Cover Story
Got a second?
“First is the worst. Second is the best. Third is the nerd with the hairy chest.” It’s a schoolyard taunt that’s haunted some of us down the years. Forget that there are just about as many variations as there are schoolyards. Forget that it was chanted by kids who were basically sore losers. And forget…
Local animal fights favor roosters over dogs
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick’s end-of-August guilty plea brought national attention to organized dog fighting, but local animal protection workers say cockfighting is the favored sport of animal abusers in San Luis Obispo County. “That’s probably the more common form of animal fighting in our community,” said Eric Anderson, SLO County animal services manager. Every…
An Egyptian ex-pat finds relief
Ahmed Fahmy sat in the back of Linnaea’s in downtown SLO, idly stirring his tea and smiling easily, just one day since his request for a green card was accepted. # Fahmy’s serene disposition is markedly different from just a week ago when he sat, framed by the open window at the front of the…
Dress your children well
Jackeline Allegretta draws her inspiration from her children: 20-month-old Mia and # 7-month-old Sebastian. She also gets something else from them: Clothes they’re too big for, toys they no longer play with, and furniture they’ve outgrown. “We have a lot of things for our kids that we don’t use any more,” she said. Instead of…
It’s that anniversary again
Flag-waving patriots and Bush policy critics alike have an opportunity to gather with kindred spirits to commemorate the sixth anniversary of 9/11. The City of Grover Beach is hosting its sixth annual 9/11 Memorial Event, replete with patriotic music, American-themed artwork, and appearances by local officials, while HopeDance is screening Zeitgeist The Movie, a documentary…
New fire zones and building codes arise in SLO County
New building standards designed to reduce fire risk to homes in the wildland-urban interface will increase the cost for new construction an average of $1,800 per home, according to a Cal Fire report considered by the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors on Aug. 28. The new standards, adopted by the California Building Standards…
Fast facts
Caffeine addicts now have a new java joint to help them get their fix: Joe Momma’s at 310 Front St. in Avila Beach. The shop uses a prized Clover brewer, and is offering cups to the public from 7 to 11 a.m. on Sept. 8. Stop by for “Clover Day” and taste the super-expensive Hacienda…
Grrl power
# I’m a sucker for a pretty face, so imagine how weak my knees went when I saw President of the Pretty People, a quartet that includes three ?berbabes and some dude. Billing themselves as a “chick rock band,” this brand-new act is filled with some local music scene veterans, most notably vocalist Donna Lu…
Where’s the spice in SLO County?
I’m really fired up, and I wish I could say it was from the residual heat of a really great salsa. But after 14 years of dining in SLO County, I’m still ranting and raving that I can’t find a satisfying meal in a Mexican restaurant. And here’s something those restaurateurs should be worried about…
Keep your eye on Tibet
Since President Nixon’s 1972 visit to Beijing, the creation of an open market with China/communist (Chicoms) industry and government has been a free enterprise mother lode. Now we’re seeing (again) their rattlesnakes in the gold mine. The media has reported on the product venom that has affected us (tainted dog food, toys with lead paint,…
What’s that smell?
South County residents wrinkling their noses at foul odors these past few days can look beyond the family dog to a combination of hot weather, drying lakes, and decaying organic matter. On Sept. 4, the San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District and Environmental Health Division reported that hot and humid weather patterns are…
Taller buildings get final approval for downtown SLO
San Luis Obispo city residents showed their concern for rising building height limits in the downtown area, appearing by the dozens before the City Council at its Sept. 4 meeting. The council with Christine Mulholland voting against and Allen Settle absent voted to loosen building standards from what had been recommended by the Planning Commission.…
Writing mysteries for social justice
Naomi Hirahara, author of several non-fiction books, short stories, and a mystery series about a Japanese American gardener named Mas Arai, is a featured author at the Eighth Annual Book and Author Festival. Her work explores the challenges and experiences of Japanese Americans, and in the Mas Arai mystery series paints a portrait of a…
Letters
Don’t like POPR? Grow up! I respect Andrew Christie’s right to rant and rave if he doesn’t approve of the new viewshed ordinance, however his views appear rather skewed when attacking POPR as a private organization (“Viewshed outcome is insulting,” Aug. 30). The Sierra Club is certainly a very private club of its own, so…
Partly cloudy with a chance of deportation
Boom! Crash! It thundered and lightninged so hard the other night I thought that the Big Someone up there had finally decided to use me for target practice. I was seriously fearing for my life. But as the night went on and I continued to remain in one piece, I figured that the atmospheric discharge…
ICE storm
On the night of Aug. 29, a freak summer thunderstorm tore through SLO County, leaving fires, downed tree branches, and sleep-deprived residents in its wake. Yet it wasn’t the storm that had members of North County’s Latino community talking the next day. The talk instead was about a sweep led by the County Sheriff’s Department…
