Avila Beach News€¦ · Avila Beach News I n the age of convenience, ... the unincorporated San...

APRIL 2017

Avila Beach News

In the age of convenience, custom-er satisfaction may no longer be enough to ensure return business.

Companies are seeing a growing need to engage their clientele in order to produce a deeper emotional connec-tion that, in turn, results in the in-valuable commodity of customer loy-alty. Highway 1 Discovery Route and the unincorporated San Luis Obispo County Tourism Business Improve-ment District (TBID) have created and maintained the award winning Stewardship Travel Program (STP) in an attempt to merge sustainability, environmentalism and customer en-gagement.

Established in 2013, STP involves businesses from Ragged Point to as far South as Nipomo and offers 70 activities to engage tourists and locals alike. Activities range from aiding in the restoration of trails in Montaña de Oro, volunteer to work at the Ni-pomo Native Garden, or pick up de-bris at the Cayucos or Avila beaches.

Not all the activities involve labor, for instance, there are hikes, tours and museums on the list and even a wine tasting event. However, each activity is designed to highlight the beauty and uniqueness of the Central Coast with hopes that visitors will establish that elusive deeper connection.

Katie Sturtevant, co-director of STP, has seen an increase of return customers since the conception of the program. “It’s been working re-ally well for us. It gets them to them to connect, care and gives them a way to give back to the area, which we have found, makes them want to come back,” said Sturtevant. “They are just more deeply connected to the area that they are traveling to.”

Not only does customer engagement show an increase in future spending, trends indicate Millennials are more inclined to actively search out des-tinations that are environmental re-sponsible and offer opportunities in land preservation and rehabilitation.

“We’re fi nding that more and more travelers want to spend more money on an area that they know is being preserved and that they can be a hand in preserving,” Sturtevant said.

The Avila Beach Tourism Alliance (ABTA) has recently revamped one of its contributions to ecotourism. The Avila Beach Cleanup Kit and Appre-ciation Tote Bag has received a new look with signage that will be posted around the beach town to promote the activity. Award winning graphic artist Reilly Newman was employed to cre-ate the new look.

The ABTA invites “active visitors” to use a kit to pick up 10 pieces of trash and post a picture of their accom-plishment on a social website (Face-book, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) with #VisitAvilaBeach in order to receive an exclusive T-shirt and to be entered into a monthly drawing.

“You would not believe how many people jump at the opportunity to

pick up trash,” said Chris King, gen-eral manager of the Avila Beach Inn. “It’s pretty amazing.” The Avila pro-gram is unique in that it not has the potential to build engagement, but with the requirement of digital post-ing, it gives the activity an extra boost to grow organically.

ABTA kits contain gloves, a collec-tion bag and a marine debris check-list. The kits are currently available at Central Coast Aquarium, Avila Vil-lage Inn, Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort, and San Luis Bay Inn upon request.

The Discovery Route recently re-ceived the Visit California Poppy Award under the award’s “Commit-ment to Community” category.

For more information, visit; www.Highway1DiscoveryRoute.com or www.visitavilabeach.com.

Using Ecotourism to Engage CustomersBy Mark A. Diaz

Brunch on Wheels recently rolled into the Avila Beach Resort with food trucks, adult beverages, lawn games and more. See more photos on page 8.Photo by www.centralcoastpictures.com

2 • April, 2017 • visitavilabeach.com

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Avila Beach NewsAvila Beach NewsGet your Egg on

in Avila

The Avila Beach Civic Associa-tion and the San Luis Yacht Club are holding their an-

nual Easter Festival for all of the area children on Saturday, April 8, from 10 a.m. -11:30 a.m. at the Avila Beach Community Center, 191 San Miguel Street. There will be snacks for all and the children will be able to color eggs, make an Easter bag at the craft table, and hunt for Easter eggs around the Community Center. There will also be a bounce house sponsored by Joan Gellert-Sargen.

For more info or if you want to get involved, call 805-627-1997 or email [email protected]. Don’t miss this fun family-oriented free event.

Spring is here, which means it’s time for throwing memorable celebrations for friends and family. Whether you are host-

ing an Easter brunch or attending a spring picnic, you can make these oc-casions unforgettable with a few fun and festive additions.

Egg HuntNo Easter celebration is complete

without an egg decorating station for children and the young at heart. Stock up on a variety of paints, glitter, dye, stencils, and textured fabric, and let imaginations run wild.

Plan for your Easter egg hunt to take place outdoors, but have an in-door back-up in case the weather does not cooperate. Make sure to take all the ages of participants into account when deciding where to hide eggs!

Sweet TreatsAnyone with a sweet tooth knows

that Easter and delicious treats go hand in hand, so pay extra attention to this essential element of your party. A candy buffet invites guests to try an assortment of treats. To satisfy every-one’s taste buds, offer milk and dark chocolates, lollypops, springtime truf-fl es and sour bunnies.

Stick with go-to candy makers like See’s Candies, which uses high-qual-ity ingredients and is one of the few remaining candy makers that ages its chocolate -- a process that imparts a smoother, mellower fl avor and el-

evates the overall taste experience, making it a great option for Easter entertaining.

Spruce UpTake an opportunity to spring clean

your home before your gathering. A new season and knowing guests will be coming over can be great motiva-tors for sprucing up your home.

For décor, gather fl owers to create colorful centerpieces, including tulips and Easter lilies. Use brightly colored tablecloths and runners, scattering confetti and small sweet treats on tables for a special touch.

Easter BasketWhether crafting Easter baskets or

looking for a gift to take to your host, candy is always a great choice. No matter what your basket or gift bud-get is, treats can be found in a vari-ety of sizes and price ranges -- from hand-decorated Rocky Road Eggs to chocolate bunnies and Strawberry Cream Lollypops. For more Easter inspiration, visit Sees.com or their Instagram page.

