SLO LIFE Jun/Jul 2017
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<strong>LIFE</strong><br />
<strong>SLO</strong>magazine<br />
TAST<br />
SEASON<br />
PERSONAL<br />
NARRATIVE<br />
TRAVEL<br />
GALILEE<br />
HIKING TOUR<br />
LISTEN UP<br />
BEAR MARKET<br />
CENTRAL COAS<br />
EVENTS<br />
slolifemagazine.com<br />
JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong><br />
MOD RN<br />
FARMH USE<br />
MOM NT<br />
IN TH UN<br />
HE<br />
NES<br />
SUMMER<br />
HEALTH TIPS<br />
MEET<br />
PHILLIP TORIELLO<br />
LEADING WITH PASSION<br />
& COMMANDING EXCELLENCE<br />
JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 1
2 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 3
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Route 3B<br />
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Route 4B<br />
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Route 1A<br />
Route 1B<br />
Route 2A<br />
Route 2B<br />
Ride the reimagined <strong>SLO</strong> Transit system FREE on Sunday, <strong>Jun</strong>e 18, <strong>2017</strong>!<br />
Regular Fare<br />
$1.50<br />
$<br />
$<br />
$<br />
Senior/Disabled Fare<br />
$0.75<br />
$ $<br />
"A" routes travel clockwise<br />
"B" routes travel counterclockwise<br />
More route, schedule, and fare details:<br />
slotransit.org<br />
4 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
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JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 5
6 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
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JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 7
No matter what your fortunes are,<br />
Dr. Daniel will give you the smile you need<br />
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8 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 9
<strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
magazine<br />
CONTENTS<br />
Volume<br />
8<br />
Number 3<br />
<strong>Jun</strong>/<strong>Jul</strong> <strong>2017</strong><br />
36<br />
PHILLIP TORIELLO<br />
We sat down with one of the<br />
Central Coast’s best-known<br />
lifeguards and learned what<br />
motivates him to help kids<br />
become their best selves.<br />
14<br />
16<br />
18<br />
20<br />
Publisher’s Message<br />
Info<br />
On the Cover<br />
In Box<br />
10 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong><br />
30<br />
32<br />
Timeline<br />
We look back at the most recent newsworthy events from<br />
around the Central Coast over the past two months.<br />
View<br />
With a night sky background, photographer<br />
MARK GVAZDINSKAS’ portrait of a recognizable<br />
North County landmark is sure to make you starry-eyed.
JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 11
| CONTENTS<br />
34<br />
Q&A<br />
Her background in architecture gives San<br />
Luis Obispo City Council Member ANDY<br />
PEASE a unique perspective on housing.<br />
70<br />
Explore<br />
Flowers are in full bloom, dotting the hillsides along the<br />
coast. Inspired by the sight, PADEN HUGHES stops by a<br />
farm of perhaps the most fragrant of them all—lavender.<br />
46<br />
Music<br />
The duo behind BEAR MARKET RIOT<br />
takes their power-folk sound to the stage<br />
this summer.<br />
72<br />
Health<br />
While summer is full of sunny skies and warm weather, it’s<br />
also just plain full, and is often the busiest time of the year.<br />
Read on for the perfect tips to help you relax this season.<br />
78<br />
Storytellers’ Corner<br />
Writing a memoir is no easy task, but with insight from<br />
New York Times bestselling author FRANZ WISNER,<br />
finding the right words just got a whole lot easier.<br />
80<br />
Travel<br />
Setting out on her own, KIMBERLY WALKER treks the<br />
65-kilometer hike through Israel known as the Jesus Trail.<br />
48<br />
Dwelling<br />
Retired journalists JOHN P. LINDSAY and<br />
his wife, LESLIE WARD, welcome us into<br />
their modern farmhouse.<br />
84<br />
Taste<br />
Combing their passions for food and drink, JAIME LEWIS<br />
and BRANT MYERS join forces in this issue to explore<br />
the Central Coast’s best beer pairings.<br />
54<br />
58<br />
64<br />
68<br />
Architecture<br />
In partnership with the American Institute<br />
of Architects, we present two top-ranking<br />
projects along the Central Coast designed<br />
by local architects.<br />
Real Estate<br />
We share the year-to-date statistics of<br />
home sales for both the city and the county<br />
of San Luis Obispo.<br />
Insight<br />
Two arts organizations have plans<br />
underway that will dramatically reshape<br />
downtown San Luis Obispo.<br />
On the Rise<br />
With a passion for politics, Mission<br />
College Preparatory High School<br />
graduating senior ERIN SPILLANE is<br />
excited for the adventures ahead.<br />
12 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong><br />
92<br />
94<br />
96<br />
Kitchen<br />
While some go for the Reuben, others prefer the Rachel.<br />
Lucky for us CHEF JESSIE RIVAS breaks down his<br />
favorite hot pastrami sandwich recipe.<br />
Wine Notes<br />
Summer is upon us and JEANETTE TROMPETER is ready<br />
to enjoy live music with our local winemakers.<br />
Happenings<br />
Looking for something to do? We’ve got you covered.<br />
Check out the calendar to discover the best events<br />
around the Central Coast in <strong>Jun</strong>e and <strong>Jul</strong>y.
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JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 13
| PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE<br />
The other day, I found myself at a stoplight behind an old Lincoln Town Car. It must have been an ’83 or ’84,<br />
maybe an ’85. Many moons have passed since I’ve seen one that old. I smiled to myself as I considered the<br />
idea that it might as well have been a time machine idling in front of me.<br />
Most of my years growing up were spent running around the cracked asphalt of Myrtle Street, not far from<br />
Highway 198 in Visalia, two-and-a-quarter hours east of here, in the middle of the mighty San Joaquin<br />
Valley. The street had no sidewalks, making it ideal for sideline passes during touch football. A never-ending<br />
Wiffle Ball game was hosted in our front yard. Directly across the street from the diamond sat a squatty little<br />
1950-something popcorn stucco-covered ranchette. Home runs had to hit the house on the fly to count; if<br />
the ball bounced first it was considered a ground rule double. That’s where Jennifer Edwards lived.<br />
Despite the triple-digit summertime heat, we played a lot of baseball. A lot. It was not long before I was<br />
crushing everything the neighborhood kids would throw my way. And without fail, every time I nailed a<br />
home run I could count on one thing. By the time I rounded second, Jennifer Edwards would be shaking her<br />
fist through her front door hollering at us to get off her property and stay away from her flower bed. Some<br />
Major League ballparks launch a few quick fireworks when the home team hits one out of the park—the San<br />
Francisco Giants blow a foghorn—on Myrtle Street it was our neighbor blowing a fuse. Over time, Jennifer<br />
Edwards became my nemesis. Secretly, I loved every minute of it—and, as it turned out, so did she.<br />
I realized early on that having a strong adversary is actually a good thing. Think about it; where would the Giants be without the Dodgers? How about<br />
Reagan without Gorbachev? Luke Skywalker would be a no-name farmer in Tatooine if it weren’t for Darth Vader. My rival was Jennifer Edwards.<br />
She was tough. Tough as nails. Most of the neighborhood kids were terrified of her—not me. She did everything in her power to break me down, but<br />
nothing worked. And it frustrated her to no end. There was not a kid within a one-mile radius that she had not been able to reduce to a soggy, tearyeyed<br />
mess. Jennifer Edwards had a reputation around town. You did not mess with her.<br />
It was a car accident in her younger years that left a massive scar on one side of her face that framed what appeared to be an always watching, allknowing<br />
evil eye. The word of God was peppered throughout her explosions and she could be counted on to shout out “Praise the Lord!” when things<br />
were going her way. But most of the time, because I had trampled her petunias as I retrieved my ball, Jesus would personally see to it that punishment<br />
would be an eternity of hellfire and damnation. That was the point where most kids lost it. Not me. I’d start quietly planning my counter attack. Guerilla<br />
warfare was the great equalizer, and a steady stream of pranks rolled forth over the years. I was always careful to cover my tracks so that she was unable<br />
to pin the transgressions on me. And, I never told any of the other kids what I was up to, not even my younger sisters. But, she knew. And, I knew.<br />
Things came to a head one day when my mom asked her to pick my sisters and me up from school because it was raining and she was stuck at work. As<br />
we left Veva Blunt Elementary we were surprised to see Jennifer Edwards roll up in her brand new Lincoln Town Car with its license plate frame that<br />
read, “My other car is a broom.” Dutifully, my sisters hopped in. With my Dukes of Hazzard lunch pail in-hand, I started walking. The Lincoln quickly<br />
caught up to me, matching my pace. Continuing alongside she rolled her window halfway down to shield the rain, which was beginning to quicken.<br />
Once again, I was reminded that the Prince of Peace would be judging harshly. I didn’t care. I kept walking. She kept driving. The whole way home,<br />
about a mile-and-a-half, she drove next to me, barking orders the entire time.<br />
The next day, I resolved that the counterstrike would be fierce. I would unleash a level of fury never before seen on Myrtle Street. After pedaling my<br />
BMX down to Long’s Drugs and dropping two months’ worth of allowance into the fire engine red coin machine, I returned with a backpack full of<br />
plastic eggs. That night, under a cloak of Tule fog, I tiptoed across the street and smeared her entire car with fake snot.<br />
Many years later, long after my Myrtle Street days, I heard that Jennifer Edwards was sick. The news got me thinking back to all of the great adventures<br />
growing up, and I realized that my childhood would not have been half as rich as it was if it weren’t for her. I sat down that night and penned a card<br />
telling her how much she meant to me all of those years—as well as finally admitting to sliming her car—and how without her I would not have turned<br />
out the way I did. A couple of years later she passed away in the old house behind centerfield. And as her family cleaned out her bedroom, standing<br />
upright on the nightstand next to her bed, they found my card.<br />
I would like to take this opportunity to say “thank you” to everyone who has had a hand in producing this issue of <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine and, most of all,<br />
to our advertisers and subscribers—we couldn’t do it without you.<br />
Live the <strong>SLO</strong> Life!<br />
Rivals<br />
Tom Franciskovich<br />
tom@slolifemagazine.com<br />
14 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
TILE SHOWROOM & NATURAL STONE SLAB YARD<br />
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JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 15
<strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
magazine<br />
4251 S. HIGUERA STREET, SUITE 800, SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA<br />
<strong>SLO</strong><strong>LIFE</strong>MAGAZINE.COM<br />
info@slolifemagazine.com<br />
(805) 543-8600 • (805) 456-1677 fax<br />
PUBLISHER<br />
Tom Franciskovich<br />
CREATIVE DIRECTOR<br />
Sheryl Disher<br />
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS<br />
Paden Hughes<br />
Dawn Janke<br />
Jaime Lewis<br />
Brant Myers<br />
Jessie Rivas<br />
Jeanette Trompeter<br />
Kimberly Walker<br />
Franz Wisner<br />
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS<br />
Jeremy Ball<br />
Stephen Dummit<br />
Bryce Engstrom<br />
Mark Gvazdinskas<br />
Elliott Johnson<br />
Vanessa Plakias<br />
CONTRIBUTIONS<br />
Have some comments or feedback about something you’ve read here?<br />
Or, do you have something on your mind that you think everyone should<br />
know about? Submit your story ideas, events, recipes, and announcements<br />
by visiting us online at slolifemagazine.com and click “Share Your Story” or<br />
email us at info@slolifemagazine.com. Be sure to include your full name and<br />
city for verification purposes. Contributions chosen for publication may be<br />
edited for clarity and space limitations.<br />
ADVERTISING<br />
If you would like to advertise, please contact Tom Franciskovich by phone<br />
at (805) 543-8600 or by email at tom@slolifemagazine.com or visit us<br />
online at slolifemagazine.com/advertise and we will send you a complete<br />
media kit along with testimonials from happy advertisers.<br />
SUBSCRIPTIONS<br />
Ready to live the <strong>SLO</strong> Life all year long? It’s quick and easy! Just log on to<br />
slolifemagazine.com/subscribe. It’s just $24.95 for the year. And don’t<br />
forget to set your friends and family up with a subscription, too. It’s the<br />
gift that keeps on giving!<br />
NOTE<br />
The opinions expressed within these pages do not necessarily reflect those of<br />
<strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole<br />
or in part without the expressed written permission of the publisher.<br />
CIRCULATION, COVERAGE AND ADVERTISING RATES<br />
Complete details regarding circulation, coverage and advertising rates,<br />
space, sizes and similar information are available to prospective<br />
advertisers. Please call or email for a media kit. Closing date is 30 days<br />
before date of issue.<br />
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR<br />
info@slolifemagazine.com<br />
4251 S. Higuera Street, Suite 800<br />
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401<br />
Letters chosen for publication may be edited for clarity and space limitations.<br />
16 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
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JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 17
| ON THE COVER<br />
A SNEAK PEEK<br />
BEHIND the scenes<br />
WITH PHILLIP TORIELLO<br />
BY VANESSA PLAKIAS<br />
We walked toward the guard towers—we all love them, especially<br />
now since Colleen Gnos painted her murals on them. You could<br />
tell Phill is so proud of his son and really into his relationship<br />
with his little guy. They were clearly such a tight family and you<br />
could see the love, see the bond that they have for one another.<br />
I asked about his son’s<br />
name, Curren. Phill<br />
explained that it is Irish<br />
for champion. And he<br />
said it is perfect, too,<br />
because their last name<br />
begins with a “t,” so<br />
together, Curren T., it<br />
spells “Current,” as in<br />
ocean current. So, it’s<br />
got a bit of a double<br />
meaning. It’s perfect;<br />
that’s where his heart and<br />
soul is, in the ocean.<br />
I asked Phill about music, what music he likes. I always like to ask that<br />
We spent some time on the beach around the water and Phill got a<br />
question. The conversation went straight to Curren. He said, “Well, Curren little wet so he took his flannel off. He was wearing what he said is<br />
likes Mumford & Sons and songs with lyrics and stories.” It was so cute— his favorite shirt. It had a Poseidon fish, or a Triton fish, some sort<br />
my questions for him always seem to somehow end up about Curren. He of a sea god. Then he took me up to the top of the bluff. We ended<br />
is just so obviously into his son, and wanted to talk about him rather than the shoot there. You could see this beautiful view of the bay and<br />
himself. So, little Curren is into Mumford & Sons, which is rad! the sunset. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
18 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 19
| IN BOX<br />
Take us with you!<br />
Hey, <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> readers: Send us your photos the next time you’re relaxing in town or traveling<br />
far and away with your copy of the magazine. Email us at info@slolifemagazine.com<br />
CHILE<br />
BUDVA, MONTENEGRÓ<br />
Icebergs at Lago Grey Glacier in Torres del Paine<br />
National Park, Patagonia with <strong>SLO</strong> Life Magazine.<br />
— DIANE CLAUSEN and CAROL MEES<br />
NORENE SIMMONS<br />
AJIJIC, JALISCO, MEXICO<br />
KANCHI, TAMIL NADU, INDIA<br />
JOEL and KERRY SHEETS<br />
Sari shopping in Kanchipuram, India.<br />
— THE BABU FAMILY<br />
20 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
“Whether it’s during<br />
harvest or a busy<br />
weekend in our tasting<br />
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to know TekTegrity<br />
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Sue O’Sullivan, Compliance<br />
Tolosa Winery<br />
JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 21
| IN BOX<br />
MACHU PICCHU, PERU<br />
OAHU, HAWAII<br />
STEVE and JENNIFER DINIELLI living the <strong>SLO</strong> Life<br />
in Oahu, Hawaii at the Byodo-In Temple, which<br />
honors the first Japanese immigrants to Hawaii.<br />
Thirteen San Luis Obispo High School students and<br />
nine parents join teachers NELLY CAMINADA and<br />
IVAN SIMON along the Inca Trail. Mr. O’Connor joins<br />
in spirit on the cover of <strong>SLO</strong> Life Magazine.<br />
COW QUEST<br />
ROME, ITALY<br />
ROBERT and<br />
JENNIFER DUNCAN<br />
My Little Brother SHANE BLUME of Big Brothers Big<br />
Sisters went around <strong>SLO</strong> County and took pictures<br />
with each of the 101 Cows from the <strong>SLO</strong> Cow Parade.<br />
We called it our Cow Quest. Four months and what<br />
a rewarding experience.<br />
— BRUCE BRANDENBURG<br />
22 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
2821JUNIPER.com Kathy Taverner • 805.235.0437<br />
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805.592.2050 | WWW.BHGREHAVEN.COM<br />
JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 23
| IN BOX<br />
BRUGES, BELGIUM<br />
HEARST CASTLE<br />
Here we are in Market Square in the beautiful<br />
