Cover Story
The reel deal
The Beach Boys have had more Top 40 singles than any other American band and are the best selling American band ever, yet their career is marred by drug abuse, the untimely deaths of Dennis and Carl Wilson, the very public mental breakdown of chief songwriter and singer Brian Wilson, and a relentless history of…
Top 10!
It’s been more than four and a half years since I arrived at my first house on Lawton Street, where I lived among Cal Poly’s finest, who were, more often than not, immersed in online video games, in which it’s OK to shoot people in the face with fictional assault riffles, and drinking Captain Morgan’s…
Which is more important, your money or health?
Kannyn January apparel store owner “My health because without that, what good is money or success? You can’t enjoy them.” Charles R. Lauenson California State Park Ranger “I have a degree in economics from the University of California, Davis so having sufficient monetary income to be able to cover my expenses is probably the most…
Everyday, but Christmas
Come rain or shine BJ’s Live Seafood is open for business every day from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m., except Christmas (and half-days on Christmas Eve and Thanksgiving). It’s staffed by BJ Johnson, his wife Carol, their daughter, and their two sons. The selection at their retail stand on the pier at Port San…
To spray or not?
It’s just a little brown moth, indistinguishable to the untrained eye from any other moth, but the invasive Light Brown Apple Moth has launched state, local, and federal officials into a frenzied effort to stop its spread. California is the only state in the country known to harbor the moth and government officials have…
Damage control
Ripples from the firing of former deputy county administrator Gail Wilcox have reached the SLO law firm of Hall, Hieatt & Connely, which the county has engaged for at least a decade. County officials said they will soon open bids to other law firms for representation, to shake up what has amounted to a…
Narcotics sting leads to 13 indictments
Thirteen North County residents will face charges related to an alleged methamphetamine trafficking ring that local officials say reached all the way to Mexico. A criminal grand jury decided to indict all 13 people who were arrested in the Aug. 8 sweep, which followed a year-long investigation. All of the indicted men and women, ranging…
The cost of commitment
The annual cost of housing an alleged criminal at Atascadero State Hospital increased sharply to nearly $167,000 this year and officials say the county could be left paying similar costs for the long term. As part of an agreement with the state, SLO County Behavioral Health Services paid $166,947 to house one patient—who officials…
Third death further taints Nacimiento project
A third man has died working to feed new water to SLO County. Tim A. Nelson, a 29-year-old worker for Teichert Construction, was killed on Aug. 20 while working on the Nacimiento Water Project. Nelson was killed by a dump truck that backed over him while he was working on a section of the…
Pension fund slips further; a lawsuit is threatened
SLO County’s employee pension fund, which already performed among the poorest in the country, slipped still further in a recent ranking and is even more under-funded than was previously thought. According to a new report by the fund’s outside consultant, the investment performance of the fund fell from the 98th percentile among similar funds…
Two frat members headed to trial for hazing as judge warns others
A little more than an hour after he warned defense lawyers that calling their clients’ fraternity brothers to testify might put them in legal jeopardy, a San Luis Obispo judge found there was enough evidence to try two Cal Poly students for the hazing death of Sigma Alpha Epsilon pledge Carson Starkey. Haithem Ibrahim…
Artifacts 8-27
Central Coast Book and Author Festival Exhibitor applications now being accepted Publishers, authors, illustrators, booksellers, other book professionals and book-related nonprofits are invited to meet more than 2,000 visitors expected to attend the Central Coast Book and Author Festival, scheduled for Oct. 4 in San Luis Obispo. This year’s festival will be highlighted by…
Bialystock and Bloom, I presume
New Times Why bring The Producers to the Clark Center? Donna Sellars Ryan [Cordero]—director of The Producers and founder and executive director of Sorcerer Productions—really likes working at the Clark Center. It has a beautiful stage and has all of the technological things we need. New Times What is your role in The…
Rice paper shrines
An unusual cast has assembled at Cuesta College’s University Art Gallery. Odysseus is there, tardy and travel-weary. Dr. Faustus is, too, sin-ridden from his bargain with Lucifer. Scholars of Shakespeare are adrift in one corner. A corps of molded bees going about their business of pollinating descends from the ceiling. The Library of Alexandria, four…
No cabbage talk here
Dick Cheney is everyone’s favorite love-to-hate politician. He’s the only U.S. vice president to shoot someone while in office (Aaron Burr shot Alexander Hamilton during a duel in 1804, but that was seven years after his tenure as VP concluded). He is, according to San Francisco Mime Troupe performer Ed Holmes, “the biggest dick of…
Get ready for Earth Day
