Cover Story
Political gospel: Assembly District 30 candidate Vicki Nohrden wrote a book saying that California’s natural disasters are punishment from God
Spanning most of San Luis Obispo County and moving up the coastline to include Monterey and Santa Cruz counties, the 30th Assembly District will usher in either Democrat Dawn Addis or Republican Vicki Nohrden come Nov. 8. In campaign documents, Nohrden identifies as a nonprofit director, educator, and family court advocate. In 2020, she unsuccessfully…
SLO County Republicans’ desperation is fueled by PACs
As the Shredder writes on Oct. 27, the Bruce Jones campaign and the local Republican Party have gotten so desperate in the 2nd District supervisory race that they are bringing in large sums of money from PACs outside the area, e.g., a secretive PAC that is possibly from either Orange County or Las Vegas, and…
It’s time for change in Morro Bay’s elected officials
Morro Bay desperately needs a change in City Council and a new mayor. We are drowning in higher taxes and dubious projects due to a City Council led by a mayor who refuses to listen to the concerns and wishes of the local citizens. Currently the water reclamation plant project is burning through millions of…
Humans compete with otters for food sources
Karl Kempton raised some very good issues commenting on how ocean water is now cleaner (“Pismo clams rebound is tied to South County water treatment changes,” Oct. 20). The Clean Water Acts of 1972, 1977, and 1987 have certainly improved fresh and marine water quality. However, when it comes to sea otters, these animals have…
Save our harbor; vote yes on B-22
Nobody likes taxes. Yet the reality is that taxes pay for things we all want and need. Good roads. Our own police and fire departments. Our beautiful bay. OK. Measure B-22 could have been written in a way that would have been more acceptable to more residents. The tax could have been based on each…
Jones is willing to say anything to become supervisor
I recently noticed a billboard along Highway 101 in the area between Atascadero and Santa Margarita that says “Democrats for Dr. Jones” Paid for by Jones for Supervisor. If you are considering voting for this person for county supervisor, please think again. If he is willing to lie this outright on a billboard, then he…
November events showcase SLO County’s viticultural and culinary talent
Fests are the best For details on SLO County’s trio of mid-November festivals and to purchase tickets, visit garagistefestival.com, slocoastwine.com, and autumnsoiree.com. Go to caelesta.com to learn more about its Nov. 12 winemaker dinner and seasonal truffle hunts. The Central Coast is a year-round wine and food lover’s dream. However, the second weekend in November…
Gibson supports special interests, ignores the needs of seniors
Many SLO County residents are struggling to pay their bills amid our current financial crisis. Instead of fighting for those on fixed incomes, San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Bruce Gibson votes for special interests. Gibson’s votes support consultants, nonprofit administrative staffers, and friends of Gibson while others in our community suffer under the higher costs…
Former New Times Arts Editor David Vienna releases his fifth book
You’ve got this Pretty Sure You’re Fine by David Vienna, a former New Times arts editor, is available through online retailers, including Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and chroniclebooks.com. Learn more about the author at davidvienna.com. If you’re part of the 20 percent of Americans who work out regularly, move along. Nothing to see here. But…
The late Warren Baker was a ‘real mensch’
I was a professor and department head at Cal Poly for 30 years starting in 1983 when a department head served at the pleasure of the university president. I got to work with then President Warren Baker on some critical projects, and to know him well. The late Warren Baker was what I call, “a…
Central Coast Film Society honors local legends and young filmmakers at Entertainment Expo
Movie screenings, local filmmaker showcases, and guest speaker panels will be held as part of the Central Coast Entertainment Expo, a two-day event with happenings on Friday, Nov. 4, and Saturday, Nov. 5, at the Clark Center for the Performing Arts in Arroyo Grande. The first day of the expo kicks off at 5 p.m.…
Great balls of fire!
