Letters to the Editor 7/30

Climate is changing

I continue to be amazed at the fuss over climate change. Is our climate changing? Of course!

We were previously in an ice age, and we are now nearing the end of a interglacial cycle. You remember about the ice ages. You know, the wooly mammoths, the saber-toothed tigers and all that.

That has now changed. The wooly mammoths are all gone, as are the glaciers that once occupied places where people now live. It has taken about 18,000 years and the sea level has risen more than 300 feet in the process. The change was once much faster and the rise in sea level has slowed to about 0.6 feet per century.

All of this has happened without any apparent influence from humans. That said, carbon dioxide concentrations began to increase dramatically with the onset of the Industrial Revolution in the mid-1700s, but the rate of sea level rise has remained about the same as it has been for the last several thousand years.

So, if we are to undertake a “fight” against the climate changes that have been going on naturally for hundreds of thousands of years, we should better understand just what it is that we are trying to do.

Don Asquith

Los Osos

Had enough

Regarding a recent Tribune front-page headline titled, “State Senate hopefuls debate minus Blakeslee” (July 27):

Buried on the jump on the back page is written, “Blakeslee is a member of the Assembly Republican Budget Working group, which meets Mondays. Blakeslee said he was ‘disappointed that the decision was made to schedule tonight’s forum on a date I could not attend.’ ”

And, quoted from The Tribune’s bouquets and brickbats, Blakeslee should “allow a more neutral organization, such as the League of Women Voters, to be in charge” (“Holding debate is the right move,” July 16). The League of Women Voters, neutral? Plus, it says, “We offer a red-white-and-blue bouquet to the League for public-spirited per- severance and a drop-the-ball brickbat to the Blakeslee campaign.”

Well, that’s it, we’ve had enough. We can only take so much liberal bias. Cancel our more than 10-year subscription. Consider this decision our final brickbat to The Tribune. We deserve to get many flowery bouquets for not canceling sooner.

The only sad part: We will miss the comics.

Charlie and Bev Phifer

Creston

Los Angeles bias

I am peeved. We live on the Central Coast, but your sports editor seems to think it’s Los Angeles, and we’re all Dodgers fans here.

Your coverage recently has put the struggling Dodgers on the front page of the Sports section (with photos), while the streaking Giants (the hottest team in baseball) are relegated to one paragraph on page two.

Does your sports department even know what’s going on out there? The Giants are the story. Buster Posey is on a record hitting streak. Get rid of your Los Angeles bias.

Larry Roberts

Templeton

Nursery to be missed

To Ron’s Nursery and its staff over the years:

Thank you for the endless hours and hours of joy you have provided us, families and friends of the Central Coast, over many, many years.

We think of our personal walking tours of your very beautiful nursery and the joy of the plants, flowers, greenery and gardening you have made possible for all of us who visited Ron’s Nursery for decades.

For years, we have referred to Ron’s Nursery as “the Disneyland of nurseries.” Your kindness and care have brought major joy into our lives.

Many a Saturday afternoon, it was either Shell Beach or Ron’s Nursery for a large dose of serenity, peace and beauty.

For many, a visit to our fair area always included Ron’s Nursery. We love you.

The nursery will be greatly missed. We wish you “divine order” in your lives. You certainly deserve it, dear ones.

Sharon Shepherd, Judy Grande, Betty Guite, Sharon Sweeney and family, Bob and Joan Bogle, Linda Briley, Kathy Bear, Ruby Jackman, Margie Skiba, Kaye Morgan

‘Twelfth Night’ tops

Recently, myself and four seventh- and eighth-grade boys reveled in an evening of crazy dueling, seemingly unrequited love and nonstop laughter in Paso Robles. Under the stars, beside a manmade lake, we took in the Central Coast Shakespeare Festival’s “Twelfth Night.” Zoe Saba’s cast was the equal of any we’ve seen in London or at San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre.

For three of the kids, Spanish was their first language. No problema — we had watched the DVD of Helena Bonham Carter and Ben Kingsley in “Twelfth Night” and pored over Bruce Coville’s illustrated retelling, replete with lots of key phrases. We were ready!

There are five more performances on July 30 and 31 and August 13 and 14 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 8 at 6 p.m. Treat yourself to it. The play remains as fresh and relevant as when William Shakespeare wrote it.

Liz Krieger

San Luis Obispo

Brave ‘Cove’

I recently watched the documentary film “The Cove,” which exposes the brutal slaughter of tens of thousands of dolphins every year off of a small coastal town in Japan.

I was horrified by the brutality and saddened at the utter disregard for these gentle, highly intelligent animals’ plight.

The Japanese government has been actively taking measures to prevent this story from being told. In fact, the general population in Japan was unaware that this brutality was occurring on its shores.

However, this film is beginning to change that. It was recently released in Japan, and more and more people are seeing the film, hearing the story and demanding a change to this horrific practice.

I applaud the filmmakers for their brave trek to Taiji and the innovative methods used in gathering the evidence needed to get this story out. I urge everyone to watch this film, visit the website at www.takepart.com/thecove, and do whatever you can to help stop this tragedy from continuing.

Karen Mendonca

Atascadero

Local treasure

We very much appreciate The Tribune’s spotlight on our county’s dog parks (“SLO County needs more dog parks,” July 21). They are a local treasure and beloved by residents and visitors.

However, you missed a few key selling points. Every dog park in our county was paid for by donations from dog owners. Aside from the land, dog park supporters have paid for the construction and maintenance of every park.

Volunteers lovingly maintain these parks to a very high standard. No public funds are used to finance our local dog parks.

To support these parks, our nonprofit groups organize popular events that draw locals and tourists, including our Dog Splash Days (Sept. 10 through 12), Dogtoberfest and Wiener Dog Races (Oct. 10) and Dog Jog (March 26), to name only a few.

All parks are good for our community in that they encourage people to experience the beauty and cordiality of the Central Coast.

In “Travels with Charley,” John Steinbeck writes, “A dog is a bond between strangers.” Dog parks celebrate that bond and make our communities strong.

Paula O’Farrell

President, Parks-4-Pups

Thanks, pet tales

I would like to thank The Tribune for its efforts to help us place our county’s homeless pets. Each year, a staggering number of lost dogs and cats (as well as emus, goats, rabbits, etc.) come to the San Luis Obispo County Animal Shelter and are not redeemed by their owners.

Staff and volunteers work tirelessly to get them back to their original owner or to a new home.

Over the years, the promotion of animals in “Pet Tales” has resulted in the vast majority of those animals being adopted. Just recently, “Pet Tales” ran a story about one of our cats, Sleepy. Thanks to that story, Sleepy and four other cats found homes. Recently, the story of an upcoming Kittenpalooza Adopt-a-Pet event contributed to 29 kittens finding new homes!

On Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., we will be hosting another Kittenpalooza Adopt-a-Pet on the front lawn of the County Animal Shelter. We’re hoping to be as successful as last month.

On behalf of the animals at the shelter, thank you again for sharing their stories with the people of our community. You can take pride in knowing you help the homeless pets of our county.

Andrea Liddie

San Luis Obispo County Animal Services Shelter Supervisor