Cover Story
Drone Republic: As drones invade California air space, two bills try to set limits on their use
Martin Bialy never expected to become a drone enthusiast. About a year ago, Bialy’s uncle bought a basic Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)—as they are officially called—but didn’t know how to use it. So he loaned it to his nephew to figure out and then teach him. During that time, Bialy grew attached, and now he…
In honor of Bike Month, where’s the last place you’ve biked to?
Alex Blom genius “To work.” Kristen Mireles sales associate “To the park.” Diandra Marshall manager “Out in the country.” Brittin Burnworth sales associate “From my house to Cal Poly.”
Creeky Tiki’s Big Stick Margarita and Ancient Peaks 2014 Sauvignon Blanc
I haven’t enjoyed a real Big Stick Popsicle since I was a teenager, and that is a sad, sad fact. However, I did recently slurp down a Creeky Tiki Big Stick Margarita (or three), which boasts all the pineapple-cherry flavor of that quintessential summer treat with the added benefits of tequila. • Creeky Tiki’s Big…
Spring sippin’
Rock on: Claiborne & Churchill Winery recently kicked off a brand new Sips & Songs concert series last week, and it’s rolling on all spring and summer long! Catch the next show on June 5 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. with local band Occasional Mustache and gourmet munchies (free; visit claibornechurchill.com for a lineup of…
Gaviota Grill in Morro Bay rockets revamped Mexican flavors to fresh heights
When Nayvett Chavez thinks back to her childhood, she finds herself standing in the kitchen, the scent of carnitas seasoning the air. The impassioned, undulating voices of her grandmother and great aunt rise above the simmering pork like a screeching teakettle. “Imagine two Latin women yelling over the stove,” Chavez said with a laugh. “I…
SLOMA auctioning art June 5 and July 3
If you’ve ever thought about buying works of art, you’re in luck—SLOMA is holding an event featuring several pieces available for sale, such as Don LaViere Turner’s painting, Woman and Bull. It—along with many other gems—needs a new home. After review by a special committee, some works are added into the museum’s permanent collection. However,…
Exhibit celebrating the beauty of Morro Bay Estuary on view in Los Osos
Traveling art? What say you? Go see the Morro Bay National Estuary Program celebrate its 20th anniversary by showing—yes—its very own traveling art show that captures the beauty of the Morro Bay Estuary and the power of the local community. In hopes of restoring and protecting the bay, the show aims to shine a light…
Spoken word artist Rachel Kann presents two free shows
If you think you don’t like poetry, Rachel Kann will disabuse you of that notion. The Write Club Los Angeles champ and resident writer for Hevria has seen her work highlighted everywhere from on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic to NPR. She’s released two albums, Ptolemaic Complex and Word to the WHY?S, and she’s about to…
Bike-themed fashion hits the runway
It’s easy to spot a cyclist. Like a male peacock in the snow, they stick out on the road with their brilliant yellow Lycra, shiny helmets, and whiz-past-you speed. And they should. It’s safer to stick out than to be squashed. But this vision doesn’t define all cyclists. For years now, the SLO County Bike…
The Izzard King: Eddie Izzard to bring his delightfully absurd wit and wisdom to Cal Poly PAC June 10
When I asked Eddie Izzard, “What rock star—or combinations of rock stars—would you be, living or dead?” he had a quip ready to go. “Why, I’d be Eddie Izzard,” the legendary stand-up comedian said, his thick British accent charged with vibrato. Not many comics receive the kind of reception Izzard enjoys across the world (shrieks…
Clubs 5/28/15 – 6/4/15
Goin’ South 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 Pismo Beach location every Fri. and Sat. from 6-9pm. Tennessee Jimmy Harrell and Doc Stoltey play on alternating…
Stuart Mason plays two shows in support of his new album Tradition
Before the written word, stories were passed from person to person through repetition, and being a storyteller was—and still is—an art form. Stories might be amended, revised, or changed from teller to teller. Likewise, before sheet music and recordings, music and song passed from performer to performer, morphing as they traveled through time and space,…
SLO needs to ban Styrofoam
I am a resident of Arroyo Grande, but I frequent all sorts of businesses in SLO and have been following the issue of polystyrene and its role in compromising our environment. I am also a member of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, and our seventh Principle states that we will promote “Respect for the interdependent web…
Dear Shredder: ‘Quota pie’ missed the mark
Very soon after moving to the Central Coast five years ago I quickly recognized the New Times as a must-read, cutting edge, informative news source that was taking important risks to tell stories I would not hear anywhere else. The Shredder, let’s call it the jewel in the crown, is where I would turn to…
Dear Shredder: You’re wrong about DUIs
It would seem to me that The Shredder’s own blood alcohol level is far above the legal limit when he wrote his unbelievably uninformed column, “Quota Pie” (May 21), on driving while intoxicated. Here are a few easy examples: 1) “It [legal limit for blood alcohol while driving] was lowered to 0.10, which many considered…
