Central Coast

January 2015

Inside
Getting Out
Education

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2

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4

Family Life

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Money

6

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8

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10

Fun & Games

Local History

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12

Wordmonger

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10

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17

Calendar

Family Events

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Local Resources
Fit & Well

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20
22

Gifted & Learning Disabled / Bird Watching / Stagecoach Bandits / SLO Botanical Garden Pg 2

Free! Central Coast Family 

Getting Out
relationship between people
and nature and encourages a
sense of stewardship for the
natural environment.

SLO Botanical
Garden

On December 17, 2014, the
San Luis Obispo Botanical
Garden received a generous
grant of $2,000 from local
organization Central Coast
Funds for Children (CCFC).
The CCFC grant will directly
fund outdoor science and arts
based children’s education
programs by providing class
materials and scholarships
for at-risk and low-income
children, effectively doubling
the amount of scholarship the
garden offers to the summer
Adventure Camp and Garden
Fresh Cooking Classes.

San Luis Obispo Botanical
Garden is spread out on 150
acres in El Chorro Regional
Park off Highway One between
Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo
at 3450 Dairy Creek Road. When
the master plan is complete,
the garden will be the only

one of its kind in the United
States exclusively devoted to
the ecosystems and plants of
the five Mediterranean climate
regions of the world. Through
its programs and facilities, the
The mission of the San Luis
garden fosters an appreciation
Obispo
Botanical
Garden
and understanding of the
is to “connect people with
nature.” The garden offers
Kids Adventure Summer Camp educational opportunities that
San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden encourage physical activity and
environmental understanding
through engaging community
Central Coast Family PO Box 6424, Los Osos, CA 93412
members in natural settings.
Phone: (805) 528-0440
Fax: (805) 439-0798
The garden motivates people
Our goal is to connect Central Coast families with the resources they need to thrive!
to get outside and into nature
by offering multigenerational

EDITOR
PUBLISHER
educational outdoor activities
Patrice Vogel
David Vogel
throughout the year.
ccfamilyed@gmail.com
ccfamilypb@gmail.com

Cover Photo:

TM

Associate EDITOR
Claire Vogel
ccfamilyae@gmail.com

CC F

GRAPHIC DESIGN
Out of the Blue

Central Coast Funds for
Children was established to
benefit children in need of
special services in San Luis
Obispo County. CCFC is a
publicly
supported,
nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable
organization. CCFC’s support
demonstrates the importance
of collaboration in supporting
the health and livelihood of
the children of SLO County
through outdoor education.
Three events are scheduled at
the San Luis Obispo Botanical
Garden this January:
SAT JAN 10 1:00-3:00 pm: RAIN
WATER CATCHMENT. Discover
ways you can catch and save
water for your home garden.
Master Gardener Tami Reece
will cover the collection and
storage of harvested water for
a residential garden. Followed
at 2:00 pm by a free docentled tour of the garden. Cost:
$5 members, $10 for nonmembers. Contact: slobg.org/
water.
SAT JAN 17 1:00-3:00 pm:
CHUMASH AND CHANNEL
ISLAND ECOLOGY. Take a
journey through time to the
Channel Islands. What was life

ADVERTISING
Inquiries:
ccfamilyad@gmail.com
DISTRIBUTION MANAGER
Eric Woodards

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Kristen Barnhart, Jennifer Best, Guy Crabb, Kerrin Edmonds,
Renee Mosier, Molly Peoples, CS Perryess, Steven Smith
Central Coast Family is published monthly with a readership over 40,000. Find FREE
copies throughout San Luis Obispo County and North Santa Barbara County.
™

Visit our website: www.centralcoastfamily.com
Submission deadline: 15th of each month prior to publication
Information contained in advertisements and other submissions is accepted in good faith. Publication does not imply endorsement by Central Coast Family.
Opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect views of the publisher. We reserve the right to reject or edit all submissions for any reason.

Material published herein may not be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission. © Vogel 2008

Every issue is printed with soy ink on 100% recycled paper. Please recycle again!

Central Coast Family

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January 2015

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www.centralcoastfamily.com

•

Page 2 

Getting Out
The Village Salon

From Toni & Toni:

(805) 489-5100

115 East Branch Street in Arroyo Grande
like for the Chumash people
living there? Learn about the
importance of plants and
animals to the Channel Island
Chumash’s survival and society.
Archeologist Mike Glassow
PhD will paint a picture from
prehistory based on his years
of research on the Channel
Islands. Followed at 2:00 pm
by a free docent-led tour of
the garden. Cost: $5 members,
$10 for non-members. Contact:
slobg.org/Chumash.

Obispo Botanical Garden, 3450
Dairy Creek Rd, SLO. Join us
with Josh Heptig at the ZeroWaste Park to learn how the
whole family can participate
in home composting. Learn
how composting works, how
it reduces waste, and how you
can easily start at home. Once
you’ve composted your food
scraps, you can use the new
soil to grow more healthful
food and vibrant flowers in
your garden. PLUS: Meet
worms up-close! Josh Heptig,
SAT JAN 24 1:00-3:00 pm: KIDS Golf Superintendent in San
CAN COMPOST at San Luis Luis Obispo County, helped

to develop Dairy Creek Golf
Course as a zero-waste facility.
Cost: $5 suggested donation.
Contact: slobg.org/kids.

To learn more about the
garden, log on to slobg.org or
visit the SLO Botanical Garden
Facebook page.

Convenient Evening & Weekend Hours

FREE TEETH WHITENING
($300 value) with paid exam & necessary X-Rays
New Patients Only. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Expires: 05/31/15

San Luis Obispo
544-9440

Arroyo Grande
489-1495

Robert Flores D.M.D. & Robyn Flores D.M.D.

www.rrdentalcare.com

Central Coast Family

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January 2015

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www.centralcoastfamily.com

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Page 3 

Education
Gifted Children
Learning Disabilities
by Peg Rosen

Children can be gifted and also
have learning and attention
issues. Many of these children
go through school without being
identified as having special talents
or needs. If it is needed, you can
help your child get more support.
There are many people who
have exceptional ability in some
academic areas and significant
learning difficulties in other
areas. Students who qualify
for gifted programs as well as
accommodations
or
special
education services are referred
to as “twice-exceptional” or “2e”
learners. 


of twice-exceptional learners
in U.S. schools. Many of these
students are never formally
identified as being gifted, having
a disability, or both.
Twice-exceptional children tend
to fall into one of three categories.
These categories help explain
why students often go through
school without the services and
stimulation they need:

Students whose giftedness masks
their learning and attention
issues - These kids score high on
tests for giftedness but may not
do well in gifted programs. These
students use their exceptional
Some organizations estimate that abilities to try to compensate for
there are hundreds of thousands their weaknesses. But as they

Central Coast Family

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January 2015

•

get older, they may be labeled as
“underachieving,” “rebellious,”
or “lazy” as they fall behind their
gifted peers.
Students whose learning and
attention issues mask their
giftedness - Learning and
attention issues can affect
performance on IQ tests and
other assessments for giftedness.
For example, since many of these
tests require language skills, kids
with language-based challenges
may not perform well. These kids
may be placed in special education
classes, where they become bored
and possibly act out because
they aren’t being challenged
enough. Some of these children
are identified, wrongly, as having
emotional problems.

Extraordinary talent in a
particular area, such as math,
drawing, verbal communication
or music, along with significant
difficulties in other areas.
A significant gap between a
child’s performance in school
and his performance on
aptitude tests.
Signs of a processing disorder,
such as having trouble following
spoken directions or stories
read aloud.

There isn’t a simple, onetest way of identifying twiceexceptional children. Ask your
child’s school how it evaluates
kids for giftedness and learning
and attention issues. The process
will likely include assessing your
child’s strengths and weaknesses,
Students whose learning and
as well as observing him in class
attention issues and giftedness
and other settings.
mask each other - These kids
may appear to have average It may be helpful for you and the
ability because their strengths teachers to keep records of what
and weaknesses “cancel each your child excels in and struggles
other out.” Consequently, these with. Be on the lookout for
students may not qualify for “disconnects” between how hard
gifted programs or for special he studies and his grades.
education programs.
Social and Emotional Challenges
Identifying Twice-Exceptional
Giftedness can add to the social
Students
and emotional challenges that
Federal law protects students with often come along with learning
disabilities. School districts are and attention issues. Here are
required to look for children with some challenges that twicedisabilities and provide special exceptional learners may face:
education to those who qualify.
There is no federal requirement Frustration: This is especially
for gifted education. Decisions common among kids whose
about gifted programming are talents and learning issues have
made at the state and local level. gone unnoticed or only partially
Few states specify services to addressed. These students may
provide and talents to nurture. have high aspirations and resent
This is often left up to individual the often-low expectations that
school districts, and funding for others have for them. They may
crave independence and struggle
gifted services can vary greatly.
to accept that they need support
Identifying twice-exceptional for their learning and attention
students tends to be a low issues.
priority. Often it takes a proactive
parent to push for testing for Like many gifted students, twiceboth giftedness and learning and exceptional learners may be
attention issues. But sometimes striving for perfection. Nearly all
teachers are the first to raise the the students who participated
in one study of giftedness and
possibility.
learning disabilities reported
Here are some signs that your
that they “could not make their
child could be a twice-exceptional
brain, body, or both do what they
learner:

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Page 4 

Central Coast International School
CCIS is a non-profit International Baccalaureate (IB) candidate school conveniently located in San Luis Obispo.
We set high academic standards, nurture whole-child development and encourage a global perspective.

