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Student Guide 2023: Tips, tricks, and treasures for university and college students
As Cal Poly’s annual Week of Welcome descends on San Luis Obispo, we put out our annual Student Guide, designed to help university and college students find their way around campus and the coast. Stroll through the Cal Poly Plant Conservatory to experience a living museum of plants from around the world BY BULBUL RAJAGOPAL…
Bottoms is a guffaw-worthy teen black comedy
BOTTOMS What’s it rated? R What’s it worth, Glen? Full price What’s it worth, Anna? Full price Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre Emma Seligman (Shiva Baby) directs and co-writes with star Rachel Sennott this raunchy teen black comedy about two besties and lesbians—PJ (Sennott) and Josie (Ayo Edebiri)—who are at the bottom of their high…
The truth of Trump is worse than an incorrect quote attribution
I read with interest Clive Pinder’s letter in the Sept. 7 edition (“Looking for impartiality”). According to The Hill, CNN, Politico, and PBS, Trump’s Truth Social response to losing the 2020 election was to state in all caps, “MASSIVE AND WIDESPREAD FRAUD AND DECEPTION” and claim that there were only two options: either to throw…
Cal Poly’s Kennedy Library’s long-needed renovation leaves students and resources scattered
Stay in the know Visit afd.calpoly.edu/facilities for more information on the Kennedy Library project, when it will be completed, and where you can find library resources. Cal Poly’s Kennedy Library renovation has been years in the making. From fixing temperature issues that plague the inside of the building, to structural changes that are needed in…
Ah, progress!
Who’s ready for the clean energy revolution? Is it Citizens for Estero Bay Preservation, a Morro Bay group that opposes Texas-based energy company Vistra’s plan to build a 600-megawatt Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) on possibly toxic land next to the iconic smokestacks? Probably not. The group collected enough signatures to demand Morro Bay residents…
Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones
What’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2023 Where’s it showing? Netflix Certain areas of the world are known as “Blue Zones,” regions where residents live longer than average. Netflix’s new series Live to 100 takes us around the world to explore what it is about these areas that sets them apart from the rest of the…
SLO Food Bank participates in Hunger Action Month help fight food insecurity
Food insecurity in San Luis Obispo County has been climbing since the COVID-19 pandemic, and to help combat it, the SLO Food Bank is participating in Hunger Action Month throughout September, organized by Feeding America. SLO Food Bank Chief Executive Officer Garrett Olson told New Times that the fundraiser comes at a crucial time for…
Beloved Cuesta College Theater Program production secures compensation for the first time
Get your tickets Cuesta College Theater Program’s next show is Shakespereance, an immersive and site-specific limited engagement with only 16 seats available per performance. The show runs from Sept. 19 to 21 with show times at 7, 8, and 9 p.m. Buy tickets at cuesta.universitytickets.com. The Cuesta College Theater Program’s continued success following its production…
Who is Erin Carter?
What’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2023 Where’s it showing? Netflix Erin Carter (Evin Ahmad), a British substitute teacher living in Spain, has a quiet life. Her Spanish husband, Jordi (Sean Teale), treats Erin’s young daughter, Harper (Indica Watson), like she is his own. Erin’s hoping to get hired at the school full time; she loves…
Something for everyone : Finding your new favorite band at an 18-and-over venue
Don’t ever let anyone convince you that there isn’t a great live music scene in San Luis Obispo and its surrounding cities. There is something for everybody. Whether it’s well-known touring bands, local singer-songwriters, indie music, DIY, or punk, you will find something that you like. However, a lot of the music experiences around here…
Board of Supervisors sparks discussion on independent redistricting commission
The power to redraw district lines could lie in the hands of San Luis Obispo County’s constituents. On Sept. 12, with 1st District Supervisor John Peschong and 5th District supervisor Debbie Arnold dissenting, the SLO County Board of Supervisors directed staff to return at a later date with a draft proposal for an independent redistricting…
Anti-battery storage initiative will be on Morro Bay’s November ballot
Opponents of the proposed Vistra-owned battery storage facility celebrated outside of the City Council meeting on Sept. 12 after the council voted to put their initiative on the upcoming November ballot. “Congratulations to all the citizens that collected signatures, who signed the initiative and support the effort,” Betsy Gaudette-Cross said in a social media post…
An annual truffle congress is poised to meet in Paso Robles to discuss the future of the fungi on the Central Coast
