Cover Story
Locked up: Government in the California Valley is stymied by rumors and small-town politics
It’s quiet except for the echoing tinkle of water filling up a square 275-gallon water tank and the low murmuring of two men sitting at a cracked, peeling wooden picnic table. That conversation is only audible when the wind dies down. They’re chatting about the proper way to install a leach field for sewage and…
Flaws are a matter of measure
Gary Wechter writes that he is an “enthusiastic” supporter of Donald Trump (“Hillary—great (liar) again,” New Times, Oct. 6), while at the same time admitting that Trump is “obviously flawed.” But it is clear that whatever flaws there are to be found in the long career of Hillary Clinton, they pale in comparison to Donald’s…
Council members support Irons for Morro Bay mayor
Jamie Irons is the only mayoral candidate in Morro Bay with the knowledge and commitment to continue the forward progress the city has experienced under his leadership since 2012. Working with Mayor Irons on the City Council, we watched him lead with integrity, transparency, and fairness. He treats council colleagues, community members, and staff with…
Shandon water district idea is not what it seems
As Oct. 20 approaches I have been thinking about a petition that will come before the Local Agency Formation Commission on that date. There are a few folks in Shandon who want to form a water district, a smaller water district for the Shandon-San Juan sub basin, an opt-in water district. These folks are very…
SLO sued over Rental Inspection Program
You can now tack a lawsuit on to the mounting opposition to the city of San Luis Obispo’s Rental Inspection Program. Steve Barasch, a former SLO mayoral candidate; Matt Kokkonen, a former candidate for Congress; and the SLO Property and Business Owners Association (SLOPBOA) filed the suit on Oct. 13, calling the inspection program unconstitutional.…
Balancing act: Atascadero mayor dismisses lingering concerns over potential conflicts
In contrast to the infighting of the past, the Atascadero City Council gets along swimmingly these days. There’s little to no sense of discord in public meetings. The mood is even peppy at times. Most votes are unanimous. Some attribute that different tone to Mayor Tom O’Malley’s leadership. When O’Malley was elected mayor in 2014,…
What was your favorite candy to get while trick-or-treating?
Anthony Ramos Cuesta College student “Probably Reese’s is my favorite candy.” Alexis Britch Powell’s Sweet Shoppe “I wanted a jumbo candy bar of some sort. Usually Hershey.” Mike Vincent warehouse manager “Peanut butter crisps.” Pez Dispenser plastic candy dispenser “Pez. Duh.”
Wisdom in spades
Have you ever wondered what the secret to living past age 100 is? So has 102-year-old Mary Goins. “People say, ‘What’s your mystery; what’s your secret?’” she said. “And my only answer is it’s a secret. I don’t know. If there’s a secret, I sure don’t know it, and I certainly didn’t expect it.” Goins,…
SLO County seal gets a makeover
SLO County’s official seal is finally ready for a facelift. But the proposed new seal is still missing one feature it’s lacked for at least the last 43 years: a woman. County staff rolled out a revamped seal and proposed county logo to the Board of Supervisors Oct. 11. The revised seal and new logo…
Cost of disposing Cambria water facility waste unclear
Questions weren’t welcome at a recent Cambria Community Services District meeting when it came to the town’s controversial sustainable water facility. But the public did have a chance to weigh in on the first completed draft of the project’s environmental impact report (EIR), which was released on Aug. 31. Glenn Lajoie, a consultant on the…
Caldwell dismisses Poly discrimination lawsuit
Just a month after filing a lawsuit against Cal Poly for racial discrimination and harassment, professor Roslyn M. Caldwell dismissed the complaint on Sept. 28, according to court records. Caldwell’s lawyer, Robert Jaret, filed the dismissal. It was dismissed without prejudice, which means it was dropped without a ruling but could still be brought back…
City still seeking solutions for Camp Arroyo Grande
Stuck between a vocal group of concerned citizens and a religious organization trying to sell off its property, the city of Arroyo Grande is struggling to referee the potential sale of historic Camp Arroyo Grande. Since it first came to light that the California Pacific Conference of the United Methodist Church (Cal-Pac) was looking to…
Law enforcement speaks out against Proposition 57
SLO County’s law enforcement community is trying to warn voters against supporting a ballot measure that would shorten prison sentences for less-violent offenders. SLO County District Attorney Dan Dow led a press conference Oct. 12 with representatives from multiple SLO County law enforcement agencies and police officers associations to oppose the passage of Proposition 57,…
Paso hotel project snagged by traffic concerns
Four new hotels proposed in Paso Robles will have to wait until their “potentially significant” traffic impacts are hashed out and mitigated. On Oct. 11, the Paso Robles Planning Commission declined to make a decision on the 291-room “Destino Paso Resort” proposed for 3350 Airport Road, continuing the hearing to a future date. The project…
Elusive integrity
Oh my God! Did you hear? Politicians don’t always tell the truth. Shocking but for realsies! Oh, you knew that already? I guess I’m a little cranky and sick of hearing half-truths vomited out of pols’ mouths. I’m sick of hearing things that sound like they are toeing a little too close to the legal…
Metzger for mayor in Morro Bay
A change in leadership that reflects the desires and wishes of the community is desperately needed in Morro Bay. Through his words and actions, the current mayor has set a tone that divides the city and its citizens, estranges Morro Bay from other communities, and has staff in turmoil and morale at an all-time low. …
Not surprised about Twin Cities’ problems
As a 30-year veteran of the surgical department at the Tenet hospital, Twin Cities Community Hospital, providing anesthesia care to more than 30,000 patients during that time, I applaud the courageous nurses who have filed a suit against a corrupt corporation that should have been removed from our community long ago. I agree with the…
Unfit for office
The last month of the 2016 election year is fast nearing an end and none too soon. As usual, the political left agonizes over the presence of vast sums of money being spent on campaigns, especially that which originates via wealthy supporters of their political rivals. No such agonizing exists, however, over the vast sums…
SLO down!
