Cover Story
No vacancy: Central Coast growers battle housing shortage, politics as they bring in temporary labor to supplement their workforce
The ghostly shadow of a burned-out house frame no longer muddies the view of Mads Place in Nipomo. It’s gone. Day-glow orange signs that cut off entry to the street are the only reminder that something bad happened here. Greco Realty leads potential homebuyers off South Oakglen Avenue to the lawns of houses that were…
Un-oaked and dry: Justin Vineyards and Winery receives hard scrutiny after clear cutting trees
At first sight, it could have been a rock quarry. But the land that lay barren, its hillsides a lifeless chalky gray, was cleared to plant a vineyard. Before the dozers pushed acres of trees down and began building a massive 20-acre feet irrigation reservoir, the land was part open pasture, part hills covered in…
Turning off the tap: Why SLO County spent way less than was budgeted for water conservation in Los Osos
Nestled in the coastal hills above the Los Osos Valley—removed from the “prohibition zone,” where 4,500 households are on the hook for a $183-million sewer plant—is the Cabrillo Estates, an upscale Los Osos neighborhood overlooking the Morro Bay Estuary. Those who live in the Cabrillo neighborhood aren’t paying a dime to San Luis Obispo County…
Busy summer ahead for Diablo Canyon
The debate over the future of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant rages on this summer with a series of upcoming meetings highlighting the many facets of the plant that will be under review. On June 21 and 22, the Diablo Canyon Independent Safety Committee (DCISC) will hear a long-awaited report by Dr. Robert Sewell…
What is the one place or activity that’s a ‘must see’ for visitors to SLO County this summer?
Martina hairdresser “You should definitely go out to Pozo and see a concert.” Elliot SLO resident “I think everyone needs to see Mission Plaza.” Michelle acai bowl enthusiast “Edna Valley.” Puck statue/fairy trickster “Come to the downtown center and hang out with me! I can’t move, and it’s very lonely!”
Bello Mundo’s Half-Caff Iced Tea and Firestone Brewing Co.’s STiVO Pilsner
It’s not on the menu, but it really should be. When you need a jolt of caffeine, but it’s way after 2 p.m., head to Bello Mundo and ask for a mix of powerful black tea and a good dash of their caffeine-free pear tea. The flavor is rich and reviving—not sweet in the least—and…
Gulp!
Cold ones: Paso might be “wine country,” but the suds are making a splash, too. Casual eatery Nosh Delights in downtown Paso Robles has been hosting beer tasting events paired with a five-course tasting menu on the first Wednesday of every month (noshdelights.com; 1401 Park St., Paso Robles) … Congrats to this year’s California Mid-State…
Stairway to heaven: Happy goats, pigs, and avocados come from Cambria’s Stepladder Ranch
In one swift, deft motion, Michelle Angell uses a mud-crusted cowboy boot to turn over a milk crate full of overripe Hass avocados. The glossy black and green fruit roll across the dusty landscape making a soft sound equivalent to a piggy dinner bell. “Come and get it,” Angell calls, squinting from behind the brim…
Bingeable: Happy Valley
Where? Netflix; 2014-present. I find Happy Valley, a British crime drama now streaming its second season as a Netflix Original Series, absolutely irresistible. Maybe it’s because of its strong female lead, Sgt. Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire), given life by writer-director Sally Wainwright. Too often crime dramas are male-centric, more about machismo and excitement than the…
Art Central in SLO exhibits ‘The Human Form’
Since the beginning of time, artists have found inspiration over and over again in the human body. Celebrate the body’s many angles and contours by checking out the exhibit, The Human Form, currently on display at Art Central in San Luis Obispo. The show, which runs through June 27, features the works of more than…
Jay Owenhouse brings his grand illusions to PACSLO
When you think of magic shows, cheap tricks like pulling a quarter from an audience member’s ear might come to mind, but Jay Owenhouse doesn’t put on that kind of show. Owenhouse, a legendary escape artist and one of the most awarded illusionists in history, will appear in San Luis Obispo for one night only,…
Through the clouds: Taking the leap with Skydive Pismo Beach
Things will never be the same. While flying down toward earth at breakneck speed, life is put into a completely different perspective. It should be no surprise that the world looks altered at 10,000 feet, but I didn’t get the vertigo effect I expected. What I got was a real-life painting of green and brown…
Head, hands and heart: Cambria’s Hide and Tallow crafts leather goods the old-fashioned way
View a slideshow from Hide and Tallow. She was sitting all alone at a table. He knew he had to make a move. As teens chatted and socialized at a youth gathering in Paso Robles in the ’90s, Ty made his way across the room toward the woman he would flirt with, forget to call…
Swimming and grooving: Artist Colleen Gnos looks to ocean, jazz for inspiration
Her fate was sealed by age 4. When grown-ups looked at the brightly colored pictures made by her particular pair of tiny hands, they liked what they saw. “I knew from the get-go that I would be an artist,” Colleen Gnos said. “My paintings in preschool, the other moms would say that you could actually…
Dustbowl Revival brings their Americana genre mash-up to Live Oak Music festival June 17-19
Santa Ynez—near Camp Live Oak, the location of this weekend’s Live Oak Music Festival from Friday, June 17, through Sunday, June 19—is expected to hit 99 degrees this Monday, which means Friday’s high of 82, Saturday’s high of 86, and Sunday’s high of 95 will feel relatively mild! (Silver lining!) I note this because despite…
Clubs 6/16/16 – 6/23/16
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…
Viewer Discretion: GALA holds SLO vigil June 14
GALA leads a vigil on June 14 to honor those who lost their lives in Orlando on June 12. PHOTOS BY DYLAN HONEA-BAUMANN
Guns for everybody!
