SLOlifeSummer2010LR

SLO LIFE 

magazine 

Premier Issue! 

recipes, announcements, 

neighbors and more. . . 

+ 

home 

The Minnery 

Family 

Summer 2010 

Meet Lief McKay 

whirlwind romance, moped mishap & rugby 

slo life magazine | 1

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Publisher’s Message 

Eight years ago I was hard at work in my office at The New York Times, fully 

absorbed in yet another deadline when my wife called with life-changing news: 

we were going to become parents. The intense and overwhelming joy I felt 

was followed by an almost reflexive instinct to slow life down. Each ultrasound 

appointment increased my resolve to find and relocate our little family to the 

best place on Earth. 

In the months that followed we talked almost non-stop about where to plant 

roots, the type of parents we hoped to be, and the life we wanted for our family. 

We started the process by creating a list of 20 or so communities that we 

imagined would be a good fit for us. San Luis Obispo steadily climbed our Top 

20 throughout our many visits and ended up in the number one spot. 

As it turns out, relocating to San Luis Obispo is easier said than done. It would 

take us nearly six years - just before our baby girl started kindergarten – for the 

stars to align for us. Our little family, which is no longer so little with the addition 

of two boys, often stops to marvel at the magic of our hometown. 

Tom Franciskovich, Publisher 

The magazine that you hold in your hands is a celebration of the good people 

who make it happen here every day, you and I, our friends and neighbors. We 

all talk about the fantastic weather and the beautiful landscape, but it’s really the 

people who make the “SLO Life” what it is. This magazine is dedicated to you. 

This is your story and I invite you to join me in sharing it. 

As you read through this first issue, you will notice that we ask for leads on 

interesting stories, insight into what’s new in SLO, listings for the Community 

Calendar, recipes, and announcements. Please take a minute to visit our website 

at www.slolifemagazine.com and send us your contributions. Also, I would love 

to receive your feedback on what we have created here, so please send an 

email to me at tom@slolifemagazine.com and let me know what you think. 

Live the SLO Life! 

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

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

CONTRIBUTIONS: 

Submit your story ideas, events, recipes 

and announcements by visiting us on-line 

at slolifemagazine.com 

Contributions chosen for publication 

may be edited for clarity and space 

limitations. 

ADVERTISING: 

If you would like to advertise, please 

contact Tom Franciskovich. 

publiSHer 

Creative DireCtor 

Contributing 

DeSignerS 

Contributing 

WRITERS 

Contributing 

pHotograpHerS 

Tom Franciskovich 

Sheryl Disher 

Trent Thibodeaux 

Casey Miller 

Ayla Ozturk 

Caitlin Jacobs 

Jeanette Trompeter 

Douglas Despres 

Danielle Dutro 

CIRCULATION, COVERAGE AND 

ADVERTISING RATES: 

Complete details regarding circulation, 

coverage and advertising rates, space, 

sizes and similar information are 

available to prospective advertisers. 

Please call for a media kit. Closing date 

is 30 days before date of issue. 

LETTERS TO THE PUBLISHER/EDITOR: 

4251 S. Higuera Street, Suite 800 

San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 

Letters chosen for publication may be 

edited for clarity and space limitations. 


contents 

How I Found My Way Here: 

from Sweden to San Luis Obispo 

8 

10 

Meet Your Neighbor: 

life in the SLO lane with Lief 

The Way We Live: 

at home with The Minnery Family 

18 

24 

Local Food by Local People: 

SLO families share their favorite recipes 

6 

14 

16 

20 

22 

26 

28 

30 

Word on the Street : 

what does the SLO Life mean to you? 

The Way It Was : 

Virginia Hurley shares her story 

Let’s Talk Business : 

advice for the entrepreneur 

To Your Health : 

omega family fued 

No Place Like Home : 

cattle, cowboys and campfires 

Real Estate : 

learn how to forecast like the pros 

Community Calendar : 

the best SLO has to offer 

Milestones & Memories : 

spreading good news far and wide 

Go to www.livetheslolifecom For Submissions and more | 5 

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Talk of the Town 

What does the “SLO Life” mean to you? 

“ 

The SLO Life to me is easy and 

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retired, working, whatever lifestyle... 

” 

that’s why they call it SLO. 

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“ 

The SLO Life means 

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sun, having a good meal 

and going downtown. 

Danielle Grassi 

“ 

” “ 

...the SLO Life is 

having big city 

fun with a small town 

feel. 

Lacey McNamara 

” 

The SLO Life 

means relaxing and 

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How I Found My Way Here 

our path from Sweden to SLO 

An Interview with The Skvagerson Family 

“The late 60’s were a crazy time,” explains Lena Skvagerson. “My father was 

a Westpoint Cadet stationed in Germany for a short time when he met my 

mom. She is from Sweden, but was going to college there. They were both 

very young, only 18 or 19 years old. I was about 2 years old when my dad 

returned to the States, and my mom moved back to Sweden. My dad’s mother 

– my grandmother – kept in touch with my mom. I was her first grandchild.” 

Your 

Logo 

Here 

“When I was growing up in Sweden,” Lena 

continues, “my grandmother used to send 

me packages with books and other goodies. 

Since long distance calls were so expensive, 

my grandmother would record herself talking 

and mail the cassette tapes to me. She would 

tell me all about my dad, what he was like, 

what it was like in America. I really couldn’t 

speak English until I was probably 13, but I 

loved hearing her voice even before I could 

understand what she was saying.” 

Fast forward to 1997 - Lena and her husband, 

Johan, along with their two kids, Hilda and 

Luke, set out to meet Lena’s “American 

Family” for the first time. “It was such an 

amazing visit for so many reasons. We have 

a really close relationship with my dad – I 

found out that I am so much like him – now 

we are all one big family. Even my mom back 

in Sweden recently ‘friended’ my dad and his 

wife on Facebook,” Lena laughs. 

It was during their second trip to the US that 

the Skvagersons started thinking seriously 

about moving here. “My half-sister was going 

to school at Cal Poly and we went to visit her 

and just fell in love with the area, plus we 

were tired of six months of winter,” recalls 

Lena. Five years later, after much help from 

her father, who hired an immigration attorney 

to facilitate the process, the Skvagerson Family 

arrived in town with only two suitcases each. 

Their son, Luke, was 13 years old when they 

settled and he enrolled at Laguna Middle 

School. Hilda, then 15, began at San Luis 

Obispo High School. After some initial culture 

shock, the difficult days of transition quickly 

became a thing of the past at the Skvagerson 

household. Both of the teens are excelling in 

school and are looking forward to attending 

college in the near future. Lena recalls, “when 

we first moved here, we said that we would 

give it two years to see how it goes, but now 

we all say ‘no way, we are not going back’ 

so we just sold our house back in Sweden... 

we’re going to stay here forever.” 

When asked what really motivated the move 

three years ago, Lena, who is employed 

by GarnStudio, a Norway-based yarn 

manufacturer, quickly identifies “family, 

weather, and the American Dream.” Johan, 

the proprietor of NordicMart, an online yarn 

store, too believes that his family is living 

proof of the American Dream. He has recently 

opened a retail outlet in the Soda Water Works 

building downtown where he has a unique 

selection of hard-to-find Nordic gifts and treats. 

