SLO LIFE Winter 2010
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<strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
magazine<br />
@ home<br />
Donald & Eldra Avery<br />
+<strong>SLO</strong> Moped<br />
gets a makeover<br />
WINTER 2011<br />
Meet Kevin Rucks<br />
skateboarding, lessons learned & zombies<br />
slo life magazine | 1
2 | slo life magazine
slo life magazine | 3
| publisher’s message<br />
My seven-year-old daughter loves looking at old family photos.<br />
As we were flipping through a dust-covered album the other day,<br />
I came across a shot I had not seen in years, and it stopped me in<br />
my tracks. It was a picture of my grandpa working on one of his<br />
tractors in his shop, bundled up in a jacket and hat in the middle of<br />
the scorching hot summer just outside of Visalia in the San Joaquin<br />
Valley. At the time the photo was taken, he was in the final throes<br />
of his battle with terminal cancer.<br />
Glenn L. Pratt<br />
(1920 - 1994)<br />
Nothing could keep Grandpa out of his shop. From the time he<br />
dropped out of the sixth grade until the moment he drew his final<br />
breath, he was a cotton farmer. Like most people of his generation,<br />
he believed in the importance of a handshake. He believed in his<br />
neighbors. He believed in hard work. And he understood that the<br />
key to running a good business was to continually innovate. That’s<br />
a word he would have never used himself, but, looking back on it,<br />
that’s exactly what he did. He almost never bought new machinery;<br />
instead he opted to keep his old, fully-paid-for equipment going.<br />
When something could not be revived for another season, he<br />
often improvised and fabricated whatever he needed himself. A<br />
combination of notes, numbers, and diagrams scratched out on<br />
a yellow legal notepad by his massive, grease-stained right hand<br />
soon enough became a reality out in the shop.<br />
When I was a kid, about the same age my daughter is now, I remember listening in on discussions between Grandpa and his brother Louie. They would<br />
debate about the best way to build this or fix that. They would talk for hours about finding a better ball bearing for the harvester. Honestly, I didn’t care<br />
what they talked about, and I certainly didn’t understand much of it. I just wanted to be around it. I wanted to soak it in. These were big, important<br />
men talking about big and important things. It was cool, and I wanted to be like them.<br />
As I reflect on that photo today, it brings about a flood of emotion. I think about my wife and my kids, who never had the chance to meet Grandpa;<br />
I think about my many cousins back in the Valley and elsewhere who today apply the lessons learned out at the shop when we were younger; and, I<br />
think about how I can see a little bit of Grandpa in the local small business owners I am so privileged to work with here each and every day.<br />
As publisher of this magazine, I wear many hats. But, one of my most favorite things I do is visit with our advertisers. Sometimes I feel like a seven-year-old<br />
kid again as I learn about their plans for their businesses and what they are doing to innovate. Those conversations leave me with a strong faith that our<br />
small business community will continue to lead the way, probably not with some big, complicated high-tech invention, but in small, incremental steps, on a<br />
daily basis, with the same grit, dedication and ingenuity that Grandpa displayed in his shop as he built his business, one ball bearing at a time.<br />
Live the <strong>SLO</strong> Life!<br />
tom@slolifemagazine.com<br />
<strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
magazine<br />
4251 S. Higuera Street • Suite 800 • San luiS obiSpo, Ca 93401<br />
SloliFeMagaZine.CoM • (805) 553-8820 • (805) 456-1677<br />
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4 | slo life magazine
contents<br />
Meet Your Neighbor:<br />
Kevin Rucks<br />
16<br />
26<br />
Business Makeover:<br />
<strong>SLO</strong> Moped<br />
778 Osos Street, Suite C<br />
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401<br />
805.439.2323<br />
www.coastfiduciarylaw.com<br />
6<br />
8<br />
10<br />
12<br />
14<br />
20<br />
22<br />
24<br />
38<br />
42<br />
44<br />
46<br />
The Way We Live:<br />
34 The Avery Home<br />
Q & A :<br />
Dave Romero’s life and career<br />
Places :<br />
going <strong>SLO</strong> on Turri Road<br />
How I Found My Way Here :<br />
it took getting lost to find home<br />
The Way It Was :<br />
treasure found<br />
Inspiration :<br />
the Kalmans fight for a cure<br />
No Place Like Home :<br />
discover the monarch grove<br />
Finds Under Fifty :<br />
it’s time to go shopping<br />
To Your Health :<br />
stand up for yourself<br />
Real Estate :<br />
local experts share their insight<br />
Local Food by Local People :<br />
a hearty, healthy meal<br />
The Arts :<br />
masterworks performed<br />
Community Calendar :<br />
the best <strong>SLO</strong> has to offer<br />
I grew up in San Luis Obispo before leaving<br />
to attend college and pursue my career as an<br />
attorney. After a decade of practicing litigation<br />
and estate planning, I was ready to return to<br />
the place I love, start a practice I believe in and<br />
make a difference in the local legal community<br />
by offering a competent and caring approach to<br />
the practice of law.<br />
Central Coast Estate Planning and Fiduciary<br />
Services is the culmination of my personal<br />
and professional dreams. What makes my firm<br />
different is that I haven’t forgotten the human<br />
element in the practice of law. I focus on each<br />
family or individual and their unique needs and<br />
keep my firm small and specialized so that you<br />
are always my top priority.<br />
Whether you need an estate plan written or<br />
updated, require representation in probate,<br />
trust or tax litigation or are interested in hiring<br />
a trustworthy and knowledgeable personal<br />
fiduciary, I can offer the guidance, experienced<br />
legal representation and personal touch that is<br />
so often lacking from the practice of law today.<br />
It’s a tough world out there and trust, probate<br />
and tax law can be a minefield, but I am here to<br />
help you and your loved ones.<br />
Jed D. Hazeltine<br />
LL.M. Taxation<br />
Attorney At Law<br />
slo life magazine | 5
| Q & A<br />
Mayor Dave Romero<br />
Since he came to town in 1956, you would be hard-pressed to find someone who has had such a large<br />
impact on San Luis Obispo. And, on nearly every major city issue since then, you can find his fingerprints.<br />
He retires in January and leaves some very big shoes to fill. The Mayor takes our questions…<br />
What did you want to be when<br />
you grew up?<br />
You know, from the time I was<br />
about ten, I wanted to be a civil<br />
engineer. Actually, I wanted to<br />
be a logging engineer at first, but<br />
I couldn’t get into the program<br />
at the university back in 1946,<br />
so I went to my own state<br />
university, the University of New<br />
Mexico, and enrolled in their<br />
civil engineering program which<br />
was a better choice for me. So, I<br />
chose something as a child and<br />
got to spend my entire working<br />
life doing something I wanted and<br />
liked.<br />
How did you get the nickname<br />
“Dave the Pave”?<br />
It was given to me by a critic<br />
who had the perception that I<br />
approved every development<br />
proposal that came through.<br />
I used the name in a different<br />
context because “Dave the<br />
Pave” was the one who made<br />
sure that our streets were paved<br />
and that our sidewalks were<br />
well-maintained. The nickname<br />
became a positive thing for me.<br />
What do we have to do to keep<br />
San Luis Obispo at the top of all<br />
those “Best Places” lists?<br />
I think what we have been doing<br />
for the past 15 years or so has<br />
been positive, and has brought<br />
us to that point. We need to<br />
continue to do what we’ve been<br />
doing. The critical problem for us<br />
has been the high cost of housing.<br />
Hopefully we’ll be able to provide<br />
more of it to bring the prices<br />
down. To do that we also need to<br />
make more jobs available.<br />
What do you think people<br />
misunderstand about you?<br />
The main criticism people have<br />
made of me over the years was<br />
that I was strongly pro-growth, but<br />
really I have been strongly pro-city.<br />
That is, I have always done what I<br />
thought was best for the welfare of<br />
the city. There has to be a certain<br />
amount of growth or you stagnate.<br />
What single piece of advice<br />
would you pass on to the new<br />
mayor?<br />
I would advise the new mayor to<br />
really work to see that we have a<br />
harmonious, operating, teamfunctioning<br />
city council because<br />
the way the council relates with<br />
itself during the meeting is the<br />
perception the public has of<br />
how well we operate and is the<br />
perception of the city.<br />
What will you miss most and<br />
least about being mayor?<br />
Having spent fifty years in the<br />
city – friends. I won’t miss long<br />
meetings, particularly those<br />
with extensive testimony.<br />
Do you have any regrets?<br />
No - I have no regrets. I think that<br />
a lot of the life choices that I’ve<br />
made, especially in coming here<br />
to San Luis Obispo so many years<br />
ago have worked out really well. I<br />
have no regrets at all in my<br />
life. I’m very happy with the way it<br />
has all turned out. I am one of the<br />
most fortunate men and have had<br />
a truly blessed life.<br />
What does the future hold for<br />
you?<br />
I’m still going to keep a finger<br />
in the city’s operations, not<br />
as a voting member but as an<br />
ambassador, so I’ll still be a part<br />
of my beloved city. Hopefully, my<br />
wife and I will have a long travel<br />
vacation, which we never did in<br />
my time as mayor because I didn’t<br />
want to be away that long. We<br />
have lots of grandchildren and<br />
now great grandchildren coming<br />
on, so we’ll have lots of family<br />
activities as well.<br />
What’s the one thing you would<br />
whisper in the ear of someone<br />
just starting their career?<br />
Marry a patient woman… that<br />
really affects your life a lot.<br />
Where would you take Mrs.<br />
Romero for a special night out?<br />
My wife and I for many, many<br />
years have celebrated our<br />
anniversary at the Madonna Inn.<br />
I always ordered the same thing,<br />
a “junior top,” which is a small,<br />
local top sirloin steak with a baked<br />
potato and salad and all the rest<br />
of the stuff that goes with it. It<br />
was a special thing that Alex had<br />
there and it wasn’t on the menu,<br />
but people knew about it.<br />
When you look back on your long<br />
career what do you think about?<br />
I think about how far the city<br />
has come. When I first came<br />
here, in 1956, the city was sort<br />
of like any old town USA. The<br />
infrastructure really needed<br />
improvement. We didn’t have<br />
any trees in downtown. We had<br />
signs overhanging the streets.<br />
Lot of things were run down<br />
in the community. We needed<br />
road improvements. The traffic<br />
situation was poor – it still is in<br />
a lot of ways. I really think about<br />
how things were, and I think<br />
it needed someone who could<br />
dedicate a lifetime for a single<br />
purpose.<br />
How do you want to be<br />
remembered?<br />
I’d like to be remembered as<br />
being mayor at a time when the<br />
city reached a pinnacle of respect,<br />
and we were recognized for the<br />
efforts that we have had – and<br />
it isn’t all my efforts. It started<br />
many, many years before me<br />
with thoughtful city councils who<br />
did a lot of master planning and<br />
started things. I would hope to<br />
be remembered as Mayor of San<br />
Luis Obispo during the very best<br />
of times.<br />
Please finish this sentence for<br />
us: “The real truth about Dave<br />
Romero is…”<br />
… he has an undying love for San<br />
Luis Obispo.<br />
<strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
6 | slo life magazine
Hear for the Holidays<br />
Sleigh bells<br />
ringing.<br />
Carols<br />
sung by<br />
the fire.<br />
Jingling all the way.<br />
Laughter,<br />
cheer, and<br />
joyful<br />
noises<br />
abound.<br />
It’s hard to imagine<br />
missing all the<br />
sounds of this<br />
magical time<br />
of the year.<br />
Give a special<br />
gift to a loved<br />
one, and let them<br />
hear for the holidays.<br />
And every other day, too.<br />
Call us today for your consultation<br />
805541-1790<br />
Helping You Hear The Things You Love<br />
slo life magazine | 7
| Places<br />
Going slO<br />
TURRI ROAD<br />
Named for the Turri Family’s ranch nearby, this little-known shortcut that connects San Luis Obispo to Morro<br />
Bay was captured beautifully by Anthony Halderman six years ago. Halderman, who likes to shoot the local<br />
landscape immediately following a hard rain with the sun at his back, took this photograph while standing on<br />
the roof of his car just after a February storm had swept through from the Pacific. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
8 | slo life magazine
slo life magazine | 9<br />
Do you have an amazing photo? Go to slolifemagazine.com to share it.