Too bad one of those gay club kids wasn’t carrying an Uzi. Orlando would have been a lot different because the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good gay in tight jeans with a bigger gun, amirite? At least that’s what the NRA would have you believe. The truth…
Can we get a primary do-over?
I want a redo of our recent election. With all that is at stake this coming November, somehow the two congressional candidates who are moving forward are both nothing more than puppets for their political parties. On the Republican side we have Justin Fareed, who has no clue about politics. I don’t even think he…
High school grads should apply for Pell Grants
Making college affordable has become an increasingly complex challenge. The average student debt for the Class of 2016 is $37,173, up 6 percent from the previous year. Yet, according to recent studies, approximately $2.9 billion of federal grant money was left unclaimed last year because high school seniors who were eligible for financial aid failed…
Responsibility lies with the shooter
In response to Mr. Bob Cuddy blaming the NRA for the gun violence in this country (“Do it today,” May 26), I disagree with him. The NRA works to make sure the honest people keep their constitutional rights to have guns. I don’t have a problem with background checks to purchase guns but no matter…
Morro Bay High’s new pool design stinks
Well, I just read that I will be showering outside in the cold after taking my early morning swim at the new “state of the art” aquatics center at Morro Bay High School. Sure am glad I voted for that one. I have been driving from Cayucos to SLO to swim for more than 25…
Anticipating the Big One
I’m for the environment, and what better way to protect it than to keep Diablo Canyon operating until the Big One shuts it down. When that happens, this whole area will be cleared of human beings. Yay! Wilderness again! Farmlands will become wild again. Animals can roam as they like through all the areas paved…
Go Dawn Ortiz-Legg!
I am so pleased to see that Dawn Ortiz-Legg will be continuing her race for the state’s 35th Assembly District. She is a well-informed consensus builder who is all about the little guy. Her stand against the Iraq war recognized the insanity of sending our young men and women to risk their limbs and lives…
The real threat
When I woke last Sunday to news of the worst-ever mass shooting in the history of the United States, I found myself hoping that the shooter wouldn’t turn out to be Muslim, that the shooting wouldn’t be one tied to “Islamic terrorism.” While it may seem obvious to wish that such terrorism fails to take…
Safe haven: The Haven residential treatment center prepares to open doors
Floor-to-ceiling windows show off agricultural fields, sand dunes, and the Pacific Ocean. It’s all you see as you walk through the front door. The second thing you notice is the multi-level deck. Then, it’s the patio chairs with big red cushions, just waiting for someone to hunker down and think about life—to feel at peace.…
Cougars & Mustangs
Some part of this nation has died, and the stench is so severe it’s causing hallucinations … it tears at the very fabric of reality. Nothing else can explain this mirage of ours, that we have “it all” in a society that still hasn’t been able to solve the crisis it continues to berate itself…
SLO County Grand Jury takes Planning Department’s minor use permits to task
A new report by the San Luis Obispo County grand jury takes issue with some of the central pieces to the permitting process for smaller projects in the county. The report, titled “Minor Use Permits: An Oxymoron” and released June 7, is the first report issued in the 2015-2016 session of the volunteer citizen’s group.…
SLO Sheriff gets cash to take on gangs
Sheriff Ian Parkinson is getting funding for additional manpower to try and prevent gang members in surrounding areas from coming into SLO County. Members of the SLO County Board of Supervisors approved a number of Parkinson’s requests during budget hearings on June 13 in order to beef up the department’s presence near the county’s northern…
Morro Bay switches gears on water reclamation facility
After several tumultuous months surrounding preliminary plans to build a water reclamation facility near a residential neighborhood in Morro Bay, the City Council responded to residents’ concerns by pursuing a less controversial location. The council voted unanimously on June 14 to move plans to the Tri-W site, located north of the Highway 101 and South…
Arroyo Grande allows medical marijuana cultivation, delivery
Just six months after passing a total ban, members of the Arroyo Grande City Council voted unanimously to allow both personal cultivation and delivery of medical marijuana in the city for qualified residents. The council voted unanimously at a June 14 meeting to modify an existing medical marijuana ordinance to allow for limited cultivation of…
