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Countdown: The top ten stories that defined 2016 for SLO County
We know. You’re happy 2016 is over. It was a train wreck in general, although we’re glad there wasn’t an actual railroad accident that blew up an oil train in SLO County (some people are definitely worried that could happen). Donald Trump will be our president next year (as one New Times reader put it:…
What is your New Year’s resolution?
Chris Delgado manager and bartender “To create more artwork, because I want to be more expressive.” Austin Gerety Cal Poly grad “I want to move to a different state because I want to have a different experience and get out of the California bubble.” John-o Roberts Cuesta College student “Date less models and cry less…
Clink a drink
Feeling lucky, punk? You could win tickets to Blendfest on the Coast coming up Jan. 13 to 15 featuring more than 30 unique local blended wines at Cambria Pines Lodge! Enter before Jan. 9 by following @highway1route on Instagram and follow the contest rules … Cocktail hour is back, baby. Stop by The Hatch in…
Baileyana’s 2014 Firepeak Pinot Noir and Libertine Brewing Co.’s Stocking Stuffer
Baby it’s cold outside—and that’s perfect for Edna Valley pinot noir! Did you know that Edna Valley, located about 6 miles from the ocean, is actually the coolest growing region in all of California? This means pinot noir grapes achieve optimum maturity while retaining complex and intense flavors. Pour this wine—laced with bright Bing cherry…
Savor more flavor in 2017: How to binge on less junk, enjoy more good
Other people’s “healthy” holiday resolutions always tend to bum me out. A good friend wants to lose 10 pounds in 10 days or a well-meaning relative wants to “quit carbs” for some vague reason. I’m all for making healthy decisions with the help of a trusted health professional, but can we just get some perspective…
Orchestra Novo will play a live score to the Dec. 31 screening of beloved classic ‘The Wizard of Oz’ at the PACSLO
When’s the last time you saw MGM’s 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz on the big screen? If you’re like me, never! Yes, I’ve seen it on TV dozens of times, but never in a big auditorium. Now, let’s up the ante. How’d you like to see it on the Performing Arts Center’s massive screen…
Down the Yellow Brick Road: Celebrate NYE with ‘The Wizard of Oz’
Finish out 2016 in style with a visit to see the Wizard! Orchestra Novo presents an evening watching the classic movie The Wizard of Oz accompanied by a full symphony orchestra playing entirely new transcriptions of Harold Arlen’s brilliant lost scores, along with Judy Garland’s original 1939 studio recordings, on Dec. 31 at 7:30 p.m.…
Clubs 12/29/16 – 1/5/16
Goin’ South THE CLIFFS RESORT: 2757 Shell Beach Rd., Shell Beach, 773-5000, cliffsresort.com. FIGUEROA MOUNTAIN BREWING CO.: Singer/Songwriter Night every Wed. from 7:30-10pm. 1462 E. Grand Ave., Arroyo Grande, 474-8525, figmtnbrew.com. 12/30: Michael D. Keeney from 8:30-11pm; 12/31: Ghost from 9:30-11pm. HARRY’S NIGHT CLUB AND BEACH BAR: Cypress and Pomeroy, downtown Pismo Beach, 773-1010. Thurs.:…
Blast from the Past: The White Seal
When? 1975 | What’s it rated? NR | Where’s it available? DVD. Based on a story from Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, The White Seal is a 24-minute short by animator Chuck Jones, which originally aired on CBS in 1975. Narrated by Roddy McDowell, the film tells the story of Kotick the seal (McDowell), who,…
Make your own zen: Mala beads and their use are focus of Atascadero workshop
Learn the art and logic behind mala beads, a sacred part of any yoga practice, at a Mala Making and Meditation Workshop on Jan. 7 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Grateful Spirit Yoga in Atascadero hosts the event. Learn why 108 beads are required for a mala necklace, along with the history and traditions…
Art is my religion: St. Stephen’s celebrates 150th anniversary with art exhibit
Embrace all things spiritual and artistic while celebrating St. Stephen’s 150th anniversary. The San Luis Obispo-based church will host a celebration of visual arts on Jan. 6 as part of Art After Dark from 6 to 9 p.m. and continues onto Jan. 7 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event will feature painting with…
Run run Rudolph: Last-minute holiday shopping for that perfect gift
Deadlines are a good thing. It is a universal truth that, as a reporter, I see in action on a daily basis. A deadline can turn even the most hardcore procrastinator into a temporary whirlwind of productivity. The principle seems to work the same way when it comes to buying gifts during the holiday season.…
Stories from my husband: ‘Idiot Out Wandering Around’ chronicles a full life
Coming back from the dead. Accidentally going AWOL in the Army. Losing a father at age 11. Challenging a violent motorcycle gang with a gun. Story after story from Jenifer Rescola’s husband, Terry Rescola, had her jaw dropping time and time again, so she decided one day that she would write his stories down. The…
The business of art: Cuesta College offers art gallery class
Art goes up and art come down. Such is the cycle at a gallery, at least to the layman. The nitty gritty of booking an artist, shipping their work, and arranging said work is far more complicated than that, as Cuesta College professor Michelle Craig knows. “They’re making a visual argument like writers are crafting…
Crunching numbers: Local professors contribute to Statistics in Schools curriculum
The world is full of questions that can be solved by doing a little research and balancing out the odds. Now the odds are usually in the form of data—and that type of problem solving is getting more recognition in the classroom. The U.S. Census Bureau worked in collaboration with teachers and content creators nationwide…
Local reps write to state for water and housing fixes
Paso Robles has high hopes for two projects that could bring much-needed solutions to some of the city’s most pressing issues. But both projects, one a facility to produce recycled water for the community and the other to turn a former juvenile correctional facility into a transitional housing complex, require action from the state to…
Erik Howell cleared of FPPC violation allegations
As former SLO City Mayor Jan Marx and one of her advisors face a new dispute over campaign donations, state investigators have closed the book on another political controversy that originated in nearby Pismo Beach. State investigators with the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) recently cleared California Coastal Commissioner and Pismo Beach City Councilman Erik…
Nipomo CSD continues to weigh water restrictions
The Nipomo Community Services District’s board of directors is continuing to mull whether to enact additional water restrictions that could impact service to ongoing construction projects in the area. The board didn’t take any formal action at its Dec. 14 meeting, but it received a report on the status of its intent-to-serve letters for water…
Trump’s attorney general pick could harsh Pismo’s buzz
All politics is local, and that certainly seemed to be the case for the city of Pismo Beach when it comes to discussing the legalization of recreational marijuana in California. During a Dec. 20 debate about whether to extend an emergency ban on the outdoor cultivation, sales, and other recreational marijuana-related activities in the city,…
SLO County’s tree ordinance narrows to oak clear-cutting
When neighbors to Justin Vineyards and Winery caught the conglomerate clear-cutting hundreds of acres of oak woodlands west of Paso Robles in June, they also revealed that San Luis Obispo County had little on the books to make the act illegal. A new draft ordinance released by the county last month could change that. The…
A New Year’s resolution: Exercise your constitutional rights
The U.S. political system is letting itself go. After generations of hard fought expansions toward political equality through the 14th, 15th, and 19th Amendments, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and numerous landmark Supreme Court decisions, we are now backsliding into the dark waters of dysfunctional institutions, institutions that are supposed to safeguard the most…
Morons, I salute thee!
What a year, SLO County! There was no shortage of political shenanigans, stupidity, and slime in 2016. Our intrepid news team has already recapped the 10 biggest stories of the year, but aside from the usual suspects—the county supes, various city officials, and NIMBY gadflies du jour—a few otherwise private citizens set themselves up for…
