Cover Story
They’ll be watching you: Welcome to SLO’s surveillance state
Surely Candid Camera host Allen Funt couldn’t have predicted that hidden cameras would become so ubiquitous in our lives, but here we are, surrounded by Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) cameras nearly everywhere we go, our every movement being surreptitiously recorded. Some find solace and security in this near-constant surveillance; others worry that cameras everywhere are…
Indie rock hero Doug Martsch and his band Built to Spill plays the Fremont on Nov. 20
The problem with bands is they almost always break up, so how do you avoid the trap of implosion? You be Doug Martsch, the only permanent member of Idaho-based indie rock band Built to Spill. Martsch, the former guitarist and vocalist of the Treepeople, formed Built to Spill in 1992, telling Spin magazine his intention…
SLO Library presents Sign of the Times exhibition
Sign of the Times: The Great American Political Poster (1844-2012) opened at the San Luis Obispo Library at the start of November and will remain on display through January 2020. This showcase features rarely seen political posters created in the last 170 years and is located in the library’s second floor exhibit area. The posters…
Arroyo Grande City Council to consider 60 percent pay increase
If you could give yourself a 60 percent raise, would you do it? That’s the “awkward” question the Arroyo Grande City Council is working to answer, and so far, most members don’t seem too sure about their stances on the topic. City Council analyzed increasing compensation for its members and mayor at a meeting on…
Tooth and Nail Winery hosts magician David Minkin
Internationally touring magician David Minkin hosts a magic show, Magic and Wine, at Tooth and Nail Winery in Paso Robles on Saturday, Nov. 23, from 7 to 9:30 p.m. The event features a wine reception and admission includes wine tasting and hors d’oeuvres. Tickets are $75 and are available in advance at my805tix.com. Only guests…
Online deli Cured and Cultivated now delivers gorgeous meat and cheese ‘tables’ to Central Coast foodies
Eat with your eyes Cured and Cultivated online deli specializes in artisanal cheese and cured meats sliced to order and delivered to your door. Its grab-and-go plates are also available at several Central Coast wineries, including Halter Ranch in Paso Robles. The deli delivers its wares throughout the state, and local delivery is available for…
Studios on the Park holds annual holiday show
Handcrafted for the Holidays opens at Studios on the Park in Paso Robles on Thursday, Nov. 21, and will run through Sunday, Dec. 29. This seasonal exhibition features a variety of craftspeople from all over California. Admission to the show is free. Interested artists are encouraged to apply to join the showcase throughout the month.…
Morro Bay won’t own future location of its water facility
After a citizens group petitioned Morro Bay’s decision to purchase the site of the city’s future water reclamation facility, the City Council voted to repeal its decision at a Nov. 12 council meeting. The petition, filed by Citizens for Affordable Living in October, has 894 verified signatures out of the 1,114 collected—only 748 were needed…
Jojo Rabbit delivers a pointed and topical satire
JOJO RABBIT 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, The Palm Writer-director Tailka Waititi (Hunt for the Wilderpeople, What We Do in the Shadows) helms this adaptation of Christine Leunens’ satirical novel about a young boy (Roman Griffin Davis) in Hitler’s (Waititi)…
SLO City Council approves new SLO Rep Theatre, parking garage
Long-discussed plans to build a new performing arts center and city parking garage on the same downtown property in San Luis Obispo earned the SLO City Council’s final approval on Nov. 12. The 3-0 vote paves the way for construction to start on the joint project, a public-private partnership between the city and the SLO…
Underrated: Insomnia
When? 2002 What’s it rated? R Where? Blu-ray, DVD, Amazon Prime, iTunes Two LAPD homicide detectives are dispatched to Nightmute, a small fishing town in Alaska, to assist with an ongoing murder investigation. One half of the duo, Detective Will Dormer (Al Pacino), looks exhausted from the moment we meet him. We soon come to…
Seasonal eats
The Backyard Mac ‘n’ Cheese Brawl, hosted by Tooth & Nail Winery is back on Nov. 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. The contestants of this gooey rumpus will be Tooth & Nail Winery, Justin Vineyards & Winery, and Thomas Hill Organics. May the biggest cheese win. Tickets are $35 (kids age 5 and younger…
Film Listings, 11/14/19 – 11/21/19
All theater listings are as of Friday, Nov. 15 CHARLIE’S ANGELS What’s it rated? PG-13 Where’s it showing? Galaxy, Park, Stadium 10 New Writer-director Elizabeth Banks (Pitch Perfect 2) takes on the classic TV series (1976-1981) about a trio of crime-fighting women—Sabina Wilson (Kristen Stewart), Elena Houghlin (Naomi Scott), and Jane Kano (Ella Balinska)—who this…
Eat and learn
Care to learn about what local groups are doing to increase food access at our local farmers’ markets? The SLO Food System Coalition will be hosting its final general meeting of the year on Nov. 18 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at the UC Cooperative Extension Auditorium, 2156 Sierra Way, SLO. County and state experts…
The 11th Annual New Times Music Awards Winners for 2019
Thanks to all who came out to the SLO Brew Rock Event Center last Friday, Nov. 8, for the 2019 New Times Music Awards! The show was a huge success. The final results are listed below for posterity. Congratulations to all the winners, and thanks to all who entered! Best Album 1) Phil Lee: Phil…
Rep. Carbajal holds fundraising lead over Caldwell
With a year to go in the 2020 election, 24th District Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) is off to a big financial head start against his Republican challenger, radio host and political commentator Andy Caldwell. As of a Sept. 30 campaign finance filing deadline, the second term congressman and former Santa Barbara County supervisor had…
Wine time
Join sommelier Katie Gebauer on Nov. 17, 1 to 3 p.m., for a lively sensory experience of analysis, discussion, and tasting with The Ins & Outs of Mourvedre, a wine seminar hosted by Cass Winery, 7350 Linne Road, Paso. Tickets are $35/$28 at casswines.com … The Paso Robles Rhone Rangers and nine of the areas…
