Cover Story
‘Cash only’: It’s easier now than ever to swipe cards, but for a select few stubborn SLO County businesses, cash stands for more than just convenience
Walking into a bar like the Pine Street Saloon feels a little like traveling back in time. The stale smell of beer-stained floors; the antique beer mirrors advertising Acme and other brands of a bygone era; the photos and paintings of Wild West cowboys and gold miners hung in ornate frames and covering nearly every…
Caliwala Grocery Market & Deli: The newest storefront in Santa Margarita is a natural foods store with a ‘come on in’ welcome mat
Community outpost Caliwala Grocery Market & Deli, which opened its doors to the public during a soft opening on Dec. 1, specializes in fresh, local, and natural foods as well as convenience goods. Here you will find local and sustainable products as well as dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan options, and a grab-and-go selection of house-made…
Melodious hip-hop act Bone Thugs N Harmony hits the Fremont Theater on Dec. 22
Last I checked, Bone Thugs N Harmony was reunited and complete, with Bizzy, Wish, Layzie, Krayzie, and Flesh-N-Bone all returned to a group that MTV called “the most melodic hip-hop group of all time” and that About.com ranked 12th on its list of The Best Rap Groups of All Time. The Grammy Award winners—they won…
Seasonal eats
Loulou Cheese Girl will be popping up at Levo Wine, 2975 Limestone Way, Paso Robles, for the Tin City Forklift Parade on Dec. 19 at 5 p.m. Her cheeselicious spread will include hot chocolate, mac & cheese, grilled cheeses, and her signature cheese boxes full of love … Continuing the Twelve Days of Cliffsmas at…
SLOMA exhibit features work of photographers from their journeys through Vietnam
On display Visions of Vietnam: A Photographic Journey is on display at the SLO Museum of Art through Feb. 2, 2020. Visit sloma.org for more information. Peggy Jansson, a San Luis Obispo local, lived through the Vietnam War era, during which her husband was deployed on two Western Pacific tours in the U.S. Navy. Having…
Eat and learn
Do you find books delicious? Well then you must attend Paso Robles City Library’s Book Tasting on Dec. 19 from 6 to 8 p.m. At this event, which Librarian Karen Christiansen will be hosting, attendees will have the opportunity to sample several genres of books to develop a reading palate. Savory and sweet refreshments will…
New exhibit at Atascadero Library highlights both manmade and natural scenes of the Central Coast
Get drawn in Drawn to the Central Coast will be on display at Atascadero Library until Feb. 28, 2020. Library hours are Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. through 5 p.m. With paintings situated throughout its wall space, Atascadero Library’s new exhibit, Drawn to the Central Coast,…
Angelica’s Clean Vegan Mini Cakes
This dish is a win, not just for vegans but for all who want to be healthy yet carry the burden of a sweet tooth. I happened upon Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef Angelica, the creator of Vegan Clean Sweets as she was sampling with Erin Inglish at Caliwala (see this week’s Flavor feature story). Of…
Film Listings, 12/19/19 – 12/26/19
All theater listings are as of Friday, Dec. 20. BLACK CHRISTMAS What’s it rated? PG-13 What’s it worth? Rent it Where’s it showing? Park Sophia Takal (Green, Always Shine) directs this mystery-horror film about a group of female students stalked over their Christmas break. As they’re picked off one by one, they eventually join forces…
Community ignites holiday spirit
They say: It takes a village. That sentiment proved accurate at the 2019 Big Brothers Big Sisters “ugly sweater” themed holiday party. Nearly 400 children and family members came together with volunteers and dozens of community organizations to ignite the spirit of the holidays for the families we serve. Each classroom at Charles E. Teach…
Oceano CSD bars outspoken board member from committee service
A routine task ended in harsh words and controversy at a recent Oceano Community Services District (OCSD) meeting, where the board of directors took an unusual step and barred a fellow board member from serving on any committees in 2020. At an OCSD meeting on Dec. 11, the board approved a motion 3-2 to prohibit…
A response to a response
Right again, Mark Henry, with your response to “Honor and betrayal” (Nov. 28) (“A response to ‘Honor and betrayal,'” Dec. 5). There’s no way Monterey Bay Community Power (MBCP) can offer anyone any specific choice in the power they receive. MBCP can purchase wind and solar, and CAISO (California Independent System Operator) can accept and…
Local law enforcement official arrested on alcohol-related charges
An off-duty lieutenant with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office was arrested on Nov. 24 in Arroyo Grande on suspicion of disorderly conduct and public intoxication. Two Arroyo Grande Police Department officers were dispatched to Rooster Creek Tavern on East Branch Street, where they found Brenda Maynard, who had reportedly been disturbing the peace. Maynard…
We need civil discourse
It is with sadness that I feel the need to respond to the letter “Dear Adam Shiff and all Democrats” (Dec. 12). The writer seems to be a big Trump fan and disagrees with impeachment, but he also appears to not be prepared to admit that perhaps the Dems (and many citizens) feel that Trump…
One million acres opened to oil and gas leases in Central California
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced on Dec. 12 that it has cleared the final hurdle to restarting oil and gas development on its lands throughout Central California. Amid a six-year dry spell in new oil and gas leases on public lands throughout the state, the BLM’s Bakersfield Office said in a press…
