524,986 

Los Osos 

99 

70 

51 

29 

$598,447 

$582,484 

Morro Bay 

82 

74 

59 

64 

$638,549 

$678,031 

Nipomo 

133 

125 

43 

56 

$593,070 

$616,887 

Oceano 

21 

28 

41 

51 

$410,757 

$443,350 

Pismo Beach 

69 

69 

74 

47 

$968,539 $1,096,237 

Paso (Inside City Limits) 

278 

271 

45 

43 

$445,829 

$476,508 

Paso (North 46 - East 101) 

20 

32 

58 

53 

$424,173 

$474,839 

Paso (North 46 - West 101) 

63 

59 

92 

94 

$536,058 

$487,436 

Paso (South 46 - East 101) 

28 

32 

84 

68 

$551,850 

$698,092 

San Luis Obispo 

249 

203 

41 

37 

$737,896 

$753,446 

Santa Margarita 

10 

12 

59 

42 

$262,950 

$364,917 

Templeton 

64 

68 

97 

72 

$725,081 

$723,751 

www.slogreengoods.com 

62 111 | SLO South LIFE St. MAGAZINE SLO 805 543 | 9900 AUG/SEP 2017 

Countywide 

1,659 1,622 

*Comparing 01/01/16 - 07/20/16 to 01/01/17 - 07/20/17 

54 55 $596,386 $632,423 

SOURCE: San Luis Obispo Association of REALTORS ® 

SLO LIFE

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| ON THE RISE 

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT 

Will Compton 

Brains and brawn are in abundance for this 

San Luis Obispo High School senior who is looking 

forward to turning the page to the next chapter. 

What recognition have you received? I was recently appointed as a SLOHS representative on the 

Superintendent’s Student Senate, a group of students who work with Dr. Prater and other SLCUSD 

staff to cultivate a better and more accepting learning environment across all campuses in the district. 

I have received multiple Golden Tiger academic recognition awards, including a Class of 2018 

Academic Top 10 award. I won 3rd Place this year at the state level in Skills USA, where I competed 

in Technical Design (a Computer Aided Drafting Competition). I was appointed the lead speaker 

in both the Alice and Atlas MasterClasses through Cal Poly in conjunction with the LHC [Large 

Hadron Collider], located at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland. I have also received all-league and allcounty 

recognition while playing basketball and baseball for SLOHS. 

What are your hobbies? Outside of athletics, my main interests are physics, engineering, and 

programming. My experiences in AP Physics and the LHC Club this year have furthered my interest 

in both physics and engineering. Similarly, taking Programming 1 as a freshman, sparked my desire to 

learn a variety of programming languages. 

What is your favorite memory of all time? When I was twelve, I attended a week-long live-in 

baseball tournament in Cooperstown, New York, where our team competed against 103 teams from 

across North America. This event was the culmination of four years of hard work and dedication. 

The friendships formed during this process will last a lifetime. 

What has influenced you the most? It’s very difficult to narrow this down, as I have been 

influenced immensely by many people at different stages in my life. Currently, to name two people 

who influence me the most, I would say my father and my basketball coach. My dad has taught me, 

through his own actions the importance of balancing various aspects of life, such as family, work, 

volunteerism, play, and friends. Coach Brandow has been instrumental in my development as a 

young man. His impact on my life goes far beyond athletics; he has given me a unique opportunity 

to grow as a leader. Additionally, he has inspired me to work harder than I ever have before in my 

life, and I look forward to experiencing the results next year. 

If you won $1 million, what would you do with it? Interestingly, I’ve had a plan for a long time as to 

what to do with sudden monetary winnings, taught to me by my dad’s boss. After taxes, I take 10% of 

the winnings and donate it to charity. I would choose the Cancer Research Foundation, in memory 

of my grandfather who passed away from cancer recently. Next, I would take another 10% to spend. 

Right now, I would probably elect to purchase a new computer. Finally, the remaining 80% of the 

money would be invested. Once a year, you repeat the same process—10% to charity, and a maximum 

of 10% for yourself. This method helps balance financial responsibility, generosity, and self-interest. 

Where do you see yourself in ten years? I would like to end up living in the Silicon Valley as I settle 

into a career in engineering, not only because this area houses the majority of the jobs which align 

with my interests, but also because I can’t imagine living outside of California. I love the Bay Area, 

and support both the Giants and Warriors, so this location would suit me very well. 

What is something few people know about you? Something most people don’t realize about me is 

how much time I spend with my brother. Whether it is wiffle-ball, golf, or laser-tag, we do a lot of fun 

stuff together, especially on weekends. 

What are your plans for college? I am considering several schools with excellent engineering 

programs, including Stanford, MIT, California Institute of Technology, Cornell, Harvey Mudd, 

and Cal Poly. SLO LIFE 

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Not only is Dr. Daniel’s office located conveniently 

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there’s no better place to get your perfect smile! 

Specializing in Smiles 

Dr. Daniel Orthodontics 

1356 Marsh Street . San Luis Obispo 

(805) 543-3105 . drdanielortho.com 


| EXPLORE 

LAKE LIFE 

Summertime is my favorite season. And what’s not to love? 

It’s all about relaxation, sunshine, excitement, and late nights. 

BY PADEN HUGHES 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WILL VEGA 


The Manse 

on Marsh 

Ready to play? 

Marina at Lake Nacimiento (800) 323-3839 rents ski 

boats, pontoons, stand up paddle boards, and more for 

full days and half days. 

Adventure Aide is an app that allows you to book 

excursions and get a local guide for your trip. 

While I grew up anticipating new experiences of travel 

and adventure during summers, my husband has always 

associated the season with life at Lake Nacimiento. 

Growing up in Salinas, one of five boys, his family 

spent thirteen summers on the lake boating and 

enjoying water sports. So, it was inevitable that we 

would be spending our summers on the lake. 

San Luis Obispo is such an amazing mecca of local outdoor adventure 

that it’s easy to forget we have some great lakes just 45 minutes away. 

North County is home to our favorite, Nacimiento, a beautiful body of 

water shaped like a dragon when full. If ever there were a year for lake 

days, it’s this summer. Nacimiento is unusually full and beautiful. 

