Making the decision to cancel Cambria’s Pinedorado fest was ‘difficult, caring and wise’
On Aug. 14, a longtime friend in Cambria emailed me a news tip about a quirky power line situation.
It wasn’t about what we in the news business would call an urgent, breaking news story, one for which olden-days reporters would have screamed “stop the presses!”
But I was super grateful for her alert, anyway. And, by golly, it fit into The Cambrian’s Sheriff’s Log for the next edition.
When it comes to news on the North Coast, tag, I’m it. And I rely so heavily on each and every one of you to keep me in the loop.
I cannot be everywhere from Big Sur to Cayucos, especially during a raging coronavirus pandemic — and especially because my paycheck reflects only 19 hours a week. I’m technically a part-timer.
So, when Johnny-on-the-spot folks tell me what’s happening in their neighborhood, their governmental agency or their school, it helps tremendously.
No, we can’t put all of it in the paper.
A newspaper’s size depends greatly on the advertising that supports it, and these have been super tough times for area businesses.
Even with the recent uptick in tourism business, some entrepreneurs still are having a hard time keeping the lights on and employees paid. They’re also struggling to hire enough employees to serve the customers whose purchases help pay those bills.
Lions Club cancels Pinedorado celebration
The cancellation of the Lions Club of Cambria’s 2021 Pinedorado festivities due to COVID concerns won’t help that business fiscal shortfall at all.
Lions board members confirmed the cancellation decision on Aug. 14.
From a public health standpoint, the cancellation was, in my mind, the right decision.
The Delta variant of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus has been rampaging through the United States lately, rocketing up the rate of new COVID-19 cases, deaths and hospitalizations across the country.
Local coronavirus stats, too, are alarming.
It’s not easy for everyone to accept not having Pinedorado this year, even though they may know in their hearts that it’s a wise decision.
Some folks had already started building their floats and sewing costumes for the 2021 parade, or begun lining up marchers and people to hand out flags.
Others had firmed up employee schedules, made motel reservations for the three-day Labor Day holiday weekend and started tidying up guest rooms.
Still others had started laying in pricey supplies for the event. The Lions Club, for instance, already ordered and paid for succulent top sirloin beef for the barbecue that’s a must-have for Pinedorado attendees.
That’s a lot of tradition to tweak, and the Lions club members were loathe to disrupt it — as they had to do in 2020.
But when all the cards were on the table, that’s what they decided to do.
Pinedorado 2021 was canceled.
“This has been an incredibly difficult and challenging discussion for us as an organization,” Lions Club president Greg Aitkens, who took on that assignment in June, wrote in a Aug. 14 email to community members. “All else being said, I believe each of us truly wants what is best for our community and for our Lions Club going forward.”
What’s next for Cambria residents?
If you’re comfortable with having family and friends visit the Central Coast, tell them “Y’all come!”
People can still plan their trips to the North Coast and San Luis Obispo County, as long as they conduct their visits safely. Yes, that means masks and social distancing, folks.
There are still a gazillion glorious attractions here, from the elephant seal rookery at Piedras Blancas to Cambria’s Fiscalini Ranch Preserve and Monterey pine forest. This area also offers surfing, tidepooling, hiking, biking, shopping, wine tasting and great food, plus vivid sunsets and glorious views from boardwalks and trails. And there’s lots more to see and enjoy in the rest of the county.
The area also offers the opportunity to slow down and breathe.
We can still share all of those assets, but in smaller groups than would have gathered close together in a Pinedorado setting.
Yes, the cancellation of Pinedorado was breaking news, and I got the lowdown quickly from Greg and other Lions club members.
I’m so very grateful to them, too, for the tips, for 72 years of tradition, and for what was a difficult, caring and wise decision for the community we all love.
This story was originally published August 18, 2021 at 5:05 AM with the headline "Making the decision to cancel Cambria’s Pinedorado fest was ‘difficult, caring and wise’."
