SLO LIFE Magazine AprMay 2021

LIFE 

SLOmagazine 

REAL ESTATE 

BY THE NUMB 

STUDENT 

SPOTLIGHT 

TAKING IN 

THE VIEW 

TASTE 

PIZZA 

SEASONAL 

FAVORITES 

HEALTH 

TRENDS 

APR/MAY 2021 

SLOLIFEMAGAZINE.COM 

SAN LUIS OBISPO 

HOT & HAPPENING 

EXPLORING 

THE COAST 

NEWS BRIEFS 

LOCAL 

EVENTS 

NOW 

HEAR 

THIS 

MID-CENTURY 

MODERN 

DATE 

NIGHT 

MEET 

JENNIFER PORCHER 

APR/MAY 2021 | SLO LIFE MAGAZINE | 1

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INK ON PAPER 

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2 | SLO LIFE MAGAZINE | APR/MAY 2021

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THANK 

YOU. 

Thank you for wearing face coverings, maintaining physical 

distancing, washing hands thoroughly, staying home when 

feeling ill and using SLO Transit for essential travel only. 

Thank you SLO for preserving the health and wellness of our 

community. We appreciate you. 



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CONTENTS 

Volume 

22 

24 

26 

12 

Number 2 

Apr/May 2021 

30 

Briefs 

View 

Q&A 

MEET YOUR 

NEIGHBOR 

12 

PUBLISHER’S 

MESSAGE 

14 

16 

18 

20 

Info 

Sneak Peek 

Inbox 

Timeline 

8 | SLO LIFE MAGAZINE | APR/MAY 2021 

28 

NOW HEAR THIS 

38 Author


| CONTENTS 

56 

60 

Real Estate 

Health 

68 

TASTE 

74 

WINE NOTES 

40 

ARTIST 

42 

Explore 

44 

On the Rise 

78 

Brew 

46 

Dwelling 

82 Happenings 


Make the New Normal 

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| PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE 

Early in the afternoon of December 7th, 1941, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was finishing 

up lunch on the second floor of the White House when the telephone rang. Immediately 

after hanging up, he began crafting a speech. And, as anyone in the business of writing 

knows, the real work is not in the drafting, but in the revising. 

That speech, which FDR delivered to a joint session of Congress the next day, was only 

a few minutes long—about the length of this letter—but it was remembered for just 

one word. 

Now considered by many the greatest revision of a first draft in American history, FDR crossed out “world history” and replaced 

it with “infamy.” 

Yesterday, December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy . . . 

Since then, there have not been many infamous days. Most days do not live beyond the twenty-four hours they existed in the 

first place. But I keep going back to one: March 13th, 2020. 

I remember it because it was a Friday, and my son’s flag football team I was coaching at the time was gearing up for a big game 

that night. Then, my email inbox started overflowing. “The game’s canceled,” it said. Then, another. “School’s canceled,” it said. 

Again, and again, the messages cascaded, toppling over one another, piling on frantically like a fumbled pigskin. 

There were no dramatic photographs of bombed-out ships and mountain-sized flames burning in the South Pacific. It took 

a long while—a year, almost to the day—to finally step back onto that field again with the kids. And when we did, I was 

flattened by a wave of emotion as if a defensive end was crushing my blind side. 

I stood back for a few minutes to take in the scene. That’s when I realized the feelings I was experiencing weren’t for me. They 

were for the kids. I was mourning for them and the time they lost. When we were last together, they were eleven years old. Now 

they’re twelve. 

Someday they’ll add that word, “infamy.” 

For now, all they can do is the one thing, the only thing any of us has ever been able to do: move forward. 

These days, we no longer gather around radios hanging on every word uttered by presidents. Today, the dial moves in all 

directions—millions of channels. Billions of voices. Large and small. It’s the small ones I find most compelling. And hearing 

their laughter on the football field again is at last pushing infamy further away, into the rearview mirror. 

Thank you to everyone who has had a hand in producing this issue of SLO LIFE Magazine and, most of all, to our advertisers 

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

Live the SLO Life! 

Infamy 

Tom Franciskovich 

tom@slolifemagazine.com 

p.s. If you’d like to read more visit me at tomfranciskovich.com 


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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

Charlotte Alexander 

Jeff Al-Mashat 

Brant Myers 

Lauren Harvey 

Paden Hughes 

Zara Khan 

Jaime Lewis 

Andria McGhee 

Joe Payne 

Brian Schwartz 

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS 

Arpad Czapp 

David Lalush 

Mark Nakamura 

Anh Nguyen 

Jennifer Olson 

Vanessa Plakias 

CONTRIBUTIONS 

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


| SNEAK PEEK 

ON THE COVER 

behind the scenes 

JENNIFER PORCHER 

BY VANESSA PLAKIAS 

I met Jennifer at her charming home near the Village 

in Arroyo Grande. Her son, Jack, was there and her 

granddaughter, Elaina, answered the door. What an adorable 

living doll. She’s only three, but was an outgoing, polite, and 

welcoming host. The light was so beautiful shining through 

the front view window, we decided to start the shoot there. 

Plus, I love a good teal couch! 

As we walked through Jennifer’s home towards her backyard, I 

noticed a lot of heart art. I commented that one of my favorite 

heart pieces was one I bought twenty years ago through the 

Sundance Catalogue. It’s the seven points of love recipe. Jennifer 

also had a seven points of love work of art on her wall. Then she 

explained the seven points are all our heart chakras. 

We talked about 

working out and 

gardening as a great 

reset during stressful 

times. We admired 

her agaves and fruit 

trees. Her lemons 

decided to grow ten 

times their size this 

year. She’s says all 

the neighbors stop 

and comment on 

them lately. I thought 

they were grapefruit! 

There was such good sunshine energy in Jennifer’s backyard. 

Easy to bring on the smiles and good mood. One shot of 

Jennifer turning quickly reminded me of a hair ad from the 

80’s. She said, “Yes! Timotei,” and we both started to laugh. 




| INBOX 

TAKE US WITH YOU! 

Send your photos and comments to info@slolifemagazine.com or visit us online at slolifemagazine.com 

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| TIMELINE 

LOCAL 

february 4 

San Luis Obispo County Administrative Officer Wade Horton issues a Proclamation of Local 

Emergency as a result of damages caused by late-January winter storms to public agencies, 

citizens, and businesses. The local proclamation follows a similar one Governor Gavin Newsom 

issued the prior week for SLO County, and together they streamline the approval process 

for funding through the California Disaster Assistance Act. The storms included damaging 

winds, substantial precipitation, flooding, and erosion resulting in damage to infrastructure and 

property within the County. 

february 5 

Cuesta College announces that its 

accreditation has been reaffirmed for 

the next seven years by the Accrediting 

Commission of Community and 

Junior Colleges of the Western 

Association of Schools and Colleges. 

A ten-person review team of faculty 

and administrators from peer colleges 

visited the community college 

virtually last fall to evaluate Cuesta’s 

effectiveness, quality of education, and 

continuous quality improvement. The 

college’s next comprehensive review 

will not occur until 2027. 

february 6 

Anti-Semitic graffiti is discovered in front of 

Alpha Epsilon Pi, a Jewish-student-affiliated 

fraternity house at Cal Poly. It’s unclear who is 

responsible for the vandalism, including swastikas 

and other anti-Semitic images, but the incident 

was reported to San Luis Obispo Police and an 

investigation is underway. The offence occurred 

on the Shabbat, a day of religious observance 

in the Jewish community that takes place from 

sundown on Friday until sundown on Saturday. 

february 11 

Paul Flores, the only “person of interest” ever 

identified in the disappearance of Cal Poly 

student Kristin Smart, is arrested by Los 

Angeles Police on suspicion of being a felon in 

possession of a firearm. He posted bond and was 

released from custody the same day. The SLO 

County Sheriff ’s Office confirms that the arrest 

is the result of information obtained during 

search warrants executed in 2020 at the home 

of Flores, who now lives in San Pedro. He was 

the last person seen with Smart in 1996 as she 

returned to her Cal Poly dorm room after an 

off-campus party. 

february 18 

Representative Salud Carbajal reintroduces a 

bill in Congress to safeguard local public lands 

and wild rivers. The Central Coast Heritage 

Protection Act proposes to ban oil development, 

logging, and other industrial activities in the 

Los Padres National Forest and the Carrizo 

Plain National Monument. The bill, originally 

co-authored by Representative Lois Capps as 

part of a larger package of conservation measures, 

did not pass the Senate last year. It would protect 

250,000 acres of federal public land across Santa 

Barbara, Ventura, and San Luis Obispo counties, 

and establish a 400-mile trail from Big Sur to the 

Los Angeles County Line. 


REVIEW 

march 11 

Following a nationwide search, the City of San Luis Obispo 

announces the appointment of Rick Scott, “a law enforcement 

leader focused on community engagement, transparency, and 

trust,” to serve as the city’s next police chief. Scheduled to 

report to work on May 13, he currently serves as assistant 

police chief in North Richland Hills, Texas, a city of 70,000 

in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Scott succeeds Deanna 

Cantrell, who left last August to become police chief in 

the City of Fairfield. Captain Jeff Smith, who has served as 

interim police chief since then, has announced he will leave in 

April to become police chief for the City of Pismo Beach. 

March 2 

The SLO City Council approves a General Plan amendment to 

rezone a parcel of land to accommodate a neighborhood park, 

fulfilling a need for open space, playground equipment, and 

walking paths between Foothill Boulevard and Highway 101, 

according to the City’s Parks and Recreation master plan. Almost 

an acre in size, and currently home to a community garden, 

the parcel is located at 533 Broad Street. Funding for the park 

will come from developer fees, and the council will review final 

project plans before construction begins. 

march 10 

The San Luis Obispo Planning Commission hosts a discussion of the 

proposed Central Coast Layover Facility project to gather public input about 

its potential environmental impact on the eight-acre site located behind 

Miner’s Ace Hardware on Santa Barbara Street. SLO’s historic Railroad 

District could undergo a major infrastructure change, adding a new rail yard, 

storage, train tracks, buildings, and more. The project envisions a relocation of 

the existing layover facility adjacent to the SLO Train Station to an expanded 

march 16 

The SLO County Sheriff ’s Office wrap up a search of the 

Arroyo Grande home of Ruben Flores, father of Paul Flores, 

who, according to Sheriff ’s officials, remains the “prime 

suspect” in the disappearance of Kristin Smart from Cal Poly 

in 1996. Officers used cadaver dogs and ground penetrating 

radar during the two-day search, and hauled away a vehicle, 

but released no new information on whether any evidence 

was found in the “active and ongoing investigation.” Last 

month, Paul Flores was arrested in Los Angeles County on 

suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm. 

march 18 

The California Coastal Commission votes unanimously 

to phase out off-highway vehicle (OHV) use at Oceano 

Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area in three years, 

shortening a Commission staff recommendation that the 

transition take place over five years. The historic decision, 

the most sweeping change to the use of the Dunes in a 

century, reflects staff concerns that OHV use is unlawful in 

environmentally sensitive habitat areas under the California 

Coastal Act. California State Parks, which operates the 

Area, could phase out OHV use over three years, or 

prohibit it all at once. An outpouring of public comments 

came in prior to the decision and ranged from support for 

recreational opportunities to concerns about environmental 

justice from members of the public, government officials, 

space at the mostly vacant Union Pacific property at 1320 Roundhouse Street. tribal officials, and public agency leaders. SLO LIFE 


| BRIEFS 

$841,000 

The amount of funding the City of 

San Luis Obispo and SLO Chamber 

of Commerce provided directly to 181 

businesses affected by the COVID-19 

pandemic during a round of Small Business 

Relief Fund grantmaking this year. Most 

of the funds come from Local Revenue 

Measure G-20. 

