Cover Story
How SLO County’s art groups created a $27 million industry
Show me the money For more info on SLO County’s results for the Arts and Economic Prosperity 5 Survey, visit artsobispo.org/aep. Although $27 million is nothing to sneeze at, Arts Obispo Executive Director Angela Tahti thinks it’s looking a little small. That number ($27,722,589 to be exact) accounts for the money that nonprofit arts organizations…
SLO Poetry Festival runs through Nov. 19
Partake in the annual San Luis Obispo Poetry Festival now through Nov. 18 at events across the county. On Nov. 12 at Coalesce Bookstore in Morro Bay, the celebrated Glenna Luschei and Michael Hannon will read. Lined up for Nov. 17 at the SLO Library Community Room are Patti Sullivan, SLO County Poet Laureate Emeritus…
Nude man allegedly started brush fire to ‘set the land free’
A 49-year-old man facing a felony arson charge allegedly admitted to starting a brush fire that burned nearly 2 acres of land in rural Arroyo Grande last month. During a Nov. 7 hearing in SLO County Superior Court, a Cal Fire investigator said that the man, Ezequiel Cisneros, admitted that he started the Oct. 6…
Write all day with SLO Night Writers
Can’t shake that bout of writer’s block? Well the SLO Night Writers have just the solution. As part of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), the group will host a Write-In Day on Nov.11 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the United Church of Christ in SLO. Writers will have access to writing space with…
Several county roads get speed limit tweaks
Drivers zipping down a handful of popular San Luis Obispo County roads will have to hit their brakes in most cases, after the Board of Supervisors approved a series of new speed limits on Nov. 7. Nine streets in Los Osos, SLO, Templeton, San Miguel, Paso Robles, and the California Valley will have different speed…
Cuesta hosts Oliver Herring as artist in residence
When it comes to artist Oliver Herring, the gallery and studio space are one and the same. The Harold J. Miossi Art Gallery is hosting the German-born Herring as an artist in residence from Nov. 13 to Dec. 7. While Herring is here, he will transform the gallery into his studio space and collaborate with…
Long-time assistant D.A. announces retirement
After more than 32 years, the SLO County District Attorney Office’s second in command has announced his plans to retire. Assistant District Attorney Lee Cunningham confirmed Nov. 7 that he plans to retire from his post effective Dec. 30. “The decision to retire has been a very difficult one for me, due to the fact…
Road trip to Los Angeles for a concert and catch up with friends on the way
Mini Travels The Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles is not only the perfect venue for an intimate concert but its also very popular for its minimal styled hotel rooms. For more information visit acehotel.com At 65 miles per hour, my closest friend and I set out on a mini adventure on Highway 101 to Los…
Supes appoint a county administrative officer, ending contentious search
The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors resolved five months of gridlock on Nov. 7 and found a new county leader they could all agree on. Supervisors voted unanimously in closed session to appoint Public Works Director Wade Horton as chief administrative officer (CAO), the top county position, which has been vacant since June.…
Hardcore punk legends The Dead Boys play Camozzi’s Saloon on Nov. 11, as part of their 40th anniversary tour
Back in 1976, five rock ‘n’ roll kids from working-class Cleveland started what some have called the first hardcore punk act. Originally called Frankenstein, the band eventually moved to NYC at the urging of The Ramones singer Joey Ramone, renaming themselves The Dead Boys. Known for their profane, lewd, and raucous live shows, they were…
Protect our public land
I want to thank U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal and Sen. Kamala Harris for working with a diverse coalition of business and community leaders to provide additional protections to Carrizo Plain National Monument, which will ensure clean water for communities, protect valuable wildlife habitat, and stimulate a vibrant local economy. The Carrizo Plain National Monument is…
The backstory of SLO Mayor Heidi Harmon’s iconic roses
A rose by any other name For more on SLO Mayor Heidi Harmon, visit heidiharmon.org. It all started at an Acapulco Restaurant in Pasadena. That was where the future SLO mayor, Heidi Harmon, would sometimes go to dinner with her mom and sit, entranced by the waitresses wearing giant flowers in their hair. “For me,…
