November 19th, 2009
Christine Maguire and wooly friends.
Sunset Magazine went looking for the West’s “best farm stay for lovers of wine and cheese” and anointed SLO County’s own Rinconada Dairy top dog. The honors are well earned by owners Jim and Christine Maguire, whose farm is described in inviting detail: “…Try your hand at milking a goat, then taste one of the dairy’s three award-winning cheeses. Whatever you do, get up in time to have breakfast: Everything, from eggs to bacon to plum jam, comes off the Maguires’ 92 acres.” No wonder ag tourism has such appeal … And aw shucks, speaking of home grown delights, try the oysters of Morro Bay Oyster Company … Black Friday, the day-after-Thanksgiving shopping phenomenon, is more than a one-day sales sensation to Cal Poly fifth-year student Mike Brim. In 2005, Brim capitalized on Black Friday interest and created a Web site, www.BFAds.net that captures offers and opportunities from retailers nationwide. Brim’s wildly successful venture has been covered in a New York Times front page story and on NBC’s Today Show. The site has millions of visitors each year. Add to the traffic by clicking here … San Luis Art Supply is making a colorful splash on Morro Street in SLO (Between Higuera and March). Owner Neal Breton’s store is open seven days a week, and, in the spirit of creativity, notes that hours are “10ish to 6ish.”
November 19th, 2009
A jewel of an idea: PAN Jewelers is placing gifts around downtown Paso every Friday through Christmas. Keep an eye out for small blue and gold boxes that announce “finders keepers” and hold gifts of up to $100 in value, provided by PAN to help make the season bright … Don’t end the year without taking time to think ahead. Mission Community Services Corporation’s Dec. 4 brown bag session features Lynn Krammich discussing “Emergency Preparedness for Small Business.” Sessions are free … Born at Sierra Vista anytime in the last fifty years? Party on with some of the many who called SV their first home. Sierra Vista’s 50th Anniversary party is Sunday, Dec. 6 from 1 to 3 p.m. in the hospital’s auditorium … Pacific Air Taxi is a SLO company offering flight service to 30 West Coast cities including big daddies like Sacramento, SF, LA and San Diego, and, hallelujah, direct service to Chico, Temecula, Fresno and others.
November 19th, 2009
Kris Kington, new executive director of Hospice of SLO County.
Kris Kington is taking her extensive healthcare and community service background and tying them together in a fabulous new assignment. She has just been named executive director of Hospice of SLO County, replacing longtime exec Donna Keane, who is retiring after 13 dedicated years. Kris has had a big year: she is a small business owner (Central Coast Wigs & More in Templeton) and a newlywed whose husband, Bill Barker, is a familiar member of the local construction industry. Congratulations all around … Local company with extensive roots: kudos to SLO-based Parable Group, whose nationwide network of 300 member stores creates a big brand presence. A 24-billboard campaign is set to decorate the countryside and promote holiday sales … Collaboration, LLC and the EVC ’s recent program to assist small businesses in Grover Beach was by all accounts a huge success. Forty business owners clamored for seats at the innovative program funded by City-obtained stimulus dollars. A group of eager students is on a waiting list for the next round and similar efforts are anticipated in other SLO County cities … Local consultant Jim Seybert has completed training in the Marcus Buckingham SimplyStrengths™ Immersion Workshop. The training focuses on principles developed in Buckingham’s popular “Now, Discover Your Strengths” book on business management. Seybert specializes in strategy retreats and executive coaching … BCA’s Teri Conklin recently taught a group of talented regional volunteers top fundraising tips for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. In 2009, Relay for Life raised $29.3 million in California, and $6.7 million in the region that includes San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.
November 19th, 2009
Jennie Saxon, BCA Account Manager and tourism expert.
Confession: I’m a tourism junkie – the topic actually puts a spring in my step. So nothing could keep me from the California Sustainable Tourism Summit where 25 industry experts and 200 attendees shared tips on converting sustainability into tourism dollars.
Apparently, the travel plans of over 45 percent of U.S. travelers are influenced by a destination’s authenticity and the measures in place to minimize a traveler’s impact on the local environment and culture. Sounds like something our region should be able to offer with its eyes closed, right? Surprisingly, a recent BCA audit of this region’s online promotions revealed very little green travel info available to would-be tourists.
Now, it can’t be that SLO businesses aren’t sustainable. So…promote yourselves! Tell those travelers how visiting SLO will not only save them money – but save the environment as well. And if you’d like a little help spreading the word…give us a call!
