Cover Story
Virtually learning: As Cal Poly and Cuesta start a new year, education stays online
For this year’s annual student guide issue, we talk challenges and potential successes facing local colleges and universities due to the constraints of COVID-19. Staff Writer Kasey Bubnash covered nontraditional students who have kids and jobs as well as the resources out there for them; Staff Writer Karen Garcia spoke with one of the founders…
Some businesses can reopen indoors as SLO County progresses into red tier
San Luis Obispo County moved out of the state’s most restrictive set of COVID-19 regulations on Sept. 22, allowing indoor spaces at restaurants, gyms, places of worship, museums, zoos, and aquariums to reopen with restrictions. While the changes are effective immediately, local health officials warned that they could be quickly reversed if the community sees…
SLO, Santa Barbara counties see largest unemployment rate decrease since April
With each month that passes, unemployment rates in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties continue to head toward pre-pandemic levels—but both counties still have a ways to go. The California Labor Market Information Division released preliminary data for August on Sept. 18, according to the Workforce Development Board of Santa Barbara County. August’s unemployment…
Arata’s attorneys to challenge charges on First Amendment grounds
Local activist and protest leader Tianna Arata appeared in a second virtual San Luis Obispo County court hearing on Sept. 17 and for the second time entered no plea for the 13 misdemeanor charges filed against her. Arata’s defense attorneys Patrick Fisher and Curtis Briggs asked to continue the arraignment to allow them time to…
SLO County slows down COVID-19, could reopen more business sectors next week
Correction: A previous version of this article misstated the date range during which SLO County met the state’s metrics as of Sept. 18. Indoor spaces at restaurants, gyms, movie theaters, and places of worship could reopen again as early as next week due to declining levels of COVID-19 in San Luis Obispo County. Between Aug.…
Santa Barbara County narrows applicant pool for redistricting committee
Nearly 200 Santa Barbara County residents applied to serve on a citizens’ commission responsible for drawing the lines that will define the county’s five supervisorial districts for the next 10 years. Only 11 of those applicants will be chosen to serve. When Santa Barbara County voters approved Measure G in 2018, they enabled the creation…
Pismo Beach begins prep for possible mudslides after Avila Fire
When the Avila Fire ignited on June 15, firefighters were able stop it after just a few days and 445 acres burned. No homes or lives were lost, but Pismo Beach city staff worry that the loss of vegetation in the scorched hills surrounding Pismo could lead to another emergency: mudslides. “Obviously we don’t know…
Community Action Commission of Santa Barbara County announces new name, vision
The Community Action Commission in Santa Barbara County—responsible for programs like Head Start and Senior Nutrition—announced a new name on Sept. 16. The nonprofit will now be called CommUnify: A Community Action Agency. CommUnify CEO Patricia Keelean said that the agency has mulled the idea of a new name for a while now, and that…
Balancing act: College students with children face challenges this school year, as most K-12 schools remain closed
To Christina Nystrom, a “day off” is a day where she can focus solely on her full-time job. In addition to working full time as a scheduling analyst in Cal Poly’s Office of the Registrar, Nystrom is starting her second year of grad school at Cal Poly, where she’s on her way to getting a…
Busting the myth-buster
I read with interest Al Fonzi’s recent opinion, “Myth busting” (Sept. 10). I mean, I like “myth busting” as much as the next person, and I feel obliged to bust a few of the myths in this piece. But, first, I’d like to sincerely thank Mr. Fonzi for his military service to this nation. I…
Disney’s Mulan remake offers less heart, soul, and empowerment than the original
MULAN What’s it rated? PG-13 What’s it worth, Karen? Stream it What’s it worth, Caleb? Stream it Where’s it showing? Disney Plus Director Niki Caro (Whale Rider, McFarland, USA, The Zookeeper’s Wife) helms this live-action remake of Disney’s beloved 1998 animated film. To save her ailing father from being drafted into a war, a young…
Support for essential workers
I was raised on the Central Coast and lived in Morro Bay, Avila Beach, and San Luis Obispo, but I no longer live in the area. This past weekend I had come home to visit my mother on her 66th birthday in Los Osos. She lives in the Daisy Hill Estates, a senior park that…
Cobra Kai
What’s it rated? TV-14 When? 2018-ongoing Where’s it streaming? Netflix More than three decades have passed since the central event of The Karate Kid took place—the All Valley Karate Tournament, which culminated in its final round between young fighters Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka). Now both in their 50s, the rivalry…
Vote for local control
During the next term of the Cambria Community Services District board, the appeal of a Coastal Development Permit application will reach the California Coastal Commission. At the crucial hearing there, I want our board to show unequivocal support for the permit. Only current board member David Pierson and candidate Tom Gray have promised their support.…
Learn by (virtual) doing: As SLO County college students adapt to a virtual learning environment, extracurricular activity hubs are still delivering
As the pandemic forces thousands of Cuesta College and Cal Poly students to learn and study away from the classroom this school year, the question of what will happen to the extracurricular aspects of college—student-led organizations, clubs, and campus life—looms large. Cuesta College Faculty Coordinator for Student Life and Leadership Dr. Anthony Gutierrez said that…
What’s up with downtown SLO parking?
