Cover Story
Thai-food lovers note: Boonie’s is authentic
During the past five years I’ve reviewed two South County Thai restaurants that started out quite impressively. To my dismay, I soon discovered the opening chef of one suddenly moved on. When I had returned, it was obvious at the first taste of my favorite dish. When I asked if the chef had left, the…
What’s the logic behind the Unruly Gathering ordinance?
Brice Maddox student “The city needs more money and who are they going to go to? They think the college students have money.” Barry Sutton software support “They’re probably hopeful for the economic boost. More tickets mean more cops keep their jobs.” Vince Cimo student “There seems to be this Christian/senior citizen mentality in this…
Food for your ears
Dear Double Cheeseburgers, I still love you, but there’s a new love in my life, and it’s Sustenance. Sure, Cheesy, you taste good, but you’re an enabler. Our love affair has turned toxic. I’ll still see you once in a while, but Sustenance has shown me the error of my ways. I had no idea…
Appalachian Lamentation Diversion
The Martha Graham Dance Company is charged with a multitude of difficult tasks: to pay homage to an artist who has been dead for 19 years, to share her legacy and aesthetic with new audiences without the established framework of a museum that the visual arts have long utilized, and to create new works that…
Between heaven and earth
When Jessie Skidmore took a sabbatical two years into her career as an architectural designer, she had one purpose in mind: to learn how to paint. She had managed to acquire a Bachelors of Fine Arts from Rhode Island School of Design without taking any painting classes. Initially, she had no idea what she would…
Steer clear of swarms
Beware of that beehive tucked in the eaves. Africanized bees—the strain commonly referred to as “killer bees”—have finally infiltrated SLO County, and their behavior is indeed potentially dangerous. The aggressive strain has relentlessly spread north since 1956, when it was first noticed in Brazil, arriving in Texas during the ‘90s, then Arizona, and now in…
Trauma wars
Here’s what could happen that worries Dr. Clint Slaughter. A man has an accident while offroading at the Oceano Dunes. He has a chest injury, an aortic disruption, and is bleeding internally. Paramedics arrive and quickly assess they’re dealing with a trauma patient with multiple severe injuries. They load him into the ambulance, but instead…
Correction
The article “Where are they?” by Robert A. McDonald, published in the April 15 issue incorrectly stated the tracking rate of sex offenders in Santa Barbara County. The correct rate is 86 percent.
County bears survive another season
For the second year in a row, the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) has shelved plans to expand black bear hunting into San Luis Obispo County. At a scheduled meeting April 21, the DFG Commission voted 5-0 to indefinitely postpone the proposal in the face of widespread opposition. On April 20, DFG Director…
County employees can work in their PJs
Beginning next month, some SLO County employees won’t have to get dressed to go to work. County supervisors unanimously approved a telecommuting policy and alternative work schedule designed to curb the No. 1 source of county government pollution: commuting to and from work. According to a county staff report, employee commutes account for 67 percent…
Big development ditches public parking
San Luis Obispo City Council members on April 20 saw a new plan for the Garden Street Terraces project, but this view revealed a major change from previous versions they’d seen: Public parking has been eliminated from the plan. The development, if approved, will be built over a 62-space city owned parking lot. The City…
Maldonado gets a second shot
Sen. Abel Maldonado will have another chance to be confirmed as lieutenant governor of California. On April 21, the Assembly Committee on Rules approved Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s nomination of Maldonado, which sent the nomination to an Assembly floor vote scheduled for April 22. Maldonado thanked committee members and said he looked forward to working with…
Marx will run for SLO mayor
Councilmember Jan Howell Marx has decided to run for mayor of San Luis Obispo, marking an early start to the city election season. Mayor Dave Romero is being termed out of office, leaving a wide-open opportunity for anyone running for the top seat in the city. Marx is a longtime San Luis Obispo resident. She…
College students roll over to SLO council
How many Cal Poly and Cuesta students does it take to stage a successful protest? It’s hard to tell, if no one shows up. For whatever reason, about 1,780 people who pledged emphatically on the social networking site Facebook to “fight the power” and oppose the San Luis Obispo City Council’s proposed “unruly gathering” ordinance…
Niner 2005 Fog Catcher Paso Robles
This special red blend has enough age to make it perfect for drinking now, but will benefit from another five years in the cellar. A cuvée of 65 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 25 percent Cabernet Franc, and 10 percent Merlot, it was grown in Niner’s Bootjack Ranch Vineyard on Paso Roble’s east side of the Salinas…
Protect minors from tobacco vendors
It seems the more savvy Californians become about the power of the tobacco industry, the more dollars it pours into its marketing and promotional campaigns. The tobacco industry spends an estimated $2.3 million per day for marketing in this state alone. But there are ways to combat this flood of money, starting in our own…
Helpful hints for President Obama
I voted for President Obama but am very disappointed by the priority of his efforts. Here are my views: 1. We need jobs, not handouts. 2. We cannot rescue every county that has a natural disaster, because we are broke. 3. We still have not brought our kids home from a war started over 40…
The Pope’s not infallible
Regarding the letter from Bill Denneen (“The Pope should resign or make license plates,” April 8), I don’t think either option is plausible. To resign is a voluntary act: Since the Pope is appointed by God and given the distinction of infallibility, why would, should, or how could he resign? Apparently, because he is infallible…
Why do the media neglect chemtrails?