MRWG 

The Mesa Refinery Watch Group is a 

community-based group of volunteers 

who fought to stop Phillips 66 from 

bringing crude oil trains to a proposed 

rail terminal at its Nipomo Mesa refinery. 

The group didn’t die with the failure of 

that project, however. It continues to 

monitor and report on the company’s 

announced closure of the plant in 2023 at 

mesarefinerywatch.com. 

“Our thirty-five 

volunteers have 

a passion for 

business.” 

San Luis Obispo SCORE Chapter 

chair Horace Morana responding to the 

news that the national SCORE office 

has honored the local chapter with its 

third annual Diamond Star level award 

for outstanding performance. The 

achievement recognizes the excellence of 

volunteers who provided free face-to-face 

mentoring and workshops last year for 

2,015 aspiring entrepreneurs and small 

business owners throughout SLO County 

and the Santa Maria Valley. 

52 feet 

The length of a new Cal Fire SLO trailer 

designed to support the kitchen unit 

where inmate firefighters cook meals. The 

“mobile kitchen support vehicle” replaces a 

smaller trailer that was built in 1964, and 

is one of eight delivered recently to crews 

in California just in time for fire season. 

805-541-2544 

The number to call for roundtrip, no-cost 

transportation offered by the Regional 

Transit Authority to and from the County’s 

COVID-19 vaccination clinics for elderly 

citizens who otherwise would have no way 

of getting to their appointments. 

7,504 

The number of meals the SLO Food Bank 

will be able to serve thanks to a group 

of six girls who raised more than $1,000 

selling plants in pots that they collected 

from family members and neighbors. They 

grew succulents in the containers, selling 

them through Facebook in February, then 

donating the funds raised to the Food Bank. 

“I’m really looking 

forward to the rest 

of the community 

being able to get 

vaccinated.” 

$18.25 

million 

The amount of State funding the Bob 

Jones Trail is in line to receive that would 

complete a section of the popular pathway 

connecting Avila Beach to southern San 

Luis Obispo. If a California Transportation 

Commission staff recommendation is 

approved this spring, the money will 

connect the Ontario Road park’n’ride lot 

and the Octagon Barn trailhead. 

Vandenberg 

Space Force 

Base 

The new moniker for Vandenberg Air 

Force Base reflects its transition from 

air to space, and the change is coming 

soon. The base has served as part of the 

Air Force since the 1950s even though it 

has operated for years without any fixed 

wing or rotary aircraft assigned to it. “Air 

Force” base personnel also will transition 

eventually to “Space Force” personnel. 

SLO Fire Department paramedic and fire 

engineer Alec Flatos following his second 

COVID-19 shot. He was the first person in 

SLO County to receive the vaccine. 

“Edgar” 

The newest staffer in the SLO District 

Attorney’s office is a highly-trained 

facility dog, a three-year-old lab/golden 

retriever mix donated in March by Canine 

Companions for Independence, who has 

one job, and one job only: to help witnesses, 

victims of crime, and those with special 

needs make it through difficult preparations 

for court, simply by being a good boy and letting 

himself get scratched behind the ears. SLO LIFE 


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| VIEW 

COASTAL 

MARVEL 

BY MARK NAKAMURA 


One of the most photographed bridges in the state is the iconic 

Bixby Bridge on the northern end of Big Sur on Highway 1. 

This project started in August 1931 and completed in November 

1932 with a length of 714 feet, a height of 279 feet at a cost 

of $200,000. About 45,000 sacks of cement were used for the 

framework using a system of platforms and slings to transport 

the sacks. 

Five years before the highway linked Carmel and San Luis Obispo, 

this masterpiece was finished. 

My camping friends and I traveled up Highway 1 from our campsite 

in Big Sur to see this bridge last year. Highway 1 was under 

construction so we were led across this bridge with a lead car. We 

turned off the caravan to the parking area on the north side of this 

span. Normally overcrowded with tourists taking selfies with the 

bridge and the Big Sur coastline in the background, on this day we 

had very little traffic and few tourists in the late fall. 

The fog was just lifting, partially 

shrouding this engineering feat. 

If you’re interested in capturing this 

landscape, be sure to take advantage of, 

not only shooting on the ocean side of the 

highway looking south, but on the Old 

Coast Road on the east side of the highway 

looking toward the bridge and the ocean. 

As a side note, I recommend taking the 

Old Coast Road from Andrew Molera 

State Park to the south and ending at the 

Bixby Bridge. It takes you off the beaten 

path through the Redwood groves. On 

the way home, be sure to stop by the Shell 

Station (the only one in Big Sur), home of 

the Big Sur Bakery and treat yourself to a 

delicious pastry or meal. SLO LIFE 

MARK NAKAMURA, pursues 

his passion in landscape 

photography as well as 

capturing the joys of 

weddings, families, events, 

and sports around the 

Central Coast. Find him on 

Instagram @nakamuraphoto 


| Q&A 

Just the Numbers 

A couple of years ago, Cal Poly professor PRATISH PATEL drove 

out to Oceano for the first time. That’s when he asked the question: 

“How come this area’s not faring as well as the rest of the county?” 

We had an opportunity to talk with him in depth about the eyeglazing 

subjects of research methodology and empirical evidence 

the other day. Here’s some of what he had to say… 

So, Pratish, before we get started can you 

please tell us where you’re from? Really? 

You want to know about that? Okay. I was 

born in a very small town in India, and 

we immigrated to the US in ‘96. We came 

here for a better life. So, the funny story 

there is, when I was born in ‘81 my parents 

applied for a visa, a green card. Our visa 

was approved in ‘95. It took fourteen years. 

That was the waitlist. When we came 

here, we went to Georgia. It was my mom, 

my dad, and my sister, and me. I went to 

Georgia Tech where I got my chemical 

engineering degree. And then to Cal to get 

my PhD in finance. My first job was with 

the Real Estate program at Cal Poly. 

Real estate, huh? That’s right. I’m very 

interested in urban economics, which looks 

into how cities form, and the economics 

of regulation and the dynamics between 

cities. I think that’s the coolest part of real 

estate. Most people, when they think of 

real estate, they think about housing and 

flipping houses or whatever. But I think 

that the guts of it is that a house resides 

within a city and, of course, different 

cities are different. Every city has its own 

character, and I love that. That’s why I love 

San Luis Obispo. I truly consider it my 

home. And I want to see it improve. 

What would you do to solve the housing 

problem here? In San Luis Obispo, we 

have this idea that we want to only create 

single family homes, and I think that idea 

is probably not quite right for everyone. 

I think we need to start thinking about 

building a bit taller, because if we do that, 

we can retain a lot of our open space. And 

it’s actually a more sustainable thing to 

do. I know people don’t like to hear that 

because it doesn’t go with the architectural 

vision here. But if there is the demand 

to grow, and if you really want to solve 

housing affordability issues, then we just 

need to go taller. So, to preserve the hiking 

trails and open space, you go up rather 

than out. 

Let’s talk about your work in Oceano. 

Okay, so a couple of years ago, one of my 

students who was participating in a lowincome 

housing project said, “Professor 

Patel, why don’t you come with us to 

Oceano? I just want you to see what is 

happening out there.” I went along and 

was surprised to learn that it was not 

faring as well as the rest of the county. 

I wanted to find out why that was, so I 

started looking into the demographics 

and the history and the economy. It didn’t 

make sense to me that it was lagging so far 

behind its much wealthier neighbors. Then, 

I came across the study done by SMG 

that claimed that vehicular access [to the 

dunes] adds $240 million in economic 

impact annually. That’s when I said to 

myself, “These number just don’t add up. 

Something’s wrong here.” 

What was wrong? They made some 

Herculean assumptions, which were 

compounded by significant math 

mistakes. And, State Parks, which had 

commissioned the study, claimed to 

not have the raw data. That seemed 

funny to me. I mean, how could you 

pay someone to do a study and not have 

access to the data? It actually took the 

Sierra Club doing a bunch of Freedom 

of Information Act requests to finally 

obtain the data. After that, I wrote up 

a counterargument to the study before 

doing some research of my own, which 

concluded that there was very little, 

if any, economic impact coming from 

vehicular access. And to be frank with 

you, I was surprised by that finding, 

because I did expect to find some. But 

I didn’t find any. And that seemed to 

really upset a lot of people. I found that 

quite odd because it’s not my opinion. 

It’s just the numbers. SLO LIFE 


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| NOW HEAR THIS 


Flow 

BY JOE PAYNE 

PHOTOS COURTESY OF KEVIN GRAYBILL 

The tide goes in, the tide goes out; it’s the way of things. It’s a phenomenon that Kevin Graybill observes at home in Shell 

Beach, but he’s known it since childhood. “I moved to the Central Coast a few years ago. I moved down from Seattle, 

but I was born in San Diego,” Graybill explained. “Just culturally, familywise, we’re just beach people and sun people.” 

The longtime self-taught guitarist and singer/songwriter lived in Seattle for years after college, he said, engaged in the “rat race” 

of “start-up culture.” All the while Graybill continued to cultivate his music, writing songs and developing a style steeped in the 

beach culture of his youth, while the cold and cloudy influence of the Pacific Northwest worked its way in, as well. 

When Graybill moved to San Luis Obispo County, it was the right time both for him to leave Seattle and arrive on the Central 

Coast and fully dedicate himself to his art. “The music that I’ve been playing and writing for the most part, kind of had a 

beach/folk sound to it,” he said. “It was interesting that coming to SLO and putting myself out there with music, it kind of just 

worked. It was like I was supposed to land in SLO.” 

The SLO Coast audience, whether at wineries, bars, coffee shops, outdoor festivals, or right on the beach, embraced Graybill’s 

sound. His beachy vibe is immediately reminiscent of Jack Johnson and other vibed-out acoustic guitar playing, smooth voiced 

artists. But there’s another side to his sound as well, with shades of Nick Drake, inspired by his time up north. 

