By Aaron Ochs, on November 7th, 2012%
 Gail Briggs McPherson UPDATED (11/17): The rehearing petition has been denied.
UPDATED (11/14): Citizens for Clean Water filed a rehearing petition on Wednesday. More details to come… [Source: Los Osos Sewer Saga]
On October 25, Los Osos’ Citizens for Clean Water (the organization formerly known as the Prohibition Zone Legal Defense Fund) filed for voluntary dismissal of their seemingly never-ending appeal against the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (CCRWQCB). It’s unclear why CCW filed for voluntary dismissal, but it’s clear that Los Osos sewer construction is underway. Because the group is no longer a 501(c)(3) non-profit, and doesn’t appear to be operating under any other group’s 501(c)(3), they will have to pay the water board’s legal expenses.
Continue reading The Lasting Tragedy of PZLDF →
By Aaron Ochs, on June 6th, 2012%
To my readers,
I want to enlighten you on a recent decision that I’ve made regarding controversial wastewater project in Los Osos. I’ve decided to no longer publish any articles about the Los Osos sewer on Razor Online. Hit the jump for more information.
Continue reading Final Thoughts on Los Osos →
By Aaron Ochs, on March 6th, 2012%
 Lou prepares for war “We forgot, though, that sewer opponents are nothing if not wily.”
The Tribune wrote that in their “Bouquets and Brickbats” editorial on Friday, March 2. The Tribune, which is notorious for publishing their disdain of Los Osos sewer critics, achieved a new low, even by their already non-existent standards. The “sewer opponents” are “nothing” and “wily.”
Continue reading Los Osos: Wild in the Streets →
By Aaron Ochs, on October 5th, 2011%
 General Grant leads the Uncivil War. UPDATE (9:50 AM): Jim Grant has issued a response to his timing of the report’s release. He tells Razor Online, “As I publicly stated Tuesday before making my statement, I had originally intended to report out after closed session in the afternoon but after thinking about it I thought it more appropriate to report out during the Public Comment period in the morning. There were a number Los Osos residents that were in attendance that are interested in the wastewater project and I knew they would be interested in my review and evaluation of the alleged conflict of interest. I also stated that, if needed, I would repeat my comments in the afternoon.”
When San Luis Obispo County Administrator Jim Grant dismissed the conflict of interest allegations involving Public Works Director Paavo Ogren and former LOCSD director Maria Kelly, there was outrage from members of the public who waited until the afternoon to speak on the issue. In an e-mail written to The Tribune sent on September 30, Grant told the newspaper, “It is my intention to report out after closed session.” Instead, Grant presented his findings in the morning after Los Osos residents had already provided public comment. Some have said Grant did this as an attempt to thwart protests in the afternoon.
Continue reading Ogren Investigation a PR Disaster →
By Aaron Ochs, on October 4th, 2011%
 Time to tie the knot? San Luis Obispo County Administrator Jim Grant has thoroughly dismissed the allegations of conflict of interest between Public Works Director Paavo Ogren and former Los Osos Community Services District director Maria Kelly as having “no factual basis” during the morning portion of Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting. Grant listed each facet of the investigation that he focused on, and stated unequivocally that Ogren was cleared of conflict of interest on all allegations raised by the local media.
Continue reading Ogren Investigation Falls Short →
By Aaron Ochs, on September 19th, 2011%
 Is anybody home? On October 13, 2010, I wrote an article titled “Get The Facts: Ring Paavo’s Doorbell,” which was understandably controversial. The controversy reached a fever pitch when I took on local radio host Dave Congalton, who wrote an article about it. Since then, I spent time objectively analyzing the overall job performance of the County, and their responsiveness to concerns surrounding the Los Osos wastewater project.
Continue reading ‘Ring Paavo’s Doorbell’ — One Year Later →
By Aaron Ochs, on July 20th, 2011%
Though she had no power or authority over the Los Osos wastewater project during her tenure on the board, former Los Osos Community Services Director Maria Kelly may have promoted the Los Osos wastewater project on her boyfriend’s — County Public Works’ Paavo Ogren — behalf through election campaigning, word-of-mouth at various community events, and progressive board action that allowed a controversial contractor to participate in the wastewater project. Given the seemingly lopsided results of the Proposition 218 assessment and the community survey, the County of San Luis Obispo benefited from her free marketing.
Continue reading The County’s Manchurian Sewer Candidate →
By Ed Ochs, on July 4th, 2011%
 Only seven miles to Los Osos Not since Hurricane Katrina have a few politicians toyed so dangerously with the lives of thousands.
Recently, State Sen. Sam Blakeslee fought hard for a suspension of the relicensing of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant until “a myriad of questions regarding the seismic setting at the facility are answered.” Blakeslee rode the headlines from Japan to headlines in the U.S.
Yet Blakeslee has remained silent on asking for a suspension of engineering contracts on the nearby Los Osos Wastewater Project, less than eight miles away from the nuclear facility, until a parallel liquefaction study for Los Osos can be completed prior to engineering the sewer project. Any major earthquake in the area is likely to affect both Diablo Canyon and Los Osos.
Continue reading Blakeslee’s Seismic Contradiction →
By Aaron Ochs, on December 25th, 2010%
UPDATE 12/31: The Tribune has featured a shorter version of this editorial, which can be found here.
Christmas has come for many residents in the seaside community of Los Osos, and for many residents – who face economic hardship especially during these tumultuous times – this Christmas may be their last in Los Osos.
Continue reading Last Christmas in Los Osos →
By Aaron, on November 22nd, 2010%
 Photo Found in Rates & Charges brochure Buyer beware: If the County of San Luis Obispo tries to sell you their “Rates & Charges Ordinance” by incorporating a photo of critics that have vehemently oppose the wastewater project in their glossy brochure, they do not likely have the best intentions in mind. While it’s true that many in the photo support the County’s efforts to bring a sewer to Los Osos, there are quite a few people in it who are protesting the ordinance, and the County is fully aware of that. How could they not be? Residents like Gewynn Taylor, Al Barrow and Linde Owen have appeared at numerous meetings, appearing before the podium to oppose the project — but, of course, the County doesn’t want you to know that. They want you to know that everyone is on board.
Continue reading How to Sell a Sewer With Costly Tales →
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