North County Life - January 2012

FFEEAATTUURREE

SSPPOORRTTSS

Outdoor funget out there!

(pg. 6)

Soccer victoryyouth make history

(pg. 15)

Sip lightwith the perfect grub

(pg. 2, 13)

FFOOOODD

LifeNORTH COUNTY

JANUARY 2012Presorted Standard

US PostagePAID

Permit 163 AMSPaso Robles, CA

Paso Robles Press

P.O. Box 427

Paso Robles, CA 93447

Toast to 2012Wine, cupcakes & community events

(pg. 8 )

RodeoDistrict 7 rodeo, cutting

events and equine events galore

(pg. 10 )

North County Life

It’s an inspiring all-American story, and NievesCatahan Villamin, a former Cal Poly Campus Din-ing employee and advisor of the Filipino Cultural

Exchange club, has written it all down. The Creston local recently published her book,

“Bittermelons and Mimosas, a Philippine memoir.” It’san inspiring account of her life and her journey toAmerica, the land of opportunity.

Villamin was inspired to write the book after inter-acting with students on-campus and seeing the need fora book that tells the story of how one woman soughtthe American dream.

A resident of Creston, Villamin and her husband,Danny, are currently the owners and operators of thesmall-lot vineyard Eden Canyon.Throughout the book, readers are invited to get aglimpse of the inner workings of a native Filipinofamily, its struggles, though bitter, and joys, of thesweet kind.

The feeling was exactly that – bitter and sweet –said Villamin, when she looks back on her past.

"I was thinking about my childhood; we were poor,which was kind of bitter, but because I was around myfamily all of the time it was bittersweet," Villamin said.Top it all off with a mimosa, and the book title sprangforth.

Villamin labored as a farmer and toiled under theharsh conditions that surrounded farming life in thePhilippines, a place where tenant farmers were much atthe whim of nature.

But she strived for something different, an educa-tion that would set the path for her future. Villaminstrived to get a degree in accounting at the Technolog-ical Institute of the Philippines. She later immigrated tothe United States to become a farmer again with herhusband where she helps manage a local winery. Therich tapestry of works speaking to the Filipinno cultureis as much a story about culture and the AmericanDream as it is an uncensored view at what life was likefor early Philipinno immigrants.

Creston author pens bittersweet memoir

Courtesy photos

Creston residentNieves Villamin was

inspired to write her firstbook, “Bittermelons and

Mimoasas” after interacting withCal Poly students and feeling aneed to tell the story of how she

sought and fought for the American dream.

The silver lining: Bits of Silver shimmer & shine

Jandy Jones

At 70-years-old, Gordon Hayes has lived a fulllife and it is getting better with time. He and hiswife Colleen own and operate Bits of Silver.

The company specializes in custom bits, spurs,stirrups and much more. The pieces are completelycrafted by hand and engraved by Hayes. Pieces havebeen sent all over the world to all types of people andHayes is humbled by it.

Traditional bits, spurs, stirrupswith a silver and gold twist

Photo by Jandy Jones

SPARKLY SPURS – Spurs crafted by local businessBits of Silver. From the exquisit body to the ster-ling silver detailing, these spurs mix personal-ity, functionality and a shot of cowgirl glam.

SILVER pg. 13

January, 2012 North County Lifepage 2

LifeNORTH COUNTY

NEWSCOMMUNITYSPORTS

PUBLISHERJason [email protected]

EDITOR IN CHIEFHayley [email protected]

STAFF WRITERSJandy JonesCreig P. SherburneNena BensonJanis SwitzerLisa PrettyMeagan FribergJosh Petray

Visit us on www.facebook.com/northcountylife

Follow us on www.twitter.com/northcountylife

NORTH COUNTY LLiiffeePublished monthly by Paso Robles Press & Atascadero News

www.YourNCL.com

Paso Robles PressP.O. Box 427Paso Robles, CA 93447Ph: (805) 237-6060Fx: (805) 237-6066www.PasoRoblesPress.com

Atascadero News5660 El Camino RealAtascadero, CA 93447Ph: (805) 466-2585Fx: (805) 466-2714www.AtascaderoNews.com

LifeNORTH COUNTY

NEWS: 3

LOCAL BUZZ: 8

CALENDAR: 10

GOOD EATS: 12

COMMUNITY: 5

SPORTS: 15

PUZZLE: 11

Take some happy New Year’s Advice from our resident foodie, Lisa Pretty

Hayley Thomas,Editor, North County Life

Lisa Pretty

For most of us, the New Year startsoff with huge expectations of

living a healthier lifestyle, mak-ing more money and spending more

time doing what we enjoy.

The number one resolution that most peo-ple make is to get in better shape. Since eachyear the same resolution is made, clearly a bet-ter plan is required.

Looking back at past years and seeing howmy friends and I have failed, I’ve come to theconclusion that we try to make too many andmajor changes. Let’s face it, if you are intofood and wine, going on a hard core diet andgiving up wine isn’t going to last long. If youdon’t like going to the gym, saying you will dothat 5 days a week is unrealistic. After muchresearch, I have come up with what I think isa very doable plan that I have decided to sharein an effort to help other fans of wine and fooddrop a few pounds.

First of all, giving up wine completely isunrealistic and unnecessary. A glass of winehas between 80-120 calories (a glass of skimmilk has 100). Red wine, when consumed inmoderation, has health benefits, so one to twoglasses a day can be part of a healthy lifestyle.My plan is to earn wine calories by cutting theequivalent number of calories in food con-sumed (cut the junk food not the healthy stuff)or to work off the calories. If you have a hardtime limiting yourself to 1-2 glasses be sure toonly have wine with a meal, use a smaller wineglass and after each glass of wine, drink a glassof water. Select wines lighter in body that willmatch with the healthier foods you are nowconsuming.

The word diet scares most people. Visionsof rabbit food or flavorless plates of food withcardboard texture come to mind. To have a sus-tainable diet, it needs to be enjoyable. By sim-ply reducing bad fats, sugar and starches mostof us will see immediate benefits. That doesn’tmean giving up flavor or texture -- fresh fruits,

vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins canall be enhanced with herbs and spices. Try outsome new recipes to liven things up. Make lit-tle cuts each day and set realistic goals of just1-2 pounds per week. To help with the math, tolose a pound in a week you need to either cutback 3500 calories or burn off an extra 3500calories (or some combination of the two).Free tools like MyPlate on livestrong.com canhelp you with the calculations and tracking.

Assuming your goal is to get in bettershape and lose weight, the number one way todo that is to workout. The benefits are not onlydropping pounds and firming up, but also it isa great way to reduce stress. Pick a form ofworking out that you enjoy. If you are new toworking out, a personal trainer will help cus-tomize a routine to fit your lifestyle. The goodnews, according to a recent Gallup Poll report,is that San Luis Obispo is the 5th fittest countyin the nation. There are so many hiking trails,gyms and cycling groups that adding a new

A Healthier 2012 – With Wine!A WORD FROM THE EDITOR

I felt it would be fitting to begin

the year’s first North County

Life with an article written by

our favorite local food writer

and author of the new book

‘Eat this with...Paso Wine,’ Lisa

Pretty. Around here we all want

to be healthy and happy, but

we’d never give up our fabulous

food or legendary wine. Cheers

to all our readers for

a flavorful 2012.

