Greetings, fellow Avilones. This afternoon I am sitting at my desk on an afternoon when the temperature at the beach has reached more than 100 degrees. It’s one of those rare days each summer that I wish my home had air conditioning, because past history tells me that during times like this, our upper level bedroom will not cool down enough to allow for a comfortable night’s sleep. Even the dog has taken refuge at the lower level of our abode, where the temperature is a bit more bearable. Smart little guy he is. Oh well, guess I shouldn’t complain because the forecast for today (June 20th) in Palm Springs calls for a high of 121 degrees – now that’s HOT!!!
With July upon us, I must remind everyone that the “Foundation” will begin its annual grant making program. By mid-month the online grant application and instructions will appear on our website. Interested parties will be able to review our funding guidelines and download the application, which will be due around mid to late September. For the most part, grants are sought each year by about a dozen or so local non-profit and community organizations hoping to receive financial support of their organizations, projects or events. The “Foundation” has also, however, accepted requests from individuals who have project or beautification ideas to enhance the Avila Beach experience. We typically provide grants in the $2,000-$10,000 range, and will sometimes give greater consideration to applicants seeking “matching funds” to help them leverage more contributions from other sources. I encourage any new applicants to contact me first if they wish to get my take on the potential of their project or program idea. Or, visit our website at www.avilabeachfoundation.org.
I imagine many of you who have read or heard about the “Foundation’s” Avila Beach Public Art Initiative are anxious to receive a progress report. As you may recall, local artist Colleen Gnos was selected as the winner of the competition, and will be painting murals depicting Avila’s past and future on Lifeguard Towers 1 and 2, bordering the Avila Pier. According to “Foundation” Project Specialist Paula Dempsey, if art is your “gig” here is your chance to get involved “hands-on” with the project. Avila Beach residents are invited to participate in a FREE Community “Paint-In” with Colleen on Thursday, August 4th from 9:00a.m. to 1:00p.m. at her studio in San Luis Obispo. Participants will help paint the base coat colors on the actual panels that will become part of the Lifeguard tower murals. No painting experience is necessary, and the workshop is limited to the first 20 adults (18+) who register at www.artsobispo.org.
For those of you inclined to get involved in the “politics” or governing of Avila Beach, you may have been following discussions about the Avila Area General Plan – a decades old document that greatly influences County decisions that affect our town. Many locals have been advocating for an updated plan, and their efforts have been rewarded. In June, the SLO County Board of Supervisors approved funding to conduct a new study and update to the Avila Area Plan. According to San Luis Bay Estates resident, Ann Feeser, an important discussion about the current method of traffic analysis for Avila Beach will take place at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, July 19th. County staff will, most likely, present several options under consideration. Ann encourages her fellow Avilones to attend the BOS meeting, gain a greater understanding of the process, and chime in with your thoughts.
Under the category of “small victories” comes my recent experience grappling with SLO County hierarchy. As someone who, on a regular basis, drives from the Avila Beach Community Center to my home in Avila Valley, that right hand turn from San Miguel Street onto Avila Beach Drive has been a sore spot. The San Miguel Street intersection, as most of you know who have departed from the Community Center or Post Office, is set back with a blocked view of traffic heading out town because of cars parked on Avila Beach Drive – often right up to the corner. To navigate a turn – left or right – drivers must inch deep into the intersection to get a good view of the oncoming traffic. And with cars sometimes traveling 40mph and more, it can become quite dangerous. My plea to paint red curbs restricting the parking of cars up to a safe viewing distance, which was shared several times at AVAC meetings in the presence of County public works staff, was ignored for at least a year. Then a couple months ago, lo and behold, I came upon a story in the L.A. Times that reported on the City losing a $25million lawsuit from the family of someone who was killed in a car crash at an intersection very much like ours. The City was deemed to be aware of the danger and not having taken steps to correct it. I shared that story at the AVAC meeting, gave it to County staff, and…….finally, I’m told, efforts are presently under way towards eliminating some parking blind spots at our problem intersection. Hopefully it happens soon, since traffic in Avila is now peaking. My gratitude to Jeremy Ghent, Adam Hill and Hannah Miller for addressing the problem and moving this project forward to make commuting a bit safer for us.
