Cover Story
The newspaper shuffle: Journalism is changing and so is local news
Newspapers are dead. It’s a familiar refrain ringing in the ears of journalists across the country. But they aren’t dead, yet. Well, actually, some newspapers are, in fact, dead. But some are still going strong, while others are struggling to fit in with a digital-first world, and still others are turning the traditional model on…
Central Coast Brewing pretzel
Have you been to the impressive, year-old Central Coast Brewing taproom? I am partial to it, mainly because I can choose between 25 or so craft brews on tap. But the best part about CCB on Higuera is that the newest location has a full menu: gastropub quality burgers, sandwiches, salads … and what everyone…
LilA Creative Community offers comic book workshops for teens
The LilA Creative Community now offers its Teen Comic Creation Group program every Thursday, from 3:15 to 4:45 p.m. Participants can choose to work individually or with others, with the option to collaborate on developing, drawing, and inking characters, backdrops, and other comic book elements. Admission to join the ongoing series is $20. The LilA…
We tour Warner Bros. Studios and pull back the curtain on Hollywood magic
It’s Thursday, Aug. 15, and to beat the weekend traffic, my wife and I are making the evening drive to Stevenson Ranch, in Santa Clarita Valley, not far from the City of Angels. We’re staying with some dear friends who have a swank suburban home with a backyard pool. They also happen to have Humphrey…
Some SLO County cities are trying to encourage residents to build accessory dwelling units, but is it working?
If you know anything about housing in California, you know the situation is bleak. According to the statewide housing assessment, “California’s Housing Future: Challenges and Opportunities,” production of new homes across the state averaged fewer than 80,000 homes each year over the last 10 years—far below the projected need of 180,000 new homes annually. While…
Sound off
New Times readers took to Facebook to share their thoughts on our Aug. 22 news story, “New advocacy group to call for more housing in SLO County.”
Some San Luis Coastal parents speak out against the state’s recent vaccine laws
Editor’s note: The sources in this story are identified by first names only to protect their privacy, at their request. A handful of parents showed up to the Aug. 20 San Luis Coastal Unified School District board meeting to speak out against a vaccine bill that was recently introduced in the state Legislature, Senate Bill…
I am undocumented
In the shadows of the growing hate and immigrant bashing that is engulfing the United States, I quietly celebrated my 40th birthday in August. I, like so many of my immigrant brothers and sisters, live in constant dread and panic, fearing that today, in this current black-hearted hole that we call America, our day will…
The real victims
Have you ever played “Would You Rather”? It doesn’t really matter, because it’s happening. Ready? OK! Would you rather forget a government-issued gun in a public bathroom or tell your mom that you got her car stolen? I wouldn’t rather, but I do know someone who we can ask! Quick, let’s do another one. Would…
We The People can do what we please
Michael T. J. Mullen’s piece “Enslaving the future” (Aug. 22) gravely warns that if We The People choose to get our power from a facility owned by—egads!—We The People, we are treading on the thin ice of full-blown Stalinist, Leninist communism! My God—won’t someone think of the children! Is Mullen even aware of the origins…
Go Grizzly!
After reading “Back on track” in the Aug. 22 issue, I just wanted to commend these young adults for making the great decisions to take charge of their lives. I wish you all the best of luck in your future endeavors! As a longtime resident of SLO County, I was led to believe that the…
Grand View wants to evict tenants in lieu of paying for repairs
Grand View Apartments owners claim that nonpayment from their tenants and an estimated $2.5 million in repair costs is leaving them no choice but to go out of business and kick out the residents. Francisco Ramirez, a tenant at Grand View Apartments, told New Times he received a 60-day termination of tenancy notice that took…
SLO shouldn’t eliminate natural gas in new buildings
The Republican Party of San Luis Obispo County (RPSLO) opposes the city of San Luis Obispo’s adoption of proposed amendments that would lead to the elimination of the use of natural gas. New building projects choosing to incorporate natural gas will be required to meet a higher performance standard, and will be required to pre-wire…
Demonstration protests lack of protected bike lanes in SLO
In the early morning hours of Aug. 28, anonymous San Luis Obispo bike advocates secretly installed temporary barriers on three city bike lanes, in a demonstration designed to highlight the lack of protected bikeways in SLO. Demonstrators placed dozens of plungers wrapped in reflective tape along busy stretches of South Higuera Street, Johnson Avenue, and…
Let’s not silence Al Fonzi
After reading four letters attacking Al Fonzi in last week’s edition of New Times, three of which asked that his voice be silenced, I decided to reread his Aug. 15 Rhetoric & Reason commentary, “Stoking the fires of division,” to try to understand what all the hoopla is about. What I found was a well-written,…
Advisory Council opposes cannabis grow near Nipomo school
A local agricultural company wants to grow cannabis on a 29-acre lot in Nipomo, but the project is facing scrutiny because of its proximity to an elementary school. At its meeting on Aug. 26, the South County Advisory Council discussed the proposed grow, which would be run by Nipomo Ag LLC and include a 22,000-square-foot…
We need more information about CCE
Week after week it’s disheartening to see the uninformed and propagandistic opinion pieces about community choice energy (CCE) in New Times. Roberta Fonzi’s piece (“More questions than answers,” Aug. 15) was full of pregnant questions whose answers lie a few clicks away, indicating the poor knowledge base behind this elected official’s opposition to CCE. Michael…
Paso groundwater basin included in high-tech Stanford study
A pair of upcoming North County groundwater studies are expected to shed new light on the hydrogeological conditions of two key water sources in the region. The Paso Robles Groundwater Basin is one of three basins in the state chosen to participate in a Stanford University study that will deploy state-of-the-art aerial electromagnetic technology to…
The right to speak
I am an immigrant who came to the U.S. legally through a port of entry. I have always cherished our First Amendment right, protected under our Constitution. It is one of our sacred duties as citizens to protect and honor this right to free speech. It is a right that we, as a country, have…
Unofficial results show Templeton will save its fire services
A majority of Templeton residents voted to fund their fire and emergency services department, according to the unofficial election results posted by the SLO County Clerk’s office on Aug. 27. Templeton Fire Chief Bill White told New Times via email that when he saw the unofficial results, he was overwhelmed with emotion and pride for…
Where are all the hippies?
