Cover Story
Coming home
A smell of burning sage hung in the dark on a brisk night at the Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard. At 3:30 a.m. the water was eerily calm, rippled only occasionally by small fish breaking the surface as they hunted even smaller prey. On the dock, four paddlers stood with about two dozen friends, family,…
Bring back manufacturing, focus on consumers, and more
After extensive exposure to both major political parties, I have chosen to be an Independent. One side is socialistic, which doesn’t work, and the other wants to control personal rights. Democracy doesn’t seem to work, either. We elect those who spend the most money, and they propose new programs and ways to fund them through…
Get involved; keep medical marijuana safe and available
New Times deserves credit and thanks for your years of coverage of local marijuana-related issues, particularly the actions taken by our Central Coast law enforcement agencies and their governing bodies. These rigidly repressive enforcement actions and policies, and the overall atmosphere generated by them, have especially victimized medical marijuana patients. People who are fully…
Keep marijuana away from Big Tobacco and Pharm
I am not a current resident of California, as I am on the road traveling through—though during my stay here I have become familiar with Proposition 19, which would allow anyone over the age of 21 (legal drinking age) to grow and possess a small amount of marijuana for personal use. To me, as long…
We’ve got a foam fan here
The article on the foam construction projects being promoted by Cal Poly architect Laura Joines is interesting stuff (“The house of next Tuesday,” Sept. 9). I was especially intrigued by the idea of being able to create non-linear shapes with computer interface. This frees up a lot of time if you want to produce structures…
Look at Congress when seeking to place blame
The letter published in your Sept. 9 paper, “This is how Republicans take responsibility,” plays the blame game for our present economic problems. As a registered Democrat for more than 45 years, I wish I could agree with him. I don’t! Congress makes the laws! The president signs the legislation into law only after it…
Want the left lane free? Pull over speeders!
It’s bad enough that we have an elite group using our highways that is above trivial things like speed limits; but now the road bullies want the cops to ticket people who don’t get out of their way fast enough? Gene Gisin’s opinion article about the left lane being for “passing only” (“Keep the left…
Bus drivers didn’t crash the economy
The guy mowing the grass at the park may not look like Public Enemy No. 1, but politicians and pundits, from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to the army of talking heads at Fox News, would like you to believe he’s a major threat to our future. After all, the parks department guy—along with your child’s kindergarten…
Rick Carr
NEW TIMES How did the Avocado and Margarita Festival get its start on the Central Coast? CARR The Chamber of Commerce wanted to find a way to celebrate the local avocado growers, since we have a huge amount of growers in this area. They created the Avocado and Margarita Festival as a way to thank…
Choose Italian or Cuban at Gennaro’s
I chuckled when I heard that the new Gennaro’s in SLO had opened with a menu that offered both Italian and Cuban cuisines; it seemed an odd concept. But there’s nothing funny or odd about this place. I loved the food during my three dining experiences. During lunch, I could hardly believe it when my…
Dog days
If you plan on camping with your girlfriend, her son, and four dogs, I urge you to reevaluate. Especially if you’re driving to Big Sur in a compact car borrowed from your mother. I know of what I speak. This past weekend, instead of going to some cool art event and bashing it, I embarked…
Plein Air Festival
The San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, formerly known as the San Luis Obispo Art Center, will present the 2010 Plein Air Festival from Sept. 27 to Oct. 3. Unfamiliar with the festival? Dozens of artists from across California—and even Minnesota and Arizona—will descend upon the county and paint its picturesque land and seascapes. So…
Laughs and lies
Santa Maria Civic Theatre opens its new season with not one, but two plays: The White Liars and The Black Comedy, a pair of one-acts by the Tony-winning Sir Peter Shaffer (Equus and Amadeus). While very different in tone, both plays deal with the deception and hypocrisy inherent in classism. Shaffer gives us drama in…
Skeletons in the outdoors
Two months before the opening reception for “Who do we think we are?” an enticing rumor was circulating in the local arts community: The respectable artists of Studios on the Park intended to discard their clothes and create nude self-portraits for the exhibit, which runs Sept. 16 through Oct. 17. A visit to Studios on…
Attack is imminent!
If you’re reading this on Thursday, Sept. 16, you’ve probably noticed 3,500 new squeaky-clean kids invading SLO Town, but they’re just the tip of the iceberg. I suspect this weekend thousands more will return, filling up apartment complexes and neighborhood rentals, parking their cars everywhere, driving their cars too fast and the wrong way down…
Be charmed
Delicate sterling silver chains studded with gems handpicked from the streets of India—the hallmarks of Renu Kewalramani’s one-of-a-kind pieces—have traveled great lengths to reach their destination in downtown SLO. Kewalramani has been making jewelry for more than 12 years, and in November 2007 was persuaded by Jack Hira, her brother and Charmz operations manager, to…
They’re baaaaaack!
