Cover Story
Prometheus rising
It was an eerily quiet night in Morro Bay as the City Council slowly ebbed its way through the Jan. 24 agenda. The repetitive nodding of one of the few residents still in the audience appeared to be more a struggle to stay conscious than a positive affirmation of any particular issue. Toward the end…
One vision, 22 varieties
Twenty years ago, Rhone wines certainly didn’t have the cachet they do today, now that so many more Americans have become aware. Wine consumption is rising in America, partly thanks to millennials who realized that perhaps those boomers (or old geezers to them) have it right when it comes to wine appreciation. The upcoming Hospice…
Clubs
Goin’ South … BRANCH ST. DELI: 203 E. Branch St., Arroyo Grande, 489-9099. Live music Fri. from 5:30-8:30 p.m. THE CLIFFS RESORT: 2757 Shell Beach Road, 773-5000 or cliffsresort.com. F. MCLINTOCKS SALOON: Two locations: 750 Mattie Road in Pismo Beach and 133 Bridge St. in Arroyo Grande. 773-1892 or mclintocks.com. Live music at the…
Hurray for Hollywood!
The SLO International Film Festival is in full swing, but how many freakin’ movies can a person take, eh? That’s why Steve Key and his Songwriters at Play showcases have come up with something special this week. “I just added a special three-night event, which we’re doing in conjunction with the film festival,” said Key,…
Too much funny
Dude, you guys. Comedy Festivals. I’m telling you. They’re freakin’ so sweet. Imagine all the drunken hijinks of a pub crawl, then subtract the clumsy dancing and replace it with hilarious people, just everywhere. You get a drink, and there’s a professional joke teller at the bar. You sit down, and you laugh your ass…
A joyful noise
Valentine’s Day has come and gone, but that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate love in all its manifestations, from the romantic adoration expressed in Johannes Brahms’ “Fragen” and Gabriel Fauré’s “Puisqu’ici bas;” to the love of one’s spouse, conveyed in “The Wedding Ring” by Russell Smith; to the spiritual love of “Nigra sum” by Casals,…
The Swiss connection
There is always a strong connection between Switzerland and California,” says artist and architect Tom di Santo. Both places are similarly geographically diverse, he explains, and both seem to orient themselves around water: the Pacific in one case, the many lakes and rivers in the other. Di Santo, a Cal Poly associate professor in architecture,…
People who create things in their minds by themselves
Part of the appeal of photographer Michael Childers’ celebrity portraiture lies in the knowledge that his work could never be replicated today. In the ’70s, Childers captured John Travolta, Julia Roberts, Anthony Hopkins, and The Shining’s Shelley Duvall—all of them barely older than 20 and just starting their careers. But the creative freedom Childers enjoyed…
Dive in chocolate, ears first
You probably wondered as a kid why there was so much chocolate on Easter. Sure, you probably never questioned it as you shoved your fourth Cadbury egg in your mouth, but maybe you were always a little curious. Had there once been some giant, pre-historic rabbit that pooped out chocolate confections? And don’t forget that…
Nobilo 2010 Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough
This amazing, food-friendly white wine is still available when so many of its peers from 2011 are hitting the markets. But I haven’t found a 2011 that’s either priced as low or as good in quality as this invincible wine from New Zealand. I love it alone, and require it with my chicken green chile…
Lincourt 2009 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills
This tasty Pinot from Santa Barbara County, released by winemaker Leslie Mead Renaud (formerly at Talley, she joined Lincourt in 2010), impressed me during the recent World of Pinot Noir event. It’s delicious and nicely balanced; I enjoyed its cherry, blackberry, and plummy flavors and aromas. Medium-bodied with light tannins, it’s highlighted with pretty notes…
If you could create a new season, what would you call it and when would it be?
John Plunkett retired bureaucrat “June Gloomium, on the Central Coast until August or September.” Jason Keedy Alaskan tourism “The Season of Pets, a celebration of our furry friends.” Patrick Farley homeless “Rebirth, which would be a midyear season.” Irene Ferrow marketing consultant “Eternal Spring.”
Josh McFadden, creative director
NEW TIMES How long has Proof been in business? JOSH McFADDEN Proof has been around for four years. It started when I finished working harvests in 2007 in Santa Maria. It started off with me having a lot of friends who were winemakers, who needed help putting together e-mails and making decisions about wine clubs,…
He walked the line
Word on the street is Rob Bryn’s gone up to the spirit in the sky, which I picture as a giant teddy bear that wanders down those gold-paved streets passing out welcome baskets. Of course, there’s a good chance Bryn’s gonna confuse the great furry spirit with his arch-nemesis Pedobear, but once they sort through…
Really, I don’t like him
Rush Limbaugh is a limp-legged Viagra swiller who has more in common with the Taliban male than the majority of American males. Quite pathetic those who still adhere to his hateful and anti-feminist swill.
