Cover Story
A cinephile’s paradise
For a relatively little town, Santa Barbara takes its films very seriously. In addition to boasting an impressive lineup of selections ranging from regional to international, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, now in its 27th year, will also host 37 American and 16 world premieres—among them Darling Companion, starring Diane Keaton and Kevin Kline,…
Rob Aguilar
AGUILAR No. Produce isn’t. But feeding people and teaching them how to eat is. And growing food. It was ingrained in me by my father. The produce department allows me the launching pad to be able to grow my own food. NEW TIMES Describe your morals behind eating organic and local. AGUILAR I feel strongly…
Mama’s soulful foods
I can’t frequent restaurants I’ve previously reviewed because I’m always busy checking out all of the new places opening up in SLO County. But after a recent revisit at Mama’s Meatball in SLO, I realized it doesn’t hurt to remind our readers what makes this small family owned and operated Italian trattoria so special. When…
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…
Go big or go home
SLO Brew has had some mighty big weeks, but for sheer star power and name recognition, this week may be its biggest ever! You can see rock god Geoff Tate of Queensrÿche, world music master David Lindley, indie rock darlings Secret Chiefs 3 and Dengue Fever, hippy fave and loop kingpin Keller Williams, and DIY…
What, who, and why is Galumpha?
To galumph—a verb coined by Lewis Carroll—is defined as “to leap or move about clumsily or joyfully,” though this may be too modest a description to contain the likes of Galumpha, the troupe of muscled, comical dancer-acrobats whose bodies move like the strange progeny of a ballerina and an amphibian. Founded in 2002 by Andy…
He said …
This is not a news story. It’s not an objective investigation that sets out to interview all the participants and find the truth. No, this is one dude’s version of what happened one night 18 months ago, a night that’s now culminated in a felony charge of assault with a deadly weapon, a pending court…
Send in your words
Anne Schroeder wants to do for Cholame what John Steinbeck did for Salinas. She’s working on the three-book series of her dreams, writing about the history of Northern San Luis Obispo County, weaving together tales of native residents, Catholic encroachment, and generations of local life. The Shandon native teaches writing classes over the Internet and…
Small parts in a grand machine
What is torque?” Diana Stanton—choreographer, Cal Poly dance teacher, and director of Orchesis Dance Company—wanted to know. Her students, many of them aspiring mathematicians, engineers, scientists, and businesswomen, were quick with the answer. “I work at a polytechnic,” Stanton explained at a recent rehearsal. “They said, ‘Oh, it’s the rotational energy that goes into forward…
It’s a bug’s life
Former childhood bug connoisseurs, rejoice! There is no reason to abandon that youthful pleasure so delicious and yet so disturbing it makes mothers everywhere reach for the Listerine. You can rekindle the creepy-crawly love fires with a trip down to Hotlix, and indulge in some gourmet, bug treats. If you’ve ever taken a stroll through…
Saucelito Canyon 2010 Sauvignon Blanc Arroyo Grande Valley
This delicious white wine is quite Californian in style with its friendly aromas and flavors of citrus, pear, and melon threaded with nuances of herbs. It drinks quite nicely on its own, and it’s hard to resist. But as always, great wine is meant for the table where it will make any dinner seem special.…
Rusack 2009 Pinot Noir Reserve Sta. Rita Hills
This impressive, elegant Pinot Noir doesn’t come cheaply, but it’s so delightful you’ll find it’s well worth the price. An intensely fruity, ripe combination of black and red berries, the blackberry and black cherry aromas and flavors are nicely balanced by acidic raspberry notes, and nuances of spicy oak. The grapes were grown in Fiddlestix…
How much money would someone have to give you to lick or put your face on Bubblegum Alley?
Danielle Gillett Counselor “[stunned look]” David Reese professional student at Cal Poly “I would probably take about 1,500 bucks for it. I’m looking at something that’s 1,500 bucks right now…Turbo for my car for lickin’ a wall? Why not?” Adrian Ayers Nurse Practitioner “There’s probably not enough money in the world for that. Chewed gum…No…
Windbags n’ moonshine
Grab your moonshine and stick your tongue down your cousin’s throat—we’re gonna have ourselves a good ol’ fashioned secession! Except this time it’s the north (Atascadero) what’s fed up with the south (everyone else) and its not-destroying-the-environment agenda. The plan—because if you’re going to threaten a secession, you kind of have to formulate one—is as…
We need an unbiased 9/11 investigation
Most Christians are familiar with Jesus’ teaching that a house built upon sand will collapse. His message? A life based on dishonesty cannot succeed. The same is true for a nation. From its inception, this country has been predicated upon dishonesty, from the myths we perpetrate about the murderous Columbus to the history-book claim that…
There has to be a free-speech litmus
Our freedom of speech First Amendment rights conflict with our 14th Amendment rights for equal representation. The Supreme Court’s ruling in Buckley v. Valeo ruled that money is personal property and is used to express the same way as freedom of speech is unlimited. Our legislators have tried to limit the amount of money individuals…
California’s public school crisis is unacceptable
The funding and legislative support for education in California has been slowly declining for the past 20 years. We are now ranked 46th in the nation for per-pupil spending. Even more dramatic declines have taken place in the last three years. In this period, more than $20 billion has been cut from our schools and…
Slow down, you move too fast
What is this need for speeding? Country living is supposed to be slow and enjoyable, but for some reason drivers in Santa Margarita feel the need to drive 65 miles an hour plus and pass on curves and over double yellow lines. Combined with the Topaz Solar Plant (traffic and litter have increased tenfold), the…
People who want bags will bear the cost
There is clearly a lot of fear and misunderstanding about the coming ban on single-use carryout plastic bags. There are two misconceptions that have been repeated in various letters, which I hope to dispel. First, it is a myth that the bags handed out at stores are free. The store must purchase them, and the…
Nurses love helping students get their needs met
On behalf of my fellow school nurses, I would like to thank you for highlighting our profession in your recent issue (“Nurse of all trades,” Jan. 19). However, there is one very important point I made several times during my interview with Ms. Asman that didn’t make it to print. As nurses, a significant portion…
Hold onto it
I just have to comment on this, because I’ve seen nothing about it in any of the local media. You ran a story on the All That Glitters employee being put on trial for allegedly selling stolen merchandise in his store (“Trial begins for All That Glitters [employee],” Jan. 19). You also continue to run…
Leave the commodore alone, Shredder
Must be nice to hide behind your anonymity while viciously tongue-wagging about people of your community (“Sail away, sail away,” Jan. 19). The very reason a sailor takes to the water is to get away from such infantile “gossip.” Oh, yeah, you’re not a sailor—just a poser, partial to sea shanties. I kind of always…
A quick question
What is it about waterboarding a prisoner 83 times that makes our president want to keep it a secret?
