Cover Story
Holiday Guide 2024
Don’t blink or the year might be over, and that ugly sweater in your closet won’t get to see the light of day! It’s time to revel in holiday spirit, whether you’re ready for it or not. Either way, we’ve got you. Our annual Holiday Guide is here to help you really celebrate this season,…
Full transparency
If you feel like it’s taking longer than usual to get final election results, you’re not alone. And you’re not wrong. The election canvass in San Luis Obispo County has been met with a mix of anticipation and frustration, as voters, candidates, and political observers alike wonder why the tallying process feels more drawn-out than…
Democrats are paying now for a 2020 deal with the devil
Many Democrats may not realize that their loss in 2024 was sealed by two Faustian bargains that they struck in 2020 to win that election. A “Faustian bargain” is, in its broadest sense, the making of a deal that promises immediate rewards, but at a painful cost that must be paid later. Going into the…
Sound and fury …
Whenever the publisher walks by my cubicle, I type faster. You know, really wail away, like I’m working super hard. Of course, what I’m typing is this: “Tkasd;kkjhhckjhs;kvh.” I look really busy, but I’m technically accomplishing nothing. Out in Morro Bay, the City Council is feverishly working to appear to have some semblance of control…
Dana Reserve gets final approval, construction date still unknown
Nov. 14 was a triumphant day for Dana Reserve developer Nick Tompkins, as the San Luis Obispo Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) gave his housing project one of the last go-aheads it needed despite the Nipomo Action Committee’s final attempts to stall it. “Reaching this stage is incredibly gratifying for everyone who has been part…
Morro Bay City Council discussed blocking future battery plant permits
Morro Bay’s Measure A-24 was passing, according to the most recent election results, as the City Council began discussing its options to potentially block any future battery plant permits. As of Nov. 14, 59 percent of voters approved A-24, 4 percent more than what’s required to pass. Although not explicitly stated in the ballot measure,…
OCSD doesn’t have the resources to help with Oceano Plaza upkeep, despite county’s request
The Oceano Community Services District (OCSD) is upset with San Luis Obispo County after it requested help to maintain the new Oceano Plaza, even though it’s not one of the district’s core responsibilities. “I’ve been talking for two years about sticking to our core functions: water, sewer, garbage, lighting, parking,” OCSD board member Shirley Gibson…
Odd international holiday traditions abound
Most of us likely have traditions we adhere to around the holidays. Decorate a Christmas tree, bake cookies (and leave some for Santa), hang stockings, drink eggnog, attend a parade, yada-yada-yada. You know the drill. You’re probably not surprised to learn that other cultures have their own holiday traditions, and sorry-not-sorry, but some of them…
Paso Robles implemented a new hotline to better address noisy neighbors
The Paso Robles short-term rental complaint hotline has a new phone number to improve addressing complaints about the city’s noisy, temporary neighbors. City Assistant Planner Lori Wilson said the change came after five years of issues with the city’s old hotline, first established under its Short-Term Rental Ordinance in 2019. “We’ve been operating with a…
Celebrate Gaelic tradition Samhain in SLO County with Goddess Temple Central Coast
Spiritual connection Visit goddesstemplecentralcoast.com to join Goddess Temple Central Coast’s spiritual community and keep up with events and offerings. Follow its founder and ceremonial priestess Charlotte Eléa Dovechild on Instagram @goddesstemplecentralcoast. Celebrating Day of the Dead in Los Angeles became the bridge for Paso Robles ceremonial priestess Charlotte Eléa Dovechild to further explore her ancestral…
Design company Buen Dia opens new downtown SLO coffee shop
Style and substance Find Buen Dia Coffee open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in The Creamery at 570 Higuera St., suite 190, San Luis Obispo. Visit buendiacoffee.co for more info. You may know Buen Dia as the print shop with modern and colorful illustrations, or the market that sells creatively branded boxes of…
Atascadero and SLO County unincorporated districts will receive 3CE renewable energy alongside PG&E services
Central Coast Community Energy (3CE) is expanding its services to the city of Atascadero and unincorporated areas throughout SLO County in January 2025, providing renewable energy to the entire Central Coast region. The locally controlled agency is dedicated to sourcing “clean and renewable electricity at responsible rates for customers throughout Monterey, San Benito, San Luis…
