Cover Story
Local breast cancer survivors find community and competitive outlet in dragon boating
The boat jolts forward faster and faster with each unified stroke. In repetitive, synchronized motions, about a dozen paddlers plunge their oars into the calm morning waters of Morro Bay at the same moment, propelling this 40-foot canoe rapidly along the estuary. At full speed, the vessel feels almost like it’s hovering above the water,…
The Awareness Issue, 2019
October brings us many things. Colder nights, fall leaves, and Halloween. But it’s also a month that shines a light on what we should be paying attention to year round: breast cancer and domestic violence. This year, in New Times’ Awareness Issue, Assistant Editor Peter Johnson writes about how dragon boat racing is helping some…
The biggest reason to impeach
There are many good reasons to impeach President Donald Trump, but the one I find most compelling that’s never mentioned is his commitment to obstruct any progress that would help fight the inevitable, currently occurring, climate change crisis. He and his appointees, many of them former fossil fuel industry lobbyists, have done their best to…
Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool compresses five decades of genius into two sublime hours
MILES DAVIS: BIRTH OF THE COOL What’s it rated? Not rated What’s it worth, Anna? Matinee What’s it worth, Glen? Full price Where’s it showing? The Palm Stanley Nelson (Freedom Riders) directs this documentary about horn player, band leader, and jazz icon Miles Davis, told through archival photos, home movies shot by Davis and his…
Earth calling
“How dare you. You have stolen my dreams and my childhood. … People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. … For more than 30 years, the science has been crystal clear. How dare you look away.” —Greta Thunberg to the U.N. General Assembly Recently, a grocery clerk packing my bags gently complained that it was…
Bingeable: Into The Dark
When? 2018 – What’s it rated? TV-MA Where’s it available? Hulu Jalapeño-flavored kettle-cooked potato chips are my all-time favorite snack food. But I don’t buy them often because whenever I do, I lose all sense of self-control and eat an entire bag in one sitting. So, for the sake of my heart and my waistline,…
Do dogs’ lives matter?
It was like the Wild West on the 600 block of Santa Rosa Street last Thursday, Sept. 26. Bullets were ricocheting off the driveway as San Luis Obipso Police Officer Joshua Walsh discharged his service weapon toward an apartment building. What was going on? Was there a kidnapping, an amber alert, a dangerous criminal firing…
Sound off
New Times readers took to Facebook to share their thoughts on our Sept. 26 news story, “Judge rules in favor of Grand View owners, tenants will have to leave.”
Local cancer survivors band together to provide information and support via phone calls with community members experiencing cancer
Link-up with resources To connect with a Cancer Connections member, call (805) 235-2997. To learn more about its services or read about the members, visit cancerconnectionsslo.org. Surfing for Hope is hosting the annual Longboard Surf Contest on Oct. 12, starting at 7 a.m. The event is open to all ages and includes a variety of…
New Times‘ staff sips and saunters around downtown SLO on Sept. 27
When asked what it’s like to work for a local media outlet, I always say it’s a great way to get to know an area. New Times, if you didn’t already know, is located on the bottom floor of a building in the heart of downtown San Luis Obispo. I won’t speak for my colleagues,…
Awareness Issue 2019: Dragon boating for survival, violence prevention starts at the root, connecting through cancer, and a clothing swap that cares
October brings us many things. Colder nights, fall leaves, and Halloween. But it’s also a month that shines a light on what we should be paying attention to year round: breast cancer and domestic violence. This year, in New Times’ Awareness Issue, Assistant Editor Peter Johnson writes about how dragon boat racing is helping some…
Local home design company gives back to children with disabilities
Ariana Lovato was raised on the Central Coast by Persian immigrant parents. “I was first-generation born here, and very early, on it was instilled in us that you should be one of the four top professionals. You know, a dentist, lawyer, doctor, or engineer,” Lovato said. Her parents wanted her to be successful, and while…
Stand Strong and RISE focus on domestic and intimate partner violence prevention
DVAM October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Learn more about what’s happening to get the word out this month, how you can help, and where you can find help if you need it, by visiting riseslo.org and standstrongnow.org. Domestic violence isn’t just a women’s issue. It’s not just a progressive issue, either. It’s a pervasive…
