Community, Cultural, Political, Activist, and General Interest

Most of the items listed here are posted exactly as received from the organization presenting the event. We at the Journal are not responsible for content accuracy.

Kite Festival  Returns to Morro Bay April 26-27

The sky around Morro Rock will be bursting with color as the 8th annual Morro Bay Kite Festival flies into town April 26-27. This free, family event offers great entertainment for all ages as professionals and amateurs, children and adults show off their kite-flying skills. 

 Teams of kite-flyers and kite-dancers from around the country will amaze the crowd with choreographed kite routines set to music.

The first 500 children to attend on Saturday will receive free kites, donated by Central Coast Funds for Children. A highlight both days will be the traditional Candy Drop, when candy will fall from the sky.

Festivities get under way at 11 a.m. both days on the beach just north of Morro Rock and continue throughout the afternoon. Admission is free. For more information about this great Morro Bay tradition, go to Morro Bay Kite Festival.

Morro Bay 50th Celebration Helps Fund ‘Those Who Wait’ Statue

The Morro Bay 50th Celebration Committee recently contributed $2,500 toward completion of a public art sculpture to be installed at Target Rock near the entrance of Morro Bay Harbor. Central Coast Women for Fisheries has been working to raise funds for the larger-than-life-size bronze sculpture of a woman and two children looking out to sea. Titled “Those Who Wait,” it is dedicated to the families of fishermen who wait on shore.

The Morro Bay 50th Celebration Committee hopes to make additional donations to the project as fundraising activities continue. The goal is to have the legacy art project fully funded before the end of Morro Bay’s 50th Anniversary year, along with the completion of several other community projects, including the burial of a time capsule and the planting of 50 cypress trees at key locations in the city. For the latest on all 50th Anniversary activities, go to Morro Bay 50th.

 Information about the sculpture project and how to donate is available at Central Coast Women for Fisheries.

State of the Bay Event Series Coming in April

Hosted by the Morro Bay National Estuary Program, State of the Bay provides opportunities for the public to learn about the environmental health of Morro Bay, including local wildlife, sea life, and the sensitive estuarine environment. Events include a guided Black Hill Hike on April 3 at 9am, the Bay Health and Science Presentations at Morro Bay Community Center on April 5th at 1pm, a Family Event at Tidelands Park on April 12 at 10am, DogFest at the Meadow at Del Mar Park on April 26 at 10am, a Bay Friendly Gardening Presentation at Sage Ecological Nursery in Los Osos, on-water tours, and more in and around Morro Bay.

The goal of State of the Bay is to share real, local science with the public about the health of the bay, and to engage the community in helping to keep the Morro Bay estuary clean. Data collected over the last five years will be presented in the State of the Bay report, a science-based assessment of the health of Morro Bay and the Morro Bay watershed. The report, available in March, will present results on water quality, sedimentation, bird populations, eelgrass monitoring, and many other aspects of bay health. State of the Bay is made possible by a grant from the Harold J. Miossi Charitable Trust.

More information about State of the Bay and the complete event schedule is available online at MBNEP/State of the Bay. For questions, email Kathryn Winfrey, Communications and Development Coordinator, or call (805) 772-3834.

The Morro Bay National Estuary Program is a non-regulatory, non-profit organization that brings together citizens, local government, agencies, and landowners to protect and restore the Morro Bay Estuary for people and wildlife. The program conducts monitoring and research, restores natural habitats, and educates residents and visitors on how to keep Morro Bay clean and healthy. Morro Bay National Estuary Program

For more information or to rent our facilities, call: 772-2504 or go to our web site: www.artcentermorrobay.com

Treasures Galore in Morro Bay During City Wide Yard Sale - April 5-6

Hundreds of businesses, organizations and individual households throughout the city will be selling every imaginable type of treasure from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday. Treasure maps leading to participating locations can be found in the April 3 edition of the Bay News. Maps also will be available April 3-5 at Brenda Sue’s Consignment, 248 Morro Bay Blvd. Brenda Sue’s is the official yard sale headquarters and will open at 7 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday.

Sellers with special items to sell can have their listings included on the treasure map for a $15 fee. To get on the map, register before March 27 at the Morro Bay Chamber of Commerce, 695 Harbor St.

The City Wide Yard Sale is put on every year by Morro Bay Beautiful, a nonprofit community organization dedicated to preserving and enhancing the beauty of Morro Bay. Buyers come from all over California to get great deals on glorious goods. For more information, call the Morro Bay Chamber of Commerce at (805) 772-4467.