Neighbors of the SLO County Airport became aware of an anaerobic digestion facility slated for the Waste Connections property on Old Santa Fe Road after it went to the Airport Land Use Commission for approval in late June. It was approved and then went to the SLO County Planning Commission, where again, it was approved. …
Sing it loud
Fall 2016 registration is here for the Central Coast Children’s Choir (CCCC). They’re looking for new singers from 5 to 17 years old, and if you sign up by Oct. 18, there’s a special discount. If you’re a newbie, CCCC has a choir for that. If you’re an aspiring professional, CCCC has a choir for…
For a good cause
Think you can’t live without art and know that it changes people’s lives? Well, maybe you should think about volunteering your time to help with the Arts and Economic Prosperity Study. ARTS Obispo is looking for people like you to help collect the data that Americans for the Arts will use to prove to your…
Crafty fun
Wake up and smell the beer: Brewskies for all! Aside from the amazing main events hosted by SLO Beer Week (see this week’s featured Flavor story), there’s plenty of cool partner events to check out, too. Don’t miss a Brewery Banquet Dinner held at Libertine Brewing Co. (Oct. 19) featuring astounding grub from Sidecar, a…
Sally Loo’s Calico and Central Coast Brewing Co.’s Oktoberfest
If I were a Spice Girl, I’d probably be Pumpkin Spice. That being said, I don’t want any part of pumpkin spice chocolate Kisses, candy corn, Pop Tarts, or feminine hygiene products (yes, I know—it’s a thing!). One fall drink I can get totally 100 percent behind without a trace of guilty pleasure? Sally Loo’s…
Craft beer crazy: SLO’s Craft Beer Week has way too much fun on tap
Editor’s note: This interview took place before the Great American Beer Festival in Colorado, and the event proved victorious for a handful of talented local brewers. Central Coast Brewing won a gold for its German-style schwarzbier, General Schwarz, and silver for its American-style pale ale, Monterey Street. SLO Brew won bronze for its oatmeal stout,…
Blast from the Past: Napoleon Dynamite
When? 2004 | Where? DVD, Netflix. With so many Americans feeling disheartened about the current election, now seemed like a good time to look back on an era where we all had a candidate we could believe in—one who would make our wildest dreams come true. Or maybe I just got nostalgic because I saw…
Rampant whimsy
It’s that time of year when odd-looking figures made out of papier mâché and hay pop up along the streets of Cambria and San Simeon. The Cambria Scarecrow Festival runs through Oct. 31—also known as Halloween! Now in its eighth year, the whimsical festival will have hundreds of scarecrows bowling, bathing, painting, pedaling, fishing, and…
SUPing rules: Take a spin around Morro Bay on a stand-up paddleboard
Hey readers! Remember me? I’m the writer who sucks at surfing. My July 27 column “Wipeout” was all about my struggle to come to terms with that fact. Here I am back in the Get Out column this week to write about a similar—but also totally different—ocean experience: stand-up paddleboarding (SUP). SUPing has been on…
The Great American Melodrama’s ‘Trudy and the Beast’ is a hilarious sendup of a classic story
Out there, near the fog-swept water hazard of the 13th hole at the Blacklake Golf Course in Nipomo, a hideous creature lives. At least, according to the Great American Melodrama’s current production, Trudy and the Beast. This hilarious and localized satire of another story with a similar name opens with a mysterious exposition. Accompanied by…
Art trip: SLO County’s open studios art tour takes art gawkers to the source
Reverberations clang through Alonzo Allen Jr.’s small clay studio at the end of an industrial building in Grover Beach. “It’s a bell,” he says of a reddish-brown ceramic piece he’d just rapped with his knuckles, answering a woman’s question with the sound that defines it. The clay is stamped with patterns stacked above one another…
Clubs 10/13/16 – 10/20/16
Goin’ South THE CLIFFS RESORT: 2757 Shell Beach Rd., Shell Beach, 773-5000, cliffsresort.com. F. MCLINTOCKS SALOON: Two locations: 750 Mattie Rd. in Pismo Beach and 133 Bridge St. in Arroyo Grande. 773-1892 or mclintocks.com. Live music at the Pismo Beach location every Fri. and Sat. from 6-9pm. Tennessee Jimmy Harrell and Doc Stoltey play on…
Pozo Saloon’s Oct. 16 Harvest Fest brings hip-hop and reggae to the Central Coast
Even though there’s a 60 percent chance of rain in Pozo this Sunday, Oct. 16, that means there’s a 40 percent chance of no rain when Higher Grounds Music Festival and House of Holistics present “The Harvest,” a multi-band hip-hop and reggae festival at Pozo Saloon (doors at noon; all ages; $35 to $125 available…