medieval town of Bruges, Belgium—where waffles,<br />
“frites,” mussels, beer, chocolate, canals, and culture<br />
are in abundance.<br />
— RICH and LAURA VORIE<br />
STYKKISHÓLMUR, ICELAND<br />
The Coastal Christian School 6th grade class had an<br />
amazing time during their field trip to Hearst Castle.<br />
For many of these local kids, it was their first visit.<br />
LONDON, ENGLAND<br />
Here we are in Stykkishólmur, Iceland 65°N. We<br />
have been enjoying this magical land soaking in<br />
geothermal waters every day, hiking over lava rock<br />
formations, and enjoying the abundant waterfalls.<br />
— SCOTT, EVA, ANAIS, AND ANGELES<br />
Standing on Waterloo Bridge with St. Paul’s<br />
Cathedral in the background. No rain in sight!<br />
— ROSH WRIGHT<br />
24 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
A new name for live theatre in downtown <strong>SLO</strong><br />
Honoring our 70 year history as San Luis Obispo Little Theatre while building our future<br />
as San Luis Obispo Repertory Theatre – a professional, nonprofit, regional theatre.<br />
slorep.org<br />
JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 25
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LAURA KRAEMER and her father, RON, enjoying a copy of <strong>SLO</strong> Life<br />
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Ben Lerner<br />
Mortgage Advisor | NMLS 395723<br />
805.441.9486<br />
blerner@opesadvisors.com<br />
1212 Marsh St., Suite 1<br />
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401<br />
MIKE RITTER,<br />
JOHN FREY,<br />
SUSIE REID,<br />
RON SNEDDON,<br />
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JULIANE MCADAM,<br />
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opesadvisors.com<br />
© <strong>2017</strong> Opes Advisors, A Division of Flagstar Bank<br />
26 | Member <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> FDIC MAGAZINE | Equal Housing | JUN/JUL Lender<strong>2017</strong><br />
Festival Mozaic just took a group of 28 fans to<br />
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JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 27
| IN BOX<br />
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28 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong><br />
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JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 29
| TIMELINE<br />
Around the County<br />
APRIL ‘17<br />
4/11<br />
The county coroner reported that Andrew Chaylon Holland died as an inmate<br />
at the <strong>SLO</strong> County Jail after being restrained to a chair for a period of 46<br />
hours. Ruling that the death of the 36-year-old had been “natural,” resulting<br />
from an intrapulmonary embolism—a blood clot originating in a leg vein—<br />
his family was quick to point out that a leading cause of clot formation was<br />
unusually long periods of sitting. Sheriff Ian Parkinson said that jail staff<br />
followed appropriate protocol during Holland’s two days in restraint and that<br />
being strapped to the chair did not cause the clot to form.<br />
4/7<br />
San Luis Obispo City Council elected to give 93 management<br />
employees one-time $2,000 bonuses to make up for an inequity<br />
of contributions to their health care costs. The distribution<br />
totaled $186,000 and came a little more than a month after it<br />
was revealed that the city was facing a combination of sharply<br />
rising pension costs along with lower-than-forecasted tax<br />
revenues, which is expected to leave an annual budget shortfall<br />
of $5 million within the next four years. By 2021, the expected<br />
pension burden is thought to be $19.1 million annually, while<br />
the overall budget should come in around $84.3 million—<br />
meaning 23 cents of every dollar the city spends four years from<br />
now will be on pensions for retired employees.<br />
4/10<br />
After spending $70,000 with a Santa Ana-based law firm<br />
to investigate the “sexy firefighter video” aired at the <strong>SLO</strong><br />
Chamber of Commerce annual dinner in January, San Luis<br />
Obispo’s City Council, following a closed-door meeting, opted<br />
to dock the pay of Fire Chief Garret Olson by $5,442, the<br />
equivalent of an eight-day suspension (Olson receives $176,852<br />
per year not including benefits) and City Manager Katie<br />
Lichtig received a one-time fine of $2,659 (Lichtig receives<br />
$230,464 per year not including benefits), an amount she would<br />
have earned for three days of work.<br />
4/19<br />
Frustration boiled over among San Luis Obispo’s City Council when a<br />
“nondiscrimination in housing” effort forced their hand in providing a special<br />
election this summer at a cost ranging from $119,000 to $158,000. The petition<br />
instigated by lawyers Stew Jenkins and Dan Knight along with former City<br />
Councilman Dan Carpenter was originally promoted locally as an effort<br />
to overturn the city’s controversial housing inspection ordinance; however,<br />
when that ordinance was reversed by the city council earlier this year, the trio<br />
continued to push forward with what many suggest is an end-run attempt at<br />
overturning city programs that support housing for the poor and elderly.<br />
4/22<br />
An audit conducted by the State of California confirms what many faculty<br />
members have been claiming for years: Cal Poly has become top heavy with<br />
administrators. The audit, which analyzed the academic years of 2007-08 to<br />
2015-16, arrived at three primary conclusions: the university hired management<br />
staff without justification for the new positions—administration grew by nearly<br />
50% during the audit period (compared to 15% across the CSU system and a<br />
7% increase in teaching staff ); Cal Poly provided administrator raises without<br />
justification—in 2016 alone, 70 managers received increased pay without proper<br />
performance evaluations; and there had been no oversight of moving expenses<br />
allowing compensation for relocation of new hires to rise into the tens of<br />
thousands of dollars—for instance, Jeffrey Armstrong received $50,000 for his<br />
moving expenses when he became the university’s president in 2011.<br />
30 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
5/9<br />
A group of neighbors in North San Luis Obispo banded together<br />
to file a lawsuit against the <strong>SLO</strong> City Council over its approval of<br />
the controversial 33-unit apartment building at 71 Palomar Avenue.<br />
The plan calls for removing 55 trees from the 1.3-acre property,<br />
relocating the historic Sanford House, and the opening of Luneta<br />
Drive to through traffic. The developer, Loren Riehl, an El Segundobased<br />
lawyer, has argued that there is no “legal or factual basis” for an<br />
Environmental Impact Report. Longtime permanent residents in the<br />
neighborhood—an area that is increasingly occupied by students—<br />
have expressed frustration with the city that the property had not<br />
been converted to a park. Many residents on the north end of the<br />
city, who increasingly feel they are not being represented, have begun<br />
to openly question city elections that are held “at-large” and not by<br />
district. Currently, none of San Luis Obispo’s five council members<br />
reside in the 93405 zip code.<br />
MAY ‘17<br />
5/18<br />
Two years after its permit was denied, owners of the Las Pilitas Quarry<br />
in Santa Margarita applied again with the county to move forward with<br />
the 41-acre project. The controversial plan was met with resistance from<br />
protesters concerned about the hundreds of gravel-carrying trucks that<br />
were expected to pass through downtown Santa Margarita, as well as<br />
the environmental consequences and noise that come from blasting<br />
at the site. At the time, the project was shot down by a 3-2 vote with<br />
former Supervisor Frank Mecham joining Adam Hill and Bruce Gibson<br />
(Supervisors Debbie Arnold and Lynn Compton voted “Yes”). At the<br />
time, Mecham’s replacement, John Peschong, stated that he would have<br />
voted to approve the quarry.<br />
5/11<br />
5/19<br />
<strong>SLO</strong> High special education teacher Michael Stack penned a letter Adam Hill and Bruce Gibson, who make up the progressive bloc on<br />
to the student newspaper in which he cited Bible verses claiming<br />
the <strong>SLO</strong> County Board of Supervisors, claimed that it was the “toxic<br />
that people who commit homosexual acts “deserve to die.” Students, majority” made up of conservatives Debbie Arnold, Lynn Compton,<br />
teachers, and parents immediately and sharply rebuked the letter<br />
and John Peschong, who forced out popular Chief Administrative<br />
while administrators attempted to calm their outrage, prompting<br />
Officer Dan Buckshi after his announcement that he was leaving<br />
a debate pitting First Amendment rights against the separation of<br />
to become the city manager in Walnut Creek. Buckshi was widely<br />
church and state. Stack, who said in his letter that he “didn’t want<br />
credited with leading the county unscathed through the recession<br />
to displease God” and claimed that the Bible is “without error” and while implementing reforms that led to an increase of its bond<br />
that its predictions are “100 percent accurate,” had been a firstyear<br />
probationary teacher that administrators determined back in<br />
Supervisor Adam Hill circulated an opinion piece among local media<br />
rating to AAA, the highest possible. Following the announcement,<br />
February would not be asked to return. Following the publication of that read in part, “Dan was subject to too many months of hostile,<br />
his letter, Stack failed to return to campus and instead resigned by<br />
disrespectful treatment by Supervisors Lynn Compton and Debbie<br />
email, which he also copied to Fox News. Arnold, which was abetted by Supervisor John Peschong.” <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 31
| VIEW<br />
RIVER OF<br />
MILK<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARK GVAZDINSKAS<br />
Just off Highway 101 North, near Paso Robles, sitting by itself<br />
atop the gentle slope of a lone hill is the Kim Kardashian of<br />
coast live oaks. Perhaps no other single tree locally has been<br />
more talked about, posted, shared, liked, and commented on<br />
than the one you see here. A little farther away still, around<br />
100,000 light years or so, are the stars in the background.<br />
It was a few years back, on a crystal clear night that Mark<br />
Gvazdinskas loaded up his camera, a Nikon D800, a wideangle<br />
24-70mm lens, and a tripod into his car, and made a<br />
beeline for the spot he likens to a scene from a Dr. Seuss book.<br />
After settling into a rut on the side of the road, the young<br />
photographer stumbled across an uneven pasture when the<br />
famous tree came into view. Setting his camera to a twentysecond<br />
exposure—the longest he explains is possible before<br />
the stars start to move, which would render them blurry in the<br />
composition—he recalls his excitement after looking down at<br />
the tiny screen on the back of his camera, “I just lost it when I<br />
saw how well the shot turned out; it was just the perfect scene.”<br />
Although commonly described as being far, far away, the Milky<br />
Way is actually home sweet home. You live in the Milky Way,<br />
a spiral shaped galaxy that is in a state of perpetual rotation.<br />
Ancient peoples almost universally described the night sky<br />
as a “river of milk,” a name that stuck and has since evolved.<br />
The wonder of our own interstellar backyard is mesmerizing,<br />
especially when juxtaposed against something familiar, such as<br />
the little oak tree, which is what Gvazdinkas has done with this<br />
photograph. But, to truly gain an appreciation for the sheer size<br />
and scale of our own galaxy—just one of the 100 billion known<br />
to exist—consider this: an astronaut traveling at 515,000 miles<br />
per hour (the space shuttle currently reaches a maximum speed<br />
of 17,500 miles per hour), to make it all the way around the<br />
Milky Way, would take 230 million years. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
32 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 33
| Q&A<br />
@ Pease<br />
The other day, freshman San Luis Obispo City Council Member ANDY PEASE bicycled<br />
over to our office for a conversation that bounced around topics ranging from the<br />
proper way to swing a pickaxe (use your legs) to speculation about the fate of mankind<br />
(the jury’s out) and everything in between. Here is some of what she had to say…<br />
Let’s take it from the top, Andy. Where are you from<br />
originally? I grew up in the Bay Area. I was in the<br />
Santa Cruz mountains when I was really young, Ben<br />
Lomond. My parents were hippies. They split up when<br />
I was very young. I spent my school years with my mom<br />
and brother in California, the Palo Alto/Redwood City<br />
area. During the summers, I’d go to Oregon where we<br />
had a big family, stepmom, stepsiblings. My dad taught<br />
architecture at the University of Oregon in Eugene. He<br />
was into a New Urbanism approach in terms of wanting<br />
to design communities for walkability. I remember as a<br />
kid him showing me site plans with homes and talking<br />
about the role the front porch plays, and the importance<br />
of having the kitchen window placed so you could look<br />
out and be engaged with what was happening on the<br />
street. We were all riding our bikes back then; we didn’t<br />
get shuttled around by our parents like we do now. So, I<br />
think I had an awareness of the built environment just<br />
by being in it, and by talking with my dad.<br />
Tell us about college. I did a gap year. I was really<br />
burnt out after high school. I did the California<br />
Conservation Corps for a year. I wasn’t sure that I<br />
wanted to go to college, but I felt renewed after that<br />
experience. I was ready for a new challenge. I went<br />
to M.I.T. It was really a reach school for me, but it<br />
was at a time when they were looking for diversity.<br />
I’m no genius, but I was smart and hardworking, but<br />
also female and low-income from California; plus I<br />
worked. It was a good experience. I loved going to<br />
school in Boston. I did gymnastics there, but it wasn’t<br />
that big of a deal; it was a Division III program. But, it<br />
was definitely an anchor for me. It helped me through<br />
some tough times. Out of college, I was recruited by a<br />
contractor and worked in Atlanta for a couple of years<br />
doing construction management. I love construction. I<br />
did construction jobs during the summers—carpentry,<br />
painting, pick and shovel work, you name it. It was<br />
a really good experience. I think that it gives us<br />
architects a better appreciation for who we are drawing<br />
for to get the thing built. I tell young architects all the<br />
time, kids who are considering going into architecture,<br />
to do some jobs in construction first, don’t just jump<br />
into architecture.<br />
How did you end up here in San Luis? I have a cousin<br />
who was living in L.A. and was getting married and<br />
I was debating about making the trip and I thought,<br />
“Well, his cute friend Frank might be there.” I had met<br />
him a couple of times before. Anyway, I flew out for<br />
the wedding and that was it. Frank and I were long<br />
distance for a year. Then I moved out to L.A. We were<br />
in Santa Monica, and I worked for an architect there.<br />
We decided that we wanted to do a Peace Corp-type<br />
thing, so he found a job as the ophthalmologist for a<br />
Caribbean island called Dominica, which at first we<br />
confused with the Dominican Republic. We went<br />
there for a year. It was an island of 70,000 people and<br />
he was the only ophthalmologist. He was hired by the<br />
government. We made just enough to cover expenses.<br />
I taught AutoCAD to the six people on the island<br />
that needed to learn it. While we were there, we had a<br />
lot of time to reflect on life and think about where we<br />
wanted to settle down. We had no ties; we could have<br />
gone anywhere in the world. We talked about how<br />
important family was to us; his in L.A., my mom in<br />
the Bay Area. So, we pulled out a map and looked<br />
at all the towns we may want to live in. We had<br />
been to San Luis once before on Earth Day. It was<br />
magical; we loved it. We did a little research and<br />
there were so many ophthalmologists, and so many<br />
architects. But, Frank was able to find a job here, so we<br />
made the move. It’s been about 20 years now.<br />
And what did you do for work? I was at R.R.M.<br />
[Design Group] for seven years. Then I went out on<br />
my own. I wanted to focus on green building. I didn’t<br />
really have enough work, so I remember taking on<br />
this project for a new Kentucky Fried Chicken, which<br />
was ironic because I was a vegetarian at the time.<br />
[laughter] Then things started to pick up and I<br />
took on a partner. There are five of us now. Since I<br />
became a city council member, I’ve cut back to half<br />
time. I’m thinking a lot these days about housing.<br />
For me, it’s about that triple bottom line that I<br />
think we can have: a healthy economy, a great<br />
way of life, and environmental stewardship.<br />
We need to do all of those things. I think that<br />
housing pivots on all of those pieces. It’s a social<br />
justice issue that we are employing people in town,<br />
but not providing an opportunity for them to live<br />
in town if they want to. For those who are being<br />
crushed economically, to try to afford to live here,<br />
or truly cannot find a place even if they have the money,<br />
it’s not responsible; that’s not taking care of each other<br />
as a community.<br />
So, how do you do that? The thing that I find most<br />
challenging is how are we getting along with each<br />
other? The personal relationships that we have,<br />
especially as a country; there’s so much division. The<br />
more that we can learn to come back together and<br />
have good discourse, to be able to disagree in<br />
a respectful way; I think that is foundational.<br />
And, I do think you have to be optimistic. I don’t think<br />
