Author, Ron Rayborne, will sign his book, “Opalescence,” from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, June 13 at Coalesce Bookstore, 845 Main St., Morro Bay. Have you ever wondered about Eden? Was there ever a true paradise on earth? Yes, and that world was the prehistoric world of the middle Miocene Era. The future is dystopian, but time travel is accidentally discovered. Opalescence takes a journey back to a lush world gone by. An interested “non-scientist,” Rayborne and his brother Rod have always felt a special affinity for the earth. A long-time hiker, many of the experiences in Opalescence were actual occurrences for the Santa Margarita resident.
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Ever been walkin’ in the woods and wondered what species a particular tree is? A new guidebook from the Arbor Day Foundation could be the answer to all those questions. The Arbor Day Foundation’s “What Tree Is That?” book helps people identify trees with a simple, step-by-step process. The book is available for a $5 donation to the non-profit tree-planting organization. To obtain a full color tree identification guide, send your name, address, and $5 for each guide to: What Tree Is That? Arbor Day Foundation, 100 Arbor Ave., Nebraska City, NE 68410. You can also order the book online at: www.arborday.org.
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The Arts Obispo program, “Art After Dark,” is coming to Los Osos from 6-9 p.m. on the last Friday of the month from June to October at the South Bay Community Center on Palisades Avenue. The first event is June 26 and will be a pop-up style gallery complete with beer, wine, food, and live music. The response from the artistic community has been great and they have more than 40 artists lined up for the first event.
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June is Adopt a Shelter Cat Month and Woods Humane Society is holding a name-your-own-price adoption fees for all felines throughout the month. Cats are spayed or neutered, micro-chipped, vaccinated and come with a free vet visit. Woods is located at 875 Oklahoma Ave., turn off Hwy 1 at Kansas Avenue.
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The City of Arroyo Grande Recreation Services Department’s Children In Motion Program is offering a summer break program June 17 through Aug. 14 for children 5-13 at Ocean View Elementary School. The program runs Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Cost is $150 a week for 5 days, $128 for 4 days, or $34 a day. Half-day prices are available from either 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or 12:30-6 at $17 per day. An annual registration fee of $25 is applied to students not attending the school year. This program has fun-filled activities – board games, contests, crafts, Foosball, coloring, sports, guest speakers, and field trips to local organizations. Parents may register their children at the Recreation office located at 1221 Ash St., Arroyo Grande. For more information, call the office at 473-5474 or Carrie Van Beveren at 473-5472.
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Registration is open now for Camp Wishing Star, an annual day camp for grieving children, provided by Wilshire Hospice. Children ages 6-16 who have lost someone meaningful to them are invited to participate in the camp on Saturday, June 27 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Meadow Park, SLO. There will be group games, crafts, sharing coping ideas, treats and more. Parents may participate at a site nearby. To register (required) at no cost for Camp Wishing Star, call (805) 269-0141 on or before June 19.
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The Grover Beach Community Library has scheduled a book sale on Saturday, June 13, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thousands of fiction, non-fiction, research, tabletop and collectible books for sale. The library is located at 240 North 9th St., Grover Beach, one block north of West Grand Avenue. For more information call 481-4131 or 473-3457.
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The Clark Center will celebrate the spirit of the 1960s with the Third Annual Central Coast Woodstock Celebration from 3-7 p.m. Saturday, July 25. Due to the overwhelming success of the last two Woodstock fundraisers, the Clark Center is moving the celebration to a new location at Thousand Hills Ranch, 855 Thousand Hills Rd. in Pismo Beach. Music by Unfinished Business and a barbecue by Central Coast Smokers. Beer, wine and special signature drinks available for purchase. Live and silent auctions with proceeds benefiting the Clark Center round out an afternoon of dancing to the great music of Woodstock. Tickets are $75 each and on sale now. Get tickets by phone at 489-9444, at the Center’s Box Office, 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande or online at: www.clarkcenter.org. For more information, to sponsor the event, or to donate an auction item, call 489-4196.
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Registration is now open for Creative Kids Camps offered this summer through Pismo Beach Recreation. Designed for children 7-12, each 1-week camp will include acting, singing, dancing, percussion, art, and yoga. Students will showcase what they learned by performing in a 30-minute musical play for family and friends on the last day of camp. Creative Kids Summer Camps are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mondays-Fridays at the Shell Beach Veteran’s Memorial Hall, 230 Leeward in Shell Beach. Session are: June 22-26, July-17, and Aug. 3-7. To register, call Pismo Beach Recreation at 773-7063 or see: www.pismobeach.org/137/Registration.
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The Morro Bay Historical Society in conjunction with the Art Association have co-sponsored a special art project on display now at the Art Center Gallery, 835 Main St., Morro Bay. The show features artworks by several local painters of historic Morro Bay homes and businesses.
And from 3-5 p.m. Saturday, June 20, the Historical Society will host a free, Family Fun Day and History Mixer at Tidelands Park on the Embarcadero. Bring memories and/or pictures of your favorite Morro Bay summertime events, past or present to share. There will be games for the children and treats for everyone.
Also, the Historical Society is collecting items commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Morro Bay’s incorporation to be included in a time capsule to be buried in City Park sometime in July (TBA). The Historical Society invites folks to create something to put in the capsule. For more information see their latest newsletter or call (805) 399-2772.
