Cover Story
Housing Authority of SLO takes investors to court over ownership of affordable housing units for seniors
Correction: This article was edited to correct the source of SunAmerica’s property valuation. CB Richard Ellis was retained, not the California Bureau of Real Estate. By all indicators, the Brizzolara Apartments in San Luis Obispo are prime downtown residential real estate. Buffered four blocks from the hustle and bustle of Higuera Street, the two two-story Spanish-style buildings…
Social media sound off
Grocery store chain Albertsons is taking petitioners in its Paso Robles parking lot to court, claiming they’re bothering customers. Our readers weighed in on Facebook.
The Oceano Dunes moves to get in compliance with the Endangered Species Act
Speak your piece Tell the California Department of Recreation and Parks what you think about the Oceano Dunes District Habitat Conservation Plan by attending a scoping meeting at the Ramona Garden Park Center in Grover Beach, 993 Ramona Ave., from 6 to 8 p.m. Can’t attend? State parks is accepting written responses until 5 p.m.…
SLO traffic collisions in 2016 were fewest ever, city says
San Luis Obispo officials say 2016 was the safest year to be on its roads in recorded history. Traffic collisions within city limits were at their lowest levels in 16 years, according to an annual safety report released by the city Jan. 30. Total crashes involving cars, bikes, and pedestrians were down 58 percent since…
Free screenings of Disneynature Oceans at Hearst Castle
Enjoy a free movie night at a castle at the upcoming Coastal Discovery and Stewardship Film Festival on Saturdays through Feb. 24 from 6 to 9 p.m. Held at the Hearst Castle Theater, this year’s feature film Disneynature’s Oceans is a story about remarkable creatures under the sea. Filmmakers showcase stunning images as they journey…
Settlement reached in Avila Ranch lawsuit
San Luis Obispo, a developer, and three residential advocacy groups settled a lawsuit on Jan. 23 that protested an alleged lack of mitigation for the impacts of Avila Ranch, a recently approved 720-home housing project in SLO. Preserve the SLO Life and the Los Verdes I and II Homeowners’ Associations—resident groups neighboring the planned development—jointly…
Perez found guilty of murdering roommate, drops insanity plea
A SLO County jury on Jan. 31 found Manuel Jesus Perez, 43, of Grover Beach, guilty of murder and arson. Perez was convicted of stabbing his roommate, 37-year-old Joseph Charles Kienly IV, to death and then setting fire to the body in a Grover Beach home where the two rented rooms on July 11, 2016.…
Write and move at Sankalpa workshop
Connect thought and intention to movement at the Sankalpa: The Art of Intention yoga workshop on Feb. 10. The event will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. at SLO Yoga Center and led by instructor Leslie St. John. Students will use yoga and writing to ground their bodies, listen to their hearts, and express…
Navy puts the brakes on proposed wind farm near Morro Bay
A pilot wind farm project off the coast of Morro Bay is on pause as its proposed location is within U.S. Navy territory. Alla Weinstein—the CEO of Trident Winds, the developer that put forth the project—said that the U.S. Navy released a map and compatibility assessment late last year that indicated conflicts in federal waters…
Comfort and care: Cuesta student seeks life upgrade with prosthetic from Hanger Clinic
Carson Miller was born without a left hand, but that never stopped him from living his life. When he was old enough for a prosthesis, Miller went to the Shriner Hospital for Children in Los Angeles. He was going every month to get the prosthesis, a claw, fitted, but at 7 years old, Miller decided…
Cirque Éloize presents Western circus performance at Cal Poly PAC