Rod & Hammer Rock hosts the New Times Music Awards showcase on Nov. 22
If you’re reading this, chances are you value the live music experience. You know the sensation of being in a crowd, feeling the energy and anticipation, listening to and watching players and singers pour their hearts and souls into a performance. It’s the magic of live music—a shared artistic, community-building experience. Considering the size of…
Red One obnoxiously mashes superhero and Christmas tropes
RED ONE What’s it rated? PG-13What’s it worth, Cori? MatineeWhat’s it worth, Glen? MatineeWhere’s it showing? Colony, Downtown Centre, Park, Stadium 10, Sunset Drive-In Editor’s note: Anna Starkey was camping in Death Valley last weekend, so Glen tapped his hair stylist and favorite stand-up comic, Cori Ramsey, to co-write this week’s review. Jake Kasdan (Orange…
Brookshire Farms brings real Christmas trees to the central coast each year, despite undependable conditions
Trees for years Brookshire Farms opens Nov. 29 at 4747 Los Osos Valley Road in SLO and the Paso Robles Fairgrounds parking lot in Paso. To learn more about the trees and services provided at Brookshire Farms, visit brookshirefarms.com. From countless challenges that threaten each year’s harvest to mounting financial pressures in an ever-changing economy,…
Janet Planet
What’s it rated? PG-13 When? 2023 Where’s it showing? HBO Max Eleven-year-old Lacy (Zoe Ziegler) lives in rural Massachusetts with her mother, Janet (Julianne Nicholson), an offbeat acupuncturist who stumbles from one romantic situation to another until she tires of them. This quietly ambitious film is a meandering love story of a mother and daughter…
From being an elf to cheering on racers, holiday-based volunteering opportunities are abundant on the Central Coast
For some, the holiday spirit revolves around giving back to their community. Luckily for those who carry these beliefs or for those who want to begin a new tradition, the Central Coast is offering some fun, festive volunteering opportunities this holiday season. Have you ever walked by Mission Plaza in San Luis Obispo during the…
Red Right Hand
What’s it rated? Not rated When? 2024 Where’s it showing? Hulu Siblings Eshom and Ian Nelms (Small Town Crime) co-direct this action thriller asking, “Is violence ever justified?” The answer is heck yeah! Cash (a jacked Orlando Bloom) is living quietly after extracting himself from a gang run by crime maven Big Cat (a deliciously…
Après ski in SLO County with apparel, drinks, and dancing
Surfing Santa Two Paso Robles bars are hosting holiday celebrations this year from Nov. 15 to Dec. 31. Try festive drinks at Sippin’ Santa at Cane Tiki Room—1240 Park St., canetikiroom.com. And enjoy celebratory cocktails during Miracle at 1122 Cocktail Lounge—1122 Pine St., eleven-twentytwo.com. Libertine Brewing in downtown SLO is holding a Punk Rock Ugly…
New program provides emergency access to opioid overdose-reversal medicine across San Luis Obispo County
Data from the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Coroner’s Office shows that out of 116 overdose deaths in the county last year, 86 were linked to opioids. To tackle the ongoing opioid crisis facing the community, the San Luis Obispo County Behavioral Health Department established the NaloxBox program, which provides free access to overdose-reversal kits.…
New Los Osos gallery Casa Ramos shows the work of John Ramos and other local artists
Welcome to the neighborhood Open seven days a week from noon to 6 p.m., new art gallery Casa Ramos is located at 1034 Los Osos Valley Road, Los Osos. The gallery will host a grand opening on Dec. 7 from 4 to 8 p.m. Nostalgic memories of past places and experiences hang on the wall…
Advocate, engage
Eight years ago this month, I was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives on the same night that Donald Trump was first elected president. I have reflected a lot on that night these past few weeks, remembering the complicated feelings I had confronting the reality of his unexpected win along with my own—which, as…
Local dance studios bring Diane Rose Zink’s The Nutcracker to life at Arroyo Grande’s Clark Center
Everybody Can DANCE and the Santa Maria Civic Ballet present their annual collaborative production of The Nutcracker, choreographed by Diane Rose Zink, at the Clark Center for the Performing Arts in Arroyo Grande on Saturday, Nov. 30, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 1, at 3 p.m. As the show’s artistic director, Zink has helmed…
