World War II veteran, Walter Stacy, just returned from a whirlwind tour of Washington D.C.’s monuments honoring our nation’s veterans. He was hosted by Honor Flight Network and traveled with his son, Richard Stacy. The nonprofit organization, www.honorflight.org, intends to host all living veterans. “Once they find the WWII vets,” said Stacy, “they want to find the Korean Vets.”

Now in their 90s, Walter and Doris Stacy will participate in the Lost at Sea Memorial ceremonies Monday, Memorial Day , 2014, at 2:45 pm at the Cayucos Pier Plaza. The service honors all those lost at sea, military or civilian. It is supported by the Cayucos Lions and Rotary Clubs of Cayucos and Morro Bay.

“I wanted to fly so enlisted September 28, 1942 when the Navy created the VT-5 flight training program. They needed pilots,” said Stacy.

Every three months he was moved. He trained in navigation in Massachusetts, flight training in Tennessee, ground and physical training in Georgia, flew “yellow perils” in Texas and finally got his wings August 8, 1944 in Pensacola, Florida. A member of the Dive Bombing Division (SBD), he was “carrier qualified” at Glenview Naval Air Station in Illinois.

Doris, today recognized as a Rosie the Riveter, trained as a sheet metal worker in Springfield, Massachusetts, then was stationed at Bradley Field, Connecticut. “I was a WAM (Women’s Aircraft Maintenance Squadron). We fixed the planes as the men damaged them. I made $1060 in 1943. My point is every one of us filled a space for the men who went to fight the war.”

“I called Doris and asked if she still wanted to get married before I got my orders,” said Stacy.

Their extended honeymoon was searching for Stacy’s VFZ carrier-based squadron. “When we got to San Diego, the Navy told us to come back in five days. They couldn’t find my squadron. When we came back they sent us to Seattle, then Pascal, Washington, and after a month back to San Diego.”

Eventually Stacy was shipped to Hawaii and Doris returned to New Hampshire pregnant with the first of their two sons. Stacy flew F4U-4 Corsairs — bombing, strafing and searching POWs out of Saipan’s Kagman Airfield. The couple agreed “it was a happy day when the skies lit up with bombs and we (Stacy’s squadron) found out the next day the Japanese had surrendered.”

After his carrier picked up 1,500 men caught in a big storm off Okinawa, Stacy returned to San Diego December 13, 1945. He retired as a commander after 26 years from the Naval Reserves while working for New England Telephone for 38 years. Now Cambrians, the flyboy and his war-bride will celebrate their 70^th wedding anniversary December 1.

Another note, I talked to Trudy O’Brien, Morro Bay Fisherman’s Organization, on KEBF Estero Bay Community Radio about her participation at the Cayucos Lost at Sea Event. She has carried the Memorial Wreath for 8 years because she loves the event and the position she plays. The wreath is so large she always selects a fisherman to help her.

I also talked to Mike Elliott, General Manager of the Los Osos Valley Mortuary and Memorial Park, which has presented a huge Memorial Day event for over 50 years. All services are represented and they have created an amazing aerial with all kinds of para-things falling out of the skies…plus music, bbq, Viet Nam Vet Peter Starling speaking. It all starts at 10:30am.

If you miss it this year mark you calendars to be in Los Osos and Cayucos same time next year. These tributes are exactly the right message why we celebrate Memorial Day.

This is not Walter Stacy although Walter is often with this group of Veterans that meets every Friday at La Parisiene Bakery in Morro Bay off of Front Street on the way to Morro Rock…This is Cayucos Senior Member Hank Hall and a veteran friend.

Volumes of Pleasure Book Shoppe in Los Osos between San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay will participate in the first California Bookstore Day, a collaboration of the Northern and Southern California Independent Booksellers Association. The organization promotes its first annual event as “a statewide party on Saturday, May 3, 2014 as big and varied as the state itself.  It’s more than 90 stores in more than 80 zip codes putting their bells on and throwing out the welcome mat… (offering) books you cannot get on any other day at any other place.” An available list of books written and offered is at www.cabookstoreday.com.