Welcome back students. It’s so nice to see your smiling faces again … Is every parking spot filled? How is it that a Miata is taking up two handicap spots? Sorry about that. Where was I? Oh right. It’s been a long quiet summer, but I’m so glad to … Excuse me, can I get…
State Bar fight
When practicing attorney Kimm Daniels became the general manager of the San Luis Obispo County Employees Association in 2007, she let her law license lapse—she stopped paying California State Bar membership fees or attending continuing education courses that keep lawyers abreast of changes in the law. Normally, such a life change wouldn’t be a problem,…
Bedbugs invade?
At first, he didn’t know what they were. Two pinprick sized bites showed up on his arm one morning last spring. He didn’t think much of them, until another set of identical bites appeared on his stomach the next night. That was only the beginning. Soon, his body was covered with bites and welts that…
Correction
The state with a “keep right” law was misidentified in the Sept. 9 commentary, “Keep the left lanes on freeways for passing only.” The state should have been listed as Washington. ∆
Clarifications
• An image of the Octagon Barn appeared in the pecha kucha story, “Dig into the cultural Petri dish,” in New Times’ Sept. 2 issue. The image was painted by Ron Aszman and was used with his permission by the Land Conservancy. • The crew pictured in the Sept. 9 cover story, “Come on baby,…
SLO Police Department lands ABC grant
The San Luis Obispo Police Department is once again getting help from the state to combat underage drinking. The department received $35,429 from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) to fund special operations and education programs aimed at reinforcing alcohol laws for the 2010-2011 fiscal year. This year’s grant fell shy of the…
Environmental costs go up for SunPower
Over the last year and a half, the estimated cost of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for SunPower’s proposed solar project in California Valley has gone from $674,800 to $939,705. On Sept. 14, San Luis Obispo County supervisors approved the second amendment this year to the SunPower contract, adding another $145,405 to the estimated bill.…
NRC workshop turns into Diablo Canyon debate
Roughly 100 people attended a two-day workshop held by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) aimed at educating the public about earthquakes and tsunamis, and how nuclear power facilities are built to hold up against them. Though the event was supposed to be educational in nature and not address the relicensing issue, recent safety incidents at…
Anti-dispensary initiative qualifies in Morro Bay
Voters in Morro Bay will get the chance this November to decide whether medicinal marijuana dispensaries will be permitted within the city. Opponents of dispensaries gathered enough signatures to send Measure B-10 to the ballot. A vote for the measure would be a vote to ban dispensaries within city limits. According to City Clerk Bridgett…
Arroyo man crushed by motor home
A 65-year-old man died on Sept. 14 after the RV he was repairing rolled over him. According to an Arroyo Grande Police Department press release, police arrived at Puffy’s Automotive to find several people performing first aid measures and CPR on the victim, whose identity is being withheld. The man was rushed to Arroyo Grande…
Sunny Acres appeal rattles supes
When Dan De Vaul appealed a court order that would have evicted many of the 30 residents at his Sunny Acres sober living facility, evictions were effectively delayed until the appeal is decided. But on another front, San Luis Obispo County supervisors refused to hear De Vaul’s plea to avoid building permit fees for a…
Carson Starkey’s parents settle with fraternity member for $500,000
The parents of Carson Starkey have reached a settlement with a former Sigma Alpha Epsilon member convicted of misdemeanor hazing in connection with the death of their son. Haithem Ibrahim settled with the Starkeys for $500,000. On Sept. 21, 2009, Scott and Julia Starkey filed a wrongful death complaint against the national and local chapters…
SLO anti-fee initiative qualifies for ballot
Tired of ever-rising fees choking your standard of living? Worried about The Man picking your pocket? If you live in San Luis Obispo, your time may have come. Supporters of the User and Regulatory Fees Initiative, proposed by the San Luis Obispo Property Owners Association, have gathered and turned in approximately 5,595 signatures to the…
Do you speak a foreign language? If not, which would you most like to learn?
Jack Hira commercial property manager “I can speak the Indian languages of Hindi and Sindhi. I use them occasionally, but I wish I knew Spanish.” Daniel Case Greenpeace activist “I would like to learn the scientific language of Latin.” Sharon Bloom accountant technician “I think Greek would be a great language to learn because I…
Clubs
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Tangent 2009 Viognier Paragon Vineyard
This elegant wine offers aromas and flavors of honeydew melon, stone fruits, citrus, and spice, with floral and mineral notes. It’s elegant and much more restrained than many of its peers; winemaker Christian Roguenant describes it as “a rare cool-climate Viognier.” Farmed sustainably at Paragon Vineyard, it earned SIP certification. Roguenant recommends pairing it with…
Dry Creek 2009 Chenin Blanc Clarksburg Wilson Ranch
This variety is great paired with the intriguing, layered flavors in Asian foods. Grown in the Sacramento Delta, it was stainless steel fermented and received no oak aging. Beautifully balanced, it’s quite dry, yet fragrant, offering flavors of nectarines and citrus with floral and spice notes. It ends on a slightly sweet note of stone…
