Cover Story
At home on the range
Twenty miles east of San Luis Obispo as the condor flies lies a vast oak-studded ranch, the quintessence of SLO County’s characteristic rural landscape. Here in the fresh air of the Avenales Ranch, the gentle mooing of cows and calves is likely to be punctuated by the otherworldly bugling of tule elk or the high-pitched…
How do you feel about lowering the drinking age?
Steve Grayson student “It’s not necessary but I think it may be good for society because it will take away the rebellious aspect of drinking underage.” Andrea Pulaski bar owner “Definitely not. A lot of people who come in [the bar] who are over 21 aren’t even mature enough to drink.” Renee Dumouchelle retail “It’s…
No fourth wall in sight
New Times How did you get your start as a stand-up comedian? Mark Wiberg I started in 1997, really part time, in San Diego at the La Jolla Comedy Store; I took a workshop there. Then after a couple years I moved to L.A. and totally tanked after a few years. It wasn’t a good…
Four Beatles walk into a bar …
Between them, the four men who made up the musical group the Beatles tallied a robust eight marriages, four divorces, and numerous infidelities, but for multiple generations of Americans they will always be the gurus of love. Which is why Arroyo Grande’s SLO Down Pub is hosting a musical tribute to the fabulous four—featuring local…
Painting by day
The office is sterile. The scent of artificial air circulates throughout the conference room. The lonely trio of landscapes on the wall—labeled Villa Creek, See Canyon Apples, and Montaña de Oro,—isn’t Susan Beauchemin’s most recent work. Just to see the pieces, priced between $350 and $500, requires permission from the front desk receptionist. But for…
Naming names
The messages were among hundreds posted on a now-defunct Internet blog site called Central Coast Housing Bubble. Well before most news organizations were focused on the issue, the blog chronicled signs of distress in the local housing market. They named names, traded rumors, and dished dirt on, for example, which builders seemed to be in…
A fuzzy picture
In just a few weeks, all television will be going digital. But it turns out the In the near future, all television will be going digital. But it turns out the national switch to digital broadcasting won’t apply to viewers of many low-power television stations, which primarily serve rural populations and viewers for whom English…
Blues will play 2009 season despite troubles
Can the San Luis Obispo Blues pull off another comeback? Steve McPherson, briefly the baseball team’s owner, was arrested in early January on suspicions stemming from bad checks written in San Luis Obispo. It turned out he was also wanted on suspicion of probation violations in Nevada related to bad checks in a previous sports…
County clerks brace for an enigmatic election
There’s going to be a California special election in May. Or possibly June. No one knows exactly what will be on the ballot, but there will be a ballot. “All we really know in the trenches is the rumor that there’s going to be one,” County Clerk Julie Rodewald said. “There definitely will be one.…
SLO city measures its priorities against Measure Y goals
SLO city voters kicked off some controversy in 2006 when they passed a half-cent sales tax to pay for “essential services” under Measure Y. These days, with the effort’s net gain essentially wiped out by increased city salaries—including police pay raises —the issue remains a point of contention. Case in point: Former SLO Mayor Peg…
Enforcers crack down on Santa Margarita winery sign
SLO County code enforcement officials have asked Santa Margarita Ranch winery owners to remove two parked trucks painted with a billboard-like sign or face a $100 fine, according to Art Trinidade, code enforcement supervisor. He sent a letter to ranch owner Rob Rossi on Feb. 3, asking for the removal. Winery owners had not responded…
D.A. wants to keep DeVaul defense on the downlow
The District Attorney’s office is seeking to “seal,” or keep secret, declarations that could help with Dan DeVaul’s defense. DeVaul, the ranch owner and founder of Sunny Acres sober living home, has been charged with criminal violations of county codes. In his defense, attorney Jeffrey Stulberg hopes to argue that DeVaul was compelled to violate…
Clarice’s day out
Brandon Dennis looked like he was trying to hide his face behind the thick, fleshy body of his 23-foot-long python, Clarice, as he carried her home. It was more like a perp walk than the joyful return of a lost pet. Dennis walked as fast as anyone probably could with 130 pounds of python draped…
Awards are won, and made
Trophy days for most of us ended at our high-school athletic banquets, but for more than 30 years, brothers Robert and Warren Hooper have been making trophies for local events, for celebrities, and even for former presidents. “Our claim to fame is to bring life-like motion to a very static medium,” glass sculptor Robert said.…
Don’t blame smokers
Susan K. Hughes seems to have left a few things out of her letter (“Ban smoking in parks,” Jan. 15). For someone who’s so concerned about children picking up a cigarette butt, she doesn’t seem to mind those children rolling around in the grass my dog urinated on, or care about the cloud of smog…
Ban beach vehicles
