Cover Story
Was 2014 the NIMBYist year ever?
As Americans, we like stuff, but we like stuff more when it’s somewhere else. In many ways, NIMBYism just may be one of our most significant public policy motivators. So if you felt like there were a lot of issues in 2014 that drew in the NIMBYs, you were right. The past 12 months saw…
What do you want for Christmas?
Olivia and Thomas ages 4 and 2 “Frozen markers.” Zev (with his little brother) age 3 “Duplo.” Olivia age 3 1/2 “How To Train Your Dragon legos and a toy motorcycle.” Santa ageless being “No snow on Christmas.”
Zongo All-Stars hosts their annual New Year’s Eve Ball Dec. 31 at the Los Osos Community Center
Goodbye, 2014! You really zipped by! I guess we’ll have one more night to party before you’re gone for good. New Year’s Eve—such an amazing night, too! It’s, like, the only night of the year you can wear body glitter without being mistaken for an exotic dancer. It’s one of those nights where people get…
The harrowing tale of roasting a whole pig underground!
My friend George Griffin is part caveman. When one of his chickens stops laying, he kills and eats it. This year for Winterberry, an annual Winter Solstice party, which is a tradition among George and his large group of friends with a revolving series of hosts from year to year, George—this year’s host with his…
A year in the arts and in the eyes of three arts editors
The best things come in threes—Lord of the Rings movies, Destiny’s Child, helpings of Madonna Inn cake. I think I’ve made my point. You see, typically, when the time comes for New Times to gather ’round the roaring fireplace with a musty pipe in one hand, a slice of pizza in the other, and recall…
Clubs 12/25/14-1/1/15
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…
Whiskey and June’s Eggnog and Madonna Inn’s Hot Chocolate
I recently attended the swankiest holiday soirée on the planet thanks to a host of stylish and strange friends. Although I arrived only an hour after the starting bell, the fabulous eggnog was nearly slurped up. Yes, it was that amazingly good! Of course, there were lots of other incredible local things to drink, but…
‘Tis the season
Get off the couch: Restaurant Month is back this Jan. 2, with more than 40 eateries on the bill spanning the county. That means you enjoy prix-fixe menus, including two-to-four courses of grub, ranging $30-$45 per person and—new this year—you can also jump on “Go Local Wine Deals” when you visit SLO and Paso Robles…
Paso meets Peru: Mama’s Meatball’s Nicola Allegretta brings Mistura to River Oaks
A meal at Mistura doesn’t just promise a little taste of Peruvian cuisine. The Paso Robles restaurant is immersive, beckoning you to wade deep into the lush flavors and vibrant spices of the biodiverse country. Hand-painted Peruvian good luck bulls, colorful ceremonial masks, even the hardware on the rustic wooden menu boards invite diners to…
Get your camp on: Under Canvas Events has a tent for every occasion
You love the idea of camping, but the prospect of sleeping on a cold, dirt floor holds no appeal. You yearn for an outdoor wedding but don’t want to risk interference from the weather. Your favorite episode of the Gilmore Girls is the Life and Death Brigade’s infamous glamping stunt. Or maybe you just really…
Cougars & Mustangs
Deep in the embrace of the winter solstice, white noise fills the very air inside the skull and around the body. From the softest, quietest, deepest breaths with your head on the shoulder of a loved one to the hushed secrets you must tackle without that touch, even calm and comfort lead to the uncertainty…
Give what you got: CAPSLO has donation and volunteer opportunities during the holiday break
Got time or supplies to give? The Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo (CAPSLO) will take it. Both the Prado Day Center and Maxine Lewis Memorial Shelter will accept donations through the holidays. At Prado, bring donations before 4 p.m. of cold cereal; milk; individual oatmeal packets; fruit and fruit juice; and travel-size shampoo,…
Twin Cities Community Hospital docked for hospital-acquired condition occurrences
Twin Cities Community Hospital may be treating itself for a slight black eye during 2015. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) released a list on Dec. 18 that placed the Templeton-based hospital in the worst 10th percentile of an assessment measuring hospital-acquired conditions. The assessment is part of the hospital-acquired condition reduction program, mandated…
Goats are green-lighted in Pismo Beach
After a nearly yearlong campaign for city permission to legally house and walk his three pet goats, Pismo Beach resident Dana McGregor (along with his goats Goatee, Pismo, and Grover) has succeeded at long last. At the Dec. 16 meeting of the Pismo Beach City Council, the council voted 4-1 to approve a request for…
Labor judge rules that Phillips 66 news media policy violates the law
In late 2012, amid labor negotiations between management and employees at the Phillips 66 refinery in Nipomo, the company emailed a news media policy to employees prohibiting them from speaking to reporters. But, on Nov. 25, a National Labor Relations Board administrative law judge found that the policy violated federal labor laws. The ruling is…
Newsflash: 2015 will suck, too
I’m continuing my annual tradition of predictions for next year, so in a year’s time I’ll either get to tell you all I told you so or, more likely, forget everything I said and repeat it in another set of predictions for 2016. So here are the things that are probably going to happen next…
