Cover Story
Community in need? Two SLO County CSDs question the state’s decision to label the city of SLO as a disadvantaged community
The bustle of downtown San Luis Obispo might trigger thoughts of a successful economy, but the state categorizes the city as a disadvantaged community (DAC), much to the surprise of SLO Utilities Director Carrie Mattingly. She, along with the rest of the department, had no idea the city fell under that label until the county…
Supervisors oppose Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary proposal
Following a contentious hearing that lasted most of the day on Feb. 7, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to oppose the formation of a Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of SLO and Santa Barbara counties. The Northern Chumash Advisory Council submitted an application to create a marine…
So you didn’t vote for Trump
I get it, you didn’t vote for Trump. You’re never going to support him no matter what he does. In fact, you’re not even going to accept him as your president. You despise him. You detest him. Instead you’re going to act, organize (i.e., Women’s March on Washington), do all that you can to prevent…
Arroyo Grande mayor faces potential misconduct investigation
On Feb. 14, the Arroyo Grande City Council will decide whether to launch an independent investigation into allegations of misconduct leveled at Mayor Jim Hill. The vote comes after members of the public accused Hill of passing along confidential information and documents discussed in closed session meetings to unauthorized individuals in violation of the state’s…
Walmart no more: Retail giant cancels plans for Atascadero store
Walmart representatives informed Atascadero Feb. 10 that it has canceled plans to build a brick-and-mortar store on Del Rio Road and El Camino Real, suddenly ending a decade-long saga that divided the community. “After much deliberation and consideration of various business factors, we have made a business decision not to pursue a new store in…
You Sexy Thang
Tantalize your lover’s taste buds (and more): Tons of Paso Robles and SLO area wineries are hosting romantic, sumptuous, foodie-friendly, exhilarating, and educational Valentine’s Day events over V-Day week, Feb. 13 through 18 (FYI: The big day is on Tuesday, Feb. 14, this year). Why not plan something fun for your honey that includes lounging,…
Madonna Inn’s Madonna Inn Sweet and Bang the Drum’s Barley Wine
When the 24-hour news cycle gets to be too much, take a break from reality and enter the world of pink pleasure known as the Madonna Inn. There, the band is playing, the kids are swing dancing, and tourists from around the world are mingling. As a local and nearby neighbor, it is my sweet,…
Meat, outside of the box: Larder Meat Co. delivers local, sustainable protein to your door
“You can’t mess up a good steak” is a comment that Chef Jensen Lorenzen fundamentally disagrees with. First, the meat’s got to come to room temperature before you even think about cooking it. Then, you’ve got to pat it dry, lest you mess with the important caramelization process. Next, toss on a liberal sprinkling of…
Reggae legends Steel Pulse play Fremont Theater on Feb. 11
Because of their so-called subversive Rastafarian politics, when Steel Pulse formed in 1975 in the Handsworth area of Birmingham, England, they had a tough time finding live gigs. Many club owners and promoters feared their radical message, but Steel Pulse found a home with punk acts like the Stranglers and the Rock Against Racism organization.…
Paint with love
Drink wine and the truth comes out. Take advantage of that energy and head to the Valentine’s Day Paint and Sip at Treana in Paso Robles with your sweetie for some vino and painting time (it’s cool to roll solo, too). The event is on Feb.14 from 6 to 8 p.m. Tickets are $40 per…
Grow old with you
Till death do us part is the hope for most couples, but how do those final years really play out? By The Sea Productions in Morro Bay explores the answers with the play On Golden Pond, the heartwarming story of Norman and Ethel Thayer, married for many years, who must now face growing older together.…
The queens of hearts
Sometimes, love stinks (oh, yeah). So instead of moping around about how much Tinder sucks or how your boyfriend just totally forgot about Valentine’s Day, why not have some fun? Enter SLO-based Metro Brew Co.’s Loves a Drag Show event on Feb. 15 from 7 to 11 p.m., put on in the spirit of betrayal…
Getting into the delicates: Pewter Plough brings ‘Nana’s Naughty Knickers’ to Cambria
The phrase granny panties takes on an all-new meaning after viewing a showing of Nana’s Naughty Knickers. The comedy penned by Katherine DiSavino, opened the 41st season at Cambria’s Pewter Plough Playhouse on Feb. 3. The performance began with the parting of a brand new burgundy colored velvet stage curtain to reveal the setting for…
Something for every taste: Left Field’s 21 show brings a smorgasbord of art to SLO
Sometimes all you want is a little bit of everything. Los Angeles based artist and curator Ben Sanders knows the feeling, so for Left Field Gallery’s 21st show (aptly titled 21), he brought in a sampling of work by 21 artists based in places from the East Coast to Tokyo to SLO. Many of the…
Guilty Pleasures: Resident Evil
When? 2002 | What’s it rated? R | Where? DVD, Streaming on Amazon. If there is one thing I enjoy more than watching movies, it’s playing video games. But even an avid button-masher like myself has to admit that video games have been consistently responsible for some of the worst movies ever made. While you’d…
The naked truth
Don’t you love gazing out on the sparkling blue Pacific Ocean as you drive south through Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, watching the reeling surf, looking out toward the majestic Channel Islands, whose view is only obscured by oil derricks? Yeah, everything but that last part, right? Offshore oil rigs suck. They’re eye pollution, not…
The optimist: Freshman Congressman Salud Carbajal confronts the ahistorical weirdness of Trump’s Washington
Less than a month after he was sworn in as a United States Congressman, Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) introduced his first piece of legislation. It was a bill to ban future leases for oil and gas drilling operations in federal waters off California’s coast. It’s an issue close to the heart of many of…
Do you think oil companies should have the right to drill off our coast?