A lake day at the Hughes Household is a serious event. We wake up 

early and drive north to get the pristine glassy water from 7am - 9am. 

From there we pick up more friends on the dock and embark on social 

time on the boat with food and drink, tubing, water sports and floating 

in the “narrows” (thin waterways with waterfalls that look like fingers 

off the main lake). It’s a day of extremes: hot temperatures, cool water, 

lounging on the boat, exerting energy on the wakeboard, quiet moments 

to take in the scenery, and time to laugh with your friends. 

One of the deterrents to a lake day is that if you don’t own a boat you 

tend to wait around for an invitation and miss out. The marina has boat 

rentals and no license is required to drive one for the day. However, 

if you are not interested in driving a boat or paying the pricey rental 

rates, you may want to check out a local start-up company called 

Adventure Aide which provides access to local boat adventures. Many 

friends of ours use the Adventure Aide app to 

book with local boat owners. They can join a 

pre-arranged adventure or request an excursion 

just for their friends or to get lessons in the 

water sport of their choice. It’s a great way to 

experience the lake without having to invest in 

a boat or rent one on your own. 

Senior Living Within Reach. 

Without Limitations. 

Live the full, uplifting lifestyle you 

desire – rich in services, amenities 

and possibilities you deserve – at 

The Manse on Marsh. We offer a 

range of lifestyle options, including 

independent living, assisted living, 

short-term stays and palliative care. 

With a variety of accommodations, 

here you will find choice, freedom 

and opportunity. We invite you to 

attend our June events and 

experience senior living within 

reach. Without limitations. 

R ates Starting at $2,950! 

Open House Tour of Models 

Thursday, June 15 • 3 p.m. 

Wine & cheese will be served. 

Downsize Your Home, 

Upsize Your Lifestyle 

Thursday, June 29 • 3 p.m. 

Presented by Joann Peters 

Light appetizers and cocktails will be served. 

Call to RSVP at least 

two days prior to event. 

805-225-9360 

A fresh water experience is just around the 

corner, with hot summer nights, refreshing 

water, and an opportunity to relax with good 

friends. If you have the chance to get up to 

Lake Nacimento this summer, we hope you 

enjoy it as much as we do. SLO LIFE 

PADEN HUGHES is 

co-owner of Gymnazo 

and enjoys exploring 

the Central Coast. 

Simply Abundant Living 

475 Marsh Street • San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 

www.TheManse.net 

AUG/SEP 2017 CA License | SLO # LIFE 405800545 

MAGAZINE | 67

| HEALTH 

6 Things to Love about MSM 

You know that rotten egg smell that starts to pop up on Avila Beach Drive, just after exiting the highway? Well, 

you may not know it yet, but that stuff may hold the key to your good health. That stuff, of course, is sulfur and 

it is one of the most vital nutrients our bodies require; yet it is glaringly absent in modern-day diets. Fortunately, 

there is a solution: MSM (methylsulfonylmethane). 

We recently caught wind of a ridiculously vibrant 97-year-old great grandmother, who swears by the stuff. She 

takes two teaspoons a day and calls MSM her “fountain of youth.” Figuring it would be fun to experiment on 

ourselves, we gave it a 30-day trial… and the results have been impressive. Now, we’re not scientists, and we’re 

not doctors, but you may want to look into it for yourself. There is a lot to love about MSM, but our research 

honed in on six highlights. 

No. 1 

INFLAMMATION REDUCTION 

Doctors are beginning to reach a consensus on the idea that almost all disease comes 

from one source: inflammation. In fact, some go so far to say that diseases, at least 

autoimmune disorders, are merely outward manifestations of the core issue, which is an 

immune system in hyperdrive, which is another way to describe inflammation . MSM 

is a critical component in the chemical pathways allowing our bodies to remove waste 

from our cells. This metabolic process has a side benefit, which is weight loss. 

No. 2 

HEALTHIER HAIR, NAILS, 

AND SKIN 

Who doesn’t want better, stronger, healthier hair, and nails? 

MSM is also known as a “beauty mineral” that enables our 

bodies to produce collagen and keratin the way that we 

are supposed to create it, naturally. There is also some data 

suggesting that MSM teams up with Vitamin C somehow 

to build new, healthy tissues. After just a couple of weeks of 

consistent use, you should notice a difference. We sure did! 



No. 3 

DETOXIFICATION 

One of the key things that MSM does—and this, 

of course, is greatly simplified—is to make your 

cells more permeable, which allows toxins and waste 

to leave and water and other essential nutrients to 

move in. Further, it dissolves calcium phosphate, the 

bad calcium that is often found at the root of many 

degenerative diseases. 

No. 5 

ALLERGY ANTIDOTE 

Many of us jokingly call San Luis Obispo the “Allergy Capital of the 

World,” but it is no laughing matter when those old familiar symptoms 

appear. We know of someone, a regular allergy sufferer, here that took MSM 

this year and noted only traces of his usual sniffles this season. And, he wasn’t 

just imagining it. According to a study published in the Journal of Alternative 

and Complementary Medicine, subjects who took 2,600-mg of MSM found, 

too, that their symptoms abated significantly after just seven days of use. 

No. 4 

ENERGY BOOST 

With all those pesky toxins on their way out, your body has 

more time to deal with other things like digestion. It may 

sound elementary, but optimal digestion leads to optimal 

energy as more nutrients are extracted and absorbed, which, 

of course, is how we get our energy. Did you know that the 

simple act of digesting our food takes 70 to 80% of our overall 

energy reserves? Naturally, if our bodies are forced to fight 

off inflammation instead of processing the lunch we just ate, 

then less resources are available and less of the food is broken 

down fully, which leads to what we commonly refer to as “poor 

digestion.” 



No. 6 

INCREASED FLEXIBILITY 

personalized 

group fitness 

and 

individual 

training 

This one was a shock for us, as we noticed a distinct lack of the usual soreness the day after 

a workout when taking MSM. Research seems to point to cell permeability, which we have 

already talked about, but also something decidedly less scientific: tissue “juiciness.” That’s 

right, when all the post-workout hydration makes its way into the fatigued muscles, they 

are able to retain their naturally, vibrant suppleness. But, don’t take our word for it. Try it 

for yourself. Give it a week or two before you look for any difference. 

