Jun 28 – Jul 8, 2018
San Luis Obispo County’s News and Entertainment Weekly
Cover Story
Bail out: Should we nix the state’s cash bail system?
Jeni M. was booked into San Luis Obispo County Jail on May 11, 2009. She voluntarily turned herself in on a burglary charge, according to court records. Her bail was set at $50,000, but she was under the impression that she would remain at the facility until her next court hearing. But within a day…
Education and development through art: Cal Poly Arts receives CAC grant
The California Arts Council recently awarded an Arts Education grant of $15,300 to the Foundation for the Performing Arts Center and Cal Poly Arts. The grant will be used to support the School Matinee Program and Poly Arts for Youth. The School Matinee Program and Poly Arts for Youth focus on bringing San Luis Obispo…
Dads, grads, and ironclads: One heck of a Father’s Day weekend
I should be able to predict the weather by now since it’s always the opposite of what I dress for. It’s June 16, the day before Father’s Day, and my parents, sister, and I are heading down to UCSB for my brother’s graduation. It’s 80 degrees and clear, sunny skies almost all the way there,…
Majority of SLO City Council signs anti-oil letter to governor
Four SLO City Council members joined a coalition of local elected officials in California on June 26 by co-signing a letter to Gov. Jerry Brown asking him to halt the expansion of oil and gas development in the state and create a plan to phase out the entire fossil fuels industry. “This is the bold…
Indigo Girls play Fremont Theater on June 30
Trivia time! What do Indigo Girls and Milli Vanilli have in common? Well, in 1990, they were both nominated for the Best New Artist Grammy Award. Milli Vanilli won. True story. Later, Milli Vanilli—the German R&B duo consisting of dancers and models Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus, who sold millions of records in the late…
Cambria talks about increasing water rates
Nine speakers demanded that the Cambria Community Services District put proposed water, sewer, and Sustainable Water Facility rate increases on hold at the June 21 district meeting. During public comment, Samuel Shalhoub said he advocates for what the community wants from the board of directors—a pause on the proposed rates and accountability for how the…
Trump supporters not welcome
We heard the disturbing news that early last week that Kirstjen Nielsen, Homeland Security Secretary, was heckled by demonstrators while attempting to enjoy a quiet dinner in a Washington D.C. Mexican restaurant. Then, a few days later, it was reported that a restaurateur in Virginia asked White House Press Secretary Sara Huckabee Sanders to leave…
Compton wins county supervisor race
It took all of 17 days and 18,324 ballots, but incumbent 4th District SLO County Supervisor Lynn Compton narrowly defeated her challenger, Jimmy Paulding. Clerk-Recorder Tommy Gong certified the county’s primary election results on June 22, which showed Compton with a 60-vote victory over Paulding. Fewer than 100 votes separated the two candidates throughout the…
Family separation is evidence of our slide into authoritarianism
The United States has always prided itself on being a country that welcomes immigrants and gives them a chance to pursue the American dream with relative political security and access to education—a place where families who work hard can thrive. Now, to our mostly collective horror, our government is ripping children from their parents as…
Man accused of threatening Women’s March SLO seeks dismissal
A defense attorney representing a local landscaper accused of threatening to kill members of Women’s March SLO on Facebook last year is asking that the case be dismissed. In a written request filed on May 17 in SLO County Superior Court, lawyer Jeremy Cutcher argued that his client, Daniel Joshua Phares, was incapable of carrying…
Malene Scene tasting trailer is a mobile mecca for pink wines
Hitch a rosé ride The Malene Scene tasting trailer is open Fridays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 7767 Orcutt Road in San Luis Obispo, although it can venture out to new places, too. Stop by Chamisal Vineyards for a Lobster Fest event this July 20 featuring the Malene Scene and Malene…
We are better than ugly politics
Many of the people coming to America want to ask for asylum, asylum from brutal governments and gang violence in their own countries. But the immigration bureaucracy is making it impossible for them to do so. Instead they are being arrested, and many families were separated. The forced separations appear to have been stopped, but…
