Cover Story
The secret life of water
From the pitter-patter of rain on the roof to the fresh flow from the faucet, our local water takes a long, little-known journey. It’s poked and prodded by a hidden array of people and processes before it splashes into your shower or soup-pot. # Healthy, wholesome water in our homes is something most Central Coast…
Correction
A Nov. 9 article “Is the ground making him sick?” incorrectly stated Jane Alfaro’s residence. She lives on a street other than Rain Tree Drive in the Sunrise Hills neighborhood. Also, she believes that ground contamination is the cause of her illness, but does not know for sure that there is oil underneath her property,…
Christmas lists
They start appearing in late November and early December. Armed with bags of presents and infectious laughs, Santas fulfill an irreplaceable role during the holidays. They laugh with joy, consume a few cookies, their bellies shake, and, somehow, people begin to feel charitable and kind toward one another. People temporarily forget the petty fights and…
Oak protection is taking root
As shiny acorns drop to the ground around SLO County ready to grow into the signature trees of our local landscape oak lovers are talking about the best way to protect our 723,481 acres of oak woodlands. Is a countywide ordinance appropriate? Does a voluntary # approach work? How can we mitigate for the loss…
Unraveling Tri-W
One year since the recall election that hushed the bulldozers in Los Osos, traces of native vegetation have crept back into Tri-W. The infamous parcel, purchased by the Community Services District to house a sewage treatment facility, transformed from an environmentally sensitive habitat area to a construction site to a storage yard to a lake…
Property and public-use rights clash over proposed General Plan amendments
Overwhelmed by a litany of testimony from disgruntled ranchers and farmers, the San Luis Obispo Board of Supervisors on Nov. 14 punted a decision to amend the General Plan to its Dec. 12 meeting. # The restructuring included among other things a plan to expand the county’s network of recreational trails, laying new paths that…
Police suspect same man in two attempted assaults
The San Luis Obispo Police Department announced on Nov. 14 that it is investigating two separate attempted sexual assault cases that appear to have been committed by the same person. The suspect in both cases attacked women who were walking alone in residential neighborhoods. The first woman was assaulted at around 10:15 p.m. in the…
Letters
Poor bicycling baby! This is with regard to bicyclist Kylie Mendonca’s major whine, “Bike tickets are lame” (Nov. 9). Poor baby! Just because stopping her ride at a signal or stop sign “constitutes an unnecessary loss of momentum,” she feels that she doesn’t need to obey the laws that apply to all of us: drivers,…
Let’s pombo
Three years ago, Seattle Stranger sex columnist Dan Savage responded to vile homophobic comments by now-ousted Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum by holding a contest. Savage challenged his readers to “define santorum” to immortalize in infamy the senator’s name by assigning it to some still-uncoined substance or act. The people spoke, and the frothy brew of…
Fast facts …
Another great way to immerse yourself in holiday spirit is to attend the Pacific Repertory Opera’s Holiday Lights fundraiser on Dec. 9. Between 4:30 and 8:30 p.m., guests will be welcomed into three festive homes for a cultural home tour. One home will feature a smorgasbord of Scandinavian delights such as Scandinavian goat cheese, lingonberry…
The grass is always greener …
Atascadero Community Development Director Warren Frace recently approved placing artificial turf over pavement as a form of required open space at Developer Kelly Gearhart’s housing development, according to an Oct. 26 letter from Frace to Gearhart. Frace’s approval of Gearhart’s request to substitute artificial turf for grass at his housing development on Marchant Avenue is…
Man leads police to body
On Nov. 10, Jose Antunez admitted to killing his wife, and two days later he led police to a shallow grave in rural Cayucos where the body of a young woman was uncovered, according to the Paso Robles Police Department. The remains have not yet been identified. Eliva Antunez, 21, went missing four months ago.…
Tis the season
So, it’s time once again for New Times’ annual Holiday Haps. Yep. The holidays are happening. There’s nothing we can do to stop them, short of nuclear annihilation, and even then I’m not sure. We could all turn into dust and shadows permanently burned into walls, and the holidays would probably still happen. Thanksgiving would…
