Cover Story
What does tourism cost the residents of Pismo Beach?
Nobody likes tourists, but small California cities need them. Proposition 13—passed in 1978—severely limited what cities can collect in property taxes and forced governments to turn more to regressive revenue sources. Detractors spurn sales and hotel bed taxes for treating the rich and poor equally, but the monies do provide a suitable property tax replacement…
SLO County releases Moriarty properties to bankruptcy court
UPDATE: This article has been updated to correct a factual error. Since it was last amended, the list of creditors in Moriarty’s federal bankruptcy now include nearly all of his alleged local victims, according to Deputy District Attorney Steve von Dohlen, who was not available for comment prior to press time. Von Dohlen explained that…
Highway robbery
It was a pretty rotten Valentine’s Day in Atascadero this year, as the local Citibank was “cased” by thieves and the Pacific Western Bank was robbed. Little did everyone know that amid the hearts and flowers, a tidal wave of robberies was just beginning. In all of 2012, typically sleepy SLO County saw only two…
Do you hear the people sing?
WARNING: SPOILERS. LOTS AND LOTS OF SPOILERS. Last year, following the release of Tom Hooper’s Les Miserables, my editor shocked me with her thoughts on the musical: “I hate Cosette.” Life would be better for all concerned, she said, if Cosette would just stop ruining everything. Cosette wins Marius’ heart with a lot of useless…
How do you feel about tourists visiting your hometown?
Devon Browning student, San Diego “It’s a great place, so I understand why people want to visit.” Scott Sweeny Louisa’s Place owner, San Luis Obispo “I love it. It brings lots of money and lots of business to the restaurant. It makes downtown more vibrant and alive.” Dawn Elsenbroek teacher, Visalia “I like it, but…
SLOIFF screens films shot in SLO County
The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival is turning 20 next year. To celebrate this milestone, the SLOIFF will present a series of Hollywood films that have been made in San Luis Obispo County over the past 90 years. From August until the festival begins again in March 2014, “SLO County on the Silver Screen”…
Vintage trucks on display in Old Edna
It’s Saturday, July 20, and I’m at the 21st Annual Vintage Truck Show outside Trinity Hall in Old Edna. It’s a perfect day—sunny and warm—and there are plenty of truck enthusiasts taking in the sights, sounds, and smells (Barbecue? Sweet!). In one corner is a roped-off area with old farm equipment, ancient washing machines, and…
‘Ancestors of our enemies’
It’s a strange sight, a home built into a cliff. When, on a hike in southern Utah, this sight first greeted Dr. Donald J. Rommes—neonatologist by profession and photographer in his spare time—the doctor was initially wary of sharing photos of what he’d seen. The cliff dwellings he’d encountered were just some of many such…
Lyle Lovett & His Large Band play Vina Robles Amphitheatre
It’s pretty hard to pick a favorite Lyle Lovett album. His self-titled debut was a revelation and contained the hit “Cowboy Man,” not to mention “God Will.” But then Pontiac had “Give Back My Heart,” “She’s No Lady,” “I Loved You Yesterday,” and “If I Had a Boat.” Man, this guy writes great songs! His…
Fried pickles–what’s the dill?
I worked one day during the recent Mid-State Fair for Arizona Taters, but the taters weren’t nearly as popular as the other fried delicacies: Oreos, Twinkies, Reese’s, Snickers, Smucker’s Uncrustables PB&J sandwiches. People kept asking for one item, though, that we didn’t sell: fried pickles. Confused doesn’t reflect how I felt. No, I was baffled,…
Good food fast!
