Cover Story
Fight of the concourse: San Luis Obispo’s land-use update turned into a three-year battle with the Airport Land Use Commission. Now what?
View a slideshow of the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport by staff photographer Kaori Funahashi. Bill Borgsmiller casually fiddled with a few instruments on the dashboard of his 1971 twin-prop Cessna 310, and the plane lurched forward slightly as the engines slowed to an idle. An alarm began to buzz in the small cabin…
SLOMA sees double with biennial photography exhibit, Reflections
Things are looking topsy-turvy over at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art. There, you can see buildings swerve and mountains bend like a piece of taffy in the heat. You can witness a tree float upside down and a clock behind the veil of a glass of water. No, this isn’t the work of…
You must Whipette: New Times’ executive editor teams up with other writers to sing some rock’n’roll
When I volunteered to be a backup singer for the band Risky Whippet’s annual holiday show, I was told that I would need to learn the lyrics for the Who’s “Christmas.” I immediately began brushing up on the Grinch soundtrack, trying to parse the inscrutable lyrics those happy residents of Whoville sing despite the green…
What do you consider to be affordable housing?
Kari Ballestreros makeup artist “For renting, anything under $1,000 a month.” Kathleen Lawrence unemployed “For renting, I’d say about $2,800.” Tim Nalty retired “$650 a month for renting.” Richard St. Cyr inspector “For a median home price, I’d say $300,000.”
Ice, ice baby: The Winter Wonder SLO Jiffy Lube ice-skating rink returns
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Again. When the seasonal Diet Coke cans arrive, Christmas specials are playing on every single channel, and family bonding time is taken to the next, unavoidable level. So instead of going with the old celebratory standbys, like ugly sweater parties, or the inevitably awkward family dinner, why…
Bust out your favorite hits–it’s time for SLO Brew’s Karaoke Contest
Everyone’s got one. You know, that one song you love to belt out like Mariah Carey. You sing it in the shower, in the car, and while walking through various parking structures. Maybe you sing it like a boss, or maybe you sing it so out of tune it is unrecognizable to passersby. Who cares.…
Cambria’s Pewter Plough Playhouse presents original, Duke Ellington-themed musical, ‘Duke’s Place’
Ralph Ellison once dubbed Duke Ellington “our greatest composer.” Indeed, with a career that spanned more than 50 years and a catalog of songs that have since become American standards, Ellington is up there with Louis Armstrong, George Gershwin, and whoever wrote “Mambo No. 5.” His music is timeless, and you can enjoy it up…
Paso Robles Youth Arts Foundation stages ‘A Christmas Carol’
Christmas isn’t complete without the following few things: hot chocolate, a copious amount of gifts, at least one viewing of Jingle All the Way, and Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol. This December, the Paso Robles Youth Arts Foundation will have at least one of these. That’s right! They’ve adapted Jingle All the Way into a…
SLO Little Theatre stages David Sedaris’ ‘Santaland Diaries’
The holidays can be a sad and lonely time. It’s cold, it’s wet, and those damn Kay Jewelers commercials won’t stop. “Every kiss begins with Kay.” When will their cruel monopoly over romance end? When Judy Garland sings, “we’ll have to muddle through somehow” in “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” truer words have never…
Clubs 12/18/14-12/25/14
Goin’ South … THE CLIFFS RESORT: 2757 Shell Beach Road, 773-5000 or cliffsresort.com. CUVEE BISTRO AND CHAMPAGNE BAR: 550 1st St., Avila Beach, 595-2245. Live music Thurs. and Sat. 6-9pm. F. MCLINTOCKS SALOON: Two locations: 750 Mattie Road in Pismo Beach and 133 Bridge St. in Arroyo Grande. 773-1892 or mclintocks.com. Live music at the…
Einhorn der hopfenhammer German IPA and Rolph Family Vineyards’ Grapes of Rolph 2010 Grenache
Like a warm sweater passed down from your grandfather, this is the local beer you want to have on-hand during those chilly December nights. Einhorn’s amber-hued German style rye IPA exudes a big rye aroma laced with floral hops, and if you are like me, you will be compelled to sniff the heck out of…
Stocking Stuffers
For the boozehound: Moonshine (well—the legal kind) has become one of the hottest new cocktail ingredients as of late, and the new book, Moonshine Nation by Mark Spivak has married the history of the hooch with old timey and modern recipes for the perfect home-bartender gift (Lyons Press; available at most book retailers) … Huckleberry…
Baywood Ale House: Where the craft beer is cold and most people know your name
If your iPhone buzzes and Baywood Ale House Owner Chad Carroll is on the other line, congrats. Chances are, he’s about to tell you he’s got a numbered mug with your name all over it, and the long wait is over. “I did a happy dance when I got the call,” said Baywood resident Bill…
Cougars & Mustangs
