Cover Story
After 37 years of operation, the De Groot Nursing Home for Children could be shuttered by state regulators
Eighty-six-year-old Sjany de Groot shuffled slowly to a bed in the corner and rolled a small girl on her side, gently repositioning a thick plastic breathing tube as she did so. The girl was 10 years old, smothered as an infant by drug-addicted parents, de Groot said. She made slight wheezing sounds with each breath.…
Five Cal Poly athletes are officially charged and appear in court
On Aug. 22, the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office formally charged five Cal Poly student-athletes with a variety of felonies related to their alleged involvement in what police say was an attempted armed robbery at a fraternity house on Aug. 10. Cameron Akins, Cortland Fort, Kristaan Ivory, Jake Brito, and Dominique Love were…
Amazing world fusion performance art act Beats Antique headlines a five-band show at Vina Robles on Aug. 31!
In “Revival,” Beats Antique begins with what could be described as gothic cartoon music, with weird xylophone sounds and a creepy melody, but then it’s suddenly interrupted by a ringing phone, then a creepy voice saying in French “The dance is dead,” and then it’s onto a pumping electronic beat and various sounds that Danny…
Pismo Preserve is in the bag
At an unusually cheery San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors hearing on Aug. 26, the board unanimously approved an additional $400,000 to complete the purchase of the Pismo Preserve. Once the Aug. 26 action is finalized and the state Wildlife Conservation Board comes through with an expected $4 million contribution on Aug. 28, the…
If you wrote a memoir about your life, what would it be called?
Lane Fitz facilities technician “Throbbing Angst.” Breanne Offerman hospitality specialist “Good Times.” Ivan Evans construction contractor “Happiest Days of My Life.” Joe Hewison student “Cruising at the Speed of Light.”
Cambria’s Pewter Plough Playhouse stages reading of Julia Morgan play
Castle in the sky The Pewter Plough Playhouse in Cambria will be staging a reading of the play Arches, Balance and Light, a bio-fantasy about the life of Julia Morgan, by playwright Mary Spletter. Julia Morgan was born in San Francisco in 1872. During her lifetime, she designed more than 700 buildings in California, with…
Find out who the big winners are at the Sixth Annual New Times Music Awards on Aug. 28 in SLO Brew!
This year marks the 56th Grammy Awards, which means the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences has a 50-year head start on the Newties. The Grammies are so old, their statue is of an old Gramophone, an antiquated phonograph that plays 78 rpm records, which was invented by Emile Berliner. Of course, Thomas Edison…
SLO Symphony features voice of prog rock band Yes, Jon Anderson, and singer-songwriter Inga Swearingen
As the summer winds down and school returns for most, there can be a sense of imminent disappointment. No more Saturdays spent sunning on the sand; no more spontaneous adventures to exotic landscapes unknown; and, for those who are keen to be moved by a groove, no more summer music festivals. Alas, the only benefit…
SLO native and PCPA graduate Ben Abbott brings original play about gay Mormons to Steynberg Gallery
In the fall of 2008, Proposition 8 passed in California, thereby banning same-sex marriage within the state. It was an intensely controversial measure, only abetted by its public support from wealthy conservatives and the Church of Latter-Day Saints. At the same time, San Luis Obispo native Ben Abbott was studying theater at PCPA. His two…
Clubs 8/28/14-9/4/14
Goin’ South … THE CLIFFS RESORT: 2757 Shell Beach Road, 773-5000 or cliffsresort.com. CUVEE BISTRO AND CHAMPAGNE BAR: 550 1st St., Avila Beach, 595-2245. Live music Thurs. and Sat. 6-9pm. 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…
2012 VINTJS gewurztraminer and Black Horse Coffee’s Generra
2012 VINTJS gewurztraminer I’ll admit it. I’m a pretty cheap date. Just ask my hubby, Dr. Cain: A really good homemade salad (with plenty of crumbled goat cheese), an expertly-cooked piece of fish, some crunchy green beans, and a $6 bottle of wine and the world is perfect. However, it’s got to be the…
Fun is served
Thank you for smoking: Crush and Roll West, a celebration of premium cigars and fine wine is back at the Paso Robles Event Center Sept. 5 to 6, where rolling demonstrations, wine pairing, and fragrant smoke make for a uniquely luxurious atmosphere … Talley Vineyards will be grooving to the funky beats of Soul Sauce…
Third Annual Mac and Cheese Fest unleashes our most intimate comfort food cravings
Although my middle name evokes her memory, I never had the chance to meet my grandmother, Vivian. What I do know about her is that she understood the power of mac and cheese. For this reason alone, I’m certain I would have liked her. In honor of the recent third annual Mac and Cheese Fest…
Mission Animal Hospital introduces ElderPet program