“It’s a dual celebration for us,” said owner Carroll Leslie. “We are celebrating 35 years in business. I love books and love getting to know my customers and connecting them with a book I think they might like. My philosophy has always been to offer books with independent thought by lesser known writers and offer local authors a place to sell their books.”

Leslie and Barbara Strauss moved to Los Osos from Laguna Beach where they owned a book store. “I worked for the county and Barbara discovered Volumes and expressed an interest in buying it. The owners were eager to sell. We immediately increased the inventory. Barbara (deceased in 2012) and I loved escape literature and we added philosophy and spiritual books. As the trends changed we did.”

To compete with the corporate book stores and Amazon, they added sideline products to stay in business. “At one time there were fourteen independent book stores in the county,” said Leslie. “Now there is Coalesce in Morro Bay and us.”

Editor’s Note: There are several wonderful book stores still in San Luis Obispo County that offer recycled books, including Nan’s of Pismo (south of San Luis Obispo), which will also order new books for clients. Nan’s is also very supportive of local authors.

According to Volumes of Pleasure’s Christine Ahern, the celebration will begin at 11:30am Saturday with a Children’s Book Corner followed by readings by local authors throughout the afternoon until 5:30pm. Participating include Anne R. Allen, Charlie Perryess, Sue McGinty, and poets Beverly Boyd, Carol McPhee and Bonnie Young. Three Sheets to the Wind will perform at 1pm and Hoapili Pomaika’i Aloha is at 3pm.

 Allen, author of seven comic novels, including her latest mystery set in Morro Bay, No Place Like Home, said, “Independent stores like Volumes of Pleasure can carry books by authors who publish with smaller presses, the way I do. Big box bookstores usually only carry titles published by the big five publishing corporations, who can pay for shelf space. It’s a fantastic resource for readers and writers alike.”

 McGinty, author of three mysteries set in Cayucos, Morro Bay and Los Osos, said, “Readers often want books with local settings. I write about the Central Coast. Bella, my protagonist in Murder in Los Lobos, lives in “Los Lobos.” It’s invaluable to have my books in Volumes of Pleasure.” www.volumesofpleasurebookshoppe.com

Another Editor’s Note: When you make that choice to buy a book, think about all the help an independent book store owner has given you over the years. Do you want the chance to walk in a storefront and browse the shelves and look at the book jacket and feel the “volumes of pleasure” waiting to be opened and read. Does Amazon smile at you when you place that order? I encourage you that convenience is not always the best decision. Support your Independent Book Store so we will have them in our future. Thanks. Judy

In 1983, when Jean Brown worked at Security Pacific Bank, she believed the Los Osos area needed a networking organization for women in business to support their individual endeavors and share issues specific to working women.  

Brown persuaded Cathy Stalter, Judi Tewell, Connie Framberger, Rosa Metzler, Diane McClish and Linda Villanueva to join her on the first governing board of the South Bay Women’s Network.

Last December the group celebrated 30 years of community support for the San Luis Obispo Women’s Shelter, including 2013 when $1,500 was raised at the annual Holiday Auction. Metzler reported the first holiday meeting was a wrapping party with each member donating a gift. Current president, Gila Zak, thanked her team of Metzler, Debra Angell and Peggy Zett for gathering community donations for their latest auction supporting the shelter.

“Helping the Women’s Shelter continues to be our major fund raiser, but we also give three $500 scholarships annually for women at Cuesta College,” said Zak, owner of Quantum Wave Biofeedback. “Mainly our mission is to encourage and support each other.”

Past-president Dawn Rodden, owner of Creative Design in Los Osos, explained the networking group commits to doing business with members, including helping women in transition. “One member’s car broke,” Rodden said, citing an example. “Another member helped this single mom replace her car so she could get to work.” Rodden, who prefers being the quiet worker bee, added she “never thought I might lead the group as president, but with full support from the group, I had the confidence and a great experience.”

Sally Brooks, owner of The Great Skin Company said, “I joined in 1996 because of the great causes we support, then so many SBWN members support my business. The friendships are invaluable. For me it has been a win-win.”
            

