Cover Story
Best of SLO County 2021 Virtual Publication
We asked you to dust off your gloves, shine your cleats, and find the winners in our community. And you did just that in this year’s annual readers poll! You picked the most valuable role models, team players, and goal scorers out there, awarding more than 200 businesses, leaders, restaurants, and community members a championship…
Kings County weighs in on Paso police’s removal of ‘Blue Lives Matter’ flag
A neighboring county’s sheriff’s association says it’s upset about the removal of a “Blue Lives Matter” flag from the Paso Robles Public Safety Center over the May 1 weekend. In a Facebook post, the Kings County Deputy Sheriff’s Association said it was disappointed with Paso Robles Police Chief Ty Lewis’s explanation for why he took…
Carbajal introduces bill to fund safe parking programs around the country
A new bill could help local cities launch and operate safe parking programs for the homeless, programs similar to those that have popped up throughout San Luis Obispo County since the pandemic’s start. At a press conference in Santa Barbara on May 3, U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) introduced the Naomi Schwartz Safe Parking…
Without Remorse is a standard issue revenge action flick
WITHOUT REMORSE What’s it rated? R When? 2021 Where’s it showing? Amazon Prime What’s it worth, Anna? Stream it What’s it worth, Glen? Stream it Stefano Sollima directs this screenplay by Taylor Sheridan and Will Staples based on the Tom Clancy novel of the same name. In Syria, Navy SEAL John Clark (Michael B. Jordan)…
The Last Blockbuster
What’s it rated? TV-14 When? 2020 Where’s it showing? Netflix Taylor Morden directs this documentary about the last remaining Blockbuster Video store, located in Bend, Oregon. Anyone who grew up in the heyday of Blockbuster Video can close their eyes and smell what that experience was—a mix of plastic cases, cheap carpet, and stale popcorn…
Led Zeppelin tribute band Led Zepagain plays BarrelHouse Brewing on May 13
How do I love thee, Led Zeppelin? Let me count the ways: Dread Zeppelin, Lez Zeppelin, Zepparella, Kashmir, Get The Led Out, Zoso, Led Blimpie, No Quarter, Led Zeppelin 2, Zeppelin Complete, Led Zepplica. There are some great Zep tribute bands in there, some who have come and gone, but one is about to celebrate…
Hemingway
What’s it rated? TV-14 When? 2021 Where’s it showing? PBS Ken Burns and Lynn Novick direct this three-part PBS series on one of America’s most famous writers, Ernest Hemingway, author of classics such as The Sun Also Rises, For Whom the Bell Tolls, A Farewell to Arms, and The Old Man and the Sea. Narrated…
LA-based pop-up Vuture Food brings its famed vegan ‘junk food’ to San Luis Obispo
When you think about vegan food, you probably don’t imagine the kind of carb-loaded fast food you’d crave after a night out at the bars with your friends. The kind that’s greasy and juicy and bad for you in all the best ways. But at Vuture Food, a Los Angeles-based pop-up restaurant that prides itself…
Best of SLO County 2021: Getting Goods
Best Grocery Store California Fresh Market 555 Five Cities Drive, Pismo Beach 771 E. Foothill Blvd., SLO (805) 250-1425 socialmedia@californiafreshmarket.com californiafreshmarket.com @californiafreshmarkets facebook.com/CaliforniaFreshMarkets Best Farmers’ Market SLO Downtown Farmers’ Market Higuera Street, SLO (805) 541-0286 farmers@downtownslo.com downtownslo.com @downtownslofarmersmarket San Luis Obispo County’s favorite weekly farmers’ market is finally back after disappearing for more than a…
Three Lucia Mar board members face recall threat
If you ask SLO County resident and mother Shannon Galvan for her thoughts on distance learning and its impact on her kids, she won’t mince words. “People should be outraged,” she said. “They’ve learned nothing for the past year.” Galvan’s kids are both juniors at Arroyo Grande High School, and, like students statewide, they’ve spent…
SLO County to revert to ‘traditional’ election model following supervisor vote
San Luis Obispo County is ditching the election model it used for last November’s presidential election amid COVID-19 and reverting to its old model going forward, following a contentious, late-hour 3-2 vote by the Board of Supervisors on May 4. The decision—which came at 11:30 p.m. after nearly four hours of public comment—means that polling…
Music journalist Aaron Carnes lays out the case for ska music
Type “criticism of ska music” into Google and you’ll likely come across webpages such as “10 Things You Hate About Ska” or “Everyone Hates Ska.” Of course, it’s not true. Tons of people love the relentless upbeat nature of ska, yet it’s a very divisive genre. Enter In Defense of Ska, a new book by…
Reality check
In “Translation Equation” (April 22), we were treated to a quotation from Paso Robles Joint Unified School District Board Member Chris Arend: “The rule is when you address the board … you can address the board in English. You do not address the board in Spanish, which none of us understand.” Let’s unpack that. According…
Paso superintendent responds to ‘confusion’ about Georgia Brown elementary school