Cannabis nuisance: Abating all the pot cultivation and abandoned grows in the California Valley is going to take a while
Garbage trucks in the California Valley have picked up almost two tons more trash on their routes since San Luis Obispo County got serious about clearing out illegal cannabis growing operations. That’s over the last couple of weeks, according to Carrie York, the California Valley Community Services District’s general manager. The district handles road maintenance…
Summer grubbin’
Fair game: The California Mid-State Fair is ready to rumble into your tummy this July 18 to 29 in Paso Robles! Awards will be given out to the best regional home beer brewers, olive oil producers, and jam makers, plus you will probably eat something seriously fried. Just don’t miss the crafty food exhibits (especially…
Civility is a start
Bravo! Kudos to the mayors and city councils of the seven cities and the Board of Supervisors of San Luis Obispo County for unanimously adopting the Regional Code of Civility at a formal, public ceremony at the SLO County Public Library on June 21. For five years the League of Women Voters of San Luis…
Water at risk: Salinas River erosion jeopardizes Paso Robles city wellfield
Perspiring in the sweltering North County heat, Paso Robles Water Resources Manager Chris Alakel tromps down the middle of the parched Salinas River on June 22 until he comes to a halt at a point along its western bank. “The way the water comes by here is different now,” Alakel says, surveying the stretch of…
News nibbles
Not cool: A wayward vehicle crashed into Rosa’s Restaurant in Pismo Beach earlier this month, causing thousands of dollars worth of damage. Thank goodness no one was hurt, but we can only hope that the repairs are speedy, so we can get back to enjoying that famous butternut squash ravioli (Send words of support and…
The other half will be heard
Who will represent the other half of District 4 citizens? That’s right conservative voters of District 4, if you look to your right and look to your left, hypothetically, those neighbors voted against re-electing Lynn Compton. Every other neighbor voted either to accept the policies of Lynn Compton or accept the policies of Jimmy Paulding,…
Coastal Thrivers Corporation works to create a community for survivors of sexual abuse or assault on the Central Coast
In 2010, Theresa Wolfe was going through a rough time in her life. She and her husband were in the process of separating, her mother died, she was figuring out her next steps in life, and dealing with ongoing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The PTSD stemmed from experiencing sexual abuse as a child.…
Suns out, buns out
Love the beach, wine, and jazz? Head to Puffers of Pismo for a low-key performance by the Kaeli Earle Trio on tour from Washington! The show kicks off on July 18 at 7 p.m. and food and wine will be available to heighten the experience (puffersofpismo.com) … Firestone Walker Brewing’s Pivo Pilsner beer was named…
Don’t paint all Christians with the same brush
I haven’t written a letter to the editor in years, mostly because I rarely read them. Unfortunately I made the mistake of reading David Broadwater’s letter (“Stop child concentration camps,” June 21) regarding the inhumane decision to keep Central American parents seeking asylum separated from their children and vice versa. Guess what, Mr. Broadwater. I’m…
‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ is fun and slick and formulaic
JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM What’s it rated? PG-13 What’s it worth, Anna? Matinee What’s it worth, Glen? Matinee Where’s it showing? Bay, Downtown Centre, Fair Oaks, Galaxy, Park, Stadium 10 J.A. Bayona (The Orphanage, The Impossible, A Monster Calls) directs this follow up to Jurassic World (2015), which was about an island dinosaur park and…
Fix your moral compass, it’s broken
I really wished I lived in a country where the same people who were morally outraged by NFL players taking a knee were half as outraged by children being forcibly taken from their parents and being placed in for-profit detention camps. If you are one of those people, you might want to stop and check…
Blast from the Past: Evil Under The Sun
When? 1982 What’s it rated? PG Where’s it available? iTunes, YouTube, Amazon Prime I have a deep love for cozy mysteries of all sorts but one movie stands above all the rest as my favorite of all time: Evil Under the Sun. The film, based on the Agatha Christie novel of the same name, features…
Aversion—or a proven fix?