The group meets the first Tuesday of each month at noon at La Palapa in Baywood. Andrea Tackett, MD, with Coast Cardiology is an example of one of their monthly speakers. Guests are encouraged to attend. More details and to connect to attend a meeting check out www.sbwn.org.

The group has maintained their dues at $45 so women can afford to join. This year, the group plans to continue raising money for the women’s shelter and support member Paula Ufferherdt’s efforts as a longtime commissioner with the Status of Women, a commission of women appointed by the San Luis Obispo County Supervisors to advocate for women and girls and inform the supervisors of unmet needs in the county. This year both groups will celebrate women volunteers for their countless hours of volunteerism during a luncheon at the Madonna Inn. Details at http://www.slowomen.org

Morro Bay’s Jeff Eckles pursues possibilities. Two years ago when he heard about a possible community based radio station, he stepped forward. The founder of Eckles Wealth Management, he hosts “Beyond Business,” a weekly financial information program at Estero Bay Community Radio 97.3FM The Rock. A 501c3 nonprofit , www.esterobayradio.com streamed programs on art, health, relationships, fitness, business, and music until the license was approved recently by the FCC.

Saturday, March 29 at 1pm the public was invited to a “flip the switch” celebration and tour of the studio housed at Morro Bay’s Chamber of Commerce, 695 Harbor Blvd. Sample the 24-hour programming schedule and meet EBCR Chaiman Sherry Sim and board members plus Hal Abrams, Operations Manager until 4:30pm. Live entertainment included Christine Rogers, Ray Taratino and The Monroe, plus current on-air talent Ruthann Angus, Michael Saffran, Cyndee Edwards, Greg Finch, Bryce Davis, Youssef Alaoui, James Davis, Chris Christian, Rachal Duchak and Eckles.

“This will be huge,” said Eckles. “Community radio is an on-air town hall. There are so many possibilities. We don’t know what it will become, but we know we can make it what we want it to be. It’s only limited by the number of volunteers who want to share their interests and expertise.”

Station Manager Hal Abrams was excited many of the former DJs from KOTTR which once was based in Cambria and provided the area with eclectic music and talk had volunteered to bring their voices and music files to 97.3 The Rock. The 24-hour operations will be a mix of mostly music, 34 talk format mixed in and public service announcements for community news and emergency notices as needed. “I’m working closely with Morro Bay Police Chief Amy Christie to coordinate the first responders to provide talk shows and information on a regular basis.”

Eckles was a seasoned seminar presenter, but had never interviewed or hosted radio before Dave Congalton invited him to appear on KVEC 920AM’s The Dave Congalton Show. “I learned everything I know about radio from Dave. When the financial crisis hit, I’m grateful he gave me a chance to do what I think I do best…take a complex economic issue and break it down to its simplest parts – un-complicate it for the general public.”

For those interested in hosting a show on 97.3 The Rock, Eckles advised, “Talk about what you know – what you’re passionate about. Topics need to be researched and interesting for a broad group of listeners. But community radio is not to sell your business. Listeners see right through the sales pitch and will turn you off. Endless possibilities for programming are still available.”

Eckles continued, “Listeners want you to share your passions. Most don’t know why a financial guy serves on the Morro Bay Harbor Advisory Board. Maritime is in my blood. I was a U.S. Merchant Mariner at sea for two years. I need to live and work by the sea. It’s why I resigned a Smith Barney vice-presidency to start my company in Morro Bay near the sea and my 9-year old twins, Aiden and Sophie.”

Eckles encouraged, “Go for it. Submit an idea. It may move you out of your comfort zone, but that’s how we grow.” And sustaining the station with an all volunteer staff will be the challenge – and the benefit – and hopefully the joy of birthing a new radio station for the Central Coast.

Change is happening…and as the director for the 5th year of the Central Coast Writers Conference and an active member of SLO NightWriters, I couldn’t be more pleased about the partnerships we’ve created for 2014.

