COURTESY PHOTOS
2009 continued from page 16
applications for one, feared the potential • December • wells—not four, as originally planned. for crime. he SLO City Council made it official The governor cut $85 million in AIDS PG&E started and began phase one of a citywide prevention and testing programs. gearing up a ballot smoking ban. And the city council tried School administrators said they had no initiative that to figure out what do with Laguna further options to save money, but in the would allow them to Lake, which is slowly filling with largest districts in the county, athletic continue a monopoly sediment and turning into a swamp. programs were generally spared the on local power. SLO City Manager Ken Hampian cuts sustained by academic programs. Dan DeVaul bailed and the city hired Katie Lichtig Homelessness in SLO County spiked started his criminal from Beverly Hills to replace him. by nearly 60 percent between 2005 and trial. The Oceano CSD’s finances fell apart 2009. In 2008, nearly 1,000 students in Sheriff’s deputy under scrutiny. Suspicions peaked that county public schools had no homes. James Martin someone or several people were stealing Tony Perry stepped down from his Lesperance was public funds. post as executive director of the Deputy arrested in Arroyo Luther Akers and Bernd Schaefers Sheriff’s Association, but not from his Grande for DUI and were charged for various hazardous role as sergeant. pleaded no contest. waste and land-use violations at an Air On Aug. 19, the entire town of Los Osos Though not part Force base near Cambria. PHOTO BY STEVE E. MILLER of his trial, police SLO County family-law judge E. Jeffrey were looking for Burke was asked to decide whether a Lesperance because girl’s foot would be amputated or her leg he was allegedly lengthened. He sidestepped the tough decision. driving a car Cal Poly President Warren Baker suspected in separate called it quits after three decades. assault charges Supervisor Jim Patterson axed his against Allen planning commissioner, Sarah Christie, SOLVING THE PUZZLE Was Joshua Houlgate really Lee Shewmaker because of years of political pressure and murdered because of a love triangle and were more than two and Aaron Dee in particular her stance on proposed solar criminals involved? Houlgate, pictured top, and his convicted Shewmaker. projects in the Carissa Plain. murders: Patrick Wollett, lower left, and Chad Westbrook. DeVaul got off on Arroyo Grande City Councilman most of the criminal Edward Arnold, Jr. was arrested for against its bars. City officials began to charges. allegedly hitting a 28-year-old woman in County supervisors rejected all appeals scrutinize bar operations under the worry the head with an unknown object. that alcohol abuse is becoming a growing over the Los Osos sewer project. Crap! SLO prepared to pay Jeff Milne (or problem and causing most police calls Joshua Houlgate’s family, friends, downtown. PHOTO BY STEVE E. MILLER and even police believed more than two The U.S. people were involved in his murder. Department of In fact, convicted murderer Patrick Justice stopped Wollett’s sentencing was delayed cracking down on because Houlgate’s family intervened. medical marijuana Wollett’s attorney Greg Jacobson had dispensaries. The represented another person believed by announcement many to be complicit in the murder, who was probably had ties to the sole eyewitness, Sarah too late to save Lonsinger-Rey. Charles Lynch. PG&E asked the state public utilities GERRY WHO? District Attorney Gerry A juror in commission whether they could charge Shea is unusually shy of publicity for someDan DeVaul’s ratepayers to defray company liabilities one in such a high-profile a job. criminal trial resulting from wildfires. had a change of heart and gave his was “quarantined” by state officials after • October • attorney, Jeffrey five of the ecologically dangerous apple urns out the two workers killed while Stulberg, moths were discovered at a residence. BLECH! Smokers start running out of places to light up. SLO city working on the Nacimiento pipeline ammunition to officials ban smoking in all public parks and recreational areas in wouldn’t have been there except that the ask for a new phase one of a potential citywide smoking prohibition. project was rerouted to avoid a water fountain. trial. That failed, • September • SLO County won’t pay for cremation but the juror later arget’s heading to SLO. City Council when no one else steps up, so they Babbo) $195,000 after police mistook bailed out DeVaul. members unanimously accepted track down and charge long lost family him for a burglar in his own home and If not for a freak rainstorm, Lake Target’s proposal for a store on Los Osos members. One family found out the hard arrested him for resisting arrest. Nacimiento was almost sucked dry as Valley Road, raising resident worries the way when the county stuck them with Revered former journalist, county Monterey County let out water into the already congested thoroughfare would the bill. aide, and environmental activist Anne Salinas River to recharge groundwater. suffer more jams. Food expert Michael Pollan, invited McMahon died after a seven-month Atascadero leaders decided to ban as a guest lecturer, got between Cal battle with cancer. medical pot dispensaries. They were Poly and its pocket book when Harris The SLO County Animal Shelter • November • the last city in the county to allow Ranch Beef Company Chairman rescued 27 cats from a home in irst Solar bought Ausra’s Carrizo dispensaries and, despite having no David E. Wood threatened to pull a Atascadero, then considered euthanizing Energy Solar Farm. $500,000 donation all of them by Christmas. ∆ Ernie Dalidio won his court battle PHOTO BY STEVE E. MILLER if he appeared and got ready to build his long-delayed PHOTO BY STEVE E. MILLER unchallenged. project in SLO. President Warren SLO City officials considered banning Baker changed smoking in public. the lecture format The Chinatown project was approved. at the last minute SLO City officials tried to figure and threw in ranch out what to do after Bonnie McKee industry speakers in died. In addition to designing rebuttal. and maintaining the electronic PG&E fought a bill that would allow people infrastructure of the city, McKee supplied computer software for most of to profit from excess the cities in SLO County. And almost power they produce no one knows how she did what she did. with their own solar Dan DeVaul turned down probation panels, all the while saying they encouraged and was sent to jail. solar power. PG&E jumped the gun by eight years WOLF OR DOG? Hybrid-pet owners The City of SLO and requested a new 20-year license for PROHIBITION? SLO city officials start looking at bars as the worried the state might confiscate their started to turn source of violence and vandalism downtown. Diablo Canyon. animals.
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