Cover Story
Listening to the voiceless: Local law enforcement and behavioral wellness agencies collaborate to address local human trafficking
Human trafficking is often referred to as the modern equivalent of slavery and yet, most of us aren’t even aware that it’s happening. “It all occurs under the radar of most of us,” SLO County District Attorney Lee Cunningham said. “It takes something to bring it to our attention.” It’s not like a robbery or…
Viewer DIscretion: Unsolved–the search for Kristin Smart
A team of FBI evidence recovery specialists search for the remains of Kristin Smart near Cal Poly’s iconic “P” landmark. Smart disappeared in 1996. PHOTO BY JAYSON MELLOM
Wines and vines
Welcome to the club: Parrish Family Vineyard in Paso Robles has announced that the 2016 vintage will be the first year that they craft their wines from estate-grown grapes. Culling grapes from its three terroir-diverse vineyards in the Creston, El Pomar, and Adelaida sub-AVAs, the winery is officially one of Paso Robles’ true estate wineries…
How do you think the wine industry is affecting local politics?
Kurt Weir retired sheep farmer and aircraft mechanic “They bought it. … They caved in to local oil; they caved in to this and that. If it was table grapes, I’d be right there with you, but it’s wine, so shut the fuck up.” Michael Collins bouncer/full-time father “Well, I live in Paso Robles. ……
Felten Cellars 2013 Paso Robles Tempranillo and Ancient Peaks 2011 White Label Malbec
It might still be hovering around 90 degrees in Paso Robles (where delicious Felten Cellars wine hails from) but in SLO, I can actually feel the first crisp blast of autumn reviving my senses. The changing season calls for many things: a reflection on the summer fun we’ve had, cutting back the tomato vines, and…
Wholesome happenings: Sally Loo’s Wholesome Cafe is ground zero for farm fresh food with a side of artistic freedom
Something interesting is happening at Sally Loo’s Wholesome Café. Maybe you’ve strolled through the railroad district on a recent weekend night and heard—much to your delight—the sounds of thumping bass and jangly guitar spilling into the street. Maybe you’ve seen flashes of life-sized art pieces crafted by Neal Breton being hauled in and out of…
Blast from the Past: Lone Star
When? 1996 | Where? Amazon Video, DVD. In the world of film, the genre of crime covers a broad array of movies. From the stark and morally ambigoius world of noir, to the action-packed heist movies, to big-budget thriller, the world of cops and robbers is pretty well represented on the silver screen. But one…
Toto plays Vina Robles Sept. 11 in support of their latest album
After canceling their show at Denver’s Paramount Theatre on Sunday, Sept. 4, because singer Joseph Williams was hospitalized, Toto was back at it again for their Salt Lake City tour date. As far as I know, the altitude sickness that put Williams out is not going to be a thing in Paso Robles, which is…
SLOMA features art of Cen Dalidet
Take a step back in time with the art of a native SLOcal from the brink of the 20th century. The exhibit Cen Dalidet: At the Edge of a New World, features the paintings of Maria Ascencion (Cen) Dalidet, who lived from 1859 to 1913. Her father was a Central Coast vintner. Because the family’s…
Paso’s sidewalk chalk festival Arte de Tiza is accepting applicants
It’s almost that time of year, that time where the sidewalks of downtown Paso Robles pop with all the colors of the rainbow. Arte de Tiza on Sept. 17 offers a visual feast of chalk murals created by area artists on the sidewalks. There is no fee to participate, and chalk is provided by the…
Participate in public art project with workshop by Colleen Gnos
Ever wonder how to paint something a bit more three-dimensional than the standard canvas? Local artist Colleen Gnos, recently commissioned to paint two lifeguard towers in Avila Beach, has answers. While locals wait with bated breath for the unveiling of the public art project this winter, they can get in on the artistic process themselves.…
A good pairing: Cheese from Fromagerie Sophie, reds at Baileyana Winery, and Labor Day weekend
Growing up, there was a drawer in my fridge that I avoided like the plague. It emitted an odor so foul I was sure some poor creature must have died in there. It was my mother’s coveted cheese drawer, a space in which multiple pungent (and to the discerning 9-year-old’s eye, rotting), colorful cheeses lurked.…
Here and now: SLO-made short film explores happiness
The idea was to make a short film with zero budget, with aspirations of winning an Oscar. Writer/director Bryan Duggan thought it was impossible. Duggan, an LA transplant living in Los Osos, happily joined the San Luis Obispo Film Collective and was eager to participate in the group’s efforts to choose a screenplay written by…
Big cow, little cow: Young local artist works alongside hero Man One at Cow Parade
When Just Looking Gallery director Ken McGavin decided to bring something different to the art community in San Luis Obispo about four years ago, he never thought it would change anyone’s life per se. The gallery started carrying the gritty, colorful work of internationally renowned street artist Man One, who has done live spray paint…
Adult decisions
What would you do with $100,000? Don’t think too hard. It might hurt. I definitely wouldn’t use it the way that the San Luis Obispo City Council decided it ought to. Back in June, the council allocated $100,000 for what essentially amounts to a parking study. Apparently, the city’s worried about what’s happening to the…
