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Crafty Christmas: A guide to do-it-yourself gift making
Gather supplies • Beverly’s Fabric and Crafts: 876 Higuera St., San Luis Obispo • Michaels: 3880 Broad St., San Luis Obispo • Beads of Sharon: 3970 Broad St., No. 2, San Luis Obispo • Home Depot: 1551 Froom Ranch Way, San Luis Obispo • Miner’s Ace Hardware: 2034 Santa Barbara Ave., San Luis Obispo We…
Los Osos residents await financial help for sewer connections
As many as 80 Los Osos property owners who have been waiting months for financial assistance to connect their homes to the Los Osos sewer will have to resubmit information about their incomes and be recertified, as too much time elapsed since their previous certification, according to county Public Works officials. Since last year, the…
Snow and Elf on the Shelf come to Morro Bay
Frolic in real snow on the Central Coast and have a little fun with Santa’s favorite spy on Dec. 10. The Real Snow and Elf on the Shelf Competition will be held at Tidelands Park in Morro Bay from 1 to 4 p.m. There will be two areas for snow, one flat for the small…
SLO to increase fines for code violations in lieu of rental inspections
Fines for health and safety and building code violations in San Luis Obispo are about to double under a new city plan to crack down on “slumlords” and compel improvements to rental housing conditions. On Nov. 21, the SLO City Council signed off on a regulatory scheme to serve as an alternative to the mandatory…
Celebrate everything at SLOQueerdos’ Holiday Drag Show
Take part in every single holiday (not just the ones we go crazy over in the winter months) at SLOQueerdos’ Holiday Drag Show at SLO Brew on Dec. 17. Enjoy as the queens celebrate whatever holiday they feel like, with performances by Lulu Licious, Victoria, Rubi, Lotta Problems, Yehuda Queen, and Rosa Mendoza. Krystal Methatic…
Nipomo man accused of murdering his girlfriend convicted of immigration violation
NOTE: This article was corrected to reflect that Alonso Mata’s prison sentence was longer than one year. On May 30, 24-year-old Paulina Ramirez-Diaz was found stabbed to death in her Nipomo home. Six months later, the man once accused of ending her life received a sentence of just over two years in prison. That’s because…
Paint a cactus for Christmas
Christmas isn’t just about trees. Show some love to the self-sufficient cactus at Painting on the Patio at 15c Wine Shop and Bar in Templeton on Dec. 9. Lead artist Karyn Blaney will instruct attendees through the process of creating a Christmas Cactus painting while sipping on their favorite beverage. There’s no experience necessary, just…
If you’re looking for one of a kind graffiti art to decorate your shop with, Tommy Bright has the designs for you
For as long as Tommy Bright can remember he’s been creating pieces of art on paper, canvas, clothing, and murals. He’s the founder of Off the Wall Custom Creations. “I’ve always been into art. I spent most of my school years doodling on the desk and on the back of assignments,” Bright said. Before moving…
SLO’s 42nd Annual Holiday Parade sleighs me
It’s Friday, Dec. 1, and it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas—probably because a bunch of awesome holiday floats, marching bands, and people-powered vehicles bedecked with colored lights are streaming down Higuera Street for the 42nd annual Holiday Parade. Downtown SLO is packed to the gills! My wife, Anna, and I took a Lyft…
Pixies play songs from Head Carrier at the Fremont Theater on Dec. 12
About 30 years ago, a band from Boston released a debut record so potent, unexpected, and lyrically arresting that it and the band became legendary. That record was Surfer Rosa, and that band was Pixies. They’d formed in 1985 and released their first EP, Come on Pilgrim, in 1987, but Surfer Rosa was a revelation,…
We are family farmers
My husband and I are the founders of Circle of Dreams Farm. Speaking as a member of one of the “small family farms” mentioned in the Nov. 30 article (“Supes set limits on marijuana industry in new county ordinance”), this ordinance is going to have devastating consequences. We have been cultivating cannabis in San Luis…
‘Novitiate’ is fascinating and heartrending
NOVITIATE What’s it rated? RWhat’s it worth, Anna? Full priceWhat’s it worth, Glen? Full priceWhere’s it showing? Downtown Centre, Galaxy (final day, Dec. 7) Writer-director Margaret Betts helms this story spanning the early-’50s through the mid-’60s about Cathleen (Margaret Qualley), who thanks to a scholarship finds herself at a Catholic high school. Though raised by…
Men will be men
Recent events flooding the news media relating to sexual harassment and abuse compel me to share my thoughts on this very sensitive topic. And I know that what I’m about to share will disgust some and be rejected by others, but I’m not deterred. For what I offer is my view and my truth that…
Guilty Pleasures: Streets of Fire
When? 1984 What’s it rated? PG Where’s it available? Streaming on Amazon Some movies are so bad that they somehow transcend their un-watchability, inexplicably sucking you into the eye of the delightful hurricane of its own awfulness—a proverbial car wreck that you just can’t stop looking at. One of the most well-known examples that comes…
Only the ‘little people’ lose
After the last national election, we were promised that “the swamp” would be drained in Washington and that the undue influence of special interests would be history; since January that “swamp” has grown into a huge cesspool. Many voters assured themselves, with naiveté and skewed logic, that anyone of extreme wealth cannot be “bought” and…
Film Listings 12/7/17 – 12/14/17
COCO What’s it rated? PG What’s it worth? Full Price Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre, Stadium 10, Sunset Drive In, Stadium 10, Park, Galaxy Pick Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina co-direct this animated adventure-comedy written by the directors and Jason Katz and Matthew Aldrich, about Miguel (voiced by Anthony Gonzalez), an aspiring musician from a…
Gift a donation for the holidays
For many children in foster care, this holiday season will be the first one they spend away from the home they’ve known, their siblings, extended family, and friends. Imagine how difficult it must be to be living in a different home, with new people all around you, wondering where you will be this time next…
