Cover Story
From vine to wine: Local wineries shift their harvest from handpicked to machine
Darkened by the evening sky, rows of grapevines are lit up by large light towers. They provide just the right amount of light for men and women to pick the fruit that’s been growing for about eight months. Pick, cut, toss, repeat. The tail end of harvest season for vineyards was just a couple of…
Blast from the Past: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
When? 1989 What’s it rated? PG-13 Where’s it available? See it at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 19, at the Fremont Theater ($7 presale at eventbrite.com or $10 at the door), or on DVD/Blu-ray Jeremiah Chechik (Benny & Joon) directs this screenplay by John Hughes (The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Home Alone) about…
The real new normal
Yes, ITNsquared. “It’s the new normal.” I love these! The “Great California Drought,” ITNsquared. It had nothing to do with the abandonment of Gov. Pat Brown’s plans for a growing California with more reservoirs and infrastructure programs. Nope! Global warming is the villain. Historic forest fires destroying homes, closing freeways, and rail lines, shutting down…
Used bookstores offer an oasis for obsessive readers
Word nerd Phoenix Books is located at 986 Monterey St. in downtown SLO. Call (805) 543-3591 for more information. In case the blood-orange sky and fine coat of ash on your car isn’t a dead giveaway, what feels like half the state of California is currently on fire. To make matters worse, the massive smoke…
Moore and #MeToo
Like every other American male, I have been trying to come to grips with the #MeToo movement and striving to grasp its boundless revelations and implications. My initial instinct has been to follow the advice of the movement’s leaders and shut up and listen. I have been and will continue to do the second part…
Morro Bay couple offers up a pistachio-infused bourbon whiskey
Get nutty For a store locator and recipes, go to wickedharvestspirits.com. Whether you’re 18 and looking for a fling or on your second marriage, the dating struggle is real. Say what you want about finding love the online way, but it has the distinct advantage of leveling the playing field. Gloria Zion met her husband,…
Pass the kouchie
I thought weed was supposed to chill people out, but judging from the acrimony and infighting among the SLO commercial cannabis community, more product testing is needed, stat! Jason Kallen is executive director of San Luis Obispo NORML (the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws). On his Facebook page, Kallen’s posted a clip…
Film listings 12/14/17 – 12/21/17
COCO What’s it rated? PG What’s it worth? Full Price Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre, Stadium 10, Sunset Drive In, Stadium 10, Park, Galaxy Pick Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina co-direct this animated adventure-comedy written by the directors and Jason Katz and Matthew Aldrich, about Miguel (voiced by Anthony Gonzalez), an aspiring musician from a…
Social media sound off
This week, New Times readers took to Facebook to let us know how they felt about the SLO City Council cracking down on local “slumlords” by doubling fines for health, safety, and building code violations.
Be a beer polygamist
How much craft beer can you handle? If you live in SLO County, the answer is probably, “a whole heck of a lot.” Next year is right around the corner! It’s time to venture out and try something new, shake things up, and see what taps are talking to you. It’s not like you’re married…
Cambria CSD will have a third meeting to decide on vacant seat
The Cambria Community Services District is in a stalemate, resulting yet again in a call for another special meeting to vote in a new district board member. “What makes us think that we’re going to move to another date and have a different outcome?” district board Vice President Harry Farmer said at the Dec. 11…
Committee offers budget tips to San Luis Coastal as Diablo shutdown looms
Increased class sizes, a school closure, employee benefit cuts, and a new parcel tax were just a few of a Blue Ribbon Committee’s long-term suggestions for how the San Luis Coastal Unified School District (SLCUSD) can address an $8 million budget shortfall when Diablo Canyon Power Plant closes. The 10-member committee, assembled by SLCUSD Superintendent…
Delivered fresh
Beep beep: Fresh eggs are a simple joy that makes life so much more delicious. Want to start your own backyard chicken adventure? Dare 2 Dream Farm in Los Osos has opened its preorder for baby chicks available for delivery (yes, to your door) between Dec. 15 and 30. Breeds available include Easter eggers, barred…
Templeton psychiatric hospital still years away from completion
While SLO County officials grapple with just how they will fulfill promises to improve treatment and services for mentally ill individuals, the construction of a new psychiatric hospital that could help their efforts is still years away. The county gave the green light to the construction of a 91-bed psychiatric hospital in Templeton in March…
DOGGR shrinks area in Price Canyon proposed for aquifer exemption
You have until Dec. 22 to comment on the latest application put forward to exempt a larger portion of the Arroyo Grande oil field from the Safe Drinking Water Act. The field’s current operator, Sentinel Peak Resources, needs a final determination on the exemption before it can make any progress on the next two phases…
Straight-up jolly
Do you have a pie plan this holiday? If not, you better get on it! Sugar Momma Pies in SLO has whipped up honey pecan, butterscotch curry, chocolate caramel, and even a Mexican chocolate inspired Holy Mole pie just in time for your familial feast! Go to sugarmommapies.com for details … Have food allergies in…
Supervisors opt to leave inclusionary housing as is
The SLO County Board of Supervisors voted on Dec. 12 to maintain the status quo when it comes to affordable housing, at least for now. During the hearing, supervisors debated whether to change up the county’s inclusionary housing ordinance, which basically requires developers to produce a percentage of affordable housing with any projects they build…
Huntington Park officer found not guilty of abusing youth at Camp SLO boot camp
A Huntington Park Police officer accused of emotionally and physically abusing children at a disciplinary boot camp at Camp SLO was found not guilty by a jury Dec. 12. Marissa Elizabeth Larios, a detective with the Huntington Park Police Department, faced multiple misdemeanor charges in connection with her role at the Leadership Empowerment and Discipline…
Winter wonderland
Shrooming: Plan to attend the Mushrooms of SLO County lecture at the San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden this Jan. 26 and experience a photo-filled lecture on mushroom identification and current research. On Jan. 27 you can even go on a field exploration with mushroom author and researcher Christian Schwarz! Call 541-1400, Ext. 303, for info…
SLO County considers upping collaboration with developers during environmental review period
San Luis Obispo County may start giving developers more opportunity to weigh in on environmental impact reports and increased access to planning staff as part of an effort by county supervisors to make local reforms to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Proposed changes to the county CEQA process include giving builders a chance to…
SLO will pursue becoming an energy provider
San Luis Obispo will start seeking municipal partners to launch a Community Choice Energy (CCE) program, a burgeoning utility model statewide that enables local governments to sell their own electricity through investor-owned utilities’ infrastructure. The SLO City Council voted unanimously on Dec. 12 to pursue a CCE program, and gave direction to city staff to…
Marian Regional Medical Center creates new state of the art devices to aid its patients
Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria recently added two new state-of-the-art devices to its heart program’s repertoire. Marian’s Sue J. Sword Heart Center now offers a new type of heart device—one described as “the world’s smallest pacemaker,” for patients with slow or irregular heart rhythm, otherwise known as bradycardia. The Micra Transcatheter Pacing System…
Central Coast teen plays legendary bully in Fox’s ‘A Christmas Story Live!’
