Cover Story
A chance at life: Modern blood thinners like Eliquis are becoming increasingly popular for their safety and effectiveness, but the death of a former Cal Poly professor brings light to lesser known risks
The day Philip Ruggles died, he was the picture of health. Until, suddenly, he wasn’t. Nearly 34 years of teaching sales, estimating, marketing, and pricing in Cal Poly’s graphic communication department left Philip with a propensity for organization and a keen eye for detail. In the classroom, he was pragmatic, voraciously curious, and boundlessly devoted…
Mountainbrook Church clarifies allegations against former pastor
The Mountainbrook Church board emailed a letter on Feb. 9 to “bring more clarity” to their process and “acknowledge the women who have been deeply wounded by the behavior” of former pastor Thom O’Leary—a week following O’Leary’s resignation. That letter was released to the public a day after O’Leary emailed a personal letter to Mountainbrook…
Greta Kleckner, Suzy Newman shine light on transcendent friendship in SLO Rep’s Always…Patsy Cline
Onstage Always…Patsy Cline will play at the SLO Repertory Theatre through March 8, with shows Wednesday through Sunday at 7 p.m., and additional shows on Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. Somewhere between a two-person play and a spot-on tribute concert, San Luis Obispo Repertory Theatre’s Always…Patsy Cline is the epitome of a feel-good show.…
Templeton explores what it takes to become a city
The seats were filled at the Templeton Community Services District meeting on Feb. 4, when the unincorporated area learned about what it would take to become a city. District board president Geoff English said they called the community meeting because residents and board members had recently expressed wanting “greater control in our town” and “greater…
Cambria Gallery of Art features trio of local artists
The latest exhibition at the Cambria Gallery of Art showcases expressive paintings from three SLO County-based artists—Donald Archer of Cambria and Jordan Quintero and Kurt Waldo of Los Osos. An artist reception for the show takes place on Saturday, Feb. 15, from 5 to 8 p.m. The exhibit will remain on display through Tuesday, March…
Corrections
• In the Feb. 6 news story, “Beraud takes the lead in supervisor candidate fundraising—and some flak for it,” New Times incorrectly described a campaign donation to Ellen Beraud from Beachwood Industries LLC. The company shares an owner with Lowell Herb, a cannabis firm whose Nipomo warehouse was raided by the state. • In the…
Brasserie SLO turns fresh and local ingredients into modern Mediterranean cuisine at chic downtown locale
Brasserie SLO Brasserie SLO is located at the new boutique Hotel Cerro, at 1125 Garden St., between Marsh and Higuera streets in downtown SLO. The Mediterranean-inspired, contemporary-Californian meals are served all day, including Sunday brunch. Make a reservation (only for parties 8 or more) at (805) 592-3880. Life of Pie, an in-house bakery offering fruit,…
Art Center Morro Bay holds two new exhibitions
The Central Coast Watercolor Society presents its Aquarius 2020 exhibition at Art Center Morro Bay, which opens on Wednesday, Feb. 19, and runs through Monday, March 30. This annual juried showcase features water media works from various California artists, including many based on the Central Coast. An opening reception and awards ceremony for the exhibition…
Seasonal eats
Valentine’s Day so many ways … Nautical Cowboy at the Carlton Hotel, 6005 El Camino in Atascadero, will celebrate love with a special three-course Feb. 14 Valentine’s dinner menu in addition to the a la carte dinner menu for $55 per person … Are you single and ready to mingle? A Singles Evening awaits on…
Photojournalist Chris Burkard discusses documentary at the PAC
The Performing Arts Center (PAC) hosts a screening of photographer and filmmaker Chris Burkard’s nature documentary, Under the Arctic Sky, on Friday, Feb. 21, from 6 to 9 p.m. Burkhard will take part in an open Q-and-A discussion after the screening. Tickets to the event range from $35 to $65. For more info, call (805)…
Savor the flavor
The day after V-day still counts. Show your love for the annual celebration of all things vegan at the Central Coast Veg Fest 2020 on Feb. 15 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at San Luis Obispo United Methodist Church, 1515 Fredericks St., SLO. This free event will include food, cooking demos, vendors, education, and…
Adam Hill should take a break
My public service experiences have convinced me that all elected officials have good intentions. They may have different ideas on how to accomplish certain goals or different priorities, but they all mean well. They also may have some slight flaws or interests that over time develop into larger issues that may not be in the…
Heavenly Chia strawberry coconut Chia Power Mix
May we speak frankly about love? San Luis Obispo-based Heavenly Chia donates 5,500 Heavenly Chia meals to the North County Food Bank—that’s love. Dailey Foods owner, plant-based culinary arts professor, and (may I say goddess?) chef Veronica Dailey launched a program in 2019 with a goal to facilitate 1 million meals to Americans in need:…
Oceano has had enough!
