Cover Story
Get dirty: Use your hands, your backyard, and the right tools to plant something you can eventually devour
Bugs are way cool! Sex. Murder. Intrigue. It’s all happening in your backyard right now. BY HAYLEY THOMAS You can’t talk about beneficial insects without taking a moment to revel in the weirdness that is the praying mantis. That’s exactly what The Educated Gardner’s Simone Smith and I did the other day. We had to…
For the love of pie: Sweet Art show celebrates all things yum
With the aftermath of Valentine’s Day consisting of a heart shaped box filled with crumpled-up wrappers and half-eaten chocolates, it can be easy to think, “Maybe I shouldn’t eat my feelings,” or, “Perhaps food doesn’t equal love.” Artist Kendyll Hillegas would object to the latter. About six years ago, the Boston-based creative was diagnosed with…
Slow down and chew: Slow Money SLO connects farmers, food purveyors, lenders and the public
The rain is coming down fast and slick, but it’s warm, dry, and cozy inside the San Luis Obispo Guild Hall. The air is thick with the smell of ginger and jujube tea, dark chocolate peanut butter balls, and spicy jalapeños. Karli and Curtis Twisselman stand in the center of the room, holding mason jars…
Mighty Heidi: Heidi Harmon wants SLO to be a net-zero emissions city. Can it happen?
Before becoming the mayor of San Luis Obispo, Heidi Harmon often searched for symbolic victories in her progressive and environmentally centered political career. One of her favorites happened during her campaign for the 35th District State Assembly seat in 2014. Running against Republican incumbent Katcho Achadjian, Harmon recognized from the outset that she’d likely lose…
Public, SLO City Council to workshop rental inspection program
SLO city residents interested in the city’s rental housing inspection program (RHIP) can attend a workshop to discuss its future on Feb. 16 at 6 p.m. in the Veterans Hall. Hosted by the city, the workshop’s purpose is to “exchange ideas, define problems, and propose solutions for the RHIP,” according to a city staff report.…
CalCoastNews turns to crowdfunding for libel suit
A local news blog entangled in a lengthy and expensive libel lawsuit has turned to the internet to raise money for legal expenses. CalCoastNews rolled out a campaign to raise $25,000 on gofundme.com, a popular crowdfunding website, on July 14. According to a statement on the blog’s GoFundMe page, the money will be used to…
Public, SLO City Council to workshop rental inspection program
SLO city residents interested in the city’s rental housing inspection program (RHIP) can attend a workshop to discuss its future on Feb. 16 at 6 p.m. in the Veterans Hall. Hosted by the city, the workshop’s purpose is to “exchange ideas, define problems, and propose solutions for the RHIP,” according to a city staff report.…
RECOMMENDED FLAVORS
Good apples: The Central Coast Cider Festival is returning to Atascadero this May 13, so mark your calendar now (info at centralcoastciderfestival.com) … Been a while since your last fried chicken fix? Mosey over to The Hatch Rotisserie in Paso Robles, where the honey and hot sauce are flowing (follow the eatery on Instagram @hatchrotisserie…
Where’s your favorite place to catch Pokemon?
