Cover Story
Strike’s over: CSU faculty end planned week-long action after one day with an agreement some union members see as not good enough
After an expected week of historic strikes on all 23 California State University (CSU) campuses to demand increased pay and improved working conditions, union leadership came to a tentative agreement, which left many faculty members upset. “I was stunned when they called it off after basically 12 hours, when they told us it was a…
Short and bitter?
Did you notice the California Faculty Association (CFA) held a strike against the California State University (CSU) management on Jan. 22? Unless you had business at Cal Poly between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Monday while traffic in and out of campus was slowed by picketing, probably not. It was the shortest strike ever!…
SLO County Elections Office needs March 5 poll workers
Blue Cuyama Blue Sky Center is located at 1000 Perkins Road, New Cuyama. Call (661) 413-3005 or visit blueskycenter.org for more info on the nonprofit and the Cuyama Valley Victory Gardens Project. Dan Beck, a temporary employee at the San Luis Obispo County Elections Office has been committed to performing his civic duty since 2008.…
Mulberry at SLOMA showcases a different dynamic of portrait photography
See for yourself Experience the relationship between models and photographers through Barry Goyette’s Mulberry exhibition, which opens on Feb. 2 and runs through June 3 at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art. SLOMA is located at 1010 Broad St., San Luis Obispo. For more information on this and future exhibitions, visit sloma.org or follow…
New funding helps food access, gardening project grow in Cuyama
Blue Cuyama Blue Sky Center is located at 1000 Perkins Road, New Cuyama. Call (661) 413-3005 or visit blueskycenter.org for more info on the nonprofit and the Cuyama Valley Victory Gardens Project. A local nonprofit is ringing in the new year—and the following two years—with some new funds to support its unique gardening program. Near…
Homeless union hits county, CAPSLO with civil rights lawsuit
At the tail end of the biennial Point-in-Time Count on Jan. 23, a homeless union served San Luis Obispo County a lawsuit. Formed out of the troubled Oklahoma Avenue safe parking site, the union slapped a lengthy list of county officials and nonprofit leaders with a civil rights complaint. Over a dozen union members rallied…
Retro country band Jenny Don’t and The Spurs play SLO Brew Rock on Jan. 30
I first saw Jenny Don’t and The Spurs when they opened for Charley Crockett in Templeton back in 2019, and right away, it was clear frontwoman Jenny Connors knew how to capture a crowd’s attention. First if all, her retro cowgirl outfit was super cool, and it turned out she had sewn it herself. She…
Potential statewide ballot measure could block gender-affirming care for transgender students
The checkup started like any other. The doctor came in, followed by a premed understudy, and they began. As Dr. Denise Taylor chatted with the understudy, the patient—a transgender student from San Luis Obispo High School who hardly spoke during these visits—interrupted the doctor and turned to the understudy. “You better listen to Dr. Taylor,”…
Prolific touring comedian Subhah Agarwal headlines SLO show
SLOFunny Comedy presents its next stand-up show at Dairy Creek Golf Course on Saturday, Jan. 27, with performances held at 6:30 and 9 p.m. The early show is described as “rated light R,” while the latter is “rated R,” according to press materials. Both shows feature strong language and adult material. The show’s headliner is…
State Parks increases number of campers allowed at Oceano Dunes
After months of advocating for State Parks to bring camping reservations back to pre-pandemic levels, the Friends of the Oceano Dunes recently announced that the number of units available to overnighters at the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area [ODSVRA] will increase to 500. “Friends of Oceano Dunes is pleased with the camping increase and…
February marks premiere of new musical in Morro Bay
By the Sea Productions presents a new original musical, It Takes Two: Brand New Songs About Same Old Love, which is set to open in Morro Bay on Friday, Feb. 23. Early registration is recommended, as the show’s venue is limited to 45 seats per performance. Written by Mark Pietri and Michael Kaplan (who also…
Paso school district to close Georgia Brown campus
The Paso Robles Joint Unified School District (PRJUSD) will no longer house students at Georgia Brown Elementary following the conclusion of the 2023-24 school year. “It is time to come together, with all the good and the bad, and make a tough decision to move forward and put this behind us,” board President Nathan Williams…