He adds the “friendly people” to the list. “For 

example, we have a dog, and every day when 

we walk the dog, people stop, even in their 

car, and ask what kind of dog we have and say 

‘what a great dog’… That would never happen 

in Sweden.” SLO LIFE 

How did you find your way here? Go to slolifemagazine.com and tell us your story. 

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Meet Lief McKay 

his life in the SLO lane 

In the first installment of our “Meet Your Neighbor” series, SLO LIFE Magazine 

sat down to talk with Lief McKay (he pronounces his last name as if it rhymed 

with “McGuy”). He is an Australian native and twelve-year resident of San Luis 

Obispo, who, together with his wife, Amy, a local artist and landscape designer, 

have two young children, Ian and Maggie. Lief stays active in SLO-based 

charities, works as a landscape architect employed by RRM Design Group and 

is the President of the SLO Rugby Club. Here is his story… 

Where are you from originally, Lief? 

I’m from a small town of 5,000 people or so about 2 hours southwest of Sydney, 

Australia. It’s a rural town. My mom is a school teacher and my dad was a potter. 

He passed away when he was only 46. He was an artisan and made really fine 

pottery. I have a younger brother, Huw, who is an economist. He’s sometimes 

interviewed on the news about the particulars of Asian economies, which is his 

specialty. I went to university in a city called Canberra, which is about 4 hours 

south of Sydney. While I was there I had an opportunity to come to Cal Poly for an 

exchange to continue my studies in landscape architecture. 

What was it like coming to San Luis Obispo the first time? 

I arrived in town, knew nothing, knew no one. I didn’t have accommodations 

squared away so I went up to the Lab, which is what they call the landscape 

architecture studio at Cal Poly, and was looking for ads seeking roommates. You 

know the kind where you tear off the phone number on the bottom of the paper. 

I called on one of them and, unbeknownst to me, it was Amy’s number. She and 

a girlfriend of hers were looking for a housemate. I called on it and they weren’t 

home, so I left a message. School hadn’t started yet, so I didn’t know her from 

anyone else in the world. I didn’t have time to wait around because I was staying 

in a hotel and it was getting expensive, so I called another place and took it sight 

unseen. Not 20 minutes after I committed to this other place I get a call from Amy 

saying she got the message and I had to tell her ‘sorry, I found something else.’ 

That’s really the first time we met. 

Then when did you first meet in person? 

School started and I show up at class and get introduced to everyone as one of 

the two exchange students there. It just so happened that Amy was in the class 

too and she figured out pretty quickly that I was the voice on the other end of 

the phone about the room for rent. We hit it off immediately and had a whirlwind 

romance. We were engaged within 3 months of that day. 

Wow, that was fast! What happened next? 

We finished the year together there at Cal Poly and then Amy came back with me 

to Canberra for my last year in university. She was able to do the same exchange 

I did in reverse. We got married at the end of that school year in Australia. We 

just celebrated our 10 year anniversary last December. 

What was the plan from there? 

We really didn’t have a plan at the time, to be honest. We decided to come back 

to San Luis Obispo, but we had to go through this long, convoluted immigration 

process. Right after we got married Amy had to leave because she was on a 

student visa that was expiring and my paperwork wasn’t even close to being 

ready to move to the States. So we were newlyweds, but we had to spend the 

Millennium New Year’s Eve at opposite sides of the world. I was at the Sydney 

Opera House and I believe she was in San Francisco somewhere. It was pretty 

ironic, we had just been married and here we are so far apart. So, everyday I’m 

calling the US Consulate, you know, I’m newly married, but my wife has left and I 

want to be with her. I’m basically begging these guys to help me out and I finally 

get through to someone who is sympathetic to my story and he says to come in on 

such-and-such a date with your wife for a meeting and if everything checks out 

my visa will be issued. 


But, at the time Amy is still back in SLO finishing out her last year at Cal Poly? 

That’s right. And, we just paid for our wedding and we’re just completely broke. 

We had to spend the cash we got as a wedding gift to buy a ticket and she was 

there in Australia for about the same amount of time that she was in the air. We 

continued on page 12

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continued from page 10 

were completely stressed out because we had 

so much riding on this moment. We were trying 

to coordinate our stories so that everything 

checked out in the interview. If you’ve ever seen 

the movie ‘Green Card’ it was a lot like that. So, 

we got ourselves all worked up and are basically 

freaking out and thinking that we will be placed in 

two separate rooms for interrogation. You know, 

the whole ‘good cop, bad cop’ routine. We had 

been advised to bring proof of the relationship, so 

we had this huge dufflebag filled with every single 

keepsake possible, you know, birthday cards, 

wedding photos, and on and on. 

The day of the big appointment finally arrives, so 

how did it go? 

We are cramming like we would for a final exam 

or something and we get to the bloody consulate 

for the appointment and I remember walking down 

a long hallway to a window, which is kind of like 

something you see at a train station where you can 

pass papers through a hole at the bottom of the 

window and it has one of those little metal things 

that amplifies your voice. Anyway, we passed a 

few forms under, she stamped it and we were 

done. They didn’t even look at anything we had 

brought! 

You make your way back to San Luis Obispo, was 

it a difficult transition? 

Amy actually found us a place to live and it was 

all set up when I came to town. She was finishing 

up her last year at Cal Poly and I was able to get 

a job. I remember driving my moped to work one 

morning. I stopped off at the Lincoln Deli on Broad 

Street for a bit of breakfast. Anyway, I somehow 

ended up merging my moped onto 101. Mind you, 

this thing tops out at 35 miles per hour. There was 

a huge big rig that buzzed me doing about 75 and 

my heart was thumping out of my chest. I ended up 

turning around somehow and driving back down 

the onramp. It was an eventful morning. 

“ 

...I somehow ended up 

merging my moped onto 101. 

Mind you, this thing tops out 

at 35 miles per hour. 

” 

Aside from learning how to identify an onramp, 

did you have any trouble adjusting to life here? 

At some point, I think I must have been missing 

home a bit, so I looked up the SLO Rugby Club and 

showed up for a game. I got to play right away and 

met some great people. I knew about the club from 

my first visit here when I played rugby for Poly 

during my exchange. 

It’s interesting that you sought out rugby as a way 

to stay connected with Australia. 

I had never really thought about it that way, but 

there’s probably a lot of truth to that. I think it may 

be similar to you moving to Australia and joining 

a basketball league with some American guys. 

Actually, there’s a lot more to it with rugby. What 

you have in Australia, and around the world, are 

rugby clubs. They’re not associated with schools. 

These are guys that are generally really active 

in their communities and do a lot of socializing 

around their club. For many small towns, they are 

like the hub. Most of them have a clubhouse, which 

is basically a pub attached to their playing field. 

After the games they invite the opposing team for 

a celebration. We beat up on each other for 80 

minutes but we’re good friends afterward. So, yes, 

I suppose you could say that, when I moved to San 

Luis Obispo I was looking to preserve that part of 

my upbringing a bit. 

