Cover Stories
Out in the open: Cal Poly SLO confronts its diversity problem
Inclusion Starts With Me. On first read, the words sound like a pithy phrase you’d hear in a middle school classroom—both corny and like something meant for an audience of students to chant over and over again. Yet, the words are supposed to resonate deeply at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Incoming Cal Poly freshmen…
Get out of SLO: Discover more than what’s inside San Luis Obispo’s city limits
A great big world exists beyond the confines of Higuera, Monterey, and Marsh streets. There’s even more to SLO County than its South County beach towns and Bishop and Cerro San Luis (Mount Madonna) peaks. Crazy, right? OK, we won’t get too nuts here, but I’m going to let you in on a little secret.…
The fluidity of forever: SLO tattoo artists talk trends in permanent ink
“Tramp stamp” is something of a dirty word. It’s often said with disdain or at best with mocking laughter. The term conjures up a sad cliché of a tattoo, likely a butterfly or a jumping dolphin, floating just above a butt crack, outlined with a trace of lacy panties. But being scandalous was never really…
Going nuclear: Cuesta to train next gen nuclear workers as Diablo shuts down
In June, power giant PG&E announced that it no longer planned to renew operating licenses for its Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant’s reactors. The news about the plant, which has sat on the coast near Avila Beach since the 1980s, sent shockwaves through the community. While those who opposed nuclear power tentatively celebrated a victory,…
Wish I knew: Here are five things nobody thinks to tell you before college
Before you start at Cal Poly, or any college for that matter, everyone from relatives to school administrators to the crazy cat lady two doors down is going to bombard you with information they think you need in order to survive the experience. After a while you realize that you’re hearing the same pieces of…
Reuse, reheat, re-eat: How to revive your leftovers like boss!
We can rebuild this pizza. Crispier! Tastier! Better than before! As an incoming freshman college student, you are obviously way too young to understand this cheap reference to The Six Million Dollar Man, but that’s OK. Just pretend I wrote, “Pizza emoji, smiley face, muscle arm, lightening bolts, thumbs up.” Just look inside any cramped…
Discovering the tucked-away American Canyon trail in Los Padres National Forest
Every year during deer rifle season, access to the 5-mile American Canyon Trail in the Machesna Mountain Wilderness area of the Los Padres National Forest is made available to hunters and hikers, which for the rest of the year is only accessible via a four-wheel drive route. Since that time of year happens to be…
Did you hear?
Clink that drink: Foremost Wine Company has banded together with BarrelHouse Brewing Co. to put on a cheers-worthy dinner this Sept. 22! Meet brewmaster George Numair, swig some craft beers, and pass around a family-style dinner crafted by Chef Julie Simon (more info at Foremost’s facebook page) … Longtime local chef Maegen Loring is relocating…
Hill and Waller face off in Arroyo Grande mayoral forum
Even though they’re both proud owners of golden retrievers, Arroyo Grande Mayor Jim Hill and mayoral candidate Richard Waller have a lot of differences. Those differences were on full display as the two faced off for the first time at a forum for Arroyo Grande mayoral and City Council candidates held Sept. 4. At the…
SLO mayor changes stance on rental inspection program
Once a leading proponent of San Luis Obispo’s controversial rental inspection program, SLO Mayor Jan Marx is apparently pulling her support for it. Marx, who is running for a fourth term as mayor, recently changed her stance via her re-election campaign website. “After hearing from a number of residents, I have come to the conclusion…
Guilty Pleasures: Murder by Death
When? 1976 | Rated? PG | Where? DVD, Amazon, iTunes. In current popular film and literature, the mystery genre seems to be going the way of the Dodo. Today, audiences are far more likely to watch a gritty thriller or bleak procedural like The Night Of, than a remake of Murder on the Orient Express.…
Artist William Barnhill explores water scarcity in Cambria exhibit
As the drought carries on across California, everyone’s got water on the brain. Local artist William Barnhill explores water scarcity in his exhibit What, Me Worry?, a three-dimensional commentary about the persistent water situation in Cambria, on display at the Cambria Center for the Arts. The piece is a fountain, featuring the likeness of Alfred…
100 Thousand Poets & Musicians for Change comes to Bang the Drum
Get your fill of rhymes and double entendre Sept. 24 at the sixth annual 100 Thousand Poets & Musicians for Change event at Bang the Drum Brewery in SLO. Enjoy an evening with musicians, thinkers, and community builders of all kinds, celebrating the worldwide social justice poetry festival. The local event is part of a…
Studio @ holds dance workshop fundraiser to aid dancers in Louisiana
When disaster strikes, it’s easy to forget the little things people need to feel normal. In an effort to help dancers affected by the flooding in Louisiana, Studio @ Ryan’s American Dance will host workshops on Sept. 18 to raise money for dance shoes, clothes, and tuition for affected dancers. The studio will offer a…
Parts untold: SLO 19th century artist’s work on display at SLOMA
People often say that great artists never get their due during their lifetime. Well somewhere, artist Maria Ascension “Cen” Dallidet is nodding in agreement from the grave. Her first solo art show is currently on display at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, but she’s been dead for more than 100 years. Until now,…
Stay classy, SLO!