Lisa PrettyMike Giese of JUSTIN winery is the reigning“hardbody” in an annual fitness competitionthe winery puts on each year.

See FOOD & WINE Pg. 12

North County Life January, 2012 page 3

North County Liferecently had thechance to catch

up with ChristinaWilkinson, agriculturalspecialist for SanMiguel Schools, on theLillian Larsen farm-to-school program. Theprogram recently re-ceived a raised bed gar-den from the Savor theCentral Coast event puton by Sunset Magazine.

NC Life: How have SanMiguel students reactedto the new garden proj-ect since it came on-line?

Wilkinson: When the

garden was delivered toLillian Larsen Schoolmost all the classroomsin the school came outto observe the transfor-mation. Students wereamazed and excited atthe beautiful transfor-mation of a dirt field tocolorful planter boxes.I have had students

come out to the gardento see up close all thebeautiful plants. What isthe most fun to watch iswhen I tell studentseverything in the planterboxes are edible. Sincestudents are used totaste testing as a group,I’ve had everyone pickparts of plants and taste

them together. I love stu-dent facial expressions.I think students are mostsurprised to find thatvegetables, herbs andsome flowers are actu-ally good to eat. Now,every time students

come out to the gardenthey can’t keep fromgrabbing a piece of aplant and tasting it.

NNCC LLiiffee:: What kinds ofeducational benefits doyou think students re-

ceive from having thistype of experience?

Wilkinson: The fact thatstudents can be a part ofraising and harvestingtheir own food is a lifelong experience. My

after school garden totable class is so ex-tremely excited to har-vest a vegetable from thegarden and go back tothe kitchen and prepare

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Growing up in San Miguelfarm-to-school program blooms this winter

Courtesy photos

GREEN DREAMS – Volunteers and students reap the rewards of the new Lillian Larson garden project.

See GARDEN, Pg. 8


Hayley Thomas

Gnarled, bumpy,stripped, warpedand world-worn,

Michael Dunham lovesit all – when it comes towood, that is.

For the past fouryears, the local builderand owner of MichaelDunham Constructionhas been scouringbarns and old sheds forhis own building proj-ects. The wood, some-times a century old ormore, is retooled, re-cut and reworked intofurniture for his bur-geoning business, Re-born CustomWoodworks.

Dunham’s been qui-etly constructing cabi-nets, wine racks, tablesand an array of one-of-a-kind furniture com-prised of 100 percentantique wood, much ofit sourced locally.

Now the 22-yearPaso resident is step-ping out of the shadowsand aiming to show-case the functional art.His rustic, handmadefurniture has been dis-played at the Mid-StateFair and its now forsale at Reminisce inPaso Robles and SanLuis Obispo Consign-ments.

Now, he hopes tocreate custom furniturefor those who want to

bring a bit of historyinto their living rooms.In 2012, Dunham willbe visible at a slew ofPaso Robles Down-town Main Streetevents, so keep youreyes open.

Dunham said it allstarted with a beautifulold barn he saw in KingCity a few years ago.

“It blew down, so Iwent up there, talkedthe owner, gave him afew dollars and he saidI could have all thewood,” said Dunham,who got to work creat-ing furniture rightaway. “It started as ahobby, but then as workgot slow, I thoughtmaybe I could make alittle business out ofthis.”

Dunham has createdan array of new piecesas of late, and the coun-try-chic items areawaiting a good home.

He said it’s a laborof love.

“It’s about makingsomething new out ofsomething old, it’sabout recycling,” hesaid. “Otherwise, thewood would get burnedor go to the landfill.I’m looking for woodall over the place.”

Whether it’s a bit ofblack oak picked up ata garage sale, the red-wood siding of a barn

or the nearly-intacttrunk and branches ofan almond tree, Dun-ham’s got a use for it.

“It’s anything Ithink I can make some-thing out of that I feelwill be appealing,” hesaid.

All you have to dois look around Dun-ham’s home.

The woodworker’shouse is filled with thefruit of his own labor.The TV sits a top a cab-inet showcasing deepash tones and bur-nished browns, un-painted and unedited.Running your fingersover the piece, it feelsmore complex thanyour average Ikea liv-ing room set.

Dunham broughtout an old frame withdeep grooves and awarped yet sophisti-cated look to it.

Said Dunham, “Thewood just has so muchcharacter."

In 2012, Dunhamwill be visible at a slewof Paso Robles Down-town Main Streetevents, so keep youreyes open.

Email MichaelDunham at [email protected] for more information.

Michael Dunham’s fresh twist onrustic, country-chic furniture

Courtesy photosMichael Dunham of

Reborn Custom Wood-works poses for a photo out-side of his garage and home

woodworking shop in Paso Rob-les. Below, handcrafted pieces

created by Dunham are examples of rustic, recycled beauty.

BUSINESS FEATURE

Wood, reborn


Hayley Thomas

G raphic designer Megan Condict understands thatwe live in a throw-away

culture – and product packag-ing is the first to be tossed in thetrash.

But that's never stopped the creativethinker from striving to create long-lastingmodern design on the most disposable ofcanvases.

The products consumers hold in theirhands everyday – all adorned with labels,logos, images and artwork – are Condict'spassion.

In other words, Condict understands thepower of packaging - and that’s good newsfor her clients.

"I'm often amazed by the packaging Isee – especially alcohol – and how the de-sign can betray the quality of the product,"Condict said. "I just saw a bottle of winethat was going for $28, but the label lookedlike $10, and then, right below it, a bottlefor $9 with a label that looked like $28. It'sincredible what packaging design can do –and not do – for the product."

Condict, 32, is a well-rounded artist. She's composed punchy, eye-catching

logos, fashioned flashy brochures and evenhad her hands in the marketing of an "in-destructible" cell phone all the rage inSweden. She's created design-work for thefashion, health, beauty, media, wine andtechnology industries spanning the globe.

Condict snagged a job at a San Fran-cisco creative agency immediately out ofcollege and went straight to work.

"It was like design boot camp, and I gotto be a part of so many big, big things," shesaid. "Through that experience I learnedwho I was in design, and found my voiceand point of view."

She's got fine art chops and a crafts-men's attention to detail but prides herselfin taking a fresh, modern approach to de-sign.

"I use color and layout to give [designs]an updated and refreshed look," said theartist. "However, that's only if I think itneeds to look modern. There are clientsand projects that require an older feel.”

Condict noted her Japanese fly-fishingclient, one of her favorites.

“I don't use flashy graphics or effectsbecause it wouldn't properly reflect or re-spect the age-old sport. I use nature andsimplicity to convey the old and the new,"she said. “I approach projects with a mini-malist philosophy.”

Condict is no one-trick pony. Sheknows how to deliver what her clientswant.

"Not every project is well representedby fine art or hand-crafted design," shesaid. "For instance, technology industriesneed a forward-thinking design. My goalis to bring the respect for artistic design tothe right projects and leave the modern,digital design for the rest."

Condict is a graduate of Paso RoblesHigh School and Brooks Institute.

Before she found her calling, sheworked as a message therapist and anEMT. She recently returned to Paso Robleswith her husband of two years, Morgan, afellow Paso native.

She said the move has revived her workand invigorated her spirit.

