News Briefs, April 8, 2021

Quick Pickle founders Meagan Gilbert and Andrea Wasko

Written by Theresa-Marie Wilson

Theresa-Maria Wilson has been a journalist covering the North Coast and South County area for over 20 years. She is also the founder of Cat Noir CC and is currently working on a novel.

April 8, 2021

Above, Quick Pickle Kit founders Meaghan Gilbert and Andrea Wasko wearing the company’s custom face masks.

Quick Pickle Kit Celebrates 25 Years

For the past quarter of a century, the Los Osos based Quick Pickle Kit company has provided jobs for adults with disabilities and financial support for nonprofits. As a social entrepreneurial company, they wanted to do more than make money – they wanted to do good.

The Quick Pickle Kit DIY Pickling Kit is a safe, quick, simple, and natural way to pickle any vegetable in a fraction of the time and with minimal effort, company founders, Meaghan Gilbert and Andrea Wasko, said, adding the Quick Pickle Kit is a fun, healthy and educational activity the family can do together.

“We’re on a mission to utilize our business and our products as tools to create a healthier and more caring world,” said Andrea, company president. “We do this one Quick Pickle Kit at a time”

Andrea and Meaghan received the SBA’s Small Business Persons of the Year Award in 2019 for their philanthropic business model of providing jobs for adults with disabilities and for supporting nonprofits. Recent ways they gave back to the community include virtually mentoring Five UC graduate school of management interns for four months over the summer. They are also Community Emergency Response Team members and support their neighbors by delivering free fresh fruit boxes and are now volunteering with the vaccine rollout.

For more information, go to quickpicklekit.com.

Morro Bay Chamber Supports Racial Equality Challenge

The Morro Bay Chamber of Commerce released a statement following the recent shooting spree in Atlanta, Georgia that killed eight people, six of whom were Asian women.

“We are profoundly saddened by the rise in violent attacks targeted at the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in the nation,” said President and CEO Erica D. Crawford. “The Morro Bay Chamber of Commerce unequivocally condemns racism and violence of every kind. We are committed to calling out injustice and providing a safe, inclusive environment for everyone. We believe that everyone deserves to be treated with respect and dignity.

“Our business community is a woven tapestry of many cultural and ethnic backgrounds, including Asian Americans. From hotel operators, employees of businesses, and a Living Treasure, we stand by our AAPI community. If you have been impacted by racist events happening in our nation, please let us know how we can be your ally and help you feel safe in our community. “

For people looking to learn more about how to create a more equitable community and world, the United Way is hosting a 21-Day Challenge as part of their commitment to racial equity, diversity and inclusion. Learn more about the Challenge at unitedwayslo.org/edi21.

New Artistic Library Cards Released

New library card designs from the County of San Luis Obispo Public Libraries and the SLO County Arts Council were rolled out during National Library Week, which continues through Apr. 10.

Three designs were chosen from a 2020 collaboration and contest. The designs featured on the 2021 library cards are by local artists Creig P. Sherburne, Ken Christensen and Alissa Maddren. Anyone registering for a new library card or replacing a card will have a choice of one of the three designs.

“We are celebrating the library’s commitment to culture and art,” said Edel Mitchell, project coordinator for the San Luis Obispo County Arts Council. “The library is a hub for not only literary art but visual and performing art as well.”

Visit the San Luis Obispo, Arroyo Grande, Morro Bay, and Atascadero libraries Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. (closed 1– 2:15 p.m.). SLO County residents can also access the Library at SLOLibrary.org to register for an eCard.

Monarch and Pollinator Highway Takes Flight

Urgent protections for the struggling western monarch butterfly are moving forward.

Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo), Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) reintroduced the bipartisan, bicameral Monarch Action, Recovery, and Conservation of Habitat (MONARCH) Act as well as the Monarch and Pollinator Highway Act to help save the iconic and important butterfly whose population has dropped by 99% since the 1980s.

“The MONARCH Act and Monarch Pollinator Highway Act makes critical investments in conservation projects so we can restore their habitats and preserve this beloved pollinator for future generations to experience and enjoy,” said Rep. Carbajal.

This legislation would authorize $62.5 million for projects aimed at conserving the western monarch and an additional $62.5 million to implement the Western Monarch Butterfly Conservation Plan, prepared by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies in January 2019. The $62.5 million in funding for each effort would be divided into five annual installments of $12.5 million.

The Monarch and Pollinator Highway Act would establish a federal grant program available to state departments of transportation and Native American tribes to carry out pollinator-friendly practices on roadsides and highway rights-of-way. This legislation would help address the steep decline of pollinator populations, which poses a serious threat to California farmers and the American food supply.

Blood Donors Needed

After successful blood drives at Arroyo Grande Community Hospital, French Hospital Medical Center, and Marian Regional Medical Center, Dignity Health Central Coast hospitals have again partnered with Vitalant in a proactive effort to encourage community members to donate blood. In order to bolster local and national blood supplies, Vitalant is calling on the community to come forward and give blood. The process takes only 45 minutes but can save up to three lives.

The drive is scheduled for each hospital on the following dates:

  • French Hospital Medical Center – Tuesday, April 13 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the back parking lot, 1911 South Johnson Avenue, San Luis Obispo
  • Arroyo Grande Community Hospital – Wednesday, April 28 from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. in the Annex Conference Room, 345 South Halcyon Road, Arroyo Grande

There is currently a critical shortage of blood, and all community members are asked to take the short amount of time to donate. Community members wishing to donate are urged to sign up at www.blood4life.org. Do not donate if you are feeling ill.

Perfect Union is Growing

Perfect Union, a cannabis dispensary chain with a store in Morro Bay, is looking to double its retail locations this year following a $10.8 million equity offering through its holding company, MWG Holdings Group Inc.

Currently the company operates dispensaries in Sacramento, Marysville, Riverbank, Turlock, Seaside, Morro Bay and Weed. New locations on their radar include Shasta, Marina Del Rey, Ukiah, San Francisco, Napa and Stockton.

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