| How I found my way Here<br />
road to mayan ruins Leads to SLo<br />
It took getting lost in the jungle to help Heidi Rank find her way home.<br />
of gas in the middle of the jungle<br />
when they happened upon a<br />
small, unassuming sign off of the<br />
road that read “Cerveza Fria” [cold<br />
beer]. Overjoyed at the thought<br />
of getting directions, the roadweary<br />
travelers stumbled into the<br />
establishment. Recalls Heidi, “As<br />
the woman behind the bar was<br />
pouring beer for the guys, I locked<br />
eyes with her and had the most<br />
powerful ‘déjà vu’ I can remember.<br />
She was beautiful, stunning, and<br />
spoke perfect English.”<br />
“In 1989 I was a single mother<br />
of five-year-old twins working in<br />
Chicago as an architect. I was at<br />
a point where I needed to take<br />
a break and clear my head, and<br />
it was the middle of winter, so<br />
I arranged a week-long trip to<br />
Cancun with a friend, who had to<br />
back out at the last minute. I was<br />
disappointed, but also determined<br />
to continue, so I decided to go by<br />
myself…”<br />
It was while boarding a bus to visit<br />
some Mayan ruins that the solo<br />
traveler, Heidi Rank, happened<br />
upon two other Americans<br />
who were being hassled by<br />
an exasperated, Spanish-onlyspeaking<br />
bus driver. Seeing that<br />
the pair had very limited Spanish<br />
speaking ability, Heidi jumped<br />
in to translate. The problem was<br />
quickly resolved – turned out it<br />
had something to do with the fare<br />
– and a full bus, along with the<br />
Lost: (left to right) unidentified Belizean guide, John Pratt, and Heidi Rank consult their maps.<br />
Photo by Dana Holt.<br />
three American tourists was soon<br />
chugging, bouncing, and lurching<br />
down the road toward Tulum, Mexico.<br />
An easy conversation flowed<br />
between the three Americans as<br />
they settled into their seats for the<br />
long drive, and it was discovered<br />
that the two men were from San<br />
Luis Obispo. John Pratt, a local<br />
attorney, was taking a longplanned<br />
trip with good friend,<br />
Dana Holt, a local photographer<br />
whose family had been in San<br />
Luis Obispo for many generations.<br />
Remembers Heidi, “They were<br />
going to rent a truck and drive into<br />
Belize in search of some pretty<br />
remote Mayan ruins. During our<br />
bus ride, they invited me to come<br />
along. I pondered it for a minute,<br />
decided it was an opportunity of a<br />
lifetime, and accepted.”<br />
On the first night of their journey,<br />
John called his wife, Gayle<br />
Peron, who is now a County<br />
Commissioner, to tell her that they<br />
had picked up an American girl<br />
who spoke Spanish. John recalls<br />
the conversation, “‘Hi honey…<br />
you’ll never guess what happened<br />
today.... We met this really nice<br />
girl from Chicago who speaks<br />
Spanish… We invited her to come<br />
to Belize with us… We all have<br />
to squeeze into this tiny room…<br />
You can’t imagine the sleeping<br />
arrangements’ …and then I hear<br />
a ‘click’ and the line goes dead.<br />
There was a storm going, and the<br />
power went out. So, this is the<br />
only thing my poor wife hears from<br />
me while I’m out in the jungle for<br />
the week with my buddy, Dana,<br />
and our new friend, Heidi!”<br />
The trio’s first attempt at finding<br />
the ancient Mayan City of Altun<br />
Ha was a disaster, and, after a<br />
full day of driving, they found<br />
themselves lost and nearly out<br />
How did you find your way here? Go to slolifemagazine.com and tell us your story.<br />
When she introduced herself<br />
as Alexandra, Heidi reflexively<br />
blurted, “Class of 1975, Guilford<br />
High School.” The two women<br />
were amazed by the odds of<br />
growing up together in Rockford,<br />
Illinois, a town of around 100,000,<br />
only to be reunited nearly fifteen<br />
years later in the middle of a<br />
remote rain forest. According to<br />
Heidi, “Rockford, Illinois wasn’t<br />
famous for much, but it was<br />
known as ‘Trampoline Town U.S.A.’<br />
Alexandra and I had taken ‘tramp<br />
lessons’ together, as we called it.<br />
She was really good and went on<br />
to become the World Trampoline<br />
Champion.”<br />
After years on tour with various<br />
trampoline and tumbling groups,<br />
Alexandra was now working as<br />
the manager of the resort that<br />
her father had acquired as an<br />
investment property. She invited<br />
the trio to stay the week there<br />
as her guest, which they readily<br />
accepted. The remainder of<br />
their trip “flew by” as Alexandra<br />
directed them to some of “the<br />
best ruins in Belize.”<br />
Now, forever bonded by the<br />
whimsical twists and turns in their<br />
quest for ancient Mayan ruins, the<br />
trio kept in touch, and, looking for<br />
a better place to raise her kids,<br />
Heidi picked up and moved to<br />
San Luis Obispo later that same<br />
year with her two young children,<br />
where she has been ever since.<br />
<strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
10 | slo life magazine
Over 15 different<br />
styles of Patagonia<br />
down jackets for<br />
men and women.<br />
for a good time<br />
call 553-8820<br />
Our Publisher, Tom Franciskovich, has a long track<br />
record of helping companies just like yours achieve<br />
their marketing objectives. Call him, he’ll let you<br />
know how we can help you. Plus, he’s a lot of fun.<br />
slolifemagazine.com<br />
slo life magazine | 11
| the way it was<br />
treasure Found<br />
Images captured in the 1970’s finally have their stories revealed. BY BARBARA STICKEL, PHOTOS BY THOM HALLS<br />
While we enjoy the bounty of fresh local fish, we often<br />
forget what it takes to bring the catch of the day to our<br />
plates. A compelling new exhibit at the History Center<br />
of San Luis Obispo called “The Catch: Stories of Local<br />
Fishermen” gives the visitor a glimpse into the life of<br />
our fishermen during the 1970s. Photojournalist Thom<br />
Halls, then Cal Poly art student, captured our local fishing<br />
industry during his senior project in the mid-1970s. Who<br />
could have known that over thirty years later, these photos<br />
would provide the perfect platform for guest curator,<br />
Cal Poly graduate student, and local fisherman, Barbara<br />
Stickel, to share this fascinating story.<br />
Through her connections to the fishing community and<br />
tireless hours of interviews armed with these photos,<br />
Stickel has been able to identify many of the people<br />
in Halls’ photos and gather their narratives. The result<br />
is an exhibit that honors local fishermen in a personal<br />
way. Stickel sheds light on who these people are, what is<br />
sacrificed for another day at sea and how many of them<br />
have lost their lives in pursuit of their passion.<br />
above enGine rooM When Travis Evans’ family sent him to CalPoly in the 1930s, he<br />
was expected to return home afterward. That never happened, and the man the fleet calls<br />
“The Preacher,” still fishes out of Port San Luis daily, weather permitting.<br />
12 | slo life magazine<br />
left workinG the nets (left to right) Bruce Brebes (1942-1983) and George Graafft are<br />
shown working a lampara, fishing for bait on the fishing vessel Mello Boy. Today, the Mello<br />
Boy is still providing live bait for recreational fishermen at Port San Luis.