Watch the wild, wild West come alive with Cirque Éloize’s newest contemporary circus arts creation, Saloon at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center on Feb. 15 at 7:30 p.m. The stage will explode with infectious energy and phenomenal physical feats as 11 top-level cast members perform a music-packed theatrical thrill-ride. The show’s story follows a…
Cal Valley deaths highlight area’s struggle with pot regulations
The rural community of the California Valley made headlines Jan. 29 after a father and son were found shot death on a remote property in the area. While circumstances that led to the shooting deaths of 70-year-old Edward Chavez Mendoza and his son, 37-year-old Edmundo Eduardo Mendoza Jr., are still under investigation, news of the…
SLO’s historic Fremont Theater has become a music Mecca
If you head to fremontslo.com, the website for the historic Fremont Theater, you’ll see a schedule of upcoming concerts. You’ll also see a lot of “SOLD OUT” banners across the advertised shows: Hippie Sabotage—Paths of Righteousness Tour, Thursday, Feb. 1—SOLD OUT; Stick Figure, Twiddle, and Tya Terra, Thursday, Feb. 8—SOLD OUT; Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox,…
Trolley holiday: Disney buffs unite for annual Beverly Hills tour
All aboard For more information on tours and other events hosted by Disneyana, visit disneyanafanclub.org. It’s Sunday, Jan. 14, and a few friends of mine and I are on our way to Beverly Hills for the day. “Is this guy serial?” I said as a yellow Mini Cooper behind us hopped over to the opposite…
Spoon Tree Project aims to support those affected by opioid addiction
One spoon at a time Lori Wolf Grillias’s artwork, including pieces like The Spoon Tree Project, will be on display as part of the Alternative Viewpoints exhibit at the SLO Museum of Art from Feb. 2 to April 1. Visit
Ocean-friendly eateries rethink the way we takeaway
New wave Thinking differently about your leftovers? Want to learn more about protecting our coast from plastics, Styrofoam, straws, and all the other crud that mucks up marine life? Interested in learning more about Surfrider’s Ocean Friendly Restaurant Program? Want to learn 10 (manageable) things you can do right now to make a difference? Go…
Repentance: St. Stephen’s hosts ‘Vagina Monologues’ on Ash Wednesday
Sins against women Catch a performance of The Vagina Monologuesat St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in SLO on Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. The church will also host a performance of riseslo.org for more information. “You want me to say what in where?” That’s the reaction director Kelli Poward got when she told her actors where…
‘Hostiles’ delivers a gripping Western tale of the clash between Native Americans and their conquerors
HOSTILES What’s it rated? R What’s it worth, Anna? Matinee What’s it worth, Glen? Full price Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre, Park Stadium 10, Galaxy Writer-director Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart, Out of the Furnace) helms this Western set in 1892. Army Capt. Joseph J. Blocker (Christian Bale) is tasked with one final, unsavory assignment before…
We don’t want it
The Central Coast, stretching from Ventura to Santa Cruz, attracts locals and visitors from far and wide to our special corner of the world. Known for its beaches, boardwalks, outdoor recreation, and unparalleled wine tasting, the Central Coast relies heavily on a constant flow of tourism and many of its commercial fisheries to support our…
Blast from the Past: Clue
When? 1985 What’s it rated? PG Where’s it available? DVD and Blu-ray, Streaming on Amazon I recently heard Ryan Reynolds (Van Wilder, Smokin’ Aces, Deadpool, The Hitman’s Bodyguard) is teaming up with Deadpool writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick to remake Clue, a 1985 film based on the murder mystery board game. The time seems…
What do we really want?
