Cover Story
Trouble in the air
Captain Charlie Johnson responded to the scene around 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 23. He’d gotten the call earlier in the day: A county hazardous materials specialist had noticed a rotten-egg smell while driving the 101 near Clark Avenue in Santa Maria, and immediately notified the Air Pollution Control District (APCD). Upon word from the APCD,…
Bruce, stop with the hidden agenda
Regarding Los Osos CSD General Manager Bruce Buel’s response (“I’ll tell you what stinks,â€? Sept. 30-Oct. 7) to last week’s story on the Hideous Los Osos Sewer by Ron Crawford, Mr. Buel states that “ … treatment facilities located outside of town without amenities would likely cost more than the proposed project.â€? According to the…
Shark-bit surfboard closes beaches
The waves were small and the sun was shining last Sunday when Ben Ikola was surfing near the Pismo pier. After what he described as an especially good ride, the 16-year-old high school student from Orcutt was paddling back to where the waves were breaking and felt something strange — like a piece of seaweed…
Nipomo man’s high-speed chase cut short
The Nipomo man who allegedly tried to outrun the San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s department, only to get shot in the groin, is back at home. On Friday sheriff’s deputies say they chased Kyle Joseph Edelen, 21, down Highway 101 at speeds of up to 100 mph before colliding with Edelen’s Honda Civic near the Highway…
Stop making things worse
Re: “Three blocks upwind of downtownâ€? (Sept. 23-29) by Ron Crawford: This article attempts to be cute by using subterfuge and confusion to make fun of the Los Osos sewer project. First of all, Ron, correctly designed sewer systems don’t smell. Try driving down Tank Farm Road; you will notice that there is no smell.…
Duke plant has to go
Dear Mr. Peabody, I read your article today about the Duke Power Plant in Morro Bay (“Deadline for Duke,â€? Sept. 30-Oct. 7). It appears the aging eyesore may be for sale again. I have an idea: let’s buy the property and tear it down! We’ve complained about it for years, it’s time for the plant…
It’s a matter of safety
Mike Brennler, in a letter to the editor (Sept. 30 Tribune), takes me to task for my letter “Good cops make bad politiciansâ€? (Sept. 23-Oct. 7 New Times). Mike thinks that my letter is a biased and convoluted smear of Lenthall. He has clearly failed to comprehend the main point I was attempting to make,…
Greens: Vote for Peg Pinard!
The Shredder (Sept. 30-Oct. 7) sure had fun with the local political tomfoolery. But, seriously folks, in the 15th District State Senate District, there is one less candidate than the Shredder cited. Brook Madsen, the candidate listed on the ballot as the Green Party candidate, has withdrawn from the race. One of the shenanigans surrounding…
Cook to resign from state bar this month
Bret Cook — a San Luis Obispo attorney accused of mishandling 38 clients’ money — has voluntarily resigned from the California state bar, effective Oct. 30. Cook, who once advertised heavily in local media, was arrested last July and now faces dozens of felony charges for stealing about $1 million from former clients. Cook could…
Ad doesn’t tell the whole truth
In the Sept. 23 New Times issue, several groups placed an ad attacking Measure Q — the measure that would ban genetically engineered crops from SLO County — with the same contempt for the truth that has become the standard in politics today. In their ad, they made the wild claim that Measure Q would…
Imposter disrupts election-themed radio show
A man pretending to work for KVEC 920 AM has called two political candidates in an apparent attempt to make the candidates show up late for live on-air interviews. Dave Congalton, the host of the station’s Dave Congalton Show, said state senate candidate Peg Pinard was slated to appear on his show a little after…
Charter CEO visits SLO amid company layoffs
The cable guy was here, but he’s gone now. Carl Vogel, CEO of Charter Communications, was in town this week to talk to employees in a town-hall-style meeting. Charter’s employees met with the man at the Madonna Inn. This week Vogel also sent employees an e-mail reminding them that they are expected to “adhere to…
It’s not a matter of bias
Otis Page (Letters, New Times, Sept. 30-Oct. 7) seems to have missed the main point of my article (“Seek your own sources,â€? New Times, Sept. 23-30). Those of us who found alternative news sources during the buildup to war in Iraq (such as the Pacifica Radio Network’s “Democracy Now!â€?) did not require “20/20 hindsightâ€? to…
Duke responds with uncertainty
Duke Energy’s answer to Morro Bay’s ultimatum is a definitive maybe. After the city set an Oct. 6 deadline for the company to sign a new lease, the company has told the city that they will agree to that lease only if they can go ahead with the modernization plan and find a long-term contract…
Now you see me …
While messing around in my Shredder laboratory last night, I accidentally stumbled across a formula for invisibility. I won’t reveal all my secrets to you, but I will say it involves hydrogen peroxide, Tums, and about a quart of Gatorade. I had just swigged this concoction in the hopes of regaining some hair, since I…
Bravo, Ron
Mr. Crawford, I enjoyed your article in the New Times about the Los Osos Sewer project — very well researched and written! As I started reading I just assumed it was a Daniel Blackburn article (my favorite New Times journalist). But when I read your line about “(sound of pool balls breaking),â€? I thought, “That’s…
Confessions of a political activist
I’ve come out of the closet, at last. I’m not ashamed. In fact, I’m proud to admit that I am politically active. For most of my life, I hid it. Oh, I admitted I was “interestedâ€? in politics, spent hours with political magazines and books, saw every movie and stage play that had a political…