Cracker and Peter Case play opening concert for Morro Bay Harbor Festival on Oct. 4
The Morro Bay Harbor Festival, this Friday, Oct. 4 through Sunday, Oct. 6, has really outdone itself this year on the entertainment! As usual, there’s all-day music and fun on Saturday and Sunday, but the weekend event begins with a Friday night Sunset Rhythm Kickoff Concert featuring Peter Case and Cracker (doors at 5:30 p.m.;…
Film Listings, 10/3/19 – 10/10/19
Editor’s note: Listings for Bay Theater—(805) 772-2444—were not available at press time. ABOMINABLE What’s it rated? PG What’s it worth? Rent it Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre, Galaxy, Park, Stadium 10 Jill Culton and Todd Wilderman have had their hands in animated/fantasy films such as Monsters Inc. and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, respectively,…
Clothing Swap and other donations help domestic violence survivors rebuild
Swap, donate, or both! The next Clothing Swap and Drive will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 12 at iFixit at 1330 Monterey St. For more information, visit asiacroson.com/events/clothing-swap-fall2018-6x9xl-xf459. Cal Poly is also hosting a drive to benefit local crisis shelters that will run until Oct. 26 at noon. Only new or…
As the Waters Rise exhibit at Cuesta College encourages viewers to change how they treat our planet
On display Julie Heffernan’s As the Waters Rise exhibition at the Harold J. Miossi Art Gallery will be on display until Oct. 11. For more information about the artist, visit her website at julieheffernan.net. Painter Julie Heffernan told New Times that her work is often compared to that of Hieronymus Bosch. For those who haven’t…
Firestone Walker blends the best of both worlds in one can with Rosalie Beer Rosé
The rosé lover’s beer Look for Firestone Walker Brewing Company’s six-pack slim can Rosalie—a hybrid half-beer, half-wine with an acid profile similar to a rosé—in the beer and wine section of local grocery stores. Firestone Walker Brewing Company brewhouse tours and tastings are held at the Visitor’s Center: 1400 Ramada Drive, Paso Robles. Call (805)…
Oceano Dunes workshop canceled after issues with State Parks’ dust reduction plan
The San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District (APCD) recently canceled a public workshop on dust mitigation at the Oceano Dunes, citing California State Parks’ failure to complete an adequate work plan for mitigation efforts in the park. The workshop, which was planned for Oct. 1, was initially scheduled so community members would have…
Central Coast Writers Conference celebrated its 35th year of bringing writers from across the globe together in SLO
Get writing For more info about the Central Coast Writers Conference, check out facebook.com/CentralCoastWritersConference. Voted the best writers conference in California this year by The Writer magazine, the Central Coast Writers Conference (CCWC) celebrated its 35th year in San Luis Obispo from Sept. 26 to 28. “It was started by a Cuesta professor called Lillian…
Seasonal eats
FarmSLO, a program of Slow Money SLO, announces Bounty of the Harvest, a benefit dinner to support small, local farms. The entire dinner will feature and celebrate local food, along with the purveyors who grew or produced them. The dinner will be held Oct. 5, from 5 to 7:30 p.m., at Tiber Canyon Ranch, 280…
Forced out, Grand View tenants ask Paso for help
On the heels of a SLO County Superior Court judge’s ruling to allow the Grand View Apartment owners to go out of business and evict their tenants, the soon-to-be former residents are requesting aid from the city of Paso Robles. At the Oct. 1 Paso Robles City Council meeting, public comment began with the tenants’…
Beware the shark
We live in a beautiful part of the world, with open spaces everywhere, mountains and lakes, rivers and valleys. Sometimes as I drive along our (mostly) open roads, looking at the clouds and tree-covered landscapes, I just marvel at the beauty that God and nature have given us here. Economically, we are also doing well,…
Fab fests
An Oktoberfest beer garden, an oyster eating contest sponsored by Giovanni’s Fish Market, a Hawaiian shirt contest, and a lineup of incredible bands and musicians will be the highlights of this year’s family-friendly Rhythm of the Sea Morro Bay Harbor Festival, on the Embarcadero behind the Morro Bay Maritime Museum, Oct. 5, from 11 a.m.…
Affordable housing project lands in Pismo Beach instead of at Hillside
The controversy over Hillside Church in Grover Beach—and a low-income housing and homeless services facility that was proposed for the location—appears to be coming to an end. Peoples’ Self-Help Housing and 5Cities Homeless Coalition announced on Oct. 1 that they had secured another property where they will provide the permanent and supportive housing facilities that…
