Cover Story
Together, going it alone
Let’s begin with a brief civics summary for those who don’t pay much attention to local government. # The SLO County Board of Supervisors is the most powerful elected body in the county, supervising a budget of nearly $400 million and having a say over everything from whether a potbellied pig can be considered a…
Organic sellouts: CSA gets swamped
Cal Poly’s organic Community Supported Agriculture program had a huge response to its spring shares this year, with all 300 shares selling out and more than 100 people opting for the waiting list. “It was just kind of crazy,” said CSA manager Leah Bauer. “Our fax machine was backed up We got something like 184…
Tension blooms around Greka’s Palmer Road facility leak
Inspectors from the Santa Barbara County Petroleum Division and County Hazardous Materials Unit found a leak in a pipe at Greka’s Bell Lease on April 21. The underground pipe is one of a few pipelines that start at the upper tank battery ponds and travel underground to the lower injection ponds. Though Greka confirms that…
Orchid in bloom
# It’s not that far to Morro Bay, our service is good, and you don’t have to be afraid to come to a hotel restaurant, Mark Roemer, director of food and beverage for Orchid at the Inn at Morro Bay, said of dining in this popular resort. People think Orchid is only for special occasions…
The microphones have ears
Kathy Welles is a kook. At least, that’s what Morro Bay Councilman Rick Grantham said. His exact words after the citizen spoke at a recent City Council meeting were closer to “There’s a lot of hungry squirrels out there, because all the nuts were in here.” Zing! Speaking as a fellow local gadfly, I can…
Letters
Bucking doesn’t seem natural I found the article about the Cal Poly rodeo (“Cal Poly rodeo: A protest and a defense,” April 17 ) very interesting, since prior to this article I didn’t even know it existed. The article gave both sides of the story, and I can appreciate the position of both sides since…
A sweet deal for walkers and wildlife
# The shimmering, windswept water at the edge of the estuary in Los Osos reflects a silver lining in the community’s long-simmering sewer controversy: a valuable waterfront parcel looks set to become a permanent home for birds and wildlife rather than a housing tract. Eight acres of open space along Ramona Drive–adjacent to the existing…
A priest, a cowboy, and a ballerina walk into a bar &hellip
For a two-year anniversary, it’s traditional to gift your loved one with something cotton. But on the second anniversary of Ballet Theatre San Luis Obispo’s inception, Artistic Director Theresa Slobodnik is offering the community cowboys, a sainted leper priest, world fusion music, and a glimpse behind the curtain into the chaos that ultimately results in…
Food or flora: Two ways to check out Sunny Acres
Folks interested in helping out Sunny Acres and folks who just want to check it out and get some free grub will all have a chance to do so in two events coming up at the in-the-news sober living facility. On Saturday, April 26, volunteers from Friends of Sunny Acres are meeting to plant 110…
Candidates show differences on housing, land-use policies
The choices voters face in the upcoming Board of Supervisors election June 3 were on full display during an April 17 debate. On one side were development-and-business proponents incumbents Jerry Lenthall and Harry Ovitt, as well as challenger Debbie Arnold. On the other side were smart-growth supporters incumbent Jim Patterson (facing Arnold) and Adam Hill…
Sleep on it
It’s the latest stuffed animal craze, developed by a mother who was tired of finding stuffed animals lying around her child’s room. Jennifer Telfer came up with an idea to convert a traditional stuffed animal into a functional pillow, and called the result “My Pillow Pets.” The creation starts off as a stuffed animal, but…
Council microphone captures offhand comment
On April 16, a politically charged video of the April 14 council meeting found its way to YouTube. In the clip, an angry speaker addresses not the council, but anyone who’s listening. She directs listeners to a blog and urges them to stop the double talk of city officials and vote in a new city…
Budget cuts are already hitting home
North Central Coast residents from Los Osos to San Simeon will have to travel to access a variety of social services ranging from Medi-Cal to child welfare assistance because the County Department of Social Services is closing its Morro Bay office, effective April 25. Lee Collins, director of SLO County Social Services, said that the…
Empty nests at Nipomo chicken coops
A defunct chicken farm north of Nipomo has become a hothouse of controversy that’s seen a fire official’s safety-related code ruling escalate to an outright battle for use of the property. # The coops on the property are now used for activities like storage, recycling, or growing mushrooms, and it’s been that way for more…
Dream rock
On Everybody’s Somewhere, Seattle’s power pop/space rock outfit Gary Reynolds and the Brides of Obscurity sounds like they’re playing some obscure lost track by the Beatles, replete with throbbing bass and harmony vocals: Once you had a story. Hung your head in glory. No, it can’t be too bad. Your situation’s not that sad. In…
Get the guns
I worked on the legislation that established the California Department of Justice Armed and Prohibited Persons System, on behalf of my former employer, State Senator Steve Peace, who was a joint author of the law. My present boss, State Senator Don Perata, has spearheaded continuing efforts to secure funds so that the department can upgrade…
Fast facts
The Adopt-A-Beach Program is looking for volunteers to adopt beaches from Los Osos to the San Luis Obispo County line in Big Sur. Volunteers for the Adopt-A-Beach Program commit to cleaning up their beach at least three times a year in an effort to keep California’s beaches beautiful. If you’re interested in getting a tan…
