Cover Story
Breaking down eucs
If you believe everything you’ve read about eucalyptus recently, you might think you could spot a grove a mile away either by the flocks of healthy raptors circling above its canopy or the toxic groundwater flowing from its roots and the wafting stench of corpses crushed by fallen tree limbs. # The issue of what…
Santa Margarita Ranch is still making history
Described as an island of homes surrounded by the sea of Santa Margarita Ranch, the little community of Santa Margarita is feeling inundated by a tsunami-sized wave of potential impacts, according to some residents. # People living in the small town just over the Cuesta Grade from SLO are struggling under the weight of the…
Grand jury reports on Diablo and disaster
On Jan. 31, the 2006-2007 San Luis Obispo County Civil Grand Jury released its first report, “Diablo Canyon: San Luis Obispo’s Katrina?” A summary states that the initial report is “an investigation of county disaster planning related to potential incidents at the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant.” While the grand jury made several recommendations for…
Letters
Information isn’t wasted in science A recent letter claimed that researchers studying global warming are in an “ultimate marketing scheme to get rich quick” (“Tip your hat to global-warming hucksters,” Jan. 18). However, this argument is not convincing for a variety of reasons. First, the letter claims that the researchers receive “unlimited government funds for…
Lizards and snakes and scorpions oh my!
The grand opening of Jungles Above, Oceans Below in Grover Beach has been a long time coming, but then, all good things take time. The Hayes family including a mom, a dad, and two of their sons bought the store in 2005 when it was only Oceans Below. When the Hayes began moving the contents…
Can you stomach this?
Bleargh. I’ve got that flu bug or whatever it is that’s been going around recently, and I’ve got it bad. This is the third time this week it’s hit me, and each time it’s gotten worse. I’m not a big fan of watching whatever I ate come out again in an explosive rush, especially if…
Plan could alleviate traffic in Nipomo
After complaining for years about the increase in traffic in Nipomo’s core, the community’s residents could soon see key improvements to the area’s main thoroughfare and most congested street, following the San Luis Obispo County Planning Commission’s approval of the West Tefft Corridor Design Plan. # Mike Winn, president of the Nipomo Community Services District,…
Trustee charged with animal cruelty
Complaints filed by a shelter volunteer at the Division of Animal Services on Jan. 21 led to the arrest and arraignment of 22-year-old honor farm inmate Santos Cuara for the alleged cruel handling of animals. According to officials with the Sheriff’s Department, witnesses claim to have seen Cuara spray a cat with disinfectant compound after…
Conservation trail
Like off-road vehicle enthusiasts, mountain bikers have their detractors. Some claim they damage the environment, causing erosion and destruction of sensitive habitats. But one mountain biker group, now celebrating its 20th anniversary, has consistently worked to demonstrate its commitment to environmental concerns associated with the sport. # On Sunday, Feb. 4, Central Coast Concerned Mountain…
Cal Poly women raise awareness of assaults
The Cal Poly Women’s Awareness club (CPWA) wants to bring new attention to a series of assaults that occurred last year between Nov. 10 and Dec. 20. During that time, San Luis Obispo saw three attempted sexual assaults perpetrated on Cal Poly women by a stranger and the rape of another young woman. To draw…
Here’s why we must prevail in Iraq
In responding to the opinion by Ken McCalip (“One bad surge deserves no others,” Jan. 11) that severely and, I believe, unfairly castigates President Bush, it is very important to understand that the recent Congressional election was a confirmation on dissatisfaction on the progress in Iraq and not a mandate against the war! It was…
Fast facts
On Sept. 8, a local farmer took a bad fall from atop a ladder at his ranch. His back was broken, his spinal cord damaged, and he’s been unable to return to work. To offset the cost of rehabilitation, his friends and family are organizing a dinner and silent auction in his honor on Feb.…
More follow-up from the freeze
On Jan. 24, Steven C. Preston, administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), announced in a release that low-interest loans will be available to small businesses that suffered financial losses due to January’s freeze. Preston’s action is in response to a Jan. 22 request from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for the SBA to declare a…
Big-box debate ruffles Atascadero
Enveloped in turmoil for much of 2006 over a hotly contested effort to shepherd a Wal-Mart Superstore into town, the City of Atascadero finally carried the topic into 2007. Not two months after a tide-turning November election shifted control of the council to box-store opponents, the city unveiled on Jan. 23 a strategy and timeline…
