Cover Story
Dancing with death: Central Coast organizations and families honor the dead in the ancient tradition of Dia de los Muertos
A skull is always smiling. While people all over the world recognize the skull as a sign of death (when else do you see one?), not everyone shrinks away from the sight. A celebration known as Dia de los Muertos—the Day of the Dead—actually looks to the human skeleton as a symbol of the people…
SLO County airport revamp moves forward
Thanks to a unanimous Oct. 28 vote by the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors, officials at the SLO County Regional Airport will be able to take the next step in realizing plans for a new, expanded terminal. After raising some concerns about potential future fiscal obligations for the county, the supervisors agreed to…
I know what you did last election
I was driving home from a city council meeting the other night, and this big-rig trucker got into the lane right behind me and kept flashing his high beams at me. It was really annoying, because every time he flipped on the brights, the stalker who was hiding in my back seat and had leaned…
We visited the Port San Luis Lighthouse and asked staff and visitors to give us their best scary face. This is Street Shock!
Kristi Balzer Port San Luis Lighthouse executive director Keith Langer carpenter Ila Philips Port San Luis Lighthouse volunteer Kailani Cabanting student
Costly District 4 race heads to the finish line
If you’re seeing Caren Ray and Lynn Compton everywhere these days—not to mention vehicles, slate mailers, campaign signs, and television and radio ads bearing their names—that’s no accident. The last Form 460 campaign finance disclosures before the Nov. 4 election were released on Oct. 23, and it’s become readily apparent that the race for the…
Measure for measure: Measure D aims to fund the renovation of San Luis Coastal schools
Leslie O’Connor loves his school. That fact would be apparent even if it weren’t Homecoming Week and he wasn’t wearing a school-color-appropriate bright yellow shirt with a matching bandana tied around his head. O’Connor is the indefatigably proud principal of San Luis Obispo High School. Marching around campus at a frenetic pace, he greeted staff…
Second time around: Following a failed bond measure in 2006, Cuesta is back at bat with Measure L
After more than 40 years without a successful bond measure—including a crushing refusal of a proposed 2006 bond—Cuesta College’s administrators were starting to feel desperate. State funding was dropping, and the school was in dire need of funds. There was only one real option, they felt: Try for a bond again, but do it right…
Arroyo Grande City Council approves $26,000 for its city manager search
After a lively back-and-forth round of public comment, the Arroyo Grande City Council calmly and unanimously agreed at their Oct. 28 meeting to spend $26,000 on a consultant who will search for a replacement for City Manager Steve Adams. According to a timeline prepared by Director of Administrative Services Debbie Malicoat, the consultant will be…
Jody Mulgrew brings new songs from the road to the Wise Owl on Nov. 1 and Steynberg Galley on Nov. 2
As a guy who knows something about undependable cars, I can’t help but appreciate the collaboration between Jody Mulgrew and Bob Rea, who wrote some great songs together. If it weren’t for bad cars, well … read on. Mulgrew and Rea (pronounced “ray”) have been co-writing together for years “in hotel rooms in Buellton, log…
Seaside Gallery hosts Pismo Beach’s first all-abstract art exhibit
Pismo Beach is known for a lot of things—clams, kayaking, and fine beach fare. But, just steps from the beach, there’s another attraction with far less risk of getting sand in your shoes. For the first time ever, Pismo’s Seaside Gallery will be holding an all-abstract art exhibit, titled Expressive Abstractions. Recently, the Seaside Gallery…
Tony Award-winning musical Chicago comes to Cal Poly
Slick your hair and wear your buckle shoes, fellow musical lovers, because Chicago is coming to town. Yes, all the sex, scandal, and fishnet tights of the Tony Award-winning show will be right here in San Luis Obispo at Cal Poly’s Performing Arts Center on Nov. 4 and 5. If, somehow, you’ve been living in…
We braved the haunted Port San Luis Lighthouse and lived to tell the tale
No lighthouse is all that light. I mean, any time you hear of one, it’s because some 19th-century widow drowned herself or a boat full of swarthy sailors crashed into the bluffs, and now their ghosts call that lighthouse home. Yes, make no mistake. Lighthouses are dark, dark places—tailor-made death traps wrapped in glass and…
Local printmaker Joseph Kalionzes debuts Dia de Los Muertos-themed prints at Studios on the Park
If you’ve ever spent some time in the sun-soaked vineyards of Paso Robles or in the wine aisles of several Central Coast grocery stores, you’re probably familiar with the work of Joseph Kalionzes. For the past few years, his prints have been featured on the wine labels and tasting room walls of Chronic Cellars. They’re…
Cuesta College debuts a bloody adaptation of the classic horror novel ‘Dracula’
A large crowd had gathered in the lobby of Cuesta College’s Cultural and Performing Arts Center. The chitchat was casual and mundane; the mood was relaxed—even jovial. That is, it was, until a woman emerged from the auditorium door to tell us it was time. We lined up single file, the mood now tense in…
Clubs 10/30/14-11/6/14
Goin’ South … THE CLIFFS RESORT: 2757 Shell Beach Road, 773-5000 or cliffsresort.com. CUVEE BISTRO AND CHAMPAGNE BAR: 550 1st St., Avila Beach, 595-2245. Live music Thurs. and Sat. 6-9pm. F. MCLINTOCKS SALOON: Two locations: 750 Mattie Road in Pismo Beach and 133 Bridge St. in Arroyo Grande. 773-1892 or mclintocks.com. Live music at the…
Steynberg Gallery’s Maui Mocha Latte and J Dusi Wine’s 2011 Zinfandel
Friday means deadline day in the world of this writer. On a recent Friday, I attempted to combat the crazy by tricking my rather gullible brain into thinking I was actually embarking on a Hawaiian vacation, instead of hours of typing, audio-transcribing, and Facebook distractions (needless distractions are an important part of my creative process).…
Chew on this
