Cover Story
Welcome to the circus
It was supposed to be an exercise in trust building. Atascadero’s City Council members sat side-by-side on one side of a table. An ethics moderator sat on the other side. A few members of the public sat in the back of the room, watching on as an event that was supposed to heal relationships…
Enough, already
Wall Street has already taken too much away from the taxpayers. It’s time to demand that any present and future plans for bailouts at our expense should mean no more freebies for Wall Street. If banks and other institutions made bad investments, then shareholders and executives need to be accountable before we hand them any…
The war’s worthy, not the bailout
Critics have complained about the cost of the Iraq war, which has helped bring stability and hope to the volatile Middle East. Yet the bailout bill fiasco, which stampeded through Congress without a whimper, is twice as big and nobody knows where it’s going. I often wonder who is more removed: the politicians who concocted…
Keeping hope alive
It is so inspiring to read your cover article by Kathy Johnston about the Avenales Ranch (“At home on the range,” Feb. 5) Too many ranches are being subdivided and then “Losangelified.” Jim and Steve Sinton honor the land, the oaks, the wildlife, and history. Too often our “American way of life” destroys our natural…
Tick, tock, tick
Every hour that goes by is making the rebound for the country nearly impossible by months to years. There is a time when the good of the country is far bigger than the political arguments that can go on forever with no solution near. We are out of time. Common sense has to prevail in…
A curious choice for land stewards
Thank you for Kathy Johnston’s Avenales Ranch article (“At home on the range,” Feb. 5). I love California history, especially when it is local. One thing I think is curious is that they would introduce tule elk to the ranch so that hunters could come and shoot them. That seems a bit bizarre to me.…
Taxpayers deserve bank equity
As taxpayers, we must inform our representatives there must be no more giveaways. If banks made bad investments, then their shareholders and executives need to face the consequences before any taxpayer money is put on the line. The government must get a fair bargain for any money it invests in the banks, even if that…
Don’t trust electronic voting
Once again, Diebold Election Systems is the poster child of what’s wrong with e-voting. If it weren’t for the courageous Humboldt County Registrar of Voters who allowed a group of transparency project volunteers to review the last election, a long-standing but little-known bug in a Diebold system that counted then later dropped almost 200 votes…
Sweeten car deals
The Ichabods in Congress should pass bills to stimulate car purchases as follows. First, set aside sales tax on all the big-three new car sales for the next two years. This could be extended if necessary. Second, set license fees at $200 the first year, $400 the next, then $8, $16, and $32 for the first owner. When a car is resold,…
SLO attracts low-lifes
In response to the street kids, why wouldn’t they (or any other low- life, for that matter) migrate here? I’ve met others from as far away as San Diego or Oregon, who have come here because it’s well known that in SLO, you can get breakfast, lunch, and dinner for free! Want your clothes washed…
Pity the parents
I can’t believe that you would dedicate an entire front page and main story section to glamorizing the subculture of street kids (“A stop on the squatters’ trail,” March 5). What do you think their parents go through? Not knowing where their children will sleep, eat, or what form of travel they will use to…
New Orleans needs the help
I’m glad to hear the transient “kids” are moving down the pike toward New Orleans (“A stop on the squatters’ trail,” March 5). These rail riders should direct their smash-happy attitude toward the construction site in the 9th Ward. There’s nothing quite as rewarding as swinging a framing hammer to get your ya-yas out. They’ll…
Scram, punks
Listen, I’m a traveler. And I’m a huge fan of Neal Cassady. I hopped a few trains back in the day. I become nostalgic when I see movies like Into The Wild. I’ve made my away across 48 states picking up odd jobs and living way below normal standards. Hell, I even hitchhiked my way…
Citizen’s Alert 3.12.09
PUBLIC MEETINGS Monday, March 16 Morro Bay City Council meets at 6 p.m. at the Morro Bay Veterans Hall, 209 Surf St. Info: 772-6200. Tuesday, March 17 Arroyo Grande Planning Commission meets at 6 pm in the City Council Chambers. Meetings will be televised live on Arroyo Grande’s government access channel 20 and rebroadcast each…
See Spot support
Koda’s drooping jowls flapped and sputtered when he sneezed, sending spittles of drool and snot into the air. “Excuse you,” his owner Sachi Bobge said before wiping his snout with her sweater sleeve. Bobge takes Koda everywhere, including classes at Cuesta College. The dog, a 2-year-old boxer, is more than a pet to Bobge, though…
Drilling opponents’ worries deepen
For months, Huasna Valley residents have worried that the oil companies have misrepresented a project proposed for their little valley. Now they think they’ve found the smoking well: A declaration and supporting map from an investor in the project that describe a project three to four times larger than what the county has had before…
Surprise: Parking fees could rise
City officials locally and across the state are scrambling to figure out how to deal with a new state-imposed parking ticket surcharge that could soon add as much as $9.50 to the price of every citation. Although it was passed a year ago as part of a bill dealing with court facilities and took effect…
