The mission of Camp Ocean Pines is “to foster enjoyment and appreciation of the natural world among people of all ages through creative activities in a residential camp setting.” It was established in 1946 to serve the community as a non-profit camp and a conference center.

Andrew told us about some of the trial and tribulation facing camps all over the country in the face of COVID-19. In 2019, there were 37 Coastal Institute Schools serving 1,601 students and 181 adults. Being in nature is valuable to everyone so every effort is being made to ready Camp Ocean Pines for COVID-19 era summer camp.

Last summer, Camp Ocean Pines welcomed 513 campers from around the country. The kids get to participate in Target Sports such as Archery, Tomahawks and Slingshots; Arts & Crafts including tie-dye, friendship bracelets, ocean drawing, body art ; performance activities
ranging from improv, dancing 101 or guitar;
exploring nature and design experiments
with friends; field games and sports as well
as offsite adventures such as kayaking,
hanging at the beach or checking out the

elephant seals! . These activities may need to be done with small groups this summer in keeping with the State requirement of keeping groups to 10 or fewer people that we hope is in place by next month. Right now, each the cabins house 8 campers 2 counselors. Cleaning protocols will need to be reviewed and updated according to the State mandates.

In addition to summer camp, Camp Ocean Pines offers a number of outdoor education programs including a residential science camp program for 4th-12th grade students from public and private schools, adult professional development opportunities, and nature excursions for people of all ages. We are always looking for new and creative ways to connect people with nature through education, exploration, and FUN!

And, COP offers the UC California Naturalist Program which is designed to introduce Californians to the wonders of our unique ecology and engage the public in study and stewardship of California’s natural communities. The California Naturalist program uses a science curriculum, hands-on learning, problem-solving, citizen science, and community service to instill a deep appreciation for the natural communities of the state and to inspire individuals to become stewards of their local resources.

We are so lucky to have this amazing place right in our backyard and even more lucky to have Andrew as its Director. He along with up to 55 paid staffers offer much to our local students and adults. As with most non- profits, fundraising efforts have been curtailed due to COVID-19. So, if you can help Camp Ocean Pines, donations can be made on line at https://campoceanpines.kindful.com/

A copy of Andrew’s presentation is attached to this email. Thank you, Andrew, for a wonderfully informative presentation.

Donna Crocker introduced our speaker, SLO Coun- ty Superintendent of Schools and fellow Rotarian, Jim Brescia.

Jim began by telling us that the County Office of Education decided that it was in the best interest of students and the public to move to distance
learning as of March 16, 2020 due to COVID19. It took a lot of work on the part of teachers and administrators to make this transition so quickly.
Schools are required to provide meals to students during the school year so right now, 15,000 meals are being distributed throughout the county.
Schools were thrown into the deep end of the pool and they had to learn to sink or swim very quickly.

With on-line classes some students were empowered to teach their teachers since kids adapt to technology faster than adults in many cases. Luckily both Spectrum and Verizon are providing free services for students so on-line learning commenced immediately. But on-line learning has pointed out inequities too. There are students in rural areas of the county that have no connectivity. In the case of these students, lessons needed to be continued the old paper and pencil way. So teachers in these areas are actually teaching in two different ways. The students at Grizzly Youth Academy are also participating in distance learning since the Academy needed to close down due to the pandemic.

The other obstacle to overcome had to do with Special Education stu- dents, many of whom cannot use a computer and those who need the services of physical therapists, occupational therapists, social workers, etc.

Roadmap to re-open: After the stay-at-home is lifted, it will likely be 30 days before school can open. They are now looking at what the physical differences might look like. The Governor has suggested split sessions but it is likely that school will also be facing budget cuts that would make that next to impossible.

Jim explained that schools receive funding based on Average Daily Attendance (ADA). During the shut down, districts have been given a pass on ADA requirements so funding is being based on the assumption that all students are in attendance. Come fall, however, there is a strong possibility that some parents will not feel comfortable hav- ing their students attend school if the virus is still an issue. If too many students do not attend, that will negatively impact school funding so the districts might need to be prepared to do both in school and at home classes.

Also, while kids are usually able to adapt, some adults find it more difficult. So there is a concern that older workers might not be willing or able to return to their jobs in this new era.

Thank you Dr. Brescia for educating us on the difficulties our schools are facing. This was a very interesting presentation.

ppy Easter, Happy Passover... and happy one more day without killing your housemate or neighbor! I think if this goes on much longer rather than asking for a lifting of the social distancing requirement we’ll be asking to have it extended – to no closer than 100 ft!