Below is an exerpt of Barbara Stickel’s writing featured in the exhibit:<br />
“<br />
Most commercial fishermen will tell you: “It’s not just what I do, it’s who<br />
I am.” For many, there is no retirement, not because of a lack of planning,<br />
but by choice. Fishing is not simply a job; it is an entire sense of being.<br />
It’s almost as if their bodies demand the constant exposure to salt and<br />
continual hard work.<br />
And, despite the effort, there is no predicting the catch, there is no<br />
controlling the sea; ensuring that everything is in good working order<br />
is all fishermen and their families can do. For commercial fishermen,<br />
maintaining equipment and protecting the hull from the elements can be a<br />
matter of life and death, and their survival depends on remaining vigilant<br />
until the boat has safely returned to port.<br />
Despite the near constant attention to regular maintenance while aboard,<br />
the real action for commercial fishermen comes in spurts. Many uneventful<br />
hours may pass motoring from fishing spot to fishing spot; much time is<br />
spent waiting while the gear is in the water. During the catch, the work is<br />
hard, fast, furious. The haul must be handled quickly and carefully with<br />
any unwanted species rapidly returned to the sea. Day and night blend<br />
together. On foggy days, the horizon melds into the sea. Salt air and<br />
moisture permeate everything.<br />
At sea, the world on the shore ceases to exist. Routines are interrupted,<br />
plans are put aside, and expectations constantly change. It’s not<br />
uncommon for a commercial fisherman to be uncertain about what month<br />
it is, let alone the day of the week or date. Yet they are drawn to the<br />
mystery, the appeal of knowing that something new and unexpected might<br />
happen or might come over the rail of the boat at any given moment.<br />
”<br />
<strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
above Morro Bay Fuel Docks Shortly after this photograph was taken, a consortium of<br />
fishermen purchased and rehabilitated the docks shown. For the next twenty years, the docks<br />
provided fuel and berthing for the commercial fleet.<br />
wanDerlust<br />
Albacore fishermen, much like the fish,<br />
prefer to roam the open oceans.<br />
slo life magazine | 13
| inspiration<br />
The Kalmans v. neuroblastoma<br />
The power of love may be what it takes to find a cure.<br />
Calli Kalman and Frank Kalman<br />
founders of Kids’ Cancer Research Foundation<br />
14 | slo life magazine
There is a sadness that permeates Frank Kalman. It is not obvious when you first meet him, but if<br />
you know his story, you will understand why he struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder.<br />
Nine years ago when his daughter, Calli, was 12 years old, she was diagnosed with a very rare cancer<br />
called neuroblastoma. This type of cancer afflicts approximately 700 American children each year.<br />
“The euphemism that parents whose children were diagnosed with this disease use is to say that<br />
‘Jenny earned her angel wings today’ when they share the news that their child passed,” Frank<br />
explains as his eyes well up with tears and his voice cracks with emotion. He collects himself with a<br />
long, deep breath and continues. “There was this one Friday about six months ago when we learned<br />
that three kids had earned their wings, and that’s when I said ‘I’ve got to do something.’”<br />
By this time, Frank had “pressed every button and pulled every lever” to get the best care possible<br />
for Calli and had become uniquely qualified to help other families going through the same thing.<br />
“I have developed this huge amount of knowledge about the disease and the treatments and the<br />
whole process, and I want to put it to good use. There are just so many people we can help.” With<br />
that resolve, the Kids’ Cancer Research Foundation was recently formed [more information about<br />
the organization can be found on the web at www.endkidscancer.org].<br />
The list of people involved with the foundation is impressive and reads like a “Who’s Who List”<br />
of cancer researchers, but, mostly, it serves as a testament to Kalman’s dogged persistence and<br />
hard-earned credibility. Kalman recalls his chance meeting with one key board member, Christopher<br />
Kennedy Lawford. “We were walking through a shop in Santa Monica, wasting time between chemo<br />
appointments for Calli, who was so sick and completely bald, when I recognize Chris. So, I go up to<br />
him and make a comment about a movie he was in. He was so gracious, and he and his wife spent a<br />
half an hour or so talking with Calli.”<br />
A friendship blossomed, and Lawford continued to follow up with Calli to inquire about her<br />
treatments and played a vital role in clearing up a “major problem” while she was at the Sloan-<br />
Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. According to Kalman, “I was just at my lowest point and<br />
the treatment wasn’t going well at all, and we were caught up in some red tape. Anyway, right<br />
about then Chris called to ask how we were doing and I told him ‘not well’ and he said, ‘Look, I will<br />
call my mom [JFK’s sister, Patricia], she used to work there. And, if that doesn’t help, I’ll call Uncle<br />
Teddy [the late Senator Ted Kennedy]. Don’t worry - we’ll get it figured out.’ It was like this guy just<br />
walked in out of the blue and said, ‘I have an atomic bomb, where do you want me to deliver it?’”<br />
Despite the big names that Kalman has lined up, he cites the support that his daughter has<br />
received from the people of San Luis Obispo as being the most important to them. “Our friends and<br />
neighbors held a fundraising event a while back at the Fremont Theater where they screened Calli’s<br />
favorite movie, “Remember the Titans.” I remember there was this unassuming looking college kid<br />
who walked up and wrote a check and walked right back out. We saw that type of thing over and<br />
over again. I mean, over a thousand people turned out to support my daughter. I’ll never forget<br />
that.”<br />
Today, as Kalman launches his new foundation, Calli’s cancer has returned. She continues her<br />
chemotherapy treatments while also attending Cal Poly as a 21-year-old junior. One gets the sense,<br />
however, that we have not heard the last from this inspirational father-daughter team. Says Kalman,<br />
“We’re looking at this foundation like Edison and his light bulb. It would be bold of me to say that<br />
we’re going to find a cure for this cancer, but the more research we can fund, the closer we get to<br />
getting it done.” <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
Do you have an inspirational story to share? Go to slolifemagazine.com and tell us about it.<br />
slo life magazine | 15
| Meet your neighbor<br />
Meet Kevin rucks<br />
In this installment of our “Meet Your Neighbor” series, <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine sat down to talk with Kevin<br />
Rucks. He is formally a professional skateboarder, who lives in San Luis Obispo with his wife, Jennifer, and<br />
their two kids, Drake and Milla. In addition to co-owning and operating Salisbury Vineyards with Jennifer<br />
and her parents, John and Maridel Salisbury, Kevin is a freelance artist who owns a small skateboard<br />
hardware company, Cannibolts, and is actively learning the art of BMX with his son. Here is his story…<br />
Who were your role models as a kid?<br />
My heroes growing up were Spider-Man, The Six Million Dollar Man, and<br />
Evel Knievel. My biggest influence was Evel Knievel because he always<br />
said things like “guys will cheat in car racing and use nitrous oxide, and<br />
their car will run really fast for a couple of laps then blow up. If you take<br />
drugs in life you’ll run really fast for a while, then you’ll fall apart too.” In<br />
other words, you can’t cheat the system - there’s no easy way to do it.<br />
He had integrity. He’d say that he wanted to live his life “jumping through<br />
the air with sunshine on his face.” I remember the first time I saw him say<br />
that; it just grabbed me, and I said that’s what I want. I didn’t care about<br />
being rich or having a mansion or a yacht, I wanted to be like Evel Knievel,<br />
jumping through the air with sunshine on my face because he’s living<br />
free and being his own guy and being dangerous. That was cool. That’s<br />
not something you could buy or go to college for. You had to earn it. You<br />
either did or you didn’t.<br />
Why Spider-Man and the Six Million Dollar Man?<br />
I liked The Six Million Dollar Man because he was always trying to do<br />
the right thing and be honest, and he didn’t like guns. Spiderman was<br />
the same way but he used sarcasm to put down the bad guys by making<br />
these great little wisecracks. When someone would pick on me at school,<br />
I would try to do the same thing. I figured out that if I could embarrass<br />
somebody for trying to bully me or my friends, then they usually left us<br />
alone, and sometimes they’d start buying my artwork.<br />
Let’s start from the beginning, Kevin. give us some background.<br />
My dad was an electrical engineer from Arkansas who worked in the<br />
aerospace industry. We bounced around a little bit growing up. We<br />
lived next to Cape Canaveral when I was little, so I got to see spaceship<br />
launches. Just before I started elementary school, he was transferred<br />
to Orange County, where I grew up. My mom was a stay-at-home mom,<br />
and I have two older sisters. I started skateboarding when I was about 9<br />
or 10 years old. I found out I was pretty good at it and decided to enter<br />
some competitions. I was 14 when I got my first sponsor, Santa Cruz<br />
Skateboards.<br />
What did your parents have to say about that?<br />
At the time, they really didn’t understand what it was all about. I<br />
remember once in high school they sat me down to ask if I was doing<br />
drugs. I was the lead singer in a punk band and had this huge Mohawk<br />
and was really into animal rights and being a vegetarian; I even started a<br />
magazine called “Why?” which was all about why we shouldn’t be eating<br />
animals. They said, “There are all these random people coming to the<br />
house all the time, and you always have cash.” I took them through my<br />
bedroom and showed them all my drawers and my closet, which were<br />
full of tons of free stuff from my sponsors, companies like Santa Cruz,<br />
VANS, Airwalk Shoes, Converse, and Independent. I would sell everything<br />
that I didn’t use. That’s where the cash was coming from. They were pretty<br />
blown away.<br />
16 | slo life magazine<br />
huh?<br />
By the third or fourth grade, kids were buying my artwork… they’d say,<br />
“Can you draw me a zombie? I’ll give you a quarter, or you can have my<br />
chocolate milk at lunch,” or they’d trade me for something. I never went<br />
to school for art, but I ended up doing a lot of skateboard graphics and<br />
concert posters for people. Half the time I’d get ripped off and never get<br />
paid, but I didn’t care because I loved doing the work.<br />
How did you get into art in the first place?<br />
My grandmother was an artist back in Arkansas. She painted fine china.<br />
So when I would go back there to visit, she would teach me all of these<br />
really cool techniques using oil paints. I’ll never forget when she taught<br />
me how to paint a dragon. She put this blue paint down then used a Q-tip<br />
to roll out the scales of the dragon. I was blown away. Then she showed<br />
me how to make the teeth by using a toothpick to carve it out. I can still<br />
recall the smells of oil paint and those old arts and crafts shops she would<br />
take me to.<br />
it sounds like you had fun at grandma’s house.<br />
On those same visits, I would go to this little comic book shop - the same<br />
one my dad went to as a kid. My dad would tell me, “Kevin, you can go<br />
in there, but you have to buy something. You can’t just go in to look at<br />
everything and leave.” He was very adamant about supporting the store.<br />
So, I would walk two miles from my grandmother’s house down to the<br />
little town center of El Dorado, Arkansas. I’d spend all day in this comic<br />
book shop just soaking it all in. The little old lady there was so nice. She’d<br />
let me sit in the middle of the floor with a huge stack of comic books, just<br />
flipping through them all day long.<br />
continued on page 18
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slo life magazine | 17
| Meet your neighbor<br />
Why didn’t you choose a career in art?<br />
Actually, my friend had an embroidery company down the street from<br />
where I grew up. He started asking me to draw things for his customers. For<br />
example, he’d get some job with the fire department and he’d say “Kevin,<br />
I need for you to draw a Dalmatian with a crooked fireman’s helmet that<br />
looks like an old-time Chicago-style gangster.” Then the next day it would<br />
be something else. He would call me and say, “I’m meeting with my client<br />
in ten minutes - I need you to come over and talk to this guy.” That led to a<br />
job with a t-shirt company, where I did a lot of silk-screening.<br />
Why didn’t you stick with it?<br />
Well, one day this lady came up to me and told me that she was putting<br />
on these skateboard shows and paid $100 per event. She had this<br />
traveling ramp and would go to motorcycle events and promotions at<br />
K-Mart parking lots, and sporting event halftime shows, all sorts of stuff.<br />
So, I said, “Ok, when’s the first event?” thinking it would be some deal<br />
a few months down the road and she said, “I’ve got shows Wednesday,<br />
Thursday, and Friday...”<br />
What did you do?<br />
So, I went in the next day and quit the art job. I remember there was this<br />
old hippy guy that worked there and never said anything to me, but<br />
he just laid into me when I quit. It was an important lesson that I didn’t<br />
fully grasp until later, but I learned about the impact that we each make,<br />
whether we like the job or not. We all hold value, but I didn’t realize it at<br />
the time. I was 18, and I just thought I was sketching out these stupid<br />
t-shirts. But, after I was gone for a while, I started thinking about it and<br />
started wondering, “Wow, who’s going to do that work now that I’m<br />
not there?” I really should’ve given them at least a two-week notice or<br />
figured out how to do some work from the road or something.<br />
Don’t be too hard on yourself, Kevin. i’m sure they got it worked out…<br />
So, when did Jennifer enter the picture?<br />
