Cover Story
Seeking shelter: SLO County’s experiencing what some homeless advocates are calling a ‘housing crisis’
A slideshow of people on the streets and those transitioning off of them. If and when the El Niño rains come as promised, rising water could displace hundreds of people in San Luis Obispo County. It could flood the homes of the county’s most vulnerable population, taking tents, tarps, and belongings with it in a…
Bingeable: Drunk History
Where? Streaming on Comedy Central and Hulu I haven’t seen all the episodes of this unusual series, but I’m willing! The premise is pretty funny. An inebriated comedian recounts a piece of American history as actors reenact the story, lip-syncing dialog. Yes, it’s as silly as it sounds, and, yes, it’s also strangely compelling. The…
Paso Robles to evacuate homeless camps along Salinas River
Of the nearly 500 homeless and unsheltered individuals in SLO’s North County, 70 to 90 of those people live in encampments on the banks of the Salinas River in Paso Robles. With a heavy dose of El Niño rains expected to hit the Central Coast this month (arriving as early as March 5) that could…
Do you think that rental properties in San Luis Obispo should be subject to inspections by the city?
Tim Schoepp student “Yes, because it prevents landlords from screwing over students.” Ed Wiest retired “Yes, renters should feel comfortable that the place they’re renting is safe.” Brenda Lorenzen retired “Yes, it’s part of the owner’s responsibility to maintain a safe environment.” Jenni Dragan business manager “Yeah, it’s a great idea. The cost of living…
Delicious news
Feast from the sea: Morro Bay’s iconic Taco Temple changed ownership; this is true. However, the menu has not changed, so you can still expect to chow down on the best Mexican seafood around (2680 Morro Bay; hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily) … From what I overhead at Darren Delmore’s Slave to…
Las Cazuelas Restaurant’s Tequila Flight and Ancient Peaks 2013 Renegade
When you think of Nipomo, do you think of tequila? Probably not. But you totally should. Las Cazuelas Restaurant, which recently celebrated 50 years in biz (hooray!) offers up an extensive tequila selection that will impress even the nerdiest of your boozehound friends. Grab some authentic Mexican grub and try a lineup of tequilas, including…
Orale Taqueria in Paso Robles melds modern fresh with authentic Mexican charm
Sometimes a genuine smile can really get under your skin. That certainly was the case for Kristen Casillas, who met her husband, Joel, nine years ago under rather blasé circumstances. He was working at Mexican restaurant El Compadre in Atascadero. She was working at a nearby coffee shop. Both were young, full of dreams, and…
Arts Obispo is accepting applications for 2016 Open Studios
Are you an artist? Then Arts Obispo wants you! Arts Obispo is currently accepting applications for the San Luis Obispo County Open Studios Art Tour, a program that takes place over two weekends in October each year. The tour gives fine artists and crafters who live or work in San Luis Obispo County an opportunity…
Fundraising art exhibit ‘You Still Work Here?’ shows one night only at The Bunker on March 5
In any industry, turnover is inevitable. But when you’re the only original employee left after the span of a year or so, something’s up. Longtime Kreuzberg dishwasher and artist Matt Foote decided to paint portraits of his ever-changing coworkers over the span of a year and a half to have something to remember them by. …
Central Coast Roller Derby turns 10 with an exhibition match at Santa Rosa Park
It’s Saturday, Feb. 27, and I’m ready to rumble. Well, technically, I’m not ready to rumble, but the women of Central Coast Roller Derby (CCRD) are. They’re all decked out in their pads, helmets, and jerseys with names like Foxxy Hotcakes, Haddie Nuf, and Lana Luvhurts printed across the back. They and about 70 spectators…
The devil inside: Cal Poly brings the wickedness of ‘The Crucible’ to life
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. It’s one of the Ten Commandments that seems simple enough. Let your yes be yes and your no be no. But when lying becomes the only thing standing between life and death, the ninth commandment quickly falls to the wayside. It’s a theme that Cal Poly…
Not so happily ever after: Artist Camille Rose Garcia shows darker side to fairy tales at Cuesta College
The tea is everywhere. Which isn’t surprising, because the porcelain teacups are dancing about, piling on top of one other into the sky. A forgotten, half-eaten cake melts as a strange man with long eyelashes and a top hat lectures a sullen blond girl with a ragged little black bow perched atop her head. Oh,…
A trio of rising country rock stars play the SLO Grange over two nights
Is there a better place to take in some country music than a Grange Hall? The fraternal organization, also known as The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, formed in 1867, making it the country’s oldest national agricultural advocacy group. SLO’s Grange Hall No. 639 was chartered in 1939. There’s been a…
Dollars and sense: A publicly financed election program is scheduled to go before the SLO City Council