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805.439.1881 

revslo.com 


TAKING MSM 

The brand that kept coming up in our research was OptiMSM, which 

is derived from a natural source. It comes in a little one-pound tub of 

course flakes that dissolve in water. Apparently, it is best when taken 

with a little bit of Vitamin C, such as a dash of lemon juice. Start with 

one teaspoon and work your way up to two or three a day. Go slowly 

in the beginning, otherwise you will be spending a lot of time in the 

restroom. Fair warning: MSM tastes terrible, similar to untreated well 

water, which is often sulfur-rich. But, if you dilute it down and take 

it with some juice you won’t notice it much. Or, if you’re not up for 

conquering the flavor, try it in capsule form. Stick with it for a month 

and let us know if you feel any difference. SLO LIFE

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| STORYTELLERS’ CORNER 

STRENGTHEN 

YOUR STORYTELLING 

BY FRANZ WISNER 

My friend Martha hated sports. She refused to watch them on TV, 

much to the frustration of her husband Alex, a sports addict. He 

pled with her, tried to persuade her with logic, even offered her 

bribes of cash and fancy dinners. She tuned it all out. 

Then he started to share some background stories of athletes—how Michael Jordan 

had been cut from his high school basketball team before rising to greatness, or how 

Greg LeMond nearly died in a hunting accident only to recover and win the Tour de 

France again. 

Slowly, Martha came around. She started to join Alex for a few sports viewing sessions. 

Then she used the same tactic to convince him to start watching Project Runway. Touché. 

At home or at work, at school or in the community, we are far more likely to be moved by 

a good story than by any other approach. Here are a few suggestions to strengthen your 

storytelling. 

Conflict is the engine that fuels all stories. In its simplest terms, a story is conflict resolution. 

We can’t have resolution unless we have a conflict. It’s what engages us and forces us to read 

on. Without conflict, our brains tune out. If your story doesn’t have a conflict, you don’t have 

a story. 

Don’t worry if you think your story lacks a major struggle. The storytelling definition of 

conflict isn’t limited to big fights or loud arguments. A conflict can be simple, like a desire to 

eat a healthy meal or an effort to sell a product that meets a need. A conflict can be internal, 

like a quest to fulfill a dream or a yearning to end a bad habit. 

To me, storytelling is getting rid of the B.S. It’s finding that emotional connection between 

storyteller and listener. If you can’t relate to your subject matter on a personal level, neither 

can we. So get personal with your storytelling. Embrace the full 

range of human emotions. 

FRANZ WISNER is the 

founder of The Bestsellers 

Group, which provides 

brands and individuals with 

storytelling assistance from 

bestselling authors. 

This includes failures and setbacks. Ben and Jerry’s created 

something they call a “Flavor Graveyard” at its Vermont 

headquarters, complete with tombs that mark the death of 

such failed products as “Rainforest Crunch,” “Tennessee Mud” 

(made with Jack Daniels), and the Saturday Night Liveinspired 

“Schweddy Balls.” The graveyard attracts 300,000 

visitors a year. 

We love failures, but not because we are cruel. We love failures 

because we are human. We can relate. We have failed too. 

Everybody fails. We want to see how you handle it. 

Your story should not only grab our attention, it should 

make us care. These are two different things. It’s 

the difference between an annoying car alarm and 

someone yelling, “Hey, he’s trying to steal my car!” 

So show us the stakes of your story. Let’s say you’re 

a nonprofit trying to protect a piece of land. It’s 

important to tell us the benefits of open space, but also 

let us know what will happen if you are unsuccessful 

in your efforts. The more urgent the stakes, the more 

likely we are to engage. 

Good stories have both surface action as well as an 

emotional underpinning, what’s really going on. We 

are interested in the surface action, but we crave the 

deeper meaning. Tell us your story the way you’d tell it 

to your closest friend over a glass of wine. 

Every story needs a protagonist, a champion. I’m not 

talking about Superman. Far from it. Think about 

your favorite leading characters in books or movies. 

I’m guessing that most of them, while admirable, have 

a few flaws. Great. Those shortcomings make us like 

them, and their stories, more. 

Protagonists don’t have to be perfect. They do need 

to be credible. And engaging. They are our guides 

through your stories. We need to believe they are 

leading us in the right direction. They need to pique 

our interest enough that we will follow along. 

After you’ve established a conflict, set the stakes, and 

given us a compelling hero to follow, we are ready to 

journey with you to the heart of your story—the rising 

action. We know the challenge. Now we want to see 

how your protagonist overcomes it. 

Your hero doesn’t need to achieve every goal during 

this part of the story. Often, it’s a two-step-forward, 

one-step-back series of events. We don’t mind your 

hero falling down… as long as he or she gets right 

back up. 

That’s because we care far more about effort than 

outcome. I love characters like Charlie Chaplin or 

Wall-E because they never give up. I also applaud 

companies and brands that focus on endeavor over 

result. Nike doesn’t tell us “Just Win.” It tells us 

“Just Do It.” 

Make sure the action is easy to follow throughout your 

story. This means investing sufficient time to craft, edit, 

and think about your story. As Maya Angelou said, 

“Easy reading is damn hard writing.” 

Finally, your story needs a resolution. Make sure it’s 

at the end. One of the most common storytelling 

errors I see is the early conclusion. The minute you 

let us know everything is going to be fine, we lose 

interest in your story. We don’t need to worry about 

it anymore. Keep us engaged by saving the resolution 

for the end of your tale. SLO LIFE 


805.927.0374 

ecotoneslandscapes.com 

LIC # 767033 

EST. 1999 


| PROFILE 

INTRODUCING CLASS 26 

Every year, Leadership SLO, the San Luis Obispo-based non-profit, brings together a diverse class of 36 people 

from around the county to join together in a ten-month program crafted to further integrate its graduates into their 

respective communities. 

