Cover Story
The Live Oak Music Festival draws an eclectic group of music lovers
Buy your tickets! Day passes and full festival passes for the Live Oak Music Festival, a fundraiser for Central Coast public radio station KCBX 90.1FM held June 15 to 17, are available at liveoakfest.org. Performers include Mavis Staples, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, JD McPherson, Joe Purdy, Flavia Coelho, The Dustbowl Revival, Eilen Jewell, and 20…
Welcoming weed: 805 Beach Breaks prepares to open in Grover Beach
As construction equipment rumbles loudly outside, the ambiance inside the lobby of 805 Beach Breaks in Grover Beach is serene. Manager Daniel Fried points out the beachy accoutrements hanging on walls: weathered pieces of wood from the old Pismo Beach pier sit artfully on one wall, a surfboard hangs on another. This is the first…
Vote for the climate
Kudos to California, once again showing national leadership in addressing climate change. The recent decision by the California Energy Commission to require solar panels on all new residential construction beginning in 2020 is a huge step forward in moving to green energy sources throughout our state. I was pleased to learn that Sebastopol and Santa…
SLO and Morro Bay push forward on Community Choice Energy, despite others’ reluctance
Wind turbines spin off Morro Bay’s coast, creating energy that’s sold to local residents by a local agency and distributed via the grid infrastructure that once serviced the shuttered Morro Bay and Diablo Canyon power plants. It’s an exciting snapshot of the future to San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay city leaders, who are interested…
Remember when fascism was funny?
Al Fonzi laments “the coarsening of American politics … from which recovery is [unlikely]” (“Preferring mosquitoes to politics,” May 10). He is correct. Democracy is on the ropes, bleeding, and almost out. He then wonders how we got here. To trace the spring of this poison is simple: Rush Limbaugh. When Limbaugh hit the air,…
PCPA delivers a solid Hunchback of Notre Dame
Man or monster The Hunchback of Notre Dame runs June 14 through July 8 at the Solvang Festival Theater, 420 2nd St., Solvang. To purchase tickets call (805) 922-8313 or visit pcpa.org/hunchbackofnotredame.html. When reviewing plays (or films) from classic source material, I often find myself mulling over what its creator would make of contemporary productions.…
Who can afford to live in SLO?
Some or most of your neighbors are students. Please take time to talk to them about their living situation. It is not uncommon for eight or nine students to cram into a three-bedroom house in San Luis Obispo. Some students live in garages, attics, carports, or anterooms. Many are paying in excess of $800 of…
Cowboy country meets wine country at ON Bar Paso
Branded beef ON Bar is located in downtown Paso Robles at 1144 Pine St. Hours are Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, call (805) 369-2394 or go to onbarpaso.com. Black and white framed photos of cowboys and cattle hang above the comfy booths at ON Bar in Paso Robles.…
Reflections on attending the Paulding/Compton debate
I learned incumbent San Luis Obispo County 4th District Supervisor Lynn Compton is a small business owner and challenger Jimmy Paulding is an attorney with a degree in city and regional planning from Cal Poly. Compton spoke of her accomplishments on the Board of Supervisors but was very vague about current needs and goals other…
Change is the only constant
In pizza we trust: Since 1973, Del’s Pizzaria has been a local favorite in Shell Beach. Well, that’s all changed! Dig into this iconic pizza joint’s “carne amore ‘za” topped with pepperoni, sausage, meatballs, Canadian bacon, and linguica at Del’s new digs at 1101 Price St., suite 100, in Pismo Beach. Yes, the pizza may…
Immigrants aren’t the problem
I have one five-letter word for Laura Mordaunt to highlight the ignorance displayed in her April 19 letter to the editor (“Stop sanctuary status in SLO County”): mafia. Did you forget the crimes committed by your fellow countrymen? Your parents and thousands of other Americans who came through Ellis Island came through because of an…
Now try this
Milk it: Alpacas are our friends! Learn how to milk an alpaca—among other amazingly useful skills—at Farmstead Ed’s Goats and Alpacas milking, making, and crafting class hosted this May 20 at Giving Tree Farm in Santa Margarita (go to farmsteaded.com for more info) … Sumo Sushi has closed its doors in downtown SLO, but you…
Oceano deserves better
Have you ever wondered why Oceano isn’t Pismo Beach with its shops, motels, and restaurants? Two reasons: beach access and infrastructure. Access is blocked by the county-owned airport; the sewage treatment plant for Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach, and Oceano; and a river of cars on Highway 1 and the beach. Where are all those cars…
‘Life of the Party’ is an OK time
LIFE OF THE PARTY What’s it rated? PG-13 What’s it worth, Ryah? Rental What’s it worth, Karen? Rental Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre, Galaxy, Park From writer/director Ben Falcone (Tammy, The Boss) and his co-writer/wife Melissa McCarthy (Ghostbusters, Bridesmaids) comes the summer comedy Life of the Party. When her husband, Dan (Matt Walsh, Brigsby Bear,…
Protect our way of life
When South County residents go to the polls next month to elect a District 4 supervisor, they must consider which candidate will be best able to steer the county as we face the economic issues that the impending closure of Diablo Canyon Power Plant will bring. Lynn Compton is best equipped to chart this course…
Blast from the Past: 1941
When? 1979 What’s it rated? PG Where’s it available? DVD, Blu-ray, Amazon, iTunes In 1979, Steven Spielberg’s stardom as a director was just coming into focus. Fresh off back-to-back hits (Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind), Spielberg had only recently been thrust into the limelight and, for American audiences, he was really just known…
Dear Mr. Shredder
I would like to comment on your May 3 column in New Times, “The last stand.” You refer to illegal immigration in that opinion piece. I’m in construction and I have had a governor on my salary my entire career due to illegal immigrants willing to work for less. I wonder how your attitude would…
Film Listings 5/17/18 – 5/24/18
AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR What’s it rated? PG-13 What’s it worth Matinee Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre, Stadium 10, Park, Galaxy Pick Anthony and Joe Russo (Captain America: Civil War and Captain America: The Winter Soldier) direct this new Avengers installment, with a screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. The whole freaking universe is at…
