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SLO LIFE Oct/Nov 2017

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<strong>SLO</strong><br />

<strong>LIFE</strong><br />

agazine<br />

LOCAL<br />

ART<br />

NEWS<br />

BRIEFS<br />

MARKET<br />

TRENDS<br />

HEALTH<br />

HOT HOUSE<br />

LOFT SPACE<br />

FAMILY<br />

HARVEST<br />

OUTDOOR<br />

VENTURE<br />

AMERICANA<br />

OUND<br />

slolifemagazine.com<br />

OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong><br />

MEET<br />

MIKE DURIGHELLO<br />

BREWING SUCCESS<br />

& MINDFUL GROWTH<br />

OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 1


2 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 3


Ride <strong>SLO</strong> Transit<br />

FREE<br />

Rideshare Week <strong>2017</strong><br />

<strong>Oct</strong>ober 2 - 6 | Monday - Friday<br />

slotransit.org<br />

4 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


FIND YOUR PLACE<br />

IN THE PERFECT PLACE<br />

This Beautiful Ocean View home is located at Las Ventanas in Pismo Beach. Built in 2016, this<br />

newer home has all the amenities you could want including a very spacious open floor plan<br />

with incredible views. Offered at $1,025,000.<br />

PRESENTED BY:<br />

Rodessa Newton<br />

Owner/Broker<br />

WWW.TRIAD<strong>SLO</strong>.COM 805.544.5500 REAL ESTATE GROUP<br />

OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 5


It’s Our Turn<br />

HELPING VETERANS WHO HELPED US<br />

“To come here and find friends and find a<br />

home—it’s really awesome. They’re getting<br />

what they deserve after all this time.”<br />

Sean Houle, the property manager at Rancho<br />

Gardens in Santa Maria, reached out to<br />

CAP<strong>SLO</strong>’s Supportive Services for Veteran<br />

Families to see how he could help vets. Now<br />

seven once homeless veterans from the Korean<br />

and Vietnam wars have shelter.<br />

Sean Houle<br />

PROPERTY MANAGER<br />

(805) 782-4730 ssvf.capslo.org<br />

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Funded Program<br />

1930 Monterey Street<br />

San Luis Obispo<br />

805.544.0500<br />

800.441.4657<br />

SandsSuites.com<br />

Meeting Rooms Available<br />

Amenities Include: Hi-Speed WiFi, Stage, Podium, Easel, Whiteboard, PA<br />

System, Digital Projector, Speaker Phone, Large Flat Screen HD TV, Beverage<br />

Service, ADA Accessible Facility, Ample Parking and more.<br />

Board Room . Accommodates up to 25 guests<br />

1/4 Room . Accommodates up to 36 guests<br />

1/2 Room . Accommodates up to 72 guests<br />

3/4 Room . Accommodates up to 120 guests<br />

Full Room . Accommodates up to 150 guests<br />

Call for<br />

pricing<br />

and<br />

availability<br />

6 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


GENERAL BUILDING CONTRACTORS . LANDSCAPE CONTRACTORS<br />

805.704.7559 License 731695<br />

OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 7


Live the <strong>SLO</strong> Life!<br />

8 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong><br />

Men’s S, M, L, XL<br />

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181 TANK FARM ROAD . SUITE 140 . SAN LUIS OBISPO . CA . 805-543-7600<br />

OCT/NOV <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 5<br />

<strong>Oct</strong>/<strong>Nov</strong> <strong>2017</strong><br />

38<br />

MIKE DURIGHELLO<br />

We sat down with this high-energy<br />

entrepreneur to find out what<br />

makes him tick.<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 | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong><br />

30<br />

32<br />

34<br />

Briefs<br />

Check out the latest news highlight reel.<br />

Timeline<br />

We take a look at local news from the past two months.<br />

View<br />

With not a single ATV in sight, photographer BETH SARGENT<br />

captures the magic of the dunes at sunset.


OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 11


| CONTENTS<br />

36<br />

48<br />

50<br />

Q&A<br />

Newly appointed City Manager DEREK<br />

JOHNSON discusses his vision for the<br />

future of America’s happiest place.<br />

Music<br />

THE NOACH TANGERAS BAND infuses<br />

Americana folk rock sound in their first full<br />

length album.<br />

Dwelling<br />

Dubbed the Cal Poly Lofts, the renovated<br />

Blackstone-Sauer Building proves to be an<br />

inspiring space for students looking for a<br />

place to call home.<br />

74<br />

76<br />

80<br />

82<br />

84<br />

Storytellers’ Corner<br />

New York Times bestselling author FRANZ WISNER<br />

explains the importance of editing and shares his best tips.<br />

Insight<br />

We discuss the implications of Cal Poly’s record-setting<br />

freshmen class and what it means to San Luis Obispo.<br />

Outdoors<br />

Exploring the driftwood scene of the Central Coast in its<br />

natural beauty, SHAWN TRACHT enjoys a blissful day<br />

with mindful intent.<br />

Arts<br />

While it’s not often that economics and arts are<br />

mentioned in the same sentence, BETTINA SWIGGER<br />

talks about how the two are linked locally.<br />

Taste<br />

Traveling the coast from Morro Bay to Pismo Beach<br />

JAIME LEWIS has just one thing in mind—finding the<br />

perfectly prepared burger.<br />

58<br />

64<br />

66<br />

68<br />

Real Estate<br />

We share the year-to-date statistics<br />

of home sales for both the City and the<br />

County of San Luis Obispo.<br />

On the Rise<br />

Combining her love of dance and her<br />

passion for public speaking, San Luis Obispo<br />

high school senior GRETA CARLSON is<br />

sure to keep shining into the future.<br />

Family<br />

Looking for a family-friendly adventure,<br />

PADEN HUGHES takes a trip to the<br />

See Canyon Fruit Ranch and discovers<br />

the perfect way to spend a day.<br />

Health<br />

Always trying to find a healthier way to live<br />

and eat, we give intermittent fasting a whirl<br />

and share our results.<br />

12 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong><br />

92<br />

94<br />

96<br />

Kitchen<br />

When the conversation turns to harvest, you know it must<br />

be fall and no dish better embodies the season than a<br />

curried pumpkin soup. Luckily for us, CHEF JESSIE RIVAS<br />

shares his favorite way to prepare a hot bowl.<br />

Brew<br />

Microbrews are back and the Central Coast is seeing a<br />

boom of brewers open and ready for business. Always in<br />

the know, BRANT MYERS stops into one of the newest<br />

spots to break onto the scene, 7 Sisters Brewing.<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>Oct</strong>ober and <strong>Nov</strong>ember.


OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 13


| PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE<br />

Stick Shift<br />

Every year, around this time, I get an overwhelming urge to gather firewood. The feeling bubbles up from<br />

somewhere way down deep inside my DNA; it’s primal.<br />

The other day, I talked my kids into joining me for my annual pilgrimage. We piled into my truck, a<br />

20-year-old Ford F150 with a manual transmission, and headed west where the woodpile waited. As we<br />

arrived, it was clear that we were first going to have to haul away a mound of trash in order to get to the<br />

fireplace-worthy stuff. The kids groaned with the realization that Dad’s request for “just two hours” of their<br />

time had doubled, at least, now that a trip to the Cold Canyon Landfill was also involved.<br />

“Look,” I pointed out, “if we all work quickly this should only take a few minutes.” Surveying their faces in<br />

the same way a ship captain would have during an 18th-century Atlantic crossing, I realized the very real<br />

potential for mutiny, so I added, “Plus, you know, we are going to be driving right past the In-N-Out in A.G.<br />

on the way to the dump.” The mood changed instantly—it was 11am, and Double Doubles were now on the<br />

line. “Can we go there, Dad?” I swung the truck around, dropped the shifter into “R” and backed up. Twisting<br />

my body and craning my neck, I offered, “Yup—and if you guys work hard, I’ll buy you whatever you want.”<br />

It was a gorgeous early fall day; the sun was casting longer shadows than it had just a month before. The mighty Pacific checked in for good measure<br />

with a gentle whisper. My door creaked and moaned as I reached in to click on the playlist I had cued up for the occasion and from the truck’s speakers<br />

Pearl Jam matched my kids’ frenetic pace. “Dad,” my youngest asked, “can we really get anything?” Without hesitation I answered back, “Anything.” In<br />

rapid succession, my daughter declared that she was going to order a vanilla milkshake, and my boys would be going for chocolate and strawberry. The<br />

work went by quickly; the whole time Eddie Vedder kept us company with his raw, tribal screams: spin, spin / spin the black circle…<br />

With a full load, we folded ourselves back into the cab. Spirits were soaring in anticipation of oozing special sauce, Animal Style. My still-gloved right<br />

hand reached for the ignition and turned the key clockwise. Click, click, click. My heart sank as I realized that my obsession with 90’s grunge had drained<br />

the battery. We were stuck in the middle of nowhere and would not be going anywhere anytime soon. In-N-Out for dinner, maybe, but not lunch. The<br />

news hit hard; really hard. The workers were unhappy and would surely unionize as a result. I phoned everyone I knew to be within a five-mile radius<br />

of our location. No luck. As a last resort, I dialed AAA. Their annoyingly chirpy operator informed me that a tow truck would be by in the next two to<br />

three hours. It was then, in a wave of desperation, that it hit me: wait a minute, we have a stick shift!<br />

“Everybody out,” I ordered; “I’ve got an idea.” I explained that if we could get the truck moving fast enough, I could put it in first gear, pop the clutch,<br />

and we could jump start the old Ford ourselves. They were in disbelief that something like that could actually work, but grasped onto the tiny glimmer<br />

of hope now dangled before them. I lined the kids up at the tailgate and demonstrated how I wanted them to push. Looking like a football coach,<br />

minus the whistle and clipboard, I said, “You’ve got to bend your knees and put your back into it, like this.” I gave it everything I had, barely budging the<br />

hulking two-ton amalgamation of Detroit-made steel. “We’re going to have to work together on this, doing it all at once, pushing as hard as we can. If<br />

we can just get it over this hump the rest is downhill.”<br />

The first shove did nothing. Not a thing. With my shoulder now nested into the void of the open driver’s side door, I shouted out, “Push!” An inch was<br />

gained and the truck rocked back again. “Push!” This time two inches, and then a retreat. “Push!” Three inches, and back. “Push!” Four inches, and now a<br />

4,000-pound ticking metronome. After a dozen or so successive tries, momentum took over and the tires exited the rut and began to roll downhill. I ran<br />

alongside as it gained speed and jumped in behind the wheel, tromped down the clutch, turned the ignition to “On,” shoved the stick out of neutral and<br />

into first, and then popped the clutch.<br />

Vrrrrroooooooooooommm!!! The aging workhorse roared back to life. Glancing up at the rear-view mirror, I could see my kids running behind me as if they<br />

were a trio of offensive lineman trailing their speedy running back down the open field, knowing that it was their blocks that set him free for his glorious<br />

touchdown scamper. Pumping their fists, they high-fived, laughed, whooped and hollered. For good measure, I sped out into the nearby open field and<br />

spun a celebratory donut, gunning the engine and launching a plume of Central Coast topsoil heavenward—my version of an end zone dance.<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 />

Tom Franciskovich<br />

tom@slolifemagazine.com<br />

14 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


TILE SHOWROOM & NATURAL STONE SLAB YARD<br />

SHOWROOM HOURS MON-FRI 10-5, SAT 10-3 SLMARBLE.COM, 5452 ENDA RD<br />

OCT/NOV <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 />

Shawn Tracht<br />

Franz Wisner<br />

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS<br />

Blake Andrews<br />

Patrick Patton<br />

Vanessa Plakias<br />

Beth Sargent<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 clicking “Share Your Story” or<br />

emailing us at info@slolifemagazine.com. Be sure to include your full name<br />

and city for verification purposes. Contributions chosen for publication may<br />

be 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 express 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 | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 17


| ON THE COVER<br />

A SNEAK PEEK<br />

BEHIND the scenes<br />

WITH MIKE DURIGHELLO<br />

BY VANESSA PLAKIAS<br />

Mike gave me a tour.<br />

The first stop was their<br />

keg storage, and then we<br />

went into this massive<br />

walk-in refrigerator.<br />

Kombucha is everywhere!<br />

And, there is a process<br />

for everything from<br />

brewing and shipping<br />

all the way down to<br />

cleaning. Although it<br />

appeared to be so carefree<br />

and artsy, there was<br />

definitely business going<br />

on there.<br />

All of their personalities seemed to mesh so well. They were a<br />

bunch of characters, finishing each other’s sentences, and just<br />

balancing each other out. It’s wonderful to be around, the energy<br />

is contagious. They had customers coming in and out the whole<br />

time I was there and the phone was ringing off the hook. It was a<br />

beehive of activity in that place. I wanted to get a shot of the four<br />

owners together, but it was hard to pull off because it was so busy.<br />

We had to sneak it in quickly.<br />

Upstairs is their office,<br />

and I say “upstairs,” but<br />

it is more like “up ladder”<br />

because you have to scale<br />

this really steep ladder<br />

to get up there. I was so<br />

nervous climbing it, but<br />

they are all maniacs. They<br />

literally run face first<br />

down this thing. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />

They have guitars, punching bags, and they have a collection of<br />

hot sauce, because if you are late to work you have to take a shot<br />

of hot sauce; that’s the punishment for showing up late. They are<br />

definitely very playful, they keep it fun, and happy.<br />

18 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


Meet a few of the 700+ members of<br />

our caring Sierra Vista family.<br />

Physician Referral Line:<br />

(844) 677-5929<br />

1010 Murray Avenue<br />

San Luis Obispo, CA 93405<br />

SierraVistaRegional.com<br />

OCT/NOV <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 />

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE<br />

DOLOMITES, ITALY<br />

JUDY and WALT BREMER<br />

Our magazine traveled by Gondola up to the top of<br />

Heavenly Mountain.<br />

— TAYLOR, GABRIELLE, MARTY, & BRYAN DAVIS<br />

ALASKA<br />

LAKE SUNAPEE, NEW HAMPSHIRE<br />

PIPER went to Phil’s pre-school program and we loved the<br />

article about him. NORA hopes to be doing Junior Guards<br />

with him next summer. Thanks for a great local publication.<br />

JEFF, SUMMER, HUNTER, and MADI LONG, with KEN<br />

and JUDY RIENER, took a chopper ride to Meade<br />

Glacier during an Alaskan cruise.<br />

KUTUH, BALI, INDONESIA<br />

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK<br />

CORDELL, MARLEY, and AUDREY CONOVER<br />

ANDREW JONES and JULIE NURMINI enjoying the<br />

family temple on the Bukit. Selamat Hari Saraswati.<br />

20 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 21


| IN BOX<br />

GRAND CANYON<br />

BURBANK, CALIFORNIA<br />

MAKENA and KAILANI SWITHIN<br />

IRELAND<br />

<strong>SLO</strong> OAK LEAVES ROLLER HOCKEY<br />

COSTA RICA<br />

Sisters MARGE GIST and JANET LAURSEN visiting<br />

their ancestral home.<br />

SOUTH KOREA<br />

Hello from El Tumbo de las Olas in Costa Rica.<br />

THE WOOLPERT FAMILY enjoying the pura vida<br />

lifestyle and the magical chaos of friends and<br />

family in the jungle!<br />

AFRICA<br />

After spending a year in <strong>SLO</strong>, we are now back to Ulsan,<br />

South Korea, with <strong>SLO</strong> Life. HYESUE and EUNSUE at<br />

Tongdosa in the southern part of Mt. Chiseosan near<br />

Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea.<br />

THE SCIOCCHETTI FAMILY<br />

22 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


Sponsors<br />

As a community, you grabbed the bull by the horns and brought CowParade to town.<br />

As artists, you hooved it against deadline pressure, creating fun talking pieces. And<br />

as donors, you helped wrangle in over $250,000 for various charities. A year ago this<br />

month, 101 crazy cows descended on <strong>SLO</strong> County for a prolonged public grazing, leaving<br />

a herd of spectators with wide smiles and lasting memories. Thank you, everyone!<br />