Morro Bay Art Association presents Meet the Masters series
Meet the Masters, a new children’s workshop series hosted by the Morro Bay Art Association, begins at Art Center Morro Bay with its first class, Meet Yoyoi Kusama, on Sunday, Oct. 13, at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. These new, ongoing arts classes are designed for students in kindergarten through sixth grade and are led…
Misc. nibbles
Caliwala Food Market & Deli has opened in Santa Margarita (2200 El Camino). Catch the grand opening celebration on Oct. 6, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Caliwala is a brand new fresh and local community market, with organic snacks, drinks, ice cream, and deli. Δ Flavor writer Beth Giuffre needs some organic snacks right…
Autumn Arts Annual 2019
The first day of fall was Sept. 23, and everything is noticeably chillier on the Central Coast. Well, at night at least. San Luis Obispo still hit about 100 degrees on Sept. 24, so I don’t really know what to tell you other than fall in California isn’t like the “fall” you read about. The…
#DefundHate: Why we must act
Judaism teaches that everyone is entitled to dignity and honor. One of our most cherished values is to welcome the stranger, especially those fleeing for their survival—because as Jews, we know what it’s like to run from terror and violence, over and over again. Today it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the enormity of…
Prosecco and popcorn
My husband (bless his heart) recently went along with me to see Downton Abbey at the Galaxy Atascadero movie theater, and lo and behold, next to the concessions on a pretty little side table, the theater was advertising bubbly to go with our movie. At the Galaxy, you can order wine by the glass or…
The Groves on 41 rallies support to keep its sign
A decorative water tower created to advertise The Groves on 41, a mother-and-daughter-run olive farm, has caused enough controversy that SLO County said the sign might have to be removed. Although the county has had ongoing issues with the sign since 2016, more than 1,000 people signed a petition on care2.com in support of saving…
SLO Library holds second annual Comix Fair
The second annual San Luis Obispo Comix Fair takes place at the SLO Library on Saturday, Oct. 12, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Costumes are encouraged, and all ages are welcome at this family-friendly comic book convention. The event features panels with local artists, including Irene Flores and Dan Parsons, and a manga exhibition.…
SLOPD officer reassigned after fatal dog shooting
A San Luis Obispo police officer who shot and killed a dog in its owners’ driveway on Sept. 26 has been taken off his patrol beat while the department further investigates the incident, SLOPD Chief Deanna Cantrell said on Oct. 2. SLOPD Officer Joshua Walsh fatally shot Bubbs, a 7-year-old pit bull-boxer mix, during an…
Join the Medicare for All movement
The grassroots movement for Medicare for All has—neighbor by neighbor, conversation by conversation—grown support to more than 70 percent of Americans. That number, combined with new leadership and a new Medicare for All caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives, means that now is an unprecedented time to change health care in America. Now is…
SLO County asks for another study of Monterey Bay Community Power
Unsatisfied by a recent fiscal analysis of Monterey Bay Community Power (MBCP), the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors wants to commission another to help it decide whether to join the Community Choice Energy agency, which is expanding to serve six SLO County cities over the next two years. At its Oct. 1 meeting,…
Dana Adobe hosts Rocky Horror Picture Show production
Grover Beach’s Studio of the Performing Arts presents its production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Dana Adobe Cultural Center on Friday, Oct. 11, and Saturday, Oct. 12. Both performances start at 8 p.m., with doors opening at 7 p.m. This cult-classic musical centers on sweethearts Brad and Janet, who stumble into a…
Pismo City Council moves to further regulate tattoo and massage parlors
At a meeting on Oct. 1, Pismo Beach City Council unanimously voted to introduce ordinances that would enhance the city’s ability to regulate specific kinds of businesses, including massage places, tattoo parlors, pawn shops, resale stores, and smoke shops, among others. Mayor Ed Waage said the ordinances are part of larger effort to make downtown…
Democracy in action
In the 40 years that I’ve been following the actions of Morro Bay City Hall, it has been at times disheartening, frustrating, anguishing, enraging, and enough (nearly) to drive one crazy, but it has all been an unforgettable experience because of the people I’ve come to know who fight for justice, fairness, equal treatment, rational…