Mudslinging and deception
Jimmy Paulding is either unaware of the issues in our county or he is purposely deceiving the public for his own political gain. Paulding claims his opponent is in the pocket of the special interest. But Supervisor Lynn Compton went against special interests that want to control North County water rights, while Paulding has promised…
Drinky things
Another wine fest upon us: The weekend of May 18 to 20 is all about Paso Robles Wine Fest festivities, in case you’d forgotten (of course you didn’t). Taste hundreds of regional wines and play at a range of tasting rooms throughout the weekend. A few suggestions? This May 19, Oso Libre will host an…
PETA asks Morro Bay Aquarium to release octopus
The Morro Bay Aquarium is set to close its doors in the fall but not before receiving a letter from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) demanding the release of an octopus the aquarium recently acquired. Kearney Whelan Robinson, a campaign strategist for PETA, said the organization learned in early May that…
The gender issue
When we were born, we were assigned so many “X” chromosomes and so many “Y” chromosomes, which determine our gender, and there is no way in changing this. End of story. Ralph Bush Arroyo Grande
Farm feasting (for real)
I know you hear it all the time, but please trust me. This is real farm-to-table, OK? This Saturday, May 19, from 4 to 7 p.m., nibble on just-picked plates prepared by chefs from Novo Restaurant, Granada Bistro, and Thai Bounty (you’ll also dine on tender veggies prepared by plant-based chef Angelica Peach). Sip on…
Gurnee to challenge Harmon for SLO mayor
A former SLO City Council member and critic of current city politics will challenge incumbent Heidi Harmon in the SLO mayor’s race this fall. T. Keith Gurnee, a retired planner and urban designer, announced his candidacy on May 14—four days after Harmon launched her own re-election bid. In her campaign announcement, Harmon highlighted her first-term…
The change we need
During the debate between challenger Jimmy Paulding and incumbent SLO County 4th District Supervisor Lynn Compton, Ms. Compton said she views every vote through the prism of small business owners and the economy. While that approach has merit, it is also shortsighted and narrow. It fails to consider the long-term impacts of her votes on…
‘Wanted’ poster for DA and other public officials appears on cars at debate
It’s not often that San Luis Obispo County’s top prosecutor finds his own name on a “wanted” poster, but that’s exactly what happened to District Attorney Dan Dow during a May 9 debate in SLO. Individuals who went to the debate between Dow and his opponent in the June primary, Judge Mike Cummins, came out…
Oil and omission
More than 1.6 million comments opposing the Trump administration’s plan to open 95 percent of our coastal waters to offshore oil and gas drilling have poured into the Department of the Interior since Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke announced the plan. They include resolutions and letters from the governors of California, Oregon, and Washington; from California…
Roots music icons Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore join forces at The Siren on May 23
Two of the most distinct voices in roots music are teaming up for a second nationwide tour that starts this week at The Siren in Morro Bay. Dave Alvin’s edgy growl and Jimmie Dale Gilmore’s reedy twang—not to mention their excellent guitar chops—will be on display during an intimate acoustic concert of their most popular…
SLO County is short election workers
The June 5 primary elections are less than a month away. And while many voters have already mailed their finished ballots, others are waiting to vote the old-fashioned way: at the polls. But those polls need to be manned, and San Luis Obispo County is currently short on workers. County Clerk-Recorder Tommy Gong told New…
A public allegiance
I pledge allegiance to the sheriff of San Luis Obispo County, and to the independent report on the jail, for which the county stands to block from public access, as one, in front of Ian Parkinson, indivisible, with zero transparency and justice for nobody. Is that the county’s new pledge of allegiance, or is it…
Local nonprofit accomplishes its goal, celebrates grand opening of DANA Adobe Cultural Center
Restoring old and building new The DANA Adobe Cultural Center’s grand opening will be held May 20 from 10 a.m. to noon and will feature an exhibit about the history of the Central Coast, a contemporary photo exhibit on how Native American cultures celebrate their heritage, and information about the animals that live in the…
Corrections
• The May 10 Best Of write-up for Best Veterinarian incorrectly states that the Pismo Beach Veterinary Clinic is the only American Animal Hospital certified clinic, it is not the only certified clinic. • The May 10 article “Ray to challenge Hill for Arroyo Grande Mayor” incorrectly stated that Caren Ray was appointed to replace…
Social media sound off
New Times readers took to our website to share their thoughts about our May 10 news story, “Compton and Paulding exchange shots in supervisor debate.”
Cal Poly PAC receives largest donation in history, renames Harman Hall
The Harold J. Miossi Charitable Trust donated $1.5 million to Cal Poly’s Foundation for the Performing Arts Center, the largest cash gift in the center’s history, foundation officials announced May 16. In honor of the donation, the foundation’s board will rename Sidney Harman Hall, the main auditorium in the PAC, as the Harold Miossi Hall.…
Owner of Meathead Movers brings leaders of organizations against domestic violence together
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, about 228 domestic violence fatalities involved a gun this year, 10 million people a year are physically abused by an intimate partner, and 20,000 calls are placed a day to domestic violence hotlines. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence is an organization that works to be the…
County keeping independent jail assessment under wraps
An independent assessment of medical and mental care at the SLO County Jail remains unavailable to the public and county supervisors despite being a factor in the county’s possible decision to spend millions of taxpayer dollars to outsource such services in the near future. The assessment, conducted by San Diego County Sheriff’s Department Chief Medical…
