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Park safely: CAPSLO partners with the city on sites where homeless individuals can legally park overnight and get access to other services
Less than six months after San Luis Obispo County opened a safe parking site near the county jail for people living in vehicles, the city of SLO and the Community Action Partnership of SLO (CAPSLO) rebooted the Railroad Square safe parking site. They’re hoping the new iteration of the program corrects its past mistakes. Before…
Residents concerned over North Morro Bay hillside
It happened more than two decades ago, but North Morro Bay resident Mel Honda still remembers that day clearly. “In the winter of ’95 we had a bunch of rain,” Honda said. “One day I woke up and the police were driving by, they were looking up at the hill. Towards the top there was…
Dealing with antisemitism
The last week of January was a good one to be a Jew in San Luis Obispo: Fiddler on the Roof was at the Performing Arts Center at Cal Poly, Marc Maron was at the Fremont, and there is even an ongoing exhibit of the history of Jewish life at the History Center of SLO…
SLO approves housing on Tank Farm Road
The San Luis Obispo City Council’s approval of 280 new housing units and 12,500 square feet of commercial space on Tank Farm Road on Feb. 1 had city leaders talking excitedly about the many changes coming to that part of town. Next up, they said, is the 332-acre, Chevron-owned property that encompasses the middle section…
Saldo family opens Saints Barrel Wine Bar in downtown SLO
Pop a cork For more information on Saints Barrel and its grand opening celebration Friday to Sunday, Feb. 4 to 6, visit saintsbarrel.com or follow the company via Facebook and Instagram @saintsbarrelslo. San Luis Obispo siblings Tyler and Sarah Saldo—along with their mother, Marian—are pulling out all the stops for the grand opening of their…
Low-income South County households could get free air purifiers
Caught in the convergence of wildfire smoke wafting in from throughout the state and dust blowing from the nearby dunes, some of southern San Luis Obispo County’s residents are about to receive a way to combat that air pollution. At the Jan. 26 Air Pollution Control District (APCD) meeting, the board of directors approved a…
Parallel Mothers is a stirring mix of female connectivity and Spanish political history
PARALLEL MOTHERS What’s it rated? R What’s it worth, Anna? Full price What’s it worth, Glen? Full price Where’s it showing? Galaxy, The Palm Writer-director Pedro Almodóvar (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, All About My Mother, The Skin I Live In) helms this story about two mothers—Janis (Penélope Cruz) and Ana (Milena…
SLO County’s still waiting for COVID-19 peak
In large urban areas like New York City and Los Angeles, COVID-19 cases have already passed their peaks—a respite after omicron brought about the sharpest upswing in cases seen in the pandemic thus far. But in more rural areas like the Central Coast, cases haven’t definitively reached the top of the roller coaster just yet.…
Cheer
What’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2020-present Where’s it showing? Netflix Released in early 2020, Cheer quickly became one of the famed pandemic megahits with households worldwide binge-watching Navarro College train and compete to win their division in Daytona. Season 2 is back with plenty more driven athletes, gravity-defying stunts, and inside drama as the world…
SLO County to launch mobile mental health crisis unit in North County for youth and young adults
San Luis Obispo County is gearing up to send more mental health professionals and fewer cops to crises. Thanks to $1 million in COVID-19 relief grants, SLO County Behavioral Health is establishing a Crisis Care Mobile Unit in North County, which will act as a first responder to mental health crises focused on people age…
Night Hunter
What’s it rated? R When? 2018 Where’s it showing? Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Vudu, and YouTube If you’re like me, you probably missed the Canadian crime thriller Night Hunter when it premiered at the LA Film Festival in 2018 under the name Nomis. Written and directed by David Raymond (The Other Man), the film had…
Studios on the Park mounts a playful new show, Sweet & Sour, hanging through Feb. 18
Interpret for yourself Sweet & Sour runs through Feb. 28 at Studios on the Park at 1130 Pine St. in Paso Robles, which is open to the public Sunday through Thursday from noon to 4 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from noon to 9 p.m. You can also see the work online at studiosonthepark.org/events/sweet-sour. Sugar…
New Atascadero exhibit showcases local artist Michelle Leigh Watson
Specs by Kyla in downtown Atascadero is showcasing artworks by Michelle Leigh Watson throughout the month of February. This solo exhibition will be highlighted during the Atascadero Chamber of Commerce’s next Art, Wine, and Brew tour, scheduled to take place on Friday, Feb. 11. Admission to the chamber event ranges from $20 to $25 in…
Oceano’s Great American Melodrama presents Muskie Love
The Great American Melodrama’s latest production, Muskie Love, is described as a modern take on William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. The show premiered at the end of January and is scheduled to run through Saturday, March 12. Performances are held every Wednesday through Sunday at various times. Muskie Love marks the Melodrama’s first production…
Art Central holds Valentine’s Day card contest
Art Central in San Luis Obispo is asking local crafters to submit photos of their own original Valentine’s Day cards for the chance to win a $25 gift certificate to the store. Two or more winners will be chosen, and all ages are welcome to participate. The deadline to enter is Sunday, Feb. 13. Visit…
There’s a whole heap of ska and reggae heading your way
As usual (sigh), let’s start with a disclaimer. Check with the venues to make sure shows are still a go. Sometimes musicians have to cancel at the last minute due to illness or COVID-19 exposure. That said, here’s what’s up this week. Bob Marley’s birthday is coming up this Sunday, Feb. 6, so maybe that’s…
Drilling blind
The Arroyo Grande Oil Field, 3 miles northeast of Pismo Beach and near the Price Canyon neighborhood, produces tar sands oil, some of the dirtiest petroleum in the world as measured by carbon emissions. A majority of the wells are within 3,200 feet of homes, and they are about to be joined by more. Oil…
At-large and in charge?
Ah, the tyranny of the majority. It’s a sweet spot to be in! You get to make all the rules and ignore minority opinions and desires. Except, in a genuine democracy, that’s not cool, man. Minorities also rightfully deserve representation. Even Declaration of Independence-writing, slave-snuggling third U.S. Prez Thomas Jefferson knew that, explaining in his…
SLO city seeks full ban on natural gas in new buildings
After deciding against a ban on natural gas in new buildings nearly two years ago, the San Luis Obispo City Council is changing course—signaling its support on Feb. 1 for a new, mandatory all-electric code that will come back to the council later this year for adoption. SLO’s original Clean Energy Choice Program, adopted in…
The California Voting Rights Act discouraged at-large elections when it was passed 20 years ago—Paso Robles school district is finally getting rid of them
A combination of legislation and litigation is encouraging—or rather, forcing—the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District to move to by-district elections for its board of trustees. But one trustee isn’t having it. “I think this whole thing is shady,” said Trustee Dorian Baker at the board’s Jan. 25 meeting. Given that the California Voting Rights…
Pismo Beach extends parklet program after contentious meeting
Restaurants in Pismo Beach can enjoy their pandemic-enabled parklet program well into the summer while city officials deliberate whether to make it permanent. After a conflicting and confusing meeting on Feb. 1, Pismo Beach City Council voted to extend the temporary restaurant parklet program to Sept. 30, with Councilmember Sheila Blake dissenting. Approved in August…