"I feel like I am having a second awak-ening in design right now,” she said. “ SanFrancisco is all about keeping up with thetrends, and, not in a negative way, but yourdesign has to look a certain way. Comingback here, I feel that people really appreci-ate art and craftsmanshipmore than trend in a reallypositive way. That is in-spiring to me.”

Condict said she’s en-joying working with herhands more, and not justwith her mouse and key-board.

"Coming off the heelsof San Francisco, in theworld I was working in,everything is digital. It'ssort of like a big factory.But here, I am really in-spired to work with myhands and I put so muchtime – before I get to thecomputer – just hand-drawing. I come upwith the best results [that way] and I amdeveloping my hands skills more than mycomputer skills."

Condict noted that with Photoshop,there are endless ways to cheat a "hand-made" look. She knows the shortcuts butdoesn't abuse them.

"Even though it often takes a littlelonger to create something in the realworld with your hands, it often creates amore substantial design. That's what Iwant. I want the end design to reflect thetime and care that went into it," she said. "I want my client's customers to feel likethey are getting something for their money,that the company cares about the quality oftheir products. Not every project requiresthis kind of work. I do spend more time de-signing away from the computer than onthe computer. No matter what the industry,this is the best way to achieve an inspireddesign."

Condict said she's excited to apply thismentality to future clients and local busi-nesses, including wineries.

"The wine industry is not about steril-ity – it's about that craftsmanship idea,about making something," she said. "Ithink those ideas go hand-in-hand."

As for ending up back in small townPaso Robles, the artist said it’s exactlywhere she wants to be.

"[My husband and I] had the best timein San Francisco and the culture and enter-tainment and all that stuff was very inspir-ing to us as artists, but we got to a pointwhere we just needed some room, somequiet and honestly, people are a lot nicerhere," said Condict with a chuckle. "Wher-ever you are [living] when you’re at thatcoming of age point - that's is alwayswhere you feel your home is, and I feel thatway about Paso Robles."Check out a sample of Condict's port-

folio at www.megancondict.com.

Condict's canvas – in your hands�� Graphic designer Megan Condict talks about her craft, her passion

and returning to Paso Robles revived and ready to work

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Hayley Thomas

ARTISTIC SENSE – Graphic designer and Paso local Megan Condict.


Josh Petray

It has always been oneof those stinging cu-riosities heading over

the Cuesta Grade.That group of cars

brave enough to pull offthe side of the highway(on the east side), parkand take off onto the fireroad that is East CuestaRoad. What could they be

doing?Many occasions

have passed when theparking lot is seeminglyfull. Mountain bikesemerge from hatch-backs, couples don fullSierra mountain gearseemingly headed up toMt. Kilimanjjaro, kidstoddle with mom anddad, blaze orange vestsdisappear into the thick-ets in search of nearbygame – all are familiarsights traveling alongHighway 101 over thegrade, glancing at thatdarned parking lot.It wasn't long before

a stop off was in order.Sunday afternoon wasthe day. An errand downthe grade, and then laterback up, into San LuisObispo turned into atwo-and-a-half-hourhike.A short, steep walk

ends at a cattle guard,the sounds of traffic stillwhizzing by (yes, this isa weird experiencesince I'm not exactlyused to hiking right offthe freeway, and in anew place for that mat-ter). After ducking tothe right around a cattleguard and checking outthe topographical mapposted on a beam at thetrail, the wide road zig-zags immediately up themountain before veer-ing south and east.Coastal oak habitat isinterspersed with sec-tions of dry chaparral.The dirt-and-gravel roadthat leads to the top isfun to look down on theside, the steepness ofthe jutting mountains

becoming ever more ap-parent. On the way up, sev-

eral parties passed by,groups of four or five,families on hikes withthe kids, packs of moun-tain bikers, all of whichwere courteous andwaved as they passedon. Roughly an-hour-and-a-half hike leads toa summit and....the trailbeyond leading all theway to the LopezCanyon.My Sunday after-

noon hike stopped therewhen the photographsfor this article began. Itwas a magical sunsetthat day, one I won't for-get. Upon returning tothe newsroom that day,I was quickly remindedby a journalist of the im-portance of just gettingout there and exercising,soaking in the beauty,when the time calls.A short hike and re-

prieve from the highwaydriving proved to be amini-adventure of its

own, one worth explor-ing. It's only a pull-offaway, and the viewsfrom the top during the

sunset hours are capti-vating, as are the viewsof the mountains andocean to the west, all of

which are visible fromthe top. One of themany eye-opening van-tages of SLO County.

SeizingSeizing the outdoors todayone Atascadero local’s journey up the grade and off the beaten path

Josh Petray

Leaves, trees,fresh air and a senseof calm await local

hikers.

Josh PetrayCuesta Grade rails are only a pull-off away, and the views from the top during the sunset hoursare captivating, as are the views of the mountains and ocean to the west, all of which are vis-ible from the top.

Courtesy image


Shandon graduates first anti-gang class in SLO County

San Luis ObispoCounty Sheriff IanParkinson joined

Shandon Unified SchoolDistrict SuperintendentRod Wallace, Shandon El-ementary Principal JudyBedell and the students andparents of Mr. Martin's 7-8th grade class, along withMrs. Seidel's 6-7th gradeclass for the graduationceremony of the first GangResistance Education AndTraining (G.R.E.A.T.) pro-gram in San Luis ObispoCounty.

County law enforce-ment and school officialsdeveloped G.R.E.A.T. tocounter the early recruit-ment of gang members.Specificially, it deals withstudents addressing angerissues, building relation-ships with appropriatementors, along with criticallife skills.

Sixty-three studentstook the 12-week coursetaught by Sheriff's SchoolResource Officer, DeputyMark Fontecchio. This isthe first program gradua-tion, a second is currently

being taught at LillianLarsen Elementary in SanMiguel, sheriff's officialssaid in a press release. Bedell said that theG.R.E.A.T. program hasbeen a wonderful additionto Shandon's health cur-riculum.

"Not only did OfficerFontecchio teach the stu-dents some lifelong deci-sion-making and refusalskills, but the studentslearned to see law enforce-ment as a support in ourcommunity," Bedell said."It opened up communica-tion."

Students re-enforcedthe effectiveness of theprogram in helping detergangs.

"I really enjoyed theprogram and learned a lotof new skills," seventh-grader Sierra Hoyt said,"Officer Fontecchio taughtus that law enforcement ishere to help us. He madethe class fun."

Sixth grader DayneGregor commented, "I re-ally didn't know that muchabout gangs before taking

this class. Now I know howto resist, how to stay out oftrouble and what to dowhen a bully tries to bullysomeone."

Seventh grader Saman-tha Romero appreciatedthe anger management tips.

"When someone makesyou mad, he taught us justto breathe and not justreact," Romero said. Thatis a good thing to practiceand it works."

– “Now that’s great!” –

Courtesy photos

GREAT GRADS – Above, San Luis ObispoCounty Sheriff Ian Parkinson (left) and SchoolResource Officer Mark Fontecchio congratulatethe G.R.E.A.T. Essay Contest winners at Shan-don Middle School. Karissa Jensen, grade 8,(left) and Daisy Cisneros, grade 6, were theoverall winners of the writing contest wherethey told what they had learned and how theywould use the information in the future. Bothgirls received Park Cinemas movie passes do-nated by the San Luis Obispo County FridayNight Live program.