This contrast is encapsulated in Graybill’s first studio project, two six-track EPs, titled “High Tide” and “Low Tide.” With a full 

embrace from the SLO music community he joined and the audience he’s built over the years, Graybill received crowdfunding 

support in January to finance the projects. The duel release comes out on April 16, but the first two singles from “High Tide” 

and “Low Tide” are out already, “It’s Been A Long Day” and “How Much I Need You,” respectively, on all streaming platforms 

and through his website, Graybillmusic.com. 

The two EPs could be viewed as one album, Graybill explained, but he’s also attempting to embrace the way music is listened to 

these days, in playlists mostly. “High Tide” is the sunny and optimistic acoustic beach/folk sound complete with crisp drum kits, 

ripping guitar riffs, and Graybill’s familiar Martin acoustic guitar. “Low Tide,” however, is a more plaintive and introspective 

exploration bathed in moonlight, soft bass, and hand percussion, and a more ethereal fingerstyle picking from the songwriter. 

“I was equally passionate about both those styles of playing, but it just never felt like they fit together, but they’re both part of 

me,” he explained. “There’s different parts of us dynamically as humans experiencing the human condition. There’s elation and 

happiness and joy and then there’s depression and we kind of have these rising tides in our life and 

our low tides so to speak.” 

The duality in Graybill’s musical personality was made possible through a period of intense 

collaboration with a roster of SLO music scene all-stars. Damon Castillo produced and recorded 

both projects at his Laurel Lane Studios and Castillo can be heard taking guitar solos and playing 

several other instruments throughout. Drummer Paul Griffith, a session player transplant known in 

Nashville and New Orleans, is featured on “High Tide.” Beloved fixtures like Bob Liepman of Bob 

and Wendy and guitar master Dorian Michael make appearances, as well as Central Coast vocalists 

Jineanne Coderre and Katie Boeck. Dominic Castillo also plays Hammond B3 on a track. 

The addition from SLO music royalty to Graybill’s vision provides a set of EP’s that sound both 

fresh yet familiar, like we’ve heard these songs on the scene for years. And with Graybill’s already 

dedicated audience on the Central Coast, we’re sure to hear these tunes for years to come. “This 

would never have happened if it weren’t for SLO County and the community that I found here,” he 

said. “It’s what the area wanted from me, because every time I put myself out there with music in 

SLO, I’d get the answer, ‘Yes.’” SLO LIFE 

JOE PAYNE is a 

journalist, as well as a 

lifelong musician and 

music teacher, who 

writes about the arts on 

the Central Coast. 


| MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR 


PRO 

FILE 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY VANESSA PLAKIAS 

Maybe it’s her entrepreneurial instincts, or perhaps it’s 

just how she sees the world, but for JENNIFER PORCHER, 

life is an adventure. Always unfolding, always revealing— 

always teaching. Whether launching a business of her own 

or helping someone on the Central Coast with theirs, she 

has been known to innovate through the good times and 

the bad. Most recently, she launched a podcast, Aba & Lolli. 

Here is her story… 



kay, Jennifer, let’s start from the 

beginning. Where are you from? 

I’m from here, this area. I was born in 

Fresno, but we moved to Arroyo Grande 

when I was two-and-a-half, so this is 

my world. I went to elementary, junior 

high, and high school right here. I have 

two older sisters, and my parents, we’re 

all still in the area. My father was in the Omilitary, and my mother was a banker. She worked for Mid-State Bank for 

twenty-plus years. My father was very entrepreneurial. He had a little lawn 

maintenance side business, and he also had Johnny’s Little Tailor Shop. 

So, he’d sew the military uniforms for all the guys. He was a perfectionist. 

I remember him prepping all their uniforms with all the perfect pleats 

down the front of the legs. And he’d sew on all the different patches, you 

know, the emblem things they’d get. He taught me to sew. And when 

I became a mom, I would sew my children’s Halloween costumes. He 

always sewed my cheerleading costumes and my Halloween costumes. So, 

we’ve always had a little bond there from that entrepreneurial side. 

So, what were you like as a kid? Gosh, these are big open-ended 

questions! [laughter] I don’t know. I guess would say that I was a pretty 

quiet kid, which is probably why I’m a little reluctant with my answers 

now. But I was social. I mean, I definitely had friends in all different kinds 

of crowds. I was active in the sense of dance and cheerleading, but, yeah, 

I was quiet. I didn’t really express myself, and I wouldn’t say I was the 

most confident kid. I had high expectations for my education. I definitely 

prioritized school. So, I don’t know. I wasn’t anything special. I didn’t 

stand out as anything amazing. Definitely the most impressionable time 

of my life was after I graduated. I lived a year in Venezuela. Got to travel 

South America. I’ve always been interested in travel and seeing how other 

people live. I think that, at a young age, I knew I wanted to speak different 

languages, and I wanted to see the world. 

Why South America? I was enrolled at USF [University of San 

Francisco] and they had a study abroad program at a university in 

Venezuela, sort of like an exchange, through La Universidad del Simón 

Bolívar in Caracas. But it was a satellite campus in a tiny, very rural town. 

It was in the jungle on the Orinoco River amongst the Warao Indians. 

There was no running water, no electricity. This was a bit of an experiment, 

and the first time they had ever sent a foreign student to this far-off, 

remote location. There was a stretch of eight months without any contact 

with my family. I lived with an English professor and his family. It was 

interesting culturally because I woke up every day to go to school, but 

Venezuela was not as structured as it is in the US. So, I’d show up, but 

sometimes the teachers didn’t show up. So then, you just didn’t have school 

that day. It was just random. It was always mind-blowing to me. I mean, 

the same thing would happen at the bank. You’d go to the bank, and they’d 

just decide they didn’t want to be open one day. That’s just how it was. 

Culture clash, huh? Yeah, just a totally different culture. But I got credits 

studying tourism and economics and, of course, language. In my mind, this 

is when my life started. Up until then, I feel like I was just an observer, 

pretty much all through my younger years. And then, when I got to go 

to Venezuela, it was like everything came into a perspective where I had 

independence. I had to make choices about what I wanted to do, and who 

I wanted to be. I’ve always been interested in food and you would literally 

go to markets to get whatever you were going to eat that day. You’d go 

every single morning. And so, when you think about living healthy and 

eating healthy, nothing was processed. It was fresh every day, and the 

footprint was basically whatever families could grow 

to sell for their own income. That’s how people in the 

village lived. We would trade clothing with the Warao 

Indians, and they would spear us some piranha or 

baby alligators or tortoises. That’s pretty much what 

you ate. 

Now, how long were you there? It was a year total, 

and I returned with a completely new perspective. 

But a few months later, my life changed again after 

reconnecting with my high school boyfriend at my 

sister’s wedding. By that Christmas, I found out that I 

was pregnant . . . I can’t believe I’m talking about this 

. . . So, anyway, I was a baby, just twenty years old at 

the time with my first child. I have three now, they’re 

twenty-five, twenty-two, and thirteen. But, at that 

time, everything changed. I dropped out of school 

and moved back to AG. I never went back, which, to 

this day, has been my psychological Achilles’ heel. It’s 

probably one of the hardest things I have to overcome 

in my career. Not having a degree. It’s just a mental 

self-worth thing, I think, being really committed, 

driven, having high expectations of myself. I used to 

really beat myself up about it—but I don’t anymore. 

What changed? Well, one of my daughters, who 

is the mother to my granddaughter, used to really 

struggle with anxiety and depression. We had to get 

her a lot of help for about a six to eight year span of 

her life. I’ll never forget something she said to me 

when she was in recovery—I think about it all the 

time—she said, “Mom, if you’re always questioning if 

you’re good enough, then how could I ever consider 

myself to be good enough?” Those words changed me 

forever. Immediately, I stopped being that do-it-all 

mother who was self-critical and wanting everything 

to be perfect and having these expectations of having 

to meet everybody else’s image of what they saw me 

to be. I totally changed after going through that with 

my daughter, to a point where I care so much more 

about what we do have now, than what we don’t have. 

I celebrate holidays differently. I spend my weekends 

differently. I engage with my children differently. I 

believe that with all the pain we go through in life, 

if we are serious enough to really grow through it, it 

really can make us better. 

Let’s go back to those early days when you returned 

to the Central Coast. Sure, so, I got a job at Café 

Andreini in Arroyo Grande, the Village. I did mostly 

managerial stuff and was involved in hiring and 

training new employees, which I found so interesting. 

A couple of years later, I went on to work for Social 

Services in a program called CalWORK. At the 

time, anyone who was on cash aid, welfare, would 

have to prove that they were out looking for a job, 

that they were interviewing, and they were actively 

seeking work. My role was to help them in that 

process. I would do trainings to get them ready for 

an interview, and I’d work with them to get their >> 


esumes perfected. I’d talk with them about how to call and speak with 

different companies and employers. I really enjoyed that, working with 

people to help them better themselves. So, by then, I had remarried, and 

I moved with my ex-husband up to the Bay Area, before he ended up 

getting transferred to Fresno. I’d say that my real career ambition and 

everything that led me to where I am today started then. I worked for a 

national staffing agency that staffed for high-level, C-level positions, so 

CEOs, CMOs, COOs, CFOs. 

How was that? It was amazing to see how companies operated from 

a leadership level, what the responsibilities and expectations and 

requirements were of all these higher-level positions. And so, when you’re 

interviewing your clients about who they’re looking for, you’re learning 

a lot about how companies operate and who they need to fill those roles. 

It was awesome. I was in my twenties and I was just really interested 

in seeing how businesses operated, and I got that inside scoop. But the 

thing I realized pretty quickly was seeing companies that would hire for 

the same position again and again and not having it work out. I mean, 

the new recruit would be perfectly qualified and would have a great 

personality and attitude and an amazing track record, but it wouldn’t click. 

We’d see clients coming back to us repeatedly and I’d start to wonder, 

“How come a CFO—or whatever the position happened to be—can’t stay 

on with the company?” 

What was the issue? It was a leadership problem. That’s when I started 

to really tune into the intangibles: human behavior, culture, and, most 

importantly, relationships. I began to understand that those things, at the 

end of the day, are every bit as important as the more tangible things like 

a technical skillset and knowledge and experience. That insight was critical 

for me going forward and it shapes everything I have done since. So, 

after my divorce, we came back to Arroyo Grande and I started my own 

business. I’ve always had that entrepreneurial spirit, and I wanted to help, I 

wanted to make a difference. I started doing customer service trainings for 

local companies. I said, “Gosh, there are so many small businesses around 

here that could improve in this area.” But, I learned very quickly that the 

companies that already had great customer service were the only ones willing 

to invest in the training. The ones that didn’t, the ones that were struggling in 

that area, the ones I really wanted to help, just weren’t interested. >> 


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What came next? Over the years, I’ve really evolved as a business consultant 

and have done a wide variety of work with local companies. I mean, it’s 

ranged from tech start-ups to medical marketing to software to jewelry 

manufacturing, you name it. But, I still had this vision in mind, something 

that I had always thought about, which is leadership training for women. I 

wanted to approach it from a happiness perspective and ask the question: 

“How do we get women to really connect with all the skills that are most 

needed in the workplace that no one trains on, like communication and 

the social intelligence stuff, self-awareness, and recognizing your impact on 

others from a social level and interpersonal level?” 