With a few sweet twists, you can spring into Easter with fl air this year. (StatePoint)

Fun, Festive Ideas to Sweeten Easter Celebrations

visitavilabeach.com • April, 2017 • 3

Greetings, fellow Avilones. I hardly know where to begin! Since I last wrote, so much has

come across my desk that the keys on my keyboard are smokin’ as I type. First, let me close the loop on my Feb-ruary trip through the Panama Canal, as promised in the March edition of the Avila Community News. Though I was skeptical of taking the cruise when initially suggested by my wife, I must say the experience was well worth it. Watching, and then being onboard one of several ships queued up for journey through the Canal made the trip a winner – one that I recommend for everyone. Consider-ing when this engineering marvel was built (more than 100 years ago), the politics, the number or workers involved, and lives lost, it is a truly amazing operation.

The bigger local happening, how-ever, was the long-awaited unveil-ing and community celebration of the new public art installed on the Avila Beach lifeguard towers. A proj-ect delayed by weather and illness fi nally came to fruition on a day call-ing for more rain. It was February 18 and meant to happen after all. The rain eased up, the clouds parted, the winds subsided and the air warmed, just as roughly 100 people arrived at the beach to cheer the new public art

display. With bullhorn in hand, artist Colleen Gnos provided the crowd with a pleasing description of the art, its meaning and place in Avila’s history. Nothing but praise has come our way, both to the Foundation for initiating the project and to Colleen for so well capturing the spirit of Avila.

Earlier that same day we hosted a gathering for about 50-60 people representing the partnerships and parties involved in the project. There was so much positive energy fl owing that during the recognition portion of the presentation County Supervi-sor Adam Hill stood up and pledged $5,000 in matching funds toward a second round of Avila Beach pub-lic art, followed immediately by a pledge of $2,000 from Sara and Boyd Horne. Suffi ce it to say, the “Founda-tion” will use that energy to launch a community-wide campaign to secure other matching pledges and dona-tions so we can continue the art ini-tiative. Our thanks again go to fund-ing partners Chevron, PG&E and the Sara Horne Art Fund. Likewise our gratitude to project partners ARTS Obispo and Port San Luis Harbor Dis-trict. And, of course, applause to artist Colleen Gnos and her crew! Please be sure to visit our website, www.avila-beachfoundation.org, and complete the future public art survey. It will

only take a minute or two and will be extremely helpful to our quest.

Under the category of “you never know where a conversation might lead,” the Foundation has to express its delight in an event we sponsored as part of this year’s San Luis Obispo Film Festival. When asked by Film Festival Director Wendy Eidson dur-ing our 2016 open grant application period for ideas I thought might be embraced by our board of directors, I casually suggested something along the lines of a video depicting Avila’s rich history might blend well with a future Avila history storytelling event that has been percolating in my mind. Wendy ran with that idea, found and hired a Cal Poly fi lmmaking student – Grace Tucker – willing to give it a go. So, on Sunday, March 19t at the Fre-mont Theatre the short fi lm “The Sto-ried Past of Avila Beach” was screened in front of a crowd of at least 300 peo-ple (largely comprised of Avilones) – and followed by a discussion panel of longtime Avila residents who shared experiences and answered questions from the audience. Personally, I feel that Grace did a wonderful job on producing the video, and panelists Archie McLaren, Betty Woody, Jack San Filippo, Rob Rossi and Pete Kelly provided some very entertaining and educational stories from their pasts.

Stay tuned for information about a follow-up event.

Reporting on odds & ends, have you seen the garden and welcome sign area at the entrance to Avila Beach? After a wet season and explosion of weeds, the Foundation granted a re-quest from Julie Andrews Scott for money to purchase and spread deco-rative and weed-arresting landscape products on the corner. Thanks to Julie, Betty Woody and others in the crew, the overgrowth was removed, landscape products were installed, and now we once again have a lovely entrance. Well done. The crew plans on gathering monthly to keep the area beautiful. If you want to help, let me know and I’ll put you in touch Julie. Have you heard about the upcoming guided walk along the Bob Jones Trail scheduled for April 17 ? Visit the SLO County Recreation and Parks website for details. Also, CAL Fire Battalion Chief Paul Lee reminds everyone that with the recent change in time, it’s a good idea to place new batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon mon-oxide detectors. Once again I’ve used up all my allotted space, so that’s it for now, fellow Avilones. See you at the beach!

Avila Beach NewsAvila Beach NewsFoundation News and Views

By Rick Cohen – Avila Beach Community Foundation

Simply Clear Marketing and Media Team

Bret Colhouerpublisher

[email protected]

Theresa-Marie Wilsonmanaging editor

[email protected]

Michelle Johnsonart director

Christy Serpaeditorial design

ADVERTISING

Jessica Micklussales manager

[email protected]

Dana McGrawsenior advertising executive

[email protected]

Zorina Riccicoast news advertising executive

[email protected]

Carrie Vickermanbay news advertising executive

[email protected]

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Mary Foppiano“View From the Beach”

Rick Cohen“Foundation News & Views

John Salisbury“Avila Valley Grapevine”

Gregory J. Baker“Financial Education & Tips”

Hal Sweasey“Real Estate”

Jack San Filippo“Point SLO Lighthouse”

This is a publication of SCMM., Copyright 2007–2017 all rights re-served. One free copy per person. Additional copies can be obtained at our offi ces 615 Clarion Court, #2, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93401.

Tolosa Press makes every reasonable effort to ensure the accuracy of its contents. Please notify us if information is incorrect.

phone (805) 543-6397 | fax (805) 772-4625615 Clarion Ct., #2, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

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Hi All – Spring is fi nally here and, hopefully, the rains will come in more moderation. After all, the May fl owers don’t need to drown because of April showers. I have been spring cleaning around my offi ce and my home to dispose of a lot of things that I kept “hidden” in closets, fi le cabinets, shelving units, under my desk, whatever worked. I now have to make a major change and give up my totally out-of-date computer for a slick new one. However, because I am so computer phobic and all new computers come with Windows 10, I am having a classic shell installed so that I can continue to use Win-dows 7. I realize that this is a cop-out but, after three days trying to use Windows 10 a few months ago, I must admit my shortcoming, and that the computer and I are not one. If it wasn’t for my good friend, I would continue to use my relic for another seven years. I fi nd it amaz-ing how much you have to know in order to even purchase a new com-puter, and don’t get me started on a new iPhone. I am sure that everyone has noticed how smart our toddlers are now and that they can do many things with their iPads but, since there are child labor laws, I don’t think that I can hire one to program my computer or TV or DVD player. I think you get my point. Well, at least I am able to write my column on my old computer before turning it in, and hope that I am able to success-fully use my new computer before I have to write next month’s column. Wish me luck!

