Cover Story
People as property: Who’s at risk to be sexually exploited, and what’s being done to help them?
Like many survivors of sex trafficking, Shell Beach resident Carissa Phelps endured a difficult childhood. She eventually decided to run away from her stepfather and dysfunctional home. At the advice of a probation officer, she said, her mother later took her to a juvenile detention facility in Fresno, more than 60 miles away from where…
SLO will consider banning marijuana grows
In response to citizen complaints about medical marijuana grows in San Luis Obispo, city officials have proposed an ordinance to prohibit cultivation, processing, and distribution within the city limits. The SLO City Council is scheduled to vote on the ordinance on May 6. Though medical marijuana is allowable under state law, city officials note that…
What kind of crime do you think doesn’t happen here?
Bob Lucas construction “Bank robbery.” Jillian Burns cashier/retail “I don’t believe crime rate is very high here. I feel pretty safe here.” Lee Crawford architecture student “[There are only] small petty crimes here if anything. Maybe once in a while vandalism.” Stephen Swanson freelance artist “The only thing that doesn’t happen here is human trafficking.”
Money keeps flowing into the District 4 race
Fundraising in the hotly contested three-way race for the District 4 seat on the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors has been robust in the past month. Though the three candidates for the South County seat had raised a total of $267,308 from the race’s outset in August 2013 through March 17, 2014, they’ve…
The Peep show
Easter may be over, but discounts on post-holiday Peeps have only just begun. Originating in the ’50s, Peeps are an unwavering American icon that you either love or hate. No matter your view on the Peep, there are countless fun and innovative ways to eat these pastel confections. Whether you prefer your Peeps nice and…
Clos Solene 2013 La Rose Paso Robles
A recent stop at Paso Underground provided an opportunity to taste this excellent new release of rosé. A blend of syrah, grenache, and mourvedre, its elegant fruit flavors of raspberries, strawberries, and cranberries are nicely nuanced by mild citrus notes. Irresistible alone but it’s a perfect choice for bouillabaisse or shellfish. Winemaker Guillaume Fabre, born…
Irresistible treats await at Sweet Pea Bakery in Arroyo Grande
Few aromas are better than the wafting scent of sweet pastries to lure me inside a good bakery, like the new Sweet Pea Bakery in Arroyo Grande. Their delicious, warm morning bun with aromas of cinnamon and orange would make a satisfying breakfast on a daily basis, were I to give in to my sugar…
Cuesta Ridge and others play a free concert to raise funds and awareness about the Pismo Preserve on May 4
Man, I love the Central Coast. It’s such an amazing place to live, between the weather, the landscape, and the people, most of whom, like me, seem to appreciate the natural splendor around us. One reason we have so much amazing natural open space available for recreation is thanks to The Land Conservancy of San…
Opera San Luis Obispo presents Jerome Kern’s iconic 1927 musical ‘Show Boat’
Opera San Luis Obispo’s upcoming production of Show Boat at the PAC promises to enliven the second weekend in May with iconic numbers like “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man” and “Ol’ Man River.” Despite being produced by an opera company, Show Boat isn’t an opera, exactly. Based on Edna Ferber’s novel of the same name,…
Gorgeous weather, eco activists, and entertainment collide on Earth Day!
Apparently Mother Nature appreciates some appreciation, because she has provided some sweet weather for Earth Day! It’s Sunday, April 27, and the sun is shining and a light breeze is blowing at El Chorro Regional Park when my wife and I disembark the shuttle. I see a lot of girls with flowers in their hair,…
The SLO County Library holds its second annual Peeps diorama contest
The marginally edible springtime candy known as the Peep is back again as the preferred art medium of the San Luis Obispo County Library system. For the second year in a row, the library invited participants to “design and build a Peeps diorama of your favorite poem or nursery rhyme” adding, as though the connection…
The Central Coast Printmakers’ biennial show at SLOMA engages artists in ‘Pushing the Limits’
The power of the print is the power to multiply. Printmaking is a medium of discovery and experimentation, useful at once both in practical illustration and fine art making. This versatility exerts a unique influence on the American visual and psychological landscape, assuaging our conflicted feelings about art in the academy. Adding to its functional…
Clubs 5/1/14
Goin’ South … THE CLIFFS RESORT: 2757 Shell Beach Road, 773-5000 or cliffsresort.com. CUVEE BISTRO AND CHAMPAGNE BAR: 550 1st St., Avila Beach, 595-2245. Live music Thurs. and Sat. 6-9pm. F. MCLINTOCKS SALOON: Two locations: 750 Mattie Road in Pismo Beach and 133 Bridge St. in Arroyo Grande. 773-1892 or mclintocks.com. Live music at the…
Common cents
Fact: All homeless people are dirty. Fact: All homeless people spend their money on drugs. And alcohol. Fact: The city of San Luis Obispo loves its filthy, drug-addicted homeless population and wants to see it succeed, but knows that this can only happen with tough, I-know-better-than-you, holier-than-thou love. Fact: I usually give food to the…
Cougars & Mustangs
What?! May is here?! That means summer can’t be far behind! What was it I was supposed to do before summer hits? Something involving my home and a certain amount of work … oh, yes! Spring cleaning! Let’s do a bit of spring cleaning before spring disappears, eh? Lauren Milbourne, media relations coordinator of Cuesta…
Party on?
