Cover Story
Growing pains: New local medical marijuana cultivation laws leave growers and the patients they provide for trying to figure out what it will mean for the industry
Sixteen months ago, Kate Kytle received a grim diagnosis—she had an aggressive form of breast cancer already in the late stages that had spread into her lungs. She was told she only had 18 months to two years to live. With only a few months left in that prognosis, she burst onto a deli patio…
Bingeable: Making a Murderer
Welcome to Bingeable, a new occasional column highlighting a television show, series, or special that’s binge-worthy, which is to say its episodes bear serial viewing. Some shows start out with a lot of promise—think the Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda series Grace and Frankie—but don’t quite maintain the quality of their premise. Others seem binge-worthy…
Grover Beach residents raised concerns about transient camps prior to stabbing
Just south of the railroad depot in Grover Beach is a swath of trees that buffers Highway 1 from the Oceano dunes. A transient encampment occupying part of that open space was supposed to get cleared out at the beginning of January, but weather rained out that plan. On Jan. 5, around 7 p.m., a…
Cougars & Mustangs
Inspiration strikes from some pretty unexpected places. Like Bubblegum from a rubber substitute, Hagrid from a memorable pub conversation, understanding of a difficult personal inner conflict from a collectible card game, or in today’s example, exoskeletons developed to help those with paralysis walk again also help workers and soldiers lift and carry heavy equipment over…
SLO Supervisors deny DA’s request to pay outside counsel for consultation
San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow got his turn to stand trial before the SLO County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 5, during a heated discussion over a little bit of a money and a big precedent. At issue was whether the board would approve payment to an outside counsel that Dow consulted…
Ethnobotanica strikes back with lawsuit against SLO County, supes
After a 3-2 vote to overturn the SLO County Planning Commission’s approval of the Ethnobotanica medical marijuana dispensary in November, 3rd District Supervisor Adam Hill was blunt in his assessment. “I think we’re gonna get sued, and that may not be a bad thing,” Hill said. On Jan. 4, that prediction came true, as the…
Politics as unusual
When you don’t like the answer to your question, how much does it cost to get an answer you do like? If you’re SLO County District Attorney Dan Dow, it costs $2,874.63. That’s how much Dow’s office was charged by Fullerton-based Jones & Mayer, a law firm that specializes in representing law enforcement agencies, which…
Have you ever made a YouTube video, and if so, what was it about?
Christian Leone barista “I’ve been in multiple homemade skateboarding videos with my friends.” Katie Berg high school student “I haven’t yet, but I want to learn how. I want to make a dancing video.” Austin Bertucci SLO downtown ambassador “I made a music video for my Italian class. We sang a song from High School…
Vision board ceremony is new approach to manifesting change
Instead of trotting out the same old tired New Year’s resolutions, maybe it’s time for a different approach as 2016 unfolds. Women of the Central Coast are invited to take part in a vision board ceremony. The goal of the event is to create a vision board out of magazine cutouts that calls to the…
SLO Color Blast Fun Run is coming on Jan. 23
The saying “with flying colors” isn’t usually meant literally, but for one day, colors will fly, leap, and, well, blast right at your face, body, and anywhere else they can hit. The SLO Color Blast Fun Run combines the vivid hues of art with good old-fashioned exercise. This colorful event takes place on Jan. 23…
Cal Poly SLO & Pomona win a trophy and wow the crowd at the 127th Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena
It’s Friday, Jan. 1, and I’m eagerly awaiting float No. 76 at the 127th Annual Tournament of Roses Parade held in Pasadena. Not to say that I’m in Pasadena. I’m in front of the television set nursing an abscessed tooth instead of my annual hangover. Man, I sure miss that hangover. It felt like baby…
Migrations at Studios on the Park explores genocide, political murder, and slavery
Forced migration is an ugly concept. It ignites scenes of despondent, displaced refugees; of genocide; of family members being killed simply for their political ideology. It clashes a bit harshly with the shiny idea of the immigrant who willingly sets out on his or her own, seeking a new land and a brighter future. Still…
Cyber-famous: Teen dancer from Arroyo Grande hits 1 million views on YouTube
More than a million people have watched her dance to songs like Megan Trainor’s Lips are Moving and Beyonce’s Partition. She receives rave reviews of her performances and requests for more from fans on the regular. Yet, Alexandra Lund of Arroyo Grande is just a normal kid going to Paulding Middle School. A normal kid…
Surfer Blood and Cayucas play Cayucos Vets Hall on Jan. 9!
