Cover Story
Summer Guide 2019
I know it doesn’t really feel like summer is right around the corner, but I promise that the sun will come out eventually. Those low-hanging soggy clouds full of wet will part, leaving you with the dog days of summer staring you straight in the face. How will you ever fill all of that daylight?…
WWJD?
To paraphrase 1 Timothy 5, a church isn’t a building; it’s the people who God has called into community … blah, blah, blah. Just don’t tell that pious yada-yada-Bible stuff to the “do-gooder Christians” battling over the Bethel Baptist Hillside Christian and Missionary Alliance Church of the Perpetual Civil Litigation of Grover Beach Ain’t Never…
Law enforcement and victim support organizations to receive training on science of trauma
Reporting a sexual assault or rape to police is a difficult step for any victim to take. And for those who do decide to walk down the path of justice, the detectives, prosecutors, and other officials they meet along the way have the ability to make them feel believed and supported, or doubted and demoralized.…
Sound off
New Times readers took to Facebook to share their thoughts on our May 16 news story, “Baywood Elementary could implement a dual-immersion program for 2020-21 school year.”
Michael Franti and Spearhead brings socially conscious sounds to the Avila Beach Golf Resort on May 31
Is Michael Franti the cure for cynicism? I know he’s trying to be. His recent documentary film, Stay Human, chronicles five remarkable people from around the world doing the right thing against terrible adversity. His new album, Stay Human Vol. II, is another collection of socially conscious songs designed to open minds and bolster spirits,…
Summer Guide 2019
I know it doesn’t really feel like summer is right around the corner, but I promise that the sun will come out eventually. Those low-hanging soggy clouds full of wet will part, leaving you with the dog days of summer staring you straight in the face. How will you ever fill all of that daylight?…
Craftmakers create work inspired by wellspring theme
On display The Wellspring exhibit, featuring art made by members of the Central Coast Craftmakers, will be on display at the SLO Museum of Art through June 2. Visit sloma.org for more information. Nothing is tiny enough to go unused. San Luis Obispo fiber artist Kate Froman is slowly working her way through a seemingly…
Festivus for the rest of us
Tequila! The Avila Beach Tequila Festival is coming up on May 25. I have no idea if it’s sold out or not, though. It looked like there were still tickets available as of May 20, but by the time you read this, I honestly have no idea! There will be tequila tastings from noon to…
A Journey into the Black and White show highlights the 805
On display The A Journey into the Black and White art exhibit will show at Studios on the Park in Paso Robles through May 26. Visit studiosonthepark.org and 805beer.com for more information. The kneecap was busted. It would be months before local surf rat Colin Nearman, then just 21 years old, could get back in…
Years and years
Happy anniversary: Justin Vineyards and Winery is celebrating 30 years of Justin cabernet sauvignon with the release of the 2017 Justin cabernet sauvignon. In the early 1980s, founder Justin Baldwin planted his cabernet vines, releasing the first 100 percent cab in 1988. Complementing aromas of black fruit and spice, the 2017 cab is dry with…
The Cal Poly Creamery is changing things up, and it tastes good
Cheese education Learn more about Cal Poly’s dairy science scene by visiting animalscience.calpoly.edu/dairy-science-0. Or if you just want to look at cheese, you can visit the creamery at calpolycreamery.com. Blue plastic booties cover my shoes, I’ve got a white lab coat on, and my curls are tucked haphazardly into a hairnet. This is the glamorous…
Pastel Artists of the Central Coast holds group show at Atascadero Library
Summer in Pastels, a new art exhibit at Atascadero Library, opens Monday, June 3, and runs through Friday, Aug. 30. This group show features works by members of the Pastel Artists of the Central Coast, including Carolyn Braun, Susan Clark, Linda Smith, Shelley Snow, Ginger Toomer, and Priscilla White. The featured artists have each created…
Sand and Stone
My crush on Aaron Wines started last summer. I was with a group of friends, and we decided on a whim to visit Tin City for a couple of hours before making dinner. Aaron was our last stop—it was busy, and the wineries were all ready to start closing. The guy behind the tasting room…
Central Coast Watercolor Society hosts talk with artist Diana Bittleston
The Central Coast Watercolor Society’s May 2019 program meeting takes place at the San Luis Obispo United Methodist Church on Tuesday, May 28. The event begins with a social time at 6:30 p.m., followed by a presentation from local artist Diana Bittleston at 7 p.m. Bittleston has been painting on the Central Coast for more…
Downtown Paso Robles association receives national accreditation
The Downtown Paso Robles Main Street Association has been designated as an accredited Main Street America program for meeting performance standards set by the National Main Street Center, including the fostering of strong public-private partnerships and the active preservation of historic buildings. “These programs deserve recognition for generating impressive economic returns, preserving community character, and…
SLO County locals join the nationwide rally for reproductive rights
On May 21, the SLO County Courthouse was occupied with women and men in pink pussy hats, pink Planned Parenthood T-shirts, purple “Truth to Power” SLO Women’s March T-shirts, and signs of all kinds. “We won’t go quietly back to the 1950s.” “Together we fight for all.” “Keep your laws off our bodies.” Women’s March…
Art and comedy: The Groundlings and The Getty are two worthwhile Los Angeles destinations
When I first walk into The Groundlings Theatre on Melrose Avenue in LA for an April 6 Saturday night show, I’m initially struck by its intimate size and feel. For an improv and sketch comedy outfit that was the springboard for the careers of Will Ferrell, Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Jon Lovitz, and so many…
Long overdue
