Burgundian specialists Samra Morris and Molly Bohlman are making waves on the Central Coast
Two local winemakers are helping to catapult the Central Coast’s stellar cool-climate pinot noir and chardonnay into the global spotlight. Samra Morris, at Alma Rosa Winery in Buellton, and Molly Bohlman, at Niner Wine Estates in Paso Robles, have repeatedly clinched international top 100 lists for their respective portfolios and scored 90-plus-point ratings from critics.…
In a rare move, the California Coastal Commission clears two SLO County properties for seawalls
The California Coastal Commission, which often doesn’t permit shoreline armoring for private properties along the coast, recently approved brand new seawalls for structures in Pismo Beach and Cayucos. The two properties passed the hurdle because they existed before the Coastal Act became effective in 1977. “They weren’t set back from the shore, and they weren’t…
San Miguel CSD drops censure of board member after months of allegations
The San Miguel Community Services District (CSD) board withdrew plans to censure board member Rod Smiley after he threatened legal action that could have cost the district more than $100,000, according to district staff. Both board President Ashley Sangster and board member John Green filed complaints accusing Smiley of disrespectful and disruptive behavior in May,…
San Miguel and Shandon schools have grown and milled local wheat for students since 2021
Embracing their rural characteristics, the San Miguel and Shandon school districts are the only ones in San Luis Obispo County that enjoy a campus-based wheat mill. “We were the first district in California (maybe even in the USA) to have a wheat mill in our kitchen,” Gelene Coelho, Shandon Joint Unified School District’s food services…
The real risk to Lopez Lake are the environmental organizations that sued the county
The three environmental groups’ Oct. 9 opinion piece in New Times, “The Lopez solution,” is an expression of hopeful fallacy with misinformation to justify a far-reaching, poorly thought-out legal approach by two of those nonprofit environmental organization authors—Los Padres ForestWatch and San Luis Obispo Coastkeeper. Sadly, these organizations are now trying to mislead South County…
These are complicated times, but our message is simple: PG&E should keep funding this school district
As elected trustees of the San Luis Coastal Unified School District, we are responsible for guiding and overseeing the professionals who run our schools in San Luis Obispo, Los Osos, and Morro Bay. It’s a role that may sound straightforward, but it requires time, careful decision-making, and a deep commitment, because at the center of…
Lawyer up!
In a world full of national political dysfunction, it’s so good to know that local governments work for the people! Or do they? In northern San Luis Obispo County, we’ve got two shining examples of special districts gone wild. Oceano Community Services District, this is your cue to breathe a deep sigh of relief! We’ve…
SLO County supervisors reject funding temporary Cecchetti bridge
Residents, emergency responders, and farming communities struggling to cross Cecchetti Road in Arroyo Grande must wade through until 2027 after the San Luis Obispo County supervisors rejected funding a temporary bridge. “As a farmer in the South County, I understand the impacts it’s had on our operation. We farm on the Branch Mill side, but…
SLO County takes over San Simeon CSD amid leadership shortage
San Luis Obispo County recently assumed control of the San Simeon Community Services District’s day-to-day operations to ensure that water and wastewater services continue for local residents. The county’s temporary involvement comes under the California Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (CalWARN), a mutual aid program that allows public agencies to assist one another during emergencies, according…
In The Lost Bus, a school bus driver navigates the 2018 Camp Fire to save his passengers
Co-writer Paul Greengrass (United 93, Green Zone, Captain Phillips, News of the World, and three of the Jason Bourne franchise films) directs this screenplay he wrote with Brad Ingelsby (Out of the Furnace, Run All Night, Mare of Easttown) based on a segment of San Francisco Chronicle journalist Lizzie Johnson’s 2021 nonfiction book Paradise: One…
Arroyo Grande will consider revisions to housing regulations
The Arroyo Grande City Council will soon scrutinize changes to the city’s municipal code thanks to a series of housing bills signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom. During the Oct. 14 meeting, council members were supposed to review and vote on proposed development code amendments regarding urban lot splits and two-unit developments recommended by…
Steve is a sobering drama about a determined headmaster struggling to keep his school afloat
To say that Steve (Cillian Murphy) has a difficult job is an understatement. The young men in his care are difficult at best. They’ve been institutionalized young and all carry their own unique baggage. Steve himself battles his own demons after an accident left him with a hidden addiction. STEVEWhat’s it rated? RWhen? 2025Where’s it…
El Camino Homeless Organization breaks ground on a new shelter dedicated to helping families in need of housing
Families struggling with homelessness will soon have a new place to go in Atascadero as the El Camino Homeless Organization (ECHO) broke ground on the Balay Ko Family Resource Center on Oct. 9. The need for a family-oriented center grew over the last couple of years, according to Wendy Lewis, ECHO’s president and CEO. Between…
Play Dirty follows professional thief, Parker, on another criminal misadventure
Shane Black (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, The Nice Guys) co-writes and directs this heist flick based on the Parker book series by Richard Stark (aka Donald E. Westlake). In this go-around, we’re dropped into the middle of the story as professional thieves Parker (Mark Wahlberg) and Philly (Thomas Jane) lead a heist at a racetrack…
Photographer Abe Perlstein unveils behind-the-scenes photos from Re-Animator, screening Oct. 20 at the Bay Theatre
As low budget ’80s horror films go, Re-Animator (1985) is particularly unhinged. It’s a gory Frankenstein-esque tale loosely based on H. P. Lovecraft’s 1922 serial novelette “Herbert West—Reanimator,” which follows medical student Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs) as he experiments with a reagent that reanimates dead tissue … with predictably horrifying side effects! Ahh! When released…
Ballet Theatre SLO presents the Gilbert and Sydna Reed Memorial Festival
If you love classical dance or were in any way connected to the Central Coast dance community as a patron, artist, student, or teacher, you knew of Gilbert and Sydna Reed, who passed away earlier this year. In his professional heyday, Gibert Reed was an internationally renowned dancer under famed choreographer George Balanchine and toured…
Studios on the Park hosts Above and Below the Surface, water-themed art
From Claude Monet’s transportive water lilies series to J.W.M. Turner’s dramatic marine paintings to David Hockey’s colorful LA swimming pools, artists have always been attracted to the challenge of capturing water. Through Oct. 26, Paso Robles’ Studios on the Park is displaying Above and Below the Surface, “a selection of paintings that depict the environments…
Basin Street Regulars presents Jazz Jubilee 2025 with concerts at 20 venues through Oct. 26
Once a year, thanks to the Basin Street Regulars, San Luis Obispo and Northern Santa Barbara counties become a hotbed of jazz when Jazz Jubilee arrives in October. This marks the event’s 49th year, and it’s a whopper: more than 30 bands playing at 20 different venues with multiple shows daily through Sunday, Oct. 26.…
