All-volunteer group Lompoc Hike and Bike lays groundwork for new public trail network
Leaves of three, let them be—to an extent. The risk of being exposed to poison oak comes with the territory for those who volunteer with the Lompoc Trails Committee, aka Lompoc Hike and Bike. “A lot of our rough work begins with cutting through the vegetation,” committee chair Dave Baker said about an 82-acre development…
School music programs are essential for students
I do not believe music should be considered a “frill” in public schools. 1. Careers in music have had their beginning through public school programs. One of my brothers chose to play the double bass when in fifth grade. The instrument was provided by the school, and the director of music for the city regularly…
Restore Oceano’s natural defenses
The Draft 2025 Soil Conservation Plan for Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area is a disappointing endorsement for hauling our beautiful beach to the dump. For years, massive amounts of sand has been tracked out on vehicle tires from the Grand and Pier Avenue exits, resulting in tons of sand being hauled to landfills—an estimated…
Oceano deserves a vehicle-free beach
First of all, I largely agree with all of the major points made by the Down to Earth column authors (“Why are we still running over plovers?” Jan. 1). Rather than a habitat conservation plan, it is an expanded off-highway vehicle conservation plan. As pointed out, the environmental basis of the 2021 California Coastal Commission…
Letter writers should be sure of what their words mean
I wish writers would look up the dictionary/Wikipedia definition before spouting off in the letters column. For instance: “Woke is an adjective derived from African-American English used since the 1930s or earlier to refer to awareness of racial prejudice and discrimination, often in the construction stay woke. The term acquired political connotations by the 1970s…
Sinor Family Wines boasts fresh leadership and a new bar in Avila Beach
Avila Beach has a new hot spot to partake of seaside sips, light fare, and spectacular sunsets thanks to Sinor Family Wines. Shuck Shack Natural Wine Bar, which started welcoming customers in late November and will celebrate its grand opening on Jan. 22, is located at 480 Front St., replacing PierFront Wine & Brew. By…
Propaganda machine
This place in time is so depressing. A bad dream that’s hard to understand. And it’s all because of national politics. This administration. Its tactics. Its bad attitude. The rhetoric it pushes out. The propaganda that Trump disciples fall for. Hook. Line. Sinker. After bombing boats in the Caribbean and off the coast of Venezuela…
Good Medicine, Numbskull, and KCBX present Dustbowl Revival at The Siren on Jan. 10
I recently watched Dustbowl Revival’s 2025 Jam in the Band set recorded at last year’s Whale Rock Music Festival, and damn if they’re not at the top of the game. The vocal harmonies between founder and lead songwriter Z. Lupetin and backup singer Lashon Halley are amazing. Halley is one of a revolving cast of performers…
Advocates concerned about what the recent surge in ICE arrests on the Central Coast means for 2026
The last few days of 2025 were very different than the rest of the year when it came to immigration enforcement on the Central Coast. An estimated 147 arrests were made in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties over a four-day period at the end of December, according to 805 UndocuFund Executive Director Primitiva…
The Movie Experience opens the nation’s first Dolby Vision+Atmos theater
On Dec. 29, 2025, the news was bleak for movie theaters. “The Movie Theater Comeback That Wasn’t: Why 2025 Was Such a Dud for Struggling Cinemas” a Variety headline announced; “Even ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ can’t lift the 2025 box office out of pandemic-crisis doldrums,” the Los Angeles Times lamented. Ticket to rideTo see a…
Adventist Health slapped with wrongful death and elder abuse lawsuit
Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center and its parent company Adventist Health face a laundry list of 23 complaints, including allegations of wrongful death, elder abuse, medical battery, and negligence after an elderly and cognitively impaired man was taken from his home and treated in the hospital, which a lawsuit claims contributed to his demise. Filed…
Watch Dirty Dancing as a live band and singers perform every song at the PAC in SLO
