Cover Story
Journey to wellness: SLO family turns tragedy into movement to address teen stress and mental health issues
While they grieved, Ana and Patrick O’Sullivan found out that they weren’t alone. In the wake of their son Tomas’ tragic suicide in 2016, Ana and Patrick talked to parents in the San Luis Obispo High School community who reached out to them to offer more than just condolences. They shared their own experiences with…
She’s no doormat
Before Heidi Harmon was a mayor, she was an activist. As mayor, she’s continued to fight for the same values: our civil rights, the safety of our children, and the vital need to address climate change now. She’s a leader who encourages community participation and listens in a way that few do. She encourages kindness,…
Arroyo Grande Council to disband traffic, parks, and historical resource commissions
In a significant departure from past practices, the city of Arroyo Grande will disband three of its citizen advisory bodies, drawing criticism from the volunteers who serve on them. The City Council voted 3-1 at an Aug. 14 meeting to move forward with an ordinance to dissolve the city’s Traffic Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission,…
New columnist?
Oh my! My prayers have been answered! Many times have I drafted a letter in response to the hyperbolic, inane, non-factual rants of the frequent contributor Al Fonzi, but none have been as well crafted, intelligent and elegantly written as Erik Huber’s “Historical narrative” (Aug. 9). Here, here Erik! Well said! Maybe you should get…
SLO Planning Commission opposes latest version of Anholm bikeway
A stalled plan to put a bike boulevard through a San Luis Obispo neighborhood continues to flummox city leaders and anger residents. SLO Planning Commissioners opposed yet another iteration of the more than 2-year-old Anholm Bikeway Plan on Aug. 14, unanimously voting against sending support to the City Council for a proposal that would redistribute…
Yes on G
As a concerned citizen of San Luis Obispo County and specifically the city of Atascadero, I earnestly ask our elected officials to support Measure G, which will be on the November ballot. Voters will determine whether or not to allow more oil drilling, including fracking, in our county. Essentially, fracking is a very dirty business,…
Morro Bay certifies the EIR for its wastewater treatment plant
Amid potential impacts on Chumash sacred sites, the city of Morro Bay certified its final environmental impact report (EIR) to install a wastewater treatment facility on South Bay Boulevard at an Aug. 14 City Council meeting. Its next challenge is securing the funding for the project. According to a staff report, the city’s preferred alignment…
What’s up with Caltrans?
There’s been something on my mind that I’d like to share and hear others’ opinions about. For many years, I have felt that Caltrans has been one of the biggest wastes of taxpayer money. A really prime example is the Highway 101 off-ramp project in San Miguel. The population of San Miguel is around 2,300,…
Grant to help expand opioid addiction treatment in county jail
The war on opioid addiction has many fronts. That includes the SLO County jail, where officials are looking to expand one program for inmates struggling with addiction thanks to a state-sponsored grant. SLO County’s Behavioral Health Agency received a $25,000 grant in June to participate in a collaborative learning program to help it expand access…
False narratives redux
In response to my critics: Solving massive problems requires first an open mind. The use of the ad hominem attack is the stock-in-trade of the closed mind and is the reason why we can’t get past false political narratives and actually enact effective policies to address real environmental problems. The 2018 fire season is an…
Atascadero community seeks new faces for City Council
The members of the Atascadero City Council all served on the city’s Planning Commission before getting elected to their seats. In other words, they’ve been engaged in city politics for a long time. With three candidates vying for two vacant seats—left by Brian Sturtevant, who isn’t seeking re-election, and Heather Moreno, who is running for…
Poop and politics
“We’ve been fired,” murmured someone at a recent meeting in Arroyo Grande. No, it wasn’t a response to tweets announcing the latest round of cuts to ridiculously short-lived subservient presidentially nominated national cabinet secretaries. Although, it’s pretty close. The Arroyo Grande City Council had just announced the dissolution of three commissions that serve as its…
County waste agency places manager on leave amid scrutiny from public, DA’s office
There is nothing outwardly abnormal about Bill Worrell’s retirement letter dated Aug. 7, Worrell, who has served as the manager of the SLO County Integrated Waste Management Authority (IWMA) since 1995, wrote that his decision was primarily motivated by the desire to spend more time with his family and address health issues. “Last month I…
Social media sound off
New Times readers took to Facebook to share their thoughts the Aug. 9 arts story, “SLO mayor and Bluebird Salon collaborate on lipstick that benefits RISE.”
