Cover Story
Power pivot: Community Choice Energy arrives on the Central Coast
The expansion happened fast. In the span of a year, 10 Central Coast cities and Santa Barbara County all had voted, one after the other, to join as members of Monterey Bay Community Power (MBCP), a growing Community Choice Energy (CCE) utility that currently serves Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito counties. It started with…
Studios on the Park highlights work of incarcerated individuals and poses questions about restorative justice
On display To learn more about Studios on the Park, the Justice in Justice exhibit, and related programming, visit Studios’ website at studiosonthepark.org. For more than a decade, Studios on the Park in Paso Robles has displayed the work of fine artists. But for its newest exhibit, Justice in Justice—a collection of works centered on…
Russian Ballet Theatre brings Swan Lake to the PAC
The Russian Ballet Theatre presents its production of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake at the Performing Arts Center (PAC) in SLO on Friday, Sept. 27, at 7:30 p.m. Based on the classic German fairy tale, this ballet tells the tragic love story of Prince Siegfried (Evgeny Svetlitsa) and Princess Odette (Olga Kifyak), who’s cursed to…
Planning Commission gives green light to Nipomo cannabis grow
Cannabis will continue to be farmed on a 29-acre lot in Nipomo after a fervent debate over the project’s proximity to a local elementary school. At a meeting on Sept. 12, the San Luis Obispo County Planning Commission voted 4-1 to approve a conditional use permit for the cannabis grow, a project widely disliked by…
South County Poetry hosts Bonnie Young
Bonnie Young, former SLO poet laureate, will be reading at South County Poetry’s next monthly gathering at Red Dirt Coffee House in Arroyo Grande on Friday, Sept. 27, from 5:30 to 7:15 p.m. Young is the author of Inside Pockets and one of the four authors of the poetry collection, Where Our Palms Rest. Her…
Fifty housing units could replace failed bowling alley downtown
Plans for a six-story development with 50 housing units in downtown San Luis Obispo are making their way through the city’s approval process. On Sept. 17, the SLO City Council gave preliminary feedback on the plans, approving the use of a special overlay zone that would allow for more density on the site at 1144…
Cambria Center for the Arts Theatre holds staged readings
The Cambria Center for the Arts Theatre presents staged readings of The Wild Women of Winedale on Friday, Sept. 27, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, Sept. 28, at 2 and 7 p.m. This new comedy centers on three fun-loving sisters at different crossroads in their lives. Tickets are $15 and are available in advance at…
SLO building code on hold after council member accused of conflict
San Luis Obispo is delaying a final vote on its new all-electric building code after the union for SoCalGas workers accused a City Council member of voting with a conflict of interest. The city is seeking the advice of the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) on the matter, which will determine if Vice Mayor Andy…
Love in this club: Hustlers
HUSTLERS What’s it rated? R What’s it worth, Karen? Full price What’s it worth, Caleb? Full price Where’s it showing? Galaxy, Park, Downtown Centre, Stadium 10 Editor’s note: Staff Writer Karen Garcia and Calendar Editor Caleb Wiseblood took over Split Screen while the Starkeys enjoyed the week off. Writer-director Lorene Scafaria (Seeking a Friend for…
Atascadero Library displays People and Places exhibit, featuring eight local photographers
People watching The People and Places exhibit will be on display through Nov. 30 at the Atascadero Library, 6555 Capistrano Ave. For more information, visit slolibrary.org. Between the stacks of books at Atascadero Library, the exhibit of People and Places: A Photographic Journey Through Time lines the walls. “The topic is a very difficult subject,”…
Blast from the Past: House
When? 1977 What’s it rated? Not rated Where’s it available? Vudu, Amazon Prime, iTunes You know how sometimes dreams, even the craziest ones, make total sense while you’re in them, but when you try to explain them to another person you realize they were completely incomprehensible? Well that’s how it feels watching and then trying…
Octagon Barn reopens at nexus of bike path expansion
A big white barn just south of San Luis Obispo is ready to start its new life as a pivotal place along three planned bike paths for event hosting and remembering history. Since 1997, the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County has had big plans for the Octagon Barn off of South Higuera Street,…
Film Listings, 9/19/19 – 9/26/19
AD ASTRA What’s it rated? PG-13 Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre, Galaxy, Park, Stadium 10, Sunset Drive-In New Co-writer James Gray (The Lost City of Z, The Immigrant, Two Lovers, We Own the Night, The Yards, Little Odessa) directs this sci-fi mystery about astronaut Roy McBride (Brad Pitt), who’s recruited to venture into space in…
Newly passed vaccination laws are pushing one parent to pull her children from school
Joy Short-Erb said she’s outraged that California’s state legislators would bully doctors who are serving their patients by protecting the medically fragile and those that have reactions to vaccinations. Short-Erb is responding to a pair of bills Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law Sept. 9 that would create oversight of medical exemptions for vaccines required…
Witness the stunning musicianship of David Bromberg at the Fremont Theater on Sept. 20
David Bromberg may have just turned 74 today (Sept. 19), but the master multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter hasn’t lost a step when it comes to his stunning fingerstyle fretwork. Over his five-decade career, he’s collaborated with Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Willie Nelson, and Jerry Garcia, among others, working in blues, bluegrass, folk, jazz, country and…
The sweet life: Locally-crafted Mehlenbacher’s Taffy is a taste of nostalgia
Stick with us Mehlenbacher’s Taffy can be found locally at Farm Supply locations, the General Store in Paso Robles, Premier Ag in Paso, California Fresh Markets in Pismo and SLO, and the Cal Poly Campus Market. For fundraisers (PTA, 4-H, FFA, etc.), call owner Alicia Himelson at (805) 460-9871 or email info@mehlenbacherstaffy.com. Visit mehlenbacherscandies.com or…
Cyber ninja fu!
