Cover Story
Weaving stories : Older buildings from San Luis Obispo County to Santa Maria share tales of the past
Burton Drive in Cambria is lined with boutiques, specialty stores, and restaurants for visitors and residents alike to take a moment and shop. Continuing along the street, you might find yourself doing a double take as you approach The Shop Next Door. The store sits next to the Squibb House and the newly built Black…
There’s still support for Proposition 13
The Republican Party of San Luis Obispo County (RPSLO) strongly supports Proposition 13 as voted by two-thirds of the people of the state of California in 1978 and reaffirms that Proposition 13 benefits individual homeowners, renters, local governments, and the overall economy. Applause to the recent unanimous vote of the SLO County Board of Supervisors…
South County Poetry welcomes guest poet Joe Amaral
Joe Amaral is the featured poet of South County Poetry’s next monthly reading and open mic event on Sunday, March 24, at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Arroyo Grande. Amaral’s The Street Medic, a collection of poetry informed by his full-time job as a paramedic, won the 2018 Palooka Press Chapbook Contest. Amaral was also…
Forever changed
The “More than Grover Beach” opinion piece (March 21) could not have stated the situation any better. It was very unconscionable of all the stakeholders involved with Five Cities Homeless Coalition (5CHC) and the Peoples’ Self-Help Housing not to daylight the proposed homeless project to all of the residents in the Five Cities neighborhoods directly…
Gallery at Marina Square showcases two new artists
Starting Monday, April 1, Gallery at Marina Square in Morro Bay will be showcasing wildlife and landscape photography by featured artist Sharon West and watercolor paintings by guest artist Janet Newland. A joint reception to celebrate both openings takes place Friday, April 12, from 5 to 8 p.m. Both exhibits run through Monday, April 29.…
It’s time to inspect the reactors
This month marks eight years since the meltdown of three nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear generating plant in Japan. The Japanese people who lost their homes, farms, and health are still suffering the consequences of this horrible event. The radioactivity has continued to spread across Japan and into the Pacific now reaching our…
Trilogy Art Group holds auction to benefit Nipomo Library
The Trilogy Art Group hosts a reception for its fourth annual exhibit at the Nipomo Library on Saturday, April 6, from 2 to 4 p.m. in the library’s community room. The reception will include a silent auction, with proceeds to benefit the Friends of the Nipomo Library. The exhibit, which features both 2D and 3D…
A little bit of SLO love
While this area of the New Times is often filled with problems, controversies, and disputes, I wanted to interject a positive, giant shoutout to the many wonderful, talented, and generous artists in our midst. We are so fortunate to have them gracing our area (utility/power boxes in particular) with their creative artistry. Also, it is…
‘Captive State’ squanders its potential by glossing over its political overtones
CAPTIVE STATE What’s it rated? PG-13 What’s it worth, Anna? Stream it What’s it worth, Glen? Rent it Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre, Galaxy, Park, Stadium 10 Co-writer and director Rupert Myatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) helms this sci-fi thriller about an alien invasion of Earth 10 years into the hostile occupation.…
Keep Oso Flaco special
Please help to save Oso Flaco Lake from being developed into a campground and staging area for OHVs (off-highway vehicles, aka dune buggies)! This is in State Parks’ Oceano Dunes District’s plans for this area. I’ve been making audio recordings of bird sounds at Oso Flaco Lake since 1995. Last summer I created a CD…
Blast from the Past: Office Space
When? 1999 What’s it rated? R Where? Amazon Prime, Blu-ray, DVD, iTunes What do Fight Club, American Beauty, and Office Space have in common? Well, they all came out the same year, 1999. The main character in Fight Club is a white male discontent with a white-collar job—oh wait, all three movies are about that…
Próxima Parada plays the SLO Brew Rock on March 22 before they depart for summer U.S. tour
Some bands just seem to exude happiness, as if they know they have the best job in the world and they’re not rubbing your nose in it; they just want to share the joy with you. That’s the case with Próxima Parada, the local blue-eyed soul band whose members are getting ready to quit their…
One man, one ruler?