And you out there in the writers’ world can benefit. This year Central Coast Writers Conference and SLO NightWriters will collaborate to present the Golden Quill Awards, a worldwide writing competition open to anyone who would like to test the waters. The 2014 theme is  Déjà vu. Creepy and wonderful right? For years both organizations have celebrated talented writing by showcasing winning authors at the conference and at San Luis Obispo NightWriter meetings and we still will do that…only our organizations won’t be competing for your manuscripts…we want you to compete for our kudos. You have until June 30 to send us your entry.

The Golden Quill Awards information is all new developed by a committee led by Tom Snow, who has become an active member of the CCWC team. Tom and I encourage everyone to participate. Note: You don’t have to attend CCWC #30 to enter the Golden Quill Awards, however, if you enter you are guaranteed registration at the Early Bird discounted fee. And the two top winners will be showcased at the conference with a reading of their winning entry…and if you are in Australia? Well, there is Facetime! Check out the following details:

 Entries accepted from April 1^st to June 30th, 2014

1^st Place Prize-$750 for each category & Scholarship to CCWC #30 featuring Anne Perry

2^nd Place Price-$400 for each category

Honorable Mention Certificates

 Entries must include the words “Déjà vu” AND depict the theme (Interpret as broadly as you like)

Entry Fee – $15 per entry

You may enter in more than one category and with as many entries as you like.

Go to www.slonightwriters.org for payment and contest information.

SHORT STORY/MEMOIR 1,000 max word limit – must be double spaced and, where applicable, will be judged on:  1) Beginning / Ending, 2) Character, 3) Dialogue, 4) Narrative Voice & Point of View, 5) Description of Setting, 6) Emotional Impact, 7) Plot / Story Arc, 8) Use of Language

POETRY 40 line max limit – may be creatively spaced and formatted and, where applicable, will be judged on:  1) Power/Emotional Impact, 2) Message, 3) Form and Flow, 4) Use of Language

All rights belong to the author.  SLO NightWriters may request permission to announce and publish the winning entries on its website and other media.

For a complete set of Rules and Format Guidelines see below or visit our website at….or just read on:

www.slonightwriters.org

Contest Entrants qualify for the special Early Bird rate at the 30th Annual Cuesta College Central Coast Writers Conference, September 19-20, 2014 in San Luis Obispo, CA, featuring keynote speaker, Anne Perry.  Attendance at the CCWC is optional. First place winners will be given free entries into the conference ($140 value each).  Registration begins in June, 2014. For details:  www.communityprograms.net       

 Questions?  Contact us: nightwriterscontest@gmail.com

2014 Contest Rules

1.  ELIGIBILITY:  All writers are welcome except NightWriters board members, Contest Committee members, screeners and judges.  Entries must be the original unpublished works of the authors.  

2.  FEES and PAYMENTS:  Entry Fee is $15 per contest entry.  For payment:

3.  DISCOUNTS:  If you wish to join SLO NightWriters at this time, include $25 (your discounted membership fee) along with your first $15 entry fee (a total of $40).

Contest Entrants will also qualify for the special Early Bird rate at the 30th Annual Cuesta College Central Coast Writers Conference, September 19-20, 2014 in San Luis Obispo, CA, featuring keynote speaker, Anne Perry.  Attendance at the CCWC is optional. First place winners will be given free entries into the conference ($140 value each).  For details, visit:  www.communityprograms.net          

4.  THEME:  Entries must include the words “Déjà vu” AND depict the theme (Interpret broadly.

5.  WORD LIMITS: Excluding titles, Short Story/Memoir – up to 1,000 words. Poetry – up to 40 lines.

6.  FORMATTING:  Each entry must use the following formatting:

• Courier or Times New Roman or Ariel type font.   
• A minimum of 1-inch margins.
• Short Stories/Memoirs must be double-spaced, and include page numbers.
• Poems may be creatively spaced and formatted, and include page numbers if needed.
• At the top of each entry, list: title, entry category, and word/line count only.  NO IDENTIFYING INFORMATION is to be placed on the entry itself.

