Cover Story
Water fight: A look at the proposed Paso Robles Basin Water District’s resounding defeat
It was an electoral massacre. By the evening of March 8, preliminary results of a special mail-in election for a tax and the formation of the Paso Robles Basin Water District showed overwhelming defeat, with “no” votes hitting more than 70 percent. Even to Tommy Gong, San Luis Obispo County’s impartial clerk-recorder, the results were…
Nipomo fire changes plans for migrant worker housing
The aroma of charred wood hung in the foggy morning air of a Nipomo cul-de-sac on April 6. The remnants of a burnt house-frame sat next to two other homes on Mads Place, one under construction—which was singed from the fire—and one already finished. Along with four other homes, the development was meant to eventually…
How do you feel about there being a nuclear power plant in this county?
Nikki Erb business student “I think for health reasons, it’s not a good idea because we don’t really know how much force it can withstand and considering we’re near a major fault line, that’s scary. … For economical reasons it’s good, and it generates a lot of revenue for our county.” J.R. Pressley maintenance assistant…
Arbor Day weekend event in Cambria focuses on Monterey pine conservation
Plucking cones from their needle-covered beds is a task only for the keenest trained eyes when it comes to finding Monterey pine tree seeds that are ready—and willing—to procreate. “To harvest the seeds, you have to climb a Monterey pine … get to the pine cone before it opens up,” said Connie Gannon, executive director…
Cougars & Mustangs
Terrible news, everyone. This is the worst tragedy of our time. Jack has been blown to smithereens—wait, that’s not right. Apparently, spring break doesn’t last forever. I know: I want to cry about this, too! But the sooner that spring break ends, the sooner that summer break begins! Until then, your good pal Lola here…
Nitrate levels in groundwater have SLO County water quality officials concerned about rural residential wells
Get tested. It sounds like that oft-repeated mantra from a sex education textbook. But, this time it has nothing to do with STDs. Actually, it’s all about groundwater. And specifically, it deals with nitrate—often used as a growing aid for row crops like strawberries and leafy greens. Before your eyes roll back into your head…
Paso Robles crafting a vacation rental ordinance with the help of a task force
Paso Robles is abandoning its laissez-faire stance on vacation rentals. With the city missing out on an estimated $300,000 in transient occupancy taxes (TOT) and hearing from a growing number of residents who are frustrated by the impacts of rentals on neighborhoods, Paso is crafting an ordinance that will regulate vacation rentals, or houses rented…
Paso pushes to create a homeless coalition
The Paso Robles City Council is moving to form a North County Homeless Coalition with the goal of finding long-term solutions to the issues surrounding homelessness. A unanimous vote on April 5 followed the March decision that adopted a multi-phased, $69,000 approach to address Paso’s homeless shelter crisis. So far, steps have included a riverbed…
SLO DA’s Office receives grant to help police fight cyber crime
The Central Coast is known for great weather and beautiful beaches, but could it also be a cutting-edge hub for those training to fight cyber criminals? Making the latter a reality came one step closer April 5, after SLO County’s Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to accept a grant that would pave the way for…
SLO City Council to reconsider elections ordinance
The San Luis Obispo City Council is giving itself a do-over on a previous decision to pursue an elections ordinance. In August 2015, the council gave staff the thumbs up to do preliminary research on creating a public financing option for City Council candidates, an ethics commission, and stricter new laws for independent campaign expenditures.…
Poly frat tallies two sexual assault allegations for March
A woman said an unknown male sexually assaulted her on the night of March 31 at a residence affiliated with the Cal Poly Delta Chi fraternity. She reported the incident to the San Luis Obispo Police Department on April 3. The woman also alleged she “was forced to consume alcohol against her will,” according to…
Atascadero Printery building will be up for sale at tax auction
A historical Atascadero landmark in desperate need of some love is about to be up for grabs to developers while a grassroots nonprofit crosses its fingers that no one is interested. Due to eight years of unpaid taxes by its previous owner, Kelly Gearhart—who was convicted of fraud and sentenced to 14 years in prison…
A.J. Santana’s fate in jury’s hands
After a trial that lasted more than one week, a group of SLO County jurors is deliberating on whether to convict a former county narcotics investigator of perjury. The jurors heard closing remarks in the trial of A.J. Santana April 4 in SLO County Superior Court. Santana, a former investigator with the SLO County District…
Four Barrel’s Rwanda Tumba pour-over at Sally Loo’s and Culton Wines’ 2012 Nomad
Sally Loo’s Wholesome Cafe must go through a lot of butcher paper. Every time I walk in, there’s a smattering of new, ridiculously delicious sounding specials scrawled on the signature brown roll of paper hanging from the wall. Whether you order a ginger soda bread muffin or an arugula-hash-brown-fried-egg-melted-cheese-creation, you should totally grab a Four…
Party mix!