American Fiction is a sly examination of race in America
AMERICAN FICTION What’s it rated? R What’s it worth, Glen? Full price What’s it worth, Anna? Full price Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre in SLO Cord Jefferson (The Good Place, Watchmen) directs this screenplay he co-wrote with Percival Everett (based on his novel Erasure) about Black novelist Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Jeffrey Wright), who’s told by…
Kristin Smart’s family sues Cal Poly
After almost 30 years, Cal Poly is facing repercussions for how it handled the disappearance of Stockton-raised student Kristin Smart from its campus. On Jan. 18, the Smart family—her parents, Stan and Denise, and her siblings, Lindsey Stewart and Matthew—filed a lawsuit against the university alleging negligence, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and wrongful death.…
The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks
What’s it rated? TV-14 When? 2023-2024 Where’s it showing? Max Anyone who has seen the horror flick Orphan is familiar with the concept—a well-intended family adopts a child from a foreign land who proves to be a sinister adult posing as a child. Natalia Grace was a 6-year-old Ukrainian child with dwarfism adopted by Michael…
Cuyama water lawsuit continues as Grimmway, Bolthouse drop out
The Cuyama Valley Groundwater Basin adjudication started its Los Angeles County Superior Court hearings in January, but Bolthouse Farms and Grimmway Farms are no longer plaintiffs in the lawsuit. Originally filed in 2021, the adjudication calls for a judge to rule on how much water everyone can pump from the basin, which is one of…
Fool Me Once
What’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2024 Where’s it showing? Netflix Based on Harlan Coben’s 2016 novel of the same name, this British miniseries follows Maya Stern (Michelle Keegan), a former soldier with a tarnished record whose husband, Joe Burkett (Richard Armitage), is murdered before her eyes. While trying to pick up the pieces of her…
Supervisors green-light Templeton gas station
The controversial East Bennet Village gas station project in Templeton is moving forward after the SLO County Board of Supervisors denied an appeal of the project at its Jan. 23 meeting. “Templeton will now be home to the largest gas station in the county. … Yay!” appellant and Templeton resident Joe Jarboe told New Times.…
Right-wing talking points on Trump are pure rhetoric
John Donegan’s lawyerly doggerel (“Disqualification,” Jan. 18, New Times) is but another example of the softcore right-wing rhetoric that now permeates the airwaves and blogosphere of the current political realm on a regular basis. He says he would “like to see Trump out of the race and a more electable candidate running,” then reveals his…
This nation deserves the benefit of the doubt
Upon reading the opinion piece “Disqualification” (Jan. 18), I was seized by a deep sense of gratitude. I was profoundly grateful that the author, a retired attorney, was not a member of the Supreme Court of the United States, although I do have to admit that just about anything or anyone would be an improvement…
I’m voting Heather Moreno for supervisor
I have worked with Heather Moreno in my position as a board director for the Atascadero Chamber of Commerce, volunteered with her for community events, and most recently, as Heather has brought community leaders together to revive fundraising efforts for the Central Coast Charles Paddock Zoo. In every arena, I have seen her lead with…
Whose freedom of speech?
After attending an incredibly raucous town hall meeting in Arroyo Grande with Congressional Representative Carbajal, I have to wonder exactly what the First Amendment guaranteeing freedom of speech really means in today’s political environment. When I arrived, there were about 40 pro-Palestinian protesters outside with placards and bull horns, protesting U.S. support of Israel’s military…
The Oceano Airport doesn’t serve Oceano
As a concerned lifelong resident of Oceano, I perceive a disparity in the treatment and resources allocated to our community compared to other oceanfront towns. Specifically, using 60 acres of our precious coastal land for an airport is frivolous and unfair to our community. I believe that this property holds immense potential for the benefit…
Election season is descending on San Luis Obispo and beyond
On Jan. 23, New Hampshire officially tipped off the voting for election 2024. Traditionally—and by law—this tiny New England state convenes the first real primary election in the long campaign that determines the party that will occupy the White House for the next four years. OK, the Iowa “Caucuses” were held a few days prior,…
