Cover Story
Subtle inhalation: Tobacco prevention specialists are worried electronic cigarettes are addicting a new generation
Youth vaping at a glance • E-cigarette use rose significantly among U.S. middle and high school students between 2011 and 2017. While only 1.5 percent of high school and 0.6 percent of middle school students reported using e-cigarettes in the 2011 National Youth Tobacco Survey, the 2017 survey found that 11.7 percent of high school…
It’s all about beers, nachos, and unfussy fun at Broad Street Public House
Your second living room Broad Street Public House is located at 3590 Broad St. in San Luis Obispo and is open 3 to 10 p.m. daily. For more information, find them on Facebook. Matt Cross knows his audience. As a former pastor, it was the youth; as a lifelong musician, it’s always the next person…
Of eggs and country
I don’t know if you guys have noticed or not, but we’re kind of falling apart over here. We’ve got employees all over SLO County who are either furloughed or being forced to work without pay, which is bullshit. Who wants to work without pay because their elected representatives have no capacity to understand what…
Los Osos church hosts poetry and meditation event
St. Benedict’s Episcopal Church in Los Osos hosts its Morning of Meditation and Art on Saturday, Feb. 2, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Poems will be read and art materials will be available for guests to use. No writing or art experience is necessary. Admission is free, but donations are accepted. Call (805) 528-0654…
Sound off
New Times readers took to Facebook to share their thoughts on our Jan. 17 news story, “SLO council denies residents’ appeal of Foothill development.”
‘If Beale Street Could Talk’ celebrates familial love and condemns racial injustice
IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK What’s it rated? R What’s it worth, Anna? Full price What’s it worth, Glen? Full price Where’s it showing? The Palm Writer-director Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) helms this story based on James Baldwin’s novel about Harlem woman Tish Rivers (KiKi Layne) trying to clear her fiancé, Alonzo “Fonny” Hunt (Stephan James),…
Native and African-American soul singer Martha Redbone performs Jan. 27 at the Spanos Theatre
It’s been a weird week in America. The government is still shut down because the president demands American taxpayers pay for a monument to his ego on our southern border. A group of supposedly “Christian” high school students from Covington High School—who were bused into Washington, D.C., to march and demand that women be forced…
Bingeable: Better Call Saul
When? 2015-present What’s it rated? TV-MA Where’s it available? Netflix, Amazon Prime, iTunes, YouTube, Google Play Prequels and sequels normally trigger big red flags in me. They seem to be, on the whole, made usually either as hollow cash cows or unwise attempts at rekindling the magic of an original movie or TV series. So,…
Paso Robles Art Association debuts In Motion show
Not so still life The Paso Robles Art Association’s latest show, In Motion, will be on display at Studios on the Park through Jan. 30. Visit studiosonthepark.org for more information. Sometimes Carma Coleman just lets her art take her whichever way the wind blows that day. So when the wind literally blew over her canvas…
Film Listings, 1/24/19 – 1/31/19
AQUAMAN What’s it rated? PG-13 What’s it worth? Full price Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre, Galaxy, Park, Stadium 10 Pick James Wan (Saw, Insidious, The Conjuring) directs this latest entry in the DC Extended Universe, Aquaman. The story centers on land dweller Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa), aka Aquaman, the rightful heir to the throne of…
SLO County libraries roll out Mobile MakerKits
Hands-on To put a hold on a Mobile MakerKit or for online tutorials on how to use them, visit slolibrary.org. With just the swipe of a library card, virtual reality devices can now come to the homes of San Luis Obispo County residents for free. While the library has offered cardholders access to open hours…
Eliminate the chemicals in everyday makeup and skin care with natural and CBD products
Pure relaxation Visit Jessica Blanco in Grover Beach for an all-natural holistic facial and/or makeup. She’s offering the most refreshing vibes around at Central Coast Beauties. Check out centralcoastbeauties.com for more information. Jessica Blanco, the owner of Central Coast Beauties, vividly remembers her abuelita (grandmother) creating homemade ointments and salves for the family with organic…
Morro Bay Art Association holds pastel painting workshop
The Morro Bay Art Association presents a soft pastel workshop series with award-winning artist Greg Trombly on Feb. 7, 14, and 21, from 1 to 4 p.m. each day, at Art Center Morro Bay. This course is designed to provide hands-on guidance to students and focuses on basic drawing and observation skills. Emphasis will be…
Ben Walther beat cancer, walked from California to Delaware, then biked home
In these tumultuous times, what if you could traverse the entire United States? Not in a RV. Not in a converted van. On foot. One after the other. Ben Walther doesn’t have to imagine it. He actually did it. Between May and November 2017, the Arroyo Grande native walked 3,600 miles from San Francisco to…
Foodie fun
Shrooming: This Feb. 8 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., get ready to learn about a bounty of succulent mushrooms! The SLO Botanical Garden will host a Mushroom Discovery Presentation taught by mushroom author and researcher Christian Schwarz, who will talk about mushrooms commonly found on the Central Coast (you’ll learn methods to identify numerous fungi…
North County Theatre Works presents Trifles
