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Summer Guide 2021: With pandemic limitations easing, this summer’s alive with events and activities
It’s been a long year already, and it’s only May. But things are looking up because the world is starting to reopen just in time for summer. And if you’re trying to figure out what’s up, then you’ve come to the right place. In our annual Summer Guide, Calendar Editor Caleb Wiseblood gathered all of…
Camp Roberts won’t be used to house unaccompanied migrant children
Camp Roberts is no longer being considered as a location to temporarily house unaccompanied migrant children. A spokesperson from the U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal’s office (D-Santa Barbara) said the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) informed the office that it doesn’t plan to use Camp Roberts due to a decrease in the number of…
SLO and Santa Barbara counties meet state’s criteria for yellow tier
Record-low COVID-19 cases in SLO and Santa Barbara counties have put both on track to move into the state’s least restrictive yellow tier next week—just before California is scheduled to lift many pandemic-era restrictions. On June 1, for the first time since the state’s four-tier system was adopted, SLO and Santa Barbara counties posted weekly…
SLO County APCD revises air quality forecasting map for Oceano area
New air quality data in South County has given local air pollution control officials a clearer picture of what areas are most impacted by wind events at the Oceano Dunes—triggering a change to air quality forecasting maps. SLO County has seven geographic zones for air quality forecasting and reporting purposes, and South County is split…
The grumpiest place
Hey everyone, San Luis Obispo County is finally famous, again! But it’s not for wine, beautiful beaches, and outdoor recreational opportunities. It’s not for being the home of the Happiest Place in America. Although, we might get tagged as the Grumpiest Place in America, if you listen to the disgruntled members of the Republican Party…
Grover considers making pandemic-era outdoor dining areas permanent
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Lil’ Bits Café had two or three tables right outside the entrance of their building on North 7th Street in Grover Beach. That more than doubled in July 2020, when the state issued orders restricting indoor dining in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. Lil’ Bits did what it…
Downtown SLO looks to rebound in time for post-pandemic summer; city to discuss keeping parklets
Editor’s note: The original version of this article included an incorrect date in the first paragraph. The energy is palpable in downtown San Luis Obispo at lunchtime on Thursday, May 20, as visitors with and without face masks wander around the city’s hub. Streets that were practically deserted a year ago are now buzzing again…
Pismo Beach and Grover Beach suggest public meeting on Central Coast Blue
Pismo Beach and Grover Beach responded to the city of Arroyo Grande’s demands for the Central Coast Blue water project on May 24—proposing a path forward for the frayed regional partnership. The cities’ letters, which are identical, called the $85 million wastewater treatment project “imperative” for the region, and said that “the project is best…
Same bar, new look: Harry’s Night Club and Beach Bar gets a refresh
Harry’s Night Club and Beach Bar first opened in the 1950s, hardly noticeable among the dozen or so other bars sprinkled throughout downtown Pismo Beach at the time. A lot has changed since then—shirt shops and hotels stand in the spaces that many of Pismo’s long-closed bars once claimed, and Harry’s ownership has changed hands…
Morro Bay wind farm project is back in motion
An offshore wind development project off the coast of Morro Bay was halted by the U.S. Navy in 2018 because the designated area conflicted with naval operations, but the project is back on track after reducing its size. On May 25, U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) joined the White House in announcing an agreement…
Los Osos/Baywood locals revive a community gathering place on the bay with a little help from longtime customers
Bay stay See what Beerwood has in store for you from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week at 690 Santa Maria Ave. in Baywood. Visit thisisbeerwood.com to check out the menu, and find them on Instagram @thisisbeerwood. The sweet, smoky scent of bacon sizzling away in the kitchen floated over Beerwood’s patio…
Dance barefoot to Unfinished Business on May 29 at Sea Pines
Unfinished Business band leader Ed Miller spent years as an FBI agent, but what he always wanted to do was play rock ‘n’ roll. After seeing The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show as an 11-year-old, he begged his parents for an electric guitar and practiced, practiced, practiced. He was in his first band by…
Dancing on canvas: Denise Gimbel discusses her latest abstract paintings
