Cover Story
Save water, pay money: Santa Margarita faces the reality that comes with conservation–not bringing in enough money to pay the bills
In case you forgot about the drought California’s facing, there’s a sign on Highway 58 to remind you. Heading east off Highway 101, it looms on the right above a chain-link fence as the speed limit slows down to 45, then 35, miles per hour. In big red letters, the sign erected by the SLO…
Appeal denied for mother and son convicted of Dystiny Myers’ murder
The conviction of a mother and son for the brutal kidnapping, torture, and murder of a 15-year-old Santa Maria girl in 2010 won’t change, after a state court shot down their appeals. Justices on California’s 2nd District Court of Appeals denied the appeal of murder charges for Rhonda Wisto and Jacob York for the murder…
How do you feel about Bali’s closing?
Lucy Robinson medical assistant “Really sad. I didn’t think it would be this fast.” Desiree Kimbel bartender “It’s sad to see it go because it’s been there for as long as I can remember.” Joseph Schaeffer server “It’s horrible. I wanted to try it out.” Erin Cross educator “It makes me sad when longtime businesses…
Cougars & Mustangs
The sound of extreme, delighted horror and the smell of deranged laughter: There is no conclusion to reach other than yes, finally Halloween is here! But for as much as you might wish to stuff your metaphorical faces with all of the thoughts of terror that you can possibly find, you’re bound to miss one…
Vagrancy, panhandling still concerns for Grover Beach businesses
When Grover Beach chiropractor Daniel Bronstein describes the conditions outside his clinic on 9th Street and Grand Avenue, the picture isn’t pretty. “I’ve found all kinds of things outside,” he said. “I’ve found human excrement on my property.” It was just one of many concerns he relayed to members of the Grover Beach City Council…
Hedge-a-mony: A legal dispute between two Morro Bay neighbors has led to contempt of court and criminal charges
Between the Morro Bay backyards belonging to neighbors Carl Grilli and Bob Kraus, there is a row of small trees that have grown into a hedge. As that hedge grew, so did a contentious relationship between the two, which escalated into an entrenched legal battle over the size and height of the trees. In the…
Andrea Lueker named Port San Luis’ interim harbor manager
In a short and sweet decision, the Port San Luis Harbor District Commission unanimously named Andrea Lueker as the its interim general manager. Lueker, who took the position immediately following the Oct. 27 vote, will serve as the district’s interim manager until May 1, 2016, while the commission looks for a permanent director. Lueker told…
Torres-Hill’s lawsuit against CAPSLO ends in settlement
A contentious lawsuit filed against a local nonprofit by a former employee and wife of a SLO County Supervisor ended in a settlement, according to court documents. On Oct. 27, SLO Superior Court Judge Barry LaBarbara signed paperwork noting that the lawsuit, filed by Dee Torres-Hill against Community Action Partnership San Luis Obispo, had reached…
Paso Robles delays decision on assisted living facility
In a packed Oct. 27 meeting, the Paso Robles Planning Commission voted to delay deciding on a proposed three-story assisted living facility on South River Road. The commission voted 5-1 to continue the item to an undetermined date. In the end, City Planner Susan DeCarli told New Times that the commission recommended that the applicant…
SLO supes pass countywide water conservation program
Things may be very, very dry in this county. Nonetheless, the five members of the San Luis Obispo Board of Supervisors recently managed to find enough wet earth for some scrappy mud wrestling. The most recent bout was all but inevitable as the five-member board revisited an item that involves the Nipomo Mesa, the Paso…
Yoga Shala relocates to SLO Movement Arts Center
Have you ever considered signing up for a yoga class, but decided against it because you were worried you weren’t flexible enough to do it? Worry no more. At Yoga Shala, a yoga school in San Luis Obispo, flexibility isn’t a prerequisite. “It’s not about twisting yourself into a pretzel,” co-instructor Catherine Halcomb said. “It’s…
Claiborne and Churchill’s 2014 Dry Riesling and Sierra Nevada’s Narwhal Imperial Stout
Claiborne and Churchill may be one of the oldest wineries in Edna Valley, but they certainly have a wild, unpredictable side (just like the cool grandma I want to be someday). Visitors may come to try the winery’s world famous gewürztraminer, but you’ll no doubt leave with a healthy respect for winemaker Coby Parker-Garcia’s inky,…
Natural wonders
The sheep are back! Adelaida Cellars is celebrating the annual return of the sheep back to its Bobcat Crossing vineyard! The herd of sheep, alpacas, and their guardian llama, Lliam, are now on the job improving sustainability in the vineyard by clearing weeds and creating a healthy permaculture. They love visitors to their workplace, which…
Barrel-aged and blended: Winemakers compete to create Firestone Walker’s XIX Anniversary Ale
Harvest is a beautiful, magical time when a new vintage beckons just around the corner—blah, blah, blah. We’ve heard this all before. Yes, harvest is an exciting time for our local winemakers and vintners, but it’s also hard work. OK, grueling work. You wake up before dawn and you pick. Then, you pick all day…
SLO Library presents a night of flamenco on Oct. 30
Forget being quiet and not running around in the library. Well, only for one night and only if you’re a professional flamenco dancer. But everyone else can watch. Seattle-based Flamenco dancer Savannah Fuentes will bring her latest show, Northern Lights, to the San Luis Obispo Library on Oct. 30 at 8 pm. Fuentes will be…
The new normal?