This is poor sportsmanship
When we use the “knee jerk response” to a situation, it always means that someone “gets kicked.” In this case, it’s the homeless who are sleeping in their “homes” overnight, which happen to be vehicles parked on SLO city streets. It’s a violation of “human rights” to deny sleep. The Declaration of Independence was written…
Let’s become allies in the fight to end homelessness
Thank you, New Times, for your continued coverage of issues relating to homelessness in SLO County. Whether it be the recent cover story on individuals living out of their vehicles (Colin Rigley’s “You can’t go home, and you can’t stay here,” Feb. 22) or your ongoing expose of local residents’ unique stories (“The Homeless Project”),…
Just say no to the oil industry
San Luis Obispo lays claim to three of the largest on-shore oil spills in North America: Tank Farm, Avila, and Guadelupe Dunes. A 1998 federal study analyzing oil industry activity in San Luis Obispo County from 1950 to 1998 concluded “the region would have been equally as well off economically had there been no such…
This project would hurt the county
In response to the article “Excelaron digs for project support” (March 1): Excelaron claims it will create jobs, but its project description lists only four full-time employees. Most of the construction and service jobs would come from existing oil industry infrastructure in Kern and Santa Barbara counties. Tax revenues from Excelaron’s project might generate $113,000…
Stop all this Excelaron noise
The March 1 article on the Excelaron project (“Excelaron digs for project support”) implied that county planning staff had presented inaccurate information regarding the noise impacts in Huasna from the proposed project. Huasna residents are concerned about the predicted increase in noise levels over the extremely quiet existing background rural sound levels in Huasna. Excelaron…
This land’s majesty will be preserved New Times readers and North Coast residents,
A recent New Times included an article concerning “unpermitted construction” on a Red Mountain Road property purchased in 2011 (“Hidden woodland wonderland,” Feb. 23). The article included numerous accusations, speculation, and errors, and comments made by the Planning and Building Department were misrepresented regarding intended use of the property. Prior to purchasing the land, the…
Join us in supporting Fukushima survivors
On the one-year anniversary of the tragic events in Fukushima, San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace invites members of the public to gather to remember and to express our support for the survivors. The disaster, triggered by a combination of the unanticipated size of the earthquake and the ensuing tsunami, is not over. Radiation releases…
Shredder says, ‘Just doing my job’
Shredder, I am always entertained by your pieces, but I have to tell you the “Home, sweet home” (Feb. 23) was your best piece yet. Keep up the great work!
Every day is March 10
It’s been almost a year since we sat in front of our TVs, drop-jawed, open-mouthed, watching in horror as an above design-basis earthquake and monstrous tidal wave engulfed the coasts of northeastern Japan. Almost a year since video of an exploding nuclear reactor played again and again. Almost a year since I called my brother…
Cougars & Mustangs
Attention Cuesta students: It is time for you to learn about “The Bucket Theory.” A name seemingly ripped from one of Dr. Ian Malcolm’s passionate sermons, the theory describes how state money gets put into your school (in fact, into community colleges in general), and therefore how state money doesn’t. Dr. Gil Stork, your esteemed…
Coming up dry
Clouds draped across the sky over the Carissa Plains early one recent Friday morning. The long veins of Highway 58 that wind over the valley floor are now dotted by the occasional pack of road crews, or an illuminated sign with the words “NO CONVOY TODAY” glowing yellow. Teams of construction workers pepper the landscape…
Of dollars and dimensions
Pacific Gas & Electric has lots of ’splaining to do these days. The utility is smack-dab in the middle of a complex web of government agencies, committees, advocacy groups, legislators, and expert panels, each demanding that it perform studies to prove Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant is seismically safe before its customers cough up any…
Accessories that pop
Richard Lossing doesn’t need to outsource much. When it comes to his growing business, Mode Populour, he’s done an incredible job of handling almost all the details. His touch can be seen in M.P.’s sleek webpage and all the way down to some of the store’s furniture he designed and built. For the past six…
Corrections
• The March 1 story, “Excelaron digs for project support” misstated the permit application. Excelaron is applying to drill as many as 12 wells and the corresponding facilities. • A photo of Pewter Plough Playhouse’s presentation of Wait Until Dark in the Feb. 23 Hot Dates was miscredited. Brett White was the photographer.
Grand Jury critiques city vacation policies
The San Luis Obispo County Grand Jury thinks Paso Robles and Atascadero have too much time on their hands. In a report released March 2, the Grand Jury concluded that both cities are in major violation of their own employee vacation accumulation policies. The report, which looked at all of the cities in SLO County,…
Supes block Oceano dispensary
Despite praising Tammy Murray’s proposal for a medical marijuana dispensary in Oceano as the “best we’ve seen,” county supervisors agreed the facility isn’t a good fit for the South County community. Though the SLO County Planning Commission voted 4-1 in favor of Murray’s application in November, an appeal filed by Oceano Advisory Council Chair Barbara…
Kurkowicz cancels SLO performance
Joanna Kurkowicz, the violinist recently featured in New Times for her planned performance with the SLO Symphony, (“Uncovering Bacewicz,” March 1) was injured in a car accident and has cancelled her appearance in San Luis Obispo. While Kurkowicz’s injuries aren’t life threatening, the violinist is unable to travel or perform at this time. Born in…
Bark, meet bite
Supervisor Adam Hill’s experience with a rogue Chihuahua isn’t exactly what San Luis Obispo County officials want to regulate. Hill, who often can be seen walking his dogs in downtown SLO, said he’s always chased by a Chihuahua. Menacing? Yes. Dangerous? No. Still, he said, there’s “clearly a gap in our own codes.” On March…
Morro Bay police chief to resign
Morro Bay’s chief of police will step down in mid-April in order to join the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department as undersheriff. Chief Tim Olivas, who’s headed the Morro Bay force since April 2010, confirmed to New Times he’s taking the top spot, which is second only to Sheriff Ian Parkinson. After graduating from…
Sheriff’s Department mourns passing of spokesman
On Feb. 21, Sheriff’s Department Spokesman Rob Bryn seemed spry and witty as ever as he sat down with New Times reporters, doing what he did best: keeping the media in the loop and backing up his long-time friend and colleague Sheriff Ian Parkinson. Two days later, the department announced that Bryn was found dead…