CCIS is ideal for students who thrive in a small class
environment with individualized instruction. Our
curriculum includes literacy, math, sciences, music, art,
physical education and technology. Every student uses
a tablet computer and learns a foreign language.
With longer school days and a 197-day school year, we
meet the highest international standard.
wanted to do.” No wonder these your child achieve his potential:
kids are frustrated!
Talk to your child’s school. If
Low self-esteem: Without the you suspect your child may be
right supports, children with twice exceptional, request a
learning and attention issues may meeting with the school’s special
lose confidence in their abilities or education coordinator. Discuss
stop trying because they start to your concerns, and ask about
believe that failure is inevitable. types of tests.
This kind of negative thinking
can add to the risk of anxiety and Ask to stay in a gifted program.
If your child has been identified
depression.
as gifted but is not doing well
Social isolation: Twice-exceptional in that program, request that
kids often feel like they don’t fit he be assessed for learning
into one world or another. They and attention issues before
may not have the social skills to be any decisions are made about
comfortable with the students in removing him from the program.
their gifted classes. They may also
have trouble relating to students Make the most of your child’s IEP.
in their remedial classes. This can If the school determines that your
lead twice- exceptional learners child is twice exceptional, use the
to wonder, “Where do I belong?” annual goals in his Individualized
These children often find it easier Education Program (IEP) or 504
to relate to adults than to kids Plan to address his weaknesses
and nurture his gifts. Be prepared
their age.
to brainstorm — and to be
How to Help Your Child
persistent!
With the right kind of supports
and encouragement, twiceexceptional learners can flourish.
Here’s what you can do to help

Central Coast Family

CCIS is affordable and family-friendly. Now accepting
applications for the 2015/16 school year in grades 1-8.

Call for information or to arrange a tour:

( 805 ) 858-8054

www.ccisslo.com
This can help him celebrate his
learning and attention issues may
strengths and feel less isolated.
appear to be “underachieving,”
Try to connect with other twice“rebellious,” or “lazy.”
exceptional families online or in
• Twice-exceptional
children
your community.
are often at risk for social and
Empower your child. Help him
emotional challenges.
understand what his gifts and
weaknesses are. Reassure him • An IEP or 504 Plan can address
your child’s weaknesses and
that he can get support in the
nurture his strengths.
areas where he struggles. But
resist the urge to rush in and For more information on twicerescue him every time he gets exceptional issues and state laws
frustrated. It’s better to help and resources, go to:
him learn to cope with his mixed
www.ldonline.org/indepth/gifted
abilities.
By partnering with your child’s http://sengifted.org/archives/
teachers, you can help your child articles/gifted-and-learningdevelop his talents and achieve disabled

his full potential. Learn more
about how to be an effective
advocate for your child at school.
Explore strategies for how to
handle frustration and other
everyday challenges. With your
love and support, your child can
move ahead and make the most
Find other twice-exceptional kids. of his gifts.
Encourage your child to spend
Key Takeaways:
time with children who have
similar interests and abilities. • Gifted children with undiagnosed

•

January 2015

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http://www.psychologytoday.
com/blog/gifted-kids/201112/
gifted-kids-learning-problems
www.cde.ca.gov/sp/gt
www.cagiftednetwork.com
Peg Rosen is a veteran family health writer and
a former editor at Child magazine. An active
emergency medical technician, she blogs at
www.relish-this.blogspot.com.
Reprinted with permission © 2014 UNDERSTOOD.ORG USA LLC.

www.centralcoastfamily.com

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Page 5 

Family Life

Bird Watching Fun
by Steven Smith

Bird watching (AKA birding or
twitching) is an exciting winter
activity along the Central Coast.
Thousands of birds make this area
a temporary home as they migrate
along the Pacific Flyway each winter.
The best places to observe migrating
birds are trails near sources of water,
and at sanctuaries for public viewing.
Luckily, the Central Coast has several
fantastic bird viewing spots.

Cormorants, Eared Grebes, Western
Grebes, Pigeon Guillemots, Common
Loons, Pacific Loons, Shearwaters,
Surfbirds,
Surf
Scoters
and
Wandering Tattlers. You might also
wander along the Coon Creek Trail to
look for Acorn Woodpeckers, Black
Phoebes, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers,
Say’s Phoebes, California Thrashers,
Cooper’s Hawks, Western Bluebirds,
Warblers and Wrentits.

Oso Flaco Lake in the South County
is a temporary home to Blue-gray
Gnatcatchers, California Thrashers,
Loons, Scoters, Sooty Shearwaters,
Terns, and Wrentits as they migrate
through the area.

Morro Bay is one of the largest
wintering bird sites in North America,
so it is an especially good area to view
birds. The Morro Coast Audubon
Society maintains two special birding
locations in Morro Bay, and the
Audubon Overlook is located on the
south side of the estuary in Los Osos.
Over 200 bird species have been
documented during the Christmas
bird count on the bay!

In Los Osos, you can visit the Sweet
Spring Nature Preserve.
Brant
geese and ducks are commonly
found there. At Montana de Oro
State Park, head off on the bluff’s
various trails to look for Alcids, Black A pair of binoculars is a must for bird
Oystercatchers, Common Murres, watching, as is a camera. Reference
Double-crested Cormorants, Pelagic books or picture cards can help you

identify birds. The Boy Scouts of
America sell spotter cards - a handy
deck of bird identification cards.
Another fun idea is to start a Bird
Index and Life List to keep a record
of all the birds you see.

Before you start bird watching, learn
more about the birds you hope to
discover. There are several qualities
to consider when identifying birds,
including: color; size; shape, and field
marks (spots or stripes). Also notice
what the bird is doing, where it is,
and what sounds it is making.
Excellent books for young birders:
• Backyard Birds: Peterson Field
Guides for Young Naturalists by
Jonathan P. Latimer.
• Smithsonian Kid’s Field Guides:
Birds of North American West by
Jo S. Kittinger.

• The North American Bird Coloring
Book by Sally MacLarty and David
Hutley.
For adults:

(805) 781-3226

• Audubon
Pocket
Backyard
Birdwatch by Stephen W. Kress.

www.slobigs.org

• Peterson Field Guide to Birds of
Western North America. You can
hear birding podcasts at http://
www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/
peterson/podcast-family.shtml.
• Introduction to California Birdlife
by Jules G. Evens.
• National Audubon Society Field
Guide to North American Birds:
Western Region.
• Stokes Field Guide to Birds:
Western Region by Donald and
Lillian Stokes.
• Take a Backyard Bird Walk by Jane
Kirkland.
• The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of
Western North America by David
Allen Sibley.
• The Smithsonian Field Guide to
Birds of North America by Ted
Floyd (with 587 downloadable bird
songs).

Central Coast Family

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January 2015

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Call Our Hotline:

805 543-WILD [9453]

“Bird watching” became a popular
term in 1901 and in the 1950’s, the
term “twitcher” originated.
A
“twitcher” is a person who travels
to a location (sometimes long
distances) to observe a rare bird and
someone who keeps a list and checks
off each species of birds that they
have seen.

• National
Audubon
Society
First Field Guide: Birds by Scott
Weidensaul.

Make a Difference!

For Wildlife in Distress

• Watchable Birds of California by
Mary Taylor Gray.
Also check out these fun web sites:
• www.birdwatching.com/tips/kids_
birding.html;
• www.birdwatchersdigest.com;
• www.aba.org (the American
Birding Association); and
• www.audubon.org.
Log on to Cornell University Lab of
Ornithology at www.birds.cornell.
edu/allaboutbirds to hear bird songs
or get the book and tape called Bird
Songs from Around the World.
For a special treat, attend the Morro
Bay Winter Bird Festival sponsored
by the Morro Coast Audubon
Society and other groups. This is
a terrific opportunity for all ages
to experience bird watching at its
best. The festival is held January
16–19, 2015. All-day and half-day
tours and fieldtrips include boat
rides and pelagic cruises, kayaking
in Morro Bay estuary, and van trips.
Visitors can visit a variety of habitats
including oak woodland and riparian,
wetlands and estuary, deep water
pelagic, and even the grasslands of
the Carrizo Plain. “Family Day” on
Saturday, January 17th features field
trips and hands-on workshops for
children. For more information, visit:
morrobaybirdfestival.org.
Grab your binoculars and camera
and enjoy a few hours in the great
outdoors. You might be surprised at
the number of birds you see and how
much you and your family can learn
about their unique characteristics.
Steven Smith is a resident of San Luis
Obispo and a graduate of CSU Long Beach
with a degree in Creative Writing. Steven
is currently a painter/muralist and a
freelance writer. His art can be viewed at
www.myspace.com/sloartiststevensmith.
Steven can be reached by e-mail at:
sloartiststevensmith@yahoo.com.

www.centralcoastfamily.com

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Page 6 

Central Coast Family

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Page 7 

Fun & Games

Jack’s Jokes
What kind of horses go out after dark?

