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Best of SLO County 2019
Lords and ladies of the San Luis Obispo County kingdom, we present to you the results of the greatest battle of the year. You searched through all the boroughs and fiefdoms of your memory to pluck out the royalty that deserves to wear the crown. The duel over the Best of SLO County was a…
SLO High School holds fashion show to benefit FCCLA chapter
San Luis Obispo High School hosts its Masquerade Fashion Show at King David’s Masonic Lodge on Saturday, May 11, from 5 to 7 p.m. Doors open at 4:40 p.m. Proceeds will benefit the school’s Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) chapter. The show will feature various fashions provided by local boutiques. Tickets to…
Our energy future doesn’t include nuclear
The decision to close Diablo Canyon Power Plant was made by plant owner Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) for economic reasons, and replacement energy will come from greenhouse-gas-free sources. These facts are contrary to statements made by Ms. Ripley in her letter to New Times titled “Nuclear is the way to go” (April 18).…
Best of 2019: House of Community Watch
Most Annoying Public Official Heidi Harmon 990 Palm St., SLO (805) 540-4137 After many consecutive years in the hot seat, I imagine SLO County 3rd District Supervisor Adam Hill is breathing a sigh of relief and is happy to hand over the title to SLO Mayor Heidi Harmon, who people hate because she’s a woman,…
Ballet Theatre SLO hosts collaborative showcase
Ballet Theatre San Luis Obispo presents its Studio Performance Showcase at the BlackBox Theatre on May 3, 4, and 5. Performers include dancers from all of the program’s classes. The showcase includes a special Circus Ballet performance, as well as choreography set to excerpts from The Music Man. Admission to the show ranges from $8…
SLO has more work to do
Our green SLO City Council has made great strides on saving the earth, but there’s much more to do. Here’s a short list: 1. Ban hotels and motels and airbnbs from giving guests tiny plastic bottles of shampoo and lotion. This would eliminate hundreds of thousands of these pieces of plastic pollution each year. Since…
Best of 2019: House of Arts Scene
Best Festival (Specific City) Strawberry Festival, Arroyo Grande The Village, Arroyo Grande May 25-26, 2019 The Strawberry Festival in Arroyo Grande Village has been a staple event on the Central Coast since 1983—before this newspaper began publishing! On Memorial Day weekend, thousands bring their families to enjoy fresh, locally grown strawberries offered in every conceivable…
Target practice in Santa Margarita: We came, we shot, we ate
It’s Sunday, April 28, and my wife, Anna, and I are fixin’ to shoot some shit. We’re heading out Highway 58, just outside Santa Margarita, to visit our friends Don Lampson—a well-known local musician with a voice that sounds like rusted shovels bouncing in the back of an old pickup truck running down a dirt…
We need solutions
Karen Garcia wrote an excellent article on the personal heartbreak that is the result of immigration policies and enforcement that has been given the wink and nod for more than 40 years (“After deportation,” April 25). Congress needs to do something about this now. Actually it should have been done yesterday. President Trump has offered…
Best of 2019: House of Getting Goods
Best Thrift Store Fred and Betty’s Thrift Store 532 Higuera St., SLO M-Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (805) 593-0255 Treasure hunters and secondhand seekers alike know the warm, tingly sensation when they find a true honey pot (aka—the land of sweet deals), and Fred & Betty’s is just such a spot. Their large, open storefront boasts…
MarciJean and the Belmont Kings bring their swinging sounds to Madonna Inn May 6
Social dancing is always a blast to watch. The formal elegance of ballroom, the corny joy of square dancing, the swagger of hip-hop, the percussive bounce of tap—I love it all. But for sheer, unmitigated exuberance, nothing beats swing. Whether it’s East Coast, Jitterbug, modern jive, or Lindy Hop, swing is king, and this Monday,…
