Cover Story
Packed in: Housing at Cal Poly is getting pretty tight
As first-year Cal Poly students line Grand Avenue to lay eyes on their campus for the first time, they’ll most certainly notice a massive construction project towering over the school’s stone-gray entrance sign. It’s impossible to miss: a nearly half-a-million square-foot site with seven, half-baked three- to five-story structures—which will eventually serve as dorms for…
‘D’ in DACA stands for deferred
It seems to me that all the criticism directed at TV star, successful businessman, best-selling author and now President of the United States Donald Trump for his decision to end the DACA program is misunderstood and unwarranted. In actuality, what our president did is the best thing for these 800,000 illegal immigrants brought to the…
Awareness through art
Take not one, not two, but three whole days to really soak in the work of Indian performance artist B. Ajay Sharma as a part of the Inverse Performance Art Festival at Cuesta College’s Harold J. Miossi Gallery from Sept. 28 to 30. Sharma’s work for this show, Cultivate the Hunger Land, focuses on the…
Tis the season!
Rock your world: Whale Rock Music Festival (formerly Beaverstock) is making a splash this Sept. 16 at Castoro Cellars in Templeton for another day (and night) of sensory experiences! Held in the winery’s scenic Whale Rock vineyard, this early fall tradition features national and local music acts, free yoga classes, silent disco, hard cider, craft…
Freedom of speech under fire
Thomas Jefferson, third President of the United States and the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, repeatedly affirmed the rights of conscience as embodied in the First Amendment’s protection of speech, religion, and peaceful assembly. To quote him: “No provision in our Constitution ought to be dearer to man than that which protects the…
Team bonding
After a long week of grinding away at a keyboard, staring into a 27-inch computer screen, and hiding out in an AC-filled office, it’s time for our editorial department to resurface Friday evening, Sept. 8, for a little team bonding. The 5 p.m. punch-out time means the editorial team for New Times is ready to…
Slurp, burp
Perk up: Vert Juice in Arroyo Grande is making back to school a little better by offering up a range of satisfying superfood smoothies that can keep even the most ragged student going. Try the carrot cake (with carrot juice, dates, flax, maple syrup, coconut water) or mint monkey (banana, maca, peppermint oil, almond milk),…
Residents fear fatalities on Buckley Road with looming Avila Ranch
Editor’s note: Previous versions of this article incorrectly stated that Avila Ranch land has not yet been annexed into the city of SLO. After 32 years running The Equine Center veterinary clinic on Davenport Creek Road just south of San Luis Obispo city limits, Jim Waldsmith knows the area’s handful of rural roads like the…
Out on the town and all out of cash
Sometimes Netflix and chill is so … not chill. Getting out of the dorm and onto the streets of San Luis Obispo for a night of seeing a movie, catching a play, or enjoying live, local music doesn’t have to come at the expense of blowing your ramen budget, though. Check out our favorite deals…
Outdoor outings
Fresh air fun: Those lovely summer concerts in the park, and all that they entail (sipping on local wine and nibbling on food from local vendors) is winding down for the season. It’s your last chance to get in on the fun, so act now if you’ve got the itch for one last picnic (go…
Trash talk
To hear online resources such as californiabeaches.com or californiathroughmylens.com tell it, Pirate’s Cove is an absolute jewel, “a well-known clothing optional beach,” “incredibly beautiful,” with a cave that’s “impressive.” Jeez, that sounds swell; however, they left out the used condoms littering the area, the graffiti, the broken beer bottles, the piles of human excrement, and…
Take a hike
Picturesque, oak-studded hills: it’s the cliché that surrounds San Luis Obispo. But it’s true—the open spaces surrounding the city are beautiful, spring, summer, or winter, and they’re just asking for you to venture into them. There are too many to count, and I’m only including my favorites in this quick-and-dirty rundown of trails that are…
What are you harvesting?
