Cover Story
It was a dark and stormy night
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Zinergy
Hard to believe now, but there were fewer than 20 wineries in Paso Robles when I relocated here from San Francisco in 1996. In fact, I started traveling here when I was the wine tasting coordinator for Wine Spectator magazine. I was liaison between the magazine’s critics and winemakers for seven years, and it was…
If you could have an extra appendage on your body, what would it be?
Alex Durst student “Eyes in the back of my head, because it would give me 360 degree vision and superior driving capabilities.” Steven Baldwin student “An extra arm. I could use it to play drums.” Bethany Soxman dog trainer “Extra toes for better balance.” Evan Blackburn unemployed “Another arm. It would make multitasking much easier.”
Clubs
Goin’ South … APPLEBEES: 1462 E. Grand Ave. in Arroyo Grande, 474-5904. 3/18: Jaxx performs from 9pm-close. COFFEE BEAN AND TEA LEAF: 750 Five Cities Drive, Pismo Beach, 773-6420. Music every Sat., 6:30-8:30pm. ELMO’S NIPOMO SALOON: 131 South Thompson Road, Nipomo, 929-5362. Karaoke on Thurs. and Fri. at 8pm. F. MCLINTOCKS SALOON: 750 Mattie Road,…
Guigal 2007 Cotes du Rhone Rouge Rhone Valley
I came upon this red wine while shopping and found it a very good buy from a French producer I’ve always liked. It shows some maturity in the black cherry, plum, and spice flavors, but it’s drinking well now. Notes of leather and herbs make it food friendly with earthier dishes like braised beef, herb…
Morgan 2008 Pinot Noir Double L Vineyard Monterey County
Monterey has been producing outstanding Pinot Noirs since Josh Jensen started planting his first vineyards for Calera in the early ’70s. A decade later, Dan Lee started planting vines for Morgan. Morgan Pinots have been some of my favorites for two decades, and this reserve level wine tells why. A real beauty, it offers upfront…
Our twin legacy is consumerism and obesity
Recently released Department of Defense data shows that 75 percent of Americans ages 17 to 24 don’t qualify for military service. The report noted that one fourth of high school graduates are obese. This is up from only five per cent in 1980. As a nation, we rank far below all other industrialized nations in…
Dithering leads to economic collapse
The Moment of Truth: That’s the title of the Bowles Simpson National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform December report. Let’s adopt the bipartisan recommendations in this report lock stock and barrel—soon, before our bankers in Asia and Arabia foreclose on our debt. Ignore the virulent critics of the report from the right and left.…
Don’t finish the quote before its end
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The peasants are turning on each other
I have heard that in managing their concentration camps, the Germans found that if they limited available nourishment to 800 or fewer calories per day, they did not have to guard the inmates, who spent all their energy conniving and struggling among themselves to get food from each other. Now we live in a country…
You’d better not be Mammon worshipers!
I plead with Senator Blakeslee and Assemblyman Achadjian to do the right thing and allow a vote by the people of California to see if we think it is necessary to raise taxes to keep the state running. The good, wealthy people in this state would not mind paying a little more for what California…
Bring on Walmart!
I would love to see a Walmart in Atascadero! I can’t wait to go to the new movie theater. I have already booked a show online. Walmart would provide more jobs in Atascadero and more tax dollars. And with the gas prices so high, it would be nice not to have to drive to Paso…
I’ve got some wildlife questions, too
I am responding to Pat Kelly, who wrote “How is this a wildlife sanctuary?” (March 3). This is the letter I meant to write in November when, while walking in the peaceful Elfin Forest in Los Osos, I heard gunshots coming from the bay. I asked the question, “How can the Audubon Society call this…
There are many jobs more dangerous than firefighting
I would like to respond to the misinformed letters that have been published regarding firemen wages and dangers. I realize when it is a family member of a fireman (“Put yourself in a firefighter’s shoes,” March 10), the remarks are going to be based on their emotional attachment to that person. To clarify, I am…
People have a responsibility to the Earth
A couple of things. First is perennial nature hater Steve Rebuck’s latest diatribe against conservation (“Bring back the saber-tooth tigers, too,” March 10). Dude, you make it sound like these animals were naturally on their way out, so we shouldn’t be trying to save them. You’re wrong. People are the driving force behind the current…
Suzanne Robitaille
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Pillow talk
Don’t worry. Everything’s going to be OK. PG&E told me so. Me and PG&E were curled up, spooning on the couch, PG&E’s breath softly rustling the hairs on the back of my neck. “PG&E?” I asked meekly. “Yeah sweetie?” PG&E said, its strong arms wrapped tightly around me in that way that always makes me…
It’s time to really turn up the heat: Shut down Diablo
If President Obama is so confident about the safety of nuclear power, why does federal law protect PG&E and other utilities from liability for nuclear accidents under the Price Anderson Act? In 1981, tens of thousands of California residents protested the opening of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant. The main reason for the massive…
Ahoy! Climb aboard!
