Cover Story
Reduce, reuse … recycle? Not all single-use plastics are created equally recyclable, and a new state law aims to make that clearer
Recyclable? If you’re unsure whether or not something is recyclable in SLO County, head to iwma.com and use the “What do I do with … ” search function to find out, or to find an alternative way to recycle. Plastic berry cartons from the supermarket. A clear coffee cup from Starbucks. Individually packaged yogurt containers.…
Tell Me Your Secrets
What’s it rated? TV-14 When? 2021 Where’s it showing? Amazon Prime Amazon Originals has given us yet another binge-fest series with this mysterious and complicated tale, weaving the storylines of intersecting characters throughout time. Karen Miller, aka, Emma Hall (Lily Rabe), has just been released from a seven-year prison stint after being convicted as an…
DA’s Office says Shandon-San Juan Water District violated Brown Act
The Shandon-San Juan Water District—an agricultural water district in North County—violated state public meeting laws earlier this year when it met privately in closed session to discuss and make decisions about applying for new water rights in Lake Nacimiento and Santa Margarita Lake, according to the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office. In a…
Train to Busan
What’s it rated? Not rated When? 2016 Where’s it showing? Amazon Prime Co-writer/director Sang-ho Yeon (The King of Pigs, The Fake) helms this foreign-language zombie flick, and if you’re thinking, “Why in the world do we need yet another zombie flick,” watch and find out. At the center of the story are young Soo-an (Su-an…
Pismo Beach opens up two grants for child care services
Pismo Beach joined the ranks of the cities of San Luis Obispo and Grover Beach to boost its child care services, underscoring SLO County’s investment in family-friendly workplace programs. “It was inspired by the City Council hearing the struggles of people needing assistance with child care as they were looking to get back into the…
SLO local Julie Torchia curates historic prints and local gems at new Solvang gallery
All along the clock tower Solvang Fine Art is open daily (except Tuesdays), from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and is located at 482 First Street, Solvang (right under the city’s iconic clock tower). For more info, visit solvangfineart.com. Given the amount of time Julie Torchia spends perusing rare artworks before putting them on the…
Local wineries team up for fundraiser to support the Paso Robles Youth Arts Center
The Wineries of 46 East Association—a group of 15 SLO County wineries—is currently participating in a month-long fundraiser to benefit the Paso Robles Youth Arts Center, which will run through the end of November. Each winery in the group is donating a portion of their sales to the center, in support of its mission to…
SLO-based artist Chante Griffin receives $10,000 grant from California Arts Council
The California Arts Council recently awarded a total of more than $2 million to applicants of an inaugural 2021 Individual Arts Fellowship, to be split between 182 recipients residing throughout the state. Only one artist on the list, Chante Griffin, hails from San Luis Obispo County. Griffin received a grant of $10,000. According to press…
Why rush stacks talk?
I have to back Mr. Sean Green and Mr. Jeff Heller on this one (“Morro Bay City Council votes to let Vistra demolish the stacks,” Nov. 4). Whether you are for or against removing the power plant stacks, the City Council promised the residents a chance to weigh in. There has been no formal weighing…
Scrutinize your ‘facts’
How perfectly fitting that Gary Benites’ letter (“Something I’ve wanted to do,” Nov. 4) regarding Al Fonzi’s tendency to spew misinformation (with a straight face, mind you) and Fonzi’s latest (“Musings of a pack rat,” Nov. 4) appeared on the same day! We got a long diatribe on the evils of Third World dictators and…
Get in on redistricting
On Nov. 19 at 9 a.m. the San Luis Obispo Board of Supervisors will hold a third public hearing on redistricting. They will consider whether to keep the current district maps virtually intact or to make significant changes to the district lines. The final district maps will be in place for 10 years, until the…
Alternative energy
The proposed 1,000 megawatt offshore wind farm off the coast of Morro Bay would be an economic and environmental disaster. The water off the California coast is very deep, and the project will have to employ floating platforms. This has never been done on a commercial scale, so any cost estimate would be pure guesswork.…
The district you save
Former Wisconsin state Rep. Bernard Schaber recently shared a message with a Sierra Club group in his state: “What is the No. 1 issue for us as environmentalists? Is it clean air? Is it clean water? Is it biodiversity? Nope … it is fair maps and abandoning gerrymandering!” Redistricting—the once-every-10-years update and redrawing of the…
Hyperbolic heckling
Do you ever look at someone after they’ve done something really stupid and wonder how they could have ever thought that something was OK? Obviously, that’s a rhetorical question, because yes you have! I was thinking that about a month ago as I listened to San Luis Obispo City Councilmember Jan Marx wax on about…
On Nov. 12, at SLO Brew Rock, the New Times Music Awards presents a 5-band showcase and awards ceremony
The judges have spoken and picked the top three entrants in the New Times Music Awards five genre categories, and this Friday, Nov. 12, those five winners will face off in front of a panel of judges (and hopefully you and your music-loving friends) to see who will add Best Live Performance to their accolades.…
SLO unveils mural on back of Fremont Theater—the largest public arts project in city history
The Fremont Theater’s exposed back wall lines Higuera Street in downtown San Luis Obispo, its bland 80-foot-long expanse doing little over the years to compete with its colorful, iconic entrance on Monterey Street. But that’s changing in a big way with the city of SLO’s largest public art project in history. Bright blues, reds, greens,…
Lucia Mar school board recall campaign fails
Three board members of San Luis Obispo County’s largest school district prevailed over recall efforts on Nov. 5, ending a 160-day tussle marked by mask debates, dirt-filled petition envelopes, and even a “freeway chase.” But recall organizers said they’re not giving up. “We’re going to continue fighting for kids in our district. Hopefully, we’ll be…
Brasserie SLO’s new head chef lets seasonal flavors showcase themselves
French connection Taste a bit of France in downtown San Luis Obispo at Brasserie SLO. Head to hotelcerro.com/slo-restaurants/brasserie-slo to make a reservation and try Chef Derek Brooks’ fall menu while it’s still here. When it comes to his cooking philosophy, Brasserie SLO’s new executive chef, Derek Brooks, said it’s all about letting in-season, fresh, locally…
As the nation’s racial gap closes for vaccination rates, SLO County’s Black population lags behind
Wedding photographer and academic counselor Renoda Campbell thought of her older parents, who migrated to San Luis Obispo County from the American South, when the nation first rolled out COVID-19 vaccines. “When it comes to African Americans in the medical community, we haven’t been treated well. There just has been a skepticism about medical issues…
Eternals feels eternally long and mostly unnecessary
ETERNALS What’s it rated? PG-13 What’s it worth, Anna? Stream it What’s it worth, Glen? Stream it Where’s it showing? Bay, Downtown Centre, Fair Oaks, Galaxy, Park, Stadium 10, Sunset Drive-In Co-writer/director Chloé Zhao (The Rider, Nomadland) helms this fantasy adventure about a group of immortal beings sent to Earth 7,000 years ago to quietly…
SLO makes Cerro San Luis night hiking program permanent
After weeks of debate and hand-wringing, the San Luis Obispo City Council voted narrowly on Nov. 9 to make its winter night hiking pilot program on Cerro San Luis Natural Reserve permanent. The council’s 3-2 vote means that residents will be able to legally access SLO’s central mountain (featuring the Mission Prep “M”) until 8:30…
