Cover Story
Unsheltered in place: San Luis Obispo’s housed population is staying home during the pandemic, but the unhoused are being asked to move
In the four years that Paul Andreano has been working with people experiencing homelessness in San Luis Obispo, he’s witnessed and heard about too many homeless camp cleanups to count. As a volunteer with Hope’s Village of SLO, a nonprofit that advocates for people experiencing homelessness, Andreano said he helps distribute roughly 1,500 pounds of…
Santa Barbara County reduces COVID-19 hospitalizations by almost half
Things are looking up for Santa Barbara County as COVID-19 hospitalization continues to trend downward. At a Sept. 8 press conference, Public Health Director Dr. Van Do-Reynoso reported that 44 people are hospitalized due to the virus with 17 in the ICU. That’s nearly half the number of people hospitalized with coronavirus exactly one month…
Crews prevent open space fire from reaching SLO homes
A San Luis Obispo vegetation fire that threatened dozens of homes on Sept. 6 was halted at 90 acres that evening without damaging any property, officials said. Fire crews responded shortly after 4 p.m. to a possible apartment fire on the 200 block of Bridge Street near the South Hills Open Space amid a record-breaking…
California Men’s Colony reports first inmate COVID-19 death
An inmate at the California Men’s Colony (CMC) died on Sept. 1 of what staff say appear to be complications related to COVID-19, marking the prison’s first coronavirus death since an outbreak was first detected in late July. CMC reported the inmate’s death in a statement released on Sept. 2, adding that the inmate died…
Art Central announces October exhibition, Places of Quiet
Art Central in San Luis Obispo has announced its next exhibition, Places of Quiet, which is scheduled to open on Oct. 1 and run through Nov. 24. This upcoming exhibit will showcase watercolor paintings by California-based artist Rosanne Seitz. Fifteen recent landscape pieces by Seitz will be on display throughout the show’s run at the…
Bill & Ted Face the Music is good for a few laughs
BILL & TED FACE THE MUSIC What’s it rated? PG-13 What’s it worth, Anna? Stream it What’s it worth, Glen? Rent it Where’s it showing? On demand Dean Parisot (Home Fries, Galaxy Quest) directs this third installment in the Bill & Ted buddy-comedy-sci-fi series about two metalhead slackers—Bill S. Preston Esq. (Alex Winter) and Ted…
(Un)Well
What’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2020 Where’s it showing? Netflix The six-part series [UN]WELL looks at health practices that fall outside of the norm and sometimes into dangerous territories. From the big business of essential oil sales to bee-sting therapy or bodybuilders bulking up via breast milk, this series tackles some of the more bizarre…
Meet this year’s Pismo Beach City Council candidates
The November 2020 election is just around the corner, and in Pismo Beach, three seats are up for election and several candidates are in the running. Mayor Ed Waage, and City Councilmembers Marcia Guthrie and Erik Howell are all up for reelection this year, and there are one mayoral challenger and three additional City Council…
Medi-Cal’s shift to prison labor for prescription eyewear could collapse local care system, experts warn
Local health administrators and optometrists are pushing back against a recent change to San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties’ managed Medi-Cal plan, CenCal Health, that strips away all coverage of private prescription eyewear in favor of glasses produced by state prison inmates. Passed down by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), effective…
Paso Robles discusses reducing personnel costs
The city of Paso Robles continued to analyze how it can save money at its Sept. 1 City Council meeting in response to the pandemic, which has exacerbated the city’s deficit. “We are basically bleeding a million dollars a month as a result of the pandemic. Whereas city services, most city services, the same demand…
The Goat Girls provide targeted grazing services throughout SLO County
“Goat girl” was a nickname that Beth Reynolds loathed. She received that moniker when she was in college working with goats at Cal Poly as part of her senior project in 2003. The project focused on the service goats provide to manage vegetation—aka targeted grazing, which involves accomplishing vegetation or landscaping goals by using a…
Acts of Violence
What’s it rated? R When? 2018 Where’s it showing? Netflix Go ahead and file this film under “Bruce Willis needed a paycheck.” Directed by Brett Donowho (Salvation U.S.A.) and filmed in beautiful Cleveland, Ohio, it’s a classic revenge tale. Former Army Rangers Deklan (Cole Hauser) and Brandon (Shawn Ashmore) love their sister Mia (Melissa Bolona)…
We need Diablo
Fires are burning in California right now. These are global warming fires caused by vegetation getting insufficient rainfall. A lack of rainfall is caused by warming temperatures worldwide and locally. The primary cause of global warming worldwide is burning fossil fuels. California has wind and solar, but we need a carbon-free source of energy that…
State advocacy group critical of SLO housing plan
The city of San Luis Obispo is gearing up to submit an eight-year housing plan to the state, but the California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA) organization says the plan falls short of addressing the needs of low-income residents. In a 26-page letter to the SLO City Council, the CRLA said that the city’s update to…