April 22, 2010, will be the 40th anniversary of the first nationwide Earth Day celebrations. We need to start planning now, so that schools, businesses, government agencies, and other groups will mark Earth Day on their fall and winter agendas to get things rolling by spring. To kick things off, North County Earth Day…
Santa Maria’s no bed of roses
Hola from Santa Maria, Ms. Tasseff (“SLO could learn from Santa Maria,” Aug. 20). I would like to add to her comments about the city of Santa Maria. Along with the community center, the new library, the excellent streets, police and fire departments, and dedicated city employees, we also have an extreme gang problem, the…
Take the initiative
It appears that neither the state nor federal government will pass meaningful health reform. In California, however, we have an often criticized but sometimes useful tool called the initiative process. I’m sure that in this county we have enough talent and expertise to put together a health care reform proposition that is practical, fair, tailored…
Support public health insurance
Last year a doctor whose skill I respect was horrified at the prospect of a Democratic president who might promote universal health care, the “public option.” Her question to me was, “Don’t you realize what it would cost you in raised taxes?” The truth was, I didn’t, yet when I got home I calculated what…
Look beyond fear tactics
As the solitary pro-health-care-reform attendee at last Saturday’s anti-health-care-reform protest outside Lois Capps’ SLO office, I’d like to thank those in attendance for their willingness to debate the issues, but let’s be clear on a few things: 1. Our health care system is broken and in desperate need of repair. The status quo will…
Check the math
I am curious about all the hoopla over GM’s electric car that allegedly gets 230 miles per gallon. My curiosity is, where is the electricity to run this car coming from? Forget the per-gallon cost: What about the kilowatt cost? While we are busy switching from incandescent light bulbs to CFLs, unplugging such phantom energy…
Check the math
I am curious about all the hoopla over GM’s electric car that allegedly gets 230 miles per gallon. My curiosity is, where is the electricity to run this car coming from? Forget the per-gallon cost: What about the kilowatt cost? While we are busy switching from incandescent light bulbs to CFLs, unplugging such phantom energy…
Kennedy’s request was partisan
A few years ago, Senator Ted Kennedy pushed for and succeeded in changing Massachusetts law to fill a vacant Senate seat with a vote instead of an appointment by the governor at a time when a Republican would likely have been appointed to fill the vacant senate seat. Senator Ted Kennedy’s dying wish is…
Good pot takes more than sunlight, soil, and water
I read with great interest the letter from Mike Ward (“Medical cannabis should be priced justly,” Aug.20). As a medical cannabis card-holder myself, I also have to deal with the high price of cannabis. Ward’s argument sounds logical, and I would be happy if the price for quality marijuana were to drop to ten dollars…
HART helps
Shame on San Luis Obispo Animal Services volunteers for attacking HART (“HART takes heat,” Aug. 20). Diana Duncan has provided a service in this community for years. To accuse her of making animal overpopulation worse is both cruel and ridiculous. Until recently both Woods and Animal Services were releasing unaltered animals on spay/neuter deposits…
Mike Hoffman
New Times: What service does Mindbody offer? Hoffman: Mindbody is a local company that has been designing business management software for the health and wellness industry for over a decade. Founded here in San Luis Obispo, it is a web-based business management suite that allows owners of service-based businesses to track and manage all aspects…
Comforting words
It’s a comfort to know that the death of yet another person working on the Nacimiento Pipeline for Teichert Construction didn’t burden its executives all that much. They practically had the news release written already, thanks to the last deadly accident. Consider the similarities between the statement Vice President Steve Mitchell issued after two guys…
Bogle 2008 Sauvignon Blanc California
This tasty white is always a good value and just the ticket for the end of summer. Crisp and tangy with classic grapefruit aromas and flavors, it’s tamed by slightly sweet melon notes. I love it with pork chile verde or salads topped with fresh goat cheese, Feta is fine, too. Or try it with…
Trenza 2008 Rosado San Luis Obispo County
This pretty pink wine, inspired by the red blends of Spain, is a cuvee of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. Offering an array of refreshing fruit flavors, it tastes of raspberries, strawberries, and cherries, weaved with citrus and spice notes. This delicious, easy drinking wine is a must for the end of summer as an aperitif.…
Exceptional blends
During a recent visit to Kiamie Wine Cellars, among the newest tasting rooms in downtown Paso Robles, I discovered there are now 15 winery tasting rooms in that immediate neighborhood. The experience made me realize that today’s marketplace absolutely requires a new winery to offer something unique that sets them apart from an array of…
Danceable grooves
How about some high-energy folk-rock, feel-good muppet funk, and beer-drenched bluegrass? That’s how S.F.-based sextet Ten Mile Tide describes their music. Known for combining spirit, chops, fun, and artistry, they’ve been nominated for a Jammy for New Groove of the Year, selected as the New Groove of the Month by jambands.com, and selected as…
