Cover Story
Shades of Solomon
After 30 years of work in the field of medical ethics, even Lawrence Nelson was stumped. Nelson teaches philosophy at Santa Clara University. He also has a background in law and is a member of the university’s Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. He hemmed and hawed. “On the one hand” he’d start, then trail off…
Sites to behold: Freerice.com
As the holidays roll around and food seems to be on everyone’s mind, it never hurts to consider the considerable number of people around the world lacking this basic resource. There are a number of ways to respond to this need—donate food to the food bank or volunteer at a shelter. Or you can go…
Cool hand, hot shoe
Ralph Bush downshifted from fifth gear near the end of the long straightaway just before the hairpin turn at Sears Point Infineon Raceway two laps from the checkered flag. He found second instead of fourth gear, instantly pulverizing the drive train in his Thunder Roadster. It was an inglorious end to a great season, the…
Take me away!
I’m still trying to figure out what’s being exchanged. Robert Maxwell is pulling down art by Stenzskull from the east retaining wall of San Luis Creek, underneath the footbridge between Frog and Peach and Mission Plaza. It’s Saturday, Dec. 5, 10:15 a.m., and Maxwell’s meter will soon expire. It costs $30 for an expired meter.…
How have you spent most of your life?
Chase Anderson student “School.” Skyler Anderson student “Waiting in lines.” Tyler Loudermilk firefighter “Aside from school, probably surfing.” Ian Scott nurse “Working.”
Not another Nutcracker!
The people around Drew Silvaggio judge time in Nutcrackers. Something happened five Nutcrackers ago, or 10, or 20, or even 31. Civic Ballet’s annual production of the traditional holiday ballet spans more than three decades, and company member Jackie Lee has been in every single one of them. It’s a tradition, and not just for…
All is calm
Between holiday to-do lists, budgets, and relatives, the one thing the holiday season seems to fall short on is peace. Nights aren’t so silent, and all is not calm. In a departure from more traditional art shows, ARTS Space Obispo’s gallery committee decided to gift the community with a therapeutic combination of light and space,…
Are hybrid pets in jeopardy?
Dino has the disturbing habit of looking at people as if he wants to eat them. With bright, nasty-looking eyes, he startles walkers when they see him coming around a corner. He’s a huge dog with tall legs and a scraggly gray coat. “That’s a wolf, isn’t it?” asked a small girl who recently saw…
Correction
Josh Kimball took the photo on the cover of the Dec. 3 edition, “The harvest.”
Supervisors reject San Miguel Ranch
The San Luis Obispo County supervisors seemed like they couldn’t bear the idea of rejecting a massive housing development—but in the end, they did. After hours of public comment and deliberation at its Dec. 8 meeting, the board voted 3-2 to reject a change in the county land plan that would have cleared the way…
Bon voyage, Mr. Baker
As budget cuts have left the California State University system limiting classes and excusing part-time lecturers, and as Cal Poly is trying to attract out-of-state students to make up for a budget shortfall, University President Warren Baker has decided to call it quits. Baker announced his retirement plans on Dec. 7, but said he’ll remain…
Two charged with violating land-use code at Cambria base
Both the owner and caretaker of a derelict Air Force base near Cambria have been charged with misdemeanor violations of coastal zone land use, according to court documents. Luther Akers, the caretaker of the property, was also charged with felony illegal disposal of hazardous waste. Bernd Schaefers, producer of 1980s movies such as The Never…
Oceano CSD seeks a forensic audit
No one can say for sure that someone is stealing public funds from the Oceano Community Services District, but it looks that way. In fact, as of press time, district board members were set to vote on whether to perform a “forensic audit” on their finances. As the name sounds, a forensic audit would be…
PETA stages local protest
The controversial People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is no stranger to tension. Members stage a demonstration, and the air gets thick. Such was the case when a group met outside a local McDonald’s to protest the restaurant’s relation to poultry farms they described as “inhumane.” Members and volunteers with the young adult…
I’m thankful for dog lovers like Debby
I would like to express my appreciation to Debby Sweet at Short ’n Sweet Dog Rescue in Templeton. I recently had occasion to try and find a home for the dog of a neighbor who could no longer care for him. Of the six local rescues that I contacted, Debby was the only one to…
Impress me: Work together
As the political rhetoric heats up, both the left and the right go toe-to-toe trying to denounce the other in their quest for political dominance. It’s quite apparent that neither side is truly listening to or trying to understand the other. Forgive me if I’m not impressed. Isn’t it just possible that both parties’ perspectives…
Get healthy by stopping the war
Health should not be a business for profit. Health should be a right. No person should suffer because the money one has does not allow the cure. All humans of the female persuasion should have the right of abortion. It is odd some politicians would take away this right but not want to support the…
Move over, Mother Teresa
I am putting together a packet of information about Dan De Vaul to send to the Vatican, to the Pope, to petition to make Dan De Vaul a saint. His actions are akin to those of Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Claire.
