Jim Irving Top Producer 2008 for RE/MAX Parkside

If you missed it..you missed a great day! No real count of the number of attendees as the City Park ebbed & flowed all day, but from the response of the participating artists, "This has set a new standard for arts festivals", and "This validates my art, I sold the most & highest priced art ever in my career" to the sales, nearly $37,000 in gross sales, to the local businesses that were open and took advantage of the crowds, "My best day ever"...all in all, a real success.

Now we have to hope that the feedback to the City Council is so strong and positive that they will get on board for a repeat next year! If you are local, or a occasional visitor to Paso Robles, please let the City know you support the arts!

Is your impression of Paso Robles all cowboys,& wine geeks? Well think again! The City of Paso Robles, together with the new non-profit, Studios on the Park (www.StudiosonthePark.org) is putting on an Arts Shindig on Saturday May 23rd! This first ever Festival of the Arts has come together in record time (the City Council only authorized this in mid-Feburary!) and it promises to be a great event. With over 64 artists of all media from painters to metalsmiths, there will be stilt-walkers, concerts, art demonstrations and tons of hands-on art projects for kids. It's all FREE! The City has a great interactive map of the Park showing all the artists and activities that are planned, go to www.prcity.com/fota.
Tell your friends, bring your family...it'll be a great time for all!

Friday, February 20, 2009

I Hate Yellowstar! And So Should You!

If you've ever tried to walk through a field of mature yellowstar thistle I know you already share my feelings! Even cows I've seen eat the sawtooth leaves of pampas grass, or the spiky heads of Russian thistle, will not touch mature yellowstar. This non-native plant has invaded over 15 million acres of California which makes it one of the most expensive invasive pests in the state. It is estimated to cause over $136 billion in losses per year nationally!

It consumes 50% more water than native annual grasses and is easily spread by animals, vehicles, and birds. Once introduced to your land it can quickly take over and crowd out the native grasses as well as make it unpleasantly painful for you to use or walk through it. And it can be toxic to horses!

If you've been fighting this weed on your property by mowing you know that is a lost cause... so to learn the latest techniques on how to contain and eliminate the weed, come to a free workshop at the Templeton Community Center on February 25 from 6-8 PM.

Monday, February 16, 2009

City Council to Set Goals; Be There on February 21st!

The Public was not well represented last Wednesday night when the Paso Robles City Council had a special workshop to set goals to help them through the upcoming budgetary process later this Spring.

After a review of where the accomplishments of the last 8 years by City Staff, Meg Williamson and Ron Whisenand, City Manager Jim App gave a sobering reviewing of the City's financial condition. Although the City is looking at a cumulative $9 million in negative expenses over income over the next three fiscal years, thanks to several years of careful budgeting and accumulating reserves, Jim is hopeful that the actual negative can be held to a cumulative of $4.638 million. How the City will have to address that negative will be at the heart of the future budget hearings.

Although many suggested goals were sent in via email from the public, only about a dozen members of the audience addressed the Council. Anne Laddon (my wife) president of the new nonprofit Studios on the Park asked the Council to keep the encouragement of the visual arts as a "positive path" for the City to follow.
I spoke on the need for the City to use the spirit of Paso Robles, which has always depended on its volunteers in hard times, to help get through the difficult financial times ahead. My remarks were amplified by others such as Field Gibson speaking for the Paso Robles Youth Sports Council. Field said that the City has made it difficult in the past for volunteers to take on such tasks as the maintenance of the playing fields. He advocated for an "Adopt-a-Park" program or other ways to foster community participation.

Others spoke on the need to use the planning process to work toward creating the environment that will speed the creation of head of household jobs when the economy eventually improves.

I could go on, but the real message to get out is to be active in our community. There will be a meeting on Saturday February 21st at 9 AM to evaluate all the suggestions that have been made and help the Council determine their tentative goals which will be adopted during the March 3rd Council meeting