Cover Story
Getting by: Helping the Central Coast’s working poor survive
Between the holiday good will and cold weather, winter is a time when the plight of the homeless population is on our collective consciousness—even in sunny San Luis Obispo. As the rainfall increases, warming shelters spring up across SLO County for the season. But inside apartments and houses across the Central Coast, a different kind…
Paso’s two fire chiefs leave the city
A month after the Paso Robles City Council heard a report that its emergency services department is severely understaffed, longtime Fire Chief Ken Johnson announced his retirement, effective March 2017. Johnson headed the department for 15 years. “Our department’s services are much improved from when I arrived thanks to the commitment of our community and…
Meaningful connections: Volunteers offer friendship to isolated seniors through Wilshire’s Caring Callers Program
At first, the two men didn’t quite know what to say to one another. The situation was a little uncomfortable—after all, they were essentially strangers. But after a few quiet minutes, Bill Harris, a recent retiree, found a topic that would break the ice with the 89-year-old man whose home he visited as part of…
Volunteers 2017
Throw out that resolution that’s all about you, and replace it with one that can affect somebody else’s life for the better. Not sure exactly where to put that compassionate caring to good use? New Times can give you a few suggestions in the annual Volunteers issue. Arts Editor Ryah Cooley profiled two people who…
SLO’s talking about banning plastic water bottles on city property, what do you think?
Heidi Rhys SLO resident “It’s something the city should have done a long time ago. I think it should be a countywide ban.” Collin Fitz-Gerald welder “It’s a step in the right direction but they should provide a solution like refillable canteen stations like the ones around Santa Cruz.” Anika Narula Cal Poly student “I’m…
Fresh air: Elephant seals and the volunteer docents who watch over them
Even on a blustery, wet, low-visibility day, tourists want to see the elephant seals at Piedras Blancas. It’s something that’s on many a Central Coast visitor’s to-do list, according to Friends of the Elephant Seals Docent Coordinator Lisa Harper Henderson. And right alongside those tourists huddled under umbrellas are volunteer docents bundled in telltale bright…
Bodega de Edgar’s 2015 Albariño and Oso Libre’s MV Carnal Red Rhone Blend
Ceviche, guac, and good conversation flowed during an early 2017 meetup of the minds at Fish Gaucho in Paso Robles. The more my friends and I sipped of this crisp white wine, the brighter our optimism shined. With refreshing acidity and happy-go-lucky tropical aromas, this cleansing albariño is all you need to wipe the slate…
Growing strong
Reap and sow: Grow grapes? You might want to attend an eight-part seminar on practical grape growing hosted by the Independent Grape Growers of the Paso Robles Area on Jan. 18. This free seminar will include advanced pruning strategies, growing cover crops for erosion control, and more (sign up by emailing president@iggrpa.com) … Want to…
OGG caramel cred: Sugar + Spoon caramels made just like great-granny did (minus the butter churning)
Adult rule for keeping your sanity: Don’t believe everything you see in Martha Stewart Living magazine. Like me, you probably find yourself throwing up your hands and exclaiming, “Who has the time?” when you come across glossy spreads showcasing make-your-own candy recipes. Baking cookies and cakes is one thing, but candy-making—and caramel wrestling—seems to be…
Rallying for unity: Local event supports Women’s March on Washington, D.C.
On Jan. 21, SLO County residents can support the Women’s March on Washington, D.C., by joining the Women’s March in San Luis Obispo. Dawn Addis is one of the organizers of the march; she said this event is supportive of all people who want to stand together for all rights. She saw that the Women’s…
Los Osos to get water conservation rebates, but who will fund it?
Los Osos residents hoping to cash in on rebates for outdoor water conservation measures to help restore the community’s troubled water source—the Los Osos Valley Groundwater Basin—will have to wait until uncertainty around funding is resolved. On Dec. 2, the Los Osos Basin Management Committee released a draft conservation plan that outlines eight water-saving measures…
Revolution: SLO progressives look to shake up the Democratic establishment
It’s hard to find a more demoralizing scene than the one that was supposed to be an election day victory party for the SLO County Democratic Party. What was initially slated to be a celebration for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s victory quickly soured as her opponent Donald Trump rode to an unexpected win, leaving…
Accusations fly in supes spat over Nipomo substation
The acrimony between members of the SLO County Board of Supervisors didn’t end with the divisive vote over who would serve as chairman. Supervisors Bruce Gibson (2nd District) and Adam Hill (3rd District) took 4th District Supervisor Lynn Compton to task over her involvement in a deal between a large developer and the county in…
Peschong elected chairman of SLO’s bitterly divided board of supervisors
A newly cemented conservative-leaning majority on the SLO County Board of Supervisors flexed its muscles during a Jan. 10 meeting when it elected freshman 1st District Supervisor John Peschong as board chairman. The 3-2 vote came after a contentious hearing, which highlighted a growing ideological tension between both the members of the board and the…
Coast Guard, most guard: Coast Guard Auxiliary volunteers share the burden of protecting the Central Coast by sea
Volunteers appointed to the service of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) are often paid, but there are also those who aren’t, like the men and women in the USCG Auxiliary. Established by Congress in 1939, and then later re-designated in 1941, the auxiliary supports all Coast Guard missions except for direct law enforcement or military…