Easter Festival – The Avila Beach Civic Association and the San Luis Yacht Club will be holding their annual Easter Festival for all of the area children on Saturday, April 8, from 10-11:30 a.m. at the Avila Beach Community Center, 191 San Miguel Street. There will be snacks made by Cheryl Stepaniak and cof-fee donated by Tim Taylor of Big Al’s at the Beach. The children will be able to color eggs, make an Eas-ter bag at the crafts tables, and hunt for Easter eggs around the Commu-nity Center which have been fi lled

with candy by the Yacht Club. There will also be a bounce house from Jessica’s Jolly Jumps sponsored by Joan Gellert-Sargen to make this a really fun family event. If you are in-terested in getting involved with the Easter Festival, please contact me at 805-627-1997.

Envision Avila – The next En-vision Avila community workshop will be hosted on June 8 from 6:30-8 p.m. at the Avila Beach Commu-nity Center. The Community Plan Background Report will be released on that day. Staff will provide a brief overview of the report as well as provide results of the Cal Poly Map-ping Project. Staff held offi ce hours at the Community Center for two days to assist community members with their participation in the map-ping project.

The majority of the June 8 work-shop will be focused on a critical thinking exercise and round table

discussions. Attendees will be given planning scenarios in Avila and the constraints associated with those scenarios. The task for each group will be to come up with solutions to solve the given planning scenario. Light refreshments will be provided. As the date gets closer, more infor-mation will be available on envisio-navila.org or email [email protected] or call 805-781-1397.

Motorized Beach Wheelchair “Beach Cruzr”–If you are inter-ested in using the “Beach Cruzr” or want to volunteer to help people access the wheelchair, please call me. We need 24-48 hours notice to arrange for your free usage of the chair, which has become more pop-ular this year. Because of the greater interest in the wheelchair, we really do need additional volunteers!

Avila Beach Civic Association 2017 Membership Campaign–The Avila Beach Civic Association

is conducting our annual member-ship drive to support the programs and operations of the Avila Beach Community Center. As a perk, the Avila Bay Athletic Club & Spa is continuing to offer discounts to all of our ABCA members. Please join us today and let us know if you are interested in getting more involved with your community.

Healing Garden Commemo-rative Engraved Paver Pro-gram–The Civic Association con-tinues to accept orders for engraved bricks through our Commemorative Engraved Paver Program. We have installed 121 bricks, which honor and remember many members of our community currently living in or visiting the greater Avila Beach area as well as loved ones who have left us. If you are interested in pur-chasing a brick, please contact me.

Avila Beach Community Cen-ter Rentals–The Avila Beach Com-munity Center is available for rental for your parties and other special events. We have a large Multi-Pur-pose Room and a smaller Confer-ence Room that can accommodate meetings, reunions, wedding recep-tions, or any gathering.

In addition, our Healing Garden, with all of its plants and the arbor, makes a beautiful backdrop for your wedding or special occasion when you rent the Community Center. Non-profi t organizations, who are members, receive 10% off our rental rate. For more information, avail-ability, and rates, please contact me.

Get Involved–The Avila Beach Civic Association is always in need of people who want to become in-volved. As you have read above, we have a number of opportunities. If you have a few hours to spare and would like to work in our garden, on our website, at our events, or help people who want to use the motor-ized beach wheelchair, please con-tact me.

A View From the BeachBy Mary Foppiano

ABCA 2017 MEMBERSHIP FORM

Name

Mailing Address

Phone Email

Avila Beach NewsAvila Beach News

Business Membership:$100 Level includes facility rental discount and website recognition.$250 Level includes facility rental discount, website recognition, and business link.$500 Level includes facility rental discount, website recognition, busi-ness link, and one event sponsor.

Individual Membership:$25 Level includes an ABCA pin.$50 Level includes an ABCA pin and a coffee mug.$100 Level includes an ABCA pin and a coffee mug.

The Avila Beach Civic Association is a non-profi t organization (95-6067627).

Please make checks payable to:

ABCA, PO Box 154, Avila Beach, CA 93424

Thank you for your support!Thank you for your support!


April Meetings In Avila: Avila Beach Civic Association Wed., April 12 at 5 p.m.

Avila Beach Community Foundation no meeting date announced

Avila Beach Community Services DistrictTues., April 11 at 7 p.m.

Avila Beach Tourism AllianceWed., April 12 at 10 a.m.

Avila Valley Advisory CouncilMon., April 10 at 7 p.m.

Port San Luis Harbor DistrictTues., April 25 at 6 p.m.


Ocean Discovery Park– The Central Coast Aquarium is excited to announce its plans to expand its

teaching space to include an out-door classroom. The Ocean Dis-covery Park will enable more pub-

lic education programs while in conjunction with their ever grow-ing school programs. Through the

New Class: Learn How to Meditate–Molly Burke is invit-ing everyone to join her in learn-ing more about meditation and the preparation, approach, meditation awareness, and the conscious con-clusion on Saturday, April 22, from 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. at the Avila Beach Community Center. Meditation can be a time to quiet our minds, to sim-ply notice what is going on in the present moment, a time to become balanced…and is a deeply personal experience. For more information, please email [email protected] for a reservation.