Split in deputy sheriffs’ union moves closer
The possible breakup of an influential law enforcement union is a big step closer to becoming reality. County attorneys recently granted a vote over whether to “decertify” the San Luis Obispo County Deputy Sheriffs’ Association, rejecting a challenge from the group’s attorney. In a March 4 letter, Assistant County Administrative Officer Gail Wilcox informed Patrick…
Baby-sitting service closes, owing thousands to families and sitters
The recent closure of SLO County Sitters, a service that matched baby sitters with families, was so sudden its sitters were not paid for their last two weeks of work and families who paid up front, as the company required, complain they are out thousands of dollars. After little more than a year in business,…
Debriefing
The SLO County Bomb Task Force was called out to the SLO County Pharmacy in San Luis Obispo near the old General Hospital after someone reported a “suspicious” abandoned briefcase, according to SLO Police. Area buildings were evacuated, and the briefcase was blown up with a small explosive. According to police: “The package was found…
A hat in the ring as Sheriff Hedges declines another run
Just days after Sheriff Patrick Hedges announced he would not seek reelection to the seat, a prominent local officer was expected to announce his bid for the post in the 2010 election. Longtime SLO Police Captain Ian Parkinson was expected to announce his candidacy at an 11 a.m. press conference March 12 at the County…
Veterans will receive more help
I recently read the New Times article, “The long, lonely road home,” (Feb. 19) by Aaron Glantz and heard Aaron talk about U.S. Army Specialist John Fish and other veterans at a lecture in Santa Barbara organized by the Walter Capps Center for the Study of Ethics, Religion and Public Life. Aaron’s depiction of John…
How would you catch a leprechaun?
Torie Dye student/ horseback riding teacher “I would use princess-cut diamonds on a string. Those would be hung up to project rainbows. Then a trap with an alleged pot of gold inside would be set up and I would hire a ninja to slide the trap closed once the leprechaun was inside.” Mike Baker retired…
The march to St. Paddy’s Day
It’s nearly St. Paddy’s Day, and everything’s coming up Irish. What follows are a few upcoming events to celebrate this favorite local holiday. First, don’t forget that The Young Dubliners will kick off the festivities with a show on Thursday, March 12 at Downtown Brew. Fronted by Keith Roberts, who now lives in Paso Robles,…
It’s electric!
There are two things a person should know about electric vehicles: first, electric scooters and bikes are pretty affordable, considering the cost of gas, insurance, and parking—even for students. And second, they’re not dorky; modern scooters are the green alternative to bulky cars and trucks. And green is cool. Enter Central Coast Electric Vehicles. SLO…
Christi Rivera
New Times: How long have you owned Honeymoon Café in Pismo Beach? Rivera: One year and four months. Not too bad, have a good local clientele base. I am the fourth owner. New Times: What made you decide to open another one in SLO? Rivera: Russ Thomas, my business partner, approached me and he has…
Nantucket bound
I received so many responses to the limerick contest that I don’t have space for a column this week, which sucks because there’s plenty to write about. I wanted you to know that, if I had done a column this week, I might have written about any one, if not all, of the following items.…
Codes of silence shattered
In the not-so-distant past, there was an entire social structure constructed around the culture of lynching. Parents would take their children out of school so they could attend. Postcards depicting the tableaux—the viewers dressed formally in their Sunday best, the men wearing hats—were circulated by participants. People would remove a victim’s appendages, keeping them as…
Wish you were here
The Pink Floyd Experience—a vessel of sound and light piloted by six musicians, a flying pink pig at the bow—took its maiden voyage in Calgary in 2003. Tom Quinn was on board as lead guitarist and bandleader, along with several other performers who comprised a San Diego-based Pink Floyd cover band. Five and a half…
Cut away
New Times How are you involved with the SLO International Film Festival? Neil Travis I will conduct an editing workshop on March 14 at the Oddfellows Hall in SLO with Aaron Metchick who created the film Ten Years Later. I gave him some advice editorially. I think it’s an excellent film. What I’ve asked him to…
Sonoma Vineyard 2007 Syrah Sonoma County
When I want something vibrantly fruity I turn to Syrah, and this bargain-priced version is tasty. This deep purple wine offers fat flavors of black plums, black cherries, and boysenberries, with a good dose of black pepper, earth, and spice. It’s a good choice for a cheeseburger, flank steak with blue cheese, or slow-cooked ribs…
Peachy Canyon 2006 Zinfandel Snow Vineyard
This bold Zin is quite flavorful with blackberries, boysenberries, and black currants, nicely layered with pepper and spice notes. Well balanced despite the 14.9 percent alcohol, the wine holds it well. The forward fruit is ripe but not jammy, mellowed by notes of pomegranate, cracked black pepper, herbs, and leather. It was delicious with a…
The New Cliffs Resort
I saw John King at the Cliffs Resort last weekend and he couldn’t have been more pleased as he told me about his hotel’s new bar and lounge. King has given it the ultimate makeover and it’s well worth checking out. The re-designed bar and lounge in his resort along the cliffs of Shell Beach…