Artists<br />

San Simeon Lodge<br />

Cambria Tourism Board<br />

Robin’s Restaurant<br />

CowParade <strong>SLO</strong><br />

Town of Harmony<br />

Harmony Valley Creamery<br />

Visitors Alliance of Cayucos /<br />

Shoreline Inn / Happy go Smile/<br />

Negranti Construction<br />

Windows on the Water<br />

Morro Bay Tourism Bureau /<br />

City of Morro Bay<br />

Gardens by Gabriel, Inc.<br />

Los Osos / Baywood<br />

smart72<br />

Avila Beach Golf Resort<br />

Pismo Beach CVB<br />

Nipomo Tourism Alliance / Trilogy at<br />

Monarch Dunes / Monarch Club /<br />

Monarch Dunes Golf Club<br />

J.B. Dewar<br />

Paso Robles Inn<br />

CMSF Heritage Foundation<br />

Parker Sanpei<br />

Halter Ranch Vineyard<br />

Oso Libre Winery<br />

Sextant Wines<br />

J Dusi Winery<br />

San Marcos Creek Vineyard<br />

Ranchita Canyon Vineyard<br />

Umpqua Bank<br />

Castoro Cellars<br />

Visit Atascadero / City of Atascadero /<br />

Debbie Arnold<br />

Ancient Peaks Winery &<br />

Santa Margarita Adventures<br />

Cal Poly - Creative Services<br />

Cal Poly - CAFES<br />

Cal Poly - Animal Science<br />

Cal Poly - Experience Industry<br />

Management<br />

Cal Poly CAFES Class of 2020 Donor<br />

La Lomita Ranch<br />

<strong>SLO</strong> Chamber<br />

Modelo / Central Coast Distributing<br />

French Hospital / City of San Luis Obispo<br />

/ ARTS Obispo<br />

San Luis Obispo TBID<br />

Mission College Prep. Donor<br />

Man One Jr.<br />

<strong>SLO</strong> Brew<br />

California Mid-State Fair<br />

RRM/Terre Verde Environmental<br />

Hotel SERRA<br />

Daylight Home, Lighting & Patio<br />

Peter Orradre Family<br />

French Hospital<br />

Cattaneo Bros.<br />

Crystal Springs Water<br />

Oasis Associates<br />

UPS<br />

Cole Chrysler, Jeep, Mazda<br />

Barnett Cox & Associates<br />

Left Coast Tees<br />

O.H. Kruse Grain & Milling<br />

Got You Covered<br />

Farm Supply<br />

The Allen Family<br />

Animal Care Clinic<br />

KSBY-TV<br />

The Land Conservancy of<br />

San Luis Obispo County<br />

La Lomita Ranch<br />

True Myth Winery<br />

HWY 101 Communications<br />

The Rossi Family Foundation<br />

Madonna Inn<br />

Lin Mercer<br />

Melody Rose Lara<br />

Tish Rogers & Patrick Dennis<br />

Mary Clark-Camargo<br />

Karen Floyd<br />

Paso Robles Art Association<br />

Carol Paulsen<br />

Gayle Rappaport-Weiland<br />

David Nakayama<br />

Michelle Watson<br />

Natallie Saia<br />

Gregory & Jane Siracusa,<br />

Jeff Odell & Don Doubledee<br />

Ted Emrick & Morro Bay<br />

High School Students<br />

Maggie Ragatz<br />

Dave & Kyle Doust<br />

Douglas Turner<br />

Wendy Hiller<br />

John Cuevas<br />

Douglas Turner<br />

Deprise Brescia<br />

Donna May Jeffery<br />

Karen Floyd<br />

Nipomo High School<br />

Brom P. Webb<br />

Liberty Continuing High School<br />

Ken & Rod Gouff, Christine Sedley<br />

Lauren Goldenberg<br />

Paso Robles Children’s Museum<br />

Virginia Viera<br />

Jack Foster<br />

Brandy Maynard<br />

Roberta Miller<br />

The Passionate Hearts<br />

Kerry Donlon-Bowen<br />

Lin Mercer<br />

Randy Gilman<br />

Templeton High School<br />

Jim Trask<br />

Susan F. Schafer<br />

Larry Kappen<br />

Grizzly Youth Academy<br />

Mission College Preparatory<br />

San Luis Obispo High School<br />

Cal Poly Creative Services<br />

Student Design Team<br />

Annierose Seifert<br />

Cal Poly Dairy Science Alumni<br />

Deprise Brescia<br />

Bouba Boumaiz<br />

Garet Zook & Shae Somma<br />

Missy Reitner & Neal Breton<br />

Juliana Martinez<br />

Shirley Hazlett<br />

Douglas Turner<br />

MCP Art Students<br />

Man One<br />

Dylan<br />

Jerry Scott<br />

Carla Cary<br />

Amy Mckay<br />

Sharon Harris<br />

Roberta Miller<br />

Tisha Smith<br />

Robin Smith<br />

Carla Cary & Christine Curtis<br />

Lauren Goldenberg<br />

Lois Keller<br />

Gini Griffin<br />

Dennis Bredow<br />

Donna Mary-Brunet<br />

Lin Mercer<br />

Chloe Millhauser<br />

Melisa Beveridge<br />

Labri Ferreira<br />

Carol Paulsen<br />

Garet Zook & Shae Somma<br />

Sara Lane<br />

Debbie Gedayloo<br />

The Children at Jack Ready<br />

Imagination Park<br />

Kelly Asuncion<br />

Shelly Corwin<br />

Leigh Rubin<br />

Visit cowparadeslo.com to read more about our amazing artists, sponsors, OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> and | <strong>SLO</strong> charities. <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 23


| IN BOX<br />

ALASKA<br />

SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO<br />

DEAN and<br />

KATHY MEYER<br />

GUAM<br />

DENNIS and CHERYL FERNANDEZ on the stairs of the<br />

Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe,<br />

New Mexico on our 49th Anniversary.<br />

<strong>SLO</strong> CAT<br />

I love your magazine and its whole <strong>SLO</strong> Town perspective<br />

(People Profiles, Food, Great <strong>SLO</strong> Homes). I have lived<br />

in the city of San Luis Obispo for the last 37 years (Class<br />

of ‘96 Cal Poly). I recently traveled to Guam and brought<br />

<strong>SLO</strong> Life with me for the long plane ride over. Always an<br />

excellent read! I am in the Army and work at Camp Roberts.<br />

I always give my current copy to visiting Soldiers for event<br />

ideas while they are in <strong>SLO</strong> County working or visiting.<br />

Please keep up the good work.<br />

— BRIAN LAWSON<br />

SWAKOPMUND, NAMIBIA<br />

RUSTY MARKS<br />

and KOLETTE RUSH<br />

This is my cat, Meow. When we adopted her from<br />

Woods we noticed that she had a unique pattern<br />

on her fur. If you look carefully you can see “<strong>SLO</strong>”<br />

on her side. She is very friendly and we love her.<br />

— MOLLY, AGE 11<br />

24 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 25


We helped more<br />

people purchase<br />

a home in 2015<br />

and 2016 than<br />

any other lender<br />

in San Luis<br />

Obispo County.<br />

| IN BOX<br />

You showed us...<br />

ATHENS<br />

GALICIA, SPAIN<br />

THANK YOU!<br />

NICOLE PAZDEN<br />

NETHERLANDS<br />

Help when you make the most important<br />

financial decisions of your life.<br />

KURT and SUSAN PACHECO<br />

in front of the Cathedral of<br />

Santiago de Compostela after<br />

walking the Camino de Santiago.<br />

JAN, CARRIE, and VICTORIA<br />

WILSON at the Van Gogh<br />

Museum in Amsterdam.<br />

KETCHUM, IDAHO<br />

WEISER, IDAHO<br />

Ben Lerner<br />

Mortgage Advisor<br />

NMLS 395723<br />

805.441.9486<br />

blerner@opesadvisors.com<br />

1212 Marsh St., Suite 1<br />

San Luis Obispo, CA 93401<br />

opesadvisors.com<br />

© <strong>2017</strong> Opes Advisors, A Division of Flagstar Bank<br />

Member FDIC | Equal Housing Lender<br />

26 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong><br />

PATTY and DAVID THAYER in<br />

Weiser, Idaho just prior to the<br />

total eclipse of the sun!<br />

Catching the total solar eclipse.<br />

— MALIA, JOHN, ELLA, ADDIE,<br />

AND ZOE WADDELL


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OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 27


O P E R A S A N L U I S O B I S P O P R E S E N T S<br />

Giacomo Puccini’s<br />

MADAMA<br />

BUTTERFLY<br />

A CITYWIDE ARTS COLLABORATION<br />

Central Coast Children’s Choir<br />

Civic Ballet San Luis Obispo<br />

Deyo Dances<br />

Opera San Luis Obispo<br />

Studio @-Ryan’s American Dance<br />

Directed by Edna Garabedian<br />

Choreographed by Andrew Silvaggio<br />

Opera San Luis Obispo<br />

Grand Orchestra & Chorus Conducted by<br />

Brian Asher Alhadeff<br />

SATURDAY<br />

<strong>Oct</strong>ober 14, 7PM<br />

SUNDAY<br />

<strong>Oct</strong>ober 15, 2PM<br />

2<br />

0<br />

1<br />

7<br />

PERFORMING ARTS CENTER<br />

SAN LUIS OBISPO<br />

| IN BOX<br />

POPPI, ITALY<br />

THE MOORE FAMILY watched the<br />

sunset over the castle on a hill: the<br />

Castle of the Counts Guidi in Poppi, Italy.<br />

NORTH CAROLINA<br />

KATHY MCCAREY, MARY VICKERS,<br />

and CAROL SANDERSON standing<br />

in front of the historic Mast General<br />

Store, circa 1883 in Valle Crucis.<br />

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE<br />

PARIS, FRANCE<br />

AJ, ADDIE, and<br />

AVERY SCHUBERG<br />

JEROME, ARIZONA<br />

DYLAN and EVAN AQUINO<br />

JEAN and JOHN HYDUCHAK<br />

Tickets: www.pacslo.org<br />

Mon-Sat 28 | <strong>SLO</strong> 12-6pm <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE 805.756.4849<br />

| OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong><br />

Please send your photos and comments to info@slolifemagazine.com<br />

Follow <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> on Facebook: Visit facebook.com/slolifemagazine<br />

Visit us online at slolifemagazine.com<br />

Letters may be edited for content and clarity. To be considered for publication your letter should<br />

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


COMPLETE YOUR HOME<br />

WITH DESIGNER HARD W OOD AND AREA RUGS<br />

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OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 29


| BRIEFS<br />

189<br />

The number of days it took for the San Luis<br />

Obispo County Sheriff ’s Office to ban the<br />

‘torture chair’ following the revelation that<br />

Andrew Holland, a 36-year-old Atascadero<br />

resident, had been strapped to the restraint<br />

for 46 hours straight and died as a result<br />

of a blood clot that formed in his leg,<br />

which the coroner characterized as “natural<br />

causes.” Despite assurances from Sheriff<br />

Ian Parkinson that restraint chairs were no<br />

longer used at the jail, records showed that<br />

his office signed off on policies that included<br />

its continued use in March. Later, in July,<br />

the county awarded Holland’s family a $5<br />

million settlement. The Holland family, who<br />

called on Parkinson to resign over the death<br />

and the “blatant cover-up” that followed,<br />

plans to donate the settlement to advocate for<br />

mentally ill people caught up in the criminal<br />

justice system. A similar case in Oklahoma,<br />

involving the death of a 58-year-old man who<br />

had been restrained to a similar chair, resulted<br />

in its sheriff and five others being arrested for<br />

second-degree manslaughter.<br />

“Beware of<br />

misleading and<br />

sensational news<br />

headlines.”<br />

<strong>SLO</strong> County District Attorney Dan Dow<br />

complained on Facebook after reading an<br />

article in the Tribune that reported the fact<br />

that the FBI was investigating the Sheriff ’s<br />

Office concerning its treatment of inmates<br />

at the County Jail—something that many<br />

residents suggested Dow himself should<br />

have been doing.<br />

114°<br />

Temperature in San Luis Obispo on<br />

September 2nd—the hottest day ever in its<br />

recorded history.<br />

“I saw him<br />

choking and did<br />

the Heimlich<br />

maneuver—two or<br />

three abdominal<br />

thrusts.”<br />

Will Stewart, a student at Sacramento<br />

State, who had been sipping a cup of coffee<br />

while waiting to interview for a paramedic<br />

internship, said after saving the life of a man<br />

who was choking at Coastal Peaks Coffee on<br />

South Higuera in San Luis Obispo. In case<br />

you were wondering, Stewart also nailed the<br />

interview and landed the internship.<br />

50<br />

The number of years Cuesta College<br />

President Gil Stork will have been with the<br />

community college when he retires in June.<br />

“Hi Friends! BIG<br />

NEWS: I’m formally<br />

announcing my<br />

candidacy for<br />

the office of<br />

of <strong>SLO</strong> County<br />

Supervisor…”<br />

Arroyo Grande native, Jimmy Paulding,<br />

announced on his Facebook page his<br />

intention to run against Lynn Compton<br />

for the 4th District seat on the Board of<br />

Supervisors. Paulding is a lawyer who<br />

had been a registered Republican up<br />

until 2011 when he changed his party<br />

affiliation to Democrat.<br />

“We are a victim of success.”<br />

Cal Poly president on the massive increase<br />

in the size of the <strong>2017</strong> freshman class—<br />

estimated to be about 1,000 larger than<br />

planned—a 28% increase over last year.<br />

[see page 76 for more on this issue]<br />

“When acting in official<br />

capacities, faculty and<br />

staff are prohibited<br />

from endorsing,<br />

soliciting, encouraging<br />

or participating in<br />

religious expression or<br />

activities with students,<br />

on campus or at schoolsponsored<br />

events.”<br />

One of the new rules adopted by the San<br />

Luis Coastal Unified School District in<br />

response to an anti-homosexual letter to the<br />

editor published in the school newspaper<br />

from former <strong>SLO</strong> High teacher, Michael<br />

Stack, who said, among other things, that<br />

“gays deserve to die.”<br />

74<br />

Number of years after World War II ended<br />

that the remains of Pfc. George Bernard<br />

Murray finally returned to his hometown<br />

of Oceano. Murray, a First Class Marine,<br />

was killed in a battle on a remote Pacific<br />

Island, and will be buried in a grave<br />

next to his mother, Edith, at the Arroyo<br />

Grande Cemetery.<br />

“We’re not criminals!”<br />

An oft-repeated refrain heard from San<br />

Luis Obispo County protestors who showed<br />

up to express their outrage outside of<br />

Congressman Salud Carbajal’s Marsh Street<br />

office after Donald Trump announced his<br />

intentions to end DACA, an Obama-era<br />

policy that protects young people brought<br />

into the country illegally as children. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />

30 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 31


| TIMELINE<br />

Around the County<br />

AUGUST ‘17<br />

8/3<br />

The official cause of death was released by the San Luis Obispo County<br />

Sheriff ’s Office claiming that the 20-year-old woman, Baylee Gatlin, who died<br />

at the Lighting in a Bottle music festival at Lake San Antonio had overdosed<br />

on LSD. But, the coroner, who reports to the sheriff, was immediately<br />

challenged as experts shared that it is extremely unlikely to ingest a fatal<br />

dosage of LSD. Gary Alan Walter, the Tulare-based coroner, who worked on a<br />

contract basis for the sheriff, has a checkered past, including receiving a DUI<br />

on the way to perform an autopsy, as well as issuing a series of controversial<br />

findings, including the case of Andrew Holland, the 36-year-old Atascadero<br />

man who was strapped to a plastic restraint chair for 46 hours at the County<br />

Jail. During his time working under Sheriff Ian Parkinson, the state has been<br />

attempting to suspend or revoke his medical license. Parkinson’s spokesman,<br />

Tony Cipolla, claimed that they “had been attempting to hire a full-time<br />

pathologist,” but noted that there were a shortage of candidates and “simply<br />

no alternatives.” A little more than a month later, the sheriff was able to hire<br />

Dr. Joye Carter, a triple-board-certified physician with more than 30 years of<br />

experience in forensic pathology.<br />

8/16<br />

Despite spirited opposition from the neighbors, the <strong>SLO</strong><br />

City Council voted to move forward with plans for a<br />

bike pathway that would connect downtown to Foothill<br />

Boulevard. To make way for bike paths that are protected<br />

from traffic by planter beds, curbs, and posts, the city<br />

would remove parking on one side of Chorro Street<br />

and one or both sides of Broad Street. Currently, about<br />

330 bicyclists traverse the corridor each day, but the city<br />

believes that number would increase substantially if a<br />

safer path is provided. Those who spoke during the public<br />

comment section were mostly divided on the plan, but the<br />

residents whose street parking would be disrupted were the<br />

most passionate in their arguments. The total cost of the<br />

project is expected to be around $280,000 and is slated for<br />

completion by 2019. Approximately 62% of the money will<br />

come from a state transportation fund.<br />

8/7<br />

After seven-and-a-half years as San Luis Obispo’s city manager, Katie Lichtig<br />

announced that she will be moving to Santa Monica to become its new chief<br />

operating officer. Prior to her role here, Lichtig was the assistant city manager<br />

of Beverly Hills and city manager of Malibu. Despite receiving praise from<br />

current council members, her tenure with the city was not without controversy:<br />

many in the community claimed her annual compensation—$321,021—was far<br />

too generous; and, earlier this year, after a $70,000 expenditure on an outside<br />

investigator, she was disciplined for her role in the “sexy firefighter video” aired<br />

at the <strong>SLO</strong> Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Dinner. Her departure leaves<br />

behind an anticipated $8.9 million dollar budget shortfall in four years due<br />

to rising pension costs and lower than forecasted tax revenues. The <strong>SLO</strong> City<br />

