Cover Story
Taking back a city: A community mourning those lost to increasing gang violence organizes to protect its youth
The boardroom of the Santa Maria Join Union High School District was packed wall to wall with people on Jan. 28. They gathered there in an attempt to address a dire situation in Santa Maria: an eruption of street violence that’s left young adults and teenagers bleeding in the streets. It was the first One…
Guilty Pleasures: Bird on a Wire
It’s nearly Valentine’s Day and that means that, in addition to a sudden spike in sales of chocolate and gift cards, the movie theaters will be packed with lovebirds looking to take in a romantic movie or two. But romantic movies, and romantic comedies in particular, aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, and filmmakers have long…
What are your Valentine’s Day plans?
Emily Majzoub ministry director “I’m hanging out with my husband and 18-month-old. It will be a family Valentine’s Day.” Beth Hatchard retail “I sent a box of goodies out of state to my daughter and her family and I’ll take my son out for dinner.” Jason Moore business owner “I’m going up to my cabin…
LeAnn Rimes plays a Rotary Club fundraiser on Feb. 13 at the PAC-SLO
About 20 years ago, a 13-year-old girl from Texas instantly became the most famous country singer in America when her first single “Blue” debuted at No. 3 on the pop charts. With powerful vocals reminiscent of Patsy Cline and a mythical backstory about the origins of the song, LeAnn Rimes was whom everyone was talking…
Author of ‘The Glass Castle,’ Jeannette Walls, discusses overcoming hardships Feb. 21 at the PAC-SLO
One Christmas, there was simply no money for presents, but Jeannette Walls’ dad didn’t want his kids to feel gypped. So on Christmas Eve, he took them all out one by one and said to pick out their favorite star. Walls set her eye on the planet Venus, which is much warmer than Earth. “So,”…
Clubs 2/11/16 – 2/18/16
Goin’ South THE CLIFFS RESORT: 2757 Shell Beach Rd., Shell Beach, 773-5000, cliffsresort.com. F. MCLINTOCKS SALOON: Two locations: 750 Mattie Rd. in Pismo Beach and 133 Bridge St. in Arroyo Grande. 773-1892 or mclintocks.com. Live music at the Pismo Beach location every Fri. and Sat. from 6-9pm. Tennessee Jimmy Harrell and Doc Stoltey play on…
Serenity Tea House in Paso Robles hosts Valentine’s afternoon tea
Feeling up for something fancy and proper this Feb. 14? Put on your finest frock or top hat and head on over to the Serenity Tea House in Paso Robles for Valentine’s Day Afternoon Tea. A traditional English style tea will be served on fine linens and beautiful china. Lunch includes tea sandwiches and fresh…
The Cabaret Circus performs Valentine’s weekend at Suspended Motion Aerial Arts
Change it up this Valentine’s Day. Instead of the typical and tired flowers and chocolates, take your sweetheart out for a night on the town he or she won’t soon forget. The Cabaret Circus is coming to town this weekend courtesy of Suspended Motion Aerial Arts. The annual show will enchant audience members with its…
Come dance to The Tipsy Gypsies and see a performance by Ballet Theatre SLO on Feb. 12 and 13
It’s Sunday, Feb. 7, and I’m standing in Ballet Theatre SLO’s black box theater and dance studio. Ballet bars line the walls, and hung high along the back of the room is a long row of costumes. In one corner near the risers of a stage, Artistic Director and Resident Choreographer Theresa Slobodnik looks over…
If looks could feel: The Texture brings art to life at Studios on the Park
The cold, moist sensation of a plump raindrop unexpectedly hitting your nose. The rough, gritty give of sand beneath your toes. Texture and touch are inexplicably linked, but you can mimic the look of it. In the art exhibit Texture, put on by the Paso Robles Art Association and currently on display at Studios on…
Liberty School 2013 Merlot and Eureka Burger’s FBO cocktail
Just like the uncool kid in class, merlot has had its fair share of “kick me” signs taped to its back. I say, enough of this ridiculous childishness! Merlot, with its smooth tannins and fruit-forward approachability, became super popular (and subsequently rejected) for a reason. It’s freaking delicious! Liberty School merlot, named after the old…
Hungry eyes
Do you hear that clip clop? It must be nearing Valentine’s Day, because Madonna Inn has unleashed its charming horse-drawn carriage rides. You know what that means! Time for pink cake, vintage cocktails, and ponies (madonnainn.com) … Scenic Hunter Ranch in Paso Robles will host a sexy supper club event this Feb. 12 … Fall…
Brunchables: The secret life of brunch
Brunch, like twilight, is a sacred time of day. If you move too fast, you could miss it. Brunch isn’t experienced by the go-getters or the healthy juicers. It is reserved for those who wish to sleep in and/or laze about until at least 11 a.m. Brunch is not a meal; it’s a lifestyle. Let…
The Cuesta Crankers unite hobbyists with their love of the Ford Model A
Feel like brushing up on your mechanical skills and falling in love with a classic American car? Then consider checking out the Cuesta Crankers, a local nonprofit organization inspired by the idea of “enjoying, restoring, preserving, and protecting the Ford Model A automobile.” The Ford Model A was manufactured between 1927 and 1931, championed as…
Cougars & Mustangs
