Congregation Beth David (CBD) announced last week that they have reached a settlement with the bank, the terms of which are confidential; however the Jewish congregation will continue to own its synagogue.

“We can’t thank our congregation and this wonderful community enough for the support and donations over the past three weeks,” said CBD Co-President Gregg Loberstein. “And most of all, thanks to the bank for working with us so that we could be where we are today – owners of our temple and secure in our future in this holy place that means so much to us.”

Loberstein added that a celebration is planned to thank the bank and the community, put on by the members of the congregation at no cost to CBD.

Cuesta College graduated 645 students at the 46th annual commencement ceremony on Friday, May 20.

The Cuesta College 2011 graduating class, which includes students that have completed degree requirements in the fall 2010, spring 2011 and summer 2011 semesters, earned a total of 765 degrees.

Students from three international countries, including Canada, Honduras, and India, and five states, including Arizona, Idaho, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington are among the graduating class.

Lido Restaurant in Pismo Beach recently announced that Brian Collins is the new executive chef. Collins will carry on the legacy of former executive chef Evan Treadwell, who left Lido Restaurant this month for a new culinary opportunity.

Lido Restaurant and Lounge is situated on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, offering breathtaking views for your dining experience.

Featuring wine country, coastal cuisine, Collins will showcase the bounty of local ingredients from our area and prepare them with world-class style. The menu changes seasonally and is designed to be paired with our local, Central Coast Wines. Lido has won the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence since its opening and supports the local wine community.

After reading over 30 emails and letters from non-profit organizations across San Luis Obispo County, Quaglino Roofing has selected the Boys & Girls Club of North San Luis Obispo County as the recipient of a new roof.

“We received many emotional and compelling entries,” said Quaglino Roofing President, Matt Quaglino. “But the Boys & Girls Club really grabbed our attention, and after we visited the site, we decided they needed a roof quickly, in order to continue their program.” 

Located in Paso Robles, Calif., the Boys & Girls Club of North San Luis Obispo County has been placing trashcans and buckets throughout the building, catching drops of water and preventing children and staff from getting dripped on.

In the midst of California’s ongoing budget crisis, Hearst Castle has found a new way to meet the demands of a reduced California State Parks’ budget, and not turn away summertime visitors that fuel the local economy.

State Parks has always pushed the envelope of creative solutions for meeting its mission and starting in June, will be providing a new tour option that could become a visitor favorite.

“We are a mission driven organization that prides itself on providing high-quality interpretation to the public, but we recognize the need to reduce that level of service in order to cut costs, said Nick Franco, superintendent of the San Luis Obispo Coast District. “However, we didn’t want to negatively impact our visitation or revenue nor impact the local businesses that rely on tourism.”

The Cuesta College Board of Trustees voted to approve a $2.9 million budget reduction plan for the 2011-2012 academic year at Wednesday’s board meeting, resulting in permanent assignment reductions, reduced workloads and position eliminations for approximately 120 employees.

As of July 1, a total of 43 non-teaching positions will have their hours reduced, six positions will be eliminated and approximately 70 part-time faculty will have their class loads reduced or eliminated. In addition, six unfilled positions will undergo a hiring freeze until further notice.

“This is the worst financial situation Cuesta College has faced in several decades,” said Superintendent President Dr. Gil Stork. “My goal is to keep as many people as possible employed and as many students as possible in the classroom.”

As communities endure continuing economic challenges, feeding hungry people with nutritious food is a daunting task. This year, more than ever, the Food Bank Coalition of San Luis Obispo County is counting on Hunger Awareness Day to help as many as 40,000 residents overcome the increased challenge to feed their families.  

Hunger Awareness Day 2011 is set for Friday, June 3, and event organizers say they’ll need to top last year’s “One Day, One Dollar, One Big Challenge to Feed the Hungry” campaign total of $96,000 to meet the ever-growing demand for food assistance in our county. In fact, organizers have set the biggest goal ever of $150,000. 

Carl Hansen, Executive Director said “because the need is greater than ever we hope to exceed our best Hunger Awareness Day which was almost $130,000. We have no choice but to strive upwards even in these tough fundraising times to meet that need. We can reach our goal if every resident who can, gives a dollar or more!”

Cal Poly’s newest student housing complex, Poly Canyon Village, has been honored with the Innovator Award by Student Housing Business magazine.

The honor was given to Poly Canyon Village architectural designer Niles Bolton Associates for the category of Best New Development: On-Campus. The award was presented April 13 at the Interface Student Housing Conference held in Austin, Texas. 

Poly Canyon Village boasts 615 apartments with 2,661 beds, as well as 1,926 parking spaces and 11, 255 square feet of retail space. Cal Poly is home to the largest student housing program in the California State University System, with more than 6,200 residents.
Poly Canyon Village is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Lee & Associates Central Coast welcomes Mark Santiago as an Associate. He will specialize in industrial and office brokerage and will be based in Lee's Santa Maria office.
 
Santiago joins Lee Central Coast as one of the top producers from Trilogy at Monarch Dunes on the California Central Coast. Trilogy at Monarch Dunes is a 970-acre, mixed-use Master Planned Development consisting of three golf courses, a proposed 140,000-square-feet village center, 500-room hotel and over 1,120 lots for single family residences.

Prior to his time at Trilogy, Mark served as account executive for Clear Channel Communications in Phoenix, San Diego and Los Angeles, where he created sports marketing campaigns for many local businesses and national advertising agencies.