I am doing very well – and I am grateful to the Dept. of State Hospitals for taking such good care of us so we can take care of others.

Aims of today’s program – Increase our resilience by strengthening our immune system holistically

Get us moving
Help us to relax
And To be inspired – I think we all need some of that right now.

1) Get us moving

During this time, we need to move! The circulatory system needs help getting rid of what needs to go! And we can help that by drinking plenty of fluids, eating nutritious foods, taking supplements, and getting our heart pumping!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mCWanhT8Dk&app=desktop

Heaven has a special place for nurses, teachers, and social workers... and so many others that take care of us. Re- member to say thank you... a box of donuts doesn’t hurt either!

2) Help us to Relax
The fight-flight-or freeze response redirects vital resources away from the immune system, as it should for

20-45 min., but not for weeks, months, or years. (see yoga nidra handout)

3) And to be inspired
We can be angry and disappointed and sad about things that aren’t happening – and that is okay. But we can

also be part of the solution by helping out and by letting others know they are not alone.

We can start replacing the time we spend listening to all the bad news, and instead start spreading the news that we are here to help.

We can wake up with a sense of purpose – to help.

We can do what needs to be done to help those in need get through this to see another day – and get back to dancing, laughing, and back to being all they can be.

We are all experiencing stress in some way from this experience. We can honor that reality, and be grateful for what we do have, and set our sadness aside to help others.

...and in so doing, we will start to see our little town blues begin to melt away.

With all that said, I want to finish with sharing the song that has lifted us up so many times, and one that reflects the strength of the human spirit, perhaps better than anything or anyone else, as evidenced by 9-11, and that is the strength, the intelligence, the endurance, the resilience of our brothers and sisters in the big apple. ...and right now, all the places that are being hardest hit by COVID-19. Let them be an inspiration of what we all can endure and how we can all come together to help one another, not as male, female, or transgender, not as black, white, brown or yellow, not as Christian, Jew, Muslim or Buddhist, not as Republican, Democrat, Inde- pendent, Communist, or Socialist, not as old, or young, healthy or infirmed; but as human beings helping one an- other to get through this. Be well.

Last month, Bruce & Jane Howard and Christel Chesney spent a couple of weeks at the Piyali Learning Center in the rural village of Piyali Junction outside Kolkata. Jane told us that Deepa Biswas grew up in Calcutta in a fairly
affluent family. She would see children begging and asked why. She vowed, after college she would come back and help. When Bruce and Jane first met Deepa in 2004, she told them she was starting a school in Piyali for girls who
had no access to education. She partnered with the Rotary Club of Calcutta and started with just 20 girls.

In 2010, Deepa was able to secure a new property that was much larger but it was on a swamp. They brought in dirt to fill in the swamp and built a wall around the property to pro- tect the girls. The new school is a far cry from the original one and includes an organic garden, chicken coop, and a vo- cational training center for the mothers of the students. Our club helped build a sewer plant so the school has flush toi- lets and we currently support 6 girls. The cost of sponsoring a girl for an entire year is only $375. To sponsor a mother to attend vocational training, the cost for a year is $175. Checks can be mailed to PACE Universal                          1 North Calle Cesar Chavez, Suite 102, Santa Barbara, CA 93103

Jane was very proud to tell us that, after her father’s death, her mom donated money to the school and there is now a classroom named in his honor.  Christel told us that she had never seen such poverty and filth that she saw while traveling from the hotel to .              the school. They were only 40 miles away but it took
them 2 hours to travel the 40 miles. She said the first 3 days, her heart was broken. They were staying in a 5 star hotel sur- rounded by poverty. There were vegetable carts covered with flies, a pond filled with algae where women were washing clothes and doing dishes while a man was bathing and another urinating in the pond. They visited homes that were hovels with dirt floors, no electricity or plumbing. The school, in contrast, was an oasis. The girls in India have dreams and aspirations but, by the time they reach 4th grade, they are pulled out of school to help with chores. Every 9 minutes a child in India disappears.

Bruce told us about a visit to Mahavir Seva Sadan, a Vocational Training Center in Kolkata. They provide prosthetics for those who need them because of lost limbs or birth defects, eye care and support and training for Cerebral Palsy vic- tims. This is a project that the local Rotary Club supports.

