Greetings, fellow Avilones. With Thanksgiving behind us it’s now time for everyone to focus on the December holidays. Purchase and wrap those presents, decorate your home, prepare to host guests or finalize travel plans, and fight increased traffic on our roads and at our shopping centers. Lots of fun, eh? I can feel the stress coming, but I do welcome the overall good cheer and togetherness that accompanies the chaos. Plus, I look forward to enjoying whatever gifts come my way, and seeing the joy of others in the gifts they are given. I’ll even offer some smiles and laughs in the direction of my wife and her relentless dressing up of our beloved and so popular dog, Dodger.
In the spirit of gift giving, this is always the time of year when I get to announce the good news – that being the recipients of “Foundation” grants for the coming year. At our November meeting, thirteen grants were awarded, totaling $64,590. Beneficiaries for 2018 funding are the Central Coast Aquarium, Avila Beach Civic Association, Cancer Well-Fit, Point San Luis Lighthouse Keepers, Avila Beach Jr. Lifeguards Program, Achievement House, People’s Self Help Housing, Port San Luis Harbor District, Bellevue-Santa Fe Charter School and the Surfrider Foundation. Plus, we will continue to support the Free Avila Trolley and home delivery of the Avila Beach News. For details about grant recipients and their specific programs, I invite you to visit our website – www.avilabeachfoundation.org.
I am pleased to provide even more good news for Avila Beach public art lovers. As you know, the “Foundation” has been on a several months quest to raise enough money to launch a second round of public art for our beach community. Our goal was $25,000. We have now reached that goal!!!! I can’t say “thank you” enough times to County Supervisor Adam Hill for his initial $5,000 challenge pledge, and to our friends at Chevron and the Sara Horne Art Fund for being the first to answer the challenge with generous donations of their own. Following that, nearly four dozen Avilones displayed their generosity by contributing to the cause – spurred on by the gift of our limited edition “Proud Avilone” license plate frames. We have decided to continue with the campaign to raise even more funds throughout the holiday season, which could enable us to expand the scope of Public Art Phase II. Look for the holiday flyer below (or in the print version of Avila Beach News), that encourages folks to gift their Avila neighbors with our cool license plate frames for the price of a donation of any size. Quantities are limited, so don’t miss out.
Here’s some “illuminating” news or perhaps an observation. It’s an “observation” if the County has finally installed the long-awaited-for street lights at the San Luis Bay Drive and Ontario intersection, which at the time of this writing was scheduled for November 28th. It’s “news” if we are soon to see the work completed. We really have the Avila Valley Advisory Council to thank for lobbying behind the scenes for more than one year, imploring County Public Works to address the safety concerns and dangerous conditions at this intersection. There have been so many accidents and near misses at this ill-conceived web of on and off ramps we have cautiously had to navigate for years, one has to wonder why it took the local government wheels so long to turn. Nevertheless, I offer my sincere thanks to AVAC and SLO County for making our lives a little safer.
Have you remembered to change the batteries in your smoke alarms, and to install carbon monoxide detectors? At the November meeting of the Avila Valley Advisory Council, Cal Fire Battalion Chief Paul Lee reminded us that the seasonal changes in daylight savings each year are the perfect times to complete these tasks. Be safe! And last, but never least, comes my annual reminder to all Avilones that we are so very fortunate to have the services of our local post office. So, be sure to always purchase your postage and ship your packages – especially during the holiday season - at our local outlet. Without sufficient revenue, there is no guarantee that the Avila Post Office will always be here. And it shouldn’t be left unsaid just how lucky we are to have such a friendly, caring and helpful staff at the post office (Mary, Julie and Cindy). Thanks for all you do!
That’s it for now, fellow Avilones. Have a wonderful Christmas, Hanukkah, or whatever it is you celebrate this time of the year. See you at the beach!
In the spirit of gift giving, this is always the time of year when I get to announce the good news – that being the recipients of “Foundation” grants for the coming year. At our November meeting, thirteen grants were awarded, totaling $64,590. Beneficiaries for 2018 funding are the Central Coast Aquarium, Avila Beach Civic Association, Cancer Well-Fit, Point San Luis Lighthouse Keepers, Avila Beach Jr. Lifeguards Program, Achievement House, People’s Self Help Housing, Port San Luis Harbor District, Bellevue-Santa Fe Charter School and the Surfrider Foundation. Plus, we will continue to support the Free Avila Trolley and home delivery of the Avila Beach News. For details about grant recipients and their specific programs, I invite you to visit our website – www.avilabeachfoundation.org.
I am pleased to provide even more good news for Avila Beach public art lovers. As you know, the “Foundation” has been on a several months quest to raise enough money to launch a second round of public art for our beach community. Our goal was $25,000. We have now reached that goal!!!! I can’t say “thank you” enough times to County Supervisor Adam Hill for his initial $5,000 challenge pledge, and to our friends at Chevron and the Sara Horne Art Fund for being the first to answer the challenge with generous donations of their own. Following that, nearly four dozen Avilones displayed their generosity by contributing to the cause – spurred on by the gift of our limited edition “Proud Avilone” license plate frames. We have decided to continue with the campaign to raise even more funds throughout the holiday season, which could enable us to expand the scope of Public Art Phase II. Look for the holiday flyer below (or in the print version of Avila Beach News), that encourages folks to gift their Avila neighbors with our cool license plate frames for the price of a donation of any size. Quantities are limited, so don’t miss out.
Here’s some “illuminating” news or perhaps an observation. It’s an “observation” if the County has finally installed the long-awaited-for street lights at the San Luis Bay Drive and Ontario intersection, which at the time of this writing was scheduled for November 28th. It’s “news” if we are soon to see the work completed. We really have the Avila Valley Advisory Council to thank for lobbying behind the scenes for more than one year, imploring County Public Works to address the safety concerns and dangerous conditions at this intersection. There have been so many accidents and near misses at this ill-conceived web of on and off ramps we have cautiously had to navigate for years, one has to wonder why it took the local government wheels so long to turn. Nevertheless, I offer my sincere thanks to AVAC and SLO County for making our lives a little safer.
Have you remembered to change the batteries in your smoke alarms, and to install carbon monoxide detectors? At the November meeting of the Avila Valley Advisory Council, Cal Fire Battalion Chief Paul Lee reminded us that the seasonal changes in daylight savings each year are the perfect times to complete these tasks. Be safe! And last, but never least, comes my annual reminder to all Avilones that we are so very fortunate to have the services of our local post office. So, be sure to always purchase your postage and ship your packages – especially during the holiday season - at our local outlet. Without sufficient revenue, there is no guarantee that the Avila Post Office will always be here. And it shouldn’t be left unsaid just how lucky we are to have such a friendly, caring and helpful staff at the post office (Mary, Julie and Cindy). Thanks for all you do!
That’s it for now, fellow Avilones. Have a wonderful Christmas, Hanukkah, or whatever it is you celebrate this time of the year. See you at the beach!
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