Diablo isn’t safe
I will believe Diablo Canyon is safe when the siren drills stop, and when my family no longer receives annual emergency evacuation plans in the mail. Katie Hawn SLO
Best of 2019: House of Drinks
Best North County Bar Street Side Ale House Atascadero, Paso Robles Sun.-Th., 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; F-Sat., 11 a.m.-midnight streetsidealehouse.com @streetsidealehouse facebook.com/streetsidealehouse Best North Coast Bar The Siren 900 Main St., Morro Bay M-Sat., 11 a.m.-2 a.m.; Sun., 9 a.m.-2 a.m. (805) 225-1312 info@thesirenmorrobay.com thesirenmorrobay.com @thesirenmorrobay facebook.com/thesirenmorrobay Best San Luis Obispo Bar Black Sheep Bar &…
Keep it clean
Putting your money where your values are—buying local, cruelty-free, organic food; installing a gray water system; investing in “green” companies—is a good idea on a personal level. On a statewide level, it’s a great idea. And when that state is the world’s fifth largest economy, it’s potentially spectacular. California (not including local and regional governments)…
Best of SLO County 2019 Readers Poll Results Virtual Publication
Lords and ladies of the San Luis Obispo County kingdom, we present to you the results of the greatest battle of the year. You searched through all the boroughs and fiefdoms of your memory to pluck out the royalty that deserves to wear the crown. The duel over the Best of SLO County was a…
Department of Interior to hold meeting in SLO on fracking plan
U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) officials will visit San Luis Obispo later this month to take public comment on a pending federal plan to grow oil and gas production on public lands in Central California. The meeting—to be held on May 22 in the Hilton Embassy Suites in SLO from 6 to 8 p.m.—will…
Us vs. them
I’m starting to think there are two kinds of people: those who think it’s wrong to separate families, and those who don’t; those who think caging children is wrong, and those who don’t; those who have compassion for other human beings, and those who pick the wings off of flies and watch them suffer. After…
Best of 2019: House of Eats
Best North County Restaurant Fish Gaucho 1244 Park St., Paso Robles F-Sat., 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sun., 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m.; M-W, 3-9 p.m. (805) 239-3333 info@fishgaucho.com fishgaucho.com @fishgaucho facebook.com/FishGaucho Best North Coast Restaurant Robin’s Restaurant 4095 Burton Drive, Cambria Sat.-Th., 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m.; Sun.-Th., 11 a.m.-9 p.m. (805) 927-5007 anthony@robinsrestaurant.com robinsrestaurant.com facebook.com/RobinsRestaurant Best San Luis Obispo…
Community starts a fundraiser to help a family seeking asylum
Local community members are working to assist a family that recently fled violence in Mexico by creating a GoFundMe page to pay for their legal fees. New Times isn’t using the names of the mother, her 14-year-old daughter, or her 10-year-old son as they are currently in the process of seeking asylum or a U-visa.…
‘Avengers: Endgame’ offers emotionally resonant, action-filled, satisfying conclusion
AVENGERS: ENDGAME What’s it rated? PG-13 What’s it worth, Anna? Full price What’s it worth, Glen? Full price Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre, Fair Oaks, Galaxy, Park, Stadium 10, Sunset Drive-In Anthony and Joe Russo (Captain America: Civil War) co-direct this follow-up to their 2018 film, Avengers: Infinity War, which resulted in Thanos turning half…
Best of 2019: House of Lifestyle
Best Hair Salon Bluebird Salon 742 Marsh St., SLO M, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; T-Sat., 9 a.m.-9 p.m. (805) 593-0234 frontdesk@bluebirdsalon.com bluebirdsalon.com @bluebirdsalon facebook.com/bluebirdsalon Best Barber Shop The Ritual 781 Higuera St., SLO Sun.-W, 10 a.m.-7 P.M.; Th.-Sat., 10 a.m.-9 P.M. (805) 596-0360 theritual805.resurva.com/book @theritual805 facebook.com/pages/The-Ritual/698355176849072 Best Nail Salon Pinkies Up 790 Marsh St., SLO M-F,…
