Hello friends and neighbors. Summer in Avila Beach is racing towards a conclusion, and it appears to have been quite a season. The weather has been superb, the events well attended, Fish and Farmers’ Market packed with locals and visitors, as are our pristine beaches. We even experienced quite a whale show in the harbor on August 18th, an unexpected treat that was observed by many and evidently told to others since the next day resulted in a flock of people returning to the same spot in the hopes of whale show part II.
In terms of the Avila Beach Foundation’s summer, we continue to move along with efforts to engage the community and encourage residents to become involved. On August 15th we hosted our first neighborhood focus group gathering at the home of Foundation Trustee Lucinda Borchard, assisted by Trustee Chris DeWeese. I welcomed this opportunity to facilitate an evening that included a brief overview of the Foundation’s history and mission, followed by a brainstorming session of community enhancement ideas. You readers may recall that the Foundation has conducted a variety of surveys the past few years, all with a purpose to gather the type of feedback and input we can use to help shape the direction of our organization. It has been an interesting exercise, and we learned so much about your likes, dislikes and suggestions for a better Avila Beach. While I won’t report the submitted ideas that are well beyond local scope or influence, I gladly share with you the “doable” project suggestions that appeared most frequently on our surveys, and garnered the most support by those attending the focus group gathering.
Among the most popular ideas were to establish a community garden, create a dog park, install telescopes at the pier, establish a golf cart-accessible and friendly beachfront town, and launch a unique community festival on a grand scale. While enthusiasm for these projects runs high, each comes with its own special needs and challenges. First and foremost is the need to GET PEOPLE INVOLVED!!! Project committees need to be formed, and in some cases funds and materials need to be solicited. While the Avila Beach Community Foundation can indeed serve as a catalyst and convener, we do not have the infrastructure or resources to go it alone. Are you passionate enough to get involved in any of the aforementioned or other community enhancement ideas? Will you serve on a committee, get your friends involved, and help bring a project idea to fruition? Or, might you financially support a specific project or two? If your answer is “yes”, please get in touch with me to let me know of your interest and availability. Let’s work together to make good things happen.
Have you ever boarded the Avila Trolley to go to the beach, or perhaps to the Pismo Beach Outlets? For several years now the Avila Beach Community Foundation has allocated $5,000 annually to subsidize free Trolley rides as a way to reduce vehicular traffic at the beach and harbor. Having just recently received the quarterly report from Trolley operator South County Area Transit, the ridership level for the month of June popped off the page! So, I couldn’t help but take a look back at 2010 and 2011 to compare, and much to my delight I learned that in June 2010 the Trolley accommodated 661 passengers, in June 2011 that number jumped to 1,553 passengers (the addition of Fridays during Fish and Farmers’ Market attributable), and this June the number ballooned to 2,475 passengers!!! While this serves as a validation of the Foundation’s commitment, another upside occurred – that being financial. Our agreement with SCAT is that donated passenger fares collected each quarter are credited against the Foundation’s bill, and clearly June’s riders showed greater appreciation for the Trolley service by contributing $1,038, versus $393 last year and $263 in 2010. So, ride the Trolley and put a smile on your face.
And speaking of Foundation funding – one last reminder that September 28th is the deadline for applicants seeking grants for 2013. Since inception the Foundation has awarded roughly $2 million in grants for local projects and programs. Come October our Trustees will hear verbal presentations from eligible applicants, and in November we will announce grant award recipients. For Foundation Trustees this is the highlight of each year, since it further reinforces our mission to enhance life in Avila Beach in perpetuity. If you are interested in learning about openings for new Trustees beginning 2013, please email me at [email protected]. That’s it for now. I’ll see you at the beach!
In terms of the Avila Beach Foundation’s summer, we continue to move along with efforts to engage the community and encourage residents to become involved. On August 15th we hosted our first neighborhood focus group gathering at the home of Foundation Trustee Lucinda Borchard, assisted by Trustee Chris DeWeese. I welcomed this opportunity to facilitate an evening that included a brief overview of the Foundation’s history and mission, followed by a brainstorming session of community enhancement ideas. You readers may recall that the Foundation has conducted a variety of surveys the past few years, all with a purpose to gather the type of feedback and input we can use to help shape the direction of our organization. It has been an interesting exercise, and we learned so much about your likes, dislikes and suggestions for a better Avila Beach. While I won’t report the submitted ideas that are well beyond local scope or influence, I gladly share with you the “doable” project suggestions that appeared most frequently on our surveys, and garnered the most support by those attending the focus group gathering.
Among the most popular ideas were to establish a community garden, create a dog park, install telescopes at the pier, establish a golf cart-accessible and friendly beachfront town, and launch a unique community festival on a grand scale. While enthusiasm for these projects runs high, each comes with its own special needs and challenges. First and foremost is the need to GET PEOPLE INVOLVED!!! Project committees need to be formed, and in some cases funds and materials need to be solicited. While the Avila Beach Community Foundation can indeed serve as a catalyst and convener, we do not have the infrastructure or resources to go it alone. Are you passionate enough to get involved in any of the aforementioned or other community enhancement ideas? Will you serve on a committee, get your friends involved, and help bring a project idea to fruition? Or, might you financially support a specific project or two? If your answer is “yes”, please get in touch with me to let me know of your interest and availability. Let’s work together to make good things happen.
Have you ever boarded the Avila Trolley to go to the beach, or perhaps to the Pismo Beach Outlets? For several years now the Avila Beach Community Foundation has allocated $5,000 annually to subsidize free Trolley rides as a way to reduce vehicular traffic at the beach and harbor. Having just recently received the quarterly report from Trolley operator South County Area Transit, the ridership level for the month of June popped off the page! So, I couldn’t help but take a look back at 2010 and 2011 to compare, and much to my delight I learned that in June 2010 the Trolley accommodated 661 passengers, in June 2011 that number jumped to 1,553 passengers (the addition of Fridays during Fish and Farmers’ Market attributable), and this June the number ballooned to 2,475 passengers!!! While this serves as a validation of the Foundation’s commitment, another upside occurred – that being financial. Our agreement with SCAT is that donated passenger fares collected each quarter are credited against the Foundation’s bill, and clearly June’s riders showed greater appreciation for the Trolley service by contributing $1,038, versus $393 last year and $263 in 2010. So, ride the Trolley and put a smile on your face.
And speaking of Foundation funding – one last reminder that September 28th is the deadline for applicants seeking grants for 2013. Since inception the Foundation has awarded roughly $2 million in grants for local projects and programs. Come October our Trustees will hear verbal presentations from eligible applicants, and in November we will announce grant award recipients. For Foundation Trustees this is the highlight of each year, since it further reinforces our mission to enhance life in Avila Beach in perpetuity. If you are interested in learning about openings for new Trustees beginning 2013, please email me at [email protected]. That’s it for now. I’ll see you at the beach!
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