Council looked internally for her replacement and tapped Derek Johnson [see<br />

page 36] to become the new top administrator.<br />

8/10<br />

The San Luis Obispo Architecture Review Commission approved a plan<br />

submitted by developer Nick Tompkins for a three-story, 45-foot-tall<br />

mixed-use building at the corner of Monterey and Santa Rosa Streets.<br />

Previously, Tompkins had submitted a proposal for a 75-foot-tall structure<br />

that included a hotel and residential housing, but withdrew it after receiving<br />

mixed reviews. The approved project will include 21,198 square feet of<br />

office space, 2,985 square feet of retail space, and 2,195 square feet of<br />

restaurant space with no residential housing units. The amount of parking<br />

included—21 spaces—was half of what the city normally requires because<br />

Tompkins added bicycle parking as well as on-site showers and lockers for<br />

those who choose to bike to work.<br />

8/29<br />

Popular Cal Poly student, Kennedy Love, 22, a third-year<br />

landscape architecture major, was killed while riding his<br />

bike down Foothill Boulevard. Although he was wearing<br />

a helmet, had his bike lights turned on, and rode within<br />

the bike lane, he was hit by a 17-year-old girl from Los<br />

Osos who had been drinking. After she collided with Love,<br />

instead of stopping to help, she and her friend left him<br />

lying in traffic and fled the scene. She then abandoned<br />

her vehicle and called for a ride home. Police officers later<br />

found her car in a nearby neighborhood and traced it to<br />

her residence where she was apprehended. At the corner of<br />

Foothill and Ferrini, a “ghost bike,” a bicycle painted white,<br />

was locked to a street post, and flowers began accumulating<br />

as a memorial to the life of Love.<br />

32 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


9/1<br />

More than 70% of San Luis Obispo residents voted “No” in a special<br />

election concerning a citizen initiative calling for the repeal of the<br />

Rental Housing Inspection Program and replacing it with a new<br />

“nondiscrimination in housing” policy, although the city council had<br />

already repealed the program in April. The authors of the initiative,<br />

former city councilman Dan Carpenter along with local attorneys<br />

Stew Jenkins and Dan Knight—together prodded the city council<br />

to spend $160,000 to hold the special election —pushed landlordfriendly<br />

Measure B-17, as it came to be known, despite objections<br />

from city officials who claimed it would have created loopholes that<br />

would have effectively undermined housing programs to assist the<br />

poor, minorities, and elderly.<br />

SEPTEMBER ‘17<br />

9/6<br />

The Downtown Concept Plan, first initiated in 2015, was ratified by<br />

the <strong>SLO</strong> City Council. The plan, drafted by a team of local designers<br />

led by Pierre Rademaker, outlines a blueprint for what downtown San<br />

Luis Obispo will look like in 25 years by addressing societal trends,<br />

such as shopping, living, and transportation habits. Key concepts<br />

include: drop-off zones on every block for ride sharing services, such<br />

as Uber; new parking structures; higher medium-density housing<br />

and smaller dwelling units; expansion and upgrades to the city’s arts<br />

and entertainment corridor; upgrades to Mission Plaza that include<br />

a splash pad; new shopping plazas and pedestrian and bike-friendly<br />

pathways; and more mixed-use developments with commercial space<br />

on the ground floor, and residential units above. Going forward, the<br />

implementation of the plan will depend on a variety of factors, such as<br />

funding, regulatory approvals, and prioritization.<br />

9/12<br />

In a move that many locals claim was long overdue, the County Board<br />

of Supervisors asked Parks and Recreation Director Nick Franco for a<br />

plan to clean up and manage the picturesque 55-acre clifftop property<br />

near Avila Beach known as Pirate’s Cove. The long-abandoned park,<br />

which boasts some of the most spectacular views in the world, has been<br />

overrun with refuse and has become a hotbed for illicit activity, frequently<br />

a problem spot for local law enforcement. While the request for a plan is<br />

widely viewed as a positive development by proponents, it is important<br />

to note that no money has yet been allocated. Once the plan is presented,<br />

the Board will be required to give their approval to financing the<br />

upgrades, which will likely include a restroom, garbage cans, signage, and<br />

a paved parking lot, as well as its ongoing operations.<br />

9/14<br />

Over the objections of Air Pollution Control District officer Larry<br />

Allen, who noted, “After six years, the temporary controls put in<br />

place for the emergency permit process have not been effective<br />

really at all,” the Coastal Commission approved a new five-year<br />

dust mitigation plan for the Oceano Dunes, which includes more<br />

of the same efforts used in the past: wind fencing, vegetation, and<br />

hay bales. Meanwhile, Nipomo Mesa residents claim that they are<br />

forced to breathe some of the worst air in the country and continue<br />

to suffer maladies ranging from asthma to lung cancer and are<br />

encouraged to remain indoors on many days.<br />

9/19<br />

<strong>SLO</strong> City Council unanimously approved the development<br />

known as Avila Ranch, off of Buckley Road near the airport<br />

on the south end of town. The neighborhood, thought to break<br />

ground in two years, will include 720 new homes of varying sizes,<br />

a 15,000-square-foot commercial center, as well as maintaining<br />

about 35% of its land as open space. The developer, Andy<br />

Mangano, will be responsible for the $7 million extension of<br />

Buckley Road, which will connect it to South Higuera. Homes in<br />

the new subdivision will range in price from $200,000 to $750,000<br />

with most of them in the $350,000 to $650,000 range, in today’s<br />

dollars. Although marketed as a “workforce housing project,” just<br />

67 of the 720 homes fall under the city’s inclusionary housing<br />

program and only 25 fit the technical definition of “workforce<br />

housing,” which is designated for those making between 120 and<br />

160 percent of the median income locally. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />

OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 33


| VIEW<br />

OTHERWORLDLY<br />

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BETH SARGENT<br />

“Photography, for me—it just means everything,” Beth Sargent says,<br />

reflecting on her craft. “It’s really, really important in my life. You<br />

know, you hear people say these big, dramatic things like, ‘It’s my<br />

soul’s purpose,’ but, it really is to that level for me.”<br />

Sargent marks the genesis of her obsession when she was just a kid,<br />

11 or 12 years old. “I remember stealing my parents’ Kodak Brownie<br />

camera when I was in the sixth grade.” But, it was 2008 when the<br />

doors swung wide open, and the proverbial horse left the barn. That<br />

was the year she bought her first digital single lens reflex (SLR),<br />

a Canon. Sargent had been watching the digital product improve<br />

for years, but it was close to a decade ago that she remembers it<br />

surpassing the old film-based equipment, in terms of both versatility<br />

and quality. “I never thought about film again,” she marvels.<br />

With her trusty 7D Mark II always at her side, the Nipomo resident<br />

sees the world as though she were watching it through her camera’s<br />

viewfinder. Everything, every moment, is a still image waiting to<br />

be captured, whether it is a carefully planned outing or a bit of<br />

serendipity, chancing upon an unfolding landscape, or an encounter<br />

with one of her favorite subjects, a bird of prey, hawks and eagles.<br />

Catching news of a big storm on the horizon, however, is when<br />

Sargent’s soul begins to vibrate at a higher frequency. And, it was<br />

one particular deluge back in 2010 that she still clearly recalls to this<br />

day. There was no doubt in her mind where she and a couple of her<br />

shutterbug friends would be the second the dark clouds began to<br />

drift off and the sun turned in for the evening: the Oceano Dunes.<br />

The composition you see here is actually an amalgamation of three<br />

images shot in rapid succession in a process called High Dynamic<br />

Range, or HDR. Sargent and her companions trudged the soggy<br />

sand for about a mile from the entrance and waited patiently for<br />

the drops to stop falling. She wanted to see what the rain would<br />

do to the dunes, figuring it would leave behind artwork similar to<br />

the smooth frosting you sometimes see on wedding cakes. There<br />

was a brief moment when it all came together. The skies parted,<br />

the sun descended, the sand held its shape, and Sargent snapped<br />

away. Of the park, one of her favorite Central Coast subjects, the<br />

photographer says, “The Oceano Dunes themselves, they’re, and I<br />

really don’t know how to say this—they’re otherworldly.” <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />

“<br />

You know, you hear people say<br />

these big, dramatic things like,<br />

‘It’s my soul’s purpose,’ but, it<br />

really is to that level for me.<br />

34 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong><br />


OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 35


| Q&A<br />

METAMORPHOSIS<br />

Newly appointed San Luis Obispo City Manager DEREK JOHNSON, stopped by<br />

the office for a wide-ranging conversation that spanned everything from how<br />

he met his wife (she worked at his favorite Isla Vista coffee shop) to his passion<br />

for surfing (if there is an exotic international break somewhere, chances are he’s<br />

surfed it) to his two young daughters and his twenty-year yoga practice. Here are<br />

some of the highlights from our conversation…<br />

We always like to start from the beginning, Derek.<br />

Where are you from? I was born and raised in<br />

<strong>Nov</strong>ato, California. It was a working-class part of<br />

Marin County. Lots of police officers, firemen. A<br />

lot of people commuted in to San Francisco. That<br />

was back when getting to the city took 20 minutes<br />

and crossing the Golden Gate Bridge cost just 25<br />

cents. My family ended up there because both of my<br />

grandparents were in the military; my grandfather<br />

was a colonel in the Air Force and my grandmother<br />

was a major in the Army. Much of the Pacific<br />

operations [during World War II] were based there<br />

in the Bay Area, so after the war that’s where they<br />

settled; bought a house. I grew up in the same house<br />

my mom grew up in. <strong>Nov</strong>ato, when I was growing<br />

up, in a lot of ways reminds me of San Luis Obispo<br />

now. People knew each other; strong family and<br />

community values.<br />

And, what about college? I went to school at<br />

UCSB, my degree is in environmental science.<br />

When I graduated in the early 90’s there weren’t<br />

many jobs available because we were in the middle<br />

of a recession, so I stuck around and worked on<br />

a grant with one of my professors to build vernal<br />

pools. I did a habitat restoration project for the Isla<br />

Vista Recreation & Parks District, and one thing led<br />

to another and a few years later at the ripe age of 25,<br />

I became the general manager of the district. I ended<br />

up staying there for about ten years. Isla Vista [I.V.]<br />

is interesting because it’s an unincorporated area,<br />

the only elected government they have for I.V. is the<br />

Rec & Park District, so our slogan was “More than<br />

just parks.” We did parks and recreation programs;<br />

we cleaned trash off the streets; we worked with the<br />

county and the university on redevelopment projects;<br />

we did a lot of stuff that was outside the role of a<br />

traditional parks and recreation district.<br />

Tell us about your famous neighbor in I.V., the<br />

singer-songwriter Jack Johnson. He lived next<br />

door and his band would come over to practice in<br />

his garage. The band was called Soil, and it was just<br />

loud, obnoxious music. My bedroom faced the garage<br />

where they practiced, sometimes late into the night.<br />

So, I’d get out of bed and go over and pound on the<br />

door. So, I’d pound on the door—bam, bam, bam—<br />

and I’d yell, “Guys, shut up! Jack, keep it down, man!<br />

I’m trying to sleep!” He’d eventually open the door<br />

and say, “Oh, sorry about that, Derek—we’ll unplug<br />

the amp.” You know, it was just a typical I.V. band;<br />

lots of noise, lots of dissonance. They weren’t that<br />

awesome. But later, after Jack’s first album came out,<br />

which was mellow, acoustic, I teased him about it,<br />

telling him that part of his success was because of me<br />

yelling at them at all hours of the night. [laughter]<br />

You’re really into cycling. What have you<br />

learned from the sport? You know, that’s<br />

an interesting question. I think about the<br />

peloton a lot. The peloton is a group of<br />

cyclists working together in a pack, sharing<br />

the load. In that setting, you learn a lot<br />

about peoples’ behaviors and how they<br />

operate, how they think. So, riding in<br />

Santa Barbara I always felt like everyone<br />

was flashy and wanted to show off. They’d<br />

try to ride away from you and be macho.<br />

In Santa Cruz, where we lived for a few<br />

years, the peloton was sort of disorganized; people<br />

didn’t work that well together, it was kind of a<br />

free-for-all. I noticed that the first time I rode<br />

here that people were working together, willing to<br />

share. I’d show up in Santa Barbara or Santa Cruz<br />

for the first time and I’d get the “Spandex stare<br />

down,” but here everyone was like, “Hey! How’s<br />

it going? You’re new to town? Awesome, come<br />

ride with us!” That was the first time I realized<br />

that this is a pretty cool place. People are willing<br />

to share the work, they’re communicative, they’re<br />

friendly, they’re welcoming.<br />

Let’s close by talking about the city’s pension<br />

problem. How’d it come to be? After going through<br />

the recession, our investment fund with CalPERS<br />

has gone from 100% funded down to where it is<br />

now in the 60% range. We’re talking about one of<br />

the largest pension funds in the world. It moves<br />

slowly. There is no way they can invest their way<br />

out of this math problem. On top of that, you have<br />

changing demographics. A few years ago, the city<br />

had 1.7 employees for every retiree. In five to seven<br />

years, we are only going to have 0.6 employees<br />

paying into this thing for every retiree. So, it comes<br />

down to demographics and the loss of CalPERS’<br />

investment. Don’t forget, though, we’ve got another<br />

big challenge on the horizon, which is navigating<br />

through the planned closure of Diablo Canyon, and<br />

making sure that we have a solid economic base as<br />

this region loses 1,500 head of household jobs. I also<br />

want to make sure we are meeting our climate action<br />

goals of having a carbon-neutral city. And, beyond<br />

that, it is important to me that we are maintaining<br />

a city where people still know each other, even<br />

through the planned growth and development. I<br />

want to make sure that whatever metamorphosis the<br />

community undergoes, people still have a connection<br />

to each other, and to this place. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />

36 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


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OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 37


| MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR<br />

38 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


KING OF<br />

KOMBUCHA<br />

PHOTOGRAPHY BY VANESSA PLAKIAS<br />

A little more than four years ago, MIKE DURIGHELLO sold his first keg of<br />

kombucha, which had been brewed in a San Luis Obispo garage that doubled as<br />

his bedroom. Today, he has grown the business, along with his three partners, to<br />

the point where it is poised to take over the top spot as California’s largest on-tap<br />

kombucha maker. His company, Whalebird Kombucha, and its unique culture, is<br />

as innovative and eclectic as the product it sells. Here is his story…<br />

OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 39


Alright, Mike—let’s take it from the top. Where are<br />

you from originally? Yeah. Okay, so I was born in<br />

San Francisco and raised in Marin County. I spent<br />

a lot of my time outside, just kind of around the<br />

neighborhood; there was a lot of open space. So, that<br />

occupied me a lot. I was a runner and a swimmer primarily growing up. Those are<br />

the two things that I did pretty regularly. So, swimming and running and then<br />

a lot of hanging out with friends outdoors. We did things like paintballing and<br />

building forts. I played water polo in high school. I was basically very active from<br />

a young age and was really into endurance activities. I like to stay moving.<br />

