In the debate about whether ATVs should be allowed to tear up environmentally sensitive habitat and run over endangered birds in the Oceano dunes, or whether a moneyed Central Valley tradition should trump the rights of disadvantaged locals to a safe beach and clean air, there’s one significant point that’s largely overlooked. Operation of the Pier Avenue vehicle ramp to Pismo State Beach, the gateway to the Oceano Dunes SVRA miles south, puts Oceano’s homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure at increased risk from sea level rise and tsunamis. The recent Local Hazard Mitigation Plan prepared for the Oceano Community Services District highlighted this risk. Over decades of use, countless tons of sand have been removed from the beach on vehicle tires and hauled to the landfill, creating a funnel for the sea where protective dunes used to stand tall. King tides hint at the danger, as the sea rushes up the beach nearly to the gate at the park’s entrance. How can it be that the state continues to put a town at risk for a recreational purpose already fraught with negative impacts? Why does the SLO County Board of Supervisors stand idly by? Will anyone step up to prevent the coming flood?
Cynthia Replogle
Oceano
This article appears in Dec 17-27, 2020.
Classic privileged and entitled 3 year Oceano resident Cynthia Repogle, using scare tactics and fear mongering to attack local long time under privileged and minority residents in her effort to make our Oceano Dunes SVRA into her private beach. Pathetic and sick to see and hear such hate and bias by a local official! For those that don’t believe it, please read and listen to her previous statements and comments about the local community.
This is a bunch of trash. Is this what your paper is really about? If so I will never read it again. My family has lived in the five cities we are five generations strong. Do you even do your own research? If you did you would find that this is false information. I would love to give you the facts of the Oceano Dunes or do you like putting incorrect information out in our community.
We live in a time of acceptance and diversity until it come to equal access to all. Truly for ALL. “ALL” means everyone. Scaring the residents and making the case that OHV have moved or relocated the sand in a way which now threatens the possibility of the ocean flooding the residents is science fiction. This is just yet another false claim to continue to discriminate against OHV. Sad.
Must be nice to be so privileged that she can walk around and enjoy the dunes. I am disabled from a genetic condition and cannot walk far without oxygen and could have never seen the beautiful dunes and their awe without having a vehicle. It must be nice to enjoy taking a deep breath of ocean air while writing an op-Ed that is trying to take that away from my daughter and I. Tsunamis and floods happen; just cause your house is ocean front doesn’t mean my house is any less at risk a couple blocks inland. Cynthia was never taught to share her toys while playing in the sandbox, or to share the sandbox. I hope you know that closing the beach to vehicles closes the beach to disabled people!!!
Cynthia you are not even from this area, you only moved here a couple of years ago. You understand nothing about this communities rich culture in enjoying Offroading , and camping with their families on the dunes. This has been a way of life in Oceano for decades.
If you dont like it, why not move to someplace where are you enjoy and agree with their culture.
I am so sick and tired of seeing you try to stir up frustration, and anger between everyone, over a topic you dont even understand, nor will take the time to understand.
There is a reason you no longer except messages on social media, because no one in this community agrees with you; and you have gotten no respect from this community, because you have offered no respect to this community.
Please I beg of you new times, quit entertaining this womans self serving objective.
For the love of Saint Peter! Lady, do you realize the sea level, will always be sea level? And the altitude of each house and business, in the vicinity of Oceano Dunes, will also remain a constant? Otherwise, some of them would have already been washed out to the ocean. How, in the name of all things Holy, did you become the Oceano Community Services District
Candidate for Director? For the sake of securing yourself the vote for this office, this is what you stated
“My Top 3 Priorities –
1. Keeping the District accountable and fiscally responsible
2. Ensuring Oceano’s water portfolio is balanced for the future
3. Reviving the dormant parks and recreation program”
Yet, you seem to be hellbent on eliminating the single largest source of income for the community, as well as the surrounding communities.
Sometimes you do this under the guise of the air quality. The extended closure due to COVID-19 however, not only disproves your argument, it shows the exact opposite.
