Cover Story
Is homelessness a crime?
It’s late on a Friday night, and things have been fairly quiet for San Luis Obispo Police Department Sgt. Trevor Shalhoob. Cal Poly’s Week of Welcome is hitting its final stretch, and while the bars are swamped with college students, the dark, quiet section of neighborhood he’s patrolling is calm and nearly silent. His radio…
Arroyo Grande author reimagines the Cold War era with magic
It’s the Cold War in Berlin, and the only thing that might save us all is magic—and even that has gone awry. Cal Poly alumnus and Arroyo Grande resident W.L. Goodwater thought for sure that someone must have written something on the subject. When he found no one had, he got to work on creating…
Throw impartiality out the window
Al Fonzi makes no sense—again. If a woman alleges that a Supreme Court nominee (Brett Kavanaugh) had sexually assaulted her, the Senate committee reviewing the nominee’s qualifications is not convening a court of law. If that had been the case, the Senate committee’s ruling that Kavanaugh was unquestionably innocent would have been discarded as a…
Autumn Allure
Apple picking season is still in full swing! Reach for delicious, nutritious snacks perfect for filling turnovers and pies this fall. Head out to See Canyon and check out the harvest at Gopher Glen Organic Apple Farm and SLO Creek Farms (and stop by Avila Valley Barn for a plethora of pies, including seasonal pumpkin)…
Court’s an expensive way to resolve conflict
Referencing the interesting article (“Defending pumping,” Oct. 18) by Peter Johnson, there’s an important lesson that no one seems to be heeding. The lesson is: Courts and lawyers are a very, very expensive way to resolve conflicts (I practiced law for 35 years). It is absurd that folks do not sit down (perhaps with advice…
Treats
Trade frights for foodie delights this Halloween! Tap It Brewing Co.—purchased by Santa Maria Brewing Co. this past spring—will host a Halloween costume party with live music, food trucks, and brews on Oct. 27 at its SLO locale (tapitbrewing.com) … There’s a ton of spooky fun happening across the Central Coast this Halloween season, but…
Cosmic jams
“This song has five melodies going at once, a symbol for what the world will look like when we all come together,” a pensive Kamasi Washington told a captivated crowd in SLO’s Fremont Theater, before he launched into “Truth,” a hair-raising, hypnotic number featuring intricately interwoven voices and instruments. The tune came about halfway through…
Fear and loathing from Big Oil
Don’t be fooled by the shameful scare tactics of oil company bosses who are flooding the media with misleading claims about loss of jobs and tax revenue. The wording of Measure G spells out the truth: Local oil production and maintenance of existing wells will continue at current levels, taxes will still be collected by…
Comfort Craving
More beer: A new brewery will open in SLO, and it’s got a very interesting name. There Does Not Exist will be located at 4070 Earthwood Lane, suite 100, and is slated to open by the end of 2018. According to plans, the room will occupy approximately 1,400 square feet of the 6,500-square-foot space. A…
Vote
It’s 2:46 a.m. and I can’t sleep. I have a desperate need to write all of this down. It’s Friday, Oct. 19. To the old couple that blocked me on the sidewalk on Marsh Street in SLO the week prior to the 2016 elections and tried to make me feel unwelcome, you don’t represent the…
Officials say Funk’s vacancy tax idea isn’t for Atascadero
As part of Susan Funk’s campaign for an Atascadero City Council seat, she’s proposed a potential vacancy tax to rid the city of empty lots—but the city said that it’s using a different tack and it’s working. Funk said the vacancy tax is just one of many options to address an issue the city is…
He dreams of linguine
Watching long streams of freshly made linguine pump out of a commercial Italian pasta machine is more than enchanting. It’s totally satisfying. The ribbons are No. 2 pencil yellow, emerging from small bronze slots in the circular metal tube, the nose of the machine. Pasta maker Lloyd Herrera guides the soft streams toward a wooden…
Curbing rent
Whether they are university students looking for a place to live while pursuing their studies, or working adult residents who just can’t afford to break into the high-priced housing market, living in rental housing is a daily reality for more than 38,000 households in SLO County. This election, those residents and others will get a…
Midterm voter registration tops 2016 presidential election
With the 2018 general election a little more than a week away, SLO County Clerk recorder Tommy Gong said voter registration has already exceeded that of the 2016 presidential election. As of Oct. 24, Gong said voter registration in SLO County had topped 170,000 people, surpassing the 168,275 registrations recorded in the 2016 presidential election.…
Sound off
New Times readers took to Facebook to share their thoughts on our Oct. 18 Flavor story, “SLO County Farmers’ Markets celebrate 40 years of abundance.”
