Cover Story
New life: The SLO County community comes together to give foster youth a chance at a better life
The last thing that Amber Davis remembers before the chaos erupted was tying up the laces of her purple Vans. Davis was 15 years old, living at home with her biological mother, stepfather, two brothers, and stepsister. Six months before, Davis had been in and out of Vista Del Mar Hospital in Ventura for multiple…
Tastes good, feels good
Doing something about diabetes: Sansum Diabetes Research Institute (SDRI) is hosting a fundraiser to raise awareness and support research for those impacted by diabetes in Arroyo Grande this April 10, and it promises to be a pretty tasty affair. The winemaker dinner will kick off at Ember at 6 p.m. and feature local wines from…
Don’t take away homeowner protections
There is a constant attack on Proposition 13 and homeowners. The most recent attack is Senate Constitutional Amendment 6 (SCA 6), which would change the state Constitution to make it easy to impose new parcel taxes on homeowners by removing Proposition 13’s two-third vote requirement! SCA 6 will make it far too easy to impose…
Outdoor accessibility: LeftLane Sports sponsors Discovery Day at Pismo Preserve
The Pismo Preserve was full of hikers on March 25—even if it was for one day only—thanks to a little help from LeftLane Sports, a local online retailer of discounted outdoor gear and adventure travel packages. The local company sponsored the Discovery Day and also raised $4,000 for the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo…
Nibble the rainbow
Plastic, be gone: Yes, it’s finally time for a change. Limits on single-use plastic bottles and straws have gone into effect in San Luis Obispo. Want a straw? Restaurants are happy to provide you one upon request. Inconvenienced? Considering how plastic-ridden worldwide oceans have become, this is a small step that can lead to big,…
A sense of closure
When I was a boy, I received a POW/MIA bracelet for Capt. Stephen Hanson. In 1967, he was on an extraction mission in Laos. His helicopter took fire and he went down. He was wounded by gunfire, but last seen alive. For decades, I have thought about him and his family and how hard it…
Boots and barrels
Offloading: This April 6 marks the Creston Wine Trail’s First Friday event, uncorking this month at August Ridge Winery in Templeton (grab a case special on the winery’s popular Rocco’s Red and learn about the county’s more rural, lesser-spotlighted tasting rooms; they deserve your attention, too). For more information, go to pasowine.com … Margarita Adventures…
Mob rule is taking over
This country has degraded into a form of mob rule that is taking over our county. From the Mike Cummins and Greg Clayton-endorsed protests that led to death threats against county employees and their families to the ridiculous adult-led student walkouts endorsed by school superintendents from Lucia Mar to Templeton … things have gotten stupid.…
Who’s saving whom?
I have two former Woods Humane Society residents in my home: one, a loving yet neurotic chi-weenie named Peyton Manning (he loves kisses, hugs, and being wrapped up in a blanket like a burrito). He talks with a high-pitched, squeaky voice and prefers the company of the ladies. The other—a sort of locally famous chi-terrier…
Reason versus doomsday
There was one commentary and one opinion piece on gun control in the March 29 issue of New Times. The commentary by Pat Veesart (“A modest proposal”) gave a detailed and well-reasoned account about how our country could go about significantly reducing the amount of gun violence, within the bounds of the Second Amendment. The…
SLO Rep’s 39 Steps tackles comedy, mystery with a small cast
Whodunit? The 39 Steps will show at the SLO Repertory Theatre through April 15. Tickets range from $20 to $35. Martinis will be offered at the bar beginning at 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 6 and 13. Visit slorep.org for more information and to purchase tickets. One murder, 150 peculiar characters, and just four actors…
Social media sound off
New Times readers took to Facebook to share their thoughts about our March 29 story, “Twin Cities Hospital seeks to create a welcoming environment for LGBTQ community.”
