Cover Story
Liberals with guns: Don’t like the NRA but love the Second Amendment and Obama? There’s a club for that
Feel like you fit? You can learn more about what The Liberal Gun Club is all about by visiting theliberalgunclub.com. Find them on Facebook @LiberalGunClub or Twitter @liberalgunclub. Depressing the trigger, kickback hammers my body as the bullet exits the barrel. The polished wooden stock jams into the part of my shoulder where it’s nestled,…
Thomas Hill Organics keeps it fresh and fun with new executive chef, dessert bar
Changing seasons Thomas Hill Organics’ new Dessert Bar will be staffed in the evenings from 5 to 10 p.m. The restaurant is located in downtown Paso Robles, at 1313 Park St. For reservations or for more information, visit thomashillorganics.com or call (805) 226-5888. Thomas Hill Organics remains one of the first authentic farm-to-table restaurants in…
SLO Tease Burlesque presents A Night at the Movies
The South Bay Community Center in Los Osos hosts A Night at the Movies, presented by SLO Tease Burlesque, on Friday, Nov. 8, and Saturday, Nov. 9, at 8 p.m. both evenings. This neo-burlesque performance will feature movie-themed dances based on films from a variety of genres, including horror, romance, and action/adventure. Attendees are encouraged…
Misc. nibbles
You don’t want to miss the most creative way to taste the wines you will never find in stores: More than 200 ultra-premium artisan wines from more than 60 obscure micro-wineries from the Paso Robles region and all of California will be featured at the ninth annual Garagiste Festival. The smashingly popular local event will…
Annual Poetry Festival holds readings in SLO and Morro Bay
The 36th annual SLO Poetry Festival kicked off at GALA on Nov. 2 and will continue with two more readings in SLO County. The next event takes place at Coalesce Chapel in Morro Bay on Sunday, Nov. 10, at 2 p.m. This reading’s featured poets are Mary Kay Rummel, Friday Gretchen, Glenna Luschei, Paul Lobo…
Celebrate the season
Record Family Wines invites you to their Friendsgiving in the Vineyard on Nov. 9 from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Record Family vineyard, 2105 Ranchita Canyon Road, Paso. The ninth annual Release Party will feature their new releases alongside a harvest-inspired feast with locally raised turkeys cooked to perfection in their deep pit barbecue,…
SLO Botanical Garden hosts art show fundraiser
The SLO Botanical Garden hosts its Art Show and Fundraiser on Friday, Nov. 15, from 4:30 to 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 16, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 17, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Friday event begins with a ribbon cutting ceremony, which will be followed by a wine and…
Sound off
New Times readers took to Facebook to share their thoughts on our Oct. 31 Flavor story, “A frugal look at the cost of organic milk, butter, eggs, and bread at local grocery stores.”
James Papp shares his spookiest local paranormal stories on the Ghosts of San Luis Walking Tour
See for yourself Curious about local lore? The next Ghosts of San Luis Obispo walking tour is on Nov. 8. Find out more or buy tickets on eventbrite.com. San Luis Obispo’s oldest noodle house is haunted. But don’t worry, the spirit that supposedly haunts Mee Heng Low just wants some Mountain Dew. The sun is…
Raise a glass
Congratulations to Stepladder Creamery in Cambria, the one and only farmstead goat dairy and creamery on the Central Coast, for recently winning the $10,000 Jennifer Bice Artisan Dairy/Cheesemaker Grant … Vina Robles re-launched its bistro service on Wednesdays through Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with new winery chef James Richmond and Director of…
Film Listings, 11/7/19 – 11/14/19
All theater listings are as of Friday, Nov. 8 THE ADDAMS FAMILY What’s it rated? PG What’s it worth? Stream it Where’s it showing? Bay, Park, Stadium 10 Co-directors Greg Tiernan and Conrad Vernon helm this animated comedy about a peculiar and macabre family. Despite the talent, the story is too blah to elicit much…
Los Osos looks at options for a new library
The future location of the Los Osos library is still being discussed as SLO County officials gather community input, and a potential parcel tax could help fund this and future library capital projects. At a Nov. 4 community workshop, Christopher Barnickel, the county’s director of libraries, said that library administration was hoping to get feedback…
Chocolate-covered coffee beans at Joebella