We need more local mental heath support
Unfortunately stigma is alive and well against those living with mental illnesses in our county. The furor against the development of a Behavioral Health Hospital in Templeton bears this out. What people do not realize is that mental illnesses affect many of us and those we love. And the need for services and treatment centers…
Support the proposed mental health facility in Templeton
The League of Women Voters of San Luis Obispo County supports the construction of the proposed Behavioral Health Hospital in Templeton. We recognize the need for more and better mental health care in our county. We believe that certain critical needs are currently going unmet, in particular, needed services for children, teens, and seniors. The…
Crude protection
The most recent oil spill in Santa Barbara is another stark reminder that oil and oceans don’t mix. After the spill, the owners of the pipeline said they were sorry. While we can appreciate the statement, and its rarity, the truth is that Big Oil has a lot to be sorry about: the Deepwater Horizon,…
Strange days
Is there something in the water? Is SLO County in the midst of one of those Jacob’s Ladder-type experiments where we’ve all been dosed with some experimental induced-psychosis pharmaceuticals that are making us violent, unreasonable, or stupid? We’ve got the Atascadero “werewolf” who felt the need to murder his neighbor because, you know, she was…
Open Canvas Tattoo Removal uses lasers to fade away ink and more
Tattoos. Either you love ’em or hate ’em. But those perma-ink lovers may be on the rise. A survey conducted by Harris Interactive in 2012 showed that 21 percent of the U.S. population has at least one tattoo. But surprisingly—except to those parents shaking their heads at their daughter’s infinity-sign ink work—the survey also found…
Cougars & Mustangs
Well, Cougars, you’ve made it through the looming shadow of final exams. It’s break now. You’re free! Free to do whatever you want! You could finally write that novel! Perhaps take up skydiving and knitting at the SAME TIME in a new extreme sport called SKYSCARFING! You could even buy a horse! Eh, why not?…
SLO Grand jury report raises mental health service concerns
An older man lies on his stomach. There’s a large lump on his head. A small baby opossum peeks out from behind it. It’s a strange, fuzzy scene, photographed by the SLO police officers who arrived on scene that April 1 night. SLO police said he’d been throwing rocks at cars from the roof of…
An ongoing movement: Cal Poly student organization highlights bathroom inequality
Soon after Cal Poly’s Queer Student Union (QSU) re-formed in January, it heard numerous complaints from the campus’ sizeable community of trans and gender nonconforming students. These students had few places to use the restroom. “Anecdotally, students that we worked with were letting us know about their experiences,” said Adam Serafin, coordinator of the Cal…
Correction
The May 21 article “Raise the roof,” incorrectly stated the body that approved Pasolivo’s conditional-use permit in April. It was approved in a planning department hearing.
Andrews’ mother faces wrongful death suit
Just days after Atascadero resident, Mark Andrews was sentenced to 50 years for the 2013 shooting death of Colleen Barga-Milbury, his mother was named in a wrongful death suit related to that crime. The May 25 suit claims that Carol Lynn Andrews’ alleged failure to secure several weapons belonging to herself and her husband directly…
The devil’s in the details of NRC Diablo ruling
Another chapter was added to the divisive saga of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, thanks to a federal regulator’s recent decision. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued a ruling on a petition by Friends of the Earth (FOE), an environmental activist group, that called for a shutdown of the plant over safety concerns. The…
Morro Bay hikes up water rates
After 20 years, four years of drought, and potentially unpayed debts, the city of Morro Bay finally hiked its water rates. The Morro Bay City Council gave a unanimous final nod on May 25 to conclude the arduous process of raising water and sewer rates. The approval followed months of reveiw, including a February study…
SLO garage sale goes viral
The first bargain hunter arrived on the sidewalk in front of a SLO rental property almost two hours before the event started. By 12:30 p.m., when the garage sale officially opened, more than 100 people were queued up, waiting to be waived in by a garage sale “bouncer.” There was nothing especially valuable or rare…
SLO City Council considers compensation increases for two top employees
In the wake of the city firing its police chief, the San Luis Obispo City Council is contemplating whether to hand out a little more money to the city’s top two employees. On June 2, the council will have its first open-door public discussion—followed by a decision—on whether to give City Manager Katie Lichtig her…
Email: SLO Police chief confident of job months before ousted
When San Luis Obispo Police Chief Steve Gesell officially ends his employment with the city at the end of the month, he won’t walk away with empty pockets. According to documents released by the city, Gesell agreed to a severance package of $120,000. That includes $113,000 in severance pay and $6,120 for waiving his rights…
