Cover Story
Election night of the living dead
Deny it all you want, but when the bodies of the dead rise to feast on the flesh of the living, those who hesitate will die first, or become undead, or be digested. So we here at New Times gathered some of our local candidates, our potential future leaders, and sat them down to secretly…
Vote yes on Proposition 24
On Nov. 2, California voters can protect public education and send a clear message about the future of our state by passing Proposition 24, the Tax Fairness Act. Proposition 24 prevents more than a half-billion dollars from being cut from our public schools and makes sure big corporations in California continue to pay their fair…
Vote no on Proposition 23
The mere thought of 111-degree weather is excruciating. Daily life, as I found it several weeks ago at this astounding temperature, borders on impossible without air-conditioning. Anyone who was in the San Luis Obispo area during that heat spell knows precisely what I mean. The predicted effects of global warming are becoming evident. As temperatures…
Badass ladies raise good money
Dozens of women from five hard-hitting sports teams came together on Oct. 23 at Santa Rosa Park to compete in feats of strength and raise just over $1,200 for the SLO Women’s Shelter. Dubbed the “SLO Town Throw Down,” the event featured fun but physical challenges—arm wrestling, pie eating, relay races—that kept the playing field…
Let us adjust your view on Measure H
The view from Richard Krejsa’s “temporary perch” in Maine must be limited when it comes to Measure H (“Vote yes on Measure H,” Oct. 21). He recommends voting yes on Measure H, but doesn’t seem to see that most of the things he wants will be undermined if Measure H passes. For example, Krejsa argues…
We’re taking a stand on this one
The League of Women Voters is always neutral when it comes to endorsing candidates, but we do take action on issues that we have studied and for which we have developed a position. Measure H is just such an issue. The League’s position on local planning and land-use policies and actions is consistent with the…
Sugar skulls and marigolds
The origins of the Mexican holiday, Dia de los Muertos—or Day of the Dead—can be traced back to indigenous Aztec cultures, which honored the lives of deceased ancestors with rituals and celebrations. The holiday, which once took place in the ninth month of the Aztec solar calendar, is now generally observed on Nov. 2, coinciding…
What sends shivers down your spine?
Brian Burgess accountant “Whiteboard markers against a white drawing board, because of the little squeakies they make.” p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: “Times New Roman”; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } Mark Fisch student of life “Needles, because they’re sharp, they hurt, and they’re scary.” Perla Albarran baker “Spiders, because…
Who sells desal by the sea shore?
The decades-old fight over water in Cambria is coming to a head. Progress toward a proposed desalination plant, touted by community officials as the best option for a supplemental water supply, could take a dramatic shift depending on the outcome of the upcoming election. Two spots have opened up on the Cambria Community Services District…
Exit strategy
On Nov. 17, Dynegy shareholders will vote on whether to sell the company, along with four of its power plants, to The Blackstone Group for $4.50 per share. The whole kaboodle would then be turned over to NRG Energy for a cool $1.4 billion. Dynegy management really wants the deal to go through, having issued…
Heads up, frat boys and Poly dollies, you’re headed for a crackdown
Up to no good on Halloween weekend? Expect to pay through the nose for being naughty if you’re caught being bad in San Luis Obispo. The city is cracking down on “party activity and alcohol-related offences” on Oct. 29, 30, and 31 because of Halloween weekend, and apparently the city believes mayhem and/or fun may…
Hit the polls early, lazy bums
Can’t make it to the polls on Nov. 2? No problem. The San Luis Obispo County Elections Division is allowing voters to cast a ballot on Oct. 30 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. County Clerk-Recorder Julie Rodewald said the office holds the extra hours every year to allow voters who are unavailable on election…
Sierra Club loses in dunes lawsuit
According to Sierra Club Chapter Director Andrew Christie, a Sept. 30 decision in the club’s lawsuit over the Oceano Dunes’ so-called buffer zone, is kind of a mixed bag. On the one hand, Superior Court Judge Charles Crandall’s decision to deny the club’s lawsuit against the California Department of Parks means the 584-acre La Grande…
Money and politics …
In a political season that seems to portend much political change, some things remain the same in California. Just as in the 2008 election, contributions to Democratic Party candidates still led Republican donations by nearly two to one, though there’s been an uptick for the GOP, according to campaign filings. Lois Capps, the democratic six-term…
Nacimiento celebration canceled
Originally planning a hoopla with a potential price tag as high as $50,000, project commissioners decided to nix the entire celebration, according to commission chair David Brooks, who said commissioners decided the expense was too great. “Any money spent was too expensive,” Brooks told New Times. At the Aug. 26 Nacimiento Project Commission meeting, commissioners…
SLO anti-fee initiative fails to pass muster
A charter fee initiative that had 5,537 supporting signatures failed the signature verification process and was rejected by the San Luis Obispo city clerk. The initiative didn’t receive the minimum number of valid signatures to qualify for the ballot, according to a press release. The City Clerk’s Office took a sample of 500 of the…
Stabbing victim reneges on ID
The District Attorney Office’s key witness in a San Luis Obispo attempted murder trial upset the case on the first day of testimony. After riding high at the office’s expense, he recanted his story and had to be treated as a hostile witness. Chad Allen Robinson, 19, a transient originally from Texas, testified before a…
Politics pie
I don’t “get” face piercings. OK, sure, some little speck of a thing in a woman’s nose is fine, but eyebrows and lips? What the hell is that all about? I tell you, the kids these days! Geesh! But then every once in a while, these little ruffians surprise you, like they are right now…
Small-town Bryson?
