Cover Story
Change is coming: Oceano residents are starting to plan for their community’s future without off-roading, and they’re hoping it doesn’t include gentrification
A previous version of this story erroneously stated that the Oceano Advisory Council supports efforts to repurpose the Oceano County Airport. The group has taken no official stance on the matter. Allene Villa is a lifelong resident of Oceano, but her interest in the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area (SVRA) and its role in…
SLO County to hold first redistricting hearing on July 20
The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors is kicking off its once-a-decade redistricting process with a public hearing on July 20. Residents will have their first chance to weigh in on the redrawing of five supervisorial districts by attending the 1:30 p.m. meeting at the county government center or submitting a comment or map…
Lompoc consolidates cannabis tax election with governor recall vote
Lompoc city residents will have a chance to vote on proposed changes to the city’s cannabis tax on Sept. 14, rather than Aug. 31 as was originally planned. The city voted to consolidate the cannabis tax election with the vote to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom, a move that will save Lompoc nearly $200,000 and allow…
Picnics in paradise: Central Coast entrepreneurs elevate al fresco dining
The perfect locale There are several local picnic planners to choose from.Visit their respective websites to learn more. Caucus Picnic Co.: cayucospicnicco.com. Wildernest: wildernestpicnics.com. Pretty Little Picnics: prettylittlepicnicsca.com. A Little Picnic: alittlepicnic.com. Who wouldn’t love creating a luxurious picnic experience for a family member or friend? Sound intimidating? What if someone else swooped in beforehand…
Grover Beach launches districting effort
Grover Beach recently launched its transition to district-based City Council elections, one of several jurisdictions throughout San Luis Obispo County and the Central Coast using 2020 census data to draw new voter boundaries that will be used in the November 2022 elections. At a meeting on June 28, Grover Beach City Council held its first…
All-female punk rockers Hot Tina will bring the heat to Liquid Gravity on July 10
All-female bands aren’t new. Back in the ’30s, jazz acts such as the Blue Belles and the Harlem Playgirls proved that women could successfully enter what had largely been a man’s profession. Rock was a little different, and the all-female bands of the ’60s—Goldie and the Gingerbreads, the Pleasure Seekers, Fanny—were sort of considered novelty…
SLORoll initiative unites roller-skating community in SLO County
It all started with one spontaneous night last fall, when local roller skating enthusiast and instructor Shauna “Dottie Mae” Gustuson went to Santa Rosa Park in San Luis Obispo for a casual night skate with a friend. As she held a Bluetooth speaker playing some tunes, Gustuson noticed as she rolled around the rink that…
SLOIFF increases focus on Central Coast filmmakers and music videos as it starts accepting entries for 2022
Submit! The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival starting accepting film submissions for 2022 on July 6. Head over to slofilmfest.org to get the details. Heading into March 2021, SLO International Film Festival Director (SLOIFF) Skye McLennan didn’t know what to expect. It was her first year at the helm of the big event and…
Tooth and Nail Winery presents Comedy Night at the Castle, featuring comedian Erin Foley
Acclaimed comedian Erin Foley is headlining an outdoor comedy show, Comedy Night at the Castle, at Tooth and Nail Winery in Paso Robles on Saturday, July 10, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.). Probably best known for her observational comedy sets as seen on Comedy Central and other networks, Foley is…
Black Rabbit Studio welcomes guest instructor Majida Fazal for A Joyful Henna Workshop
Black Rabbit Studio in San Luis Obispo hosts A Joyful Henna Workshop on Saturday, July 17, from 10 a.m. to noon. Guest instructor and local artist Majida Fazal will discuss the origins of henna during this introductory class, before guiding participants in completing a beginner-friendly henna project. Admission to the workshop is $40, which includes…
Third season of NBC’s Making It features Central Coast local Kara Walker
Central Coast-based artist and designer Kara Walker was chosen to compete on NBC’s current season of Making It, which premiered on June 24. Hosted by Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman, each season of Making It assembles a different group of crafters from around the country to compete with each other in various do-it-yourself crafting challenges.…