Sean Clark SLO resident “No. We need to protect our coastal animals and environment. We can find other ways to get that resource and it’s something we should be thinking about.” Steve Mueller visitor “No. There’s too much risk to the environment. But it’s only going to get worse because Trump is going to let…
A shot in the dark: After Dark Bingo at the Chumash
Formerly known as Cosmic Bingo, After Dark Bingo at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez is a colorful combination of lights, music, and good old-fashioned machine-automated bingo. Set in a large auditorium filled with rows of tables and glow-stick bearing bingo players ready to try their luck, the game is played on a sort…
Clubs 2/9/17 – 2/16/17
Goin’ South THE CLIFFS RESORT: 2757 Shell Beach Rd., Shell Beach, 773-5000, cliffsresort.com. FIGUEROA MOUNTAIN BREWING CO.: Singer/Songwriter Night every Wed. from 8-10pm. 1462 E. Grand Ave., Arroyo Grande, 474-8525, figmtnbrew.com. 2/10: Vista Point Duo from 8:30-11pm; 2/11: Ghost/Monster from 8:30-11pm; 2/18: Wall of Tom 7-10pm. HARRY’S NIGHT CLUB AND BEACH BAR: Cypress and Pomeroy,…
An apology is needed
I attended the Board of Supervisors meeting on Feb. 7 because of my concern for the vote on the Chumash Marine Sanctuary. I want to thank the board for taking the time to hear the public’s concerns on this matter and especially for their support of the local fishing community. We all want what is…
Voter fraud charges are bogus
Unsubstantiated claims of massive voter fraud—millions of non-citizens and dead people voting—are an insult to the dedicated officials and volunteers, including those from the League of Women Voters, who staff our elections and perform their civic duty to protect our democracy. Such unfounded claims undermine the integrity of our voting system and the confidence of…
Offshore oil drilling means oil spills
All hail to John Peschong and his crony partners Lynn Compton and Debbie Arnold. The twisted logic supporting an argument against a marine sanctuary seems “fishy.” In a Viewpoint published in The Tribune two years ago, he cites Ruth Vreeland and her feelings toward the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. To suggest she was against…
What is happening to our society?
I attended Milo’s “show,” not because I agree with him but because I don’t allow others to determine or taint my views. While I agree some of the “show” may have been offensive to some people, I think I was more disturbed by the hateful things being yelled by the people who were protesting. Clearly…
For the record
I write to correct the record in response to Steve Belasco’s letter printed on Feb. 2 (“Radicalism on the Central Coast”) wherein he calls me “radical,” “alt-right,” and claims that I have a partisan agenda. These notions are patently absurd. My legislative platform for the Central Coast includes job creation through promoting small business, expansion…
The right to protest is what I fought for
Some people complain and think just because somebody is protesting that they are lazy or don’t have a job when a good percentage do and are hard workers. Everyone has different schedules. We’re not all running on the same time clock, and to automatically judge someone for using their free time in a way that…
The meaning of fraud
I typically do not want to use this editorial column to respond to claims made by my co-writer and friend Al Fonzi, so as not to get readers caught in a wormhole of claims, corrections, and counter-corrections over the issues that we write about. This week I make an exception, primarily because I believe that…
Giving back
There are many ways to give back to your community, but one of the greatest ways could be by being involved with the a public library, a place filled with books that could educate people of all ages on almost anything you could want to learn about—and it’s all accessible for free. Barbara Baltimore was…
Setting rules: Paso Robles unveils a draft ordinance for its growing residential vacation rental market
Residential vacation rentals in Paso Robles, aided by North County’s tourism boom and internet tools like Airbnb and VRBO, are starting to legitimately compete with the city’s hotel industry. In 2016, Paso Robles netted $240,000 in transient occupancy taxes (TOT) from licensed vacation rentals. While that’s minute compared to the $4 million collected from the…
Former veteran services officer sues SLO County
After resigning under mysterious circumstances, former SLO County Veteran Services Officer Dana Cummings is claiming that his attempt to land a new job was sabotaged by the county’s top administrator. Cummings filed a lawsuit against SLO County and Dan Buckshi, the county administrator, Feb. 2. The lawsuit claims that both violated a non-disparagement agreement with…
Avila Ranch property taxes belong to the county
The 2008 deal annexing 620 acres of land near the SLO County Regional Airport from the county into San Luis Obispo paved the way for the 720-home Avila Ranch housing development on Buckley Road. But that same agreement also prevents SLO city from capturing any property taxes from the development, leaving a potential revenue gap…
Grover Beach approves marijuana business zone
In its quest to be on the forefront of an expected industry boom, Grover Beach approved a designated zone for medical marijuana-related businesses. The Grover Beach City Council voted unanimously to allow medicinal marijuana businesses to operate in a 70-acre industrial area in the southwest part of the city. The land use ordinance creates an…
Paso bans smoking in public
Paso Robles is catching up with the rest of the cities in SLO County as it looks to pass an ordinance that will ban smoking in public places on the heels of California’s vote to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. The city will become the last in the county to outlaw smoking in public.…
Wallace makes first court appearance
While the former South San Luis Obispo County Sanitation District administrator John Wallace prepares to fight the criminal charges leveled against him, at least one California municipality says it is still comfortable doing business with his engineering and design firm. Wallace appeared in San Luis Obispo County Superior Court on Feb. 7 for an arraignment.…
