Cover Story
Digital citizenship
Elementary school projects used to consist of macaroni pasta shells, toothpick bridges, and soft pipe cleaners. Today, Baywood Elementary School students in Los Osos use a 3-D printer to make materials for their projects. Third-grade teacher David Curran said the possibilities are endless when it comes to technology and the tools that can be used…
In stitches
It may be summer, but it’s never a bad time to check out some intricately designed handmade quilts. Stop by the Seven Sisters Quilt Show on June 24 and 25 to get a peek at more than 300 quilts on display. The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and…
Cambria puts the brakes on its permanent water facility
Cambria placed a hold on its plans to make an emergency water facility permanent on June 14. The Cambria Community Services District board delayed certification of the facility’s environmental impact report after uploading the project’s newest supporting documents to its website the night before the meeting—giving interested agencies and the public little time to review…
Earthy adventures
Weeds you actually want to keep around? You betcha! This July 12, Melany Vorass Herrera, author of The Front Yard Forager, will lead a walk teaching how to identify, forage, and cook edible weeds growing on the Central Coast. How cool (and useful) is that? Enjoy sipping a glass of local wine while you nibble…
Beatriz at Dinner
What’s it worth? Full Price Where’s it showing? The Palm, Stadium 10 Pick Director Miguel Arteta (The Good Girl, Youth in Revolt, Cedar Rapids) directs screenwriter Mike White’s (The Good Girl, School of Rock, Nacho Libre) script about Beatriz (Salma Hayek), a holistic healer whose car breaks down, leading her to stay for a fancy…
Medical records were illegally leaked in assault case, lawsuit claims
The female victim of an alleged sexual assault is suing a prominent local defense attorney and a health care provider over claims that they illegally transmitted and used her private medical information. The 19-year-old woman filed the lawsuit against lawyer Ilan Funke-Bilu and the Center for Health and Prevention, a division of the local nonprofit…
Tastes like summer
A-town block party: Tent City Brewing Company in Atascadero is celebrating its fifth anniversary this July 1 with a huge community bash featuring live local music, the release of a double IPA, taco truck, and plenty of beach balls (learn more at the brewery’s Facebook page) … Eureka! in SLO is launching 10 new craft…
Never say die
Throw it back to the 1980s with a viewing of the classic movie The Goonies on June 24. The film starts at 7:30 p.m. at Nardonne’s Pizzeria in Baywood Park. Chomp on some pizza while watching a group of misfit kids (including North County local and SLO Film Fest honoree Josh Brolin) as they search…
SLO City Council endorses ‘Healthy California’ bill
The San Luis Obispo City Council took a dive into state politics on June 20, voting 4-1 to endorse the “goals” of the Healthy California Act, the state health care bill that aims to create a single-payer, universal health care system in California. If it’s passed in the state Legislature, and later approved by voters…
Wine-bendingly weird
Rebel, rebel: Blending beer and wine is all in a day’s work at Libertine Brewing Co., which is always looking to bend the rules and defy expectations. Cool collaborations include the brewery’s recently released Halter Saison, an homage to Paso Robles-based Halter Ranch Winery. Try it and taste for yourself: Libertine’s wild golden ale was…
Art by the sea
Take in the sand, surf, and some fine art on July 2 at Art in the Park at Dinosaur Caves in Shell Beach. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., scope out the paintings, sculpture, pottery, glass, textiles, jewelry, wood and metal furniture, and more from 100 local craftsmen and artists. The event also features live…
Top county position still vacant
SLO County will begin a new fiscal year without a chief administrative officer (CAO), as the Board of Supervisors concluded another closed session meeting (this time on June 20) without naming a successor to former CAO Dan Buckshi. Buckshi officially resigned on June 15 to become the city manager of Walnut Creek. He announced his…
Words come to life
Take in the live reading of a local poet and maybe even show off some of your own original rhymes on July 2 at Steynberg Gallery in San Luis Obispo. The event will feature poet Michael Hannon and his recently published book of poetry, The Muse Turns Her Back, starting at 3 p.m. An open…
Atascadero Historical Society is building a colony of its own
The Atascadero Historical Society has one mission, to preserve and educate the local community about the city’s rich beginnings that date back to 1845. While the society is currently working to preserve its local historical museum and artifacts, the group has a new project on the way—the Colony Heritage Center; said society President Jim Wilkins.…
Transformers: The Last Knight
TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT What’s it rated? PG-13 What’s it worth, Anna? Nothing What’s it worth, Glen? Nothing Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre, Stadium 10, Park, Galaxy (6/29/17) Director Michael Bay (Bad Boys, The Rock, Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, Transformers) returns with this fifth—and hopefully final—installment of the bombastic series based on Hasbro toys about two…
