Cover Story
District 4, take your pick: South County voters will choose between Lynn Compton and Jimmy Paulding for county supervisor
“They want to destroy me.” Lynn Compton, San Luis Obispo County’s 4th District supervisor, repeated that assertion, or a slight variation of it, a total of 11 times during an interview with New Times on March 8 outside her campaign office on Tefft Street in Nipomo. By “they,” Compton means her two colleagues and adversaries,…
Atascadero’s got a plethora of trails to explore—and they leave different impressions
A break in the rain pretty much means one thing at my house: Time to take the dog for a walk—potentially a very quick walk. In this case, though, we get to do a little exploring in the Atascadero neighborhood we moved to in the beginning of February. On this Saturday morning, our mission is…
Blast from the Past: Scream 3
When? 2000 What’s it rated? R Where’s it available? Streaming on Netflix In 2000, legendary horror director Wes Craven helmed the third film in his then-popular Scream franchise, once again pitting the film’s female lead Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) against the masked killer known as Ghost Face. Scream 3 leaves the setting of the previous…
John Hiatt recreates his classic 1988 album Slow Turning at the Fremont Theater
John Hiatt is unequivocally one of the most lauded and respected singer-songwriters in American music, but it wasn’t always that way. The one-time car thief, whose brother committed suicide when he was 9 and whose father died when he was just 11, left home at 18 and worked as a $25-a-week Nashville songwriter for Tree-Music…
Social media sound off
New Times readers took to Facebook to share their thoughts about our March 8 story, “Pismo council and mayor to get pay raise.”
Film Listings, 3/15/18 – 3/22/18
ANNIHILATION What’s it rated? R What’s it worth? Matinee Where’s it showing? Stadium 10 Pick Writer-director Alex Garland (Ex Machina) helms this story based on Jeff VanderMeer’s novel about a team of soldiers who enter into a mysterious and expanding energy curtain, from which nothing has yet returned, including drones and other soldiers. Only one…
Offshore oil and red herrings
I was recently quoted in New Times (“Risky business,” March 8) saying that offshore oil development on our section of the California coast is a red herring, and Measure A of 1986 was unnecessary. So, how did I come to this conclusion? Let’s consider for a moment that during the same period that Measure A…
I like fossil fuels and nuclear power
No, it isn’t a joke, no punchline here. I really do like fossil fuels and nuclear power, and I fully support offshore drilling. I believe that the feds should declare our energy resources a national asset, including offshore deposits of oil and gas and usurp the power of state and local government to obstruct their…
SLO Film Fest reviews 3/15/18
Editor’s note: For more show times and films, visit slofilmfest.org. ADVENTURES IN PUBLIC SCHOOL What’s it rated? NA What’s it worth? Full price Where’s it showing? March 15 at 1:15 and 9 p.m. and March 16 at 4:30 p.m. at Downtown Centre Pick Kyle Rideout (Eadweard) directs this quirky heartwarmer, which he co-wrote with frequent…
Greed lost a seat at the water table
God bless SLO County Supervisors John Peschong, Debbie Arnold, and Lynn Compton for doing the right thing at the March 6 Board of Supervisors meeting in regard to the Estrella-El Pomar-Creston (EPC) Water District request to transfer Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) status to their newly formed water district. That request included transferring 29 percent of…
SLO County supes take on Cayucos fire
After a lengthy discussion that involved multiple struggling fire departments within SLO County, the Board of Supervisors unanimously voted at the March 13 meeting to aid the Cayucos Fire Department if it dissolves. “We’re faced with the reality that it is our obligation on a number of different levels to provide this service because we…
Nautical Bean opens new, totally tubular locale
It’s nutty The Nautical Bean is located at 11560 Los Osos Valley Road in the Laguna Village Shopping Center and at 2010 Parker St. in SLO. For hours and information, go to nauticalcafecoffeehouse.com or call (805) 543-3559. Do you know the difference between Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man (it’s more than the bow on her head)?…
NIMBYs and the Nipomo dunes
Since the 1990s, some of the bigger developments on the Mesa have imported a bunch of well-to-do NIMBYs who are out to eliminate the recreational activities on the Nipomo Dunes. Those activities have been long enjoyed by locals and visitors alike, well before these newcomers moved to an area known for its dunes. Despite the…