Legitimate debate
To the Shredder and political cartoonist Russell Hodin: How incredibly sad and disappointing it is to see a legitimate debate about an obviously controversial issue slide immediately into hyperbole and name-calling. More extreme supporters of critical race theory (CRT) label anyone who disagrees with its inclusion in schools as racists. Opponents of CRT similarly label…
Not everyone is free
As I write, it is the Fourth of July and I am visiting my family home after many years away. Sitting on the roof with my children watching fireworks light up the sky I feel the pull within myself about the complexities of it all: a night sky full of color and my kids’ wonder-filled…
I stand corrected … not
After shredding the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District (PRJUSD) over its Resolution 21-27 that aimed to ban teaching of critical race theory (CRT) in Paso schools (“Mighty white of you, Paso!” June 24), many undies were immediately bunched—none more bunched than Superintendent Dr. Curt Dubost, who penned this week’s commentary. “More extreme supporters of…
Nonprofit builder gets stop work order at proposed tiny home site
A nonprofit housing developer with hopes to build a tiny home village in Los Osos was hit with a stop work order last month after it cleared the potential site—a wetland, according to San Luis Obispo County—of trees and vegetation. Peoples’ Self-Help Housing cleared the vacant 1.3-acre parcel at the intersection of Los Olivos Avenue…
Some Atascadero parents are asking the city to address an increase in violent incidents near Atascadero Middle School
A June 10 fight in Atascadero’s Centennial Plaza that ended with a stabbing and an arrest for attempted murder was the last straw for a group of local parents. The parents, many with kids who attend Atascadero Middle School across the street, penned a letter to the City Council asking what the plan was to…
Templeton will collect delinquent utility charges through the county
To ensure the Templeton Community Services District receives past due payments for water and sewer services from 18 utility accounts, it’s handing over collecting responsibilities to SLO County. The delinquent water and sewer charges have decreased since the district’s staff report was published on June 28; the amount was approximately $14,501, and as of July…
Summer of Soul is deeply moving celebration of Black culture wrapped in an essential history lesson
SUMMER OF SOUL (… OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED) What’s it rated? PG-13 When? 2021 Where’s it showing? The Palm Theatre of SLO, Hulu What’s it worth, Anna? Full price What’s it worth, Glen? Full price Questlove directs this new documentary about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, an event overshadowed by Woodstock…
Supervisors to consider condition prohibiting vacation rentals at development in Avila Beach
A developer wants to be allowed to apply to use a new housing project in Avila Beach as vacation rentals, but community members and county staff say existing vacation rentals in Avila are already so abundant that they’re becoming detrimental to residential neighborhoods in the area. At a meeting on July 13, the San Luis…
The Tomorrow War
What’s it rated? PG-13 When? 2021 Where’s it showing? Amazon Prime Chris McKay (The Lego Batman Movie) directs this sci-fi adventure about a future war humanity is losing against aliens. When time travelers arrive from 2051, they recruit soldiers and civilians in the present to travel 30 years into the future to help fight the…
Housing Authority gets 156 new housing vouchers for vulnerable residents
San Luis Obispo County recently received 156 new emergency housing vouchers as part of the American Rescue Plan—subsidies similar to Section 8 that are designed to rapidly house residents experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. The local vouchers all went to the Housing Authority of SLO (HASLO), which will work with clients referred by…
No Sudden Move
What’s it rated? R When? 2021 Where’s it showing? HBO Max Steven Soderbergh (Erin Brockovich, Ocean’s Eleven, Magic Mike) directs this crime drama that’s got an amazing cast, a twisty-turny double- and triple-cross tale, and a decided film noir feel. At the heart of the story is career criminal Curt Goynes (Don Cheadle), who gets…
SLO County has its fifth law enforcement-involved shooting in 18 months
The San Luis Obispo Regional SWAT team responded to a call about an armed man that ended in the death of the suspect—the fifth officer-involved shooting in the county since January 2020. The suspect, 32-years-old Los Angeles resident Steven Adam Calderon, had barricaded himself in a Paso Robles apartment off of Branch Creek Circle and…
