Cover Story
Rooted beneath: Cuyama Valley’s water basin problems put big carrot growers at odds with area residents and small landowners
Cuyama Valley is the “gem” of carrot growing regions. It’s got that fertile soil with all the right minerals and nutrients. It’s got that climate with hot days and cool nights. Grimmway Farms has plucked little orange jewels—and other veggies—out of the arid region for more than 30 years, and Bolthouse Farms coaxes those fern-topped…
Cooperation vs. exploitation
As we enter the final stretch of the 2016 election cycle, it seems as though we have lost our way as a community and a country. The Central Coast is in many ways a microcosm, not just of California, but also of the great variety of groups in the U.S. competing for the power to…
Pain and pleasure: SLO Tease Burlesque brings edginess Los Osos show
Sometimes the sexiest thing you can do is keep those clothes on. Hear me out: No, this isn’t some cross-your-legs-for-Jesus thing; this is burlesque. Ash Rexford (Selia Something on stage) is a member of the local SLO Tease Burlesque troupe. In most burlesque acts there’s a “peel,” aka the moment when an article of clothing…
What your favorite thing about fall?
Jennifer Scott mom “It’s finally cool enough to hike.” John Cummings architect “We will probably get out to Hearst Castle.” Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino seasonal beverage “Me.” Katelin McCullough “Going to the corn maze in Los Osos. The kids love it.”
Left behind: California Coastal Cleanup Day nets 5,445 pounds of trash
Cracked earth and dead brown grasses and shrubs barely hanging on to their existence lead from a parking area to the Estero Bluffs shoreline. The land is so thirsty, and people with white buckets are crawling all over it picking up trash with pincers. It’s Saturday, Sept. 17, and it’s the 32nd annual California Coastal…
Arroyo Grande City Council candidates debate solutions for homelessness
Five candidates are competing for just two seats on The Arroyo Grande City Council. The contenders pitched themselves to voters at the South County Government Center during a Sept. 4 candidates forum. Audience members submitted questions on a variety of issues, from their stance on construction moratoriums to saving water to their general philosophies of…
Seeing green: Local cities take differing stances on recreational marijuana while county addresses cultivation
The possibility of legalized marijuana makes Paso Robles so nervous that the city’s banning every recreational pot thing it legally can before California voters get to make a decision about it on Nov. 8. On Election Day, the state will make a choice on Proposition 64—or the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA)—determining whether the…
Construction industry bets big on Measure J
The campaign to convince voters to support a half-cent transportation sales tax ballot measure is getting a little help from companies that could land lucrative contracts should the measure pass. Campaign finance reports obtained by New Times showed that 88 percent of the $53,150 in reported donations to the committee supporting the ballot measure, called…
Laguna Lake dredging project gets go-ahead
Laguna Lake has a major sediment buildup problem, and it might finally get some long-overdue relief from the city of San Luis Obispo with a $10 million dredging project. On Sept. 20, the SLO City Council voted unanimously to direct city staff to develop a plan in collaboration with MNS Engineers to dredge up to…
Pismo reverses course on Bluffs bike path reroute
Outdoor enthusiasts might be feeling a little dizzy after watching the Pismo Beach City Council’s 180-degree turn on a decision in the ongoing battle over access to the Shell Beach’s scenic bluffs. The council voted unanimously to uphold the Pismo Beach Planning Commission’s denial of a request by The Bluffs Homeowners Association (HOA) to reroute…
Coastal Commissioner Howell named in lawsuit
As Erik Howell fights to get re-elected to his seat on the Pismo Beach City Council, he’ll also be battling on a second front in the California Court system. Howell is one of five members of the California Coastal Commission named in a recently filed lawsuit accusing them of failing to properly disclose private contacts…
SLO supes pass urgency ordinance limiting pot cultivation
In a change from the norm, the SLO County Board of Supervisors didn’t give Sheriff Ian Parkinson a marijuana policy he requested: a prohibition on cultivation. Last November, when Parkinson asked the board to shoot down a proposed medical marijuana brick-and-mortar dispensary in Nipomo, they did it on a 3-2 vote. But on Sept. 20,…
Bingeable: The Night Of
When? 2016 | Where? HBO, Streaming on HBO NOW. HBO has done it again with this crime drama based on the BBC’s Criminal Justice. The eight-part series follows the murder case against Pakistani-American Nasir “Naz” Khan (Riz Ahmed), a college student accused of killing Andrea Cornish (Sofia Black-D’Elia), a mysterious young woman he encounters one…
Star sisters of Baywood: Noi and Doi Klinpratoom reel in local love at 2nd Street Cafe
When I suggest to Noi Klinpratoom that she’s a fine example of a true Baywood celebrity, she lets out a birdlike chirp of a laugh. Although she’s a humble chef, she doesn’t deny my assertion, either. Truthfully, she’s bigger than simply a San Luis Obispo area sensation—people across the Central Coast equate the name “Noi’s”…
Fabio goes to Washington
Have you seen the new Justin Fareed political commercial? It’s awesomely tacky! Watch as the 24th District congressional candidate rides a horsey! He’s one shirtless pose away from channeling his inner Vladimir Putin! Is he running for Congress or auditioning as the cover model of a grocery store romance novel? In another ad, the former…
The rental ordinance is class warfare
