Cover Story
A campus divided: Cal Poly attempts to address racial tension
Felipe Garcia remembers the first time he heard about California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo. A former high school teacher recommended Cal Poly if Garcia wanted to pursue a career in engineering. “He told me Cal Poly has a great reputation for engineering, and the words he used were ‘more bang for your buck,'”…
Democratic ‘voter guide’ tells Nipomo Dems to vote for Compton
Democrats in Nipomo were left scratching their heads after receiving a so-called “Democratic Voter Guide” telling them to vote for a Republican in the highly competitive race for SLO County 4th District supervisor. While SLO County’s Democratic Party has endorsed challenger Jimmy Paulding for the seat, a mailer created by a Long Beach-based company not…
A vote for experience
I find it interesting that the public is hearing primarily from former employees of the SLO County Assessor’s Office in the current campaign to lead the department. Staff on the inside is at a disadvantage in this politically awkward race. We have jobs to do and are doing them, but I am compelled to offer…
Arroyo Grande questions Oceano’s funding for the Five Cities Fire Authority
Arroyo Grande City Council voted 4-1 on May 29 to approve the Five Cities Fire Authority (FCFA) memorandum of agreement, with a lot of hesitation about its partner Oceano. The memorandum spells out how the three communities—Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach, and Oceano—will continue to move forward in amending the current joint powers agreement to fund…
The real problem
I agree with the statement, “Immigrants aren’t the problem,” in the May 17 letter to the editor. However, illegal immigrants, aka illegal aliens, are becoming a problem. The thousands of our ancestors who came through Ellis Island didn’t come through because the U.S. had an open border policy. There were rules and laws to follow.…
Supervisor Gibson’s vacation rental votes to be reviewed for potential conflict
The Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) will investigate whether recent votes cast by San Luis Obispo County 2nd District Supervisor Bruce Gibson to deny vacation rentals licenses in Cayucos, where he lives, violated conflict-of-interest laws, according to the state agency. Los Osos resident Julie Tacker filed the complaint against Gibson with the FPPC in April.…
‘I miss my teeth’
“I’m so tired of being on the street. I was an assembler in a cabinet shop; it closed and now my hands are so bad with arthritis. We’re treated worse than stray dogs. I’d give anything so me and others don’t suffer like this.” So said Jeff*, one of San Luis Obispo’s chronically homeless, a…
Cal Poly academic senate may recommend capping security costs for invited speakers
After security costs for two visits by a right-wing provocateur cost more than $150,000, Cal Poly’s academic senate may recommend limiting just how much of the bill the university will foot for similar events in the future. The proposed resolution recommends that Cal Poly cap the university’s share of security costs for speakers invited by…
Go cry to someone else
Dear people who get mad at journalists for doing their job: Get over yourself. If you’re an elected official who gets an uppity “how dare you” attitude with a journalist when they ask you a question you’d rather avoid (cough, cough, SLO County 2nd District Supervisor Bruce Gibson), I’ve got a few words for you,…
Remains found in Santa Margarita identified as missing man
Human remains discovered in rural Santa Margarita earlier this year belonged to a 38-year-old man who’d been missing for more than two years, according to the SLO County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff’s officials confirmed on May 29 that the remains are those of Jared Jay Walters, and that his death was being investigated as a homicide.…
Social media sound off
New Times readers took to Facebook to share their thoughts about our May 24 news story, “Tenborg attorney files response in CalCoastNews libel appeal.”