Help the New Year Numerals
Find Each Other

Nightmares!

Two silk worms were in a race. What was the result? A tie!
Why do male deer need braces?

They have buck teeth!

Martin Luther King Jr Word Search

Fill empty cells with numbers between 1 and 9 (1 number per cell).
A number should appear only once in each row, column, and region.

Central Coast Family

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January 2015

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S
U
D
O
K
U

www.centralcoastfamily.com

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Page 8 

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Central Coast Family

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Page 9 

Money

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Balancing Risk
by Molly Peoples

Like everyone else, you have
financial goals. To help achieve
these goals, you may need to
invest — and when you invest,
you’ll need to take on some risk.
The more you understand this
risk, and the better you are at
managing it, the greater your
potential for staying invested for
the long term.

tend to be risk-averse, you might
lean toward more conservative
investment vehicles that offer
greater protection of principal.

Required risk — While the term
“required risk” may sound odd, it is
actually an integral component of
your ability to invest successfully.
Basically, your required risk is the
level of risk necessary to help you
To begin with, then, take a look at achieve your investment goals.
these terms:
The higher the return necessary
to reach those goals, the more
Risk tolerance — Your risk potential risk you’ll need to
tolerance is essentially your assume.
comfort level with taking risk.
For example, if you have a As you invest, you’ll need to
high tolerance for risk, you balance these two aspects of risk.
may be comfortable investing For example, what might happen
aggressively. Conversely, if you if you have a low risk tolerance

(leading you toward “safer,” lowgrowth investments), when your
goal is to retire early? For most
people, this goal requires them
to invest in vehicles that offer
significant growth potential, such
as stocks. As you probably know,
investing in stocks entails risk
— specifically, the risk that your
stocks will lose value. So in this
situation, your risk tolerance —
the fact that you are risk-averse
— is going to collide with your
required risk level, the amount of
risk you are going to need to take
(by investing in stocks) to achieve
your goal of early retirement.
When such a collision occurs, you
have two choices. First, you could
“stretch” your risk tolerance and
accept the need to take on riskier
investments in exchange for the
growth potential you will require.
Your other choice is to stay within
your risk tolerance and adjust your
ultimate goal — which, in this
example, may mean accepting a
later retirement date.
Obviously, this is a personal
decision. However, you may
have more flexibility than you
have imagined. For instance, you
might feel that you should be riskaverse because you have seen so

CCFlutes.com
many fluctuations in the financial
markets. But if you have many
decades to go until you retire,
you actually do have time to
recover from short-term losses,
which means you may be able to
reasonably handle more volatility.
On the other hand, once you’re
retired, you won’t have as many
years to bounce back from market
downturns, so you’ll have less
“risk capacity” than you did when
you were younger.
In any case, by balancing your risk
tolerance and your required risk
level — and by understanding
your risk capacity — you can
be better prepared to take the
emotion out of investing. When
investors let their emotions get
the better of them, they can
make mistakes such as chasing
“hot” stocks or selling quality
investments due to temporary
price drops. With a clear sense of
what risk really entails, however,
you may be able to avoid costly
detours — and stick with your
long-term investment strategy.

Molly Peoples is a financial advisor at Edward
Jones in San Luis Obispo. She can be reached
at (805) 784-9013. © 2014 Edward Jones. All
rights reserved. Member SIPC.

Californians Don’t Waste
Central Coast Family

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Page 10 

Los Osos Valley
Organic Farm
lovorganicfarm.com
mail@lovorganicfarm.com

(805) 242 6789
Gift
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!
Central Coast Family

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Page 11 

Local History

Stagecoach Robbery
by Guy Crabb

It always fun to start the new
year off with a great story. This
one is about a stage robbery, a
scoundrel, and the dangers of
travel in San Luis Obispo County
in the 1880s. For years, I have
told the story of a bandit known
as Black Bart. He was a local bad
guy, though you may almost feel
sorry for him.
It wasn’t until
recently that I discovered more
details about the story of Black
Bart, one of the most infamous
highway robbers in our county.
During the late 1800s, there
were many travelers taking the
stagecoach from San Francisco to
Los Angeles. The trip would take
several days and travelers had to
stay in hotels in “stop-along-theway” towns. Every one of these
towns had multiple saloons to
choose from to wet your whistle.
Many travelers couldn’t wait to

have a nice cool beverage after
a very bumpy and dusty ride in
a stagecoach. Saloon patrons
would often have too much to
drink and engage any stranger
willing to strike up a conversation.
Here’s where the trouble began.
A gang of bandits would frequent
local saloons and get information
from travelers by simply listening
to what the drunk travelers would
say. Travelers would often reveal
valuable information, such as how
much money they were carrying,
the route they were taking, and
the day and time they would be
leaving. Often times, the bad
guys would buy travelers drinks
“to be friendly.”
People had the option to travel on
ships, but there were dangers on
the high seas as well. Stagecoach
owners would laugh to hear of a
steam ship sinking for one reason

or another, such as running
aground. The owners of Pacific
Coast Stage Co. laughed, until a
road agent (bad guy) held up a
stagecoach that was traveling
over Cuesta Grade. The date was
July 22, 1880, and the coach was
full of travelers that originally
started in San Francisco and
had last stopped in Templeton.
The passengers pulled in to San
Luis Obispo late with a horrible
story of being robbed of all their
valuables. Local law officers took
their statements. The bandit took
jewelry, cash, wallets, purses, and
any other items of value. The
stagecoach was also carrying a
Wells Fargo strongbox, which
was not normal. The strongbox
held $2,000 in gold coins and
bank notes that were worthless
to bandits. Surprisingly, no one
on the stage carried a gun.
The craziest part of the story is
that the entire robbery was pulled
off by one lone bandit. He was
referred to as a “gentleman” by
several of the passengers. The
bandit was said to have black hair
and possibly wore a black wig and
used other techniques to disguise
his face. He had strips of cloth,
and proceeded to blindfold each
of the passengers to make sure
they would not try to memorize
his face or anything else about
him. According to the details the
passengers provided, the robbery
took place in bright moonlight.
After listening to the passenger’s
statements, the sheriff realized
that the robber was the road
agent known as Black Bart. The
sheriff gathered men and went up
the Cuesta Grade to the location
of the holdup. The group made
trips up to the crime scene for
several days to search the forest
and hillsides for any clues that may
have been left behind. No clues
were found. Even though the
law made dozens of arrests by
bringing in the usual suspects,
each person had an “airtight”
alibi during the crime.
After that day in July, all stagecoaches were manned with
multiple men carrying shotguns
on top of and inside the coach.

Legendary gentleman bandit C.E. Boles AKA “Black Bart”

Central Coast Family

•

January 2015

•

The Pacific Coast Stage Co. spent
lots of money hiring these men to
protect travelers and companies
sending valuables in strongboxes.
After several months, the Pacific
Coast Stage Co. could no longer
afford to keep the protection.
Also, they figured that they had
scared Black Bart and he had left
town.
The very next full moon night on
November 23, 1880, Black Bart
struck again and robbed the stage
in the exact same way. The sheriff
finally figured out that Black Bart
must be a local person, because
the only way he could know the
details of each passenger was to
hang around local saloons and
gather information.
The reputation of Black Bart
grew and the sheriff knew that
sooner or later, he would make a
mistake. The sheriff was correct.
One moonlit evening, he decided
to strike once again. As Black
Bart was doing his normal holdup
routine, his wig fell off and one of
the passengers recognized him
as the owner of the local saloon.
Black Bart was faster than the
law and he escaped, never to be
heard from again.
Traveling over Cuesta Grade can
still be dangerous, but back in the
1880s, the road was compacted
dirt with ditches and rocks of
various sizes. The stagecoach
had large wooden wheels with
only the most primitive shocks.
In reality, passengers felt every
bump and rock on the road. If
it was rainy and the stage got
stuck in a ditch, passengers had
to get out so the horses could
pull the coach out. At times,
the passengers would even be
required to help push the coach
out of a ditch. Thank goodness we
can now call the Automobile Club
or wait for help from the Highway
Patrol. Isn’t it nice to know that
you probably won’t get robbed
on Cuesta Grade anymore?
Guy Crabb teaches at Charles E. Teach
Elementary School in San Luis Obispo. He
graduated from Cal Poly SLO and has been
teaching for 30 years. Guy was a Teacher of
the Year in 2006 and currently teaches at a
National Blue Ribbon School. Reach him at
crabbx5@charter.net.

www.centralcoastfamily.com

•

Page 12 

HAPPY NEW YEAR
CENTRAL COAST FAMILIES!
We changed our schedule to better serve you:

Handwriting Groups and Social Skills Groups
will now be offered on

Friday and Saturday
by Melissa Maluso
OTR/L Pediatric Occupational Therapist
Ages 4 - 12 years

