Cover Story
You call this art?
Why we exhibit Newspapers might aptly be called the wallflowers of the creative community. We watch, record, and document as everyone else dances, paints, sculpts, photographs, and generally has a grand old time. However, it’s inevitable that, at one point or another, any self-respecting publication—and especially one founded on the principles of alternative reporting—will cast…
Rebelution returns
When last I checked, Courage to Grow, Santa Barbara-based reggae act Rebelution’s CD, had slid from fifth to sixth on Billboard’s Top Reggae Albums chart. Still, they were ahead of a Bob Marley CD! Not too shabby, eh? Next Thursday, Sept. 4, Rebelution will make its triumphant return to The Graduate for an 18-and-older 9…
A mural for the public
If there is one thing that could always use freshening up, it’s a public restroom. Enter, Cayucos Beautiful and the Cayucos Art Association. These organizations have teamed up to create a colorful and location-appropriate mural on the restroom wall located at the base ofthe CayucosPier.This enormous blank canvas will be transformed by copper pipe, mosaic…
DeVaul seeks deadline extension
Dan DeVaul says he is getting the runaround from county staff and fears the holdup could push him past his deadline to bring his property into code compliance. DeVaul, the founder of the Sunny Acres sober living facility, is facing multiple deadlines to comply with county codes, most immediately an Aug. 30 deadline to bring…
A popular personality hosts Pops
New Times Where are you from? Dave Hovde I’m from Fargo, North Dakota originally. That’s where I grew up. New Times Wait, Fargo? Hovde Yeah. New Times What brought you out here? Hovde I would visit here and thought it was paradise, and a job opened up. New Times How did you get into meteorology?…
The Garifuna chronicles
The Garifuna people, mostly native to Belize, are generally believed to be the descendents of shipwrecked African slaves. After escaping from a sinking ship, these fugitive slaves settled in the Caribbean town of St. Vincent. Over time, their culture blended with that of the local Arawak Indians, resulting in a new language and culture known…
This year, the harvest thunders
Mother Nature displayed quite a spectacle on an early Friday morning, August 16, kicking off the year’s first Pinot Noir harvest at Talley Vineyards. The crew had just started picking when a thunderstorm roared and lightning bolts struck the ground creating several grass fires that were just as quickly doused by a following downpour. Fortunately…
What do you like the most and least about New Times?
Sandra Barnes homemaker “What I look at most is what’s happening every weekend – the calendar events. And I like the opinions and movie reviews. The Shredder was good for a while, but now it gets too off the wall, tries to be too funny.” J.C. Johnson auto parts retail manager “I think my favorite…
Haka by Labyrinth 2007 Tempranillo Paso Robles
This interesting rich, red offers aromas and flavors of ripe plums, wild blackberries, and earthy notes, highlighted with notes of spice and leather. A delicious California version of the classic Spanish variety, it’s well suited for jambalaya, braised beef or pork dishes, and beefy Mexican foods. It also drinks quite well on its own. A…
Domaine J. Laurens Brut Blanc de Blancs
This French bubbly has an attractive yeasty, fresh-bread nose that reminds you of Champagne, but it’s not. From the Cremant de Limoux appellation in Southern France, this fragrant bubbly tastes of sweet bread, toasty almonds, honey and spice. Terrific as an aperitif, it’s delicious with scallops, shrimp and soft tangy cheeses. Only $12.99 at BevMo!…
Fast facts:
Friends and family of Terry Keller, an Atascadero native and martial arts teacher, invite the community to attend a fundraising barbeque on Sept. 6, in his honor. Keller, who is 42, has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, which he is battling at great expense to his family. A $20 dollar plate will help offset the…
New decadence at the old inn
Even in San Luis Obispo, a place so sumptuous that people come from everywhere to bask in the mild weather and taste the local flavors, a person could occasionally feel they need a vacation from this perennial holiday. Of course, locals know countless ways to get away, without actually leaving. In that spirit, consider one…
SLO County shrinkage gets tentative OK
Two county supervisors and the Port San Luis Harbor District are scratching their heads as the county leans toward handing about 5,070 acres of agricultural land to Santa Barbara County,. Supervisors Katcho Achadjian, Harry Ovitt, and Jerry Lenthall tentatively approved a petition to shift the county boundary line and transfer a portion of the Suey…
Staff to recommend changes for troubled Animal Services
County staff will recommend that the SLO County Animal Services division either become a freestanding department or be transferred from the Sheriff’s Department to the Public Health Department, according to a report presented to the Board of Supervisors at their meeting on Aug. 26. The report, conducted in response to Sheriff Pat Hedges’ push last…
Santa Barbara County supervisors give support to offshore oil
Santa Barbara County, the center of a national movement against offshore offshore oil drilling following a 1969 spill, has now, officially, changed its mind. At an Aug. 26 hearing of the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, a 3-2 majority opted to send a letter to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger requesting a change in state policy…
Hedges bugged because deputy ‘made fun’ of him
Undersheriff Steve Bolts told County Human Resources officials that he and Sheriff Pat Hedges eavesdropped on former Chief Deputy Gary Hoving because of concerns Hoving was “making fun of” Hedges behind his back and was disloyal, not because of any ongoing criminal investigation. That’s according to the accounts County Human Resources officials relayed to retired…
Government and waste
How much is too much for a city to pay, at a time when money is tight, to replace a public restroom with another that’s essentially the same? Is $100,000 too much? Is $200,000 too much? Brett Cross has an answer. He says plans by the City of San Luis Obispo to replace two well-worn…
What happened to my space?
