Cover Story
Strike three?
Perhaps the worst kept secret in Morro Bay these days—for years, really—is the eventual demise of the Morro Bay Power Plant. The aging gas firing facility, with its three towering smoke stacks piercing the fog-banked shores of the Morro Bay Estuary, has been slowly sputtering out its death rattle for at least two years, if…
Woman sues former Paso cop
A San Luis Obispo woman is suing the city of Paso Robles and former Paso Robles police officer Jeffry Bromby for allegedly using excessive force during her July 30, 2010, arrest. Rodi’a Monterroso-Bragg (who goes by the name Bragg) was 21 years old when she claims Bromby “without provocation, cause, or warning, violently threw plaintiff…
Third Paso Robles cop files claim against city
Another cop has filed a grievance with the city of Paso Robles, relating to the actions of former police chief Lisa Solomon. According to former officer David Hernandez, he sped twice in 12 hours while performing his police duties in September 2011. For this breach of protocol, he was put on administrative leave for three…
‘Take It or Leave It’
I’m not sure if hardcore fans of the ska-punk Long Beach-based act Sublime (1988-1996) will ever accept a singer other than Bradley Nowell, who died of a heroin overdose in 1996. Sublime reached the peak of its popularity right after Nowell’s death when the band released its third studio album, a self-titled affair that also…
Edna Valley Vineyards 2009 Pinot Noir Paragon
This value-priced Pinot is another very good buy; it’s on sale at BevMo! for only $16.99, normally $19.99. Easy sipping, it’s smooth and well balanced, and an excellent choice for the table. I liked its bright cherry and ripe plum flavors so nicely weaved with notes of herbs, earth, and spice. It’s versatile enough to…
Heritance 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
This new brand, made by a ninth-generation French winemaker named Bernard Portet, entered the local market with an impressive start. That’s hardly surprising from a man who made the wines for the renowned Clos du Val in Napa Valley and who has a 40-year history of making fine wines. He assembles his wines in the…
For those who are about to rock …
I need two AC/DC fans, and I need them tomorrow night, Friday, July 20, to go see High Voltage—A Tribute to AC/DC with me. This is not a joke! E-mail me at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com and tell me why you should come, and I’ll pick two people by noon on Friday. Then we’ll meet at SLO Brew…
Sting Ray Anthony
Golden oldies help a local hospital Live musical performances are a special breed of art. The stage is where an artist’s talents really become apparent. Any yahoo can step into a studio and cut a track, but only a true musician can bring the same energy and passion off the vinyl and onto the stage.…
Such stuff as dreams are made on
Katherine Perello’s portrayal of Ariel may be the most awesome thing I have seen onstage in quite a while—and not just because the mischievous spirit in the Central Coast Shakespeare Festival’s staging of The Tempest rocks a brilliant blue Mohawk, shaved at the sides yet long and flowing in the back, with several airy tufts…
Deep cuts
Tom Wright has old ears. And yet his hearing is crystal clear. In the crowded, noisy coffee bar where his work hangs, the artist seems to have no problem understanding me. His good hearing, he says, is almost uncanny. The guy can hear two teenagers closing a drug deal around the corner, a horn solo…
Garden redux!
This is not my typical restaurant review, but is rather an introduction to a new chef on a mission every food connoisseur will appreciate. I truly admire young chefs who are ardent about their job—a rarity, believe it or not. That’s why I was impressed upon meeting Robert Trester, the new executive chef at Gardens…
Places you’ve never bento
Bento boxes are the new Jenny Craig of healthy eating. If you’ve never had the pleasure of diving mouth first into a bento box, this article will provide you with an overview and a few tips on how to get the most out of your miniature meals. Bento boxes are single-dose, aesthetically pleasing meals in…
Help us fight greed, independent voters
One of our country’s greatest problems is our gross inequality of wealth. Just a very few people in the country can donate billions of dollars to members of both political parties to achieve their political influence. Corporate, business, and personal taxes can be cut, and laws can be loopholed, allowing the wealthiest to grow wealthier…
A speaker from Japan struck close to home
Last week, I had the privilege of hearing the personal story of Chieko Shiina, a resident of Fukishima, Japan, at an event sponsored by S.L.O. Mothers for Peace. Like many of us living here on the Central Coast, Ms. Shiina had a beautiful home where she grew her own food and enjoyed a good life.…
Want to see government run amok?