How’d you do in school? I was an average student. I was into sports, but health<br />

and wellness wasn’t really on my radar. My parents weren’t hippies; they worked,<br />

and we were on the standard American diet, basically; meat and potatoes, a<br />

lot of conventional foods. Carbs were in; fats were out. Veggies were there, but<br />

maybe just 10% of the meal. Then I ended up going away to school in Santa<br />

Cruz, UCSC.<br />

Go, Slugs! [Laughter] Originally, I wanted to be a marine biologist, I pursued<br />

that for a while. I got into diving to really explore the water and go deep and<br />

see it up close. Then I started working in a lab and that was<br />

when I realized that it wasn’t for me. I was spending all my<br />

time weighing out these little creatures, dehydrating them,<br />

identifying them. It was just very tedious work. I was like,<br />

“Geez, this is boring!” I wanted to be out, working with my<br />

hands like the old Cal Poly motto, “Learn by doing.” Anyway, I<br />

graduated in 2009 and went to work on a coffee farm in Costa<br />

Rica, in this little town called Agua Buena.<br />

That is a different track, for sure. What exactly did you<br />

do there? I taught English. Then I stayed down for another<br />

three months and continued to teach while also picking coffee<br />

beans. That was a really great experience. Before then I had no<br />

idea what a coffee plant even looked like. And I got to see the<br />

whole process from planting to caretaking, to harvesting, to all<br />

of the processing that goes behind removing the coffee bean<br />

from the fruit; and then the drying process, and eventually the<br />

roasting, and the packaging process. It’s backbreaking work;<br />

more power to those guys, I don’t think I could do it day in<br />

and day out. You know, I was only doing it for a few months,<br />

40 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


picking coffee. You’re putting it in these giant “canastas” or baskets<br />

that you have around your neck. And, in that basket you’re carrying<br />

something like 15 or 20 pounds of fruit. And it takes you about<br />

an hour to pick that much. And you’re getting paid by the basket,<br />

something around 450 or 500 colones, which is about a dollar. I was<br />

making around $1.50 an hour.<br />

How did you end up here on the Central Coast? My friend was<br />

living here, going to school at Poly. So, I came down here and started<br />

working a restaurant job. I was working 16-hour days bussing tables<br />

at Spy Glass Restaurant for the breakfast and lunch shift, then at<br />

Custom House in Avila Beach for the evening shift. At the time, I was<br />

living in a house with five girls; my room was the garage, which I had<br />

to myself. I liked working in restaurants because I was tired of being<br />

in the classroom, tired of all that theoretical stuff, academia and book<br />

learning, which I’m not really very good at; but I did get myself fired<br />

from a couple of places for, you know, insubordination and eating on<br />

the job, things like that; things I deserved to be fired for. [laughter]<br />

How long did you do the restaurant thing? I worked in restaurants<br />

for around three years or so, making my way up to a server, which was<br />

a little upgrade, when my friend says, “Hey, we should start a business<br />

together.” We started looking at doing a little juicing company that we<br />

figured we would set up as a booth at Farmers’ Market. So, I’d work<br />

late in the restaurants—by now I was doing some bartending, too—<br />

and then I’d get up early the next day and start looking into the juicing<br />

business. What was the overhead? How much is a commercial grade<br />

juicer? What’s the shelf life of this stuff? How do you keep it fresh?<br />

We learned that you needed to consume the juice within an hour [of<br />

juicing] to get the maximum benefits from the live active enzymes. We<br />

started seeing a lot of roadblocks and began brainstorming other ideas;<br />

that’s when I remembered kombucha from my college days around ten<br />

years earlier.<br />

Talk about that. My friend Carson, who’s a phenomenal surfer, took<br />

me out surfing one day. And after we got out of the water, he let me<br />

try some of his kombucha. I remember that I couldn’t pronounce it<br />

right. I asked him, “Hey, what are you drinking there?” Naturally, I was<br />

really interested because this guy is an amazing surfer and I wanted to<br />

do whatever he was doing. So, he’s drinking this weird tonic that I had<br />

never heard of and I tell him that I wanted to learn more about this<br />

stuff, “kam-bu-cella,” I just couldn’t pronounce it for the longest time.<br />

It was just so foreign-sounding to me. What? “Kam-boo-chee.” But,<br />

I tried it and I hated it. It was absolutely horrible. It was sort of apple<br />

cider-y, very tart, it had this funky fermented flavor to it; just terrible.<br />

It kind of reminded me a little bit of the first time I had beer, when I<br />

snuck a sip of my dad’s beer when I was younger. I remember saying<br />

the same thing at the time: “This is absolutely horrible—how can<br />

anybody drink this stuff?”<br />

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Okay, then why isn’t that the end of the story? Well, what happened<br />

was that I noticed this weird sort of elevated sense of clarity and<br />

mental energy later that day. I realized that I felt really good, super<br />

clear-headed. So, I tried it again later, this time it was a mangoinfused<br />

flavor, which tasted really good. I immediately went out and<br />

bought three or four more bottles of the stuff. It was making me feel<br />

great, and I had this laser focus when I was studying. I could go for<br />

three or four hours in the library without a break, and without food.<br />

It wasn’t long before I was drinking three bottles a day, and at $5 a<br />

pop I was spending $15 per day on my kombucha habit. That was<br />

not sustainable, so I started experimenting with it and really paying<br />

attention to how I was feeling and realized that I only really needed<br />

one to maintain optimum energy levels and curtail my appetite. It<br />

wasn’t like coffee where you spike then crash mid-afternoon. I found >><br />

design + construction<br />

OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 41


that I could go all day with consistent energy and amazing mental clarity<br />

on just one $5 bottle of kombucha.<br />

So, fast-forward ten years, you started thinking about doing it as<br />

a business? Yes, that’s right. The ingredients are pretty basic. There’s<br />

relatively low overhead. It’s got a long shelf life. If we don’t sell it right<br />

away, it can last for months at a time. And that’s due to its low acidity<br />

as well as the robust culture inside the bottle. It doesn’t allow for other<br />

things to encroach and grow, like mold and things like that. So, I started<br />

diving in and really looking into it. I didn’t know how to make it and<br />

around January, it was January 2012, Molly, this girl that I had worked<br />

with at Café Roma had just returned from Spain where she was studying<br />

wine and viticulture. So, over an acaí bowl at Sally Loo’s I was telling her<br />

about kombucha and she’s like, “You know, I’ve been wanting to do that,<br />

too. And I know how to make it.” I said, “Great—let’s do it!”<br />

A business is born. We were making it in my garage and being just<br />

ridiculous—using water from my garden hose—we had no idea what<br />

we were doing. We were just flying by the seat of our pants, making it<br />

up as we went along. We had no concept of temperature control and<br />

how much to start your batch with in terms of how much starter culture<br />

to use and when to add the flavoring. Do we add the flavoring before<br />

fermentation? Do we add the flavoring after fermentation? What do<br />

we flavor it with? Are we flavoring with juices? Are we dry steeping<br />

things? Through a lot of trial and error we learned how to do it, and<br />

along the way we developed our own unique product. We use dried<br />

and steeped ingredients in our kombucha instead of juice. So in one of<br />

our best sellers, for example, there’s no juicing at all. It’s hibiscus, rose<br />

hips, blackcurrants, dried blackcurrants, dried raisins, Jasmine green tea,<br />

and we start with the base of black tea. That’s how all of our kombucha<br />

is made; we start with the base of black tea, organic cane sugar. We<br />

essentially make a sweet tea that is fermented. We have our kombucha<br />

culture—just wild yeast in bacteria. It ferments for 30 days. And then<br />

those dry-steeped ingredients are added to the final product for about<br />

24 hours. And during that time that it’s steeping, it’s chilling, and it’s<br />

carbonating, and then we transfer it straight to a keg so that it can be<br />

served on tap.<br />

Tell us about your first sale. We started selling our kombucha in the<br />

spring of 2013—at first we called ourselves Komplete Kombucha—<br />

downtown [San Luis Obispo] at Bliss Café. It was our ginger sarsaparilla<br />

flavor. You know, we weren’t even going to do it—sell the kombucha, that >><br />

42 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 43


is; we just weren’t confident in our product. I remember walking into<br />

the café and the owner, David, was there. He said, “Mike, where’s the<br />

kombucha? We need it. I’ve been telling everyone about it and they’re<br />

starting to ask about it.” I told him, “We’re just not ready.” Basically, the<br />

honest answer was that we were not at all confident in our product. I’ll<br />

never forget it; David put his arm around me and said, “Mike, you are<br />

never going to have a perfect product. It’s never going to be perfect. I<br />

put out stuff all the time that I know that I still need to work on; you<br />

need to take that leap of faith, put it out there; some people may not like<br />

it, but they know you are small; they’re going to love that there is a small<br />

kombucha maker here in town; they will support you, give you feedback<br />

and make it better.” I said, “Alright, I’ll bring you a keg tomorrow.”<br />

So, what happened? Almost immediately they started selling out<br />

of the stuff. We were running out of kombucha left and right. Our<br />

understanding of customer service was so poor. I was delivering kegs on<br />

my bicycle. And we had no clue when it came to production. We had<br />

no idea how much kombucha we were supposed to make. Our timelines<br />

were fuzzy at best. We knew generally how long it would take. And,<br />

without proper temperature regulation in our fermentation chamber, we<br />

would get product that’s twenty days to make when it was hot outside.<br />

And if the temperature dropped, and we didn’t have a heating element in<br />

there keeping that constant temperature, it might take, you know, thirty<br />

days; or, if it was really cold out, it could take forty days.<br />

How did that go over with Bliss? Even though they were running<br />

out all the time, sometimes they’d go for a week at a time without<br />

kombucha, they were stoked. Their customers loved the product and<br />

they were giving us the feedback we needed. They’d tell us, “People are<br />

wanting more ginger and less sarsaparilla; or more carbonation or less,”<br />

or whatever the case was. So, after spending about four months or so<br />

tweaking the recipe and dialing in our production processes, we picked<br />

up our second client, Kreuzberg Coffee, which was ironic because it was<br />

one of the places I got fired from.<br />

Oh, boy… Yeah, and I didn’t fare much better this time around, at least<br />

at first. We continued to have problems with production and keeping<br />

a steady supply. They’d run out of kombucha and get mad at us when<br />

we couldn’t deliver; and we’d apologize. All along the way we kept<br />

getting better at what were doing. But, there was a turning point in<br />

our understanding of delivering on time and having specific delivery<br />

schedules. That wasn’t until several years later. Up until that point we had<br />

done well just sort of winging it. We had expanded into the Yoga Centre,<br />

Roxanne’s Café, we were in MindBody, where I worked for a short time, >><br />

44 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


On the Bluff at SeaCrest OceanFront Hotel in Pismo Beach<br />

Live Music: Rio Salinas featuring Louie Ortega<br />

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$40 adults 21+ ($50 at the door) | $10 ages 4-20<br />

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Classics in the Cohan<br />

P E R F O R M I N G A R T S C E N T E R<br />

Andrew Sewell, Music Director<br />

Opening Night<br />

OCTOBER 7, <strong>2017</strong> I 8 PM<br />

Bion Tsang, Cello<br />

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Lilburn I Aotearoa Overture<br />

Dvorák I Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104<br />

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NOVEMBER 11, <strong>2017</strong> I 8 PM<br />

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Bernstein I West Side Story Symphonic Dances<br />

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“<br />

Graham made me feel confident that I could trust his judgement and expertise to get my home<br />

sold in an efficient and stress free manner. I knew that he would get the job done.<br />

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www.ccreslo.com<br />

3196 South Higuera Suite D, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401<br />

OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 45<br />


left to right Dustin Oswald, Jacob Pritzlaff,<br />

Mike Durighello, Lee Wilkerson<br />

too, just to keep the bills paid. We were seeing really good growth, but<br />

we really didn’t understand the value of delivering on time; it was more<br />

like, “We’ll get to it when we get to it.” We just really didn’t get it—until<br />

we started working with High Street Deli.<br />

Details, please. They taught me, in particular, a very valuable lesson. We<br />

were giving them very vague delivery windows. And they told us once<br />

before that they wanted us to give them next-day deliveries, or at least<br />

be very concrete with when we would be delivering to them. They’d call<br />

up and place the order and say they needed kombucha for the weekend,<br />

or tomorrow, or next Tuesday, or whatever it was; and they already had<br />

the conversation with us a couple of times before. They said, “Hey, we<br />

need you guys to be more prompt.” Anyway, they had placed an order a<br />

few days prior when I get a text message from the manager there. We<br />

had just missed another delivery. The text read, “We’re done. Come pick<br />

up your stuff.”<br />

Ouch. Me, being a naïve business owner, I just got really mad. I went<br />

over there and I yelled. I said basically, that they were in the wrong and<br />

that we had told them that we’d get it to them as fast as we could. But,<br />

again, I didn’t give them a specific day and time that I was going to do<br />

it. They’re used to working with distributors that are prompt and provide<br />

excellent customer service, which is what they need to run their business<br />

effectively. So, I went in there and gave them a piece of my mind<br />

and was in the wrong, 100%. I took my kegs out of there. I ended up<br />

apologizing to them later. I think they realized at the time that I was just<br />

a young start-up and didn’t know what I was doing. Ever since then we<br />

are very deliberate with customers, telling them exactly when—what day,<br />

what time—we will be delivering. It was a very, very valuable learning<br />

experience and I’m glad that it happened early on. I’m really thankful to<br />

Doobie, the owner over there, and Eric, for being who they are. I love<br />

their sandwiches to this day, even though they don’t serve Whalebird<br />

Kombucha there. I’m so grateful to those guys.<br />

So, what’s next for the company? We’ve finally got our [stuff ] together<br />

and have gone from a little start-up in my garage to a commissary<br />

kitchen and then to our own commercial space where we are now.<br />

We’ve grown to the point—adding 40 new accounts very quickly—that<br />

we bought the space next door to increase our production, which is<br />

nice because we have plenty of room to continue to grow. We’re as far<br />

south as Los Angeles now and we’re looking to expand into Northern<br />

California. We want to be the top on-tap kombucha in California. That<br />

is a goal of ours, but we’re not going to grow faster than our means allow.<br />

We’re not interested in working 24/7. We want to make the appropriate<br />

hires, bringing in the right people, and keep the company to ourselves.<br />

I’m not interested in selling a part of the company to an outside investor<br />

because I don’t want us to lose what we’ve created; I don’t want to give<br />

up a 10% interest, for example, and have someone come in that has<br />

influence on what we are doing and how we are doing it. At the end of<br />

the day, the first goal, the most important goal, is that we’re all happy.<br />

I want to have a really good time, and enjoy the ride. And I want to<br />

continue moving forward, doing it our way. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />

46 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


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OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 47


| NOW HEAR THIS<br />

UPCOMING SHOWS<br />

10/6 - 10/7 . Paso Robles Inn . Paso Robles<br />

10/7 . Harbor Festival . Morro Bay<br />

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48 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


THE NOACH TANGERAS BAND<br />

Local singer-songwriter Noach Tangeras stopped her car on the shoulder of the PCH to write the<br />

single “Big Sur.” She describes it, “As I was driving, I was hearing the beginning of the lyrics in<br />

my head, and I had to stop and write them down.” “Big Sur” won first in the country-Americanafolk<br />

category at the 2016 New Times Music Awards, the second award for Tangeras, whose other<br />

original song, “Walkin’ Out Your Door,” placed third in the R&B/Blues category in 2015.<br />

BY DAWN JANKE<br />

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PATRICK PATTON<br />

ongs seem to come to<br />

Tangeras sporadically: “I<br />

might be in the kitchen, or<br />

anywhere, really, and I’ll hear<br />

lyrics and melodies in my<br />

head. I feel it coming on for<br />

whatever reason, and I just<br />

write. “Big Sur” captured a<br />

fleeting moment in the great<br />

outdoors, and other songs<br />

Smight be inspired by poets<br />

like Shakespeare or Walt Whitman. Even a bad day at<br />

work can make it into one of Tangeras’ songs: “When I<br />

have a bad day, I write it out.”<br />

Originally from the small, cornfield-splattered town<br />

of New Haven, Indiana, Tangeras started playing<br />

the flute in grade school and was raised amidst a<br />

musical family—her dad performed in a Norwegian<br />

blues band and her mom sang in the choir and played<br />

guitar. During her college years at the University<br />

of Maine, Tangeras started taking guitar lessons.<br />

“Learning how to play guitar enabled me to write<br />

my own music,” she explains. “I had always loved<br />

literature and poetry, but not until I learned the<br />

guitar did I put the two together.”<br />

Tangeras has been performing as a singer-songwriter<br />

for the past twelve years, whether in coffeehouses near<br />

the University of Maine or at bars in Alaska during her<br />

summers as an outdoor recreation and whale-watching<br />

guide. She played, too, during her winter ski seasons in<br />

Colorado. Clearly, Tangeras is filled with wanderlust<br />

and takes her music with her where she goes.<br />

When Tangeras landed in Morro Bay in 2011, she<br />

did so to work as a fisheries observer, but after three<br />

years, she realized it was time for her to pursue a<br />

music career full-time. Since 2014, Tangeras has<br />

been building her business as a musician. She sends<br />

venue-booking agents links to her music, secures<br />

performances throughout the county, and is taking<br />

her time to build a profile. She explains, “It was hard<br />

starting out; I have had to work hard to establish<br />

a name for myself. There are like 365 bands in this<br />

county, and everyone wants to know: What makes<br />

you special?”<br />

There’s clearly a lot that makes Tangeras and her band special. As she explains<br />

it, “I think the band has a distinctive sound because of the harmonies I have<br />

with fellow vocalist and keyboardist Rachel Santa Cruz.” Santa Cruz is a<br />

seasoned musician in her own right, having performed for years with her dad,<br />

local musician Bobby Santa Cruz. Tangeras continues, “A lot of fans mention<br />

how well we sound together, and I really like singing with Rachel because her<br />

voice is incredible.”<br />

The band, which formed about two years ago, also includes Adam McAlexander<br />

on electric guitar and Jeremy Lemen on cajón drum and bass guitar. “The four of<br />

us have played around town for years now—we would show up at the same open<br />

mic nights and sit in on each others’ sets. We eventually made a serious band out<br />

of it,” says Tangeras. She adds, “Adam performs really nice Led Zeppelin-style<br />

lines and Jeremy can come up with some innovative stuff on the cajón; plus, he’s<br />

a really talented bass player.”<br />

While their current live line-up doesn’t include the bass guitar, Tangeras says<br />

that the band is working on a set with a drum kit instead of the cajón; “And in<br />

those instances Jeremy will play bass,” she says. Specifically, the band is preparing<br />

the drum kit and bass sound for their opening set at the Whiskey a Go Go in<br />

