Cover Story
Risky business: A 30-year-old voter initiative is at the center of SLO County’s debate over Trump’s West Coast drilling proposal
Splotches of black tar smeared across portions of the Central Coast’s beaches and tidal areas are teeny-weeny glimpses of the energy potential that lies beneath the Pacific Ocean. It’s tough and sticky, clinging to the sand that gives way to the Estero Bluffs north of Cayucos, marring the pure white of sun-bleached sand dollars along…
Learn the art of Shibori dyeing
Learn the historic art of Shibori dyeing at a workshop at The Bunker in SLO March 18 from 1 to 4 p.m. Shibori dyeing is a pattern making process that is fun and creates beautiful, dramatic textiles for use in fashion and home décor. Learn this technique using indigo, a natural blue dye, to turn…
SLO Film Fest reviews 3/8/18
For more show times and films, visit slofilmfest.org ADVENTURES IN PUBLIC SCHOOL What’s it rated? NA What’s it worth? Full price Where’s it showing? March 15 at 1:15 and 9 p.m. at Downtown Centre Pick Kyle Rideout (Eadweard) directs this quirky heartwarmer, which he co-wrote with frequent collaborator and producer Josh Epstein. Newcomer Daniel Doheny…
Ready for that marine sanctuary?
Richard Charter is a smart guy. He’s one of those people who can break down both scientific and legal language into plain English you can understand. From his perch as senior fellow at The Ocean Foundation, he uses those skills “to spread the word about how best to achieve constructive social change on behalf of…
Spring Arts Annual 2018
It’s the beginning of March, so flip to the annual special Spring Arts issue to check out what’s happening in arts through autumn!
PG&E response: The facts on storing spent fuel
Amy Hewes’ recent commentary, “A pact with the devil” (Feb. 22), makes several false contentions. What New Times readers should know is that the dry cask system used to store spent fuel at Diablo Canyon Power Plant (DCPP) is safe and robust, and that the transportation of spent fuel to a potential offsite storage facility…
Drill, Donnie, drill!
Ever since illustrious 45th Prez tRump threatened to open California to new offshore oil drilling, a whole chorus of “NOPE” has been ringing across the state. Gov. Jerry Brown, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, state Controller Betty Yee, state Attorney General Xavier Becerra, state Finance Director Michael Cohen, and many other state officials have all clearly…
’80s and ’90s hit makers The Psychedelic Furs play March 9 at the Fremont Theater
“Caroline laughs and it’s raining all day/ She loves to be one of the girls/ She lives in the place in the side of our lives/ Where nothing is ever put straight/ She turns herself ’round and she smiles and she says/ ‘This is it, that’s the end of the joke’/ And loses herself in…
Social media sound off
New Times readers took to Facebook to share their thoughts about our March 1 story, “Local students organize to participate in National School Walkout Day on March 14.”
Paso H20 district denied role in basin talks
On March 6, San Luis Obispo County supervisors denied a North County water district a role in the management discussions for the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin, citing low public “trust” in its members and the “scary” prospect of commercial agriculture having outsized power in basin decisions. In a contentious 3-2 vote, the Board of Supervisors…
Gun-free Australia
Ken McCalip either lied or failed to check his facts when he stated that since 1996, when Australia banned and confiscated certain types of weapons, they’ve “had ‘zero’ mass shootings” (“Australia got tough,” March 1). Had Mr. McCalip taken the time to perform a quick Google search, “mass murders in Australia,” he would have found…
AG native’s film, ‘My Girlfriend’s Gay Friend,’ screens at SLO Film Fest
Let’s all go to the movies The SLO Film Festival will show My Girlfriend’s Gay Friend, produced by Arroyo Grande native Chris Reinacher, on March 16 at 9 p.m. at Downtown Centre Cinemas and March 17 at 1 p.m. at the Palm Theatre. The short film can also been seen on Reinacher’s YouTube channel. The…
Weddings 2018
It was about time that we made the transition from Brides to an annual Weddings issue, because we know that the bride is only one part of a Central Coast wedding. The content contained within is just as sweet as it was before—we promise. Read about a photographer whose images are as unique as the…
Two Broads Cider is SLO’s newest (most modern) hard cider yet
