Cover Story
Wham! Biff! Pow!
The great unused potential of the comic is baffling to me. Take the written word in all its nobility, beauty, and dexterity. Compound that with all of the visceral, emotional, and evocative qualities of the visual arts. Now put them in your transmogrifier and press the button. What you expect to get from the equation…
If you could be any monster, what would you be?
Alison Cochrane student “Godzilla, because when you watch that movie backwards, it’s about a dinosaur that helps a Japanese city rebuild itself.” Rachel Acosta student “I would be Barney … in Jurassic Park.” Justin Shiu student “A zombie.” Matt Ranek student “Godzilla—it’s so iconic.”
Grover Grande?
Arroyo Grande is moving forward with its proposal to woo Grover Beach. On May 8, the Arroyo Grande City Council unanimously approved a plan for consolidating the city’s Police Department with police from Grover Beach. That proposal will now go to Grover Beach for consideration. “I think we’d be crazy not to ask,” Arroyo Grande…
Dropping da bomb
Are you ready, San Luis Obispo? Are you ready for Public Defendaz to drop their long awaited album on you? Because ready or not, it’s finally here. Titled Drawn2Gether, the 10-track hip-hop album features the group’s smooth rhyming tag-team rapping—with the various members jumping in and out of the tracks and sharing the spotlight. These…
War birds!
I loved model planes as a kid, lovingly building and painting them, then filling them with firecrackers and blowing them up. Ah, the sweet scent of burning plastic and model glue. I sort of wish I had a few of those models left, but alas, they’re nothing more than puddles of melted plastic in the…
Aspiring artists, start here
A surprising number of successful artists began their careers in the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art’s High School Art Portfolio Competition. Locals such as Tony Girolo—now an art instructor at Cuesta College and Hancock College, as well as the museum’s preparator of exhibitions—and Nixson Borah, a retired art teacher and well-respected local artist, credit…
Dramas oft overlooked
On any regular day at Cal Poly, the bleachers of the University Union plaza are packed with people wearing padded, noise-canceling headphones—and the evening of Saturday, May 10 will be no different. Except these people will be paying to see a theatrical performance. Cal Poly Theater Professor Josh Machamer’s interpretation of Peter Handke’s “silent play,”…
‘As long as it is wild’
Teddy Roosevelt stands, one hand tucked behind him, on Glacier Point, his almost archetypal frame—mustachioed and bespectacled, well dressed but still undeniably rugged, solidly American in his boots and hat—dwarfing the cataract tumbling into spray in the impossibly beautiful miles behind him. John Muir stands beside the president, turned at an angle, both hands clasped…
Clubs 5/10
Goin’ South … BRANCH ST. DELI: 203 E. Branch St., Arroyo Grande, 489-9099. Live music Fri. from 5:30-8:30 p.m. THE CLIFFS RESORT: 2757 Shell Beach Road, 773-5000 or cliffsresort.com. 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…
Bishop’s Peak 2010 Riesling Estate
I reviewed this classic white early this year, but brought it back because it’s on sale at Talley’s tasting room for $12.80 a bottle. That’s a great deal for this delicious Riesling, Talley Vineyard’s sister label, that’s so food friendly. The finish is only slightly sweet, which makes it a good quaffer on its own.…
Talley 2009 Pinot Noir Estate
I’m a big fan of this great, family-operated winery in rural Arroyo Grande Valley, which consistently produces exceptional Pinots. Burgundian in style, its alluring aromas of blackberries, black cherries, and plums pulls you in. On the palate, the rich, ripe fruit flavors meld with notes of earth, mushrooms, and subtle hints of French oak. They…
Never wine about good beer
Three cheers for good beers! Firestone Walker Brewery has, for a record fourth year, been named Champion Mid-Sized Brewery and Brewmaster at the 2012 World Beer Cup. Since 2004, Firestone Walker Brewing Company and its brewmaster, Matt Brynildson, have been racking up the accolades at the Beer Cup, even against some stiff competition. A total…
Outstanding in the field
Imagine dining alfresco beside the man or woman who grew and hand-harvested the delightful fruits and vegetables on your plate, the person who personally raised the beef or lamb, or line-caught the fish, and the winemaker who crafted that fine glass of wine you’re sipping. Joining them for an extraordinary dinner party on the farm…
Bonanza!
As an early Mother’s Day gift to myself, I splurged and bought myself a match.com profile. Now, I know what you’re thinking: Mother’s Day presents are traditionally for, well, mothers. But I won’t be limited by that kind of thinking. Also, you’re wondering whether online dating isn’t beneath someone with my IQ and hairline. The…
Questions For: Aimee Wyatt
NEW TIMES How does the Youth Ride Free program work? WYATT Youth Ride Free offers free fares for youth ages K-12, from June 1 to Aug. 31, on SLO County transit systems. Youth present their school ID when boarding. Drivers understand that younger children may not have a school ID. NEW TIMES To which…
We should exit where we’re not wanted
We must not continue our presence in Afghanistan, where we are resented and unwelcome. We must no longer use force in this country.