Daytime drama
Compromise is boring. There’s nothing dramatic about it, and it’s hard to shred. But contrary to what Progressive Democrats (ahem, San Luis Obispo County Democratic Party) and Tea Party Republicans (umm, the Republican Party of San Luis Obispo County) will have you believe, it’s a necessity to good governance—which is also totally boh-rihng. I mean,…
Beer and candy
Almost 21: Did you miss Central Coast Brewing Company’s 20-year anniversary bash earlier this month? No worries! Head over to the award-winning brewery’s new location at 6 South Higuera St. and sample all the new brews on offer. For hours and info on the new space, go to centralcoastbrewing.com … After a decade, Powell’s Sweet…
The truth about Australia’s gun laws
Gary Wechter, in his “criticism” entitled “Gun-free Australia” (March 8) wrote that another letter writer, Ken McCalip (“Australia got tough,” March 1), “lied or failed to check his facts” when he stated that since Australia banned and confiscated certain types of weapons, they’ve had “zero mass shootings” and suggested McCalip take the time to check…
Hate crime arrest at SLO High School raises community concerns
It was cold and pouring rain outside when a woman stepped up to the podium and spoke to members of San Luis Coastal Unified School District’s school board March 13. Her husband stood silent behind her. “My son is not a threat, and my son has been threatened,” she told them. Since the beginning of…
Paso’s finest
Feast for the eyes: Artists Pat Milbery, Pat McKinney, and Jason Graves of the So-Gnar Creative Division have enlisted local youth to create a delicious new mural honoring Paso’s downtown culinary scene. This new art piece—which invites all to “Enjoy Paso” is splattered across a wall of Spring Seafood Bar & Grill on Spring Street…
Re-elect Dan Dow as county DA
Mike Cummins seems to be hanging the entire reason for opposing Dan Dow in the race for San Luis Obispo County district attorney on Dow not investigating the death of Andrew Holland at the county jail. Cummins claims to be more qualified for district attorney than Dow, but his grandstanding on the jail investigation demonstrates…
Donors continue betting big on county sheriff and DA races
After both their opponents received large infusions of cash to their campaign war chests, incumbent San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson and District Attorney Dan Dow reported some of their first large donations from local supporters as they prepare to fight for their seats in the June 5 election. Campaign finance records showed that…
Learn and grow
Attend a Ceramic Wine Tumbler workshop at The Station SLO this March 17 from 1 to 3 p.m. Learn the basics of working with clay, slab building, and texturing clay. Your ticket includes clay, all materials to use during the workshop, instruction by experienced ceramic artists, and a glass of wine, beer, cider, or non-alcoholic…
Vaping should be celebrated
I have an idea of what we can do about e-cigs: Let’s have a festival celebrating vaping! There really never was the type of worldwide celebration that should have accompanied the invention. It should have been breathlessly reported by journalists. The president should have given a speech tearfully celebrating the great advance in human health.…
Paso Robles mulls garage to address downtown parking
Paso Robles City Council members say they’re tired of sitting on their hands when it comes to solving a nagging and long-discussed city issue: downtown parking. “I don’t want to talk about parking anymore,” City Councilmember Steve Gregory said during a March 6 meeting. “I want something done. Let’s get something accomplished.” The same night,…
This wedding stinks
It’s that time of year again: Time for mason jars, burlap, antique lace, perfectly placed lilies, and “tousled up-dos” galore! Yep. It’s wedding season across the Central Coast! Just because the wedding magazines like all that aforementioned “bridal” stuff, that doesn’t mean your shindig has to be boring or basic. Wedding cakes are notoriously stuffy…
Misrepresenting facts to make an argument
Gary Wechter takes his own liberties with Wikipedia data (“Gun-free Australia,” March 8). He cleverly lumps all mass killings together, failing to mention that of the total 13, only four involved guns. And of those four, they involved respectively three, two, five, and three victims. This is not “mass murder” in the form seen in…
Perez sentenced for 2016 murder and arson
A Grover Beach man who stabbed his roommate to death and set fire to the body was sentenced in San Luis Obispo County Superior Court on March 14. Manuel J. Perez, 43, will serve 85 years to life in state prison for the July 11, 2016, murder of 37-year-old Joseph Charles Kienly IV. Perez was…
