Cover Story
Harvesting the sea: Seaweed is coming to a dinner table near you
Sea of food Learn more about the various entities in the ocean-to-table world of seaweed by checking out their websites. Visit Kelpful at kelpful.com, Marley Family Seaweeds at marleyfamilyseaweeds.com, and Green Wave at greenwave.org. Sea lettuce lives to be thrashed by salt water. Paper thin, opaque, and a little rubbery, it spends life on the…
Recently passed law will change the way thefts of agricultural property are handled
Santa Barbara County law enforcement officials were investigating the theft of $17,000 worth of agricultural chemicals from a farm outside Santa Maria in 2017 when they uncovered a local black market for stolen farming equipment. Investigators with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office found that the chemicals—pesticides and fertilizer—were being stored at a facility where…
My mind is open
I’m all ears. Please, John Donegan (“Open your mind,” Aug. 1), explain to me why I should even remotely consider supporting current Republican ideas or voting for a Republican candidate. I have listened. I have watched. What I have heard and seen are “mere ideas” that have put forth policies, practices, and actions/inactions that have…
SLO County’s homeless population increased by 32 percent, according to recent Point in Time Count
Services and involvement To learn more about the agencies that assist the homeless population throughout SLO County or how to get involved, reach out: • Community Action Partnership in SLO capslo.org, (805) 544-4355 • El Camino Homeless Organization in Atascadero echoshelter.org, (805) 462-3663 • 40 Prado in SLOfriendsof40prado.org, (805) 541-7963 The recently released 2019 homeless…
Food causes
Help raise money for the dogs and cats of Woods while eating pizza on Aug. 9 for the Woods 20 Percent Day at California Pizza Kitchen in SLO, 876 Marsh St. Just show your server Woods Humane Society’s flyer and 20 percent of your check will go to Woods … The Paso Robles Rotary Winemakers…
Paso quickly addresses affordable housing shortage
Paso Robles might be ahead of the San Luis Obispo County curve in terms of attempting to mitigate the affordable housing shortage in the city. At its Aug. 6 City Council meeting, city staffers laid out ongoing efforts to improve its process of creating affordable housing within city limits as a direct response to the…
Elected officials should have done basic research
In response to Mark Henry’s concern (“Community choice seems like a scam,” Aug. 1): community choice energy is not a scam; it’s a law. If Mr. Henry wanted to learn the basics about how community choice energy works, or energy markets in general, he could read the text of Assembly Bill 117 from 2002 or…
Pismo’s still recovering from the rains of 2017
The city of Pismo Beach declared a state of emergency in January 2017 after heavy rains led to storm drain failures on Highway 101, significant flooding in roads and businesses, and collapsing bluffs along the coast. More than two years and thousands of dollars in state and federal emergency funding later, Pismo still hasn’t started…
Eat and learn
The Goddess of Wine and Fossil Wine Bar are sharing their passion for Spanish wines through Tasting Spain—and Paso Robles! at Fossil Wine Bar on 5992 Entrada Ave. in Atascadero from 7 to 9 p.m. on Aug. 12. Participants will embark on tasty tour of Spanish and Paso wines with fresh baked treats supplied by…
San Simeon post office closes due to safety concerns
The San Simeon post office that was inside the Hearst Corporation-owned Sebastian building stopped providing services on Aug. 1 due to safety concerns. Dean Cameron, a leasing real estate specialist for the U.S. Postal Service, said the Postal Service was already proposing to relocate the retail office last year, due to expected building renovations and…
Community choice does seem like a scam
Thank you Mark Henry for bringing to light the community choice energy scam (“Community choice seems like a scam,” Aug. 1). You are so right. Unless those who bought into community choice have new distribution lines coming from new transmission lines recently installed, then the power they are receiving is not totally emission free. The…
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw is loud, obnoxious fun
FAST & FURIOUS PRESENTS: HOBBS & SHAW What’s it rated? R What’s it worth, Anna? Matinee What’s it worth, Glen? Matinee Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre, Galaxy, Park, Stadium 10 David Leitch (Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2) directs this new installment into the Fast & Furious franchise. This time around, genetically enhanced villain Brixton (Idris Elba)…
Jack Creek Farms granita
Sweet and fresh and icy cold: Eat your heart out, 7-Eleven Slurpee lovers! I love taking friends to Jack Creek Farms in the summer. Yes, there’s the too-cute-for-words mini-animal farm and the darling Western-times mercantile selling local edibles run by the friendly Barlogio family. Then there’s the u-pick veggies and fruits that add even more…
Database error leads to warrantless police search and arrests
An error in a San Luis Obispo County law enforcement database led SLO police officers to conduct a search of a man’s home without a warrant on July 10 while investigating SLOPD Chief Deanna Cantrell’s missing firearm. Based on a tip from Morro Bay police, SLO police officers searched the home of Cheyne Orndoff, 33,…
We stand together
I am shocked by the recent events in Dayton and El Paso! But: I am not going to stay home and hide. I am not going to be afraid; I am going to be aware of my surroundings. I will help in any way that I can those who are affected by tragedy and teach…
Hatewatch: Chopped
When? 2009-present What’s it rated? Not rated Where’s it available? Hulu, Vudu, Amazon Prime Like most people, I love to eat. But like many people, I’m broke and often forced to throw together whatever meal I possibly can with the scraps left in my fridge. Maybe that’s why I love watching Chopped—it’s essentially just watching…
Community choice is the real deal
A recent letter wondered if community choice energy was a scam to ease liberal guilt by getting them to pay more for green energy (“Community choice seems like a scam,” Aug. 1). Community choice energy is the real deal. Monterey Bay Community Power (MBCP) will be providing energy to the cities of San Luis Obispo…
Bay Area teen swims 11 miles in Estero Bay to raise money for kids around the world
At 16 years old, Bay Area native Angel More is the spokesperson for Children International, a global humanitarian nonprofit organization that helps children and their families escape poverty. She brought her advocacy to Estero Bay on June 27 and swam 11 miles in about eight hours to raise awareness and funds for the nonprofit. More…
Sweat equity
Last month, I hiked out of the Sierra after a week-long backpack with five middle-aged moms and our daughters. We were dirty, sick of trail mix, and exhilarated. On our return to civilization, we learned that the tremors we felt at 11,000 feet came from a massive earthquake—and that the U.S. women’s soccer team had…
Under the surface: Paso artist takes inspiration from water science
Water, water, everywhere The Magic of Water exhibit, featuring the art of Deprise Brescia, will be on display at Studios on the Park through Aug. 31. Visit studiosonthepark.org for more information. More than 70 percent of the earth’s surface is covered in water. On a smaller scale, about 60 percent of the human body is…
Sound off
New Times readers took to Facebook to share their thoughts on our Aug. 1 Get Out story, “Our Santa Barbara weekend yields good food, drink, and music.”