Brush hour Find out more about Denise Gimbel and her artwork at denisegimbelcontemporaryartist.com. Gimbel’s paintings are currently on display in Finding Spaces at SLOMA through May 31 and will also be featured in an upcoming Valley Art Gallery exhibit at the Santa Maria Airport, starting on June 8. What usually gets abstract artist Denise Gimbel…
Army of the Dead mashes a heist flick with zombies
ARMY OF THE DEAD What’s it rated? R When? 2021 Where’s it showing? Netflix What’s it worth, Anna? Matinee What’s it worth, Glen? Matinee Writer-director Zack Snyder (Watchmen, Man of Steel, Justice League) helms this mash-up about a team of mercenaries that infiltrates Las Vegas in a bid to steal $200 million from a safe…
New Times Media Group holds annual Winning Images Photo Contest
New Times Media Group is inviting local photographers to enter its 26th annual Winning Images Photography Contest. The deadline to submit photographs is Wednesday, June 2, by 5 p.m. The entry fee is $10 per photo. All entry fees roll back into cash prizes for the winners in each category. Visit newtimesslo.com for submission and…
Calm down
In your May 20 commentary, “Testing Biden,” you mention a few things that I feel need clarification. Yes, better “security” of our computer systems indeed is a good idea. However, the belief of a “catastrophic failure” is a bit of overkill. The recent gas pipeline shutdown was a result of a ransomware attack, and the…
Hawthorne Elementary comes together after recent shooting
When a shooting on May 10 led to the death of a police officer and the suspect, and injured another officer, Hawthorne Elementary School Principal James McMillen said he, like many others in the community, received phone alerts from apps and news outlets about the incident. “The second I saw the address that was listed…
A Wilderness of Error
What’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2020 Where’s it showing? Hulu Incarcerated since 1979 after being convicted of brutally murdering his pregnant wife and two young daughters, Jeffrey MacDonald maintains his story that a group of hippies broke into their home and slaughtered his family. Director Marc Smerling takes us on a journey through MacDonald’s trial…
MBAA celebrates 70th anniversary with new French salon-style showcase
The Morro Bay Art Association (MBAA) presents MBAA Salon 2021, a special group show to celebrate the organization’s 70th anniversary, at Art Center Morro Bay, through Monday, July 12. Participating artists in the exhibit were asked to submit artworks that best represent their personal artistic journey. An opening viewing for this traditional French salon-style exhibition…
Indigenous communities are key to 30 by 30
President Biden has laid out a 10-year goal of conserving 30 percent of the U.S. by 2030, an inclusive and bold vision for safeguarding America’s lands, water, and wildlife that will support the efforts of people across the country, including rural communities, tribal nations, private landowners, and many others on the frontlines of conserving, stewarding,…
Gallery at Marina Square presents two new watercolor exhibits
Gallery at Marina Square in Morro Bay will hold two new exhibitions, showcasing watercolor paintings by local artists Ardella Swanberg (in the lower gallery) and Nancy Jensen (in the upper gallery), from Tuesday, June 1, through Tuesday, June 29. Both Swanberg and Jensen will be present at a special meet and greet opening reception on…
Amplify the voice of hip-hop in our community
The No. 1 selling genre of music in the world is pop music, largely in part to the No. 2 genre of music in the world, hip-hop. In 2006, media giants like Viacom and Clear Channel started believing in the earning potential of hip-hop. Viacom staked their claim by green-lighting shows like Flavor of Love…
Arroyo Grande High School could cancel choir program
Arroyo Grande High School’s choir program is under threat of closing next year, after years of dwindling student participation and the retirement of the school’s longtime choir teacher. Parent Kim Carrington found out about the possible cancellation of the program from her daughter when she came home from work on May 24. Carrington’s daughter, an…
The Woman in the Window
What’s it rated? R When? 2021 Where’s it showing? Netflix Agoraphobic child psychologist, Anna (Amy Adams), watches from her dark and empty brownstone as a new family moves in across the street. In a clear nod to Hitchcock’s 1954 Rear Window, Anna realizes right away that life for the family is less than idyllic. She…
A local tells his family’s story of fleeing the Armenian genocide
When Bruce Badrigian was battling pancreatic cancer in 2012, all he could think about in the hospital was his father and the sacrifices he’d made to provide for his family. In his younger adult years, Badrigian’s father died and left Badrigian wishing he had spent more time learning about his Armenian heritage. He learned a…
Let’s get beautiful
On May 6, the Biden administration outlined a vision for how the United States can conserve and restore the lands, waters, and wildlife that sustain the nation. The recommendations in the 24-page report, “Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful,” calling for “a locally led nationwide conservation goal to conserve 30 percent of U.S. lands and…