Grover Beach police find no wrongdoing at 805 Beach Breaks
As Santa Barbara County authorities press charges against a Grover Beach dispensary owner, Grover Beach police say their local investigation of 805 Beach Breaks came up clean. “We did not discover violations of our city ordinance or state law at the retail facility,” Grover Beach City Manager Matthew Bronson told New Times. “Our investigation did…
Bingeable: Hanna
When? 2019 What’s it rated? TV-MA Where? Amazon Prime Based on the 2011 film of the same name, Hanna tells the coming-of-age story of a young woman (Esme Creed-Miles), who was part of a secret government super soldier experiment run by Marissa Wiegler (Mireille Enos). Taken from the program as an infant by Erik Heller…
Best of 2019: House of About Town
Best New Company 2018 Natural Healing Center 998 Huston St., Grover Beach M-Sun., 9 a.m.-7 p.m. (805) 201-1498 sales@nhcgroverbeach.com nhcgroverbeach.co/ @nhcsloco facebook.com/NaturalHealingCenterGroverBeach Best Radio Station KJUG 98.1 3620 Sacramento Drive, suite 204, SLO (805) 549-8698 jugcountry.com @981kjug facebook.com/981KJUG Best News Source KSBY 1772 Calle Joaquin, SLO (805) 541-6666 news@ksby.com ksby.com @ksbynews facebook.com/ksbynews Best Place for…
Haborwalk Plaza plan goes before Coastal Commission
A two-story mixed-use commercial project set for Morro Bay’s Embarcadero will go before the California Coastal Commission on May 8. If the proposed project is approved by the commission and granted a coastal development permit, the existing Off the Hook building will be demolished and replaced by Harborwalk Plaza. Morro Bay Community Development Director Scot…
Film Listings, 5/2/19 – 5/9/19
APOLLO 11 What’s it rated? G What’s it worth? Full price Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre Pick Todd Douglas Miller (Dinosaur 13) directs this documentary about the historic 1969 mission to land on the moon. Using archival footage, you’ll witness Cmdr. Neil Armstrong and pilots Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins on their amazing eight-day mission…
Plains All American fined $3.3 million for 2015 oil spill
On April 25, Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge James Herman ordered Plains All American Pipeline to pay $3.3 million in fines for the 2015 pipeline rupture that spilled thousands of gallons of oil into the ocean and onto the shoreline of Refugio State Beach. The fines were imposed following a September 2018 trial where…
Aromatic molecules: Terpenes are newest flavoring agent on the local market
Terpene scene Learn more about terpenes and what they’re all about by visiting goldenapplecannabis.com or checking out the cocktails at Sidecar at 1127 Broad St. in SLO, Eleven Twenty-Two on Railroad St. in Paso Robles, or Fish Gaucho at 1244 Park St. in Paso. A pool of chilled Ford’s Gin waits for lips to sip…
Paso Robles Police Department proposes hiring more police personnel to meet community needs
The Paso Robles Police Department is the second largest municipal police department in San Luis Obispo County, but a recent analysis recommends that the department expand by 24 officers in order to keep up with its community. In June 2018, the Paso Robles Police Department initiated strategic planning to guide the department’s planning, decision making,…
Maximum flavor
Salivate: Forage and feast under the old oaks at EarthFire Farm on May 4 from 3 to 7 p.m. to help fund The Wellness Kitchen’s recovery from a 2018 fire at the nonprofit’s facility in Templeton. Cypher Winery and Thomas Hill Organics are collaborating on a five-course wine and food pairing adventure to help the…
Nursing in another country: Eight Central Coast nurses travel to Guadalajara as part of degree program
Nurses are the glue that holds a patient’s health care journey together. They provide medications, treatments, emotional support, advice, and education to all different kinds of people in need of their services. On March 18, 14 nurses—including eight from Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center and one from Twin Cities Community Hospital—traveled to Guadalajara, Mexico, to…