The city of San Luis Obispo has a problem of its own making. Or I should say SLO has made a problem worse. Too many people without adequate resources live on the streets and in creek beds. Many have jobs or fixed incomes or have mental problems. Nobody wants that. It’s bad for the homeless…
Marx has a proven track record
Brenda Holmes’s claim (“Harmon would give SLO a fresh start,” Sept. 8, New Times) that Mayor Jan Marx has done nothing to help SLO city residents is completely out of touch. Jan is a longtime member of Residents for Quality Neighborhoods. In office, she has worked tirelessly to improve life in the neighborhoods. The number…
Harmon cares about people and SLO
As a former elementary school teacher and now a small business owner and stay-at-home mom, I deeply care about our city and our future as a community. That is why I am supporting Heidi Harmon for Mayor. Over the years I have known her, Heidi has stepped up as a leader time and time again…
Measure J is a conundrum
I’m not sure what to make of Measure J. This is the measure asking the citizens of San Luis Obispo County to pay an additional half-cent in sales tax for the next nine years. The monies are to be used for transportation and transit. On the one hand, I agree that county roads and bridges…
Ortiz-Legg’s attack ads are in poor taste
Dawn Ortiz-Legg’s negative ads against Jordan Cunningham in the upcoming state Assembly race tell us much more about her than about him. I have known Jordan for many years, and served with him as a Deputy District Attorney in San Luis Obispo County. He is a hard-working, honest, and intelligent man, having graduated from the…
Cunningham’s attack ads don’t tell the truth
Both 35th District Assembly candidates are airing negative commercials. Dawn Ortiz-Legg’s ads chastise Jordan Cunningham for running as the “law and order” candidate while representing reprehensible criminal clients. Jordan’s ad attacks Dawn’s involvement with Code Pink. Dawn’s ads state the facts correctly. Jordan’s does not. SLO Code Pink’s concern was the deadly, costly Iraq War.…
It’s not just about trees
Picture a grove of 49 beautiful, large old trees surrounding a stately historic house. Imagine gazing through multiple layers of branches in various shades of green to the azure sky beyond. Better yet, see it in person! The setting is 71 Palomar Ave. in SLO, where you can view this unique scene. You may venture…
Support art and play with watercolors at Studios on the Park’s COLORbar
Sometimes it feels good to paint with abandon, skills be damned. But the resulting gloopy mess of paint is a bummer. Fear not, experience (guaranteed to turn out well) watercolor painting with Studios on the Park’s COLORbar in Paso Robles. Create your own masterpiece by filling in an already prepared original design by resident artist…
ARTS Obispo’s Open Studios Art Tours lets you see how the artists live
Ever wondered where and how the local art of the Central Coast is made? Get a look behind the scenes with the upcoming Open Studios Art Tours on Oct. 8, 9, 15, and 16. Nearly 200 SLO County artists will open their studios. The art is for sale, but the fun comes from interacting with…
The Gallery at the Network presents fall-themed exhibit
The days are cooler and the baristas are serving up pumpkin spice lattes; fall has arrived. Welcome the new season by perusing The Gallery at the Network’s Autumn Blaze, Harvest Days offerings during the months of September and October in San Luis Obispo. This special exhibit will feature unique artwork that burns with the feeling…
SLO resident Bernd Schumacher sets a Guinness World Record for the largest collection of Z-gauge model trains on Sept. 17 at Beda’s Biergarten
It’s Saturday, Sept. 17, and I have an excuse to drink beer at 10:30 in the morning! I’m at German pub Beda’s Biergarten near Broad and Orcutt, the site of an official Guinness World Records attempt at amassing the largest collection of Z-gauge model trains, the smallest scale mass-produced model train in the world, at…
PCPA closes season with shows that feature small casts, big drama
If you’ve ever attended a Pacific Conservatory Theatre (PCPA) production in the company’s Severson Theatre, then you are probably familiar with the uniquely intimate and cerebral feeling that the square room can impart. PCPA has produced plays like Shakespeare’s The Tempest in the Severson, which gave the play’s deserted island ethos a boost. More recently,…
Clubs 9/22/16 – 9/29/16
Goin’ South THE CLIFFS RESORT: 2757 Shell Beach Rd., Shell Beach, 773-5000, cliffsresort.com. F. MCLINTOCKS SALOON: Two locations: 750 Mattie Rd. in Pismo Beach and 133 Bridge St. in Arroyo Grande. 773-1892 or mclintocks.com. Live music at the Pismo Beach location every Fri. and Sat. from 6-9pm. Tennessee Jimmy Harrell and Doc Stoltey play on…
There are a zillion concerts this week! A zillion!
Even though school’s started, we’re still in peak concert season, and this week is packed with a ton of great shows. Up at Vina Robles you’ve got a choice of three iconic female performers as well as two hit-making funk and R&B acts. Good Medicine Presents has a great Red Dirt act at the SLO…
Field Recordings 2014 Fiction Red Four Pack and Spearhead Coffee’s Decaffeinated Blend
New, off-the-rack fur coat or vintage, well-worn jean jacket with that perfect fit? Shiny limo or well-made Italian bike complete with custom drink holder? If you prefer the latter, you might enjoy Field Recordings, purveyor of unflashy yet sophisticated wines with a sense of place and personality to boot. The Paso winery’s 2014 Fiction red—a…
Good stuff
Supporting our firefighters: Gino’s Pizza on Monterey Street in SLO recently donated a percentage of its daily sales to the American Red Cross in support of the men and women battling recent wildfires, of which we are all aware. What a kind gesture, Gino’s! This calls for a big cheesy slice of their famous spicy…