I’m not sure who the person was that decided to go back to paying for parking in downtown San Luis Obispo, but way to go! Your Parking Services Office did not give out any September parking passes but you still decided to go “back to normal” with 10-hour parking meters. Hmm, did this person even…
I’m Thinking of Ending Things
What’s it rated? R When? 2020 Where’s it streaming? Netflix In the middle of a mild snowstorm, a young woman (Jessie Buckley) narrates the long drive with her boyfriend, Jake (Jesse Plemons), to visit his parents in Oklahoma. But there’s something off about the trip. Between the woman’s drifting thoughts of the seemingly new relationship…
Suffragists fought for all women
Correction: An earlier version of the headline included a typo, which was fixed to better reflect the content of the letter. This same typo is included in the print edition. New Times regrets the error. An Aug. 27 New Times article on the centennial of women voting (“Local political leaders reflect on 100 years of…
The right space: StudentRoomStay offers college students an app to connect with housing that fits their needs
Growing up on the Central Coast, local Adam Lee has fond memories of his parents hosting international students in their home when he was in high school. Some of the students his family housed are still in contact with Lee to this day. Through the international programs his parents participated in, Lee said he has…
Experienced leadership
During difficult social and economic times, it is important to have leaders whose experience and temperament can be trusted. That’s why I was so encouraged to see Jan Howell Marx put her name forward for one of two open positions on the SLO City Council. I’ve known Jan for some decades and hold her in…
Opening amid the crisis, Gather Natural Market offers respite and aloha
Neighborhood market Gather Natural Market is located next to The Barber Shop in the San Jacinto Centre at 4825 El Camino Real, Atascadero. In-store hours are Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday noon to 6 p.m. Find Gather’s latest new items on Facebook or shop online for pickup at gathernaturalmarket.com. About…
The 40-year train wreck
For the past year, The Dunes Alliance (American Woodland Conservancy, Surfrider San Luis Obispo, Sierra Club’s Santa Lucia Chapter, Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of Oso Flaco Lake, Morro Coast Audubon, ECOSLO, San Luis Obispo Coastkeeper, Oceano Beach Community Association, Defenders of Wildlife, and the Northern Chumash Tribal Council) have been asking Gov. Gavin Newsom…
Virtually learning: As Cal Poly and Cuesta start a new year, education stays online
For this year’s annual student guide issue, we talk challenges and potential successes facing local colleges and universities due to the constraints of COVID-19. Staff Writer Kasey Bubnash covered nontraditional students who have kids and jobs as well as the resources out there for them; Staff Writer Karen Garcia spoke with one of the founders…
Lost in translation
Want to know why we can’t find common ground societally? Because people believe what they want to believe. When they hear or read something that conforms to their worldview, they feel vindicated and are certain they’re right. When they hear or read something that contradicts their beliefs, they reject it, undermine it, and refuse to…
Cantrell, NAACP, and TMHA discuss racial and criminal justice reform
Imagining what a just and equitable justice system in San Luis Obispo County would look like depends on who you’re talking to, according to outgoing San Luis Obispo Police Chief Deanna Cantrell. The definitions of “just” and “equitable” mean something different to every person, Cantrell said during a Sept. 12 League of Women Voters virtual…
SLOcal beatmaker Jae Ford releases Alchemy
Alchemy is the perfect name for Jerime “Jae” Ford’s new album. The 43-year-old SLOcal who grew up singing in church magically transforms an eclectic mélange of sounds into these deep-groove tracks you can feel in your bones. This is an album crying out to be heard in headphones to fully experience all the textures. The…
County greenlights Edna Valley cannabis greenhouse near school
