Cover Story
You can’t stay here: Homeless advocates criticize Morro Bay’s new camping ordinances, ask for more homeless outreach
Wendy Blacker knows what living in a homeless encampment is like. She understands what it means when your whole life—filled with struggles against addiction and a loss of faith in the system—gets uprooted because your living situation has become untenable. “When it is all you have at that moment, it’s not just an easy process…
Orchesis Dance Company presents Retrograde at Spanos Theatre
An upcoming recital at the Spanos Theatre in SLO will highlight a selection of original dances developed by choreographers at the Orchesis Dance Company. Performances of the show, titled Retrograde, will be held on Jan. 19, 25, 26, and 27, at 7:30 p.m., and Jan. 20, at both 2 and 7:30 p.m. Participating choreographers in…
Disqualification
Democrats, dispirited after recent polls showing Donald Trump running ahead of Joe Biden, and facing the unendurable possibility of another four years of the Orange Beast, finally got a bit of encouraging news. One of their “Hail Mary” passes, the use of an obscure portion of the 14th Amendment barring anyone who has engaged in…
The Beekeeper floats like a turd
THE BEEKEEPER What’s it rated? RWhat’s it worth, Glen? Stream itWhat’s it worth, Anna? Skip itWhere’s it showing? Colony, Downtown Centre, Park, Stadium 10 David Ayer (Fury, Suicide Squad) directs this revenge flick written by Kurt Wimmer (Salt, Expen4bles) about a mild-mannered beekeeper named Adam Clay (Jason Statham) who turns out to have a been…
Good Grief
What’s it rated? R When? 2023 Where’s it showing? Netflix Dan Levy writes, directs, and stars in this sad, sweet comedy that follows Marc (Levy) as he navigates the year following the unexpected death of his husband, Oliver (Luke Evans). Marc has his two besties, ex-paramour Thomas (Himesh Patel) and chronically flighty Sophie (Ruth Negga),…
Citizen Kane
What’s it rated? PG When? 1941 Where’s it showing? Bay Theatre on Friday, Jan. 19, at 6 p.m. ($10 at my805tix.com) There’s a reason Citizen Kane frequently tops lists for the greatest film ever made. On a technical level, there’s its innovative lighting design, which is further highlighted by filming in black and white even…
Supervisors want to set up redistricting commission through state legislation
The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors was divided as it tried to iron out the framework for an independent redistricting commission to scrutinize and readjust county district boundaries in 2031. Fourth District Supervisor Jimmy Paulding wanted voters to decide through a ballot measure, adding that it’s a way to remove “an abuse of…
The SLO Rent Coalition and 5th District Supervisor candidate Susan Funk shed light on renter woes and potential solutions
San Luis Obispo resident Diego Cervantez pays $1,000 per month to share a room with another tenant in a house with six people—and that doesn’t include utilities. “We’re paying upwards of $5,000 to $6,000 for my rental, and a lot of that issue of pricing is exacerbated by the fact that there is quite low…
Local port debates participating in wind energy project
Port San Luis could gain economic benefits from future offshore wind projects in the Morro Bay Wind Energy Area. Port San Luis Harbor District Director Suzy Watkins told New Times it’s important for people to remember that this isn’t a Morro Bay project, contrary to its name. “These areas are offshore in federal waters, which…
Paso City Council pushes for more airport staffing and continued spaceport development
The Paso Robles Airport will receive a boost in its efforts to modernize its airport following the presentation of an updated project plan at the Jan. 16 City Council meeting. “I hope that we have shown you today how much effort we have put into this plan and why we believe that moving forward is…
New DOJ indictment details wire and bank fraud attempts by Ryan Wright
Criminal charges against Ryan Wright—the disgraced former executive of a San Luis Obispo development company—keep mounting as an alleged fraud scheme uncovered by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) comes to light. Wright, formerly known as Ryan Petetit, faces a new indictment of 14 counts of wire fraud, three counts of attempted bank fraud, and…
Oceano residents receive extension on federally funded aid for utility bills
Hundreds of Oceano residents have trouble paying their water and sewer bills on time. “Past-due bills vary each bimonthly cycle, [but] for the December 2023 billing cycle, 434 late notices to customers were generated,” OCSD Account Administrator Nicole Miller told New Times. But there’s help available—at least until March. A federal program recently extended its…
SLO CAL Roots donates cannabis to those in need
A healthy connection between someone’s mind, body, and soul is important for Rateb Nesari, who uses cannabis to help soothe those in pain. Nesari, who works for SLO CAL Roots Dispensary, said he started running a compassionate care program through the dispensary after his wife began suffering from mental illness, and Western medicine didn’t seem…
Scales that tip
When it comes to an independent redistricting commission in San Luis Obispo County, two members of the Board of Supervisors are patently against it. Do you see what I did there? Let me spell it out for you: Those two conservative supervisors were also Patten-tly in favor of the Patten map—a district map proffered by…
First Ladies of Disco brings groovy dance tunes to the Clark Center
Get your groove on Snag tickets to First Ladies of Disco: The Ultimate Flash Back Experience—taking place at the Clark Center for the Performing Arts, 487 Fair Oaks Ave, Arroyo Grande, on Jan. 25—by visiting clarkcenter.org. Disco is alive and well—and an iconic trio of women who were pioneers in the scene are bringing the…
Jake Blount plays Bristols Cider House on Jan. 20
Jake Blount (pronounced “blunt”) is a musical archeologist digging deep through obscure source material to inspire his original arrangements of public domain music. You’ll recognize gospels and spirituals, string band old timey sounds, and roots blues, but when Blount gets his hands on these snippets of old music, they’re transformed into something reimagined that he’s…
Dominique Benavidez’s Agridulce creates gourmet Latin American and Asian fare for private dinners and events
Private reserve Inquire about private dinners and events catered by Agridulce on dombenavidez.com. Keep up with Chef Dominique Benavidez’s creations on Facebook and Instagram @chef.benavidez. Making the switch from working in commercial kitchens to being a private chef required Arroyo Grande-based Dominique Benavidez to face a gritty truth about the industry, especially if she wanted…
The Oceano Community Services District is starting a new era of positive change, leadership
The Oceano Community Services District (OCSD) has a new interim general manager with a stellar career of public organization management in the county and community services district. He is developing excellent relationships with all the directors through an inclusive process of transparency and involvement. Our first meeting of the new year was distinguished by a…
Local author releases Frozen Voices: A Speech Therapist’s Alaskan Memoir
In 1976, Kit Roberts Johnson began working as a speech-language pathologist in Alaska. More than three decades later, the SLO resident released a memoir that recounts her clinical experiences working with Indigenous Alaskans “who were just finding their voices after being silenced for generations,” according to press materials. Johnson released her book, Frozen Voices: A…
Affordable housing is a foundation for strong communities
A crucial concern that directly impacts our citizens’ well-being lies in the heart of our community: affordable housing. As the CEO of the SLO County Housing Trust Fund, a nonprofit affordable housing revolving loan fund, I want to share the significance of this challenge and advocate for its role in shaping our community’s future. Our…