A local nonprofit in Arroyo Grande supplies children and teens with clothes and school supplies for the new school year
At first glance it looks like there’s only the Arroyo Grande Care Center—a service-based therapy facility—on the property at 1212 Farroll Ave. But to the left of that facility, many families park their cars and walk toward the back of the building to a blue and green bungalow that can only be described as the…
‘BlacKkKlansman’ is director Spike Lee’s most potent comment on U.S. race relations since ‘Do the Right Thing’
BLACKKKLANSMAN What’s it rated? R What’s it worth, Anna? Full price What’s it worth, Glen? Full price Where’s it showing? The Palm, Stadium 10 Spike Lee (Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, Summer of Sam, Inside Man) directs this comedic crime biography about Ron Stallworth (John David Washington), a black rookie police office in Colorado…
Santa Lucia School maintains its holistic learning traditions after founder retires
Indie education Santa Lucia School is an independent school in Templeton focused on holistic, peace-based learning. For more information, visit santaluciaschool.org. Peace education, art, and outdoor time are creatively woven into the curriculum at the Santa Lucia School in Templeton. For more than 30 years, the independent, holistic school has educated children from first through…
Underrated: Dogtooth
When? 2009 What’s it rated? Not rated Where’s it available? Amazon Prime, Vudu, YouTube, Google Play When I first saw a Yorgos Lanthimos film, it was The Killing of A Sacred Deer (2017) and I was a little wine drunk. A friend and I were looking to watch a good horror movie, and as she…
Social-emotional learning is gaining popularity in K-12 education
While foundational subjects like math, science, and English continue to be the base of education, more schools and districts are diversifying the kind of knowledge students gain in class. Finding its place alongside literature and statistics, social-emotional learning is becoming more prevelent across the country as a crucial component of education. Social-emotional learning is information…
Education Today 2018
Each fall brings a brand new school year brimming with well-stocked backpacks, unspoiled expectations, and those first-day-of-school jitters. It also brings you New Times’ annual Education Today issue. In this week’s paper, read about a SLO family’s push to address student stress and mental health; an Arroyo Grande nonprofit that’s providing school supplies and clothes…
Film Listings, 8/16/18 – 8/23/18
ALPHA What’s it rated? PG-13 Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre, Galaxy, Park, Stadium 10 New Albert Hughes (Menace II Society, From Hell, The Book of Eli) helms this adventure story set 20,000 years ago in the last Ice Age, about a young man named Keda (Kodi Smit-McPhee), who, after a Steppe bison hunting expedition with…
Workshop gives school board candidates a glimpse at the ins and outs of the job
Few things are more exciting than the rush of winning an election: Watching the ballot count grow in your favor, the cheers when you are confirmed as the winner, the acceptance speech, and the big balloon drop (if your campaign’s got the cash for it). But when it’s all over and the rush is gone,…
By The Sea Productions presents ‘Of Mice and Men’
By the Sea Productions presents its theatrical adaptation of Of Mice and Men, based on the classic novella by John Steinbeck. Witness the tale of two great friends and their struggle to live the American dream. Kelli M. Poward directs this production. Performances take place Aug. 24 through Sept. 16 on Fridays and Saturdays at…
Breaking Bread’s toast bar is all about choice
Toast to that! Breaking Bread Bakery’s new toast bar is located at 3536 S. Higuera St., suite 210, in San Luis Obispo, and the flagship location is open at 1074 Higuera St. in downtown San Luis Obispo. For specific hours and information, visit the business on Facebook. It’s time to take a second look at…
Cuesta College cyber camp teaches students about defending their computers
In a small building that houses community classrooms on the Cuesta College campus, there’s one classroom with four rows of computers. A student from either middle school or high school sits behind almost every screen. They’re not playing games or surfing the web, but they are learning how their computer operating system works. The students…
Nominations sought for SLO County Poet Laureate
