Cover Story
The county and Dan DeVaul
It’s dusk, a few days before Thanksgiving at the Sunny Acres sober living facility, and founder Dan DeVaul leads the way to his barn, planting his good foot and dragging his other. It makes a sound like: “CLUMP, zzzz, CLUMP, zzzz, CLUMP, zzzz.” The inside edge of DeVaul’s right boot is worn nearly clear through…
Supes turn down raise-for now
SLO County supervisors voted not to give themselves a raise but still have their sights set on a better compensation package. The vote was unanimous to turn down a $3,505 salary and benefit increase. Public input was relatively scarce and only one person spoke to the issue. “The [current] economic times, I don’t think call…
SLO bus routes on Google finder
There’s a new, easy way to figure out which bus to take within the City of San Luis Obispo. The city and other agencies have linked city bus route information with Google, and the result is a bus-finding tool that’s as simple to use as Google Maps. The link is Google.com/transit. Enter starting and ending…
Not quite Captain Planet
The federal Environmental Protection Agency announced a new website aimed at capturing fugitives suspected of environmental crimes. The website, epa.gov/fugitives, has a list of the EPA’s most wanted, along with a picture and description of suspected crimes against the environment. Their alleged crimes range from illegally transporting hazardous waste to building a secret pipe to…
Sunny Acres still in the hot seat
Sunny Acres owner Dan DeVaul got a slight concession from SLO County supervisors to waive some of his permit fees. However, he’s still under heavy county scrutiny and won’t get anything close to a free pass until all the code violations are cleaned up. County supervisors agreed to waive a conditional use permit fee worth…
Investigation heats up in student death
San Luis Obispo police officers executed a search warrant related to the death of 18-year-old Cal Poly student Carson Starkey shortly after he died at a Sigma Alpha Epsilon initiation event. The search was part of what they’re calling an “active and open” investigation into his Dec. 2 death. Police Spokesman Capt. Dan Blanke confirmed…
Atascadero throws city money behind Colony Square
Big automakers are not the only ones getting government bailouts—Atascadero city officials gave developers of the Colony Square project $1.5 million to help get the struggling plan started. The unanimous decision by the new City Council (doubling as the Redevelopment Agency Board) allowed staff to put up city funds as collateral for a $9 million…
Bogle 2006 Petite Syrah
Considered their “heritage” varietal, this winery is a consistent producer of good-value wines like this one. Darkly hued, it has aromas and flavors of wild berries, plums, and jammy notes, with some subtle game and leather nuances. A good choice for game, leg of lamb or braised meats, big red wine lovers will find…
Roederer Estate Brut non-vintage
I love this wine for its Champagne-like flavors and reasonable price. It’s great as an aperitif for your holiday dinners or cocktail parties. This dry bubbly offers tangy aromas and flavors of pear, apple, and lemon, with subtle hints of nuts and spice. It’s wonderful with appetizers, seafood, cheese, or sharing a toast among friends.…
CD Reviews
Q-Tip—The Renaissance Even though he’s one-half of the seminal hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest, we’ve surprisingly have heard very little from Q-Tip since his debut solo album, Amplified, in 1999, which is a shame. As a lyricist, Tip’s nasally delivery twisted insightful thoughts with boyish charm, catapulting two of ATCQ’s albums into 5-star classics.…
Navel gazing
I should be excited to see sexy, bikini-clad women dancing to world music, but I’m actually a little worried. First, I’m sort of a Johnny-come-lately to this weekend’s Tribal Fusion Faire, now in its fifth year. Second, I’ve heard most of the attendees are female, and when women outnumber me, I become a scared little…
Robert Hall 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles
Here’s a good choice for the holiday dinner table when you’re serving roast beef or rack of lamb. This friendly wine is drinkable now, but will reward those who cellar it three or four years. Nicely balanced, it offers ripe aromas and flavors of currants, blackberries, tangy boysenberries, and spice, with nuances of dark chocolate.…
Musical angels usher a season of joy
What would the holidays be without a melancholy voice dreaming of a white Christmas, or the cheerful proclamation of “joy to the world,” or an endless and sickeningly smug list categorizing presents from a true love? And if you’re willing to pass a holly jolly evening at the Clark Center in Arroyo Grande (Dec. 17)…
Staging a classic
New Times I’ve heard a lot about you but have never spoken with you. Drew Silvaggio I am the Artistic Director of the Civic Ballet of SLO. I’m in charge of casting, directing, choreography, and coming up with the overall feel of the show, making artistic decisions pertinent to the show. New Times Where are…
It was perfectly legal
I recognize that New Times attempts to make its articles exciting and loves to stir up controversy, however the Dec. 4 article regarding the Senior Center parking lot (“Park-paving lot gets go-ahead in feisty meeting”) contains so many inaccuracies that it gives an erroneous impression of what occurred. Background: For approximately 20 years, the…
Where are the decorations?
