Cover Story
Meet some SLO County residents using crowd funding to launch their dreams
Timothy and Oliver Jolis want to start a dairy farm in Paso Robles, but not with cows. They want to buy three yaks and some large-scale cheese-making equipment, partner with a local dairy farm to house and pasture their yaks, and rent space in a temperature- and humidity-controlled room for cheese aging. More importantly, they…
What’s the worst joke you’ve ever heard?
Sarah Gonzales hairstylist “You dropped something … a smile.” Kyle Rose Apple staff “Why won’t people play monopoly in Africa? Because of all the cheetahs.” Hannah Sobonya Firestone “My friend told me this joke … he just said ‘women’s rights.’” Clover Sexton barista “Probably something my dad said.”
When right is wrong: SLO-based company iFixit is leading a national charge to reform copyright law
When he was a freshman in the Cal Poly dorms back in the early 2000s, Kyle Wiens’ laptop went on the fritz. Being a resourceful guy, he started trying to fix the machine, but there was a major problem: There were no laptop repair instructions or manuals anywhere to be found. “I thought that was…
Animal Liberation Orchestra will coax your spirit animal onto the dance floor on Feb. 25 at SLO Brew
According to ALO (Animal Liberation Orchestra), everyone’s got an animal inside of him or her, and getting crazy on the dance floor is how you liberate your inner animal. This Wednesday, Feb. 25, ALO invites you to let it all hang out when they play SLO Brew (7:30 p.m.; all ages; $20 presale or $23…
Clubs 2/19/15-2/26/15
Goin’ South THE CLIFFS RESORT: 2757 Shell Beach Road, 773-5000 or cliffsresort.com. CUVEE BISTRO AND CHAMPAGNE BAR: 550 1st St., Avila Beach, 595-2245. Live music Thurs. and Sat. 6-9pm. F. MCLINTOCKS SALOON: Two locations: 750 Mattie Road in Pismo Beach and 133 Bridge St. in Arroyo Grande. 773-1892 or mclintocks.com. Live music at the Pismo…
The Palm Theatre’s Take Two Live series screens John Ford’s ‘The Whole Town’s Talking’
One day, you’re working at an advertising firm with a smart, sassy lady by your side. The next thing you know, you’re being arrested because you look like a bank robber. Such is the lot of Arthur Ferguson Jones, the protagonist of John Ford’s 1935 film, The Whole Town’s Talking. On Feb. 22, The Palm…
Poem is where the heart is: The life and times of a Poetry Out Loud judge
In the third grade, my teacher at Sunnyside Elementary (now defunct and existing largely as a bird waste repository) required each of us students to memorize and recite a poem. At the ripe age of 8, the choices were limited. You could go the obvious route—a nursery rhyme or something light-hearted by Sylvia Plath. You…
Shredder stew
I’ve never understood dating websites. What do you like? What are you looking for in a mate? Do you prefer beaches or forests? Boxers or briefs? Online dating profiles are where meaningless chitchat and overweening, new age nonsense collide in an epic explosion of boring, self-important crap. You wanna get to know a person, you…
SLO Comedy Festival returns for its fifth year
February may be National Fondue Month, but there’s something else heating up here in SLO County. In halls, pubs, and cafés throughout the county this month, you can hear the hesitant tap of someone on a microphone, followed by a chuckle in the audience if everything goes smoothly. That’s right. I’m talking about stand-up comedy.…
SLO Little Theatre puts on the iconic ’50s musical ‘Singin’ in the Rain’
It’s hard to imagine a time when the inexplicably popular-yet-lukewarm romances of Bella and Edward or Anastasia and Christian were not dominating the movie screens and the minds of people all across the country. But trust me, there was a time when romance in movies were actually relatable, and the actors actually had something called…
Mobile medical marijuana dispensaries set to become illegal in Pismo Beach
In about three minutes and with nary a comment, the Pismo Beach City Council took a step that has been contentious or impossible for several other local cities. During its Feb. 17 meeting, the Pismo council voted unanimously to introduce an ordinance that would amend an existing law, effectively prohibiting mobile medical marijuana dispensaries within…
A city-approved piece of public art might be too controversial for San Luis Obispo
View a slideshow of SLO’s painted utility boxes. Back in early September 2012, Alister Dippner took to Facebook to beam about his newest project. “yesss!!!” he wrote. “I got selected to paint one of SLO’s Box Art Project…soo pumped.” A little more than two months after that post, Dippner’s piece at the corner of Broad…
The San Luis Obispo City Council approves a 102-room hotel on Monterey Street
Despite neighbors’ pleas against a planned 102-room, four-story hotel on Monterey Street, a majority of the San Luis Obispo City Council approved the project. That majority also included some stipulations intended to ease impacts on the nearby San Luis Drive neighborhood, however. Councilmembers John Ashbaugh, Carlyn Christianson, and Dan Rivoire voted to approve the project…
Morro Bay parklet is a letdown for some
Roughly 300 square feet of street-side sit-down space is becoming an issue for Morro Bay city officials. In December 2014, the city unveiled its plans to build a parklet along Main Street in downtown Morro Bay. In exchange for additional urban lounging space, the parklet ate up three parking spaces. It was constructed under a…
Scout Coffee’s Cafe Americano and Madonna Inn’s Pick & Shovel
