Cover Story
Bears walk among us
A smelly can of mackerel hanging from a tree makes an irresistible lunch stop if you happen to be a black bear wandering in the wild hinterlands of San Luis Obispo County. That’s what a group of Cal Poly biology students discovered this past summer, as part of a research project to determine if the…
Open for business
From the recent New Times article concerning business closures on Marsh Street (“What do empty shops on Marsh mean?” Dec. 13), a reader might get the impression that the store Dizzi is closing its doors. This is not the case at all. We are open, and we are staying open. Dizzi is alive and well.…
See the charms–and horrors–of small town living
It’s not uncommon for Cambrians to approach Richard Taylor and claim to know the actual identity of the Monroe House–the ghost-ridden bed and breakfast featured in his horror novel, The Haunting of Cambria. And if they’re not tossing out the names of actual inns or bed and breakfasts, they’re hinting that they know the real…
Holidays cast spotlight on drinking and driving
Local police recently busted a dozen drivers for drunk driving, and they plan on catching even more through the holiday season. From Dec. 13 to 16, the San Luis Obispo Police Department arrested 12 drivers for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol. According to Joe Vega, a California Highway Patrol public information officer, the…
Letters
How far will Mardi Gras crackdowns go? Well, I see the thought police have been at it again, trampling on the First Amendment. I’m referring to the recent removal of the Facebook posting by some Poly students advocating the return of the most popular event in the city’s history, Mardi Gras. We no longer enjoy…
Volunteers offer harsh words for Animal Services
A parade of volunteers for the county-run animal shelter unleashed a torrent of criticism about the operation at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Dec. 18, with one after another calling it a poorly run, often dirty, uncaring operation that sometimes doesn’t vaccinate animals quickly enough and too often relies on undersupervised jail inmates for…
You better watch out
It seems that every year, right around the holidays, United Blood Services, Central Coast, puts out a call for donors. Whether blood donations drop or rampant bleeding goes through the roof, the need for the sticky red stuff is always there. I’ve never given blood–I’m afraid of needles, blood itself, and the little juice boxes…
Head toward the light
Among all of the holiday hubbub, a multi-cultural, interfaith event honoring the coming of longer days is planned for Dec. 21. The Return of the Light celebration will include rituals and performances from various faith traditions, as well as a community potluck. Organizer Paula Vigneault said the event is an opportunity to “get back to…
Council vote could doom historic buildings
Reused bricks could be all that remain of at least one historic building after the SLO City Council voted to move the Copeland family’s plans for the downtown mixed-use Chinatown Project forward. The project would consume 75 percent of a city block–much of it now city-owned surface-level parking–just across Chorro Street from Mission Plaza. The…
Turnin’ up the heat
# With winter heating bills blazing through the roof this year, some folks on a fixed income can’t afford the price of a comfortably warm home. The image of chattering teeth and frostbitten toes in living rooms around the country is a disturbing one to Cadillac Angels frontman Tony Balbinot, and he’s ready to do…
Corrections
In “Homeless and wireless” (Dec. 13), the reason behind blogger Michael Ian’s inability to acquire a rental unit was misstated. The story should have said that he couldn’t provide a rental history for the previous two years. In “Putting the pieces together” (Dec. 13), a graph mistakenly used percentage signs after a series of numbers…
Craigslist confidential
The world’s oldest profession has largely moved from the street corner to the Internet server, and local police have followed the cyber tracks closely. Several San Luis Obispo County law enforcement agencies have recently begun using the popular Internet classified service, Craigslist, to help to help set up prostitution stings on the Central Coast–and there…
Every kitchen needs a sous chef
I don’t eat fast food, and I typically eschew pre-made foods, including those at Costco and Trader Joe’s that I wish were more than just convenient. This means I spend a lot of time in the kitchen preparing dinner. Or breakfast. Or lunch, for that matter. When I buy salad mix, I sort through it…
Lenthall is sorry
Jerry Lenthall, the chairman of the Board of Supervisors, says he’s sorry that he initially opposed a needle exchange program that has shown impressive results in its first year. “I really owe you a public apology,” Lenthall told Public Health Director Greg Thomas during the Dec. 13 supervisors meeting. As a former police officer, Lenthall…
Dalidio project moves forward with EIR
In one of the first signs of action since county voters approved the development plan, lawyers for the Dalidio Ranch Project have submitted a “vesting Track Map” to the county in order to subdivide the property. The move automatically triggers an Environ-mental Impact Report, a procedure that the project’s opponents have long been seeking. The…
Hill opens office
Adam Hill, the Cal Poly English lecturer who has announced plans to run for Jerry Lenthall’s 3rd District Supervisor seat, has opened a campaign office in downtown San Luis Obispo. The office will be located at 1124 Nipomo St., Suite D, and will be open every afternoon beginning in January. For more information, call 541-ADAM.
Fast facts
After 10 years in downtown San Luis Obispo, Beary Cute Bears recently moved to a new location on 3596 Broad St. The shop will have a teddy bear hospital for on-site emergency bear repairs and more space to host “Stuff Your Own Bear” birthday parties. For more information, call 544-6711. The largest cycling event in…
A shop of great import
The story of Noi’s Thai Imports in Baywood Park is a story 13 years in the making. When Wanda and Ron Miner opened Noi’s Thai Takeout restaurant in 1994, they had always planned to expand it to include imports from Thailand, the country where they met and married. Unfortunately, the cost of importing and the…
Reclamator creator’s complaint seeks $80 million–and a second suit could be on the way
Tom Murphy, the creator of the Reclamator sewage elimination system that he touts as a solution to Los Osos’ sewer woes, has filed an almost-$80 million complaint with the California Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board. Plus, a $100 million complaint against the Los Osos Community Services District could be on the way. # The…
