Cover Story
On the rocks: The Board of Supervisors majority is divorcing SLO County from its Integrated Waste Management Authority
Polystyrene has nothing to do with the fight over San Luis Obispo County’s Integrated Waste Management Authority (IWMA), according to county 4th District Supervisor Lynn Compton. “This has been brewing for years,” Compton told New Times. “What’s going on right now is a divorce, and we want a divorce, and they don’t want a divorce…
Playing with water
Cambria is at very real risk of running out of water until the first rain, and yet the Cambria Community Services District (CCSD) counterintuitively seems to have decided to do nothing about the possibility. Instead the CCSD should declare a Stage 5 emergency and configure an accompanying policy to significantly restrict demand for the rest…
With the school year underway, parents are making their opinions heard about kids wearing masks in the classroom
With students back on campus full time for the first time in a year and a half, parents across SLO County are speaking out about whether or not they want their kids wearing masks at school. While people on both sides of the argument feel their voices are being silenced and that decision-makers’ actions don’t…
Open letter to AG, Grover
A few weeks ago, the intersection of Oak Park Boulevard and West Grand Avenue in Grover Beach was updated with new lanes and a new rule. At each of the four corners, signs are posted “No Turn On Red.” This is new. I understand. However, I have observed that four out of five drivers per…
SLO opioid overdose death rate higher than the state’s in 2020
San Luis Obispo County racked up opioid overdose deaths at a rate that’s 55 percent higher than California’s, according to a New Times analysis of California Department of Public Health data. The worrying statistic caused local opioid overdose awareness groups to commemorate International Overdose Awareness Day at Mitchell Park on Aug. 31. “I think the…
Lack of commitment
Going on 18 months after California’s initial statewide stay at home order, SLO County is seeing record numbers once again. As I write, 54 SLO County residents are in the hospital with COVID-19, 18 in the ICU. Across the United States, the daily average for hospitalized COVID-19 patients is now more than 100,000, nearing the…
SLO City Council to decide how to fill mayor vacancy
With San Luis Obispo Mayor Heidi Harmon announcing that she’s stepping down as mayor at the end of September, about year before her term is up, the remaining SLO City Council members now have a decision to make. “We will be presented with a choice,” City Councilmember Andy Pease said, “an appointment or a special…
Overwhelmed
Since I wrote my last little rant on vaccinations and COVID-19, SLO Mayor Heidi Harmon quit, defense attorneys in the Kristin Smart case subpoenaed a journalist, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released a scathing report detailing constitutional rights abuses at the SLO County Jail, and SLO County Public Health Officer Penny Borenstein finally implemented…
County asks homeless parked in Oceano to move to safe parking site
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office wants Oceano’s residents living in parked vehicles to take their homes to the new Safe Parking Site near the county jail, which opened on Aug. 13. Homeless community members said the parking area at the corner of Kansas and Oklahoma is “barren” and cut off from basic amenities,…
DOJ investigation finds that SLO County Jail violates inmates’ constitutional rights
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released the results of a three-year investigation into the San Luis Obispo County Jail on Aug. 31, concluding that the jail violates the constitutional rights of inmates on several fronts, including by failing to provide adequate medical and mental health care and by using excessive force with impunity. Sparked…
With five concerts in the next seven days, Vina Robles is a music city
With COVID-19 caveats in tow, it seems like the music scene on the Central Coast is moving full-steam ahead—the Delta variant be damned! And Vina Robles Amphitheater is coming in hot this week, with shows every night this weekend and on Wednesday and Thursday. Vina implemented a new policy on Sept. 4 requiring all patrons…
Kelley Williams Education helps wedding photographers perfect their craft
Wedding photographer Kelley Williams may be slammed with covering Central Coast nuptials every weekend until mid-December, but that packed schedule hasn’t stopped her from giving back to the community. “People [photographers] started reaching out to me about questions they had. They wanted to meet with me and have me be a mentor to them,” Williams…
Park 1039 offers an immersive culinary experience marrying Central Coast fare with wines from around the world
Take a stroll Park 1039 is open Wednesday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 1039 Chorro St. For details on wine club membership and upcoming events—including Burgundy at the Park on Sept. 12—visit park1039.com. Follow the restaurant and wine shop on Facebook…
Misha and the Wolves tells poignant truth
MISHA AND THE WOLVES What’s it rated? PG-13 What’s it worth, Téa? Full price What’s it worth, Caleb? Full price Where’s it showing? Netflix Documentarian Sam Hobkinson (The Kleptocrats, The Hunt for the Boston Bombers) directs this exploration of the events and circumstances surrounding the writing, publishing, and investigation of Misha Defonseca’s infamous memoir, as…
Reminiscence
What’s it rated? PG-13 When? 2021 Where’s it showing? HBO Max, and in theaters (check local theater listings) Lisa Joy (co-creator and executive producer of HBO’s Westworld) helms this sci-fi thriller, which marks the writer-director’s feature film debut. The film takes place in Miami, during a not so far-fetched future where climate change has caused…
Cruella
What’s it rated? PG-13 When? 2021 Where’s it showing? Disney Plus Although its original “premium” release was in May (with an extra $29.99 added to your subscription fee), Cruella finally became free for Disney Plus users to stream starting on Aug. 27. Emma Stone plays the infamous villainess in this devilish origin story, taking place…
Carpinteria author Mark Brickley presents his multimedia Zoom production The Beatles Road to Stardom: 1956-1964
Zoom in! Beatles author Mark Brickley will present via Zoom his multimedia presentation The Beatles Road to Stardom: 1956-1964, on Wednesday, Sept. 8, via the SLO County Public Library (6:30 p.m.; free; register at slolibrary.org). The presentation focuses on the band’s early years and their rise as recording artists. Featuring many rare photos and in-concert…
Linnaea’s Cafe showcases three SLO artists in new abstract exhibition
A new art showcase was installed at Linnaea’s Cafe in downtown SLO at the end of August, which displays a collection of abstract paintings and collage pieces by three local artists, Linda DeRosa, Blaire Kilbey, and Charlotte D’Aigle. The exhibit is scheduled to remain up through Sunday, Sept. 26, and is available to view during…
SLO Gallery holds belated grand opening celebration
Although SLO Gallery opened earlier this year, the venue has not yet held an event to celebrate its grand opening to the public. The gallery will hold a belated, celebratory reception on Saturday, Sept. 4, from 5 to 8 p.m. Guests can look forward to enjoying a variety of artworks on display at the venue,…
Joebella Coffee Roasters hosts restored photography exhibit, 1975: People, Places, Things
Joebella Coffee Roasters in Atascadero is hosting a new photography exhibition, 1975: People, Places, Things, Saturday, Sept. 4, through Wednesday, Dec. 1. The exhibit was organized by Maureen Thompson and Larry Borges, who restored a collection of black and white photographs Thompson took in 1975 while studying photography in several countries in Europe, including Austria,…