You know how rock journalists are always calling a band “infectious” because they’re so immediately accessible? Well, usually that term is so much hyperbole, but in the case of Great Big Sea, it’s not. The Americana act is truly infectious, delivering one hooky gem after another on their new album Safe Upon the Shore. The…
Trash becomes treasure
It was March 12, a sunny Saturday afternoon, when I sauntered over to the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art with a spring in my step and a bag of unwanted clothes slung over my shoulder. It was SLO’s second annual Swap-O-Rama-Rama, and, like everyone else in attendance, I was hoping to unload some old…
Haiku rising
Got something to say? Feeling creative? A growing number of local folks are (as is someone from Illinois). Send your haiku to local writer and psychologist at Steve Brody at stevebrody@wildblue.net by April 9, and witness your radiance in the next Artifacts haiku edition (every third Thursday of the month). A wilting flower— A…
Dancing with fire
Slavic folklore depicts the firebird, a flaming, feathered thing, as both a blessing and a curse to its captor. The bird’s plumage is like glowing embers; one feather can light up a room. In Russian stories, the bird is a coveted, wondrous creature, the object of heroes’ quests. Strangely, the bird is often blamed for…
Lickety split!
Capitalizing on childhood nostalgia and the sweet, frosted joy of baked goods, stores exclusively selling cupcakes have become something of a 21st century trend. And Lickety Split Cupcakes in Grover Beach is happy to be on the bandwagon. Jan Evans and Al Oseguera—whose shop is only weeks old—have already made a name for themselves and…
Pier pressure
On March 4, in the cramped boardroom of the Port San Luis Harbor District, the district’s Harbor Commission voted to shut down passenger vehicle access on the Harford Pier in Avila Beach. With little input from businesses that will be impacted by the decision, the board of directors took one step in addressing a dilapidated…
Correction
In our March 10 arts story, “The many shades of white,” the artist who created the piece Gaia’s Gown was misidentified. The artist is Melinda Forbes. ∆
County pumps more money into labor negotiations
Sometimes, you’ve got to spend money to save money. To date, San Luis Obispo County has contracted to pay the firm Renne Sloan Holtzman Sakai $415,000 for specialized labor negotiating services: a $155,000 contract signed in April 2010, which was increased by $190,000 in August, and a one-time $70,000 payment in October for a special…
South County Cuesta College site falls through
Despite a promising location for the proposed South County Education Center in Grover Beach and $750,000 secured in donation pledges, negotiations between Cuesta College and a Grover Beach property owner have hit a wall. On March 9, Cuesta administration announced that plans to develop a new satellite campus fell through. According to a college press…
SLO downtown beautification wanes
The San Luis Obispo City Council voted at its March 15 meeting to reduce expensive pet projects like downtown street improvements. The council had budgeted $640,000 for a variety of downtown improvement projects; the contractor’s low bid came in at $898,009. Council members could have reduced the number of improvements—such as new street lights, trash…
SLO develops plans for Dalidio land
On March 15, the San Luis Obispo City Council approved an agricultural master plan that charts out the future of the last remaining farm land within the city. There’s only one problem: Developer Ernie Dalidio owns much of the land discussed in the report—65 acres—and his property isn’t in the city. That didn’t stop city…
Supe withdraws advisory council consolidation
Before residents had the chance to voice their opposition or support for changes to two South San Luis Obispo County advisory councils, newly elected 4th District Supervisor Paul Teixeira decided at the Board of Supervisors meeting on March 15 to indefinitely withdraw his controversial proposal in order to continue discussions with community members. As one…
Comparing apples to alcohol
March 17 has all the ingredients for a combustible social scene: ridiculous amounts of alcohol, a town full of stumbling drunks, and a family-friendly event taking place during the pinnacle of the debauchery. With the Thursday night San Luis Obispo farmers market and St. Patrick’s Day coinciding this year, there’s the potential for a ruckus—and…
Buddy, can you spare some iodide?
Though state and county officials have repeatedly stated that Californians need not worry about nuclear fallout from the Japanese disaster reaching the West Coast, their words haven’t alleviated concerns from coastal residents, hundreds of whom are scrambling to obtain thyroid medication. Some would-be entrepreneurs are trying to capitalize and profit on those fears. “There is…