ARTS Obispo is calling for nominations for the position of San Luis Obispo County Poet Laureate. A poet laureate shares the art of poetry with citizens of the county through their writing, leadership, and poetry readings. The individual chosen to serve as poet laureate must hold public readings throughout the county. One of the poet…
Have a blast
This Aug. 23, get ready for a Cork Dorks showdown! Hosted at Idler’s Home in SLO from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., the event puts the Cork Dorks (radio hosts Adam Montiel and Jeremy West of KRUSH 92.5 FM) into the Idler’s Demo Kitchen for an exciting and hilarious cooking challenge. What results is a lot…
Bike SLO County held a bike show at Central Coast Brewing
It’s Saturday, Aug. 11, and my wife, Anna, and I are on our bicycles riding toward the new Central Coast Brewing for Hot August Bikes, a fundraising event for Bike SLO County, a nonprofit advocacy group that encourages bicycling. When we pull into the parking lot, we see a whole lot of bikes toward the…
News nibs
Coming spring 2019, The Neighborhood Acai & Juice Bar will be serving up a healthy selection of acai bowls, organic cold-pressed juices, smoothies, and plant-based foods at the new SLO Public Market. Founders Chris and Doug, both graduates of Cal Poly, started Neighborhood with a commitment to use fresh produce and ingredients sourced from high…
Truth About Seafood plays Concerts in the Plaza on Aug. 17
It’s bitchin’, tubular, totally boss, to the max, blazin’, it’s the bomb, it’s totally far out, man! I’m talking about Truth About Seafood’s new ’70s milieu video for their song “Extra High,” a rockin’ metal party tune they’ve set to a retro film genre. As it begins, the familiar (at least to us old folks)…
Democracy demands a free press
I’ve always been proud to be a journalist. The Fourth Estate is another check and balance on government, and local journalists like those of us at New Times and our fellow reporters at The Tribune also chronicle our community’s achievements, inform our neighbors of important news, and do our very best to be unbiased and…
Savoring summer
Thrill seekers: Margarita Adventures in Santa Margarita is hosting new Friday night zipline tours through summer! Soar high above the vines and sip some wine too (afterward, not during). Go to margarita-adventures.com to book) … Mark your calendars: SLO Brewing Co. is hosting a 30th Anniversary Festival on Sept. 8 at their newest facility, The…
Broadway farce ‘A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum’ comes to SLO
A comedy tonight A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is onstage at the SLO Repertory Theatre through Sept. 9. Tickets range from $20 to $39. Visit slorep.org for more info. This is the story of a story within a story. In the San Luis Obispo Repertory Theatre’s take on the delightfully…
Life in America
The Founding Fathers drafted a Constitution that protects the rights of the individual from an oppressive government. The Declaration of Independence says all men are created equal; they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and…
Frozen fads forever!
Summer ain’t over. That means more beach days, more barbecues, and more #froséallday. Seems like everyone is whipping up Slurpee-like wine offerings, doesn’t it? Now, Robert Hall Winery in Paso Robles has jumped on the frozen pink bandwagon (some would say just in time). Temps are soaring and regular wine is—let’s admit it—kind of boring…
Morro Bay artist brings ornamental turning to the Central Coast
Details To see and find out more about Rob Lichty’s ornamental turning pieces, visit his sites, engineturner.com and p4pjewelry.com. It happened purely by chance. Rob Lichty was a mechanical engineering student studying away in the Cal Poly library and he needed a break. As a side hobby, Lichty did woodworking and built cabinets for cash,…
Say no to fracking in SLO County
In light of the Trump administration’s decision to potentially open up l.6 million acres of federal lands, including in San Luis Obispo County, to fracking and other extreme oil extraction methods, Measure G on the November ballot becomes even more important to the preservation of our county. Measure G will ban new oil and gas…
What’s your sign? Stencil sign workshop in Nipomo
Join Strickly Chic by Sheri Stricklin for a DIY sign making class on Saturday, Aug. 18, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Nipomo Senior Center. Participants will make signs that measure 10-inches tall and 30- to 36-inches long. The signs will be ready to hang by the end of the workshop. All materials, products,…
