Cover Story
So long winter: After a long rainy season, it’s definitely time to head outside
Well, it finally stopped raining—for a few days anyway. Don’t get us wrong, we appreciate the liquid relief that’s poured down like mana from heaven, because it’s been a rough few years. By the time April rolls around, though, it feels like enough is enough! Being cooped up all winter certainly has its costs. Everyone…
SLOCOG accepts staff recommendation to close El Campo intersection
The San Luis Obispo Council of Governments approved its staff’s recommendation to close the four intersections between Traffic Way and Los Berros Road along Highway 101 at an April 3 meeting. The intersections include El Campo Road, a private unnamed road, Tower Grove Drive, and Hemi Road. The board approved the recommendation and a traffic…
What students want their parents to know: Panel creates an open space for students and their parents to talk
For a little more than four years now, Ana O’Sullivan and Kerri Mahoney have worked together to research and understand student social-emotional wellness and mental health, sharing what they’ve learned through connectbewell.org. The pair is taking their studies a step further by trying to understand and fill the resource gap that exists in schools, curriculum,…
Sexual Assault Awareness Month
This April, organizations across the nation will be holding events and trainings in communities and on college campuses in recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Sexual violence impacts many of those around us and has been brought to the forefront through the Me Too and Time’s Up movements. According to the National Intimate Partner and…
SLO picks its three cannabis stores
San Luis Obispo County’s central hub will soon have three cannabis stores to visit. On March 28, SLO city announced the recipients of its three coveted cannabis dispensary permits: Megan’s Organic Market, Natural Healing Center, and Elemental Wellness. The choices came out of a two-month review of nine applications, where a panel of city officials…
Show me the evidence
So who are the liars? Nancy Pelosi, Maxine Waters, Adam Schiff, all California’s finest; Chuck Schumer, one of New York’s greats; all the mainstream media mouths; or is it Robert Mueller? Each of these, except Mueller, stood directly in front of TV cameras and stated they had evidence that President Donald Trump had colluded with…
‘Mighty King of Love’ Phil Lee plays Painted Sky Studios on April 10
What can I tell you about Phil Lee? He loves Xoloitzcuintli, the Mexican hairless dog breed, and has two of them. He lives in Cayucos, though he tours regularly throughout the United States in his black cargo van. He sports outlandish hats of all varieties. He’s impish of stature but always carries a knife, which…
A thank you to the community
Almost two years ago Roberto Covey of SLO Royal Organics shared his vision of cultivating organic cannabis on our agricultural property in Templeton. We were interested in the research and medical aspects of cannabis. Together, we identified a small portion of our property and worked with scores of local engineers and scientists to design a…
A coherent, fact-based opinion
The last issue (March 28) had an amazing juxtaposition between Istar Holliday’s opinion on Al Fonzi’s bias and propaganda (“Bias and facts”), followed by Fonzi’s latest diatribe (“The ghost of J. Edgar Hoover”); one containing so many mischaracterizations, falsehoods, and fabrications that he could be a speechwriter for President Trump. In no particular order: 1.…
SLO Rep’s ‘Doubt’ weaves a tangled yarn
On stage Doubt: A Parable is on stage at the San Luis Obispo Repertory Theatre through April 14. Tickets range from $20 to $36. There will be talk-backs with the director and the cast following the matinee performances on April 6 and April 13 at approximately 3:30 pm. These Q&A sessions are open to the…
Give the earth a rest
There is no denying that man has had an adverse impact on climate. When asked how much, there is no exact answer. When asked how much nature can take, there is no exact answer. I, for one, do not want to come anywhere close to nature’s edge. We need to take climate change seriously. Let’s…
County: Don’t let State Parks ruin Oceano
Thank you to The Tribune for the March 21 editorial “SLO County, don’t let State Parks get away with ruining air quality on Nipomo Mesa.” Please also write an opinion called “Don’t let State Parks ruin Oceano beach.” Here is why: State Parks and the county sweep Pier Avenue and the vicinity regularly. Altogether, they…
The Melodrama’s ‘Unnecessary Farce’ is a necessary show to see
On stage Unnecessary Farce is onstage at the Great American Melodrama through April 28. Tickets range from $23 to $30. Visit americanmelodrama.com for more information. Two wannabe cops and then two hitmen walk into a motel room. Oh, and there are actually two conjoined motel rooms, eight doors, an embezzler, and a set of bagpipes.…
Everybody jump … to conclusions!
Holy Chicago moonshiners! We haven’t seen action like this since Eliot Ness set his moonshine-busting sights on Al Capone! Grover Beach recently had a swarm of law enforcement agents descend on 805 Beach Breaks, the county’s first legal brick-and-mortar pot dispensary, shuttering it for half a day as they investigated … something. “Month Long Investigation…
SLOMA executive director retires after 20 years
The San Luis Obispo Museum of Art (SLOMA) announced the retirement of longtime Executive Director Karen M. Kile, effective at the end of May. The museum credits Kile, who served the role for 20 years, with elevating SLOMA’s stature statewide as an arts destination and with overseeing the planning for a landmark building to replace…
DIY with classes at the UC Cooperative Extension in gardening and food preservation
Take a class The UC Cooperative Extension in San Luis Obispo County offers Master Gardener and Master Preserver programs as well as classes in gardening and food preservation. On April 13, the Master Gardeners are hosting a water wise vegetable gardening workshop at the SLO Botanical Garden at 3450 Dairy Creek Road in San Luis…
Sound off
New Times readers took to Facebook to share their thoughts on our March 28 news story, “Atascadero will charge its residents a fee for contaminating the recycling bin.”