December: “We’re opening for Missing Persons and are changing things up.”<br />

Whether Lemen is on cajón or bass, the soul of the band remains.<br />

Tangeras describes the band’s sound as Americana with influences of rock,<br />

country, folk, and blues. “People always say I sound like Janis Joplin, and she’s<br />

definitely one of my main influences,” she says. “I also like Credence Clearwater<br />

Revival, Dolly Parton, Grace Slick, and Patsy Cline.” Tangeras’ musical tastes<br />

may vary, but her favorite song to sing is a Joplinesque rendition of Kris<br />

Kristofferson’s iconic “Bobby McGee.” She says, “I just love Janis, and that song<br />

really resonates with me—the vocal style and the soul behind it.”<br />

The Noach Tangeras Band is currently recording its first full-length album at The<br />

Sauce Pot studio in San Luis Obispo and intends first to release a six-track EP,<br />

possibly by the end of the year or early in 2018. The<br />

album will include the previously recorded, awardwinning<br />

tracks “Big Sur” and “Walkin’ Out Your Door”<br />

along with new, original songs featuring a diverse,<br />

more upbeat sound and a rock influence.<br />

For Tangeras, the dream fulfilled is one in which she is<br />

touring the world performing her songs. As she puts<br />

it, “I quit my job and am focused on taking my music<br />

career as far as it will go.” Her main goal for now is to<br />

get her music out to as many listeners as possible. “I<br />

know I don’t have control over how fans will feel about<br />

my music,” she says, “but I’m putting my consciousness<br />

into my songs and hoping I trigger a feeling. Then I<br />

know my music is doing its job.”<br />

<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 />

OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 49


| DWELLING<br />

LOFT LIVING<br />

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BLAKE ANDREWS<br />

50 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 51


52 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


L<br />

ast year, 36 local students moved into the<br />

newly renovated Blackstone-Sauer Building<br />

at the corner of Chorro and Monterey in<br />

downtown San Luis Obispo, a space dubbed<br />

the Cal Poly Lofts.<br />

The Lofts, made up of studios, 1-bedroom,<br />

and 2-bedroom configurations, range<br />

in rent from $900 to $2,000 per month<br />

and are designed for entrepreneurially<br />

minded students who would benefit from<br />

its close proximity to the <strong>SLO</strong> Hothouse.<br />

The Hothouse, which serves as a business<br />

“incubator” providing services and support to<br />

fledgling start-ups, is operated by Cal Poly’s<br />

Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship.<br />

It had recently relocated from its original<br />

location at 955 Morro Street to where it<br />

is now, above Ross Dress for Less at 872<br />

Higuera Street.<br />

Copeland Properties owns the space and<br />

developed the hip, urban-style residences,<br />

which it has leased to Cal Poly for a base >><br />

OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 53


ent of $412,000 per year. Cal Poly then<br />

manages and operates the property as its only<br />

student housing off-campus. The rent generated<br />

by the students falls about $100,000 short of<br />

covering the total cost of the apartments, so the<br />

university subsidizes the difference.<br />

Each space is fully furnished and includes a<br />

complete kitchen, air conditioning, a private<br />

courtyard with bike racks, and a community<br />

laundry area. The renovation, completed<br />

as part of Copeland Properties’ Chinatown<br />

projects, sits atop the lululemon athletica store<br />

on Monterey Street, across from the Mission,<br />

giving students a unique view of the Mission<br />

Plaza, the creek, and its surroundings. New<br />

hardwood flooring is found throughout, as<br />

is tasteful use of classic tiling. The spaces<br />

are functional, yet imaginative and it is not<br />

hard to envision being inspired to create “the<br />

next great thing” while living there, which, of<br />

course, is the whole idea. >><br />

54 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


Creating more of what you want for your home!<br />

OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 55


The spaces are functional,<br />

yet imaginative and it is<br />

not hard to envision being<br />

inspired to create “the next<br />

great thing” while living<br />

there, which, of course,<br />

is the whole idea.<br />

BLAKE ANDREWS is a<br />

native to San Luis Obispo<br />

and owner of <strong>SLO</strong>tography.<br />

56 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong><br />

<strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong>


OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 57


| REAL ESTATE<br />

BY THE NUMBERS<br />

Median Sales Price<br />

City of San Luis Obispo (2008 - <strong>2017</strong>)<br />

Median Sales Price<br />

County of San Luis Obispo (2008 - <strong>2017</strong>)<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

Total Number of Homes Sold<br />

City of San Luis Obispo (2008 - <strong>2017</strong>)<br />

<br />

Total Number of Homes Sold<br />

County of San Luis Obispo (2008 - <strong>2017</strong>)<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

Total Inventory of Homes<br />

City of San Luis Obispo (2008 - <strong>2017</strong>)<br />

<br />

Total Inventory of Homes<br />

County of San Luis Obispo (2008 - <strong>2017</strong>)<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

SOURCE: San Luis Obispo Association of REALTORS ®<br />

<strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />

58 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


“<br />

Lisa Combs at San Luis Obispo Realty, worked tirelessly for almost a year to find our<br />

‘dream home’. Her cheerfulness, persistence, and attention to detail made our eventual<br />

purchase possible. We recommend her without reservation!<br />

Lewis and Sandra Soloff<br />

Atascadero<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 />

”<br />

441 MARSH STREET, SAN LUIS OBISPO<br />

OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 59


| <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 />

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 />

49<br />

$651,671<br />

$643,946<br />

98.81%<br />

37<br />

2016<br />

29<br />

$739,448<br />

$732,852<br />

99.11%<br />

41<br />

2016<br />

23<br />

$760,378<br />

$750,237<br />

98.67%<br />

19<br />

2016<br />

16<br />

$1,316,500<br />

$1,262,281<br />

95.88%<br />

65<br />

2016<br />

64<br />

$676,074<br />

$669,692<br />

99.05%<br />

32<br />

2016<br />

34<br />

$799,424<br />

$784,059<br />

98.08%<br />

40<br />

2016<br />

48<br />

$785,516<br />

$770,923<br />

98.14%<br />

46<br />

<strong>2017</strong><br />

45<br />

$691,184<br />

$681,838<br />

98.64%<br />

23<br />

<strong>2017</strong><br />

19<br />

$801,094<br />

$793,574<br />

99.06%<br />

23<br />

<strong>2017</strong><br />

23<br />

$808,604<br />

$797,043<br />

98.57%<br />

30<br />

<strong>2017</strong><br />

12<br />

$1,182,317<br />

$1,132,779<br />

95.81%<br />

57<br />

<strong>2017</strong><br />

63<br />

$694,703<br />

$686,978<br />

98.88%<br />

48<br />

<strong>2017</strong><br />

34<br />

$718,061<br />

$707,055<br />

98.47%<br />

27<br />

<strong>2017</strong><br />

39<br />

$769,397<br />

$768,551<br />

99.89%<br />

33<br />

+/-<br />

-8.16%<br />

6.06%<br />

5.88%<br />

-0.17%<br />

-37.84%<br />

+/-<br />

-34.48%<br />

8.34%<br />

8.29%<br />

-0.05%<br />

-43.90%<br />

+/-<br />

0.00%<br />

6.34%<br />

6.24%<br />

-0.10%<br />

57.89%<br />

+/-<br />

-25.00%<br />

-10.19%<br />

-10.26%<br />

-0.07%<br />

-12.31%<br />

+/-<br />

-1.56%<br />

2.76%<br />

2.58%<br />

-0.17%<br />

50.00%<br />

+/-<br />

0.00%<br />

-10.18%<br />

-9.82%<br />

0.39%<br />

-32.50%<br />

+/-<br />

-18.75%<br />

-2.05%<br />

-0.31%<br />

1.75%<br />

-28.26%<br />

*Comparing 01/01/16 - 09/21/16 to 01/01/17 - 09/21/17<br />

SOURCE: San Luis Obispo Association of REALTORS ®<br />

<strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />

60 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


Not All Lenders<br />

are Created Equal<br />

Let the RPM San Luis Obispo Team’s years of experience,<br />

personalized service and outstanding reputation work for you<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 />

1065 Higuera Street, Suite 100, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401<br />

LendUSA, LLC dba RPM Mortgage NMLS #1938 - Licensed by the Department of Business Oversight under the CA Residential Mortgage<br />

Lending Act. | 6381 | Equal Housing Opportunity<br />

OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 61


| <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 />

Arroyo Grande<br />

250<br />

235<br />

52<br />

58<br />

$681,101<br />

$764,235<br />

Atascadero<br />

254<br />

289<br />

44<br />

54<br />

$484,160<br />

$547,740<br />

Avila Beach<br />

31<br />

12<br />

95<br />

86<br />

$1,064,113 $1,063,333<br />

Cambria/San Simeon<br />

120<br />

112<br />

96<br />

79<br />

$685,268<br />

$689,012<br />

Cayucos<br />

27<br />

46<br />

98<br />

118<br />

$1,023,979 $1,052,354<br />

Creston<br />

7<br />

11<br />

136<br />

95<br />

$858,714<br />

$794,182<br />

Grover Beach<br />

129<br />

137<br />

35<br />

43<br />

$486,080<br />

$518,625<br />

Los Osos<br />

123<br />

88<br />

51<br />

31<br />

$592,737<br />

$590,639<br />

Morro Bay<br />

115<br />

105<br />

59<br />

64<br />

$649,010<br />

$692,600<br />

Nipomo<br />

177<br />

180<br />

48<br />

57<br />

$598,711<br />

$632,575<br />

Oceano<br />

34<br />

36<br />

44<br />

51<br />

$409,826<br />

$448,444<br />

Pismo Beach<br />

96<br />

98<br />

74<br />

50<br />

$963,320 $1,079,526<br />

Paso (Inside City Limits)<br />

362<br />

348<br />

52<br />

42<br />

$447,046<br />

$481,704<br />

Paso (North 46 - East 101)<br />

30<br />

37<br />

54<br />

47<br />

$530,265<br />

$472,253<br />

Paso (North 46 - West 101)<br />

74<br />

72<br />

87<br />

96<br />

$573,699<br />

$496,566<br />

Paso (South 46 - East 101)<br />

36<br />

41<br />

94<br />

67<br />

$583,883<br />

$663,082<br />

San Luis Obispo<br />

325<br />

264<br />

40<br />

35<br />

$741,204<br />

$760,536<br />

Santa Margarita<br />

15<br />

15<br />

47<br />

35<br />

$317,533<br />

$405,933<br />

Templeton<br />

90<br />

84<br />

98<br />

70<br />

$695,975<br />

$741,762<br />

62 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong><br />

Countywide<br />

2,232 2,153<br />

*Comparing 01/01/16 - 09/21/16 to 01/01/17 - 09/21/17<br />

55 54 $599,921 $641,771<br />

SOURCE: San Luis Obispo Association of REALTORS ®<br />

<strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong>


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OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 63


| ON THE RISE<br />

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT<br />

Greta Carlson<br />

This seventeen-year-old San Luis Obispo High School<br />

senior is looking forward to a bright future and is ready<br />

to pack her bags for the next great adventure.<br />

What recognition have you received? At <strong>SLO</strong>HS I have received three Golden Tigers and have<br />

been on multiple honor rolls for maintaining a high GPA. In my freshman year I became involved<br />

in FFA (Future Farmers of America) and since then have been a state finalist multiple times in<br />

public speaking competitions. I was awarded 4th in state for Creed Recitation Competition in<br />

2015, 4th in state for an agriscience project based on food waste in 2016 and 2nd in state for an<br />

agricultural issues project on recreational cannabis in the ag industry in <strong>2017</strong>. Most recently, I<br />

have been named State Champion for Prepared Public Speaking for my speech on food waste and<br />

will be travelling to Indianapolis this fall for the national competition.<br />

What sort of extra-curricular activities do you participate in? I am involved in FFA, Harvard<br />

Model Congress, Link Crew, and the Superintendent’s Student Senate through <strong>SLO</strong>HS.<br />

However, I dedicate most of my time to FFA and am involved in public speaking competitions,<br />

fundraising committees, and leadership positions within the program. Outside of <strong>SLO</strong>HS, I am a<br />

member of the Civic Ballet of San Luis Obispo as well as the San Luis Jazz Dancers.<br />

Who has influenced you the most? My mom has, hands down, been one of the greatest<br />

influences in my life. She continually supports my decisions, ambitions and crazy schedule,<br />

while managing a life of her own. Beside that, my mom always has a different perspective on<br />

life and everything that accompanies it, which, in turn, has allowed me to see the world in a<br />

variety of ways.<br />

What is your favorite memory of all time? By far, my favorite memory was when I was cast<br />

as the lead role of Clara at age eleven in the Civic Ballet of San Luis Obispo’s Nutcracker. The<br />

entire audition was a bit of a blur, but I vividly remember standing in front of my director, Drew<br />

Silvaggio, and him pointing to my friend, Madison Price and I, announcing our roles as Clara.<br />

It was surreal. There were a lot of tears, hugs, and smiles right after that.<br />

What else is going on with you lately? Besides managing my senior year, I am focusing on<br />

researching more into food waste, sustainable agriculture, and consumer education to prep for<br />

Nationals. As I have discovered inspiring movements and campaigns that have made impacts<br />

on thousands, I decided it is time for me to contribute to a solution. Recently, I have launched<br />

an Instagram account (Eat It, Don’t Waste It) to raise awareness about food waste, highlight<br />

successful reduction campaigns, and encourage everyone to be conscious of the issue. I am excited<br />

to see where this project goes in the next little bit.<br />

What is something most people don’t know about you? I have been a travel fanatic my entire<br />

life, for sure. When I was nine years old I travelled to Australia by myself to visit family and<br />

at fifteen I spent five weeks in Boston for a dance program. As a family, we have travelled to<br />

nine countries total (some multiple times) and I have truly fallen in love with exploring new<br />

cultures, cuisines, and traditions. I definitely want to pack up my bags and spontaneously move<br />

to somewhere in Europe for a few years.<br />

What schools are you considering for college? Cal Poly, UC Davis, UC Santa Cruz, UC Santa<br />

Barbara, Colorado State, Western Washington, Oregon State, among others. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />

Know a student On the Rise?<br />

Introduce us at slolifemagazine.com/share<br />

64 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


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OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 65


| FAMILY<br />

SEE CANYON<br />

FRUIT RANCH<br />

Life is at its sweetest and most innocent,<br />

perhaps, when viewed through new eyes. I<br />

have heard some variation of this statement in<br />

the past, but I never really understood it until<br />

becoming a mother. My husband and I love<br />

nothing more than watching our seven-monthold<br />

daughter’s focused gaze intensify when<br />

she tries a new flavor for the first time. She<br />

loves fruit, so we thought about how we could<br />

incorporate some tasting into a family outing.<br />

I started asking around for recommendations<br />

locally, and one name kept coming up again<br />

and again: See Canyon Fruit Ranch.<br />

BY PADEN HUGHES<br />

Ready to explore?<br />

From San Luis Obispo: head south on<br />

Highway 101 and exit San Luis Bay Drive.<br />

Turn right onto San Luis Bay Drive and<br />

then turn right on See Canyon Road.<br />

Continue approximately 1.5 miles, passing<br />

Kelsey See Canyon Vineyards, the See<br />

Canyon Fruit Ranch will be on your right.<br />

66 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


Treat Yourself for <strong>2017</strong>!<br />

Nestled into a little sunny patch within See Canyon,<br />

which lies between San Luis Obispo and Avila<br />

Beach as the crow flies, we had visited the<br />

impossibly quaint apple farm once before for a<br />

wedding, but up to this point it had not occurred<br />

to us that it was also the perfect spot for a familyfriendly<br />

adventure. That all changed very quickly.<br />

We passed through the rustic front gate and felt transported to a bygone<br />

era. Our visit began by exploring the manicured grounds: perusing the<br />

farm stand, taking in the romantic orchards, and lingering among the<br />

serenely landscaped gardens. Every vantage point offered impossible views,<br />

from the “love tractor” to the weatherworn gazebo, with the whole scene<br />

embraced by the surrounding hillsides blanketed with coast live oaks. The<br />

natural beauty engulfed us in a hard-to-explain way that felt both calming<br />

and restorative to body, mind, and soul.<br />

We were greeted cheerfully by owner Susie Kenny, a fifth-generation San<br />

Luis Obispo native. Also known as “Mama Kenny,” this warm, friendly<br />

mother of eight is the very embodiment of hospitality and nurturing care.<br />

She and her husband, Paul, have been running the Fruit Ranch for 20<br />

years, and she’s prone to declaring that she has been “blessed in order to<br />

be a blessing.” The Kennys were introduced to the area in 1976 when they<br />

were married in the canyon. They went on to raise their eight children at<br />

the 21-acre ranch—originally founded in 1894—where their grandkids are<br />

now often seen scurrying about. The love and attention to detail put into<br />

the Fruit Ranch over the years is obvious at every turn. In addition to the<br />

heirloom variety apples, which are mostly dry-farmed, the venue is also<br />

used for weddings and community events.<br />

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With such passionate leaders at the helm, it wasn’t surprising to learn the<br />

ranch hosts over 29 local school field trips each year designed to make<br />

farming come to life for children. Mama Kenny is a natural teacher and<br />

shares her knowledge of apples and the bees that accompany them, guiding<br />

school children on a role-playing adventure she calls “hive life.” We loved<br />

the homegrown honey and were thrilled to learn that it takes 556 bees<br />

flying 35,890 miles to create just one pound of honey—understanding all<br />

of the effort involved made it taste that much sweeter.<br />

The pride taken in their little farming operation was evident when<br />

interacting with their mostly Cal Poly student-workers in the farm stand,<br />

who guided us through a tasting of the fresh, seasonal varieties and<br />

cheerfully sliced samples of the day’s harvest. Organizing the tasting from<br />

tart to sweet, we quickly settled on our favorites: Honeycrisp and Golden<br />

Delicious. We were also blown away by the pear we sampled—it was our<br />

daughter’s clear winner.<br />

The day of our visit was sunny and warm with a gentle breeze from nearby<br />

Avila Beach, and we spent most of our time there taking in the quiet<br />

solitude offered by the recently trimmed lawn,<br />

lazing around munching on our freshly picked<br />

apples—the whole thing was therapeutic, to say<br />

the least.<br />

See Canyon Fruit Ranch offers apple tasting,<br />

apple cider, honey, picnic lawns, and the added<br />

benefit of being technology-free by default as<br />

there is no cell phone reception. This, in part,<br />

adds to the experience where people, human<br />

connection, and nature are prioritized. We<br />

highly recommend this spot for families looking<br />

for a respite, a little getaway, and to enjoy the<br />

countryside during our local apple season. For us,<br />

our only regret was that we did not bring a picnic<br />

lunch and stay a bit longer. <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 />

OCT/NOV 111 <strong>2017</strong> South | <strong>SLO</strong> St. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> 805 MAGAZINE 543 9900 | 67


| HEALTH<br />

Intermittent Fasting<br />

We recently heard from a friend here on the Central Coast who has claimed to be getting great results from<br />

something she calls “intermittent fasting,” or IF, so we thought we’d look into it. As it turns out, IF is trending,<br />

particularly among the Paleo community—those who adhere to a low-carb, relatively high-fat diet in an effort<br />

to approximate the way it has been thought that humans ate thousands of years ago. The only problem is that<br />

oftentimes our ancestors didn’t eat at all.<br />

Think about it: for<br />

millions of years, when<br />

our forbears were<br />

hunting and gathering,<br />

if we didn’t make<br />

the kill, spear the fish, gather the nuts, or<br />

find the berries, we just went without. A<br />

surprising series of metabolic pathways kick<br />

in when our bellies rumble. Ketosis, which<br />

literally means “fat burning” becomes the<br />

norm and our bodies, which expend around<br />

half of their energy digesting food, are able<br />

to focus on healing by discarding dead and<br />

worn-out cells through a process called<br />

autophagy, or “self-eating.” The benefits<br />

that come with ketosis and autophagy can<br />

accrue from an IF program where the period<br />

one eats is reduced down to an eight-hour<br />

window, for instance, which may mean<br />

skipping breakfast or eating an early dinner.<br />

One example, is swallowing your last bite of<br />

dinner at 8 p.m. and not eating again until<br />

the next day at 12 noon.<br />

Want to learn more?<br />

Check out “The Complete Guide<br />

to Fasting” by Jason Fung, MD.<br />

This text is often considered the<br />

bible of fasting.<br />

The question of when to eat is as important<br />

as what to eat, according to advocates of IF.<br />

The preeminent guru of the movement,<br />

Jason Fung, MD, wrote what is considered<br />

the go-to read on the subject, a book called<br />

“The Complete Guide to Fasting.” His<br />

work outlines three different approaches,<br />

including intermittent, alternate-day, and<br />

extended fasting, and goes into great detail<br />

about each one, supplying lots of research<br />

along the way. If you are interested in giving<br />

fasting a try, first make sure you are in good<br />

health, and please see your doctor if you<br />

have any questions or concerns. Beyond<br />

that, the most important thing to know is<br />

this: if at any point you do not feel well,<br />

eat! Beyond this simple rule, there appears<br />

to be a lot of myths and misinformation<br />

concerning fasting, so we will address the<br />

main ones here, which have been adapted<br />

and condensed from Dr. Fung’s book. >><br />

68 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 69


Myth No. 1<br />

YOUR BODY WILL GO INTO<br />

“STARVATION MODE”<br />

The idea that metabolism slows down in response to fasting—not<br />

eating anything at all—has been proven untrue in multiple studies;<br />

however, and somewhat counterintuitively, experiments testing<br />

daily caloric reduction have been shown to reduce metabolism<br />

dramatically. For example, several studies demonstrate a 25% to 30%<br />

lower basal metabolic rate (BMR) when subjects’ caloric intake was<br />

shifted from 2,500 to 1,500 per day. Scientists are unclear as<br />

to why this happens, although some surmise<br />

that it evolved with early humans during<br />

periods of famine. In other words, when we<br />

didn’t eat at all, we needed more energy to go<br />

out and find food; therefore, our metabolism<br />

kicks in to keep us going.<br />

Myth No. 3<br />

IT CAUSES LOW BLOOD SUGAR<br />

If you fast longer than about 36 hours, you deplete your glycogen—sugar<br />

stored in your muscles—and the liver takes over and begins a process called<br />

gluconeogenesis, which involves taking fat and converting a part of it into<br />

glucose, or sugar. Additionally, humans are unique in the animal kingdom for<br />

their brains’ ability to run on ketones—fat fuel—as well as glucose. Again,<br />

a look back at our ancestry may provide some clues: imagine if we became<br />

blubbering idiots after 36 hours without food? It was our intellect that<br />

allowed our species to climb to the top of the food chain; otherwise we’d be<br />

answering to lions and tigers, oh my. >><br />

Myth No. 2<br />

YOU WILL BURN MUSCLE<br />

While it is true that your body will eventually turn to protein<br />

oxidation, or burning its muscle for fuel, this only happens as<br />

a last resort. The human body has massive amounts of energy<br />

storage in the form of fat and many of us can go a month or<br />

more before the body runs out of fuel and starts looking around<br />

for other things to burn, like muscle and connective tissue. The<br />

longest known fast lasted 382 days, when a twenty-seven-yearold<br />

Scottish man, who weighed in at 456 pounds, under the<br />

supervision of his doctor dropped down to 180 pounds while<br />

maintaining his muscle mass. In fact, many of those studied<br />

during their intermittent fasts actually showed an increase<br />

in muscle mass because the body increases its production of<br />

growth hormone—in some cases by 50%—during periods when<br />

no food is consumed.<br />

70 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


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Myth No. 4<br />

IT DEPRIVES THE BODY OF NUTRIENTS<br />

PERSONALIZED GROUP FITNESS<br />

and INDIVIDUAL TRAINING<br />

There is no evidence of this during an IF protocol; however, it is advisable for anyone<br />

embarking on a longer fast to supplement with a daily vitamin. Many practitioners suggest that<br />

a pinch of Himalayan pink salt in a glass of water takes care of many of these issues (including<br />

any dizziness that may occur). The Scottish fellow who fasted for over a year straight did with<br />

just water and a daily multivitamin. Of course, for obvious reasons, pregnant women and<br />

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72 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong><br />

Myth No. 5<br />

IT’S JUST CRAZY<br />

It’s true that fasting is a lost art that runs counter to our three-square-meals-a-day culture, but<br />

there are too many benefits to ignore, such as: improved mental clarity, lost weight, lower blood<br />

glucose, better insulin sensitivity, increased energy, and decreased inflammation. Throughout<br />

history fasting was used as a cure for sicknesses and disease. Ancient Greek philosophers used<br />

fasting as way to think more deeply. And, American icon Mark Twain, a practitioner of fasting,<br />

once wrote, “A little starvation can really do more for the average sick man than can the best<br />

medicines and the best doctors.” <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong>


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| STORYTELLERS’ CORNER<br />

EDITING<br />

HOW TO MAKE THE CUT<br />

BY FRANZ WISNER<br />

Isaw the framed document at Franklin D. Roosevelt’s home in Hyde Park, New<br />

York. The red pencil edits caught my eye.<br />

“Yesterday, December 7, 1941, a date which will live in world history, the United<br />

States of America was simultaneously and deliberately attacked by naval and air<br />

forces of the Empire of Japan,” read the typed draft speech.<br />

But Roosevelt had crossed out a few words and added several others to create a new<br />

sentence: “Yesterday, December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy, the United States<br />

of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of<br />

Japan.” With a few strokes of his pencil, FDR made an average sentence iconic.<br />

Editing is the underrated and often overlooked partner to a successful writing effort. It’s the<br />

John Oates of Hall & Oates. We are all guilty of not giving our writing the same editing<br />

attention we afford our initial words. I can’t go for that.<br />

So, fight the tendency to treat editing as an afterthought. Your writing is your baby. You<br />

should shower it with care at every stage.<br />

The following are a few simple editing tips to whip your writing into shape, whether you’re<br />

penning a novel, or a speech, a short story, or a magazine column.<br />

First, it’s important for writers to broaden their definition of editing, to see it as more<br />

than basic proofreading. Editing can be just as rewarding (and time consuming) as the<br />

writing itself. Look at filmmakers. They spend as much time in the editing room as they<br />

do on set. Many of them prefer this part of the process. It’s where they can turn individual<br />

performances into a collective work of art.<br />

Editing is where you can shape your words and sentences into something memorable and<br />

moving. See it as a puzzle. You have all the pieces. How can you best assemble them?<br />

If you’re editing your own work, avoid editing while<br />

you write. Writing is tough enough as it is. You don’t<br />

want to do anything to stifle your creativity. Let the<br />

words and ideas flow as best you can. Get that first<br />

draft down on paper, no matter how awful you think it<br />

may be. You can make it less awful later on.<br />

This begins with setting aside sufficient time for<br />

editing. I prefer mornings, when my mind is clear. As<br />

Ernest Hemingway advised, “Write drunk, edit sober.”<br />

Pick an optimal time during the day, turn off your cell<br />

phone, and give your writing the editing care and focus<br />

it deserves.<br />

The first edit I conduct is a simple, structural one.<br />

Does my writing have a logical beginning, middle, and<br />

end? Do I grab a reader’s attention at the get-go, make<br />

him want to read on, then lead him to a satisfying<br />

conclusion? If not, is there a way to add pieces, cut<br />

superfluous sections, or reorder the parts to improve<br />

the whole?<br />

Next, I edit for flow. I go on a hunt for anything that<br />

can bog down my writing, including:<br />

• Hard-to-follow story arcs;<br />

• Excessive background or description;<br />

• Long, clunky sentences;<br />

• Passive sentences;<br />

• Or sentences with similar structures;<br />

• Words I wouldn’t use in everyday conversations;<br />

• Corporate jargon;<br />

• Clichés and generalities;<br />

• Lack of emotion (notice how quickly we read<br />

through conflicts);<br />

• Too many tangents or too lengthy ones;<br />

• Repetition and redundancies;<br />

• Weak transitions<br />

I also scour the pages for instances where I hit the<br />

reader with summaries instead of action. “Show don’t<br />

tell” is a mantra you will hear ad nauseam in any<br />

writing class. That’s because the advice is essential.<br />

Finally, I undertake a series of pinpoint edits for<br />

targeted changes. With the help of a computer, these<br />

revisions can be completed in short order.<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 />

In many ways, editing is the art of listening to yourself. It’s<br />

calling B.S. when necessary, or prodding your mind to dig<br />

deeper when your story demands it.<br />

For longer works, consider hiring a professional editor.<br />

Relatives and close friends don’t count. Most will be<br />

diplomatic, not wanting to jeopardize a friendship. Your mom<br />

will love anything you send her. Your writing doesn’t need<br />

diplomacy. It needs an honest eye.<br />

I cringed the first time I worked with a professional editor.<br />

She took a blow torch to my manuscript. I stashed the copy<br />

in a drawer for several days and pouted. Then I pulled it out<br />

and began to examine the edits one by one. They made sense.<br />

A realization hit me. “This woman is making me seem much<br />

smarter than I am!” I’ve enjoyed working with editors ever since.<br />

For example, I do an adverb check, auto-searching for<br />

all words that end in “ly.” Most can be eliminated. I do<br />

a passive verbs edit where I search for all the sentences<br />

that contain words like “is,” “was,” and “were.”<br />

Strengthen those wimps wherever possible.<br />

I also keep a list of banned words. These include<br />

stinkers like “actually,” “really,” and “very” as well as<br />

words I use far too much, including “narrative” and<br />

“spot-on” of late. A quick document search helps me<br />

absolve my literary sins and a handy thesaurus pulls<br />

me out of my word rut.<br />

“Editing is easy,” a fellow writer advised me long ago:<br />

“Just take everything you write, cut the boring stuff,<br />

keep the rest.” <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />

74 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


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OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 75


| INSIGHT<br />

BOILING THE FROG<br />

As Cal Poly welcomes the largest freshman class in its history, many permanent residents<br />

are left wondering: How many more students can San Luis Obispo handle?<br />

BY TOM FRANCISKOVICH<br />

There is a classic parable<br />

concerning a frog and a pot of<br />

water. It goes something like<br />

this: if you toss a frog into a<br />

boiling pot it will immediately<br />

leap out, but if you place a<br />

frog into a pan of lukewarm tap water and slowly<br />

crank up the heat, incrementally over time, it will<br />

obediently linger until the water bubbles over<br />

into a boil and it turns belly-up, dead. The lesson,<br />

of course, is that the frog hangs around in the<br />

ever-increasing heat because it never feels enough<br />

discomfort at any one time to do much about it—<br />

until it’s too late.<br />

Many longtime residents on San Luis Obispo’s<br />

north side did feel the temperature click up<br />

from “medium” to “high” this fall as Cal Poly’s<br />

this year is welcoming its largest freshman class—ever. As a result of a slip-up in its admissions<br />

office related to the elimination of an early decision admissions program, Cal Poly, rather than<br />

rescind those acceptances, elected to double-up students on campus. So, for example, a fourperson<br />

dormitory suite has been reconfigured to house eight.<br />

The same mathematical error plagued UC Santa Cruz two years ago, but its hands were tied<br />

by a lawsuit filed by a local activist group known as CLUE (Coalition for Limiting University<br />

Expansion) as well as the City and County of Santa Cruz. The result of that litigation, which<br />

was eventually settled out of court ten years ago, was that UCSC had to cap their enrollment<br />

and house many more of its students on campus. As heartbreaking as it was to would-be<br />

freshmen, UC Santa Cruz was forced to send out letters saying basically, “We’re sorry, but we<br />

screwed up.” And, they did so because they were compelled by the settlement to prioritize the<br />

health and wellbeing of their host city over the feelings of recent high school graduates.<br />

Much has been made of Cal Poly’s new 1,475-bed freshman dormitory known as Housing<br />

