Letters to the Editor 1/30

Streets not dog-safe

I read with interest Bill Morem’s Jan. 19 column in The Tribune. Patti Toews’ dog was attacked recently by two dogs off-leash on a trail in Los Osos. Her dog suffered substantial damage (a $1,900 vet bill), but what caught my eye was her comment at the end of the article: She said she’ll “stick to the streets … hopefully it will be more safe for the little guy.”

I know from personal experience that even the streets are not safe for dogs. In August 2010, a woman in Los Osos was walking her two very large dogs on Bayview Heights and Covey Lane. Her dogs attacked one small dog, which recovered, and shortly thereafter attacked and killed my neighbor’s small dog on his own property.

The aggressor dogs were placed under some temporary restrictions (dog-on-dog attack laws are very weak), the owner paid a small fine and homeowners insurance paid the vet bills.

Even the streets are not safe for dogs being walked, and no one is safe from irresponsible dog owners.

Linda Borders

Los Osos

Thanks for a mentor

I am writing this because Jan. 26 was National Thank Your Mentor Day.

When I brought my son Isaac to Big Brothers Big Sisters, he had no male role models. Also, he was missing out on important parts of being a kid, such as taking a simple bike ride. Because I’m a single mom with no one to watch my two little ones, I couldn’t get out and do things with him.

I am grateful to our Big Brother, Dan, for being such a great role model for Isaac. They do all kinds of fun stuff together such as fishing, bowling, building things and taking boat rides. Isaac really looks forward to seeing Dan.

Friday is their one-year “matchiversary.” I’ve noticed big changes in Isaac during that time. He seems less angry and more enthusiastic. He used to get irritated with his siblings, but now he helps me with them. He is just a much better individual.

Thanks to Dan for the time and attention he gives to Isaac and for being so consistent and positive. Thanks for being the kind of person who makes the world a better place and for showing Isaac how to grow up and be that kind of person, too.

Mostly, thanks to Big Brothers Big Sisters for introducing us to Dan.

He has changed our lives for the better.

Kristina McGregor

Atascadero

Idler for Atascadero

I am sure by now most of you know we have decided to consolidate our Atascadero Appliance Outlet Center and our Appliance Service Center into our Paso Robles (North Templeton) store. This decision was made by myself and my management team after we were notified by two members of our management team (husband and wife) that they would be moving. To avoid replacing them, we decided to consolidate the two operations into one. This was an agonizing decision to say the least.

Janis and I moved to Atascadero in 1975. We were born and raised in San Luis Obispo. Our children grew up in Atascadero. I have always been committed to supporting the community, and this will not stop, I assure you. I have over 60 families counting on me to make good decisions, and I feel this is a sound one. We at Idler’s have to compete toe-to-toe with giants like Lowe’s, Home Depot, Sears, Best Buy, etc., so we must remain competitive to survive. We are still the same family, and we are committed to all families of this county.

As I told my chamber team, I am all in for Atascadero in any way I am able.

I have contacted the State Board of Equalization (sales tax), and they have assured me I can report all taxable sales of Atascadero residents to keep the sales tax generated in our city.

Don Idler

President, Idler’s Inc.

We’ll miss KCOY folks

We join many others in regretting the loss of the local news anchors and especially weatherman Jim Byrne. Jim was very involved in the local community. He participated in many local charity events, such as the Elks Rodeo, Flower Festival and Food Bank drives. He volunteered his time to give talks to local schoolchildren and organizations. We’ll miss his cheery voice and sunny smile. Santa Maria will be losing a great asset.

KCOY will be losing a lot of viewers, and with the viewers will go the advertisers. We are not sure how long the station will survive without the local touch. Hopefully the station owners will come to their senses and return to a local news and sports format. The Salinas news doesn’t interest us very much.

Sharon and Jerry Melson

Santa Maria

Deficient on Keystone

I am a lifelong registered Democrat and I disagree with parts of the Keystone pipeline. But President Obama’s actions leave no doubt of his deficient leadership and executive skills. Pipeline studies began late 2007. By 2009, even a second-year Alaska governor would have seen the conflict with the Ogallala Aquifer and had the vision to develop alternatives.

Instead, Obama hid in the tall grass and used the final EPA report to stick it to the 99 percent, the middle class and the under- and unemployed. Six thousand real, private sector, shovel-ready, stimulatory jobs are blocked for more than a year to find alternatives that should have been identified years ago.

A nudge by Congress to expedite the process was taken as so offensive to his sensibilities he again said no.

I don’t expect miracles, or even “bold,” but Obama’s three years of on-the-job training have clearly been uninspiring.

Mike Zarowitz

Cambria

Pipeline statement

Concerning the Jan. 21 perspective you published on President Obama’s Keystone Pipeline decision headlined “President puts politics first, jobs later,” and the accompanying editorial cartoon of a man wearing a hard hat labeled “labor” looking aghast as a woman labeled “greens” tried to smooch the president, a few facts are in order.

The Communications Workers of America, Service Employees International Union, United Auto Workers, Transport Workers Union and United Steel Workers, in conjunction with the Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council, released a statement on the President’s decision on Jan. 18.

Under the headline “Environmental Groups, Unions Support President Obama’s Decision on Keystone XL Pipeline,” we agreed that the pipeline “is a complex project which deserved the careful consideration regarding its environmental and economic impacts that the Obama administration planned to provide. … A project this far-reaching deserved better than the ‘politics as usual’ strategy of a do-nothing Republican Congress. Addressing global climate change, establishing sustainable and secure energy sources, and creating and retaining safe and family-supportive jobs are keys to a positive future for our children and grandchildren.”

Andrew Christie

Director, Santa Lucia Chapter of the Sierra Club

Humane service

We adopted Knightly the cat (and our daughter Taylor St. James renamed him Jo Jo Angel) Jan. 21 from Woods Humane Society.

When I would call home and talk to Marie (my girlfriend and mother of our daughter, Taylor St. James), she conveyed to me that she was especially impressed by that fact that Woods allowed time with them before adopting to ensure a good match, the cleanliness of the facility and the friendly knowledgeable staff members.

I was so impressed by one of your team members’ courtesy and consistency as I made several calls from Afghanistan. She gets five stars from me for her excellent customer service.

We are just so happy to have found such an amazing companion.

Jeff Lewis

Logistics analyst, 401st AFSB, Bagram, Afghanistan

Giving Jack his due

Thank you to The Tribune for notifying the public of the upcoming meeting at which the Harbor Commission will fill by appointment the vacancy on the board.

However, I feel strongly that the life and public service of the late Jack Scarbrough deserve more than passing mention, and was disappointed that the death of this public servant was not more prominently announced by The Tribune. Jack, as a merchant marine, was a member of the “greatest generation.” He moved to South County in 1952, served as a volunteer police officer in San Luis Obispo, a park ranger, a school bus driver, police chief for Grover City, harbor patrol officer and was entering his 15th year as an elected commissioner at Port San Luis.

During election seasons, he was a fixture around the district, with his signs, his sandwich board and his bowler hat. Jack left more than an empty commission seat. He left a record of public service, dry wit and tomato growing that will be hard to beat.

Brian C. Kreowski

President, Port San Luis Harbor District board of commissioners