Welcome to the Slo Coast Journal. Published online monthly, the Journal is here to bring you information specific to our part of California's Central Coast.
"The notion of a free press, of an institution that monitors those in power and those who wish to be in power, that ferrets out truth from lies, that draws public attention to the pressing issues of our times, is a cornerstone of a liberal democratic theory."
Robert McChesney in the Political Economy of the Media
Butterfly Bingo Party!
Photo by Mike Baird
Tuesday, February 1
Bingo begins at 6pm
We've gone posh! This year we are holding our Butterfly Bingo Party at The Cliffs in Pismo Beach. Tickets are $30 and include 10 games with three cards per game, appetizers, and the chance at some awesome raffle prizes. We expect to sell out the ballroom, so get your tickets early—you don't want to miss this fun event.
For more information call
805.772.2694 x 102
New Retirement Formula for MB Firefighters
The City of Morro Bay and the Morro Bay Firefighters Association have agreed to a Second Tier Retirement Formula benefit for all newly hired, full-time safety employees in regular classification. The new plan offers 3% at 55 Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) retirement formula with the final compensation based on the average of the highest paid 36 consecurive months. This is a significant change from the 3% at 50, single highest year formula that applies to all current Morro Bay full time firefighters.
Photo by Carol DiNolfo
Great Shots?
Are you a local photographer with images of the Central Coast you'd like to share with our readers? The Great Shots team is always looking for photographs a cut above the rest. Join the Flickr group Slo Coast Journal Photos and submit your favorites.
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Morro Bay Joins Growing Movement to Ward Off Health Risks
from PG&E Smart Meters
The Morro Bay City Council has adopted a resolution asking for a six-month moratorium on the installation of PG&E Smart Meters at homes and businesses in the community because the state Public Utilities Commission "did not consider possible health impacts" from the meters. Read More
Morro Bay Planning Commission Rejects Proposed New Sewage Plant
Plans for a $34 million new wastewater treatment plant to be built jointly by Morro Bay and Cayucos were opposed by the Morro Bay city Planning Commission, primarily over what the Commission found to be faulty design, location and technology, and recommended the City Council do the same.
Marking a major milestone in the six-year development of a new wastewater treatment plant for Morro Bay and Cayucos, the Morro Bay City Planning Commission has rejected the design, location, and technology of the proposed $34 million project and called for a search for alternative sites before any further decisions on a new plant are made by the City Council, which is scheduled to act on those recommendations on January 11. Read More
California Special Districts and Local Area Formation Commissions
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Government Agencies Outside the Law?
Those who believe that their rights are protected by State and local laws and by government agencies that enforce them may be surprised to learn that is not always the case Two specific California government entities, special districts and Local Agency Formation Commissions, operate with far fewer legal restrictions than counties and cities. Citizens who have disagreed with the decisions and policies of these agencies have found that they had very limited recourse. Read More
The Returning Reign of Ugly Politics - Yates 4.0
Bill Yates is seeking a new nice-guy image as Morro Bay's mayor, but YouTube videos besmirching former City Council members Winholtz and DeMerritt show his supporters don't buy it. The supposed reincarnation of Bill Yates as a new "nice guy" mayor of Morro Bay was unveiled with Yates' appearance on the Dave Congalton radio show December 2. Calling himself a former "journalist" after writing an opinion column about the waterfront for the defunct weekly Sun Bulletin years ago, Yates said the most important things in dealing with citizens are "patience and calmness." Read More
How does Does Your Garden Grow?
Wastewater treatment plants nationwide produce compost from sewage sludge and make it available as a soil amendment at no cost to the public. An aggressive public relations campaign sponsored by the sewage treatment industry has convinced most consumers that the material is safe. However, researchers have found that compost made from sewage sludge can contain numerous dangerous contaminants, including tens of thousands of unregulated chemicals. Government-required testing does not cover these contaminants, which end up in our food and in the environment.
How does your garden grow? If you are using compost made from sewage sludge (alias, biosolids) from the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), the answer to question in the old rhyme might be, "With viruses and endocrine disruptors and pharmaceuticals and heavy metals and hormones all in a row"—something that would surprise many local gardeners. Critical facts about the content of "compost" produced from sewage sludge/biosolids are not widely known. Read More
Morro Bay Power Plant Being Sold . . . Again
The owner of the Morro Bay Power Plant, Dynegy, has reached agreement again to sell the company and its numerous power plants in the wake of a previous sale falling through at the last minute. Dynegy has until January 24 to solicit better purchase proposals before the latest deal closes.
The buyer is Icahn Enterprises, which has no history in the power-generation field and, financial analysts have commented, is likely to sell off Dynegy's individual assets, including the Morro Bay plant.
Icahn is a master limited partnership based in Delaware, a diversified holding company engaged in the investment management, automotive, railcar, food packaging, metals, real estate, and home fashion fields. It announced its purchase of Dynegy on December 15. Read More
Thank You, Betty Winholtz
Even in my term on the Promotions Committee, with far far less responsibility than yours, I came to realize the enormous burden of having to read, review, and comprehend extraordinary amounts of information on which so many public decisions depend. I can appreciate the work that must go into that on a citywide level. Read More
Remembering 20 Years in Morro Bay City Government
I "escaped" to Morro Bay from Los Angeles on January 1, 1989. I didn't know a soul, but this beautiful community was where I wanted to live. To meet people and become involved, I applied and was appointed to a city advisory board, then the Planning Commission, election to City Council, and ultimately, Mayor. Read More
Update on Morro Bay High School Solar Project as reported in last month's issue:MBHS solar project appeal before the City Council on January 11th, sharing the agenda with the WWTP EIR. Also, the three Los Osos solar carport project's are going before the CCC on the 14th in Long Beach. One (the Baywood Elementary project) has reached the level for CCC staff to recommend Substantial Issue.
From Bishop Peak to the Coast
We live in such a beautiful place! What better month to celebrate our love of the Central Coast than January?