By Nena Benson

FEATURED WINERYHIDDEN OAK WINERY

Hidden Oak Winery isowned and operatedby the James family.

Mike James is the grapegrower and winemaker. He hasone goal. That is to producethe finest bottle of wine for hiscustomers.

A great wine starts with thebest grapes possible and this iswhere Mike has the advantage.His vineyard is located in theEl Pomar area of Templeton,which boasts the finest soil forgrowing grapes. With his care-ful management of the vine-yard and the optimumharvesting time, the grapesreach perfection.

The wines produced atHidden Oak Winery are onlybottled after all the fruit fla-vors, tannins and character arein balance and have reachedtheir peak of maturity, conse-quently the making of a greatbottle of wine is assured.When you taste Hidden Oakwines, we hope you will agreethat Mike has reached his goal.

My Pick: Zinfandel 2009:The grapes selected for thisvintage are from head prunedDusi clone grown in our localarea. The aromas hint of wildraspberry and soft peppers.This is a beautifully texturedZinfandel ready to drink nowor layed down for a couple ofyears as it will only get betterin the bottle.

Hidden Oak Winery is lo-cated at 4671 S. El Pomar Rd.in Templeton. Call 237-9315for more information. Tastingroom hours are 11 a.m. to 5p.m. Friday through Sunday.

SIP NOW

JAN. 7TH - VINO+THERAPY -11-5PMVINO+THERAPY STUDIO

Champagne, Cupcakes & Cosmet-ics! That's right ladies, an event in

honor of you. A TRUE ladies play-ground for a full day. Enjoy a de-signer trunk show and jewelry,Wine-Spa Specials, AlmondChampagne, Two Little BirdsCupcakes, La Bella DonnaMakeup & more. RSVP only. $10Gets you in the door, lets you sipChampagne and nibble on cup-cakes, as well as receive the hugediscounts for the day. For moreinfo, call 466-8466. VINO+THERAPY Studio, 5990Entrada, Atascadero

JAN. 12 - ROBERT’S - 6:20PMVERIS CELLARS - HOME OFJAN KRIS & BEN HOGANWINESRobert's Executive Chef, RyanSwarthout, will be preparing a de-lectable four-course meal that willbe paired with four excellent VerisCellars wines. Call now to makereservations: 226-5556.

JAN. 13 - VILLICANA - WINERYFAR OUT WINERIES

PASSPORT WEEKENDThe 17 Far Out Wineries of Paso

Robles are raising funds for theWellness Community to providehope, education, and support forcancer patients and their families.Each winery is offering passportholders something special. visitwww.faroutwineries.com/event for more info.

BEAUTY TIPS

On gray winter days, reach-ing for a chocolate bar ora glass of wine may seem

like a quick fix for the blues. Butwe at VINO+THERAPY Studio,suggests a healthier antidote forthe bone-chilling cold: a decadentChardonnay massage. The sooth-ing aromatherapy, combined witha head-to-toe deep tissue massage,pampers dry skin as well as reju-venates and refreshes the body.

Winter can make you feel slug-gish and tired, and a massage canbe a real pick-me-up. Massage is apampering treat as well as a thera-peutic one. Benefits range fromsimple stress reduction to im-proved circulation, pain relief, and

enhanced sleep quality. A massage can boost your im-

mune system as well, which is areal boon now during cold and fluseason. Massage, one of the oldesthealing arts, comprises more than250 different types of massage andbodywork that use variations ofstroking, kneading, tapping, com-pression, friction, and other pres-sure applied to the muscles andtissues. The hands-on treatment isoften combined with the use of lo-tions, oils, or powders, or even in-novative techniques like hotstones. But in the end, never un-derestimate the power of a goodmassage.

VINO+THERAPY Studio Mas-sage Specials (All treatments in-clude a glass of wine, a tea, portinfused truffles and a warm winefoot soak) – 30 Min Massage $45/ 60 Min Massage $60 / 90 MinMassage $100

VINO+THERAPY Studio isPartnering up with Slo SportsTherapy and offering $10 off any

massage of wine facial to any SloSports Therapy Clients.At San Luis Sports Therapy,

they believe that they not only needto provide Movement for Life toour communities, but also betterthe communities in which theyserve. They are actively involved inour communities through sponsor-ships and participation in a vari-ety of events and activities. Formore information about any of ourcommunity involvement program,please contact Sarah Plaxcoat 788-0805, ext. 257 or [email protected].* A Special Offer From Slo

Sports Therapy:Bring this article in and receive

a FREE Movement For Life QuickFit Assessment.

Let the professionals evaluate,diagnose, and manage a physicaltherapy treatment plan that is bestfor you during this New Year. Bein the best shape that you can bein.

-Happy holidays!

it. Imagine, studentsbeing excited over har-vesting, preparing andeating swiss chard, eggplant, or beet greens.They’re finding out thereis so much flavor in foodwithout adding dressing,salt, sugar, etc. They’realso learning nutritionand what nutrients do forthe body.My junior high stu-

dents are learning nutri-

tion and uses of the gar-den plants. They are har-vesting vegetables andherbs, preparing them forthe cafeteria salad barand for selling. Thesestudents just finishedmaking frost covers outof PVC pipe and will begerminating seeds in asmall polyurethanegreenhouse to transfer tothe garden beds.

NC Life: We hear a lotabout the importance ofeating fresh. Do youthink this experience has

brought awareness ofhealthy eating?

Wilkinson: Yes, there is adefinite awareness of eat-ing healthier. However,convenience is still domi-nant and eating fresh isat times more expensive.When we have schoolwide taste testing in thecafeteria, students willtell me how much theyliked the food that wastasted. Some will tell methey had their parentsbuy the product after-ward. Often times the

recipes we prepare formy after school garden totable class, will be takenhome and prepared athome. That’s exciting. Istill look forward to fig-uring out how more par-ents can buy into the ideaof healthy eating. Stu-dents don’t buy the gro-ceries adults do and theyneed to know that eatinghealthy and fresh isn’tthat much of a hassle toprepare.

NC Life: Any future plansfor the garden site?

Wilkinson: I, along withcommunity member Lav-erne Buckman, have cre-ated Friends of theGarden group that we aretrying to build upon. Thisgroup will be the futureoverseers of the garden.What I envision for thegarden is multi-use. Iwould like to see highschool students use it forFFA projects or commu-nity service projects. Ihope teachers will takeportions of the garden tobe used for classroom

curriculum. I am promot-ing community membersand families to take aninterest as a communitygarden. Also, I see someof the garden being usedfor therapy, either stu-dent or adult. Digging inthe dirt is definitely ther-apeutic for me and I amkeeping in touch withCamp Roberts in hopesthey may have return sol-diers needing to dig inthe dirt to assist themwith re-entry into civilianlife.

GARDENContinued from pg. 3

Brought to you by Vino Therapy Studio.The skin & body wine experience is located at 5990 El Camino Real

in Atascadero.

