Cover Story
A stop on the squatters’ trail
They tromped down San Luis Obispo’s Osos Street the other day like a troupe of arthouse clowns, maybe 15 in all. They were so dirty it could have been a shift change at a countercultural coal mine. There were dogs of all sizes on hemp-rope leashes, sticker-strewn guitars carried by their necks and strung over…
Mr. Maldonado returns to Sacramento
Sen. Abel Maldonado arrives to an interview without an entourage, only his family in tow. Maybe it’s fitting: He doesn’t have many Republican friends in Sacramento lately. His vote ensured that the Senate would pass a controversial budget that also came with more than $12 billion in tax increases. That vote has won him praise,…
Is the beginning of the line in sight?
After decades of dealing with a tangled mess of leaking septic tanks and political infighting, it looks as though a Los Osos sewer might actually get built. What’s left now is paying for it and making sure enough residents are on board with the design. As has become common at Board of Supervisors meetings, on…
If your life were a movie, who would portray you?
Dixon Moore marketing consultant “Robert Redford, because I like his look, personality, and what he stands for.” Molly Sutton server “Christina Ricci. When I was little, every kid told me that I looked like her. She’s pretty damn good looking too.” Maria Morales student “My older sister, Elvia, because she knows me and everything that…
Windbag propulsion
After seeing Rush Limbaugh as the poster child for the GOP at the CPAC it reminds me of the bullies on the playground who did not like kids for the clothes they wore. The GOP wants the current administration to fail, because the stock the repugnant party has in all the bankrupt companies has failed.…
Stand united
I find it fascinating that those who point out the obvious failures of President George W. Bush are called traitors and those who want the new policies of President Barack Obama to fail are promoted as real Americans. Real Americans voted for the changes that President Obama is trying to implement and, true to form, the…
We spend that much?
You published an excellent article by Ms. Ortiz-Legg on military spending (“It’s time to cut military spending,” Feb. 12). I didn’t realize America is spending so very much money on military “stuff,” while our democracy is falling apart. Billions go to the unused F-22. Over a trillion tax dollars are wasted on the Vietnam repeat…
Overthrow the oligarchy
I often read letters that condemn socialism as some sort of evil force that will bring down our form of democracy. We are, in fact, a socialistic democracy and it isn’t dangerous or bad. Too often, though, it’s confused with communism or dictatorships. Socialism as best defined is a system whereby all programs are state…
And furthermore
I offer rebuttal to Bradley Zane’s second rant (“Make that greedy land owners,” Feb. 26) against my comments (“Ban vehicles from Oceano beach,” Feb. 19) following Zane’s first rant (“Get lost, greedy naturalists,” Feb. 12). Mr. Zane, you miss my point: Oceano Dunes SVRA is now at its breaking point for carrying capacity. That…
Switch to credit unions
I quit using my MidState account when it got turned into a foreign-owned bank. Instead, I now use a locally owned and controlled credit union. Since then, banks have portrayed themselves as the new homeless. If we all refused to do business with banks and moved our accounts to credit unions, we’d see a lot…
More troops won’t help
In early 2008, we had 27,000 troops in Afghanistan, compared with 38,000 troops now in country. During January and February of this year, 29 Americans perished, compared with eight Americans who perished in the same period last year. The rise in deaths is attributed to the greater number of troops present, yet to date we…
Support California SB 250
Kudos to State Sen. Dean Florez for proposing SB 250, which would require dogs in California to be spayed or neutered unless their guardians obtain an unaltered dog license, and requires guardians of unaltered cats to keep them indoors. Every year, about one million cats and dogs enter our state’s animal shelters. More than…
Wise up, Grover Beach
Cream rises to the top. In government, incompetence has the same effect. The country is in the midst of a horrendous recession that may match the Great Depression. The various governmental entities are looking at making cutbacks, generally of services that most benefit taxpayers. Much of our predicament can be blamed on our politicians, a…
Essential for all
March is Arts Education Month, which makes it fitting to point out that when school budgets get cut to the bone, as they are in this current budget crisis, art and music education are always among the first casualties. Because this crisis is unprecedented, so is the depth of the cuts being made. It’s clear…
Citizen’s Alert 3.5.09
PUBLIC MEETINGS Tuesday, March 10 Grover Beach Planning Commission meets in the Council Chambers, Grover Beach City Hall, 154 South Eighth St. at 6:30 p.m. Info: 489-9657. Arroyo Grande City Council meets at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 215 E. Branch St. Info: 473-5404. Watch it live on Arroyo Grande Charter channel 20. Replay: 1…
Survivors who care
When Elaine Gardiner was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1997, she was filled with questions. “I really thought it would be nice to talk to someone, and I didn’t know a soul with ovarian cancer,” Gardiner said. Gardiner eventually found comfort and answers by talking to a breast cancer survivor about her experiences. “Sometimes it…
Binding arbitration untouched