I understand that you had a game last weekend, 

how did it go? 

It was good, but I took a cheap shot from their 

fullback. He cracked me around my head and I 

don’t remember a whole lot right afterward. I got 

up and I was seeing all sorts of colored spots. 

He got penalized. I was knocked out there for a 

moment, I reckon. 

How are you doing now? 

Much better. I went to the doctor afterward and he 

said that he thought I had a broken jaw and I thought to 

myself, oh no… not again. Amy is going to kill me. 

You mean, this wouldn’t the first time you have 

broken your jaw? 

The last time it happened was a few years ago, my 

daughter, Maggie, was only a few days old and it wasn’t 

a very popular move on my part. They had to wire my 

mouth shut. 


What was that like? For some reason it makes me 

feel a little claustrophobic just thinking about it. 

They literally get wire and they stitch your teeth 

together. So, it looks like you got braces that were 

put on in some back alley. They’re not real neat 

about it because they know it’s temporary. There’s 

steel everywhere and you can’t budge. But, they 

give you these little wire cutters that you keep in 

your back pocket in case you get into trouble and 

start choking or something and have to get them 

off quickly. 

So, what’s the prognosis now? 

Well, I had to get a CT-Scan, but personally, I don’t 

think it’s broken. I was only able to fit my pinky 

between my teeth earlier in the week. Now I can 

fully open my mouth. I’m pretty sure that it has 

self-righted. It can’t be broken. [editors note - we 

are happy to report that Lief has been cleared of all 

injuries since the interview] 

You talk about breaking your jaw with the same 

casualness I might use to describe my last trip to 

the grocery store! 

Apart from the occasional bumps and bruises I’ve 

been pretty fortunate in rugby. I did fracture my 

sternum, which was maybe the worst but wasn’t 

that bad, frankly. Some banged up fingers and 

just typical stuff that anyone would get. I’ve been 

pretty unscathed really. The last few years, I’ve 

realized that I’m really not invincible and infinitely 

young, because the injuries have been piling up 

apparently. 

How did you get involved in rugby in the first 

place? 

Growing up in Australia, it is the biggest thing 

around. Just like a kid growing up in the States 

would idolize the guys in the NFL, we would 

have posters of our favorite rugby players. We’d 

wear their jerseys to school and play footy on 

the playground. It’s a bit of a novelty here, but 

worldwide rugby is huge, the Rugby World Cup is 

the third most viewed sporting event behind the 

Olympics and the Soccer World Cup. 

…“footy”? 

That’s what we would call any sort of football 

sport. It’s slang. If you grow up in the South around 

Melbourne, footy is Aussie Rules or Australian 

Rules Football. If you grow up in New South Wales 

or Queensland it’s one of the two rugby codes. The 

two codes are quite similar, but there are some 

differences in the rules. Rugby in Australia is like 

football here in the States. Not everyone plays it, 

but everyone watches it or at least knows about it. 

The same is true about rugby over there. 

It was great talking with you, Lief, thanks very 

much for sharing your story with us. 

No worries, mate. 

SLO LIFE 

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The Way It Was 

Hurley’s Pharmacy 

An Interview with Virginia Hurley 

“It was a wonderful journey with John,” remembers 94-year-old San Luis 

Obispo resident, Virginia Hurley, about life with her pharmacist husband, the 

late John Hurley. In 1945 the couple purchased the Hotel Drug pharmacy at the 

Anderson Hotel (today the space is occupied by the jewelry store, Serengeti- 

West). “We started on a shoestring. I would meet him down there on a Sunday 

afternoon after he had already worked half the day. And, together we would 

close the store and put paper on the windows and doors so nobody could see us 

from outside – you know, we had pride – then we scrubbed the beautiful marble 

floors and the wonderful old mahogany. It was small and nothing to brag about, 

but we did what we had to do to.” 

< Ground-breaking ceremony in 1956 for the 

new mall. Pictured left to right are: Loren 

Krabill (partner in Hawthorne Market); Mrs. 

Krabill; Virginia Hurley; Jim Bodie (owner of 

The Favorite Bakery); John Hurley; the man 

sitting on the tractor over Mr. Hurley’s left 

shoulder is unidentified; Mrs. Truchan; Frank 

Truchan; and Ted Maino 

According to Virginia, business downtown was 

“consistently steady” and after 11 years they 

learned about a new mall being built “on the 

outskirts of town” by the highly regarded local 

contractor, Ted Maino. At that time, in 1956, 

the now-ubiquitous “strip mall,” was dismissed 

by many as a passing fad in retail. Today, the 

building still stands in University Square on 

Foothill Boulevard. The space the Hurleys had 

occupied is currently vacant; its most recent 

tenant, Foothill Cyclery, moved out about a year 

ago. 

The decision to relocate from downtown to 

the then-rural Foothill Boulevard area was 

considered a risky one at the time, and John 

Hurley had received an ominous warning from 

the mayor. “’Mr. Hurley,’ he said, ‘I understand 

that you are going to move and I want to let you 

know that I think you are making a big mistake 

because no one is going to go way out there 

and you’re going to lose your business.’ And 

to that John said, ‘Well, I think I am going to 

try,’” laughs Virginia. “Of course, he [the mayor] 

didn’t realize the potential of a big area like this 

opening up… neither did we, really. We just 

hoped and prayed.” 

With the move came a new name: Hurley’s 

Pharmacy. The larger space allowed for a 

wider variety of items to be stocked and a 

home delivery service was added. At first 

there were only a smattering of ranches in the 

area, but before long homes with “diapers and 

toys in the front yard” started popping up in 

neighborhoods all around both sides of Foothill 

Boulevard. Virginia recalls that “the town was 

growing around us. You felt it and you saw it in 

the books.” 

Medical insurance was rare in those early years 

of Hurley’s Pharmacy and most customers paid 

with cash, often charging to a trade account 

they had with the store. “There was no 

application they had to fill out or anything like 

that, but John would talk with them for a bit 

then he’d okay them. We kept track of it all in a 

little file box,” explains Virginia. 

As the years passed by, many generations of 

San Luis Obispo families had come to rely on 

John Hurley and his pharmacy. In 1972 John 

sold the business to Richard Wilson, who ran it 

until 1987 when he then sold it again to Dana 

Nelson. Today, the pharmacy, since renamed 

Dana Nelson’s HealthPlus, can be found across 

the parking lot from its original location. Virginia, 

who remains a loyal customer, is quite fond of 

the current owner and admires his stewardship 

of the local institution that she still remembers 

so clearly on the day they moved in, “it was like 

walking into heaven.” SLO LIFE 

Know a bit of history? Go to slolifemagazine.com and share your story. 




Looking for a place to 

meet with your client? 

Remember, 

San Luis Business Center 

Let’s Talk Business 

What advice would you give someone starting a business? 

