Cover Story
55 Fiction 2016: 29th annual 55 Fiction contest
Hundreds of writers put their stories on the line for New Times’ 29th annual 55 Fiction contest. Like the surf that pounds the sand, judges—Proofreader Andrea Rooks, New Times Staff Writer Chris McGuinness, and Sun Staff Writer Brenna Swanston—carefully mulled over each story in the stack, picking only those tales with the smoothest surfaces to…
Bingeable: Grace and Frankie
When? 2015 | Where? Netflix, on demand. Finding out your husband is gay after 40 years of marriage at a friendly dinner is the sideswipe of the century. Finding out he’s been having an affair with his best friend for the past 20 years behind your back before drinks are even served … let’s face…
Justification? It’s not the first time Justin Vineyards cleared 100 acres of oak trees in Paso Robles
Five years ago, Justin Vineyards and Winery cleared several acres of native oak woodlands, but there were no aerial photographs to go viral and there wasn’t massive public outrage to stop them in their tracks. After the trees were cut in 2011, the contractor the company hired for the job sued Justin for breach of…
How do you feel about Diablo Canyon shutting down?
Don Warden large animal veterinarian “I guess I’m a little sad about it. Because up until this point it seemed to provide pretty safe energy. And it brought a lot of jobs and a lot of taxes for the county.” Johnny Matthes pastor “Well, I was born and raised in Fresno, and I’ve been told…
Flour House’s Espresso Martini and Nosh Delight’s Hard Rootbeer Float
I’ve been on a 30-day zero booze cleanse, so full disclosure—this drink was (very happily) consumed by New Times photographer Dylan Honnea-Baumann! I watched him drink it, … all of it! That counts for something, right? Here’s what I witnessed: My photographer friend came into Flour House flustered from running around town on a particularly…
Sud culture
Word on the street: Toro Creek Brewing Company will be opening up a tasting room in Paso Robles! This ultra boutique craft brewery is known for growing its own hops and brewing clean, fresh flavors. Can’t wait to see what they come up with next (torocreekbrewingcompany.com)! Figueroa Brewing Co. is mixing up some cool beer…
Slave to the dough: True to its name, Flour House builds real pizza napoletana from the crust up
View a slideshow of the delectable goings-on at Flour House. At Flour House, dough reigns supreme. Metal trays of yeasty white orbs are prized higher than gold. Chef Alberto Russo, who owns the restaurant alongside wife, Gessica, schedules entire days around this prized ingredient—which he will eagerly tell you is the foundation of any authentic…
SLO County seeks next Poet Laureate
Know someone with the gift of verse whose whimsical words bring a tear to the eye? They just might be the next Poet Laureate of San Luis Obispo County. Arts Obispo is seeking nominations for the next SLO County Poet Laureate. The new poet laureate will serve a two-year term from Jan. 1, 2017, to…
Central Coast Renaissance Festival brings yearly dose of anachronism to Laguna Lake park
Hear ye, hear ye, noble lords and ladies of the San Luis Obispo area: the Central Coast Renaissance Festival is upon us once more. Let us go back in time. The year is 1588. Francis Drake and his men have sailed to the coast of Spain and destroyed many of the Spanish ships at Cadiz.…
Paddle on: Get out on the Elkhorn Slough and don’t worry about sharks
She’s in full gear. Blue windbreaker on top, black windbreaker pants on bottom. Lifejacket. Check. He’s in less gear. Lifejacket. Check. My parents are in a two-person sit-on-top kayak, quickly putting space between their bright yellow barge and mine, which is being paddled solo. Aside from already feeling incompetent—because I’m too competitive and should obviously…
Metal and stone: SLO Artist Kerry Long hunkers down at the Bunker to turn minerals into wearable art
It started with a retail job. Kerry Long was working sales at The Gold Concept in downtown San Luis Obispo, but her fingers itched to do more. “I’ve always been into making things. My grandma taught me how to knit and crochet; I painted,” Long said. “In high school I got super into pottery. In…
Razzle dazzle them: Circus Vargas brings iLuminous show to SLO
View more photos from New Times’ visit to Circus Vargas. My hands are gripping tight around the bar, and I’m trying really hard not to look down. Supposedly, there are only about 28 feet of air between my feet and the ground, but it feels a lot higher than that as I mentally prepare to…
The Central Coast Oyster & Music Festival is where food, art, and music collide, July 9 at Avila Beach Resort
Slurp down some sexy oysters and slurp up some sexy music and art fest panache this Saturday, July 9, during the fifth annual Central Coast Oyster & Music Festival at Avila Beach Resort (noon to 8 p.m.; all ages; general admission tickets start at $22 for adults or $10 for kids, and tasting tickets are…