Buy local
Bulk shopping: The SLO Natural Foods Co-op encourages shoppers to buy in bulk to save the planet—well, to help at least—in honor of Earth Day (April 22). The co-op is bulk food heaven: spices, flour, pasta, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, granola, beans, rice, honey, peanut butter, coffee, sugar—the list goes on! Bring your reusable containers…
Cuesta College’s ‘Ghost Ship’ receives 10 national awards
The Cuesta College Drama Department’s production of Ghost Ship received 10 national awards from the Kennedy Center, including Outstanding Theatrical Creation, Outstanding Production of a New Work, Outstanding Performance and Production Ensemble, and Outstanding Director. In February, the play showcased in Los Angeles at the 2019 Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. Cuesta will be…
Little bites
Drool-worthy: San Luis Obispo got itself a new tapas restaurant. Branzino’s menu includes traditional Spanish small plates such as gambas al ajillo (garlic shrimp), pulpo a la Gallega (Galician style octopus), and patatas bravas (spicy potatoes). And the menu also includes things like truffle mushroom croquettes, hamachi, and a raw bar with oysters. Chef Carlos…
Templeton production of ‘Newsies’ holds auditions
North County Theatre Works will hold auditions for its upcoming production of the Disney musical, Newsies, on April 5 at 6 p.m. and April 7 at 4 p.m., at the Templeton Performing Arts Center. Those auditioning should prepare 16 to 32 measures of a song from the show, bring a backing track, and expect to…
Rosé season
Spring is finally here. There is rain in the forecast, but it’s more of a sprinkle than a downpour. As the sun heats up your world, it’s kind of the perfect weather for a nice glass of chilled rosé. Chamisal Vineyards’ Edna Valley rosé is just the ticket! On a recent birthday-themed Edna Valley wine…
A trip to Southern California’s infamous poppy preserve really puts people into perspective
Get in the herd The Antelope Valley Poppy Preserve is off Highway 138 west of Lancaster. For a $10 fee, you can park in the preserve. The visitor’s center is open until Mother’s Day, and the bloom is expected to last through May. You can smell them before you see them. Goldfields emit a scent…
‘Dumbo’ flies low
DUMBO What’s it rated? PG What’s it worth, Karen? Rental What’s it worth, Caleb? Matinee Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre, Sunset Drive-In, Stadium 10, Bay Theatre, Galaxy, Park Cinemas This remake of the Disney animated film centers on a struggling circus led by Max Medici (Danny DeVito), who hires former circus star but now wounded…
Authorities seize pot at 805 Beach Breaks as part of Los Alamos investigation
805 Beach Breaks in Grover Beach closed briefly on March 28 as Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office authorities conducted a search of the shop and seized an undisclosed amount of cannabis allegedly sourced from a massive illegal grow in Los Alamos. As they executed a search warrant at the South San Luis Obispo County shop,…
Blast from the Past: C.H.U.D.
When? 1984 What’s it rated? R Where’s it available? Vudu, Amazon Prime, iTunes You probably haven’t heard of C.H.U.D., but there’s no better time than now to watch it. That’s because everyone is talking about Us (2019), Jordan Peele’s most recently released thriller that hinges on one family’s attempt to survive a sudden uprising of…
Sheriff’s investigating second homicide in Oceano
The small beach town of Oceano recently had another homicide, according to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office. The department announced that it was investigating the death of an unnamed man in Oceano who reportedly died after being shot. The death marks the second homicide in the area this year, following the death of…
Film Listings, 4/4/19 – 4/11/19
THE AFTERMATH What’s it rated? R Where’s it showing? Galaxy, The Palm New James Kent directs this post-World War II romance about British Col. Lewis Morgan (Jason Clarke) and his wife, Rachael (Keira Knightley), who are assigned to Hamburg where they share a house with its German former owner, Stephen Lubert (Alexander Skarsgård), and his…
Grover Beach discusses short-term rentals
Grover Beach officials began taking the next steps in drafting a short-term rental ordinance, slated to go into effect by the summer. City Manager Matthew Bronson said it’s important for the city to get the ordinance right. “We’ve been working on a fast-track in order to create a regulatory environment where there is none in…
Downtown Centre Cinemas celebrates a quarter century in SLO
The way we watch films has drastically changed over the last few years. Aside from movie theaters, there are streaming services, renting services, and, of course, finding movies on demand using a cable TV service. Instant gratification. While we may have all these tools at our fingertips, nothing is more satisfying than walking up to…
Rite Aide employee injured in confrontation with shoplifter in Paso
A loss-prevention employee suffered minor injuries after he was reportedly dragged behind a vehicle while attempting to detain a shoplifter in Paso Robles. According to Paso Robles Police Department officials, the incident occurred on April 2 around 9:30 p.m. outside the Rite Aid on 2424 Spring St. Police initially responded to multiple reports of a…
Correction
A March 28 story titled “Atascadero will charge its residents a fee for contaminating the recycling bin” incorrectly stated that residents would be charged for overfilling their recycling carts. Only commercial customers will be charged the fee by cubic-yard. The article also incorrectly stated that fees would go into effect after all recycling carts had…
Want to fix the affordable housing crisis?
The Sierra Club has a history of involvement in housing issues. We have long-standing policies that strongly support infill projects, reducing pollution, and preserving the natural environment in relation to housing development. We also support affordable housing as a matter of social justice. This aspect of California’s affordable housing crisis was summed up in the…
San Francisco senator talks controversial SB 50 at SLO housing summit
While elected officials from across San Luis Obispo County filed into Grace Central Coast in SLO to attend a regional housing summit on March 22, a group of local residents huddled outside in protest. They held up signs that read, “Oppose SB 50, Safeguard Local Control,” and chanted, “With top-down mandates, Big Brother’s on the…
