Cover Story
Pride 2021
In this year’s annual Pride issue, Assistant Editor Peter Johnson speaks with Cal Poly staffer Sam Byrd about connecting LGBTQ-plus students with the greater SLO community; Staff Writer Kasey Bubnash writes about a new Hometown Radio segment dedicated to all things trans and queer; and Staff Writer Karen Garcia takes you inside Skipper’s Brew, a…
Dozens of SLO households given ‘boil water’ notice after main line break
About 100 households in San Luis Obispo are under a “boil water” notice until Thursday, May 27, following a main line break that occurred on Bullock Lane on May 25. City Utilities Department Director Aaron Floyd said that while crews repaired the break the same day, it ended up entirely depleting the 400,000-gallon water tank…
Dungeness crab fishing season ends four weeks early
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is ending the Dungeness crab fishing season early on June 1 because of an increase in humpback whales in the Pacific Ocean. On May 18, Charlton Bonham, director of the state agency, announced that recent survey data indicated an increase in humpback whales returning from their winter breeding…
Citizen-led survey aims to find trends in local catalytic converter thefts
Grover Beach resident Angela Henderson heard about the nationwide rise in thefts of catalytic converters last month almost immediately after she bought a Toyota Prius, the most common target of such crimes. She heard about it on the news, from local police, and then her neighbors started posting about it on Nextdoor constantly, many saying…
CommUnify’s Senior Nutrition Program is in peril, organization says
CommUnify, formerly known as the Community Action Commission of Santa Barbara County, will be discontinuing its Senior Nutrition Program after nearly 50 years of serving Santa Barbara County—unless the organization can secure more funding. During public comment at the May 18 Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors meeting, CommUnify CEO Patricia Keelean said that the…
North County wants more transparency about Camp Roberts’ potentially housing migrant children
Yessenia Echevarria, community organizer and founder of Paso People’s Action, created a #NotCampRoberts caravan and rally on May 16 in which several community members gathered at the San Miguel Mission and drove to Camp Roberts to oppose the facility’s possible use as temporary housing for unaccompanied migrant children from the U.S./Mexico border. “There’s a lot…
Those Who Wish Me Dead is a lean, mean action flick
THOSE WHO WISH ME DEAD What’s it rated? R When? 2021 Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre, Galaxy, Park, Regal, Sunset Drive-In, HBO Max What’s it worth, Anna? Matinee What’s it worth, Glen? Matinee Co-writer Taylor Sheridan (Hell or Highwater, Wind River) directs this action thriller based on Michael Koryta’s novel about teenage murder witness Connor…
SLO County to study leaving regional waste agency
The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors took its next step toward exiting the region’s waste agency on May 18, voting unanimously to commission a $32,000 study that will look at the costs and implications of withdrawing. The move is the latest development in a fight among elected officials on the Integrated Waste Management…
Seaspiracy
What’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2021 Where’s it showing? Netflix Life is so much simpler when we can ignore the untold story that sits on our plates, but documentaries like Food, Inc.; King Corn; and Supersize Me force the truth into their audience’s reality. And now Seaspiracy, helmed by and starring Ali Tabrizi, is here…
Grover Beach to consider allowing cannabis consumption lounges
Grover Beach is one of the first cities on the Central Coast to consider allowing what some are calling “the next big thing” in the legal marijuana industry: cannabis consumption lounges. “On-site consumption is something that’s been gaining a little bit more traction throughout the state,” Grover Beach Police Chief John Peters said at a…
The Marksman
What’s it rated? PG-13 When? 2021 Where’s it showing? Redbox Robert Lorenz (Trouble with the Curve) directs this so-so action thriller about Arizona rancher, former Marine, and Vietnam vet Jim Hanson (Liam Neeson), who feels obligated to save Miguel (Jacob Perez), a little boy crossing the border after the boy’s mother is killed by a…
SLO detox facility gets fully funded, to open in late summer
In January, the Community Action Partnership of SLO County (CAPSLO) took a leap of faith: It decided to break ground on a new detoxification facility in SLO before it had all the funds to pay for it. Construction costs for the project, delayed amid COVID-19, ballooned 67 percent over initial estimates of about $1 million—leaving…
Capturing Cambria compiles a selection of Arthur Van Rhyn’s cartoons published in The Cambrian between 1991 and 2020
Buy it According to Christine Heinrichs, the book of Art Van Rhyn’s cartoons is “selling briskly through local outlets,” which include Cambria’s Cookie Crock Market, Cambria Drug & Gift, and Coalesce Bookstore in Morro Bay ($12.95 plus tax). You can also order Capturing Cambria: One Artist, One Town, A Partnership in Paradise through Heinrichs. Her…
Medical professionals tell personal stories about COVID-19, vaccine
More than 140 million Americans have received the COVID-19 vaccine, and as of press time, almost 75,000 SLO County residents were fully vaccinated and more than 11,000 were partially vaccinated. About 208,000 SLO County residents remain unvaccinated. In an effort to answer questions about the COVID-19 vaccine and share personal experiences about the virus and…
SLOMA celebrates official reopening to the public, announces new hours
Starting on Saturday, May 29, the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art (SLOMA) will officially reopen to the public with new hours of operation, every day except Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to enter the museum is free, and masks are required for all visitors. For more info on the…
Monday Club SLO collects books for local kids—with help from the Food Bank
