Cover Stories
Did horrendous slayings trap the spirits of killers and their prey on the grounds of Mission San Miguel?
Editor’s note: New Times contributor Anna Starkey helped research this reimagined story from various historical accounts—including James Pierson Beckwourth’s The Life and Adventures of James P. Beckwourth, Myron Angel’s History of San Luis Obispo County, and Wally Ohles’ The Lands of Mission San Miguel, among others—many of which contradict one another. Some say ghosts linger…
Photographs bring life to a stand still in Winning Images contest
An image can stop a moment forever, giving one split second of life a place in history. And the way in which that story is told has everything to do with the person behind the camera. How each photographer watches life unfold in front of them—what they notice, what they find interesting—is revealed in those…
Celebrate Halloween Tim Burton style at Tent City Brewing
Christmas may be coming, but first there’s Halloween to contend with. Celebrate the spooky day in an animated fashion at the Tim Burton Inspired Halloween Party at Tent City Brewing in Atascadero on Oct. 28. The fun kicks off at 7:30 p.m. with photo opportunities with characters from Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hallow, and The…
A kid again
Two years ago, Elijah Olivas was in a car accident that resulted in severe injuries to his right hand and an airlift to Stanford Hospital. Elijah endured more than 20 hours of surgery, which included the replantation of his hand. The injuries made Elijah lose movement in his hand, limiting his daily activities, like participating…
The Last Flapper play brings Zelda Fitzgerald to Cambria
They say behind every great man, there’s a great woman, and that’s certainly true of author F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife, Zelda. The Pewter Plough Playhouse in Cambria is showing The Last Flapper, which chronicles the life of Zelda based on her letters and stories, through Nov. 26. This one-woman play is the definitive…
Women’s Shelter brings film on domestic violence to Palm Theatre
The most dangerous place for a woman in American is in her own home. It’s a startling truth that’s laid bare in the documentary film Private Violence, which will be screening at the Palm Theatre in San Luis Obispo on Oct. 29 at 4:15 p.m. Private Violence examines the journey of Deanna, an Oklahoma cop…
What are you doing?
Let me describe myself: I am a 64-year-old white man, a self-employed master metal crafter, am very involved with my community, and have lived on the Central Coast of California since 1965. In a way, which I will explain, I am a poster child for the dysfunctional insurance system in the U.S. Twenty-five years ago,…
Reconnecting in Venice
I’m cruising down Venice Boulevard on a bike in 80-degree weather with not a cloud in the sky. My sister, Lisa, is in front leading the way, and her boyfriend, John, is bringing up the rear. We’re heading west to Venice Beach, and pretty soon I can smell the salty air and hear the hustle…
Social media sound off
New Times readers took to Facebook this week to offer their opinions on comments made by a SLO Police Department sergeant about sexual assault on college campuses in an Oct. 12 article, “Six sexual assaults reported to Cal Poly.”
A profile of courage
Joseph Kosinski (TRON: Legacy, Oblivion, the upcoming sequel Top Gun: Maverick) directs this true story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, elite firefighters who risk everything to save their community from the raging Yarnell Hill Fire in June 2013. (133 min.) Glen Talk about putting viewers through an emotional ringer! Only the Brave plays more like…
The intersection between highways 41 and 46 needs help
I recently traveled on Highway 46 to the Central Valley, and every time I have been through there in the last few years, I notice that the intersection at 41 and 46 is still the same old stop sign and blinking red light. WTF? This intersection been involved in the deaths of many, many motorists…
Film listings for 10/27 through 11/3
AMERICAN MADE What’s it rated? R What’s it worth? Matinee Where’s it showing? Stadium 10 Doug Liman (Swingers, The Bourne Identity, Edge of Tomorrow) directs Tom Cruise as Barry Seal, a pilot contracted by the CIA to run guns and drugs in the late-’70s and ’80s. The screenplay by Gary Spinelli is based on real…
Why haven’t we done anything about housing?