I was filming a commercial for Mello Yello soda in Hollywood. This guy,<br />
H.B. Barnum [a songwriter and record producer], who I had not heard<br />
of at the time, had emptied his pool so that we could skate in it for the<br />
commercial. It was a great place on Mulholland Drive with a view of<br />
downtown Los Angeles. Jennifer had just recently graduated from Cal<br />
Poly and was working as an assistant for her brother who is a professional<br />
photographer, and she was renting a room in the house next door.<br />
Anyway, my friend had parked his truck in front of her driveway, and Jen<br />
came over to ask him to move it so she could pull her car out.<br />
this sounds like a true hollywood love story!<br />
H.B. grabbed her by the hand and walked her over to make the<br />
introduction. Let me say, a girlfriend was the last thing in the world I<br />
wanted. I was working hard and really focusing on my career. But, as<br />
Jen likes to say when she tells this story, she walked next door to “find<br />
a skateboard on its side, an empty pool, and her husband’s eyes.” We<br />
just clicked right away. Later that day, after we finished filming the<br />
commercial, Jen’s landlord was feeling pretty flush because he had<br />
received some money for the use of his driveway, so he bought beer for<br />
everyone, and the two of us sat on the back of my truck and just talked<br />
about things all night like we had known each other forever.<br />
How does Jennifer feel about your skating these days?<br />
She loves it, and I think she wishes I would do more of it, but I‘m pretty<br />
busy these days. I can still compete in the Masters Events, which are 40<br />
and over. I’ll be 43 this year. They have this thing called the Old School<br />
Skate Jam where they invite all the old pros to get back together. I went<br />
to Tony Hawk’s facility in January to skate the Boom Boom Huck Jam<br />
Ramp. It was nice to skate with Tony again, and I was able to thank him<br />
for supporting the <strong>SLO</strong> skate park [The Tony Hawk Foundation recently<br />
provided a $25,000 grant to help with the development of the skate park<br />
in San Luis Obispo]. He said that they are really careful about who they<br />
donate to, but that “they were really impressed with <strong>SLO</strong>.”<br />
how do you keep in shape for skateboarding?<br />
I have a ramp in front of my house now where I mainly do BMX tricks with<br />
my son and some of the other neighborhood kids. It’s a lot easier to fly<br />
through the air on a bicycle instead of a skateboard, especially now that I’m<br />
older. Right now, I’m trying to learn how to do bar spins; that’s where you<br />
spin the handle bars completely around while the bike is airborne.<br />
Don’t you ever worry about falling?<br />
That’s one of the things I’ve always appreciated about skateboarding<br />
- the humility of it all. You’re always falling down. I mean, there is a lot<br />
of failure involved in the sport. I would say that 90% of skateboarding is<br />
making mistakes. You are constantly falling. And when you fall, it hurts.<br />
You are hitting concrete. The other day I was riding my skateboard with<br />
some neighborhood kids, and I tried a new trick and fell. They were<br />
really concerned and came running over to me and said, “Oh my gosh,<br />
Mr. Rucks, are you okay?” And, I said “Yeah, I’m fine. Why?” And, they<br />
said, “We’ve never seen an old man fall like that before.” So I got up and<br />
brushed myself off and said, “I fall all the time. That’s how you improve.”<br />
“Kevin Rucks - A strict vegetarian with a burning passion for the<br />
toughest, most enjoyable sport in the world, Kevin plans to skate,<br />
draw and make the earth a better place to live.”<br />
thrasher Magazine, november, 1990<br />
Seeing all of these kids running around the neighborhood must bring<br />
back memories.<br />
It really does. I remember my dad coming home from work – I do the<br />
same thing now. He would love it when he would come home and see all<br />
these kids in the front yard, but then he would get a little annoyed with<br />
all the soda cans all over the front lawn and the candy wrappers all over<br />
the place. And you’ve got all these random kids in the house. There’s<br />
never a dull moment when you have a ramp in your front yard.<br />
What does the future hold?<br />
These are tough times for everybody, but I’m hoping that with this<br />
18 | slo life magazine
economy and with the way that things are going right now, there’s a lot<br />
of potential. I think there’s a big light at the end of the tunnel, a new idea<br />
or a new way of doing things that will just be better for everyone. The<br />
world is a much smaller place now. I mean, I look at the things my kids<br />
know. They’re so much smarter than I ever was. We used to have to go to<br />
the library or ask our parents. Now they just “Google it.” When I would<br />
ask my dad some crazy question growing up, a lot of times I would stump<br />
him, but now when my kids ask me something, I say, “Well, let’s go look.”<br />
Kevin, you have such an interesting story - thanks so much for sharing it.<br />
Not a problem. It was great talking with you. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
Know someone we should meet? go to slolifemagazine.com to introduce us.<br />
slo life magazine | 19
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This really is one of those “right in our own<br />
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It’s no secret that the Central Coast is a hot<br />
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reason there’s no place like home.<br />
230,000 Monarchs hanging in the grove through<br />
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While Monarchs typically only live a few weeks,<br />
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From the end of October, until late February<br />
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So, consider making a stop in the coming weeks<br />
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docents like Jackson, who see the grove daily, year<br />
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20 | slo life magazine
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slo life magazine | 21
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“On the Road slo to life Avila magazine Beach” | 23
To Your HealTH<br />
Stuck at your desk?<br />
Sit down - we’ve got some bad news for you.<br />
Actually, you should probably stand up.<br />
Some researchers in Sweden caused quite a stir<br />
earlier this year when their paper was published<br />
in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. In<br />
essence, they said that, even if you exercise 30 to<br />
60 minutes per day but spend much of the rest<br />
of the day sitting, you may be at increased risk of<br />
metabolic syndrome (diseases like diabetes) and<br />
death.<br />
While their conclusions are drawn from a small<br />
but consistent pool of data, there appears to be<br />
significant support for their findings here in the<br />
States. James Levine, MD, an obesity specialist at<br />
the Mayo Clinic said to Science Magazine back in<br />
2005, “What fascinates me is that humans evolved<br />
over 1.5 million years entirely on the ability to<br />
walk and move. And literally 150 years ago, 90%<br />
of human endeavor was still agricultural. In a tiny<br />
speck of time we’ve become chair-sentenced.”<br />
Dr. Levine has since become somewhat of a guru<br />
for the “treadmill desk” and made the first live<br />
demonstration on “Good Morning America” in<br />
2007 [we link to the video on our website, which is<br />
worth the five minutes it takes to watch it].<br />
And we didn’t have to travel far from San Luis<br />
Obispo to find someone that agreed with him.<br />
“Short of sitting on a spike, you can’t do much<br />
worse than a standard office chair,” says Galen<br />
Cranz, a professor at the University of California<br />
at Berkeley. She goes on to give a useful visual<br />
comparing the spine to an “S” shape when standing<br />
and a “C” shape when sitting, and explains how the<br />
“S” is much stronger than the “C” and so on. She<br />
asserts that “the spine was not meant to stay for<br />
recommended reading:<br />
-The New York Times, February 23, <strong>2010</strong><br />
long periods in a seated position.”<br />
On the surface, these arguments seem to make a<br />
lot of sense, but you have to dig deeper to really<br />
understand how it all works. For that we picked up<br />
on the research of Marc Hamilton, a microbiologist<br />
at the University of Missouri, who concurs with the<br />
Swedes when he says “sitting too much is not the<br />
same as exercising too little. They do completely<br />
different things to the body.” Hamilton, like many<br />
of the researchers we found who study the effects<br />
of sitting, does not own an office chair. He claims<br />
that “when you sit, the muscles are relaxed and<br />
enzyme activity, which breaks down fats, drops<br />
by 90% to 95%, leaving fat to camp out in the<br />
bloodstream. Within a couple hours of sitting,<br />
healthy cholesterol plummets by 20%.”<br />
Although the ideal situation would be to just not<br />
sit as much, for many of us - particularly during<br />
the work day at the office - that may not be a<br />
realistic possibility. A decent alternative appears<br />
to be what researchers call “perching” which<br />
means half-standing, half-sitting on a barstool at a<br />
height that keeps the weight on the legs and leaves<br />
the S-shaped curve intact. In a traditional office<br />
environment where you are sitting at a computer,<br />
this means that you would have to elevate your<br />
desk.<br />
While we find this subject matter quite compelling,<br />
frankly we are getting a little “freaked out” by<br />
the length of time we are sitting at our desks<br />
researching it. There is a lot of great information<br />
that we link to on our website, but, for now, we’re<br />
going for a walk! <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
“<br />
It doesn’t matter if you go running<br />
every morning, or you’re a regular at<br />
the gym. If you spend most of the rest<br />
of the day sitting — in your car, your<br />
office chair, on your sofa at home — you<br />
are putting yourself at increased risk<br />
of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, a<br />
variety of cancers and an early death.<br />
In other words, irrespective of whether<br />
you exercise vigorously, sitting for long<br />
periods is bad for you.<br />
”<br />
Have a health question? Go to slolifemagazine.com and share your curiosity with us.<br />
24 | slo life magazine
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slo life magazine | 25
FULL SPEED AHEAD<br />
an unidentified customer<br />
takes a test drive<br />
26 | slo life magazine
<strong>SLO</strong><br />
Moped<br />
Gets<br />
a<br />
Makeover<br />
Even in the best of times, running a small business is a risky proposition.<br />
Success often follows failure, and many seasoned entrepreneurs – at<br />
least the honest ones - will admit that sometimes it takes a lucky break.<br />
In short, starting and operating a small business is not for the faint of<br />
heart. There are no guarantees. No safety net. Guts, determination, and<br />
good old fashioned hard work win the day, except when they don’t.<br />
<strong>SLO</strong> Moped, based in San Luis Obispo, is a great example of one such<br />
small business. The tiny company is just one of the thousands here on<br />
the Central Coast that drive our local economy and bring vitality to our<br />
community. <strong>SLO</strong> Moped’s story, similar to so many other small companies<br />
like them, is tenuous and uncertain.<br />
Launched 18 months ago by husband-and-wife team, Jim and Megan<br />
Mackintosh, the road so far has been a bumpy one. The couple - neither<br />
of whom had any small business experience – with a burning desire to<br />
create a better life for themselves and their young daughters, jumped<br />
in with both feet. Following their shared passion for all things moped,<br />
they boldly cashed in their retirement savings for a shot at the American<br />
Dream. The problem is that the money is running out.<br />
Captivated by their story, we here at <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong> Magazine decided to reach<br />
out to the experts. Like a modern day barn raising, we recruited key<br />
members of the local small business community to pitch in and help <strong>SLO</strong><br />
Moped turn the metaphorical corner.<br />
NUTS AND BOLTS<br />
Rain was threatening when the team from Collaboration rolled into<br />
<strong>SLO</strong> Moped’s parking lot on a Thursday afternoon. Michael Gunther,<br />
the company president, greeted the Mackintoshes warmly and, after a<br />
few minutes of small talk, began peppering the couple with questions<br />
about the business. A tour of the shop was followed by a long, honest<br />
conversation about <strong>SLO</strong> Moped, its challenges and its opportunities.<br />
“There are a couple of things I see here,” began Gunther. “And, please<br />
keep in mind, we usually spend weeks with a client before we get<br />
to this point, but there are some things you are going to have to do<br />
immediately.”<br />
The short list began with developing “a true break-even budget,” which<br />
according to Gunther meant that the Mackintoshes had to find out how<br />
much revenue they needed to generate in a given month to pay all of<br />
their bills, including paying themselves a salary. Gunther explained that<br />
achieving sales beyond this number would be the point at which the<br />
business would become profitable. “You have to understand that finances<br />
are the foundation of business,” counseled Gunther, “and by identifying a<br />
goal, you can start to take steps to achieve it.”<br />
“Second and equally important,” instructed Gunther, “we have to get<br />
you set up with some sort of formal accounting system.” He went on to<br />
explain that it did not have to be complicated and recommended a basic<br />
version offered by Quickbooks. In its first year-and-half of business, <strong>SLO</strong><br />
Moped had been simply keeping receipts from all expenses in a box,<br />
which they tallied up at the end of the month and discounted it from<br />
their sales figure to find out if they had turned a profit or lost money.<br />
Gunther reasoned that their accounting system will actually help them<br />
make better decisions because they will have facts to work with, and<br />
will no longer have to make “gut decisions” when it came to operating<br />