In the end, the robo-calls may have served their purpose. In the weeks before a March 3 meeting of the SLO City Council, many city residents received recorded messages from San Luis Obispo Firefighters Association President Erik Baskin urging them to support firefighters by supporting binding arbitration. While several City Council members in an often-tense…
A snake tale
It’s been a tough five weeks for Brandon Dennis. First, his 23-foot-long, 130-pound reticulated orange python fled his home. Now, as a direct result of the media attention the escape drew, it is Dennis and his roommates who are in flight. Dennis received an eviction notice just days after SLO police, county sheriff’s deputies and…
Land Conservancy of SLO seeks volunteers to help restore land near Nipomo Creek
Beginning this month, several acres along Nipomo Creek will be getting a makeover from the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County as part of a native plant restoration project aiming to install more than 10,000 native shrubs and trees on the property over the next three years. In a recent interview, Land Conservancy Restoration…
Tax proposal aims at countywide tourist enticements
It could be a new local marketing campaign: Come to SLO County, home to more than all those nice little cities you may have heard of. In the latest version of a long-running attempt to market the entire county of SLO instead of just its cities to tourists, some local hotel owners want to place…
DMV is down with it
Medical marijuana advocates are gleeful following a change in state Department of Motor Vehicles policy that instructs agency workers they should treat medical marijuana the same as any other prescription drug when people try to renew their driver’s licenses. The upshot: State drivers shouldn’t lose their licenses due to having recommendations from doctors for marijuana.…
Airport expansions get off the ground
The SLO County Airport received $556,685 to build more parking for airplanes. It’s just a fraction of the total cost, but one of the first steps in a list of airport expansion projects. Airport Manager Richard Howell said the U.S. Department of Transportation grant for new parking would ensure there’s enough room to keep existing…
Excelaron agrees to higher-level review
Residents of Huasna Valley have been calling for an Environmental Impact Report for the proposed oil development in the rural valley outside Arroyo Grande since the plan was first pitched to them last year. The county planning department issued a less stringent Mitigated Negative Declaration recently, despite protests by residents that, among other things, the…
Marsha
NEW TIMES: How many parking tickets do you issue daily? MARSHA: It really depends on the day, but the average is about 40 to 50 tickets. NEW TIMES: What’s the lamest excuse you’ve ever gotten in the middle of printing a ticket? MARSHA: There are so many of them, but “my mom had to pee”…
Welcome to the real Internet economy
Like everybody else, I’m cutting back. Like David Weyrich, I’m getting rid of my family-friendly, totally not gay jet planes and not paying my suppliers and wondering what happened to the $300 million I married into. Like Atascadero Chamber Citizen of the Year Kelly Gearhart, I’m hiding out in an empty factory in Ohio. Like…
Dr. Loosen 2007 Riesling
I love German Riesling and this value-priced wine is amazing. Aromas of sweet pear and nectarine are pretty and enticing, persisting on the palate with mineral, spice, and honey notes. Beautifully balanced, it’s a wine that’s designed for the dinner table. Great with chicken apple sausage, Asian stir fries, curries, or main salad with fruit…
Toucan Wines 2006 Zinfandel Arroyo Grande Valley
This darkly-hued wine offers intense notes of blackberries, boysenberries, and black cherries that are rich and ripe, almost jammy notes but kept in balance by its natural acidity. Although it’s drinkable now, you’ll be rewarded by cellaring it three to six years. A good choice for barbecued ribs or steaks, meat, and cheese pizza, or…
Zinfandel zealots
When it comes to Zinfandel, Paso Robles is your source for every style of Zin you crave. Described in Vines, Grapes & Wines by author Jancis Robinson as “California’s very own European variety … it’s thrilling because of the potential quality of the wine made from it.” When grown in Paso Robles, this California…
Hot hot heat
New Times You have an interesting background. Lynn Kishiyama I was born in the Philippines but grew up outside of San Francisco. And I’ve lived all over the East Coast. Then I went to Japan and that is really when I started to do my artwork. New Times You were a ranch hand, an actress…
Staff Picks
With nearly 100 films in 10 days, the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival has a lot to offer all types of cinema fans. And to help you maximize your viewing potential, the New Times staff has compiled a list of some of our festival favorites. Happy viewing! Shorts films: Dunkumentary, Noor, In the Dark,…
Sound of artful conversation
For the uninitiated, Pecha Kucha requires some explanation. In preparation for SLO’s seventh installment of the event on March 14, New Times discussed the purpose and history of Pecha Kucha with musician Bob Liepman of Bob and Wendy, crop-circle enthusiasts Susan and Jack Biesek, and event organizers Catherine Trujillo, Enrica Lovaglio, and Tom DiSanto. Art…
Whet your St. Paddy’s whistle
The first thing you need to know about The Young Dubliners is that singer Keith Roberts now lives in Paso Robles, not that he’s ever there. He and his band have been touring far and wide—playing between 180 and 250 shows a year—but they’re about to make a quick stop through town before heading out…