Harvest is a magical time of year, but it isn’t “magic” that brings forth those juicy strawberries or perfectly balanced wine grapes. A good harvest, like most things, is really a matter of hard work, dedication, and due diligence (mother nature, not withstanding). This time of year, we honor the bountiful gifts of the season…
SLO County Sheriff’s Office hires new medical examiner
After months of criticism over the performance of its contracted medical examiner, the SLO County Sheriff’s Office has hired its first full-time forensic pathologist. Dr. Joye M. Carter began her duties as the county’s new medical examiner Sept. 11, according to a press release from the Sheriff’s Office. Carter, an Air Force veteran, is a…
The Whale Rock Music & Arts Festival arrives Sept. 16-17, features Michael Franti & Spearhead
I think they should be flattered. After all, getting a cease and desist demand from the owners of the Woodstock Music & Art Fair brand means that Castoro Cellars’ Beaverstock Music festival—now renamed the Whale Rock Music & Arts Festival—got so successful that owners of the original name of an event that happened 48 years…
How one chef found Zen at Windrose Farm—and how you can, too, at Heirloom Fest
Tomatoes of today Join Windrose Farm for a celebration of heirloom tomato season with a festival on Saturday, Sept. 23, from 2 to 6 p.m. and multi-course dinner featuring chef Julie Simon this Sept. 24 from 5 to 8 p.m. For tickets go to farmsteaded.com or windrosefarm.org. Chef Julie Simon has a fresh outlook on…
Woman found in car with corpse takes plea deal
One of two people found traveling in a car with a teenage child and a decomposing body has taken a plea deal, and will likely be sentenced to probation. On Aug. 31, Sherrie Lynn Boggess, 50, pleaded “no contest” to one misdemeanor count of willful cruelty to a child in connection with the bizarre case.…
Catching up: SORA Water Recycling powers gray water system with solar energy
Utilizing renewable resources such as solar panels to power our homes are way ahead of using recycled water inside of our homes. “We’ve been noticing a lot of people claiming energy independence with solar panels and renewables,” Cal Poly grad Dustin Kash said. “We see that water is pretty far behind all of that and…
IT
IT What’s it rated? R What’s it worth, Ryah? Matinee What’s it worth, Karen? Matinee Where’s it showing? ? Downtown Centre, Sunset Drive-In, Stadium 10, Park, Galaxy Editor’s note: This week’s Split Screen was written by Arts Editor Ryah Cooley and Staff Writer Karen Garcia while Glen and Anna Starkey were on vacation. From director…
What was your most memorable college experience?
Kailey Espinoza visitor “I have one more year to go before I move on to college but I’m looking forward to the experience as a whole.” Kyle Fryfogle Cal Poly student “This is my first year at Cal Poly, and I know a lot of the people going so creating more memories with them.” Sarah…
Film listings 9/14/17 through 9/21/17
AMERICAN ASSASSIN What’s it rated? R Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre, Stadium 10, Park, Galaxy New American Assassin follows the rise of Mitch Rapp (Dylan O’Brien) a CIA black ops recruit under the instruction of Cold War veteran Stan Hurley (Michael Keaton). The pair is then enlisted by CIA Deputy Director Irene Kennedy (Sanaa Lathan)…
Judge rejects developer’s demand for $500,000 from SLO residents
In the latest twist in a fight between a Los Angeles developer and a SLO neighborhood group opposing his project, on Aug. 17, a San Luis Obispo County Superior Court judge denied the developer’s request to tack a $500,000 bill on the resident group for allegedly delaying the construction of affordable housing in its lawsuit…
Blast from the Past: Sailor Moon: Promise of the Rose
When? 1993 What’s it rated? PG Where’s it available? DVD, streaming on Amazon and Hulu A typical day for me is waking up just before 7 a.m., doing a tiny bit of stretching (and a lot of yawning) followed by a smoothie or tofu scramble. Then I’ll read the news, snuggle my pets, and do…
Student Guide 2017
WOW Week is upon us and so are the Wowies. Cal Poly and Cuesta College are gearing up to take on the students and so are the townies, but what about the students? Who’s helping them gear up? We are, with our annual Student Guide issue! You can read about how closely you will be…
Great idea
