Cover Story
For better for worse
Open publication – Free publishing – More de vaul
Shame!
Lately, I’ve noticed an alarming trend in San Luis Obispo. I’m not referring to Poly Dollies giggling their way downtown wearing short shorts emblazoned with lovely words like “juicy” or “Cal Poly” or “desperate” on the ass. Although, really, let’s be honest, Poly Dollies: The men (or women, I’m all for thinking outside the box)…
Bigger than Jesus?
When Otter Productions, Inc. big cheese Bruce Howard writes to tell me one of his shows offers “something very special for our market,” I know he’s not fooling around. And sure enough, Tiësto is a very big deal. The producer-DJ commands crowds of up to 250,000 on Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro, and he…
Don’t cross the (narrative) streams
It’s Wednesday, Sept. 21, which might not mean much to most people, but to New Times Managing Editor Ashley Schwellenbach, it’s Bill Murray’s 61st birthday, the best damn day forever. Schwellenbach likes to celebrate with formal wear and a mad dash into the sea at sunset. “It’s purposeless and whimsical,” she says, “and I think…
The last Last Friday, ever
Last Friday, that alternative art walk happening on the last Fridays of some months sometimes, is reaching the end of the end. Last Friday started back in March of this year as a small but kick-ass art happening, and picked up speed over the course of the spring and summer. On Friday, Sept. 29, the…
This is the song that never ends
Atsuo remains something of a mythical figure for me. Our interview happens entirely in writing. My questions are translated into Japanese, his answers into English, producing some innovative sentence structure on both sides of the conversation. I can’t help but think about the linguistic and cultural chasm the entire communiqué has had to leap across,…
Clubs
Goin’ South … BRANCH ST. DELI: 203 East Branch St., Arroyo Grande, 489-9099. Live music Fri. from 5:30-8:30 p.m. THE CLIFFS RESORT: 2757 Shell Beach Road, 773-5000 or cliffsresort.com. F. MCLINTOCKS SALOON: Two locations: 750 Mattie Road in Pismo Beach and 133 Bridge St. in Arroyo Grande. 773-1892 or mclintocks.com. Live music at the Pismo…
Bites
Sept. 29, the date of this issue’s publishing, marks a “From Julia’s Kitchen” class at Central Coast Culinary and Catering. At this point, it’s probably too late for you to head over there to enjoy the gratine of sautéed scallops Provencale, the beouf Bourguignon with baby glazed onions and sautéed mushrooms, the “incredible” potato truffade…
Taz 2008 Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County
This is a lighter style than most California Pinot lovers like, but very well done. It offers aromas and flavors of bright red cherries and strawberries with nuances of tangy blackberries, citrus, and spice, finished with a light touch of vanilla oak. Well balanced and easy sipping, it’s an excellent aperitif. But like all wines,…
Storm 2010 Sauvignon Blanc Santa Ynez Valley
Ernst Storm, a native of South Africa, has an excellent line of wines under his eponymous label. He’s also winemaker with Chuck Carlson at Curtis Winery. I loved Storm’s 2008 Pinot, and this classic white was equally impressive. It really captured me with its pink grapefruit, lime, and grassy aromas and flavors. It’s harmonious and…
Nature’s a mother!
It’s another cold year in California wine country, and that means much lighter crops hanging in the vineyards. Although last year was also a cold growing season, this year was much worse for many wineries, going beyond frost to a freeze last April. I read that Napa Valley grapegrowers held a press conference about this…
Unions need to modernize and evolve
Most unions confronting a government entity are the only union for that group of public servants. Hence, they have a monopoly (or want a monopoly by enlisting all of the employees). County government, on the other hand, is committed to purchasing goods and services from the lowest bidder to ensure no favoritism or wrongdoing. The…
Now they’ll have to pay
PG&E recipients of million-dollar bonuses, stock options, and other excessive executive compensations, over the years when funds were diverted, neglecting underground gas pipelines, now must help pay the costs of injury, death, and destruction. Republican and Tea Party leaders, those wanting to mix church and state, those wanting to privatize Social Security, as well as…
Turn. Out. Those. Lights.
Just visited Santa Maria for the first time tonight. My God, what happened there? The whole city looks like a hospital ward in a horror film after dark. Whatever you’re trying to save with the Alien Microwave Orange —the environment, money, whatever—it isn’t worth it. It makes Newark, N.J., seem downright homey by comparison. So…
We want a voice in nuclear storage
Whether you believe Diablo Canyon should be relicensed, or that evacuation plans are workable, or that the spent fuel in pools and casks is safe, one fact remains: Thousands of tons of high-level radioactive waste have accumulated on our Central Coast, and more will pile up during the remaining license and possible relicensing period. The…
Quit studying and stop the ‘recreation’
I live on Nipomo Mesa. Like many other mesa residents, I have terrible lung congestion. Vehicles on Oceano Beach and Dunes disrupt the crust, releasing tiny (10 microns) particles, which are blown eastward. Rather than the Air Pollution Control District studying this for another four years, stop the dune “vehicle recreation” right now.