One of the things I have observed in my 37 years as CEO of the 

Chamber, is that it’s easy to go into business - maybe too easy 

- but it’s difficult to make a business that is successful and will 

last. Here’s my advice on how to start a sustainable business: 

1) Get professional advice. Up-front business, legal and 

accounting advice is essential; 2) Make sure you really know the 

business (being a surfer doesn’t qualify you to own a surf shop, 

for instance). Do rigorous market research on your idea (don’t 

just ask friends and family!); 3) Have enough cash available to 

both build your business and to live on for a full year without 

taking anything out of the operation. Undercapitalized start-up 

businesses have two strikes against them from the get-go; And, 

4) be prepared to put in 10 to 12 hour days six days a week or 

more. Don’t start a business unless you’re “all-in” and totally 

committed to success, just “trying it out” will most certainly lead 

to failure. 

Dave Garth 

CEO, SLO Chamber of Commerce 

Every day great ideas are born, but few of them actually come to 

fruition, let alone succeed. In the case of Juice Club (now Jamba 

Juice) we hit on many levels including: having a strong, viable 

concept, a higher purpose, great timing in the marketplace, 

excellent brand building and execution, and infinite passion. 

I believe these were all key factors that ultimately led to our 

success. While you need to start with a good idea, it’s then having 

the vision, resources (and, often resourcefulness), and complete 

commitment to doing whatever it takes to make your business 

the best. It’s also that commitment or passion that continues to 

push you forward and keep you focused when obstacles come 

into your path - and they will! Finally, you need to be having fun, 

as starting a business is truly a long journey! 

Linda Olds 

Co-Founder, Jamba Juice 

• 6 meetings rooms varying 

in size 

• accommodations ranging 

from 4 to 30 people 

• courtesy reception to 

greet your clients 

• classroom seating 

available 

• break room, vending 

machines, and kitchen 

Be thorough in identifying your market. Then decide how you are 

going to reach the customer - print advertising, broadcast media, 

internet? Have every “what if” at least thought out, such as how 

much money will you need to have on hand to pay the bills while 

waiting for the clients to pay? This is simply called “cash flow” 

and it is the single most important factor in running a successful 

business. Many businesses fail because they did not take the 

time to work out a plan on paper, and then get blindsided when 

problems arise. Look ahead three to five years and visualize 

where you would like to be. If you do that you will have a goal to 

meet, and you will work toward that goal. But, if you don’t have a 

“fire in the belly” about your undertaking, don’t waste your time 

and money! Above all, be prepared for a lot of hard work, which 

will be rewarded by planned success! 

David Bresnan 

Chapter Chair, SLO SCORE 

Counselors to America’s Small Business 

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

SLO LIFE 



Let us manage the details, so you can manage your business. 

• Furnished Suites & Office Spaces • Front Receptionist • 6 Conference Rooms • 

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Of all the decisions we’ve made for our new business locating in the San Luis 

Business Center has been one of the best. The office was ready for work on the 

first day, which has allowed us to focus on growing our business. The staff at the 

San Luis Business Center helps us in so many ways; it’s like being part of a family. 

- Cheryl Lovell, Jeff Buckingham & Janice Petco of Blue Rooster Telecom 

When it came time for us to expand out of our home office, quick research revealed 

the San Luis Business Center to be a perfect option as a flexible and scalable way to 

bring instant credibility and support to our business. 

- Kevin Rice & Jesse Dundon of Hathway Technology Group 

4251 S. Higuera Street, Suite 800 • (805) 540-5100 • sanluisbusinesscenter.com 


The Way We Live 

the Minnery family opens up their home 

An Interview with Jeff & Leah Minnery 

The Original 1966 Schroeder Home 

Jeff & Leah Minnery knew that they were rolling the 

dice a bit when they bought their home in August of 

2008. “Our realtor actually said to us, ‘if I had children, 

I would not buy this house’ because we kept seeing a 

lot of mold on the carpet,” Leah remembers. 

Forget the mold for a minute because there were more 

pressing issues. “The portion of the home inspection 

report that outlines all of the problem areas of the 

house was nearly 100 pages long,” explains Jeff, who 

is an attorney at the law firm of Adamski Moroski 

Madden & Green and frontman for local band Truth 

About Seafood. “It really would have been easier if 

they just told us what was not wrong with it.” 

The most immediate problem was that the house 

seemed to be sinking on one side, as much as six 

inches, which opened up massive cracks in the walls. 

At the time of the sale it was possible to stand in 

certain parts of the house and actually see outside 

through the walls. The foundation needed major 

repairs, which was going to involve lifting up one 

whole side of the house so it could be rebuilt. 

“Our budget was so tight and we got four or five bids 

before deciding to make an offer on the house, and 

they all came in at twice what we were able to put into 

it,” explains Leah. Fortunately for the Minnery Family, 

they now live three doors down from Rob Gantenbein, 

a local contractor, who also rebuilt his own home 

and understands the nuances of the Bowden Ranch 

neighborhood that features an underground water 

spring. Says Jeff, “he just walked in and he had vision… 

he said, ‘oh, this is great, we can move walls, we can 

do this, we can do that,’ he kept coming up with these 

ideas for how to make what we wanted to do work.” 

It was with the confidence they had in their contractor 

combined with the vision that they had for the 

Mansard-style house that the Minnery’s boldly 

submitted an offer. But, their hopes quickly faded when 

they learned that they had been outbid by a competing 

offer for the house that was originally designed and 

built by lifelong SLO resident and community leader, 

Marybeth Schroeder, in 1966. “We just have a huge 

passion for this house, just like she [Schroeder] did 

and we told her son, who was handling the sale that 

we’ll do our best to restore it because we really love 

it,” explains Leah. Upon learning that the high bidder 

intended to tear down the structure, the son decided to 

sell the home to the Minnerys. 

Then the real work began. Walls were removed, the 

house was lifted by hydraulic jacks, the foundation was 

repaired, much of the plumbing was redone including 

the sewer main line which had to be replaced, all new 

floors installed, it was rewired, many of the windows 

were upgraded, and the list goes on. Most of the rooms 


were small and compartmentalized, so much of the focus 

was on opening up the interior for better light and flow. For 

example, there was one wall in the living room that was 

particularly dark and was dominated by a massive fireplace. 

So they decided to remove the chimney and create a space 

for a gas fireplace insert, which allowed them to fill the wall 

with windows that now provide views of Bishop’s Peak and 

Cerro San Luis. 

And, what about that mold issue? “Right after we bought the 

house, whenever people would go upstairs they would start 

feeling sick and we thought ‘oh, no… there’s mold in the 

walls after all’ but once we removed the carpet everything 

was fine,” Leah explains. 

The whole project took about eight months from start to 

finish, during which time the Minnerys were living off-site 

awaiting their move in. “I truly feel like, and I know this is 

going to sound cheesy and I hope you don’t print it,” [editor’s 

note - sorry!] Leah says sheepishly, “but I feel like our home 

kind of hugs you when you walk in.” SLO LIFE 

Jeff and Leah with their daughters, Hannah and 

Zoe, exploring the grounds behind their home. 

Have a unique home? Know someone who does? 

Go to slolifemagazine.com to tell us about it. 


To Your Health 

omega 3’s vs. omega 6’s 

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While it may sound like some sort of strange sorority competition at Cal Poly, the 

balance between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in your diet may be one of the 

most important factors to overall good health. 