Ballet and Jazz Dance for Kids–Minka Gantenbein is teach-ing Ballet and Jazz Dance classes on Wednesdays, April 5 through June 7, for 10 weeks for $75. Ages 3-4 will have class from 3:45 – 4:30 p.m. and ages 5-9 will have class from 4:30 – 5:15 p.m. Students need to bring their own ballet shoes, pref-erably pink for girls, and can wear any color tights and leotards and various dance attire to the dance classes. Please contact Minka at 805-471-9533 or me for more infor-mation.

Avila Beach Civic Association

Classes at the Community Center

Lily Quirk is teaching Gentle Yoga classes to increase your fl ex-ibility, strength, and range of mo-tion through Vinyasa style with fl uidmovements emphasizing posture, breathing, relaxation, and stress release. Gentle Yoga classes are held on Tuesdays/Thursdays from9:30 – 10:45 a.m., from January 5 through April 11, 2017. The new session will be from May 2 throughAugust 8. The cost is $103 for the series. Pre-registration is required. Please contact San Luis Coastal Adult School at 805-549-1222 orae.slcusd.org to register.

Sue Gin is teaching StrengthTraining for seniors to pro-mote muscle strength and increase fl exibility and coordination while building strength and endurance. Strength Training classes are held on Tuesdays/Thursdays from 11:00a.m. – 12:15 p.m., from January5 through April 11, 2017. The new session will be from May 2 throughAugust 8. The cost is $103 for the series. Pre-registration is required. Please contact San Luis Coastal Adult School at 805-549-1222 orae.slcusd.org to register.

San Luis Coastal Adult School

Classes Offered at the Avila Beach

Community Center

LOW HIGH

April 2017

DAVID SKINNERCell: 805-459-8798

[email protected] #00552094

KAREN SKINNERCell: 805-550-9001

[email protected] #01873847

www.davidandkarenpresent.com

TIDE CHARTTIDE CHART

Date AM FT PM FT AM FT PM FT

4/1 8:35 –0.3 8:01 2.0 1:24 5.4 3:10 3.54/2 9:49 -0.2 9:16 2.4 2:20 5.2 4:43 3.44/3 11:06 -0.3 10:52 2.5 3:30 4.9 6:11 3.64/4 — — 12:16 -0.3 4:50 4.8 7:15 3.94/5 12:30 2.2 1:16 –0.4 6:08 4.7 8:03 4.24/6 1:28 1.8 2:05 –0.4 7:16 4.8 8:42 4.54/7 2:22 1.4 2:48 -0.3 8:13 4.8 9:15 4.74/8 3:08 1.0 3.25 0.0 9:03 4.7 9:45 4.84/9 3:49 0.6 3:57 0.3 9:49 4.6 10:13 4.94/10 4:27 0.4 4:28 0.6 10:31 4.5 10:40 5.04/11 5:04 0.2 4:56 1.0 11:12 4.2 11:06 5.04/12 5:41 0.1 5:24 1.3 11:53 4.0 11:32 4.94/13 6:18 0.1 5:52 1.7 — — 12:38 3.74/14 6:59 0.1 6:22 2.1 12:00 4.8 1:27 3.54/15 7:45 0.3 6:56 2.4 12:30 4.7 2:28 3.34/16 8:38 0.4 7:41 2.7 1:05 4.5 3:45 3.14/17 9:39 0.4 8:53 2.9 1:49 4.3 5:13 3.24/18 10:45 0.4 10:33 2.8 2:48 4.1 6:22 3.34/19 11:46 0.4 11:57 2.6 4:04 3.9 7:04 3.64/20 — — 12:37 0.2 5:23 4.0 7:35 3.94/21 12:57 2.2 1:21 0.1 6:30 4.1 8:02 4.24/22 1:45 1.6 2:00 0.1 7:29 4.3 8:30 4.64/23 2:29 1.0 2:37 0.1 8:22 4.4 8:59 5.04/24 3:12 0.4 3:13 0.3 9:13 4.5 9:30 5.44/25 3:57 –0.2 3:51 0.5 10:04 4.5 10:04 5.74/26 4:43 –0.7 4:29 0.8 10:57 4.4 10:42 5.94/27 5:31 –1.0 5:11 1.2 11:53 4.3 11:22 6.04/28 6:23 –1.2 5:56 1.6 — — 12:53 4.04/29 7:19 –1.2 6:48 2.0 12:06 5.9 2:00 3.84/30 8:20 –1.0 7:53 2.3 12:56 5.6 3:16 3.7

gracious support of the Avila Beach Community Services District and SLO County Parks, they now have the land to create it. The outdoor classroom will be complemented by a surrounding courtyard, special ar-eas for mobile touch tanks, and will feature a teaching platform with drought tolerant landscaping.

The CCA has successfully raised $20,000 through a beautifi cation grant from the County of San Luis Obispo and have received addition-al funds from local businesses and residents to the amount of $12,000. A local foundation has donated $20,000 for the project and is look-ing for a donor who can match their donation to help complete the proj-ect’s goal of raising $150,000. Each donor will be recognized and com-memorated on the Ocean Steward-ship Donor Wall next to the park.

If you are interested in getting involved in any level of the project, please reach out to Executive Direc-tor Tara Kasarjian by emailing her at [email protected].



Litter, an unwelcomed menu item in the food chain of ma-rine life may appear as mere

forgot consumable packaging, but in time can contribute to a devas-tating sequence of events in the aquatic ecosystem. There is a simple solution to combat the neglected manmade additions to the sandy shores, however, and beach clean-ups are just one of them.

Discarded cigarette fi lters and plastics, versatile, lightweight, and degradable materials including food wrappers, plastic bags, bev-erage bottle and lids, are the most common culprits of beach pollution amounting to over 8 million met-rics tons of waste per year, that’s nearly 1/10 the weight of the moon. These unassuming materials are commonly mistaken as food, either as convincing jellies or curiously resembling fi sh, and preyed upon by marine birds, sea turtles, fi sh, dolphins, seals and sea lions. Other plastics, such as soda can rings or castoff fi shing nets, entangle these animals either by the fi n or beak ul-timately leading to starvation, lac-eration, infection, or suffocation. In a single year these manufactured pollutants can claim the lives of over 100,000 marine mammals, millions of fi sh and birds, and threaten the existence of hundreds of marine species. Unfortunately beach litter is not unique to California and the forgetful impact of humanity’s in-considerate habits are contributors to a growing global problem.

