Greetings, fellow Avilones. According to the definition in Wikipedia, “an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not governed by a local municipal corporation; similarly an unincorporated community is a region of land that is not governed by its own local municipal corporation, but rather is administered as part of larger administrative divisions, such as a township, parish, borough, county, city, canton, state, province or country”. Why do I mention this? Well, as we all know, Avila Beach falls under the definition of being unincorporated. But that doesn’t mean our community relies solely on the governance and oversight of SLO County to keep us ticking.
As a matter of fact, Avila Beach wouldn’t be the fine place it is without the numerous civic and non-profit organizations, councils and commissions, homeowners associations and services districts that are so essential to us all. While the majority of Avila Beach residents go about their daily lives without great concern over the machinations happening behind the scenes, there is a solid corps of individuals who jump in as volunteers and spend countless hours serving the aforementioned groups. I bring this up because it is important that we, as a community, be aware of the work done on our behalf, and that we, as a community, take the steps necessary to ensure a steady and ongoing supply of volunteer leaders.
The residential communities of Avila Beach today look quite different than that of, say, 20+ years ago. There is a constant flow of “newbies” who arrive with little knowledge of our area’s past, but who have, like most of us, found themselves fortunate enough to land in this slice of paradise we call home. I often come into contact with new Avilones interested in learning more about the opportunities and organizations that make up the “alphabet soup” of names/acronyms we refer to so freely. ABCF, ABCA, ABCSD, ABTA, AVAC, PSLHB, SLBE, etc. How many of you can assign the actual names to their acronyms? With that in mind, it is my pleasure to inform you that a special event titled “Meet the Agencies Showcase” is being planned for later this fall, thanks to a generous grant from our friends at Chevron who, time and again, have stepped up with financial support of the “Foundation” and many other community organizations. Details about the “Showcase” will be provided in the coming months, but the purpose and goal is to bring together representatives from the various groups that work so selflessly to keep the Avila engine running with those Avilones who want to meet and learn more about them.
In the blink of an eye, 20 years have come and gone since the inception of the Avila Beach Community Foundation. Over that time it has been our pleasure to fund more than 160 local programs, projects and organizations, and to have funneled into the Avila community in excess of $3 million. The upcoming “Meet the Agencies Showcase”, while shining a light on the many Avila groups, will also serve as the “Foundation’s” 20 year anniversary celebration. So, you can count on there being the usual generous offerings of refreshments that accompany our hosted activities. Likewise, we plan on introducing the first of its kind “Avilones of Distinction Awards”, an honor to be bestowed upon local individuals known in the community for philanthropy, volunteerism, and advocacy. The process will include a nomination and selection format with specific categories and criteria for consideration. I know this is short on details, but you may want to start thinking ahead about people you feel deserving of special recognition.
If you have been following the painstakingly slow process of the County’s updating of the Avila Community Plan, the SLO County Department of Planning & Building recently released a comprehensive background report. It contains nearly 180 pages, but for those of you not wanting to pour through the whole thing, you can read a snapshot in the five-page Executive Summary. To take a look, visit www.EnvisionAvila.org. When the home page appears, just click on “Draft Background Report.” Then you can decide how much you want to read/learn. There is certainly a great deal of history contained in the publication for those curious and willing to spend the time.
Here’s another reminder that the Avila Trolley has once again included in its route a stop in Avila Village, in front of the entrance to the Avila Bay Athletic Club. Due to restricted parking, this stop primarily serves San Luis Bay residents. Visit www.slorta.org for information and route schedule.
That’s it for now, fellow Avilones. See you at the beach!
As a matter of fact, Avila Beach wouldn’t be the fine place it is without the numerous civic and non-profit organizations, councils and commissions, homeowners associations and services districts that are so essential to us all. While the majority of Avila Beach residents go about their daily lives without great concern over the machinations happening behind the scenes, there is a solid corps of individuals who jump in as volunteers and spend countless hours serving the aforementioned groups. I bring this up because it is important that we, as a community, be aware of the work done on our behalf, and that we, as a community, take the steps necessary to ensure a steady and ongoing supply of volunteer leaders.
The residential communities of Avila Beach today look quite different than that of, say, 20+ years ago. There is a constant flow of “newbies” who arrive with little knowledge of our area’s past, but who have, like most of us, found themselves fortunate enough to land in this slice of paradise we call home. I often come into contact with new Avilones interested in learning more about the opportunities and organizations that make up the “alphabet soup” of names/acronyms we refer to so freely. ABCF, ABCA, ABCSD, ABTA, AVAC, PSLHB, SLBE, etc. How many of you can assign the actual names to their acronyms? With that in mind, it is my pleasure to inform you that a special event titled “Meet the Agencies Showcase” is being planned for later this fall, thanks to a generous grant from our friends at Chevron who, time and again, have stepped up with financial support of the “Foundation” and many other community organizations. Details about the “Showcase” will be provided in the coming months, but the purpose and goal is to bring together representatives from the various groups that work so selflessly to keep the Avila engine running with those Avilones who want to meet and learn more about them.
In the blink of an eye, 20 years have come and gone since the inception of the Avila Beach Community Foundation. Over that time it has been our pleasure to fund more than 160 local programs, projects and organizations, and to have funneled into the Avila community in excess of $3 million. The upcoming “Meet the Agencies Showcase”, while shining a light on the many Avila groups, will also serve as the “Foundation’s” 20 year anniversary celebration. So, you can count on there being the usual generous offerings of refreshments that accompany our hosted activities. Likewise, we plan on introducing the first of its kind “Avilones of Distinction Awards”, an honor to be bestowed upon local individuals known in the community for philanthropy, volunteerism, and advocacy. The process will include a nomination and selection format with specific categories and criteria for consideration. I know this is short on details, but you may want to start thinking ahead about people you feel deserving of special recognition.
If you have been following the painstakingly slow process of the County’s updating of the Avila Community Plan, the SLO County Department of Planning & Building recently released a comprehensive background report. It contains nearly 180 pages, but for those of you not wanting to pour through the whole thing, you can read a snapshot in the five-page Executive Summary. To take a look, visit www.EnvisionAvila.org. When the home page appears, just click on “Draft Background Report.” Then you can decide how much you want to read/learn. There is certainly a great deal of history contained in the publication for those curious and willing to spend the time.
Here’s another reminder that the Avila Trolley has once again included in its route a stop in Avila Village, in front of the entrance to the Avila Bay Athletic Club. Due to restricted parking, this stop primarily serves San Luis Bay residents. Visit www.slorta.org for information and route schedule.
That’s it for now, fellow Avilones. See you at the beach!
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