Cover Story
Out of reach: For residents in some of SLO County’s unincorporated areas, fresh fruits and vegetables can be hard to find
Lifelong San Luis Obispo County resident Jamie Silva may have lived in Nipomo for the past almost two years, but she finds herself in Arroyo Grande and nearby Santa Barbara County when it’s time to grocery shop. “When we moved here, I was pregnant,” Silva said. “I needed fruits and vegetables, and it was slim…
Think of those who have less
The Tribune’s March 21 editorial, “SLO County is killing its affordable housing fee. Here’s why that’s a win for the wealthy,” is relevant for all parties if they show true concern for those who have less. While some may feel that the matter of affordable housing favors one party, I do not see that as…
Iliza Shlesinger brings Back in Action tour to the PAC
Cal Poly Arts presents touring comedian Iliza Shlesinger on Friday, April 1, at 8 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center (PAC) in San Luis Obispo. The performance is part of Shlesinger’s Back in Action tour. The popular comedian is widely known for her Netflix specials, which include Unveiled, War Paint, Freezing Hot, and Confirmed Kills.…
Daylight saving folly
SLO has 14 hours and 28 minutes of daylight on the longest day of the year and 9 hours and 50 minutes on the shortest day of the year. Standard time places noon at the halfway point with an equal number of daylight hours between. Therefore in midwinter we only have 4 hours and 55…
Paso Robles Art in the Park showcases more than 130 artists
A large group of artists and crafters will be showcasing their work at Paso Robles Art in the Park, a two-day event that takes place at the Downtown City Park on Saturday, April 9, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, April 10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This popular group exhibition offers…
Complex foci
How would you feel if the roof over your head leaked water every time it rained? What about if you saw cockroaches scurrying across the floor? I’m not talking about the Grand View Apartments in Paso Robles where tenants sued the owners in 2019 over mold, cockroaches, rats, bedbugs, and generally unlivable conditions (the owners…
Grover Beach Community Library hosts upcoming book sale
A special book sale takes place at the Grover Beach Community Library on Saturday, April 2, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The sale will feature a diverse collection of books, including children’s books, self-help books, crafting guides, biographies, and coffee table books. Call (805) 481-4131, email admin@groverbeachlibrary.org, or visit groverbeachlibrary.org for more details on…
Get a taste of the upcoming Lucidity fest at SLO Brew Rock on March 25
Music festival season is upon us, and unlike the last couple of years, this one appears to be a go. One of the first nearby biggies is Lucidity, scheduled for early April at the Live Oak Camp off Highway 154 near Santa Barbara. To get you in the mood, SLO Brew Rock is hosting Regeneration…
Georgia Brown headed to temporary school site despite parent petition
Cockroaches. Flea bites. Leaky classroom ceilings. Parents at Georgia Brown Elementary School say these are the conditions their kids have dealt with for years at the worn-down site on 36th Street in Paso Robles. A compromise reached in February would move these students to portable classrooms while a new campus is renovated. But some parents…
New Inn at the Pier chef Stefen Shatto’s menu gives locals a reason to head to the Pismo Beach hotel’s rooftop restaurant
Find your view Visit theinnatthepier.com for more information about The Rooftop restaurant and bar, hours, and cocktail and food menus. For SLO County locals, the dozens of hotels dotting the Pismo Beach shoreline are normally thought of as something for the tourists. But locals and visitors alike will enjoy the hidden gem that is Inn…
SLO County and the Central Coast Water Authority seek agreement to solve state water challenges
For those who follow it, the saga of state water on the Central Coast is a frustrating one. When the State Water Project was first built in the 1960s, the San Luis Obispo County Flood Control District purchased rights to 25,000 acre-feet of water per year, an amount that could serve about 125,000 households. Decades…
Arroyo Grande introduces ordinance establishing by-district elections
Arroyo Grande is officially transitioning from at-large City Council elections to districts for the first time in city history. At the March 22 City Council meeting, council members ratified a district map in a 4-1 vote, with Mayor Caren Ray Russom dissenting in favor of different map Plan 903. In both maps, Highway 101 cuts…
