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Awareness Issue 2021: Language barriers to reporting domestic violence, the increase in incidences of later-stage cancer, and high school students who are getting the word out about partner violence
October shines a national spotlight on two things we should be paying attention to year round—breast cancer and domestic violence awareness. As a way of helping to get the word out, Staff Writer Bulbul Rajagopal wrote about language and cultural barriers Asian American and Pacific Islanders face when it comes to reporting domestic violence, Staff…
Local youth create zine focused on healthy relationships, how to stop intimate partner violence before it starts
“What does a community without violence mean to us?” The prompt is written across a two-page spread. Answers displayed in thought bubbles beneath it represent the visions of San Luis Obispo County teens. “A safe space, regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, race, ability, or background,” one reads. “Violence is responded to by community…
With 30 bands to choose from, this week is one for the record book
A week this packed feels like the good old days when every Thursday we’d have to take inventory of the options and make some hard choices about which shows we were going to see and which we’d have to pass on. I’m going to break it down venue by venue, and you’re going to have…
Distinctive, delicious Detroit-style pizza is on the rise in SLO County
Pie particulars To order Benny’s Pizza and receive updates on Benny’s Pizza Palace, follow the company on Instagram and Facebook @bennyspizzaslo. Learn more about Benny’s Commissary Kitchen on Facebook @bennysslo. Visit Sweet Lew’s at sweetlewspizza.com or follow the eatery on Facebook and Instagram @sweetlewspaso. Buddy’s Rendezvous in Detroit was the first to whip up pizzas…
Cube of rubes
If you want to see how to take a moderate kerfuffle and make it into an exponentially bigger throbbing headache for everyone involved, look no further than the SLO County Board of Supervisors’ handling of former Clerk-Recorder Tommy Gong’s departure and the board’s attempt to find a replacement. The obvious choice was to appoint Deputy…
The Many Saints of Newark offers Tony Soprano’s origin story but is really Uncle Dickie’s film
THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK What’s it rated? R When? 2021 Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre, Galaxy, Park, Stadium 10, and HBO Max What’s it worth, Anna? Matinee What’s it worth, Glen? Matinee Alan Taylor (Terminator Genisys, Thor: The Dark World) directs this prequel to the wildly popular groundbreaking TV series The Sopranos (1999-2007), about…
Responding to high fire risk
The threat of wildfire in California and other Western states continues to grow. Severe drought conditions, dry fuels, and rising temperatures are driving unprecedented increases in the potential risk for wildfires. To combat this increased risk, PG&E is continuing to evolve our wildfire prevention efforts for the safety of our customers and communities. One of…
The Premise
What’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2021 Where’s it showing? Hulu B.J. Novak presents us with five different stories from banal to engrossing: In “The Ballad of Jesse Wheeler,” for instance, a pop star promises sex to the valedictorian of his alma mater high school therefore upping the overall GPA of the graduating class. In my…
Stop politicizing county government
Rather than taking a stand for good government practices, the majority of the SLO County Board of Supervisors sadly plays the political card on major issues. For example, after the board’s own handpicked selection committee put forward the three candidates qualified by experience from the 44 applicants for the role of interim county clerk-recorder, the…
Goliath
What’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2016-2021 Where’s it showing? Amazon Prime Now in its fourth and final season, I’m clearly a bit late to the Goliath party, but better late than never. This Amazon Studios-produced law drama created by David E. Kelley and Jonathan Shapiro follows disgraced attorney Billy McBride (Billy Bob Thornton), who wiles…
Morro Bay power plant stacks
A lot of emotion is tied up in the Morro Bay power plant smokestacks, and, just like seemingly everything these days, it has become very polarizing. On the one hand, there are those that have fond memories of the iconic skyline of the rock and the stacks, and on the other, those that see the…
Maven Leather + Design proprietress Emma Thieme offers one-of-a-kind handbags and more
Eye for design Visit Maven Leather + Design at 146 N. Ocean Ave, suite B, Cayucos. The storefront’s fall hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed on Tuesdays. For more information, and to watch the studio’s creative and funny short film, visit mavenleather.com. To set up an appointment, contact emma@mavenleather.com. There’s something about leather—its…
Will we never learn?