The 29th annual Live Oak Music festival amazed
It’s Live Oak weekend and I’m sweating my ass off! Temperatures climb deep into the 90s every day from June 16 to 18, and venturing into the direct sun is pretty brutal except in the early morning or late afternoon. Down at the Main Stage, chairs are set in a neat array across the expansive…
Meteorologists, do your job
We are fortunate to have John Lindsey writing columns on weather in our local newspapers. Mr. Lindsey is PG&E’s and Diablo Canyon’s meteorologist and media relations person. He knows weather! In Sunday, June 18’s SLO Tribune, he explained the higher temperatures we’re seeing in our part of California. He discussed the relationship between the thickness…
Underrated: Chrystal
CHRYSTAL When? 2004What’s it rated? RWhere’s it available? DVD, Amazon Video Writer, director, and actor Ray McKinnon makes his feature-length debut with 2004’s Chrystal, starring McKinnon’s late wife Lisa Blount as the titular character and Billy Bob Thornton as her husband, Joe. After losing their young son in an auto accident, which leaves Chrystal with…
So many critics, so little time
In response to Professor Michael Latner and others: First, I take issue with the professor’s mischaracterization of Edie Knight and those who came to her defense. Edie is an 87-year-old woman of demonstrated civic virtue. As a Republican woman, she is well known for her good character and volunteer spirit. All who know her never…
Cat Power plays the Fremont Theater on June 28
“Three, six, nine, you drink wine, monkey on your back, you feel just fine,” Cat Power sings on her 2012 album Sun. Maybe she’s referring to her own difficulties with substance abuse. Born Chan (pronounced like Shane) Marshall, her issues have been pretty well documented. Sun, her first original studio album since 2006’s The Greatest,…
Homeless children versus the armed service
Recently, I heard a military man on public broadcasting talking about our 1.3 million uniformed service members. I’m always fascinated with the large numbers of people, things, and products in today’s society. I thought of the vast infrastructure, logistics, and money necessary to feed, clothe, equip, house, and transport these folks and the pension funds,…
A-town rockers Criticnue reunite for Tent City’s five-year beer bash
Camp out with yer beer out! Tent City Beer Company is located at 6760 El Camino Real in Atascadero. Music starts at 3:30 p.m. on July 1, and tickets can be purchased at the brewery as well as eventbrite.com. You must be 21 or older to enjoy the show. For more information, call 460-6454, go…
I grieve for our country
My heart grieves for our country. I read Michael Latner’s latest column (“The struggle continues,” June 15) while at a restaurant in Atascadero before using his opinion as a placemat. I was first able to vote in 1980. I knew nothing of politics, but knew it was my duty to educate myself on each candidate.…
SLO Reps rendition of ‘Oliver!’ uplifts and sobers
Oom-Pah-Pah The hit English musical Oliver! is showing at the SLO Repertory Theatre though July 9. Tickets range from $15 to $35. Visit slorep.org for more information. An ending doesn’t necessarily mean everyone is living happily ever after, which is the hard, gritty reality audiences are presented with in the classic English musical Oliver! Based…
Russia isn’t the only one meddling
There is a great deal of concern about the Russians meddling in our sacred electoral process, possibly intruding on our constitutional and God-given right to choose between things like stupidity and abject corruption. Why are we not equally concerned about the relentless meddling of Big Oil; health care, defense, and pharmaceutical corporations; and the NRA…
Climate change isn’t a partisan divide
In response to Jan Lipski’s “Trump sets Dems’ hair on fire” in the June 8 Sun (Editor’s note: See the letter below), it’s not just Democrats with flaming hair. It’s easy to spot a sharp party split on climate change in Congress. But if you’re on a local planning commission, your position will depend less…
Blow-up at SLO Democrats meeting highlights party division
The contentious post-election rift between the country’s Democrats reared its head in San Luis Obispo on June 19, when the local party’s chairman stormed out of a meeting of the SLO County Democratic Party’s central committee. After a heated disagreement over parliamentary procedure and whether or not attendees were allowed to record the committee’s meeting,…
Trump sets Dems’ hair on fire
Listening to the local news coverage, I can tell that those who are critical of leaving the Paris Accord probably didn’t listen to President Trump’s arguments for why it was a bad deal for the United States. I happen to agree with his points. Not knowing how our local critics came to their opinion is…
Public safety, marijuana, roads rise to top in county budget
The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors survived a contentious week of budget hearings on June 14, and adopted a final 2017-18 budget on June 20. Of course, the hearings weren’t without the political scheming, rancorous dialogue, and spiteful accusations that have become commonplace at the Board of Supervisors. SLO County faces several new…
Dear Shredder: What housing trap?
