Firefighters announce control of 4-month-old Zaca wildfire
By Associated Press
Firefighters finally controlled the 4-month-old Zaca wildfire, which started on the Fourth of July and blackened 240,207 acres on a march through Santa Barbara County backcountry.
Los Padres National Forest chief Anthony Escobar declared the blaze controlled last night. It was surrounded, or contained, on Sept. 2.
The Zaca fire, the second largest California wildfire in recorded history, briefly threatened ranches and vineyards in the Santa Ynez Valley.
It cost $143 million to extinguish.
The fire zone will remain closed, probably into next year, during forest rehabilitation operations, including road and trail work.
Criminal charges were filed against a Bell Canyon ranch and two employees who allegedly started the blaze with grinding equipment.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Ride 10/20/07
Rick and Chrissy joined me for a ride with Dan and some guys from Z-Rated. The meet began in Atascadero at 10 am at the Starbucks near Von's. We started on the 41 East and went on Templeton Rd to El Pomar Dr to Neal Springs Rd to S. River Rd to Niblick Rd to Spring St to 6th St to Peachy Canyon Rd to Vineyard Dr to 46 West to Old Creek Rd to 1 South to Morro Bay Blvd for a gas station break.
Then we went back on 1 North to Old Creek Rd to 46 East to to 101 North to 46 East to Buena Vista Dr to Experimental Station Rd to River Oaks Dr to N River Rd to Cross Canyons Rd to Rancho Canyon Rd to Von Dollen Rd to Hog Canyon Rd to Estrella Rd to 46 East to McMilan Canyon Rd to Shedd Canyon Rd to 41 West to 229 West to the Loading Chute in Creston.
Everyone stopped for lunch but I had to go back to SLO so I got back on 229 West to 58 West to 101 South to SLO.
A little over a 200 mile ride makes for a very fun day!
Then we went back on 1 North to Old Creek Rd to 46 East to to 101 North to 46 East to Buena Vista Dr to Experimental Station Rd to River Oaks Dr to N River Rd to Cross Canyons Rd to Rancho Canyon Rd to Von Dollen Rd to Hog Canyon Rd to Estrella Rd to 46 East to McMilan Canyon Rd to Shedd Canyon Rd to 41 West to 229 West to the Loading Chute in Creston.
Everyone stopped for lunch but I had to go back to SLO so I got back on 229 West to 58 West to 101 South to SLO.
A little over a 200 mile ride makes for a very fun day!
Friday, October 19, 2007
Los Osos services district will vote in favor of increasing its property taxes to pay for a long-awaited sewer
Los Osos services district will vote in favor of increasing its property taxes to pay for a long-awaited sewer
The Los Osos Community Services District board will vote in favor of increasing its property taxes to pay for a long-awaited sewer.
The board voted 3-2 in favor of casting a "yes" vote in the county’s sewer assessment election, also known as Proposition 218.
Board President Chuck Cesena and board members Steve Senet and Joe Sparks voted in favor of a yes vote. Board members Julie Tacker and Lisa Shicker voted against it.
Tacker said at Thursday’s board meeting that she changed her vote to “no” because the county Board of Supervisors and the San Luis Coastal Unified School District voted in favor of the tax.
She said she was disappointed that as leaders of public agencies both panels felt they needed to cast a vote.
The Proposition 218-mandated tax vote is a key hurdle in the county’s process of designing and building a sewer.
If property owners reject the tax, the district would again be responsible for the project, and state water quality regulators could resume threats of fines.
Regulators want Los Osos to build a sewer in hopes it would halt nitrate pollution of the groundwater and Morro Bay. They blame the pollution on the town’s septic-tank systems.
The board’s decision was being watched closely because its vote could be seen as a message about how the agency feels about the county project.
Like other property owners in Los Osos, the district has until Tuesday to send ballots to the county clerk-recorder.
The district is voting in the election because it owns buildings for its water department and the fire station, which are subject to the assessment.
If the tax passes, the district would be assessed $61,204 — about $4,000 a year for 30 years if it doesn’t pay in a lump sum.
The Los Osos Community Services District board will vote in favor of increasing its property taxes to pay for a long-awaited sewer.
The board voted 3-2 in favor of casting a "yes" vote in the county’s sewer assessment election, also known as Proposition 218.
Board President Chuck Cesena and board members Steve Senet and Joe Sparks voted in favor of a yes vote. Board members Julie Tacker and Lisa Shicker voted against it.
