Cover Story
Ten years cold
It has been almost exactly 10 years since Andrea Lynn Hug took her last walk, to take in the scenic bluff views above Montana de Oro’s Spooner’s Cove. The park’s name translates as “mountain of gold” and it comes from the poppies and wildflowers that flourish with the spring rains. On Hug’s final walk, however,…
Fast facts
Feel like you’re selling yourself short? Learn how to promote yourself better as an expert by attending the After 5 Women’s Connection event, “Secrets of Selling Yourself,” hosted by the Central Coast Women’s Network (CCWN). With more than 35 years of experience in advertising and public relations, guest speaker Margaret Hennessy will address ways to…
A blessing in disguise
When Debi Hernandez learned that she had only 60 days to vacate her downtown business due to seismic retrofitting, she was unsure whether she would be able to find a new location in time. In fact, she was unsure if she would be able to reopen her business at all. That all changed when Hernandez…
Bogle 2007 Sauvignon Blanc California
This brand can always be counted on for quality wines at value prices, and this crisp white is an example. Straightforward in its tangy grapefruit, grass, and melon flavors, a dominant thread of lime weaves it all together. Tart but balanced, it’s a good choice as an aperitif, with appetizers, shellfish, curries, and green chile…
Sinor-LaVallee 2006 Pinot Noir Talley Vineyards
Winemaker Mike Sinor makes three excellent Pinot Noirs, which are just being released in wine shops. According to Sinor: “The 2006 Pinot Noirs are more European in style.” I favor the elegant Talley Rincon, which opens with forward fruit flavors of Bing cherry, fresh blackberries, and ripe plums, beautifully layered with notes of minerals, earthy…
Learn while tasting; it’s fun!
When I walk into a tasting room for the first time, I feel more at ease when the people who serve me are friendly, engaging, and enthusiastic about the job they’re doing. And that’s exactly what I found at the county’s friendliest new tasting room in Avila Beach, Morovino. It’s owned and operated by Andrea…
Beach babes
How does an afternoon at the beach with Bonnie Raitt playing an al fresco concert sound? Pretty freaking awesome, that’s how. The Americana blues singer-songwriter is one of the most respected names in show biz, scoring major hits with such tracks as “Nick of Time,” “Something to Talk About,” and “I Can’t Make You Love…
Artifacts
Art After Dark Oct. 3, 6 to 9 p.m. San Luis Obispo ARTS Space Obispo: 570 Higuera, Suite 165 in the SLO Creamery, 544-9251 or artsobispo.org. Open Studios Art Tour Digital Preview Exhibition featuring projected works of 284 local artists. Coalition: 974 Monterey St. 595-1010. Permanent pieces by Mike Giant and Alex Rohrig; installations by…
Funny guy
New Times If you could die and come back as 1. Larry David, 2. any of the Monty Python guys, or 3.Tina Fey, who would it be? Mark Pitta This is the strangest question I’ve ever heard. I wouldn’t come back as any of them but out of those choices I admire the Pythons. They…
A night of music and contemporary wit
Seeing Jack White perform live, magically, with a pick and a guitar, delivering stories via his raspy, delicious voice; Led Zeppelin playing their classics on a London stage 40 years after their first album was recorded: These are performances that stick to the soul, even after the bows have been taken and the crowds file…
Get that Picasso off your wall
Any exhibit is an invitation to view the world through another set of eyes, or at least an attempt to put new color into a world that has become too complacent. In this capacity, West End Espresso is currently home to a perspective new to San Luis Obispo, that belonging to Neal Breton a recent…
Eager to hear her debate
While John McCain reiterated the same tired old strategies and tactics (I know the difference, too) that have led to the mess in Iraq, the cynical fleecing of the American middle class, the loss of credibility overseas, the resurgence of al-Qaida, the collapse of the housing market, the torture of prisoners at the hands of…
Study the issues
I just read Linda Camplese’s letter (“Vote for policies,” New Times, Sept. 25, 2008), and she hit the nail on the head. I also keep wondering why the voters keep voting against their best interests. We have seen the rich get richer and the poor suffer more. Maybe they truly believe they will someday be…
Pitch in
How do you wake up in the morning? Is it the sound of your alarm clock, the smell of coffee brewing in your automatic coffee pot or the nudge of a loved one? Do you snuggle away those last precious moments of the morning under a warm down comforter and then submit to the morning…
Save Atascadero from socialist tree huggers
While the summer heat may soon be over in Atascadero, politically things are heating up locally. The anti Wal-Mart haters continue to spew their propaganda manure and it really stinks! These self appointed “saviors” of Atascadero want to dictate to the good people of our city where to shop or not to shop for groceries…
Obey God
