Cover Story
Affordability gap: SLO County battles an expensive housing market as it searches for ways to build cheaper homes
The lifeblood of fiscal opportunity flows through the only major artery in San Luis Obispo County twice a day. Cars clog Highway 101 like clockwork starting around 4:30 p.m. each weeknight, when headlights drive north and south, away from the county’s core and into its outer reaches. San Luis Obispo is the beating heart of…
Investigation into SLOPD sergeant’s sexual assault comments ongoing
More than a month after one of its sergeants made controversial comments about sexual assault to a New Times reporter, the San Luis Obispo Police Department is still reviewing the incident for possible disciplinary action. SLOPD Capt. Chris Staley confirmed that the department had not concluded a review of Sgt. Chad Pfarr, who drew criticism…
It’s OK to be a lefty
It seems my recent letter (“The affordable housing myth,” Nov. 2) offended some readers due to my repeated reference to many of our neighbors as “lefties.” If you found that word offensive, it wasn’t meant to be and I apologize for any hurt feelings. It was merely a shortcut to describe the political leaning (Democrat,…
Valley fever on the rise in SLO, state
Cases of valley fever (coccidioidomycosis) in San Luis Obispo County are up 36 percent this year compared to last—and up six-fold since 2015—according to the California Department of Public Health. The SLO County Public Health Department reported 206 cases of valley fever so far in 2017, and 53 suspected cases are still under investigation. Five…
Cart without a horse
A while ago I went to a San Luis Obispo City Council meeting about the 720-home Avila Ranch development; I get upset thinking about it ever since. Come on folks! Do you see what is going on around here? We have created a serious situation. Deadlock traffic is here now and forever. Isn’t this exactly…
SLO County resident faces lawsuit, homelessness in wake of Santa Margarita fire
William Carlyle sat comfortably, his cane to his side and his dog resting under a cafe table, while he sipped a cup of coffee at Mojo’s Village Bean in Cambria on a chilly morning in November. Carlyle, 76, put the coffee down, carefully opened a briefcase in his lap, and pulled out a photo album.…
Keeping it short
Are there really people among us who think being against fascism and white supremacy are worn-out ideologies? I love my country and now realize how much of it I took for granted before Trump was elected. It’s the hypocrisy, warped beliefs, repulsive arrogance, and/or blind loyalty of many of the people supporting Trump and his…
Land’s end? As urban development in SLO County grows, important local farmland is shrinking
To the naked eye, there appears to be no shortage of farmland in SLO County. From the fields in Nipomo and Oceano that sport neat, green rows of strawberries to the verdant hills packed with trellises of wine grapes in Paso Robles, the county’s agricultural heritage remains on full display. But some of the farmlands…
Political hypocrisy
After any of the mass gun killings, (pick from your favorite recent ones) the subject of any type of gun control gets brought up. The gun-lobby-enabled conservatives always claim it is too soon to talk legislation because emotions are distorted and running too high. Don’t politicize the trauma of these poor victims. Of course, by…
SLOQueerdos seeks to create shared spaces
Best time of the year SLOQueerdos’ Holiday Drag Show will be on Dec. 17 starting at 7 p.m. at SLO Brew. The event is for those 21 and older. Tickets are $10 each. Visit SLOQueerdos on Facebook for more information. When their rent in San Francisco unexpectedly doubled, Daniel Gomez and Frank Dominguez instantly knew…
The New Deal was a bad deal
We should definitely think about the New Deal when walking over the Chorro Street bridge and anytime a “representative” is talking about creating jobs. Chris McGuinness and Gary Brechin (“Old New Deal,” Nov. 9) fail to mention that while F.D.R.’s Works Progress Administration (WPA) had men build projects, it also gave rise to the new…
Cambria Library hosts water and oil art workshop
Watch oil and water come together seamlessly in a unique exhibition featuring local artwork. Artists Patricia Willmott (oil painter) and Sherry Andrews (watercolorist) paint beside one another while re-creating the same subjects in their two different media. Viewers can witness the process behind the art as Willmott and Andrews create complementary, yet distinctive views of…
A free pass
Poppy Bush’s grandfatherly image has taken a beating with the revelation that he plays grab-ass with young women who wander too close to his wheel chair, as wife Barbara alternately rolls the chair and rolls her eyes. The general reaction has been guffaws. “The old goat can still take an interest, eh? What is he,…
Melodrama holds annual Holiday Extravaganza
Jump into the festive season early with The Great American Melodrama’s Holiday Extravaganza. Treat yourself and your family to this annual triple-bill tradition. The lineup this year features Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol, the zany fun of a fairy tale opera, and a festive rendition of seasonal music in the Holiday Vaudeville Revue. Reserving…
Cesspool spray
I feel obligated to let you in on New Times’ best kept secret, as I’m not sure all of you are privy to the inner circle of lies we are propagating. But Daniel Joshua Phares, who’s currently fighting charges of making a criminal threat to three women associated with the Women’s March SLO, has obviously…
Make custom beach art at Art Center Morro Bay
Looking for the perfect Christmas present idea? Or just feeling extra creative? Craft a custom piece of beach resin art for either you or a loved one at a workshop on Nov. 18 in Morro Bay. The instructor will guide students through the process with provided materials. A variety of shells, colored sea glass, an…
Social media sound off
This week, New Times readers took to Facebook to share their views about the backstory of SLO Mayor Heidi Harmon’s iconic roses (“Queen of roses,” Nov. 9).