the business. “Just like knowing your break-even point, having a solid<br />
accounting system will help you understand what you need to do next, it<br />
will no longer be a mystery and you will start to get the answers you need<br />
so that you don’t have to wing it,” he said.<br />
MARKETING 101<br />
The Mackintoshes had a lot on their minds when they sat down in the<br />
conference room at San Luis Obispo-based Verdin Marketing Ink. Its<br />
founder, Mary Verdin, leads the company, which specializes in marketing<br />
and public relations for local businesses. The meeting got underway with<br />
slo life magazine | 27
| SMALL BUSinESS MAkEOvEr<br />
the Mackintoshes providing an overview of <strong>SLO</strong> Moped, including its<br />
perceived strengths and weaknesses, and drilled down to specifics with<br />
their marketing.<br />
“I have a couple of observations,” offered Verdin. “I can see that there<br />
is no marketing plan in place currently, and things seem to be done by<br />
the ‘seat of the pants’ to this point.” She explained the importance of<br />
establishing a program that targets their likely customer. “You have to<br />
get clear on who your customer is so that you can communicate your<br />
message with this type of person.” Verdin went on to suggest methods<br />
for gaining this understanding. “Also, your brand messaging is a bit<br />
disjointed. This has to be applied consistently at all times, but, again, the<br />
brand should be dictated by your target market.”<br />
Verdin cautioned the Mackintoshes that there was a lot of work to<br />
be done at this point and that the temptation of many small business<br />
owners is to jump to the tactics of marketing and skip the grunt work,<br />
like doing market research. She offered a metaphor: “Think of it as if<br />
you are going to paint your house, it’s all the prep work that makes for a<br />
great result, right?” The Mackintoshes nodded in agreement, suddenly<br />
realizing the magnitude of the work ahead of them.<br />
WEB STRATEGY<br />
“The website looks really outdated, it doesn’t look professional, and<br />
it makes you look like you’re not a legitimate company,” plainly stated<br />
Forrest Hatfield, founder and director of web systems, at ITech Solutions,<br />
an internet development company in San Luis Obispo. “Your website<br />
doesn’t necessarily have a direct correlation of how legitimate your<br />
company is, but in the eyes of the user it does. You want to make sure<br />
they have a professional experience. For example, when you advertise<br />
somewhere, they [the prospective customers] are probably going to<br />
check out your web page to get more information before they come into<br />
your shop. You want to make sure your site is representing you well and<br />
that you are using it to gain credibility.”<br />
The Mackintoshes readily agreed with Hatfield’s assessment, but<br />
appeared to consider the implications for the first time. Despite their<br />
sudden anxiousness to change the website, Hatfield cautioned the couple<br />
to have a well-conceived web strategy before moving forward. He went<br />
on to ask probing questions, such as: “Will you be selling parts through<br />
the website to people out of the area? If so, you will probably want to<br />
create a separate brand name because a lot of those customers may not<br />
“<br />
Think of it as if you<br />
are going to paint<br />
your house, it’s all<br />
the prep work<br />
that makes for a<br />
”<br />
great result, right?<br />
- Mary Verdin<br />
above WEB STrATEGY (left to right)<br />
Mike Wiemholt, Forrest Hatfield and<br />
Megan Mackintosh review plans for the<br />
new website.<br />
right nUTS AnD BOLTS (left to right)<br />
Megan and Jim Mackintosh, and<br />
Michael Gunther talk business.<br />
opposite page MArkETinG 101<br />
(left to right) Megan Mackintosh,<br />
Mary Verdin, Maryn Anderson, and Jim<br />
Mackintosh review brand development.<br />
28 | slo life magazine
understand that ‘<strong>SLO</strong>’ stands for San Luis Obispo and not ‘slow.’ Selling<br />
parts for slow mopeds probably won’t be a good idea.”Hatfield and his<br />
team then showed the Mackintoshes how they could begin to analyze<br />
data coming from their website, including a breakdown of visitors, where<br />
they are physically located (by city), how they get to the site (i.e., search<br />
engines or by typing in their web address directly), how much time<br />
they spend on the site, and a variety of other metrics. Additionally, they<br />
made suggestions for a website overhaul and stressed the importance of<br />
continually updating the information presented so that it always appears<br />
fresh and new, as most of the information on the <strong>SLO</strong> Moped website<br />
was a year or more old.<br />
continued on page 30<br />
EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW<br />
ABOUT YOUR OFFICE COPIER<br />
MAKING YOUR BUSINESS<br />
Efficient Effective Empowered<br />
www.ultrex.net<br />
712 Feiro Lane, Suite 33<br />
<strong>SLO</strong>, CA 93401<br />
Tel: 805.783.1234<br />
Fax: 805.783.2987<br />
slo life magazine | 29
| SMALL BUSinESS MAkEOvEr<br />
THE BACK-STORY<br />
Hearing that the Mackintoshes weren’t thrilled with their company’s<br />
logo, we contacted them to see if they would like to be the subject of<br />
a “logo makeover” where we would invite local graphic designers to<br />
participate in the project which we would then publish. They loved<br />
the idea and jumped on it.<br />
Somewhere during the process Megan was summoned to Hawaii<br />
where her mother was in the hospital with a serious illness. Megan<br />
diligently spent every day of that week next to her mother’s side.<br />
CONCLUSION<br />
HiDDEn vALUE Megan and Jim Mackintosh<br />
What begins as a story about saving <strong>SLO</strong> Moped ends as an object lesson<br />
demonstrating the strength of our local small business community - the<br />
kindness and generosity demonstrated by Collaboration, Verdin Marketing<br />
Ink, and ITech Solutions is truly moving. The companies gave freely of their<br />
time and resources [see “Meet the Panel” on page 32 for details] with no<br />
expectation of anything in return [except a potentially interesting article,<br />
which we hope proves true!]. The truth is, the only ones who can makeover<br />
<strong>SLO</strong> Moped are Jim and Megan Mackintosh. Now it’s up to them.<br />
<strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
Megan’s mother did pull through and the Mackintoshes brought her<br />
home to live with them and their daughters. Although they saw a<br />
spectacular turnaround with her health, the business continued its<br />
slide downward and Megan’s weeklong leave and the additional,<br />
unexpected expense of relocating her mother was nearly too much<br />
for the little company to withstand.<br />
It was clear at that point that <strong>SLO</strong> Moped’s challenges were much<br />
larger than a substandard logo. And, it is within that context that we<br />
called Megan to ask her if she would like to participate in a “small<br />
business makeover” instead. Before she answered, we warned her<br />
that the experience was not without risk, and may be painful, and<br />
that she would have to expose all of their problems for the whole<br />
world to see. We candidly explained that she may be unhappy with<br />
how she was portrayed by us. To that she answered, “Bring it on.”<br />
30 | slo life magazine
slo life magazine | 31
Looking for a place to<br />
meet with your client?<br />
Remember,<br />
San Luis Business Center<br />
| Small BuSineSS makeover<br />
meet the Panel<br />
Combining to donate a package of goods and services with an estimated<br />
value of $20,000, these local companies are giving <strong>SLO</strong> Moped every<br />
chance for success.<br />
The highly regarded web development<br />
company, ITech Solutions wasted no<br />
time in building <strong>SLO</strong> Moped a brand new<br />
website, complete with its own content<br />
management system (CMS) so that the<br />
Mackintoshes can manage it themselves.<br />
Additionally, the company has offered to<br />
host the website and provide consulting<br />
to get it off to a smooth start. Forrest<br />
Hatfield and his development team, in<br />
fact, were so diligent and so efficient that<br />
they often found themselves waiting for<br />
content from the Mackintoshes. The new<br />
website – a dramatic improvement - can<br />
now be seen at www.slomopedonline.<br />
com and we post a before and after version<br />
on our site at www.slolifemagazine.com.<br />
As a small business consultant who holds<br />
a masters degree in psychology, Michael is<br />
uniquely qualified to coach small business<br />
owners. He understands the ups and downs of<br />
the entrepreneur on so many different levels,<br />
perhaps better than anyone locally. His company,<br />
Collaboration, has offered <strong>SLO</strong> Moped a series<br />
of one-on-one coaching and training. The<br />
Mackintoshes have taken the first step already<br />
with Eric Hubbs, business development manager<br />
at Collaboration, who has outlined a way<br />
forward with the Project Plan. This document,<br />
according to Hubbs, will serve as the framework<br />
for improving <strong>SLO</strong> Moped’s operation. It details a<br />
list of action items, which are designed to create<br />
accountability for improvement.<br />
Mary Verdin was involved in the <strong>SLO</strong> Moped project from the very<br />
beginning, initially as an unofficial advisor offering guidance on the<br />
logo redesign concept. As someone who has deftly managed a worklife<br />
balance for both herself and her employees, Mary is ideally suited<br />
to work with the Mackintoshes. Her company, Verdin Marketing Ink,<br />
has agreed to provide <strong>SLO</strong> Moped with help in developing a marketing<br />
plan, an ad template design, and a public relations package. Work is<br />
already underway and Mary has prepared and presented a Marketing<br />
Plan Worksheet, which is a six-page proposal outlining her findings<br />
along with recommendations for going forward.<br />
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32 | slo life magazine
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slo life magazine | 33
| The Way We Live<br />
The avery home<br />
34 | slo life magazine
“We have a car, but don’t drive it much,” began our conversation<br />
with Donald and Eldra Avery, owners of a thoughtfully remodeled<br />
1939-vintage home on Fixlini Street. When the couple decided to<br />
move from Los Osos to San Luis Obispo in 1998, their first priority<br />
was proximity to work. “My commute from our kitchen counter to my<br />
classroom chalkboard is exactly one half of a mile, which I walk back<br />
and forth each day,” explains Eldra, an English teacher at <strong>SLO</strong> High<br />
School. Donald, an architect, works from an office constructed within<br />
the home.<br />
The couple “camped out” in the home for seven years before doing<br />
any significant remodeling, but the list of problems grew longer and<br />
more difficult to ignore over time. “We started with one room and<br />
our contractor, Mark Alfirevic, would ask, ‘Should we go ahead and<br />
remove the plaster from this other room, too?’ and the project just kept<br />
growing over time, so much so that we had to move into a motor home<br />
at one point. We traveled around to different RV parks in Morro Bay for<br />
a year,” says Donald.<br />
The remodel became so consuming, in fact, that only three things<br />
remain from the original structure: the hardwood floors; the coved<br />
ceiling in the living room; and an interior window upstairs. Despite the<br />
massive overhaul, the couple wanted to maintain the character of the<br />
home they had grown to love. According to Donald, “We wanted it to<br />
be the house that it was, but put back together in the way it should<br />
be, to make it what it should have been.” With a few small exceptions<br />
- most notably the much-used breakfast nook - the footprint of the<br />
building, the floor plan, and the window and door openings remain the<br />
same.<br />
Attention to detail throughout the remodel is obvious, but really stands<br />
out in the ornate stonework completed by local artisan, Jim Shimmer.<br />
Nowhere is this more apparent than with the back patio where the<br />
couple is fond of hosting parties that invariably gather around the<br />
brick oven there. The two other areas where considerable expense<br />
was encountered were in converting the space above the garage into a<br />
separate, legal apartment, which, according to the couple, cost a “small<br />
fortune” in city permits and fees. Additionally, the initial cost to install<br />
solar panels and a solar thermal water heating system was significant,<br />
but “well worth it now” as the couple pays an average of just $45 per<br />
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Our afternoon visit with the Averys concluded with a stop in Eldra’s<br />
“Mary Poppins” hobby room upstairs, a small space where the ceiling<br />
matches the pitch of the roof. Two built-in twin beds are situated<br />
across the room from one another - complete with matching clocks and<br />
reading lamps - for visiting grandchildren. Asked if the remodel was<br />
worth the years of effort and the thousands of dollars of expense, Eldra,<br />
who was busy clearing the latest sewing project off the table to make<br />
room for us, left little doubt where she stood on the subject: “I think<br />
it’s important to invest in something that nurtures your creativity, your<br />
soul, your spirit.”<br />
<strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
above BeFORe & aFTeR clearly the change is dramatic, but the<br />
character of the original structure has been preserved. The garage,<br />
which includes an upstairs apartment, is detached and sits at the back<br />
of the property.<br />
bottom left NaTURe’S BOUNTy many of the vegetables and herbs in the<br />
garden end up in dishes cooked with the outdoor brick oven. The couple<br />
is currently building a chicken coop with their next door neighbor.<br />
bottom right PaRTy TiMe most gatherings end up right here on the<br />
patio. Small overhead lights add to the ambiance, as does the fragrance<br />
of the wide assortment of vines and potted plants lining the ornate<br />
stonework.<br />
continued on page 36<br />
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slo life magazine | 35
| The Way We Live<br />
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DRaMaTiC COLOR<br />