 7.  COVER PAGE:  Judging is blind, so each contest entry must be emailed with a SEPARATE attachment cover page that includes:

• Author(s) name, First and Last
• Title of submission AND Entry Category
• Exact Word Count, or Line Count for poetry
• Author(s) Mailing Address, Phone Number and Email Address
• How I heard about this contest

 8.  SUBMISSION:  Electronic submissions only (Contact us for exceptions.)  Use .doc, .rft, or Adobe pdf. 

NO DocX files please.  Place entry title and author(s) last name in the Subject Line of the email.  You may enter multiple categories and with multiple entries.  Email entry and cover page as attachments to:

Nightwriterscontest@gmail.com

9.  WINNERS: Judges’ decisions are final.  Winners will be notified after Aug 1, 2014.  For each category 1^st place prize is $750, 2^nd place prize is $400.  Honorable Mentions will also be granted.  Winners may be asked to read entries at the Oct 14th, 2014 SLO NightWriters Meeting.  If co-authors, they must split prize money between themselves.  Winners may be acknowledged at this year’s Cuesta College Central Coast Writers Conference.

10. PUBLICATION:  All rights belong to the authors.  SLO NightWriters may request permission to announce and publish the winning entries on its website and other media.

Won’t you join us in 2014 for the first collaboration of SLO NightWriters and Cuesta College’s Central Coast Writers Conference writing competition. It will feed your soul and our treasury!

In 1984 Norman and Gail Galloway owned retirement businesses — a Cayucos apartment complex and Morro Bay floral shop. So partnering with their friend Jerry Winnowski to purchase a coffee business in Baywood wasn’t a stretch, however, the learning curve was steep. Norman read profusely, interrogated coffee reps, and worked long hours testing coffees before he discovered Central Coast Coffee Roasting Company’s signature secret.

“Once the beans are roasted,” said daughter Julie Galloway, who is spokesperson for their family business, “we let them sit a couple days so the natural sugars come in. We call it seasoning time. Dad used to roast late into the night – maybe 50 to 1,000 pounds a night. With the equipment we have today, we can roast a batch in 18 to 26 minutes or three times more in a day.”

In 2000 the Los Osos-based company moved from their smaller warehouse on Los Olivos to a 7,000 square-foot pristine roasting and packaging warehouse at 1172 Los Olivos.

“We grew up working the business,” said Julie. Today twelve employees including her husband, Paul Miller, her brother Chris and his son, Eric, roast, blend, and package 140 varieties of regular, decaf, holiday and blended coffees under the labels SLO Roasted Coffee, Baywood Exotic Flavored Coffee and Walker/Hupp Signature Blend benefitting camperships for Headwaters Outdoor School. They ship worldwide and deliver five days a week to retail outlets from Paso Robles to Carpentaria.

The Galloways choose to purchase their fair trade organically grown beans from Royal Coffee of Emoryville. Their supplier personally inspects the coffee plantations assessing the health of the operations. And they sample the coffee beans before they purchase complete crops to wholesale.

Their company’s chief roaster, Adam Boyd, was imported from Hawaii. He joined them thirteen years ago. “He can tell from the beans crackling in the 400-degree roaster where they are in the roasting process,” explained Julie.

The deep chocolate-cherry colored beans then go into an environmentally secured after-burner to take out any particulates. Once cooled and “seasoned” in bins for two days – the time for full flavors and smells to emerge — they are package. Packaging is fully automatic including the folding and labeling in sized bags.

“Customers favorites are anything with vanilla,” said Julie. “Dad is really good at naming the coffees — romantic names like Hawaiian Affair Hazel Nut. He renamed our German Blend calling it Darn Good Coffee. It now flies off the shelf.”

Julie recapped, “We’re local – always fresh. We sell retail at the warehouse, have gift packages, and offer group tours. We recycle. Coffee chaff makes great compost.”

Details and mail order instructions are at www.sloroasted.com

Worth posting again for 2014…always a fun party!! And tickets are sell out fast…they really do!! Go by the South Bay Community Center and pick up your tickets asap!None will be available at the door.