And in November the Society is planning to honor veterans with a barbecue and family celebration. They particularly want to honor those veterans who trained at Morro Bay’s naval base (located where the power plant now stands) during World War II. If you have connections, memories or photos of this time email the Historical Society at: or call (805) 399-2772
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Cambria Center for the Arts is featuring a display of “Junk Art” by Rich Morriss — “the Deviant World of Tinkerpaw” now through July 5 at the Center’s Gallery, 1350 Main St. Morriss’ artwork consists of found objects, salvaged materials, recycled, up cycled, broken stuff, as well as just plain discarded trash to create 2-D and 3-D artworks.
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The Point San Luis Lighthouse Keepers is starting a new summer schedule for tours of the historic site near Avila Beach. The group is offering three tours on Wednesdays, and Saturdays at noon, 1 and 2 p.m. now through Oct. 28. Two-hour guided tours for community groups available on the other days of the week. Call Executive Director, Kristi Balzer, at (805) 540-5771 for details. This year is also the 125th birthday of the lighthouse and the Keepers are hosting a gala event on Friday, Aug. 14 featuring a live performance by Louie Ortega with King Harris as emcee, 559 Brewery tasting and a silent and live auction. The Keepers have a Facebook page “Point San Luis Lighthouse – Avila Beach” check there for ticket announcements.
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The Harold J Miossi Art Gallery at Cuesta College is bringing back its “Artists’ Books” exhibition this summer at the Hwy 1 campus June 15-July 30. For 12 years the annual exhibition exposed the community of artists making books. These exhibitions have grown each year in the number of books exhibited, as well as the number of visitors. Each year they receive artists’ books from all over the world. Gallery hours are from noon-4 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays. The Miossi Gallery is located next door to the Performing Arts Center. Call David Prochaska at 546-3100 Ext. 2756 or email to: for more information.
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The Cayucos Library is hosting a free “Booked for Lunch Discussion Group,” at noon Friday, June 19 in the library patio, 310 B St. Plan to talk about a favorite or recently read book.
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Morro Bay Friends of the Library is sponsoring a free Wellness Wednesdays Program from 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday, June 10 in the Morro Bay Library’s Program Room, 625 Harbor St., featuring whole food educator and chef, Courtney Coleman of www.cookwell.org. Her topic will be “Your Health in Your Hands — Cooking the Healthy Way.” Learn how to start cooking with natural and beneficial ingredients to help maintain personal balance. For more information call Karen at 225-3131 or see: morrobaybookdiscussiongroup.org.
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Cuesta College is drumming up interest in its Steel Drum music classes, with students playing shows at the Thursday Night Farmer’s Market and a new slate of classes taking registration soon under the direction of long-time local music teacher, Patty Dee. The program boasts a mix of people including a veterinarian, a retired nuclear engineer, a school principal, and a registered nurse. Beginner, intermediate and advanced steel drum classes start in September. Cost is $110, plus a $35 materials fee. Cuesta Community Programs are online at: Cuesta.edu/communityprograms or call 546-3132. For more information see: www.aircutmusic.com. Registration for the fall semester starts soon and the school also mails out brochures to all SLO County residents.
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The Santa Maria Natural History Museum is sponsoring a Summer Solstice Festival from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 20 at the museum, located at 412 S. McClelland St., Santa Maria. The free event for all ages will feature sustainable living exhibits, the Penny Project, activities, live music, refreshments like frozen yogurt, a flag presentation, Glitter Face Painting, Hoop Works, Mr. Bigger’s Ukelele Band and more. Call (805) 614-0806, see: www.naturalhistorysantamaria.com or on Facebook.
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The Morro Bay State Park staff and docents are hosting a free Summer Solstice Program from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 20, in the Morro Bay State Park Campground. There will be displays from local environmental groups, Natural History Museum specimens and displays, snowy plover and shorebird protection activities, Native American crafts, a state park scavenger hunt, live animals and more. General parking available at the State Park Marina parking lot across from the campground, and handicap parking and assistance will be available at the event site. Docents will be at the park entrance kiosk to answer questions and give directions for parking.
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The Los Osos Library, 2075 Palisades Ave., has a pair of special events in June sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Call 528-1862 for more information.
• Make ‘n Take — 3 p.m. Wednesday, June 17 go with the Summer Reading Program theme, “Every Hero Has a Story,” making super hero shields. Perfect for school-age children 5-up. Free.
• Family film screening — 2 p.m. Saturday, June 20. Every third Saturday of the month the library screens a children’s movie. This month is “Super Buddies,” rated G. Free popcorn courtesy of Friends of Los Osos Library.
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There is still room to apply for Cuesta College’s 28th Annual College for Kids summer program, with sessions planned for June and July. Approximately 160 children are already registered to take part in the program and spots are still available for more kids to sign up, according to a news release from Cuesta. The six-week program run from June 15-July 1 and July 6-22, both on the Hwy 1 Campus. The camps are for students entering fifth-ninth grades next school year. There’s a basketball “hoops” camp; an expanded fourth grade camp; reading programs for all ages and levels; and, returning for a second year, a summer jazz workshop for junior high kids and older. See: www.cuesta.edu/communityprograms for more information or call the Community Programs Department at (805) 546-3132.