Call to Reserve: 805.474.6811

Central Coast Family

•

January 2015

•

www.centralcoastfamily.com

•

Page 13 

Education
CS Perryess
writes

about words
food for thought
The stories behind names of the
things we eat can often be as
delicious as the items themselves.
Here’s a random sampling from
words that made their way into
English during the 1700s:
Pumpernickel – this dense, tasty
bread is of German origin, as is its
name. Oddly, the name pumpernickel
referred originally to a coarse, dark,
brutish fellow. Etymologists argue
over whether the first part is pumper,
meaning the noise of a heavy fall, or
pumpern, meaning to break wind.
The second part is a nickname for the
name Nicholas, which interestingly is
also equated with goblins, louts and
rascals. Etymologists can’t piece
together exactly how pumpernickel
moved from labeling the louts or
farts to labeling the bread, but given
the fact that the paler flours tended
to be reserved for the wealthy, it’s
not too much of a stretch to imagine
how any generally negative term got
applied to a distinctively dark bread.
The sandwich, as many have heard,
was named for John Montague, the
Fourth Earl of Sandwich. Some claim
the Earl was very fond of gambling
– so fond, he often wasn’t willing
to put down his cards for events
as mundane as meals, so he simply
wrapped a hunk of meat in a slice of
bread and ate without slowing the
game(s). Other historians claim that
the inaugural sandwich was most
likely eaten at the Earl’s desk as he
addressed his many responsibilities
in business and politics.

directed at the good people of
Wales. Typically, Welsh Rabbit is
melted cheese or cream over toast
or crackers. It seems the Welsh were
perceived as living on the wrong side
of the tracks. The snub suggests
that melted cheese over toast was
the nearest thing to rabbit the Welsh
could afford.
The word chowder has etymologists
duking it out. Some claim it heralds
from Brittany, where a form of the
French word chaud, meaning hot,
gave birth to the name for the pot
one puts over the fire, the chaudiere,
or cauldron. These etymologists
claim the “housewives of Brittany”
used the term chowder for both
the pot and for what they cooked
in the pot. Other etymologists stick
with the same French roots for the
word, but place the word’s birth in
Newfoundland in the early Americas.
When we toast someone, we
typically don’t raise a piece of
heated bread to do so, but to some
degree, our ancestors did. In a classy
establishment of the 1700s, a tiny
piece of spiced toast was placed in
the bottom of a glass filled with ale
or another beverage. When the glass
was raised in honor of someone, the
drinker did, indeed, raise the toast.
If the foods we eat have fascinating
etymological tales to tell, shouldn’t
the labels we give our meals be
similarly intriguing?

The noun breakfast showed up in
English in the 1400s and is a simple
combination of the verb break and
the noun fast. It hasn’t changed
Welsh rabbit is actually a snub in meaning over the years, and for
centuries has referred to a time
when we break our nightlong fast.
Breakfast happens to be a tosspot
word (compound of a verb and noun,
in that order).
We all know that brunch is a
combination of breakfast and
lunch, but who knew that it was a
portmanteau word created by British
college students in 1896? Words
combined to make a new word are
called portmanteau words, a term
stolen from a piece of luggage
designed with two compartments

Central Coast Family

•

January 2015

•

(apparently one for each of the two
contributing words).
Lunch started out as luncheon
(originally spelled lunching) in
the 1650s, meaning a light repast
between mealtimes.
Though
nobody knows for sure, lunch may
have come from:
1. An earlier English term meaning
thick piece or hunk
2. A northern English word meaning
hunk of bread or cheese
3. A Middle English term,
nonechenche, which translates to
noon drink
The word snack entered English
in the 1400s, meaning the snap of
a dog’s jaw. By the 1550s, snack
meant a snappish remark. The 1680s
brought a new meaning for snack: a
share, portion or part. By 1807, snack
morphed to mean a mere bite or
morsel to eat.
In the 1300s, the English borrowed
disner from the French in the form
of the word dinner. Interestingly,
dinner originally meant the first
meal of the day, then moved later
to mean the noonday meal, and
eventually came to timelessly mean
the main meal of the day. The lower
and middle classes ate this meal near
midday, but over time the upper
classes commandeered the term
dinner to refer to the meal they
enjoyed after sunset.

borrowed soper (now spelled
supper) from the French.
This
word referred to the last meal
of the day, a meal seen as lighter
and less formal than the midday
dinner. Interestingly, the verb sup
developed independently on two
separate trunks of the etymological
tree. From French soper came the
verb sup, to eat the evening meal. At
the same time, the Old High German
word sufen, to drink alcohol, grew
to become the German supen and
Dutch zuipen, meaning to tipple.
This term ended up in Old English
meaning to take into the mouth with
the lips, giving us parallel growth of
completely different roots to end up
with surprisingly similar meaning.
I grew up in a blue-collar neighborhood where we all ate dinner. We
shared the understanding that
people who mistakenly called dinner
supper had their snoots in the air.
In the 1600s, dessert showed up
in English from the French word
desservire, meaning clear the table.
So when we indulge in dessert,
we’re etymologically celebrating the
clearing of the previous course from
the table.
Many thanks to my sources: the OED,
Etymonline, Jordan Almond’s Dictionary of
Word Origins, and Wordnik.

Back in the 1200s, the English also

CS Perryess writes for teens, narrates audio
books, and ponders the wonder of words
in a foggy little town on California’s central
coast. Find more of his blog posts at http://
csperryess.blogspot.com, or reach him at
csperryess@gmail.com.

www.centralcoastfamily.com

•

Page 14 

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Central Coast Family

•

January 2015

•

www.centralcoastfamily.com

•

Page 15 

Central Coast Family

•

January 2015

•

www.centralcoastfamily.com

•

Page 16 

January 2015 Free Ongoing Events
SUNDAY
28

FARMERS MARKET:
11:30-2:30pm Nipomo: Monarch Club

January is:

MONDAY

TUESDAY

29
FARMERS MARKET:

2-4:30pm Los Osos: 2nd & Santa Maria

Birthstone: Garnet

30
FARMERS MARKET:

3:00-6:00 pm in Paso Robles City Park
LIBRARY STORYTIME: 10:10 SLO
DOC BURNSTEIN’S READING LAB
3:30-4:15pm AG

Eye Care Month

WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
31
1
FARMERS MARKETS:
FARMERS MARKETS:

8:30-11am AG Spencers Market
12:30-4:30pm Santa Maria Town Ctr
3:00-6:00pm AT Sunken Gardens
5:00-8:00pm Pismo, Main St & Dolliver
LIBRARY STORYTIME: 10:30 AT,
10:30 AG, 11:00 NI

3:00-6:00pm Old Porte Fisheries AG
2:30-5:00pm Spencers Morro Bay
6:00-9:00pm Downtown SLO
LIBRARY STORYTIME: 10:00 MB,
10:10 SLO, 10:15 CAM,10:30 AT, 10:30
AG,10:30 LO, 11:00 CAY, 11:30 SMG

National Blood Donor Month
National Braille Literacy Month
National Hobby Month

Flower: Carnation

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

2
3
BINGO VETS HALL MB - 1st FRI 5:00pm FARMERS MARKETS:
FARMERS MARKETS:

9:00am-12:30pm Paso Robles Wal Mart
2:30-5:30pm Cambria Main St Vets Hall
LIBRARY STORYTIME: 10:30 LO

Drinking Straw
Patented (in 1888)

8:00-10:30am SLO Promenade
9:00am-12:30pm Templeton City Park
9:00am-1:00pm Paso Downtown Park
12:00-2:30pm AG Village Gazebo
2:30-6:00pm Morro Bay 800 Main St
LIBRARY STORYTIME: 11:00 AG

SLO CO GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY
1st SAT 12:30am IOOF Hall SLO

new year’s
DAY

National Staying Healthy Month
National Thank You Month

Festival of sleep DAY
J.R.R. tolkien’S
BIRTHDAY (Born in 1892)

Hot Tea Month
Oatmeal Month

4
FARMERS MARKET:

11:30-2:30pm Nipomo: Monarch Club

5
FARMERS MARKET:

2-4:30pm Los Osos: 2nd & Santa Maria

Isaac Newton’s
Birthday (Born in 1643)
Jakob grimm’s
Birthday (Born in 1785)
Louis braille’s
Birthday (Born in 1809)

FULL MOON

6
FARMERS MARKET:

3:00-6:00 pm in Paso Robles City Park
LIBRARY STORYTIME: 10:10 SLO
DOC BURNSTEIN’S READING LAB
3:30-4:15pm AG

7
FARMERS MARKETS:

8:30-11am AG Spencers Market
12:30-4:30pm Santa Maria Town Ctr
3:00-6:00pm AT Sunken Gardens
5:00-8:00pm Pismo, Main St & Dolliver
LIBRARY STORYTIME: 10:30 AT,
10:30 AG, 11:00 NI

1st woman
governor nellie
ross inaugurated in
wyoming (in 1925)
national
bird
DAY