When Shiloe George couldn’t log in to her MySpace account, she didn’t think much of it. When she got a call from a private number a few days later, she ignored it. But when George heard she had been locked out of her account by the SLO Police Department, she picked up the phone. On…
Thin blue skin
I’ve joked before that I was concerned Sheriff Pat Hedges was listening in on my private, most intimate conversations. Now I’m sure of it. That’s because, thanks to Patrick Howe’s story, published in this week’s issue but first released on newtimesslo.com, we finally know exactly what drove Hedges to eavesdrop on another top cop, former…
Beth Davis – Personal Assistant
NT: What made you decide to become a personal assistant? DAVIS: I was a flight attendant for 32 years, and I retired, and I missed working with people. Taking a pot of soup and a loaf of bread, or going and picking-up prescriptions – those were things that I naturally did for my older friends.…
Sail away
Sailing my boat down the Pacific Coast was a great trip and full of beauty and excitement. The sight of Morro Rock after 300 miles of open sea and storms was welcoming. It is just sad that the same feeling of welcome was not received when I tied up my boat and contacted the Morro…
Clarification:
In the article, “Autism services are extensive, but questioned,” (Aug. 14), The San Luis Obispo County Office of Education is referred to as a monitor for the SLO County school districts’ autism programs. The Office of Education provides autism programs for some school districts, but does not monitor district programs. The school districts are ultimately…
Believe Buffet
Alexander Ward’s letter (“Check the numbers,” Aug. 21, 2008) reminds me of the statistician who drowned in a river having an average depth of 2 feet. Rather than statistics, I’ll use the words of Mr. Warren Buffet, the multibillionaire. He said that in a recent year, when his income was over $400 million, out of…
Check the numbers, again
Alexander Ward’s letter in last week’s New Times (“Check the numbers,” Aug. 21, 2008), seemed to present a powerful argument that the tax system was indeed progressive, contra the previous week’s letter by Istar Holliday (“Change the tax structure,” Aug. 14, 2008), complaining about the opposite. Then Ward had to take a swipe at liberals…
Call me Ms.
Alexander Ward, in his response to my letter in the New Times (“Change the tax structure,” Aug. 14, 2008), calling for a change to the present tax structure, covers the page with “data” from this administration’s Congressional Budget Office to “prove” the taxes of “the middle class” have gone down while the taxes of “the…
Repair the world
Several years ago, Congregation Beth David bought a pristine wetland property out in the country at Foothill and Los Osos Valley Road and built themselves a temple. By all accounts, it is a very green building, one the congregation brags demonstrates their concern for earth stewardship, or “tikkun olam” as they call it. Now, in…
Get real, Glen
After reading Starkey and Gang’s review of Tropic Thunder (“Not retarded! Aug. 21, 2008), I called my movie-buddy, Dennis Curry, and told him that Starkey had given the Stiller flick an unbelievable full $10. Dennis was as surprised as I was, but said he couldn’t go with me because he was taking his son to…
Save water
My hat’s off to the Board of Supervisors and the Nipomo CSD. The water saving retrofit program is a good, first step towards implementing new technological advancements. On many occasions, I have brought before the Pismo Beach City Council an additional idea. We need to have an ordinance introduced that will require all new construction…
The county and school district have helped
My heart goes out to all the families dealing with special needs children (“Autism services are extensive, but questioned,” Aug. 14, 2008). As the mother of a 6-year-old with special needs I know how much patience, energy, and resources these children require. In reality, there is no end to the amount of services that one…
Government must respect the law
When humans first came together to live in agricultural communities the need developed for rules and laws. It became important for those early leaders, just as today, to set good examples to follow for the rest of the community. Those social rules and laws have become the glue that holds modern civilization and societies together.…
