Cover Story
When the levee breaks: Oceano residents, county officials walk a tightrope of regulations to manage Arroyo Grande Creek, which some say led to the levee’s failure in January
Oceano native Linda Austin scanned the rapidly flowing Arroyo Grande Creek as it met the Pacific Ocean after a fresh set of rainstorms on March 25. The silty water powered through, taking out large chunks of sand from the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area beach, impervious to the raised clusters of knotted wood, rock,…
Quasi is silly but mildly amusing
QUASI What’s it rated? R What’s it worth, Glen? Get a little buzzed first What’s it worth, Anna? Not my time Where’s it showing? Hulu Co-writer-director Kevin Heffernan with co-writers Jay Chandrasekhar, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter, and Erik Stolhanske—all part of Broken Lizard Industries (Super Troopers, Beerfest, Club Dread)—present Quasi, loosely based on Victor Hugo’s…
SLO city unveils new Righetti Hill open space
Once a private quarry and cattle ranch, Righetti Hill in San Luis Obispo will soon become the latest “morro” that locals can hike. The 51-acre Righetti Hill open space is joining the city’s 4,300 acres of public lands thanks to a 2018 property acquisition and the City Council’s adoption of a final conservation plan on…
Somebody Somewhere
What’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2022-present Where’s it showing? HBO Max Somebody Somewhere is back for season 2, and I’m over the moon! It hasn’t lost any of its joy, and we dive further into these characters in this slice-of-life show. Sam is struggling to deal with her mother who’s in rehab and refuses to…
Paso High to allow grad cap decorations after students lobby the district
Attendees of the 2023 Paso Robles High School graduation ceremony might spot some new colors sparkling amid the sea of red caps and gowns. Thanks to a petition pushed by a group of students that garnered more than 1,000 signatures, students will be able to decorate the top of their caps—and only their caps—for the…
Dead Ringers
What’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2023 Where’s it showing? Amazon Prime Based on David Cronenberg’s 1988 horror-thriller of the same name about identical twin gynecologists who take advantage of the fact that no one can tell them apart, this new TV series replaces Cronenberg’s male leads with Rachel Weisz in the twin roles of Beverly…
Pismo Beach Planning Commission rejects Spyglass Park dog park
Pismo Beach’s long quest to install a local dog park in the city has been stalled yet again. On May 17, the City Council withdrew its appeal of the local Planning Commission’s rejection of a proposed dog park in a large grassy area of Spyglass Park. The City Council identified developing a dog park at…
The Central Coast is abloom with California’s favorite superfood
Get your green gems Support Central Coast growers at local farmers’ markets and shops, and learn more about California avocados—including history, storage tips, nutrition facts, and recipes—at californiaavocado.com. Try Hass avocados from facebook.com/oceanbreezefarms and avocado-inspired dishes at hotel-slo.com. The estimated 257 million pounds of avocados California will produce this season are hitting store shelves and…
Corrections
• In the May 11 story “Atascadero City Council appoints Jim Lewis as new city manager,” New Times incorrectly reported why Jim Lewis resigned from his position as Pismo Beach city manger. Lewis resigned to be closer to his family and serve his hometown of Atascadero. He is in excellent health. We regret the error.…
Experimental music sensation Yves Tumor plays the Fremont Theater on May 25
Hot on the heels of their new album, Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) and the 2023 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, international touring rockstar Yves Tumor brings their theatrical show to the Fremont Theater next Thursday, May 25 (8 p.m.; all ages; $29.50 at…
Pride Prom comes to SLO and northern Santa Barbara County students
A new prom’s coming to town for high school students, one that’s set to be both a night of dancing and a celebration of the LGBTQ-plus community. “It’s all about gathering together with your community and dancing, or putting art together, or just making new friends,” Art and Soul founder Faith LaGrande said. “We want…
Protect accountability to taxpayers by keeping the state’s Board of Equalization
