NTMAs 2020
San Luis Obispo County’s News and Entertainment Weekly New Times Music Awards winners for 2020!
Cover Story
Ear candy: Meet the winners of the New Times Music Awards
See them online! In lieu of our annual live event, five of this year’s winners will be presented on Friday, Nov. 13, from 5 to 8 p.m., on New Times’ Facebook page as well as SLO Brew’s and Krush 92.5’s Facebook page. The recorded concert is available below, on bigbigslo.com, and Big Big SLO’s YouTube…
Carbajal bill proposes temperature screenings at U.S. airports
People traveling domestically within the United States don’t currently have to prove that they’re COVID-free to board a plane, but a new piece of legislation proposes to change that. U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal’s (D-Santa Barbara) Fly Safe and Healthy Act, the first bill he’s introduced since his reelection, proposes to implement a temperature screening at…
SLO County removes 37,000 acres from Paso groundwater pumping moratorium
Fewer properties over the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin will be subject to severe water restrictions after the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors voted on Nov. 17 to revise the basin’s “area of severe decline,” eliminating roughly 37,000 acres. The map change means that those properties removed from the “red zone” are now eligible…
Albertsons, Vons pharmacies ready to administer vaccine when it’s ready
Local Albertsons, Vons, and Pavilions pharmacies are prepared to provide customers with a COVID-19 vaccine when it’s approved in the United States. Albertsons Companies spokesperson Melissa Hill said once the vaccine has been authorized, its pharmacies on the Central Coast will provide the immunization to their respective communities. Albertsons Companies is one of several national…
Aerial technology to survey Santa Ynez Valley groundwater resources
Starting Sunday, Nov. 15, Santa Ynez and Lompoc Valley residents might spot a low-flying helicopter in the sky carrying a large hexagonal frame. It will be surveying groundwater resources in the eastern management area of the Santa Ynez River Valley Groundwater Basin. A partnership between the Santa Ynez River Valley Groundwater Basin Eastern Management Area…
Cuesta trustee Pete Sysak refuses to resign
Dozens of Cuesta College students, faculty, staff, and San Luis Obispo community members called for board President Pete Sysak’s resignation at a special meeting on Nov. 12—the second time this month that community members have spent hours at public meetings doing so. But Sysak made it clear that he won’t be stepping down. Sysak is…
Won, not done
I’m writing this on Nov. 8. It’s still sinking in. The most votes cast in U.S. history. The Sunrise Movement. Black Lives Matter. Sierra Club Independent Action. The Nevada Native Vote Project. Stacey Abrams, MVP. Millions of letters, texts, and phone calls to voters in swing states to get out the vote. (Word to the…
12th annual New Times Music Awards winners for 2020
Let Glen Starkey introduce you to the first place winners! Stream the playlist on Spotify! HIP-HOP/RAP 1st Place: Hakeem Sanusi “Listen to Me” 2nd Place : Ezra Henderson “Game Plan” 3rd Place : Kacey Family “Chaos” R&B/BLUES 1st Place: Dante Marsh “Everything Considered” 2nd Place : Ynana Rose “Trouble” 3rd Place : Pete Pidgeon “The Wind and The Lover”…
Fraud and resignation
How about a little existential angst to go with your post-election hangover? When do facts become opinions and opinions become facts? Wait a second, let me retract those questions. I forgot for a second that I’m supposed to be a toxic cynic, according to Rhetoric and Reason columnist Andrew Christie, not well-reasoned, funny, and devastatingly…
SLO issues more citations for gatherings, looks to control nightlife
Trying to enforce COVID-19 health orders on a weekend night in San Luis Obispo isn’t the easiest job, according to interim SLO Police Chief Jeff Smith. But with cases on the rise throughout the community, especially among college students, the city has pledged to double down on its virus-related policing. “Where we’ve probably issued the…
A Cuesta trustee is among several local leaders criticized for sharing controversial views online
There’s not a whole lot that can surprise Cuesta College student Dawn Grillo at this point. Grillo is president of Cuesta’s Black Student Union and a member of the Associated Students of Cuesta College, and when her fellow student representatives showed her some controversial Facebook posts—which critics have called racist, homophobic, and Islamaphobic—shared by one…
Paso Robles throws support behind Project Homekey turning Motel 6 into low-income and homeless housing
Paso Robles is on track to have its first-ever homeless shelter up and running by the start of winter. But it won’t be at the new facility the city had planned to build near the Salinas River. Instead, it will be at a former Motel 6, which the Housing Authority of San Luis Obispo (HASLO)…
The Alchemists’ Garden in Paso Robles serves up innovative cocktails and globally inspired shareable plates
Dinner and a show The Alchemists’ Garden in Paso Robles is open Sunday through Saturday from 4 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. at 1144 Spring St. Check out the menu by visiting alchemistsgarden.com. Salivate over their offerings on Facebook and Instagram @alchemistsgardenca. Cinnamon sparks as the spice hits flames shooting off half a lime doused in…
Stadium 805 gets green light to host six concerts in 2021
If COVID-19 allows it, Central Coast residents will very likely be able to attend concerts at the Santa Maria Raceway at some point next year. At a meeting on Nov. 10, the SLO County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a temporary commercial outdoor entertainment license application submitted by the Santa Maria Raceway, aka Stadium 805,…