Tacker said at Thursday’s board meeting that she changed her vote to “no” because the county Board of Supervisors and the San Luis Coastal Unified School District voted in favor of the tax.
She said she was disappointed that as leaders of public agencies both panels felt they needed to cast a vote.
The Proposition 218-mandated tax vote is a key hurdle in the county’s process of designing and building a sewer.
If property owners reject the tax, the district would again be responsible for the project, and state water quality regulators could resume threats of fines.
Regulators want Los Osos to build a sewer in hopes it would halt nitrate pollution of the groundwater and Morro Bay. They blame the pollution on the town’s septic-tank systems.
The board’s decision was being watched closely because its vote could be seen as a message about how the agency feels about the county project.
Like other property owners in Los Osos, the district has until Tuesday to send ballots to the county clerk-recorder.
The district is voting in the election because it owns buildings for its water department and the fire station, which are subject to the assessment.
If the tax passes, the district would be assessed $61,204 — about $4,000 a year for 30 years if it doesn’t pay in a lump sum.
Atascadero residents will pay more for water starting in January
Atascadero residents will pay more for water starting in January
The Atascadero Mutual Water Company has approved a series of rate increases that will take effect in January.
The board of directors adopted the new water rates Oct. 17 for 2008 and tentatively through 2011. The decision raises base water rates in Atascadero by 8 percent annually for each of those years.
General Manager John Neil said the increase will help encourage conservation and pay the city’s share of the $178 million Nacimiento Water Project.
-- Stephen Curran
The Atascadero Mutual Water Company has approved a series of rate increases that will take effect in January.
The board of directors adopted the new water rates Oct. 17 for 2008 and tentatively through 2011. The decision raises base water rates in Atascadero by 8 percent annually for each of those years.
General Manager John Neil said the increase will help encourage conservation and pay the city’s share of the $178 million Nacimiento Water Project.
-- Stephen Curran
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Ride For the Wild Ones
For the second year in a row, Bill and I went out for the Gary Bang Harley-Davison Poker Run named "Ride For the Wild Ones".
The poker run starts at Gary Bang Harley-Davison and went out the backroads out to San Miguel, then into Paso Robles, then into Creston, then into Atascadero, and finally into Creston.
It was Bill and my first time in San Miguel. . . we ddidn't think we were missing much.
The poker run was fun. There were 15 or so special questions that are based on items that you find along your ride. They provide mileage markers on the questions so you can keep your eye out for them.
All in all a ton of fun. A bit hard to ride really hard. Oktoberfest from the night before was a bit rough to stay concentrated on riding but that didn't stop us from tearing it up.
The poker run starts at Gary Bang Harley-Davison and went out the backroads out to San Miguel, then into Paso Robles, then into Creston, then into Atascadero, and finally into Creston.
It was Bill and my first time in San Miguel. . . we ddidn't think we were missing much.
The poker run was fun. There were 15 or so special questions that are based on items that you find along your ride. They provide mileage markers on the questions so you can keep your eye out for them.
All in all a ton of fun. A bit hard to ride really hard. Oktoberfest from the night before was a bit rough to stay concentrated on riding but that didn't stop us from tearing it up.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Toys for Tots Run
http://www.toys4totscentralca.org/Atascadero.htm
Toys for Tots is a great opportunity to give a little back to the community and the kids.
Everyone get your bikes out... should be a blast!
Oktoberfest 2007
Ohh yeah.... Oktoberfest at Old Vienna.... definitely going to be something, that's for sure
Saturday, October 6, 2007
iPhone Killer (cont)
Not so sure anymore after the pictures were posted of the interface. I hope the pictures just don't do it justice.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
iPhone Killer?
Ok so I don't blog solely about motorcycles.
However, this is it! Going to get one for sure! LG Voyager.