Let’s talk about that. I was really connecting with a lot of amazing, strong 

women, and it made sense to do it in a group setting. I decided to take 

on a partner and together she and I started doing our women’s leadership 

program, Unlock Potential, which was just starting to take off when, 

well, the pandemic hit, and we’ve had to put a pause on it. But, still, I feel 

blessed for everything I’ve been able to do with it so far. Helping women 

locally with the interpersonal soft skills: leadership, self-awareness, finding 

your voice, getting clear on your values, and operating from a standpoint 

where you really understand your strengths and the strengths of people 

around you. I really do hope to restart it at some point, but I still do carry 

on with those principles in the work I do now—my business consulting— 

and I’m also doing some executive coaching. Unlock Potential has been 

amazing in the sense that we’ve brought women together that had a lot of 

similar ambitions that were just really wanting that community support 

and encouragement. 

Have you found a common thread in all the work you’ve done? 

Yes. I’d say that I’ve come to understand that we all have a story to 

tell. And if we can hear that story, those stories, we can learn how to 

appreciate people’s differences and we can value them for what’s different 

and what it is that they bring to the table. We can appreciate their 

differences, and those differences can totally change a relationship for 

the better. Being curious about how other people do things, and learning 

from them, rather than trying to do it all on your own, and having these 

unattainably high expectations, I think that’s a big part of it. I think 

that approach, that openness, can really create important opportunities 

in our relationships and in our businesses and in our families. If there’s 

something core to the work I do—a core principle—it is not about 

making people better in their business, it’s truly about helping to give 

them skills to make them better in their lives. And at the center of that, 

for me, is developing better relationships with their children or their 

spouse or the people that really matter to them in their lives. Because, 

ultimately, that’s what it’s all about. SLO LIFE 


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| AUTHOR 

LOCAL READ 

Succulents Love the 

Central Coast 

BY BRIAN SCHWARTZ 

I’ve often felt succulents are the ideal role models. Stress makes them more 

resilient, but too much water can kill them. These remarkable plants take 

just enough to thrive. I had a conversation with local author Gabriel Frank 

to learn more about how his new book came about and what he hopes 

readers will gain from it. 

For those curious, once receiving the contract from Ten Speed Press, it 

took Frank three more years to finish “Striking Succulent Gardens,” a project he 

initially expected to complete in a year. A talent scout at Ten Speed Press sought 

out Frank because of his vast depth of knowledge on a topic they knew had a 

market. He was ready to quit halfway through but persisted by scheduling three 

hours twice a week to finish it. 

Frank wanted to publish a book to address common misperceptions about succulents 

and give readers a reliable resource to turn to for answers. He shares that 

“succulents are an easy plant to work with, but largely misunderstood.” 

One common misperception is that you can’t kill a succulent. But “people often 

kill succulents with kindness,” which Frank explained, translates to giving them 

too much water. Before you give them water, take a close look at their stems 

(leaves). They should be plump (since this is where they store most of their water). 

A succulent is parched for water when it looks dehydrated … when you see 

crinkles and creases, it’s time to give ‘em a little love. The change in color you’ll 

sometimes see is a good thing as the stress they endure is, as Frank puts it, “a 

beautiful part of their life cycle.” 

Succulents are the ideal species for climate change. Highly adaptable plants, learning 

to live on less water, and sustain more heat. Frank shares, “Having a succulent 

garden is like having your own on-site nursery.” At clubs like The Central Coast Cactus 

and Succulent Society, members bring succulent clippings to share with each other. 

The Central Coast is home to an abundance of succulents at every turn, many of 

which are showcased in Frank’s book. You can also take a road trip to Lotusland in 

Montecito to see some amazing varieties of rare succulents you won’t find elsewhere. 

So, if you want to write a book, block out time on your 

calendar to get it done. Expect it’ll take far longer than 

you think. If you want to bring more nature into your 

environment, the ease of succulents is hard to beat. 

Because they require less water and can handle hotter 

temperatures, succulents are climate change friendly. 

For those too busy to maintain a garden, succulents are 

mostly self-sufficient and extremely low maintenance. 

In addition to being an author, Frank is also the owner 

of Gardens by Gabriel. He’s a spirited advocate for 

all things green and growing. When not landscaping 

for others, he can be found cultivating his own home 

demonstration garden. “Striking Succulent Gardens” 

can be found at local bookstores, as well as many 

nurseries and garden centers. SLO LIFE 

BRIAN SCHWARTZ is a 

publishing consultant and 

advocate for local authors. 

He can be reached at 

brian@selfpublish.org. 


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| ARTIST 

N 

PROFILE 

Jason 

Towne 

BY JEFF AL-MASHAT 

ew York Times theater critic Brooks Atkinson, who is probably 

more well known today for the Manhattan theater that bears his 

name than for his writings, wrote, “Real art is illumination, it adds 

stature to life.” 

There are many grand things that can be said about San Luis 

Obispo’s Jason Towne’s artwork, but associating it with a theatrical 

quote seems most appropriate. The work is visual, but it straddles 

both performance art and installation. 

Towne makes drawings and paintings. Some are geometrical shapes; 

others are simple squares of florescent paint on florescent paper. 

His magic is in his presentation, where he posts them together on 

walls in an almost 19th-century, salon-style arrangement. He then 

projects light, along with filters of additional shapes, on to them. 

The result is a shimmering, immersive experience that fills the entire 

room. Simply having the light spill upon the viewers draws them 

into the story in the same way that one gets pulled into a play or 

concert, or even a great film. Towne layers different music into the 

experience to add another dimension. 

“I am looking to create a glowing ambient journey,” says Towne. 

“I want people to take away an uplifting feeling that stays with 

them.” The execution of his presentation is important, but 

illuminating the viewer’s mind is really what it is about for Towne. 

“I want people to look to the future when we can gather again and 

experience things together.” 

Simply visiting his webpage at artbyjasontowne.com will give you a 

taste of the excitement associated with his work. The still image on 

his homepage alone will light up a phone or computer screen, but 

it seems like it has the power to light up whatever space it is being 

viewed in. 

He is a self-taught painter, but trained as a graphic designer, which 

Towne credits for his ability to know the mechanics of putting his 

grand presentations together. Figurative 

painter Francis Bacon is among his 

influences, but there are also nods to 

conceptual artists like Jenny Holzer’s 

thought-provoking projections on 

public spaces, as well as pioneering 

multi-media artist Nam June Paik’s 

massive video projects. 

His post-pandemic plans are to take 

the experience to large spaces that will 

include multiple musicians and possibly 

opportunities for audience members 

to get involved and make their own 

drawings that become part of the 

exhibition. SLO LIFE 

JEFF AL-MASHAT is a 

writer and visual artist with 

an MFA in painting from 

Georgia State University. He 

lives in Grover Beach. 


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| EXPLORE 

Techno 

Golf 

BY PADEN HUGHES 

Achallenge for the romantics: How many date night ideas 

can you come up with? 

I don’t know how your date nights go, but ours had started to feel a little 

routine. That all changed when my husband, Michael, surprised me with a 

fun, new adventure. I had no clue where we were going when he told me to 

wear something casual, warm, and something I could move in unrestricted. 

“Do you want to know what it is?” he asked. 

Nope. I love surprises. 

Even as a child, if someone told me they had a surprise and then shortly 

thereafter would ask, “Do you want to know what it is?” I’d say, “No thanks! 

I want to be surprised.” 

I love the anticipation of it and guessing what it might be before I get 

there. But I couldn’t guess this one. 

Evan after we turned into Dairy Creek Golf Course, I still didn’t know 

exactly what we were doing. 

In a past life, pre-kids, I played a lot of golf. But it was a weeknight at 8 

o’clock. What could possibly be going on out here at this hour? 

We parked. Got out our clubs. And I still was confused, “Night golf?” 

technology first came on the scene as a way to track a golf 

ball on TV and is now used exclusively for NBC Sports’ 

PGA Tour telecasts. The program follows the flight of the 

golf balls with a camera-based system that displays the 

virtual simulation on a screen and also provides statistics 

allowing you to monitor every shot you hit. Michael 

explained it as “virtual golf meets glowing driving range— 

making you feel like you’re playing a video game—all 

while enjoying food and drinks.” 

It was awesome. 

We had a private booth, a TV display of our video game, and 

it felt like we were both the entertainer and the entertained. 

We selected the virtual gold course and style of game we 

wanted to play. After the set up, 

we aimed at the targets, which 

glow at night. Shot after shot, 

the technology tracked our 

drives and charted our progress. 

We ordered food and played 

for over an hour—laughing 

every time my drive was too 

low for the software to chart it 

and I had to keep swinging. 

With a wide-smile, Michael explained that Dairy Creek now offers an 

augmented reality golf experience in a designated area called Swing Time. 

Their website describes it as “a mix of driving range, sports bar, bowling 

alley, and pinball machine all in one.” 

The golf experience has been ramped up using Toptracer technology. 

What’s called the gamification of the driving range experience, the 

TIP! 

Open from 10 am to 10 pm, 

you won’t want to risk trying 

to walk in, it’s booming in 

popularity and reservations 

are encouraged. SLO LIFE 

PADEN HUGHES is 

co-owner of Gymnazo 

and enjoys exploring 

the Central Coast. 



| ON THE RISE 

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT 

Mulenga Malama 

This senior is wrapping up his four years at 

San Luis Obispo High School as a scholar athlete and 

academic honor roll recipient, a College Board 

National Scholar, and an All-League soccer player. 

What extra-curricular activities are you involved in? I’m involved in track and field and the 

Associated Student Body at San Luis Obispo High School. 

What do you like to do for fun? I enjoy the life that is being a track athlete. It ranges widely 

from stretching and mobility, to strength work and mental resilience/awareness giving me 

plenty of areas of myself to explore and spend time developing. Outside of track, I enjoy 

listening to podcasts about the mind, body, and lifestyle habits. 

What is important to you outside of high school? Striving to organize myself on a day-today 

basis and develop a champion mindset through experimenting with habits and food to 

feel and be the best me. 

Where do you see yourself in ten years? I see myself as an accomplished athlete with 

multiple NCAA championship appearances and an Olympic trials on my resume. I’ll have 

my engineering degree and possibly be in graduate school working towards a position at a top 

university as professor or track coach. 

What has influenced you the most? The motivational speeches of Les Brown, Eric Thomas, 

David Goggins, Inky Johnson, and Tony Robbins. 

