Cover Story
Show it off: A little body positivity goes a long way
Keep it positive Bring your positive vibes to help celebrate Central Coast Pride. • The Pride Art Show is on for July 5 at 6 p.m. at 1060 Palm St. in San Luis Obispo. • Guest Bartender Night at Black Sheep kicks of Pride Week on July 9 at 6 p.m. • The Pride Drag…
The Central Coast has a thriving LGBTQ community, so where are all the gay bars?
As a teen, Rory Uribe fantasized about going to a gay bar or club and finally being able to be unabashedly gay in public. Uribe, who uses nonbinary pronouns, has lived in Santa Maria their whole life, and it hasn’t always felt like the most accepting or inclusive place for the LGBTQ population. Though Uribe…
Film Listings, 7/4/19 – 7/11/19
Editor’s note: Due to early deadlines caused by the holiday, not all theaters provided complete listings. Check with theaters for films and show times. ALADDIN What’s it rated? PG What’s it worth? Full price Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre Co-writer and director Guy Richie (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, King Arthur: Legend of…
Small business owner Diane Matzner opens second Cambria shop
Diane Matzner has been a small business retail owner and operator for three decades. She spent most of that time, 22 years, operating three retail storefronts in Palm Springs on Palm Canyon Drive. Matzner grew up near the beach, so being in Palm Springs was always very different for her. “I was literally a fish…
American-Korean gem Hana Teriyaki serves up bulgogi, bibimbap, and Philly cheesesteak in Paso
No frills From the outside, Hana Teriyaki is as humble as you can get. But inside you get to eat home-inspired Korean dishes and American-Korean fusion. Hana Teriyaki is located at 1477 Creston Road, Paso Robles. Open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Give them a call at (805) 226-8581. In case…
Food on the Fourth
Oh, say, can you see and smell the variety of specialty food and beer vendors, barbecue chicken, and burgers at this year’s 4th of July Bluegrass Freedom Festival? The event admission is free and family-friendly, which makes it the place to be on Independence Day. There will be no fireworks because of that pesky decision…
Clean energy obstruction
Will being overly cautious cost the city of Atascadero, its residents, and its businesses money? In 2002, the California Legislature passed a bill allowing community choice energy (CCE)—a model that allows communities to join together to purchase electricity on behalf of their residents. Since that time, 19 CCE agencies have formed and are serving one-third…
Not the Fourth
Join Firstfruits Farm and GleanSLO for the next produce delivery/donation to the food insecure members of our community. On Friday, July 5, from 6 to 8 p.m. the farm needs your help to harvest, wash, bunch, and tag the produce at Firstfruits Farm: 173 Buckley Road, SLO (visit firstfruitsslo.org for more info) … As a…
Put safety first in Oceano
On July 11 in SLO, the California Coastal Commission will discuss the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area permit and transitioning the park to passive uses that don’t harm the environment and our communities. A study is being trotted out to prop up the position that without off-roading, the local economy would crash. This is…
New stuff
Talley Farms, known for luscious, rainbow-colored farm share boxes, opened a new farm stand on the Talley Vineyard property in June. The farm stand features fresh, organic fruits and vegetables, a seasonal U-pick berry patch, and (seasonal) pumpkin patch. The stand will be open Saturdays and Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Visitors may…
Take a puff and plant the stuff
It is incomprehensible that SLO doesn’t yet have a countywide Peace, Freedom, and Marijuana Festival, complete with giant blunt floats and free bags of weed thrown to the crowd—that Highway 101 isn’t crowded on both sides by pungent, verdant cannabis fields swaying in the breeze. What is this, Mayberry R.F.D.? Are we all a bunch…
Siete ‘Fuego’ Grain Free Tortilla Chips
We are in the age of allergies and food intolerances, whether we like it or not. It’s so hard to be a culinary angel. From cheddar cheese Bugles to Sour Patch Kids, almost everyone has their nemesis food—that junk food, bad-for-you item that makes you feel like you’ve committed a crime after finishing the bag.…
A little help from Big Oil
I’m just writing to congratulate Sentinel Peak Resources on its recent approval from the federal Environmental Protection Agency to pump toxic waste into a groundwater aquifer beneath Price Canyon—after two years of already doing this without a permit, that is. Thanks also to the California Department of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources for helping to…
A statewide initiative is working to increase mental health services for the local LGBTQ community
Not all visits to the doctor are created equal, and this can be especially true for members of the LGBTQ community. Take for example, Gay and Lesbian Alliance (GALA) Executive Director Michelle Call’s recent trip to see a doctor with her 15-year-old child. “The child was mis-gendered from the minute we walked in to the…
Californians want death row to function properly
In 2012, California voters rejected a ballot measure to abolish capital punishment by 500,000 votes, and then in 2016 Californians again voted one down by nearly 1 million votes. California has continuously demanded that criminals who commit the most heinous crimes should face the death penalty. Since 2016, California’s death row is home to criminals…
As local LGBTQ youth report worsening mental health struggles, one venture hopes to improve access to quality therapy
Get trained To learn more about the SLO ACCEPTance Project, visit queercares.com. Therapists in the area who are interested in participating in the training can email queercares@gmail.com. In 2017, one in two gay, lesbian, or bisexual teens—and three in five transgender teens—in San Luis Obispo County schools seriously considered committing suicide. Three in five LGB…
Under siege
SLO County is under siege, not from foreign armies but from our own state government. You can count on the California Coastal Commission following through with its stated objective of terminating off-road vehicle recreation at the Oceano Dunes State Vehiclular Recreation Area. The fact that it is the last stretch of beach remaining in the…
Pride 2019: Body positivity, LGBTQ mental health, and gay bars
It’s time for Pride 2019, people! For this year’s annual Pride issue, New Times is bringing you stories about how the community is addressing LGBTQ mental health issues. We start you off with GALA Queer Youth’s The Body Positivity Fashion Show and why it’s important; walk you through #Out4MentalHealth, a state initiative with a local…
Looking back: Pride art show honors 50th anniversary of Stonewall
On display A View from Stonewall, an exhibit featuring the work of photographer Lynn Schmidt, will be on display at the GALA Center Gallery in downtown SLO through July 25 in coordination with the annual Central Coast Pride celebration. An opening reception—with wine, appetizers, and a silent auction—will be held in conjunction with Art After…
What’s a gal to do?
