Los Osos residents should fund fire protection, not parks
The April 9 New Times article, “Los Osos CSD unanimously approves continued Cal Fire services,” speaks only to the action the board took at its monthly board meeting the week before. The reality is that the Los Osos Community Services District (LOCSD) head-faked the city of Morro Bay into spending a great deal of time…
Why not try to save the regal oak tree?
I agree with the writer Mr. Schmidt 100 percent (“Harold Miossi would be upset about SLO REP cutting down an oak tree,” April 9). The radiant oak that could eventually share space with the performing arts center needs to be reprieved from destruction. I watched a valley oak (at least 100 years old) go into…
Dear Shredder,
Too bad you don’t like roundabouts (“Wrongabout,” March 26). I like them. Especially, the new one in Avila Beach. It’s beautiful! Before that, it was very difficult and dangerous to try and make a left hand turn from Shell Beach Road onto Avila Beach Drive on the weekends. The traffic exiting from the freeway rendered…
We still have more work to do to protect the Earth
When I attended the very first Earth Day in 1970 as a college student, the air was choked with smog, Rachel Carson had alerted us to the harms caused by DDT, and the heartbreaking massive oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara polluted miles of ocean and killed thousands of birds. Environmental consciousness was…
Trump takes on the pope, and it’s not a good look
It’s been 50 days since the president precipitated his brutal air war against Iran. This “little excursion” has morphed into a regional war with devastating consequences for virtually everyone: To the unfortunate Lebanese, caught in the cross fire; to every one of the petro-states on both sides of the Persian Gulf; and to every nation…
The duo behind the Tiny Café pop-up outside of Lincoln Market & Deli aims for perfection
When they met, Colin Brown would make Emily Quady pour-over coffee. They both were passionate about coffee and experimented with different roasters in San Luis Obispo. Grab a drinkTiny Café is open outside of Lincoln Market & Deli—496 Broad St. in SLO—from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The cafe also…
Curb appeal
Not to shred someone while they’re out of the office, but one San Luis Obispo elected official may have taken a neighborhood dispute a little too far. Longtime City Councilmember—and former mayor—Jan Marx was apparently just sick of staring at a truck parked on her street. She was over it, so she did what any…
Hawaiian island country and reggae star Maoli plays Vina Robles April 18
If you’ve ever traveled to Hawaii, you’ve experienced the island vibe—the slow days, casual atmosphere, and welcoming warmth. It’s exactly what Maoli’s music is trying to communicate. Born Glenn Awong in Hilo and raised on Maui where he still lives, Maoli’s stage name is a Hawaiian word that translates as “native, indigenous, aborigine, genuine, true,…
Arroyo Grande City Council denies appeal for 92-unit housing project
California law forced the Arroyo Grande City Council to shoot down an appeal against a proposed 92-unit housing project on James Way. The April 14 meeting that stretched until almost midnight concluded with a 3-1 vote to deny the appeal of the Arroyo Grande Planning Commission’s approval of a conditional use permit for the planned…
Susan Straight’s Sacrament is SLO County’s Book of the Year
Loneliness, isolation, fear, relationship stress—Susan Straight juggles a lot of themes in Sacrament, which explores the quiet heroism of first responders, familial resilience, and finding joy and humor where we can. SLO Country Libraries, Cuesta College, and the Paso Robles City Library chose her novel as Book of the Year—an annual literary event that invites…
Cambria reviews zero liquid discharge pilot results and long-term disposal options
Cambria’s Water Reclamation Facility has existed in a cycle of uncertainty for more than a decade—built in a drought emergency, rarely operated at full capacity, and burdened by the unresolved problem of dealing with its waste. Now, after piloting a way to leave the facility without any liquid waste, the Cambria Community Services District (CCSD)…
Restoration in progress for Morro Bay Library’s mosaic mural
If you’re driving by 625 Harbor St. and see scaffolding covering the Morro Bay Library’s iconic mosaic mural, don’t panic. It’s undergoing a must-needed restoration. “After more than 40 years of wind and rain, the mural is beginning to shed its tiles and needs some serious attention. So for many months, the Morro Bay Friends…
Grover Beach suggests reworking costly illegal fireworks enforcement
Launching illegal fireworks in Grover Beach is so taxing on residents’ wallets that the city is considering enforcement restructure. Last year, the City Council adopted a “social host ordinance” that fines property owners and tenants for lighting unpermitted fireworks at their properties. The city can cite them $1,000 for each violation, each illegal firework set…
Costa Gallery exhibit supports financial education for women
Los Osos’ Costa Gallery (2087 10th St.) recently held a reception and fundraising event to support the Economics of Being a Woman, an organization dedicated to financial education programs for women. Founded in 1976 by Libbie Agran, the organization has helped more than 35,000 people financially empower themselves. Now run by Andrea C. Wasko and…
REACT Alliance urges federal refund of California offshore wind leases
A local group opposed to offshore wind development wants federal officials to cancel California’s offshore wind leases and return hundreds of millions of dollars to developers. In a letter sent April 2 to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, REACT Alliance urged the Department of the Interior to pursue “lease-for-refund” agreements with five companies holding offshore wind…
Outcome follows a Hollywood star forced to atone for his past
Jonah Hill (Mid90s) directs this screenplay he co-wrote with Ezra Woods about Hollywood star Reef Hawk (Keanu Reeves), five years sober and on a break from acting, who receives a panicked call from his “crisis lawyer,” Ira Slitz (Hill), who tells him someone is blackmailing him with some dirt from his past. Desperate to maintain…
Anaconda is a fun meta reboot of the 1997 film
Jack Black and Paul Rudd—what could go wrong with such a jovial and charming duo? The two play childhood friends Doug (Black) and Griff (Rudd), whose adult lives have proved less than satisfying. When Griff gains the rights to their favorite ’90s flick, Anaconda, the two, alongside their other childhood buddies Kenny (Steve Zahn) and…
The Rise of the Red Hot Chili Peppers: Our Brother, Hillel is streaming on Netflix
Ben Feldman (Bug Out) directs this documentary filled with archival footage and images as well as contemporary interviews with Chili Peppers lead singer Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea, drummer Jack Irons, and others. The doc’s focus, guitarist Hillel Slovak, has his voice digitally reconstructed to read pages from his diary that are filled with his artwork.…
A SLO couple lost their street parking space after city staff resolved a complaint from City Councilmember Jan Marx
Days after San Luis Obispo City Councilmember Jan Marx complained about a parking issue in her neighborhood, city staff extended a painted red curb in front of the house of former SLO Chief Building Official Michael Loew—eating into the street parking space once regularly used by him and his wife. “A white Silverado pickup truck…
Paso Robles candidates enter election season early
As John Hamon prepares to leave office after two decades in local government, the Paso Robles election is taking shape with a mix of incumbents and challengers defining the early contours of a race centered on housing, infrastructure, and the city’s long-term growth. On April 7, Hamon announced he will not seek reelection. “I’m proud…
California Natural Sheepskins turns local agricultural waste into wearable wool goods
On a stretch of Quintana Road in Morro Bay, inside a former crematorium, James Kennard is turning animal skins into something new—and now, he’s inviting others to do the same. Kennard, who owns California Natural Sheepskins, launched a sheepskin design working group designed to bring people into the process of transforming raw hides into finished…
