Cover Story
You can’t do that!
San Luis Obispo voted, the sales tax rose, and city officials are looking at spending some of the projected windfall over the next two years around $1.1 million, as suggested in a recent report on beefing up the local police force. New officers will obviously be on the lookout for lawbreakers around town, and a…
Let’s drive some wedges
In response to the timely news article on global warming in New Times last week (“One gaseous goal,” April 5), we would like to state that in spite of some opinions in Sacramento to the contrary, there are models for building green communities and buildings as a response to global warming. Furthermore, these models contain…
Terraces project moves forward
A plan to build a massive multiuse building in the heart of downtown San Luis Obispo is gaining steam and construction appears likely. City Council officials voted 3-1 on April 17 to start taking bids for firms to conduct an environmental impact report, to be paid for by the developer. Board member Paul Brown abstained…
Poly car could cross country on one gallon
The Cal Poly engineering department has more awards for its trophy case. Mustang engineers won first place in a contest to design a vehicle that can go the farthest on the least amount of fuel. Competing in the internal combustion engine group, the team’s “Cal Poly Supermileage” vehicle won the Shell Eco-marathon Americas competition after…
Ten years of film fever
It’s been 10 years since fellow film nuts John Jones and Bob Whiteford combined their personal movie collections to open The Insomniac, an independently owned video and DVD rental shop that specializes in eclectic films. # They started with 2,500 titles in a little storefront on High Street. “We made $91 that first day,” recalled…
Unnatural public relations
It happened again. The Pulitzers were announced and my name isn’t anywhere on the list. What’s the deal? I know I’m no Shakespeare, but I dish it out fairly regularly. Did you see who won the award for criticism? Some yahoo named Jonathan Gold of the LA Weekly took the top honor and pocketed $10,000…
Los Osos faces a long slog
That wasn’t Santa Claus tromping around the Estero Bay April 12, it was Rep. Pete Visclosky, an Indiana Democrat, who toured the area with area Rep. Lois Capps. Those who are looking for an easy way out of the Los Osos sewer controversy, however, could be forgiven for confusing the two: Visclosky heads one of…
It’s boom time in Paso Robles
The latest business study on Paso Robles reported 217 bonded wineries, making it unimaginable that the region had only four wineries in 1979. Of course, some new brands are second labels from established wineries and half of them don’t own wineries (Paso custom crush facilities house dozens of brands). But I was impressed at recently…
Old is new again
The grand opening of The Clubhouse at This Old House has been a long time coming. Andrew Adams purchased the historic building at the base of Bishop Peak in San Luis Obispo in October of 2005 and began an extensive renovation with his own hands. # The former Los Osos insurance agency owner and a…
The power of one
Diane Wilson seems an unlikely candidate for an activist. As a kid in the Texas Gulf Coast community of Seadrift, she crawled under the bed to avoid talking to people. But her love for the sea changed all that, and now she travels the country, speaking out about the importance of taking action. # A…
Vote restricts fishing
After two years and 60 public meetings, the California Fish and Game Commission voted to adopt new, strict restrictions on Central Coast fishing by designating 29 coastal areas as Marine Protected Areas on April 13. The decision bans or restricts fishing on 200 square miles about 18 percent of Central Coast waters. Ninety-four of those…
Letters
Dirtbikers aren’t all the same Mr. Bonestell: You sir, are a bigot(“Ban all vehicles from all beaches,” April 12)! Did you ever stop to think that maybe there are individuals who enjoy the off-road sport as a family recreation? Obviously not! My son and I enjoy riding our dirtbikes because it’s something we do together!…
Smoke ’em if ya smoke’ em
April 20 is National Marijuana Day, and in honor of this safe, therapeutic, non-addictive substance, the federal government is suspending sales tax on all weed sales for the entire day, even though this means a loss of tens of thousands of tax dollars. # President Bush issued a statement: “I’m a decider, see? I decide…
Corrections
An infobox in last week’s Cuisine (“Eat for a good cause”) incorrectly listed the date of the “Sideways in San Luis” dinner party. The date of the event is Saturday, May 12. Also last week, the news brief “Marijuana dispensary is back in business” mistakenly identified one of the agencies involved in serving a recent…
Fast facts
The Birth and Baby Resource Network will open a San Luis Obispo center at 849 Monterey St. to help inform the community about pregnancy, birth, and early parenting. The official opening is at 4 p.m. on April 26. The network is a nonprofit community-based volunteer organization that seeks to help educate and support childbearing women…
Dunes discussion will continue
One of the last speakers in the public comment session at the April 17 SLO County Board of Supervisors meeting paraphrased a Shakespearean cliche “To sell or not to sell?” as he added his voice to the scores who spoke before him. The question involved the possible $4.8 million sale of 584 acres # in…