“America claims to be proud of being a classless society,” London author Nick Leonard writes in his book Roller Skaters and Wine Makers. “However, I’ve found at least one class that stands out from the rest.” Leonard is referring, here, to trailer trash, the “whipping boy for the rest of the nation.” Of course, if…
Breakfast with Wagner
On a crisp Saturday afternoon in New York City, the audience at the Metropolitan Opera is still. They’ve come to see the gods and giants of Wagner’s Das Rheingold sing, swim, and soar across the Met’s massive stage, bodies and disbelief suspended, anything suddenly possible. Intricate full-body harnesses are made imperceptible by clever costuming. But…
Class outside, anyone?
On Mondays and Wednesdays, students of the Outside Now Academy are charged with a purpose with real-world application. Working with the Land Conservancy, the nine students, ages 13 to 19, are restoring a mile and a half of steelhead trout habitat in the San Luis Creek. “We let the kids come up with project ideas…
Nerds and zombies
I know, I know, I know. An election story squeezed into some immature geekery about zombies? It’s preposterous. How do these maniacal man and woman babies at New Times still have jobs when they’re pumping out this level of giggly pseudo journalism? Well, election stories are really boring. It’s not to say that they have…
Don’t forget these courts, too
Regarding your Sept. 2 commentary about tennis courts: One you missed is Los Osos Middle School courts (eight of them), which are available weekends and after 3 p.m. on weekdays. On Saturday mornings at 9 a.m., members of the Surfside Tennis Club meet to play four sets. We have tournaments and parties—a great way to…
Not all students are the same
Over the past five years in San Luis Obispo, I have come to realize and finally accept one sad fact: Quite a few of the “full time” residents in town don’t like college students. We’re loud, we drink, and we drive too fast. At first I was astonished at how belittled I was, but I…
Vote for Joe Cortez
We consider comparing candidates running for public office our civic duty. We compared the two sheriff candidates as follows: Candidate Parkinson: Promoted within the ranks over 26 years; has not held position of chief. No special certifications presented for consideration; no special educational completions. Spent almost entire life in the same community. A viable candidate;…
Vote for Joe Cortez
We consider comparing candidates running for public office our civic duty. We compared the two sheriff candidates as follows: Candidate Parkinson: Promoted within the ranks over 26 years; has not held position of chief. No special certifications presented for consideration; no special educational completions. Spent almost entire life in the same community. A viable candidate;…
Vote for Ian Parkinson
I will disclose my bias upfront: Ian Parkinson, who is running for sheriff on Nov. 2, is my younger brother. And I am very proud of him. Here’s why. Combine the frenetic pace of modern life, intense competition among media giants for a few precious seconds of public attention, and a collective attention span that…
Vote yes on Proposition 22
Come this Nov. 2, California voters have an opportunity to stop state politicians from raiding local taxpayer funds, funds that should be used for essential local services like emergency 911 services, police services, and fire services, as well as street and road improvements. That’s why I urge everyone to vote yes on Proposition 22—to protect…
Keep marijuana sales the way they are
There is currently a concerted effort to take marijuana out of the hands of organized crime and place it under tight government regulation, and it goes by the name of Proposition 19. When I was young and still experimenting with consciousness-altering substances, I remember nothing being so easily obtainable as a $20 bag of high-grade…
Short and sweet
Vote yes on Measure H if you love traffic congestion.
Tara Beecher, Pismo Beach recreation coordinator
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Clubs
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Harvest rocks in SLO
This year’s annual harvest celebration in South County offers much more than the excellent wines you’ll taste there. The SLO Vintners Association has added several new attractions. This celebration of the local grape harvest has always attracted hundreds of locals and wine aficionados visiting from across the country with its winemaker dinners, grand tasting, auctions,…
Talley 2008 Pinot Noir Arroyo Grande Valley
The Talley family is highly regarded for their dedication to quality, whether they’re selling vegetables or wines. That’s why I’m always eager to visit them when they’re ready to release their latest wines into the marketplace. I wasn’t disappointed in this delightful Pinot Noir, a blend of Pinot Noir grapes grown in their Rincon Vineyard,…
Lockwood 2009 Sauvignon Blanc Monterey
This delicious, crisp white is well balanced with aromas and flavors of pink grapefruit, grass, lime, and lemon, nicely rounded by lush melon notes. It’s a great choice for spicy Asian seafood dishes and Mexican dishes like pork chile verde. It’s also quite lovely as an aperitif. Available at the Shell Beach Market alongside Hwy.…
The old switcheroo
Not since Stryper has a Christian rock act managed to enjoy mainstream crossover success like Switchfoot, which thankfully isn’t a glam metal act with a penchant for black-and-yellow striped Spandex and fluffed rock mullets. Nope, Switchfoot seems positively normal compared to its “fabulous” forebears. On Friday, Oct. 29, Avila Beach Resort hosts Switchfoot and The…
