Hello fellow Avilones. Summer is winding down, the kids are back in school, and we can all take a collective breath. Needless to say, it's been an interesting season. Visiting whales, throngs of tourists, large events at the golf course, great weather and more contributed to one of the busiest beach summers ever. Kicking off this month's column I have a reminder and update to share. Reminder: Grant applications seeking Foundation support are due September 18th. Update: I previously mentioned the Foundation's Avila Beach Public Art Initiative, being financed by the Foundation and Chevron. I'm pleased to announce that our friends at PG&E recently agreed to kick in $2,500 this year and next, which now brings the total funds available for public artworks to $20,000! Foundation Project Specialist Paula Dempsey is hard at work with her committee and Arts Obispo moving the project forward. We'll keep you posted as things progress.
On the "news" front, the Foundation is delighted to introduce our newest Trustee, Gary Maier, who was elected to the board at our July meeting. Gary and his family have resided in the Avila Beach area since 1992, where they enjoy the availability and variety of year-round outdoor activities. Having held several positions with Pacific Gas and Electric, Gary is now a Strategic Projects supervisor. In addition to his new role with the Foundation, Gary is involved with SLO Color Blast, which is a Fun Run dedicated to the spirit of his son, Alex. Staying active and healthy is important to Gary, so he is often found playing tennis or working out at the Avila Bay Club, or hiking one of our local trails. Among Gary's early contributions as a Trustee will be helping to coordinate and provide a free Cyber Safety workshop for interested Avila residents and business owners. In an era where we hear more and more about stolen identities and credit card information, raided corporate files, etc., the coming workshop will be one that internet users can't afford to miss. Stay tuned for details.
I frequently remind you readers that one of the best ways to stay abreast of things happening in Avila Beach and Valley is to attend, or read minutes of, meetings of the Avila Valley Advisory Council. AVAC meets the second Monday of each month at 7:00p.m. at the PG&E Visitor Center. I bring this up again because of an issue that surfaced at AVAC's meeting in July by several community members upset about illegal parking running rampant in our beach area neighborhoods. Complaints about vehicles parked in front of fire hydrants and on corners blocking entrance to sidewalks was a hot topic, and concerns about line-of-sight obstruction parking along busy intersections was also addressed. Particularly frustrating was hearing from local law enforcement agencies that they do not regularly patrol the area in search of parking violators due to lack of sufficient personnel and resources. Not willing to leave it at that, members of the audience appealed to, in the absence of County Supervisor Adam Hill, his Legislative Assistant Hannah Miller, to report the matter and begin to seek solutions. I am happy to say that Supervisor Hill's office moved swiftly, and in concert with, County Public Works and CHP. We have been informed that CHP will dedicate more time for beach area patrol, and Public Works has already taken steps to paint red curbs at the aforementioned problem areas. Public Works (PW) is also exploring the possibility of creating an ordinance allowing PW employees to issue parking citations in the unincorporated areas of the County - which includes Avila Beach - as a means to improve enforcement efforts. I want to personally thank Hannah Miller for helping move things forward and staying in communication with us throughout the process.
You may recall that several months ago I mentioned that I was being considered for election as an alternate to the SLO County Commission on Aging. Well, it's now official - I am duly elected. My primary interest in joining the Commission stems from the knowledge that Avila Beach and Valley is home to a great many seniors, who will likely at some point need assistance with issues facing the elderly. Our County has a numerous resources available, making it easier to navigate the road to comfortable and safe aging. Each meeting I attend results in the distribution of materials and resources, which I collect and bring back to my office at the Foundation. While I am far from being the "go to guy" on local resources, I am happy to share the information I've accumulated on a variety of aging issues - just ask. I DO encourage those of you in need of related senior information to get hold of the Senior Information Guide published by the local Area Agency on Aging. Call 800-510-2020 or visit www.centralcoastseniors.org.
That's it for now, fellow Avilones. I'll see you at the beach!
On the "news" front, the Foundation is delighted to introduce our newest Trustee, Gary Maier, who was elected to the board at our July meeting. Gary and his family have resided in the Avila Beach area since 1992, where they enjoy the availability and variety of year-round outdoor activities. Having held several positions with Pacific Gas and Electric, Gary is now a Strategic Projects supervisor. In addition to his new role with the Foundation, Gary is involved with SLO Color Blast, which is a Fun Run dedicated to the spirit of his son, Alex. Staying active and healthy is important to Gary, so he is often found playing tennis or working out at the Avila Bay Club, or hiking one of our local trails. Among Gary's early contributions as a Trustee will be helping to coordinate and provide a free Cyber Safety workshop for interested Avila residents and business owners. In an era where we hear more and more about stolen identities and credit card information, raided corporate files, etc., the coming workshop will be one that internet users can't afford to miss. Stay tuned for details.
I frequently remind you readers that one of the best ways to stay abreast of things happening in Avila Beach and Valley is to attend, or read minutes of, meetings of the Avila Valley Advisory Council. AVAC meets the second Monday of each month at 7:00p.m. at the PG&E Visitor Center. I bring this up again because of an issue that surfaced at AVAC's meeting in July by several community members upset about illegal parking running rampant in our beach area neighborhoods. Complaints about vehicles parked in front of fire hydrants and on corners blocking entrance to sidewalks was a hot topic, and concerns about line-of-sight obstruction parking along busy intersections was also addressed. Particularly frustrating was hearing from local law enforcement agencies that they do not regularly patrol the area in search of parking violators due to lack of sufficient personnel and resources. Not willing to leave it at that, members of the audience appealed to, in the absence of County Supervisor Adam Hill, his Legislative Assistant Hannah Miller, to report the matter and begin to seek solutions. I am happy to say that Supervisor Hill's office moved swiftly, and in concert with, County Public Works and CHP. We have been informed that CHP will dedicate more time for beach area patrol, and Public Works has already taken steps to paint red curbs at the aforementioned problem areas. Public Works (PW) is also exploring the possibility of creating an ordinance allowing PW employees to issue parking citations in the unincorporated areas of the County - which includes Avila Beach - as a means to improve enforcement efforts. I want to personally thank Hannah Miller for helping move things forward and staying in communication with us throughout the process.
You may recall that several months ago I mentioned that I was being considered for election as an alternate to the SLO County Commission on Aging. Well, it's now official - I am duly elected. My primary interest in joining the Commission stems from the knowledge that Avila Beach and Valley is home to a great many seniors, who will likely at some point need assistance with issues facing the elderly. Our County has a numerous resources available, making it easier to navigate the road to comfortable and safe aging. Each meeting I attend results in the distribution of materials and resources, which I collect and bring back to my office at the Foundation. While I am far from being the "go to guy" on local resources, I am happy to share the information I've accumulated on a variety of aging issues - just ask. I DO encourage those of you in need of related senior information to get hold of the Senior Information Guide published by the local Area Agency on Aging. Call 800-510-2020 or visit www.centralcoastseniors.org.
That's it for now, fellow Avilones. I'll see you at the beach!
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