February arrives with the promise of gradually lengthening days, marking the transition from winter's grasp to the hint of spring. As we bid farewell to January, the additional minutes of daylight are a welcome sight for all of us.

The Avila Beach Community Foundation is pleased to welcome back our Executive Board, bringing together a dedicated team of individuals to lead and guide the organization. Barbara Nicholson continues in the role of President, Saul Goldberg as Vice President, Ellen Pitrowski as Secretary, and Patrick Corrigan as our Treasurer. Together, this dynamic team, along with our board trustees will guide the Avila Beach Community Foundation towards continued success in its mission to enhance and support our local community.

As mentioned last month, I plan to share the good works and positive impact of each of our worthy 2024 grant recipients. This month, it is my pleasure to spotlight the Central Coast Aquarium whose mission is to cultivate a community dedicated to ocean stewardship through education, engagement, and action.

Central Coast Aquarium’s founders, Russ and Carol Kiessig, established the organization as the Port San Luis Marine Institute in 1994 in Avila Beach fueled by Russ’ dream to share the wonder of the ocean with local residents, students, and travelers. Officially incorporated as a 501c3 nonprofit organization in 1998, Russ specifically wanted to provide opportunities for local school children to learn about San Luis Obispo County’s marine habitats and estuarine environments.

In the beginning, Russ taught outdoors on the Harford Pier in Avila. At that time, he was also working on his first draft of a future aquarium facility. Thanks to a partnership with Leonard Cohen, the owner of The Olde Port Inn restaurant, Russ began to conduct lectures on ocean life in the restaurant’s second floor dining room, but he quickly outgrew the venue.

The vision of building an aquarium and education center under the new name, Avila Beach Sea Life Center, became a reality after the community of Avila Beach received mitigation funds from Union Oil/Unocal in response to underground oil contamination that occurred in Avila. These mitigation funds provided for the construction of a brand new marine science education center and aquarium, located adjacent to Avila Beach Park, on a parcel donated from Unocal.  Sadly, Russ passed away in 2005 and was not able to see the realization of his decades-long vision for a state-of-the-art aquarium and marine science education center which opened in 2006. The Avila Sea Life Center was rebranded as the Central Coast Aquarium in 2013 to expand its reach countywide as the authority on marine science education.

Today, the Central Coast Aquarium celebrates 25 years as a precious community resource with interactive exhibits, outdoor activities, and laboratory lessons for all ages, honoring Russ Kiessig’s original vision.

In 2024, Avila Beach Community Foundation is pleased to award funding to the Central Coast Aquarium to support its daily operational costs.
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Until next month, wishing you a wonderful February and enjoy those extra minutes of daylight!

I am thrilled to be embarking on my new role as the Executive Director of the Avila Beach Community Foundation. The opportunity to lead and serve this vibrant community is a great honor. I look forward to working with everyone to enhance and preserve our wonderful Central Coast paradise.

My wife, Stephanie and I moved to Avila Beach in 2006 from the Bay Area to be closer to Stephanie’s parents. We enjoyed living in Avila for over 8 years and currently live in San Luis Obispo. I am a retired elementary school educator and finished my teaching career in Santa Maria, CA in 2022.  Prior to being an educator, I held various positions in the semiconductor equipment sector employed at Applied Materials and other Silicon Valley companies.  While living in Avila, I was active in the community serving on multiple boards including the Avila Beach Community Services District, Avila Beach Civic Association, and the Avila Beach Community Foundation. I had the pleasure of serving as President of the Foundation, so it is wonderful to return to such a great organization in my new role.

I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to Rick Cohen for his exceptional leadership and guidance during his 15 years as Executive Director of the Avila Beach Community Foundation. His commitment to the community's well-being has been an inspiration to all. His vision has laid a strong foundation for our collective success, and I am honored to continue building upon it as we work together toward our shared goals.  Wishing Rick a joyous retirement, filled with many new adventures.

Additionally, I want to announce the retirement of another outstanding board member, Richard Zacky.  We thank him for his extraordinary decade of leadership and dedication to the Avila Beach community.  We are immensely grateful for the wisdom, expertise, and guidance he has shared with the foundation.  We thank Richard for his invaluable contributions and wish him the very best in his future endeavors.

Now for the best news of the month, the Avila Beach Community Foundation Board of Trustees met on December 5th to determine grant awards to be distributed for the coming year. For this annual round of funding in 2024, we awarded a grand total of $54,200 to our community partners. Grants were awarded to:  Avila Beach Civic Association, NatureTrack, Cancer Well-Fit Program at the Avila Bay Club, Central Coast Aquarium, KCBX Public Radio, Noor Foundation of San Luis Obispo, Operation Surf, People’s Self Help Housing at Lachen Tara in Avila Beach, Point San Luis Lighthouse Keepers, Port San Luis Harbor District Doggy Waste Bags, Surfrider Foundation, Avila Beach Free Trolley, Avila Beach Life News Publication and Friends of the Avila Pier.