Overruling opposition from some neighborhood residents, on Sept. 10 the SLO County Planning Commission approved an Edna Valley cannabis greenhouse located fewer than 1,000 feet from Los Ranchos Elementary School. The decision, which was kicked up to the Planning Commission by a county hearing officer on Aug. 7 due to its proximity to the school,…
Studios on the Parks’ September show features four decades of culture captured by Mexican-American photographers
Find another narrative Check out Studios on the Park in person at 1130 Pine St. in Paso Robles from noon to 4 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays and noon to 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. You can also visit the Counter Narratives exhibit online at studiosonthepark.org/for-art-lovers, and find it under the “Exhibitions”…
Pismo adopts regulations for sidewalk vendors
With the opening of its new pier plaza, a record-breaking heat wave, and other neighboring beaches closed due to COVID-19 concerns, the most recent Labor Day weekend was a busy one in Pismo Beach. It led to a sudden boom of sidewalk vendors selling food and merchandise near the pier and beach, and with the…
Upcoming online auction to benefit Nipomo’s Dana Adobe and Cultural Center
The Dana Adobe and Cultural Center in Nipomo recently announced plans for its Fall Online Auction, which will open on Sept. 28 at 9 a.m. and is scheduled to run through Oct. 5, closing at 5 p.m. Patrons can view the full catalog of auction items and pre-register to enter the auction online at danaadobe.org.…
Grover Beach City Council and mayoral candidates talk street repairs and transparency
There are three city council seats up for election in Grover Beach this year, and 10 candidates are competing for the spots. Longtime Grover Beach resident and court reporter Elizabeth Doukas is gunning for incumbent Mayor Jeff Lee’s seat, and she hopes to bring a different set of values to the council. Doukas, who has…
The Reboot storytelling group presents its season finale, Dirty Work
The Reboot: Storytelling Reimagined, a monthly storytelling slam group, presents its final Zoom performance of the year on Friday, Sept. 18, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The theme of this season’s finale is Dirty Work, as its featured storytellers will tell diverse tales of “getting dirty and coming clean.” Described as a curated mix of…
Nipomo could finally see skate park construction in 2021
San Luis Obispo County is closing in on its $1.5 million funding goal for the Nipomo Skate Park with the hopes of breaking ground on construction next spring. It’s taken more than six years to get to this point in the project process, but if you ask Wyatt Russell how he feels about it, he…
Paso Robles Youth Arts Foundation hosts virtual version of its annual Dining with the Arts event
The Dining with the Arts Gala and Auction, an annual fundraiser hosted by the Paso Robles Youth Arts Foundation (PRYAF), will be held virtually this year on Saturday, Oct. 3, from 6 to 7 p.m. Auction proceeds and donations raised during this live broadcast will benefit PRYAF’s free performing arts and visual arts programming offered…
Monterey Bay Community Power changes name, unveils new renewable goals
Correction: This story has been edited to correct Central Coast Community Energy’s name. San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay’s default electricity provider has a new name and a new plan for renewable energy, as it gears up to start servicing most Central Coast residents and businesses next year. Effective Sept. 8, Monterey Bay Community Power…
Conservation groups complete Chorro Creek restoration project, benefiting the Morro Bay watershed
Chorro Creek is one of the two major waterways that flow into the Morro Bay estuary. So, naturally, its health is inextricably linked to that of the bay’s. For years, a stretch of Chorro Creek near Hollister Peak ran through active farmland, where its flow was diverted for irrigation and its banks were shored up…
Medium shift: With live theater on hold, Cuesta College drama program pivots to making a podcast series on racial injustice
The Cuesta College drama program and bree valle are nationally known for their award-winning original stage productions, like last year’s Ghost Ship, which took home 20 top honors at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival in Los Angeles. But this year, the program and its artistic director are using that creative acumen to adapt…