You can learn more about the Piyali Learning Center at 

Our presenters Gerry & Paula Porter, Joe Morrow and Otis Archie were joined by Sgt. At Arms Andrew to start the meeting off by singing Let There Be Peace on Earth.

Dr. Joe spoke of the issue of Human Trafficking and programs that address the effects of human trafficking. What can we do to recognize trauma? We need to make sure kids are aware of the dangers of human trafficking and know there are places to go to get help.

Otis asked, “What does peace really mean?” He emphasized the importance of being inclusive in order to put an end to bullying. It is also important to be self–
aware and to manage your stress. When you are stressed it can
prevent you from being understanding of others.

Paula told us that we need to believe in unconditional love. Glob- al change depends on personal change.

Gerry explained that the 4 presenters attended a program on peace that included 13 tracks and 11 breakout sessions over 2 days. He also spoke of a program at his former Rotary club called Choices. This program inspires teens to make positive choices.

He also told us about a speaker at the conference who was the father of a boy who was murdered. He eventually realized that, if he continued to hate the man who killed his son, he would never re- cover. He went to court to lobby for parole for the killer and gave him a job in the foundation he formed in honor of his son.

Julie Jenkins recommended reading Beyond Religion by Dalai Lama. In this book, he speaks of transcending the religion wars, he outlines a system of ethics for our shared world, one that makes a stirring appeal for a deep ap- preciation of our common humanity, offering us all a road map for improv- ing human life on individual, community, and global levels. Dennis White suggested getting to know people. Malou Hall told us she had hate in her heart while experiencing the reign of Hitler.

We learned from this presentation that peace starts with ourselves.

Thank you all for a wonderful presentation. Hopefully this is the beginning of many presentations on this important topic.

Our Own Heide Santos gave us a heartbreaking and amazing snapshot of what it was like growing up in Germany during the Nazi reign. She began by saying that she was told Americans were well informed about what happened in Germany because they watched Hogan’s Heroes. Heide debunked that claim.

Before the war, Heide’s family lived a comfortable life. But, when the war broke out, bombs were dropped on her house just a month before she was born. Hers was a difficult birth and her mother spent 6 months in the hospital while Heide’s older sister (14) took care of Heide and her other sister (10). An American soldier, upon learning of the sister’s situation, wanted to help and brought them food. The family later tried to go to Regensburg but were turned away and wound up living in tents in Dresden

where they were given just one bowl of food per person per day. Heide’s mom went from 150 pounds to 100 pounds and eventually collapsed from hunger. Luckily, an American doctor helped her regain her health.

After World War II, the Allies partitioned the defeated Germany into a Soviet-occupied zone, an American-occupied zone, a British-occupied zone and a French-occupied zone. Berlin, the German capital city, was located deep in the Soviet zone, but it was also divided into four sections. In 1946, Heide’s father came and took them to the Russian area of Berlin in East Germany.

In 1948 a “Coyote” (human smuggler) took the family through a forest to West Berlin.

Unfortunately, we ran out of time and Heide
needed to end her story there. We are hoping she can return to finish telling us her fascinating story.

Miguel Hernandez told us that he recently was elected to the Cambria Community Health District (CCHD) and is still learning the ropes. He introduced Mike McDonough who was hired in August 2019 as the new Administrator. Mike has 37 years in Emergency Medical Services as a field Paramedic and as an educator. Mike has a B.A. in Emergency and Disaster Management, a Masters in Health Sciences/EMS Leadership, and is working on a Ph.D in education and Transformative Leadership.

Mike told us that CCHD was created in 1947 with the objective of attracting physicians and dentists to locate their practice to the community. Community healthcare districts were originally created to bring healthcare to rural areas of California and provide jobs for war veterans. CCHD provides ambulance service to an 810

square mile area and responds to about 1500 incidents a year with an average of 600 requiring transport to the hospital. Since Cambria is so far from area hospitals, the paramedics are trained to provide more medical care than paramedics in larger cities.

In addition to providing ambulance and paramedic services, the District provides cpr training, health and wellness education and emergency preparedness education.

Mike cautioned us that people tend to think 911 will be around forever but this is not happening everywhere. As a public entity, CCHD is supported by taxes but that does not cover all

the expenses. So, the board has created a trust to help ensure that the district will be able to continue to provide the badly needed emergency services. The board is also working on identifying a helicopter landing site so patients can be transported quickly. Miguel also told us that they are working to see if an Urgent Care facility could be brought to town.

