Drought stricken Cambria put on a brave face and her town full of scarecrows soldiered on, while thousands of visitors filled the streets and sidewalks and businesses, gawking, snapping pics, shopping and having a wonderful time.
The public restroom was closed so visitors were presented instead with a long line of large porta-potties. And I’m sure if anyone went into a restaurant they had to specifically ask for a glass of water and were probably lucky if they didn't get The Soup Nazi as a waiter who would yell at them, "No Water For YOU!"
Being the topic du jour, water scarcity was also on the scarecrows’ minds. And they all had suggestions on ways to conserve water.
I spoke to one shop owner who likely spoke for all the shop owners: They were delighted to see all the visitors since tourism is Cambria’s life blood, but were rather resentfully envious thinking about all those (unrestricted) visitors taking long, hot showers in their motel rooms while the rest of the town had to make do with 3- minute sluicings and dead lawns.
And so I offered a modest proposal: A Chamber of Commerce ad campaign that promised a Cambria resident would come with every motel room and would join the visitor in their nice hot, unlimited water shower stall to act as a professional soaping-up back-scrubber .
I know. I doubt the Chamber will go for it either.
The Scarecrow Festival continues until the end of the month so if you get a chance, go up and see all of them, including this wonderful fellow.
Be sure to bring a bottle of water. And after scarecrowing, head up to Sebastian’s for a sandwich and a visit from a real non-scared crow.
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10 comments:
Tsk tsk tsk. Ann, you've given your friend Lynette a fairly nasty hand. Allowing Ron to bash her after the comments were screened? I'm confident Lynette will eventually agree with my assessment of you.
Here's the thing. Lynette did not personally attack anyone on CalCoastNews. Basically, she questioned Tacker's motives and raised points about how Tacker's record on the LOCSD disqualifies her from talking about ethical government practices and fiscal management. Was she pointed? Sure, but when a public figure with a long history of ulterior motives weighs in on government ethics, that public figure is fair game.
Actually, Tacker wrote back to Lynette a couple of times and engaged in some dialogue, and a lot of it was civil.
Tacker, who is a friend of Karen Velie's and a major supporter of that website, called Velie and asked Lynette to be permanently banned. The whole irony of the situation is that people have said a lot worse anonymously on that site -- but if the hostile comments are directed at people who CalCoastNews doesn't like, the Comment Guidelines no longer matter.
Also, it was Ann who allowed Velie to interrogate and harass Maria Kelly on her blog. There's direct evidence to show that Ann was very much complicit in the harassment and slander of members of the community.
Mad Hatter: And now we'll hear from Lynette. She and Ron(a "public figure") have been gleefully point-and-counter-pointing for years and Lynette (a "public figure") gives as good as she gets. (And actually said in this comment section that she enjoys all this sewer-crazy stuff.) Plus, you've now logged in here with your version of events (he said/she said/MadHatter said)and also added your "pointed" comments which now involves Julie Tacker, who, as you said, is "fair game," which leads me to believe that you're also having a great time, too. And I can't wait to hear from Karen Velie as to how I "allowed" her to "interrogate" anyone on this blog. To do that, she'd have to come to the house and sit at my computer, which has never happened.
All of this on a posting about a Scarecrow Festival. Doncha love it!
I honestly couldn't give a lesser shit about the Scarecrow Festival, at this point. You attack people. You allow Ron to take a few jabs, screen the comments and the cycle repeats. You deserve to be chewed out.
Why wait for Karen Velie? Here's the link.
Nothing can be more complicit than copying and pasting a libelous story from a website known for producing libel, written by a woman who blames her DUI on the government and went after the family of a Los Osos suicide victim. Yes. Let's hear what the basketcase has to say.
Great shots, Ann, and as always, surprising scarecrow treats. Thank you for posting.
Bev, am heading back up there with company. Makes for a very pleasant day. Cambria's got a winner in this event.
Love the scarecrow pix!! I really like that Cambria has events that give the town a positive identity! The "Drink Blood" water tip is really a hoot! I wish Los Osos could be known for events like this instead of being known (nationally in some circles) as a sewer problem. Maybe someday.....
I was at a WRAC (the County's Water Resources Advisory Committee) meeting a couple of years back where the Cambria GM came and presented a proposal about how their conservation efforts had been so successful they should be able to add more homes. I have no idea who was on the Board at that time to send the GM on this mission, but it seemed like a bizarre idea to me. I didn't followed up on what happened there, but it is clear from the news of late that water hell has occurred in Cambria.
I also recall that the Cambria CSD did something interesting at one point (different board?), in that the CSD was buying up vacant lots in town to prevent their ever being built. And I haven't followed up on how that went either, but it seems like an interesting idea. Not that there is any extra money in our Los Osos CSD do do something that bold, and what might be the pitfalls?
Our Basin Plan dealing with OUR water issues is due to be finalized early next year. AT LONG LAST!!!! It started out in court 10 years ago and it will be the rule book for WATER not just in town, but over the whole basin. We shall see what the judge decides! If this doesn't happen for some reason, with the new State water rules, WE COULD wind up under State control, a scary thought if you ask me! Let's hope NOTHING prevents this plan from getting the final stamp of approval!!!!
While we were in Cambria, a nice gentleman was on the corner passing out flyers urging support for the $6 mil (???) water reclamation/desal project that is underway, I think. Seemed like they were racing to get it done before the place literally runs out of water. It may buy them some time but like the rest of us there's still some long time planning ahead. I have no idea why anyone from Cambria would go to WRAC and say, Hey, we're fine, let's build.
As for our Basin Plan, I'm amazed it's nearing finalization. In water world, 10 years is known as "just getting started."
There was a great article in yesterday's (?) L.A. times on Westland's Water issues. That's a disaster waiting to happen -- huge mega-corporate "farms" with political power to grab/get all the water they can, pushing ahead to plan even more water-thirsty crops (almonds, pistachios)in a part of the Valley that should never have been planted in the first place. Add in drought and there's going to be a collision coming, I'm sure.
Hmmmm, does the Westland issue sound like Paso? I still read crazy stuff like, "the basin is not in trouble," "no one had proved there isn't enough water," "we have the right to pump," "wells haven't gone dry!" The world is flat all over again.......
Thanks to the recent state-wide water-use-monitoring legislation, Westlands may finally be brought slowly into the 21st century. But it will be a battle of the mega-ag giants, that's for sure. And since money trumps all, the battle may go on until Mother Nature settles everyone's hash.
Witholding water is her trump card I think!
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