Cover Story
‘Surveillance is Freedom’
A PARANOID ESSAY BY ASHLEY SCHWELLENBACH Once the procedure was over, and the abnormally large needle was removed from her neck, the cat at the SLO County Animal Shelter–henceforth identified as 495F3C6119–resumed her standard catly behavior, apparently unconcerned that she had just been implanted with a chip that would verify her identity and location. And…
Keeping it clean
When the 2008 Amgen Tour of California rolls through San Luis Obispo next month, plenty of controversy will follow close behind some of the world’s top cyclists. For years, the use of steroids and other banned performance-enhancing drugs has tarnished the reputation of professional cycling. Most recently, 2006 Tour de France winner Floyd Landis was…
Bionic seniors
# Attention aging active seniors: They can rebuild you–or your knees and hips, anyway. And they do. SLO seniors get more knee and hip replacements than just about anybody else in the state, according to Medicare data compiled by the Dartmouth Atlas. The Atlas tracks the distribution of medical resources nationwide, and San Luis Obispo’s…
Write me a raise while you’re at it
Sure was funny weather on Tuesday. Two city blocks were the difference between sun-dappled rainbows and dark gloomy skies. The rainbows ended on SLO City Hall, where local officials were busy dipping into their pots of gold to scatter about $1 million worth of raises on Police Chief Deb Linden and dozens of other city…
Stoked ‘Stangs ride the waves
As a meaty swell descended upon the California coastline on Oct. 8, Cal Poly surfer Nick Mestre dropped into a sloppy, head-high wave at Black’s Beach in La Jolla. A 6-foot shortboard was under his feet, a 4/3 wetsuit was on his back, and the pride of the Cal Poly Surf Club was on his…
I am, I’m sad to say, a tourist in this town
I was a recent tourist in San Luis Obispo County, and it breaks my heart to have to call myself a “tourist.” I came to SLO Town from L.A. in 1980 to go to school at Cal Poly. Since that moment in time, San Luis Obispo has been home to me. I left my SLO…
Blue-collar SLO workers question raises for managers
SLO City workers, clad in orange work shirts bearing the city logo on their shoulders, filed into City Hall the rainy night of Jan. 22 to look on as City Council members approved raises to dozens of high-ranking managers, engineers, and utilities workers–seemingly everybody but them. Forming a solid blue-collar block close to the entrance,…
Sweat the small stuff
There’s a lot going on when it comes to health in San Luis Obispo County. You know that. You’re out there on the streets getting fit every day, running, exercising, eating well. But what’s that you say? You don’t have time to read even a medium-length story about some health-related issue? Say no more. To…
Pay up proudly!
It probably sounds weird to say so, but it’s nice to see Linnaea’s Cafe charging for some concerts. Some of you may remember that Linnaea, who’s since sold the business, got into live music by sponsoring house concerts, then started doing little shows and serving coffee in a now-closed local book shop. When the cafe…
Controversial anti-immigration activist visits Atascadero to endorse Huckabee
You’ve gotta have some chutzpa to call yourself a minuteman. The title refers to either a fast lover or a patriot whose ideas of national independence and individual responsibility were at stake in the battle against colonial England. Jim Gilchrist, founder of the Minuteman Project, is no doubt reaching for fraternity with the latter, but…
Letters
We had to sue to save the viewshed Regarding your article on the Sierra Club’s lawsuit to overhaul the view-shredding Cayucos viewshed ordinance (“Sierra Club challenges viewshed ordinance,” Jan. 17), while it’s true that the Board of Supervisors approved “the least comprehensive of the options available,” it’s not that we didn’t get the ordinance we…
Up the what?
Okay, so it’s not exactly Katie Couric getting a colonoscopy on national television, but if you believe the old wisdom that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, then colon hydrotherapy could prove even more essential than diagnosing a disease early. It’s not a pretty topic, plumbing the bum. Perceived by some…
County prepares for budget cuts
SLO County officials plan to deal with a widening budget gap by holding off on new hires, cutting back on travel and training, delaying some maintenance, and cutting back on some supplies. In large part, according to County Administrator David Edge, the 2.5 percent budget cuts won’t be noticeable to the public. The notable exceptions…
Enjoy a treat that’s so, so cool
# Just as the snozzberries taste like snozzberries in Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, the pineapples taste like pineapples at Giordano’s Italiano, home of G’s Italian Freeze. The same goes for the strawberries, lemons, and oranges. Dean Giordano, owner of the establishment, said that what he’s dishing out is “a healthy alternative to ice cream. It’s…
Kneading your nodes
# For years, local insurance agent Jim Weldon felt lethargic. Even after the most effortless tasks, he says he would walk around town feeling nearly exhausted. And despite proper nutritional intake, adequate exercise, and an active social life, Weldon just couldn’t seem to shake his sluggishness. “I was not feeling 100 percent and didn’t know…
Paso Robles feels winds of change
# Firestone Winery in Paso Robles hadn’t yet reached its first anniversary in January when the news came out that it was sold. In reality, it changed hands last August when it was reported that the original Firestone Winery in Santa Ynez Valley had been sold to financier/vintner William “Bill” Foley II. Originally, the Firestone…
Gang Task Force seeks more funds and staff
On Jan. 22, in a move contrary to the current county financial outlook, Sheriff Pat Hedges and representatives of the probation department and District Attorney’s office went before the SLO County Board of Supervisors to ask for money. They were armed with charts and statistics and stories of recent suspected gang activity–an early-January stabbing at…
The heart of a fighter
Americanized martial arts are so much more than the bad kung fu movies and giant-men-in-tiny-spandex-suits of the past. Today, there are multiple forms of martial arts taught in gyms and fitness centers across the country. There also are studios that specialize in teaching sports, such as karate, tai chi, kempo, kickboxing, and jujitsu. The following…
Fast facts
There will be a benefit barbecue and raffle on Jan. 26 to help fund the medical expenses of Chris Stillwell, an Arroyo Grande youth injured while riding his bike earlier this month. The barbecue will be hosted by Arroyo Grande Auto Sales at 1119 East Grand Ave. in Arroyo Grande. Food will be served from…
Invest in literature, reap lifelong dividends
# Just how relevant are libraries? Sure, more than half of San Luis Obispo County residents possess a library card, but advances in information storage and retrieval have raised questions about whether libraries of the future will even exist. And, if they do, will they carry books? The notion that a computer could replace a…
