Cover Story
Supes up: Two SLO County supervisor seats, two very different races
With a wide sphere of influence and control over a budget in the hundreds of millions, the five-person Board of Supervisors is one of the most influential fulcrums of power in SLO County. It’s been a battle of political ideologies over the last several years with conservatives Lynn Compton (4th District) and Debbie Arnold (5th…
Los Osos CSD splits with another general manager
The Los Osos Community Services District (LOCSD) is about to go without a general manager after deciding to part ways with interim General Manager Peter Kampa. Kampa’s contract expired on Sept. 30, and the district will not renew it. His contract was extended multiple times since he was hired in February on an interim basis,…
Studios on the Park’s Wet Painting Invitational brings artists from across the country to SLO
It was a cold and foggy morning, and artist Rita Pacheco worked quickly to paint the old ranch house at Spooners Cove in Montaña de Oro. She was so fascinated with her subject matter that she didn’t even notice the gorgeous view of the sparkling turquoise ocean until it was too late. “My family camped…
Locals rule as Central Coast acts descend on multiple locations
Considering our population, the Central Coast seems to have more live music to choose from than anywhere in the universe. This week, as usual, there are some must-see out-of-towners coming, and I’ll get to them, but let’s start with a slew of our best local acts. Over at SLO Brew, surf/garage/punk rock newcomers Hayley and…
Paris in California: OperaSLO brings in 30th anniversary with ‘La Boheme’
Broke, unemployed, and living at home in Orange County. That was how opera orchestra director Brian Asher Alhadeff found himself in 2007 when his job in Michigan was eliminated after budget cuts—the exact stereotype of the struggling artist. Hungry to get back in the game, Alhadeff reached out to friends and colleagues and wound up…
How has the return of the college students affected you?
Caleb Koke enterprising adventurer “The dance floor at The Graduate is overcrowded; that’s the most obvious thing. … On the positive side, I love the liveliness of the town with the kids back.” Brock Allen SLO local and full-time college student “Cal Poly has been trying to keep the students on campus, stop them from…
Write up: SLO company Written helps clients with their professional writing needs
Frustrated by the job market? Know that you’re an excellent candidate, but have no idea how to make that come across in your résumé? Written has got your back. Written is a company based in downtown San Luis Obispo that helps people with any of their professional document-writing needs. Though its main focus is résumés…
Crime by numbers: 2015 stats showed a decrease in violent crimes while property crime rose
I don’t think anyone really knows why they change,” Interim Morro Bay Police Chief Larry Dodd said, matter-of-factly. He’s only been on the job for two months after being called out of retirement to temporarily take the spot of the city’s previous chief, who left to take a job in Pacific Grove. Prior to serving…
Getting along: Cal Poly and SLO get ready for uptick in Greek life
One SLO city resident is done dealing with a sorority in his neighborhood. He emailed a litany of complaints to the city about rush activities at Kappa Kappa Gamma’s (KKG) sorority house on Osos Street, highlighting how Cal Poly’s Greek life sometimes doesn’t mesh well with residential neighborhoods. The grievance list’s author, who asked that…
SLO Mayor calls out challenger Harmon’s donations
In a sign that November is just around the corner, San Luis Obispo Mayor Jan Marx took aim at her challenger, Heidi Harmon, in a Sept. 30 campaign newsletter highlighting a $300 donation to Harmon from Integrity SLO, a committee founded by controversial local activist Kevin P. Rice. Rice is a former SLO City Council…
Altercation in San Luis Obispo home leads to drawn gun
A San Luis Obispo resident had a tense encounter with an alleged intruder on Oct. 2 that almost ended in a fatality. A young man who forced his way into a Ramona neighborhood home during the middle of the night found himself with the resident’s handgun “aimed at his forehead,” according to a written account…
Depositions begin in CalCoastNews libel lawsuit
After raising money from supporters online, the embattled CalCoastNews website started depositions in preparation of defending itself against libel charges in an upcoming trial. But at least two of the individuals called in to be deposed insist they have nothing to do with the case and are accusing CalCoast and its lawyers of using the…
SLO County Planning Commission denies Phillips 66 rail spur
After months of hearings and discussion, members of the SLO County Planning Commission denied Phillips 66’s proposed rail spur project. The commissioners voted 3-2 Oct. 5 to deny the project, which would have allowed the company to import oil by rail to its Santa Maria refinery on the Nipomo Mesa. Planning Commissioners Eric Meyer, Ken…
Twin Cities Hospital nurses file labor complaints
Templeton’s Twin Cities Community Hospital is under fire from some of its own employees. On Oct. 3, 53 nurses filed claims against the hospital, accusing Twin Cities of multiple violations of California labor law, some of which they believe may have put the health and safety of patients in jeopardy. The nurse’s claims come in…
Noshin’ News
Did you miss National Taco Day on Oct. 4? That’s cool. SLO is on top of Taco Tuesday with weekly deals at Chilie Peppers, Taco Roco, Taco de Mexico, Tacos de Acapulco and more! … Trading places: Chef Justin Casey of Grenada Hotel and Bistro has moved over to Thomas Hill Organics, which will open…
See Canyon Fruit Ranch’s Apple Cider and Cronologie’s 2015 Verdelho
The only thing sweeter than See Canyon Fruit Ranch’s ice-cold apple cider might be the delicious local honey they also produce on site. I suggest trying both, if you can stand it! It’s amazing that there’s no added sugar in this enchanting blend of ripe Avila Valley apples. Grab a few frozen jugs for the…