Fancy schmancy
Did someone say put out the good crystal stemware? Chamisal Vineyards is now offering elegant event spaces available for holiday parties all winter long, so keep ’em in the running for that wedding reception or work holiday soiree. The historic Chamisal property, claimed to be “the first vineyard planted in the Edna Valley,” offers two…
County, North County cities renew animal shelter discussions
After dropping out of a countywide agreement to build a new animal shelter due to its price tag, the cities of Paso Robles and Atascadero are back in talks with the county to try to revive the $13.7 million project on Oklahoma Road. Since the City Councils voted in tandem to pursue their own North County shelter in October,…
Bike lane priorities
After the rhetoric-laden intro to Richard Schmidt’s opinion piece (“Socially engineered city,” Nov. 23) about the proposal to redirect traffic on Chorro and Broad streets for the benefit of cyclists, I was surprised to find myself agreeing with him. As a person who had ridden a bike in SLO for decades, those streets do not…
Bellylicious
The way it crumbles: Did you miss National Cookie Day, Dec. 4? Don’t let that stop you. My top pick: Cowboy Cookie in Downtown SLO. Get the chocolate chip cookie sandwich with oatmeal ice cream in the middle. It’s like grandma’s love, only sweeter and with less off-putting social commentary (cowboycookie.net) … There’s a new…
Can’t we all just get along
We need to stop fighting about ODSVRA [Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area] issues. We must come to a compromise. There are many parties involved, and each needs to win something: off roaders, Mesa residents, endangered species in the creek, Oceano residents. Health needs come first and needs to be met fully. I suggest fencing…
Kick back
Break time: Do you work in the wine or food industry? Have you been to Baywood’s own Blue Heron yet? Well, you might want to swing by on any given Monday, when industry night brings out the best bottles alongside fresh seafood and seasonal mushrooms galore! (blueheronbaywood.com) Plus, it’s always fun to have a drink…
Advocates raise alarms about county cannabis policy
Less than two weeks after San Luis Obispo County passed local regulations for the soon-to-be legal cannabis industry, a campaign seeking changes to the policy is underway. Cannabis industry members say the new county ordinance, approved by the Board of Supervisors on Nov. 27 by 3-2 vote, makes it impossible for businesses to obtain state…
The Grinch works overtime
At this time of the year I always hope that we will get through the next four weeks without some type of disaster casting its dark shadow over Christmas traditions. That being said, the Grinch works overtime, and this year seems to be no exception. There are several reasons to be concerned as Christmas fast…
Teatime isn’t just for grandma anymore
Teatime Cup and Carriage is available for parties across the Central Coast. For more information, go to @cupandcarriage on Instagram or vintageteatoyou.wixsite.com/vintage-tea-to-you. Rip off that bonnet, set fire to the crochet doilies, and for the love of all things holy, chuck those prim watercress finger sandwiches out the window (no one ever eats them anyway).…
Pismo passes moratorium on certain businesses
Looking to get some new ink or a massage in Pismo Beach? Your options might be limited. Members of the City Council voted unanimously on Dec. 4 to enact a temporary moratorium on new tattoo parlors, massage parlors, smoke shops, and other selected businesses within the city. The moratorium was enacted under an urgency ordinance…
De-weirder
“I’ve been up there at night,” 3rd District Supervisor Adam Hill told his colleagues and the public at the Dec. 5 SLO County Board of Supervisors meeting, “and I gotta tell you, if you want anonymous sex or drugs, that’s the place.” Oh my! What magical utopia is this land of free love and mind…
Thanks for the hospitality!
A warm bed, a hot cup, a bright smile: This is true hospitality. Cambria’s annual nod to this fine and fuzzy feeling kicks off Dec. 7 in the village, where a trolley will roll down jolly Main Street. Oh yes, and that is totally Santa checking out the local art galleries and wine tasting rooms…
Cambria CSD is having a hard time choosing its newest board member
Six hours wasn’t long enough for the Cambria Community Services District to pick and swear in a new district board member. With 11 candidates being considered at the Dec. 4 special meeting (meeting agenda PDF), the votes were split between Tom Gray and Dewayne Lee to fill the open seat left by former district Vice…
Shredder sound off
New Times readers took issue with last week’s Shredder column (“Go fund it,” Nov. 30) on the “Village Fox” and its GoFundMe page.
Nighttime closure a sticking point in Pirate’s Cove discussion
While San Luis Obispo County Parks Director Nick Franco believes that nighttime closure is the one of the only things that will address the crime issues associated with Pirate’s Cove and Cave Landing Road near Avila Beach, not everyone is so sure. “Closing off that remote area with a gate or something … that often…
Central Coast holiday shows to kick off the season
We’re a week into December, and it is indeed beginning to look a lot like Christmas. But forget decorating the tree just so or purchasing the perfect gift—the real question is: What forms of community holiday merriment should one partake in? There’s too many festive shows and only so much time, therefore, we at New…
County details efforts to address mental illness
One week after the SLO County Jail experienced its third inmate death of 2017, the SLO County Board of Supervisors received an update on efforts to address growing concerns about the treatment and care of mentally ill individuals at the facility. Sheriff Ian Parkinson addressed the members of the board at their Dec. 5 regular…
Civic Ballet celebrates 40 years in SLO
A Nutcracker Christmas Civic Ballet of SLO’s The Nutcracker will show at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center Dec. 8, 9, and 10. Tickets range from $18 to $59. Visit pacslo.org for tickets and more information. It was just a two-car garage in San Luis Obispo, but Lorilee Silvaggio knew she could make it work.…