I disagree that there is a “housing trap” as you stated in last week’s Shredder. Unfortunately, there is a problem, but it isn’t one that the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors can remedy no matter how much money they throw into it. The market is driven by supply and demand, and as long…
RE: Find Cucumber Vodka Dill Cocktail
Are you “that weirdo” who always votes to save the pickle juice left in the bottom of the jar? Guilty! OK picklers, this cocktail is for you. Mix 3 ounces RE:FIND cucumber vodka (produced locally, right in Paso Robles) with 1.5 ounces dill simple syrup (recipe below) and a dash of bubbly club soda. Garnish…
Division plagues South County Sanitation District
Gerhardt Hubner listened quietly as Los Osos resident Jeff Edwards called him a white supremacist. In between the pleas for order and the bangs of a gavel, Edwards threw in the descriptors “bully” and “illiterate” for good measure. That May 3 meeting was just like any other for the South SLO County Sanitation District. After…
Going nowhere fast
Have you noticed how little gets done in local politics? Cambria can’t seem to get its environmental impact report signed off for its Sustainable Water Facility, because its supporting documents were posted to the public a mere one day before its scheduled vote. The EIR received 200 letters, including eight from public agencies calling it…
The maestro is here: SLO Symphony hires New Zealand conductor Andrew Sewell after year-and-a-half search
On a high note The first concert of the SLO Symphony’s 2017-18 season will be Oct. 7 at 8 p.m. at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center, featuring Maestro Andrew Sewell leading the orchestra and a performance of the Aotearoa overture by New Zealand composer Douglas Lilburn. Visit slosymphony.org for more information. “California,” is the…
County’s cannabis regs move to Planning Commission
The future landscape of the marijuana industry in San Luis Obispo County is still very much up in the air. Core regulatory questions are not yet settled, despite a third discussion at a Board of Supervisors meeting on June 20 about the latest draft of the cannabis ordinance. Lingering questions include whether or not the…
What age should children be introduced to the internet and why?
Dixon Moore marketing employee “These days, I would say 13. I think, like a lot of things, when you start them off early, they lack the interpersonal skills to interchange with people.” Phil Albery retired “I’ve got a couple of grandkids, and they got started [on technology] as babies. It made me upset but it…
Cars 3
What’s it rated? G Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre, Sunset Drive In, Fair Oaks, Park, Galaxy (6/29/17) New Blindsided by a new generation of blazing-fast racers, the legendary Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) is pushed out of the sport he loves. To get back in the game, he will need the help of an…
47 Meters Down
What’s it rated? PG-13 Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre, Stadium 10, Park (6/29/17) Sisters Lisa and Kate (Mandy Moore and Claire Holt) are vacationing in Mexico and become trapped in a shark cage on the ocean floor. As their oxygen starts to run out and with great white sharks circling them, the sisters must find…
The Mummy
What’s it rated? PG-13 What’s it worth? Streaming Where’s it showing? Park, Galaxy Two military men-cum-antiquities-looters—Nick Morton (Tom Cruise) and his sidekick Chris Vail (Jake Johnson)—accidently unearth a hidden Egyptian-style tomb … in Iraq! Their commanding officer Col. Greenway (Courtney B. Vance) arrives with antiquities expert Jenny Halsey (Annabelle Wallis), and she, Morton, and Vail—on…
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
What’s it rated? PG-13 What’s it worth? Matinee Where’s it showing? Galaxy (6/29/17) The mediocre reviews of the new Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales movie shouldn’t suggest to potential viewers that it is a bad movie. It’s just one audiences have kind of already seen. The newest installation of the franchise (which…
Rough Night
What’s it rated? R Where’s it showing? Park (6/29/17) New Five best friends from college (played by Scarlett Johansson, Kate McKinnon, Jillian Bell, Ilana Glazer, and Zoë Kravitz) reunite years later for a wild bachelorette weekend in Miami. Their hard partying takes a hilariously dark turn and amidst the craziness of trying to cover up…