Roots show highlights Studios on the Park’s past and present resident artists
The old stomping grounds Studios Roots: The Alumni Show will be on display at Studios on the Park in Paso Robles through April 29 in the Atrium Gallery. Visit studiosonthepark.org for more information. She knew she had to have it. The building was condemned by the city of Paso Robles after barely surviving the 2003…
Sign here
It rolls trippingly off the tongue: An Initiative To Amend The County General Plan And County Code To Prohibit Petroleum Extraction And Well Stimulation Treatments, Including Hydraulic Fracturing And Acid Well Stimulation, On All Lands Within The Unincorporated Area Of The County. That’s the ballot measure that will ban fracking and halt oil industry expansion…
Zest it up hosts watercolors and finance workshop for women
Challenge yourself to be creative and logical all in the same night at the Watercolor and Wine Workshop at Zest It Up in Atascadero on April 10. The event runs from 6 to 8 p.m. and includes arts and finance. Come and enjoy a complimentary glass of wine and learn the fundamentals of watercolor while…
‘The Death of Stalin’ offers dark, savage satire
THE DEATH OF STALIN What’s it rated? R What’s it worth, Anna? Matinee What’s it worth, Glen? Matinee Where’s it showing? The Palm Co-writer/director Armando Iannucci (Veep, In the Loop) helms this farce about the power struggle following the death of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin (Adrian McLoughlin) in 1953. Who will win control? Frightened puppet…
SLO Rep holds auditions for Mary Poppins Jr.
Calling all child stars who can sing their best rendition of “Supercalifragilistic-expialidocious!” The San Luis Obispo Repertory Theatre is holding auditions for Mary Poppins Jr. on April 10 and 11. Around 20 to 25 roles are available for boys and girls ages 8 to 18. Actors are asked to prepare a short monologue of no…
Bingeable: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
When? 2015-present What’s it rated? TV-14 Where’s it available? Streaming on Netflix “Dude, she’s crazy.” It’s the go-to line that every guy trots out after things end with a girl, because it negates any ownership he has over the failed relationship. But what is crazy, and why is there such a stigma around the word?…
Cuesta hosts lecture on the Jewish quarter in Fez
Go back to another time and culture at the View from the Mellah: Imagining the Former Jewish Quarter of Fez, Morocco, at Cuesta College in SLO on April 18. The talk will be given by art history and art appreciation Professor Michelle H. Craig at 3 p.m. in room 2608. She specializes in African and…
Film Listings 4/5/18 – 4/12/18
ACRIMONY What’s it rated? R Where’s it showing? Stadium 10 A faithful wife (Taraji P. Henson) tired of standing by her devious husband (Lyriq Bent) is enraged when it becomes clear she has been betrayed. (120 min.) —Lionsgate BLACK PANTHER What’s it rated? PG-13 What’s it worth? Full price Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre, Stadium…
The weight of history: The Wall That Heals comes to SLO County
History has weight. I don’t mean that in a strictly metaphorical sense. Our past has a literal weight. In this case it weighs approximately 8,000 pounds. How heavy is this? It’s the first question I have on March 30 as I walk up to the mirrored black surface of the The Wall That Heals, a…
Teens push Paso to reconsider Styrofoam ban
The Paso Robles City Council will reconsider its stance on banning expanded polystyrene products after hearing from a vocal group of local high school students. At a March 20 meeting, members of the Paso Robles Youth Commission and the Paso Robles High School Wilderness Club showed up to urge members of the council to pass…
Highway 46 ‘Y’ fix coming with $261 million boost to SLO area
Growing up in SLO County, 35th District state Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham simply knew the intersection of Highway 46 and Highway 41 as “Blood Alley.” But in a few years, that chilling nickname could be history. On March 22, the California Transportation Commission (CTC) allocated a record-high $261 million for Central Coast freeway projects, including $134…
Amid dunes case, APCD clashes over hearing board member
Local elected officials on the SLO County Air Pollution Control District (APCD) board of directors clashed on March 28 over the reappointment of a district hearing board member—the hearing board is in the middle of litigating a APCD nuisance abatement case that aims to curb Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreational Area dust emissions. After first…