Editor’s Note: Jennie Saxon is BCA’s resident tourism expert and public relations account manager. She comes by her love of the biz honestly, working powerhouse posts at Mount Vernon, the National Academy of Science’s Koshland Museum, and the International Spy Museum in Washington DC, where she managed razzle dazzle PR for the opening of our nation’s hottest tourist stop.
November 5th, 2009
Strength in numbers: Kudos to the SLO County Visitors and Conference Bureau for winning the support of the City of Pismo Beach. Now with all cities within SLO County participating, the VCB will continue to promote our county as a fabulous destination with many attractions.
November 5th, 2009
When the 86,000 fans of U2 at the recent Rose Bowl concert screamed and stomped over the talents of keyboardist Terry Lawless, a couple of BCA fans in the crowd cheered even harder for the musician who also plays in local band Unfinished Business. Terry will fly from the U2 tour to play with Unfinished Business on Nov. 7 in Santa Maria for a fundraiser benefitting the Food Bank of Santa Barbara County … All roads lead to BlackHorse? Twenty-month 
old SLO cover star Viggo Brown graces the November cover of Parents magazine, beating out 40,000 entries in Parents’ Little Kid Cover Contest. Proud Mama Catheryne works at BlackHorse Coffee on Broad Street in SLO. And the gorgeous landscaping at the Edna Valley home of Jim and Jamie deYong is featured in this month’s Sunset Magazine (project designed by Ryan Fortini and photographed by Chris Leschinsky). Jim is a BCA creative whiz who spends a lot of time at…BlackHorse … Next fall’s first ever “Savor the Central Coast” food and wine event being produced by Sunset Magazine with the SLO County Visitors and Conference Bureau will have a great boost from the home team. VCB Executive John Summer has assembled a community advisory group led by Noreen Martin to help shape the celebration. Committee members include Lorraine Alban, J&L Wines, Inc.; Jim Brabeck, Farm Supply Company; Doug Filipponi, Ancient Peaks and Santa Margarita Ranch; Robert Gilson, Hotel Cheval; David Hance, Clayhouse Wines; SLO County Supervisors Adam Hill and Frank Mecham; John King, Boutique Hotel Collection, Inc.; Leah Kolt, Cal Poly; Mike Manchak, Economic Vitality Corporation; John H. Niven, Niven Family Wine Estates; John A. Ronca, Jr. Attorney At Law; Pierre Rademaker, Pierre Rademaker Design; Brian Talley, Talley Vineyards and Kristen Yetter, Promega Biosciences … Longtime Exec Director of Hospice of SLO County, Donna Keane, is retiring at the end of the year. A search is on to fill Donna’s very big shoes and duplicate her very caring heart.
November 5th, 2009
Forgive us, but we’ve gotta call it the “scoop”: Beloved Doc Burnstein’s Ice Cream in the Village of Arroyo Grande is adding a second location, this one in the Santa Maria Town Center. The completely redesigned center is expected to open after the first of the year and will also include mainstays Johnson’s for Children and Tom’s Toys … Speaking of Santa Maria, when the Parade of Lights rolls through Santa Maria on Dec. 1, it will mark the 15th year of the Santa Maria and Nipomo Rotary Clubs’ extravaganza. Applications are accepted until Nov. 20, but space is limited to 105 entries. Don’t be left on the waiting list … Fowl weather friends: our pals at the Food Bank are hosting a Turkey Drive that tops off on Friday the 13th. Swing by Sierra Vista and Twin Cities hospitals and St. Pat’s School in AG and drop off foods and funds to help neighbors in need. KCOY, KSTT and Cat Country will be lending a hand. And a turkeymobile will be buzzing by doctors’ offices to beef things up. Amy, call Grandma and get her on the job … Please don’t jump on the beds, but do buy something at A&R Furniture’s Customer Appreciation party the weekend of Nov. 14 and feel like a kid. A portion of sales benefits the Children’s Museums of SLO and Paso Robles …Welcome to Mary Jacob, new executive director of the Santa Maria Valley Humane Society. Jacob is a longtime animal lover whose past positions include one with the Humane Society of the U.S., where she built the nation’s first statewide animal cruelty response system … We’ll avoid the not-so-funny cracks about homebuilders already bleeding, and instead ask you to support the Home Builders Association of the Central Coast in a three-day blood drive, Nov. 17-19. In SLO, Nov. 17 at Cannon, 1050 Southwood; in Santa Maria Nov. 18 at Celebration, Miller Street and Inger Drive, and in Paso Robles Nov. 19 at River Oaks, 2727 Buena Vista Drive. Additional info, please contact Liz Moody at 704-7912.