Oops, they did it again … and again
Everybody makes mistakes—it’s human nature—but if you keep blowing it over and over again, sorry, man, but it’s on you. I hate to beat a dead horse, but Lynda and Stewart Resnick—owners of POM Wonderful pomegranate juice, Fiji Water, and Justin Vineyards & Winery—are still alive and spinning their involvement in the bulldozing of a…
Stop oil trains in their tracks
San Luis Obispo County cannot legally require Phillips 66 to make oil trains safer because only the federal government has authority over rail traffic. Investigators in Mosier, Oreg., determined a flaw in the Union Pacific tracks caused the recent oil train derailment, explosion, and fire. Our county’s Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors do, however,…
North County can do more for homeless
Thank you for writing “Out of reach” in the June 30 issue highlighting the search for solutions for the homeless of Paso Robles. I was inspired by the personal connection you made with the lost and forgotten people of our community. Homelessness is a constant concern for me as it should be for all community…
Trump unmasked
Roy Cohn was a well-known New York attorney who had the reputation of being ruthless and vicious toward adversaries. Cohn and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump met by chance at a club in 1973 where Trump sought Cohn’s advice on a legal matter. That started a long-lasting association. Cohn counseled Trump in many legal and…
Gifts for SLO: Nomadic Artifacts strives to create ‘economy of gifting’ through activities and actions
Whether it be a piece of art or a clean beach, Logan Leggs believes in bestowing gifts to his community. Nomadic Artifacts, a local art collective headed by Leggs, hosted its first major project on July 1: a gathering of volunteers to pick up litter at Pirate’s Cove. The Facebook page for the event had…
Wasted forever: Radioactive material likely to remain at Diablo Canyon long after it’s shut down
With the announcement that energy giant PG&E plans to shut down the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant by 2025, San Luis Obispo County residents are trying to work out just what a future without the controversial facility will look like. Before the plant’s two reactors are shut down for good, SLO County has nine years…
Cougars & Mustangs
Did you all enjoy your Independence Day celebrations, dear readers? Well, do I have news for you: Reports indicate an outbreak of—hey, what’s going on? Someone’s hacking into this column from an external server and—Greetings, fellow readers! You believed your Independence Day had ended, but there is far more to declare independence from. For too…
Grover Beach moves toward regulating and taxing medical marijuana
Grover Beach is rethinking its stance on medical marijuana and moving toward regulating and taxing commercial medical cannabis in the city. The members of the City Council met July 5 and gave staff direction to begin working on ordinances to regulate commercial medical marijuana businesses, and also directed them to bring the council options for…
Fareed declares victory in 24th District primary, sets sights on Carbajal
Upstart Republican candidate Justin Fareed officially declared victory as he cemented his second place showing in the primary election for the 24th District congressional seat. After both San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties certified their voting totals, Fareed remained firmly ahead of his nearest Republican rival, State Assemblyman Katcho Achadjian. According to voting totals…
Nipomo’s water woes could impact construction projects
A severe water shortage in Nipomo could complicate plans for several ongoing construction projects, including an assisted living facility that broke ground less than three months ago. According to a recent report by the Nipomo Mesa Management Area Technical Group, the Nipomo area remains in a severe water shortage for the second year in a…
Marijuana grows are a hot topic at July 5th California Valley CSD meeting
For the California Valley Community Services District, the fireworks show came a day late. On July 5, the district—which provides trash services and roadwork to the small, rural community tucked away out in San Luis Obispo County’s southeastern corner—held their monthly meeting. The first of several heated discussions was sparked during the routine report from…
Oil trains are bad for the Central Coast
I moved to the California Central Coast two years ago because of the excellent quality of life it offers, including a beautiful coastline and clean, natural open spaces. Allowing mile-long oil trains to transport tar-sands crude oil through the Central Coast would degrade our quality of life. Oil trains would add air pollution from diesel…
Clubs 7/7/16 – 7/14/16
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…