Broad city Two Broads Cider is located at 3427 Roberto Court, suite 130, in San Luis Obispo. The ciderworks is slated to be open to the public by late summer 2018. To learn more, call (805) 400-3057. Tasting is by appointment only. For more information, go to twobroadscider.com. Some drinks are best served slightly chilled…
Vapes of wrath: Availability and youth use of e-cigarette products is growing in SLO County
In 1990, San Luis Obispo became one of the first American cities to pass a ban on all indoor smoking in restaurants and bars. While commonplace today, the strict regulations were a novelty then, earning a mention in the Los Angles Times as one of the “nation’s toughest” tobacco laws. So stringent was the new…
March is Women’s History Month
Every year we honor the women who fought for the right to vote and for equality under the law. We continue their work by fighting voter suppression, registering a record number of voters to participate in our democracy, and expanding access to the ballot box in 2018 and beyond. This year more than ever, women…
Pismo council and mayor to get pay raise
After going nearly a decade without a pay increase, the Pismo Beach City Council moved forward with a plan to raise compensation for council members and the mayor by 50 percent. The council voted unanimously on March 6 to introduce an ordinance that will increase pay from $514.80 per month for council members and $814.80…
Soothing escapes
All that glitters: Sea glass enthusiasts from near and far travel to the quaint beach town of Cayucos every spring for The Cayucos Sea Glass Festival March 9 through 11. Locals can also enjoy the weekend of artisan foods and goods, fun in the sun, live music, and of course an extensive marketplace of the…
Paso Housing Authority hosts immigration forum
Education leaders, organizations, and families gathered in the community room of the Paso Robles Housing Authority on March 6 to offer information and support on immigration. Cuesta College clubs Dreamers United and the Latino Leadership Network had booths for current and incoming students. Rise SLO and Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County were…
Libations for all
Unicorn beer? It’s real! Nearly 18 years after the release of the original Firestone Lager, Firestone Walker Brewing Company is bringing it back—new and improved! The folks at Firestone call it the “unicorn beer” because it offers the same easy-drinking attributes of mass domestic lager, but with pure craft quality and an all-malt pedigree (Firestone…
CalCoastNews makes argument for appeal of libel verdict
Nearly one year after losing a high-profile libel lawsuit in SLO County, CalCoastNews filed its opening brief with the 2nd Distric Court of Appeal. The opening brief, filed Feb. 26, asks the appellate court to reverse the lower court’s judgment against reporter Dan Blackburn, and throw out the $1.1 million in total damages the jury…
Regional appreciation
Spreading the red: The Paso Robles Cabernet and Bordeaux Collective (PRCC) is kicking off an informative and inspirational educational series for 2018 with a host of presentations and workshops in locations across California, Nevada, and Texas. The series is aimed at creating ambassadors through students, faculty, staff, sommeliers, and trade representatives who will promote the…
Monarch Dunes’ buildout gets SLO County approval
Despite mounting concerns about groundwater, the SLO County Board of Supervisors approved the final phase of the Monarch Dunes development in Nipomo, paving the way for 163 new single-family homes on 143 acres. On March 6, supervisors voted 3-2 to deny a neighborhood appeal of the conditional use permit granted to developer Monarch Dunes LLC.…
Extend an olive branch
Is your olive oil top notch? Think your buttery bounty has what it takes to beat out the other branches on the block? The Central Coast Olive Oil Competition, hosted annually by the California Mid-State Fair and in partnership with the Lodi Grape Festival, is now accepting entries for all the good, golden stuff you…
Wallace reaches plea deal in conflict-of-interest case
Agreeing to a plea deal with SLO County prosecutors, former South SLO County Sanitation District administrator and Wallace Group engineering firm founder John Wallace pleaded “no contest” to two misdemeanor conflict-of-interest counts, bringing the more than 1-year-old case to a resolution. “I’m glad the matter is finally resolved,” Wallace said in a written response to…
Spent nuclear fuel crash tests
Amy Hewes’ opinion piece in the Feb. 22 New Times (“A pact with the devil”) asserted that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is allowing high-level spent nuclear fuel to be transported in “thin-walled welded stainless steel canisters designed to withstand a crash at 30 miles per hour.” She asks, ” … would they hold up…
