Cover Story
Unclaimed property: Nobody wants to take responsibility for maintaining a little piece of no man’s land in Cambria
Tucked away beneath the vast heights of Monterey pine trees sprawls the community of Cambria. Between those towering pines is “the pink house,” which sits beside an unmaintained piece of no man’s land. Carol Flash took New Times on a tour of her home of 20 years and pointed out land to the left of…
Amateur hour
Did they or didn’t they? That’s the question! After its March 7 meeting, the SLO County Board of Supervisors—in particular, three of ’em—were accused by members of the public of violating the Brown Act, which in case you don’t recall is that pesky little law requiring proper public notice of government agendas and forbidding elected…
Summer Guide 2017
Your inspiration and itinerary for a SLO County summer
Do you think the drought is over? Why or why not?
Tony Hackworth fire protection “No, it’s not over. The reason is I think it just did more damage. People weren’t ready for it, so it can happen all over again, … I think it’s just going to lead to worse conditions.” Christa Lee starting over “Regardless of whether or not the drought is over, I…
Searching for Josh Brolin and Jeff Bridges at the SLO Film Fest
It’s Saturday, March 18, and I’m pretty sure by the end of the night I’ll be hanging out with Josh Brolin and Jeff Bridges. They just arrived on the red carpet in front of the Fremont Theater, where Jeff will be giving Josh (Yeah, we’re on a first name basis like besties) the King Vidor…
SLO Supervisors to recast vote on groundwater course change
On its heels after being accused of violating state public meeting laws, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors decided March 21 that it would “do over” a March 7 vote that allocated millions in county funds to groundwater management. The board voted unanimously to agendize the discussion for April 4. Controversy erupted recently…
Proposed HUD cuts concern local nonprofits
Steep cuts to the Federal Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD) proposed by the Trump Administration include the elimination of a popular grant program that provides more than $1 million annually to nonprofit organizations in SLO County. The proposed “blueprint” for the 2018 federal budget released by the White House earlier this month calls for…
Central Coast mourns death of SLOStringer Matthew Frank
Central Coast residents continue to grieve the death of freelance journalist and photographer Matthew Frank, who garnered a massive online following for reporting local breaking news as SLOStringer. The SLOStringer’s social media pages that once provided thousands of followers with spot news on accidents, fires, emergencies, road closures, and other events in the county were…
Forden’s to leave downtown SLO
Nearing 78 years in serving San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, Forden’s has seen many changes from its downtown storefront’s windows. Now, the store is relocating and changing its business model. Forden’s has also seen internal changes in the past seven or eight decades, as its products have swapped from hardware to kitchenware to…
SLO City Council shows support for night hiking
The San Luis Obispo City Council showed an interest in opening up parts of its 3,850 acres of open space lands to night hiking and recreation, voting 4-1 on March 21 to ask city staff for an ordinance that would allow nighttime access to specific trails during the fall and winter seasons, when daylight is…
Connecting with nature
It started with a glass of whiskey and a couple of trips to Sidecar in downtown San Luis Obispo. Scott Romaine was a bartender and Daniel Torres frequently came in to enjoy a drink and conversation. On one of these occasions Torres said he talked to Romaine about wood that he had milled. It was…
Rolling stoned: Setting DUI limits for marijuana in California could prove difficult
Questions about the impact of legalized marijuana on intoxicated driving accidents began before California voters even passed Proposition 64. Now, as state and local governments prepare for a future where adults will be able to buy and consume marijuana legally, one Central Coast lawmaker is looking to address concerns of drugged driving in a post-Proposition…
A new center
On March 21 of 1965, after months of state obstruction, violence, court orders, and federal intervention, thousands of soldiers of democracy began a historic march for freedom from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Eventually, the ranks of the marchers swelled to more than 30,000, reaching the state capital in…
Factual knowledge
Al Fonzi has apparently been awarded a bi-weekly editorial in New Times, and his columns are certainly provoking, but the one entitled “Truth as casualty to public policy” (March 16) cannot go unchallenged. Granted, it was written before he had any facts about the SLO County Board of Supervisors decision on the Phillips 66 application…
Nighttime no-no
I urge the San Luis Obispo City Council to oppose any change in city policy that allows hiking in our open spaces after dark. The prohibition on nighttime hiking has been in place since the inception of the city’s open space program and is fundamental to its protection. The city’s standards of environmental protection should…
Riedman’s got my vote
Kathy Riedman’s “Assigning Blame” (March 16) is uber-excellent, covering every inch of the road to hell Garbage Dump Trump has us on, with all the right, common sense questions. If she decides to run for anything, she’s got my vote! But why did Trump get so many of ours (excluding yours truly)? Because people persist…
There’s no debate over rental housing inspections
Debate over San Luis Obispo’s mandatory rental housing inspections every three years to enforce health and safety code compliance? What an excellent idea! How could there possibly be any debate? Why would anyone object to guaranteeing the renters’ health and safety? And it only costs the landlord a couple of hundred dollars per inspection. But…
A typical political rant
I’m not a particularly ardent fan of Donald Trump, nor of Hilary Clinton. But Kathy Riedman (“Assigning blame,” March 16), I get that your hatred of him is extreme—you attacked everything he has said, everything he has done, and everyone that is in any way associated with him. And you did the typical (these days,…
Human misery’s part of the GOP platform
Once again I find myself responding to Al Fonzi, this time to his March 16 column entitled, “Truth as casualty in public policy.” I won’t address the substance of his position supporting the Phillips 66 expansion as I don’t consider myself qualified to comment on such things as the safety (or lack of) of the…
Republican health care: Is it for you?