Accountability is an ideal that is severely missing in our country today. People need to be accountable for their actions, especially when it’s about the responsibility of government to serve the people. If you believe that government owes a higher duty of accountability to taxpayers, then you will share my opposition to a recently proposed…
I hope the city of San Luis Obispo is listening
Wow, am I impressed with the commentary and analysis of David Brodie and Allan Cooper (“Be better problem solvers,” May 4). This entire article just speaks to my heart and so many of the concerns I have about recent decisions by the city. I think every agency and organization the world over have this same…
Our elected leaders need to do more for the nation
Where is our FDR? With exception to the 22nd Amendment, where is a president so popular he or she will be reelected to the office of the president three times for a total of four terms? Where is public employment for the masses? Is the contempt for the average American by our elected leaders so…
Hold the Supreme Court to higher standards
Americans are losing faith in our Supreme Court, and it’s easy to see why. The nine justices on the Supreme Court are the only federal judges not bound by a code of ethics. It’s up to the justices to self-police on ethical issues, and they want to keep it that way. That’s why nothing happened…
Now is Republicans’ time to cast away Donald Trump
I just returned from Spain, where we spent four amazing nights in Barcelona. That city is renowned for its architecture, its Catalonian heritage, its cuisine, and its fantastic Mediterranean beach—but it was the Ciutat Vella (Old Town) that intrigued me most. We walked through its narrow, winding streets—largely unchanged since the Middle Ages—and it was…
Anomalous creature
The most confusing plan for school renovation I’ve ever heard suddenly got more convoluted with a recent announcement about an anomaly. What is an anomaly? Here’s the thing: Nobody really knows. Ooh, mysterious. It could be that there’s an earthquake fault running underneath Georgia Brown Elementary School in Paso Robles. Or it could be that…
SLO REP showcases a simple yet profound set design and dialogue in A Doll’s House, Part 2
Play house A Doll’s House, Part 2 runs until May 21 at the SLO Rep Theatre (888 Morro St., San Luis Obispo) at 7 p.m. Thursday through Sunday and at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. To purchase tickets visit slorep.org/tickets. For more information on this production and future shows, follow SLO Rep on Instagram @sloreptheatre.…
‘Anomalous feature’ sends Georgia Brown Elementary renovation into limbo
Paso Robles school board trustee Jim Cogan’s first reaction was, “Are you kidding me?” After finally deciding the fate of Georgia Brown Elementary School last year, the Paso Joint Unified School District (PRJUSD) recently discovered an “anomalous feature” under the school that’s put its planned renovation in jeopardy. The geologic feature could be seismic—there’s about…
Local author Jill Thayer’s new book celebrates Central Coast hiking trails
The Oceano dunes, Big Sur, and other locales along the Central Coast are highlighted in a new book, Sojourns: 100 Trails of Enlightenment Inspired by the California Central Coast, by local author and photographer Jill Thayer. The book was released by Archway Publishing in late April. In press materials, the book is described as a…
Morro Bay group wants to block Vistra battery energy storage plant
A group of Morro Bay citizens is collecting signatures for an initiative that could potentially bring the controversial proposal to build a battery storage plant to voters. “The initial concern arose when we found out that they were possibly going to build a lithium battery storage a quarter mile away from our local high school,”…
Studio Avila covers jewelry basics in upcoming rivet ring workshop
On Friday, May 19, Studio Avila in Avila Beach will hold a rivet ring-making workshop, from 10 a.m. to noon. Participants will create their own silver or brass rivet ring during the class, which will cover some basic techniques and approaches to jewelry design. Admission to attend the workshop is $75, which includes the cost…
OCSD skeptical of proposed fire services contract
The Oceano Community Services District (OCSD) is worried that a fire services contract proposed by the cities of Arroyo Grande and Grover Beach will drain the unincorporated town’s coffers. “They’re basing their proposal on what they think Oceano should have paid were we to remain in the Five Cities Fire Authority,” OCSD General Manager Will…