Harmon would give SLO a fresh start
Patty Andreen’s endorsement of Jan Marx (“Mayor Marx steers SLO in the right direction,” Sept. 1) for mayor is a hoot. Patty praises Jan’s leadership for putting SLO in a strong financial position, promoting neighborhood infill projects, booming the tourist economy, spurring road improvements, and stabilizing our water supply! Not so fast, Patty. All those…
Poison politics make people sick
The opinion article by Larry Bargenquast titled “Liberals. Am I right?” in the Sept. 1 issue of New Times is one example why so many people are turned off by today’s American politics. His style of street brawl, slash and burn politics has infected political discourse at almost every level of politics in the U.S. …
Special interests decide elections
I just came back from a bicycle ride and once again had to swerve to save my life because some stupid human was texting. I’m well practiced. I have done this so many times while riding my bicycle and my motorcycles thanks to my training. I wonder how many others would die in the same…
War vets for Ortiz-Legg
I am Korean War Veteran, and I fully support Dawn Ortiz-Legg for state Assembly. She is one of the most intelligent and dedicated people I have ever known, and she will work hard on behalf of the community she lives in and serves. I’ve known Dawn for more than 20 years, and she has always…
AG needs to face the music
I’ve been a resident in the city of Arroyo Grande for 20 years. What should be a simple conclusion isn’t. It baffles the mind when we have a serious water issue going on. I can’t understand why there hasn’t been a moratorium declared when it comes to building any new construction. It shouldn’t be rocket…
Try, try again
I love you, Shredder. I really do. Your column makes me smile as you point out the ridiculous in a way that only you can do. My Thursdays just wouldn’t be the same without you. But last week’s column, “If at first you don’t succeed … ,” wandered over to the wrong side of the…
Home HERO: Program helps residents reduce utility costs
Morro Bay, Grover Beach, and Paso Robles recently joined the growing list of 430-plus California cities helping homeowners reduce their utility bills. The cities signed on to help their residents make water-efficient and/or energy-efficient upgrades to their homes through Renovate America’s HERO program, a Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program that allows property owners to…
Wet work: Are building moratoriums the answer for SLO’s drought-parched South County?
When it comes to fighting the effects of the state’s historic drought, it’s hard to argue that South County residents haven’t done their fair share. But while they sacrificed, either voluntarily or through mandatory conservation measures, construction projects in the Five Cities area continued. Residents asked to forsake their green lawns watched as massive tanker…
Correction
• The Shredder messed up. I know. We’re sad, too. But, The Shredder doesn’t mind fessing up to mistakes. In the Sept. 1 column, “If at first you don’t succeed … ,” The Shredder incorrectly identified SLO City Councilmember Dan Carpenter’s stance on the Rental Housing Inspection Program. Carpenter has voted against it every time…
Brothers found guilty of beating Hancock college student
Noe Chang Sr. leaned against the wooden railing and began crying loudly along with his wife as two of their sons walked out of a SLO County courtroom in handcuffs Sept. 1. Brothers Noe Chang Leon Jr., 24, and Javier Chang, 20, were led away from their sobbing parents after a jury found them both…
SLO reconsiders opening long-closed Luneta to traffic
A sea of neon flashed in the San Luis Obispo City Council chambers after each public comment on Sept. 6. “Save Luneta,” read the signs—black type on green paper—hoisted by dozens of attending residents from Luneta, a quiet residential neighborhood in the Cerro San Luis Foothills. The expression of silent solidarity was the latest political…
Shell Beach homeowners win appeal for bluff bike path reroute
Residents of multi-million-dollar homes along Shell Beach’s scenic bluffs continue to battle local outdoor enthusiasts, and it looks like they’ve won the latest scuffle with a little help from the Pismo Beach City Council. The council voted 3-1 to direct staff to move forward with a plan to reroute a popular bicycle path that passes…
Professor sues Poly for discrimination and harassment
A female African-American professor is suing Cal Poly for alleged racial and gender discrimination, harassment, and failure to accommodate physical disabilities. Roslyn M. Caldwell, an associate professor in the Cal Poly Department of Psychology and Child Development, is listed as the plaintiff in the suit filed in SLO Superior Court on Aug. 23, which accuses…
Search for Kristin Smart’s body begins on Cal Poly campus
After more than 20 years of searching, investigators may finally be close to discovering the remains of Cal Poly student Kristin Smart. On Sept. 6, the SLO County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI began excavating a section of land in the hills near Cal Poly’s “P” landmark. It’s just one of several locations both on…
Clubs 9/8/16 – 9/15/16
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…