Splashes of Light

"Pelicans" from a Student's Painting

The Morro Bay Art Association, in celebration of Morro Bays’ National Estuary Program, is featuring Kathy Millers watercolor students in our April show entitled “Splashes of Light.” The show opens on April 10th and closes May 19th hours are Noon to 4pm. Opening Reception will be held Sunday April 13th from 2-4pm. Free and open to the public. Art Center Gallery 835 Main Street, or visit Morro Bay Art Center Interested in renting our activity room, call the Gallery: 772-2504

The Family Care Network’s 11th annual Miracle Mile for Kids

On Saturday, April 19th, lace up with the Family Care Network’s (FCNI) 11th annual Miracle Miles for Kids (MM4K). Join FCNI from 8:30am to 12:00pm starting at Morro Rock in Morro Bay as we continue 11 years of running for a reason on the Central Coast.

MM4K's unique 6.2 mile all-sand course runs from the start at Morro Rock, along the water, and to Cayucos Pier, following one of the most beautiful stretches of beach in California. MM4K is perfect for all types—from serious athletes trying to beat personal records, to casual beach runners, to people looking for fun for the whole family. We invite all to register online at Miracle Mile for Kids or in person on April 19th between 6:00 and 8:00 am at Morro Rock in Morro Bay. Early birds can enjoy a special discounted registration cost of $35 for adults, and $15 for children.

For over a decade, MM4K participants have come together with the community in support of the children and families served by FCNI, cumulatively raising last year’s goal of $1 Million. Thousands more will join this year in MM4K to help advance FCNI’s mission of enhancing the lives of children and families in partnership with the community. MM4K is proof that together, we can truly make a difference in the live of children and families in need in the Central Coast.

Sponsors Sought for Bands on the Run

MORRO BAY, Calif. – Bands on the Run will return May 31 with a music-driven half marathon, 10K and 5K along the sand to raise funds for the Morro Bay High School music department.

After a successful inaugural year in 2013, run organizers say this year’s event will be bigger and better, with numerous live bands playing at key points along the course, including a rock band at majestic Morro Rock, the turn-around point for the 5K walk/run.

All courses begin at Morro Bay High School and head through the Cypress Tunnel, a tree-lined path that leads directly to the Estero Bay coastline. Upon reaching the beach, 10K and Half Marathon participants will head north toward Cayucos while 5K entrants head south.

The MBHS Music Boosters is a volunteer group of parents and community members committed to providing for the needs of the school’s music program that are not met by current school funding. Much of the money raised comes from race registration and participation fees, but sponsors are needed now to help with organizing expenses and promotion of the upcoming event.

Several groups have already signed on to assist with this year’s run, including: Morro Bay Chamber of Commerce; Morro Bay Tourism Bureau; James N. Clark, D.D.S.; Rio Salon & Spa; Embarcadero Inn; and WTP Tech Support. Those interested in learning more about the benefits of sponsorship can contact Debbie Clark, president of the MBHS Music Boosters, at (805) 225-6040 or go to www.MorroBayBOTR.com.

Registration information is also available at the Bands on the Run website or by emailing musicboostersmbhs@gmail.com

Morro Bay Seeks Pictures of the Past

As the city's 50th anniversary approaches, Morro Bay residents are taking a look back at the people, places and events that helped make the community what it is today. Anyone with ties to the area is being asked to leaf through family photo albums and find pictures that could be used during a citywide celebration next year to mark 50 years since Morro Bay became a city on July 17, 1964. "We're particularly looking for actions shots – a fire breaking out or an event taking place," said Morro Bay photographer Garry Johnson, who is gathering photos for the celebration. "We're concentrating on the past five decades, but we're interested in photos from any period."  While pictures of the sun setting behind Morro Rock may be beautiful, they don't necessarily tell a story about the city's history. Johnson said celebration organizers are most interested in finding photos that illustrate life in the community.

 The 50th anniversary celebration is still in the planning stages, Johnson said, and organizers are looking at a number of ways that the photos might be used. "It depends on what we have to work with," he said. "We'd like to get ten pictures from each decade – the '60s, the '70s, the '80s, etc. – and make them part of a huge display. It would be a portable presentation of photos that could be moved to different locations around town." He said a book or other commemorative publication is also being considered. Johnson assured that those who contribute photos will receive appropriate credit and that they will be able to keep their originals.

 "We will copy them and get written permission to use them," he said. He noted that the search is not limited to photos from the past 50 years. If  people have older photos of historical significance, he and his fellow organizers would be interested in seeing those, too. Johnson is working with Bill and Tracy Shewchuk at Suite 1 Gallery. For more information, call Johnson at (805) 772-3738, or send email. Or, photos can be taken to the gallery at 601 Embarcadero, Suite 1, Morro Bay.

Read About More Events on Page 2

Visit various local city sites for their upcoming events listings: Los Osos, Morro Bay, Cayucos, Cambria.