Local artist and teacher Jason Mayr finds new ways to connect to his students during the pandemic
Take a class Find your inner sketch artist by joining Jason Mayr and the Mayr Studio Sketch Club on Facebook @MayrStudio every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday at 6:55 p.m. To learn more about his art and his teaching, visit jasonmayr.com. Jason Mayr is an amazing painter whose images seem to glow from within. He also…
Local residents echo national voter fraud claims
Voter fraud concerns grew nationally over the weekend after the Associated Press called the Nov. 3 presidential election for Joe Biden, and President Donald Trump alleged that widespread fraud tampered with the election. Local Facebook users shared messages congratulating President Trump for winning, posted the phrase “legal ballots matter,” and shared an online petition to…
Clark Center for the Performing Arts presents Standemic, a virtual stand-up comedy competition
As part of its Winter Date Nights programming, the Clark Center for the Performing Arts in Arroyo Grande is livestreaming Standemic, a virtual stand-up comedy competition through Zoom, starting Nov. 20 and running through Nov. 22. The program will feature 32 participating comedians, who will compete for viewers’ votes during 11 different segments throughout the…
Owners of dog killed by SLO police officer settle with city
San Luis Obispo reached a settlement with a local dog owner who’d filed a claim against the city over a 2019 incident in which a police officer shot and killed his dog in his driveway. City resident Nick Regalia and his former partner, Riley Manford, received $70,000 in the Oct. 1 settlement to cover emotional…
SLO Botanical Garden hosts its Art in the Garden exhibit, fundraiser
The San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden opened its Art in the Garden showcase on Nov. 5, which will remain on display through the end of December. The exhibit includes a variety of fine art, jewelry, and other giftable items from local artists and artisans. Each item is available to purchase, and proceeds will benefit the…
Several SLO County races still too close to call
There were still about 5,000 ballots left to count in SLO County by press time on Nov. 11, and the ultimate decision could rely on the last few votes in several races where candidates are neck and neck. In Pismo Beach, unofficial election results from Nov. 9 show City Council candidate and newbie Scott Newton…
Lights at Cambria Pines available to hotel guests and restaurant visitors
In lieu of the traditional Cambria Christmas Market, the Cambria Pines Lodge will host a new light display this year, Lights at Cambria Pines, which will be exclusively available to Moonstone Hotel and Cambria Pines Restaurant guests. The event opens on Nov. 27 and will run through Jan. 2, 2021. Restaurant attendees who wish to…
Morro Bay paves the way for electric charging stations
On Nov. 10, the Morro Bay City Council passed an ordinance to provide a streamlined permitting process for electric vehicle charging systems. In 2015, then California Gov. Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 1236 requiring jurisdictions with fewer than 200,000 people to establish procedures for expedited processes for permitting electric charging stations before Sept. 20, 2017.…
The Trial of the Chicago Seven depicts a shameful moment in American history
THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO SEVEN What’s it rated? R What’s it worth, Anna? Full price What’s it worth, Glen? Full price Where’s it showing? Netflix Writer-director Aaron Sorkin (A Few Good Men, The West Wing, Molly’s Game) helms this historical drama about a group of anti-war protesters—Tom Hayden (Eddie Redmayne), Rennie Davis (Alex Sharp),…
Los Osos Cares continues to aid its Estero Bay community amid COVID-19 challenges
When Linda Quesenberry looks back on the last nearly nine months, the biggest takeaway for her is that when people are in need, the community really is there for one another. Quesenberry is the vice chair and executive director for Los Osos Cares, a nonprofit that supports Estero Bay, which includes Los Osos, Morro Bay,…
Raised By Wolves
What’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2020 Where’s it showing? HBO Max Inspired by the Ridley Scott universe (Alien, Prometheus), this intriguing sci-fi series has a complicated but very interesting premise. Earth has been all but destroyed by human activity, and the human race is near extinction as atheists battle the religious. Both groups have plans…
Julie and the Phantoms
What’s it rated? TV-G When? 2020 Where’s it showing? Netflix I have to admit, if it wasn’t for the fact that this Netflix musical comedy TV show had SLO local Sacha Carlson in it, I never would have watched it. It’s aimed directly at tweens, but it’s irresistibly charming, with great songs and a sweet…
Share Morro Bay
I am writing this in response to Morro Bay City Councilman Jeff Heller’s op ed on Nov. 5 about the recent short-term vacation rental (STR) ordinance adopted by the city of Morro Bay (“Neighborhood character”). As you might guess, he was the singular “no” vote on the adoption of this ordinance, which is a pattern…
Media perspective
After reading Mr. Fonzi’s opinion “Dig a little deeper” (Nov. 5), I looked up the word perspective in my dictionary. It states in part “perspective is the capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance.” I agree with his assertion that “our national and often local press is lockstepped in ideological conformity…