Yellow eyes Catch Sacha Carlson as bully Scut Farkus A Christmas Story Live! On Dec. 17 on Fox at 7 p.m. Visit fox.com for more information. While other Central Coast kids are busy dreaming up their Christmas wish lists, Sacha Carlson is still glowing from a gift he got months ago. Just two days before…
For safety and the greater good
I am a 30-plus-year resident and homeowner in San Luis Obispo. I drive, bike, and walk regularly in the city. I am fully in favor of making the Chorro/Broad corridor safer for all types of transportation—whether human powered or mechanically powered. I bike and drive on Chorro Street regularly for recreation and transportation. My son…
SLO photographers capture Italy’s Carnevale
Unmasked The Carnevale di Venezia exhibit at the SLO Museum of Art will be on display through Dec. 31. Visit sloma.org for more information. At sunrise, they appeared. Hundreds and hundreds of models from all over the world were decked out in the most elegant and intricate of dresses, capes, and hats in purples, pinks,…
The county is regulating agriculture
I am curious about how the agricultural folks of your readership feel about their products being regulated. Does the county of San Luis Obispo have the power to tell orchard growers how large and what type of product to grow? Are sheepherders and grape growers, like the Wonderful Co., regulated in size or type by…
SLOcally Made is here for the holidays
Looking for a local touch this holiday season? Do a bit of present shopping at SLOcally Made in Downtown SLO. Bringing together a collection of local artists, this all-female group is running a pop-up shop from Dec. 17 to Dec. 23. Items come from a variety of media, including leatherwork, weaving, painting, metalsmithing, and screen-printing.…
A systemic problem
Your commentary does disgust me, Mr. Gary Wechter (“Men will be men,” Dec. 7). I’m also disgusted with New Times for printing this drivel. According to your hyperbole, men are either repulsive pigs, live in Toledo, or are “girly.” Just because you may lack integrity does not mean most men in our culture are like-minded.…
Learn the art of laser cutting
Learn how to make a unique gift for loved ones with a laser cutting and engraving class hosted by SLO MakerSpace. This introductory course teaches students basic safety knowledge, how to handle the engraving machine, and the background of the software that runs it. After two to three hours of instruction, students will be allowed…
Ceding power to fascism
Fascism, according to the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2nd Ed., 1993 (p. 700) is defined as follows: “1. A governmental system led by a dictator who, having complete power, forcibly suppresses opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism.” In a speech given by President Donald Trump in…
SLOMA hosts viewing of Bernice Abbot: A View of the 20th Century
Get a new take on the 20th century with a film viewing of Bernice Abbot: A View of the 20th Century. Hosted by the SLO Museum of Art, this Dec. 18 showing details the life of one of the great photographers of American history. Documenting her avant-garde life, spanning from Paris to New York, Abbot…
The county needed to rein in unregulated pot grows
In response to the Dec. 7 opinion article “We are family farmers,” may I point out several issues? Although I sympathize with their predicament and the many others in their position, the Kassirs did start their cannabis operation in a city and county with no directive ordinance. Other cities and counties in the state had…
Tony Balbinot and the Cadillac Angels release Hillbilly Girls on Dec.16, at Frog and Peach
When I got singer-songwriter and Cadillac Angels frontman Tony Balbinot on the phone, he was on the road, making his way from Arizona to California. Tony is pretty much always on the road, driving a continuous loop through the Western states, where he taps regional musicians to back him at his gigs. Some of them…
How is it possible for Republicans to still support Trump?
The current GOP tax “reform” did not surprise me at all. If Republicans in the House and Senate did not cater to their wealthiest private and corporate donors, they might not get the financial support they need in their upcoming elections. That’s all. Power and money is their priority. Oh yes, and stick it to…
‘The Disaster Artist’ delves behind the scenes of a so-bad-it’s-good movie
THE DISASTER ARTIST What’s it rated? PG-13 What’s it worth, Anna? Full price What’s it worth, Glen? Full price Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre James Franco stars and directs this biopic about filmmaker Tommy Wiseau (James Franco), who meets Greg Sestero (Dave Franco) in an acting class. The two form a friendship and head to…
Harassment on the city trails
I need to get something off my chest. It has to do with the city of San Luis Obispo. Specifically, I believe, with the Parks and Recreation Department. Twice now when I’ve taken a hike on one of the many fantastic trails here I have been accosted by city representatives about my dog. This seems…