It’s long past time for the powers that be to corral the outlaw mentality at our local Dunes of Death, aka the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreational Area. I’m not sure they want reform, though. Their reaction to the recent carnage is the same “look the other way” mentality that has long dominated at the…
Lawsuit filed to retake Hillside Church from local man
A dispute over who really owns the Hillside Church in Grover Beach has spilled into court. The Christian and Missionary Alliance (CMA), a national Protestant denomination with 2,000 churches, filed a lawsuit against local resident John Fleming, alleging that Fleming wrongfully claimed ownership of the church earlier in May in order to stop its pending…
‘John Wick: Chapter 3—Parabellum’ is deliciously over-the-top violence
JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3— PARABELLUM What’s it rated? R What’s it worth, Anna? Full price What’s it worth, Glen? Full price Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre, Galaxy, Park, Stadium 10 Directed by Chad Stahelski (John Wick, John Wick: Chapter 2) and picking up mere hours after the second installment, this third in the series follows…
Consider senior housing
I was pleased to read about plans for senior housing at the corner of Tank Farm Road and Broad Street in San Luis Obispo. I am a longtime city resident who loves living in SLO, but I have concerns (as I get older) that housing options for seniors here are limited. When we talk about…
Closure of left-turns at El Campo and three other intersections will resume
After a meeting between Vintage Wine Estates, James Grant, and community members, Caltrans got the green light to resume work on closing El Campo and three other intersections along Highway 101 between Los Berros Road and Traffic Way on May 21. According to an open letter by Laetitia Vineyard and Wineries’ parent company, Vintage Wine…
Underrated: The Color of Friendship
When? 2000 What’s it rated? TV-G Where’s it available? Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Play You didn’t really grow up in the late-1990s, early-2000s if you never watched a Disney Channel Original Movie. Since Disney Channel’s establishment in 1983, the cable channel has produced television films. I often have lengthy discussions with New Times Calendar Editor…
A response to ‘Who to honor?’ (May 9)
No, it’s not “who to honor;” it is whom to honor. His name was never “Teddy Roosevelt.” Theodore Roosevelt did not like be called by the nickname, which was given to a bear he decided not to shoot. Are journalists taught English grammar? Or American history? Or how to do detail checking for a story?…
Grover Beach, Paso Robles vote to join Monterey Bay Community Power
The Grover Beach and Paso Robles city councils took their first official steps to join Monterey Bay Community Power (MBCP) the week of May 20—kicking off what’s expected to be a countywide exodus from PG&E to the northernly public electricity provider over the next few months. Both city councils voted to adopt first readings of…
Film listings, 5/23/19 – 5/30/19
ALADDIN What’s it rated? PG Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre, Galaxy, Stadium 10, Park New Co-writer and director Guy Richie (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword) helms this live action remake of Disney’s animated 1992 film of the same name. Mena Massoud takes on the title role as…
Corporate greed
Laetitia Winery suing to keep the El Campo Road intersection open is a perfect example of American corporate greed, and it’s sickening! This insane intersection and some others up here on Highway 101 have always amazed me. People can say what they want about LA, but there isn’t one of these intersections down there that…
Templeton plans special election for tax to fund fire services
On May 21, the Templeton Community Services District board unanimously approved calling for a special election on a parcel tax to fund its Fire and Emergency Services department. After months of raising awareness about the department’s lack of funding and staffing as well as asking the county for assistance—and being rejected—Templeton voters will now have…
Seeking acceptance
I just came home from the May 21 SLO Women’s March protest on the courthouse steps, and I am a little disappointed. As an “old white man” (one of four monikers with strikethroughs on the main banner), I thought I would sort of be welcomed as a sympathizer from the other side. Not so much:…
Resigned Public Works director was ‘called creepy by most staff’
The former San Luis Obispo County Public Works director was described by department staff as being “a harasser,” aggressive and scary, and at times sexually inappropriate with female employees. Internal complaints about Daniel “Colt” Esenwein, who resigned as director on May 5, detail how county staff members struggled with their boss’s “cussing and yelling,” “brutal…
Dear Cal Poly President Armstrong
On behalf of the Republican Party of SLO (RPSLO), thank you for your decision to continue supporting the Chick-fil-A restaurant on the campus of Cal Poly, and most importantly, supporting the core values of freedom of choice, speech, and association. RPSLO believes, in doing so, the university honors and does not devalue tolerance, diversity, and…
Templeton Unified proposes a new before- and after-school program
Child care is hard to come by in San Luis Obispo County. According to the SLO County Child Care Planning Council Needs Assessment released in 2018, there’s a shortage of child care and lack of choices for parents countywide, especially in high-cost communities such as San Luis Obispo, Arroyo Grande, Cambria, and Templeton. Templeton Unified…
An intellectual chasm
Some decades past, I encountered a book titled The Nine Nations of North America, which categorized Americans by region, social mores, political values, and customs. Today, Americans are “Balkanized” to a degree never envisioned by the founders. The political and social divides, while not necessarily determined by region, seem comparable to the fiery 1850s pre-Civil…
Police vacancies put pressure on SLO County departments, budgets
San Luis Obispo County’s two largest police departments are struggling to keep up with a slew of officer vacancies, which is straining staff and overtime budgets. In two recent updates to elected leaders, both SLO County Sheriff Ian Parkinson and SLO Police Chief Deanna Cantrell explained how challenges in recruiting and hiring officers are coinciding…