Joebella Coffee Roasters in Atascadero is so full of surprises. They can make pumpkins out of the foam atop of your pumpkin latte, and sometimes you’ll find chef Emilie’s apple turnovers made from Templeton Valley Organic Apples in their glass case (which you must eat for breakfast!). I have such a passion for their latest,…
SLO County supervisors fire back at state ag board
A confrontational morning session of the Nov. 5 San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors meeting ended in the narrow approval of a written retort to the California State Board of Food and Agriculture, which recently criticized SLO for its handling of water policy over the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin. The supervisors’ 3-2 vote delivered…
Residential construction project in Shell Beach faces major barriers
In August, the Pismo Beach Planning Commission approved a plan to demolish an existing home on Ocean Boulevard in Shell Beach and replace it with a new residence nearly twice the size, but now it might not happen. Pismo Beach City Council directed staff at a meeting on Nov. 5 to develop an ordinance upholding…
The 11th annual New Times Music Awards honors our local scene on Nov. 8 at SLO Brew Rock
Even though the New Times Music Awards is a competition, there won’t be any losers at the SLO Brew Rock Event Center this Friday, Nov. 7 (doors at 6 p.m.; music at 7 p.m.; all ages; $15 general, $10 for students, free for veterans and active duty military at ticketweb.com). That’s because every band competing…
Avila Valley Advisory Council objects to golf resort’s request for entertainment license
The Avila Beach Golf Resort is again facing opposition from its neighbors, this time for an outdoor entertainment license application the business recently filed that some say is illegitimate. At a meeting on Nov. 4, the Avila Valley Advisory Council voted to object to various portions of the golf resort’s application for a temporary commercial…
Frogs could impact Morro Bay’s timeline for water facility construction
The U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife is conducting another review of the future Morro Bay water reclamation facility site and its potential impacts on the California red-legged frog. The review could lead to potential cost impacts and delays in the project’s construction. “This came, kind of, last minute, but again it’s an important consideration…
Dear Gov. Gavin Newsom
What is your response to out of control fire caused by global warming? It is to allow closure of our largest carbon-free generator, Diablo Canyon Power Plant. We see your support of more burning of more fossil fuel—natural gas. We see no protection of the people, even in this climate emergency. Diablo Canyon has a…
Precision Physical Therapy offers affordable classes for Parkinson’s community
A new physical therapy practice recently opened in San Luis Obispo, and in addition to touting a 48-hour appointment guarantee, it’s offering affordable twice-a-week classes for the underserved Parkinson’s community. Partners Dr. Kristen Carless and Dr. Dave Svetich co-founded Precision Physical Therapy in July of this year, opening on Tank Farm Road. Their practice specializes…
Peoples’ Self-Help Housing seeks $15 million grant for homeless projects
Peoples’ Self-Help Housing has its eye on two new projects to serve local homeless individuals with mental illnesses—and it’s hoping a new state grant program can help make them a reality. The nonprofit and the San Luis Obispo County Health Agency joined forces to apply for up to $15 million as part of the No…
Grover Beach’s communication breakdown
It all started about a year ago when we learned that SLO County and the city of Grover Beach planned to allow for the purchase and redevelopment of Hillside Community Church into a homeless center. It seemed like an admirable venture on the surface, one that would align with the state’s mandate to develop affordable…
Pismo Beach Police Department files first petition for a gun violence restraining order
Get informed California’s “red flag” law, AB 1014, went into effect Jan. 1, 2016. It allows immediate family members or law enforcement to petition a court to remove a person’s right to own, possess, or buy a firearm for 21 days. If the court decides that the person in question poses an immediate threat or…
California’s green energy future
