Cover Story
Such great heights
Open publication – Free publishing – More contstruction
CLUBS
Goin’ South … BRANCH ST. DELI: 203 Each Branch St., Arroyo Grande, 489-9099. Live music Fri. from 5:30-8:30pm. THE CLIFFS RESORT: 2757 Shell Beach Road, 773-5000 or cliffsresort.com. F. MCLINTOCKS SALOON: 750 Mattie Road, Pismo Beach and in the Arroyo Grande Village, 773-1892 or mclintocks.com. Pismo: Live music Mon.-Wed., 6-9pm.: Tennessee Jimmy Harrell, Fri.-Sun.,…
Mad genius!
For certain musicians, making music is like exploring a wide-open playground full of the best toys imaginable, and instead of, say, always playing tetherball or hopscotch at recess, every time they hit the playground they fearlessly try something new. That’s how I think of Forrest Day, whose joyous songs sound like they were constructed in…
A dance with steel
There’s a brand-new summer camp on the Central Coast for would-be knights over the age of 8. But the Saddle and Sword Summer Camp, led by horse trainer/riding teacher Heather Grenamyer and swordsmanship instructeur—and Salle des Fers fencing club head coach—Scott Chapman, isn’t just for the kids. The camp, which runs through August and takes…
A night to remember
SLO County’s glitterazzi are out in force tonight, Saturday, July 16, at Cambria’s Vault Gallery, where the work of former SLO Town painter Mark Beck—now of Albuquerque, N.M.—is on display. There’s painter Steven deLuque and Marshall’s Jewelers President Jeff McKeegan, who’ve been together for, like, EVER! They joke that their home is “the Mark Beck…
‘Just because I have my standards …’
I have the same problem with tribute shows as I do with wax museums. Generally, I feel the same repulsion when embracing the waxen effigy of Johnny Depp as when watching someone pretending to be Liza Minnelli who is not Liza Minnelli. Seated in the equalizing pitch-blackness of the Clark Center, though, something shifted. Frank…
Ars longa, vita brevis
While Editha Spencer lay in the hospital, Harold Spencer drew trees. Sixty-three years of marriage culminated in a two-dimensional forest on a sketchbook near her bed. “It was so very simple,” Harold said, seated in his Paso studio. “I could just draw a fanciful tree, and it just kept me occupied, not thinking about what…
Roederer Brut Rose NV (non-vintage) Anderson Valley
I enjoyed this elegant wine at the CC Wine Classic and considered it quite a good value for the price at $26.99 at BevMo! in SLO. Strawberry-hued with a fine bubbly mousse, it’s wonderful alone with its strawberry, cherry, raspberry, and citrus aromas and flavors, with nuances of toast. No one would guess it cost…
Dry Creek 2010 Fumé Blanc Sonoma County
This lovely, crisp white is classic Sauvignon Blanc with flavors of grass, grapefruit, and Meyer lemon, highlighted with notes of minerals and green apple. This winery consistently produces an easy-to-drink version, even in a difficult growing season. It’s best with equally bold dishes, enchiladas in chile verde sauce, main dish salads with chicken and goat…
Wine shops and wine events
How does a wine shop stay viable when it’s surrounded by competitors? By providing its customers with a unique tasting experience. That made a huge difference at SLO’s new wine shop, Vintage 1255. Formerly known as Monterey St. Wine Company, it’s a little bit more like an upscale deli since the new owners took over…
A neighborhood cyclery
Flanders Bicycle challenges most bike shop stereotypes. It’s open at 8:30 in the morning, so the average Joe can drop a bike off for a tune-up before work. The intent is to act as a hub for cyclists and friends to gather and promote community. The employees want to provide kind customer service. Also, you’ll…
Cougars & Mustangs
The group of Cal Poly students committed to saving the world one beer bong at a time is continuing to party for a purpose! On July 23, the gentlemen behind Beerbongs for World Peace, a company that sells beer bongs to help feed starving children, are holding a party at Creeky Tiki in downtown SLO…
Somebody will pay
It’s been close to two years since Pacific Gas & Electric announced it was beginning the relicensing process for Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, but the battle for who will be on the hook to pay for it is just heating up. Following the Fukushima Daiichi catastrophe in Japan, PG&E asked the California Public Utilities…
We’ll get back to you
Think of it like a kid you knew growing up. One day, he moves away, and you don’t see him again until you’re both older, maybe a little wiser. You didn’t really like him that much to begin with, but now he’s different from the kid you knew, and you’re not sure who this new…
SLO cyclists get new lanes
