Cover Story
A world all their own
It was easy to tell they weren’t used to strangers. It got quiet when a New Times reporter walked into the San Miguel Community Services District office on the windswept, barren main street of the quiet North County town. A few CSD workers stared into a computer screen and stopped talking when the stranger entered.…
What do you want to be for Halloween?
Michelle Beam grad student “Always the dazzle.” Jack Hindmarsh attorney “Maybe I’ll be Patrick Star from Sponge Bob.” Vanessa Amerson map maker “I think I want to be a tree frog with flippers and gloves with big knobs.” Jim Hamari financial consultant “I’ve always wanted to be a skeleton. I think I would make my…
Democrats–and the nation–are damaged
Rep. Charles Rangel suggested that other members of Congress had done things more immoral than Rep. Anthony Weiner, saying he “wasn’t going with prostitutes. He wasn’t going out with little boys.” Where Rep. Nancy Pelosi had advised Weiner he need not resign, she has now changed her mind, saying Weiner needs help, but “I urge…
CLUBS
Goin’ South … THE CLIFFS RESORT: 2757 Shell Beach Road, 773-5000 or cliffsresort.com. F. MCLINTOCKS SALOON: 750 Mattie Road, Pismo Beach, 773-1892 or mclintocks.com. Tennessee Jimmy Harrell performs on Mon./Tues./Wed. nights through August. GATHER WINE BAR: 122 E. Branch St. in the Village of Arroyo Grande, Winemaker Wednesday is every week. Music starts at 7pm.…
Be a day-tripper!
If you didn’t buy your Live Oak festival pass, hate to camp, or can’t get away for the whole weekend, it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the Live Oak Music Festival Friday through Sunday, June 17 to 19, because day passes are still available (visit liveoakfest.org). The festival website has a complete listing of events,…
Dance your face off!
It’s hard to beat Concerts in the Plaza for pure people-watching spectacle. It’s a true cross-cultural event, drawing families, retirees, college kids, tourists—everybody! It’s especially fun if you like watching people dance their faces off, which I do! Like this one woman in front of me here, all dressed in white, leaping around the area…
See Spot play
The newest performance space in South County—or the Central Coast, for that matter—is intriguingly named enough to host any number of nighttime happenings. But this week will see the retro-tastic The Spot, located at 116 W. Branch St. in Arroyo Grande, take the form of a movie theater for its 2011 Summer Movie Festival. The…
Into the bear pit
We begin and end in Purgatory. A blue light shines pale and sickly on Doll Common and Nell Gywn, as they recall a life spent equally reviled and revered on the London stage. This old theater, recalls Doll—played wonderfully by Anita Schwaber—was once a bear pit. She still winces as she remembers how the animals…
Delightfully awkward
Moe is one of those Japanese terms that is frustratingly hard to define in English. Often used to describe preadolescent anime or manga characters, the word (pronounced mo-ay) stems from the word for “budding,” a fact that, though vaguely creepy, does little to clarify the word’s colloquial meaning. Moe has been used as a noun…
My Topaz questions have been answered
I had questions about the Topaz solar project in the Carrizo Plain. Outreach director Dawn Legg organized a bus trip to have the project director and project biologist explain it. I am very impressed with the efforts they are making to minimize the impact of the project. In fact, the mitigation provisions will actually improve…
Want safety? Shut Diablo down
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) public affairs officer Victor Dricks (“Safety is paramount,” June 9) writes like an advocate for PG&E rather than a representative of the regulator responsible for public safety. Dricks states that the NRC finds the ongoing problems at Diablo to be of “very low safety significance.” However, in a letter sent from…
Don’t forget: We elect these ethically challenged leaders
On June 9, you published two letters, one by Walter Heer (“Paso Roblans don’t think the city is functioning well”) and the other by Arthur Cullati (“Eliminate departments that harm civil liberties”), each showing disappointment with either local or federal government or both. Their thoughtful letters each have good points! Christopher Lee, a Republican (N.Y.)…
Don’t overlook us, Supervisor Gibson
Supervisor Bruce Gibson: I am contacting you again regarding the proposed cancellation of South Bay Dial-a-Ride (“No ride,” June 9). I have been dealing with your assistant, but she has shown no interest and did not attend the meeting on June 1. The original meeting set for 5 p.m. was not well advertised. There were…
‘Screw capitalism’ mentality caught up with us
Jack Johnson made no mention of “the why” in his article “The spaces between” (June 2). He should’ve mentioned that decades of progressively “progressive” politicians, who run on platforms of “screw capitalism” with excessive taxes and environmental regulation, have finally caught up to us. In the mid-’80s, California had the fifth-largest economy in the world.…
Jabs at Greek stereotypes were disrespectful and disappointing