I’d function well if I thought we were going in the<br />
wrong direction. I heard a great quote basically asking<br />
about the world, “Are we all going to be fine? Or, are<br />
we definitely doomed?” To answer either way isn’t really<br />
helpful. If you say, “Yeah, we’re definitely going to work it<br />
out,” then you become complacent. And, if you feel that<br />
things are doomed, then you’re depressed and not doing<br />
anything at all. It’s better to not know the answer and<br />
just move forward in the best way that you can. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
34 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
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JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 35
| MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR<br />
36 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
ENDLESS SUMMER<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY BY VANESSA PLAKIAS<br />
Sixteen years ago, PHILLIP TORIELLO welcomed 28 students into the very first session<br />
of the Avila Beach <strong>Jun</strong>ior Lifeguard Program. Today, as the organization’s co-founder and<br />
lead instructor, the group has expanded to 200 participants—“kiddos,” as he calls them.<br />
And, this summer, like every summer, he can be found on the beach teaching and coaching,<br />
sharing the lessons that were largely missing from his own childhood. Here is his story…<br />
JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 37
Okay, Phill, we like to start off by asking you<br />
where you are from. I was born in Texas. San<br />
Antonio, Texas. Lived there for a year before the<br />
mom skedaddled on dad and headed to Ventura,<br />
California where I grew up for 16 years. In the<br />
summers when I was younger, I had a lot of friends who were involved in aquatics<br />
and such, who would go to do junior lifeguard programs, or surf camps, or on swim<br />
clubs, and swim teams. And I didn’t have that privileged opportunity, so I’d be the<br />
kid who was waiting in the neighborhood for all the friends to get home. And<br />
then, hopefully, get some time to hang out and play. As I got older, I was playing<br />
baseball and everyone was going to do football. I’m going to do football. And mom<br />
goes, “Football’s out.” Some of my friends said, “We’re going to do water polo.” I’m<br />
thinking, “I have no idea what that sport is. I’d never do that. I haven’t been on a<br />
swim club.” But, just before high school started I joined the Freshman Summer<br />
League Water Polo Program.<br />
How’d it go? I’d come home beat. Ruined. Absolutely ruined.<br />
Completely exhausted. Eyes burning with chlorine; but,<br />
somehow loving it. Feeling like I found a groove, something I<br />
might be good at. So by the time I was 16 there was a divorce<br />
in the family. Mom hauls us up to Salinas. It was definitely not<br />
a beach community. And no water polo team; barely a swim<br />
team. I’m having a tough time finding my place up there, and<br />
eventually gravitate towards the swim team. And then I started<br />
getting into swim clubs. Start getting into the water polo club<br />
at Hartnell [Community College], and start finding a serious<br />
groove towards my senior year. Then I’m trying to figure out<br />
college; no one has gone to college in my family and I’m being<br />
raised by a single parent. I look around and decide to check out<br />
Cuesta College. I go talk to the swim coach and explain my<br />
situation and ask about a scholarship and he says, “We don’t do<br />
38 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
that stuff. You can come down here. And you can be on my team. But<br />
otherwise it’s all on you.” And I’m like, “Well, that’s unfortunate news<br />
because I don’t know how to finance this.” And so, I make a complete<br />
left hand turn and join the military.<br />
That is a different path, for sure. I join the military for the G.I. Bill.<br />
Take off. First place is Arkansas. And that was kind of a shock. And<br />
then, you get a “dream sheet” after your first year, which is like a wish<br />
list for where you want to be stationed. So, I put down Hawaii, Guam,<br />
the Philippines, anywhere but Arkansas, preferably California. Just<br />
get me to the coast. The last one I put on the list was England. And,<br />
so England it was. And I went to England for three-and-a-half years.<br />
During my time there, I was invited to the United States Air Force<br />
European Swim Team, which I thought was, “Let’s go around to the<br />
other U.S. military bases and compete against other teams.” What we<br />
were doing was traveling to other European countries and competing<br />
against their best teams. I didn’t realize that until we showed up at the<br />
Olympic Training Center in Warendorf, Germany. We’re this scrappy<br />
little crew of Americans going up against Olympians from Europe.<br />
Denmark’s there, Germany’s there, England’s there. It was a great<br />
experience to be in the realm of that level of athleticism, but I could<br />
see that I had taken it as far as it could go. So, when I left the military<br />
I thought, “Where am I going to go next? What am I going to do?”<br />
And so, I saved up enough money to buy a one-way ticket to Hawaii.<br />
I’d never been there before.<br />
Talk about that experience. I disappear to Hawaii. I’m trying to find<br />
my groove there. The ocean was fantastic. Surf was every day. But<br />
finding jobs as a transplant haole is like a three to four-month ride. So,<br />
I started working as a towel boy at the Olukai, and then got a job on<br />
base as a lifeguard at Hickam Air Force Base. And eventually got what<br />
I felt then to be the ideal job working at Duke’s in Waikiki. And so, I<br />
worked there for like four months, and as I was kind of going down that<br />
restaurant route and living in paradise, having this great time. I started<br />
to realize really quickly that my goal of going to college was starting<br />
to disappear down there in paradise. So I go to Kapi’olani Community<br />
College. I say, “Hey, what do I need to do to get in here?” And they<br />
tell me, “Well, you need six more months of residency in order to get<br />
residency tuition, otherwise you’re considered out-of-state.” So I called<br />
up Cuesta, and asked, “What is it going to take for me to get out there?”<br />
And they said, “You can register right now over the phone.”<br />
Okay, so that’s how you made your way to San Luis. Yes, and I went<br />
back to the swim coach and he said, “Hey, you should join my team.”<br />
And I’m like, “Really?” In the back of my head I’m thinking, “You’re the<br />
same guy who I begged for help years ago.” He didn’t remember me.<br />
And so I signed up and became the captain of the Cuesta Swim Team<br />
for two years. And at the end of that second year, I informed him. I said,<br />
“Hey, by the way, I’m that guy from four-and-a-half years ago you never<br />
remembered. You kind of put me in a pinch to go to the military.” But I<br />
thanked him for it and told him it was a long path to get back here, but,<br />
I mean, I thanked him for that amazing experience. It was around this<br />
same time that a friend of mine kept saying, “You’ve got to come be a<br />
lifeguard in Avila.”<br />
Seems like a natural fit for you. What was that like? I was working a<br />
bunch of jobs and needed to finance school, and it just clicked. Later,<br />
when I was at Cal Poly, we decided that we needed a junior guard<br />
program in Avila. This was about 16 years ago now, back in 2001.<br />
There were a few of us and I was the lead instructor, which is still my<br />
role today. Hands down, <strong>Jun</strong>ior Guards is the most amazing youth<br />
program in the world. There’s no other program that comes close. You’re<br />
bringing kids out to the beach for five weeks to introduce them to the<br />
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JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 39
each, to taking paddle boards out into the sea, and learning different<br />
ocean dynamics, and learning the different variables in and around our<br />
coastlines. During that period of time, kids will go through the most<br />
incredible growth process socially, mentally, physically, psychologically. We<br />
started off that first year with 28 kiddos and now we’ve built it up to 200.<br />
And, out of that 200, every year I’ll have three or four kids who are losing<br />
their minds; they don’t want to go into the sea. They are the ones I love the<br />
most because of the challenge.<br />
Expand on that, if you would. Because they haven’t been brought up<br />
around the ocean, it challenges me to come up with the right words, body<br />
language, and guidance to help introduce them to this amazing experience.<br />
I’ll look around at the group during the first day and say to myself, “Okay,<br />
which one is it going to be?” And you kind of see the ones who are a little<br />
bit timid by their body language and everything. And by the end of the<br />
five-week session these kids are animals, just going for it. They completely<br />
evolve and open up socially, athletically, and by the end of the day you<br />
can’t get them out of the ocean; they won’t leave. To me, that is the best<br />
satisfaction and gratification in the world because I get to see those results<br />
each and every day. Honestly, it’s probably one of the greatest feelings<br />
I’ve had because you’re dealing with young lives, educating young minds,<br />
unlocking something that otherwise may have never been unlocked.<br />
Is there a kid that stands out in your mind? Oh, wow, there are so many.<br />
Just a week ago or so I had a dad come out and tell me that his teenage<br />
son wasn’t going to be doing <strong>Jun</strong>ior Guards again this year. He’s a sizeable<br />
kiddo, probably 6’ or 6’1”, fourteen years old, and he’s oscillating, like<br />
so many teenagers start to do. He’s oscillating, but still interested, still<br />
harvestable. So, I pull him aside and sort of get in his face a little bit and<br />
ask him, “So, you’re joining <strong>Jun</strong>ior Guards this year, right?” He’s like, “No.<br />
No. I don’t know. I don’t know.” He’s kind of grumbling, kind of growling,<br />
and I tell him, “That doesn’t sound right to me, man. I’m going to ask you<br />
again. Are you doing <strong>Jun</strong>ior Guards this year?” He’s kind of looking down<br />
and saying, “I just don’t think I’m in shape.” So, I respond, “That’s not<br />
what I want to hear. It sounds to me like you really need this right now.”<br />
And so I went into this ten-minute, like Tony Robbins session with this<br />
kiddo. “Listen, I’m not going to force you. I’m not going to tell you that<br />
you should do it. I’m going to leave it up to you. I’m going to let you walk<br />
away right now. And you’re going to dream about this tonight. You don’t<br />
have to make a decision now, but tryouts are, in fact, tomorrow. So, I’m<br />
going to leave you with this choice.” By the end of that day, the dad runs<br />
up to me on the beach and he was kind of emotional and he says, “Hey, >><br />
40 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 41
Phill, I just have to thank you. I don’t know what you said to my son, but<br />
he’s going to tryouts tomorrow!” I mean, it’s moments like those that make<br />
me come back to <strong>Jun</strong>ior Guards every year.<br />
And, what do you do when it’s not summertime? So, the rest of the<br />
year, right now and for the last six years, I’ve been operating an in-home<br />
preschool with my wife. We have ten to twelve preschoolers a day, two<br />
to five years old. It’s called Meemee’s Little Rascals. I go from sixteenyear-olds<br />
on the beach to two-year-olds the rest of the year. I’m kind<br />
of the teacher of the group. I guess you could call me the Director of<br />
Entertainment and Redirection. [laughter] My wife does more of the<br />
arts and crafts, and we mutually watch over the kids and do a structured<br />
learning program. I like pushing kids to their limits. They’re capable of<br />
so much more than they ever think, regardless of age. I mean, I’m doing<br />
lessons on the Mesozoic Era, Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous periods, and<br />
I’m taking them through carnivores and herbivores and identifying and<br />
kind of analyzing the planets, you know; the solar system; and teaching<br />
them Spanish. It’s intense, but, yeah, I have to say that it’s probably one of<br />
the more involved jobs I’ve ever had in my life.<br />
How did you and your wife meet in the first place? I was going through a<br />
hard time and about to hightail it out of town. The transmission on my car<br />
just went out. I was between jobs. Out of money. It was raining and my<br />
friend picks me up. We go to Starbucks and there’s this girl working there<br />
who’s handing out samples. She comes up to me and says, “Would you<br />
like to try a Chantico?” Which is a kind of hot chocolate. And I’m like,<br />
“Oh, I’ve never had that before.” And she says, “Oh, have you not?” I’ve<br />
got this thing with words, and when she said, “Have you not?” It struck<br />
me as different, interesting. So I’m thinking, “Oh, Hello! That sounds like<br />
the right potential.” It was totally weird. Totally different. Interesting. We<br />
walked outside back into the rain and get into the car and I tell my friend<br />
about her. He says to me, “You need to ask her out.” I’m like, “Dude, I am<br />
not asking anybody out. I’m in the last place in the world to be able to do<br />
anything like that.” My car just broke down; I don’t have a job. I’m like a<br />
country song. Dark clouds were hanging over me. But, he stayed on me.<br />
“No, man, you need to go back in there.” So, finally I said, “Alright.” I go<br />
in and get her number. I think it was two weeks later, the day I finally<br />
produced a car, that we go out on a date. We’re married now; Jamie’s eight<br />
generations deep here in San Luis Obispo, which I guess that makes<br />
Curren, our two-year-old son, nine generations here in town.<br />
And what about your dad? It sounds like you never knew him.<br />
I snuck up on my biological dad when I was 32. It was around the<br />
same time I met my wife. I was at a point in my life where I needed<br />
to figure things out, I needed to get rid of the ghost that I had<br />
in my closet. I hadn’t had any contact with him through my life, >><br />
42 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
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JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 43
except for an occasional correspondence when I was younger. It was<br />
very surface. When I was in the military I tracked down his phone<br />
number and called him from the base one night. I said, “Hey, it’s<br />
your son.” And he said, “Oh, hey, can you call me back? I’m having<br />
dinner.” It was weird. I just remember thinking, “Dude, you have no<br />
idea who I am.” I was young, kind of angry, kind of lost, and needing<br />
some direction at that point. Looking back on it now, in retrospect,<br />
I do think it helped shape me into who I am now as a responsible<br />
older adult. But at the time, I’m trying to close the chapter. I needed<br />
to see this guy face-to-face. He hasn’t had the nerve to meet me, so<br />
I’m going to sneak up on him.<br />
Whoa—that’s heavy. I tracked him down. I had a friend who was<br />
living in Virginia at the time, which was the state that he was living<br />
in. And I’m like, “Hey, can I fly out? Can I stay at your place? And<br />
can you help me out with something?” She said, “Yeah, come on out.”<br />
So, she picked me up from the airport. I stayed at her uncle’s house.<br />
The next day, I called around to some of the restaurants to try to pick<br />
out which one he’d be at. And I narrowed it down to one where he’d<br />
most likely be working. It was Thanksgiving Day. We drive off to this<br />
restaurant. It was about an hour away, and we pull into the parking<br />
lot. I walk in and said, “Hi, can I please see so-and-so.” I didn’t know<br />
if he’d be there or not. They’re like, “Yeah. Hold on.” The place was<br />
packed. And, so I went and stood in the corner while the lady went<br />
off to find him. Finally, this man walks up and says, “Can I help<br />
you?” And I said, “Yeah, do you know a guy named Phillip Toriello,<br />
by chance?” And he’s like, “Uh… yeah.” I’m like, “Well, I’m that guy.<br />
How are you doing?”<br />
Wow. And it just turned into a very weird interaction from there. It<br />
was incredible. It was an incredible experience; one of which I’m really<br />
happy I did. We agreed to go out to dinner the next night at some<br />
beachside town. And it was just this really, really weird encounter. It<br />
felt like a business meeting more than anything else. And it was at<br />
that point I said to myself, “Alright. This is nothing. There’s nothing<br />
here.” It was mind-blowing, such a confusing time for me. I was<br />
hoping for more of an emotional connection. Maybe hoping to hear<br />
him apologize for bailing, maybe something like, “I apologize for not<br />
taking initiative more over these years, but I’m really glad that you<br />
did. I’d really like to see this develop.” None of that happened. So, I<br />
thought to myself, I’m just going to take advantage of the tab. Eat<br />
steak and drink wine and call it a day; call it a job well done. Good for<br />
Phill. And that was it.<br />
Do you think that experience shaped you in some way? Yeah. One<br />
hundred percent. That’s how I look back at my life now. I can’t be<br />
angry about it, because everything that I’ve gone through has made<br />
me who I am today. I think that’s contributed to a lot of what my<br />
thing is with working with children. So, yeah, without a doubt,<br />
it really was the groundwork for what I strive for now; providing<br />
things that I wasn’t provided with, those things that I was missing<br />
like respect, and listening, and sincerity, and guidance, and direction,<br />
and integrity. If I didn’t have that experience would I still have the<br />
same passion for teaching? Would I be able to contribute to San Luis<br />
Obispo’s youth in the same way that I do now? Who knows? Nobody<br />