Garbage patches are a culmina-tion of manmade marine pollut-ants that congregate together due to the movement of ocean currents and weather patterns. Namely com-prised of plastics, the largest of these synthetic creations is the Great Pa-cifi c Garbage Patch. Discovered in the 1980’s, today this mass of waste spans nearly the size of Texas and

weighs approximately 269,000 tons. In addition to the magnitude of this threat as pure consumables, the most signifi cant menace of these plastics is micro-pollution and tox-icity.

As these plastics degrade they permeate into the foundation of the food chain, zooplankton. These or-ganisms feed upon the microscopic fragments of plastic debris, unin-tended foodstuffs plagued with tox-ins, and are subsequently consumed by their predators including crus-taceans, cephalopods, fi sh, sharks, and marine mammals including whales. Throughout the food chain these toxins, frequently bisphenol A (BPA) and PS oligomer, are indi-gestible and therefore remain within the gastrointestinal systems of every superior predators until their re-mains submerge to the sea fl oor and continue to leach into the waters. Additionally, many of these larger predatory fi sh and crustaceans are preyed upon by humans including

tuna, snapper, halibut, lobster, and prawns. In similar fashion to the way that BPA migrates through the marine food chain, the same micro-pollutant can appear on a dinner plate at a seafood restaurant. The solution to these oceanic threats are numerous and simple, yet will take the time and dedication of mankind to remedy.

Although, remediating and re-versing the toxic effects of micro-pollution will take years, every little piece helps. In addition to mindful beach practices, such as picking-up after a day’s picnic, routine beach cleanups offer much promise to the marine ecosystem. Each year dozens of communities host beach-comb-ing collections and rally together on the shores to pickup forgotten pos-session and pollutants ranging from abandoned fi shing gear to baseballs, soda cans to toothbrushes, and ev-erything in between. In 2012 alone, national cleanup operations collect-ed 10 million pounds of trash span-

ning 18,000 milesof shorelines. Lo-cally on the Cen-tral Coast, acrossjust 85 miles ofCalifornia shore-line in 2015, over8.2 tons of pollut-ants were collect-ed from beaches,rivers, and del-tas, equatingto 9 blue whalecalves. Consid-ering unpredict-able weather pat-terns, especiallythe movement ofmaterials beneaththe surface of thesea such as plas-tics, glass, andodds-and ends-including re-mains of vehiclesor construction

material, regular maintenance of theshores necessitate community in-tervention. And the greatest part is:anyone can do it, anytime, anywhere.

The Beneath the Surface annualbeach and SCUBA dive cleanupevent will be held on April 22 andApril 29 by the Central Coast Aquar-ium. Dedicated to keeping the cen-tral coastlines cleared of manmadepollutants, each year hundred of vol-unteers contribute to the cause, dona glove and grabber, and participatein the pickup. The day is fi lled withfestivities and fun in the sun includ-ing music, games, raffl es, and BBQ.Stop by the Central Coast AquariumSaturday and Sunday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. or Monday from 10 a.m.-1p.m. to learn more.

MM Sheridan, Central CoastAquarium. The aquarium is locatedat 50 San Juan Street, Avila Beach.For more information, call 595-7280.

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Visit these local wineries and tasting roomsH

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Alapay Cellars415 1st. Street, Avila Beach(805) 595-2632alapaycellars.com

Avila Wine & Roasting Company53 San Miguel Street, Avila Beach(805) 627-1918avilawinecompany.com

Peloton Cellars470 Front Street, Avila Beach(805) 627-1080pelotoncellars.com

Croma Vera Wines445 1st. Street, Avila Beach(805) 946-1685cromavera.com

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Morovino Winery468 Front Street, Avila Beach(805) 627-1443morovino.com

PierFront Wine & Brew480 Front Street, Avila Beach(805) 439-3400pierfrontwineandbrew.com

Sinor-LaVallee550 1st. Street, Avila Beach(805) 459-9595sinorlavallee.com

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Kelsey See Canyon Vineyards1947 See Canyon Rd., San Luis Obispo(805) 595-9700kelseywine.com

Silver Horse Winery6985 Ontario Rd., San Luis Obispo(805) 467-9463silverhorse.com

AVILA FARMER’S MARKETEVERY FRIDAY 4-8pm

Live Music Calenda r:April 7 BoombalaApril 14 Bobby Santacruz BandApril 21 Blue DogzApril 28 Steppin’ Out

POINT SAN LUIS LIGHTHOUSE was established in 1890, operated until the mid-seventies, and was fully restored to mu-

seum quality in 1995. Today the Lighthouse off ers docent led tours starting with a trolley ride from Wild Cherry Canyon in Avila to the

Lighthouse. Tours are every Wednesday and Saturday. For tour reservations, call: 805-540-5771

pointsanluislighthouse.org

Don’t Forget To Grab Your Free Stewardship Clean-up Kit & Tote Gift Bag!


Avila Valley Grapevine By John Salisbury, [email protected]

Wine and Moderation: What is healthy? This was a dis-cussion in a recent article

in the Wine Folly Newsletter. So is wine healthy? I guess you would have to fi rst look at what is actually in a bottle of wine.

Best guess is that wine is 85% good. Your wine glass has goodies like water, anthocyanin (an anti-oxidant), polyphenols (including tannin and resveratrol), and good minerals and acids. Now for the other 15%, which are not as good for you but I wouldn’t call evil: wine has anywhere from 5.5% to 21.5% not so good stuff in the way of alco-hol, or ethanol—the stuff you put in your gas tank. This is a neurotoxin, which makes you feel good (neuro = brain, get it?), and when it is me-tabolized into your liver it turns into

acetaldehyde which is a carcinogen. You won’t get this in non-alcoholic wine but what is the fun in that?