Just a wee bit of cash will buy you supper and song at the 3rd annual Scottish Irish Night Thursday, March 13 at the South Bay Community Center. Scottish meat pies with Irish mashed potatoes and peas, salad and dessert are only $10. After supper the Gillie Weesels (www.centralcoastceltic.com) will croon Irish and Scottish ditties and ballads while Duncan McQueen, donned in his finest kilt, might be convinced to play his musical saw. But the best Irish luck is every penny for these pleasures benefits People Helping People (PHP) of Los Osos.

PHP began in 1972 when Los Osos, Baywood Park, and Cuesta-by-the-Sea seniors created the non-profit to help special needs seniors. A “senior center” was intended when they sold their lot on 4^th Street for $38,000 and continued fundraising. Then the leadership realized the entire community had special needs, so PHP donated the seed money of $58,000 to construct the South Bay Community Center. Today Jim Quesenberry, 1^st Vice-President and coordinator of the food distribution program reports PHP averages 50 to 70 people daily at the Community Center and volunteers have stepped forward to help with distribution. “Our relationship with the Baywood Farmers Market renewed so we have fresh produce. The Food Bank and USDA provide the staples and proteins. We have a good time and thanks to board Secretary, Lynn Wise, donuts and coffee are available.” Beverly Ford volunteers in the office and admits they could use more help weekday mornings. She helps provide medical, housing and tax referral information and checks out the medical equipment PHP can loan for a nominal deposit.

Board president Richard Margetson anticipated the pending remodel at the Community Center that will offer more efficiency in operations to both the center and PHP. He explained, “The cost to expand space behind the stage area will cost approximately $56,000 and most is already donated by area businesses and tradesmen. The community center started as a grassroots endeavor and it continues to gather support. After all, it belongs to the community.”

Margetson succeeded Jerri Walsh as president of the board. “Throughout my life I’ve volunteered for homeless issues. I’m not sure how People Helping People captured my interest but I’ve been involved ten years. Jerri will be past president, Linda Owens is 2^nd Vice-President and Carol Cribbs is treasurer.” Scottish Irish Night tickets are limited to approximately 120 and must be picked in advance at the PHP office in the Los Osos Community Center, 2180 Palisades, Monday thru Friday from 9 to 1 pm. For more info call 528-2626.

The City of Morro Bay incorporated July 17, 1964. Throughout 2014 a citizens’ committee plans to celebrate established events while developing some new activities. Posted updates are at www.morrobay50th. At the kick-off dinner in January several individuals and groups were recognized for decades of contributions. Taylor Newton at 35 the youngest to be recognized, might be considered representative of Morro Bay’s future.

Native Morro Bayan, Cara Crye emceed the evening’s presentations. She announced, “Taylor has a love for community, environment, and beautification. He organized the Morro Bay Guerrilla Gardening Club which offers work and mentoring opportunities to youth in the community. They work with city, private enterprise and nonprofits to beautify the community and educate about recycling.”

A graduate of Cal Poly, Newton describes the GGC as a 501c3 nonprofit educational program that “allows young street-wise men and women over fifteen an opportunity to learn about plants, biology, and community through the learn-by-doing process.” He says the members are “youth who have fallen down in life and we need to teach them how to get up again and survive every challenge.”

Club dues consist of members volunteering to provide labor, planting, maintenance, composting, and waste management at festivals and events. In exchange members qualify for housing, food, clothing, education and employment opportunities.

“Everybody has value,” stated Newton. “We teach our members that when they pay their dues, they can participate in their community. We’re not here to change society, but how to get through life by making one’s space livable. We’re fighting against drug abuse, violence, profiling, and the revolving cycle of imprisonment.”

Justin Porter and Dylan Barker have been active members for about eight months. Barker appreciated “having people who accept you without being perfect.” Porter acknowledged, “GGC has given me a different outlook – chances I’d never seen before.”

GGC has created a demonstration garden with sustainable landscaping and a wholesale nursery at St.Timothy’s Catholic Church on Kennedy Way. The club contracts public and private landscaping projects and is developing an Urban Farming Facility. Contact them at http:/www.mbggc.blogspot.com or http://www.facebook.com/MorroBayGuerrillaGardeningClub.