The Café Americano—a straightforward mix of espresso and hot water—isn’t my first coffee shop choice. Why? I love a little frothy milk tickling my nose, of course! Then there are days when I just feel … icky. Too much pizza! Too much cheese! Just too much fun, period. It’s time for a clean, hot cup…
Word of mouth
Trust me: You need to try the succulent, meaty, tangy-sweet kiwis from Mallard Lake Ranch in Nipomo! Get your hands on the last of the season at the Madonna Road Farmers’ Market in SLO outside World Market (Saturday between 8 and 11 a.m.; and don’t forget to say hi to “Kiwi Bob!”) … A food-forward…
The foods of our lives; Some flavors are a direct line to the heart
Food traditions aren’t always warm-and-cozy Leave it to Beaver-style pot pies. The culinary rituals that really stick to my ribs—and my mind—are as unique as the people in my life. They range from my mom’s addictive Thanksgiving “Gobble”—a mix of ground turkey, gooey mozzarella, and tomato that mutates every year—to the naughty, crispy bits of…
Meditative healing: Yoga and psychotherapy team up in Los Osos workshop
With the ever-growing popularity of yoga, and the spread of those namastaying, faux-yogis, there are plenty of reasons for the disdainful and the skeptical to keep away from this ancient practice. But Joann Lutz, a licensed independent clinical social worker based in Massachusetts, is trying to highlight the multitude of benefits that yoga brings. Lutz…
Cougars & Mustangs
Valentine’s Day has come and gone, but has its euphoria, or lack thereof, remained? Happiness can be achieved many ways, but considering life already holds infinite possibility, and the stunning uniqueness of each individual spirit, that may or may not mean a great deal to hear. As human beings, especially young ones already inundated with…
Corrections
• A recent article (“A medical marijuana dispensary is proposed for Nipomo,” Feb. 12) misstated the date of a South County Advisory Council meeting. That meeting will be held on Feb. 23 at 6:30 p.m. • An article in the Feb. 12 Brides issue, “Make it unique!” misidentified the photographer behind two of the images.…
An update on recent Cal Poly sexual assault investigations
Considering that there are several ongoing investigations and probations involving Cal Poly Greek life and alleged sexual assault, New Times sought information to provide readers with a comprehensive update. For starters, as of press time on Feb. 18, the entirety of university Greek life is still on social probation. This probation began on Jan. 13,…
SLO County will create a new water resources division
In response to an increasingly mounting workload dealing with all things water and wastewater, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors approved on Feb. 17 a reorganization of the public works department to create a new water resources division. Currently, the department’s water resources personnel work under the utilities division, which has two distinct…
Two Atascadero residents are arrested for alleged butane hash oil production, child endangerment
After responding to a structure fire on Feb. 13, Atascadero Police Department and Fire Department officials reported discovering evidence of a makeshift butane hash oil lab that was determined to be the cause of the blaze. The fire had been extinguished by the time officials had arrived. In addition to finding the makeshift lab, investigators…
Clean water is a bigger deal than utility boxes
Thank you, Shredder, for your fantastic piece on Feb. 12 (“Whitewash”). That happens to be my favorite utility box. Why? Because I love riding a bicycle, I love coffee, I love cute animals (especially when they are riding bicycles), and I think a touch of whimsy on a drab utility box is delightful. I can’t…
Our leaders wouldn’t want to live near a quarry
This quarry is about greed for money without any concern of all the money the neighbors will lose with the loss of value of their property. I know because I am the local real estate broker for more than 45 years in Santa Margarita. I have sold most of the property at least once to…
This quarry is on a massive scale
It is nearly impossible for the average person to imagine the enormous scale of the proposed Las Pilitas LLC quarry on Highway 58 at the Salinas River. Double-trailer gravel trucks will travel from the town of Santa Margarita to the proposed quarry site at the Salinas River and return via Highway 58 to Highway 101.…
We can end sexual assault
RISE would like to thank Rhys Heyden for his article “Winter of discontent: There’ve been three reported sexual assaults in three months at Cal Poly. Now what?” (Jan. 29). The article focused appropriately on the need for public participation and awareness in order to change a culture that allows one in four women in college…
Diseases and pollutants are a true threat
Regarding the article “Under the weather” (Feb. 12) written by Adriana Catanzarite, congratulations to Kathleen Karle for the pilot program “Outside In SLO,” a teaching program for citizens to learn about the many health and safety effects of climate change, such as water pollution, air quality, drought, wildfires, and storms. Many of us have read…
Run like a girl
In California, women won the right to vote in 1911. More than a hundred years later, one would expect women would have ascended into elected office in equal measure to their male peers. This is not the case. While women comprise more than 50 percent of the state, we only make up about 25 percent…