8
FARMERS MARKETS:

3:00-6:00pm Old Porte Fisheries AG
2:30-5:00pm Spencers Morro Bay
6:00-9:00pm Downtown SLO
LIBRARY STORYTIME: 10:00 MB,
10:10 SLO, 10:15 CAM,10:30 AT, 10:30
AG,10:30 LO, 11:00 CAY, 11:30 SMG

9:00am-12:30pm Paso Robles Wal Mart
2:30-5:30pm Cambria Main St Vets Hall
LIBRARY STORYTIME: 10:30 LO

national apricot day

10
FARMERS MARKETS:

8:00-10:30am SLO Promenade
9:00am-12:30pm Templeton City Park
9:00am-1:00pm Paso Downtown Park
12:00-2:30pm AG Village Gazebo
2:30-6:00pm Morro Bay 800 Main St
LIBRARY STORYTIME: 11:00 AG

national static
electricity day

old rock day

Sherlock holmes’
Birthday (Published 1887)

9
FARMERS MARKETS:

bubble bath day
elvis presley’s
birthday (Born in 1935)

bean DAY
cuddle up DAY

11
FARMERS MARKET:

11:30-2:30pm Nipomo: Monarch Club

12
FARMERS MARKET:

2-4:30pm Los Osos: 2nd & Santa Maria

Milk day

3:00-6:00 pm in Paso Robles City Park
LIBRARY STORYTIME: 10:10 SLO
DOC BURNSTEIN’S READING LAB
3:30-4:15pm AG

14
FARMERS MARKETS:

8:30-11am AG Spencers Market
12:30-4:30pm Santa Maria Town Ctr
3:00-6:00pm AT Sunken Gardens
5:00-8:00pm Pismo, Main St & Dolliver
LIBRARY STORYTIME: 10:30 AT,
10:30 AG, 11:00 NI

make your dreams
come true DAY

national
pharmacist
DAY

(1st bottles delivered in 1878)

13
FARMERS MARKET:

15
FARMERS MARKETS:

3:00-6:00pm Old Porte Fisheries AG
2:30-5:00pm Spencers Morro Bay
6:00-9:00pm Downtown SLO
LIBRARY STORYTIME: 10:00 MB,
10:10 SLO, 10:15 CAM,10:30 AT, 10:30
AG,10:30 LO, 11:00 CAY, 11:30 SMG

16
FARMERS MARKETS:

9:00am-12:30pm Paso Robles Wal Mart
2:30-5:30pm Cambria Main St Vets Hall
LIBRARY STORYTIME: 10:30 LO

17
FARMERS MARKETS:

8:00-10:30am SLO Promenade
9:00am-12:30pm Templeton City Park
9:00am-1:00pm Paso Downtown Park
12:00-2:30pm AG Village Gazebo
2:30-6:00pm Morro Bay 800 Main St

LIBRARY STORYTIME: 11:00 AG

benjamin franklin’s
Birthday (Born in 1706)

1st super bowl
(In 1967)
national
nothing DAY

work
harder DAY

secret pal DAY

18
FARMERS MARKET:

11:30-2:30pm Nipomo: Monarch Club

19
FARMERS MARKET:

2-4:30pm Los Osos: 2nd & Santa Maria

20
FARMERS MARKET:

3:00-6:00 pm in Paso Robles City Park
LIBRARY STORYTIME: 10:10 SLO
DOC BURNSTEIN’S READING LAB
3:30-4:15pm AG

Dr Martin Luther
King Jr day (Born in 1929)

21
FARMERS MARKETS:

8:30-11am AG Spencers Market
12:30-4:30pm Santa Maria Town Ctr
3:00-6:00pm AT Sunken Gardens
5:00-8:00pm Pismo, Main St & Dolliver
LIBRARY STORYTIME: 10:30 AT,
10:30 AG, 11:00 NI

22
FARMERS MARKETS:

3:00-6:00pm Old Porte Fisheries AG
2:30-5:00pm Spencers Morro Bay
6:00-9:00pm Downtown SLO
LIBRARY STORYTIME: 10:00 MB,
10:10 SLO, 10:15 CAM,10:30 AT, 10:30
AG,10:30 LO, 11:00 CAY, 11:30 SMG

penguin
awareness DAY

winnie the pooh day

LIBRARY STORYTIME: 10:30 LO

24
FARMERS MARKETS:

8:00-10:30am SLO Promenade
9:00am-12:30pm Templeton City Park
9:00am-1:00pm Paso Downtown Park
12:00-2:30pm AG Village Gazebo
2:30-6:00pm Morro Bay 800 Main St
LIBRARY STORYTIME: 11:00 AG

Measure your
feet day

inauguration DAY

A.A. milne’s Birthday
(Born in 1882)

9:00am-12:30pm Paso Robles Wal Mart
10:00am-12:30pm Cayucos Vets Hall
2:30-5:30pm Cambria Main St Vets Hall

national
handwriting DAY

cheese DAY

national hat DAY

23
FARMERS MARKETS:

compliment day

NEW MOON

thesaurus day

25
FARMERS MARKET:

11:30-2:30pm Nipomo: Monarch Club

26
FARMERS MARKET:

2-4:30pm Los Osos: 2nd & Santa Maria

australia day
(Sydney settled in 1778)

27
FARMERS MARKET:

3:00-6:00 pm in Paso Robles City Park
LIBRARY STORYTIME: 10:10 SLO
DOC BURNSTEIN’S READING LAB
3:30-4:15pm AG

28
FARMERS MARKETS:

8:30-11am AG Spencers Market
12:30-4:30pm Santa Maria Town Ctr
3:00-6:00pm AT Sunken Gardens
5:00-8:00pm Pismo, Main St & Dolliver
LIBRARY STORYTIME: 10:30 AT,
10:30 AG, 11:00 NI

29
FARMERS MARKETS:

3:00-6:00pm Old Porte Fisheries AG
2:30-5:00pm Spencers Morro Bay
6:00-9:00pm Downtown SLO
LIBRARY STORYTIME: 10:00 MB,
10:10 SLO, 10:15 CAM,10:30 AT, 10:30
AG,10:30 LO, 11:00 CAY, 11:30 SMG

January 2015

LIBRARY STORYTIME: 10:30 LO

31
FARMERS MARKETS:

8:00-10:30am SLO Promenade
9:00am-12:30pm Templeton City Park
9:00am-1:00pm Paso Downtown Park
12:00-2:30pm AG Village Gazebo
2:30-6:00pm Morro Bay 800 Main St
LIBRARY STORYTIME: 11:00 AG

jackie robinson’s
Birthday (Born in 1919)

national
puzzle DAY

lewis carroll’s
birthday(Born in 1832)

•

9:00am-12:30pm Paso Robles Wal Mart
2:30-5:30pm Cambria Main St Vets Hall

franklin D. roosevelt’s
birthday (Born in 1882)

national
Kazoo DAY

Central Coast Family

30
FARMERS MARKETS:

•

www.centralcoastfamily.com

day backwards

•

Page 17 

Family Events
THU NOV 20-WED DEC 31 (times
vary): SLOMA CRAFT ART
MARKET at San Luis Obispo
Museum of Art, 1010 Broad St,
SLO. Shop for gifts of handmade
art and crafts. The Nybak Wing
transforms into a high-end art
gallery boutique of treasures
created by local artisans.
Contact: 543-8562 or sloma.org.
THU NOV 20-WED DEC 31
(times
vary):
HOLIDAY
EXTRAVAGANZA at The Great
American Melodrama, 1863
Front St, Oceano. This threepart evening opens with a
heartwarming one-act version
of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas
Carol. Laugh until your sides
ache in a hilarious fractured
fairy tale opera and celebrate
the season with the Holiday
Vaudeville Revue. Cost: $18-22,
discounts for groups, seniors,
students, military, and children.
The in-house snack bar serves
great food and drinks. Contact:
americanmelodrama.com
or
489-2499.

FRI DEC 19-SUN JAN 4 (times
vary): WINTER WONDER SLO
at Madonna Expo Center, 100
Madonna Rd, San Luis Obispo.
Seasonal
ice-skating
rink.
Cost: $9-100 includes skate
rental. Contact: 996-0652 or
winterwonderslo.com.
WED DEC 31 at 11:00 am: NOON
YEAR’S EVE at the Children’s
Museum, 1010 Nipomo St, San
Luis Obispo. Ring in the New
Year well before bedtime!
Craft noise makers before the
countdown and balloon drop at
noon sharp! Contact: 545-5874
or slocm.org.
WED DEC 31 at 11:00 am: NOON
YEAR PARTY at Elwin Mussell
Senior Center, 510 E. Park Ave,
Santa Maria. Celebrate the New
Year with locals age 50 and
older. Cost: free. Contact: 9250951 or cityofsantamaria.org.
WED DEC 31 5:00 pm-12:00 am:
NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATION
at Madonna Inn, 100 Madonna
Rd, San Luis Obispo. Enjoy
dancing, live music, a prix
fixe menu, champagne, party
favors, and a midnight balloon
drop. Cost: $75-125. Children 2
and under free. Contact: 5433000 or madonnainn.com.