Female business owners come together at Central Coast chapter of National Association of Women Business Owners
In 1975, a group of women came together with one thing in common: They couldn’t apply for a business loan because of their sex. Dawn Goonetilleke said that back then, a woman needed her husband or son to cosign for the loan. A band of women formed and advocated for change. These women were instrumental…
Silence is a form of manipulation
Manipulate is defined as: handle, control in a skillful manner; control or influence a person or situation cleverly, unfairly, or unscrupulously. We recognize manipulative behavior, and we know we don’t like it. We don’t like it in potential mates, family, friends, acquaintances, neighbors, employers, co-workers, teachers, coaches, clergy, medical professionals, and we especially don’t like…
Vote for Lynn
When our 4th District Supervisor Lynn Compton discovered that nearly $11 million in development impact fees generated in her district had been plundered over the years for projects outside of her district, she has become the target of two of the supervisors responsible for diverting those funds: Adam Hill and Bruce Gibson, and the opponent…
Bringing art to the people: Pop-up gallery opens in SLO
Art sold here Edna Contemporary Gallery’s next pop-up art even will be held sometime in May at a rustic barn in the SLO area. For more information and updates, visit ednacontemporary.com. Artist Sheryl Daane Chesnut knows it’s hard to make a living as an artist just about anywhere, but especially in San Luis Obispo. People…
‘Red Sparrow’ is as gray and lifeless as its oppressive Russian locale
RED SPARROW What’s it rated? R What’s it worth, Anna? Streaming What’s it worth, Glen? Rental Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre, Park, Stadium 10, Galaxy Francis Lawrence (Constantine, I Am Legend, Water for Elephants, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire) directs Justin Haythe’s (The Clearing, Revolutionary Road, The Lone Ranger, The Cure for Wellness) script based…
Destigmatize and serve
Sadly, our “happiest place” is only one alienated, distraught person away from the tragic shootings like those in Sandy Hook, Orlando, Las Vegas, and Parkland. Since significant actions aren’t happening at the federal level, we need to look to our community for solutions. What can we do? Importantly, we can strengthen the network of mental…
La Femme art show highlights women
Women are front and center at the La Femme art show, currently on display at Art Central in San Luis Obispo. The exhibit runs through April 3 and features the work of student artists from San Luis Obispo High School. As the media exploded with stories about allegations, assault, and inequality, it forced student artists…
Blast from the Past: Layer Cake
When? 2004 What’s it rated? R Where’s it available? DVD, Blue-ray, Amazon, iTunes Before Daniel Craig (Casino Royale, Logan Lucky) was icing baddies behind the wheels of fast cars with femmes fatale in the passenger seat, he was known as a drug dealer. In fact, his portrayal of an unnamed (known only as XXXX in…
Imagine climate change is fake news
Now what? Even if the predictions of climate change turn out to be false, switching over to electric power has no major downside. It’s just the kind of project America needs, a huge job that will take decades, and put millions and millions of people to work. It also would make us less dependent on…
Catch staged reading of The Other Place at SLO Rep
SLO Repertory Theatre brings a staged reading of The Other Place to downtown SLO on March 16 and 17. Just as Juliana Smithton’s research leads to a potential breakthrough, her life takes a disorienting turn. During a lecture to colleagues at an exclusive beach resort, she glimpses an enigmatic young woman in a yellow bikini…
Film Listings 3/8/18 – 3/15/18
ANNIHILATION What’s it rated? R What’s it worth? Matinee Where’s it showing? Stadium 10 Pick Writer-director Alex Garland (Ex Machina) helms this story based on Jeff VanderMeer’s novel about a team of soldiers who enter into a mysterious and expanding energy curtain, from which nothing has yet returned, including drones and other soldiers. Only one…
Instead of saving lives, politics is despicable
The recent tragic school shooting was bad enough, but to hear that an armed deputy failed to intervene and possibly save the lives of young people is tragic. It was an act of despicable cowardice. But what about Congress and the president? They could intervene on the next one and save lives, and they are…
