Cover Story
Out with the old: Long awaited Measure D renovations begin for SLO and Morro Bay high schools
Kyle Pruitt is a local guy through and through. He’s a proud Tiger (class of 1990 at San Luis Obispo High), Cal Poly grad, former teacher at SLO High, and the current principal of Morro Bay High School. Still, even Pruitt will be the first to tell you that the grass is greener on the…
McFall rides again as AG city manager
Arroyo Grande residents shouldn’t be surprised if they experience a sense of déjà vu the next time they stop by City Hall. After ousting a city manager for the second time in three years, the city once again contracted with an outside company to hire Robert McFall as an interim city manager. This will be…
Agriculturalist of the year is Justin Vineyards’ real estate agent
At this year’s California Mid-State Fair, the San Luis Obispo Farm Bureau Federation honored well-regarded rancher and real estate agent Hugh Pitts as 2016’s Agriculturalist of the Year. “Hugh leads by example,” read a statement issued by the Farm Bureau. “It’s widely known that when says he says he will do something—he does it.” The…
Education Today 2016
School starts this month! Just to get you in that back-to-class mood, we’re dropping in with our annual Education Today issue. Get those note-taking skills ready. San Luis Coastal Unified School District is knocking down decades-old buildings and getting ready to construct new ones with the $177 million in bond funds brought in through 2014’s…
Do you think SLO County has a lot of traffic accidents?
Ish Abdullah graphic designer “I don’t see a whole lot of traffic accidents. I feel like most people in this county are pretty SLO moving.” Vince Crooks mortgage broker “I don’t have any information on the statistics of the number of traffic accidents but I know one thing: We have probably three times as much…
Saving paws: Animals In Need Fund throws Mardi Gras-themed fundraiser
From a tip jar on a desk to an annual event with food and auction items, the Animals In Need Fund (AINF) has come a long way. It all began with the opening of the Nipomo Dog and Cat Hospital in 2008, “which was a pretty bad time to start a business,” said Robin Shroyer,…
Cougars & Mustangs
“My mom was an alcoholic, and she abused my stepsisters and I. My stepfather also raped and abused me, starting when I was 8 years old. And I didn’t start to talk about it until I came here.” “Here” is Casa de Las Mercedes, a women’s shelter and orphanage in Mexico City that works with…
A new standard: K-12 schools ready to adopt broader, more diverse history-social science curriculum
Reading from California’s new seventh grade history curriculum, Rick Robinett recites the following questions aloud, with the deep, authoritative voice you’d expect from a man who’s an assistant superintendent in the San Luis Coastal Unified School District (SLCUSD). “How did distant regions of the world become more interconnected through medieval and early modern times? “What…
Parent trap: Parent volunteer policies at two local charter schools violate California law, says ACLU
It’s long been common knowledge that children do better in school when their parents take an active role in their education, but some SLO County charter schools may be taking that concept too far. An Aug. 4 report from the Southern California branch of the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) alleges that some of California’s…
California Valley CSD considers options after marijuana grows spike water demand
It’s no secret that anyone can go to the California Valley Community Service District’s little well and fill up for all their drinking, bathing, or irrigating needs. And it’s free. It may sound bizarre at first, especially for the driest region in the already drought-stricken San Luis Obispo County. But things are done a little…
Heidi Harmon to challenge SLO mayor
Local activist, artist, and educator Heidi Harmon will take on San Luis Obispo Mayor Jan Marx in the November election. The longtime San Luis Obispo resident filed election papers on Aug. 4, joining Don Hedrick, a welder and regular speaker at City Council meetings who’s run several unorthodox campaigns for mayor in the last decade.…
Morro Bay puts kibosh on outsourcing policing to sheriff
All it took was the simple mention of an idea to outsource the city’s policing services to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office. And before the City Council had a chance to even discuss the issue, a strong public response sided with the local police force, making it abundantly clear the idea didn’t belong…
Paso Robles school board sends $95 million bond measure to ballot
Leaky roofs, seismically unsafe buildings, antiquated electrical systems, and 80-year-old classrooms and offices: These are just a few of the infrastructural problems that currently plague several Paso Robles school campuses, according to the Paso Robles Unified School District (PRUSD). A district-wide review of school facilities this year yielded that evaluation—and a proposed solution: a $95…
Hill chides businesses for lack of campaign donations
SLO County 3rd District Supervisor Adam Hill recently took some prominent local businesses to task in a heated email exchange for not donating to his political campaigns. The recipients of the emails included Hill and employees of well-known businesses, municipalities, and nonprofit organizations, at least two of which have either pending business before the Board…
Big mouth
Generally speaking, I like 3rd District SLO County Supervisor Adam Hill’s politics, but he can’t seem to control his mouth and ego. I think he wants what’s best for the county and his constituents, and I worry that his competitor, SLO City Vice Mayor Dan Carpenter, would skew the ideological balance of SLO County Board…
Guilty Pleasures: Haxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages
When? 1922, unrated | Where? Youtube, DVD. There is a reason we use the term “movie industry” to describe the world of filmmaking. It is by all accounts industrial; with movies cranked out at a regular, predictable pace each year both in the United States and across the globe. At its worst, this creates a…
