Cover Story
Free to flow: The FDA changes guidelines for LGBTQ-plus men who want to donate blood
An update to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) guidelines on blood donation allows a whole new cross section of people to roll up their sleeves and help those in need. Last May, the FDA eliminated time-based postponements and screening questions posed to men who have sex with other men (MSM population). Previous instruction deemed…
Clos Solène Winery set to expand after permit appeal hearing
A small Niderer Road winery near Paso Robles is gearing up to fashion a 27,000-square-foot facility complete with an underground cave system, much to the dismay of 30 neighbors. In a 5-0 vote on April 9, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors shot down an appeal of a Feb. 8 Planning Commission decision…
Stigma-ta-dah!
Did you know that every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs a blood transfusion? Did you also know that until recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had rules regarding collecting “gay” blood? As if homosexuality isn’t stigmatized enough, amirite? Well, presto-chango, because now, like magic, the FDA has decided that gay and bisexual…
Growing Grounds celebrates four decades of providing purpose
About 90 percent of U.S. adults with serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, anxiety, and major depression, are unemployed, according to a Rutgers study from 2020. “A lot of times, because of anxiety and depression, the idea of even applying for a job is so daunting,” Transitions-Mental Health Association (TMHA) Community Engagement Director Michael Kaplan…
Two local fishermen groups sue developers, the California Coastal Commission, and the California State Lands Commission over offshore wind projects
Offshore wind farms could harm local fish species and the SLO County fishing community’s way of life, according to a spokesperson for two local groups of fishermen. Those groups recently sued several state agencies and wind farm developers over planned projects in federal waters. “Fishermen don’t want offshore wind, especially now that it’s grown to…
Better off
The San Simeon Community Services District proposes dissolving and transferring services and governance to San Luis Obispo County. If the dissolution is approved by the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) and the county Board of Supervisors, a county service area (CSA) will be created to handle San Simeon. The proposed new CSA would resemble the…
Great American Melodrama’s The Fish Whisperer deserves loud lauding
Hook, line, and sinker The Great American Melodrama presents its production of The Fish Whisperer through May 11. The two-act show, which opened on March 22, is followed by the Melodrama’s new vaudeville revue, Maestrolio. The theater is located at 1863 Front St., Oceano. Call (805) 489-2499 or visit americanmelodrama.com for tickets and more info.…
Voice of a village
The place names in San Luis Obispo county indicate what is unique and loved in our community: Paso Robles refers to its precious oaks, and Atascadero, which is a name for a place where water is held back, is home to some of several locations in our county where beavers hold and store water. The…
Activist and artist Favianna Rodriguez leads local poster workshop
The Oceano Community Center will host a free climate justice poster-making workshop with acclaimed artist and social justice activist Favianna Rodriguez on Sunday, April 14, from noon to 3 p.m. The program is organized by the Electrification for Everyone initiative—a partnership between R.A.C.E. Matters SLO County, Diversity Coalition SLO County, Central Coast Coalition for Undocumented…
Nonconformity and rebellion
Hey, kids! Nonconformity! Everyone is doing it! Some recent social trends have me reflecting on the idea of conformity, or more precisely, nonconformity, especially the recent phenomenon of large numbers of teenagers who decide that they won’t conform to conventional binary gender roles, and who declare themselves actually one of the newly discovered genders. With…
Oceano Train Depot hosts free exhibits during Model Rail Days 2024
The SLO Model Railroad Association presents Model Rail Days 2024 at the Oceano Train Depot with six days of activities on April 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, and 21. The venue will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. The upcoming program will include free exhibits of working model…
Monkey Man is an action-packed revenge and justice tale
MONKEY MAN What’s it rated? R What’s it worth, Glen? Full price What’s it worth, Anna? Full price Where’s it showing? Colony, Downtown Centre, Park, Stadium 10 Dev Patel stars in and directs this screenplay he co-wrote with Paul Angunawela and John Collee about a young man, Kid (Patel), who earns a meager living by…
Apples Never Fall
What’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2024 Where’s it showing? Peacock Liane Moriarty is an author known for her twisty tales, and Apples Never Fall isn’t her first work to hit the big screen. She also wrote Big Little Lies, which packed a punch with its star-studded cast. Apples Never Fall also has quite the cast…
You People
What’s it rated? R When? 2023 Where’s it showing? Netflix Kenya Barris (Black-ish, #BlackAF) directs this script co-written with Jonah Hill about a new couple, Ezra Cohen (Hill), who’s white and Jewish, and Amira Mohammed (Lauren London), who’s Black and Muslim. Their problem is their respective families—his are cringy tone-deaf liberals falling all over themselves…
Mirazur in Los Osos serves European-American bistro delicacies by the water
Pick me up Mirazur recommends reservations for dinner. Book your table at mirazurbaywoodpark.com or call (805) 439-0058. Walk in to the 1365 Second St. location in Los Osos to snag a spot for brunch and lunch. Mirazur is open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. It’s open…
String wizard Tony Furtado plays Castoro Cellars on April 14
According to David Lindley, who knows a thing or two about music, “Tony Furtado is a major musical force without a doubt. He has his black belt in voice, bottleneck guitar, and his banjo playing scares the crap out of me.” Furtado was just 12 when he first picked up the banjo, purportedly inspired by…
Arroyo Grande pulls out of Central Coast Blue over cost
The Central Coast Blue project is one agency down after Arroyo Grande City Council members voted unanimously to back out of the three-city cost-sharing agreement on April 9. The project—which aims to inject treated wastewater into the Santa Maria Valley Groundwater Basin as a drought buffer—was supposed to provide water to the cities of Pismo…
Supervisors approve draft noise ordinance for unincorporated areas
A throng of South County residents hope that an updated noise ordinance meant to govern quiet hours in the unincorporated areas of San Luis Obispo County will put an end to the “vibrating walls,” “rattling windows,” and “pulsating bass” caused by their loud neighbors. “The noise problem has become unbearable; it’s a weekend thing,” said…
Morro Bay wraps up $116 million in wastewater reclamation project contracts
Morro Bay has one more phase to complete on its water reclamation facility, something city Public Works Director Greg Kwolek calls the “cornerstone” of the project. The first phase—the Water Resources Center, pipes, and lift stations—started servicing city customers at the end of 2022/beginning of 2023, and the Morro Bay City Council voted to close…
Dana Reserve project to go before supervisors on April 23 and 24
Before the end of April, the controversial Dana Reserve project and local residents should have an answer from the SLO County Board of Supervisors. On April 23 and 24, the proposed Nipomo development will have its days in front of supervisors, six months after the county Planning Commission recommended approval of the project. The development,…
