Cover Story
TAP into the future
It’s been quite some time since Andy Stenson, an assistant superintendent at Lucia Mar Unified School District, stood in front of students in his own classroom. But on this brisk day in mid-March, the district’s head of curriculum and instruction is back in his teaching element. The lesson: merit-based pay for teachers. Stenson draws two…
What movie or television character scares you the most?
Laura Ball barista “The Joker from Batman. He has given me nightmares since I was little.” Dominic Baima deli worker “The movie Strangers—you know those guys with the bags over their faces? They freak me out.” Mindy Hagstrom student “Fox News. I consider that a horror movie. Pretty much everyone on that show.” Andy Scott…
If we go bankrupt, everyone else will sleep better
From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli, our government seems incapable of breaking its addiction to meddling in other countries. One more time we’ll spend billions of dollars, borrowed from China, to level someone else’s home in the hope that they’ll grow to love us when they get to know us better.…
Lace up your sneakers
1. Nuclear power boils water to create steam to generate electricity. With the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, we have seen one of the worst things that can happen using nuclear power. 2. Drilling for oil to run our country, and to drive to the market with the BP oil disaster in the Gulf waters,…
No wonder nothing happens
The California Academy of Science in San Francisco shows a film illustrating the threatened death of up to 80 percent of the coral reefs in the world’s oceans due to global warming. When these reefs die, more than 80 percent of the ocean’s species will also disappear, utterly destroying the biodiversity of the seas. As…
Let money directly benefit students and teachers
I have reservations about the wisdom of implementing the well-intended Teacher Advancement Program here on the Central Coast. I thought our school districts and the federal and state governments were broke. The TAP program is a very expensive program to administer. The start-up costs for the Lucia Mar Unified School District are more than $7…
Keep Walmart away from Atascadero
I am writing in response to Arlene Cox (“Bring on Walmart!” March 17) and Nancy S. Wickersham (“Walmart and the Wickershams: thumbs up!” March 24), who seem to think bringing a Walmart to Atascadero is a good thing. I do not agree. Contrary to popular belief, Walmart does not bring good jobs, and they undercut…
Any more fashion tips for guys like me?
Many thanks for printing a letter from Bruce Eddy of Paso Robles (“Oh, and another thing,” March 31). He has identified a garment for men with extra large “equipment”: a “gaff.” Who knew? After a lifetime in the shadows caused of my immodest bulging appearance, Mr. Eddy has shown me a path, at last, to…
The Chernobyl disaster was not as mild as presented
This is not to speak for or against nuclear power, but to speak against the whitewashing of the Chernobyl catastrophe begun by the Soviets and repeated by those who have a vested interest in minimizing the tragedy. In “Is nuclear power safe?” (March 11), Cecil Adams gives “facts,” but no sources. Has he gone to…
Ask yourself whether PG&E puts safety ahead of profits
In response to growing concerns over the safety of nuclear power plants, the NRC recently announced that U.S. nuclear power plants are safe. Do you feel safe? After Japan’s Fukushima nuclear disaster, it is painfully obvious that nuclear plants are only as safe as the companies that run them. Ask yourself if PG&E has proven…
I’m guessing PG&E’s not looking to pass along savings
So PG&E says that they will allow people to opt out of their SmartMeter program (SmartMeter opt-out plan is here,” March 31), but they want to charge us hundreds of dollars in addition to a substantial ongoing fee added to each bill to do so. Hmmm, so tell me how that’s a real option? Sounds…
Hillside hijinks and more
Are you in SLO? If so, go run somewhere where you’ll be able to see Poly hill. It’s that big hill with a “P” on it. You know, on the opposite end of town from that hill with an “M” on it. Is it just me or does this town have an alphabet fetish? Last…
Penny Smith
Ed. note: There’s a Bunny Adopt-a-thon at Utopia Bakery and Café on May 10, 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. NEW TIMES How many bunnies are there, and where do they all come from? SMITH We will probably have eight. They all come from SLO Buns. Usually we have someone who tells us that they see a…
The legislature must correct abuses at ASH
Omitted from recent articles and opinion pieces about Atascadero State Hospital are accounts of the chronic understaffing that has resulted in violent attacks on staff and patients and diminished patient care. There is a long, sordid history of neglect by ASH management to remedy ever-deteriorating working and living conditions at the facility. In 1990, the…
Kinsley needs help
It was a windy afternoon last July, and the skyline above the break at Pico Creek in San Simeon was full of kites that pulled thrill-seeking surfers at speeds of 20 to 40 knots. One of them was Kinsley ThomasWong, a legend in the community. He was the country’s first instructor certified by the International…
Curtis 2007 Syrah Santa Ynez Valley Ambassador’s Vineyard
This impressive red, 100 percent Syrah, is a noble tribute to its French roots. Aromas and flavors of ripe blackberries, black cherries, and plums are nicely woven with earth and leather notes and nuances of smoky meat and dark chocolate. It was aged 18 months in French oak barrels, 30 percent of which were new.…
Rock Hollow 2009 Sauvignon Blanc Santa Barbara County
This is a very good, value-priced wine made by Curtis winemaker Chuck Carlson in Santa Ynez Valley. Grown in two vineyards in the warmer sites, it’s a classic California-style Sauvignon Blanc. Forward fruit flavors of pink grapefruit and melon are nicely offset by zingy citrus notes. It’s an easy sipping wine that’s refreshing on its…
Living in paradise
Those of us who love fine food and wine believe living in Central Coast wine country is akin to living in paradise. We have so many awesome choices to indulge in: We can picnic on a mountain top while enjoying incredible vineyard and ocean views; visit artisan farms for fine wines, goat cheese, exotic fruits,…
Clubs & Meetings
Goin’ South … COFFEE BEAN AND TEA LEAF: 750 Five Cities Drive, Pismo Beach, 773-6420. Music every Sat., 6:30-8:30pm. ELMO’S NIPOMO SALOON: 131 South Thompson Road, Nipomo, 929-5362. Karaoke on Thurs. and Fri. at 8pm. F. MCLINTOCKS SALOON: 750 Mattie Road, Pismo Beach, 773-1892 or mclintocks.com. Live music every Fri.-Sat., 6-9pm. Tennessee Jimmy Harrell, Doc Stoltey. GATHER WINE…
Heathens storm SLO Brew!