Thank you Mike for taking the time to educate our Club on the Community Healthcare District.

Donna Crocker introduced our speaker, Mara Purl, author and actress.

Mara shared with us short version of her journey to the Central Coast. What brought her to Cambria was an invitation from Jim and Olga Buckley to spend a summer co-starring in a professional production of Sea Marks at the Pewter Plough Playhouse. It was then that she realized that Cambria was too creative, too eccentric, too fantastic not to write about it!

Back in Los Angeles, she was cast as Darla Cook in Days of Our Lives. But Cambria was never far from her thoughts. She got interested in the longer form of storytelling. And realized that a small coastal town would be a perfect framework for a story of her own. During the run of the play at Pewter Plough, she was invited by Wally Wallenbrach, the owner of our local radio station K-Otter, to do a radio drama. By the time she accepted his invitation, the radio station had been sold but with support from Wally and our very own Bruce Howard, she was able to sell her show to the station.

Now she has to decide what to name the show. It would be based on Cambria, but she was unsure whether or not she should use the name Cambria. First, this was now a town full of friends, some of whom had already agreed to become cast members. Second, although she had experience as a journalist, this would not be a documentary. This would be drama. To protect the town and her friends and to give herself artistic freedom she decided to create a fictional town that had suspicious resemblances to Cambria. Mara created two main characters: one would be the head of the Environmental Planning Commission – at the time, there was no such thing; the other would be a builder-developer. They were
constantly at loggerheads. She then created two more main characters. One would
be an artist who painted wildlife and landscape; the other would be the heir to a
coastal oil company. Despite romantic interest, their lives were moving in opposite
directions.

While searching for a name for her fictitious town, she discovered that Cambria is a name for Wales. So she looked to the country of Wales for ideas. She located a town by the name of Milford-Haven and it was on a coastline very similar to Cambria. She commissioned local artist, Warren Talcott to create a visual representation of Milford-Haven and turned the radio show into a series of printed books.

Amazingly enough, word of her books drew the attention of the BBC, who was
interested in broadcasting her show in Great Britain! Mara realized that she would need to promote her story in Britain and Wales so she and her husband headed there. She was amazed to discover so many similarities between Cambria and Milford-Haven. Both towns had produced whale oil and were involved in ship building. With the demise of the whale oil trade, both towns turned to tourism. The people of Milford-Haven, Wales, welcomed Mara with open arms because she was helping to put their town on the map through her books.

Thank you for a very interesting presentation. You can read more about Mara Purl and her books at MaraPurl.com.

Julian Crocker introduced our speaker. Andrea Wogsland came to Cambria in 2019 to start her new position as Executive Director of Greenspace - The Cambria Land Trust. She brings
with her a background facilitating land conservation, environmental business design, community outreach, and environmental education. After working for a conservation-driven
investing firm and the local land trust, who operated the organic farm closest to New York City, Wogsland became a Project Partner with Southwest Strategies, a top public affairs firm in
California, spearheading an eco-tourism project. She galvanized the simmering need for healthy food in a community located in the South Bay of San Diego by leading the business
planning effort to start a grocery co-op market. The co-op now has over 300 owners. Since 2016, she has served as the Development Director for an animal welfare non profit organization in Santa Barbara County, CA with several environmental education programs. She serves on the board of directors of Southwest Wetlands Interpretive Association, a cooperative non profit organization with California State Parks and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration for the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve.

November 2019.

Wogsland attended Parsons School of Design’s business program for Design & Management in New York City.

Greenspace kicked off our #3000 Trees Initiative at our Earth Day celebration on April 21, 2019. More seeds got a jumpstart the following week when Greenspace participated in Cambria Grammar School's STEAM night. As of May, 35 families have stepped up to sow and care for a rack of 98 Monterey Pines in Super-Cells until they are ready to be planted with their sibling trees this fall. In total, our community is growing approximately 3,800 seedlings.

Growers are relaying that seed germination is already emerging anywhere from
one courageous leader to a family of 48 in greenhouse conditions. While the germination rate may vary between seed lots, we are on the path for our projected planting in

She also told us about Pocahontas Park (on the corner of Wilton Dr. & Newton) which is being used to demonstrate the prosperity of native plants. By exhibiting native plant growth, we hope to show Cambrians that a beautiful garden can be achieved with the addition of native plants. This inspiration scales to a larger audience through education events and volunteer involvement.

