South County Beat: Arroyo Grande woman accepted into Peace Corps and is headed to Georgia—the country

South County Beat

By Nick Wilson & Dawn White

Kirsten L. Kensinger, 24, of Arroyo Grande has been accepted into the Peace Corps.

She departed Thursday for the Eastern European country of Georgia to begin training as a volunteer teacher. She’ll teach English and technology skills and help implement community outreach projects.

Kensinger is the daughter of Fran and Tim Kensinger and a graduate of Arroyo Grande High School. She attended St. Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Ind., where she graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in humanistic studies in 2007.

During the first three months of her service, Kensinger will live with a host family in Georgia. After acquiring the language and cultural skills necessary to assist the community there, Kensinger will serve for two years.

The first Peace Corps volunteers arrived in Georgia, a former Soviet republic between Russia and Turkey, in May 2001. Since then, 255 volunteers have served in rural communities and towns throughout the country, where they work in English language education and business and social entrepreneurship. Currently, 82 volunteers are serving in Georgia.

To learn more about the Peace Corps, visit www.peacecorps.gov. Hear Avila Beach’s history

The public is invited to a free talk today titled “From Chumash to Union Oil: the history of Avila Beach.”

Pete Kelley, a member of the Avila Beach services district board and a trustee with the Avila Beach Community Foundation, will give his presentation at the Avila Beach Community Center at 191 San Miguel St.

Kelley is a Cal Poly graduate in history and is chairman of the exhibit committee of the Historical Society.

He has firsthand knowledge of the devastation of the oil spills at Avila Beach and the consequences of the cleanup. He has lived in Avila Beach for nearly 40 years and owned the popular Seaside Café on Front Street.

He is also known for his long-distance swims—sometimes called “polar bear swims” — in frigid winter waters.

Grants for local education

The Arroyo Grande High School student newspaper, The Eagle Times, recently received a grant to improve its production hardware and software.

Twenty-four school newspapers received grants from the California Newspaper Publishers Association that ranged from $400 to $1,500; it was unclear exactly how much Arroyo Grande had been awarded.

Also, Oceano Elementary School recently received a $5,000 grant from Pacific Gas and Electric Co.

The money will help Oceano Elementary students produce a small magazine-style guide to solar energy.

“Our primary focus for this project is to inform people about the benefits of solar energy and also encourage them to make smart energy choices,” said Jim De Cecco, a sixth-grade teacher at the school.