Greetings, fellow Avilones. Summer is moving along as expected here in Avila as we head into the month of August. The beaches are crowded with not only locals, but with throngs of visitors escaping the extreme temperatures in North SLO County and California’s Central Valleys. So far, the weather in Avila this season has been unusually mild and cool. Early morning fog giving way to afternoon sunshine has been pretty consistent, though that can change in a hurry. I cannot help but recall the numerous hot, hot, hot days of last summer when finding relief was a challenge.
The “Foundation” has once again entered our grant-making season. Funding requests from eligible organizations, programs or projects are being accepted through September 15th. Grant applications can be found on our website: www.avilabeachfoundation.org. The grant awards selection process begins in October when our board members determine how much money will be allocated for 2024 grants, and they receive copies of the applications. They are tasked with reading and ranking the applicants, which collectively results in a list of priority funding based on the average scores. In November the board meets to negotiate the selection of grants to be awarded and the sums of each. This process is an interesting and rewarding exercise that has served us well for many years.
As you know, I often promote the work of the Avila Valley Advisory Council (AVAC) and encourage all Avilones to participate in their monthly Zoom meetings. In my opinion there is no better way to stay informed of things happening in our community that affect our lives. As an example, a few things I learned during the July AVAC meeting were; (1) The heavily used Bob Jones Trail, managed by SLO County Parks and Recreation, recently installed a new traffic counter to help monitor usage, and new signs along the Trail have been placed to remind all of a 15 mile per hour maximum speed limit. Safety has become a major issue as the increasing number of people riding higher speed electric bikes and scooters has become a concern. (2) The Cave Landing parking area improvements project is underway, and is expected to be completed by the end of August. (3) Port San Luis Harbor District reported that repair work on the Avila Pier is about half way through a two-year process. These are just a few of the topics shared during the AVAC meeting. Much more information can be gleaned, so I highly recommend visiting the AVAC website to review reports and minutes from previous meetings. Log onto: https://avac-avila.org.
Alaska here we come. Yep, my wife and I will be heading out in August for a 10-day trip to Alaska. It begins with a 3-day land tour of the Denali wilderness, followed by a 7-day cruise through Alaska’s inland-passage. This is our first major trip since the Pandemic, and I admit to still being leery of travel in general. The travel industry has certainly changed since Covid, kind of like it changed after the September 2001 attacks. Airlines cannot seem to get their act together, and cruise ships get larger and larger to accommodate more passengers. Nevertheless, I look forward to this getaway and hope it restores my faith and excitement in venturing about. Because of the timing of this trip, it is likely that I will NOT be generating a column for the September issue of the Avila Beach Life news publication. I know this will be a shock to your system as I have not missed one column during my nearly 15 years on the job. Or, it may come as a relief to those of you who will welcome and relish a break from my ramblings…….LOL.
That’s it for now, fellow Avilones. See you at the beach!
The “Foundation” has once again entered our grant-making season. Funding requests from eligible organizations, programs or projects are being accepted through September 15th. Grant applications can be found on our website: www.avilabeachfoundation.org. The grant awards selection process begins in October when our board members determine how much money will be allocated for 2024 grants, and they receive copies of the applications. They are tasked with reading and ranking the applicants, which collectively results in a list of priority funding based on the average scores. In November the board meets to negotiate the selection of grants to be awarded and the sums of each. This process is an interesting and rewarding exercise that has served us well for many years.
As you know, I often promote the work of the Avila Valley Advisory Council (AVAC) and encourage all Avilones to participate in their monthly Zoom meetings. In my opinion there is no better way to stay informed of things happening in our community that affect our lives. As an example, a few things I learned during the July AVAC meeting were; (1) The heavily used Bob Jones Trail, managed by SLO County Parks and Recreation, recently installed a new traffic counter to help monitor usage, and new signs along the Trail have been placed to remind all of a 15 mile per hour maximum speed limit. Safety has become a major issue as the increasing number of people riding higher speed electric bikes and scooters has become a concern. (2) The Cave Landing parking area improvements project is underway, and is expected to be completed by the end of August. (3) Port San Luis Harbor District reported that repair work on the Avila Pier is about half way through a two-year process. These are just a few of the topics shared during the AVAC meeting. Much more information can be gleaned, so I highly recommend visiting the AVAC website to review reports and minutes from previous meetings. Log onto: https://avac-avila.org.
Alaska here we come. Yep, my wife and I will be heading out in August for a 10-day trip to Alaska. It begins with a 3-day land tour of the Denali wilderness, followed by a 7-day cruise through Alaska’s inland-passage. This is our first major trip since the Pandemic, and I admit to still being leery of travel in general. The travel industry has certainly changed since Covid, kind of like it changed after the September 2001 attacks. Airlines cannot seem to get their act together, and cruise ships get larger and larger to accommodate more passengers. Nevertheless, I look forward to this getaway and hope it restores my faith and excitement in venturing about. Because of the timing of this trip, it is likely that I will NOT be generating a column for the September issue of the Avila Beach Life news publication. I know this will be a shock to your system as I have not missed one column during my nearly 15 years on the job. Or, it may come as a relief to those of you who will welcome and relish a break from my ramblings…….LOL.
That’s it for now, fellow Avilones. See you at the beach!
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