Cover Story
Funk vs. Moreno: All eyes are on SLO County’s 5th District supervisor race this March, where two Atascadero elected officials face off
With political roots in Atascadero City Hall, Mayor Heather Moreno and City Councilmember Susan Funk are vying for a seat at San Luis Obispo County’s apex table. On March 5, constituents of the county’s 5th District will vote between them for SLO County supervisor following three-term incumbent Debbie Arnold’s decision not to run for reelection.…
Lisa Frankenstein is a lightweight bit of ’80s horror comedy nostalgia
LISA FRANKENSTEIN What’s it rated? PG-13 What’s it worth, Glen? Matinee What’s it worth, Anna? Matinee Where’s it showing? Colony Cinemas, Downtown Centre, Park, Stadium 10 Zelda Williams (Kappa Kappa Die) directs this Diablo Cody (Juno, Jennifer’s Body, Young Adult) script about Lisa (Kathryn Newton), a maudlin high schooler whose mother died in an ax…
Aren’t we also important?
As an Armenian immigrant, I have always struggled with the fact that my community is constantly under attack, and no one ever seems to speak about it. Growing up in the United States’ public education system, I remember always hearing and learning about painful and horrific parts of our history, but never about a part…
They Called Him Mostly Harmless
What’s it rated? Not rated When? 2024 Where’s it showing? Max The Appalachian Trail winds for more than 2,000 miles, and the hikers who take on such adventures form a special bond—anyone who has read Cheryl Strayed’s Wild can tell you that. When a malnourished man is found deceased in a tent in the wilderness…
Beverly hillbillies
Who ever knew that equity and social justice requires that folks be able to live in Beverly Hills regardless of their financial means? This may the biggest lifestyle boost since the Beverly Hillbillies struck crude and rolled into town. The legendarily swank enclave of Beverly Hills is in a real lather. The enlightened social engineers…
The Brothers Sun
What’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2024 Where’s it showing? Netflix This new Netflix series is an absolute hoot—a sparkling mix of comedy, martial arts, and Chinese soap opera. Charles Sun (Justin Chien) is a Taipei gangster, the son of Jade Dragons leader, Big Sun (Johnny Kou), who as the series opens narrowly survives an assassination…
Wave your wand
Is parking the hot-button issue of the 2024 election cycle? Homelessness? Nah. It’s not as important as stopping what some San Luis Obispo city residents labeled the parking “Gestapo” at a recent community meeting on the controversial parking rate increase that keeps on giving. Why is it that parking enforcement officers are always compared to…
Hayley and the Crushers bring their poolside glitter punk to The Bunker
Pop punk powerhouse Hayley and the Crushers are like filling your mouth with Blue Razz Pop Rocks and then taking a big swig of Grape Crush. They’re like The Go-Gos if the band let dudes in and was fronted by Cyndi Lauper and Joey Ramone’s love child. They’re basically the most fun you can have…
Fighting for air
We’ve fought this fight before. Our battle against contaminants in our air goes back 75 years, when there were days in Southern California when the smog was so thick you couldn’t see to drive and ozone burned people’s eyes and throats. The ozone levels were so high that they caused rubber to crack. Even after…
SLO kicks off public comment period for parking rate study
Residents and business owners in San Luis Obispo waved a hypothetical magic wand to troubleshoot costly parking problems hampering visits to downtown. “I think if I had a magic wand, I would have a recall petition to get rid of every [SLO] City Council member,” Hemp Shak and Euphoria co-owner Steven Wick announced to applause…
County officials say if Proposition 1 passes, it could mean less funding, fewer programs for SLO County Behavioral Health
California voters will vote on Proposition 1 in March, and if it passes, SLO County’s Behavioral Health Department could see less funding. The measure is a $6.4 billion bond proposed by Gov. Gavin Newsom that aims to modernize the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) and provide California with the resources to build 10,000 new beds…
Former Cambria fire chief sues community services district for wrongful termination
Cambria’s former fire chief, Justin Vincent, filed a complaint and request for jury trial against the Cambria Community Services District (CCSD) due to what he alleges was an unfair termination of his contract. “As a proximate result of defendant CCSD’s breach of the employment agreement, [the] plaintiff has been substantially harmed,” the filing reads. “Plaintiff…
Tornado-related damage pushes Grover Beach into state of emergency
The Grover Beach City Council declared a local state of emergency on Feb. 13 due to a tornado that caused moderate to severe damage across the city the week before. “I was working on an email, and next thing I know the lights went out in my office, my computer turned off, and all the…
Paso’s dual immersion students will move to Lewis for 2024-25
Students enrolled in Georgia Brown Elementary’s dual immersion program will call Lewis Middle School home starting next school year. On Feb. 13, the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District board voted 5-2, with board members Kenney Enney and Joel Peterson dissenting, to move students to the new campus. “The magnitude of this decision is huge,”…
Historic level of mildew affected Central Coast grapes in 2023
California’s wine grapes felt the impact of the flurry of atmospheric rivers that slammed the state in 2023. “It was one of the highest mildew pressure records in the history of grape growing,” Turrentine Brokerage’s Central Coast Director of Grape Brokerage Audra Cooper told New Times. Released Feb. 9, the brokerage’s assessment of the state’s…
Lopez Lake spills, county watches Arroyo Grande Creek levee
With more storms on the way as of Feb. 14, county officials were continuing to keep a close eye on the Arroyo Grande Creek levee as early February storms pushed Lopez Lake over its capacity. SLO County Public Works Engineer David Spiegel told New Times that the dam began spilling on Feb. 7 around 10…
Find baby goats at Shady Oaks Farm in Atascadero
Spring is in the air, and a baby goat boom is forecast for Atascadero. “Normally we do kidding—the baby goat birthing process—over a month period,” Chelsea Lyons said. “But this year all of our mama goats decided to go into heat at the same time in the fall, and now we are about to have…
Slide on over to Cafe DeVille for sliders during pop-ups and its upcoming grand opening
Nipomo promo Follow Cafe DeVille on social media for more info about the restaurant’s future opening and its outdoor pop-up events. Cafe DeVille is located at 133 S. Thompson Road, Nipomo. For additional details, visit cafedevillenipomo.com. Late night cravings are rarely insatiable at the DeBilzan family’s Nipomo home, thanks to its patriarch’s improvisation skills in…
Great American Melodrama’s Grave Mistakes is rave-worthy
Norms we cannot weather The Great American Melodrama presents its production of Grave Mistakes through March 16. The two-act show, which opened in early January, is followed by the Melodrama’s new vaudeville revue, Whatever the Weather We’ll Weather the Weather Together. The theater is located at 1863 Front St., Oceano. Call (805) 489-2499 or visit…
Festival Mozaic Music Director Scott Yoo conducts free master class
Members of the public are welcome to sit in on a free music master class, hosted by acclaimed violinist and Festival Mozaic Music Director Scott Yoo, at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria on Feb. 24, from 10 a.m. to noon. The following day, Yoo will take part in a special Chamber Concert with Festival…