You do not have to walk far down the aisle at 

New Frontiers or Spencers to see that the food 

companies are touting omega-3’s as the latest way 

to entice you into buying what they are selling. But, 

just what are omega-3’s and why should we care? 

Both omega-3’s and omega-6’s are essential 

nutrients, which must be obtained from food (in 

other words, your body cannot produce them but 

must have them to survive). They are also both 

unsaturated fatty acids. To tell them apart you would 

have to look under a microscope where you would 

see that omega-6’s are “short-chained,” meaning 

they have few carbon atoms and omega-3’s are 

“long-chained,” meaning they have more carbon 

atoms. [editor’s note – stick with us here, there’s a 

really exciting ending!] In addition, DHA and EPA, 

which you may have seen on those same food 

labels, are types of omega-3’s. 

What is important to know about all this is not how 

long or short-chained the omegas are, but the ratio 

of omega-6’s to omega-3’s in your diet. In the typical 

Western diet, this ratio has become completely 

out of balance, and it is estimated that the ratio 

is as high as 40 to 1 (omega-6’s to omega-3’s). 

Most professionals claim that the optimal ratio is 

somewhere between 2 to 1 and 4 to 1, while others 

argue with great passion that this ratio must be 1 

to 1 as it was believed to be before the Industrial 

Revolution. 

While the biochemistry of the interaction between 

the omegas is far beyond the scope of this article 

(it turns out that it has everything to do with 

inflammation), what is becoming increasingly clear 

recommended reading: 

from the research that has been conducted thus far 

is that the primary beneficiary of a good omega ratio 

is the cardiovascular system. The body’s ability to 

efficiently pump and distribute blood, as simple as 

it sounds, is likely the single biggest contributor to 

health and longevity. 

Understandably, all of this information can quickly 

become overwhelming. Just remember this: it’s all 

about the ratio! Keep it simple and try to eat foods 

with more omega-3’s and less omega-6’s. Here are 

some representatives from each family: 

Foods Rich in Omega-3’s: 

fish (watch out for mercury – that’s an entirely 

different subject), flaxseed, walnuts, cauliflower, 

cabbage and green-lipped mussels (they have a 

rare blend of omega-3’s and have been used to 

treat certain inflammatory diseases like arthritis) 

Foods Rich in Omega-6’s: 

beef (although the grass-fed variety has a much 

better ratio of 3’s to 6’s), vegetable oil (corn oil is 

a big one to watch out for), nearly all processed 

foods, mayonnaise, and margarine 

Finally, we here at SLO LIFE Magazine could hardly 

be considered health experts, but in our many 

conversations locally with people who do know 

something about this stuff, we found that the ratio of 

omega-3’s to omega-6’s is key and should go to the 

top of the list when it comes to your health. [editor’s 

note – well, it may not have been the exciting ending 

you were hoping for, there were no unexpected 

twists or turns, but we are pretty jazzed about this 

discovery and hope you are, too!] SLO LIFE 

Broad Street Broad Street 

South Street 

Meadow St. 

Funston Ave 

Lawton Ave. 

Woodbridge St. 

South Street 

Alphonso St. 

755 Alphonso Street 

San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 

805.305.3935 

“ 

Flesh foods [meat] in the modern diet are 

very different because so many animals 

raised for food today ... no longer graze in the 

wild. Instead, most are fattened with grains 

such as corn that provide omega-6 but not 

omega-3. Moreover, people take in a lot of 

their fat in the form of vegetable oils and 

products like margarine made from them; 

most of these, again, provide omega-6 fatty 

acids, but not omega-3’s. 

” 

Have a health question? Go to slolifemagazine.com and share your curiosity with us. 

20 | slo life magazine 20 | slo life MagaZine

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No Place Like Home 

The V6 Cattle Drive 

By Jeanette Trompeter, KSBY News 

The Central Coast is magnificent in its 

diversity, and I sometimes wonder if people 

think I’m fibbing when I talk about all that is 

available here. Like the V6 Cattle Drive. How 

many people get a chance to play cowboy 

with the real McCoy? 

The V6 Ranch is located just outside Parkfield, a 

town of 18, known primarily for its proximity to the 

San Andreas Fault. Encompassing some 20,000 

acres, the ranch stretches from Monterey County to 

Fresno County. Jack Varian got the idea of inviting 

folks on this family chore after seeing the movie “City 

Slickers” almost 20 years ago. He figured they have 

to do the work anyway, why not have folks tag along 

to help? 

The Varians have about 80 horses, plenty of them 

mild-mannered enough to escort just about any city 

slicker across the amazing vistas of the V6 Ranch. “It 

is fantastic!” says Carol Abreu of San Rafael. “There 

are places where you can see the Coastal Ridge 

Mountains and the Sierras. It’s just fantastic!” 

Many guests from outside California falsely believe 

our State has all been paved over with sub-divisions. 

“And, when they come up here in this Diablo Range 

and see no power lines, and no after-lights, no light, 

they just say, ‘you mean there are parts of California 

that are like this?” Varian says with a smile. “And 

there are.” 

Varian and his wife Zee have put their ranch into a 

conservation easement, which means it can never be 

subdivided. It is one parcel, forever. “Forever,” he reemphasizes. 

“Somebody said ‘How long is perpetuity?’ 

I said I think it’s a long time. We’ve decided that the 

best way to keep family harmony, as best we can, is 

to take subdividing out of the formula. I’ve seen too 

many ranches fought over, where brother loves sister 

until the ranch gets divided, and then they hate each 

other forever. So we decided if we didn’t allow that to 

happen in the first place, well, they can work it out.” 

Jack and Zee’s kids and grandkids all were on horses 

before they were on their feet. All live and work the 

ranch. “I hope that Jack and Zee and the rest of the 

kids and the grandkids understand that what they 

offer to the people. It’s a big deal!” exclaims Paul 

Abreul. 

Varian embraces holistic land management. He 

moves cattle often to keep them from overgrazing. On 

the cattle drive, you help move about 300 head a few 

miles each day. It’s rugged, but there is running water, 

and the meals are better than you will find in most 

restaurants. 

Nights are spent at camp, under the stars, in front of 

the fire. (And, yes, singing cowboy songs.) There is 

more interaction and connection between cowpokes 

than there is among most families in front of the TV. 

“You just don’t get this. You really really don’t,” says 

Carol Abreu. “You can see pigs, you can hear coyotes. 

I think it’s a way of life that’s going away.” 

It is a way of life a lot of people don’t realize even 

exists anymore. But, thankfully, it does and it’s right 

here in our own backyard. 

SLO LIFE 

Jeanette Trompeter, KSBY News anchor and reporter, 

hosts the “No Place Like Home” series every Thursday 

evening at 6pm. 




