Cover Story
Thinking outside the canvas: SLO County artists redefine art with unusual materials
Glass pieces of every color of the rainbow spill out onto a desk in the corner. Nearly every free surface of wall is covered with acrylic or watercolor paintings, featuring something whimsical like pumpkins and evil stepsisters. A series of tiny, handmade books piles out of a basket on the other side of Hellie Blythe’s…
Back to Palmdale
Whenever someone asks me where I grew up, I have a pretty good idea of how the conversation is going to go. “I’m from Palmdale.” “Oh, like the Afroman song?” “Yes. Like the Afroman song.” Now, I don’t begrudge Afroman for immortalizing my hometown in what is, by all accounts, a pretty catchy rap song.…
Enshrining civility
Long ago and not that far away, I ran a campaign for county supervisor. I was 29 and had never done it before. I worried that I wasn’t up to the job, but I believed in my candidate and her proposals. As the campaign progressed, our opponents began to assail my candidate in ways that…
A flop gone wrong: SLO Rep’s take on ‘The Producers’ delights audiences
The show must go on The Producers shows at the SLO Repertory Theatre through March 11. Tickets range from $30 to $50. Visit slorep.org for more information. We’ve all had it. That eureka, light-bulb moment where the perfect life-changing idea is suddenly oh so clear to us. But in all likelihood, total and complete failure…
SLO County to hire chief medical officer for jail
Attempting to make reforms to its jail after a string of high profile inmate deaths, the SLO County Sheriff’s Office created a new position to oversee all aspects of medical and mental health services for its jail population. The SLO County Board of Supervisors approved the creation of the new position of sheriff’s chief medical…
The protected class on campus
After reading Martha Cody’s commentary (“The truth of the matter,” Feb. 8), you would think that Cal Poly is doing its best to create a safe and professional campus environment. The truth is that Cal Poly is more interested in not being sued than it is in creating a safe environment. When it comes to…
Tent City Marathon in Atascadero will benefit Printery building’s restoration
As Karen McNamara gazed up at the Atascadero Printery building on Feb. 15—at its brick exterior, broken windows, and crumbling stone columns—she reflected on the early days of the Atascadero Printery Foundation, the nonprofit she helped launch in 2016. McNamara remembered all the people who called their grassroots campaign to restore the dilapidated city landmark…
Hill recall effort on hold, for now
I wish SLO County Supervisor Adam Hill the very best, and I hope he is sincere in his admissions of aberrance and promises to seek help and regain our respect, but I remain skeptical. Too often, these “admissions” and these “rehabs” are simply the last refuge of a scoundrel who’s been cornered. Efforts to recall…
SLO County activists launch petition to ban fracking
In between shouts of approval from a crowd gathered on Feb. 21 on Monterey Street in downtown San Luis Obispo to hear local officials advocate for action against offshore oil drilling, white signs glinted in the cool February sun. In all capital letters they shouted, “Ban Fracking.” “Protect our Water … Sign Here.” The signs…
Nipomo skate park is moving ahead as promised
On the same day that an opinion in the SLO Tribune asked where Supervisor Lynn Compton was on funding for Nipomo parks, she was at a public workshop where an architect unveiled three design options for a Nipomo skate park. For more than a year, Lynn has battled supervisors Adam Hill and Bruce Gibson for…
SLO City Council signs off on downtown bollards project
Steel street bollards are coming to downtown San Luis Obispo to protect events like the weekly Farmers’ Market from vehicular accidents and attacks. On Feb. 20, the SLO City Council voted unanimously to fast track the project using $1.3 million in budget savings, and the city expects to make progress on it within a year.…
Right-wing politicians working for oil
I was horrified to read that the right-wing majority on the SLO County Board of Supervisors failed to pass a resolution against drilling off our beautiful Central Coast. As other communities and counties batten down the hatches for this assault on their shores, the unmistakable message our board is sending is: “Hey, oil companies! Looking…
Pismo wrestles with pier bathroom placement
After narrowing their choices to two options and polling the public on their preference, the Pismo Beach City Council scrapped both to explore other alternatives on where to place new bathrooms as part of a multi-million-dollar project to renovate its pier. With the two initial bathroom placement options creating acrimonious division between some city residents…
The politics of hypocrisy
In his recent New Times letter “Partisan politics have infected this county” (Feb. 2), Laurance Shindeman’s citation of Judge Judy’s book Don’t Pee on My Leg and Tell Me It’s Raining was a cute device. Alas, it was Laurance’s blatant partisanship that was on full display in confirming his own hypocritical bent. With his words,…
North County cities and SLO County at impasse on animal shelter
The future landscape of animal services in San Luis Obispo County still hangs in the balance, as Paso Robles and Atascadero officials continue to object to the costs of a new $14.5 million countywide animal shelter—despite recent efforts to find common ground. Since Paso Robles and Atascadero—the two cities in the county with the highest…
Thanks for the help, Supervisor Compton
I would like to express my thanks to SLO County 4th District Supervisor Lynn Compton, her staff, and the county’s Public Works Department for a very aggressive response to a traffic safety concern in Nipomo. I have been a resident of Nipomo for 18 years near the intersection of West Tefft Street and Mesa Road.…
Vons follows Albertsons, files suit against signature collectors
Yet another national grocery store chain has filed a lawsuit against individuals collecting signatures outside its San Luis Obispo County locations. Safeway Inc., parent company for Vons, filed a civil lawsuit in SLO County Superior Court Feb. 16 claiming that unknown individuals were trespassing on its property and harassing customers while attempting to collect signatures…
A pact with the devil
Diablo Canyon Power Plant is due to shut down in 2025, maybe earlier, but the radioactive waste it has generated will threaten our lives for another 200,000 years. Society owns this Pandora’s box—but we haven’t owned up to the responsibility. “For 30 years, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has kept its head in the sands,” U.S.…
Santa Margarita-area man charged for starting Hill Fire
San Luis Obispo County prosecutors have filed charges against a Santa Margarita-area man for allegedly starting the Hill Fire last June that destroyed three homes. David Lynn Macagni, 75, was charged with a misdemeanor count of “recklessly causing a fire of a structure or forest” by the SLO County District Attorney’s Office, based on an…
Tweet this
Guess what everyone? Cal Poly almost closed campus on Feb. 21 due to a threat on social media that referenced the possibility of a shooter at the university. The university sent out a couple of emergency notifications—aka Poly Alerts, a cool name for “THIS IS AN EMERGENCY.” On Feb. 20, an alert notified the campus…
The Community Foundation of San Luis Obispo County celebrates 20 years of local charitable giving
For 30 years, The Community Foundation of San Luis Obispo County has been giving back to its community with a goal of empowering its future. Erin McCall, the communications and program associate, said the foundation was established to provide financial support through a permanent endowment. With that fund, the foundation is able to support local…
Social media sound off
New Times readers took to Facebook to share their opinion about our Feb. 15 story, “YouTuber mulls legal action after Morro Bay police chief run-in.”