My head nearly exploded reading the op-ed “California’s green energy scam” (Oct. 24). Like many letters opposing community choice energy, it has some correct information and adds in some incorrect information—and lets the imagination run wild. If I understand the commentary, somehow if PG&E doesn’t buy the energy we receive, we are going to become…
Proposed restoration plan in the Guadalupe Oil Field could limit harmful emissions and save Chevron millions
It’s a picture perfect day in this slice of the Nipomo Dunes, where rolling hills of shrub-peppered sand run directly into the misty ocean, creating a coastline habitat perfect for a number of endangered and rare species. This seems like the ideal spot to get outside and enjoy nature, but there aren’t tourists or Central…
A Halloween fright
It must be Halloween. John Texeira (“California’s green energy scam,” Oct. 24) is trying to scare us with that Government Socialism Monster hiding behind the solar panel you’re contemplating buying. In response: 1. Re-opening Diablo Canyon Power Plant will not save California from wildfires started by PG&E equipment. Its electricity would still need to be…
Through the looking glass
Living in California today is like living in an “Alice in Wonderland” experience. It’s surreal: What was once deemed absurd is becoming the norm. We live in a state that once was the envy of the nation, an economic powerhouse that was the land of opportunity for 150 years, starting with the 19th century Gold…
Dear neighbors
The debate over community choice energy (CCE) continues. There seems to be a lot of confusion due to the fact that there are some serious untruths floating around as to the alleged benefits of community choice. Some of the more flagrant departures from reality are: • Sustainability—a significant increase in renewable energy generation and reduction…
Mohamad Hafez’s Retrospective exhibit asks viewers to find the ‘common denominator’ in our lived experiences
On display Mohamad Hafez’s Retrospective will show at the Harold J. Miossi Art Gallery at Cuesta College until Dec. 20. The gallery is open weekdays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and until 7 p.m. on Thursdays. For architect and artist Mohamad Hafez, attracting media attention is not always a joyous experience. That’s because many of…
Dignity Health isn’t what it purports to be
Dignity Health: “Our values define how we carry out the mission.” Help me understand how Dignity Health can advertise “humankindness” and the “Beyond Health” fundraising campaign, then quietly begin laying off employees fundamental to quality patient care. System leaders said Dignity’s merger with Catholic Health Initiatives would be a positive move and not to worry.…
Motherless Brooklyn is a deliciously complicated neo-noir crime mystery
MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN What’s it rated? PG-13 What’s it worth, Anna? Full price What’s it worth, Glen? Full price Where’s it showing? Galaxy, Stadium 10, Downtown Centre Writer-director Edward Norton (Keeping the Faith) helms this 1950s-period crime drama based on Jonathan Lethem’s novel about Tourette Syndrome-afflicted private detective Lionel “Brooklyn” Essrog, who works to solve the…
Infuriated
The PG&E power blackouts are immoral. This insane practice of shutting off power because there “might” be an incident is the same as if the water agencies decided to turn off your water supply for a week because there “might” be a Legionnaires’ or Cryptosporidium outbreak. No showers or flushing toilets for a week. This…
SLO Repertory’s Deathtrap has a surprise waiting around every corner
On stage Deathtrap runs at the SLO Repertory Theatre through Nov. 17. Shows take place Wednesday through Saturday at 7 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. For tickets and more info, visit slorep.org. With enough twists and turns to fill multiple productions, SLO Repertory Theatre’s Deathtrap will leave you attempting to unravel its…
Red-legged frog to the rescue!
If Morro Bay could build its new wastewater treatment facility out of the angry emails I got after last discussing attempts by grassroots organizations Citizens for Affordable Living (CAL) and Home Front Environmental Justice (HFEJ) to block the project, it could already be built (“Water wars!” Oct. 24). These grassrooters sure are persnickety! They really…
Blast from the Past: Lone Wolf McQuade
When? 1983 What’s it rated? PG Where? Free on YouTube The internet loves Chuck Norris, and why not? He’s legendarily hairy and whenever he gets sweaty he looks like he’s covered in warm butter. He owns the classic tough guy look and embodies all the clichés of action stars. And he can kick really, really…