Shannon Provensen frozen yogurt server “At Cloisters Park in Morro Bay. There’s a lot of good grass Pokémon there, and lots of other people playing.” Travis Williams electronics “In Costa Mesa, at 3 a.m., my friends and I were catching Pokémon in a dark alley while looking for a taco truck. It was kind of…
SRAM opens its bike component manufacturing facilities to tours on July 23 to benefit World Bicycle Relief
In developing countries, owning a bicycle can mean the difference between success or grinding poverty, which is why the nonprofit organization World Bicycle Relief works to provide people with free bikes and the know-how to maintain them. This Saturday, July 23, SRAM’s California Development Center (4720 Allene Way, SLO) is holding a fundraiser to benefit…
First growth: Locals split as SLO County passes native tree and ag pond ordinances
Before the photos of the chalky gray, once oak-covered hillsides went viral in early June, many county residents assumed there were laws protecting oak trees. But there weren’t. So the swift outrage unleashed on Justin Vineyards and Winery and its parent corporation The Wonderful Company over the clear-cutting and bulldozing of thousands of native trees—which…
SLO Supes to talk medical marijuana ordinance
The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors will review an early mock-up of a medical marijuana ordinance on July 26. The ordinance will eventually create local regulations on the medical cannabis industry and potentially on recreational cannabis should voters approve the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA) on California’s November ballot. The board decided…
Grover beach green-lights marijuana tax ballot measure
Grover Beach residents will get the chance to decide if their city will tax medical and recreational marijuana when they go to the polls in November. After a lengthy conversation, members of the Grover Beach City Council directed staff to develop a ballot measure that would implement the tax on a wide range of commercial…
Paso wastewater too high in chemicals, says water board
The city of Paso Robles needs to clean up its wastewater. That’s the opinion of the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, which says the city struggles to meet state wastewater standards for trihalomethanes (THMs), a disinfectant chemical byproduct that can be harmful to the environment and human health at certain levels. “While progress…
SLO makes public box art program permanent
The beloved San Luis Obispo public art program that pays artists to turn boring gray and green utility boxes into vibrant murals will become permanent and expanded. The SLO City Council unanimously approved the project on July 19, opening a new chapter in a program that has already triggered a few quick bouts between artists,…
Lawyers want to monitor airport TCE testing
The attorney representing several SLO residents whose wells tested positive for high levels of a toxic chemical wants to send a representative to monitor the county’s testing activities at the SLO County Regional Airport. John Fiske, an attorney for the San Diego based Gomez Law Firm said he is pushing to have an observer watch…
SLO County needs info and funds to move forward with rail spur hearings
After hours of discussion, planning, and public hearings, the Phillips 66 rail spur project could end up right back at square one, according to SLO County Planning Department staff. More than two months after the project’s last hearing before the SLO County Planning Commission, county staff says that Phillips 66 still needs to provide them…
Shortsighted
We like badasses who stand by their convictions and kick ass! But what about when convictions encounter reality? At some point, shouldn’t pragmatism supersede idealism? Otherwise, we end up screwing ourselves, which is anatomically impossible but definitely a “thing” when it comes to local government officials. Let me give you two examples. The proposed half-cent…
Cougars & Mustangs
Cuesta College made an announcement that if left unnoticed will have the potential to throw a great many students off when they begin their fall term—the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) bus stop is moving from its original spot in front of the school to the opposite end in the back, by the gym. Beyond this,…
2015 Julien Braud ‘Forty Ounce’ Muscadet and Hearst Ranch Winery’s 2014 Glacier Ridge Chardonnay
What is class? Is it white tablecloths and a pompous waiter? Is it pinkies swaying in the air and menu items you can’t pronounce? No way, buddy! Class is a state of mind, a way of honoring every aspect of your craft. At Grenada, class is relaxed. From their killer charcuterie boards with local meats…
Summer feasts!
These plates are sizzling hot: Foremost Wine Co. has recently introduced a brand new Sunday brunch with fun beer and wine cocktails and music from DJ Malik. Also, big congrats to Granada Hotel and Bistro riding high on the hog (and using every part of the animal)! Starting on July 28, they’ll be cooking up…
Good to the bone: The Wellness Kitchen in Templeton has unleashed a tsunami of healing bone broth
My entire being is awash in a warm wave of beef essence. The experience is not unlike being hit with a hot summer breeze carrying intoxicating hints of herbs, spices, and earth. At the Wellness Kitchen, it always smells like grandma’s house—if grandma was less into Campbell’s chicken noodle soup and more into clean eating…
Guilty Pleasures: The Last of the Mohicans
When? 1992 | Where? DVD | Rated? R. Sappy melodrama has fallen out of favor, but come on, be honest, when you’re at home snuggled up on the couch and maybe feeling a little bit down in the dumps, there’s nothing better than a sweeping love story set against an epic backdrop. Go head, grab…
Atomic power is necessary
People hear about global warming, but few understand its dire threat to people. A natural level of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the earth’s atmosphere traps just enough heat from the sun to enable earth to support life, around 200 parts per million among all atmospheric gases. Around 1870 in the Industrial Revolution, mankind began burning…
It’s not if but when with oil train derailments
I attended the protest rally against the Phillips 66 rail spur project on Saturday, July 9. The mayor of Mosier, Ore., Arlene Burns, spoke about the derailment of an oil train in her small town in June. According to the Associated Press, federal investigators blamed Union Pacific Railroad, saying the company failed to properly maintain…
Diesel particulate matter and explosions
While I continue to maintain a neutral stance on the Phillips 66 project, I know enough about both the petroleum/refining industry and the railroad industry to know misinformation when I see it. In Natalie Risner’s letter in New Times’ July 14 issue (“Oil trains are too much risk for our county”), she raises a couple…
More upgrades for cats!