My name is Elisa Forcey, and I am on the Panhellenic Student Council, which is the governing body of Cal Poly Greek Life. I was very appreciative that you chose to include the Greek community and our humanitarian efforts during Greek Week in the column about graduation (“Cougars and Mustangs,” June 9). This year, I…
Love thy neighbor
Dan DeVaul has been running Sunny Acres, a nonprofit facility for clean and sober living on Los Osos Valley Road in San Luis Obispo, for nine years. Sunny Acres currently houses 32 people who otherwise would have no refuge anywhere in the county, including 12 who live in the 100-year-old ranch house in which DeVaul…
Jane Pomeroy
NEW TIMES: Why did you choose this job? POMEROY: Though I chose this job, in a sense, to feel proud giving back to and educating our community about an issue I feel passionately about, what I have learned is that it’s not about me. I, along with the people in this organization, chose to work…
I’ll do it later
It took God seven days to build the universe—and that’s including the nap at the end. But that was all. Just a week, and he built the heavens, the Earth, the Sahara, and Bixby, Okla., which I hear is lovely this time of year. Then he zonked out for a day. Actually, maybe it was…
Clayhouse 2009 Adobe Red
This cuvée has eight varieties, mostly Zinfandel with Syrah, Petite Sirah, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Tempranillo, and Merlot. It’s the winery’s biggest seller, and you’ll see why at first sip. Its rich and flavorful with blackberries, plums, black cherries, black pepper, and spices, with enough acidity to keep it all in balance. You can…
Clayhouse 2010 Adobe White Paso Robles
This versatile white blend has 40 percent Viognier, 25 percent Princess (a new variety not yet approved for use on wine labels), 20 percent Grenache Blanc, and 15 percent Roussanne. Golden colored, it has fragrant ripe fruit aromas. On the palate, it tastes of ripe pear and nectarine with a full range of citrus highlights.…
Bistro dining at the beach
It may appear that I’m stuck on comfort food restaurants lately, but it’s simply that I’m following the current preference of most American consumers for quality and value. People want old-fashioned American foods at reasonable prices while being able to enjoy that meal in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. After my review of Rosie’s Restaurant in…
Set the bar high
Forget your passport. Experience tasteful European art, food, and libations from the comfort of downtown San Luis Obispo. Broad Street Tavern officially opened its doors for business a couple of weeks ago, but its concept has been years in the making. When John and Carolyn Fagnani decided they were retiring to the Central Coast a…
Cougars & Mustangs
Graduation day is a monumental milestone most people will remember for the rest of their lives. But in the case of Cal Poly students, graduation day left many wondering exactly WTF happened? The Class of 2011 was sent off in style—better yet in a blur. Friends, family, and many of those associated with this year’s…
Please DMH, may we have some more?
On June 6, an employee at Atascadero State Hospital was knocked down a staircase. Hidden in one of the hospital’s back corridors, away from hospital security cameras or any witnesses, the employee was hit from behind by an unknown assailant. The hospital was put on lockdown—meaning no one could get in or out—while hospital officials…
Behind the arrest
Police reports obtained by New Times detail accounts of what happened during a late-night June 4 incident at Pappy McGregor’s Pub & Grill in San Luis Obispo that sent Jory Brigham, 32, of Los Osos, to the hospital with severe facial injuries. Witnesses told police officers that SLO city firefighter John Ryan Mason, 34, was…
Ed Arnold to be sentenced for possession of child porn, burglary
Former Arroyo Grande city councilman Ed Arnold pleaded no contest to possession of child pornography and one charge of first-degree burglary. The plea, which isn’t an admission of guilt, was entered June 8. It will require Arnold to register as a sex offender for life and will put a first strike on his record for…
SLO to residents: Pay more for less water
Water and sewer rates are once again going up in San Luis Obispo. On June 14, the SLO City Council voted 3-2 to raise rates for city residents by 10 percent beginning July 1 and an additional 9 percent beginning July 1, 2012. City staff say the continued upward swing in water fees is due…
New consultant proposed for quarry project
San Luis Obispo County supervisors will be asked to approve a contract with URS Corporation to perform the environmental analysis of the controversial Las Pilitas Quarry project. In a hearing scheduled June 21, supervisors will be asked to approve the $406,072 contract—to be paid by the applicant, Las Pilitas Resources, LLC. This marks the second…
Court order could mean evictions at Sunny Acres
San Luis Obispo County plans to once again clamp down on code violations at Sunny Acres ranch, the sober living facility outside San Luis Obispo owned by Dan De Vaul. On June 8, the county issued a statement that it would resume enforcement actions against De Vaul and the ranch that will include vacating the…