This county could use more compassion
I am shocked and dismayed that social issues take a backseat to what is deemed legally correct. Compassion is a critical element in caring for the needs of the homeless. Dan De Vaul opened his heart and his home to those who needed him the most. How can we ever consider ourselves a County of…
Remember this bozo?
Super-genius Senate Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) unveiled his spiffy old Republican retread of a jobs program left over from the failed Bush administration, when the United States lost millions of jobs and the economy and stock market crashed heading toward a second Great Depression, in order to try to take attention away from the…
Kudos to Katcho!
We appreciate Katcho Achadjian’s vision for Nipomo by keeping it user friendly for walkers, joggers, and equestrians. A framework for multiuse trails has been laid out, but only a few have been accepted by county parks. Ride Nipomo, through its membership, has been cleaning, clearing, and trying to keep easements open as housing has flourished…
What if you’re wrong?
With the Climate Conference happening in Copenhagen now, I have been thinking about the debate in this country over climate change. Hearing both sides of this debate, I come back to one basic question: What if you’re wrong? On one side of the debate: Changing to adjust for climate change requires huge investments at a…
Oh, I got the point
Tell John Winthrop (“Start the draft, stop the war,” Nov. 26) I didn’t miss his point in “Bring back the draft” (Nov. 12) at all. I’m supposed to put my daughter in harm’s way to save our country from a bunch of morons? It wasn’t her or my idea to get our country involved in…
The nuclear industry is built on community involvement
In response to “What’s the hurry?” (Dec. 3): There is no requirement that a lawyer be used to file an intervention or raise a safety concern during the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s license renewal process. A group called Pilgrim Watch, headed by Mary Lampert, participated in a hearing before the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board without…
Though the weather’s cold, basketball’s heating up
Though the long days of summer are gone, the time is ripe for San Luis Obispo’s pickup ballers. That means many hoopsters, despite age or athletic ability, are looking for the right place to bring their games this fall. Here’s a rundown of the places to lace ’em up around SLO. First on the checklist…
Pencil me in
You have to write a shopping list, so you reach for a pen—only to find empty space. You glance next to the refrigerator. Nothing. In the cup next to the computer, there’s nothing but a dried-up orange marker. Aha! The junk drawer! Wedged in the front is an old, 6-inch, unsharpened, faded yellow pencil, its…
Clubs
Goin’ South … CAFÉ ANDREINI: 131 E. Branch St., Arroyo Grande, 481-6117. Thurs.: Live music at 6pm. CLIFFS RESORT: 2757 Shell Beach Road, Shell Beach, 773-5000 or cliffsresort.com. Mon. and Tues.: Louie Ortega. Fri: Live music. COFFEE BEAN AND TEA LEAF: 750 Five Cities Dr., Pismo Beach, 773-6420. Music Night every Sat., 6:30-8:30pm. DOLPHIN BAY/LIDO:…
Tangent 2008 Viognier Edna Valley
This is just my style when it comes to this Rhone white. This classic wine is fragrant with fresh nectarine, apricot, melon, spice, and honey aromas and flavors that are ripe and sweet tasting. But this dry wine is beautifully balanced with citrus and mineral notes. It makes a great choice as an aperitif or,…
Adelaida 2006 Syrah Glenrose Vineyard Paso Robles
Big and ripe, yet quite balanced, this Rhone red is enjoyable for its briary blackberries, plums, and mineral aromas highlighted with tasty nuances of spice and game. It’s still young but so drinkable; it’s just the ticket for leg of lamb, tri-tip, or grilled quail. Critic Robert M. Parker, Jr. of The Wine Advocate rated…
Pinot Noir alert: Buy WOPN tickets now!
I’ve just received a very real indicator that the economy is improving: The fabulous World of Pinot Noir (WOPN), an annual two-day wine celebration in Shell Beach, is selling out fast. And this event doesn’t take place until the first weekend of March 2010. This time these wine zealots will raise a hearty toast to…
Todd Fisher, Owner
NEW TIMES: What is the Imagination Shoppe? FISHER: We are a game café. We were born to our Internet café mother and our game store father. We provide a friendly environment for anyone who enjoys playing games. Be it board games, card games, or electronic gaming, we cover all the aspects for newcomers and veterans…
Got holiday spirit?
People tell me it kicks off their Christmas holiday,” said Jerri Walsh, talking about the annual Needs ’n Wishes holiday fundraiser, set for Dec. 12 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the South Bay Community Center, 2190 Palisades Avenue in Los Osos. Walsh is a member of the Homeless Advisory Council and one of…
Wealth without work
Every once in a while, I’ve been known to pick on other news organizations. Why? Well, most of the time when I turn sights on this paper, the editorial staffers get all weepy and come back with threats that they’ll beat me with large sticks. If you were glued to the Tribune’s online news updates…
Rescue your holidays!
Midway through the last Aquabats show I saw, they turned into a cartoon. I swear! I was sitting there, bouncing in my seat, watching the video they play along with their music, and it was like that movie Enchanted, except instead of Amy Adams shooting out of an NYC manhole cover and changing from animation…