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BEST EVER GRANOLA 

Shared by Sue Waterbury 

It was late at night when Sue Waterbury received an urgent call from her very 

pregnant next-door neighbor. “Sue, we need your help…” was all she needed to 

hear to know a new baby was ready to make his way into the world. The soon-to-bebig-brother, 

Donovan, who was then one of Sue’s students at the SLO High School 

Tiny Tigers Preschool, was sound asleep in his bed when Sue came over and sent his 

parents on their way to the hospital. Donovan got quite a surprise the next morning, 

when instead of his mommy…there was his teacher in his bedroom! She comforted 

him with a warm bowl of Best Ever Granola and shared the wonderful news, 

“Donovan you have a little brother now.” To this day whenever the smell of Sue’s 

Best Ever Granola fills the air you can be sure that Donovan will be the first one to 

knock on her door with his little brother, Harrison, following close behind. 

BeST eVer Granola 

8 cups rolled oats (not instant) 

1 ¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar 

1 ½ cup unprocessed bran 

1 ½ cup natural wheat germ (not toasted or honey) 

¾ cup chopped walnuts or sliced almonds 

½ cup raw sunflower seeds 

½ cup vegetable oil 

¾ cup honey 

2 teaspoons vanilla 

1 ½ cup dried cranberries 

1 cup raisins 

• Sue recommends using different dried fruits and 

nuts for added variety • 

1. Stir in oats, brown sugar, bran, wheat germ, 

walnuts, and sunflower seeds in a large bowl. Put 

vegetable oil, honey and vanilla in a small saucepan; 

heat stirring until bubbly. Pour the liquid over dry 

ingredients, mixing, thoroughly. 

2. Divide the oat mixture evenly and spread on two 

rimmed cookie sheets. Bake in a preheated oven 

at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes, stirring once 

to keep granola evenly browned. While it cools, 

stir mixture several times to keep it from sticking 

together. Add cranberries and raisins. Store in an 

air-tight container. This granola keeps for weeks 

and is yummy for breakfast or snacks. 

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Local People 

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Grilled Shrimp and Mango Salsa 

Shared by Alex LaChapelle 

Alex LaChapelle loves cooking with her girls, Sadie and Josephine. She sees it as a 

great way for them to spend time together and a perfect opportunity for her to teach 

them about the importance of healthy eating. One of their favorite summertime dishes, 

inspired by the Barefoot Contessa, is grilled shrimp and mango salsa. “This dish is 

quintessential summer to me,” she explains. “We love to have beach parties and this is 

one of those dishes where you can prepare everything at home and then just throw the 

shrimp skewers on the grill at the beach. It’s always a crowd favorite.” 

Grilled Shrimp 

3 cloves garlic, minced 

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped 

1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley 

1/4 cup minced fresh basil 

1 teaspoon dry mustard 

2 teaspoons dijon mustard 

2 teaspoons coarse salt 

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 

1/4 cup olive oil 

Juice of 1 lemon 

2 pounds jumbo shrimp (16 to 20 per pound), 

peeled and deveined, tails intact 

Vegetable oil, for grilling 

1. In a medium bowl, combine garlic, onion, parsley, 

basil, mustards, salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon 

juice. Add the shrimp and marinate for 1 hour at 

room temperature, or cover and refrigerate for up 

to 2 days. 

manGo SalSa 

2 tablespoons olive oil 

1 1/2 cups diced yellow onion (2 onions) 

2 teaspoons peeled and minced ginger 

1 teaspoon minced garlic 

2 ripe mangos, cut into 1/4-inch pieces 

1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 

2 teaspoons packed light-brown sugar 

1 teaspoon coarse salt 

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 

1 to 2 teaspoons minced fresh jalapeño 

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves 

1. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over mediumlow 

heat. Add onions and ginger, and saute until 

onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the 

garlic, and cook, 1 minute more. Add the mangos; 

reduce heat to low, and cook for 10 more minutes. 

Add orange juice, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and 

jalapeno. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the 

orange juice has reduced, 3 to 4 minutes. 

2. Heat a grill or a grill pan over medium-high heat. 

Brush the rack or pan with vegetable oil to prevent 2. Remove from heat, and stir in mint. Serve warm, 

the shrimp from sticking. Skewer 5 to 6 shrimp 

on a 12-inch skewer for a dinner serving. Grill 

the shrimp on each side, until opaque and lightly 

charred, about 1 1/2 minutes. 

at room temperature, or chilled. SLO LIFE 

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

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REAL ESTATE 

by the numbers 

Let’s face it, we love to talk about the local real estate market and we often describe it in terms of temperature, as in “the market is hot” or “real 

estate has cooled off” which provides a useful visual, but begs the question: “what is really happening in the real estate market?” 

In order to understand the market, you have to decipher the meaning of the numbers behind the market. To do this, SLO LIFE Magazine spent 

several hours studying reams of data with Ron Burkhart, President of the San Luis Obispo Association of Realtors, who explained how to spot 

trends in the market, and gave us some tools to truly gauge its “temperature.” 

According to Mr. Burkhart, this is what we should be paying attention to: 

1Total Homes Sold – this is the number of homes that are sold in a given 

period of time. It does not include “active” or “pending” listings, only 

those homes where the sale has been completed. 

What this number tells us: Total Homes Sold can be a good indication of where 

the market is, where it has been, and where it’s heading. This is often referred 

to as overall “volume” as in the “volume of transactions is increasing,” which 

signifies an active market. Generally, a number going up over a period of time 

indicates a strengthening market and a number that gets progressively smaller 

could identify a weakening market. 

Caution: you want to make sure to adjust for seasonality, as certain times of the 

year are often stronger or weaker than others. 

2Average Asking Price – here we add up the original asking prices of the 

total homes sold then divide by the total number of homes sold. 

Sum of Asking Prices = $2,000,000 / 5 Total Home Sold = $400,000 

What this tells number tells us: this gives us a rough idea of what sellers believe 

their homes are worth. 

3Average Selling Price – here we add up the total selling prices of all the 

homes that sold, then divide again by the total number of homes sold. 

Sum of Selling Prices = $1,900,000 / 5 Total Homes Sold = $380,000 

4Sales as % of Asking Price – this is a big one, as it indicates how close 

to the asking price buyers are willing to pay sellers. For example, a 

home that is on the market for $500,000 and eventually sells for 

$490,000, essentially $10,000 off the asking price – or a 2% discount – would be 

represented simply as “98%”... that is, the seller sold his or her home for 98% of 

the asking price. 

What this number tells us: the closer the number is to 100% the less discounting 

happens to bring a buyer and seller together on a sale. If the number is much 

lower than the 100% baseline, that means that asking prices are too high for the 

market and significant discounts are taking place. 

5Average # of Days on the Market – this is also a great way to judge 

what is happening with real estate. With a really hot market listings will 

sell much more quickly than in a cool one. Days on the market, 

particularly the direction or trend over a period of time, is good way to gauge the 

temperature… a hot market will show homes going unsold for fewer days, while 

a cool market will show homes going unsold for a greater number of days. 