Arroyo Grande author pens coming-of-age novel, The Bridge
Read on The Bridge, by Arroyo Grande author Lili Sinclaire, is available on Amazon for $9.99 for the paperback edition and $2.99 for the Kindle version. Turning 13 is a big deal in and of itself. But throw in an unresolved murder, a recluse in the woods, and a brutal attack on a young girl,…
Film Listings, Aug. 8 – Aug. 15, 2019
All theater listings are as of Friday, Aug. 9. THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN What’s it rated? PG Where’s it showing? Galaxy, Park, Stadium 10 New Simon Curtis (My Week With Marilyn, Woman in Gold, Goodbye Christopher Robin) directs this screenplay by Mark Bomback based on Garth Stein’s novel about a dog named…
Blues guitar legend Buddy Guy plays the Avila Beach Golf Resort on Aug. 9
I remember the first time I saw Buddy Guy live. He was playing D.K.’s West Indies Bar around 1989 or 1990, and midway through his show, he jumped up on the bar with his guitar and made his way through the glasses and bar napkins as he played down the length of it. Later, he…
Laughter Festival features wellness-themed comedy
Unity-Five Cities hosts its Laughter Festival at the Victorian Estate in Arroyo Grande on Saturday, Aug. 11, from 1 to 4 p.m. “Laughter is the best medicine” and “experience joy” are the two themes of this wellness-oriented comedy festival. The family-friendly event features stand-up and improv comedy, plays, poetry readings, live music, open mic sessions,…
Newspeak?
Up is down, good is bad, right is wrong, real is fake—welcome to George Orwell’s 1984, when “truth” is subjective. Was SLO Police Chief Deanna Cantrell truly “transparent” about the loss of her loaded Glock 42 pistol, which she left in an El Pollo Loco restroom on July 10, and which she claimed to have…
Edna Valley film festival benefits Save the Waves
Malene Wines and Chamisal Vineyards co-host the Save the Waves Film Festival at the Malene Scene in Edna Valley on Saturday, Aug. 10, from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. The event features the world premieres of several surf, adventure, and documentary films. Proceeds from the festival will benefit Save the Waves, a nonprofit that aims to…
Real solutions
The cover story of the July 25 edition of New Times (“Prevention and protection”) tackled one of the most pressing issues we face on the Central Coast: how to best protect communities from wildfire. While the story covered some important aspects of this issue, there are also several key measures fire scientists have identified as…
Local author reads selections from latest book
Arroyo Grande-based author and history teacher Jim Gregory will be reading selections from his latest book, Will This Be on the Test? at the Arroyo Grande IOOF Hall on Saturday, Aug. 17, from 2 to 3 p.m. The book includes stories about John Steinbeck, Al Spierling, Sheila Varian, and other historical figures. Admission to the…
Templeton Hills Beef takes pride in its cattle while caring for Central Coast pastures
Ranching right Templeton Hills Beef offers a healthier alternative for people who care about the quality and origin of their food. They raise all-natural, grass-fed, and grass-finished beef from cattle that graze on the grasslands of the Central Coast. You can order 10- to 25-pound frozen and individually vacuum-sealed packages of grass-fed beef samplers, individual…
Trump announces support for Carbajal’s gun control bill
Dozens of Americans were killed in a string of unrelated mass shootings at the end of July and beginning of August, and support is building among Republican legislators for federal gun control measures like those outlined in a bill authored by Congressman Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara). In a televised address on Aug. 5 regarding back-to-back-to-back…
Balance?
Come on New Times. Al Fonzi is bad enough. Now we have another put-upon conservative who’s going to tell us we really don’t need clean water to drink, air that isn’t polluted, food that doesn’t make us sick, and safe work places. Al Fonzi never seemed to get any traction with his antiquated, conspiracy-theory, profits-over-people…
Disc golf makes for a great after-work activity
After a good eight hours of staring daggers at my computer screen, making phone calls, and occasionally popping out of the New Times dungeon … I mean office … I feel like a vampire hissing at the sun when it’s closing time. Don’t get me wrong, I love the summer season and its sweet daylight…
Block parties
Block parties are making a comeback! More than 20 participating businesses will be in on the first ever Tin City Block Party, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Aug. 10 and 11. A $60 weekend tasting pass includes wine, cider, beer, and spirit tastings with the makers. Foodies can also enjoy samples of Tin City’s…