More than 10 parents and community members opposed a potential closure of Georgia Brown Elementary School during the public comment period of the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District’s April 27 board meeting. The superintendent said the district hasn’t made a decision about closing the school. Paso resident Elena Garcia spoke during public comment about…
Cunningham needs to go
Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham (R-San Luis Obispo) did not take COVID-19 seriously until he had to. While his office should get credit for helping residents secure their unemployment benefits during the pandemic, Cunningham called for a reopening of our county in April, just one month into the pandemic. When other cities and counties reopened throughout the…
Supervisors oppose water district applications
The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors sent a letter to the California Water Resources Control Board on May 4 formally opposing the Shandon-San Juan Water District’s (SSJWD) two recent applications for water from Lake Nacimiento and Santa Margarita Lake—a move that puts two partners on the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin at odds with…
Cunningham should focus on his full-time job
It’s interesting to see Mr. Cunningham respond (“Achieving sound public policy,” April 15) to a New Times commentary (“Something to remember,” April 8). In addition to being a full-time state legislator, gym lawyer, parent, and husband he is now newspaper commentator? It wouldn’t take a genius to notice that someone is getting the short end…
Cal Poly SQE continues to push for divestment from police
A local student coalition is celebrating commitments on Cal Poly’s part to provide resource centers for students of color and additional advocates for students who have experienced sexual violence. But Cal Poly isn’t budging on the group’s demands to disarm and divest from the campus police. Alejandro Bupara is a member of Cal Poly Students…
Best of SLO County 2021: About Town
Best New Company of 2020 Megan’s Organic Market 280 Higuera St., SLO (805) 592-1420 hello@megansslo.com megansorganicmarket.com @megansslo facebook.com/megansslo Best Radio Station KCBX 4100 Vachell Lane, SLO (805) 549-8855 interact@kcbx.org kcbx.org @kcbxfm facebook.com/kcbxfm Best News Source KSBY 1772 Calle Joaquin, SLO (805) 541-6666 news@ksby.com ksby.com @ksbynews facebook.com/ksbynews Best Cleaning Service Pioneer Carpet Cleaners 1376 Phillips Lane,…
Ropeless gear bill gets put on hold
The legislative push for ropeless gear in the Dungeness crab fishing industry is taking a pause after the Assembly bill’s author was sworn in as California’s 34th attorney general. Introduced on Feb. 10, Assembly Bill 534—the Whale Entanglement Prevention Act—proposed mandating ropeless gear for trap fisheries such as the crabbing industry. Authored by Assemblymember Rob…
The greatest threat to democracy
I had to read Al Fonzi’s piece (“A republic in peril,” April 22) twice to ensure that I had not missed something. Unfortunately, I hadn’t. It appears to me that Al spends a lot of time listening to Fox News. I prefer to watch “NewsMix” with its four channels, including Fox News, to hear the…
SLO County faces accelerated and daunting redistricting task amid census delays, 2022 election changes
Delays in the 2020 census are spilling into the nationwide redistricting process, which in turn is creating a time crunch for the 2022 elections. The U.S.’s once-a-decade population survey, typically released to the states sometime between March and May the year after it’s conducted, isn’t expected to be ready this year until October, thanks to…
Best of SLO County 2021: Lifestyle
Best Hair Salon Indie Salon 1231 E. Grand Ave., suite 103, Arroyo Grande (805) 202-8992 indiesalon@mail.com indie-salon.com @indie.salon facebook.com/Indiesaloninc Best Barber Shop The Ritual 787 Higuera St., SLO (805) 596-0360 theritual805.com @theritual805 Best Nail Salon @Nails 1519 Froom Ranch Way, SLO (805) 543-2268 business@atnails.com atnails.com @Nails facebook.com/nailsalons Best Lash Bar OATS 630 High St., SLO…
Fair trade committee hopes SLO City Council proclamation spurs SLO consumers to be more intentional about their purchases
World Fair Trade Day Celebrate World Fair Trade Day on May 8 by purchasing from a number of SLO city retailers who sell fair trade products, including the SLO Food Co-op, HumanKind, the SLO Yoga Center, Mama Ganache Artisan Chocolates, Trader Joe’s, and more. As Cal Poly business administration student Grace Burnite entered her first…
Best of SLO County 2021: Eats
Best North County Restaurant Fish Gaucho 1244 Park St., Paso Robles (805) 239-3333 info@fishgaucho.com fishgaucho.com @fishgaucho facebook.com/FishGaucho Best North Coast Restaurant Rose’s Landing Bar & Grill 725 EMBARCADERO, MORRO BAY (805) 772-4441 roseslandingbarandgrill.com @rosesbarandgrill facebook.com/RosesMorroBay Best San Luis Obispo Restaurant Novo Restaurant & Lounge 726 Higuera St., SLO (805) 543-3986 info@novorestaurant.com novorestaurant.com @novorestaurant facebook.com/NovoRestaurant Best…