I’m responding to Mark Hoffman’s letter (“Contrails are not government spraying,” April 8). The contrail/chemtrail argument has been around for more than a decade. Neither our politicians nor our newscasters report on this constant “phenomenon” of jets flying overhead spewing out something, whether it is water or chemicals. Personally, it’s hard to believe water condensation…
Work on the details for legalizing pot
The marijuana plant may be legalized in California by the November ballot. Many controversies will ensue if it becomes legal. The government claims it would gain billions of dollars if the herb is legal, which would good for our state. Even though I am for legalization, the law will be a conundrum for the Feds,…
SLO should do more to clear the air
I know I’m not alone in applauding the SLO City Council’s decision to remove cigarette smoke (and butts) from downtown (“SLO town hits smokers where it hurts,” April 8). Giving smokers several designated areas, and granting the rest of us our rightful fresh air is a pretty fair arrangement, and may indirectly help deter panhandling. …
City should designate smoking zones
I would like to voice my opinion on the smoking ban in downtown San Luis Obispo. Let me start by saying that I do smoke. However, I do understand that people want to shop or go to dinner without being bombarded by cigarette smoke. It stinks, I know: I’ve tried quitting a few times because…
Don’t diss duners
I’ve been married for 28 years, I’m 47 years old, and I’m raising two sons who are 19 and 16 years old. I’ve lived in the coastal area for 25 years. For my first 22 years, I lived in the Central Valley (what you’d call a Valley Rat). So much of the dunes have been…
Dune drivers foul the air
How dare Robert Jones (“Get a hobby, Nell,” April 15) equate the Portuguese festival with the carnage at the Oceano Dunes? There is no comparison. Ours is a celebration of culture and history. As a person of Portuguese descent, I agree with Nell Langford that driving on the beach is dangerous for children, and it…
Jenifer Rhynes CEO of YMCA of San Luis Obispo County
NEW TIMES: How long has the YMCA been in San Luis Obispo? RHYNES: The YMCA has been a part of San Luis Obispo County since 1956. For many years we were a “traveling road show” driving throughout the county and starting small groups of interest. However, we’ve been here at our Southwood location for roughly…
Bummer
I trudged my way along Palm Street getting goose bumps in anticipation of the goose bumps I thought I was about to get. Any minute I thought I’d begin to hear the faint drone of rhythmic chants. OK, calm down; calm down. Don’t get ahead of yourself. I wanted to feel the ground tremble with…
LOL
Laughter Yoga sessions combine breathing, clapping, and self-induced laughing exercises, followed by quiet meditation. Warning! Side effects may include obnoxious and uncontrollable laughter. Dr. Kataria established the practice in March of 1995 in Mumbai, India, building on preceding forms of laughter therapy. He wrote, “Laughter Yoga combines unconditional laughter with yogic breathing (Pranayama). Anyone can…
Black Train a’coming!
Listen to Little Black Train and you’ll hear the sounds of men coming out of a coalmine after a 12-hour shift, faces blackened, shirts drenched with sweat; you’ll hear the sound of a freight train barreling through the deep woods, hobos clinging to open cars; you’ll hear tales of gamblers and moonshiners, reels and jigs,…