Hey there, ladies, gentlemen, and all other gender identities! You’re part of the way into the semester now, but there is still far more to discover at Cuesta College. That’s why, today, it’s time to share two tidbits of information that you may not yet know. Let’s begin at that place so many start—the main…
And they’re off! The first major 24th District congressional debate sees wide array of issues, ideologies, and approaches
From here, it can only get more interesting. Cal Poly hosted the first major debate of the 24th District congressional race on Feb. 4, where KCBX-FM News Director Randol White moderated the forum. “You can expect a vibrant and lively conversation, I’m sure,” White said in his introduction. Individual candidates separated themselves from the pack…
Battle for the bluffs: Coastal Commission steps in to settle Pirate’s Cove access dispute
On Feb. 2, Brian LoCante hopped the wooden fence that stood between him and the thickly vegetated bluff top that overlooks Pirate’s Cove in Pismo Beach. He moved along a narrow dirt trail with hardly a glance at the red-lettered sign nearby. “Private property. No trespassing. No camping” the sign read. “Violators will be prosecuted.”…
County, Atascadero to craft medical marijuana cultivation ordinances
On Feb. 9, the San Luis Obispo County supervisors gave county staff the unanimous go-ahead to begin working on a comprehensive ordinance to regulate medical marijuana. In response to a mistaken regulatory deadline set by new state laws, every city in SLO County passed bans or strict regulations on cultivation within their jurisdictions. The deadline—which…
Source of TCE contamination in SLO remains unknown
County and state water officials are still trying to discover how high levels of a toxic industrial solvent got into some San Luis Obispo wells. Representatives from the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, as well as staff from the SLO County Environmental Health Department, met with concerned residents at a community meeting Feb.…
Morro Bay declares shelter crisis
There are no shelters—warming or otherwise—on the North Coast of San Luis Obispo County. So it makes sense that on Feb. 9, the Morro Bay City Council voted unanimously to declare a shelter crisis, showing support for the crisis already declared by the county Board of Supervisors on Feb. 2. The declaration enables the city…
Murder-for-hire suspect engaged in bitter dispute
A Los Osos man accused of attempting to hire someone to murder another man was involved a bitter dispute with a former business acquaintance and competitor, according to court records. Anthony Gene “Tony” Stevens, who now sits in SLO County Jail on two counts of solicitation of murder, ran T. Stevens Moving Services and was…
Phillips 66 rail spur hearing draws hundreds
Check out the protesters who rallied against the Phillips 66 rail project. They packed the county building in downtown SLO, filled the overflow room at the Fremont Theater, and even crowded the plaza in front of the county courthouse across the street. They were the hundreds of individuals who flooded into a SLO County Planning…
Hello kitty!
I almost didn’t make it into work today. I was doing my usual early morning workout of parkour and urban spelunking when I was set upon by a sprawl of feral street marmots, most likely of the genus Marmota flaviventris. Yes, it was strange to find them this far south, but in any case, I…
Let’s end the tobacco epidemic
The Tobacco Control Coalition of San Luis Obispo County would like to thank you for running the story about Darin Dyroff and the e-cigarette explosion (“Pismo man sues after he’s injured by exploding e-cigarette,” Feb. 4). The Shredder also wrote an excellent opinion piece in that same issue regarding the tobacco industry, which includes e-products.…
Don’t paint over the art on utility boxes
I saw a call for artists to paint over existing art boxes in San Luis Obispo. I don’t understand why the city of San Luis Obispo is having artists paint over 17 utility boxes. There are plenty of utility boxes around town that haven’t been painted yet, and some neighborhoods have asked to have the…
Keep Big Grape out of your wallet
Between now and March 8, when water district ballots are due, you will have your last chance to keep Big Grape out of your well and your wallet. If this district is established, all the future 218 funding votes will be based on acres owned. The more acres you own, the more votes you can…
Shredder: I’ll tell you who a real patriot is
The Shredder shreds, but the insights are not very piercing. I refer to the latest piece in the “REAL PATRIOT department” (“False advertising,” Jan. 28), and specifically the idea we have a “God Given Right To Use Public Resources Without Paying For Them.” As a matter of fact, we do. Among these public resources are…
The Flood Control District is right for Paso
Unlike many opponents of the proposed water district, we are not opposed to metering and regulating groundwater use. However, we want local control exercised by the local Flood Control District, an agency serving all county residents, rather than a board of directors consisting primarily of self-serving commercial agriculture property owners. Don’t be fooled by scare…
Concerned about SLO
A few years back, I remember, SLO was voted the best place to live on the West Coast. Today, I heard of a lady recently getting a $500 ticket for walking her dog on one of our local mountains. The citing officer/ranger (first off I would like to say shame on you!) told her she…