So this man’s not feeling well, so he goes to his doctor, who looks him over and then prescribes him a course of pills. “When you get home, immediately take the red one with a big glass of water. After lunch, take the yellow one with another glass of water. Then around 4 p.m., take…
Plant-based diets are environmentally friendly
When Gov. Jerry Brown signed SB 350 into law earlier this month, he was praised for putting California at the forefront of energy and climate policy. But if the governor wants to make an even bigger impact on the environment, he should turn his attention to the meat and dairy industries and their devastating impact…
Hooray for the Open Studios Art Tour
For two weekends in October, 200 artists participated in the Open Studios Art Tour in San Luis Obispo County, one of the largest in the U.S., by opening their studios to visitors. All this was magically organized by Angela Tahti, executive director; Lori Lerian, program director; and, Raven McDaniel, program specialist of ArtsObispo. Their raison…
Don’t cut down the eucalyptus trees in Los Osos
It was brought to my attention that LOCAC (L.O. Citizens’ Advisory Council) approved the cutting down of 32 majestic eucalyptus trees located behind Los Osos Middle School. To see these trees, go to the end of El Morro Avenue. I am wondering how I could have missed this important meeting on Oct. 22, because I…
Bali’s closed; our friend is gone
In case you haven’t heard, Bali’s Frozen Yogurt has closed its doors. Bali’s pioneered the industry in San Luis Obispo, introducing “FroYo” to a young, energetic, enthusiastic market who, no doubt, helped set the trend nationwide. For 25 years, Bali’s was the epitome of a neighborhood business, a little quirky, a little eclectic, a little…
Seeking middle ground
Recent letters to the editor by Martin Akel (“Quit personal attacks on those who don’t agree about oil trains,” Oct. 1) and Laurance Shinderman (“It’s about more than oil,” Oct. 22) got me to thinking: Who really knows facts about this project and who doesn’t? The recent article “Trouble on the Rails” published by the…
Smith & Towne Art Company christens Shell Beach gallery with costume party
Want a more interesting, mellow Halloween that doesn’t include candy-crazed kids? Check out the latest addition to the art community in Shell Beach. Smith & Towne Art Company is a visual art, design, and media company founded by documentary photographer Owen Smith and artist Jason Towne. The studio will host its opening night costume party…
The free, open-to-the-public Elks Lodge Haunted House and Halloween Carnival is Oct. 30 and 31
It’s 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, and the SLO Elks Lodge is abuzz with activity. The kitchen just wrapped up making breakfast for the 600 or so participants of the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in the SLO Mission, and a team of volunteers is constructing the annual Haunted House and Halloween Carnival…
Paintings move with life in SLOMA’s new exhibit
It’s a tricky thing, trying to mimic something that you’re not. A painting is by nature a moment frozen in time, forever stuck in its stillness. Yet, the illusionary art tricks that can give images lighting or depth can also conjure a sense of movement. The San Luis Obispo Museum of Art in collaboration with…
‘Exquisite Corpse’ pops with color, blends into architecture at Kreuzberg
There’s a lot going on at Kreuzberg Coffee Company in downtown San Luis Obispo. So much that if you don’t look up, you just might miss it. It is a very large surrealist-inspired graphic art piece where vivid colors contrast, interweaving black with trees growing into the sky and the Earth with a woman. One…
Emmy-winning actor Jeff Daniels shows off his musical side on Nov. 4 at the SLOPAC
Emmy-winning actor Jeff Daniels has made a lot of great movies. After getting his start in Ragtime, he went on to a supporting role in Terms of Endearment before scoring the lead in Woody Allen’s The Purple Rose of Cairo. Then it was Heartburn, then the cult classic Something Wild with Melanie Griffith. He became…
Clubs 10/29/15 – 11/5/15
San Luis Obispo BANG THE DRUM BREWERY: 950 Orcutt Rd., 242-8372. BON TEMPS CREOLE CAFE: 1000 Olive St., 544-2100. Zydeco music, live blues, and jazz on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings. CREEKY TIKI: 782 Higuera St., 903-2591. FROG & PEACH PUB: 728 Higuera St., 595-3764. 10/29: Kenny Taylor Band; 10/30: Synergy. THE GRADUATE: 990 Industrial…