Dignity Health seeks city approval for French hospital expansion
Dignity Health is taking its plans to expand French Hospital Medical Center back to the city of San Luis Obispo following a pause during COVID-19. On March 21, SLO’s Architectural Review Committee (ARC) discussed the project, which proposes to add a new four-story medical tower, parking garage, and helipad to French’s current complex on Johnson…
SLO Superior Court blocks environmental groups’ intervention in Oceano Dunes lawsuit
A group of environmental organizations racing to curb off-roading in the Oceano Dunes were forced to come to a screeching halt. On March 21, the San Luis Obispo County Superior Court prohibited the intervention of six environmental agencies in the long-running litigation against the California Coastal Commission to keep the dunes open for off-highway vehicle…
Cunningham bill takes aim at social media companies
A new California bill aims to hold tech companies accountable for intentionally getting kids addicted to social media apps. If passed, the Social Media Duty to Children Act would allow legal action to be taken against social media companies for designing algorithms that cause excessive use and addiction among minors. It would create liability in…
SLO city seeks major garbage rate increase
San Luis Obispo city residents could see their largest garbage rate increase in years, as trash companies react to inflation and new state waste mandates. On April 19, the SLO City Council will consider a 17.75 percent increase to local garbage rates, with a temporary 26 percent increase in effect for the remainder of 2022.…
New nonprofit, SLO4Home, is helping Afghan refugees get established in the county
Shalimar Restaurant, an often-packed SLO eatery serving Indian and Pakistani fare, wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the immigrants who started it. “As an immigrant, I moved here in 1994 from Pakistan,” said Aasim Sajjad, who started the restaurant with his family. “We opened our restaurant in 2007.” Sajjad remembers the barriers he and…
The Adam Project is a family-friendly time-travel adventure
THE ADAM PROJECT What’s it rated? PG-13 What’s it worth, Anna? Full price What’s it worth, Glen? Full price Where’s it showing? Netflix In this family-friendly sci-fi thriller, it’s 2050, and wise-cracking time-traveling pilot Adam Reed (Ryan Reynolds) attempts to return to 2018 on a rescue mission to save his wife, Laura (Zoe Saldana), but…
SLO’s always been pricey
As a 65-year-old resident of San Luis Obispo County—pardon, there was a three-year hiatus after college where I work for a Semi Conductor Company in Santa Clara back in the 1980s, but for the most part born and raised in SLO—I’ve watched the growth of this county, San Luis Obispo city in particular, as I’ve…
Somebody Somewhere
What’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2022 Where’s it showing? HBO Max This may be my favorite new series out there. Charming and funny, this story of small-town America and prodigal daughter Sam (Bridget Everett) is both joyous and tear-jerking. Sam works in a job she doesn’t feel any passion for but also doesn’t want to…
New Times, you lost my respect
I opened the March 17 New Times and inside the first page I see a full page advertisement for Lucky Strike cigarettes. I am shocked and saddened that your need for funds has you supporting the purchase of cigarettes. They are proven killers and for many years have not been given space in print or…
The Forever Prisoner
What’s it rated? Not rated When? 2021 Where’s it showing? HBO Max [image-2] This HBO Max documentary is important reminder that the Muslim world has a very good reason to think of the USA as a land of hypocrites. We may profess to be freedom loving and ruled by law, but try telling that to…
We deserve an apology
I’m not that easy to surprise, but at the last Atascadero school board meeting on March 15, I was not only surprised but also disgusted. School district board President Terri Switzer compared being asked to get vaccinated during a pandemic to what the Jews suffered during the Holocaust. Board member Ray Buban compared the treatment…
After the pandemic closed his SLOMA exhibit to the public, Mark Bryan painted on
Discovering Bryan Get your hands on Mark Bryan’s artwork in his 140-page book Pictures in My Head: The Art of Mark Bryan, available through his website store—artofmarkbryan.com—where prints of his many works are also available. On March 4, 2020, local artist Mark Bryan was riding high. It was opening night of his new exhibition of…