Pewter Plough presents ‘The Dixie Swim Club’
If you’ve got good friends, the troubles and cares of life don’t seem so bad. Focusing on the role of friendship in our lives, the Pewter Plough Playhouse presents The Dixie Swim Club by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope, and Jamie Wooten. It’s a comedy celebrating 50 years of friendship among five North Carolina women—all former…
Ecologistics’ Protest Song Songwriting Contest offers $1,000 grand prize
Are global warming, landfills, or deforestation bumming you out? Sing it out man, sing it out. Everyone knows great revolutions start with the songwriters and poets. Well, you could be the next Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, or Jackson Browne by creating an original song about the impacts of climate change, habitat loss, extinction, or overpopulation…
Sweat, tears, and dye: A 5K run left me blue and feeling accomplished
I like to say my decision to try and take up running was a 2016 New Year’s resolution that I decided to attempt roughly four months into the actual new year. The decision was born from a combination of both the inspiration of seeing my mother run multiple half-marathons over the last three years and…
Brian Silveira premieres new comic book, the other-worldly ‘Bun’
What starts out looking like a horse becomes a bulgy-eyed, beaked, eight-legged beast as you flip through the opening panels of Bun. Its body is segmented like a great arthropod, a mix between praying mantis and spider. And it’s only just large enough for a mysterious bearded man to ride upon. The reveal is jarring,…
Skull pieces: Atascadero artist Silas Corley embraces the macabre
The cow’s skull felt dry from basking in the warm sunshine, and free of any pesky flesh or fur. It just sat there waiting along the side of the freeway. It was perfect, so he snatched it up and took it home to add to the collection. Road kill. It’s an ugly phrase and an…
The Creston Line will deliver their stunning debut EP on Aug. 13 at Dunbar Brewing
In the mood to have your heart broken? If so, plan to be at Dunbar Brewing in Santa Margarita this Saturday, Aug. 13, when North County Americana act The Creston Line releases their debut EP Great Depression (6 p.m.; 21-and-older; free). Believe me, it’s a doozy! Frontman and singer-songwriter Jon Bartel, a lecturer in Cal…
Clubs 8/11/16 – 8/18/16
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…
Get rid of driving at the Oceano Dunes
I live on the Nipomo Mesa. Eighty percent of the time, the air comes to Nipomo from the Oceano Dunes SVRA (State Vehicle Recreation Area). Why does our State Parks promote “driving” as a type of “recreation” and on our wonderful Oceano beach? We need to walk on the beach and listen to the waves—not…
Gov. Brown has it all wrong
It’s a hot summer day. July 22, to be exact. My grandkids are here for the day with a couple of friends. In fact they’ve spent most of the summer recess here because I’m retired, so when their parents are at work they have a safe place to be. I’ve got a small above-ground pool…
Code Pink is an embarrassment
As a military wife, I am a proud supporter of our troops, and I am deeply concerned about how the public has treated our brave men and women. They volunteer to serve our country with honor, and their sacrifices and dedication to service deserve our utmost respect. Our troops and veterans need leaders who will…
There’s no imagining how Hilary handles a crisis
Hillary’s singing the same old tune again. Remember eight years ago when she ran her campaign ads for president and stated “who would you trust to handle a crisis at 3 a.m.?” Now she says “can you imagine what Trump would do in a crisis?” In Libya, there was a crisis. The Red Cross handled…
Readers want news, not ads
It is becoming harder and harder to read your weekly newspaper because of page after page of ads. I realize the ads are your source of income but you must remember some people read your paper for the news and articles about community activities. How about creating a two-part paper: Part one for news, part…
Save water; go vegan
Who’s draining California’s water supply? Forget about urban households—the real culprits are cows and alfalfa crops. It takes hundreds, if not thousands, of gallons of water to produce a pound of beef or gallon of milk, while plant-based counterparts may use a quarter of that—or even less. But it doesn’t end there: Big animal agriculture…
It’s not easy
The recent clearing and destruction of a large acreage of oak woodlands west of Paso Robles by The Wonderful Company and Justin Vineyards is a truly tragic event for San Luis Obispo County. It has shown how one acrimonious player can ruin things for everyone else and lead us down the path where many would…
Honey Co. Coffee Roasters’ Classic Espresso and Firestone Walker Brewing Co.’s Luponic Distortion
Unleash the confetti! Scout Coffee’s second location is up and running on Foothill Boulevard and (shockingly) it might be even cuter than the first locale. Oh, and spacious, too! With lots of airy areas to sprawl out or cozy up with your laptop and a hot cup of Joe, you literally have zero excuse not…
News nibs
A new hangout hub on the rise: Scout Coffee Co. just opened its second location at 880 E. Foothill Blvd., joining new neighbors like Blaze Pizza and Milestone Tavern. Go see what all the fuss is about, and bring your appetite … FYI: Sandwich purveyor Deli Delicious opened one of its 40 California locations right…
A seat at the table: The seasonal offerings at Foremost Wine Co. are made for everyday pleasure
It wasn’t until this spring that I finally planted the tiny packet of fenugreek seeds I received on my first visit to Foremost Wine Company, almost two years ago. Since opening in November 2014, owners Rob and Nancy Murray have vowed to honor quality ingredients first and foremost, hence continuing the practice of giving out…