If you’re a straight white dude, SLO is the happiest place on earth. Are those people’s thoughts the only ones that factor into these little contests San Luis Obispo and Cal Poly keep ranking in? But hey! For the 24th straight year in a row Cal Poly made the Best in the West list for…
The power of a living wage
No, Larry Bargenquast (“Liberals. Am I right?,” New Times, Sept. 1), you are not right. First, the media is full of negative comments about Hilary Clinton’s emails, access to the State Department by Clinton Foundation donors, etc. The reason Donald Trump gets more negative press is that he makes outrageous statements (i.e. Mexico will pay…
Do you think a lack of diversity is a problem for SLO?
Jeremy Preston engineer at Diablo Canyon “It definitely seems to be lacking in diversity. It’s a little rough, like knowing where to get a haircut. It doesn’t mean it’s not a great place to live.” Brenden McNichols UCSC student “I guess we are mostly white.” Allison Newlee Cal Poly student “I think there is a…
Tangent’s Grenache Blanc and The Spoon Trade’s Smoke and Fire Cocktail
So there’s already obnoxious Thanksgiving stuff in all the stores, and I’m still wearing my hot pants and sun visor. Sigh! Sometimes, you just have to say to heck with it and unscrew a bottle of crisp white I Don’t Give a Hoot. Come at me, holidays. I’ve got Tangent’s grenache blanc, with crisp acidity…
Carb-gasm, with a twist: New House of Bagel pretzels to get a dunk of Oktoberfest love this Oct. 1
House of Bagels Central Coast co-owner Mike Prowse dumps half a dozen white, doughy soft pretzels into a bubbling vat of sodium hydroxide solution. Not only is this step the crucial factor behind creating an irresistible hard shell and chewy interior, it’s also the birthplace of “that fresh bagel smell,” that subtle salty, slightly tangy…
Too much good stuff: Music bombards the Central Coast this next week
I don’t know the best way to say this, but a 29-year-old on his way to becoming a country pop legend is headlining the second annual Backwoods Beach Party in Avila Beach. On Saturday, Sept. 17, Chris Young will take the outdoor stage before the sun sets over the Avila Beach Golf Course. This baritone…
Journey to beyond: Morro Bay author Mary Angella Ming discusses being adopted, spiritual growth in memoir
From the moment her mom left her at the orphanage, Mary Angella Ming had doubts. Even after she was adopted and brought to the land of plenty in America, questions like “Why do I exist?” and “What’s the meaning of life?” plagued her mind. The Morro Bay author’s journey is chronicled in her new memoir…
Clubs 9/15/16 – 9/22/16
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…
Motor-boatin’: Experience Nacimiento with Pontoon Wild
If you want to explore a place, what better way to do it than to have a local show you around? Fortunately, for those who want to spend the day on Lake Nacimiento, Pontoon Wild does exactly that. “At a young age I knew how fortunate we were to grow up in that lake lifestyle,”…
Morro Bay delays decision on hotel project
Morro Bay isn’t quite ready to have sea cottages floating in the harbor next to boats, sea otters, and the occasional paddleboarder. That was the consensus at the Morro Bay City Council meeting on Sept. 13, when the council decided to delay a decision about a 30-room hotel development that would combine two lease sites…
Former Diablo Canyon employee sues PG&E
A former longtime employee of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant says he was forced into an early retirement after a campaign of harassment, intimidation, and personal attacks by his superiors. The allegations were part of a lawsuit filed Sept. 12 in SLO County Superior Court by Gary Maier, a 54-year old man who worked…
Water is the least of California Valley’s problems
The SLO County District Attorney’s Office filed felony election fraud charges against two California Valley Community Services District board members on Sept. 14. The charges allege that board President Lisa Marrone and Director Misty Marie Lambert signed documents under the penalty of perjury saying they were residents of the California Valley, even though they both…
Battle over SLO County transportation sales tax takes shape
Former state Assemblymember and former U.S. Rep. Andrea Seastrand stood in front of the San Luis Obispo County courthouse and summoned her best Arnold Schwarzenegger impression. “I’ll be back.” Seastrand, president of the Central Coast Taxpayer’s Association (CCTA), spoke to a group of about 30 people Sept. 12. Her organization is officially heading up the…
We need to get a handle on guns
Our national and state governments conveniently do not count the number of innocent people killed by police, nor has the mainstream American media, but the British Guardian, and the website killedbypolice.net, do. Cops kill about 1,000 innocent Americans annually, mostly minorities. The police who carry out these extra-judicial executions, more often than not, claim the…
Dear millenials: vote!
If you think this presidential election is a “joke” and will not affect you, listen up! We baby boomers are retiring and are past our earning years. You, on the other hand, are just getting started as wage earners and the bulk of the purchasing public in America. The biggest two issues in this election…
I’m all for Mayor Jan Marx
Earlier this year, I attended several SLO City Council meetings. At all times during the sessions, and even at the end of a long night, I observed Mayor Jan Marx to be professional, even-handed, and respectful to all who spoke. There was a range of issues presented—from water security to “democracy vouchers.” People packed the…
Kudos to everyone who fought the Chimney Fire
On behalf of the Cambria FireSafe Focus Group, I am extending a sincere and heartfelt thanks and gratitude to all of our first responders in this past Chimney Fire experience. Kudos go to Cal Fire, the SLO County Sheriff’s Office, the California Highway Patrol, and the assorted pilots of the planes dumping fire retardant and…
Water wise or water lies
It’s my opinion that someone in this county is lying about our water woes. I’m educated, intelligent, and have common sense. And because of that, I can’t wrap my brain around all the booming new housing developments in this county—specifically, multifamily units and vacation rentals. You build them; they will come. And you invite them…