Morro Bay in Bloom beautifies the Embarcadero, one flower at a time
One of the first areas that Morro Bay in Bloom adopted was along the Embarcadero waterfront, where volunteers planted red geraniums about four years ago. Recently the geraniums were looking a little sad, founder Walter Heath said. “Really it was a result of being in lockdown for 90 days so they weren’t getting enough water…
Best of SLO County 2021: Get Out
Best Bike Trail Bob Jones Trail Avila Beach (805) 544-9096 lcslo.org @landconservancyslo facebook.com/The-Land-Conservancy-of-San-Luis-Obispo-County-98093522918 Best Bike Shop Art’s Cyclery 3988 Short St., No. 110, SLO (805) 439-3915 artscyclery@gmail.com artscyclery.com @artscyclery facebook.com/ArtsCyclery Best Bike Rental Foothill Cyclery 767 E. Foothill Blvd., suite B, SLO (805) 541-4101 sales@foothillcyclery.com foothillcyclery.com @foothillcyclery facebook.com/foothillcyclery Best Hike Bishop Peak Patricia Drive, SLO…
Best of SLO County 2021: Art Scene
Best Community Event (city specific) SLO Downtown Farmers’ Market Higuera Street, SLO (805) 541-0286 farmers@downtownslo.com downtownslo.com @downtownslofarmersmarket Best Movie Theater Palm Theatre 817 Palm St., SLO (805) 541-5161 palmcinema@aol.com thepalmtheatre.com @palmtheatre facebook.com/ThePalmTheatre/?rf=1413260802299962 In a world of strip mall multiplexes, the Palm Theatre stands out. It’s a theater that strives to fill your mind, not just…
SLO Library and Chula Vista Public Library co-host virtual talk with author Jason Reynolds
On Wednesday, May 26, the San Luis Obispo Library and Chula Vista Public Library will co-host a virtual Q-and-A discussion with New York Times best-selling author Jason Reynolds, as part of the 2021 Book to Action program. The livestream will start at 6 p.m. and is expected to be an hour long. Reynolds will be…
Best of SLO County 2021: Getting Hitched
Best Wedding Venue The Cliffs Hotel & Spa 2757 Shell Beach Road, Pismo Beach (805) 773-5000 info@cliffshotelandspa.com cliffshotelandspa.com @thecliffshotelandspa facebook.com/thecliffshotelandspa Best Wedding Planner Embark Event Design 1842 Pinecove Drive, SLO (805) 503-2625 sarah@embarkeventdesign.com embarkeventdesign.com @embarkeventdesign facebook.com/embarkeventdesign Best Place to Buy a Wedding Ring Baxter Moerman 1128 Garden St., SLO (805) 801-9117 info@baxtermoerman.com baxtermoerman.com @baxtermoerman facebook.com/baxtermoerman…
Economic Darwinism
The drama of the GameStop stock bubble has provided an interesting study in herd behavior, and a demonstration of one reason that there will always be both rich and poor people. Some background: GameStop is a national brick-and-mortar video game retailer struggling in competition with online sellers, whose stock was trading in a relatively low…
Vicky Hoffman hosts sketchbooking workshop at Marie Ramey Fine Art
On Saturday, May 15, Maria Ramey Fine Art in Atascadero presents For Your Eyes Only: Sketchbook Freedom, a sketchbooking workshop led by local artist and art instructor Vicky Hoffman, from 1 to 4 p.m. Attendees are required to wear masks during this class. Admission is $50, which includes all supplies needed to complete the workshop.…
Best of SLO County 2021: Community Watch
Best Public Official Heidi Harmon 990 Palm St., SLO (805) 540-4137 hharmon@slocity.org heidiharmon.org Best Use of Taxpayers’ Money Road Repair 976 Osos St., room 206, SLO (805) 781-5252 publicworks@co.slo.ca.us slocounty.ca.gov facebook.com/SLOCountyGov Best Nonprofit Woods Humane Society 875 Oklahoma Ave., SLO 2300 Ramona Road, Atascadero (805) 543-9316 adoptions@woodshumanesociety.org woodshumanesociety.org @woodshumanesociety facebook.com/WoodsHumaneSociety Best Environmental Watchdog ECOSLO 2830…
Best of SLO County 2021: Drinks
Best North County Bar Pine Street Saloon 1234 Pine St., Paso Robles (805) 238-1114 pinestreetsaloon@gmail.com pinestreetsaloon.com @pinestsaloon facebook.com/pinestreetsaloon/?ref=br_rs Best North Coast Bar The Siren 900 Main St., Morro Bay (805) 225-1312 info@thesirenmorrobay.com thesirenmorrobay.com @thesirenmorrobay facebook.com/thesirenmorrobay Best San Luis Obispo Bar Sidecar Cocktail Co. 1040 Broad St., SLO (805) 439-3563 info@sidecarslo.com sidecarslo.com @sidecar_slo facebook.com/sidecarslo Best South…
Santa Maria calendar photography contest open to SLO and SB County residents
The Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department is currently accepting entries into its 2022 Calendar Photo Contest. The deadline to submit is May 31. San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara County residents are welcome to participate, but the department will only accept photos that were taken at one of Santa Maria’s 28 city parks or…
Lingering stench
We’re emerging from the pandemic, the economy is rebounding, our president speaks in complete and cogent sentences—things are looking up, right? Well, not for conservatives, who seems unable to let go of vaccination conspiracies and false claims of voter fraud. On May 4, during the SLO County Board of Supervisors meeting, independent “journalist” the SLO…