Democratic Party spokespersons and so called “progressive” pundits on TV are constantly wringing their hands and in a panic about “what’s happening to the modern Republican Party.” They spend hours talking about what the Republicans must do to “get back into the mainstream.” They worry and agonize about the Tea Party dragging the Republicans so…
Regarding the district attorney election
I’m a Republican who is voting for Tim Covello for county district attorney. I know, you must be thinking so what about being a Republican, this is a non-partisan position! You are correct. However, some people are trying to make it partisan by telling other Republicans who are in office or are prominent business people…
Experience counts
Caren Ray is the best candidate for 4th District San Luis Obispo County supervisor. She has the background and experience this critical office requires Caren earned two college degrees, has owned a small business, and taught high school history prior to her nearly 10-year distinguished career in local government. She was an Arroyo Grande Planning…
Earth and perspective
Many thanks for Glen Starkey’s article about our tiny blue marble and Earth Day 2014 (“Our tiny blue marble … ,” April 24). More than 45 years ago, in December 1968, three men went to work in a small steel capsule. They were catapulted beyond our earthly bonds and sailed through the quiet eternal night.…
Even cartoonists should accept counsel in regard to ‘council’
Mr. Hodin, next time consider the wise counsel of your editor(s) and/or proofreader prior to relying on spellcheck. I can’t believe it made it through the gauntlet of eyes and into print. Since it was part and parcel of this illustration (April 24), it was especially “in our face.” But don’t even feel like the…
Balance the basin
Sarah Christie’s commentary on the Paso Robles Basin (“Whose basin is it?” April 24) does nothing to solve the groundwater problems, offers no solutions, and only serves to pit property owners against each other. It is difficult to travel anywhere in the North County without passing vineyards, farms, and ranches, all of which contribute to…
Vapor rises up: Blue Sky Vapes opens SLO location
At this point in time, we’re all well aware that vapor rooms are the latest craze, and if you haven’t heard yet, the Central Coast has officially been impacted with our own shop that offers this alternative form of smoking. Blue Sky Vapes is completely dedicated to selling strictly vapor products. Vaporizing is significantly better…
Campaigning for the coast: The nitty gritty is dominating the District 2 supervisor race
The two used to be friends. Before Muril Clift retired, he was Bruce Gibson’s insurance agent and political supporter. Then politics came between them. Now, Clift, a 71-year-old resident of Cambria, is challenging Gibson, the two-term incumbent District 2 supervisor. It started as a feud between the Cambria Community Services District (on which Clift sits…
Years of stagnant water rates may have put Morro Bay’s water supply in jeopardy
In the end, the one that Morro Bay really hurt was itself. This—according to Ray Stokes, executive director of the Central Coast Water Authority (CCWA)—is the result of years without a water rate increase despite repeated requests for one. And now, after nearly six years of no action, the authority is facing a damaged bond…
Cal Poly graduate students will present future planning options in Morro Bay
A group of roughly 15 Cal Poly master’s students are scheduled to present their visions and concepts for the potential future of northern Morro Bay. On May 6, students in the school’s City and Regional Planning master’s program are scheduled to make a presentation before the Morro Bay Planning Commission, highlighting the early stages of…
County supervisors will consider renewing an interim ordinance restricting land applications of treated sewage sludge
An interim ordinance restricting applications of treated sewage sludge to land will once again come before the San Luis Obispo County supervisors. If approved at their May 6 meeting, the four-year interim ordinance will be renewed for the fourth time in 10 years; county staff is getting closer to creating a permanent ordinance that would…
Registered sex offender resigns from California Valley CSD
A registered sex offender has resigned from her part-time position with the California Valley Community Services District. On April 25, Andrea Morris resigned as a part-time custodian and groundskeeper. According to the California Department of Justice’s online sex offender registry, Morris was convicted of “continuous sexual abuse of child,” defined under the California Penal Code…
Inmate death ruled accidental
The death of an inmate at the San Luis Obispo County Jail has been ruled accidental, according to a coroner’s report. Josey Richard Meche, 28, died while in custody in the early morning hours of March 12 after he was found in a San Luis Obispo resident’s front yard on the evening of March 11.…
Up in smoke: A hash oil production fire lands one man in jail, another in the hospital
A small garage fire that broke out April 28 in San Luis Obispo has landed one man in county jail and another in the hospital—with criminal charges potentially pending since police suspect the two men were manufacturing a hot product known as “hash oil.” Also known as “honey oil,” the substance is derived from marijuana,…
An acquitted man files suit against the county and Sheriff’s Department
Alleging systemic civil rights violations, a Nipomo man who was incarcerated for nearly 23 months and then completely acquitted has filed suit against San Luis Obispo County, the county Sheriff’s Department, and several individuals in the department. Michael Aaron McGrew was initially arrested on May 3, 2012, and charged with eight felonies related to an…
Feed the meter, and people
On April 24, San Luis Obispo officials unveiled “Meter Donation Stations” as part of a “Directed Giving Campaign.” In an effort to curb panhandling, city officials installed seven stations throughout the downtown core, each of which allows pedestrians to make donations with coins or credit cards. All of the collected funds will be funneled to…
