Cover Story
This little piggy was controversial
Milton was a Christmas present. Two teenage sisters had received plenty of cards stuffed with cash that year, and they wanted something special, something they could enjoy for years to come—something more than a thing, actually. They wanted a new friend, a cute little pet to bond with, and a typical puppy simply wouldn’t do.…
Bites: Back to the Cave
There are a billion and five ways to get skinny if you read the National Enquirer. If you buy into these diets that claim to tone belly fat, lift the butt, and give you the breasts of Kim Kardashian—all by eating only five Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups a day and jogging 45 miles—you’re probably going…
If you could vote in any celebrity as president, who would it be?
Lareina Gamboa Cuesta student James Franco, because he’s a character! He can go from being very serious to being a hippie stoner—or a stoner hippie. However that phrase goes. Cristel David Radio DJ for KZOZ 93.3 and KKJG 98.1 Jack Nicholson! He could entertain foreign embassies and he could play hardball when he needed to.…
Reboot!
I think it was 1991 when I first interviewed Toad the Wet Sprocket. The homegrown Santa Barbara band had self-released two albums, Bread & Circus and Pale, when a major label bidding war ensued and the quartet landed a deal with Columbia that allowed them release their first two albums unaltered, as well as record…
That tangy Wu flava
Once upon a time, I rocked baggy pants and dope hoodies. I cruised the streets in a mean whip with a blunt in my mouth and a lady by my side, the stereo bumping ill beats that rattled the windows like that scene in Jurassic Park with the T-rex stomping around. You know the one.…
James Bruce is a hero!
How awesome must it be to win a Hero Award? That’s just what the California Arts Council presented to SLO High School teacher James Bruce on Monday, March 25, during the state finals of Poetry Out Loud, a recitation competition held at high schools throughout California. The inaugural award was established by the California Arts…
The pose is mightier
A poet, dancer, Cal Poly writing instructor, and yoga teacher, Leslie St. John has long explored intriguing ways to blend the physical and the mental. St. John is also quite possibly the only person in town qualified to teach something as unique as “Prose and Poses,” a five-week workshop in yoga and creative writing. It…
A tale of two ballets
Two very different story ballets are opening just steps away from one another the first weekend of April. One is Ballet Theatre San Luis Obispo’s revival of Robin Hood, by artistic director Theresa Slobodnik. The other is the Civic Ballet’s revival of Alice in Wonderland, by artistic director Drew Silvaggio. Both ballets owe their name…
Clubs: 4/4
Goin’ South … BRANCH ST. DELI: 203 E. Branch St., Arroyo Grande, 489-9099. Live music Fri. from 5:30-8:30 p.m. THE CLIFFS RESORT: 2757 Shell Beach Road, 773-5000 or cliffsresort.com. F. MCLINTOCKS SALOON: Two locations: 750 Mattie Road in Pismo Beach and 133 Bridge St. in Arroyo Grande. 773-1892 or mclintocks.com. Live music at the Pismo…
Bites: Back to the cave
There are a billion and five ways to get skinny if you read the National Enquirer. If you buy into these diets that claim to tone belly fat, lift the butt, and give you the breasts of Kim Kardashian—all by eating only five Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups a day and jogging 45 miles—you’re probably going…
Bishop’s Peak 2010 Malbec Paso Robles
This deeply hued red offers equally deep ripe black fruit aromas and flavors. It’s nicely balanced and as drinkable on its own as it is with food. I liked its wild, juicy blackberry flavors that are so nicely enhanced by bright notes of blueberries and an herbal thread. Pair it with grilled sirloin steak, leg…
Daou 2011 Grenache Blanc Paso Robles
This estate-grown white wine is impressive with its pretty stone fruit and floral aromas and flavors. Its sweet-tart flavors complement spicy Asian dishes, and it’s a great sipper on its own. I loved the note of minerality and bright acidity that balances the ripe fruit and tropical notes in this full-bodied and full-flavored white. While…
The greenest festival
At the Earth Day Food & Wine Festival, you can join hippies wearing flowers in their long hair and tie-dye attire, don a pair OshKoshB’gosh overalls, or simply come as yourself for the impressive annual food and wine festival where they promise “absolutely no dress code.” Black tie, no—but you will have to wear something,…
Tempest in a teacup
Remember that scene in the The Lion King when the baboon holds the little lion over a rock, and the music is swelling almost at the same pace as the tears forming in your eyes? I think it’s safe—and totally reasonable—to hypothesize that this movie sums up our understanding of the animal kingdom, and our…
Questions For: Scott Duka
NEW TIMES How long did it take you to complete the book? DUKA I started with the idea back in 2009 and published it in 2012. NEW TIMES What are you doing now? DUKA I’m working in a restaurant. It’s kind of that in-between stage of “I kinda know what I’m doing, but I…
Tough questions
Greed is destroying the environment we depend on. Those who will profit most from the oil corporations drilling derricks in ocean floors or fracking in the northern plains do not seem to be at all concerned about children’s futures. As widely reported, North Dakota is another state that has also been much changed by the…
Brown can fill Carter’s shoes
Paul Brown is the most qualified to serve the remaining 18 months of Andrew Carter’s term. A former SLO City Council member, Paul is ready to represent us on day 1. Familiar with city issues, he has the experience to craft policy that will help our community prosper. A graduate of Cal Poly, Paul understands…
Let’s talk about compassionate immigration reform