really knows the answers. But, in thinking about where I am today—<br />
it’s a good place. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
44 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
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JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 45
| NOW HEAR THIS<br />
BEAR MARKET RIOT<br />
With their power-folk Americana sound, Central Coast duo Bear Market Riot is here to spread<br />
some joy: “We realize the diversity of thought within the area, but our common humanity binds us<br />
all together, and sometimes that gets so lost. We want to share our positivity and get people to<br />
come together,” says singer-songwriter Kirk Nordby.<br />
BY DAWN JANKE<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHEN DUMMIT<br />
Kirk Nordby (left) and Nick Motil<br />
46 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
UPCOMING SHOWS<br />
6/22 . Barrels in the Plaza . 4:00 p.m.<br />
7/7 . <strong>SLO</strong> Concerts in the Plaza . 5:30 p.m.<br />
7/12 . Solvang Concerts in the Park . 5:00 p.m.<br />
7/25 . CA Mid-State Fair . 7:00 p.m.<br />
K<br />
irk Nordby and music<br />
partner Nick Motil<br />
came together in early<br />
spring of 2014 when<br />
they performed solo<br />
acoustic sets at one of<br />
Steve Key’s Songwriters<br />
at Play showcases.<br />
Explains Nordby,<br />
“After our sets, Nick<br />
just flat-out asked if<br />
I’d be willing to hang out and play music with him.<br />
At the time, we both were in transitional places as<br />
new residents of the area with only a small handful of<br />
friends between us.”<br />
The two began to develop their identity as Bear<br />
Market Riot at the Monday night Baywood/Los Osos<br />
Farmers’ Market. Motil brought a suitcase drum he<br />
made out of an antique leather hatbox that enhanced<br />
their acoustic sound, and the pair became regulars on<br />
the scene. “That was the beginning of it. We had our<br />
orange tip bucket out and would make forty bucks and<br />
some cucumbers. Better yet, we made friends with the<br />
locals, and their encouragement, as well as our own<br />
recognition that we were blending our sounds well<br />
together, kept us going,” says Nordby.<br />
Nordby, who hails originally from Bainbridge Island,<br />
Washington, relocated to the Central Coast in<br />
2011 after traveling through San Luis Obispo with<br />
Olympia-based band, Baker London. “I have a very<br />
supportive family, so I took the leap of faith. I became<br />
a line cook under Chef Chris Kobayashi at Artisan in<br />
Paso Robles and was trying to stretch my legs in the<br />
local music scene when I met Motil.” Motil grew up in<br />
the rural Midwest and toured as a singer-songwriter<br />
in his twenties before moving to Pismo Beach with his<br />
wife. “By now, we both have golden handcuffs locked<br />
to this area,” admits Nordby.<br />
Plaza, and we’re playing this year, too. It’s a really big deal—we’re so amped.”<br />
Nordby and Motil are also amped to celebrate the vinyl release of their first<br />
full-length album, Power-Folk Americana, this <strong>Jun</strong>e, which was produced and<br />
mastered with funding they secured through a successful Kickstarter campaign.<br />
Nordby shares, “The network Nick and I have developed in <strong>SLO</strong> County worked<br />
for us: our community held us up, and it was amazing.”<br />
Nordby continues, “We have elected to grow here on the Central Coast, to<br />
continue to build our local fan base, and it’s paying off. We bring our own songs<br />
to the table and have fun with them when we perform, but we also play covers<br />
in different tempos, keys, or time signatures, and people just let loose.” Among<br />
their most popular covers are Simon and Garfunkel’s “Cecilia” as a waltz and a<br />
bluegrass version of R. Kelly’s “Ignition (Remix).”<br />
Collaboratively writing new music is now at the forefront for Nordby and Motil,<br />
music reflective of a more adult place that captures the intricacies of everyday life.<br />
And Nordby recently added the baritone to the list of instruments he can play,<br />
so the power portion of Bear Market Riot’s power-folk sound has expanded. He<br />
explains, “The baritone is strung four steps below a regular acoustic guitar, and we<br />
have been pushing that tone through an amplifier to generate a bass tone, so on<br />
top of our step drum and guitars, we now have the bass.” As well, Motil added a<br />
foot tambourine to the mix, “So we have gain and grit: vocals, harmonica, bass,<br />
drums, tambourine, and guitars,” says Nordby. Or, as the band’s website describes<br />
it, Bear Market Riot is “two bearded men playing seven instruments.”<br />
While the two at times trade off on lead vocals, Nordby and Motil perform many<br />
of their songs together in harmony. Their sound combines a variety of genres<br />
representing the duo’s distinct musical influences. Nordby credits David Bowie<br />
for inspiration, in addition to English rock bands T. Rex and Roxy Music; Motil<br />
lists The Killers, Everclear’s Art Alexakis, and singer-songwriter David Gray<br />
among his influences. So they draw from rock and pop music, yet the band emits<br />
a bluegrass, country vibe. As Nordby jokes, “We’re bears in sheep’s clothing.”<br />
However they are described, it is clear that Bear<br />
Market Riot is a favorite among locals, recently voted<br />
<strong>SLO</strong> County’s “Best Band” for the <strong>2017</strong> New Times<br />
Readers’ Poll. “By the grace of <strong>SLO</strong> County residents,<br />
who are extremely friendly and supportive, it is<br />
working out for us,” observes Nordby.<br />
With so many music venues on the Central Coast, it<br />
has been easy for the duo to perform live almost every<br />
day, and they do so happily. In fact, Bear Market Riot<br />
has played on just about every stage in the county,<br />
including at the wineries and breweries, as well as at<br />
the California Mid-State Fair, Whale Rock Music and<br />
Arts Festival, <strong>SLO</strong> Brew, Vina Robles Amphitheatre,<br />
and Live Oak Music Festival. Nordby adds, “The<br />
coolest show we played last year was Concerts in the<br />
Their vinyl is pressed, thank you notes are prepared,<br />
and the band is ready to celebrate with their<br />
community this summer. “In the genesis of small<br />
bands that make a lot of noise,” says Nordby, “we’re a<br />
riot. We break the fourth wall and talk to the crowd<br />
a lot, making corny jokes and putting off a hoedown<br />
vibe.” In effect, Bear Market Riot is positively<br />
infectious and their sound keeps the people on the<br />
dance floor satisfied. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
DAWN JANKE, Director,<br />
University Writing & Rhetoric<br />
Center Cal Poly, keeps her<br />
pulse on the Central Coast<br />
music scene.<br />
JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 47
| DWELLING<br />
EDITING<br />
by design<br />
48 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
The secret to good editing is knowing what to cut and knowing what to keep. For<br />
JOHN P. LINDSAY and his wife, LESLIE WARD, elegantly honing raw materials down<br />
to their essence has become second nature. The couple had spent their long careers<br />
as editors at the Los Angeles Times, training their senses to capture rhetorical gems<br />
while reflexively discarding the “fluff,” those extra words that do not add to the story.<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELLIOTT JOHNSON<br />
JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 49
it was another newspaper that brought the retired journalists<br />
to the Central Coast in the first place. An ad in the Wall Street Journal<br />
beckoned readers to “Live with the Land” at the Las Ventanas Ranch<br />
neighborhood, an “ag cluster” abutting Talley Farms in Arroyo Grande.<br />
The concept was intriguing: a fraction of the farmland had been<br />
subdivided into home parcels creating a quasi-neighborhood. It took<br />
the best elements of country and suburban living, combined the two and<br />
offered it up into neat little building parcels within an ocean of protected<br />
open space. The editors were sold.<br />
50 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>Fittingly,
Immediately, Lindsay and Ward dove into the project, treating it as if<br />
they had just received a hot tip on a story. Reverting back to investigative<br />
journalism, the couple followed every lead. It was a house they found in<br />
Louisiana that finally connected all the dots and broke it wide open. With<br />
the vision established, the couple set out to find an architect, and a builder,<br />
simultaneously. “A lot of people hire an architect and say, ‘Here’s what our<br />
dream is,’ and the architect draws their dream house and then they go out<br />
and get three bids from builders, and they are all much higher than they<br />
thought, and they are horrified.”<br />
After a series of interviews, relatively quickly the couple had their<br />
team in place. David Gast of San Francisco, who had a bevy of modern<br />
farmhouses in his portfolio, was selected as the architect. And, Semmes<br />
& Co. Builders of Atascadero was tapped as the general contractor. The<br />
first of many conference calls began with the challenge to hone the project<br />
down to its essence—no fluff—and remain within budget. Along the way,<br />
Jessica Steely, General Manger of Semmes & Co. Builders, maintained a<br />
spreadsheet with different budget scenarios ranging from low to middle to<br />
high in an effort to rein in the spending. “They went for ‘high-high’,” she >><br />
JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 51
laughs. “Their creativity and their connection to the art world made this<br />
a fascinating collaboration. But, the budget was definitely a challenge—I<br />
don’t think they realized how sophisticated their tastes were.”<br />
While the finishing touches—high-end marble countertops, hand-made<br />
tile, designer wood floors—get most of the attention, it is the various<br />
systems that the environmentally-minded couple chose that quietly do<br />
the heavy lifting in the background. A solar water system warms the<br />
pool, a photovoltaic array provides electricity, and a hybrid electric water<br />
heater supplies the hot water. The home’s passive solar design allows it to<br />
go without air conditioning as it takes advantage of sunlight throughout<br />
the year while accounting for the prevailing breeze blowing through the<br />
surrounding hills.<br />
The dwelling, essentially a series of structures with steep-pitched roofs<br />
connected by flat-roofed hallways, is intended to look like a cluster of<br />
buildings huddled closely together. Everything is on one level, except<br />
for the upstairs exercise room, which may one day serve as the quarters<br />
for a live-in caretaker. Anchoring the farmhouse is the centralized<br />
great room where four sliding glass doors open, two on each side, to<br />
courtyards creating an outside-in feel to the already open, airy space<br />
capped by a vaulted ceiling hemmed with clerestory windows. The home<br />
flows intuitively and effortlessly from one room to the next, every detail<br />
carefully considered and seamlessly integrated, as family and friends who<br />
visit become enchanted, absorbed by the hillside farmhouse—in the same<br />
way readers of a well-edited story do. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
52 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
More of what you want for your home!<br />
Save up to 20% Off*<br />
*SELECT HOT TUB MODELS<br />
JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 53
| ARCHITECTURE<br />
DESIGN<br />
+<br />
BUILD<br />
In this ongoing feature, <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine is proud to partner with the American<br />
Institute of Architects California Central Coast to unveil its current project winners and highlight<br />
our local design and engineering talent. Each month, the organization reviews submissions<br />
and selects the top Central Coast projects. Below are two recent installments to this series.<br />
<strong>Jun</strong>e Project Recognition<br />
The Hallow Tree<br />
Architect flux DESIGN<br />
Contractor B G Broome<br />
Owner Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden<br />
A husband and wife team based in San Luis Obispo, who make up<br />
the company flux DESIGN, was selected to design and construct a<br />
playhouse based on the following prompt from their client:<br />
“Treehouses, forts and playhouses evoke memories of escaping outdoors<br />
to explore, dream and play, of hours of imagination and creating worlds<br />
of our own invention in the fresh air. Small play structures of all kinds,<br />
called Wee Houses for this exhibition, have always been important<br />
places we play. In 2016, Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden presents ‘Wee<br />
Houses: Places We Play,’ an interactive art exhibition to celebrate play<br />
structures with a design and installation competition.”<br />
The goals set out by the client included engaging diverse audiences,<br />
inspiring creativity in outdoor play, creatively using natural materials,<br />
and responding to the varied landscape conditions of the botanical<br />
gardens. flux DESIGN’s proposal was based on the narrative of the<br />
book “I am a Bunny” by Ole Risom and Richard Scarry. This story<br />
details a year in the life of a bunny who lives in a hollow tree and, from<br />
the shelter and safety of his tree, explores and experiences the flora<br />
and fauna of the changing seasons. Constructed of wood with careful<br />
detailing, the hollow tree is a geometricized abstraction. It creates a<br />
perch from which to experience the changing context while framing<br />
it in distinct ways. The doorway is intentionally diminished to reflect<br />
the scale of its miniature users, and the apertures in the façade are<br />
positioned at different heights and orientations to frame elements<br />
of the surroundings, views that vary with one’s vantage point. The<br />
overhead aperture draws the gaze upward, framing a changing image<br />
of the sky and creating a dynamic play of light and shadow.<br />
54 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
CONNECT WITH YOUR LOCAL<br />
ARCHITECT.<br />
AIA CALIFORNIA CENTRAL COAST.<br />
COMMUNITY FIRST.<br />
www.aiacentralcoast.org<br />
Make it BIG with CRS and DataArc<br />
Large & Small Format Print Services | equipment Sales & Service | Digital Archiving and Indexing<br />
Coastal Reprographic Services<br />
San Luis obispo<br />
805-543-5247<br />
880 via esteban suite b<br />
san luis obispo, ca 93401<br />
Santa Maria<br />
805-928-7469<br />
2295 A Street<br />
Santa Maria, Ca<br />
DataArc, LLC<br />
Santa Maria<br />
805-928-7469<br />
2295 A Street<br />
Santa Maria, Ca<br />
Make it big with CRS and DataArc<br />
JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 55
<strong>Jul</strong>y Project Recognition<br />
Hilliard Bruce Winery<br />
Architect Val Milosevic<br />
Green Consultant In Balance Green Consulting<br />
Structural Smith Structural Group<br />
Civil Tartaglia<br />
Mechanical Knecht’s Plumbing and Heating<br />
Electrical JMPE<br />
Landscape Arcadia Studio<br />
Interiors Christine Bruce<br />
Lighting ILLUM<br />
Contractor Rarig Construction<br />
Commissioning/HERS Palt and Associates<br />
Photographer Jeremy Ball, Bottle Branding<br />
Hilliard Bruce Winery is an 11,750-square-foot production facility and<br />
event space that unites aesthetics and function in dramatic fashion. Set<br />
in the hills of Lompoc, California, the modern glass and steel structure<br />
provides an energy- and water-efficient space for grape processing,<br />
bottling, and storage, as well as celebrations. The cyclical and intermittent<br />
nature of the building’s occupancy made multi-functionality important<br />
from an investment perspective and presented opportunities for resource<br />
efficiency and design optimization.<br />
The two-story winery is built into a hill, facilitating grape delivery on a<br />
second floor covered crush pad and then a gravity-fed production process.<br />
Energy is also saved by locating the barrel storage in subterranean first<br />
floor rooms. Blending and processing share space with the project’s<br />
open kitchen and event area, which is fronted by a 28-foot north-facing<br />
window wall. The views from within and without are extraordinary and<br />
practical, as natural daylight is allowed to penetrate the production area,<br />
balancing light from suntubes, without unwanted solar heat gain.<br />
About the AIA CCC<br />
The American Institute<br />
of Architects has been<br />
the leading professional<br />
membership association<br />
for licensed architects,<br />
emerging professionals,<br />
and allied partners since<br />
1957. The local California<br />
Central Coast division<br />
works in collaboration<br />
with <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine<br />
to showcase its monthly<br />
award-winning projects<br />
demonstrating notable<br />
concepts that have<br />
been constructed after<br />
being designed by local<br />
architects. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
This is a LEED Silver Certified project that has incorporated many<br />
additional environmentally sensitive design elements, such as balanced<br />
daylight throughout and reusing the processed water for adjacent field<br />
irrigation. Since water is such a sensitive resource, this project also<br />
maintains that 99% of stormwater is infiltrated and treated in on-site<br />
bioswales, and 52% of the site remains vegetated open space with droughttolerant<br />
plantings. Beyond the winery’s approach to water conservation,<br />
this project was constructed by regionally sourcing 32% of the materials.<br />
Also, a ten-kilowatt photovoltaic system provides 28% of total energy usage.<br />
56 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
The Community Counseling Center has expanded its therapy space with the landmark<br />
purchase of 676 Pismo Street (the historic Piggot House). The property will be converted<br />
from residential to a professional office and is a forty percent increase in space for the<br />