San Luis Obispo cyclists won a major victory on the night of July 19. The San Luis Obispo City Council approved two bicycle lanes on a section of Johnson Avenue that runs below the Union Pacific railroad bridge. The area is well known for being dangerous for cyclists who sometimes use the sidewalks to avoid…
County considers ban on bags
You could have been reading an amusing quip about paper or plastic here, but Bob Cuddy at the Trib stole my lead. On July 13, the San Luis Obispo County Integrated Waste Management Authority (IWMA) laid the groundwork for a ban on all single-use paper and plastic bags in local stores. If approved, the local…
Murdoch ‘n’ me
Whenever the days turn cold and shorter, my thoughts pull relentlessly, like a moon to its planet of orbit, toward the Big Picture. For most of you SLObots, the shiny, happy people who sold out for a family, medical plan, and flat-screen TV, the days are neither cold nor short. But it’s been a couple…
Aidan Linsteadt
NEW TIMES How long have you been a gymnastics coach? LINSTEADT Since 2007. NEW TIMES What ages do you coach? LINSTEADT From age 4 to 18. NEW TIMES How many days does your team practice a week? LINSTEADT Four. NEW TIMES What’s the most challenging aspect of your job? LINSTEADT Being able…
Let’s start serving the greater good, including state parks
Steve, you’ve written a fine piece on a terrible change in the Hearst tours (“Less isn’t better,” July 14). However, I believe the blame rests with every one of us taxpayers who cast votes to refuse to pay the taxes necessary to provide decent, civil services such as these, including educating our children, updating critical…
Fix what’s wrong in this country
The following diatribe is this 80-year-old voter’s assessment of what’s wrong with American voting practices and what it really means to vote Republican in the real world. • You favor deregulation of banking practices and Wall Street’s abuse and are against environmental concerns on Earth’s health and welfare. • You want to privatize public education.…
Not with a bang, but a whimper
As I was dressing this morning, I noticed all my clothing was “Made in China.” Americans used to wear “Made in the USA” clothing and drive American cars almost exclusively. I fear America’s huge trade imbalance with much of the world is a condition that potentially may destroy America as a world power nation. If…
Drop the trivial complaints
It amazes me, the things that people in this county have the balls to complain about. Regarding Ms. Giacoletti’s rant calling SLO County “obliterated by and subservient to the cult of smoke” (“Our area is trapped by the cult of smoke,” July 14), I beg her to step outside her bubble. When I was last…
We need to invest in the country’s future
Greg Larson may not be a Republican, but his July 14 New Times letter (“We don’t have enough rich people to fix our problems,” July 14) does somewhat read like a libertarian source. Sounds like Greg believes hedge fund manager John Paulson should continue keeping after-tax incomes like his 2010 $4.2 billion ($4,165 million in…
Hearst guides and visitors can now only scratch the surface of the magic
I agree completely with the sentiments expressed in the opinion piece by Steve E. Miller regarding the ruination of the tours at Hearst Castle (“Less isn’t better,” July 14). I also worked nearly 18 years giving tours at Hearst Castle. When I was hired in 1992, the castle was attracting more than one million visitors…
Orcutt annexation stalls?
Sometimes people who tilt at windmills succeed: Lory Farrior, a resident of a neighborhood the city of San Luis Obispo would like to annex, is determined to keep her Orcutt Road neighborhood out of the city. And she may have done it. Farrior needed to get half of the registered voters of her neighborhood to…
Let’s talk calmly about smart growth
Misinformation is again distorting what should be a rational discussion about the future boundaries of San Luis Obispo. Our opportunity to make good decisions and shape our city with smart-growth principles is once more in jeopardy because of a harsh clash of personal interests. We can do better. The issue is the annexation of the…
County heads back to Sunny Acres
Dan De Vaul drove around his ranch at about 10:30 a.m., prowling the property like a wary guard dog in a Jeep Wrangler. On July 20, he watched as members of the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department descended on Sunny Acres—a working ranch and sober living facility outside the city of SLO—to survey…
If you were to start a business, what would it be?
Kelsey Turner server “I would like to start a nonprofit that worked with public health and sustainable development education for Ecuador.” Jessie Becher English teacher “I would like to create a teach-and-learn study program for foreigners.” C. J. Young legal clerk “Probably a campaign consulting firm for political campaigns.” Courtney Mellblom mermaid “I want to…