After reading New Times articles over the years on the homeless crisis and affordable housing, and experiencing my own difficulties, I concur that there is a crisis. I have been looking for a place to live now that is affordable, on the Central Coast, for more than three years. I have been on Craigslist and…
M. Ward brings his eclectic indie sound to the Fremont Theater
M. Ward is without a doubt one of the most successful formerly local acts to make his way in the national music scene. Back in the mid-’90s when he was a college student here, his trio Rodriguez with Kyle Field (Little Wings) and Mike Funk were the stars of the scene. Their 2000 album, Swing…
Respect the flag!
We recently attended Opera San Luis Obispo’s performance of Madama Butterfly and were enjoying it until the final scene. That’s when we were stunned—appalled, really—to see the grief-stricken character Cio-Cio San grab the American flag off its pole (stage right), throw it onto the floor, then drag it as she sang. There were audible gasps…
Cuesta brings play-within-a-play Man of La Mancha to life
Locked up Man of La Mancha shows at the Experimental Theater inside of Cuesta College’s Cultural and Performing Arts Center from Oct. 27 to Nov. 5. The theater seats 100 people, and tickets are $15 per person. Visit cuesta.edu for more information. Sometimes the line between reality and imagination gets a little blurry, yet crossing…
SLOPD needs to be more sensitive
Reading the Oct. 12 article “Six sexual assaults reported to Cal Poly,” I was deeply disheartened with the words used, and the dismissive attitude conveyed, by SLOPD Sgt. Chad Pfarr when it comes to females reporting sexual assaults on campus. For a man in charge of the very investigations being reported, he certainly does not…
County APCD, state parks headed to hearing over dust control violations
The SLO County Air Pollution Control District (APCD) is moving forward with plans to slap the California Department of Parks and Recreation with fines for violating dust mitigation regulations at the Ocean Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area. The issue will come before the APCD’s hearing board later this year, despite the report of a third…
Cleanliness and family
Today, we give thanks to those who made the new Hope’s Village mobile shower program possible. After six weeks and 134 showers, we are grateful to those who helped give the gift of cleanliness to others with so little. Dignity Health French Hospital gave $25,000—they know how much cleanliness can help our community. Many other…
Neighborhood coalition hits SLO and Avila Ranch with lawsuit
San Luis Obispo residents upset by SLO’s recent approval of Avila Ranch, a 720-home housing development near the county airport, have mobilized and filed a lawsuit, claiming the city failed to address several of the project’s environmental impacts. Three neighborhood groups joined to file the suit on Oct. 19, just before the 30-day window to…
A smorgasbord of criticism
Responding to Kathy Riedmann and Bob Cuddy’s opinion pieces is like confronting a smorgasbord and not being sure which item to feast upon first. So, I’ll start with Mr. Cuddy’s assault upon our “Inglorious past” (Oct. 19). One of the hallmarks of the left is a desire to rewrite history. The former Soviet Union used…
Atascadero PD disputes racism allegations
The Atascadero Police Department is denying allegations that one of its officers questioned and detained a Tulare County man because he was black, according to court documents. In October, the city of Atascadero filed its response to a July lawsuit levied against the department, denying “each and every” charge alleged by Visalia Resident Kyle Bell.…
Straws are the devil
Let’s see now. Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant is closing in 2025 and taking with it its annual $27.75 million hot tax injection that benefits all of SLO County. Both the county and its cities have hundreds of millions of dollars in unfunded pension liabilities over the next 30 years (read “Pension tension,” Oct. 12).…
Morro Bay council lets planning commissioner keep position
Morro Bay Mayor Jamie Iron’s call to discuss the removal of a “disruptive” planning commissioner fell short on Oct. 23. City Council members convened for a special meeting and instead voted 3-2 to let Richard Sadowski stay in his commission seat after an outburst he had at the Sept. 26 council meeting caused controversy among…
What is your Halloween costume this year?
Noe Davis student “Robin from DC comics.” Ryno Botha student “My friend hurt his leg and is in a wheelchair, so we’re going as Forrest Gump and Lieutenant Dan.” Zach Douglas student “A Stormtrooper.” Ryan Wells retail “A pirate.”