Your dream apple awaits! Finding the perfect peak-season apple at Gopher Glen
Call me old-fashioned, but isn’t there a simple satisfaction in unplugging from your iPhone overlord and picking out the perfect apple or 12? For me, it’s right up there with picking out that first, ceremonious fall pumpkin for your front porch, a tactile reminder of the changing seasons (even if the weather is 100-plus degrees,…
Blast from the Past: Body Double
Rated? R | Where? DVD. “You can’t believe everything you see,” reads the tagline for director Brian De Palma’s 1984 erotic thriller Body Double. In homage to Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window and Veritgo, the film explores voyeurism, obsession, suspense, and mystery. As the trailer intones, De Palma “invites you to witness a seduction, a mystery,…
Gaffe and gaffe again
So you’re driving around in Nipomo late one night, because you have nothing better to do, and next thing you know there’s some dude standing in the dark on a corner next to a stop sign. As you get closer and closer, you see a ruffle around his neck, and it quickly turns into a…
Cuesta presents ninth annual Acoustic Guitar Concert on Oct. 8
Enjoy the dulcet tunes of live, raw music at Cuesta College’s ninth Annual Acoustic Guitar Concert on Oct. 8 at 7:30 p.m. at the United Methodist Church in San Luis Obispo. The event will feature solos and collaborations by local players Dorian Michael, Tim Pacheco, Jennifer Martin, and special guest and nationally known blues and…
Don’t feed the fears
We have entered the high season of political bullshit. In what has become a grand tradition in big media states like California, huge sums of money pour in from throughout the country. That’s especially true on the Central Coast, since several of only a handful of competitive legislative and Congressional seats across the state are…
Being mayor is not for beginners
In 2014 I supported Heidi Harmon, with her platform focusing on climate change, in her bid for state Assembly. She would have been one progressive vote among 80 on issues affecting California and would have had plenty of latitude to learn on the job. However, running the city as mayor is a complicated administrative position…
Morro Bay should stay on course
Morro Bay’s candidate forum was a real eye opener. It’s taken years of work with countless public meetings, citizen advisory committee meetings, City Council meetings, and $2 million of work finding a location for our new wastewater treatment plant. Now, two mayoral candidates, Tina Metzger and Betty Winhotz, want to throw that work out and…
SLO needs inspiration
Beyond a doubt, Heidi Harmon is the mayor San Luis Obispo needs. Involving everyone locally is paramount to Harmon. She understands drought and climate change, local economics, housing issues, homelessness, and how to engage the individual and community. Harmon is a longtime advocate of environmental issues. She is the director of SLO 350 and the…
A question of conscience
The contrast between the candidates vying for 3rd District Supervisor, incumbent Adam Hill and SLO Councilmember Dan Carpenter, is striking. For example, Dan Carpenter has been approached by some of Hill’s big developer supporters who offered to match the campaign contributions they made to Hill if Carpenter promised to support their projects as they apparently…
Reduce your carbon footprint
So how can you say that the increased sales tax proposed by Measure J is primarily charged to tourists and visitors? We ALL pay sales tax. Our visitors and tourists already pay transient tax and marketing tax to hotels. Now we are proposing a highway sales-tax increase too? If our state taxes can’t cover the…
Local help, local control
I am writing in favor of Measure J and urge all San Luis Obispo County residents to support the measure. It will make our roads safer for all users—drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. Measure J would provide local funding for local projects that cannot be taken away by Sacramento. Measure J would add a half-cent sales…
Hillary–great (liar) again
As an enthusiastic Donald Trump supporter, it was surprising that Ryah Cooley’s article, “Art, what is it good for?” (Sept. 29) seemed only able to find artists in our area that are critical of Trump and one swooning over Hillary. Though I admit to flaws in the candidate I support, my surprise is that when…
Matters of misdirection
If you look at it a particular way, one of the difficulties the Black Lives Matter movement has faced is one of grammar; specifically a missing word in the group’s title. That word is “also.” When organizers formed the movement they intended to say black lives matter “also,” or “as well,” or “too.” They felt…
Clubs 10/6/16 – 10/13/16
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…
SLO Symphony’s opening night is Oct. 8
Head out for a night on the town with the San Luis Obispo Symphony’s opening night on Oct. 8. This is the first of five Classics in the Cohan concerts at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center, featuring Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. In a matter of eight notes, this symphony is one of the most recognizable and beloved…
Kids Eye View exhibit brings new perspective to SLOMA
Sometimes you’ve gotta turn everything upside down (or just lower it a good 6 to 12 inches) for a change in perspective. Find out what’s on the minds of young artists (16 and under) with San Luis Obispo Museum of Art’s Kids Eye View exhibit. The creative compositions of SLOMA art campers will be on display…
Into the orchard: Go apple picking at SLO Creek Farms
Late summer, early fall is prime apple-picking season, and SLO Creek Farms just off Highway 101 in San Luis Obispo offers 44 acres of organic apple trees for those willing and ready to harvest their own fruit. On the warm, late Sunday afternoon of Oct. 2, I make the quick drive over to the farm…