The North County Theatre Works’ production of Susan Glaspell’s one-act play, Trifles, opens Friday, Feb. 1, and shows through Sunday, Feb. 3, at the Templeton Performing Arts Center. This murder mystery covers various themes including isolation, morality, and gender roles. The show is directed by Catherine Kingsbury, and the cast includes Christine Miller, Jeff Davis,…
Raise a glass
Three cheers for Hope: The Paso Robles wine community recently recognized a man who has “exemplified the spirit of Paso Robles Wine Country with outstanding leadership and vision in promoting the region.” That dude? Austin Hope, president and winemaker of Hope Family Wines! He can now add “2018 Paso Robles Wine Industry Person of the…
Government shutdown hits SLO County
As the shutdown of the federal government reached 32 days with no end in sight, local government agencies and nonprofits are bracing for the long-term impacts. “It’s unprecedented on many levels,” Kevin Bumen, SLO County’s director of airports, said. Like the nation’s other airports, the shutdown affects both Transportation and Security Administration (TSA) employees and…
Flavors of Paso
How sweet it is: Leo Leo Gelato will open its first scoop shop at the downtown Paso Market Walk, which is currently under construction at 1803 Spring St. in Paso Robles … Speaking of industrial complexes brimming with tasty offerings, Paso Robles’ Tin City recently added a new plate to its diverse table of artisan…
Lucia Mar could increase the price of school lunches
Lucia Mar Unified School District’s Food Services department is proposing to raise the price of school meals almost a decade after its last increase. During a report presented at the Jan. 22 district board meeting, Director of Food Services Laurel Goins said the switch to locally sourced foods, an increase in labor costs, and the…
But first, ice cream
Keep your pajamas on and cancel that silly dentist appointment. Heck, cancel your whole damn day. It’s International Ice Cream for Breakfast Day! Yes, this is actually a thing. Wake up on the sweet side of the bed and visit any of three Doc Burnstein’s Ice Cream Labs on Saturday, Feb. 2, starting at 9…
Go-karts, mini golf coming to El Chorro Park this summer
While golfers lament the recent loss of nine holes at Dairy Creek Golf Course, families can look forward to new activities, like go-karting and miniature golf, at El Chorro Regional Park. SLO County officials are in the process of obtaining permits and bids for a new electric go-kart racing track and 18-hole miniature golf course…
Help when it’s needed
Something’s wrong when three strong-willed personalities have the ability to shut down an entire government and throw the world’s strongest economy into disarray. Sure, democracy is a messy way to run a country, and sure, Americans will always do the right thing after they’ve tried everything else. But this? Our government leaders tell 800,000 employees…
Morro Bay verifies Proposition 218 protest votes
The city of Morro Bay says that uncounted Proposition 218 protest votes would still not have been enough to change the outcome of the September 2018 vote to increase water and sewer rates. On Jan. 17, the city released the results of the verification and tabulation of all written protests related to the water reclamation…
To march or not to march
In January 2016, I joined my mom, cousins, and a couple of friends to do a march. I had never done this marching thing before, and I had little understanding of why I was marching at all. I knew we were mad at the sudden sanction of misogynistic, racist, hypocritical, and altogether hurtful rhetoric. We…
Sheriff’s Office hires compliance officer
The SLO County Sheriff’s Office tapped a veteran correctional deputy to help ensure its jail is in compliance with the myriad policies and laws that govern the facility. Starting next month, Correctional Deputy Traci Kessler will begin her duties in the newly created position of Sheriff’s Compliance Officer. Kessler previously worked as a correctional deputy…
The danger of overcorrection
In response to Mr. Sanville’s opinion piece in New Times’ Jan. 17 edition (“Wanting pain to go away isn’t a crime”), yes, there are many legitimate needs for pain medications that I do not think many providers in today’s “ultra-sensitive-to-addiction” world consider when clients come to them for treatment of legitimate chronic pain. There are…
Palomar project moves forward after ruling on trespassing case
A 33-unit housing development in San Luis Obispo stymied by litigation recommenced construction after a SLO County Superior Court judge denied a neighbor’s request to halt the project for trespassing. Owners of a vacant parcel next to the project site at 71 Palomar Ave. filed the lawsuit in September, claiming the developer’s construction activities trespassed…
Let’s start a women’s parade
So there is another “women’s march” happening in SLO. Hey, I love women! I asked my wife what it is all about. She said there is no real message except they hate Trump. Well, my idea instead of a march is to make it a parade! We have Cal Poly, which has won several awards…
Los Osos chapter of Days for Girls works for worldwide menstrual health
On Saturday morning Jan. 12, the welcome center at the El Morro Church of the Nazarene is buzzing with the sound of sewing machines. The center is filled with big circular tables where women cut fabric, measure it, sew it, or sort it. At about six to seven stations total, each woman plays a vital…
More to do
I rejoice in the rain, but not everyone has the luxury to appreciate the much-needed wet weather. I’m thinking again of our homeless citizens, who may have nothing more than a sheet or overpass to keep them dry. I still see the young woman I met last year camped out near the creek. She spoke…