Haley’s Bites
Goodie: Paso Robles just got a little bit sweeter. See’s Candies has opened shop at 2307 Theater Dr., just in time for those holiday gifts … Delectable new flavors are now available at AronHill Vineyards. Chef Kara Massey has taken the reins of the winery’s namesake bistro in the Templeton Gap district of Paso Robles.…
Local groundwater agencies seek crucial state grants
San Luis Obispo County and other local agencies wrestling with depleted groundwater have their sights set on state grants that, if secured, could cut local groundwater management costs in half over the next few years. The Department of Water Resources (DWR) is divvying $86 million in Proposition 1 (the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement…
Morro Bay’s Goddess Goods will bring out your inner powers
Green goddess Feel good, go green. Learn more about Goddess Goods, located at 1124 Front St. in Morro Bay, by visiting goddessgoodsmb.com or following the business on Facebook and Instagram. The restaurant will open before the New Year, so look for updates. The Goddess of Morro Bay would not arrive on a half shell—she’d arrive…
Corrections
The Oct. 19 article, “Out of service? Santa Margarita residents, county push back on plans for a Verizon cell tower,” misstated the date Verizon filed its appeal of the county’s decision to deny a cell tower project. The appeal was filed on Oct. 12.
Harvest on the Coast is one sweet ride
Surf’s up in SLO wine country! This Nov. 3 to 5 is Harvest on the Coast, and it’s pretty much the equivalent of the perfect wave. It breaks: On Friday, take part in a Crafted on the Coast Collaborative Winemaker Dinner at Lido Restaurant at Dolphin Bay in Pismo Beach (four courses created by Chef…
County makes $8 million budgeting error
San Luis Obispo County is facing some lean years ahead, already observing “notable signs of slowing” economic growth due to the impending Diablo Canyon power plant shutdown, according to a recent fiscal forecast. Despite the signs of trouble, on Oct. 10, county administrators told the SLO County Board of Supervisors that they’d have $3 million to…
Without Papers documents one Italian American family’s immigration journey
No passport required The exhibit Without Papers, featuring the work of artist Jim Dessicino, will be on display at Cuesta College’s Harold J. Miossi Gallery through Nov. 3. Visit cuesta.edu for more information. Artist Jim Dessicino’s grandmother, whose parents had immigrated to the U.S. from the Adriatic Coast of Italy, had always told him she…
Clemons out, Hill censured as South SLO County Sanitation District looks to calm troubled waters
After the resignation of its embattled administrator and the investigation and public censure of one member of its board of directors, the South San Luis Obispo County Sanitation District announced that wastewater plant Superintendent John Clemons would leave his position with the district. Clemons, who had been placed on paid leave for nearly seven months…
Creston man creates Key Flame refillable candles
You could say that Benjamin Bartel was having a rough time. It was fall of 2014 and after reconsidering a career in music in Los Angeles, the Atascadero High School alum made the choice to move back in with his parents in Creston. He was pouring wine in tasting rooms in Paso Robles and had…
‘Black Lives Matter’ is not racist
“Racism” by definition involves having power over others. Black Lives Matter was born out of frustration and outrage at the ongoing, systematic brutality, unpunished killing, and other shameful treatment of black people, particularly black men/youth. These actions have been widespread, deeply rooted in institutions, not just individuals. History speaks for itself in our shameful history…
Marvelous monsters
What’s worse than something going bump in the night under your bed? Maybe a horrifying Frankenstein hurtling toward your face. Glimpse some horrifying yet majestic Halloween creatures on Oct. 20 and 21 at 7 p.m. at the Nightmare Carnival performance at Suspended Motion Aerial Arts in San Luis Obispo. Vampires, ghosts, monsters, murderers, and other…
Film listings for 10/19 through 10/26
AMERICAN MADE What’s it rated? R What’s it worth? Matinee Where’s it showing? Stadium 10, Galaxy Doug Liman (Swingers, The Bourne Identity, Edge of Tomorrow) directs Tom Cruise as Barry Seal, a pilot contracted by the CIA to run guns and drugs in the late-’70s and ’80s. The screenplay by Gary Spinelli is based on…
Santa Margarita residents, county push back on plans for a Verizon cell tower
Jim Harrison, a San Luis Obispo County planning commissioner, shared an eerie personal anecdote before he voted to deny a Verizon Wireless application to install a 65-foot cell tower in the heart of Santa Margarita. “I have some problems with cell towers being located close to people,” Harrison said at a Sept. 28 commission hearing.…
Why won’t Carbajal take a stand against sanctuary cities?
