Cover Story
Who is the D.A.?
An inconspicuous, brown wooden door at a far corner on the second floor of the San Luis Obispo County Library opens to the Local History Room, where one can find a wealth of reference material about the county origins, from books about its early settlements to old censuses. Inside a maroon metal file cabinet at…
What federal law or policy would you change?
Aaron Harvey firefighter “Health care should be public as it is in Canada. I wouldn’t mind spending more in taxes to accomplish that.” Jamie Marcks banker “It’s unfair that people don’t have health care. Everyone should have affordable health care.” Colleen Nunan college student “We need more public transportation—trains, buses—and it needs to be reliable.”…
Living in the shadow of the machine
“I love America.” Lutalo said this with conviction as he sat wearily in the corner of a noisy coffee shop in Los Osos. A neatly dressed man with graying temples, Lutalo was there to meet with a reporter and tell the story of his American experience. Lutalo’s greatest fear is that the U.S. government will…
The next big thing
Most land-use policies in SLO County have evolved to stop projects like San Miguel Ranch. With 21 unavoidable environmental impacts and county planners recommending the project for denial, it begs the question: How does a project so clearly weighed down with complications get so far in the application process? County planning commissioners will begin public…
Locals engage in a healthy debate
Unless you’ve had your head under a rock recently, it’s hard to miss the debate going on in this country over health-care reform. Depending on where you stand, H.R. 3200—America’s Affordable Health Choices Act—is either the first step on the road to the horrors of socialism or the wonder-drug cure-all for a broken system. That…
Atascadero leaders are suddenly concerned about medical pot
Without any obvious impetus, Atascadero officials will soon decide whether they’ll disallow medical marijuana dispensaries in the city. On Sept. 8, city council members will vote on whether to place a temporary moratorium on medical marijuana facilities. It’s on the agenda as an “urgency ordinance,” but at a cursory glance there’s no apparent source of…
Get ready for another megastore: Target is on the way
Target is heading to San Luis Obispo. And that’s not all: The massive retailer will undoubtedly bring more traffic to Los Osos Valley Road, a stretch already dominated by Costco and other warehouse stores. The San Luis Obispo City Council voted unanimously Sept. 1 to accept the development’s favorable environmental impact report and rezone the…
New halfpipes are coming: on pace for bureaucracy, too slow for skaters
The city of SLO still won’t commit general fund dollars to building a new skate park, but the project is slowly moving from concept to reality. On Sept. 1, city council members approved a contract to design the park that has, until recently, been more of a halfpipe pipe dream. RRM Design Group—the same company…
Growing green
There is no denying that visitors to the San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden are treated to abundant Mediterranean eye candy. Apart from breathtaking visuals, however, the garden educates visitors about sustainability. The garden has focused exclusively on displaying plants from the five Mediterranean climate zones since it was incorporated in 1991. These climate zones…
Little moth is no big thing
On August 25, the California Senate Food and Agriculture Committee, chaired by Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez, held a hearing regarding the Light Brown Apple Moth, more commonly known as LBAM. A panel of eminent scientists and consumer advocacy groups provided testimony that encapsulated many of the concerns experts and citizens have regarding attempts by…
Dominic Sheehy
New Times: How do you categorize the Ultimate Frisbee at Cal Poly? Is the organization a sports club? Sheehy: We are a social team and a club. New Times: Who are some of the main teams you play during the year? Any rivals? Sheehy: Our rivals have been UC Irvine, UCLA, and UC Santa Barbara…
Masters of the obvious
So where was I? Oh, yeah: the Nacimiento Pipeline. Last week, I pointed out the near-boilerplate worker-death press release Teichert Construction issued after the latest fatal accident at the project. This week, I’m turning my gaze to our illustrious SLO County Sheriff’s Department, which is doing a wonderful job of keeping the public in the…
Follow the money
The race for fourth district supervisor in San Luis Obispo County has my attention. Turns out candidate Michael Zimmerman recently accepted a $10,000 campaign donation from H. D. Perrett, who in 2008 attempted to move 5,000 acres of land from San Luis Obispo County to Santa Barbara County. Perrett twice tried to get Santa Barbara…
Disappointed by Cuesta cuts
As a retired senior citizen, when I went back to school several years ago, I didn’t go to get a better job or find a career. I went to learn. I have to say my time at Cuesta College has been time well spent. Without exception, it has been my distinct pleasure to meet and…
Profit is the problem
The United States must take its place in the world as a protector and defender of its citizens. It is embarrassing that we have people dying and sick when insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies are making huge amounts of money for some of their executives and shareholders. There are plenty of funds available, if…
Fastest reels in town
Thanks to my wife, who knows what an enormous fan of Brian Wilson’s vocal harmonies I am, I was turned on to Glen Starkey’s article (“The reel deal,” Aug. 27). I am so grateful she thought of me when she saw the cover of New Times, as now I have heard the mixing results of…
Remove the government from health care
As a member of AARP, I oppose any government involvement in health care. I have no confidence in my elected officials in Washington, D.C., since their current and past actions of mismanagement for Medicare, Social Security, and bail-out plans for undeserving companies speak volumes. The average American has no voice in government any longer since…
Public health insurance is imperative
For 60 years Americans of average means have been waiting for health-care reform. Our representatives and senators have wonderful coverage. We need to stop shouting at each other, as this is an old divide-and-conquer trick of the elite. People who have inadequate insurance or no insurance cost everyone else through higher rates on policies. Do…
Get wise
Health-care reform? We don’t need no stinkin’ evidence-based, patient-centered, bankruptcy-free, digitally recorded, cost-saving, rationally financed, world-class, prevention-focused, nationally strategic, fiscally conservative, morally founded, universal community-based health care plan! Greed is our god. The political/health careless industry cabal is corrupt, and we Americans are dumb as rocks. And that’s just the way they want it.