SLO County resident sues Juul
A San Luis Obispo County resident is suing Juul for what he claims is the e-cigarette manufacturer’s failure to adequately warn consumers that its products could cause harmful health effects. On Nov. 7, Nick Limpangug filed a complaint in SLO County Superior Court against Juul Labs Inc. and several of its employees, demanding a jury…
Saucelito Canyon’s 2016 Estate Classic Zinfandel
Harvest on the Coast Grand Tasting was a delight this first weekend in November at Avila Beach Resort. It’s the event of catharsis for the wine biz, specifically of the Coastal Region. It was sweet to see the winery owners and winemakers, hands cracked and purple from the season’s harvest, wind down with the rest…
In the race: Dawn Addis, co-founder of Women’s March SLO, announces run for 35th District Assembly
Greeted by a raucous San Luis Obispo Guild Hall crowd of more than 100 people, Dawn Addis opened her run for state Assembly on Nov. 7 like she did her political life in 2017 as a Women’s March SLO organizer: surrounded by energized local progressives. “In 2017, millions of us took to the streets knowing…
Atascadero’s proposed tiny-home development isn’t affordable
On the Atascadero city cable network, a City Council member recently boldly advertised that a developer wishes to develop a 1.7-acre lot in Atascadero and build approximately 26 “tiny homes.” This council member proudly remarked that this was an “affordable housing” development for Atascadero. These free-standing units will range from approximately 500 square feet to…
Becoming a climate leader
Editor’s note: Rhetoric & Reason columnist Andrew Christie, Sierra Club Santa Lucia Chapter director, hands the typewriter to the vice chair of the Santa Lucia Chapter for this month’s column Must we change? Can we change? Will we change? These three questions framed the core of the Climate Reality Leadership Training I attended this summer…
Chess: Shell Beach vs. Germany
Consult Doctor Chess From archaeology and ancient empire languages to football science and parliamentary procedure, Doctor Chess teaches it all. For more information, visit doctorchess.com or contact Robert Holland at (805) 481-4627 or doctorchess@doctorchess.com. Chess pieces wobble back and forth as fourth grader Avery Connell adjusts her cat-eared headband, pulls on the sleeves of her…
SLO’s doing it wrong
I am always amazed when I see a city decide to force its residents to walk or bike without providing any of the necessities that would make it possible to walk or bike. It is probably difficult for most Americans to remember what cities used to be like before the cars invaded them, but I…
Sound off
New Times readers took to Facebook to share their thoughts on our Nov. 7 cover story, “Liberals with guns: Don’t like the NRA but love the Second Amendment and Obama? There’s a club for that.”
So dramatic!
Thank goodness the SLO Repertory Theatre is here to save us from the local hardworking and creative artistic nonprofits that just aren’t as great as it is! If you listen to Managing Artistic Director Kevin Harris tell it, SLO Rep is better than Festival Mozaic, Opera SLO, and SLO Symphony combined! Combined, people! And it’s…
Enabling a crisis
If I were homeless, seeking the quintessential Goldilocks place to live the rest of my life, San Francisco would be No. 1; Seattle, No. 2. The citizens, politicians, and law enforcement have combined forces to legitimize and mainstream homelessness. What a perfect place to live, free of laws, ordinances, and the stigma. Everything is free.…
Local support for DACA remains strong
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments against the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program on Nov. 12, and while no decision has been made, the court indicated it might allow the current administration to end it. In the wake of the hearing, local higher educational institutions continue to support the DACA community. Cal…
Dear Camillia
I think your Nov. 7 cover image was most unfortunate and incendiary. If you want to add fuel to the fire of our ridiculously polarized county, you couldn’t have chosen a better method. A line of rifle-toting whites, with the huge title “Liberals with guns”! Really? What do think the reaction is here in North…
Local medical and cosmetic doctor is accused of gross negligence; claims former employee is making false allegations
Stylish white chairs and a self-serving water station furnish the front waiting room of the Revive MD Medical Group facility. In the corner of the room, Dr. Laleh Shaban makes an appearance in a large colorful photo. In the photo, she’s sitting on stage at an Entrepreneurship Club of Harvard Business School event, pointing at…
Look for the common thread and get them out of office
What is the common denominator of every city, town, and state in dire straits of economic poverty, homeless populations, slums, high crime, and food stamp recipients? Where unemployment, a lack of affordable housing, the poorest educated students even though the schools have high dollar costs per student, and every other negative social disaster that reduces…
Feel-good show: Cambria Center for the Arts Theatre puts on ’40s-era Harvey through Nov. 24
On stage Harvey, a 1944 play written by Mary Chase, will run at the Cambria Center for the Arts Theatre until Nov. 24. For show times, visit cambriacenterforthearts.org/theatre. A play about a grown man with an imaginary rabbit friend sounds like it would make a great children’s story. While this is indeed the storyline behind…
Trump
Donald Trump is like a repetitive 7 to 8 magnitude Richter scale earthquake, not just in California, but for the entire country. You can’t see it coming—you can’t forecast it—there is no warning available. The results are substantial: destruction of our democracy, shake by shake. The destruction of our influence as a formidable ally to…
Ballet Unbound at the PAC features original works, traditional elements, and contemporary takes
Get your seats Ballet Unbound, a Movement Arts Collective production, will show at the Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo on Nov. 15 at 7 p.m., and Nov. 17 at 2 p.m. For tickets and more information, visit pacslo.org. At the Movement Arts Collective, you can find touches of European style that set it apart…