Would you rather know how to take a punch or a joke? At Arroyo Grande martial arts gym The Pit, you can learn how to take both! Owners of The Pit, John and Heather Hackleman, recently got beat-up online after posting a meme to The Pit’s Facebook page with a photo of the couple at…
What’s really killing plovers
“The bird had been split in half. The upper portion of the snowy plover was on the west side of a tire track and the bottom half was on the east side of the tire track…. The entrails of the bird were found on the east side of the tire track just north of the…
Seasonal eats
How fun is this? All You Can Eat Gourmet Pizza Night is happening at Cambria Pines Lodge, 2905 Burton Drive, Cambria, on Sept. 20, from 5 to 7 p.m. The ongoing outdoor Friday event costs $19.95 for adults and $12.95 for kids (10 and under), and features an unlimited gourmet pizza buffet (including dessert pizza,…
Facebook fight over meme leads to a local business’s first negative reviews on Yelp
The owners of a local martial arts gym are in the midst of a nasty fight, but unlike most of their battles, the punches being thrown aren’t in a ring—they’re on the internet. John and Heather Hackleman, owners of The Pit Martial Arts and Fitness in Arroyo Grande, are facing scrutiny after posting a homemade…
The driver’s seat to carbon-free
In order to address the climate, housing, and affordability crises, we need to increase housing production paired with investments in pedestrian improvements, bicycle lanes, and transit systems. We also know that many people will continue to use personal vehicles, and for that reason, we are concurrently working on our electric vehicle infrastructure. Thanks to the…
For a cause
Join California’s Central Coast Girl Scouts for their Sept. 21 Fall Crawl, from 4 to 7 p.m.. Start at 119 Chorro St., SLO, and move, eat, and drink down Higuera Street by visiting the places that support Girl Scouts: Hotel SLO, Blacksheep, Cider Bar, Doc Burnstein’s, Sidecar Cocktail Co., and Firestone Walker Brewing (just to…
Propagandists and the selective omission of contradictory fact
The Sept. 12 issue ‘s opinion contributions by the founders of “Mothers for Nuclear” (“Natural-gas-fueled electricity”), as well as Mark Henry—the “father” of nuclear—(“A convenient untruth”), as well as an Al Fonzi piece (“Defending sandcastles”) proved “an embarrassment of riches” for those who disagree with them. First, apparently, the Mothers for Nuclear have not considered…
Raise a glass
SLO Brew is debuting a new name and fresh concept, reopening after a California Coastal-style remodel by Basalt Interiors. “The Carrisa by SLO Brew” now has an expanded creek-side dining and a new menu featuring California cuisine, fresh produce, and an array of specialty tacos. An extensive wine list, local beer, and premier cocktails will…
Thoughts on the ‘old guys’ alleged to be at BlackHorse
I was amused to read about the “packs of old guys with their awesome dogs” at downtown BlackHorse in your recent Student Guide (“New Times rates downtown SLO’s coffee shops for your studying pleasure,” Sept. 12). I agree that everything about BlackHorse is terrific. As a member of a men’s hiking group who coffee up…
Autunno Pizza at Palo Mesa Wood Fired
We used to think Palo Mesa Pizza in the Village of Arroyo Grande was too small to hold our appetites, as it appears to be the size of a drive-through coffee spot. But upon entering, we were shocked at the nice allocation of space. It’s like a big living room, and the seating is super…
Downtown SLO is about the good times, too
In response to Kasey Bubnash’s cover story that ran on Sept. 5, which asked “What’s up with downtown?” I offer words from the wise Yogi Berra, who once said, “Nobody goes there anymore; it’s too crowded.” New Times, what gives? This cover story didn’t hit the mark. Your office is downtown. You know what’s going…
San Luis Coastal approves dual immersion program at Baywood Elementary
Growing up in a half-American and half-Peruvian family, Los Osos resident Sandra Knapp was raised speaking both Spanish and English. Knowing both languages allowed Knapp to communicate with her older relatives and better understand her family’s colliding cultures. As an adult, Knapp was able to care for her Spanish-speaking grandmother through her battle with Alzheimer’s,…
Nuclear power is a risk to the public
“A convenient untruth” (Sept. 12) is exactly what this partisan screed is all about, but not in the way that Mark Henry has described it. Henry loves linking the Democratic party to the argument against nuclear power for purely pecuniary reasons, refers to the brilliant Helen Caldicott as just another anti-nuclear hysteric, and then predictably…
Adam Hill gets a challenger in District 3 supervisor election
A Grover Beach insurance agent and South County Chambers of Commerce leader is running for San Luis Obispo County supervisor. On Sept. 16, Stacy Korsgaden announced her candidacy for 3rd District supervisor. She’s seeking to unseat three-term incumbent Adam Hill in the March 2020 primary election. “Ultimately, I didn’t feel our district was well-represented,” Korsgaden…
Sound off
New Times readers took to Facebook to share their thoughts on our Sept. 12 Student Guide story, “Getting trashed: As students move, abandoned furniture builds up on SLO’s curbs, and cleaning it up is no small task.”
Coastal Commission to decide fate of Cambria affordable housing project
Three residents appealed SLO County’s approval of an affordable housing project in Cambria to the California Coastal Commission, which found substantial issues with the proposed 33-unit apartment complex at its meeting on Sept. 11. Peoples’ Self-Help Housing is going to continue to fight for the project as part of a commitment to the Cambria community,…
