Cover Story
Drama!
By all rights, the stage should be set to bring more attention to Cuesta College’s acclaimed theater program. A shining $24.5 million, 450-seat theater building called the Cultural Center for the Performing Arts, complete with orchestra pit, is due to open in the fall. Faculty and administrators are eager to discuss its many amenities, from…
Follow the river to the art
New Times How did Paso Robles Festival of the Arts come to be? Barbara Partridge I am the retired director of library and recreation services for Paso Robles, where I worked for more than 30 years. I am on the Studios on the Park board—to help facilitate the studios’ and the city’s communication. They needed…
Dog. Danger dog.
Michelle Page’s artists often misspell the signs that she commissions them to paint, producing a signboard that instead reads “bewar of dog,” “be ware of dog,” or, her personal favorite, “be aware of dog.” And they sometimes end up selling a piece that she commissioned to a tourist passing by their shop. Many a businessperson…
Hitting some familiar notes
Arts Editor Ashley Schwellenbach is neither country nor sock hop. Send something altogether different to aschwellenbach@newtimmesslo.com.
Citizen’s Alert 05.21.09
MONDAY, MAY 25 Happy Memorial Day TUESDAY, MAY 26 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 a.m., 9 a.m., 6 p.m. daily. Info: 473-5404. Atascadero City Council meets at 7 p.m. at City Hall,…
SLO-Mart?
Wal-Mart is rarely welcomed into small communities with hugs and kisses. The behemoth retailer has two locations already in SLO County and another on the way. Yet the city of SLO has remained free of blue letters and gleaming yellow smiley faces. Now, an opening provided by Gottschalks’ bankruptcy could allow Wal-Mart or another large…
Attempted dispensaries in Guadalupe, Orcutt go up in smoke
Central Coast patients seeking to soothe their pain with medical marijuana will have to continue to wait for relief. Two more Central Coast dispensaries, one proposed and one attempted, recently got the thumbs down. Following the closure of the short-lived Wishing You Wellness dispensary several weeks ago, Central Coast residents have remained without so-called “safe…
Edge says firing was political
David Edge, the county’s top administrator, was publicly fired May 19, even though Edge said the decision had already been made more than a week earlier. The reasons behind the decision, however, are still clouded. At the Board of Supervisors meeting Edge sat in the front row with his wife Anna, directly facing the five…
Where should homeless go in new draft of SLO?
New portions of the city of SLO will be named as potential sites for homeless shelters under a draft of the revised housing element for the General Plan passed by the City Council May 19. The document deals mainly with outlining the location, type, and amount of housing development in the city, including zoning, housing…
Voters sink propositions, but taxpayers are still going to pay
In the weeks leading up to the May 19 special election, it became clear that several propositions aimed at closing the state’s $23 billion dollar budget gap were doomed—the lone exception being Proposition 1F, the measure pushed by Sen. Abel Maldonado limiting pay increases for legislators in deficit years. Now local governments may have…
DeVaul’s car collection continues to shrink
SLO County officials removed another stash of vehicles from Dan DeVaul’s Sunny Acres Ranch, and DeVaul again complained about his treatment. It was the latest round in the long fight between DeVaul and the county. On May 19, SLO County supervisors unanimously approved the second phase of cleanup at Sunny Acres Ranch. The decision is…
Should the government require everyone to have health insurance?
Nancy Dahl nurse “We have insurance for our cars so why shouldn’t we have insurance for our bodies?… Then the government can help support everyone’s health.” Carla Webb cook “Yes … I just think everybody should be entitled to get the same kind of coverage, the same kind of health care. I’d like to see…
Sayonara, Chrysler
Chrysler will not survive if it becomes part of Fiat and the UAW. When I purchased my new Dodge truck in 2006, it was then Daimler/Chrysler; that is, Mercedes Benz. They invented the automobile and the diesel car and truck. My truck had Mercedes and German technology. After three years, I have had no problems…
Property equals liberty
Only when property rights are protected do average people have a shot at both liberty and prosperity. The question of property ownership goes far back into human history. The right to private property evolved out of a basic moral notion: Private property rights are the hallmark of liberty. According to the Property Rights Alliance, which publishes the annual International…
You get what you pay for
It is clear that some investments really pay off but not yours and mine, currently. The banks have been investing in politicians, and they are getting their money’s worth. Banks get bailed out, and we don’t. What if we invested our money in politicians and what if banks, corporations, and lobbyists were prevented from doing so? What if we…
Educate teens about sex
A recent issue of Pediatrics Journal found that teens who take virginity pledges are just as likely to have sex as those who do not take the pledge. Moreover, they are less likely to use condoms or other forms of contraception, thus resulting in unwanted teen pregnancies, which are epidemic in Santa Maria. We need…
Be smart; be quiet
In response to Mr. Garske’s letter (“Resign, Mr. President,” May 7) calling for President Obama’s resignation: Huh? He talks about being a “World War II veteran with many years of living in all matters.” Exactly what the heck does that mean? The guy has been in office for 100 days under incredibly difficult circumstances, some…
Stop littering, Lions
I am writing to share an interesting and ironic experience that my husband and I had in Cayucos on Friday, May 1. As we often do, we went to a cafe down near the pier to have an early dinner. When we got there and were seated at windows looking out at the pier and…
God opposes same-sex marriage
I’m responding to Mike Hughes’ letter in your April 30 edition (“Check out Deuteronomy”). He states that the Bible is not clear that marriage is between one man and one woman. Genesis 8:24 says, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”…
Reusing water for wine
I enjoyed the article “Wastewater to wine?” (April 30). I applaud Kathy Johnston for a balanced and thorough treatment of this important topic.
