Cover Story
What happened in Pozo?
The third annual “420 Fest” at the Pozo Saloon was supposed to be a light-hearted afternoon of reggae like its two predecessors. It instead is the prelude to several criminal proceedings. Eight people were arrested at the April 18 concert for sale of a controlled substance; three others were collared for driving under the influence,…
If you were to win $100 million, what would you do with it?
Stefanie Collins graphic design student “I would give it to Write Love on Her Arms, a women’s support network for suicide prevention.” Derek Rosenstrauch credit analyst “Pay off all of my debt and start a high-frequency trading company.” Mathias Hoffa student “Help my family and donate to environmental charities.” Sharon Meyer retired Campfire director “Travel…
Whooping cough is epidemic
It started with a slight fever. Then the little girl began to cough. It didn’t alarm her parents until early one morning they were awakened by sounds they had never heard from their daughter; hard, dry, high-pitched coughs with little shrieks or whoops. “It was really odd,” said her father of the sound of…
Are they or aren’t they?
Several candidates in the primary election for San Luis Obispo County sheriff declared gangs as one of their chief concerns. Paso Robles and areas in South County were called out as particular potential trouble spots. Michael Teixeira and Ben Hall, both of whom were eliminated from the race in June, were especially vocal about the…
Officials look for information about sea otter killing
Three wildlife support groups are offering a $6,000 reward for information about the shooting and killing of a female sea otter in Morro Bay. The otter was found dead near Morro Strand Campground on the beach north of Morro Bay. A necropsy—an animal autopsy—revealed that it had been killed by a pellet gun round to…
Got a permit for that dust in the wind?
San Luis Obispo County Planning Commissioners recently approved an emergency permit to remove windblown sand from three homes in Oceano. According to planner Nancy Orton, however, the issue is far more widespread than the three homes. Homeowners on about 42 lots along Strand Way in Oceano have requested such permits in the past, dating back…
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water
A small shark bit a surfer July 2 in the water off Shell Beach. The shark attacked Derek Crane, 19, and caused a “triangular wound” consistent with a bite of an adolescent shark, said Tina Rose, information officer for Cal Fire and the Pismo Fire Department. Crane was taken to the hospital and treated. Authorities…
SLO to Grand Jury: No … and yes
The San Luis Obispo City Council decided to disregard the findings and suggestions of one county grand jury report while agreeing with another. The council agreed with a grand jury finding that a subcontractor working on a city refurbishment project had paid wages that were below the prevailing federal wage requirements—a big no-no since the…
SLO fire chief announces his retirement
San Luis Obispo Fire Chief John Callahan is retiring. The chief announced his retirement at the July 6 meeting of the City Council, coming to the podium and apparently surprising some of the City Council members. Callahan served as SLO fire chief for five years. Before that, he gave 32 years to the Los Angeles…
More changes are in store for Downtown Brewing Co.
Just five years after Compass Health took over Downtown Brewing Co., ownership of the popular San Luis Obispo pub is once again changing hands. Hamish Marshall, vice president of the real estate management and development firm WestPac Investments, Inc., will take over from Darren Smith and Mark Woolpert of the aforementioned senior health facilities company,…
Court orders Sunny Acres residents to vacate
Having no housing isn’t necessarily worse than having any housing, according to San Luis Obispo Superior Court Judge Charles S. Crandall’s ruling that will force residents of the Sunny Acres sober living facility back onto the streets. “It’s an oversimplification to say that any housing is better than no housing,” Crandall wrote in his opinion…
Starkey’s not fair to Candye
I understand why newspapers allow writers to be expressive and sensational. I’m not sure it was fair or necessary for writer Glen Starkey to focus only on my breasts for the first two paragraphs of his first write-up of my show in SLO last weekend (only one paragraph focused only on the music) but I…
Paso needs jobs, not high water bills
I helped circulate the petition to allow people to vote in November on the Paso Robles City water rate plan. People did get the chance to vote, and measure A-09 was defeated. The current situation that invites scrutiny is that for years residents were continually assured by Paso city officials that there was plenty of…
Save our sports fields
As a soccer-Grandma, I know how much Damon-Garcia Sports Fields mean to our youth. In an age of increasing obesity, diabetes, and asthma, we need to encourage healthful lifestyles. Unfortunately, SLO City’s proposed “northern alignment” for Prado Road does the opposite, transforming 4.5 acres of the Damon-Garcia site into an elevated, cut-and-fill, four-lane truck route…
Pacifist exhibit will be remembered
In May 2004, a group of 12 Atascadero High School students gathered to conceive, design, and create the exhibit “The Faces of War: a Peace Memorial.” As conscientious objectors, their intent was to express their opposition to war through the arts. They hoped to voice their compassion for families and friends of U.S. soldiers killed…
Grover Beach should not raise water rates
For many years, Grover Beach’s water resource was a shining example of what government efficiency could be. It was an enterprise fund that generated ample monies to maintain itself. Local officials were tempted to tap into its vast finances, but were prevented by law. They did charge more of their salaries to it on the…
Children born here of illegal immigrants receive social services
With respect to the article “¿Cuánto cuesta?” (June 24): Illegal immigrants do indeed benefit from our social service programs: According to a United States General Accounting Office Report to Congressional Committees (see gao.gov/archive/1998/he98030.pdf) in fiscal year 1995, about $1.1 billion in AFDC and Food Stamp benefits were provided to households with an illegal alien parent…
Marijuana can’t cure a bad scene
As an old ‘60s counter-culturalist, I should rejoice at the prospect of my state finally legalizing marijuana. Certain things bother me, however, such as the 1,198 alcohol-related driving deaths in California in 2008. I have to assume that if we legalize marijuana, the number of DUIs, and their attendant deaths, will also increase. Legalization should…
Was Dalidio project criticism deserved?