If you won $1 million, what would you do with it? I would initially give $250,000 to my 

family in Zambia as they could utilize it to help with transportation and it could provide 

more financial flexibility. Then I’d give some to my parents, brother, and sister. Finally, I would 

reinvest it in myself by spending a portion on a nutrition specialist and personal trainers in 

order to get the most out of my body while not damaging it for the long term. 

Do you have a career path in mind? I’m looking to eventually become a college professor or 

track coach as each profession is in an environment that I enjoy and appreciate; which is a 

position to teach others and pass on the information in my head, from my experiences, and 

my acquired knowledge. 

If you could meet anyone, who would it be? I would like to meet Jesse Owens or Carl Lewis 

as they are both people who I would really enjoy listening and learning from as they both 

demonstrated in their lives what focus, dedication, and striving for perfection can achieve. 

What is something that not many people know about you? I believe that many of the 

thoughts and emotions we have are like balls of energy in our mind that can be harnessed by 

taking action with our bodies. The action can range from athletic endeavors to everyday tasks. 

What are your plans for college? I’ll be attending Lehigh University where I’ve been 

admitted into their college of engineering and will be part of the track and field team. I’m 

looking forward to my freshman year track season in college as it is a new setting where I am 

starting fresh and have the opportunity to show who I am and what I can do. SLO LIFE 

Know a student On the Rise? 

Email us at info@slolifemagazine.com 


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| DWELLING 

TIMELESS 


DESIGN 

BY ZARA KHAN 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID LALUSH 


W 

hat is “timeless design” and is it really even achievable? I 

have to admit, I always thought it was a compelling marketing 

phrase for the building industry, but I wasn’t completely 

sold on the idea. After all, it is just a matter of time until 

the construction period looks dated with the arrival of new 

techniques and the innovation of materials. Touring the home 

of the late Ken Schwartz changed my mind. 

Schwartz was raised in South 

Central LA and was first exposed 

to architecture in high school 

where he had taken architectural 

drafting classes. He was eager 

to become an aeronautical 

engineer and while pursing that 

career, he took up a drafting 

job at Douglas Aircraft in El 

Segundo. Schwartz realized that 

aeronautical engineering wasn’t 

all that he thought it would be 

and decided to pivot and instead 

began studying architecture at >> 

In addition to being an 

interior designer, ZARA KHAN 

is also a shoe aficionado and 

horror movie enthusiast. 



the University of Southern California in 1944. It wasn’t 

long after that he received his draft notice. However, 

Schwartz contracted bronchiectasis and was sent home on 

medical discharge. Upon his return home, he continued his 

education and in 1946 married his high school sweetheart, 

Martha. In 1952 he found his way to San Luis Obispo 

when he received a recommendation from the USC dean of 

Architecture to take a teaching position at the brand-new 

Department of Architectural Engineering at Cal Poly. 

Schwartz was always into the big picture. He contemplated 

how a building should fit into the site, and also how 

it interacts with the neighborhood—taking all things 

into account. He didn’t always agree with how the city 

approached their planning and was told by SLO Mayor 

Waters: “If you don’t like things the way they are, you have 

to put up or shut up.” Their interaction spurred Schwartz’s 

service on the Planning Commission. 

While Schwartz made several contributions to the layout 

of our city—likely enough to fill the pages of a novel—the 

one I am most thankful for is Mission Plaza. It was a 

two-decade-long proposal where he insisted that the city 

close Monterey Street between Broad Street and Chorro 

Street and create a plaza for the community to enjoy. A lot 

of his opposition came from merchants who didn’t want to 

lose the valuable space. Three Cal Poly Students decided 

to make Mission Plaza their senior project and received a 

partial grant that was contingent on including an option >> 


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where Monterey Street remained open. When they failed 

to present the option, it was demanded they return the 

grant money they received (luckily a local attorney, George 

Andre, decided to represent them pro bono). That’s when 

Schwartz decided maybe it was time to run for mayor if 

that is what it would take to see this project through—so he 

did. And he won. 

Alongside his contributions to the city, Schwartz was 

inspiring students and building the foundation for the 

Architectural program at Cal Poly. He was instrumental 

in the evolution of implementing city planning and 

environmental design into the curriculum. In 1971, the 

School of Architecture became the School of Architecture 

and Environmental Design (SAED). When Schwartz 

retired from SAED in 1988, the program had grown from 

ninety-five students to 1,700, which was the largest in the 

US at the time. Schwartz valued travel and the inspiration 

that came with it and introduced an annual field trip to LA 

with his students. The field trip remain a favorite part of the 

curriculum for many students today. 

Schwartz’s eye for color and design didn’t stop with 

architecture, he was an all-around artist. He would sketch 

portraits, work on ceramics, and even paint with watercolor. 

His family enjoyed camping in their free time and wherever 

they went, Schwartz made it a point to pause and take in 

any new architecture in cities all along the way. He was 

always learning and finding inspiration. >> 


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Schwartz somehow still found time to build his own homes 

and express his take on design. I had the opportunity to 

speak with Ken and Martha’s daughter, Lorraine, and she 

shared that her father had a unique blend of vision and the 

drive to make the world better. Lorraine was in junior high 

when this home was being built and remembers helping 

with several aspects of the construction. From wiring the 

electrical and stapling insulation to painting and staining, 

all of the Schwartzes were involved. 

As I looked through the home, 

I recognized elements of his 

design that are still incorporated 

in projects today. Large windows, 

stain-grade base boards, flat panel 

cabinet doors, paneled accent 

walls, integrated built-ins, and 

subway tile shower walls—at 

least one, if not all, of these 

design elements is on the wish 

list for modern-day homeowners. 

The Schwartz home tour led me 

to a new theory: If you design 

with a style in mind, and stay 

true to that style, timeless design 

can be achieved. SLO LIFE 

DAVID LALUSH is an 

architectural photographer 

here in San Luis Obispo. 


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WWW.STALWORK.COM 

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SAN LUIS OBISPO CA 93406 

805.542.0033 

COMMERCIAL | RESIDENTIAL | INTERIORS | ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN | LANDSCAPE 


| SLO CITY 

REAL ESTATE 

BY THE NUMBERS 

laguna 

lake 

tank 

farm 

cal poly 

area 

country 

club 

down 

town 

foothill 

blvd 

johnson 

ave 

Total Homes Sold 

Average Asking Price 

Average Selling Price 

Sales Price as a % of Asking Price 

Average # of Days on the Market 































2020 

6 

$692,633 

$685,750 

99.01% 

44 

2020 

3 

$770,717 

$780,238 

101.24% 

36 

2020 

4 

$1,199,250 

$1,199,500 

100.02% 

10 

2020 

3 

$1,232,333 

$1,187,400 

96.35% 

67 

2020 

9 

$1,165,111 

$1,117,297 

95.90% 

23 

2020 

8 

$749,500 

$768,813 

102.58% 

37 

2020 

13 

$1,061,069 

$1,017,338 

95.88% 

36 

2021 

16 

$739,834 

$742,706 

100.39% 

24 


17 

$1,062,961 

$1,044,449 

98.26% 

58 


9 

$1,055,989 

$1,043,994 

98.86% 

56 


2 

$1,367,000 

$1,307,500 

95.65% 

26 


19 

$1,026,942 

$1,017,040 

99.04% 

41 


7 

$884,200 

$874,857 

98.94% 

24 


8 

$1,017,338 

$1,131,001 

111.17% 

67 

+/- 

166.67% 

6.81% 

8.31% 

1.38% 

-45.45% 

+/- 

466.67% 

37.92% 

33.86% 

99.10% 

61.11% 

+/- 

125.00% 

-11.95% 

-12.96% 

-1.16% 

460.00% 

+/- 

-33.33% 

10.93% 

10.11% 

-0.70% 

-61.19% 

+/- 

111.11% 

-11.86% 

-8.97% 

3.14% 

78.26% 

+/- 

-12.50% 

17.97% 

13.79% 

-3.64% 

-35.14% 

+/- 

-38.46% 

-4.12% 

11.17% 

15.29% 

86.11% 

*Comparing 01/01/20 - 03/17/20 to 01/01/21 - 03/17/21 

SOURCE: San Luis Obispo Association of REALTORS ® 



Get growing on your home purchase 

Let’s keep the conversation going. Contact us today. 

Donna Lewis 

Branch Manager & 

VP of Mortgage Lending 

O: (805) 335-8743 

C: (805) 235-0463 

donna.lewis@rate.com 

Ken Neate 


O: (805) 706-8074 

C: (925) 963-1015 

ken.neate@rate.com 

Maggie Koepsell 


O: (805) 335-8742 

C: (805) 674-6653 

maggie.koepsell@rate.com 

Ermina Karim 

Licensed Sales Assistant 

Dylan Morrow 


Elieen Mackenzie 


O: (805) 329-4095 

ermina.karim@rate.com 

O: (805) 335-8738 

C: (805) 550-9742 

dylan.morrow@rate.com 

O: (805) 212-5204 

C: (831) 566-9908 

eileen.mackenzie@rate.com 

Zoe Thompson 

Licensed Sales Assistant 

Luana Geradis 


Matthew Janetski 


O: (805) 335-8737 

zoe.thompson@rate.com 

O: (805) 329-4087 

C: (707) 227-9582 

luana.gerardis@rate.com 

O: (805) 329-4092 

matt.janetski@rate.com 

Joe Hutson 


O: (831) 205-1582 

C: (831) 212-4138 

joe.hutson@rate.com 

Rate.com/SanLuisObispo 

1065 Higuera St., Suite 100, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 

Applicant subject to credit and underwriting approval. Not all applicants will be approved for financing. Receipt of application does not represent an approval for financing or interest rate guarantee. Restrictions may apply, 

contact Guaranteed Rate for current rates and for more information. 

Donna Lewis NMLS #245945; CA - CA-DOC245945 | Dylan Morrow NMLS #1461481; CA - CA-DBO1461481 | Eileen Mackenzie NMLS #282909 | Joe Hutson NMLS #447536; CA - CA- 

DOC447536| Ken Neate NMLS ID #373607; CA - CA-DBO373607 | Luana Gerardis NMLS #1324563; CA - CA-DBO1324563 | Maggie Koepsell NMLS #704130; CA - CA-DBO704130 | Matthew Kanetski NMLS #1002317; CA 

- CA-DBO1002317 

Guaranteed Rate, Inc.; NMLS #2611; For licensing information visit nmlsconsumeraccess.org. • CA: Licensed by the Department of Business Oversight under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act 


Now 

is a great time 

to take advantage 

of low rates to 

refinance or 

purchase the 

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Contact me today to learn more. 