SAT NOV 29-WED DEC 31 (times
vary): CHRISTMAS AT THE
CASTLE at Hearst Castle, 750
Hearst Castle Rd, San Simeon.
The main house and guest
houses are decorated with a
1920s-30s theme for Grand
Rooms and Evening tours. Cost:
$12-36. Contact: (800) 444-4445 WED DEC 31 7:45 pm-12:00
am: GLOW-IN-THE-PARK NEW
or hearstcastle.org.
YEAR’S EVE at Downtown City
Park, Spring St, Paso Robles.
End the year with a celebratory
glow! The final event of the
year-long 125th Anniversary
Celebration. Enjoy fun for
the whole family. Cost: free.
Contact: 237-3870.

SAT JAN 3 at 10:30 am: BRER
RABBIT & OTHER TRICKSTER
TALES at San Luis Obispo
Library, 995 Palm St, SLO
Boxtales Theatre Company
presents an amusing interactive
telling of Brer Rabbit and other
Trickster Tales for theater lovers
of all ages. Sponsored by the
Harold J. Miossi Charitable Trust
as part of the Arts Live at the

Central Coast Family

•

January 2015

•

“A wise parent humors the desire
for independent action,
so as to become the friend and advisor
when his absolute rule shall cease.”
- Elizabeth Gaskell

SLO Library Grant. Cost: free. SAT JAN 10 10:00 am-4:00 pm:
Contact: 781-5775 or slolibrary. OPEN DAY at SLO Railroad
Museum, 1940 Santa Barbara
org.
St, San Luis Obispo. Come to the
MON JAN 5 at 5:30 pm: WATCH first 2015 Open Day at SLORRM.
A GREAT BOOK FILM SERIES at Enjoy the kid’s area, exhibits,
SLO Library Community Room, model trains, gift shop, and
995 Palm St, San Luis Obispo. 1926 Pullman car. Cost: $3 and
Enjoy a showing of the Marvel under. Contact: 548-1894 or
Comic Book series, Guardians of http://slorrm.com.

the Galaxy. Movie is rated PG13. Cost: free. Contact: 781-5775 SAT JAN 10 1:00-3:00 pm: RAIN
WATER CATCHMENT at San Luis
or slolibrary.org.
Obispo Botanical Garden, 3450
TUE JAN 6 at 1:30 pm: HAND Dairy Creek Rd, SLO. Discover
SEWING
FOR
TEENS
at ways you can catch and save
Nipomo Library, 918 W Tefft, water for your home garden.
Nipomo. Sew and stuff simple Master Gardener Tami Reece
plush animals and add a little will cover the collection and
fragrance, too! Cost: free. storage of harvested water for
Contact: 929-3994 or slolibrary. a residential garden. Followed
at 2:00 pm by a free docentorg.
led tour of the garden. Cost: $5
members, $10 for non-members.
FRI JAN 9 at 12:00 pm: BOOKED Contact: slobg.org/water.
FOR LUNCH at Cayucos Library,
310 B St, Cayucos. Let’s talk
about books. Bring your brown WED JAN 14 at 7:30 pm: THE HOT
bag lunch and share your SARDINES in Spanos Theatre, Cal
recommendation of a favorite Poly PAC, 1 Grand Ave, San Luis
or recently read book with Obispo. Bandleader Evan “Bibs”
your fellow readers. Cost: free. Palazzo and lead singer “Miz
Elizabeth” Bougerol combine
Contact: 995-3312.
with the Sardine ensemble of
powerhouse musicians – and
FRI JAN 9 at 5:00 & 7:00 pm: their very own tap dancer – to
JULEFEST CHRISTMAS TREE play “hot jazz” as it was in the
BURN at Solvang Festival era when live music was king
Theater, 420 Second St, Solvang. and jazz had a little glamour, a
Bring the tree and the whole little grit, and a lot of passion.
family to this popular annual Cost: $36-45. Contact: 756-4849
celebration. Cost: free. Contact: or http://pacslo.org.
709-2221 or julefestsolvang.
com.
THU JAN 15 at 7:30 pm: SAMITÉ
at Cal Poly PAC, 1 Grand Ave, San
FRI JAN 9 at 7:00 pm: THE PEKING Luis Obispo. Known for smooth
ACROBATS at Clark Center, 487 vocals accompanied by the
Fair Oaks Ave, Arroyo Grande. kalimba, marimba, litungu, and
Enjoy a troupe of China’s most various flutes, internationallygifted tumblers, contortionists, renowned musician Samité
jugglers, cyclists, and gymnasts. brings his musical artistry to
Cost: $36-46. Contact: 489-9444 SLO. Cost: $27.20-34. Contact:
or http://clarkcenter.org.
756-4849 or http://pacslo.org.

www.centralcoastfamily.com

•

Page 18 

Family Events
Cost: free. Contact: 528-1862.

FRI JAN 16 7:00 am-6:00 pm:
LET’S GET COOKING CAMP
at
Hawthorne
Elementary
School. Campers are invited
to join Youth Services for a
day of healthful and tasty fun!
School-aged children (grades
K-6) will learn about food
preparation through hands-on
discovery: juice and applesauce
preparation, lessons on how
to make snacks, a “cook-off”
challenge, guest chefs, and
more! Other activities include
art and craft projects, outdoor
activities,
an
educational
cooking movie, and more.
Package day price includes all
activities, two snacks, and an
on-site special activity. Preregistration required; limited
space available. Contact: www.
slocity.org/parksandrecreation
or 781-7300.
SAT JAN 17 9:00 am–1:00 pm:
WINTER BOOK SALE at Cayucos
Library, 310 B St, Cayucos.
Choose from hundreds of used
books, CDs, and DVDs at bargain
prices. All proceeds support the
library and various community
programs. Contact: 995-3312.
SAT JAN 17 1:00-3:00 pm:
CHUMASH & CHANNEL ISLAND
ECOLOGY at San Luis Obispo
Botanical Garden, 3450 Dairy
Creek Rd, SLO. Take a journey
through time to the Channel
Islands. What was life like for the
Chumash people living there?
the importance of plants and
animals to the Channel Island
Chumash’s survival and society.
Archeologist Mike Glassow

Central Coast Family

PhD will paint a picture from
prehistory based on his years of
research on the Channel Islands.
Followed at 2:00 pm by a free
docent-led tour of the garden.
Cost: $5 members, $10 for nonmembers. Contact: slobg.org/
Chumash.
SAT JAN 17 at 2:00 pm: FAMILY
MOVIE at Los Osos Library,
2075 Palisades. Bring the family
to enjoy a sing-a-long with a
chilly, Oscar-winning Disney
movie rated PG. Popcorn will be
provided. Cost: free. Contact:
528-1862.
SAT JAN 18 9:00 am-3:00 pm:
WINTER BIRD FESTIVAL FAMILY
DAY at Museum of Natural
History, 20 State Park Rd, Morro
Bay.
This event includes a
birding introduction, easy hikes,
crafts and activities, a puppet
show, critter crawl, and condor
hunt in honor of our “Globally
Important Bird Area,” home
to or visited by more than 200
bird species. No reservations
are required for most Family
Day events (requested for
kayak trips). Cost: $3 per adult
entering museum (kayak trips:
$10). Contact: 772-7273 or www.
morrobaybirdfestival.org.

JAN 22-MAR 8 (times vary):
BULLSHOT CRUMMOND at The
Great American Melodrama,
1863 Front St, Oceano. Shots in
the dark! Late night car chases!
This parody of a low-budget
1930s detective movie begins
when
German
supervillain
Otto Von Brunno and his evil
mistress Lenya crash their plane
in the English countryside. Their
mission? To kidnap the absentminded Professor Fenton, who
has discovered a formula for
making synthetic diamonds. The
dashing Bullshot Crummond, a
WWI ace fighter pilot, Olympic
athlete, racing driver, parttime sleuth and all-round spiffy
chap, is called to the rescue.
All clues point to an evening of
sight gags, slapstick, and some
serious silliness! Cost: $18-22,
discounts for groups, seniors,
students, military, and children.
The in-house snack bar serves
great food and drinks. Contact:
americanmelodrama.com
or
489-2499.
SAT JAN 24 9:00 am-12:00
pm: BEACH CLEANUP at the
Montana De Oro Sandspit in
Los Osos. Enjoy community
service with the whole family.
Cost: free. Contact: 544-1777 or
ecoslo.org.

Civic Auditorium, 14 Santa Clara
Drive, Lompoc. This wonderful
show for all ages includes young
actors and students. Cost: $1015. Contact: 736-5620 or http://
bbtdance.com.

R ecurring
Events &
R esources
3rd WED of every month at
6:30 pm: Prepared & Natural
Chidlbirth Classes at Twin Cities
Community Hospital, 1220 Las
Tablas, Templeton. This is a
6-series class addressing all
matters of childbirth in the form
of a lecture as well as hands-on
demos and practice techniques.
Cost: free. Contact: 434-4654.
2nd THU of every month at
6:30 pm: Breastfeeding Basics
at Twin Cities Community
Hospital, 1100 Las Tablas Rd,
Templeton. In this introduction
to breastfeeding class you
and your family will learn
about the practical aspects of
feeding your newborn from an
Internationally Board Certified
Lactation Consultant. Cost:
free. Contact: 239-4443.

