Cover Story
The Death of Winter
Click here to see a gallery of submissions.
What motivates you?
Peter Worley house painter “Progress or self improvement.” Kim Harris retired “Injustice and the sun.” Rick Railsback handyman “Boredom.” Bill Seavey publisher “Helping the world become a better place; not just the world but the people. The world would probably do fine without people. Believe it or not I still have some of the values…
I’m not drunk!
I’m walking to McCarthy’s front door, and as I look down there’s water everywhere. “Hey, Steve,” I say to doorman Steve Damasco. “Did somebody ralph?” “Yeah.” It’s only 10 a.m., and Steve arrived at 5:15 a.m. to a long line awaiting the 6 a.m. opening bell. “We were at capacity by 6:30,” says Steve, “but…
Wc 283
Here is some background information on some of the animals featured in Studios on the Park’s “Raining Cats & Dogs” exhibit: Though the pug has Chinese origins, the breed was made popular by the House of Orange in the Netherlands and the House of Stuart of England, Ireland, and Scotland. The breed has won best…
Nature’s greatest masterpiece
A dog is a bridge between two strangers,” mixed media artist Sarah Winkler quoted John Steinbeck, adding an observation of her own: “Since I owned Pugsley I’ve met all my neighbors.” Resident artists at Paso Robles’ Studios on the Park are banking on their current exhibit, “Raining Cats and Dogs,” to expand their circle of…
Dust kickers
For some county residents, the presentation by Air Pollution Control District (APCD) representatives to the Health Commission vindicated their concerns about poor air quality on the Nipomo Mesa. For others, namely those who drive off-highway vehicles (OHVs) at the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area, it came as a shock—that a state park would be…
Separate and unequal
At first they might not comprehend, believing the dancers are shaking the floor. Then as the building begins to tremble, the customers race for the door. Ceiling tiles fall as the lights blink and shatter. Such a scene was caught on film when the recent earthquake in Chile destroyed a nightclub in Concepcion, a town…
Correction
The author of the letter “PFLAG fights gay oppression” (March 11) is Rick Tibben.
Hey big spender
During the past decade, Pacific Gas & Electric Company spent more on political candidates, ballot measures, and lobbyists than did Chevron Corporation, Philip Morris USA, or the Western States Petroleum Association, according to the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC). In the report “Big Money Talks” the FPPC detailed the top 15 spenders in California…
Supes bear it all
SLO County supervisors joined the anti-bear-hunting rally cry on March 16, telling the California Fish and Game Commission that declaring open season here isn’t the right way to control the black bear population. Supervisors unanimously passed a resolution decrying a Fish and Game proposal that could allow unprecedented hunting of black bears in a portion…
Cuesta students will march in Sacramento
Two busloads of Cuesta College students and staff will join roughly 11,000 other protesters at the state capitol March 22 for a rally against cuts to California’s education system. Despite Cal Poly’s $12 million deficit last year and an overall drop in general funds for California State Universities of $450 million since 2006, the Mustangs…
Fate unknown
“Clink, clink, clink.” Twenty-year-old Patrick Wollett’s chains rattled as he shuffled into a SLO County courtroom wearing a bright orange jumpsuit, his face taut and wide-eyed in an expression that seemed to personify the heart of his defense: He was just a dumb kid who got wrapped up with violent dope fiends and, unfortunately, Joshua…
Grow great crops regardless of weather
A new, 1800-square-foot-shop store that sells supplies for hydroponic gardening, Healthy Harvest Hydro at 2958 South Higuera in San Luis Obispo, carries 10 different lighting systems, more than a dozen different grow huts, and 20 styles of T5 fluorescent light bulbs. There are displays of tomatoes growing under lights to demonstrate the basics of how…
Still fabulous
It must have been a heady time—mid-‘70s Austin—and at the tender age of 23, you get recruited by Jimmie Vaughan (Stevie Ray’s older brother) to join a rootsy blues act called The Fabulous Thunderbirds, where you quickly become frontman and chief songwriter. That’s what happened to Kim Wilson, who’ll be leading his band Kim Wilson’s…
Clubs
Goin’ South … CAFÉ ANDREINI: 131 E. Branch St., Arroyo Grande, 481-6117. Thurs.: Live music at 6pm. COFFEE BEAN AND TEA LEAF: 750 Five Cities Dr., Pismo Beach, 773-6420. Music Night every Sat., 6:30-8:30pm. DOLPHIN BAY/LIDO: 2727 Shell Beach Rd., Shell Beach, 773-4300 or TheDolphinBay.com. ELMO’S NIPOMO SALOON: 131 South Thompson Road, Nipomo, 929-5362.…
Hug Cellars 2007 Pinot Noir Arroyo Seco Cedar Lane Vineyard
Winemaker Augie Hug describes this Pinot as the most Burgundian of his portfolio. It’s lean (rather than ultra ripe tasting) and delicious, an elegant wine that is harmonious with an array of great foods. Its aromas and flavors of tangy cherry and plums are accented by notes of earth, minerals, and a nuance of herbs.…
