Cover Story
SLO County residents of Palestinian descent rally
Striped black, white, and dark green with a bright red equilateral triangle on the left, Palestinian flags billowed under the afternoon sun in downtown San Luis Obispo. Dozens of people waved the emblem, and scores more wore checkered black and white scarves called keffiyeh either around their necks or heads. These are the fabrics of…
Atascadero to fund repairs for winter-storm damaged roads following delay
At their Oct. 24 meeting, Atascadero City Council finally authorized spending the money to fix roads that remain damaged from early 2023’s storms. “This is an item to specifically help repair streets that are still damaged from the last set of storms,” City Manager Jim Lewis said at the meeting. “And I would like to…
Killers of the Flower Moon depicts a dark slice of American history
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON What’s it rated? R What’s it worth, Glen? Full price What’s it worth, Anna? Full price Where’s it showing? Bay, Colony, Downtown Centre, Fair Oaks, Park, Stadium 10 Martin Scorsese (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Good Fellas, Gangs of New York) directs this historical drama about a series of murders in…
Love at First Sight
What’s it rated? PG-13 When? 2023 Where’s it showing? Netflix Based on the novel The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, this Netflix rom-com follows two fated young people on a journey from New York to London. Hadley (Haley Lu Richardson) is on her way to her dad’s second wedding, an event she isn’t…
An American Werewolf in London
What’s it rated? R When? 1981 Where’s it showing? The Palm Theatre on Friday, Oct. 27 (9:15 p.m.) Five words: The dream within the dream. Absolutely shocked the heck out of me. If you’ve never seen it, what are you waiting for? If you have, you know how absolutely amazing it is—a masterpiece of horror…
Former county jail inmate sues Sheriff’s Office for mistreatment
A former San Luis Obispo County Jail inmate is attempting to hold the county and the Sheriff’s Office accountable for negligence and not complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Rick Holliday, a man with mobility issues who served time in the jail from Feb. 8 to 15 this year, filed a lawsuit on…
Planning Commission pushes Dana Reserve development to county supervisors
The SLO County Planning Commission approved the Dana Reserve Specific Plan to move forward, paving the way to build more than 1,400 housing units in Nipomo should the Board of Supervisors agree. After two days of public hearings on Oct. 23 and 24, commissioners voted 4-1 to incorporate recommendations into the plan and ultimately proposed…
Morro Bay wants to charge for parking at Morro Rock
Morro Bay is fed up with parking issues at Morro Rock and plans to ask the California Coastal Commission for permission to charge visitors who want to park there. “I think we have been discussing this for a few years—especially the issue concerning idling vehicles,” Morro Bay Police Chief Amy Watkins said at Morro Bay…
Community survey unveils problems faced by local Mexican Indigenous population
Hunger, overcrowded housing, little access to clean drinking water, poverty, and discrimination while trying to access health care. San Luis Obispo County’s Mexican Indigenous community reported these difficulties as part of the first demographic and health survey of this population. The findings comprised responses from 325 participants who represented households of 2,000 self-identified Mexican Indigenous…
Harbor district approves project to makeover Harford Pier
The west side of Harford Pier in Avila Beach is closer to getting its long-awaited facelift after the Port San Luis Harbor District’s board of commissioners approved the project at an Oct. 24 meeting. Harbor District Facilities Manager Chris Munson said that staff has been working on redeveloping the 150-year-old pier for years now. “I…
Cuesta College hosts first college fair for high school seniors since the pandemic
High school seniors across SLO County have an opportunity to attend College Night 2023 at Cuesta College to explore higher education options locally and internationally. The San Luis Obispo County Office of Education (SLOCOE), Cuesta College, and the Community Foundation of SLO County are hosting the event on Oct. 30 from 5:30 to 8 p.m…
Charge it
Pay up, people! That’s the city of San Luis Obispo’s motto when it comes to street and garage parking in the downtown core. At $4 an hour—or $1 every 15 minutes—the price is steep and is likely going to get steeper come 2025, when the city plans to hike the cost to $5 an hour—$1…
The two parties are playing chicken with the presidential election
Like playing a game of “electoral chicken,” the two parties appear determined to run their worst possible candidates, each in a calculation that the awfulness of the opposite party’s candidate will force voters to support their own otherwise unelectable candidate. Even for an electorate long resigned to having to vote for the lesser of evils,…
Local band Couch Dog brings horror movie magic to the music video experience for Not My Night
Fright night To experience the live premiere of Not My Night and a few other surprises, get your tickets at darkdazey.ticketleap.com/darkdazeyhalloween/dates/Oct-27-2023_at_0630PM. Or buy tickets at the door. The show starts at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 27 at the SLO Guild Hall, 2880 Broad St. in SLO. A grainy camera shot focuses on a wall with…
Morro Bay’s community radio station The Rock celebrates 10 years with a concert on Oct. 28
It ain’t easy being a non-commercial community radio station. Most of them don’t last very long, but Morro Bay’s The Rock—97.3FM in Morro Bay and 107.9FM in Paso Robles—is the rare success story. The Rock is about to celebrate its 10th year. “This unlikely community radio station exists because the community supports it through donations…
Local students, teachers get free access to the PAC through School Matinee Program
Thanks to recent grant funding, about 12,000 Central Coast-based students will get to attend multiple upcoming events at the Performing Arts Center (PAC) in San Luis Obispo free of charge. In mid-October, the Foundation for the PAC announced that it received its first-ever grant from the Western States Arts Federation in support of the 2023-24…
Marine sanctuaries give tangible benefits to our communities
Thirty-one years ago, I helped lead the citizen campaign to establish Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary for permanent protection from offshore oil. But we got a bonus. Its team works to protect its habitats including kelp forests, to provide education and outreach including to underserved communities, and it works with partners to conduct world-renowned ocean…
Direct democracy is not in citizens’ best interest
In his opinion piece in the Sept. 21 New Times (“The citizen-led initiative process strengthens our democracy”), Jeff Eckles said that the citizen initiative process is a hallmark of direct democracy. That may be true, but I respectfully disagree with Mr. Eckles’ argument because that is not the form of government instituted in this country.…
Downtown San Luis Obispo businesses are struggling to stay afloat in the face of changing times
Walking along Higuera Street in downtown San Luis Obispo, it’s hard to miss the empty storefronts—especially large ones like the abandoned Beverly’s Fabrics, which closed in 2020 after 48 years of operation in the heart of the city. It’s a monolith, sitting there waiting for something, anything to happen and help take it into the…
Rambling Spirits in the SLO Public Market grows from a cocktail bar to a full-fledged restaurant
Amble in Visit Rambling Spirits Bar and Grill at the SLO Public Market, 114 Tank Farm Road. Make a reservation at drinkramblingspirits.com/restaurant. Closed on Tuesdays, the restaurant is open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Keep up with the restaurant…
