Cover Story
Unlivable: Tenants loudly demand habitable living in their North County apartment complex
Francisco Ramirez points to dark spots of mold that surround the left side of a living room window. Making his way to the kitchen, he notes two large sections of torn linoleum on the floor. One of the tears is near the fridge, and when he moves the appliance, a few small cockroaches scurry out…
Wine Country Theatre presents Little Women
Wine Country Theatre’s production of Little Women opens at the Park Ballroom in Paso Robles on Friday, Aug. 2, and runs through Sunday, Aug. 18. This musical adaptation, based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott, follows the adventures of four young women growing up in Civil War America. “This is a timeless tale about…
Sip and shop
Pomar Junction Winery’s tasting room is now home to The Fableist Wine Company. The Fableist Wine Company has moved from Tin City to the Pomar tasting room after a remodel, while the Merrill family continues to own and farm Pomar Junction Vineyard and Winery … Now you can shop with a beer and cider in…
Renaissance Fest features History Channel performers
Cast members of the History Channel’s Knight Fight will perform full-contact combat shows during the 35th annual Central Coast Renaissance Festival, which takes place at Laguna Lake Park on Saturday, July 20, and Sunday, July 21. Each demonstration includes performers using real steel weapons and plated armor. For the full schedule of events and more…
Tangent Paragon Vineyard 2016 sauvignon blanc
I came home with a pretty blue and gold box of truffles from Sheila Kearns Chocolate & Confection (see this week’s feature) and felt I needed something dry and mineral to balance the sweetness. I like to buy local, but I wanted something bursting with fruit as if it came from Sancerre. So I went…
Cambria Center for the Arts seeks artists for 2020
The Cambria Center for the Arts is currently accepting applications to become featured artists for its 2020 season. The center is seeking five or more artists (two- or three-dimensional) who can fill roughly 50 linear feet of gallery wall or pedestal. The application deadline is Saturday, Aug. 31. Call (805) 927-8190 or visit cambriacenterforthearts.org to…
Wild Rose is an emotionally potent, feel-good charmer
WILD ROSE What’s it rated? R What’s it worth, Anna? Full price What’s it worth, Glen? Full price Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre Tom Harper (War Book, The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death) directs Nicole Taylor’s screenplay about Rose-Lynn Harlan (Jessie Buckley), an ex-con and single mother who dreams of becoming a country…
My family honors traditions, creates new memories while celebrating the anniversary of our Lake Tahoe cabin
I’m content taking photos on my smartphone for nearly an hour before chastising myself. I should be playing with my niece and my daughter, throwing rocks into our favorite creek, not staring at this screen capturing the moments for later. I pocket the phone and start searching for a stone smooth enough to skim a…
Underrated: The Falling
When? 2014 What’s it rated? Not rated Where? Amazon Prime, iTunes, Tubi A virus? Witchcraft? Performance art? Nobody quite knows what’s causing a strange fainting epidemic in director Carol Morley’s The Falling, primarily set in a British all-girls’ high school in 1969. The first student to faint is Abbie (Florence Pugh, Midsommar), and she’s followed…
Paso says Salinas Riverbed is a public safety emergency
The Paso Robles City Council approved on July 16 a proclamation deeming the Salinas Riverbed and its surrounding area a local public health and safety emergency. Paso Fire Chief Jonathan Stornetta proposed the proclamation and said a mitigation plan will rid the bed of brush and debris that pose a fire hazard and will remove…
Film Listings, 7/18/19 – 7/25/19
All theater listings are as of Friday, July 19 APOLLO 11 What’s it rated? G What’s it worth? Full price Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre on Saturday, July 20, at 1 and 6:30 p.m. Pick Todd Douglas Miller (Dinosaur 13) directs this documentary about the historic 1969 mission to land on the moon. Using archival…
Dunes, dust, drama: Coastal Commission votes against proposed limits to vehicle riding in Oceano Dunes
Niklas Hugosson rode an ATV for the first time as a child on Thanksgiving Day of 1992, and he was instantly hooked. He and his family were on a vacation at the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area, and that first time, he rode for so long that the palms of his hands bled. “I…
Our ‘never again’
As a preschool teacher, mother, and mayor, care-taking and empowering young people has always been my central motivation. Like many of you, I put a lot of thought and care into raising my children. I ensured they were safe, warm, fed, healthy, and loved. My worst nightmare would have been to have them taken from…
SLO police chief disciplined after leaving gun in restaurant
San Luis Obispo Police Chief Deanna Cantrell received disciplinary actions from the city manager’s office for a July 10 incident in which she lost her firearm after leaving it unattended in a restaurant bathroom. In a July 17 announcement, City Manager Derek Johnson said Cantrell will receive three “consequences and follow-up actions”: a one-time pay…