Lessons in luxury Purchase tickets for the North American Truffle Growers Association’s (NATGA) 2023 truffle congress under the events page at trufflegrowers.com. Dinner only tickets are available online at NATGA’s Eventbrite page. The congress will take place from Oct. 8 at 4 p.m. to Oct. 10 at 10 p.m. Truffles—the fragrant underground fungi renowned for…
Arroyo Grande Creek cleanup begins with $1.2 million boost from the state
Construction repairs began on Arroyo Grande Creek in Oceano the week of Sept. 11 and are expected to take several months to complete. The project’s two phases aim to fix damage caused by this past winter’s storms, when an overwhelmed Arroyo Grande Creek caused a levee to break on the south side of the creek.…
Family of Central Coast painter Nat Fast donates rare sketches to local auction fundraiser
Art and the city St. Peter’s Episcopal Church presents Art in the Heart of the City, a benefit auction, on Saturday, Sept. 16. Artworks in the auction will be available to view starting at 2 p.m. Bidding begins at 2:30 p.m. in Parke Parish Hall. Admission to the fundraiser, which also features light appetizers and…
Paso dealer sentenced to 14 years for selling fatal fentanyl to teen
Three years after he knowingly sold fentanyl-laced pills in the name of Percocet to a 19-year-old who died from taking one, Paso Robles resident Timothy Wolfe is about to serve 14 years in federal prison. On Sept. 11, Los Angeles U.S. District Judge John Walter also ordered the 26-year-old to pay almost $26,000 in restitution…
It’s another banner live music week in SLO County
I don’t know what it is about Thursday, Sept. 21, but you’re going to wish you could be in four places at once so you won’t have to decide between Los Lobos, Keb’ Mo’, James Hunter, and Samantha Fish. It’s like Sophie’s Choice, but with music. It’s incredibly rare for any band to last 50…
Fire Service in Oceano is backed by the Board of Supervisors
The SLO County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to support fire service for the Oceano Community Services District (OCSD) from the Five Cities Fire Authority. On Sept. 12, the board voted in favor of the Arroyo Grande and Grover Beach fire stations providing service to the OCSD and surrounding areas via a contract that will…
Wine Country Theatre presents She Loves Me in Paso Robles
The Paso Robles Youth Arts Center will host Wine Country Theatre’s latest production, She Loves Me, scheduled to premiere on Friday, Sept. 22. Performances of this romantic musical will run through Sunday, Oct. 1. The show follows two combative co-workers at an elegant perfumery who constantly butt heads while on the job. Both clerks unknowingly…
John Hamon appointed as Paso Robles mayor
After the sudden death of longtime Paso Robles Mayor Steve Martin, a new mayor and familiar face will be leading the city. “I am willing and able to move our city forward and happy with what we are doing,” John Hamon said at the Paso City Council’s special meeting on Sept. 7. “I am looking…
Festival Mozaic hosts Notable Soirée at Nipomo’s Trilogy Monarch Dunes
Musicians Scott Yoo and Alice Dade will lead an informal Notable Encounter lecture on the music of Mozart at the Monarch Club at Trilogy Monarch Dunes in Nipomo on Saturday, Sept. 16. The program, hosted by Festival Mozaic, starts at 2 p.m. and will be followed by a meet-the-artists reception with wine and appetizers in…
Oceano Dunes’ economic impact on SLO County is lower than some want us to believe
It’s time to think clearly about the Oceano Dunes. A recent contributor to New Times cited a county-wide economic study regarding the positive impacts of tourism on the SLO County economy (“Is it time we all shift our thinking on the Oceano Dunes?” Aug. 3). That author claims that tourism contributes a half billion dollars…
Stroll through the Cal Poly Plant Conservatory to experience a living museum of plants from around the world
House tour Visit the Cal Poly Conservatory on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Village Drive inside the Cal Poly campus. Email conservatory curator and on-site manager Gage Willey at gwilley@calpoly.edu for private, guided walkthroughs. Black pepper from the Malabar coast of southern India and the coveted Hawaiian koa plant are much closer…
The quote was an error but the point is the same
After submitting my letter (“An open letter to the secretary of state,” Aug. 31), I discovered that I had included a quote I attributed to Donald Trump that was in error. My bad, “to err is human.” Subsequently, this error was pointed out to me, first by the editor, and again by Mr. Clive Pinder…
For the newbies: Advice for first years
Being a freshman in college is exciting, but it can be overwhelming. You’re away from the comforts of family, a previous routine, and friends, but it’s also a chance for you to grow, push boundaries, meet new people, and flourish in more ways than you thought possible. While some may welcome change, it’s still hard…
Live more simply, save the planet
I do not know the author of “Take local steps to combat climate change,” Sept. 7. I imagine we would get along, as I share the same concerns about climate change. The small actions suggested are all good ideas, as we must all do something to steer us from disaster. But I was struck that…