The capitalist caste system
Many of us were born into an economic system that is so beyond our reach, it isn’t even funny. If you are born into poverty you may end up in poverty. Not always but statistics bear this out. I was born into a working middle-class family. That kind of modest middle-class is gone. If it…
‘Thor: Ragnarok’ wisely makes fun of itself
Thor: Ragnarok What’s it rated? PG-13What’s it worth, Anna? Full priceWhat’s it worth, Glen? Full priceWhere’s it showing? Sunset Drive-In, Downtown Centre, Park, Stadium 10, Galaxy Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows, Hunt for the Wilderpeople) directs Chris Hemsworth as Thor, the god of thunder, who loses his hammer, is imprisoned on the…
Support incentives for home ownership
There’s a reason home ownership is still considered the “American dream.” A home is a place to create memories, a means for building wealth, and a pathway to strength and stability in the communities we all call home. Here in San Luis Obispo County, things are no different, and that’s something for lawmakers to remember…
Blast from the Past: Little Shop of Horrors
Year? 1986 What’s it rated? PG-13 Where’s it available? DVD, Streaming on Netflix At a time when American cinema is seemingly obsessed with mining our nostalgia for bankable box office reboots, it still amazes me that no one, to my knowledge, is pushing to get a remake or reboot of Little Shop of Horrors into…
We need cheaper, better public transportation
Question: Do you know why city buses have blackout windows? Answer: So nobody can see how few people ride on them! I’m not against public transportation; it’s a service that is important to many in our county. What I question is why we have these $300,000 vehicles with very expensive drivers transporting one or two…
Film Listings 11/9/17–11/16/17
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…
Dear fellow citizens of SLO County
Please, please, please enlighten me as to how our health care system is better with our new administration. I am a middle-class retiree who makes too much to qualify for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and too little to afford the astronomical rates I have to pay to avoid annual tax penalties. Blue Cross just…
NTMA Winners 2017
Songwriter category 1. The Tipsy Gypsies – “Drought” 2. The Creston Line – “1992” 3. Derek Senn – “Monica Lewinsky” Rock/Alternative category 1. 33RPM – “Red, Black or White” 2. The Monroe – “Thunder” 3. 555-Balls – “Someone to Blame” Country/Folk/Americana category 1. The Creston Line – “No More Heroes” 2. Mark Adams – “Where’s…
That’s fresh!
Flavor has landed. The 56,000-square-foot San Luis Obispo Regional Airport now features food and wine concessions—in addition to a beautiful outdoor atrium—past the security checkpoint. Plus, locals can now enjoy two new flights to Denver and Seattle daily (both great foodie towns) … Centrally Grown at Off the Grid in Cambria is under new management…
Hatred from the left
I must admit I had to read the opinions from each of these writers at least twice, but still couldn’t discern what they were trying to say in so many words. Kathy Riedmann (“With all due respect,” Oct. 19) affirmed that she condones and supports Antifa’s fascist tactics to block the free speech of others…
The dirt
Lend a helping hand: Want to learn about what it takes to tend a working farm? City Farm SLO is offering up just this kind of opportunity. Now that the fall harvest is over, it’s time to prepare for winter at 1221 Calle Joaquin in SLO. The farm is looking for ongoing volunteers to help…
Careful, or everyone will be labeled a ‘lefty’
“Wake up, lefties!” So begins Gary Wechter’s Nov. 2 op-ed, “The affordable housing myth.” No matter what merit his op-ed has, his derogatory exclamation poisons his whole argument and negates any civility. With that beginning phrase, Mr. Wechter sets an acrid tone of derision for his neighbors that he labels as lefties. He states, “We…
Latest Cal Poly master plan includes development on campus farmland
Cal Poly plans to convert several acres of prime farmland to non-agricultural uses in order to accommodate future expansion, according to an environmental impact report for the school’s 20-year master plan. According to the report, the latest version of the master plan would convert more than 32 acres of on-campus farmland into sports fields, parking…
The Paso-bilities!