Grover Beach likely to allow recreational cannabis businesses
Grover Beach’s marijuana industry is on the verge of its debut, but the city is already mulling changes to how it plans to regulate the industry. At an April 2 meeting, the City Council discussed a number of possible changes to its newly minted marijuana industry, including amending its permitting ordinance to include adult recreational…
Plans for three pot stores, 70,000 square feet of cultivation, await SLO City Council approval
A recreational marijuana industry in San Luis Obispo is one vote away from becoming a reality. On March 29, the SLO Planning Commission signed off on a set of draft cannabis regulations that allow for up to three recreational storefront dispensaries, 70,000 total square feet of indoor commercial cultivation, and a variety of other cannabis…
Hollands revealed as Jimmy Paulding’s mystery donor
The family of Andrew Holland announced its endorsement of 4th District San Luis Obispo County Supervisor candidate Jimmy Paulding on April 4, also revealing themselves as the source of a $40,000 anonymous donation to his campaign last month. “The Holland Family Alliance, in our continued pursuit of honest, clear-eyed partnerships with candidates dedicated to restoring…
Mammon
Ah capitalism—gotta love it, right? Survival of the fittest, competition, may the best business win! Conservatives worship the almighty capitalism … except when it comes to the recreational marijuana industry, which is why I’m relishing the one-upsmanship between Grover Beach and San Luis Obispo. Grover Beach inked an ordinance to allow brick-and-mortar medicinal marijuana shops,…
Family disputes sheriff’s claims as he tries to clear the air about Andrew Holland’s death
For the last four weeks, residents of San Luis Obsipo County have been watching Andrew Holland die. Portions of jail security camera footage released March 16 by the SLO Tribune spurred public protests and raised more questions about the circumstances surrounding Holland’s death in the SLO County Jail. SLO County Sheriff Ian Parkinson has recently…
Prefumo body identified as Kristen Marti
The San Luis Obispo Police Department confirmed that a body found during a large-scale search of Prefumo Canyon is that of 26-year-old Kristen Marti. In an April 2 press release, the department said that an autopsy had been conducted, but officials declined to give a cause of death, stating that the investigation was still ongoing.…
Americana heroes The Creston Line play a three-band show at The Siren on April 5
Got five bucks in your pocket and nothing to do this Thursday, April 5? Then get thee to The Siren in Morro Bay for a three-band show starring The Creston Line, The Mutineers, and RJ Bloke (8 to 11 p.m.; 21-and-older; $5 at the door). “We’re playing our first local show in quite a while,…
Why ‘America First’ is for losers
America has long been a global leader economically, politically, and ideologically. Its greatness is bound to the founding ideals of acceptance, freedom, equality, and justice. The rhetoric and election of Donald Trump has signaled a significant ideological change in how America approaches issues at home and abroad. The Trump administration’s “America First” policy highlights the…
Correction
• In last week’s cover story, “Pozo rising,” it was erroneously indicated that former Pozo Saloon owners Rhonda and Brian Beanway were no longer married. In fact, they are, and New Times regrets the error.
La Esquina Taqueria crests on the corner of surf and turf
A very memorable taco La Esquina Taqueria is located at 1049 Nipomo St. in the SLO Creamery. Hours are 5 to 9 p.m. daily. For more information, go to laesquinaslo.com or call (805) 439-4289. There is a pretty big advantage to opening up your new Mexican restaurant around the corner from your already established seafood…
Cunningham: Talk to us about bail reform
Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham (R-San Luis Obispo) has been silent on bail reform. As a member of Bend the Arc SLO, a Jewish social justice organization, we are advocating for reform of the cash bail system that keeps the poor, working class, mentally ill, and racial and ethnic minorities in jail simply because they can’t afford…
SLO to invest nearly $1 million in energy efficiency audit
The city of San Luis Obispo says it has the opportunity to turn its water delivery system into a net-zero energy operation—and the City Council is willing to pay nearly $1 million to find out exactly how. On April 3, the SLO City Council approved an $860,000 agreement with PG&E to conduct an audit of…