South, or its new Chumash moniker, yakʔityutyu; but, with the continual incremental enrollment<br />

increases, the complex, which is due to open next year, has already been more than filled in the<br />

time it has taken to build it. Long held up by the university as an example of moving toward its<br />

San Luis Obispo’s ratio today is one Cal Poly<br />

student for every two permanent residents<br />

freshman class increased in size by 28% over last<br />

year, nearly 1,000 more students than planned.<br />

Further exacerbating frustrations is the university’s<br />

new policy prohibiting freshman from bringing<br />

their vehicles with them to campus—while a<br />

commendable and worthwhile goal according to<br />

many—it is not working out very well in practice,<br />

as residents in the vicinity of the college see a swell<br />

of cars beyond the normal level wedged into their<br />

neighborhoods. Traffic throughout city streets,<br />

as a result, appears to be much heavier this year,<br />

too. But, it’s hard to tell from one year to the next<br />

because, like the frog, it’s just another in a long<br />

series of incremental changes.<br />

76 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong><br />

stated goal of housing 65% of its students on campus by 2035, it appears that next year when<br />

it opens, the percentage of students living on campus may actually dip below 30%. Last year,<br />

the rate of students housed on campus dropped from 37% to 34% and, while the hard data will<br />

not be known for sure until later this month, it appears that this year somewhere around seven<br />

out of every ten Cal Poly students will require housing somewhere off-campus. In other words,<br />

despite the continually reassuring rhetoric, we’re heading in the wrong direction.<br />

Every year, although there was a slight dip last year, enrollment goes up; at least that has been<br />

the trend when the admissions numbers are averaged over a period of time. Although grumbles<br />

are heard throughout the community, like the frog, the pain so far has not been felt acutely<br />

enough to actually do anything about it. In 2006, a group of residents in Santa Cruz who<br />

comprised its CLUE organization decided that enough was enough. UCSC was growing too<br />

fast and the student-to-permanent-resident ratio was out of whack; it had just surpassed one<br />

student for every four permanent residents—by comparison, San Luis Obispo’s ratio today is<br />

one Cal Poly student for every two permanent residents—and their city council was reluctant to<br />

Despite its verbal commitment to a “steady state do anything to upset the university. Because UCSC, nicknamed “the city on the hill,” like Cal<br />

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OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 77


| INSIGHT<br />

raising funds (total cost, all-in, ranged from $25,000 to $50,000), hired a lawyer and served the<br />

chancellor papers.<br />

The timing of the suit was key, as it came during the finalization of UCSC’s Long Range<br />

Development Plan creation, coincidentally, at about the same stage where Cal Poly is now with<br />

its Master Plan. Legally, the suit challenged the university on three issues: housing, traffic, and<br />

water. At first, according to CLUE members, although individual Santa Cruz City Council<br />

members were reluctant to get behind the lawsuit as they each had their own relationships with<br />

university administrators to protect, they finally got caught up with the “silent majority” of local<br />

residents who saw the logic of limiting campus growth as UCSC and its bottomless appetite<br />

for more students was eroding quality of life around town. Traffic had gotten out of hand, the<br />

housing market was untenable, and serious water questions were unanswered. Over time, both<br />

the City and the County of Santa Cruz joined the lawsuit, which was finally settled out of court<br />

with the help of a mediator. The net result: UCSC’s enrollment was capped at 19,500 students.<br />

And, two-thirds of them were required to be housed on-campus.<br />

CLUE members who were involved in the lawsuit share that the settlement was not a panacea,<br />

not a silver bullet, but what it did do is bring some certainty, some clarity, and provide a<br />

framework for the City of Santa Cruz to begin to plan a way out of its own housing crisis. In<br />

other words, the city’s single largest demand factor into its local housing market, overnight, went<br />

from an unknown to a known quantity. It was the equivalent of a business shifting its biggest<br />

input cost from a variable to a fixed expense. Of course, Santa Cruz, much like San Luis Obispo,<br />

remains a desirable tourist and retirement location, but people moving in for those reasons are<br />

much fewer and easier to predict. That sort of demand is more manageable than someone at the<br />

university saying, “Oops, I just added 1,000 more people to town—my bad.”<br />

a “b”)—shouldn’t Cal Poly be required to take<br />

more responsibility right now? Shouldn’t our city<br />

council be holding the university’s feet to the fire<br />

when it comes to infrastructure, traffic, emergency<br />

services, housing?<br />

Asking these sorts of questions, ironically, or any<br />

sort of question concerning Cal Poly, one runs<br />

the risk of being labeled “anti-student.” The two<br />

things, however, are not mutually exclusive. Is it<br />

really in the best interests of students to shoehorn<br />

four of them into a dorm room made for two?<br />

Isn’t it hypocritical to enroll students knowing that<br />

there are not enough faculty members to provide<br />

the classes they will need to actually graduate in<br />

four years? Isn’t it unfair to send them out into a<br />

hyper-competitive off-campus rental market in their<br />

second year where they will stand in line with a<br />

hundred of their classmates at a rental open house,<br />

and can expect to pay $1,000 a month for a place to<br />

sleep in a shared bedroom?<br />

This autumn feels different than any other in recent<br />

history. The city’s infrastructure has been stretched<br />

to a tipping point; already maxed out, nearly 1,000<br />

The truth is, San Luis Obispo already has all of the workforce<br />

housing it needs. The only problem is that instead of it being rented<br />

to teachers and cops, it is rented to Cal Poly students.<br />

To its credit, Cal Poly has bent over backward for its massive incoming freshman class this year;<br />

and the people working valiantly in its housing office should be commended. But—and this is a<br />

very big “but,” and a question that no one seems to be asking—what happens to those students<br />

next year? The university has a policy of requiring freshman to live on campus during their first<br />

year, but next year they are on their own. They will need to go out into town and find themselves<br />

a place to live. Let’s do the math together: assuming an average of five students per house…<br />

1,000 students divided by five… that’s 200 homes. In other words, we are talking about nearly<br />

half of the housing units in the newly approved San Luis Ranch development. And, because<br />

there are 1,000 more students than had been anticipated, how likely do you think it is that those<br />

kids will get the classes that they need to actually graduate in four years? Cal Poly does not have<br />

a good track record in this area; a recently completed state audit found that its administration<br />

grew by a whopping 50% between 2007/2008 and 2015/2016, with an increase to teaching staff<br />

in the single digits. It simply does not have the educational resources to get students graduated<br />

on time as it is, so how will a 28% increase in its freshmen population make that situation better?<br />

Meanwhile, the City of San Luis Obispo continues to push for new housing developments<br />

in search of a solution for its housing crisis—at the same time largely turning a blind eye<br />

to the single largest source of demand—Cal Poly. City council members, for some reason,<br />

are reluctant to look beyond developers' slick marketing brochures when it comes to this<br />

issue. The truth is, San Luis Obispo already has all of the workforce housing it needs. The<br />

only problem is that instead of it being rented to teachers and cops, it is rented to Cal Poly<br />

students. The real question—the only question—is: Why is housing Cal Poly’s ever-growing<br />

student population the city’s problem? Especially considering some of the Category 5<br />

headwinds in the forecast—an expected $8.9 million budget shortfall to the city’s budget<br />

in four short years, plus Diablo’s closing up shop and taking 1,500 head-of-household jobs<br />

with it, leaving an annual economic impact locally of about $1 billion (that’s billion with<br />

souls have been added overnight. Traffic is worse<br />

than it has ever been, local reservoirs have more<br />

demands on them than ever, and housing is at a<br />

breaking point. Instead of holding the university<br />

accountable, however, the city’s response again and<br />

again, is to continue to soak in the nice, cozy pot<br />

of warm water. There is no doubt about the fact<br />

that the futures of Cal Poly and San Luis Obispo<br />

are inextricably linked—they always have been.<br />

For all intents and purposes, the two institutions<br />

are married. There is a reason that starry-eyed high<br />

school juniors race home to fill out their Cal Poly<br />

admissions applications after attending Farmers’<br />

Market on Higuera Street. The same does not<br />

happen following a visit to CSU Dominguez Hills.<br />

And, it is not implausible that San Luis Obispo<br />

without Cal Poly would be known as “Bakersfieldby-the-Sea.”<br />

But, for a marriage to work, there<br />

has to be a natural give-and-take. For too long<br />

the city has played the role of the permissive<br />

spouse, willing to continually turn a blind eye to<br />

its partner’s transgressions, letting just a little more<br />

slip by each time. At some point, someone has to<br />

take a clear-eyed look at the little bubbles forming<br />

and ask the question: “Is it getting hot in here, or<br />

is it just me?” <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />

78 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


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OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 79


| OUTDOOR<br />

California<br />

Driftwood Dream<br />

Meditative, calm, and wondrous, and as cool as a California summer<br />

day. Thoughtless, timeless, and yet, an expression of pure architecture<br />

that combined rugged design with precision mathematics. A day,<br />

lost on a beach somewhere with endless possibilities, and yet, no<br />

priorities—that was our day building a driftwood hut.<br />

BY SHAWN TRACHT<br />

After meandering aimlessly up Highway One, my daughter and I stumbled upon<br />

a stretch of coastline that was riddled with large, beautiful strands of driftwood<br />

branches. With no plans, no cares, and work left a hundred miles away, nothing<br />

was the goal, nothing except time to focus on my daughter, time to let go, time to<br />

be a kid again, time to create something, or nothing... whichever came first.<br />

The walk down the long beach consisted of holding hands with my six-year-old, making funny<br />

faces, and skipping over sticks and seaweed like only a first-grader could. That’s what made her<br />

smile, that’s what made me a kid without a care. It was giggles and laughs with a little girl who<br />

wants to be just like dad, yet wants dad to be just like her. It was, “Dad, let’s race!” And, “Don’t let<br />

the water touch your feet!”<br />

Before you knew it, we were all the way down the beach at a cove that was protected from the<br />

northwest winds, beaming with sunshine, and covered with driftwood that would become the building<br />

blocks of our daydream. Daddy and daughter, builders of a future home together, right on the water...<br />

a California driftwood dream.<br />

And isn’t that the point of it all, living in the dream, while dreaming, yet truly grasping reality in these<br />

timeless moments?<br />

My daughter looked at me and asked where to begin. “Dad, which pieces of wood should we get first?”<br />

After a soothing sigh, another deep breath, and a gaze out at the open ocean, I spoke mindlessly from<br />

the heart, “It all starts with a good base, Darling. Have patience to build slowly and with a purpose for<br />

something that will last. Choose wisely, and be in no rush to move into the future too fast. The goal<br />

is the journey. Being done just means you’re done, but the journey is what<br />

we long for. The building is the best part. It’s the experience we dreamed<br />

about, not just the finished product. So let’s breathe, take our time, look up<br />

at the ocean, laugh, and wander... wander through wood and possibilities<br />

of our dream hut we’ll build together.”<br />

And so we hopped around our little world there, on that beach, lost in the<br />

moment, meditating in patience, examining each driftwood log—which<br />

would become our solid beam structures to build our beachside manor?<br />

And of course, in soft reflection, the epiphany swept me up, the<br />

building of our driftwood hut was more a lesson in life than it was<br />

about building a structure on some beach. It was more a lesson about<br />

friendship and the tools to find a good companion someday than it was<br />

about building a hut out of driftwood. It was about building a home,<br />

not just building a house. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />

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80 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


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OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 81


| ARTS<br />

THE BUSINESS OF ART<br />

How Creative Nonprofits Drive the Economy in <strong>SLO</strong> County<br />

BY BETTINA SWIGGER<br />

To live the <strong>SLO</strong> Life is to experience a daily embarrassment of riches.<br />

The fresh fruits and vegetables, the weather, the small town friendly<br />

attitudes, and the scenic vistas imbue this area with a quality of life<br />

that cannot be measured by traditional metrics. The same is true for the arts and<br />

culture community here, with our whimsical public art, stately performing arts centers,<br />

hundreds of visual artists, active live music scene, and a reputation as a cherished<br />

destination for internationally-acclaimed musicians and artists.<br />

But all of those attributes can be difficult to measure. Sure, the arts make us feel good,<br />

but it is close to impossible to quantify something that is so subjective. It’s not like you<br />

can put a dollar value on the warm fuzzies and spiritual enrichment that come from<br />

experiencing the arts. Until now.<br />

It turns out that it is possible to measure the impact of the arts, at least as they relate<br />

to our local economy. And in San Luis Obispo, that number is a whopping $27.7<br />

million each year.<br />

According to a recent national study by Americans for the Arts, arts spending—$13.7<br />

million by nonprofit arts and cultural organizations and an additional $14 million in<br />

event-related spending by their audiences—supports 916 full-time equivalent jobs,<br />

generates $16.8 million in household income to local residents, and delivers $2.8<br />

million in local and state government revenue.<br />

The study was a collaborative effort involving 28 participating nonprofit organizations,<br />

dozens of volunteers, and audience surveys of more than 900 individuals. The study, called<br />

Arts & Economic Prosperity, is the fifth iteration of a nationwide effort coordinated<br />

by Americans for the Arts. This is the first time the San Luis Obispo County arts<br />

community has participated, and the results show that the arts mean business.<br />

“Having real dollars behind us is a game-changer,” reflects<br />

Arts Obispo Executive Director Angela Tahti. “Arts jobs<br />

are jobs and this study proves it. The many people behind<br />

the arts productions—the artists, the staff, the volunteers,<br />

and the donors, are so creative and inventive. They vote, pay<br />

taxes, and make our community more vital. Now we’ve got<br />

metrics to go along with countless stories of art’s goodness.<br />

The national study also demonstrates that when we invest<br />

more, we get more.”<br />

For years, those of us who work in the arts, support the arts,<br />

and are passionate about living in communities where arts<br />

opportunities are abundant, have been aware of the intrinsic<br />

value of the arts. But the results of this study send a strong<br />

signal that when we support the arts, we not only enhance<br />

BETTINA SWIGGER is<br />

Executive Director of<br />

Festival Mozaic, co-host<br />

of the weekly public radio<br />

program KCBX In Concert,<br />

and a lifelong arts advocate.<br />

our quality of life, but we also invest in San Luis<br />

Obispo County’s economic well-being.<br />

Now, more than ever before, the arts are not a frill.<br />

Rather, they provide both cultural and economic<br />

benefits along with real jobs for real people,<br />

whether they are residents or visitors to the region.<br />

The arts enhance community and neighborhood<br />

development; attract new businesses and young<br />

professionals; draw tourism dollars; and create<br />

an environment that entices skilled, educated<br />

workers and builds a robust 21st-century workforce.<br />

It is fiscally sound policy to invest in the local<br />

arts infrastructure. Nonprofit arts organizations<br />

are proud members of the business community,<br />

employing people locally, purchasing goods and<br />

services within the community, and are deeply<br />

involved in the marketing and promotion of their<br />

respective cities.<br />

Furthermore, the arts drive tourism and retain<br />

local dollars. The survey results show that tourists<br />

who come to <strong>SLO</strong> County to attend arts and<br />

cultural events stay longer than non-arts tourists<br />

(an average of three or more days) and spend an<br />

average of $67.48 in the local economy per day,<br />

not counting the price of admission to their events.<br />

And the arts keep dollars in our local economy as<br />

well, encouraging residents to participate in local<br />

arts events and spend their discretionary dollars<br />

locally, instead of traveling to other areas for<br />

entertainment.<br />

This survey is just the beginning of what I hope<br />

will be an ongoing conversation about how to<br />

support a robust and thriving arts community.<br />

Now is an important time to talk about how<br />

we can collectively advocate for more cultural<br />

resources, whether that means additional municipal<br />

sources of funding, private foundations, corporate<br />

philanthropy, or enhanced coverage in the press.<br />

The arts mean business, and this is a business that<br />

shows no signs of slowing down. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />

82 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


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OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 83


| TASTE<br />

Burgers<br />

<strong>SLO</strong> County doesn’t mess around when it comes to America’s National Dish,<br />

but what makes a burger great? More than meets the eye, it turns out.<br />

BY JAIME LEWIS<br />

Bring up the subject of burgers and it seems everybody’s a critic. Whether they’re<br />

talking about the meat, seasoning, size, condiments, bun, toppings, price, service,<br />

ambiance or all-around approach, even the meekest of Central Coast residents<br />

will brazenly hold forth about local offerings of this quintessential American dish.<br />