I would never begrudge someone their faith. Religious freedom is enshrined in the First Amendment, and many people’s faith is tied to tradition, community, and charity—all laudable elements of a strong social fabric. But what about when someone’s religious beliefs encroach on others’ freedoms—or worse, when someone’s “faith” morphs into doom and gloom prophesies of…
Local author Spencer Mosley holds book signing in Morro Bay
The Coalesce Bookstore in Morro Bay hosts an author event with fantasy novelist Spencer Mosley, who will sign copies of his latest book, The Awakening: Red Morning, on Saturday, Nov. 5, from 1 to 3 p.m. The venue is located at 845 Main St., Morro Bay. Visit coalescebookstore.com for more info on the book signing…
SLO city to hold groundwater contamination meeting
Industrial pollution in San Luis Obispo groundwater will be the subject of multiple upcoming public meetings. The city of SLO is hosting a meeting on Nov. 16 to discuss a PCE plume found below the city in the San Luis Valley Groundwater Basin. A toxic chemical, PCE is a product of dry cleaning and industrial…
Till recounts a mother’s loss and her response
TILL What’s it rated? PG-13 What’s it worth, Glen? Full price What’s it worth, Anna? Full price Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre, Park Chinonye Chukwu (Clemency) directs this take on the story of Emmett Till (Jalyn Hall), a 14-year-old African American boy who was brutally lynched in 1955 after being accused of offending a white…
Oso Flaco Lake remediation project will target ‘persistent and pernicious’ DDT pollution
Nearly a decade after researchers found more DDT pesticides in Oso Flaco Lake than in any other water body in the state, local stakeholders are finally zeroing in on a project they say will help fix it. The Coastal San Luis Resource Conservation District (RCD) is partnering with Teixeira Farms on a remediation project to…
The Good Nurse
What’s it rated? R When? 2022 Where’s it showing? Netflix Assemble, true crime nerds! Netflix has graced us with a full-length dive into the story of nurse Charles Cullen, convicted of killing 29 patients and suspected of killing hundreds more. Eddie Redmayne stars as the seemingly quiet and caring killer, and Jessica Chastain plays his…
Missing campaign signs heat up Grover Beach’s mayoral race
Political smear campaigns in Grover Beach now include cement. “My signs were stolen or vandalized. Ninety-eight percent of them were gone, and a couple vandalized with cement thrown on them,” Grover Beach City Councilmember and mayoral hopeful Karen Bright said. Bright is worried about more than damaged campaign signs in the lead-up to the Nov.…
Halloween Ends
What’s it rated? R When? 2022 Where’s it showing? Colony, Downtown Centre, Stadium 10, and streaming on Peacock Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) is credited as the first slasher film, but the original Halloween (1978) arguably ushered in the Golden Age of the slasher genre. It followed remorseless killer Michael Myers after he escaped from a…
Parents’ rights group endorses Templeton school board candidates
The SLO County chapter of a national organization that formed in response to COVID-19 restrictions such as school mask mandates weighed in on local school races, including two Templeton Unified School District board candidates. Moms for Liberty endorsed Jennifer Grinager, who is running against five other candidates vying for the two seats on Templeton’s board.…
SLO County Planning Commission recommends denial of Paso basin ordinance
On Dec. 6, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors will consider a new ordinance for the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin that’s fiercely opposed by the agricultural industry and, as of Oct. 27, all five county planning commissioners. The SLO County Planning Commission voted unanimously on Oct. 27 to recommend that supervisors deny the…
The 2022 New Times Music Awards showcase takes center stage at SLO Brew Rock on Nov. 4
If you love the local music scene, there’s one place to be this weekend. Friday, Nov. 4, is going to be a night to remember when SLO Brew Rock once again hosts the New Times Music Awards showcase (7 to 9:30 p.m.; all ages; $15 at my805tix.com). Back in July and August, local performers from…
Supervisors poised to discuss decertifying Oceano Advisory Council
The Oceano Advisory Council’s future is on San Luis Obispo County’s chopping block. Come Dec. 6, the county Board of Supervisors will discuss withdrawing its recognition of the advisory council. The topic made the supervisors’ agenda after 4th District Supervisor Lynn Compton publicly criticized the group for trying to get a vacation rental ordinance in…
With solidarity and collective action, we can achieve the American vision
I am a proud American patriot, unmoved by vacuous symbols and rituals, but by a virtuous ideal. Our founding principles and historically evolved values call me to develop an identity transcending the limitations of my race, religion, class, national origin, gender, and party. My obligation and opportunity, as a citizen of the United States, is…
Candidates running for Morro Bay City Council weigh in on key issues
In Morro Bay, five candidates are vying for two seats on the City Council. With no incumbents in the running, Casey Cordes, Cyndee Edwards, Sarah Robinson, David Duringer, and Robin “Zara” Landrum are all looking to make an impact in Morro Bay. Cordes, 36, hopes that he can use his young age as an advantage…
Gibson has worked to give veterans what they need
As veterans who served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars, we write to urge voters to reelect 2nd District Supervisor Bruce Gibson, who has a long record of public service and has been a particularly strong supporter of veterans in SLO County. Gibson worked closely with American Legion Post 432 to establish the Cambria Veterans’…
Blind Date With A Book encourages reading at the SLO Farmers’ Market and beyond
In the post-pandemic era, Sandra Hardridge is bringing people a new way to go on blind dates, minus the germs. Blind Date With a Book is Hardridge’s pet project that eventually turned into a full-blown business. Blind Date with a Book is exactly what it sounds like: books are wrapped in brown butcher paper, tied…