Randy Jordan’s letter (“Ride on, rookies,” Jan. 15), which presents the off-road vehicle industry as an assembly of good-hearted citizens, is outrageous. I am angry at the indecent self-interest it radiates: All hail to the almighty dollar, Mr. Jordan? Tell the next mother who loses a son how much fun he had moments before his…
The final solution
I never gave much support for Obama’s policies until recently when he took decisive steps to save taxpayer money and close Gitmo. He’ll be incarcerating these Islamic freaks in U.S. prisons where they will be treated identical to others in our prisoner system, not enjoying that environment they were comfortable with in Gitmo. Inmates will…
The commissioners listened
Thank you for covering the sand and gravel mine issues in the Salinas River and its tributaries. The SLO Planning Commission voted 5-0 to deny the Pehl project. They furthermore began a discussion of a much needed, critical Salinas River Overall Plan. The commissioners showed their concern for the long-term cumulative effects of this and…
They folded
In a world where decisions are often made that are easy versus right, I was disappointed that the Arroyo Grande City Council seemed to favor the former option. After listening to 11 years of expert testimony against the Tract 1998 project, it appeared that three members heard little, and merely wanted the project to…
Oppose the Freedom of Choice Act
Is it possible that the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) could partially abort health care (pun intended)? FOCA is only one of a litany of federal actions that seem to pit the “needs” of a few against the entire populace, which sleeps in apathy. I’m not debating abortion or any other hotbed issue here. My position is irrelevent in…
Nix pork
Let me get this straight. After eight years of huge tax cuts, ballooning deficits, and an economy in meltdown, the Republicans in Congress are still pushing the idea of tax cuts to solve our economic problems. Seems like the height of hypocrisy to me. Some tax cuts are appropriate, and tax increases are called for…
Why now?
The Cal Poly student commentary assembled by Glen Starkey in the Jan. 29 issue (“Spare change?”) was thought provoking and pertinent. I wonder why this was not published before the election, and I surely wonder why it was published now! Editor’s note: Permissions from the students to publish their statements were not complete until production…
Bad breeding
I wholeheartedly concur with the Shredder’s opinion of the woman who gave birth to eight “squirming, micro offspring” (“Tits and tats,” Jan. 29). Now we learn she already had six rug rats and, longing to pollute the earth even more, went for in vitro fertilization to have more. Presumably, along with the doctor who implanted…
He’s alive
I read your Shredder column titled “The failed Obama presidency” (Jan. 22) and just want to let you know that Billy Graham is indeed very much alive. He’s out of the public eye most days because he is 90 years old, with the typical physical problems of someone that age. But he’s still sharp mentally…
Find consensus first
One thing seems obvious, both in terms of media commentary and the present state of political action and debate: The economic situation in the United States and throughout the world is a mess that portends huge damage to a market system that has driven a very successful economy over the past five decades. The party-line…
Samir Aburashed, manager
NEW TIMES: What made you decide that this was the right time for Petra? ABURASHED: The Central Coast is in dire need of some fresh Mediterranean food. There aren’t any real authentic Mediterranean restaurants in the area. The food my mom makes is even better than the food you can have in Syria. Everything she…
Crap!
I know you’re all eager to learn the winner of the crap poetry contest, which is why, like a sadistic parent at Christmas, I’m going to stretch things out a bit here. We’ll talk about the meaning of Christmas, go to church, eat dinner slowly. Then, when you can’t stand it any more … I’ll…
Calling Rhone enthusiasts
Why don’t wine varieties like Counoise, Mourvedre, and even Syrah have the cachet among Americans that other varieties do? Is that just because it’s easier to say Merlot or Chardonnay, instead of trying to pronounce a word that’s foreign to our lips? Whatever the reason, it keeps Rhone wines from becoming as mainstream as Cabernet…
Brewing up a mess o’ music
Downtown Brew has five, count ’em, five killer shows this week. It’s like a machine gun full of music being fired into your ears. On Thursday, Feb. 5, two killer local indie alt.rock acts hit the stage. According to Nothing Ever Stays, after producing an EP and a single through two smallish labels, “We are…
King Shag 2007 Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough
Not surprisingly, the best wines under $10 are usually white. Still, I was skeptical about this New Zealand white that’s only $6.99 at Trader Joe’s, until I tasted it. It offers an array of bright lime and grapefruit notes mellowed by slightly sweet melon notes. Best with main course salads with seafood, curries, brie or…
Claiborne & Churchill 2007 Pinot Gris Central Coast
This lovely wine offers a graceful array of nectarine, pear, and tangy apple aromas and flavors that are intertwined with zippy citrus notes. The delicious flavors linger long on the palate, and kept me coming back for another sip. Made from grapes grown in Monterey and Edna Valley, 75 percent was barrel fermented, 25 percent…