I am writing in response to the interview with Joseph Castro (“Questions for,” March 28). I attended the Latino Outreach Council forum; it was a great start to exposing the many facets and far-reaching effects of the broken immigration “system” under which we currently operate. As a member of People of Faith for Justice—a local…
Look to the forests
Some things are so obvious that we say to ourselves, why bother trying to point out the obvious to the obviously ignorant? I just put down the Shredder’s “Death and taxes” (March 28). Shredder is right. It is wrong to tax, more than married couples, “gay couples … [who file} taxes separately.” It is the…
It’s not called diatribe, but democratic discussion
Disappointingly absent from the Political Right is a clear understanding of constructive suggestions for gun-control laws. “Why can’t you comprehend this about guns?” (March 21) is not about “another diatribe against guns.” The definition of diatribe is “a bitter and abusive speech or piece of writing”—in a single word, rant or tirade. This describes Wayne…
Say ‘no,’ get nothing
Congratulations to Patrick Klemz and New Times for their honesty in pulling the covers off Atascadero (“Wide-open spaces,” March 28). How did it get like this? In analyzing the recent history, there is a clear pattern of amorphous and toothless planning policies consensually exploited by individuals only interested in a quick buck. The elected leadership…
We believe in Atascadero
After reading “Wide-open spaces” in last week’s New Times (March 28), I wanted to scream. The article, written by Patrick Klemz, and Ashley Schwellenbach’s editor’s note, completely ignored the art scene and community hub happening in the Colony District of Atascadero. This movement began with the advent of The Artery 10 years ago and picked…
Cougars & Mustangs
In the great revolving door of life, Poly has returned from its Spring Escape whilst Cuesta has entered it with the same rotation. And yet, that too shall not last, unless Jenkins gets his scarf caught in the frame again. Seriously, Jenkins, keep your articles of fashion fastened, and don’t even think about saying that…
Putting quality on the table
Are you looking for the perfect chair to rest on for when the time comes to tell your grandchildren about the good ol’ days? A dining table where multiple generations of family will eat over and over again? Or is it time to remodel your kitchen? A stroll through the C W Quinn Home showroom…
(Don’t) go directly to jail
Judges and juries—not police officers or state hospital orderlies—make the decision whether or not a defendant’s mental disorder excuses the crime that person committed. Until their day in court, the system treats the mentally ill, even those with extensive violent records, like anyone else suspected of the same crime. They go to jail. But it…
Back on the beat?
A typical day at the office could be all kinds of awkward for one Grover Beach police officer who fought his termination at the hands of the chief, winning his job back with a recent ruling from a SLO County judge. Santino “Sonny” Lopez—a 15-year veteran of law enforcement and past president of the city’s…
Clarification
An article on professional stiltwalker Lili Noden in our Spring Arts Annual (“Such Great Heights,” March 21) included images by several different photographers. While those images were used with permission, we’d like to credit those photographers here. The inside images were taken by Allyson Magda, Brittany App, Curt Bentzinger, Syl Arena, Linda Holt, and Brandy…
Grover Heights teachers opt out of TAP
TAP, the Teacher and Student Advancement System, is no more at Grover Heights Elementary School. The school’s staff voted on March 21 to opt out of the incentive-based teaching program, which district officials have lauded as a way to enhance student performance. Grover Heights principal Susan Kesselring expressed her disappointment over losing TAP in a…
New teeth proposed for Coastal Commission
A bill working its way through the California State Assembly could bestow more strength to the already mighty California Coastal Commission. Known as AB 976, the bill cleared the Natural Resources Committee on April 2; if adopted, it would give the commission administrative authority to impose fines and even liens on property owners who violate…
Grover Beach continues eyeing charter status
Since a proposal to transform Grover Beach from a general law to a charter city failed by just four votes in last November’s election, the city’s council members decided April 1 to form a committee that would consider whether to try again or abandon the idea. Council Member Bill Nichols will lead the effort. Becoming…
Paso Robles joins CEQA reform movement
Between 2002 and 2011, roughly 200 development projects wound up in court each year throughout the state because of complaints filed under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Whether that figure exhibits an excess of litigation or a reasonable amount is the question driving the debate over reforming California’s bedrock environmental law. On April 2,…
Ruling: Ranch project is consistent with general plan
It’s a mixed bag for people challenging a major agricultural-residential cluster subdivision in rural Santa Margarita after a San Luis Obispo County judge released a long-awaited tentative ruling on the matter March 28. The lawsuit, filed in 2009 by the nonprofit organizations North County Watch and the Endangered Habitat League, sought to strike down parts…
SLOCOG tells Caltrans to shift gears
Caltrans promised earlier this year–contingent on available funds–to fix rough conditions on a stretch of Highway 1 near Cambria that the agency paved with a particularly coarse blend of chip seal in September 2012. Although Caltrans continues to report progress, the prime season for regional bicycle events looms on the horizon. The timing of the…