Golden State, golden brews: Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. expanded its distribution to California’s Central Valley, allowing more of the state to enjoy iconic brews like Hoppy Poppy IPA, Danish Red, and Paradise Pilsner! … Craft cocktails for all: SLO Bitter Co. started a Kickstarter campaign to help bring the business plan to fruition (search for…
Paddle out to Wine, Waves & Beyond: This year’s multi-day celebration of food, drink, and surf culture benefits GleanSLO
Chronic Cellars cofounder and winemaker Josh Beckett commutes between two distinct “offices”: the vineyard and the beach. “Fortunately, most of the great wine regions around the world—South Africa, Australia, South America—are near epic surf, and the Central Coast happens to be one of them,” Beckett said. “Usually, I get up and check the surf. Some…
Blast from the Past: Stranger than Paradise
What’s it rated? R In his first feature out of film school, writer-director Jim Jarmusch delivers a nearly plotless three-act deadpan comedy about Willie (avant-garde jazz musician John Lurie), a New York hipster who finds himself saddled with a surprise visit from his 16-year-old cousin Eva (Hungarian actress Eszter Balint) after his Aunt Lotte (Cecilia…
Local playwright debuts ‘That Rhythm Thing’ at Oak Park Christian Church
A chance meeting can change everything. That’s the story at least in That Rhythm Thing, a play written by local playwright Mike Mailloux. That Rhythm Thing is set in the 1970s in Central Park in New York and is a lighthearted show about a group of homeless folks who are former show people and an…
SLO County libraries celebrate National Poetry Month
We don’t want to be too blunt, but April is National Poetry Month! Time to sharpen up those rhyming skills as the San Luis Obispo County libraries are pulling out all the stops to pay homage to all things poetry. All library branches will have special displays, bookmarks, and rolled poems to hand out. There…
Anything but plain: The barren landscape of Carrizo Plain comes alive with color in wildflower season
Breathing in the dust billowing off this dirt road is like smelling freedom. And as good as that feels, I’m hoping that my little powder blue Toyota is pointed in the right direction—toward Highway 166. I’m rumbling down a stretch of unpaved backcountry on March 26, heading south-ish on Soda Lake Road, which cuts a…
Whispers of shame: PostSecret author Frank Warren hits PAC SLO
If a secret is muttered out loud and no one hears it, is it still a secret? Secrets are a complex thing, from what we decide fits the description to who makes us feel safe enough to share our secrets with. There’s undoubtedly a hefty dose of shame that comes with keeping secrets. Author Frank…
‘True West’ at SLO Little Theatre explores limitations of sibling relationships
For whatever reason, there’s something weirdly binding about the shared experience of being raised by the same loving, possibly deranged people, looking kind of sort of alike, and being able to roll your eyes together at the latest batch of dad’s jokes. Siblings: They’re supposed to be built-in BFFs from day one (Isn’t that why…
Local hip-hop stars James Kaye and Wynn release new albums on April 9 at Tap It Brewing Co.
I’m listening to James Kaye’s new album F.O.U.N.D. II, an old-school hip-hop album with a sound that would fit right along with ’90s icons Arrested Development (“Tennessee”) or Digable Planets (“Rebirth of Slick—Cool Like Dat”)—hooky samples, memorable melodies, and clever, expressive rhymes. Kaye is mainly known for hip-hop tinged R&B/pop tracks like “One of Those…
Clubs 4/7/16 – 4/14/16
Goin’ South THE CLIFFS RESORT: 2757 Shell Beach Rd., Shell Beach, 773-5000, cliffsresort.com. F. MCLINTOCKS SALOON: Two locations: 750 Mattie Rd. in Pismo Beach and 133 Bridge St. in Arroyo Grande. 773-1892 or mclintocks.com. Live music at the Pismo Beach location every Fri. and Sat. from 6-9pm. Tennessee Jimmy Harrell and Doc Stoltey play on…
To strike or not?
Remember those corny “look for the union label” ads? That seems like a long time ago, doesn’t it? Sadly, American labor unions have fallen on hard times. Wah! In the 1970s, about 30 percent of both public and private workers were union members. Today the overall rate is 11 percent, with just 6.7 percent for…
The Morro Bay Aquarium should be shut down
I went to the Morro Bay Aquarium for the first time on Saturday. I was horrified, to say the least. I study marine mammals, but anyone with a care for animals should immediately see the trauma and lack of care these animals are experiencing. It made me sick to my stomach to see the tiny,…
Vote ‘yes’ on Prop. 50
The League of Women Voters of San Luis Obispo County, together with other California Leagues, recommends a “yes” vote on Proposition 50, Suspension of Legislators, a constitutional amendment that will appear on the June 7 Primary Election ballot. Proposition 50 will give the Legislature, by a two-thirds vote, clear authority to discipline senators or Assembly…
We’re in for a long fight
There’ve been good public demonstrations and protests recently in SLO County about the Phillips 66 rail spur and the California Coastal Commission, etc. But still, the rail spur has only been tabled, and the progressive director of the Coastal Commission was thrown out of office despite massive support. Nationally, killer cops keep getting away with…
Increasing minimum wage is a temporary ‘fix’
The Democrats’ $15/hour minimum wage bill is a Band-Aid approach to allegedly counter some of the inequitable results of our economic system. It sounds so simple that many voters will buy it, but every economics student can tell us why this will fail. Many Democratic politicians know this, too. They vote for it anyway. It…
Trust issues
Most stakeholders believe that the real reason for terminating Dr. Charles Lester from the top post of the California Coastal Commission was the pressure put on the commissioners by developers. To appease the developers, commissioners needed to have control over the staff. Lester has unapologetically stated that it was his duty to keep commissioners at…