Americans need jobs
I know that many of us, unfortunately, have a son, daughter, other family member, friend, or neighbor who is out of work or under employed for the last three years. It is a difficult time for many of us. The recession has directly affected all of us. It is time to put America back to…
Can we continue to afford Jim App and the City Council?
Paso Robles City Manager Jim App/City Council know best how to spend our money and wait until it is a “crisis” to spend it. In the past, I have toured the Paso Robles Wastewater Treatment Plant a time or two each year to visit city employees and view first-hand the concerns they have expressed to…
Dump the trash bashing
I cannot believe that the Tribune is once again bashing the recently revised SLO Trash Can Ordinance. It is amazing to me how this is considered newsworthy, particularly for the front page. Of all the problems that SLO neighborhoods are experiencing, they have chosen this as an important issue? How about doing some real investigative…
Where have all the good men (journalists) gone?
Kathy Johnston wrote an article in the Sept. 22 New Times on harvesting seeds from the camelina sativa plant for diesel or jet fuel, describing the exciting prospect of cultivating it here (“Harvesting jet fuel”). Our terrain is compatible with growing this plant where non-irrigated dry-farmed wheat and safflower crops are currently harvested. Above this…
Teach your children about money
Teens today are often accused of being entitled, materialistic, and impulsive—most of them spend money as though it grows on trees—but I think they’ve gotten a bad rap. They’ve been taught to spend. Since their days in a snuggly, they’ve watched adults buy ice cream, shoes, movie tickets, cell phones—endless purchases. Every magazine, billboard, and…
Stuart Stock
NEW TIMES How long have you been playing drums? STOCK For nine years now. I started because one of my neighbors had a drum set. I played it once and was instantly hooked. It took me two years to convince my parents to buy me my first set. NEW TIMES What band were you…
From ashes, a sandwich is reborn
In March 2010, an unknown arsonist attacked a restaurant on Foothill Boulevard, leaving Cabo San Luis a hollow frame of smoldering embers. Smoke and flames spread to nearby businesses, causing extensive damage and the long-term closure of Kona’s Deli. “It was devastating,” said the deli’s owner, Paula Boggs. “The only thing that survived was a…
Cougars and Mustangs
Why else would the college offer Student Success workshops available to all students each semester? On Oct. 4, come to N2802 on the North County Campus from noon to 1 p.m. to listen in on “Beyond Google—Impressing Your Teacher and Getting That A!” And as much as people say “Cs get degrees,” they secretly all…
Fair share?
Chevron just wants its fair share. And according to the oil and gas conglomerate, that amounts to the city of San Luis Obispo forking over $11.1 million. The company wants SLO to help pay for millions of dollars of infrastructure it wants to build in and around its Tank Farm property south of the city.…
Who’s your daddy?
One of these four things led the California Valley Community Services District to hold a special meeting for SunPower on Aug. 23: • SunPower offered to pay the directors’ usual fee, but the CSD turned down the company. • CSD officials discussed having SunPower pay for their special meeting, but took no action. • The…
Business hours are over, baby
In a move that has confused faculty members and some students, the Cal Poly Orfalea College of Business is preparing to eliminate its international business concentration for students. On Sept. 6, Dean Dave Christy informed faculty in an e-mail that he will ask school officials to tell first- and second-year students that the concentration is…
What does true love feel like?
Connor Ruppert student “Riding a unicorn across a rainbow.” Silvio Aeb designer “Elizabeth.” Charlene Williams office assistant “Sticking with them through thick and thin.” Betty and Bob Odello travelers “Forty years together.”
County stands by ag
In the middle of a financial “pain plan,” San Luis Obispo County supervisors remained committed to preserving local Williamson Act contracts despite the drain they pose. Under the Williamson Act, property owners who keep their land dedicated to agriculture production are allowed tax breaks from the county. Historically, the state has provided subventions to offset…
Can you hear us now?
Obviously frustrated with what county officials and Templeton residents hinted was corporate thuggery by Verizon, San Luis Obispo County supervisors tentatively denied an application by the mobile phone company to build a new tower. Verizon’s application to build cell towers and corresponding ground equipment in a residential area of Templeton was denied by the county…
Attorney General looks into judges’ benefits
The California Attorney General will rule on the legality of judges voting for benefits for themselves using state court funds without approval from the Legislature. On May 18, Victoria Hensely, director of the Commission on Judicial Performance, sent a confidential letter to Attorney General Kamala Harris raising questions about whether the state’s judges have improperly…
SLO delays charging for Sunday parking
The city of San Luis Obispo delayed plans to charge for Sunday parking due to the time and cost of replacing signs. City staffers underestimated the time it would take and the costs involved for re-signing the downtown area. City officials planned to start charging for Sunday parking in October, but now plan to wait…
Grover Beach courthouse to close
In an attempt to cover a more than $1 million shortfall in this year’s operating budget, the San Luis Obispo Superior Court plans to close its Grover Beach location. Beginning Jan. 3, 2012, the courthouse at 214 South 16th St. in Grover Beach will close indefinitely, though court officials say they’ll aggressively seek to restore…
