Letters to the Editor

Carrizo solar questions

Regarding the proposed solar panel installation on the Carrizo Plain, some questions come immediately to mind.

Based on the photos I saw, it looks like the panels would be very close to the ground. The plain has endangered animal species: Tule elk, pronghorn antelope, kit fox and California condor among a dozen others. How would it affect them?

How many acres would be taken over by the solar array? How much human activity will there be, and what would be the resultant ecological damage?

What is the expected life of the solar panels? From what I read and hear, installations of photovoltaic systems are still not financially feasible. What will happen when the panels quit working? Will the owner just abandon the installation in a few years? How do we know the owner will not just declare bankruptcy to avoid removing the useless system and restoring the ecology?

Roy Berger

Arroyo Grande

Rebate-check comedy

Recently President Bush announced that the tax rebate checks will begin going out to taxpayers. I found Bush’s comment on the uses for the rebate checks ironic, even humorous. Such a deal he has for us, helping Americans pay for the high price of gasoline. The oil companies are already making the largest quarterly profits in the history of commerce, so let’s give them some more taxpayer dollars. What a comedian!

Pete Burke

Shell Beach

Meetings vs. ‘Jeopardy’

I live a few blocks from the proposed Norma Rose skate park near the cemetery in Cayucos. In fact, Norma Rose is my neighbor, and I know she has lobbied long and hard to have that space devoted to children.

I have great respect for Norma and applaud her devotion to a passionate cause. However, I must agree with many recent letter-writers on the subject: I don’t think that spot is an ideal place for children to play.

For many years it has been popular with dog owners as a place to walk their dogs off-leash. (I only wish they were considerate enough to pick up after their four-legged friends.) Now that word has gotten out about the skate park, there seems to be a great deal of disagreement on the subject, but where was everyone when Norma faithfully attended the Cayucos Citizens Advisory Committee meetings year after year when this proposal was being debated? Like me, they must have been home watching “Jeopardy” I guess.

Shame on us!

Janet Van Hoorebeke

Cayucos

Keep cemetery tranquil

The letter I wrote to Shirley Bianchi several years ago in protest of the skate park location next to the cemetery in Cayucos was never responded to, and I read now that she was a longtime guiding force.

My reasons were the same as others have mentioned, as well as the fact that the cemetery is a tranquil and beautiful entrance to Cayucos where deer come down at night to drink water from the flower cups. I wonder what her thoughts would be regarding a skate park built in her hometown next to the old Cambria cemetery.

Sue Perry

Morro Bay

Shrubs and happiness

“True happiness is when your thoughts, your words and your actions are all in alignment.” This quote from Mahatma Gandhi is how we feel about the true happiness of successfully planting 111 shrubs at Sunny Acres Ranch on April 26.

A big thank you to our sponsors, the Social Justice Ministry of Old Mission Church, the nurseries (Finley Family Nursery, West Covina Nursery, Farm Supply, St. Francis Landscaping) and the many dedicated folks who showed up to help dig, plant, stake, mulch and water 55 native toyon and 56 coffee berry shrubs.

We especially want to thank the following folks: Pat Connelly, John Robbins, John Maulhardt, Wayne Dengate, Tom Guernsey, Dan Carpenter, Rich Equinoa, Ronnie Shelton, Delores Winje, Emily and Terry Tilton, Steve Jones and especially Dan De Vaul.

Before panic set in, these folks helped bring true happiness by their helpful actions. Thanks to all—Sunny Acres is a living, viable, positive organization in our community!

David Day, Joseph A. Johnson

Sunny Acres

Tremendous courage

The recent “Confronting Cancer” Tribune Special Report was a wonderful resource of encouragement and information, especially for all cancer patients in our area.

Ruth Ann Angus deserves a huge bouquet for her courage and for sharing her story. Sarah Arnquist, who wrote Ruth’s story, should receive a journalism award for the intimate and informative way she described the path Ruth traveled during her cancer treatments.

There are things this newspaper does extremely well; special reports about subjects that involve the lives of people living in our community and the sports pages are two of them!

George E. Edmonds

Paso Robles

Be a SurviveOar

Thank you for your recent three-part series on confronting cancer. As the story revealed, a diagnosis of cancer and the subsequent treatment can be devastating. I extend much love and prayers to Ruth Ann Angus for her valiant fight through treatment.

I also would like to extend to Ruth Ann and all the other breast cancer survivors out there an invitation to check out the Central Coast SurviveOars.

We are a dragon boat paddling team made up of breast cancer survivors. We meet every week to paddle and support each other past this disease with strength and courage. We all feel improved physical, emotional, social, spiritual and mental health. We are confident, motivated and positively focused. We embrace our forming friendships and the support of other survivors. We welcome breast cancer survivors of all ages and fitness levels to join us as we move forward in our lives, strengthening mind and body with this wonderful “therapy.” It’s a treatment plan we can all sign on to!

Please visit our Web site at www.surviveoars.org or call Enhancement Inc. at 771- 8640 for more information. See you on the bay!

Maureen McGee

San Luis Obispo

SANLUISOBISPO.COM/ARCHIVE/CANCER FOR THE STORIES.