Cover Story
Winners and losers: SLO County supervisors are hoping new rules for the Paso Robles water basin will give smaller farmers more flexibility
When given a chance, San Luis Obispo County 5th District Supervisor Debbie Arnold is eager to talk about the flaws she sees in the county ordinance governing water use in the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin. Arnold finds it inherently unfair. In 2013, amid drought and dried-up wells, the Board of Supervisors essentially banned any new…
SLO County gets $7.7 million from FEMA for COVID-19 vaccine clinics
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced Feb. 4 that it’s granting San Luis Obispo County at least $7.7 million to help cover the costs associated with the county running its recently opened COVID-19 vaccinations clinics. FEMA’s funds will support county clinics at the Paso Robles Event Center, Cuesta College, and Arroyo Grande High School—which…
Paso Robles residents might see sewer rate increase
Paso Robles residents could see an increase in sewer rates due in part to the Templeton Community Services District no longer needing the city’s wastewater treatment services. At the Feb. 2 Paso Robles City Council meeting, the council directed staff to bring back rate proposal options to the Feb. 16 meeting that could help close…
Los Alamos residents still worried about impacts of proposed parcel split
Despite Santa Barbara County’s recent attempts to assuage Los Alamos residents’ concerns about a proposed parcel split on an empty lot on Main Street, many are still concerned about the potential for traffic congestion. At a community Zoom meeting on Jan. 28, 3rd District Supervisor Joan Hartmann and county staff addressed questions regarding an application…
Lompoc community leaders discuss gang prevention
Following a week of increased violence in Lompoc, a group of gang intervention and prevention stakeholders came together for a virtual crime forum on Feb. 1 to answer questions from the community and give updates on their work. “This is an opportunity for our police chief and some of our community members to communicate what’s…
Freedom lovers
Don’t you just love America? Land of the free where you can say and do almost anything that you want to and other people can, too. Land of the free, who more often than not vote with their wallets in this free(ish) market economy of ours. Well, Stacy Korsgaden—who unsuccessfully ran for office against late…
Use local sea glass to create your own necklaces with Creative Me Time’s take-home workshop
On Monday, Feb. 22, Creative Me Time will host a pickup date for its upcoming take-home workshop, Sea Glass Resin Necklaces, at the Centennial Park parking lot in Paso Robles, from 6 to 7 p.m. Participants of this class will customize three of their own unique necklaces using various materials. Each kit is $40 and…
Halcyon Store and Post Office to close on March 15
Sandra Strohman has worked at the Halcyon Store and Post Office off and on since she first moved to the Oceano area more than 30 years ago. The store has served varying purposes since its inception in the early 1900s, at one time operating as a library, gas station, and money order purchasing business all…
SLO’s iconic Thursday night farmers’ market won’t be back anytime soon, but others in the county are still up and running
Every week F. McLintocks would spend roughly two days and use three full-time employees to prepare for San Luis Obispo’s Thursday night farmers’ market. The local saloon is famous for its showy barbecue booth, and at every Thursday market it serves up hot, juicy food to between 1,100 and 2,000 guests in just a few…
Biden lifts Trump ban on transgender military service
The Biden administration’s repeal of the controversial Trump-era ban on transgender individuals serving in the U.S. military on Jan. 25 gives many hope, including Central Coast resident Blaine Walters, who has been trying to join the military for the past four years. Walters has a family history of service in the U.S. Armed Forces, including…
Oceano drainage project a success, help still needed at lagoon
A recently completed drainage project aimed at limiting flooding on Highway 1 in Oceano proved successful during recent rains, but some Oceano residents say there’s still work to be done. The Oceano Drainage Improvement Project is aimed at minimizing the frequency and severity of flooding on high-traffic roads neighboring the intersection of Highway 1 and…
The Cambria Film Festival
What’s it rated? Various When? Feb. 4 through 7 Where’s it showing? Online at cambriafilmfestival.com Now in its fourth year, The Cambria Film Festival returns Thursday, Feb. 4, through Sunday, Feb. 7, presenting independent films from around the world. This year’s focus is on “romance, romantic comedies, and the complexities of love,” according to press…
