Cover Story
Spice problems: Local cities are outlawing the possession of synthetic cannabinoids, but how dangerous are they, exactly?
Police officers see a juvenile in a small alleyway of a residential neighborhood in Guadalupe. Thinking he might be tagging, they stop to check for vandalism. The young man isn’t vandalizing property, but he isn’t complying with their instructions, either. He’s sweaty, agitated, and strangely aggressive with the officers. In the weirdly flat language of…
Cal Poly suspends frat at center of drug dealing scandal
Cal Poly just slapped the Delta Sigma Phi-Epsilon Rho fraternity chapter with a minimum five-year suspension for violating its student code of conduct, the Cal Poly Fraternity and Sorority Life Alcohol and Drugs Policy, and other policies. They university publicly announced the decision on May 13. The suspension comes after the university and local law…
Cal Poly stages modern take on Pygmalion with ‘Spike Heels’
What would happen to Henry Higgins and Eliza Doolittle if they lived in the here and now? Several have tried to answer this question. Some have managed adequately (see: She’s All That) while some have floundered aimlessly (see: last year’s cancelled sitcom, Selfie). But most agree that the dynamic between the overbearing professor and the…
Which TV family would you like to be a part of?
Hunter Lanningham student “Liz Lemon’s baby.” Arianna Cabebe student “The child of Ben Wyatt and Leslie Knope.” Kristen Dotter student “I’ve been watching a lot of The Office, so Pam and Jim’s daughter.” Kelley Boland student “Bret and Jemaine from The Flight of the Conchords, any one of their family members.”
The debate: evolution vs. creationism
There’s no other side to evolution Atheists United San Luis Obispo applauds the Lucia Mar Unified School District for pledging to ensure that their teachers understand that creationism and intelligent design are not allowed in science classes. We would like to explain why this policy is just as much in the interest of the religious…
SLO MakerSpace holds expo for all ages
Dying to get your hands dirty? SLO MakerSpace is holding its annual expo for all the artistically inclined. All ages and types of crafters are welcome. This event aims to bring in artists, inventors, techies, tinkerers, explorers, recyclers, and dreamers alike. Your imagination should shout: “If you can dream it, you can do it!” as…
Janiva Magness brings emotionally resonant blues to the SLO Vets Hall on May 9
I wonder how many lives have been saved by music, how many lost souls pulled themselves back from the brink of nothingness thanks to the plaintive wail of a performer laying it all out—raw, naked, real. For Janiva Magness, that moment came more than four decades ago at a Minneapolis Otis Rush show, when the…
Cal Poly hosts two exhibits about multicultural identity
Cal Poly is hosting two exhibits centered on multicultural identities: I Am Cal Poly and kip fulbeck: part asian, 100% hapa. Both aim to engage the campus in a hearty, in-depth conversation about what it means to be multiracial and more. Accompanying these two exhibits, Kip Fulbeck will be speaking during the opening reception. Fulbeck…
‘The Seeds: Pushin’ Too Hard,’ a documentary about a forgotten mid-’60s rock act, screens May 9 at the Fremont Theater
Oh, rock ’n’ roll, you never cease to amaze me! From all your pretty 27-year-old corpses to your excesses to your plane crashes to your classic rise and fall stories of ambition, fame, hubris, and the slow spiral into irrelevance, you seem to have an endless supply of cautionary tales. A new film by musician,…
Bike-themed works are spinning through Linnaea’s
The iconic bike rack located outside of Linnaea’s Café hasn’t always been part of the Garden Street landscape. Strange to think, but there was a sad, lonely time when that jumble of handlebars, baskets, and humanity just didn’t exist. The original Linnaea’s Café Owner Linnaea Phillips had to fight for that hard-won rack many moons…
The SLO Hep C Project wants you to get tested
The month of May is Viral Hepatitis Awareness Month. The SLO Hep C Project wants you to get tested, and is now offering free hepatitis C testing throughout SLO County. Kris Gottlieb, the finance support and communications coordinator for the SLO County Aids Support Network—which works in conjunction with the SLO Hep C Project—said it’s…
Cougars & Mustangs
The slender, curved shadow of Dead Week’s trusty scythe is cast gluttonously upon Cuesta College’s student body. The sparks of sharpened metal bounce ravenously in the school’s direction as pupils pore frantically over their neglected literature. Of all the times to take it slow, now ranks among the probable worst! May 31, however, is a…
Man sentenced to life at 16 freed 22 years later