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36 | slo life magazine
TiMeLeSS<br />
filled with books, photos, and paintings, the<br />
living room maintains its original coved ceiling.<br />
With the exception of the flat screen TV, it would<br />
be difficult to tell that it was not still 1939.<br />
DiNNeR TiMe<br />
Donald spent weeks trying to convince his wife they should install a<br />
second sink and additional stovetop in the island, she initially felt it was<br />
excessive but finally relented, now it’s her favorite spot in the kitchen.<br />
slo life magazine | 37
| real estate<br />
leverage<br />
A powerful tool if you know how to use it.<br />
Despite the recent correction in the housing market, it’s no secret that real estate remains the greatest source of wealth creation nationwide. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
Magazine set out to ask local real estate professionals: “Why is that?”<br />
And, while the answers were varied, every single person we talked to touched on the power of leverage.<br />
Leverage, as it pertains to real estate, means “borrowing money” and derives from the word “lever,” which, of course, can be used to create a<br />
tremendous amount of force. Here is how it works:<br />
Let’s say you buy a $400,000 home with a 20% down payment ($80,000) and the bank loans you the remaining 80% ($320,000). The word “leverage”<br />
is appropriate because, like the strength you gain by using a lever, you have gained more purchasing power by borrowing money. You essentially buy a<br />
$400,000 asset for just $80,000. Of course, now you have to repay the bank, but here is where the power of leverage kicks in.<br />
Let’s assume that real estate continues on the same trajectory it has been on for the past 100 years and it gains in value of 2% over the rate of inflation<br />
(this is the average of all the bubbles and recessions during that time frame). So, just by living in your home and not including any improvements you<br />
may make, your investment creates $8,000 ($400,000 x 2%) of wealth in the first year alone. When measured against the original down payment, that is<br />
a 10% return on your cash investment ($8,000 / $80,000 = 10%) which is pretty hard to find these days.<br />
Now, imagine that you live in this home for 20 years, through the magic of interest compounding at an annual rate of 2% that same $8,000 will turn into<br />
$194,379. After 30 years, the gain would be $324,545 plus, by then, you would have probably paid off the original principle balance.<br />
All of this is made possible by leverage, which is the borrowing of money to make the purchase possible. Of course, we all got carried away with the use<br />
of excessive leverage during the bubble, but now may be a great time to revisit the concept. You can continue to track what the market here in San Luis<br />
Obispo is doing by watching the numbers below, but your best bet is to find a house that you will be happy to live in, make a significant down payment<br />
(20%), be happy, live the “<strong>SLO</strong> Life,” and let power of leverage and compounding interest do their thing. <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
the numbers at a glance<br />
Comparing the last four months to the same period last year (07/01/09 - 10/31/09 vs. 07/01/10 - 10/31/10)<br />
Home Price<br />
$100,000 - $500,000<br />
2009 <strong>2010</strong> +/-<br />
Home Price<br />
$500,001 - $1,000,000<br />
2009 <strong>2010</strong> +/-<br />
Home Price<br />
$1,000,001 - $2,500,000<br />
2009 <strong>2010</strong> +/-<br />
1. Total Homes Sold<br />
30 31 3.33%<br />
51 45 - 11.76%<br />
2 4 100%<br />
2. Average Asking Price<br />
$447,565 $430,861 - 3.73%<br />
$684,163 $687,993 0.56%<br />
$2,322,500 $1,876,750 - 19.19%<br />
3. Average Selling Price<br />
$431,982 $416,984 - 3.47%<br />
$658,063 $659,909 0.82%<br />
$2,087,500 $1,643,750 - 21.26%<br />
4. Sales Price as a % of Asking Price<br />
96.52% 96.78% 0.26%<br />
96.19% 95.92% 0.27%<br />
89.88% 87.58% - 2.30%<br />
5. Average # of Days on the Market<br />
73 69 - 5.48%<br />
83 111 33.73%<br />
393 247 - 37.15%<br />
SOURCE: San Luis Obispo Association of Realtors<br />
38 | slo life magazine
Our approach to real estate is about<br />
much more than property… it’s about people.<br />
The Payne Team<br />
Iconic 1930’s Mission Style Home. Featuring 3 bedrooms and 2 baths,<br />
this home is the epitome of historic San Luis Obispo. Featuring<br />
hardwood floors throughout, remodeled bathroom and a fireplace<br />
in the living room. Located on a large parcel, close to downtown,<br />
shopping, schools and all the core of what San Luis Obispo has to offer.<br />
Visit www.1253Peach.com. Reduced to $659,000 by Gavin Payne.<br />
64 Acre Estate. Just a few minutes from Downtown <strong>SLO</strong>! Beautifully<br />
remodeled in 2009, this home offers a wonderful warmth inside with<br />
modern appliances and wood flooring throughout. Expansive outdoor<br />
decking wraps around the home to take in the vistas over the 4.5 acre<br />
vineyard and spring fed creek. New barn built in 2008 has 2 bathrooms,<br />
compressed air, dust collection system, floor drains, horse facilities and<br />
much more; ideal for winery or shop use. Extensive well system for irrigation.<br />
www.7480TassajaraCreek.com. Offered at $969,000 by Gavin Payne.<br />
<strong>SLO</strong> Garden Home. Let the fabulous garden spaces on this property<br />
sweep you away. Three bedrooms, two full baths, swimming pool,<br />
wood and tile flooring and a spectacular atrium that brings in an<br />
abundance of natural light. A very unique home not usually found in<br />
<strong>SLO</strong>. View this listing at www.1700jalisco.com. Offered at $699,000<br />
by Gavin Payne.<br />
Fantastic Home on Cul-de-Sac. This remodeled 3,200 sq. ft. residence<br />
has 4 bedrooms, each with their own bath, making this a wonderful family<br />
home. The private walkway to the front door has a calming water feature<br />
and gardens. Cherry hardwood floors and a grand fireplace in the living<br />
room, a separate formal dining room and wonderful family room. Offered<br />
at $719,000 by Gavin Payne. www.1736LeeAnnCt.com<br />
SOLD<br />
PENDING<br />
Stunning Views from Mediterranean Estate. Built in 2007, this<br />
4 bedroom, 4 bath plus office, craft room and separate media room<br />
totals 4300+ sq. ft. Fabulous modern kitchen featuring granite counters,<br />
butlers pantry and entertaining bar. Open floor plan featuring Travertine<br />
floors, Cherry hardwood and multiple fireplaces. Offered at $1,699,000<br />
by Gavin Payne.<br />
Avila Beach. Spacious 2700 sq. ft. luxury penthouse with three<br />
comfortable suites complete with private bathrooms. Private<br />
entrance directly off Front Street, meticulously furnished, amazing<br />
white water ocean and beach views. Large patio is complete with<br />
built-in BBQ and refrigerator, patio furniture and ceiling mounted gas<br />
heaters. Includes private off-street parking and 2 car garage. Offered<br />
at $2,969,000 by Gavin Payne.<br />
Gavin Payne<br />
805-550-3918<br />
Cheryl Priolo<br />
805-459-0200<br />
Adam Quaglino<br />
805-748-3995<br />
962 Mill Street<br />
San Luis Obispo, California 93401<br />
www.Homesof<strong>SLO</strong>.com<br />
slo life magazine | 39
40 | slo life magazine
| REaL ESTaTE<br />
ask The Experts<br />
Where do you see <strong>SLO</strong> real estate heading over the next year?<br />
Charlotte Storlie<br />
The Mortgage House<br />
Oh, that crystal ball that we all wish we had!<br />
Based on what I am seeing in our mortgage<br />
applications and closings, which have been at<br />
record levels the last few months, I feel that<br />
local real estate values will continue to stabilize<br />
and increase moderately in the next year. I<br />
expect the incredibly low interest rates to<br />
continue, possibly through next year. Much of<br />
our inventory in the area has been diminished<br />
by short sales (sales where lenders have agreed<br />
to let the borrowers sell and settle for less than<br />
owed) and foreclosures. The median price has<br />
increased slightly, yet affordability countywide<br />
is at an extremely good level. Values have come<br />
down to where many people can now afford to<br />
buy, especially with the allowable maximum<br />
loan limits for conventional and FHA, and the<br />
low down payments still available through<br />
FHA. This has the effect of increasing demand,<br />
which, in turn, reduces supply and pushes<br />
values upward.<br />
Inspired Habitats<br />
San Luis Obispo<br />
Specializing in<br />
Home Staging<br />
Personal Organization<br />
& Feng Shui<br />
Karen Strombotne<br />
805.439.0270<br />
inspiredhabitats.net<br />
I am often optimistic regarding the state of San Luis<br />
Obispo’s real estate market and today more so than<br />
ever. Perhaps not in the way most would expect,<br />
however. My prediction for the next 12 months is<br />
“more of the same!” Sellers will have to continue<br />
to adjust their perception of value downward a<br />
little further and buyers can expect to purchase<br />
more home for their money, but may continue to<br />
struggle with finding the perfect home with our<br />
small amount of available inventory. Opportunity<br />
exists for those looking to sell what was perhaps<br />
a starter home and upgrade to a larger home<br />
and for those going in the opposite direction<br />
and downsizing their home needs. Basically, you<br />
should look to sell lower, buy lower and do so with<br />
historically low interest rates. We have experienced<br />
an increase in first time homebuyers stepping into<br />
our market too, something I expect to continue<br />
over the next 12 months. Initially spurred on by<br />
Federal and State tax credits these buyers continue<br />
to pursue home ownership through the increasing<br />
availability of low down payment loan programs.<br />
Most people watching or in the market today may<br />
think about optimism in our market in terms of the<br />
return of increasing values. I think we have every<br />
reason to be optimistic about a little stability and a<br />
little more of the same. This is ultimately the path<br />
to the return of increasing values and a healthy real<br />
estate market for our city.<br />
Gavin Payne<br />
The Real Estate Group of San Luis Obispo<br />
<strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
Have a real estate question? Go to slolifemagazine.com to get an answer.<br />
slo life magazine | 41
Shopping for the person<br />
who has EVERYTHING?<br />
Well they AIN’T<br />
GOT SH*T<br />
‘til they’ve got Sh*ts<br />
n’ Grins Products in<br />
the kitchen!<br />
Spice Rubs, Salsas, BBQ Sauce,<br />
Dipping Sauce & T-Shirts<br />
“The Best Damn Sh*t<br />
We’ve Ever Had!”<br />
| LocaL food By LocaL PeoPLe<br />
Healthy comfort food<br />
Warm your winter with a hearty, healthy meal. By NANCy FOx<br />
I moved to <strong>SLO</strong> twelve years ago with my husband and two sons. As a native to Los Angeles, I started<br />
a gift-basket company when I graduated from college called Mrs. Beasley’s. It really took off with the<br />
Hollywood crowd who loved the tasty mini-muffins. I will admit that it was quite fun to get calls from<br />
celebrities who would confess they were hooked on these indulgent little treats. The company grew<br />
and grew, and we ended up shipping our gift baskets all over the country.<br />
After I sold Mrs. Beasley’s, I became very interested in healthy cooking and baking for my family. My<br />
husband’s family has a terrible history of heart disease. His father was one of four brothers who all died<br />
before the age of forty! I really like him and want him to stick around, so it motivated me to get into<br />
the kitchen. I spent four years developing a wonderful collection of reduced calorie and fat food and<br />
desserts that even my young sons enjoyed. Out of this, a restaurant called Nancy’s Healthy<br />
(805) 550-6264<br />
www.shitsandgrinsbbq.com<br />
Jason@shitsandgrinsbbq.com<br />
42 | slo life magazine<br />
Barbecue Turkey Meatloaf<br />
Serves 4; Prep Time 10 mins; Bake Time 1 hour<br />
In 2007, meatloaf was voted the 7th favorite meal<br />
in America. I’ve made a few flavorful and healthy<br />
twists. Using barbecue sauce instead of ketchup is<br />
a small change that makes a big difference. By free<br />
forming your meat instead of using a loaf pan, you<br />
won’t trap the fat into the meal. And substituting<br />
lean ground turkey for ground beef will save you<br />
over 250 calories and 38 grams of fat per serving.<br />
Ingredients<br />
1 package ground turkey (1-1 ¼ pounds)<br />
½ cup plain bread crumbs<br />
1 cup chopped onions<br />
½ cup + ½ cup barbecue sauce<br />
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce<br />
2 egg whites<br />
½ teaspoon salt<br />
fresh ground pepper to taste<br />
Instructions<br />
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.<br />
2. Line a baking pan or cookie sheet with foil.<br />
3. In a large bowl, combine the turkey, bread<br />
crumbs, onions, ½ cup barbecue sauce,<br />
Worcestershire sauce, egg whites, salt and<br />
pepper and mix well.<br />
4. Place meatloaf mixture in the center of the<br />
baking pan and shape into a 12 x 4 inch loaf.<br />
5. Spread the remaining ½ cup barbecue sauce<br />
evenly over the top of the loaf.<br />
6. Bake 1 hour. Let stand 5 mins before slicing.<br />
Skinny Mash Potatoes<br />
Serves 4; Prep Time 10 mins; Cook Time 25 mins<br />
With gobs of butter and cream, it’s no wonder<br />
mashed potatoes are such a popular comfort<br />
food. By using reduced-fat milk to replace the<br />
cream and a reduced-fat spread with half the<br />
calories and fat of butter, you save over 60 calories<br />
and 7 grams of fat per serving.<br />
Ingredients<br />
1 ½ lbs. red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into even<br />
sized large chunks<br />
2 tablespoons reduced-fat butter or spread<br />
¾ to 1 cup reduced-fat (2%) milk<br />
¼ cup fresh chives, chopped fine<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
Instructions<br />
1. In a large saucepan cover potatoes with<br />
cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover<br />
and simmer until fork tender (approx 15-20 mins).<br />
2. Drain potatoes.<br />
3. Add the reduced-fat butter, milk, chives, salt<br />
and pepper to the hot potatoes.<br />
4. Turn the flame to medium and mash potatoes<br />
until blended and all the ingredients are<br />
heated.<br />
Broccolini with Balsamic Vinaigrette<br />
Serves 6; Prep Time 8 mins; Cook Time 10 mins<br />
A hybrid vegetable between broccoli and Chinese<br />
kale, broccolini is a vitamin and fiber packed<br />
vegetable you’re sure to love.