What does SLO County have in common with states in the South? I’ll give you a hint. It stars with “A” and ends with “bortion.” Anybody? Bueller? … Bueller? It’s not as easy as you might think to get an abortion in this county. Planned Parenthood is the only place where someone can get an…
Atascadero, SLO County on the fence about community choice energy
As cities throughout San Luis Obispo County take steps to join Monterey Bay Community Power (MBCP), two local jurisdictions remain undecided. Following a presentation by MBCP Communications Director J.R. Killigrew on June 25, the Atascadero City Council opted not to put a decision to join the community choice energy (CCE) agency on a future agenda.…
Instinctive Curiosity, Intentional Connection art show at Linnaea’s Cafe elevates mobile photography
On display The Instinctive Curiosity, Intentional Connection art show, featuring the mobile photography of Vanessa Veiock, will be on display at Linnaea’s Cafe throughout the month of July with an opening reception during Art After Dark on July 5 from 6 to 9 p.m. Vanessa Veiock is a photographer with two expensive Nikon cameras gathering…
Sound off
New Times readers took to Facebook to share their thoughts on our June 27 opinion piece by the Shredder, “Hell’s coming.”
Economic hit of Diablo closure will be less than feared, study says
While initial estimates warned of a $1 billion hit to the regional economy when the Diablo Canyon Power Plant shuts down in 2024-25, a new study suggests that its actual impact will be less severe. Researchers at UC Berkeley released an economic impact assessment on June 28 that analyzed the effects of the plant closure—which…
Palm Theatre screens A Breast Expose: The Breast Kept Secret
Central Coast Thermography presents a screening of A Breast Expose: The Breast Kept Secret at the Palm Theatre on Wednesday, July 10, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. This documentary features interviews with several health and wellness leaders who strive to expose a harmful truth behind mammograms, biopsies, and other medical procedures. These individuals include oncologists,…
Paul Thorn brings his Southern rock, blues, and gospel to Presqu’ile Winery on July 6
You may be cool, but you’re probably not Paul Thorn-level cool. The Southern gentleman and world class singer-songwriter was a professional boxer who fought a televised bout with Roberto Durán in 1988. Thorn’s career record was 10-3-1, with one of the losses coming at Durán’s famed “Hands of Stone” in that fight. After his boxing…
Women’s care: SLO County has only one abortion provider, and it’s Planned Parenthood
In San Luis Obispo County there is only one health care provider where a woman can receive a safe and legal in-clinic abortion. Planned Parenthood Central Coast in the city of SLO offers an in-clinic abortion for women up to 16 weeks pregnant or an abortion pill option for up to 10 weeks of pregnancy.…
SLO Public Libraries partner with Hearst Castle for centennial programs
This year marks both the centennial of SLO County Libraries and of the groundbreaking for construction at Hearst Castle. California State Parks Museum Director Mary Levkoff and Guide Supervisor Aja Milne have developed a special summer schedule of Hearst Castle-themed programs to be held free of charge at county library branches, as part of the…
Hormone therapy now available at Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood offices on the Central Coast started offering hormone therapy through a gender-affirming care program on June 17. After working with partners serving the LGBTQ community on a needs assessment, the local chapter of the nonprofit expanded its services, according to Julie Mickelberry, Planned Parenthood Central Coast’s vice president of community engagement. “That determined…
Ceramics workshop benefits the Cambria Scarecrow Festival
Master ceramist Patricia Griffin hosts a half-day ceramics workshop at the Cambria Center for the Arts on Saturday, July 13, from 1 to 4 p.m. Participants of this class will create their own ceramic plates. At the end of the workshop, guests will leave their plates with Griffin, who will dry and fire them. Attendees…
After delay, SLO apartment complex’s affordable units are rented
Throughout the 2018-19 school year, the first year that a four-story apartment building at 22 Chorro St. in SLO was open for business (mostly to college students), its four units set aside for “very low income” renters sat vacant. Those affordable studios—while critical to the 78-unit project being approved as designed (taller and denser than…
Yesterday is a good-natured musical charmer
YESTERDAY What’s it rated? PG-13 What’s it worth, Anna? Full price What’s it worth, Glen? Full price Where’s it showing? Bay, Downtown Centre, Galaxy, Park, Stadium 10 Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, 28 Days Later…, Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours) directs this screenplay by Richard Curtis (Notting Hill, Love Actually, War Horse) about Jack Malik (Himesh Patel), a…
Caltrans makes plans to manage traffic on Highway 1
Caltrans has been working with an advisory committee, stakeholder groups, and residents along the 100-mile stretch of Highway 1 between Cambria and Carmel to develop a plan to manage the impacts of increased travel along the scenic route. The goal of the sustainable transportation demand management plan is to provide a comprehensive framework to address…
Bingeable: Grace and Frankie
When? 2015-present What’s it rated? Not rated Where’s it available? Netflix Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin star as Grace and Frankie (respectively) in this Netflix series about two women forced to move in together after their husbands announce they have been in love with one another for 20 years and plan to get married. Martin…
