Greetings, fellow Avilones. With the unofficial beginning of summer in the rearview mirror – meaning Memorial Day Weekend - we are now officially in hunker down mode for the next several months. Since this column was due to the publisher prior to the MD Weekend, I can only speculate on what may have occurred. I suspect it included massive traffic and parking congestion due to beach visitors and golf course event attendees, too much alcohol consumed, excess litter strewn about, and an exodus of Avila locals seeking peace and tranquility elsewhere. Well, how did I do? Unless the summer fog rolls in for an extended stay, the above scenario will likely be repeated on a pretty regular basis. Enjoy what you can, endure the rest, and always remember how lucky we are to live in a place most others can only dream of.
Setting aside the cynical side of me, I submit to the rosier side of life to report some of the good that has come our way. First, let me introduce you to the “Foundation’s” newest board member, Cyndy Lakowske, who resides in Kingfisher Canyon with husband Steve. Relatively new to Avila Beach by way of Arroyo Grande and before that Colorado, the Lakowskes have settled in quite nicely. Cyndy, a mother of two highly athletic and gifted offspring, is an accomplished distance runner who brings energy and a cheery personality to our community. You can find Cyndy’s photo and bio on the “Foundation’s” website.
I hope you readers aren’t too tired of my continued references to the magical murals adorning the Avila Beach Lifeguard Towers, because the good news just keeps on coming! Last month I mentioned the boost given early efforts to launch Public Art Project II by donation pledges from County Supervisor Adam Hill and the dynamic duo of Sara and Boyd Horne. Well, I’m stoked to report that Chevron has stepped up to match Supervisor Hill’s $5,000 challenge with a contribution in the same amount. Yep, another five grand in the project coffers!!! That brings our total to $12,000 – about one half of what we’ll need to bring the next round of public art to Avila. Thank you, Chevron!!! And, did you notice that our Towers project was accorded the 2017 New Times Best of SLO County “Runner Up” award for Best Public Art? Congratulations to everyone involved in what was truly a group effort, highlighted by the artistry of Colleen Gnos.
Backing up a little bit to my first paragraph, I want to remind everyone that the “Foundation” established the AVILA ALERTS program several years ago to help inform subscribers in advance about upcoming activities that could make it more difficult to get to and from downtown Avila. The idea first came about when I was attending a community meeting and heard folks wishing that some sort of notification method could be established - not just about special events, but also planned roadwork closures and delays in and out of Avila. So, we answered the call and created AVILA ALERTS. Now, it’s not perfect, because we rely upon “reporters” from the various organizations and agencies to give us a heads up notification about possible disruptions. And once received we forward the information to ALERTS subscribers. There is no cost to be on the email notification list, and you can be included simply by visiting our website and clicking on the AVILA ALERTS tab.
Continuing the theme of Everything Avila Beach, let me remind everyone to re-visit the Avila Beach Historical Tour free App, since more pages have been added since first introduced. If you have not yet seen the Tour, it can be downloaded at no cost from the Google and iTunes App stores. Also, by the time you read this column, the “Foundation” will have held its first planning meeting for the upcoming “Avila Beach Storytellers” event, which we anticipate coming your way sometime this fall. While I’m getting a little in front of things at this moment, I want to extend an early invitation to any of you who might wish to share a tale or two about Avila past as you lived it. We hope to capture stories from individuals whose family roots in Avila go back decades or generations, all told in front of what will surely be an attentive and appreciative audience. Stay tuned for more details as they become available. It’s time to scoot, so that’s it for now, fellow Avilones. See you at the beach!
Setting aside the cynical side of me, I submit to the rosier side of life to report some of the good that has come our way. First, let me introduce you to the “Foundation’s” newest board member, Cyndy Lakowske, who resides in Kingfisher Canyon with husband Steve. Relatively new to Avila Beach by way of Arroyo Grande and before that Colorado, the Lakowskes have settled in quite nicely. Cyndy, a mother of two highly athletic and gifted offspring, is an accomplished distance runner who brings energy and a cheery personality to our community. You can find Cyndy’s photo and bio on the “Foundation’s” website.
I hope you readers aren’t too tired of my continued references to the magical murals adorning the Avila Beach Lifeguard Towers, because the good news just keeps on coming! Last month I mentioned the boost given early efforts to launch Public Art Project II by donation pledges from County Supervisor Adam Hill and the dynamic duo of Sara and Boyd Horne. Well, I’m stoked to report that Chevron has stepped up to match Supervisor Hill’s $5,000 challenge with a contribution in the same amount. Yep, another five grand in the project coffers!!! That brings our total to $12,000 – about one half of what we’ll need to bring the next round of public art to Avila. Thank you, Chevron!!! And, did you notice that our Towers project was accorded the 2017 New Times Best of SLO County “Runner Up” award for Best Public Art? Congratulations to everyone involved in what was truly a group effort, highlighted by the artistry of Colleen Gnos.
Backing up a little bit to my first paragraph, I want to remind everyone that the “Foundation” established the AVILA ALERTS program several years ago to help inform subscribers in advance about upcoming activities that could make it more difficult to get to and from downtown Avila. The idea first came about when I was attending a community meeting and heard folks wishing that some sort of notification method could be established - not just about special events, but also planned roadwork closures and delays in and out of Avila. So, we answered the call and created AVILA ALERTS. Now, it’s not perfect, because we rely upon “reporters” from the various organizations and agencies to give us a heads up notification about possible disruptions. And once received we forward the information to ALERTS subscribers. There is no cost to be on the email notification list, and you can be included simply by visiting our website and clicking on the AVILA ALERTS tab.
Continuing the theme of Everything Avila Beach, let me remind everyone to re-visit the Avila Beach Historical Tour free App, since more pages have been added since first introduced. If you have not yet seen the Tour, it can be downloaded at no cost from the Google and iTunes App stores. Also, by the time you read this column, the “Foundation” will have held its first planning meeting for the upcoming “Avila Beach Storytellers” event, which we anticipate coming your way sometime this fall. While I’m getting a little in front of things at this moment, I want to extend an early invitation to any of you who might wish to share a tale or two about Avila past as you lived it. We hope to capture stories from individuals whose family roots in Avila go back decades or generations, all told in front of what will surely be an attentive and appreciative audience. Stay tuned for more details as they become available. It’s time to scoot, so that’s it for now, fellow Avilones. See you at the beach!
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