Thoughts on climate change
Have we seen global warming in Santa Maria? Yes, we have. I remember yearly frosts on the lawn in the mornings after a below-freezing night. In previous years, I’ve lost plants to freezing weather. But it hasn’t happened in years. That could be a short-time anomaly, but likely it’s the world warming, bit by bit.…
SLO County changes course, considers extending policy protecting cannabis growers
A week after rejecting pleas from the cannabis industry, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors reversed course on Dec. 17 and will now consider extending a policy that allows growers who are in the middle of the county’s permit application process to continue operating. The board’s 3-2 vote came after a flood of…
Petty and fascist politics in Oceano
On Dec. 11, 2019, the Oceano Community Services District (OCSD) removed and barred one of its board directors, Cynthia Replogle, from all present and future voting and non-voting committees with an aggressive, hurried, and single motion. Directors Karen White and Shirley Gibson claim that Replogle spoke publicly against board policy and presented a divided board…
Cunningham secures funding for widening Highway 46
After outspoken opposition to the state’s proposed plan for spending on transportation and collaboration with local stakeholders, Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham (R-San Luis Obispo) secured $10.3 million to fund the State Route 46 Corridor Improvement Project. With the help of the community and the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments, the Interregional Transportation Improvement Program funds…
‘OK Boomer’
Every morning, over my depressingly austere geezer breakfast of coffee; dry, unbuttered whole-grain toast; and an unsweetened half of a grapefruit, I conduct an informal survey of popular culture while reading the news on my tablet. I have recently noticed the new millennial put-down directed against we “out of touch” baby boomers: “OK, Boomer.” Snide,…
Drama machine
What’s an elected official to do when serving alongside colleagues who make life difficult? The answer in Oceano is easy: Turn routine matters into polarizing ones. You know, kind of like the SLO County Board of Supervisors. The Oceano Community Services District (OCSD) took a page out of the Board of Supervisors’ best-selling series, How…
Sound off
New Times readers took to Facebook to share their thoughts on our Dec. 12 news story, “New restrictions on food stamp program will affect 900 local recipients.”
Richard Jewell may not be entirely accurate, but it’s entirely compelling
RICHARD JEWELL 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 Clint Eastwood (Unforgiven, Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino, American Sniper) directs this drama about security guard Richard Jewell (Paul Walter Hauser), who saved hundreds from a…
Blast from the Past: Cool Runnings
When? 1993 What’s it rated? PG Where? YouTube, Amazon Prime, iTunes One of my favorite holiday traditions in my family is the nights we inevitably spend re-watching some of our old favorite movies together. I assume most families have these—the films that you and your siblings wore out on VHS growing up, the ones that…
Local farmworker sues her former employers for harassment
Teresa Paramo said she experienced sexual harassment and assault as a former field worker in Northern San Luis Obispo County, and she isn’t the only one. According to the Justice on the Horizon Annual 2017 report by the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation, at least 80 percent of female farmworkers statewide experience sexual harassment, assault,…
Sensorio announces extension of Bruce Munro exhibition
Sensorio’s outdoor exhibition, Bruce Munro: Field of Light, has been extended to run through June 2020 due to “overwhelming public demand,” according to a press release. The popular exhibit opened in May and was originally scheduled to close in January 2020. Encompassing 15 acres of Paso Robles’ rolling hills, Field of Light uses more than…
Throw it away? Waste authorities try to get the word out about what’s really recyclable
Recycling reckoning The SLO County Integrated Waste Management Authority is urging the public to be more conservative about what it puts in blue bins. For a full recycling guide, visit iwma.com/guide. “When in doubt, we’ll sort it out.” That used to be the mantra in recycling, repeated over and over to the public by waste…
SLO Jewish Film Festival screens at the Palm Theatre
The 2020 SLO Jewish Film Festival starts Thursday, Jan. 2, and runs through Sunday, Jan. 5, at the Palm Theatre. This annual showcase screens a collection of films that celebrate Jewish life, culture, and community. Each screening features a live interview with its respective filmmaker. A majority of the scheduled films are documentaries, which include…
Turning over a new leaf: Agriculture programs team up to fight E. coli
Protect your greens Leafy greens farmers in the Santa Maria region who are interesting in participating in the food safety training program can contact Jeta Rudi Polloshka at jrudi@calpoly.edu or Erin Krier at erin.krier@hancockcollege.edu. In the spring of 2018, an E. coli outbreak that was linked to contaminated romaine lettuce caused nearly 210 reported illnesses,…
SLO Botanical Garden hosts New Year’s full moon event
The SLO Botanical Garden hosts its New Year’s Intentions and Full Moon Ceremony on Friday, Jan. 10, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. This intimate event is described as an opportunity for guests to celebrate their past while welcoming the future through intuitive workshops. Early registration is recommended as the ceremony is limited to 18 people.…