Do you love the 1987 film Dirty Dancing? Because on Thursday, Jan. 29 (7:30 p.m.; ages 5-and-older; $42 to $97 at pacslo.org), at the Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo, you can watch the digitally remastered film while a live band and singers perform in sync to every song. Set in a Catskills resort in…
Holiday storms drive higher-than-predicted king tide along Central Coast
The early January king tide along the Central Coast reached higher water levels than scientists initially predicted, driven by a combination of winter storms, heavy rainfall, and strong winds. According to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the highest water level at Port San Luis reached approximately 7.59 feet, nearly a foot…
Cal Poly Professor Emeritus W. Terrence Spiller will present a piano recital at Spanos Theatre
Pianist and Cal Poly Professor Emeritus W. Terrence Spiller will present a recital at the Alex and Faye Spanos Theatre on Friday, Jan. 9 (7 p.m.; ages 5-and-older; $12 students to $22 general at pacslo.org). The program spans from the late-18th century into the early 20th century and includes Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Sonata in A…
SLO County wants public input on behavioral health services plan
San Luis Obispo County residents have until Jan. 21 to review and weigh in on the region’s first integrated plan on the Behavioral Health Services Act, which reformed 20-year-old behavioral health care funding to prioritize services for people with the most pressing mental health needs. The integrated plan arrived after a lack of guidance from…
The Life of Chuck is a poetic rumination on life, consciousness, and death
Writer-director Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House, Doctor Sleep) brings Stephen King’s 2020 novella of the same name to the big screen in this story about an ordinary man, Charles “Chuck” Krantz (Tom Hiddleston), and his largely unremarkable life. (111 min.) THE LIFE OF CHUCKWhat’s it rated? RWhat’s it worth, Anna? Full priceWhat’s it…
Volunteers 2026
Never worked with wildlife before? No problem. You can start out in the baby bird room at Pacific Wildlife Care, volunteer coordinator Brook Segall said. New volunteers can sign up for four-hour shifts to help clean cages and feed the little guys. Staff Writer Bulbul Rajagopal writes about the organization, its mission, and its big…
Pluribus follows a body snatcher-style alien invasion that’s affected all but a handful of humans
Successful but disillusioned romantasy novelist Carol Sturka (Rhea Seehorn) gives readings attended by gaggles of middle-aged women lusting after her strapping leading man. Her manager, Helen (Miriam Shor), is also her romantic partner, and when they return to Albuquerque following a successful tour, a stop at a bar turns bizarre when everyone around her is…
The Lowdown is a gritty crime dramedy with a compelling central character
Created by Sterlin Harjo (Reservation Dogs), this comedy crime drama set in Tulsa, Oklahoma, follows bookstore owner and investigative journalist Lee Raybon (Ethan Hawke), who calls himself a “truthstorian” and works to root out local corruption. Raybon has a code of honor but operates at the edge of lawlessness. He’s more of a “beg for…
Volunteers at the Five Cities Repair Café are here to fix
A loose screw. A disconnected wire. A ripped seam. Sometimes all it takes to use an item for another decade is a little bit of collaboration, expertise, and elbow grease—the very reason repair cafés exist. Get to fixin’Five Cities Repair Café’s next event is scheduled for Feb. 21 at Grover City Grange—370 S. 13th St. in…
Heroes on the Water fosters healing and connection for veterans and first responders
Andy Dibbern didn’t come to Heroes on the Water looking for a leadership role. About four years ago, he was simply a devoted kayaker who accepted an invitation to volunteer at a local event. The experience left an immediate impression. Gone fishingTo participate or volunteer, email Heroes on the Water’s Avila Beach Chapter at avilabeach.ca@heroesonthewater.org.…
Spend time caring for wildlife at Pacific Wildlife Care as it transitions from Morro Bay to San Luis Obispo
Volunteers preceded Pacific Wildlife Care before the rescue and rehabilitation center even had a physical space. Originally called the Central Coast Wildlife Rehabilitation Guild when volunteers Pat McClenahan and four others started the organization in 1984, Pacific Wildlife Care began with a mission of healing injured and orphaned native animals and returning them to the…