Gov. Jerry Brown and the Democratic Legislature recently signed legislation to make California a sanctuary state. We have all heard the horror stories of illegal felons committing horrible acts, and one even happened a little too close to home. Kate Steinle was a Cal Poly graduate who was shot by an illegal immigrant in San…
Tattoos on trial
Walk down any street on any given day, and you are very likely to see more a than handful of people with tattoos. In 2017, ink-decorated skin is more prevalent than ever before, offering the public a glimpse into the tattoo wearer’s personal life and beliefs. Tattoos aren’t just art but often represent a personal…
Inglorious past
I’ve been wrestling with this for months now, but I just can’t seem to decide: Where would be the best place to put up a statue of Benedict Arnold? The nation’s capital seems appropriate, but on the other hand so does his home state of Connecticut. Why are you looking at me like that? I’m…
SLOPD to investigate sergeant’s comments on sexual assault
The SLO Police Department (SLOPD) is investigating one of its sergeants in the wake of community outcry that followed comments he made to New Times about victims of sexual assault. In an Oct. 12 article (“Six sexual assaults reported to Cal Poly”), SLOPD Sgt. Chad Pfarr said some victims “conjured” reports of rape after consuming…
Me too and no way
Last week, we reported that SLO Police Department lead investigator Sgt. Chad Pfarr made … let’s say “insensitive” remarks about college students who report rape charges. In essence, he blamed the victims, saying they’re just inexperienced drinkers who blacked out, woke up, and felt like they got sexually assaulted, when it “was just something they…
Morro Bay plans to boot out ‘disruptive’ planning commissioner
The Morro Bay City Council plans to remove one of its planning commissioners at a special meeting on Oct. 23 due to a heated exchange that took place during a recent public meeting. At the Sept. 26 City Council meeting, Planning Commissioner Richard Sadowski was speaking during public comment about the Morro Bay Water Reclamation…
Dream Big
Watch Don Quixote’s journey come to life in a production of the classic Broadway musical, Man of La Mancha, at the Cuesta College Cultural and Performing Arts Center from Oct. 27 to Nov. 5. This tale follows the romantic journey of a knight who sets out to right wrongs and win the heart of the…
Night hiking proposed on Cerro San Luis
The San Luis Obispo City Council is mulling over a proposal to open up Cerro San Luis Mountain Natural Reserve to night hiking during the upcoming winter season. SLO Natural Resources Manager Bob Hill brought forward the two-year “pilot program” in response a prior City Council request to make some limited accommodations for nighttime recreation…
Oh the horror
Relive the glory of the film The Rocky Horror Picture Show Oct. 26 at SLO Brew’s The Rock venue. The show is put on by SLOQueerdos and kicks off at 9 p.m. Actors, burlesque performers, comedians, and drag queens will come together to bring everyone’s favorite songs from The Rocky Horror Picture Show to life.…
Man accused of murdering roommate pleads insanity
A 42-year-old Grover Beach man accused of murdering his roommate and setting the body on fire is pursuing an insanity defense. Manuel Jesus Perez pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity on Oct. 6 in connection with the July 11, 2016, murder of Joseph Charles Kienly IV, according to court records. A defendant can be…
Wedding crasher
Vino You can taste some great wine and hang out with cool horses and chickens at Stacked Stone Cellars at 1525 Peachy Canyon Road in Paso Robles from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. For more info, call 712-6033 or visit stackedstone.com. The first…
Supes seek ban on marijuana dispensaries as board tension boils over
Update (Oct. 24): On Oct. 20, the Board of Supervisors continued its cannabis regulations hearing to Nov. 7. After months of seesawing on how to regulate the marijuana industry in the wake of Proposition 64, the SLO County Board of Supervisors unveiled plans at its Oct. 17 meeting to ban all brick-and-mortar dispensaries in unincorporated communities.…
Dirt road poetry
Jon Bartel continues to prove he’s one of the area’s finest songwriters—a mix of Jeff Tweedy, John Mellencamp, and Ryan Adams—who with his band The Creston Line produces literate, melancholic, often narrative songs that Bartel calls “a bleak version of the truth.” During last year’s New Times Music Awards, he delivered “Great Depression,” written in…