Essential farmworkers still lack access to COVID-19 assistance
It’s been nearly 11 months since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, and the virus continues to exacerbate existing vulnerabilities in farmworker communities. Farmworker advocates say that as the health crisis continues, its impacts have only intensified workplace inequalities and economic burdens, household and community-level stress, and even more disparate access…
The Little Things
What’s it rated? R When? 2021 Where’s it showing? HBO Max Writer-director John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side) helms this crime drama about two cops in search of a serial killer in 1990. Denzel Washington stars as Joe “Deke” Deacon, formerly a Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department detective who fell from grace and landed as a…
Carbajal bills fight oil and gas drilling
Two bills recently introduced by U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) would restrict oil and gas developments on the Central Coast if passed, which the congressman believes will pave the way for a local renewable energy economy. The California Land Protection Act, introduced by Carbajal alongside Central Coast colleagues on Jan. 25, would block new…
Morro Bay mayor volunteers to administer COVID-19 vaccines in SLO County
From the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, John Headding, mayor of Morro Bay, found ways to give back to his community as an elected official and as a resident of the county. When the San Luis Obispo County Health Department began gearing up for a potential surge in positive COVID-19 cases last March, it ordered…
The White Tiger explores India’s caste system
THE WHITE TIGER What’s it rated? R What’s it worth, Anna? Full price What’s it worth, Glen? Full price Where’s it showing? Netflix Adapted from Aravind Adiga’s 2008 novel and written for the screen and directed by Ramin Bahrani (Man Push Cart, Fahrenheit 451), The White Tiger follows low-caste Indian striver Balram Halwai (Adarsh Gourav),…
Matt Kettmann and Macduff Everton go behind the scenes of regional winemaking with new book, Vines & Vision
Grab a copy Find out more about Vines & Vision: The Winemakers of Santa Barbara County at vinesandvisionsb.com. You can order your own copy direct from the website, or peruse the list of Central Coast wine shops, bookstores, and other retailers and organizations that carry copies of the book. A sweeping landscape of Bien Nacido…
Lexipol protects
The policies and regulations Port San Luis Harbor Patrol officers adhere to are updated constantly as federal, state, and local laws change for the protection of officers and the public. These policies do assist in protecting the officers from liability as well as the port, but, in addition, protect the public from overzealous officers. Port…
Domestic Tiger revamps itself as a trio and releases Night Brain
When Domestic Tiger (Facebook, Instagram) won best rock/alternative song in the 2019 NTMAs for “Salt,” it was an easy choice. The alt-rock act had all the earmarks of a ripping good band: tight musicianship, crafty songwriting, great vocals, and huge energy. I expected to see a lot more of them, but then the ‘rona came…
I want my flag back, too
I agree entirely with the outstanding opinion piece written by Diane W. Mayfield regarding the appropriation by the right of our national flag. (“I am a patriot,” Jan. 28.) For me, exhibitionist display of the flag became a symbol of political opinion that I did not share during the Vietnam War. We were told that…
Studios on the Park transforms their annual fundraising luncheon into an art party for your home
It’s a date For more information about the Sweet Art fundraiser or to purchase a bag for $100, call Studios on the Park at (805) 238-9800 or email sarah@studiosonthepark.org. Bags filled with art supplies, wine, wine glasses, a raffle ticket, and more can be picked up from noon to 4 p.m. Feb. 8 through 13.…
Flag on the field
To: Kay C. James, president, The Heritage Foundation Dear Ms. James, Thank you for offering me a “Don’t Tread on Me” Gadsden Flag in exchange for a donation of $35 or more to the Heritage Foundation. Your offer made me recall the Supreme Court case Minnesota Voters Alliance v. Mansky, which came about when a…
Cal Poly Music Department hosts webinar, Entrepreneurship in Music
Guest panelists and musicians David Cutler and Mark Tonelli will lead a free, virtual workshop, Entrepreneurship in Music, presented by the Cal Poly Music Department, on Thursday, Feb. 11, at 11 a.m. Cutler is currently the director of music entrepreneurship at the University of South Carolina, while Tonelli is an assistant professor of guitar and…