Cost of resistance
I decided to go to the Lights for Liberty SLO rally on Saturday, July 13, to see what it was all about. Although I’m a steadfast President Trump supporter, I like to hear what the left is offering in the way of solutions to the border crisis and associated challenges. Unfortunately, I only heard about…
Coastal Commission approves Morro Bay sewer project
The California Coastal Commission unanimously approved on July 11 plans for the construction of Morro Bay’s Water Reclamation Facility amid community protest. Among the individual residents who spoke against the project during public comment, representatives from Citizens for Affordable Living, Morro Bay Action Team, and Home Front Environmental Justice Morro Bay also expressed their opposition.…
A brief reprieve
Many decades ago, I supplemented my meager college income by continuing my post-Vietnam military service in the Coast Guard Reserves. I was assigned to the Morro Bay detachment that at the time assisted the Coast Guard Cutter Cape Hedge in its multiple duties. On weekends and for a few weeks every summer, I “commanded” an…
SLO County supervisors continue hemp ban
Hemp will continue to be illegal to grow commercially in San Luis Obispo County after county supervisors voted 4-1 on July 16 to extend a temporary moratorium on the crop. First passed by the Board of Supervisors in June after SLO County started accepting hemp applications in May, the moratorium is intended to buy the…
Dumb and dumber
Has anyone seen my bazooka? It’s long and green. I had it a minute ago when I was in the can at El Pollo Loco. Gee, I hope no one finds it and accidentally takes out a Ford Explorer filled with innocent children and newborn babies. With any luck, a dude named Skeeter will find…
Los Osos approves new GM
The Los Osos Community Services District unanimously approved Ron Munds, SLO County’s utility division manager, as the district’s general manager July 11, but some community members questioned the selection process. During public comment, resident Emily Miggins said that while she doesn’t question Munds’ qualifications, she didn’t understand the path the board of directors took, as…
Sound off
New Times readers took to Facebook to share their thoughts on our July 11 news story, “Atascadero firefighters can now display their tattoos.”
A new child care service opens in downtown SLO
The child care options in SLO County are limited, and a pair of sisters is hoping to make a dent by being a provider of the service to San Luis Obispo parents. Downtown Baby is owned and operated by Sophie Crisp and Robin Rose. The two told New Times through an email that they had…
The California Mid-State Fair has tons of live music every day this week
Have y’all been to the California Mid-State Fair yet? It started a couple of days ago, which means you missed the Miss California Mid-State Fair Scholarship Pageant on Tuesday, July 16, the Open Sheep Show (Wool Breeds, Hair Sheep, and Heritage Breeds) and Pig Races on Wednesday, July 17. If you’re reading this early enough,…
Sheila Kearns shares handmade decadent chocolate with the public out of her new downtown SLO shop
Chocolatière organique The pure ingredients Sheila Kearns stirs in her handcrafted chocolates are the same she has always used in her own home kitchen: unprocessed, soy lecithin-free, organic, ethically sourced, filler- and additive-free. Sheila Kearns Chocolate & Confections: 722 Marsh St., San Luis Obispo. (805) 439-3330, sheilakearns.com. Hours are Monday through Saturday: 10 a.m. to…
Twelfth Night brings midsummer mischief, madness to Shakespeare Festival
On stage The Central Coast Shakespeare Festival, featuring Twelfth Night and Treasure Island, runs through Aug. 3 at Filipponi Ranch in SLO. Tickets range from $12 to $20. Visit centralcoastshakespeare.org for tickets and more information. No outside alcohol is allowed. Twelfth Night runs two hours and 15 minutes, including intermission. Treasure Island runs 90 minutes,…
Savor summer
Kick back and celebrate the summer season with music by Katie Chappell at the Allegretto Wines tasting room. Cello Ristorante and Allegretto Wines will supply delicious summer bites and lovely wines on Saturday, July 20, from noon to 4 p.m.: 2700 Buena Vista Drive, Paso. Tickets are complimentary for club members, $40 day of, or…
SLO Rep’s The Little Mermaid Jr. makes a splash
Sea for yourself The Little Mermaid Jr. runs at the SLO Repertory Theatre through July 21. Tickets range from $17 to $25. A waitlist is available for sold-out shows. Visit slorep.org for more information. In what feels like the year of seemingly endless live-action Disney remakes, one might think the threshold for consuming stories about…
DIY
Making pretzels is an art. Visit Grandma Ingrid’s to learn the technique for the perfect gourmet soft pretzel. Come hungry, Ingrid says, because snacks and lunch will be served. The gourmet soft pretzel class will be Saturday, July 20, from 9 a.m. to noon at Grandma Ingrid’s, 234 Norwood St., Arroyo Grande. Tickets are $50…
