Cover Story
Waste not: Trash habits have changed during the COVID-19 pandemic
It was sometime around early November 2020 when Scott Pickford started to notice all the trash building up around downtown San Luis Obispo on his walk to work every morning. Disposable masks littered the bushes and lawns that lined the route to his office. Paper napkins, receipts, and discarded clothing tags filled the gutters of…
Santa Maria, Santa Barbara County warn of strong winds, potential for flooding
Santa Maria officials say the city’s topography makes it ripe for flooding under the right conditions and is encouraging residents to be ready for such a scenario in advance. As of Jan. 27, the National Weather Service was predicting heavy rains in Santa Maria through Thursday and issued a wind advisory in Santa Barbara County…
SLO Village seniors looking for rides to vaccination appointments
Local membership-based organization SLO Village is calling on San Luis Obispo community members to become volunteer drivers for seniors in need of a ride. SLO Village Volunteer Coordinator Megan McGreen told New Times that SLO Village has about 55 members throughout SLO County who rely on the organization’s volunteers to provide transportation, house and gardening…
Port San Luis Harbor Commission to discuss transition to district elections
The Port San Luis Harbor District is the latest jurisdiction in San Luis Obispo County to face the threat of litigation over its at-large election system. On Dec. 17, 2020, the district received a letter from Santa Barbara-based attorney Robert Goodman—sent on behalf of Harbor District voter Jenna Garcia—noting the district’s violation of the California…
Carbajal recognizes local pet advocacy organization with award for work during pandemic
CARE4Paws, an organization with a mission to keep animals happy, healthy, and with their families for life, recently received some special recognition for the critical services it provides to animals in Santa Barbara County. Standing next to CARE4Paws’ mobile veterinary clinic, U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) presented the organization with a Certificate of Special…
Chuck Graham spent 15 years photographing Carrizo Plain and has a new book to prove it
Meet the grasslands Get yourself a copy of photographer Chuck Graham’s new book, Carrizo Plain: Where the Mountains Meet the Grasslands, directly from the author on his website, chuckgrahamphoto.com, or via direct message on Instagram @chuckgrahamphoto. Locally, Coalesce Bookstore in Morro Bay, 845 Main St., and Volumes of Pleasure in Los Osos, 1016 Los Osos…
Cluck, cluck
With all of these COVID-19 pandemic shutdown orders and travel restrictions, tourist meccas like Pismo Beach must really be suffering economically. Not. “Due to travel restrictions throughout our state and nation, Pismo Beach saw record numbers of visitors traveling to our area and using our parks, beaches, and other public facilities,” a Pismo Beach staff…
New York-based performance artist Carlos Martiel joins the Laboratory Series for January program
The Laboratory Series, an ongoing Black-identified artist showcase co-hosted by R.A.C.E. Matters SLO and the Harold J. Miossi Art Gallery, holds its next virtual program with special guest speaker Carlos Martiel, on Thursday, Jan. 28, starting at 5 p.m. This artist talk series is offered via Zoom, and admission to join the meeting is free.…
Gallery at Marina Square announces two new group shows, Crossing Threads and Big Dreams, Little Works
Gallery at Marina Square in Morro Bay will present two new group exhibitions for the month of February: Big Dreams, Little Works in the upper gallery, and Crossing Threads will be in the lower gallery. Both shows are scheduled to open on Monday, Feb. 1, and remain on display through Saturday, Feb. 27. Big Dreams,…
Uncle Frank offers nuanced family drama
UNCLE FRANK What’s it rated? R What’s it worth, Anna? Full priceWhat’s it worth, Glen? Full priceWhere’s it showing? Amazon Prime Writer-director Alan Ball (screenwriter of American Beauty) helms this comedy-drama about the Bledsoe family of Creekville, South Carolina. Set mostly in the early 1970s, it’s the story of Frank (Paul Bettany), who’s secretly gay,…
SLO passes emergency ordinance ‘clarifying’ COVID-19 enforcement powers
While the city of San Luis Obispo clashes with a local gym chain over its adherence to state COVID-19 regulations, on Jan. 19, the SLO City Council passed an emergency ordinance that reinforces the city’s authority to issue citations to COVID-19 rule violators. The ordinance passed unanimously as the city’s Administrative Review Board is hearing…
Best Leftovers Ever!
