Cover Story
Hand-sculpted: Local natural building advocates work to incorporate permaculture techniques into modern society
Get cultured Quail Springs teaches a 14-day immersive permaculture design course from Nov. 3 through 17, 2019. Tuition is between $1,480 and $1,850 on a sliding scale. To learn more, visit quailsprings.org. Wisps of wind whip soft sand up from a private road that began in and meanders to what could rightfully be labeled the…
‘Pet Sematary’ is heavy on atmosphere but low on scares
PET SEMATARY What’s it rated? R What’s it worth, Anna? Rent it What’s it worth, Glen? Rent it Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre, Galaxy, Park, Stadium 10 Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer (Holidays, Starry Eyes, Absence) co-direct this new adaptation of the Stephen King novel about a supernatural burial ground. When Dr. Louis Creed (Jason…
Local shares his experience of owning one of SLO County’s last taxicab services
As Samuel Orr parks his taxicab, he sometimes hears people comment on his business through his window. “I pick up people that say, ‘I didn’t know we had taxis here.’ I mean there’s only a couple regularly driving around, so you could easily overlook one,” Orr said. In an era of ride-sharing services like Uber…
Underrated: The Battered Bastards of Baseball
When? 2014 What’s it rated? Not rated Where? Netflix To be honest, I’m really not the kind of person who’s easily lured by a romantic tale of the “American dream” on the big screen. But The Battered Bastards of Baseball—a must-see documentary telling the larger-than-life, crazily true story of one minor league baseball team in…
Grover Beach homelessness project backers, opponents hope for compromise
Arroyo Grande resident Ben Oakley acknowledged that neighborhood opposition to plans for a new homeless services facility on the city’s northeastern border in Grover Beach got off on a bit of a frenzied and emotional foot. “At first, we were really worried and caught off guard,” Oakley explained. “We felt very disenfranchised. We felt there…
Pushing the future
Our region has a tremendous opportunity to develop and benefit from a clean local energy economy. In support of this, we are thrilled to announce that community choice energy is coming to Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo. Starting in January of 2020, if you are a resident of or operate a business in either…
Let’s ban glyphosate
Remember, as a child, how we delighted when we saw dandelions in the lawn? Possibly our parents gave us an allowance if we pulled them with a tool. Remember how weeds would pop up in the sidewalk and we’d use a knife to clear them from the cracks? It took time. We had to bend…
The root cause of the world’s problems
I’d like to say a word about torture. We hear a lot about it these days; it’s all over the news. We recoil at the thought of torture. And yet, every single, solitary day, we are all being tortured. Now, you may wonder, “How is that?” And that’s probably just because you haven’t yet realized…
Texan country star Casey Donahew plays after the Cal Poly Rodeo on April 13
Cal Poly’s annual Open House is upon us this weekend, which means SLO Town will be inundated with visitors ready to check out all the goings-on at the prestigious university. In addition to lots of booths, displays, presentations, and tours of the various colleges, there are also concerts galore, and the biggest one of all…
Let’s hide the evidence?
The letter to the editor, “Show me the evidence,” by Glen de St. Jean (April 4), was more “evidence” of the assault on Trump’s critics. Glen is furious with leading Democrats’ belief that President Donald Trump is not innocent of collusion. Well, Glen, Robert Mueller, an upright Republican, indicted a large number of Trump’s campaign…
Baking obsession: Watching The Great British Bake Off can get under your skin and into your oven
Get obsessed You can star on your own reality show by attempting to bake after binge-watching one of the most wholesome reality TV shows ever, The Great British Bake Off, aka The Great British Baking Show. Search out recipes used in the episodes by visiting the BBC or PBS online. Freshly baked bread hits my…
Sound off
New Times readers took to Facebook to share their thoughts on our April 4 news story, “SLOCOG accepts staff recommendation to close El Campo intersection.”