WHAP! A little bundle of some cold substance assaults your face with a chill, blinding you. You hear children and/or columnists giggle mischievously in the distance. With sudden horror you cry, “BUT WHAT ABOUT WINE COUNTRY? WE CAN’T TAKE SNOW HERE!” but then you get a good whiff of the substance and realize it’s just…
San Luis Coastal Unified School District replaces the letter grading system with a standards-based one
School: You love it, hate it, or feel ambivalent toward it. But there’s no escaping its far-reaching grasp. Just suck it up and quietly learn your reading, writing, and arithmetic, kiddos. But has the quest for that all-important “A” pushed learning aside in favor of simply succeeding? At least one school district thinks so. This…
Rock fight, round 1: Planning commission holds first round of hearings on proposed quarry near Santa Margarita
A stone’s throw in any direction in the tight-knit community of Santa Margarita can stir up a flurry of opinions, especially when it comes to tough questions about property rights. Residents are currently watching a land-use drama unfold in front of county officials, who are considering a proposed rock quarry in the area. The San…
Abortion protest in SLO ruffles feathers
A heated dispute between a pro-life protester and parishioners of First Presbyterian Church in San Luis Obispo ended with police involvement and multiple citations issued on Dec. 14. However, after initially citing protester and Paso Robles resident Danny Ehinger for two municipal code violations on Dec. 14 and sticking by the decision in a conversation…
A proposed Grover Beach ordinance aims to curb panhandling
Following a significant uptick in aggressive panhandling during the past two years, the Grover Beach City Council is weighing whether to adopt an ordinance that would prohibit aggressive solicitation within the city. During the council’s Dec. 15 meeting, the proposed ordinance—drafted by Police Chief Jim Copsey and City Attorney Martin Koczanowicz—was introduced and read for…
Paso Robles grants oak tree removal permits for the Discovery Gardens project
An elaborately designed outdoor-garden-themed park planned for a plot of land in east Paso Robles has inched forward with one more crucial permit approval from the city. But before any construction begins on the park, dubbed Discovery Gardens, several clusters of oak trees must be removed. While the idea that the installation of a garden-themed…
Talking points: Friends of the Earth alleges PG&E and NRC coordinated to spin positive messages about Diablo Canyon
An environmental group has alleged that members of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) collaborated with Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) to spin positive information about the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant. Friends of the Earth—a group that’s also petitioned to have Diablo Canyon shut down over seismic issues—said in a Dec. 16 press release that…
Dear Santa
I’m obviously going to tell you that I’ve been good this year, even though the concept that you’re either naughty or nice is obviously a gross oversimplification of human behavior—not to mention totally subjective. Judging by the mail I get each week, there’s a pretty solid segment of the population that would like nothing better…
Bailing on nuclear will hasten catastrophic climate change
The Rochelle Becker commentary on Diablo (“Don’t count on Diablo,” Dec. 11) is unbelievably myopic. You don’t mention climate collapse! Focusing on earthquake danger to a nuclear plant has to be weighed against other risks. In this case, the plant makes carbon-free and inexpensive energy for 2 MILLION homes in California, which would be mostly…
Here’s to hoping for quality Atascadero elections into the future
Regarding the recent Atascadero election: Congratulations to the incumbent City Council members who were re-elected. You have a daunting task ahead of you. The $7.5 million debacle at Del Rio needs to be renegotiated with all parties. The fix must not drain our city’s finances. Stimulating development of Colony Square, the Hoff property, and creating…
Local birds have a right to be
The guns of late autumn and early winter near Morro Bay National Estuary disturb the sense of peace and serenity of those of us who may be more sensitive to the incongruity of anyone being allowed to discharge weapons under the guise of hunting anywhere near an area where scores of species come for protective…
The law is there to be followed or changed via proper channels
It seems that lately some people have taken it upon themselves to be judge and jury in some recent incidents. From their comments, it looks like they somehow can’t read the facts and use common sense, but just jump in with their emotions. The law is just that: the law. If it needs to be…
Hold onto this ocean of a chance
It’s the conservation opportunity of a lifetime for the Central Coast–a proposal to create a new National Marine Sanctuary to safeguard San Luis Obispo County’s wild and wonderful ocean ecosystem. A new National Marine Sanctuary would also provide long-term support for commercial fishing and recreational tourism, as well as an opportunity for our community to…