Wine, lips & beauty tips


Contributed

A pair of kingvultures are

now on displayat the CharlesPaddock Zoo inAtascadero.It’s the first time king

vultures have ever beenexhibited to San LuisObispo county visitors.Native to southern

Mexico south to Ar-gentina, king vultures are

one of the most colorfulbirds of prey with awingspan up to 5.5 feet.Like most vultures,they’re scavengers, usingpowerful hooked beaks totear into carcasses.The two birds at the

Charles Paddock Zoo area male-female pair andhave been set up with anesting box in what zooofficials said are hopesthat the two will have achick this spring. Theymoved into an exhibitacross from the flamingosafter a 30-day quarantine.The vultures are avail-

able for viewing now atthe zoo, open 10 a.m. to 4p.m. daily except Thanks-giving and Christmas. Ad-mission costs $5 for adults12 and up, $4 for children3 to 11 and $4.25 for sen-iors 65 and up.The zoo is located at

Atascadero Lake Parkabout a mile west of High-way 41 on Morro Road. Itis owned and operated bythe city of Atascadero andis accredited by the Asso-ciation of Zoos andAquariums.

Not your average buzzardsKing vultures on display at Charles Paddock Zoo

Photo courtesy of Charles Paddock Zoo

NEW IN TOWN – This king vulture is one of a pair now ondisplay at the Charles Paddock Zoo in Atascadero.Native tosouthern Mexico south to Argentina, king vultures are one ofthe most colorful birds of prey with a wingspan up to 5.5 feet.

Visit playtimediscoveries.com

7600 Morro Road, Atascadero(805) 462-0303

3 DAY WINTER CAMPSfor Kids 5-10 Years Old

LEGOMATIONDecember 27-29, 10-2pm, $95Includes DVD of their own

Lego Animation

SANTA IS COMING TOPLAYTIME DISCOVERIES!Saturday, December 1011-4pm; $5/family

Stop by for crafts, pictures withSanta and holiday treats.

Bring your camera!


MONDAY, JAN. 2

ALMOND COUNTRY QUILTERSPlease join the AlmondCountry Quilt Guild fortheir January Guild meetingon Monday, Jan. 2 at TrinityLutheran Church, 940 Cre-ston Rd. in Paso Rob-les. Social time begins at6:30 p.m. and generalmeeting begins at 7p.m. The program will fea-ture information aboutQuilting Circles, what theyinvolve and how to start orjoin a circle. For more infor-mation visit www.almond-countryquilters.org.

FRIDAY,JAN. 6

HUMANE SOCIETY BENEFITKelly’s Casuals will be hold-ing the second annual SaveOur Tails Fashion Show tobenefit the North CountyHumane Society on Friday,Jan. 6 from 1 to 3 p.m. atthe Best Western PlusColony Inn in Atascadero.Refreshments will be pro-vided. Tickets for the fash-ion show are only $10, andyour donation will providemedical care and food forthe animals at the NorthCounty Humane Society.Buy tickets beforehand ei-ther at the North CountyHumane Society Shelter,2300 Ramona Road or atKelly’s Casuals, 2210 ElCamino Real. For more in-formation please contactSherry at 466-5403 or Kellyat 461-1800 or visitwww.slonchs.org.

SATURDAY,JAN. 7

WINE & THE ARTSARTS Obispo and the SanLuis Obispo County ArtsCouncil presents the first oftheir First Saturdays: Wine& the Arts on Saturday, Jan.7 from 5 to 8 p.m. at fiveseparate studios in PasoRobles. Featured studiosare: Clayhouse, located at849 13th St., 238-7055;EarthTones Gifts & Gallery,1319 Park St., 238-4413;Pianetta, 829 13th St.,,226-4005; Studios on the

Park, 1130 Pine St., 238-9800 and Vale Fine Art, 61912th St., (310) 795-4685.For more information onbecoming a participatingvenue, please contact theARTS Obispo at [email protected] or544-9251 or visit www.art-sobispo.org.

SUNDAY,JAN. 8

GRANGE BREAKFASTThe Paso Robles Grangewill hold its monthly break-fast at the Paso RoblesGrange Hall, 627 CrestonRoad in Paso Robles, from7:30 to 11 a.m. Thismonth's breakfast is sched-uled for Sunday, Jan. 8.Pancakes, eggs, bacon, or-ange juice and coffee willbe served. For more infor-mation, call Lester at 238-2340 or 801-1766.

FRIDAY,JAN. 13

FAR OUT WINERIES PASSPORT WEEKENDThe 17 Far Out Wineries ofPaso Robles are raisingfunds for the WellnessCommunity to providehope, education, and sup-port for cancer patients andtheir families. Each wineryis offering passport holderssomething special. visitwww.faroutwineries.com/event for more info.

SATURDAY,JAN. 14

CUTTING EVENTThe Central Coast CuttingHorse event will take placeat the Paso Robles EventCenter. For more informa-tion visit centralcoastcut-ters.com or send an emailto [email protected].

SAN MIGUEL CLEANUPDAYSat, January 14 at noonand again on Sunday, Jan-uary 15, join the communityof San Miguel for its annualcleanup day. Visit online atw w w . d i s c o v e rsanmiguel.com for moreinfor.

PASO CHAMBER GALAThe Paso Robles Chamber

of Commerce will be honor-ing the Roblans of the Yearat their Annual Gala and In-stallation Dinner on Janu-ary 14 at the Paso RoblesInn Grand Ballroom.Reservations for this eventcan be made by contactingthe Chamber of Commerceat 805.238.0506.

TUESDAY,JAN. 17

SENIOR HEALTH SCREENINGSenior health screeningserves the County of SanLuis Obispo providing freehealth screening for adults(50+). Screenings will takeplace on Jan. 17 at the VillaPaseo Palms in Paso Rob-les, 2818 Ramada Dr. from9 a.m. to noon. Services in-clude monitoring of bloodpressure, pulse, andweight. Finger prick testingfor anemia, blood sugarand cholesterol are offeredas well as nutritional andlifestyle counseling. No ap-pointment necessary, firstcome, first served. Formore information, call 544-2484, ext. 1.

THURSDAY,JAN. 19

DOUBLE R EVENTThe Double R CuttingHorse Event will take placeat the Paso Robles EventCenter Thursday, Jan. 19through Sunday, Jan. 22.For more information, con-tact event manager RexRossoll at 331-5978.

SATURDAY,JAN. 21

EVENING OF GUITARSThe Equine Alliance YouthFoundation, a 501 (c)(3)nonprofit based in PasoRobles and serving morethan 2,000 kids and youngadults in Santa Barbaraand San Luis Obispo coun-ties, is having its annualEvening of Guitarsfundraising concert at TheClark Center for the Per-forming Arts on Saturday,Jan. 21, at 7 p.m. The musi-cal groups Calmenco! andIncendio will be presentinga "Riverdance" of guitarmusic.

RODEO EVENTThe District 7 Rodeo #4with Jr. High #4 with takeplace at the Madonna InnArena. This event is spon-sored by the California HighSchool Rodeo Association,for more information con-tact www.chsradist7.com.

SATURDAY,JAN. 28

PRO TEAM ROPERSPro Team Ropers will takeover the Paso Robles EventCenter. For more informa-tion about the event, con-tact Chad Nicholson at801-2029.