In the coming months, I will plan to spotlight each of these organizations to recognize all that they contribute to our wonderful community.
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Wishing each of you a New Year filled with peace, joy and good health in 2024.

Greetings, fellow Avilones.   Well, here we are, on the threshold of another Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s Eve.  Let the chaos begin!  If you have driven by, or to, Costco, Target, Walmart, etc., it feels like holiday gift shopping has already switched into high gear.  Traffic is heavy, parking lots are filled and checkout lines are long.  I keep reading about the dire economy, but that sure doesn’t seem to be the case here in SLO County.  I’m already feeling the pressure that comes with selecting the right presents for family and friends.  Maybe I’ll just take a very long December nap and wake up in January when things have calmed down (haha).
 
You may recall some of my past columns where I shared with you the good deeds of organizations supported by the Avila Beach Community Foundation through our grant-making initiatives.  One of those organizations is Operation Surf, with its mission of empowering wounded veterans and active-duty military personnel through the healing power of the ocean, surfing and community here in Avila Beach.  Operation Surf has touched many lives, and often hears back from clients who have benefited from their services.  I recently received from Operation Surf Executive Director Amanda Curaza the copy of a letter of gratitude from a veteran participant of theirs, which I would like to share with you. 

Anonymous wrote, “I got out of the Navy 14 years ago with a dark stain of trauma.  Since then, I have been hiding and maneuvering to be invisible, due to the painful effects of PTSD and its compulsion to avoid being seen or noticed.  The resulting isolation and shame ultimately seduces the mind to think suicide seems to be the only solution.  So, finally, to be seen in a true way amongst the “OpSurfers” and now accepted as I am is freeing.  This witnessing allowed me to release the burden of the dark thoughts of isolation. Operation Surf created an environment where I felt that I mattered, and I came to know it.  The gift of 14 years of trauma being washed away by this experience is truly priceless!”

For me, the most fulfilling part of my job is knowing that the financial support we provide the community does indeed make a huge difference.  Operation Surf is just one example.  If you want to view for yourself the range of grants we’ve awarded in the past, check out the “Foundation’s” website:  www.avilabeachfoundation.org.  Click on the tab “Grant Info”, then” past grantees”.

One of the historically cherished landmarks in Avila Beach is the famed Avila Pier, which has been closed for several years following damage to the pilings and structure during repeated storms of recent years.  Repair work is underway, and the Port San Luis Harbor District and its fundraising arm, “Friends of Avila Pier” continue to seek funds to complete the job.  I am pleased to report that our “Foundation” Trustees recently voted to approve a $5,000 contribution towards this effort.  If you are interested in donating to the cause, visit www.AvilaPier.org and click on the “donate” tab.

Speaking of the Avila Pier, I am also pleased to report that we are working with the Harbor District to replace the current drinking foundation at the restrooms near the foot of the pier with a more environmentally sensitive alternative.  Thanks to the generosity of one of our “Foundation’s” donor-advised funds, the Richard and Kathleen Zacky Family Fund, a new hydration system that includes a water bottle refilling station will soon be installed.  Hopefully this will result in fewer disposable water bottles making their way into the trash heap.
Many folks in our community like to stay abreast of what’s happening with the Diablo Canyon Power Plant operational extension plans.  We recently received the following update from Eric Daniels, PG&E Public Policy and External Affairs for San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties:
 
“In September of last year, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 846 (Dodd) into law, which directed PG&E to pursue the extended operations of the clean energy facility that generates 2,200 megawatts of baseline electricity, providing approximately 17% of California’s zero-carbon electricity supply and 8.6% of the state’s total electricity supply.  Lawmakers took this step to ensure statewide electrical reliability and to minimize greenhouse gas emissions. The NRC will now determine whether our application is sufficient. If the NRC staff finds the LRA acceptable, we would be approved to continue operating past our current operating licenses while the NRC reviews the application.  The federal review of our license renewal application is a multi-year review process with opportunities for public involvement.”
 
Well, the time has come for a final farewell.  My 15-year tenure as the Avila Beach Community Foundation Executive Director ends on December 31st, and this is my last column. 

​So, I leave you with my usual closing, “that’s it for now, fellow Avilones, see you at the beach.”  I know you will welcome my able successor, Rick Rowe, as he leads the “Foundation” towards the future.