It’s time for some truly special brownies! Heaven Squared Brownie Co. has opened shop in Paso Robles with 20 jaw-dropping flavors to devour, from chocolate to mint and rosemary to a “Pliny the Brownie” named after the famous Sonoma brew (stop by the shop at 179 Niblick Road for a nibble or click over to…
Two inventive chefs bring pop-up dining to SLO County with Pop 46
Thick riffs off AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell” reverberate through the deserted kitchen at Pier 46 Seafood in Templeton. It’s after 5 p.m. on a Sunday night, and the restaurant is technically closed. This ambiguous gray space—after the regular restaurant staff has officially left the building and before the third bottle of wine has been popped…
Greengate Ranch and Vineyards offers experience-oriented destination for nuptials and more
The Central Coast is an extremely beautiful place. There are verdant forests, breathtaking beaches, rolling vineyards—it just makes sense that this is a prime spot for destination weddings. That’s the idea John Wilson decided to capitalize on when he opened Greengate Ranch and Vineyards. Wilson was raised in Templeton before he made his fortune in…
Cougars & Mustangs
Boy, howdy! It’s time for a Cougs and Stangs Blast to the Past! First published Oct. 20, 1988. Greetings, New Times readers! Cedric here! Remember when I was ranting and raving after my trip to Japan in April that Tonari no Totoro, as of yet unreleased in the United States, would one day be considered…
Officers arrest 37 people in a prostitution sting
In a three-night sting operation conducted by the San Luis Obispo, Pismo Beach, and Arroyo Grande police departments, officers arrested 37 people, booking them on suspicion of solicitation of prostitution. Two of the people detained were also arrested on suspicion of possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. While the majority of arrestees are from SLO…
SLO County names a new Public Works director
The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors emerged from closed session on Oct. 28 to announce the pick for the new director of the county’s public works department. Wade Horton, currently the deputy director of the city of San Luis Obispo’s utilities department, will become the department’s new head. The position was left vacant…
Measuring necessity is a key piece in the Measure G debate
There’s a good chance that the hot debate over the city of San Luis Obispo’s Measure G will leave sour grapes and “I told you so’s” somewhere. Voters registered in the city are set to decide on Measure G, which will uphold a half-percent sales tax already in place as the result of Measure Y,…
I’ve got one word for the propositions
Once again Californians are being inundated with a plethora of “propositions” on which we are admonished to vote. The basic premise of these propositions is increasing taxes and spending, reduction of personal freedom and choice, or a combination of both. This fact persists despite the misleading rhetoric, outright lies, and emotional appeal. (It’s for the…
We need new faces in office
I once believed government officials represented U.S. citizens; they were “government of the people, by the people, for the people.” Yet Gov. Jerry Brown signed laws allowing noncitizens to serve as poll workers, to apply for professional state licenses, to obtain driver’s licenses, in-state tuition, student loans, and legal aid for thousands of undocumented illegally…
We only need one election in Morro Bay
Morro Bay’s two-election system was one of those ideas that sounded good on paper, but in reality has not worked out. It has cost the city taxpayers dollars and, contrary to the original intent, it seems to have had a negative affect on the number of citizens running for City Council. It is time to…
Fix Morro Bay’s problem with a yes
Vote, and vote yes on Measure J in Morro Bay on Nov. 4. We need common sense to prevail! The last few elections have demonstrated the folly of a two-pronged election. Our citizens elected a new mayor and council, but the two newly elected councilmen have waited six months to take office while two “lame…
Fix Morro Bay’s problem with a no
I’m waiting! For what? Morro Bay’s two newly elected councilmembers to be sworn into office. They each received a majority vote at the June 8, 2014, election, but will not be sworn into office until December—six months later. This is outrageous. Vote no on J to send the issue back to the City Council. Ask…
I need to know some more info
I feel passionate about education, but I certainly cannot vote for the current San Luis Coastal Bond Measure D without some very specific information to address questions and concerns that come to mind. First: Why is it that maintenance and upgrades to facilities have not been an ongoing process that is proportional to need? Why…
Students deserve the best
My two brothers and I were born and raised in San Luis Obispo. Our parents, Tom and Anne, spent their careers at Cal Poly and SLO High, respectively. They devoted their lives to the children, teenagers, adults, and athletes that lived in our community. Both of them taught us that we also have a responsibility…
Invest in our state’s future through schools
Education is largely a public endeavor in California, and many of us have been fortunate enough to reap these rewards. We benefited from low teacher-to-student ratio and paid very little for our college education compared to the costs today; we were incredibly fortunate. And with this great fortune comes great responsibility. Today, nearly 60 percent…
Follow the money in the Assembly race
It was interesting to learn the sources of campaign financing for the candidates in the 35th State Assembly District race (“In Assembly race, Achadjian outraises Harmon with help from corporate donors,” Oct. 9, Tribune). I have long known that Mr. Achadjian casts a wide net in his political and business relationships, but did not realize…
Someone’s misleading voters
If Mr. Comar is willing to make false statements regarding my record, what other false statements has he made regarding anything having to do with the Walmart project? Tom Comar’s letter in New Times’ Oct. 16 edition, “Don’t reward negligence,” deliberately misleads voters. He includes me in accusations of “dereliction of the public trust in…
