Cover Story
Public participation? Zoombombers cause local cities to rethink their virtual meeting policies
Since 2020, city councils have grappled with the phenomenon of Zoombombing as virtual trolls disrupt public comment with hate speech. League of California Cities Regional Public Affairs Manager David Mullinax said this issue started during the COVID-19 pandemic as councils attempted to make meetings accessible and socially distanced for the public. “We are grappling with…
THE BIG LEBOWSKI
What’s it rated? R When? 1998 Where’s it showing? The Bay Theatre on Monday, July 22 (6 p.m.; $15 at my805tix.com; a fundraiser for The Rock) Joel and Ethan Coen helm this bizarro crime caper about Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski (Jeff Bridges), a slacker and avid bowler, who’s mistaken for a millionaire named Lebowski and…
Fly Me to the Moon is a deeply charming rom com set against a compelling historical era
What’s it rated? PG-13 What’s it worth, Anna? Full price What’s it worth, Glen? Full price Where’s it showing? Colony, Downtown Centre, Park Greg Berlanti (Love, Simon) directs this rom-com set during the 1960s Space Race between the U.S. and Russia. Marketing expert Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson) is hired to stage and film a fake…
40 pop culture scholars convene at Cal Poly for Slayage conference
Cal Poly SLO is hosting Slayage, a periodic conference dedicated to the scholarly study of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and other works of popular culture that share similar themes, with events happening July 18 through 21. Sponsored by the Association for the Study of Buffy+, the conference will feature presentations from 40 pop culture scholars,…
THE GOONIES
Kids of the ’80s rejoice because we love The Goonies like Sloth loves Chunk, and we get to see it on the big screen! The band of treasure-seeking kids finds one harrowing adventure after another as they work to save their neighborhood from being taken over by an evil real estate company out to build…
UC Cooperative Extension offers a forest stewardship workshop series in SLO County
Forest landowners in San Luis Obispo County or any resident interested in oak woodlands resilience can expand their knowledge with the Forest Stewardship Workshop series hosted by the University of California Cooperative Extension. “We go to any county that has forestland, and that is defined by the Forest Service definition of having at least 10…
Tourist files claim against Pismo Beach
Pismo Beach faces a claim of general negligence after a tourist tripped on a sidewalk and injured herself. Sun City residents Carol Gorman and her husband were reportedly walking around downtown Pismo Beach when she tripped on an uneven sidewalk on the corner of Main Street and Dolliver Street, her lawyer, James McKiernan, told New…
Festival Mozaic and SLO Film Fest co-host screening of Chevalier
The Palm Theatre in San Luis Obispo will screen Chevalier, a 2022 biopic about composer Joseph Bologne, on Monday, July 22, at 2 p.m. Festival Mozaic organized the event in partnership with the SLO Film Festival. The historical film follows Bologne (played by Kelvin Harrison Jr.), the illegitimate son of an African slave and a…
Negative for Oceano
Charles Varni, president of the Oceano Community Services District (OCSD) board of directors, was indirectly quoted in New Times June 20 issue (“SLO County enters contract to take control of Oceano fire services”) that there will be a positive outcome for Oceano, from accepting a fire protection deal crafted by him, San Luis Obispo County…
Supervisors ease cannabis regulations
The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors not only relaxed permitting regulations for cannabis cultivators but also snapped them into state compliance in the process. In a unanimous vote on July 9, supervisors expanded mobile delivery hours for dispensaries in unincorporated communities, allowed for full cost recovery for immediate abatement of illegal cannabis activities,…
A bad idea
The July 4 story in New Times about Oceano’s fire services (“OCSD discusses opposition to transferring Oceano’s fire services to county”) contains a disastrous new tax proposal that I disagree with so wholeheartedly that it’s hard to know where to start. Director Shirley Gibson’s proposal to abandon the negotiated agreement for emergency medical and fire…
Oceano/Five Cities Elks Lodge holds concert fundraiser to benefit Elks National Foundation
Local doo-wop ensemble The Bald Spots will perform at the Oceano/Five Cities Elks Lodge in Oceano on Saturday, July 13, at 5 p.m. Doors will open at 4 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door. Concert proceeds will benefit the Elks National Foundation. The Bald Spots is a Central Coast-based band…
Joe: You have one job