Animals can be a great comfort to people, young and old alike. But for some, getting their pets the medical treatment they need can be an onerous task, especially for senior citizens. In response to this, the Mission Animal Hospital introduced a new program in July for local seniors called ElderPet. The program offers free…
Cougars & Mustangs
Are you feeling a bit peckish? Have you, on numerous occasions, asserted your political ideology far past what is socially acceptable only to regretfully change your mind as your friends made a much more compelling counterargument? *clears throat* Um, that is to say, do you have a taste for eating crow? Well, lucky for you,…
Find out which local City Council meetings run the longest, the shortest, and why it matters
It’s past midnight on a Tuesday. Across the county, most people are sound asleep. Even the bars are starting to empty. But there are a few places where people are still wide awake—or at least are trying to be. One such hotbed of late-night activity is the Veteran’s Memorial Building in Morro Bay, where the…
Community Health Centers of the Central Coast is facing two sexual harassment lawsuits from former employees
The situations described seem almost identical: Two women, both receptionists hired within about a year of one another, allege that their respective bosses began sexually harassing them in late 2012. Both were fired. Both have the same attorney. Both have sued. Though Santa Barbara-based attorney Christine Adams declined to comment or allow either of her…
Morro Bay city councilmembers voted to approve a contract for a new city manager
Members of the Morro Bay City Council formally approved the contract for the city’s new city manager, despite one councilwoman changing her stance from an earlier report and withdrawing her support. On a 4-1 vote, councilmembers approved a contract with David Buckingham. Under his new contract, Buckingham will draw a salary and benefits package totaling…
Arroyo Grande ‘incident’ prompts concern, investigation
After a weeklong firestorm over a recently revealed July 3 incident involving Arroyo Grande City Manager Steve Adams and Community Development Director Teresa McClish, the A.G. City Council agreed on Aug. 26 to discuss the incident in greater detail at a future meeting. On Aug. 19, the Cal Coast News website first published allegations that…
Atascadero Walmart project clears legal challenges
The legal challenges are over, and the proposed Walmart Supercenter slated for the north end of Atascadero has come through unscathed. After a citizen group challenging the project chose not to file a final appeal, the box store stands triumphant after an eight-year saga that was, at times, raucous. The issue drew sharp a divide…
The metaphor bear
It’s time to talk about the 48-year-old American black bear in the room. Also, the black bear is really tall—like, hundreds of feet tall or something. I don’t know exactly because I haven’t yet taped together enough measuring tapes to get an accurate reading, but I don’t need 20 measuring tapes to tell me what…
Good job, city of SLO!
There was the sound of jackhammers on the street this morning. City workers were tearing up the street. Seems there was a water leak reported last night. They have cut a large hole, dug down, repaired the leak, and put down new pavement—all before noon. I constantly hear criticism of government workers like city road…
Treatment of athlete suspects is appalling
If news reports are to be believed, five Poly football players attempted an armed robbery, assaulted a police officer, resisted arrest, assaulted a robbery victim and probably a few other charges involving drugs, and they are back on the street? Allegedly commit a class-one felony and be back on campus? This is incredible. Are we…
We can’t assess what we can’t read
“Our eyes only” (Aug. 7) is outstanding work by reporter Colin Rigley. His story relates how the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has withheld the 2003 Sewell Report about threats of a tsunami to the Diablo Canyon spent fuel storage facilities. Something smells fishy when the NRC will not allow PG&E, operators of the two Diablo…
Plan A isn’t working
What is our Plan B? What do we do if our planet heats further, and life as we know it drastically changes? Is doing nothing better than making some efforts? Assume that climate change is a hoax; how bad is it to continue to improve our air quality or our water purity? Is that really…
Keep solar work fair and money in the county
One morning you wake up to discover that your job is gone. You have been working for a steadily growing company with a 35-year history of providing innovative, reputable service. But, poof, your job is gone. You ask your boss, “What the—?” Incredibly, your boss tells you this: “A government-subsidized nonprofit endorsed two of our…
‘These murderers are not our own’
Ed. note: Part one of this commentary ran in last week’s New Times. ISIS in Iraq has brought the issue of abhorrent expressions of the Islamic religion (Mis-lam) to the center stage. They have attacked, desecrated, and pillaged the holy sites of Christians and Muslims. They have murdered innocent Christian civilians, as well as countless…
