Cover Story
Hard money
Told in a grandfatherly voice, the radio spots that Paso Robles’ 21st Century Mortgage Co. used to prospect for new investors for area construction projects were folksy yet enticing, and they ended with this clincher: “Your investment is secured by California real estate. And you know how valuable that is.” These days, those words catch…
Letters
Pursue knowledge instead of money The most tragic aspect of educational goals all over, not just the United States, is the emphasis, as exemplified in the story “What is it good for?” (Sept. 13). Is there any resident of this planet Earth, excluding the ones who have been guaranteed a living, who does not have…
Smoke it if ya got it
There’s more live music this week than I can shake a stick at. I know. I’ve been shaking a stick for, like, six days, nine hours, and 20 minutes. My arm’s about to fall off and there’s still some concerts that’ve not had a stick shaken at them. Shake, shake groan, wheeze, sigh. # Okay,…
The students have been welcomed
Students seeking late-night social activities crowded neighborhoods close to the Cal Poly campus the weekend before classes started as they searched the streets for back-to-school celebrations. On Friday and Saturday nights, San Luis Obispo and university police officers issued a combined 44 alcohol citations and 23 traffic-related citations and made 19 arrests, one of which…
Coastal protection is on the hook
In the ocean waters off the coast of Cambria, a mottled pinkish # creature known as a copper rockfish darts into the undulating kelp forest, unaware of a life-changing event happening on Sept. 21. That’s the date when the Central Coast over the strenuous objections of local fishermen becomes the first area in California to…
The way to gourmet
# I first heard about Gourmet Grub from its owner/chef, Clare McFarlin, who e-mailed a request asking me to review her cafe in Morro Bay. I grinned over her brazen invitation. Few chefs are ballsy enough to ask to be reviewed. But it was the winter holiday season and my calendar was overbooked. Nine months…
Shop till you drop
Shhh. Did you hear that? It’s the sound of Tom Comar rolling over in his grave. He’s not dead mind you as far as I know but his dream of a Wal-Mart-free Atascadero may soon be. The Oppose Wal-Mart spokesperson who ominously intoned “If Wal-Mart comes to Atascadero, it will change the character of our…
Grover Beach ends battle with Diamond Adult World
South County shoppers will continue to have adult options for their browsing, and it looks like those options will be around indefinitely. On Sept. 17, the Grover Beach City Council voted to end its legal battle against Diamond Adult World and later decided not to appeal the issue to the U.S. Supreme Court, even though…
Fast facts
The Mee Urgent Care facility in Paso Robles has moved and will reopen its doors on Sept. 24 at the new Mee Medical Pavilion at 416 Spring St. The facility sees patients on a walk-in basis and provides non-emergency care with extended weekday hours and weekends. For more info, call 239-1555. Pick up a slice…
Just looking and taking
The thief came to the creekside entrance of Mission Mall, located in the 700 block of Higuera Street, then cut through the metal gate before proceeding to Just Looking Gallery at the opposite end. At 3:18 a.m. on Sept. 14, an unknown art enthusiast broke one of the gallery’s large window and stole a single…
Temporary restraining order issued against SLO councilman
A superior court judge has granted SLO City Councilman Paul Brown’s wife a temporary restraining order against him, barring Brown from coming within 50 yards of Jayne Brown or her home, job, or vehicle. Her request for the order came less than a week after Paul Brown filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. In the…
Life along the creek
It was an early weekend afternoon when my roommate and I came across the semi-sophisticated but well-occupied homeless # camp just off of the Los Osos Valley Road Highway 101 offramp. The picturesque location and easy access to outdoor amenities made us wonder why we even considered paying more than $1,000 a month in rent.…
Culture shock and the American Dream
According to Jeff VanKleeck, gallery coordinator at the Cal Poly # University Art Gallery, when you look at Bill Owens’ “Suburbia” photos, you can’t help but laugh but you’re laughing at yourself. The iconic images present a materialistic suburban world of disposable income and nuclear families scenes of Fourth of July parades and block parties…
Experience the Tropics
Andreas Blomst has seen big changes in the tropical fish business over the last decade, from how fish and live rock are collected, to what enthusiasts are looking for. With his new aquarium shop, Tropics, Blomst hopes to help distinct populations interested in fresh and saltwater aquariums. # “I cater to two ends of the…
Downtown SLO’s tall building rules adopted
New city rules allowing 75-foot tall buildings in downtown San Luis Obispo will go into effect Oct. 18, following approval by a City Council majority on Sept. 18. Councilmember Christine Mulholland was the lone “no” vote, based upon her assertion that the majority of city residents don’t want taller buildings downtown. The council’s action approves…
I’m voting no
I live in Los Osos, in the dark and dangerous Prohibition Zone, land of cease-and-desist orders, maligned septic tanks, and community division a zone that cuts through our lives, determining who will pay and who will not for a wastewater solution, who can and who cannot. Recently, I received my Proposition 218 ballot asking me…
Ernie Dalidio seeks answers
The Dalidio Family Trust has launched a public advertising campaign, urging locals to “get the facts” on a civil lawsuit filed on Aug. 31. The lawsuit alleges wrongdoing on the part of the San Luis Obispo Downtown Association, Responsible County Development LLC, and as many as 500 unknown individuals during both the Measure J era…
Five Cities sees major drug bust
On Sept. 6, the San Luis Obispo County Narcotics Task Force teamed up with more than 200 local, state, and federal law enforcement officers and executed state search warrants in 18 locations. The raids, which were mainly conducted in the Five Cities area, resulted in the seizure of massive amounts of illegal drugs, stolen property,…