How do you do? This Nov. 11, the Paso Robles Downtown Association will feature its annual Elegant Evening—a night filled with shopping, wine, snacks, and good cheer downtown. Get in on free carriage rides, live music, minstrels, and live mannequins, too. No entree ticket or dress code required, although a fancy getup is quite festive…
Affordable housing is not a partisan issue
I’d like to know what Gary Wechter (“The affordable housing myth,” Nov. 2) suggests for the “lefties” who work as police and firemen in SLO and where they should live? My husband works full time (often 75-plus hours per week) and still does not earn enough to afford to rent or buy a house in…
Local candidates announce 2018 election campaigns
While the 2018 elections are still a year away, hopeful political candidates on the Central Coast are already kicking off their campaigns for elected offices ranging from Congress to county supervisor. As of press time, those in the mix included both familiar faces and newcomers, while some incumbents in key races are still awaiting challengers.…
Learn (and taste) how Slow Money SLO is helping grow a better local food system
Fresh gathering Slow Money SLO, will host a free community gathering this Nov. 14 at the SLO Guild Hall at 2880 Broad St. from 6 to 8 p.m. The group would like to hear from local food supporters, potential lenders, food and farm entrepreneurs as well as donors to support the cause. For information, email…
We need to restore the foredunes in Oceano
The Oct. 26 article on the APCD notice of violation (“County APCD, state parks headed to hearing over dust control violations”) failed to mention an important part of the Special Master report. On pages 4 and 5, Dr. W.G. Nickling wrote: “More ‘natural’ types of solutions are preferable to engineered solutions (e.g. fences and straw…
‘Living New Deal’ project explores legacy of FDR’s program across the nation, including SLO County
If you aren’t looking, you just might miss it. Walking down Chorro Street in San Luis Obispo through an ordinary-looking residential neighborhood between Islay and Leff, you will pass a low wall of old stacked stones spanning a small creek. It is just 14 feet long and 32 inches high. If you’re walking too fast…
Tiki time
I love camp, retro fashion, and I love a well made Mai Tai, so you’d think I’d be a raging fan of tiki bars. To be honest, nope. Sadly, I’d been sorely disappointed by the few I’d experienced, with their dusty interiors and too-sweet syrups. That all changed recently, however, thanks to a friend’s Vegas…
Living in dark times
Since August, Americans have suffered under the blows of multiple hurricanes and a firestorm that left uncounted homeless, and now a third mass murder in as many months. Natural disasters are traumatic enough, but most people understand that they are not malevolent events, however tragic they can be on an individual basis. We reach out…
Hospice of SLO County hosts the International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day
Jennifer Steele lost her older brother to suicide in 1993. At the time, Robbie Steele was engaged and had just set a date for his wedding. “In suicide prevention the signs are always talked about and even now I can’t really see signs. It was really a surprise for everybody,” Steele said. She made the…
Heaven knows they’re miserable now
A whole bunch of Morrissey fans were happy in the haze of a drunken hour, but heaven knows they’re miserable now. On Nov. 5, the former Smiths frontman, born Stephen Patrick Morrissey, was scheduled to play Vina Robles Amphitheatre in Paso Robles. The crowd was gathered. The drinks were flowing. The excitement was palpable. “Moz!…
SLO Rep’s ‘Rounding Third’ explores fatherhood, love, and tragedy
Take me out SLO Repertory Theatre’s production of Rounding Third will show through Nov. 19. Martinis will be served in the lobby bar on Saturdays, Nov. 11 and 18. Tickets range from $20 to $35. Visit slorep.org for more information. Baseball might be one of America’s most over-used metaphors, whether we’re talking love, life, or…
Judge opposes $85 million Diablo Canyon settlement with SLO agencies
Correction: The prior rendering of Diablo Canyon that was published with the original story was incorrectly labeled as a file photo. In a blow to San Luis Obispo County cities and schools, a judge with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has ruled against a negotiated settlement between PG&E and local agencies that promised $85…
Should Cal Poly get rid of some of its farmland?
Torin Holt Cuesta student “I don’t think it’s a good idea. The farmland is a part of sustainability, and I understand the school is admitting more students but it doesn’t mean they should reduce that land.” Kevin Scofield Cuesta student “Cal Poly has an image that especially focuses on agriculture. To take that away would…
