Celebrating pioneers, or just the old

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• Chamber picks Roblans of year

  Chamber picks Roblans of year

  The Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce named two longtime residents with decades of local history as its 2011 Roblans of the Year.

  Residents Wade Taylor and his aunt, the late Carol (Kester) Tucker, were selected for the award because of their dedication to community work, according to the chamber.

  They will be honored at a gala at the Paso Robles Inn in January.

• Letters to the Editor 12/21

  Letters to the Editor 12/21

  Comments clarified

  I need to correct The Tribune’s characterization of my comments at the Nov. 22 meeting of the Board of Supervisors on the county’s Energy-Wise climate action plan (“Climate change a hot topic in county,” Nov. 24).

  I did say that when it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and transitioning to renewable energy, “the time is over for half measures and plucking low-hanging fruit,” but I did so in the context of commending measures in the climate action plan that are neither of those things: the evaluation of a competitive Community Choice Aggregation energy program and a feed-in tariff to pay anyone generating renewable energy when they feed surplus power into the grid.

• Viewpoint: Incivility not new

  Viewpoint: Incivility not new

  Kathleen Parker’s March 26 column focused on a topic that seems to be in the forefront of public debate these days — the lack of civility, both in politics and in daily life. It’s hard not to agree wholeheartedly, when every day we’re subjected to shouting politicians, bombastic (and misogynistic) talk radio hosts, yakking cellphone users and distracted drivers texting, and listening to thumping music at the same time (how do they do it?).

  But disagree I must. If we’re talking about how people behave in public — the clothes they wear (or don’t), the language they use (@#$#@), their stubborn insistence that the world see (and, apparently, comment on) every facet of their lives; well, yes, modern life surely seems “uncivil.”

  Blame it on the media; in fact, blame everything on the media — reality TV shows, talk radio, confessional TV programs, blogs, various forms of social media that make it easy to show the world who we are and exactly what we think, 24/7. It all started, arguably, in June 1994, with that

• Celebrity resolutions we'd like to see in 2012

  Celebrity resolutions we'd like to see in 2012

  It’s so hard to be rich and famous these days.

  Gossip magazines publish glossy pictorials every time you date, marry or divorce. Paparazzi photographers dog your every step. You’re criticized for your weight, your fashion sense and your taste in baby names.

  Plus, whenever you make a mistake, enterprising newshounds are happy to advertise your error all over the blogosphere.

• Zac Efron donates his old clothes to Central Coast charity that helps teens

  Zac Efron donates his old clothes to Central Coast charity that helps teens

  For several minutes, Lisa Ray didn’t recognize the well-dressed young man who was helping to load piles of impeccably folded and wrapped shirts, pants and sweaters into her car.

  In fact, she mentioned to his father, he looked just like a movie star.

  That’s when the young man decided to introduce himself.