In response to Mila Vujovich-La Barre’s letter (“Prado Road initiative would improve traffic circulation,” July 1): Not so very long ago I sat in her Spanish class at San Luis Obispo High School listening to her spew words of disgust about the proposal at the time to extend Prado Road to meet Broad Street through…
Stories speak far more than merely 55 words
I look forward to reading the winning 55 Fiction stories every year, but this year they are a sad commentary on the human condition (“Less is more,” July 1). More than half were about death and dying—two of the stories morbidly so. Two of the winning entries slam religious beliefs, and two are somewhat inane.…
Whew! Breathe deep!
The five members of Café Musique seem to eat, sleep, and breathe music. It wafts from their very pores, a delicious exotic perfume, part Eastern European, part Latin, with hints of swing, classical, and folk. These inveterate players—Brynn Albanese (violin and vocals), Piper Heisig (percussion and vocals), Duane Inglish (accordion), Fred Murray (bass), and Craig…
Energy independence for the Central Coast?
As I read the New York Times in Pismo Beach on the 72nd day of the Gulf oil spill crisis, I wondered how the San Luis Obispo County economy would fare were oil to wash up on our coastline? And I wondered why the United States is lagging behind implementing sustainable, renewable energy solutions. For…
Jo Armstrong, General Manager Avila Beach Golf Resort
NEW TIMES: Why should golfers come to your golf resort instead of other local golf resorts? ARMSTRONG: One of our distinctive qualities for this golf resort is the location. You cannot beat just how beautiful the golf course is and how gorgeous Avila Beach is. They’re the perfect complement to any golfer to appreciate on…
I’m speechless
I’m … I’m just dumbfounded. I really don’t know what to say. And anything I could say couldn’t come close to saying what needs to be said. It’s too hard to express disgust for something that’s so patently and unabashedly disgusting. A monster under the bed drooling green slime sliding its forked tongue over pimpled…
Books and more
Libraries are hot; the “in” thing. Central Coast libraries offer seemingly endless programs—we’re talking free entertainment, story times, reading programs, enrichment classes, and of course free books. Here is a sprinkling of what’s happening. For a complete list of branches and activities log onto slolibrary.org or call 781-5775. Adult Summer Reading Featuring the theme: “Water…
I love a parade!
No place puts on a 4th of July parade like Cayucos. It’s the most awesome, hokey, corny, wonderful parade ever! It’s a page ripped from the Norman Rockwell playbook, where cutesy charm and endearing nostalgia collide. The event reminds me of my Wisconsin childhood and the neighborhood parade we had in Madison. We kids would…
It’s not just fair
As American cultural icons go, county fairs are the crème de la crème. But beyond the cotton candy and carnival rides there’s more beneath the surface: a galaxy of emotion, chaos; there’s the mother frantically controlling her children, the carnie lost in a contemplation among the revelry. And it’s all packed into one thoroughfare—the Midway.…
Classically non-classical
A Chilean, belly-dancing, Julliard-trained flutist; a national mandolin champion who escaped Communist Czechoslovakia to play bluegrass; a flamenco guitarist who can’t read music; and a classical guitarist who studied in Spain under maestro Jose Tomas. This ain’t your great grandfather’s classical music festival. This is Festival of Four, part of the Fringe Series of Festival…
Health is beauty
Janene Lasswell may have a genetic predisposition toward vitality, or found abiding inner peace—or perhaps the botanically derived shampoos, lotions, and soaps she promotes account for her striking youthful beauty at age 60. Her shop, Ja Nene Natural Body Products on Chorro Street across from the Mission in San Luis Obispo, is devoted to beauty…
Clubs
Goin’ South … BRANCH ST. DELI: 203 E. Branch St., Arroyo Grande, 489-9099. Live music on the patio at 5:30pm on 7/9: 5 Cities 5. CAFÉ ANDREINI: 131 E. Branch St., Arroyo Grande, 481-6117. Thurs.: Live music at 6pm. COFFEE BEAN AND TEA LEAF: 750 Five Cities Dr., Pismo Beach, 773-6420. Music Night every Sat.,…
Vina Robles 2009 White 4 Huerhuero Paso Robles
This multiple-award-winning, bargain-priced, white blend, another impressive cuvee from Gubler, is best discovered now. It recently won the prestigious “Best of Show” out of 300 red and white wines competing at the California State Fair, where it was also awarded “Best White Wine.” Promoted by the winery as the “power of four,” the cuvée includes…
Vina Robles 2007 Syrée Paso Robles
I was impressed by this intense, delicious blend of Syrah (79 percent) and Petite Sirah (21 percent) by winemaker Matthias Gubler. Now in his tenth year as winemaker there, Gubler, an admitted Rhone wine aficionado, created an irresistible wine with this vintage that’s drinking so well. In fact, he said he’s drinking this one himself.…
There’s a hidden gem on Fiero Lane
If restaurateur and baker Scott Liddi could have opened his Fiero Italian Café and Bakery next to the airport terminal, he would have made a fortune selling food to go. His Italian-themed sandwiches and salads would provide a satisfying meal for weary travelers on long flights across the states. He’s certainly close enough to the…