Following a weekend retreat, the classmates spend one day per month as a group learning about a variety of topics spanning 

from the challenges faced by funding of the local arts scene to the opportunities for expanding organic farming on the 

Central Coast, and just about everything in between. At the end of their time together, the graduates collaborate on a “legacy 

project,” something that they do together to make an impact locally. For example, Class 17 participated in construction of 

the Johnson Ranch Trail, and Class 20 built the sundial at the Botannical Gardens. 

As the current class heads into the homestretch of the program’s 26th year, applications are being accepted for the next 

cohort through the end of September. Beginning with this issue, SLO LIFE Magazine has formed a unique partnership with 

Leadership SLO, where we will be introducing the individuals who make up the classes each year at this time. Here is our 

first installment... 

Brian Amoroso 

City of San Luis Obispo 

Lieutenant, SLO Police 

Department 

I was once a DJ on 91.9FM 

KCSB, which was a college 

radio station. I played a mix of 

ska and punk rock music. My 

dream is to have happy and 

healthy family and friends. Of 

course, winning the lottery 

wouldn’t hurt either. 

Stephanie Barclay 

SLO Legal Assistance 

Foundation 

Executive Director 

I enjoy spending time with my 

friends and family, watching my 

girls play sports, hiking, going to 

the beach and traveling. I have a 

very blessed life. The most amazing 

thing about my upbringing was 

that I never watched any of the 

Star Wars movies (I have since). 

Michael Bell 

Sierra Vista Regional Medical 

Center 

Chief Operating Officer 

I started out in life as a ward of the 

foster system; then I was adopted. 

There were some significant 

barriers to overcome throughout 

my journey. Now, I have a family of 

my own, my wife and two kids. 

Someday, I hope to spend time 

travelling through Asia. 

Xenia Bradford 


Interim Director of Finance 

I moved to California from the Ural 

Mountains in Russia as a teenager 

with my family. I also lived in 

Germany, where our first two 

children where born. I want to be 

able to say that I spent my time 

with purpose that is meaningful for 

society, family, and personally— 

and have fun while doing it. 

Justin Bradshaw 

Mac Cog 

Digital Life Coach 

I studied acting from 7th grade until 

I was 26. I went to a performing 

arts high school, majored in theater 

in college and went to L.A. to be a 

movie star. When that didn’t seem 

like what I wanted, I switched to my 

current profession in technology. 

It’s nice to not have to beg for 

work anymore. 

Jocelyn Brennan 

State Assemblyman Jordan 

Cunningham 

District Director 

One summer, I spent a month 

with my family in Ireland. Little 

did I know at the time that I 

would grow up to marry an 

Irishman. I have a dream of 

someday finding a way to 

help kids who have come from 

troubled homes. 


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Mary Alina Ciesinski 

Environmental Center of SLO 

Executive Director 

At age 25, I took a class called 

“One Year to Live” through 

Hospice SLO, and for one year I 

re-framed my life as if I only had 

one year left to live. It changed 

the course of my relationships, 

my priorities, and my career. 

That experience, quite honestly, 

changed my life. 

Ben Diringer 

Mindbody 

Senior Manager, Production 

Engineering 

About 10 years ago, I traveled to 

Romania with my dad and sister to 

find the graves of my great-greatgrandparents. 

When we finally 

found them in the Jewish section, 

we lit a yahrzeit candle, and said a 

prayer. It was an amazing feeling 

to discover a piece of my history. 

Robin Dudley 

Dudley Communications 

Owner 

I am a breast cancer survivor. 

Because of that experience, 

I founded and chaired an 

educational fundraising project 

through Rotary called “Mums for 

Mammograms” to promote early 

detection, routine screenings, 

and pay for mammograms for 

local, low-income women. 

Mary Gardner 

SLO Regional Transit Authority 

Marketing & Community 

Relations Manager 

I once thought it was a good idea to 

go to Guatemala by myself to learn 

Spanish. I knew none when I started 

out. It turns out this was a great idea, 

but not one I would want my own 

kids to do now! Someday, I hope to 

have the time and money to wander 

the world with my husband. 

Michael Gayaldo 

Norcast Telecom Networks 

CEO & Board Chair 

I became a single dad when my 

daughter was three years old. I 

decided that regardless of how 

unqualified I felt, I would give 

single parenting my full effort. 

When she graduated from high 

school, while accepting an 

Outstanding Senior award she 

said, “My dad is my hero!”. 

Courtney Haile 

CASA of SLO County 

Office Manager 

I was a tiny tagalong world 

traveler with my parents when 

I was a child, living in Saudi 

Arabia from ages four to six; 

we also spent time in different 

parts of Asia, Africa, and Europe. 

Someday I’d like to do more 

traveling, and maybe sing in 

some type of lounge show. 

Whitney Gordon 

U.S. Congressman Salud Carbajal 

Constituent Liaison 

I love to sleep and can never 

catch up enough. My next love is 

food, I love to eat and will plan 

trips around where and what I 

can eat. I must exercise because I 

love to eat. For some reason, I’ve 

retained a lot information about 

pop culture with absolutely 

nothing of importance. 

LeBren Harris 

Hampton Inn & Suites 

Director of Sales 

I grew up in a family who was 

devoted to track and field. My sister 

is a two-time Olympian and 1992 

Olympic silver medalist. I had a 

pretty successful track career, too. 

I competed in the 2004 Olympic 

Trials and currently hold the Cal 

Poly and Big West Conference Meet 

Record in 400 meter hurdles. 

Ryan Hostetter 

County of San Luis Obispo 

Supervising Planner Housing & 

Economic Development 

I grew up showing horses. I 

had a single mother with a 

limited income, so I rode other 

peoples’ horses. In college, I 

was unable to continue to ride, 

so I got into cycling instead 

and ended up racing road bikes 

semi-professionally. 

Dan Itel 

The Tribune 

Sports Editor 

I’ve had the privilege of 

interviewing and writing about 

many famous athletes and coaches 

and big games over my career, but 

I am more proud of the efforts that 

went into being a founding board 

member of a non-profit dog rescue 

in Portland that saved the lives of 

hundreds of dogs. 