60 Now: County to expand successful homeless program, but leaves pricier solutions on the backburner
Since “50 Now” launched in 2014, the Transitions Mental Health Association (TMHA) program that permanently houses 50 of the most vulnerable homeless individuals in San Luis Obispo County proved that it could cut clients’ hospital visits in half and virtually eliminate trips to jail after one year. The successful “housing-first” program will expand in its…
Retro rocker JD McPherson plays the Live Oak Music Fest on June 15
The lineup is so good (and eclectic!) at this year’s Live Oak Music Festival that it’s hard to say who I’m most excited about, but ’50s-style rock, rockabilly, and R&B artist JD McPherson, who plays on Friday, June 15, the first night of the three-day festival ending Sunday, June 17, is certainly right up there.…
Cuesta College celebrates its 50th class of nursing graduates and one student tells her story of success
On May 18, Cuesta College celebrated its 53rd annual commencement ceremony, and its Registered Nursing Program celebrated its 50th graduating class with 46 graduates. The next day, Cuesta’s first cohort of 18 students earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing. A collaboration between Cuesta College and CSU Monterey Bay provides students the opportunity to complete a…
DANA Adobe hosts Native American photography exhibit by Dugan Aguilar
Decades of details Dugan Aguilar’s photography exhibit, She Sang Me a Good Luck Song, runs through July 15 at the DANA Adobe Cultural Center. The center is located at 671 S. Oakglen Ave., Nipomo. More info: (805) 929-5679. Liz Aguilar has become comfortable talking about her husband and his visionary photography. She has been married…
SLO ceramicist makes one-of-a-kind designs
SLOcally based To see more of artist Kenny Standhardt’s work, book an appointment at his home studio in SLO by visiting standhardtstudio.com. His work is currently on display at Park Street Gallery in Paso Robles and will also be featured at the Morro Bay Art in the Park Sept. 1 to 3. He was 12…
SLO City Council to talk cannabis taxes on June 5
After adopting an ordinance that allows three recreational dispensaries and other cannabis business types to establish in the city, the SLO City Council will now decide how it wants to tax the new industry. On June 5, the City Council will review a proposed cannabis tax measure and decide whether to place it on the…
Learn the art of abstract painting with Drew Davis
Learn the art of creating abstract acrylic paintings on June 3 with Drew Davis at Art Central in SLO. The abstraction workshop will be held from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Davis has more than 16 years of experience as a professional artist and four years of teaching art workshops. In this three-hour acrylic painting workshop,…
Fillm Listings 5/31/18 – 6/7/18
ACTION POINT What’s it rated? R Where’s it showing? Stadium 10, Park, Galaxy New Johnny Knoxville stars as D.C., the crackpot owner of a low-rent, out-of-control amusement park where the rides are designed with minimum safety for maximum fun. Just as D.C.’s estranged teenage daughter, Boogie, comes to visit, a corporate mega-park opens nearby and…
We need a change
It must be election season. Compton for Supervisor signs are popping up on farm fences everywhere, and I’ve received my first mailing from the “Lynn Compton for Supervisor” campaign. Her previous campaign’s misleading “slate mailers” touted her as, among other things, “the preferred candidate of the Democratic Party,” choice of a nonexistent copycat version of…
Make dad a DIY pour over machine
Get crafty and make dear old dad a handmade pour-over coffee maker at the DIY Father’s Day Workshop June 14 at Zest It Up in Atascadero. The event will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Participants will work with super trendy copper piping to create a handmade pour-over to make dad’s cup o’ morning…
Del’s pizza legacy continues in Pismo Beach
Mama Del’s munchies Del’s Pizzeria is located at 1101 Price St., suite 100. Del’s is open Monday through Thursday from 4to9p.m., Friday from 4to10 p.m., Saturday from noon to 10 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 9 p.m. For more information, go to delspizza.com or visit the business on Facebook and Instagram. Good pizza is…
The $10 million sewer question waits for elections
In March of this year, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors settled a $23 million lawsuit with sewer collection system contractor, ARB Inc., by borrowing the $10 million from the solar mitigation fund. Los Osos residents are likely on the hook for the additional $10 million, over and above the $183 million wastewater…
‘Kuleana’ movie showing in Arroyo Grande
