Letters to the Editor 10/7

Painful, but good

I agree with South County residents about the Oceano Dunes/ Beach driving activities.

I didn’t mind the cars 25 years ago when I moved here. There were not many. Now their number is overwhelming; I resent not being able to spend safe time with the children on a beach near home. I resent the sand and dust that clog Pier Avenue and vicinity.

I attended the public hearing and I heard the Air Pollution Control District state that the county helped pay the expert the state parks department hired to examine solutions to the PM10 problem. Unfair! State Parks pollutes our air and should pay to find remedies.

Closing Oceano Beach/Dunes to vehicles would be a painful change for some people; I feel for them. However, I know it would be a good change. We would be able to promote harmless and safe activities.

For example, Pismo Beach operates a free shuttle that takes tourists to Avila and back. Why can’t the ride include Grover and Oceano? People could walk around the lagoons, visit the Nature Center, walk to the old train depot and stroll on Pier Avenue to the beach.

Actually, more people would be put to work and we all would be so much healthier and happier.

Ivan Paulson

Oceano

Century celebration

Thanks to rural communities like San Luis Obispo County, women in California finally won the struggle to gain their voices through the ballot on Oct. 10, 1911. That historic day started the groundswell of women who have, since that time, held office.

One hundred years later, men and women in this county are invited to celebrate that victory on Monday, Oct. 10 at the Dallidet Adobe on Pacific Street in San Luis Obispo. All women ever elected to office in San Luis Obispo County will be honored at the festivities from 4 to 7 p.m.

Music, food, wine-tasting and historic displays of courageous local women who fought the good fight for suffrage will fill the beautiful gardens of the historic adobe. There is no charge for this afternoon of celebration. We hope many will arrive in period clothing to decorate the party, but a costume is not necessary.

Mary Giambalvo

Arroyo Grande

Transfer standards

After reading Kathleen Parker’s column (Oct. 3), it’s no wonder why the Central Coast is so darn popular among college students. At Cuesta College, we routinely let students know that if they aspire to a UC, CSU or a private four-year college, they will need to have courses in critical thinking, science, math and writing, as well as U.S. history and political science, among others.

In fact, these transfer requirements are fairly standard, not only in California, but other states, as well. When Parker indicates, “Most universities don’t require the courses considered core educational subjects,” I wonder, to which schools is she referring? It’s certainly not the WASC-accredited ones.

Janelle LaFond

Counselor and instructor, Cuesta College