I have no interest in being a food critic. To me, food is<br />

a source of pleasure and nourishment, a gateway into<br />

the soul of a culture and the people who prepare it.<br />

I’m much less interested in going into deep analysis or<br />

pitting burger-à-burger than in hearing a good story<br />

of risk and redemption.<br />

Fortunately, our local burger joints are much more<br />

than the sum of their beef and buns. The four<br />

restaurants I profile here each sell outrageously<br />

flavorful burgers, but they also proffer plenty of<br />

warmth, authenticity and heart, too. And that’s<br />

something no quantity of Yelp! stars can capture.<br />

JAIME LEWIS is a world<br />

traveler, and food writer, who<br />

lives in San Luis Obispo.<br />

Flavor Factory<br />

“We make everything ourselves,” says Dawnelle Pollard, who owns and<br />

operates Flavor Factory in Morro Bay with her husband, Adam, and children,<br />

Riley and Camille. “We grind our own beef fresh every day, and make our<br />

own pickles, soups, and desserts.”<br />

The brains behind another Morro Bay institution, Taco Temple, Adam<br />

and Dawnelle sold that restaurant in 2015 and set out to create a series of<br />

seriously delectable burgers. Many of the same touches remain from Temple<br />

days, though, including surf art, classic rock on the stereo, and a commitment<br />

to fresh, fresh, fresh.<br />

When Dawnelle brings out a Crispy Green Chile Burger ($12) for me to<br />

try, the sight of it piled high and oozing with cheese makes the red-blooded<br />

American inside me giddy. Dawnelle explains that they roast anaheim chiles,<br />

bread them in crushed saltines, stuff them with cheddar and fry them to top<br />

a glorious burger on an Edna’s Bakery pretzel bun. I dig in and feel the crisp<br />

snap of chiles, the eggy chew of the bun, the crumble of the meat, which is<br />

a blend of chuck, brisket and bacon (yes, bacon). Right out of the gate, the<br />

Central Coast’s got serious burger game.<br />

84 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


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Beach Burger<br />

Just a block away from the beach in Oceano,<br />

five-year-old Beach Burger is situated on Pier<br />

Avenue, where trucks, toy-haulers and RVs<br />

line up to cruise the dunes. The brightly-lit<br />

restaurant has a vacation vibe, reminding me<br />

just how lucky we are to live where others<br />

come to play.<br />

Owned by the same family that owns Laguna<br />

Grill in <strong>SLO</strong>, Beach Burger’s claim to fame<br />

is its cheese-stuffed patties, all of which are<br />

ground and formed in-house. “The cheese<br />

inside makes a big difference, adds a lot of<br />

flavor,” says manager Emily Del Toro, noting<br />

that, yes, another slice of cheese is also slapped<br />

on top of the burger as it’s assembled.<br />

I order the Mushroom-Avocado Burger ($9)<br />

and, at first bite, taste the parsley, garlic,<br />

onion powder and steak sauce mixed into<br />

the patty. I also feel the crispy surface of the<br />

Edna’s Dutch crunch bun, complementing<br />

the creamy avocado and slick, garlicky sauteed<br />

mushrooms. And those juices: they dribble to<br />

my elbow. By the end, I’ve eaten just half my<br />

burger and used seven napkins. Noted.<br />

86 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


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OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 87


Brooks Burgers<br />

“This is slow,” says owner Luke Brooks, gesturing<br />

to the packed dining room at Brooks Burgers, just<br />

north of the Pismo Beach Outlets. “It’s been an<br />

amazing year.”<br />

I ask him about the sign outside that says Brooks<br />

Burgers was established in 1968; he shares that<br />

his grandpa had a burger joint near Fresno, and<br />

his family still owns a cattle and meat plant in the<br />

Central Valley. Here’s where Brooks’ specialty lies:<br />

in control over each burger from pasture to plate.<br />

“We’re able to get a better-quality burger patty at<br />

an affordable price,” he says of the blend of grain<br />

and grass-fed beef used at the restaurant.<br />

Indeed, the price is right at Brooks’ Burgers, where<br />

$8 gets you a Huevos Rancheros Burger like mine,<br />

a pink patty topped with scratch-made piquant<br />

chile verde, a fried egg, and a drizzle of Tapatio,<br />

all encased in a shellacked brioche bun (also from<br />

Edna’s Bakery).<br />

When I ask Brooks what sets his burger apart,<br />

he points to the quality of the patty, the custombaked<br />

buns, and a third factor: love. “There is<br />

a connection between love and food,” he says.<br />

“It’s not something mundane. It’s an important<br />

ingredient and it’s often overlooked.”<br />

88 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


Bruce Freeberg<br />

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him apart. Bruce is a calming influence during an<br />

often stressful time. I have used Bruce for several<br />

transactions in recent years as both a buyer and<br />

a seller. I have always been able to count on him<br />

to navigate the steps of each transaction and get<br />

my deals promptly & successfully closed while<br />

ensuring that all parties were completely satisfied<br />

throughout the process.<br />

- Tom Sherman<br />

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OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 89


Sylvester’s Burgers<br />

The icon of Sylvester’s is a smiling cartoon burger with a wild<br />

look in its eye and sauce falling haphazardly out of its bun.<br />

“Our whole thing is ‘Big, Hot ‘N Juicy!’” says owner Brian<br />

Englund of the brand’s unforgettable tagline. “The sauce is what<br />

we’re known for.” It’s such a force to reckon with, in fact, that<br />

Englund contracts with Edna’s Bakery (do you see a theme?)<br />

to bake an extra-absorbent bun, and offers a designated “wash<br />

station” on the patio.<br />

To illustrate the popularity of Sylvester’s three locations—the<br />

original Los Osos spot, Atascadero and Oceano—Englund says<br />

he sold a total of 130,000 pounds of beef in 2016. I visit the<br />

original for the true burger shack vibe, with colorful old booths<br />

and faded customer photos papering the walls.<br />

Manager Adele Ventimiglio brings out my Hana Burger ($9.25<br />

for 1/3 lb), topped with fat pineapple rings, teriyaki glaze, bacon,<br />

and a slathering of Sylvester’s sauce. I attempt to eat ladylike<br />

bites while talking with Englund and we both start laughing;<br />

sauce is on my nose, my chin, and pooling in the palms of my<br />

hands. After eating just one-third of the rich, delicious treat, I<br />

tally my spent napkins: 15, for the win. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />

90 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


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OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 91


| KITCHEN<br />

PUMPKIN SOUP<br />

Silky smooth and wonderfully warm, a steaming bowl of<br />

this comforting soup on an autumn day, with its subtle curry<br />

flavor, lets the season’s squash take the starring role.<br />

BY CHEF JESSIE RIVAS<br />

92 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


Local harvest<br />

DELIVERy<br />

PUMPKIN SOUP<br />

2 Tbs butter<br />

2 Tbs olive oil<br />

2 yellow onions diced<br />

½ tsp minced garlic<br />

1 tsp ground ginger<br />

1 lb sugar pumpkin peeled and diced<br />

1 ½ 1b butternut squash peeled and diced<br />

3 ½ cups chicken stock<br />

1-2 Tbs red curry paste<br />

4 oz half & half<br />

6 oz coconut milk<br />

3 oz toasted pumpkin seeds (salted)<br />

In an 8 quart stockpot heat the butter and oil on<br />

a medium flame. When butter and oil start to<br />

sizzle add the onions, ginger and garlic. Simmer<br />

for 2-3 minutes. Add the pumpkin and butternut<br />

squash and sauté for 4-5 minutes until light golden<br />

brown. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.<br />

Reduce the heat and simmer until the pumpkin<br />

and butternut squash is<br />

tender. Add the curry<br />

paste, half & half, and<br />

the coconut milk.<br />

JESSIE RIVAS is the owner<br />

and chef of The Pairing Knife<br />

food truck which serves the<br />

Central Coast.<br />

Purée the soup, in<br />

batches until smooth.<br />

Return the soup to<br />

the stockpot. Heat to<br />

desired temperature<br />

and season with salt<br />

and pepper. Top your<br />

servings with the<br />

roasted pumpkin seeds.<br />

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OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 93


| BREW<br />

SPOTLIGHT: 7 SISTERS BREWING<br />

BY BRANT MYERS<br />

Stepping into the newly opened 7 Sisters Brewing, you’re<br />

immediately greeted by a massive and vibrant mural<br />

depicting the namesake mountains of San Luis Obispo’s<br />

dearest mountain range covering an entire wall from<br />

floor to ceiling. Look close enough and you’ll find a pink<br />

square denoting Madonna Inn to the East and you can<br />

follow the winding gray line of Highways 101 and 1<br />

leading all the way to the most iconic of the Sisters, Morro Rock, and the<br />

three gray blocks of the stacks to the West.<br />

This latest brewery to open up, just off of Tank Farm and behind Trader<br />

Joe’s market, is the dream of brewer/founder Steve Van Middlesworth.<br />

Looking down the barrel of his 30th year with the U.S. Air Force, Van<br />

Middlesworth is going to realize his 25-year passion of homebrewing the<br />

way many others have—by sharing years of experience with the masses.<br />

As we sit down to talk about the mindset of a brewer, he describes his<br />

craft as “science, art, and magic” combining the rigors of biology and<br />

chemistry with creative recipes and the sacred dance of yeast and grain<br />

sugars to make delicious beer. As a career environmental engineer, Van<br />

Middlesworth is also very proud of his work toward sustainability in the<br />

brewing process. Utilizing a one-container brewing technique he can<br />

drastically reduce the operation’s footprint with his low-water-use system<br />

and low-energy tankless heaters. A versatile four-barrel brew house<br />

allows him enough capacity to make a portfolio of beers to be enjoyed<br />

continuously in addition to one-offs that follow seasonality or just his<br />

whim on that particular brew day.<br />

Paying homage to the county that Van Middlesworth calls home along with<br />

Emily Taylor, the self-proclaimed “Director of Look and Feel,” whose love<br />

of spices and herbs hide nuanced hints of the bounty <strong>SLO</strong> offers in both<br />

their brews and their food. One beer they previewed before opening was<br />

the Bishop Peak Blonde with sage and lemon officially hitting thirsty lips at<br />

the 8th Annual Brews and Bites in the Mission Plaza earlier in September.<br />

What really hit the spot as temperatures soared into the high triple digits<br />

still holds true during their soft opening just a couple of weeks later. Already<br />

a quaffable beer to begin with, the subtle hints of earthy sage and zesty<br />

lemon make this a brew to enjoy any day of the week. As the temperatures<br />

drop and the sunsets get earlier, keep an eye out for their darker offerings<br />

such as browns and stouts. The spicy Chili Brown is out now and I<br />

recommend ordering some hearty cheeses to accompany the heat.<br />

Subdued Belgian yeast strains can be found in their Table Beer and<br />

Hollister Peak Belgian with pink peppercorns. The former, a very easy<br />

drinking small beer clocking in at 4% alcohol content for those who like<br />

their suds on the lighter side, and the latter, an approachable Belgianstyle<br />

beer akin to a Single with fruity esters coming from the classic<br />

yeast strains and a subtle heat of the pink peppercorns. Fun fact: they are<br />

not actually peppers but closely related to the cashew and mango trees,<br />

thus giving them less of a pepper bite and more of a chili and fruit flavor.<br />

They were also fermented in Central and South American chicha, a type<br />

of fermented “beer.” The more you know! Also on draught was their<br />

Morro Rock Kölsch with cucumber and lime. One of my favorite styles,<br />

this twist saw a big nose of cucumber up front and then the lime coming<br />

through more as the beer warmed up. It’s always so fun to see how a beer<br />

can change even with just a few degrees difference.<br />

Come hungry because their locally sourced food offerings from artisans<br />

such as Central Coast Creamery for cheese, House of Bread for their<br />

baked goods, and Spice of Life for extra kick, all go through the kitchen<br />

and directly out to your table. Grilled<br />

cheese sandwiches are the cornerstone of<br />

the menu, even offering one on a skewer in<br />

your michelada. The charcuterie plate, large<br />

enough to be shared with friends, comes<br />

replete with more meat, cheese, nuts, and<br />

fresh bread than is fit for a meal. However,<br />

my favorite has to be Taylor’s house-pickled<br />

vegetables or pink pickled eggs. Chat<br />

up 7 Sisters’ passionate general manager,<br />

Cameron Pelissier, for recommendations<br />

on beer and food pairings as you discover<br />

San Luis Obispo’s newest hot spot. As Van<br />

BRANT MYERS is owner<br />

Middlesworth says, beer is an “experience<br />

of Hop On Beer Tours, a<br />

concierge service for craft enhancer” so grab some friends, soak up a<br />

beer enthusiasts along the<br />

cozy evening on their patio and make an<br />

Central Coast.<br />

experience of your own. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />

94 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


Brewed in San Luis Obispo, California Since 1988.<br />

OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 95


| HAPPENINGS<br />

OCTOBER<br />

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CITY TO THE SEA<br />

The City to the Sea half marathon<br />

course is a point-to-point race that<br />

starts in downtown San Luis Obispo.<br />

The course winds through the city, takes<br />

runners along scenic backroads, and ends<br />

alongside the Pacific Ocean in the coastal<br />

community of Pismo Beach benefitting<br />

Cuesta College athletes.<br />

<strong>Oct</strong>ober 8 // citytothesea.org<br />

FESTIVAL MOZAIC<br />

Internationally renowned artists<br />

present concerts in spectacular venues<br />

on the Central Coast. This weekend<br />

explores three centuries of chamber<br />

music’s artistic progress including<br />

Mozart, Chopin, and Prokofiev.<br />

<strong>Oct</strong>ober 20 - 22 // festivalmozaic.com<br />

RABBIT HOLE<br />

Becca and Howie Corbett have<br />

everything a family could want,<br />

until a life-shattering accident<br />

turns their world upside down<br />

and leaves the couple drifting<br />

perilously apart. Rabbit Hole<br />

charts their bittersweet search for<br />

comfort in the darkest of places<br />

and for a path that will lead them<br />

back into the light of day.<br />

<strong>Oct</strong>ober 6 – 22 // slorep.org<br />

MADAMA BUTTERFLY<br />

Japan’s red sun rises in San Luis Obispo<br />

with a new Grand Opera production<br />

of Giacomo Puccini’s masterpiece,<br />

Madama Butterfly. Enjoy a pre-opera<br />

talk one hour before curtain at each<br />

performance.<br />

<strong>Oct</strong>ober 14 - 15 // pacslo.org<br />

SCARE FARM<br />

Each year the San Luis Obispo<br />

Future Farmers of America host<br />

a community-wide event to<br />

promote agriculture awareness and<br />

Halloween fun for locals.<br />

<strong>Oct</strong>ober 21 // sanluisobispoffa.org<br />

96 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 97


| HAPPENINGS<br />

NOVEMBER<br />

SENIOR DISCOUNT . Mon & Tues 10 to 2 . $15<br />

HARVEST ON THE COAST<br />

Take in the transcendent sights, scents,<br />

and flavors of this signature season<br />

through a rambunctious extravaganza<br />

of local food and wine. The weekend<br />

includes a winemaker’s dinner, the<br />

Grand Tasting and Wine Auction, and<br />

winery open houses.<br />

<strong>Nov</strong>ember 3 – 5 // slowine.com<br />

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1351 Monterey Street . San Luis Obispo<br />

(805)783-2887 . clippersbarber.com<br />

TANGO BUENOS AIRES<br />

The acclaimed company of 25 dancers<br />

and musicians will perform an<br />

experiential journey into the culture<br />

and spirit of Argentina as part of their<br />

successful international tour. Free<br />

pre-show lecture begins at 6 p.m.<br />

<strong>Nov</strong>ember 14 // pacslo.org<br />

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MORRO BAY TRIATHLON<br />

Swim the bay, ride historic Highway 1,<br />

and run on the hard-packed sand, the<br />

beach, boardwalk, dirt roads, and paved<br />

roads. Come out to Coleman Park and<br />

enjoy some of the finest multi-sport<br />

terrain on the West Coast.<br />

<strong>Nov</strong>ember 5 // morrobaytri.com<br />

NATIONAL PHILANTHROPY DAY<br />

LUNCHEON<br />

Join the Association of Fundraising<br />

Professionals, San Luis Obispo Chapter,<br />

as they honor their philanthropists and<br />

volunteers with Tim Bennett, retired<br />

President of Harpo Productions, as keynote<br />

speaker and Scott Daniels as emcee.<br />

<strong>Nov</strong>ember 16 // afpsloco.afpnet.org<br />

SANTA’S HOUSE IN MISSION PLAZA<br />

Santa Claus has come to Downtown San Luis<br />

Obispo. Visit jolly Saint Nick at Santa’s House<br />

in Mission Plaza and have your photo taken<br />

with him.<br />

<strong>Nov</strong>ember 24 - December 24 // downtownslo.com<br />

98 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>


OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong> | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | 99


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100 | <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> MAGAZINE | OCT/NOV <strong>2017</strong>

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