What this number tells us: this one is pretty intuitive... when a buyer has a strong 

desire to make a purchase because he or she may be competing with other 

buyers, it tends to happen quickly. Conversely, when that strong desire does 

not exist or there are many options to choose from, decisions may come more 

slowly. SLO LIFE 

the numbers at a glance 

Comparing the first four months of 2009 to the first four months of 2010 (01/01/09 - 04/30/09 vs. 01/01/10 - 04/30/10) 

Home Price 

$100,000 - $500,000 

2009 2010 +/- 

Home Price 

$501,000 - $1,000,000 

2009 2010 +/- 

Home Price 

$1,000,001 - $2,500,000 

2009 2010 +/- 

1. Total Homes Sold 

15 38 153.33% 

30 48 63.33% 

4 8 100% 

2. Average Asking Price 

$446,477 $432,371 -3.16% 

$706,703 $722,841 2.28% 

$1,295,250 $1,582,000 22.14% 

3. Average Selling Price 

$417,523 $415,421 -0.05% 

$664,127 $671,314 1.08% 

$1,243,125 $1,411,000 13.50% 

4. Sales Price as a % of Asking Price 

93.52% 96.08% 2.56% 

93.98% 92.87% -1.11% 

95.98% 89.19% -6.79% 

5. Average # of Days on the Market 

95 88 -7.30% 

101 97 -3.96% 

140 143 2.14% 

SOURCE: San Luis Obispo Association of Realtors 


Revitalize your soul 

on the coast at Big Sur 

Big Sur Wind and Sea 

As beautiful as it is rare, this amazing Estate offers its owner an elegant 

residence with views from the edge of the world. Five manicured 

acres present a variety of natural environments to revitalize one’s 

soul and experience the magic of the Big Sur Coastline. Located just 

steps from the world renowned Esalen Institute. 

Offered at $6,475,000 by Gavin Payne 805-550-3918 

For additional details visit www.bigsurwindandsea.com 

Our approach to real estate is about much more 

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gas heaters. Includes private off-street parking and 2 car garage. 

Offered at $ 3,196,000 by Gavin Payne 805.550.3918 

EDNA VALLEY - 176 acres ideally suited as an equestrian 

estate including arena and stable facility. The 5700 sq. ft. home 

features everything a country estate should including luxurious 

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Offered at $ 7,000,000 by Gavin Payne 805-550-3918 

The Payne Team 

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805-459-0200 

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805-748-3995 

962 Mill Street 

San Luis Obispo, California 93401 

www.HomesofSLO.com 


Community 

Gate opens 

2:30 p.m. 

Concert 

4:00 p.m. 

Tickets: $40 chair seating $50 table seating 

$375 table of 8 

Order online (www.operaslo.org) 

or call OperaSLO office (805)541-5369 

WE ARE THE MUSTANGS 

Season, Group, and Single Game Tickets 

on sale at the box office by calling 

1–866–GO STANGS or online at GoPoly.com 

Like us on 

Follow us at 

twitter.com/CPMustangs 

www.facebook.com/CalPolyMustangs 

June 1, 3 

Event RSVP XV: Chiaroscuro 

Time 8:00pm 

Location Chistopher Cohan 

Center 

Contact www.pacslo.org 

Description Presented by Cal Poly 

Music Department 

June 3, 10, 17, 24 

Event Farmers Market 

Time 6:00pm-9:00pm 

Location Downtown SLO 

Contact www.downtownslo.com 

Description More than 120 

vendors and various food booths. 

You’ll also find freshly harvested 

fruits and vegetables, bouquets 

of garden-grown flowers, and 

other seasonal treats. 

June 4 

Event Art After Dark 

Time 6:00pm–9:00pm 

Location Downtown SLO 

Contact www.sloartscouncil.org 

Description ARTS Obispo 

coordinates this monthly 

event where local galleries and 

businesses present SLO county 

art work. 

June 4-20 

Event Sherlock’s Last Case 

Location San Luis Obispo Little Theatre 

Contact www.slolittletheatre.org 

Description Come travel back 

to Arthur Conan Doyle’s foggy 

Victorian London to witness 

hair-raising twists and turns, 

scenes of odd happenstance and 

outbursts of comic brilliance. 

June 4, 11 

Event Concerts in the Plaza 

Time 5:30 – 7:30 

Location Mission Plaza 


Event The summer concert series 

features the best local musicians 

from Santa Barbara and San 

Luis Obispo counties. Local 

restaurants and eateries provide 

food for hungry concertgoers 

while Firestone Brewery and 

Edna Valley Vineyards supply 

beer and wine for purchase. 

June 5 

Event Cal Poly Wind Band Concert 

Time 8:00pm 

Location Christopher Cohan Center 


Description Don’t miss this 

extraordinary preview of the Cal 

Poly Wind Ensemble. 

June 5 

Event Vocal Arts Ensemble 

Time 8:00pm 

Location Mission San Luis Obispo 

Description Solstice Theme 

Concert. Children over 6 

welcome. 

June 5 

Event SLO Wine & Grill Affair 


Location Per Bacco Cellars 

Contact www.t-mha.org 

Description Enjoy live music and 

art while local wineries present 

food and wine pairings. 

Proceeds benefit Transitions 

Mental Health Association. 

June 5, 6 

Event San Luis Obispo Greek Festival 

Time 11:00am-6:00pm 


Contact (805) 546-8337 

Description Join St. Andrew’s 

Greek Orthodox Church for the 

Annual Greek Festival! There 

will be Greek food, live music, 

dancing, and a kid’s area. 

June 5, 12, 19, 26 

Event Farmers Market 

Time 8:00am–10:30am 

Location Forever 21 Parking Lot 

Contact www.slocountyfarmers.org 

Over 60 vendors bring produce 

directly from the farm within 

a day of picking. The freshest 

local produce brought to you by 

California farmers. 

June 6 

Event Cal Poly Arab Music Ensemble 

Time 7:00pm 

Location Christopher Cohan Center 


Description Selections from the 

Mediterranean and Middle East. 

June 12 

Event Saturday at the Garden 


Location SLO Botanical Garden 

Contact www.slobg.org 

Description Master gardeners, 

professional landscapers and 

garden writers share their 

knowledge. 

June 27 

Event Jack House & Garden Tour 


Location 536 Marsh Street 

Contact www.slocity.org 

Description Guided tours covering 

the history of the Jack Family and 

it’s turn of the century estate. 

July 2, 9, 16 


Time 5:30 – 7:30 



Description The summer concert 

series features the best local 

musicians from Santa Barbara 

and San Luis Obispo counties. 

Local restaurants provide food 

while Firestone Brewery and 

Edna Valley Vineyards supply 

beer and wine for purchase. 

July4 

Event Old Fashioned 4th of July 

Time 11:00am-3:00m 

Location Mitchell Park 

Description Enjoy an old-fashioned 

holiday filled with plenty of 

activities and entertainment for 

all at Mitchell Park. 

July 8-31 

Event Showstoppers! 



Description The Best Shimmies, 

Shakes, Shines of 5 Time Emmy 

Award Winner Suzy Miller. 

Martini Night performances 

include a light gourmet supper 

before the show and dessert 

during intermission. 

July 10 








knowledge. 

July 11 

Event Pride in the Plaza 



Contact www.ccgala.org 

Description Gay and Lesbian 

Alliance Presents the 14th 

Annual Pride Festival. Vendors, 

entertainers, kids areas, and a 

beer garden. 