The rule of the good old boys/girls in Oceano is over. Oceano is changing. New people, some young, some old, with different and good ideas, have moved in. Make room for them! It doesn’t matter that one board member has been elected and the other appointed. It is politically incorrect to claim that those who…
On the verge
In about six months, my son and I could very well be homeless, living in my car. Despite what many may think, I am not—contrary to multiple comments on the Nextdoor app—choosing this lifestyle. I am not ruining Laguna Lake by camping lakeside. I am not living in my car just to piss off neighborhoods,…
Debbie Arnold and homelessness
Debbie Arnold has championed maintaining and improving our county road system. Our roads are a critical piece of backbone infrastructure for our county. They provide access to our homes, our jobs, and our parks, and they are critical to commerce and our first responders. Letting our roads fall apart is not an option. Yet Debbie…
Veterans in support of Ellen Beraud
Yesterday, we each received campaign mailers from a mysterious Sacramento-based political action committee that fraudulently claimed 5th District San Luis Obispo County supervisor candidate Ellen Beraud has dishonored veterans. We have both known and associated with Ellen for many years. We both know that she has nothing but respect for America’s vets. Further, we are…
Affirmative action
Few things are more intriguing than watching a liberal try and reconcile the contradictory elements of their worldview, and few things do more to discredit a political philosophy than obvious hypocrisy. The semantic gymnastics of the left in trying to reconcile their support for affirmative action, with their professed revulsion toward racial discrimination, certainly rival…
The real story about Ellen Beraud’s vets memorial vote
In response to Al Fonzi’s latest op-ed, “Vets are angry,” (Feb. 6) and the fearmongering and absurd mailers Atascadero residents are currently receiving (“Why did Ellen Beraud oppose honoring our veterans”), I’d like to make a few things clear. Firstly, Al Fonzi donated $250 to the PAC responsible for the mailers, “Friends of Veterans in…
Australian C.W. Stoneking brings his pre-war blues sound to The Siren on Feb. 17
C.W. Stoneking may be be a tall, white, baby-faced Australian with a fondness for dressing like Colonel Sanders, but the man knows his way around American roots music genres usually connected to African American artists. Blues, largely the 1920s pre-war variety, is certainly pervasive through his sound, but he also mixes in jug band, jump…
Mud wrestling!
It’s a great time to be a printer, amirite? They’re probably buying yachts and sending their neighbors’ kids to college with all the fresh green they’re bringing in by filling our mailboxes with glossy, full-color, card stock political mailers. Mmm. Show me the moolah! And us? We get the joy of witnessing small-town political battles…
Sound off
New Times readers took to Facebook to share their thoughts on our Feb. 6 news story, “Grover Beach residents criticize delays on North Oak Park projects.”
Assembly Bill 5 hinders local independent contractors
Sarah Levanway has been a sign language interpreter for more than 15 years. She provides her service primarily in medical and educational settings. “It is a really vulnerable thing because when you think about someone needing to talk to their doctor about possibly having a sexually transmitted infection or just asking routine questions, I realized…
Turning off the tap: Los Osos CSD discusses recent spate of extremely high water bills
A long, tense silence takes hold at the Los Osos Community Services District’s (CSD) Feb. 6 board meeting as directors start a discussion about yet another CSD water customer’s appeal of an abnormally high bill. This 16th Street resident is the sixth customer in as many months to come before the board to protest their…
Birds of Prey delivers a blast of confetti violence
BIRDS OF PREY (AND THE FANTABULOUS EMANCIPATION OF ONE HARLEY QUINN) What’s it rated? R What’s it worth, Anna? Matinee What’s it worth, Glen? Matinee Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre, Galaxy, Stadium 10, Sunset Drive-In Cathy Yan (Dead Pigs) directs this comic book action-packed crime adventure featuring Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), who joins forces with…
Plan ahead: Seminars on aging help seniors and their families prepare for the future
Since the very start of Nancy Puder’s successful 40-plus-year career in real estate, she’s had a special relationship with senior clients. “They’re attracted to me, and I’m attracted to them,” Puder told New Times. “I’m not sure why. I’ve always connected with older people.” Over the course of those years working with the older clientele,…
Hatewatch: 92nd Academy Awards
Where? ABC When? 2020 What’s it rated? TV-G It’d been a few years since I committed myself to watching the Oscars. I can’t remember exactly when the award show fell off my radar, but at some point, I just stopped caring about the whole spectacle that so often felt like the same stuffy evening of…
Anti-Beraud PAC draws high-profile support
As Debbie Arnold and Ellen Beraud wrestle for the 5th District seat on the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors, a recently formed political action committee (PAC) depicting Beraud as anti-veteran has spent nearly $50,000 to disseminate its message before the hotly contested March 3 primary election. The PAC, created on Jan. 24 by…
Film Listings, 2/13/20 – 2/20/20
All theater listings are as of Friday, Feb. 14. Editor’s note: Listings for Rodkey Theaters—Fair Oaks of Arroyo Grande (805) 489-2364 and Sunset Drive-In of SLO (805) 544-4475—were not available at press time; nor were Park Cinemas ((805) 227-2172 or parkcinemas.com). THE ASSISTANT What’s it rated? R Where’s it showing? The Palm New Writer-director Kitty…
IWMA to consider plastic bag ban
SLO County residents who have yet to give in to the reusable tote bag trend might soon be forced to. At a meeting on Feb. 11, the Integrated Waste Management Authority (IWMA) board of directors voted 9-4 to consider an ordinance that would ban the use of all carry-out plastic bags at point-of-sale establishments, including…
Starring actors from Napoleon Dynamite pay a visit to Cal Poly on a nationwide tour celebrating the film’s 15th anniversary
Fifteen years after Napoleon Dynamite hit theaters, this cult-classic indie comedy’s actors are back to tell all about the film that defined a generation. One of the stops on their nationwide 15th anniversary tour was in San Luis Obispo, at Cal Poly’s Performing Arts Center on Feb. 4. Before the cast appeared onstage for a…