In response to the letter “Move forward” from Erica Hamilton (New Times, Sept. 25, 2008), I understand how you could construe voting Yes on Proposition 8 and supporting the traditional family as being negative toward gays and lesbians, however that is not the case. Where did marriage come from? It is God’s law not man’s…
Repatriate the troops
Just the body language said it all. Barack Obama tried to catch John McCain’s eye during the debate, but McCain would have none of it. And Obama offered solutions rather than tired platitudes and scary threats of vetoing everything but defense spending. Barack Obama presented the kind of judgment and leadership Americans need if we…
Look again
Regarding your story “May I have some more, sir?” (Aug. 21, 2008), the “guy” Mark Delaplane murdered was my brother, Kevin John Pfaffl. Kevin was 19 years old in December 1976 when Delaplane waited for him in the parking lot of an apartment building, hit Kevin multiple times with a baseball bat then shot him…
Save our downtown
San Luis Obispo is at a crossroads and its fate will be determined by the upcoming city council and mayoral elections. A convergence of factors, a “perfect storm” of sorts, has led the current city council to disregard several cornerstone documents—the San Luis Obispo Community Design Guidelines, the Historic Preservation Guidelines, and the Conceptual Physical…
Korie Newman – Event Coordinator for Downtown Brewing Co.
NEW TIMES: What kind of cake did you get Downtown Brewing Co. for its third birthday? NEWMAN: It’s a special beer cake with porter-flavored icing. And those who don’t like cake can have beer floats. NEW TIMES: What are the reasons behind adopting a dress code? NEWMAN: We want an environment where everyone can feel…
Are you concerned for your finances in light of the government bailout of Wall Street?
Bill Vickory truck driver “No, because I’ve found that if the government is allowed to run its course, things will usually correct themselves like they did in the 90’s.” Dave Schultz optometrist “I’m not concerned or affected, but I’m bothered that the government will nickel and dime the small business owner while bailing out the…
Santa Margarita Ranch denied
On Aug. 28, Doug Filliponi asked the SLO County Planning Commission to make a decision on his Santa Margarita Ranch project even if it meant denying it. A month later, Filliponi got his wish. After an exhausting five-hour discussion commissioners voted 4-1 to deny the 6,195-acre agricultural cluster. Commissioner Bob Roos moved for the denial.…
Counting change
The McClatchy-owned San Luis Obispo Tribune has a new publisher. Chip Visci has left the building, with a letter to acquaintances emphasizing both that it has always been his intention to retire at 55, his current age, and that he hopes to apply the skills he’s learned in newspapers to “other endeavors.” In other words,…
No residency? No problem!
San Luis Obispo has but a single issue on the ballot this November. It’s a densely worded measure that passed through city council chambers almost undetected, despite a potentially controversial article that would allow non-city residents to be appointed to city advisory bodies. Measure E is described as intending to clarify language in the city’s…
SLO mayoral and city council candidate forums
Two forums featuring the candidates for the San Luis Obispo mayoral and City Council races will be held in the coming weeks, giving community members an opportunity to get a face-to-face grasp on the issues. The first forum, co-sponsored by the SLO Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary de Tolosa Club, will begin at noon…
Restaurant inspection results are now available online
Results from the roughly 1,600 facilities inspected by SLO County Environmental Health Services are now available online, courtesy of a new tool that the department has implemented on its website. The online restaurant inspection query tool allows users to search inspection records dating back to July 1, 2007 by keywords, location, and various other criteria.…
Bye, bye Measure Y
“Look on the bright side,” seemed to be the mantra of San Luis Obispo city officials at a special Sept. 30 budget meeting. It wasn’t easy. The city, which has built up reserve funds and tackled more capital projects lately, thanks to a half-cent sales tax increase voters approved under the 2006 Measure Y, is…
SLO investment advisor charged with fraud
The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged SLO-based investment firm WealthWise and its leader for steering clients toward a hedge fund in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks. The charges filed in federal court in Los Angeles on Sept. 24 allege WealthWise Principal Jeffrey A. Forrest was given more than $350,000 from…
Solar power at Carrisa school
The first local benefit from several planned solar power installations could be realized as soon as next year. Solar energy giant OptiSolar has proposed to build a miniature solar farm at Carrisa Plains School. It would provide the estimated $10,000 worth of electricity used annually at the remote three-room facility on Highway 58 beginning next…
