TIMELINE

Equal parts disgusting and awesome, Bubble Gum Alley in downtown SLO is in the running to be named the “8th Wonder of the World” by the same outfit that apparently picked the Seven Wonders—VirtualTourist.com. The “ABC” experts at the Chamber of Commerce estimate there are 1.7 million pieces of “already been chewed” gum stuck to the walls of the 70-foot-long alleyway. Those interested in voting for Bubble Gum Alley should visit virtualtourist.com/8thwonder before September 30.

We shall protect the lives and property of the citizens and visitors of our City from the adverse effects of fires, medical emergencies and other dangers caused by man or nature. We shall fulfill our mission with Courtesy & Service by motivated, productive individuals who value their profession, co-workers and the community they proudly serve. -City of San Luis Obispo Fire Department Website

SLO firefighter, John Ryan Mason, who pummeled Los Osos resident Jory Brigham in the restroom at Pappy MacGregor’s Bar in 2011 is reinstated by Fire Chief Charlie Hines. Protestors converge on City Hall expressing shock that Mason, also an EMT, had violated the firefighter’s code of ethics by leaving Brigham alone, bleeding and unconscious on the bathroom floor. Hines, who called the decision his most difficult in 38 years of service, later gave notice that he will be retiring on September 10th leaving someone else to deal with Mason. Animal rights advocates line up to pressure Morro Bay City Council to deny the Morro Bay Aquarium renewal of its lease on The Embarcadero. The space will become available to other interested businesses and any facility proposing to house animals must be accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Upon hearing the news, seals housed in the 50-year-old establishment could be heard barking with joy.

After a long special election to fill the seat vacated by Andrew Carter, SLO Planning Commissioner Carlyn Christianson emerges victorious with 48% of the vote. The campaign, which was marked by a long succession of candidates dropping out finally ended up as a choice between Christianson and Paul Brown (Don Hedrick, the third candidate, received 2.5% of the vote). [Get to know Christianson by turning to page 18] SLO County Supervisor, Paul Teixeira, passes away unexpectedly at 57 of a heart attack. The longtime Nipomo resident is remembered fondly for his steady hand and honorable service. The loss of the “lovable big galoot,” as he was affectionately known, sets up an interesting situation for filling his seat. Teixiera had been a reliable conservative vote along with Debbie Arnold and Frank Mecham on the five member board. But, now Governor Jerry Brown will be naming his replacement which will likely tip the balance in a progressive direction with Bruce Gibson and Adam Hill.

Bees invade the Fremont Theater in San Luis Obispo just in time to disrupt Festival Mozaic and SLO International Film Festival’s screening of the documentary “Following the Ninth: In the Footsteps of Beethoven’s Final Symphony.” When our reporter finally stopped a particularly busy worker bee to question him about the situation, he remarked: “What can I say? We’re huge bee-thoven fans!” Facing a severe water shortage, Paso Robles taps its share of Lake Nacimiento for the first time. The water is being pumped from the lake into the Salinas riverbed to counteract the drought this year. By allowing it to simply drain into the city’s existing wells below the sandy riverbed, only about 25% of the water will make its way into the drinking supply. Since the end of June nearly 50 million gallons have been diverted from the lake to the river, which is expected to partially counteract the exceptionally dry year. Shawn Stamback of San Luis Obispo is very nearly swallowed whole by a humpback whale while snorkeling at Avila Beach. Video shot from the boat during the incident is posted on YouTube and receives millions of views within 24 hours of the incident. The clip, which is titled “Whales almost eat divers,” shows Stamback did, in fact, come extremely close to being the lunch special. See it for yourself at: youtube.com/watch?v=OUt7wK919mk

After more than 20 years of controversy, the Dalidio property in San Luis Obispo is likely to renew its status as a battleground pitting business interests against open space advocates once again. Clint Pearce of Madonna Enterprises and Gary Grossman of Coastal Community Builders reveal that they are in escrow on the $19.7 million, 131acre ranch and are in the preliminary stages of proposing a new development which they expect to be a combination of residential, commercial, retail, farming, and a hotel. If Pearce and Grossman have their way, the land bracketed by Madonna Road, LOVR, and Highway 101 may be used for something other than growing cilantro.

Grover Beach Mayor, Debbie Peterson, kicks up quite a lot of dust of her own by going off on a solo effort to repeal the Oceano Dunes dust control regulation known as Rule 1001. The rule was established after a multi-year study and a vote by the 12 member Air Pollution Control District (APCD) board in November, 2011. Peterson, who has been on that board since January made an ill-conceived comment on the The Dave Congalton Radio Show when, in response to Congalton’s comment about the health consequences for people dying on the Nipomo Mesa as a result of dust inhalation, she said, “They’re not dying fast enough.” Peterson’s colleagues on the city council, who do not support a repeal of Rule 1001, are now contemplating removing her from the APCD board.