We passed Proposition 50 legally
I would like to inform John Donegan (“The ideological spirit of California Supreme Court Justice Rose Bird lives on with Proposition 50,” Dec. 18) that the only reason we in California needed Proposition 50 is because of Trump insisting on illegal gerrymandering in Texas and other states. At least we did it legally! Jacqueline Claire…
Freedom is peace,and peace is freedom
Peace. We all seek peace. In our lives. In our families. Among our friends and neighbors. In our country, and in the world. But we may ask ourselves, “Is peace even attainable?” And, “Is there anything I can do to bring peace into my life and into the world?” Deep down we know that peace…
Sustainable care should include vegan meals
A new hospital at UC Irvine is opening its doors—an all-electric landmark, the largest of its kind in the nation, and a beacon of what sustainable care can look like. And yet, there’s one more step that could make this visionary project even more aligned with its mission of healing: offering only vegan meals. Nothing…
Why are we still running over plovers?
On March 18, 2021, the California Coastal Commission made the historic decision that off-road vehicles must be removed from Oceano Dunes, because off-road vehicle use jeopardizes one of the world’s rarest coastal ecosystems and endangered wildlife (not to mention harming local public health and air quality). Four years later, the court struck down the Coastal…
A look at 2025’s big SLO County headlines
This past year was full of headlines about the Trump administration, federal job cuts, and increased immigration enforcement. But through all of that national news, San Luis Obispo County was still humming along, impacted by the new federal polices and national politics and continuing with business as usual. The biggest, most consistent headlines were about…
Orange shower
Dear 2025, don’t let the door hit you on your ass on the way out. You will be remembered as the year the culture wars came home to roost. While trickle-down economics is demonstrably fake news, trickle-down intolerance is real, leading to trickle-down fear and uncertainty. The fish rots from the head down, and there’s…
Paso Robles yoga studio blends fitness and emotional well-being
After confronting the emotional limits of her work as a trauma therapist, Victoria Hamilton chose a different approach to helping others. The result was The Well Studio, a yoga and wellness studio in Paso Robles designed around movement, regulation, and community. Opened in August 2024, the studio combines fitness and mental health principles. Founded by…
SLO City Council removes HASLO commissioner over safety concerns, racism allegation
Allegations of racism, overstepping boundaries, lying about her role, and using pepper spray on a visitor snowballed into the undoing of a Housing Authority of San Luis Obispo (HASLO) tenant commissioner. The SLO City Council unanimously approved removing HASLO Tenant Commissioner Nancy Welsh from her position at a special meeting on Dec. 15. Council members…
Kula Hawaiian Kitchen in Atascadero delivers elevated island comfort
When Chris and Ayako Williams set their sights on San Luis Obispo County, they were living in Las Vegas and looking for a small town to move to where they could buy a winery and set themselves up for retirement. Find your comfortKula Hawaiian Kitchen is located at 6200 El Camino Real in Atascadero. It’s…
Atascadero parents call for action over safety, staffing concerns at San Benito Elementary
Parents at San Benito Elementary School are calling for action following months of alleged safety concerns that they say stem from insufficient staffing and behavioral support for a student with significant needs. “Many of us have been deeply concerned about the ongoing safety issues at San Benito, especially with repeated physical and verbal incidents involving…
During a slow live music week, Morro Bay’s The Siren keeps the shows coming
The holidays always seem to slow the live music scene to a trickle, but The Siren in Morro Bay keeps the beat flowing. The Industry kicks the week off on Friday, Jan. 2 (7:30 to 10:30 p.m.; 21-and-older). This Central Coast cover act plays music from the 1980s through the 2000s in a mix of…
Arroyo Grande City Council discusses future of commercial cannabis
A local cannabis tax ballot measure may appear on future municipal ballots in Arroyo Grande, changing the landscape for commercial cannabis activity, which isn’t currently allowed in the city. “I just want to reassure folks that responded to the survey, … if they’re worried about a safety issue here,” City Councilmember Kate Secrest said at…
SLO County’s art scene remains as vibrant as ever
Last year’s biggest arts news is San Luis Obispo Repertory Theatre’s (SLO REP) new theater that will soon be under construction in front of the new parking structure at the corner of Monterey and Nipomo streets and the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art’s (SLOMA) impending expansion onto Higuera Street in three units in The…
Templeton Library wants a new funding model using taxpayer dollars
Templeton’s roughly 3,000 residents pay hundreds of thousands of dollars each year in county library taxes but none of that money supports the town’s own library. Instead, the independently operated Templeton Library is facing a budget shortfall as it continues to operate without county funding, according to Melinda Reed, president of the Templeton Community Library…
Cal Poly Arts announces its year-end stats, endowment initiative
If you’ve attended a show at Cal Poly at either the Performing Arts Center or the Spanos Theatre, chances are it was thanks to Cal Poly Arts, an organization that mounts public performances for the community’s enjoyment, but it does a lot more than book performances. In 2025, its programming reached 30,000 people. In local…
Standup comic Steven Farmer plays Humdinger Brewing on Jan. 14
Austin, Texas-based comedian, filmmaker, actor, and author Steven Farmer is bringing his standup routine to Humdinger Brewing’s SLO Taproom on Wednesday, Jan. 14 (8 to 9:30 p.m.; $20 general or $30 VIP front row tickets linked at stevenafarmer.com). “After finally escaping Arkansas with a theater degree from an agricultural school, he began his journey in…
Goodbye June is a somewhat cloying but tender family drama
In her directorial debut, Kate Winslet brings her son Joe Andres’ story to life about four semi-estranged siblings reuniting over their mother’s illness over the Christmas holiday. Failure-to-launcher Connor (Johnny Flynn) lives at home with his mum and dad, June (Helen Mirren) and Bernie (Timothy Spall), and a couple of weeks before Christmas, June takes…
Hollywood Con Queen follows stranger than fiction true story of a con artist
I listened to the podcast Chameleon: Hollywood Con Queen when it came out a few years ago, so when I saw the title flash across our “New on Apple TV” screen, I knew I wanted to watch it even if I knew the ins and outs. This docuseries interviews many victims of the person who defrauded…
Avatar: Fire and Ash is visually stunning but nothing new plot-wise
Director and co-writer James Cameron returns with this third installment in his Avatar franchise, and I’ll start by saying it’s absolutely visually stunning but absolutely derivative in its storytelling. All three Avatar films—Avatar (2009), Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), and this new one—have the same plot. Humans have destroyed their planet and are now…
SLOMA’s future should include the community that started it
We read with interest your San Luis Obispo Museum of Art (SLOMA) into the future article (“SLOMA is raising funds for an audacious expansion,” Dec. 18). As you noted, the museum has a long and complex origin story. However, an important part of that history was overlooked. Before the changes made in 2011, many local…
The liberal arts add color to the human experience
Thank you for publishing so many letters and opinions regarding the budget cuts that were proposed (and now approved) for the music program(s) in our public schools. Without a child who will be directly affected by these cuts, I failed to express my strong feelings on the matter. However, Jennifer Martin, director of instrumental music…