Consider this hard truth: 90 percent of San Luis Obispo County’s homeless are unsheltered, making SLO the third worst in the nation (compared with similar counties), according to the federal Homeless Assessment Report. I don’t know about you, but that makes me feel ashamed. We’re a community of wealth, education, and resources. We claim to…
Film Listings, 6/28/18 – 7/5/18
DEADPOOL 2 What’s it rated? R What’s it worth? Full Price Where’s it showing? Stadium 10, Galaxy Pick David Leitch (Atomic Blonde) directs this sequel about irreverent former mercenary-turned-mutant superhero Wade “Deadpool” Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), who this time around convenes a team of fellow mutants to protect a supernaturally-gifted young boy, Russell “Firefist” Collins (Julian…
Dear incompetent people,
Dear Daniel Boyd McMonegal, owner-operator of West Coast Organix, you are a total moron! You get SLO County’s first ever, brand spanking new commercial cannabis sales permit, and next you’re indicted in a super secret dark web nationwide federal sting operation for allegedly illegally selling pot in exchange for Bitcoin? What a toolbag! You’re effing…
Brah! Have you tried Brosé?
Are you sick of me talking about trendy, picture-ready rosé yet? Before you skip over this blurb and assign it to the “millennials are ruining everything” bin, consider this. Brosé! Yes, beer-freaking-rosé (because millennials indeed are ruining everything and nothing is sacred). Silva Brewing in Paso Robles has created its own trend-setting sparkling rosé beer…
Social media sound off
New Times readers took to Facebook to share their thoughts about our June 21 news story, “Cannabis application process ‘a war’ in SLO County, industry reps say.”
Flying high: Suspended Motion Aerial Arts closes, Levity Academy opens in its place
Upside down Levity Academy in SLO offers classes for kids and adults on aerial apparatuses like silks, lyra, trapeze, rope, and more. For a class schedule and pricing, visit levityacademy.com. There’s an overwhelming sense of calm as you walk into the industrial space at 207 Suburban Road in San Luis Obispo. Sunlight peeks through the…
AG mayor can’t vote on Brisco Road project, FPPC says
As the Arroyo Grande City Council gets closer to finally choosing just how to move forward with a multi-million dollar highway interchange project, they’ll have to make their decision without Mayor Jim Hill. In a June 19 letter, the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) said Hill needed to recuse himself from voting on the…
By the Sea spoofs British whodunits with Jack Sharkey’s ‘The Murder Room’
Fanciful farce The Murder Room will show through July 15 at St. Peter’s By the Sea Episcopal Church in Morro Bay. Tickets range from $15 to $20 and are available at the door or in advance at my805tix.com. Call (805) 776-3287 or visit bytheseaproductions.org for more information. Have you ever wondered what it would be…
Atascadero voters to decide on mayoral term length, again
When Atascadero residents vote for their next mayor in November, they’ll also be deciding whether to change the position’s term length. The Atascadero City Council voted 4-0 on June 26 to add a measure on the November ballot that, if adopted, will extend the mayor’s term from two to four years. The new term length…
Murders, memoirs, and Mother Nature: Author Annette McGivney speaks at SLO Library
Annette McGivney, author of five books including Pure Land: A True Story of Three Lives, Three Cultures, and the Search for Heaven on Earth, will speak at three San Luis Obispo County Library Branches in July. Her novel Pure Land is a unique narrative nonfiction book—part true crime, part memoir—following the brutal murder of Tomomi…
Jurors will likely see photos of victim killed in fatal 2016 accident
Jurors selected to hear a DUI manslaughter case in SLO County Superior Court this week will likely be shown photos of the victim before and after the deadly 2016 accident. Judge Craig Van Rooyen ruled that at least two photos of the body of 56-year-old Denise Lyn Fox, who was killed in a fatal collision…
