Cover Story
Fish flop: Environmental groups allege that SLO County isn’t doing enough to help steelhead populations succeed in Arroyo Grande Creek
Four environmental organizations recently teamed up to sue San Luis Obispo County over Lopez Dam and what it’s not doing for the endangered steelhead trout. “Lopez Dam is a complete barrier blocking SCCC [South-Central California Coast] steelhead migration to the majority of high-quality spawning, rearing, and refugia habitat above Lopez Lake,” the lawsuit reads. “Moreover,…
Dine outdoors at Ciao Papi in Paso with happy hour every day, poolside at the classic River Lodge motel
Eat outside Ciao Papi at the River Lodge is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Happy hour runs seven days a week from 3 to 6 p.m. Stop in…
County residents butt heads with harbor commissioners over offshore wind
Unhappy residents accused Port San Luis Harbor District commissioners of being untruthful about their connections to offshore wind companies during a chaotic, heated Aug. 27 meeting. “I would like clarification on why several days before your last meeting [July 23] why Clean Energy Terminals had on their website that you were partners, in partnership, and…
Cambria submits permit application for more water usage
Cambria is one step closer to possibly receiving the permit it needs for its water reclamation facility, a years-long effort to allow the district to use the facility more than it’s allowed. “This marks a major milestone in our mission to secure Cambria’s reliable and sustainable water supply. The Water Reclamation Facility is a key…
Morro Bay requests $750,000 grant to complete its Waterfront Master Plan
Morro Bay has big plans for the Embarcadero over the coming years, including parking and public plazas, which is why the city is going to ask the California Coastal Commission for a $750,000 to help make these visions a reality. The Morro Bay City Council approved the funding request application at its meeting on Aug.…
Now under Medi-Cal, Morro Bay Recovery will help more residents
In a converted motel that overlooks the ocean, Morro Bay Recovery has provided alcohol and drug addiction recovery services for the past year and a half to help reconnect people with friends, family, and the community. “One of the benefits of having individuals recover from drug and alcohol addiction is for them to be able…
Plan MB
Residents in Morro Bay have been raising questions about Measure A-24 and Vistra’s battery storage facility proposed for the current power plant site. The applicability of AB 205, a state law that allows fast-tracking of energy projects through the California Energy Commission, makes things even more confusing. Measure A-24, if it passes, will require a…
Elected officials, you work for us
Julie Tacker is spot on (“Right to speak,” Aug. 22). My question is, what are the elected city and county officials afraid of? Julie is always polite when she speaks, knowledgeable on the subject, and brings common sense to the podium. I think our elected officials need to remember who pays them. As I recall,…
Julie Tacker cost Los Osos residents
I was amused to see Julie Tacker still at it, mixing it up in a different town this time (“Right to speak,” Aug. 22). As a lifelong Los Osos resident, each time I write a check to help pay off our gold-plated sewer system the vision of her tossing her shovel rather than building a…
Classic Coke
Older readers may remember the “New Coke” debacle in 1985, in which Coca-Cola tried to reformulate Coke in response to lagging sales, found the revised product flopped badly, and returned to the original formulation, calling it “Classic Coke.” Likewise, Kamala Harris has now been repackaged and is being marketed as the electoral “Classic Coke.” In…
Tree-huggers in crisis
Bike paths, steelhead salmon, wind energy—oh my! Eco-warriors have a lot on their minds these days. For starters, the Bob Jones Trail has a new theme song: The Talking Heads’ “Road to Nowhere,” because thanks to two members of the SLO County Board of Supervisors, the protected bike path from SLO to Avila Beach will…
All-day music festival Twang N Bang comes to Liquid Gravity on Sept. 1
“In 2009, I was having a helluva hard time booking my little alt-country band, Pennyjar, into various clubs around SLO,” explained Twang N Bang founder Patrick Hayes. “Despite doing the successful ‘Mondays at the Peach’ show, we still couldn’t get past the ‘country’ stigma to get weekend slots. I know it seems crazy in 2024,…
Blink Twice is an inky-dark psychological horror film with a lot to say about gender roles
BLINK TWICE What’s it rated? RWhat’s it worth, Anna? Full priceWhat’s it worth, Glen? Full priceWhere’s it showing? Colony, Downtown Centre, Park, Stadium 10 Zoë Kravitz directs this black comedy she co-wrote with E.T. Feigenbaum about tech billionaire Slater King (Channing Tatum) who at his fundraising gala meets cocktail waitress Frida (Naomi Ackie), inviting her…
Lady in the Lake
What’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2024 Where’s it showing? Apple TV Plus In this noir thriller, Natalie Portman stars as Jewish housewife Maddie Schwartz, whose world is upended when an 11-year-old white girl goes missing from her community and is found dead. While the tragedy is indeed heartbreaking, Maddie’s reaction has deeper roots, and the…
Ben’s Automotive Decor’s new space offers a coffee shop and car creations in Atascadero
Car lover’s dream Ben’s Automotive Decor celebrated its grand opening on Aug. 2. The new space offers a hybrid coffee shop and retail store featuring the automotive artwork of Ben Harvey, including custom art and pre-made pieces. Located at 3710 El Camino Real in Atascadero, the gallery is open Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m.…
The Union
What’s it rated? PG-13 When? 2024 Where’s it showing? Netflix Oh, Marky Mark, you do know how to churn out the cheese. Mostly TV director Julian Farino helms this action spy comedy about regular guy Mike McKenna (Mark Wahlberg), a New Jersey high-rise steel worker who likes to drink beer with his pals in the…
Community Foundation of SLO County funds free pirate-themed dance concert
The Santa Maria Valley Senior Citizens Club hosts its Talk Like a Pirate Dance, with live music from the Riptide Big Band, at the Elwin Mussell Senior Center in Santa Maria on Sunday, Sept. 8, from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Admission to the event is free, thanks to grant funding from the Community Foundation of…
Sentinel Peak Resources’ new crude oil tanker truck proposal upsets SLO and Santa Barbara county residents
Three days after Ken Hough told Santa Barbara County planning commissioners about “the dangers of crude oil tankers,” a semi-truck carrying 150 barrels of crude oil crashed into another vehicle a half mile from his home. The Santa Barbara County Action Network (SBCAN) co-executive director had filed an appeal on Santa Barbara County’s approval of…
Climate Future Film Festival screens shorts in Morro Bay, Creston, and more
Some local libraries will be hosting special film screening events in conjunction with the Climate Future Film Festival in late August and early September. This touring film festival highlights a collection of international short films of various genres that examine “our interior responses to many possible climate futures,” according to the fest’s Film Freeway page.…
Community infighting dominates Grover Beach’s executive pay increase discussion
The bitter remnants of a Nextdoor conversation spilled into a Grover Beach City Council hearing on Aug. 26 about whether upper management should receive a cost-of-living increase. “There’s a lot of noise coming from a small group about certain staff’s salary to the point where it just seems vindictive. Most of it on Nextdoor,” resident…