Cleaning therapy
One day Makenzie Demos quit her job, made flyers, and decided she wanted to make a difference in people’s homes. Demos wanted to change how people clean their homes and the products that they use to get the job done. She tried her hand at different job fields, but creating a serene atmosphere in a…
‘The Killing of the Scared Deer’ delivers dark and paranoid delights but may be too challenging for some viewers
THE KILLING OF THE SACRED DEER What’s it rated? PG-13What’s it worth, Anna? MatineeWhat’s it worth, Glen? Full priceWhere’s it showing? Downtown Centre Director/co-writer Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster) helms this story about surgeon Steven Murphy (Colin Farrell) and his family who are menaced by a young man named Martin (Barry Keoghan). (119 min.) Glen If…
Spelunk-a-dunk: The Gaviota Wind Caves will make you feel like a kid again
Formation exploration Head south down Highway 101 to Gaviota State Park. Take a right off the freeway at the park entrance, hang another right, drive up the hill and park on either side of the road. The trail on the other side of the gate will take you to the Gaviota Wind Caves. Dust gives…
Bingeable: Stranger Things (Season 2)
When? 2017 What’s it rated? NR Where’s it available? Streaming on Netflix More than a year ago, I appeared in this very column singing the praises of a brand new and unique Netflix original series, Stranger Things. The nostalgia-filled, ’80s-based sci-fi drama starring five adolescents in Hawkins, Indiana, who battle an evil parallel universe concocted…
Singer-songwriter Trevor Hall brings his spiritual sounds to Fremont Theater on Nov. 17
Trevor Hall is sort of a mix of Jack Johnson and Matisyahu—laid back, spiritual, with a little rap and a little reggae mixed into acoustic singer-songwriter fare. He’s got a dusky tenor voice and lyrics that explore the mysteries of life, service to others, and living in the moment. Pretty solid messages to live by!…
Cheese, ready for takeoff: Get your ‘passport’ stamped at Fromagerie Sophie
Bold molds! Fromagerie Sophie is located in downtown San Luis Obispo at 129 Garden St. Shop hours are Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. For more information, go to fromageriesophie.com. Ladies and gentlemen, cheese-mongers and lactose lovers, this is your flight attendant speaking. On behalf of Good…
Film Listings 11/16/17–11/23/17
A BAD MOMS CHRISTMAS What’s it rated? R Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre, Park, Stadium 10, Galaxy A Bad Moms Christmas follows our three under-appreciated and over-burdened women as they rebel against the challenges and expectations of the Super Bowl for moms: Christmas. And if creating a more perfect holiday for their families wasn’t hard…
America: The Promise art show highlights country’s ideals
Reflections on home The America: The Promise art exhibit will be on display at Studios on the Park in Paso Robles through Nov. 19. Visit studiosonthepark.org for more information. Why did you come here? On the surface, it’s a pretty basic, straightforward question. But artist Peg Grady found the answers were anything but. When the…
It’s natural
Greener pastures: Lovely wild mushrooms are popping up like wildflowers this time of year, and it’s a nice sight to behold (it means that, finally, more precious rain has been bestowed upon us). Yes, plenty of ‘shrooms are indeed edible, but let’s leave those decisions up to the educated foragers and farmers, OK? The California…
Holiday Guide 2017
Your Seasonal Guide to Arts and Entertainment on the Central Coast
News nibbles
Did someone say free pizza? Blaze Fast Fire’d Pizza, which already has a location in SLO, recently announced that it will open a new location in Paso Robles. To celebrate the grand opening, the Paso restaurant will offer free build-your-own artisanal pizzas on Nov. 17 from 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Only catch? You gotta…
Supervisor Hill says critic has ‘bad crush’ in online comments
SLO County 3rd District Supervisor Adam Hill is once again drawing criticism over his online comments and emails, with a longtime critic claiming Hill attempted to smear him by using homophobic language. Keith Gurnee, a SLO County resident who’s written several opinion pieces critical of Hill, said Hill mocked and tried to discredit him by…
Waste not
It was an epic 2017 harvest for GleanSLO, which saves unwanted fruit and veggies from languishing on the vine by donating the goods to the SLO Food Bank. Throughout the region, GleanSLO recovered 8,912 pounds from seven backyards, 5,175 pounds from five farms, and 763 pounds from two farmers’ markets. That’s a total of 14,850…
Cayucos heats up over school district options
A Cayucos Elementary School District board member is under scrutiny for using his personal email to urge the community to oppose possible changes to the district. At the Nov. 8 district board meeting, a few public commenters questioned district board member Ron Wilson’s use of his personal email and the message enclosed, which pushed community…
Way groovier than beer pong
SLO Proud: Two Cal Poly ag communication seniors, Alex Broedlow and Emily Rosa, are making their work fun, and their fun, work. In fact, they’re proving that the old “learn by doing” adage can be downright jazzy. Enter: Rock the Vine, the students’ senior project, produced in conjunction with SLO Brew’s The Rock. The pair…
Man pleads not guilty to threatening Women’s March
As the Women’s March SLO prepares to mark its one-year anniversary, the man who allegedly threatened some members of the organization in August is fighting the criminal charges against him in SLO County Superior Court. Daniel Joshua Phares, 54, pleaded not guilty Nov. 9 to a misdemeanor charge of making a criminal threat to three…
Quiky Car Wash in hot water with SLO and neighbors
A popular San Luis Obispo car wash faces fines and neighborhood ire for alleged violations of city ordinances and permit conditions. Quiky Car Wash on Broad Street was hit with fines totaling $900 in September and October in the wake of a July city inspection that found the car wash was exceeding maximum allowed noise…