Freddy Chacon was sentenced to life in prison at the age of 16, but the course of his future changed dramatically after a March 12 appearance in SLO County Superior Court. On that day, Chacon appeared before Superior Court Judge Michael Duffy. In a transcript of that hearing, the 38-year-old was apologetic about what he…
Santa Margarita battles against a proposed quarry
The proposed Las Pilitas quarry near Santa Margarita pits area residents against the project applicants and their supporters, and the rocky controversy is moving full speed ahead toward the SLO County Board of Supervisors. Las Pilitas Resources LLC is proposing to open a rock quarry on Highway 58, 3 miles outside of Santa Margarita, to…
Food Bank Coalition of San Luis Obispo to build new warehouse
The Food Bank Coalition of San Luis Obispo is one step closer to opening a new warehouse to meet the growing needs of those it feeds. The coalition announced April 1 the purchase of land on Kendall Road near the San Luis Obispo Regional Airport, where it plans to build a 20,000 square-foot facility. “This…
Hamon, Martin enter race for 1st District Supervisor
Two members of the Paso Robles City Council are throwing their boots into race arena for the 1st District seat on the SLO County Board of Supervisors. Paso Robles City Councilmember John Hamon and Mayor Steve Martin both recently announced they want the seat that will be vacated by current Supervisor Frank Mecham. Mecham announced…
Cal Poly SLO faculty sounds off on hiring, salary gap
A rift between faculty at Cal Poly and the university’s administration over salary and hiring reared its combative head in public on May 5. That was when the school’s academic senate met and passed a resolution to address concerns over the university’s increased spending on well-paid management positions, while hiring and pay for faculty languished.…
APCD 3, Kevin P. Rice 0
The most recent dust up between Kevin P. Rice, an ardent advocate for off-roading at the Ocean Dunes, and the San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District (APCD), which regulates air quality in the area, is settled. Rice lost again. He filed a complaint in 2013 asserting a few things, including that the APCD…
Open mouth, insert (velvet slipper-clad) foot
I like to think of The Pope as God’s letter turner that helps reveal his secret truths. You know, like what Vanna White is to Pat Sajak. Papal infallibility assures that whatever Pope Francis says or does will be the word or action of the Almighty. God’s message is already there, see? Pope Frankie Big…
Water issues should affect development plans
As I read about all the new developments planned for this county—three in Avila, one in Pismo, a development off Tank Farm Road, Cal Poly’s campus and elsewhere—I really have to ask, are the developers in denial about our water issues?? The Central Coast is said to be ground zero in the drought in California,…
We need to keep an eye on development
Thank you for the detailed article on the potential mega-developments planned for Avila Beach (“Big plans in little Avila,” April 23). I found it full of meaningful information. There is a project underway on Ontario Road that deserves our attention. It’s on a lot between residences and the Buddhist temple, a developer has already started…
Get oil trains outta here
I can hardly bring myself to look at the constant news about species going extinct and climate havoc. It’s no longer enough to go tooling around in my Prius. When I saw a letter to the editor mentioning the Citizens’ Climate Lobby meetings monthly, the first Saturday of each month at 9:30 a.m. at Unitarian…
Linnaea’s Miss Lavender Brown and 2009 Arroyo Robles Zinfandel
Spring has officially sprung thanks to this stimulating mix of lavender, mocha, and espresso. Try it iced with a rosemary shortbread cookie sprinkled with sea salt. Could anything be fresher? This is exactly what a forest nymph would eat for breakfast … if forest nymphs actually needed caffeine. • Linnaea’s Miss Lavender Brown—About $3.90 for…
Art and wine collide
Not sure what to get mom? Sign up for a Mother’s Day Art & Wine Bar happening May 10 at Vina Robles Amphitheater. A combo of painting class and wine party, patrons will leave with their very own work of art ($65 per person; reserve your spot at vinarobles.com/events) … Paso ARTSFEST is hosting an…
Meet the flockers: Lompoc’s Dare 2 Dream Farm delivers eggs, chickens, and backyard farming know-how
I can say from experience that raising a small flock of backyard chickens is not without its perils. One hen surprised me when she “came out” as a rooster, crowing at dawn for the entire neighborhood to enjoy. Another decided to lay her eggs behind the shed, unbeknownst to yours truly. My trusty Ameraucana laid…
Clubs 5/7/15 – 5/14/15
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 Pismo…