Liberty and justice for all
The Founding Fathers defined America very clearly, with powerful words that cannot be misunderstood, or changed. From the opening lines of the Declaration of Independence we read: “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among theses…
Candidates campaign virtually in Morro Bay
Unlike past election years, candidates vying for two open seats on the Morro Bay City Council will be sharing their platforms with the community via their campaign websites. Two City Council seats are up for grabs this year, with incumbent Robert Davis seeking reelection and Councilmember Marlys McPherson opting to not run for another term.…
We will miss you, Pepe Delgado’s
Much more than just a San Luis Obispo landmark and an excellent restaurant for nearly half a century, dating back to when they first opened in 1971, Pepe Delgado’s has always meant something very special to our family. Birthdays, anniversaries, and numerous other family celebrations were regularly marked, decade after decade, at Pepe’s. Our appreciation…
New racial justice group calls for changes at Lucia Mar
A new organization focused on addressing race issues and equity on the Central Coast is pushing for more inclusive practices in the Lucia Mar Unified School District. The Central Coast Organization on Racial Injustice—a group formed in early June that is dedicated to creating a space for local youth to address the racism, sexual harassment,…
Teach a superhero
Superhero movies have been rampant in the last decade, many quite epic. They portray overcoming hardship, the struggle between good and evil, and fulfilling one’s potential in the face of difficulty. Lofty stuff to tackle with a young child. But you know what’s simple, what they all have in common? Adaptability. The ability to change,…
Bread Bike strives to build community through good health and love for the environment
Unity and bread You can order bread for pickup at slobreadbike.com or join the Community Supported Bakery (CSB) as a weekly or bi-weekly subscriber. All breads are delivered by bike the day they are baked. Santa Maria-based Blosser Urban Garden organic veggie and fruit CSA can add a loaf of their weekly rustic bread to…
Reach beyond
Talk to people from the Women’s March, and SLO Police Chief Deanna Cantrell was a hero. Talk to people from the Black Lives Matter marches, and she wasn’t. (It’s hard to imagine the Women’s March getting teargased.) Can police reach beyond their own identity to imagine someone else’s? The chilling version is white Kenosha, Wisconsin,…
SLO finalizes Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force
A dozen local residents were selected on Sept. 1 to serve as members of the city of San Luis Obispo’s new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force, which will meet over the next few months to brainstorm policies and programs to support underrepresented community members. A SLO City Council steering committee of Mayor Heidi Harmon…
A-Town shakedown
In July, Nic Mattson, co-editor/publisher of Atascadero News and the Paso Robles Press, began his “House on Fire” commentaries. To read, go to the atascaderonews.com opinion section. His commentaries lack sources (a “guideline” required by the Atascadero News) and befriend the reader while he seeks to capture emotions. Plus, he uses a phrase from QAnon.…
Sham-watch 2020
To be perfectly frank—to speak with extreme candor—I have a hard time following almost anything that tumbles out of Andy Caldwell’s mouth. But then again, perhaps that’s because his thoughts are just too high and mighty for my vulgar shredding capabilities. Or maybe, it’s because this particular candidate for the 24th District seat in the…
Destiny rendezvous, redux
“The brave and clear platform adopted by this convention … sets forth that government in a modern civilization has certain inescapable obligations to its citizens, among which are protection of the family and the home, the establishment of a democracy of opportunity, and aid to those overtaken by disaster.” Could these words have been spoken…
Fialta does it again with the new single “Modern Hero”
You know the warm fuzzy feeling you get listening to ’70s ABBA songs? You get it again listening to Fialta’s awesome new single “Modern Hero,” which they released on Sept. 1. “When we wrote and recorded this song over a year ago, we were in a very different mental space than we are now,” Beth…
Dead Reckoning reimagines the 1923 Honda Point naval disaster
Meet the authors Co-writers Michael Corbin Ray and Therese Vannier will sign copies of their new historical fiction book Dead Reckoning, which chronicles the infamous 1923 Honda Point naval disaster, on Saturday, Sept. 12, in Coalesce Bookstore in Morro Bay from 1 to 3 p.m. If you happen to find yourself in Lompoc on Saturday,…
Local artisans contribute handcrafted pottery to ninth annual Empty Bowls fundraiser
Patrons of the ninth annual Empty Bowls fundraiser, previously a traditional luncheon event, will be able to pick up their soup—served in handcrafted bowls that customers get to keep—on three different dates, from three different venues: St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Arroyo Grande on Saturday, Sept. 12; New Life Community Church in Pismo Beach on…