Purple crush
Grape info: The California Department of Food and Agriculture had to reschedule the release of crop reports due to what the U.S. Department of Food and Agriculture called a “lapse in federal funding” (read: government shutdown). Because the agency couldn’t collect data or issue reports, the California Grape Crush Report was released on April 10…
Tots and taters
After a harrowing drive on a road you’re not quite sure your very low-clearance Toyota Matrix is going to make it up or down, there’s something satisfying about sitting down at a picnic table in the shade of an umbrella as the adrenaline leaves your system. (Yes, I’m speaking from experience—and yes, it was FUN,…
Grub a dub dub
New food: There are a lot of new restaurants opening in this county. It’s hard to keep up! Here are a couple more for you to salivate over. Efren’s of Oceano fame finally brought their famously delicious traditional Mexican food to a spot in San Luis Obispo. I’ll take some homemade sopes with carne asada…
Film Listings, 4/11/19 – 4/18/19
Editor’s note: Films are subject to change on Wednesday, April 17. Please check with local theaters for films and show times. APOLLO 11 What’s it rated? G What’s it worth? Full price Where’s it showing? The Palm Pick Todd Douglas Miller (Dinosaur 13) directs this documentary about the historic 1969 mission to land on the…
SLO Museum of Art director steps down after 20 years
New beginnings For more information about the SLO Museum of Art’s plans for a new building, or to donate to the capital campaign, visit sloma.org. As the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art hits the 25 percent mark toward raising $15 million for a new building, its long time executive director, Karen Kile, is stepping…
We need discussion
I just finished watching an extensive interview of international correspondent Lara Logan by Fox News host Mark Levin. No doubt “liberal/progressive” alarm bells are ringing with the mention of Fox News and Levin in the same sentence, but his weekend programs provide in-depth analysis and mostly uninterrupted dialogue by his guests as they respond to…
Do behave!
Am I having a flashback or déjà vu? I feel like we’ve already had a community fight about a facility serving homeless individuals that residents threw a NIMBY fit over. Oh wait, I know. It happens every damn time! It was only a few months ago in November that I was wagging my little Shredderlicious…
Los Osos author explores spirituality with ‘Essays from the Soul’
Available now Essays From The Soul is available, either in a paperback or in a Kindle version, for purchase at amazon.com. Ordained minister Arthur M. Scott considers himself a lifelong student with an insatiable hunger for learning. He and his wife, Pati, have been facilitating discussion groups on spiritual books for the last 15 years.…
Former Clearwater Nursery denied cannabis permit amid alleged violations
County supervisors sent one of San Luis Obispo County’s largest and most controversial cannabis operations packing on April 9. Supervisors voted unanimously to deny CFAM Management a land-use permit at 887 Mesa Road in Nipomo—formerly Clearwater Nursery until cannabis replaced cut flowers in 2015—after a recent inspection found multiple alleged violations of local and state…
North County resident gives kids free airplane rides to spark interest in aviation
Bill Siegel has been flying planes since 1965 when he joined the Naval Academy. After serving as a Navy pilot for 20 years, he became a pilot instructor and then an airline pilot for Northwest Airlines for another two decades. After Siegel retired, he moved to Paso Robles with his family and started going to…
More cities explore Community Choice Energy
Following the lead of San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay, more SLO County cities are now in talks with Monterey Bay Community Power (MBCP) about becoming partner agencies—as the budding public electricity provider looks to expand south. J.R. Killigrew, director of communications for MBCP, gave presentations to the Paso Robles City Council on April 2…
Paso Robles Children’s Museum installs new solar energy system
The Paso Robles Children’s Museum received a donation of more than $12,000 from A.M. Sun Solar, a Paso Robles-based solar installation company. The donation was presented to the museum’s board of directors during Free Family Play Day, which featured solar themed crafts and educational exhibits, on Saturday, March 30. The event was held to celebrate…
Supervisors deny Cambria campground
A proposed campground in Cambria was denied at the SLO County Board of Supervisors meeting on April 9 because the property in question doesn’t have a secondary access road for public safety. BKS Cambria LLC appealed the county Planning Commission’s Dec. 13, 2018, denial of the project to the board. According to a staff report,…
Journalist Ben Bradlee Jr. to speak at Cal Poly
The Cal Poly journalism and political science departments will host journalist and author Ben Bradlee Jr. for a talk on Monday, April 15. Bradlee will discuss his latest book, The Forgotten: How the People of One Pennsylvania County Elected Donald Trump and Changed America, at the event. Bradlee is the former managing editor of The…
Visitors to county parks want ‘dynamic experiences,’ report says
An annual report from the SLO County Parks and Recreation Commission touted the potential of county parks to draw in more visitors from inside and outside the area, bringing in more revenue and other benefits with them. “The business from county Parks and Recreation generates jobs, funnels dollars to local businesses, increases property values, stimulates…
The Palm screens ‘Sideways’ to benefit SLO Noor Foundation
The Palm Theatre presents a screening of the 2004 Central Coast-centric comedy, Sideways, on Saturday, April 13, at 7:30 p.m. Proceeds from the event–which will also feature wine for guests to enjoy–will benefit the SLO Noor Foundation, an organization dedicated to providing free health care to the uninsured. Tickets are $15 and are available in…
Lucia Mar increases the cost of its meals
Lucia Mar Unified School District students will see an increased price for school lunch and breakfast next academic school year. On April 9, the school board unanimously approved increasing the cost of breakfast by 50 cents, raising the price from $1.50 to $2. Lunch will increase by 25 cents—elementary school lunch will go from $2.50…