Look to the west
If SLO County planner John McKenzie is in a quandary over solar installations (“Saving the silence,” May 14), he might contact Castle & Cooke (formerly Dole pineapple; they own most of the island) regarding a rather large solar installation on the Hawaiian isle of Lanai that is currently or may have already been installed. They…
Stock up on bottled water
The article about using recycled water on vineyards (“Wastewater to wine?” April 30) made it sound like there was some apprehension on the part of vineyard owners to use recycled water. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Now that the SLO City Council has set a bargain-basement price on taxpayer-financed recycled water to large…
Vote “NO” on mosquito treatment
Peg Pinard is on point with her commentary advocating a “NO” vote on the proposed Mosquito, Vector and Disease Control Assessment (“New mosquito abatement district will sting you,” May 7). The proposed Mosquito Abatement and Vector Control District is just another attempt to reach into taxpayer pockets to create one more ever-growing (in both size…
Attend the NRC meetings
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will hold two public meetings in San Luis Obispo on May 28, four days before PG&E plans to begin removing spent fuel from densely-packed pools and loading the first dry cask at Diablo Canyon. This is an opportunity for the public to ask questions and state opinions. The San Luis…
Vector alert
Property owners have received a benefit assessment ballot to fund a new Vector Control District. Many are interested in knowing why it has arrived now, what it’s about, what’s wrong with the current program, and why now, especially with our lousy economy? The current program was started from the county’s general fund in 2005 to…
On a mission for children
Divna Wheelwright runs because chronically ill children cannot. To raise awareness of them, she’ll compete in the Los Angeles Marathon on May 25, her first long-distance event. She’s been training for three months with the SLO RoadRunners under Coach Roger Warnes. “Never in my life did I think that I would complete a marathon,” Wheelwright…
L’Aventure 2008 Roussanne Paso Robles Estate
This isn’t your bargain, everyday white, but it’s definitely your white for special occasions. This elegant wine offers aromas and flavors of white peach and nectarine, beautifully balanced with subtle floral notes, all weaved together by mineral nuances. Winemaker Stephan Asseo describes its bouquet as similar to “an acacia in bloom.” He recommends it with…
Bogle 2007 Chardonnay California
This fruit-driven Chard offers crisp green apple, sweet spicy pear, and citrus notes, with nuances of vanilla and spicy oak. It’s versatile with a range of dishes: pork, poultry, or a main dish tuna salad. It also sips easily on its own. Highly-rated by Wine Spectator’s critics as a best buy, it’s only $8.49 at…
Jeff Groom
New Times: How would you rate the condition of the roads in San Luis Obispo? Groom: Well normally they’re pretty good, but now with all the construction going on, it can be a little irritating. But once it’s all finished, I’m sure the roads will be fine. New Times: Do you ride a bike on…
Postcards of the hanging
Excuse me as I wipe the blood from my shirt; I just had a front-row seat to a guillotine and the spray was like something from a Gallagher show. County Administrator David Edge called his unanimous, mysterious, curious firing by the Board of Supervisors a public execution and, while the phrase was a bit dramatic,…
Paso Robles’ bold Pinot Noirs
When asked which red wine is most versatile with food, I’ll say Pinot Noir every time. Just for the record, with whites I say it’s a toss-up between Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling, and you’ll find argument on that opinion from both sides. But isn’t that what makes wine appreciation so grand? It’s the star at…
Win a Newtie!
Last year, New Times decided the SLO County music scene had grown so much that it needed an annual guide that would list all bands, solo artists, and live DJs in the county as well as all music-related businesses such as recording studios, live music venues, equipment rental enterprises, sound engineers, and so on. That…