Fined skateboarder was doing the right thing
According to KSBY news (“Skateboarding not allowed in bike lanes in San Luis Obispo,” April 30), a skateboarder was fined $203 for riding his skateboard in SLO town, in the bike lane, outside the downtown prohibition zone. According to the police officer quoted in the story, skateboarders are considered “more like a pedestrian” than a…
Vote no on Proposition 29
I see our state officials have come up with another scheme to get money instead of doing their job by fixing the existing waste in government. This comes in the form of Proposition 29, with the pretense of funding research on cancer, when in reality, it is just to get more money to spend. They…
Bring in leaders who’ll continue local control
Morro Bay residents, didn’t you find it odd that three of the candidates had their literature delivered to your door as a set? What is this group’s agenda? The key question to ask yourself is, “Do you want Morro Bay to remain a city and continue local control of public safety and community services?” I…
Joan Solu is tops for Morro Bay
I have operated and owned Morro Bay Oyster Company for eight years. Within the last two years, I have been fortunate to connect with the Morro Bay Tourism Business Improvement District Board (TBID) and its chair, Joan Solu. She has led TBID for three years, and through her volunteer efforts, she has helped me tremendously…
After hearing from Waage, the choice is Hill
Regarding “The challenger” (an interview with Ed Waage, 3rd District county supervisor candidate) by Matt Fountain (April 26): Candidate Ed Waage appears disingenuous when he claims he will try to find solutions “not based on ideology.” The fact that Waage is supported by former supervisor Jerry Lenthall, one of the most conservative ideologues this county…
Don’t let me down again, Glen
In the arts section of the May 3 New Times, Glen Starkey tells us that Lindsey Buckingham is a founding member of Fleetwood Mac. Oh, really? The original members of that band may have something to say about this. In the same issue, readers are informed that Mr. Starkey was voted Best Local Writer. Wow.
Glen went his own way
I read Glen Starkey’s column (“A very big week!” May 3) a couple of times through, and there it was; I really couldn’t understand such a mistake coming from the otherwise erudite Mr. Starkey. He keeps referring to Lindsey Buckingham as a “founding” member of Fleetwood Mac. Buckingham is about as far from being a…
Hey! We’re self indulgent … oh. Ouch.
I have read your paper every week ever since I moved to the area five years ago and have really enjoyed the new voices that have recently joined your writing team. But today when I picked up the paper and began my ritual of reading it cover to cover, I was completely disappointed by one…
How dare we?
The late Peter Douglas, executive director of the California Coastal Commission, gave a speech titled “Environmental Politics on Uncommon Ground” at a 2002 meeting of the Planning and Conservation League. It is reprinted in the May issue of our newsletter, the Santa Lucian (santalucia.sierraclub.org/lucian/lucian.html). It sums up the kind of environmental awareness and commitment we…
Cougars & Mustangs
Creativity is one of the most vital tools in a person’s arsenal. After all, you don’t escape from Alcatraz without taking the crap you have lying around and making it into something wonderful. This is a big part of the reason this weekly column is so dedicated to promoting the arts and sciences. (The other…
Hang 10
According to Scott Callisch, owner of the Flip Flop Shop in San Luis Obispo, flip-flops are more than just a way to free your toes from confinement. “Flip-flops are really a state of mind,” he said. “When you put a pair of flip-flops on, you are saying I’m leaving my worries over here and I’m…
Tapped
The engine of Sophie Treder’s Ford F350 screamed and groaned as she floored it up a steep, pockmarked dirt road winding behind Mankin’s Ranch in Huasna Valley. Treder, legal counsel for the San Luis Obispo-headquartered oil company Excelaron, cranked the wheel and punched the truck into four-wheel drive to crest the hill, before jamming on…
Taking to the air
A new community-based radio station only a few months in the making is ready to showcase the diversity of the North Coast, and has taken to the Web while the brains behind it work to get it officially licensed and on the air. Though community leaders are now involved, the effort is undoubtedly the pet…
Best Of 2012 corrections
• The write-up for the Edge Fitness Studio, Best New Company of 2011, included the wrong city. The Edge is at 271 Five Cities Drive, Pismo Beach. • The write up for the Parable, winner of Best Local Bookstore, had the wrong address. The Parable is at 3973 S Higuera St., San Luis Obispo. •…
Paso dismisses Grand Jury critique
On May 1, Paso Robles provided the city’s official response to a San Luis Obispo County Grand Jury report that analyzed vacation accrual policies and practices in municipalities across SLO County. The report was especially critical of Paso Robles for having an average 36 days of unused vacation time per employee—the highest rate in the…
Atascadero trims pensions down a tier
Anyone seeking a sweet city job with top benefits had better submit an application and hope for a thumbs up from Atascadero managers before July 12. Employees hired after that date won’t have access to the current pension plan. Instead, they’ll belong to a “second-tier” with reduced retirement benefits. Current employees won’t be affected. Sworn…
It’s safe again, Ferris
The system may be a little messy, but according to San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Jim Patterson, it works. Patterson was, of course, referring to a proposed truancy ordinance that county officials decided to scrap after public outcry over a potential daytime curfew for minors. “I think this illustrates clearly that the process works,” Patterson…
Cal Poly sports clubs look at losing funding
Cal Poly athletes are banding together, but not to throw points up on the board. Effective the fall quarter of next year, Cal Poly club sports will be losing state funding. Without the help from the state, Cal Poly’s 25 club sports, which serve roughly 5 percent of the student population, will be severely under…
The awards have arrived
New Times, and its sister paper the Sun, occasionally enter contests—not, you know, for bragging rights or anything, but it’s fun to see how our papers hold up. We like to ask, “How do we compare to our fellow publications?” And the most recent answer was: pretty well, thanks. At a May 5 California Newspaper…
Controversial Arroyo Grande cameras to go online
When the City of Arroyo Grande installed surveillance cameras in strategic locations throughout its historic Village District in January, the decision stirred controversy from city officials, residents, and people determined to preserve the rustic feel of the area. Bickering went on for months, but few people knew that the cameras weren’t actually recording. According to…