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Jay Jordan 

YMCA 

Fitness Coordinator 

I would like to do my part to 

better humanity as a whole in a 

number of different capacities, 

primarily through a process of 

strengthening the mind, spirit, and 

body. If I could open a safe haven 

for people to learn traits and skills 

that could help them assist others, 

that would be my ultimate goal. 

John MacDonald 


Captain, SLO Fire Department 

When I was 15 years old, I was 

diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s 

Lymphoma cancer and, after 

a year-and-a-half treatment 

program, I am a cancer survivor. 

Now, I am living my dream—living 

in SLO with an amazing family and 

working at my dream job for San 

Luis Obispo City Fire. 

Jessica Matson 

Nipomo Community Services District 

Public Information Officer 

I was raised by an amazing, fun, 

hard-working single mother. We 

had a few hard years and lived in a 

camping trailer with no hot water, no 

refrigerator, but what stands out the 

most is how cozy it felt. We made it 

work and I learned so much about 

gratitude, hard work, humility, and 

love from that experience. 

Nicholas Osterbur 

Cal Poly 

Analyst, Institute for Adv. 

Technology & Public Policy 

Someday, my dream is to go on 

a vacation where I can actually 

disconnect from work; I want to 

attain home-ownership; learn 

to speak a second language 

adequately; travel to at least two 

other continents; and, also, reinvent 

myself one last time. 

Chenin Otto 

Cannon 

Civil Engineer, Public 

Infrastructure Department 

My husband and I spent a month 

traveling around New Zealand in 

an RV for our honeymoon. We 

took our mountain bikes with us. 

The highlight was doing a night 

backpacking trip near Milford 

Sound, staying in huts with 

people from around the world. 

Kelly Sebastian 

Cal Poly 

Executive Director of 

Administrative Operations 

I enjoy spending time with my 

family and friends, traveling, and 

living the SLO Life. 

Nick Quincey 

County of San Luis Obispo 

Deputy District Attorney 

My first language was Basque. 

For fun, I like to run, go for 

a hike, play basketball, read, 

and spend time with my family 

and friends. My dream is to 

continually live a life of service 

to others. 

Mi-Young Shin 

Social Justice Advocate 

Being a child of immigrant 

parents has empowered me 

with resilience and empathy. 

Because of my experiences, 

our family is dedicated toward 

helping those suffering 

through our involvement with 

the homeless, the foster care 

system, and international social 

justice projects. 

Kim Brown Sims 

Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center 

Chief Nursing Officer 

Empowerment, emotional 

intelligence, negotiation, and 

authenticity are key strengths 

women possess but do not 

capitalize on in an attempt to be 

more like their male counterparts. 

Embracing our uniqueness is key 

to achieving success as a woman 

in leadership today. 

Amy Sinsheimer 

Michael Baker International 

Senior Planner, Housing & 

Community Development Group 

I love to sing, see live music, ski, 

garden, run, hang out with friends. 

I’m interested in sustainable 

agriculture and local food, and hope 

to continue to work toward growing 

more of my own food and being 

self-sustaining in terms of energy, 

food, and environmental impact. 



Courtney Taylor 

Simas Taylor, LLP 

Attorney, Agribusiness & Hospitality 

As a 4th grader at Teach 

Elementary, my parents took me 

out of school for several months 

to backpack through Europe. We 

visited 15+ countries, staying in 

youth hostels along the way. I’m one 

of only a few California natives, who 

missed out on building a mission 

out of popsicle sticks in school. 

Jeffrey Thoma 

Thoma Electric, Inc. 

Electrical Engineer 

At some point in my life I would like 

to be able to provide a fully funded 

education for my children and my 

children’s children. I believe that 

the pursuit of knowledge is never 

finished and that self-improvement 

in many forms is a means to 

overcome adversity, increase 

empathy, and create opportunities. 

Maggie Tillman 

Alta Colina Winery 

Director of Sales & Marketing 

I love cooking, eating, and 

drinking with friends. I also love 

live music and reading. I do have 

a party trick—it doesn’t sound 

that interesting when I explain it, 

though, so ask me in person. Also, 

one time, I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. 

My dream is to keep building a 

wonderful business with my family. 

Maggie Torres 

Collaboration Business 

Consulting 

Project Manager 

Both my parents are one of seven 

in their families and I was lucky 

enough to grow up with all but one 

of my aunts living in the same city. 

My mom’s side of the family met 

every Friday for dinner and my 

grandparents and my dad’s side met 

every Sunday morning for brunch. 

John Tricamo 

Mangano Company 

Project Manager 

There is nothing uniquely 

extraordinary about my life, but I feel 

like we are all on an extraordinary 

journey that perpetuates itself every 

day we get out of bed. I believe if 

you treat people fairly with respect, 

honesty, and compassion, just as you 

would family, you will end up with a 

team that can accomplish anything. 

Jody Weseman 

California Conservation Corps 

Watershed Stewards Program 

I was a backcountry trail worker in 

the Sierras for eight years. I lived up 

to 23 miles from any road for three 

months at a time. Now, I dream about 

starting a “volun-tourism” non-profit 

in Nicaragua that will protect the 

environment, empower locals, bring 

awareness to world poverty, and 

offer both peace and adventure. 

Clint Weirick 

State Board of Equalization 

Outreach Intern 

I tend to shy away from the 

glamorous things in life since 

they just don’t seem to interest 

me. With that said, the greatest 

personal dream I do have is 

being able to live long enough to 

see all of my loved ones achieve 

true happiness in my lifetime. 

That’s my North Star. 

Susan Whalen 

RRM Design Group 

Chief Operations Officer 

I love spending time with my 

family, hiking, running, reading, 

cooking and baking. Someday, 

I would like to earn my MBA. 

Right now, I’m trying to find 

my way to help others in need 

and give back in my next 

phase of life. 

Rick Uhls 

SLO United Methodist Church 

Pastor 

xxx 

Dru Zachmeyer 

Cal Poly 

Assistant VP, Strategic Business 

After college, I rode my motorcycle 

14,000 miles through 37 states 

over 45 days. Currently, I like 

beach volleyball, hiking, fly fishing, 

motorcycling, and cooking. 

