Cover Story
Regarding Adam
Of the five bodies comprising the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors, Adam Hill has been one of the more polarizing in recent years. The Jersey boy with a liberal core is rounding out his first term, with hopes of continuing another four years in office, if he can beat his opponent from Pismo…
Sunny Acres scores a win
The bill for the much ballyhooed Sunny Acres cleanup just went down—way down. On April 20, San Luis Obispo Superior Court Judge Charles Crandall gave a nod to the PolyHouse project to remediate code violations at Sunny Acres, a sober-living facility for otherwise homeless individuals that was upended by code violations and subsequent court battles.…
Down to Earth
What is the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything? According to the super computer Deep Thought, after seven and a half million years of calculations, it turns out it’s “42”—at least according to Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. (What the ultimate question is, well, that’s another story!…
Party like it’s 1989
Somewhere, buried in a box of old VHS tapes, is a video of the Rock Steady Posse guys at an after-hours party at my house in maybe 1989 or so, and I’m 100 percent sure it’s filled with blackmail material. Thankfully, the statute of limitations is long past. It was back when I used to…
Meet the Millers!
If you’re at all familiar with local dance or theater, it’s likely you’ve experienced the work of Emmy-winning choreographer Suzy Miller. But did you know she used to be a singer? “See, back in the hippie day I was a Joni Mitchell-esque guitar and banjo playing boho chick,” Miller explained in an e-mail. “Then the…
Making waves
The story of Undine begins at the bottom of the Mediterranean. The year is 1711—though this fact is of little consequence to those inhabiting the ageless depths of the sea. But time passes at a far swifter clip for those who live on the shore. Today, Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué’s slender novella, which tells…
Questions For: Shannon Bates
NEW TIMES What prompted you to address the need for a new skate park in SLO? BATES What’s really cool about the campaign to build a new skate park is that it came from the community. It is the definition of grassroots. NEW TIMES How did the community voice their want for a new…
Money talks
Americans paid $1.46 billion for dreams of wining the Mega Lotto on March 30. Three lucky individuals did have the winning numbers, and will divide the $656 million. The dollar amount drew the nation’s attention. However, few of us noticed that Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, received a total compensation of $378 million last year (he…
Meet the real tax cheats
Recently, the Tribune printed an article that said if all the taxpayers paid what they owed without pushing the deduction envelope, then California would wipe out its debt. Even if everyone paid the max, the government would manage to blow it anyway. The more you give, the more they spend. How about cutting the waste…
Give our money back!
Dear Lisa Solomon, former chief of the Paso Robles Police Department, Have you ever heard, “Sticks and stones may break my bones … ?” Because, seriously lady, you really feel the need for Paso Robles to pay you $250,000 for resigning? City Manager Jim App allocated $230,500 of this money for “damage to her reputation…
Keep on freerunning!
That was a great article about parkour and freerunning in the April 12 New Times (“Parkour brothers”). I’d like your readers to know that there are freerunning classes offered at YMCA in Paso Robles for kids and adults. It’s a wonderful facility at Centennial Park. My granddaughters, ages 8 and 3, are taking freerunning classes…
More rural housing means extending services and costs
The April 12 issue of New Times contains an opinion by COLAB representative Mike Brown, which blasts local air pollution regulations (“Airing grievances”). Disregarded is the public good in favor of practices to benefit COLAB members’ businesses and aspirations for agricultural land development. Mr. Brown spews a position that, because the quantity of local air…
We must curb growth at any cost
Mike Brown, government affairs director of COLAB (the Coalition of Labor, Agriculture, and Business of SLO County), wrote an opinion piece in New Times for the April 12 edition (“Airing grievances”). True to COLAB’s screed of opposition to any environmental regulations or, for that matter, any green initiative, he argued in favor of giving free…
SLO County leads on destructive regulations
My name is Mario Estrada, and I’m the president and co-founder of the Central Coast Real Estate Investors Association. I read your commentary (“Airing grievances,” April 12) concerning these new regulations being imposed on the very people who are creating badly needed housing. My main concern here is this: Who are the people that are…
Dispatchers deserved more dignity
I was just a little disappointed this evening when I read your article, “The comedy and tragedy of dispatch,” by Colin Rigley (April 12). The article was certainly entertaining and well written, and I appreciate the fact that it gave clear validation to the serious nature of the dispatchers’ duties. However, I was saddened that…
Hit and run
When I was a wee mite, knee-high to a grasshopper, an ugly duckling of sorts, I dreamed of being an Olympic athlete. It was a far-fetched sort of goal, but what’s the beauty in dreaming in reasonable measures? To the credit of my family, teachers, and mentors, no one tried to strip me of this…
Whatever happened to Code Pink?