For years, the Monday Club of San Luis Obispo has partnered with the SLO County Office of Education on Raising a Reader, a childhood literacy program that sends local students home with rotating book bags, which also include educational materials to help parents connect with their child over reading. The Monday Club is a fixture…
Central Coast artists sought for Water Colors 2021 Storm Drain Mural Project
The Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department and Utilities Department are seeking artists to apply to join the Water Colors 2021 Storm Drain Mural Project, in which selected artists will design and paint sidewalk murals at five of the city’s storm drains. Artists throughout the Central Coast are eligible to apply to join the project,…
Cal Poly staffer behind this year’s Central Coast Pride ‘changed’ the university’s relationship with broader LGBTQ-plus community
When Sam Byrd first arrived at Cal Poly three years ago to take over as the lead coordinator for LGBTQ-plus campus life, a position that had been vacant for several years, Byrd realized right away what their mission and focus needed to be. It went beyond the confines of the Cal Poly campus. “I could…
Art Central holds new solo exhibit, Controlled Chaos
Art Central in downtown SLO presents its latest solo exhibition, Controlled Chaos, which is scheduled to remain on display through Monday, June 28. This colorful exhibit showcases alcohol ink paintings by its featured artist, Judy Maynard. Admission to view the show is free. Call (805) 747-4200 or visit artcentralslo.com to find out more. Art Central…
Dave Congalton and Gala partner up to host monthly talk radio segment addressing LGBTQ issues
At a meeting on March 3, 1992, the San Luis Obispo City Council discussed an ordinance that would have prohibited discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in employment, housing, and businesses throughout the city. Of the roughly 130 county residents who shared their thoughts at that meeting, about 50 opposed the proposal. The heated…
Brie Happy Charcuterie offers customizable, decorative charcuterie to Central Coast residents
Meat and greet Find out more about Brie Happy Charcuterie on its Instagram page, @briehappycharcuterie. For more additional info, email briehappycharcuterie@gmail.com. Growing up as the daughter of two business owners, Central Coast local and lifelong foodie Rachel Boston had always hoped to start a business of her own one day. The only question was what?…
A couple teams up with Gala Pride and Diversity Center to create a safe space for the LGBTQ-plus community
When a barista from Skipper’s Brew Coffee House in San Luis Obispo hands you your Mexican mocha packed with a spicy chocolate kick, you’ll see pronoun pins next to their name tag. You might also notice that their face covering is designed with a flag of their choice, such as the pride rainbow flag, the…
Words matter
Most media have failed to call the current political situation what it is— pure and simple racism. To continue to call the problem “The Big Lie” only serves to whitewash the real problem, which is not an allegedly stolen election, but racism. Because a certain cohort of Americans—the Republican base does not want to accept…
The Little Lizzy Combo brings ’20s and ’30s jazz back to life during a Basin Street Regulars live stream on May 23
There’s something undeniably glamorous about The Roaring ’20s and the Speakeasy Age of the ’30s, and that glamour and excitement is perfectly captured by Lizzy and the Triggermen, dubbed “10-piece jazz sensations” by the LA Weekly and “one of the hottest swing bands in LA” by Good Day LA. This Sunday, May 23, you won’t…
Thanks for the local political coverage
Thank you for Quinn Brady’s opinion piece, “The Coming Mess” (May 13). Ms. Brady highlighted the actions on the part of our current SLO County Board of Supervisors to thwart a free and fair electoral process. Their decision to allow large campaign contributions, which will be largely funded by out-of-county lobbying groups, seemed largely pushed…
The nearly normal
Like bears coming out of hibernation into the blinding sunlight, some us in the more fortunate countries are emerging from our COVID-19 isolation to find a somewhat transformed existence. Our world is not “normal” in the ways we were accustomed to, but it is nearly normal for most of us. Vaccines are widely available, and…
A contradictory argument
In the opinion commentary “The Coming Mess” by Quinn Brady in the May 13 edition of New Times, the author begins by describing how the filibuster rule in the United States Senate is so horrible in that it denies the majority party in the Senate, the Democrats/liberals, from controlling all legislation. The author seems to…
A post-vaccinated night out
Last night I ventured out for the first time in more than a year to one of my favorite San Luis Obispo restaurants in the Railroad District. Fully vaccinated, I felt it was finally safe. I can’t express the joy I felt when I walked in and my favorite bartender saw me. When I told…
Testing Biden
Last week America was tested and found wanting. Cyber terrorists shut down the Colonial Pipeline system serving a major portion of southeastern states and reportedly collected a $5 million ransom. Some gas stations remain without fuel to sell, motorists still search for gas and wait in long lines just as we did 40-plus years ago…
Politicize everything?
Sometimes it seems like our country, our counties, and our communities are so polarized we can’t even agree on what time it is. We’re like a broken clock that isn’t right twice a day. It’s a sad state of affairs when fellow citizens can’t help but turn everything, every moment, and every bit of minutia…
County law enforcement agencies aid SLOPD after officer death
When the news broke last week about a shooting that led to the death of one San Luis Obispo Police Department detective and injured another, community members and law enforcement officers throughout the county were devastated. “It’s one of those things where we look at our jobs and we think, ‘That could have been me,'”…