Kitchen was born. The menu featured healthy versions of old-fashioned comfort foods that tasted every<br />
bit as good as the original dishes. It was such a thrill to learn that Oprah was a fan of our cookies, and<br />
she invited us to join her “Favorite Gifts” show where they were featured.<br />
The decision to sell the restaurant and move to <strong>SLO</strong> was the best one of our lives. My husband likes to<br />
say that when we left L.A, we “got out of dodge.” But, the truth is, we couldn’t imagine a better place<br />
to raise our boys. Now, after 25 years in the kitchen, I have developed some excellent recipes which you<br />
and your family can find on my website at www.skinnykitchen.com. One of my family’s favorites, which<br />
I would like to share with you, is my Barbecue Turkey Meatloaf dinner. It’s a hearty, but healthy dish,<br />
perfect for this time of year. Enjoy!<br />
Central Coast<br />
Farmers’ Harvest<br />
• Fresh Picked & Locally Grown<br />
Pesticide Free Produce<br />
• Direct Delivery to Your Home<br />
or Business<br />
• Weekly or Every Other Week<br />
Delivery Option<br />
Ingredients<br />
4 bunches (1½ pounds) broccolini<br />
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil<br />
1½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar<br />
1 teaspoon dijon mustard<br />
2 garlic cloves, minced<br />
½ teaspoon sugar<br />
½ fresh lemon<br />
½ teaspoon salt<br />
fresh ground pepper<br />
Instructions<br />
1. In a large pot bring 6 cups of water to a boil.<br />
2. Cut the bottom third of the broccolini stems, discard.<br />
3. In a small bowl, whisk together, the olive oil,<br />
vinegar, mustard, garlic, and sugar. Set aside.<br />
4. Bring water to a boil, drop in broccolini. Return<br />
to a boil, cover and cook over medium heat for<br />
about 2 minutes until tender. Drain well and place<br />
in a serving dish.<br />
5. Drizzle dressing over the broccolini. Toss to<br />
coat. Squeeze lemon juice over the broccolini and<br />
sprinkle with salt and pepper.<br />
cherry Pie Topped cheesecake<br />
Serves 12; Prep Time 15 mins; Bake Time 35 mins<br />
Beautiful chunks of ruby-colored cherries top this<br />
divine vanilla cheesecake. One slice has only 270<br />
calories and 9 grams of fat.<br />
crust<br />
1 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs<br />
2 tablespoons reduced-fat butter, melted<br />
filling<br />
2 (8oz) packages reduced-fat cream cheese<br />
2 egg whites<br />
1 large egg<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
½ cup reduced-fat sour cream<br />
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract<br />
1 teaspoon lemon juice<br />
Topping<br />
1 (21oz) can cherry pie filling<br />
Instructions<br />
1. To make the crust: Preheat oven to 350<br />
degrees. Coat a 9-inch spring form pan with<br />
cooking spray.<br />
2. Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter.<br />
Press into the bottom of the prepared pan.<br />
3. To make filling: Beat the cream cheese until<br />
fluffy and smooth. Slowly mix in the egg whites,<br />
egg, and sugar until smooth. Stir in the sour<br />
cream, vanilla extract, and lemon juice. Pour the<br />
mixture over the crust and spread evenly.<br />
4. Bake for 35- 40 minutes or until the center is<br />
set. Cool completely. Refrigerate for at least 6<br />
hours before serving.<br />
5. To add topping: After the cheesecake has been<br />
refrigerated, remove from spring form pan and<br />
place on a serving plate. Top with with cherry pie<br />
filling. Refrigerate until ready to serve.<br />
<strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
Have a recipe to share?<br />
Go to slolifemagazine.com to tell us about it.<br />
• No Contract Required<br />
Eat Healthy, Eat Local<br />
Serving<br />
• San Luis Obispo • Avila •<br />
• Los Osos • Five Cities •<br />
• Nipomo •<br />
www.sloveg.com<br />
805.709.2780<br />
slo life magazine | 43
| The ArTs<br />
Cuesta Master Chorale<br />
The best of <strong>SLO</strong> combine their passion with their talent to create a showstopping experience. By DAnIELLE DuTrO<br />
masterwork mas•ter•work n. synonymous with masterpiece; an outstanding<br />
work of art or craft; the greatest work of an artist or composer<br />
While many Central Coast residents are taking in a football game on<br />
Monday night, over a hundred locals meet to rehearse masterworks<br />
of some of the world’s most renowned composers. The Cuesta Master<br />
Chorale (or CMC) began in 1983, but for the past twenty-five years its<br />
members have been under the direction of Dr. Tom Davies. The group<br />
has performed works such as Johannes Brahms’ A German Requiem and<br />
Bach’s B-minor Mass.<br />
The CMC embodies a true sense of community. It is a place where all<br />
walks of life and all ages come together to share their passion for music.<br />
The diverse choir has a membership that ranges in age from high school<br />
students to its most senior members who have been with the choir since<br />
its inception. The impressive group boasts well-respected community<br />
members; some of whom serve as directors for other choirs. Whether<br />
mothers singing with their daughters or husbands harmonizing with their<br />
wives, CMC is truly a family.<br />
Member Vicki Ewart, a soprano and advisory board chair, has been a<br />
member since 1984. With over twenty-five years of singing experience in<br />
the choir, she has had the opportunity to sing some of the most impressive<br />
works that Cuesta Master Chorale has performed. Passing on the family<br />
tradition, some of her fondest memories include the performances where<br />
she stood shoulder-to-shoulder alongside her daughter, Erin.<br />
This tight-knit company of singers is distinctive not only in its makeup<br />
but also in its depth. “Master Chorale is unique in that we are one of<br />
the few community groups that regularly performs masterworks,” says<br />
Ewart. Because performing masterworks requires both an artistic choir<br />
and a talented orchestra, coordinating, organizing and recruiting the two<br />
memberships can be difficult if not impossible for most groups. But the<br />
partnership with the Master Choral Orchestra has made it all achievable<br />
since CMC’s beginning.<br />
Anyone who has sat in the audience at a CMC concert can report that<br />
it is often a profound experience. It can also be unforgettable to those<br />
who perform the pieces. Ewart recalls fondly the first time the Chorale<br />
sang Handel’s Messiah in its entirety. “The soloists were fantastic, the<br />
choir was fantastic, the whole night was just magical… Those are magic<br />
memories in my mind.”<br />
Despite the complexity of work that the group performs, its members are<br />
not without a good sense of humor. One unforgettably funny moment for<br />
Ewart was when, “We were at the Nazarine Church in Arroyo Grande - I<br />
don’t even remember what piece it was - but Tom [Davies] got so excited<br />
that he threw his baton into the audience. At our next rehearsal Tom was<br />
presented with a glove that had a baton velcroed to it.” <strong>SLO</strong> <strong>LIFE</strong><br />
Tom Davies, conductor CMC<br />
(sans velcro glove)<br />
44 | slo life magazine
slo life magazine | 45
| Community Calendar<br />
Presenting the best<br />
in professional<br />
entertainment at the<br />
Performing Arts Center!<br />
WWW.CALPOLYARTS.ORG<br />
WE ARE THE MUSTANGS<br />
Season, Group, and Single Game Tickets<br />
on sale at the box office by calling<br />
1–866–GO STANGS or online at GoPoly.com<br />
Like us on<br />
Follow us at<br />
twitter.com/CPMustangs<br />
www.facebook.com/CalPolyMustangs<br />
December 1 - 8<br />
Event Hannukah Candle Lighting<br />
Time 5:00pm<br />
Location Mission Plaza<br />
Contact 426-5465<br />
Description On the first night<br />
of Hannukah, the Jewish<br />
Community Center will be<br />
hosting a Hannukah Party along<br />
with a candle lighting.<br />
December 2<br />
Event General Stanley McChrystal<br />
Time 7:30pm<br />
Location Cohan Center<br />
Contact www.slofoodbank.org<br />
Description McChrystal, a<br />
four-star general, will speak on<br />
America’s global role and its<br />
security issues in a lecture titled<br />
“The State of International Affairs<br />
and the Security Challenges<br />
Facing America.”<br />
December 3<br />
Event Holiday Parade<br />
Time 7:00pm<br />
Location Higuera Street, <strong>SLO</strong><br />
Contact www.downtownslo.com<br />
Description Downtown<br />
Association Presents its 35th<br />
Annual Holiday Parade<br />
December 3<br />
Event A Modern Gospel Christmas<br />
Time 8:00pm<br />
Location Cohan Center<br />
Contact www.pacslo.org<br />
Description The House of Prayer<br />
Church Choir celebrates their<br />
13th anniversary with a unique<br />
presentation of holiday and<br />
gospel music.<br />
December 3<br />
Event Fall Jazz Concert<br />
Time 8:00pm<br />
Location Spanos Theater<br />
Contact www. music.calpoly.edu<br />
Event This concert will have an<br />
eclectic mix of jazz standards and<br />
modern compositions, and will<br />
performed by the University Jazz<br />
Bands No. 1 and No. 2 and the<br />
Cal Poly Jazz Combos.<br />
December 4<br />
Event Opening of “The Catch”<br />
Time 2:00pm-4:00pm<br />
Location History Center of <strong>SLO</strong><br />
Contact www.historycenterslo.org<br />
Description A new exhibit<br />
featuring a series of photographs<br />
of the San Luis Obispo County<br />
fishing community taken in the<br />
mid-1970s by Thom Halls.<br />
December 4<br />
