Greetings, fellow Avilones. This month’s column begins on a very sad note, that being the passing of the “Foundation’s” Board President, Lisa Ritterbuck, who in early September lost her year-long battle with cancer. Lisa joined our board in 2016, and in 2017 was elected President – an early recognition of her leadership abilities and desire to contribute to the well-being of Avila Beach. We did not get to enjoy Lisa for very long, but will remember her always. Our condolences go to Lisa’s husband, two school-age children, and parents Mike and Shirley Ritter. You will be missed, Lisa.
While I find it difficult to follow the first paragraph with other news, I will give it my best. So, how about if I share with you Avilones a few tidbits of the cruise my wife and I recently took along the northeast coast? It started in Boston, where we spent a day sightseeing – mostly along the Freedom Trail – along with a brief detour to visit to the famous “Cheers” bar, which was the filming site of the television show by the same name. The visit was brief because the crowd inside was huge! And no one yelled “Rick” when we entered. Boston must be doing well economically, because a great many cranes could be seen in commercial areas throughout the city. And one could easily see why public transportation is the primary way to get around, what with the narrow streets and limited parking available. As a Southern California native, riding the subway and trains doesn’t look very appealing to me, but is certainly a way of life and necessity in many metropolitan cities.
Heading north we stopped first in Bar Harbor, Maine, then at several ports in Nova Scotia. Each small town had its own unique characteristics, and I couldn’t help but notice the clean streets, parks large and small, and abundant public art scattered about. One thing that really caught our eyes was the presence and volume of wooden Adirondack chairs throughout all the Nova Scotia towns, so invitingly placed everywhere for people to just sit down and enjoy the surroundings. And many of the chairs were grouped together with public art themes painted on the chair slats. Something similar could be really colorful and cool here in Avila Beach. After Nova Scotia, our ship landed in Quebec City, Canada. What a wonderful city! Walking along the historic residential section nearest the port, we noticed that most of the old homes, in spite of sitting on huge lots, do not have garages or carports. I found this odd because of the cold winters in Canada, and my belief that vehicles have difficulty starting if left outside overnight in freezing weather. So, while walking along we came across an elderly gentlemen whose car was parked on the lawn in front of his house. We stopped, engaged him in some light conversation, and I asked about the absence of garages. He stated proudly that they did not need them, because Canadian cars have learned to adjust to the cold weather. We all shared a chuckle over that.
Into Montreal we sailed – a much larger city than I imagined – though they’ve had over 400 years to mature. Another sight-seeing extravaganza with countless centuries old buildings, cathedrals, monuments, residential areas and parks all packed into a three hour bus/walking tour. As with the Nova Scotia stops, we again noticed how the public and commercial areas were so clean and well maintained. Our Montreal tour guide made it a point to inform us that this level of cleanliness was not always the case, and litter once ruled the day. The local government addressed the problem creatively by pouring funds into educating youth attending school about the importance of maintaining a clean environment, and encouraging the students to pass along those values to their parents and older relatives. It reminded me of the time when many of us California Baby-Boomers while attending elementary school were taught by local fire departments how to help make our homes safe from fire hazards. We taught our parents what we learned at school, and it seemed to work, didn’t it?
Okay, you’ve heard more than enough about my travels, so now onto a few more pieces of “Foundation” news before I run out of space. First, I am pleased to inform you that Pacific Gas and Electric Company recently awarded us a $2,500 grant, to be added to our Avila Beach Public Art Fund. This is just the latest round of support we have received from PG&E, and we are most appreciative of the company’s years of generosity. And speaking of public art, after months of my previous reporting on the issues that have stalled our forward momentum, I can finally inform you that we have engaged the services of former ARTS Obispo executive director, Angela Tahti – who was instrumental during our first public art installation – to help guide us through round two. Angela will be working closely with “Foundation” board secretary, Gary Maier, who is also serving in the capacity of project manager. Stay tuned for project progress updates.
That’s it for now, fellow Avilones. I hope you are enjoying the post summer tranquility we all look forward to. See you at the beach!
While I find it difficult to follow the first paragraph with other news, I will give it my best. So, how about if I share with you Avilones a few tidbits of the cruise my wife and I recently took along the northeast coast? It started in Boston, where we spent a day sightseeing – mostly along the Freedom Trail – along with a brief detour to visit to the famous “Cheers” bar, which was the filming site of the television show by the same name. The visit was brief because the crowd inside was huge! And no one yelled “Rick” when we entered. Boston must be doing well economically, because a great many cranes could be seen in commercial areas throughout the city. And one could easily see why public transportation is the primary way to get around, what with the narrow streets and limited parking available. As a Southern California native, riding the subway and trains doesn’t look very appealing to me, but is certainly a way of life and necessity in many metropolitan cities.
Heading north we stopped first in Bar Harbor, Maine, then at several ports in Nova Scotia. Each small town had its own unique characteristics, and I couldn’t help but notice the clean streets, parks large and small, and abundant public art scattered about. One thing that really caught our eyes was the presence and volume of wooden Adirondack chairs throughout all the Nova Scotia towns, so invitingly placed everywhere for people to just sit down and enjoy the surroundings. And many of the chairs were grouped together with public art themes painted on the chair slats. Something similar could be really colorful and cool here in Avila Beach. After Nova Scotia, our ship landed in Quebec City, Canada. What a wonderful city! Walking along the historic residential section nearest the port, we noticed that most of the old homes, in spite of sitting on huge lots, do not have garages or carports. I found this odd because of the cold winters in Canada, and my belief that vehicles have difficulty starting if left outside overnight in freezing weather. So, while walking along we came across an elderly gentlemen whose car was parked on the lawn in front of his house. We stopped, engaged him in some light conversation, and I asked about the absence of garages. He stated proudly that they did not need them, because Canadian cars have learned to adjust to the cold weather. We all shared a chuckle over that.
Into Montreal we sailed – a much larger city than I imagined – though they’ve had over 400 years to mature. Another sight-seeing extravaganza with countless centuries old buildings, cathedrals, monuments, residential areas and parks all packed into a three hour bus/walking tour. As with the Nova Scotia stops, we again noticed how the public and commercial areas were so clean and well maintained. Our Montreal tour guide made it a point to inform us that this level of cleanliness was not always the case, and litter once ruled the day. The local government addressed the problem creatively by pouring funds into educating youth attending school about the importance of maintaining a clean environment, and encouraging the students to pass along those values to their parents and older relatives. It reminded me of the time when many of us California Baby-Boomers while attending elementary school were taught by local fire departments how to help make our homes safe from fire hazards. We taught our parents what we learned at school, and it seemed to work, didn’t it?
Okay, you’ve heard more than enough about my travels, so now onto a few more pieces of “Foundation” news before I run out of space. First, I am pleased to inform you that Pacific Gas and Electric Company recently awarded us a $2,500 grant, to be added to our Avila Beach Public Art Fund. This is just the latest round of support we have received from PG&E, and we are most appreciative of the company’s years of generosity. And speaking of public art, after months of my previous reporting on the issues that have stalled our forward momentum, I can finally inform you that we have engaged the services of former ARTS Obispo executive director, Angela Tahti – who was instrumental during our first public art installation – to help guide us through round two. Angela will be working closely with “Foundation” board secretary, Gary Maier, who is also serving in the capacity of project manager. Stay tuned for project progress updates.
That’s it for now, fellow Avilones. I hope you are enjoying the post summer tranquility we all look forward to. See you at the beach!
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