It flips open to have a QWERTY keyboard and a second screen.... sounds logical to me
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
SLO County Hotsheet
Keith Byrd of Century 21 Hometown gathered up the following very intersting housing information in SLO County
http://www.slocountyhomes.com/2007/10/i-just-ran-hotsheet-report-on-price.html
by Keith Byrd, Century 21 Hometown
I just ran a "hotsheet" report on the price reductions over the past 2 days. I'll admit that I find some of what I see puzzling as I'm not sure what the benefit is to do some of these reductions. For example:
- Atascadero home on the market for 89 days went from $469,500 to $469,000
- Atascedero home on the market for 34 days went from $1,175,000 to $1,170,000
- A Los Osos home on the market for 147 days went from $489,900 to $489,000
- A Morro Bay home on the market for 77 days went from $1,198,500 to $1,198,000
- A Templeton home on the market for 84 days went from $485,900 to $485,000
But, there were some that are trying to sell:
- A Cambria home on the market for 335 days went from $11,900,00 to $9,900,000
- An Arroyo Grande home on the market for 394 days went from $980,000 to $900,000
- A Lompoc home on the market for 38 days went from $615,000 to $499,000
- A Paso Robles home on the market for 64 days went from $607,500 to $519,000
- A Pismo Beach home on the market for 413 days went from $1,550,000 to $1,395,000
- A San Miguel home on the market for 21 days went from $1,199,000 to $999,900
- A Santa Maria home on the market for 209 days went from $498,000 to $398,000
http://www.slocountyhomes.com/2007/10/i-just-ran-hotsheet-report-on-price.html
by Keith Byrd, Century 21 Hometown
I just ran a "hotsheet" report on the price reductions over the past 2 days. I'll admit that I find some of what I see puzzling as I'm not sure what the benefit is to do some of these reductions. For example:
- Atascadero home on the market for 89 days went from $469,500 to $469,000
- Atascedero home on the market for 34 days went from $1,175,000 to $1,170,000
- A Los Osos home on the market for 147 days went from $489,900 to $489,000
- A Morro Bay home on the market for 77 days went from $1,198,500 to $1,198,000
- A Templeton home on the market for 84 days went from $485,900 to $485,000
But, there were some that are trying to sell:
- A Cambria home on the market for 335 days went from $11,900,00 to $9,900,000
- An Arroyo Grande home on the market for 394 days went from $980,000 to $900,000
- A Lompoc home on the market for 38 days went from $615,000 to $499,000
- A Paso Robles home on the market for 64 days went from $607,500 to $519,000
- A Pismo Beach home on the market for 413 days went from $1,550,000 to $1,395,000
- A San Miguel home on the market for 21 days went from $1,199,000 to $999,900
- A Santa Maria home on the market for 209 days went from $498,000 to $398,000
Monday, October 1, 2007
Suzuki Releases Details On The Revised-for-2008 GSX-R600 And GSX-R750
New GSXR600 and GSXR750 details released!!!
http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?lnk=rss&article=30411
http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?lnk=rss&article=30411
Central Coast MLS Statistics -Residential -September 2007
Central Coast MLS Statistics -Residential -September 2007
(Last months data is also included - September (August))
from The Keith Byrd Team's San Luis Obispo Real Estate Blog by Keith Byrd, Century 21 Hometown
New Listings - 608 (753)
Back on Market - 273 (288)
Price Changes - 1138 (1433)
Contingent - 25 (48)
Pendings - 340 (391
)Solds - 295 (338)
Expireds - 426 (428)
Inactives/Withdrawns - 333 (403)
We broke 300 Pending Sales for the month but down over 10% from August's number. For comparison:
- September 2006 - 415
- PendingsSeptember 2005 - 542
PendingsIt also looks like fewer Sellers are willing to take a contingent offer...usually contingent on another property selling
Ride 9/30/07
A short ride today.
Mark was up in town and we drove to North Shore Tahoe to ride the mountain bike trails at Northstar. It was a brisk 25 degrees Saturday morning with about 4 inches of snow on the trails. No mountain bike riding for us... the lifts did not open. All in all a very fun weekend.
Mark and I went to SLM on Sunday. It was dead in there. Mark sat on a bunch of bikes and he looks like he is intersted in the GSXR600 the most.
So the ride today was Los Osos Valley Road to Turri to 1 to Old Creek to 46 to Vineyard to 101 to Bills place.
Mark was up in town and we drove to North Shore Tahoe to ride the mountain bike trails at Northstar. It was a brisk 25 degrees Saturday morning with about 4 inches of snow on the trails. No mountain bike riding for us... the lifts did not open. All in all a very fun weekend.
Mark and I went to SLM on Sunday. It was dead in there. Mark sat on a bunch of bikes and he looks like he is intersted in the GSXR600 the most.
So the ride today was Los Osos Valley Road to Turri to 1 to Old Creek to 46 to Vineyard to 101 to Bills place.
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