Time for a change of assessor
As former chief appraiser for the San Luis Obispo County Assessor’s Office, I believe this is the time to elect a knowledgeable and enthusiastic new candidate for the office of county assessor. Although I did not have the opportunity to work with David Boyer in the Assessor’s Office, because I retired before he became a…
Local schools get threats on day of walkout protest
On the same morning high school students across the Central Coast and the country participated in a walkout protesting gun laws and school shootings, Atascadero and Santa Maria schools were put on lockdown after receiving threats of gun violence. The Atascadero Unified School District locked down all of its school sites on March 14 when…
Cuesta College announces new superintendent
After six months of interviews, public forums, and a narrowed-down field of candidates, Cuesta College announced Jill Stearns as its new superintendent. “The board of trustees was not willing to turn this gem of a college over to just anyone,” Barbara George, president of the Cuesta College board of trustees, said. Stearns served as president…
The survivor: Film icon Pam Grier to attend the SLO Film Fest
And the King Vidor Award goes to … See film legend Pam Grier receive this year’s King Vidor Award during a special red carpet event at the Fremont Theater on Saturday, March 17 (7 p.m.; all ages; $20 general admission or $15 for students and Film Society members at slofilmfest.org). Turner Classic Movies host Ben…
Cannabis industry members launch new trade association
Seeking a venue to unify and advocate for pot-friendly local government policies, SLO cannabis industry members recently announced the launch of a new trade association, the Central Coast Cannabis Council (C4). “We want to strengthen our voice and improve our outcomes,” said Adam Laurent, the council’s interim president and a SLO-based cannabis business management consultant.…
Former SLOcals bring ballet to AT&T Stadium
Just dance Baseballet: Into the Game, featuring former SLOcals Mike and Weston Krukow, will show as part of the SLO Film Festival on March 16 at 7:30 p.m., March 17 at 1:45 p.m., and March 18 at 1 p.m. at Downtown Centre Cinema. Visit slofilmfest.org for more information. Every single one of professional baseball-player-turned-Giants-commentator Mike…
Five cities will pay back SLO for failed Diablo settlement bid
After unsuccessful attempts to convince state regulators to approve funds to offset the economic impact of closing the Diablo Canyon Power Plant, members of a coalition of local cities are on the hook for the cost of their lobbying efforts. Five of the six participating municipalities that made up the Coalition of Cities, formed shortly…
Learn to hand embroider at Picking Daisies
Pick up a new crafting skill at the Intro to Hand Embroidery workshop at Picking Daisies in SLO on March 24 at 10:30 a.m. Seamstress Jen Senor (of the Etsy shop The Mod Sewer) will teach the class and discuss embroidery needles, flosses, threads, and patterns. Participants will learn four or five basic embroidery stitches,…
Central Coast Veterans Memorial Museum works to preserve history
On the corner of Grand and Monterey Street is the Veterans Memorial Building, but at first glance you wouldn’t realize that the building is also home to the Central Coast Veterans Memorial Museum. The lack of visibility is something that curator Harry Hoover said he and the current staff are working on. The museum started…
Monarch Club hosts local author fair
Peruse the works of 26 local authors from SLO and Santa Barbara counties at the Monarch Club in Nipomo on March 18. The event will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will feature authors hailing from Lompoc to Nipomo to Paso Robles who represent a wide range of genres: mystery/thriller, memoir, history, military,…
SLOMA screens documentary on artist who brought Disney’s Bambi to life
Everyone has seen the classic Disney animated film Bambi, but few can name the artist behind the iconic deer. Learn all about Tyrus Wong, the Chinese American artist who brought Bambi to life, at a screening of the documentary Tyrus at the SLO Museum of Art March 19 at 7 p.m. Until his death in…
Film adaptation of ‘A Wrinkle in Time’ falls flat
A WRINKLE IN TIME What’s it rated? PG What’s it worth, Ryah? Rental What’s it worth, Karen? Rental Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre, Sunset Drive-In, Fair Oaks, Bay, Park, Stadium 10, Galaxy From Director Ava DuVernay (Selma) and screenwriter Jennifer Lee (Frozen, Zootopia), comes the film adaptation of the novel A Wrinkle in Time by…
