Cover Story
So long, Dave
Dave Romero, the mayor of San Luis Obispo, is retiring. At first glance, this announcement comes as no surprise: Romero is 81 years old, well beyond the conventional retirement age. But for those who know him and know how he’s become enmeshed in the fabric of the city, his planned departure still comes as a…
August has no major holiday. What do you propose we celebrate?
Jan Courtney psychotherapist “Leave Home for a Day. It’s the last chance before school starts again.” Curtis Traviloi student “John Wayne Day. Who doesn’t love the Duke?” Caitlin Pittaway Jamba Juice employee “Everyone’s Birthday. I’ve heard August has the most birthdays, so we could have a day for everyone to celebrate life and love.” Byron…
Harvest of disappointment
In an open-sided yellow shed at the edge of the Cal Poly Organic Farm, young Eli Maxwell enthusiastically helped his mother Sarah load their box of freshly picked fruit and vegetables, saying, “The tomatoes taste like candy!” For paying members of the organic farm’s Community Supported Agriculture program, it’s an activity they and dozens of…
The slow PACE of energy efficiency
With just two short letters—about half a page each—mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac began a process that would quickly undo years of work across 23 states seeking to stimulate new green jobs and energy-efficient homes. On May 5, the mortgage lenders issued two brief statements to lenders raising concerns over the Property Assessed…
Corrections
A recent brief regarding the reassignment of the Cal Poly journalism chair (“No love for Cal Poly’s Loving,” Aug. 12) misreported how many department heads Liberal Arts Dean Linda Halisky has removed. Loving was the second. Another recent brief regarding composting operations at Cold Canyon landfill (“Who composted?” Aug. 19) misreported the number of violations…
County contracts out, prompts horror
In order to get its budget, wages, and pension costs back in order, San Luis Obispo County officials have agreed to pay a consulting firm $345,000 through June 30, 2011. On April 27, SLO County supervisors approved a $155,000 contract with Renne Sloan Holtzman Sakai to provide labor relations services for the county. On Aug.…
It’s SLO expensive!
The Central Coast may be a gorgeous place to live, but residents of San Luis Obispo County pay dearly to bask in its beauty. For the fifth consecutive quarter, the county has been named the third least affordable place to live in the country—behind only New York City and San Francisco. The dubious honor was…
SLO council candidates are at the starting line
Get ready for fun and excitement: All the candidates running for San Luis Obispo City office have revealed themselves and are slated for the November ballot. The locals running for the two-year mayor gig are former councilman Paul Brown, Andrew Farrell, Donald Hedrick, and current city councilmember Jan Howell Marx. Candidates running for the two,…
SunPower draft EIR ready
A draft environmental impact report for one of two proposed solar power plants in California Valley is ready for public review. The 250-megawatt project, proposed by SunPower, would sit on 4,365 acres of the Carrizo Plains. The draft report covers a wide range of environmental issues surrounding the project and possible mitigation measures. Critics of…
Services scheduled for late SLO fire chief
San Luis Obispo’s fire chief passed away during a softball match at Santa Rosa Park on Aug. 18. John Callahan, 61, suffered a massive heart attack as he ran between first and second base while playing softball with the city league. Callahan had been the city’s fire chief since 2005 and was scheduled to retire…
SLOGEA split decision looms
The 179 members of the San Luis Obispo County Trades, Crafts, and Services units will vote on Sept. 13 whether to split from the county’s largest employee union: the San Luis Obispo County Employees’ Association (SLOCEA). Members of the recently formed SLO General Employee Association (SLOGEA) were given permission to conduct the election after SLO…
Pozo fire takes almost 1,200 acres
A wildfire that consumed more than 1,150 acres near Pozo was more than 95 percent contained as of press time, with fire officials predicting full containment by sundown on Aug. 25. The fire began in the early afternoon of Aug. 21 in the Los Padres National Forest a few miles northeast of the town of…
All fire, no smoke for Nipomo
Even if a proposed marijuana dispensary fully complied with county ordinances, it seemed unlikely on Aug. 24 that San Luis Obispo County Supervisors would have allowed it in a community that didn’t want one. In fact, community members who spoke out against the proposed dispensary said such a facility is unnecessary in a market already…
Symphony 2010-2011 season
Oct. 2, 8 p.m. PAC. Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers joins the symphony; Oct. 10, 3 p.m. PAC. Diane Schuur joins the symphony; Oct. 17, 3 p.m. Santa Margarita Ranch. Symphony Syrah 2008 release party; Oct. 24, 3 p.m. Nipomo’s Trilogy Central Coast. Musicians Paul Severtson, Grace Seng, Michael Nowak, and Nancy Nagano. Nov. 13, 8…
A hard four days’ nights
It’s Thursday, Aug. 19, and I’m in Downtown Brew looking at a dude in skinny pants, a skinny tie, nerdish glasses, and an impressive faux-hawk. It’s Evan Jarrell from Callista (second place), and he and his band hit the stage and begin their impression of budding heartthrobs. Girls swoon, guys scowl, and I think about…
Bulletproof
Here’s a little-known fact about the SLO Symphony’s new Executive Director, Brian Hermanson: He goes through phases of musical obsession and is currently “mesmerized” by Radiohead. It might not be compatible with people’s vision of the man who leads the county’s largest purveyor of classical music. But it is befitting the director of an organization…
One artist’s hell…