agency’s low income clients in San Luis Obispo. Mary Moloney, realtor with San Luis<br />
Obispo Realty was helpful in the success of this purchase. Since 1968, the Community<br />
Counseling Center has been the leading affordable mental health therapy provider for low<br />
income and under-insured residents of San Luis Obispo County.<br />
Pictured: Irene Iwan, board president; James Statler, executive director; Al Amaral, board member;<br />
Tina Bailey, board member; Barbara George, emeritus board member<br />
The team at SAN LUIS OBISPO REALTY makes dreams come true!<br />
SAN LUIS OBISPO REALTY<br />
805-544-9161<br />
WWW.SANLUISOBISPO-HOMES.COM<br />
441 MARSH STREET, SAN LUIS OBISPO<br />
JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 57
| <strong>SLO</strong> CITY<br />
REAL ESTATE<br />
BY THE NUMBERS<br />
laguna<br />
lake<br />
tank<br />
farm<br />
cal poly<br />
area<br />
country<br />
club<br />
down<br />
town<br />
foothill<br />
blvd<br />
johnson<br />
ave<br />
Total Homes Sold<br />
Average Asking Price<br />
Average Selling Price<br />
Sales Price as a % of Asking Price<br />
Average # of Days on the Market<br />
Total Homes Sold<br />
Average Asking Price<br />
Average Selling Price<br />
Sales Price as a % of Asking Price<br />
Average # of Days on the Market<br />
Total Homes Sold<br />
Average Asking Price<br />
Average Selling Price<br />
Sales Price as a % of Asking Price<br />
Average # of Days on the Market<br />
Total Homes Sold<br />
Average Asking Price<br />
Average Selling Price<br />
Sales Price as a % of Asking Price<br />
Average # of Days on the Market<br />
Total Homes Sold<br />
Average Asking Price<br />
Average Selling Price<br />
Sales Price as a % of Asking Price<br />
Average # of Days on the Market<br />
Total Homes Sold<br />
Average Asking Price<br />
Average Selling Price<br />
Sales Price as a % of Asking Price<br />
Average # of Days on the Market<br />
2016<br />
24<br />
$658,608<br />
$648,767<br />
98.51%<br />
42<br />
2016<br />
15<br />
$704,900<br />
$701,267<br />
99.48%<br />
41<br />
2016<br />
15<br />
$762,860<br />
$758,149<br />
99.38%<br />
14<br />
2016<br />
8<br />
$1,103,875<br />
$1,060,500<br />
96.07%<br />
65<br />
2016<br />
23<br />
$710,904<br />
$697,035<br />
98.05%<br />
30<br />
2016<br />
14<br />
$758,193<br />
$746,893<br />
98.51%<br />
45<br />
2016<br />
Total Homes Sold<br />
16<br />
Average Asking Price<br />
$719,159<br />
Average Selling Price<br />
$709,142<br />
Sales Price as a % of Asking Price 98.61%<br />
Average # of Days on the Market 94<br />
<strong>2017</strong><br />
24<br />
$661,512<br />
$653,335<br />
98.76%<br />
24<br />
<strong>2017</strong><br />
7<br />
$719,684<br />
$712,843<br />
99.05%<br />
31<br />
<strong>2017</strong><br />
19<br />
$751,316<br />
$739,969<br />
99.49%<br />
42<br />
<strong>2017</strong><br />
5<br />
$956,333<br />
$937,890<br />
98.07%<br />
59<br />
<strong>2017</strong><br />
13<br />
$615,284<br />
$611,080<br />
99.32%<br />
67<br />
<strong>2017</strong><br />
20<br />
$758,780<br />
$747,922<br />
98.57%<br />
31<br />
<strong>2017</strong><br />
18<br />
$716,156<br />
$708,306<br />
98.90%<br />
38<br />
+/-<br />
0.00%<br />
0.44%<br />
0.70%<br />
0.25%<br />
-42.86%<br />
+/-<br />
-53.33%<br />
2.10%<br />
1.65%<br />
-0.43%<br />
-24.39%<br />
+/-<br />
26.67%<br />
-1.51%<br />
-2.40%<br />
0.11%<br />
200.00%<br />
+/-<br />
-37.50%<br />
-13.37%<br />
-11.56%<br />
2.00%<br />
-9.23%<br />
+/-<br />
-43.48%<br />
-13.45%<br />
-12.33%<br />
1.27%<br />
123.33%<br />
+/-<br />
42.86%<br />
0.08%<br />
0.14%<br />
0.06%<br />
-31.11%<br />
+/-<br />
12.50%<br />
-0.42%<br />
-0.12%<br />
0.29%<br />
-59.57%<br />
*Comparing 01/01/16 - 05/25/16 to 01/01/17 - 05/25/17<br />
SOURCE: San Luis Obispo Association of REALTORS ®<br />
<strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
58 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
More than<br />
Pre-Approved.<br />
Approved.<br />
Finally, home financing as competitive as cash. RPM’s Advance Approval<br />
program offers upfront credit approval, allowing you to shop for a home<br />
with your loan already in-hand.<br />
Start a conversation with us today<br />
Donna Lewis<br />
Branch Manager/Senior Loan Advisor<br />
NMLS #245945<br />
805.235.0463<br />
donnalewis@rpm-mtg.com<br />
www.rpm-mtg.com/dlewis<br />
Dylan Morrow<br />
Loan Advisor<br />
NMLS #1461481<br />
805.550.9742<br />
dmorrow@rpm-mtg.com<br />
www.rpm-mtg.com/dmorrow<br />
Brandi Warren<br />
Senior Loan Advisor<br />
NMLS# 290534<br />
661.332.2074<br />
bwarren@rpm-mtg.com<br />
www.rpm-mtg.com/bwarren<br />
Kim Gabriele<br />
Senior Loan Advisor<br />
NMLS# 263247<br />
805.471.6186<br />
kgabriele@rpm-mtg.com<br />
www.rpm-mtg.com/kgabriele<br />
Ken Neate<br />
Loan Advisor<br />
NMLS# 373607<br />
925.963.1015<br />
kneate@rpm-mtg.com<br />
www.rpm-mtg.com/kneate<br />
Lou Escoto<br />
Loan Advisor<br />
NMLS# 274721<br />
805.904.7724<br />
lescoto@rpm-mtg.com<br />
www.rpm-mtg.com/lescoto<br />
755 Santa Rosa Street, Suite 300, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401<br />
1022 Mill Street, Suite D, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401<br />
RPM Mortgage, Inc. – NMLS#9472 – Licensed by the Department of Business Oversight under the Residential Mortgage Lending Act | 5936 |<br />
Equal Housing Opportunity.<br />
JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 59
The Manse<br />
on Marsh<br />
| <strong>SLO</strong> COUNTY<br />
REAL ESTATE<br />
REGION<br />
BY THE NUMBERS<br />
NUMBER OF<br />
HOMES SOLD<br />
AVERAGE DAYS<br />
ON MARKET<br />
MEDIAN SELLING<br />
PRICE<br />
2016<br />
<strong>2017</strong><br />
2016<br />
<strong>2017</strong><br />
2016<br />
<strong>2017</strong><br />
Senior Living Within Reach.<br />
Without Limitations.<br />
Arroyo Grande<br />
Atascadero<br />
122<br />
101<br />
106<br />
148<br />
46<br />
54<br />
68<br />
69<br />
$693,529<br />
$495,419<br />
$797,376<br />
$551,406<br />
Live the full, uplifting lifestyle you<br />
desire – rich in services, amenities<br />
and possibilities you deserve – at<br />
The Manse on Marsh. We offer a<br />
range of lifestyle options, including<br />
independent living, assisted living,<br />
short-term stays and palliative care.<br />
Avila Beach<br />
Cambria/San Simeon<br />
Cayucos<br />
Creston<br />
10<br />
59<br />
13<br />
2<br />
7<br />
54<br />
19<br />
7<br />
123<br />
122<br />
104<br />
33<br />
118<br />
86<br />
127<br />
119<br />
$1,104,350 $1,039,143<br />
$681,563 $661,369<br />
$1,284,038 $1,135,947<br />
$947,000 $730,857<br />
With a variety of accommodations,<br />
here you will find choice, freedom<br />
and opportunity. We invite you to<br />
attend our <strong>Jun</strong>e events and<br />
experience senior living within<br />
reach. Without limitations.<br />
Grover Beach<br />
Los Osos<br />
Morro Bay<br />
53<br />
70<br />
50<br />
74<br />
52<br />
53<br />
43<br />
66<br />
80<br />
46<br />
30<br />
60<br />
$485,060 $525,769<br />
$614,529 $600,944<br />
$650,586 $679,274<br />
R ates Starting at $2,950!<br />
Nipomo<br />
74<br />
83<br />
43<br />
55<br />
$588,423<br />
$609,428<br />
Open House Tour of Models<br />
Thursday, <strong>Jun</strong>e 15 • 3 p.m.<br />
Wine & cheese will be served.<br />
Oceano<br />
Pismo Beach<br />
14<br />
51<br />
20<br />
39<br />
36<br />
75<br />
64<br />
47<br />
$446,200 $440,445<br />
$1,037,682 $1,104,985<br />
Downsize Your Home,<br />
Upsize Your Lifestyle<br />
Thursday, <strong>Jun</strong>e 29 • 3 p.m.<br />
Presented by Joann Peters<br />
Light appetizers and cocktails will be served.<br />
Call to RSVP at least<br />
two days prior to event.<br />
805-225-9360<br />
Paso (Inside City Limits)<br />
Paso (North 46 - East 101)<br />
Paso (North 46 - West 101)<br />
Paso (South 46 - East 101)<br />
San Luis Obispo<br />
173<br />
13<br />
43<br />
22<br />
138<br />
177<br />
17<br />
41<br />
18<br />
128<br />
55<br />
44<br />
133<br />
84<br />
52<br />
50<br />
51<br />
122<br />
80<br />
41<br />
$444,419<br />
$368,266<br />
$544,493<br />
$552,195<br />
$746,698<br />
$470,395<br />
$471,609<br />
$487,043<br />
$828,581<br />
$780,399<br />
Santa Margarita<br />
5<br />
10<br />
56<br />
46<br />
$193,600<br />
$390,700<br />
Simply Abundant Living<br />
475 Marsh Street • San Luis Obispo, CA 93401<br />
www.TheManse.net<br />
60 | <strong>SLO</strong> CA <strong>LIFE</strong> License MAGAZINE # 405800545 | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong><br />
Templeton<br />
Countywide<br />
40<br />
1,072<br />
46<br />
1,116<br />
*Comparing 01/01/16 - 05/25/16 to 01/01/17 - 05/25/17<br />
76 72 $697,711 $705,568<br />
61 61 $599,243 $628,815<br />
SOURCE: San Luis Obispo Association of REALTORS ®<br />
<strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong>
FINN PLUMBING Inc.<br />
old school quality<br />
Water Heaters/Water Savings<br />
Re-pipes/Remodels<br />
Service and Repair<br />
All Plumbing Services<br />
805.544.LEAK<br />
805.528.4693<br />
License #725487<br />
...print a $50 off coupon<br />
at our website finnplumbing.com...<br />
Christopher Cooke<br />
(805) 206-8529<br />
CalBRE #01953565<br />
Leah Cowley<br />
(805) 235-5195<br />
CalBRE # 01497156<br />
Aaron Anderson<br />
(805) 550-7074<br />
CalBRE # 01408502<br />
Rock View Realty® . 146 North Ocean Avenue . Cayucos<br />
JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 61
SPONSORED<br />
BEYOND<br />
FINANCIAL<br />
PLANNING<br />
101<br />
Five<br />
simple things you<br />
should do to help improve<br />
your wealth building TODAY<br />
Erika D. Bylund, CRPS®<br />
Most people know they should do three things: save early and consistently for retirement, diversify their<br />
investments, and have an emergency stash of cash. Let’s go beyond the basics of financial planning 101. Here<br />
are five simple things that can make or break your financial success and lifestyle—at any age.<br />
1. Get a living trust—and update it.<br />
Living trusts can be relatively inexpensive, efficient, and a flexible<br />
way to control and protect your assets. If your assets exceed<br />
$150,000 and are not in an IRA, retirement, or pension plan, you<br />
need a trust. Some people try to get around it by listing some<br />
accounts as payable or transfer on death, or they title assets jointly<br />
with an heir. These methods can be effective in many situations,<br />
but you have to be mindful of the tax ramifications which can be<br />
more expensive than the cost of a trust. If you own real estate in<br />
multiple states, you should have a trust to avoid multiple probates<br />
in each state. In California, statutory fees of the probate process<br />
can easily run into the five figures vs. the cost of a trust which runs<br />
about $2,500 for a couple. A trust can also give you the flexibility<br />
to build in contingencies and dictate how assets are divided. For<br />
example, what happens if little Billy never paid back the loan mom<br />
and dad gave him 15 years ago—does he still get the full amount<br />
of the inheritance? You can also protect your bequests from being<br />
contested by family members and others, not to mention the<br />
distribution processing time is significantly shorter than probate.<br />
The list goes on and on—this is a no brainer. Once you have a<br />
trust drafted, make sure to update it when major things change—<br />
birth of a child or grandchild, divorce or re-marriage, or acquisition<br />
of a new asset. I can’t tell you how many times I see an ex-spouse<br />
listed as a successor trustee on separate property assets. Also,<br />
make sure to add your Trust as “additional insured” on your<br />
homeowner’s policy.<br />
2. Get umbrella insurance.<br />
If you know what this is, then I’m impressed. Umbrella insurance<br />
is excess liability coverage in the event you’re sued for a negligent<br />
act. Your homeowner’s or renter’s policy usually covers an amount<br />
up to $300,000 or $500,000. If your net worth exceeds this<br />
amount, you need umbrella coverage. Umbrella is typically sold<br />
in increments of $1MM, and can be relatively inexpensive (couple<br />
$100 a year per $1MM). Because negligence is common and easy<br />
to demonstrate, it only makes sense to get this, especially if you<br />
answer yes to any of these: Do you have a pool or hot tub? Do you<br />
have teen drivers? Do you have ATV’s or ORV’s? Here’s where<br />
you get the bang for your buck—if you are sued, the insurance<br />
company will typically provide and cover the cost for an attorney<br />
and your defense (because they want to minimize the claim). You<br />
can get umbrella insurance online or call your current home or<br />
auto carriers. Going through your existing carrier can sometimes<br />
be expensive, so you may need to shop around and contact a<br />
surplus lines broker. There are several good ones in <strong>SLO</strong> County.<br />
3. Keep your money working for you.<br />
Do you have cash sitting in your 401(k) account or your IRA that<br />
you rolled over from a former employer? Go fix that right now!<br />
If you’re 10 years or more away from needing the money, at<br />
least consider putting it in a Target Date fund so the money is<br />
working for you while you’re not thinking about it. Idle cash is an<br />
opportunity wasted, and you are losing money to inflation over<br />
time, even though the balance stays relatively constant. There<br />
will always be political changes, pending wars, and economic<br />
uncertainties, but time has a way of neutralizing the side effects—<br />
just don’t let fear keep you on the sidelines.<br />
4. Get life insurance while you’re young and healthy.<br />
Life insurance is a greatly underestimated and inexpensive<br />
tool. Sometimes I run into people who think that the $50,000 life<br />
insurance policy they got through their employer is sufficient. Is that<br />
enough to pay your mortgage and feed your family? Some wait to<br />
get life insurance until after they’ve had a major medical issue or<br />
after they’ve smoked for 10 years. You can sometimes get it, but<br />
it’s expensive. There are several ways to figure out how much life<br />
62 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
SPONSORED<br />
insurance you need and how long should you have it. But in general,<br />
you need enough so that your survivors can pay the bills for a few<br />
years if needed and/or pay off the mortgage, pay for college, and any<br />
other expenses like estate taxes. The term of the insurance should<br />
last as long as the need (usually until kids are out of college or until<br />
retirement age if your assets are built up enough). Even if you’re<br />
a smoker, some carriers will qualify you for non-smoker rates after<br />
abstaining for 1 to 3 years. You can always reduce the face amount<br />
of your policy (and the premium) later down the road if you don’t need<br />
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JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 63
| INSIGHT<br />
<strong>SLO</strong>MA + <strong>SLO</strong> REP<br />
and the Making of a Cultural Corridor<br />
There is a famous line in Nashville, often shared with daydreaming country western musicians that<br />
goes something like this: It takes 20 years to create an overnight success. For two non-profit arts<br />
organizations in San Luis Obispo, dreaming big suddenly looks like a perfectly reasonable thing to do.<br />
BY TOM FRANCISKOVICH<br />
<strong>SLO</strong>MA rendering<br />
The San Luis Obispo<br />
Museum of Art<br />
(<strong>SLO</strong>MA) and the San<br />
Luis Obispo Repertory<br />
Theatre (<strong>SLO</strong> REP),<br />
which is the recently<br />
renamed San Luis Obispo<br />
Little Theatre, are poised<br />
to dramatically reshape<br />
downtown within the<br />
next three or four years, if—it's still an “if ” and not<br />
a “when”—their new buildings are able to become a<br />
reality. Local policymakers light up with excitement<br />
and talk faster—much like a record company<br />
executive would in describing their next big hit<br />
maker—and they are beginning to grasp the coming<br />
of a new “cultural corridor” along Monterey Street<br />
in the area the organizations’ new multi-million<br />
dollar facilities will soon occupy—that is, if the stars align. The corridor would also be made up<br />
of longtime neighborhood anchors, which include the Children’s Museum, the History Center,<br />
and the Mission. But, a few million hurdles still remain.<br />
In some ways, the path forward for <strong>SLO</strong>MA is more clear, the finish line more visible. To be<br />
sure, it has taken a lot of gigs in smoky, mostly empty saloons to get to this point. Their story<br />
begins 17 years ago when the idea of building a world-class museum was first presented to the<br />
city planning commission. Over the years things finally started to pick up, a momentum was felt,<br />
donors were jumping on board, the city council gave the project its blessing; then 2008 arrived<br />
ushering in the Great Recession and it all came to a screeching halt. “We parked it; we parked<br />
the campaign,” is how Karen Kile, <strong>SLO</strong>MA’s executive director remembers those times. “But,<br />
people continued to give; they’ve been donating since the first glimpse of the [new building]<br />
design.” The donations served as seed money to carry the organization through the economic<br />
malaise and allowed it to live another day. Then, somewhere around 2013, <strong>SLO</strong>MA decided it<br />
was time to tromp on the gas once again—full speed ahead.<br />
Last October, a full-time capital campaign fundraiser was put on the payroll. As a result, this<br />
year alone, <strong>SLO</strong>MA has raised $2 million from individual donors. “We have a very ambitious >><br />
64 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
Architecture<br />
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JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 65
<strong>SLO</strong> REP rendering<br />
goal,” Kile admits. “Go ahead and put it in print. We want to break ground in 2019.” The new<br />
museum at 26,000 square feet is estimated to take 14 months to build. Kile elaborates, “Just<br />
to put things in perspective for how long these projects take, the Copelands [developers of the<br />