Newton is president and a founding member of Eco-Rotary. He was featured in the international Rotarian Magazine for his development of GGC and a zero-waste program that encourages many San Luis Obispo county festivals and events to use recycled materials. Members of GGC are contracted to complete clean-up, thus, creating zero-waste events. In June, Eco-Rotary will present a second Eco-Faire showcasing area sustainable products and businesses.

Newton is a member of the Morro Bay Lions and serves on the Morro Bay Tree Committee and is growing 50+ trees to be planted in 2014 to beautify Morro Bay during the Morro Bay 50th celebration. He leads by example and gives and gives back to his community while his family-time with Jeni Randolf Taylor and the kids is golden. Note: Jeni is his rock with GGC and the family!

Pictures feature Taylor with former Councilwoman Carla Borchard and fellow Eco-Rotarian….and current Councilwoman Nancy Johnson…and Morro Bay Guerrilla Gardening Logo.

               If “home is where the heart is” then the “world is an oyster” for Lou and Sheryl Barbich until they “park their boots” in Cayucos and Bakersfield where “it’s a wonderful life.”  In between tax-prep time for his accountancy firm and her consultancy business, the couple travels the world to exotic and favorite places.

               “We enjoy learning the history and culture wherever we travel,” said Sheryl. “While on safari we went to a school in Tanzania. While talking to the teacher, we noticed a letter on the wall. It was a thank you from Cayucos Elementary School students. We are all connected in so many ways.”  

               Sheryl got her wanderlust while in college traveling Europe. They enjoy New York City a couple times a year as investors in Broadway shows like Hairspray and Smokey Joe’s Café and annually plan additional worldwide adventures.

               “We always wanted a home at the beach,” said Lou, a past president of the California Society of CPAs. “We were actually looking at La Jolla when I visited clients on the coast. I was reminded of summers with my uncle in Cayucos and fishing off the pier.”  They decided to look at real estate and found their dream home in North Cayucos. “When we could look through the front door and see the ocean, we knew this was our home.” They spend three to four days in Cayucos each week and then back to their Bakersfield offices.”

After Lou served in Viet Nam the couple settled in Bakersfield where he quickly became a partner in an accounting firm that grew into today’s Barbich Hooper King Dill Hoffman Accountancy Corporation. Lou’s focus is agriculture and regularly met with clients in Kern, Tulare, and San Luis County. “With today’s technology, we can work anywhere.”

Author of two industry nonfiction titles, Sheryl says her business, Barbich Consulting, focuses on strategic planning for businesses and nonprofits. Her current avocation is “nuttin’ but fun.” As a board member of the Kern County Museum, she co-chairs the inaugural Kern County Nut Festival at the museum on June 15.  “Bakersfield didn’t have a festival. Since nuts – almonds, pistachios and walnuts — combine to be the number one crop, we created the Nut Festival to help local nonprofits, create industry and community awareness and bring visitors to Bakersfield.”    

               Two familiar Central Coast names at the festival will be Leonard Gentieu, owner of Morro Bay’s Papagallo II and Craig and Nancy Stoller, owners of Sextant Winery. Sheryl touted food demos all day, “nutty” activities for the children, 35 nut-related food booths with restaurants and nonprofits collaborating, and nut industry trade booths demonstrating the production of Central Valley nuts.

My 4th Director’s Message by Judy Salamacha…More Details and online registration at http://www.communityprograms.net and Facebook/Central Coast Writers Conference

The 29^th Central Coast Writers’ Conference will stand out forever in my memory for professional and personal reasons. Professionally, the 2013 conference offers the best mix of presenters in a variety of genres for readers, aspiring writers and published authors. This year it is all about perfecting our craft in order to tell the story.

Personally, the 2013 conference resolves a quest started and completed within the four years I have been associated as a first year attendee then the director. Finally, all that I gleaned listening and applying what our presenters have taught us helped me fulfill my bucket list dream. My debut interpretative history book was published in April, 2013.