Someday, I hope to pay forward the 

many kindnesses I received during 

my childhood from others who had 

no obligation to offer them. SLO LIFE 


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| TASTE 

Plant-Based Cuisine 

Think vegetarian food means only soyrizo and kasha? Think again. A whole new crop of veg 

eateries is sprouting up across the Central Coast with tasty dishes in every color of the rainbow. 

BY JAIME LEWIS 

M84 | SLO LIFE MAGAZINE | AUG/SEP 2017 

y brush with vegetarianism 

began in September of 1994 

and ended in November of the 

same year. (A sandwich made 

from leftover Thanksgiving 

turkey, smeared with cranberry 

sauce, caused my downfall; 

I remain weak in the face of 

leftovers sandwiches.) During 

that short foray into meat-free 

territory, I’d congratulated 

myself on consuming bean and 

cheese burritos, baked Lays 

potato chips, and fried tofu, 

with nary a leaf to be seen. 

Today I’m a happy omnivore, but I so 

appreciate the new wave of plant-based 

dishes and eateries emerging in SLO 

County. Instead of just excluding meat, 

these restaurants focus on the inclusion 

of fruits, vegetables and grains—often 

locally sourced—and the results are 

nothing short of culinary alchemy. 

If you’re vegan or vegetarian, these 

places are obviously your jam, but even 

if you’re not, you might be surprised 

how happy your tummy and taste buds 

will be after a visit. So what are you 

waiting for? Let’s get leafy. 

JAIME LEWIS is a world 

traveler, and food writer, who 

lives in San Luis Obispo.

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Bright, Hip, and Veg-tastic 

Walking into Planted Juice Bar & Eatery in the Arroyo 

Grande Village is not unlike walking into an of-the-moment 

new-wave bistro like Plant Food & Wine in Venice Beach or 

Mesa Verde in Santa Barbara: the vibe of this breakfast, lunch, 

and dinner spot is crisp and modern, yet totally approachable. 

Kathy and Glenn Essen opened Planted in February after 

owning another Arroyo Grande staple, CJ’s Cafe, for 

many years—a surprising move considering CJ’s diner-like 

atmosphere, menu, and clientele. 

“We wanted something different,” says Kathy, who meets with 

me over lunch. “We like to eat more like this—not exclusively, 

but we like the option.” 

Another impetus for opening Planted was the Essen’s daughter, 

Jessica, who studied holistic nutrition and culinary arts at 

Bauman College in Boulder, Colorado. She is responsible 

for developing Planted’s menu, while the Essen’s other two 

children, Olivia and CJ, can also be found in the kitchen. 

The Essens are proud to offer dishes for any kind of eater, 

whether vegetarian, vegan, raw, gluten-free or cane-sugarfree. 

Popular items include the Heavenly Jalapeño Burger, 

with a black bean patty, caramelized onion, coleslaw, avocado, 

jalapeño-cashew “cream cheese,” and dijon, on a vegan bun; 

and the Mother Grain Salad with quinoa, kale, roasted carrot, 

tamari, crusted tofu, chopped almonds, and a lemon-ginger 

dressing. But the item I’ll be returning to Planted for is the 

Chocolate Mousse Pie: creamy, rich and sweet with coconut 

cream, cocoa, and dates in a nut crust. If even my white-sugarlusting 

kids and husband call this dessert delicious—and they 

do—I consider it a marvel by any standard. 


get inspired 

get connected 

get started 

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Home & Garden Expo 

September 16 & 17 

Talk to over 100 local experts of homeowners who want to 

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Hire one of our bestselling authors to help you 

pen your memoirs, shape your brand messaging, 

or record your family history. 

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Eastern Vegan Eats 

“We were the first one-hundred-percent plant-based menu 

in SLO County, I think,” says David Fintel, the Cal Poly 

alum who opened Bliss Cafe in San Luis Obispo in 2011 

with Chef Palaka Sauer. “We wanted to make the world a 

better place, and came to the realization we could do that 

by serving plant-based cuisine that’s sustainably-sourced.” 

Surrounded by Bliss Cafe’s goldenrod walls, Tibetan 

prayer flags and classical Indian paintings, I enjoy 

an equally colorful breakfast of grilled tempeh tacos 

while talking to Fintel about the concept of ahimsa, an 

Eastern commitment to do no harm to living things. This 

perspective infuses the menu at Bliss, which is entirely 

vegan, mostly organic, and operates according to a hybrid 

of ayurvedic (ancient medicine) principles. 

Tucked away from the well-trod sidewalks of Higuera 

Street, Bliss is easy to overlook (in more ways than one!), 

but don’t let that happen. Open for breakfast, lunch and 

dinner, Bliss is great for fresh juices, smoothies, coffee, 

desserts (try the gluten-free Chai Donut or a nutrientdense 

“Bliss Ball”), as well as salads, wraps, soups, and 

more. Plus, when you leave, you’ll carry the good vibes of 

knowing you’ve done no harm to any living thing. And how 

often can you say that? 


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Business In The Front, 

(Plant-Based) Party In The Back 

In some ways, Soto’s True Earth Market in Cambria hasn’t changed much 

since it opened a century ago—it’s still a pint-sized downtown grocer—but in 

most ways, it’s a completely different animal. Today, its shelves are packed with 

a spectacular array of organic ingredients and goods, plus Soto’s now boasts a 

deli counter in the back, full of nutritious salads, soups, sandwiches, and wraps 

made from peak produce, proteins, and grains. 

“It was a big deal for Cambria to get a health food store,” says Jeanne Brody, 

Soto’s chef, who studied at the Cordon Bleu and spent time in the kitchen of 

San Francisco’s famous vegetarian restaurant, Greens. “We wanted to offer 

a plant-based, whole-food selection that’s elegant and upscale that Cambria 

didn’t yet have.” 

While Soto’s deli isn’t strictly vegetarian (I’m told the chicken bahn mi is 

to-die-for) Brody cooks with all sorts of eaters in mind, including vegans, 

vegetarians, gluten-free, and paleo diners. For lunch, she offers me a piadina 

(Italian flatbread, almost like a tortilla) folded over charred veggies and 

melted brie, as well as a trio of colorful plant-based salads: Summer Confetti 

Quinoa Salad with edamame, fresh corn, and French vinaigrette; Sesame 

Udon Noodles (commonly known as “Cambria Crack” for the dish’s addictive 

properties); and Farro Salad with grilled asparagus, portobello mushrooms, and 

shaved pecorino. 

