Cover Story
Bloggin’ Mama
Mom: Ashley Marie Blog: A Fox and a Wolf Link: afoxandawolf.blogspot.com Children: Bry (11), Oliver (1) Partner: Richard Fusillo Thursday, April 19, 2012 oliver shai born at 9:06 a.m. 7.1lbs 19.5 inches long and simply perfect Friday, Aug. 24, 2012 National breast-feeding awareness month A local doula and president of the Birth…
Troublesome numbers
Templeton’s Twin Cities Community Hospital landed in the Sacramento spotlight May 14 with the release of a report by a nurses union pushing health care reform. The California Nurses Association (CNA) published the report just as Assembly Bill 975—a proposed law to ratchet up state regulation of nonprofit hospitals—seemed to stall in committee. According to…
Rural fervor
A few miles south of San Luis Obispo, Green Gate Farms has essentially spent the last several years asleep, quietly submitting to the entropic effects of weather and time. In the ’70s and ’80s the elegant equestrian center was renowned enough to attract Mid Eastern royalty, former President Ronal Reagan, and Wayne “The Midnight Idol”…
Body pulled from ocean near Avila
At about 9am on May 8, a body was discovered in the water off of Olde Port Beach. The decedent was described by Sheriff’s Department Spokesman Tony Cipolla as a white male in his late 30’s, but no identification was made as of press time. Cipolla also stated that the decedent’s kayak was discovered along…
California Supreme Court upholds dispensary bans
The California Supreme Court tipped its collective hand back in February when justices responded skeptically to arguments by medical marijuana advocates to vacate municipal dispensary laws. The court ruled as expected on May 6, affirming the power of local governments to ban medical marijuana dispensaries using zoning laws. Nearly 200 local governments in California prohibit…
SLO officer fired after Mexico trip fights city
One of the two San Luis Obispo police officers to plead guilty in 2010 following their arrest for bringing some 850 misbranded pharmaceutical pills across the U.S.-Mexico border has spent the last three years fighting his termination. On May 3, the City Council issued its final determination on the claim brought against the…
Clubs 5/9
Goin’ South … BRANCH ST. DELI: 203 E. Branch St., Arroyo Grande, 489-9099. Live music Fri. from 5:30-8:30 p.m. THE CLIFFS RESORT: 2757 Shell Beach Road, 773-5000 or cliffsresort.com. F. MCLINTOCKS SALOON: Two locations: 750 Mattie Road in Pismo Beach and 133 Bridge St. in Arroyo Grande. 773-1892 or mclintocks.com. Live music at the…
Do the shimmy shake!
Whoa, Nelly! There’re few who can belt out the blues, soul, and R&B like Kaye Bohler, who used to live around here until she moved to the Bay Area and broke our hearts. Mix one part Aretha Franklin, one part Tina Turner, and two parts sass, and you’ve got Kaye Bohler. Her latest CD, Like…
What is the best lesson your mom has ever taught you?