A 25 oz. bottle will normally have a couple of pounds of winegrapes (520 +/- grapes). The average amount of calories for a red or white wine with 12.5 to 13.5% alcohol is 750 calories/bottle. The Low count would be a dry white at 10% alcohol coming in at about 440 calories, a red or white at 14% is around 820 calories, and fortifi ed sweet wine as high as 1440 calories/21% alco-hol. Dividing these by 5 glasses per bottle will give you your intake of calories per glass.

The bulk of the bottle is a combi-nation of water, alcohol, and a small amount of sugar. There are also small amounts of other things such as: Tartaric, Malic, Lactic, Citric,

Succinic, and Acetic acids. Minerals include Iron, Nitrogen, Phospho-rus, Magnesium, Potassium, Fluo-ride, Sulfur and Calcium. Many of these compounds, I suspect some of you take as supplements.

Moderation, as in all things, in drinking is the secret if you want to keep your drinking habit at a healthy level. Moderate drinking is two 5 oz. glasses/day for men and one/day for women. Why do the women get half as much? The scientifi c reason is that men have more enzymes in the liver needed to metabolize alco-hol than women by a factor of two.

The maximum amount recom-mended when you want to cut loose once in a while and stay under the dreaded “excessive drinking” dai-ly limit according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2015 –

2020) is no more than 3 drinks for women and 4 for men in a single day. That sounds workable to me. But you still have to work with your 7 total glasses per week for women and 14 for men. That would mean a few alcohol free days during the week. I am mostly a never on Sun-day guy myself, which gives me an extra glass a couple times of week. Buying into the quotes “To me, drinking responsible means don’t spill it” or “Always buy a bigger bot-tle than you think you’ll need, bet-ter safe than sober” isn’t what we are talking about here in the way of moderation?

“It is strange how the recom-

mended 5 - 8 glasses of water a day seems impossible but 5 glasses of wine is so easy”.

The second Brunch on Wheels was held at the Avila Beach Resort featur-

ing food trucks, a Bloody Mary bar and a mimosa bar as well as lawn games, a DJ play-ing tunes and more. All ages are welcome. If you missed it, don’t worry another one is scheduled for Easter Sunday and the Easter Bunny will be available in a photo booth. It

goes from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. with an Easter egg hunt starting at noon. Parking is $5 and admission is free.

Brunch on Wheels Photos by www.centralcoastpictures.com




The beaches under the jurisdic-tion of the San Luis Port Au-thority (SLPA) continue to be

dog friendly, but there may be chang-es to where and when. Currently, dogs are free to roam off-leash at Old Port Beach, Fishman’s Beach, and Light-house Beach and before 10 a.m. and after 5 p.m. on Avila Beach.

Focus on the canine control began in June 2016 when the SLPA held a public safety workshop. The work-shop focused on clarity and enforce-ment concerning different aspects of harbor management: parking, al-cohol, glass, citations, and dogs on the beach to name a few. One of the results of the workshop was a call to review the district property ordinance pertaining to dogs. The concern was that stipulations concerning canine beachgoers had the possibility of causing confusion.

“If you look at the ordinance, it may be, in some cases, hard to interpret,” said Andrea Lueker, SLPA harbor manager.

Since the workshop, the SLPA has received an increased number of complaints and concerns about dogs on the beach. The popularity of four-legged friendly beaches has gained momentum, and, with the higher number of people, there is also a po-tential for an increased number of confl icts. In this case, confl icts gener-ally mean aggressive dogs, mutt mitts (dog waste bags) not being properly disposed of, and the dereliction of duty by a few dog owners. In order to address different facets of managing the harbor, the SLPA utilizes several types of committees to vet issues and give recommendations to the board. The committees are solely advisory and have no power to change ordi-nances.

During a Property Committee meeting last January, the issue of dog related problems was brought forth in a memorandum by the SLPA. The memo directed the committee to dis-

cuss and give recommendations. “What we shared at that meeting is

that our push was to really fi gure out how to address the issues and still work with the dog owners,” said Lu-eker. “And really, to work with the dog owners on how do we change some of the behaviors that we are concerned about.”

The meeting also included different op-tions to curb bad be-havior the included a possible volunteer patrol and modifi ca-tions to signage on the beaches.

A second meeting was held in Febru-ary, and Lueker was pleased with the pub-lic participation.

“We took some more public com-ments and it was real-ly all across the board positive,” said Lueker. “There were some people that wanted to maybe not have dogs (on the beaches) but

for the most part, overwhelmingly, the comments we received were, ‘we want to keep dogs on the beach, how can we do it and how can it work a little bit better?’”

Currently, the SLPA is doing a sign inventory to determine if they are at ideal visibility locations and if they

are predominantly clear about what is required of the public. It is also re-viewing if the mutt mitt containers and trash receptacles are placed ap-propriately for maximize public use.

Lueker said that whenever a com-mission is involved, her goal is to give the public several opportunities to have their voice heard.

“Our point is to make sure that peo-ple are informed and that they have a chance to speak about how they feel and provide their input,” said Lueker. “The point being that the commission can make the best recommendation for the largest number of people.”

Lueker, a dog owner herself, utilizes and appreciates the dog beaches. In the past, she took her dog to Montana de Oro, but that is no longer an option due to canine restrictions.

“Slowly but surely, dogs have just not been allowed in more places. So, I think people are really excited that there is a place and they don’t want to lose that. Probably the most impor-tant thing we do is have a dish of dog treats on our counter,” Lueker said laughing. “I love dogs, I’ve always had dogs.”

