Cover Story
Get out of jail, maybe: Critics fear Proposition 47 will be a danger to public safety
Consider the following scenario: A man walks into a 7-Eleven store with the intent to steal and walks out with a loaf of bread, a bottle of wine, and a bar of soap that he didn’t pay for. He gets arrested and charged with second-degree commercial burglary. It was known as a wobbler crime; it…
Ride the Reef Points wave: From their galley to your belly, this Cayucos cider company is crisp, dry, and totally killer
Owning and operating a small business is inevitably hectic. Luckily for the guys at Reef Points Hard Cider, a daily surf break is usually in order. When it comes to catching sweet waves, owners Patrick Martinez and Dane Jacobs are serious indeed: They hit the Cayucos water immediately after our seaside interview. Because when the…
New leaders emerging in Arroyo Grande
With City Council meetings coming fast and furious in Arroyo Grande recently, the city is making good on its promise to move forward after a divisive July 3 incident and subsequent fallout. The council met on Nov. 25, Dec. 1, and is slated to meet on Dec. 3 (after New Times press time) as well…
The Palm Theatre’s monthly ‘Take Two Live’ is the place to be for cinephiles!
It’s Sunday, Nov. 30, and I’m nestling into The Palm Theatre’s comfy chairs and noshing on inexpensive (a big bag for $4!) and buttery (yes, real butter!) popcorn as I await the final installment of Take Two Live for 2014—a screening of the 2006 Best Foreign Picture contender Joyeux Noel. Hosted by Palm Theatre owner…
Dead Volts play live electrifying rock’n’roll at SLO Brew on Dec. 5
Sometimes all you need are throaty vocals, ripping guitars, crashing cymbals, and two minutes to deliver ’em. That’s what rock used to be all about before over production, Auto-Tune, and matching outfits snipped rock’s stones clean off. But the Dead Volts bring the big-hanging hairies back into fashion with We Are Already Dead, a 10-song…
What’s the worst thing about Thanksgiving?
Dan Goodson nonprofit worker “Traffic on the Sunday after.” Jennifer S. judge “Relatives.” Katherine Vicory retired “There’s no worst part.” Dalieney Womack barista “Traveling. I live up in Chico—that is so far! Thanksgiving’s still my favorite holiday, though.”
Nearly 11,000 letters received regarding Nipomo rail spur project
It’s safe to say there’s been no lack of discontent over a rail spur project that would bring crude oil by rail to the Phillips 66 Santa Maria Refinery in Nipomo. That said, San Luis Obispo County Planning and Building Department’s rail spur project point man Murry Wilson was still surprised by the immense number…
Poetic Justice Project stages Commedia dell’arte play about the prison experience
It’s no secret that great comedy arises out of adverse circumstances. Injustice, divorce, the numbing boredom of airplane waiting lines—all excellent fodder for jokes. Even something as bleak as prison life has proven fruitful in the pursuit of laughter. I’m lookin’ at you Orange is the New Black and that classic, Tom Hanks prison comedy,…
New art collective The Bunker opens its doors in SLO
So, you’re in San Luis Obispo, and there’s a zombie apocalypse. What do you do? There’s the cautious, boring response—go to the basement of Ross and build an impenetrable fort out of discount, bee-shaped dish squeegees. You could, I suppose, make the responsible decision and crowd into one of the many downtown bars, so you…
Arroyo Grande-based artist Jordan Quintero displays classically inspired abstract works in new exhibit, Relics
As Ovid tells it, the affair between the Greek god Apollo and the nymph Daphne began with an insult. Apollo mocked Cupid’s arrows, so the god of desire took his revenge. He shot Apollo and Daphne with two arrows. The first, made of gold, would make Apollo fall in love with Daphne. The second, made…
Have yourself a crafty little Xmas
Shopping in your own backyard: Local crafters, food purveyors, and general DIY-ers are getting ready for the free Fair Trade Holiday Gift Extravaganza slated for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 7 at Congregation Beth David in SLO … SLO’s Claiborne & Churchill is also hosting a free Holiday Market and Open House Dec. 4,…
Cool beans: Black Horse Espresso and Bakery jumps on the cold brew coffee trend
Now that the weather is starting to reflect the holiday season, it’s usually the time when people curl up in their houses or picturesque cafes with a steaming mug of hot chocolate, tea, or coffee. But wait! Instead of drinking regular, boring old coffee, how about trying out the new sensation that’s sweeping the nation,…
Cougars & Mustangs
Wow … hard to believe it’s only about a week until Commencement at Cal Poly … How does it feel? Is it incredible? Nerve-wracking? Are you just glad to finally have it done? Well, despite not yet having graduated myself, I know that I am not overgeneralizing when I say that this a ceremony that…
With a last-minute dismissal, SLO County prosecutors closed one of the last chapters in the Doobie Dozen case
When the Doobie Dozen was arrested, District Attorney Dan Dow was about three years into his stint as a deputy district attorney in San Luis Obispo County; Sheriff Ian Parkinson was a captain with the SLO Police Department; and it was still illegal to possess marijuana for recreational use in Washington and Colorado. When the…
Correction
A recent article (‘Water rate hike approved in Nipomo,’ Nov. 27) misidentified a Nipomo resident. John Snyder is not a Nipomo Community Services District ratepayer.