July 13-25 

Event Festival Mozaic 

Time Various 

Location Various 

Conact www.festivalmozaic.com 

Description Rooted in the rich 

legacy of five centuries of music, 

presented to you in ways that 

you can’t experience anywhere 

but here. Immerse yourself in a 

musical excursion! 



Calendar 

July 17-18 

Event Renaissance Festival 


Location El Chorro Regional Park 

Contact ccrenfaire.com 

Description Costumed 

participants converge in 

beautiful El Chorro Regional 

Park to create Donneybrooke, 

an English Renaissance village, 

brilliantly decorated for your 

ultimate summer fantasy 

entertainment. 

July 24 

July 24 

Event Studio Open House 


Location 122 Bressi Place 

Contact www.amy-mckay.com 

Description Artist, Amy McKay is 

holding a Studio Open House. 

Free wine and cheese event, all 

available art for sale. 

July 25 

Event Triathalon 

Location Sinsheimer 


Description Completion, rather 

than competition, is the focus 

of the City of SLO Parks and 

Recreation Department’s 

Annual Triathlon. This short 

course triathlon accommodates 

the novice and still gives the 

experienced a challenge. 

July 25 





Description Guided tours 

covering the history of the 

Jack Family and it’s turn of the 

century estate. 

July 30 

Event Movie Under the Stars 


Location Edna Valley Vineyard 

Contact ednavalleyvineyard.com 

Description Bring you low lawn 

chair and a picnic. No outside 

beverages. 

August 1 

Event Obon Festival 


Location Veteran’s Memorial Hall 

Contact www.discovernikkei.org 

Description The annual Buddihist 

event for commemorating one’s 

ancestors. Music, food, crafts, 

bonsai, Marshall Arts, Taiko and 

raffle. 

August 8-15 

Event A Midsummer Night Dream 



Description A Shakespearean 

light-hearted comedy and one 

of his most popular works. This 

audience favorite is sure to lift 

your spirits and make you laugh. 

August 6, 13, 20, 27 


Time 5:30 – 7:30 



DescriptionThe summer concert 

series features the best local 

musicians from Santa Barbara 

and San Luis Obispo counties. 

Local restaurants provide food 

for concertgoers while Firestone 

Brewery and Edna Valley 

Vineyards supply beer and wine 

for purchase. Non-alcoholic 

beverages also available. 

August 8-31 

Event Pallet to the Palate 

Location Countywide 

Contact pallettopalate.com 

Description The mission of P2P 

is to broaden the awareness 

of the SLO County community 

about the importance of fresh, 

local food. This includes the 

local farmers that grow the food, 

the families, institutions and 

chefs that purchase and prepare 

the food for their friends, 

families and customers. 

August 13 

Event Dine in the Vines 


Location Edna Valley Vineyard 


Description Winemaker, Harry 

Hansen, will join his guests as 

he shares his finest handcrafted 

limited wines. Gretchen LeMiere 

from In Good Taste Catering will 

prepare a Mediterranean menu 

with multiple courses that will 

pair perfectly with Edna Valley’s 

wines. Live music will accent 

the evening. Tickets $100. 

August 14 

Event Day with Creative Women 


Contact www.wccslo.org 

Description A day full of 

camaraderie, music, handcrafted 

work by women, children’s 

activities, food and fun at 

the Mission Plaza in San Luis 

Obispo. 

August 14 








knowledge. 

August 21 

Event Broadway by the Sea 

Time 2:30 

Location Chapman House 

Contact www.propera.org 

Description Opera San 

Luis Obispo has provided 

professional opera on the 

Central Coast since 1985. We 

are moving into our 25th season, 

and we invite you to come to 

one of our performances. 

August 27 

Event Movie Under the Stars 

Time 7:00pm–10:00pm 

Location Edna Valley Vineyards 


Description Bring you low lawn 

chair and a picnic. No outside 

beverages. $10 donation. 

August 28 

Event Mommies in the Plaza 


Contact slocountymommies.com 

Description Vendor Booths, 

Silent Auction and Family 

Entertainment by various 

performances including dance 

and gymnastics. 

August 29 





Description Guided tours 

covering the history of the 

Jack Family and it’s turn of the 

century estate. 

August 27-September 19 

Event The Fantasticks 



Description The worlds longest 

running musical. 

August 28–September 20 

Event The Clean House 

Location San Luis Obispo Little Theater 


Description When all you want is a clean 

house, beware! Someone just may air 

your dirty laundry. An irreverently funny 

Pulitzer-Prize nominated play. 

To promote your event in the Community Calendar go to slolifemagazine.com 

slo life MagaZinE. | 29 

The Very Best in Professional 

Arts and Entertainment at the 

Performing Arts Center 

New 2010-11 Season Highlights: 

STEVE MARTIN HAL HOLBROOK 

BANJO & 

BLUEGRASS 

“MARK TWAIN 

TONIGHT” 

DIANE SCHUUR DAVID SEDARIS 

& SLO SYMPHONY SPEAKER SERIES 

SEASON SUBSCRIPTIONS 

ON SALE NOW! 

Order 4 or more shows and 

receive discounts up to 

20% off every ticket. 

Over 40 shows to choose from! 

Music, dance, theatre, 

Broadway, family fun shows 

and much more... 

Order early for your best seats! 

RUSSIAN NATIONAL BALLET 

“SWAN LAKE” 

VISIT OUR WEBSITE 

FOR FULL DETAILS 

WWW.CALPOLYARTS.ORG 

Or call 756-2787 for more info 


Milestones & Memories 

BIRTHDAY GIRL 

RECOGNITION 

CELEBRATE 

Geneva is celebrating her 7th birthday and continues 

on her path as an artist, author, musician, dancer, 

scientist, mathematician and anything else her 

dreams may bring. 

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY 

Celebrating the generosity of Bridget Ready, Ronni 

Johnson and all of the children who emptied their piggy 

banks and raised $1,300 for the Children Caring for 

Children Fund helping the Haitian earthquake victims. 

CONGRATULATIONS 

Kate O’Leary is graduating from San Luis Obispo 

High School and will attend a Discipleship Program 

in Australia called Island Breeze Sydney with an 

emphasis in Performing Arts. Congratulations! 

SPECIAL THANkS 

Christian and Jessica Carlberg will celebrate their 

9th wedding anniversary on July 21st. Christian, 

a robotics engineer and, Jessica, an architect, are 

joyfully raising their three young children in SLO. 

Hannah Kenny and her family celebrate her graduaton 

from San Luis Obispo High School. She will attend 

Azusa Pacific University where she will play on the 

women’s basketball team. We’re so proud of you! 

A big Thank You to the Bishop’s Peak Elementary PTA 

for their fantastic effort in making the 2009-2010 

school year such a success! 

Have an announcement to make? Go to slolifemagazine.com and click on “Post Your Announcement” to submit yours today. 


Call Me 

Want to see your card here? 

go to slolifemagazine.com 

and click “Post Your Announcement”

SLOlifeSummer2010LR

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