Leashing Avila’s Dog Park Rumors Story and photos by Mark A. Diaz

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ADMISSION & PARKING

Avila Beach Real Estate Listings

$2,325,000

2880 Elderberry – Active

$799,000

6348 Brass Button Ct. – Active

Joe Caradonna

2665 Shell Beach Rd, Ste J, Shell Beach

805-748-8277 [email protected]

www.homesofavila.com

$719,900

6675 Twinberry Cr. – Active

550 Bassi – Active

$2,325,000



The Victorian Valentine’s Party was held on Sunday, February 12. The popular

event featured the music of Off the Griddle: Old Time String Band and dancing galore happened in the Fog Signal Room. Guests and docents were dressed in Victo-rian attire which added to the fes-tive mood as tours of the station were underway. There was plenty of wine and champagne on hand, and a fi ve-course meal was served which included Point SLO’s fa-mous Seagull Soup! A guest named Todd Bartolome came out with a drone and took photos of the light station.

The Fourth-Grade Field Trip program continues, with two class-es from Hawthorne visiting re-cently. The Field Trip program op-erates thanks to a generous grant from the Harold Miossi Charitable Trust. The program was designed by Point SLO Executive Director Deb Foughty to share the rich lo-cal history of Avila Beach and the lighthouse with fourth grade stu-dents in San Luis Obispo County. Twelve classes are chosen each year, and the program begins with a presentation to each classroom to explain the characteristics and im-portance of lighthouses. Following each presentation, the classroom is given a curriculum of lighthouse information to learn leading up to the trip. The day of the trip con-sists of the students arriving to take part in numerous fun and educational activities. There are activities explaining how prisms work, an exclusive look at “clean-ing” the 4th order Fresnel lens, a photo activity where all photos are later sent to the classroom for the students to keep, a tour of the lighthouse by a docent dressed in period attire, and a calligraphy lesson to explain the importance of Chinese heritage and workman-ship at the lighthouse. In all it is one of the most exciting fi eld trips offered on the Central Coast and it is a wonderful way to get students excited about California State his-tory.

Much work has occurred around the grounds. We have been look-ing at protecting the lighthouse through careful management of the cypress trees that Keeper’s planted nearly one-hundred year ago. Many of the trees now are dy-ing, so it is important that they are carefully managed lest any should fall on their own. Projects in the works include a scheduled paint-ing of our lighthouse tower, a re-pair of the cement steps in front of the lighthouse, and a larger proj-ect to restore our cisterns. Every Tuesday we have a dedicated crew of volunteers who come to the sta-tion to do odd jobs and projects. They have recently completed the construction of a wheelchair ramp to allow access to the lighthouse for the mobility impaired and to become ADA compliant. The re-cent completion of that project has been praised, with special thanks to the Avila Beach Community Foundation and PG&E for donat-ing funds. We are also nearly fi n-ished with a tour booklet for the hearing impaired. The handheld book includes print and photos in line with what a trained docent would say during the tour. It al-lows for those with hearing issues

to enjoy the lighthouse.The next signature event is The

Victorian Mother’s Day Tea. Theday includes four tours that willfeature live music, a variety ofteas, and fun appetizers and fi ngerfoods. Fresh baked scones any-one? Docents in period attire willassist with tours. It will be a won-derful way to spend time with yourloved ones. This authentic Englishtea event has been a success in thepast, reserve your tickets online atthe website before it sells out!

Point SLO has a new website,www.PointSanLuisLighthouse.org, which features new member-ship rates, updated event infor-mation, links to our new YouTubepage, and more! Check it out andsee what we are doing, and wewould love to hear from you.

P.S. The whales are back!

Point San Luis Lighthouse is Ready for SpringBy Jack San Filippo, Program Manager


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The Federal Reserve has raised interest rates. However, they raised the federal funds rate,

which is what banks use to lend to each other. So, while this rate increase will surely affect credit card loans or car loans because they are tied to this rate, it does not have an immediate impact on mortgage rates. Mortgage rates are determined more by the marketplace. As of right now, rates are around the low 4% range, which is still very good. Many peo-ple were worried about the Fed raising rates but the market al-

ready anticipated that increase, so mortgage rates have not changed much. Of course, you should al-ways check with your lender and see what kind of rate you can get with your specifi c fi nancial situa-tion. However, I wouldn’t be too concerned about interest rates making a big increase this year.

DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE FED’S RATE HIKE.

Another question I’m getting a lot in our current market is, “Why is it taking so long to close my

escrow?” Recently, the San Luis Obispo multiple listing service went through a major overhaul. Appraisers and Realtors alike are dealing with a bit of a learning curve right now. The powers that be may have gone overboard in adding too many variables to the system and having it virtually be a statewide MLS meaning I can get information on listings all over the State. This means anyone using the MLS is having a harder time fi nding the information they’re used to fi nding quickly and easily so as professionals we’re having

to spend much more time on the research than it previously took. Ultimately, the new MLS sys-tem will really help homebuy-ers and sellers. It will just take a little bit of time for real estate agents and appraisers to adjust to the system and the additional in-formation.

Enjoy our lovely spring weath-er here in Avila and a VERY HEALTHY real estate market. If you have any questions call us at 805-595-2444 or stop by the of-fi ce! We look forward to helping you.

By Hal Sweasey

ACTIVE LISTINGS AVILA VALLEY 210 Meadow View, San Luis Bay Estates Indian Hill $729,000 2286 Goosefoot, San Luis Bay Estates Pelican Point $719,000 6348 Brass Button Ct., San Luis Bay Estates Pelican Point $799,000 2880 Elderberry, San Luis Bay Estates Kingfi sher Canyon $974,900 550 Bassi, Bassi Ranch $2,325,000 6380 Mar Vista, San Luis Bay Estates Heron Crest / Lot $599,000 PENDING OR CONTINGENT: AVILA VALLEY 6207 Twinberry Cir., San Luis Bay Estates Pelican Point $699,000 6675 Twinberry, San Luis Bay Estates Pelican Point $719,000 2905 Club Moss, San Luis Bay Estates Kingfi sher Canyon $1,425,000 SOLD: AVILA VALLEY 6447 Fiddleneck Ln., San Luis Bay Estates Pelican Point $677,5002283 Cranesbill Pl., San Luis Bay Estates Pelican Point $685,0006175 Mourning Dove, San Luis Bay Estates Skylark Meadow $758,001 2915 Club Moss Ln., San Luis Bay Estates Kingfi sher Canyon $1,200,000 199 Oak Crest, San Luis Bay Estates Indian Hill $568,500


