Hello fellow Avilones. With Thanksgiving behind us and Christmas and Hanukkah on the way, we are deep into the holiday season. I hope you are all enjoying this opportunity to celebrate, spend time with family and friends, and reflect on yet another year passing. I have much to share in this column, so let’s get right to it. First off, I want to thank P.G.&E. for its recent donation of $2,000 to the Avila Beach Community Foundation – money which is going directly into our Emerging Needs and Opportunities Fund. Just to remind you, this “Fund” exists to support small community projects that may arise in between our usual grant making cycles. So, if you have something in mind that could benefit Avila Beach, please let us know of your idea and the need(s) it could meet.
And speaking of grant making, I am pleased to publicly announce the Foundation’s grant recipients for 2014. The projects/organizations we are supporting for the coming year include: Avila Beach Civic Association for ongoing Community Center management services, Achievement House to continue summer season beach area cleanup efforts; Central Coast Aquarium’s Scientists for a Day youth scholarship program; Avila Beach Jr. Lifeguards summer camp; San Luis Obispo Film Festival’s Avila Beach screenings venue; Port San Luis Mutt Mitts project; People’s Self Help Housing for supportive services at their Avila Beach Lachen Tara subsidized housing complex; continued mailing of the monthly Avila Community News; and once again subsidizing the seasonal Free Avila Beach Trolley. Additionally we are setting aside funds for the creation and placement of some permanent artwork along Front Street and the launching of an Avila Apples Festival. Altogether our Foundation Trustees approved a grand total of $78,710 for the coming year. Since forming in 2000 the Foundation has awarded more than $2 million in community enhancement projects and programs. Please visit www.avilabeachfoundation.org to learn more about our organization.
In my five years at the helm of the Foundation I have come to learn of or meet some Avila residents who are among the many talented and accomplished of our neighbors. It seems we have no shortage of artists, musicians, authors and others who quietly go about their lives with little or no local fanfare. I recently had the opportunity to learn of one, Sylvia Alcon, and her recently published book of poems titled Caught in Flight. I was invited to attend a special book-signing reception a few weeks ago by friend Shirley Goetz, who also gifted me with a copy of the new book (thank you). I decided to interview author Sylvia and she shared with me that Avila Beach has been her home for 30 years. It was here that she raised her children while working as a home birth midwife and pre-school teacher, and she has been working the past 15 years at the craft of poetry as a way “to put form to experience.” She further says “members of the Cambria Writers Group listened to much of my work and encouraged me to publish.” With that vote of confidence her good friends and fellow poets Paula Lowe and Dian Sousa collaborated to create “Big Yes Press”, with Caught in Flight being their first publication. Other of Sylvia’s poems have appeared in Poems for Endangered Places, Solo Café’, Bird Black as the Sun and Askew. Says Sylvia, “it’s been a wonderful surprise to give readings from the book, and to have friends say that they thought they knew me, but hearing the poems gave them a new perspective.” Anyone interested in acquiring a copy of Caught in Flight can purchase one directly from Sylvia, or online at sjalcon@att.net. As an aside, I think you’ll enjoy the book cover, which features a photo taken by Avila Beach resident Shirley Goetz, who has recently produced a wonderful video that so beautifully captures the essence of Avila Beach. Contact me if you wish to get in touch with Shirley about obtaining a DVD or finding the YouTube link version.
Here are a few odds and ends that you may find of interest. Justin Hodges and his Avila Beach Surf School are offering a free “Surf Movie” every Friday night at 8:00p.m., shown on a huge outdoor screen at the Avila Beach Grocery. And football enthusiasts can enjoy the same free venue for Monday and Sunday night live televised games, with start times subject to broadcast schedules. Refreshments are available at the Avila Grocery for movie and football nights. Once again Diablo Canyon will be bringing to the county hundreds of temporary employees in need of short term housing during the next refueling outage in 2014. Contact information and details should be available next month. And lastly, but not related to refueling, a reminder from AVAC member Denise Allen that Avila Beach residents interested in obtaining free Potassium Iodide pills can do so by contacting the SLO County Health Department. That’s it for now, fellow Avilones. Enjoy the holidays and we’ll see you at the beach.
And speaking of grant making, I am pleased to publicly announce the Foundation’s grant recipients for 2014. The projects/organizations we are supporting for the coming year include: Avila Beach Civic Association for ongoing Community Center management services, Achievement House to continue summer season beach area cleanup efforts; Central Coast Aquarium’s Scientists for a Day youth scholarship program; Avila Beach Jr. Lifeguards summer camp; San Luis Obispo Film Festival’s Avila Beach screenings venue; Port San Luis Mutt Mitts project; People’s Self Help Housing for supportive services at their Avila Beach Lachen Tara subsidized housing complex; continued mailing of the monthly Avila Community News; and once again subsidizing the seasonal Free Avila Beach Trolley. Additionally we are setting aside funds for the creation and placement of some permanent artwork along Front Street and the launching of an Avila Apples Festival. Altogether our Foundation Trustees approved a grand total of $78,710 for the coming year. Since forming in 2000 the Foundation has awarded more than $2 million in community enhancement projects and programs. Please visit www.avilabeachfoundation.org to learn more about our organization.
In my five years at the helm of the Foundation I have come to learn of or meet some Avila residents who are among the many talented and accomplished of our neighbors. It seems we have no shortage of artists, musicians, authors and others who quietly go about their lives with little or no local fanfare. I recently had the opportunity to learn of one, Sylvia Alcon, and her recently published book of poems titled Caught in Flight. I was invited to attend a special book-signing reception a few weeks ago by friend Shirley Goetz, who also gifted me with a copy of the new book (thank you). I decided to interview author Sylvia and she shared with me that Avila Beach has been her home for 30 years. It was here that she raised her children while working as a home birth midwife and pre-school teacher, and she has been working the past 15 years at the craft of poetry as a way “to put form to experience.” She further says “members of the Cambria Writers Group listened to much of my work and encouraged me to publish.” With that vote of confidence her good friends and fellow poets Paula Lowe and Dian Sousa collaborated to create “Big Yes Press”, with Caught in Flight being their first publication. Other of Sylvia’s poems have appeared in Poems for Endangered Places, Solo Café’, Bird Black as the Sun and Askew. Says Sylvia, “it’s been a wonderful surprise to give readings from the book, and to have friends say that they thought they knew me, but hearing the poems gave them a new perspective.” Anyone interested in acquiring a copy of Caught in Flight can purchase one directly from Sylvia, or online at sjalcon@att.net. As an aside, I think you’ll enjoy the book cover, which features a photo taken by Avila Beach resident Shirley Goetz, who has recently produced a wonderful video that so beautifully captures the essence of Avila Beach. Contact me if you wish to get in touch with Shirley about obtaining a DVD or finding the YouTube link version.
Here are a few odds and ends that you may find of interest. Justin Hodges and his Avila Beach Surf School are offering a free “Surf Movie” every Friday night at 8:00p.m., shown on a huge outdoor screen at the Avila Beach Grocery. And football enthusiasts can enjoy the same free venue for Monday and Sunday night live televised games, with start times subject to broadcast schedules. Refreshments are available at the Avila Grocery for movie and football nights. Once again Diablo Canyon will be bringing to the county hundreds of temporary employees in need of short term housing during the next refueling outage in 2014. Contact information and details should be available next month. And lastly, but not related to refueling, a reminder from AVAC member Denise Allen that Avila Beach residents interested in obtaining free Potassium Iodide pills can do so by contacting the SLO County Health Department. That’s it for now, fellow Avilones. Enjoy the holidays and we’ll see you at the beach.
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