As a big fan of weird, I like a band with an outlandish concept, which is exactly what Surfer Blood exhibits on their 2010 “Swim” video, which starts with lead singer John Paul Pitts being woken up in bed by his bandmates and fans who lift him crowd-surfing style through his own apartment where they…
Clubs 1/7/16 – 1/14/16
Goin’ South THE CLIFFS RESORT: 2757 Shell Beach Rd., Shell Beach, 773-5000, cliffsresort.com. F. MCLINTOCKS SALOON: Two locations: 750 Mattie Rd. in Pismo Beach and 133 Bridge St. in Arroyo Grande. 773-1892 or mclintocks.com. Live music at the Pismo Beach location every Fri. and Sat. from 6-9pm. Tennessee Jimmy Harrell and Doc Stoltey play on…
Tap It Brewing Company’s Full Blown Stout and Mason Bar’s Barrel-Aged Maple Old Fashioned
What’s the difference between your average stout and Tap It IPA’s Full Blown Stout? I recently found out. The latter is super opaque dark brown with an over-the-top roasted malty, cocoa aroma. It also gave me incredible powers while playing life-sized Jenga at the SLO-based brewery. You could call it full-blown magic! • Tap It…
Sip it good
Tall, dark stranger: Get to know the inky and delicious wine grape that is petite sirah during the Paso Robles Rhone Rangers’ next Varietal Night slated for Jan. 19 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. It’s all going down at elegant Derby Wine Estates in Paso Robles, and tickets are $25 per person in advance. For…
Restaurant Month in SLO County is for the bold and the hungry
There is always a dark force attempting to destroy date night. The evil may show itself in the form of a busted dishwasher, unexpected fender bender, or a fresh root canal. For my husband and me, that malice arose in a small, yet incredibly destructive form: a foxtail that had wedged inside our dog Mavis’…
Biker paradise: Morro Bay Bike Park delights young and old alike
Morro Bay resident Katie Finley and her three daughters were some of the first bikers to test out the Morro Bay Bike Park at its grand opening on Dec. 26. The park didn’t disappoint. In fact, the family had so much fun that just the one day of riding didn’t suffice for her 5-year-old, Penelope.…
Comments by Arroyo Grande elected official against city staff raise lawsuit concern
A very public spat featuring Arroyo Grande Mayor Jim Hill and City Councilmember Tim Brown on one side and city staff on the other might leave the city open to legal action. At least that’s the concern raised by the city’s insurance provider in a Dec. 22 letter addressed to Hill. The letter, penned by…
Medical marijuana cultivation a no-go in three cities
Three SLO County cities moved decisively to ban the cultivation of medical marijuana, allowing them to avoid ceding local control to the state under recently passed legislation. Grover Beach, Pismo Beach, and Paso Robles all plan to enact bans on cultivation within their respective city limits by March 1. The Grover Beach City Council met…
Bomb threat halts SLO buses
One man is under arrest in connection to a bizarre bomb threat that brought bus service in SLO to a grinding halt. The incident occurred just after 8:30 a.m. Dec. 6 when a man stood up on a crowded city bus and addressed the other passengers. In a video taken by one of the riders,…
There goes another city
I have lived in SLO for 35 years. Some of you have lived here longer. Some of you were born and raised here. In my case, I left my hometown of Hollywood to live somewhere with a slower pace and was fortunate enough to end up in San Luis Obispo. A few weeks ago while…
Proposed Phillips 66 rail extension would be beneficial
Full disclosure, I have been a Phillips 66 employee for more than 25 years. I believe that having a safe and reliable source of crude supply to our plant helps to ensure the livelihood of 200 full time employees. We currently have limited access to local crudes due to the partial shutdown of the Plains…
Cannabis should be legal
This plant needs to be decriminalized, and then it needs to be regulated just like alcohol. As it is now, it is all just “hidden,” which has had horrible consequences. The latest being the death of a beautiful person who was in the business of growing it, Ben Terra. He, unfortunately, had to choose a…
Humane treatment
My December commentary dealt with fatalities from law enforcement shootings in the U.S., half of those being mentally ill. Fortunately, law enforcement in San Luis Obispo County is carried out with an enlightened temperament of mind. Last November, SLO County Sheriff’s Office personnel responded to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon in…