Event A Christmas Celebration<br />
Time 8:00pm<br />
Location Cohan Center<br />
Contact www. music.calpoly.edu<br />
Description This festive annual<br />
concert by the Cal Poly Choirs<br />
will put you in the mood for<br />
holidays. Performers include<br />
PolyPhonics, The University<br />
Singers, Early Music Ensemble,<br />
and Cal Poly Brass Ensemble.<br />
December 4 - 5<br />
Event A Christmas Carol<br />
Time various<br />
Location Spanos Theatre<br />
Contact www.pacslo.org<br />
Description Gilbert Reed’s<br />
masterful telling of the Dickens<br />
classic in this lively ballet will<br />
delight the entire family. Set<br />
to Sir Thomas Beecham’s<br />
orchestrations of music by G. F.<br />
Handel, “A Christmas Carol” tells<br />
the story of Ebenezer Scrooge’s<br />
journey from heartless miser to<br />
generous soul.<br />
December 5<br />
Event Art in the Vineyard<br />
Time 11:00am-5:00pm<br />
Location Tolosa Winery<br />
Contact www.tolosawinery.com<br />
Description Featuring 30 artists<br />
including paintings, sculptures,<br />
textiles, pottery, jewlery,<br />
glass art, home decor, hand<br />
made soaps, and much more!<br />
Appetizers, wine tastings, and<br />
live music will also be included in<br />
this free event.<br />
December 5<br />
Event Joy to the World<br />
Time 3:00pm<br />
Location Cohan Center<br />
Contact www.pacslo.org<br />
Description San Luis Vocal Arts<br />
Ensemble presents Joy to the<br />
World, a holiday concert with an<br />
international flair. Come along on<br />
a spirited sleigh ride across the<br />
globe as we sing of peace, love<br />
and goodwill to the people of our<br />
earth.<br />
December 7<br />
Event CASA’s Voices for Children<br />
Time 11:30am-1:00pm<br />
Location Maddona Inn<br />
Contact 781-2670<br />
Description Casa’s Voices for<br />
Children fundraising luncheon will<br />
feature lively entertainment, a<br />
children’s musical performanced,<br />
a silent auction and live auction.<br />
December 8<br />
Event Jon Anderson<br />
Time 7:30pm<br />
Location Spanos Theatre<br />
Contact www.pacslo.org<br />
Description Jon Anderson shines<br />
as an accomplished solo artist<br />
and composer. His solo acoustic<br />
Spanos Theatre show will<br />
include many classic songs from<br />
throughout the YES songbook, as<br />
well as his own eclectic work.<br />
December 11<br />
Event Fa-La-La<br />
Time 5:00pm – 8:00pm<br />
Location Dallidet Adobe & Gardens<br />
Contact www.historycenterslo.com<br />
Description Christmas caroling<br />
competition with musicians from<br />
around the county. Beer, wine<br />
and beverage sales benefit the<br />
History Center.<br />
December 11<br />
Event Clara’s Tea Party<br />
Time 12:30pm<br />
Location Cohan Center<br />
Contact www.pacslo.org<br />
Description An exclusive tea party<br />
with the Sugar Plum Fairy and<br />
her friends, photo opportunities,<br />
and a special treat!<br />
December 11, 12<br />
Event The Nutcracker<br />
Time various<br />
Location Cohan Center<br />
Contact www.pacslo.org<br />
Description The Civic Ballet<br />
presents The Nutcracker. Audiences<br />
of all ages will marvel at the magic<br />
and wonder of this production that<br />
has delighted the Central Coast for<br />
more than 30 years.<br />
December 12<br />
Event Holiday Concert<br />
Time 3:00pm<br />
Location Clark Center<br />
Contact www. slosymphony.com<br />
Description San Luis Obispo<br />
Youth Symphony Presents their<br />
annual Holiday Concert.<br />
December 16<br />
Event The Blind Boys of Alabama<br />
Time 7:30pm<br />
Location Cohan Center<br />
Contact www.pacslo.org<br />
Description Go Tell It on the<br />
Mountain is a special holiday<br />
engagement, celebrating the<br />
spirit of Christmas with all the<br />
energy and soul of old-time<br />
gospel, complete with sweet<br />
harmonies and exuberant<br />
charisma.<br />
46 | slo life magazine
December 18<br />
Event CMC Holiday Special<br />
Time 8:00pm<br />
Location Cohan Center<br />
Contact www.pacslo.org<br />
DescriptionThe Cuesta Master<br />
Chorale and Orchestra will<br />
perform its annual holiday<br />
concert with a selection of<br />
spiritual music from Baroque,<br />
Romantic, and 20th Century<br />
composers.<br />
December 19<br />
Event Forbes Pipe Organ Holiday<br />
Time 6:00pm<br />
Location Cohan Center<br />
Contact www.pacslo.org<br />
Description The fourth annual<br />
Forbes Pipe Organ Holiday<br />
Concert & Sing-Along.<br />
December 31<br />
Event <strong>SLO</strong> Symphony New Years Eve<br />
Time 6:00pm & 7:30pm<br />
Location Cohan Center<br />
Contact www.pacslo.org<br />
Description Soprano Maria Jette<br />
will join Michael Nowak and the<br />
orchestras for a winter “pops”<br />
concert filled with Broadway<br />
show tunes, movie music<br />
and delightfully familiar old<br />
standards.<br />
January 7<br />
Event Liszt Commemorative<br />
Time 8:00pm<br />
Location Spanos Theater<br />
Contact www.pacslo.org<br />
Description Music Department<br />
chair and pianist W. Terrence<br />
Spiller will give a benefit recital<br />
of works by Johannes Brahms,<br />
Paul Hindemith, and Franz Liszt.<br />
January 14<br />
Event Guitar Masters<br />
Time 8:00pm<br />
Location Performing Arts Center<br />
Contact www.pacslo.org<br />
Description Featuring the<br />
amazing artistry of three of the<br />
world’s foremost guitarists:<br />
Andy McKee, Eric Johnson, and<br />
Peppino D’Agostino.<br />
January 15<br />
Event Colin Mochrie & Brad Sherwood<br />
Time 7:30pm<br />
Location Cohan Center<br />
Contact www.pacslo.org<br />
Description The stars of TV’s<br />
“Whose Line Is It Anyway?”<br />
team up for an evening of<br />
extraordinary improvisational<br />
comedy.<br />
January 21<br />
Event Forbes Pipe Organ Recital<br />
Time 8:00pm<br />
Location Cohan Center<br />
Contact www.pacslo.org<br />
Description Dr. James Welch<br />
returns to <strong>SLO</strong> with an<br />
encompassing program.<br />
January 22<br />
Event Ladysmith Black Mambazo<br />
Time 8:00pm<br />
Location Cohan Center<br />
Contact www.pacslo.org<br />
Description South Africa’s<br />
premier male a cappella group.<br />
January 22<br />
Event J.S. Bach in the Mission<br />
Time 8:00pm<br />
Location Mission San Luis Obispo<br />
Contact music.calpoly.edu<br />
Description The Early Music<br />
Ensemble will be assisted by<br />
David Arrivée and other Cal Poly<br />
faculty members.<br />
January 23<br />
Event Jungle Jack Hanna<br />
Time 4:00pm<br />
Location Cohan Center<br />
Contact www.pacslo.org<br />
Description Jack Hanna’s live<br />
show features many of his<br />
favorite animal friends, as well<br />
as fascinating and humorous<br />
stories and footage from his<br />
adventures around the world.<br />
January 30<br />
Event Spring Awakening<br />
Time 7:00pm<br />
Location Cohan Center<br />
Contact www.pacslo.org<br />
Description Winner of eight Tony<br />
Awards, this landmark musical<br />
with its brilliant score explores<br />
the coming-of-age journey from<br />
adolescence to adulthood with<br />
poignancy and passion.<br />
February 5<br />
Event A Night at the Mission<br />
Time 8:00pm<br />
Location Mission San Luis Obispo<br />
Contact music.calpoly.edu<br />
Description An evening of<br />
beautiful music performed by<br />
our chamber ensembles in the<br />
Old Mission Church.<br />
February 5<br />
Event <strong>SLO</strong> Symphony Classics III<br />
Time 8:00pm<br />
Location Cohan Center<br />
Contact www.pacslo.org<br />
Description Violinist Shunske<br />
Sato performs.<br />
February 8<br />
Event Vienna Boys Choir<br />
Time 7:30pm<br />
Location Cohan Center<br />
Contact www.pacslo.org<br />
Description The Choir’s angelic<br />
a cappella vocals are comprised<br />
of talented singers between the<br />
ages of 10 and 14.<br />
February 10<br />
Event Swan Lake<br />
Time 7:30pm<br />
Location Cohan Center<br />
Contact www.pacslo.com<br />
Description Russian National<br />
Ballet Theatre presents<br />
a full-scale production of<br />
Tchaikovsky’s perennial classic,<br />
Swan Lake.<br />
February 19<br />
Event Lilly Tomlin<br />
Time 8:00pm<br />
Location Cohan Center<br />
Contact www.pacslo.org<br />
Description One of America’s<br />
foremost comediennes.<br />
February 24, 25, 26<br />
Event Falsettos<br />
Time 8:00pm<br />
Location Performing Arts Center<br />
Contact www.pacslo.org<br />
Description Cal Poly presents<br />
“Falsettos,” a play by William<br />
Finn and James Lapine.<br />
February 26<br />
Event Musical Travelogue<br />
Time 8:00pm<br />
Location Cohan Center<br />
Contact music.calpoly.edu<br />
Description A musical travelogue<br />
through Europe over the centuries.<br />
February 26<br />
Event A World of Music<br />
Time 8:00pm<br />
Location Cohan Center<br />
Contact www.pacslo.org<br />
Description Over 150 musicians<br />
present music from around our<br />
world with a special emphasis<br />
on the beauty and excitement of<br />
songs from the Middle East.<br />
February 28<br />
Event Monty Python’s Spamalot<br />
Time 7:30pm<br />
Location Cohan Center<br />
Contact www.pacslo.org<br />
Description Based on theclassic<br />
film, “Monty Python and The<br />
Holy Grail” , Tony Award-winning<br />
Monty Python’s Spamalot tells<br />
the tale of King Arthur and his<br />
Knights as they embark on their<br />
quest for the elusive Holy Grail.<br />
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slo life magazine | 47
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48 | slo life magazine<br />
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