current China Town Project] introduced their plans at the same city council meeting we did<br />
back in 2000 or 2001.” The city, to be sure, has been a longtime supporter of <strong>SLO</strong>MA as the<br />
current museum sits on city-owned land. While <strong>SLO</strong>MA owns the structure itself, and is fully<br />
responsible for its upkeep, the land on which it sits is leased for just one dollar per year.<br />
The total budget for <strong>SLO</strong>MA’s capital fundraising campaign is $15 million with $12 million<br />
going toward constructing the museum and $3 million to be held as working capital for<br />
future operational expenses. Currently, the amount raised is $3.5 million. Fundraising efforts<br />
will intensify as 2019 approaches and Kile insists that building will not commence until<br />
the $15 million is “in-hand, or darn close.” But, the challenges facing <strong>SLO</strong>MA are just as<br />
much logistical in nature as they are budgetary, however, as the new museum will sit exactly<br />
where the current facility is now. In other words, the existing museum will be razed and the<br />
operation will have to temporarily relocate. Kile shares that she hopes a downtown space will<br />
open up for a short-term rental during the period of construction, so it can continue to host<br />
visitors during that time. There are a lot of moving parts to the plan and it will take some<br />
heavy donations, many, many grants, tons of individual giving, and a lot of logistical support<br />
locally, to make it happen. If Kile and her colleagues at <strong>SLO</strong>MA can pull it off, a world-class<br />
facility will sit a stone's throw away from, well, another world-class facility.<br />
When <strong>SLO</strong> REP announced last month that it had changed its name, Kevin Harris, the<br />
organization’s managing artistic director, was quick to point out that only one word of<br />
its 70-year-old moniker was altered: San Luis Obispo Little Theatre became San Luis<br />
Obispo Repertory Theatre. The absence of the word “little” suggested that something big<br />
was happening. And, it is fitting since the organization has been on a five-year journey<br />
evolving from an all-volunteer theatre to one that is semi-professional. The change started<br />
to take hold in 2012, when after having trouble casting the roles of Pablo Picasso and<br />
Albert Einstein for the play "Picasso at the Lapin Agile," the theatre ponied up $300<br />
plus housing for the actors. The show was a hit and it became clear that investing in<br />
acting talent was yielding a better product. It did not take long for audiences to notice<br />
the difference, ticket sales increased by 50% and the organization’s budget doubled to<br />
$750,000 putting it in the top 3% nationwide. Clearly, the investment paid off, and<br />
starting with the upcoming <strong>2017</strong>-18 season, which begins in August, everyone, including<br />
all cast members and crew, will be paid.<br />
It was around the same time that Harris was signing checks for Picasso and Einstein that the<br />
idea was floated for a new facility. The space the theatre operates within now is a city-owned<br />
building, the former library, which, like <strong>SLO</strong>MA, it leases for one dollar per year (it’s different<br />
in that it does not own the structure itself, it rents the entire property). As city planners<br />
envisioned an expansion of Mission Plaza, they began exploring different ways to maximize<br />
the space that already exists. A common complaint downtown is the lack of available parking.<br />
To this end, a parking garage has been proposed at the corner of Palm and Nipomo Streets.<br />
The idea is to have the garage and <strong>SLO</strong> REP’s new theatre complex share the same parcel. At<br />
this time, the parking garage is in the midst of its environmental impact report, which is one<br />
of the final hurdles prior to obtaining building permits. According to city officials, the very<br />
earliest the garage could be approved is this fall.<br />
The question of the parking garage is significant.<br />
<strong>SLO</strong> REP and the city are tied closely together on<br />
the project—again, it will be renting the land to the<br />
organization for a dollar per year—because there<br />
are some economies of scale that can be achieved by<br />
partially building simultaneously. For example, the<br />
all-concrete multi-story parking structure would be<br />
an ideal time to pour the foundation for the theatre.<br />
However, it does also create a logjam of sorts in<br />
that the architectural design of the theatre cannot<br />
be finalized until the parking garage project is fully<br />
approved, therefore, the ultimate cost—although<br />
expected to be in the $6 to $7 million range—cannot<br />
be fully known. Local donors appear ready to<br />
support the project, but <strong>SLO</strong> REP will not be formally<br />
accepting commitments until the plan is complete. Plus,<br />
there is always a chance, although it appears remote at<br />
this time, that the parking garage does not receive an<br />
approval. Its denial would, of course, leave the <strong>SLO</strong><br />
REP theatre plans in limbo. The fates of the parking<br />
structure and the theatre are very much tied together.<br />
When seven thespian-minded San Luis Obispans<br />
passed the hat around in 1947 to fund the opening<br />
of a community theatre in a tiny rented space on<br />
Monterey Street, it would have been difficult to<br />
imagine a future that included 94% capacity for six<br />
shows a week, 42 out of 52 weeks per year. The idea<br />
for a new, larger theatre is not a “build it and they<br />
will come” roll-of-the-dice proposition, it's more like<br />
“build it because they are already here.” And, Harris,<br />
who speaks passionately about the overall effect of<br />
the Mission Plaza expansion, states,“Having this<br />
cultural corridor, or arts district, or whatever you<br />
want to call it, will be a tremendous boon to the city<br />
in so many different ways. It will allow us to make a<br />
concrete, tangible statement about the importance of<br />
arts and culture by creating a district right downtown<br />
that is dedicated to that.” While he admits that “the<br />
very best case scenario for groundbreaking would<br />
be 2019,” he does share Kile’s optimism that the<br />
community will support it and that donors are ready<br />
to step forward. And, like Kile, he is remaining<br />
focused on the vision, the ultimate outcome, which<br />
is the same thing some no-name kid is doing now as<br />
she strums the first chord on her guitar at her first<br />
gig in some no-name honky-tonk in the backwoods<br />
of Tennessee. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
66 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 67
| ON THE RISE<br />
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT<br />
Erin Spillane<br />
Driven by her love of politics and with a keen sense<br />
of adventure, this Mission College Prep High School<br />
graduating senior is rising to new heights.<br />
What sort of extracurricular activities are you involved in? I’m the president of the<br />
Interact club at Mission Prep, a community service club sponsored by Rotary. I try to stay<br />
politically active, both locally and nationally. I interned for a local congressional campaign<br />
in the fall and volunteered at a polling station on Election Day.<br />
What recognition have you received? When I attended the Rotary Youth Leadership<br />
Awards, the students in my group nominated me for a leadership scholarship. I was also a<br />
delegate at Girls State. The girls in my “city” nominated me for an Outstanding Delegate<br />
Award. I’ve also received a French Language Award at my school. Most recently, I was<br />
awarded one of the <strong>SLO</strong> County Weyrich Leadership scholarships.<br />
What is important to you outside of high school? My biggest commitment outside<br />
of school is my involvement in the <strong>Jun</strong>ior State of America ( JSA). JSA is a completely<br />
student-run organization. We spend weekend conferences debating and discussing<br />
anything from politics to pop culture to philosophy. I am part of the state leadership<br />
team, as well as president of my school’s club. I help plan the conventions, design<br />
t-shirts, and organize model congress. It sounds debate-heavy and intimidating at<br />
first, but I swear it’s fun! I’ve put in so many hours over the last few years that the<br />
conventions are basically my home away from home.<br />
What is your favorite memory of all time? There’s one memory that never fails to<br />
make me (or my family) laugh. I was a foreign exchange student in France during<br />
seventh grade, and three weeks in, I managed to accidentally break off the handle to<br />
the bathroom door in my new home, locking myself inside. To make matters worse,<br />
the only other person at home was a five-year-old I was supposed to be babysitting.<br />
Yes, me, who still couldn’t speak French. And did I mention the three bees that flew<br />
into the bathroom? After attempting to communicate “door no open” in broken<br />
French, teaching a toddler how to dial the phone, and six hours later (not kidding),<br />
I was freed. I’ve never been comfortable in tight spaces since.<br />
What has influenced you the most? Living abroad really shaped me into the person<br />
I am today. I spent six months in France when I was 13, and returned for another<br />
four months when I was 16. Letting go of everything—my friends, family, home, and<br />
language—made me realize what an absolute gift being uncomfortable is. You really find<br />
out who you are when all of the superficial things that define you are stripped away.<br />
What are your career interests? I’ve always been interested in medicine and health, so<br />
I see myself drifting toward the possibility of a medical career. However, politics and<br />
international relations has kind of come to define my life outside of science classes. Ideally,<br />
I imagine myself traveling from country to country, fighting disease as an epidemiologist<br />
for the World Health Organization.<br />
What is something few people know about you? I weirdly really like heights. I’ve been<br />
skydiving, cliff jumping, and rock climbing. I would love to get a pilot’s license someday!<br />
What are your plans for college? I am officially committed to UCLA. Go Bruins!<br />
<strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
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Introduce us at slolifemagazine.com/share<br />
68 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
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| EXPLORE<br />
FIELD OF DREAMS<br />
Having French heritage, I grew up equating the smell of lavender to the finer things in life. From<br />
a fancy cocktail to luxurious linens, from silky bath water to an aromatic blend, lavender has<br />
been strongly connected to relaxation and luxury. If you’re like me, sitting in the warm sunshine,<br />
enjoying a fresh glass of lavender lemonade while looking out over purple fields conjures up<br />
images of France. But I’m happy to say this tranquility beckons from Atascadero.<br />
BY PADEN HUGHES<br />
Visit<br />
Harmony Lavender’s peak season for<br />
touring is in late <strong>Jun</strong>e through August,<br />
as the fields are painted in bright purple<br />
flowers. If traveling from San Luis<br />
Obispo, allow 25 minutes in drive time<br />
and estimate an hour and a half for the<br />
tour. The tour fee is $10 per person.<br />
Certainly come ready to peruse the<br />
unique gift shop.<br />
70 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
Treat Yourself for <strong>2017</strong>!<br />
Did you know?<br />
Lavender is part of the mint family—Lamiaceae of order<br />
Lamiales—a worldwide family that includes herbs, small<br />
shrubs, and a few medium to very large trees. Lavender<br />
is native to the Western Mediterranean region where<br />
bees gather nectar from fields of lavender, producing a<br />
monofloral honey that is sold at a premium.<br />
For years, I’ve heard of the purple fields in North County that lace<br />
the air with the lovely aroma of Grosso Lavender. Over the freeway<br />
and through the back roads of Atascadero there is a beautiful, quaint<br />
lavender farm called Harmony Lavender. Thrilled to hear the local<br />
farm schedules tours and provides education about the process of<br />
farming and distilling lavender oil for use in food and home products, I<br />
couldn’t wait to explore.<br />
Atascadero is full of surprises, and finding our way through a residential neighborhood<br />
to a private driveway with a sign for Harmony Lavender, was unexpected. Turning<br />
down the path, we were welcomed by rows of beautiful bushes blooming with long<br />
purple blossoms. We were greeted by Claudia Estrada, the passionate grower and<br />
cheerful tour guide.<br />
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We started off admiring the lavender fields. The farm boasts 2,000 plants. What began<br />
as a hobby with just two plants, Estrada started crafting soaps and gifts for her friends.<br />
I love hearing stories of people’s passions turning into business ventures, and the<br />
blossoming of Estrada’s lavender farm is just that.<br />
“I like to do everything natural. I’d make soaps and things as gifts for friends. At the<br />
time we used our land for raising our [American] Paint Horses, but once my daughter<br />
moved away to go to college, I wasn’t sure what to do with the land. A friend of mine<br />
suggested, ‘Why don’t you do what you love and grow lavender?’” shared Estrada.<br />
The business launched in 2009 with the purchase of 500 Grosso Lavender plants. The<br />
Grosso varietal is one of the largest lavender plants grown, and the smell is more strong<br />
than sweet. It grows heartily in Central Coast microclimates.<br />
Our tour began with a view of the plants and discussion around what it takes to farm<br />
and grow lavender. We learned the full process, the expected yield, and walked the<br />
beautiful barn used to dry and sift the buds. In her biggest year, Estrada recalls storing<br />
600 pounds of lavender buds.<br />
She then took us into her workshop where she distills the<br />
lavender and it felt like being in a chemistry class again to<br />
watch her in action. From there, we viewed her gift shop with<br />
all the products she’s created over the years from soaps, to face<br />
balm, to the extract she sells to a local gelato maker.<br />
We ended the tour by sitting under an awning next to a garden,<br />
while Estrada served us homemade lavender Arnold Palmers<br />
and lavender cookies. It was a beautiful finale to such an<br />
educational tour. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
PADEN HUGHES is<br />
co-owner of Gymnazo<br />
and enjoys exploring<br />
the Central Coast.<br />
www.slogreengoods.com<br />
JUN/JUL 111 <strong>2017</strong> South | St. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> 805 MAGAZINE 543 9900 | 71
| HEALTH<br />
Summer Stress Relievers<br />
Summer may be one of the busiest times of the year with vacations and holiday weekends, but that doesn’t<br />
mean there isn’t a little room for relaxation. What better way to take advantage of the warmer weather than by<br />
escaping the indoors? There are many health advantages to spending more time outside. In fact, simply having<br />
access to a green space can help you to de-stress considerably.<br />
No. 1<br />
TAKE A DAY TRIP<br />
It may be wiser to invest in experiences over<br />
material objects since they tend to make<br />
us happier. Cornell University psychology<br />
professor Thomas Gilovich found that<br />
when we buy new things, we are only<br />
excited about them for a short amount<br />
of time because we adapt to their novelty<br />
so quickly. Alternatively, he argues that<br />
experiences represent our true identities<br />
better than our personal items do.<br />
So the next time you are tempted to buy<br />
that new Apple Watch, consider a kayak<br />
excursion, instead. Or if you’re feeling<br />
adventurous, perhaps try an exhilarating<br />
bungee jump.<br />
No. 2<br />
TRY YOUR HAND AT GARDENING<br />
Gardening can be a form of meditation that allows you to spend time in nature<br />
while immersing yourself in a calming activity. One study from the Netherlands<br />
found that gardening can decrease cortisol levels and boost feelings of well-being<br />
among people who had just completed a stressful task. “We live in a society<br />
where we’re just maxing ourselves out all the time in terms of paying attention,”<br />
says Andrea Faber Taylor, Ph.D., a horticulture instructor and researcher at the<br />
University of Illinois. “Humans have a finite capacity for the kind of directed<br />
attention required by cell phones, and email, and the like,” Taylor says, “and when<br />
that capacity gets used up we tend to become irritable, error-prone, distractible, and<br />
stressed out.” The study went on to show that even 30 minutes of leisurely reading<br />
didn’t provide the same stress-relieving benefits of what is known as the effortless<br />
attention of gardening.<br />
72 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 73
No. 3<br />
TRY OUTDOOR YOGA<br />
Yoga can be an effective stress reliever, and you can make your<br />
practice even more relaxing during the summer by moving<br />
outside. Bring your mat to a park on a quiet morning and practice<br />
stress-busting yoga moves, such as child’s pose, bridge pose, or<br />
extended triangle pose; or find a local “Yoga in the Park” class.<br />
No. 4<br />
HEAD FOR THE HILLS<br />
Taking a 30-minute stroll through nature can shift your mind into a state of<br />
zen. Research from scientists at Heriot-Watt University in the U.K. found<br />
that walking through green spaces can help put the brain into a state of<br />
meditation. Taking a walk can also boost your mood by lowering stress and<br />
depression, as well as by improving well-being. With so many great trails on<br />
the Central Coast, there’s no excuse for not getting out there.<br />
No. 5<br />
EXPLORE A<br />
BIKE PATH<br />
Biking is good for the mind and the<br />
body, especially outside on a sunny day.<br />
Physical activity—cardio exercise, in<br />