Loving Vincent examines Van Gogh’s mysterious death in a visually arresting way
Writers-directors Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman helm this story about impressionist painter Vincent Van Gogh (Robert Gulaczyk), exploring his complicated life and mysterious death. Shot with live actors, the film was then transformed into animation. A team of 115 painters working in Van Gogh’s style painted each of the film’s 65,000 individual frames. (94 min.)…
New Cal Poly alumni create an organization to help students and their startups
Freshly graduated Cal Poly students recently created an organization that will help current students and their startups gain access to early funding. Founder Nathan Johnson and his two colleagues met through various clubs and startups at Cal Poly—the entrepreneurship club and the inventing club, to name a few—and wondered how they could help students with…
With all due respect
Since the election of Donald Trump, local citizen Al Fonzi has written opinions that have included the following assertions: Trump “will be a somewhat conventional president,” Mike Flynn “will serve the nation well,” liberals are unpatriotic, the explanation for Trump’s personality is because he is from New York, climate change does not exist, and the…
The Great American Melodrama puts a comedic twist on a Broadway classic
Spooky good time The Great American Melodrama presents The Phantom of the Melodrama through Nov. 12. Tickets are $20 to $27. The theater is located at 1863 Front St., Oceano. More info: americanmelodrama.com or 489-2499. The best thing about the Great American Melodrama is the wink they offer to the diehard theater geek—the one who…
Social media sound off
New Times readers took to Facebook this week to offer their opinions on comments made by a SLO Police Department sergeant about sexual assault on college campuses in an Oct. 12 article, “Six sexual assaults reported to Cal Poly.”
The real tension about pensions
The “Pension tension” (Oct. 12) article leaves the incorrect impression that pension formula changes at the state level involuntarily caused local governments to increase pension benefits. SB 400 merely established a new and higher pension formula, with no requirement that any local government adopt that formula or make enhancements retroactive. In addition, state law required…
Bites
Gather and Grub What to serve this holiday season? Makers of albariño, garnacha, and cabernet sauvignon, Verdad Winery in Arroyo Grande is your one-stop holiday wine shop! Good thing they just opened up a brand new tasting room at 134 Branch St. in the village of Arroyo Grande (learn more at verdadwine.com) … It’s totally…
SLOPD should review its sergeant
Reading the news in your Oct. 12 issue (“Six sexual assaults reported to Cal Poly”), I couldn’t believe SLOPD Sgt. Chad Pfarr’s statement about sexual assault on campus: students “feel like they got sexually assaulted because they blacked out,” when “it was just something they conjured up.” Is it any wonder that sexual assault victims…
Central Coast harvested
Dig in Learn more about City Farm SLO and Central Coast Grown at centralcoastgrown.org. Often, the most delicious part of the lead is buried—underground, that is. Sort of like City Farm SLO. Maybe you’ve driven past the 19 acres of city owned farmland located along Highway 101 between the Madonna Shopping Center and Los Osos…
On the cusp of a bikelash
Hope all are enjoying the traffic mess on LOVR and Madonna in SLO. When construction’s finished, you’ll have narrower driving lanes and more gridlock because the city is building wider bike lanes on both streets—what’s called a “road diet.” “Road diets” were all the rage a few years ago, but drivers are fed up with…
Picks
High-fives to our local GABF winners! Colorado’s Great American Beer Festival is not an easy win. Let’s do a little light math: More than 8,000 breweries attend each year, with more than 3,900 different beers served to about 60,000 attendees. How many breweries compete? About 2,217 (that’s from all 50 states, mind you). When all…
We need affordable health care, not mailers
A bright pink mailer from Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham’s office arrived in my mail box. The headline says, “Breast Cancer Screenings – Early Detection Saves Lives.” It’s encouraging me to purchase a pink license plate where a portion of plate sales fund free breast exams and mammograms. I have a better idea, Mr. Cunningham: make sure…
