Cover Story
The impersonator scam: Local therapist experiences the trauma of getting scammed by professional fraudsters
Make your case If you believe you are a victim of fraud, you can report the crime to fraud.org (click “File A Complaint”), to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov, or to the FBI at ic3.gov. Santa Barbara County Deputy District Attorney Vicki Johnson runs a fraud hotline for Central Coast scam victims at (805)…
Bliss celebrates 10 years in SLO and rolls out its first-ever CBD-inspired dinner event
Passionate about plants Bliss, located at 778 Higuera St., suite D, in SLO, is open for breakfast and lunch from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. The chef’s dinner special is served from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday to Wednesday, and until 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. To reserve a spot for the Sunset CBD…
The Lost City is corny and screwball but fun
THE LOST CITY 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, Sunset Drive-In Aaron and Adam Nee (The Last Romantic, Band of Robbers) co-direct this rom-com adventure about reclusive romance novelist Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock), who writes…
Vivarium
What’s it rated? R When? 2019 Where’s it showing? Amazon Prime Gemma (Imogen Poots) and Tom (Jesse Eisenberg) think it is finally time to take the next step and look at homes together, but instead of walking into their future, they walk into a nightmare. Eerily odd real estate agent Martin (Jonathan Aris) leads them…
Encounter
What’s it rated? R When? 2021 Where’s it showing? Amazon Prime Michael Pearce directs this paranoia-driven sci-fi adventure about former U.S. Marine Malik Khan (Riz Ahmed), who believes an alien invasion is in progress via meteors arriving on Earth carrying parasitic insects that infect and control humans from within. He embarks on a rescue mission…
Several local organizations participate in Spark the Arts Festival
The Central Coast Coalition of Arts Leaders presents the inaugural Spark the Arts Festival, which features a variety of events held between April and June. The purpose of the festival is “to ultimately reinvigorate local arts groups as they return to in-person events,” according to press materials from the coalition—which was founded by Anna James…
Kevin Harris is heartfelt and humorous in SLO Rep’s bittersweet one-man show, Every Brilliant Thing
Box office brilliance SLO Rep presents its production of Every Brilliant Thing through April 10. Visit slorep.org for more info on the show. The theater is located at 888 Morro St., San Luis Obispo. Some performances of the show are followed by talkbacks with mental health professionals from Transitions-Mental Health Association (TMHA), as the play…
Templeton Historical Museum Society seeks photographs from the public
The Templeton Historical Museum Society is currently hosting a photo drive to collect and preserve copies of old photographs of Templeton. The group is accepting donated photos and has scanning equipment available on-site at the museum for anyone who would like to keep their original prints. Photos can also be emailed to info@templetonmuseum.com. “Unfortunately, the…
Union grocery workers authorize strike after negotiations stalemate
When Grover Beach Vons employee Manny Estrada isn’t working as a shop steward or pharmacy clerk, he’s sitting on his union’s bargaining committee. “I keep the communication going from the union to the employees,” Estrada said. When New Times spoke to Estrada on March 29, he had just finished driving down to Costa Mesa, where…
Iconic Nashville songwriter and performer Rodney Crowell plays Cuesta’s Performing Arts Center on April 1
I could eat up a couple of paragraphs listing all the amazing performers who’ve had hits with Rodney Crowell’s songs. Since arriving in Nashville nearly a half century ago, he’s become one of the finest living songwriters in country music. His own performing and recording career has been equally laudable, with two Grammy Awards and…
Clarification
Arroyo Grande City Clerk Jessica Matson requested that New Times add a clarification about sales tax revenue to the March 24 brief, “Arroyo Grande introduces ordinance establishing by-district elections.” “While some districts may have more commercial areas than others, sales tax revenue is for the city as a whole. It does not stay within individual…
A real drag
Whenever gas prices push past $4.59, I’m transported to a time when that specific number made me adopt riding the bus to my job from SLO to Santa Maria. I can’t make that same choice now, and that’s a problem. Why $4.59? My beater vehicle was not a gas-sipper, but it was all I could…
A Nevada City architect wants to set up tiny villages for SLO County’s homeless
In the weeks leading up to March 19, San Luis Obispo County’s community activist circles were abuzz about co-housing proponent Charles Durrett’s arrival. Groaning under the weight of ballooning homelessness, the county appeared ready to hear Durrett’s take on how tiny villages can lessen the load for the unsheltered and for the people working to…
Spillin’ the tea
“He said, she said” is an unbreakable stalemate, especially when both parties are their own special brand of cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs®. For instance, what should we make of the strange saga of now-former Oceano Community Services District (OCSD) board member Cynthia Replogle and Oceano community member Clark D’Souza, who accuse one another of stalking…
Judge denies clerk-recorder ballot designation suit
In a battle over semantics, a San Luis Obispo County judge recently ruled against a resident who took issue with the way that appointed SLO County Clerk-Recorder Elaina Cano phrased the job title that will appear under her name on the June primary election ballot, asking the court to remove it completely. Cano, a former…
Driver shortage, suspended routes highlight SLO County bus systems’ long road to recovery
For almost 20 years, Grover Beach resident Joseph Holmes has used South County Transit to run his weekly shopping errands around the Five Cities area—occasionally taking the bus to San Luis Obispo and Santa Maria, too, when the need arises. “I’ve been riding the bus a long time,” Holmes told New Times. “I rely on…
OCSD’s Cynthia Replogle resigns, citing harassment and stalking
Former Oceano Community Services District (OCSD) board member Cynthia Replogle is no stranger to calls for her resignation. While she dodged such demands from some community members over her stance on off-roading at the Oceano Dunes, Replogle ultimately threw in the towel of her own accord at the March 23 board meeting. Her reason: harassment…
Dayspring settles lawsuit with former business partner
Disgraced Central Coast cannabis businessman Helios Dayspring entered into a settlement with his former partner and a top investor in Natural Healing Center, who’d sued him in civil court for fraud and malfeasance. The terms of the settlement—finalized on March 18 in San Luis Obispo County Superior Court—are confidential, and it comes as Dayspring awaits…
North County parents feel impacts of school bus driver shortage
When Shane Patrick moved to Atascadero from Monterey with her son four years ago, she didn’t realize she’d be taking on a new parenting task: Driving her son to and from school. “And I was absolutely shocked that there wasn’t a school bus to take my child to school, especially considering how rural it was,”…
Avila Beach homeowners, advisory council push back on resort developments
Many San Luis Bay Estates homeowners invested in their property because of its proximity to the Avila Beach Golf Resort, which is roughly 2 miles away. But a recent proposal to develop 10 overnight accommodations at the resort makes them worried about losing out on the chance to golf. One of them is Curtis Cole,…