While I (and my Republican neighbor) intentionally bought American-made solar panels, I believe the new Trump tariffs on solar panels are irrelevant at best. The tariffs offer little for the future of American solar manufacturers, but hurt American solar installers (thus helping the fossil fuel industry). These random, arbitrary tariffs do not establish a balanced…
Vino amore
Burlesque at the Bar: This Feb. 10, Rendarrio Vineyards tasting room in Paso Robles will transform into a swanky, sensual lounge where hips sway and hearts howl! Get ready for a classy night of neo-burlesque featuring local performers exploring the titilating theme, Be Mine. You’ll get quite the show in the barrel room, plus plenty…
Take yes for an answer
I’m astounded by the reaction from the left to President Donald Trump’s proposal to protect the Dreamers while also giving them a path to U.S. citizenship. Comments to the effect that our president is a white supremacist or that his plan is to “make America white again” defy reason when contrasted against what is actually…
More to love
Walk while you wine: Atascadero’s annual Sweetheart Stroll will commence this Feb. 10 featuring more than 15 wineries, dozens of downtown merchants, and a wine glass to keep. Meet at the historic City Hall and get ready to rub elbows with Atascadero’s friendliest folks while burning a few calories and consuming some, too (go to…
Dear environmentalists: reel in your outrage
Letter writers Lindi Doud (“Tsk, tsk, New Times,” Jan. 25) and Odile Ayral (“The hypocrisy of night access to open space,” Jan. 25), who want people to stop picking up seashells and stop climbing mountains at night, respectively, seem like nice progressive people with great concern for the environment. This is admirable. Two words: Please…
News nibs
The New Year is off to a stellar start for Paso Robles’ Parrish Family Vineyard. Owner and winemaker David Parrish was named as one of Wine’s Most Inspiring People by Wine Industry Advisor, and the family owned vineyard and winery was also named to Wine Business Monthly’s Top 10 Hot Brands list. It’s not all…
Stay sanitary this flu season
The most virulent flu season in a decade is now upon us. Yet why do I then observe so many people here seemingly complacent amid a serious health crisis? Yes, do desist from automatically shaking hands, buy a bottle of hand sanitizer and use it, and get the flu vaccine—unlike the majority nationally who have…
The rightful heir to the taco throne
It depresses me how few people know about Taco King, the unassuming Mexican joint nestled in a strip mall on the south side of Higuera. You know … between SLO Beverages and More and House of Bagels? It’s just so good and so affordable and so authentic and (sadly) so overlooked. Starting off fresh in…
Partisan politics have infected this county
America’s toughest family court judge, Judge Judy, wrote a book, Don’t Pee on My Leg and Tell Me It’s Raining. What unmitigated chutzpah Andrea Seastrand has to have in order to write that county 3rd District Supervisor Adam Hill “became an embarrassment to our community” (SLO Tribune, Jan. 19) when a vulgarian inhabits the White…
Film Listings, 2/1/18 – 2/8/18
CALL ME BY YOUR NAME What’s it rated? R Where’s it showing? The Palm It’s the summer of 1983 in the north of Italy, and Elio Perlman (Timothée Chalamet), a precocious 17-year-old American-Italian, spends his days in his family’s 17th century villa transcribing and playing classical music, reading, and flirting with his friend Marzia (Esther…
Tarnishing the Golden State
It’s been nearly 50 years since I first visited California’s Central Coast. Between repetitive tours of duty in Vietnam, I spent a brief leave with a friend in Arroyo Grande. His dad had discovered the area during WWII, bought land, and retired there after a long military career. It was during this visit that my…
SLO concerned about impact of Cal Poly’s master plan
San Luis Obispo is asking Cal Poly to take a closer look at how its proposed 20-year master plan could impact a number of critical city services, including law enforcement. In a lengthy evaluation of the university’s draft environmental impact report (EIR) for the master plan, city staff raised a number of concerns that the…
Suck it!
“The point is, ladies and gentlemen, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right; greed works,” claimed Gordon Gekko, the fictionalized corporate raider of the 1987 film Wall Street. Of course, Gordon Gekko was a total prick. In point of fact, greed is bad, wrong, ugly, and mean. It pollutes…
Rape case against local Uber driver echoes concerns in 2017 lawsuit
Open any popular rideshare app on a Friday or Saturday night in downtown SLO, and you will see a veritable fleet of drivers for services like Uber and Lyft dashing and back and forth from pickups and drop-offs. But on Jan. 17, local law enforcement officials made an announcement that raised questions about just how…