Wrong priorities
So let me get this straight: Let’s lay off teachers and cut back on fire departments, police departments, hospitals, and Cal Trans while giving the legislature another raise, so the legislature will say yes to freeing a bunch of criminals, most of whom will re-offend. Oh yeah, and then increase the wage tax on state…
Respect language
Everywhere we are inundated with the written word: store signs, menus, headlines, captions, street signs. One would think most writers of the aforementioned would have attended elementary school. However, by the looks of things, perhaps they did not. Check out the sign on Highway 1 directing traffic to the state prison facility: California Mens Colony.…
Bad paint
Does anyone care anymore? I purchased a $15 can of primer from a chain store to paint my daughter’s bedroom. Once we began applying the primer we immediately noted an overwhelming odor. Without delay we put on masks and began ventilating the room. We allowed the primer to dry for several hours before adding two…
Commend the volunteers
I would like to thank Kathy Johnston and New Times for her wonderful article about school gardens (“Real-world learning,” Aug. 13). Although by chance I happened to represent the Pacheco garden for the article, I’d like your readers to know that I am only one member of a hard-working team that has worked year-round for…
End racism
In high-school biology class, we all learned about melanin. Melanin, derived from the amino acid tyrosine, determines skin color. Some of us just happen to have more than others. That stated, if melanin is just the byproduct of an amino acid, why then is skin color still an issue in this country? There should be…
Wild Horse 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles
This tasty red opens with toasty, smoky notes that complement the rich blackberry, plum, leather, and spice aromas. It’s not complex but interesting, and it opens up rather quickly, providing an easy drinking, satisfying wine that’s delicious alone. It’s a good choice for hamburgers, flank steak in Asian sauce, and herbed pork or steak. A…
Margerum 2008 Sybarite Santa Ynez Valley
Winemaker and vintner Doug Margerum calls this delicious white wine his definitive Sauvignon Blanc because it’s a blend of the best vineyards that grow this classic variety. The grapes, from Vogelzang, Grassini, Purisima, and McGinley, all within the Santa Ynez Valley appellation, create a cuvée that offers classic aromas and flavors of grapefruit, lime, and…
Want seafood for lunch?
Early this year, when restaurateur Leonard Cohen opened his seafood house, Ciopinot, it was enthusiastically embraced by the community. The place was packed nightly despite the recession, which has certainly caused a decline in sales at some of the best restaurants around the county. Ciopinot’s popularity is exactly as Cohen predicted it would be before…
Artifacts 9-3
Art After Dark Friday, Sept. 4 from 6-9 p.m. Info: 786-4638 or programs@artsobispo.org apRoberts Arts: 570 Higuera #152 (SLO Creamery), 234-5061. Jimmy apRoberts and Brian Christopher work in a collaborative nature. Ongoing collaborations include Exquisite Corpse, Bike Paintings series, and Breadcrumbs. ARTS Space Obispo: 570 Higuera #165 (SLO Creamery), 544-9251. Portrait Painting Marathon continues. Watch…
Who is Robert Allen Zimmerman?
New Times What is your history with music? Fred Friedman I’ve hosted a show on KCBX for almost 30 years—“Jazz Liner Notes” on Thursdays from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. I play ’50s to contemporary jazz. New Times Is jazz your favorite genre of music? Friedman My two favorites are jazz and…
Self-medicate with theater
Welcome to a world in which the PTA is a network of drug pushers, childhood is a disorder, and everything is toxic. It’s called reality, and watching two hours of it, as presented in PCPA’s production of Distracted, playing through Sept. 26, is more stressful than writing out a to-do list while watching a car…
The bees and the bard
If there’s a lesson to be learned from playwright Charlotte Jones’ Humble Boy, it’s not to lean too heavily on Shakespeare. Though set in an English garden in a rural village, Humble Boy’s plot borrows liberally from Hamlet, and thematically from both Tom Stoppard and Alan Ayckbourn. Anet Carlin, who is directing a production of…
Pozo knows how to party
Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead reportedly called his bandmate Bob Weir “the greatest rhythm guitarist in the world.” Known for his dry, offbeat humor that comes through many of his songs, Weir follows his own road—and what a long, strange trip it’s been. A founding member of the Grateful Dead, Weir’s musical legacy…