Now you want to indicate a deep concern for the Sandy Plover. You argue whether OHVs should be allowed to tear up environmentally sensitive habitat and run over endangered birds.
Lastly, is the deep, overwhelming concern for the local economy, questioning whether a moneyed Central Valley tradition should trump the rights of disadvantaged locals.
Tell me, in between decimating the very businesses that provide the income for the people they employ, in order to accommodate the main source of income for several communities and literally urinating in the center of the environmentally sensitive habitat of the endangered birds that manage to avoid being run over, where do you find the time to show concern for the dormant parks?
I find it unfathomable that there would be enough people disillusioned by your dog and pony show, to actually vote for you.
Mind Boggling, to say the least!
Misbehavin
Cynthia has no business making false claims and speaking of utter nonsense! We live in Oceano and without vehicle access at our beach and dunes our community would be devastated! Visitors to the ODSVRA bring in $243 million to our economy and create 3,300 jobs here locally! Oceano Dunes SVRA allows access for families, people with disabilities, and assortment of recreational activities, including; beach picnics, beach drives, fishing, surfing, kite boarding, jet skiing, camping, off-roading, and so much more! We believe in beach access for ALL and vehicles are the ONLY way many can get out to enjoy everything that our beautiful park has to offer!! We have been walking, driving, camping, & off-roading out on our beach for many years, and NO ONE is running over endangered birds, NO ONE is running over people, the OHV’s aren’t creating tsunamis, all of her claims are ridiculous!! It’s a shame that an elected official seems to hate the community that she represents.
Please stoppit – just STOPPIT it with your campaign of self serving lies and disinformation you selfish, bitter socialist. You speak ill of those families and groups that enjoy the DESIGNATED Off Road Vehicle Park, utilizing it for its intended purpose like thats something bad. Lies. You accuse them of killing Plovers and damaging sensitive habitat. Lies. You accuse the off road community of littering. Lies. During the 7 month shut down, the only people who could access that area were the homeless and you and your small but very vocal group of minions (one of who we have actual photos of defecating in broad daylight on this very beach) – and the day it reopened, there were massive amounts of trash scattered all over, all the way to the back of the dunes. I have the video to prove it. The only people Ive ever seen coordinate beach and dune clean up days are the off road groups and your arch nemesis Linda Austin (the best thing that ever happened to Oceano). All you do is complain, fabricate, lie and try to bully. You moved here because you obviously loved our little hamlet of Oceano. Now it seems youll do anything, including being one of the most deceitful pieces of trash to ever walk OUR beach in order to destroy our beloved off road vehicle park. Go away Cynthia; youre a horrible excuse for a human being and we will no longer tolerate your manipulation of the truth to fit your self serving agenda.
I read the entire article knowing I would disagree with almost everything Cynthia Replogle has to say. Cynthia Replogle likes to act like she is for the people but she is nothing but an angry liar. Cynthia lies in English and Spanish so she can sway innocent people who just don’t know the facts.
1. Cynthia clearly wrote this article without asking anyone of sane mind to proofread for her. Tides wash tire marks away not funnel through them causing mass destruction. I would think common sense would tell you heavy vehicles compact sand not throw it up in the air!!
2. Disadvantaged locals!! I’d say I know many more disadvantaged locals then Cynthia (Many of them are my friends/acquaintances that just need people to see them and not judge them) and every single one of them I know wants Oceano Dunes open for OHV and Camping. We all know Cynthia does not care about the disadvantaged locals that use Oceano as their escape, their rehab, their church, their place to breathe, etc.
3. We have multiple people who cannot walk but can get in their vehicle alone and drive on the sand alone can do something alone without having to constantly feel different or like a burden that need to know people care! We care, we see, we won’t give up and will always fight for you.
Never give up! Always speak up when you see injustice!
