Writer Lisa Coffman of Los Osos is the winner of the 2010 Ingrid Reti Literary Grant. She will receive $1,000 for her selected piece of non-fiction.

“Coffman’s essay titled No Business is a wonderful ride through the history of a Tennessee town with unforgettable characters," said to the Reti grant reviewers. "Since Lisa comes from Tennessee, her characters have the cadence of that accent perfectly.”

This annual grant was established as a partnership of ARTS Obispo, San Luis Obispo County Arts Council and the family of Ingrid Reti, in memory of the beloved local writer and teacher.

Every two years, the City of San Luis Obispo's top budget priorities are identified through a robust public participation process. After hearing from the public at the Community Forum, via the Community Budget Bulletin Survey, and through its advisory bodies earlier this year, the city council identified the major city goals for the upcoming two-year financial planning period, beginning July 1.

The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County partnered with the California Art Club to provide land access to areas that are on non-public property, where access is limited. California Art Club artists visited San Luis Obispo County last spring to capture on canvas the unique natural landscapes en plein air (“in the open air”).

More than 50 artists from around the state participated in this “paint-out,” one of many events that marked the Club’s 100th anniversary. The centennial celebration was themed “Capturing California’s Preserved Lands and Historic Districts.”

Talley Vineyards will be hosting their fourth annual Mano Tinta revolving artist competition in March. Mano Tinta is a charity wine supported by a community effort including label artwork donated by local artists. 

Labels created for past vintages of the Mano Tinta wine have featured a 9-year-old child’s vision of a vineyard, a tribute to the farm worker and a beautiful hand shaped kaleidoscope of imagery reflecting the wine making process and vineyard worker. 

The label art competition is open to the general public and submissions are welcomed from artists of all ages.  Local artists may submit their display-ready artwork to the Talley Vineyards tasting room by March 7. 

The Business Times is seeking nominations for the 2011 Top 50 Women in Business awards. If you know an outstanding businesswoman in the region who should be considered, nominate her online at www.pacbiztimes.com, or by e-mailing Special Reports Editor Jim Logan at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
 
The Top 50 Women in Business special section will publish on March 25, and the winners will be honored at a reception at the Fess Parker Doubletree Resort in Santa Barbara on April 11 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. 

Paso Robles Wine Country announced recently that the Alzheimer’s Association of Southern California will be the beneficiary of 2011 Los Angeles Grand Tasting Tour. The nonprofit organization will receive partial net proceeds from the wine organization’s annual Grand Tasting event which is taking place in downtown Los Angeles at the Vibiana. (214 S. Main Street) on March 2.

The Alzheimer's Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer care, support and research. Its mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. 

The afternoon tasting, 1 – 5 p.m. is open to members of the wine trade and media. The evening tasting, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., is open to wine enthusiasts of all levels and features more than 38 wineries and hospitality partners, and an array of gourmet appetizers by RoomForty. Tickets are $60 per person and are now available on www.pasowine.com.

On Tuesday, 20 San Luis Obispo County educators attended a teacher training to learn how to implement climate change curriculum into their lesson plans. The curriculum is based on 16 lessons covering greenhouse gas emissions, energy, waste and transportation.

Teachers receive the initial training, climate toolkit, access to ongoing support, assistance from a college intern and a stipend after teaching the lessons.

The program has been made possible through a partnership between the San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District, the San Luis Obispo County Department of Planning and Building, the Clarence E. Heller Foundation, and Strategic Energy Innovations (SEI). Since spring 2010, the county’s teachers have been teaching lessons on climate change in their classrooms. 

Morris and Garritano Insurance proudly welcomes Daniel Gilman as property and casualty sales executive. Gilman is a Visalia, Calif. native who moved to the Central Coast to attend Cal Poly. After graduating with a degree in business administration and a concentration in finance, Gilman joined the team at Morris & Garritano.

He has since earned his AAI, Accredited Advisor in Insurance designation. 

Hathway, a local digital media agency founded in 2008 by Cal Poly graduates Jesse Dundon and Kevin Rice, has been gaining ground in the world of web design and brand experience. Over the past few months they have hired three new full time and two part time employees, giving them a team of thirteen talented developers and marketers, as well as quarterly social media interns from Cal Poly.

Hathway is proud to announce its new hires, including Project Manager Lee Flayton, full-time developer Paul “PJ” English, and Digital Campaign Manager Kristine Canada, as well as the promotion of Mary Dundon to media relations coordinator. 

Flayton is a Bradley University graduate with a BA in Multimedia. He is passionate about auto racing and worked at Midwest Performance Cars in Chicago for three years. He then spent seven years working on the CBBA Minority Job Fair Project for Wildman Harrold LLP in Chicago.