After being out on the job all day the last thing I want to do is go home and prepare a complicated meal. That’s leaves me two choices: take-out or make a salad or sandwich. It’s usually the latter considering how picky I am about food. For instance, I regularly shop at Costco but their…
Brady 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles
Winemaker Don Brady, who came our way from his home state of Texas to make wine, has been the winemaker at Robert Hall Winery since 2001. During a tasting event last April, he introduced his new label under his surname. I was impressed by this delicious cab that’s made to complement grilled steaks or lamb…
In perfect Harmony
A sunny Sunday drive up the coast, with miles of salty seawater to the left, and sky-high mountains to the right. Maybe Cambria’s the destination, maybe Cayucos, or maybe even Big Sur, but Harmony we’re just passing through. That is, you were just passing through. The little town of Harmony—with a population of 18—has a…
Cougars & Mustangs: Sick on summer break? We’ve got some tips
The school year hasn’t even started yet, but the choral community of this fair town has been far from stagnant. Take, for example, the group known as Resonance Vocal Ensemble, which has been practicing all summer for a concert coming your way on Saturday, Aug. 10, starting at 8 p.m. The group, directed by Concordia…
Public health officials find West Nile in Pismo Beach mosquitoes
Mosquitoes collected from Chumash Park in Pismo Beach on July 9 and 10 tested positive for West Nile Virus, San Luis Obispo County officials announced July 26. The Mosquito and Vector Management District of Santa Barbara County conducted the testing as part of a services contract with the city. The district treated Pismo Creek on…
Mesa residents voice concern about a proposed refinery rail expansion
Exploding railroad cars and what public coastal access really means were the chief issues brought up at a July 29 scoping meeting that covered a proposed rail line expansion for the Phillips 66 oil refinery on the Nipomo Mesa. Bill Henry, a project consultant brought in by San Luis Obispo County to help specifically with…
Who wants to be a District 4 Supervisor?
It’s up to Gov. Jerry Brown to fill the empty seat left on the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors by the untimely death of Paul Teixeira. The pool of options—though not fully known by anyone outside the governor’s office—includes several prominent names from the largest town in District 4: Arroyo Grande. Arroyo Grande…
Audit reveals Geaslen bilked Oceano taxpayers
When former Oceano Community Services District General Manager Tom Geaslen was fired in mid-April of this year, he paid the district almost $37,000, and all the parties involved signed a settlement. As a result, everyone’s lips were sealed on the deal, and the true nature of the core conflict remained frustratingly nebulous. However, a recent…
Montaña de Oro panga suspects all plead guilty
The 14 defendants in an unusual criminal case stemming from a massive bust of drug smugglers on a local stretch of coastline in June have all pleaded guilty in San Luis Obispo Superior Court, according to the District Attorney’s Office. In the early morning hours of May 29, SLO County Sheriff’s deputies spotted suspicious vehicles…
Cat and mouse
You know what they say. When the pro-Air Pollution Control District Rule 1001 cats are away, Debbie Peterson and her Grover United minion mice will play. Or attempt rather ineffectively to play. And by play I mean take over the monthly Air Pollution Control District meeting on July 24 to agendize the repeal of the…
A 55 Response to a 55 Critic
Ed. note: We received this 55 Fiction story on July 29. While it missed the deadline for this year’s contest, and was thereby on its way to the pile for 2014’s contenders, a closer read revealed it to be a response to August Salemi’s July 18 letter to the editor (“Tell us how you really…
Stop the repression
A deep relationship exists between domestic spying by the government and the plans and calls for yet another war in the Middle East. Like every repressive police state law and executive “security” policy down through U.S. history, the Patriot Acts I and II and the Homeland Security Act ended up being used against popular movements…
Preserve the democratic process
It is strategic to take advantage of the lack of democratic representation and go in for the kill when voting members with opposing views are on vacation. Such is the vulnerability of Rule 1001 on the battlefield with several supportive voting members of the San Luis Obispo Air Pollution Control District (APCD) on vacation. In…
Keep up the good (artsy) work!
Thank you, New Times, for the serious, thorough, and entertaining article on artists Robert Irwin, Donald Judd, and Jeff Jamieson (“The art of seeing,” July 25). It was refreshing to read such an in-depth piece about art that connects the Central Coast with the world at large. Anna Weltner did an impressive job at bringing…
The economy is paramount
During my college days in the Boston area in 1950 to ’51, I bought a book titled Prejudice. As a young State of Mainer, I was impressed with the ethnic and cultural melting pot of Boston. The book was filled with boring statistics, but had a great introduction that included a story. The story told…