Ben Lerner 

(805) 441-9486 

| SLO COUNTY 

REAL ESTATE 

REGION 

Arroyo Grande 

Atascadero 

Avila Beach 

Cambria/San Simeon 

Cayucos 

Creston 

BY THE NUMBERS 

NUMBER OF 

HOMES SOLD 

2020 

61 

49 

3 

25 

22 

1 


57 

65 

5 

27 

13 

0 

AVERAGE DAYS 

ON MARKET 

2020 

62 

70 

29 

104 

199 

52 


57 

20 

63 

60 

52 

0 

MEDIAN SELLING 

PRICE 

2020 

$802,429 

$608,598 

$855,967 

$853,920 

$1,440,818 

$956,000 


$948,171 

$638,524 

$2,047,600 

$928,071 

$1,269,692 

N/A 

Grover Beach 

17 

28 

52 

18 

$546,500 

$658,496 

Los Osos 

24 

25 

39 

24 

$661,313 

$762,158 

Morro Bay 

21 

34 

65 

38 

$655,301 

$909,064 

Nipomo 

39 

55 

65 

41 

$681,595 

$794,685 

** 

Oceano 

14 

10 

91 

52 

$569,232 

$628,667 

Pismo Beach 

20 

26 

76 

60 

$832,445 

$1,175,435 

Senior Loan Advisor 

NMLS 395723 

ben.lerner@flagstar.com 

1212 Marsh St., Suite 1 

San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 

Paso (Inside City Limits) 

Paso (North 46 - East 101) 

Paso (North 46 - West 101) 

53 

10 

23 

82 

8 

33 

55 

93 

126 

36 

36 

70 

$522,265 

$876,800 

$644,889 

$541,686 

$617,306 

$916,091 

Paso (South 46 - East 101) 

12 

14 

53 

36 

$567,500 

$642,279 

San Luis Obispo 

65 

86 

52 

37 

$982,189 

$1,009,449 

Equal Housing Lender | Member FDIC 

** Top 200 Mortgage Originator | Mortgage Executive Magazine 

Santa Margarita 

Templeton 

3 

25 

7 

27 

196 

95 

69 

67 

$713,333 

$937,072 

$941,286 

$736,935 

Not a commitment to lend. Programs available only 

to qualifi ed borrowers. Subject to credit approval and 

underwriting terms and conditions. Programs subject 

to change 58 | without SLO LIFE notice. MAGAZINE Some restrictions | APR/MAY may 2021 apply. 

Countywide 

458 585 

*Comparing 01/01/20 - 3/17/20 to 01/01/21 - 03/17/21 

70 41 $738,564 $841,754 

SOURCE: San Luis Obispo Association of REALTORS ® 

SLO LIFE

TIMELESS DESIGN 

FOR A CHANGING 

WORLD 

PUGLISIDESIGN.COM | 805.595.1962 


| HEALTH 

When a 

Migraine 

Attacks 

A complete look into the mechanics of migraine 

and holistic remedies. 

BY LAUREN HARVEY 

T 

he pain starts in the left temple. A dull, constant 

pressure soon morphs into a sharp dagger that 

spreads behind the left eye. Soon, sunlight is 

unbearable. The exhaust fumes of a passing car 

are toxic. And every small noise like a hammer, 

knocking the migraine deeper. Sounds unbearable, 

right? 

For 12% of the American population, this scenario 

happens regularly. While there are manifold 

treatment options for a migraine, including 

preventative Botox treatments, there is no cure for 

a migraine. It’s accepted as an inevitable part of 

your life, if you’ve been diagnosed. 

Migraines are known as an 

“invisible illness” because there 

are no outward signs that 

someone may be experiencing 

one. Frequently, migraine 

sufferers are dismissed or 

invalidated because there are no 

outward physical signs of pain. 

To be sure, migraines are very 

real. Here, we’ll explore what a 

migraine entails, who is most 

likely to suffer from them, and 

holistic remedies for treatment 

and prevention. >> 

LAUREN HARVEY is a 

creative writer fueled by a 

love of cooking, adventure, 

and naps in the sun. 



you cough, move, or sneeze,” notes Medline Plus. Therefore, a dark 

quiet room is an ideal place to rest. 

After enduring prodrome, aura, and the migraine attack, it’s easy 

to see why in the fourth phase, postdrome, migraine sufferers 

often feel drained, exhausted, and confused for up to a day. 

From start to finish, the process of a migraine from prodrome to 

postdrome can last from three days up to a week. 

PREVENTATIVE MEASURES 

The most common migraine triggers, according to the American 

Migraine Foundation, include “. . . stress, changes in or an 

irregular sleep schedule, hormones, caffeine and alcohol, changes 

in the weather, diet, dehydration, light, smell and/or medication 

overuse.” Therefore, migraine triggers are a combination of 

elements within and out of our control. 

Tracking migraine attacks and suspected triggers can help manage 

the onset of migraines. Investing in self-care activities aimed to 

reduce and manage stress can be useful. Adhering to a regular 

sleep schedule, monitoring caffeine and alcohol consumption 

and keeping a log of the foods you eat can also be beneficial in 

identifying migraine triggers. 

WHAT IS A MIGRAINE? 

Migraines can affect anyone, but you are at greater risk “. . . if you are a woman, 

have a family history of migraines, or have other medical conditions such as 

depression, anxiety, bipolar disorders, sleep disorders, and epilepsy,” according 

to Medline Plus, a US National Library of Medicine publication. Becoming 

familiar with migraines and their symptoms may help differentiate between 

simple headaches and this painful “invisible illness.” A migraine entails four 

distinct phases, only one of which encompasses the actual migraine pain itself. 

The first phase of a migraine, known as prodrome, happens one to two days 

before the migraine hits. “You might notice subtle changes that warn of an 

upcoming attack, including constipation, mood changes (from depression 

to euphoria), food cravings, neck stiffness, increased thirst and frequent 

yawning,” notes the Mayo Clinic. If you are attuned to your common 

prodrome symptoms, you may be able to effectively prevent the migraine 

before it happens. 

If the prodrome symptoms aren’t enough to signal an oncoming attack, take 

note of the second phase of a migraine, known as aura. “Each [aura] symptom 

usually begins gradually, builds up over several minutes and lasts for 20-60 

minutes,” the Mayo Clinic explains. “Examples of migraine aura include 

visual phenomena, vision loss, pins and needles sensations in an arm or leg, 

weakness or numbness in the face or one side of the body, difficulty speaking, 

hearing noises or music, and uncontrollable jerking or other movements.” Some 

migraine sufferers experience flashing lights or zig-zag lines in the field of 

vision, which can be alarming if not associated as an aura symptom. 

The third phase of migraine is the most notorious—migraine attack. Migraine 

attacks can last anywhere from four to seventy-two hours, if left untreated. They 

are often debilitating, leaving the migraine sufferer incapable of performing 

day-to-day activities. In addition to the attack itself, “other symptoms include 

sensitivity to light, noise and odors, nausea, vomiting, and worsened pain when 

Even with rigorous prevention tactics, migraines are often 

unavoidable for most who are diagnosed. However, some 

prevention tactics have proved to significantly lower the severity 

and regularity of migraine attacks—and for sufferers, this small 

victory is a big win. 

Teshamae Monteith, MD, FAHS, notes three potentially useful 

supplements in preventing migraines: vitamin B2; Coenzyme 

Q10; and magnesium. Two of these supplements in particular, 

vitamin B2 and magnesium, performed well in initial studies, 

providing an affordable, accessible prevention plan. 

Vitamin B2, also called riboflavin, assists in the metabolization 

of fats and proteins. Though unclear of exactly how vitamin B2 

works neurologically in migraine relief, “It could be because 

some people who are deficient in it are more prone to migraine,” 

concludes Dr. Monteith. Certainly, the results of a study in 

the European Journal of Neurology, provides hopeful results for 

migraine sufferers. “Twenty-three people who took daily doses of 

400 mg of riboflavin (vitamin B2) for six months reported half 

the number of headaches per month—from four to two—and 

reduced their use of medicines from seven pills per month to 

four-and-a-half,” reports Dr. Monteith. 

Magnesium is an essential mineral in the body, regulating nerve 

function, blood sugar levels, and the creation of protein. Similar 

to vitamin B2, “People with migraines may have lower levels 

of magnesium than those who don’t have migraines,” says Dr. 

Monteith, suspecting this may be why magnesium proves so 

effective in migraine prevention. A study published in Cephalalgia 

revealed migraine attacks reduced in frequency by 41.6% in 

participants. “Those taking magnesium had fewer migraine days 

and took fewer drugs to treat symptoms,” says Dr. Monteith. 

Small changes in daily routine and diet may help to reduce the 

duration, frequency, and severity of migraine attacks. Primary care 

physicians may be able to recommend medical treatment that 

works preventatively for migraines. Consult your doctor before 

taking any new supplements. >> 


TEN OVER is on a mission to amplify local voices working to better our community. 

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HOLISTIC TREATMENT 

Though migraine treatments vary widely, one common thread seems to remain the same—the 

assertion that the best treatment for a migraine is prevention. In fact, once a migraine sets 

in, there is little one can do to stop it. Our best chance is to have an arsenal of symptomrelieving 

options at the ready. In the event of an attack, we can be prepared to fight back. 

For holistic remedies, dark room rest, drinking water, and eating well work best. A cold 

compress, hot shower, and aromatherapy with peppermint oil may also help. If you can handle 

the heat, a spoonful of ginger may provide some relief. 

According to a study published in Phytotherapy Research, “One hundred patients who had 

acute migraines were randomly assigned to be treated with either ginger powder or a 

prescription drug used to treat migraine. Two hours after taking either treatment, headache 

severity decreased significantly, but the side effects of ginger were less than those of the 

prescription drug.” Dr. Monteith recommends taking a quarter teaspoon of ginger powder 

mixed with water. 

The American Migraine Foundation provides a multitude of free resources for navigating life 

with migraines. There’s even an app, called Migraine Buddy, which allows sufferers to easily 

track attacks in all phases, along with what helped to relieve symptoms. 

A migraine effects everyone differently. If someone you care about suffers from migraines, 

sometimes what they need most is a dark room, quiet time, and your support. Because of its 

status as an “invisible illness” migraine sufferers are often invalidated in their pain. Standing 

by your loved one, and believing their pain can sometimes be the best thing to do. 

FINAL WORD 

Migraines affect 12% of Americans, and are often unavoidable. Holistic 

remedies provide prevention and treatment options. If someone you care for 

suffers from migraines, offer your support and a dark, quiet place to rest their 

aching head. SLO LIFE

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BEHAVIORS 

Are you are living with a loved 

one who has a hearing problem? 

Peter A. Lucier 

Hearing Instrument Specialist 

Whose problem is the hearing loss? People with hearing loss sometimes forget that their issues affect everyone 

around them. In some cases, many tasks are taken on by the “significant others” who assume the role of 

translator when communicating with family members, healthcare providers, accountants, mechanics, and 

countless others. 

1. Speaking Louder 

As practitioners know, louder is not always clearer, nor does it 

always solve hearing challenges. The poor choice of not wearing 

hearing aids is one that affects family and friends and not just the 

hearing-impaired person. 