Seaside Café & Bakery brightens Shell Beach
Over the past couple of years several friends told me about the good food served in a quaint little Shell Beach café, among them restaurant reviewer Teri Bayus, who co-owns the Mail Plus mail service in Pismo Beach. But one thing led to another and I just didn’t take the five-mile drive over there, until…
Jean Wyly
NEW TIMES: What horseback riding tours do you offer? WYLY: Our rides are typically an hour and 15 minutes long, and are available to a wide assortment of riders. There are no age limits, and we offer rides for beginner, intermediate, and advanced riders. One of the tours we offer starts along the coast…
Look closely to see who lacks shelter
People who lack homes are everywhere in this county and their numbers are soaring. As I left a Wal-Mart parking lot recently, a man stood with a sign and a picture of his deceased wife, asking for money to “cremate his beloved.” My gut twisted and I gave him a few dollars. Yet, in the…
The Iraq mission is a great success
The national news media offered a mere two days of incidental coverage for the dramatic success of Iraq’s democratic elections. Never did they mention the sacrificed lives of American service people who made this miracle possible, fusing together the incompatible factions of Sunnis, Shiites, and Kurds—how this triumph should be an inspiration for Arabs in…
Fossil fuels will soon be exhausted
In his letter “There’s no reason to change energy consumption” (March 11) Dean Carlson asserts that there is no reason to “radically change our use of energy and the world’s economic structure” simply because it can’t be proved that human activity causes global warming. To that I say: so what? It makes no difference whatsoever…
Competition is healthy
Regarding the letter “Ban street-corner vendors in AG” (Feb. 25): I am one of the flower vendors. I made arrangements with the owners of a business that has been in Arroyo Grande for decades. The owners, staff, and patrons were very supportive of my team’s professionalism and creativity; moreover, I think we brought attention to…
Street vendors help Arroyo Grande
Street vendors have been part of a market-run society since the dawn of man, bringing a symbiotic relationship to the surrounding businesses and ambiance to the communities. Take for example, the Arroyo Grande Strawberry Festival, Harvest Festival, and farmers’ markets. The local street vendors buy their flowers from local growers in the county, ensuring only…
Observations without interpretation
I fail to understand all the controversy about global warming. All I know about it is that in 1996, my late wife and I took a helicopter flight and landed on an Alaskan glacier. We stood in the middle and looked down through a fissure about 75 feet and could hear the water running in…
Bears should be protected
I wrote to Eric Loft, who’s chief of the California Department of Fish and Game, to protest the proposal to expand bear hunting in California. Bears are part of California’s history and we proudly display a bear on our flag. However, bears have never been treated with the respect they deserve. They were used for…
Shoals’ jobs as mayor and PG&E representativedo not conflict
Coastal SLO County has only three major employers: Cal Poly, the prison, and the Diablo Canyon PG&E plant. We do get vacationers but they bring in mostly service-level, minimum wage jobs. Diablo Canyon pays hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes. Their almost 2000 employees and contractors shop, pay taxes, buy homes, volunteer, coach, and…
Thanks to supervisors for denying asphalt plant
The Board of Supervisors affirmed the importance of our Ag and Rural Land resources by their 5-0 vote on an obscure Land Use Footnote (see “How to manufacture asphalt on ranch land,” March 4 ). Is it OK to build an asphalt plant on ranch land? The resounding answer is no. We thank the supervisors…
Support the sludge ban
On March 23, the County Board of Supervisors will consider prohibiting spreading sewage sludge and composts containing it on open-space lands. This prohibition is Policy OS 2.4 in the Open Space chapter of the Conservation and Open Space Element (COSE), recommended unanimously by the Planning Commission. It is based on permanent ordinances proposed by the…
Rain caused books to be discarded
Marci Grant’s letter “Books should not be tossed” (March 11) is filled with inaccurate statements. I will address one: “What does it say about our library’s friends that they do this year after year?” This is my fourth year as chair of the book sale. In the previous three years, we sold all items remaining…
You’re so not money
Did it just get colder in here? Something in the universe feels amiss, and I swear the sky is losing its color. Oh, that’s what it is. King political scumbag Karl Rove is coming to SLO. Somehow he subverted my restraining order against him, and that other court order that’s supposed to stop him from…