My wife Debra and I own Hands Gallery in downtown San Luis Obispo. We have owned Hands since 1992, have worked hard to make it a success, try to keep it current and fresh, and make sure our store is clean and presentable. Until a few years ago we felt we were doing our part…
Many thanks
I thank the many Central Coast residents who, over the past 40 years, helped save the historic Dana Adobe in Nipomo. Now major restoration has started, contractors are being hired, and Aaron Regez, the Dana caretaker, supported by many volunteers, has started removing old cement and bricks. We need more healthy volunteers to assist in…
We’re here to help
The San Luis Obispo Child Development Center is a nonprofit community program providing therapeutic interventions to strengthen families for the prevention and treatment of child abuse. We believe that children are best protected and nurtured when families are strong. We have provided child abuse prevention and intervention together with child development and childcare services since…
Ignorance is the problem
Jacob Campbell asked anyone to enlighten him about how some of us feel about homosexual marriage and pro-life (“Do Prop. 8 supporters value life?” Dec. 4). My understanding is God, The Creator, made some rules: no adultery, fornication, or homosexual activity. As far as why the Constitution did not say one man and one woman…
Then invalidate all civil marriages
My friend Ginger is 72 years old. Ginger suffered from back pain for quite some time and doctors recently found tumors in her spine. We all were concerned it was a recurrence of her previous cancer. While undergoing tests, Ginger reflected on her life. She shared the one thing she always wanted but never was…
Make the best of what’s still around
The controversy concerning the pole sign at Zaki’s Golden Waffles on Calle Joaquin has me wondering about its historical significance. While the proliferation of such signs necessitated ordinances prohibiting them, does our landscape need to be sterilized of them? Is our city so unbending and Orwellian that we cannot appreciate a modicum of nonconformity? While…
Van service would be a better solution
Anyone who has attended the hearings regarding paving part of Mitchell Park knows why so many people don’t try to get involved in politics. Nobody listens. Minds are already made up and deals are in place before the public even gets there. The point that the three City Council members repeatedly ignored is that…
Students first
Thank you, Kylie Mendonca, for an informative, entertaining article on KCPR (“A long, strange trip …,” Nov. 27). Squeezing 40 years of history onto two pages is no easy feat. There is one aspect of the current KCPR airstaff that I wasn’t aware of: a number of them are former Cal Poly students, some of…
Let’s return to nature
Why are some of us activists working to get the vehicles off Oceano State Beach and Dunes, when there are so many other things in this world that need changing? We are trying, as the saying goes, to think globally, but act locally. Global crises, including energy, economics, health, and the environment, manifest themselves in…
Amigos, spare us your Last Hurrah
We are about to witness the Last Hurrah of the three pro-development county supervisors who have come to be known as the “Three Amigos.” They are, of course, supervisors Jerry Lenthall, Harry Ovitt, and Katcho Achadjian. Over the past few years these three have been staunch supporters of the development community. They have regularly ignored…
Jonny the Feather
NEW TIMES: What’s the advice you’d give someone who wants to get their first tattoo? JONNY: The old maxim: good tattoos aren’t cheap and cheap tattoos aren’t good. NEW TIMES: How is working in a tattoo parlor in a small college town different than working in one in a big city? JONNY: There’s way…
They turned back
There’s a lot more to the story about the night Cal Poly freshman Carson Starkey died after a day of hazing with the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity than has been told publicly. Hardly anybody’s talking on the record because the San Luis Obispo police have made it clear they’re looking into possible criminal charges against…
Take a tumble off the Christmas wagon
New Times recently obtained exclusive interviews with three holiday figures including the ghost of Christmas present from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Santa Claus, and the Rat King from The Nutcracker. We proceeded to ask the tough questions, receiving candid assessments of the health risks posed by Santa’s shaking belly and the Rat King’s uncensored…
If it sounds too good to be true…
Donna Scarpa was on the verge of losing her house, so she went looking for help. What she found was a $997 headache, and she’s still scrambling to stave off a foreclosure auction on Jan. 8. When Scarpa’s house went into foreclosure, she hit the Internet in search of someone who could renegotiate her loan…
Clubs
Goin’ South … BILL’S PLACE: 112 E. Branch St., Arroyo Grande, 489-9989. Fri.-Tues.: Karaoke. CLIFFS RESORT: 2757 Shell Beach Road, Shell Beach, 773-5000 or cliffsresort.com. Live music on Sat. from 1-5pm and Sun. Jazz from 11am-3pm. Mon. and Tues.: Louie Ortega. DOLPHIN BAY/LIDO: 2727 Shell Beach Rd., Shell Beach, 773-4300 or TheDolphinBay.com. Mon. and Wed.:…
Easy holiday entertaining
I love entertaining during the holidays, although it becomes stressful when I try to take on too much. That’s why I look for dishes that are simple to prepare yet impressive enough to serve guests. Whether you entertain a little or a lot during the holiday season, these recipes will feed a hungry mob…
Weed abatement
A little more than a year ago, Richard Steenken obtained a doctor’s recommendation for marijuana. He applied for and received a state patient ID card in case, he said, police questioned him. He grew his own marijuana plants. And then he was arrested for growing plants in his home. Despite his card and prescription, he…
Healthier than ever
The French Hospital Medical Center was recently recognized as one of the top 100 hospitals in the U.S. for setting the standards for cardiovascular care, and is the only hospital in California to receive the award. A study conducted by information technology company Thomson Reuters examined the performance of 970 hospitals nationwide by analyzing the…
Artifacts
Shopping Happy holiday shopping in South County! Steaming Bean Coffee and Tea Company in Pismo Beach, at 1651 Shell Beach Rd., exhibiting works by John Landon and more. Info: 773-2222. West Coast Gallery features Gregory Simmons, Thomadro, Rubi Glass, and more. 991 Price St., Suite A, Pismo Beach. Info: 295-6120 or 305-8103. The kids…
What’s best about global warming?
Walon Shibui soul masseur “The warmer weather not only gives us longer tans, but also longer vegetation seasons that give us better pot.” Cristel Wilson spa therapist “There is no best part—we’re supposed to have four seasons in SLO, and now it’s always hot with no water.” Jeff Rigby construction manager “I don’t really buy…