particular—can boost self-confidence<br />
and improve symptoms associated<br />
with mild depression and anxiety. Not<br />
to mention there’s the added moodboosting<br />
benefits of being outdoors.<br />
Time to get those wheels spinning.<br />
74 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
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No. 6<br />
TAKE A DIP<br />
Like cycling, there are many emotional benefits that come with swimming because<br />
it releases endorphins. Swimming can also directly decrease anxiety and depression,<br />
according to sports psychologist Aimee C. Kimball, Ph.D. It can also help boost selfconfidence,<br />
because learning to improve your stoke is a way of overcoming a challenge.<br />
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Hit the beach to get all the benefits associated with waves and sand. The ocean<br />
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Many people find waves to be a calming rhythmic sound, and they’re even believed to be<br />
able to induce a meditative state, according to research conducted by Philippe Goldin,<br />
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76 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong><br />
No. 7<br />
CATCH A FEW RAYS<br />
The sun’s role in both health-promoting benefits and in the sun damage that can lead to<br />
skin cancer makes things confusing. Since sunscreens block the vital UVB rays needed for<br />
Vitamin D production within the body, most doctors advocate “responsible sun exposure”<br />
to get what you need. About 10 to 15 minutes of unprotected sun exposure does the trick<br />
for most people, after which protection in the form of a sunblock with 30 SPF or higher<br />
is essential for the skin’s long-term health. That said, everyone’s needs are different and it’s<br />
wise to talk to your doctor about a sun plan that best benefits you. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong>
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JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 77
| STORYTELLERS’ CORNER<br />
THE STORY OF<br />
YOUR <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
BY FRANZ WISNER<br />
“I<br />
feel like I have a good story inside me… I’m just having a hard time<br />
getting it out.”<br />
I hear this sentiment frequently from people thinking about penning a memoir. In response,<br />
I nod my head and offer a hug. I know the feeling well, having set the world record<br />
for staring at a blank computer screen, wishing for the sentences to magically appear.<br />
Unfortunately, Apple has yet to create an app for that.<br />
FRANZ WISNER is the<br />
founder of The Bestsellers<br />
Group, which provides<br />
brands and individuals with<br />
storytelling assistance from<br />
bestselling authors.<br />
How to write a memoir<br />
So to anyone out there interested in writing a memoir, take a deep breath, pour yourself a<br />
glass of wine, and let’s get started, shall we?<br />
A good place to begin is what a memoir isn’t. Your memoir shouldn’t be a journal or a<br />
travelogue, a therapy recap or a settled score, a self-love-fest or a thank-you note to everyone<br />
in your life. Those approaches might be fascinating for you. For the rest of us? Not so much.<br />
A memoir isn’t your entire life story; rather it should be the most compelling parts of your<br />
life story. “Writing a memoir is easy,” counseled a friend of mine as I struggled with my first<br />
book. “Just keep the interesting bits and cut out the boring stuff.”<br />
So stop looking at your life as a chronology of events. See it in thematic terms. Ask yourself,<br />
what is my story about?<br />
Readers aren’t as interested in the surface action. We don’t want to hear a basic reporting of<br />
events. We want to know what’s really going on. We want the inside scoop, the story you<br />
would tell a best friend. If you had to describe your book to us in a sentence or two, what<br />
would you say?<br />
Popular memoir themes include coming-of-age tales; stories<br />
of recovery or discovery, rebirth or renewal; quests, missions,<br />
or escapes; rags-to-riches or riches-to-rags narratives; or even<br />
a collection of short stories that together form a greater whole.<br />
Your theme could be one of these, a combination, or something<br />
you create on your own.<br />
Still not sure? Try a few themes on for size. Take a look at<br />
other memoirs. How did the author frame the book? If that<br />
doesn’t help, ask fellow writers how they see your story. Their<br />
answers may trigger an approach you hadn’t considered.<br />
Summarizing your life story in a few words can take a lot of<br />
time and, gulp, thought. For some, it’s the hardest part of the<br />
process. Just know that once you finalize the theme, everything<br />
else becomes easier.<br />
The theme becomes our road map from this point. It<br />
lets us know where we are taking our readers and helps<br />
us decide what stops we should make along the way.<br />
Next, list out all the events in your life you think<br />
might make for an interesting part of your book. If<br />
you were making a movie of your life, these would<br />
be all the potential scenes. They could be big events<br />
or small, memorable times shared with others or key<br />
moments alone.<br />
I do this on three-by-five cards. At the top of the card,<br />
I write a sentence that summarizes the surface action.<br />
Underneath, I write another sentence that outlines the<br />
emotional underpinning of the scene. So, for instance,<br />
the surface action could be the birth of a child while<br />
the underlying emotions may include a whirlpool of<br />
joy, pride, fear, insecurity, and giddiness.<br />
I list out the date and location of the scene along with<br />
all the characters involved. I also give each scene an<br />
intensity rating, a number between one and five—ones<br />
and twos for mild or everyday occurrences, fours and<br />
fives for those high-adrenaline moments. I finish<br />
each card with an arrow pointing up for a cheery<br />
scene, down for a downer moment, or sideways for<br />
something in between.<br />
Next, I arrange all the cards in chronological order on<br />
a long table. This allows me to begin to “see” the story.<br />
I try to keep an open mind during this process as I<br />
believe stories have a life of their own. If you listen to<br />
them, they will tell you which portions to emphasize<br />
and which ones to discard.<br />
This is one of my favorite parts of the process. I love<br />
experimenting with story structures. Maybe I start<br />
with a big, dramatic scene, then go back in time and<br />
tell the story of what led to that moment. Maybe<br />
I combine a couple smaller scenes to make a more<br />
compelling chapter.<br />
The whole time I ask myself, “Does this scene further<br />
my story’s theme?” If it does, I keep it in. If not, I cut it<br />
out and paste it in the “Save for Another Book” file.<br />
The same goes for characters. Uncle Ralph might be<br />
a wonderful man, but if he has little to do with your<br />
story’s theme, he’s got to go. You can thank him in the<br />
acknowledgments, or at the family reunion.<br />
I also use the cards to help me make sure my memoir<br />
includes all the essential story elements—beginning<br />
with conflicts and challenges, followed by rising action<br />
(the steps taken to overcome the conflict), ending with<br />
discovery, and a satisfying resolution.<br />
Then, presto. Before I know it, the framework of a<br />
book begins to appear in front of me.<br />
That story inside has started to emerge. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
78 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
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JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 79
| TRAVEL<br />
THE<br />
JESUS TRAIL<br />
“This is holy ground. When you get there, your heart will be beating and your head will<br />
be light. Just shut your eyes and listen closely. God will tell you what to do.” — The Bible<br />
BY KIMBERLY WALKER<br />
80 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
Recently, I left the comforts of San Luis Obispo<br />
for the Holy Land of Israel on my yearly solo<br />
pilgrimage. This is not a religious journey, as I have<br />
no spiritual allegiances—hearing the muezzin call<br />
to prayer conjures up the same feelings of holiness<br />
for me as does seeing a monk in a saffron robe<br />
or inhaling the aroma of burning incense—but,<br />
religiosity is not necessary to be fascinated by Israel<br />
and its significance in the world.<br />
The Old City in Jerusalem is a place where living history rings true. There<br />
is historical and religious significance in just about every square inch of the<br />
walled city. And religious diversity fills the air with an inexplicable energy that<br />
is truly unique to Jerusalem. Pilgrims from every corner of our earth line the<br />
streets to experience religion in its truest form. The Wailing Wall, Dome of the<br />
Rock, and Church of the Holy Sepulchre are all steps away from one another,<br />
yet worlds apart. It’s a sensory and spiritual experience unlike any other.<br />
Every year, the experience of Jerusalem overwhelms hundreds of tourists<br />
resulting in the so-called “Jerusalem Syndrome” in which some tourists are<br />
unable to contain their emotions after an afternoon at the Mount of Olives or<br />
claiming to hear strange voices after walking the Stations of the Cross. But,<br />
more severe cases result in these voices compelling them to do bizarre and<br />
sometimes violent things.<br />
Even more prevalent than Jerusalem Syndrome is “Camera Syndrome,” which<br />
is the uncontrollable urge to take thousands of unnecessary and often intrusive<br />
photos throughout each day. As I witnessed, this condition affects a majority<br />
of religious tourists visiting the Old City. Selfie sticks have replaced Nalgene<br />
water bottles and the sound of camera shutters have supplanted small talk.<br />
After a few days in the hustle and bustle of Jerusalem, I was ready to head out<br />
on a multi-day walk retracing Jesus’s footsteps from Nazareth to Galilee.<br />
“Simply walking the land in Israel is considered a holy thing to do.”<br />
— a common Israeli expression<br />
The Jesus Trail is a 65-kilometer hiking trail connecting important sites from<br />
the life of Jesus, as well as other historical and religious sites. The idea of<br />
walking through a land so cherished by Jews, Muslims, and Christians seemed<br />
like a worthy, if not holy, thing to do.<br />
With only a backpack and a pair of walking sticks, I escaped the busyness<br />
of Jerusalem for the solitude of a hike. The first leg of the Jesus Walk was<br />
challenging—the terrain was not difficult, but finding the route was nearly<br />
impossible. Without GPS or a map, I relied on locating the trail markers, rocks<br />
painted with an orange stripe, to guide my way. After a few wrong turns, I<br />
realized the naïveté of my plan to trek technology-free.<br />
KIMBERLY WALKER is<br />
a writer, traveler, and<br />
entrepreneur who lives in<br />
San Luis Obispo.<br />
The never-ending search for orange painted rocks<br />
became a lesson in staying present. After a few hours,<br />
I looked up from the path and noticed I was walking<br />
through a massive dumping ground, and hadn’t seen<br />
a marker for a while. I stopped and scanned the<br />
horizon in every direction hoping for an indication<br />
of a pathway, but nothing materialized. It was just<br />
trash as far as I could see. Before I could take another<br />
step, and for no apparent reason, I fell. The weight<br />
of my pack launched me backward onto the ground.<br />
As I was pulling myself up, I spied an orange painted<br />
rock in the opposite direction. I straightened myself,<br />
gathered my walking sticks, and headed in the<br />
direction of the newly found trail marker. >><br />
JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 81
After a ten-hour day of trekking, I arrived at<br />
the guesthouse. I had spent an entire day alone,<br />
walking with my own uninterrupted thoughts—no<br />
music, no internet, no companion. The solitude of<br />
the experience outweighed the discomfort. In the<br />
morning, breakfast was served as the sun rose. The<br />
doting guesthouse proprietor expressed concern<br />
that I was walking alone. I reminded him that Jesus<br />
walked alone, and after a moment of contemplation,<br />
he seemed satisfied with my response. Then he<br />
offered me a giant glass of wine to accompany my<br />
breakfast. “Jesus also drank wine,” he said, turning<br />
my own logic against me. As tempting as it was, I<br />
declined his generous offer and began my search for<br />
more of the orange rocks.<br />
Back on the trail, the smells of dawn emerged:<br />
cinnamon, cardamom, fresh-baked bread, and<br />
burning trash. The 15-mile day was highlighted by<br />
a walk that went to a Christian town, to a Muslim<br />
town, to a Jewish town. Each was unique in its<br />
religion, its inhabitants, its language, and its food,<br />
yet all had at least one characteristic in common—<br />
warmhearted hospitality. At every turn, I was<br />
greeted with “salaam,” “shalom,” or “hello.” Was it<br />
the vulnerability of my solo journey that prompted<br />
so much kindness? I wrestled with the question for<br />
much of that day, finally coming to the conclusion<br />
instead that most people are just inherently peaceful<br />
and welcoming.<br />
The next day’s trek traversed miles of vast<br />
wilderness. Determined to focus solely on the trail<br />
markers, I was certain not to get lost. There was a<br />
fork in the path with an orange arrow pointing left.<br />
Naturally, I followed it and continued walking on a<br />
well-maintained path for about a half-mile before<br />
realizing that I had not found another marker<br />
in a very long time. I was startled by a truck that<br />
seemingly appeared from out of nowhere. Armed<br />
with my walking sticks, I reflexively puffed up in an<br />
effort to look as tough as possible when the driver<br />
rolled down his window and asked, “Are you okay?”<br />
He spoke English! “Yes, thank you.” He then<br />
asked, “Are you walking the Jesus Trail?” I nodded,<br />
“Yes, I am.” Softly he informed me, “The hike is<br />
actually back the other direction.” Overwhelmed<br />
with emotion, my face became flushed as I felt<br />
tears welling up. “Are you sure you’re okay?” he<br />
inquired again. “Yes, but thank you so much for<br />
telling me.” And away he went. Whether you call it<br />
God, Allah, Buddha, or Mother Nature, I realized<br />
in that moment that I had not been alone on my<br />
journey after all. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
82 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
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JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 83
| TASTE<br />
Eat Your Beer:<br />
Local Brewpubs And Beer-Infused Fare<br />
It stands to reason that where fine craft beer flows, fine fare also goes. For this special collaborative<br />
column, beer expert Brant Myers and food writer Jaime Lewis team up to taste the beer-infused flavors<br />
of three <strong>SLO</strong> County brewpubs.<br />
BY JAIME LEWIS & BRANT MYERS<br />
JL: First things first: I know you’re the beer expert, but I’ve done some serious time<br />
inside a pint glass, too, just as you know more than a little about cuisine. Beer and food<br />
belong together. Do you agree?<br />
BM: Everything pairs well inside my belly! There is no doubt that great food deserves<br />
a great beer, but I feel it’s worth an extra minute to truly experience the components<br />
separately before enjoying them together. How do you like to taste?<br />
JL: I come from a wine background wherein wine and food are complementary, yin and<br />
yang, so I like to sip, nibble, sip. That being said, I believe beer can absolutely stand on its<br />
own. In fact, my glass is usually at least half-empty by the time appetizers arrive. (That<br />
might say more about my lack of pacing than it does about my tasting preferences.) >><br />
JAIME LEWIS is a world<br />
traveler and food writer, who<br />
lives in San Luis Obispo.<br />
BRANT MYERS is owner<br />
of Hop On Beer Tours, a<br />
concierge service.<br />
84 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
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Figueroa Mountain Brewing<br />
JL: Let’s talk about our first stop at Figueroa Mountain Brewing in<br />
Arroyo Grande. What do you appreciate about Fig Mountain?<br />
BM: I’ve always been a big fan of the pilot brewery model and this<br />
is a perfect example. Being able to drink your well-known and -loved<br />
portfolio beers in situ is great, but the benefit of having access to one-offs<br />
and seasonal small-batch offerings is what gets me excited. As a matter<br />
of fact, it’s what brings me to Fig Mountain’s satellite locations. Giving<br />
a brewer like Sean Laidlaw the freedom to create any recipe he wants<br />
makes for a beautiful and spontaneous product unique to his specific<br />
location. The passion really comes through in the product. Also, pub food.<br />
I’m a sucker for it.<br />
JL: Me too, but only if it’s done with either the best quality ingredients,<br />
a lot of creativity, or a light-ish touch. (What can I say? I’m spoiled:<br />
Cheez Whiz nachos, sub-par burgers, and soggy fries need not apply.)<br />
Fortunately, each of the brewpubs we visited took advantage of our local<br />
abundance and elevated the pub food experience nicely. At Fig Mountain,<br />
I especially liked their use of both their Lizard’s Mouth Imperial IPA and<br />
Davy Brown Ale in the hot wings recipe. And well done choosing the<br />
brews to accompany: the Paradise Road Pilsner is refreshing against the<br />
heat of the wings.<br />
BM: Something about the crisp effervescence of a pilsner and smoky heat<br />
of spicy foods has always been a match made in heaven for me. The use<br />
of their IPA in the hot wing sauce complements the light hoppiness in<br />
the pilsner so well it makes my job easy. Plus it’s a tried-and-true combo,<br />
so I can’t take all the credit. When the burning builds up to the point<br />