SAT JAN 24 1:00-3:00 pm: KIDS
CAN COMPOST at San Luis
Obispo Botanical Garden, 3450
Dairy Creek Rd, SLO. Join us at
the Zero-Waste Park to learn
how the whole family can
participate in home composting.
Learn how composting works,
how it reduces waste, and how
you can easily start at home.
Once you’ve composted your
food, you can use the new soil
to grow healthier food and
flowers in your garden. PLUS:
Meet worms up-close! Cost: $5
suggested donation. Contact:
slobg.org/kids.

WED JAN 21 at 3:00 pm: KIDS’
CRAFT MAKE’N’TAKE at Los
Osos Library, 2075 Palisades.
School age children are invited
to craft a project during our (3rd
WED of each month) afternoon
art activity. This month we will
be making penguin puffies! SUN JAN 25 at 2:00 pm: BEAUTY
AND THE BEAST at Lompoc

•

January 2015

•

www.centralcoastfamily.com

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Page 19 

Local Resources
San
Luis
Obispo
Special
Education Local Plan Area
(SELPA)
and
Community
Advisory Committee (CAC)
offer parent orientation to
special education programs in
SLO County. Contact: 782-7301
or www.sloselpa.org/pro_dev.
htm.
Twin Cities Community Hospital
Volunteers, a non-profit org
providing support to patients,
doctors, and nurses of the
hospital, seek volunteers to
work in the gift shop and
Obstetrics (OB) Dept. AM and
PM 4 hour shifts are available.
Contact: 434-4524.

Hearst Cancer Resource Center (HCRC)

2nd MON every month 6:308:00 pm: Caregiver Support
Group at Cayucos Community
Church, Ocean Ave & S 3rd St.
Free support for caregivers and
family members dealing with
long-term illness, memory loss,
dementia, and Alzheimer’s.
Contact: 458-7484.
Every MON 10:00 am-2:00 pm:
Remain Independent Despite
Vision Loss at Santa Maria
Terrace, 1405 E Main St. New
ways of doing daily tasks are
taught by the Braille Institute,
such as home managment,
traveling, and using talking
library books. Contact: 4621225.

Last FRI every month at 6:00
pm: Family Fun at Unity Church, 2nd & 4th MON every month
1165 Stubblefield St, Orcutt. at 6:30 pm: MOPS (Mothers
Contact: 937-3025.
of Preschoolers) meet at
Pacific
Christian
Church,
3435
Santa
Maria
Way,
Santa
Every
THU-FRI
12:00-5:00
pm & SAT 11:00 am-5:00 pm: Maria. Childcare is provided.
Exploration Station Interactive Contact: 934-3491 or www.
Science
Center
welcomes pacificchristian.net.
families at 867 Ramona Ave,
Grover Beach.
Cost: $2-3. Every TUE 3:00-6:00 pm & FRI
Contact: 473-1421 or http:// 3:00-5:30 pm: Teen Wellness
explorationstation.org.
Program at Arroyo Grande EOC
Health Services Clinic, 1152 E
2nd THU of every month 6:00- Grand Ave. Health services,
7:00 pm: Grief Support Group including reproductive health,
at Central Coast Hospice, 253 in a safe environment with
Granada Dr, Ste D, San Luis staff trained to screen, assess,
Obispo. This free group is for and to provide intervention.
anyone suffering the loss of Appointments are preferred.
a loved one who is in need of Contact: 489-4026.
support. Contact: 540-6020.
1st WED every month at 9:00 am:
2nd SAT of every month FEB- Community Action Partnership
NOV at 9:00 am: Santa Maria Senior Health Screening at First
Recreation and Parks Dept United Methodist Church, 275
offers free docent-led nature N Halcyon Rd, Arroyo Grande.
walks in Los Flores Ranch, 6271 Free and low-cost services are
Dominion Rd, Santa Maria. offered for people 50 and older:
blood pressure, pulse, weight,
Contact: 925-0951 x 263.
total cholesterol, screening

A one-of-a-kind r esour ce
in San Luis Obispo County for those living with cancer and their families
Wellness and support services provide a bridge between standard
medical care and a full range of healing therapies
Our integrative approach offers a foundation for care that includes
programs designed to strengthen the body, educate the mind,
and alleviate the stress that often comes with a cancer diagnosis

1941 Johnson Ave
Ste 201A, San Luis Obispo

Center provide one-on-one
legal advice for persons filing
divorces w/o an attorney, and
a document preparer to assist
in completing court-required
1st WED every month at 12:00 forms. Min. $40.00 donation.
pm: Disabled American Veterans Limit: 12 participants. Contact:
luncheon at Veterans Memorial 544-9313.
Bldg, 313 W. Tunnell St, Santa
RISE (formerly Sexual Assault
Maria. Contact: 345-0402.
Recovery
and
Prevention
Center
of
San
Luis
Obispo
Co)
Every WED 5:30-7:00 pm:
Widowed Support Group at New offers: Weekly Drop-In Support
Life Church, 990 James Way, Rm Groups for Sexual Assault
14, Pismo Beach. Arrive 10 min Survivors; 24 Hour Crisis Line;
early for 1st meeting. Offered Advocacy and Accompaniment;
by Hospice of SLO Co. Contact: Peer Counseling; Individual
Clinical Counseling; Prevention
544-2266 or hospiceslo.org.
and
Education
Programs;
and Women’s Empowerment
Every TUE at 7:00 pm: Al-Anon and Self Defense Workshops.
Family Support Group at Luis Contact: 545-8888 or www.
OASIS Senior Center, 420 Soares sarpcenter.org.
Ave, Orcutt. Contact: 937-9750.
for anemia, diabetes, and fecal
blood, nutritional counseling,
and medical referrals. Contact:
481-2692 or 788-0827.

3rd WED every month at 7:00
pm: How to Survive Divorce
seminar at the San Luis Obispo
Women’s Community Center,
1124 Nipomo St, #D in SLO.
Practical tips, pointers, and
suggestions for handling family
law issues. $10.00 donation
requested for handout materials
and book. Contact: 544-9313 to
register.
4th TUE every month at 5:30
pm: Legal Clinic for SelfRepresented
Litigants
at
the San Luis Obispo County
Courthouse Law Library, 1050
Monterey St in SLO, #125. SLO
County Bar Assn Family Law
Section & Women’s Community

Central Coast Family

•

January 2015

•

( 805 ) 542-6234

Every SAT 11:00 am-3:00 pm:
ADOPT A PET at Petco, 2051
Theater Dr, in Paso Robles.
Cats are available for adoption
through NCHS.
Dogs are
available through Short n’
Sweet Dog Rescue. Contact:
466-5403.
Every MON 2:00-4:00 pm &
WED 3:00-5:00 pm: Jacks’
Adaptive Toy Lending LibraryJack’s Helping Hand at Central
Coast Gymnastics, 21 Zaca
Lane, #100, San Luis Obispo.
Traditional and adaptive toys
for children with all types of
disabilities to check out. Inhome appointments available.
Cost: Free! Contact: 547-1914 or

www.centralcoastfamily.com

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Page 20 

Local Resources
Feeling hopeless, desperate, or alone?
Concerned for someone you care about?

Suicide Prevention
Mental Health and
Emotional Support
Free
Confidential
24 hours of every day
A program of Transitions Mental Health Association

www.jackshelpinghand.org.
Every TUE 2:00-5:00 pm & FRI
4:00-7:00 pm: Jacks’ Adaptive
Toy Lending Library - Jack’s
Helping Hand at Pat’s Place in
Nipomo Recreation Community
Rm, 671 W Tefft St, Ste 2,
Nipomo. Toys for children with
all types of disabilities to check
out.
In-home appointments
also available.
Cost-Free!
Contact: 547-1914 or www.
jackshelpinghand.org.

Every WED 11:00 am-12:00 pm:
Growing With Baby, an infant
feeding office for breastfeeding
mothers and their babies (010 mos), offers a free class on
feeding, crying, and sleep at
1230 Marsh St, San Luis Obispo.
Pediatric nurse practioner and
lactation consultant Andrea
Herron will answer questions.
Dads are always welcome! Call
to reserve a spot. Contact: 5436988.

of San Luis Obispo County
crisis line: 781-6400
business phone: 781-6401
email: info@wspslo.com
www. womensshelterslo.org

and schedule hours at their
convenience.
Training is
Morro Bay Museum of Natural monthly at Wilshire Community
History offers Adventures With Services, 285 South St, Ste J,
Nature & Mind Walks. Find the SLO. Contact: 547-7025 x 17.
schedule at: www.ccnha.org/
naturewalks.html.
Volunteer at San Luis Obispo
Museum of Art! Stop by at 1010
Central
Coast
Commission Broad St (Mission Plaza) or
for Senior Citizens offers email volunteer@sloma.org.
many free services: Senior
Connection - connecting callers
San Luis Obispo Senior Center
with local resources; HICAP
offers health screening, legal
(Health Insurance Counseling
services,
meals,
exercise,
and
Advocacy
Program)
bridge, and bingo at 1445 Santa
one on one assistance for
Rosa St. Contact: 781-7306.
Medicare beneficiaries, advise
and referrals for long term
care options, and help with Central Coast Astronomical
billing / appeals; Vial of Life Society sponsors a Dark Sky
magnetized containers with Star Party every month at
medical information; a Senior Santa Margarita Lake KOA
at
sunset.
Resource Directory for SLO and Campground
SB counties, and much more.
Contact: 925-9554 or www.
centralcoastseniors.org.