“It’s global comfort food,” says Brody as I chew and nod my head in agreement. 

Indeed, it is comforting knowing I can nourish myself with colorful, 

wholesome, delicious plant-based cuisine here on the Central Coast. SLO LIFE 


Soaring 

Portraits 

unique 

genuine 

spirited 

ReelEyes Photography 

265 Prado Road #4, San Luis Obispo 459-7416 


| KITCHEN 

CLASSIC CROSTINI 

In the world of appetizers, nothing satisfies a crowd quite like a hearty crostini with its 

base made of thin, toasted slices of a baguette. Chef Jessie Rivas shares his savory recipe. 

BY CHEF JESSIE RIVAS 


JESSIE’S TIP: 

You can add any protein 

to the crostini, like bacon, 

smoked salmon, or even 

canned tuna. Try any 

combination. You won’t be 

!disappointed. 

CROSTINI 

sourdough baquette, sliced 1/2” thick 

olive oil 

salt and pepper 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange baguette slices on two large rimmed baking 

sheets; brush both sides with oil, and season with salt and pepper. 

Bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes, turning slices over halfway through. Let cool 

on baking sheets. Top crostini with desired toppings, and serve. 

CREAM CHEESE MIXTURE 

½ lb whipped cream cheese 

½ bunch chives 

salt and pepper to taste 

In the third mixing bowl, mix the cream cheese with all the other ingredients 

and whip until just incorporated. 

AVOCADO MIXTURE 

2 avocados 

1 tsp cumin 

1-2 limes, juiced 

¼ tsp onion powder 

1 tsp oregano 

1 tsp fresh cilantro 


Halve the avocados and use a spoon to remove the flesh from the peel. In 

another mixing bowl add the avocados and all the other ingredients, mix well 

and set aside. 

SHRIMP MIXTURE 

½ lb shrimp (U16 - 18) peeled and deveined 

1 tsp minced garlic 

1 tsp brown sugar 

½ tsp chipotle powder 

1 Tbs canola oil 


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JESSIE RIVAS is the owner 

and chef of The Pairing Knife 

food truck which serves the 

Central Coast. 

In a mixing bowl add shrimp and all the other 

ingredients, mix well and set aside to marinate about 

15 minutes. Grill or pan-fry the shrimp for 2-4 

minutes just until the shrimp are done. 

ASSEMBLE 

Top crostini first with cream cheese spread evenly 

on the toast. Layer the avocado mixture and top 

with shrimp. SLO LIFE 

SLOVEG.COM 

service@sloveg.com 

(805) 709-2780 


| BREW 

SUMMER 

IS BEER 

BY BRANT MYERS 

Ilive by the adage that any weather is beer weather. 

Cold and dark winter months pair just as nicely with a 

rich porter as do the warm, long days of summer with 

a refreshing pilsener. You appreciate beer in the winter 

because there is little to do. Now that it’s summer we 

celebrate with nearly too much to do. So now that 

Independence Day has come and passed, I want to tell 

you about some of my favorite warm-weather styles to enjoy on 

beaches and lawns alike. 

For the hottest of days there’s nothing quite as refreshing as a 

bohemian or Czech-style pilsner—but wait, Brant, you spelled it 

two different ways, which is it? Well, they’re both right. Coming 

from the Czech city of Plzeň, the anglicized version calls it pilsner 

while the Germans popularized the style and their name for Plzeň 

was Pilsener. The Americans drank it in spades so we call it pilsner 

and now we’re all a little smarter and a whole lot more confused. 

Back to the story—this light, effervescent beer has a lot of flavor 

in a very quaffable package. Slightly sweet from the prominent use 

of malt, but with just enough hops added to give it a much needed 

bittering bite. If Firestone’s DBA, an English bitter, is a loaf of 

wheat bread resplendent in biscuit and caramel notes, then a beer 

like Central Coast Brewing’s Bo Pils is a freshly-baked sourdough 

roll. Incredibly drinkable and yet immensely enjoyable, the pilsnerstyle 

makes it difficult to keep in your glass. 

While you can mix a lager with lemonade and make a radler, 

yet another summer-time favorite, I’m more of a purist and like 

to derive those bright acidic flavors from the brewers directly. 

Barrelhouse Brewing rolled out their Key Lager just in time for 

the June heat wave. This lager uses key limes and select hops to impart 

the flavors we’ve all had from a certain Mexican beer with a lime wedge 

stuck in the mouth of the bottle, all without the guilt of consuming a 

mass brand. Tap It also rolled out a fruit-laden beer with their Mango 

Tiger, an unfiltered imperial IPA brewed with mango puree. A classic 

combo, we always recommend drinking fresh and enjoying those 

amazing esters of peach and pineapple directly from the tap. 

Libertine continues their tradition of using fruit in beers to bring those 

tart flavors to your lips. They’ve been rolling out new beers faster than 

I can keep up, but you’ll always find something unique. Keep an eye 

out for a perennial favorite, Summer Breeze. Every year they add fresh 

ingredients from Cambria’s Stepladder Ranch and this time you can find 

peaches and raspberries invading your senses and making you pucker. 

Take two more sips and now you’re enjoying 

summer in a glass. Want more fruit from the 

heart of wine country? Check out their liberal 

use of Riesling grapes from our neighbors at 

Claiborne & Churchill in Libertine’s Rhine 

Me Up. Aged on French oak this brew bridges 

the gap between wine and beer leaving you 

wondering exactly which barrel room you’re in. 

BRANT MYERS is owner 

of Hop On Beer Tours, a 

concierge service for craft 

beer enthusiasts along the 


Whether you like it crisp, hoppy, sweet, or weird 

there’s a plethora of options when it comes to 

warm weather drinking. So remember to apply 

liberal amounts of sunscreen, keep your BBQ grill 

clean, and put plenty of ice in the cooler because 

our local breweries are adding some liquid gold to 

your sunny days. SLO LIFE 


Brisket Board 

SLO smoked brisket served 

with pickles, onions, Texas 

toast and your choice of sides. 

