Cover Story
Field of nightmares
#Getting over the overpass Who ever knew that such an innocuous structure – part of a roadway – could provide so much fodder for debate and be so important, historically, to a town? The Prado Road overpass is for some the lynchpin that justifies the Marketplace; for others it’s one more example of a sweetheart…
What the County’s Talking About This Week
Deputies in Vestal death file suit against county and sheriff Four of the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff deputies involved in the in-custody death of a Templeton man have sued the county, the Sheriff’s Department, Sheriff Pat Hedges, and five other officers. The four deputies – Michael Murphy, Rex Reese, Jeffery Dayton, and Neil Clayton…
Thirty-four across
I never thought I’d say this, but poor Pat Hedges. I almost feel sorry for the guy. If I tried hard enough, I probably could actually feel sorry, but I don’t feel like putting in the effort at the moment. I’m in the middle of a particularly thorny crossword puzzle. By the way, what’s a…
Grover Beach politics from the Dark Ages
[Grover Beach City] Councilman Lieberman assured himself of a second term as Grover mayor by voting to support Councilmen Ekbom and Versaw’s motion changing the existing mayoral selection. The current system prevented favoritism and provided equal opportunity for all to serve as mayor. It smacks of “cronyism” because the trio made their proposal retroactive, ensuring…
Ten good reasons for A-B-C
During past weeks, SLO residents have been subjected to much misinformation regarding the Marketplace development. On April 26, SLO voters will decide whether this project moves ahead in its present form. Voters’ decisions should be based on factual information. Therefore, I submit the following, supplemented by my observations and explanations: Size The Marketplace proposes to…
Mission impossible
Mission News is less than a week away from closing its doors after 26 years of business at its Chorro Street location. On April 22, the legendary newsstand is set to shut its doors and fade into a vortex of other antiquated retailers made obsolete by large competitors and the availability of information on the…
Landlord in court for ‘dangerous’ rentals
As part of an ongoing legal battle, tenants at the Belvedere Apartments in Morro Bay have filed a lawsuit against local property owner Lee Brazil for allegedly violating multiple fire, health, and housing laws. The lawsuit describes horrific conditions in the apartments, located at 1125 Monterey Ave.: A family of four – including two children…
Los Osos: It’s time to face the music
I’ve lived here for almost half a century. In these years I’ve seen our little towns become cities. As they mature, most of them take on the responsibilities of adulthood that growth requires. Cambria, Cayucos, and Morro Bay have all realized that for a community to survive, they need to establish an infrastructure to cover…
Modern medicine
If America can’t have universal healthcare, maybe the next best thing is 24-hour medical service. Dr. Gautam Bhakta, a Central Coast Board Certified Internist, has decided to offer his patients just that. Last year, Bhakta changed his business from accepting HMO and private insurances to charging an annual retainer fee for his patients. For just…
Early-warning sirens shouldn’t be a choice
Escape from a disaster at Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant requires a mass evacuation of people that depends on a system of sirens to warn of the emergency. But, if you happen to be in one of the many places in our county where the sirens are not audible, radiation sickness may be your first…
Democracy makes good TV
The best thing that has happened for democracy is televised hearings of our governments in public meetings. In this age of corporate television, everything is compromised by some corporate interest. They sell you the worst of the world, the nothingness. The art of human intervention against the status quo (what happens when you do nothing)…
Homelessness is a reality for us all
Since racism is no longer politically correct (or legal), the small-minded have turned to the last bastion of bigotry: homelessness. In the grand fashion of cities across America, Kitty Crockett (“Pass the bug spray, please,” Letters, March 24-31) has jumped on the anti-homeless bandwagon. In an age of downsizing, outsourcing, insufficient health care and home…
CSD agenda wasn’t secret
This letter responds to Jeff Hornaday’s article titled “Los Osos interest group privy to secret CSD Agenda” (March 24-31). Mr. Hornaday writes, “Board Director Lisa Schicker is accusing the CSD of shuffling its confidential agenda without notifying her or her like-minded colleague Julie Tacker.” It should be pointed out that there is no such thing…
Don’t settle for less
Once again our little town is at a crossroads. In the 1960s the City Council wanted to pave over the creek between Broad and Chorro streets and put in a parking lot. Their logic was downtown would fail without more parking. A group of brave people had another plan – it would close Monterey street…
Voters, take a stand
The voters of San Luis Obispo are about to decide on the Dalidio Marketplace. For me, a rural Creston farmer, this is nothing less than the defining litmus test for the larger San Luis Obispo County community. This test has one fundamental question: do we want to keep viable agriculture in the county or not?…