For all of you who feel safe with your health care coverage now, think about your future trip to the emergency room and having to wait, literally, more than 24 hours to see a doctor because of all the people who can’t afford to see a doctor until it becomes an emergency. Think about the…
Applause to county staff for the Phillips 66 project
The unsung heroes of the Phillips 66 rail terminal application are the San Luis Obispo County Planning Commission staffers, headed by project lead Ryan Hostetter. Across multiple environmental impact reports and years of testimony, they juggled ongoing demands, orders, and requests from all sides. Yet, they handled it all with incredible professionalism. They were always…
Guilty Pleasures: Beverly Hills Ninja
When? 1997 | What’s is rated? PG-13 | Where’s it available? DVD. I can just imagine the Beverly Hills Ninja pitch going down in some Hollywood conference room in the ’90s. “OK, here’s the whole movie: Chris Farley plays the worst, clumsiest ninja of all time. That’s all we got. What do you think?” Sounds…
Feel-good gardening: Growing Grounds Farm nurtures plants and good spirits
Craig Wilson has a knack for making things grow. Not just guava trees, lavender, strawberries, or native grasses—which, with the help of his team, he does grow prolifically. The green thumb also facilitates real growth in the hearts and minds of his staff, many of whom are on the long and winding road to mental…
Fresh cut bliss
Live fast, die SLO: Former SLO city news columnist and travel writer Gareth Kelly has published the book 100 Things to Do in San Luis Obispo County Before You Die. See what outdoor adventures, cultural sights, and food and wine experiences made the cut, and cross a few off your own bucket list. Mine definitely…
Wine, firefighters, and A-Town
Howdy, neighbor! I’ll just come out and say it. Growing up as Los Angeles-Atascadero transplant was at times wonderful (the discovery of acorn wars, wild turkeys, swimming holes, and the Atascadero News’ infinitely entertaining Red Light Roundup) as well as a little, well, boring. No offense to A-Town, which has its own unique charm, rural…
Alt-country progenitors the Old 97’s play the Fremont Theater on March 25
In the mid-’90s, the alt-country genre developed via the likes of Uncle Tupelo, Whiskeytown, and the Drive-By Truckers, among others, and the Old 97’s were right in there with them. Formed in Dallas in ’93, the self-described “loud folk band” started playing bars but toured the country following the release of their debut album, Hitchhike…
Clubs 3/23/17 – 3/30/17
Goin’ South THE CLIFFS RESORT: 2757 Shell Beach Rd., Shell Beach, 773-5000, cliffsresort.com. FIGUEROA MOUNTAIN BREWING CO.: Singer/Songwriter Night every Wed. from 8-10pm. 1462 E. Grand Ave., Arroyo Grande, 474-8525, figmtnbrew.com. 3/25: Guitar Circus from 8:30-11pm. HARRY’S NIGHT CLUB AND BEACH BAR: Cypress and Pomeroy, downtown Pismo Beach, 773-1010. Thurs.: Front Row Karaoke. 3/23: DJ…
Street ads to high art: Vintage European Posters displays collection in Paso
It all started with a young girl falling in love. It seemed impractical, but eventually Elizabeth Norris decided to just go for it. The 1890s poster, with the words “When Hearts are Trumps” by William Bradley—once an advertisement for a book of poetry by an American author—was one of Norris’s first big purchases. “I had…
Intense post-Civil War drama ‘The Whipping Man’ ignites the Pacific Conservatory Theatre
From the moment a newly-freed slave embraces a wounded Confederate soldier and utters a line in Hebrew, it’s clear The Whipping Man is not the typical Civil War drama. Ostensibly about the days immediately following the end of the Civil War, the play touches on issues of self-delusion, and the lies we not only tell…
Stroll and peruse
Catch the April Morro Bay Art Walk and the Morro Bay Estuary’s State of the Bay Art and Science showcase on April 14 at the Marina Square Complex in Morro Bay from 5 to 8 p.m. Spend an evening strolling along Morro Bay’s beautiful waterfront. Converse with local artists about their fine art, jewelry, crafts,…
Making space for all
Women in San Luis Obispo are taking back online space, one Wikipedia entry at a time. Cuesta College’s Fine Arts Department will host an Art+Feminism Wikipedia Edit-a-thon March 29 at its SLO campus from 12:30 to 4:00 p.m. in Room 7125. In a 2011 survey, the Wikimedia Foundation found that less than 10 percent of…
Vines and fine art
Maybe Paso Robles has the reputation for being the artsy wine town, but Atascadero is showing what it’s got on March 24 for the Art and Wine Tour. The event will be held throughout Atascadero’s downtown from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. and participants can experience all that the area has to offer with food, shopping,…