ACTIVE LISTINGS SHELL BEACH

245 Foothill Rd., Pismo Beach $1,785,000250 Placentia, Shell Beach $900,000345 Miramar Ln., Shell Beach $1,049,000114 Capistrano, Shell Beach $1,100,000219 Cuyama Ave, Shell Beach $1,150,000241 Esparto Ave, Shell Beach $1,299,000365 Placentia, Shell Beach $1,449,000241 Windward, Shell Beach $1,590,00 269 Windward, Shell Beach $1,595,000204 Indio, Shell Beach $1,595,00 2920 Shell Beach Rd., Shell Beach $2,195,000 107 Indio Dr., Shell Beach $2,275,000344 Capistrano Ave, Shell Beach $2,295,000 178 Bluff Dr, Shell Beach $4,899,000 2054 Ocean Blvd, Shell Beach $5,900,00042 Bluff Dr., Shell Beach $5,950,000

The Avila Valley & Shell Beach Real Estate Activity Report

805-900-6000435 First St . Avila Beach

www.7svr.com

STEAKS, CHOPS, SAUSAGE, SMOKED MEATS & MANY OTHER INNOVATIVE CUTS!

Turn on Stenner Creek Rd. Off of Hwy 1 at the end of the road in Bldg 155

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VISIT OUR ON-CAMPUS MEAT MARKET– Open Th-Fri 12-5pm & Sat 10-2pm

Carefully aged, Cal Poly processed USDA inspected.Text MEAT to 56955 to join our VIP CLUB! 805-756-2114

This report will refl ect Active, Contingent, Pending, and Sold properties in the Avila Valley, including Bassi Ranch, Avila Valley Estates, Apple Orchard Estates, San Luis Bay Estates, and Avila Beach. Now including Shell Beach. The Active properties will list the address, and the listing price. The Contingent and Pending or properties in escrow will list the address and the list-ing price. Keep in mind when a property becomes Pending, the price quoted is still the listing price, not the What it sold for price. The What it sold for price will show up in the monthly reports when the property has actually closed escrow and transferred title to a new owner. The Sold properties will list the address and the selling price.

SUNDAY APRIL 16 · 9A M-3PM$43/PERSON · $48 WITH BOT TOMLESS MIMOSAS

Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort805.595.7302 SycamoreSprings.com 1215 Avila Beach Dr., SLO

a lavish buffet of seasonal startersgrilled asparagus salad spanish frittata grapefruit salad spring pea saladartichoke, caper, and pea crostini tomato, feta, black olive & green bean salad

followed by a choice of plated main coursecarved new york roast mustard glazed ham roasted salmon

completed with a delectable dessert buffet

For details about properties in Avila Beach and the surrounding areas, please call 1-800-280-5896 code #990

Search properties anywhere in San Luis Obispo County on our new Blue Heron website at www.blueheronavila.com

Properties presented by Hal Sweasey of Blue Heron Realty BRE# 01953050 and Hal Sweasey of Re/Max Del Oro BRE# 01111911

Blue Heron Realty, Inc. HAL SWEASEY

If you have any questions about real estate, please call us at (805) 595-2444 or stop by our convenient location at the base of San Luis Bay Estates in Avila Village (across from gatehouse).

2711 See Canyon Rd., San Luis ObispoDesigned to optimize the natural light, beauty, and privacy, this stunning 3 bedroom, 4 bath modern, minimalist home is a masterpiece of concrete, glass and steel. Featured on a sprawling 23.8 acre parcel, this solar energy efficient home showcases open concept living with disappearing 11 foot glass walls opening to multiple decks. Opening from an 8 foot etched glass, pivot front door, the main level consists of the living room, dining room and gourmet kitchen. It has glass stairs leading up to the exquisite master suite featuring a private view balcony, master bath with an elegant, curved glass enclosed, waterfall shower and a Japanese soaking tub. Lower level features a second master suite, guest room, media room and a subterranean, climate controlled wine room. The spacious, 3 car detached garage offers 220 wiring for a workshop. The grounds include a year round creek, a manicured 1 acre meadow, gentleman’s orchard, Japanese garden and a solar voltaic system.

245 Foothill Rd., Shell BeachPanoramic ocean views from virtually every room in this stunning 4 bedroom 3.5 bath custom home nestled within the foothills above Shell Beach. Attention to detail is evident throughout including the gourmet kitchen featuring center island with prep sink and breakfast bar seating, Wolf range with Miele hood and pot filler, 2 pantries including a subzero wine/beverage center and subzero refrigerator. The luxurious master suite features jetted tub with ocean views and a separate walk-in shower with multiple shower heads. The 3 guest rooms are located on the lower level accessing the spacious family room with fireplace. The wrap around travertine deck with glass railings is the ideal venue to relax and enjoy the fabulous sunsets.

2286 Goosefoot Ct., Avila BeachLocated in the highly desirable gated San Luis Bay Estates Pelican Point. Surrounded by nature this great single level 3 bedroom, 2 bath home also features a spacious garage and separate golf cart garage. The bright and sunny kitchen features custom tile floor and glass door access to the deck. It has on open and inviting floor plan with the living room featuring a fireplace and sliding glass door access to the deck.

6380 Mar Vista Pl. Avila Beach / Lot A rare find in the exclusive Heron Crest Development where homes sell in the $2,000,000 to $3,000,000 range. Build your dream home overlooking Avila valley on this oak studded lot with over 1/3 acre of peaceful tranquility. Enjoy the Avila Beach lifestyle at its best with its highly desirable gated San Luis Bay Estates.

$3,299,500

$1,785,000

$719,000

$599,000 805-595-2444

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