Business News and Announcements
Compiled by Camas Frank
On June 20, Cycletribe and Lulu Lemon Athletica of SLO hosted the first “INSPIRE Ride” to benefit the Women’s Shelter Program of SLO. Two spin classes were held in the front patio space of the Lulu Lemon showroom at 547 Marsh St., in Downtown SLO. “When we opened our studio our goal was to create a community of riders that are actively involved in creating a better life for themselves and 
supporting those around them in the same goal. With fun, healthy and unique spin class settings, our INSPIRE rides help fulfill those goals and raise much needed donations for our local charities,” said Jayme Brunson, co-owner of Cycletribe. “Our future rides may involve locations like piers, mountain tops and vineyards, we are very excited about all the possibilities and the tremendous support we have already received.”
The SLO Chamber of Commerce welcomed new member, SLO Community Acupuncture, with a ribbon cutting ceremony in May. SLO Community Acupuncture provides acupuncture for the residents of SLO County in a communal setting. Initial costs are $30-50 and $20-40 for follow up appointments.” For more information see: www.slocommunityacu.com or visit the office at 977 East Foothill Blvd. Open Tuesdays, 2-6 p.m., Wednesdays, 10 a.m. -1 p.m., Thursdays, 2-6 p.m., and Saturdays 10-2. Walk-ins welcome.
The Cal Poly Society of Civil Engineers, the student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers, received the Robert Ridgway Award, which recognizes the most outstanding chapter out of 323 student groups in 16 countries. The aw
ard was presented May 20. This is the fourth time in seven years Cal Poly has won, including three consecutive years from 2009-11. “This distinction is the civil engineering equivalent of the Academy Award,” said Dean Debra Larson. “It only goes to the best of the best, and it reflects our Cal Poly chapter’s extraordinary efforts, achievements and leadership.” Ryan Smith, chapter president added, “We have such a large group — and long history — of devoted student members who invest their time, interest and energies on extracurricular activities like SCE.”
A new restaurant “dedicated to simple, wood-fired food and classic cocktails,” opened June 15 in Downtown Paso Robles. Owners, Maggie Cameron and Eric Connolly, are giving wine aficionados another place to gather and enjoy wines paired with comfort foods. “Nothing brings people together like a home-cooked meal,” Cameron said, “and we want to share with our guests the respect we have for food traditions and for the people who grow and produce the food we eat. Opening the restaurant has been a dream come true for both Eric and myself, and we could not be more thrilled to be doing so in this historic old building in the middle of our Paso Robles community.” Call (805) 221-5727 or see: www.hatchpasorobles.com for more information.
Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center and Twin Cities Community Hospital combined to collect nearly 1,300 boxes of cereal for the “Healthy Over Hungry Cereal Drive” in May to help provide children 
with a healthy breakfast over the summer. The effort was part of a national initiative by Tenet Healthcare, owners of Twin Cities and Sierra Vista. Healthy Over Hungry was started as a local initiative at the Detroit Children’s Hospital (also Tenet facility) and this year spread to nearly all of Tenet’s 81 hospitals in 16 states. Sierra Vista employees and community contributed 826 boxes and Twin Cities 455. All cereal collected nationally is donated to local food banks with cereal collected locally donated to the Food Bank Coalition of San Luis Obispo County.
Cal Poly Economics Professor Eduardo Zambrano is among a team of international scholars working to develop the “United Nations Environment Program.” Zambrano will return to Geneva, Switzerland, later this month to showcase the team’s methodology in action with, “environmental and economic data regarding natural resource productivity, access to basic services, pollution, ecosystem restoration, and wealth inequality.” His team also built “dashboard” software to show key indicators to track the sustainability of a country’s well being. The key to the measurement exercise is executing a comparison between the opportunities open to present and future generations, according to Zambrano. He was asked to join the UNEP initiative because of his work with the United Nations Development Programme, where he helped create the Gender Inequality Index and redesign the Human Development Index and as a way to quantify some of the U.N.’s most pressing objectives.
The Central Coast Aquarium has announced their third annual “Catch of the Central Coast” fundraiser dinner at 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12 at the Harford Pier in Avila Beach. Guests will enjoy “a unique setting of spectacular ocean views while dining over the water.” The limited-seating event will include live music and both a live and silent auction. Guests will be able to choose from, a locally sourced sustainable seafood dinner or non-seafood options and local wines. Our goal is to inspire people to think, act and to feel connected to the ocean and the life within it,” says executive director Tara Malzone. Tickets are available July 1 by going to the CCA’s website www.centralcoastaquarium.com.
Congressional Rep. Lois Capps has joined with Senators Boxer, Feinstein, and Markey to send a letter to Greg Armstrong, Chairman and CEO of Plains Pipeline, LP, demanding more information regarding the company’s safety systems and response to the oil spill along the Gaviota Coast last month. The letter, “demands answers to numerous questions regarding the pipeline’s shutoff and spill detection systems, the high degree of corrosion found on the pipeline, and inconsistencies in inspection data,” and “expresses serious concerns over the safety of other pipelines operated by Plains and the adequacy of the company’s pre-prepared response plans to address oil spills.” Shortly before the letter being drafted , it was revealed that preliminary analysis of the ruptured pipeline exhibited extensive signs of corrosion.
In celebration of National CPR Week, June 1-7, the American Heart Association announced several new Automated External 
Defibrillators (AED), gifted by the Hearst Foundation. The Foundation’s gift also includes Hands-Only CPR trainings to schools and the community. An automated external defibrillator (AED) is a lightweight, portable device that delivers an electric shock through the chest to the heart. The shock can stop an irregular rhythm and allow a normal rhythm to resume in a heart in sudden cardiac arrest. AEDs make it possible for more people to respond to a medical emergency where defibrillation is required. Most people who experience cardiac arrest at home, work or in a public location die because they don’t receive immediate CPR from someone on the scene. Hands-only CPR focuses on the first few minutes following a cardiac arrest, since the lungs and blood contain only enough oxygen to keep vital organs healthy for that amount of time.
The Morro Bay Merchant’s Association is now accepting applications from vendors for its Summer Street Fair set for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 2 in Downtown Morro Bay. Vendors of all goods or services are sought for the fair, which is held on Main Street and Morro Bay Boulevard. An application form is available on the Association’s website, see: www.morro-bay.net/mbma/fairform.cfm. The non-profit Association puts on two street fairs a year — the Summer Fair and Holiday Street Fair held the Sunday after Thanksgiving. This year, the Association is looking to revamp the fairs, which have been an annual event for more than 30 years, bringing in environmental educational groups, demonstrations and more family entertainment.
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