Caltrans retiree and avid volunteer Bill Fieldhouse, pictured below left, celebrated Father’s Day last weekend with a 13-hour, 4,500-foot-elevation climb-and-back trek at Yosemite’s Half Dome. An accomplishment the 74-year-old says he’ll never forget. He credits his fitness to daily walks and his hikes up Bishop’s Peak … 
Cleared for takeoff. The new traffic signals are working and roadway improvements completed at the SLO County Airport, making travel on the ground safer and more convenient for motorists. Happy news for all who take to the skies or have been tangled in road work lately on South Broad/HWY 227 … The SLO Chamber is losing a familiar face. Brooke Azevedo, Dave Garth’s intrepid long-time assistant, is leaving town with hubby Matt Azevedo, who has parlayed his coaching skills at Cal Poly into a job as assistant wrestling coach at Cornell University … The Atascadero Mutual Water Company is pulling out the stops to get its conservation message across, including a new text message code. Text “H2O” to 87715 for free tips to save water and money … The Tribune is partnering with Yahoo! to deliver the right message to the right user at the right time on sanluisobispo.com. Stay tuned for the Aug. 1 offical launch.
Entries from June 2009
SEEN AND HEARD
June 25th, 2009
Categories — Awards, Celebrations, Promotions
LOCAL BEAT
June 25th, 2009
Save the date for the inaugural California Sustainable Tourism Summit, Oct. 1, at Asilomar Conference Grounds in Monterey. Sponsored by the California Travel and Tourism Commission, the one-day conference is geared for hotels, chambers of commerce, convention and visitors bureaus and “all those who realize the importance of promoting, preserving and protecting their destination while maintaining economic growth through tourism.” Anaheim could have used this 50 years ago … Some encouraging news for our local economy. Long-time appliance company, Idler’s, is opening two new stores – Idler’s Sleep Source, featuring Tempur-Pedic and Serta in Paso, and the cabinet and kitchen Design Center in SLO … Cambria’s annual Art and Wine Festival isn’t happening until Jan. 29 – 31, but the Chamber of Commerce is gearing up now with a poster contest. Artists are invited to submit their entries by Aug. 17. Call the chamber for info, 927-3624 … The Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum will sponsor the Family Kite Festival July 26, showcasing the community’s food, museums and family-friendly businesses. Sponsorships and booths available; call Carrie Rosing, 928-8414 … Nonprofits can find the tools they need in this challenging economy at a nonprofit board development seminar July 15, in Santa Maria. Find out more from sponsors Your People Professionals and Byars Thompson Buchanan Insurance … Noah Wilson, a 2005 film department grad from Cal State Monterey Bay, has joined the creative team at KSBY. Along with shooting and editing skills, he does animation and character voice acting.
Categories — Business Expansions, Business Successes, Business Workshops, New Locations
BRAGGING RIGHTS
June 25th, 2009
Andre, Morris & Buttery partner Jim Buttery has joined the American Board of Trial Advocates, the influential national association of attorneys committed to preserving our system of “Justice By the People” found in civil jury trials. A long-time litigator with AMB, Jim was key in opening the firm’s Santa Maria office … A Highway 1 project in Harmony has earned kudos for North Coast Engineering. The highway’s new left-turn lane earned outstanding Private Sector Civil Engineering Project honors for 2009 from the SLO branch of the American Society of Civil Engineers … A pair of Sierra Vista nurses received national honors for their work. ICU charge nurse Priscilla Enderlin was recognized by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses for 30 years of continuous certification – one of only 108 to receive the honor this year. Claire Grantham was listed in “Who’s Who in Infection Prevention” for “single-handedly creating the infection prevention program at Sierra Vista.” Only 10 other infectious disease nurses were so-honored.
Categories — Awards, Business Successes
BCA BLURB
June 25th, 2009
BCA gives a warm welcome to SCORE, whose volunteer counselors for small business have moved into our offices on Tank Farm Road. We’re proud to share our space with a team of 35 retired executives who skillfully mentor as many as 1,000 clients a year, advising them on their current businesses or businesses they hope to create. At left are counselor Jim Murphy and SLO County SCORE Chapter Chair Dave Bresnan. We think we’re the ones who have really scored with great new colleagues.
Categories — Business Successes
GOOD WORKS
June 25th, 2009
Heritage Oaks Bank will sponsor Fun Run 11 Sept. 27, in Paso Robles, with eight walking and running events for all ages. Races benefit the Paso Robles Public Library, Boys and Girls Club of North County, CASA and Area Agency on Aging … ITECH Solutions donated more than 85 hours to create a new Web site and continues to provide IT services for the Food Bank Coalition of SLO County. The major upgrades helped the nonprofit handle a 50-percent increase in online donations during this year’s Hunger Awareness Day … Rewarding blood drive. Jiffy Lube and Toyota and Scion of Santa Maria have teamed up with United Blood Services for the Drive to Save Lives Giveaway. Give blood in SLO or Santa Maria and you might win a new Toyota Prius … More than 7,700 prescriptions have been filled with free cards from FamilyWise and United Way SLO. They cover anyone without health insurance or prescription coverage and more, saving the county almost $200,000 … A donation from Dennis Moresco and Midland Pacific Homes has produced a new snack bar at Alvord Field, home of Atascadero Babe Ruth teams … Cannon contributed 3D laser scanning services toward restoration efforts at the Dana Adobe in Nipomo, creating a virtual walk-through recording of history that otherwise may be lost.
Categories — Celebrations, Charity
OUR READERS RESPOND
June 25th, 2009
E-mail comments from Doug Hoffman of San Luis Paper Co.
Subject: Our Take on Advertising, “You’re Boring. Someone Had to Say It,” BCAFYI 6/18/09.
Categories — Marketing Tips
SEEN AND HEARD
June 18th, 2009
Remember Chocolate Soup? If so, you’ll probably recognize the folks in the old pencil portraits by Richard Yaco now showing at the SLO County Historical Museum. Portrait at left is of Brian Lawler back in the day … All three Rotary Clubs in SLO have handed their gavels to women. The new club presidents, Charlene Rosales, Donna Lewis and Julie Aguilar, are headed to Birmingham, England this week for a Rotary International convention … Bob Dumouchel is retiring from the Softec Board of Directors after 13 years, leaving a legacy for establishing the local CEO Roundtable and encouraging students to stay local for careers in technology. Thanks for your service and best wishes, Bob … Speaking of Softec, the organization’s June 24 meeting will focus on social Web for business organizations. You know, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Tweet! … More techie news. El Dorado Broadcasters (KSTT, KVEC, KSLY, etc.) has joined Hip Cricket to launch a mobile marketing program linking businesses with cell phone users for special promotions they hear about on the radio. A perfect matchup of traditional marketing with new media … One dog day of summer. That would be June 26, the 10th annual Take Your Dog To Work Day, celebrating dogs as wonderful companions and encouraging adoptions from shelters. Notable dog-friendly companies include PetSmart, Google, Sur La Table and Amazon.com.