Connecting through art: Achievement House class creates coloring book style pieces
Editor’s note: Only first names of students from Achievement House were used in this story to protect their privacy. Broke and unemployed isn’t an unusual combination for an artist, but for Lyndon Schaeffer, a career aerospace engineer and artist on the side, it wasn’t exactly his norm. But when his work contract in Santa Maria…
Majority rules
One of the things I—and no doubt all SLO County citizens—admire about the SLO County Board of Supervisors is that it’s a nonpartisan governing body that’s only concerned with working together for the betterment of the county. These five selfless public servants set aside their personal ideologies to collaborate as colleagues and work on behalf…
Mentoring someone who deserves it
January is National Mentoring Month. Please help me say thanks to all the local people who made my amazing mentor experience possible. For the last few years, I was a volunteer mentor to a Los Osos girl through Big Brothers Big Sisters. My “Little” and I built a great friendship and had a lot of…
Personal responsibility
I want to comment on Charmaine Combra’s intelligent opinion article, (“Make us great again,” New Times, Jan. 5). She pretty much summed up many of the ingredients in the current political recipe of Donald Trump’s infamous “Make America Great Again” slogan. America needs to stop, at this time in her history, and take a hard…
School districts should stay out of banking
We think that the low-interest mortgage that the San Luis Coastal Unified School District board is offering the superintendent is ill advised. If board members feel that he can’t afford to buy a house in SLO on his salary, how do they expect their faculty and staff to buy homes in SLO on one third…
Plastic water bottles and natural disasters
I am writing in response to the article about SLO plastic bottle ban in the Jan. 5 issue, “SLO city looks to go plastic bottle-less.” The concern I have is the availability of bottled water during an emergency or disaster. From experience in disasters and military service, bottled water is an essential item in emergency…
Vouching for democracy
In his nomination of executive cabinet positions, President-elect Trump, who rallied support from a disaffected working class and railed against the privilege of Washington insiders and financial elites, is trying to appoint what would be among the most elite group of Wall Street financiers and corporate billionaires ever to be placed in government positions in…
Trump and the new Republican Party
I am writing to response to Al Fonzi, who wrote an opinion piece, “Trump and progressive defeat,” in the Dec. 22, 2016, issue of New Times. Al, you say it’s the “alt-left” that has felt anguish from the election of Donald Trump. Trump lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by almost 3 million votes,…
Dawes plays Fremont on Jan. 13 in support of new album, ‘We’re All Gonna Die’
Dawes has always made great music, but on their fifth album We’re All Gonna Die, they’ve become masters of melody, sultans of story, and philosopher kings. Look no further than the album’s title track: “Hey kid at the show tonight/ The face beyond the barricade/ How ya dance and ya sing to every single line/…
Blast from the Past: Jaws: The Revenge
When? 1987 | What’s it rated? PG-13 | Where’s it available? DVD. You can never have too much of a good thing. In the world of film, it’s a maxim that’s both true and untrue at the same time. Spurred by the prospect of keeping the cash rolling in, Hollywood is always looking to strike…
Celebrating culture and diversity: SLO Jewish Film Festival starts Jan. 14
This coming Martin Luther King Day weekend, take part by learning a little more about two different cultures. Take in a screening of Rosenwald, as part of the seventh annual San Luis Obispo Jewish Film Festival, on Jan.14 at 7 p.m. at the Palm Theatre. The documentary tells the little-known story and legacy of philanthropist…
DIY metal jewelry: Jan. 23 workshop at Left Coast Art Studio shows you how
Always eyeballing those gorgeous metal stacking rings on Etsy or wishing for a pair of dangly earrings in an out-there shape? Well, pick up the soldering iron and get to work. Learn the basics of metalsmithing including soldering, pickling, and finishing; go over tools and safety at a jewelry-making workshop at Left Coast Art Studio…
Just the essentials: ‘Minimalism’ screens at Downtown Centre Jan. 16
Ever feel overwhelmed by the clutter of too much stuff and too many things to do? Catch a special screening on Jan. 16 of Minimalism at 7:30 p.m. at Downtown Centre Theatre in SLO and gain insight on loving an intentional life. From minimalist architects, designers, and musicians, to businessmen, authors, and minimalist families, this…
An ‘atmospheric river’ delivers much needed rain to the Central Coast
Even though I ordered them more than a month ago, I finally set-up my three faux terracotta rain collection cisterns this past week, a somewhat tricky endeavor since they have to sit perfectly level next to a downspout, and for obvious reasons, the land next to a house is not level—the idea is for water…
A different perspective: Joe Schwartz’s photos look at lives of everyday Latinos
Paula Motlo knew her father would have crawled to be there with her at the opening of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in September. Motlo’s father, Joe Schwartz, was a legendary photographer best known for capturing images of people of color stuck in economic disparity. He died in Atascadero, where…
Clubs 1/12/17 – 1/19/17
Goin’ South THE CLIFFS RESORT: 2757 Shell Beach Rd., Shell Beach, 773-5000, cliffsresort.com. FIGUEROA MOUNTAIN BREWING CO.: Singer/Songwriter Night every Wed. from 7:30-10pm. 1462 E. Grand Ave., Arroyo Grande, 474-8525, figmtnbrew.com. 1/13: Noach Tangeras from 8:30-11pm; 1/14: Different Strings from 8:30-11pm; 1/20: Vista Point Duo from 8:30-11pm; 1/21: Brian Titus Trio from 8:30-11pm. HARRY’S NIGHT…