In November 2016, immediately after Donald Trump’s election, Yeats’ famous lament over the apocalyptic carnage of World War I seemed to capture that moment in our history. Of course, our nation survived the next four years. The “centre” did hold, but just barely: On Jan. 6, 2021, for hours “mere anarchy” was loosed upon the…
Paso school district receives funding for new buses
Paso Robles Joint Unified School District put $330,000 toward two new school buses thanks to a grant the district applied for in 2019 to provide more reliable transportation for students on longer routes. According to School District Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Brad Pawlowski, the money was a long time coming because the pandemic delayed…
SLO’s Farmhouse Corner Market debuts a wine lounge
Grab and go or sip and chill Farmhouse Corner Market & Wine Lounge is located at 1025 Farmhouse Lane, suite 1G, off Broad Street near the San Luis Obispo County Airport. Hours are Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information,…
A Quiet Place: Day One doesn’t live up to its franchise
A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE What’s it rated? PG-13 What’s it worth, Anna? Matinee What’s it worth, Glen? Stream it Where’s it showing? Colony, Downtown Centre, Park Co-writer and director Michael Sarnoski (Pig) helms this prequel to A Quiet Place (2018) and A Quiet Place Part II (2020), this time with only one returning character,…
Vina Robles Amphitheatre hosts four Nederlander Concerts
It’s a big week for Vina Robles Amphitheatre and Nederlander Concerts, which are diving headlong into their summer concert season. I’m most excited to see Sacramento alternative rock act Cake this Thursday, July 11 (8 p.m.; all ages; $54.50 to $94.50 at vinaroblesamphitheatre.com) with Ukrainian folk music quartet DakhaBrakha opening. I just checked the Vina…
Corrections
The news brief, “Golden State Wind will begin ocean surveys for offshore wind,” (July 4) contained the incorrect start date for survey collection. Golden State Wind began collecting surveys on July 2. New Times regrets the error. In the July 4 news article, “Soaring appeal fees leave SLO residents worried about feeling the pinch when…
‘Shock’ tactics
It took the SLO County Board of Supervisors hours to approve its consent agenda on July 9—a conversation that usually doesn’t continue until 1:30 p.m. on meeting day. Why? Voter fraud hour, for one. But it was more than one hour. It was a voter fraud conniption fit spread over the morning. The conspiracy has…
Supervisors approve Pride Month resolution amid pushback
The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution in July declaring June as Pride Month. The resolution returned to the supervisors’ table as a consent agenda item after a stalled 2-0 vote on June 18. First District Supervisor John Peschong and 5th District Supervisor Debbie Arnold abstained from voting while 4th District…
Finestkind
What’s it rated? R When? 2023 Where’s it showing? PARAMOUNT-PLUS Writer-director Brian Helgeland (Payback, A Knight’s Tale, 42, Legend) helms this family drama about half-brothers Tom (Ben Foster), a seasoned scallop fisherman, and Charlie (Toby Wallace), who’s been admitted to college but wants to try his hand at fishing for the summer despite his father,…
Pismo Beach is the only agency left on the Central Coast Blue water project
The Central Coast Blue water recycling project was hit with some major roadblocks after two of the three agencies funding it pulled out. Now, Pismo Beach is the last agency standing and has to rethink the scope of its plans. Pismo Beach City Manager Jorge Garcia told New Times that the city is actively looking…
Trigger Warning
What’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2024 Where’s it showing? Netflix Mouly Surya (Fiksi, Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts) directs this by-the-numbers mystery action flick about military special operator Parker (Jessica Alba), who on a mission in Syria gets a call from Jesse (Mark Webber), her ex-lover and hometown’s sheriff, who informs her that her…
County braces for a long fire season
Paso Robles broke a 17-year-long record on Saturday, July 6, after experiencing temperatures up to 114 degrees near the Paso Robles Airport, surpassing its previous record of 110 degrees in 2007. “Obviously, we broke records here in the city of Paso Robles over the weekend,” Paso Robles Fire Chief Jonathan Stornetta said. “And the heat…
Cal Poly student Jennifer Leo is fulfilling her dream of being a graphic designer through the school’s Art and Design program
Typography, illustration Check out more of Jennifer Leo’s work at jenniferdesigns.myportfolio.com. Imagine being able to accurately draw out your thoughts on paper. For me, it seems impossible. But Cal Poly senior Jennifer Leo brings her visions to life on the computer screen. The feel of a pencil came naturally for Leo at a young age,…