Nicole Strasburg’s paintings are on fire. That is, the Central Coast landscapes and long yellow grasses captured on her birch-wood canvases are consumed and concealed by flame. The impetus for the series was the trio of wildfires that raged between July 1, 2008 and May 20, 2009, threatening homes and filling blue Santa Barbara skies…
Sharp-dressed men
Though it’s a week away, I don’t want the Avila Beach Music Festival at the Avila Beach Golf Resort to sneak up on you, since it’s for such a worthy cause and features two awesome, must-see acts. On Thursday, Sept. 2, ZZ Top and the Tommy Castro Band perform, beginning at 7 p.m., during a…
David Faircourt perseveres
Most children who have Alström Syndrome lose their eyesight by the age of three; between five and ten years old, their hearing starts to diminish; and somewhere between the ages of 12 and 15, much more serious health concerns begin—diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol problems, liver and kidney failure, lung and heart problems. The devastating…
An open letter to the family who has Annie the dog
We cannot imagine how hard this letter will be to read any more than you can imagine the days of rewrites that went into drafting this correspondence. Even more daunting is the seemingly endless weeks, days, and hours that Chuck Hoage spends, waiting for his Annie to be returned. Your heroic effort of adopting a…
Wake up and act like Americans
This economic depression is entirely government planned and caused and can be corrected by cutting government size 80 percent, at all levels, back to Constitutional limits, and we’ll have wall-to-wall freedom for prosperity, jobs, and “happy days will be here again.” Sing it out people and do it! Dump the incumbents, fat-cat bureaucrats, and their…
Here are my suggestions for more jobs
California needs more jobs, and one of many ways to do this is to lower taxes and cut the workers’ comp rates in half. The liberals want to raise taxes on business and anyone who moves up the ladder and does well. The liberals want bigger government and allow lawyers to sue businesses for any…
Pastor Doug benefit was a success
We have just returned from a benefit dinner at McPhee’s Grill in Templeton, which honored Pastor Doug Carroll. There were about 150 folks from throughout San Luis Obispo County who responded to a radio appeal from talk show host Dave Congalton to help raise money for Pastor Doug. Chef Ian McPhee of Templeton’s McPhee’s Grill…
‘Ground Zero mosque’ furor is to whip up the anti-Obama base
Fox News’ talking heads are busy whipping up hysteria about the so-called “Mosque at Ground Zero” controversy. At the same time, a $2 billion stockholder in its parent company, News Corp, Saudi prince Alwaleed bin Talal, donates hundreds of thousands of dollars to the imam planning the controversial proposed Muslim Community Center. Closer inquiry seems…
Maintain pay for the lower and middle class
Reducing state worker pay by 15 percent only hurts the economy. Here is why. Realistically, state workers spend every penny of their paycheck. Very few have enough left over to save. By taking 15 percent from them, the governor is taking 15 percent ($136.7 million a month) out of the economy. That’s money that would…
Three things about Sam Blakeslee
Laurence Houlgate So Sam Blakeslee is the unofficial winner of the 15th District state Senate election. We have learned at least three things about Sam from the campaign experience he has made us suffer through. First, he is no longer Mr. Nice Guy. Sam did not hesitate to run the most negative campaign most have…
Seamus Finn-Chandler
NEW TIMES: What does Sustenance Studio provide for the Central Coast? FINN-CHANDLER: We allow people who are passionate about food the chance to sit, enjoy, and create a meal that they can be proud of. We live in such a beautiful area filled with delicious produce and fabulous wine, and we can provide the knowledge…
More redundancy again
POT! Pot, pot, pot. Pot, pot, pot. Ahem! ’Scuse me. POT!!! I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but pot is kind of a big deal, and it’s getting more boring by the second. Each second drags on longer and longer and looonger. Come to think of it, listening to the pot debate is…
Clubs
Goin’ South … BRANCH ST. DELI: 203 E. Branch St., Arroyo Grande, 489-9099. Live music on the patio at 5:30pm. 8/27: Howlin’ Coyotes. CAFÉ ANDREINI: 131 E. Branch St., Arroyo Grande, 481-6117. Thurs.: Live music at 6pm. COFFEE BEAN AND TEA LEAF: 750 Five Cities Drive, Pismo Beach, 773-6420. Music Night every Sat., 6:30-8:30pm. ELMO’S…
Vina Robles 2007 Signature Estate Cuvee
I tasted this delicious red blend with winemaker Matthias Gubler, who said: “I find it more interesting to play with varieties.” Made up of 66 percent Petite Verdot and 34 percent Petite Sirah—two varieties that grow quite well in Paso Robles—it’s rich and distinctive. Deeply colored, it offers intense flavors of blackberries, black plums, currants,…
Villa Maria 2009 Sauvignon Blanc
This is a great value for this classic New Zealand variety. Beautifully balanced, this zippy white wine offers delicious aromas and flavors of grapefruit, gooseberry, and melon, with tangy kiwi and lime. It’s delicious with cheese and crackers, salads, and pizzas with goat cheese, and an excellent choice with spicy Asian or Mexican dishes. Well…
Have you tried Tacorona?
If you’re like me, you’re wondering why it’s so difficult to get a good meal at a cheap price around here. That’s why I’m pleased to share some great news: You can eat well and eat cheaply if you can make it to Zorro’s in Shell Beach between 5 and 6 p.m. for “Tacorona!” It’s…
Art must not flinchc
We live in an insane world. There really is no other way to describe it. And it is we human beings who are responsible. For we humans invented insanity. There is no insanity in nature. Although we, as humans, are a part of nature, we do not embrace what nature does. As a whole, we…