WHY WE WRITE is the title Rebecca Rasmussen chose for her keynote address. She is the author of The Bird Sisters and if I were still teaching high school English, I would challenge the list of required reading and incorporate this debut novel into my curriculum. Let me go out on a limb and state emphatically that Rasmussen achieved what most of us seek — “the great American novel.”

The Bird Sisters is crafted with memorable characters blended perfectly to their setting. These two ladies are bound and challenged by the mores of their mid-western rural heartland. We are introduced to spinster sisters, yet the story focus answers the question how they became “the bird sisters” one summer in their teens. Thus, the target reading audience spans the young adult seeking “coming of age” insights; the female adult looking for romance in her literature; seniors seeking peer adventures or reflection of times gone by. Male adults learn to understand the impact they might have on the female psyche and a family is put to the test of living through the drama between siblings and parents and extended kinfolk.  I hope everyone will read it before coming to the conference. You will wonder and ask as I did how Rebecca got into the heads and hearts of these two intriguing, richly developed characters.

With your guidance through evaluations and the insights of my advisory committee, I think we’ve found the perfect “closer.” We all want to squeeze one more nugget of process into our brains, but by the time we’ve crammed four workshops worth of training, we also need something light and fun. Joel Friedlander is all that, including being the best authority on what makes a great book cover that sells online or in the book store.

Whether it is fiction, short fiction, children’s, YA, poetry, nonfiction, word usage, setting, character or platform development, audio books, writing a query letter, finding an agent or preparing your manuscript for a publisher, you’ll find amazing presenters to answer your questions. My apologies now for making you choose. I know it will be next to impossible because you’ll want to hear from all of them. Here’s an option! Pick their brains at lunch. We’ve collapsed Table Talks into a Power Lunch with our presenters. Don’t forget to savor your time with them by ordering your box lunch ahead!

Seriously! If you have an idea for your bucket list or next book concept, 2013 is the time to invest in yourself and take advantage of the all new Manuscript Critique and Face Time. For a minimal add-on expense, you can submit your first 10 pages, your picture book text, or a couple of shorter poems to the professional editors our coordinator, Susanne Lakin, has assembled. You submit by August 16, we assign based on your genre, they return an in-depth critique by conference time and we schedule 15 minutes of Face Time for you and them to meet during the conference – to discuss it more or discuss another first page or your query to get your manuscript to the next step. I totally verify that if you listen to an experienced editor, you will produce a product that will be published to your satisfaction.

I’ll even share a secret…since I had a co-author, we submitted our 10 pages three years in a row under her name and avoided abusing a conflict of interest rule I set up for myself as director. It worked! We had to change our concept and focus a couple of times to get the right product and now it is a much better book thanks to the professionals that helped us.

Thanks to PG&E we’ve come a long way with our PG&E Teen Writers Program. For four years scholarships were offered for at least 25 students, who have learned to hone lifetime skills and appreciate reading and writing from our presenters. In 2013 we introduce the Chevron Teachable Moments Series to give our San Luis Obispo teachers the same opportunity we have given to their students – to learn from the professionals what expectations there are today in the world of writers and publishers, thus the world of work.

Jump out there in 2013 and enter the Lillian Dean Writing Competition. Former director Cathe Olson chairs the competition. Check out the rules and guidelines for submission on the website. The worst thing that can happen is you’ll get feedback on your submission for a very tiny add-on fee. The best, of course, is winning the trophy, certificate or review of your query letter submission by Foreword Literary and reading it to the rest of us at Saturday’s General Assembly.

And what a special year to share with Dave Congalton, San Luis Obispo’s favorite talk show host and friend and former director of the Central Coast Writers’ Conference. We’re so excited for Dave and Charlotte as they live the dream Rebecca Rasmussen will talk about in her keynote. It’s still a bumpy ride, but Dave understands why he was compelled to give screenwriting time and attention again. Indeed it is WHY WE WRITE! You won’t want to miss our celebration of Dave’s Success Story.

Whether you want to hang out with writers and see how we tick or have a dream to write and publish your memoir for posterity, chapbook of poetry, how-to book to get it right, or great American novel, please, join us September 20-21. We won’t disappoint your Great Expectations.

Judy Salamacha