2. Becoming the Messenger 

Out of love, compassion, and instinct to help anyone in need, family 

members often repeat and interpret what their loved ones miss. In 

the early stages of hearing loss, this is common and helpful, but it 

can eventually become a daunting task and lead to co- dependence 

in family dynamics. This can in-turn lead to ill-gotten emotions, 

feelings, and actions by everyone including anger, anxiety, 

avoidance, defensiveness, or depression. 

3. Preventing Isolation 

Data show that the mere process of aging can often result in social 

isolation. Add hearing issues to the mix, and those with untreated 

loss pose higher risks for finding themselves in a dark corner. They 

may feel abandoned by the family, ignored by friends, and excluded 

from activities, all because they cannot hear well enough in these 

social situations. 

4. Overcoming Resistance 

There comes a time when untreated hearing loss 

usually reaches a tipping point. In a true codependent 

relationship where a husband refuses 

help and the wife enjoys being his “ears,” we know 

she is doing him a disservice. If her behavior 

persists, he will progressively lose his independence 

and grow to depend on her even more. Change 

happens when the wife finally asks: “Whose problem 

is this anyway?” She must become confident enough, 

and her husband must grow strong enough, to look 

each other in the eye and admit it is time for change. 

5. Seeking Inspiration or Begging for Treatment 

We practitioners know that it often takes years of 

coaxing and nagging for one spouse to convince 

the other to get help. Once patients and significant 

other are in the office for an evaluation, the spouse 

may well become a positive force when they see the 

benefits of hearing aids, because in a relationship 

both people have a hearing problem. 

Peter A. Lucier, has been a practicing Hearing Instrument Specialists for 22 years. 

If you would like more information, please contact us today for an appointment. 


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| TASTE 

Rogue Pizza 

BY JAIME LEWIS 

Iinvented this term to describe pizza made and shared via non-traditional 

channels. While everyone loves a good pizzeria, rogue pizza asks us to search in 

unconventional places to pick up our pies—backyards, bakeries, and commercial 

kitchens. Often, the people making them are accomplished chefs. But when COVID 

forced the shutdown and slowdown of business as usual, they had to get creative. 

So why pizza? When I posed this question to the three pizzaioli I interviewed for this story, each 

answered with some version of the same thing: because pizza is sturdy, portable, delicious, and 

economical for both the cook and the customer. 

Come along with me on a journey through SLO County’s secret pickup pizzaland, where the 

cheese is hot, the toppings are fresh, and you never ever have to wait in line. >> 

JAIME LEWIS writes about 

food, drink, and the good 

life from her home in San 

Luis Obispo. Find her on 

Instagram/Twitter @jaimeclewis. 


DI Y Woodfire 

Kean McCabe was working on the line at Ember in Arroyo 

Grande and at the Morro Bay Oyster Company right before 

COVID hit. When both businesses went into a holding 

pattern, he took the opportunity to launch Earth & Oven, his 

private pizza catering business in Los Osos. 

McCabe and his father built his oven together based on 

Native American construction, with mud and hay, which 

cures rock-hard on the inside from the heat of wood burning. 

Earth & Oven began as a pizza pickup cottage industry, but 

due to regulations, McCabe now bills himself as a caterer 

with a particular knack for woodfired pizza parties. Because I 

have the best job in the world, I get to nab one of McCabe’s 

pizzas he made for one of those parties: BBQ chicken with 

homemade hoisin BBQ sauce, red onion, cilantro aioli, and 

avocado—a daring selection of toppings. The crust is thin 

and a little crispy around the edge, but the center is soft and 

pliable, which McCabe calls “flatbread style.” 

“The oven sets me apart,” he says. “Engineering a vessel that 

you can serve food from really connects you with your craft, 

with what you produce.” >> 


The Pickup Powerhouse 

“Making pizza is not new to me,” says Tim Veatch, the highenergy 

chef behind Wayward Baking Co., also in Los Osos. 

“I’ve been working with pizza, woodfired or otherwise, for the 

duration of my career.” 

Veatch’s career is storied, that’s for sure, with stints in fine 

dining in the Bay Area as well as executive chef gigs across SLO 

County. But even before COVID hit, Veatch left the line for 

baking bread and pastries. Eventually, he offered these to the 

public through pickup locations around the county and, later, 

from his own bakery storefront in Los Osos. The irony, of course, 

is that he never really opened the bakery to the public; it’s just a 

commercial kitchen and pickup spot. 

And now, Veatch is coming around full circle to pizza again. I 

visit on his first pizza pickup night, and he’s already nearly sold 

out. My pie of choice is the asparagus and pistachio pizza, made 

with a mixture of high-gluten flour dough and garlicky white 

sauce—but the types of pies change every week. He calls his 

style “Neo-Neapolitan,” with a crust that’s soft in the middle but 

sturdier around the edges than a true Neapolitan pizza, in part 

due to the fact that he’s baking in a gas oven instead of a woodburning 

one. The crust has a pleasing chew, and the flavors of the 

cheese and toppings are subtle and refined. >> 


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Professor of Pizza 

Ben Arrona has never been to Detroit, but you’d never know that 

from eating the Detroit-style pizza he sells most Tuesdays from 

his commercial kitchen in SLO. With a two-inch crust that’s piled 

high with toppings, each Benny’s Kitchen pizza weighs nearly 

seven pounds. Just don’t expect anything exotic. 

“I do red sauce and standard toppings,” he says. “No white sauce, 

no pesto, no artichoke hearts.” I ask him to make mine however he 

wants and he gives me the works: pepperoni, sausage, onion, olives, 

and a healthy dose of jalapenos. It is delicious. 

But making pizzas is a detour for Arrona; while finishing his PhD 

in Global and Imperial History at Oxford University in England, 

COVID sent him back to SLO, his hometown. 

“I started running Benny’s out of necessity after COVID hit,” 

he says, describing how he leased his kitchen last fall after 

making Detroit-style pizza for friends for years. All orders and 

communication happen via a private Facebook group (which just 

passed 4,000 members) wherein customers choose a pickup time. 

On Tuesday evenings, the Benny’s Kitchen sees one hundred 

people come in for their pies. And on Thursdays, Arrona can 

be found selling his vacuum-sealed, par-baked pizzas at Liquid 

Gravity in Paso Robles. 

In the meantime, he sublets the kitchen to local caterers. “I work 

two thirteen-hour days a week on pizza. Otherwise, I’m writing my 

dissertation and teaching and trying to live my life.” SLO LIFE 


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| WINE NOTES 

new to town 

BY ANDRIA MCGHEE 

R 

people. 


eaching out to others has 

become vital these days. 

Since spring of last year, 

neighbors have been getting 

to know each other as 

our lives have shifted to 

being more at home. It’s a 

primal need to connect to 

other humans. It keeps us 

balanced. Even the introverts 

are screaming hellos across 

the road to one another. 

When you’re new to a 

neighborhood during a 

pandemic, it’s hard to meet 

These wineries are the 

hip new kids in town waiting 

to meet everyone. They’ve 

already spent years growing 

grapes and making wine and 

now they are ready to debut 

them. This was not the year 

they expected and they have 

found themselves hunkered 

down like the rest of the 

world with a bunch of wine in 

their lap. So read up on them, 

check out their website, and 

give them a call to set up a 

wine tasting. They can’t wait 

to meet you. >> 

ANDRIA MCGHEE received 

her advanced degree in 

wines and spirits from 

WSET in London and enjoys 

travel, food, wine, and 

exercise as a means to enjoy 

those around her.

PEACE. COMFORT. HEALING. 

Join our online Christian Science Church Services 

on Zoom at 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6596623579 

Email us below if you would like the link. 

Sunday Services 

Join us on Sundays at 10 am. 

Wednesday Testimony Meeting 

Hear others share insights, 

experiences, and healings they’ve had through 

their prayer and practice of Christian Science. 

Join us on Wednesdays at 7 pm. 

First Church of Christ, Scientist 

1326 Garden Street, San Luis Obispo 

805-543-5853 

christiansciencechurchslo@gmail.com 

3076 Duncane Lane . San Luis Obispo 

805 549 0100 

Re-Imagine Retreat 

www.GardensbyGabriel.com 805-215-0511 lic.# 887028 


Timshel Vineyards // Vinho Verde // $20 

Greg and Becca Thompson had always loved wine and 

learned more as they traveled. Two of their children studied 

viticulture and so they decided to combine their love of wine 

with their children’s talent and start a winery. Their son, Nate 

Thompson happily took the job as winemaker. 

The quality of the wine shows his attentiveness. Nate worked 

with many winemakers as well as growers. He has learned 

that a combined close eye on the grapes in the field, as well 

as a true winemaking approach in the cellar, works well. He 

uses organic farming practices that are shown to produce high 

quality wines. In the cellar of local favorite Filipponi Ranch 

he tries to intervene as little as possible using low sulfur and 

low pH for people sensitive to sulfites. With Taco Temple 

nearby, a little taco and wine tasting is an easy pairing. 

Though I loved his Syrah and Rose, the Vinho Verde 

intrigued me. I enjoy trying different white wine varieties. 

It’s noncommittal, you haven’t spent an arm and a leg on 

the bottle, and you’re left with bright, great flavors and 

fresh tastes. New flavors open up a world before your eyes. 

My favorite are the flavors of green. This Portugese grape 

says green right in its name. It’s the freshest version of 

hiking in a forest, or maybe on the coast with a little unripe 

peach, and perhaps pineapple. Very well balanced. As all 

the wines are, it was a treat. Find their offerings at many 

restaurants and from their winery. Reach out for a taste. I 

think you’ll like your new neighbors. 

RagTag Winery // Pinot Noir // $56 

When you walk in the charming square in downtown Paso Robles you can try 

many of the local wines and grab a bite to eat without having to spend time 

driving around all day. Brother and sister team Jeff Huskey and Sarah Brewer 

want to bring the same feel to downtown San Luis Obispo, hopefully opening 

this spring. 

Huskey has been working in wineries since he was a student at Cal Poly. His 

sister, Brewer, a business brain, thought he was talented and put the idea out 

there to start a winery together someday. Huskey wanted to be sure of his 

abilities before embarking on his own, so he spent time working with Patrick 

Muran at Niner Wine Estates and Chuck Mulligan at Harmony Cellars, before 

finally deciding to go for it in 2017. 

This is a rag tag bunch. They have collected a group of people with diverse 

talents, ideas, and backgrounds to make this winery. Their goal is to produce the 

best wine experience they can. It shows. If the same quality that goes into their 

website and wine goes into their tasting room downtown, it should be fantastic. 

I gravitated toward the Pinot Noir because the grapes from Greengate vineyard 

they use consistently make great pinot noir. Rag Tag just hit it out of the park. 

It may be a little steep in price but save your pennies, and you’ll be surprised 

with tastes of raspberry and cherry with a finish as long as the waves out in 

Pismo. Keep an eye out for the winery to open soon downtown across the street 

from The Creeky Tiki. Check their website, or give them a call. 