ATASCADERO CHAMBER DINNERHeld annually in January,the Atascadero Chamber ofCommerce installs theirboard directors and awardsdeserving businesses andcitizens throughout thecommunity on Jan. 28. Asilent auction is held in con-junction with the social hourand dinner. Call 466-2044for reservations.

Get involved, see, taste and playCOMMUNITY CALENDAR

Courtesy

Giddy-up! A slew ofhorse events will

stampede into the countythis month. From cutting to

rodeo, don’t miss thechance to kick up a

little dust.

E-mail your calendar items:community@pasoroblespress


FARMER’SMarkets

Atascadero Farmer’s MarketWEDNESDAYS 3PM - 6PMAlbertson’s parking lot

Atascadero(805) 239-6535

Paso Country Farm & Craft Market

SATURDAYS 9AM - 1PM11th and Spring StreetsDowntown City Park

Paso Robles(805) 238-4029

Paso Robles Farmer’s MarketTUESDAYS 3PM - 6PM11th and Spring StreetsDowntown City Park

Paso Robles(805) 237-9254

Paso 101 Open Aire Farmer’s Market

THURSDAYS 3PM - 6PMSan Paso Truck Stop

(off HWY 101)Paso Robles(805) 286-1436

Paso Robles Farmer’s MarketFRIDAYS 4PM - 7PM

Golden Hills Plaza at Lowe’sPaso Robles(805) 610-5023

Templeton Farmer’s MarketSATURDAYS 9AM - 12:30PMCity Park at 5th and Crocker

Streets, Templeton(805) 239-6535

SEND YOUR CALENDARINFO TO [email protected]

1. Clayhouse849 13th St. /238-7055

Clayhouse will featurelocal artist and musician,Donna Wolfe and her jew-elry designs with local

guitarist, John Faget. Wineby the glass or tasting.clayhousewines.com

2. EarthTones 1319 Park St. 238-4413

“Yoga – Union with TheSelf” by Katrina Toppano.Limited edition fine artGiclee. Launching 2012with Katrina’s Yoga

Shields. Inspired by Art &Yoga, these colorful paint-

ings are centerpieces formovement and meditation.earthtonesgifts.com

3. Pianetta829 13th St.226-4005

Pianetta will feature ac-claimed local artist Pat

Cairns. Her work featuresbeautiful original ab-

stracts as well as other as-sortedprints.

pianettawinery.com

4. Studios1130 Pine St. 238-9800

Join Stuidos on the Parkfor the opening of theKids Art Smart exhibi-

tion! Works by 500+Bauer-Speck Elementarystudents completed dur-ing the Fall 2011 pro-gram. Reception

sponsored by Bauer-Speck PTO.

studiosonthepark.org

5. Vale Fine Art619 12th St./(310) 795-4685:

A Little Nightmare Be-fore Christmas: an exhibi-

tion featuring LosAngeles artist EdwardWalton Wilcox and LeeHarvey Roswell of San

Francisco.valefineart.com

First Saturdays:Wine & The Arts in Paso RoblesJanuary 7 from 5 - 8 p.m.ARTS Obispo hosts its monthly night of wine and art in downtown Paso Robles.

Call 544-9251 or e-mail [email protected] for more information.

First Saturdays: Wine & the Arts is anew program for ARTS Obispo/San LuisObispo County Arts Council. If you areinterested in becoming a participatingvenue, please contact the ARTS ObispoProgram Director: [email protected] or 544-9251.


“I am just kind of lucky thatthere are people that want ourstuff and want what we make,”Hayes said.

He started crafting when hewas in high school and college.Back then, it was just simplebits and spurs. Hayes learned or-namental ironwork while work-ing in a shop in San LuisObispo. He was instructed onhow to work or “move” the ironand other skills. The ironwork inthe Madonna Inn was done bythe company he worked for.

Around 1970, he went towork for Greg Ward. By now, heand Colleen were married andhad two children, Wade andStaci (Clint would come later.)

While working for Greg,Hayes would take worn outpieces and would rebuild them.When the family moved to Tu-lare, Hayes continued to makecustom pieces. He would takehis finished work and sell it athorse shows. He said he wasfortunate that he knew most ofhis customers before he evenstarted selling to them.

“Everybody laughs now be-cause I would have all these bitsand spurs up on my arm like apeddler,” Hayes said.

Eventually, he started mak-ing the bits a little fancier. He

would take them to the horseshows and someone would buythem. It never failed though, thatsomebody else would wantsomething more elaborate,Hayes said. So he decided tolearn how to do silverwork.

Through this learningprocess, Hayes has had severalmentors but they all gave himthe same advice.

“If you are going to be acraftsman, you need to put yourown twist,” Hayes said.

It is important to create yourown work and not copy whatothers have done. Hayes alsoauthenticates his work bystamping his name into thepieces. This also allows him totrack them. There have been in-stances of his work showing uponline but not credited to him.

Hayes enjoys making piecesthat have sentimental values be-hind them. It means a lot tomake a piece that is going to bea gift for someone. Hayes alsovalues being able to use his ownpieces.

In the last three or fouryears, he started braidingleather. It is just a hobby but it isan important piece of a biggerpicture.

“My goal is to make a hack-amore, show a horse that I brokein it and show it (the horse) in abridle that I made,” Hayes said.

Hayes credits part of his suc-cess to being able to craft pieces

that are useful. Horse trainershave always had many varietiesof bits to choose from but mostare just good on a horse, he said.Hayes is able to go in and tweakthe bits around to make thembetter. He understands leverageand balance so that a bit sitsproperly in a horse’s mouth, hesaid. The other part of successis Colleen. She is an instrumen-tal part of the business. Hayessaid he even has customers thatcall to specifically talk to her.

One of the best parts of hisand Colleen’s life together isthat they are liked because ofwho they are not just what theycreate.

“It has been a good ride forus because we have gotten toknow so many people,” Hayessaid. For more information on

Bits of Silver, visit www.ghbitsofsilver.com.

workout routine may even help your sociallife.

When I began formulating my plan for ahealthier 2012 with wine, I immediatelythought of JUSTIN Winery. The winery isvery supportive of wellness efforts in the com-munity and encourages their employees towork out. The winery is the only one that Iknow of that actually has a personal trainer onstaff.

One of the perks of working at JUSTINis getting one-on-one time with trainer, RichPollock. Either at the gym located in the base-ment of Justin’s home or at Rich’s off-site lo-cation, the entire JUSTIN team are able tomake fitness a priority by working with an ex-pert. Rich will work with the person to setgoals designed based on their goals, fitnessability and what they enjoy. The winery alsoencourages other wineries to put a focus onfitness with a friendly “hardest hard corebody” competition. The idea is to buff up forharvest, a time when hard, physical work isrequired. Starting off harvest already in shapemeans less injuries.

The winery skipped he competition thispast year due to a number of changes and ac-tivities right around harvest, leaving MikeGiese as the reigning hard body championwith bragging rights until the next competi-tion. He takes advantage of Rich’s advice andenjoys the company perk.

