Cover Story
Inspiration takes flight: Paso Robles gallery showcases aerial artwork in Veterans Voices’ latest installation, Wings of Change
Outdoor exhibit Wings of Change is available for viewing anytime, day or night, outside the Deprise Brescia Art Gallery at 829 10th St., suite B, in Paso Robles. To participate in or learn more about Veterans Voices, reach out to Deprise Brescia at deprise@deprisebrescia.com. Orange, yellow, black, and green wings swing overhead, twisting in the…
Santa Barbara County health officials say Tri-Counties shouldn’t separate from Southern California
Just a few weeks ago San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties wrote a letter to the state requesting a separate Central Coast region, with the hopes that the stay-a- home order could be lifted sooner than the rest of Southern California. But the COVID-19 situation in the Tri-Counties has changed so rapidly since…
Stay-at-home order extended for SLO, Santa Barbara counties
All of Southern California—including San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties—will remain under a state stay-at-home order into the new year, as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue hitting record highs amid the holidays. On Dec. 29, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a three-week extension of his Dec. 6 order shuttering many indoor activities and business sectors,…
My first conservative take
I never thought I’d have such a conservative opinion, but here I am, just about to turn 50, and now I have one. There have been recent headlines in our local gazettes regarding unemployment fraud that only focus on fraudulent withdrawals and overlooks fraudulent applications. Every time I see an Uber driver or food delivery…
For the record
I appreciate Michael Smith’s anti-racist rebuttal (“Alive and well,” Dec. 17) to Al Fonzi’s column (“A conservative perspective,” Dec. 3). But I think it is still important to expose the single biggest lie in Fonzi’s self-pitying and thoroughly dishonest essay claiming that he never lies. Fonzi wrote, “Were this not so, Barack Obama would not…
Dan Dow should resign
I support a diversity of opinions and opportunities to learn from them. What I don’t support are people who take an oath of office and then repeatedly and intentionally fail to fulfill the requirements of their office. Sadly, despite constructive feedback from The Tribune editorial board, me, and others, Mr. Dow has continued to fail…
Correction
In the Dec. 17 letter to the editor, “Phony survey by State Parks OHV Division,” Mark Gold’s title was incorrect. The sentence should read: State Parks Director Armando Quintero and Deputy Secretary for Ocean and Coastal Policy Mark Gold promised a final draft of the Public Works Plan for the middle of December 2020. Δ
Beauty and the mess
In 2020, we saw the resilience of our communities as we met the challenges of COVID-19 with creativity and collaboration. Neighbors leaned on one another, mothers birthed life into the world in masks, organizations formed partnerships to meet the needs of the most vulnerable. Activists formed mutual aid networks, creatives brought music into our homes,…
The naughty list
San Luis Obispo County’s naughty list is a long one this year. There were too many 2020 incidents to keep track of. It was like a free-for-all out there with the COVID-19 pandemic thrown into the mix for good measure. Speaking of the pandemic, COVID-19 has definitely been a naughty little virus, and it’s resurging…
Starkey picks his top six Christmas records
I think we’re all ready to put 2020 in our rearview mirror, but we’re not there yet. If you find yourself looking for some way to inject a little cheer into what promises to be a dreary holiday, check out these albums—some classics and some newer—that are guaranteed to help you make the most out…
SLO County receives, administers first round of COVID-19 vaccines
Hospital workers and emergency responders across San Luis Obispo and Northern Santa Barbara counties got their first doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine during the week of Dec. 14. A shipment of 1,950 doses arrived at the SLO County Public Health Department on Dec. 16, and two days later, the county vaccinated its first five…
Cambria Center for the Arts seeks plein air painters for new virtual show
Starting on Jan. 2, 2021, the Cambria Center for the Arts will be accepting artwork submissions for a new virtual exhibition. The theme of the show, scheduled to premiere online on Jan. 9 and run through Feb. 28, is to showcase plein air paintings from local artists. The deadline to submit artworks will be Jan.…
Central Coast law enforcement blame an increase in crime on a rule aimed at decreasing jail populations amid COVID-19
Clarification: A previous story inaccurately stated that the Sheriff’s Office denied a Public Records Act request specifically for the data Sheriff Brown presented on Dec. 1. The Sheriff’s Office denied New Times’ request for 2020 crime statistics, stating that data won’t be available until February 2021. Reported crimes are up this year in both San Luis Obispo…