Regarding the continuing objections to the Los Osos sewer project being forced down the throats of the residents of Prohibition Zone. This is one of the most gregarious examples of government run amok; if the residents of a small community cannot control their own destiny, who can? If a local board, city council, and board…
We can’t let atheists go unchallenged
Why is Atheists United going after the Pismo Beach City Council (“Pismo panned over public prayers,” July 5)? Atheists don’t believe in God in any form, so why are they challenging the use of invocations, a concept they don’t believe in? If one does not believe in something, most people ignore the item and get…
Drug users are the same as drug lords
Ever notice that if the public refuses to buy/use a product, the manufacturer will stop producing it? So drug-laden boats are coming to our shores (“Stemming the tide,” July 12). I wonder why? People, you must understand this one, clear fact: If you use drugs, you are a drug dealer, every bit as much as…
Pirates have been around longer than you think
In “Way past retro” (July 12), Chris White-Sanborn wrote, “No pirates. The event is set in England in 1585. Pirates came 100 years later.” Oh, really? Mr. Rick Smith, media coordinator of the Central Coast Renaissance Faire, needs to brush up on his history of piracy if he wishes to stage an ‘historically correct’ faire.…
It’s a heated debate
Yes, Holly, the Earth is warming (“Stop being selfish; make a change for the planet,” July 12), but it is not as drastic as you make it out to be. Many people think last month was the hottest ever, but temperatures in June were ranked 14th compared to Junes for the past 100 years. The…
Damn you to health
I’m typing this opinion piece with a total of six fingers. I didn’t lose the other four, but thanks to a genetic, progressive, and often debilitating disease, they’re becoming useless. These useless digits on my hand have begun to curl into the center of my palm. As a result, my pointer finger has become a…
Don’t slouch
Maybe this isn’t the best time to make this announcement, what with San Luis Obispo’s friendliest city loss fresh on everyone’s mind, but I’m announcing a campaign to find the City with the Driest Hills in Summer, Least Diverse City, and City with the Most out of Touch City Council. For the record, I didn’t…
Cougars and Mustangs
In a week, dear Cougars, your summer classes shall be out, allowing you to breathe easy for about three weeks before returning to your regularly scheduled program. As a budget meeting I once attended let me know, this year’s beefed up Summer Program’s hope is to help with budget problems—but of course also to help…
Male order
Oh, the razors. Jules D., a new specialty store focusing primarily on men’s lifestyle products—all brown leather and polished metal and crisp lines—carries a little of this, a little of that. There are belts and wallets, books on beer and cars, cool clocks, and jackets guaranteed to up someone’s distinguished stats by a magnitude of…
Dr. huh?
A criminal investigator with the California Department of Consumer Affairs is claiming that Advanced Hearing Aid Center received more than $9,000 for providing services it’s not legally allowed to perform. Aaron Marquis, co-owner of the San Luis Obispo-based business, is licensed as a hearing aid dispenser, but in a search warrant authorized May 3, investigator…
Cuesta can’t level-up, yet
A major push to boost Cuesta College’s enrollment level to that of a mid-sized college fell short, president Gil Stork said July 11 at a Board of Trustees meeting. The label change from “small” to “mid-sized” would have allowed the school to collect an additional $3.3 million over three years from a state stability fund.…
Clarification
The unpermitted construction that New Times reported in the July 19 story “Up a creek” involved modifications to pre-existing structures, including a pond and some roadways.
CAL FIRE beats
CAL FIRE officials say they’ve successfully extinguished the Calf Fire that forced highway closures and evacuations of residents in the Parkhill area east of Santa Margarita. The fire ate through 640 acres of grass brush and oak woodlands. At its height, more than 900 firefighters were assigned to fight the blaze. It began just before…
Supes ban smoking
San Luis Obispo County supervisors split 3-2 on a decision to ban smoking at county facilities. On July 17, Supervisors Frank Mecham and Paul Teixeira voted against the majority—Bruce Gibson, Jim Patterson, and Adam Hill—who went with a staff recommendation to prohibit smoking in all properties that surround county facilities, as well as some areas…
SLO City progresses on climate plan
In an effort to curb the city’s share of greenhouse gas emissions back to 1990 levels by the year 2020, the San Luis Obispo City Council voted unanimously to move forward on a draft climate action plan. According to Assistant City Planner James David, development of the plan is the city’s chance to “get out…
County picks homeless services coordinator
Laurel Weir has been selected as the new coordinator for homeless services in San Luis Obispo County. Weir will be moving from the Portland area for her new gig. She was the policy director at the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty and earned a master’s in public policy from the University of Maryland.…
Recent Paso Robles train death was a possible suicide
James Dahlgren, a 59-year-old Paso Robles golf instructor, was hit and killed by a train in Paso Robles on the evening of July 16. According to Dahlgren’s wife, Pamela, James had been depressed and suffering from health problems for years. He talked about killing himself and exactly how he would do it, she said. “He…
SLOPD investigates possibly linked retail burglaries
A series of well-executed commercial burglaries in San Luis Obispo has police investigating whether the crimes are related. In the early morning hours of July 12, officers responded to a suspected burglary at Jim’s Campus Camera on the 700 block of Higuera Street in the heart of downtown SLO. In a press release, the police…
Since August is the only month lacking a holiday, what would be your ideal August holiday?
Liz Hodges utility worker “A holiday celebrating the end of summer.” Heather Mullin massage therapist at Trillium Day Spa “Burning Man doesn’t count?” Robert Huttle retired teacher “The Dodgers ending the month in first place.” Katherine Thompson Cal Poly student “Beach Day.”