With the recent remembrances of the 50th anniversary of Woodstock, I was set to wondering: Where have all the hippies gone? As an old hippie myself, I then concluded that they must now be Republicans. Take a moment to mop up the soy latte that you just squirted through your nose upon reading this, and…
California’s beauty inspires new exhibition at COAST Big Sur, a day trip up Highway 1 from SLO County
Take the trip The Ocean Dreaming exhibition, featuring work by Rebecca Koury, will run from Aug. 23 to Sept. 27 at COAST Big Sur, 49901 Highway 1, Big Sur. For more information, visit coastbigsur.com. Though her recent work as a painter has dealt primarily with the two-dimensional, artist Rebecca Koury is no stranger to working…
Stoney Larue among bands reliving blues, roots, reggae, and country this week
If you have a conflicted soul speckled with patches of black, you’re not alone. And there’s probably a song out there that speaks to you perfectly. It’s even possible that some guy from Texas wrote it. And, just maybe, you can hear that song while basking in the glow of a tasty beer that you’re…
Sierra Vista NICU gets new library to promote brain development for babies
Books for babies To donate books to Oliver’s Library or learn more about it, contact Chris Becker at oliverslibrary@gmail.com. Sterile white walls. Beeping heart rate monitors. Infant-sized incubators. Usually when one thinks of a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), these are the images that come to mind. An antiseptic, impersonal environment with one goal: “Just…
Ready or Not: Not ready
READY OR NOT What’s it rated? R What’s it worth, Karen? Stream It What’s it worth, Caleb? Nothing Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre, Fair Oaks, Galaxy, Park, Stadium 10, Sunset Drive-in Editor’s note: Staff Writer Karen Garcia and Calendar Editor Caleb Wiseblood took over Split Screen while the Starkeys enjoyed the week off. Directed by…
Savor the flavor
Doce Robles Winery & Vineyard, 2023 Twelve Oaks Drive, Paso Robles, is hosting a casual mini wine fest on Aug. 3, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. to kick off Labor Day weekend activities and the Highway 46 West Harvest Block Party. Ricky Montijo will be setting a rockin’ atmosphere as attendees enjoy unlimited wine tasting…
Gallery at Marina Square announces two new exhibitions
The Color of Light, a fine art oil exhibit, and A Tangle of Textures, a group collage show, both open at Gallery at Marina Square on Sept. 1, and will run through Sept. 29. An artist reception to celebrate both exhibits takes place on Sept. 13, from 5 to 8 p.m. Artist Kimberly Hempel painted…
Blast from the Past: Friends
When? 1994-2004 What’s it rated? TV-PG Where’s it available? Netflix This column is “The One Where We Talk About Loving Friends,” so if you don’t like the show, I suggest you skip to the next article because I won’t be holding back on my fandom. In 1994, NBC launched a TV series about six friends…
For a cause
California Women for Agriculture will be hosting the 10th annual Burgers & Brews Competition and Festival from 5 to 9 p.m. on Sept. 1 at the historic Santa Margarita Ranch. Enjoy locally raised beef, chicken, lamb, and veggie sliders with locally brewed beers and ciders brought to you by Central Coast farmers, chefs, caterers, and…
Mesa residents invited to bilingual presentation on Dunes pollution
En español La Salud en el Nipomo Mesa: Un foro abierto sobre la calidad del aire Miercoles, 4 de Septiembre 2019, 5:30 a 7:30 p.m., Mesa Middle School, 2555 S. Halcyon Rd., Arroyo Grande. On its worst days, the Nipomo Mesa can be home to the most polluted air in the nation. Tiny dust particles…
Film Listings, 8/29/19 – 9/5/19
AFTER THE WEDDING What’s it rated? PG-13 Where’s it showing? Galaxy, The Palm New The past and present collide when Isabel (Michelle Williams), an orphanage owner in Kolkata, travels to New York for a meeting with a mysterious new benefactor (Julianne Moore), in this American remake of director Susanne Bier’s 2006 Danish drama of the…
Locally grown
How sweet: Humble Pies is joining forces with the market stands! Sample apple and peach crumbles when you visit Humble Pies for the Atascadero Farmers’ Market starting Sept. 4, and every Wednesday market thereafter … SLO Natural Foods Co-op is partnering with local nonprofit One Cool Earth this August through September. Each time a shopper…
Park Cinemas screens Topper for Pajama Movie Night
The Downtown Paso Robles Main Street Association presents a Pajama Movie Night screening of Topper at Park Cinemas on Sept. 8, at 7 p.m. The 1937 fantasy drama stars Cary Grant and Constance Bennett as a couple killed in a car accident, who quickly realize they didn’t do enough good deeds while alive to earn…
For the owner of Central Coast Brewing in SLO, raising money for ALS research is personal
Pouring Ales for ALS On Central Coast Brewing’s tap list is the “F&*% ALS,” an American style IPA, benefiting ALS research. A 4 ounce pour is $3, an 8 ounce pour is $5, 16 ounce pour is $7, and 64 ounce growler is $21. Central Coast Brewing has two locations: the new 6 Higuera St.,…