Showdown approaching over proposed Las Pilitas Quarry near Santa Margarita
Since plans were initially unveiled a few years ago, the proposed Las Pilitas Quarry has been a big issue for the little town of Santa Margarita. The quarry, slated for a site off Highway 58 near the Salinas River, approximately 3 miles east of town, would supply aggregate material for roadwork, construction, landscaping, and other…
No more Picanco for Paso as city council welcomes newcomers
The Paso Robles City Council has a new mayor and two pairs of fresh legs after concluding its post-election shuffle. After recognizing outgoing Councilmember Ed Steinbeck and outgoing Mayor Duane Picanco, the council swore in newcomer Councilmember Jim Reed and Mayor Steve Martin. Martin was two years into his four-term as councilmember, leaving that seat…
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Pacific Gas & Electric get criticized in Senate hearing
An overly cozy relationship between the nuclear industry and regulators, manipulated seismic assessments, and a refusal to provide documents to Congress were among the many criticisms lobbed at Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) during a Dec. 3 hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Speaking…
SLO City Council still split on whether to override Airport Land Use Commission
The San Luis Obispo City Council has still yet to reach an agreement on how to plan for future growth in the city, with a critical vote resting in the hands of the newest and youngest member. Freshman Councilman Dan Rivoire, about four hours into his first City Council meeting on Dec. 2, asked that…
Clubs 12/4/14-12/11/14
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…
Koberl at Blue Mint Mojoto Martini and Steamer’s of Pismo Mai Tai
I forgot how much I love people watching on a Friday night in downtown SLO. My recommendation: Snag a window seat at the swanky Koberl at Blue, order up a mint mojito martini (with white rum, lime, and loads of fresh mint), and grab a few loud-mouthed friends. The result? A reason to dress up…
Doobious and delighted
Saying “I told you so” is like scratching a mosquito bite on the first day of a three-day weekend after discovering a stray bottle of beer in the back of the fridge. It’s the gift you give yourself for being smarter than everyone else. And then waiting and waiting and waiting. A really good “I…
The unhoused need our help
One of the largest roadblocks to helping the homeless get housed is that so many people dislike the homeless. This dislike ranges from merely considering the unhoused to be lazy bums to outright hatred. But let’s digress, shall we? Recently, while waiting (in the morning) for some prescriptions to get filled in SLO, I took…
It’s all smoke
Ferguson, Immigration, ISIS, Kardashian’s next baby—all distractions from the world’s greatest dilemma: climate change. Big news stories are serious issues; so is carbon pollution. A news cycle that ignores a significant cause of human suffering harms the public. Climate change demands as much attention as celebrity baby bumps! We don’t need more babies consuming the…
We have to rely on karma over sentencing
Thank you New Times “Shredder” for perfectly summing up my feelings regarding the recent sentencing of Garrett Kaplan (“Notes of hick,” Nov. 27). With barely a slap on the wrist for an act considered a “felony,” this man gets to kick back in alcohol rehab and spend a short time in jail for maliciously setting…
An Arroyo Grande post-mortem
I’ve been in the political arena for a long time, and as such, I thought I had seen it all. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The “hijacking” of the Arroyo Grande city government is not something many saw coming or thought possible. For years, smaller cities have generally been immune to the crippling effects…
