Holiday Guide 2020
San Luis Obispo County’s News and Entertainment Weekly. There are plenty of ways to celebrate the season, and we’ve got a handful ready for you in this year’s annual Holiday Guide.
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Holiday Guide 2020: Find hope, tips for having hard conversations, local feasting options, and more
It’s going to be a strange holiday season, with limited, socially distanced, outside gathering recommended for normally boisterously big family get-togethers. But don’t let COVID-19 get you down. There are plenty of ways to celebrate the season, and we’ve got a handful ready for you in this year’s annual Holiday Guide. Find out how to…
SLO County breaks voter turnout record for Nov. 3 election
San Luis Obispo County certified its Nov. 3 election on Nov. 25, announcing a record-high voter turnout and putting several close races to bed. More than 88 percent of SLO County’s 184,050 registered voters cast ballots this year—both set local records. Nearly 95 percent of voters voted by mail amid the pandemic, which is also…
SLO Hotline for mental health gets a boost from Verdin Marketing
For six years Verdin Marketing has held the 24-Hour Give, rebranding a nonprofit for free in 24 hours. However, in the spirit of a year that has called for change, the marketing firm is pivoting to raise awareness about local mental health services. In partnership with the Transitions-Mental Health Association, the marketing firm is developing…
Greasy, slimy, gopher guts
Forty-seven hundred bucks doesn’t go as far as it used to, especially when you’re greasing the palms of unctuous local politicians. Thanks to the passage of AB 571 local races now default to the statewide cap on individual campaign donations, which the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) is raising from $4,700 to a cool…
SLO County’s new $25,000 campaign donation limit among highest in state
Despite a torrent of public opposition decrying money’s influence in politics, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors pushed ahead on Nov. 20 to adopt a new $25,000 per donor cap on campaign contributions to county candidates—one of the highest among California counties. Rushed to pass before a new state law—AB 571—takes effect next…
SLO city awards eight grants to nonprofits working on diversity, equity, and inclusion
At the height of the Black Lives Matter movement this summer, the San Luis Obispo City Council committed $120,000 to help boost diversity and equity programs at various local organizations. After assembling a task force to prioritize the use of those funds, on Nov. 17, the city finalized eight grants that will aid community work…
Gulls at Bayshore Village declared a nuisance, again
Gulls continue to wreak havoc on the condominium units at Bayshore Village in Morro Bay, and as a result, the city of Morro Bay declared the animals a menace and danger to the safety and public health of residents, which allows residents to remove them. Morro Bay city staff received a request in September from…
‘Tis the season for PCPA’s first virtual cabaret production, Home for the Holidays
Just keep streaming Find out more about Home for the Holidays (scheduled to stream on Saturday, Dec. 12, starting at 6 p.m.) and other updates from the Pacific Conservatory Theatre (PCPA) at pcpa.org. Last November, I fondly remember sitting in the Marian Theatre in Santa Maria watching Yusef Seevers steal the show as Sebastian in…
Próxima Parada and Amytra—both featuring Cal Poly grads—release uplifting songs for the Thanksgiving holiday
Thanksgiving means family gatherings, but this year we’re being encouraged to steer clear of large parties, avoid travel, and basically hunker down with those we live with and don’t go anywhere. It’s downright depressing, but leave it to some Cal Poly grads to turn your frown upside down. Both Próxima Parada, a local blue-eyed soul…
SLO Symphony welcomes Emily Lanzone as its new Concertmaster
The San Luis Obispo Symphony announced that Emily Lanzone will be its new concertmaster, following the recent resignation of former Concertmaster Brynn Albanese, who held the position for the past three seasons. “It has become clear to me during the past eight months that my musical life is heading in a very different direction,” Albanese…
Gallery at Marina Square showcases drawings and paintings by Morro Bay artist Don Doubledee
As part of its December exhibition, Gallery at Marina Square in Morro Bay will showcase drawings and paintings by Morro Bay-based artist Don Doubledee, Dec. 1 through 29. According to the gallery, Doubledee has been drawing nearly his entire life. A graduate of Cal Poly’s architecture program, Doubledee has lived in Morro Bay since 1970…