It has been said repeatedly that those who fail to learn the lessons of the past are doomed to repeat its mistakes, so here we are again. I remember the 1970s, the shameful ending of the Vietnam War, the loss of American credibility, the inflation, gas lines, and endless prognostications of environmental doom. If you…
Artists, crafters, and studio owners throughout SLO County take part in 2021 Open Studios Art Tour
The San Luis Obispo County Arts Council is holding this year’s Open Studios Art Tour on Oct. 9, 10, 16, and 17, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Artists and crafters throughout San Luis Obispo County will be opening their studios up for the public to visit during this countywide event. A downloadable…
Lucia Mar recall effort ramps up, board members’ homes targeted
On Oct. 5, protesters showed up at the homes of Lucia Mar Unified School District’s board members for the third virtual meeting in a row. It first happened on Sept. 7, as the school board conducted its bi-monthly meeting. Protesters showed up at board Vice President Colleen Martin’s house, who said that one protester pepper…
Cal Poly Arts hosts two-man show with improv comedians Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood
Prolific comedians Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood, both widely known for their work on Whose Line Is It Anyway?, are taking their Scared Scriptless tour to the Performing Arts Center (PAC) in San Luis Obispo on Saturday, Oct. 16, at 8 p.m. As its title suggests, this two-man show is unscripted and has been described…
Robinson’s Grave Care Services is SLO County’s newest—and possibly, only—grave upkeep provider
A Templeton genealogist’s passion for DNA testing took her from matching adoptees with their birth families to maintaining graves across San Luis Obispo County. Lisa Robinson is an adoptee herself whose mother passed away almost 21 years ago and is buried in a San Fernando Valley cemetery. “I’ve always relied on family and friends to…
Voting open for New Times Music Awards’ Readers Choice Award
Votes to determine this year’s winner of the New Times Music Awards’ Readers Choice Award will be collected through Monday, Oct. 18 (deadline is 5 p.m.). The public is invited to vote for their picks online at newtimesslo.com. Each voter is asked to select three picks (and rank them as first, second, and third) out…
SLO County supervisors to interview three clerk candidates
San Luis Obispo County’s search for its next top elections official continued down its bumpy path on Oct. 5, when county supervisors voted to interview the three committee-recommended finalists for the job. The 3-2 vote came amid accusations from two supervisors—as well as some citizens and clerk-recorder applicants—that top county officials ignored a board directive…
SLO chamber encourages family-friendliness in the workplace
San Luis Obispo’s Chamber of Commerce wants at least 100 local businesses to think of the children. The chamber announced the launch of the Family-Friendly Workplace Accelerator Program on Oct. 4, which identifies the importance of creating a welcoming environment for employees taking care of children and family members. The chamber partnered with First5 SLO,…
Paso school district encourages parents to visit classrooms
After getting a peek into their kids’ virtual classrooms during distance learning, some parents still want to be a fly on the wall now that school’s back in person. The Paso Robles Joint Unified School District already has protocols in place for class visitation, but the district’s school board recently discussed it after questions were…
Cayucos gets approval to apply for Vets Hall restoration funds
Cayucos inched forward in its long journey to jump-start renovations for its beloved Vets Hall. The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors gave the Department of Parks and Recreation the go-ahead on Oct. 5 to apply for up to $3 million in Proposition 68 funds for the project. The money falls under the Rural…
SLO County’s small Asian American population struggles with cultural stigma and language hurdles to report domestic violence
San Luis Obispo County racked up more domestic violence reports in 2020 than in 2019, but asking for help is a cumbersome process for non-English speaking communities. The California Department of Justice’s Open Data portal showed that SLO County’s law enforcement agencies received 763 domestic violence-related calls for service last year. In 2019, they received…
Doctors say a drop in breast cancer scans last year could have repercussions on diagnoses for years to come
While breast cancer comes as a surprise to most who are diagnosed, some patients know their risk ahead of time. This is the case for a patient of Dr. Colleen O’Kelly Priddy, a breast surgical oncologist and the medical director of Mission Hope’s breast center in Santa Maria. The patient carries a genetic mutation that…