Caio Peluffo shoe salesman “Be true to yourself.” Tricia Lipscomb psychiatrist “Family is more important than anything else.” Jason Hole maintenance worker “Don’t do unto others what you don’t want done unto you.” Mr. & Mrs. Carrington retired “To treat people the way you’d like to be treated and respect where they come from. And…
Artifacts
Local artist and art supply retailer Jeff Claassen loves to make enormous paintings. Problem is, large-scale artwork doesn’t move very fast. For the past few years, Claassen—known for his bright characters and street-art-inspired style—has simply resigned himself to working smaller. But that’s all about to change, thanks to a playful new project: the puzzle painting!…
Titans of turf
It’s Saturday, April 20, and I’m at Damon Garcia Sports Fields watching sweaty men crash into each other at high speeds while wearing nothing more than mouth guards for protection. “The older we get, the better we were,” I overhear an older player joking with another on the sidelines. Then I see my old high…
A camera in the sky
It’s strange to think that the ground never stops moving. It’s moving even now. Coastlines erode. Dunes creep. Islands wander. Mountains fold and buckle over one another, inaudible. Most of the time, though, we hardly notice. After all, we people are small. Our lives are short, and spent close to the dirt. This is what…
Theater of the battlefield
Playwright Charles Mee has an unusual policy on the use of his work. People interested in staging his original plays have to pay to do so, but people interested in altering, adapting, and borrowing from his work may take from it as they wish—and at no cost. On his website, Mee strongly encourages the latter,…
Return of the funky purple napkins
Two men from Wales were traveling through the city of San Luis Obispo when they decided to exit 101 and ask someone on the street, “Where’s the best place to get lunch?” That stranger, surely a local, responded with this atypical suggestion: “The Tamale Shop in Santa Maria at the corner of Betteravia and South…
Costa De Oro 2012 Pinot Noir Rose
Pink wines have come a long way since the era of sweet white Zinfandels, thank goodness. In my home it’s not just for summertime; this pretty wine is appreciated on the table any time of year. Of course now is the season for drinking pink as many wineries are just releasing their 2012 vintage into…
J. Lohr 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles Hilltop
This delicious Cabernet was impressive during the Paso Robles Cab Collective grand tasting. During the cab seminar, Lohr winemaker Steve Peck noted that he added one percent syrah to punch up the fruit: “It was an intentional decision on this blend to try for a fruit-forward style with the oak a subtle flavor behind it.…
Bites: Hey, Mama!
BY MAEVA CONSIDINE She birthed you, may have raised you, and, if you were lucky, you had the kind who would feed you. Mothers. If you have a mother, you know you either have the kind who can cook or the kind who can’t. If you had the latter as a kid, you probably spent…
Why the Millennials don’t like us
And so another study tells us that the younger-than-30 demo is turned off, tuned out, and unlikely to be engaged by politics, unlikely to click on CSPAN and see little more than a failing reality show, unlikely any time soon to invest any more hope in hope. All the usual headlines got trotted out. The…
Move it!
Get your sexy on!” Malinda, my Zumba instructor, calls out to her students during a particularly provocative hip movement. Are my hips even capable of such a gyrating, spiraling motion? I’ll give it a try, though I may be headed toward my first hip replacement with that last rotation. Here I am, edging my way…
Mama Shred
Of all the holidays on which I get called a jerk for not buying someone flowers, Mother’s Day is my favorite. Not because I respect the contribution mothers have made to humanity—that contribution mostly being humanity, which, if you think about it, is a pretty pestilent plague to inflict upon the Earth. Mostly, Mother’s Day…
May God have mercy on Annette Funicello
Reading about the sad death and passing of Annette Funicello, a former Mouseketeer and actress, due to the complications of MS, made me realize how important it is now to find a cure to this devastating, life-taking disease. Annette had progressive multiple sclerosis, meaning her symptoms kept on coming and became elevated and worse over…
Don’t forget those who sacrifice so much
Memorial Day, my wife and I will toast the continuing courage and devoted sacrifices of the wives, girl/boy friends, mothers, and fathers of returning military members who have served in all wars, and especially recent conflicts. Veterans not only have physical wounds, but much deeper emotional wounds that their military training taught them to bury…
Christianson will keep SLO a great place
Carlyn Christianson is the best choice for City Council. She has the skills, vision, energy, and background to plan for a healthy SLO. I am a former business owner of a small downtown book store. I trust Carlyn to support our downtown and come up with innovative ways to plan for our future. Please vote…