I was so happy to hear that Woods Humane Society will be remodeling, making it easier for them to do more for homeless cats in our area (“A ‘catio’ of one’s own,” July 14). They do so much for homeless animals and deserve all the support they receive. My thoughts, though, are with the cats…
Vote to support education
As a parent, my first thought when it comes to voting for my representative is education. I need to know that my children are in good hands when I’m not with them, and that the people I help send to the Capitol care about their chances in school as well as their ability to get…
Debbie Peterson gets it wrong
In Debbie Peterson’s commentary “APCD litigation” (July 14), she makes several specious arguments in an effort at self-aggrandizement and in attacking 3rd District Supervisor Adam Hill. One would think that if a mayor was booted from her assignment as an Air Pollution Control Board member by her City Council, lost her bid to remain mayor,…
Fine arts and more on display at California Mid-State Fair
The sun beats down mercilessly, the air is filled with the scent of funnel cake, and the tunes are heard all over Paso Robles. Yup, it’s fair season. But you can do more than rock out at a show, get your grub on, or ride that coaster at the California Mid-State Fair. A classy time…
Funny girl: SLO comedian Biba Pickles cracks wise
Showtime. For six months, nearly every night before she took the stage, that was the witching hour when nerves won and she puked or dry heaved before taking the spotlight. But Biba Pickles kept coming back, night after night, room after room, to hone the art of stand-up comedy, stage fright be dammed. The 20-something,…
Man-cubs take on the jungle: SLO Little Theatre kids sing and dance through ‘The Jungle Book’
Some stories, no matter how often retold, just never lose that sparkle. Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book is one of those tales. From the old-school Disney animated movie to the most recent CGI-laden film this year, we, like Mowgli, just can’t seem to leave the jungle. Tigers, bears, and humans all sang and danced their…
Much ado: Central Coast Shakespeare Fest opens with ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’
It felt a tad wrong. But then wine was poured and that made things much easier. It’s Thursday evening on July 14, around 7 p.m., and the sun is just barely starting to go down as I walk down the winding dirt road leading to the stage for the Central Coast Shakespeare Festival at Filipponi…
Paso Robles Art Association accepting submissions for ‘Paradise Found’
“Aaahh,” it’s that feeling of total relaxation and bliss as you settle into your own peaceful corner of the world. Is it a cozy room? A mountaintop? Or maybe the sandy shores as the waves roll on top of your toes? Wherever it is, that’s your happy place. The Paso Robles Art Association asked artists…
Hayley and the Crushers dive into summer with a ‘living art pool party’ on July 23 in Sally Loo’s Wholesome Café
I had to bust out my cassette player to listen to Hayley and the Crushers’ new four-song EP Gidget’s Revenge, which they released on tape! Who does that? The collection of beachy, tongue-in-cheek surf rock songs is punkish, head-banging, garage rock fun with loud guitars, thundering drums, and Hayley’s sassy brassy vocals. Fronted by New…
Clubs 7/21/16 – 7/28/16
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…
The Nosh Pit
[Image-1] Who’s hungry? After I read anything Flavor writer Hayley Thomas writes, I usually am. My stomach’s grumbling right now, actually. So for our annual Flavor issue, she whipped up a little somethin’ about what’s happening to the Downtown SLO Farmers’ Market—the new, the old, and the pretty. Turns out, that little downtown party’s grown…