Take in a screening of Kuleana and take a trip back to 1971 at the Regal Cinemas Arroyo Grande 10 theater on June 5 at 7:30 p.m. This new movie is set several decades back and tells the story of a disabled Vietnam vet who rediscovers the Hawaiian warrior within himself in order to protect…
Poppin’ bottles
Look beyond the label: Meet Colleen Gnos, the artist behind Kelsey Winery’s lovely labels, at a June 2 meet-and-greet at the SLO tasting room, nestled among See Canyon apple orchards. Gnos was named “Best Visual Artist” for the Avila Lifeguard towers in our 2018 New Times Readers’ Poll. To boot, Kelsey Winery was also won…
Act like an adult, Cal Poly
Peter Johnson’s May 24 article (“Cal Poly reportedly investigating students for anti-war protest”) about Cal Poly investigating students for a “disruptive” 18-minute anti-war and anti-MIC (Military Industrial Complex) protest draws the obvious parallel to UC Berkeley in the 1960s. Unless Cal Poly acts with more restraint and more respect for student speech rights than UCB…
The mountains are calling: Lake Tahoe is worth the seven-hour drive
Get away For more information on planning a trip to Lake Tahoe, check out visitlaketahoe.com. It’s about 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 17, and we’re driving up the 101, on our way to perhaps my favorite place in the world: Lake Tahoe. After a quick stop at In-N-Out for dinner we’re back on the road…
Vines, forks, and farmers
On the move: Il Cortile Ristorante and La Cosecha Bar + Restaurant in Paso Robles has announced the launch of a new gourmet food truck! Called simply “The Truck,” this mobile restaurant will allow Chef Santos MacDonal to stage intimate private dinners, pop-ups, and receptions in the North County, from the beaches to the vineyards…
It’s up to you
There is an excellent article, written by German Lopez and published by Vox: “I’ve covered gun violence for years. The solutions aren’t a big mystery.” He presents clear statistics showing the obvious connection between the high number of guns owned by private citizens and the high numbers of gun-related deaths, including school shootings, in the…
Fest fun overload
Unseasonably spicy: The Paso Pinot and Paella Festival kicks off in Templeton’s scenic community park this June 3 with plenty of spicy goodness and pinot noir pleasure to spare (learn more at pinotandpaella.com) … Tickets are on sale for the one-and-only Morro Bay Avocado & Margarita Street Festival! That said, if you want to get…
Vote for humanity
I would like to posit the question to my fellow countrymen: Who are we now? We have certainly changed from the people who embraced the inspiring words on the Statue of Liberty: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” On May 4 this year, President Trump signed an order…
‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ is a fun space romp
SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY 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, Stadium 10, Park, Galaxy Ron Howard (Splash, Cocoon, Backdraft, Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, The Da Vinci Code) directs this Han Solo (Alden Ehreneich) origin story, set long before the…
Your teen, with a knife
A summer without at least a little bit of structure can become real flabby, real fast. If your teen’s idea of summer fun includes waking up at noon, flipping on Instagram, and ignoring the lawn for the next 12 hours, here’s a good alternative. Sign ’em up for a class! Not a boring one (they…
Re-elect Bordonaro for assessor
I am writing in support of Tom Bordonaro as the SLO County assessor. I worked for Tom as a staff member in the state Assembly. Tom was a strong leader who divided his time between Sacramento and the people in his district. I witnessed firsthand that he gave the job his all whether he was…
Bingeable: Good Girls
When? 2018 What’s it rated? TV-MA Where? Streaming on NBC, Hulu Not all criminals wear black hoodies, have tattoos, or don ski masks. Smooth criminals might just be your neighbor’s wife, your mom, or sister. Yeah I’m talking about your average female badass who could be making millions right under your nose. That’s the case…
County begins hearings to shut down Cal Valley cannabis grows
The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors chambers split into halves on May 25, much like a courtroom. On the left side, county code enforcement and legal staff huddled together, exchanging words and paperwork. On the right side, five cannabis farmers from the California Valley sat quietly side by side. Their lawyer spoke for…
The problem with legacies
College presidents are all about legacies. Gil Stork is no different. He, too, wants to leave a legacy at Cuesta. In lockstep with the company line, board President Barbara George, said that Stork’s contract “amendments” of a $51,000 stipend and a $10,359 boost to his $217,545 current salary were consistent with past practice for retiring…