Vinyl Nation explores the subculture of record collecting
VINYL NATION What’s it rated? Not rated What’s it worth, Anna? Full price What’s it worth, Glen? Full priceWhere’s it showing? Virtual screening starting Dec. 4, 7 p.m., until Dec. 6 at midnight, through the SLO International Film Festival via goelevent.com/SLOFILMFEST/e/VinylNation Directors Christopher Boone and Kevin Smokler take viewers on an exploration of the resurgence…
Trial 4
What’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2020 Where’s it showing? Netflix In 1993, Sean Ellis was a 19-year-old living in Boston and staring down the barrel of a life sentence for the killing of officer John Mulligan, a cop who was gunned down while he dozed in his car while on security duty. In Trial 4,…
Treadstone
What’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2019 Where’s it showing? Hulu If you’re familiar with Robert Ludlum’s spy novels or the Matt Damon films about Jason Bourne, a fictional spy suffering from amnesia, then you know that Treadstone is the secret CIA black ops program that trained highly efficient operatives to carry out clandestine assassinations. This…
A-Town Humble Pies started as a way to get to know people, but it’s become so much more
Get a slice Follow A-Town Humble Pies on Instagram (@atownhumblepies) to see what they’re baking and where they’re taking it. You can find them at the Los Osos, Morro Bay, Atascadero, Templeton, and Paso Robles farmers’ markets. To order whole pies, visit atownhumblepies.com or call (805) 792-4310. Straus Family Creamery butter, Bob’s Red Mill flour,…
SLO County spiritual leaders ask community to keep hope and faith during the holiday season
Sometime in between worrying about COVID-19, the election, work, family, and the holidays, Rabbi Micah Hyman wants you to do one more thing. Breathe. “It’s so important, feeling the fullness of breath, trusting the air around you,” said Hyman, the rabbi and executive director at SLO Hillel, a hub for Jewish life at Cal Poly.…
SLO County mental health specialists share insights on communicating holiday plans with loved ones; residents share their experiences
Normally, the holiday season is all about reuniting with family and friends, but this year is anything but normal. With COVID-19 cases on the rise, the San Luis Obispo County Department of Public Health is urging residents who do choose to gather this year to do it responsibly and keep it brief, outside, small, and…
Post-Halloween and holiday season surge in COVID-19 cases forces schools to rethink reopening plans
There’s been a lot of flexibility required of Katie Morris and her family since schools closed at the onset of the pandemic in March. With local cases of COVID-19 currently surging and concerns about rates worsening amid the holiday season, it doesn’t look like things will get easier anytime soon. Morris, a Grover Beach resident,…
It takes a village
A lot of attention is being paid to the issue of homelessness in SLO County right now. On a very positive note, a 150-unit motel is being converted in Paso Robles to provide both permanent and temporary housing and resources to North County residents. That’s a start. But in the South County, around 75 homeless…
Canceled holiday travel plans got you down? Local food and drink attractions can bring you back up this winter season
Although holiday feasting may look different this year, the foodies of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties are bringing creative cheer this season to keep everyone jolly and, most importantly, well fed. A side of history The History Center of San Luis Obispo County is taking a page out of Santa Maria’s historical cookbook…
Close the dunes, again
Never in our lifetime have we faced a health crisis as we are in now. Getting back to “normal” clearly will not be happening for a long time. Since the county has reverted to purple, concrete action is being taken to limit the number and sizes of gatherings. Given all of the closure mandates in…
Conscience extinguished
When George Washington was 14, he copied out 110 Rules of Civility considered foundational to the development of personal character. The 110th rule was: “Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire called conscience.” If only our elected leaders today followed the same maxim that guided our first president! Sadly,…
Only egregious curfew offenders will face repercussions in SLO County
In response to the state’s limited stay-at-home order that went into effect on Nov. 21 for purple tier counties, San Luis Obispo County law enforcement officials say they’ll only take appropriate action against egregious violators. The county reverted back to the purple tier in the state’s reopening guidelines due to an increase in positive COVID-19…