County denies allegations in jail death lawsuit
SLO County is officially refuting claims that negligent medical care at its jail led to the heart-attack-related death of 60-year-old inmate Kevin Lee McLaughlin last year. In an Oct. 17 response to a lawsuit filed by McLaughlin’s family, a San Francisco-based law firm representing the county and the SLO County Sheriff’s Office denied allegations that…
Morro Bay approves $67 million sewer contract—while a legal challenge looms
The Morro Bay City Council took a big step forward on its new wastewater reclamation facility (WRF) on Oct. 23, voting unanimously to award a $67.2 million design and construction contract to Filanc/Black & Veatch, a San Diego-area firm. “Signing a contract with the design-builder for the on-site WRF facilities is a key milestone,” an…
Measure G means litigation
Measure G-18, which would ostensibly ban new oil production and the introduction of “fracking” in the unincorporated areas of SLO County, is an exceptionally bad law with severe economic consequences and potential legal precedent for county residents. If it passes in November, expect its proponents to be further emboldened to propose ever more stringent environmental…
Fight for the valley
Defense attorney Alan Karow walked out of court in Paso Robles on Sept. 17 feeling victorious. A San Luis Obispo County Superior Court judge had just ruled in favor of two of his clients, both Hmong-American farmers growing cannabis in the California Valley. On Aug. 8, San Luis Obispo County had received authorization from a…
Local groups condemn Trump administration’s gender memo
Local LGBTQ advocates are raising alarm over a recently leaked memo that revealed the Trump administration is considering narrowly defining gender, a move they say would erode protections and civil rights for the transgender community. Area groups including Tranz Central Coast, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance of the Central Coast (GALA), The Queer Crowd SLO…
Are you high?
Recreational cannabis businesses are coming! Hide your children! Block your doors! Arm yourselves! (Or order a pizza! I see you, boo! Pass that dutchie on the left hand side!) The city of SLO is trying to figure out who to let operate a legal pot biz and who to not. I mean, marijuana’s not like…
Teacher sues Lucia Mar for wrongful treatment
A teacher in the Lucia Mar Unified School District claims that the district retaliated against him for speaking out about potential student discrimination. An Oct. 9 lawsuit filed against the district, the city of Arroyo Grande, Ranyee Daley, Charles Fiorentino, Dan Neff, and Michael Smiley alleges that teacher and wrestling coach James Gross was wrongfully…
Jubilee by the Sea features dozens of hot jazz bands at multiple South County venues Oct. 26-28
In the immortal words of Duke Ellington, “It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing—doo wah, doo wah, doo wah, doo wah, doo wah, doo wah!” This weekend, the annual Jubilee by the Sea—a three-day hot jazz music festival—returns to multiple South County venues with dozens of acts performing Friday, Oct. 26,…
Paso Robles proposes an upgrade for Railroad Street
Paso Robles unveiled the preliminary concept designs to improve Railroad Street at an open house session on Oct. 24. “It’s a street but kind of functions more as an alley and a lot of Pine Street businesses back up to that street,” City Community Development Director Warren Frace said. Aside from a few businesses there…
Got milk?