JUSTIN also has an executive chef onstaff. Chef Will Torres is the executive cheffor The Restaurant at JUSTIN as well as thechef responsible for creating custom menusfor the many weddings and private events heldat the winery. The cuisine is often French witha fair amount of butter and cream. Chef Will’stip for dropping weight is to make simple sub-stitutions in recipes. For example, if a recipe

calls for heavy cream, use a low fat stock witha pureed potato as a thickener. Use olive oilinstead of butter. His plates are always beau-tifully presented and that can also be a greattool to make your healthy food more enjoy-able. Make your plate look pretty with a vari-ety of color and textures. Chef Will shared twoof his healthy recipes to show how enjoyablehealthy food can be. Salad doesn’t mean aplate full of lettuce, as he clearly demonstrateswith his roasted beet salad recipe (which pairswell with JUSTIN Reserve Tempranillo).Soups are a great way to get in extra vegeta-bles and the warm liquid provides comfort anda sense of being full (try squash soup withJUSTIN Reserve Chardonnay).

JUSTIN offers a wide range of wines thattend to be very elegant in style. The wines arefood friendly and are perfect as a reward for ahealthier life style. I’m a huge fan of JUSTINwines. They are likely best known for theirBordeaux and Rhône varietals and blends .Over the years their ISOSCELES blend hasreceive top accolades from wine critics andcontinues to be one of their flagship wines.

The wine that is not as well known is theTempranillo. In fact, if it were not for the ef-forts of the staff, the wine may have disap-peared from the list. When you enter thetasting room you will see a huge display of“Save Tempranillo” t-shirts the staff designed.They also all wore them to a meeting whenthey heard the wine they enjoyed so muchmay be discontinued. Needless to say, themanagement team decided to keep the Tem-pranillo given the passionate reaction of thestaff.

Tempranillo is a Spanish grape varietalthat has a lot of character. The wine pairs wellwith many lean proteins and healthy dishes. Ipicked JUSTIN Tempranillo as my first re-ward wine for eating healthy and working out(I’ll be selecting a different reward wine eachweek to keep it interesting).

FOOD & WINEContinued from pg. 2

Photo by Lisa PrettyFood for the new year shouldsatisfy your cravings as wellas your conscience. Pictured,JUSTIN executive chef WillTorres creates custom menu items.

Serves 4 - 6

� WHAT YOU NEED

2 Kabocha Squash (can sub-stitute Butternut or Hubbard)2 Medium Yellow Onions4tb. EVOO4tb Un-Salted Butter (canleave out if cooking lighter)1tb. Thyme Leaves2ea. Fresh Bay Leaf6oz. Sherry Vinegar (We like “tonic 03”)80oz. Chicken Stock (Can Substitute Water or Vegetable Stock)

� GARNISHRye or Pumpernickel Bread (Cubed and toasted in theoven for 3-5 min)Noble Tonic “01”

Maple Syrup (Available online)

� Pre-Heat oven to 400F

� Cut the Squash in HalfLengthwise, and remove theseeds. Season the flesh sidewith olive oil, thyme, saltand pepper. Roast in oven,flesh side down for about35-40min (should be tenderand starting to caramelize).

� Heat a stock pot or Dutchoven on med-high heat. Addin Butter, onions, BayLeaves and a good pinch ofblack pepper.

� Cook onions untiltranslucent and starting

to color (about 10 min)making sure to stiroften. Scoop out theflesh from the squashinto the Dutch oven andadd the sherry vinegar.

� Simmer for 5-10min,then Add chicken stockand reduce heat to asimmer. cook for 30 minmore. Pull off the heatand Blend. Strainthrough a fine meshstrainer and adjust seasoning.

Serve Immediately. Garnish with rye or

pumpernickel croutons anddrizzle with Tonic “01”

Maple Syrup.

recipeLife

FOOD & WINE

Courtesy of JUSTIN Winery

FALL FAVE – Windrose Farms Winter Squash Soup will warm and wow the soul.

Windrose Farms Winter Squash Soup


The Parrish Family Vineyard TastingRoom is located at 1220 Park

Street in downtown Paso Robles.Winter hours are Thursday throughMonday, 12 to 6 p.m. For more in-formation call 286-4028, or go to www.parrishfamilyvineyard.com.

Parrish Family roots grow deepBy Janis Switzer

When Atascadero founder E.G. Lewiswanted advice on developing a winegrape growing area in his new Cali-

fornia colony, he sought out G. Earl Hender-son. Then a grower in the Fresno area,Henderson was well-known in California forhis expertise in vineyard development, so hejoined Lewis in his utopian experiment andmoved to Atascadero in 1926.

Just a year later he planted two vineyardstotaling 540 acres, and became one of Atas-cadero’s founding fathers.

Almost 50 years later, when Robert Mon-davi was similarly seeking advice on plantinghis own new vineyards, he sought out DavidParrish. A UC Davis viticulture graduate, Par-rish was involved in researching different trel-lising systems for the school’s ViticultureDepartment. This was 1974, when Napa wasjust on the cusp of establishing itself as aworld-renowned wine growing region, andMondavi had just broken off from CharlesKrug to start his own winery.

“They convinced me to come work withthem,” Parrish recalls, “so I spent the next 22years up in Napa.” Twenty-two years whichsaw the emergence of Napa as one of the mostacclaimed wine regions in the world, and dur-ing which Mondavi grew to be a giant in theindustry.

“Every era has its period, and that’s whenit was really fun,” David says now.

What ties these two stories together is thatHenderson was Parrish’s grandfather, andboth are considered pioneers in vineyard de-velopment.

Parrish’s expertise—trellising—is notwell understood by the average wine con-sumer, but according to Parrish, “it’s thebiggest factor that impacts the taste of thewine.” It dictates the shape of the canopy sothat the grapes get adequate light to grow andripen, but not direct sun that can destroy them.The exposure of the grape skin to light in turndictates the skin color and tannic develop-ment, and ultimately the mouth feel, the tex-ture and the flavor.

In addition to his trellising consultingcompany, Parrish now has his own vineyard,and Parrish Family Vineyard opened its firsttasting room in downtown Paso Robles justsix months ago. He planted his 40 acres inCreston with 100% cabernet sauvignon, andstarted selling his grapes to Estancia 13 yearsago. It was over a few glasses of wine aboutsix years ago that he and his brother decidedto start making their own wine to sell to localrestaurants.

Using skills that he learned at UC Davis,and experience that he gained from RobertMondavi and other Napa winemakers, Parrishis making the wine at Paso Robles WinesServices. He is only using about one acre ofhis own fruit, in addition to grapes from Mon-terey and Paso, to produce 1,000 cases ayear—all in small lots of about 125 caseseach.

And he has created two different brandsto distinguish his cabernet from the other va-rietals he is sourcing. His “Parrish FamilyVineyard” label uses his own cabernet fruit,and his “P.O. Box 1”—an homage to hisgrandfather’s first Atascadero post office boxaddress—features sauvignon blanc, chardon-

nay, pinot noir and Rhone varieties.It is truly a family affair. In addition to

brother Dan, his daughter Cecily is a photog-rapher who created all the photography in thetasting room and all the label art, and her fi-ancé and David’s wife are also part of thebusiness. “Everyone has a talent, a gift,”David explains.

Although he considers opening the tast-ing room “the only way to survive” in today’sdifficult market, Parrish is not letting financialpressure drive any of his decisions.

“Right now I’m trying to concentrate onthe wines, and not let the economics dictatewhat I should do,” he says. “I do really smalllots and make them really special. I’m notgoing to start cutting corners because I need tomake money from it.”