What’s it rated? TV-G When? 2020 Where’s it showing? Netflix Home chefs and Uber Eats lovers get ready to raid the fridge and up your day-old food game with inspiration from Netflix’s new cooking competition. Hosted by Jackie Tohn and judged by restaurateur David So and chef Rosemary Shrager, this fast-paced two-round competition challenges three…
Two Central Coast mothers lose their sons to accidental fentanyl consumption, and want to warn others
Editor’s note: This is the first installment in a series documenting the prevalence of fentanyl in SLO County and the stories of local mothers whose sons died from accidental consumption. Mothers Cammie Velci and Cindy Cruz-Sarantos sat side-by-side on a Dec. 11, 2020, Zoom call. They’ve been at each other’s side since May 2020. In…
The Wolf of Snow Hollow
What’s it rated? R When? 2020 Where’s it showing? Amazon Prime Jim Cummings (Thunder Road) writes, directs, and stars in this deadpan funny new horror-comedy—a real runner-up to American Werewolf in London (1981). Cummings stars as Deputy Sheriff John Marshall, who has to contend with an inept department headed by his terminally ill father Sheriff…
A controversial sign prompts new Atascadero police chief to call for dialogue
Atascadero’s new police chief isn’t having a typical first few weeks on the job. A large sign indicating that police officers are “blue by day” and “white by night” showed up on an Atascadero resident’s lawn, prompting Police Chief Bob Masterson to ask for an open dialogue with the sign’s creators. On Jan. 14, the…
Area wineries are packaging tasting kits so customers can enjoy a tasting room experience during lockdown
Taste from home Several Paso Robles wineries are giving consumers options to enjoy wine tasting at home, including offering tasting kits for pickup. Check out the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance’s blog for more information. Find the blog tab at pasowine.com. Little vials of wine nestled carefully into a box are waiting for you to…
Pismo Beach is only SLO County city without grants for businesses
Pismo Beach is the sole city in San Luis Obispo County that hasn’t offered direct financial aid to local businesses amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and city staff say that’s partly because the city has been unusually busy for the past several months. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, cities throughout SLO…
The Mother Corn Shuckers release their fourth album, All In
Originally, self-described “beergrass” band The Mother Corn Shuckers had planned to release their new album All In last summer, during what would have been the height of their touring season. Best laid plans, eh? Well, they held off for as long as they could and decided to finally pull the trigger. The album, their fourth,…
Dow postpones public questions on LGBTQ-plus rights
On Jan. 19, Gala Pride and Diversity Center was set to have its routine board meeting with an agenda item that included a question-and-answer segment with SLO County District Attorney Dan Dow intended to openly address their concerns regarding his appearance on certain radio shows and his comments on the topic of religion. However, an…
SLO County moves forward with COVID-19 vaccinations despite supply concerns
Despite a slowdown in COVID-19 vaccine supply and the recent shelving of 4,400 doses due to concerns about allergic reactions, San Luis Obispo County Public Health says it’s moving forward on its vaccination plan—scheduling about 4,000 appointments per week, with plans to open three clinics in the county. Vaccine bottlenecks across the state are impacting…
Pismo Beach considers solutions to its increase in litter
Despite COVID-19 and the resulting travel restrictions and stay-at-home orders, Pismo Beach has actually been busier than usual throughout the pandemic. The excess of visitors combined with an increased reliance on takeout food orders and the completion of Pismo’s pier plaza, according to city staff, have created a citywide trash problem. “One of the big…
Path to unity
By the time this prints, Joe Biden will be our president, and we will welcome the first Black, South-Asian, female vice president our nation has ever seen. A step forward my 6-year-old daughter holds with deep excitement and curiosity. The day Biden’s presidency was set for confirmation, I watched with my daughter as the House…
More SLO County cities to start service with Central Coast Community Energy
More than 100,000 residents and property owners on the Central Coast will start service with a new power provider this month. Central Coast Community Energy (3CE) is launching in Paso Robles, Pismo Beach, Grover Beach, and Arroyo Grande, as well as Santa Maria and unincorporated Santa Barbara County. The “flipping of the switch” for these…
Caldwell sinks to new low
Local right-wing media host, lobbyist, and failed candidate for Congress, Andy Caldwell, sunk to even lower lows on his radio show on Jan. 6, after far-right domestic terrorists goaded by President Donald Trump stormed the United States Capitol in an attempt to overthrow American democracy.. After our criminal president whipped up his MAGA mob to…