Honored for deliciousness
At the recent Toast of the Coast Wine Competition in Del Mar, Sculpterra’s 2016 Héroe viognier won multiple awards, including best of the Paso Robles AVA. The wins followed other recent awards at the Rodeo Wine Contest in Houston. Héroe wines are a specialty label from Sculpterra dedicated to the unsung heroes of the wine…
Munch on lunch
Did you know that American workers spend an average of $3,000 a year on coffee and lunch at work? At least, that’s according to a survey performed by Accounting Principals in 2012. So believe it or not, you people (on average) spend about $50-plus a week on dining out, taking food to go, and bringing…
Glowing: Field of Light comes to Sensorio in Paso Robles
It’s lit Artist Bruce Munro’s Field of Light at Sensario installation will be on display and open to the public from May 19 to Jan. 5, 2020. Tickets range from $18 to $27 for general admission and from $125 to $130 for the VIP experience, which includes a picnic dinner. Visit sensoriopaso.com for tickets and…
A bogus argument
Spring has sprung in San Luis Obispo County, and glorious flowers have waltzed in to make our days happier: baby blue eyes, lupine, tidy tips, California golden poppies. In South County, however, a loathsome weed has taken root, erupting from hillsides and along highways in Grover Beach and Arroyo Grande. You can’t miss it: It…
Sound off
New Times readers took to Facebook to share their thoughts on our April 25 commentary, “They won’t work: Roundabouts are not the solution to traffic on Highway 227,” by Joseph R. Rouleau.
Master weaver blends traditions of Zapotec ancestors with life in America
On display Man of Two Worlds, featuring the art of master weaver Porfirio Gutiérrez, will be on display at the SLO Museum of Art through June 16. On June 6, Gutiérrez will give a talk at Art at High Noon in the museum. He will also demonstrate his work to the public from June 6…
A letter from Al Fonzi
Editor’s note: This letter to the editor is unedited and appears exactly as it was submitted. Typically, when opinion writers cite facts, the editorial team checks those facts through various online resources, fact-checking sites, and news outlets. If a fact or other statement is quoted in a piece set to run in our paper, we…
Best of 2019: House of Get Out
Best Weekend Getaway in SLO County Cambria Pines Lodge 2905 Burton Drive, Cambria (805) 927-4200 concierge@cambriapineslodge.com cambriapineslodge.com @cambriapineslodge facebook.com/cambriapineslodge Best Place to Get Swimwear SLO Swim 795 Higuera St., SLO M-Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. (805) 781-9604 sloswim@att.net sloswim.com @sloswim facebook.com/sloswim Best Board Shop Central Coast Surfboards 855 Marsh St., SLO M-Sat.,…
SF stand-up comedy finalists to perform in Arroyo Grande
Four finalists of the San Francisco Stand-Up Comedy Competition will perform at the Clark Center for the Performing Arts in Arroyo Grande on Saturday, May 11, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. The featured comedians are Ronn Vigh, Christina Walkinshaw, Joe Zimmerman, and “Irish Dave” Nihill, who won first place in last year’s competition. Past winners…
New Times is on the wrong side of history
Al Fonzi didn’t mention the blacks in his piece last week (“They just can’t say it,” April 25), but he should have. We all know the blacks are sneaky and thieving. Do you see all the troubles we’re having with the blacks? No, because the liberal media won’t report it! What about the Jews? The…
Best of 2019: House of Getting Hitched
Best Wedding Venue Greengate Ranch 300 Greengate Road, SLO (805) 459-9683 info@ggslo.com greengateweddings.com @ggrandv facebook.com/GreengateRanch Best Wedding Caterer Farmhouse Corner Market 1025 Farmhouse Lane, SLO (805) 465-7900 info@farmhouseslo.com farmhouseslo.com @farmhousecm facebook.com/farmhouseSLO Best Wedding Planner Embark Event Design 874 Lawrence Drive, SLO (805) 503-2625 sarah@embarkeventdesign.com embarkeventdesign.com @embarkeventdesign facebook.com/embarkeventdesign Best Place for Wedding Flowers Wilder Floral Co.…