Independent-thinking Rice is my choice
I am voting for Kevin Rice for San Luis Obispo City Council before June 18 because he holds many of my values. Kevin Rice believes in transparency in government and fiscal responsibility. Kevin Rice is an advocate for neighbors, and he supports a thriving downtown. Kevin will bring a new perspective to the homeless problem.…
Enjoy the rate increase, you silent citizens
The city of San Luis Obispo distributed to its utility account holders, with their last bills, the biennial rate increase demand and the coinciding meeting for public comment and the futile Proposition 218 protest. Will this be the increase in the development financing scheme that will finally raise the anger of the citizens to act?…
Our answer: Nuclear is dangerous and unnecessary
David Deick wishes “the Sierra Club would weigh in” on the future of nuclear power “I saw that coming,” May 2). Happy to oblige. Nuclear power is too dangerous, too expensive, and has made too many promises it has failed to keep. Mr. Deick’s “new facts” about nuclear technology that will bring us perfectly safe,…
Thought for food
Wow! Interesting article (“Messy introspection,” April 25). As a parent to a Cal Poly freshman who has a meal plan, there have been plenty of complaints. Students even signed a petition for improvement of the food in the dining halls. Perhaps students didn’t complain directly to Ragsdale, but the quality of the food is a…
Cougars & Mustangs
You may or may not be aware that our own Cuesta College is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. One associated festivity is a commemorative photo of a bunch of students, staff, community members, etc. gathered together in a giant 50 to be printed for various promotional materials and other valuable keepsakes. Naturally, as both…
Feathers and knives
Gleaming steel knives sit in a red velvet-lined box. The curved three-inch blades are menacing, despite their size. At first glimpse, it’s difficult to tell what purpose they serve: They’re too sharp to be part of a Freddy Kruger-inspired costume, and too thin for woodworking. When paired with a coping saw, the strange daggers look…
Time to saddle up!
Throw on your spurs—or whatever the most humane equivalent is—and toss a saddle over your favorite equine companion. And maybe throw a carrot or some sugar cubes in your pocket in case Lightning gets hungry on the way to the grand opening. That’s right, horsefolk, the Grand Opening of the Riding Warehouse is Saturday, May…
Correction
An article regarding concealed-carry permits (“Hidden in plain sight,” May 2) merits correction. Former San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Chief Investigator Doug Odom was a sworn peace officer—as are all D.A. investigators—in January 1990, when he arrived home to find two burglars inside. ∆
Valley fever hits Carrizo solar workers
Twenty-eight workers at the Topaz and California Valley solar farms under construction near the Carrizo Plain have fallen ill with valley fever since work began. However, state investigators declined to state as of yet whether the workers contracted the disease on the job. Valley fever triggers acute respiratory symptoms and can lead to death in…
Guilty Myers defendants sentenced
The trial of Rhonda Wisto and Frank York is over. On May 8, the last of five defendants who faced conspiracy and murder charges in the killing of 15-year-old Santa Maria teen Dystiny Myers were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. During the speedy hearing, a standing-room-only courthouse filled with green-ribbon-wearing…
County addresses Paso water woes
For one of the biggest predicaments impacting residents and agriculturalists in Northern San Luis Obispo County, the devil is in the details. On May 7, the County Board of Supervisors heard recommendations from its Blue Ribbon Steering Committee for the Paso Robles Groundwater Management Plan, which aims to address the rapidly draining water supply. The…
Aquarium debate begins
As the debate over the future of the Morro Bay Aquarium begins to solidify in public, one thing is already clear: This will be a fight of hearts over minds. On May 2, residents gathered for the first official public hearing with the city’s Harbor Advisory Board over the lease agreement for the controversial facility,…
Moriarty awaits extradition following his Washington arrest
When New Times last spoke with Al Moriarty (“The troubled times of Al Moriarty,” Feb. 28), the former Grover Beach financial advisor said he was going over his books and planning his return to San Luis Obispo County, where he would sort out his financial obligations and leave the whole mess behind him. At the…
SLO officer fired after Mexico trip fights city
One of the two San Luis Obispo police officers to plead guilty in 2010 following their arrest for bringing some 850 misbranded pharmaceutical pills across the U.S.-Mexico border has spent the last three years fighting his termination. On May 3, the City Council issued its final determination on the claim brought against the city by…