Smoked Fish Tacos 

Cilantro lime crema, greens, 

tomato, apple, marinated red 

onion and Thai cilie sauce. 

Beer Flights 

Try a sampling of our award 

winning craft beer and be sure 

to take a tour of the brewery. 

GRAB & GO 

Pickup your favorite six pack 

or keg at brewery direct pricing 

straight from the source. 

Rockin' Good Beers & Top Notch Food 

AUG/SEP 2017 | SLO LIFE MAGAZINE | 95 

855 Aerovista Place, Near SLO Airport (805) 543-1843 Learn more at SLOBREW.com Follow Us at #SLOBREW

SENIOR DISCOUNT . Mon & Tues 10 to 2 . $15 

1351 Monterey Street . San Luis Obispo 

(805)783-2887 . clippersbarber.com 

| HAPPENINGS 

AUGUST 

BROADWAY BY THE SEA 

The Starlight Dreamband’s 

nineteen-piece 1940’s era big band 

sound will thrill audiences. Hosted 

at the a gorgeous seaside home of 

the Chapman Estate. Arrive early, 

picnic with friends, bid on auction 

items, stroll the gardens, and observe 

plein air painters. 

August 12 // operaslo.org 

DANCIN’ 2016 

The Academy of Dance presents 

Dancin’ 2016. Dancers from beginner to 

professional, from two years old to 80 

years old, take over the Performing Arts 

Center stage to showcase their talent. 

August 20 // pacslo.org 

PUSHING BOUNDARIES, 

EXPLORING ABSTRACTION 

This exhibit celebrates artistic 

expression in all media. Meet the 

artists at the opening reception Sunday, 

August 6, 2pm-4pm. This event is free 

and open to the public. 

August 3 – Septmeber 11 

artcentermorrobay.org 

SYMPHONY AT SUNSET 

Enjoy estate wines under the stars during 

an intimate live music experience at Vina 

Robles Winery’s Amphitheatre for an 

Evening of Pops Under the Stars with the 

Opera San Luis Obispo Grand Orchestra. 

August 20 // vinaroblesamphitheatre.com 

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CENTRAL COAST WINE 

CLASSIC 

This event continues to heighten the 

educational mission by embracing 

an even greater depth and breadth of 

edifying wine and cuisine related topics 

at an array of special venues around the 


August 25 - 27 // centralcoastwineclassic.org 


Sell Your Home or Listing for More and Faster! 

Staging Works! 

Shea Lockhart 

My house set vacant for months on the 

market. Shea staged it and I received 

Get your complimentary staging analysis. 

multiple offers within a week. It sold 

Agent packages available! 

at full price! What a difference Shea’s 

staging made, and cost effective, too! 

- Kara Holland ” 

www.SheaDesigns.com | Shea Lockhart 805.305.0080 

“ 


ADVENTURE, PASSION 

Dr. Arnie Horwitz 

HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS 

Are you feeling overwhelmed 

and confused? I can help. 

Specializing in 

- Relationship Conflicts - Parenting & Self-Esteem 

- Separation and Divorce - Personal Life Planning 

- Grief and Loss - Career Uncertainty 

Therapy/Counseling/Coaching 

Dr. Arnie Horwitz • 30 yrs. Experience 

805-541-2752 

www.doctorarnie.com 

Created by Fran Charnas 

A classy, sassy musical revue of the 1930s and 40s! 

August 25 - September 17 

(805) 786-2440 | slorep.org 

live the SLO LIFE! 

SUBSCRIBE TODAY! 

slolifemagazine.com 


SWINGING 

FOR THE 

FENCES 

ON THE 

RISE 

HEALTH 

WORDS TO 

LIVE BY 

BEHIND THE 

SCENES 

m a g a z i n e 

HEATING UP 

SUMMER 

OUTDOOR 

LIVING 

AFTER 

HOURS 

NOW HEAR 

THIS 

MEET 


BILL 

OSTRANDER 

JUN/JUL 2014 & POLITICAL ACTION 

| HAPPENINGS 

SEPTEMBER 

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CIRCLE MIRROR 

TRANSFORMATION 

Enjoy the Staged Reading about four 

lost New Englanders who enroll in 

Marty’s six-week-long communitycenter 

drama class as they begin to 

experiment with harmless games, 

hearts are quietly torn apart, and tiny 

wars of epic proportions are waged 

and won. 

September 22 – 23 // slorep.org 

CENTRAL COAST CLASSIQUE 

Enjoy a 30, 64, and 100-mile bike ride 

that tours through the most beautiful 

and scenic parts of San Luis Obispo 

County. Ride along the coast with 

oceanside views, through vineyards, 

farmscapes, and lakeside scenes. Not 

only will you enjoy the scenery, but your 

wine tasting punch card will give you the 

opportunity to experience the best that 

the Central Coast has to offer. 

September 30 // centralcoastclassique.com 

STILL FROTHY SURF FESTIVAL 

This festival is an exciting and unique 

three-day event at the Pismo Beach 

Pier designed to motivate the youth in 

California to get off of their computers and 

video games and go surfing. 

September 22 – 24 // stillfrothy.com 

CASA RENDEZVOUS 

Enjoy an evening of premier wines, 

gourmet dining, live and silent 

auctions, and more. All proceeds 

benefit abused and neglected children 

in San Luis Obispo County. CASA 

recruits, trains, and supervises 

volunteers who advocate for this 

vulnerable population with the goal 

of ensuring that each and every child 

grows up in a safe, nurturing, and 

permanent home. 

September 23 // slocasa.org


The Better Homes and Gardens brand has been synonymous with everything home, family 

and lifestyle since 1922. Haven Properties has built a reputation of representing our friends, 

clients and local community with a commitment to excellence. 

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Haven Properties is able to better serve our 

local community and meet your needs before, during and after your purchase or sale like no 

other real estate company. 

100 | SLO LIFE MAGAZINE | AUG/SEP 805.592.2050 2017 | WWW.BHGREHAVEN.COM

SLO LIFE Aug/Sep 2017

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