55 Fiction 2023
San Luis Obispo County’s News and Entertainment Weekly Winners of annual 55 Fiction contest for 2023.
Cover Story
55 Fiction: Short, but not necessarily sweet, the winning tales for this year’s annual mini-story contest are in
Each year, we take story submissions from across the country for our 55 Fiction contest. People send us miniature novels, short but not necessarily sweet. The briefest stories in the world weave tales about murder, loss, love, family, pets, pouting, and more. In 55 words or less, we get the characters, the tension, and the…
Water board OKs cleanup settlement of ‘forever’ chemicals near SLO airport
Cleaning up the toxic “forever” chemicals at and around the San Luis Obispo airport will likely take decades, but a recently ratified voluntary agreement aims to ensure that impacted area residents will at least have clean water to drink before the end of August. “We’re going to be watching them, that’s all I can tell…
Jury Duty
What’s it rated? TV-14 When? 2023 Where’s it showing? Amazon Prime’s Freevee Whatever lengths the casting department had to go through to get Ronald Gladden to sign up for this experiment were well worth it. He thinks he’s on a real jury, one that’s being filmed for a documentary showing the process of a civil…
Atascadero residents push back on RV storage lot
On July 18, the Atascadero Planning Commission voted to approve a permit for an RV storage lot adjacent to the Salinas River—pushing the project to its next phase of seeking City Council approval before it can begin construction. But some residents question whether the commission is fully aware of the environmental and emotional impact building…
Oppenheimer
What’s it rated? R When? 2023 Where’s it showing? Bay, Colony, Downtown Centre, Fair Oaks, The Palm, Park, Stadium 10 Based on Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin’s 2006 biography, American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, screenwriter-director Christopher Nolan (Batman Begins, Inception, Dunkirk) helms this film adaptation about the American scientist…
Developer defends Dana Reserve ahead of final impact report
Titan Drama Hall of Fame photos presided over the more than 300 people seated in metal folding chairs at Nipomo High School’s cafeteria/performing arts center on July 24. Green Nipomo Action Committee shirts competed for attention with heather blue Home For All tees as South County Advisory Council chair Kevin Beauchamp attempted to call attention…
Boys and Girls Club, Planet Fitness organize school supply drive in Atascadero and Santa Maria
Students from lower-income families are poised to receive much-needed school supplies through a debut partnership between the Central Coast chapters of Planet Fitness and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast. Theresa Cappelletty, Planet Fitness’ regional manager, told New Times that the two groups came together to promote a judgment-free environment for kids.…
A recent letter about Diablo Canyon proves that America is no longer home of the brave
This recent letter is a classic example of irrational fearmongering (“Shut it down,” July 20). It is a typical hysterical rant where a person, propelled by some deep delusional fear, demands that the government and society do something entirely stupid just to make them feel better. Ordinarily it is not even worth the effort to…
Steve Earle plays solo and acoustic at the Fremont Theater on July 28
Steve Earle’s life sounds like something out of a Cormac McCarthy novel. His father, an air traffic controller and amateur pianist, wouldn’t let his son have an electric guitar even though the young Beatles fan desperately wanted one. He finally got an acoustic at 11, entered a school talent show at 13, and ran away…
Recent opinion pieces about Diablo Canyon missed the mark on both sides
What were you thinking, New Times, when you printed the “Keep it open” vs. “Shut it down” opinion pieces in the recent issue (July 20)? Were you just trying to get people riled up so you would have material for future issues? Well, it worked. Both were lessons in inflammatory rhetoric and misinformation on both…
Barley & Boar brings elevated fare, late-night libations to A-Town’s burgeoning culinary scene
Taste what’s in season Barley & Boar, located at 5925 Entrada Ave. in Atascadero, is open Tuesday to Saturday from 5 to 9 p.m. Enjoy $5 well drinks, house wine, B&B beer, and Fernet-Branca shots from 9 p.m. to midnight during late-night happy hour. Visit barleyandboar.com for more information, and follow the eatery on Instagram…
PG&E should close Diablo like it promised
No nuclear plant is “clean,” and most certainly not Diablo Canyon. Both the Unit 1 and Unit 2 reactors contain a thousand times the long-lived radioactivity of the atomic bomb that destroyed the city of Hiroshima in 1945, and the high-level radioactive wastes stored there contain about 10 times that amount of deadly radiation. Contrary…
Clark Center for the Performing Arts highlights Central Coast artists in its lobby
Support local art Visit the Clark Center for the Performing Arts on Sept. 10 from 2 to 4 p.m. for an opening reception for the next set of local artists hosted in the venue’s box office lobby. For more information, visit clarkcenter.org. Whether taking in the latest musical theater production or one of the Clark…
Where are all the microgrids?
Sammy Roth, the reporter who covers energy issues for the LA Times, recently had occasion to express the received wisdom on how energy must be generated and consumed in California. Roth recited the accepted wisdom in the July 13 edition of his newsletter (“Boiling Point: Peek inside Diablo Canyon”). Roth, like many of his colleagues,…
A cast of Gold Rush miners inhabit the Great American Melodrama’s latest production
The Great American Melodrama in Oceano presents Gold Fever at the Rough and Ready, which opened in late July and is scheduled to run through Sept. 9. Performances of the the local theater group’s latest show take place Wednesday through Friday at 7 p.m., every Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m., and every Sunday at…
Get your motor runnin’
Central Valley motorheads, 1. Western snowy plover-hugging environmentalists, 0. In an interesting and unexpected twist, it appears the California Coastal Commission’s power only extends so far. A little more than two years ago, the commission announced it would ban off-roading on the Oceano Dunes by 2024. Now that edict has been squelched. SLO County Superior…
Cambria Library presents new solo exhibit, Landscape into Art
A collection of artworks by Donald Archer will be on display during Landscape into Art, an upcoming solo exhibition scheduled to premiere on Aug. 1 at the Cambria Library. The show will remain on display through the end of the month. Guests of the library can view the showcase during the venue’s regular hours: Tuesday…
Court rejects Oceano Dunes off-roading ban
A landmark ruling from the San Luis Obispo Superior Court ensured off-road driving on the Oceano Dunes won’t come to a screeching halt by 2024. Judge Tana Coates released her ruling on July 19, bringing closure to four lawsuits—three brought by Friends of Oceano Dunes, and one by EcoLogic Partners—that challenged the California Coastal Commission’s…
Barbie is a glittery, bubblegum examination of patriarchy
BARBIE What’s it rated? PG-13 What’s it worth, Glen? Full price What’s it worth, Anna? Full price Where’s it showing? Colony, Downtown Centre, Park, Stadium 10 Co-written by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Frances Ha, Marriage Story) and directed by Gerwig (Lady Bird, Little Women), this comedy…
