Each spring, New Times staffers start getting jittery, anticipating the busiest, most challenging week on our calendar: The annual New Times Best of SLO County readers poll. Its like a big Baby Huey, or scaly Godzilla, that drops out of the sky and onto our laps, unruly and untidy but kinda cute in a way. Its our job to tidy things upcount ballots, contact winners, gather photos and information, solicit ads, and somehow pull this monster together.
There are countless hardworking individuals to thank for their efforts, including the sales staff, who go the extra mile to service advertisers; the production crew that keeps things hopping and moving along; our receptionist Michael Antonette. What a godsend!
No editor should ever be without the tenacious work ethic and steady-as-she-goes focus of copy editors such as Kat DeBakker. She rocks! Without her, this issue wouldnt have happened. Thanks also to Heather Walter, probably the sweetest designer to be found anywhere.
Also, none of the stories youll read inside would have happened without the help of writers Bill Beeson, Kathy Marcks Hardesty, Brent Van der Weide, and Shawna Galassi. Thank you, thank you!
And special thanks to Kirsten Blake and Christy Arnoldussen for their patience and directness. Christopher Gardner isnt really a photographer. Hes an artist, and one of the hardest working in the biz. Thanks to Bruce Brown of the Computer Café for the loan of Christophers companion for this issue, Godzilla.
Finally, thanks to those who made this issue of the Best of SLO
County a smooth ride: proofreaders Jill Davies and Genevieve
Fussell; Britt Nelson, layout; Alex Zuniga, art direction;
Dana Rudebeck, ad production; and Bob Rucker, our general
manager who stirs the pot, and Publisher Steve Moss,
who knows this monster better than anyone..
Stacey Warde
Associate Editor