Imagine being able to donate money to a political campaign without damaging your pocketbook. That’s a core principle in a public election-financing proposal going before the San Luis Obispo City Council for review on March 15. Should the council eventually adopt it, San Luis Obispo would be only the second city, after Seattle, to do…
New bill would study economic impact of shuttering Diablo Canyon
The silhouette of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant is an iconic and familiar sight for Central Coast residents—two giant bell-shaped reactors perched atop the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Diablo is the state’s remaining operating nuclear power plant, and has both opponents and fans. One side pushes to shut the plant down over seismic…
The RVs for Vets Program provides housing through donation coordination
In 2013, Cherie Michaelson was busy. Being a wife, a mother, and working full time aren’t easy for anyone—especially someone jumping right in the middle of a brand new nonprofit organization. Building on the experience she acquired from working closely with Hope’s Village, another nonprofit in the county, Michaelson became involved with Paso Cares with…
Cougars & Mustangs
Leading researchers here on the Council of Collegiate Columnists, which is totally not a fake organization, have proven that, as predicted, the diets of wild college students living in their natural habitats change around the ritualistic time commonly referred to as “Midterm Season.” Ramen noodles, already a staple of collegiate diets, more than quadruple in…
Atascadero Planning Commission talks medical marijuana cultivation
Atascadero is going back to the drawing board to reconsider a recent ban on all medical marijuana cultivation. That drawing board, however, is a bit small. On March 1, the city Planning Commission considered a draft ordinance that would permit limited personal cultivation within the city. The commission approved the ordinance as is, and it…
Achadjian introduces law to regulate driver-for-hire drinking
If you think California has especially strict laws on how much an Uber driver can drink—and then drive—guess again. As new driver-for-hire services continue to grow in popularity, laws that regulate those services are still catching up. That includes provisions permitting Uber, Lyft, and taxi drivers to carry passengers while being subject to the same…
Court shoots down appeal of mentally ill offender
A man who assaulted his mother and sister with pepper spray in 2013 will remain committed in the state’s mental health system after he refused to follow his treatment plan. The California 2nd District Court of Appeals ruled Feb. 22 that the man, David Stephens, continues to suffer from a severe mental disorder and will…
Trails and tribulations continue on Ontario Ridge
SLO County Parks and Recreation staff are asking the county’s Board of Supervisors to quash a proposed plan to relocate a popular hiking trail to Pirate’s Cove. The upcoming vote is the latest chapter in the saga of one local landowner’s quest to move the Ontario Ridge trail off his property. Last year that land…
Empathy Deficit Disorder
So I’m hangin’ with my homeless homies and illegally napping on a Mitchell Park bench when a copy of the SLO Tribune blows on me, open to the letters section, and here’s this letter by some lady named Jan Kenny of Simi Valley, who was “devastated” to discover that she and her family were sharing…
Invest in all students
The California State University released an unprecedented study last week and found up to 24 percent of the system’s 460,000 students are “food insecure” and 12 percent of students suffer from “housing displacement” or homelessness. College is difficult and even more challenging and stressful when you are hungry and living in your car. Because of…
Lobbying the coast
The true reason for Dr. Charles Lester’s dismissal in December 2015 (not Feb. 10, 2016, more later) as executive director of the California Coastal Commission is that he performed his duties too conscientiously. His job entailed preservation of the coast and he performed it superbly. However, this is not what mega-buck developers and their sympathizers…
Regarding events at vacation rentals
In the news story “Permission to party?” (Feb. 25), Ron Field is quoted as saying the neighbors are concerned about the traffic and noise impacts of weddings on our quiet and narrow road. While those impacts can indeed be problematic, I am far more concerned with the potential impacts of fire in an unpermitted old…
Vote ‘yes’ for the Paso water district
As a fourth generation resident of this county, I’m dismayed by some of the name-calling that has come from the anti-water-district advocates. We who have worked long and hard to find a local solution, initially to solve our increasing water problems and more recently to respond to the new state groundwater law, are your neighbors.…
Clubs 3/3/16 – 3/10/16
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…
CSU report highlights food and housing insecurity for students
Food and housing insecurity is a growing issue on California State University campuses and more safety nets for students are needed, according to a recent report by CSU Long Beach professor Rashida Crutchfield. “Serving Displaced and Food Insecure Students in the CSU” was commissioned by the CSU Chancellor’s Office to “shed light on how CSU…