He also listens closely to his customers.When women would tell him they didn’t likethe harshness of the cabernet finish, he cre-ated a blend that softened the wine. After theytold him it “tasted like silk,” he named theblend “Silken.” It recently won a gold medalat the Orange County Fair Competition.

At age 61, when most people are think-ing about retirement, David isn’t even close.His trellising company, A&P Ag StructuresInc., is involved in projects in South America,Mexico, Peru and Chile, in addition to Cali-fornia. He estimates his company is responsi-ble for 6-7,000 acres of trellises a year, andshows no signs of slowing down even in a badeconomy.

Further, he says, “I like what I do.” Askedabout retirement he answers, “I won’t ever re-ally retire. Grandfather never retired—he al-ways said, ‘’I’d rather wear out than rust out.’”

“I am just kind of lucky thatthere are people that want ourstuff and want what we make,”Hayes said.

He started crafting when hewas in high school and college.Back then, it was just simplebits and spurs. Hayes learned or-namental ironwork while work-ing in a shop in San LuisObispo. He was instructed onhow to work or “move” the ironand other skills. The ironwork inthe Madonna Inn was done bythe company he worked for.

Around 1970, he went towork for Greg Ward. By now, heand Colleen were married andhad two children, Wade andStaci (Clint would come later.)

While working for Greg,Hayes would take worn outpieces and would rebuild them.When the family moved to Tu-lare, Hayes continued to makecustom pieces. He would takehis finished work and sell it athorse shows. He said he wasfortunate that he knew most ofhis customers before he evenstarted selling to them.

“Everybody laughs now be-cause I would have all these bitsand spurs up on my arm like apeddler,” Hayes said.

Eventually, he started mak-ing the bits a little fancier. He

would take them to the horseshows and someone would buythem. It never failed though, thatsomebody else would wantsomething more elaborate,Hayes said. So he decided tolearn how to do silverwork.

Through this learningprocess, Hayes has had severalmentors but they all gave himthe same advice.

“If you are going to be acraftsman, you need to put yourown twist,” Hayes said.

It is important to create yourown work and not copy whatothers have done. Hayes alsoauthenticates his work bystamping his name into thepieces. This also allows him totrack them. There have been in-stances of his work showing uponline but not credited to him.

Hayes enjoys making piecesthat have sentimental values be-hind them. It means a lot tomake a piece that is going to bea gift for someone. Hayes alsovalues being able to use his ownpieces.

In the last three or fouryears, he started braidingleather. It is just a hobby but it isan important piece of a biggerpicture.

“My goal is to make a hack-amore, show a horse that I brokein it and show it (the horse) in abridle that I made,” Hayes said.

Hayes credits part of his suc-cess to being able to craft pieces

that are useful. Horse trainershave always had many varietiesof bits to choose from but mostare just good on a horse, he said.Hayes is able to go in and tweakthe bits around to make thembetter. He understands leverageand balance so that a bit sitsproperly in a horse’s mouth, hesaid. The other part of successis Colleen. She is an instrumen-tal part of the business. Hayessaid he even has customers thatcall to specifically talk to her.

One of the best parts of hisand Colleen’s life together isthat they are liked because ofwho they are not just what theycreate.

“It has been a good ride forus because we have gotten toknow so many people,” Hayessaid. For more information on

Bits of Silver, visit www.ghbitsofsilver.com.

Photos by Jandy JonesThis sterling silver concho was completely madeby Gordon Hayes. The concho also features 14kgold, engraving and Gordon and Colleen’s brand.Below, The stirrups are made with sterling silverand custom engraving by Gordon Hayes.

Courtesy PhotoGordon and Colleen Hayes own and operate Bits of Sil-ver. The company specializes in bits, spurs, jewelry andmuch more.

SILVERContinued from pg. 1


Meagan Friberg

The Paso RoblesBearcats claimedthe championship

title for the first time inthe history of the Catsand Hounds Tourna-ment late last month atBarney Schwartz Park.“This means a lot,”

head coach Evan Clarksaid. “I’m really proudof them. I’m just sohappy for these guys.”On Friday, the

Bearcats started theirwinning ways with a 2-0 victory over OrcuttAcademy. DanielArevalo scored anunassisted goal for theBearcats midwaythrough the secondhalf. Angel Garciascored the second goalfor the Bearcats afteran assist from AngelPadilla. The Bearcatshad 29 shots in thegame, with 17 on goal.“We wanted to bring

a sort of intensity tothis game and set thetone for the tourna-ment,” Clark said afterthe Bearcats’ first win.“I think we did that

successfully so I’m re-ally pleased."Paso Robles kept the

momentum going witha 3-0 win against DosPueblos later in theday. Angel Guevara, asenior, made all threegoals for the Bearcats.Goalkeeper Jesus Gilshut out both oppo-nents and recorded fivesaves.“He’s a big part of

our success,” Clarksaid of Gil. This is thesenior goalkeeper’sfirst season playingsoccer for the Bearcats.“He’s tremendous andwas solid in all of thegames.” Solid is an under-

statement. Gil kept uphis strength as theBearcats took on threeopponents. The firstgame of the day hadPaso Robles defeatingSantiago 2-1, with Gilchalking up threesaves. Angel Guevarascored both goals, withDaniel Viramontes andDaniel Jaimes provid-ing assists. The Bearcats de-

feated Monrovia 1-0then as they secured aspot to compete for thechampionship title.Guevara provided thegoal with an assistfrom Arevalo. Gil hadtwo saves.The Bearcats faced

off against Ventura be-fore a large crowd ofonlookers in the finalgame of the day and ofthe tournament, withGuevara giving PasoRobles one goal. Gilhad four saves.After the two teams

tied 1-1, they wereforced to face off in around of penalty kickswhere the Bearcatsovertook Ventura 6-5,with Gil making thefinal save to secure thechampionship for thecheering crowd. Gue-vara, Arevalo, JohnyRodriguez, MarioLeon, Jose Roman andAlbert Echevarriascored the penaltykicks for the Bearcats. “This is just really

exciting,” Guevara saidof the championship

win. “This is the thirdyear the senior hasplayed varsity soccerfor the Bearcats. “We had high ex-

pectations and we metthem. Our team didgreat.”The Bearcats al-

lowed only two goalsto their opponentsthroughout the entiretournament. Clark saidhis players “have reallycome together and areplaying as a unit.” Al-though he felt theBearcats were out-matched physically intheir final game, the

coach said his defend-ers “stood up to theiropponents the entiretime.” Clark is assistedagain this season byTed Wagner, a coach-ing combination thathas already proven tobe successful.“We did a good job

out there, and I reallythank the coaches forall of their support,” Gilsaid. “This is my firstyear playing varsitysoccer, it’s our firsttournament and nowwe’re the champs. Thisis great.”

SPORTSLife

Bearcats are tournament champions

making

history

“This is just reallyexciting...we hadhigh expectationsand we met them.Our team did

great.”

-Guevara

Photos by Meagan Friberg

From left, Angel Guevarabreaks free from a Venturaplayer during tournamentplay late last month. Paso

High's Adrian Padilla headbutts the ball towardsDaniel Arevalo during the

Cats and Dogs Tournament.

Victory marks firsttime in Cats and Dogs history.


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North County Life - January 2012

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