San Luis Obispo County’s District 2 election recount terminated
San Luis Obispo County’s District 2 election recount has been terminated, according to SLO County Clerk-Recorder Elaina Cano today.
Cano's office received a request to halt the process from Darcia Stebbens, the SLO County resident who originally requested a recount in the race between Bruce Jones and Bruce Gibson for District 2 supervisor last month.
County Clerk-Recorder Elaina Cano says Stebbens failed to provide a deposit to continue the process.
“At this point there is no going back, there is no 'Okay, I'm sorry, I want to keep going.' Because she did not come in prior to 9a.m. to give us her deposit, and she provided us in writing her desires to terminate this process," Cano said.
Cano says they will use Stebbens’ previous deposits to pay workers who have participated in the recount so far. If any money is left over, it will be redirected back to her.
The clerk-recorder’s office conducted a recount of a different supervisor race, District 4, in June of this year. That one was also requested by Stebbens, and it found no difference between the official result and the recounted result.
Off-highway vehicle access restricted at Oceano Dunes from clam advisory
Oceano Dunes beach access is restricted for off-highway vehicles (OHVs) because Pismo Clams are showing up on the surface. An advisory at the entrance to the dunes is asking drivers to only drive on dry land to avoid harming them.
Pismo Clams that are usually buried beneath the sand are coming to the surface near the shoreline, which researchers say could be from shellfish poisoning, oxygen depletion or food scarcity.
South SLO County is famous for its clams, but the population has been decimated by overfishing and environmental factors, nearly going extinct at one point.
Researchers at the Cal Poly Center for Coastal Marine Sciences say the Pismo Clam population has made a major comeback over the last few years. However, they’ve also seen more clams coming to the surface, where they’re threatened by human activity.
To protect the clams on shore right now, local agencies are asking OHVs to stick closer to the dunes than the shore.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife says any clams found on the surface should be re-buried. More information is available here.
