A broad-based committee of youth sports advocates, environmentalists, neighborhood activists and business interest supporters (including the SLO Chamber) has been formed to fight Measure H, the November ballot measure that, if passed, would forever prevent the extension of Prado Road to Broad Street.

The “No on Measure H Committee” will be led by three highly respected community leaders. One of the two co-chairs is Youth Sports Association leader, long-time school board and AYSO board member John Spatafore. The other co-chair is teacher, architect and environmental leader Stacey White. The treasurer is Softec chair and CASA President Hillary Trout.

Vallejo residents recently went to the polls and revoked the city’s binding arbitration out of its charter – 40 years after the city had become the first California city to let arbitrators settle pay and benefit disputes with its unionized work force.

The closely watched Measure A narrowly passed with about 51 percent of the vote despite heavy opposition from police and firefighter groups around the state, which reportedly outspent the measures’ backers 10-1. One county and 22 cities in California – including San Luis Obispo – still have binding arbitration.

Vallejo city officials had previously tried twice to remove binding arbitration from its books but it apparently took the city’s 2008 bankruptcy filing and public scrutiny of pay and benefits to change voters’ minds.

A new book called “Thrive…Finding Happiness the Blue Zones Way” will be published this fall by National Geographic and Random House and will feature San Luis Obispo as one of its “vitality cities” defined as “…a city of strength, energy and vigor where it all seems to work because its leaders and citizens share a bond of great purpose.”

The book’s preview says, “In the first book to identify demographically proven ‘happiness hotspots’ worldwide, researcher and explorer Dan Buettner documents the happiest people on earth and reveals how we can create our own happy zones.”

The SLO Chamber has been working with the author for several months and provided photography by Chamber President/CEO Dave Garth.

Click here for more information or to purchase the book. 

Traffic volume at SLO County airport continues to rebound as the economy improves. May's departing passenger traffic rose 13.2 percent compared to last year – the first double-digit increase in almost two years.

Meanwhile, SkyWest has reduced its SLO fares, some by more than 50 percent; one-way tickets to L.A. are now being offered for as low as $109.

U.S. Airways will soon begin a new 50-seat 9 a.m. Sunday flight to Phoenix. According to the USA Today, airline capacity is down nationwide by 1.1 percent. 

However, San Luis Obispo has 12.8 percent more outbound seats, or an additional 538 seats daily, this July than it did in July 2009.

In a major reorganization of its staff of 15, the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce recently promoted Ermina Karim to vice president of governmental affairs and economic development. This is only the second time in 105 years that the Chamber has had a vice president position.

The change will allow the non-profit organization to be more responsive to external economic development issues as well as focus on its six-point economic strategy as illustrated in its latest Economic Vision document.

“We’re expanding our economic development efforts to create an atmosphere where people will start and expand businesses here, and Ermina will lead the way,” said David Garth, SLO Chamber president/CEO. “This effort is critical because without future-oriented, head-of-household jobs, the local economy will be stagnant.”

In addition to her role as a representative for the local business community, Karim will share in Chamber personnel responsibilities and lead the Chamber in its economic development strategies, something she already knows a great deal about.

The summer season is here, which means local businesses can expect an influx of tourists – both good and bad. Panhandlers can be a problem in summer months for local businesses, but now business people have new tools to help better handle problem behaviors. 

The City of San Luis Obispo, in partnership with the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce and the San Luis Obispo Downtown Association, is distributing a Reference Guide to Laws Regarding Aggressive Panhandling.

City Clerk Elaina Cano told the e-Insider today that the local initiative to block the extension of Prado Road has gathered the necessary signatures to qualify for the November ballot and will now go to the San Luis Obispo City Council to be certified.

The council has the choice of either certifying the initiative (which puts it on the ballot) or complying with the demands of the initiative by choosing its alternate alignment (considered highly unlikely).

A point/counterpoint on this subject at tomorrow morning’s Good Morning San Luis Obispo will feature Mila Vujovich-La Barre — an initiative proponent — squaring off with Mayor Dave Romero.

Tomorrow’s program begins at 7:30 a.m., and though online registration has closed, some seats may be available on a first-come-first-served basis at 7:30 a.m. Each seat is $21 for members and $25 for non-members, which includes breakfast and the program.

Knowledgeable sources report that former business owner and 20-year-resident Kathy Smith will be running for SLO City Council.

Smith previously served on the council from 1994 to 1998. She’s credited with proposing that the city add economic development and natural resource managers to city staff, positions that still exist today.

Her campaign will be headed up by retired Cal Poly professor Richard Kransdorf and business owner Wilda Rosene.

A major mixed-use project at Monterey Street and Johnson Avenue (for years the site of Hessler’s Unocal) will be breaking ground early next month.

The four-story project will have 4,000 square feet of retail on the ground floor, 5,000 square feet of office space on the second floor, and five 1,100- to 1,400-square-feet loft-style condominium residences on the third and fourth floors.

LEED certification will be sought. Architect George Garcia is the architect/developer.