Cover Story
Lofty ambitions
When locals and visitors alike stroll the sunny sidewalks of downtown San Luis Obispo, they easily catch stunning views of the towering mountains and sky-high ridges that define our setting in a fertile valley. # With its bright streets and low rooftops, downtown’s ambiance and pedestrian-friendly scale attract people and accolades from all over the county—and…
Access Denied
Atascadero’s city staff regularly fails to provide timely access to public documents as required by California’s Public Records Act—particularly, it appears, those records requested by opponents of Wal-Mart and some members of the news media. # However, it seems that contractors and others interested in construction records are often provided immediate access to records. “Existing…
California wants to borrow on ignorance
I see your spiteful glances and back-alley stares. You think that I don’t. Upon discovering my dreadful secret, most respond with disgusted surprise. “Really?â€? A callous pause ensues, then comes the typical follow-up: “You really don’t seem like one.â€? Thanks—I guess—but, believe it or not, I am a Republican. Now, to the best of my…
Letters
My thoughts on the world’s biggest problemsMy two reactions go together because the two most serious world problems are eco-collapse due to overpopulation and capitalism, and continued barbaric inequality due to capitalism and exacerbated by overpopulation. Bill Denneen ranks among the wisest around here and I was pleased that he listed global warming seventh in…
OUTTA HERE
Pending legal action by a group of Santa Marians, roughly 860,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil will soon depart the Unocal spill zone at the Guadalupe Dunes for a Santa Barbara County landfill.Truckin’ # The California Coastal Commission decided June 15 not to hear an appeal from a group of disgruntled Santa Barbara County residents over…
What fools these mortals be
You may think that midsummer, given its name, is sometime in the middle of the summer. But if you think that, you’re wrong—though that’s nothing new. You’re wrong about a lot of things, including—but not limited to—your opinions on the government, your thoughts on pop music, and your ideas about who I am. But you’re…
Credibility in question
A star witness in local workers compensation fraud cases is now under suspicion regarding his own integrity. During a trial in San Luis Obispo last week, investigator Anthony Esparza would not answer questions about whether he had lied regarding his investigations of county employees suspected of workers comp fraud. Esparza repeatedly refused to answer on…
True lies?
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger arrived at Sinsheimer Elementary School in SLO fashionably late, by an hour at least. # California’s celebrity governor stepped out of a heavily escorted limousine and moseyed past a deafening welcome party amassed in the school courtyard. Guided by aides, Schwarzenegger followed a carefully laid photo-op trail through campus, greeting supporters along…
Fast Facts
Aging with dignity is important, but Home Instead Senior Care is hoping to emphasize a more dynamic aspect of the aging process: aging with style. In order to highlight the many ways that caretakers can positively impact a senior’s life, Home Instead Senior Care is providing two of its most outgoing clients with free makeovers…
Life coach, the universe, and everything
Relationships gone awry and meandering career paths are the stuff of entertaining—if not great—Hollywood films. But when real relationships or real careers fall short of an ideal, calling the ghost busters or Will Smith’s matchmaking alter ego Alex Hitchens simply isn’t an option. Calling holistic life and small business coach Al Lipper, however, is. “Life…
Dude, what happened to my car?
Fresno resident Tyson Nunes, 20, was planning to spend Monday evening catching up with friends who go to Cal Poly. But after surviving a harrowing car accident—in which his black sports utility vehicle flipped onto its roof—Nunes spent an evening in the local drunk tank instead. Shortly before midnight, Nunes and Zack Ford, 21, were traveling…
Templeton home for Trader Joe’s
Get ready, North County: the Hawaiian shirts and laidback style of Trader Joe’s are coming to your backyard. It’s official: a new Trader Joe’s will be opening at Vineyard Dr. and Hwy. 101 in Templeton, according to a spokesperson at the company’s Monrovia headquarters. Located at the southwest corner of the interchange, the popular gourmet grocery…