that I can’t taste the beer any longer, here comes Sean again with a little<br />
hidden tap handle pouring an unnamed tart beer: keg-soured Fig Light<br />
with cherry juice and lactobacillus, just the quencher I need to reset my<br />
palate and dig into the burger. Only three sixtels (~5 gallon) kegs were<br />
made so this is most definitely a limited brew. Remember, it never hurts<br />
to chat up the bar staff or flag down a brewer to see what hidden gems<br />
they may have in stock. At this point I’m satiated, content with grass-fed<br />
beef in my belly, hot wing sauce on my fingers, and cold brews to wash it<br />
all down. Do we have to leave?<br />
JL: Afraid so. >><br />
86 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
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JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 87
Libertine Brewing Company<br />
JL: For our next food/brew experience, we head to San Luis<br />
Obispo where the beer scene is positively on fire: you can’t swing<br />
a dead cat without hitting a new brewery. At Libertine Brewing<br />
Company, their wild ale style shines through in everything from<br />
decor and soundtrack (e.g., vintage Bowie spinning on vinyl) to<br />
service and menu. The words home-grown, funky, and confident<br />
safely describe just about everything I know about The Libertine.<br />
BM: If you think their ethos is funky, you should check out the<br />
owner, Tyler Clark. There’s definitely a lot of personality coming<br />
through in this place. Where do we start? I know where I would<br />
start: the beer. Libertine’s self-described “San Luis Wild Ales”<br />
are European in concept, but can’t officially be named after the<br />
regions of their style, so this new moniker has been coined to<br />
reflect the terroir of our town and all the uncountable microbes<br />
floating through the air and shaping the flavor of the beer. Made<br />
in coolships (open top fermentation vessels), these wine and<br />
spirit barrel-aged ales are truly local, exposed to the microscopic<br />
yeast found on fruit they source from Stepladder Ranch in<br />
Cambria. With over twenty of their house beers on draft, it’s<br />
hard to pick between dark and earthy or bright and tart. Luckily,<br />
we leave pairing to manager Anna Corwin. Thank goodness, I’m<br />
practically starving.<br />
JL: Yes, Anna is definitely an authoritative guide to pairings. She<br />
shares that Libertine’s pulled pork nachos are made with cheese<br />
that’s melted down and blended with the Aubree Rye Saison.<br />
I’m not a massive nachos connoisseur, but, for what it’s worth,<br />
these were among the best nachos I’ve ever eaten. The pulled<br />
pork— which is glazed with barbecue sauce made in-house with<br />
Libertine’s Wild IPA—is flavorful, rich, and zippy in all the right<br />
places. The cheese, meanwhile, has an extra earthiness to it that I<br />
believe must come from the Rye Saison blended in. Kudos to Chef<br />
Bernard Livingston, truly, for composing a dish so decadent, fun,<br />
and (dare I say?) profound.<br />
BM: Another home run pairing of the Pacific Blue Gose with<br />
Libertine’s fish and chips is brilliant in its simplicity. Gose is a<br />
style traditionally brewed with coriander, for a hint of lime, and<br />
salt. One of my favorite styles, it is both robust enough to give<br />
the sense of drinking a proper beer, yet refreshing like enjoying a<br />
beer margarita on a hot day. Staying true to the Libertine style,<br />
the brewers elevate this beer and showcase local ingredients by<br />
using water pulled directly from their oceanfront pub in Morro<br />
Bay (don’t worry, it’s cleaned up before adding to the boil) to<br />
achieve the saltiness true to the style. This blonde ale, with a hint<br />
of sourness from the lactobacillus, cuts right through the oily<br />
goodness of the fried cod and gets you reaching for the salty chips.<br />
Can we talk about their proprietary barrel-aged malt vinegar<br />
dipping sauce? I think we can. I think that’s exactly what we’re<br />
doing here…<br />
JL: Yes—a sweet, sour, and umami bomb. As I mentioned to you<br />
at the Libertine, I’m not a seafood eater (she said to the chagrin of<br />
food writers everywhere). But the crispy, flaky fried fish, hand-cut<br />
fries, house-made malt vinegar, and salty Gose to reset my palate<br />
made for a thoughtful, tasty lunch that even I could enjoy. When<br />
I return to Libertine, I plan to make a run on all those guest<br />
taps they have—what a spread! But for now, they’ll have to wait<br />
because it’s dessert time. >><br />
88 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
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JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 89
<strong>SLO</strong> Brew<br />
JL: For the sweet stuff, we walk a couple blocks over to<br />
<strong>SLO</strong> Brew downtown, where treats like the beautiful Beer<br />
On Beer Brownie Sundae and Oat Wrangler Float are<br />
calling your name, Brant.<br />
BM: I’m usually not one for sweet treats, preferring my<br />
unnecessary calories in liquid form, but hey, when you<br />
have a chef cranking out beer-infused desserts, you have<br />
my attention. I’ll begin with the one that’s melting in<br />
front of my eyes, the stout float. Simple, yet decadent.<br />
The key feature here is <strong>SLO</strong> Brew’s Great American Beer<br />
Festival bronze-medal-winning oatmeal stout, Feelin’<br />
Your Oats. It’s already creamy and wholesome, but then<br />
it’s kicked up a notch by being served on nitro with a<br />
scoop of vanilla gelato thrown in. If you like cream in<br />
your coffee this is for you. The complementing cookie has<br />
a light sea salt sprinkle on top, which gives you a great<br />
break from the sweetness, but makes you want to go back<br />
for another sip.<br />
JL: Did you really just call stout “wholesome?” Nice.<br />
Another wince-worthy fact: I don’t eat sugar (insert<br />
shrugging emoji), which is why it’s so handy to have a<br />
sweet-toothed husband who will happily taste any bit<br />
of sweetness I put before him—especially beer-infused<br />
sweetness—and report on his findings. My guy gives<br />
serious props to Chef Thomas Fundaro for the decadent<br />
Beer on Beer Brownie Sundae, made with that same<br />
award-winning oatmeal stout you mention. He says<br />
it’s fudgy and moist, rather than cakey, with a depth of<br />
flavor that can only come from a creamy, yeasty stout: like<br />
rafting on a brownie over a river of beer.<br />
BM: Your husband has a way with words and an open<br />
mind—let’s just hope he doesn’t take your job! I am<br />
very excited about the prospect of tasting beer in every<br />
component of the brownie dish and think Chef Thomas<br />
does a great job transforming carbonated, malty liquid<br />
into a decadent dessert. What impresses me most is the<br />
IPA caramel sauce, not just for the salty/sweet combo, but<br />
for the punch of hops letting you know it’s just as much a<br />
part of the dish as anything else. Drinking their hopforward<br />
West Coast IPA while noshing, it’s fun to taste<br />
the dish’s components separately and pick out the flavors<br />
that each beer imparts to the food. At this point I am<br />
sufficiently stuffed and don’t know if I can take another<br />
bite... but that warm cookie and remnants of a cold shake<br />
are still sitting in front of me, so I continue switching<br />
back and forth between the beers and the desserts trying<br />
to make up my mind which one I like more.<br />
JL: And what have you decided?<br />
BM: I’ve decided that our fresh, local beers are great<br />
for drinking, but eating beer is just as fun. Just one<br />
more bite... <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
90 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
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JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 91
| KITCHEN<br />
HOT PASTRAMI SANDWICH<br />
Chef Jessie Rivas shares his take on a favorite at deli counters across the country, the<br />
pastrami melt. Pastrami is the star of this sandwich, so it’s, of course, the major ingredient<br />
in any variation of this lunchtime favorite. Focus on the quality of the meat first, and then<br />
fill in the rest of this culinary canvas with artisan cheese and condiments.<br />
BY CHEF JESSIE RIVAS<br />
92 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
!<br />
it<br />
JESSIE’S TIP:<br />
I love to add a layer of<br />
horseradish cream to the<br />
sandwich, and toasting<br />
the bread will help keep<br />
from getting soggy.<br />
FRESH HARVEST<br />
DELIVERy<br />
Did you know?<br />
A Reuben sandwich is made with corned beef, while<br />
its sister sandwich, the Rachel, is made with pastrami.<br />
In some parts of the country, such as Michigan, a<br />
Rachel is made with roasted turkey and sometimes<br />
called a “Georgia Reuben” or “California Reuben.”<br />
FARM - FRESH<br />
LOCALLY GROWN<br />
FRUIT & VEGETABLE<br />
HARVEST BOXES<br />
DELIVERED TO YOUR<br />
HOME OR BUSINESS<br />
HOT PASTRAMI SANDWICH<br />
1 ½ lbs thinly sliced pastrami<br />
1 Tbs canola oil<br />
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce<br />
1 tsp cracked black pepper<br />
½ cup pickling brine<br />
2 cups coleslaw<br />
whole grain mustard<br />
mayonnaise<br />
4 slices Swiss cheese<br />
8 slices rye bread<br />
1 pickle cut into spears<br />
JESSIE RIVAS is the owner<br />
and chef of The Pairing Knife<br />
food truck which serves the<br />
Central Coast.<br />
In a small bowl dress the cabbage with the<br />
pickling brine and set aside.<br />
Heat a 10” sauté pan to medium-high heat. Add<br />
oil and then the pastrami and sauté for a few<br />
minutes until the pastrami is heated thoroughly.<br />
Add the Worcestershire sauce and the cracked<br />
black pepper and reduce heat to low.<br />
Toast the bread, lightly. Assemble the sandwich<br />
with the pastrami, cheese and then the coleslaw.<br />
Cut in half and garnish with the pickle spears.<br />
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JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 93
| WINE NOTES<br />
THE LONG DAYS<br />
OF SUMMER<br />
BY JEANETTE TROMPETER<br />
My favorite season<br />
has arrived and<br />
with a rainy<br />
winter behind<br />
us, I am eager to soak it up. And,<br />
summer only gets better in our wine<br />
country when it’s paired with music.<br />
At least four days a week, you can<br />
head out to a local vineyard, take in<br />
spectacular scenery, then couple it<br />
with a great bottle of wine and music<br />
on a warm wine country afternoon or<br />
evening. And, most of the time, the<br />
tunes are free.<br />
Music season is going strong now<br />
and will continue on through Labor<br />
Day, or the end of harvest season. Of<br />
course, our vintners are offering free<br />
entertainment in hopes that you will<br />
stay awhile and purchase some wine<br />
while you’re there; however, there<br />
are no requirements that you do so.<br />
You can even pack your own picnic<br />
at some of them, but almost all offer<br />
food options of some sort.<br />
Here’s a short sampling: Still Waters<br />
Vineyards in Paso Robles started the<br />
fun early this year by kicking off its<br />
“Picture Perfect Sundays” back in<br />
April. There you will find a picnic<br />
paradise even in the heat of the<br />
summer under the canopy of shade<br />
provided by the ancient olive grove.<br />
There is no charge and you can bring<br />
your own food, but Stein’s BBQ is<br />
on-site to serve its always-delicious<br />
grub. So unless you are a master<br />
picnic packer, you may find yourself<br />
with a little food envy. The winery<br />
also offers some great wine discounts<br />
for these events, which take place the<br />
second Sunday of each month from<br />
1:00 – 4:00 p.m. through October.<br />
Tooth & Nail Winery, also in Paso Robles, jumped<br />
into the music offerings a bit early this year as<br />
well, featuring local musicians Dan Curcio and<br />
The Damon Castillo Band during Wine Festival<br />
Weekend, and will continue the fun every Friday<br />
through summer starting at 6:00 p.m. The winery<br />
does not allow outside food, but does offer some<br />
amazing fare on-site.<br />
Rounding out the Paso experience, Sculpterra<br />
Winery hosts “Songwriters at Play” every<br />
Saturday and Calcareous Vineyards offers<br />
“Wine Down Wednesdays” all summer long.<br />
Not to be outdone, Broken Earth Winery on<br />
Highway 46 East provides yet another melodic<br />
feast on most Saturdays.<br />
And with summer’s arrival, you have some great<br />
options all along the Central Coast, especially on<br />
the weekends. Heading over to Templeton, Pomar<br />
<strong>Jun</strong>ction’s “Train Wreck Fridays” are going full<br />
steam ahead. It will set you back $15 to get in if<br />
you are not a club member, but they do have a<br />
great line-up of entertainment and put on a party<br />
that is worth every bit of the entry fee.<br />
Closer to San Luis Obispo, in the Edna Valley,<br />
Claiborne and Churchill puts on its free “Sips<br />
and Songs” series that takes place on Fridays<br />
from 5:30-7:30 p.m.<br />
Joining in the mix, you<br />
will find free music<br />
at Kelsey Vineyard in<br />
See Canyon, which<br />
is nestled between<br />
San Luis Obispo and<br />
Avila Beach, on both<br />
Saturday and Sunday<br />
afternoons.<br />
Whatever your plans<br />
are this summer, don’t<br />
forget to get out to our<br />
Central Coast wineries<br />
and enjoy. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
JEANETTE TROMPETER is<br />
a San Luis Obispo native<br />
and owner of Ruby Shoes<br />
Wine Club.<br />
94 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
HOME TO EDNA VALLEY’S MOST<br />
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DRINK IT ALL IN.<br />
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JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 95
| HAPPENINGS<br />
ALL TICKETS ON SALE NOW!<br />
JUNE<br />
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OLIVER<br />
Join young, orphaned Oliver Twist<br />
as he navigates London’s underworld<br />
of theft and violence, searching<br />
for a home, a family, and—most<br />
importantly—for love. The Tony<br />
award-winning show is widely hailed<br />
as a true theatrical masterpiece by<br />
actors and audience members alike.<br />
<strong>Jun</strong>e 16 – <strong>Jul</strong>y 9 // slolittletheatre.org<br />
CONCERTS IN THE PLAZA<br />
Thousands of people flock to<br />
downtown San Luis Obispo every<br />
Friday throughout the summer for<br />
a free, family-friendly concert in<br />
beautiful Mission Plaza.<br />
<strong>Jun</strong>e 9 – September 8 // downtownslo.com<br />
THE CLASSIC AT PISMO BEACH<br />
Head to Pismo Beach for a fun-filled<br />
weekend featuring the hottest classic<br />
cars where you will find like-minded<br />
aficionados from all over the state and<br />
the world.<br />
<strong>Jun</strong>e 16 -18 // theclassicatpismobeach.com<br />
LAKESIDE WINE FESTIVAL<br />
Celebrating the artisan talents, flavors,<br />
scenery, and people, this unique<br />
lakeside wine festival has grown<br />
to boast wineries, chefs, acclaimed<br />
artists, and live music.<br />
<strong>Jun</strong>e 24 // atascaderochamber.org<br />
ROLL OUT THE BARRELS<br />
Enjoy delicious eats and meet<br />
the people behind the wines.<br />
Experience three days of wine,<br />
food, music, and fun.<br />
<strong>Jun</strong>e 22 - 24 // slowine.com<br />
96 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 97
| HAPPENINGS<br />
JULY<br />
SENIOR DISCOUNT . Mon & Tues 10 to 2 . $15<br />
BLUES BASEBALL<br />
FIREWORKS<br />
Since 1946, Blue’s Baseball<br />
has been a San Luis Obispo<br />
tradition. This family-friendly<br />
setting offers plenty of games and<br />
activities for the kids, as well as a<br />
concession stand and beer truck.<br />
The fireworks show will begin<br />
immediately following the game.<br />
<strong>Jul</strong>y 3 // bluesbaseball.com<br />
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1351 Monterey Street . San Luis Obispo<br />
(805)783-2887 . clippersbarber.com<br />
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ROCK TO PIER FUN RUN<br />
<strong>2017</strong> marks the 48th year of the<br />
Brian Waterbury Memorial Rock<br />
to Pier Fun Run. This six-mile<br />
event is held entirely on the beach<br />
from Morro Rock to the Cayucos<br />
Pier and is open to participants of<br />
all ages and abilities.<br />
<strong>Jul</strong>y 15 // morrobay.org<br />
FESTIVAL MOZAIC<br />
The annual Summer Music Festival<br />
features orchestra, chamber music,<br />
fringe concerts, notable encounters,<br />
family activities and other musical<br />
and social events for you to enjoy.<br />
<strong>Jul</strong>y 19 – 30 // festivalmozaic.com<br />
SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL<br />
The Filipponi Ranch is once again hosting<br />
the Central Coast Shakespeare Festival.<br />
Pack a picnic and bring low-back chairs.<br />
Wine will be available for sale by the glass<br />
and bottle.<br />
<strong>Jul</strong>y 14 – August 5 // centralcoastshakespeare.org<br />
MID STATE FAIR<br />
The California Mid-State Fair is held<br />
annually and runs for twelve days at the<br />
end of <strong>Jul</strong>y. The Fair has hosted some of the<br />
biggest names in the music industry.<br />
<strong>Jul</strong>y 19 - 30 // midstatefair.com<br />
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98 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong>
JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 99
With four offices on the Central Coast, we offer the many visitors and residents<br />
of San Luis Obispo County a window into life and real estate on the Central Coast.<br />
View our listings and learn about real estate opportunities from beach houses to<br />
vineyard estates and farmland to downtown condominiums.<br />
547 Marsh Street • San Luis Obispo<br />
805 Main Street • Morro Bay<br />
1039 Chorro Street • San Luis Obispo<br />
225 S. Ocean Avenue • Cayucos<br />
100 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | JUN/JUL <strong>2017</strong><br />
805.592.2050 | WWW.BHGREHAVEN.COM
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