Open Oceano Dunes for OHV & Camping
I can definitely see that this is article is filled with hatred toward OHV enthusiasts. This is nothing more than a scare tactic as nothing else works. Cynthia, if you truly are for the people as you seem to claim, please understand that this very place is my rehab, my peace and place where I can ease my mind. As a veteran suffering from PTSD, I don’t have much that “relaxes” me or keeps me calm, but Oceano Dunes is just that place for me. I can take my family for the weekend and spend a fraction of what any resort would (that considering we are barely making ends meet in California.) I have never “destroyed” or endangered the habitat, never have I hurt a bird! I respect the environment, and proudly claim to have done all I could to preserve it, and YES I am an off roader, and YES I support the dunes to remain open.
Racist, hateful Cynthiax Reploglex
With 100% LIES & DECEPTION… Nothing written by Cynthia Replogle or this paper, can ever be believed or trusted. Remember… Just because it is in writing, doesn’t make it true.
I’m still confused why people claim the locals are being squeezed out, when the beach is full of locals in their own vehicles. Poor people can drive there just the same, and, since they can’t afford the housing within walking distance, are driving to the beach, just like the out of town people do.
Camping overnight in the Oceano Dunes is not a “moneyed Central Valley tradition.” Camping in the Oceano Dunes is a low-income family tradition, a near perfect religious experience for many cultures. Visitors travel from all over the world to experience the dunes where park visitors may safely camp overnight on our amazing beach for $20. Cynthia Replogle is a BIGOTED self-serving alarmist who loves to push her perverted elitest AGENDA and exploit identity politics. She and her former political action cohort named April Dury aka: “Abril Para Oceano” stalk, harass, assault, and bully local residents who openly disagree with their warped political agenda. I’m happy to announce the FBI will be knocking Cynthia Replogle’s and April Dury’s front doors next year. Both of these women are deranged sociopaths and stalkers.
This piece opined by a person clearly lacking any kind of knowledge, clearly lives in fear, clearly is anti what’s not in her wheelhouse, clearly not an independent thinker, and clearly needs to move, is the single most stoopid thing I’ve read is an impressive amount of time. Am I clear? Rhetorical.
A very emotionally based non-factual statement. The Oceano dunes has been open for vehicle recreational use for decades. My parents took me camping there in the 70’s with our dune buggy’s, I took my kids there with our dune buggy and ATV’s. We camped, we enjoyed the beach & dunes and they learned responsible & safe off roading, we had quality family time. The Oceano dunes is still a popular destination for those traveling from near and far. It doesn’t matter if you are financially successful or financially challenged, the dunes provide a place to escape the day to day grind. These are supposed to be “Public Lands” not someone’s private beach front.
Mike Dario
Manx Club-President
This is so biased it hurts to read. This is not journalism.
In the New Times, writers are free to express their opinions and share facts from personal research on issues effecting their community. However, if you disagree with the OHV occupiers of Oceano Beach, their herd will unleash a conflagration of baseless, personal attacks. Just an observation…
Brad – I think it is actually your girlfriend Cynthia that provides the personal attacks. She follows people on the beach, taking pictures of them and their children. She confronts people who fly a thin blue flag and say they are white supremacists. Her anger and confrontations have been well noted in the community during the past several years … attacking her neighbors, spray painting on her driveway……. but then Just an observation of course…
Huh, Michele? If someone disagrees with you on certain issues like the appropriate recreational use of a local beach, like the origin of the thin blue line flag or how others feel or think about that symbol, like whether someone has a right to post positive messages on her driveway (as many have done during this pandemic), are you inclined to believe EVERYTHING is bad about them? You hear their statements of disagreement as “angry” or “confrontational”? Why? Do you post personal comments about everyone you disagree with in the New Times? Why focus only on Cynthia?
Why focus only on Cynthia? Because shes the liar that penned this steaming pile of shit New Times saw fit to publish. Shes a bigot. Shes a pandering, narcissistic gaslighter whos ego-syntonic behavior will no longer be tolerated. If she werent so possibly dangerous in convincing those dull enough to believe her BS shed be laughable. But so many folks from so many walks of life now see her for exactly what she is, and weve had it. No more playing nice with this troll. The gloves have come off and the bright light of truth is being shown on this self serving poser. I guess thats the one good thing shes done for our community here; united us. Unfortunately for her, were united to fight her hatred and rhetoric. She messed with the bull. Shes getting the well deserved horns.