Cover Story
Out of joint
My dad isn’t your typical pot smoker. And while he harbors a healthy skepticism toward the Bush administration, he’s not exactly a political activist. But he is plagued by disease, which his doctors like to call Parkinson’s. What my dad’s got is more a syndrome than a disease, because his doctors don’t have a clear…
Money, energy could be better spent
The article “It’s easy being green” (News, May 26-June 2) was a puffy piece about Cal Poly students building a “green” solar-powered house they’ll truck to Washington, D.C. for a contest. This tiny 600-square-foot green home should cost about $60,000, not the quarter-million being thrown into it. The house’s $45,000 solar electric system should produce…
Ode to Los Osos
It’s said we need a sewer, we need it right away. ‘Cause the stuff that we exude is fouling up the bay. But since the bay is federal, a “treasure” so they say, the government should care for it, Uncle Sam should pay. We people of Los Osos can ill afford the cost. If forced…
It’s not illegal to oppose bad ideas
In response to Stuart Denker’s letter about the Los Osos CSD (“Tired of sewer theatrics,” May 20-27): Lighten up on bashing our sewer sisters. It is understandable why some of our Los Osos CSD members are the targets of loud shrills and verbal abuse. Most of us were taught that if something is unaffordable, the…
Education isn’t about competition
Like Mr. Reil (“America’s No. 1 priority,” Commentary, May 26-June 2), I have a heartfelt interest in the education of our young people and I feel science and math are wonderful tools that can be used to develop our naturally brilliant minds. I also feel that there is a great deal of improvement that can…
Observations of a recent immigrant to Grover Beach
This week’s guest commentary comes to us from none other than my own father, Don Hornaday, who recently relocated from Lake Forest to the Central Coast. In exchange for the privilege of sharing his formidable collection of books and music, my wife and I keep his cactus in bloom and prepare what he calls the…
Next stop: Sewersville
I have an idea about how to solve the Los Osos sewer problem. Let’s rename Los Osos … Sewersville. I believe that with that name we might begin to truly think about what we want our legacy to be. The town with a Sewer by the Bay in the center of town or the town…
What the County’s Talking About This Week
State sting busts local unlicensed contractors Last week investigators with the San Luis Obispo Police Department and the Contractors State License Board (CSLB) netted 35 unlicensed contractors during a two-day undercover operation in SLO. Relying on advertisements and tips, CSLB investigators invited suspected unlicensed contractors to bid on painting, landscaping, and concrete projects at a…
The Shredder does SLO
Since I’ve revealed my identity to the rest of the world, I might as well reveal it here too. I, W. Mark Felt, former No. 2 man at the FBI, am the Shredder. After exposing the Watergate scandal and helping to run Nixon out of office, I decided to expose wrongs wherever possible. By the…
No tree-cutting before the recall election
Have the Los Osos CSD-three gone mad? They’re scrambling to start the doomed sewer project at any cost. We aren’t even sure if the aquifer is really polluted after all now, but they admit we’re in overdraft on our water. This changes everything, doesn’t it? We’ve got some major problems with this sewer. I just…
Warning to aircraft owners
To aircraft owners, aircraft mechanics, and pilots in San Luis Obispo County: If you are unaware of County Code Title No. 24 for the San Luis Obispo County Airport Rules and Regulations, may I enlighten you with two paragraphs of that code: 24.12.030 Commercial Activities No person shall establish or engage in any business or…
A true original
There’s the story about Fred Peterson, who, while the Japanese were bombing Pearl Harbor that fateful December morning in 1941, managed to survive the Sunday surprise attack which killed more than 2,000 Americans by not going to breakfast with his mates at the mess hall, which took a direct hit. He slept through it. He…
Troublesome weekend at Lake Nacimiento
Law enforcement officials had their work cut out for them at Lake Nacimiento this Memorial Day Weekend. On May 27, deputies arrested Alfred Canchola, 25, of Ventura, on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon after what they believe was a gang-related fight. Canchola suffered a gunshot wound to the bicep, which may have been…
Don’t judge those who drink
In regard to Steve T. Kobara’s letter “I will not miss Steve” (May 12-19): I disagree. Just because someone has a drink (alcohol), it doesn’t make them a bad person. My dad drank a lot, and he was the greatest guy, to me and everyone he knew. He lived to be 88 years old! My…
Life after Molski
There’s a lot of suspicion surrounding the disabled these days, and Don Shear says he’s feeling the pain. Shear has been in a wheelchair for 34 years, ever since he was in a car accident that injured his spinal cord when he was in his early 20s. Four years ago he took on another disability…
Biodiesel still requires combustion
Thank you for the cover story. This alternative fuel for all types of combustion engines is not new (“From homebrew to pay-at-the-pump,” May 26-June 2). The operative words are “combustion engine.” Therein lies the perpetuity of the pollution problems. The claimed less greenhouse gases, the less amount of particulates, less of everything except the oxides…
Move over, Hearst
Driving up Highway One, past the pristine beaches of the northern Central Coast, the majestic castle in San Simeon, and the epic landscapes of Big Sur, it’s easy to imagine yourself at the center of some fantastic fairy tale. Communing with elephant seals, exploring remote artist colonies, and sampling the libations of local vineyards, the…
Safety is priceless
Please allow me to respond briefly to the May 26-June 2 news brief “Mardi Gras cost Central Coast $1.1 million”: Yes, protecting our beautiful community from further riots was expensive, but it was worth every dollar. In terms of property saved and injuries and possible deaths avoided, it was money well spent and the savings…