Whitney Rose plays feminist countrypolitan on Feb. 28 at SLO Brew
When singer-songwriter Whitney Rose was just 2 years old, she’d already found her calling. She’d sing Hank Williams’ classic “There’s a Tear in My Beer” to patrons at her grandparents’ Prince Edward Island bar, Union Hall. Now the 31-year-old plays what she calls “Countrypolitan music”—think ’60s girl group meets honky-tonk feminism. She’ll play SLO Brew…
Sidecar’s Tiki Tuesday is made for modern times
Car’s waiting Tiki drink, take me away! Sidecar Cocktail Co. is located at 1127 Broad St. in downtown San Luis Obispo and offers brunch, bar plates, dinner, and bar catering. Tiki Tuesday is held every Tuesday from 6 p.m. to close ($20 gets you a glass and a drink; bring ’em back on Tuesday for…
Floral feasting
Shot of spring: Spring pea soup shooters, diver scallop crudo, and Happy Acres goat cheese and strawberries? Farmstead Kitchen Catering is cooking up spring-a-licious food as fresh as a daisy. March 24 marks the new business’s first winemaker dinner with Four Lanterns Winery in Paso Robles. You can also find these fresh flavors at Eberle…
‘Black Panther’ tackles complicated cultural issues via an entertaining romp
BLACK PANTHER What’s it rated? PG-13 What’s it worth, Anna? Full price What’s it worth, Glen? Full price Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre, Sunset Drive-In, Stadium 6, Galaxy, Park Co-writer/director Ryan Coogler helms this story about T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), a newly crowned king of the technologically advanced but isolationist country of Wakanda, who finds his…
SLO Children’s Museum offers Korean Rice Art workshop for kids
Rice is more than just food; in Korea it’s a symbol of life and prosperity. In honor of the Winter Games currently going on in PyeongChang, the San Luis Obispo Children’s Museum will host two Korean Rice Art Workshops on Feb. 24 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Young artists will investigate different types of…
Sip, twirl
Zins have more fun: Mark your calendars for March 16 through 18, when Vintage Paso Zinfandel Weekend uncorks across Paso Robles. This three-day celebration features more than 100 wineries, a zin seminar, and the Z After Party, pairing zinfandel with live jazz (go to pasowine.com for tickets and details) … Rangeland Wines has opened a…
Guilty Pleasures: Street Fighter
When? 1994 What’s it rated? PG-13 Where’s it available? DVD I’ve found that the easiest way to defend my admiration for 1994’s Street Fighter is by bringing the 2009 reboot, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, into the conversation. “Oh yeah, that one was way worse.” Of course that’s no way to prove the former…
Learn to weave with Alexa Talbert
Learn the age-old craft of weaving with Alexa Talbert on Feb. 27 at the Weaving Workshop. Held at Zest It Up in Atascadero from 6 to 8 p.m., the event will teach attendees to work with natural fibers and create beautiful works of art for their homes and offices. Each attendee will be provided with…
BBQ and Bitters
Smoked and brined: 24 years after opening its first location on Monterey Street, MO’s Smokehouse BBQ has become a true area icon for down-home meaty goodness. After a year of renovations, that historic locale has finally reopened to the public! Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 11 a.m. to 10…
Film Listings, 2/22/18 – 3/1/18
ANNIHILATION What’s it rated? R Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre, Stadium 10, Galaxy, Park New Based on Jeff VanderMeer’s best-selling Southern Reach Trilogy, Annihilation stars Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, Tuva Novotny, and Oscar Isaac. A biologist (Portman) signs up for a dangerous, secret expedition where the laws of nature don’t…
Explore abstract painting with Krista Harris
Take a dive into the world of abstract painting with artist Krista Harris at the Art Center Morro Bay on March 7 through 9. Harris will lead the Explorations of Abstract Painting workshop from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Open to both beginning and intermediate students, this workshop is an authentic and creative…
The show must go on
The Pewter Plough Playhouse in downtown Cambria is one of those old spots dripping with authenticity you just cannot fake, no matter how much reclaimed barn wood you might have on hand. If you’ve never stepped inside for a show—or smelled the slightly musty odor of ancient curtains and creaky theater chairs—I feel you’re truly…
PCPA delivers powerful production of Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible”
See the play The Pacific Conservatory Theater (PCPA)’s production of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible runs through March 4 at the Marian Theater, located at 800 S. College Dr., Santa Maria. More info: (805) 922-8313 or boxoffice@pcpa.org. When watching a play like The Crucible, now more than 65 years old, one wonders what playwright Arthur Miller…