What’s it rated? Not rated What’s it worth, Anna? Full price What’s it worth, Glen? Full price Where’s it showing? Friday, Oct. 26, 7 p.m., in the Fremont Theater ($10 at my805tix.com; live music by the You Jays from 6:30 to 7 p.m.) Co-writer Johnee Gange directs this whimsical Western about Dairy Gulch, a town…
Creating a hub
Alexandra Wallace isn’t your average 26-year-old. She’s a professional photographer who’s been in the field since she was 19 years old and she recently created a magazine. Coyote + Oak is her newest venture. It showcases creative individuals throughout California. The magazine that started about 2 1/2 years ago has garnered enough local attention that…
The Haunting of Hill House
When? 2018 Where’s it available? Netflix The haunted house has long been a go-to trope in horror movies. The concept has been around so long, in books and movies, you’d think that there wouldn’t be much more to do with it. You’d be wrong. Netflix’s newest original series, The Haunting of Hill House, breathes new…
Port San Luis Lighthouse hosts Murder Mystery Dinner
Port San Luis Lighthouse presents its annual Murder Mystery Dinner on Saturday, Nov. 3, and Sunday, Nov. 4, from 4 to 7:30 p.m. both evenings. This year’s production is Murder at the Pie Auction, presented by the Arroyo Grande High School Theatre Department and directed by Sean Blauvelt. This interactive play tells the story of…
Film Listings, 10/25/18 – 11/1/18
BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE What’s it rated? R What’s it worth? Matinee Where’s it showing? Galaxy PickWriter-director Drew Goddard (The Cabin in the Woods) helms this mystery thriller about a group of secret-keeping strangers—fake priest Daniel Flynn (Jeff Bridges), nightclub singer Darlene Sweet (Cynthia Erivo), criminal Emily Summerspring (Dakota Johnson), vacuum cleaner salesman…
Artist David Limrite to speak at SLOMA
SLOMA hosts its next Art at High Noon event on Thursday, Nov. 1, from noon to 1 p.m. Artist David Limrite will present an in-depth look at his exhibition, A Roomful of Ghosts, in SLOMA’s McMeen Gallery. Admission to the event is free. The exhibit runs through Dec. 2. Art at High Noon is an…
The Shredder is a coward
In France, they call them “crows”—people who anonymously trash others by spreading rumors and distorting facts. At New Times, they call it “Shredder.” It does not matter what you call them, their aim is to discredit people. But we are being humorous, said the young man at New Times, you are not supposed to take…
Wild, wild, east
It’s hard out there for a black and white ruffed lemur. First, you were born kinda funny-looking, with two-toned blotches all over your fur and intense, orange eyes that bug out of your head. Then, you’re taken from your home. Not cool! Thankfully, there are good natured folks like the animal ambassadors at Zoo to…
Five Cities Fire costs a lot, Hill can help
The Five Cities Fire Authority (FCFA) union has endorsed Caren Ray, Jimmy Paulding, and Keith Storton in the Arroyo Grande mayor and City Council races. I received a robo call that surprised me in its fear-tactic use of the phrase, “for the safety of our city,” I should vote for X, Y, and Z. I…
Linnaea’s Café seeks artists for 2019
Linnaea’s Café in SLO is currently interviewing artists for its 2019 season. Each show runs for one month and receives an Art After Dark reception. Artists interested in applying are asked to email Marianne Orme at linnaeascafeslo@gmail.com to set up an interview. Call (805) 541-5888 or visit linnaeas.com for more information.
Don’t repeal SB 1
Proposition 6 aims to repeal landmark Senate Bill 1, a 2017 law that allows the first inflation-adjusted increase to the gas tax since 1994 (the added amount averages $0.32 per day/driver according to the state Department of Finance). Since SB 1’s passage we’ve seen our roads markedly improved, as we whittle down years of deferred…
SLO County artists use gowns to tell women’s stories
Clothes make the woman The Short Story Collection: Narrative Gowns and Feminine Histories exhibit will be on display from Nov. 1 to 25 at Studios on the Park in Paso Robles. Visit studiosonthepark.org for more information. When she saw it, she knew. That little black dress hanging on the rack at the thrift store was…
Tiny houses on wheels: SLO’s climate destruction?
Climate change is the result of decisions and actions we make on how much of and how we use the world’s natural resources. The San Luis Obispo’s proposed tiny house on wheels ordinance, created and passed at the direction of the City Council on Oct. 10, blows a hole in San Luis Obispo’s Climate Action…
