Cover Story
Finding refuge: The Collinses came to SLO after their house was destroyed by the Palisades Fire
Author Sheldon Collins lived in Los Angeles County for the majority of his life, until 48 hours after one of the most destructive fires in California history burned down his home. “We left by around noon, and the fire actually completely tore through our entire mobile home park, burned 151 homes by 5:30 p.m. that…
After the Morro Bay Planning Commission denied a project for a new hotel and shopping, City Council approved the project with revisions
Morro Bay’s Embarcadero could get a bit funkier after the City Council approved a new building that includes a hotel and retail space. As envisioned by Paul Gillan, owner of Associated Pacific Constructors, Inc., the proposed angled and colorful buildings would enhance the waterfront with walkways and pocket parks that connect the buildings to nearby…
Arroyo Grande updates their wireless telecommunications facilities ordnance after recent outcry
Arroyo Grande decided it’s time to update its 7-year-old city ordinance on wireless telecommunication facilities a few months after protests from Sunset Terrace residents over a proposed 55-foot-tall cell tower 100 feet from the mobile home park. Since the city’s last ordinance was adopted in 2017, staff said Arroyo Grande’s policies and procedures related to…
Sierra Club files appeal to protect buffer area in Phillips 66 refinery site
The remnants of Phillips 66’s Santa Maria Refinery on the Nipomo Mesa will be removed from 218 acres, but a Sierra Club appeal to protect a large buffer area stands in the way of complete demolition. “Placing a conservation easement on this land would greatly enhance the restoration efforts contemplated in the [draft environmental impact…
The Paso Robles school board reviewed reductions of staff amid its $5 million budget deficit
With a project $5 million budget deficit, the Paso Robles school board mulled potentially eliminating 47 staff administration positions at a meeting on Jan. 28. According to the staff presentation, most positions within the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District being cut are supervisors, classroom assistants, therapists, and paraeducators, among others. Assistant Superintendent of Business…
At Corazón Café, co-owner Sara McGrath is creating an inclusive arts community
Call for art Corazón Café is soliciting contributions to its second annual Chingonas (which means “badass” in Spanish) show, a collection of portraits of women, that will hang on March 2, with an opening reception scheduled for Friday, March 7 (6 to 8 p.m. as part of Art After Dark). The portraits can be of…
Miss Leo releases her new solo acoustic album, Middle Ridge, on Feb. 17, at Baywood’s Beerwood
When I listen to Miss Leo (née Lauren Williams) play live, I often wonder if her K-8 music students know how lucky they are to have such a talented teacher. She grew up in the Bay Area in a non-musical family that nonetheless nurtured her interests. She ended up on the Central Coast in 2015,…
SLO author Terry Sanville releases cold case mystery The Long Fall
Local author Terry Sanville recently added another book to his oeuvre. Cold case mystery The Long Fall begins when a tourist discovers the skeletal remains of two people on a steep mountainside overlooking Avalon, on Catalina Island, sending the island’s watch commander, Sgt. Paul Saldano, in search of answers. “How did the bones get there?”…
Local stone sculptor Salvatore Orlando holds demonstration at Art Center Morro Bay
Local stone sculptor Salvatore Orlando will demonstrate his artistry on Monday, Feb. 10, at the Art Center Morro Bay workroom (835 Main St.; 3 to 5 p.m.; free and open to the public). His announcement quotes Michelangelo, who once said, “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” Orlando…
Companion is a thought-provoking horror gem
COMPANION What’s it rated? RWhat’s it worth, Anna? Full priceWhat’s it worth, Glen? Full priceWhere’s it showing? Colony, Downtown Centre, Park, Stadium 10 First, it would be better for you to go into his movie cold, and we highly recommend you do, so stop reading and just go if you like clever, quirky, twisty horror…
Energy questions
The people of Moss Landing are experiencing what the people of Pajaro and Capitola have experienced before them. Three weeks after the catastrophic fire, news cameras and reporters are slipping away, they must deal with the aftermath while out of the spotlight. This past weekend, I stopped to see Kim Solano at the Haute Enchilada…
On Call offers a gritty look at police work
What’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2025 Where’s it showing? Amazon Prime Created by Tim Walsh and Elliot Wolf, this police procedural follows Long Beach Police Department veteran Traci Harmon (Troian Bellisario) as she trains her rookie partner, Alex Diaz (Brandon Larracuente). Harmon is a no-nonsense, by-the-book officer, which puts her at odds with old-school Sgt.…
The fundamental principle of journalism is accountability
In an era where misinformation spreads with alarming ease, fact-checking is an essential function of the media—not a form of sensationalism. While some critics dismiss media fact-checking as part of a theatricalized narrative, the reality is that holding other media outlets accountable is an obligation that should be respected and encouraged. There are several reputable…
Slingshot examines isolation and space madness
What’s it rated? R When? 2024 Where’s it showing? Multiple streaming platforms Mikael Håfström (Evil, 1408, Escape Plan) directs this psychological sci-fi thriller about a trio of astronauts—Capt. Franks (Laurence Fishburne), John (Casey Affleck), and Nash (Tomer Capone)—on a mission to Saturn’s moon, Titan, that requires several chemically induced hibernation cycles on the multi-year journey.…
Sensational restraint
Paso Robles City Manager Ty Lewis got his settlement. Albeit a crappy one. After denying his $2.2 million complaint with the city last August over an alleged hostile working environment Lewis said was caused by appointed—not elected—City Councilmember Chris Bausch and Bausch’s co-conspirators, Paso budged in January. Lewis received about $366,000. Sounds like a pittance.…
Shekamoo Grill embraces tradition and fusion to serve Persian flavors to San Luis Obispo
Satiate your palateCatch Shekamoo Grill on Thursday nights at the downtown SLO Farmers’ Market and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Friday through Monday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at SLO Ranch Farms and Marketplace. Visit 811 Froom Ranch Way, suite 140, or shekamoogrill.com to learn more. Blitzed onions squeezed until the…
Atascadero Charles Paddock Zoo welcomes two pairs of toco toucans and hyacinth macaws
It was a quiet afternoon at the Charles Paddock Zoo in Atascadero, until one of the zoo’s newest residents, a hyacinth macaw, let out a deep-toned laugh and said “hello.” Zookeeper Crystal Crimbchin said this colorful breed of bird is smart and loves to mimic the sounds it hears around the zoo grounds. “Hello” is…
SLOCOG picks Ventura Transit System proposal that halves Senior Go! rides
The San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG) chose a transit provider that’s based two counties away over a homegrown nonprofit to provide transport for senior citizens. But the public and county leaders are conflicted by the decision. “I live in a community that is majority seniors that heavily utilize these services,” Morro Bay Mayor…
Lucia Mar school board’s newest member wants to focus on parental rights and financial improvements
Beating out a 12-year incumbent, Lucia Mar Unified School District board’s newest member, Mike Fuller, said he brings something that’s lacking to the dais: a different point of view. Fuller’s win over Vicki Meagher, a teacher in the district for 38 years who prided herself on being pro-teacher and pro-student, was closer than Fuller thought…
