Editorial: Cuesta at last narrows the field

We toss Cuesta College a wilted bouquet for finally closing in on selection of a permanent president, nearly two years after David Pelham resigned.

Under ordinary circumstances, the time lag might not be a big deal, especially because the college has been under the experienced leadership of interim President Gil Stork. However, Cuesta’s accreditation has been on the line, in part because the accreditation committee found it did not move quickly enough to fill vacancies and interim positions in administration.

While Cuesta still doesn’t have a permanent president at the helm, at least it’s narrowed the field to three finalists — including Stork — who were introduced Tuesday at a public forum.

We like the transparency of a public interview, though we do have a couple of tiny brickbats: There was a dearth of background information available on the candidates, and the timing — noon to 3 p.m. — wasn’t especially convenient for working people, including Cuesta faculty and staff.

And for the record, while we agree that another attempt to pass a bond measure for new facilities will be appropriate at some point, could we wait for the economy to improve, maybe just a little, before we go there?

Free health clinic warmly welcomed

With about a third of the county’s residents without health insurance, we welcome any move that assists in providing them with medical care.

Enter Dr. Ahmad Nooristani, an Afghan-born internist at French and Sierra Vista hospitals who this week opened San Luis Obispo’s first free health clinic. Assisted by medical professionals and many generous donors, this clinic offers a wide range of services for those who cannot afford health care.

We gratefully present a healthy, clinic-brightening bouquet to Dr. Nooristani and his medical volunteers and donors, with the hope that their good work prolongs many lives.

Admiration for the helping hands

Good Samaritan bouquets go out to the passers-by who rushed to aid those involved in Monday’s fatal, head-on crash near Hearst Castle. As one witness reported, people got out of their cars and ran to help, and one person broke out a window on a crashed vehicle to check on the driver.

We don’t know who you are, but you’re all angels in our book.

Prison for horse meat? We say nay

Sell horse meat, go to prison? That’s right, pardner.

While it’s true that the state of California is now sending some low-level offenders to county jails, traffickers in horse meat will still be required to do their time in prison.

Selling horse meat is one of 59 crimes excluded from the list of offenses that can qualify for jail terms. Others are misappropriating or embezzling public funds; solicitation for murder; hit and run causing death or injury. You’ll get no argument from us on any of those. But we find it ironic that someone could commit a serious crime — involuntary manslaughter and assault are a couple of examples — and still qualify for jail, yet selling horse meat carries a prison term.

With apologizes to Wilbur and Mr. Ed, we say nay to such silliness and pony up an unbridled brickbat for the folks in Sacramento.