Our local community has a great way of connecting with each other. Extend 

yourself to some new wineries and let’s bring these makers into our warm 

sunny embrace. You’ll be happy you did. SLO LIFE 


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| BREW 

Sip 

& Mix 

BY BRANT MYERS 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JENNIFER OLSON 

recently had a virtual sit down with Abe Stevens, 

the founder, owner, chief mop operator, and more 

importantly, the distiller at the Humboldt Distillery in 

Fortuna. We chatted about the health of California’s 

waterways, the versatility of sugar cane, carrot juice 

bloody mary recipes, and why I like traditional rum 

and colas so much. Stevens’ team sent me four bottles 

of their flagship spirits, so I sat down with my flock 

of Glencairn glasses as we walked through the history Iof distilleries in America and how his philosophy has shaped his 

business model and is reflected in every bottle. Readers, please note 

that I will do most anything for free alcohol, including waking up at 

six in the morning to write an article after drinking straight hooch 

for nearly two hours the day before. 

As you’ve likely gleaned, Humboldt Distillery is located in Humboldt 

County, a place notorious for one thing: Humboldt fog, an amazingly 

creamy blue cheese. But we’re not here to talk about cheese. Maybe 

go back a few pages and ask Jamie Lewis. Anyway, where were we? 

Yes, Humboldt County where Stevens has a family history going 

back five generations. He left there for college in Chicago where 

he received degrees in chemistry and biochemistry before pursuing 

a career in the pharmaceutical industry. So, if there’s anyone well 

qualified to make a mean Painkiller it would be Stevens. He bounced 

around various professions and eventually landed back on the lost 

coast. Like most hobbyists in the alcohol game, he dreamed of doing 

it professionally and that’s how Humboldt Distillery was born. 

After chatting for some time, I was really impressed with Stevens’ philosophy 

on sustainability, especially when it comes to preserving fresh and salt 

water health. Being located between both, and utilizing their water from 

old growth redwood forest watersheds, the distillery is eco-conscious in 

their footprint while serving the community through the sourcing of local 

ingredients and setting aside proceeds from each bottle sold to the California 

Coastkeeper Alliance. I like that, it’s the same coastline we have here in SLO 

County. I also like their bottle art, a lot. At first glance, I assumed it was just 

a nod to their coastal location but the vibrant crab and pelican labels take on 

a new meaning when you attach it to their conservation efforts. They want 

to be clear, there is no crab in their vodka. I had a lobster saison once and 

suggested he add crab sometime. I think there was an issue with our phone 

connection, as it went silent for a bit afterwards. 

I went through tasting two base spirits with 

a variant of each. The first was their flagship 

vodka made from organic certified sugar cane, 

this neutral spirit has taken home many medals 

including the Bartender Spirits Award Double 

Gold and Vodka of the Year. I’ve gone through 

a few vodka tastings in my career and this was 

about as clean and neutral as they come. A great 

compliment to any cocktail, or sipped casually 

while wearing a fur coat in an ice bar, it was 

smooth and didn’t have a lingering aftertaste I’m 

accustomed to, a character that Stevens notes 

comes from using sugar cane as opposed to >> 

BRANT MYERS is a beer 

industry veteran and 

founder of SLO BIIIG, a 

hospitality consulting firm. 


CONSUMED 

A PODCAST 

Join SLO Life food columnist 

Jaime Lewis for candid 

conversations about life 

and flavor with area eaters, 

drinkers, thinkers & makers. 

SPOTIFY 

APPLE PODCASTS 

LETSGETCONSUMED.COM 


Next up, we tackle the rums, with the Original being 

a small-batch 80 proof Gold Rum and the Spiced 

Rum being an adjunct-based variation of the Original. 

Humboldt is known for growing lots of things and, 

unfortunately, sugar cane is not one, but they do source 

it domestically from farms and mills in Florida and the 

southern US. I was curious what form it arrives in and 

was informed they get it as raw evaporated cane juice, a 

product reminiscent of a popular brown sugar packet you 

might find in a coffee shop, and the black plasma that is 

pure molasses. Aged in American White Oak formerly 

one-use bourbon barrels from Kentucky, the char inside 

the barrel is what gives this rum its golden coloration. 

I tried using the spiced rum in my afternoon rum and 

cola but didn’t like it one bit. Funny though, because 

sipping it neat I rather enjoyed the flavors. Finally able 

to ask a professional the reason for this, Stevens ably 

explained that the more common pirate-themed rums 

rely heavily on artificial sweeteners and the cost effective 

use of imitation vanilla. Well, thanks for ruining it for 

me, but I guess ignorance is bliss. Since then, I’ve been 

experimenting with the two rums into both traditional 

and more innovative cocktails. If you’re feeling thirsty, 

try my recipe for a Bee’s Knees: 

BEE’S 

KNEES 

3 parts Original Gold Rum 

1 part orange juice 

1 part lime juice 

1 jigger triple sec 

Shake and strain into a fancy glass 

the common grains used in most vodkas. I next tasted Humboldt’s Finest, a hemp 

infused botanical spirit, that we most definitely can not legally call a gin as it relies 

less on juniper berries and more on the aromatic terpenes of hemp. Hey, a beer term! 

Terpenes are volatile oils found naturally in many foods and plants. This particular 

one is myrcene, which is found in hops and is responsible for the peppery, spicy, 

balsam fragrance in beer. I’m picking up a distinct raw carrot aroma and Stevens 

confirms this then immediately tells me about making a carrot juice bloody mary. I’m 

intrigued. If you are too, try this: 

CARROT JUICE 

BLOODY MARY 

2 ounces Humboldt’s Finest 

4 ounces carrot juice 

2 tsp horseradish 

2 dashes hot sauce 

2 dashes Worcestershire sauce 

1 pinch each celery salt and black pepper 

Squeeze of lemon 

I ended my conversation with Stevens asking about 

future plans for the distillery and what trends he sees 

in the future of distilled spirits. Humboldt Distillery is 

hoping to double production in 2021 with over twelve 

thousand cases projected. He will continue to protect 

the water, which is so vital to his operations through 

continued sourcing of local ingredients, adherence to his 

organic distilling process, and use of organic certified 

sugar cane and spices. He really threw me a curveball 

when I asked where spirits were 

headed and he waxed on about 

brandy, specifically apple brandy, 

making a resurgence like its 

1821. He gets to experiment in 

his facility and some of these get 

to be enjoyed by locals, so maybe 

we’ll be seeing his apple brandy 

on shelves soon. But in the 

meantime, be on the lookout for 

bold woodcut designs of crabs 

and pelicans next time you’re in 

the liquor aisle. So, let’s raise a 

glass to the towering redwoods 

and toast to the health of our 

coastlines, and to ourselves. 

Cheers! 


JENNIFER OLSON is a 

food, portrait, and lifestyle 

photographer based in San 

Luis Obispo County with her 

husband and two sons. 


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| HAPPENINGS 

Culture & Events 

CaliforniaAesthetic3D 

A celebration of the California spirit through 

sculpture, CA3D features work created with 

elements of wood, stone, metal, and glass— 

earthly materials that yield to an unearthly 

aesthetic captured through frozen emotion. 

Curated by wood sculptor Ken Wilbanks and 

glass artist Stephanie Wilbanks, the exhibit 

features California sculptors Carl Berney, 

Peter Charles, Mecki Heussen, George 

Jercich, Ron Roundy, and Ken Wilbanks. 

Through May 3 // studiosonthepark.org 

Broken Nature 

The Morro Bay Art Association hosts a 

mixed-media exhibit celebrating Earth Day 

April 22 and encouraging artistic expression 

in textile, encaustic, oil, watercolor, acrylic, 

photography, and other media. The free event 

asks “Can we mend the divides in our broken 

society or find strategies to unbreak the cycle 

to heal ourselves and the planet?” and seeks to 

illustrate living sustainably within the earth’s 

finite resources. 

April 8 - May 24 // artcentermorrobay.org 

Mid-State Fair Market 

The Paso Robles Event Center is 

hosting a new monthly outdoor 

shopping experience. Located in the 

Oak Tree Lot on Riverside Avenue at 

the Event Center, each day represents 

an opportunity to find antiques, new 

and used treasures, and handmade crafts 

from local artisans. Find apparel, beauty 

products, and more for home, garden, or 

kitchen. Best of all, it’s free. 

April 16 & May 14 // midstatefair.com 

Design Village 2021 

Cal Poly’s College of Architecture and 

Environmental Design hosts its annual daylong 

competition encouraging students to 

“learn by doing.” This year titled “Perspective,” 

the virtual event is free for all to go online 

and enjoy digitally-designed structures 

created by students to be built in Poly 

Canyon. You can vote on the People’s Choice 

award, follow the judging, and at the end of 

the day watch the final awards ceremony. 

April 17 // events.calpoly.edu 

Brew at the Zoo 

This annual event has transformed 

into “Brew at the Zoo At-Home 

Fest.” Purchase tickets online and 

receive a fourteen-pack of craft beer 

from California and Oregon brewers 

delivered to your front door no later 

than two days before the event. Then 

you’ll receive a link so you can tunein 

to experience live behind-thescenes 

animal tours with experienced 

zookeepers, enjoy fun facts from your 

brewmasters, and listen to tunes from 

some of your favorite local bands. 

April 24 // charlespaddockzoo.org 

The May Flower Initiative 2021 

Downtown SLO presents the second 

round of its successful public art project, 

The May Flower Initiative, launched last 

year during the COVID shutdown. It’s 

back this year to brighten downtown San 

Luis Obispo with colorful floral designs 

painted on vacant storefront windows. 

New for 2021: creative place-making and 

expanded décor. 

April 29-May 31 // downtownSLO.com 

Wine 4 Paws 

For the thirteenth year in a row, more than 

fifty SLO County businesses will donate a 

percentage of their sales to Woods Humane 

Society the second weekend in April. Pick your 

option: ordering from home or venturing out 

safely with a reservation and mask in hand. 

No tickets needed—just support one of the 

participating wineries or retailers, and you’ll be 

helping homeless pets, “One glass at a time.” 


Modeling Central Coast Railroads 

Fiesta in a Bottle 

Kick off your summer in Avila Beach 

on Memorial Day weekend at the ninth 

annual Tequila Festival at Avila Beach 

Golf Resort. Featuring live music, 

tequila tastings, food for purchase, and 

free parking, a portion of ticket sales 

benefits The Rossi Foundation. Check 

out the optional VIP seminar hosted by 

Cantera Negra. 

April 10-11 // woodshumanesociety.org 

Michael Burrell explores the hobby and 

craft of modeling Central Coast railroads 

using photos, video, and audio commentary 

in this hour-long virtual event sponsored by 

the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum. 

April 24 // slorrm.com 

May 29 // eventbrite.com SLO LIFE


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