Talk about a massive year! Band of Heathens appeared on PBS’ Austin City Limits on a bill with Elvis Costello. They topped the Americana charts for the second time in as many albums. They appeared on NPR’s Mountain Stage. And they played several major festivals: Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, SXSW, and Wakarusa. Still, they managed…
Caliente la música y el baile!
A man walks into a De La Bahia concert and sees a beautiful woman sitting alone at a table, swaying to the band’s sexy Latin sounds. After mustering some courage, he walks over and asks her to dance. When the song ends, he gushes to her, “You’re such a fantastic salsa dancer! I can’t believe…
Get Real
What do dancers, plumbers, actors, surfers, and bakers all have in common? They all have hands! Aside from this obvious anatomical common denominator, they all have stories, too, stories those hands can vouch for. Take Dean, an engineer, whose hands—minus one fingertip—recall his teenaged adventures in auto repair. There’s Jane, who wore a single, treasured…
Baby, you’ll love Becky’s New Car
Becky’s New Car is so sublimely middle-class, it hurts. Becky Foster works in a cubicle in “an American city very much like Seattle,” the program reveals. Her husband’s name is Joe. He repairs roofs and wears dad T-shirts. He calls her “Beck.” Their son Chris studies psychology. He’s likely still in bed, sleeping off college…
The odd couple
Gucci models will be giants. Their purses could crush you. On the side of a building, a tiny speck of a man repairs a light fixture while a group of enormous youths obliviously enjoys a Coke. Panty-clad bottoms wrapped around double-decker buses find temporary top halves in unsuspecting rooftop riders. Everyone snaps photos in Times…
Cougars and Mustangs
Judging from all the buzz around both San Luis Obispo County’s college campuses, it appears Cougars and Mustangs is a smash hit with the kids and might even replace the collective hole in students’ hearts that was created with the banishment of Four Lokos. It’s probably for the best that the highly-potent-and-equally-addictive energy drink/malt liquor…
Quarry quandary
In September, Bruce Steubing, principal and vice president of Benchmark Resources, was selected to speak at the California Construction and Industrial Materials Association about “Obtaining Permits and Approvals with Entrenched Project Opposition.” According to Benchmark’s website, Steubing was selected to speak to the crowd about “how to navigate the [California Environmental Quality Act] process when…
Correction
The March 31 Shredder column, “The sky is falling,” incorrectly attributed quotes from an e-mail. The e-mail was sent by a county parks commissioner.
Go cap yourself
It must be an exciting time to be an AT&T shareholder. On one hand, the telecommunications giant is set to acquire competitor T-Mobile. On the other, a new series of fees for the highest of its high-speed Internet consumers–potentially a big moneymaker for the company–are just around the corner. It’s hard to imagine customers will…
SLO City finances grow bleaker
San Luis Obispo’s financial outlook is growing worse. City officials have been estimating a $3 million annual shortfall for the 2011-13 fiscal years. However, that number has grown to $4.4 million a year. The city quietly revised the estimates for its future structural deficit just as it begins what will likely be a contentious budget…
Jerry Brown rocks the jailhouse
On April 5, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a new law that will shift the responsibilities of housing many non-violent felons from state prisons to county jails. Brown wrote in his statement that “this bill is a bold move in the right direction.” Dubbed “The Public Safety Realignment Act,” Assembly Bill 109 will force felons convicted…
County and Pismo join hands for Price Canyon
The city of Pismo Beach and San Luis Obispo County are laying the ground for how the city could expand into the Price Canyon area. On April 15, SLO County supervisors unanimously approved a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the county and Pismo Beach. Essentially a document that links the two municipalities, the county/Pismo MOA…
Hate incidents mar Arroyo Grande area again
Vandals struck a middle school south of Arroyo Grande, drawing swastikas on a gym door and on class whiteboards. The attack, which triggered a hate speech investigation by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department, took place at Mesa Middle School south of Arroyo Grande. This is the second hate incident in the Arroyo Grande…
ARTS Obispo executive director resigns
Marta Peluso, executive director of ARTS Obispo, the San Luis Obispo County Arts Council, has stepped down from her position, the organization recently announced. She plans to leave at the end of May 2011. Peluso has led ARTS Obispo since January 2006, and had a hand in many countywide arts programs. Poetry Out Loud reaches…
Oceano’s looking or leaders
Do you enjoy chaos, conflict, and a colossal challenge? If you live in Oceano, have thick skin, and have your Wednesdays open, there may be a job opening up just for you. The Oceano Community Services District is looking for two residents who would like to help run the small entity. The vacancies came after…
SLO Sunday parking will cost you
The San Luis Obispo City Council voted unanimously to impose parking fees on Sundays and raise daily parking rates in the downtown core. Parking rates in the heart of the downtown area on Higuera Street and a few nearby streets will rise from $1.25 per hour to $1.50. The city will also purchase and install…