The sound of mediocrity
Just recently my band, The Swan Thief, put out the first of a series of albums to be released throughout the year. With more than four years of songs compiled and no proper recordings, we figured the best way to release the songs was to put an album out each season, the songs somehow corresponding…
Bliss out, man
Sustanance doesn’t always denote substance. With a mass of avalanche of the wrongdoings of the food industry being exposed through documentaries, the growth in number of people choosing vegetarian and veganism as an alternate diet has grown. The ratio of non-meat and dairy eaters to the restaurants catering to them is imbalanced. In SLO so…
Cougars & Mustangs
Dance is unique, in that it’s good both for exercise and as an exquisite form of self-expression. And while different dance styles come and go, there are always new generations who embrace older forms and then add on some new touches. Whether you’re into the show or not, Dancing With the Stars is a platform…
The saga continues
The curious case involving a pair of San Luis Obispo County men accused of filing false documents against a Santa Barbara County judge continues to drag on, trying the patience of prosecutors and judges. For more than six months, San Luis Obispo marketing executive Jeff Lind and co-defendant Tom Murphy of Los Osos have been…
Y all the fuss?
Reporters are happiest when councilmen are blowing city coffers on pointless pet projects. It gives the job purpose, embarrasses politicians, and inspires readers to get angry and involved. When officials act like idiots, newspapers fly off the racks and awards are passed around like herpes (the bragging rights that come with Pulitzers last forever, too).…
Corrections
• A Jan. 19 article about a trial related to All That Glitters misstated defendant William McBurney’s position with the jewelry company. He is a store employee. • A call for artists in the calendar included the wrong date for Art Eco at the Botanical Garden. The submission deadline has passed.
Receiver appointed to Sunny Acres
A receiver will assume partial control of Sunny Acres, the much-beleaguered ranch and residence for otherwise homeless residents of the county. According to a Jan. 20 ruling issued by San Luis Obispo Superior Court Judge Charles Crandall, Los Angeles-based receiver David Pasternak will step in to oversee the process to clear code violations on the…
Local hospitals shift affiliation with the Catholic Church
Catholic Healthcare West, which operates two hospitals in San Luis Obispo County, has changed its name and some of its facilities’ affiliations with the Catholic Church. One of the largest health systems in the country, the not-for-profit organization will now operate under the name Dignity Health. According to a press release, the organization is “rooted…
The SLO mayor race begins
San Luis Obispo Mayor Jan Marx has filed papers to seek another term as mayor. Marx filed with the city clerk on Jan. 25. The move prompted Councilman Andrew Carter to announce that he’s also running for mayor. Councilman Dan Carpenter also filed for reelection to the City Council on Jan. 25. Marx served on…
Arroyo Grande council puts cop HQ to vote
Arroyo Grande leaders really want a new police station. The Arroyo Grande City Council voted unanimously at its Jan. 24 meeting to put a bond issue on the ballot to build a new police station. If approved, the bond would raise $6.7 million for the construction; if passed, it would pay for most of the…
Morro Bay joins a new county narcotics unit
For the first time in seven years, the Morro Bay police will participate in a special task force outside their own department. As part of the SLO County Sheriff’s Department’s new hybrid gang and narcotics task force, the department will have access to additional assistance in “long-term investigations,” according to Morro Bay Chief Tim Olivas.…
Cal Poly names new volleyball coach
Cal Poly hired a new volleyball coach to replace the previous head coach, who was removed from the position following accusations of sexual harassment. Cal Poly Director of Athletics Don Oberhelman announced at a Jan. 20 news conference that Sam Crosson will take over as the new volleyball coach. Crosson was an assistant volleyball coach…
Zip-a-dee-do don’t?
San Luis Obispo County planning commissioners are looking to weigh in on county rules dictating a host of previously unregulated activities, including zip lines, bungee jumping, and giant swings. On Jan. 26, the commission will be asked to make an interpretation on the county’s rural recreation and camping land use definition after county planning officials…
Look for a Los Osos CSD shake up
Expect an announcement over the weekend regarding Los Osos Community Services District General Manager Dan Gilmore. According to district officials, local media should watch for a prepared statement pertaining to Gilmore’s position. It’s expected Gilmore will announce his resignation from the CSD, though district officials declined to comment on the specifics of the scheduled press…
It does mean a thing
The Hamlet at Moonstone Gardens, a well-known Shangri-La for jazz enthusiasts on the Central Coast since 1991, held its last “Famous Jazz Artist” concert Jan. 22. As of press time, ownership of the restaurant was set to officially change hands on Jan. 25. “A representative for the buyers has contacted me saying that they will…