That’s it for now fellow Avilones. See you at the beach!
With July upon us, I must remind everyone that the “Foundation” will begin its annual grant making program. By mid-month the online grant application and instructions will appear on our website. Interested parties will be able to review our funding guidelines and download the application, which will be due around mid to late September. For the most part, grants are sought each year by about a dozen or so local non-profit and community organizations hoping to receive financial support of their organizations, projects or events. The “Foundation” has also, however, accepted requests from individuals who have project or beautification ideas to enhance the Avila Beach experience. We typically provide grants in the $2,000-$10,000 range, and will sometimes give greater consideration to applicants seeking “matching funds” to help them leverage more contributions from other sources. I encourage any new applicants to contact me first if they wish to get my take on the potential of their project or program idea. Or, visit our website at www.avilabeachfoundation.org.
I imagine many of you who have read or heard about the “Foundation’s” Avila Beach Public Art Initiative are anxious to receive a progress report. As you may recall, local artist Colleen Gnos was selected as the winner of the competition, and will be painting murals depicting Avila’s past and future on Lifeguard Towers 1 and 2, bordering the Avila Pier. According to “Foundation” Project Specialist Paula Dempsey, if art is your “gig” here is your chance to get involved “hands-on” with the project. Avila Beach residents are invited to participate in a FREE Community “Paint-In” with Colleen on Thursday, August 4th from 9:00a.m. to 1:00p.m. at her studio in San Luis Obispo. Participants will help paint the base coat colors on the actual panels that will become part of the Lifeguard tower murals. No painting experience is necessary, and the workshop is limited to the first 20 adults (18+) who register at www.artsobispo.org.
For those of you inclined to get involved in the “politics” or governing of Avila Beach, you may have been following discussions about the Avila Area General Plan – a decades old document that greatly influences County decisions that affect our town. Many locals have been advocating for an updated plan, and their efforts have been rewarded. In June, the SLO County Board of Supervisors approved funding to conduct a new study and update to the Avila Area Plan. According to San Luis Bay Estates resident, Ann Feeser, an important discussion about the current method of traffic analysis for Avila Beach will take place at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, July 19th. County staff will, most likely, present several options under consideration. Ann encourages her fellow Avilones to attend the BOS meeting, gain a greater understanding of the process, and chime in with your thoughts.
Under the category of “small victories” comes my recent experience grappling with SLO County hierarchy. As someone who, on a regular basis, drives from the Avila Beach Community Center to my home in Avila Valley, that right hand turn from San Miguel Street onto Avila Beach Drive has been a sore spot. The San Miguel Street intersection, as most of you know who have departed from the Community Center or Post Office, is set back with a blocked view of traffic heading out town because of cars parked on Avila Beach Drive – often right up to the corner. To navigate a turn – left or right – drivers must inch deep into the intersection to get a good view of the oncoming traffic. And with cars sometimes traveling 40mph and more, it can become quite dangerous. My plea to paint red curbs restricting the parking of cars up to a safe viewing distance, which was shared several times at AVAC meetings in the presence of County public works staff, was ignored for at least a year. Then a couple months ago, lo and behold, I came upon a story in the L.A. Times that reported on the City losing a $25million lawsuit from the family of someone who was killed in a car crash at an intersection very much like ours. The City was deemed to be aware of the danger and not having taken steps to correct it. I shared that story at the AVAC meeting, gave it to County staff, and…….finally, I’m told, efforts are presently under way towards eliminating some parking blind spots at our problem intersection. Hopefully it happens soon, since traffic in Avila is now peaking. My gratitude to Jeremy Ghent, Adam Hill and Hannah Miller for addressing the problem and moving this project forward to make commuting a bit safer for us.
That’s it for now fellow Avilones. See you at the beach!
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