Cover Story
Sumo on two wheels
A balmy late-spring front descends on the city of San Luis Obispo. For the first time in weeks, an evening mist remains in the hills and, through a clear sky, the moon waxes toward a mid-cycle crescent. In the valley, it feels like atmospheric perfection. The rainy season is finally over—and just in time. #…
Just say ‘No’ to motherhood
Non-Mother’s Day is a special day, celebrated between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, on the first Sunday in June. (On June 4 this year, the occasion was marked by special events in Nipomo.) It was established in 1996 to call attention to the population explosion. It took more than 2 million years for our species…
Fast Facts
Calling all wine lovers! It’s time to treat yourself to an evening of fine food and wine. Edna Valley Vineyards is hosting its Raging Rhone Rendezvous luncheon on June 25. Guests will start with a taste of every Rhone varietal that Edna Valley Vineyards creates. Chef Maegen Loring from the Park Restaurant will pair each…
Colleges embrace graduation changes
This year’s Cal Poly commencement will be anything but ordinary. Due to ongoing construction at Spanos Stadium, the Cal Poly class of 2006 will walk in seven separate ceremonies spread out over a span of eight days. Though no one at the school seems to know exactly what the new arrangement will cost, the general…
Letters
Wait to judge Wal-MartAll this talk about Wal-Mart coming to Atascadero just amazes me. Can anybody in this area from San Miguel to Pismo Beach tell me which stores do not have any items inside that are not made in China? Do we have any stores that everything inside is American made? How about the…
Local students cram into buses
How do you get three high-school students—each measuring more than 13 inches across the back side—to fit on a 39-inch school bus seat? If you’re a financially strapped school district in California, the answer is: You just do, even if it means the student on the end sits with one cheek off the seat. The…
The spice of life
In the center of a small strip mall in San Luis Obispo, operating under a barely noticeable sign, is an extraordinary taco shop. Since 1995, Fernando Patricio has been grinding chilies, steaming meats, and creating tasty adaptations of foods you might find at a common burrito shop. The result is Tacos De Acapulco, where spicy…
Aim for the stars, fall to the earth
San Luis Obispo County voters went to the polls in sparse numbers for the June 6 gubernatorial primary—but they kept their wallets soundly secured. In a strong showing of fiscal conservatism, locals rejected Measure G—an item comprising $310 million in bonds for Cuesta College—and lent support to the statewide defeat of Propositions 81 and 82.…
Ruling won’t stop cask construction at Diablo
It’s no small wonder when the mere involvement of nuclear energy elevates a matter of simple procedural method into the national limelight—but that’s the way of the world at Diablo Canyon. A June 2 ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco found that the current licensing behind a dry-storage system for…
A town goes silent
The possibility that the public’s right to information is being undermined by secrecy in Atascadero government becomes more evident every day. Some city staff have seemingly broken the law by not responding to information requests by members of the public and are obstructing the public’s right to view sensitive public documents. “The city is responsible…
Pomp and circumstance
I’m sorry for a lot of things. I’m sorry that you won’t get to graduate in Cal Poly’s beautiful stadium because of the construction, and that you’re missing out on a long and proud school tradition of which you will never, ever be a part. I’m sorry that Cal Poly once again rejected my bid…