Art Center Morro Bay extends its Winter Faire to February, reschedules Flower Power exhibit
The Morro Bay Art Association recently announced the extension of one of its current exhibitions at Art Center Morro Bay, the annual Winter Faire and Juried Craft Show. The show opened on Nov. 5 and was originally scheduled to run through Jan. 4, 2021. The exhibit is now scheduled to remain on display through Feb.…
Paso Robles, Santa Maria libraries keep their communities connected to academic, online, and local resources during the pandemic
Two libraries in two distinct areas on the Central Coast have stepped up to carry on being a direct resource for all ages during a time when most facilities have had to limit or halt their services during this pandemic. The doors of the Paso Robles City Library were temporarily closed for several months, but…
Disney classic The Santa Clause is a must-see (again)
THE SANTA CLAUSE What’s it rated? PG What’s it worth, Karen? Full Price What’s it worth, Caleb? Full Price Where’s it showing? Disney Plus Editor’s note: Staff Writer Karen Garcia and Calendar Editor Caleb Wiseblood took over Split Screen while the Starkeys enjoy their holidays off. There’s always been an age-old question of how St.…
More SLO County Sheriff correctional staff, inmates test positive for COVID-19
Two more San Luis Obispo County Jail inmates and six more Sheriff’s correctional deputies recently tested positive for COVID-19, a continuation of a jail outbreak that began in early December, the Sheriff’s Office reported on Dec. 21. All those infected have been isolated, and the affected housing units are quarantined, the Sheriff’s Office stated. The…
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
What’s it rated? PG When? 1992 Where’s it showing? Disney Plus A John Hughes masterpiece, and, dare I say, better than the first, Home Alone 2: Lost In New York starts exactly as the first did. Buzz (Devin Ratray) is a jerk, Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) is misunderstood, and his entire family loses him in the…
Local restaurants work around state stay-at-home order
When California’s first COVID-19 stay-at-home order went into effect back in March, chef Nicola Allegretta, owner of Mama’s Meatball and Mistura in SLO, was happy to do whatever he could to help slow the spread. He closed his restaurants to indoor and outdoor dining, temporarily let go of some staff, and started offering robust takeout…
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
What’s it rated? PG When? 2000 Where’s it showing? Netflix Grinch me, I must be dreaming. I’ll never understand why the live-action adaptation of How the Grinch Stole Christmas got so much flack from critics back in the day (with a score of 49 percent on Rotten Tomatoes). What is there not to love? Whoville,…
Morro Bay approves second round of small business grants
The Morro Bay City Council approved a second round of grants for small businesses in the city and discussed the uncertainty surrounding its budget at a Dec. 8 special meeting. The council agreed to allocate $50,000 for the grant program, which first launched in October with $84,000. Any active Morro Bay business owner with 25…
The Grinning Bear food truck is serving up fried chicken that will make you go ‘yummm’
Find your smile Find your happy place by following The Grinning Bear on Instagram @thegrinningbearslo for menu and up-to-date info on where that food truck is parked. It’s serving up fried chicken and more at GBeatZ, Tuesdays through Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (and sometimes Sundays, too), 675 Grand Ave. in Grover Beach.…
Contractor barred from working in Pismo Beach appeals the decision in court
A Santa Maria-based engineering and contracting company is fighting a recent Pismo Beach City Council resolution that brands the company as a “non-responsible bidder” and bars it from working on city projects for the next five years. V. Lopez Jr. & Sons General Engineering Contractors Inc. filed a petition in San Luis Obispo County Superior…
Diablo is a marine life killer
Diablo Canyon Power Plant’s once-through cooling system (OTC) has finally been identified as a major killer of marine life by the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (“What lurks beneath,” Dec. 17). Before the Water Board gave PG&E a pass in 2015, San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace commissioned San Diego-based Powers Engineering to…
Evicted from its office and cabin, local families work to revive Camp Fire Central Coast
When local youth nonprofit Camp Fire Central Coast shuttered its Grover Beach office in March at the start of COVID-19, participating parents, kids, and volunteers all looked around for a plan to move forward. But it didn’t exist, and one wasn’t coming. “There was basically no plan,” said Pismo Beach resident Heather Muran, whose 11-year-old…