Cutting through all the talk about Trump and his supporters versus the rising opposition made up of Democrats, independents, and some Republicans, what it comes down to is one-man rule versus our democratic system of government. Many Trump supporters understand this division and choice and completely accept the one-man rule that Trump is in essence…
Film Listings, 3/21/19 – 3/28/19
ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL What’s it rated? PG-13 What’s it worth? Matinee Where’s it showing? Galaxy, Sunset Drive-In Pick Robert Rodriguez (El Mariachi, Spy Kids, Sin City, Planet Terror) directs Rosa Salazar as Alita, a half-human, half-advanced cyborg who finds vengeance for the people of the post-apocalyptic world, Iron City, while finding out about her past.…
Animal Friends exhibit explores nature, wildlife through art and poetry
On view The Animal Friends exhibit, featuring the art of Jeri Edwards and the poetry of local poets, will be on display at the Atascadero Library through May 31. Arroyo Grande artist Jeri Edwards is a wildlife painter who simply doesn’t do plein air paintings. Edwards prefers to be a bit more mindful and in-the-moment…
We are speaking up now
The residents of York Mountain discovered this ill-conceived cannabis project at the eleventh hour. When we objected, we were scolded by San Luis Obispo County for not speaking up when the regulations were being formed! Shouldn’t we be able to rely on our elected officials to protect the constituents’ best interests over the marijuana businesses?…
Fresh and fermented: Asian Bistro serves Japanese and Korean flavors on Higuera Street
Midday hunger solution Serving up Korean and Japanese dishes for a few dollars off the dinner price, Asian Bistro has daily specials between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. if you’re hankering for a food fix while you’re in downtown San Luis Obispo. Stop into 857 Higuera St. between 11 a.m. and 10 p.m. Monday through…
A warning to Congressional Dems and the irrelevant media
There is an age-old tactic employed by insecure people. Try in every way to belittle another person in order to make yourself look better, smarter, or more important. I have a warning for congressional Democrats and their media. Stop your incessant attacks on President Donald Trump. If you want to get America’s respect, then earn…
Sheriff’s Department was sharing license plate data with ICE, documents state
The SLO County Sheriff’s Office may have been sharing data collected using automated license plate reader technology with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), possibly violating California’s “sanctuary state” law. The department was one of 80 U.S. law enforcement agencies that were sharing such data with ICE, according to internal documents obtained by the Northern…
Black-hearted New Deal is not green
The Green New Deal is really a very old deal—socialism that turns into communism and oppression. When inexperienced individuals hear about “free” this and that, their brains shut down and go, “Yes!, I want it.” There is no desire to see more and know more about how 1 plus 1 will not add up to…
Erik Howell’s law license suspended by state bar
Pismo Beach City Councilmember and California Coastal Commissioner Erik Howell had his law license suspended for 60 days by the state bar last month for professional misconduct stemming from his work on a 2011 civil case against San Luis Obispo County. In a state bar decision made in October 2018, Howell was found in violation…
The great connector
My mother-in-law was a lifelong Republican, but I guarantee she’d be offended to know that Donald Trump is about to cut food services nationwide. In fact, my husband’s family has a special connection with Meals on Wheels. His mother June was ferociously self-reliant but believed deeply in public service. She possessed a religious fervor about…
Paso continues with by-district elections hearings
With one more hearing left, Paso Robles is moving forward with its plans to transition the city’s elections to a district-based process. At the March 19 City Council meeting, council members discussed five potential district boundary maps and voted for Map E, which split the city into four districts, to be brought back to the…
Nothing to see here, move along
Has the SLO County Sheriff’s Office been breaking the law? The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) suspects as much! Uh oh! Are you thinking more neglect-driven inmate deaths in the SLO County Jail? Maybe a restraint chair or rubber hose or sock full of no-bruise-leaving oranges? No, no, no! Our Sheriff’s Office is listed as…
North County water districts unhappy with direction of Paso basin plan
Officials from North County’s two water districts vented frustrations about the latest draft of a Paso Robles Groundwater Basin sustainability plan at a joint meeting held at J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines on March 19, calling its target for a 29 percent reduction in basin pumping unreasonable and economically dangerous. The districts—Shandon-San Juan Water District…
Sound off
New Times readers took to Facebook to share their thoughts on our March 14 news story, “Proposed plans for the southern end of the Oceano Dunes have environmentalists up in arms.”
Coast Unified isn’t looking for a superintendent, yet
After splitting with its former superintendent, Coast Unified School District is confident that its current leadership can carry it through the end of the 2018-19 academic school year. Samuel Shalhoub, school board president, told New Times via email that at its March 14 meeting the board voted on its intent to not initiate a statewide…
For the throne
Yes Cocktail Co. from Paso Robles might be onto something. Their PR people sent out an email with the subject line: “The Mother of Cocktails: Game of Thrones inspired.” Who wouldn’t open that? I definitely opened it, and yes, it’s a couple of recipes created with Yes Cocktail Co.’s hancrafted cocktail mixers and syrups. But…
Nuclear safety expert talks risks, plans for Diablo Canyon spent fuel
Robert J. Budnitz, a career nuclear power safety expert, didn’t mince words when describing the potential risk that Diablo Canyon Power Plant’s spent fuel poses as it’s been stored at the site for years, and likely will be for decades. “That stuff’s hazardous,” Budnitz said in his March 13 presentation on the subject to the…
Summer bod
Food, food, food: Get ready to stuff your face for the summer! The body you’re looking for isn’t the one that comes with exercise; it’s the one that comes with rich food and good wine. Yeah. Festival season is coming, people! Tickets are on sale now for Wine, Waves, and Beyond, which runs May 3…
El Camino Homeless Organization focuses on keeping families together
When they hear the word “homeless,” many people picture the lone, older adults they have seen on the streets. But as El Camino Homeless Organization (ECHO) President Wendy Lewis will tell you, those single adults aren’t the only individuals experiencing homelessness in SLO County who are seeking help. The organization’s Atascadero shelter also serves a…
Winner winner
Cheeseheads: Somebody’s Gouda is really good. It’s Cal Poly Creamery students’! Those cheesemaking students competed in the U.S. Cheese Championship Contest in Green Bay, Wisconsin (so you know this is serious!): 2,555 entries from 35 states competed in 116 cheese and butter categories. It sounds good, right? Cal Poly’s student-produced Grand Gouda took third place,…
Cambria Center for the Arts takes on the serious side of comedy with ‘The Sunshine Boys’
Now showing Neil Simon’s The Sunshine Boys shows through April 7 at the Cambria Center for the Arts. Tickets range from $10 to $20. Visit cambriacenterforthearts.org for more information. Does having the last laugh feel satisfying if no one’s there to hear it? Probably not in a ha-ha-ha, laughing out loud kind of way, at…