Every FRI at 7:00 pm: Senior
Ballroom Dancing at Madonna
Inn. If you are a senior (single
or attached) and like ballroom
dancing, this is the place! Look
left of the bandstand for sign:
Senior Dancers. Dance, chat
and listen to good music. No
fees; no dues; just fun! Contact:
Hospice of San Luis Obispo
489-5481 or dg17@juno.com.
County provides free grief
counseling, group support,
Literacy Council for San Luis
counseling, crisis intervention,
Obispo County has an ongoing
and wellness education to those
and urgent need for volunteer
with a life-limiting illness, their
tutors and offers free training
families, and the bereaved.
in SLO. Contact: 541-4219 or
This non-profit agency offers
www.sloliteracy.org.
free counseling, community
education
and
volunteer
1st THU every month at 6:15 pm: support to those grieving a
Commission on the Status of death or dealing with potential
Women meets at Coast National end-of-life issues. Offices in San
Bank, 500 Marsh St, San Luis Luis Obispo and Paso Robles.
Obispo. This official advisory Contact: 544-2266.
group to SLO County Board of
Supervisors identifies issues of
Volunteer as a Good Neighbor!
concern to women that are not
Make a difference in the life
the focus of other advocacy
of an older or disabled adult.
or
advisory
organizations.
Once
trained,
volunteers
Contact: 788-3406.
choose services to contribute

Central Coast Family

Women’s Shelter

•

January 2015

•

CCAS also sponsors special
guest speakers and public
programs periodically.
Find
event
schedules,
weather
updates, and resources at:
www.centralcoastastronomy.
org.
Contact:
aurora@
centralcoastastronomy.org.
San Luis Coastal Adult School’s
Parent Participation Program
offers Core Parenting and
Enrichment classes in SLO,
Morro Bay, and Los Osos. Bring
your child to a parent and child
activity class, or find support
and education just for parents.
Cost: $76 for 10 wks. Contact:
549-1222 or parentparticipation.
org.

Listen
Speak Up!
Keep a Child Safe
from Sexual Abuse

www.centralcoastfamily.com

•

Page 21 

Fit & Well
Make 2015 Your Best Year Yet

or action plans generally fail, year
after year. With clients, I discuss
in depth a step-by-step action
plan that includes customized
tips to help them achieve fitness
success.
If you want to live a more fit or
healthful lifestyle, ask yourself
the following practical questions:
• Are you willing to commit?
• Are you going to start going
to bed an hour earlier to get
more sleep?
• Are you going to drink more
water?

by Renee P. Mosier

With the New Year, I know many
of us will reflect on the past
year and think about resolving
to make the next year better.
Traditionally, we view each
new year as an opportunity to
start over with a clean slate and
change the way we choose to live
our lives. As a personal trainer,

I tend to get a lot of questions
from new and potential clients
asking for tips on how to pursue
New Year resolutions. Common
goals for a lot of people this time
of year include adopting more
healthful habits, getting fit, or
losing weight, but these broad
desires without specific directions

• Are you going to start a new
workout program?
Whatever you decide, you need
to make a conscious effort to
make your goal S.M.A.R.T; which
stands for Specific, Measureable,
Attainable, Relevant, and Timely.
Once you establish a goal worth
achieving for yourself, revisit it
often to remember what you are
working towards. Preparation is
key to achievement. Once you
have identified and planned your
goals, begin making the necessary
preparations to keep yourself
on track and avoid potential
obstacles.
If you want to start cooking
more but your weekdays are
busy, then try prepping all of
your food for an entire week on a
Sunday. Crockpot meals are also
very helpful. Just put everything
that you would like into the slow
cooker in the morning before you
leave for work and by the time
you get home, you will have a
wholesome home-cooked dinner
already waiting for you. If needed,
you can find some amazing food
preparation and recipe blogs on
websites such as Pinterest or
allrecipes.com.
If you want to start working out at
a gym or fitness center after work,
prepare a gym bag with your
gym clothes and shoes to carry
in your car. If you head home
to get ready and hit the couch,

Central Coast Family

•

January 2015

•

PETS OF THE MONTH
Available for Immediate Adoption!

fleur

petey

1.5 year old White Domestic
Medium Hair Male

2 year old Male White Black
Brown Terrier Mix

Microchipped, Vaccinated,
Neutered, Vaccinated,
Spayed & Litter Box Trained Microchipped & House Trained
Gentle, Quiet & Affectionate
Playful, active, travels well
Happiest in single cat home Great with kids & other dogs

(805) 543-9316

875 Oklahoma Ave

San Luis Obispo

then you will most likely want to
stay there. It helps to share your
goals with your family members
and friends and ask for support or
encouragement.
Lastly, mindset is a big part of
any change we make in our lives.
When you make a decision about
your goals, visualize how you
are going to feel once you reach
that goal. Imagine how proud
you are going to feel once you’ve
accomplished what you set out
to do. Keep thinking about that
accomplishment throughout the
process, particularly if you should
question your motivation along
the way.
It is especially important to
remember that even if you have a
moment of weakness and get off
track temporarily, your goal is still
attainable. It may be easy to get
discouraged when that happens,
but it is important to give yourself
a break and continue moving
forward. Don’t allow a misstep
to determine the outcome. Hope
is not lost – just revisit your
S.M.A.R.T goal and remember
why it is important to you. Then
start again the following day.
2015 will start to amaze you
the moment that you make the
commitment to improve your
future. Start today by working
on your S.M.A.R.T goals, prepare
for what’s ahead, keep a positive
attitude, find support, and success
will be yours.
Renee P. Mosier is an ACE Certified Personal
Trainer at MZR Fitness in San Luis Obispo.
She can be reached at renee@mzrfitness.
com or (805) 543-9800.

www.centralcoastfamily.com

•

Page 22 

Law Offices of

David S. Vogel
Car,Truck & Motorcycle Accidents
Wrongful Death, Head Injury, Burns
Education Advocacy
Medical Malpractice, Nursing Home Neglect
No Recover y . No Fee
Former Prosecutor with 30 years of Experience
Honored with the highest rating (AV Preeminent) in the
Peer-Reviewed National Law Directory Martindale-Hubbell

www.davidvogel.com (805) 540-7100
1026 Palm Street, Suite 214, San Luis Obispo
Central Coast Family

•

January 2015

•

www.centralcoastfamily.com

•

Page 23 

Central
Coast

Family
™

Our goal is to connect
Central Coast families
with the resources
they need to thrive!

What do you offer
Central Coast families?

Display advertising in Central Coast Family offers an
extraordinary value. Our loyal readers are relatively
mature, prosperous, and educated family members
in two of California’s most affluent counties. They
take an active role in all aspects of parenting and
purchasing.
Every issue includes original feature articles and
calendar listings for six weeks of local family events.
Your ad is viewed the whole month through; not
discarded after a day or a week.
We offer the lowest rates in our region (and discounts
for non-profits or ads running 3 months or more).
All of our advertisers also enjoy FREE: full color
printing; basic graphic design; preferred placement
options; monthly edits; and website exposure!

Advertiser Comments
“Thank you for providing the single best source of
useful information and encouragement for families in
this area. Our whole family enjoys reading CCF and
we refer to your event pages often. Our customers
seem to love it too - as we need to keep more copies
- Henry and Mary Ellen Eisemann
in stock!”
“I have received more phone calls from being in
Central Coast Family than any other place I have
advertised (including the Yellow Pages and Internet
Yellow Pages). Thanks for everything!”
- Shelley Candelario

Contact us to spread the word in
print, online, and social media:

CC F

+

Patrice Vogel, Editor
David Vogel, Publisher
PO Box 6424
Los Osos, CA 93412
(805) 528-0440 Phone
(805) 439-0798 Fax

centralcoastfamily.com
ccfamilyad@gmail.com

Central Coast Family is published monthly online and in print with a readership over 40,000!
FREE copies are available throughout San Luis Obispo and North Santa Barbara Counties at all libraries
™

and community centers, at chambers of commerce, schools, supermarkets, banks, restaurants, hotels,
YMCAs, medical and dental clinics, real estate offices, museums, and other family-friendly businesses.
Distribution (population 400,000+) : Arroyo Grande, Atascadero, Avila Beach, Cambria, Cayucos, Grover Beach, Guadalupe, Los Osos,
Morro Bay, Nipomo, Orcutt, Paso Robles, Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo, Santa Margarita, Santa Maria, Shell Beach, and Templeton.

Every issue is printed with soy ink on 100% recycled paper. Please recycle again.