We learned about the Nature Club which focuses on exploration and discovery, the different age and generation groups being together allow for different needs and perspectives to be viewed by all. For example, the 15 year old is a role model for the 4 year old, who gives a helpful perspective through young eyes, and for myself, being an “elder,” I might share my thoughts and experiences with young parents.

ulian Crocker introduced our speaker, Leslie Kasanoff, DC, a fellow Rotarian from Los Osos who helps people who want natural treatments.

Below is directly from Leslie’s website:

I have spent my professional life in health care; initially beginning my career as a Medical Laboratory Technologist. “Then, there I was; called on to assist at the bedside, for a bone marrow biopsy. The frail, elderly lady looked, to my 22 year old eyes, to be 110.”

The pathologist thrusted a blunt-ended needle into her sternum (bone) and I cringed, averting my eyes. The blood-curdling screams seemed to suck all the energy from the room; seemed to suck any compassion he had from his heart as he maneuvered & manipulated that needle inside her sternum to obtain that sample.

Finally, after what seemed hours, the screaming stopped, he handed the sample to me, where-upon I made the requisite microscope slides and brought them & the remaining sample back to the lab. As I handed the sample to

the technologist, I told her the story. She looked back at me with sad eyes, “But, Leslie, they don’t even treat leukemia in people that age.”

I was appalled and devastated! Here I was, technically still a student, just weeks from graduating after 5 long and grueling years. I instantly understood that in my then current position I was helpless to effect change in her life or in the system that put she and I in these positions. I knew, in that instant that I needed to be outside of that system in order to effect change and to truly help people heal.

My science background allowed me to quickly separate the chaff from the grain & see what made sense and had real scientific support and what didn’t, regardless of who published it. Fast forward to the fall of 2018, I left Community Health Centers (where I had
taken a position to serve mostly those with limited access to healthcare), went on a Fall Foliage Bicycle trip thru New England, reuniting, for part of it with 2 of the cyclists that accompanied me on the trip nearly 40 years earlier. That trip
helped me reaffirm that we can still do whatever we want, regardless of age and circumstance if we have the inspiration to put the pieces of the puzzle
together . So on my return to the Central Coast, I recommitted myself to helping women, families and seniors find simple natural answers to common health problems.

I help debunk the myths surrounding diet, exercise, genetics and lifestyle.

I’ll help you find balance so you can holistically manage your health and move forward with clarity at a pace that’s comfortable yet challenging.

I even help my clients navigate the thorny confrontations of telling their physicians that they are choosing a drug- free path and wanting to elicit cooperation.

Youth Services Chair, Cynthia Woodruff-Neer, began the program by inviting Condee Seed up to the stage. Condee was the winner of our local 4-Way Test Essay Contest and also was selected as number 1 in the District! In error, Condee was previously given the award for 2nd place but, now that error has been corrected and she was presented with a $100 check.

Cynthia then went onto thank Heidi Santos and Donna Crocker for working with her to determine which students would be offered scholarships. She also thanked Nancy McKarney for doing up the certificates for the students.

CUHS Scholarship Winners Zack (Jack) Acevedo will be attending Cal Poly majoring in Agriculture Business. He hopes one day to set up agriculture programs in poorer countries.

Cesar Hernandez will be attending Cuesta with the hopes of transferring to Cal Poly or Long Beach State. He is planning on a degree in Nutrition and hopes to be a registered

dietician in the sports field. Karis Lawson will be attending Cal Poly working toward a degree in Landscape Architecture and a masters in City Planning.

Jasmine Torres will be pursuing a degree in Agriculture Business and Ranch Management. She thanked her parents for coming to the US and working so hard to

give her a better life and encouraging her to do her best. Haley Zinn will be attending Cal Poly to study Physics and/or Chemistry with an eye on a medical degree.

Leffingwell Scholarship Winners Zachery Dolan will attend Cuesta then transfer to Alan Hancock in pursuit of a

degree in Criminal Justice. Luis Ramos will be attending Cuesta majoring in Business. Jazlin Rixman is going to Cuesta with an eye on becoming a Psych Technician.

Vocational Services Chair, Laudon Rowen, presented all 6 Leffingwell graduates with Chrome Books so they are better prepared for the road ahead.

Once again, we were so impressed with the students of our local school district. The future looks bright. Thanks to Cynthia and Laudon for organizing this visit from the

students.