At the height of the Iraq War, Code Pink: Women for Peace, had an e-mail list that numbered anywhere from 350 to 500 requests for information. This was after Medea Benjamin spoke at the Chumash Auditorium at Cal Poly and told the audience about the horrors of this invasion, complete with photos supplied by the…
Morgan 2010 Cotes Du Crow’s Monterey
This impressive wine is even better when you consider the price. A blend of 55 percent Syrah and 45 percent Grenache, the grapes were grown in central and southern Monterey County where daytime temperatures are typically warmer. Intensely hued, the rich, ripe fruit flavors are nicely balanced and delicious. Aromas and flavors of blackberries, plums,…
Baileyana 2009 Chardonnay Edna Valley GFC
Winemaker Christian Roguenant explained that this Chardonnay is made from the top blocks in the Niven family’s Firepeak Vineyard. Named Grand Firepeak Cuvee “GFC,” it’s aged in 100 percent French oak, 38 percent new. I enjoyed the delicious flavors of sweet pear, nectarine, and minerals, nicely offset by nuances of lemon and tropical notes. Enjoy…
Old Mission San Miguel Arcángel
Not many people, other than wine geeks, realize that our local wine production has a long, rich history that began with the California missions. Led by Father Junipero Serra, his friars planted Mission grapevines at Mission San Miguel soon after it was built in 1797. Actually named Mission grapes, they were the original black grape…
Basque food and spring eats
• Where locals once celebrated Oktoberfest—at Old Vienna in Shell Beach—they can now enjoy food inspired by a different region in Europe: Basque country. Alphy’s Basque Chateau announced an April 16 opening, offering family-style dishes, a full bar, and a kids’ menu. Diners hungry for a taste of French-Spanish flavors can tuck into roasted rack…
Clubs 4/19
Goin’ South … BRANCH ST. DELI: 203 E. Branch St., Arroyo Grande, 489-9099. Live music Fri. from 5:30-8:30 p.m. THE CLIFFS RESORT: 2757 Shell Beach Road, 773-5000 or cliffsresort.com. F. MCLINTOCKS SALOON: Two locations: 750 Mattie Road in Pismo Beach and 133 Bridge St. in Arroyo Grande. 773-1892 or mclintocks.com. Live music at the…
Take aim
“OK, so now that we’ve taught you all these techniques, if you’re ever in a home invasion type situation, just tell your husbands, ‘It’s OK, I’ve got this, get behind me and try not to weep too loud,’” CEO and instructor of Spartan Training Resources, John Marrs, quipped. The group of women present for Spartan…
Two for one
Never get behind the wheel after even one drink. That’s one of the first things court-appointed counselors tell clients following a first conviction for driving under the influence. It’s a vicious cycle, they say, and after that first conviction—with its 10-year probationary period and the added scrutiny from patrol officers—it’s relatively easy to find yourself…
Less money, more problems
Cuesta just can’t catch a break. With the danger of losing its accreditation looming large, the mood was already somber on April 4 as the Board of Trustees met to address ongoing shortfalls in state revenues by slashing another $3 million from the institution’s already anemic budget. The move eliminated 26 positions, laid off 16…
Clarifications
Susan McCabe’s billing dates referenced in last week’s Shredder (“Trimming the fat,” April 12) were from 2011. An April 16 article, “Loose Cannon?” needs clarification; the arrested individual was distraught over the death of his mother. An April 16 article, “Loose Cannon?” needs clarification; the arrested individual was distraught over the death of his…
Holloway memorial set
A memorial service for the world-renowned jazz and blues saxophonist James “Red” Holloway is set to take place at 1 p.m. on April 22 at the Cambria Vets Hall, at 1000 Main St., in Cambria. Holloway, a Central Coast resident, died Feb. 25 at the Bayside Care Center in Morro Bay after experiencing kidney failure…
SLO prepares for a run
The San Luis Obispo Police Department is urging residents to exercise patience and to drive carefully on April 22 when several major streets will be closed for the first ever SLO Marathon, a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The on and off ramps at Highway 101 and Marsh Street will be closed from…
SLO City increases attorney salary
On April 17, the San Luis Obispo City Council approved a salary increase for its city attorney. City Attorney Christine Dietrick didn’t speak as the council voted 4-1—with Councilman Dan Carpenter dissenting—to pass a resolution increasing her salary by 3.5 percent. She voluntarily turned down a performance-based raise in 2011. The bump comes after Dietrick…
Sunny Acres cleanup scheduled
For Sunny Acres, April 21 will either be a simple cleanup or the much-belated start of a code compliance overhaul. The sober-living facility is now under a court-appointed receiver tasked with scheduling work and hiring contractors to bring the property into compliance with county codes. Recently, however, members of the PolyHouse project identified Sunny Acres…
Morro Bay and Cayucos renew ‘consultant’ contract
In order to keep the pressure on the California Coastal Commission to sign off on the current proposed location for the wastewater treatment plant, the Morro Bay/Cayucos Sanitation District Joint Powers Authority (JPA) has renewed its contract with a controversial lobbyist. On April 12, the JPA voted 8-1 to retain the services of Susan McCabe,…
County responds to ousted sergeant
San Luis Obispo County has fired back at former sheriff’s sergeant Dale Strobridge, alleging that a lawsuit he filed is not only baseless, but that he inappropriately accessed private files on personnel data and internal affairs investigations. Strobridge, formerly a sergeant with the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department and the past head of the…
City to defend against SLO homeless lawsuit
The city of San Luis Obispo says it will defend itself against a lawsuit spurred by the recent crackdown on people living out of their cars. The lawsuit was filed April 6 in San Luis Obispo Superior Court on behalf of the SLO Homeless Alliance, a group representing about 50 people who have been ticketed…
SLO, to the max
A trio of businessmen and developers is working on plans to potentially squeeze an IMAX movie theater into downtown San Luis Obispo. Though the term IMAX actually refers to projection and filming technology, it’s typically associated with building-sized screens and steep, stadium seating—not the type of venue SLO might be used to. But Bruce Sanborn,…
What is the most interesting thing you’ve found on the ground?
Sam Artho-Bentz stagehand “I’m constantly noticing cheap jewelry on the ground, but nothing really interesting. Mostly just earrings.” Karen McPhetridge restaurant manager “I’ve found a lot of stuff. Most interesting would be some pictures I found.” Charles Curran warehouse supervisor “I haven’t really found anything on the ground.” Brad Jackman student “I found a winning…