Patrick Ford’s editorial in New Times on solutions to the county homeless crisis should be read seriously by our county government leaders, legislators, planners (“A home in South County,” Sept. 7). There is a lot of government-owned land used by only dead weeds scrub, for even tent camps like common in World War II California,…
Foothill’s food show
Foothill Boulevard is almost an extension of Cal Poly’s campus, or, at least, it feels that way sometimes. The restaurants that line the street south of campus are usually filled with students, similar to much of the housing in the adjacent neighborhoods. Foothill food first-timers, here’s a miniature guide to the cuisine that you can…
Admit it: you were (and still are) wrong
I know how hard it is to admit you’re wrong, especially when you’ve staunchly defended a position for a long time. But sometimes you have to just bite the bullet and do it. It is long past time for deniers of man-made climate change to muster the courage to make that admission. The scientific evidence…
Planting seeds
Agriculture plays a huge role in feeding the growing world and contributing to the changing economy. For Cuesta College professor Amy Stapp, the greater impact that agriculture has on the world has influenced her life and she now works to teach that idea to her students. She is also one of the many professors helping…
Carbajal sold to the highest bidder
Salud Carbajal ran as a candidate who would support campaign finance reform and take money out of politics. Almost every voter can agree that this is a great idea, but U.S. Rep. Carbajal always tends to say one thing and do another. After reviewing the recent donations, you can clearly see that Rep. Carbajal is…
Getting around
It’s a new school year for all you bright-eyed Cal Poly SLO and Cuesta Community College students, and whether you are returning for yet another year, or embarking on your college experience for the first time, there’s a lot to think about before you sit down to your first class. At some point you’re going…
From the ground up
As Cal Poly pushes for a zero-waste future, the hardest part for the university is controlling the everyday stuff: the stuff that students, teachers, and faculty touch on a daily basis that might end up in the trash when it shouldn’t. There are many sets of trash, recycling, and compost bins stationed in densely populated…
AG council members ask mayor to step down from sanitation district board
After publicly releasing the results of an investigation into alleged misconduct by Arroyo Grande Mayor Jim Hill, members of the City Council have asked him to relinquish his seat on the South San Luis Obispo County Sanitation District’s board of directors. The council voted 3-2 to request that Hill voluntarily give up his position as…
Raw Dick Picks art show to raise funds for transgender artist’s bottom surgery
Party with no pants on Proceeds from RawfeyL Gene Burge’s art show, Raw Dick Picks, will go toward the transgender artist’s bottom surgery. The exhibit will be on display at the GALA Center Gallery through Oct. 15, with a reception on Oct. 6 from 6 to 9 p.m. For gallery information, visit galacc.org. Growing up…
The reality of climate change
It’s considered bad manners to say “I told you so,” so pretend I’m not saying that. Among these “who told us so,” pointing out the consequences of rising CO2 levels on the climate, were scientists throughout the world, writer/activist Bill McKibben, columnist and writer Thomas Friedman, President Obama and Vice President/film producer Al Gore, almost…
That’s so metal
There’s crafty and then there’s craftsmen. Learn a little about the latter while learning how to make rings at the Metalsmithing 101 Workshop at Left Coast Art Studio in Los Osos on Sept. 18 from 6 to 9 p.m. Learn the basics of metalsmithing including soldering, pickling, and finishing. Participants will also go over tools…
Court backs Megan’s Organic Market in county’s cannabis lawsuit
A San Luis Obispo County Superior Court judge ruled against SLO County on Sept. 13 and its motion seeking authority to abate the cannabis plants of local medical marijuana delivery service Megan’s Organic Market, effectively preserving a harvest that will benefit nearly 2,000 patients on the Central Coast. SLO County filed the lawsuit in July,…
Art in motion
Bring a little color to your yoga practice at the Glow Flow Yoga Party on Sept. 23 at Yoga Center SLO. The event is from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. and costs $10 to attend. This class will showcase the talents of DJ HyFi for a special Saturday night class with yoga instructor Meg Whitney. This…
